Tag: nikitas-stithatos

SURPRISED BY JOY: The Doctrine of Joy in the Works of Nikitas Stithatos

Philokalia, vol. 4, On the Inner Nature of Things and on the Purification of the Intellect

Dispersed through the austere examples of ascetic practice in Stithatos’ texts, there are abundant references to bright and even ecstatic joy.

Stithatos puts a special emphasis on joy, viewing it not as a fleeting emotion but as a profound, consistent spiritual state and one of the essential “fruits of the Holy Spirit.”

He describes several types of joy. For example:

The joy that stems from the practice of virtues: “When our intelligence is perfected through the practice of the virtues and is elevated through the knowledge and wisdom of the Spirit and by the divine fire, it is assimilated to these heavenly powers through the gifts of God, as by virtue of its purity it draws towards itself the particular characteristic of each of them.”

      • The joy of dispassion and unity. Shedding our attachments to the material world and its passions is the most essential step in the achievement of theosis. Additionally, Nikitas Stithatos describes a mystical, spiritual reality where the “world above” (the heavenly or noetic realm) awaits its completion and perfection through the spiritual attainment of human beings in the “lower world” (the physical, material world). Instead of being at war with, or separated from, “the world above,” we  view it “as yet incomplete.” We understand that the world “awaits its fulfilment from the first-born of Israel…”  but we also understand our role in this fulfillment which comes “from those who see God,” and “it receives  its completion from those who attain the knowledge of God.”
      • Joy found in the liturgical experience and hierarchical, and liturgical account of the nine heavenly powers.

      “The nine heavenly powers sing hymns of praise that have a threefold structure, as they stand in threefold rank before the Trinity, in awe celebrating their liturgy and glorifying God. Those who come first – immediately below Him who is the Source and Cause of all things and from whom they take their origin – are the initiators of the hymns and are named thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim.”

      • Theosis: The ultimate joy of inner peace. Joy is an “ineffable” and “incomprehensive happiness” that comes from detachment from worldly passions and the ensuing union with God. This is a core part of the final stage of spiritual life (theosis or deification).

      The desire to experience the “joy and sweetness of His presence” is presented as a driving force for achieving inner stillness, emphasizing that despondency is incompatible with the love of God. This state represents the culmination of the spiritual journey. 

      For those who with the support of the Spirit have entered the fullness of contemplation, a chalice of wine is made ready, and bread from a royal banquet is set before them. A throne is prepared for their repose and silver for their wealth.

      • The joy of hope. Even if we do not experience a state of theosis in this life, we should be comforted by the knowledge that the Kingdom of Heaven will open for us after death. Stithatos enters details of the actual physical process of dying and advises us to learn we should ask that our departure from this life may take place without fear.

      In summary, for Stithatos, joy is a central, essential element of the mature spiritual life, signifying the soul’s harmonious dwelling in God’s presence.

      A RADICAL REDEFINITION OF SELF IN GOD

      Nikitas Stithatos

      Philokalia, vol. 4, On the Inner Nature of Things and on the
      Purification of the Intellect:
      One Hundred Texts

      What does Stithatos mean by knowledge of oneself? How is it achieved?

      For Socrates knowledge of oneself is a rational examination of strengths, weaknesses, values and limitations.

      Stithatos, however, peels away all the known assets of selfhood. You are NOT your innate strengths and weaknesses, profession or life choices, he tells us. External circumstances beyond your control—praise, wealth, misfortune, or social status—have no bearing on your true self.

      So, what remains of us then? How can there be “self” outside our values, actions, thoughts, successes and failures?

      I struggled with my understanding of self in this passage. I kept waiting for a clear definition of what constitutes the authentic core of myself and how to find it.   

      Instead, Stithatos offers a radical redefinition of self and our knowledge of it.  He shows that true self can only be experienced and not described.  Since we are made in the image of God, it is only through union with Him that we know ourselves.

      Without uniting ourselves to God, we are locked in our ego-centric perception of the world, and we are unable to fully give of ourselves to Him and our fellow human beings.

      Surely, we have all experienced the demon of distraction, even in things and situations we deeply value.  We catch ourselves missing entire chunks of conversation, important moments in our children’s lives, portions of liturgical services or even the beauty of the surrounding landscape because of our all-consuming thoughts and self-centered preoccupations —from reviewing the shopping list and feeling guilty for relaxing instead of pursuing a “productive”  task, to mentally preparing for a forthcoming interview or worrying about the future.

      For Stithatos, self-knowledge is not a solitary mental effort of introspection, but a spiritual pilgrimage away from the limited self and toward a true union with God.

      Shedding preoccupation with ourselves, we can now see the world anew through God’s perception and decipher the true essence of things all around us—their purpose, nature and role in creation. 

      Once the Bridegroom has led the soul into the sanctuary of His hidden mysteries, He will initiate it with wisdom into the contemplation of the inner essences of created things.

      By seeing the interconnectedness of all things and their divine purpose, we come to understand who we are in relation to God and His creation.

      To see the inner essence of all things around us and know ourselves requires humility.

      Nothing so inspires the soul with longing for God and love for one’s fellow beings as humility, compunction and pure prayer. …But until you come to know yourself through humility and spiritual knowledge your life is one of toil and sweat.

      Stithatos’ writing has detailed for us a spiritual path that moves beyond rational knowledge and physical perception toward a direct, personal experience of union with God. Instead of arriving at a definition or logical conclusions he gives us a glimpse into a life in union with God.

      1. Purification of the intellect which allows the soul’s “eye” to be unveiled. Free from passions and distractions, you can access a deeper, spiritual kind of knowledge and experience inner peace.

      With true knowledge of yourself, “…you cannot be constrained by sensory attachment to things. You are not distracted by any of the delectations of this life…”

      2. Transition from knowledge to mystical experience

      If you remain in a state of humility and keep your heart open

      …you will be filled with a strange, unspeakable intoxication – the intoxication of compunction – and will enter into the depths of humility. Rapt out of yourself, you take no account of food, drink or clothing beyond the minimum needed; for you are as one who has experienced the blessed change that comes from ‘the right hand of the Most High’

      3. Love. You can now experience and give pure love. We no longer see people as objects to impress or control and judge them on the basis of human-made categories. You see God’s presence and purpose in all people.

      You do no “regard some people as holy and others as unholy; but just as God makes the rain fall and the sun shine equally on the just and on the unjust, on the evil and on the good (cf. Matt. t; : 4t;), so you irradiate love and diffuse its rays to all men.”’’’

      In essence, Stithatos offers a profound redefinition of self. It argues that true identity is not a worldly achievement but a divine endowment that can only be uncovered through a spiritual journey toward union with God, leading to a profound and altered perception of yourself and reality.