PRAYER OF THE HEART also known as the Jesus Prayer ‘
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” (from “Tales of the Russian pilgrim)
A particular method of prayer is the prayer hesychastic, call (thankfully!) Prayer or prayer of the heart of Jesus
It ‘a particularly effective form of prayer in which, albeit in very different is pursuing a similar effect to that of praying in tongues though probably on a deeper level: to establish a direct connection of the soul with God, bypassing obstacles Headline exactmatch products from the mind and its worms. Practiced by many saints, is based on a gradual abandonment of its materiality to achieve a state of consciousness above the level of mind to deeply feel the ecstasy of intimate relationship with God
Forms are technically similar in Eastern meditation, yoga, tai-chi in in biofeedback, hypnosis and self hypnosis.
The obvious difference lies in not seeking a relationship with oneself, but with the Heavenly Father that permeates all things and all creatures. It is not a pantheistic way of seeking God in His creatures, but grasping it through them. Herein lies the great distance between the Eastern doctrines and this prayer: techniques may resemble the path to be common, but the goal is not on earth … is much higher!
There is a risk to be avoided from the start: to believe that the technique is the most important thing that the mantras are necessary, that everything is reduced to an almost forced immobility in which they apply, controlled breathing and repeating sacred words. St. Teresa of Avila reaching levels of relationship with God through ecstatic experiences even levitation from the floor without using sophisticated techniques, but through a complete abandonment to Him the whole body and whole mind even though she had followed a progressive had called metaphorically “the first, second, third, fourth water”
Welcome to the expert from an article De Matteis: “Without claiming to offer the rules that apply to all or to exhaust a subject as complex and difficult, we first outline a path of practical and methodological, in the knowledge that the technical aspect is secondary to the other elements of prayer and therefore should not be overestimated nor not too developed, not to fall into the trap of Hindu and Buddhist yogic techniques that has too much effort “technical” personnel and complex architectures mystical imagery and gestures that support the phases of meditation. ”
It ‘still an ancient form of prayer, practiced in one form or another by the mystics and ascetics of all time, certainly well before the time of Jesus, even though the two main speakers and supporters of this form of prayer were : St. Gregory the Sinai, which, to the fifteenth century, introduced the Prayer of Jesus to the Mount Athos and was a tireless propagator, and St. Symeon the New Theologian, who was the leading master of ‘the eleventh century as well as St. John Climacus said S. Giovanni della Scala. The immobility, closed eyes, the posture is useful now but as we have said many times we should not have too much attention to purely technical factors.
Method of St. John Climacus (known as St. John of the Ladder)
Without doubt, among all the methods, first place goes to the one recommended by John Climacus is simple and rather off: this encourages those who are at the beginning because no major rules or regulations. This method is indeed very practical and there is no danger: it is accessible to all Christians who live with pity, and seek salvation, whether monks or laymen. John Climaco, great leader of the monks, speaks of this method in two places in his stairway to heaven (Klimax tou Paradeisou) that is in step and in obedience to the prayer.
“Pen your thoughts in the words”
In step John Climacus says about prayer: “Strive to bring back or just the thought of locking up in prayer. If, as was his childhood, your mind is lost and scattered, bring him. The mind tends to instability.But he who brings order in all things may give you stability. If you will persevere in this activity and keep them constantly, he who lays down with you to your limits and the sea will tell you during your prayer: “As you come, and no further” (Job 38.11). You can not bind the spirit, but where he is the creator of that spirit, all obey him. ”
The initial phase of prayer is to dismiss the thoughts since their birth, through prayer, the central phase is, instead, when the mind is only in the words spoken vocally or mentally, the culmination, finally, is the rapture of the mind to God In step obedience, John says, “constant struggle with your thoughts and have it return to you every time you take the flight. God does not require a prayer from novice totally free from distractions, do not fret if robbed, but resist and you continuously the mind back to you. ”
“Praying with care”
The method described here is basically to pray with attention, that every word has weight and is directed in one direction, beyond the number of repetitions or the type of formula;, whether it is done vocally and mentally. When we pray with attention, the heart can not alienate, as Mark the Ascetic says: “The mind praying without distraction makes a contrite heart.” So then, those who pray “according to the method described by John Climacus will pray withlips, his mind and heart, and who have progressed in this way of praying will own the prayer of the mind and heart and will draw upon himself the divine grace, as you can see from the words of the great master of the monks. It sounds simple and obvious, but exclude the world and your problems to lock up your thoughts in words only gradually moving from mind to heart is an important path and can not be achieved without some effort and desire.
We enclose the techniques of the prayer of Jesus in five main categories that may also be a gradual and progressive:
1. Vocal prayer / Mental simple: without synchronization with the breath
It consists in the continuous and insistent repetition of the invocation, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” made for a certain period of time. In the first period of practice you can establish a program of gradual and progressive reps, but keep in mind that our present condition of life does not allow us, at least in the beginning, to go beyond a certain number.
Of course, the invocation may be amended or replaced by such sacred words: “Jesus, Abba, Kyrie Eleison, Holy Spirit, Ruah”.
The invocation is perhaps a little long when you’ll want to switch to a synchronization with the breath.
2. Vocal prayer / Mental simple synchronized with the respiratory rhythm
In this second method there are several variants: we suggest, from experience, the most simple and natural, without respiratory held:
Phase I – combined with the first part of the inspiration of the invocation: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” or sacred word
Phase II – combined with the second part of expiration of the invocation: “Have mercy on me a sinner.” or second word sacred
In the first stage “fill” the name and begin to bring our attention to the second phase we cuore.Nella “emptied” of our sins and begin to rest and relax in the knowledge that emotion and joy of mercy is given to us by Jesus
This technique seems the most natural and balanced because it does not alter the natural process of respiration rate and integrates seamlessly with our physiological functioning. Indeed, bringing our attention to the breath, allowing a greater awareness and control of inspiratory and expiratory phases and possible defect correction. In the long run it becomes automatic and spontaneous.
3. Prayer of the heart live
DIRECT TECHNOLOGY, BASIC
It consists of the sequence: INTELLIGENCE> DOWN IN THE HEART> holding the breath> PRAYER OF JESUS ’
St. Gregory the Sinai: “Sit on a seat bottom, is the intelligence from the head down in my heart and keep it in this place, and then, painfully inclined to suffer a severe pain in the chest, shoulders and neck muscle tension , cries of the heart and soul: the Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! In doing so, hold your breath, not daring to breathe too, as this may dispel the thought. Thoughts if they occur, do not pay attention even if they were simple and good, and not only vain and impure. While holding the breath as you can, imprisoning your intelligence at the heart patients and multiplying your appeals to the Lord Jesus, you break and destroy them quickly these thoughts with imposing their invisible blows the divine name. St. John Climacus says, “Hit your opponents with the name of Jesus, there is no weapon, powerful on earth or in heaven.”
When do you think will not, when your body and your heart will become sore in force to plant them in the name of Jesus with frequency, so that every occupation has ceased to provide them with warmth and joy needed to sustain the zeal and the patience of someone who is dedicated, then (only) get up and alone or with your disciple, chanting exercises or thoughts on this passage of Scripture or death to think or read or devoted to manual labor or some other occupations that do suffer the your body
St. Symeon the New Theologian:
You must first ensure three things: first, to not have any concern, good or bad, and secondly, you must have a clear conscience that nothing in all reproaches, and third, to have a perfect posting in such a way that your thinking is not prone to any attraction in the world.Having strongly established all these provisions in your heart, you’re in a remote, alone in a corner, shut the door, focus your intelligence away from it each time or space, strongly supports a beard to his chest, hold a little ‘breathing, your intelligence is down in the heart while directing both eyes on it your body, and pay attention to what is happening, compel an’ intelligence and tries to remain tied with the thought of finding the place where is the heart so that your intelligence will be completely fixed. First you’ll meet darkness and pain, but then, if you persevere in this exercise of attention night and day, you’ll get a constant joy. Intelligence, by dint of sforzarvisi, find the place of the heart, and then things will soon see that man has ever seen and which has no notion: you will see bright, full of wisdom and discernment. So, any party can be thought illegitimate, even before getting into the heart and will introduce any image, ‘the intelligence and drive out a’ destroy saying, Lord Jesus ‘Christ, have mercy’ on me! It is from this moment that it begins to have resentment and hatred for demons, chasing them, hitting them and destroying them. With regard to other things happening at the same time, you will learn to know them later with the help of God, by yourself, with your own experience, in the same measure in which keep them in your heart Jesus, that is to say the prayer stated: “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.”
