I was raised a "non-denominational" evangelical Christian, but joined the Orthodoxy as an adult. I often think of the Orthodoxy's approach to mysticism is simply an acceptance that we may never understand all that God is, we may never have all the answers. Once you can accept that you can't know or explain everything, it is so much easier to enjoy spirituality.
Yes I think that's a very good point. Same way a cat can't comprehend quantum mechanics (probably) so we surely can't fully understand God, at least in this life.
@@garyl8356 your "brain" is not only your faculty of reason. And to "know" something is to catagorise it and God cannot be catagorized, and your base faculty of reason doesn't even serve you well in the field of Quantum physics and Event Probability, where we see a clear tendency in Nature toward that which is incalculable, both of which are the creations of God, let alone the Creator Himself... Unity with God sounds better than being able to catagorized Him in some made up human box
I am black and I went to a Russian Orthodox church. Where the women in the church wore Amish type clothing. But do you know even though I was the only person of color they made me feel...just like I belonged.
@dinyhotmailPaul is an entrusted apostle of Christ church. Jesus left the apostles to do his bidding after his departure. So Paul's teaching is also valid as it pertains to church behavior.
One of the reasons why I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy because it was the only Church that still held mystical traditions and spiritual disciplines while most American churches had forgotten them
Where's the emerald tablet , how can can issue Newton read the emerald in the 16th century and dead in the 17th century and there's no emerald tablet in the 21st, Where's it at ?
They didn't forget them, they were pagans and heretics from the start. In other words, either protestants. Also the Catholics of the Novus Ordo (Vatican 2) are same as protestants
@@whatislifebuttheenjoymento3405 The only wrong path is paganism - ALL Abrahamic religions are valid and true (except from the protestants and reformers in all faiths). There is only plan A period
I'm a convert from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy, and have lived as a postulant on Mt. Athos. I was especially delighted with your well-balanced approach to this subject which is dear to me and to which I have devoted many years of study. Thank you.
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
Silence, or Hesihia in Greek, is the source of the wisdom and Devine knowledge. In silence everything is. From silence everything comes forward and into silence everything will dissolve. THat is why the best form of worshiping God is in Silence.
I was raised Roman catholic, but feel I resonate more with the Orthodox tradition. I feel it to be more mystically oriented and has a stronger emphasis on its platonic roots, especially with the use of the Greek language.
As an orthodox, I advice you to make a video about Philocalia, which are ancient texts showing a human path in life in order to get as close as possible to God. Philocalia and hysichasm go hand in hand, Philocalia is for ordinary people living in society and hesychasm is for ascets living in caves.
Clarifying ✓ Little opportunities exist, as there are very few bases/Churches of the Orthodox in the Western World, for learning of and understanding the Orthodox Religions. Many here see them as part of the Christian Religion and it as 1 with various interpretations. The Roman Christian Religions being the greater root of the Western Catholics and Protestants. It has required a journey through History, largely dependant on other Researchers and their interpretations of early Texts, the Sumerian Cuneiform Tablets, and Letters of the era, to gain a general concept of the more true History of Yeshua/Jesus and the relative stories. It is a subject with almost no resources available to 9ne interested in having the clarity of the Historical Records and Facts. The larger scope being that Constatine and his Priests really edited the earlier form of Christian Beliefs and basically established a wholly different Religion, one easily Marketable to Rome practicing Pagans, for his goal of establishing a "1 State/Empire Religion" (and its benefits for managing and controlling the Public). Beth Bartlett Sociologist/Behavioralist and Historian
@@bethbartlett5692 I get that sense as well based on my research and observation of the church in history. The church/state union brought about by Constantine for the sake of political control and unification of the Roman Empire has altered the course of the church ever since. It's influence on a major segment of the church, has led to a leaning towards the desire for political dominance, strong hand tactics, tyranny and an attraction to and sympathy, and willingness to embrace and cooperate with fascism over the course of history. This explains a lot.
I am a Carmelite Hermit under the Roman Catholic Church. What you are expressing here has consoled me a lot. I indeed feel out of place among the Roman Catholics. I intend from hereon to explore more deeply into Eastern Orthodox discipline. Thank you for this material.
Are you really not aware of say the Byzantine Catholic Church? The Maronite Catholic Church? Etc. I’ve been to both and receive the best of both Western and Eastern Catholicism.
I feel American Christianity is often reduced to “don’t do xyz, go to church, and you are saved, end of story”. Sadly i might describe it as a ‘Christianity without a God,’ a la Friedrich Nietzsche.
I agree my aunt was a catholic nun but she mentioned the apocrypha, the dead sea scrolls, and the research she did with hesychasm. I was too young to understand it but I remember her having a calm demeanour that I've only ever seen from people who have alot of experience meditating, usually in a zen or buddhist style. She also spent alot of time with a sect of european nuns in Colombia whos practises where very different from typical catholic guilt trips and hellfire. When she lived in the US she was amazed out how miserable the typical christian behaved in their day to day life. Everything seemed to her preformative and kind of like people where just ticking boxes to be part of a team. Anytime I've ever mentioned any of this to a christian they found it blasphemous and became offended. They don't seem to have any piece of mind or calmness that she had. I'm not religious myself but I can appreciate meditation and contemplative practices for their contribution to mental clarity and ultimately to treating people and yourself in a better way. I hope soon these contemplative practices of gnostic christianity return to prominence in place of the evangelist and guilt based movements that dominate the west and particularly the United States.
@@funknotik before gnostic Christianity returns to prominence, Christianity will have to tackle and reverse the forced conversions. It is like a second original sin, committed by the church.
@@kyll5552 interesting that you use the term " lead astray". Sounds like a bit of guilt there. Indoctrination is a strong form of brainwashing and hard for some to shake off
Hi - as a life long Orthodox Christian I really loved this video! I don't know if this comment will be seen, but I just wanted to add that a key component of Hesychasm is having access to a spiritual teacher, that can guide you during this process (especially as rigorously experienced as it is in monastic life). Obedience towards your spiritual teacher (often an older monastic) is vital to guard against the ego and any mental illness that may arise in such intense inward inspection. Again, love the video!
Sounds very similar to Eastern Vedic mysticism that states the "student" requires guidance from a spiritual teacher / guru before Enlightenment can even be approached.
Based on my experience growing up and living in a "Bible belt" region in the US, I would say the main issue we deal with in these areas is the fact that the word Christianity has acquired a very strict definition due to the social conditioning most of us experienced in childhood. Therefore, when people from Fundamentalist backgrounds encounter information like this, their first instinct will be to define those early Orthodox dissenters as heretics and write off anything you say after the first contradiction of King James they detect. Granted, that mainly applies to people who fully internalized and chose not to question the Fundamentalist doctrines they were raised with, but I unfortunately can't call that group a minority where I came from. My own mother would probably have a very hard time with these practices being defined as Christian due to conditioning from the Baptist church she attends. These are the kind of communication barriers we are facing in my neck of the woods. For my own part, I'd really just like to find a way to use concepts like this as a bridge between my worldview and those of my parents. I feel like if I could succeed at that, it would help heal a lot of intergenerational wounds in a larger cultural sense. Thanks again for bringing new pieces to the puzzle, Philip!
It’s true. I grew up evangelical and converted to orthodoxy when I was 18. My parents(especially my father) still have a very hard time understanding anything I say and like to draw comparisons to other religions. Like prayers ropes he wants to claim is stolen from Hindus or some nonsense
All the churches are corps. Supposed to be the living body of Christ, but instead are corporations, dead paper fictions. They all have Bank accounts, not lock boxes and treasurers and are under commercial tax benefit status from the state. Pretty much every church is an extension of Rome(the Federal State). None are following scripture, this is the great falling away.
@@___-_____- I'm talking about North America. In order to be a Christian Church you gotta be in line with the new testament. OTherwise you end up a place of business/den of thieves and are not a church at all. THe only expression of Love on this Earth is through proper expression of charity, the church has been disordered from being properly organized around the Cross . All nations are functioning on Roman Civil law/commercial code. Legal marriage has Rome as Third party, not God. National birth/berth certificates with debt liened against our Christian names that we neither benefits from nor incurred make a Man is neighbours slave unless we properly observe the law of the land in our dealings with each other. THe state has usurped the church over the last 150 years or so of global communism/satanism rollout. Don't unfairly burden your neighbour, nor incur debt at his expense through government. Rome Runs all commercial law/code. Like this unlawful covid rollout.
I can connect to this Hesychasm quite easily. In surrendering all to God in prayer, day to day life including good times and bad, He will come. It is difficult to remain open to receive the grace, but God also knows we are trying and He will come when the time is right. Having said that, He also backs off for a time which some mystics refer to as a dry period, however He wants us to continue to search, hope and remain vigilant in our prayer life. Remembering those experiences of when He did come, keeps us enlightened and going on further. Thankyou for this rich teaching! Spiritually rich.....
Your comment resonates with me. I am an American Christian but I stumbled upon this Hesychasm before I knew it was a thing. I find myself quieting the outside and seeking Jesus and thinking on the encounters with God until another one happens. Do you mind telling me more?
There nothing kind or merciful about any of it. God rips everything away from you anyway and leaves you with whatever he decides to give back to us. I'm not of the opinion that groveling and licking boot is going to do anything except make God disgusted with us.
Again to add to this discussion: The Orthodox Church considers the Hesychasts to be the Heart of Unceasing Prayer of the Church. Monasteries and Monastics play a BIG part in the life of the Church. Many of our Bishops come from these Hesychasts. Although most of our Priests are married our Bishops are not. They are either widowed or Hesychasts.
This sounds like another man made doctrine. What baffles me is several times he states that people that practice this doctrine seek to "become one with God." God has told us how to become one with Him through the Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed scripture. 2 Timothy 3 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. How does one become one with God? The scripture tells us that when a pennetant believer in Godly sorrow repents, confesses Christ as the son of God, and is baptized (baptizo - immeresed) in water for remission of sins it is there he comes in contact with the saving blood of Christ. He is dead in sin upon entering the water, is immersed in the watery grave of baptism, sins washed away (by the cleansing blood of Christ) and rises up out of the water a new creature born of water and spirit. He now is in union with Christ, clothed in His righteousness. He is added by God to the one true church, the body of Christ. Acts 2 (Peter preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost) 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Galatians 3 (clothed in Christ's righteousness) 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Romans 6 (baptized into His death) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Colossians 2 ( Warning against vain philosophies and false doctrine, baptism an operation of God, buried with Christ) 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
@@dsvet Man made doctrine? Jesus went off into the desert alone to fast and pray for 40 days. That is an example of Hesychasm not only told in the Bible but practiced by Christ Himself. So not man made but an example set by Christ. Matthew 4:1-11 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Also, what about John the Baptist? Everything about him was Hesychast. He lived alone in the desert and ate only what God provided. He prayed and finally, when God had told him to, he preached and baptized people, including Christ. Hesychasm is about denying passions, prayer and facing your own temptations squarely to overcome them. In doing so you draw closer to God. The Orthodox believe salvation comes only from the Grace of God and is not be earned. Even so we can STILL become closer to God through prayer and reflection. This process doesn't end for Orthodox anymore than it does for you. I am sure you go to Church and Bible Study or at least read the Bible a lot. You also have to think and pray a lot about it. How is that much different than Hesychasm? It isn't.
I have to say that after being a Christian over the western tradition, agonizing over theological questions by reading and speculating, the meditative practices of the hesychasts came me like a breath of fresh air, especially as described by Gregory Palamas
@@bigbrownhouse6999 I don't just think it but I know this to be true. You don't know the LORD God of Israel and the Father of the Lord Christ Jesus. Neither do the Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or any other so-called "christian" denomination. They are all an abomination and against the LORD God of Hosts. Meditation is to think about the word of God with sincerity and diligence, not sitting in a yoga position and emptying your mind and focusing on the self. You're lost, bud.
This video, it seems to me, was exceptionally well done and understandable. I became a believer in Jesus when I was 16 and have had a few, what I would call mystical experiences and happenings that are beyond my understanding, but were real and not made by me. I comprehend them to be from God via The Spirit of God to my mind, soul, and spirit. All of this to say that I find your explanation of Hesychasm to have enlightened me. We are brothers in Christ because of our acceptance of Jesus even though we have grown up in different households. I find much to learn and appreciate in my Orthodox brothers and sisters and I would have no difficulty at all in joining in Community Worship in an Orthodox Church and in fact have spent a few Sundays doing so in Santa Barbara, California. As I said above, this video was exceptionally well done and I value your tone and intelligence in creating this for many people’s benefit. Thank you.
Good work! A lot of the time when non-Orthodox people try to describe Essence/Energies distinction it gets very convoluted and different from how we understand it in the Church. It was great to see someone do their research and present it with minimal reference to Western Christianity. I hope you do more Orthodox related content in the future. ☦☦☦
I was able to visit an Eastern Orthodox worship service as part of a Religious Diversity class at my university. I found it beautiful and the differences with my own faith very interesting..
For practicing hesychasm, it is essential to have an orthodox priest/Monk as a spiritual father. And be baptised Orthodox Christian, of course. 📚Must reads: Saint Joseph the Hesychast and his disciples, Elder Sophrony Sakharov, Elder Silouan, Elder Paisios of Mount Athos and Elder Porphyrios and many more...
Amazing saints. Also remember a monk is not the same as a married person or lay person. Don’t expect your married priest who works too be like a monk who lives a very different lifestyle. You can be a lay person and practice aescetic disciplines but talk to your spiritual father and he will guide you by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for this!!! I grew up orthodox but then moved to the west and catholicism made me lose all hope in religion until I rediscovered orthodoxy. I wish more people knew about our beliefs!
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
I have personally experienced this using the Jesus prayer. There are no words to describe what happened but I tried to with two priests more to validate it but realized I didn’t need to. This prayer and it’s proper practice is miraculous. I am not in the clergy but was raised in the Eastern Orthodox religion. Thank you for sharing.
@@dedezee11 It’s a prayer that has been used by Christian monks that is almost 2000 years old. If you repeat it over and over ( I used to say it about 100 times for many days), miracles will happen. It’s not like they might happen. They will. But any version of the prayer will work. “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Or “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” Or “Have mercy on me”. I have personally experienced profound miracles that I cannot attribute to anything else. The priests I spoke with about them validated them and gave great reverence to the prayer.
@ManifestReality thanks. So you say this phrase outloud 100 times a day? Does it need to be said outloud? Miracles WILL happen is a big promise! Curious to know what kind of miracles you've experienced?
@@dedezee11 I said it in my head while meditating. I also used prayer beads to help count. There’s no harm saying it aloud. I had no way to heal at one point in my life. After praying many days, I saw a miraculous vision. When I came out of it, I was healed.
I read the "Cloud of Unknowing " by an unknown Christian monk I believe from the 13th Century. I did try one of the meditative exercises which at first I found very heart warning and relaxing but this was followed by an earth shaking experience that was both awesome, humbling and brought me to tears ...I will never forget it as I remember every detail...it made all my human experiences appear to be very superficial as if they were only simulations of reality. I have not dared to repeat this meditative exercise since then ...it has cast doubt on what we consider to be material reality ...even to our perception of time .
That sounds like the end result was luciferic extremity. Something doesn't want you to do it again. You can channel your thurgic fields, chakras, chi, 3 crowns, spirit and soul, all these are based on 3 becoming 1. Chakras has a kundalini version that is activating all 7 chakras. You are at purity of 7 of God, 6 seraphims surround the 1. Seven. 12 is of jehovah jirah, for his Disciples. 9 is actually seven because his trinity 1 in 3 and we lost the set key. So everything is of manifold, we'd basically have a higher beginning number. Based 12, this stuff is hidden from us because other want power. As we fold in, we actually bloom out. This is natural law, and doesn't take but a thought to understand. I had a 5 level activation 4 days ago so everything but my 2 above. It made me quake the room creaked I heard knocks on my door. Look at every huge company. Toyota,7 GMC 3, Nintendo is of 8. So it's actually very terrae (earth) so is made by us. We are all God's. Don't deny the beauty God gave you.
@gracerenda640 psychedelics is a trick. No you have to go through it. I wrote something above this. I have learned more in 4 years than everything I've learned my life about anything and everything.
Yes....that is what I believe to be the experience of something Transcendent. Don't fear it.... Transcendence is our natural 'state' when we purely attempt to simply know or act without selfishness. I honestly think you don't need to delve into a lot of specifics, technicalities or bend yrself out of shape with mental gymnastics written by 'other people' - that is their reality. Your reality is uniquely 'yours'. Drop words & concepts and go with your heart's purist intentions (spirit, the essence of something). You will be amazed. Small things, sometimes imperceptible at first, happen and then understanding just starts to flow. I try to stick to things that can apply equally universally - never something that puts one thing/person above or in conflict with another. So I never pray for someone to 'win' (as in sport or war) as that is fundamentally 'a house divided' and not universal good to all parties. Whatever the state of yr intention or 'being' at that time, will determine the nature of your experience. I would not, for example, try this when I am traumatised or deeply upset. It is very likely you will 'magnify' that state of being or experience. We are told to be either 'neutral' in emotions (such as the Buddhist meditation practices') or to be 'joyful, grateful & loving'. In being able to be 'that' in intention & experience and pray for yrself equally as for others - so if you are depressed, find a moment that was extremely joyful in your memories, feel those emotions and see everyone equally as joyful, at peace, having abundance, etc. When we focus on our own needs we resonate a frequency/spirit of lack. But we don't necessarily feel all people 'lack' a particular thing. Therefore when we focus on an essence & extend it to all equally, not only does a power relating to a Universal condition kick in for everyone, but your own state is altered & magnified by the size of the vision you engage with. Then weird negative experiences are so much less likely to happen. Your state of mind & heart (intention) will have blocked that possibility entirely. Our experience is quite literally on the identical frequency we enter the meditative intent/purpose in. But magnified, because we are 'engaging' with it powerfully. We are told in so many different cultures how to meditate/pray. That is: Neutrally With a pure & joyful heart Gratefulness for what is, or rather as if what you are praying for already exists.
Along with the Jesus Prayer and the posture used, many will use a Prayer Rope with knots on it. It is similar to the Rosary except that you go to the next knot after saying the Jesus Prayer once. It is simply another way of focusing your concentration so that you go deeper into your Prayer/Meditation. For one of the best stories about Hesychasm read the story of St. Mary of Egypt.
Wow I used to go the Ethiopian Orthodox church as a kid with my grandmother. We used to pray while bowing numerous times as he described and we recited "God have mercy on us" (Ezgiyoh maherena Cristos" ). Also other prayers I didn't understand since they were in Geez (acient language used by the Church).
Although the video was posted posted a year ago, I am pretty disappointed why you left out Ethiopia and Eritrean orthodox from oriental group. Major fallacy. The only difference is that Ethiopia is black.
Yes, yes and YES. The STILLNESS is the key. This IS bestowed upon one by the Grace of God and is a rare and precious spiritual state to experience. 'Stillness' is more, much, more than simply having a quiet (thinking) mind and feeling (emotions). Stillness is oh, so problematic to define intellectually yet, the 'intellect' is the major tool us humans use to TRY to understand that which cannot be understood by the thinking mind. The state of 'STILLNESS' is a spiritual gift bestowed by God. Wishing to experience this state does not guarantee we will or that state will be given and/or granted. STILLNESS is an experience.
Wonderful video! Thank you. It is very interesting to learn about Christian mysticism as a devoted Buddhist practitioner and Dhamma-student. I know you want to be careful with comparisons, but it really seems like the attainment of Jhana (meditative absorption) is available to anyone who is sincere in the spiritual quest, no matter the religion. The experience must be the same I believe, but it is when the practitioner comes out of Jhana and tries to make sense of it things start to differ. A certain religious framework brought the practitioner to the point of complete surrender to the inner light, and this is the base from which the practitioner will use when conceptualizing the experience in mundane terms. But in Jhana itself, no such conceptualization occurs I believe.
I believe conceptualization still occurs during the Rupa Jhanas, but not in the Arupa Jhanas. But at that point it becomes very noodley and I won't pretend to be an expert. Also, greetings from a fellow Buddhist!
It's entirely possible someone is mistaking a Jhana experience for God lol! Even the mystic conceptions of God can be dismantled, the reason we don't see much talk of a creator in Buddhist circles.
As someone who looks at all religions but doesn't follow any at a whole.. I love to see you compare one to another and find the similarities within each group.
This is the first time I've heard of Hesychasm, and I'm so glad to have learned it. Now I see why the modern denominations of western Christianity seem to be peopled by nutbags (not to say every single one is, but as with all groups the few tend to shout louder than the masse). I've never understood them, and after seeing this and learning at least the educational basics, they don't know what they're doing because they're missing a vital piece of their faith. I've always been fascinated by mysticism traditions, and I'm definitely going to be losing myself down this rabbit hole lol. Sorry if any part of my comment offended anyone; I just never thought to actually stumble across a still-living tradition of precisely why western Christianity makes no sense in the way it's practiced and taught.
I have always been told and matches with bible, that having a relationship with God is a personal thing, as someone who was changed for good, by a very spiritual experience 40 yrs ago. Man, however long words he uses can never ever over ride that personal time when God, Jesus, pierced my heart. Love ❤️
The mystical aspect is overblown. Eastern Orthodoxy still hugely emphasises repentance and abstaining from sin, and oppose everything the West loves. It's not something like Buddhism where people take what they want from it and go on their way. Orthodox Christians are huge on staying faithful to God/Jesus.
I'm a Roman Catholic and through my experiences with meditation, psychedelics and seeking God with all my heart I've reached Theosis and experienced the energies of God. Because of this I've always been drawn to the Orthdox Church because of their acknowledgement and emphasis on the mystical.
Enoch hid his 36,525 scrolls (the Emerald tablet) in the Ark of the Covenant, which was kept in the Holy of Holies at Solomon's Temple. 36,525 being the number of days in a year times 100, the Egyptian number of perfection. Just like Enoch himself lived 365 years. It's a Zodiac Calendar, just like the one at Gobekli Tepe, and Teotihuacan. He hid those scrolls under a pillars of Gold and Emerald, the only Temple that fits that description is the Temple of Melqart in Tyre, which sat just offshore from Urshu Shalom, City of the New Moon, the root word of Jerusalem. Tyre was an island Fortress, Troy, the base means Rock. The Cross comes from this site, the Cross of Baal, the Phoenican Moon God. There are 13 Lunar cycles in a year, which requires a sophisticated equation in order to synchronize the first New Moon of Spring with the Easter Sabbath. The star Azazel is Helel, in Orion, the Constellation of Osiris, but that rose in the fall, on the Jewish/Pagan New Year because that's when Orion ruled the skies as the God of Storms. The temple of melqart was built when King Ahab married Jezebel of Sidon, she is the same as Sheba, because the entire region had worshipped the Mother of the Mountain for thousands of years, she is Vaticanus, and her son and husband is Vulcan, or Lucifer, Son of Saturn. She is Gaea, her Titan children are the offspring of animals and men who became God's, the Constellations of the Zodiac. They are the Angels and Demons, or Anglos and Daimons, and the Cherubim the cardinal directions. Anglo comes from Ankh, and means to bend, much like Atlantis was beyond the Gates of Gebal, or Gabriel's Alter, Gibraltar, where we find Tartessos, and the oldest Stonehenge on earth, over 7000 years old. The Internal angles of the Star of David are 1440 degrees. 2016 plus 144 is 2160, the length of an astrological age. 86,400 seconds in a day, divide by 2160 equals 40. 1440 seconds is also ten minutes, or a single Megalithic minute of Arc. The exterior angles of a Pentagon are 108 degrees, divide by 40 and get 2.7, a Megalithic yard is 2.72 feet. The Moon completes an orbit of the earth every 27.3 days. 24 times 60 is also 1440, and the internal angles of the Six sided cube are 2160. The interior angles of a right angle Tetrahedron Pyramid are 720 degrees, and the Azimuth of the Standing stones at Carnac is 72 degrees. 72 times five is 360. Or 36 ten day weeks A metonic cycle is 18.6 years, but a full cycle is 19, 19 divided by 7 is 2.714, or 19.2 gives us 2.74. A Megalithic yard was 2.7 feet, a Megalithic Rod was 2.5 Yards, half a Rod is 99.88 cm. The full Metonic cycle is 216 years, divided by 2.7 equals 80, half a metonic cycle is therefore 40. Venus also takes forty years to complete its Pentagonal pattern in the sky, resurrecting after 8 days below the horizon every 584 years. There are 13 lunar cycles in a year, just as the Pyramid of Cheops is 13 Acres square at the base, it is also 186 feet on the slope, and 230 metres (235 sumerian metres/ number of synods in a year) at the base and is 481ft high. 477.9 divided by 2.7 equals 177 Megalith Yards, times two equals 354, plus 11.25 equals 365.25. Where did the 11.25 come from? Why 216 divided by 19.2 of course! That 11.25 is the height of the Phoenix ashes, the days removed by the Metonic cycle in order to synchronize the Equinoxes with the first New Moon, which pretty much all Megalithic sites were designed to observe and measure. It's also why Trumps building is 663.9 feet instead of 666 because it requires that last 2.7 feet to make 666.6, which is what you get from 18.6, 6 plus 6 plus 6, plus .6. 216 is 6 cubed, or 6 times 6 times 6. Did I mention there are 13 hours on the clock? The 12 should really be a 1, until we return to where we started, at 13, just like Jesus and his 12 disciples, or Loki the 13th guest at Valhalla, or Queztlcoatyl and the 13 Butan Calender of the Maya. Incidentally Maia was also the wife of Hephaestus, as in the Phaistos disk, who was King Og, the first Pharoah to unite Egypt, before the Scorpion King. Hephaestus is also the God of Metals, Alchemy, and Knowldge like Thoth, and features in the Greek and Roman Pantheons, as King Oaegrus, adoptive father of Apollo. His son was Theseus of the Labryrinth, who bought the first writing to Greece. His first Palace was next to the Necroplis of El Gebel, same name as the Phrygians Goddess of the Mountain, or the Jezebel of the Bible, Queen Sheba, Wife of Solomon, Queen of Sidon, Daughter of Hiram Abiff. Sidon means Kingdom of the Fish, the Phoenician Symbol for fish is X. Sidon is also the birthplace of Pythagoras, whose parents were told by Pythias of Delphi to expect a son of great importance. The star of David also aligns with 6 key points of the Zodiac, Solomon's Key is the New Year, Samhain, September, Zayim, Serpentis, 13th Sunsign of the Babylonian Zodiac, when Osiris rose in the Night Sky, the Aleph (Ox) and the Omega (Zayin is the last letter of the Phoenician Alphabet, and also means 7). The Heliopolis of Baalbek as well as of Egypt and Karnak etc all housed their own Ark of the Covenant, which was a Sarcophagi of their City's Patron God (Baal) and it is where the Phoenix returned and annointed itself in Frankinscense and Myrrh before self igniting, upon the altar, ie the Pyramid. In Egypt it was called the Benben Bird and looked like a kind of Crane or Stork. Enoch's other name is El Ashmunein, a name for the Moon, or Thoth, the Egyptian symbol for the soul was the Estruscan X inside a circle, they also used a Theta symbol to signify the Dragon Agathos Daimon wrapping around the Earth, just as with the Zodiac. At the center of the Arc created by the 3 great Pyramids lies El Tuna Gebal, much like Pipituna the Phrygian Mother Goddess. At that site sites a well from which tools dating back to the Paleolithic were found. It is the well of memories that Osiris, Odin, and Orpheus drink from in order to pass through the underworld, just as the Phoenix lies at the end of Eradinus, the red river, that leads from Orion's ankle. Oh and the term Anglo comes from Ankh, to bend, denoting their origins in Brittany and Iberia, beyond the Gates of El Gebal, aka Gabriel, aka Jezebel, to the west, just as described in the Bible. That same metonic calendar can be found from India to Greece, Mesoamerica, Hawaii and New Zealand, using all the same starsigns as we do. The Venus statues of old were called Donii, just like one might call followers of Dionysus, whose name means King Isis, Mlqrt was not the Scion of Baal, it is Sheba, the Daughter of Sidon, the Fisher King, Eschmun II., a female deity, presented as riding an Ass and begging for money, just as the Feathered Serpent Ammun, who was also portrayed as an advocate for the interests of the common man. Hence Israel, Saturn, fruit of Isis and Ra, El, El Gebal, El Ashmunein, the Hidden Ptah, Lord of the Zodiac, the Moon. Those same zodiac identities and interpretations can also be found amongst the almost contemporary Megalithic sites from Sth America to Easter Island, and Japan.
Psychedelics are dangerous and produce demonic experiences that deceive you into thinking you are experiencing God. If you want to draw nearer to God, read the Nee Testament and pray 🙏 to Jesus. In my opinion. God bless you ✝️
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
Great video as always! I believe it's interesting to mention that the word "energies" should be undertsood in a little different way than it is usually used in the english language. Energies can be used in greek also as "actions". Divine energies aren't supernatural beings devided from god or God's forms that can be understood by us. They are his "actions", ways that God is manifested to us. They aren't his esence but they aren't beings or streams of energy coming out of Him neither. Obviously this issue is very complicated and is very difficult to understand but this linguistic aproach might be helpful. I would like to ask about possible similarities or differences with Dvaita Vedanta in hinduism. It would be great if you can make a video about this! Thank you!
This is a very clarifying comment, thanks! Language barriers are so confounding, it’s usually a miracle if two people speaking the same language from the same country can really understand each other.
There are many churches and monistarues in Montenegro. They are fabulous. Ostog has St.Vasili (Basil) laying down where he died. His body is intact and did not decay. A true holy man. These things seem to be unknown in the West.
I had a dream once where I was a girl, looking out a window at a funeral procession in MONTENEGRO. Always thought: Find out where that is, exactly. Must be some special meaning to this word.
Excellent. I stumbled onto Orthodoxy in Lawrence, KS of all places. I passed by the window and saw the zine “Death To the World” and have been fascinated since. Thank you for your unbiased, scholarly presentations.
I've always been inspired by the teachings of Jesus but at the same time very off-put from the Christian church as I felt they put more emphasis on one's loyalty to the establishment of the church rather then the importance of one's personal search for connection with God. Learning that Orthodox Christians hold some similar beliefs to mine was really interesting. Great video!
Loyalty to the establishment was important because Christianity was more interested in world domination, on behalf of vested interests. And least interested in the internal, spiritual development of individuals.
The sentiment of personalized relationship with God seems to me to lead to false praxis and conclusions about God and our relationship to him. It is clear that God established and revealed one Church and one faith to the world. Christ is a King, through the line of David. David gave the keys to the kingdom to his equivalent of a prime minister. Christ, being of the line of David and the fulfillment of the law gives those same keys to St.Peter the first Pope. The Church is a divine institution that God has established, it is also a matter of humility to accept and acknowledge the authority of the Church. It isn't just a matter of "proving your allegiance" to some institution of man, the Church is an institution of God.
@@danielfigueroa6409 religious texts are NOT literal in meaning but allegorical, esoteric. They are not to be understood by logic, reason, rational thinking and scholarship. Or BELIEVED. They have to be EXPERIENCED, SELF-REALISED, taste the honey in the rock. Religious leaders, on behalf of vested interests, MIS-INTERPRETED the scriptures for world domination. Billions have been MISLED, brainwashed, enslaved, deracinated, converted and cruelly controlled or killed because the abrahamic religions, over the last 2000 yrs, have been BELIEVING in their God. Conversions, by aggression and deceit, are going on in full swing in Asian countries, even today. If the gate to heaven is very narrow, inspite of Mathew 15/14, why do we forget the Tower of Babel. Aren't we confused between the kingdom of God on earth, the kingdom of God in heaven and the kingdom of God in our hearts.
Very good video. Informative, provided plenty of context, nice flow, concise, and great visuals. Thank you for sharing information about this tradition. Peace 🙏🏽
Great work as always. I noticed the Ethiopian Orthodox Church wasn’t mentioned which is also a very mystical church. Though to be honest, a whole video could be dedicated to Ethiopia and the development of religion in the near East.
self absorbed race worshiping africans. The coptic church is not part of eastern or oriental orthodoxy. But you have to make it about duh melanin, don't you?
@@violenceisfun The Coptic Orthodox Church is firmly in the Oriental Orthodox category, the whole reason they exist is their rejection of the Council of Chalcedon. Also, he said literally nothing about melanin. The Ethiopian Church was given special dispensation by the Coptic Orthodox Pope because of their scriptural and praxical peculiarities
Your intro statement is so on point. I've tried so hard to have broadened Abrahamic discussions with the church, such as origins of it, and it always gets turned into the same narrow, dogmatic conversation. This video is refreshing. Thank you for it
Orthodox Christian here, I was wondering when you'd make a video on a topic like this :) excited to see some videos about Oriental Orthodoxy in the future! Good job!
Thank you SO MUCH for identifying problematic terms and defining them before speaking so we have a clear understanding as to what you are talking about! It really helps a lot! Love the videos man, keep it up
It might be worth noting that arguably the most apophatic theologian of the whole Christian tradition was none other than St Thomas Aquinas, the scholastic theologian _par excellence_ . According to Herbert McCabe OP he was the most agnostic theologian as to the nature of God: "We do not know what God is, we only know that God is".
Aquinas still argued that it was possible to know God analogously, the world as a metaphor for God, which sets aquinas apart from the rest I think. Using Nature we can speak meaningfully about God, the last few hundred years have not been kind to this idea in fact it has resulted in the denial of that God. Nietzsche has a lot to say about these ideas and their consequences.
@@TheGuiltsOfUs While its true that Aquinas held to analogical predication he also held that we cannot know God's nature or essence. In this he was different from the great Eastern Orthodox theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa and Maximus the Confessor who by no means understood apophatic theology to imply equivocal predication.
Please do a video on Lutheranism and Luther himself. Many Protestants have a twisted version of his story that isn’t realistic to the man he was in real life.
I just recently studied my ancestral beliefs, Javanese Hindu-Buddhist syncretism. It's mostly extinct now, but a very similar Bali Hinduism is still going strong till this day. I think it would make a very interesting video, seeing how three waves of mass migration and influx of foreign merchants have essentially shaped an ethno-religion
When I returned to active Christianity (as opposed to simply identifying myself as a Christian because that's how I was raised) I practiced many forms of praying including speaking in tongues, saying the rosary, praying the liturgy of the hours, just praying to God freely in an almost conversational way, singing Gregorian Chants and then I read about The Jesus Prayer. Now this simply Hesychastic prayer is probably 90% of my prayer life. I say this everytime before going to sleep.
@@edwnsoto18 My advice is to go to a quite place and sit in silence. Allow your mind to relax and wonder. And when you are calm speak to God as if he is in front of you. Speak to him about whatever is on your mind. Offer thanks for your blessings. Ask for forgiveness fo your mistakes. Ask him what you have done wrong and what you can do better. Ask if there is anyone you can help. Tell him about your problems and hope's and dreams. Poor out your heart and all your feelings to God.
This video is an excellent introduction of Byzantine theology and hesychastic practice. I really enjoy how you are able to present different traditions without all the confessional polemics that so often distort these discussions. Could you tell me where to find the illustration at 2:19? Thank you so much!
@@orthodoxrocks9644 Pick up a history book and see when the term Byzantine was coined. And it is called Orthodox Theology not Byzantine Theology. You're barely educated.
@@alhassani626 two things 1. I never called it Byzantine Theology. 2. The Empire indeed was split into East and West. However, no one calls it Western Rome Theology or Eastern Rome Theology. It doesn't make any sense to even group Rome with the other 4 cities that made up the Pentarchy since Rome was the reason for the split! The two Churches are under the appellation: Roman Catholic Church and The Orthodox Church. Yeah, I'm barely educated.....Yawn......
So beautifully explicated - thank you! I am Roman Catholic and will remain so I pray…having had mystical experience and having read the desert fathers and mothers, this makes so much sense and has also helped me understand orthodox tradition better.
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16. God built the Catholic Church! I will pray for you
One of the best overviews I've seen on hesychast, been studying orthodoxy now for over a year having read 25+ books and found this video summarized it beautiful thank you.
Hesychasm is pretty well translated as prayer of the heart. Good book on this called the way of the pilgrim. Lord Jesus Christ / Have mercy on me the sinner. If you let this sink into you you will feel it sink with your breath, then your heart. look into orthodoxy, it is a beautiful faith with infinite depth. If you look at the history imo it has a vey valid claim to being the successor of the apostolic church
@@sneakybeaver8866 is sincere and constant prayer vain? To be fully in communion with God is to be in constant prayer. It is not the same as saying “om” while meditating, or whatever pagan repetition is being directly addressed here
@@HammerHeadzzz I read it as the repetitive style being vain as the pagans do and his commands are to his followers, not pagans, because they choose not to obey anyway...But I could definitely be wrong, I just started looking into orthodoxy.
lol that's why I do this every morning. I start my day by contemplating diverse religious ideas presented in content like this. It helps refine my character and behavior in a way that church always tried to and failed because it was only once a week and, in truth, rather stagnant due to the profound lack of spiritual inertia that Fundamentalism inevitably brings about.
Daniel, church is different than spiritually. Each has it's place and function in our individual as well as collective lives. Look to the spiritual; it's much more rewarding than a bunch of 'rules'. Blessings to you, Danella
@@mirabletest I think Philip would agree Esoterica is excellent. I also frequent Angela's Symposium and Religion For Breakfast. Together, they seem to be doing an excellent job of contextualizing the history of religion and mysticism in light of the current archaeology and pertinent philosophical models.
@@mirabletest I'm sure there are plenty of others I've left out. I hear good things about The Modern Hermeticist, but I have yet to dive deep over there. I'm trying to break out of my Hermetic bubble these days.
14:16 Turns out... POLYVAGAL THEORY There may be a lot more to these physical postures assumed during the meditation sessions & also the 'holy comportment' often portrayed by wo/men of the cloth Even the sonic tones & rhythms of prayers/chants/hymns (breathe control) So much of the forms of devotional practice including the gathering of the people itself actually is therapy toning the parasympathetic nervous system: rest/digest/restore/recover... our direct physiology In neurological terms we are said to be coregulating if I got that right The vagus nerve plays a huge role in all of this
this is a very rare example of a video about Orthodoxy, from a non-Orthodox, that is actually accurate and very well put together, really nice. i will only add that the book "The Way of a Pilgrim" deserves a mention, specially in philoslavic churches it has gained the status of essencial introductory book to hesychastic practice and the Philokalia.
“It is by unknowing that one can attain the object of knowledge.” I wholeheartedly believe that. Siddhartha Gautama likewise said, “There are things we must unlearn, in order to learn them”
I grew up Catholic. I might go to Midnight Mass on Christmas. However I have still great reverence for Saint John of the Cross and his writings of The Dark Night of the Soul, The Living Flame of Love, etc. By the way a new subscriber, and thank you.
@@dmitri1483 I no longer feel the need to adhere to a particular religion. But if my original religion had this kind of spiritual depth I would have been more likely to stick to it.
@@adamprickster Many people find that drugs are a cheap and empty substitute for developing the philosophical and religious constitution to deal with reality sober.
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you.
Very good again Filip! Although I'm more familiar with Catholic mysticism the Eastern Orthodox tradition is very deep and their emphasis on negative theology is always profound, even I - as a non-Christian - was very moved by St. John Climacus' "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". The "Essence-Energies" distinction seems to me very similair to Meister Eckhart's "Godhead-God" distinction. All things considered Hesychasm seems almost a form of Christian Jāpa meditation, although we must be careful with broad comparisons, there are certainly parallels!
As an Orthodox viewer (Coptic Orthodox specifically) I really appreciate you delving into Orthodox Christianity and enjoy this as well as your other content.
@@3master791the Chalcedonians split from the Bride of Christ and fell into even deeper heresy. Hesychasm has its roots in Islamic dhikr and yoga. Both demonic roots that have infiltrated your institution. Your people are said “to sit still and look at the center of their chest.” These stances in yoga invoke specific gods. And as the psalmist says, “All the gods of the nations are devils.”
Great video! Its a shame so many young secular people nowadays have no idea about the mystic traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy for if they surely knew what ancient Christianity was, they would be drawn to it immediately.
