Hesychasm - The Monastic Tradition of Orthodox Christianity

[@Thubten_Phuntsok]

Thank you for everything you do. Please pray for my father hes in the hospital right now 😢

[@RootsofOrthodoxy]

Praying for the well-being of your Father 🙏

[@Thubten_Phuntsok]

@@RootsofOrthodoxy thank you ❤️🙏🏻

[@bradydanfordtalented]

how is your father? i hope everything is okay now

[@Thubten_Phuntsok]

@bradydanfordtalented my father has been making progress with walking and the wound on his back is finally closing up, God willing. Thank you for asking. God Bless you and to everyone that may have prayed for him. Glory to God and thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, I greatly appreciate it

[@thelostcosmonaut5555]

I find difficulty in finding peace while living in a very urban environment. That is why I retreat to the mountains or seek solitude in the desert which is less than 2 hour's drive from me.

[@TFMulliganEsq]

Superb. So, so helpful, and so, so consequential. Blessed Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple.

[@jimboslicereal]

Wow, this is beautiful. I am a Roman Catholic, and I have seen modernity (and, therefore, a storm) creep in along with Americanistic ideals. Orthodoxy is so pure, and I feel the Holy Spirt calls me closer to it each day.

[@the4gospelscommentary]

As a Roman Catholic, you should know that "Orthodoxy" is a heretical schismatic religion. It is not "pure".

[@triggered8556]

@@the4gospelscommentary How so?

[@kostaskostopoulos2913]

@@triggered8556 because he says that 😁

[@valeriy2975]

That's one of the most beautiful things I see in my life: when people from different branches of Christianity see each other as children and brothers and sisters of the same God.

[@the4gospelscommentary]

@@triggered8556 Because it anathematizes doctrines that were unanimously held by the Church Fathers - Divine simplicity, filioque, Papacy ...

[@joshandkellbohannon1337]

I am a Protestant seeker, at this point more Orthodox than Reformed. This channel is a blessing.

[@triggered8556]

Have you been to a liturgy yet?

[@MatthewFloor]

Be careful what you’re getting into. Orthodoxy promotes idolatry. Are you aware that icons and worship of Mary in Orthodoxy is not only practiced but it’s a requirement for salvation. These are just two examples. So Orthodoxy has anathematized anyone who doesn’t believe this. Belief in grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone is not your belief anymore? This is what scripture says. It’s Christ alone and nothing else for our salvation. All other things are loss. I guess the reformation meant nothing to you.

[@Engineer9921]

@@MatthewFloorbeware of false teachers like this in sheep’s clothing

[@bless_you_361]

@@MatthewFloor In Orthodoxy and ancient Christianity, salvation isn't seen as a legal status like in the West and Reformed Traditions, it's seen as a state of the soul. We are in a fallen, sickened state. When God became man, He condescended himself to us so that we may be in communion in the life of God, just as Adam had in the garden. These aren't "required" for salvation anymore than medicine is required for a sick person to be well. And just like medicine, these things are a gift of grace, which also takes effect upon the free-will choice of the individual to partake in the life of Christ. So in a sense, you are right, but you stop yourself short, and deprive yourself of the fullness of faith. Please, do more research before spreading harmful false information

[@bless_you_361]

@@MatthewFloor Also veneration =/= worship as I'm sure you've heard 1000 times. If you keep photos of your family, and ask your pastor to pray for you, you are engaging in the same practices as we are

[@brandonterzic]

Beautiful. The taoists say “ action in inaction” when describing meditation Same as this saying…

[@maxheinrichliebow]

Thank you Fr John. Hesychasm is such a beautiful thing, and plays a huge role in my life (secular life). How wonderful to be able to retreat into the heart in the midst of the vast 'hustle n bustle' of daily living. Its shocking to believe that once upon a time it was considered a heresy by one particular man and his small circle of followers. If anything its one of the most Godly tools we can investigate, and puts us on the path to theosis that bit clearer. I cannot advocate enough for the great stillness.

[@LadderOfDescent]

Wow. Father bless. I pray you continue to share these videos. I sensed moments of hesychasm in my heart just hearing your words. It was really like hearing Christ speak. And I was present with him. I have only been baptized in The Church for a couple of months, so forgive me if I didn’t say that theologically correct.

[@mayeshdasa1882]

Hope this series goes and goes all along🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@RootsofOrthodoxy]

Thank you! Please pray that I may continue to make these and may God open more opportunities for other priests to be interviewed 🙏

[@kathyw7303]

Thank you Father - listening to your message at the start of my day. I too pray God has mercy !

