I recommend a state of inner joy, from within, from the heart, a state which means unceasing prayer. A state of true joy, detached from the problems of life, the problems of the paths of life, of one person or another. A state of joy, no matter what. If there is sadness, the eggs of the devil are brooding. It's a state of absence, of darkness. If a man does not die in a position of being alive, of ascension, of being a pillar, then the entire creation suffers. We are part of a great union; the whole of God's creation is a union. If we break away from the great union, we are in a position of cancelling, of self-cancelling. So, I recommend a position of being alive. For the tragedy of the whole world must be felt as our own sins. And, the state of prayer means a state of presence. As a spiritual father who speaks all day to people who need uprightness, I do not recommend ascetic struggles. I recommend a state of permanent presence, which means to acknowledge the good forces within. (Elder Arsenie Papacioc, 1914-2011)
