Two pilgrims asked an ascetic hagiorite:1
– To what extent are we responsible for the thoughts that attack our nous?
The Elder replied with a beautiful allegory:
– Aeroplanes pass above, here where I live. I cannot hinder the aeroplanes. I’m not responsible for that. I would be responsible if I began to build an airport. The acceptance of the attacks, which is consent, can be compared to the airport.
In the first volume of the Philokalia, St Diadochos of Photiki writes about the vigilance and guarding of the nous from impure thoughts and passionate images:
“Those who love the pleasures of this present life pass from evil thoughts to actual sins. Since they lack discrimination, they turn almost all their sinful thoughts into wicked words or unholy deeds. Those on the other hand, who are trying to pursue the ascetic life, struggle first against external sins and then go on to struggle against evil thoughts and malicious words. So when the demons find people who are cheerfully abusing others, indulging in idle and inept talk, laughing at the wrong time, being uncontrollably angry or desiring vain and empty glory, they join forces to attack them … Those who wish to live virtuously should not desire praise, to be involved with too many people, or keep going out, or abuse others (however much they deserve it) or talk excessively, even if they can speak well on every subject. Too much talk radically dissipates the nous, not only making it lazy in spiritual work, but also handing it over to the demon of listlessness, who first enervates it completely and then passes it on to the demon of dejection and anger.
“The nous should therefore devote itself continually to keeping the holy commandments and to deep mindfulness of the Lord of glory. For it is written: whoever keeps the commandments will know no evil thing (Eccles.8:5. LXX) – that is, will not be diverted to base thoughts or words.
“When the heart feels the arrows of the demons with such burning pain that the man under attack suffers as if they were real arrows, then the soul hates the passions violently, for it is just beginning to be purified. If it does not suffer greatly at the shamelessness of sin, it will not be able to rejoice fully in the blessings of righteousness. He who wishes to cleanse his heart should keep it continually aflame through practising the remembrance of the Lord Jesus, making this his only study and his ceaseless task. Those who desire to free themselves from their corruption ought to pray not merely from time to time but at all times; they should give themselves always to prayer, keeping watch over their nous even when outside places of prayer. When someone is trying to purify gold, and allows the fire of the furnace to die down even for a moment, the material which he is purifying will harden again. So too, a man who merely practises the remembrance of God from time to time, loses through lack of continuity what he hopes to gain through his prayer. It is a mark of the one who truly loves holiness that he continually burns up what is worldly in his heart through the practising of the remembrance of God, so that little by little evil is consumed in the fire of this remembrance, and his soul completely recovers its natural brilliance with still greater glory.2
The attentive nous guards the door of the soul like a vigilant “sober gate-keeper” and blocks the entrance of bad and impure desires.
~ The Nous, Themes from the Philokalia, Number 2, 2nd Edition, Publications of the Holy Monastery of St Gregory Palamas, Koufalia, Thessaloniki, Hellas
1. Term given to an inhabitant of the Holy Mountain of Athos.
2. The Philokalia Vol. 1 St Diadochos of Photiki, London Faber & Faber Ltd. 1979.
