The Soul

According to Orthodox belief the Soul has three parts:

- The Nous: also known as “the eye of the soul” is its purest part, the highest attention. It is the source of 'noetic energy' and is not in any way associated with the faculty of reason.

- The Logos: logic and reason. This is a faculty begotten by the Nous to aid a person in life (doing mechanical things, sustaining physical life).

- Spirit: love energy. This is the love inside a person and was begotten by the Nous also.

Note: The Soul is linked with each person’s whole body and is not limited to any one part of the body. The Soul occupies the body to which it is attached but it is not enclosed by the body. It is actually the body which is held in the soul, animated inside that “cloud of energy.”


The Heart

The Heart is the point of connection between the Soul and the Body. The location of the Heart is discovered through Aesetic practices done in a state of grace. The main movers of this discovery are (and here is a tie-in for me to the emphasis on mourning in the Shia form of Islam) mourning and repentance. Through mourning and repentance the Heart is filled with pain and spiritual sorrow – and thereby its location is discovered.


The Nous

One of the goals of the Orthodox development system is to isolate the Nous from the faculty of reason. Reason was created to deal with earthly concerns but the Nous alone is for the rememberance of God.
The Nous is for the unceasing rememberance of God.


Man’s current degraded state stems from:

- Nous malfunctions
- Identification of the Nous with Reason and the deification of Reason.
- The Nous’ enslavement to the passions, anxiety and the condition of the environment (which is the real death of a person)

The Purpose of these Parts

The purpose of these parts is the the upliftment of a human which can happen when that person:
- Cleans the Heart from all passions
- Attains the illumination of the Nous (through Theoria or the viewing of God)
- Ascends to Theosis (the constant viewing/remembering of God)


The End Goal

Ultimate nirvana in the Orthodox system is called “Theosis.” Thosis is acheived when the Nous returns to its essence, going through the heart ascending to the devine presence/God.

Good Works Secondary Social work (like humanitarian work, workjng for the poor, hungry, disabled etc) is really secondary to the real important mission of a person: to heal the individual through a self-development system like that of the Orthodox.

Social work is often employed, however, as a way to help the aspirant clean his or her heart of all worldly passions through serving others.


Recommended books:
“The Philokalia” – written by the Holy Fathers (Saints) of the Orthodox Church over 1000 years
“Orthodox Spirituality” by Archimandrake Ierotheos Vlachos