The
Philokalia (
Gk. φιλοκαλία, "love of the beautiful") is a collection of texts written between the
fourth and
fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the
Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in 'the practise of the contemplative life'. The collection was compiled in the eighteenth-century by
St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth.
Although these works were individually known in the monastic culture of
Greek Orthodox Christianity before their inclusion in
The Philokalia, their presence in this collection has resulted in a much wider readership due to its translation into several
languages, including a seven-volume translation into Russian (
Dobrotolyubie) by
St. Theophan the Recluse in the nineteenth-century; Romanian, English, Finnish, modern Greek and French translations.
In the words of the publishers of the current English translation,
The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any book other than the Bible in the recent history of the Orthodox Church'
Philocalia is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen compiled by Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzus Nature, scope and intention of the collection
The Philokalia was first published in Venice in 1782.
The collection's full title is The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers
'''. Niptic
is an adjective derived from the Greek Nipsis
(or Nepsis
) referring to contemplative prayer and meaning 'watchfulness'.
Philokalia
is defined as the "love of the beautiful, the exalted, the excellent, understood as the transcendent source of life and the revelation of Truth." In contemplative prayer the mind is trained to become aware of God as a living presence as the source of being of all creatures and sensible forms. The writings of The Philokalia
have been chosen above others because they "...show the way to awaken and develop attention and consciousness, to attain that state of watchfulness which is the hallmark of sanctity. They describe the conditions most effective for learning what their authors call the art of arts and the science of sciences, a learning which is not a matter of information or agility of mind but of a radical change of will and heart leading man towards the highest possibilities open to him, shaping and nourishing the unseen part of his being, and helping him to spiritual fulfilment and union with God."
This listing of texts is based on the English translation, started by Bishop Kallistos Ware, G.E.H. Palmer and Philip Sherrard and published by Faber and Faber Ltd. The fifth volume has yet to be published. While there is no definite date set, it is predicted by the publisher to be made available sometime late in 2006. This translation uses the third edition published by the Astir Publishing Company. Volume 1
- On Guarding the Intellect: 27 Texts
- Outline Teaching on Asceticism and Stillness in the Solitary Life
- Texts on Discrimination in respect of Passions and Thoughts
- Extracts from the Texts on Watchfulness
- On the Holy Fathers of Sketis and on Discrimination
- On the Spiritual Law: 200 Texts
- On Those who Think that They are Made Righteous by Works: 226 Texts
- Letter to Nicolas the Solitary
- On Watchfulness and Holiness
- On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: 100 Texts
- For the Encouragement of the Monks in India who had Written to Him: 100 Texts
- Ascetic Discourse Sent at the Request of the Same Monks in India
There is also an appendix entitled "On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: 170 Texts." Nicodemus attributes it to the model monastic Antony of Egypt; however the language and the general idea is not explicitly Christian. It was included perhaps because it had resonances of Christianity and Nicodemus thought that another work—from Peter of Damascus—quotes from this work and attributes it to Antony. However no such connection can be found. Volume 2
- A Century of Spiritual Texts
- Four Hundred Texts on Love, with a foreword to Elpidios the Presbyter
- Two Hundred Texts on Theology and the Incarnate Dispensation of the Son of God (written for Thalassios)
- Various Texts on Theology, the Divine Economy, and Virtue and Vice
- On Love, Self Control, and Life in accordance with the Intellect (written for Paul the Presbyter)
- On the Virtues and the Vices
- A Discourse on Abba Philemon
- On the Practice of the Virtues, Contemplation and the Priesthood
Volume 3
- Forty Texts on Watchfulness
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part I
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part II
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part III
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part IV
- The Ladder of Divine Graces
- Book I: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge
- Book II: Twenty-Four Discourses
- Patient Endurance and Discrimination
- The Raising of the Intellect
- The Freedom of the Intellect
Volume 4
- 153 Practical and Theological Texts
- The Three Methods of Prayer [attributed to him]
- On the Practice of the Virtues: One Hundred Texts
- On the Inner Nature of Things and on the Purification of the Intellect: One Hundred Texts
- On Spiritual Knowledge, Love and the Perfection of Living: One Hundred Texts
- On Inner Work in Christ and the Monastic Profession
- On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart
- On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; on Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and also on Stillness and Prayer: 137 Texts
- On the Signs of Grace and Delusion, Written for the Confessor Longinos: Ten Texts
- On Stillness: Fifteen Texts
- To the Most Reverend Nun Xenia
- A New Testament Decalogue
- In Defence of THose who Devoutly Practise a Life of Stillness
- Three Texts on Prayer and Purity of Heart
- Topics of Natural and Theological Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life: 150 Texts
- The Declaration of the Holy Mountain in Defence of Those who Devoutly Practice a Life of Stillness
The
Philocalia
of Origen
Philocalia'' is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen compiled by Saint
Basil the Great and Saint
Gregory Nazianzus in 358-9.