4. Prayer of the heart mediated
TECHNOLOGY MEDIATED ACCESSORY
Sequence: HARVEST OF THE SPIRIT / MIND into the nostril> INHALATION IN THE HEART OF DOWN-> Holding JOY-REST-> PRAYER OF JESUS ’
In this case, the descent of the mind in the heart is not direct, but mediated, in fact, inhalation. But we must not make inappropriate comparisons with the tantric yogic techniques of meditation (Tibetan and Hindu) to “pretend” to drive / control the “subtle energies” of the human. The aid in our case is only psychological and imaginative, and instrumental, as it is unthinkable that the spirit can really get together in the nostrils. On the other hand there is a rich biblical parallel symbolic-spiritual matrix that refers to “mind-blowing” and that should be further developed in practice as well as theological.
About this technique, the St. Nicephorus’ abstinent tells us: “First of all, that your life is free of any agitation, any concern, be at peace with everyone. Then, retire to your cell, ‘shut the door behind you, sit in a corner and do what you say. Focuses your mind and you follow, to reach the heart, the path that follows the air, and compel them to descend to the heart with the air we breathe. Usually not leave this place “too soon, because the principle it suffers so much to stay locked up and a strong, but when you get used to it no longer wants to roam outside.” You know that breathing is inhaling and in ‘exhale air. The body that serves this purpose is the heart, it is the beginning of life and heat. The heart to pull on the wind to spread outside its heat with the breath and make an ideal temperature . The principle, or more precisely the instrument of this rhythm are the lungs. Made by the Creator with a soft cloth, being sidelined and introduce the air like a bellows, so that the heart in absorbing and emitting breathing cold air heated, retains the function entrusted to him for the balance of the living body.
1) As I said, sit up, pick up your spirit and introducilo nostrils, is the path that air follows to get to the heart. Push it, force detection down to the heart, along with the inspired air will come when you will see the joy that eromperà: you have nothing to regret. As one who returns home after a long absence can not stop the joy of having found his wife and children, so when the spirit is united to the soul, is filled with joy and gladness inexpressible. At this point, not used to bring out the spirit forward, the first few times you feel lost in this inner prison and jail. But when it will be set, will have no desire to sorting in the usual digressions, and the kingdom of heaven is within us.
Who draws the eye in his heart, and try to live a pure prayer, consider the external things of no value and quality.
2) For by now you can descend into the heart the way you’ve described, thank God! He gives glory, exult and be faithful to this exercise, you will manifest the things you ignore. At this point you need another lesson: While your thought dwells in the heart, do not stay silent and idle, but constantly Be committed to cry “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me,” and do not tire. This practice taking away your thoughts from wandering, makes him invulnerable and impervious to the suggestions of the enemy, and every day it rises to the love and longing for God
5. Joint prayer of the heart
MIXED TECHNIQUE
And ‘This is a technique more advanced and difficult.
It consists in the synchronization of a number of beats of the heart with each phase of respiration, and adaptation, with each beat of the heart, one of the terms of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me , a sinner. ”
Also on this technique are valuable indication of the Pilgrim Tales:
“Good. Then imagine the same way your heart and call it your eyes, as if watching him. Listen carefully with his mind ticks, one after the other. The holy Fathers called this operation ‘lead the mind from the head to heart. ‘When you get used to this, then began, still looking inside the heart to match his every beat a word of prayer:
– On the first beat will say or think, “Lord, – second: Jesus – in the third, Christ, – the fourth, pity – the fifth, to me a sinner.”
After giving this teaching, the Pilgrim says the blind man who listened to him:
“Repeat this exercise many times, it will be easy for you, because you already know the prayer of the heart and you’re prepared for it. Then, when you get used to this too, begin to breathe in and breathe from the heart throughout the prayer of Jesus together with thebreath, as the Fathers teach.
– Inhale, or think you have to say: Lord Jesus Christ;
– Exhaling, pity me.
By repeating this exercise more often, soon you will feel in my heart a pleasant pain, then a sort of feeling of feeling of warmth. And so, with the help of God, do your inner sweet and spontaneous prayer of the heart. But he is careful not to cultivate figures or patterns in your mind, that the holy Fathers strongly advised to avoid the presence of images in the interior prayer, and this will not fall into temptation. ”
These recommendations appear to apparently refer to the simple technique of synchronization with the phases of breath-inspiarzione we described earlier, but think carefully we find that compared to the simple technique we have shown there is an additional element: the gathering in the heart. This raises among the most advanced and complex forms that integrate attention, posture, breath, mind, heart and the prayer of Jesus
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