In all forms of ego-defense, from the generation of bodily aches and pains and itches to distract one from quiet to the beginning stages of spiritual narcissism as manifested in expectations and false dark nights, the ego is reacting against an intentional attempt to enter into willingness and surrender. It is defending itself against an outright, self -imposed attack. People whom William James considered to be a “once-born” or “healthy” mentality may be spared all of this. Feeling no conscious need to come into closer union, there is no reason to attempt it and therefore no reason for the ego to engage in such skullduggery. But it is interesting to note that everyone, regardless of their spiritual bent, can identify similar problems arising whenever one aspect of the ego is pitted against another. This is most readily seen in addiction. There is very little qualitative difference between the struggle to become quiet and open in mediation and the struggle to diet, to stop smoking, or to break some habit. In all such cases an internal battle is waged between will power and personal desire. And when will power is all there is, desire wins. It is no accident that organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous maintain that to find hope one must first admit defeat. At the outset, before anything else, “I can do it” must be replace by “I cannot do it alone.”
~Gerald G. May, M.D., Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology
Silence of the eyes, by seeking always the beauty and goodness of God everywhere, and closing them to the faults of others and to all that is sinful and disturbing to the soul.
Silence of the ears, by listening always to the voice of God and to the cry of the poor and the needy, and closing them to all other voices that come from fallen human nature, such as gossip, tale-bearing, and uncharitable words.
Silence of the tongue, by praising God and speaking the life-giving Word of God that is the truth, that enlightens and inspires, brings peace, hope, and joy, and by refraining from self-defense and every word that causes darkness, turmoil, pain, and death.
Silence of the mind, by opening it to the truth and knowledge of God in prayer and contemplation, like Mary who pondered the marvels of the Lord in her heart, and by closing it to all untruths, distractions, destructive thoughts, rash judgments, false suspicions of others, vengeful thoughts, and desires.
Silence of the heart, by loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength; loving one another as God loves; and avoiding all selfishness, hatred, envy, jealousy, and greed.
~Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World
Having been formed ‘in His image’, man is called upon to acquire the ‘in His likeness’, in other words, deification (gr. theosis). The Creator, God by nature, calls man to become a god by Grace. The gifts of ‘in His image’ were given to man by God so that that he may ascend very high; so that through them he may attain a likeness to his God and Creator; so that he may have not an external, moral relationship, but a personal union with his Creator.
Since man is ‘called to be a god’, i.e. he was created to become a god, as long as he does not find himself on the path of deification (gr. theosis) he feels an emptiness within himself; that something is not going right; he feels no joy, even when he is trying to cover the emptiness with other activities. He may numb himself, create a fancy world, but at the same time poor, small and limited, and cage and imprison himself inside it. He may organize his life in such a way that he is never quiet, alone with himself. He can try, through noises, tension, television, radio, continuous information about this and that, as if with drugs, to forget, to not think, not worry, not remember that he is not on the right path, that he has strayed from his purpose.
~Archimandrite George, Abbot of St. Gregorios Monastery, Mt. Athos
