Глава XV. О смиренномудрии

1. Abba Anthony once, delving into the depths of God’s judgments, prayed like this: Lord! Why do some die without living long, while others grow old? Why are some poor and others rich? Why are the unrighteous rich and the righteous poor? And a voice came to him saying: Anthony! Pay attention to yourself, otherwise these are the judgments of God, and it is not useful for you to know them. 2. Abba Anthony said to Abba Pimen: that is the great work of man, to lay his sin upon himself before the face of God and wait for temptation until his last breath. 3. He also said: no one can enter the kingdom of heaven without temptation, for without temptation, no one will be saved. 4. He said: I saw all the enemy’s snares spread over the earth, and, sighing, he said: who can cross them? And I heard a voice saying to me: humility. 5. One day the elders came to Abba Anthony, and Abba Joseph was with them. The elder, wanting to test them, proposed a saying from Scripture and began to ask the younger ones: what does this saying mean? Each one spoke according to his own strength, and the elder said to each one: no, I didn’t hit it. After everyone, he asked Abba Joseph: What do you say about this word? He answered: I don’t know. Abba Anthony said: Truly, Abba Joseph found the way, because he said: I do not know. 6. Certain three of the fathers had the custom of coming to Abba Anthony every year. Two of them asked him about his thoughts and the salvation of his soul, but one was always silent, asking nothing. After quite a long time, Abba Anthony says to him: look, you have been coming here for so long and not asking me anything? He answered: it is enough for me to see you, father. 7. One day demons approached Abba Arseny and confused him. Those who served him, coming to him and standing outside the cell, heard him cry out to God, saying: God! Don't leave me! I have never done anything good before You, but grant me, by Your grace, to make a beginning! 8. They said about him that just as no one at court wore better clothes than him, so in church no one dressed worse than him. 9. Someone said to blessed Arseny: how is it that with such wisdom and such teaching we have nothing, but these wild simpletons and Egyptians acquired such virtues? Abba Arseny tells him: we have nothing from worldly teaching, but these simpletons and Egyptians acquired virtues through their labors. 10. Once Abba Arseny asked an Egyptian elder about his thoughts. Another, seeing this, asked: Abba Arseny, how do you, versed in Roman and Hellenic teachings, ask this simpleton about your thoughts? He answered him: I know the Roman and Hellenic teachings, but I have not yet learned the alphabet of this simpleton. 11. Abba Arseny said: a monk is a wanderer, therefore, as in a foreign country, let him not interfere in anything and find peace. 12. The elders said that once several small figs were sent to the Skete, and they, as they were worthless, were not sent to Abba Arseny, so that he would not be offended. The elder, having heard about this, did not go to the meeting, saying: you excommunicated me without giving me the blessing that God sent to the brethren and which I was not worthy to receive. Having heard about this, everyone took advantage of the elder’s humility, but the presbyter took him figs and brought him into the congregation with joy. 13. Abba Daniel said: one day some fathers from Alexandria came to see Abba Arseny. One of them was the uncle of the elder Timothy, Archbishop of Alexandria, nicknamed the non-covetous, and had with him one of his brother’s sons. The elder was sick then and did not want to see them, so that others would not come and bother him. And they returned in sorrow. At that time he was in Petra of Troy, and when it happened to be attacked by barbarians, Abba Arseny left and stayed in the lower reaches. Having heard about this, they again came to see him, and he received them with joy. One brother who was with them said to him: Do you know, Abba, that we came to visit you in Troy, and you did not receive us? The elder said: you ate bread and drank water, but I, truly a child, punishing myself, did not eat either bread or water until I knew that you had reached your place, for for my sake you had worked hard. But forgive me, brothers. And, having been consoled, they left. 14. They said about Abba Arseny that once in Skete, when he fell ill, the presbyter went and, bringing him to church, laid him on a bed with a small head under his head. And so one of the elders, coming to visit him and seeing him on the bed and the head under him, was tempted, saying: is this Abba Arseny? And on this does he lie? The presbyter, taking him aside, asked: what occupation did you have in your village? He answered: I was a shepherd. How, he says, did you spend your life? He said: He saw her off in great need. Now how do you live in your cell? He answered: Now I have more peace. Then the presbyter said to him: Do you see this Abba Arseny? Being in the world, he was the father of kings, and thousands of servants with golden belts and necklaces, all in silk, stood before him. He had valuable beds. You, being a shepherd, did not have such peace in the world as you have now, and he does not have the consolation here that he had in the world. And now you have peace, but he suffers need. Hearing this, he came into contrition and, putting down the throwing, said: forgive me, Abba! I have sinned. Truly, this is the true path, for he came to humility, and I came to peace! Thus, having received the benefit, the elder left. 15. Abba Daniel said that Abba Arseny, approaching his death, commanded us: do not worry about making a supper of love for me, for if I have prepared this supper for myself, I will find it. 16. When Abba Arseny approached his death, his disciples became alarmed. He says to them: the hour has not yet come; when the hour comes, I will tell you. I will sue you before the terrible throne if you give my remains to anyone. They asked: what should we do, since we do not know how to bury? The elder answered them: you don’t know how? Tie a rope to my leg and drag me up the mountain. Usually the elder’s word was: Arseny! Why did you come out of the world? If you speak, you will often repent; if you remain silent, then never. When he approached his death, the brothers, seeing that he was crying, asked him: are you really afraid, father? He answered them: truly, the fear that is with me at this hour has always been with me since I became a monk. And the old man died. Abba Pimen, hearing that he had died, shed tears and said: blessed are you, Abba Arseny, who cried for yourself in this world, for whoever does not cry for himself here will forever cry there. So, whether here - voluntarily or there - from torment, it is impossible not to cry. 17. Abba Daniel said that Abba Arseny never wanted to speak when asked about Scripture, even though he could if he wanted; I also never wrote letters. When he came to church from time to time, he would sit behind a pillar so that no one would see his face and he would not see the face of another. His appearance was angelic, like Jacob’s: he was all gray, well-built in body, but dry; he had a long beard, reaching to his waist; his eyelashes fell out from crying; He was long, but bent with age, and was ninety years old. He spent forty years at the court of Theodosius the Great of blessed memory and was the father of the most divine Arcadius and Honorius; He also spent forty years in Skete; ten - in Troy of upper Babylon against Memphis; three years in Alexandria Canopus, and for the last two years he came again to Canopus and rested there, completing his course in peace and the fear of God, as if he were a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 11:24). He left me his leather tunic, a white hair shirt and palm sandals, and I, unworthy, wore them for blessing. 18. Abba Daniel also spoke about Abba Arseny: he once called my fathers - Abba Alexander and Abba Zoil - and, humbling himself, said to them: demons are fighting against me, and I don’t know if they would not steal me during my sleep. Work with me this night and watch out for me if I fall asleep during the vigil. They sat down - one on his right hand, and the other on his left - in the evening, in silence. Afterwards, my fathers said: we fell asleep and, when we woke up, we didn’t know whether he was dozing. By the morning (God knows whether he deliberately made us think that he was sleeping, or whether nature actually inclined him to sleep) he sighed three times and, getting up, said: I was sleeping - yes? We answered: we don’t know. 19. Abba Agathon, approaching his death, remained for three days with his eyes open and motionless. The brothers, touching him, asked: Abba Agathon, where are you? He answered them: I stand before the judgment seat of God. They say to him: are you afraid, father? He said to them: according to my strength, I tried to fulfill the commandments of God, but I am a man - and do I know that my work is pleasing to God? The brothers say to him: Are you really not sure that your work was according to God? The elder replied: I do not dare to think about this until I appear before God, for there is another judgment of God and another of man’s. When they wanted to ask him another word, he said to them: do me a favor - do not speak to me now, for I am not idle. And he died in joy, for they saw that he was leaving with the same look with which another kisses his friends and lovers. 20. They said about Abba Ammon that some came to sue him, but the elder pretended to be insane. And one wife stood near him and said: this old man is a fool. Hearing this, the elder called her and said: How much labor have I spent in the deserts to acquire this foolishness, and because of you I am about to lose it now! 21. They asked Abba Ammon: which way is the narrow and sorrowful way? He answered: there is a narrow and regrettable path - to force your thoughts and cut off your desires for the sake of God. This means: behold, we have left everything and died after You (Matthew 19:27) 22. Abba Pimen said: a brother came to Abba Ammoy and said to him: Abba, say a word to me! He stayed with him for seven days, and the elder did not answer him. Then, seeing him off, he said to him: go, pay attention to yourself, and my sins have become a dark wall between me and God. 23. Abba John said that Abba Anuv, Abba Pimen and their other half-brothers, who were monks in Skete, when the Miziki came there and devastated it, first withdrew from there to a place called Terenuf until they found where to live, and stayed there for several days in an ancient church. Abba Anub said to Abba Pimen: Do you and your brothers mercy: let everyone be especially silent during this week, not seeing each other. Avva Pimen answered: we will do as you want. And they did so. There was a stone statue in that church. Elder Abba Anuv, getting up in the morning, threw stones at the face of the statue, and in the evening he said to him: forgive me. He did this all week. On Saturday, when they came together, Abba Pimen said to Abba Anuv: I saw, Abba, that all week you were throwing stones at the face of the statue and then throwing it at him. Is this what a faithful man does? The elder replied: I did such a thing for you. When you saw me throwing stones at the face of the statue, did it speak or get angry? Avva Pimen said: no. And again, when I considered the throwing, did it get irritated and say: I will not forgive? Avva Pimen said: no. We will do the same. We are seven brothers. If you want to all be together, let us be like this statue, which - whether they revile it or glorify it - is never disturbed. If you don’t want to be like that, here are four gates in this church: let each of you go wherever he wants. They all fell to the ground and said to Abba Anuv: Father, we will do as you want and listen to what you tell us. And Abba Pimen said: we stayed together during our lives, acting according to the word of the elder, which he spoke to us. He made one of us a steward, and we ate everything he offered us, and none of us could say: bring me something else, or: we want to eat this and that. Thus we spent the entire time of our lives in silence and peace. 24. Abba Aloniy said: if I had not destroyed everything, I would not have been able to edify myself. 25. They told about the Bishop of Oxyrhynchus named Apphius: when he was a monk, he underwent many strict labors; when he became a bishop, he wanted to use the same severity in the world, but was not able to. Then he prostrated himself before God, saying: Was it not for the sake of bishopric that grace departed from me? And it was revealed to him: no, but there was a desert there, and since there was no man, God helped you; but here there is peace, and people help you. 26. Blessed Gregory the Theologian said: how can we immerse ourselves in saving humility, leaving behind the disastrous pomposity of pride? When we strive for it in every possible way and neglect nothing, as if without fear of harm to ourselves. For the soul becomes similar to its activities, and what it does is imprinted and transformed into it. So, let your appearance, and clothing, and tread, and graying, and food, and standing, and bed - all be imprinted with poverty; also a psalm, and a song, and piety towards one’s neighbor - and this is directed towards beggary, and not towards arrogance. Do not thunder with sophistic words, nor with overly sweet-voiced songs, nor with proud and important rantings, but reject grandeur in everything. Be quiet with friends, kind to the supplicant, philanthropic to the poor, comforting to those who suffer, caring for those in sorrow, not at all contemptuous of anyone, sweet in admonition, cordial in response, ready for everything, gracious in everything. 27. Abba Daniel said that in Babylon the daughter of one of the leaders was possessed by a demon. Her father had one beloved monk who told him: no one can heal your daughter except the hermits I know. But if you ask them directly, they will not agree out of humility. Let’s do it better this way: when they come to the market, pretend that you want to buy their handicrafts from them, and when they come to receive the price for them, we will ask them to say a prayer, and I believe that it will heal. So, they went to the market, found a disciple of those elders sitting there to sell their things, took him with the baskets and brought him to their house to receive the price for them. When the monk entered the house, the demoniac approached and hit him on the cheek, but he also turned the other one to her - according to the commandment of the Lord. Tormented by this, the demon cried out: oh, need and violence! The commandment of the Lord drives me out. And the girl immediately cleared herself. When the elders came, they were informed about what had happened, and they glorified God and said: the pride of the devil usually falls from the humility of Christ’s commandment. 28. Abba Epiphanius said: the Canaanite woman cried out and was heard (Matthew 15:22); the bleeding one is silent - and is blessed (Matthew 9:22); the Pharisee calls out and is condemned; The publican did not open his mouth, and he was heard (Luke 18:10–14). 29. Abba Evagrius said: the beginning of salvation is self-condemnation. 30. There was once a meeting in Kellia on some matter. Abba Evagrius began to speak, but the presbyter said to him: We know, Abba, that if you were in your own country, you would long ago have been a bishop and the head of many, but now you sit here like a stranger. He apologized, but was not embarrassed and, shaking his head, said to him: “truly so, father, but in one verb, I will not add a second” (Job 39:35). 31. Abba Karion said: the feat of my labors is much greater than my son Zechariah, but I did not achieve it to the extent of it - in his humility and silence. 32. One brother, an Egyptian, came to Abba Zinon in Syria and complained to the elder about his thoughts. The elder said in surprise: the Egyptians hide the virtues that they have, but they always accuse themselves of sins that they do not have. But the Syrians and Greeks appropriate to themselves virtues that they do not have, and hide the sins that they do have. 33. They said that in one village someone fasted a lot, so they called him a faster. Hearing about him, Abba Zinon called him to his place, and he came to him with joy. After praying, they sat down. The elder began to work in silence, but the faster, not finding anything to talk about, began to feel very bored and finally said to the elder: pray for me, Abba! I want to go home. For what? – the old man asked him. He answered: my heart feels like it’s on fire, and I don’t know what’s happening to it. When I was in the village, I fasted until the evening and nothing like this ever happened to me. The elder tells him: in the village you were full of hearing, but now go and from now on take food at the ninth hour and, if you do anything, do it secretly. When the faster began to do this, he was already waiting for the ninth hour with illness. Those who knew his commandment said: Verily, he is possessed by a demon. When he came to the elder and told him about everything, he replied: this path pleases God. 34. Abba Moses says one day to brother Zechariah: tell me what to do? Hearing this, he threw himself down at his feet and said: Are you asking me, father? The elder answered him: believe me, child Zechariah, I saw the Holy Spirit descending on you, and this makes me ask you. Then Zacharias, taking off his head, put it under his feet and, trampling on it, said: if a person is not erased like this, he cannot be a monk. 35. Once upon a time, Abba Zacharias, while living in Skete, came into a state of contemplation. He revealed this to his elder, Abba Karion. Although the elder was a worker, he was not skilled in this regard and, standing up, beat him, saying: this is from demons. Meanwhile, the thought remained with him, and he came to Abba Pimen at night and revealed to him about this matter and how his inner being was burning. The elder, seeing that this was from God, said to him: go to such and such an elder and do whatever he tells you. When he came to the elder, the elder, before he asked him anything, told him everything and that his vision was from God, but then added: go and obey your father. 36. Abba Pimen said that Abba Moses asked Abba Zechariah when he was approaching his death: what do you see? He says to him: isn’t it better to remain silent, father? He said: exactly, child, be silent. At the very hour of his death, Abba Isidore, who was sitting next to him, looking up at heaven, said: Rejoice, my child Zechariah, that the gates of the kingdom of heaven have been opened to you. 37. Abba Isaiah said: love for human glory gives rise to lies, and aversion from it increases the fear of God in the heart. Do not be a friend of the glorious ones of the world, lest the glory of God be taken away from you. 38. He also said: when you perform your rule, if you do it in humility, as unworthy, it is accepted by God; If something proud comes into your heart and you become upset with it, or remember someone else, sleeping or careless, and condemn someone, know that your work is fruitless. 39. Again he said about the humble that he does not have the tongue to speak of someone as careless; or contradict someone who burdens and burdens him with something; has no eyes to notice the sins of another or look at him with contempt; He has no ears to listen to things that are not good for his soul; has no mouth to reveal the sins of another or to condemn anyone; has nothing to do with anything except his sins. But he is peaceful with everyone - according to the commandment of the Lord, and not due to any other passion, for, even if someone fasted for six days and indulged in great labor, but, except for the path of humility, all his labors are in vain. 40. He also said: He who has acquired humility knows his sins. If humility is accompanied by weeping, and both remain with someone, then they will cast out every demonic thought from his soul and will feed his soul from their own worth and from holy virtues. He who has mourning and humility does not care about human reproach, for they constitute his entire armor, preserve him from anger and revenge, and teach him to endure everything that comes at him. What insult or anger can come close to someone crying about his sins before God?! 41. Again he said: submitting oneself before God in reason and obedience to the commandments in humility gives birth to love, and love gives birth to dispassion. 42. They asked Abba Isaiah what humility is, and he said: humility is considering oneself the most sinful of all people and humiliating oneself before God in the consciousness that one has not done anything good for Him. The deeds of humility are the following: to remain silent, not to measure oneself in anything, not to argue, to obey, to keep one’s heads down, to have death before one’s eyes, not to lie, not to idle talk, not to contradict one’s elders, not to insist on one’s own, to endure reproach, to hate peace, to force oneself to do anything, to be sober, to cut off one’s will, not to offend anyone, not to envy anyone. 43. Again he said: use your strength to be illiterate so that you can start crying, and take care with all your strength not to argue about faith and not to dogmatize, but to follow the universal church, for no one can embrace the Divinity. 44. He also said: he who has acquired humility ascribes to himself the reproach of his brother, saying: I have sinned; and he who despises his brother thinks that he is wise and has not offended anyone. He who has the fear of God cares about the virtues - whether at least one has eluded him somewhere. 45. He said, Let not your tongue speak, but let your deed be your word. Humility is more important than action; do not speak otherwise than according to your conscience, and do not teach without humility, so that the earth may receive your seed. 46. ​​He said again: it is not wisdom to speak, but there is wisdom to know the time when one should speak and respond appropriately. Be ignorant when you know, in order to avoid many labors, for he who declares himself to be knowledgeable incurs labor upon himself. Do not boast about your knowledge, for no one knows anything. The end of everything is to reproach yourself and place yourself lower than your neighbor in clinging to the Divine. 47. Abba Isaiah said about humility: let us remember Him who did not have, where to lay our head. Think, O man, Who has your Lord become for you? - A wanderer who had no abode - and do not become arrogant. Oh, Thy inexpressible love for mankind, Lord, that for me, creatures, You have humbled Yourself so much! He who created everything with words has no place to lay his head! Why are you, humble man, bothering about buildings? Why are you blind in your gluttony? Why are you showing off? Why don’t you collect and treasure the wealth deposited there? Be all thoughtful and kind (1 Thess. 5:21). 48. It once happened that Abba Theodore was with the brethren. When they ate, they took the cups in silence out of reverence and did not say: forgive me. Abba Theodore said: the monks have lost their piety - to say: forgive. 49. One brother asked Abba Theodore: I want to fulfill the commandments. The elder answered him: And Abba Feona once said: I want to fulfill my thought with the help of God. Then, taking flour, he went to the bakery and prepared some bread. The poor asked, and he gave them the loaves; others asked, and he gave them the basket and the clothes he was wearing, and came to the cell, girded only with a mophoria. With all this, he reproached himself, saying: I did not fulfill the commandments of God. 50. The brother says to Abba Theodore: say a word to me, for I am perishing. With difficulty he told him: I too am in danger. What should I tell you? 51. They said about Abba Theodore that, having been appointed deacon in the Skete, he did not want to take up the diaconate and ran away to different places. The elders brought him and said: do not leave your diaconate! Abba Theodore said to them: leave me. I will pray to God if He will confirm to me that I should take the place of my ministry. Praying to God, he said: if it is Your will that I should take my place, then confirm me. And he was shown a pillar of fire from earth to heaven, and a voice was heard saying: if you can be like this pillar, go and become a deacon. Having heard this, he decided not to agree. When he came to church, the brethren, having given him a throwing, said: if you do not want to be a deacon, at least hold the cup. But he did not agree to this either, saying: if you do not leave me, I will move away from this place. And they left him. 52. Blessed Archbishop Theophilus once visited Mount Nitria. The Abba of that mountain came to him, and the archbishop asked him: what did you find, father, on this path? The elder replied: to always blame and condemn yourself. Abba Theophilus told him: there is no other way but this. 53. The same Archbishop Theophilus once visited the Skete. The assembled brethren asked Abba Pamvo: say one word to the pope for his benefit. The elder tells them: if he does not take advantage of my silence, then he will not use my word. 54. Mother Theodora said that it is not asceticism, nor vigilance, nor any other kind of work that saves us, but one sincere humility. For one hermit, who was casting out demons, asked them: How are you driven out? Fasting? They say: we don’t eat or drink. Vigil? They said: we are not sleeping. Hermitage? They answered: we live in deserts. So, why are you driven out? They said: nothing defeats us except humility. You see, humility is the conqueror of demons. 55. They said about Abba John Kolov that he once said to his elder brother: I would like to be carefree, as the Angels are carefree, not working for anything, but constantly serving God. Having taken off his clothes, he went into the desert, however, after spending a week there, he returned to his brother. When he knocked on the door, he answered and, without opening the door, asked: who are you? He answered: I am John, your brother. He said to him: John has become an angel, and he is no longer among people. He begged him, saying: it is I, but he did not open it, but left him to mourn until the morning. Finally, opening the door to him, he says: you are a man and you have the need to work in order to feed yourself. Then, putting down the throwing, the brother said: forgive me. 56. Abba John, having heard at the harvest that his brother said to his neighbor with anger: hey! - left the harvest and ran away. 57. Abba John said that humility is the door of heaven, and our fathers, through much reproach, rejoicing, entered the city of God through it. 58. Again he said: humility and fear of God are higher than all virtues. 59. Again he said, “Who sold Joseph?” One brother answered: his brothers. The elder tells him: no, but his humility sold him. For he could say that I am your brother, he could contradict, but he silently, with humility, sold himself. And humility made him ruler of Egypt. 60. Abba John said: leaving the light burden, that is, to condemn ourselves, we took on the heavy one, that is, to justify ourselves. 61. He, sitting in church one day, sighed, not knowing that there was someone behind him. Having learned this, he stopped throwing, saying: forgive me, Abba! Because I have not yet been announced. 62. He said to his brother: although we are completely humiliated before the face of people, we will rejoice in being honored before the face of God. 63. He was a burning spirit (Rom. 12:11). Someone came to him and praised his work, and he was working weaving, but Abba John was silent. He again said the same word to him, but he remained silent. The third time he said to the brother who had come: as soon as you entered here, you removed God from me. 64. He was once sitting in the Skete, and the brethren surrounded him, asking about his thoughts. One of the elders says to him: John! You are like a harlot, dressing herself up and multiplying her lovers. Abba John, interrupting him, said: You speak the truth, father! After this, one of his disciples asked him: “Are you not internally confused, Abba?” He answered: no, for as I am outside, so am I inside. 65. One of the fathers said about him: Who is John? With his humility he hung the entire Skete on his little finger. 66. Abba John Kolov said that one spiritual elder, a recluse, was famous in the city and had great fame. It was revealed to him that one of the saints was about to be separated from his body and that he needed to go and give him a kiss before he rested. He thought to himself: if I go during the day, people will run to me, and I will have great glory, but I do not enjoy this. So, I’ll go in the evening in the dark and hide from everyone. So he left his cell in the evening, wanting to hide; but then two Angels were sent from God with lamps to shine on him, and the whole city came running, seeing his glory. Thus, the more he thought to escape glory, the more glorified he was. This fulfilled what was written: everyone who exalts himself will humble himself, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11). 67. Abba John of Thebes said: a monk, before all virtues, must acquire humility: for it is the first commandment of the Savior, Who says: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for of them is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). 68. Abba Pimen said about Abba Isidore that he wove a bunch of fronds every night. The brothers asked him: relax a little, for you are already old. He told them: if they burn Isidore and scatter his ashes to the wind, then I will not deserve any mercy, because for our sake the Son of God came here. 69. He said about Abba Isidore that his thoughts told him: you are a great man! And he answered them: Am I really equal to Abba Anthony, or have I become exactly like Abba Pamvo and the other fathers who pleased God? Bringing this to mind, he calmed down. When his enemies brought him to cowardice, saying: because of this you are about to be cast into torment, he answered them: although I will be cast into torment, I will find you all under me. 70. He said: since the height of humility is great and the fall of pride is deep, I advise you to kindly embrace this and not fall into this. 71. Abba Isaac said: when I was younger, I lived with Abba Kronius, and he never ordered me to do anything, although he was old and already shaking, but he himself stood up and handed a cup of water to me and everyone else. I also lived with Abba Theodore of Thermaeus, and he also did not order me to do anything, but he himself supplied the meal and said: brother, if you want, go eat. I told him: Abba, Abba! I came to benefit, why don’t you tell me to do something? But he remained silent. I went and told the elders. The elders came to him and said: Abba! Brother came to your shrine to benefit. Why don't you tell him to do something? The elder answered them: Am I a cinematographer to command them? I don’t tell him anything, but whatever he sees me doing, let him do it himself. From then on, I forestalled the elder and did it myself if I saw something the elder wanted to do. He did what he did in silence. This taught me to do it silently. 72. Abba Isaac said: I never brought into my cell thoughts against my brother who insulted me, and I myself tried not to leave my brother in his cell who had thoughts against me. 73. Abba Jacob said that the one being praised should think about his sins and think that he is unworthy of what is said about him. 74. The brother asked Abba Kronius: in what way does a person come to humility? The elder answered: by the fear of God. His brother says to him: how does he come into the fear of God? The elder said: in my opinion, for this it is necessary that he renounce everything, immerse himself in bodily labor and, as much as he has strength, remember the departure from the body and the judgment of God. 75. Abba John of Thebes said: a monk must first of all acquire humility, for this is the first commandment of the Savior. Blessed are the poor in spirit, He says, for to them is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). 76. Abba Kronius said that Abba Joseph of Pelusiot told them: when I lived in Sinai, there was one brother there who was kind and lived an ascetic life, but was also handsome in body. He went to church for services in one worn out and dilapidated small mophoria. One day, seeing him walking into the meeting like this, I said to him: brother! Don’t you see that the brethren, like angels, attend church services? How come you always come here like that? He said: forgive me, Abba! I have no other clothing. I took him to my cell and gave him Leviton and everything he needed. Then he began to dress like the other brothers, and looked like an angel. One day it was necessary to send ten brothers to the king on some matter, and he was appointed along with those who were leaving. Hearing about this, he told the fathers and said: For the sake of the Lord, forgive me - I am a slave of one great man there, and if he recognizes me, he will remove the schema from me and force me to serve him again. The fathers believed and left him. But later, from one person who knew him for sure, they heard that in the world he was the head of the praetorium and came up with such an excuse so as not to be recognized and not to find trouble from people. Such was the diligence of the fathers - to flee from the glory and consolations of this world. 77. In Skete there was a monk named Abba Karion, who had two children, whom he left to his wife and retired. After some time, there was a famine in Egypt, and his wife, pressed by need, came to Skete, bringing with her two children - a son named Zechariah and a daughter - and sat away from the elder by the lake, for there was a lake adjacent to Skete, where churches were built and there were sources of water. It was a custom in Skete: if a woman came to talk with her brother or with someone else whom she needed, they talked to each other, sitting far from each other. The wife said to Abba Karion: you have become a monk, and yet we are hungry. Who will feed your children? Abba Karion tells her: send them here to me. The wife said to the children: go to your father! They went, but the girl returned again to her mother, and the boy came to his father. Then he tells her: what happened is good. Take the girl and go, and I'll take the boy. So he raised him in Skete, and everyone knew that this was his son, but when he grew up, there was a murmur in the brotherhood because of him. Hearing about this, Abba Karion said to his son: Let’s go from here, because the fathers are grumbling. The boy says to him: Abba! Everyone here knows that I am your son, but if we move to another place, they will not call me your son. He said to him: “Let’s go to Thebaid,” and they went there, but as soon as they took a cell there and lived for several days, the same murmur arose there because of the youth. The father says to him: Zechariah! let's go to Skete. But even here, a few days later, they began to grumble again because of him. Then Zechariah, the youth, went to the Nitrian saltpeter lake, undressed, entered it and sank up to his nose. Having stayed in it for quite a long time - as long as he could - he spoiled his body and became like a leper. Coming out and putting on his dress, he came to his father, who barely recognized him. When he then, according to custom, began to receive Holy Communion, Saint Isidore, the monastery presbyter, to whom it was revealed what he had done, was surprised when he saw him and said: Zechariah, a youth, came last Sunday and received communion as a man, but now he has become an angel. 78. Once the skete fathers, having gathered, talked about Melchizedek, forgetting to call Abba Kopri, but then they called him and asked about this. He, striking himself on the lips three times, said: Woe to you, Coprius; woe to you, Kopriy; woe to you, Kopriy! Why have you abandoned what God commanded you to do, and are you experiencing what He does not require of you? Hearing this, the brethren fled to their cells. 79. They asked Abba Longinus: which virtue is higher, father? The elder said: I think that just as pride is the worst of all, so that it overthrew someone from the very heavens, so humility is powerful in raising a person from the very abysses, even if he was sinful like a demon. Why does the Lord please the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). 80. He said again: just as a dead person does not eat, so a humble person cannot condemn a person, even if he saw him worshiping idols. 81. Abba Macarius told about himself: when I was young and lived in a cell in Egypt, they took me and wanted to make me a cleric in the village. Not wanting to take this upon myself, I ran away to another place. One pious layman came to me, took my handicrafts and corrected my needs. It happened because of temptation that one maiden in the village fell and conceived in her womb. She was asked who did this to her, and she said: a hermit. Then they came and took me to the village, hung smoked pots and ears from jugs around my neck, led me noisily around the village, beat me on both sides, saying: this monk has corrupted our maiden, take him, take him, and they beat me almost to death. One of the elders approached and said: How long do you have to beat this wanderer monk?! And the one who corrected my needs walked behind in shame, for they also reviled him a lot, saying: this is what the monk did, about whom you testified. Then her parents say: we will not let him go until he gives a guarantor who will feed her. I asked the one who served me, and he vouched for me. Having come to my cell, I gave him as many baskets as I had, saying: sell this and give it to my wife for food. Then I said to my thoughts: Macarius! Now you have found yourself a wife, you need to work a little more to feed her. So I worked day and night and sent it to her. When the time came for this unfortunate woman to give birth, she suffered for many days and could not give birth. And when they asked her what this meant, she said: this is because I slandered the hermit and falsely accused him. He is not to blame, but such and such a young man is to blame. Then the one who served me came and joyfully told me: that girl could not give birth until she confessed that she had lied to you, and you were not to blame. And so, the whole village wants to come here with glory and ask you for forgiveness. Hearing about this, so as not to be bothered by people, I fled to Skete. And this is the first reason why I came here. 82. Abba Peter said: since Abba Macarius treated all the brethren in kindness, some of them asked him: why are you behaving this way? He said: I worked for my Lord for twelve years so that He would grant me this grace, but you all advise me to leave it! 83. Once Abba Macarius walked from the lake to his cell and carried fronds. On the way, he met the devil with a large curved knife and wanted to hit him, but could not. Then he says: Great violence from you, Macarius! - I'm not strong against you! Whatever you do, I do too: you fast, and so do I; You are vigilant, but I am not sleeping at all. There is only one way you defeat me. Abba Macarius asked: what is this? He answered: your humility is yours, and therefore I am not strong against you. 84. Abba Macarius once went to Abba Anthony and, after talking with him, returned to Skete. The fathers went out to meet him, and while they were speaking, the elder said to them: I told Abba Anthony that we do not have an offering in our place. The fathers began to talk about something else and did not ask about the elder’s answer, and Abba Macarius did not tell them. One of the fathers said about this: when the fathers see that the brethren forget to ask about a matter that benefits them, the elders force themselves to say the beginning of the word, but if they are not further forced by the brethren, they do not continue the words further, so as not to appear to be speaking when they are not asking, and so that it does not seem like idle talk. 85. They said about Abba Macarius: if a brother came to him, as to a holy and great elder, with fear, he did not say anything to him; if one of the brothers said to him, as if humiliating him: Abba! When you were a camel keeper and were stealing saltpeter and selling it, did the guards beat you? To such an Abba answered with joy, no matter what he asked him. 86. A demon once appeared to Abba Macarius with a knife, intending to cut off his leg, but for the sake of the elder’s humility, he did not have the strength to do so. Then he says to him: what you have, we have also; It is only by humility that you differ from us and overcome us 16. 