[@Road2Heaven123]

Saint Joseph the Hesychast pls pray for us 🙏

[@joshghost661]

I’m like 99% sure Fr. John was at my church recently. I am new to Orthodoxy and I’ve been studying and watching everything I can to help me along the way. Thank you for this awesome video Father John

[@makingsmokesince76]

Wonderfully said. Thank you. Glory to God for all things.

[@cozzwozzle]

Loving this series. Love the quality

[@olkjamab]

This was food for my heart and soul. I felt my eyes tear up. When you spoke I felt the love of Jesus, and thet I just want to be with Jesus. Thank you thank you thank you Fr John.

[@annalynn9325]

Three days in a row of Fr John 😌 What a blessing

[@RootsofOrthodoxy]

We can’t have enough of Fr. John! Haha thank you for your support ❤

[@yourneighbour3309]

love the constant videos! thank you!

[@RootsofOrthodoxy]

Thank YOU for watching! ☦️🙏

[@fanispatsalides1810]

May we have your blessings Father, l so much enjoy listening to you! 🌹🌿☦❤

[@clintgossett1879]

Thank you for this series!

[@vaporizejello]

As a recent catechumen im so glad to finally understand that word! haha. There's so many new things, but im slowly learning it, and loving it.

[@karentrigaux5578]

Beautifully explained..

[@Nihit_Arora]

Beautiful ☦️❤️

[@tn1536]

Amen! Thank you for sharing ❤

[@bersabelwondimagegnhu6861]

I’m Ethiopian Orthodox residing in the US. This channel is a blessing . It helped me a lot to better understand orthodoxy .

[@MartinBrunoSar]

I love Fr John, such a calming and loving presence. Thank you John, bless you

[@rebeccaharrishunt1181]

Thank you so much, Father; your talk reminds me of my beloved spiritual father of blessed memory, +Fr. Thomas Davis (4.29.04), of St. Paul Antiochian Church in Lynnwood WA. He fell asleep only a few weeks after my late husband, +Steven (4.4.04, Palm Sunday). Thank you so much.

[@juliamihasastrology4427]

That guy is awesome. Thanks for praying for us.

[@pounchoutz]

Hesychasm, finding and moving within the stillness amongst the chaos, draws parallels to the notion of a reference frame in general relativity

[@jarrakis4834]

This encapsulates my current problem and how I am now studying orthodoxy

[@JakeBabineau]

what do you mean, whats your problems you faceing

[@elizabethharrison2947]

While i never doubted Gods existence, I came to know him on a circuitous journey wherein my hunger grew and never waned, and as challenges became nearly impossible to bear nor understand, I then set about reading Gods WORD and THAT began my most soberminded quietly joyful life that couldnt have been imagined until that turning point. And so, in a nutshell, GODS WORD is never highlighted, but is minimized and not quoted enough for too many reasons to enumerate and so , dear readers, TAKE THE TIME to understand-by-learning, GODS WORD, and pray unceasingly, which will be a GREAT JOY for YOU, as will His unutterable peace and confidence, and no matter what else happens - thats right, you read that right: NO MATTER WHAT, The Lord will be with you. Never lean on your own understanding. Be with God and God will be with YOU. ~Old woman in Christ, here 🙏💔🙏

[@johngarrity6687]

Thanks, wise woman. Thank you for reminding us

[@elizabethharrison2947]

@@johngarrity6687 i like the term you used, 'transrational'1 but ONLY as it pertains to Gods ways, tho - otherwise of course it could be used to steer the lost deeper into darkness, as 'trans' now, is a popular term beung used for various concept, as we all know. Its good to turn words and concepts around that are being used against Gods plans - words are SO powerful...i'll find times and places to fit this word in during discussions to plant seeds for those who arent aware of the unseen world (spiritual realm) and the word 'trans' is pretty much OWNED now, by the walking dead...words are TOOLS. Thank you.💖

[@GinnyBeth283]

Before Orthodoxy found me, God instructed me how to pray. I’ve had a VERY bad year. I’ve always had self esteem issues, but this was different. I kept thoughts in my head like: “you’re not worth loving”, “everyone would be better off without you”, or “why would God want you”, and eventually these thoughts came with visuals of me cutting myself and worse. I prayed and tried fighting them on my own, thinking I was just severely depressed. I came so close to giving up, but after a particular prayer, where through desperate tears I BEGGED God to help me and empty me of every evil and fill me with His love, will, commandments etc…. after this prayer, I just suddenly knew to keep “saying” His name in the “back of my mind” and EVERY unwanted, evil, self destructive thought left. I haven’t had a suicidal thought in a little over a year now, but those unwanted evil thoughts still try to sneak in… I just call on my King and Savior, Jesus Christ and they leave. I was a Protestant who had given up on the church because of so many reasons, but I still studied and tried to practice my faith. I haven’t been to church in well over 10 years but have never lost faith in God. Even though I think people blame the devil too much, I am convinced it was a demonic attack but all it did was bring me closer to Jesus Christ and I’m thankful for that.

[@inTruthbyGrace]

give up on "church"... pursue the WORD of God... that is the only way you will know Jesus is through His word... these cults are so far removed from the Bible that really really need to study God's Word for yourself. tragic that this is based on a single verse of Scripture torn entirely out of context and worse still by an "Orthodox" scholar who should know the use of the word σκολσατχ: to be unoccupied, at leisure. It is this charge of idleness that Pharaoh laid against the children of Israel in Ex 5:8 &17... it is part of God's command to TRUST HIm.. not to look at your belly button/ "heart" to look into the darkness of the created being because you are going to see God in your belly! Jesus speaks to these things: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil....For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” (John 3:19-21) and that LIGHT is the WORD of God (Psalm 119:105), not your belly ... Jesus again clarifies for you people: "and when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, hHe answered them and said, The kingdom of God comes NOT with observation"... "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men". (Mark 7:6-8)... you feign wanting to God if it is through yourself and not Hid Word: Isaiah 55.. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts;(K) let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my WORD THAT COMES FROM MY MOUTH will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut 8:3) I will προσκυνήσω toward your holy temple and ἐξομολογήσομαι your name for your mercy and for your truth, because you magnified your λόγιον above every name. Psalm 138:2

[@GinnyBeth283]

@@inTruthbyGrace I have been reading the Word of God, and I’ve read the Bible several times in my life, and it is the only thing that has kept me going. That being said, the Orthodox Church has answered so many questions and helped me improve my life in so many ways, and I haven’t even officially converted. If a person reads the Bible for understanding, and are truly seeking Jesus, they will be led to the Orthodox Church.

[@Engineer9921]

@@inTruthbyGracebegone satan

[@inTruthbyGrace]

@@Engineer9921 the Father Himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And you have not His word abiding in you: for whom He has sent, Him you believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life. *_I receive not honour from men._* But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not: *_if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive_* How can you believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

[@alm8213]

Beautiful 🙏🏼

[@diegoforever1940]

Beautiful explanation

[@forevershampoo]

This channel is great, thank you.

[@virginlamo8202]

its so cool how Platonic the East is and how Aristotlean the West is

[@jarrakis4834]

I’m not familiar with either can you explain?

[@MinnesotanMysticism]

@@jarrakis4834in a nutshell: Plato’s philosophy was more concerned with the abstract and metaphysical, “realm of forms” etc. Aristotles philosophy focused on there here and now, common, practical and even pragmatic (even though pragmatism came later, it’s a philosophy that further developed Aristotelian philosophy). Hope that clears this up a bit.

[@OrthoNektarios]

The East is not Platonic at all. We acknowledged that Plato was close to some things but we had to correct a lot of his theology but we use some of his examples but in a correct way. Same thing with Aristotle for us. But aristitilianism platonism is absolutely condemned and not accepted in the East. Where in the West Neo-Platonic doctrines sprung up with St.Augustine with some Aristotelian philosophy get crammed in with theology (which he later recants) and the West holds onto that like ADS and other doctrines. Anslem increases that and then Thomas Aquanisas increases that as well especially with Aristotelian thinking. So it is the West that is very platonic and heavily uses Aristotle and you can see this in their theology and concepts of God and the Trinity. Not the East. That is a bad representation of what we believe. Anyone who reads Aristotle and Plato and then looks at orthodoxy which the west used to be a apart of, can see that.

[@justinhart2831]

I hadn't ever heard it put like that. Thank you.

[@barriem5318]

Like in 1 Kings 19, where Elijah was at the cave. When God passed by, He wasn't in the wind, the earthquake tearing apart the mountain, or in the fire. God spoke to Elijah in a whisper. God speaks to everyone that way. If you can't find stillness you won't hear God speaking to you.

[@ruzickaw]

And what will god say? Always the same: Worship me, only me.

[@OrthodoxChristianTeaching]

So edifying

[@AnnaSen-m7i]

I love this !!

[@robrog73]

What storms and chaos do monks face who do not have to live in the world? How do they know they have conquered--say--lust, pride, envy if they are not present in the warp and woof of life, but rather spend most of life in the monastery? Scripture shows us the power of the first generation of Christians had in the fruits of the Spirit ***in the midst of*** conquering the world for Christ.

[@psycho_chef]

The devil tempted Jesus even in the desert. No one on this earth can run away from chaos or evil except in the midst of prayer with God.

