SFÂNTUL VASILE DE LA POIANA MĂRULUI ASPECTE DIN ÎNVĂȚĂTURA SA DESPRE RUGĂCIUNEA MINȚII SAU A INIMII PENTRU CREDINCIOSUL CONTEMPORAN

Abstract

The teachings of Saint Basil of Poiana Mărului (1692-1767) represent a unique synthesis, of that time, on the benefit of practicing the Jesus prayer, also known as the prayer of the mind, of the heart, of the one thought or of all the available time. In this synthesis, Saint Basil, on the basis of his own living of the Jesus prayer, highlights the sanctifying work of this prayer for all believer, be they a monastic or a lay person, this teaching being valid all the way throughout the centuries to this day. He recalls the so-called ‘psycho-somatic methods’ and ‘techniques’ and shows his preference for the hesychastic tradition of Mount Sinai, expressing reserve regarding the hesychastic tradition of Mount Athos, the latter tradition being focused on the respective methods. Saint Basil distinguishes between two stages in the practice of the Jesus prayer: 1) ‘the practical stage’, of which each Christian is responsible, which corresponds to the ‘active’ or ‘working Jesus prayer’; 2) ‘the contemplative stage’, reserved to the perfect ones, which is a gift from God and corresponds to the ‘contemplative’ or ‘seeing Jesus prayer’. But of this contemplative prayer are made worthy also those who cultivate the first stage of the Jesus prayer, sometimes before the moment of their passage into the life beyond the grave, and sometimes after this moment as a reward and mercy from God. Actually, the teachings of Saint Basil of Poiana Mărului concern mainly the first stage of the spiritual perfection, namely the fight against the sinful passions and the cleansing from them, because most believers are at this stage.