Introduction to the Writings
of Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

    Elder Paisios (1924–1994) was one of the most loved and revered Greek Orthodox Elders of our times. Living as a monk in the ancient monastic republic of Mount Athos, Greece, he lived in the Kingdom of God even while on earth, and received many heavenly visitations. He lived in obscurity, giving himself over entirely to God, and God in turn gave him to the whole world. During the last fifteen years of his life, he spent his nights in prayer and his entire days in relieving human pain and spreading divine consolation. He guided, consoled, healed, and gave rest to countless people who took shelter in him. His sanctified soul overflowed with divine love, and his face radiated divine grace.

    Elder Paisios was the founder of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Souroti, Thessaloniki, Greece, which he guided spiritually for twenty-eight years. The monastery has published his books in both Greek and English. By special arrangement with the Monastery of St. John, St. Herman Press has become a U.S. distributor of all of the books written by Elder Paisios which are currently available in English.

    “The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical minds. Never believe your thoughts.
    “Live simply and without thinking too much, like a child with his father. Faith without too much thinking works wonders. The logical mind hinders the Grace of God and miracles. Practice patience without judging with the logical mind.”

—Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

    The teachings of Elder Paisios are especially relevant to contemporary spiritual seekers. Deeply aware of the spiritual conditions of our times, he speaks directly to the problems and obstacles most often encountered by people in the modern world who have embarked on the spiritual path. His teachings on prayer and inner watchfulness (the watching of thoughts) are delivered with the authority of someone who has already traveled far on that path. Above all, one senses the power of Christ’s love in his writings: the perfect love which Elder Paisios described as “loving everyone equally.”

    “To some people your love will be expressed with joy and to others it will be expressed with your pain. You will consider everyone your brother or your sister, for we are all children of Eve (of the large family of Adam, of God). Then, in your prayer you will say: ‘My God, help those first who are in greater need, whether they are alive or reposed brothers in the Lord.’ At that point, you will share your heart with the whole world and you will have nothing but immense love, which is Christ.”

—Elder Paisios, from his Epistles

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