Elder Paisios the Athonite is Formally Glorified by the Church of Constantinople

St Paisios the Athonite's Feast Day is on July 12th
The icon of St Paisios is available from Uncut Mountain Supply 

For the official press release please click here

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos - a Documentary

Light or Darkness, a Choice that Must Be Made with the Heart

All the circumstances of our lives; past, present and future, are
an opportunity to make the disposition of our hearts manifest.
We must choose between light or darkness. This choice is not to
be made merely by a decision of our reasoning brains but by the
innermost movements of our hearts. How often do we deceive
ourselves into thinking that we are choosing wisely because we
agree that virtue is worth pursuing, but when pressed-upon by
our circumstances, our hearts manifest the darkness inside and
we knowingly or unknowingly embrace that darkness and act on
it.

While we are still alive, there is much we can do to purify
ourselves, with God's Grace and the wise use of our free will.
Therefore let us occupy ourselves with the one thing needful,
to attend to the inner healing of our soul that it may lean
towards the light and reject the darkness.


In the book 'The Gurus the Young Mand and Elder Paisios', by
Dionysios Farasiotis p.238-242, St Herman Press 2008, we read
the most amazing description of that moment when a search-
ing soul is presented with the terrifying choice, eternal life or
eternal death.

"The Choice between Light and Darkness"
One afternoon at the beginning of Holy Week, having made a
stop in Thessaloniki, I was by myself in our home there, when,
suddenly, my surroundings vanished. There were no images to
be seen, sounds to be heard, or objects to be touched. My five
senses had ceased functioning. It was as though the light switch
had been flicked and the room plunged into total darkness.
My mind turned its full attention to a spiritual realm that it found
utterly riveting and captivating. In one direction, I saw a soft
but intense light- brilliant yet gentle. In the other direction, I
saw a thick, cavernous darkness. Initially, I turned my attention
towards the awesome, yet fearful, darkness. It made my flesh
crawl, but I was overcome by curiosity, the desire to understand
what it was. My mind advanced towards the darkness, and I
began to sense the magnitude of its negation. The deeper I went,
the greater this negation became, and the thicker the darkness.
It had a vast power and, if I dare put it this way, a certain
grandeur. It represented a negative perspective on reality, un-
hesitatingly extending into reality as depth, even as the light
stretched infinitely into reality as height. On one side, there was
immense love; on the other immense hatred. The light was over-
flowing with unconditional altruism, while the darkness pulled
away in utter self-centeredness.

Though I could not see into the darkness, I could feel the presence
of souls in it, leaping about and shrieking with insane, wicked
laughter as they were pulled deeper and deeper into the ocean
of darkness , until the sound of their voices disappeared altogether.
Frightened by this savage madness, I headed towards the
light, seeking its protection. Just reaching its outskirts, I felt the
relief of having being rescued from a grave danger.

Although I didn't advance very far at all into the darkness, I was
able to fill the depths of its evil ocean. I could understand the
very essence of the enticing power of sin to tempt, as well as
its laughable powerlessness, utter dependence, and shadowy
non-existence. The darkness,I saw, is fearsome when it has won
you over, but it is absurd and feeble when you reject it- it can
not defeat even a small child if he does not fall on his own. In
the same way, I did not advance far into the light- only so to
speak, skating its edge -but even there I felt confident and
comforted by a fullness of life, peace, joy, and knowledge.
The light loved me greatly in spite of my unworthiness and
granted me its gifts, gifts I never dreamed existed.

At this point, I realized that the light created the world and
every living being. The existential space in which each person
dwells is itself a creation fashioned by the light, which also
fills and permeates these spaces. One being decided to stay
outside of the existential space created by the light, thus
creating a sort of space for itself, though only by denying the
light, turning from it and driving it away. The darkness has no
existence of its own, but only in that it denies the ever-existing
and sovereign light....

Just as the light's love wishes to unite all things, being the
source of existence and creation, so the hatred of the darkness
wants to divide all things, being the source of non-existence 
and destruction.

Within a matter of minutes, I had received a lesson of immea-
surable depth. It was not only a revelation beyond words, of
subtle differences of profound meaning and great importance,
but also -and even more- a test and trial of the deepest inclinations
and intentions of my heart, to see whom I would follow and whom
I would leave behind. Fortunately, although my heart initially
moved towards the darkness, it ultimately found repose in the 
light- and fortunately, the light still accepted me."

Available here

Dionysios Farasiotis is the pen name of 

Athanasios Racovalis

Monk Paisios the Athonite - An Orthodox Saint

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos Source


The videos in this post present testimonies about the life and character
of Elder Paisios. The videos are in Greek with English subtitles.
Prominent among the speakers is Father Nikolaos Loudovikos, who is
a professor at the Orthodox Institute in Cambridge, U.K.

We honor holy Orthodox elders, like Monk Paisios because they show
us the way to our re-integration as persons created in God's image and
likeness. These elders followed the therapeutic method of Orthodox 
hesychasm and found the way into their hearts and the kingdom of
Heaven. They struggled against the passions and became living 
dwellings of the Holy Spirit. Holy elders show us the way to Christ and 
to a life in God.Their souls and bodies are full of the Grace of the Holy
Spirit and when they die, their bodies become incorruptible, a fountain
of miracles. The miracles and wonders brought about by their relics are
a way of God saying to us, "Look at this life, he is pleasing to Me". The 
holy lives of elders like Father Paisios show us the path we must follow 
if we want to experience God in His fullness.

Light or Darkness, a Choice that Must Be Made with the Heart

All the circumstances of our lives; past, present and future, are an opportunity to make the disposition of our hearts manifest. We must choose between light or darkness. This choice is not to be made merely by a decision of our reasoning brains but by the innermost movements of our hearts. How often do we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are choosing wisely because we agree that virtue is worth pursuing, but when pressed-upon by our circumstances, our hearts manifest the darkness inside and we knowingly or unknowingly embrace that darkness and act on it.

While we are still alive, there is much we can do to purify
ourselves, with God's Grace and the wise use of our free will. Therefore let us occupy ourselves with the one thing needful, to attend to the inner healing of our soul that it may lean towards the light and reject the darkness.


In the book 'The Gurus the Young Mand and Elder    Paisios', by Dionysios Farasiotis p.238-242, St Herman Press 2008, we read the most amazing description of that moment when a searching soul is presented with the terrifying choice, eternal life or eternal death.

"The Choice between Light and Darkness"
One afternoon at the beginning of Holy Week, having made a stop in Thessaloniki, I was by myself in our home there, when, suddenly, my surroundings vanished. There were no images to be seen, sounds to be heard, or objects to be touched. My five senses had ceased functioning. It was as though the light switch had been flicked and the room plunged into total darkness.
My mind turned its full attention to a spiritual realm that it found utterly riveting and captivating. In one direction, I saw a soft but intense light- brilliant yet gentle. In the other direction, I saw a thick, cavernous darkness. Initially, I turned my attention towards the awesome, yet fearful, darkness. It made my flesh crawl, but I was overcome by curiosity, the desire to understand what it was. My mind advanced towards the darkness, and I began to sense the magnitute of its negation. The deeper I went, the greater this negation became, and the thicker the darkness.
It had a vast power and, if I dare put it this way, a certain
grandeur. It represented a negative perspective on reality, unhesitatingly extending into reality as depth, even as the light stretched infinitely into reality as height. On one side, there was immense love; on the other immense hatred. The light was overflowing with unconditional altruism, while the darkness pulled away in utter self-centeredness.

Though I could not see into the darkness, I could feel the presence of souls in it, leaping about and shrieking with insane, wicked laughter as they were pulled deeper and deeper into the ocean of darkness , until the sound of their voices disappeared altogether. Frightened by this savage madness, I headed towards the light, seeking its protection. Just reaching its outskirts, I felt the relief of having being rescued from a grave danger.

Although I didn't advance very far at all into the darkness, I was able to fill the depths of its evil ocean. I could understand the very essence of the enticing power of sin to tempt, as well as its laughable powerlessness, utter dependence, and shadowy non-existence. The darkness, I saw, is fearsome when it has won you over, but it is absurd and feeble when you reject it- it can not defeat even a small child if he does not fall on his own. In the same way, I did not advance far into the light- only so to speak, skating its edge -but even there I felt confident and comforted by a fullness of life, peace, joy, and knowledge. The light loved me greatly in spite of my unworthiness and granted me its gifts, gifts I never dreamed existed.

At this point, I realized that the light created the world and
every living being. The existential space in which each person dwells is itself a creation fashioned by the light, which also fills and permeates these spaces. One being decided to stay outside of the existential space created by the light, thus creating a sort of space for itself, though only by denying the light, turning from it and driving it away. The darkness has no existence of its own, but only in that it denies the ever-existing and sovereign light....

Just as the light's love wishes to unite all things, being the source of existence and creation, so the hatred of the darkness wants to divide all things, being the source of non-existence and destruction.

Within a matter of minutes, I had received a lesson of immeasurable depth. It was not only a revelation beyond words, of subtle differences of profound meaning and great importance, but also -and even more- a test and trial of the deepest inclinations and intentions of my heart, to see whom I would follow and whom I would leave behind. Fortunately, although my heart initially moved towards the darkness, it ultimately found repose in the light, and fortunately, the light still accepted me."

Available here

Do Figures Like Elders Paisios and Porphyrios Exist Today?

Righteous Elder Porphyrios of Kavsokalivia

Icon available from Uncut Mountain Supply 

Do Figures Like Elders Paisios and Porphyrios Exist Today?

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos
Translated by John Sanidopulos
From the Orthodox blog MYSTAGOGY with permission.

Fortunately, we knew these really enlightened Elders, Fathers Paisios and Porphyrios and other patristic personalities, who showed us what the Church is and how God shows, through the Church, his friends. Many of us felt God's love near them. These elders comforted thousands of people and in many cases brought rest to the most unruly children of God. We must feel unworthy of such a gift.

However, since God and the Church exist, such holy figures always exist. As I said before, the saints are the offspring of the Church, having passed through the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, and Pentecost, and give testimony of the new life which God brought to earth.

Alas if there are no such figures today. It's like thinking that the Church has ceased to exist or is barren and cannot give birth. The truth is that when saints cease to exist, then will occur the Second Coming of Christ.

On Mount Athos today there are many blessed monks who glorify God and are glorified by Him. Mount Athos is still a great light, which, when those who see it do not have adequate vision, they are blinded and they blame the monks who live there. And outside Mount Athos also, in monasteries and communities there are blessed children of God and the Church, which illuminate those who understand this and have need.

The problem is that we do not see the saints, do not feel them, do not smell their presence. This is because we do not have high pursuits, we do not have spiritual senses to recognize them and to feel them. We can apply in this case the words of Christ: "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened" (Matt. 7:8). Those who truly seek God and His saints, they will certainly encounter them, or rather the living modern saints themselves will go to find them and fill them with the gifts of God. Such is our God. He comes secretly, He likes to reverse all logical possibilities, He shows His love loudly, suddenly and surprisingly to those who hurt and are looking for Him. Soberly intoxicated are those who seek "the good wine", the strong wine.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos from here

   Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

    Icon from Uncut Mountai Supply

Elder Paisios of Athos- Beloved Spiritual Father



This icon of Elder Paisios is a photograph of a frescoe located at the

Vatopaidian Metochian of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Northern

Greece. It is available from Uncut Mountain Supply

The following videos from YouTube allow us to hear the very voice of

Elder Paisios in Greek with English subtittles. They contain a sermon

by the Elder in three parts;



The above videos were posted by YTVideoJudge onYouTube

A Brief Life of Elder Paisios.

From the new book, Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives and Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece, by H. Middleton.

On July 25, 1924, the future Elder Paisios (Eznepidis) was born to pious parents in the town of Farasa, Cappadocia of Asia Minor. The family’s spiritual father, the priest-monk Arsenios (the now canonized St. Arsenios of Cappadocia), baptized the babe with his own name, prophesying his future profession as a monk. A week after the baptism (and barely a month after his birth) Arsenios was driven, along with his family, out of Asia Minor by the Turks. St. Arsenios guided his flock along their four-hundred-mile trek to Greece. After a number of stops along the way, Arsenios’ family finally ended up in the town of Konitsa in Epiros (northwestern Greece). St. Arsenios had reposed, as he had prophesied, forty days after their establishment in Greece, and he left as his spiritual heir the infant Arsenios.

The young Arsenios was wholly given over to God and spent his free time in the silence of nature, where he would pray for hours on end. Having completed his elementary education, he learned the trade of carpentry. He worked as a carpenter until his mandatory military service. He served in the army during the dangerous days of the end of World War II. Arsenios was brave and self-sacrificing, always desiring to put his own life at risk so as to spare his brother. He was particularly concerned about his fellow soldiers who had left wives and children to serve.

Having completed his obligation to his country, Arsenios received his discharge in 1949 and greatly desired to begin his monastic life on the Holy Mountain. Before being able to settle there, however, he had to fulfill his responsibility to his family, to look after his sisters, who were as yet unmarried. Having provided for his sisters’ future, he was free to begin his monastic vocation with a clean conscience. In 1950 he arrived on Mount Athos, where he learned his first lessons in the monastic way from the virtuous ascetic Fr. Kyril (the future abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery); but he was unable to stay at his side as he had hoped, and so was sent to the Monastery of Esphigmenou. He was a novice there for four years, after which he was tonsured a monk in 1954 with the name Averkios. He was a conscientious monk, finding ways to both complete his obedience's (which required contact with others) and to preserve his silence, so as to progress in the art of prayer. He was always selfless in helping his brethren, unwilling to rest while others worked (though he may have already completed his own obedience's), as he loved his brothers greatly and without distinction. In addition to his ascetic struggles and the common life in the monastery, he was spiritually enriched through the reading of soul-profiting books. In particular, he read the Lives of the Saints, the Gerontikon, and especially the Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian.

Soon after his tonsure, Monk Averkios left Esphigmenou and joined the (then) idiorrhythmic brotherhood of Philotheou Monastery, where his uncle was a monk. He put himself under obedience to the virtuous Elder Symeon, who gave him the Small Schema in 1956, with the new name Paisios. Fr. Paisios dwelt deeply on the thought that his own spiritual failures and lack of love were the cause of his neighbor’s shortcomings, as well as of the world s ills. He harshly accused himself, pushing himself to greater self-denial and more fervent prayer for his soul and for the whole world. Furthermore, he cultivated the habit of always seeking the "good reason" for a potentially scandalous event and for people’s actions, and in this way he preserved himself from judging others. For example, pilgrims to Mount Athos had been scandalized by the strange behavior and stories told by a certain monk, and, when they met Elder Paisios, they asked him what was wrong with the monk. He warned them not to judge others, and that this monk was actually virtuous and was simply pretending to be a fool when visitors would come, so as to preserve his silence.

In 1958 Elder Paisios was asked to spend some time in and around his home village of Konitsa so as to support the faithful against the proselytism of Protestant groups. He greatly encouraged the faithful there, helping many people. Afterwards, in 1962, he left to visit Sinai where he stayed for two years. During this time he became beloved of the Bedouins, who benefitted both spiritually as well as materially from his presence. The Elder used the money he received from the sale of his carved wooden handicrafts to buy them food.

On his return to Mount Athos in 1964, Elder Paisios took up residence at the Skete of Iviron before moving to Katounakia at the southernmost tip of Mount Athos for a short stay in the desert there. The Elder’s failing health may have been part of the reason for his departure from the desert. In 1966, he was operated on and had part of his lungs removed. It was during this time of hospitalization that his long friendship with the then young sisterhood of St. John the Theologian in Souroti, just outside of Thessalonica, began. During his operation he greatly needed blood and it was then that a group of novices from the monastery donated blood to save him. Elder Paisios was most grateful, and after his recovery did whatever he could, materially and spiritually, to help them build their monastery.

In 1968 he spent time at the Monastery of Stavronikita helping with its spiritual as well as material renovation. While there he had the blessing of being in contact with the ascetic Elder Tychon who lived in the hermitage of the Holy Cross, near Stavronikita. Elder Paisios stayed by his side until his repose, serving him selflessly as his disciple. It was during this time that Elder Tychon clothed Fr. Paisios in the Great Schema. According to the wishes of the Elder, Fr. Paisios remained in his hermitage after his repose. He stayed there until 1979, when he moved on to his final home on the Holy Mountain, the hermitage Panagouda, which belongs to the Monastery of Koutloumousiou.

It was here at Panagouda that Elder Paisios’ fame as a God-bearing elder grew, drawing to him the sick and suffering people of God. He received them all day long, dedicating the night to God in prayer, vigil and spiritual struggle. His regime of prayer and asceticism left him with only two or three hours each night for rest. The self-abandon with which he served God and his fellow man, his strictness with himself, the austerity of his regime, and his sensitive nature made him increasingly prone to sickness. In addition to respiratory problems, in his later days he suffered from a serious hernia that made life very painful. When he was forced to leave the Holy Mountain for various reasons (often due to his illnesses), he would receive pilgrims for hours on end at the women’s monastery at Souroti, and the physical effort which this entailed in his weakened state caused him such pain that he would turn pale. He bore his suffering with much grace, however, confident that, as God knows what is best for us, it could not be otherwise. He would say that God is greatly touched when someone who is in great suffering does not complain, but rather uses his energy to pray for others.

In addition to his other illnesses he suffered from hemorrhaging which left him very weak. In his final weeks before leaving the Holy Mountain, he would often fall unconscious. On October 5, 1993 the Elder left his beloved Holy Mountain for the last time. Though he had planned on being off the mountain for just a few days, while in Thessalonica he was diagnosed with cancer that needed immediate treatment. After the operation he spent some time recovering in the hospital and was then transferred to the monastery at Souroti. Despite his critical state he received people, listening to their sorrow and counseling them.

After his operation, Elder Paisios had his heart set on returning to Mount Athos. His attempts to do so, however, were hindered by his failing health. His last days were full of suffering, but also of the joy of the martyrs. On July 11, 1994, he received Holy Communion for the last time. The next day, Elder Paisios gave his soul into God’s keeping. He was buried, according to his wishes, at the Monastery of St. John the Theologian in Souroti. Elder Paisios, perhaps more than any other contemporary elder, has captured the minds and hearts of Greek people. Many books of his counsels have been published, and the monastery at Souroti has undertaken a great work, organizing the Elder’s writings and counsels into impressive volumes befitting his memory. Thousands of pilgrims visit his grave each year, so as to receive his blessing.

Source

Humility- A Sure Path into the Heart and the Kingdom

Altar in the Church of the Monastery of St Basil of Ostrog, Montenegro
How to cultivate humility
A Conversation with Elder Paisios the Athonite 

from the book "Passions and Virtues" - Words of the Elder

Paisios Vol.5 published by the Sacred Retreat "Evangelist
John the Theologian" - Souroti, Thessaloniki

Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13085538/- (Greek text)

Source English

"In what way, Elder, is humility cultivated?"
"Humility is cultivated through our pursuit of honorable acts and is

also cultivated with the manure of our falls.It depends.
An honorable person will attribute everything good that he has to
God. He sees God's many bounties, he is aware that he has not
reciprocated, so he humbles himself and constantly glorifies God.
Then, the more he humbles himself and glorifies God, the more he
will be bathed in Divine Grace. That is called "voluntary humility".
Whereas the humility that is brought on by constant falls is what
we call "involuntary humility". Naturally, voluntary humility has a
far greater value than the involuntary. It resembles a field that
has good soil and the trees on it bring forth fruits - without any
fertilizers or manure - and their fruits are delicious. Involuntary
humility resembles a field with poor soil; for it to be fruitful, you
have to apply both fertilizer and manure, but even so, its fruits
will not be as tasty."

"Elder, when I am demoted in the eyes of others on account of my
behaviour and involuntarily humiliate myself, it makes me feel
bad."
"With involuntary humility you settle a small portion of your debts
of sin. But you need to begin to humble yourself voluntarily.""Elder, I am in a very difficult situation. I have carnal thoughts and they cause me sorrow. I am afraid that I shall never escape this predicament."

"Have courage, my good child, and Christ will win in the end. Just chant 'From my youth has the enemy tempted me; he scorches me with pleasures, but with my trust in You, Lord, I drive him away'... In essence, it is not the poor flesh that is to blame, but pride. It is true that you have many capabilities - which of course were given to you by God - but, because you have been a little negligent and are not careful, the enemy grabs the opportunity, he exploits them and thus casts you into pride. And instead of bathing your countenance with tears of joy and gratitude towards God, you bathe it with the bitter tears of pain and worry. We thus extract the following conclusion: If we do not humble ourselves voluntarily, we shall be humbled involuntarily because the Good Lord loves us. So, take courage my child, and Christ will be the victor. 'Even if you prevail, you will again be defeated, for God is with us.' This is just a storm and it will pass and will bring much good. You will get to know yourself much better, you will be humbled necessarily and, according to spiritual laws, the Grace of God will also come to you - which was previously hindered on account of pride.

We have not tried to learn about ourself. If we get to know it, our soul will rejoice and will humbly ask for God's mercy. Knowing ourselves will beget humility. Because the more a person gets to know himself, the more the eyes of his soul will open and he will see his vast weakness all the more clearly. He becomes aware of his own wretchedness and ingratitude, as well as God's infinite nobility and compassion, and he is crushed internally; he is humbled exceedingly and he eventually comes to love the Lord even more.


