St. Paisius Velichkovsky and the revival of the hesychast tradition in the Romanian Church in the 19th–20th centuries

Contents Contents Prerequisites for the emergence of ascetic life in Romania in the 18th century Elder Vasily Polyanomerulsky Biography and literary activity of the Abbot of Polyanomerulsky The importance of smart work in the life of a Christian according to the writings of Vasily Polyanomerulsky The relationship between the Jesus Prayer and psalmody The importance of internal prayer and its meaning in ascetic feat Conditions for the “active” Jesus Prayer Fulfillment of the commandments Heart and energy of the soul Venerable Paisiy Velichkovsky The life path of Elder Paisiy Early years Wandering in Moldova and Athos The rise of the Paisiy brotherhood in Moldova Literary and translation activities of Elder Paisiy Basic principles of asceticism of Elder Paisiy Types of monastic residence Jesus prayer Hesychast practice in the 19th century “Paisianism” in the Romanian principalities. Neamets Lavra after the death of the elder Disciples of Elder Paisios in Moldova Continuers of the “Paisian” covenants in Wallachia Elder George Testament of Elder George Saint Kallinikos of Chernikov (1787–1868) For the Orthodox East of the 18th century. became the era of the “Philokalia” just like the 14th century. was predominantly the period of the “hesychast movement.” In both cases, we are faced with a religious revival of a genuine monastic tradition based on personal mystical experience of union with God through the achievement of dispassion and pure prayer. Both in the XIV century and in the XVIII century. the reformers of monastic life proclaimed a “return to the origins,” that is, to the spiritual tradition of the Eastern Church. Of course, the atmosphere of the 18th century. was not the same as in the 14th. Over the course of four centuries, colossal political and social changes took place, and Orthodox culture was enriched by the works of such outstanding authors of the hesychast movement as Maxim Kapsokalivit, Gregory Sinait, Gregory Palamas, Nikolai Kavasila. This great treasure of the Church was awaiting its transition from the “unpublished manuscripts of the Athonite libraries” 1 into a form that everyone could “feed on.” And so in the 18th century. “Philokalia, or a collection of patristic writings, which indicate how a person can be purified, enlightened and improved” is published (Venice, 1782), which almost coincided with the release of the Slavic version of the “Philokalia” (St. Petersburg, 1793). This movement also affected Romanian lands. Even before the publication of the Greek and Slavic Philokalia, published in ancient languages ​​- Old Church Slavonic and Ancient Greek, in 1769, for the first time in the history of philocalic writings, the Philokalia appears in Romania in a modern language 2. “The Philokalia from Dragomirna,” as researchers call this book, is a manuscript that contains most of the texts included in the “Venetian Philokalia.” The second edition of the “Romanian Philokalia” belongs to the Neametsky Monastery (1800, manuscript of 1004 sheets). The publication of the Philokalia was undoubtedly the main event of the revival of the hesychast movement of the 18th century. and subsequently had a huge influence on the Greek, Russian and Romanian Orthodox world. The “return” of the best patristic writings on mental prayer is associated primarily with the name of Paisius Velichkovsky, abbot of the Neametsky and Sekulsky monasteries of Moldova. This is not surprising if we consider the fact that the “Paisian movement” originates on Athos (where the elder stayed from 1746 to 1763) and the compilers of the Greek Philokalia themselves – Macarius of Corinth (1731–1805) and Nicodemus the Holy Mountain (1748–1809) – “follow point by point the plans of Paisius, his concepts and orientations, reviving spiritual contemplative tradition" 3. At the same time, Paisius was not only the initiator of the philocalic movement and a zealous translator of ascetic works, he showed an exceptional inclination towards clergy. His person amazingly combined the holiness of personal life, love of enlightenment, the ability to organize a monastic cenobitic brotherhood, the ability to attract and spiritually educate a large host of students and, finally, great literary talent 4 . Paying tribute to the works of St. Paisius, it should be noted that his activity did not begin out of nowhere; fertile ground for it was prepared by his predecessor, Elder Vasily Polyanomerulsky. Greek professor A. Takiaos calls Vasily Polyanomerulsky the first hesychast teacher of the Orthodox East of modern times, 5 whose influence on the formation of the personality of Paisius, and indeed on all Orthodox monasticism, is difficult to overestimate. Both elders were from Ukraine, but spent most of their lives in Moldo-Vlahia. The “flight” of 6 these outstanding personalities is explained by the state of monastic life in the 18th century. in Russia and Romania. Prerequisites for the emergence of ascetic life in Romania in the 18th century The revival of the 18th century, which found favorable soil for further evolution in the Romanian provinces, was largely “owed” to the secularization of Russian monasticism and its oblivion of the true ascetic tradition. From the very beginning of its emergence, Russian monasticism (in the person of St. Pechersk and St. Sergius of Radonezh) was characterized by the “synergic” implementation of contemplative and active practice. But over time, historical circumstances developed in such a way that the disciples of Sergius of Radonezh, adhering to a mystical orientation, moved to the northern part of Russia and there instilled these principles of spiritual life, while in the center the inclination towards social service prevailed. Over time, the gap between these two directions deepened, especially in the 16th century, when the dispute between Nil Sorsky (a supporter of the contemplative life) and Joseph of Volokolamsk (a supporter of active practice) led to clashes between their followers. The conflict ended with the victory of the “Josephites,” which determined the final gap between contemplative and active monasticism. This gap had a negative impact on the further development of monastic life; a crisis ensued that lasted from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Old Believer schism and the political reforms of Peter I 7 brought no less evil to Russian monasticism. This is how the Russian historian Igor Smolich describes the decline of monasticism: “In the 15th century. the religious desire for an ascetic spiritual life diminished. Many monasteries were almost empty. The schism and church reforms of Peter the Great in 1721 were especially unfavorable for monastic life. In 1734, the tsar issued an order that no one dare take monastic vows except for widowed clergy and serving soldiers. The loss of church and monastic lands to the state under Catherine II in 1764 was a new heavy blow. The consequence of this was the closure of many monasteries and the further impoverishment of monasticism. Only in the 70s and 80s of the XVIII century. we notice a new flourishing of monastic life” 8. In Ukraine, the situation was even more acute due to Uniate expansion, supported by the Polish authorities, which led to the closure and even destruction of many monasteries. Therefore, it is not surprising that many “God-seekers and pilgrims” wandered “from monastery to monastery, where they were looking for a spiritual leader in their not entirely conscious aspiration” 9 . Many of them, especially those living in the lands bordering Moldova, stayed in Moldavian monasteries or monasteries, in which they found favorable conditions for monastic life. XVII-XVIII centuries become for the Moldo-Vlachian principalities a period of the appearance of a large number of monastic monasteries. According to statistics, in the 17th century. In Moldova, 29 monasteries and 55 hermitages were built, and in Wallachia - 32 monasteries and 140 hermitages, in the 18th century. - another 21 monasteries and 102 hermitages in Moldova and Wallachia - 18 monasteries and 93 hermitages 10. To say that every monastery at that time adhered to the hesychast tradition would be an exaggeration. After all, the fact that the number of monasteries, compared to the number of monasteries and hermitages, increased five to ten times during this period, suggests that “ascetics of the spirit” were forced to retire from large laurels to secluded places for contemplation and prayer. At that time, Romania was under the rule of the Phanariot Greeks, whose presence not only changed the previous political system, but spiritual life in the main monasteries was also established according to “Greek” principles. This prompted many ascetics to seek solitude. Hagiographer of Elder Paisius, Fr. Sergius Chetverikov, analyzing the state of Romanian monasticism in the first half of the 18th century, writes: “At this time, Moldo-Vlahia was one of the flourishing corners of the Orthodox world. In the Greek East, Orthodoxy, constrained by the Turks, could not enjoy complete freedom. In Russia, monastic life experienced oppression from the government. Moldo-Vlahia, ruled by pious rulers, was in all respects a convenient country for the quiet existence and prosperity of Orthodox monasteries. Monasteries have existed here for a long time. The chronicles constantly mention the construction of monasteries by hospodars, boyars and other wealthy people. At the same time, donors demanded religious, moral and educational activities from the monasteries. Thus, one of the rulers, having completed the construction of the monastery, under pain of anathema, decreed that the monastery every year give part of its income to the poor, sick and slaves (serfs), as well as for dowries for poor girls. The monasteries owned libraries that contained many valuable manuscripts, including Slavic ones. To replenish libraries, there was an interesting custom: confessors assigned penitents (if they were capable of doing so) as penances to copy some book with their own hands for the monastery library. Among the monks there were many educated people, and in monastic documents the names of monks with the titles “teacher” or “rhetor” are often found. At the monasteries there were not only primary, but also higher schools, where poetry, mathematics, theology, Greek, Slavic and Moldavian languages ​​were taught. Moldo-Vlachian monasteries maintained a living connection with the Orthodox East and Russia” 11. This is what life looked like in the Romanian monasteries of the 18th century, which gave shelter to many Russian monks. Two of these emigrants - Vasily Polyanomerulsky and Paisy Velichkovsky - will determine the path of development of monasticism not only in these principalities, but throughout the entire Orthodox world. Elder Vasily Polyanomerulsky Biographical information about Elder Vasily is rather scarce and not always accurate, nevertheless, it allows us to characterize in general terms his personality and activities 12 . Biography and literary activity of Polyanomerulsky abbot According to the note to the manuscript, copied in 1818 in the Polyanomerulsky monastery, Elder Vasily was born in 1692 and died on April 25, 1767. A careful analysis of the text 13 confirmed the reliability of these data, especially since the date of death coincides with information from other sources 14. It can be assumed that Vasily, like Paisiy (Velichkovsky), was from Ukraine 15. Before coming to the Romanian lands, he lived “a considerable time in Russia, in the Moshen mountains and in other deserts” 16. Forced to leave their homeland when monks in Russia were forbidden to live in deserts, Vasily and other hermits ended up in Moldo-Vlahia - the “God-protected land” 17. Here he goes to the province of Buzava and stops at the monastery of Delhautsi, where after some time he becomes abbot. After “almost twenty years of abbess” 18, with the assistance of the governor Constantine Mavrocordato, Vasily builds the Polyanomerulsky monastery and settles in it with 12 monks 19. Apparently, it was in this monastery, from which the glory of the Polyanomerul elder spread throughout the monastic world, that he wrote his creations. If we proceed from the above dates of birth and death of Vasily, then the reliability of Paisius’ statement that Elder Vasily lived “considerable time” in the deserts of Russia is rather doubtful. In 1733 The construction of the Polyanomerul monastery was completed, and in Delheutsi he served as abbot for almost twenty years, therefore, he settled there by 1710, i.e. at the age of eighteen 20. This allows us to assume that the ascetic grew up and acquired his spiritual experience in Moldo-Vlahia. Soon the Polanomeru monastery receives the status of stauropegial and becomes the spiritual center of the southern part of Romania. Under the leadership of Elder Vasily there were 11 monasteries 21. Monastics from different regions, even from Mount Athos, gathered in these monasteries. A certain Athonite monk wrote then: “Another holy mountain is located in Merulska Polyana in Romania” 22. In 1749, Elder Vasily was summoned to Bucharest by governor Constantine Mavrocordato for a conversation with the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, who were visiting the capital. Having asked about mental prayer and hesychast teaching, the patriarchs of the Eastern Churches recognized, as Paisius writes in his memoirs, that this elder was in “the knowledge of the Divine Scripture and the teaching of the God-bearing fathers... and in spiritual reasoning and the all-perfect knowledge of the sacred rules of St. Eastern Church" 23. In 1750, during a pilgrimage to the holy Mount Athos, Elder Vasily tonsured his disciple Plato (Velichkovsky) into a mantle with the name Paisiy. The highly revered elder rested in Bose in 1767, when he was 75 years old. The personality of Vasily Polyanomerulsky is most fully revealed in his creations, in which “deep originality is revealed. With his writings, he introduces a new genre of religious literature into Romanian culture, which will be further developed by Paisiy Velichkovsky and his followers” ​​24. An excellent expert and interpreter of the Holy Scriptures and the heritage of the holy fathers, a zealous ascetic of mental-heart prayer, Elder Vasily passes on his experience to subsequent generations of monastics. Small in volume, but extremely deep, the elder’s creations were ranked among the outstanding works of the hesychast tradition during his lifetime. They were written in Slavic, but almost immediately they were translated into Romanian and copied by copyists of numerous monasteries and monasteries of the Moldo-Vlachian state. Among the scribes who left autographs on the manuscripts are the names of nuns 25, which indicates widespread interest in the works of the Abbot of Polyanomerul. Most of the works of Vasily Polyanomerulsky that have come down to us were included in the book “The Life of the Moldavian Elder Paisius (Velichkovsky)”, published in Optina Pustyn in 1847. It included: a preface to the book of Gregory Sinaite (pp. 78–88); preface to chapters from Philotheus Sinaiti (pp. 89–99); preface to the book “Hesychia” by the Presbyter (pp. 100–115); preface to the book of our blessed father Nil of Sorsky (pp. 115–128), with a note (pp. 128–133); the word “On abstinence from foods prohibited to monks” (pp. 134–157). In addition to these works of the elder, published in Optina Pustyn, we have reached us with a small breviary entitled “How it is fitting for us who are passionate and who have violated God’s commandments through repentance and intelligent deeds” 26 , a will 27 and a letter to Hieroschemamonk Alexy 28 . In all the works of Elder Vasily, special attention is paid to the practice of the Jesus Prayer. Most often he calls it “mental prayer”, as well as “inner prayer” or “inner practice” when we are talking about its first active (practical) stage; at the moment when it becomes a gift of the Holy Spirit 29, he calls it “spiritual prayer,” “contemplative” or “heartfelt.” The elder says little about the second, contemplative stage, which is perfect prayer as a gift of the Holy Spirit, for which a person can only open the gates of the heart. This difference between the active Jesus Prayer and the contemplative Jesus Prayer is important to note, since Elder Basil argued that every Christian, whether monk or layman, is obliged to perform it. In his opinion, the Jesus Prayer, as one of the ascetic deeds, is the best means for cleansing the soul from passions and the mind - from blasphemous thoughts. Let us consider the stages of a person’s struggle to achieve the “crown of truth,” on which the elder focuses his attention. The meaning of smart doing in the life of a Christian according to the writings of Vasily Polyanomerulsky Relationship between the Jesus Prayer and Psalmody These two practices of ascetic life, known from the very beginning of the development of monasticism, have one goal - unity with God: psalmody - through worship, including biblical readings, singing psalms and troparions; The Jesus Prayer is through the continuous repetition of the short formula “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,” compiled on the basis of two theological concepts: the power of the Divine Name and the commandment of unceasing prayer given to man. But what to choose? Psalmody or constant invocation of the Name of Jesus? “A little of this, a little of that, and you will spend the day pleasing God” 30. This is what the hermits of the 6th century decided. Barsanuphius and John. Gregory of Sinaiti wrote that psalmody is necessary for monks who have not yet emerged from the bonds of passions, and the need for psalmody “arises in cases of laziness” 31 . Developing the Sinaite’s thought about the difference between the “active” and “contemplative” Jesus Prayer, Vasily Polyanomerulsky teaches that the first is accessible to everyone, regardless of their spiritual state. In this sense, he cites the testimony of the holy fathers and the saying of St. Simeon of Thessaloniki, who advises “bishops, priests, monks and all laity to say this prayer” 32. But how important is psalmody for a monk who wants to comprehend the hesychast life and practice the Jesus Prayer? Elder Vasily addresses precisely such a monk when he compares psalmody with internal prayer, clearly preferring the latter. If he advises leaving psalmody for growth in the Jesus Prayer, one should not think that in this way he is instructing the monk of the monk to neglect church prayer, i.e., divine services, but one must understand that he is addressing a monk living in solitude 33 . How does the author resolve the problem of the relationship between psalmody and the Jesus Prayer? For Elder Vasily, as for all representatives of the hesychast tradition, psalmody is an ascetic exercise that leads the human soul to contemplative prayer. This is just a stage of spiritual growth, which in itself has no purpose. In order to emphasize the transitory significance of psalmody, Vasily uses some comparisons. Thus, in his three “Prefaces” he compares psalmody with the Old Testament (the law), and mental prayer with the New (Christ the Savior): “The Law is not able to make a person sinless, it only prepares everyone for Christ... So external singing, accustoming the ascetic, gives him to Christ, i.e. Jesus mental prayer, because it cannot accustom him only through itself. spiritual work" 34. Elsewhere, comparing singing to the sunrise, and heartfelt prayer to the sun itself, he writes: “The sunrise can be observed for an hour or two, while the sun shines all day long” 35 . When studying the works of Elder Vasily, one must also take into account the special polemical nature of his creations, due to the time of their writing. His reasoning about two related ascetic practices is due to the fact that at that time there were few hesychast monks in the monasteries who practiced the Jesus Prayer, while the majority limited themselves to attending services and reading the psalter. Another reason was the then widespread opinion that mental prayer could only be performed by ascetics who had achieved dispassion. Moreover, it was justified by some patristic teachings taken out of context. Therefore, the elder points out the insufficiency of “external prayers” for someone who wants to keep his mind immaculate and grow to contemplative prayer, for in order to lead a person to union with God, psalmody is not enough, moreover, “external prayer” can become in some way an “insurmountable wall” between God and people. From this follows the author’s rather categorical conclusion: “This prayer prevents the mind from being attentive to God and concentrating in the heart, where all thoughts, good or bad, have their origins” 36 . It becomes clear that it is impossible to move forward spiritually by singing psalms alone, “since in this case a person remains in an unchanged state, like a donkey that turns the wheel of a mill,” 37 as a result, only fatigue and the thought that “I have fulfilled the rule” remain. In addition, the danger of exaltation increases: thinking that the essence of psalmody is in quantity, a monk can immeasurably increase his prayers, and thus fall into pride. “I would like to add something to clarify the difference in the properties of these two exercises on the path of growth in spiritual life. One (performing external prayer - B.C.), subordinating himself to the law, performs only singing. Another, forcing himself to do intelligent work, always has with him the name of Jesus Christ to consume the enemy and passions with evil thoughts. He rejoices if he only finishes singing; this one thanks God if in silence, free from evil thoughts, prayer works. One is zealous about quantity, the other about quality; He who is in a hurry to sing in quantity soon develops a joyful opinion, relying on which, not knowing the calling of the Lord Jesus Christ, he feeds and grows the inner Pharisee, if he does not heed himself. The one who cares about the quality of prayer has the knowledge of his own weakness and God’s help” 38. All the teachings of Elder Basil about the didactic nature of psalmody, in relation to heartfelt prayer, must be assessed from the point of view of the following point: only internal prayer cleanses one from passions and unites one with God. The importance of inner prayer and its meaning in ascetic feat Without heartfelt prayer, spiritual improvement of a person is impossible; Elder Vasily even writes that without prayerful “mental doing it is impossible to free oneself from the action of passions and from bad thoughts” 39 . Elsewhere, speaking of the fulfillment of the commandments, he asserts that the one who does not make efforts to ascend the narrow path of the Gospel and has not taken up the purification of his heart, even if he comprehends all wisdom, remains blind in the soul, because he fulfills only the letter, which destroys and does not accept the spirit that gives life, and will never be able to purify himself 40 . And vice versa, the one who indulges in the Jesus Prayer “easily expels thoughts from the depths of the heart” and “only with it fulfills the entire monastic canon” 41. Based on this, Elder Vasily notes that mental prayer is not only intended for the “perfect,” but it is necessary for everyone, regardless of the degree of dispassion. And this is, first of all, because it is the most effective means in the fight against passions. Although Vasily Polyanomerulsky confirms his statements with references to the holy fathers, one can still talk about the innovation of his approach to the hesychast tradition. According to the elder, the novice should be formed in the community, through obedience and participation in divine services, and when he gains some experience in the struggle with passions, he can, with the blessing of his confessor, devote himself to the hesychast life and indulge in the Jesus Prayer 42 . Monks should not be ignorant of the Jesus Prayer. Why wait for a person to cleanse himself of passions by some other methods and only after that begin the Jesus Prayer, when it is the best remedy for passions? “If an enemy unexpectedly appears under the guise of some passion or blasphemous thoughts, the one who says the Jesus Prayer calls on Jesus Christ for help, and the devil immediately disappears. If, because of his powerlessness, a person accepts the thought or word of anger or fornication, then, confessing his sin, he prays to Christ in contrition. If you have become a victim of despondency, which oppresses your heart and spirit, then you turn your thoughts to the omnipresent God, remembering death and fiery hell. After spending some time with these thoughts, he calls on Christ, and then, having found peace through such a struggle, he again prays to Christ to forgive him his voluntary and involuntary sins. Thus, both during the struggle and when there is peace in the soul, he resorts to Christ, and Christ responds to every good or bad movement of the soul” 43. Based on this, the elder extends the advice of St. to all monks. Gregory of Sinaita: “Do mental work with all diligence, devoting the least amount of time to psalmody, and then more when fatigue appears,” “because,” adds Elder Vasily, “this internal prayer replaces all other external deeds, even if it was about the rule, singing, prayer or teaching” 44. Conditions for the “active” Jesus Prayer Understanding the difficulty of the Jesus Prayer, Elder Vasily in his writings does not limit himself to general recommendations, but reveals the conditions for its performance. It should be noted that according to the Eastern tradition, the Jesus Prayer is not performed outside the church environment and cannot be separated from other ascetic deeds, even if over time it becomes the main activity of a monk or layman. The purpose of the Jesus Prayer, like other ascetic labors (exercises), is to lead a person to repentance, which softens the heart and transforms the soul. In addition, repentance sets us up for more attentive prayer. Thus, as Elder Vasily writes, the essence of this prayer is “repentance and attention of the heart.” Repentance gives rise to pure prayer, which involves “fear and trembling, contrition of heart and tenderness, as well as careful reading of the Holy Scriptures, and not flight or refusal, arrogance or complacency” 45. It is especially important to study the Word of God and ascetic writings in the absence of a direct spiritual guide: “Read the Holy Scripture diligently, and then, if you are not yet wise, you will become so, because it is a remedy” 46 . But reading alone is not enough for spiritual improvement: “Even if you read all of Scripture, but neglect the works of the holy fathers who teach the rules of spiritual life, you will not be able to improve” 47 . And at the same time, according to the holy fathers, “holy mental prayer is the key to understanding