The Greek term ''hesychia'' (, ) is a concept that can be translated as "stillness, rest, quiet,
silence
Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...
".
In Christianity
In the Eastern Orthodox Christian mystical tradition of
hesychasm
Hesychasm () is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Christian traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in ...
, hesychia refers to a state of stillness and peace that is obtained through extreme ascetical struggle, prayer, and the constant
contemplation
In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the Divinity, divine which Transcendence (religion), transcends the intellect, often in accordance with religious practices such as meditation or contemplative pr ...
of God. The attainment of hesychia is a central theme discussed in hesychast literature.
Chapter 2 of the ''
Systematic Sayings of the Desert Fathers'' is dedicated to the topic of hesychia.
In Neoplatonism
The term is also used in
Neoplatonic
Neoplatonism is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a series of thinkers. Among the common id ...
texts such as the ''
Enneads
The ''Enneads'' (; ), fully ''The Six Enneads'', is the collection of writings of the philosopher Plotinus, edited and compiled by his student Porphyry (270). Plotinus was a student of Ammonius Saccas, and together they were founders of Neopla ...
''.
Other languages
Equivalent terms in other languages include
Syriac ''shelya'' (''šelya'').
See also
*
Monastic silence
*
Apatheia
In Stoic philosophy, ''apatheia'' (; ) refers to a state of mind in which one is not disturbed by the passions. It might better be translated by the word equanimity than the word indifference. The meaning of the word ''apatheia'' is quite diffe ...
*
Inner peace
Inner peace (also known as peace of mind) refers to a deliberate state of psychological or spiritual calm maintained despite the presence of stressors. It is associated with a state of psychological "homeostasis" and the opposite of being stress ...
*
Tranquility
Tranquillity (also spelled tranquility) is the quality or state of being tranquil; that is, calm, serene, and worry-free. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism—where the term refers to ...
*
Centering prayer
*
Quietism (Christian philosophy)
Quietism is the name given (especially in Catholic theology) to a set of contemplative practices that rose in popularity in France, Italy, and Spain during the late 1670s and 1680s, particularly associated with the writings of the Spanish myst ...
*
Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
*
Neoplatonism and Christianity
Neoplatonism is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a series of thinkers. Among the common i ...
*
Mauna (silence)
In Hindu philosophy, Mauna (Silence), which has a voice of its own, refers to peace of mind, inner quietude, Samadhi and the Absolute Reality. The Hindu texts insist upon proper understanding of silence by experiencing it through control of speech ...
in Hinduism
References
Hesychasm
Christian contemplation
Christian mysticism
Christian prayer
Christian terminology
Silence
Meditation
Neoplatonism
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