Глава 8. Св. Исаака Сирианина о молитве и трезвении

Taken from articles from his words. The quote at the end of them indicates the page. When there is no citation, it means that the article is on the same page as the previous one. 1) No one can approach God unless he withdraws from the world. 2) The heart cannot remain in silence and be without dreams while a person is affected by feelings. 3) Until the soul comes to rest through faith in God, it will not heal the infirmities of the senses, and will not be able to trample with force the visible substance, which serves as a barrier to the internal. 4) By serving the senses, the heart is scattered, losing its delight in God. 5) If lust, as they say, is a product of feelings; then let those who assert about themselves that they maintain peace of mind even when having fun be silent. 6) To eliminate disturbing memories that arise in the flesh, nothing is as sufficient as immersing oneself in the love of studying the Divine Scripture and comprehending the depth of its thoughts. When thoughts are immersed in the pleasure of comprehending the wisdom hidden in words; then a person, to the extent that he extracts clarification from them, leaves the world behind him to the same extent, forgets everything that is in the world, and erases all memories and all effective images of the reification of the world in his soul. 7) Like the yoke of a scale, if its bowls are burdened with a very heavy load, it is not easy to be shaken by the blow of the wind; so the mind, under the burden of the fear of God and shame, is hardly seduced by what leads it to waver. And to the extent that fear becomes scarce in the mind, to the same extent vicissitude and variability begin to dominate it. Manage to place the fear of God at the foundation of your march; and in a few days, without turning around on the way, you will be at the gates of the Kingdom. 8) Do you want to be in communion with God with your mind, accepting into yourself the feeling of this pleasure, not enslaved to the senses? Serve alms. When she is found inside you; then this holy beauty is depicted in you, by which you become like God. The comprehensiveness of acts of alms produces in the soul communication with the Divine without mediation. 9) Spiritual unity (with God) is unimpressable remembrance; it continuously burns in the heart with fiery love, in non-deviation from the commandments, borrowing strength to remain in union not with violence to nature, and not according to nature. 10) The gratitude of the receiver encourages the giver to give gifts greater than the first. He who is ungrateful for small things is deceitful and unjust in large things. 11) He who is sick and knows his illness should seek treatment. He who declares his illness to others is close to his cure, and will easily find it. There is no unforgivable sin except unrepentant sin. 12) Always keep in mind those who are superior to you in virtue, so that you can constantly see in yourself a deficiency against their measure. 13) Remember the fall of the strong, and humble yourself in your virtues. Remember the grave falls of those who fell in ancient times and those who repented, as well as the height and honor that they were awarded after this; and you will take courage in your repentance. 14) Pursue yourself, and your enemy will be driven away by your approach. Make peace with yourself; and heaven and earth will make peace with you. Strive to enter your inner cage, and you will see the heavenly cage; because both are one and the same, and when you enter one, you see both. The ladder of this kingdom is inside you, hidden in your soul. 15) Be in fellowship with those who are saddened in heart, through prayerful work, and with affection of the heart; and a source of mercy will be opened to your petitions. 16) Constantly bother yourself with prayers before God, carrying in your heart a pure thought, filled with tenderness; and God will preserve your mind from unclean and nasty thoughts, so that the path of God will not be reproached because of you. 17) Constantly exercise yourself in meditation, reading the Divine Scriptures with their full understanding, so that, with the idleness of your mind, your (mental) vision is not defiled by obscene thoughts. 18) Do not dare to tempt your mind with obscene thoughts or the sight of persons leading you into temptation, even when you think that you will not be overcome by this; because the wise were thus darkened and fell into foolishness. You cannot hide the flame in your bosom without severe pain in your flesh. 19) The beginning of darkening of the mind is primarily seen in laziness towards God’s service and prayer. For if the soul does not first fall away from this, there is no other way to spiritual deception; when (for laziness in prayer) she is deprived of God’s help, she conveniently falls into the hands of her opponents. 20) Continuously reveal your weakness before God, and you will not be tempted by strangers, as soon as you are left alone without your intercessor (Guardian Angel). 21) Through labor and self-preservation, purity of thoughts exudes, and purity of thoughts exudes the light of thinking. From here, by grace, the mind is guided to that over which the senses have no power. 22) Imagine that virtue is the body, contemplation is the soul, and both are one perfect person, united by a spirit of two parts, the sensual and the rational. And just as it is impossible for the soul to come into being (begin to manifest itself) without the perfect formation of the body with its members, so it is impossible for the soul to come into contemplation without performing deeds of virtue. 23) The word world is a collective name that embraces what is called passions. If a person does not first know what the world is; then he will not achieve knowledge by what members he is far from the world, and by what means he is connected with it. There are many who have renounced the world with two or three members, and have refused to communicate with the world, and have thought of themselves that they have become strangers to the world in their lives, because they did not understand and did not see that with only two members they died to the world, while their other members live in the world. They were unable to recognize their passions; and since they did not recognize them, they did not care about their healing. 24) When we want to name passions collectively, we call them peace; and when we want to distinguish by the difference in their names, we call them passions. These passions are: commitment to wealth and things, bodily pleasure, desire for honor, power and glory, desire to dress up, envy, rancor, etc. Where these passions stop flowing, there the world died. Someone said about the saints that while they were still alive, they became dead, because while they lived in the flesh, they did not live according to the flesh. And look at which of these parts you live; then you will know how you died to the world. 25) Passions are something additional, and the soul itself is guilty of them. For by nature the soul is dispassionate. We believe that God created everything created in his image to be impassive. By being created in the image I mean not in relation to the body, but to the soul, which is invisible. From this we must be convinced that passions are not in the nature of the soul, and that consequently the soul is outside its nature as soon as it comes into passionate movement. 26) If virtue is naturally the health of the soul, then the illness of the soul will be passions, something accidental that has entered the nature of the soul and leads it out of its own health. Thus, we must boldly say that passions are not at all natural to the soul; because illness comes later than health. If passions were natural in the soul; then why would the soul suffer harm from them? What actually belongs to nature does not harm it. 27) Purity of mind is enlightenment by the divine, through active exercise in virtues. And we dare not say that anyone would acquire this without temptation of thoughts. I call temptation of thoughts not only to obey them, but to begin the fight against them. 28) The movement of thoughts occurs in a person for four reasons: firstly, from the natural carnal will (natural needs); secondly, from the sensory representation of worldly objects, which a person hears about and which he sees; thirdly, from pre-occupied concepts and mental inclinations (old habits); fourthly, from the attack of demons who fight with us, involving us in all passions, for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, until his death, while he is in the life of this flesh, a person cannot help but have thoughts and battles. 29) Every person needs to protect himself not from one passion, which is clearly and incessantly active in him, and not from two, but from all. Those who have conquered the passions within themselves through virtues, although they are disturbed by thoughts, nevertheless do not yield to victory over themselves, because they have strength, and their mind is delighted with good and divine remembrances. 30) Purity of mind occurs when, instead of empty, vain and sinful thoughts, it is filled with pure, holy and divine thoughts. Purity of heart occurs when it frees itself from all sympathy for objects of passion and loves only the opposite of them). If the mind applies diligence to reading the divine scriptures, it will work a little in fasting, in vigils, in silence; then he forgets his previous life (and previous thoughts) and achieves purity (being filled with good thoughts borrowed from scripture and supported by it). However, he will not have lasting purity; because soon it is cleansed, but soon it is defiled. (And most importantly, because its purity depends on the purity of the heart. Until the heart is cleansed, good thoughts in the mind are fragile. As soon as sympathy for something passionate appears in the heart, unkind thoughts will immediately begin to crowd into the mind). The heart achieves purity through many sorrows, deprivations, removal from communication with everything that is in the worldly world, and by killing itself for all this (in a word - through labors and exploits, with which, driving out passions from itself, it implants in itself the virtues that are opposite to them). If anyone’s heart has achieved (this way) purity; then his purity (sometimes strong) will not be defiled by anything small, and is not afraid of great battles: for it was acquired by long labors and over a long time. 31) Chaste and united feelings generate peace in the soul and do not allow it to enter into the testing of things. And when the soul does not accept the sensations of things, then victory is achieved without struggle. If a person is careless and allows enemies to have access to him, then he is forced to endure the abuse. The original purity, which can be very simple and even, is also indignant. For due to this negligence, most people, or the whole world, leave the natural and pure state. For this reason, those who live in the world in close ties with worldly people cannot purify their minds, for the reason that they have learned a lot of vice. Therefore, every person should always carefully guard his feelings and mind from battles. For much is required of sobriety, vigilance, and forethought. 32) Human nature, in order to maintain the limits of obedience to God, requires fear. Love for God arouses in a person a love for doing virtues, and thereby is drawn into doing good. Spiritual knowledge, by its nature, is later than the practice of virtues. Both are preceded by fear and love. And again love is preceded by fear. 33) Take care to acquire within yourself the One who is most precious. Leave the little to gain the great. Despise what is superfluous and of little value in order to gain what is of great value. Be dead in your life, so that you may live after death. Give yourself over to dying in exploits, and not living in negligence. For not only those martyrs who accepted death for faith in Christ, but also those who die for keeping the commandments of Christ. 34) Do not be foolish in your petitions, lest you offend God by the smallness of your knowledge. Be wise in your prayers so that you may receive glory. Ask the worthy one from the Giver without envy, so that you may receive honor from Him for your wise desire. Solomon asked himself for wisdom, and since he asked wisely from the great King, he accepted the kingdom of the earth with wisdom. Elisha asked for the greatest measure of the grace of spirit that the teacher had, and his request did not remain unfulfilled. For whoever covets something unimportant from the King humiliates his honor. Bring your petitions to God in accordance with His glory, so that your dignity will be magnified before Him and He will rejoice over you. Here are the Angels and Archangels - these nobles of the King, during your prayer, direct their attention to you, with what petition you will turn to their Lord; and they are amazed and rejoice when they see that you, the earthly one, have left your flesh and ask for heavenly things. 35) Do not ask God for what He Himself gives us without asking according to His providence, and gives not only to His own and beloved, but also to those who are strangers to the knowledge of Him. The Son no longer asks his Father for bread, but seeks the greatest and highest things in his Father’s house. For out of the weakness of the human mind alone, the Lord commanded to ask for daily bread. 36) If you ask God for something, and He is slow to hear you soon; do not be sad, because you are no wiser than God. This happens to you, either because you are not worthy to receive what you ask; or because the ways of your heart are not consistent, but contrary to your petitions; or because you have not yet come sufficiently to receive the gift you ask. For we should not touch upon great measures ahead of time, so that the gift of God, from the speed of its acceptance, does not become useless, because what is easily received is soon lost; nevertheless, acquired with heart disease, and is stored with caution. 37) Pray not to fall into spiritual temptations, but prepare for bodily temptations with all your strength. For outside of them you cannot approach God; because divine peace is prepared among them. He who runs from temptations runs from virtue. I mean the temptation not of desires, but of sorrows. 38) Pray not to fall into temptation regarding faith. Pray that, together with the demon of blasphemy and pride, you will not fall into the temptations of self-conceit in your mind. Pray that, by God’s permission, you will not fall into obvious temptation from the devil because of the evil thoughts that you have thought in your mind, and for which temptations are allowed. Pray that the Angel of your chastity will not depart from you, that sin will not raise a fiery battle against you and separate you from him. Pray not to fall into the temptation of double-mindedness and doubt (wavering hope), which leads the soul into great struggle. – And prepare to accept bodily temptations with all your soul, and swim through them with all your members; and fill your eyes with tears, so that your Guardian does not depart from you. For outside temptations the Providence of God is not seen, it is impossible to acquire boldness before God, it is impossible to learn the wisdom of the Spirit, and there is also no possibility for Divine love to be established in your soul. Before temptations, a person prays to God like a stranger. When he enters into temptations out of love for God, and does not allow himself to change, then he is counted with God as if he had Him as his debtor, and as a sincere friend; because, in fulfillment of the will of God, he fought with the enemy of God and defeated him. 39) Our Lord commanded to pray about bodily temptations. For knowing that our nature, due to the earthy and mortal body, is weak, and when it is in temptations, it is not able to resist them and therefore falls away from the truth, turns its spine and is overcome by sorrows - He commanded us to pray so that we would not fall into temptation suddenly, if even without them it is possible to please God. 40) From now on, with all our might, we will begin to neglect the body, surrender our souls to God, and in the name of the Lord we will begin to fight temptations. And Who saved Joseph in the land of Egypt, showing him an example of chastity, Who kept Daniel unharmed in the den of lions and three young men in the fiery cave, Who delivered Jeremiah from the pit of the mud, and gave him mercy in the camp of the Chaldeans, Who brought Peter out of prison with the doors closed, and saved Paul from the host of the Jews, - in short, Who is always in every place, in He is present in every country with His servants, and reveals His strength and victory in them, observes them in many extraordinary circumstances, shows them His salvation in all their sorrows - May He strengthen us and save us among the waves surrounding us! 41) Let there be in our souls as much zeal against the devil and his followers as there was in the Maccabees and the Holy Prophets, and the Apostles, and the martyrs, and the saints, and the righteous, who, under the most difficult temptations, having laid down the world and the body behind them, stood in truth, did not yield victory over themselves to the dangers that, together with their souls, surrounded their bodies, but defeated them courageously. Their names are written in the book of life, and their teaching is observed for our instruction and strengthening, so that we may become wise and know the ways of God, having their lives before our eyes as living and animate examples, and walking in their path. Tales of the righteous are as desirable to the ears of the meek as constant watering to a newly planted plant. 42) As a kind of good medicine for weak eyes, keep in mind the Providence of God, which protects everything from the beginning to the present. Keep the remembrance of this at every hour, meditate and worry about this, extract instructions from this for yourself, so that you can learn to keep in your soul the remembrance of the greatness of God’s honor, and find in your soul eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who, as God and man, became the intercessor of God and men. 43) If he is overcome by any passion, when he falls, let him not forget the love of his heavenly Father; but if he happens to fall into many different sins, let him not cease to strive for good, let him not stop in his course: but let him who is prompted again rise up to fight with his opponents, and daily let him begin to lay the foundation of a destroyed building, until his very departure from this world, having in his mouth the prophetic word: “Do not rejoice in me, my adversary, as I am fallen, for I will rise again... even if I sit in darkness, The Lord will give me light" (Mic. 7:8); and let him never stop fighting until his death, and as long as there is breath in him; Let him not give up his soul to be overcome, even during the very defeat. But if every day his boat is broken and all its cargo is wrecked, let him not cease to take care, to stock up, even to borrow, to switch to other ships and to sail with hope, until the Lord, having looked upon his feat and having compassion on his contrition, sends him His mercy, and gives him strong incentives to meet and endure the kindled arrows of the enemy. Such is the wise patient who does not lose his hope. 44) One of the child-loving spiritual fathers says: “if you, children, are truly ascetics striving for virtue, and you have spiritual zeal; then desire to present your mind pure to Christ, and to do deeds pleasing to Him. For we must certainly withstand for this every battle raised by natural passions, the opposition of this world, the constant and never-ending malice of demons, and with all their evil tricks. Do not be afraid that the cruelty of the battle is continuous and prolonged; do not be shaken by the long duration of the struggle; do not weaken and do not tremble from the enemy’s armies; do not fall into the abyss of hopelessness, if, perhaps, it happens to you for a while to creep and sin. But even if you suffer anything in this great battle, you will be struck in the face and wounded; Let this in no way hinder you from striving for your good goal. Above all, remain in your chosen work and achieve this longed-for and praiseworthy end, i.e. that is, to find yourself in battle firm, undefeated, not stained with the blood of your wounds - and in no way stop fighting your opponents.” 45) Woe to the monk (and every Christian) who lies to his vow, and, trampling on his conscience, gives his hand to the devil, so that he can boast of involving him in some kind of small or great sins, and who cannot again stand before the face of his enemies with the contrite part of his soul. - With what face will he appear as a Judge when, having achieved purity, his friends meet each other - the very same ones with whom, having been separated on his journey, he went down the path of destruction, lost both the boldness that the venerables have before God, and that prayer that comes from a pure heart, the mountain ascends above the angelic powers, and is not forbidden by anything until he receives what he asks for in it, and returns with joy to the one who sent it her lips? “And the most terrible thing is that, just as here he was separated from them on his journey, so Christ the Lord will separate him from them on the day when a bright cloud carries bodies on its ridge, shining with purity, and places them at the gates of heaven. 46) Who keeps his heart from passions; he sees the Lord hourly. – Who always thinks about God; he drives away demons from himself and eradicates the seed of their malice. - He who watches over his soul hourly, his heart rejoices at revelations. – He who concentrates the vision of his mind within himself sees the spiritual dawn within himself. -Whoever abhors all soaring of the mind, he sees his Lord inside his heart. 47) If you love purity, in which the Lord of all can be seen; then do not judge anyone and do not listen to anyone who condemns his brother. If others argue in front of you, close your ears and run away from there, so that you do not hear angry expressions, and your soul does not die, having lost its life. An irritated heart cannot contain the mysteries of God; and the meek and humble of wisdom is the source of the mysteries of the new age. 48) If you are pure, then heaven is within you, and in yourself you will see the Angels and their light, and with them and in them the Lord of the Angels. 49) He who watches his tongue will never be robbed by it. Silent lips interpret the mysteries of God; and he who is quick to speak departs from his Creator. He who is silent with his tongue in all his appearance acquires humility and decorum, and he will easily prevail over the passions. 50) Just as in the silent silence of the sensual sea a dolphin rushes and swims: so in the silence and calming of irritability and anger in the sea of ​​the heart, at all times, to the joy of the heart, secrets and divine revelations rush in it. 51) Passions are eradicated and put to flight by the constant immersion of thought in God. This is the sword that kills them. He who desires to see the Lord within himself makes an effort to purify his heart by constant remembrance of God: and thus, with the brightness of the eyes of his mind, he will see the Lord hourly. What happens to a fish that comes out of the water? This happens to a mind that has emerged from the remembrance of God and soars with the remembrance of the world. 52) To the extent that a person withdraws from conversing with people, to the same extent he is rewarded with a bold mind to converse with God: and to the extent that he cuts off from himself the consolations of this world, to that extent he is rewarded with the joy of God in the Holy Spirit. And how fish die from lack of water; Thus, mental movements that arise with the help of God disappear in the heart of a monk who often turns and spends time with worldly people. 53) Who, with fiery zeal, day and night, seeks God in his heart, and eradicates in him the attacks that come from the enemy; he is terrible to demons and desired by God and His Angels. The pure in soul has a mental area within him; the sun shining in it is the light of the Holy Trinity; the air that the inhabitants of this region breathe is the Comforting and All-Holy Spirit; co-seated in it are holy and ethereal natures; and their life and joy and joy is Christ, Light from Light - the Father. Such a one, with the vision of his soul, is every hour amused and amazed at his beauty, which is truly a hundred times more brilliant than the light of the sun. This is Jerusalem and the kingdom of God, hidden within us, according to the Lord’s word. This region is the cloud of God’s glory, into which only the pure in heart will enter to see the face of their Master, and to illuminate their minds with the rays of the Master’s light. 54) Those who are irritable, those who are angry, those who are lovers of glory, those who are covetous, those who are gluttonous, those who treat the laity, those who want their own will to be done, those who are quick-tempered and filled with passions - all of these are outside the realm of life and light: for this area is the lot of those who have made their hearts pure. 55) Whoever humiliates and belittles himself, God makes him wise. And whoever considers himself wise falls away from God’s wisdom. 56) He who is chaste, humble in wisdom, abhors freedom in words, and has driven irritability from his heart; he, as soon as he begins to pray, sees in his soul the light of the Holy Spirit, and jumps in the brilliance of illumination by His light, and rejoices in the vision of the glory of this illumination and its change until he becomes like himself. There is no other work that could so overthrow the armies of unclean demons as vision in God. 57) Blessed is he who remembers his departure from this life and refrains from attachment to the pleasures of this world; because he will receive greatly increased satisfaction during his departure. - He is born of God; and the Holy Spirit is his feeder; from the womb of the Spirit he sucks life-giving food, and to his joy he smells its stench. 58) Nothing cools so much the fire breathed into the heart by the Holy Spirit for the sanctification of the soul as dealing with people, talking a lot and any conversation, except conversation with the children of the mysteries of God, which contributes to an increase in the knowledge of God and to rapprochement with God. For such conversation, more powerful than all virtues, awakens the soul to life, eradicates passions and lulls bad thoughts to sleep. Staying and interacting with ascetics enriches both with the mysteries of God. 59) The meal of one who is always in prayer is sweeter than any fragrance of musk or perfume of the world: the lover of God desires it as a priceless treasure. From the meal of those who fast, stay on vigil, and work for the Lord, borrow for yourself the medicine of life, and awaken your soul from deadness. For among them, sanctifying them, the Beloved reclines, and the bitterness of their suffering transforms into its inscrutable sweetness, while His spiritual and heavenly servants overshadow them and their holy dishes. And I know one of the brothers who clearly saw this with his own eyes. 60) Someone told me from his own experience: “on the days I have a conversation with someone, on those days I eat three or four crackers a day; If I begin to force myself to pray, then my mind does not have boldness towards God, and I cannot direct my thoughts to Him. When I am separated from my interlocutors for silence, on the first day I force myself to eat one and a half crackers, on the second - one, and as soon as my mind is established in silence, I try to eat one whole cracker, but I cannot, but my mind constantly boldly talks with God, although I do not force it to do so, and the luminosity of the Divine, without diminishing, illuminates me to see the beauty of the Divine light, and is amused by it. If, during the silence, it happens that someone comes and talks with me for even one hour, it is impossible for me not to add more food, not to leave something from the rule, not to relax my mind to contemplate this light.” 61) I was with one brother and this is what I saw. This brother got up at night and spoke poetry for a very long time; then he suddenly abandoned the rule, fell on his face, and hit his head into the ground a hundred times or more with the fervor that grace kindled in his heart. After this, he stood up, kissed the Lord’s cross, bowed again, and kissed the same cross, and again threw himself on his face. And he observed this custom all his life in such a way that it is impossible for me to depict the number of his many genuflections. And who would be able to count the bows this brother made every night? Twenty times with fear and ardor, with love dissolved in reverence, he kissed the cross, and again began to bow and verse; and sometimes, from the great ignition of his thoughts, which inflamed him with their fervor, when he was unable to bear the kindling of that flame, overcome by joy, because he could not restrain himself, he cried out. In the morning, when he sat down to read, he became like a captive man, and in the continuation of each chapter he read, he more than once fell on his face, and in many verses he raised his hands to heaven and praised God. 62) I heard from one elder: “every prayer in which the body did not tire and the heart did not grieve is counted along with the premature fruit of the womb, because such prayer does not have a soul in it.” 63) Be like the Cherubim and do not think that besides you and God there is anyone else on earth for you to care about. 64) Prayerful delight is another thing, and prayerful contemplation is another. The latter is superior to the former to the same extent that a perfect man is superior to an imperfect youth. Sometimes verses become sweet in the mouth, and the verse of one verse in prayer is repeated countless times, not allowing one to move on to another verse; and the one who prays does not know satiety. Sometimes a certain contemplation is born from prayer, and it interrupts oral prayer, and the one praying in contemplation is amazed, numb in his body. We call this state prayerful contemplation, and not vision and ecstasy, or a dreamy ghost of something. 65) Just as all the power of the laws and commandments that God has given to people, according to the word of the fathers, has its limit in purity of heart, so all the kinds and types of prayer that people pray to God have their limit in pure prayer. For sighs, genuflections, heartfelt petitions, the sweetest cries, and all types of prayer have their limit in pure prayer, and only have the opportunity to reach out to it. Feat in prayer is only up to this prayer; and beyond this limit there will be amazement, and not prayer, because all prayer ceases, and a certain contemplation begins. 66) Just as out of many thousands there is hardly one who has fulfilled the commandments and thereby achieved spiritual purity: so out of a thousand is there only one who, with great diligence and vigilance, has been vouchsafed to achieve pure prayer; and the one who has achieved that sacrament, which is already behind this prayer, is barely found from generation to generation. 67) Prayer is supplication that contains either petition, or thanksgiving, or praise. Prayer movements are limited to these movements. And the purity and impurity of a prayer depends on the following: if at the very time the mind is preparing to make one of its said movements, some extraneous thought or concern about something is mixed in with it, then this prayer is not called pure. 68) The saints in the age to come, where their minds are absorbed in the Spirit, do not pray in prayer, but are raised with amazement in the glory that delights them. This happens to us too. How soon will the mind be able to sense future bliss; he will forget himself and everything here, and will no longer have any movement in himself towards anything. Usually the mind is the steward of feelings and thoughts, and the king of passions: but when the control of the Spirit dominates it; then the power will be taken away from him, and he will no longer guide, but no longer guide. And where will prayer then be, when nature is unable to have power over itself, but is guided by another force, it itself does not know where, is taken possession of at that hour by the power that has captivated it, and does not feel where it is being guided by it? Then a person does not even know whether he is in the body or apart from the body (2 Cor. 12:2). And will there be prayer in someone who is so captivated and unaware of himself? 69) This state, although it does not have the usual prayerful movements, is nevertheless called prayer both because it is standing before God, and because this grace is given to the worthy during prayer, and has its beginning in prayer, since, except for such a time, there is no place for visiting this glorious grace. At other times it has no place. For we know that many saints, as it is related in their lives, stood in prayer and were admired for their intelligence. But if anyone asks: why do these great and indescribable gifts occur at just this time, then we answer, because at this time, more than at any other time, a person is collected into himself and is prepared to listen to God, desires and expects mercy from Him. In short, this is the time of standing at the royal gates to beg the King; and it is fitting that the request of the one who begs and calls at this time be fulfilled. For is there any other time at which a person would be so prepared and so watch over himself, except the time of prayer? - For the saints, although they do not have idle time, because they are busy with spiritual things every hour, nevertheless there are times with them when they are not ready for prayer. For they often engage in either thinking about something encountered in life, or looking at creatures, or in other things that are truly useful. But during prayer, the contemplation of the mind is directed towards the one God, and towards Him it directs all its movements, and brings prayers to Him from the heart, with zeal and unceasing fervor. And therefore, at this time, when the soul has only one care, it is fitting for divine favor to flow. 70) All visions of saints happened during prayer. For what other time is so holy, and in its holiness so fitting for the reception of gifts, as the time of prayer, during which a person talks with God? At this time, during which prayers and prayers are performed before God, and conversation with Him, a person with effort from everywhere collects into one all his movements and thoughts, and is immersed in thought in one God, and his heart is filled with God, and therefore he understands the incomprehensible. For the Holy Spirit, according to each person’s strength, acts in him, and acts, borrowing the reason for action from the very thing for which one prays; so that by attention the prayer is deprived of movement, and the mind is amazed and absorbed in amazement, and is no longer in this world. 71) Someone was asked: when will a person know that he has received remission of his sins? And he answered: when he feels in his soul that he has completely, with all his heart, hated sin, and when he clearly gives himself a direction opposite to the previous one. 72) Who is enlightened in their concepts? - He who knew how to find the bitterness hidden in the sweetness of the world, forbade his lips to drink from this cup, always seeks how to save his soul, does not stop in his quest until he renounces this world, and locks the doors of his feelings so that commitment to this life does not enter him and steal his secret treasures. 73) It often happens to others that one half of them followed the Lord, and the other half remained in the world and their hearts did not renounce this world, but they were divided within themselves, and sometimes look forward, and sometimes look back. To such the wise one says: “Do not approach him with a divided heart” (Sir. 1:21). 74) What does it mean to deny yourself? – Just as someone who is preparing to ascend to the cross has one thought about death in his mind, and ascends to the cross, like a person who does not think that he will again have a part in the life of this century, so he who wants to fulfill what was said: “let him deny himself and take up the cross” (Matthew 16:24). For the cross is the will, ready for all sorrow and death. Whoever, armed with this weapon, sets out for heroic deeds, in his eyes everything that is considered difficult and sorrowful becomes worthy of contempt. 75) The body does not agree to live without satisfying its needs while it is surrounded by what serves for luxury and relaxation; and the mind cannot keep it from doing this until this body is removed from everything that produces relaxation. For when the spectacles of luxury and vanities are open to him, and every almost hour he sees things that serve to relax, then a fiery desire for this awakens in him, and, as if inciting him, irritates him. For this reason, the Lord very well commanded those who pledged to follow Him to be naked and leave the world, because a person must first reject everything that serves to relax, and then get down to business. As soon as a person separates himself from the world, and from everything in the world, he immediately forgets his former habit and his former way of life, and does not do this for a long time. And as he approaches the world and worldly things, the strength of his mind soon weakens. So, a zealous person should quickly flee from everything that is at war, and as far as possible even when approaching it. 76) One of the elder ascetics said: “in every member of this body there is a bait hidden, and a person faces a great battle from everything, which is why he should protect himself and ease the battle that threatens him by fleeing from him. And as soon as something like this approaches, then a person, although he forces himself to do good, is nevertheless in danger, always seeing it and desiring it.” – I will add to this: in the earth we see many hidden medicines, and in the summer, due to the heat, no one knows them; when they are hydrated and feel the power of the cooled air, then it turns out where each medicine was buried in the ground. So a person, when he is in the grace of silence and in the warmth of abstinence, then he really is at peace from many passions; if he enters into worldly affairs, then he sees how every passion rises, lifts its head, especially if you feel the stench of peace. 77) Whoever throughout his entire life loves conversation with this couple, fasting and vigil, becomes a friend of chastity. Just as the beginning of all evil is the repose of the belly and the relaxation of oneself by sleep, which kindles lust, so the holy path of God, and the basis of all virtues, is fasting, vigil, wakefulness in the service of God, in crucifying the body all day and all night, in contrast to the sweetness of sleep. 78) Just as healthy eyes are characterized by a desire for light, so a fast observed with prudence is characterized by a desire for prayer. As soon as someone begins to fast, from that time on his mind will desire to have a conversation with God. When the seal of fasting is placed on a person’s lips, then his thoughts are taught in tenderness, his heart exudes prayer, there is sadness on his face, and shameful thoughts are far from him, joy is not visible in his eyes, he is the enemy of lusts and vain conversations. Fasting was a commandment given to our nature at the beginning, and the beginning of our creation fell by breaking the fast. The Savior also began with fasting when he appeared to the world on the Jordan. For, after baptism, the Spirit brought Him down into the desert, and He fasted there for forty nights. 79) They say about many martyrs that on the day on which they expected to receive the crown of martyrdom, if they knew about it, either by revelation, or by notification from one of their friends, they did not eat anything all night, but from evening until morning they stood watchfully in prayer, glorifying God in psalms, songs and spiritual songs, with joy and joy they awaited that hour, like others who had prepared for marriage, in order to meet a sword in fasting. Therefore, we too, who have been called to invisible martyrdom in order to receive the crowns of holiness, will be sober, and let not a single member or part of our body give a sign of renunciation to our enemies. 80) Passions hidden in the soul are not corrected by bodily labors alone; they do not hold back thoughts about what is always awakened by feelings. These works contribute to protecting a person from situations, so that he is not overcome by them; but they do not bring peace and silence to the soul. For this, it is necessary for a person to collect himself from the scattering of thoughts, to return to himself from external entertainment and soaring, and to rest within himself. And if a person stands well in this, then he gradually comes into a state of moving towards spiritual purity. 81) How can one expect the soul to be purified by someone who actively, by himself or by others, through the senses, renews in himself the remembrance of the old habit? If the heart is defiled daily, will a person be cleansed of defilement? As long as the river is not blocked at the top, the waters below do not dry up. 82) What is the sign that purity has begun to settle in the heart? – When someone is worthy of the grace of tears shed without coercion; because tears are placed in the mind as a kind of limit between the physical and the spiritual, between a passionate state and purity. Until a person accepts this gift, his work is still accomplished in the external man only, and he has not yet at all felt the effectiveness of what is hidden in the spiritual man. 83) There are tears that burn and there are tears that make you fat. Those tears that come from the essence of the heart from contrition for sins dry up and burn the body. But they open the door for a person to enter the second level, better than the first; and this is the land of joy in which man receives mercy. These are already tears of tenderness, which decorate and fatten the body, and flow naturally by themselves. 84) What is the resurrection of the soul? – The resurrection of the soul should be called the coming out of oldness, namely, so that a new man may arise, in whom there is nothing of the old man, according to what was said: “And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezek. 36:26). 85) All the saints were in tears. If the saints wept, and until they moved from this life, their eyes were always filled with tears, then who will not cry? If the perfect and victorious wept here, how can one who is full of plagues endure so that he can stop weeping? Whoever has a dead man lying before him, and sees that he himself has been killed by sins, should he be taught with what thought to use his tears? Your soul, which is dearer to you than the whole world, has been killed by sins, and lies before you: does it really not require crying? “Let us often pray in our minds to the Lord to grant us weeping.” For if we acquire this grace, then with its help we will achieve purity. A person who cries cannot be disturbed by passions. 86) Passions cannot rise up in the soul and confuse the ascetic if, in his solitude, far from any distraction, his heart is not occupied with the things of life, unless he is lazy and careless about his duty. And above all, if he practices studying the divine scriptures, then, while searching for their meaning, he remains in no way disturbed by passions. For with the understanding of the Divine Scriptures growing and taking root in him, vain thoughts flee from him, and his mind cannot lag behind the desire to read the Scriptures, or reflect on what he has read, and he does not pay the least attention to real life, due to the very great pleasure of his occupation, admiring the Scriptures in unentertained self-absorption. Why does he forget himself and his nature, and becomes as if a man who has gone into a frenzy, does not remember this age at all, is mainly occupied with the thought of the greatness of God, and immersing himself in this with his mind, says: Glory to His Divinity! glory to His miracles! all His works are incomprehensible - in creation, Providence, and even more so in the redemption and future restoration of all things. 87) What should you look for most of all? - So that a person will be honored with unceasing stay in prayer. For, as soon as he achieved this, he ascended to the height of all virtues, and already became the abode of the Holy Spirit. And if someone has not undoubtedly accepted the grace of the Comforter, then he cannot freely continue in this prayer; because, as it is said, when the Spirit dwells in one of the people, then he will not stop praying, but the Spirit himself always prays (Rom. 8:26). Then, whether in a person’s sleepy or awake state, prayer is not stopped in his soul, but whether he eats, drinks, sleeps, or does anything, even in deep sleep, the fragrance and evaporation of prayer are easily emitted by his heart. 88) There is no hour in which the inner movement of those who have been granted the gift of prayer is not in prayer. And they do not need the form of prolonged prayer, nor the standing and rite of prolonged service. For them it is enough to remember God, and they are immediately captivated by His love. However, they are not at all neglectful of standing in prayer, when they give honor to prayer, and, in addition to unceasing prayer, they stand on their feet at the appointed hours. For we see St. Anthony standing at the ninth hour of prayer, feeling the elevation of his mind. - A person is worthy of this grace when, by keeping the commandments of the Lord, which resist sin, he is freed from sin both internally and externally. And the Lord promised in the Gospel to the one who kept the commandments to create a monastery with him. 89) What is spiritual perfection? – When someone is worthy of perfect love for God. How does a person know that he has achieved it? – When, at the memory of God, his heart is immediately aroused by love for Him, and his eyes are abundantly filled with tears. For love usually brings tears to the memory of loved ones. And he who abides in the love of God is never deprived of tears; because he never lacks what nourishes in him the remembrance of God, which is why he talks with God in his sleep. 90) How does a person succeed in overcoming the thought of pride? - The conviction that, succumbing to this thought, he falls away from God, like a dry leaf falling from a tree. For did he acquire virtues by his own strength, and endure all the struggles for their sake, while the Lord withheld His help, and allowed him alone to enter into the struggle with the devil, and did not walk with him, as He usually participates in the struggle of those who struggle and helps them? – The Providence of God always happens to the saints, protecting and strengthening them. Every rank of people encourages them, if a person is in heroic deeds, and in the suffering of martyrdom, and in other disasters that befall those who suffer for God and for His sake. And this is clear, obvious and undeniable. One who realizes this cannot become proud. 91) The concerns and pursuits of the carnal mind are: wealth, honor, decoration, bodily peace, zeal for verbal wisdom, suitable for ruling in this world, and exuding renewal in inventions, arts, and sciences, and everything else that crowns the body (external life) in this visible world. This is naked reason, because it excludes all Divine care; but through this it brings complete powerlessness into the human soul. He thinks of himself that he rules everything in a person, both in external and internal life. Therefore, he does not attribute anything to the Providence of God, but everything in man, his salvation from harmful things, his caution from difficulties and oppositions that secretly and openly accompany our nature seem to him to be a consequence of his own diligence and his own methods. This is the proud opinion of the carnal mind about itself. He dreams that everything happens according to his industry; and meanwhile he remains in constant fears and anxieties. He cannot remain without fear for his body; therefore, he is overcome by cowardice, sadness, despair, fear from demons, fear from people, rumors of robbers, rumors of deaths, care in illness, care in poverty and lack of necessities, fear of death, fear of suffering and evil animals, and everything else similar to this and likened to the sea, in which every hour, day and night, the waves are agitated and rush towards the swimmers. Such is the inflated mind; who has juice and blood - arrogance and pride! It is completely opposite to faith and keeps a person in a state below nature. 92) For a person, during his prayerful request, to be confirmed in his trust in God is the best part of the grace of faith. Affirmation of faith in God is not the same as sound confession, although it is the mother of faith. Faith, which leads to certainty in hope, is never achieved by those who are not baptized, or (even by those who are baptized, but) whose mind is corrupted (by passions). The certainty of faith in people with high souls is revealed to the extent that their morals are attentive to living according to the commandments of the Lord. 93) A careful study of Scripture is light for the soul, because it shows the soul useful reminders to beware of passions, to remain in the love of God, and in purity of prayer, and also outlines before us a peaceful path in the footsteps of the saints. 94) If the remembrance of good, when we bring it to our minds, renews virtue in us; it is clear that the remembrance of lewdness, when we remember it, renews the shameful desire in our mind. If you are a zealot for cleanliness, then obviously you need to deepen the former and eradicate the latter. 95) They say that holy Angels take upon themselves the likenesses of certain venerable saints, and in a dream vision they show these likenesses to the soul, during the soaring of its thoughts, to its joy, enrichment and admiration, and during the day they constantly set them in motion, when the soul considers its thoughts. This happens to zealots of virtue; and from this they prosper in their course. -Whoever has the habit of occupying his thoughts with evil, with the assistance of demons, also in sleepy dreams imagines this in its likeness. Demons take on their likeness, create dreams in the soul so that, having aroused in the soul sympathy and consent to a passionate deed, they torment it later and with the daily memory of that, inclining it to sin. 96) Do you want to enjoy poetry during your service? - Let your mind delve deeper into the study of the words of the Spirit (memorize the psalms in advance, discuss them and feel them), until your soul is aroused by wonder at the economy to their lofty understandings, and through this is moved to glorification, or to useful sorrow. And if there is something to pray, internalize it for yourself. Then, when versifying your psalmody (remember what you have examined and felt), do not seem to be borrowing words from another; but pronounce the word of your petition on your own behalf with tenderness and reasonable understanding, as one who truly understands his matter. In this case, it is necessary to completely put aside the amount of poetry and leave the thunder. 97) Dejection (boredom on the rule) is born from the soaring of the mind, and the soaring of the mind from idleness, reading (a lot, indiscriminately) and vain conversations, or from satiety of the belly. 98) If someone does not contradict the thoughts implanted in us by the enemy, but interrupts the conversation with them by prayer to God; then this serves as a sign that his mind, by the grace of God, has acquired wisdom and a short path to stopping the soaring (and noise of thoughts). For there is no more effective help than help from God. 99) Tears during prayer are a sign of God’s mercy, which the soul has been granted in its repentance, a sign that the prayer has been accepted, and with tears it has begun to enter the field of purity. If thoughts about what is transitory are not taken away, if the concern for preparing for the departure from this life does not arise, if thoughts about what will happen there do not begin to arise in the soul, then the eyes cannot shed tears. Tears are the result of unfocused reflection and recollection of objects that can bring sadness to the heart. 100) Be sure that your Guardian is with you and that your wisdom will completely assure you that, together with all creatures, you are under one Master, who with one wave sets everything in motion, and shakes, and tames, and arranges. Not a single slave can harm any of the slaves like him, without the permission of the Provider of all and the Manager of everything. 101) One of the great fathers said about himself that after thirty years of exploits, sorrows and quests, God finally granted him deep peace of heart. That’s why, he says, when I want to get up to perform God’s service, I can still perform one glory (a third of kathisma); and as for the rest, if I stand for three days, I am in amazement with God, and I do not feel the least bit of labor. 102) One holy elder, who was in the habit of often spending nights in vigil, said: “If I spend any night in vigil until the morning, I fall asleep singing psalms; then, upon awakening from sleep, on this day I feel like a person who does not belong to this world: no earthly thoughts come to my heart, and I do not need certain rules, but all that day I am in amazement.” 103) Whoever has good desires cannot be prevented from fulfilling them by opposition, unless the evil one finds a place for a bad pretext in those who want good. This happens for the following reason. Every thought of good desire, at the beginning of its movement, will be followed by a certain jealousy, its ardor likened to fiery coals; and she usually protects this thought, and does not allow any resistance, obstacle or barrier to approach it; because this jealousy acquires great strength and unspeakable power to protect the soul from relaxation or from fear when all kinds of constraining circumstances are directed at it. It moves, excites, inflames and strengthens a person to neglect the flesh in sorrows and in the terrible temptations that meet him, to constantly surrender his soul to death, and to go to meet the apostate power for the sake of accomplishing the work that the soul strongly desired. 104) This power of jealousy, which one of those clothed in Christ called the dog and guardian of virtue and the law of God, is awakened in two ways, strengthened and ignited for the preservation of the home (soul), and also in two ways is brought into exhaustion, drowsiness and laziness. Namely, awakening and ignition occurs (firstly) when some kind of fear occurs to a person, causing him to fear for the good that he has acquired; or intends to acquire it so that it is not stolen or destroyed. When such fear is aroused, then jealousy flares up like a flaming furnace, and like a Cherub with a flaming sword, it preserves the inner goodness, unflaggingly attentive to everything that surrounds it. When fear occurs for the body, then it is called satanic and is detrimental to the soul, shaking faith in God’s Providence. But when there is fear for the soul, so that it is not robbed and does not suffer damage for any reason; then this thought is divine, good care, sorrow and languor occur according to God's providence. Secondly, the strength and ignition of the dog (jealousy) is revealed when the desire for virtue increases most in the soul. For to the extent that lust grows in the soul, to the same extent this dog, that is, ardent jealousy for virtue, is inflamed. 105) The first reason for cooling the heat of jealousy is when lust itself decreases or ceases in the soul. And the second reason is when some thought of confidence and courage enters the soul and takes hold in it; and a person will begin to hope, think and hold on to the thought that there is no reason for him to be afraid - to suffer harm from any force; and therefore, he lays down the weapon of jealousy, and becomes like a house without guards; the dog falls asleep and leaves the guard for a long time. 106) Quite a few mental houses are robbed by this thought (i.e., that there is nothing to be afraid of). And this happens when the purity of this illumination with holy knowledge fades in the soul (it finds the darkness of oblivion). Why does it fade? Of course, because some subtle thought of pride entered the soul and nested there; or a person began to indulge more in caring about the transitory, or in frequent, seductive for him, communication with the world; or does this happen from the womb - this mistress of all evil. 107) To prefer a good will is the work of the wisher; to complete the choice of good will is God’s work. For this, man needs God's help. Let us make sure that the good desire that appears in us is followed by frequent prayers; and we will ask not only to help us, but also to show whether this desire is pleasing to the will of God or not. For not every good desire enters the heart from God, but only that which is useful. Sometimes a person desires good, but God does not help him, because another desire, seemingly good, comes from the devil, causing harm or confusion to the soul. Therefore, when a good desire appears in us, we must fervently pray to the Lord, may He show whether the good undertaking we desire is pleasing to Him, and, if so, may He help us complete it. For this is the custom of those who desire good things with prudence of mind - to use prayer as an aid to action and to the acquisition of wisdom, to distinguish truth from falsehood. 108) One elder wrote words and various thoughts on the walls of his cell, and when they asked him: what does this mean? answered: these are thoughts of truth coming to me from the Angel who is with me, and natural right thoughts arising in me; I write them down at the time of their appearance, so that, when I am darkened, I can deal with them, and they will save me from delusion. 109) Another elder was pleased with his thoughts that instead of a transitory world he was granted undying hope, and the elder answered: while I am still on the way, it is in vain to praise me; I have not yet completed the journey. 110) If you are in beautiful virtue and do not feel that you are tasting pleasure from it, then do not be surprised. For until a person humbles himself, he does not receive a reward for his work. The reward is given not for doing, but for humility; whoever insults the latter loses the former. 111) Gift without temptation is destruction for those who receive it. If you do good before God, and He gives you a gift, beg Him to teach you to humble yourself, or to take it from you, so that it will not be the cause of destruction for you. 112) A soul that has taken upon itself the care of virtue and lives in severity and fear of God cannot be without sadness every day; because virtues are associated with sorrows. If you desire virtue, then surrender yourself to all sorrow. For sorrows give birth to humility. Whoever remains in his virtue without sorrow, the door of pride is open to him. 113) At first a person with his thoughts moves away from proper care, and after this the spirit of pride approaches him. When a person remains in pride, then the providential Angel, who is near him and arouses in him concern for righteousness, moves away from him. When a person offends this Angel and he leaves; then a stranger approaches the person, and from that time on he no longer cares about righteousness. 114) “Pride comes first before destruction,” says the wise (Prov. 18:12). The measure of pride visible in the soul is the measure of contrition with which God admonishes the soul. I don’t mean pride when a thought appears in the mind or when a person is temporarily overcome by it, but pride that constantly resides in a person. The first proud thought will be followed by contrition; and when a person has loved pride, he no longer knows contrition. 115) The way of God is a daily cross. No one ascended to heaven living a cool life. As for the cool path, you know where it ends. 116) This is the village of the Spirit - to constantly force yourself to be in obedience, although there is a way to do the job in peace; because such is the will of the Spirit: in whom He dwells, He does not accustom them to laziness. On the contrary, the Spirit encourages them not to seek rest, but to devote themselves more to work and the greatest sorrows. Through temptations the spirit strengthens them and causes them to draw closer to wisdom. This is the will of the Spirit, that His beloved should remain in labor. 117) The heart of the saints, through their enduring sorrows for the cause of God, acquires the boldness to look at God with an unveiled face and ask Him with hope. Great is the power of bold prayer. Therefore, God allows His saints to be tempted by all kinds of sorrow and also experience His help and how much God provides for them, because as a result of temptation they acquire wisdom. – If a person is not first tempted by the trial of evil, then he has no taste for good. 118) Great strength is gained by the one who has experienced both the weakness of nature and the help of Divine power, and is confident in this. Those who walk the right path only realize this when God, having first withheld His power from assisting them, brings them to the consciousness of their weakness, the difficulty of temptations and the cunning of the enemy, and then, having shown them His help and intercession, impresses upon them the firm faith that Divine power always protects them and that only by this alone can they always be victorious over all oppositions, both external and internal. 119) A person, while in negligence, fears the hour of death: and when he approaches God, he fears the meeting of judgment; when he enters completely into the antechamber, then both fears are absorbed by love. 120) A person who has been honored with Divine grace, has tasted and felt something higher, does not allow attacks to enter his heart; because instead of them, their other, better lust prevailed in him; the heart has become dead for them and lives on something else. 121) While a person lives, he needs sobriety, guardianship and vigilance in order to guard his treasure. You should not work until you see the fruit; but we must strive until the very end. For often a ripe fruit is suddenly destroyed by hail. 122) The life of this world is like some drawing only letters from those inscribed on a table; and when anyone wants and wishes, he adds and subtracts to them, and makes a change in the letters. And the future life is like manuscripts inscribed on blank scrolls, sealed with the royal seal, in which neither additions nor editions are possible. Therefore, while we are attentive to ourselves in the midst of change and while we have power over the handwriting of our life, which we write with our deeds, we will try to make additions to it with a good life, we will begin to erase in it the shortcomings of the previous life. For while we are in this life, God does not put a seal on either good or bad, until the very hour of our passing. 123) To the extent that the mind abandons concern for everything visible and is preoccupied with the hope of the future, to the same extent it becomes refined and enlightened in prayer. Therefore, the Lord first of all commanded us to take up non-covetousness, move away from worldly rebellion and renounce the care that is common to all people. The Lord rejects us from all such care, so that as a result we would desire an interview with the one God. But prayer still needs exercise, so that the mind can remain in it for a long time. After non-covetousness, which frees our thoughts from bonds, prayer requires staying in it; because with the passage of time the mind acquires the skill to exercise, learns how to reflect thoughts from itself, and through long experience learns what it cannot borrow from another source. 124) Do not call the duration of a simple, collected and long prayer idleness, because you left the psalms. But more than exercises in poetry, love bowing in prayer. Prayer, when he gives you his hand, replaces God’s service. 125) When during the service (prayer rule) you are given the gift of tears, do not call the enjoyment of them idleness in prayer: because the grace of tears is the fullness of prayer. 126) While your mind is distracted, do reading more than prayer. But not all writing is useful. If possible, precede reading while standing; for reading is the source of pure prayer. 127) Do not under any circumstances (during psalmody) indulge in carelessness (about it), but be sober from soaring your mind: for psalmody (without soaring your mind) is the root of life. However, know also that physical deeds are much more useful than poetry, performed with the soaring of the mind. And mental sadness surpasses physical labor. 128) Let every prayer that we perform at night be more worthy in your eyes than all the activities of the day. Do not burden your belly, so that your mind does not become clouded, and you do not be in confusion from the soaring of thoughts when you get up at night, and your limbs do not relax and you yourself do not find yourself filled with female relaxation, and on top of this, so that your soul does not become darkened, and your concepts do not become darkened, and so that, due to the darkening, you do not become completely powerless to collect them into one for poetry, and so that you do not Your taste for everything has spoiled, and the verse of psalmody has not ceased to delight you, while the mind, with lightness and brightness of thought, usually savors its variety with pleasure. For when nighttime orderliness is disturbed, then in daytime activities the mind is confused, and walks in darkness, and does not enjoy reading, as usual. The pleasure given to ascetics during the day expires in a pure mind from the light of night work. 129) Be careful lest your body become too weak, and therefore negligence grows stronger against you and cools your soul. Everyone should weigh his life, as it were, on a scale. At a time when you are full, beware of giving yourself freedom even in small things. 130) Keep yourself from conceit during good changes in you. Diligently reveal your weakness and ignorance in considering the subtleties of this conceit to the Lord in prayer, so as not to be abandoned to you and not to be tempted in anything shameful. 131) For doubt, God ceases His care for the one who has fallen into it. However, this care ceases not just because a thought arises, but because the mind stops on this thought. For God does not punish or judge a person for an involuntary movement, even if he temporarily agreed with the thought. If at that very hour we pierce passion within ourselves and contrition appears in us, then the Lord will not punish us for such negligence; punishes for negligence, to which the mind really indulges, so that it looks at it insensitively. 132) When any thought from a part of your gums begins to appear frequently in you, inspiring you with some good undertaking or undertaking, you doubt it and cannot clearly comprehend whether it is your own or a thief, a helper or an adviser; then arm yourself with intense prayer against him with much vigil, day and night. Don’t push him away from you, and don’t agree with him; but with diligence and fervor, make a prayer for him, and do not be silent, calling on the Lord. He will show you where this thought comes from. 133) Love silence most of all; because it brings you closer to the fetus. First, let us force ourselves to silence, and then from silence something will be born for us that will lead to silence itself. May God grant you to experience something born of silence. From practicing this activity, over time, some kind of pleasure is born, and forcibly leads the body to remain in silence. And many tears are born in us in this life, and in wonderful contemplation the heart separately feels something in them, at other times with difficulty, and at others with pleasure; because the heart diminishes and becomes like a child; and as soon as the prayer begins, tears flow. 134) I found many fathers, great and wondrous, who, more than about deeds, took care of the orderliness of feelings and bodily habits; because this is where decency of thoughts comes from. Many reasons occur to a person outside of his will, which force him to go beyond the limits of his freedom. And if he is not protected in his feelings by a previously acquired unremitting skill; then it may happen that for a long time he will not enter into himself and will not find his original dispensation. 135) May alms always prevail over you. A cruel and unmerciful heart will never be cleansed. A merciful man is the physician of his soul; because, as if with a strong wind, he disperses the darkness of passions from his insides. 136) Put it into your heart, man, that you are about to depart, and constantly say to yourself: there is a messenger already at the door who has come for me. Why am I sitting here? My migration is eternal, there will be no return. 137) Let us always remember death, and in this thought draw closer to God with our hearts, and worldly pleasures will become despicable in our eyes. 138) Silence cuts off pretexts and reasons for new thoughts, and inside its walls it leads to dilapidation and fading of the memories of what we have done before. And when the old substances in thought become dilapidated, then the mind, correcting them, returns to its order. 139) Choose for yourself a delightful work, unceasing vigil at night, during which all the fathers put off the old man, and were deemed worthy of renewal of mind. In these hours the soul feels this immortal life, and by the sensation of it it takes off the garments of darkness and receives the Holy Spirit into itself. 140) The rational soul, being essentially united and associated with feelings, is naturally carried away by its thoughts if a person does not stay awake in secret prayer. 141) When, over a long period of time, in the midst of labor and preserving what is hidden, and while abstaining from any encounter with the senses, the power of silence will overshadow you; then you will meet joy, without reason, taking possession of your soul from time to time. And from now on, the feeling of passions is stolen from the soul by this pleasantness. 142) Love is the fruit of prayer, and from its contemplation it raises the mind to its insatiable lust, when the mind remains in it without despondency, and a person prays with the mind only in silent thoughts of understanding, ardently and with ardor. Prayer is the mortification of concepts inherent in the will of carnal life. For one who prays diligently is the same as one who is dead to the world: and to continue patiently in prayer means for a person to deny himself. In the selflessness of the soul, the love of God is finally found. 143) Just as an ear of chastity grows from the seed of the sweat of fasting, so from satiety and satiety - uncleanness. With a hungry and humble belly, shameful thoughts will never penetrate the soul. 144) How your beauty and chastity are illuminated by reclining on the bare ground, by the labor of hunger that darkens sleep, and by the suffering of the flesh, which, when abstaining from food, between the ribs and the belly becomes like a deep ditch. 145) The emptiness of our belly and thoughts makes us a deserted country, undisturbed by thoughts and silent from all rebellious thoughts. 146) With every step you take, find out whether you are following the path, or have deviated from it and are following some path outside the real road. And by obvious deeds alone, do not be convinced that you are accurately living the true life. 147) If, when you perform a service, you are as far as possible from the soaring of your mind, and suddenly the verse on your tongue is stopped and the shackles of silence are imposed on your soul, without the participation of your freedom; then know that you are stretching forward, and that meekness has begun to increase in you. – If you notice in your soul that with good thoughts and contemplations, your eyes fill with tears, and tears flow freely down your cheeks; then know that an opening has begun to appear before you as a barrier to the destruction of those who resist. – If you find in yourself that from time to time your thought, without prior thought, outside the usual order, sinks inside you and remains in this state for about an hour, or for some time, and peace reigns in your thoughts; then know that a cloud has begun to overshadow your tabernacle. 148) By faith, which governs life, do not understand the basis of a common confession, but this mental power, which strengthens the heart with the light of the mind, and with the testimony of conscience arouses in the soul great trust in God, so that it does not worry about itself, but carelessly casts its care in everything on God. 149) Not all passions wage war offensively. Negligence, despondency, sadness do not attack offensively, but only impose a burden on the soul. The strength of the soul is tested in victory over passions that lead an offensive battle. 150) Sweet warmth in the heart has two degrees: on the first, pleasure emanating from the heart, sometimes at the hour of prayer, sometimes during reading, and sometimes as a result of contemplation of God, warms the mind; on the second - it happens most often without all this, many times during sharing, often at night. When a person finds this delight, beating from the heart, then he thinks, at that hour, that the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing other than this same thing. 151) Constant vigil along with reading, and after it frequent bowing, will not slow down the zealous in providing the benefit of spiritual progress (sweetness of heart). 152) St. Mark, following St. Macarius, says: “Changes happen in everyone, as in the air.” Understand this word - “in everyone.” Nature is one; why, so that you don’t think that he said this about the lower and worse, while the perfect ones are free from change, and steadily stand on the same level of dispassionate thoughts, as the Euchites claim, he said: “in everyone.” 153) When grace comes over you and the Holy One approaches you. The angels protecting you, and at this approach, all those who tempt will retreat; Do not be arrogant and do not think in your soul that you have reached a storm-proof pier... It is as if there is no longer an enemy and an evil meeting: because many dreamed of this and fell into danger, as the blessed Nile said. 154) Know that to stand is neither yours nor your virtue’s business, but this will be accomplished by grace, which carries you in the palm of its hand, so that you do not fall into fear. 155) Humility and doing nothing makes many sins forgivable; on the contrary, without humility, deeds are useless. What salt is to all food, humility is to all virtue. To acquire it, one must constantly grieve in thought with humiliation and rational sadness. 156) Repentance is a prayer filled with contrition, approaching God with an unrelenting petition to leave the past, and pain to preserve the future. Why did our Lord indicate the support of our weakness in prayer, saying: “Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune” (Matthew 26:41). - since the Lord knows that before death He will not take away from us the opportunity to deviate from virtue to vice; then he commanded us to be careful and strive in constant prayer. 157) Let us not neglect prayer, and we will not be lazy to ask for help from the Lord. Let us firmly believe in our thoughts that while we are in this world and left in the flesh, even if we ascend to the vault of heaven, we cannot remain without deeds and labor, and be without care. 158) What is needed for prayer? – Freedom and abolition of the mind from everything here, a heart that has completely turned its gaze to the lust of what is hoped for in the future. But he who is far from this sows mixed seed in his field, and is like one yoking an ox and a donkey together (Deut. 22:10). 159) Those filled with hope no longer feel labor, but become insensitive to sorrows; hourly their attention is turned to the bosom of their father; the whole extent of their thoughts stretches there, and they always hasten to reach there. Hope kindles them, as if with fire, and allows them to carry out their swift course with joy. The remembrance of God acts in their hearts, intoxicated by the hope of God’s promises. 160) Dispassion consists not only in not feeling passions, but also in not accepting them into oneself. As a result of many and various virtues, obvious and hidden, acquired by the saints, passions have become weak in them and cannot easily rise up in the soul: and the mind does not need to constantly be attentive to their reasoning, because at all times it is filled with thoughts that are consciously aroused in the mind by thinking and talking about the most excellent morals. And as soon as the passions begin to be aroused, the mind is suddenly delighted by the approach to them with some understanding penetrating the mind, and the passions, as Blessed Mark said, remain in it as if idle. 161) The saints abound in contemplation, and their minds never lack objects of understanding, and they are never without something that produces in them the fruit of the spirit. Long-term practice erases the memories in their hearts, which arouse passions in the soul, and weakens the power of the devil’s power. For when the soul does not become friends with the passions by thinking about them, then, since it is incessantly occupied with other concerns, the power of the passions cannot hold its spiritual feelings in its claws. 162) He who goes into a lot cannot remain without confusion of thoughts; because with many things there are many worries and a collection of complex thoughts. And a person ceases to be above all earthly concerns in the world of his thoughts. If these needs do not cease to keep him from his best thoughts; then the door to passions is opened, the silence of reason is removed and the door of peace is closed. 163) When you appear before God in prayer, become in your thoughts like an ant, like a speechless baby. Do not say anything from knowledge before God, but draw closer to Him with your childish thoughts, and walk before Him, so that you may be worthy of that paternal providence that fathers have for their children, babies. It is rendered: “The Lord bless the little ones” (Ps. 115:5). 164) Ask God to give you the measure of faith. And if you feel this pleasure in your soul, then there will be nothing to turn you away from Christ. And it will not be difficult for you every hour to be taken into captivity far from earthly things, and to hide from this weak world and from the memories of what is in the world. Pray for this without laziness, ask for this with fervor, beg for this with great zeal until you receive it. And pray so as not to weaken. You will be worthy of this if you first, with faith, force yourself to cast your care on God, and replace your care with providence. And when God sees this will in you, that with all the purity of your thoughts you have trusted God himself more than yourself, and you force yourself to trust in God more than in your soul, then this unknown power will dwell in you and you will tangibly feel that the power is undoubtedly with you. 165) Grace teaches the believer to reason about the hidden, revealing to him the intricacies of difficult thoughts and thoughts. And a person can easily discover their meaning, the mutual connection between them and their charm, how they are born one from the other and destroy the soul. And grace puts to shame before his eyes all the wickedness of the demons. “Then the thought is born in him that every thing, small and great, he must ask for himself in prayer from his Creator. 166) Grace, as soon as he sees that some doubts have begun to appear in a person’s thoughts and he has begun to think highly of himself, immediately allows temptations to intensify and become stronger against him, until he recognizes his weakness, runs and clings in humility to God. Thus a man comes to the measure of a man, complete in faith and trust in the Son of God, and is elevated to love. 167) The Lord offers you the cross at first, so that you will determine death for yourself in advance, and then send your soul to follow in His footsteps. When a person in his thoughts deprives his life of hope; then there is nothing more daring than him; - no one and nothing can defeat him. 168) The hope of peace has always forced people to change their virtues. If a person neglects the Kingdom of Heaven, it is only because of the hope of little consolation here. 169) When the heart is jealous in spirit, the body does not grieve over sorrows, does not become afraid and does not shrink from fear. Let us also become zealous with spiritual zeal for the will of Jesus, and all negligence, which gives rise to laziness in our thoughts, will be driven away from us; because jealousy gives birth to courage, mental strength and bodily prudence. 170) While a person remains in non-covetousness, the thought of exodus from life incessantly comes to him and he always applies his concern for life after the resurrection, at all times he thinks about every preparation there, and acquires patience, runs after all honor and bodily peace - he is not even afraid of death. If for some reason he happens to acquire something transitory, then at that very hour love for the body begins to awaken in his soul; he thinks about a long life; Thoughts of carnal peace arise in him every hour and come into force, and the bodily peace prevails over him. For this, the firmness of heart that he acquired when, in his non-covetousness, he was above the world, is taken away from him. 171) Above all passions is self-love; above all virtues is disdain for peace. Just as it is impossible for one who spares the enemy on the battlefield to remain unharmed; So it is impossible for an ascetic to save his soul from destruction if he spares his body. 172) Like someone else, having brought a great gift to the king, is rewarded with a kind glance from him; so to the one who has tears in his prayer, the great king of centuries, God forgives every measure of sin and rewards him with a benevolent glance. 173) When you wish to join the service (vigil), lift your inner gaze to the Lord, and with sadness beg Him to strengthen your weakness, so that your poetry and the thoughts of your heart may become pleasing to His holy will. 174) If, when you perform a service (vigil), a thought speaks in you and begins to whisper to you: hurry up a little; do not join this thought. And if this bothers you more, then immediately go back one “glory”, or as much as you want, and repeat each verse containing a type of prayer many times with meditation. If your thoughts again confuse and oppress you, leave the poetry and bow down, saying: I did not undertake to measure out a mass of words, but to pray to God. 175) Neither standing nor the verse of psalms alone is a complete vigil. They perform it differently: some spend the whole night in psalms, others in repentance, in tender prayers and prostrations to the ground, and others in tears and sobs about their sins. They say about one of our fathers that for forty years his prayer consisted of one speech: “I, like a man, have sinned; You, like God, are generous, have mercy on me.” And the fathers heard him repeat this verse with sadness, and yet he cried and did not stop; and this one prayer replaced his service day and night. 176) One must immerse oneself in one’s inner man and remain there in solitude, constantly cultivating the vineyard of one’s heart. And it may be that by this stay close to the inner man we will come into perfect union with the knowledge of our hope, Christ living in us. 177) Purity of the soul is the original gift of our nature. Without purity from passions, the soul does not acquire the glory lost by crime. If someone has been honored with purification, that is, mental health, then his mind truly accepts the joy (of well-being) with a spiritual feeling. 178) Passions are a door closed in front of purity. If someone does not open this closed door, he will not enter the immaculate and pure region of the heart. Patience, forcing oneself, fights passions for purity. If the soul overcomes passions, it acquires purity; and true purity causes the mind to acquire boldness in the hour of prayer. 179) It is not actions that open the closed door of the heart, but a contrite heart and humility of the soul, when it overcomes the passions with humility. 180) One of the saints wrote: “Whoever does not consider himself a sinner, his prayer is not accepted by the Lord.” 181) Let us bring the area of ​​the heart into order by deeds of repentance and a life pleasing to God; The Lord’s will come by itself if the place in the heart is clean and undefiled. 182) Hidden work and new and spiritual commandments, which the soul keeps, keeping in mind the fear of God, renew and illuminate the soul and secretly heal all its members. 183) If the passionate part of the soul is not healed, then the soul does not acquire health. Whoever, by doing the commandments and difficult deeds of true life (exploits), has overcome passions, let him know that he has legally acquired mental health - he has become visible in the realm of the spirit, and has accepted it into himself, a new and uncomplicated world. 184) By unceasing prayerful conversation with God and self-absorption in prayer, eradicate in your heart every image and every likeness that you have previously perceived. Accustom your mind to always delve into the secrets of the Savior’s economy and leave yourself asking for knowledge and contemplation, which in due time will come by itself. 185) If the vision of the mind is not purified by doing the commandments and deeds of silent living, then it will not be possible to become a true spectator of divine contemplation. However, the resemblance of the spiritual, which the mind first makes up for itself, is called a ghost, and not reality. 186) Baptism grants forgiveness of sins to the tuna, and requires absolutely nothing except faith; upon repentance of sins after baptism, God does not simply forgive, but requires work, sorrows, sorrows, contrition, tears, long-term crying - and then forgives. 187) Bodily work precedes spiritual work, just as dust preceded the soul blown into Adam. He who has not achieved physical activity cannot have mental activity; because the latter is born from the first, like an ear from a naked grain of wheat. And whoever does not have spiritual activity is deprived of spiritual gifts. 188) He who with knowledge flees from vain glory has sensed the future age in his soul. He who runs from peace in this present life, has a mind that has already looked ahead to the future age. 189) Whoever says that he has left everything and argues with people because of some need, so that he does not lack anything to calm him, is completely blind, because although he voluntarily left his whole body, he nevertheless argues and argues about one of its members. Do not think that the mere acquisition of gold and silver is covetousness; it is the acquisition of anything to which your will is attached. 190) Do not praise the one who suffers physically (carries out bodily deeds), but who has given free rein to his senses, I mean hearing, gaping and uncontrollable lips and wandering eyes. 191) If a merciful person is not above his own truth, then he is not merciful, that is, a merciful person not only gives alms to people from his own, but also joyfully endures untruth and shows mercy to them. He who lays down his life for his brother is merciful, and not only he who shows mercy to his brother through alms. 192) Often and without knowing enough, read in the books of teachers about the Providence of God; because they guide the mind to discern order in the creatures and affairs of God, strengthen it with themselves, with their subtlety prepare it for the acquisition of luminous thoughts, and ensure that it goes in purity to the understanding of God’s creatures. 193) Let your reading be in silence, undisturbed by anything: and be free from over-concern about the body and from everyday rebellion, so that in your soul, with sweet understanding, you can feel the sweetest taste, surpassing all sensation, and so that your soul feels this while it is in it. 194) After the cutting off and complete cessation of external conversation, pair alms with your prayer, and your soul will see the light of truth. For the soul usually quickly replaces one conversation with another, conversations with people with conversations with God, if we try to show little diligence. And to replace one interview with another, read the Scriptures. For when after this you begin to pray and practice your rules, then instead of thinking about what you have seen and heard in the world, you will find in yourself thinking about the divine scriptures that you have read, and by this reflection you will be brought into oblivion, which was mindful of worldly things, and thus the mind comes to purity. 195) Nothing can bring the heart closer to God like alms; and nothing produces such silence in the soul as arbitrary poverty. 196) When a person closes the gates of the city, that is, his feelings: then he fights within, and is not afraid of those who plot evil outside the city. 197) At a time when God inwardly brings your heart to tenderness, constantly bow and genuflect. Don't let your heart worry about anything when the demons start convincing you to do other things; and then look and wonder what will happen to you from this. Nothing else in ascetic struggles is so important and difficult, and does not arouse such envy in demons, as if someone casts himself before the cross of Christ, praying day and night, and it is as if his hands were tied behind him. If you want not to cool down in your ardor and not become impoverished with tears, do this; and blessed are you, O man, if you take care of what is said to you day and night, and do not covet anything else. Then the light will shine within you, and your righteousness will soon shine, you will be like a blooming garden and like a spring of never-failing water. 198) Until the outer man dies to everything worldly, not only to sin, but also to every bodily activity, and also the inner man to evil thoughts, and the natural movement of the body is exhausted so that sinful sweetness is not aroused in the heart, until then the sweetness of the Spirit of God will not be aroused in man, his members will not accept purity in this life, divine thoughts will not enter his soul. And until a person in his heart brings into inaction the care of everyday things, except for the necessary needs of nature; Until then, spiritual rapture and tranquility in God will not be aroused in him. 199) He who does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of passions is involuntarily drawn into sin. The causes of sin are the following: wine, women, wealth, bodily health, however, not because these are sins by nature itself, but because nature conveniently inclines into sinful passions; and therefore a person must carefully guard against this. 200) When you have destroyed something good, acquire it again. You have destroyed chastity; God will not accept alms from you if you are in fornication, because He wants the holy body from you. 201) While the offense is still small and not ripe, destroy it before it sends out its branches and begins to ripen. Do not indulge in negligence when the lack seems small to you; because later you will find in him an inhuman ruler. And whoever resists passion at the beginning soon dominates it. 202) Never boast in your speech about your deeds, lest you be put to shame. In everything that a person boasts about, God allows him to change, so that he can be humbled and learn humility. 203) Without non-covetousness, the soul cannot free itself from the rebellion of thoughts, and without bringing the feelings into silence, it will not feel peace in thought. 204) If the soul does not taste the knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, then it will not have fellowship with Christ. 205) He who has mercy on the poor has God as his guardian. God has no need for anything; but he rejoices when he sees that a person reposes His image and honors it for His sake. When someone asks you for what you have, do not say in your heart: I will leave this for my soul to rest in. A reasonably good person will not give his honor to another, and will not allow the time of grace to pass idle. Having sent the wretched away from you, you have deviated from the honor given to you by God and removed His grace from yourself. Therefore, when you give, rejoice and say: glory to you, God, that you have made me worthy to find someone to put to rest! 206) Remember God at all times, and He will remember you when you fall into trouble: just as the eyelids are close to each other, so temptations are close to people. God has arranged this for your benefit, so that you constantly knock on His door, so that the fear of sorrow will instill the remembrance of Him in your mind, so that you draw closer to Him in prayer, and your heart is sanctified by the constant remembrance of Him. 207) Continuously purify yourself before the Lord, keep in your heart the remembrance of Him, so that, having spent a long time without remembering Him, you do not find yourself lacking boldness when you come to Him. For boldness before God comes from frequent conversation with Him and much prayer. By maintaining the remembrance of God for a long time, the soul is at times brought into amazement and amazement. 208) Wisdom said: “Covering” your sin will not be good for anything; and whoever confesses his sins and leaves them behind him will be rewarded with mercy from God (Prov. 28:13). 209) Bodily labor without purity of mind is the same as a barren womb and withered breasts; because they cannot approach the knowledge of God. They tire the body, but do not bother to eradicate passions in the mind; and therefore they reap nothing. 210) Fasting does not bring proper benefits. “In the days of your fastings,” says the Lord, “do your wills” (Isa. 58:3), that is, your evil thoughts, and offer them as burnt offerings to idols, that is, to the passions that you recognized as gods, and sacrifice to them your will, the most precious of all incense, which you should have dedicated to Me with your good deeds and a clear conscience. 211) If the soul has shone with remembrance of God and vigilant vigil day and night; then the Lord arranges a cloud there to protect her, overshadowing her during the day and illuminating the night with fiery light; in its darkness a light will shine. 212) The knowledge of God does not dwell in a voluptuous body; and whoever loves his body will not benefit from God’s grace. 213) That monk is one who is outside the world and always prays to God to obtain future benefits for him. 214) If you love chastity, drive away shameful thoughts by practicing reading and prolonged prayer; and then you will have a weapon against natural impulses; and without this it is impossible to see purity in the soul. 215) If you want to know if you are humbly wise; then test yourself, don’t you get confused when you are offended? 216) When the devil wants to defile the mind of abstainers with prodigal memories; then he first tests them with admiration for vanity, thus arranging the origin of this thought so that it does not seem passionate. When in this way he pulls a person out of his stronghold (sobriety), and he begins to converse with his first thought and move away from his stronghold; then he spoils him with something reminiscent of fornication, and seduces his mind into obscene objects. And if it does not completely desecrate it, then in every possible way it reduces it from its former dignity. But if the mind prevents the first attack of thoughts, which serves as the cause of the invasion of the second; then he can conveniently, with the help of God, overcome passion. 217) Bodily labor and teaching in the divine scriptures protect purity; work is supported by hope and fear; hope and fear are confirmed in the mind by withdrawal from people and unceasing prayer. 218) Until a person accepts the Comforter, he needs the Divine Scriptures so that the remembrance of good is imprinted in his thoughts and by constant reading the striving for good is renewed in him, and protects his soul from the subtlety of sinful ways: because he has not yet acquired the power of the Spirit, which removes delusion. For when the power of the Spirit descends into the spiritual power operating in a person; then, instead of the law of the Scriptures, the commandments of the Spirit take root in his heart, and then he learns secretly from the Spirit, and has no need for the aid of sensory substance; because while the heart learns from substance, forgetfulness follows the teaching, but when the teaching is taught by the Spirit, then remembrance remains unharmed. 219) There are good thoughts and good intentions; There are evil thoughts and an evil heart. The first degree is the movement that occurs in the soul like the wind raised in the sea and raising the waves; the second degree is support and foundation. And according to the firmness of the foundation, and not according to the movement of thoughts, there is a reward for good. (Judge yourself not by random changes in the soul, whether good or bad, but because it lies in its depths and forms the basis of its character). 220) The fledgling bird is the mind that, through repentance, has recently emerged from the shackles of passions; and during prayer he strives to rise above the earthly, but cannot; on the contrary, he still crawls along the face of the earth, not having the strength to fly. However, with the help of reading, doing, fear and caring for many virtues, he collects his thoughts into one; because he is incapable of knowing anything other than this. And this keeps the mind undefiled for a short time: but later memories come and disturb and defile the heart; because man has not yet felt that calm air of freedom in which for a short time, forgetting about earthly things, he introduces the mind, for he has acquired only bodily wings, that is, virtues that are performed externally, but has not yet seen the contemplative virtues, and has not been granted the sensation of them; and they are those wings of the mind on which a person approaches the heavenly and moves away from the earthly. 221) As long as a person serves the Lord with something sensual, the images of this sensual are imprinted in his thoughts, and he represents the Divine in bodily images. When he receives a sensation of the inner, then, as he senses it, the mind, from time to time, will rise above the images of things. 222) “The eyes of the Lord are on the humble in heart, and His ears are attentive to their prayer” (Ps. 33:16). The prayer of the humble man seems to be straight from mouth to ear. 223) When your soul comes close to emerging from darkness; then this will be a sign for you: your heart is burning, and like fire, it burns day and night; and therefore you regard the whole world as waste and ashes, you do not even desire food from the sweetness of new, flaming thoughts that are constantly aroused in your soul. Suddenly a source of tears is given to you; like a stream that flows without compulsion and mixes with everything you do, that is, during your reading, your prayer and your meditation, when you take food and drink, and in everything you do it turns out that you have tears mixed with it. And when you see this in your soul, be trustworthy, because you have crossed the sea; and be so diligent in your deeds, so carefully maintain your guard, so that grace multiplies in you from day to day. Until you find this in yourself; you have not yet completed your journey; and did not enter the mountain of God. If, after you have found and accepted the grace of tears, they stop, and your ardor cools down without changing in anything else, that is, without bodily weakness; - then woe to you. What have you ruined by falling either into conceit, or into negligence, or into relaxation? 224) Blessed are those who gird up their loins with simplicity and an inquisitive disposition, and do not turn back. They are soon saved into the harbor of the kingdom, are at peace, receive joy and are filled with the joy of their hope. And of those who think a lot, want to be very wise, indulge in slowness and fear of thoughts, prepare themselves and want to provide for harmful causes, the majority find themselves always sitting at the door of their house. 225) Those who want to be wise in everything cannot begin in anything. But an ignoramus, setting off on a voyage, swims across with the first ardor, without taking the slightest care of the body, and without reasoning with himself whether or not there will be any success from this work. Let not the excess of wisdom be a detriment to your soul and a snare before your face; on the contrary, having placed your trust in God, courageously begin a path full of blood, so that you do not always find yourself poor and deprived of God’s knowledge. When you want to begin the work of God, first make a will, as a person who can no longer live in this world, as one who has prepared for death and despairs of this life, as one has reached the time of his term. And really keep this in mind, so that the hope of extending your present life does not prevent you from struggling and winning; because the hope of prolonging this life relaxes the mind. Therefore, do not manage to the point of excess, but give faith a place in your mind. Begin every good deed with courage, and do not approach such deeds with double-mindedness, do not waver in your heart in trusting in God, so that your work does not become useless and your work becomes burdensome. 226) The actions of those who live according to God are as follows: one strikes his head into the ground all day long, and does this instead of performing a service, i.e., hours. Others combine the number of prayers with constant and prolonged kneeling. Another replaces God's services with his multitude of tears, and is content with that. Another tries to understand the meaning of what he is reading, and combines with it the rule determined for him. Others, zealously studying the Psalms, make their service continuous. Another spends time reading, and his heart warms. Another is given into captivity, contemplating the divine meaning in the divine Scriptures. – Always make the beginning of God’s work with joy and zeal. And if you are free from the fluctuations of your heart, then God Himself will take you to the top, and will help you, and make you wise in accordance with His will. 227) From intense work, immeasurable ardor is heard, inflamed in the heart by ardent thoughts that again appear in the mind. And this doing and keeping refines the mind with its ardor, and imparts to it vision or contemplation. Contemplation aggravates ardor. From this a stream of tears is born, first a little with interruptions, and then continuous. From continuous tears the soul receives pacification of thoughts; from pacification of thoughts it rises to purity of mind, and with purity of mind a person comes into the vision of the mysteries of God. 228) The path of approaching God is this. The beginning is a good intention before God. This is followed by cutting off and removing oneself from the affairs of everyday life, and defining the works of pleasing God and asceticism, which are: hunger, reading, all-night and sober vigil, according to each person’s strength, and many bows, which are useful to do during the daytime hours, and not rarely at night. Let it be a measure - to bow thirty times, and then bow to the honorable cross and finish. But there are also those who, to the best of their ability, increase this number of bows. Others spend three hours in a single prayer, having a sober mind, and throwing their face to the ground, without compulsion and soaring thoughts. What other way is there to pray and stay in it free from compulsion, you will find out when you follow the path described above. 229) The devil, taking into account the mood of the person, changes the method of warfare. Those who are lazy in will and weak in thoughts are strongly attacked from the very beginning, so that from the first feat they are overcome by illness, their path seems impassable to them, and they say to themselves: “if the beginning of the path is so difficult and difficult; then can anyone withstand the great struggles that lie ahead until the very end?” - And the devil does not fight with them for long to put them to flight. It’s better to say that God himself allows the devil to overcome them, and does not help them in anything; because they entered into the Lord’s feat with doubt and coldness. - because at the very beginning they were careless and relaxed and did not dare to give themselves up to death; then they appear not courageous in all battles. – The devil first found out what they were like, that is, that they were fearful, self-loving and most of all they spared their body; therefore, he drives them away like a storm, because he does not see in them the spiritual strength that is customary to see in saints (462-463). This is the first way to fight the enemy! 230) But those who are courageous, count death as nothing, go to work with great zeal; The devil does not suddenly come out to meet them, restrain himself and not enter into battle with them. He does this not by fearing them themselves, but by fearing the divine power surrounding them. Therefore, while he sees them as such, he does not even dare to touch them until he sees that they have cooled in their jealousy and, what weapons they have prepared for themselves in their thoughts, they have laid aside by changing the divine words and remembrances that promote and assist them. During their depravity, he turns his evil eyes on them - when they deviate somewhat from their first thoughts, and on their own they begin to invent something that serves to overcome them with the caresses of their wisdom emanating from them, and from themselves they dig a ditch of destruction, from laziness with the soaring thoughts that occur, from which coldness reigned in them, that is, in their thoughts and hearts. 231) As you set out in the footsteps of God, man, during your deed, always remember the beginning and the first zeal at the beginning of the path, and those ardent thoughts with which you left your home for the first time and entered the military ranks. So testing yourself every day, so that the ardor of your soul does not cool down in any of the weapons in which you are clothed, and to the jealousy that kindled in you at the beginning of your feat. And constantly raise your voice among the military camp, encourage and encourage the children of the right hand of the country, that is, your thoughts, to courage, and show others, that is, the enemy side, that you are sober. - Meanwhile, constantly call on God, weep before His grace, shed tears and work, and the protective cover of God will always overshadow you (467-468). This is the second method of fighting the enemy. 232) Third method. The enemy, seeing how the power of God, overshadowing the zealot, does not allow him to approach him with temptations, begins to invent ways to alienate the Angel helping him from this person. And he succeeds in this if he succeeds in blinding his mind and arousing thoughts of pride in him, so that he thinks to himself that all his strength depends on his own strength, and he himself acquired this wealth for himself, with his own strength, he has saved himself hitherto from the enemy and the murderer. But if a prudent person refrains from such thoughts, it would be better to say, he retains the remembrance of the One who assists him, and does not cease to direct the eye of his heart to heaven, so as not to see those whispering this in him; then the enemy again undertakes to invent new methods. 233) He still has one more means of warfare (fourth), namely, to oppress a person with his natural needs, human hostility, and his visible attacks, both seductive and terrible. 234) The force assisting us cannot be overcome. For the Lord is omnipotent and stronger than all others, and at all times He is victorious in a mortal body, just as He quickly condescends to ascetics during battle. If they are defeated; it is clear that they are overcome without Him. And these are those who have removed God from themselves by the carelessness of their minds, or by pride and ingratitude. – In this case, they themselves feel deprived of the usual strength to overcome the battle; They see that their fall seems pleasant and sweet in their eyes, and that it is difficult for them to withstand the cruelty of the fight against their enemy, which they previously resolutely overcame with jealousy by the desire for natural movement, accompanied at that time by ardor and speed. And now they do not find this in their souls. 235) Blessed is the man who knows his weakness; because this knowledge becomes for him the foundation, root and beginning of all goodness. “But no one can feel his weakness unless even a small temptation is allowed to strike him, something that tires either the body or the soul. Then, comparing his weakness with God’s help, he immediately recognizes its greatness. “But whoever knows that he needs God’s help prays many prayers.” And to the extent that he multiplies them, to that extent his heart is humbled. 236) As soon as a person humbles himself, mercy immediately surrounds him. And then the heart feels Divine help; because he gains a certain power of confidence that is aroused in him. When a person feels that Divine help will really help him, then his heart is instantly filled with faith. From this he understands that prayer is a refuge for those seeking help, a source of salvation, a treasure of hope, a light for those in darkness, a shield of deliverance in battle, a sharp arrow against enemies. From now on he delights in the prayer of faith; his heart becomes bright with hope; and out of great joy, he will change the form of his prayer into voices of gratitude. Then a person does not pray with difficulty and fatigue; what is any other prayer that a person prays before experiencing this grace; but with heartfelt joy and surprise he constantly exudes grateful movements, with innumerable genuflections and from a multitude of excitement in surprise before the grace of God, he suddenly raises his voice in hymns and glorifying God. - And from now on, let him stop thinking about vain things, and remain relentlessly before God in unceasing prayer with fear and fear, so as not to lose God’s great help (477-479). 237) He who has recognized his weakness, through a great desire for God’s help, approaches God in prayer. And to the extent that he approaches God with his desire, to that extent God approaches him with his gifts, and does not take away grace from him for his great humility and because, like a widow before the judge, she relentlessly cries out to protect him from his rival. Therefore, the generously loving God withholds gifts of grace from him, so that this would serve as a reason for a person to draw closer to God, and so that for the sake of his needs, a person would continually remain before the One who pours out what serves for good. And God fulfills some of his requests quickly, namely those without which no one can be saved; and others are slow to fulfill. And in other circumstances he reflects and dispels the scorching power of the enemy, and in others he allows him to fall into temptation, so that this test will serve as a reason for him to draw closer to God, and so that he will learn and have experience in temptations. 238) Therefore, the Lord leaves the saints reasons for humility and contrition of heart in fervent prayer, so that those who love Him will draw closer to Him through humility. And he often frightens them with the passions of their nature and the inclinations of shameful and unclean thoughts, and often with reproaches, insults and reprimands from people, sometimes with failures and bodily illnesses, and at other times with poverty and the scarcity of necessary needs, sometimes with the torment of strong fear, abandonment, the obvious abuse of the devil, which usually frightens them, then with various terrible incidents. And all this happens in order to give them reasons for humility, and so that they do not fall into the sleep of negligence. 239) When it happens that your soul is filled with darkness internally, and just as the sun’s rays are obscured on earth by the darkness of clouds, your soul is deprived of spiritual consolation for some time, and the light of grace within dims, due to the cloud of passions overshadowing your soul, and because the somewhat joyful power within you is diminished, and an unusual darkness has overshadowed your mind; Don’t be embarrassed by thoughts and don’t give in to mental relaxation, but be patient, read the books of teachers, force yourself to pray, and wait for help. She will come soon, and you won’t know it. 240) Until you reach tears, know that your innermost being still serves the world, and you are doing God’s work with your outer man, but your inner man is still barren; because its fruit begins in tears. When you reach the region of tears, then know that your mind has come out of the prison of this world, set its foot on the path of the new age, and began to smell the stench of the wonderful new air. Tears began to flow because the birth of the spiritual baby was approaching. The common mother of all, grace, desires to mysteriously bring forth in the soul a divine image into the light of the next century. – And everyone who is with God experiences this consolation from time to time, that is, tears, sometimes when he is in mental contemplation, sometimes when he is occupied with the words of the Scriptures, sometimes when he is in prayerful conversation. But I’m not talking about this type of tears, but about the kind that happens to someone who cries continuously day and night. In such a person, the eyes are likened to a water source for up to two or more years; and then he comes to pacification of thoughts; by pacifying his thoughts he enters into that peace that St. spoke about. Paul (Heb. 4:3); From this peaceful tranquility the mind begins to contemplate mysteries. Then the Holy Spirit begins to reveal to him the heavenly things, and God dwells in him, and the person begins to feel within himself, although unclear and guesswork, the change that the inner nature will take during the renewal of all things (491-493). 241) Three ranks in which a person excels: the rank of beginners, the rank of intermediate, and the rank of perfect. – Those who are “in the first rank”, although their way of thinking is inclined towards good, nevertheless the movement of the mind is in passions. – The “second rank” is something between the state of passion and dispassion: both the spiritual and the spiritual thoughts are aroused in a person equally, and he does not cease to exude light and darkness. If he stops for a short time from frequently reading the Divine Scriptures and imagining divine ideas in his mind, with external caution, from which both internal preservation and sufficient measure of action are born, then a person is carried away to passion. If he feeds his natural ardor by what has been said above, and does not give up the search, but, at the behest of reading the Divine Scriptures, will nourish good thoughts in himself, and, refraining from deviating into the country of Shuya and from accepting any devilish omnipotence, lovingly guards his soul and asks God with patience in vigilant prayer; then God himself will fulfill his request and will open his door to him especially for his humility. If he dies in this hope, then, although he will not see this land up close, however, I think, his inheritance will be with the ancient righteous who hoped to achieve perfection, and who did not see it, according to the Apostolic word (Heb. 11:39). And they toiled all their days and rested in hope. 242) There is a wonderful hope in God, and there is a false one. When a person directs all his diligence to virtues and pleasing God, then he has a wonderful and reasonable hope in the Lord. Such a person is worthy for God to show his care in a special way. But a person whose heart is buried in earthly things, who never cares about what is pleasing to God, how can he dare to turn to God? - Being constrained by poverty, or death, and depressed by the fruits of his iniquities, perhaps he will say: “I will put my trust in God, and He will help me.” - Until this hour, you did not remember God, you fool, but you insulted Him with the lewdness of your deeds, and the name of God was blasphemed for your sake by unbelievers; and now you dare to say with open lips: “I will put my trust in Him; He will help me." Don't flatter yourself; Hope in God precedes work for God and sweat shed for the work. 243) Nothing separates us so much from the world, does not mortify passions in us, does not excite and revive us for the spiritual, like crying and heartache with contrition. On the contrary, nothing makes us so much accomplices of the world as laughter and, if used freely, soaring thoughts. - And this is the work of the prodigal demon. 244) I beg you to beware of the enemy’s malice, lest by word of mouth your ardor of love for Christ, who for your sake tasted the bile of the tree of the cross, should be tainted in your soul, and so that the enemy, instead of this sweet exercise and boldness before God, will not fill your soul with many dreams during your waking hours, and captivate your soul with absurd dreams during your sleep, the stench of which the holy Angels cannot tolerate God's. Force yourself to imitate the humility of Christ, so that the fire He placed in you will quickly ignite, by which all the movements of the world that kill the new man and desecrate the courts of the holy and almighty Lord are eradicated. For I dare to say with Saint Paul that we are “the church of God” (1 Cor. 3:16). Therefore, as God Himself is pure, let us cleanse His church, so that He will desire to dwell in it. And just as He Himself is holy, let us also sanctify the church; let us adorn it with all sorts of good and honest deeds, let us perfume it with the fragrance of the peace of God’s will, with pure and heartfelt prayer, which cannot be acquired by communication in frequent worldly unrest. And thus, the cloud of his glory will shine inside the heart, and all the inhabitants of the village of God will be filled with joy and gladness, and the arrogant and shameless will disappear from the flame of the Holy Spirit. 245) Reproach yourself constantly, saying: woe is me, poor soul! The time for your separation from the body has come. Why do you rejoice in something that you will have to leave this very day, and which you will not see forever? Pay attention to your previous life, consider what you did, why you did it, and what your deeds were, with whom you spent the days of your life, or who took advantage of the labor of your work on earth, whom you delighted with your warfare, so that he would come to meet you when you departed from the world, whom you delighted during your course, so that you may rest in his harbour, for whom you suffered, toiling in order to come to him. with joy, whom did you acquire as a friend in the next century, so that he would receive you during your departure, in what field did you work for hire, and who will give you wages at the setting of the sun when you are separated? 246) You must place yourself before the face of God and always immutably raise your eye to God if you truly want to guard your mind, recognize, stop and reject even small movements creeping into it and in the silence of thoughts distinguish between what is incoming and outgoing. 247) Without liberation from worries, do not seek light in your soul, nor silence and silence when relaxing your feelings. 248) Just as a noble and respectable person, when he gets drunk, forgets his nobility, and his condition is dishonored: so the chastity of the soul is outraged by the sight of people and conversation with them; a person forgets his caution, the intention of his will is erased from his thoughts and every basis for a laudable structure of life is eradicated. 249) The evaporation emanating from the womb does not allow the mind to receive divine knowledge, but darkens it like fog rising from damp earth and darkening the air. 250) If the body could not fast, then the mind with one vigil can bring the soul into nobility. Therefore, I beg you, who wish to acquire a sober mind before God and the knowledge of a new life, not to be negligent in staying on vigil throughout your entire life. When your strength becomes weak, then, although sitting, stay awake and pray with your heart, but do not fall asleep, and take all measures to spend the night without sleep, sitting and occupied with good thoughts. 251) Constant silence together with reading, moderate eating and vigil soon arouses the mind to amazement, unless there is some reason that breaks the silence. 252) When your body is tamed by abstinence, vigil and attentiveness to silence, but you feel that a lustful passion arises in your body without natural movement; then know that you are tempted by thoughts of pride. Find out what you were thinking and repent. And work at this until you again acquire humility and your heart rests in God. 253) He who loves reasons for passions, unwittingly and reluctantly becomes an assistant and enslaves to passions. It is impossible for a person to give up a sinful habit if he does not first acquire hostility towards sin, and it is impossible to receive remission before confessing his sins. If we do not hate what is worthy of blame; then while we carry this in our souls, we cannot feel the stench and stench in the effectiveness of all this. Until you reject from yourself what is inappropriate, until then you will not know how covered you are in shame, and how much you should blush from it. 254) Beware of your own freedom, because it precedes slavery. Beware of consolation, because it precedes warfare. Remember that every pleasure is followed by disgust and bitterness, like inseparable companions. 255) The repose of the members is followed by frenzy and confusion of thoughts; behind immoderate activity there is despondency, and behind despondency there is frenzy. But one frenzy is different from another. The first frenzy, which is from repose, is followed by prodigal warfare, and the second, which is from despondency, is leaving one’s cell silent and moving from place to place. There is no price for moderate and zealously continued work. 256) Passions are like small dogs that are used to being in meat markets and run away from one voice, and if they don’t pay attention to them, they attack like the biggest lions. 257) Until you have yet acquired the power of true contemplation, occupy yourself with reading scriptures and psalms, remembering death and hoping for the future. All this gathers the mind into one and does not allow it to spin until true contemplation comes; because the strength of the spirit is more powerful than passions. In the hope of the future, occupy yourself with the remembrance of God and beware of everything external that prompts you to lust. 258) No one can overcome passions, unless by tangible and visible virtues, and no one can overcome the soaring of the mind, unless by studying spiritual knowledge. Our mind is light; and if not bound by any reflection, does not stop hovering. Passions serve as an obstacle to the hidden virtues of the soul, and if they are not overthrown by the obvious virtues, then the inner virtues are invisible behind them. No one sees the sun in darkness and virtue in the nature of the soul, with the ongoing rebellion of passions. 259) Pray to God to make you feel the desire of the Spirit and His lust. For when this contemplation and desire of the Spirit come to you, then you will withdraw from the world, and the world will retreat from you. It is impossible for anyone to feel this without silence, asceticism and abolition in the reading designated for this. Each virtue is the mother of another virtue. If you leave your mother, who gives birth to virtues, and go to look for daughters before you find their mother, then these virtues turn out to be vipers for the soul. 260) Love for God is naturally ardent, and when it attacks someone beyond measure, it makes that soul enthusiastic. Here are the signs of this love: a person’s face becomes fiery and joyful, and his body warms up. He regards terrible death as joy; contemplation of his mind does not allow any suppression in thoughts about heavenly things. Although he does what, he doesn’t feel it at all; since his mind soars in contemplation and his thought always seems to be talking with someone else. The Apostles and martyrs once reveled in this spiritual rapture. 261) If, before entering the city of humility, you notice in yourself that you have calmed down from the rebellion of passions, then do not trust yourself. The enemy is preparing some kind of ambush for you, and after this peace, expect great anxiety and great rebellion. 262) Asceticism is the mother of shrines. Conceal the kindness of your chastity with tears, fasting and solitary silence. A little sorrow for the sake of God is better than a great deed accomplished without sorrow. The mind will not be glorified with Jesus if the body does not suffer for Christ. The glory of the body is chastity; the glory of the mind is the true contemplation of God. There are two ways to ascend to the cross; one crucifixion body; and the other is entering into contemplation; the first is a consequence of liberation from passions; and the second is a consequence of the effectiveness of the works of the spirit. The mind does not submit (to God) unless the body submits to it. The kingdom of the mind is the crucifixion of the body. 263) The foundation of all that is good is contained in the following two methods: to gather oneself into one and always fast, that is, wisely and prudently to make a rule for oneself to abstain from the belly, to constantly remain in one place, to constantly engage in the thought of God. Hence the submission of feelings, hence the sobriety of the mind, hence the taming of the fierce passions aroused in the body, hence the bright movements of thought; hence the diligence towards acts of virtue, hence the memory of death, hence the freedom of a true man... (534). 264) If anyone neglects these two methods, then the very foundation of all virtues will be shaken. For whoever retreats and moves away from them will come to these two opposite vices, I mean, bodily wandering and dishonest gluttony, which give room to all passions in the soul. 265) The devil strives to first make sure that unceasing heartfelt prayer is abandoned; and then instills contempt for the established times of prayer and the rules of what is done physically. And thus, at the beginning, the thought indulges in weakness to taste some small amount of food ahead of time and something most insignificant and insignificant... And then everything else arises in it, one after another. 266) The enemy stands before our eyes day and night and looks out through which open entrance of our feelings he can enter. And when we commit negligence in one thing, then this cunning and shameless dog shoots his arrows at us. 267) One day, one of the wise men, swaying from weakness and feeling it, immediately sat down, bringing himself to his previous position; the other looked at him and laughed at this. But he answered: “That’s not what I’m afraid of, but I’m afraid of negligence: because small negligence often leads to great dangers.” This is wisdom - for a person, no matter what he does, in both small and insignificant things, to always be sober. He is preparing for himself great peace. 268) A fearful person makes it known that he suffers from two ailments - love of life and lack of faith. But whoever neglects this confirms to himself that he believes in God with all his soul and looks forward to the future. 269) A person cannot acquire hope in God if he has not previously fulfilled His will according to his own measure. For hope in God and courage of the heart are born from the testimony of conscience, and only with the true testimony of our mind do we have hope in God. The evidence of the mind is that a person’s conscience does not condemn him in the least, as if he had neglected something that he was obliged to do to the best of his ability. If our heart does not condemn us, “the imam’s boldness towards God” (1 John 3:21). Boldness is a consequence of success in virtues and a good conscience. 270) The highest reason for silence and silence is when a person has some kind of divine conversation within himself and his mind is drawn to it. 271) The mind can do good without bodily deeds. But a man of God, when he finds it convenient to do a good deed, will not resist, so as not to prove his love for God by the work of his doing. 272) When a person remembers his previous sins and punishes himself; then God takes care to give him peace. God rejoices that for deviating from the path of God he himself imposed punishment on himself, which serves as a sign of repentance. And the more he puts pressure on his soul, the more his honor is increased by God. 273) The virtues are successive to one another, so that one can excel in them in order and find relief in this. For no one can acquire real non-covetousness unless he convinces and prepares himself to endure temptations with joy. And no one can endure temptations except those who are convinced that sorrows can be mistaken for something that surpasses bodily peace. 274) To gain experience means not only for a person to approach certain things and look at them without accepting knowledge about them, but through long-term handling of them to clearly experience their benefits and harms. For often a thing outwardly seems harmful, but inside it everything turns out to be full of benefit. And vice versa. 275) In proportion to temptations, gifts are determined by God, according to His wisdom, which those created by Him do not comprehend. Temptation does not come unless the soul first secretly accepts greatness beyond its measure and the Spirit of grace it previously received. This is how it pleased God to do good things with everyone. 276) Bodily living according to God consists of bodily deeds; bodily deeds are those that, in order to cleanse the flesh in virtuous activity, are performed by obvious actions by which a person is cleansed of carnal impurity. Living intelligently is a matter of the heart, constantly continued with a caring thought about pleasing the feelings to God, the omnipresent and all-seeing, as well as unceasing prayer of the heart and keeping oneself from secret passions, so that nothing passionate is encountered in the hidden and spiritual realm. All this is a matter of the heart; This is what is called intelligent living. 277) Spiritual life is astonishment to God, the beginning of immortal life after the resurrection. Human nature will not cease to always marvel at God there, without having any thought at all about creatures; for if there were anything like God, the mind could be moved to it. But since all the beauty of creation, even in the future renewal, is lower than the beauty of God, how can the mind, through its vision, withdraw from the beauty of God? 278) Purification of the flesh is inviolability from carnal defilement, purification of the soul is liberation from secret passions arising in the mind. Purification of the mind is accomplished by the revelation of secrets. God Himself makes it possible to contemplate Him with an unveiled mind. 279) Faith is the door of the sacraments. Just as physical eyes see sensual objects, so faith looks at the hidden with spiritual eyes. We have two spiritual eyes: with one we see the secrets of God's glory hidden in natures; with the other eye we contemplate the glory of the most holy nature of God. 280) As grace upon grace, repentance was given to people after baptism; because repentance is the second regeneration from God. Repentance is the door of mercy, open to those who earnestly seek it; through this door we enter into the mercy of God; Apart from this entrance we will not find mercy. Repentance is the second grace, and is born in the heart from faith and fear; fear is a fatherly rod that controls us until we reach the spiritual paradise of blessings. 281) Paradise is the Love of God, in which is the enjoyment of all bliss. The fruits of this tree were forbidden to Adam according to the devil’s intent. The tree of life is the love of God from which Adam fell away; and from then on no joy greeted him, but he worked and labored in the land of thorns. Those deprived of the love of God, even if they walk in righteousness, eat that bread of sweat in their deeds, which the first-created was commanded to eat after its fall. Until we acquire love, our work on earth is thorns; and although our sowing is the sowing of righteousness, we both sow and reap among thorns and are wounded by them every hour, and no matter what we do to justify ourselves, we live in the sweat of our brow. And when we find love, then we will begin to eat heavenly bread and strengthen our strength without work and labor. 282) Just as it is impossible to cross the sea without a ship and a boat, so no one can achieve love without fear. We can cross the stinking sea between us and mental paradise only on the boat of repentance, on which there are oarsmen of fear. Repentance is a ship, and fear is its helmsman, but love is a divine harbour. Fear takes us onto the ship of repentance, transports us across the stinking sea of ​​life and guides us to the divine pier, which is love. And when we achieve love, then we have reached God, and the path has been completed by us, and we have come to the island of the other world, where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are. 283) There is knowledge that precedes faith, and there is knowledge generated by faith. The knowledge that precedes faith is natural knowledge; and what is generated by faith is spiritual (grace-filled) knowledge. God put natural knowledge into our rational nature, and through it we naturally recognize good and evil without science. This is the path to God. Natural knowledge, that is, the distinction between good and evil, put into our nature by God, itself convinces us that we must believe in God, who brought everything into existence. But faith produces fear in us; fear forces us to repent and do (according to the commandments). And from doing, spiritual knowledge is born. 284) The first thought, which, according to God’s love for mankind, enters a person and guides the soul in life, is the thought that sinks into the heart about the outcome of this nature. This thought is naturally followed by disdain for the world; and with this every good movement begins in a person, leading him to life. Satan greatly hates this thought, and attacks with all his might to destroy it in man. 285) He is a church of grace who is in unity with God and is always preoccupied with the thought of His judgment. Our instilling in ourselves of the remembrance of God is the instillation of God in us. 286) The work of the heart serves as a bond for the external senses. And if anyone engages in it with prudence, following the example of the fathers who lived before us; then this is obvious from the following three phenomena in him: he is not bound by bodily benefits, does not like gluttony, and irritability is completely far from him. The original title of this collection: “Patristic instructions on prayer and sobriety or attention in the heart to God.” To the author's text of the collection (from St. Basil the Great to St. Barsanuphius and John inclusive), the publishers added quotes about prayer from the letters of St. himself. Feofan. You might be interested in: