Глава V. Разные повествования к укреплению против восстающих на нас блудных браней. О блуде – что от него должно блюстись со всяким тщанием и страхом

1. Abba Karien said: a person who stays with a youth, if he is not strong, then goes down; if he is strong and does not go down, then he does not succeed. 2. Abba Anthony said: I think that there is a natural movement in the body, innate to it, but it does not act without the desire of the soul and means only a passionate movement. There is another movement that comes from nourishing and heating the body with food and drink, with which the heated blood excites the flesh to action. That is why the Apostle says: do not get drunk with wine, in it there is fornication (Eph. 5:18), and the Lord in the Gospel commanded his disciples: take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony and drunkenness (Luke 21:34). In those who strive, there is also another movement that comes from the slander and envy of demons. So, you need to know that there are three types of bodily movements: one is natural, the other is from indiscriminate consumption of food, and the third is from demons. 3. The brother asked Abba Agathon about fornication, and the elder said to him: go, cast aside your weakness before God and you will find peace. 4. Abba Gerontius of Peter said: many, being tempted by carnal lusts and not committing sin physically, fell into fornication mentally and thus, preserving the virginity of the body, became fornicators in soul. So, beloved, it is good to fulfill the word of Scripture: guard your heart with all care (Prov. 4:23). 5. The brother asked Abba Daniel: give me instruction, and I will keep it. Abba said: never put your hand into the same cup with your wife and do not eat with her. This will help you escape a little from the demon of fornication. 6. Abba Evuston spoke about Abba Paphnutius, the father of the monastery: I came there when I was still young, and the abba did not allow me to stay, saying: I will not allow a woman to be with me in the Skete for fear of enemy warfare. 7. Abba John Kolov said: whoever, having eaten his fill, speaks to the youth, has already committed adultery with him in his thoughts. 8. Abba Cassian related: Abba Moses told us: it is good not to hide your thoughts, but to reveal them to spiritual elders, who, however, are also sensible, and not to those who have only turned gray with time. For many, looking at their age and revealing their thoughts, instead of healing, fell into despair due to the lack of skill of those who listened to them. So one of the very zealous brothers, greatly tormented by the demon of fornication, came to a certain elder and revealed his thoughts to him. Having listened to him, this elder, being inexperienced, was indignant at the poor man and even called him unworthy of the monastic image for accepting such thoughts. Hearing this, the brother left his cell in despair and went into the world. According to God's dispensation, Abba Apollos met him and, seeing that he was extremely sorrowful and gloomy, asked him what was the reason for such gloominess. At first, out of cowardice, the brother did not answer him anything, but then, convinced by the Abba, he told him everything that had happened to him: thoughts of fornication tormented me and I revealed them to the elder; according to him, there is no hope of salvation for me, therefore out of despair I go into the world. Hearing this, Abba Apollos, like a wise doctor, consoled and exhorted him in various ways, saying: do not move away from your place, my son, and do not despair; and at this age and with such gray hair, I am extremely tormented by similar thoughts. Do not be faint-hearted from this burning sensation, for it is healed not so much by human effort as by the grace of God. And for this day, listen to me and return to your cell. My brother did just that. And Abba Apollos directed his way to the cell of the elder, who had disconsolate his brother, and, standing outside, prayed to God with tears, saying: Lord! He who brings temptations to the good, turn the scolding of his brother on this old man, so that he learns to sympathize with those who are struggling, at least through experience in his old age, which he did not learn in such a long time. As soon as he finished his prayer, he saw an Ethiopian who, standing near the cell, shot arrows at the old man. Stung by them, the elder immediately, as if from intoxication, began to rush here and there and, unable to bear it, left his cell and went into the world the same way that the youngest had walked. Abba Apollos realized what was wrong with him, caught up with him and, approaching, asked: where are you going in such a hurry? And what is the reason for the anxiety that surrounds you? Feeling that the saint was allowed to know what had happened, he said nothing out of shame. Then Abba Apollos said to him: return to your cell, henceforth recognizing your weakness, and consider yourself either not recognized by the devil or despised by him, which is why you are not worthy, like the zealous, to fight against him; and what am I saying - to fight, when you couldn’t bear even one adversity until the end of the day! This happened to you because, having received your youngest brother, who was being fought by a common enemy, you, instead of inspiring him to heroism, plunged him into despair, not remembering either that wise rule that says: deliver those who are led to death and redeem those who are killed, do not spare (Prov. 24:11), nor the parable of our Savior: he will not break a broken reed, and the lena, when it attends, will not be quenched (Matthew 12:20). For no one could bear the slander of the enemy, nor extinguish the fiery boiling of nature, if the grace of God did not protect human weakness. So, recognizing in what has happened to us a saving look for us, let us pray with common prayers to God to take away the scourge raised against you: He makes you sick, and again raises... smite, and His hand will heal... Humbles and exalts, kills and gives life, brings down to hell and raises up (1 Samuel 2:6, 7). Having said this, Abba Apollos prayed and, freeing the elder from the battle brought upon him, commanded him to ask God to grant him the language of teaching, so as to know the time at which he should say this or that word. 9. Abba Cyrus of Alexandria answered the question about the thought of prodigal thoughts: if you don’t have thoughts, you have an affair; and this means: whoever does not struggle with sin in thought and does not contradict it, he certainly commits it physically, for he who has deeds is not disturbed by thoughts. At the same time, the elder asked his brother if he was in the habit of talking with wives? And the brother answered: no. My thoughts are the essence of ancient and modern painters - memories and images of wives disturb me. Then the elder said to him: do not be afraid of the dead, but run away from the living and remain longer in prayer. 10. Someone told about one brother who fell into sin, who, having come to Abba Lot, was in such anxiety that he constantly went in and out, not being able to sit. Abba Lot asked him: what do you have, brother? And he answered: I have committed a great sin and I cannot tell my fathers about it. The elder said: confess it to me, and I will carry it. Then the brother revealed to him: I fell into fornication and frantically sought to achieve it. The elder said: take heart, for there is repentance. Go, sit in a cave and fast for two days, and I will bear half the sin with you. After three weeks, the elder received a certificate that God accepted his brother’s repentance; and the brother remained in obedience to the elder until his death. 11. Abba Matoi said: a brother came to me and said that verbal speech is worse than fornication. I remarked to him: this word is cruel. Then he asked me: what do you think about this matter? I answered: speaking is bad, but it has a quick cure, for the one who speaks often repents, saying: I spoke badly; fornication is natural death. 12. Abba Olympius of Cell was tempted to commit fornication, and his thought said to him: Go, take a wife. He got up, prepared the clay and, having made a woman out of it, said to himself: here is your wife! So, now you need to work harder so that you have something to feed her - and you worked until you get tired. A day later he again prepared clay and made a daughter out of her, saying to his thoughts: Your wife has given birth; So, now you need to work even harder so that you have something to feed and clothe your child. Doing this, he, having tired himself to the extreme, said to his thoughts: I no longer have the strength to endure such work. And he added: “Don’t you have the strength to endure this work?” Don't look for a wife either. God, seeing his work, took away his abuse, and he received peace. 13. Abba Pimen said: just as the king’s armor-bearer always stands ready for the king, so the soul must always be ready against the demon of fornication. 14. Abba Anuv asked Abba Pimen about the unclean thoughts that a person’s heart gives birth to, and about vain desires. Avva Pimen answered him: will food be glorified by the ax without cutting it? (Isa. 10:15). And you - do not shake hands with them, and they will remain inactive. 15. The brother came to Abba Pimen and asked him: what should I do, father? I am tormented by a lustful thought. I went to Abba Ivastion, and he said to me: do not let him slow you down. Abba Pimen answered: the deeds of Abba Ivastion remain in grief with the Angels, and he forgets that you and I are in fornication. If a monk controls his belly and tongue and lives like a wanderer, then, believe me, he will not die. 16. The brother asked Abba Pimen: what should I do? I am plagued by fornication and anger. The elder answered him: that is why David said that he killed the lion and strangled the bear (1 Sam. 17:35). This means: I cut off anger, and crushed fornication through labor. 17. Abba Pimen said: as for fornication and speaking, a person should absolutely not utter these two thoughts in words, nor think about them in his heart. If anyone completely condemns them and argues in his heart, he will not receive any benefit, but whoever withdraws from them in anger will have peace. 18. They asked Abba Pimen about defilements, and he answered: if we regulate our actions and are vigilant and sober, then defilement will never happen to us. 19. Again he said: a man who has a child in cohabitation with him, who is brought upon him by some passion of the old man and still keeps him with him, is like one who has a field devoured by worms. 20. Someone asked Abba Pimen about fornication, and the elder said: Great is the help of God that surrounds man, but we are not allowed to see it with our own eyes. 21. In Skete, there lived with Abba Paphnutius one brother, who, being fought with fornication, said: even if I take ten wives, I will not satisfy my lust. The elder admonished him fatherly, saying: don’t do this, my son, this abuse is from demons. But he did not listen to him, went to Egypt and took a wife. In time, the elder happened to come to Egypt and meet his disciple, carrying a basket of shards. The elder did not recognize him, but he said: I am your disciple. Seeing him in such dishonor, Abba began to cry and asked: how did you leave your former honor and come to such dishonor? However, have you taken ten wives? The brother sighed and said: no, I took only one and now I am suffering in order to satisfy her with bread. The elder called him back, and the brother asked: is there repentance, Abba? He answered: yes. Then the brother, leaving everything, followed him and, entering the Skete, through this experience, became a good monk. 22. They told about mother Sarah that she was strongly fought by the demon of fornication for thirty years, but she never prayed that the battle would leave her, but only said: God! Give me strength! 23. One day this spirit of fornication came upon her more strongly, introducing worldly vanities to her. Not giving in to him, in the fear of God and asceticism, she once entered her upper room to pray, and the spirit of fornication appeared to her physically and said: You have defeated me, Sarah! She answered: It was not I who defeated you, but my Lord, Christ. 24. Abba Fokas said: Abba Jacob, when he moved to Skete, was severely overcome by the demon of fornication. Being near danger, he came to me and, revealing his condition, said: on Monday I will go to such and such a cave. I ask you, for the sake of the Lord, do not reveal this to anyone, not even my father, but after forty days, do me a favor - come to me and bring Holy Communion. If you find me dead, bury me, and if alive, give me communion. I promised and after forty days, taking Holy Communion and common clean bread with a small amount of wine, I went to him. Approaching the cave, I smelled a strong stench emanating from his body, and thought that the blessed one had fallen asleep, but when I entered him, I found him half dead. Seeing me, he made a movement with his right hand as best he could and with a wave of it reminded me of the Holy Communion. I said: I have. I wanted to open his lips, but they were tightly clenched. Not knowing what to do, I went out into the desert and, plucking a small branch from a bush, with great difficulty I could barely open my mouth and partake of the Honest Body and Blood, crushing them into as small parts as possible. From receiving Holy Communion he received strength. A little later, having wet a few crumbs of ordinary bread, I gave it to him, then more, offering as much as he could accept. And thus, by the grace of God, a day later he came with me on foot to his cell, having been delivered by God’s help from the destructive passion of fornication. 25. One elder had a disciple who was overcome by the demon of fornication. The elder admonished him and persuaded him: be patient, my son! This abuse is from the enemy. But he told him: I can’t endure it any longer, Abba, so as not to fulfill this deed. Then the elder, pretend, said to him: I too am fighting, my son. Let's go together - let's do the job and return to our cell. The old man had one coin, and he took it with him. When they arrived at the place, the elder, entering first, gave the harlot a coin and asked her not to defile her brother. She promised to keep it pure. When he entered, the harlot said to him: Wait, brother! Although I am a sinner, we have a law, and it must first be fulfilled. Then she ordered him to stand aside and make fifty bows, and she herself stood aside. Having made twenty or thirty bows, the brother became contrite and said to himself: how can I pray to God, intending to commit such a crime? He immediately left without being defiled. God, seeing the elder’s work, took rebuke from his brother; and they returned, praising God. 26. One brother was sent by his Abba to fetch water. Arriving at the source, he met a woman there washing her dress, and, getting excited, began to persuade her to fall. She said to him: it is easy to listen to you, but I will become the cause of great sorrow for you, for after doing this your conscience will hurt you, and you will either despair, or you will need a lot of work in order to return to the rank that you have now. So, before you receive a wound, go on your way in peace. Hearing this, the brother was contrite and thanked God and her wisdom. Returning, he revealed to the Abba what had happened, and he marveled at that wife. After this, the brother asked the elder to never leave the monastery in the future. The elder decided to do so, and the brother stayed in the monastery, not leaving it until his death. 27. One brother went to the river to draw water. There he met a woman washing clothes and fell with her. Having committed a sin, the brother took water and went to his cell. Along the way, demons attacked him in his thoughts and destroyed him, saying: where are you going now? There is no salvation for you. Why cause damage to the world? The brother realized that they wanted to destroy him, and answered his thoughts: where did you come from and destroy me to bring me to despair? I have not sinned! And, having come to his cell, he continued to remain silent, as the day before and before. The Lord revealed to one elder, his neighbor, that this brother had fallen and won. Having come to him, the elder asked: how are you? The brother answered: okay, Abba. The elder asked again: have you suffered in any way these days? He answered: no way. To this the elder said: God revealed to me that you, having fallen, won. Then the brother told everything that had happened to him, and the elder concluded: truly, brother, your reasoning has erased the power of the enemy. 28. Someone said that a certain brother who lived in Konovia was often sent on her business and needs. In one village lived a reverent layman who received him with faith every time he came. This layman had a daughter who had recently become a widow, having lived with her husband for only two years. The brother was attracted to her, but she, being reasonable, was careful in every possible way and tried not to catch his eye. One day, having come as usual, her brother found her alone, for her father had gone to the nearest town. Because of this circumstance, abuse rose up strongly against him. Noticing this, she said to him with reasoning: don’t rush; we are alone here. I know that you - monks - do nothing without prayer. So, get up, pray to God, and whatever He puts in your heart, we will do. But being greatly agitated by the abuse, he did not want it. Then, having learned that the brother never knew his wife, and wanting to sober him up, she tells him: that’s why you are worried about lust, because you don’t know the stench of unfortunate women. Then, in order to dampen his passion, she said: I have my period, and no one can come close to me, and this is my stench. Hearing this, the brother came to his senses and began to cry. Then she said to him: if only I had trusted you and we would have already committed a sin! With what face would you then meet my father and how would you enter your monastery and begin to listen to the singing of your holy brothers? I beg you, be sober in the future and beware of ruining your work and losing eternal blessings for the sake of small and vile pleasure. “The suffering brother told me all this,” the narrator concluded his story, and I pass it on to you for edification and thank God, who, through the wisdom and chastity of his wife, did not allow his brother to fall completely. 29. One monk was for a long time battling the demon of fornication. One day, feeling this battle in a church meeting, he exposed himself in great sorrow and revealed the action of Satan in the face of the brethren, saying: Pray for me, for I have been struggling like this for fourteen years. And for the sake of humility, his abuse subsided. 30. One elder said about the thought of fornication: we suffer from this because of our negligence, for if we believed that God dwells in us, we would not put an alien vessel into ourselves. Our Lord Christ, who dwells with us and is inherent in us, beholds our life; Therefore, we, guarding ourselves and in vain Him, should not be careless, but cleanse ourselves, as He is pure (1 John 3:3). 31. Again he said: the enemy, as it were, says to the Savior: I send what is mine to Thine, that I may bring down Thine; and although I cannot be deceitful in Your chosen ones, at least I will put dreams into them at night. The Savior seems to answer him: if an illegitimate one inherits his father, then these investments of yours will be counted as sin to My chosen ones. 32. A disciple of one great elder, carried away by a lustful passion, went into the world and got married. Distressed by this, the elder prayed to God like this: Lord Jesus Christ! Do not allow Your servant to become defiled. And he, having lain with his wife, gave up his spirit without being defiled. 33. When asked about evil thoughts, one elder said: Please, brothers, just as we have fallen behind our deeds, so we will also fall behind our memories, for what are we if not earth from earth. 34. One brother was troubled by fornication. This lust, like fire, burned in his heart day and night, but the brother fought vigorously so as not to give in to his thoughts. After quite a long time, the abuse ran away, unable to overcome him - for the sake of his great patience; and immediately light came into the brother’s heart. 35. Another brother, being struggling with fornication, got up at night, came to one old man and revealed his thoughts to him. The elder consoled him, and the brother, healed, returned to his cell. But the abuse again fell on him, and he again went to the elder, and he did this several times. The elder did not sadden him, but talked with him, which was for the benefit of his brother, and said: do not give in and come every time the demon fights you in order to expose him, for nothing torments him so much as the discovery of his deeds, and nothing pleases him so much as the concealment of his thoughts. And this brother came to the elder up to eleven times to expose his thoughts. One day the brother asked the elder: do me a favor, Abba, say a word to me. And the elder said: believe me, my son, that if God had allowed the thoughts that hurt my soul to pass to you, then you would not have endured them for even a minute, but would have immediately turned back. And for the sake of great humility, for which the elder spoke thus, the brother’s prodigal warfare subsided. 36. One brother was aroused by the demon of fornication, but he fought, multiplying his exploits and observing his thoughts, so as not to descend into lust. Finally, having come to church, he revealed this to the whole brotherhood, and then the commandment was given to them - to pray for him for a whole week, and the fighting subsided. 37. One desert elder said about the thought of fornication: Do you want to be saved by sleeping? No, go ahead and work hard; go - sweat; go and seek and you will find; Stay awake and watch, and it will be opened to you. There are fighters in the world who get married because, despite the many blows they take, they stand and take courage. Often one, struck by two wounds, is aroused to courage and defeats those who strike him. Look, what kind of courage is there in carnal affairs? And you stand and take courage, and God will overcome the enemy for you. 38. Another elder said about the same thought: be like those passing by taverns and smelling the smells of something boiled or fried. He who wants to taste enters and eats, but he who does not want to smells only in passing and leaves. So you too - repel the stench of lust from yourself; get up and pray, saying: Son of God, help me! Do the same with other thoughts, for we are not eradicators of evil, but opponents of it. 39. One brother, chilled by fornication, came to the great elder and asked him: do mercy, father, pray for me, for I am chilled by fornication. The elder began to pray to God for him. Another time, the brother again came to the elder and said the same word, although the elder did not hesitate to beg God for him. Then, in bewilderment, the elder stood and prayed to the Lord: Lord, reveal to me how this brother lives and where did he get such an obsession that I asked You, but he did not receive peace? And God revealed it to him. He sees: his brother and the spirit of fornication are sitting with him, and the Angel of the Lord, sent to help him, stands in the distance and is angry with him because he did not cast himself before God, but, enjoying his thoughts, gave up his entire mind to obsession. From this the elder learned that the reason for the fight was in the brother himself, and he said to him: this is because it is with you that you yourself are aligned with your thoughts, and he taught him how to resist thoughts. He began to become sober and, with the help of prayer and the instructions of the elders, found peace. 40. One great elder had a disciple who was struggling with the demon of fornication. The elder, seeing his work and sweat, said to him: If you want, I will ask God to take away the abuse from you. But the student answered: It’s difficult for me, Abba, but I see the fruit for myself from this labor. So, ask God only to give me patience to bear this. Then the elder said to him: now I see that you have succeeded and are superior to me. 41. They said about one old man that he came to Skete and brought with him a son, still an infant, who grew up without seeing a wife, but when he matured, the demons began to show him images of wives. The son revealed this to his father, who marveled at it. One day they came to Egypt, and the son, seeing the wives, said to his father: these come to me at night in Skete. The father replied: these are rural monks, only they have one schema, and the hermits have another. The old man marveled, just as in the desert the demons showed images of women. And they immediately returned to their cell. 42. There was one brother in Skete, a zealous ascetic, to whom the enemy brought memories of a certain wife, very beautiful, and greatly tormented him. According to God’s dispensation, another brother came from Egypt to Skete, who among other things in the conversation said that the wife of so-and-so had died, and that was the woman whose memories the ascetic boreim had. Hearing this, at night the brother took his Leviton, came to the grave of the deceased and, opening the coffin, wiped away her decaying remains with his Leviton. Returning and putting it in his cell, he had this stench before him and fought his thoughts, saying: this is the lust that we seek! She is in front of you - get your fill! So he tormented himself with this stench until he calmed down his battle. 43. They said that once a man and his son came to Skete and became a monk there. When his son became a young man, his battles began to overcome him, and he said to his father: I will go into the world, for I do not have the strength to bear the battles. His father stopped him and convinced him to be patient, but after a little, the young man again said: Abba! I have no more strength! Let me go. Then the father said to him: listen to me, my son, one more time: take yourself forty pairs of loaves of bread and branches for forty days; go into the inner desert and stay there forty days; and the will of God be done. He listened to his father, went into the desert and labored there, weaving dry branches and eating dry bread. Having remained in silence for twenty days and twenty nights, he saw a vision approaching him: it was the image of an Ethiopian woman, so fetid that the young man could not bear her stench - he drove her out and locked himself in. She said to him at this: in the hearts of men I seem very pleasant, but for the sake of obedience and your work, God did not allow me to deceive you and revealed my stench to you. Then the young man thanked God and, returning to his father, said: now I no longer want to go into the world, Abba, for I have seen the image of deception and its stench. The father, informed of this, replied: if you had endured forty days of fasting and fulfilled my commandment, you would have seen an even greater vision. 