Mathew 15/14 speaks about the blind leading the blind. The church hierarchy might be scholars of the Bible but none of them have any worthwhile EXPERIENCE. They have not tasted the honey in the rock. They are bound to MISLEAD.
It's quite fascinating, the connection between the mystic traditions and it seems even more mind blowing that they aren't derived from each other, from Sufism to Vendanta to Sikhism to Taoism and now the eastern orthodox Christian tradition. It really has me wondering, if theres something to it.
Bro, you nailed it! I became Eastern Orthodox Christian just over two years ago and was looking for this break down on this subject ever since. Thank you 👍
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
Brilliant...I love mapping other traditions onto my own and this has always been a bit illusive...the clear explanstion of essence and energy finally sunk in...and wow I can see it how it fits in my own tradition. Thankyou.
Now the Oriental Orthodox Churches are not recognized as Eastern Orthodox by the churches in Antioch and Moscow. And no one can say that the Eastern Orthodox Church has any subcategories or sects within it as they all teach the same and are “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.” All the Eastern Orthodox Churches depend on each other as it is all one religious and belief. Great video, thank you.
Producing boundaries in Christianity is often difficult - so the Inward Light of the early Quakers is similar to the Energy of Hesychasm. John Wesley has a deep mystical theology and was deeply read in Eastern Fathers. Thank you for your thoughtful presentation.
Thank you for your presentation. I am sincerely thankful for the insights that encourage me to seek a higher spiritual understanding and state of being.
@@uncommonsensewithpastormar2913 If you get in involves in orthodox liturgy, you will see and feel that mystery (mystic), but if you see from outside, it's different.
Thank you for this video! Hesychasm sounds a lot like “Recollection,” a kind of meditative prayer. 3rd Spiritual Alphabet by Fransisco de Osuna is a book discussing Recollection, and, like the Philokalia, is written for lay people and monks, and gives an excellent roadmap of how to attain oneness with one’s self in order to experience the grace of God.
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
@@christophersalinas2722 The other 4 Patriarchs, pre AD 1054, recognised the Bishop of Rome as first among equals but that wasn't good enough. Rome wanted full and total control and even objected to being called 'Brother' rather than 'Father' by fellow Bishops. If Rome had not been so arrogant we may well still be one Church (and of course, not pushed the Filioque).
@@clivejames5058 Not true. Orthodoxy rejects the usage of Matthew 16 to support a papacy. I can name you loads of Patriarchs pre schism that cited Matthew 16 or claimed Peter held the keys to heaven or was the rock. And the full writings if you’d like to see them yourself.
This reminds me of the metaphysics of the Hindu mystic named Ramakrishna, who claimed that God as the Absolute in essence is "not this and not that" and the only possibility for the human mind to experience God's presence is to experience his active manifestation, which Ramakrishna identified with the goddess Kali - one of the aspects of Shakti, the energy of God Shiva. Energy (Shakti) and Essence (Shiva) were the same being for him, but in motion and at rest. However, he said, the ultimate goal was to experience the Essence. The prerequisite, however, is the grace of the Goddess.
Roman Catholicism to this day still has deep mysticism. In my discernment with the CFRs, passionists, dominicans and carmelites I've seen deep mysticism.
@TestSubjectDayjob yes undoubtedly. The fact that the EO church has survived under so much persecution from atheist societies and Islam is evident of Gods hand. Blessed are those who are persecuted.
I was raised kind of half-atheist and half-Mormon and they both felt like crap to me, I’ve been drawn more to the emphasis on mysticism in Orthodox Christianity but I’ve also read “Cloud of Unknowing” which I think probably must be the most incredible mystical piece produced on the Roman side of the Schism. It’s really a beautiful work, I don’t really like how New Agers like to dissect it away from Christianity. I also just noticed the convo taking place over my head and I hope the Schism is healed too! Edit: apparently I was misled about the Cloud of Unknowing when I was reading it - as he quotes about it in the video, it was pre-Schism and influenced the mystical tradition of both Churches. Fascinating.
Thank you so much for this wonderfully illuminating explanation. Though I'd never heard of Hesychasm before - having been brought up in western Christian church thought - it confirms what I've suspected for over 50 years; that teachings designed to guide us through mystical portals of enlightenment at some point were lost, even stripped away from western Catholicism and Protestantism. Every other religion I'd studied proved empty, over the long run, as well. But Eastern Orthodoxy is for me the last arena of study, and it's turned out to be the most fruitful. St. Gregory Palamas will be the perfect source from now on. Those who denounced him and spoke of "going into the darkness of the true God" sound like the real heretics of the Eastern Church. God Bless You!
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16. If you want eastern practices.. you can find these in eastern catholicism.
I'm glad he respectfully acknowledged that Christianity is diverse. Many even in western Christianity pursue a life of oneness with God. Eric Gilmour (on UA-cam) is one of my favorites. He has also been influenced by many other past mystics from the orthodox and catholic traditions.
I was raised in a faith healing pentacostal tent revival fury about an eternal lake of fire, and the faith healers couldn't fix me. Messed me up good, though. I stepped away from all religion for over 20 years as a result, and was reintroduced to God through a 12-step program. It took 20 years to partially rid me of the damage that was done, enough that I could explore God in a different way. My 12-step friend said to forget about faith and expectations and just talk to God directly. Nothing to lose. I found a God with whom I could converse. Not an actual conversation, but like a prayer and meditation, question and answer thing. During one of those times, I asked God about his nature and he told me not to waste my time because it was un-knowable. I found that comforting. I came across this video totally at random, but it's the first time I've seen something resembling what I've believed and experienced, and the first time in a Christian setting. I had not realized that orthodox beliefs varied that much from catholicism other than the pope. I'm glad I found your channel and look forward to watching more. Thanks!
Haven’t heard this in a while! I read a very old small book of lessons/wisdom by a quietism author from Spain(?) - very lovely book I rented from my schools library
Quietism seems to be of a similar false spirit as hesychasm is. I think Quietism should definitely be highlighted more to help lead people away from joining the schismatic Eastern sects.
Hesychos in Greek means quiet. Hesychasm and Quietism aren't similar things, they are literally the same word and notion. As for the Papist dude above who called us a schismatic sect, tell us how many Patriarchates followed your "supreme Pope" in 1054? Ah right, none😂😂😂. Only the lands under his oversight, aka only bishops and priests who were controlled by him, followed his Schism from the Church.
I was exposed to the Eastern orthodoxy in my twenties. I have practiced reciting the Jesus prayer along with breathing techniques as you have described. I read the pilgrims way. And found the philokalia there. I still have the second volume. I believe there are six volumes in total. Would you consider doing a video on the philokalia?
I was raised a "non-denominational" evangelical Christian, but joined the Orthodoxy as an adult. I often think of the Orthodoxy's approach to mysticism is simply an acceptance that we may never understand all that God is, we may never have all the answers. Once you can accept that you can't know or explain everything, it is so much easier to enjoy spirituality.
Yes I think that's a very good point. Same way a cat can't comprehend quantum mechanics (probably) so we surely can't fully understand God, at least in this life.
Just leave your brain at the door!
@@garyl8356 Recognizing our cognitive limitations equals not using our brains? Someone's narcissism has got the better of him, methinks.
I love the way you think
@@garyl8356 your "brain" is not only your faculty of reason. And to "know" something is to catagorise it and God cannot be catagorized, and your base faculty of reason doesn't even serve you well in the field of Quantum physics and Event Probability, where we see a clear tendency in Nature toward that which is incalculable, both of which are the creations of God, let alone the Creator Himself... Unity with God sounds better than being able to catagorized Him in some made up human box
I am black and I went to a Russian Orthodox church. Where the women in the church wore Amish type clothing. But do you know even though I was the only person of color they made me feel...just like I belonged.
🧢
@@dontdie777😂😂😂
You should be looking for salvation, not what the women are wearing ..
@tylerkessler4021
You should be seeking salvation not caring about what people write online...
@dinyhotmailPaul is an entrusted apostle of Christ church. Jesus left the apostles to do his bidding after his departure. So Paul's teaching is also valid as it pertains to church behavior.
One of the reasons why I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy because it was the only Church that still held mystical traditions and spiritual disciplines while most American churches had forgotten them
Same
Where's the emerald tablet , how can can issue Newton read the emerald in the 16th century and dead in the 17th century and there's no emerald tablet in the 21st, Where's it at ?
They didn't forget them, they were pagans and heretics from the start. In other words, either protestants. Also the Catholics of the Novus Ordo (Vatican 2) are same as protestants
What if the whole Christianity is a wrong path. What's your plan B?
@@whatislifebuttheenjoymento3405 The only wrong path is paganism - ALL Abrahamic religions are valid and true (except from the protestants and reformers in all faiths). There is only plan A period
He always mentions how he could go on and on without doing it justice. Dude, go on and on, do a podcast, do a 3 hour video. I wanna hear it all.
😂
Exactly
seriously, this ☝️
I, and I’m sure many others, would be absolutely delighted if he did a podcast!
There are many videos on UA-cam on orthodoxy and you will see how beautiful it truly is.. right here at your fingertips enjoy and be blessed❤
"The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment"
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
Jesus shall forgive you for your sins, therefore you are free to commit them to your hearts content. Amen.
@@xianseah4847 What motive do I have to act morally then, if I will be forgiven?
Jesus appeared to people. Jesus is God. He is the part of the trinity that is seen, so why was there ever controversy?
@@PraetorClaudius non-trinitarians believe that Jesus is a literal son of God and thus a literal different being.
Big fan of Dostoyevsky and currently getting deep into russian culture. I am pleased my the timing of this video and your comment. Thank you.
I'm a convert from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy, and have lived as a postulant on Mt. Athos. I was especially delighted with your well-balanced approach to this subject which is dear to me and to which I have devoted many years of study. Thank you.
Have fun navel-gazing
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
May God bless you and Mary keep you in your vocation. And may East and West soon be reunited!
From one lie to the next line. Repent to be born again!
Why bother? Are you supernatural?
Silence, or Hesihia in Greek, is the source of the wisdom and Devine knowledge. In silence everything is. From silence everything comes forward and into silence everything will dissolve. THat is why the best form of worshiping God is in Silence.
SHHHHHH!
“Silence is the Cross upon which we must crucify our Egos” ~St. Seraphim of Sarov
" Be still and know that I Am"
then how the hell can you worship GOD in truth and spirit if you never say a thing?what you are saying is for us to just shut the hell up and obey
It’s probably better for mysticism than Christian pop for having a legitimate one, but spirituality should never be subjective.
I was raised Roman catholic, but feel I resonate more with the Orthodox tradition. I feel it to be more mystically oriented and has a stronger emphasis on its platonic roots, especially with the use of the Greek language.
Me too brother! I’ve been going to an Orthodox Church for 3 months now and I feel at home. Christos Anesti!
That’s because you are probably under 30 and from USA 🇺🇸 ,, here in Central America even the mass was done in Latin still in the early 70’s
@Reino de Hiperbórea very smooth! I am blessed with a wonderful community, everyone is so lovely at my church
Its roots is an explicit rejection of Platonism. We have battled against Platonic heresies since the beginning.
@Reino de Hiperbórea Yes Hellenism is the source of many of the earliest major heresies and that we battled through our ecumenical councils.
As an orthodox, I advice you to make a video about Philocalia, which are ancient texts showing a human path in life in order to get as close as possible to God.
Philocalia and hysichasm go hand in hand, Philocalia is for ordinary people living in society and hesychasm is for ascets living in caves.
Clarifying ✓
Little opportunities exist, as there are very few bases/Churches of the Orthodox in the Western World, for learning of and understanding the Orthodox Religions.
Many here see them as part of the Christian Religion and it as 1 with various interpretations.
The Roman Christian Religions being the greater root of the Western Catholics and Protestants.
It has required a journey through History, largely dependant on other Researchers and their interpretations of early Texts, the Sumerian Cuneiform Tablets, and Letters of the era, to gain a general concept of the more true History of Yeshua/Jesus and the relative stories.
It is a subject with almost no resources available to 9ne interested in having the clarity of the Historical Records and Facts.
The larger scope being that Constatine and his Priests really edited the earlier form of Christian Beliefs and basically established a wholly different Religion, one easily Marketable to Rome practicing Pagans, for his goal of establishing a "1 State/Empire Religion" (and its benefits for managing and controlling the Public).
Beth Bartlett
Sociologist/Behavioralist
and Historian
@@bethbartlett5692 I get that sense as well based on my research and observation of the church in history. The church/state union brought about by Constantine for the sake of political control and unification of the Roman Empire has altered the course of the church ever since. It's influence on a major segment of the church, has led to a leaning towards the desire for political dominance, strong hand tactics, tyranny and an attraction to and sympathy, and willingness to embrace and cooperate with fascism over the course of history. This explains a lot.
As an Orthodox Christian I'm happy to see videos like this. Well explained and well researched.
Great ✔
Where are you from brother?
@@Igor-my6ml Orthodox Albanian brother
I'm sick of seeing comments that start with, "as a fill-in-the-blank, I think filling the-blank"
@@TheAncientLight hello from Orthodox Serb 👋
That phrase "...we are God´s icon" is such a wonderful tool to blend both our ultimate, trascendental nature, and our bodily life.
I agree completely.
I am a Carmelite Hermit under the Roman Catholic Church. What you are expressing here has consoled me a lot. I indeed feel out of place among the Roman Catholics. I intend from hereon to explore more deeply into Eastern Orthodox discipline. Thank you for this material.
the only wrong thing with catholic church not their followers is manipulation ,the only wrong aproach ,welcome brother or sister Amin
What kind of hermit use internet and you tube?
You surely don't know the various Eastern Catholic churches.
