W hen you are praying, do not shape within yourself any image of the Deity, and do not let your intellect be stamped with the impress of any form; but approach the Immaterial in an immaterial manner, and then you will understand. quote 3387 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", p. 63, text 67)
Y ou cannot attain pure prayer while entangled in material things and agitated by constant cares. For prayer means the shedding of thoughts. quote 3384 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", pp. 62-63, text 71)
S tand on guard and protect your intellect from thoughts while you pray. Then your intellect will complete its prayer and continue in the tranquility that is natural to it. In this way He who has compassion on the ignorant will come to you, and you will receive the blessed gift of prayer. quote 3383 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", p. 63, text 70)
W hen your intellect in its great longing for God gradually withdraws from the flesh and turns away from all thoughts that have their source in your sense-perception, memory or soul-body temperament, and when it becomes full of reverence and joy, then you may conclude that you are close to the frontiers of prayer. quote 3382 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", pp. 62-63, text 62)
I f the intellect has not risen above the contemplation of the created world, it has not yet beheld the realm of God perfectly. For it may be occupied with the knowledge of intelligible things and so involved in their mulitplicity. quote 3371 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", p. 62, text 58)
B e on your guard against the tricks of the demons. While you are praying purely and calmly, sometimes they suddenly bring before you some strange and alien form, making you imagine in your conceit that the Deity is there. They are trying to persuade you that the object suddenly disclosed to you is the Deity, whereas the Deity does not possess quantity and form. quote 3370 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)", p. 63, text 68)
T ry to make your intellect deaf and dumb during prayer, you will then be able to pray. quote 3361 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)")
I f, then, you wish to behold and commune with Him who is beyond sense-perception and beyond concept, you must free yourself from every impassioned thought. quote 3360 | Saint Evagrios the Solitary On Prayer: ("Philokalia (Vol. 1)")