[@123person31]

All sin is present in this world. There is not a corner you can hide in to be safe. Pride, envy and lust can be brought about by many things not just material things. Cain experienced pride and envy before he killed Abel and he spent his life close to God that God even spoke to him directly telling him in Genesis 4:6-7 [6] The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? [7] If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” No monk even on Mt Athos is safe from sin

[@mayeshdasa1882]

Amen t🙏🙏🙏

[@RootsofOrthodoxy]

❤

[@lukericker8325]

I once heard that you shouldn’t add “and the world” at the end of the Jesus prayer. I can’t remember the exact source, but I believe an orthodox priest heard someone do it and warned them not to. Something to do with the fact that healing to world will come when you receive God in yourself, so don’t hinder that by adding to the prayer. (This may have been from a Jonathan Pagaue video, if I find it I’ll confirm the source)

[@someotherguy43]

He means well, God understands the heart.

[@kyleernst328]

I see nothing wrong with replacing "Me" with "the World" or with "Luke". Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on Luke. The word "mercy" in greek, I am told means oil of grace thus when one prays Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on Luke then one is merely asking our God to pour the oil of grace over Luke's head...or pour the oil of grace over the world. What can be wrong with that since we are called to pray for the world?

[@giacomostira8176]

I am Catholic but my childhood priest taught us this prayer (in Italian) when we were kids, after he returned from one of his pilgrimages to the Holy Land in companionship with members of other Christian denominations and also other faiths.

[@niculuca4798]

God bless ortodox Russia 🙏

[@Captnsouthpaw]

I am doing horribly ever since I became a catechumen it’s like my passions are turned up to 11. Please pray for me.

[@Engineer9921]

Can you explain? And give me your name so I can pray for you

[@Captnsouthpaw]

@@Engineer9921 I struggle deeply with lust and wrath. My name is Jack. Thank you for your prayers.

[@danielthechampionoftheworl8490]

meta doesn't mean change - metanoia means "go beyond mind" - or "go to the big mind" - or less literally, perhaps, "go to the nous".

[@stuckmannen3876]

Anybody know if its possible to practise hesecastic prayer as a layman? Sorry for bad english

[@kyleernst328]

Anyone can pray the Jesus prayer however it is best to be under the instructions of one's spiritual father in doing so. "hesecastic prayer" is "silence of the heart"... not an easy task to silence one's heart before God. The Jesus prayer is the first step in the practice of Hesychasm. The goal is to stand before God in utter silence of the mind, silence of the heart...try it sometime...you will find it nearly impossible to silence your mind and not have a stream of thoughts running rampant through your mind. After 22 years of Orthodoxy...I have not attained even a second of silence of the heart. As I stated...it is best to be under the tutelage of a spiritual father in the practice of Hesychasm.

[@ENOC772]

Hesychasm: be still and silence. Práctica contemplativa reconocida y practicada por la iglesia ortodoxa

[@Jordan-KA]

why does orthodoxy sound exactly the same as protestantism I'm a protestant and I labor to enter into his rest as you are describing

[@yosoyyohoy]

Mary Magdalene was the first Christian to go to the cave, the first hermit. She lived in inner stillness:) Lot´s of Love

[@yosoyyohoy]

The ever moving, that spiral you point to, is the kundalini, the serpent.

[@yosoyyohoy]

The Heart is Mother, is femenine. Why is there no woman in Mount Athos?! Will these saints loose their inner stillness?! Are they afraid of themshelves?! Cowards.

[@blackmonster4708]

... this is holy. except, the jewish people were never enslaved, but rather were slavers

[@ruzickaw]

Fortunately, rational thinkers have liberated us from that outdated belief in that oriental god. You talk and talk about that moving stillness, without really explaining what it is and how to realize it. For people who are not familiar with this, these are just empty words. The Jesus prayer is just a distraction from reality, not a solution. To pray: Jesus, have mercy on me, is a sign of weakness. Why don't you solve your own problems instead of asking somebody who is dead for 2000 years. Wake up.

[@crunchybroll4731]

All of these obscure jargony words here. He is saying a whole lot of nothing. "Moving stillness in the chaos" is the only thing he said it means lol.

[@blindside58]

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all.

[@kyleernst328]

Orthodoxy has a tendency to go right over some folks heads.

[@calebbrunson7120]

@crunchybroll4731 Try to focus the mind on a single point, for example the Name of Christ. What happens is that thoughts continually arise which deviate from that point of concentration on the Name. Then, you must immediately bring the mind back onto the Name. This is the “moving stillness” in the “chaos”. The stillness results from extended concentration. The moving comes from having to refocus the mind when distracting thoughts arise. And the chaos refers to the constant modifications to the mind.

[@Anomous2024]

Focus on breathing techniques to remove other thoughts. This has helped me