The Life of Stillness
The Life of Stillness
As explained by Mar Isaac the Syrian
Mar Isaac explained the essence of stillness and called for it with intense zeal.
He explained its necessity and importance, and spoke about its true purpose, its fruits, its degrees, and its connection with other virtues. He also spoke about the conditions of stillness, the signs of its success or failure, who among people are suited for the life of stillness, and when the monk should walk in it.
He also spoke about the dignity of stillness and its superiority, and how it surpasses works of mercy, service, and the working of miracles. He explained how its order is better than the order of the monks of the cenobium, and that the monk who lives in stillness has a greater and more glorious rank before God. In his solitude, he is not required to practice the virtues that are exercised among people, but he should have practiced them during his time in the cenobium.
Mar Isaac explained the means by which the monk preserves his stillness: confinement in the cell, distance from mixing with others, silence, guarding the senses, gathering the mind, detachment, and dwelling in a remote and solitary place.
He also spoke at length about the work in stillness, in worship and purity:
A- The work of worship: which includes prayer, psalmody, murmuring, contemplation and theoria, reading, and what follows from it of vigil, the work of the mind and the heart, fasting, and prostrations.
B- The work of purity: which includes self-examination, discernment of thoughts, combating wrong thoughts and the wandering of the mind, struggling against specific sins, and striving to attain purity and chastity in order to acquire the great virtues such as humility, love, faith, and knowledge.
What is stillness?
Stillness is the diminishment of our senses from the world, or the loosening of our senses, because the name and title of stillness is calmness from all things, the absence of agitation and disturbance, and fleeing and escaping from all matters.
Know that the principles of the life of solitaries are detachment, stillness, and not being bound to a person or to a matter.
The upbringing of stillness is dissolution from everything.
The solitary is a person who has left the world, its glory and riches, its taking and giving and profit. He has left his country and his relatives, and moved to communities and monasteries, or to mountains and deserts. He sits in stillness, works with his hands, sustains himself, or is given alms from the believers according to his need only. And he worships God night and day.
A call to stillness
In every place you may be, be a solitary, alone with your conscience, and a stranger.
My brother, love solitude, even if you are unable to fulfill all its rights. Love silence and stillness much more than works.
More than toil, love stillness, and better than everything is the love of stillness. Love stillness, my brother, with care, because in it you find your life.
And because our corrupt generation, my brothers, does not help us to find complete calm and true stillness as in the earlier generations, then in whatever situation we are, let us sit with ourselves, even for one day—not only in the monastery, but on the road and in any place whatsoever—even if it is only for one hour. Every place in which stillness falls into our hands, let us guard it well.
Let your secret be within yourself, and do not leave it outside of you. For as long as you look at others, you do not see yourself. But if you turn your gaze inward, then you will be able to see yourself.
The essence is kept in treasuries, and the delight of the monk is within stillness and calm.
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