Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky: The Man Behind the Philokalia

by Herman of Alaska, Schema-Monk Platon, Seraphim Rose (Translator)

Many people today know of the Philokalia, a compilation of mystical, ascetic texts from the ancient Christian tradition which contain teachings on unceasing prayer, interior silence, unseen warfare, and prayer of the heart. Few, however, know of the spiritual Elder who discovered these lost teachings after a painstaking search, and who devoted the rest of his life to disseminating them, putting them into practice, and helping other spiritual seekers to attain union with God through them. This man was Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky. Having lived at the beginning of the modern age, Blessed Paisius has supplied us with a blueprint on how to live like the ancient holy ones even while in the midst of the contemporary atmosphere of confusion, despair, and abandonment of the truth. Today his legacy--brought to America by monks from the Russian monastery of Valaam, and preserved and cultivated through the eldership of Optina Monastery--is more timely and needed than ever before.

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[David Di Giacomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read all year. It makes you want to immediately go out and do something, anything, to imitate this great saint. This is what lives of saints should do: not provide a dry account of facts of their lives, but inspire! If I could give this ten stars, I would.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you want to learn the history of the Philokalia and one of the saints behind it.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content and illustrations of this book are excellent and absolutely deserving of five stars. Unfortunately, I've got glasses and have struggled in terms of vision since my childhood. The font is a little too small and out-of-the-ordinary for those with similar issues. Be that as it may, this book is worth the squinting.