Are you really not aware of say the Byzantine Catholic Church? The Maronite Catholic Church? Etc. I’ve been to both and receive the best of both Western and Eastern Catholicism.
Visited several times father Gabriel Bunge - and he too felt out of place among the Roman Catholics.....
Great video! The Orthodox Churches are a topic rarely mentioned in general western education. Thanks for the insight
It's almost if they purposely ignore it.
@@otundetchagala9560 yes. Along with many other things.
@@otundetchagala9560 I suspect the Catholic Church and its obvious influence in the west.
@@Gizziiusa Or the Cold War.
Still very mainstream compared to the oriental orthodox churches. Coptics, Armenians, Ethiopian and Syriac church are almost forgotten
I feel American Christianity is often reduced to “don’t do xyz, go to church, and you are saved, end of story”. Sadly i might describe it as a ‘Christianity without a God,’ a la Friedrich Nietzsche.
I agree my aunt was a catholic nun but she mentioned the apocrypha, the dead sea scrolls, and the research she did with hesychasm. I was too young to understand it but I remember her having a calm demeanour that I've only ever seen from people who have alot of experience meditating, usually in a zen or buddhist style. She also spent alot of time with a sect of european nuns in Colombia whos practises where very different from typical catholic guilt trips and hellfire. When she lived in the US she was amazed out how miserable the typical christian behaved in their day to day life. Everything seemed to her preformative and kind of like people where just ticking boxes to be part of a team. Anytime I've ever mentioned any of this to a christian they found it blasphemous and became offended. They don't seem to have any piece of mind or calmness that she had. I'm not religious myself but I can appreciate meditation and contemplative practices for their contribution to mental clarity and ultimately to treating people and yourself in a better way. I hope soon these contemplative practices of gnostic christianity return to prominence in place of the evangelist and guilt based movements that dominate the west and particularly the United States.
i disagree on behalf of my mormonism. however i was lead astray due to church politics and homophobia.
100%
@@funknotik before gnostic Christianity returns to prominence, Christianity will have to tackle and reverse the forced conversions. It is like a second original sin, committed by the church.
@@kyll5552 interesting that you use the term " lead astray". Sounds like a bit of guilt there. Indoctrination is a strong form of brainwashing and hard for some to shake off
Hi - as a life long Orthodox Christian I really loved this video! I don't know if this comment will be seen, but I just wanted to add that a key component of Hesychasm is having access to a spiritual teacher, that can guide you during this process (especially as rigorously experienced as it is in monastic life). Obedience towards your spiritual teacher (often an older monastic) is vital to guard against the ego and any mental illness that may arise in such intense inward inspection. Again, love the video!
Sounds very similar to Eastern Vedic mysticism that states the "student" requires guidance from a spiritual teacher / guru before Enlightenment can even be approached.
@@raminybhatti5740 It is.
First time I've heard introspection can cause mental illness 🤣
@@leminjapan more like the silence, relative isolation, and extreme mental rigor. It's not for everyone.
@@palanfuiniel well put. I wish you the best on your path
Based on my experience growing up and living in a "Bible belt" region in the US, I would say the main issue we deal with in these areas is the fact that the word Christianity has acquired a very strict definition due to the social conditioning most of us experienced in childhood. Therefore, when people from Fundamentalist backgrounds encounter information like this, their first instinct will be to define those early Orthodox dissenters as heretics and write off anything you say after the first contradiction of King James they detect. Granted, that mainly applies to people who fully internalized and chose not to question the Fundamentalist doctrines they were raised with, but I unfortunately can't call that group a minority where I came from. My own mother would probably have a very hard time with these practices being defined as Christian due to conditioning from the Baptist church she attends. These are the kind of communication barriers we are facing in my neck of the woods. For my own part, I'd really just like to find a way to use concepts like this as a bridge between my worldview and those of my parents. I feel like if I could succeed at that, it would help heal a lot of intergenerational wounds in a larger cultural sense. Thanks again for bringing new pieces to the puzzle, Philip!
It’s true. I grew up evangelical and converted to orthodoxy when I was 18. My parents(especially my father) still have a very hard time understanding anything I say and like to draw comparisons to other religions. Like prayers ropes he wants to claim is stolen from Hindus or some nonsense
All the churches are corps. Supposed to be the living body of Christ, but instead are corporations, dead paper fictions. They all have Bank accounts, not lock boxes and treasurers and are under commercial tax benefit status from the state. Pretty much every church is an extension of Rome(the Federal State). None are following scripture, this is the great falling away.
@@FarmersAreCool I think you forgot the part in the video explaining the split with rome and the East
@@___-_____- I'm talking about North America. In order to be a Christian Church you gotta be in line with the new testament. OTherwise you end up a place of business/den of thieves and are not a church at all. THe only expression of Love on this Earth is through proper expression of charity, the church has been disordered from being properly organized around the Cross .
All nations are functioning on Roman Civil law/commercial code. Legal marriage has Rome as Third party, not God. National birth/berth certificates with debt liened against our Christian names that we neither benefits from nor incurred make a Man is neighbours slave unless we properly observe the law of the land in our dealings with each other. THe state has usurped the church over the last 150 years or so of global communism/satanism rollout.
Don't unfairly burden your neighbour, nor incur debt at his expense through government. Rome Runs all commercial law/code. Like this unlawful covid rollout.
@@FarmersAreCool I tried telling them that as a kid, but it didn't work out great.
My 16 year old introduced me to this channel. Thank you for your information and insights!
You have a great son
Yes. You're very lucky.
J
You have a wise child. Well done.
all inclusive consciousness theory on my channel
I can connect to this Hesychasm quite easily. In surrendering all to God in prayer, day to day life including good times and bad, He will come. It is difficult to remain open to receive the grace, but God also knows we are trying and He will come when the time is right. Having said that, He also backs off for a time which some mystics refer to as a dry period, however He wants us to continue to search, hope and remain vigilant in our prayer life. Remembering those experiences of when He did come, keeps us enlightened and going on further. Thankyou for this rich teaching! Spiritually rich.....
Your comment resonates with me. I am an American Christian but I stumbled upon this Hesychasm before I knew it was a thing. I find myself quieting the outside and seeking Jesus and thinking on the encounters with God until another one happens.
Do you mind telling me more?
Why do you think God puts us through dry periods?
@@ruthimegi5556is it he who’s putting us there?
As long as you keep referring to an external god, there is no gnosis.
There nothing kind or merciful about any of it. God rips everything away from you anyway and leaves you with whatever he decides to give back to us. I'm not of the opinion that groveling and licking boot is going to do anything except make God disgusted with us.
Again to add to this discussion: The Orthodox Church considers the Hesychasts to be the Heart of Unceasing Prayer of the Church. Monasteries and Monastics play a BIG part in the life of the Church. Many of our Bishops come from these Hesychasts. Although most of our Priests are married our Bishops are not. They are either widowed or Hesychasts.
This sounds like another man made doctrine. What baffles me is several times he states that people that practice this doctrine seek to "become one with God." God has told us how to become one with Him through the Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed scripture.
2 Timothy 3 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
How does one become one with God? The scripture tells us that when a pennetant believer in Godly sorrow repents, confesses Christ as the son of God, and is baptized (baptizo - immeresed) in water for remission of sins it is there he comes in contact with the saving blood of Christ. He is dead in sin upon entering the water, is immersed in the watery grave of baptism, sins washed away (by the cleansing blood of Christ) and rises up out of the water a new creature born of water and spirit. He now is in union with Christ, clothed in His righteousness. He is added by God to the one true church, the body of Christ.
Acts 2 (Peter preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost)
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Galatians 3 (clothed in Christ's righteousness)
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6 (baptized into His death)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2 ( Warning against vain philosophies and false doctrine, baptism an operation of God, buried with Christ)
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
@@dsvet Man made doctrine? Jesus went off into the desert alone to fast and pray for 40 days. That is an example of Hesychasm not only told in the Bible but practiced by Christ Himself. So not man made but an example set by Christ.
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Also, what about John the Baptist? Everything about him was Hesychast. He lived alone in the desert and ate only what God provided. He prayed and finally, when God had told him to, he preached and baptized people, including Christ.
Hesychasm is about denying passions, prayer and facing your own temptations squarely to overcome them. In doing so you draw closer to God.
The Orthodox believe salvation comes only from the Grace of God and is not be earned. Even so we can STILL become closer to God through prayer and reflection. This process doesn't end for Orthodox anymore than it does for you. I am sure you go to Church and Bible Study or at least read the Bible a lot. You also have to think and pray a lot about it. How is that much different than Hesychasm? It isn't.
@@dsvet Another protestant heretic you up a bible and think you are saved
@@dsvetHave you ever stopped and thought “where did my Bible come from?”
@@dsvet That's a cop-out. Reflections on the Good News are not man-made, rather, they're God-inspired.
I have to say that after being a Christian over the western tradition, agonizing over theological questions by reading and speculating, the meditative practices of the hesychasts came me like a breath of fresh air, especially as described by Gregory Palamas
Sounds like you've fallen into great delusion.
@@severiusbrandusa1413 I suppose I could see why someone would think that
@@bigbrownhouse6999 I don't just think it but I know this to be true. You don't know the LORD God of Israel and the Father of the Lord Christ Jesus. Neither do the Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or any other so-called "christian" denomination. They are all an abomination and against the LORD God of Hosts. Meditation is to think about the word of God with sincerity and diligence, not sitting in a yoga position and emptying your mind and focusing on the self. You're lost, bud.
@@severiusbrandusa1413
Who knows the Lord then?
@@severiusbrandusa1413 okay so every Christian denomination is wrong except for you? How is that?
This video, it seems to me, was exceptionally well done and understandable. I became a believer in Jesus when I was 16 and have had a few, what I would call mystical experiences and happenings that are beyond my understanding, but were real and not made by me. I comprehend them to be from God via The Spirit of God to my mind, soul, and spirit. All of this to say that I find your explanation of Hesychasm to have enlightened me. We are brothers in Christ because of our acceptance of Jesus even though we have grown up in different households. I find much to learn and appreciate in my Orthodox brothers and sisters and I would have no difficulty at all in joining in Community Worship in an Orthodox Church and in fact have spent a few Sundays doing so in Santa Barbara, California. As I said above, this video was exceptionally well done and I value your tone and intelligence in creating this for many people’s benefit. Thank you.
As a person raised in the Greek Orthodox faith, this is an excellent and well researched summary/introduction. Impressive.
Good work! A lot of the time when non-Orthodox people try to describe Essence/Energies distinction it gets very convoluted and different from how we understand it in the Church. It was great to see someone do their research and present it with minimal reference to Western Christianity.
I hope you do more Orthodox related content in the future. ☦☦☦
Orthobro spotted, who must go
Based orthodox assad pfp
Orthodox seems cool I wanna read your books insha Allah
@@malikialgeriankabyleswag4200 inshallah you will let the Holy Spirit guide you
@@neame-bh3uq Are you from Syria brother and can you give me some names of books? But I only worship One God ;)
Excellent counterbalance to 'one eyed' Western flavour of Christianity. Phil
Woah! I didn't think I'd see you here!
Yea, more corruption more bullshit
I was able to visit an Eastern Orthodox worship service as part of a Religious Diversity class at my university. I found it beautiful and the differences with my own faith very interesting..
What Must I Do To Be Saved? m.ua-cam.com/video/DmiH89xWZ0Q/v-deo.html
For practicing hesychasm, it is essential to have an orthodox priest/Monk as a spiritual father. And be baptised Orthodox Christian, of course.
📚Must reads: Saint Joseph the Hesychast and his disciples, Elder Sophrony Sakharov, Elder Silouan, Elder Paisios of Mount Athos and Elder Porphyrios and many more...
Amazing saints. Also remember a monk is not the same as a married person or lay person. Don’t expect your married priest who works too be like a monk who lives a very different lifestyle. You can be a lay person and practice aescetic disciplines but talk to your spiritual father and he will guide you by the Holy Spirit.
Exactly - you must be Orthodox to practice Hesychasm.
Thank you for this!!! I grew up orthodox but then moved to the west and catholicism made me lose all hope in religion until I rediscovered orthodoxy. I wish more people knew about our beliefs!
It is the true faith
sometimes God has to remind us of these things.
I feel like Catholicism makes us worship the Church first, not God.
@@33jwill3☠️
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
@@33jwill3 YES! it's very legalistic
I have personally experienced this using the Jesus prayer. There are no words to describe what happened but I tried to with two priests more to validate it but realized I didn’t need to. This prayer and it’s proper practice is miraculous. I am not in the clergy but was raised in the Eastern Orthodox religion. Thank you for sharing.
Can you explain what the Jesus prayer is exactly?
@@dedezee11 It’s a prayer that has been used by Christian monks that is almost 2000 years old. If you repeat it over and over ( I used to say it about 100 times for many days), miracles will happen. It’s not like they might happen. They will. But any version of the prayer will work. “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Or “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” Or “Have mercy on me”. I have personally experienced profound miracles that I cannot attribute to anything else. The priests I spoke with about them validated them and gave great reverence to the prayer.
@ManifestReality thanks. So you say this phrase outloud 100 times a day? Does it need to be said outloud? Miracles WILL happen is a big promise! Curious to know what kind of miracles you've experienced?
@@dedezee11 I said it in my head while meditating. I also used prayer beads to help count. There’s no harm saying it aloud. I had no way to heal at one point in my life. After praying many days, I saw a miraculous vision. When I came out of it, I was healed.
@@JRIVOT1222 physically healed?? That's what I need.
