Cloud of Witnesses
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Venerable (Monastic)18th century

Saint Basil of Poiana Marului

1692 - 1767

Also known as Basil of Poiana Marului

A monastic elder of Poiana Marului in Romania, a teacher of the prayer of the heart and spiritual guide in the hesychast renewal associated with St Paisius Velichkovsky.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Basil, Elder of Poiana Marului

Life

Basil of Poiana Marului was a monastic elder and teacher of the prayer of the heart who shaped the hesychast renewal of Romanian and wider Orthodox monasticism in the eighteenth century. Born around 1692, he gathered disciples first at the Dalhautsi skete and then at Poiana Marului, where he became a renowned spiritual father and the guide of the sketes of the Buzau Mountains. He is commemorated on April 25.

He is best remembered as the elder who tonsured the future Saint Paisius Velichkovsky on Mount Athos in 1750 and as the author of introductions to the writings of the Philokalic fathers on watchfulness and the Jesus Prayer. Through his disciples his influence spread far beyond Romania.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide
KontakionTone 8

(Podoben: “O Victorious Leader...”) Let us honor the wondrous guide of monks, a most experienced teacher of prayer,
a heavenly man and earthly angel, a most renowned spiritual counselor,
and let us sing joyously to him: “Rejoice, Holy Father Basil, preacher of grace.”

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 8

O Teacher of the true worship of God, guide of monks, preacher of grace,
instructor of noetic prayer as one who labored with vigilance,
O Venerable Father Basil, always entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline6 momentsReadHide
  1. 1692BirthBasil was born around 1692, by tradition near Poltava, and in his youth was drawn to the monastic life that was then being renewed in the lands of Wallachia and Moldavia.
  2. c. 1705-1706Monastic tonsureHe received the monastic tonsure at the Dalhautsi-Focsani skete and was later ordained to the priesthood.
  3. 1715Igumen of DalhautsiBasil became igumen of the Dalhautsi skete, leading its community for about two decades and gaining a reputation as a spiritual father skilled in the teaching of contemplative prayer.
  4. 1730-1733Renewal of Poiana MaruluiBetween 1730 and 1733 Basil renovated the skete of Poiana Marului near Ramnicu-Sarat and moved there with twelve disciples, making it a school of hesychasm and serving as spiritual guide of all the sketes of the Buzau Mountains.
  5. 1750Tonsure of Paisius VelichkovskyOn Mount Athos in 1750 Basil tonsured the young monk who would become Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, the future leader of the Neamt community and a central figure in the hesychast revival.
  6. 1767ReposeBasil reposed on April 25, 1767, and was buried at Poiana Marului, leaving behind many disciples.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributionsReadHide

Teacher of the prayer of the heart

Basil's lasting importance lies in his teaching on inner, noetic prayer. He instructed his disciples in obedience, humility, and the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and ordered the life of his sketes around daily reading of Scripture and the Fathers, watchfulness of the mind, fasting, and frequent communion. The sources relate that he had learned the discipline of inner prayer well before the printed Philokalia made such texts widely available.

He held that the writings of the Fathers were the key to a right reading of Scripture, calling the Scriptures themselves a saving medicine and warning that they must be approached through the mind of the Church. To this end he composed introductions to the works of Philokalic teachers such as Gregory of Sinai and Nilus of Sora on spiritual struggle and the prayer of the heart.

Influence and legacy

As spiritual father of the Buzau sketes Basil stood at the head of a wider movement of monastic renewal in eighteenth-century Romania. His most famous disciple, Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, carried this hesychast tradition into Moldavia and, through Paisius's own labors and translations, into the Slavic Orthodox world, so that Basil is counted among the forerunners of the broad Philokalic revival.

He is venerated as a saint by the Orthodox Church and is commemorated on April 25, the day of his repose at Poiana Marului.

Works & Further ReadingReadHide

Notable Works

  • Introductions to the Philokalic Fathers — Forewords and instructions composed for the writings of teachers such as Gregory of Sinai and Nilus of Sora on watchfulness and the prayer of the heart.
Companions2 figuresShowHide
His disciple, tonsured by Basil on Mount Athos in 1750; leader of the hesychast revival
Venerable Paisios Velichkovsky
Whom he formed among his Moldavian disciples; the recluse of Vorona.
Venerable Onuphriusof Vorona
Related Saints2 saintsShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

Philokalic teacher of the prayer of the heart for whose writings Basil composed introductions
Venerable Gregoryof Sinai
Russian teacher of inner watchfulness and non-acquisition to whose works Basil wrote forewords
Venerable NilusAbbot of Sora

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints