force." It flows abundantly, but softly, meekly, like the "rustle of leaves", as it is written in the Old Testament [144]. I am very glad that I found this word. You can learn to send 'good power' to another, and he will become closer to you, although he will not know why."

Private Instructions on Mental Prayer

One brother spent much time practicing the Jesus Prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," following the instructions set forth by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain [145] in the book "Invisible Warfare".

One day he came to the Church of St. Gerasim, where Father Porphyrius served at that time.

"Listen, my child," the Elder said to him, "stop practicing the Jesus Prayer from this book and do as I tell you now.

Leave the place of your heart, go to the inner center of your head and say right there: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the living God, have mercy on me," with great quietness, meekness and gentleness. Do not be frightened by the various images that the evil one will present to you. Slowly pronounce the words, delving into their meaning thoroughly. Imagine that your head looks like a bell, the tongue of which hits the inner surface of the skull with force while ringing. Then the external thoughts of the evil one cannot enter inside, being expelled, and you receive great benefit from this. Do not attach importance to the various images that you see, do not pounce on them in order to push them away, but peacefully and meekly continue to say the Jesus Prayer." Then the Elder himself said three times: "Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." But the way he did it, his voice, full of inexpressible sweetness, so struck the brother that he thought: "It is impossible that God should not have mercy on this man after such a prayer."

Of course, at first it was difficult for this brother to switch to the new way of prayer that Father Porphyrius had taught him. But he tried and did not give up trying to master it, hoping that someday he would succeed. In the annual journal of the Athonite Monastery of Gregoriate for 1978 and 1979, he read that there are eight types of the Jesus Prayer, and the one taught to him by the Elder was one of the highest.

However, it should not be forgotten that the above conversation was conducted with a specific person who is at a certain level of spiritual development. Father Porphyrius gave other instructions to other people. Such advice of the Elder is of a purely personal nature and is not suitable for general guidance.

Temptation during the Jesus Prayer

One brother studied the Jesus Prayer for a long time and diligently. However, he constantly complained to me that once Father Porphyrius forbade him to pray as he was accustomed to, and blessed him to perform the usual prayers from the liturgical books. With the Jesus Prayer, he allowed him to pray for no more than ten minutes a day.

Seven or eight years passed. Once this brother was driving the Elder in his car from Callisia to Athens. On the way, they met a woman they knew, and Father Porphyrius told them to stop to give her a ride. He spoke to her and began to ask about her father, who had become a monk, how he was doing, how he was doing.

When he had finished talking to the woman, he turned to his brother and said:

"You know, her father, when he became a monk, began to pray a lot. The evil one took advantage of this, and the monk, through the enemy's action, began to experience sensations of great pleasure and other various sensual states. Do you remember how a few years ago I forbade you to practice the Jesus Prayer? Well, the enemy was then ready to catch you in the same net." After these words of Father Porphyrius, my brother felt warm gratitude to him and stopped complaining to me about his prohibition.

Various Tips About Prayer