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Calmness – HH Pope Shenouda III

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

This book is the result of four lectures, two of which I gave at the Cathedral in Cairo along with two others which 1 gave at the Monastery of Anba Bishoy in Wadi Natrun on 27th August and 3rd September, 1983.
All four lectures are available as tape recordings, which you can obtain from the tape libraries at the Monastery of Anba Reweis and from various churches.
This book is about calmness, and is part of a larger spiritual compilation, ‘Landmarks of the Spiritual Way’, which we hope will be published shortly, if God wills.

Pope Shenouda III

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: The Beauty of Calmness and its Sublimity

• The history of calmness
• The elements of calmness
• True calmness
• Virtues connected with tranquillity
• The benefit of calmness
• The disadvantages of lacking calmness
• Examples of calmness

CHAPTER 2: Types of Calmness

• Calmness of temperament
• Calmness of the nerves
• Stillness of the tongue
• Inner tranquillity-calmness of the heart and thoughts
• Serenity of the features
• Stillness of the body and the senses
• Calm behaviour and problem solving

CHAPTER 3: Causes of Restlessness

• Causes from within
• Temperament
• The way of thinking
• Exhausted nerves
• Fear and confusion
• Desires or lusts
• Anger and nervousness
• A liking for causing a noisy disturbance
• External Causes

1. Against the senses
2. Homes
3. Machines

Sounds, lights and colours

1. Against the calmness of the spirit
2. Against the calmness of the soul

CHAPTER 4: How We Can Obtain Calmness

• Love of calmness
• The calmness of nature
• Tranquillity of the heart
• Don’t be easily provoked
• Faith
• Living with calm people
• Joy and cheerfulness
• Humility and gentleness
• Training in calmness