I read the "Cloud of Unknowing " by an unknown Christian monk I believe from the 13th Century. I did try one of the meditative exercises which at first I found very heart warning and relaxing but this was followed by an earth shaking experience that was both awesome, humbling and brought me to tears ...I will never forget it as I remember every detail...it made all my human experiences appear to be very superficial as if they were only simulations of reality. I have not dared to repeat this meditative exercise since then ...it has cast doubt on what we consider to be material reality ...even to our perception of time .
That is interesting.
That is beautiful. Many people can't get there without psychedelics.
That sounds like the end result was luciferic extremity. Something doesn't want you to do it again. You can channel your thurgic fields, chakras, chi, 3 crowns, spirit and soul, all these are based on 3 becoming 1. Chakras has a kundalini version that is activating all 7 chakras. You are at purity of 7 of God, 6 seraphims surround the 1. Seven. 12 is of jehovah jirah, for his Disciples. 9 is actually seven because his trinity 1 in 3 and we lost the set key. So everything is of manifold, we'd basically have a higher beginning number. Based 12, this stuff is hidden from us because other want power. As we fold in, we actually bloom out. This is natural law, and doesn't take but a thought to understand. I had a 5 level activation 4 days ago so everything but my 2 above. It made me quake the room creaked I heard knocks on my door. Look at every huge company. Toyota,7 GMC 3, Nintendo is of 8. So it's actually very terrae (earth) so is made by us. We are all God's. Don't deny the beauty God gave you.
@gracerenda640 psychedelics is a trick. No you have to go through it. I wrote something above this. I have learned more in 4 years than everything I've learned my life about anything and everything.
Yes....that is what I believe to be the experience of something Transcendent. Don't fear it....
Transcendence is our natural 'state' when we purely attempt to simply know or act without selfishness.
I honestly think you don't need to delve into a lot of specifics, technicalities or bend yrself out of shape with mental gymnastics written by 'other people' - that is their reality. Your reality is uniquely 'yours'.
Drop words & concepts and go with your heart's purist intentions (spirit, the essence of something). You will be amazed.
Small things, sometimes imperceptible at first, happen and then understanding just starts to flow.
I try to stick to things that can apply equally universally - never something that puts one thing/person above or in conflict with another. So I never pray for someone to 'win' (as in sport or war) as that is fundamentally 'a house divided' and not universal good to all parties.
Whatever the state of yr intention or 'being' at that time, will determine the nature of your experience.
I would not, for example, try this when I am traumatised or deeply upset. It is very likely you will 'magnify' that state of being or experience. We are told to be either 'neutral' in emotions (such as the Buddhist meditation practices') or to be 'joyful, grateful & loving'.
In being able to be 'that' in intention & experience and pray for yrself equally as for others - so if you are depressed, find a moment that was extremely joyful in your memories, feel those emotions and see everyone equally as joyful, at peace, having abundance, etc.
When we focus on our own needs we resonate a frequency/spirit of lack. But we don't necessarily feel all people 'lack' a particular thing. Therefore when we focus on an essence & extend it to all equally, not only does a power relating to a Universal condition kick in for everyone, but your own state is altered & magnified by the size of the vision you engage with.
Then weird negative experiences are so much less likely to happen. Your state of mind & heart (intention) will have blocked that possibility entirely.
Our experience is quite literally on the identical frequency we enter the meditative intent/purpose in. But magnified, because we are 'engaging' with it powerfully.
We are told in so many different cultures how to meditate/pray.
That is:
Neutrally
With a pure & joyful heart
Gratefulness for what is, or rather as if what you are praying for already exists.
You did a very good job at giving an introduction into the practice of Hesychasm. To the point, logically organised and presented. Well done.
Along with the Jesus Prayer and the posture used, many will use a Prayer Rope with knots on it. It is similar to the Rosary except that you go to the next knot after saying the Jesus Prayer once. It is simply another way of focusing your concentration so that you go deeper into your Prayer/Meditation. For one of the best stories about Hesychasm read the story of St. Mary of Egypt.
Wow I used to go the Ethiopian Orthodox church as a kid with my grandmother. We used to pray while bowing numerous times as he described and we recited "God have mercy on us" (Ezgiyoh maherena Cristos" ). Also other prayers I didn't understand since they were in Geez (acient language used by the Church).
You are not going anymore ?
Although the video was posted posted a year ago, I am pretty disappointed why you left out Ethiopia and Eritrean orthodox from oriental group. Major fallacy. The only difference is that Ethiopia is black.
As a Greek Orthodox, I think this was a very nice presentation
Hesychasm seeks to achieve the stillness that knows God
This really much reminds me of Buddhism in a way. Like Pure Land or Zen/Chan Buddhism. Same goals very much.
bRAgadino
Yes, yes and YES. The STILLNESS is the key. This IS bestowed upon one by the Grace of God and is a rare and precious spiritual state to experience. 'Stillness' is more, much, more than simply having a quiet (thinking) mind and feeling (emotions). Stillness is oh, so problematic to define intellectually yet, the 'intellect' is the major tool us humans use to TRY to understand that which cannot be understood by the thinking mind. The state of 'STILLNESS' is a spiritual gift bestowed by God. Wishing to experience this state does not guarantee we will or that state will be given and/or granted. STILLNESS is an experience.
@@Ptah-Tatenen It gets even more complicated in traditions that revere Mahavairocana Buddha
Dr Manhattan from "Watchmen" is an ideal hesychast?
"Oh Lord let me experience that I Am not separate from thee as I now feel I am separate ( sin- separate from )".
This young man is really a great teacher.
Wonderful video! Thank you. It is very interesting to learn about Christian mysticism as a devoted Buddhist practitioner and Dhamma-student. I know you want to be careful with comparisons, but it really seems like the attainment of Jhana (meditative absorption) is available to anyone who is sincere in the spiritual quest, no matter the religion. The experience must be the same I believe, but it is when the practitioner comes out of Jhana and tries to make sense of it things start to differ. A certain religious framework brought the practitioner to the point of complete surrender to the inner light, and this is the base from which the practitioner will use when conceptualizing the experience in mundane terms. But in Jhana itself, no such conceptualization occurs I believe.
I believe conceptualization still occurs during the Rupa Jhanas, but not in the Arupa Jhanas. But at that point it becomes very noodley and I won't pretend to be an expert. Also, greetings from a fellow Buddhist!
It's entirely possible someone is mistaking a Jhana experience for God lol! Even the mystic conceptions of God can be dismantled, the reason we don't see much talk of a creator in Buddhist circles.
@@TheGuiltsOfUs Who is to say they are mistaking? Could just be another, equally valid way of understanding it.
As someone who looks at all religions but doesn't follow any at a whole.. I love to see you compare one to another and find the similarities within each group.
@@TheGuiltsOfUs Buddha (Gautama ) was a a Hindu prince. Therefore he already knew of the creator and did not oppose the idea of Brahma.
This is the first time I've heard of Hesychasm, and I'm so glad to have learned it. Now I see why the modern denominations of western Christianity seem to be peopled by nutbags (not to say every single one is, but as with all groups the few tend to shout louder than the masse). I've never understood them, and after seeing this and learning at least the educational basics, they don't know what they're doing because they're missing a vital piece of their faith. I've always been fascinated by mysticism traditions, and I'm definitely going to be losing myself down this rabbit hole lol. Sorry if any part of my comment offended anyone; I just never thought to actually stumble across a still-living tradition of precisely why western Christianity makes no sense in the way it's practiced and taught.
Only those weird large churches of the US.
Western old Christians from Europe have great philosophy.
I have always been told and matches with bible, that having a relationship with God is a personal thing, as someone who was changed for good, by a very spiritual experience 40 yrs ago. Man, however long words he uses can never ever over ride that personal time when God, Jesus, pierced my heart. Love ❤️
What Must I Do To Be Saved? m.ua-cam.com/video/DmiH89xWZ0Q/v-deo.html
The mystical aspect is overblown. Eastern Orthodoxy still hugely emphasises repentance and abstaining from sin, and oppose everything the West loves. It's not something like Buddhism where people take what they want from it and go on their way. Orthodox Christians are huge on staying faithful to God/Jesus.
So you judge a whole society. You are not god. Go pray more.
I'm a Roman Catholic and through my experiences with meditation, psychedelics and seeking God with all my heart I've reached Theosis and experienced the energies of God. Because of this I've always been drawn to the Orthdox Church because of their acknowledgement and emphasis on the mystical.
Enoch hid his 36,525 scrolls (the Emerald tablet) in the Ark of the Covenant, which was kept in the Holy of Holies at Solomon's Temple. 36,525 being the number of days in a year times 100, the Egyptian number of perfection. Just like Enoch himself lived 365 years.
It's a Zodiac Calendar, just like the one at Gobekli Tepe, and Teotihuacan. He hid those scrolls under a pillars of Gold and Emerald, the only Temple that fits that description is the Temple of Melqart in Tyre, which sat just offshore from Urshu Shalom, City of the New Moon, the root word of Jerusalem. Tyre was an island Fortress, Troy, the base means Rock.
The Cross comes from this site, the Cross of Baal, the Phoenican Moon God. There are 13 Lunar cycles in a year, which requires a sophisticated equation in order to synchronize the first New Moon of Spring with the Easter Sabbath. The star Azazel is Helel, in Orion, the Constellation of Osiris, but that rose in the fall, on the Jewish/Pagan New Year because that's when Orion ruled the skies as the God of Storms.
The temple of melqart was built when King Ahab married Jezebel of Sidon, she is the same as Sheba, because the entire region had worshipped the Mother of the Mountain for thousands of years, she is Vaticanus, and her son and husband is Vulcan, or Lucifer, Son of Saturn. She is Gaea, her Titan children are the offspring of animals and men who became God's, the Constellations of the Zodiac. They are the Angels and Demons, or Anglos and Daimons, and the Cherubim the cardinal directions.
Anglo comes from Ankh, and means to bend, much like Atlantis was beyond the Gates of Gebal, or Gabriel's Alter, Gibraltar, where we find Tartessos, and the oldest Stonehenge on earth, over 7000 years old.
The Internal angles of the Star of David are 1440 degrees. 2016 plus 144 is 2160, the length of an astrological age. 86,400 seconds in a day, divide by 2160 equals 40. 1440 seconds is also ten minutes, or a single Megalithic minute of Arc.
The exterior angles of a Pentagon are 108 degrees, divide by 40 and get 2.7, a Megalithic yard is 2.72 feet. The Moon completes an orbit of the earth every 27.3 days.
24 times 60 is also 1440, and the internal angles of the Six sided cube are 2160. The interior angles of a right angle Tetrahedron Pyramid are 720 degrees, and the Azimuth of the Standing stones at Carnac is 72 degrees.
72 times five is 360.
Or 36 ten day weeks
A metonic cycle is 18.6 years, but a full cycle is 19, 19 divided by 7 is 2.714, or 19.2 gives us 2.74.
A Megalithic yard was 2.7 feet, a Megalithic Rod was 2.5 Yards, half a Rod is 99.88 cm.
The full Metonic cycle is 216 years, divided by 2.7 equals 80, half a metonic cycle is therefore 40. Venus also takes forty years to complete its Pentagonal pattern in the sky, resurrecting after 8 days below the horizon every 584 years.
There are 13 lunar cycles in a year, just as the Pyramid of Cheops is 13 Acres square at the base, it is also 186 feet on the slope, and 230 metres (235 sumerian metres/ number of synods in a year) at the base and is 481ft high.
477.9 divided by 2.7 equals 177 Megalith Yards, times two equals 354, plus 11.25 equals
365.25.
Where did the 11.25 come from?
Why 216 divided by 19.2 of course!
That 11.25 is the height of the Phoenix ashes, the days removed by the Metonic cycle in order to synchronize the Equinoxes with the first New Moon, which pretty much all Megalithic sites were designed to observe and measure. It's also why Trumps building is 663.9 feet instead of 666 because it requires that last 2.7 feet to make 666.6, which is what you get from 18.6, 6 plus 6 plus 6, plus .6. 216 is 6 cubed, or 6 times 6 times 6.
Did I mention there are 13 hours on the clock? The 12 should really be a 1, until we return to where we started, at 13, just like Jesus and his 12 disciples, or Loki the 13th guest at Valhalla, or Queztlcoatyl and the 13 Butan Calender of the Maya. Incidentally Maia was also the wife of Hephaestus, as in the Phaistos disk, who was King Og, the first Pharoah to unite Egypt, before the Scorpion King. Hephaestus is also the God of Metals, Alchemy, and Knowldge like Thoth, and features in the Greek and Roman Pantheons, as King Oaegrus, adoptive father of Apollo. His son was Theseus of the Labryrinth, who bought the first writing to Greece.
His first Palace was next to the Necroplis of El Gebel, same name as the Phrygians Goddess of the Mountain, or the Jezebel of the Bible, Queen Sheba, Wife of Solomon, Queen of Sidon, Daughter of Hiram Abiff. Sidon means Kingdom of the Fish, the Phoenician Symbol for fish is X. Sidon is also the birthplace of Pythagoras, whose parents were told by Pythias of Delphi to expect a son of great importance.
The star of David also aligns with 6 key points of the Zodiac, Solomon's Key is the New Year, Samhain, September, Zayim, Serpentis, 13th Sunsign of the Babylonian Zodiac, when Osiris rose in the Night Sky, the Aleph (Ox) and the Omega (Zayin is the last letter of the Phoenician Alphabet, and also means 7).
The Heliopolis of Baalbek as well as of Egypt and Karnak etc all housed their own Ark of the Covenant, which was a Sarcophagi of their City's Patron God (Baal) and it is where the Phoenix returned and annointed itself in Frankinscense and Myrrh before self igniting, upon the altar, ie the Pyramid. In Egypt it was called the Benben Bird and looked like a kind of Crane or Stork.
Enoch's other name is El Ashmunein, a name for the Moon, or Thoth, the Egyptian symbol for the soul was the Estruscan X inside a circle, they also used a Theta symbol to signify the Dragon Agathos Daimon wrapping around the Earth, just as with the Zodiac. At the center of the Arc created by the 3 great Pyramids lies El Tuna Gebal, much like Pipituna the Phrygian Mother Goddess. At that site sites a well from which tools dating back to the Paleolithic were found. It is the well of memories that Osiris, Odin, and Orpheus drink from in order to pass through the underworld, just as the Phoenix lies at the end of Eradinus, the red river, that leads from Orion's ankle. Oh and the term Anglo comes from Ankh, to bend, denoting their origins in Brittany and Iberia, beyond the Gates of El Gebal, aka Gabriel, aka Jezebel, to the west, just as described in the Bible. That same metonic calendar can be found from India to Greece, Mesoamerica, Hawaii and New Zealand, using all the same starsigns as we do. The Venus statues of old were called Donii, just like one might call followers of Dionysus, whose name means King Isis, Mlqrt was not the Scion of Baal, it is Sheba, the Daughter of Sidon, the Fisher King, Eschmun II., a female deity, presented as riding an Ass and begging for money, just as the Feathered Serpent Ammun, who was also portrayed as an advocate for the interests of the common man.
Hence Israel, Saturn, fruit of Isis and Ra, El, El Gebal, El Ashmunein, the Hidden Ptah, Lord of the Zodiac, the Moon.
Those same zodiac identities and interpretations can also be found amongst the almost contemporary Megalithic sites from Sth America to Easter Island, and Japan.
@@uncannyvalley2350 tldr
Psychedelics are dangerous and produce demonic experiences that deceive you into thinking you are experiencing God. If you want to draw nearer to God, read the Nee Testament and pray 🙏 to Jesus. In my opinion. God bless you ✝️
That’s pagan garbage
sounds like you may have schitzophrenia
The more I hear about the orthodox church the more I like it. western christianity and American protestant society is very lacking in lots of aspects
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
As Pope John Paul II taught - it is not "either or", but "both and." The Church he said must learn to breath with both lungs.
Great video as always! I believe it's interesting to mention that the word "energies" should be undertsood in a little different way than it is usually used in the english language. Energies can be used in greek also as "actions". Divine energies aren't supernatural beings devided from god or God's forms that can be understood by us. They are his "actions", ways that God is manifested to us. They aren't his esence but they aren't beings or streams of energy coming out of Him neither. Obviously this issue is very complicated and is very difficult to understand but this linguistic aproach might be helpful. I would like to ask about possible similarities or differences with Dvaita Vedanta in hinduism. It would be great if you can make a video about this! Thank you!
This is a very clarifying comment, thanks! Language barriers are so confounding, it’s usually a miracle if two people speaking the same language from the same country can really understand each other.
This is a subject to be EXPERIENCED, SELF-REALISED and NOT understood.
Ενέργεια = activity
For anyone wonder.
OK. I was thinking these energies sounded like the planets of the Babylonians and the gnostics.
There are many churches and monistarues in Montenegro. They are fabulous. Ostog has St.Vasili (Basil) laying down where he died. His body is intact and did not decay. A true holy man. These things seem to be unknown in the West.
I had a dream once where I was a girl, looking out a window at a funeral procession in MONTENEGRO. Always thought: Find out where that is, exactly. Must be some special meaning to this word.
The West also has several saints whose remains appear to be intact.
@@vaska1999where?
Excellent. I stumbled onto Orthodoxy in Lawrence, KS of all places. I passed by the window and saw the zine “Death To the World” and have been fascinated since. Thank you for your unbiased, scholarly presentations.
What Must I Do To Be Saved? m.ua-cam.com/video/DmiH89xWZ0Q/v-deo.html
That zine is awesome
I've always been inspired by the teachings of Jesus but at the same time very off-put from the Christian church as I felt they put more emphasis on one's loyalty to the establishment of the church rather then the importance of one's personal search for connection with God. Learning that Orthodox Christians hold some similar beliefs to mine was really interesting. Great video!
I feel so cheated by American Christian culture. I think I’m probably converting to Orthodox ☦️
@@pinkfloydguy7781 lol I feel you there, I was raised Mormon so my first interaction with Jesus' teachings was through a protestant/ MLM type church
Loyalty to the establishment was important because Christianity was more interested in world domination, on behalf of vested interests. And least interested in the internal, spiritual development of individuals.
The sentiment of personalized relationship with God seems to me to lead to false praxis and conclusions about God and our relationship to him. It is clear that God established and revealed one Church and one faith to the world. Christ is a King, through the line of David. David gave the keys to the kingdom to his equivalent of a prime minister. Christ, being of the line of David and the fulfillment of the law gives those same keys to St.Peter the first Pope. The Church is a divine institution that God has established, it is also a matter of humility to accept and acknowledge the authority of the Church. It isn't just a matter of "proving your allegiance" to some institution of man, the Church is an institution of God.
@@danielfigueroa6409 religious texts are NOT literal in meaning but allegorical, esoteric.
They are not to be understood by logic, reason, rational thinking and scholarship. Or BELIEVED.
They have to be EXPERIENCED, SELF-REALISED, taste the honey in the rock.
Religious leaders, on behalf of vested interests, MIS-INTERPRETED the scriptures for world domination.
Billions have been MISLED, brainwashed, enslaved, deracinated, converted and cruelly controlled or killed because the abrahamic religions, over the last 2000 yrs, have been BELIEVING in their God.
Conversions, by aggression and deceit, are going on in full swing in Asian countries, even today.
If the gate to heaven is very narrow, inspite of Mathew 15/14, why do we forget the Tower of Babel.
Aren't we confused between the kingdom of God on earth, the kingdom of God in heaven and the kingdom of God in our hearts.
Very good video. Informative, provided plenty of context, nice flow, concise, and great visuals. Thank you for sharing information about this tradition. Peace 🙏🏽
Great work as always. I noticed the Ethiopian Orthodox Church wasn’t mentioned which is also a very mystical church. Though to be honest, a whole video could be dedicated to Ethiopia and the development of religion in the near East.
I noticed that as well it's a shame when people choose to white wash history without giving a unbiased interpretation of events
self absorbed race worshiping africans. The coptic church is not part of eastern or oriental orthodoxy. But you have to make it about duh melanin, don't you?
@@violenceisfun The Coptic Orthodox Church is firmly in the Oriental Orthodox category, the whole reason they exist is their rejection of the Council of Chalcedon.
Also, he said literally nothing about melanin. The Ethiopian Church was given special dispensation by the Coptic Orthodox Pope because of their scriptural and praxical peculiarities
That's because the Tewahedo "church" isn't Orthodox but monophysite.
@@lordofhostsappreciator3075 No, they're miaphysites
So thankful for this one! Greetings from Serbia
Поздрав брате! 🇷🇸🥰
@@ΔοσίθεοςΤρνηνητς uzvraćam pozdrav,sada vidim...
☦
@@milenasovic поздрав поздрав 😁
@@Novalisov 😁
Your intro statement is so on point. I've tried so hard to have broadened Abrahamic discussions with the church, such as origins of it, and it always gets turned into the same narrow, dogmatic conversation.
This video is refreshing. Thank you for it
Orthodox Christian here, I was wondering when you'd make a video on a topic like this :) excited to see some videos about Oriental Orthodoxy in the future! Good job!
Anyone else often just click to see how the topic he's covering is pronounced?
heh yep
You got me
Yes but then I stay to hear what he has to say
@@ruthanneperry1623 Oh absolutely.
No.
Thank you SO MUCH for identifying problematic terms and defining them before speaking so we have a clear understanding as to what you are talking about! It really helps a lot! Love the videos man, keep it up
This is pure fire 🔥 Thank you for this amazing work.
It might be worth noting that arguably the most apophatic theologian of the whole Christian tradition was none other than St Thomas Aquinas, the scholastic theologian _par excellence_ . According to Herbert McCabe OP he was the most agnostic theologian as to the nature of God: "We do not know what God is, we only know that God is".
Aquinas still argued that it was possible to know God analogously, the world as a metaphor for God, which sets aquinas apart from the rest I think. Using Nature we can speak meaningfully about God, the last few hundred years have not been kind to this idea in fact it has resulted in the denial of that God. Nietzsche has a lot to say about these ideas and their consequences.
@@TheGuiltsOfUs While its true that Aquinas held to analogical predication he also held that we cannot know God's nature or essence. In this he was different from the great Eastern Orthodox theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa and Maximus the Confessor who by no means understood apophatic theology to imply equivocal predication.
Wow. I knew there was a point in time where the truth was suppressed but didn’t know how to even go about finding it and here it is
Please do a video on Lutheranism and Luther himself. Many Protestants have a twisted version of his story that isn’t realistic to the man he was in real life.
I was raised WELS Lutheran. It was almost like a cult of Luther. Look it up.
What is the twisted Protestant version? Just curious. I was raised Congregationalist (Pilgrims) and changed to Greek Orthodox (husband).
You mean besides being an anti semite
Can you do a video on the Ortodox Pope's? Also how Ukraine is half Unfer Francis, other half officially Orthodox. That would be lovely. Thank you. 😊
@@radhikaschwartz3499 everyone, including the catholic church was antisemitic during that time unfortunately
I just recently studied my ancestral beliefs, Javanese Hindu-Buddhist syncretism. It's mostly extinct now, but a very similar Bali Hinduism is still going strong till this day. I think it would make a very interesting video, seeing how three waves of mass migration and influx of foreign merchants have essentially shaped an ethno-religion
The tengger tribe still practiced Javanese Hindu-Buddhist syncretism, theyre the only javanese that still remain hindu.
Nupuqi Om-Re Khonectics chamber degrees will guide you
It's not the same with hinduism
Hinduism is satan worship
@@avidresearch6478 what? no it is not Satan worship. There is no concept such as Satan in Hinduism.
This was the video where I discovered this channel. I’m so grateful ❤
When I returned to active Christianity (as opposed to simply identifying myself as a Christian because that's how I was raised) I practiced many forms of praying including speaking in tongues, saying the rosary, praying the liturgy of the hours, just praying to God freely in an almost conversational way, singing Gregorian Chants and then I read about The Jesus Prayer. Now this simply Hesychastic prayer is probably 90% of my prayer life. I say this everytime before going to sleep.
I also return to be active, please explain more about the prayer, I am all ears
@@edwnsoto18 My advice is to go to a quite place and sit in silence. Allow your mind to relax and wonder. And when you are calm speak to God as if he is in front of you. Speak to him about whatever is on your mind. Offer thanks for your blessings. Ask for forgiveness fo your mistakes. Ask him what you have done wrong and what you can do better. Ask if there is anyone you can help. Tell him about your problems and hope's and dreams. Poor out your heart and all your feelings to God.
@@kellharris2491 Thank you so much , really appreciate for the advice, God Bless
@@edwnsoto18 the jesus prayer is very specific
This video is an excellent introduction of Byzantine theology and hesychastic practice. I really enjoy how you are able to present different traditions without all the confessional polemics that so often distort these discussions. Could you tell me where to find the illustration at 2:19? Thank you so much!
*Eastern Roman Theology
No such thing as Byzantine.
OMG I abhor confessional polemics...like totally
@@alhassani626 False!! There is no such thing as Eastern Roman Theology. The monikers serve purpose. Stop trying to disparage the fact!!
@@orthodoxrocks9644 Pick up a history book and see when the term Byzantine was coined. And it is called Orthodox Theology not Byzantine Theology. You're barely educated.
@@alhassani626 two things 1. I never called it Byzantine Theology. 2. The Empire indeed was split into East and West. However, no one calls it Western Rome Theology or Eastern Rome Theology. It doesn't make any sense to even group Rome with the other 4 cities that made up the Pentarchy since Rome was the reason for the split! The two Churches are under the appellation: Roman Catholic Church and The Orthodox Church.
Yeah, I'm barely educated.....Yawn......
So beautifully explicated - thank you! I am Roman Catholic and will remain so I pray…having had mystical experience and having read the desert fathers and mothers, this makes so much sense and has also helped me understand orthodox tradition better.
This tradition is big in traditional Catholicism, but now set aside in favour of rationalism, moralism, and social engineering
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16. God built the Catholic Church! I will pray for you
@christophersalinas2722 90% of the time it's just out of context or anachronistic quotes.
One of the best overviews I've seen on hesychast, been studying orthodoxy now for over a year having read 25+ books and found this video summarized it beautiful thank you.
Hesychasm is pretty well translated as prayer of the heart. Good book on this called the way of the pilgrim. Lord Jesus Christ / Have mercy on me the sinner. If you let this sink into you you will feel it sink with your breath, then your heart.
look into orthodoxy, it is a beautiful faith with infinite depth. If you look at the history imo it has a vey valid claim to being the successor of the apostolic church
I just finished my 3rd reading of it. Excellent example
Lord Jesus Christ, Son
of God, Savior. Have mercy
on me a sinner.
Haiku style Jesus Prayer. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ!
What about matt. 6:7? But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
@@sneakybeaver8866 is sincere and constant prayer vain? To be fully in communion with God is to be in constant prayer. It is not the same as saying “om” while meditating, or whatever pagan repetition is being directly addressed here
@@HammerHeadzzz I read it as the repetitive style being vain as the pagans do and his commands are to his followers, not pagans, because they choose not to obey anyway...But I could definitely be wrong, I just started looking into orthodoxy.
I want to thank you so much for being so polite and respectful with the way you explain religions.
Great summary.Can you consider more episodes on Orthodoxy
Chanced upon your channel and enjoyed learning something I've never heard of. Very well presented. Thank you.
I’m not religious but I’ve always felt attracted to the meditations of the Christians.
Reject religion, embrace Christ and His salvation
@@johannesstephanusroos4969lol
I just realized what I'm doing on a Sunday morning, I thought I was done with church
lol that's why I do this every morning. I start my day by contemplating diverse religious ideas presented in content like this. It helps refine my character and behavior in a way that church always tried to and failed because it was only once a week and, in truth, rather stagnant due to the profound lack of spiritual inertia that Fundamentalism inevitably brings about.
Daniel, church is different than spiritually. Each has it's place and function in our individual as well as collective lives. Look to the spiritual; it's much more rewarding than a bunch of 'rules'. Blessings to you, Danella
@@andythedishwasher1117 what UA-cam channels do you suggest?
@@mirabletest I think Philip would agree Esoterica is excellent. I also frequent Angela's Symposium and Religion For Breakfast. Together, they seem to be doing an excellent job of contextualizing the history of religion and mysticism in light of the current archaeology and pertinent philosophical models.
@@mirabletest I'm sure there are plenty of others I've left out. I hear good things about The Modern Hermeticist, but I have yet to dive deep over there. I'm trying to break out of my Hermetic bubble these days.
Awesome video. Nice to see the profound side of Christianity
14:16 Turns out... POLYVAGAL THEORY There may be a lot more to these physical postures assumed during the meditation sessions & also the 'holy comportment' often portrayed by wo/men of the cloth Even the sonic tones & rhythms of prayers/chants/hymns (breathe control)
So much of the forms of devotional practice including the gathering of the people itself actually is therapy toning the parasympathetic nervous system: rest/digest/restore/recover... our direct physiology In neurological terms we are said to be coregulating if I got that right The vagus nerve plays a huge role in all of this
this is a very rare example of a video about Orthodoxy, from a non-Orthodox, that is actually accurate and very well put together, really nice.
i will only add that the book "The Way of a Pilgrim" deserves a mention, specially in philoslavic churches it has gained the status of essencial introductory book to hesychastic practice and the Philokalia.
Yessss. The Way of a Pilgrim. Awesome book. Eye opener
“It is by unknowing that one can attain the object of knowledge.” I wholeheartedly believe that. Siddhartha Gautama likewise said, “There are things we must unlearn, in order to learn them”
I grew up Catholic. I might go to Midnight Mass on Christmas. However I have still great reverence for Saint John of the Cross and his writings of The Dark Night of the Soul, The Living Flame of Love, etc.
By the way a new subscriber, and thank you.
I heard Alan watts mention the once in a speech. He said hecycast instead of hecycasm and I've wondered about it since. Thanks. Clear as a bell now.
I wish the Christianity I was raised in had this aspect to it.
convert
It is up to you, integrate it into your life
You can convert , I did and I have never looked back
I felt the same way...
So I converted ☦️❤️🇬🇷
@@dmitri1483 I no longer feel the need to adhere to a particular religion. But if my original religion had this kind of spiritual depth I would have been more likely to stick to it.
I’m in the middle of reading Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger. Didn’t even realize this is where the prayer from the heart is from
My heart is restless until it finds the rest upon remembrance of your Name.
Ever tried Prozac? 😅
@@adamprickster Many people find that drugs are a cheap and empty substitute for developing the philosophical and religious constitution to deal with reality sober.
@@pinkfloydguy7781 wow. That was enlightening.
@@adamprickster Doesn’t help for the ones who fall in love with their Innermostbeing.
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you.
Very good again Filip! Although I'm more familiar with Catholic mysticism the Eastern Orthodox tradition is very deep and their emphasis on negative theology is always profound, even I - as a non-Christian - was very moved by St. John Climacus' "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". The "Essence-Energies" distinction seems to me very similair to Meister Eckhart's "Godhead-God" distinction. All things considered Hesychasm seems almost a form of Christian Jāpa meditation, although we must be careful with broad comparisons, there are certainly parallels!
As an Orthodox viewer (Coptic Orthodox specifically) I really appreciate you delving into Orthodox Christianity and enjoy this as well as your other content.
The copts split from the Great Church well before the Palamite controversy and the acceptance of Hesychasm. Do not be fooled by the label ''Orthodox"'
@@3master791the Chalcedonians split from the Bride of Christ and fell into even deeper heresy. Hesychasm has its roots in Islamic dhikr and yoga. Both demonic roots that have infiltrated your institution. Your people are said “to sit still and look at the center of their chest.” These stances in yoga invoke specific gods. And as the psalmist says, “All the gods of the nations are devils.”
Great video! Its a shame so many young secular people nowadays have no idea about the mystic traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy for if they surely knew what ancient Christianity was, they would be drawn to it immediately.
Why not reconvert by aggression and deceit.
Mathew 15/14 speaks about the blind leading the blind. The church hierarchy might be scholars of the Bible but none of them have any worthwhile EXPERIENCE. They have not tasted the honey in the rock. They are bound to MISLEAD.
It's quite fascinating, the connection between the mystic traditions and it seems even more mind blowing that they aren't derived from each other, from Sufism to Vendanta to Sikhism to Taoism and now the eastern orthodox Christian tradition.
It really has me wondering, if theres something to it.
it has: people are the same everywhere so they are functioning in similar manner
they all meet in silence and stillness
God speaks to all people in their own ways.
@@kellharris2491 God is a concept
@@robertjsmith everything is a concept , so what?
Bro, you nailed it! I became Eastern Orthodox Christian just over two years ago and was looking for this break down on this subject ever since. Thank you 👍
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
Brilliant...I love mapping other traditions onto my own and this has always been a bit illusive...the clear explanstion of essence and energy finally sunk in...and wow I can see it how it fits in my own tradition. Thankyou.
I always felt like the only kid interested in religion like REALLY interested in it, now I see all these like minded people is refreshing
Same here brother I'm only 15 but I study and learn about all types of religions mythologys and the such
Now the Oriental Orthodox Churches are not recognized as Eastern Orthodox by the churches in Antioch and Moscow. And no one can say that the Eastern Orthodox Church has any subcategories or sects within it as they all teach the same and are “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.” All the Eastern Orthodox Churches depend on each other as it is all one religious and belief. Great video, thank you.
Producing boundaries in Christianity is often difficult - so the Inward Light of the early Quakers is similar to the Energy of Hesychasm. John Wesley has a deep mystical theology and was deeply read in Eastern Fathers. Thank you for your thoughtful presentation.
Thank you for this comment about the Quakers. Will look into it
I am a recent convert to Eastern Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism!
I'm currently on this path - at the beginning
St John of the cross covers all of this in his books plus it’s all implicit in scripture ! These experiences/graces are given to a few!
Thank you for your presentation. I am sincerely thankful for the insights that encourage me to seek a higher spiritual understanding and state of being.
Religion is a mistery presented in orthodox liturgy.
Did you mean “mystery” or “misery”? Given the painstaking complexity of the orthodox liturgy I would agree with both.
@@uncommonsensewithpastormar2913 If you get in involves in orthodox liturgy, you will see and feel that mystery (mystic), but if you see from outside, it's different.
Address,
🥺😪😪😭
That is really sad that you need all the props to fleshly props to have any kind of meaning
@@greglogan7706 🙏
Thank you for this video!
Hesychasm sounds a lot like “Recollection,” a kind of meditative prayer. 3rd Spiritual Alphabet by Fransisco de Osuna is a book discussing Recollection, and, like the Philokalia, is written for lay people and monks, and gives an excellent roadmap of how to attain oneness with one’s self in order to experience the grace of God.
I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy after studying church history and reading a lot of the writings.
@JChrisTruth146 become Eastern Orthodox and repent gnostic
@ReyWho you cannot be a Christian and reject the Most Holy Trinity. please repent my friend.
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
@@christophersalinas2722 The other 4 Patriarchs, pre AD 1054, recognised the Bishop of Rome as first among equals but that wasn't good enough. Rome wanted full and total control and even objected to being called 'Brother' rather than 'Father' by fellow Bishops. If Rome had not been so arrogant we may well still be one Church (and of course, not pushed the Filioque).
@@clivejames5058 Not true. Orthodoxy rejects the usage of Matthew 16 to support a papacy. I can name you loads of Patriarchs pre schism that cited Matthew 16 or claimed Peter held the keys to heaven or was the rock. And the full writings if you’d like to see them yourself.
This reminds me of the metaphysics of the Hindu mystic named Ramakrishna, who claimed that God as the Absolute in essence is "not this and not that" and the only possibility for the human mind to experience God's presence is to experience his active manifestation, which Ramakrishna identified with the goddess Kali - one of the aspects of Shakti, the energy of God Shiva. Energy (Shakti) and Essence (Shiva) were the same being for him, but in motion and at rest. However, he said, the ultimate goal was to experience the Essence. The prerequisite, however, is the grace of the Goddess.
Ramakrishna was a great spiritual master!
Spiritual masters of India are many and legendary.
Roman Catholicism to this day still has deep mysticism. In my discernment with the CFRs, passionists, dominicans and carmelites I've seen deep mysticism.
Still low tier
@TestSubjectDayjob yes undoubtedly. The fact that the EO church has survived under so much persecution from atheist societies and Islam is evident of Gods hand. Blessed are those who are persecuted.
@@eogh I am so blessed.
I was raised kind of half-atheist and half-Mormon and they both felt like crap to me, I’ve been drawn more to the emphasis on mysticism in Orthodox Christianity but I’ve also read “Cloud of Unknowing” which I think probably must be the most incredible mystical piece produced on the Roman side of the Schism. It’s really a beautiful work, I don’t really like how New Agers like to dissect it away from Christianity. I also just noticed the convo taking place over my head and I hope the Schism is healed too!
Edit: apparently I was misled about the Cloud of Unknowing when I was reading it - as he quotes about it in the video, it was pre-Schism and influenced the mystical tradition of both Churches. Fascinating.
@@eogh we will get them later!
Thank you so much for this wonderfully illuminating explanation. Though I'd never heard of Hesychasm before - having been brought up in western Christian church thought - it confirms what I've suspected for over 50 years; that teachings designed to guide us through mystical portals of enlightenment at some point were lost, even stripped away from western Catholicism and Protestantism. Every other religion I'd studied proved empty, over the long run, as well. But Eastern Orthodoxy is for me the last arena of study, and it's turned out to be the most fruitful. St. Gregory Palamas will be the perfect source from now on. Those who denounced him and spoke of "going into the darkness of the true God" sound like the real heretics of the Eastern Church. God Bless You!
How's it going?
@@chendaforest Well. And you?
@@riverwildcat1 good, but how are your studies of orthodox Christianity going ? Have you had a mystical experiences ?
orthodox LOVE to say the papacy is a medieval invention.. until you cite dozens of pre schism fathers, theologians, saints, and monks that taught roman authority and cited Matthew 16.
If you want eastern practices.. you can find these in eastern catholicism.
I'm glad he respectfully acknowledged that Christianity is diverse. Many even in western Christianity pursue a life of oneness with God. Eric Gilmour (on UA-cam) is one of my favorites. He has also been influenced by many other past mystics from the orthodox and catholic traditions.
Today, I stumbled upon your channel for the first time. I'm so glad. I look forward to learning more from your stellar work!
I was raised in a faith healing pentacostal tent revival fury about an eternal lake of fire, and the faith healers couldn't fix me. Messed me up good, though. I stepped away from all religion for over 20 years as a result, and was reintroduced to God through a 12-step program. It took 20 years to partially rid me of the damage that was done, enough that I could explore God in a different way. My 12-step friend said to forget about faith and expectations and just talk to God directly. Nothing to lose. I found a God with whom I could converse. Not an actual conversation, but like a prayer and meditation, question and answer thing. During one of those times, I asked God about his nature and he told me not to waste my time because it was un-knowable. I found that comforting. I came across this video totally at random, but it's the first time I've seen something resembling what I've believed and experienced, and the first time in a Christian setting. I had not realized that orthodox beliefs varied that much from catholicism other than the pope. I'm glad I found your channel and look forward to watching more. Thanks!
Could you talk about Quietism? It seems like a similar concept, but ended up being condemned by the Catholic Church as a heresy.
Bro you got Swallow’s Nest as an avatar pic? Nice!
Haven’t heard this in a while! I read a very old small book of lessons/wisdom by a quietism author from Spain(?) - very lovely book I rented from my schools library
Hesychasm means quietism in greek.
Quietism seems to be of a similar false spirit as hesychasm is. I think Quietism should definitely be highlighted more to help lead people away from joining the schismatic Eastern sects.
Hesychos in Greek means quiet. Hesychasm and Quietism aren't similar things, they are literally the same word and notion.
As for the Papist dude above who called us a schismatic sect, tell us how many Patriarchates followed your "supreme Pope" in 1054? Ah right, none😂😂😂. Only the lands under his oversight, aka only bishops and priests who were controlled by him, followed his Schism from the Church.
Wow! This is well presented. Not too in depth but giving enough details. Thank you.
I was exposed to the Eastern orthodoxy in my twenties. I have practiced reciting the Jesus prayer along with breathing techniques as you have described. I read the pilgrims way. And found the philokalia there. I still have the second volume. I believe there are six volumes in total. Would you consider doing a video on the philokalia?
Very educational and informative on theological issues...🙏