The teaching of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) on the stages of the Jesus Prayer in relation to the previous patristic tradition

Contents Introduction Relevance of the study Chapter 1. Patristic teaching on the stages of prayer 1.1. Ascetic traditions of forming prayer steps and their passage 1.2. Saint Gregory of Nyssa 1.3. Venerable John Climacus 1.4. Venerable Hesychius of Jerusalem 1.5. Venerable Isaac the Syrian 1.6. Venerable Simeon the New Theologian 1.7. Venerable Gregory of Sinai 1.8. Venerable Neil of Sinai 1.9. Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki 1.10. Venerable Nil of Sorsky 1.11. Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky Chapter 2. The teaching of St. Ignatius on the stages of the Jesus Prayer 2.1. Stages of prayer 2.2. Oral prayer 2.3. Mental prayer 2.4. Heart prayer 2.5. Soulful prayer Chapter 3. Comparison of the teachings of St. Ignatius with the previous patristic tradition 3.1. Participation of the mind and heart in the stages of prayer 3.2. Artistic method 3.3. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and name-glorification 3.4. Improving a Christian as a path to achieving salvation Conclusion Bibliography Sources Literature Internet resources Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) is the brightest representative of Russian Orthodox monasticism. The holy archpastor was an active mentor of monks not only in his ascetic and theological works, but throughout his entire life and work he represented a unique example of selflessness, the ability to fight passions, sorrows, and deprivations. In addition, he was strict about monastic vows and ascetic traditions. While in retirement, Saint Ignatius was busy writing ascetic works, analyzing and preparing for publication his articles, which he wrote at different times. Possessing extensive erudition in the field of Holy Scripture and patristic heritage, studying the works of contemporary spiritual writers, and, most importantly, carrying out smart work in the experience of his personal life, Saint Ignatius in his writings reveals the image of the correct, soul-saving passage of smart work. In magnificent language, filled with sincerity and openness of heart to the reader, the holy bishop sets out patristic truths in concepts accessible to every person. At the center of the teachings on mental deeds of the Caucasian saint, as well as many other outstanding representatives of the ascetic tradition, is the Jesus Prayer. The holy ascetic comprehensively explains the stages of the Jesus Prayer: the necessary conditions, its essence, its psychophysical side, and also warns against possible mistakes. In addition, he focuses on the signs of correct performance and the fruits of this prayer. He shows how, through smart work, a person is transformed spiritually and moves from a state of fallen nature to a state of spiritual perfection and godlikeness. A person needs maximum effort for spiritual and moral growth, to preserve his thoughts and feelings, from all sinful slander and excuses, so that his inner life does not cease to be life in Christ. This is, first of all, what the Jesus Prayer is aimed at, the steps of which are set out by St. Ignatius, the continuer of the hesychast tradition. A characteristic feature of the teaching of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) about smart doing is its strict, ascetic realism. With this approach, any mystical delights are excluded. The main provisions of this teaching of the saint, which most of all attract the common man - contemplation of the uncreated light, deification and participation in spiritual joy - the holy writer tries to completely hide. This approach undoubtedly seems justified: many of the saint’s contemporaries, having incorrectly structured their spiritual lives, overly wanted to partake of the gifts of grace, but ultimately found themselves in a state of delusion. Saint Ignatius, in his teaching on smart work, emphasizes constant inner feat, the transformation of one’s nature without waiting for Divine intervention. In this regard, the teaching of St. Ignatius on mental doing has a certain sequence, which can be called the steps of prayerful ascent to God. This prayer practice, according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, can be realized only by applying the principle that is repeated many times in his ascetic writings: concentrating the mind on the words of prayer, while completely rejecting any daydreaming. Relevance of the study A comprehensive study of the patristic heritage is currently a very promising direction, as evidenced by various conferences and forums held by leading educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. The need to turn to the theological heritage of St. Ignatius is largely determined by the spiritual component of the life of modern society. After all, now there are very few ascetics of piety who are capable of teaching the common man the correct structure of his spiritual life. In addition, the surrounding reality is filled with various ideals of false spirituality: occultism, mysticism, sectarianism. All these directions are trying to compete with Orthodoxy for the hearts of people. Like the contemporaries of the Caucasian bishop, our contemporaries need correct guidelines for spiritual life, overcoming all mystical temptations, and strengthening morality. And although the temptations of our time have already far surpassed the temptations of the 19th century, the advice of St. Ignatius is in many ways relevant for us. However, even when becoming Orthodox, a modern person does not always realize what is most important for him in spiritual life and how to learn to pray correctly. The works of Saint Ignatius, wholly based on the tradition of patristic spiritual experience, confirmed by the experience of his personal spiritual life, will greatly help the Orthodox Christian to find the necessary methods for his spiritual improvement. The purpose of this study is to compare the teaching of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) about the stages of the Jesus Prayer with the teaching about the Jesus Prayer of outstanding representatives of the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to set and study a number of scientific and practical tasks: • study the formation of prayer levels and their passage in the works of outstanding representatives of the patristic ascetic tradition; • consider the main provisions of the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of the Jesus Prayer; • compare the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of the Jesus Prayer with the previous patristic tradition; • identify the uniqueness of the theological views of St. Ignatius regarding the teaching about the stages of the Jesus Prayer. Object and subject of research The object of the study is the written works of the holy fathers, who consider the stages of prayer and the writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), containing his teaching about the Jesus Prayer. The subject of the study is the patristic teaching about the stages of the Jesus Prayer in general, and St. Ignatius in particular. The degree of scientific development of the topic. The following researchers studied the legacy of St. Ignatius: Hieromartyr Ignatius, Bishop Skopinsky, Abbot Mark (Lozinsky), Metropolitan Vikenty (Morar), Metropolitan Ioaniky (Kobzev), Archimandrite Agathodorus (Markevich), Abbot Nikon (Vorobiev), priest Valery Dukhanin, D.P. Moiseev, N.N. Gatilova, A.N. Strizhev, V. Afanasyev. There are currently no theological works that comprehensively cover the teaching of the stages of the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius. This study is an attempt to come into contact with a topic so important for the Russian patristic heritage. The main sources of our research are the patristic works, which contain the teaching about the stages of the Jesus Prayer. Saint Ignatius constantly refers to the works of most of the authors under consideration in his works. Therefore, these representatives of Orthodox ascetic thought are given serious attention. First of all, one should turn to such an outstanding creation of ascetic thought as “The Ladder” 1. This is a famous ascetic work written in the 6th century by the outstanding ascetic, abbot of the Sinai Monastery, Venerable John Climacus. A significant part of this creation contains the teaching of prayer. Saint Ignatius actively quotes St. John and uses allusions from his “Ladder”. Saint Gregory of Nyssa - one of the three “great Cappodocians” - in his work “On Prayer” 2 explains the Lord’s Prayer in five conversations. Venerable Nile “Sinaiticus” is one of the least studied Byzantine ascetics and church writers of the 4th–5th centuries. However, he has an essay “A Word on Prayer” 3, in which there is a systematic presentation of prayer work. Here we can also mention St. Hesychius of Jerusalem 4, whose works are included in the Philokalia. Also the works of St. Isaac the Syrian has always enjoyed great respect for St. Ignatius, who often quotes this Syrian ascetic in his writings. “Words of Asceticism” 5 is the most famous creation of St. Isaac's works are filled with lofty discussions about prayer, which makes them a very valuable composition for this work. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, one of the great teachers of prayer was the Monk Nil of Sorsky (1433–1508), whose spiritual heritage is an important guide pointing the way to spiritual growth. The teachings of the Monk Neil are set out in his “Rule of monastic life” 6. The Monk Paisiy Velichkovsky, who lived in the 18th century and labored in many monasteries in Ukraine, Moldova and Athos, in his essay “Village Krins” 7 writes about the problems of monastic discipline in relation to performing mental prayer, and also indicates the names of the holy authors who taught this prayer. In this work we will separately indicate the works of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), which contain his teaching about the stages of the Jesus Prayer. In the first volume of “Ascetic Experiences” 8 the saint pays the greatest attention to such concepts as “repentance”, “attention”, “Jesus Prayer”, “purity of heart”, “patience”, “humility”, “crying for sins”. In addition, the saint talks about the danger of delusion, exhorts to adhere to Christ’s commandments and be confirmed in virtues. This is an extensive collection of letters and articles over which St. the bishop worked all his life. The saint points out that the path to acquiring the Holy Spirit is quite difficult and dangerous, and before embarking on it, the novice must prepare himself, guided by the Holy Scriptures, the spiritual heritage of the holy fathers and the instructions of an experienced confessor. The second volume is almost entirely devoted to different types of prayer - the most important work in which the transformation of human nature occurs 9. “The Word on Salvation and Spiritual Perfection” 10 is written as a guide when a person walks along the path of salvation. Here the saint sets out his own soteriological concept, considers ways to achieve Christian perfection, and also proves its necessity for a Christian. The main idea of ​​this work is the archpastor’s conviction that the spiritual perfection of a person is not some completed act, but a constant movement towards self-improvement, a constant renewal of one’s nature, incl. and through prayer. The treatise “On the Jesus Prayer” 11 is a presentation of a conversation between a disciple and an elder, filled with warnings, admonitions and instructions for the correct passage of the narrow path commanded by the Savior Himself. The saint testifies that without the feat of prayer it is impossible to achieve spiritual perfection. Warns about various types of delusion used by the devil to entice him in order to lead the ascetic away from the path of salvation. The main condition for practicing the Jesus Prayer, according to the holy archpastor, is the correct teaching about God, about the all-perfect name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and about the Christian’s relationship to God 12. The work “Ascetic Sermon” 13 consists of a collection of teachings and conversations of St. Ignatius to the flock. Most of the collection is devoted to such anthropological concepts as salvation, acquisition of virtues, and the fight against passions. The most famous work of Saint Ignatius for monastics, “An Offering to Modern Monasticism,” 14 is called by him a testament to modern monks. The essay sets out rules for novice monks, advice on the correct beginning of a godly life, on the benefits of the Gospel commandments, on guarding feelings, fighting passions and mastering virtues, and what is important in the context of this work, on prayer, which, in the opinion of the saints. Ignatius, and is the most necessary thing for a monk. The study of the theological and ascetic heritage of St. A lot of detailed and independent research has been devoted to Ignatius. Let's look at some of them: The outstanding work of Abbot Mark (Lozinsky) - a master's thesis, is devoted to the study of the spiritual life of a monk and a layman based on the ascetic writings and letters of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) 15. The first part of this study is a detailed biography of the saint. The second and third parts are a deep experience of systematization and generalization of the teachings of St. Ignatius on the spiritual life of a Christian as a whole. Regarding the question of mental doing, the saint’s teaching on the Jesus Prayer is outlined in sufficient detail. The saint's teaching on thinking about God, on constant sobriety and some other aspects of smart work is also considered. At the same time, the work is focused on presenting the teachings of St. Ignatius about spiritual life in general, without focusing all the attention on smart doing. It is also necessary to note the work of Metropolitan Vincent (Morar) “The Teaching of Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov) on Prayer” 16 (Zagorsk, 1980–1981). This is one of the first attempts to evaluate, systematize and reveal the meaning of prayer in the life of a Christian. Bishop Vincent believes that one of the main meanings of prayer is expressed in soteriology: “Prayer makes a person a participant in eternal blissful life in God” 17 . Certain provisions in the teaching of the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius are considered in the candidate's dissertation of priest Valery Dukhanin, “The patristic tradition of mental doing in the spiritual experience of St. Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus” 18 . The dissertation examines the issue of the participation of the mind and heart in prayer; accordingly, such concepts as “mind” and “heart” in the understanding of St. Ignatius are analyzed. The work also touches on the difference between the states of human nature damaged by sin and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Dissertations and works of the following authors: Hieromonk Agathodorus (Markevich) “Understanding holiness from the works of Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov)” 19, Hieromonk Ignatius (Sadkovsky) “In search of the Living God (Reverend Ignatius Brianchaninov and his ascetic worldview)” 20, Hierodeacon Ioannikios (Kobzeva) “Reverend Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and his moral worldview” 21 and other studies practically do not consider the teachings of St. Ignatius about the steps of the Jesus Prayer, and if they touch on this issue, then only indirectly. Among the works on the systematization of asceticism, it is necessary to note the fundamental work of S.M. Zarina “Asceticism according to Orthodox Christian teaching” 22, which is entirely based on the Holy Scriptures and patristic works and presents a systematic presentation of Orthodox asceticism, emphasizing its organic unity with soteriology, anthropology and moral theology. “In terms of its outstanding merits, the work still remains a unique phenomenon, since neither Russian nor Western theological science has yet produced an equal to it” 23. Bishop Varnava (Belyaev) in “Fundamentals of the Art of Holiness” reveals the psychological and anthropological reasons for the origin of asceticism and describes some features of the Jesus Prayer 24. Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) in his book “The Sacred Secret of the Church. An Introduction to the History and Problems of Imyaslav Disputes,” considering the views of various representatives of patristic and philosophical thought, sets out certain aspects of the teaching of smart work by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Basically, the eminent author conducts a comparative analysis of some thoughts about the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius with the thoughts of St. Theophan the Recluse 25. In the ascetic collection “Conversations on the Jesus Prayer” 26 the teaching on the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius is summarized. However, it should be noted that this is a fairly thorough and well-developed study. Jean-Claude Larcher is a famous French patrolologist who devoted several works to Orthodox asceticism 27 . The works of this author are distinguished by their comprehensive coverage of issues and verified theological analysis. The methodological basis of the study was: a systematic approach using theological-analytical, complex-synthetic, comparative methods. In addition, other research methods are used: theoretical - study of the works of holy fathers, ascetics and learned theologians containing thoughts about the Jesus Prayer, analysis of works involving works on theology and anthropology, synthesis of the information obtained; empirical – observation, interaction. The research methods correspond to the teachings of the holy fathers, patristic texts, and religious works, which contain questions of ascetic research. The work is interdisciplinary in nature and touches on various areas of knowledge: the history of Christian writing and patristics, dogmatic theology, asceticism. The structure of this study is determined by the purpose, objectives and is determined by the research problems. The work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion and a list of sources and literature. The introduction indicates relevance and novelty, formulates the goal and objectives, defines the object and subject of the study, the methodological basis of the study, and provides an overview of the sources used in the work. The first chapter examines issues related to the patristic teaching on the Jesus Prayer; the works of ascetic writers who influenced the formation of the teaching about the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius himself are studied; The ascetic traditions of the formation of prayer steps and their passage are considered. The second chapter examines the following topics: the steps in performing the Jesus Prayer according to the teachings of the Saint, the reasons for highlighting individual steps in prayer, oral prayer and its characteristic features, mental prayer and its distinguishing features, prayer of the heart and its main property, spiritual prayer as the highest form of prayer in the teachings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). The third chapter compares the teaching of the Jesus Prayer of St. Ignatius with the previous patristic tradition. The participation of the mind and heart in the stages of prayer is considered; describes the attitude of St. Ignatius to the artistic method; the attitude of the saint to name-glorification is explored; his view on the perfection of a Christian as a path to achieving salvation is indicated. The results of the work in accordance with the set scientific and practical tasks are summed up in the conclusion. The work concludes with a list of sources and literature. Chapter 1. Patristic teaching on the stages of prayer 1.1. Ascetic traditions of forming prayer steps and their passage The tradition of prayerfully invoking the name of the Savior has evangelical roots. It is known that people who met Christ turned to Him with various requests. The apostles—the Lord’s closest disciples and eyewitnesses of His earthly ministry—personally observed and knew the effectiveness of such conversion. This means that the first Christians called on the name of Christ both in home and in public prayer. This prayer tradition has never stopped. The prayer, which is now called the Jesus Prayer, acquired a form familiar to modern Christians somewhat later, thanks to the works of zealous ascetics, for whom prayerful appeal to God has always been a living need. Therefore, in the patristic tradition of the Orthodox Church, the teaching about the Jesus Prayer occupies a special place. It is the patristic tradition that helps a Christian to correctly approach the performance of the Jesus Prayer. Let us turn to the works of outstanding representatives of the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church, who, in one way or another, consider the topic of the Jesus Prayer. 1.2. Saint Gregory of Nyssa Saint Gregory of Nyssa gives a description of the experience of prayer in his book On Prayer. In its content, this work is an interpretation of the Lord's Prayer. The saint points out that prayer is the union of rational beings with their Creator, a conversation with God 28. Further, the saint’s reflections are structured as follows: a person must first realize that he must always pray, and then learn how to pray correctly. The saint considers prayer a sacred and divine matter, which many, carried away by empty worries and cares, leave without due attention and control 29 . A person who is carried away by idle pastime, as well as various entertainments, considers prayer a waste of time. According to the saint, forgetting and abandoning prayer is real evidence of man’s forgetfulness of God: this is confirmation of man’s deep sinfulness and apostasy from God. Saint Gregory highly appreciates the importance of prayer for a person, emphasizing the scale and omnipotence of prayer - from bodily needs, public service to the heights of spiritual experience. “Prayer is a guardian of chastity, a good direction for irritability...Prayer is strength of the body, abundance in the home...Prayer is a conversation with God, contemplation of the invisible, etc.” 30. Prayer has absolute value, because of all the valuable things in life, nothing can exceed prayer 31 . Of great importance for the person praying is not what he asks, but what words and feelings he puts into the request. After all, a person often asks himself for something useless and empty. Such an appeal is meaningless verbosity. St. Gregory teaches that “a word that is prudent, meaningful and directed toward something useful is, in its proper sense, called a word” 32 . In prayer, you need to use only words that carry deep meaning and benefit for a person. According to the teachings of St. Gregory, the basis of all prayers that Christians have is the Lord's Prayer. The petitions contained in it are a direct indication of how a Christian should live, what he should strive for and what virtues he should acquire. Saint Gregory points out that the most important of all the benefits for him as a Christian is that the name of God should be glorified by his life” 33 . Prayer and Christian life are two interrelated concepts that are inseparable from each other. Saint Gregory teaches that prayer is both an invocation and glorification of the name of God: “Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Saint Gregory argues that “is it really possible for the name of God not to be holy?!” If the name of God is always holy, nothing escapes the power of God’s dominion, but possesses everything, does not require additions in holiness, is generous and perfect in everything...” 34. The name of the Lord itself bears testimony to the holiness and absoluteness of the Divine. A true Christian is a person who worthily bears the name of Christ within himself and on himself. Saint Gregory teaches that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ contains all other Divine names. If a Christian worthily bears the name of the Lord, then he is also called by all other names of the Divine. In this regard, if someone calls upon himself the name of Christ, but does not reproduce in life what is associated with this name, he falsely bears this name. A Christian cannot be one who does not make a prayerful appeal to the name of God 35 . This is really so, because Christianity is an imitation of the Divine Nature 36. Prayerful appeal is, in essence, a calling and confession of the Divine names. This is the feat of a Christian who freely strives for the correct and true knowledge of God, whose free action gives prayer the power that transforms a person. The volitional striving of man and the help of Divine grace contribute to the elevation of the worshiper to the heights of contemplative prayer and deification. According to the saint, the process of human transformation itself is carried out incl. and through deeply intense inner experiences. The end result of such an experience is prayerful ecstasy, which is admiration or delight of feeling. Saint Gregory thinks of the very concept of “contemplation” as the detachment of the spirit from the sensory-rational content of consciousness: “The mind, stretching further, with greater and more perfect attentiveness always delving into the understanding of what is truly comprehensible, the higher it approaches the contemplation of the Divine, the more it perceives the incontemplation of the Divine nature...” 37. This is precisely where true knowledge of what is sought lies. The paradox of human knowledge is that we cannot know what we are looking for, because it is above all knowledge: what we are looking for is covered on all sides by the mystery of incomprehensibility 38 . This moment is the highest point of ecstasy, when the mind goes beyond its nature and is in a state of “frenzy.” The path of contemplation, the path of knowledge of God can always be characterized by thirst, impulse and desire for communication with one’s Creator, “after all, the true contemplation of God consists in the fact that a person looking at God will never cease to desire this” 39 . To summarize the teachings of St. Gregory of Nyssa, true prayer is an effective force through which a person is transformed and directed along the path of salvation to his main and final goal - deification. 1.3. Venerable John Climacus According to Saint Ignatius, the method of St. John the Climacus occupies an exceptional place in teaching smart work. However, St. John himself writes little about this method in his work. Thus, in the Word on Prayer, he insists on the need for attention: the thought must be contained in the words of prayer. The youth and weariness of the person praying can serve as distractions, and fickleness is characteristic of the mind, but in any case, one should focus on the words of the prayer. The Lord, Who is able to establish everything, can give the one who prays constancy in prayer 40. Thus, this outstanding representative of ascetic writing requires one to become accustomed to the words of prayer with one’s mind. Moreover, you need to constantly learn to pray using this approach, no matter how much absent-mindedness prevents this. The method proposed by St. John is useful and convenient. After the mind acquires the skill of attention, then the heart will also participate in prayer with the mind through tenderness. This means that prayer will be both mental and heartfelt 41 . In accordance with the teachings of St. John, prayer connected to the heart cleanses the soul from evil thoughts of dreams, and also casts out demons 42. However, for Saint John, thinking about death is more necessary than all other actions; this remembrance also contributes to unceasing prayer and guarding the mind 43. Saint Ignatius speaks highly of oral prayer and strongly recommends it to be performed by both monks and laity. But you need to pray precisely according to the method proposed by Saint John of the Climacus. At the same time, the saint does not advise using other types of prayer without permission, without control from the spiritual father; only divine grace is capable of transforming verbal prayer into mental, heartfelt and spiritual 44. Verbal prayer, when attention is acquired and maintained without distraction, automatically turns into mental prayer, and then heartfelt prayer, which corresponds to a certain spiritual maturity 45. St. John writes that it is dangerous for a person captured by passions to engage in theology 46 . Indeed, only those who pray correctly can practice theology. This idea is one of the key ones for all patristic theology as a whole. In another of his Words - on obedience - Saint John calls on his listeners to constantly fight against the floating of their thoughts and the fight against absent-mindedness. From those who are just beginning their feat of prayer, the Lord does not immediately require prayer without hovering. In this case, you should not be discouraged because the mind is robbed by thoughts: you should constantly be in good spirits and learn to pay attention; after all, only angels are capable of not being plundered by thoughts 47 . In the following passage, Saint John Climacus describes an important and convenient method of attentive prayer. This method, in his opinion, is universal and suitable for all Christians: laymen and monks. It is attentive prayer that has power, because prayer without attention does not bring any benefit to the prayer book. The great Sinai ascetic, discussing this method in the indicated word, convincingly shows that this method is necessary for monks who are just beginning their monastic path. Saint Ignatius believes that the main advantage of this method is that, despite its availability, it is completely safe 48 . This image of prayer practically eliminates the state of delusion. Prayer can only be disrupted or shaken by absent-mindedness, which is characteristic of all beginners. Returning and concentrating your thoughts on the words of prayer is the key to performing it correctly. Constancy in prayer using the method developed by St. John is aimed at ensuring that oral prayer, after a certain time, turns into mental and heartfelt prayer. Thus, divine grace is attracted to the Christian. However, realizing that the desire to unite the mind with the heart before achieving attentive prayer with the sympathy of the heart can cause serious damage to the soul of the ascetic, St. John in his book did not leave a detailed teaching on heartfelt prayer. It can be assumed that in his time there were still many mentors skilled in spiritual life - elders, to whom one could turn to explain this method of prayer to those who managed to achieve it. For the curious and self-confident, this method of prayer remained closed: they could not find out anything about it anywhere. 1.4. Venerable Hesychius of Jerusalem The central theme of the ascetic teaching of St. Hesychius of Jerusalem is the concept of “sobriety,” on which the correct development of the spiritual life of the ascetic depends. This term is synonymous with a number of other concepts, such as “guarding the mind,” “silence of the heart,” “purity of heart” 49 . For St. Hesychius, sobriety is a philosophy of thought or an active philosophy of mind. Monastic feat is expressed not so much in external ascetic exercises, but in internal resistance to thoughts with the help of the Jesus Prayer; Moreover, one must begin fighting thoughts as soon as they arise, and not fight their consequences 50 . It is interesting that in his system of combating thoughts, the Monk Hesychius distinguishes 3 (4) stages of struggle. The first step is associated with attention, the second – with righteous anger and the word of curse, which we direct at the enemy’s thoughts, the third step is the heartfelt invocation of Jesus Christ. In other writings of the holy ascetic, the struggle with thoughts has four stages: humility, attention, contradiction and prayer 51. The Monk Hesychius offers the following classical scheme for analyzing the development of sin: adposition, combination, addition, act, or sin. Because the internal struggle is waged inside the heart, it is necessary for the mind to be the guardian of the doors of the heart and protect it from being found not only from evil and evil thoughts, but also from those that only seem good. For the Jerusalem presbyter, the heart is its own special inner world, which has its own earth, its own sky and its own abyss. Internal warfare is difficult and dangerous not only for beginners, but also for experienced monks who constantly pray the Jesus Prayer. Therefore, it is important not to forget about communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, because The Body of Christ, received inside, is capable of driving away evil demons from the heart 52. Sobriety is associated with two factors: mortal memory, valuable for the ascetic because it makes his mind free from worries about the body, and with the constant Jesus Prayer, which, apparently, is considered by Saint Hesychius as one of the ways of sobriety 53. However, the very teaching about the Jesus Prayer is expressed in more detail by St. Hesychius than by the same St. John Climacus 54 . According to Hesychius of Jerusalem, the Jesus Prayer is a great weapon against enemy thoughts and demonic excuses, as well as a tool through which contemplation and enlightenment are achieved. Over time, prayer fills the ascetic with light. Saint Hesychius even indicates the stages of this enlightenment: first, a certain lamp appears, then a state like the light of the moon, and, finally, the Lord Jesus Christ - the Sun of Truth, rising and illuminating the human heart 55 . At the same time, the calling of the ascetic to “breathe Jesus Christ,” i.e. connect the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with your breath, so that many incoming thoughts are overcome by a single thought about Christ. The Monk Hesychius insists that the highest stage of ascetic life - enlightenment - is the result of sobriety and attention, and not a consequence of various other ascetic exercises or virtues 56. A true ascetic consciously strives to live in spiritual sobriety, using all his strength and all his ascetic experience to achieve this goal. However, what is important for our study, the Monk Hesychius, like St. Ignatius, laments that such work is rarely found among the monks of his day. Saint Hesychius says that outwardly it is very easy to become a monk; you don’t even need special work for this. But great work is to make the inner man 57 a monk. Despite all the difficulty of doing prayer, as well as the feat of sobriety, the Monk Hesychius points out that to those who humbly go through this work, the Lord gives consolation, which he calls “pleasant silence” 58 . 1.5. Venerable Isaac the Syrian In the ascetic heritage of St. Isaac the Syrian, prayer as such is the most detailed ascetic theme. For this reverend father, the conversation of the mind with God is considered the highest purpose of a Christian, with which nothing can compare at all 59. Prayer itself has a beneficial effect on the soul of the person praying. The Monk Isaac says that the ascetic has a choice: either to decorate his body by standing for a long time, or to make his soul pleasing to God - for this he needs to say five words with understanding. Having uttered them, the ascetic will receive unknown bliss 60. The mention of these five words is an indication of a special short, constantly repeated prayer: under the influence of the Jesus Prayer, the human mind reaches a mystical state of ecstasy. Reverend Isaac compares this state to intoxication. The use of such a vivid image gives this ascetic author the opportunity to talk about the height of heavenly joy that is characteristic of mystical experience 61. Studying the mind of a praying ascetic, the Monk Isaac emphasizes that the mind is protected and controlled by the Jesus Prayer; Every good thought with the help of prayer is transformed into a thought about the Lord. There is no doubt that prayer, first of all, is a personal feat. Prayer contributes to the fact that the entire personality of the ascetic is set in motion, and the praying person becomes like Christ Himself. In prayer, the monk crucifies the passions and unclean thoughts that have attached themselves to his soul. In other words, prayer mortifies the lustful thoughts of the carnal life 62 . A necessary element in performing the Jesus Prayer is patience along with perseverance. Only by possessing this important quality does the ascetic accomplish the very difficult feat of self-denial, without which the work of salvation is unthinkable. The Jesus Prayer is the haven of salvation, with the help of which all other virtues are acquired. It is in connection with this that a praying person undergoes terrible temptations, from which, again, he is protected by prayer. A soul unable to endure temptations, according to Abba Isaac, is unworthy of Divine mercy 63. Discussing the benefits of night vigil, the Monk Isaac again mentions the practice of performing the Jesus Prayer. He mentions that the practice of unceasing prayer with the utterance of one capacious formula was very characteristic of his time. The Monk Isaac gives one version of this short prayer: “I, as a man, have sinned; You, like God, forgive me" 64. In addition, he advises saying the publican's prayer as often as possible 65. So, the Jesus Prayer is the most reliable guard of the mind. It reflects incoming passions and enlightens the mind. She bestows wisdom on the mind. The highest perfection is continuous stay in the Jesus Prayer. This prayer gradually turns into ecstasy, the secrets of the Divine are revealed, and the mind remains in the sphere of sacred ignorance, which is beyond all knowledge. 1.6. Venerable Simeon the New Theologian The Monk Simeon (c. 949 – c. 1022) was the first to describe in detail the psychosomatic technique of performing the Jesus Prayer, which occupies a central place in his teaching on prayer. However, in his works he calls it secret work or teaching, which is fully consistent with the conceptual apparatus of the holy fathers of the previous ascetic tradition. Saint Simeon himself mentions that in the patristic tradition this work is called differently: “heartfelt silence”, “attention”, “heartfelt preservation”, “sobriety and contradiction of thoughts”, “examination of thoughts and guarding of the mind”. But all representatives of ascetic writing equally strived to fight sinful thoughts, practicing the constant presence of the mind in the heart 66. For St. Simeon, secret prayer is mental prayer, which consists of repeated invocations of the name of Jesus Christ. Such prayer is the main spiritual life of this reverend father, although he does not have much evidence of this. Moreover, he often uses derivative forms of the Jesus Prayer: for example, such as “Lord, have mercy” or other short prayers. By his own example, the Monk Simeon teaches us how to pray 67. It is important to note that the words of prayer are pronounced with the mind rather than with the tongue. These prayer invocations, being spiritual, are accompanied by severe bodily deeds (abstinence, prostrations, obedience, which can help concentration). The Monk Simeon has testimony that one young ascetic, in obedience to his spiritual father, said the words of the Trisagion prayer three times: for this he was honored to see the uncreated light. Therefore, according to the teachings of the Monk Simeon, the personality of a spiritual mentor occupies an important place in acquiring the skill of prayer. A beginner needs to turn to a reverent teacher and an experienced confessor in order to learn from them the correct approach to God and what to ask for in prayers. Those who do not want to acquire such a useful skill, regardless of whether they are educated or not, will end their lives meaninglessly and mediocrely. The Lord hears only those who know what they need 68. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to take care of what and how to ask for in prayers. Only then will prayer be pleasing to God 69 . The Holy Theologian believes that the person praying must consciously pronounce the words of the prayer, he must understand what he is saying and to whom he is addressing. An unclear prayer, pronounced without understanding and feeling, is displeasing to God: it can anger Him 70 . A characteristic sign that Divine grace has visited the soul of an ascetic is that he prays with fear and reverence, and during prayer he behaves decently and decently. Anyone who does not pray like this is still far from God, even if he is a priest or confessor, even if he is a teacher of people and their mediator before God. To perform the Jesus Prayer, the ascetic must be alone in his cell, sit on a small stool and use his mind to find the “place of his heart.” Having found this place, holding his breath, he must mentally pronounce the words of the Jesus Prayer 71. This method in the ascetic teaching of St. Simeon is called the “third prayer” - the highest form of prayer generally accessible to man. This method does not have the features of the first prayer, in which one can use the imagination, and the second method, which is characterized by a struggle between the mind and thoughts 72 . This prayer originates from finding the mind in the heart. True and complete attention is expressed in the mind taking care of the safety of the heart in prayer, always looking inside it and offering prayers to God in its depths. Having realized all the joy of such communication with the Lord, the mind no longer leaves the heart’s abode and constantly resists enemy thoughts that try to distract it from smart work. Over time, having acquired skill in performing prayer, the ascetic, with the help of invoking the name of Jesus, is able to expel and destroy a sinful thought as it arises, before it is formed. The remaining methods of prayer can be learned by keeping the mind, keeping the name of Jesus in the heart 73 . However, the concept of “secret work” for St. Simeon may have a completely different meaning: he contrasts internal spirituality with external ostentatious piety. Thus, mentioning various external ascetic techniques, the holy ascetic speaks of the need to carry out mental and secret work with wisdom and humility, without being proud of success in external affairs 74 . According to the Monk Simeon, internal prayer is higher than physical prayer, but the latter must turn into mental prayer. To achieve such prayer, it is necessary to have a special concentration of spirit, which is achieved through renunciation of external objects and people, as well as all kinds of attachments. The ability to concentrate the spirit is facilitated by mortal memory and any thought about death in general. Therefore, for St. Simeon, it is important to understand the theme of the Last Judgment and posthumous retribution. He is completely captivated by the inexpressible fear of such thoughts, and is amazed by their contemplation 75 . A monk, like any Christian who resists God and enters into a struggle with Him by breaking the commandments of Christ’s gospel, is an enemy both to himself and to God; he cannot have any peace with God. Such a person is spiritually dead because he was able to perceive the powers of the Resurrection of Christ. After all, Christ came in order to resurrect a dead soul by His death, giving it eternal life. This is the new law of life in Christ and with Christ. Anyone who violates this law is not able to correctly address God. Such a person rejects the great mercy that God has given to people through the Lord Jesus Christ. So, according to the thought of St. Simeon, it is necessary to learn to heal your mind through a prayerful appeal to God, coupled with personal feat and obedience to your spiritual father. This appeal must be conscious and attentive. Attention is one of the key provisions in the teaching of Saint Simeon about the Jesus Prayer. 1.7. Venerable Gregory of Sinaite The Jesus Prayer occupies a central place in the writings of St. Gregory of Sinaita 76. St. Gregory gives a detailed interpretation of the Jesus Prayer, summing up its essence in the following sentence: “And to say much, prayer is God, who produces everything in everyone.” According to his thought, prayer is God Himself: in other words, prayer is not performed by a person, but by the One who is in him. It is not one’s own human efforts that contribute to the concentration of the mind in the heart, but the Comforter who dwells in the person praying, the Holy Spirit, without whose help nothing can be done. We can say that the Jesus Prayer is a prayer that is offered in a person by the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit 77 . For St. Gregory, the Jesus Prayer is one of the ways in which an ascetic can feel within himself the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism and a real sense of God. The second method is ascetic labor 78. The Jesus Prayer, according to St. Gregory, has a well-known standard form. At the same time, he allows for various variations of it, which are easier to use than the full version of the prayer. But frequent cuts and transitions from one option to another are not welcomed by them 79 . Having briefly examined the theoretical side of performing the Jesus Prayer in the teachings of St. Gregory, let us turn to the technique of performing it. The ascetic especially emphasizes the need to control breathing. The person praying should sit on the bench, patiently being in this position: only occasionally can he lie down on the bed to rest a little. You should not get up abruptly out of laziness or despondency caused by the thought of incessant inactivity. It is necessary to bow your head and immerse your mind in your heart, which should be open to calling on the Most Pure Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The resulting feeling of pain in the head and shoulders should be patiently endured, making a heartfelt search for the Lord with tension and joy 80 . Having learned to control the breath, the ascetic will be able to learn to control the mind. The physical side of the matter is given a secondary place. The main goal is concentration of the mind 81 . In the internal technique of performing the Jesus Prayer, Saint Gregory identifies two requirements. The first requirement is that invoking the name of the Lord must be done constantly, without any pauses. The second requirement is that it should not be figurative. The first requirement for St. Gregory is so obvious that he practically does not talk about it in his reflections. In itself, calling on the name of Jesus Christ is used constantly and incessantly. This invocation can sometimes take the form of verbal prayer, and sometimes - mental 82. The second requirement - to keep the mind away from all images - is given much attention by the Monk Gregory. When praying, the mind should be colorless, without the imagination of any form or image; the mind should have only one heart action. The view of the Monk Gregory of Sinaite on the Jesus Prayer as a holistic memory of God is interesting. He connects this memory with the fall of the first man. Initially, human memory was single and indivisible. But as a result of Adam's sin, it fell apart and lost its integrity. Remembering God and turning to the Divine name of the Savior gives her the opportunity to return to that original state 83. Emphasizing the importance of performing the Jesus Prayer without extraneous thoughts and images, the Monk Gregory of Sinaite talks a lot about the feelings that arise while calling on the name of the Lord. His reasoning on this topic has a pronounced emotional overtones. For Saint Gregory, the Jesus Prayer is an ardent supplication combined with sincere, personal love for Christ. For him, the feelings that arise during the Jesus Prayer are both joyful and repentant. For this kind of feeling, St. Gregory uses a special term, which he borrowed from St. John Climacus - “joyful sorrow.” On the one hand, the soul rejoices in the Providence and mercy of God, and on the other, it fears His coming, realizing that it is guilty of many sins.” Thus, the Jesus Prayer consists of two actions 84. The repentant aspect of the Jesus Prayer, or rather its words: “have mercy on me,” also deserves attention. It is a request for forgiveness and an expression of repentance 85 . However, immediately after this, the fact is pointed out that from the Jesus Prayer the heart of the ascetic lights up, and it is filled with light and joy. Describing the actions of the Jesus Prayer, he uses such expressions as “joy” and “leaping.” All these expressions are emotionally rich and imply a certain feeling, consciously experienced spiritual joy. Their main content is joy, jubilation and confidence in God's mercy. The very way of life of an ascetic is quite harsh; St. Gregory gives a special daily routine for hesychasts, which is very difficult for the inexperienced, and therefore the idea may arise that the monk is a gloomy person, devoid of joy and kindness. But for Saint Gregory, the ascetic who performs the Jesus Prayer, on the contrary, is a source of joy and warmth 86. The feeling of warmth is the only sure sign of the presence of grace, which, like invoking the name of Jesus Christ, must be freed from visual images and forms 87. Gregory of Sinaite, in the apt expression of one of the researchers of his work, became a “missionary of mental prayer” 88. 1.8. Venerable Neil of Sinai The essence of the teaching about the Jesus Prayer of St. Nilus of Sinai is expressed in his treatise on prayer, which is undoubtedly considered an outstanding monument to the patristic ascetic tradition. The key position of the Monk Neil in the teaching of the Jesus Prayer is “communication of the mind with God.” Here the author describes the state of mind in which a Christian should be. The ascetic must, first of all, cut off all passionate thoughts and get rid of melancholy and memory malice. The Monk Nile condemns precisely any pleasurable memory; in general, it will be useful for the ascetic to tearfully remember the awareness of his committed sins even if he repents. This is useful for strengthening the virtue of humility, through which pride can, if necessary, be cut off 89 . The main sign of contemplative prayer in the teachings of the Sinai ascetic is the complete liberation of the mind from epperic objects. From this moment on, the inner, spiritual principle prevails in the person praying, because... prayer is the activity that most closely corresponds to the high dignity of the mind, or, better to say, is its true occupation 90. The Jesus Prayer is performed in the depths of the spirit, free from any words, thoughts, emotions, actions 91. But only a few ascetics are capable of achieving such a state of prayer. Therefore, very often this prayer work is called the prayer of the perfect 92. Thus, the achievement of pure and perfect prayer is possible only when the person praying frees his mind from any specific content. Subsequently, the mind will also have the opportunity to be in absolute communion with God. It is these conditions that contribute to the performance of mental prayer. A similar activity, for example, was achieved by St. the Apostle Paul, who wrote about his ascension to the third heaven and did not know what state he was in (see: 2 Cor. 12:2). You need to pray, first of all, for cleansing your heart from passions and for deliverance from all temptation. The worshiper will have to endure a struggle with demons who envy him and try with all their might to distract him from his good intention. They seduce him and seek to influence his mind. The holy ascetic calls on him to turn his anger against demonic thoughts 93 . The Monk Neil notes that if a monk accepts the passionate thoughts that arise in his heart, then he is not far from deep damage to the soul 94 . However, just the invocation of the Divine name puts demons to flight 95. Therefore, during prayer you should protect yourself from all kinds of delusion. All the power and great purpose of the perfect Jesus Prayer is expressed in close, sincere, personal unity with the Savior. The Reverend Father asserts that he who loves God always converses with Him as with the Father, and therefore turns away from every passionate thought 96 . St. Neil also warns about the quality of prayer - quantity is of secondary importance. The power of prayer is so great that with its help the ascetic is able to gradually approach God. What does constant practice of the Jesus Prayer give to an ascetic? From now on, he becomes the “church of God” by grace and reaches the absolute height of all virtues. The Jesus Prayer is closely interconnected with the rest of the Christian virtues: after all, the ability to improve in virtues prepares the soul for perfect prayerful contemplation 97 . Smart doing, in turn, sanctifies all Christian deeds, making them more perfect 98. Reverend Neil constantly reminds us that achieving the Kingdom of God is impossible without correct, intelligent action. This especially applies to those who voluntarily chose for themselves the path of renunciation of the world. In one of his letters, he writes that the Jesus Prayer must be done regardless of the time of day or mood - one must always pray, only those who turn to God constantly are able to acquire His grace 99 . St. Neil considers the Jesus Prayer “the most divine of all virtues,” which brings joy that surpasses all earthly pleasures. 1.9. Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki (c. 1296–1357) is an outstanding Byzantine theologian and apologist for Orthodoxy, who paid much attention to the study of the Jesus Prayer. The teaching of St. Gregory Palamas about mental prayer, its implementation and special spiritual states is in many ways related to the teachings of St. Simeon the New Theologian 100. Thus, Saint Gregory says that during prayer the ascetic directs his mind not only into the body and heart, but also into himself 101. The Monk Simeon has a similar statement: “the mind kept the heart in prayer, always turned within it [the heart] and from that depth sent prayers to the Lord. Then, “having tasted... that the Lord is good” (Ps. 33:9), the mind no longer erupts from the abode of the heart, since he himself speaks together with the apostle” 102. Saint Gregory believes that this method of performing prayer, although without actually invoking the name of Christ, has existed since ancient times and was very widespread in the oral tradition 103. For example, the holy prophet Elijah, while praying for the sending of rain, lowered his head to his knees and thus diligently introduced his mind inside himself and into God (1 Kings 18:42) 104. And the holy prophet Moses, when leading his people of Israel out of Egyptian captivity, without uttering a word, prayed for all his people. After this appeal, the Lord heard him and turned to him (see: Ex. 14:15); His address shows that the prophet of God prayed, and if he prayed silently, then he prayed with his mind 105. Therefore, when Moses, together with the Israeli people, passed through the Red Sea, it means that he rose in mental prayer to the One Who could do such things through him” 106. The main argument in favor of performing the Jesus Prayer for St. Gregory is served by the absolute authority and personal ascetic experience of holy ascetics. Among others, Saint Gregory singles out: St. Simeon the New Theologian, Nicephorus, St. Theoliptus of Philadelphia 107 and others. The spiritual life of a monk should be connected with direct attention to his heart, which is a kind of spiritual focus of a person. Holy Scripture teaches that the heart can be a source of good or evil (see: Matt. 12:35), therefore the devil wants to enslave it in every possible way, and thereby deprive us of the opportunity to taste divine grace, through which we would receive enlightenment, sanctification and - ultimately - achieve deification. Saint Gregory points out the importance of the praying body posture, which helps concentrate the mind. To achieve this goal, the ascetic must, as if at some point, fix his gaze on his chest or navel 108. Further, the saint argues that if the human body is subject to sinful laws and various evil thoughts emanate from the human heart (see: Matt. 15:19), which must be stopped with the help of prayer of the mind (see: Rom. 7:23)” 109. Therefore, performing the Jesus Prayer cannot exist without a certain ascetic preparation “without asceticism there is no contemplation” 110. An ascetic striving for perfection sees and realizes his sinfulness, which he strives to correct through his repentant cry. When he throws off all this ugly cover, then the soul, already capable of evading any external interference, calmly enters its true cell and prays to “the Father who is in secret” (Matthew 111 6:6). The holy archbishop asserts that ascetics who are learning to do mental work must necessarily return and close the mind into the body, and, especially, this is said in relation to the heart 112. However, it is difficult for a novice monk to concentrate his mind into the body in mental work, since the mind still has the habit of leaving the body and clinging to various worldly objects. In this regard, attention must be constantly returned, which is not an easy task. Therefore, in order to acquire the skill of entering the mind into the heart, Saint Gregory advises to carefully monitor the alternation of inhalation and exhalation and slightly restrain your breathing 113. Thus, the Thessalonian archpastor teaches that while performing this prayer, take a breath during the first part of the prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God”), and lightly hold your breath in your heart and say as you exhale (“have mercy on me, a sinner”) 114. A similar action is performed by experienced monks on its own. For beginners, we repeat, here we should make more efforts and patience, which, as we know, cannot exist without love, for “love endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). According to Saint Gregory, this method of performing the Jesus Prayer is not necessary, but auxiliary, especially for those who are just beginning to perform it. So, Saint Gregory Palamas acted as a follower and systematizer of the patristic teaching on the Jesus Prayer, where he called for entrusting oneself to this teaching 115. Opponents of the Jesus Prayer are completely unable to perceive the teaching of the Holy Fathers 116. Therefore, relying only on their vain mind, they teach falsely. 1.10. Venerable Neil of Sorsky The Venerable Nil of Sorsky (1433–1508) is an outstanding representative of the Russian ascetic tradition and the author of the famous “Charter on Living in the Hermitage,” compiled on the basis of the works of eastern ascetics of the 4th-13th centuries. In this work, the main place is occupied by the teaching of the Jesus Prayer. St. Neil constantly refers to the teaching of St. John Climacus and Philotheus of Sinai on sobriety. He refers to this teaching as the science of cutting off thoughts by appealing to the name of Jesus Christ. St. Neil identifies five stages of mental warfare against thoughts: first, a representation of the thought is formed - a preposition; then comes its acceptance - combination; after which the person already agrees with him - this is the stage of addition; Almost at the very end, the thought is already in a state of complete enslavement - captivity; and, ultimately, a passion is formed in the ascetic or Christian 117. The fight against false thoughts, according to the holy ascetic, should be done mainly with the help of the Jesus Prayer. Reverend Neil teaches that it is necessary to mentally plunge into the depths of your heart, saying the words of the Jesus Prayer itself or its short version. For beginners, the elder advises using the shortest and simplest version: “Son of God, have mercy on me.” Like the previous holy fathers, the Monk Neil believes that the words of the prayer should not be changed frequently 118 . Devilish temptations must be resisted by remembering God, guarding the heart through prayer and earthly silence. The fight against thoughts occurs at the level of a person’s heart and mind. St. Neil teaches about the interaction between God and man in the fight against thoughts. As with St. Hesychius of Jerusalem, the key place is occupied by invoking the name of God - the most effective weapon against demons 119. The name of Christ should be mentioned with love and meekness, at all times and at every hour. However, it may also happen that thoughts begin to multiply in the mind of the ascetic and thereby break the silence of the heart. In this case, you cannot give up prayer, but, on the contrary, you should remain in it constantly, more often and fervently, calling on the name of Jesus. Then the thoughts will flee from the person praying, scorched by the Divine Name 120. According to the teaching of the Jesus Prayer of St. Nile of Sora, it is prayer performed from the heart that is the source of all good. By praying in this way, the ascetic learns to find the Lord in His heart. Through silence, he learns to cut off various thoughts so that they do not enslave his heart; the mind stands guard over the heart and is always immersed inside it. For beginners, this method seems extremely difficult and inconvenient, but gradually the monk, acquiring the necessary experience and knowledge, thanks to this method of prayer, acquires perfection. And then he is consoled by his prayer 121. The founder of the hermitage in Russia also describes high spiritual states, after achieving which, the worshiper leaves the boundaries of prayer, clothed in words, and begins to observe the uncreated Divine light 122. In accordance with the previous patristic tradition, St. Neil insists on the inadmissibility of various images and imagination when performing the Jesus Prayer, because any soaring, dreaming and movement ends in charm 123. The teaching of the Jesus Prayer is at the center of the ascetic work of St. Nile of Sora. First, he writes specifically about the Jesus Prayer and only then reflects on other aspects of monastic life. And such consistency, according to the saint, should be inherent in every monk. The Jesus Prayer is what any monastic community should be organized around. The Jesus Prayer is the surest means to combat prodigal and sinful thoughts. The Monk Neil also mentions this in many of his writings. Appealing to the name of the Lord helps cut off demonic thoughts. This prayer, with diligence, is effective against devilish attacks 124. St. Neil in his second letter gives various alternative versions of the Jesus Prayer, i.e. its various short analogues. However, for him this prayer always remains the most important weapon against evil thoughts. Divine grace contributes to this victory over sinful thoughts, which are always defeated in the name of Jesus Christ: it is impossible to find a more sure way to achieve a positive result 125. The teaching of St. Nilus of Sora about smart work is undoubtedly a classic of the Russian ascetic tradition and an excellent adaptation of the patristic tradition of past years. The importance of this teaching about the Jesus Prayer is expressed in the fact that thanks to the writings of the ascetic Sorsk, this prayer entered into use in Russian monasticism and became its integral component principle. Moreover, Saint Nile contributed to the fact that the prayerful invocation of the name of the Savior became the property not only of monks, but also of ordinary lay people, many of whom chose it as their main spiritual activity. 1.11. Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky Reverend Paisiy (Velichkovsky) (1722–1794) is associated with the revival of the practice of smart doing in Russia at the end of the 18th century. The works of the holy anchorite contributed to the revival of interest in the study of the ascetic heritage of famous Byzantine authors. The main literary work of the Monk Paisius was the translation into Slavic of the Philokalia, a collection of ascetic writings by Orthodox ascetic writers from the 4th to the 15th centuries. What is important for us is St. Paisius’s own work, “On Mental or Inner Prayer,” in which he sets out an apology for mental prayer. In the preface, he reports that in his time monks appeared who blasphemed the divine power of the Jesus Prayer 126. Refuting their error, and also answering the request of the zealots of the Jesus Prayer, the Monk Paisius, in accordance with the teaching of the holy fathers, writes his treatise, consisting of six chapters 127. The first chapter of this treatise is devoted to the history of the origin and practice of the Jesus Prayer. This divine work has become widespread since the very first centuries of Christianity: various ascetics perform the Jesus Prayer from Sinai to Athos, as well as in Russia 128. Further, the Monk Paisius, in agreement with the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas, denounces the errors of the heretic Varlaam, who criticizes the Jesus Prayer 129. Saint Paisius emphasizes the saving power of invoking the name of Jesus Christ, which has a beneficial effect on the mind and heart of a person 130. In his ascetic system, the spiritual author identifies several types of prayer: congregational prayer and secret prayer, which is not pronounced in words, but ascends from the depths of the heart 131. This prayer makes the human heart absolutely free from all passions and kindles in it zealous observance of the commandments of God. At the same time, there cannot be a monk performing this prayer without permission, without compliance with the ascetic teachings of the Orthodox Church and without the appropriate permission of the confessor, as well as out of vanity or pride, because the prayer book may fall into a state of delusion 132. In the second chapter of his work, the Monk Paisius gives the theological justification for the Jesus Prayer. He views it as a path of ascent to mysteries incomprehensible to the human mind. It is important that he uses here, like St. Ignatius later, the concept of steps: “the grace of God... elevates, as if by steps, into the above-mentioned spiritual visions” 133 . By these spiritual visions, Saint Paisius means pure prayer. According to the teachings of St. Paisius, mental prayer is an activity that the first people practiced in paradise; The Most Pure Virgin Mary also performed mental prayer: she reached the highest levels of vision of God. In imitation of the Mother of God, monks should also engage in smart work 134. Having studied the monuments of ascetic literature available at that time, the holy writer came to the following conclusions: this work was reflected in the works of many holy fathers, who in their writings teach the inner, mental feat of prayer - the use of the invincible weapon of the name of Jesus. They indicate how to correctly perform the divine Jesus Prayer by immersing the mind in the heart 135. In the remaining chapters (3–6), St. Paisius basically repeats what has already been stated in the previous parts; he describes the practical aspects of smart doing: everyone who wants to do the Jesus Prayer must have an experienced spiritual leader 136. The main stage of preparation for smart work should be considered obedience, leading to humility 137. The actions of the Jesus Prayer are different: the one praying acquires various grace-filled gifts; By the power of prayer, demons are cast out, the heart is cleansed of passions and the human mind is united with God 138. The Monk Paisiy explores the Jesus Prayer in his other treatise, “Village Kriny” 139. Here he writes that the Jesus Prayer is used by angels and that people who perform this prayer come closer to angelic life. Prayer is compared to a precious sword; the monk will be honored with divine joy. The Jesus Prayer, as well as mortal memory and the desire for future blessings, attentive singing and reading, helps the monk not to become distracted with his mind; it protects the mind and extinguishes its oblivion. The Jesus Prayer is the source of all good and the treasure of virtues. The Monk Paisius applies the following epithets to her: sober, pure, attentive, performed with a pure mind 140. According to St. Paisius, the performance of the Jesus Prayer does not depend on the place, posture, or occupation; you need to force yourself to it and remain only in it, without deviating your thoughts to everyday things. Having acquired the skill of the mental Jesus Prayer, the ascetic will also have the gift of unceasing prayer, which will always excite the mind of both the waking and the sleeping one. The Jesus Prayer is the path of perfect monks who have succeeded in sobriety, abstinence, distance from people, and so on. 141. According to Saint Paisius, three main virtues help strengthen the mind in God - love for God and neighbors, fasting and the Jesus Prayer 142. The teachings of St. Paisius on the Jesus Prayer, set out by him both in his own treatises and in his translations of the texts of the holy fathers, actively spread among Russian monasticism of the 19th century, influencing the formation of the tradition of eldership of the famous Optina Hermitage, and also caused a lively response in the Russian monasteries of the holy Mount Athos. Brief conclusions to the first chapter. The first chapter analyzed the teaching on the Jesus Prayer of the holy fathers of the Philokalia, who influenced the formation of the teaching on the Jesus Prayer by St. Ignatius himself. The main elements of the teaching about the Jesus Prayer of various representatives of the ascetic tradition were examined. The saint borrowed the main method of presenting this prayer work from the Monk John Climacus, and he refers to him most often. The Monk Hesychius of Jerusalem, in his teaching on the Jesus Prayer, distinguishes several stages of struggle with thoughts, which is also reflected in the teaching of Saint Ignatius himself: the first stage is associated with attention, the second with righteous anger against the enemy’s thoughts, the third stage is the heartfelt invocation of Jesus Christ. A very original teaching about the Jesus Prayer is offered by St. Gregory of Sinaite, who regards it as a holistic memory of God. He comes across the position that turning to the Divine name of the Savior gives the memory damaged in the Fall the opportunity to return to a holistic, pristine state. We find this position in the teaching of St. Ignatius. According to the thought of St. Gregory, the Jesus Prayer is an ardent prayer combined with sincere, personal love for Christ. The repentant aspect of the Jesus Prayer, proposed by St., also deserves attention. Gregory Sinait. Among the representatives of Russian ascetic writing, the personality of the Monk Nilus of Sorsky stands out: Saint Ignatius advises reading his works only to those who have already achieved certain success in prayer. Chapter 2. The teaching of St. Ignatius on the stages of the Jesus Prayer Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), an outstanding theorist and practitioner of the Jesus Prayer, in his writings exhaustively reveals all aspects of this saving work. He explains the very meaning of prayer, the correct way and methods of performing it, and the danger of performing this prayer independently. The saint offers a certain structure of prayer based on its dependence on the level of grace. After all, almost every prayer is characterized by feelings of repentance, thanksgiving, petition and doxology 143 . The saint constantly reflects on what prayer is. And he explains it this way: prayer is the offering of our requests to God, prayer is the greatest virtue that contributes to the union of a person with God, it opens the door to all spiritual gifts 144. According to the teaching of Saint Ignatius, prayer is a necessary activity for a Christian. This necessity is caused by the fact that after the Fall, man fell away from God, losing heavenly bliss. Now he strives to find what he has lost, and that is why he prays. In other words, prayer is the cry of a sinned and repentant person to God, who reveals his deepest desires and petitions to his Creator. By talking with God in prayer, a person finds lost Communion with God 145. The need for prayer for a person is also determined by the fact that through it a person is assimilated to God. Without prayer, a person is far from God, but through frequent practice in it, he gradually approaches the Lord. Having died in soul in the Fall, a person is reborn again in prayer. Saint Ignatius compares the effect of prayer on the human soul with the effect of air on the life of the body: the Holy Spirit regenerates the soul, which, through communion with God, breathes the holy, mysterious air 146. From the union of the human spirit with the Holy Spirit in prayer comes the birth of spiritual virtues 147. According to Saint Ignatius, a person must subordinate the highest, rational part of his soul to the Holy Spirit. As soon as the mind and heart are subordinate to God, a person will allow Him not only into his soul, but also into his body. If this does not happen, then a person will be far from God and will not have the opportunity to communicate with Him. Indeed, the mind and heart are always filled with thoughts and feelings. In a sinful state, the mind and heart become breeding grounds for thoughts and sensations that attract a person to evil 148 . It is known from ascetic literature that committing one sin can lead to committing other types of sins, because there is a natural connection between sins 149 . In such situations, the mind cannot control mental and physical feelings, finding itself in terrible darkness. The mind forgot about God and turned to the corruptible and earthly; it ceased to distinguish true thoughts from false ones 150. Therefore, constant practice in performing the Jesus Prayer is necessary. If it is natural for the soul to constantly exercise in the formation of thoughts and feelings, then it should always strive for prayer in order to teach its most important organs to constantly and completely strive for God 151, having accepted and assimilated the Gospel 152. The latter should serve as the main guideline in the expression of actions, secret and overt movements 153. It is in this, according to the holy bishop, that the key to success in spiritual life and smart doing lies. The weapon for smart doing is “praying in the name of Jesus” 154. Saint Ignatius believes that a prayerful appeal to God can be equally heard, but it differs in the level of perfection and in its properties 155. Indeed, progressive development under the guidance of an experienced mentor contributes to the acquisition of the necessary prayer skills. Therefore, Saint Ignatius, taking into account the patristic prayer practice, develops his teaching on the stages of prayer. The saint points out that even in the action of mental doing, everything happens progressively: at first, the Jesus Prayer interacts only with one mind, which acquires the necessary mood for silence and attention, then the prayer already touches the heart, calling it to wake up from the sleep of death. The awakening of the heart is expressed in the emergence in it of feelings of joy and crying 156. The teaching about the stages of prayer of St. Ignatius echoes the same teaching of St. John Climacus. In this case, the following position of the saint deserves attention: the so-called. The level of the level of prayer affects the number and frequency of the use of external techniques - various auxiliary bodily elements, bowing, and performing the prayer rule. At the highest level of prayer, the listed auxiliary elements are already optional, and prayer is often performed without them. Thus, it turns exclusively into internal prayer. But a certain relationship remains between these two types of prayers: the first does not cancel the second 157. Saint Ignatius immediately warns about the danger that may arise from going through the stages of prayer: you cannot begin the work of prayer from the highest or middle levels - you should start from the lowest level - attentive prayer 158. The state of prayer is something that all people should seek, regardless of their titles and ministries. Both monks and lay people should pray. Prayer is the highest exercise for the mind, food and science for all Christians, and especially for holy ascetics 159. Saint Ignatius assigns prayer a key position in the matter of human perfection. He points out the connection between prayer and a person’s spiritual growth. The moral improvement of a person has a positive impact on his ability to pray. For those who are just learning how to pray, it is often selfish and self-seeking, but for someone who has succeeded in virtues, prayer becomes continuous and pure. A passionate person who lives according to his own whims is not able to reach the highest levels of prayer 160. Prayer has several types, starting with the simplest, briefest and, as the person doing the prayer improves, ending with “internal” prayer, i.e. clean and unsteamed. The last stage of prayer is characterized by Saint Ignatius as follows: Divine grace descends on the heart of a person, and he partakes of it and enjoys its fruits 161. A person who has just come to faith begins to turn to God with ordinary, simple prayers, read by him in a prayer book or by heart. His prayer is usually accompanied by bows and the sign of the cross. Such prayerful work is familiar to all Christians: it is precisely this that is the starting point of the spiritual life of every person who is just acquiring prayer experience. But this prayer is far from perfect prayer: the beginner is often distracted by extraneous thoughts, his mind is subject to various dreams. Some people remain at the very initial stage of prayer, and some reach its very heights. Saint Ignatius, referring to the patristic tradition, in particular to the teaching on prayer of the Venerable Abbot of Mount Sinai, develops his teaching on the stages of prayer 162. The first stage is attentive prayer. This stage of prayer is characterized by the oral pronunciation of a prayer with the mind’s attention to the spoken words. This stage of prayerful work is characteristic of beginners 163 . In turn, attentive prayer is divided into several types: verbal, whispered and spoken orally in the mind. The second stage is mental prayer. Such prayer work consists of saying a prayer with the mind with deep concentration with the participation of the heart 164. The third step is heartfelt prayer. Here the person praying performs the prayer with the mind connected to the heart. At the same time, the mind seems to rush inside the heart and from its very depths directs prayer to God 165. The fourth step is spiritual prayer. At this stage, prayer connects with the whole soul with the participation of the whole body. In other words, prayer is performed from the whole nature of man, and all human nature seems to become one mouth offering prayer 166. An important place in the teaching of Saint Ignatius on prayer is occupied by the reading of spiritual literature about prayer: he calls on Christians who want to learn prayer to read such literature. The saint compares the need to study the patristic books containing the teaching on prayer with teaching a person the basics of literacy. The saint advises reading such recognized authorities in the field of prayer as, first of all, St. John, abbot of Mount Sinai, then the works of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky), etc. After a comprehensive study of the above-mentioned patristic works, one should proceed to the ascetic heritage of St. Nilus of Sora, who sets out the very method of improvement in the Jesus Prayer. However, this method is not intended for all worshipers, but only for the most skillful and experienced ascetics 167. In the case when a person has a spiritual leader who constantly monitors the improvement of the prayer skills of the person praying, only then can one not study the patristic prayer experience. However, most spiritual leaders encourage their students to study the prayer heritage of the holy fathers 168. The search for a wise spiritual mentor is one of the main themes in the teaching on prayer of St. Ignatius. Indeed, no book can replace a wise spiritual leader who has learned through experience how to pray. An experienced spiritual teacher is like a wonderful book where all the words are written by the Holy Spirit. From here life itself breathes, which communicates and is communicated to those who listen to the confessor with faith 169. At the first stage, a Christian learns to pay attention during prayer. To develop this skill, the person praying makes his appeal to God loudly or quietly, depending on the situation, and focuses his mind on the words of the prayer. In this situation, you should do your best to cut off all thoughts and dreams, not only evil and worldly, but even good ones 170 . Here Saint Ignatius strongly advises to perform attentive prayer, first loudly out loud, then in a whisper, and then only pronounce it with your lips. The saint warns that the novice should not demand much from himself. Growth in the feat of prayer depends on the Providence of God and the strength of a Christian. God watches a person’s efforts in performing feats of prayer, and as he strengthens in his feat and desire to learn to pray, Divine grace is given, contributing to the perfection of his intentions 171 . On the other hand, the saint warns beginners against seeking those fruits bestowed by the grace of the Spirit of God on already experienced performers of mental prayer. With this statement, the holy bishop confirms his excellent knowledge of the ascetic tradition, which he himself strictly follows. Saint Ignatius perfectly describes how Divine grace works, perfecting the prayer of the doer through its steps. The saint teaches that a Christian, immersing the mind in the heart, makes the spiritual thoughts of the mind one with the spiritual feelings of the heart 172. But this is possible only when human nature receives healing from the disunity of its composition, when God Himself wants to lead a Christian to a new level of prayer. Only after complete restoration of mind and spirit can they become one in Christ. And then the heart becomes a wonderful container of God, into which the mind, purified by the Holy Spirit, plunges to worship its Lord and Creator. It is through acquiring this important experience that a Christian will understand the apostolic words (see: 2 Cor. 6:16). This instruction of the saint is very important for beginners who want to quickly achieve a positive result, and therefore often neglect the work of attention. This zeal is capable of attracting Divine grace, which is the teacher of true attention. According to the holy bishop, attention is the first consolation that is given by God to those who work and patiently suffer in the feat of prayer 173 . From this it is absolutely clear that working with attention is very important in prayer. The value of attention is expressed in the fact that it is achieved through many efforts. Realizing the value of this virtue, a Christian must stand with determination on the chosen path, not despairing of failures, but overcoming them with diligence. While learning to pray with all attention, a Christian also needs to look at the state of his inner structure. Here the saint emphasizes that one should not assume that healing is an instant, every second action, the onset of which relieves the ascetic of all struggle. It is impossible to cleanse the mind of sinful thoughts instantly; only constant and exhausting work on one’s passions, inclinations and habits contributes to achieving a certain success. Only then does the mind become free and achieve peace. According to the saint, a Christian who prays with the attention of the mind will be able to attract the heart to sympathy, to the vision of his sins 174. The more often an ascetic calls on the Lord in the Jesus Prayer, the more he warms up in himself the feeling of His constant presence and remembrance of Him. As a result, this prayerful activity leads to tenderness, which, with the assistance of Divine grace, warms the human heart. Despite the fact that St. Ignatius teaches to first learn to pray with the mind, and the heart itself will gradually become disposed to a touching action, he also gives examples of such states when the mind strives to turn to prayer through the crying of the heart, which is the first step to repentance; the prayer response of the heart is a preliminary to mental prayer. Only after this the mind, united with the prayer of the heart, is capable of giving birth to prayerful thoughts 175. A humble heart filled with poverty of spirit 176 contributes to the correct performance of prayer. With this statement, the saint indicates that not only the mind can be the initiator of turning to God. A contrite heart, with the assistance of Divine grace, is fully capable of responding to the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the holy bishop advises everyone who goes through the work of prayer to keep the heart in a special state of remembrance of God: the fear of God is the best educator of the mind in attention 177. The saint teaches that in primordial man the mind and heart were subordinated to a single goal - spiritual perfection. The saint discusses this state of the first people who inhabited paradise as follows: “The pure mind of man, spread out over the immense Divinity, exhausts all its natural power of movement and stands in sacred ecstasy before the incomprehensible Divinity, beyond and above all reflection” 178 . After the Fall, all the forces of the human soul are in a disordered state, acting independently, they cause trouble for a person on the path of a holistic ascent to God. Both the heart and mind of a person must be united in prayer. Having a complex spiritual and physical nature, a Christian can engage in prayer in two ways: through the purity and creative potential of the mind and through the feeling of Divine grace in the heart. The saint believes that at the first stage of prayer, a Christian’s heart is in a sinful state. It seems to feed on passions and prevents the mind from gaining attention. In turn, the lack of attention affects the fact that the ascetic does not have the opportunity to direct his thoughts, desires and feelings on the right path. For the holy bishop, discussions about the mind and heart of a person are not just theoretical constructs: the saint finds a very specific practical application for them, outlining his prayer experience and teaching practical advice on performing the Jesus Prayer. In this regard, at this stage of prayer, a Christian mainly learns prayer through external exercises that help him tune in to attentive prayer 179. Saint Ignatius rightly believes that oral prayer, performed with the help of the tongue, is also associated with bodily feat. However, this feat is in no way in conflict with performing smart deeds 180. The saint identifies several factors necessary to pass this stage. The first factor is frequency. This factor is quite obvious: a person who strives to do any work perfectly must constantly practice it. With the help of frequency, a Christian acquires a much-needed skill in prayer. Anyone who wants to learn to pray must constantly pray. This is facilitated by turning to short prayers that help make the mind more attentive. Of the short prayers themselves, the saint especially singles out the Jesus Prayer and points out the need to say it as often as possible 181. You should always be aware that in prayer work the qualitative category has priority. Therefore, the saint immediately makes a reservation: the Jesus Prayer cannot immediately become accessible to those who have just turned to Christ. For beginners, in this case, the quantitative category is important, because through this they acquire prayer skills. This ability will certainly bear good fruit: the Lord will reveal to everyone in due time the gift of unceasing prayer. Any free time, no matter how short, must be devoted to practicing prayer, and not indulging in empty and unrealistic dreams or vain and insignificant activities 182. The next important factor necessary for perfection in prayer at the first stage is staying in the Divine commandments. Prayer is directly related to the Gospel, its commandments, and the fulfillment of all virtues in the light of Gospel teaching. The saint writes that anyone who wants to see Christ must cleanse his mind and heart by repentance. Then the prayer book will see in the Gospel Christ, the true Savior of fallen people; He will see in the Gospel what qualities a disciple of Christ should possess, who is called to learn meekness and humility from Him Himself. In these greatest virtues he will find blissful peace for his soul 183. Important virtues in prayer are patience and long-suffering in the fight against passions. These wonderful Christian qualities are needed so that the ascetic never abandons his prayer work and does not fall into despondency and despair. This is also important because the struggle with passions will continue not only at this particular level, but also at other stages of prayer. If the ascetic nevertheless finds himself overcome by despondency, then Saint Ignatius gives him the following advice: “If you fall, get up; Having fallen again, get up again until you learn to walk without stumbling. The cup of weakness has its own benefit: until a certain time, it is allowed by the Providence of God to the ascetic for cleansing from pride, anger, remembrance, condemnation, arrogance and vanity" 184. The saint strongly advises you to immediately learn to fight vanity, see its action inside your soul and stop it. The action of vanity hinders the spiritual growth of a Christian. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire impartiality, which is bestowed by the coming of Christ into this world. According to the saint, the Orthodox Church established the prayer rule to help newcomers. After all, the prayer rule is a collection of several prayers composed by the holy fathers. It is adapted to any circumstances and any time. The main goal of the rule is to fill the soul with the missing amount of prayerful thoughts and feelings. Moreover, these are correct, holy, godly thoughts and feelings. It is precisely these thoughts and feelings that fill the prayers of the holy fathers 185. The rule includes both daily morning and evening prayers, as well as canons, reading the Psalter and various short prayers 186. Among them is the Jesus Prayer. Saint Ignatius advises beginners to first read akathists and canons, and, as they progress, read Psalm 187. So, performing attentive prayer consists of saying the prayer verbally, with the attention of the mind. According to the teachings of the saint, attentive oral and vocal prayer serves as a preparatory step and the reason for mental prayer. Together they constitute the elements of mental prayer. First you need to carefully get used to oral and public prayer. After this, you can move on and begin to learn to perform prayer with just your mind in the silence of your heart 188. Prayer exercises at the following prayer levels can be performed only with certain spiritual experience and spiritual guidance 189. As has already been clarified, constant presence in verbal prayer, the use of bodily feats and various restrictions serve to concentrate the mind on prayerful appeal to God. Gradually the mind becomes cleared of inattention and daydreaming. This means that the person praying has risen to the next level of prayer perfection - the level of mental prayer. Saint Ignatius explains what mental prayer is as follows: mental prayer is a prayerful activity when a Christian prays with the mind with deep attention and compassion of the heart 190 . At this stage, prayer is still subject to illusions and thoughts. The mind at a certain stage is still a prisoner of its worldly whims, images, everyday problems and is capable of being in a dreamy state again and again. To free yourself from all this, the ascetic needs to concentrate his mind more intently on the words of prayer. Over time, the acquired skill prevents the worshiper from being distracted from prayer, and his attention becomes more perfect. However, in this state, the heart may not yet take part in prayer together with the mind. In this case, the heart participates in prayer with the mind, which listens to feelings of repentance, etc. 191. Now that the mind has learned to concentrate on the words of prayer, it is able to achieve a state of absolute silence and peace. Once again, the holy archpastor asks not to demand any outstanding results from yourself at this stage. Let us recall that he wrote the same about the previous stage. Saint Ignatius deduces the cornerstone principle of smart work: absolute submission of the mind to Jesus Christ. This experience of prayer is acquired with the help of God's grace and long, hard work on one's attention. In this way, the Christian’s mind is healed. He acquires peace, which lifts the will to the Lord 192. However, even at this stage, the heart, which continues to act away from the mind, is not yet completely cleansed of sinful inclinations. Divine grace even at this stage contributes to the purification of both the mind and the heart. Therefore, one should not untimely force and demand from oneself the action of heartfelt prayer 193. The main component of St. Ignatius’s ascetic project on prayer for new believers is the following provision: absolute attention of the mind to prayer, without untimely forcing oneself to seek heartfelt prayer. If a Christian does everything with humility and trust in the will of God, then the Savior Himself will grant the doer heartfelt and then spiritual prayer 194 . When praying, many beginners try to spontaneously seek the sensation of connecting their mind and heart. Saint Ignatius considered it necessary to warn such workers against such an approach to prayer. He emphasizes that this connection must be felt realistically and consciously, because it is not just some dream or some flattering opinion. Using the example of the opposite state in which some people usually find ourselves, we can give an explanation for it: this state is usually understood as a disorder of feelings, will and reason that are in conflict with each other - these are the sad consequences of the forefathers' Fall 195. Then the saint explains how the combination of the two elements under consideration occurs. Initially, the mind is in prayer or pious meditation, while the body and heart strive to realize various sinful plans; early acquired passionate impulses successfully distract the mind from prayerful work. The organs of external perception - sight and hearing - prevent the mind from praying attentively through the creation of various worldly images. Thus, the mind finds itself in a state of distraction 196. But God's mercy overcomes all these temptations, and the mind forms a single prayerful whole together with the soul and heart 197. The saint believes that the state when the mind is united with the heart is convenient for remembering God and practicing the Jesus Prayer. Indeed, in such a state the mind is less susceptible to the action of bodily feelings and is more focused on prayer. To maintain attention, the saint advises reading the Psalter and other prayers. However, even when reading these texts, the mind is not completely free from thoughts; absent-mindedness can still act as a distraction. And this makes this prayer stage similar to a short, monotonous prayer. Studying the Holy Scriptures and ascetic literature also helps to unite the mind with the soul and, thus, makes reading also prayerfully useful 198 . According to the saint, mental prayer is any prayer that is similar in structure and brevity to the Jesus Prayer. Its main qualities are not the pronunciation formula, but brevity and deep meaning. When performing the Jesus Prayer, a Christian calls on the Divine name of Jesus Christ. The short words of the Jesus Prayer contain the basic elements of prayer as such. There are three of these basic elements: the confession of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God; seeing your sins and repenting of them; sincere love for the Lord and hope for His ineffable mercy and compassion. The holy bishop convinces with all his might that the Jesus Prayer is a Divine institution, that it is commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In his opinion, after the Last Supper, among other great and final instructions and testaments, the Lord commanded all Christians to pray in His name, bestowing this prayer work as a new, previously unknown gift - a gift of the greatest price 199. In various speeches of the Savior, Saint Ignatius sees the establishment of the Jesus Prayer. For example, in the Gospel of John: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23) and in the following places see: John 14:13–14 and John 16:24 200. The Caucasian bishop believes that the prophecies of Saints Isaiah and King David contain an indication of the greatness of the name of Jesus Christ. He believes that the holy disciples of Christ performed all miracles and healings only by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, calling on Him in their prayers, seeing in Him the salvation of people. The saint believes that the Jesus Prayer was very common in the early Christian era. The lives of the saints of the first century testify to this: the Jesus Prayer was performed by saints Ignatius the God-Bearer, Hermias, and the martyr Callistratus 201. Of course, for a holy ascetic, the Jesus Prayer is the most excellent and convenient of many short prayers. And this is quite understandable: it combines lamentation for sins, awareness of weakness and renunciation of pride and a request from God for mercy and deliverance from sins 202 . The Divine name of the Savior itself has a special miraculous power, which “borrowed from His Divinity the unlimited, all-holy power to save us” 203. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ does the person praying see the only source and the only means of his salvation. This position, in the opinion of the saint, allows us to draw the following conclusion: the doctrine of the Divine power of the name of Jesus Christ has every right to be called the main dogma of the Orthodox Church, as well as to be included in the holy number and composition of these dogmas 204. Saint Ignatius points out to his listeners the need to comprehend the incomprehensible name of Jesus with childlike simplicity and trust, and with the same sincere mood, with reverence and fear of God, begin to perform prayerful work in this name 205. The name of God gives revival to the soul killed by various sins. Our Savior is Life Itself (John 11:25), and His name is living and holy: it is the giver of life for all who turn to the source of life - the Lord Jesus Christ 206. The name of Jesus has the extraordinary property of casting out demons. Performing the Jesus Prayer over time frees a person from the moral presence of Satan in him. This implies such spiritual dependence when a person, catering to demonic advice, becomes one with him in spirit 207. Appealing to the all-holy name of Jesus Christ frees a person from the power of evil demons. The Jesus Prayer introduces the ascetic to the Spirit of God, leading him to deification. The name of Christ is more magnificent than any earthly or heavenly name 208. The saint himself was a constant practitioner of the Jesus Prayer and devoted almost all his free time to it. He experimentally studied all types of its beneficial effects and with it he reached the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it was so important for him to call on all Christians who care about the salvation of the soul to do it: there is no need to use the time and spiritual strength given by God to acquire knowledge gained from the study of secular sciences. On the contrary, all your time and all your strength should be directed toward acquiring prayer skills that contribute to the perfection of the inner man. It is within a person that a prayerful feeling will open, which will focus all the person’s attention on itself: it will give the prayer book genuine knowledge, which the whole world cannot contain. Moreover, he has no idea about such knowledge 209. From the above, it becomes clear that at these stages, Saint Ignatius strongly advises working on improving your natural feelings. Along with this, the holy bishop prohibits the development and improvement of other feelings, which he classifies as sinful. Regarding the Jesus Prayer, the saint rightly believed that it could be performed not only by monks, but also by many lay people. However, both require the guidance of an experienced spiritual mentor 210. From the epistolary heritage of the saint it is known that the holy bishop constantly reminded the laity in his letters that they should not forget the performance of the Jesus Prayer. Therefore, the holy archpastor, along with the cell rule, recommended that some of the pious laity perform a certain number of such prayers. Thus, Saint Ignatius commanded one of his spiritual children to perform it on the rosary five times a day 211, and another layman, who also received permission from the saint to engage in the Jesus Prayer, was commanded to carry out his prayer rule with special caution and lightly indulge in prayer work 212. Saint Ignatius recalled with heartfelt emotion those times when prayer was a widespread phenomenon among the common people, among ordinary laymen. Now this practice is practically not in demand among the common people, which indicates the impoverishment of their spiritual greatness; Only external popular piety is widespread. Probably, there are still those simple people who say the Jesus Prayer, but for their time it is the greatest rarity. For monastics, the absence of true mental activity is equivalent to a body without a soul 213. Some of the saint's contemporaries believed that practicing the Jesus Prayer could lead a person to delusion. This understanding served as a weighty argument not to say the Jesus Prayer at all. Saint Ignatius, as a good practitioner of the Jesus Prayer, acted as its decisive apologist, refuting this false, devilish view 214. The saint noted that the practice of performing the Jesus Prayer, about which no one now knows practically anything, has the most distant idea. They are afraid to create it for fear of falling into delusion. In their opinion, charm is, as it were, a constant companion of this great prayer. Such false teachers do not commit it themselves, and they forbid others 215. But the reason for delusion is not in the performance of prayer as such, and especially not in the Jesus Prayer, but pride and lies, the father of which is the devil. This is the main reason that people now do not perform the Jesus Prayer and others are warned against doing it, falsely claiming that it is necessary to avoid it, because... it contributes to the emergence of a delightful state 216. Saint Ignatius points out that the Savior must be really felt, not in the imagination or in dreams, but in the fulfillment of the commandments He established and in the fulfillment of the Gospel 217. The exercise in the Jesus Prayer is not conceived by the saint in isolation from the grace-filled life of the Church. Prayer raises a person to Christ, and the Church - the Body of Christ - contributes to the communion of a person with Christ in its grace-filled Sacraments. However, if this work is carried out correctly, with constant in-depth analysis of one’s mind and heart, it sets the Christian up for a righteous life. The Jesus Prayer leads to true humility. Humility contains victory over passions, and directs one to taste eternal life in adoption of oneself to God 218 . At the third stage in the teaching of St. Ignatius on prayer is heartfelt prayer. This is such a prayerful activity when the mind connects with the heart, while the mind reaches into the very depths of the heart and from there makes a prayer to God 219. Anyone who has reached this prayer level achieves such a feeling in which the power and action of Divine grace is actually felt. The mind, connected to the heart, is protected from all dreams and distractions: prayer is performed with special heartfelt tenderness and warmth 220. From this moment on, sinful thoughts cannot forcibly dominate the mind 221. Based on these considerations, the saint also reminds us of the ultimate goal of smart work - the achievement of evangelical perfection or theosis. The connection of mind and heart is one of the main accompanying factors leading to the achievement of a goal. Although the saint does not directly use various theological terminology: “theosis”, “contemplation”, his explanation of the subordination of the entire composition of a person to prayer and the fulfillment of a power unimaginable to the human mind, indeed, leads precisely to these categories. The holy bishop immediately warns that such a state, in which the mind is united with the heart, is achieved only by a few Christians, by the special favor of God. But one’s own significant efforts are also important for acquiring deep heartfelt prayer 222. This prayer is called the sacred act of the mind in the heart. The mind, having learned to constantly concentrate on the words of prayer, encourages the heart to remain silent. Then for the mind, striving to connect with the heart, absolute darkness and hardness of heart sets in. In such a state, the heart does not want to immediately sympathize with the mind 223. However, gradually the mind begins to strengthen itself in prayerful work with attention. He becomes free from all kinds of dreams. And then the heart, together with the three forces of the soul, begins to turn to participation in prayer. Thus, the words of prayer are pronounced with reverence and attention, penetrate deeply into the soul, and also fill the heart and evoke warmth in it 224. The mind, completely occupied with attention, is the best accomplice of the heart in prayer, which responds to this with tenderness 225. The active participation of the heart in prayer is expressed in sympathy for the attention of the mind with touching delight, capable of combining grief for God with quiet and meek consolation 226 . It is interesting that in the ascetic paradigm of St. Ignatius, the sympathy of the heart with the mind and the union of the mind and heart are two different categories 227. Indeed, praying attentively with the participation of the heart and praying with the mind completely immersed in the heart and sending prayer from there are not the same thing. Although both of these categories are interrelated with each other. The attentive mind, when performing prayer, acts as a herald, attracting the heart to sympathy; Heartfelt sympathy for the mind promotes unity between the heart and the mind. And at the final stage, the attention that has been established during prayerful work contributes to the mind, which then plunges into the heart for deep prayerful sacred action. And here the saint points out the dominant role of the Divine grace of God 228. Then the archpastor clearly explains that neither human effort nor personal efforts will be practically enough to unite the mind and heart, to unite the mind and heart in the way that the Lord Himself can do. The mind and heart, healed from any sinful inclinations, become one in Christ. At a certain time, in the heart department, responsible for the verbal power of the soul, suitable conditions are formed for the mind to stay here. And together they are able to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth 229. The fourth stage in the ascetic teaching of St. Ignatius is assigned to spiritual prayer. At this stage, a Christian prays with all his soul and with his entire body. All human nature forms a single organ that gives praise to God 230. The main distinguishing ability of the fourth stage is that the body actively helps the soul to perform prayer work. With the accompaniment of Divine grace, the mind prayerfully unites with the heart. Then, first, the soul gradually joins prayer, and soon the body also joins it, which was originally created with an attraction to God, but thanks to the Fall, it lost its original purpose. The characteristic properties of the fourth stage are a special feeling of fear of God, pleasing and striving for God, as well as absolute love for Him. The next step is a state of spiritual joy in standing before the face of God. Prayer here already occurs independently and constantly 231. The fourth stage testifies to us that the mind, heart, soul, body have become one in mental activity. They overcame the alienation and division that had prevailed between them until now. Only in the Lord and thanks to Him did this restoration of the integrity of man and the restoration of his union with God take place 232. This restoration or unity guarantees the acquisition of various spiritual gifts, among which the most possible and first in order is the peace of Christ. Having acquired this world, the ascetic performs a prayer that is pure and unparalleled, or, in other words, alien to all thoughts and dreams. Thus, the person praying who has achieved pure prayer begins to pay much more attention to it than before, often without noticing it. His whole life, all his works were turned into prayer. Further, the saint refers to the patristic paradigm: the quality of prayer certainly leads to quantity 233. After acquiring the peace of Christ, the Lord gives the ascetic all the rest of His gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which the Apostle Paul lists in his letter to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control (see Gal. 5:22-23) 234. Saint Ignatius gives a description of this stage of prayerful ascent to God that is very similar to the descriptions of the state of spiritual joy and contemplation of other famous holy ascetics. Brief conclusions on the second chapter. So, having examined the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of prayer, we can draw the following conclusions. Oral prayer is an appeal to God, pronounced with attention with the lips. Mental prayer is facilitated by full concentration of the mind's attention and repentant heartfelt feelings. However, sometimes she is robbed of her dreaminess. Heartfelt prayer is associated with a union of mind and heart, in which the act of prayer becomes free from any paramour; sinful thoughts do not have any violent power over the mind. Spiritual prayer is characterized by a grace-filled appeal that ascends from the whole soul and from the whole body of a person. This appeal is accompanied by a special touching state and a feeling of spiritual awe. It is here, at this last, fourth stage, that the ascetic is able to feel spiritual delight in standing before the throne of the Lord, and his prayer becomes independent and constant. However, at this stage it is strictly forbidden to arbitrarily seek prayerful delight and quick transitions to the next stage of prayer. This must be done in a special, providential way, which the Lord Himself will indicate. Chapter 3. Comparison of the teachings of St. Ignatius with the previous patristic tradition 3.1. Participation of the mind and heart in the stages of prayer work When exploring the ascetic heritage of St. Ignatius about the Jesus Prayer, it seems very important to consider the participation of the mind and heart in the stages of mental activity from the previous tradition of the holy fathers. The saint himself is not only a continuator of this tradition, but also introduces something new into it. The mind and heart are the two key categories of human nature that are of paramount importance for doing smart things. The Caucasian bishop did not leave an accurate and specific description of these categories of Orthodox anthropology. For him, this is not just a question of a scientific nature: he tries to consider the human soul and its strength based on his experience of smart doing and the need to realize what will serve for human benefit in the matter of prayerful perfection 235. The saint in some of his works emphasizes that the mind is characterized by the emergence of ideas, rational activity, the emergence of attention to something, and the guidance of human activity. Thus, in “Ascetic Experiences” the saint writes that mind and thought are two interrelated concepts. The presence of a mind also indicates the presence of thought 236. For example, St. Petersburg thinks in a similar way. Nikita Stifat 237. However, the mind, in addition to the thought process, is also characterized by the ability to feel 238. Yes, at Rev. Callista Katafigiota has the following reflection: “It is one thing to contemplate, another thing to reflect. The mind first contemplates, and then thinks in various ways..." 239. Saint Ignatius assigns a special place to the mind in his ascetic heritage: the mind for him is one of the unique powers of the soul. He, like some representatives of ascetic writing, calls this force literature 240. In addition to the mind, the saint believes that another particular force of literature is the spirit - “the totality of heartfelt feelings belonging to the verbal and immortal soul, alien to the souls of cattle and animals” 241, or the heart. Finding the spirit is what distinguishes the human heart from the heart of animals. Based on this, Saint Ignatius believes that the heart is a spirit because it is characterized by all spiritual human experiences: conscience, humility, love for God and neighbors, and so on 242 . All these human experiences are located in the main organ of the flesh - the heart; the mind is the focus in the brain 243. Thus, these spiritual forces are connected with the main organs of the body. At the same time, the saint believes that all these designated sensations of the heart do not yet constitute the whole heart. This is only his highest power - the verbal power of the heart. It is in the verbal power of the heart that various spiritual sensations of conscience, meekness, compassion, and patience are collected 244. In the middle part of the heart is the power of jealousy, and in the lower part is the power of will: these forces are also characteristic of animals 245 . Saint Ignatius writes that the heart is more receptive to issues of spiritual life and striving for good 246. However, the damage to human nature by sin has made its own adjustments here: first the mind submits to God and only then the heart. Self-denial, subordination of oneself to the will of God, fulfillment of the commandments, humility, purification from thoughts, first begins in thoughts, takes root in the mind, and then finds confirmation, as in a deeper, heartfelt feeling 247 . The feat of the mind in the study of the Holy Scriptures, in fasting, in prayer vigil, in silence contributes to the oblivion of the previous way of thinking, the achievement of purity and removal from a bad life. According to Rev. Isaac the Syrian, the heart achieves purity through many sorrows, deprivations, removal from communication with everything that is sinful in the world, and self-mortification for all this. “If it has achieved purity, then its purity is not defiled by anything small, it is not afraid of great, obvious battles, I mean terrible battles; because it has acquired a strong stomach, which can quickly digest any food that is indigestible in weak people” 248. Taking into account the previous patristic experience and based on the method of St. John Climacus, Saint Ignatius offers his teaching on the participation of the mind and heart in the work of prayer: at the beginning of this work, after the mind has become accustomed to prayer, it must be concentrated on the words of prayer. Subduing the mind is a long process. The mind gradually, with the help of Divine grace, achieves peace and tranquility. At the same time, the heart, which produces actions separately from the mind, has not yet been healed; the heart can only receive healing from God. Therefore, Saint Ignatius recommends the following: “Do not force yourself prematurely to discover within yourself the action of heartfelt prayer” 249 . Absolute perfection and transformation of human nature is the main necessity in connecting the mind and heart. Saint Ignatius draws attention to the fact that at the very beginning, with the constant concentration of the mind on the words of prayer, the heart is temporarily silent, “the mind, trying to unite with the heart, first encounters impenetrable darkness, hardness and deadness of the heart, which is not suddenly awakened to sympathy with the mind” 250. But gradually, when the mind gets used to the words of prayer and becomes dreamless and dispassionate, then the heart with all its spiritual strength is attracted to sympathy with prayer. “The words of prayer, animated by attention, penetrate deep into the soul, pierce, so to speak, the heart, and produce tenderness in it” 251. Here Saint Ignatius directly follows the words of St. Mark of the Ascetic: “An undistractedly praying mind breaks the heart” 252. The holy archpastor believes that a mind that prays attentively is certainly capable of attracting the heart to compassion for itself, to a feeling of repentance 253. This is exactly what prayer should be, allowed to everyone. And this prayer, according to the saint, is already performed with both the mind and the heart, because the mind is attentive to the words, and the heart sympathizes with it in a contrite and humble spirit (see: Ps. 50:19). Saint Ignatius suggests in this reasoning the path of prayerful ascent through the mind to the heart. Saint Ignatius distinguishes between the sympathy of the heart and the mind and the union of the mind and the heart 254. St. Petersburg talks about the same thing. John Climacus: “Another thing is to diligently guard your heart with your mind; and another to be a bishop of the heart through the mind, as a chief and as a bishop, offering verbal sacrifices to Christ” 255. The reunification of the separated mind and heart is possible only when the Lord grants integrity to all human nature 256. Your own efforts and attempts to connect the mind and heart will not be enough 257. This topic is very difficult to understand, especially if you lack your own spiritual experience. However, upon careful consideration of the ascetic tradition, it should be recognized that many ascetic holy fathers command to keep the mind in the heart, and therefore to perform the prayer itself in the heart. One might think that the teaching of St. Ignatius about concentrating the mind on the words of prayer contradicts the patristic teaching about concentrating the mind in the heart. After all, the archpastor himself calls not to look for a place in the heart. However, Saint Ignatius, arguing in a similar way, means the following: he says that the integrity of nature cannot be achieved through one’s own efforts; the grace-filled unity of mind and heart is possible only when God wants it. At the same time, other holy ascetics do not call for exactly this. Speaking about the need to enclose the mind in the heart, they teach about inner sobriety, maintaining purity of heart and tranquility of feelings. This storage is inextricably linked with prayer, the words of which must be heeded by the mind. St. Petersburg also speaks about this. Hesychius of Jerusalem: “This is keeping the mind with the invocation of Jesus Christ - always looking into the depths of the heart and constantly keeping silent in thought - even, I will say, from thoughts that seem to be in the gums, and trying to be empty of all thoughts at all, so that thieves do not hide under them” 258. This patristic teaching was wonderfully expressed by the researcher of Orthodox asceticism I.M. Kontsevich: “In view of the fact that thoughts arise from the heart, attention should be kept at the heart, or in the heart, which can be defined as “sober supervision of the mind over thoughts,” and in asceticism this is called “staying in the heart.” The mind, staying in the heart guarding thoughts, must focus its attention on the words of prayer” 259. It should be noted that true prayer, the words of which the mind pays attention to, cannot be performed without heartfelt feelings. In this regard, ascetic writing often speaks of the need to do prayer in the heart. At St. Isaac the Syrian has the following reasoning: “Constantly bother yourself with prayers before God in a heart bearing a pure thought, filled with tenderness - and God will keep your mind from unclean and nasty thoughts, so that God’s path does not reproach you” 260. These words give us the opportunity to be convinced of the correctness of the saint’s judgments. Ignatius. Patristic thought testifies that correct prayer is performed only with heartfelt participation. According to Saint Ignatius, “the union of the mind with the heart is the union of the spiritual thoughts of the mind with the spiritual sensations of the heart” 261. After achieving this state, prayer ascends to the heart and soul level, while becoming incessant, without one’s own human efforts in the fight against fallen nature, which has already been renewed by the Holy Spirit. In this case, the mind is in unity with verbal power, the highest sphere of the heart, the action of its sensations: conscience, humility, meekness, etc. 262. The lower spheres of the heart - the power of jealousy and the power of desire - are now subject to its verbal power. 3.2. Artistic method Performing the Jesus Prayer is “the science of sciences and the art of arts.” In the patristic tradition there is a special term that characterizes the performance of the Jesus Prayer as an art. This term is “art”. A contemporary and theological opponent of St. Ignatius, St. Theophan the Recluse, in his book “The Path to Salvation,” gave an excellent explanation of this term: ““Art” is when the person praying stands with consciousness and attention in the heart, constantly saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” without any image or face, in the faith that the Lord sees you and listens to you.” 263. In other words, if a person praying is able to carefully control his heart while performing the Jesus Prayer, then he has achieved great art. In the patristic tradition, the concept of “art” is inextricably linked with the artistic method. The artistic method means the artificial connection of the mind with the heart through the use of external techniques: holding the breath, saying the words of a prayer without touching the teeth with the tongue, etc. We find a description of this method in the works of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky). In the Russian ascetic tradition, this method was the property of many outstanding theorists and practitioners of monastic life: St. Nile of Sorsky, St. Paisiy Velichkovsky and others. Saint Ignatius himself does not oppose the artistic method, but he believes that its use is possible under two mandatory factors: Firstly, only an experienced worker who has achieved considerable success in performing prayer can begin to unite the mind and heart. For Saint Ignatius, an experienced worker of prayer is a person who has been engaged in attentive prayer for a long time according to the method outlined by St. John Climacus. It was the method of St. Climacus that St. Ignatius considered the most convenient and safe 264. When this method is performed correctly, the heart becomes capable of experiencing various spiritual sensations, and not clinging to sinful feelings. Only then will the heart be pure and open, then will it be possible for the mind to immerse itself in the heart. However, in this state, the ascetic does not yet have an absolute union of mind and heart, he is only in the process of moving the heart towards the mind for union 265. Secondly, an ascetic who has achieved certain success must approach the artistic method with the fear of God and special caution. Here the saint emphasizes that art is dangerous, because with this method “prayer, not just mental (mental), that is, performed by the mind unartistically, but acted artistically by the mind in the heart - like true novices, who have not only cut off, but also completely killed their will and reasoning before their fathers, true and most skillful mentors in the making of this prayer” 266. They are always in a trembling state and are afraid of suffering from some kind of delusion in this prayer. But the Lord always protects them from delusion for the true humility that was granted to them by Divine grace through their true obedience 267. It is more dangerous to use this method for worldly people who pray without obedience. If, guided by the reading of the patristic books, they begin to pray using an artistic method, then there is a high probability that they will fall into some kind of delusion 268. Next, Saint Ignatius shares his own experience of performing the Jesus Prayer using the artistic method. To begin with, he pays attention to the place of prayer: the holy fathers advise him “to enter a solitary, dark cell to pray, so that in this way my feelings would become inactive, my communication with the world would be interrupted, and it would be easier for me to deepen into myself” 269. Next, you need to protect yourself from absent-mindedness: to do this, you should close your eyes, because It is through them that the mind imprints on various everyday objects and thereby is distracted from prayer. The saint notes that there are also other various external ways for material assistance in the feat of prayer. Indeed, for Saint Ignatius, mental and heartfelt prayer and the artistic method associated with it are a difficult feat. The result of this feat depends not only on the technique of performing prayer with the help of breathing and being in a deserted and quiet place: correction of the mind occurs with the help of Divine grace and from a single mental, heartfelt, pure invocation of the Lord Jesus Christ with faith. The artistic method was developed by the Holy Fathers as a kind of aid to the focus of thought from ordinary daydreaming, to return it to itself and to attention 270. A similar train of thought allowed Saint Ignatius to draw the following conclusion: the artistic method, due to its potential danger, should be prohibited when performing smart work. This prohibition especially applies to those who are just starting to do the Jesus Prayer 271. However, Saint Ignatius, based on the fact that many often misunderstand the essence and purpose of these techniques, and also strive to use the artistic method in their personal prayer work on their own, without guidance from a spiritual mentor, offers in his works an analysis of these artistic techniques and gives them a lengthy interpretation, so that many do not find themselves in a state of delusion. A very common problem for many prayer books using the artistic method has been lung damage due to improper use of the “slow breathing” technique on oneself 272 . In his works, Saint Ignatius mainly studies and explains the artistic methods set forth by the venerables: Nilus of Sora 273, Gregory of Sinaite, Nikephoros of Athos and other ascetics of piety. As an illustration, let us turn to Saint Ignatius’ analysis of the artistic method of St. Gregory of Sinaita 274. Saint Ignatius draws attention to the following aspects of the method of St. Gregory: time of prayer, body position, breathing technique, patience when enduring painful sensations 275. We can say that St. Gregory of Sinaite points to the connection of the mind with the heart through breathing, because. through the breath the mind goes directly to the heart. Saint Ignatius, analyzing the method of St. Gregory, identifies two characteristic features in it. The first feature is the occurrence of certain painful sensations when performing the Jesus Prayer. By painful sensations, the holy archpastor basically means the contrite state of the ascetic’s spirit, his “sadness for God” and suffering from the feeling of his own sinfulness. Such suffering of the spirit is transmitted to the heart and body, which are inextricably linked with the spirit 276. The saint points out that the teaching of St. Gregory of Sinaite about the pain that accompanies the true performance of mental prayer by an ascetic may turn out to be quite strange only for the carnal and spiritual mind, for which the experience of monastic life is alien. Therefore, the saint urges those who hold such judgments to pay attention to arguments acquired by experience: not only performing mental prayer, but also carefully studying the deep patristic texts about the Jesus Prayer can lead to headaches. The heartfelt cry that comes from prayerful tenderness about one’s sinfulness and about death can be so strong that it causes suffering and illness in the body, the existence and possible existence of which is unknown to those who are completely unfamiliar with the feat of prayer. Only the one who in his heart confesses to the Lord his own sinfulness and realizes his plight is capable of being crucified with his body 277. The second feature in the teaching of St. Gregory of Sinaite, highlighted by St. Ignatius, is the mechanical descent of the mind into the heart. The saint explains this prayer technique this way: concentrating the mind in the heart is an activity characteristic of the teaching of St. Gregory, the holy ascetics called the artistic practice of prayer. Again Saint Ignatius, already with reference to St. Gregory, indicates considerable preparation and some experience in prayer, as well as the greatest reverence, fear of God and caution required to use the artistic method. Moreover, in order to concentrate the mind in the heart, the heart must be open. This action is explained as follows: the connection of the mind with the heart is a gift of Divine grace, which is given at a certain time according to the Providence of God, and not untimely and not at the desire of the ascetic. Such a Divine gift of attentive prayer is usually preceded by deep sorrows and emotional turmoil, which help the human spirit to realize the depth of its poverty and insignificance. Humility and fidelity to God, expressed in the fulfillment of His commandments, as well as in the zealous rejection of all sinful thoughts at their very beginning, attract this great gift of God. Loyalty is the reason for purity, and purity, together with humility, is given the gifts of the Spirit 278. Among these recommendations is the artistic movement of the mind to the upper part of the heart, in which verbal power, the basis of a person’s spiritual feelings, is concentrated. All this is offered to more conveniently achieve attention during prayer. However, this advice is advisory in nature and is not mandatory. Further, the saint writes that the essence of artistic making is expressed in the fact that the mind has unity with the heart during prayer. But this, again, depends on the action of Divine grace and occurs at a time determined by the Lord. The mechanism of the mind entering the heart with the help of breathing can easily be replaced by slowly saying a prayer, a short rest after each prayer, quiet and calm breathing, and immersing the mind in the words of the prayer. Using these guidelines, the practitioner of prayer can also achieve attention to a certain extent. The attention of the mind during prayer is gradually joined by heartfelt sympathy, which then begins to transform into the union of the mind with the heart, and the method proposed by the Holy Fathers will begin to act by itself 279. In addition, Saint Ignatius examines the technique of St. Nikephoros of Athos. This ascetic author writes that if it is not possible to bring the mind into the heart through breathing, then one should bring the mind into the chest. And when an ascetic engages in this work for a long time, his heart will certainly respond to it. As in the case of St. Gregory of Sinaite, Saint Ignatius notes that the instructions of Saint Nikephoros of Athos on artistic methods are of a recommendatory nature and are intended mainly for monks who have achieved perfection and are capable of silence 280. So, having considered the question of the attitude of Saint Ignatius to the artistic method, it can be noted that the holy bishop attaches important, but not decisive, importance to this method. To achieve mental-heart prayer it is not at all necessary to use an artistic method. If its use is not necessary, then it is better not to use it at all. However, the realities of the time in which St. Ignatius lived were such that many monks and laymen were actively interested in and used these artistic methods (as an example, one can recall “Frank Tales of a Wanderer”). Many of them did not take the use of the artistic method when performing smart work seriously, so the saint forbade such people to engage in this method, which was dangerous for them. For those who were engaged in smart work under the guidance of a spiritual mentor, and sought to perform the Jesus Prayer precisely with the help of the artistic method, Saint Ignatius left his recommendations to warn them from harmful consequences. 3.3. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and name-glorification The movement of worshipers of the name of God arose in the Russian monasteries of Athos in 1909–1913. and found its supporters in the Russian Empire. The book of Schemamonk Hilarion (Domrachev) “On the Mountains of the Caucasus” (1907), which sets out the doctrine of veneration of the name of God, became a kind of charter for the name-glorifying people 281. In 1909, the Russian monasticism of Athos split into two camps - supporters and opponents of the veneration of the name of God. The supporters of the veneration of the name of God themselves called themselves name-glorifiers, and their doctrine - name-glorification. The controversy surrounding the new doctrine became fierce. Thus, in the Thebaid monastery, opponents of name-glorification reasoned about their opponents as follows: “Because of their peasant stupidity, they call three letters, I, M, I, God” 282 . The ideologists of name-glorification were also accused of the fact that “they have four Gods: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the fourth is the name Jesus” 283. The name-slavers accused their opponents of constant provocations: some of them carved the name “Jesus” on a stone, then, throwing the stone to the ground, trampled on the written name, etc. 284. The controversy surrounding the scandalous work of Schemamonk Hilarion lasted on Mount Athos from 1910 to 1912, and the circle of its participants was constantly expanding. In the fall of 1911, a council of monks of the Thebaid monastery of Panteleimon Monastery was held, which developed a “Conciliar Discourse on the Name of Jesus Christ” 285. In 1912, Imiaslav’s reasoning gave rise to heated discussions already in Russia: on the pages of church and secular periodicals, many theologians and modern scientists tried to provide a reasoned analysis of this teaching. The tone for the controversy was set by Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who published a detailed commentary on the book “On the Caucasus Mountains” in the journal “Russian Monk” under his control. Vladyka Anthony, refuting the point of view of his ideological opponent, gives various examples of the use of the name “Jesus” in the Old Testament. The author also touches on the topic of the Jesus Prayer, which is not the fruit of any superstition, as Schemamonk Hilarion teaches. Those who performed this prayer out of superstition soon stopped doing it because of the indicated false teaching and found themselves in a state of delusion 286 . A response article to Archbishop Anthony’s publication was written by Hieroschemamonk Anthony (Bulatovich), one of the main ideologists of imyaslaviya. In 1912, he wrote an article “On the Jesus Prayer,” which was later published as a separate brochure. In this small study, filled with references to the Holy Scriptures and the works of the holy fathers, Hieroschemamonk Anthony defended faith in the Name of God as in the Lord Himself 287 . In 1913, Hieroschemamonk Anthony finished writing his main theological work - “Apologies for the faith in the Divinity of the Names of God and the Name “Jesus” (Against those who fight the names).” In this work he refers to St. Ignatius and considers him a supporter of name-glorification. Let's try to understand the reliability of this statement. The saint expresses his attitude towards the name of Jesus Christ in his following writings: “On the Jesus Prayer. Conversation between an Elder and a Disciple”, “A Sermon on the Jesus Prayer”, “A Sermon on Mental, Heartfelt and Spiritual Prayer”, “An Offering to Modern Monasticism”. It’s worth saying right away that the teaching about the name of Jesus Christ in the ascetic paradigm of St. Ignatius is inextricably linked with the teaching about the Jesus Prayer. The saint considered the Old Testament roots of the Name of God in the context of the teaching about the name of Jesus 288. The saint also writes that the Name of God has taken root in cities and villages; it began to bloom in wild, previously uninhabited deserts; The name of the God-man acquired great significance in the prayer service, being the name of the Savior of people, the Creator of the visible and invisible world. At the same time, it is the name of God incarnate, the greatness of whose name exceeds the minds of earthly and heavenly beings 289. The saint argues that the Jesus Prayer not only allows one to fully concentrate on the repentant thought of God’s mercy, but also includes the possibility of a feeling of grace through the divinely powerful name of Jesus: “All the power and all the effect of the Jesus Prayer flows from the worshiped and almighty name Jesus...” 290. The saint teaches that we should pray in such a way that the greatness of the name of Jesus is visible in our prayers, and then by His power, a person will enter the church of the heart not made with hands to worship in spirit and truth; one must pray carefully and always; one should pray with fear and trembling before the greatness of the name of Christ; “And let them trust in Thee,” the omnipotent and good Jesus, “who knows Thy name” from his blessed experience, “for Thou hast not forsaken those who seek Thee, O Lord” 291. Prayer invoking the name of Jesus can have a beneficial effect on the human mind, cleansing it of the interference of extraneous thoughts. The Jesus Prayer influences the will, mind and feelings of a person. Even the body, which also participates in this prayer, joins in the grace-filled action of the name of Jesus: “The mind, having conquered and dispersed enemies in the name of Jesus, is numbered with the blessed spirits, enters for true worship into the church of the heart, which has hitherto been closed to it... For the sake of the name of Jesus, used by the one praying, help descends to him from God, remission of sins is granted to him... For the sake of the name of the Lord, prayer is heard ours, salvation is granted to us... By the power of the name of Jesus, the mind is freed from hesitation, the will is strengthened, the correctness of jealousy and other spiritual properties is given; thoughts and feelings are pleasing to God" 292. The doctrine of the “Divine power of the name of Jesus,” according to the thought of St. Ignatius, has the dignity of the main dogma of the Church 293. Prayer invoking the name of Jesus, according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, has great power to suppress the influence of demons: “Between the incomprehensible, wonderful properties of the name of Jesus is the property and power to cast out demons. This property was declared by the Lord Himself. He said that those who believe in Him “in His name will give birth to demons.” It is necessary to pay special attention to this property of the name of Jesus, because it is of the utmost importance for those who practice the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer reveals the presence of demons in a person and drives them out of a person” 294. However, in setting out this teaching, the saint does not share the extremes characteristic of the supporters of name-glorification. The holy archpastor believed that “the name, which is limited by definition, having been accepted by the unlimited God, acquired from Him unlimited dignity and power” 295. A researcher of the ascetic heritage of St. Ignatius, Abbot Mark (Lozinsky), rightly believed that the saint “in contrast to the widespread opinion that only monks can practice the Jesus Prayer... considered many lay people capable of engaging in this saving work” 296. At the same time, it should be noted that St. Ignatius limited the creation of the Jesus Prayer for the laity: he blessed them to engage only in “oral” practice or, in other words, to pronounce the words of the prayer “very slowly out loud in a quiet voice” 297 . In addition, the saint allowed this prayer to be repeated in the mind only when strangers were nearby. Thus, holy. Ignatius, considering the topics of the name of God, the names of God and the name of Jesus, based on the patristic and personal experience of the Jesus Prayer, places the main emphasis on understanding this serious theological phenomenon in the context of biblical Revelation and does not contradict the previous patristic tradition as a whole. The Athonite name-glorification itself suffered a crushing defeat. In the spring of 1913, the main ideas of the Imiaslav disputes were considered in the Holy Synod. Based on the conciliar judgment, Archbishop Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Finland issued an “Epistle to the Children of the Orthodox Church,” where he accused the name-slavists of magism and pantheism. In the final part of this document, the author writes that the Synod joins the decision of the Patriarch and the Synod of the Church of Constantinople, which recognized name-glorification as a heretical teaching 298 . The Synod also developed real measures to eradicate this false teaching. When the peace mission of Archbishop Nikon (Rozhdestvensky), acting on Mount Athos on behalf of the Synod, was unsuccessful, it was decided to resort to military assistance. The mass removal of supporters of name-glorification from Athos began. The latter, trying to create an aura of martyrdom for themselves, openly provoked government troops. Many of those who left Mount Athos faced significant disciplinary measures in the Russian Empire. The most severe punishment was excommunication from the last Communion and funeral service according to secular rites. Imyaslav disputes 1909–1914 had a serious influence on the development of religious and philosophical teaching about the name of God and the problems of the name in general. The question of honoring the name of God aroused deep interest among many philosophers, theologians and clergy of the 20th century: priest P. Florensky, A.F. Losev, prot. S. Bulgakov and others. 3.4. Improving a Christian as a Path to Achieving Salvation The science of salvation, like any science, requires a certain order and accuracy. Just as there is a physical law, there is also a spiritual law. A person who does not know spiritual laws cannot behave correctly in the spiritual world and cannot build his spiritual life. This is especially true for a Christian, for whom the spiritual law should be the dominant principle of all his activities and life 299. One of the key areas of spiritual law is gradualism. However, there are exceptions, possible in the case when a person is helped by Divine grace. Based on this position, Saint Ignatius argues as follows: “Salvation is not a human invention, but a gift of God. We cannot say to God: “save me, one way or another.” We are saved the way God wants us to be saved” 300. The need for forward movement in a person’s spiritual life is a fairly extensive topic and is discussed in the patristic ascetic tradition. In accordance with the teaching of St. Isaac the Syrian 301, Hesychius of Jerusalem 302, Mark the Ascetic 303 and others. The saint insists on the importance of gradual growth in spiritual life and prayer. Holy Archpastor Ignatius says: “It is not good for you to receive heartfelt, grace-filled prayer prematurely! A premature feeling of spiritual sweetness is not good for you! Having received them prematurely, without acquiring preliminary information, with what reverence and with what caution the gift of God’s grace should be preserved, you can use this gift for evil, to the harm and destruction of your soul” 304. Just as spiritual life has its own stages of ascent, so prayer has its own stages. A Christian who has not reached maturity in spiritual life cannot reach the highest level of prayer. Saint Ignatius emphasizes: “Prayer is the greatest virtue, a means of uniting a person with God” 305. For the passage of spiritual life, prayer is of decisive importance, therefore, in the works of St. Ignatius, great attention is paid to it: it is illuminated comprehensively, in all its aspects and degrees: starting from the very first degree, external, and ending with the highest, mental prayer, which only the perfect achieve. In accordance with the patristic tradition, the saint, turning to us, consistently traces the increasing degrees of prayerful feat, clarifies the meaning and purpose of prayer and describes those invaluable benefits that prayer helps to acquire. The Holy Archpastor, in accordance with the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas 306 etc. Isaac the Syrian 307, believes that prayer helps a person to gather into a single whole the disparate parts of the soul - mind, feelings and will - and subordinate them to God, so that Divine grace can act in a person 308. Turning to the ascetic experience of such holy fathers as St. John Climacus 309, St. Isaac the Syrian 310, St. Mark the Ascetic 311 and others, St. Ignatius teaches that to see one’s sinfulness, sincere repentance is necessary, and seeing one’s helplessness contributes to prayerfully turning to God with the hope of His help. Sincere repentance can help a Christian not only achieve pure and attentive prayer, but also grants him to find his own unique path to salvation 312. The holy ascetic believes that through repentance the heart is filled with grace-filled sensations that are alien to fallen nature. Repentance teaches the mind and heart true worship, teaches to offer God one, complete and acceptable sacrifice from fallen human nature: contrition and humility of spirit (see: Ps. 50:10). The human spirit, having acquired this state, can communicate with the Spirit of God; in this, according to the saint, lies the renewal and salvation of man 313. Achieving any result in spiritual life is possible if there are special mandatory conditions: renunciation of one’s own will and surrender of oneself to the will of God. In agreement with the opinion of Rev. Isaac the Syrian 314, the holy bishop reasons: “In your feat of prayer, rely entirely on God, without whom even the slightest success is impossible. Every step towards success in this feat is a gift from God. Deny yourself and surrender to God, let him do with you what he wants” 315. Now that the integrity of human nature has been restored, prayer ascends to God from the entire nature of the being, and the mind, heart, and body equally participate equally in Communion with God. Thus, human nature achieves the goal of its existence. Achieving a goal is about doing it smartly. In this regard, the state in question is associated with great bliss, joy and consolation. The saint says that joy and gladness are so strong that the Holy Spirit invites the one who feels them to proclaim the good news. “Exclamation belongs to the human spirit. It is strong, but spiritual: flesh and blood do not and cannot have part in it. Their unauthorized action is eliminated: they act in subordination to the active grace of God, serve as instruments in true achievement, and no longer drag a person into incorrect states and actions” 316. St. Petersburg reasoned in a similar way. Macarius the Great, with particular sensitivity describing the hymn of praise of the renewed nature of man to God. Indeed, how similar is the description of the words of the holy bishop to the words of St. Macarius: “The soul, having been saved from its enemies, having passed through the bitter sea by the power of God and seeing how the enemies whom it previously served perish before its eyes, rejoices with unspeakable joy, and glorified, is consoled by God, and rests in the Lord. Then the Spirit, Whom she has received into herself, sings a new song to God with the tympanum, that is, the body, and with the harp, that is, the soul, on her verbal strings - the subtlest thoughts, the tinkling of God's grace, and sends out praises to the Life-Giver Christ. For as breath, passing through a flute, emits a voice: so the Holy Spirit in the pure heart of saints and spirit-bearing people sings praises, hymns and prays to God” 317. At St. Isaac of Nineveh also has wonderful thoughts about those who have been granted purification or mental health: the mind of such a person truly and tangibly accepts joy with a spiritual feeling; because he becomes the son of God and the brother of Christ, he does not have time to feel the good and evil that encounters him 318. And also the thoughts of people who have reached such a state are Divine movements, and the movements of a purified heart and mind are meek words, “with which they secretly glorify the Hidden One” 319. Saint Ignatius seems to be asking himself and immediately gives the answer: “What does Christian perfection mean? – This is a tangible and obvious renewal of a Christian by the Holy Spirit, which can only be accomplished over one who died to sin and to the world on the cross of Christ. A person renewed by the Spirit becomes a God-bearer, becomes a church of God and a Priest, officiating in this Church, worshiping God in Spirit and Truth” 320. For the saint, perfection lies in the obvious communion of the Holy Spirit. He inhabits a Christian and transfers all his aspirations and all his thoughts into eternity 321. Such holy ascetics as St. Petersburg also write about this. Anthony the Great 322, Mark the Ascetic 323, Macarius of Egypt 324, Isaac the Syrian 325 and, of course, John Climacus 326. A Christian who has cleansed his heart of passions is able to see God, invisible to the sensual eyes (see: Matt. 5:8), and God fills his pure heart. Now the mind has achieved not only the purity of prayer and contemplation of God, the mind ascends to the very throne of God and reaches a supernatural state. “The mind enters into the darkness of not seeing anything, and stands before the face of God without any mediation. Mental darkness is that cover, that curtain with which the face of God is covered. This cover is the incomprehensibility of God for all created minds. The tenderness of the heart then becomes so strong that it is called confession” 327. Having studied the teaching of Saint Ignatius on the path of spiritual improvement of a Christian, we can conclude that the saint considers it in the context of the ascetic tradition of previous ascetics and within the framework of the Orthodox teaching about salvation and deification, the achievement of which is inextricably linked with the teaching on prayer. Brief conclusions on the third chapter. This chapter examines the teaching of St. Ignatius on the participation of the mind and heart in the work of prayer: at the beginning of this work, after the mind has become accustomed to prayer, it must be focused on the words of prayer. Of course, the holy archpastor took into account the previous patristic experience and relied mainly on the method of St. John Climacus. After the mind connects with the heart, prayer ascends to the heart and soul level. At the same time, it becomes ceaseless, without its own human efforts, in the fight against fallen nature, which has already been renewed by the Holy Spirit. Saint Ignatius in general does not object to the artistic method - the artificial connection of the mind with the heart. However, treating it with caution, he insists that it is possible to begin to unite the mind and heart under two mandatory conditions: firstly, only those who have achieved success in the feat of prayer can transgress, and secondly, he must do it with great fear and caution. Based on the patristic and his own experience of creating the Jesus Prayer, Saint Ignatius rather critically examined the themes of the name of God, the names of God and the name of Jesus. At the same time, he believed that calling on the name of Jesus gives power to the Jesus Prayer; this name itself has beneficial and saving power; it is incomprehensible and divine, just as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the foundation of all prayer, and most of all the Jesus Prayer, is incomprehensible and divine. Saint Ignatius believes that Christian perfection lies in the explicit communion of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in a Christian and directs all his aspirations and all his thoughts to the Creator. Many holy fathers and teachers of the Church wrote about this: St. Anthony the Great, Macarius of Egypt, John Climacus and many others. To summarize this study, first of all it should be noted that the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of the Jesus Prayer is completely based on the patristic teaching. The saint creatively reworked the teaching on prayer of the Church Fathers and gave it a special ascetic richness and systematization. The review of the teachings of various ascetic writers on the Jesus Prayer presented in the first chapter revealed that they had a strong influence on the ideas of St. Ignatius himself. As a result of considering the main elements of the teaching about the Jesus Prayer from the holy fathers of the Church, we can conclude that Saint Ignatius borrowed the main method of presenting the work of prayer from the Monk John Climacus, which is confirmed by frequent quotations and references to this author. The Monk Hesychius of Jerusalem, in his teaching on the Jesus Prayer, distinguishes several stages of struggle with thoughts, which is also reflected in the teaching of Saint Ignatius: the first stage is associated with attention, the second with righteous anger against the enemy’s thoughts, the third stage is the heartfelt invocation of Jesus Christ. A very original teaching about the Jesus Prayer is offered by St. Gregory of Sinaite, who regards it as a holistic memory of God. He comes across the position that turning to the Divine name of the Savior gives the memory damaged in the Fall the opportunity to return to a holistic, pristine state. We find this position in the teaching of St. Ignatius. According to the thought of St. Gregory, the Jesus Prayer is an ardent prayer combined with sincere, personal love for Christ. The repentant aspect of the Jesus Prayer, proposed by St., also deserves attention. Gregory Sinait. Saint Gregory Palamas discusses the methods of mental prayer, its techniques and spiritual states, in accordance with the teachings of St. Simeon the New Theologian. For example, St. Gregory claims that during prayer the ascetic brings the mind not only inside the body and heart, but also inside himself. A similar thought is found in St. Simeon. According to St. Gregory, this method of performing the Jesus Prayer is not necessary, but it helps those who are just beginning to perform it. Saint Gregory Palamas, like Saint Ignatius, acted as a systematizer of the patristic teaching on the Jesus Prayer. St. Neil of Sinai focuses on the quality of prayer: quantity is of secondary importance. Also St. Neil points out the connection between prayer and the rest of the Christian virtues: the Jesus Prayer fills and sanctifies the virtues, raising them to perfection. This teaching about the connection of prayer with Christian virtues was adopted by St. Ignatius and implemented in his teaching on the Jesus Prayer. Among the representatives of Russian ascetic writing, the personality of the Monk Nilus of Sorsky stands out, whose works Saint Ignatius advises to read only to those who have already achieved certain success in prayer. Indeed, the teaching of St. Nila is distinguished by its particular elaboration, rigor and complexity. Saint Ignatius very often turns to the ascetic writings of St. Paisius Velichkovsky, another outstanding representative of the Russian ascetic tradition. The main position borrowed from this writer, the acquisition of three main virtues - love for God and people, abstinence and the Jesus Prayer - contributes to the fact that the mind is always occupied only with God. In the second chapter, the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of the Jesus Prayer was explored. In the course of the analysis, the following features of this teaching were revealed: the first stage of the Jesus Prayer is its oral, verbal performance. At this stage, it is necessary to verbally pronounce the words of the Jesus Prayer while paying attention to them with the mind. This initial feat of prayer is also associated with a physical feat, because... the prayer is pronounced with the tongue. It also seems important that oral prayer is the beginning of mental prayer: the attention of the mind accompanies what is spoken in words, and this is an invariable attribute of mental doing. How closely verbal prayer is connected with mental doing depends on the attention of the mind to the words of prayer. In this regard, it is necessary to perform the prayer slowly and calmly, saying it a little out loud, driving away all hostile thoughts and enclosing the mind in the spoken words. Frequent exercise in vocal prayer helps to sanctify the tongue, making it incapable of serving sin; then sanctification is imparted to the soul. The saint himself gives a very high assessment of oral prayer, and also recommends that everyone, without exception, perform it, using the indicated method of St. John Climacus. At the same time, you should not look for subsequent types of prayer yourself, because only the Lord Himself can transform oral prayer into mental, heartfelt and spiritual. When acquiring and maintaining undistracted attention, oral prayer automatically turns into mental prayer, and then heartfelt prayer. This is an indicator of a certain spiritual maturity. At the second stage of performing the Jesus Prayer, according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, there is mental prayer - a prayer pronounced by the mind with deep attention and with heartfelt sympathy. The method that St. John Climacus advises is already bringing some success: the mind is already accustomed to being enclosed in the words of prayer, the attention of the mind is very deep; the heart cooperates with the mind. However, human nature has not yet been transformed: the separation of mind, heart and body has a negative impact on prayer, and sometimes mental prayer is hijacked by extraneous thoughts. This is explained by the fact that the mind at this stage has not yet acquired stability and therefore indulges in daydreaming. In this regard, it is necessary to constantly force yourself to perform prayer correctly. This requires the feat of keeping the mind in the words of prayer. One’s own efforts can gradually lead to grace-filled attention, but at first the person praying gets the opportunity to pray only through one’s own efforts, although the grace of God helps him, but not explicitly. Often, forcing yourself to do smart things lasts a lifetime. Since our old man resists prayer, then as long as he is present in us, he will resist prayer. Having learned to force himself, the ascetic will be honored to receive grace-filled consolation in prayer, which can encourage him to further force himself. At the third stage, according to the teaching of St. Ignatius, the person praying, according to the will of God, achieves heartfelt prayer: prayer is pronounced with the mind and heart united. At this stage, the grace of God really reveals its presence and action, connecting the mind with the heart, making it possible to pray without dreams, with heartfelt crying and warmth. From now on, sinful thoughts no longer dominate the mind. It follows from this that the ascetic achieved such a state thanks to the knowledge of God through living, experimental knowledge. In other words, only with heartfelt prayer does experienced knowledge of God arise. At the fourth stage in the teaching of St. Ignatius, the Christian reaches spiritual prayer, which is characterized by a grace-filled spiritual feeling of the fear of God, reverence and tenderness, turning into love. At this stage, the person praying is able to experience spiritual pleasure in standing before God; his prayer becomes self-propelled, unceasing. Based on the research, it was revealed that the saint describes this final stage of prayerful ascent to God in categories similar to those of other holy fathers who wrote about the state of spiritual admiration and contemplation: Thus, in the teaching of St. Ignatius about the stages of prayer, the following patterns can be identified: oral prayer - carefully pronounced out loud; mental prayer is pronounced with deep attention of the mind and a repentant mood of the heart, sometimes plundered by daydreaming; heartfelt prayer ascends from the united mind and heart: at this stage, prayer becomes non-vague, and sinful thoughts no longer have violent control over the mind; spiritual prayer is a grace-filled prayer that is pronounced from the entire spiritual and physical being of a person: it is characterized by a special state of grace and a feeling of spiritual love; Only at this fourth stage does the ascetic experience spiritual pleasure in standing before the face of God, and his prayer becomes self-motivated, unceasing. In the third chapter, having studied the teaching of St. Ignatius on the participation of the mind and heart in the work of prayer, we made the following conclusions: at the beginning of this work, after the mind has become accustomed to prayer, it must be concentrated on the words of prayer. After the mind connects with the heart, prayer ascends to the heart and soul level. At the same time, it becomes incessant, without its own human efforts, in the fight against fallen nature, which has already been renewed by the Holy Spirit. The conducted research allows us to conclude that St. Ignatius, in general, does not object to the artistic method - the artificial connection of the mind with the heart. However, he treats with the greatest caution and insists that the union of mind and heart is possible only under two mandatory conditions: firstly, only those who have achieved success in the feat of prayer can transgress, and secondly, he must do it with great fear and caution. The study showed that, based on the patristic and his own experience of the Jesus Prayer, Saint Ignatius rather critically examined the topics of the name of God, the names of God and the name of Jesus. At the same time, he believed that calling on the name of Jesus gives power to the Jesus Prayer; this name itself has beneficial and saving power; it is incomprehensible and divine, just as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the foundation of all prayer, and most of all the Jesus Prayer, is incomprehensible and divine. Saint Ignatius points out that Christian perfection lies in the explicit communion of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in a Christian and directs all his aspirations and all his thoughts to the Creator. Many holy fathers and teachers of the Church wrote about this: St. Anthony the Great, Macarius of Egypt, John Climacus and many others. 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