Глава VI. О нестяжательности и о том, что должно блюстись от любостяжания. Нестяжательность (из «Великого Лимонаря»)

1. In the Lavra of Piruia there was an extremely non-covetous old man who also had the gift of alms. One day a poor man came to him, but the elder had nothing to give him except bread, so he brought it out. But the poor man said to him: I don’t want bread, but clothes. Then the elder took him by the hand and led him into the cell, where there was nothing except what the elder was wearing. The poor man was amazed at such virtue of the elder, untied his bag and poured out all the bread that was in it, saying: Take this, Abba, and I will provide for myself in another place. 2. Abba Abraham, abbot of the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos New, heard that Theodosius, a silent man, did not have clothes to cover his body during winter, and sent them to him, but robbers came, took off his clothes and carried them away. The elder did not tell them anything. 3. Some asked Abba John of Peter to tell them the word of salvation, and he said: observe non-covetousness and abstinence, for, believe me, children, when one of the fathers fell ill at Skete one day and asked for wine or vinegar, they looked for it in all four laurels and did not find it - so they were non-covetous and abstinent. There were about three thousand five hundred fathers there at that time. 4. Two hard workers said: we once came to the church to pray and saw a monk there at the gate who was selling baskets. Noticing that he was not arguing about the price, we approached him and, wanting to test it, asked him: tell us, elder, since you are selling this? The elder answered: ten coins each. We tell him: a lot, give it back in five. He agreed: okay, I’ll give it to you. We tell him again: but this is too much; If you want one coin each, we'll take it. The elder said: okay, take it. We gave him the money and took all the baskets. The elder, taking the rod, went to his cell. We caught up with him and, asking for an apology for our action, asked him: Abba! Why did you give us baskets of one coin each? For God's sake, tell us why you did this? The elder replied: I always do this: I set a price, but I take what they give me. We asked permission to go with him and, having arrived at his cell and finding a bottle of water, a pot and a bowl, we offered him: Do you want us to prepare some gruel so that we can taste it together? He replied: prepare. When the gruel was ready, he told us: go to such and such a cell and tell the elder living there: your elder says to you - come and eat gruel with your brothers. We went and said this word to the elder. He asked us: didn’t he say let’s eat? We answered: no. Then the elder said: So, he rested. Hearing this, we were alarmed and, together with the elder, hurried back. And sure enough, they found the elder who had sent us dead and, having prepared him, buried him with tears, and seven days later the other elder also died, since they made a covenant among themselves so that the one who died would be the first to beg God to take the other one too. And they were not deceived in their trustworthy counsel, for the Lord will do the will of those who fear Him (Ps. 144:19). 5. They said about Abba Pambo that he was so uncovetous that he had nothing but clothes. Before his departure, he wove a basket and, having finished it, said to the disciple: Take this basket for yourself as a keepsake, for I have nothing else to leave you. And with this word the old man of seventy years old gave up his soul to the Lord. Blessed Melania took this basket and kept it until her death. She also said: having come from Rome to Alexandria, I asked Abba Isidore the Stranger to give me the opportunity to see Abba Pamvo and gave him thirty liters of gold in alms. Abba did not even look at him, but immediately called the steward and commanded: take this and distribute it among the poor Libyan monasteries and among the silent people who have need. I expected praise from him for such a large alms, but he only said: I don’t need to know how much you gave in alms, and the One to whom you gave knows without counting both the amount of money and the disposition with which the alms were given, and will reward you with eternal benefits. 6. One brother, having renounced the world and distributed his property to the poor, kept some for himself and came to Abba Anthony. Having learned about this, the elder told him: if you want to be a monk, go to such and such a village, buy meat, cover your naked body with it, and thus come here. The brother did so, and along the way dogs and birds tormented his body. When he returned, the elder asked if he had done as he advised him. Then the brother showed the Abba his tormented body, and Saint Anthony said: those who renounce the world and want to have something with them are tormented by demons in battle. 7. Once Abba Arseny fell ill in Skete and even needed a shirt of simple linen. Having nothing to buy, he accepted alms from one person and said: I thank You, Lord, that you have made me worthy to accept alms in Your name. 8. Abba Mark asked Abba Arseny: is it good not to have any consolation in his cell, for I saw a brother who, having several vegetables, was tearing them out. Abba Arseny answered: good, but depending on the person’s condition, for if he does not have the strength for such a way of life, he will again plant others. 9. Abba Daniel spoke about Abba Arseny: an official once came to the Abba and brought him the will of a senator, his relative, who left him a very large inheritance. Having taken the will, he wanted to tear it up, but the official fell at his feet, saying: I pray you, do not tear it apart, for otherwise they will remove my head. Then Abba Arseny said: I died before my relative, and he only died now. And he sent the will back without accepting anything. 10. They told about Abba Agathon that he worked with his disciples for quite some time to build a cell for himself. After finishing the work, they entered it to live, but in the very first week the abba noticed something in that place that was not useful to him and said to his disciples: get up, let’s leave here. The disciples were very alarmed and asked him: if you had in mind to move from here, then why did we need to carry out such work in setting up the cell? And people will be tempted and will say: the restless ones have crossed over again. Seeing their cowardice, Abba Agathon said to them: even if some are tempted, others will receive edification and say: blessed are they, that for the sake of God they moved and despised everything. However, if you want to go, go; I'm leaving now. Then they threw themselves to the ground and begged him until they were allowed to go with him. 11. They also said about Abba Agathon that he often moved to another place, having only his knife in his bag. 12. One brother came to Abba Agathon and asked him: let me live with you. While walking along the road, he found some saltpeter and brought it. The elder asked him where it came from, and the brother answered: I found it while walking along the road and took it. Then the elder said to him: if you came to live with me, then how did you take what you did not put away? And he sent him to take it back to where he got it from. 13. They said about Abba Gelasius that even in his youth he lived a non-covetous and reclusive life. In those places at that time there were very many other elders who loved a similar life, among whom there was one elder, extremely simple and non-covetous, who lived in the same cell until his death, although in his old age he also had disciples. They say that until his death, he and those with him kept the commandment not to acquire two tunics and not to worry about morning clothes. When, according to God’s dispensation, Abba Gelasius founded the monastery, they even donated many fields to him; He acquired pack cattle and oxen for the needs of the monastery, for he who helped Abba Pachomius set up the monastery also assisted Abba Gelasius in the entire organization of the monastery. Seeing him in these pursuits, the aforementioned elder, who retained sincere love for him, said: I am afraid, Abba Gelasius, that your thoughts may not cleave to the fields and other acquisitions of the monastery. Abba Gelasius answered him: your thoughts are more attached to the needle with which you work than Gelasius’s mind is to acquisitions. 14. Some of the elders said about Abba George, the hermit, that he spent thirty-five years walking in the desert naked. 15. Abba Euprepius said: everything corporeal is clay; He who loves the world loves stumbling. So, if something happens to perish, we should accept it with joy and thanksgiving, as if we had been delivered from care. 16. The brother asked Abba Euprepius about how to live, and the elder answered: eat grass, wear grass, sleep on the grass; just acquire an iron heart, despising everything. 17. Abba Theodore of Thermaeus had three good books. He came to Abba Macarius and asked him: I have three good books, from which I myself benefit and the brethren, by reading them, also benefit. So, tell me, what should I do: keep them for the benefit of myself and my brothers, or sell them and distribute the proceeds to the poor? The elder answered: good deeds are good, but lack of wealth is greatest. Hearing this, he went and sold them and distributed the proceeds to the poor. 18. Abba Isidore said: the terrible and all-bold, never-satiated love of acquisitions drives the soul captivated by it to the brink of evil. So, isn’t it better for us to drive it out first, for, having strengthened, it will be insurmountable. 19. Abba Isaac said to the brothers: Our fathers and Abba Pambo wore old, threadbare 11 and palm clothes, but now you wear expensive ones. Get out of here - you have ruined the local ranks. Also, getting ready to go to the harvest, I said to them: I give you no more commandments, for you do not keep them. 20. They asked Abba Isaiah: what is the love of money? And he answered: disbelief in God that He cares about you, lack of hope in the promises of God and love for destructive pleasures. 21. One of the fathers said that one day a certain brother came to the Church of the Church under Abba Isaac in the small kukulia. The elder drove him out, saying: this place is the dwelling of monks, and you, as a layman, cannot be here. 22. Abba Isaac said that Abba Pamvo said: a monk must wear such clothes that no one would take if they were left outside the cell for three days. 23. Abba Isidore said: if you love the kingdom of heaven, despise wealth and seek God’s reward. 24. He said again: if you are voluptuous and money-loving, then you will not be able to live according to God. 25. One of the fathers told about Abba John the Persian, who lived in Egyptian Arabia, that because of his great goodness he achieved the deepest kindness. One day he borrowed one piece of gold and bought flax for work. One brother came to him and asked: give me, Abba, some flax to make Leviton for myself. And he gave it to him joyfully. Another brother came to him and also asked: give me some flax to make a towel. Abba gave it to him with the same disposition. And when others asked, he gave to everyone with joy. But then the lender came, demanding his gold, and the elder promised to bring it. However, not having anything to give, he decided to go to Abba Jacob, the giver of alms, and ask him in order to return it to his brother. On the way, he found a piece of gold lying on the ground, but did not touch it, but, having made a prayer, returned to his cell. The brother came again to collect the debt, and the elder said to him: I will take care of it in every possible way. And going to Abba, he again saw the same coin on the ground where it was. The elder, having prayed, returned to his cell again. The third time the brother came, pestering him, and the elder said: this time I will certainly bring it. He went to that place and found a coin lying there. Having made the prayer, the elder took it, came to Abba Jacob and asked him: Abba! On my way to you, I found this coin on the road; So, do a favor, announce in the surrounding area whether anyone has lost it, and if the owner of it is found, then give it back. The elder announced for three days, but no one was found to have lost her. Then the elder said to Abba Jacob: if no one has lost it, then give the coin to such and such a brother, for I owe him and, going to you to receive alms and repay the debt, I found it. Abba Jacob was surprised how, being in debt and having found the coin, he did not immediately take it and give it back. And what was also marvelous about this old man was that if someone came to borrow something from him, he did not give it himself, but said to his brother: go and take what you need. Also, when they brought what they had previously taken, he said: put it back in its place. If the one who took it did not bring anything, he did not say anything to him. 26. They said about Abba Julian that he spent seventy years in one small cave, not knowing anything from the things of this world except a hair shirt and a veil, a wooden cup and the Gospel. 27. Abba Cassian said that one senator, having renounced the world and distributed his property to the poor, withheld something for his own consolation, not wanting to perceive what happened with complete renunciation - humility and sincere obedience to the social rules. Saint Basil spoke the following word to him: you have lost the senator in yourself and have not made a monk out of yourself. 28. Again he said: one monk lived in the desert in a cave and was informed by relatives according to the flesh that his father was very ill and would soon die and that he should come to receive an inheritance. But he answered them: I died to the world before him, and the dead do not inherit the living. 29. The brethren once came to Abba Macarius in Skete and, finding nothing in the cell except rotten water, they said to him: Abba! Go up to the village and we will put you to rest. The elder asked them: Do you know, brethren, the bread of such and such in the city? They answered: we know. The elder said: I know her too. Do you also know so-and-so’s garden by the river? They tell him: we know. The elder said to them: I know him too. So, if I want something, I will not need you, but I will get it for myself. 30. They told about Abba Moses from Skete: when he, intending to settle in Petra, went there and said to himself, how am I going to collect water for myself here? And a voice came to him saying: settle down and do not worry about anything. And he settled there. One day his fathers came to him, but he only had one mug of water, and it was used to cook lentils. The elder grieved and therefore, leaving and entering, he prayed to God. And then a rain cloud came to Petra itself, and water filled all its vessels. The elders asked him later: tell us, what did you go out and go in? Abba Moses answered them: I executed judgment with God, saying to Him: You brought me here, and now I have no water for Your servants to drink. That's why I went out and in, begging God until He sent her to us. 31. They said about Abba Megephia: if, upon leaving his cell, the thought came to him to leave that place, then he did not return to his cell, for he had nothing of the things of this age, except for one needle, with which he split branches. He made three baskets every day - just to feed himself. 32. The brother asked Abba Pistimon: what should I do, father? I am embarrassed and have no peace when selling my handicrafts. The elder said to him in response: Abba Sisoes and the other fathers sold their handicrafts - there is no harm in this, but when you sell, tell once the price of the thing - something small, but if you want to reduce the price - it is in your power. And in this way you will find peace. The brother asked him again: if I have everything I need from anywhere, do you advise me to take care of needlework? The elder answered: no matter how much you have, do not abandon your handicrafts; do as much as you can, but not with anxiety. 33. They talked about Abba Silouan: one day his disciple Zechariah went out without him and, having gathered the brethren, broke down the fence of the garden and made it wider. When the elder found out about this, he took his mantle and, going out, said to the brethren: pray for me. Seeing him, they fell at the old man’s feet, saying: Tell us, what do you have, father? And he answered: I will not go inside and the mantle will not leave me until you move the fence to its original place. Then the brethren rearranged the fence, making it as it was, and the elder returned to his cell. 34. Abba Silouan said: I am a slave, and my master said to me: do my work, and I will feed you. Do I have anything myself, or will I steal, or borrow - don’t ask about it, just work; and I will feed you. So, if I work, then I eat from the payment for my labors, and if I do not work, then I eat alms. 35. The brother asked Abba Serapion to say a word to him, and the elder answered: what should I tell you? You took what belonged to the widows and orphans and put it on this window, for you saw that it was full of books. 36. Blessed Syncletica was asked: is non-covetousness a perfect good? She answered: “It is absolutely perfect for those who can bear it, for those who endure it, although they have sorrow in the flesh, are at peace in their souls.” Just as a stiff dress, when washed, is wrinkled and squeezed hard, so a strong soul is strengthened by poverty, especially arbitrary poverty. 37. Abba Iperechius said: a treasure for a monk is voluntary non-acquisitiveness. Brother, treasure in heaven! For the centuries of peace are endless. 38. One of the saints named Philagrios, who lived in the Jerusalem desert and worked diligently in order to have his own bread, once stood in the market, selling his handicrafts. At this time, someone dropped a wallet with a thousand coins, and the elder, having found it, stood in that place, hoping that the loser would come here. And here he goes in tears. The elder took him aside and gave him the wallet. He held him back, wanting to give him some of them, but the elder did not want to. Then he began to shout: come, look at the man of God! Find out what he did! The elder hid and left the city, so as not to be glorified. 39. Abba Zoik, presbyter of Tamiata, said that he heard from his father Abba Nathanael that Abba Arseny was rivaled by seven other senators who were monastics in the Skete, and that they, having renounced everything they owned, used poor clay vessels and said: may God see and, having mercy, forgive us our sins. 40. One man, intending to renounce the world, came to the elder and said to him: I want to become a monk. The elder answered him: you cannot. He says: no, I can. The elder said: if you want to become a monk, go, renounce everything and, having come here, sit in your cell. He went, distributed what he had, keeping a hundred coins for himself, and came to the elder. The elder says to him: now go and sit in your cell. He went and settled in a cell. Then his thoughts began to tell him: the door is dilapidated, a new one is needed. He went to the elder and opened it to him: my thoughts tell me that the door is dilapidated and a new one is needed. The elder answered him: you have not renounced yet, but go, renounce everything and sit here. He went, distributed ninety coins and, returning, said to the elder: “I have renounced.” And the elder again said to him: go and sit in your cell. But his thoughts again began to tell him: the roof is dilapidated, it needs to be changed. And when he revealed this to the elder, he said: go, renounce. He went, gave everything away and, returning, said to the elder: now he has renounced everything. And again, with the elder’s permission, he sat down in his cell, but his thoughts again began to tell him: everything here is dilapidated and the place is deserted, a lion will come and eat you. He went to the elder and revealed these thoughts; The elder replied to this: tell your thoughts: I expect everything that comes to me: whether the cell falls or the lion comes and eats me, the sooner I will get rid of it. Say this to your thoughts and sit, without dreaming, in your cell, pray often, fearing nothing and not worrying about anything. Having done this, the brother calmed down. 41. One monk was sick. The abbot of a certain monastery received him and laid him to rest as if he were poor and had nothing necessary; He also said to the brethren who were above him: force yourself a little and let us give rest to the weak. Meanwhile, the sick man had a pot full of gold, and hid it by digging a hole under the bed on which he was lying. A short time later, the patient died without saying anything about the gold, and after his funeral, Abba ordered that the bed be taken away, and the hidden gold was discovered. Then Abba said: if he did not confess about it while he was still alive, did not say anything when dying, but put his hope in gold, then I will not touch him. Go and bury him with him. Then fire came down from heaven and stayed on his grave for many days. And all who saw it marveled at it and were horrified. 42. One young man, wanting to renounce the world, often left the house for this purpose, but his thoughts returned him, entangling him with things, for he was rich. One day, when the young man went out with the same purpose, his thoughts surrounded him and made a big noise in order to bring him back again, but he suddenly undressed and threw away his clothes, running naked to the monastery. At this time, God revealed to one old man: get up and receive my fighter. The elder went out and met the young man, and having investigated the matter, he was surprised and clothed him with the schema. From then on, if anyone came to the elder to ask about various thoughts, he answered himself, but if they asked about thoughts of renunciation, he said: ask such and such a brother. 43. Someone asked one elder to accept money for his needs, but the elder did not want to take it, being content with his handicrafts. He never stopped asking to accept them, at least for other people in need. The elder answered this: this will be a double shame: the first - that I will accept without need, and the second - that, by distributing what belongs to others, I will be vain. 44. One noble man, who came from a foreign country to Skete, brought a lot of gold and asked the presbyter to distribute it to the brethren. The presbyter replied: the brethren have no need. But since this man strongly convinced him, the presbyter placed a basket of gold at the church door and said: he who has need, let him take it. However, none of the brothers approached her, and others did not even look at her. Then the presbyter said to him: God has accepted your love; go and give it to the poor. And he departed, having received great benefit. 45. Someone brought money to an old man who had leprosy and said: Take it for your expenses, for you are already old and weak. But the elder replied: you came to take my sixty-year-old trophy! I have been in this illness for so long and have not needed anything, for God has given and nourished me. And he didn’t agree to accept it. 46. ​​The elders told about one gardener that he worked diligently and gave everything that he obtained through his labor to alms, keeping for himself only for maintenance. But Satan gave him the idea to collect a small sum for himself, so that when you get old or sick, you won’t have to support yourself. Then he collected himself a pot of coins. And, indeed, he happened to get sick - his leg began to rot, and he spent all his money on doctors, without receiving any benefit. Finally, one experienced doctor came and concluded: if your leg is not cut off, your whole body will rot. And he agreed to this, but at night, having come to his senses and repenting of what he had done, he groaned and cried, saying: remember, Lord, my former deeds, which I did when, working, I gave everything to the brothers. As soon as he said this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and asked: where is the pot that you filled, and where is the hope that you had for it? The gardener recognized his sin and said: I have sinned, Lord, forgive me. From now on I won’t do this anymore. Then an angel touched his foot, and it was immediately healed. And rising at dawn, he went to work in the field. The doctor came, as agreed, with iron tools to saw off his leg and, having learned that he was working in the field, went there in amazement. When he saw the gardener digging the ground, he glorified God, who had given him healing. 47. The brother asked the elder: would you advise me to keep two olokotins (a coin of Egypt) in case of bodily illness? The elder replied: it is not good to withhold more than is needed. If you hold on to two elbows, then you will place your hope in them, and God will no longer care about you, but we will cast all our sorrow on Nan, for He cares about us (1 Pet. 5:7). 48. Some Hellenes came to Ostrakin to give alms and took with them stewards so that they could show them those in dire need. The economists brought them to one leper, but he refused to accept alms, saying: here are a few branches - I weave and, working, I eat my bread. Then they led them to the hut of a widow and her children. When they knocked, her daughter, who was naked, answered, but their mother, a laundress, was at work. The daughter refused to accept the clothes and money, saying: “My mother told me: be brave.” If God wills and I find a job, we will have food for ourselves. When the mother came, they asked to accept her, but she didn’t want to, saying: I have a guardian for myself - God, and you want to take Him from me! Having discovered such faith in her, they glorified God. 49. The elder said: if you want the kingdom, despise wealth, for it is impossible for someone who is voluptuous and money-loving to live according to God. 50. One of the fathers said: there was one old man who was granted great gifts from God and became very famous for the sake of his virtuous life. His fame reached the king himself, and the king sent for him in order to be worthy of his prayers. Having talked with the elder and having received much benefit from that conversation, the king offered him gold. The elder accepted, and returning to his place, he began to worry about fertilizing the field and other acquisitions. One day, according to custom, a demon-possessed man came to him, and the elder said to the demon: get out of God’s creation. But the demon answered him: I don’t listen to you. The elder asked: why? And the demon answered: because, having abandoned the care of God and taken up earthly care, you have become like one of us. That's why I don't listen to you and don't go out. 51. One brother found a log that had fallen from a camel on the road and brought it to his cell. Abba asked him: where did you bring this from? The brother replied: out of the way. And the elder said: if it was carried there by the wind, then bring it inside; if not, then go and put it in its original place. 