87. They said about Abba Macarius of Egypt that once, ascending from Skete to Mount Nitria, when he was already approaching that place, he said to his disciple: walk a little forward. When he walked forward, he met one Hellenic priest and shouted at him: Eh! Eh! demon, where are you running? Then he turned around, beat him and left him half dead. Taking a stick and running a little, he meets Abba Macarius, who tells him: save yourself, save yourself, laborer! He approached him and asked: what good did you find in me that you greeted me like that? “I see,” says the elder, that you are working and do not know that you are working in vain. He says to him: from your greeting I came to contrition and knew that you are from the part of God. Another evil monk, meeting me, reviled me, and I wounded him to death. The elder realized that it was his disciple, but the priest, grabbing his legs, said: I will not let you go unless you make me a monk. They rose higher, to where the monk was, lifted and brought mountains to the church. The brothers, seeing the priest with him, were amazed, but, having learned what had happened, they made him a monk. Then many of the Hellenes became Christians through him. After this, Abba Macarius said: a bad word makes a good person bad, and a good word makes a bad person good. 88. Abba Macarius said: when I was younger, I became sad in my cell and went out into the desert, saying to my mind: whoever you meet, ask him for his benefit. I met a boy tending bulls, and I said to him: what should I do? I'm hungry! He tells me: eat. I said: I have eaten and am still hungry. He tells me: eat some more. I said again: I have eaten many times and am still hungry. Then he said: Are you an ass, Abba, that you are always hungry. And having benefited from it, I left. 89. They said about Abba Moses that when they made him a cleric and placed an epomid on him 17, the archbishop said to him: look, you have become all white, Abba Moses! The elder answered him: from the outside only, Mr. Dad, and you from the inside. The archbishop, wanting to test him, tells his clergy: when Abba Moses enters the sanctuary, drive him out and follow him to hear what he will say. When the elder entered, they began to scold him: get out, Ethiopian! As he left, he said to himself: they treated you well, ashen-skinned, black, not a man... Why are you entering among people? 90. Abba Pimen said that a brother asked Abba Moses: how should a person kill himself for his neighbor? The elder answered him: if a person does not put it in his heart that he is already three days old in the grave, then he will not achieve this word. 91. Abba Moses said: if a person does not contain in his heart that he is a sinner, then God will not hear him. The brother asked: what does it mean to keep in your heart that you are a sinner? The elder answered: he who bears his sins does not see the sins of his neighbor. 92. The brother asked Abba Moses: what helps a man in all his work? The elder answered: God is a helper, for it is written: God is our refuge and strength, a helper in the sorrows of those who have found us great (Ps. 45:2). The brother also asked: what kind of fasts and vigils does a person do, what do they serve? The elder said: they lead the soul to humility, for it is written: see my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18). If the soul produces these fruits, then for their sake God will have mercy on it. 93. The brother asked again: Behold, a man beats his servant for a sin that he has committed. What should I say to the slave? The elder replied: if the servant is good, he will say: have mercy on me, I have sinned. The brother said: and tell him nothing else? The elder replied: nothing, for as soon as he places the blame on himself and says: he has sinned, his master will immediately have mercy on him. 94. Abba Matoi said: the more a person approaches God, the more he sees himself as a sinner, for Isaiah, the prophet, having seen God, called himself accursed and unclean (Is. 6:5). 95. He also said: when I was younger, I said to myself: I too am doing something good. Now that I am old, I see that I do not have a single good deed in me. 96. The brother came to Abba Matoi and said to him: how did the hermits do more than is written, loving their enemies more than themselves? Avva Matoi replied: I don’t love the one who loves me as much as I love myself. 97. Abba Jacob said: I came to Abba Mathoi and, leaving him, told him that I wanted to visit Kelly. He asked: give a kiss from me to Abba John. Having come to Abba John, I say to him: Abba Mata gives you a kiss. The elder said to me: Abba Matoi is truly an Israelite, in him there is no flattery (John 1:47). After a year, I again came to Abba Matoi and gave him a kiss from Abba John. The elder said: I am not worthy of the elder’s word. However, if you hear that some elder glorifies his neighbor as himself, then know that he has achieved a great measure, for that is perfection, to glorify his neighbor more than himself. 98. Once upon a time Abba Matoi came from Raifa to the borders of the Magdals, and his brother was with him. The bishop restrained the elder and ordained him a presbyter. Then, when they were together at the meal, the bishop said: I know, Abba, that you did not want this, but I dared to do this in order to be blessed by you. The elder answered him with humility: my thoughts somewhat desired this, but it is hard for me that I have to be separated from my brother who is with me, because I cannot complete all the prayers alone. The bishop tells him: if you know that he is worthy, I will ordain him too. Avva Matoi said: I don’t know whether he is worthy, I only know that he is better than me. The bishop ordained him too, but they both died without approaching the throne to make the Offering. And the elder said: I believe in God that there is no sin on me for ordination when I do not make the Offering, for ordination is the property of the pure. 99. The brother asked Abba Matoi: say a word to me. And he said: go pray to God that He will give you weeping in your heart and humility; Always pay attention to your sins, do not judge others, be lower than everyone else; also do not have friendship with the boy and acquaintance with the wife; Do not have a heretic as a friend, cut off your courage; bridle your tongue and belly, also drink little wine; If anyone starts talking about anything, don’t argue with him, but if he speaks well, say: this is so, and if it’s bad, say: you know what you’re saying, and don’t argue with him about what he says. This is humility. 100. The brother asked Abba Matoi: what should I do, for my tongue bothers me: when I come among people, I cannot restrain it, but I condemn them in every good deed and reprove them. So what should I do? The elder replied: if you cannot control yourself, then run into solitude, for this is weakness. He who lives with the brethren should not be quadrangular, but round, so that he can roll towards everyone. Then he said: “And I live in solitude not out of virtue, but out of weakness, for those who enter the midst of people are strong.” 101. Abba Mios said about one old man who lived in Skete that he was from slaves and became very sensible. Every year he went to Alexandria and paid rent to his masters. They met him and bowed, and the elder poured water into the laver and washed their feet. They told him: no, father, don’t burden us! But he answered them: I confess that I am your servant, and I thank you that you have allowed me to freely work for God. I will wash your feet, and you accept this rent of mine. They refused and did not accept, so he told them: if you do not want to accept, then I will remain here to serve you. Fearing this, they left him to do what he wanted, and saw him off with many needs and great honor, so that he would supply meals of love for them. This is why he became famous and loved in the Skete. 102. Abba Nilus said: Blessed is the monk who considers himself a rank compared to others. 103. Abba Pimen, hearing about Abba Nesteroi, who lived in Konovia, wished to see him and informed his Abba so that he would send Abba Nesteroi to him. Not wanting to send him alone, he did not send him, but after a while, the steward of the monastery, having a thought, asked his Abba to let him go to Abba Pimen in order to reveal his thoughts to him. Abba said to him: take your brother with you, because the elder asked to send him. Having come to the elder, the steward revealed his thoughts to him and was healed, and after this the elder asked Abba Nesteroi: how did you acquire such virtue that, no matter what sorrow happens to you in the monastery, you say nothing and do not interfere in anything? Forced by the elder’s request, the brother said: forgive me, Abba! When I entered this monastery, I said to my thoughts: you and the donkey are one and the same. Therefore, as a donkey is beaten, and he does not speak; they scold him - and he doesn’t answer anything, so be you, as the psalmist says: you will have beasts. And I will go out with You (Ps. 72:22, 23). 104. Abba Xanthius said: a dog is better than me, because it has love and will not come to judgment. 105. Abba Orsisius said: a damp brick laid in a foundation near a river will not last even one day, but a burnt brick will be like a stone. So a person who has carnal wisdom and is not burned, like Joseph, by the fear of God, seems to fall apart when he receives leadership, for there are many temptations for such people, because they are among people. Therefore, it is good for someone who knows his limits to flee from the burden of his superiors; however, those who are firm in faith are unshakable. And about His Holiness Joseph himself, if anyone wanted to talk, they would say that he was unearthly. How many temptations was he exposed to? And in which country? Where there was then no trace of reverence for God. But the God of his fathers was with him and delivered him from all sorrow, and now he is with his fathers in the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, we, knowing our measures, will strive to avoid God’s judgment. 106. Once a local ruler took into custody someone from the village of Abba Pimen. Everyone came and asked the elder to go and free him. He said to them: Leave me for three days, and then I will come. In those days Abba Pimen prayed to the Lord, saying: Lord! Do not grant me this mercy, otherwise they will not let me live in this place. Then the elder came and asked the governor, but he said to him: is the Abba asking for a robber?! And the elder was glad that he did not receive this mercy from him. 107. Abba Pimen said: the brother asked Abba Alonia what self-abasement is, and the elder said: this is placing oneself lower than the dumb, knowing that they are not subject to condemnation. 108. Abba Joseph said: when we were sitting with Abba Pimen, he called Agathon Abba. We told him: he is still young. Why do you call him Abba? The elder answered: his lips did this so that he could be called abba. 109. Abba Pimen said: for this reason we remain in many temptations because we do not keep our rank and name, as the Scripture says. Don’t you see, because the Canaanite wife accepted the name given to her, the Savior consoled her (Matthew 15:27). Also, because Abigail said to David: “My wickedness is in me, my lord” (1 Sam. 25:24), he listened to her and loved her. Abigail represents the face of the soul, and David represents the Deity. So, if a soul humbles itself before the Lord, then the Lord will love it. 110. Abba Pimen said: do not measure yourself, but cleave to a person who treats you well. 111. The brother asked Abba Pimen: what is high? The elder answered him: a just cause. 112. Abba Pimen said that Abba Paphnutius was great and ran away to small services (prayer rule). 113. Again he said: the brother who lived with the brethren asked Abba Vissarion: what should I do? The elder answered: be silent and do not measure yourself. 114. He also said: if you humble yourself, you will have peace no matter where you live. 115. Abba Pimen said that if a person blames himself, he will stand everywhere. 116. Abba Pimen said that if a person achieves the measure of this apostolic word: all slaughter is pure and pure (Titus 1:15), then he will see himself as worse than every creature. The brother asked: how can I consider myself the worst murderer? The elder said: if a person reaches the measure of his word and sees a person committing murder, he will say: he committed this sin only once, but I kill every day. 117. The brother asked Abba Anuva about the same word, saying: What did Abba Pimen say? Abba Anub says to him: if a man achieves the measure of this word, then, having seen the sins of his brother, he will make his righteousness swallow them up. The brother asked: what is his righteousness? The elder replied: to always blame yourself. 118. The brother said to Abba Pimen: if I fall into a pathetic fall, then my thought consumes me and reproaches me: why did you fall? The elder tells him: at what hour a person falls into sin, let him just say: he has sinned - and he will immediately calm down. 119. They said about Abba Pimen that he never wanted to give words over the words of another elder, but always praised him. 120. They said that when some brothers came to Abba Pimen, he sent them first to Abba Anuv, because he was older in years, and Abba Anuv told them: go to Abba Pimen, because he has the gift of speech. If Abba Anub sat with Abba Pimen, then Abba Pimen did not speak at all in his presence. 121. One brother, who lived outside his village and had not entered it for many years, said to the brothers: many years have passed since I went to the village, and you go there every time. They told Abba Pimen about him, and the elder replied: I would go there at night and walk around the entire village, so that my thoughts would not boast that I did not go there. 122. Abba Pimen said: a person always needs humility and fear of God as much as the breath coming from his nostrils. 123. The brother asked Abba Pimen: how should I behave in the place where I live? The elder answered him: have the wisdom of a stranger, wherever you live; do not want your word to have primacy - and you will find peace. 124. Again he said: to prostrate yourself before God, not to measure yourself and to throw back your desires are the essence of the soul’s tools. 125. The brother asked him; What should I listen to while sitting in my cell? The elder answered him: I am a man, immersed in the depths of the mud up to my neck, carrying a burden on my neck and crying to God: have mercy on me! 126. Abba Pimen said that the blessed Abba Anthony said: the great dominion of man is to cast upon himself his sin before the face of the Lord and wait for temptation until his last breath. 127. He said again: with groaning, all the virtues entered this house, except for one virtue, without which it is difficult for a person to stand. They asked him: what is this? He said: in order to condemn himself. 128. The brother came to Abba Pimen and asked him: what should I do? The elder answered him: go and get close to the one who says: what do I want? And you will have peace. 129. Again he said that Abba Theona said: although someone acquires virtue on his own, God does not give him grace, for he knows that he was not faithful, working on his own. But if he goes to another for service and obedience, then He will remain with him. 130. Again he said: do not do your own will, for it is necessary - even more so - to humble yourself before your brother. 131. He also said: if a person observes his rank, he will not be embarrassed. 132. Again he said: if a man saw something and did not keep it, how can he teach his neighbor? 133. He said again: a person who lives together with his neighbor should be like a pillar of stone: when they are reviled, do not get angry, and when they praise, do not be exalted. 134. Abba Pimen said: I say that in the place where Satan will be thrown, I will also be thrown. 135. The brother asked Abba Pimen: the brothers live with me, is it good for me to give them orders? The elder replied: no, but do the work yourself first, and if they want to live, they will look after themselves. The brother told him: they themselves want me to order them. The elder replied: no, but be a model for them, and not a lawmaker. 136. Abba Pimen said: if a brother comes to you and you see that there is no benefit to you from his coming, then search in your mind and find out what thought you had before his coming, and you will see what is the reason for the uselessness. However, if you do this with humility and attention, you will be blameless before your neighbor, bearing the burden of your sins. If a person sits with someone with shame and sincerity, he will not fall, for God is always before his face. And as I see, from such sitting a person acquires the fear of God. 137. Again he said: that is why we are in such labors that we do not take part in our brother as the Scripture commanded us to take. Or we don’t see how the Canaanite wife, following the Savior, cried out and begged for the healing of her daughter, and the Savior accepted her and consoled her. 138. Abba Pimen said: the elders once sat and ate, and Abba Aloniy served them. The elders began to praise him, but he did not answer anything. Someone asked him in private: why didn’t you answer the elders when they praised you? Abba Aloniy told him: if I answered them, it would mean that I accepted the praise. 139. He said again: the land on which the Lord commanded to offer sacrifice is humility. 140. Abba Peter said: we, seven hermits, came to Abba Sisoya when he lived in Klysma, and asked him to speak to us. He said: forgive me, I am a simple man. But I went to Abba Or, who had been ill for eighteen years, and Abba Aphra, and set a task for them so that they would say a word to me. Avva Or says: what will I tell you? Go and do what you see. God is the God of the one who seeks more and more or forces himself to do everything. Abba Or and Abba Afre were from the same country, but there was great peace between them until their departure from the body. Abba Afre had great obedience, and Abba Or had humility. I stayed with them for several days, watching them, and saw the great miracle that Abba Afre performed. Someone brought them a small fish, and Abba Afre wanted to cook it for the old man. He had a knife in his hands and was cutting a fish when Abba Or called him, then he left the knife in the fish without cutting it. I was surprised at his great obedience, at the fact that he did not say: be patient until I cut the fish. I asked Abba Afre: where did you find such obedience? He answered me: it is not mine, but the elder’s. Then he said to me: come and see his obedience. Then he cooked the fish, spoiled it on purpose and offered it to the old man. He ate without saying anything. Abba asked: is she good, father? He replied: good. After this, he brought him some very well prepared food and said: I spoiled it, father! He replied: exactly, he spoiled it a little! Later Abba Afre said to me: Do you see what obedience to the elders is like?! So I withdrew from them and tried with all my might to observe everything that I saw from them. This is what Abba Siso said. One of us asked him: do me a favor, tell us one word yourself! He said: He who holds no lot with understanding fulfills all Scripture. Another of us asked him: what is pilgrimage, father? He said: be silent and say to yourself: I don’t care about that - in every place where you come. And this is wandering. 141. They said about Abba Peter and Abba Epimach that they lived in Raifa in great harmony. One day, when there was a dinner at the church, they were forced to go to the elders' meal, and with great difficulty only Abba Peter went there. Later, Abba Epimach says to him: how dare you go to the elders’ table? He answered: if I sat with you, the brothers would ask me, as an elder, to bless the first, and I would be among you, as an elder. Now, having gone to the elders, I was smaller than everyone else and more humble in thought. 142. Abba Peter said: we should not be proud when the Lord does something through us, but rather give thanks that we were worthy to be called by Him. And this, he said, is useful to think about with any virtue. 143. Abba Pimen related that Abba Paphnutius said: all the days of the life of the elders, I went to them twice a month, having a distance of twelve miles from them, and told them every thought, but they did not tell me anything else except this: no matter where you go, do not measure yourself and you will be at peace. 144. Peter, presbyter of Dia, when we walked with someone, despite the fact that for the sake of the priesthood he was forced to stand in front, stood behind, confessing his sins, as it is written in the life of Abba Anthony. And he did this without offending anyone. 145. One of the brothers came to Abba Sisoya on the mountain of Abba Anthony and meanwhile, as they said, asked Abba Sisoya: Have you not yet reached the measure of Abba Anthony? The elder said: if I had one of the thoughts of Abba Anthony, I would become all like fire. However, I know a man who can hardly bear his thoughts. 146. The brother said to Abba Siso: I see that the memory of God always remains with me. The elder says to him: it is not great that your thoughts are always with God; It is great to see oneself lower than every creature, for this and bodily labor lead to humility. 147. Some came to Abba Sisoes to hear a word from him, but he did not say anything to them, but only repeated to everything: forgive me. When they saw his baskets, they asked his disciple Abraham: What are you doing with these baskets? He answered: we use them here and there. Hearing this, the elder said: Si-soi eats from here and from here. And the brethren profited greatly when they heard this, and departed with joy, edified by his humility. 148. Three elders came to Abba Siso, hearing about his deeds, and the first asked him: Father! How can I get rid of the river of fire? But he didn't answer him. The second says: Father! How can I get rid of the gnashing of teeth and the never-ending worm? The third asked: Father! What should I do, because the memory of pitch darkness is killing me? The elder answered them: I don’t remember any of this. God is merciful, and I hope that He will show mercy to me. The elders, having heard his word, left with sadness, but the elder, not wanting to let them leave with sadness, returned them and said: blessed are you, brothers! I envied you! The first of you spoke about the river of fire, the second - about tartar, the third - about darkness. If your mind has such a memory, then it is impossible for you to sin. What will I do, hard-hearted, who cannot even see what “torment by man” is, and that is why I sin every hour. Then, having repented to him, they said: As we have heard, so we see. 149. When one day Abba Sisoes came to Klysma, some lay people came to see him. They talked a lot, but the elder did not say a word to them. Finally one of them said: Why are you bothering the old man? He doesn't eat, so he can't talk. The elder replied: I eat when there is a need. 150. Once upon a time the Arians came to Abba Sisoes at the mountain of Abba Anthony and began to reproach the Orthodox. The elder did not answer them anything, but, calling his disciple, said: Abraham! Bring me the book of St. Athanasius and read it. They fell silent, and it was revealed that they were in heresy. Then he released them in peace. 151. The brother asked Abba Sisoes of Thebes: say a word to me. He says to him: what have I to say to you? I read in the New Testament and deviate from the Old. 152. The same brother asked Abba Sisoes of Petrei about the word that Abba Sisoes of Thebes had said. The elder answered: I lie down in sin and rise in sin. 153. Abba Sisoes said: seek God, but not seeking where He dwells. 154. The brother asked Abba Siso: what should I do? He answered: the work that you should seek is strong silence and humility, for it is written: blessed is all who abides in Him (Isa. 30:18). This is how you can be saved. 155. Abba Sisoes asked one brother: how are you? He answered: I waste my days in vain, father. The elder said: even if I waited in vain for days, I would be grateful. 156. The brother asked Abba Sisoya: say a word to me. He said: Why are you making me talk in vain? That's what you see, do it. 157. They said about Abba Sisoes that one day, while sitting, he exclaimed in a loud voice: O woe! The student asked him: what is the matter with you, father? The elder said: I am looking for one person to talk to and I can’t find him. 158. They said about Abba Sisoes that when he fell ill, the elders were sitting with him, and he was talking to someone. The elders asked him: what do you see, Abba? He replied: I see that they have come for me, and I beg them to leave me to repent a little. One of the elders says to him: if they leave you now, are you fit for repentance (that is, for labor)? The elder said: even if I cannot do it, I will groan a little for my soul and it is enough for me. 159. The brother asked Abba Sisoes: which path leads to humility? The elder told him: the path leading to humility is this: abstinence, prayer to God and the struggle of oneself - to be lower than every person. 160. One of the fathers said: I asked Abba Sisoes: what does what is said about idols in the psalm mean? The elder answered: about idols it is written: they have lips, and do not speak; they have eyes, and do not see; they have ears, and do not hear (Ps. 135:16, 17). This is how a monk should be. Also, idols are an abomination, and he must consider himself an abomination. 161. Abba Sarmat said: for me, a person who has sinned is better if he knows that he has sinned and repents, than someone who has not sinned and considers himself righteous. 162. Abba Serin said: I spent all my time in labor: reaping, sewing, weaving, but for all that, if the hand of God had not fed me, I could not have been fed. 163. Mother Syncletikia said: just as it is impossible to build a ship without nails, so it is impossible to be saved without humility. 164. She also said: imitate the publican, so as not to be condemned with the Pharisee, and choose the meekness of Moses, so that, having circumcised your heart, you put it into sources of water. 165. The brother asked Abba Tithos: say a word to me! He asked: Do you have faith in me? He answered: I have. So,” he said to him, “go and whatever you see me doing, do you too.” He says: what do I see in you, father? The elder said: my thought is lower than all people. 166. Abba Iperechius said: the tree of life that grows high is humility. 167. The elder said: he who has humility humbles demons, and he who does not have humility is mocked by demons. 168. In one city there was a bishop who, through the action of the devil, fell into fornication. Although no one knew about his sin, one day, when there was a full meeting in the church, he himself confessed his sin before everyone, saying: I have fallen into fornication. Then he took off his omophorion and, placing it on the throne, said: I can no longer be your bishop. Then everyone shouted with tears: let your sin be upon us, just stay in the bishopric. He said to them: make sure it’s my fault. Then he ordered the large church doors to be closed, fell down at the small exit and said: there is no part with God who, when leaving, does not trample me underfoot. At his word, everyone did so, and when the last one was leaving, there was a voice from heaven: for the sake of his great humility, I forgave him his sin. 169. The elder said: not only speak humbly, but also be humble, for it is impossible for you to rise in the affairs of God without humility. 170. One great hermit asked: why are you fighting against me like this, Satan? When Satan heard this, he said, “Because you too are fighting mightily against me.” 171. Two brothers according to the flesh lived together, and the devil came to separate them from each other. One day the younger brother was lighting a lamp and, turning it, through the action of the devil, knocked it over. Another brother beat him in anger, but he bowed and said: “Have patience with me, brother, I will light it again.” And then the power of God came and tormented the demon until the morning. The demon went and told his boss about what had happened, and when he was telling, the Hellenic priest heard it, went and, becoming a monk, from the very beginning maintained humility and said that humility destroys all the strength of the enemy, just as he heard himself: when I confuse the monks, and one of them stops throwing, then all my strength is destroyed. 172. The elders said: the crown of a monk is humility. 173. They asked the elder: how can a soul acquire humility? And the elder answered: if she only worries about her sins. 174. The elder said: just as the earth never falls down, so does he who humbles himself. 175. The elder said: humility does not become angry and does not anger anyone. 176. One of the desert elders was struck on the cheek by a raging man, emitting terrible foam. The elder gave him another, and the demon, unable to bear the burning of humility, immediately left. 177. The elder said: when the thought of arrogance or pride overcomes you, then examine your conscience: have you fulfilled all the commandments, do you love your enemies and grieve over their wounds, do you consider yourself an indecent slave and the most sinful of all? And then you will not be arrogant, as if you are correct in everything, knowing that this thought destroys everything. 178. The elder said: he who is revered or praised more than his dignity suffers great harm, but he who is not at all revered by people will be glorified from above. 179. The brother asked the elder: is it good to do a lot of throwing? The elder answered: we see that when Joshua fell on his face, then God appeared to him. 180. They asked the elder: why are we so often attacked by demons? And he said: because we throw away our weapons, that is, non-seeking of honor, humility, non-covetousness and patience. 181. The brother asked the elder: if my brother brings words from outside to me, do you want me, Abba, to tell him: do not bring them in. The elder said: no. The brother asked: why? The elder replied: because, having told our neighbor not to do this, we would not be found doing the same if we were unable to observe it. The brother said: so, what should we do? The elder replied: if you want, be silent. This example is enough for your neighbor. 182. They asked the elder: what is humility? And he answered: if your brother sins against you, forgive him before he repents before you 18. 183. The elder said: do not blame people for any temptation, but yourself alone, saying: for my sin, this happened to me 19. 184. The brother asked the elder: what is humility? The elder answered: to do good to those who do evil to you. The brother says: if someone has not achieved this measure, what should he do? The elder said: let him run, eating silence. 185. The brother asked the elder: what is wandering? The elder said: I knew a brother wanderer who, while in church, where there happened to be a meal of love, sat down with the brethren to eat. Some asked: who called this one too? And they said to him: get up and get out of here! He got up and left, but the others, taking pity on him, went and called him again. Afterwards they asked him: what was in your heart when you were expelled and when you were brought in again? He answered: I put it in my heart that I am the same as a dog: when they chase it, it runs away; when they click, it comes again. 186. One day some people came to Thebaid to an old man and brought with them a man possessed by a demon so that he could heal him. The elder, after strong prayers about this, said to the demon: get out of God’s creation! The demon says to the old man: I will come out, just tell me: who are the goats and who are the lambs? The elder replied: I am the goat, but God knows the lambs. Hearing this, the demon shouted loudly: “Here I am going out for the sake of your humility,” and he went out at the same hour. 187. One Egyptian monk lived in the outskirts of Constantinople under King Theodosius the Younger. One day the king, passing that way and leaving everyone, came alone and knocked on the monk’s door. He opened the door to him and, although he recognized who he was, he accepted him as one of the officials. When the king entered, the elder said a prayer, and they sat down. The king began to ask him: how do the fathers live in Egypt? He said: everyone is praying for your salvation. Then he said to him, “Taste a little,” and he wet the (dry) bread for him, poured in a little oil, and put in some salt. The king tasted it. The elder gave him water and he drank. Then the king asked him: do you know who I am? The elder replied: God knows you! Then the king said to him: I am King Theodosius! And the elder immediately bowed to him. The king says to him: blessed are you, that you have no cares of this life. Truly, being born into the kingdom, I have never eaten bread or drunk water with such pleasure as I do now. From then on, the king began to honor the old man, but the old man ran away and again came to Egypt. 188. One old hermit, wandering through the desert, thought to himself that he had fulfilled all the virtues and began to pray to God, saying: show me what I lack, and I will do it! God, wanting to humble his thoughts, told him: go to such and such an archimandrite and do whatever he tells you. And God revealed to the archimandrite: such and such a hermit will come to you, tell him: take the whip and feed the pigs. When the elder came to the archimandrite, they kissed each other, sat down and the hermit said: tell me, what should I do to be saved? He says to him: will you do whatever I tell you? He said: I will. He says: take the whip and go herd the pigs. The hermit went and grazed the pigs. Those who knew him and heard about him, having learned that he was tending pigs, said: look at the hermit we heard about! He must be out of his mind or have a demon in him, since he is tending pigs. But God, seeing his humility with which he endured such reproach from people, returned him to his original place. 189. The elder said: do not say in your heart against your brother that I am more sober than him and live more ascetically, but submit to the grace of Christ in the spirit of poverty and unfeigned love, so that you do not fall into the spirit of great praise and destroy your work, for it is written: be careful to stand, lest you fall (1 Cor. 10:12), but be salt salted in the Lord. 190. The elder said: I have never transgressed my rank in order to go upward, and never, reduced to humility, have I been embarrassed, for all my concern is to pray to God until He brings me out of the old man. 191. The brother asked the elder: tell us about salvation, Abba! However, even if you say, we will not observe this because our land is salty and bitter. 192. The elders said: when we are not fighting, then we need to humble ourselves even more, for God, seeing our weakness, covers us, and if we dream about ourselves, He will take His cover from us, and we will perish. 193. The devil appeared to one of the brothers, transformed into an angel of light, and said to him: I am Gabriel and was sent to you. But the brother said: see if you were sent to someone else, for I am not worthy of this. And the devil immediately disappeared. 194. The elders said: although an angel will apparently appear to you, do not accept it, but humble yourself, saying: I am not worthy to see an angel, because I live in sins. 195. They said about one old man that, sitting in his cell and asceticizing, he clearly saw demons and humiliated them. The devil, seeing himself defeated by the elder, appeared to him and said: I am Christ. Seeing him, the elder closed his eyes. The devil asked: why do you close your eyes? I am Christ. The elder answered him: I don’t want to see Christ here. And the devil, hearing this, disappeared. 196. The demons said to another elder: Do you want to see Christ? He said to them: anathema to you and to what you are talking about! For I believe in my Christ, Who said: If anyone says to you, “Here is Christ” or here, do not have faith (Matthew 24:23). And they immediately disappeared. 197. They told about one old man that he ate food once in each week for seventy weeks and prayed for one word of Scripture, but God did not reveal it to him. Finally he said to himself: I have worked so hard and have accomplished nothing. I’ll go to my brother and ask him. But as soon as he closed the door to go, an Angel of the Lord was sent to him, who said: the seventy weeks that you fasted did not rise before God, but when you humbled yourself and went to your brother, I was sent to reveal that word to you. And having explained to him the word for which he asked, he departed from him. 198. The elder said: if someone, with the fear of God and humility, commands his brother to do some deed, then his word, coming out of his mouth for God’s sake, disposes the brother to obey and do what was commanded. If someone commands a brother not out of fear of God, but out of dominion, wanting to rule over him, then God, who sees the hidden heart, does not inform him to obey and do it, for it is clearly a matter that happens for God, and is clearly a matter of domination. God's - humility with consolation, and that with dominion - is filled with anger and confusion, because it is from the evil one. 199. The elder said: in my opinion, victory with humility is better than victory with pride. 200. The elder said: do not despise the one who is with you, for you do not know whether the Spirit of God is in you or in him? I say: the one who is with you, that is, the one who serves you. 201. The brother asked the elder: if, while living with my brothers, I see something wrong, do you advise me to tell them? The elder answered: if there are elders or peers, you will have more peace if you remain silent. You yourself will belittle yourself and be careless. The brother said to him: So, what should I do, for the spirits trouble me? The elder replied: if something weighs on you, then remind them one day with humility and, if they do not listen to you, leave your work, cutting off your will before God. But be careful not to expose yourself, so that your care will be according to God. However, I think it is better to remain silent, because there is humility in this. 202. One brother was offended by another brother. This man, hearing about this, came to repent to him, but his brother did not open the door for him. He went to one old man and told him about this. The elder said in response: look, don’t you have self-justification in your heart, condemning your brother as guilty, but justifying yourself? Therefore, he was not notified to open to you. However, this is what I will tell you: although he has sinned against you, go and put it in your heart that you have sinned against him, and justify your brother. Then God will notify him to come into agreement with you. The brother believed and did so. When he later came to his brother and knocked, he, as soon as he heard the knock, opened the door, the first repented to him and kissed him from the bottom of his heart, and they were then in great peace with each other. 203. They said about one of the fathers that he prayed to God for seven years for one gift, and it was given to him. Then he went to one great elder and revealed to him about the gift. The elder, hearing this, was grieved and said: Great is the work! Go and pray to God for the next seven years, that this gift may be taken from you, for it is of no use to you. He went and did so, and the gift was taken from him. 204. The brother asked the elder: what does man’s progress according to God consist of? The elder answered: the advancement of a person is humility, for to the extent that one is brought down into humility, the extent to which one is elevated to prosperity. 205. The elder said: either, by running, run away from people, or laugh at the world and people, making yourself fightable in many ways. 206. The elder said: if, humbling yourself, you say to someone: forgive me, then you will burn up the demons. 207. The elder said: if you acquire silence, then do not consider yourself to be correcting virtue, but say: I am not worthy to speak. 208. The elder said: if the baker had not put a veil over the eyes of the grinding animal, it would have turned and eaten its labors. So, according to God’s dispensation, we accept veils, so that we do not see the good that we do, and, pleasing ourselves, we do not destroy our reward. That is why we are sometimes left in bad thoughts and see them alone, so that we condemn ourselves. And these filth serve us as a cover for our little good, for when a person condemns himself, he will not destroy his reward. 209. They asked the elder: what is humility? And he answered: humility is a great and divine thing. The path to humility is bodily labor and considering oneself a sinner and the lowest of all. The brother asked: what does it mean to be lower than everyone else? The elder said: this means not heeding the sins of others, but always only your own and constantly praying to God for them. 210. The brother asked the elder: tell me, what work should I do in order to be saved? The elder replied: if you can bear it when they humiliate you, then this will be above all virtues. 211. The elder said: he who endures humiliation, reproach and damage can be saved. 212. The elder said: do not have acquaintance with the abbot and do not approach him often, for through this you will gain insolence and, finally, you yourself will want to be an abbot. 213. One holy man, seeing a sinner, wept bitterly and said: this one today, and I tomorrow. So, no matter how someone sins before you, do not condemn him, but consider yourself to be more sinful than him. 214. There was one brother in Konovia who took upon himself all the sins that his brothers had committed against him, and even to the point of fornication he accused himself, saying: I did that. Some of the brothers, not knowing what he was doing, began to grumble and said: how many sins has this one committed, and yet he doesn’t work at all! But Abba, knowing his work, said to them: for me, one of his mats with humility is better than all yours with pride. And do you want to receive a certificate from God? Then he brought three of their mats and one of his brother’s mats and, having lit a fire, threw them there. They all burned down, except for my brother's matting. Seeing this, the brethren, in fear, put him to death and afterwards had him as a father. 215. One monk, having received a wound, not only endured it, but also threw it at the one who inflicted it, and the wound was immediately healed. 216. The elder said: do not place in your heart condemnation of your brother for any matter. 217. They asked the elder: how do some people say that they see visions of angels? The elder replied: blessed is the one who always sees his sins. 218. One old man who lived near the Jordan entered a cave during a hot hour and found a lion there, which began to grind its teeth and growl. The elder said to him: Why are you grieving? There is room to fit both me and you. If you don't want to, get up and go out. And the lion, unable to bear this word, left. 219. The brother asked the elder: why, when I lay waste to someone who has something against me, I see that he is not sincere with me? The elder says: tell me the truth: don’t you have self-justification in your heart when you assign throwing to someone who has sinned against you, thinking that he has sinned against you, and only according to the commandment do you assign throwing to him? My brother replied: I definitely have. The elder said: that is why God does not put it in his heart to be sincere with you, that you do not put it in him to throw around with the conviction that you have sinned against him, but on the contrary, you consider him to have sinned against you. But although he has sinned against you, put it in your heart that you have sinned against your brother and justify it, then God will put it on his heart to be sincere with you. At the same time, he told him the following case as an example: there were two pious laymen who, agreeing with each other, left the world and became monks. Out of unreasonable zeal, not understanding, as they should, the word of the Gospel, they accumulated themselves for the kingdom for the sake of God. The archbishop, hearing about this, excommunicated them. They, thinking that they had done well, were indignant at him, saying: we have accumulated ourselves for the kingdom for the sake of God, and they excommunicated us, but let us go and tell the Archbishop of Jerusalem about this! Let's go and tell him everything. The archbishop says to them: I also excommunicate you. Saddened by this, they went to Antioch to the archbishop and told him about their business, but he also excommunicated them. They say to each other: let's go to Rome to the Pope, and he will acquit us. Having come to the great Archbishop of Rome, they told him what the archbishops had done to them, and added: now we have come to you, because you are the first among all. But he also said to them: I also excommunicate you, and let you be excommunicated. In bewilderment, they said to one another: they indulge each other because they gather together at councils. But let us go to the holy Epiphanius of God, Bishop of Cyprus, for he is a prophet and does not accept the face of man. When they approached his city, it was revealed to him about them, and he sent to meet them, saying: Do not even enter this city. Therefore, when they came to their senses, they said: Verily, we have sinned. Let them excommunicate us unrighteously, but is this prophet really too? So God revealed to him about us. And they condemned themselves for the work they did. Then God, the knower of the heart, seeing that they had condemned themselves in truth, gave notice of this to Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, and he himself sent to bring them and consoled them, accepted them into fellowship, and then wrote to the Archbishop of Alexandria: receive your children, for they have truly repented. So,” said the elder, “this is the healing of man and what God wants: for man to lay down his sin before Him! 220. The elder said: I would rather be a teacher than teach. 221. The elder said: modesty and humility are good everywhere, for some people are hospitable and show themselves to be loving, but if they do this in excess, they are condemned, but the modest person, who protects himself with humility, always has honor. 222. Again he said: humility is stronger than any strength, and one of the fathers said: near each other there were two bishops who had displeasure against each other, one of whom was rich and strong, and the other was humble. The strong tried to do evil to the humble, and this one, hearing about this, said to his clergy: we will defeat him by the grace of God. They say to him: Master! Who can defeat him? He answered: wait, children, and you will see the mercy of God. So, having waited until he was supposed to celebrate the celebration of the martyrs, he says to his clergy: follow me and whatever you see me doing, do you too, and we will defeat him. They wondered within themselves: what will he do?! They came to that bishop, and when a religious procession was taking place at a meeting of the whole city, the humble bishop fell at his feet with all his clergy and said: forgive us, Vladyka! We are your slaves. He, amazed by such an act and coming into contrition because God changed his heart, grabbed the bishop’s legs and said: you are my master and father! Since then, perfect love has been established between them. Then the humble bishop said to his clergy: didn’t I tell you, children, that we will defeat him by the grace of Christ! And if you are at enmity with anyone, do the same by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 223. The elder said: if we were zealous for humility, we would not have the need for punishment, for all the troubles happen to us because of our exaltation. If an angel of Satan was given to the Apostle, let him do dirty tricks, and let him not be arrogant (2 Cor. 12:7), how much more will Satan himself be given to us, who are exalted, to trample upon us until we humble ourselves. 224. The brother asked the elder: what is the success of a monk? The elder replied: humility leads a monk to prosperity. 225. The elder said: the crown of a monk is humility. If a monk condemns himself in every matter with great humility and love for God, then, wherever he lives, he will have peace through the grace of Christ. 226. To one old man, for the sake of his great humility, God sent down the gift of insight. But the elder, for the first time knowing that they were coming to visit him, began to pray to God that this gift would be taken from him. Then he went to another great elder and asked him, saying: have mercy on me, so that this thing may be taken from me. So, each sitting in his cell, they prayed to God about this, and a voice came to the elder: I will take it from you, but whenever you want it, you will have it. 227. There was one brotherly lover, full of love and never thinking evil. Another brother stole things and put them away from him, and he did not know about it. A few days later, things were found out, and the elder, brought to the meeting, putting down the throwing, said: forgive me, I repent! Later the brother who stole the things came and, talking with the elder, asked him: did you steal the things? The elder put the throwing to his brother and said: forgive me. In the same way, if one of the brothers fell and locked himself in, he threw it and said: I committed this sin, forgive me. This monk was so loving and humble in wisdom that he never offended anyone even with a word. 228. One hermit was appointed bishop and, out of modesty and love for silence, did not punish anyone, patiently enduring the failures of everyone. So, his steward did not look after church things as he should, and some said to him: why don’t you punish the steward, who is so careless? The bishop postponed the punishment. The next day, those who upset him because of the steward came again, and the bishop, having learned about this, hid from them. They came and did not see the bishop, began to look for him and, having found him, asked: why did you hide from us? He replied: because what I acquired for sixty years by praying to God, you want to steal from me in two days. 229. The elder said: if there is a sorrowful word between you and a friend, and he forbids himself in this word, do not press on him, saying: you said. Because he will turn and say: he said exactly that, so what? And even greater displeasure will occur between you. At the same time he said: two elders in Kellya were talking about the word of Scripture. One sinned in his word, and the other told the presbyter about it. The presbyter got up, went to that elder and asked him: did you say this word? He answered: he said. He tells him: when you come to church, lock yourself in this word. When he came to church, the elder asked him: did you say such a word? He answered: no. He asks another elder: have you heard such a word? He also locked himself and put down the throwing. And there was great peace. 230. Once in Skete, one brother called another brother, saying: come to my cell and I will wash your feet. But he didn't go. He told him the same thing another time and a third time; he didn't go. Finally, the brother came to his cell and, putting down the throwing, asked him: come to my cell! He got up and went with him. The brother asked him: why didn’t you come before, although I often asked you? He replied: when you spoke with one word, I was not informed to go. When I saw the monastic work, that is, throwing, I went with you with joy. 231. The brother asked the elder: what should I do? Vanity bothers me. The elder replied: You are doing well, for you created heaven and earth! Brought into contrition, the brother, putting down the throwing, said: forgive me, for I did nothing of the kind! The elder says to him: if the One who created them came to us with humility, then you are a poor thing, why are you vain? And what did you do, poor thing? 