The Esence of Hesychasm

This is the essence of hesychasm - when a person finds maximum silence. Not external silence, but internal. He removes himself as much as possible from his personal concerns. The monks are not idlers, they work, but they work in obedience, without planning their labor existence. They do not invent their obedience, they are given obedience. So they seem to be free. The confessor, the abbess, thinks for them. They do not plan their future, they live for today. They try to restrain emotions, impulses, they don’t even demand from God: “Give me now and here the spiritual state that I want to receive from You.” No, they humbly pull the rosary, read the Jesus Prayer and wait for the Lord Himself to visit them. They do not demand anything from Him, saying: “Lord, let me just look in Your direction and turn to You with the words “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” They do not rush their spiritual progress, they do not make plans even in spiritual life, not to mention a short period of their earthly existence. They treat everything humbly, patiently, and their only happiness lies in being God's, saying to the Savior: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me" - and work. And God gives them at the time and to the extent that He Himself considers it necessary.