Chapter 84

Inner Brightness, Driving Away What is Evil, Boldness in Prayer, Spiritual Fire in the Heart

The distinctive mark of the state when the Kingdom of God opens within, or, in other words, when unwavering spiritual fire in the heart begins to glow from one’s relation to God, is inner abiding. All consciousness is concentrated in the heart and stands before the face of the Lord, pouring out its feelings before Him, and above all—sorrowfully coming before Him with the humble feelings of repentance, together with the readiness to dedicate one’s whole life to serving Him alone. Such an order is established daily, from the moment of awakening from sleep, it is maintained all day, through all labors and occupations, and does not depart until sleep closes the eyes. Along with the formation of such an order, all the disorder that had reigned within ceases, in the period of seeking, in this transitional state of yearning as Speransky calls it. Irrepressible ferment of thoughts ceases; the atmosphere of the soul becomes pure and cloudless: there stands one thought and remembrance of the Lord. From this comes brightness in all that is within. Everything there is clear; every movement is noticed and properly valued in the noetic light proceeding from the face of the Lord contemplated. As a result of this, any evil thought and evil feeling approaching the heart are met with resistance in their very inception and are driven away. Here is fulfilled what Philotheos of Sinai advises: ‘From morning stand at the entrance of the heart and with the name of Jesus strike the enemies approaching.’ This driving away of evil can be instantaneous, but can last hours, days, months and years; nevertheless, the essence of the matter is always one, namely that nothing evil is admitted into the heart, but meets decisive opposition from the moment evil is recognized, and its driving away does not cease until it is completely eradicated from the heart. After this, whatever is thought, whatever is felt, whatever is desired, whatever is said and done—is thought, felt, desired, said and done with the full awareness that all such is not offensive to the unwavering contemplated Lord, is pleasing to Him and in accord with His will. If, against intention, something contrary should slip through, it is immediately humbly confessed to the Lord and cleansed through inner repentance or external confession, so that the conscience is always kept pure before the Lord. As a reward for all such inner labor, boldness toward God in prayer is granted, which continuously glows in the heart. The continuous warmth of prayer is the spirit of this life, so that with the cessation of this warmth the movement of spiritual life ceases, as with the cessation of breathing the life of the body ceases.

With these few words is said all that comes with the establishment within of the Kingdom, or, in other words, the blessed fire that at last blazes up in the heart; by this too is determined the essence of true spiritual life, or its essential operations. (16, 80–83)