Until our intellect has died to the passions, it should not attempt to embark on the contemplation of sensible realities. For if it is still subject to distraction and is unable to devote itself to meditation on the divine Scriptures in stillness and spiritual knowledge, then by turning prematurely to such contemplation we tend to sink more deeply into forgetfulness and gradually to approach a state of ignorance, even though our intellect may have already attained some degree of spiritual knowledge. This happens especially if, unknown to ourselves, our knowledge has not come to us through God’s grace, but we are still learning about such mysteries through reading and from people who have experienced them. St Peter of Damaskos, The Philokailia Volume Three, Twenty Four Discourses: XII Contemplation of the Sensible World
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:49:50 +0000
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