The Way of a Pilgrim

The Way of a Pilgrim is the English title of a 19th century anonymous Russian, seemingly autobiographical, work, possibly by an Athonite monk, detailing the narrator's journey across the country while practicing the Jesus Prayer devoutly, with the help of a prayer rope and the study of the Philokalia. The Russian title of the book is actually much longer than its English translation: "Откровенные рассказы странника духовному своему отцу" - literally, "Candid tales of a pilgrim to his spiritual father'.

The book as a whole is often interpreted as an allegory of both the life of Jesus Christ and the struggle of Orthodox spirituality. It details the gradual spiritual development and struggles of the narrator, and the effect the narrator's spiritualality has on those around him (to quote St. Seraphim of Sarov, "Acquire the spirit of peace, and a thousand souls around you will be saved"), as well as the effects upon the narrator of the struggles of those whom he encounters and the stories they tell him.

There are two books in this series, The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues his Way (often included together as one volume). Many have benefited greatly from their reading.

Editions

• The Way of a Pilgrim by Walter J. Ciszek (Foreword), Helen Bacovcin (Translator) (ISBN 0385468148)

See also

• Hesychasm
• Jesus Prayer
• Philokalia

External link

• The Way of a Pilgrim (Arabic, full-text)
• The Way of a Pilgrim (Russian, full-text)