From the Life of St Maximos Kapsokalyvitis

A hagiographic excerpt showing the hesychast tradition embodied in the life of a fourteenth-century Athonite monk known as Kapsokalyvitis ("hut-burner"), who would burn his hut and move on rather than become attached to any dwelling. The narrative illustrates how the teachings found throughout the Philokalia were actually lived. Unlike the analytical and aphoristic texts that dominate the collection, this excerpt offers a portrait of a person rather than a system. Valuable as a reminder that the Philokalia's teachings point to a lived reality, not merely an intellectual tradition.