Chapters 1–153

Preface

Inflamed by the flames of impure passions, you usually cooled me with the touch of your God-loving writings, consoled my extremely exhausted mind and blissfully imitated in this the great mentor and teacher. And no wonder: your part has always been glorious, like blessed Jacob; because, having served well for Rachel and received Leah, you also strive to have a beloved, just like the one who completed his seventh birthday for her. But I (I will not deny), having worked the whole night, did not catch anything; and only in your word, lowering the snare, I caught many fish. I don’t think that they were great, however, there are one hundred and fifty and three of them, and with an equal number of heads, having fulfilled your order, I sent you to you in the treasury of love.

I marvel at you and am extremely competitive with your excellent disposition with which you loved the chapters on prayer, for it is not only desirable for you to have them at hand and see them written in ink on paper, but you want to root them in your mind with love and forgetfulness of malice. But since “all things are one against one” (Sir. 42:25), according to the word of the wise Jesus, then accept them not only in the letter, but also in the spirit and understand that a letter is certainly preceded by a thought, and without this there will be no letter. Therefore, the type of prayer is twofold: one is active, the other is contemplative. So it is with numbers: what appears at first glance is quantity, and what is signified by it is quality. Therefore, dividing the word about prayer into one hundred and fifty-three chapters, we sent you the gospel rent so that you could find in it the pleasantness of the allegorical number; and the outline of a triangle and a hexagon, which makes it possible to see the pious knowledge of the Trinity, and at the same time a description of this structure. The number one hundred itself is quadrangular, and the number fifty-three is triangular and spherical, because the number twenty-eight is triangular, and the number twenty-five is spherical1, for by five five is twenty-five2. Therefore, it has not only the outline of a quadrangle in the quaternity of virtues, but also wise knowledge of this age, which is likened to the number twenty-five, according to the sphericity of times; because week after week goes by, month after month and year after year, time turns, and annual changes, as we see, follow one after another according to the movement of the sun, moon: spring, summer, etc. The triangle means for you the knowledge of the Holy Trinity; and also: if by adding numbers you reach the number one hundred and fifty-three, which is also triangular, then you must understand active, natural, theological knowledge, or the knowledge of faith, hope, love – gold, silver, precious stones.

This is the number; do not despise the brevity of the chapters, as one who knows how to “both be filled… and be deprived” (Phil. 4:12) and faithfully remembers Him who did not reject a widow’s two mites, but accepted rather than the wealth of many others. Therefore, knowing the fruit of goodwill and love, preserve it for your sincere brothers, inspiring them to pray for the ailing person, so that he becomes healthy and, taking up his bed, begins to walk according to the grace of Christ, our True God. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

A Word on Prayer Divided into 153 Chapters

1. If anyone wants to prepare fragrant incense, then, according to the law, let him add in equal parts “stacti, onycha … and pure frankincense” (Ex. 30:34) cassia; this is the fourfold virtues. If they are complete and equal, the mind will not be betrayed.

2. The soul, having been purified by the fullness of virtues, brings the mind into an undisturbed state, making it suitable for the desired state.

3. Prayer is a conversation between the mind and God. Therefore: what state does the mind need to be able3 to stand motionless before its Master and talk with Him without any intermediary?

4. If Moses, who attempted to approach the bush burning on the ground, was forbidden to do so until he took off the “boots from his feet” (Ex. 3:5), then how can you, wanting to see the One who is above every concept and feeling, and to talk with Him, not renounce yourself from every passionate thought!

5. First of all, pray for the acquisition of tears, so that by crying you can soften the rudeness that is in your soul, and, having confessed to yourself “the iniquity … of the Lord” (Ps. 31:5), receive from Him the remission of sins.

6. Use tears to ensure the success of every request you make, because the Lord with great joy accepts prayer offered in tears.

7. If during your prayer you shed streams of tears, then do not be in the least conceited in yourself, as if you were higher than many. Your prayer attracted help to you so that you could diligently confess your sins and appease the Lord with tears.

8. Therefore, do not turn into passion what serves as a remedy for passions, so as not to anger even more the One who bestowed grace. Many, shedding tears for their sins and forgetting the purpose of the tears, became mad and lost their temper.

9. Stand tirelessly, pray earnestly, avoid all thoughts of worries and worldly calculations; they confuse and disturb you in order to weaken the tension of your strength.

10. When the demons see in you the disposition to truly pray, then they put into you thoughts about something even necessary and soon afterwards revive the memory of this, prompting the mind to search; and he, not finding what he was looking for, becomes very sad and despondent. When a person begins to pray, the demons remind him of what he was looking for and what he remembered, so that the mind, tired of learning this, loses fruitful prayer.

11. Try to make your mind deaf and dumb during prayer; and then you will be able to pray.

12. When you encounter temptation or contradiction, or are called upon to either, due to resistance, be aroused by anger for revenge, or to utter some strong word, then remember prayer and judgment for it, and the disorderly movement in you will immediately stop.

13. Whatever you do to take revenge on the brother who insulted you, all this will serve as a temptation to you during prayer.

14. Prayer is the offspring of meekness and non-anger.

15. Prayer is a barrier to joy and thanksgiving.

16. Prayer is a cure for sadness and despondency.

17. “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21) and, taking up the cross, deny yourself (see Matthew 16:24) so ​​that you can pray without distraction.

18. If you want to pray with praise, deny yourself every hour and wisely endure all kinds of troubles for prayer.

19. If, while enduring something difficult, you remain wise, then you will gain the fruit of this during prayer.

20. If you want to pray as you should, do not sadden your soul, otherwise your feat will be in vain4.

21. It is said: “Leave … your gift before the altar and go first to humble yourself with your brother” (Matthew 5:24), and then you will pray serenely, because the memory of malice in the one praying darkens the sovereign mind and darkens his prayer.

22. Those who, burdened with sorrow and memory, think of starting to pray, are like those who draw water and pour it into a broken barrel.

23. If you are patient, you will always pray with joy.

24. When you pray properly, you may encounter something for which, in your opinion, it would certainly be fair to act in anger. But anger at one’s neighbor is in any case unjust. For if you look for it, you will find that things can be arranged well without anger. Therefore, use all means to prevent anger from expressing itself.

25. Take care that, thinking of healing another, you yourself do not remain unhealed and do not hinder your prayer.

26. By sparing others and not expressing your anger to them, you yourself will find mercy, in general opinion you will appear prudent and will be included in the number of those who pray.

27. Arming yourself against anger, you will not stop lust within yourself, because it gives food to anger, and anger disturbs the intelligent eye, harming the state of prayer.

28. Pray, not expressing prayer with external body movements alone, but with great fear turn your mind to the sympathy of spiritual prayer.

29. Sometimes, suddenly starting to pray, you will pray well, and sometimes, even after working hard, you will not achieve your goal, and this is so that you can earn even more and, having acquired it, have indestructible success.

30. When an Angel comes, all those who disturbed us are instantly removed and the mind is in complete peace, praying sensibly. And sometimes the usual warfare does not stop, the mind struggles, and it is impossible for it to lift its gaze, because it is preceded by various passions; however, having sought more, he will find, and it will be greatly opened to the one who interprets.

31. Pray not for your desires to be fulfilled, because they do not in every case agree with God’s will, but pray better, as taught, saying: “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10) in me. And in every matter, ask God for what is good and beneficial to your soul, but in every case you yourself do not seek this.

32. While praying, I often asked myself for what seemed good to me, and persisted in the request, foolishly forcing God’s will and not allowing God to arrange better, which He Himself recognizes as beneficial, but, having received what I asked, I was subsequently extremely grieved, why did I ask that my will be better fulfilled, because the matter turned out to be different for me than I thought.

33. Is there any other good besides God? Therefore, let us leave everything that concerns us to Him, and it will be good for us, because the Good One, without a doubt, is the Giver of good gifts.

34. Do not try to immediately receive what you ask for, as if acquiring it by force. It pleases God, if you remain in prayer for a long time, to show you greater benefits. And what is higher than this: talking with God and being drawn into communication with Him?

35. Prayer is the ascent of the mind to God.

36. If you want to pray, renounce everything in order to inherit everything.

37. Pray, firstly, for cleansing from passions, secondly, for deliverance from ignorance and, thirdly, for salvation from all temptation and abandonment.

38. In prayer, ask only for truth and the Kingdom, that is, virtue and knowledge, and everything else will be added to you (cf. Matthew 6:33).

39. It is fair to pray not only for one’s own purification, but also for the purification of every fellow tribesman, in order to imitate the angelic disposition in this.

40. Look whether you really appeared to God during your prayer, or whether the desire for human praise overcame you and you tried to catch it, using external prayer as a cover.

41. Whether you pray with your brethren or alone, try to pray not according to custom, but with feeling.

42. Prayer is usually meditated with reverence, contrition and mental pain when confessing the falls with silent sighs.

43. If during prayer your mind gazes at youth, then it prays not as a monk, but as a layman, decorating the outer tabernacle.

44. When praying, protect your memory to the best of your ability, so that it does not inspire you with anything of your own, but stimulates you to a reasonable continuation of prayer, because during prayer the mind is usually extremely robbed by memory.

45. The memory of the person praying brings to mind either ideas about something long ago, or new worries, or the face of the person who offended.

46. ​​The demon is extremely envious of the praying person and uses all means to make it difficult for him to fulfill his intention, therefore he does not cease to arouse thoughts about various things through memory and through the flesh to set in motion all passions in order to put obstacles in his excellent progress and transition to God.

47. When the all-evil demon, through many efforts, is unable to prevent the prayer of the zealous person,5 then he weakens for a while and then takes revenge on the praying person: either, inflaming him with anger, he destroys the wonderful state that was achieved through prayer, or, inciting him to some unreasonable pleasure, he inflicts a reproach on the mind.

48. Having prayed as you should, expect what you should not expect, and stand courageously, guarding your fruit, because from the beginning you were appointed to “work… and keep” (Gen. 2:15). Therefore, having done, do not leave unguarded what you worked on; otherwise, you will not get any benefit from praying.

49. Every battle that arises among us with unclean spirits is for no other reason than for the sake of spiritual prayer; because this prayer is extremely hostile and very hateful for them, but for us it is saving and very favorable.

50. Why do demons want to arouse in us gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, memory and other passions? So that the mind, having become clouded by them, cannot pray as it should, because the passions, having received their origin in the wordless part of us, do not allow the mind to act verbally and delve into God’s word.

51. We follow the virtues according to the laws of created things, and these laws – according to the original Law that realized them; this same Law is usually revealed in a state of prayer.

52. The state of prayer is a dispassionate skill that delights the wise and spiritual mind with the highest love to the mental heights.

53. He who strives to pray truly must not only control irritability and lust, but also not have passionate thoughts.

54. He who loves God always converses with Him as with a Father, avoiding all passionate thoughts.

55. Not everyone who has achieved dispassion prays truly, because he can dwell on bare ideas, amuse himself by considering them, and stand far from God.

56. When the mind does not dwell long on bare ideas of things, even then it has not yet entered the realm of prayer, because it can engage in the consideration of these things and reflect on their laws, and all this (although these are bare words, nevertheless as a real representation of things) gives the mind its own image and leads it far away from God.

57. If the mind is above the study of bodily nature, then it has not yet seen the perfect abode of God, because it can be in the knowledge of the mind and vary in various ways in relation to this knowledge.

58. If you want to pray, then you need God, who gives prayer to the one who prays, so call upon Him, saying: “Hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9–10), that is, may the Holy Spirit and Thy Only Begotten Son come. For he taught this, saying: “In spirit and in truth it is worthy to worship” (John 4:24) God, that is, the Father; because this Trinity is God.

59. He who prays “in spirit and in truth” no longer honors the Creator in creatures, but sings songs to Him in Himself.

60. If you are a theologian, you will pray truly; and if you truly pray, then you are a theologian.

61. When your mind, out of great love for God, gradually renounces the flesh and turns away from all thoughts that originate in lust, or remembrance, or connection with the flesh, being filled with both reverence and joy, then conclude that you are close to the limits of prayer.

62. The Holy Spirit, out of compassion for our weakness, visits us, although we are unclean, and, if we find our mind truthfully praying to Him, descends on it, and, prompting it to deeds of spiritual prayer, destroys the entire horde of thoughts or ideas surrounding it.

63. Others, through bodily changes, produce thoughts, ideas and perceptions in the mind, but God acts in the opposite way. He descends into the mind itself, puts into it the knowledge that He pleases, and through the mind lulls the incontinence of the body.

64. He who loves true prayer and is angry or bitter in memory is damaged in his mind, because he becomes like a person who wants to see clearly and turns his eyes here and there.

65. If you want to pray, then do not do anything contrary to prayer, so that God will come closer and walk with you.

66. When praying, do not clothe the Divinity within yourself in images and do not allow your mind to take on any form, but approach the Immaterial as immaterial, and you will come to unity.

67. Beware of enemy snares, because sometimes you pray purely and unperturbed – and suddenly a strange and wonderful image appears to you, which leads you into conceit with the assumption that in this image you see the Divine, so that by this sudden revelation you can convince that the Divinity is quantitative, whereas It has neither quantity nor outline.

68. When an envious demon, during prayer, is unable to awaken your memory, then he forces the physical constitution to produce some strange dream in the mind and, in accordance with it, adjust the mind, and he, due to the skill of forming ideas, conveniently bows down and, striving for immaterial knowledge and not clothed in images, is deceived, instead of light, he retains smoke.

69. Stand on your guard, protecting your mind from thoughts, so that during prayer you may remain at peace and so that the Compassionate One for the ignorant will visit you too; and then you will receive the glorious gift of prayer.

70. You will not be able to pray purely if you are bound by material affairs and outraged by incessant worries, because prayer is the putting aside of thoughts.

71. One who is bound cannot run, and the mind, servile to passions, will not see the area of ​​spiritual prayer, because it is carried away and rushed everywhere by passionate thoughts, and does not stand unshakably.

72. When the mind finally prays purely, undistractedly and truly, then the demons no longer approach from the left, but from the right, presenting to it the glory of God and some form pleasing to the senses, so that it seems to the mind that it has completely achieved the goal of prayer. But this, as one wonderful and leading man said, comes from the passion of vanity and from the fact that the demon touches the brain container and shakes the blood veins.

73. I think that the demon, touching the above-mentioned brain container, changes the light of the mind as he pleases, and thus the passion of vanity is aroused in thought, which decisively incites the frivolous mind to form within itself Divine and essential knowledge. And such a mind, not disturbed by carnal and impure passions, but remaining pure, does not in any way imply any hostile action in itself, and therefore concludes that this is a manifestation of God, whereas it came from a demon, which, through the cerebral container, according to what has been said, changes the light of the mind associated with it and adjusts the mind itself8.

74. The Angel of God, having appeared, with one word stops the enemy’s action in us and awakens the light of the mind to sinless activity.

75. What is said in the Apocalypse about the Angel bringing incense, “that he may give to the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 8:3), I think, points to this grace given through the Angel, because it imparts the knowledge of true prayer, so that the mind becomes free from all anxiety, despondency and negligence.

76. About vials full of incense, it is said that this is the essence of the “prayer of the saints,” which is offered by “the twenty and four elders” (Rev. 5:8).

77. By phial we must mean fellowship with God or perfect and spiritual love, in which prayer is performed “in spirit and in truth.”

78. When it appears to you that during your prayer there is no need for you to shed tears for sin, then consider how far you have moved away from God, in Whom you must always abide, and shed hot tears.

79. Yes, having known your measure, you will weep sweetly, like Isaiah, calling yourself accursed, because, being unclean and having “unclean lips,” and living “among” such “people” (Is. 6:5), you dare to stand before the face of the Lord of hosts.

80. If you pray truly, you will gain great confidence, and Angels will gather to you and illuminate with light the laws of what is happening.

81. Know that the holy Angels encourage us to prayer and stand with us, together rejoicing and praying for us. Therefore, if we are careless and accept contrary thoughts into ourselves, then we will extremely offend them by the fact that they struggle so much for us, and we do not want to pray to God for ourselves, but, neglecting their service and abandoning their God and Master, we enter into communication with unclean demons.

82. Pray complacently and unabashedly and sing intelligently and harmoniously, and you will be like an eagle chick soaring high.

83. Psalmody lulls passions and makes bodily incontinence subside, and prayer prepares the mind to set its activity in motion.

84. Prayer is an action befitting the dignity of the mind, or its best and purest use9.

85. Psalmody is an image of manifold wisdom, and prayer is the beginning of immaterial and manifold knowledge.

86. Knowledge is very beautiful, because it promotes prayer, awakening the mental power of the mind to the contemplation of Divine knowledge.

87. If you have not yet accepted the gift of prayer or psalmody, then wait tirelessly and you will receive it.

88. “Then speak a word and a parable to them, as it is fitting to always pray and not be cold” (Luke 18:1). Therefore, do not be cold and do not be discouraged, like someone who has not yet accepted, because you will accept later. In the parable, the Lord also added this: “Even if I do not fear God and do not put man to shame, but this woman does my labors, I will take vengeance on her” (Luke 18:4-5). Therefore, God will also bring about “vengeance on those who cry out to Him day and night… quickly” (Luke 18:7–8). And you be complacent, remaining in holy prayer with diligent patience.

89. Desire that your affairs be arranged not as you imagine, but as God pleases, and you will be untroubled and grateful in your prayer.

90. Although it seems to you that you are already with God, beware of the demon of fornication, because he is a great deceiver, very envious, wants to be more active than the movement and sobriety of your mind and distract it from God, even when he stands before God with reverence and fear.

91. If you care about prayer, then prepare for the attacks of demons and patiently endure the blows from them, because, like wild animals, they will attack you and torment your whole body.

92. As an experienced fighter, be ready, if you suddenly see a dream, do not hesitate, or – a sword drawn at you or a flame held in front of your face, do not be embarrassed, or – some unpleasant and bloody image, do not lose heart at all, but stand, confessing your good confession, and you will calmly look at your enemies.

93. He who endures sad things will also be rewarded with joyful things; and whoever endures troubles will not be deprived of pleasant things.

94. See that the crafty demons do not deceive you with any vision, but, turning to prayer, be prudent and pray to God, so that if the thought is from Him, He Himself will enlighten you, and if not from Him, quickly drive away the deception from you. And be trustworthy – the dogs will not stand if you are passionately engaged in a conversation with God, for immediately, invisibly and imperceptibly struck by God’s power, they will be driven far from you.

95. It is worth your attention to know this trick: demons temporarily act against each other; and if you decide to ask for help, other demons come to you in the form of an angel, driving out those who entered first, in order to deceive you with the thought that these are holy Angels.

96. Take care of great humility, and let the demonic reproach not touch your soul, “the wound will not come near… thy village, for his angel commanded to keep you” (Ps. 91:10-11), and they will quietly drive away all the opposing force from you.

97. He who cares about pure prayer hears from demons noise, knocking, voices, and curses, but he will not fall and will not betray his thoughts to them, saying to God: “I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Ps. 22:4), and the like.

98. During such temptations, use short and intense prayer.

99. If demons threaten you by appearing suddenly in the air, striking and plundering your mind, or tearing your body like beasts, do not be afraid of them and do not worry in the least about their threat, because they frighten you, tempting you whether you pay full attention to them or completely neglect them.

100. If you stood before God Almighty, the Creator and Provider of all, in prayer,10 then why did you stand before Him so unreasonably that the overwhelming fear of God did not stop your attention, but you were afraid of flies and mosquitoes? Or do you not hear the One who says: “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God” (Deut. 10:20); and again: “All fear Him, and tremble at the presence of His power,” and so on (see 2 Chronicles 36:23, the prayer of Manasseh)?

101. Just as bread serves as food for the body, and virtue for the soul, so spiritual prayer is food for the mind.

102. Pray not like a Pharisee, but like a publican in the sacred place of prayer, so that you too may be justified by the Lord.

103. Try not to ask evil to anyone in prayer, so as not to destroy what you have created for you, making your prayer vile.

104. Let the one who owes “my talent” (Matthew 18:24) teach you that if you do not forgive the debtor, you yourself will not receive forgiveness, for it is said: “You will hand him over to the tormentor” (Matthew 18:34).

105. When you stand in prayer, put aside your bodily needs, so that the bite of a mosquito or fly does not deprive you of the greatest gain that prayer brings you.

106. They told us that one saint, when he stood to pray, was so opposed by the evil one that he barely raised his hands when the demon transformed into a lion, raised his front legs, plunged his claws into the sides of the ascetic and did not leave him until he lowered his hands. But the worshiper did not give up until he performed the usual prayers.

107. Such, as we know, was John the Less, who was silent in the ditch, or, better to say, the greatest of the monks, who remained motionless in the presence of God, when a demon in the form of a dragon wrapped itself around him, devoured his flesh and vomited in his face.

108. Without a doubt, you have read the lives of the Tavennisiot monks, where it is said that when Abba11 was speaking a word to the brethren, two vipers crawled to his feet, and he, not at all embarrassed, bent his feet as if with an arch, let the vipers under them, continued the word to the end, and then, showing them to the brethren, he told about it.

109. We also read about another spiritual brother that when he was praying, a viper crawled and touched his leg, and he did not lower his hands before he had completed the usual prayer, and this one who loved God more than himself did not suffer any harm.

110. Do not let your eye rise up on high during your prayer and, having rejected your flesh and soul, live with your mind.

111. To another holy man, who was silent in the desert, when he was diligently praying, demons appeared and for two weeks they played with him like a ball, throwing him up and catching him on a mat, but they could not distract his mind from his fiery prayer.

112. To another God-lover, when, walking through the desert, he was preparing for prayer, two Angels appeared and, standing on the sides, walked with him, but he did not pay attention to them at all, so as not to lose the best, for he remembered the Apostolic saying, which says: “Neither Angels nor Principalities, lower than the Power” can “separate us from the love” of Christ (Rom. 8:38–39).

113. A monk becomes equal to the angels through true prayer.

114. If you want to see the face of the Heavenly Father, do not in any way try to see an image or appearance for you during prayer.

115. Do not desire to sensually see Angels, or the Power, or Christ, lest you fall into complete insanity, mistaking a wolf for a shepherd and worshiping hostile demons.

116. The beginning of delusion is vanity of the mind. The mind, driven by vanity, attempts to describe the Deity in any form or shape.

117. I will say this word of mine, which I used to say to the younger ones. Blessed is the mind that, during prayer, has acquired complete detachment from all images.

118. Blessed is the mind that, praying without distraction, continually receives greater and greater love for God.

119. Blessed is the mind that during prayer becomes immaterial and non-covetous.

120. Blessed is the mind that, during prayer, has acquired complete insensitivity.

121. Blessed is the monk who recognizes himself as the scum of all.

122. Blessed is the monk who with all joy looks upon the salvation and success of everyone as his own.

123. Blessed is the monk who regards every person as God after God.

124. That monk who is excommunicated from everyone and is in agreement with everyone.

125. That monk who puts himself along with everyone else, because he constantly thinks to see himself in everyone.

126. He performs prayer who always brings fruit to God with every first thought.

127. Avoid all lies and all oaths, like a monk who wants to pray, otherwise it is in vain that you take on an appearance that is unusual for you.

128. If you want to pray in the spirit, do not borrow anything from the flesh, and there will be no cloud preceding you during prayer.

129. Entrust your bodily needs to God, and you will not doubt when entrusting your spiritual needs to Him.

130. If you are worthy to accept the promises, you will reign; therefore, looking at them, you will willingly endure real poverty.

131. Do not give up poverty and sorrow – this food for prayer that is not painful.

132. Let your bodily virtues coincide with your spiritual ones, and your spiritual ones with spiritual ones, and the latter with immaterial knowledge.

133. When praying, notice in your thoughts, if they subside without difficulty, why this happened, so as not to get caught in the net and in error not to betray yourself to your enemies.

134. Sometimes demons inspire thoughts in you, and again encourage you to pray to overcome them or to contradict them, and voluntarily retreat from you, so that, being deceived, you think that you have begun to overcome your thoughts and frighten the demons.

135. In prayer about overcoming a passion or demon that troubles you, remember the one who says: “My enemies will marry, and I will suffer, and will not return, until they die: I will insult them, and they will not be able to stand, they will fall under my feet” (Ps. 17:38-39) and so on, but say this in good time, arming yourself with opponents with humility.

136. Do not think that you have acquired virtue if you have not previously fought for it until you bled to death, for, according to the word of the divine Apostle, you must stand “against sin” (Heb. 12:4) asceticly and blamelessly until death.

137. If you do good to one, you will suffer harm from another, so that, having suffered an insult, you will say12 or do something incongruous and badly squander what you have collected well. This is the goal of the crafty demons. Therefore, you must be reasonably attentive.

138. Expect demonic aspirations for you, taking care not to fall into slavery to them.

139. At night, the demons themselves try to confuse the spiritual teacher, and during the day, through people, they surround him with troubles, slander and dangers.

140. Do not refuse to endure these fullings: if they, trampling underfoot, beat and, stretching, torment, then through this your feeling becomes brighter.

141. Until you renounce passions and your mind opposes virtue and truth, until then you will not find fragrant incense in your bosom.

142. Do you want to pray? Having migrated from everything here, always live in Heaven, not just in words, but in angelic deeds and Divine knowledge.

143. If only when you are unsuccessful, you remember the Judge, how terrible and impartial He is, then you have not yet learned to work “for the Lord with fear” and to rejoice “in Him with trembling” (cf. Ps. 2:11). For know that during spiritual rests and feasts, it is especially necessary to serve Him with reverence and honor.

144. He is prudent who, before perfect repentance, makes room for the sorrowful remembrance of his sins and the condemnation to eternal fire as punishment for them.

145. Whoever remains in sins and in an irritable state and without shame dares to reach out to the knowledge of the Divine or ascend to immaterial prayer, let him be subject to the Apostolic prohibition, because it is not safe for him to pray with his head naked and uncovered, for the Apostle says: “There must be” such “power to have on the head” of the upcoming “Angels for the sake of” (1 Cor. 11:10), that is, she must be clothed with shame and proper humility.

146. Just as long and intense looking at the sun at noon and in strong light will not benefit a person with eyes, so a passionate and unclean mind will not benefit at all from depicting a terrible and lofty prayer “in spirit and truth,” but on the contrary, it will arouse God’s wrath against him.

147. If the one who came to the altar with a gift was not accepted by the One who has no need for anything and who is impartial, until he was reconciled with his neighbor who grieved him (Matthew 5:23), then look how much caution and prudence is required to offer favorable incense to God on the mental altar.

148. Do not be talkative and fame-loving; Otherwise, sinners will do not only “on your back”, but also on your face (cf. Ps. 129:3), and during prayer you will serve as a laughingstock for them, carried away and caught by strange thoughts.

149. Mindfulness that seeks prayer finds prayer, because prayer, like everything else, follows mindfulness, which we should strive for.

150. Just as sight is better than all senses, so prayer is more divine than all virtues.

151. The praise of prayer is not just its quantity, but also its quality: this is seen both by those who ascended “into the sanctuary” (Acts 3:1), and by what was said: “When you pray… do not say too much” (Matthew 6:7) and so on.

152. While you pay attention to the proportionality of your body and your mind loves the decorations of the tabernacle, you have not yet matured into the realm of prayer, but its blessed path is far from you.

153. When, standing in prayer, you feel a joy that is higher than any other joy, then you have truly found prayer.

* * *

Notes

Saint Nilus divides the number 153 into three numbers – 100, 28, 25, which together give the number 153, and calls the number 100 quadrangular, the numbers 28 and 153 triangular, and the number 25 spherical. All square numbers are called quadrangular numbers, because they can be arranged in the form of a quadrangle, for example, square numbers 4, 9; first in this form:

, and the second in the form:

; Likewise, the number 100, if placed in each of 10 rows of 10 units, will form a quadrangle. Therefore, the general form of quadrilateral numbers is m4m or m2, where m means any natural number. If all the numbers, starting from one, are written in their natural order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc., and then added together by 2, by 3, by 4, etc., then the numbers resulting from their addition are something like: 1 + 2 3, 1 + 2 + 3 6, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 10 and etc., are called triangular because they can be arranged in the form of triangles: the number 3, for example, in the form

, the number 6 in the form

. The general form of these numbers is represented by m(m + 1)2, where m means the last number in the order of natural numbers with which addition ends. Thus, puttingm  7, we obtain the triangular number 7(7+1)2 7×82 7×4 28, and putting m  17, we also obtain the triangular number 17(17+1)2 17×182 17×9 153. The numbers are quadrangular, which, according to what was found above, are square and to which the number 25 5×5 52 belongs, can be located in another way, namely: by taking the natural numbers in order: 1, 2, 3, 4 … (m–1), m, place each of these numbers, starting with m, in circles that are constantly decreasing and finally merging into a point at which the unit finds its place, and then each of these gradually decreasing circles is superimposed on one another so that through this the surface of a hemisphere is formed. The total sum of numbers placed on this hemispherical surface will have, as is obvious, the same general form as the triangular number had, namely m(m + 1)2, why two such hemispherical surfaces will be depicted throughm(m + 1)2 + m(m + 1)2 m(m + 1) m2 + m. But as with the mutual addition of these surfaces, equal circles on which m numbers were placed each coincide into one, it becomes clear that on the entire spherical surface of the placed numbers there will be only m2 + m  m or m2. So, the number 25 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1, 16 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1, 9 1 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 1, 4 1 + 2 + 1.

Instead of: κεφάλαια it should read: είκοσι πέντε.

Instead of: ήσυχάση according to the manuscript it is read ισχύση.

Instead of: τρέχειε according to the manuscript it reads: προσεύχη, i.e. “Your prayer is in vain.”

Instead of: του σπουδαίου (“zealous”) the manuscript reads: του δικαίου (“righteous”).

The words έπει καί τά τρία Θεός are not read from the manuscript.

This word has been supplemented according to the manuscript.

According to the manuscript it reads: μορφουντος and so on.

Instead of: κρίσις according to the manuscript it reads: χρησις.

This passage has been corrected according to the manuscript.

According to the manuscript it reads “Abba Theodore”.

Instead of: είκης according to the manuscript it reads: είπης.