Now Concerning Spiritual (pnyoo-mat-ik-os) ...
Soul training on meditation.
Take another look (my soul) at Christian meditation and the contemplative knowing of spiritual things. The first division of contemplative knowing is between the created and Uncreated. The created is further divided into the earthly objects of perception by the senses, and the realm of those aware and participating in spiritual-noetic realities - the spirit world (demons, demon groups, fallen angels, the devil, born again men, angel groups, Seraphim, Cheribim, living creatures, etc). The latter is further divided into the contemplative knowing of the word, reason, and purpose of the spirit entities, and the essence of the entities themselves.
The division of the Uncreated portion of meditation and contemplative knowing is not divided in itself but involves being apprehended and apprehending the different Persons of the beloved Godhead according to their relationships and Unity. In truth this is a union and interacting with the uncreated energies and operations of the Holy Spirit and not the impossible union or mixing of any substance with the beloved Trinity.[1].
Take note (my soul) that the entrance or condition of entering the afore-said Christian meditation is purification - the possessing of an emptiness of your mind-of-the-heart of tempting thoughts and images. It is precisely between this door (opened by purification) and the contemplative knowing of God that the afore-said divisions are set in order as progressive stages of contemplative knowings. This purification leads to gradual dispassion and illumination of your most inward identity - your essential inner entity - your hidden man - your mind of the heart. There is a certain effect of purification on your mind-of-the-brain (ratio, ration, rational, reason), but it is the result of a deeper work in you and your heart.[2].
Your personal program of self-denial (taking serious Jesus' directive) is based on keeping His commandments in thought (His stated evidence of love for Him). This of necessity involves the ignoring, marginalizing, or rejection the thoughts and images that are the seed of secret sin and vice. The absence of such tempting thoughts in your mind of the heart allows good and godly habits to develop both inside and out. Not that such thoughts from the outside will totally stop, but that you will not impregnate them with your management of them. And then from there your inner operations of temper and desire will work for you in accordance to their original created purpose. This gradual transformation will allow you to be able to rise into contemplative knowing and gain the hidden-man-of-the-heart virtues - good and godly habits related to that realm of that awareness.[3].
You, my little self-deny-er, are in good company with this view of spiritual things. This view that it is at the instigation of demons - that lay up in your inward faculties the elements of thought-images - from which psychic phenomena proceeds. This is the far reaching logistics of the psyche, a true intuitive word on the soul. Modern psychology (word on the soul), biology (word on living things), and anthropology (word on man) have a completely diametrically opposed view and paradigm of the nature of the human soul and that view unfortunatly has permeated the core of our very language and culture to the extent that the truth appears silly to many.[4].
To be clear on this true Christian psychology (psyche-logos, true intuitive word on the soul) not only does it gives you understanding for the impetus for self-denial, but it helps you bring your spiritual warfare into the light - you have been fighting in the dark, not even able to see the demons coming. You have been confused and blind in the contest, even at times wrestling against flesh and blood which is positive evidence of the depths and extent of your confusion.
What good company is that (previously mentioned), that you are in? That of the true Jews (according to the writings from the Bible and the second temple), the New Testament authors, Gregory, Evigrius (the non-condemned parts), Hesychios, desert fathers, early Orthodox Roman Church, authors of the Philokalia, Palamas, Eastern Orthodox Church, Vlachos, some Protesters, some Pentecostals and Charismatics. All of these confirm that ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that gives true virtue and likeness to Christ - to those who have the real deal, the good and godly habits formed from the inside out.
Applied from the following text and author - timiosprodromos3.blogspot.com
Words inside of brackets { } are added for personal clarity.
[1]. "The basic stages of contemplation {contemplative knowing} in Evagrius are the contemplation {contemplative knowing} of the reasons (logoi) {word, purpose, essence} of created things, the contemplation of the angels, the contemplation of the reasons (logoi) {word, purpose, essence} of the angels, and the contemplation {contemplative knowing} of God himself."
[2]. "The stages of contemplation {contemplative knowing} after the attainment to ‘emptiness’ of mind {mind of the heart} or dispassion {purification} are well-defined in the 'Kephalaia Gnostica' of Evagrius Pontikos, but not so well-defined in 'On Sobriety' by St Hesychios, although that work does betray a clear Evagrian influence. One does not in any event pass immediately from emptiness of mind {mind of the heart} or dispassion {purification} to the contemplation of God. There are stages. These are necessary for the gradual purification and illumination of the mind {Note: purification and illumination of the mind of the brain is a result and effect of the larger application to the heart and soul}."
[3]. "This program of mental ascesis {self-denial} based on the rejection of images and thoughts in order to keep the commandments in thought is intended to lead to an ‘emptiness’ of mind (nous) {mind of the heart} from such images and thoughts, which emptiness both announces and confers on the person the moral virtues {good and godly habits}, the operations of the emotions according to {original} nature, dispassion (apatheia),[5] and enables him to enter into contemplation {contemplative knowing} so as to acquire noetic {hidden man of the heart related} virtue {good and godly habits}."
[4]. "It cannot be overemphasized that this Orthodox {right reason, true Christian, correct seeing} orientation to these thoughts and images as temptations from evil demons has very far-reaching psychological {logistics on the psyche, intuitive word on the soul} consequences on the ascetic {self-deny-er} practicing this mental ascesis {self-denial}: it stamps his mental ascesis {self-denial} in the tradition of the Philokalia {love of spiritual beauty}. Evagrius implies that ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that confers the moral virtues {good and godly habits} on the person."
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Author: bimonics
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hello, my name is grant. my user name is bimonics which is short for bible mnemonics. i am blessed with a wonderful loving wife; a gifted, mature, christian lady. between us we have 8 children and at present 27 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. i was born in 1952, to...
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i was lost when jesus found me. i am still lost without his company, and without all that he does. i was a lead guitarist in a rock band, until i gave up my old life and picked up the bible. i am still a guitarist for the rock that...
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