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Introduction15
world(ofcausesandeffects)andarenotassociatedwithourfreewill,
whenwecanchoosebetweengoodandbad.
Alsoimportantistheeveningcontemplationwhatwehavedone
duringaday:
Thespiritoughttobebroughtupforexaminationdaily.ItwasthecustomofSextius
whenthedaywasover,andhehadbetakenhimselftorest,toinquireofhisspirit:
HWhatbadhabitofyourshaveyoucuredtoday?Whatvicehaveyouchecked?In
whatrespectareyoubetter?”Angerwillcease,andbecomemoregentle,ifitknows
thateverydayitwillhavetoappearbeforethejudgmentseat.Whatcanbemore
admirablethanthisfashionofdiscussingthewholeoftheday’sevents?Howsweet
isthesleepwhichfollowsthisself-examination(Seneca1928:36).
Thus,instoicismcontemplationisdirectedoncopingwithlife.First,
weshouldconcentrateonourselvesandanalyseourperceptionsand
emotionswitharationalmind;andlateronotherstoourperceptions
andemotionsinrelationtothelawsofnature.Beingattentivetothe
presentisthesecretofspiritualexercises.Wecanconcentrateon
themicrothingsatthelevelofeverydaylife,whichgivesusadoor
totheconversiontocosmicconsciousness.Everymomentisapartof
cosmicuniversallaw(Hadot1987/1995,1998).
Thecontemplativepracticesthatweredevelopedinancient
philosophy,mainlyinstoicismandepicureanism,werecontinuedand
developedinChristianity.Attentiontooneselfisaveryimportantpartof
thesermonofBasilofCesarea.HisideaofProsocheisbasedonPlatonic
andStoicconcepts.Weshouldwatchoveroursoul,seeitsbeauty,and
avoidsinsandcorrectouractivities(Hadot1995:130-131).SaintAntony
practicedprosocheandhesaidtohisdisciples:HLiveasthoughyou
weredyingeveryday…Inthesamevein,MarcusAureliuswrote:ILet
youreverydeedandwordandthoughtbethoseofonewhomightdepart
fromthislifethisverymoment”(ibid.:131).SaintAntonyrecommended
followingcontemplativepractice:writingnotesaboutthemovements
ofthesoul.Ithadforhimatherapeuticmeaning:HLet’seachoneofus
noteandrecordouractionsandthestirringsofoursoulsasthoughwe
weregoingtogiveanaccounttoeachother”(quotedinHadot1995:
135).Writingisthenacontemplativeactandtechnique.
Theincorporationoftheancientcontemplativetraditionscanbe
noticedinthewritingsofSaintDorotheusofGaza,whichintegrated
stoicismintheNeoplatonicperspectiveoftheworld.Hedescribed
spiritualperfectioninstoicconcepts.Theapatheiaconceptis
especiallymeaningfulhere:HForDorotheusofGaza,apatheiaisthe
endresultoftheannihilationofone’sownwill:IFromthiscuttingoff
ofself-willamanprocuresforhimselfdetachment[aprospatheta],and