Such bodily deeds, acting inseparably from spiritual ones, are the most powerful, helping those spiritual means, without which they cannot exist.

Thus, all work inward-abiding through self-assembly consists of the following. In the first minute after waking up from sleep, as soon as you are conscious of yourself, descend inward to your heart, into these bodily forces: after that, summon, attract, strain all your spiritual and bodily forces there, with the attention of your mind, with the turning of your eyes there, with cheerfulness of the will, with the tension of the muscles and sobriety of feeling, with the suppression of the pleasure and peace of the flesh, and do this until until the consciousness is established there, as in its place - the seat, does not stick, does not bind like something sticky to a strong wall; and then remain there without the beginning, as long as you use your consciousness, often repeating the same practice of self-assembly both for its renewal and for its strengthening, because it is now relaxed and now disturbed.

It is necessary to know that this inward-abiding and gathering is not the same as deepening in meditation, or thought (from the word "to think"), although it is much like it. The latter stands only at the source of the mind, leaving other forces unoccupied, and is kept in the head, or else it stands in the heart, at the source of all movements, lower and deeper than everything that is and happens in us, or it happens in such a way that all this is done already above it, before its eyes, and now it is allowed, now it is forbidden. From this it is self-evident that inward-abiding is, in its true form, the condition of man's true domination over himself, and consequently of true freedom and rationality, and therefore of a truly spiritual life. This is similar to how in the outside world the owner of the city is the one who occupies the fortress. Therefore, any spiritual work and any podvig in general must be accomplished from here, otherwise it is not spiritual, below asceticism, and must be rejected. The Kingdom of God is within you, says the Lord (Luke 17:21), and then for one spiritual activity He commanded: "Enter into thy cell, and shut the doors..." (Matt. 6:6). This is the cage of the heart, according to the understanding of all the Holy Fathers. For this reason, the spiritual man, the one who is saved, the one who struggles, is called the inner man.

That the gathering within is the most suitable means for the preservation of jealousy, this is now seen:

(1) The one who is gathered must burn, for he gathers all the forces into one, just as the scattered rays, when gathered in one point, reveal intense heat and kindle. And indeed, warmth is always connected with the assembly: the spirit here sees itself, as Nicephorus says, and plays with joy.

2) The gathered one is strong, like an army arranged or a bundle of weak reeds bound. Like the girdling of the loins, it signifies readiness and strength to act. The undisciplined is always weak and either falls or does not do.

3) The collected one sees everything in himself. Whoever is in the center sees in all radii, sees everything in the circle evenly and as if at once, and he who comes out of the center sees in the direction of only one radius; In the same way, he who is gathered within sees all the movements of his forces - he sees and can control. The burning of the spirit is strength and sight, and constitute the true spirit of zeal, which is composed of them. Therefore, it should be said: only be within, and you will not cease to be jealous.

So much inward-staying! This means that one must labor in order to acquire it, for it does not suddenly appear, but according to time and much searching. It is placed in the first place because it is a condition of spiritual life. Its perfection depends on the perfection of the three spiritual and three bodily deeds that produce it, namely: the attention of the mind with the eyes turned inward, the alertness of the will with the tension of the body, and the sobriety of the heart with the beating off of the pleasure and peace of the flesh. It will appear in full light when the purity of the mind is stripped of thoughts, the purity of the will from desires, the purity of the heart from attachments and passions. But even before that time it is still an inward-abide, although imperfect, immature, not continuous.

From this it is self-evident what means to the non-initial inward-abode, or, better, the only remedy: remove everything that can disturb the three deeds shown in their double combination, or everything that can divert outward the powers of the soul, with the corresponding functions of the body: mind and feelings, will and muscles, heart and flesh. The senses are amused by external impressions, the mind by thoughts, the muscles are relaxed by the licentiousness of the limbs, the will by wishes, the flesh by rest, the heart by captivity or clinging to something. Therefore, keep the mind without thoughts, the senses without amusements, the will without desires, the muscles without weakness, the heart without captivity, the flesh without pleasure and rest. Thus, the condition and at the same time the means to inward-abide: in the soul is the struggle with the thoughts, desires and captivities of the heart, in the body it is bound, and after them there is a change in the external order. Judging by this, all subsequent podvigs, which will be directed towards the mortification of egoism, are at the same time means to inward-dwelling.

Вот почему в наставлениях святых отцов (учение о трезвении, блюдении ума) внутренняя жизнь всегда поставляется в неразрывной связи с подвижническою бранию. Однако же собрание не то же, что брань. Это - особое делание духовное, начальнейшее. Оно есть место, где все духовное делается - и брань, и чтение, и богомыслие, и молитва. Что ни делал бы подвизающийся, прежде всегда войди внутрь и оттуда действуй.

Б. Зрение другого мира

"Старайся войти в храмину, находящуюся внутри тебя, и увидишь храмину небесную", - говорит святой Исаак Сирианин. И действительно, вступивший внутрь себя видит иной некоторый мир, подобный необъятной храмине, невидимый и невоображаемый, но печатлеющийся в сознании, в коем, однако ж, не себя зрит человек и не то, что происходит в нем, ибо все это должно замолчать - и молчит. В первый удар благодати зовущей, вместе с вступлением внутрь, открывается и сей мир, независимо от человека, хочет ли он того или не хочет. После же зрение его, равно как и внутрь-пребывание, предается свободе человека и должно быть делаемо. Такое делание, как воспроизведение второго изменения, при восхождении человека до решимости и ревности, есть второе средство к сохранению и возгреванию ревности.

Оно состоит в том, чтобы содержать в сознании и чувстве все строение духовного мира. Подобно тому как вступивший в комнату называется зрящим ее, когда держит в сознании всю ее, со всем ее расположением, так и вступивший внутрь себя, как на порог, будет зреть иной мир, когда напечатлевает в сознании своем все его строение. Все, следовательно, сюда относящееся, исполнится, когда ум поймет, что такое строение духовного мира, когда напечатлеет его в сознании, или затворится в нем сознанием, и будет стоять в нем неисходно.

Все строение духовного, невидимого, мысленного, но тем не менее действительного мира кратко может быть выражено так: Бог Единый, в Троице поклоняемый, вся сотворивший и вся содержащий, восставляет, или, по Апостолу, возглавляет (см.: Еф.1,10) всяческая в Господе нашем Иисусе Христе, чрез Духа Святаго, в Святой Церкви действующего, Который, по усовершении верующих, переводит их в другой мир, что и будет продолжаться до времени исполнения всех, или кончины века, когда, по воскресении и суде, воздается комуждо по делом: одни ниспадут в ад, другие вселятся в рай, и Бог будет всяческая во всех (1Кор.15,28).