Talk:Hesychasts

Needs Unicode-compliant entry
The alternate names for it need to be reviewed; probably by someone who knows Greek, in order to determine the correct characters to be represented.

Needs to be Reconsidered for Inclusion in Wikipedia
This article is full of hostile misconceptions. For starters, to describe Hesychasm as a 'a quietistic sect which arose, during the later period of the Byzantine empire' is to use a term connected to a condemned Roman Catholic heresy ('quietism') that has no connection whatsoever to Hesychasm. And to state that '[o]wing to various adventitious circumstances the sect came into great prominence politically and ecclesiastically for a few years about the middle of the 14th century' is to ignore the facts that Hesychasm has its roots in the Fifth Century, as even the rather hostile article in the Catholic Encyclopedia linked on the Hesychasm page points out; that it is connected to the mysticism of St Symeon the New Theologian (11th Century); that Hesychasm experienced a great renascence in the 18th Century, when the compilations of the Philokalia were made by St Makarios of Corinth, St Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, and St Paisios Velitchovsky; that that renascence continued into the 19th Century with the tradition of the Startsy at Optina Monastery (Optina Poustin), now all canonized; that it culminated in the edition of the Philokalia of St Theophan the Recluse at the end of the 19th century; and that Hesychasm continues to this day. If one were to read St Silouan the Athonite by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), which contains an introduction by Arch. Sophrony with the life of St Silouan (1866–1938) and a doctrinal introduction to Hesychasm, together with the meditations of St Silouan, one would see these things. One would also see that Hesychasm continues to this day. St Silouan was a Hesychast who died in 1938. See also the books referenced on the Hesychasm page which deal with Hesychasts who have died as recently as 2001, or are even still alive.

Moreover, terms such as 'Euchites' and 'Massalians' are terms used for condemned heretics, largely from the 4th or 5th Century, that have no connection with Hesychasm. These are polemical appellations. Name-callings.

I also dispute the addition of the reference to kundalini yoga. Kundalini yoga depends on raising the kundalini power at the base of the spine. There are NO instructions in Hesychast texts for such a practice; the emphasis is on the descent of the mind into the heart and the practice of the Jesus Prayer with the mind in the heart, together with the practice of sobriety. Where are such instructions given in kundalini yoga?

In general this article from 1911 reflects an age of Western contempt for things Orthodox, an age of patronizing disdain for things the West did not understand. Things have progressed somewhat since then, but the inclusion of such a dated article in Wikipedia is to abuse the NPOV by making provision for all kinds of unbalanced views in the name of broad coverage.

I would clean up the Greek if I could figure out what the original Greek words were meant to be. These terms are not used today.

It seems to me that Wikipedia has to beware of the inclusion of dated or unbalanced articles. 06:59, 26 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Probably should be changed to a redirect to Hesychasm, or perhaps a list of notable hesychasts - but I'll personally leave that to those more knowledgable than myself. Man vyi 09:11, 26 December 2005 (UTC)