On Practicing the Jesus Prayer

by St. Ignaty Brianchaninov

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"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy = on me, a=20 sinner."

THE CORRECT PRACTICE of the Jesus Prayer proceeds = naturally from=20 correct notions about God, about the most holy name of the = Lord=20 Jesus, and about man's relationship to God.

God is an infinitely great and all-perfect being. God is = the=20 Creator and Renewer of men, Sovereign Master over men, = angels,=20 demons and all created things, both visible and invisible. = Such a=20 notion of God teaches us that we ought to stand prayerfully = before=20 Him in deepest reverence and in great fear and dread, = directing=20 toward Him all our attention, concentrating in our attention = all the=20 powers of the reason, heart, and soul, and rejecting = distractions=20 and vain imaginings, whereby we diminish alertness and = reverence,=20 and violate the correct manner of standing before God, as = required=20 by His majesty (John 4:23-24; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:29-30; = Luke=20 10:27). St. Isaac the Syrian put it marvelously: "When you = turn to=20 God in prayer, be in your thoughts as an ant, as a serpent = of the=20 earth, like a worm, like a stuttering child. Do not speak to = Him=20 something philosophical or high-sounding, but approach Him = with a=20 child's attitude" (Homily 49). Those who have acquired = genuine=20 prayer experience an ineffable poverty of the spirit when = they stand=20 before the Lord, glorify and praise Him, confess to Him, or = present=20 to Him their entreaties. They feel as if they had turned to = nothing,=20 as if they did not exist. That is natural. For when he who = is in=20 prayer experiences the fullness of the divine presence, of = Life=20 Itself, of Life abundant and unfathomable, then his own life = strikes=20 him as a tiny drop in comparison to the boundless ocean. = That is=20 what the righteous and long-suffering Job felt as he = attained the=20 height of spiritual perfection. He felt himself to be dust = and=20 ashes; he felt that he was melting and vanishing as does = snow when=20 struck by the sun's burning rays (Job 42:6).

The name of our Lord Jesus Christ is a divine name. The = power and=20 effect of that name are divine, omnipotent and salvific, and = transcend our ability to comprehend it. With faith = therefore, with=20 confidence and sincerity, and with great piety and fear = ought we to=20 proceed to the doing of the great work which God has = entrusted to=20 us: to train ourselves in prayer by using the name of our = Lord Jesus=20 Christ. "The incessant invocation of God's name," says = Barsanuphius=20 the Great, "is a medicine which mortifies not just the = passions, but=20 even their influence. Just as the physician puts medications = or=20 dressings on a wound that it might be healed, without the = patient=20 even knowing the manner of their operation, so also the name = of God,=20 when we invoke it, mortifies all passions, though we do not = know how=20 that happens" (421st Answer).

Our ordinary condition, the condition of all mankind, is = one of=20 fallenness, of spiritual deception, of perdition. = Apprehending=E2=80=94and=20 to the degree that we apprehend, experiencing=E2=80=94that = condition, let us=20 cry out from it in prayer, let us cry in spiritual humility, = let us=20 cry with wails and sighs, let us cry for clemency! Let us = turn away=20 from all spiritual gratifications, let us renounce all lofty = states=20 of prayer of which we are unworthy and incapable! It is = impossible=20 "to sing the Lord's song in a strange land" (Ps. 136:5), in = a heart=20 held captive by passions. Should we hear an invitation to = sing, we=20 can know surely that it emanates "from them that have taken = us=20 captive" (Ps. 136:3). "By the waters of Babylon" tears alone = are=20 possible and necessary (Ps. 136:1).

This is the general rule for practicing the Jesus Prayer, = derived=20 from the Sacred Scriptures and the works of the Holy = Fathers, and=20 from certain conversations with genuine men of prayer. Of = the=20 particular rules, especially for novices, I deem the = following=20 worthy of mention.

St. John of the Ladder counsels that the mind should be = locked=20 into the words of the prayer and should be forced back each = time it=20 departs from it (Step XXVIII, ch. 17). Such a mechanism of = prayer is=20 remarkably helpful and suitable. When the mind, in its own = manner,=20 acquires attentiveness, then the heart will join it with its = own=20 offering=E2=80=94compunction. The heart will empathize with = the mind by=20 means of compunction, and the prayer will be said by the = mind and=20 heart together. The words of the prayer ought to be said = without the=20 feast hurry. even lingering, so that the mind can lock = itself into=20 each word. St. John of the Ladder consoles and instructs the = coenobitic brethren who busy themselves about monastic = obediences=20 and encourages them thus to persevere in prayerful = asceticism: "From=20 those monks who are engaged in performing obediences," he = writes,=20 "God does not expect a pure and undistracted prayer. Despair = not=20 should inattention come over you! Be of cheerful spirit and=20 constantly compel your mind to return to itself! For the = angels=20 alone are not subject to any distraction" (Step IV, ch. 93). = "Being=20 enslaved by passions, let us persevere in praying to the = Lord: for=20 all those who have reached the state of passionlessness did = so with=20 the help of such indomitable prayer. If, therefore, you = tirelessly=20 train your mind never to stray from the words of the prayer, = it will=20 be there even at mealtime. A great champion of perfect = prayer has=20 said: 'I had rather speak five words with my understanding = ... than=20 ten thousand words in an unknown tongue' (I Cor. 14:19). = Such=20 prayer," that is, the grace-given prayer of the mind in the = heart,=20 which shuns imaginings, "is not characteristic of children;=20 wherefore we who are like children, being concerned with the = perfection of our prayer," that is, the attentiveness which = is=20 acquired by locking the mind into the words of the prayer, = "must=20 pray a great deal. Quantity is the cause of quality. The = Lord gives=20 pure prayer to him who, eschewing laziness, prays much and = regularly=20 in his own manner, even if it is marred by inattention" = (The=20 Ladder, Step XXVI11, ch. 21).

Novices need more time in order to train themselves in = prayer. It=20 is impossible to reach this supreme virtue shortly after = entering=20 the monastery or following the first few steps in = asceticism.=20 Asceticism needs both time and gradual progress, so that the = ascetic=20 can mature for prayer in every respect. In order that a = flower might=20 bloom or the fruit grow on a tree, the tree must first be = planted=20 and left to develop; thus also does prayer grow out of the = soil of=20 other virtues and nowhere else. The monk will not quickly = gain=20 mastery of his mind, nor will he in a short time accustom it = to=20 abide in the words of the prayer as if enclosed in a prison. = Pulled=20 hither and thither by its acquired predilections, = impressions,=20 memories and worries, the novice's mind constantly breaks = its=20 salvific chains and strays from the narrow to the wide path. = It=20 prefers to wander freely, to stroll in the regions of = falsehood in=20 association with the fallen spirits, to stray aimlessly and=20 mindlessly over great expanses, though this be damaging to = him and=20 cause him great loss. The passions, those moral infirmities = of human=20 nature, are the principal cause of inattentiveness and=20 absentmindedness in prayer. The more they are weakened in a = man, the=20 less is he distracted in spirit when praying. The passions = are=20 brought under control and mortified little by little by = means of=20 tn~e obedience, as well as by self-reproach and = humility=E2=80=94these are=20 the virtues upon which successful prayer is built. = Concentration,=20 which is accessible to man, is granted by God in good time = to every=20 struggler in piety and asceticism who by persistence and = ardor=20 proves the sincerity of his desire to acquire prayer.

The Russian hieromonk Dorotheus, a great instructor in = spiritual=20 asceticism, who was in this respect very much like St. Isaac = the=20 Syrian, counsels those who are learning the Jesus Prayer to = recite=20 it aloud at first. The vocal prayer, he says, will of itself = turn=20 into the mental.

"Mental prayer," he continues, "is the result of much = vocal=20 prayer, and mental prayer leads to the prayer of the heart. = The=20 Jesus Prayer should not be said in a loud voice but quietly, = just=20 audibly enough that you can hear yourself.,' It is = particularly=20 beneficial to practice the Jesus Prayer aloud when assailed = by=20 distraction, grief, spiritual despondency and laziness. The = vocal=20 Jesus Prayer gradually awakens the soul from the deep moral = slumber=20 into which grief and spiritual despair are wont to thrust = it. It is=20 also particularly beneficial to practice the Jesus Prayer = aloud when=20 attacked by images, appetites of the flesh, and anger; when = their=20 influence causes the blood to boil. It should be practiced = when=20 peace and tranquillity vanish from the heart, and the mind=20 hesitates, becomes weak, and=E2=80=94so to = speak=E2=80=94goes into upheaval because=20 of the multitude of unnecessary thoughts and images. The = malicious=20 princes of the air, whose presence is hidden to physical = sight but=20 who are felt by the soul through their influences upon it, = hearing=20 as they mount their attack the name of the Lord = Jesus=E2=80=94which they=20 dread=E2=80=94will become undecided and confused, and will = take fright and=20 withdraw immediately from the soul. The method of prayer = which the=20 hieromonk suggests is very simple and easy. It should be = combined=20 with the method of St. John of the Ladder: the Jesus Prayer = should=20 be recited loud enough that you can hear yourself, without = any=20 hurry, and by locking the mind into the words of the prayer. = This=20 last, the hieromonk enjoins upon all who pray by Jesus' = name.

The method of prayer propounded by St. John of the Ladder = should=20 be adhered to even when one is practicing the method which = was=20 explained by the divine St. Nilus of Sora, in the second = homily of=20 his monastic constitution. The divine Nilus borrowed his = method from=20 the Greek Fathers, Symeon the New Theologian and Gregory of = Sinai,=20 and simplified it somewhat. Here is what St. Nilus says: = "Experience=20 will soon confirm as correct and very beneficial for mental=20 concentration the recommendation of these holy fathers = regarding=20 restraint in breathing, i.e. that one should not breathe = with great=20 frequency." Some, without understanding this method, = exaggerate its=20 importance and restrain their breath beyond reasonable = measure,=20 thereby injuring their lungs and at the same time inflicting = harm=20 upon their souls by assenting to such a mistake. All = impulsive and=20 extreme actions are but obstacles to success in prayer, = which=20 develops only when nurtured by the tranquil, quiet and pious = disposition of both soul and body. "Whatever is immoderate = comes=20 from the demons," says St. Pimen the Great.

The novice who is studying the Jesus Prayer will advance = greatly=20 by observing a daily rule comprising a certain number of = full=20 prostrations and bows from the waist, depending upon the = strength of=20 each individual. These are all to be performed without any = hurry,=20 with a repentant feeling in the soul and with the Jesus = Prayer on=20 the lips during each prostration. An example of such prayer = may be=20 seen in the "Homily on Faith" by St. Symeon the New = Theologian.=20 Describing the daily evening prayers of the blessed youth = George,=20 St. Symeon says: "He imagined that he was standing before = the Lord=20 Himself and prostrating himself before His holy feet, and he = tearfully implored the Lord to have mercy upon him. While = praying,=20 he stood motionless like a pillar and bade his feet and the = other=20 parts of his body to stay still, especially the eyes, which = were=20 restrained from moving curiously in all directions. He stood = with=20 great fear and trepidation and denied himself sleep, = despondency and=20 laziness." Twelve prostrations suffice in the beginning. = Depending=20 upon one's strength, ability and circumstances, that number = can be=20 constantly increased. But when the number of prostrations = increases,=20 one should be careful to preserve the quality of one's = prayer, so=20 that one not be carried away by a preoccupation with the = physical=20 into fruitless, and even harmful, quantity. The bows warm up = the=20 body and somewhat exhaust it, and this condition facilitates = attention and compunction. But let us be watchful, very = watchful,=20 lest the state pass into a bodily preoccupation which is = foreign to=20 spiritual sentiments and recalls our fallen nature! = Quantity, useful=20 as it is when accompanied by the proper frame of mind and = the proper=20 objective, can be just as harmful when it leads to a = preoccupation=20 with the physical. The latter is recognized by its fruits = which also=20 distinguish it from spiritual ardor. The fruits of physical=20 preoccupation are conceit, self-assurance, intellectual = arrogance:=20 in a word, pride in its various forms, all of which = are=20 easy prey to spiritual deception. The fruits of spiritual = ardor are=20 repentance, humility, weeping and tears. The rule of = prostrations is=20 best observed before going to sleep: then, after the cares = of the=20 day have passed, it can be practiced longer and with greater = concentration. But in the morning and during the day it is = also=20 useful, especially for the young' to practice prostrations=20 moderately=E2=80=94from twelve to twenty bows. Prostrations = stimulate a=20 prayerful state of the mind and mortify the body as well as = support=20 and strengthen fervor in prayer.

These suggestions are, I believe, sufficient for the = beginner who=20 is eager to acquire the Jesus Prayer. "Prayer," said the = divine St.=20 Meletius the Confessor, "needs no teacher. It requires = diligence,=20 effort and personal ardor, and then God will be its = teacher." The=20 Holy Fathers, who have written many works on prayer in order = to=20 impart correct notions and faithful guidance to those = desiring to=20 practice it, propose and decree that one must engage in it = actively=20 in order to gain experiential knowledge, without which = verbal=20 instruction, though derived from experience, is dead, = opaque,=20 incomprehensible and totally inadequate. Conversely, he who = is=20 carefully practicing prayer and who is already advanced in = it,=20 should refer often to the writings of the Holy Fathers about = prayer=20 in order to check and properly direct himself, remembering = that even=20 the great Paul, though possessing the highest of all = testimonies for=20 his Gospel=E2=80=94that of the Holy = Spirit=E2=80=94nevertheless went to Jerusalem=20 where he communicated to the apostles who had gathered there = the=20 Gospel that he preached to the gentiles, "lest by any = means," as he=20 said, "I should run, or had run, in vain " (Gal. 2:2).

Translated by Stephen Karganovic from The = Alphabet=20 of Orthodox Life, Belgrade, 1974. This appeared in = Orthodox=20 Life, vol. 28, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 1978, pp. 9-14. = Reprinted with=20 permission.

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