August 5, 2001 "Four Centuries on the Spiritual Life -- Part I" St. Thalassios the Libyan In this issue we will begin a new study of the writings of St. Thalassios the Libyan, abbot of a monastery in Libya in the late sixth and early seventy centuries. There is little information in his biography beyond saying that he was a contemporary and friend of St. Maximos the Confessor (580 - 662). St. Maximos wrote his largest work as a theological treatise addressed to St. Thalassios. Over the next four issues of our "Thought of the Week," we will look at St. Thalassios's four "centuries" on the spiritual life. These are only excerpts as we do not have space for the full text. ON LOVE, SELF-CONTROL, AND LIFE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTELLECT  by St. Thalassios the Libyan  -- An all-embracing and intense longing for God binds those who experience it both to God and to one another. -- An intellect that has acquired spiritual love does not have thoughts unworthy of this love about anyone. -- He who has acquired love endures calmly and patiently the injuries and sufferings that his enemies inflict on him. -- A person who does not tolerate suspicion or disparagement of others possesses true love. -- If you tell your brother how someone else denigrates him you conceal your own envy in the guise of goodwill. -- Worldly virtues promote human glory, spiritual virtues the glory of God. -- A strong man is one who repels evil through the practice of the virtues and with spiritual knowledge. -- If you wish to overcome impassioned thoughts, acquire self- control and love for your neighbor. -- Firmly control anger and desire, and you will speedily rid yourself of evil thoughts. -- Inner work destroys self-esteem and if you despise no one you will repel pride. -- The genuineness of a friend is shown at a time of trial, if he shares the distress you suffer. -- Waste your body with fasting and vigils, and you will repulse the lethal thoughts of pleasure. -- The proper activity of the intellect is to be attentive at every moment to the words of God. -- It is God's task to administer the world and the soul's task to guide the body. -- Hardship and distress, whether of our own choosing or providential, destroy sensual pleasure. -- The amassing of money fuels the passions, for it leads to increasing indulgence in all kinds of sensual pleasure. -- How God treats you depends upon how you treat your body. -- Virtue and spiritual knowledge lead to immortality, their absence is the mother of death. -- If you wish to attain salvation, renounce sensual pleasure and learn self-control, love and how to pray with concentration. -- There are three ways through which thoughts arise in you: through the senses, through the memory, and through the body's temperament. Of these the most irksome are those that come through the memory. -- The intellect freed from the passions becomes like light, unceasingly illumined by the contemplation of created beings. -- He who stands in awe of God searches for the divine principles that God has implanted in creation; the lover of truth finds them. -- Stillness and prayer are the greatest weapons of virtue, for they purify the intellect and confer on it spiritual insight. -- Only spiritual conversation is beneficial; it is better to preserve stillness than to indulge in any other kind. -- The person who is unaffected by the things of this world loves stillness; and he who loves no human thing loves all men. -- The conscience is a true teacher, and whoever listens to it will not stumble. -- Only those who have reached the extremes of virtue or of evil are not judged by their consciences. -- Spiritual commerce consists in being detached equally from the pleasures and the pains of this life for the sake of the blessings held in store. -- Love and self-control strengthen the soul; pure prayer and contemplation, the intellect. -- When you hear something to your benefit, do not condemn the speaker; for if you do you will nullify his helpful admonition. -- A pure conscience rouses the soul, but an impure thought debases it. -- If you want to be free of all the passions, practice self- control, love, and prayer. -- Forgiveness of sins is betokened by freedom from the passions; he who has not yet been granted freedom from the passions has not yet received forgiveness. END from G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, trans., "The Philokalia -- vol. II," (London: Faber and Faber, 1981), pp. 307 - 312. Order "The Philokalia -- Vol. II" On-Line Today!   SOME GOOD BOOKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION I just began reading one of the most interesting books I've seen in a long time! It is "The Day-to-Day Life of the Desert Fathers," by Fr. Lucian Reginald, a monk in the Abbey of Solesmes. Fr. Reginald has been a monk for over forty years, and spent two years in Egypt visiting the places where the Desert Fathers lived and researching their lives. This book (257 pages!) recreates the daily life of the ancient Desert Fathers and takes an in-depth look at their lifestyles and daily routines. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough as it really puts a "human face" on the lifestyles and environment of the early Desert Fathers and Mother and gives us a unique look at their way of life. Order a copy of "The Day-to-Day Life of the Desert Fathers" today! A nice, but low-priced option for reading the Desert Fathers is "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers" in the Cistercian Studies series. This collection is good for self-study or as a gift. Check out "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers" and see what you're missing! Fr. Seraphim Rose, a convert to Orthodoxy, wrote a superb book some twenty years ago that is still one of the best books available on modern religious movements. Called "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future," Fr. Seraphim examines various new religious movements and compares them to the historical truths and teachings of the Orthodoxy, relying heavily on the teachings of the Desert Fathers and Holy Scriptures. I personally have read and reread this book several times and is always fresh and exciting. I am now reading it yet again and it is just as fresh to me now as it was when I first read it some twenty years ago.  Order a copy of "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" today -- you'll be glad you did! Another book you may find very interesting and revealing is "Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Father Seraphim Rose." At over 1000 pages, this book goes into Fr. Seraphim's life in great detail and describes his intellectual pilgrimage through Eastern religions until he finally found his spiritual home in Russian Orthodoxy. The book also goes into Fr. Seraphim's teachings in great detail, but some readers may find the final few chapters a bit too "political" for their taste. Nonetheless, the book is a great read for anyone interested in how Orthodoxy can appeal to the modern mind in modern-day America. To order "Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Father Seraphim Rose" online, just follow the link. Finally, Ms. Johanna Manley has produced a superb Bible study reference work that is simply great to have at hand when you're studying the Scriptures. Called, " The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox: Daily Scripture Readings and Commentary for Orthodox Christians," Manley has put together a superb collection of writings from the Church Fathers on various scriptures so you can have their words alongside the words of the Bible. This makes for an excellent study source which allows one to study the Bible in the context of the Church's teachings. Order "The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox: Daily Scripture Readings and Commentary for Orthodox Christians" today! Previous Week's Thought | Next Week's Thought Have you subscribed to our free newsletter on the Desert Fathers? View Shopping Cart  /  Checkout Home | Gallery | Archive of the Desert Fathers | Fine Art Prints | Order a Print | BOOK: "Monasticism in Egypt" | Book Store | Music Store | About the Photographer | Portfolio | Exhibit Catalog | Guest Book | Pope Shenouda Speech | Be a Sponsor! | Article on the Photography Project | E-Mail Us! | Search the Site | Links | Privacy Policy | Photo Buyers' Page © Inner Light Productions, Inc.  2000