The Ladder of Divine Graces

A poem describing ten stages of the spiritual life as a ladder of divine graces. The poetic form is unique in the Philokalia, which otherwise consists entirely of prose. Each rung represents a stage of grace rather than human effort, emphasizing that progress in the spiritual life is fundamentally a matter of divine gift. Brief and memorable, this text offers a concentrated overview of the entire contemplative path in a form designed to be retained and recited.