Discourse 71

On the works that are from grace. I was placing a sign in your soul perpetually, and it is sought. And in the time when you perceive that the cessation of God has clearly begun to reveal itself to the soul, know from now that you are near to the attainment of purity. But when a person begins to be raised up from afflictions, immediately this holy power cleaves to the soul and does not depart from it, neither by night nor by day, and shows it the governance of God. And until even the smallest things of all that is and will be and is not—which are stirred up towards the person in secret and in the open, and in the creation of this world—that power which cleaves to it reveals itself to the soul, and it reveals the power of the activity of God, and shows it the divine cessation which, without a fixed peace, acts and does everything of this creation, and how it cleaves to the person at all times; and when he is not aware and does not know, it protects him from adversaries at all times, and prepares for him something of salvation and healing of his soul and his body and the finding of his life. And from now, when that divine power, which is the doer of all these things, reveals itself to the person in secret, it becomes known through the visible manifestation to his spiritual senses, which are the intellect.

that when a person has become worthy to receive this power within himself, he no longer has anything but wonder and silence, and tears that flow at all times like water. And from then on the person remains free from all works. And you will see from now on at all times, in this vision of the cessation of God's activity toward the works of his hands, that when he is swallowed up in wonder, the senses are at rest. The person is prostrate, cast down on his face in prayer, so that he has no tongue to speak, nor a heart that can still pray. But from the wonder at the movements, even that prayer is nullified. That cessation is better than action, when the person is alone, silent in all his senses and movements, and in stillness is cast down prostrate before his Lord. And even his bones offer praise to God in their silence, through that cessation which is perceived, as the elder said: "All my bones say, 'Lord, who is like you?'" At that time, more than all pains, that demon of pride, when bound and cast under the feet of the soul, finds him. In this gift, as they say, the person becomes equal to the love of God and to complete humility. This first gift is tasted in stillness.

and those who, with labor and vigil, have not reached the end within stillness, they cannot but know this. But when a person goes out from stillness and takes up a beginning, he leaps from it. And when again he returns and strives for himself and binds himself mightily to the customary labor, again she is extended to him and shows her power to the soul. When, therefore, a person is fully perfected, this power is bound to him both within and without, and not for a single hour does he cease from sighs and tears along with the rest, even if he does not alter the careful order of his labor. Even now, there is a person who has attained to this by grace. And as for the perfect one, from this gracious grace they are known by its properties. For when a person has tasted the measure of great love, he knows henceforth the whole: how it is, even when others are silent, whether by grace or wholly and entirely. In perfection, however, a person who is worthy is not quickly found, unless to be lacking. For this power is a gift of the vigil of stillness. And because there is no one who holds this rule of complete stillness and perfect vigil, even from the gifts they are deficient.

But as for those who have come to know these things by the outline of stillness, and by practice have not been able to attain it in experience, they are like a man who has lost his mind: a lyre that is tuned and balanced with tight strings, and his fingers do not know how to pluck it and produce the distinctions of the notes for the delight of his soul. Rather, the lyre alone stands, and not even its craft. And it is difficult for others to sing before it and delight it. Not when you become rich in knowledge of many things will you rejoice, but when what you know in practice you rejoice that it is able to come to you. The first, however, apart from these two, when hand in hand it turns to its secret, and also to the height that follows because of the ascent. But when the second is sought, from every side and even in that, it will beware of being without instruction. The eye of knowledge: experience. And its nourishment: constant practice. A clear sign of the purity of your soul will be this for you: when, while you are examined in your standing, you are full of mercy towards all living beings, and your heart is consumed and burns with compassion for them like a fire, without distinction of persons. When by these constant things, that form of the heavenly Father is seen in you.

The measure of your conduct is not from the distinctions of your labors, but from the changes which your mind receives and is sustained. The body is accustomed to anointing with tears. When the gaze becomes pure in spiritual things, as if from springs that gush forth from the eyes and fingers to the cheeks, without compulsion and without will, then a man knows that even within his silence he has been joined to the current of God in the contemplation of something, from the fullness of the reading of the evening, and while he is amazed at himself in the meditation of that contemplation. Like one who perceived that he had much time to speak of the movements of his silence, and was astonished at the wonder of that vision. For it was the depth of the night, and from stillness he came from his silence, while his tears flowed like water, and sighs, until dawn. And his mouth was filled with praise, and his heart spoke of contemplation with difficulty, in an insatiable sweetness. And from the abundance of tears without measure that were shed from his eyes, and from the confusion of his self, all the limbs of his body were loosened, and his heart was cast within him into some sweetness, nor was the service of the night completed according to his custom. But to complete the psalm something was lacking until the time of morning.

Thus he was purified from the multitude of tears: the fountain of his eyes flowed forth beyond his will, and beyond the remainder of his later [acts]. And you also, my brethren, should strive. And when you wish to sleep, before many times, with praises and hymns and readings of the holy scriptures, you should keep vigil, while guarding yourselves from evil thoughts and from every base meditation. And you should enter the treasury of all beautiful things. And you should take up the practice, when you are filled with the remembrance of God, and your soul burns with great joy for the graces, because of the grace of God which is present in your practice and pours forth its gifts upon you even while you sleep. When it dawns upon you: that if your body is purified from all the stains of impurity, and the vessels of your heart are cleansed from base thoughts, and their causes, then they cannot approach you within the domain of the power of darkness, because of the sword and flame of grace with which you are armed. And if they are able to distance grace from you according to their will, when it withdraws from you and you separate yourself from its side as from the carcasses of those more dead than living, then they approach you with all their wickedness. And they assail you with all their strange and terrible movements, according to the impulse of their evil will.

And when such a thing happens to you in your old age, understand immediately, and be mindful, and perceive: that this night was far from you by divine providence. And how did the demons not swallow you? But rather, in this way, He gave you alone an opportunity to approach: that divine sign in whose hand is placed the soul of every human, as you are awake and see yourself. They are unable to approach you when that one is near.