Translation: K.N

Light or Darkness, a Choice that Must Be Made with the Heart

All the circumstances of our lives; past, present and future, are

an opportunity to make the disposition of our hearts manifest.

We must choose between light or darkness. This choice is not to

be made merely by a decision of our reasoning brains but by the

innermost movements of our hearts. How often do we deceive

ourselves into thinking that we are choosing wisely because we

agree that virtue is worth pursuing, but when pressed-upon by 

our circumstances, our hearts manifest the darkness inside and

we knowingly or unknowingly embrace that darkness and act on

it.

While we are still alive, there is much we can do to purify

ourselves, with God's Grace and the wise use of our free will.

Therefore let us occupy ourselves with the one thing needful,

to attend to the inner healing of our soul that it may lean

towards the light and reject the darkness.

In the book 'The Gurus the Young Mand and Elder Paisios', by

Dionysios Farasiotis p.238-242, St Herman Press 2008, we read

the most amazing description of that moment when a search-

ing soul is presented with the terrifying choice, eternal life or

eternal death.

"The Choice between Light and Darkness"

One afternoon at the beginning of Holy Week, having made a

stop in Thessaloniki, I was by myself in our home there, when,

suddenly, my surroundings vanished. There were no images to

be seen, sounds to be heard, or objects to be touched. My five

senses had ceased functioning. It was as though the light switch

had been flicked and the room plunged into total darkness.

My mind turned its full attention to a spiritual realm that it found

utterly riveting and captivating. In one direction, I saw a soft

but intense light- brilliant yet gentle. In the other direction, I

saw a thick, cavernous darkness. Initially, I turned my attention

towards the awesome, yet fearful, darkness. It made my flesh

crawl, but I was  overcome by curiosity, the desire to understand

what it was. My mind advanced towards the darkness, and I

began to sense the magnitute of its negation. The deeper I went,

the greater this negation became, and the thicker the darkness.

It had a vast power and, if I dare put it this way, a certain

grandeur. It represented a negative perspective on reality, un-

hesitatingly extending into reality as depth, even as the light

stretched infinitely into reality as height. On one side, there was

immense love; on the other immense hatred. The light was over-

flowing with unconditional altruism, while the darkness pulled

away in utter self-centeredness.

Though I could not see into the darkness, I could feel the presence

of souls in it, leaping about and shrieking with insane, wicked

laughter as they were pulled deeper and deeper into the ocean

of darkness , until the sound of their voices disappeared altoge-

ther. Frightened by this savage madness, I headed towards the

light, seeking its protection. Just reaching its outskirts, I felt the

relief of having being rescued from a grave danger.

Although I didn't advance very far at all into the darkness, I was

able to fill the depths of its evil ocean. I could understand the

very essence of the enticing power of sin to tempt, as well as

its laughable powerlessness, utter dependence, and shodowy

non-existence. The darkness,I saw, is fearsome when it has won

you over, but it is absurd and feeble when you reject it- it can

not defeat even a small child if he does not fall on his own. In

the same way, I did not advance far into the light- only so to

speak, skating its edge -but even there I felt confident and

comforted by a fullness of life, peace, joy, and knowledge.

The light loved me greatly in spite of my unworthiness and

granted me its gifts, gifts I never dreamed existed.

At this point, I realized that the light created the world and

every living being. The existential space in which each person

dwells is itself a creation fashioned by the light, which also

fills and permeates these spaces. One being decided to stay

outside of the existential space created by the light, thus

creating a sort of space for itself, though only by denying the

light, turning from it and driving it away. The darkness has no

existence of its own, but only in that it denies the ever-exist-

ing and sovereign light....

Just as the light's love wishes to unite all things, being the

source of existence and creation, so the hatred of the dark-

ness wants to devide all things, being the source of non-

existence and destruction.

Within a matter of minutes, I had received a lesson of immea-

surable depth. It was not only a revelation beyond words, of

subtle differences of profound meaning and great importance,

but also -and even more- a test and trial of the deepest incli-

nations and intentions of my heart, to see whom I would

follow and whom I would leave behind. Fortunately, altho-

ugh my heart initially moved towards the darkness, it

ultimately found repose in the light- and fortunately, the

light still accepted me."

Available here