In this beautiful and eminently practical guide for spiritual progress St. John Cassian produces the teaching of the Desert Fathers on the supreme value of discrimination as "the source, root, crown and common bond of all the virtues." Besides explaining how discrimination holds together all spiritual effort in proportion, he offers many practical counsels on how to acquire discernment. This Philokalia text is a Greek excerpt and summary made by St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain from St. Cassian's Latin classic The Conferences. In this beautiful and eminently practical guide for spiritual progress St. John Cassian produces the teaching of the Desert Fathers on the supreme value of discrimination as "the source, root, crown and common bond of all the virtues." Besides explaining how discrimination holds together all spiritual effort in proportion, he offers many practical counsels on how to acquire discernment.