Maximos Kausokalybites

Who is Maximos Kausokalybites?

Maximos Kausokalybites, also known as St. Maximos the Hut Burner, was a hesychast monk who lived on Mount Athos in Greece. Some of Maximos' writings on prayer and ascetism are included in the Philokalia.

Maximos lived an austere life, mostly as a recluse in crude shelters, moving from time to time to seek further seclusion. His habit of burning his hut at these times resulted in his nickname "the hutburner." Before settling at Mt. Athos, Maximos spent one year in Constantinople acting as a "holy fool." At Mt. Athos, he was a close associate of another renowned hesychast monk, Gregory of Sinai. In spite of his desire for seclusion and obscurity, four writers later wrote vitae on his life and teachings. These include The Life of Maximos by Theophanes and a vitae by his disciple Niphon Kausokalybites.

The stories of his life recount that as a child he was devoted to the Virgin Mary and gave his food and clothing to the poor. When his parents arranged his marriage at age 17 he instead moved to Mount Ganos, where he became the student of an elderly monk. Around this time he began his life of austerity, sleeping on the ground, staying awake for long periods, and fasting. After his spiritual father died, he went to Constantinople, where he pretended to be mad while living in the gateway of a famous church.