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WEB 4 - ARCHIVE
Commentary 21 - Page 6 |
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Saint Anthony and the AngelOne specific method is exactly described in the Latin phrase Ora et Labora: work and pray. A traditional story about Saint Anthony, shown in the film about Athos we offer, shows that this refers primarily to a means of dealing with the flood of thoughts. It is a formula that is a favourite of monastics, but if properly understood, it can be adapted to many ways of life in an approach that possesses several layers. In particular: It prepares the mind that is still weak in faith by strengthening its attention and attenuating the activity of the discursive mind. It provides a means of frequently restoring the life to our spiritual awareness, our faith. A story from the Gerontikon describes a practical solution to this problem. The problem is that over the centuries the principle described in this story has been debased by inattention. The story is either a mythical or an actual description of the principle of Ora et Labora, as it forms the basis of Western monastic methods. But unless the inner meaning of the story is understood, it is of no practical value. In fact, the real difference between ways of understanding this story is not between East and West, but between inner and outer, and both forms of understanding exist in all churches, although the inner understanding is relatively rare in the West. The story in the Gerontikon[3] is that Saint Anthony was alone in the desert, and he prayed to God: "Lord, I wish to be saved, but my uncontrolled thoughts destroy my attention. What shall I do?" He continued working. After a few moments he looked up. Beside him was the figure of an angel. This man was making a basket. After a few minutes he stood up and began to pray. Then he sat and returned to his basket-making. Then he stood again to pray. He turned to Saint Anthony. "Do this," he said, "and you will be saved." One of the great problems and perhaps the greatest obstacle to spirituality of any kind, other than mere pharisaic lip-service, at least for modern man, is that we are dominated by our thoughts - verbal or visual - so that they cut across our attention and our perceptions like a screen or veil ... and this process itself first makes us inattentive to other things and then, being repetitive and limited in content, such thoughts are uninteresting, so that they simply weaken our attention until this declines to the status of daydreaming or to inner and purely imaginary conversations. Ora et Labora can be taken more specifically. When physical work is used as a method, this also helps to free us from the hold of the body over us. A similar attitude can be applied to every other aspect of life: when reading, we can make sure we learn something we need to know. When the body is idle one can keep it active or in tension. But one must first understand what one is doing and why, otherwise it will not be productive. Aim and intention are necessary to overcome accident, which is unintentional, so that it 'cannot remain in their company'. |
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