Pray and work (on Yourself) -- Part I

Angebote / Angebote:

Ive written this work about ascetic practices on request of my Master to give the interested people yet another view on the essence of the spiritual Path. Namely, how man can come closer to God and let Him bring man up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and put a new song in mans mouth. (Ps. 40:2, 3). Man can come closer to God through work on himself, that is working on purifying his heart and soul, his inner world, making through this work still more room available for Him. On the path which my Master has been following the focus lies in ones work on oneself, so that you could call this path the path of the worker. Work on oneself consists mostly of spiritual practices which wake up mans soul in this illusory world towards spiritual reality and keep it awake. This path doesnt demand vows and renunciation of the world, after Jesus word: But I say unto you, Swear not at all (Mt.5:34). It doesnt bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne on the follower. It isnt demanded from man to be an exemplary citizen, family man or woman, spouse, son or daughter, but it is asked to take heed of yourself, as St. Sergius of Radonezh says, that is study yourself and know what is in you, what comes in and what comes out of you. Pray and work, says St. Benedict of Nursia. Work must be understood not only as work with ones hands but aswork on oneself, which helps to rid ones mind and soul from the consequences of committed deadly sins and to restrain one from committing them again, as the psalm commands: depart from evil(Ps.34:14). Ive written this book with the help of the Philocalia, a collection of treatises by Christian holy fathers, which has been translated from Greek into Slavonic by Saint Paisi Velichkovski and the group of monks from his monastery. I have translated/adapted their spiritual instructions into modern language, hoping to make them more accessible to the reader. Translators: Zigurds Skabardis: chapters 1-16, Gouri Gozalov: chapters 17-20, Julia Snezhko: chapters 21-44.