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THE THREE MODES OF KNOWLEDGE
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These are the three modes of knowledge. From the time a
man begins to distinguish good from evil, and until he leaves this
world, the knowledge of his soul remains within these three degrees. The
fullness of all wrong and impiety, and the fullness of righteousness,
and the probing of all the depths of the mysteries of the spirit, all
these are produced by one single knowledge in these three degrees; in it
is contained every movement of the mind, whether it ascends or
descends, in good, in evil, or in something between the two. These three
degrees are called by the fathers: natural, contranatural and
supranatural knowledge. They are the three directions along which the
memory of a rational soul travels up and down, either when, as has been
said, a man acts rightly from his own nature, or when by memory he is
ravished on high, above his nature, in supranatural contemplation of
God, or when he goes out to herd swine, having squandered the riches of
good judgment, slaving with a multitude of demons.
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HOW DIFFERENT DEGREES OF KNOWLEDGE AFFECT THE SOUL
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-- The first degree of knowledge renders the soul cold towards efforts
to walk according to God. The second warms the soul, hastening its
progress towards that which is on the level of faith. The third is rest
from activity, enjoying the mysteries of the future life, in a single
striving of mind. But since our being is as yet unable entirely to
transcend its state of lifelessness and the burden of the flesh, so,
while a man lives in the body, he remains in a constant state of
changing from one to another. Now, like a miserable beggar, his soul
begins its service in the second, the middle degree of virtue; now, like
those who have received the spirit of sonship in the mystery of
liberation, he rejoices in the quality of spiritual grace which
corresponds to its Giver; then again he returns to his humble works
performed with the help of the body. For there is no perfect freedom in
this imperfect life.
-- In the second degree, the work of knowledge consists in long- drawn exercise and labor. Work in the third degree is the doing of faith, performed not through actions, but through spiritual representations in the mind, in an activity which is purely of the soul, since it transcends the senses. By faith we mean not faith in relation to the distinctions of the Divine Hypostases we worship, or the miracle of dispensation through Incarnation in man's nature, although this faith is also very lofty; we mean that faith, which is kindled in the soul from the light of grace and which fortifies the heart by testimony of the mind, giving it the certainty of hope which is free from all doubt. This faith manifests itself not through increased hearing fo the ears, but through spiritual eyes, which see the mysteries hidden in the soul, that invisible Divine treasure, which is hidden from the sight of sons of the flesh and is revealed by the Spirit to those who receive their food from Christ's table and learn His laws. As the Lord said: if ye keep my commandments, I will send you a Comforter, "even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive . . . he shall teach you all things" (John 14:17, 26).
from E. Kadloubovsky and G. E. H. Palmer, "Early Fathers from the Philokalia," (London: Faber and Faber, 1981), pp. 195 - 196
-- In the second degree, the work of knowledge consists in long- drawn exercise and labor. Work in the third degree is the doing of faith, performed not through actions, but through spiritual representations in the mind, in an activity which is purely of the soul, since it transcends the senses. By faith we mean not faith in relation to the distinctions of the Divine Hypostases we worship, or the miracle of dispensation through Incarnation in man's nature, although this faith is also very lofty; we mean that faith, which is kindled in the soul from the light of grace and which fortifies the heart by testimony of the mind, giving it the certainty of hope which is free from all doubt. This faith manifests itself not through increased hearing fo the ears, but through spiritual eyes, which see the mysteries hidden in the soul, that invisible Divine treasure, which is hidden from the sight of sons of the flesh and is revealed by the Spirit to those who receive their food from Christ's table and learn His laws. As the Lord said: if ye keep my commandments, I will send you a Comforter, "even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive . . . he shall teach you all things" (John 14:17, 26).
from E. Kadloubovsky and G. E. H. Palmer, "Early Fathers from the Philokalia," (London: Faber and Faber, 1981), pp. 195 - 196
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