VERSIUNEA ORIGINAL

ISIHASMUL IN TIMP SI IN ORTODOXIE

Viata stresanta,pe care o traim fiecare
dintre noi constituie motivul principal
care m-a determinat sa aleg aceasta
tema.
ISIHASMUL este mestesugul linistirii;este
o miscare de renastere spirituala.
ISIHIA(grec) inseamna linistea launtrica.
Astazi, isihasmul este
redescoperit.Lumea afla despre el,se
apropie de el,vrea sa-l practice.Acest
interes sporit se constata mai ales in
spatiul ortodoxiei,unde isihasmul este la
el acasa.
Catolicismul recupereaza si el
isihasmul,prin indemnul pe care il da
Vaticanul la integrarea acestei practice
in viata spirituala.
Astfel,in anii nostril,inceteaza,definitiv, o
polemica veche.
Polemica isihasta a inceput in 1342,intre
doua personalitati simbol, ortodoxul
Grigorie Palamas de la Muntele
Athos,adept al contemplatiei si aparator
al isihastilor si dominicanul Varlaam din
Calabria,adversar al
contemplatiei,adversar al rugaciunii
isihaste,adept al autoritatii
sacramentale.
Polemica aceasta,discutata cu obida de
unii teologi,trebuie apreciata ca un
catalizator formidabil: gratie ei,isihasmul
a castigat contur precis,fundamentare
teologica si filosofica,transformandu-se
-din exercitiul individual,izolat (datand
din paleocrestinism)-in curent spiritual
structurat.
Atunci,in secolul XIV,s-a mai petrecut un
fapt insemnat: isihasmul s-a extins
dincolo de pustie si dincolo de
chilie,captand interesul larg al
cautatorilor de imbunatatire.
La aceasta extindere a contribuit,la
timpul respectiv,nu doar Grigorie
Palamas(1296-1359),ci,poate mai

TRADUCERE N LIMBA ENGLEZ

HESYCHASME IN TIME AND IN
ORTHODOXY
It is commonly accepted that modern
people have stressful lives and that is
the main reason that prompted me to
choose this topic.
HESYCHASM is the craft of appeasement
and also a movement of spiritual rebirth.
ISIHIA (Greek) means the inner stillness.
The hesychasm has been rediscovered
nowadays. People find out about it,
approaching to it and wish to practise it.
This increasing interest has been found
especially in the Orthodox space where
the hesychasme is "at home".
The hesychasme is being recovered by
the Catholicism itself by the urge given
by Vatican at integrating this practice
into spiritual life.
Thus an old polemic has finally come to
an end.
Hesychast polemic started in 1342
between two symbolic personalities
namely the Orthodox Gregory Palamas
from Mount Athos who was a
contemplation advocate and defender of
the hesychasts and the Dominican
Barlaam of Calabria, opponent of
contemplation of hesychaste prayer who
advocated a more intellectualist
approach to prayer.
This polemic discussed with resentment
by some theologians has to be
appreciated as an extraordinary catalyst:
thanks to it the Hesychasm won precise
outline, theological and philosophical
grounding, turning from an individual
isolated exercise (dating from paleoChristianity) into a spiritual structured
movement.
A very important fact took place during
the XIVth century, the hesychasme
extended beyond the wilderness and
beyond the cell drawing the large
interest of spiritual improvement
searchers.
1

efecient,Grigorie Sinaitul(1255-1346).
Acesta, calugarit la Sinai,a fost initiat in
Rugaciunea inimii de catre isihastul
Arsenie de pe insula Creta.
Apoi,Grigorie Sinaitul vine pe Athos,pe la
1300,si-I invata pe discipoli procedeul
vechi si aproape uitat(cum scrie un
cercetator) al Rugaciunii neincetate.
Grigorie Sinaitul,adept al isihasmului
incluzand si laici, a trimis la Salonic,pe
Isidor,ucenicul sau insemnat,pentru a fi
un isihast oraseansi pentru a fi
calauzitor al unui cerc de mireni.
Pe la 1333,dupa 33 de ani de la venirea
sa pe Muntele Athos,Grigorie Sinaitul
merge in Bulgaria unde intemeiaza un
focar isihast(la Paroria) ,cu practicieni
multietnici.
Trebuie sa intelegem,cuvantul isihia ( de
la grecescul hesychia),ca insemnand
linistea launtrica,linistea luminata.
Este linistea bunatatii si a sanatatii.
Este linistea mintii clare,linistea
sfintitoare.
Procedeuloratio hesychasta,adica
Rugaciunea inimii,care conduce pe cel
vrednic si pe cel harazit,la isihia,provine
din traditia ascetica-contemplativa
paleocrestina(sec.III-IV),relansat mereu
de marii parinti(sec.VI-X) si structurat
( sec.IVX)ca un curent spiritual distinct.
Este singurul procedeu complet de
concentrare,introspectiva,meditatie si
thosis elaborate pe terenul
crestinismului.
El are anvergura si eficienta marilor
metode din alte spatii geografice.
Practica isihasta nu se reduce, insa,la
procedeu,ea este un mod de viata.
Ea presupune ,in
prealabil,despatimirea,iertarea
semenului,ca treapta a despatimirii.Ea
presupune,deci,schimbarea mintii.
Isihasmul este initiatic,adica presupune
transmiterea de la parintele spiritual la
ucenic.
Parintele spiritual trebuie la randul sau
sa fi cunoscut practica aceasta, si

Gregory Palamas (1296-1359) was not

the only contributor to this enlargement
but perhaps more effectively Gregory the
Sinaite (1255-1346).
As heremite of Sinai he was initiated in
the Jesus Prayer by the hesychast
Arsenie on the island of Crete.
Then Gregory the Sinaite came on Mount
Athos at 1300 and taught disciples the
old and "almost forgot" method
(according to a research fellow) of
Unceasing Prayer.
Gregory the Sinaite, follower of
hesychasm including lay people, sent his
significant apprentice Isidore to Salonic
to be townsman hesychast and guide
for a group of lay people
33 years following his coming to Mount
Athos at about 1333 Gregory the Sinaite
went to Bulgaria where he founded an
hesychast center (in Paroria) with plurietnichal practitioners.
We have to understand the word
hesychia (from the Greek word
hesychia) meaning inner peace,
enlighted peace.
It is the stillness of kindness and health.
It is thr stillness of the clear mind,
consecrated quietness.
"Oratio hesychasta" process, meaning
Prayer of the heart that drives the
worthy and given one to hesychia comes
from the contemplative ascetic paleoChristianism tradition (IIIrd - IVth
centuries), always released again by the
Athonite Fathers (VIth -Xth century) and
structured ( IXth century ) as a distinct
spiritual movement.
It is the single complete process of
concentration, introspection, meditation
and thosis developed within the field of
Christianity.
It has the breadth and the efficiency of
great methods from other geographical
spaces.
Hesychast practice is not reduced at the
process because it is a lifestyle.
As a pre-requisite it assumes the
dispassion, the forgiveness of the fellow
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trebuie sa fi primit taina aceasta de la un

isihast.
Cand spunem initiatic inseamna si
faptul ca produce o schimbare a mintii
dinspre simturi spre duh.
Isihasmul se caracterizeaza si prin aceea
ca este personal,adica nu se practica in
grup,ci individual.
In grup se poate face doar deprinderea
procedeului.
Intalnirile periodice de grup sau in tabere
sunt folositoare pentru consolidarea
simtului de familie spirituala,pentru
studiul Filocaliei,si in deosebi pentru
deprinderea procedeului isihast,a
exigentelor practicii.
A dobandi isihia este o lucrare de
amploare,presupunand staruinta si
inmultirea harului.
Filocalia ofera procedee,experiente si
modele care arata cum se poate omul
curatii,lumina si desavarsii.
Mitropolitul bucovinean Tit Simedrea(cel
care a avut idea primei tabere isihaste
,la Cernauti,in 1942)demonstreaza ca
intre ucenucii lui Grigorie Sinaitul, la
Paroria,s-au aflat si romani-munteni si
moldoveni-_isihasti care au adus practica
aceasta in Tarile Romane inaintea lui
Nicodim de la Tismana.
Redescoperit astazi isihasmul ramane
totusi prea putin cunoscut,chiar printre
cei preocupati de practici spirituale.
Se publica acum lucrari care fac istoricul
si descrierea acestei miscari
innoitoare,se publica teze da
doctorat,sau dezbateri pe teme
filocalice.
Toate acestea sunt binevenite ca fapte
de cultura si de climat spiritual.
Dar,cunoasterea isihasmului presupune
initiere urmata de practica staruitoare.
Isihasmul nu se invata la Facultate si nici
din manual.
Singura cunoastere o da practica

as the level of dispassion. It implies,

therefore, the change of mindset.
Hesychasm has the initiatic character so
that it supposes to be transferred from
the spiritual father/ Elder to the
apprentice
conditioned by the fact that spiritual
father/ Elder had already received the
sacrament from a Hesychast.
When we say "initiatic" it means and that
produces a "change of mindset"
directed from the senses towards the
spirit.
Hesychasm has a personal feature
meaning that is not practiced within a
group but individually.
Only the acquirement of the method can
be made within a group.
Regular meetings of the group or in the
camps are useful for strengthening the
sense of the spiritual family for the study
of the Philokalia and in particular to grow
familiar with the hesychast process and
demands of the practice.
The acquirement of the hesychia is a
large enterprise assuming perseverance
and grace multiplication.
Philokalia offers processes, experiences
and models "that show how a man can
be cleansed, enlightened and
completed".
Metropolitan of Bukovina Tit Simedrea
(the one who had the idea of the first
hesychast camp at Cernauti in 1942)
proves that among the apprentices of
Gregory the Sinaite at Paroria were also
Romanians hesychasts from Wallachia
and Moldavia that brought this practice
to the Romanian Principalities before
Nicodemus of Tismana.
Rediscovered today the hesychasme still
remains too little known even among
those concerned about spiritual
practices.
Different papers published nowadays
have presented the history and
description of this innovative movement,
doctoral theses have published or
debates on FILOKALIA themes have
3

indrumata.
Primele intalniri mirene de practica
isihasta,episodice, au putut fi initiate in
1985,la Bucuresti si la Sibiu,in
semiclandestinitate,in conditiile
prohibitiei spiriruale din Romania anilor
80.Atunci,procedeul Rugaciunii inimii,a
fost numit in latinaOratio
mentis(Rugaciunea mintii in inima)sau
in greacaNoera proseuche,pentru a
putea fi sustrasa rigorilor cenzurii
comuniste.
Dupa liberalizarea din 1990 ,un timp a
fost pastrata denumirea Oratio
mentis,deoarece se obisnuisera cu ea
practicienii,dar,treptat,au fost introdusi
termenii romanestiRugaciunea
inimiisau Rugaciunea lui Iisus fara a
se renunta definitive la termanul latin
sau cel grecesc.
Dupa 1990 intalnirile de practica isihasta
au functionat la lumina zile,infiintanduse Centrul National de Practica
Isihasta,inregistrat juridic in Bucuresti si
avand filiale in marile orase ale tarii.
Participantii la aceste cercuri si lucrari,
vechi sau noi,nu se numesc deloc
isihasti ci ravnitori.
Reperul hristic,codurile simple si
nesofisticate ale Rugaciunii
inimii,destinatia mantuitoare,aduc o
lumina decisiva privind mestesugul si
finalitatea meditatiei.
In legatura cu meditatia,in cercurile
bucurestene de practici sapientiale sunt
multe confuzii,multe derive si
improvizari.
Cine stie ce este meditatia?
Mai ales ca meditatia nu se poate invata
si nu exista retete sau predanii pentru
aceasta.
Cel mult concentrarea se poate invata si
numai de la un maestru spiritual.
Experienta isihasta ii scoate pe cei
exaltati din starea de science fictionsi
ii aduce in realul unei practice de viata
imbunatatita cu repere ferme.

taken place.
All these are welcome as facts of culture
and the spiritual climate.
But the mastery of the hesychasm
involves initiation followed by a
persistent practice.
Hesychasm can not be learnt in college
or from the manual.
Knowledge rises only from the guided
practice.
The first episodic laical meetings of the
hesychast practice took place in
underground back in 1985 in Bucharest
and in Sibiu under spiritual prohibition of
the 80's in Romania. Then the Prayer of
the heart was called in Latin "Oratio
mentis" (Prayer of the mind in the heart)
or in Greek "Noera proseuche" in order
to avoid the Communist censorship.
After the liberalisation of the 1990s the
name "Oratio mentis" was kept because
the practicians have gotten used to it but
Romanian phrases have been gradually
introduced "Heart Prayer" or "Jesus
Prayer" without giving up entirely to
Latin or Greek expression.
After the 1990 meetings of hesychast
practice have been legally kept
establishing the National Center of
Hesychast Practice legally registered in
Bucharest and having branches in major
cities of the country.
The participants in these circles and
acts, old or new, are not anymore
hesychasts but zealous Christians.
Christic marker, simple and direct codes
of the Prayer, liberator destination bring
a decisive prospective regarding the art
and meditation outcome.
In terms of meditation there are many
confusions, deviations and
improvisations within sapiential practice
groups in Bucharest.
Who knows what meditation is ?
Especially since you can't teach
meditation and there is no recipe or
tuition to do this.
At most the concentration can only be
learnt from a spiritual master.
Hesychast experience takes out the
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Principiul de baza al meditatiei isihaste

estenepsis,adica,trezvia sau
sobrietatea.
Idealul isihasmului
romanesc,dintotdeauna,este omul cu
viata imbunatatita.
Acest ideal orienteaza bine nu numai
asceza ci si trairea lumeasca.
Asa se face legatura de la religie la viata
si,astfel,isihasmul se implica in cotidian.
Cand orice om aude ca procedeul isihast
consta in repetarea unei propozitii de
cinci cuvinte,adicaDoamne Iisuse
Hristoase ,milueste-ma crede ca este
simplu si se instituie opinia ca oricine si
oricum o poate face.
Este aceasta rugaciune pentru toti?
Exista o rugaciune pentru toti si o
rugaciune pentru cei care se consacra.
In primul caz avem in vedere rugaciunea
de veneratie,in care se include
rugaciunea de implorare si cerere.
Omul venereaza pe Dumnezeu ca sa
smulga un beneficiu.
Omul se infurie cand nu primeste
nimic,lauda si multumeste cand
primeste.
De aici rugaciunea de multumire de
lauda si de preamarire.
Aceasta este Rugaciunea pastorala sau
rugaciunea pentru toti( se mai numeste
si rugaciunea cultica, atunci cand este
insotita si de jrtfa euharistica),sau
rogation(latineste)
Al doilea tip de
rugaciune,oratio,inseamna convorbire cu
Dumnezeu si este o Rugaciune
isihasta,este o convorbire cu Dumnezeu
cand tac gandurile.
Aceasta Rugaciune ste mult mai grea si
pentru a o practica iti trebuie o initiere.
Atitudinea mentala trebuie sa fie cu totul
alta.Prin initieretrebuie sa intalegem
trecerea de la informatie la revelatie.
O initiere poate fi scurta sau de
durata,depinde de vrednicia ucenicului si
de anvergura indrumatorului.
Rugaciune isihasta nu este o cerere nu
este formularea unei dorinte.
Sintagma miluieste-ma nu este o

exalted ones from "science fiction"

condition and brings them into the real
practical life improved with clear
benchmarks.
The basic principle of hesychast
meditation is the "nepsis" meaning the
watchfulness or sobriety.
The ideal of Romanian Hesychasm ideal
has always been the individual with
improved life.
This ideal not only directs the ascetism
but also the worldly living.
So it makes the connection from religion
to life and thus the hesychasm engages
in daily life.
When everyone hears that hesychast
process consists in the repetition of a
sentence of five words, meaning "Lord,
Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on
me, a sinner" believes that is simple and
everyone and anyway can do it.
Is this prayer for all?
There is a prayer for everyone and a
prayer for those who consecrate.
In the first case we consider prayer of
veneration which includes a prayer of
supplication and petition.
Man worships God as to elicit a benefit.
Man is getting angry when gets nothing,
praises and thanks when gets what he
wants.
Here the prayer of praise, thanksgiving
or apotheosis.
This is the pastoral prayer or prayer for
all (it is called prayer of when it is
accompanied by eucharistic sacrifice) or
rogation (Latin)
The second type of prayer, oratio, means
conversation with God and is an
hesychastic prayer, it is a conversation
with God when "thoughts are put to
silence".
This prayer is more difficult and in order
to practice it one needs an attunement.
Mental attitude must be totally different.
Through "attunement" we have to
understand the transition from
information to the revelation.
5

cerere ci,inseamna o stare de suflet,cu

recunostinta si descoperirea lui Hristos in
inima ta.
Ortodoxia ramane,in spirit,dominant
isihasta(ar fi o explicatie a faptului ca
este mai putin extinsa pe
glob).Catolicismul,preponderant
sacramental,este de trei ori mai extins
decat ortodoxia.
Catolicismul,insa,are destui mistici de
mare valoare si profunzime,care au
dobandit iluminarea si desavarsirea in
afara practicii isihaste.
Asa se ajunge la constatarea parintelui
Petroniu Tanase potrivit cu care
isihasmul nu este singura cale pentru
obtinerea desavarsirii.
prof.dr.
Silviu Costache
VicepresedinteFundatia Oamenilor de
Stiinta-Prahova
Bibliografie:FILOCALIA B.O.R.; Vasile
Andru Isihasmul sau mestesugul
linistirii- EdituraCartea
Moldovei,Chisinau,2002.

The attunement can be brief or long

depending on the worthiness of the
apprentice and the scope of the master.
Hesychast prayer is not a request or a
formulation for a desire.
The phrase "have mercy on me" is not a
request but it means a certain condition
of the soul with gratitude and the
revelation of Christ in your heart.
Orthodoxy remains mainly hesychast in
spirit (this would be an explanation of
the fact that it is less extended around
the globe). Catholicism is mainly
sacramentally and is three times
extended than the orthodoxy.
Catholicism however has plenty of great
mystics who have gained enlightenment
and plenitude outside the hesychaste
practice.
So it comes down to finding of Father
Petroniu Tnase with that "the
hesychasme is not the single way to
reach the plenitude".
Prof. B Sc
Silviu Costache
Vice President of "Scientists Foundation
Prahova
Bibliography: PHILOKALIA B.O.R.; Vasile
Andru Hesychasm and the art of inner
stillness", "Cartea Moldovei" Publishing
House, Chisinau, 2002.