52. One ascetic was overcome by the love of money and from his handicraft acquired first one coin, then another, then a third, then he tried to bring them to five; and suddenly he became very ill, because his leg had rotted. He spent first one, and then all five coins on treatment, but did not receive relief, and the doctor finally told him that he had to cut off his leg, otherwise his whole body would rot. The elder agreed, but at night, when he was crying, an angel appeared to him, touched his foot, wiped away the ulcer with his hand and asked the elder: will you still collect those five coins? What do you say now? And, instantly healing him, he became invisible. When the doctor came in the afternoon, the elder received him and told him about what had happened, which surprised him so much that he, a Hellenic, became a Christian. 53. The elder said: a person who has tasted the sweetness of non-covetousness is burdened by the very clothes he wears and the water jug, because his mind is occupied with other things. 54. He also said: he who does not hate substances, how can he, according to the commandment of the Lord, hate his soul? 55. The elder said: in your cell do not have clothes that would hang idle, for this is death for you: others - those more righteous than you - will be cold, and you, a sinner, have too much. 56. Again he said: do not have any superfluous things - even the smallest things that lie idle, for you will give an account for them too. 57. He also said: do not tolerate gold for your entire life, otherwise God will no longer care for you. When it reaches you, then if you need clothing or food, buy it immediately; if you do not need it, do not let it spend the night with you. 58. He said again: if you have a cell that can barely accommodate you alone, do not build another one because you want to find space in it. 59. He said: if you buy a book, do not decorate its wrappings; Also, do not keep a valuable stand in your prayer room. 60. He also said: let your hands never find things of silver or gold - even the smallest ones - in your cell. 61. Again he said: let not the new garment come upon your body, nor the kukuli that pleases you. 62. He also said: do not hang towels on your belt, for this also prevents contrition and crying in you. And in general, everything - your bed, your vessels, your shoes, your belt - should be such that if thieves come, they would not want to take anything from what is in your cell. 63. He said: If you see a vessel or any instrument of your brother, do not covet it, for otherwise you will fall into greater evil. He who desires a small and bad thing, if he sees the best, will desire that too. 64. He also said: if you have a vessel, or a knife, or a furrower, or anything else, and you see that your thought loves it, throw it away from yourself, so as to teach your thought to love nothing at all except Christ alone. 65. He said again: if you give someone something out of love and your thought begins to grieve as if you gave a lot, do not listen to him, since he is satanic. As much as you can, live in poverty and humility so that you yourself no longer need to accept alms. For the one who gives rejoices in his heart, thinking that he is doing a good deed, but the one who does not have and living in poverty comes to great humility, thinking that he is not doing anything good and is not giving anything. This is how our fathers lived; This is how Abba Arseny found God. 66. The elder said: love poverty and do not have beautiful things in your cell, for when the soul seeks something and does not find it, it humbles itself; and then God consoles her and gives her tenderness. As soon as the soul tastes the sweetness of God, it begins to hate even the clothes it wears and its very body. I tell you, my son, that if the soul does not hate its body as its adversary and enemy, not allowing it pleasure in anything - even the smallest - then it will never be able to free itself from the devil’s snare. Abba Isaiah gives these commandments to a person who is young in body: do not take the hand of another; do not approach the body of someone else, unless in great illness and then with fear; Equally, do not allow someone else’s hand to approach you or look at you; Never tell anyone to remove a speck from your beard, or from your head, or from your clothing; do not sleep near anyone for the rest of your life; do not give a kiss even in church to a youth who does not have a beard, when he comes from a foreign country, do not laugh with him, lest your soul perish; do not sit or sit near him and do not approach each other at all; in the needs of your womb, do not sit down with another, for the truly reverent are ashamed even of themselves. Many, despising these things as insignificant, fell into the pit from them and died, for every great evil is at first small and then becomes great. May the Lord strengthen us in His fear. 67. The brother asked the elder: tell me, Abba, how can I be saved? The elder threw off his leviton, girded his loins and, hanging himself by his hands, said: so a monk should be naked from all the things of the world and crucified in struggles. You might be interested in: