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The Influence of the Wilderness by Living in
the Wilderness
“Our attention,” Fr. Herman writes, “gradually
began to take in the life that directly surrounded us. We began to see reality
as it is and not depend on human opinion. The sound of the wind, the changes of
the weather, its influence on one's mood, the life of the forest animals and
birds – it was as if even the breathing of the plants and trees now had
significance. Peaceful ideas were sown. The eyes began to accustom themselves
to seeing not just what was external and jumped out at them, but the essence of
the matter. Although friends came with love and tried to help, they were
actually more of a burden and right from the beginning made errors of simple
judgment, worrying about the external aspect that passes and not seeing the
essence. And with what joy was the heart filled when silence reigned again and
much-speaking stillness.” (p. 444)
On Hesychasm
Observing Fr. Seraphim's silent contemplation,
Fr. Herman would tell him half-joking, “You're a hesychast!” - meaning a
“silent one” engaged in direct contemplation of Divinity. Fr. Seraphim,
however, did not like this term applied to himself. He even became indignant,
saying, “I don't know what that means.” Of course he knew intellectually, but
he did not want to pretend to understand it from experience. He detested posing
and fakery of any kind. For him, spiritual life had to be first of all down to
earth, filled with humility and sober awareness of one's low spiritual state.
In his younger days he had written: “He who thinks himself self-sufficient is
in the snare of the devil; such a man who thinks further that he is
'spiritual,' has become almost an active accomplice of the devil, whether he
realizes it or not.” (p. 449)
Monasticism and the
As Fr. Seraphim wrote... “It is precisely the monastic
services which are taken as the standard of the Church's life of worship,
because monasticism itself most clearly expresses the ideal towards which the
whole believing Church strives. The condition of monasticism at any given time
is ordinarily one of the best indicators of the spiritual condition of the
whole Church, or of any Local church; and similarly, the degree to which the local
parishes in the world strive toward the ideal of monastic services is the best
indicator of the condition of the Divine worship which is conducted in them.”
(p. 473)
The Jesus Prayer in Platina
Outside the Church services, Fr. Seraphim would
strive to remember God by saying the Jesus Prayer throughout the day, whether
while working, resting, or taking a walk. The brothers were reminded to do
likewise. From the very beginning of the skete's existence, Fathers Serphim and
Herman had instituted the traditional monastic practice of saying the Jesus
Prayer aloud whenever entering a room. This practice had been followed by the
monks on ancient times in order to foil the tricks of the demons, who were know
to enter the cells of desert-dwellers without warning. (p. 574)
The Role of Monasteries in the World
In traditional Orthodox societies, monasteries
have always been an integral part of the spiritual life of people in the world.
As Fr. Herman recalled Archimandrite Constantine telling the seminarians at Jordanville,
parishes in the world were meant to provide the minimum spiritual requirements,
but they never pretended to provide people with the maximum spiritual life.
This latter function had always been carried out by monasteries, to which lay
people made periodic pilgrimages. Monasteries were where they got spiritually
recharged; from them they brought the leaven of otherworldliness to their daily
lives in the world. (p. 578)