44. They said about one of the fathers that while still a layman, he had a wife, and now he was strongly besieged by her. He told the elders about this, and they, knowing that this brother was a worker and could work more than others, imposed such heavy rules on him that his body weakened from them, and he could no longer rise. According to the dispensation of God, one of the wandering fathers, having come to the Skete to visit the elders and walking past his cell, saw it unlocked and at first passed it, surprised that no one came out to meet him. Then he returned, wondering if his brother was ill, and knocked and entered. Finding him very ill, he asked what was wrong with him. And he told him everything: about his battle, and about the rules imposed on him, following which he became so weak, and about the increase in battle. Having heard this, the elder became sad and said to him: the fathers, being strong, laid such rules on you well, but listen to my humility - leave all this and take your small food in due time, carry out your small rule, cast your sorrow on the Lord, for with your labors you cannot overcome this battle. Our body is like clothing: if you take care of it, it serves us; if you are careless, it will spoil. The brother listened to the elder, did as he advised, and after a few days the abuse subsided from him. 45. On a mountain in the Sinai region lived a hermit who excelled in piety, and many used his word and were edified by his deeds. Because he was like this, his enemy envied him and, under the guise of the same piety, he gave him the following thought: you should not let anyone else work for you or serve you, for you are obliged to serve others and do not serve. At least start serving yourself. So, go to the city, sell your baskets and buy what you need, then return again to your hermitage, and you will not be a burden to anyone. The evil one suggested this to him, envying his silence, his exercise in God and the benefits from him to many, for the enemy is trying to catch the ascetic from everywhere. Believing this as a good word, he left his solitude; he is known and glorified by everyone who saw him, but the hermit, inexperienced in the machinations of the libeler, saw his wife and talked with her for a long time, was seduced by inattention, went to a deserted place, where the enemy followed him, and fell. Realizing that the enemy rejoiced at his fall, he was ready to despair, which greatly saddened the Spirit of God, the Angels and the Fathers, many of whom in the cities defeated the enemy and to whom he was not at all like. He grieved greatly and, forgetting that God gives strength to those who sincerely hope in Him and provides medicine for sin, wanted to throw himself into the river in order to die and thereby bring complete joy to the devil. His body weakened from extreme mental torment, and only the merciful God helped him not to die. Finally, having come to his senses, he decided to show greater work in self-exasperation and, returning to his solitude, closed the door and began to cry, as one cries for the dead, begging God; He fasted, kept vigil, and tormented himself in contrition of spirit. His body was exhausted, but he had not yet received a certificate of acceptance of repentance. When, for the sake of benefit, the brethren came to him and knocked on the door, he answered: I will not open it, for I gave my word to spend this year in the labors of repentance. Pray for me, without saying anything more, so as not to tempt them, because everyone revered him as a great monk. So he spent a whole year in the strictness of repentance. Finally, before the day of Easter, on the night of the Holy Resurrection, he took a new lamp and, having prepared it, put it in a new pottery glass, covered it and began to pray in the evening, saying: Generous and merciful God, who also desires to save the barbarians and come into the mind of truth! I resort to You, Savior of souls! Have mercy on me, who has greatly upset You to the joy of the enemy! I am dead after listening to him. But You, Master, are merciful to the wicked and unmerciful and teach your neighbors to have mercy, be gracious to my humility, for You have nothing in common. My soul has approached hell. Show me mercy, as You have been merciful to Your creation. Having and carrying a body on the day of resurrection to awaken, hear me, Lord, for my spirit is impoverished and my poor soul and my body are broken, desecrated by my sin. Revive me, who am contrite, and by Your fire lead me to light up this lamp, so that I may receive assurance of mercy, and for the rest of my life, if You grant me, I will keep the time of Your commandments and will not retreat from Your fear, but truly I will work for You and even more than before! So he prayed in tears on the night of the Resurrection! Then he stood up to see if the lamp had been lit, and, seeing that it had not been lit, he fell again on his face and began to beg the Lord, saying: I know, Lord, that I was crowned, and did not heed my steps, drawn rather by the lust of the flesh into the torment of the wicked! Have mercy, Lord! Therefore, again, I confess to Your mercy my indecency in the presence of the Angels and the righteous, and if it were not for the temptation to them, I would have confessed it to men. For this sake, be generous to me, and I will teach others too! By God! Revive me! Having thus prayed three times, he was heard, and, getting up, he found the lamp lit. His spirit rejoiced and his heart rejoiced, and although he poured out his soul before the Lord, he was amazed at His ineffable mercy and said: I, unworthy of life, You, Lord, have had mercy on and comforted with this new sign! He spent the rest of the night in such laudatory and joyful confession; the day dawned, and throughout it he did not cease to rejoice in the Lord, forgetting about bodily food. He kept this wonderful fire throughout the rest of his life, adding oil and covering it on top so that it would not go out. So again the Spirit of God dwelt in him, and he was glorious among everyone, humbling himself and rejoicing before the Lord in confession and thanksgiving. He had a revelation about his death several days before. 46. ​​One old man lived in a distant desert. He had a relative who had wanted to see him for many years. Having discovered where he lived, she and her camel companions came to that desert. Being drawn by the devil and coming to the elder’s door, she assured him with various signs that she was his relative, and remained with him. The old man, carried away by lust, fell with her. In the lower reaches lived another hermit, whose water jug ​​overturned for some unknown reason at the hour of eating. According to God’s dispensation, he decided: I will go into the desert and reveal this to the old man, and he went. When evening came, he lay down in a demonic church that happened on the way, and at night he heard the demons saying: “On this night we plunged the hermit into fornication.” Hearing about this, he was saddened. Having come to the elder, he found him sad and asked him: what should I do, Abba? At the hour of eating, my jug of water, I don’t know why, tips over? The elder said to this: have you come to ask me why your vessel is overturning? What should I do, for this night I fell into fornication? He answered: and I found out about this - I spent the night in the church and heard the demons talking about you. Then the elder said: I will go into the world. But the one who came begged him: no, father! Let the woman go from here, but stay in your place, because this incident is from the enemy. Having listened to him, the hermit remained, multiplied his exploits and shed bitter tears until he returned to his former rank. 47. One brother asked the elder: if, due to some delusion, someone happens to fall into fornication, what will happen to those who are tempted through this? And the elder told him the following incident: there was a glorious deacon in the Lavra of Egypt. One persecuted citizen came with his entire household to Kinovia, and the deacon, through the evil one’s delusion, fell with his wife, which became a shame for everyone. Then the deacon went to his beloved elder and revealed his sin. This elder had a cellar inside his cell, and the deacon asked him: bury me here alive and don’t tell anyone about it. So, he entered this darkness and sincerely repented. After some time, the water in the Nile River did not rise, and during a common prayer it was revealed to one of the saints that the water would not rise unless the deacon, hidden with such and such an elder, came. Hearing this and being surprised, they took him out of captivity, and when he prayed, the water rose. Then those who were previously tempted received great benefit from his repentance and glorified God. 48. Two brothers came to the market to sell their handicrafts, and when one of them went away, the other fell into fornication. Returning, the brother called the one who remained back to their cell, but he answered: I will not go, because while you were away, I fell into fornication. Then, wanting to acquire it, the brother said to him: and with me, when I left you, the same thing happened; but let us go and repent contritely, and God will forgive us. Arriving at the cell, they revealed themselves to the elders, and they gave them the commandment of repentance; so that the brother who had not sinned repented for the brother who had sinned, as if he himself had sinned. God, seeing his labor of love, a few days later revealed to one of the elders: for the great love of the brother who did not sin, I also forgave the one who sinned. This means: to lay down your life for your brother. 49. One brother came to the elder and complained to him: my brother, walking here or there, leaves me, and I grieve. The elder persuaded him: be patient with your brother, and God, seeing the work of your patience, will bring him, but with harshness you cannot attract anyone to yourself, for a demon does not drive out a demon, but with meekness you will bring him closer, because our God Himself attracts people with a meek admonition. Then the elder told the following incident: there were two brothers in Thebaid, and one, being overcome by fornication, said to the other: I will go into the world. The brother began to cry and said to him: I will not allow you, brother, to go away in order to destroy your work and your virginity. But he did not want to listen and answered: I won’t sit still - or go with me and I’ll come back with you again; or let me go and I will remain in peace. Then the brother went and revealed this to one great elder. The elder said to him: go with him, and God, for the sake of your work, will not allow him to fall. And they went together, but as soon as they reached the village, God, seeing the brother’s work, took away the abuse from the one being fought, who said: let’s go, brother, again into the desert; After all, think about it, if I had already sinned, what profit would there be for me? And they returned unharmed to their cell. 50. One brother, at the demonic instigation, came to the elder and said: such and such two brothers are with each other. The elder realized that the demon was laughing at them, and sent them to call. When evening came, he laid out one mat for those two brothers and covered them with one blanket, saying: The children of God are pure. He ordered his disciple to imprison the same brother in a special cell and said that he himself had this passion within himself. 51. The brother asked the elder: what should I do, for an unclean thought is killing me? The elder answered him: when a mother wants to wean her child from her breast, she applies a bow to her nipples; The child comes, as usual, to taste the milk, but, feeling the bitterness, runs away. Attach the bow too. The brother says to him: what does it mean - the bow that I must apply? The elder said: memory of death and the torment of the next century. 52. The brother asked another elder about the same thought, and the elder said: I have never been in this fight. The brother, tempted by this, went to the first elder and told him what this elder had said and that he was tempted by this, for he said a thing that was more natural. The elder replied: the man of God did not just tell you this. So, go, bow to him, so that he will explain to you the power of this word. The brother came to the elder and, bowing to him, said: Forgive me, Abba, that I acted unreasonably by leaving you out of rank, but please explain to me how you were never convicted of fornication? And the elder said: since I became a monk, I have not been satisfied with bread, water, or sleep, and the concern for this, which has always occupied me extremely, did not allow me to feel the battle that you spoke about. And the brother left him, having benefited. 53. The brother asked one of the fathers: Father, what should I do, for my thoughts are always in fornication, not giving me rest for a single hour? And my soul grieves for this. The elder replied: when demons instill such thoughts, do not talk to them, for the job of demons is always only to suggest them and they are not lazy about this, but they do not force them either; It is your power to accept or not accept them. Look what the Midianites did: they decorated their daughters and placed them before the Israelites, but they did not force any of them - those who wanted fell with them, while others, indignant, killed them. The same applies to thoughts. The brother asked again: what should I do? I am weak and passion overcomes me. The elder said: notice your thoughts, and when they begin to speak to you, do not answer them, but get up, bow down and pray, saying: Son of God, have mercy on me! The brother also asked: I read, Abba, but there is no contrition in my heart, because I do not understand the power of the word. The elder answered this: just read. I heard that Abba Pimen and many other fathers said the following words: the exorcist does not know the power of the words he utters, but the beast listens, submits and humbles himself. So you, although you do not know the power of the words you read, but the demons, having heard them, leave in fear. 54. The elders said that a lustful thought is like paper. If he is all in us, but we, without bowing down, reject him from ourselves, then he is cut off without difficulty. If, when he is full, we delight in him and bow down to him, then he, having transformed himself, becomes iron and is cut off with difficulty. So, it is necessary to have a reasoning about this thought: for those who bow to it, there is no hope of salvation, and for those who do not bow, a crown is prepared. 55. Two brothers, carried away by fornication, went into the world and took wives for themselves. Afterwards they said to each other: what profit have we received, that, having left the angelic order, we have fallen into such uncleanness, and in the next century we have to go into fire and torment? Let's go back into the desert and repent! Having come and confessed to the elders what they had done, they asked them to give them the commandment of repentance, and the elders imprisoned them for a year. They were given bread and water equally, for they looked equal, and when the time of repentance was fulfilled and they went out, the fathers saw one pale-faced and gloomy, and the other fair-faced and cheerful, and were surprised because the brothers took food equally. Therefore, they asked the gloomy one: what occupied your thoughts in your cell? He answered: I thought about the evil deeds I had done, and about the torment into which I had to go, and out of fear my bone clung to my flesh (Ps. 102:6). They also asked someone else what he was thinking about in his cell. He replied: I thanked God for taking me away from worldly uncleanness and torment for it and bringing me into this angelic life; remembering God, he rejoiced. Then the elders said: the repentance of both is equal before God. 56. A certain elder who lived in Skete became very ill, and the brethren ministered to him. The elder, seeing their work for him, decided: I will go to Egypt, so as not to distract them from the monastic rule. Abba Moses warned him: do not go, otherwise you will fall into fornication. But he answered with sorrow: my body has died, and are you telling me this? And he went to Egypt. Having heard about him, people began to bring him everything they needed, and one virgin, by faith, came to serve the elder. After a little time, the elder, having recovered, fell with her, and she conceived. People asked where it came from, and she named the old man. They didn’t believe her, but he confirmed it, only asking to keep the child when it was born. When the child was weaned, on one holiday the elder came to the Skete, carrying him on his frame, and entered the church in front of the entire assembly of the brethren. The brethren, seeing him, wept, and he said to them: Do you see this child? This is the son of disobedience! So, be strong, brothers, for in my old age I did this. But pray for me. After this, retiring to his cell, the elder began his previous work. 57. One brother was greatly tempted by the demon of fornication, for four demons, having transformed into very beautiful wives, troubled him for forty days in order to entice him into evil intercourse. But since he courageously resisted and did not allow himself to be defeated, God, seeing his good deed, granted him the gift of no longer having carnal lust. 58. In the lower reaches of Egypt, in a lonely cell, there lived a certain hermit who was famous. Hearing about him, one dishonest wife, at the instigation of the devil, said to the young men: what will you give me if I overthrow your hermit? They agreed to give her a certain amount, and she, going out in the evening, came to the elder’s cell, as if lost, and knocked. The elder came out, seeing her, became alarmed and asked: how did you come here? She answered with tears: I got lost and came here. Taking pity on her, he led her into his courtyard, entered his cell and locked himself. But that unfortunate woman began to shout: Abba! Animals will eat me here! Again alarmed, but fearing the judgment of God, he said: where did this attack come to me? And opening the door, he led her inside. Then the devil began to hurt him with attraction to her, but the elder understood the enemy’s abuse and said: the enemy’s detours are darkness - but the Son of God is light. Then he stood up, lit the lamp and, since lust did not cease to kindle it, he added: those who do this will go into torment. So, test yourself here - whether you can bear the eternal fire of death. Having said this, he put his finger on the fire of the lamp and burned it; The intense pain from this burning no longer allowed me to feel the burning of my flesh. By doing this, he burned all his fingers until the morning. That unfortunate woman, seeing what he was doing, was petrified with fear. In the morning those young men came to the hermit and asked if any woman had come here yesterday. He replied: she came, she is inside. The young men entered and found her dead. Ava! She died, they said. Then the elder opened his hands, showed them to them and said: what has this daughter of the devil done to me! She ruined all my fingers. And having told them everything, he concluded: it is commanded - you shall... not repay evil for evil (1 Pet. 3:8,9). Then he made a prayer and resurrected her. The woman got up and, returning to her house, began to live chastely from then on. 59. One brother was overcome by the demon of fornication. It happened to him one day to pass through an Egyptian village, where he saw the daughter of a pagan priest and, falling in love with her, said to her father: give me your daughter as a wife. The priest replied: I cannot give it to you unless I first know the will of my God. Having come to the demon, he asked him: a certain monk wants to take my daughter as his wife. Should I give it to him? The demon said: ask him if he will reject his God, and baptism, and the monastic vow? Returning, the priest asked the monk: will you reject your God, and baptism, and the monastic vow? The brother agreed, but immediately saw a dove fly out of his mouth and fly into the sky. The priest again went to the demon and told him: he agreed to these three things. But he answered: do not give him your daughter as a wife, for his God has not abandoned him, but is still helping him. Returning, the priest said to his brother: I cannot give you my daughter, for your God is still helping you and has not abandoned you. Hearing this, the brother said to himself: what kindness my God shows to me! I, the unfortunate one, rejected Him, and baptism, and the monastic vow, and He, the All-Good One, still helps me now. Having thus come to his senses, the brother became sober, went into the desert to an old man and, revealing his sin, told him everything. The elder replied: stay with me - in the cave, fast for three weeks for two days, and I will pray to God for you. Having arranged this, the elder began to pray to God for this brother, saying: I pray to You, Lord! Grant me this soul and accept its repentance! And God heard him. After a week, the elder came to his brother and asked him if he had seen anything? The brother answered: I saw a dove high in the sky right above my head. The elder told him: pay attention to yourself and beg God diligently! And in the second week the elder came to his brother and asked if he had now seen anything? He answered: I saw a dove close over my head. The elder commanded him: be sober and pray. Again, after the third week, the elder came and asked if he had seen anything more? “I saw,” my brother answered, that a dove flew off and sat on my head; I stretched out my hand to grab him, but he rose and flew into my mouth. Then the elder thanked God and said to his brother: God accepted your repentance; So, take heed to yourself. The brother answered him: from now on I will stay with you, Abba, until I die. 60. One of the Thebes elders said: I was the son of a Hellenic priest; When I was a child, I often went with my father to the church and saw him enter to make a sacrifice to the idol. One day, entering secretly after him, I saw Satan and his upcoming army. And then one of his leaders came up and bowed to him. Satan asked him where he came from, and he said: I was in such and such a country, I started a war, caused great bloodshed and came to tell you. He asked: what time did you do this? The one who came said: in thirty days. Then Satan ordered to beat him with whips, saying: for so long, this is all you have done?! And then another bowed to him, and he asked this one where he came from. The demon answered: I was at sea, raised up the winds, sank ships, killed many people and came to tell you. He asked on how many days he did it; and the demon said: in twenty days. And he ordered this one to be beaten with whips, saying: How? How many days did you just do this? A third approached and bowed to him. And he asked him where he came from. And the demon said: in such and such a city there was a marriage, I stirred up discord and caused great bloodshed, and they killed the bride and groom; and came to tell you. Satan asked: How many days did you do this? He answered: at ten. He commanded that this one too be beaten with whips. After these, another one came and also bowed to him. Satan asked: where did you come from? He answered: I was in the desert; It’s been forty years since I fought with one monk and on this night I plunged him into fornication. Hearing this, Satan stood up and kissed him; then he took the crown that he was wearing, placed it on his head and seated him on his throne, saying: “You have managed to accomplish such a great deed!” Seeing this,” the elder continued, I said to myself: how great is the monastic order! And by the good will of God for my salvation, I left the world and became a monk. 61. One brother said to the elder: I think that while a monk who has fallen into temptation will grieve as one who has suffered loss in the matter of success, and work to rise up, he who has come from the world, as one who has made a beginning, will succeed? The elder answered him: a monk who has fallen into temptation is like a fallen house. If the owner takes care to restore this house, he will find a lot of ready-made materials: a foundation, stones, a lot of wood, and he can build a house sooner than one who did not dig a ditch, did not lay a foundation, did not have anything needed, but only has the hope that he will not somehow complete it. So, if someone, after success in monastic endeavors, falls into temptation and then, having sobered up, comes to his senses, he will find in his readiness many necessary things, such as: skill in reading, psalmody and handicrafts, which are the basis; and while the beginner is still learning this, he will come to the third rank. 62. The brother asked the elder: what should I do, Abba, with a lustful thought? The elder answered him: Strengthen yourself against this thought as much as you have, for the one defeated by it most likely comes to despair of salvation. Thus, if a ship, tossed by waves and storms at sea, loses its rudder, although it is close to danger, it still floats; equally, if the mast breaks or something else gets damaged, he still has good hopes as long as he is intact. Likewise, a monk, if through negligence he falls into any passions, then often gets rid of them through repentance; if one day he is wrecked, falling into fornication, then he comes to despair, for then the ship sank to the bottom. 63. One old man was so virginal that he did not know at all what fornication was or whether it existed. One day, leaving his cell, he saw demons in the forms of Ethiopians, who surrounded him and aroused lust in him. The elder said: this member of a man is the same as the throat of a jug. Just as the throat of a jug is for letting water through, so this member is for letting water out of a person. That's why he didn't understand what was happening to him. A stone fell from the roof and the elder heard a pleasant sound, and after that a passionate thought came. He went to one old man and told about this. He said to him: have you seen demons? The fallen stone is the devil, and the sound that you heard is lust itself. So, pay attention to yourself and pray to the Lord to help you overcome this battle. Then, having shown him how to struggle against demons, the elder said a prayer and released him. Returning to his cell, he labored, praying to God, and God allowed him to succeed to the point that when his brother happened to die, he received a notification whether his soul was good or bad. 64. One elder spoke about lustful thoughts that occur in the heart and are not carried out by action: it is like if someone sees a vineyard, wants to taste the grapes with all his heart, but is afraid to go inside and steal, lest he be caught and lose his life. If one is caught outside the fence, he will not lose his life, for he did not enter and did not eat, but only wanted to. However, although he does not lose his life, he receives wounds for what he wanted. 65. The brother told the elder: I am plagued by fornication. The elder said: if it is good, why do you deviate from it? if it is shameful, why are you looking for it? 66. They said about a certain old man that one day, while walking along the path, he saw the trace of his wife and covered it, saying: if my brother had not seen this, he would not have accepted the scolding. 67. The brother asked the elder: what should I do, father? My stomach torments me, and I cannot refuse it, but meanwhile my body lusts. The elder answered him: if you do not impose fear and fasting on your body, then it will not have the right to walk the path of God. And he presented him with the following parable: a man had a donkey. One day he sat on her to go, but she carried him along the road here and there. Then he took the rod and began to beat her. The donkey said to him: don’t hit me - from now on I will go straight. Seeing that she had recovered a little, he got off her and put the rod in the sack on the donkey herself. The donkey did not know that the rod was on her, but noticing that it was not in the hands of her master, she despised her master and again began to wander back and forth through the harvest. The gentleman took the rod again and began to beat her until she walked straight. The same should be done with regard to the body and womb. 68. One brother was on the road with his fellow traveler, and his thoughts were carried away to fornication. He went to the elders and said to them: what should I do, for my heart has not found consolation since I descended to fight the enemy, for I consider myself to have committed a sin? The fathers answered him: this is not a created sin - the enemy came to tempt you, but God covered you. You did not submit to him, but were cast down by despondency. At the same time, they told him the following incident: two brothers, sent from Cenobia to a certain village, walked together, and the demon fought the eldest of them five times to sin, but each time he resisted him, saying a prayer. When they returned to their father, his face was gloomy, and he, bowing to his father, said: “Pray for me, father, for I have fallen into fornication,” and he told how his mind was troubled. The elder, being perspicacious and seeing five crowns on his brother’s head, answered: Be of good cheer, my son, for when you came, I saw five crowns on you. You are not defeated, but you have won because you have not committed sin; and this is a great feat when a person, having an opportunity to commit sins, refrains from them. He has a great reward, for this warfare of the enemy is strong and sharp, and it is not easy to escape its snares. What do you think about blessed Joseph? Is it just that? No. But what was happening then was like a spectacle - God and the Angels looked at him struggling, and the devil and demons enraged his wife. And when the wrestler won, all the Angels glorified God with a great voice, saying: the wrestler has won a wondrous victory! It is good not to even think about committing sin, but if you are tempted, strive not to be overcome. 69. A certain hermit was such a virgin that he did not know what a woman was. One day the demon of fornication began to torment him and he was burned, but due to inexperience he did not know the object of lust - so the servant of God loved, not knowing whose lover he had become. Then the demon showed him a man lying in lewdness with a woman, but God, seeing the extreme charm of the devil, covered his brother and extinguished the battle. 70. They told about one great old man that, having come to one cinnamon, he saw a boy there and did not want to spend the night in that place. The brothers who were with him asked him: “Are you afraid, Abba?” He answered them: believe me, children, I’m not afraid, but what is the need for idle warfare? 71. They said that the devil once came to Keenobia and knocked. The youth came back to answer; the demon, having heard him, said: if you are here, then there is no need for me. 72. The fathers said that it is not God who leads the youths into the desert, but Satan, in order to overthrow those who want to live piously. 73. Once upon a time a ship sailed down the river and landed on the mountain where the monks lived. The woman, leaving the ship, sat down on a hillock and was noticed by a brother who had come to draw water, who, returning, said to the presbyter: there is a woman sitting by the river, which, Abba, has never happened here. Hearing about this, the elder took the staff and ran, shouting: help, brothers, robbers! And all the brothers ran after. The shipbuilders, seeing their swiftness and understanding the reason, lifted the woman onto the ship and moved away from the shore, continuing their journey. 74. A certain pious virgin who lived in a city had a warrior as a neighbor. One day, when her mother was not at home, he burst into her room and, committing violence, deprived her of her virginity. After he left, the unfortunate woman shed her virginity, sat down on the matting and cried, tearing her clothes. When her mother returned, she told her what had happened and sat there for many days, crying inconsolably. Having learned about this, the clergy and virgins came to her to calm her down, and said: this sin did not come from you. But the inconsolable one answered: God rejected me. And how can I wear the schema of a God who does not want me? Couldn't God have forbidden such insolence? It’s true that He sees that I am unworthy of the schema. That's why I'll stay like this. And she remained like that until her death, crying a saving cry in great contrition. 75. One brother, who lived in the desert, when a lustful thought attacked him, went and found a hyena’s den and, entering it, remained without food for six days. When the hyena came, he was afraid and said: Lord! If I can ever defile my body, then let her attack me; if not, save me from her. And a voice was heard saying, “Save him up and let him go,” and immediately the war departed from him. 76. A certain brother, struggling with fornication, came to the elder and asked to pray for him, so that his abuse would be eased. The elder promised and prayed to God for him for seven days. On the eighth day the elder asked him: how is your battle, brother? He answered: it’s bad, because I didn’t feel any relief. The elder was surprised, but then Satan appeared to him at night and said: believe me, elder, from the first day you began to pray for him, I retreated from him, but he has his own demon and scolding from himself - from his larynx. I have no part in this battle, for he himself fights against himself by eating, drinking and sleeping a lot. 77. The elder said: evil thoughts are like flies flying into a house. If you destroy them one by one as they fly in, you will not find any difficulty. If you allow them to fill your house, you will encounter great difficulty in destroying them; then either you will be able to do this, or, falling into despondency, you will leave the house to be desolate. 78. One of the strict ascetics, who lived in Ennate of Alexandria, fell into a great sin, and the demons, taking advantage of his grief, began to plunge him into despair. Seeing that despondency was beginning to overcome him, he, like a skilled doctor, surrendered to good hope and said: I believe in the generosity of God, that He will show His mercy to me. When he said this, the demons protested, saying: Yes! Will He do mercy on you?! He answered them: Who are you? You are all sons of Gehenna and destruction. Whether he will create or not... If God is good, what do you care? And disgraced, they left. 79. The elder said: if fornication is attacking your body or heart, investigate where this attack came from against you, and correct it: whether from food or from sleep, or from arrogance, or from the fact that you consider yourself better than someone, or that you have condemned someone who has sinned. For without these reasons, a person cannot commit fornication. 80. He also said: if you fall into fornication, and the person with whom you fell is close, get away from that place, for otherwise you will not repent. 81. Again he said: if you see images of wives in a dream, strive not to remember them during the day, for they are death and destruction of the soul. 82. One of the fathers came to Alexandria with his disciple, and during their stay there the following incident happened. One Abba Octodecats of Alexandria had a son who was a fisherman and had a young wife - about eighteen years old. Abba lived with his son, and the enemy of our souls, the devil, aroused in him carnal warfare against his daughter-in-law, and he looked for an opportunity to be with her, but did not find it. Avva often kissed her, but she accepted it from him as from a father. One night, fishermen came and called the young man to fish, and when the son left, the father began to harass his wife. She began to tell him: this is the work of the devil, father! Go, cross yourself! Despite all his efforts, she did not yield to him. Then he, wanting to frighten her, drew the sword hanging over the bed and said: if you do not listen to me, I will strike you with this sword. She answered him: if I must be cut off in parts, I will never do this lawless deed. Then the devil completely took possession of the old man, and he, in a fury of anger, waving his sword, struck her in the loins and cut her in two. But at that very moment God blinded him, so that he walked back and forth, looking for the door, and did not find it. At dawn other fishermen came to call his son; the father replied that his son had left and he could not find the door. Having opened it and entered, they saw the crime committed, but the old man said: seize me and bring me to trial, for I committed this murder, which was done according to the laws. Hearing about the incident, the elder suggested to his disciple: let’s go and see the remains of this girl. When they came to the octodecate of Alexandria, the fathers and monks went out to meet the elder, and he said to them: say a prayer, fathers! The remains of this young maiden will not be buried if not with her fathers. Some complained about this, but the elder explained: this girl is my mother and yours, for she died for chastity. After this, no one resisted the elder, and she was buried with her fathers, and the elder, having said goodbye to everyone, returned to the Skete together with his disciple. It so happened that in this monastery one brother was severely attacked by the demon of fornication. In extreme confusion, he came to the elder and revealed this. Abba commanded him: go to the octodecate of Alexandria, enter the tomb of the fathers and say: God of Thomaida! help me and deliver me from this temptation of fornication. And I trust in God that He will deliver you. The brother, according to the elder’s commandment, went to the octodecate and did as he told him. Three days later, returning to the Skete, he falls at the feet of the elder and says to him: by the grace of God and your prayers, father, I have been freed from the warfare of prodigal. And when the elder asked how this happened, the brother said: I bowed twelve times, lay down in the tomb and fell asleep. One girl comes up to me and says: Abba! Take this blessing and go in peace to your cell. As soon as I took the blessing, I felt that I was freed from my battle. What the blessing was, I don’t know. The elder told him: this is the kind of boldness that those who courageously fight for chastity have towards God. 83. The brother asked the elder about carnal passions, and he told him: they are the same as those who sang before the image of Nebuchadnezzar: if those who played the pipes then had not enchanted the people, perhaps they would not have bowed to the image. So the enemy sings to the soul in lust - whether he will deceive it with carnal passions. 84. The elder said: a little wormwood spoils a whole vessel of honey. Likewise, carnal sin is expelled from the kingdom of heaven and sent to fiery Gehenna. Flee, humble monk, from carnal sin! 85. He also said: carelessness, silence and hidden teaching give birth to purity. 86. He said the following: even to death, keep this and you will be saved: do not eat with your wife; do not have friendship with young people; If you are young, do not sleep on the same mat with anyone except your brother or your Abba, and then with fear, not with contempt; do not give free rein to your eyes; if you need to drink wine, take up to three cups and do not break this commandment for the sake of friendship; do not live in the place where you have sinned before God; do not neglect your service or rule, lest you fall into the hands of your enemies; force yourself to teach in the psalms, for this will free you from the captivity of the enemy; love all suffering, and your passions will be humbled; take care not to measure yourself in any matter, and you will receive the disposition to cry about your sins; save yourself from lies, for they drive away the fear of God; reveal your thoughts to your fathers, and the veil of God will cover you; force yourself to do handicrafts, and the fear of God will take root in you. 87. He also said: salt is from water, and if it approaches water, it is resolved and disappears. Likewise, a monk is from his wife, and if he gets close to his wife, he weakens and dies. 88. Someone said that a monk, bitten by a serpent, came to the city to be treated. A pious and God-fearing wife took him in for healing; when he received some relief, the devil began to plant unclean thoughts in him, and he touched her hand. Then she told him: don’t be like that, father! I conjure you by Christ. Remember the sorrow and torment of conscience, with which, repenting, you will be tormented while sitting in your cell! Remember the lamentations and tears that you will shed after this. When he listened to this and other similar things, the scolding left him, and out of shame he wanted to run away, unable to look at her face. But she continued with the compassion of Christ: do not walk away from shame, for you still have a need for healing. That thought was not the work of your pure soul, but was a forgery of an envious person - the devil. And thus, having healed him without temptation, she sent him away in peace. 89. A certain elder had ten disciples, one of whom, through the temptation of the devil, went to a village and there fell into fornication. He left secretly after Matins (at two or three o'clock) and returned at dawn, when it was still dark. The brethren finally found out about this matter, and the elder also found out, but according to the rule, he covered his brother without denouncing him. Since the brethren grumbled against their abbot for this, one morning the abba came to his brother when he had just returned from his campaign. This brother, in order to more conveniently hide himself, covered himself with a woman’s veil, taking on the appearance of a woman. Abba, entering his cell, saw this veil, but for the time being he kept silent and first asked him: where have you been, brother? He answered: I went to the local people on business. Abba asked again: so, you didn’t go to the village? The brother answered: no, Abba. The elder said to this: whose veil is hanging here? Then the brother threw himself at the Abba’s feet and said: forgive me, I won’t do this again. Abba forgave him and begged him, saying: henceforth, take heed to yourself, my son, for what gain do you have from this uncleanness, except shame and reproach from the people here and the unquenchable fire and the undying worm in the next century?! No, I beg you, my son! Do not be intertwined with indecent affairs anymore! Thus, according to God’s love for mankind, the patience of the holy elder ensured that the brother stopped sinning and subsequently became a truly skilled monk. Then all the brethren thanked God for correcting their brother and asked the Abba: do me a favor, tell us why you put up with your brother for so long? And the elder answered them: I saw that the devil was pulling him by one hand and dragging him into the world, and with my patience I held him by the other, so that, unable to bear the conviction, he would not go into the world. When God deigned to save His creation, here we have his other hand - and all of him is saved. So, when a temptation occurs to our brother, it is good to be patient with prayer and wait to see if God will correct the sinner, begging for him and having mercy on him, for severity and reproof that come at the wrong time do not bring any good. 90. In one city, a bishop fell ill with such a serious illness that everyone despaired of his recovery. There was a convent in the city, the abbess of which came to visit it, taking with her two sisters. While the bishop was talking with the abbess, one of her disciples touched his foot, and from this touch the bishop received prodigal abuse. Then he asked the abbess to leave this sister so that she could serve him, for he did not have a servant with him. Suspecting nothing wrong, she left her. When they were left alone, the bishop, strengthened by the devil, asked to prepare food - she prepared it. Then he said to her: sleep with me... gave birth to sin. Having been conceived, she did not want to reveal the culprit, but the bishop himself admitted this sin. Then, having become stronger from illness, he entered the church, placed his omophorion on the throne and, taking the staff, went to the monastery, which we did not know. The Abba of that monastery was perspicacious and knew that a bishop would come to his monastery, therefore he warned the gatekeeper, who was expecting the bishop with his retinue or some other ceremony befitting a bishop, and therefore did not recognize him. But Abba came out to greet him and said: good is your coming, sir. The bishop, amazed at being recognized, wanted to run to another monastery, but the abba stopped him, saying: wherever you go, I will go with you, too, and begged him to enter the monastery. There the bishop repented of the truth, with much warmth of heart, and went to God in peace; At the departure of his soul, many signs took place. You might be interested in: