Basil: "The mind, which is not distracted by external things and through the senses does not scatter to the things of the world, returns to itself."

24) Mainly, inconsistency is given to the mind by our Lord Jesus Christ when calling upon His holy name in the heart with faith; and this natural method (technique) of descent into the heart by means of breathing, and this solitude in a silent and unbright place, and all the like, only contribute to this in some way.

More than this, or better than anything else in general, such a feat is successfully accomplished by the mind, with the assistance of divine grace, with the heartfelt, pure and unwavering invocation of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not only by this natural method of descending into the heart by breathing, or by this solitude in a silent and unbright place. Let it not be!

For this is not for the sake of which the Holy Fathers have been invented, except for the sake of the fact that it contributes to the gathering of thoughts, to the return of the mind from its usual soaring to itself and the concentration of its attention, as it was said before.

And from these (the gathering of thoughts and concentration of attention) is born that the mind begins to pray unceasingly, purely, and without flushing, as St. Nilus says: "Attention that seeks prayer will find prayer; for attention, more than anything else, is followed by prayer, for which we ought to have the greatest care" (ch. 179). "This is how this matter should be looked at. "And you, child, though you love the good days, and live in the body like a bodiless one, live according to the following rule and rule.

(25) As a silent person should spend time from evening to waking up from sleep.

After sunset, calling upon the help of the all-good and all-powerful Lord Jesus Christ, sit on a chair in a silent and dim cell, and gathering your mind from its usual whirling and wandering, by means of your breath quietly bring it inside your heart and hold this prayer: Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! together with the breath it is somehow combined with the words of prayer, as St. Hesychius says: "With thy breath unite sobriety, and the name of Jesus, and the unforgettable thought of death, and humility; for both are of great benefit" (ch. 189). With this prayer, in addition to what has been said, have also the remembrance of judgment and recompense for good and evil deeds, and wholeheartedly considering yourself the most sinful of all people and the most vile of demons, therefore think that you are eternally tormented to be in hell. If contrition, weeping and tears come to you at any of these thoughts, it will remain in that thought until the tears pass by themselves, but if you have not yet been vouchsafed the gift of tears, then accept the podvig and pray with humble wisdom, that you may gain them; for by them we are cleansed of passions and impurities, and by them we become partakers of good and salvific dispositions, as St. Climacus says: "As fire consumes the reed, so pure tears consume all impurity, mental and visible" (Verse 7, ch. 31), and another certain father: "He who wishes to retrieve his evils by weeping, let him take them off, and he who wishes to acquire virtues by weeping, let him acquire them; and if you do not have contrition, then know that you have vanity, for it does not allow the soul to come to contrition." "If tears do not come, then, after sitting, listening to the thoughts that have been spoken, and with prayer, for one hour, then get up and sing the Little Compline with attention. Then sit down again and hold on to your former prayer, as much as you can, pure and unwavering, without any concern for anything, without any thought or dream, with complete sobriety, for half an hour.

Sleep for five hours, or six; in general, measure sleep with the sleep of the night.

26) How to wake up from sleep and spend time until morning.

When you awaken from sleep, first of all give glory to God, and calling upon His intercession, begin your most important work, that is, pray in your heart unwaveringly and purely, and pray in this way for an hour. Then the mind itself is for the most part quiet and unserene; but we have a commandment to offer the first and best thing to God as a sacrifice, that is, to unswervingly extend our first thoughts in pure heartfelt prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ, as St. John says. Nilus: "He makes his prayer heard, who always brings his first thought, like ripe fruit, to God" (ch. 126). Then sing the Midnight Office.

But if you, not being firm in perfect silence, cannot begin as we have said, for this or any other reason, as often happens to those who are just beginning such work, and sometimes, though rarely, to those who have made good progress in it, but have not yet attained perfection, for only the perfect can do all things in Christ Who strengthens them (Phil. 4:11). 13), — so if you cannot, then, having risen from sleep and having restored as much as you can, a vigorous sobriety, first sing the Midnight Office, with attention and understanding.

After this, sit down and pray in your heart purely and unwisely, as shown, for one hour, or rather, as much as the Giver of good things gives you. Climacus says: "During the night, devote most of your time to prayer, and give less to Psalmody; and by day you shall arrange your works. according to his strength" (Verse 27:77).

If, even after such an ascetic need, you are still overcome by sleepy relaxation and dissipation, get up and tense up, still holding fast to prayer, and trying, as you know, to bring yourself to a waking state (St. Isaac: "Go out and walk"). Then sit down and pray, as it is written, always with all diligence trying to converse with the Pure One with pure prayer.

Then arise, sing wisely the Six Psalms, the Fifty Psalm, and the canon as you wish. After this, sit down again and pray sincerely for half an hour with cheerful sobriety. And rising again, sing the praises, the usual doxology, and the first hour. And then make the dismissal.