О гордости

Pride is a tumor in the soul, filled with tainted blood: if it matures, it will break through and cause great trouble. The flash of lightning foretells a thunderclap, and the appearance of vanity heralds pride. The soul of the proud ascends to great heights and from there casts him into the abyss. Those who become an apostate from God and attribute good deeds to their own strengths suffer from pride. Just as one who stands on a web falls and is carried down, so one who relies on his own strength also falls. Many fruits cause tree branches to bend, and with many virtues a person’s way of thinking is humbled. Rotten fruit is of no use to the farmer, and the virtue of the proud is not needed by God. A pole supports a branch laden with fruit, and the fear of God supports a virtuous soul. Just as the weight of fruit breaks a branch, so pride overthrows a virtuous soul. Do not betray your soul to pride, and you will not see terrible dreams, because the soul of a proud person is abandoned by God and becomes the delight of demons. A proud person imagines many attacking animals at night, and during the day he is embarrassed by fearful thoughts; if he sleeps, he often jumps up and, while awake, is afraid of the bird's shadow. The noise of a leaf terrifies the proud one, and the murmur of water strikes his soul. For the one who recently resisted God and renounced His help subsequently becomes afraid of insignificant ghosts. The Archangel’s pride cast him out of Heaven and made him fall to the ground like lightning. And humility lifts a person to Heaven and prepares him to stand with the Angels. Why are you rushing high, man, and rising above the clouds, when by nature you are decaying and rotten? Look at your nature, you are earth and ashes, soon you will be resolved into dust; Now you’re majestic, but soon you’ll be a worm! Why are you raising a neck that will soon rot? A man is great when God helps him, but when he is quickly abandoned by God, he recognizes the weakness of nature. You have nothing good 5 that you would not receive from God. Therefore, why do you boast 6 of strangers as your own? Why do you boast in the grace of God as your own possession? Recognize the Giver and do not boast too much; You are a creature of God, do not despise the Creator. God helps you, do not deny the Benefactor. You ascended to the heights of life, but God guided you. You succeeded in virtue, but God acted in you. Confess the Exalted One, so that you may remain strong on high. Recognize your fellow tribesman, he is of the same essence as you. Do not deny kinship out of arrogance. He is humble, and you are exalted, 7 but one Creator created both. Do not despise the humble: he stands stronger than you, he walks on the earth and will not fall soon; but he who has stood high, if he falls, will be crushed. The proud monk is a tree that has no root and cannot withstand the pressure of the wind. And a non-arrogant way of thinking is like a walled city: those who live in it will have nothing to fear. A blade of grass is lifted high by a breath of wind, and the proud is lifted up by the attack of arrogance. The bursting bubble turns into nothing, and the memory of the proud will perish. The word of the humble is a softening ointment for the soul, but the word of the proud is filled with arrogance. The prayer of the humble bows down God, but the petition of the proud insults God. Humility is the crown of the home and keeps the one who enters safe. When you ascend to the heights of virtues, then you have a great need for protection. For he who stands on the floor and falls will soon rise up, but he who falls from above is in danger of dying. A golden setting befits a precious stone, and the humility of a husband shines with many virtues. The word “good” was added according to the manuscript. Instead of: έναμβλύνη according to the manuscript it reads: έναβρύνη. Instead of: σύμμετρος according to the manuscript it is read σύ μετέωρος. You might be interested in: