Chapter 44

On the Importance of Attention to God

I cannot give you a rule. But what is a rule for? Just fulfill the one given to you—that is all. To it add only this: whatever even slightly disturbs and weakens the action of attention to God, remove it without mercy. Do only what helps you maintain and strengthen it. Direct your reading, reflection, and prostrations toward this.

Every kind and every order of occupations is good as long as it promotes this. There is no need to outline specific occupations. As soon as one occupation does not nourish your prayer, you should abandon it and take up another. For example, you opened a book and started reading—it does not work. Leave it, take another. If that one does not work, take a third. If this one does not work either—stop reading and do prostrations, or meditate. You must have work that does not distract your attention. The ancient Egyptians sat at their work the whole day without leaving it even when someone came. They would only do prostrations at times. They performed their main prayer at night. One of them wrote: “Pray for two hours in the evening, then sleep six hours, then arise and pray until dawn.”

When attention to God is alive and prayer is happening inwardly, then it is better to do nothing (at home) but sit, or walk, or better yet, stand before the icons and pray. When your attention begins to weaken, warm it up by reading or reflection.

Rules are necessary for those entering the monastery so they become trained in monastic works or occupations. But later, when they reach inner sensations and especially the warmth of the heart, rules are not strictly necessary for them. In general, you should not become attached to rules but be free in your relationship to them, having only one intention: that reverent attention to God never departs from you.

(Letter 1458, vol. 8, p. 195–196)