Begin the Noetic Labor and You Will See Everything for Yourselves

A brother said: “What does the noetic labor consist of?” The elder answered: “The noetic labor is the striving of the mind to keep the remembrance of death, judgment, retribution, and the like; but chiefly, it is the foreseeing of the Lord before one always and the constant meditation on God.” (18, 72)

God is everywhere. And our soul is all before him, transparent. We too must stand before him with our consciousness. As all the Angels and Saints behold him and do not turn their eyes from him; so we too, still in the body, must behold him. As the sun holds the planets and leads them after itself; so all the spiritual world, and therefore our souls, must hold fast to God and be led by him. And this is not for an hour or two, but constantly, from the moment of waking until the very moment of sleep. One cannot suddenly place oneself in this state. Labor is needed. — It is this that is required now. — Get to it! There is nothing to fear. — For clarification of the matter, read in the Philokalia the articles on watchfulness. You must stand over the heart with attention. You must come down from the head into the heart. Now your meditation on God is in the head, while God himself—is outside, as it were, so that it turns out to be external work. While you are in the head, thoughts will not settle peacefully and everything will be tossed about like snow or summer dust. To the degree that your attention enters into the heart, thoughts will begin to settle, and then they will settle completely—and the atmosphere of the soul will become utterly clear. Then even a fly flying by you will notice, while before everything is darkness upon darkness. The beginning of fruit is concentrated and unceasing warmth in the heart. And that is all. — Only you must leave off familiarity with the Lord. Great fear is needed. As great nobles stand at attention before a king, so let the soul stand before God. What improper bodily position is before the face of a king, so are uncontrolled thoughts before God; and forgetting about God, even for a moment,—is the same as turning one’s back on the king.

Saturate your soul with fear. It is not painful, but refreshing. It is the beginning; but throughout the entire way it does not leave, only becoming ever purer and purer. Solitude and reading—two wings in this occupation. But begin—and you will see everything for yourselves. What helps and what harms will be revealed immediately. But then you must strictly fulfill what is learned. Conscience will take its place—and will begin to rebuke. Obey. How many reproaches there will be! Fulfill them. Later everything will be evened out and will proceed smoothly. May the Lord help you! (3, 48–49)