Hesychius from Batoskloster

Hesychius of the Batos Monastery (also known as Hesychios the Sinaite, active likely in the 7th or 8th century) was a Byzantine monk, ascetic, and spiritual writer associated with the famous Katharo Monastery (Batos Monastery) on Mount Sinai. Little is known about his life, but his writings have had a profound influence on Orthodox spirituality, particularly through their inclusion in the Philokalia, a renowned collection of mystical and ascetic texts.

In his works, Hesychius emphasized the importance of nepsis (watchfulness or spiritual vigilance) and the prayer of the heart as central paths to the purification of the mind and the experience of God. For him, inner stillness (hesychia) was not merely external solitude, but a deep state of inner attentiveness and presence in the divine light.

His teachings form a bridge between the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and the later hesychast movement. Hesychius is considered one of the earliest systematic teachers of the prayer of the heart in the Orthodox tradition.