The Philokalia Volume 8: The Russian Dobrotolyubie The Full Text

The Dobrotolyubie, the Slavic equivalent of the Greek Philokalia, one of the most treasured collections of spiritual texts in the Orthodox Christian tradition. It consists of writings by the Holy Fathers on watchfulness, noetic prayer, the purification of the heart, and the ascent of the soul toward God through inner stillness (hesychia). While the original Philokalia was compiled in Greek in the 18th century, its translation and dissemination in the Slavic world were due largely to the labours of St. Paisius Velichkovsky in the 18th century and St. Theophan the Recluse in the 19th century. Their work brought the teachings of the Philokalia into the heart of Orthodox life in Russia and beyond. Read more