Scripture” 48. Elder Vasily also mentions other important conditions for performing the Jesus Prayer, such as the memory of death, the Last Judgment and eternal torment. All of these conditions are aimed at acquiring and preserving the spirit of prayer, without which it is impossible to fulfill the commandments. And in general, any spiritual warfare unfolds around this pole (i.e., the commandments), since failure to fulfill the commandments means “rejecting” grace and following the lead of evil forces. Of course, failure to do God's will can manifest itself in different ways, starting with the most hidden spiritual skills that are difficult to detect for those who do not have deep spiritual experience. The elder analyzes this stage in detail and, on the basis of such an analysis, asserts that performing the Jesus Prayer is also possible for someone who is “still enslaved by the forces of passions” 49, but struggles with them. Those who struggle with passions through mental prayer should not condemn those who do not keep the commandments of God, because they succumb to their desires and passions, perhaps without even realizing it, since they are content with a literal approach to the commandments. The holy fathers say about such people: “It is better to fall and rise than to stand and not repent.” Our elder, like St. Dorotheus of Gaza, whom he often quotes, points out that those who act according to passions and those who resist passions can also be distinguished by the degree of subordination to passion. Thus, among those driven by anger there are those who: - falling into anger and annoyance, he always remains angry with the offender; – being offended, remembers the evil for many days; – remembers evil only for one day; - being hostile, annoying, embarrassing and embarrassed, he immediately changes. Other types of those who are already struggling with passions were also identified. This is the type: 1) offended and grieving, not because he suffered annoyance, but because he did not endure it; 2) always learning patience, but in the end being overcome by hobbies; 3) who does not want to return evil for evil, but is carried away by the force of habit; 4) trying not to bring harm, but grieving over the insult received, yet strengthening himself and repenting of this. 5) not grieving for the insult received, but also not rejoicing in it 50. Elder Vasily concludes that those who act out of passion are not able to perform the Jesus Prayer. Their very condition prevents them from doing it. As for those. who struggle with passions and do not want to act on them, then they can perform inner prayer without expecting the perfect achievement of dispassion. Dario Raccanello believes that the main thing for Elder Basil is “to have the proper aspiration, which consists in the desire to fulfill the commandments with the firm intention of resisting passions” 51 . Elder Vasily does not mention a specific psychosomatic method in his works, but in his note he touches on the question of the powers of the soul and the meaning of the heart, in which one should concentrate attention during the Jesus Prayer. It should be noted that the heart in the biblical tradition, like among the hesychasts, is considered the center of a person’s spiritual life, the symbol of which is the physical heart. That is why Diadochos of Photica says: “Whoever loves God in the feeling of the heart knows from Him” 52 . In accordance with the hesychast tradition, Elder Vasily advises praying inside the heart: “Therefore, everyone should overshadow the heart with their mind and always, looking into its depth, say prayer...” 53. And even beginners are instructed to “begin mental prayer in the heart, and finish it in the heart” 54 . Attention “during prayer should be ‘at the top of the heart’.” It is necessary from the very beginning “to train the mind during prayer to be at the top of the heart and to look into its depth, and not to be on one of the sides of the heart or at the bottom of it.” And when “the mind stands at the top of the heart and prays inside it, then, like a king sitting on high, he looks completely freely at all the evil thoughts creeping below and smashes them against the stone of the name of Christ, like Babylonian babies” 55 . It is significant that in all the texts indicated, Vasily understands by “heart” not a physical organ, but a spiritual heart, as the center from which all spiritual life emanates and in which all spiritual life is concentrated. When the elder instructs that attention should be “at the top of the heart” during prayer, he means the physical organ. Saying that the mind should not be either “half on the side” or “at the end below” (i.e. the heart), indicates that in these cases it is possible to arouse the passion of pride or fornication. According to Elder Vasily, the three forces of the soul in the human body live in the following order: verbal - in the chest, furious and zealous - in the heart, desirable - in the loins near the navel 56. And when during prayer attention is directed to one of these parts of the body, this can set in motion this force of the soul, which causes fermentation of thoughts and images. To summarize, let us say that the writings of Elder Vasily and his instructions had a significant influence on Russian and Romanian monasticism. His experience of concentrating attention “at the top of the heart,” characteristic of the Romanian practice of mental doing, was adopted by such famous representatives of the Russian hesychast tradition as Ignatius Brianchaninov and Feofan the Recluse. Both Theophan the Recluse and Ignatius Brianchaninov spoke with great praise and approval about the writings of the Elder of Polyanomerul and recommended following his instructions when teaching the Jesus Prayer. “In particular,” wrote Saint Ignatius, “the writings of Elder Basil can and should be recognized as the first book to which in our time anyone who wants to successfully engage in the Jesus Prayer must turn” 57 . Venerable Paisiy Velichkovsky Despite the numerous studies by Orthodox theologians of the 20th century, in which the path traversed by Elder Paisius is comprehended, his personality, which combined “holiness with a love of enlightenment, remarkable abilities for leading a monastic community and extraordinary literary talent,” 58 remains little known to a wide range of readers. The master’s thesis “Schiarchimandrite Paisius (Velichkovsky) and his literary activity” 59 by Hieromonk Leonid (Polyakov), the future Metropolitan of Riga and Latvia, written by him while he was still a teacher at the Leningrad Theological Academy, was devoted to the personality and activity of Archimandrite Paisius in Russian theology. This work still occupies a leading place among works on this issue. Since Hieromonk Leonid bases his writings only on Slavic sources, the biography of Elder Paisius that we offer will give the Russian reader the opportunity to become acquainted with other studies of this topic, in particular by theologians of the Romanian Church. The life path of Elder Paisius Towards the end of his life, Paisius began to compose his biography, calling it “The Story of the Holy Council of the Most Beloved of the Lord, father and brethren and my spiritual children, gathered in the name of Christ to me, unworthy, for the sake of spiritual salvation, by God’s providence, dwelling in these holy and honorable monasteries: in the holy and great monastery of the Ascension of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, called Neamets, and in the holy monastery of the honorable and glorious prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, called Sekul.” This story (according to the title, it was supposed to describe the history of the community founded by St. Paisius) was not completed, but was completed approximately until the 1740s. It was called “Autobiography or a self-written story” 60. In it, Paisiy describes his life from birth to his time in the Wallachian monastery of Kirnul. The very first biography of St. Paisia ​​was compiled by his student, the Romanian monk Vitaly, who lived with him in the Dragomir, Sekul and Neamets monasteries. This biography was presented on the last four pages of the Menaion for February 1780. But most likely this biography was unknown to the brethren, because when Sylvester became the abbot of the Nyametsky monastery in 1812, he lamented that “for 20 years no one bothered to record the memories of the elder’s disciples, now old, about their mentor” 61 . At the direction of Sylvester, the monastic community entrusts the “oldest disciple of Paisius,” a certain Mitrofan, with the responsibility of writing the life of the elder 62. A few years later, another of his students, monk Isaac Dascal, made a new edition of the life (in Romanian), largely based on the biography written by Mitrofan 63. Some time later, the learned monk Gregory, also a follower of Elder Paisius and the future metropolitan, wrote a fourth biography, which he published in 1817 in the Nyametsky monastery. But this manuscript, replete with national praise, was not approved by either the Romanian brothers or the Russians. Then the governor of the Neametsky monastery, Sylvester, instructs the Little Russian monk Plato, who for many years was the secretary of Elder Paisius, to write another biography that would satisfy both Romanians and Russians. Plato built his presentation on the model of classical lives, thanks to which he was able to give the biography of Elder Paisius a historical and edifying character 64. In 1836 monk Kiriak translates this biography into Romanian, and in the same year it is published; 11 years later it is published by Optina Pustyn 65. Paisiy Velichkovsky was born on December 21, 1722 in a family of pious parents - the rector of the Assumption Church in Poltava, Archpriest John and his wife Irina Velichkovsky. He was the eleventh child in the family. The father died when Peter (the name given to the elder at baptism) was four years old. The boy began to learn to read and write at the age of six by reading the primer, the Book of Hours and the Psalter. From that time on, with great diligence, he began to read the books of the Holy Scriptures, the lives of the saints, and the teachings of the venerable fathers Ephraim and Dorotheus. And thus, from “reading such books... jealousy began to appear in the soul of the youth Peter for leaving the world and perceiving the holy monastic angelic image” 66. From 1735 to 1739 Peter studied at the Kyiv Brotherhood Academy. Here the young man went through the first stage of education, called the “lower school,” where the main attention was paid to the study of languages: Latin, Greek, Polish and Slavic. In the elementary grades they also studied catechism, arithmetic, notation and music 67 . However, neither the training sessions nor the partnership could satisfy the heart of the young Velichkovsky, who desired a complete renunciation of the world. Even then, he set three rules for himself: 1) if my neighbor sins, do not condemn him; 2) have no hatred towards anyone; 3) forgive offenses with all your heart 68. Having completed the first stage of training, Peter moved to the rhetoric class, but, despite his excellent abilities, he decided not to continue his education. He justified his decision by the fact that, firstly, he wants to take monastic vows as soon as possible, and secondly, that such study does not bring any benefit to the soul: “I hear only the names of pagan gods and sages - Cicero, Aristotle, Plato... Learning wisdom from them, modern people have retreated from the right path: they utter smart words, but inside they are full of darkness and darkness, and all their wisdom is only on earth. Looking at the fruits of this teaching in the example of clergy who, like worldly dignitaries, live in great honor and glory, are adorned with expensive clothes, ride on magnificent horses, I fear and tremble, lest I myself, having learned external wisdom and becoming a monk, fall into even worse infirmities.”69 After graduating from another rhetoric class, in 1740, 18-year-old Peter left school and chose the monastic path. During his stay in Kyiv, Peter met two refugees from Romanian lands - Hieroschemamonk Pachomius and Metropolitan Anthony, later Metropolitan of Chernigov, who settled in the Kyiv mountains during the Russian-Turkish war of 1735–1739. They became the spiritual mentors of the young student 70. From them he first learned about hermit life and desert living in the Wallachian lands, and after he heard the Divine Liturgy in the Moldavian language, “in his words, a love for the Moldavian language, for the Moldavian people arose in him” 71 . With the blessing of Hieroschemamonk Pachomius, Peter went to the Lyubetsky Monastery 72, life in which at first pleased him. However, three months later, another abbot was appointed to the monastery, because of whose lust for power the young novice was forced to move to the Medvedovsky Monastery, located on an island in the Tyasmina River. In this monastery, on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord in 1741, Peter was tonsured into the cassock with the name Plato. Soon the Polish authorities, forcing the monastery to accept the union, closed it, and Plato, along with other brothers, moved to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. He thought that he would spend his future life in the Lavra, but, remembering his intention to leave the world on a pilgrimage, accept Christ’s poverty and find a spiritual mentor, 73 in 1742 he left Ukraine, entered the boundaries of Moldo-Vlahia and settled in the Trainsteni monastery. Wandering in Moldova and Athos At that time, in the Buzev lands, where the Trainsteni monastery was located, there were about 40 monasteries, most of which were inhabited by Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian monks who had left their native lands, which were under the Turkish yoke. Plato first stayed in the monastery of Delheutsi, but then moved to Trainsteni. Both monasteries were spiritually nourished by Elder Vasily of Polyanomerulsky. In the Trainsten community there were twenty monks 74 and almost as many hermits who lived not far from the monastery in separate cells. Here Plato for the first time “heard the prayer rule according to the rite of Mount Athos” 75, here he found the desired solitude and peace, and most importantly, the necessary spiritual guidance, since many wonderful ascetics lived in the monastery. Such, for example, as the copyist of books Father Raphael, monk Dosifei, who lived with schema-monk Timofey, schema-monk Proterius, a native of the Poltava region 76. The confessor of the Treinsten community, Elder Mikhail, a disciple of Elder Vasily, had special talents. On Sundays and holidays, he gathered all the brothers in the garden of the monastery and taught about the many different spiritual circumstances often encountered in ascetic life. Seeing all this, Plato rejoiced with indescribable joy and “with many tears he thanked God that he had been worthy to hear such instructions from the lips of such men” 77 . Elder Vasily often visited the brethren, teaching soul-helping instructions. Once, while staying for several days in the Trainstensky monastery, Elder Vasily drew attention to the monk Plato and invited him to his place at the Polyanomerulsky monastery. Plato, fearing premature ordination to the priesthood, remained to live in his monastery. After two years of staying in the Trainsten monastery, desiring a more secluded life, he left Trainsten and settled in the Kiriul monastery, which he learned about from the blessed elder Onufry, a resident of this desert. The rules in the monastery were adopted from Athos: on Sundays and holidays the brethren gathered together for church services, at the end of which they took a meal and spent time in spiritual conversation until Vespers. After the evening service, the brothers dispersed to their cells, where each performed his rule in solitude. From the edifications of Blessed Onuphrius, the heart of the young monk flared up, he was like “a fire with Divine love, having great zeal for spiritual deeds” 78, “learning true monastic silence” 79. Plato stayed in Wallachia for almost four years. At this time, he is studying the Romanian language, but he sees the main purpose of his stay in collecting “from these holy fathers the spiritual honey that flowed from their lips.” From the Vlachian elders he learned that there is “vision, and mental true silence, and attention to prayer performed with the mind in the heart,” and partly “enjoyed the action of its Divine power, ever moving in the heart” 80. However, by 1746, the monk Platon confirmed his decision to move to Athos. What prompted him to do this? He himself explains his decision by saying that “he was afraid that the Moldavian elders would ordain him against his will to the rank of priest” 81, on the other hand, he dreamed of visiting Mount Athos from a very early age. He was 24 years old when, together with Hieromonk Tryphon, he set off on the journey. Having reached the Holy Mount Athos, the pilgrims stopped for several days at the Lavra of St. Athanasius (July 4, 1746). Having learned that Slavic brothers lived near the monastery of Pantocrator, Plato went there and settled in a kaliva called Kaparis 82. Here he walked around hermits and desert dwellers in search of a spiritual leader to whom he could submit himself in obedience. But I could not find such a mentor, because Mount Athos was experiencing a spiritual and political crisis at that time. “Enslaved by the Turks, its inhabitants were exhausted under the burden of heavy taxes. Ignorance, national enmity, gross vices penetrated the Athonite monasteries” 83. Then came the most difficult time in Plato’s life. It was a time of extreme poverty and helplessness, a time of severe internal struggle and many tears. He lived in such an environment for four years, but these years “transformed a timid and shy young man into an experienced and strong husband” 84. At the beginning of 1750, the Elder of Polyanomerul arrived on Athos from Moldova and tonsured the monk Plato into monasticism with the name Paisiy. He explained to him the danger of his solitary silence and the need for a communal path for the novice ascetic. Paisius, “obeying the advice of the elder,” accepts the young monk Vissarion, who with “tears begged” to accept him as his disciple. After four years, new ascetics began to join them, wanting to live under the leadership of Paisius. At the request of the same Vissarion, the community is increased by eight brothers from Wallachia. When Slavic monks joined it, the services, previously performed in the Romanian language, began to be performed in parallel: in the Romanian and Slavic languages ​​85. The community grew, and in 1758 Paisius was ordained a priest. As the number of inhabitants increases more and more, Paisius asks the monastery of Pantocrator for the empty cell of the prophet Elijah. The rumor about the good life of the ascetics of the Elias monastery spread throughout the Holy Mountain, and many, having come to this monastery and seeing here the special splendor of church services, the always sincere peace between the brothers, as well as obedience to the elder, and on the part of Paisius - fatherly care, desired to join the brotherhood 86. The authority of the elder was so great that the former Patriarch of Constantinople, who then lived in the Pantocrator monastery, chose him as his confessor 87 . Meanwhile, the number of brethren in the Elias monastery continued to increase. Due to cramped quarters, scarcity of funds, and exorbitant taxes, Elder Paisios was forced to refuse admission to new brethren, and this prompted him to look for another monastery. The rise of the Paisian Brotherhood in Moldova After preliminary negotiations with influential persons of Moldova, “the elder and the brethren decided to leave the Holy Mountain and move to the blessed Moldova-Vlachian land,” where “the Orthodox faith and monastic life flourished” 88. And in 1763, after a seventeen-year stay on Mount Athos, Paisius and his community (64 brothers) went to the Holy Spiritual Monastery in Dragomirna (as blessed by Metropolitan Gabriel of Moldova). In a fairly short time, the elder established monastic life according to the strict rite of the Holy Mountain, and presented to the Moldavian Metropolitan and his Synod the charter of his brotherhood, drawn up on the basis of the monastic rules of Basil the Great, Theodore the Studite and Nilus of Sorsky. In the charter, attention was primarily paid to the spiritual life of the monastery. During general obediences it was necessary to observe silence, “let prayer act secretly and be kept in the mind.” In their cells alone, the brothers were supposed to remain in “reading the writings of the God-bearing Fathers and prayer, artistically performed with the mind in the heart.” As in other monastic rules of the Eastern Church, the main virtues in the monastery were: obedience to the elder and non-covetousness. Not a single monk had the right to appropriate any thing for himself, and possessive pronouns - “mine”, “yours” - were not used by any of the brethren 89. In Dragomirna, Paisius established daily reading of patristic books, supplemented by the elder’s conversations about asceticism, which played a huge role in the education of the brethren. Books were read in Romanian one day, and in Slavic the next. The number of inhabitants increased (by the end of the elder’s stay in Dragomirna there were three hundred and fifty), so Paisius asks the local bishop to ordain several brothers as priests. Subsequently, they will become confessors and mentors for the entire brethren. As Cyprian Zacharias notes, this served as “the beginning of educational pastoral activity, which goes beyond the communication of the teacher with his students, now acquiring a public character.” Thus, the history of “Paisianism” as “a religious movement of the 18th century, with diverse deep roots in the most diverse social strata, takes its origins in Dragomirna” 90. After the conquest of Bukovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Paisiya community moved to the Sekul monastery on October 14, 1775, at the invitation of the abbot, where the charter of the Dragomirn monastery was introduced. The lack of cells and the extreme poverty of the brethren forced the elder to write to Prince Konstantin Muruz a request for help in the construction of new cells in Sekule. In response, the governor invites the Paisiya community to move to the largest monastery in Moldova - Neamets, near Sekula 91. Concerned by such a proposal, the elder asks the governor “not to deprive them of a quiet and silent stay in Sekule.” “We are providing this holy monastery to you,” writes Konstantin Muruz in a letter to the elder, “not only to establish your brotherhood, but also so that the order of your brotherhood will serve as an example for other monasteries” 92. Showing obedience, the elder ordered which of the brethren should move to Neamets and which would remain in Sekule (August 14, 1779). He appoints confessor Hilarion as the elder in Sekula, but leaves the management of the monastery to himself, and the same order of life is established in both monasteries. In Neamet the number of inhabitants is rapidly increasing, quite soon reaching seven hundred monks. New cells, a hospital and a common refectory for pilgrims and the poor are being built. With the resettlement of the Paisiya community, the activities of the Nyametsky monastery received a special, educational focus. Two groups of translators and copyists, led by Paisius, worked continuously to correct and translate the philocalic writings into Slavic and Romanian. Thus, the Nyamets Lavra became “the center and beacon of Orthodox monasticism and a school of ascetic life and spiritual enlightenment for the Orthodox East” 93 . The news about Elder Paisius and his monastery spread throughout the world. Every pilgrim or wandering monk considered it his duty to visit the glorious Nyamets Lavra, to see its famous mentor, to see the strict order of its hostel and the splendor of the monastic worship. This is what the noble Greek Konstantin Koradzha, who visited Elder Paisius, says: “For the first time in my life I saw with my own eyes embodied and unfeigned holiness. I was struck by his face, light and pale, without a drop of blood, by his large white beard, shining like silver, and by the extraordinary cleanliness of his clothes and the entire furnishings (cells). His conversation was gentle and completely sincere. He gave the impression of a man who had completely renounced the body” 94. Towards the end of his life, the elder acquired the gift of tears, and Paisius’ biographers also speak of his prophetic gift. In the seventy-second year of his life, November 15, 1794, the great ascetic of the 18th century. rested in Bose and was buried in the central church of the monastery 95. He leaves behind two brotherhoods (in the Neametsky and Sekulsky monasteries) of more than 1000 brothers of different nationalities: Romanians, Russians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Turks. Literary and translation activities of Elder Paisius An ascetic ascetic, wise mentor and leader, Paisii Velichkovsky left his mark in the history of Orthodoxy primarily as a spiritual writer and educator of monasticism. According to the elder himself, the idea of ​​the need to translate the patristic writings came to him at the very beginning of his monastic path, due to the lack of spiritual leaders and necessary literature in the monasteries. “In my youth and at the beginning of my monasticism,” he wrote to one of his students, “I was not vouchsafed to see from anyone even a trace of sound and correct reasoning, advice and teaching according to the teachings of the holy fathers” 96 . As for ascetic literature, although until the 19th century. There were translations of some of the ascetic works of ancient teachers and desert fathers, but these translations were far from complete, not always satisfactory (moreover, distorted by copyists) and extremely rare. Paisius especially felt the need to fill this deficiency at the moment when a community was formed near him, in which he himself was to become a leader in the acquisition of the Spirit. And so that “he himself does not fall like a blind man into a pit, and does not plunge others into it,” 97 the elder accepts the instructions of the Divine Scripture and its true interpretation by the God-bearing fathers as a guide for himself and for the brethren. However, getting acquainted with the Slavic translations, Paisius noticed that very many of them contain unclear and grammatically incorrect passages. Having set out to correct the books of Hesychius of Jerusalem, Philotheus of Sinai, Theodore of Edessa, Paisius, having compared four copies, checked them with the Greek originals and came to the disappointing conclusion that the translators not only “do not know these books, but have not even heard the names of their compilers” 98. Fortunately, when visiting the monastery of St. Basil the Great, founded by monks who came from Caesarea in Cappadocia, he managed to acquire books by St. Anthony the Great, St. Gregory of Sinai, Philotheus, Hesychius, Simeon the New Theologian, Peter of Damascus and others 99. From that moment on, active work began on correcting and translating the patristic writings. It is difficult to judge the results of the activities carried out by the elder on Athos. Later, Paisius would write to Archimandrite Theodosius, abbot of the Sophronium Hermitage, that, while correcting the books in Dragomirna, he took as a model “the translation of the fatherly books from ancient Greek into Moldavian, made by Hieromonk Macarius and Daskal Hilarion, still on the holy Mount Athos, and partly in Dragomirna” 100. Dragomirna became a new stage in the literary activity of Paisius and his brotherhood. Only here the elder was able to organize a real monastic school, which corrected, translated and reproduced patristic and ascetic texts not only for his own needs, but, as the elder’s biographer Gregory Dascal writes, for the entire Romanian people 101. During this period, the Dragomirna Philokalia, compiled by the monk Raphael in 1767, appeared, which included the main philocalic texts 102. In the Sekul Monastery, educational activities for the translation and reproduction of patristic writings began in the 16th century. 103. But later, the intensity of literary activity decreased somewhat due to everyday inconveniences. When the Paisius brotherhood moved to the main monastery of Moldova - Neamets, a monastery with quite long traditions of educational activities, which also began in the 16th century. was initiated by the monk Gabriel Urik and his school of scribes, the work of the brotherhood was revived. This revival was greatly facilitated by the fact that in Neamets, even before Paisius arrived there, there was a good library, significantly expanded by the works of the elder. Here Elder Paisios gathers around him a large group of assistants and specially prepares them for book writing. To improve their Greek, he sent them to the Bucharest Academy of St. Savva, he himself was engaged almost exclusively in Slavic translations. He translated only the book of Nilus of Sor and several individual texts of the Holy Fathers into Romanian, because, as the biographer writes, in the Paisius community there were fewer Slavic translators than Romanian ones 104 . The manuscripts that have reached us have preserved the names of some of the elder’s collaborators in the book business. His closest assistants were Hilarion, Macarius, Honorius, Athanasius, Nathanael, Paul, Michael, Ioannikiy are also mentioned... According to the testimony of Professor A.I. Yatsimirsky, out of a thousand manuscripts stored in the library of the Neametsky Monastery, written at different times and in different languages (Romanian, Greek, Latin, Italian, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish, Syriac, Bulgarian, Polish, French and Slavic), two hundred seventy-six manuscripts date back to the time of Elder Paisius, of which forty-four were written in his own hand old man 105. The enormous work done by Elder Paisius was crowned in 1793 with the publication of the Philokalia in St. Petersburg. About the significance of this important event, Father Georgy Florovsky wrote: “The publication of the Slavic Philokalia was an event not only in the history of Russian monasticism, but also in the history of Russian culture in general. It was a shift and a push... a return to the origins, it was the opening of new paths, it was the acquisition of new horizons” 106. Other translations of ascetic writings, similar in content to those included in the Philokalia, were collected later (1849) and published in a collection entitled “Enraptured Classes as Food for the Soul” (subsequently, most of them were included in later Russian editions of the Philokalia) 107 . The remaining translations were distributed among Russian monasticism in lists. As for the Romanian texts translated by the Paisius brotherhood, they will begin to be published in 1807, when the Neametsky monastery acquired its own printing house. Thus, in 1818, the works of St. Ephraim the Syrian were published in three volumes; in 1814 - “The Ladder” by John Climacus; in 1819 - “Ascetic words” by Isaac the Syrian. But still, most of them remained in manuscripts. Elder Paisios was not only involved in correcting and translating patristic works, but he himself was the author of several works. For the most part, these were letters about spiritual life for laity and monastics. The few writings of Elder Paisius reveal the personality of this extraordinary man, who devoted his entire life to spiritual enlightenment and the transfer of patristic experience to modern monasticism. Such activity puts Paisius (Velichkovsky) on a par with representatives of the greatest monastic tradition of the Orthodox East. First of all, they saw their task in “returning to the living sources of patristic theology and thought of God,” however, “let us not forget that, being completely in the past, in legends and in Tradition,” Paisiy Velichkovsky becomes a “prophet and forerunner” of the coming revival of not only monasticism, but also Orthodoxy in general, and that the flourishing of eldership in Rus' is associated with his name. Next, we will try to briefly outline the two main themes of Paisius’s writings: about the rites of monastic life and about the Jesus Prayer. Basic principles of asceticism of Elder Paisius Types of monastic residence Elder Paisius discusses the types of monastic feats in a letter to the priest Demetrius 108. In it, Paisius considers, according to the Orthodox tradition, three types of monastic life: hermitage, cohabitation of two or three brethren, and community life. A monk living alone is completely occupied with the salvation of his soul; concerns about food, clothing and other earthly needs must be left to God's Providence. This path is suitable for those who have already achieved dispassion, perfect and holy men. Elder Paisius says that solitary desert living “requires angelic strength, and the novice... may not dare to see even a trace of desert sojourn, so as not to fall into a frenzy of mind” 109. For he, like an inexperienced warrior, fights alone with his enemies and, instead of a crown from God, acquires the devil’s delusion through his self-indulgence. Living with one or two brothers under the leadership of an elder is called by Paisius the “royal path” for monasticism. It is most suitable for beginners, since it “does not require as much patience as in a hostel” 110. As for the community, it personifies “an earthly paradise, where all brothers have one soul, one heart, one thought and one desire: to work together with Christ through the fulfillment of His divine commandments. The basic principles of this institution are based on: deprivation of property, cutting off one's own will and strict observance of prudent obedience in everything. By entering on the path of obedience, which subsequently gives rise to humility, the monk enters the shortest path to achieving dispassion, which returns man to his primitive pure state” 111. “In the community, one must obey not only one’s father, but also all the brethren to the last man and endure from them annoyance, reproach, reproach and all sorts of temptations, be dust and ashes under the feet of everyone and, like a bought servant, serve everyone with humility and fear of God, without grumbling endure the extreme poverty inherent in the community and the poverty of food and clothing” 112. The teachings of Elder Paisius about the Jesus Prayer were set forth in his two apologies, written precisely for this purpose. In his life, he was forced to write several times in defense of mental prayer. Even during his stay in the Elias monastery on Mount Athos, defending this ancient practice, in polemics with the Moldavian abbot Athanasius from the monastery of Kapsokalivia, he defended a strictly Orthodox position. The dispute was caused by the fact that the ascetic “reforms” of Paisius caused grumbling on the part of the monks, who, due to lack of space in the churches, limited themselves to the external implementation of the rule. Paisius made an attempt with the help of the brethren to increase the number of cells and, given the impossibility of fulfilling the established prayer rule, replaced some of it with the Jesus Prayer, which caused discontent among the brethren. The dissatisfied send Paisius a message in which they accuse him of misinterpreting the writings of Gregory of Sinaite, partiality towards Greek manuscripts and replacing worship with the Jesus Prayer. At the end of their message, they convince Paisius to repent and “not deviate from the general custom of St. Mountains!" Paisius, in a reply letter consisting of fourteen chapters, confirms his teaching with the texts of St. fathers 113. In Dragomirna, he was again forced to enter into polemics, this time with a certain “monk-philosopher”, a detractor of the Jesus Prayer, who in his monastery sowed such hatred of this prayer that the brethren even dared to throw into the river the works of the holy fathers, who recommended the practice of smart doing. In this regard, a letter about mental prayer 114 appears. Towards the end of his life (1793), Elder Paisios wrote another apology for the Jesus Prayer in response to the complaint of the inhabitants of the Polyanovoronskaya desert practicing mental work against the hieromonk Theopemptus, who called them “heretics”, “farmazons”, and the books they read “chimeras”. In order to support the brethren, the elder comes out in defense of mental prayer with a letter in which he quotes the works of 35 Church Fathers 115. In his “Chapters on Mental Prayer,” Paisius systematizes the biblical and patristic texts underlying the Jesus Prayer, examines the preparatory stages for this divine work, and reveals the features of the manifestation of its action. He writes that the objections of some monastics to the Jesus Prayer are explained by extreme ignorance of Holy Scripture and ascetic works, because only thanks to “mental prayer does the monastic order sit with unalterable love at the feet of Jesus, succeeding in fulfilling His Divine commandments, and through this becomes light and enlightenment to the world” 116. The elder calls mental prayer, according to the teachings of St. fathers, “spiritual art,” thereby indicating the need for an experienced mentor, for “just as a person cannot learn art on his own, so it is impossible to learn this activity without a skillful mentor.” In the absence of a mentor, “let the careful and humble study of the Scriptures and Fathers be the guide.” 117 Anyone who has devoted himself to this feat should know that, according to the writings of the holy fathers, there are two stages of mental prayer: the first - for beginners, used in practical work (pr©xij) and the second - for the perfect, corresponding to contemplation (qewr...a). The first involves observing God's commandments, fasting, vigil, contrition, kneeling, remembrance of death... Such prayer can be called “active”, since it requires great effort from the person praying. And when a person cleanses his soul and heart from passions through all these deeds, then “the grace of God, our common mother, takes his enlightened consciousness, like a child, by the hand, leads him up step by step and reveals to him, in accordance with the degree of his purity, the ineffable and incomprehensible mysteries of God - and this is truly and truly called spiritual contemplation” 118. Isaac of Syria calls this stage the achievement of “contemplative prayer,” or “pure prayer.” At these points, as well as in general terms, in the teaching about the Jesus Prayer, Paisius clearly follows his confessor, Elder Basil. For him, as well as for his teacher, the Jesus Prayer, first of all, is a sword for cutting off thoughts and passions; Contemplative prayer is a “gift of God,” and everyone is called to perform active prayer, even at the first stages of spiritual life. And if the teaching of Elder Basil boils down to introducing into everyday life the practice of mental prayer, which was then considered the prerogative of the hermits, by whom it was primarily practiced, then Paisius goes further - he introduces (which is his main merit) it in hostels, in large monasteries and laurels 119. At the same time, unlike Elder Vasily, Paisius had a sharply negative attitude towards performing the Jesus Prayer in the world. In his opinion, mental prayer, as “smart art,” is not appropriate for everyone, for “this is a purely monastic activity.” In the second letter to Elder Theodosius, St. Paisius wrote: “The patristic writings, especially those that teach us true obedience, vigilance of the mind and hesychasm, attention and mental prayer, are suitable for the purely monastic rite, but not for all Orthodox Christians” 120. He bases this conclusion on the fact that the “indispensable principle” of smart doing is “true obedience,” which gives rise to humility. Living in the world, people are out of obedience and are guided by their own will, which makes mental prayer unattainable and sometimes dangerous for the spiritual life of the laity 121 . The elder deliberately adheres to this categorical position, fearing that philocalic writings might inflame the hearts of novices, who, having no experience and without a spiritual mentor, will immediately undertake an ascent “to Tabor,” that is, they will want to achieve contemplation, bypassing practical activity. Hesychast practice in the 19th century After the death of Paisius, the disciples perpetuated his memory not only by remembering him in prayers (they even composed a special service - “To our Blessed Father, Elder Hieroschemamonk and Archimandrite Paisius”) 122, but moreover, they began to call themselves “Paisians”, and their community – “Paisians”. After some time, in works dedicated to Elder Paisius and his era, they will write about the “Paisian movement”, or “Paisianism” 123. But what actually stands behind this term and what characteristic features of “Paisianism” that distinguish it from other religious movements are not so easy to determine. In general, Paisius’s activities can be summarized as follows: – the communal principle of monastic life; – revival of the hesychast tradition; – study of the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Church Fathers, combined with translation activities. Paisius himself was not a reformer in the full sense of the word. He only tried to revive the experience of Byzantine monasticism in the communal monasticism of his time, or, in the words of Fr. Georgy Florovsky, to make a “return movement of the Russian spirit to the Byzantine Fathers” 124. Turning to the origins of Byzantine monasticism, Paisius creates large communal monasteries, convinced that outside the community no one will be able to realize themselves, but rather, on the contrary, will become prey to the enemy. Living in a community, through “holy and blessed obedience” you “acquire true humility”, leading to liberation from passions, you become a partaker of the Divine nature 125. Contributing in every possible way to the revival of hesychasm in cenobitic monasteries, Paisius “reconciles” two traditions: cenobitic and hesychast, which are incompatible only if the essence of the monastic feat is forgotten. After all, St. Simeon the New Theologian and St. Gregory of Sinaite testify to the possibility of a harmonious combination of both traditions. As for the study of the Holy Scriptures and ascetic works, it was constantly in the focus of attention of monastics and served as the basis of the entire monastic tradition. Paisius was sure that it was impossible to implement genuine asceticism without ascetic knowledge. It is natural that all the followers of the “Paisian” movement adhered to the same view. Numerous disciples of the great elder after his death dispersed to different monasteries, primarily in Greece and Russia, where they brought the experience and traditions of “Paisianism”. "Paisianism" in the Romanian principalities. Neamets Lavra after the death of the elder On the fourth day after the burial of Elder Paisius, when all the brethren were still in grief, Nyamets was visited by “the God-loving Bishop of Khust, Benjamin, who elevates the first confessor in the brotherhood, Father Sophrony, to abbot and archimandrite of the monastery.” This event gave some consolation to the community, “for all the brothers of the Moldavian and Slavic clan loved him (Fr. Sophronia - B.S.) for his love for everyone and humility, and especially for his extreme mercy” 126. About the activities of Fr. Very little is known about Sophrony; only his correspondence with the disciples of Elder Paisius in Russia has been preserved - Fr. Afanasy from Bryansk and Maria Petrovna Protasyeva. After Fr. Sophronius successively became the abbots of the Neametsky monastery: Dorotheos, whom Paisius sent to Bucharest to study Greek; Dositheus, who was under Elder Paisius the confessor and overseer of the hospital in Sekule, “who sat at night over the sick and in every possible way calmed and consoled them,” and John 127, under whom the Neamets printing house published “The Lives of the Saints” in 12 volumes 128. After John, Sylvester was elected - the first abbot from the Romanians, who, during the life of Paisius, was the confessor of the Moldavian brethren. Despite the fact that all subsequent abbots of the Nyametsky monastery were students and recipients of the spiritual experience of Elder Paisius himself, from the point of view of ideal monasticism, the spiritual life of the monastery weakened. However, for an outside observer, the life of the brotherhood seemed quite prosperous, as can be seen, for example, from the memoirs of one French traveler who visited Neamets in 1850. Admiring the majesty of the churches, the solemnity of the bells and the large number of monks (1300 inhabitants), he wrote: “The Neamets monastery is the capital for the rest (the monasteries of Moldova), the dream of every pilgrim, the Jerusalem of the country” 129 . Disciples of Elder Paisius in Moldova The great Romanian historian N. Erga, in his “History of the Romanian Church,” lists several monasteries and monasteries in Moldova, in which Paisianism had a rather large influence: the monasteries of Agapia, Varapeg, Hangul, Bisericani, Risca, as well as the monasteries of Vovision, Pokrov, Tarcul. By the second half of the 19th century. Almost all monasteries of the Moldo-Vlachian state followed Paisius’s strict communal rules. Among the prominent representatives of this tradition, Joseph the Hermit occupies a special place. A contemporary of Elder Paisius, Fr. Joseph was not his disciple. He became a monk at the Nyametsky monastery, but soon left it, retiring to Sikhlovskaya Mountain. When Paisii came to the Nyametsky monastery in 1779, Joseph was already living in the desert. Word of the great ascetic reaches Paisius, who, at the request of Joseph, unites the desert dwellers of the Sikhlovskaya Mountain into several communities. Elder Joseph became the confessor of these communities and for 30 years worthily carried out the duties assigned to him, spiritually caring for more than 300 nuns, as well as numerous desert dwellers of the Agapievo and Varapege forests. In 1828, the elder died and was buried in the church of the Varapegi Monastery 131. Joseph the Hermit attached a special place to the Jesus Prayer in his spiritual life. The charter of mental prayer he compiled, which he recommended to his students living in communal monasteries, has reached us. For beginners, he even indicates the time of its performance (5 times a day, 2 times during worship). He said that mental doing requires concentration of feelings, and for this the person praying needs to bow his head, cover his lips and place two fingers on his chest above his heart (the latter comes from the elder’s personal experience and distinguishes him from other practitioners of mental prayer). One of Joseph's students was Fr. Irinarch Roseti, a famous anchorite of the Nyamets Mountains, later a hermit of Mount Tabor. Coming from a noble family, Irinarch leaves the vanity of this world and comes to the Nyametsky monastery (after the death of Elder Paisius). After spending some time in the hostel, Fr. Irinarch, with the blessing of his spiritual father, Elder Joseph, retires into the desert. In 1831, with the help of Metropolitan Benjamin Kostake, he founded the Khoraitsa monastery, in which during the twelve years of his abbot the number of brethren increased to 70 people. In 1843, he left the Romanian lands and, with one of his students, headed to Mount Tabor, where he remained in solitude until the end of his life (†l853). Here, on the mountain, the elder begins the construction of an Orthodox church (the only one on Tabor), which was completed in 1862 by his disciple Nektary. Soon after Father Irinarch's arrival on Tabor, the fame of this perspicacious and God-loving elder spread throughout the province, so that even among Muslims he was deeply respected. One conversation between Elder Irinarch and his disciple that has reached us testifies to him as a true hesychast. The student said: “Father, Elder Gerasim, the hermit Gerasim from Delheuts, told me that you have mental prayer?” Irinarch replied: “My son, truly I had the gift of this prayer, but I abandoned the practice of acquiring it. When I lived in this desert for 12 years, I prayed to God and the Most Holy Virgin to grant me this gift too. One late evening I was standing in prayer, and then my cell suddenly lit up, and I was engulfed in flames, but the fire did not scorch me; then my heart began to say loudly: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I was scared and afraid that this might be a demonic trap. The next day I went to my confessor, Father Joseph, who performed both mental prayer and miracles. He blessed me with a rule according to which I had to sleep not on a bed, but on a chair, and only for an hour a day. Returning to my cell, I tried to fulfill the rule given to me, but I could not. And then, seeing my weakness, I consigned mental prayer to oblivion.” “Father,” the student further asks, “and if someone, having found it, then leaves it and then calls on God again, can the Lord give it to the heart a second time?” “Of course,” the elder answered, “with only one condition: just to ask her from God” 132. Describing the prayerful feat of Elder Irinarch, his disciple said: “I often saw that his eyes were filled with tears, but he restrained himself so that tears would not flow from his eyes, so that people would not praise him. Once I saw that his lips were moving, noticing that I saw this, the elder immediately stopped. However, his speeches and radiant face clearly indicated that he had acquired mental prayer and performed it continuously. But he did not reveal himself to me, so that his fame would not spread.” 133 On the outskirts of the Nyametsky monastery was located the Pokrovsky monastery, in which the hesychast principles of residence were laid down by the elder Pachomius (1664–1724), a disciple of St. Demetrius of Rostov 134. Here in the 19th century. Schemamonk John, called Russian, labored for twelve years. A former student of Paisius, John, after the death of his mentor, undertook a long journey through the monasteries of Moldova and Athos. After a long stay on Mount Athos, he leaves the Holy Mountain and returns to the Nyamets Lavra. This time he settles in the Pokrovsky monastery, where he chooses as his mentor the disciple of Elder Paisius, schemamonk Plato, who himself compiled a collection of all the works of Paisius Velichkovsky (kept in the library of the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery) and a biography of the elder. The Russian traveler monk Parthenius, also a student of Plato, provides valuable evidence about the prayerful feat of John the Russian. Elder John spoke to him like this: “Listen to me, a sinner; I’ll tell you a secret, but as long as I’m alive, keep it. I will reveal to you part of my wealth, so that you will not hide it, but when the time comes, you will give it to others. Upon arrival at the Nyametsky monastery, having heard from Elder Paisius about mental prayer, he began to test it: how to start it and how to act? And he began to put it to the test. And she seemed so sweet to me that I loved her more than all the world. That is why he ran away from the brethren, loved silence, often retired into the desert, avoided all temptations, and especially idle talk. For this reason, he traveled twice to the Holy Mountain, exhausting himself with obedience, labor, fasting, bowing and all-night standing in order to acquire mental, unceasing prayer. For her sake, he often shut himself up in his cell, and exhausted all his strength for her sake. And when I spent many summers there, little by little it began to deepen within me. Then, when we lived in the Pokrovsky monastery, then the Lord visited me for my prayers about. Plato: an indescribable joy overshadowed my heart and prayer began to act; and she delighted me so much that she did not let me sleep; I fall asleep an hour a day, and then I sit, and then I get up again, as if I had never slept. And although I sleep, my heart is vigilant. And from prayer the fruits began to vegetate. Truly, child, the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Inexpressible love and tears were born in me for everyone; If I want, I cry incessantly. And the Divine Scripture became so sweet to me, and especially the Gospel and the Psalter, that I cannot enjoy it, and every word moves me and makes me cry a lot. O God, You have revealed to me Your unknown and secret wisdom! - I often get up in the evening to read the Psalter or the Jesus Prayer, and I am in admiration, beside myself, I don’t know where I am - either in the body, or outside the body - I don’t know; God knows. Just when I come to my senses, it’s already dawn! But even a dirty trickster of the flesh was given to me, let him play dirty tricks on me, but let me not be arrogant; I just can’t even say: it’s been more than forty years since my wife has been in my cell, although many wanted to talk to me, but I refuse because I am weak” 135. John the Russian died in 1863, at a very old age. Hieromonk Cassian Schrunze from the Sihastrian Monastery recalls the story of one priest (the conversation took place in 1925, when this priest was 90 years old) about another disciple of Paisius - John the Hermit. In the first years of the narrator’s priesthood, one night some extraordinary light shone on the window of his bedroom, and he heard the following words: “Take the Holy Gifts, go to the Cave of Sychastria and there the sacrament of the hermit John, who is waiting for you.” Taking this for a devilish obsession, he did not dare to go, but hearing the same voice a second time, he took the Holy Gifts and headed towards the cave, led by that light (the cave was located in a dense forest, approximately 3 km from the priest’s house). When he entered the cave, he heard a weak voice: “Father, do not be afraid, I am here, give me communion before I go to the Lord.” Having given communion to the hermit, the priest asked him who he was, where he was from and how long he had been living here. He said that his name was John and that he was a native of Poltava, came from a noble family and devoted his youth to the study of secular sciences. But, having heard about the great elder Paisius, he left his homeland in 1785. settled in the Nyametsky monastery. After 1810, the elder, in search of solitude, went into the forest, where other hermits also labored at that time. He lived there for 50 years. Having finished his story and thanking the priest, the hermit promised to pray for him at the throne of the Holy Trinity 136. Among the disciples and followers of Elder Paisius who lived on the territory of Moldova, there are also known Irinarch, the confessor who, on behalf of Paisius, went to Prince Constantine with a letter in which the elder wrote about his refusal to move to the Neametsky monastery; Joakinth, one of the confessors in Nyamets, who admonished the detractor of mental prayer, Theopemptus; Schemamonk Mitrofan, who was Paisius' cell attendant for more than 30 years and compiled a description of his life; Neonil, a student of Elder Sophronius, and Theophanes, a student of Neonil, who transferred the traditions of Elder Paisius to the New Nyametsky Monastery 137, were also the keepers of Paisius’s traditions. Continuers of the “Paisian” covenants in Wallachia One of the former students of Elder George, Hieromonk Protev, compiled a short biography of his teacher, which he called “The Life of our All-Honorable Father, Elder George” 138 . According to this source, George was from Transylvania. At an early age, he decided to go to Mount Athos to become a monk there. But on the way to Athos, in Bucharest, he met with one Greek metropolitan (Rosca), and becoming his student, he went with him to Constantinople, where he lived for three years. Then he settled in the Vatopega monastery on Mount Athos, where he became a monk, and after some time he was ordained a deacon. After the death of his mentor, George comes to the Ilinsky skete to Elder Paisius Velichkovsky. He remained under the leadership of the elder for 24 years, following him everywhere: to Athos, where he received the priesthood, and to Dragomirna, and to Sekul, and to Neamet. In 1781, two years after the Paisius brotherhood moved to the Nyametsky monastery, George left it “with the permission and blessing of his elder, the all-honorable Paisius” 139 to settle permanently on Mount Athos. What prompted George to decide to take this step is unclear. His biographer speaks about this very vaguely: “Continuous zeal prompted him to return to the Holy Mountain.” Before saying goodbye to his homeland for good, George stayed in Bucharest with his friend, Archimandrite Macarius Daskel 140, who lived with him on Mount Athos in the brotherhood of Paisius and subsequently moved to Russia, where he was the rector of the Molchansk Hermitage 141. Macarius was summoned to Bucharest to translate patristic writings and other documents by Metropolitan Gregory II, who thus wished to carry out educational work in his diocese in the spirit of Paisianism. The dream of the Metropolitan’s entire life was the creation of a communal monastery according to the charter of Elder Paisius. Having met George and seeing in him the spirit of a true elder, Bishop Gregory asks him to abandon his plans and settle in Wallachia in order to create “here a community of God-loving monks, as Paisius created in Moldova” 142. Having difficulty agreeing to the metropolitan’s entreaties, Georgy, instead of the large monastery proposed by the bishop, chooses the small, destroyed Chernikovsky monastery, where monastic life ceased 30 years ago. Chernikovsky monastery, founded in 1608 Boyar Chernika, in a short time it was turned into a large communal monastery, in which there were 103 brethren. In 1794, Elder George was also entrusted with the abbotship of the large Kaldorusani monastery, near Bucharest. Thus, these two communities, having united like the Sekul and Neamets monasteries in Moldova, under the leadership of Elder George and his successors, became the monastic centers of the Wallachian land. On December 3, 1806, Elder George rested and was buried in the central church of the Chernikov monastery 143. Whether relations between elders George and Paisius were maintained after 1781 is unknown. Some historical documents indicate that Elder George and his disciples liked to call themselves “Paisians,” and in his will he demands that the principles of the Paisian brotherhood be strictly followed, “because the charter of this holy man is based on seven solid pillars and established on the seven Sacraments of our Mother Church” 144 . In addition, in his statements, Elder George always called Paisius: “my elder,” “righteous teacher.” Elder George played the same role in the history of Wallachian monasticism as Paisios played in the history of monasticism in Moldova. Elder George drew up a will in 1785, which is considered the only monument to his literary heritage. The elder was prompted to draw up a will by a sudden serious illness that almost cost him his life. Then he decided to leave for the monks of his community, which then (in the fourth year of his abbess) of 55 people, a “guide” that could replace the elder in the event of his death. Elder George begins his teachings with a long prayer to St. Nicholas, the patron of the monastery, so that he may become “a clear guide to his pupils in the fulfillment of monastic vows.” In the first part of the will, entitled “The established order for the humble community after my death,” the elder defines the order of the hegumen succession of the monastery and indicates the importance of his will. The second part, called “The Spiritual Ladder” and consisting of seven steps, describes the rules of inner monastic life. The elder's first concern is to create a single, cohesive community in which brothers love each other. According to him, “the main good deed on which the salvation of monks depends” is obedience to everyone. “Watch your obedience to one another as you would your own breath,” he writes in the first step of his Ladder. “And this is not for any purpose... but to win your neighbor.” After all, this is the only way to fulfill “the love commanded by the law” 145. The main thing in the monastic feat is unquestioning obedience to your abbot: “Don’t even think about doing anything without the blessing of the community mentor” 146 . Another important point is frequent confession of sins. Disciples must confess regularly (three times a week) “their deepest thoughts and all their sins.” If they do not do this, they will continue to serve sin, which will never give room for spiritual progress. “Salvation is far from those who did not resolve the root cause of their falls during confession” 147. In this statement, the elder points not only to confession as a sacred act through which sins are forgiven, but also to the importance of the relationship between the confessor and his spiritual child. The elder’s advice given during confession thereby acquires mystical significance; learning to confess correctly means learning real art, on which a person’s very salvation depends. As for communion, Elder George advises monks to take communion 12 times a year. According to him, this is the “royal way”; before communion, a “three-day fast” and preparation “as far as possible” are required. Sanity and humility play an important role in spiritual life. Elder George points out that through obedience, confession, common sense, humility and communion “we can cut off all passions created by the tongue, heart, feelings...” 148. And so that the brethren better understand what he said, he presents his instructions in the form of a cross: 5) take communion 12 times a year As in the Paisiyev Monastery, the center of spiritual life in Chernika is worship. On the 7th step of his Ladder, Elder George pays special attention to liturgical prayer. Considering asceticism as a method of human purification, the elder believed that long services, as well as night vigils, which were mandatory for everyone, were effective ascetic exercises necessary for his students, especially beginners, to establish themselves in the spiritual life. In his will, he even indicates the number and duration of night vigils throughout the entire church year: 40 vigils of 5 hours for the polyeleos saints; 7 vigils for 7 hours on the feasts of the Mother of God; 12 vigils for 9 hours St. Trinity and the twelve feasts and 3 vigils for 12 hours: September 1 - on the day of the anointing of the governor; May 1 – the day of the metropolitan’s name day; December 6 is the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas, patron of the Chernikovsky monastery. The elder indicates that attendance at the service is mandatory, and if the warden notices that someone was not present, penance is imposed on the culprit; perhaps even deprivation of food for the whole day 149. The cell rule included, for those who could read, in the evening (to choose from) evening prayers or the canon to the Guardian Angel, and in the morning - morning prayers or the canon of the Mother of God, and 300 bows from the waist or 100 bows to the ground; for the illiterate – 700 bows from the waist or 300 bows to the ground. But continuously before going to bed and waking up, one must read that “verse specific to monks: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” 150. However, the elder does not advise devoting oneself exclusively to the practice of the Jesus Prayer. Considering the “infancy” of his pets, even at the beginning of his words about prayer (in the 7th step) he warns that mental prayer is difficult to achieve. “I must also not hide this from you, my children, that the three treasures of my elder will not be inherited so quickly in this monastery” 151. The first of these is mental prayer, an “unquenchable light” that guides a person to heaven and introduces him to life in Christ. But, realizing the danger of such a path for those who took up this work without being cleansed of passions, Elder George writes: “This work is inaccessible to passionate people like us... do not try to reveal for yourself the secrets of this work while you are a slave to your body” 152. He argued that dispassion is achieved only through obedience and asceticism, but one who is in the power of passions cannot be cleansed by mental prayer, since he is unable to constantly keep the Name of Jesus. For such a person, the Jesus Prayer can become an ordinary habit, which will not in any way relieve him of passions, although he can live well with them. The second asset of Paisius, according to Elder George, was the art of managing numerous brotherhoods. If the Paisian brotherhood once included more than 1000 inhabitants (Nyamets and Sekul - together), then Elder George strictly forbids his successors to increase the number of brothers, which, in his opinion, should not exceed 103. Such a restriction, as he believed, firstly, helps to preserve the unity of the community, and, secondly, gives the opportunity for confessors to monitor the improvement of each monk. In addition, discipline, to which the elder paid special attention, is certainly easier to achieve in a few monasteries. The third asset of Elder Paisius was “keeping peace” between monks, including between monks of different nationalities who lived together in his communities. Elder George believed that Romanians, Greeks and Russians should live separately, as if in three groups, “let the love between you not become scarce, but everyone, like brothers, will be fulfilled by it, living as if in one family” 153. However, he did not divide the brethren into groups. 22 years after writing his will, Elder George passed away into eternity, leaving a community of 103 inhabitants. Having analyzed the will of Elder George, we can conclude that for him the main thing in spiritual life is the active side (pr©xij); Apparently, the path he proposes is purification using traditional ascetic methods. Elder George writes to his disciples that “the perfection of life in God is difficult to achieve, and for men who go towards this goal without being cleansed of passions, clever doing can become the cause of serious errors” 154 . Here it is necessary to take into account that the elder understands mental activity as complete unity with God in contemplative prayer, and not as an ascetic exercise that helps to get rid of passions. If the elder so ardently defends the importance of the active side in spiritual life, this does not mean that he neglected contemplative prayer, which is the goal of improvement. After all, in the Chernikovsky monastery there lived monks who practiced the Jesus Prayer both during the abbess of Elder George and after him. One of those who did this even left the “Rule of Desert Life,” indicating to anchorites how “it is appropriate for a monk living in solitude to remain sober, following the example of the ancient fathers” 155. About the spiritual orientation of the elder, according to Fr. Demetrius Staniloae, one can say this: “George’s asceticism is rather close to the Athonite hesychast tradition, while the Paisian brotherhood followed the Sinai tradition” 156. Saint Callinicus of Chernikov (1787–1868) Saint Callinicus is the most prominent representative of the religious tradition called “Chernikov spirituality” in Romanian theology. Callinicus was not an ascetic of the “new piety” - no, he is, as it were, the most prominent representative of the so-called “Romanian hesychasm.” In the previous chapter, we indicated that the goal of all the activities of Elder Paisius Velichkovsky was to bring cenobitic monasticism closer to its hesychast origins. But, as history testifies, Paisius’ aspirations were most fully realized in Russian monasticism, which gave the Orthodox world what is usually called the “institute of elders” (especially in Optina Pustyn). Romanian monasticism seemed to remain faithful to the spirit of its tradition - “Chernikov spirituality”. Being a continuator of the ascetic traditions of Elder George, Kallinik Chernikovsky in his spiritual experience combined the active and mystical-contemplative sides. Constantine (the name given to the elder at baptism) was born in Bucharest, after graduating from the Romanian gymnasium, at the age of 20, he entered the Chernikov Monastery. A year later he was tonsured into the mantle with the name Kallinikos, in 1808 he was ordained a deacon, and in 1811 a priest. Thanks to his exceptional qualities, in 1818, at the age of 30, Fr. Kallinikos was elected abbot. During his abbotship, the number of monks in the monastery increases to 350, a new church and new cells are built 157. In 1850, after a 43-year stay in Chernika, of which 32 years the elder was abbot, at the request of the governor, he agreed to accept the rank of bishop. Arriving at the department in the city of Rymnik, he finds a rather gloomy picture here: the diocese and the cathedral, like many parish churches, are in ruins, some churches and the seminary are closed. Soon, through the efforts of Bishop. The neglected diocese of Kallinika is turning into a wonderful educational center. In 1851, the saint opened a seminary, erected a new cathedral, founded a printing house and the Fresine monastery, where he introduced the strict rules of Mount Athos. Biographer and disciple of St. Callinika, talking about his mentor, points out a distinctive feature of his character - mercy: “He was so compassionate that when he did not have anything to give alms, he took off his clothes and with tears in his eyes begged me to get money to give something to his brothers in Christ, because that is what the Eminence of the poor and infirm called him” 158. The last words of the saint testify to the life he passed through as a sacrifice brought to the altar of service to his neighbor: “I did not accumulate gold and silver, I did not even desire to have unnecessary clothes, or any other thing, and I did not leave anything for burial or commemoration... but I am sure, in order to please God, distribute it yourself, and do not wait for someone to do it after your death” 159. After 17 years of episcopal service, St. Kallinik returned to the Chernikov Monastery. Here he lived for another year as a simple monk and died on April 11, 1867. “In the life of Saint Callinicus, all the features of that spiritual tradition, which is called Chernikovskaya, are amazingly combined: asceticism, charity, practical activity - properties that have their source and completion in the mystical life in Christ” 160. O. Dmitry Staniloae calls it “holistic spirituality” 161. Strict ascetic, St. Kallinik sometimes abstained from food for 40 days, never ate meat, and from 1820 he limited himself only to vegetables. And in order to “pacify my pride, I ate dairy products on Saturdays.” He slept only three hours a day, but even then he slept in a chair. And he did all this because he saw in asceticism a necessary means of cleansing from passions. Having cleansed himself from passions through asceticism, St. Kallinikos acquired the opposite virtues: meekness, kindness, humility and love. Thus, he combined asceticism, which is a means of personal improvement, with public service. The great public activity of the saint did not hinder his zeal for God. His heart was imbued with love for God and people, and more than once tears flowed from his eyes, as his biographer testifies. Once, shortly before the death of the saint, his disciples saw the Divine light in which he dwelt. One of them later said: “One morning, at the end of the night prayers (and I read the entire rule in his cell, since Callinicus did not get out of bed), I saw, together with all the brothers who were in the cell, that an indescribable luminous ball came out from His Eminence, and everyone fell on their faces in fear; this amazing light passed through the window and then disappeared. On the second day, I told the bishop about what had happened, and he said: “Be careful, because angels of God and other heavenly people are constantly in this house.” His death St. Kallinikos predicted in 13 days. “When those days were fulfilled, he stood up, put on funeral clothes, because he had given everything else to the poor, washed himself and blessed us all, and, bending over to Fr. Herman, said: “See you in the bliss of the next century,” and so he died, falling to the chest of Fr. Herman" 162. In 1986, the doctoral dissertation of the Catholic priest Dario Raccanello “The Jesus Prayer in the works of Vasily Polyanomerulsky” (Raccanello D. La preghiera di Gesu negli scritti di Basilio di Poiana Marului. Alessandria, 1986) was published in the West. Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop. Athos in the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church // Theological works. Nizhny Novgorod, 1996. P. 59. Ciprian (Zaharia), arhim. Biserica Ortodoxa Romana si troducerile patristice si filocalice in limbile moderne // Paisianismul. Bucuresti, 1996. P. 49. Chetverikov S., prot. Moldavian elder Paisiy Velichkovsky. Paris, 1988. P. 5. Raccanello D. Rugaciunea lui Iisus in Scrierile Staretulhi Vasile de la Poiana Marului. Sibiu, 1996. P. 27. Shmeman A. The historical path of Orthodoxy. M., 1994. P. 277. Khibarin I. Literary and translation activities of Elder Paisius (Velichkovsky) // ZhMP. 1956. No. 12. P. 58–59. Smolich I. Life and teaching of the elders // Theological works. No. 31. M., 1982. P. 123. Balan J. Vetre de sinastrie romãnescă. Husi, 1990. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 64–65. Until now, in Russian theological literature the name of Vasily Polyanomerulsky was mentioned only among the mentors of Paisius Velichkovsky. No one has yet tried to comprehend the meaning of his writings, published in 1847, simultaneously with the “Life” of Paisius Velichkovsky (Optina Pustyn). See: Mihail P. Schitul de la Poiana Marului centru de cultura ortodoxa // Spirituelitote si istorie la intorsatura Carpatilor. 1983. Buzau. T. 1. P. 362. See: Constantinescu H., Cocora G. Poiana Marului // G. B. 1964, 5–6. C. 475. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 35 (quoting the above text, Raccanello says, “that he cannot claim that Vasily was a Ukrainian. But the tradition of the Polyanomerulsky monastery says that even after his death, many believers from Ukraine, pilgrimaging to these places, remembered Elder Vasily as their compatriot); Constantinescu H. Decree. Op. P. 495. Life of the Moldavian Elder Paisius Velichkovsky. M., reprint. ed., 1906. P. 16. See: Constantinescu H. Decree. Op. P. 473. Jonto S. Isihasmul: tradice si cultura romaneasca. Anastasia, 1993. P. 115. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 55. Constantinescu H. Decree. Op. P. 479. Life of the Moldavian Elder. P. 16. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 58. Jonto S. Decree. Op. P. 119. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. pp. 313–327. Philokalia. M., 1992. T. 2. P. 571. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. Serdobol, 1938. P. 225. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 108. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. P. 228. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 323. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. P. 227. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. pp. 144–145. Philokalia. T. 3. P. 14. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. P. 261. Vladimirova E. Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky // ZhMP. 1989. No. 11. P. 40. It was published fragmentarily in the “Bulletin of the Russian Exarchate”. 1973. No. 81–82, 83–84 and in ZhMP. 1954. No. 10 P. 53–59; 1956. No. 10. pp. 44–55. Schema-Archimandrite Paisiy Velichkovsky // ZhMP. 1972. No. 12. pp. 62–64. Ciprian (Zaharia), arhim. Decree. Op. P. 39. This biography has not been published by anyone; one copy of the manuscript is in the Leningrad Public Library (No. 279). Right there. P. 40. It has not survived, although all subsequent biographers of Elder Paisius refer to it. Ciprian (Zaharia), arhim. Decree. Op. pp. 40–41. The biography of Plato, first published in 1847 and translated from Slavic into Russian in 1906, is mistakenly called the “biography of schemamonk Mitrofan.” The latest edition in Russian was published under the title “The Life of the Moldavian Elder Paisius Velichkovsky.” No one doubts the authorship of Plato. See: Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 6. Life of a Moldavian elder. pp. 5–6. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 19. Leonid (Polyakov), priest. Schema-Archimandrite Paisiy Velichkovsky // ZhMP. 1954. No. 10. P. 54. Jonto S. Decree. Op. pp. 133–134. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 65. Life of a Moldavian elder. P. 20. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 73. The Athonite monks call a cell a house with a church. If there is no church next to a house, then it is called a kaliva. Leonid (Polyakov), priest. Decree. Op. P. 54. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 81. Dascalul G. Povestire din parte a vietii preacuviosului parintelni nastru Paisia (biography of Gregory Dascal) // Paisianismul. P. 123. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 87. Dascalul G. Decree. Op. P. 124. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 103. Life of a Moldavian elder. pp. 46–49; see: Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 110–117. Ciprian (Zaharia), arhim. Decree. Op. pp. 75–85. Life of a Moldavian elder. pp. 75–85. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 178–179. Although most historical monuments indicate that Paisius was buried in the Ascension Church itself, the opening of the grave (20th century) showed that the coffin was empty. Unfortunately, the research materials were burned during the Second World War. The question of where the relics of Paisius are located remains open. Quote by: Khibarin I. Decree. Op. P. 59. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 99. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 121. Dascalue G. Decree. Op. P. 132. See: Ciprian (Zaharia), arhim. Decree op. P. 49. See: Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 247. Dascalul G. Decree. Op. P. 131. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 202–204. Florovsky G., prot. Paths of Russian theology. Paris, 1998. P. 126. Khibarin I. Literary and translation activities of Elder Paisius. P. 61. Florovsky G. Decree. Op. P. 126. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 92. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. pp. 269–304. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 212–213. Conversations about the Jesus Prayer. P. 271. Smolich I. Decree. Op. P. 129. Raccanello D. Decree. Op. P. 202. Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 150. Stichera and the canon of Paisius, which was partially included in the book by S. Chetverikov (Op. cit. pp. 244–245). Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 153. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 93. Life of a Moldavian elder. P. 90 Ivan D. J., Porcescu S., pr. Manastirea Neamt. Iasi, 1981. P. 287. The collections compiled by Hieromonk Stefan are interesting in that after each biography there are patristic texts: St. John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem and others (Ibid. pp. 202–203). Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 155. Furtuna D. Ucenicii storetului Paisie din manastirile Cernica si Caldarusani. Bucuresti, 1928. P. 55. Balan J., pr. Pateric romanese. Golati, 1990, pp. 353–355. Furtuna D. Decree. Op. P. 55. Balan J. Pateric. pp. 353–355. Anthony (Svyatogorets), priest. Biography of the Athonite ascetics of piety of the 19th century. Jordanville, 1988, pp. 235–236. Ioanichie (Balan), arhim. Convorbiri duhovnicesti. Husi, 1993. T. 1. pp. 320–321. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. pp. 252–253. Quote by: Furtuna D. Decree. Op. pp. 114–125. Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 166. Chetverikov S. Decree. Op. P. 251. Furtuna D. Decree. Op. P. 116. Jonta S. Decree. Op. pp. 167–168. Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 168. Staniloaie D., pr. Isihastii sau sihastii si rugaciunea lui Iisus in traditia ortodoxiei românesti // Filocalia. Bucuresti, 1979. P. 584. Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 171. Pacurariu M., pr. Istoria Bisericii Romane. Bucuresti, 1989, pp. 89–90. Jonta S. Decree. Op. P. 173. Staniloaie D. Isihastii. C. 583. Pacurariu M., pr. Decree. Op. P. 90.