232. It was said about two brothers that when they were sitting together and talking, a little displeasure arose between them. One of them, returning to his cell, could not sit still and, coming to his brother, gave him throwing. He tells him: forgive me, it never occurred to me that there was displeasure between us. Abba Abraham went and told Abba Pimen about this matter, and the elder said: one of them found the way, for he showed humility in his deeds. 233. The elder said: he is not the humble one who humiliates himself, but the one who joyfully accepts reproach and dishonor from his neighbor. 234. There was one brother in Kellia who became so humble that he always prayed like this: Lord! Send me a fireweed, for, being healthy, I listen to You. 235. One brother renounced the world together with his father according to the flesh, and both of them stayed in the same monastery. After some time, the brother heard about his father that he had healed one sick person from a demon, went and told the great elder about it, saying with sadness: Abba! My father succeeded and drove the demon out of his brother, but I remain in negligence, and no success is visible in me. The elder says to him: truly, my son, this is not success in driving out demons or healing the sick, for this is not done by man, but by the power of God and the faith of the one who comes, and many, not realizing this, fell into pride from healing and perished. But I say that if a person comes into true humility, then there is no other success greater than this, because it never falls, for he who humbles his soul will fall where he has cast himself down. A sign of this is when someone, being dishonored, rejoices. 236. One skilled brother came from Skete to Thebaid and entered the monastery, in which almost all the brethren were holy men from the so-called Tabennisiots. Having stayed there for several days, he says to the archimandrite: say a prayer, Abba, and let me go, for I cannot stay here! Abba asks: why, my son? The brother answers him: because there is no labor here, and therefore no bribes. All the local fathers are ascetics, but I am a sinful man and I will go where I can meet reproach and humiliation, for these save sinful man. Surprised by this and learning that he was a worker, the Abba sent him away, saying: Go, my son, be of good courage, and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord (Ps. 26:14). 237. The elder said: humility often saved many without difficulty, as the publican and the prodigal son testify to this, who, having uttered only a few words, were saved. A person’s labors, if there is no humility with them, destroy him, for many, from the great labors that lift them up, fall into pride, like the Pharisee. 238. The brother came to the elder and asked him: how do you feel, father? The elder answered: it’s bad. The brother says to him: why, Abba? The elder said: for eighteen years now I have stood before God, cursing myself and saying: curse all who turn away from Your commandments (Ps. 119:21). Hearing this, the brother left, having received great benefit from the elder’s humility. 239. A rich man from a foreign country once came to Raifa and gave a coin to his brothers in alms, and also sent one to a speechless man who was sitting there in a cell. That night the old man saw a field full of thorns and someone saying to him: go and reap the field of the one who gave you the coin. In the morning the silent man sent for the lover of Christ who had sent him the coin and gave it to him, saying: accept the coin, brother. Where can I reap other people's thorns? Oh, if only I could cleanse my own! 240. The elder said: if you sit in silence in the desert, do not keep it in your mind that you are doing something great, but rather consider yourself a dog, expelled from among the people and tied up because it attacks people and bites them. 241. The elder said: if a person takes the trouble to always reprove, reproach and humiliate his soul in secret, then he will assure it that it is more dishonest than dogs and animals, for they have never angered the One who created them and will not come to judgment. It is much better not to rebel against judgment than, having rebelled, to suffer forever. 242. The brother, tormented by unclean thoughts, grieved and out of great humility said: if I thought such things, then I have no part in salvation. He went to the great elder and asked to pray for him, so that the Lord would relieve him of his thoughts. The elder said to him: this is not good for you, my son. But the brother did not stop convincing the elder. The elder prayed to God, and the abuse was taken from his brother, but soon he fell into arrogance and pride, so he went to ask the elder to return the thoughts and humility that he had before. 243. The brother came to one of the fathers in the monastery of Abba Dula, which is above Jericho, and asked him: Father! How do you feel? The elder answered: for thirty years now, when I stand in prayer, I lie before God in my prayer, for I bear a grudge against my brother, but I say to God: leave us... as we also leave (Matthew 6:12); All I care about is eating, but I say: I forgot to eat my bread (Ps. 102:5); I sleep until the morning, but I sing: at midnight I will rise to confess to Your name (Ps. 119:62); I have no contrition at all and say: I was weary with my groaning (Ps. 6:7) and my tears were my bread day and night (Ps. 42:4); I think evil in my heart and say: I will bring forth the teaching of my heart before You (Ps. 18:15); I do not fast, but say: my knees are weary from fasting (Ps. 109:24); filled with pride, I rest my flesh in every possible way, and, as if cursing myself, I say: see my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18); I’m not ready, but I say: my heart is ready, God (Ps. 56:8; 107:2), and in general all my service and my prayer serves to reprove me and shame me. The brother said to the elder: I think, father, that David said all this about himself. The elder sighed and answered: what are you saying, brother! Believe me, if everything we sing before God is not observed, we will go to destruction. 244. The elder said: if you condemn your brother and your conscience begins to torment you, go and throw him a curse and say: I have condemned you, and strengthen yourself so as not to be reproached, for condemnation is the death of the soul. 245. Again he said: if you hear about the great deeds of the holy fathers, decide on it yourself, calling on the name of the Lord, so that He will strengthen you for the work that you have undertaken. Then, if you accomplish it, thank God, but if you don’t do it, reproach your weakness, recognize your powerlessness, humble your thoughts until the day of death, as incapable, poor and impatient, and always reprove your soul, which has begun and has not finished. 246. He also said: if you live in the desert and see that God cares for you, do not be exalted in your heart, for otherwise God will receive His help from you, but rather say that for the sake of my cowardice and weakness, God shows His mercy to me, so that I suffer and do not become sad. 247. The elder said: if you take up asceticism and then relax, start it again and don’t stop doing this until your death, for whatever a person is caught in, that’s what he will go away with - in negligence or in abstinence. Every day, year and week, test yourself to see whether you have succeeded in prayer, fasting, silence, and most of all, in humility. Because this is the true progress of the soul, so that day by day it humbles itself more and more, saying that every person is better than me, for without this thought, even if a person performs signs, even if he raises the dead, he is far from God. 248. Again he said: if a man praises you in your presence, immediately remember your sins and ask him: for the sake of the Lord, do not praise me, brother, for I am shaky and cannot bear it. If he is a great man, pray to God, saying: Lord! Cover me from human praise and blasphemy. 249. He also said: if a brother judges a brother before you, be careful not to judge him and say: yes, it is so. But either be silent, or tell him: I, brother, am condemned myself and cannot condemn another, and by this you will save both yourself and him. 250. The elder said: if you, being sick, ask someone for something you need and he does not give it to you, do not be offended by him, but rather say: if I were worthy to receive, God would put it in my brother’s heart to give me this alms. Know that there is a reason for receiving alms. The perfect never accept anything from anyone; the middle ones do not say that they should be given anything, but when someone gives it on their own, they accept it as sent from God; if we are weak and cannot provide for our needs, let us ask with great humility, always condemning ourselves. 251. Again he said: if you do not have spiritual humility or spiritual prayer, at least keep the physical ones, and for the sake of the physical ones the spiritual ones will come, otherwise you are working in vain. 252. Again he said: if unclean thoughts trouble you, do not hide them, but immediately tell them to your spiritual father and expose them, for the more a person hides his thoughts, the more they multiply and the more power they receive. But just as a snake, if it comes out of its hole, immediately runs away, so a bad thought, when discovered, immediately disappears, and just as a worm spoils a tree, so a bad thought spoils the heart. He who reveals his thoughts quickly recovers, but he who hides them suffers from pride, for if he does not have faith in anyone to reveal his battles to him, this is a sign that he does not have humility, since the humble one sees everyone as saints and good, but sees himself alone as a sinner. However, if a person calls on God with all his heart and goes to ask some person about his thoughts, then that person, or better yet God Himself, who opened the mouth of Balaam’s donkey, through the person will always give him a useful answer, even if the person asked was unworthy and sinful. 253. He also said: if they keep you for the meal of love and put you in the last place, do not grumble in your thoughts, but rather say: I am not worthy to sit here either. For, I tell you, tribulation does not come upon a person unless it is from above - from God, either to test him or for his sins, and he who does not have this in his mind does not believe that God is a righteous Judge. 254. Again he said: if the thought of pride confuses you, tell the demon: God says that whoever exalts himself will humble himself (Luke 18:14), and if you do not stop telling me that I am good, then I will be convinced that I am a stranger to God, for the Lord opposes the proud (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). 255. One of the elders said: the elders once gathered in our country for the sake of benefit, and one of them, standing up, took a small shoulder pad that was lying on his seat, put it on his shoulders, holding it with both hands, stood in the middle of everyone, looking to the east, and prayed, saying: God! Have mercy on me! And he answered to himself: if you want me to have mercy on you, put down what you carry on your shoulders, and I will have mercy on you! Then he says again: God! Have mercy on me! And he answered to himself: I told you: lay down what you carry on your shoulders, and I will have mercy on you. After repeating this several times, he sat down. The fathers asked him: tell us, what does what you did mean? He answered: the shoulder pad that I wear on my shoulders is my will. I asked God to have mercy on me and her, and He told me: put down what you carry on your shoulders, and I will have mercy on you. So we, if we wish to be pardoned by God, will leave our own will and receive mercy 20. 256. They asked the elder: what is humility? He answered: humility is so that when your brother sins against you, you forgive him before he repents to you. 257. The elder said: do not condemn another person in any temptation, but yourself, saying: this happened to me because of my sins 21 . 258. They asked the elder: what is the success of man? He answered: in humility, there is no other success, for to the extent that one is brought down into humility, so is one raised to height. 259. They asked the elder: how can a soul acquire humility? He answered: if she worries about her own sins and only her own. 260. One of the fathers told the following parable regarding humility: the cedars said to the reeds: how is it that you, weak and powerless, are not broken by a storm, but we, who are like that, are crushed by it? The reeds answered: when a storm comes and the winds blow, we swing back and forth with the wind and therefore do not break, but you, resisting the winds, are in danger. Then the elder said: one must avoid when a word of reproach occurs, and not give room for anger, and not resist, so as not to fall into inappropriate thoughts and deeds. Epomid - white church clothes. You might be interested in: