Step 27 On Stillness… Learning How to be Still
Numbers 9:8 - And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.
1 Samuel 12:7 - Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.
“One of the simplest and most profound things we can do when we talk to God is simply to sit still.....Or simply to pause and "be.”
“The only path leading to heaven is that of complete stillness, the avoidance of all evil, the acquisition of blessings, perfect love towards God and communion with Him in holiness and righteousness. If a man has attained these things he will soon ascend to the divine realm.” Abba Philimon The Philokalia. Vol. II., P.349.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The sublime task of the spiritual life is expressed concretely in the words of the Psalmist. Interestingly enough, the Septuagint (a Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures) word for stillness employed in this verse, σχολάσατε, is not the familiar root for hesychasm with images of stillness, quiet, and solitude of a hermit monk, but the Greek root for the English word school with the connotations of setting aside day-to-day tasks in order to listen and garner knowledge by sitting like Mary at the Master’s feet. In other words, there are two kinds of stillness in the Christian life, both of which are important. (1) a preparatory stillness (σχολή) of setting aside our daily tasks and devoting ourselves to active prayer that is needed to enter (2) the stillness (ἡσυχία) of watchfulness (being alert yet still..like a spider in its web). Both kinds of stillness call for humility. Humility is manifest by a willingness to turn away from daily cares that often define our lives in order to devote ourselves to seeking God…..
Stillness may be equated to peace of soul; the absence of spiritual warfare and the presence of calm. We beginners in the spiritual life cannot imagine what it would be like to be totally unaffected by the disquietude of the world; it is beyond our ability to comprehend never being tempted to speak in haste and never experiencing the movements of anger in our hearts. The beginner must be content with experiencing moments of this peace. He must strive to win this peace, by overcoming all the passions which seek to overthrow it.
It is only when we begin to center our thoughts on the spiritual world within by pushing far from us the noise of the external world that we notice how little peace is found there. The first notice of this peacelessness is often enough to drive many back to the diversions of the world. For some, the existential pain of their passionate soul is too great to bear and they choose to run away rather than stay and face it. For those who choose to stay, the experience of the true state of their souls is a necessary lesson. As we set a priority on peace, we will begin to notice more and more the things in our lives that rob us of peace. We will begin to find the noise of this world to be a hindrance rather than a help. We will notice how much of our time is spent following distractions. We will begin to change our lifestyle on the basis of what produces peace in our souls. We will inevitably be led to a love of quiet and solitude.
However, an important thing to note is that this is a gradual process. St. John is very quick to point out the dangers of embracing too much "stillness" before we are spiritually ready: "The man who is foul-tempered and conceited, hypocritical and a nurse of grievances, ought never to enter the life of solitude, for fear that he should gain nothing but the loss of his sanity."
Above all, then, we must remember that the path to internal peace is not an easy one. Therefore, we must set ourselves for a long struggle. We will not achieve the state of constant peace in a day. Perhaps it is enough for us today not to have allowed anger to enter our soul; perhaps it is enough for us to have refrained from that idle word which stirs up passion. Each day we add virtue to virtue. Each day we embrace the struggle. Each day we repent of our failures. Each day we continue the struggle. In this way, although we may never be completely successful, we will never stop trying. And God who grants the prize, will consider our struggles to be victory and will grant us His peace for eternity.
In these opening paragraphs, John defines stillness, distinguishes its various stages and describes the qualities of those who are seeking or have obtained this virtue.
Stillness is the accurate knowledge and management of one’s feelings and perceptions. Stillness is the accurate knowledge of one’s thoughts and is an unassailable mind. (Unable to be attacked, questioned or defeated).
The start of stillness is the rejection of all noisiness as something that will trouble the depths of the soul. The final point is when one has no longer a fear of noisy disturbance, when one is immune to it.
The cell of a hesychast is the body that surrounds him, and within him is the dwelling place of knowledge.
Close the door of your cell to your body, (Close) the door of your tongue to talk, and (Close) the gate within to evil spirits.
Sit in a high place and keep watch if you can, and you will see the thieves come, and you will discover how they come, when and from where, how many and what kind they are as they steal your clusters of grapes. Learn and KNOW your enemy…..
Take up your cross, carrying it in obedience, and endure strongly the burden of your thwarted will. And then, "Come, follow me" (Matt. 19:21). Come to union with most blessed stillness and I will teach you the workings and behavior of the spiritual powers. Stillness helps you learn to see and know the movements of your enemy.. It also helps you learn the provision and blessings of the Lord...
St. John then describes the differences between the various kinds of stillness. He depicts how the virtue is practiced rightly or wrongly by those living the solitary life and those living the common life.
The following are the signs, the stages, and the proofs of practicing stillness in the right way - a calm mind, a purified disposition, rapture in the Lord, the remembrance of everlasting torments, the imminence of death, an insatiable urge for prayer, constant watchfulness, the death of lust, no sense of attachment, death of worldliness, an end to gluttony, a foundation for theology, a well of discernment, a truce accompanied by tears, and end to talkativeness, and many other such things alien to most men.
The following are signs of stillness practiced wrongly - poverty of spiritual treasures, anger on the increase, a growth of resentment, love diminished, a surge of vanity.
With the blessing of Stillness… Lust, under ceaseless criticism, diminishes; despondency is unknown; and zeal grows. There is compassionate love and a banishment of pride. This is what everyone must seek, though few will be completely successful.
A soul unfaithful to his vow defiles his spirit. The former is denounced, hated, beaten, and, most pitiable of all, thrown out. For the latter there is pollution, forgetfulness of death, an insatiable belly, eyes out of control, vainglory at work, a longing for sleep, a calloused heart, insensitivity, a storing up of bad thoughts, an increase of consent, captivity of heart, spiritual upheaval, disobedience, argumentativeness, attachment to things, unbelief, doubt, talkativeness, and - most serious this - free and easy relationships. Most wretched of all is a heart without compunction (an uneasy feeling prompted by guilt), which, in the careless, is succeeded by insensitivity, the mother of devils and of lapses.
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St. John then begins to describe the struggle for stillness. First, St. John details those things that threaten to destroy or prevent one from obtaining an inner state of peace. He identifies in particular the five demons that attack the solitary (despondence, vainglory, pride, dejection and anger) and the three that assail those living in community (gluttony, lust, and avarice). Second, St. John identifies the essential virtues of the hesychast (unceasing prayer, discretion, faith, fear of God, patience, prudence and a discerning spirit). He concludes by exhorting his readers to use every means to protect and strengthen the gift.
Of the eight evil spirits, five attack the solitary and three assail those living in obedience.
The spirit of despondency is your companion. (Despondent - in low spirits from loss of hope or courage). Watch him every hour. Note his stirrings and his movements, his inclinations and his changes of face. Note their character and the direction they take.
The first task of stillness is disengagement from every affair good and bad, since concern with the former leads on to the latter. (This is disengaged from things so we can be “in School” with the Master, at His feet learning). Second is urgent prayer. Third is inviolable activity of the heart. And just as you have to know the alphabet if you are to read books, so if you have missed out on the first task, you cannot enter upon the other two. If you cannot disengage from things, then you are distracted by things, and Stillness is not achievable.
The demon of despondency, as I have discovered, opens the way for the demons of lust. . . . Fight hard against these demons and they in turn will furiously attack you. They will try to force you to desist from your labors, which, they will tell you, are of no value. Remember, the thief comes but to Steal, Kill and Destroy..
A small hair disturbs the eye. A minor concern interferes with stillness, for, after all, stillness means the expulsion of thoughts and the rejection of even reasonable cares.
The man who wishes to offer a pure mind to God but who is troubled by cares is like a man who expects to walk quickly even though his legs are tied together.
A man without experience of God ought not to undertake the solitary life. He leaves himself open to many hazards. Stillness chokes the inexperienced. Never having tasted the sweetness of God, such people waste time being set upon, robbed, made despondent, distracted. Stillness is a wonderful, beautiful gift from God… But know well too, the seeking of this gift will result in spiritual attacks from the enemy….Stand Your Ground!!!!!
It is better to live poor and obedient than to be a solitary who has no control over his thoughts.
Stillness is not silence. We often confuse the two when in reality they are distinct and separate. Stillness is solitude in body and soul. It is dwelling alone with the presence of God even when in the midst of activity. This is not something that only those who live the life of a hermit can experience. It is something we all can do as we climb John’s ladder toward union with God.
Stillness is worshipping God unceasingly and waiting upon Him.
Let the remembrance of Jesus be present with your every breath. Then indeed you will appreciate the value of stillness.
Self-will is the ruin of the monk living in obedience. But ruin for the solitary is the interruption of prayer.
In stillness is the knowledge and awareness of one’s own thoughts and the diligence to destroy them as they come. It is throwing off the troubling thoughts of the mind and soul, and not fearing their disturbances, but instead becoming insensible to them. Stillness results in an unruffled mind, purified thoughts, a well of discernment and loss of talkativeness. The things that most people find commonplace will become alien to us as we grow in stillness. They will no longer hold for us any attraction.
Stillness requires disengagement from all affairs, writes John, whether those affairs are reasonable or senseless. If we allow even the reasonable cares of life to engage our focus, then we will eventually allow the senseless, useless and unreasonable ones to control us as well. According to St. John, “He who wishes to present his mind pure to God, and is agitated by cares, is like a man who has tied his legs tightly together and then expects to walk briskly.” Stillness also requires earnest and unceasing prayer, and inviolable activity of the heart. Stillness in this sense is, “unceasing worship and waiting upon God.” We should constantly repeat the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner) with each breath, as it will teach us the value of stillness. The model for our life of unceasing prayer, says John, is the widow who was wronged by her adversary who constantly implored the magistrate for justice. (Luke 18: 1-8).
. . . the model for your prayer should be the widow wronged by her adversary (Luke 18:1-8) . . .
Faith is the wing of prayer, and without it my prayer will return to my bosom. Faith is the unshaken stance of the soul and is unmoved by any adversity. The believing man is not one who thinks that God can do all things, but one who trust that he will obtain everything. Faith is the agent of things unhoped for, as the thief proved (Luke 23:42-43). The mother of faith is hard work and an upright heart; the one builds up belief, the other makes it endure. Faith is the mother of the hesychast, for after all, how can he practice stillness if he does not believe?
Of course, our constant prayer must possess the wings of faith, for without them our prayer is useless. But, faith is not the belief that God can do everything, but the expectation that through perseverance one will obtain all things. “Faith is the agent of things unhoped for, and the thief proved this.” He had faith in one moment and in that moment received that which he had never dared to hope to have, entry into paradise. (Luke 23: 42-43). Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Faith though, is born of hardship and an honest heart. “The latter makes faith constant, and the former builds it up.”
A man chained in prison is fearful of his judge, and the monk in his cell is fearful of God. But the court holds less terror for the one than the judgment seat of God for the other. My good friend, you have to be very much afraid if you are to practice stillness, and nothing else is quite so effective in scattering despondency. The prisoner is always on the watch for the judge to come to the jail, and the true worker is ever on the watch for the coming of death. A weight of sorrow bears down on the one, while for the other there is a fountain of tears.
Take hold of the walking stick of patience, and the dogs will soon stop their impudent harassment. Patience is a labor that does not crush the soul. It never wavers under interruptions, good or bad. The patient monk is a faultless worker who has turned his faults into victories. Patience sets a boundary to the daily onslaught of suffering. It makes no excuses and ignores the self. The worker needs patience more than food, since the one brings him a crown while the other brings destruction. The patient man has died before his death, his cell being his tomb. Patience comes from hope and mourning, and indeed to lack those is to be a slave to despondency.
Stillness is also born out of patience. “Patience is an unbroken labour of the soul which is never shaken by deserved or undeserved blows.” The faultless worker, through patience, turns his faults into victories. “Patience lays aside all excuses and all attention to herself.” The patient person of faith will have died to self, long before his body is ever placed in the grave.
Pay careful attention to whatever sweetness there may be in your soul, in case it has been concocted by cruel and crafty physicians.
. . . until you have acquired spiritual power, do not read works that have various levels of meaning since, being obscure, they may bring darkness over the weak.
Let the soul's eye be ever on the watch for conceit, since nothing else can produce such havoc.
Once outside your cell, watch your tongue, for the fruits of many labors can be scattered in a moment.
Stay away from what does not concern you, for curiosity can defile stillness as nothing else can.
When people visit you, offer them what they need for body and spirit. If they happen to be wiser than we are, then let our own silence reveal our wisdom. If they are brothers who share with us the same type of life, we should open the door of speech to them in proper measure. Best of all, however, is to deem everyone our superior.
But, before we embark on the path of stillness, John advises that we must count the cost. Like the one who intends to build a tower, the one who wishes to build a life of stillness must also count the cost, and feel their way by prayer. They must consider whether they have within them the necessary means to complete the task, so that they are not made a laughing stock to their enemies and an obstacle to other workers who also strive to erect the tower of stillness in their lives. (Luke 14: 28-30).
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
The power of the Kingdom rests in stillness. Once we have ascended this step we can proceed on in the way of heavenly prayer.
Wealth and numerous subjects constitute the power of a king. Abundance of prayer constitutes the power of the hesychast.
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