Orthodox Christian Monasticism - Hesychasm

the heart. Inhale the breath through the nose slowly, in the depth of the chest. And there say: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me". Do not searc with the mind after the breathing of the nose. There in the depth of the heart to shadow saying the most loved name. Nor to imagine the heart, neither something else. And so say only a quart of hour, not overloading the mind, because you are a beginner.

Then go to Matins and they're finding a little corner, keep the mentioned fingers over the coat, and there the head do not bow, in order not to be observed. And there say with the mind a quart of hour, and with the mouth not to cease, o, my dear brother.

After the finishing of the Matins, coming to the cell, read the akathist of the Mother of God and what you may know. And if you want, allow the sleep a little. And as you awake, immediately start the akathists. And again pray with the mind a quart of hour. During the period of the Proskomede (preparatory part of the Liturgy), again a quart of hour. Then at the eight hour, again a quart of hour. After Aftersuper prayer, a quart of hour. Then read what you know then go to sleep. And so everyday five times. But the obediences of the community not to disregard them, even if you may miss the times shown, believeing that in obedience is the salvation. Going to obedience, be preocupied with silence and be preocupied with simplicity as well. And so little by little you trains the mind, not overloading it.

But even when you may say with the tongue, to shadow with the mind over the heart. Like this to follow always and nothing to separate you from the love of Christ, nor the problems of life, neither dejection.".

The physical mind being concentrated over the place of the physical heart, the mind must not produce the imagine of the physical heart. She must bedirected towards the spiritual heart, through the spiritual center of the human being, towards the self. Only this spiritual heart is the openess towards the divine infinite, towards which must look the mind too directed towards that spiritual heart. The heart can look throughthe openess of the heart, or of the indefinite self, the divine infinite, even if the words of the prayer are

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