Letters to monastics: Letters to the founders of communities and to their founders

Contents 649. How to apply for the opening of a community in St. Petersburg 650. How to arrange the best ringing. About the choice of a priest 651. About those asking to join the community in the name of the elder. About the fact that in a newly established community the younger ones should not get ahead of themselves with their opinions and advice 652. Congratulations on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ 653. About the choice of sisters for the community 654. About the vacation of the sisters and about the time of departure 655. About the inconveniences in a new place; about boredom and disorder; about the time of church service; about food 656. Again about inconveniences and material difficulties 657. The Lord looks not at our external actions, but at our intentions 658. Compassionate bearing of illnesses atones for their sinful cause. He who avoids voluntary sorrows falls into involuntary ones 659. One should not trust dreams that cause confusion 660. On the prudent distribution of property 661. On the convenience of having a cell attendant. About pure prayer. More about disbelief in dreams 662. The enemy rises up against those who repeat the Jesus Prayer from the heart. We must patiently endure temptations and hope for God’s help. When defeating an enemy, one should not ascend and abandon prayer, for this imaginary victory is a trick of the enemy in order to defeat the ascetic. Previous sins return from self-confidence and condemnation 663. In self-justification there is arrogance 664. On the transfer of money to worldly relatives 665. More about how one should treat visions. About the fight against arrogance, that one should not force oneself to bodily labor beyond strength 665. In every stay one must live pleasingly 667. One must pray for those who offend and endure temptations 668. About the harmful consequences of incorrect prayer and that one should not imagine the incomprehensible Divinity in images 669. About sorrows in the monastery: those who spend their lives in humility and self-reproach experience few sorrows. The main cause of sorrow is pride, and sometimes a good determination to live piously 649. How to apply for the opening of a community in St. Petersburg Most honorable one of the Lord! I accidentally found out that you were going to go to St. Petersburg on community business. I don't advise you to do this; or better yet, ask M.I. to go there. And if you go to St. Petersburg, you will find yourself as if in a dark forest, and instead of moving things forward, you can somehow confuse it. A M.I. can arrange everything better than yours. Even in the consistory, as I already wrote to you, I advise you to bother yourself less under the pretext of poor health; but rather conduct this business through M.I., who is more at hand with such matters. I greet M. M. and the sisters of the community. Although the process of opening the community is slowing down, the Lord is strong to bring a prosperous end. Therefore, do not grieve or be faint-hearted, but be trustworthy, trusting in the mercy of God and praying fervently. I have already told you and written to you more than once that a good and good deed is preceded or followed by a sorrowful temptation. Asking for you, for M.M. and to the community, and together to the family, peace and God’s blessing, I remain with sincere good wishes. The sinful hieromonk Ambrose. 1876 650. How to arrange the best ringing. About choosing a priest Christ is Risen! Most Honorable N. of the Lord! I received your letter. You write that church utensils and bells for your monastery in Moscow were purchased. For the first time, the ringing will be good and from 50 poods; I just don’t think that bells bought directly could ring successfully, since they are mostly made from old bells. Such a ringing sounds sneaky. And if anyone wants to have a good bell, then they need to buy good copper and good tin themselves, according to the required proportions, and have it cast at the factory. The ringing of such a bell is clear and strong. You also write that you are looking for a good student and a married man to become a priest; at 30, looking a little younger. But since he is a famous person and you like him, then if the ruler agrees to approve him, then God’s will be done. It would be good if he visited us before his initiation. We would talk to him and give him monastery books. This acquaintance will not be superfluous. If after April 15 the matter about the community does not come from the Synod to Orel, then ask M.I. go to St. Petersburg and give him money for travel and grease, so that your case can be sent out as quickly as possible, according to the proverb: a dry spoon hurts your mouth. Greetings in the Lord M.M. and all the sisters of your community, and I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous stay, as well as a speedy and prosperous completion of your work, in order to consecrate your church as soon as possible, to have your own priest and your own church service. Peace to you all. The sinful hieromonk Ambrose. 1879 651. About those asking to join the community in the name of the elder. That in a newly established community the younger ones should not get ahead of themselves with their opinions and advice Most venerable in the Lord: the God-loving builder and newly elected boss M. M. I congratulate you on the solemn consecration of the wooden church and the foundation of the stone one in your newly built monastery. I sincerely wish you a safe and successful continuation in the execution of the proposed tasks and in the reception of the sisters coming to the monastery. I will only say that proven sisters should be appointed to serve at the altar; and some cannot be sent to the altar. If anyone who comes to your monastery mentions my sinful name, he has been given a simple blessing, if he wishes, he can go to your community. See yourself in accepting those who come for you and for the monastery. And to this I will add that those who are ill with empty envy should not be accepted. You need to look closely at such people. Sorry that the congratulatory letter was not very congratulatory and welcoming. What to do? The spiritual law commands to choose what is more useful, and allows what is pleasant only with consideration and reasoning. May the All-merciful Lord have mercy on us all and enlighten us and guide us to what is beneficial and salutary. There is an old proverb: the ears are never higher than the forehead. This proverb is applicable everywhere, especially in a newly built monastery. The meaning of these words is this: whoever must obey should not get ahead of himself with his opinion and proposal. I greet in the Lord all the sisters of your newly built monastery and congratulate them on the joyful beginning that they so doubtfully expected. Peace to all and God's blessing... 652. Congratulations on the Nativity of Christ Most Reverend in the Lord: Father the Builder and Most Honorable Mother Superior M. I congratulate you on the upcoming great and all-joyful holiday of Christmas in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the approaching New Year. The peace and favor of God among men, proclaimed by St. angels at the birth of the Son of God who was incarnate, may he overshadow you with all the sisters of your monastery in Christ, both at the meeting and throughout the coming holidays. I, a sinner, ask that you remember me both on these solemn days and at all times. My health is getting weaker and weaker. My strength has become very weak, and my affairs are not going well. I ask for you and your monastery peace and God’s blessing. 653. About choosing sisters for the community I received your letter. You write that some of the sisters named in the note are not with you. Instead of them, you can find others at your discretion, capable of business and well-behaved, since there is still enough time. Your arrival with your sisters has been postponed until spring, because the gentlemen of Sh will spend the winter in the Crimea, and the church in P has not yet been consecrated. It will be more convenient to travel in the spring. Therefore, take your time and look for people. Again, write to me who you find, those indicated in the note and those not identified in the note, so that there are nine people with you; and if there are good and trustworthy ones, then more is possible. Your nun M. asks me to take her to the Sh-skys. If she is reliable, then you can take her. 654. About the sisters’ vacation and the time of departure Sister in the Lord and spiritual child, mother M.! Along with your letter, I am simultaneously sending a letter to your abbess so that she will let you and other sisters who wish to go with you in peace. Leave in mid-May or after mid-May soon. Peace to you and other sisters and God's blessing! 655. About inconveniences in a new place; about boredom and disorder; about the time of church service; about food I received your letter. You write that you are bored in a new place. It’s impossible not to get bored for various reasons; since the new monastery is just beginning and order has not yet been established, but it needs to be established, and suddenly you can’t arrange everything. In a new place and in a new business, much is missing, and these shortcomings concern those on whom the business depends. In any case, first you need to be patient and not lose heart, and trust with faith in the mercy and help of God. The Lord is strong to arrange everything and provide what is needed and needed. What confuses you is that others are blessed for different things. Since you have been appointed as the elder sister, then say without hesitation: “God bless!” - for any matter where there is no violation of God’s commandment, no mental harm or any external damage is foreseen. If you are perplexed, you can talk and consult with the older sisters, and where necessary, with the founders of the monastery. I hear that your morning rule begins at six o’clock; it’s late, at least you need to start the morning rule at five o’clock, as they do in the Kazan community, in Shamordin, when there is no mass there. I also hear that you have no real order when it comes to food. On simple days you should prepare only three foods: cold, cabbage soup and porridge or cabbage soup, potato soup and porridge, and on holidays four foods – cold cabbage soup, noodles and porridge. There is some kind of corn plant in your area, is it possible to replace porridge with it from time to time, so as not to deviate far from the monastery rules, and watermelons are not always served in meals, but at discretion, on holidays or on some other occasion. I greet the sisters living in the Nikolo-Tikhvin community with kindness in the Lord. Calling on all of you the peace and blessing of God and asking for your prayers of the saints, I remain with sincere goodwill. The sinful hieromonk Ambrose. 1889 656. Again about inconveniences and financial difficulties I recently sent you a letter, but probably you have not received it yet and again you write about the inconveniences that you encountered with the S-sisters in the new monastery. Haven't you read in the lives of St. fathers, especially Russians, that all the new monasteries were established with great difficulties; so that often all the brethren went for two days without food, and after that everything settled down, and these monasteries flourished. There are temptations for both monastics and the monasteries themselves. Let's hope that everything will work out for the better in the Ts-th monastery. And everything good and useful does not happen suddenly, but with various difficulties. B.V. and V.N. They wanted to set up a monastery, but they weren’t paid rent for two years. This is how the difficulty arose. They have forests; when the sale is arranged, then things will get better with God’s help. In the meantime, let's wait and be patient. There is a correct saying: if you endure it, you will fall in love. I advise you and your sisters to be patient. You complain that you and your sisters depend on others, A.3. and E. give you everything. If you lack things, this is better for you: the responsibility is not on you. I wrote to V.N. about the rebellious cross-baptists in order to expel them, as I personally told her about this. Convey my benevolent greetings in the Lord to all the S-sisters. 657. The Lord does not look at our external actions, but at our intentions Sister in the Lord, mother N.! I received the money sent to T., as well as your letter dated the 22nd (according to the postmark). You write that you were unwell on the road, but when you arrived in Kyiv, you became completely ill and received treatment; You say that, apparently, you have developed rheumatism in your head. What to do? Rely on the will of God: as the Lord pleases, let him do so with us! You also describe how unpleasant traveling by rail was for you and how you managed to get rid of annoying conversations. And the apostolic word came true: If anyone wants to be wise in you, let him be, for he will be wise (Compare: 1 Cor. 3:18). It bothers you that you had to turn to this remedy in the church of St. Sergius. But the Lord does not look at our external actions, but at our intentions, why we act one way or another, and if the intention is good, according to God, then we can be at peace. Therefore, we should not judge others in any case: we see only external actions; and the innermost motives and intentions by which these actions will be judged are known to the One Knower of the Heart, God. Peace be with you! Take courage in the Lord! You write that you were very surprised that the carriages in which you were sitting ran over and crushed a man who was working on the road, and you are afraid that in the next world you will not be responsible for this. But you’re not a car that ran over a man, and you’re not a driver who didn’t see the man, but you were just sitting in the carriage and couldn’t see where you were being taken. 658. Compassionate bearing of illnesses atones for their sinful cause. He who avoids voluntary sorrows falls into involuntary ones. I received your letters. I am very sorry about your upset health. There should be no confusion about the cause of the illness; St. the fathers command us not to look for who and why we find sorrows, but to endure complacently. Thanking God and humbly bearing will not only atone for our weaknesses and carelessness, but will also impute our own guilt into our justification. The permission of God, which comes to our benefit through the wise Providence, flows from us. He who evades voluntary sorrows, says Mark the Ascetic, falls into involuntary ones. And yet for our benefit and for our admonition, but not at all to embarrassment. 659. One should not trust dreams that cause confusion. On August 25 I received a letter from you, to which I answer briefly, because on August 8 I fell ill and was very sick, and even now I have not yet recovered from my illness - I am so weak that I am very tired from my usual activities. For this reason, i.e. Due to my illness, you should postpone your arrival to us until the first good winter journey: then we’ll write off. Now don't come. You write about the rod you saw in a dream and about the voice you heard. But these dreams, perhaps, are not true, but from a sham side, because from true visions there is peace and spiritual benefit, but these dreams resulted in general confusion. Therefore, I advise you not to trust these dreams, but to leave them without a solution and pray that the Lord and the Queen of Heaven will arrange something beneficial for you, as They please. If something happens according to the will of God, then let it happen - and these things usually happen without our will; and these dreams are sometimes just a demonic scolding, which should not be paid attention to. Let it be better for us according to the will of God. 660. On the prudent distribution of property You write that the interest on your tickets is not enough for you to live on, and you ask my advice: should you change your tickets? At the same time, you calculate how long you will live: in one letter you write that you will live, perhaps, only three years, and in another - that you will not live more than five years. It is in vain that you have the continuation of your life, which depends on the will of God and is known to the One Lord; and it is in vain that you base your financial calculations and assignments on such erroneous and incorrect guesses and assumptions, how much you will leave behind to the monastery. Given the meagerness of your means and your painful situation, it is very unwise to take care of benefactors for the monastery in advance. If you live longer than your appointed time, and meanwhile dispose of your second ticket, then, having lived the first, how will you, sick and weak, be supported? Therefore, I advise you not to make an appointment to the monastery in advance: whatever remains of your capital after you will remain for the benefit of the monastery. And in order to avoid confusion due to the fact that the ticket is yours, it is enough to sign your name, surname and rank on it and have this signature certified by a notary. Through such a signature, the personalized ticket becomes nameless. For your expenses, it is enough for you to exchange one ticket for several small tickets, which can be conveniently exchanged for money if necessary; and you will receive interest on the rest of the capital. 661. About the convenience of having a cell attendant. About pure prayer. More about disbelief in dreams In your first letter you wrote that you took a cell attendant, but that she made you difficult and embarrassed in many ways; and in the second letter you write that she has already left you. But you see for yourself that with a cell attendant there are some inconveniences, and without a cell attendant there are other inconveniences. Especially in case of illness or exhaustion, it is impossible for you to do without a cell attendant, as the case itself shows. What would have happened to you if on August 13 in Kyiv you were alone without a cell attendant? One could hurt you mentally. And in general it is said in Scripture: The two are better than the one... and woe to that one when he falls and there is no second raised up (Eccl. 4:9-10). The highest example of silence was Arsenius the Great; but in his solitude he also had two people with him, Alexander and Troilus. How can we, weak mentally and physically, live alone? Are we higher than Arseny the Great? Describe what happened to you on the night of August 13th. This had such a strong effect on you because, I think, you are accustomed to believing both your dreams and what you see or hear during prayer, whereas pure prayer consists in not accepting or believing in any extraneous thoughts during prayer, what is seen or heard, i.e. changing the icon or any voice. And if you believe in dreams or anything like that, you can lose your mind. To m.i. you can walk, depending on the need, occasionally and with the fear of God and with caution; but you should not do this at all because of the dreams you have seen in which she asks for your help. I repeat, do not believe in dreams, or voices, or mental suggestions during prayer and do not act on them, so as not to be mentally damaged. You write that sometimes m.i. was telling you something that wasn’t true, you had to force yourself to say that it was true. I don't understand why you have to do this? There is no need to say something that does not exist. 662. The enemy rises up against those who repeat the Jesus Prayer from the heart. We must patiently endure temptations and hope for God’s help. When defeating an enemy, one should not ascend and abandon prayer, for this imaginary victory is a trick of the enemy in order to defeat the ascetic. Previous sins return from self-confidence and condemnation Sister in the Lord, most honorable mother! The temptation you described comes from the devil’s envy. In the “Philokalia” in the chapters of Mark the Ascetic “On those who think that they will be justified by works” in chapter 88 it is said: “When the devil sees that the mind has prayed from the heart: then great and evil temptations inflict.” Just to say, the enemy has risen up against you for your heartfelt prayer and wants to turn you away from it; but do not submit to him. This temptation will pass with the mercy and help of God, only you do not present evidence against the enemy’s thoughts, because, according to the word of the Climacus, the enemies are cunning and can, on their part, present you with many objections; but just continue to pray, trying not to listen to the enemy’s thoughts and despise them, repeating the sweetest name of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Climacus writes: “In the name of Jesus, beat the warriors. There is no stronger weapon either on earth or in heaven.” Do not oppose your enemies, but think to yourself that during His earthly life the Holy Son of God ate and drank with sinners, and did not refuse to dine in the house of Simon the leper, and allowed the harlot reported in the city to touch and kiss His most pure nose. If the light of the sun, passing through unclean places, dries up many and is not damaged, how much more will the great mercy of God greatly consume all the unclean sins of every repentant Christian soul. Only those who, out of pride, do not want to repent will go to hell. If Manasseh, who committed so many iniquities and corrupted many people, received forgiveness; then let all sinners who repent take courage, and all the more so since Manasseh, bound in iron chains and thrown into a copper ox, as if involuntarily repenting, unable to bend his bodily knees, only bent the knee of his heart. In a word, to put it briefly, do not answer your enemies, but just pray and pray, calling on the sweetest name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners, for help and mercy. But the enemy’s stupid talk, there’s nothing to do, just be patient and bear with it; Through this one gains spiritual experience. Know and firmly remember and believe that the all-good Provider the Lord does not allow temptations beyond measure and beyond strength to anyone, and if anyone is allowed temptations, then in moderation, and at the same time, help is sent from above from the Lord, Who must be called on at all times. In your illness, you received some freedom from monastic activities and were forced to often pronounce the sweet name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the enemy has armed himself and rebelled against you. However, know and remember that if, by the grace and help of God, the enemy stops fighting, he will stop only for a while, so that he can attack again by accident with greater force, as it is said about this in the 3rd part of the Philokalia in the 2nd chapter of St. Isaiah the Hermit: “If you resist enmity and see it running away from you, exhausted, let your heart not rejoice. There is still the malice of the spirits behind them. They prepare to fight the evil one first, and leave it behind the city, and command it not to move. And if you resist, going against them, they flee from your face out of weakness: if your heart is lifted up, as if you drove them out, and leave the city, they rise behind you, and they stop in front, and leave the accursed soul in their midst, having no refuge. The city is prayer, the insistence is the opposite of Christ Jesus, the procession is fury.” You see, the mistake on our part consists in offering and abandoning prayer. And if, according to the word of the Climacus, your mind confines you in the stronghold of humility, then you only hear the trampling and games of these thieves and you cannot be tempted by any of them. The Monk Isaiah speaks above about the contradiction; but for the weak and beginners, on the advice of other fathers, it is more convenient to pray for thoughts, contradicting them as little as possible or not heeding them at all. If you get down to business, sister, don’t be faint-hearted; but be courageous, arming yourself with faith and hope, and you will clearly feel God’s help, understanding in action what was said by the Apostle: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and rulers and rulers of this world (Eph. 6:12). What your enemies say is not true is that you previously prayed a lot and were not heard. She was heard, but left due care and relied on herself, and maybe she condemned someone; for such reasons the previous temptation was renewed. And if we act according to the Old Testament commandment to do and keep (cf. Gen. 2:15), then the Lord is able to preserve us. 663. There is arrogance in self-justification This letter, begun long ago, I could not finish until now: with bodily weakness, I am constantly burdened with such lack of leisure that I barely remember that I exist. I recently received your third letter dated September 25th. You write about A. and expressed yourself in such a way that I would believe you and not others. Self-justification is visible throughout your explanation regarding A. And these words of yours, so that I don’t believe others, but only believe you, are not humble, but, on the contrary, show arrogance. It would be more humble, and simpler, and closer to the truth to say this: “If you believe others, then believe me, and forgive and let me go of the malfunctions that happen.”... 664. About transferring money to worldly relatives I received your letters dated January 15 and February 4; but due to my usual physical weakness and extreme lack of time, I have not yet had time to answer your question about your son’s money. If you are quite sure that they will not be lost, and if you can give them away with a calm heart, then you can fulfill the wishes of your family. Otherwise, see for yourself. But I really can’t tell you anything, especially since recently there was a similar incident at the Belevsky nunnery, which ended badly. The mother took from her daughter, who lives in this monastery, her last money for her son. The son lived off this money; and now the mother herself came to the monastery to live with her daughter. 665. More about how one should treat visions. About the fight against arrogance and about the fact that one should not force oneself to perform bodily labor beyond one’s strength Your unanswered letters have reached six. By the way, you write about your trip to the Pochaev Lavra and say that your health was good there, but when you returned, you began to get sick again. Then you describe how on the feast of the Smolensk [icon] of the Mother of God in the Lavra Cathedral, having taken a nap, I saw two doves descending on you, and then heard a voice: “Get ready for My Son.” Then you explain in detail your perplexity, that you find it difficult to both accept and reject this voice. I have already told you more than once and written that in such cases you should adhere to the advice of St. Mark the Ascetic, who in the 28th chapter “On those who think that they will be justified by works” writes: “It is good not to look at such delusions for the sake of, nor to curse for the sake of truth, but to offer everything to God with hope: For this is news that is mutually beneficial.” Therefore, leave the voice you hear without any meaning. To prepare for the death we have a commandment from the Lord Himself, who says in the Gospel: Be prepared: for at that hour, remember not, the Son of Man will come (Matthew 24:44). You write that if you start getting ready and force your weak flesh, you can go to bed. But you need to prepare with your soul, not your body. For example, you yourself admit that you often struggle with arrogance. Keep an eye on this and reject proud and all other thoughts that are contrary to God. All the saints considered themselves the worst of all, earth and ashes; This means that if someone thinks highly of himself, he does not follow the path indicated by St. fathers. You also wrote that when you are sick, it is difficult for you to bow to the ground, and you ask: what should you do? And I have told you about this more than once and written that it is harmful to force a weak body beyond its strength, and that this only results in embarrassment upon embarrassment. If you cannot make prostrations, make bows at the waist, either standing, sitting, or even lying down, say a prayer, and instead of bowing, at least make the sign of the cross at the first 30 prayers of each centenary when fulfilling the five-hundredth rule. 665. In every sojourn one must live pleasingly Sister in the Lord, most honorable mother! I received your letter dated February 20th. You wrote that you refused the treasury. If you managed to get rid of the treasury, congratulations. And if, despite your refusal, you were nevertheless elected to treasurer, congratulations again. In every abiding, try to abide pleasingly, i.e. in a peaceful and humble spirit, do not judge anyone and do not annoy anyone, trying so that our word, according to the apostolic commandment, is dissolved with spiritual salt (See: Col. 4:6). 667. One must pray for those who offend and endure temptations I received your letter of November 20, as well as your previous mournful letters, but due to weakness and extreme lack of time from attending to visitors, I could not answer you until now. You describe your sad situation and want to give up the treasury. But now, at least, the Metropolitan is disposed towards you; but if you refuse the position, then, perhaps, this won’t happen either. In the monastery, it is unlikely that this will make you feel more at ease; but it’s as if they weren’t kicked out at all. Therefore, it is better not to give up the treasury position, but to continue it, even with sorrow. God willing, in time the storm will subside; just pray with faith and zeal to the Lord and the Queen of Heaven to help you bear your sorrows. Pray also for those who insult you with these words: “Save, Lord, such and such a mother, and with her prayers have mercy on me, a sinner.” Especially pray this way during times of great confusion. It is good to make great bows at the same time, if space allows. 668. About the harmful consequences of incorrect prayer and that one should not imagine the incomprehensible Deity in images Revered in the Lord, Brother D. I received your letter. You were subjected to the mental and physical infirmities you described because, out of inexperience, you used the wrong form of prayer, raising your mind to the Throne of the Holy Trinity and contemplating the incomprehensible Divinity, according to human understanding, in image and likeness; from which, according to St. Gregory the Sinaite and Simeon the New Theologian, the inexperienced fall into delusion. The image of prayer, with vision and ascension of the mind to heaven, can only be used by those who are dispassionate, through long time and struggle, and especially through humility and God’s help, who have cleansed themselves of the admixture of passions; and for beginners and the weak this is very dangerous and leads to the delusion of the enemy, in which they are exposed to incomparable weaknesses and passions, as the holy Apostle explains: Because they did not want to have God in their minds, for this reason God gave them over to an unskilled mind to do incomparable things... (Cf. Rom. 1:28). The visions that you had and imagined are not true, such as: the vision of the risen Lord, the vision of the Mother of God, and other similar things. Forward, do not believe in dreams or visions. All this is dangerous and seductive and does not end well. The very fruits of your present life can serve as clear proof to you that you were deceived and carried away by conceit from former ideas and imaginary purity and brightness of mind, and the tears that happened, and tenderness. All this fed in you the secret and subtle arrogance and seduction of the enemy, from which bitter fruits later came. However, one should not despair. There is no sin that overcomes God's love for mankind. The Lord is able to correct your spiritual circumstances if you are forced to make a new beginning with true repentance and sincere humility. Leave the previous form of prayer and do not dare to ascend with your mind to heaven and imagine the incomprehensible Divinity in an image. Reverently worship the image of the Holy Trinity on the icon, but do not imagine the Divine in this form in your mind - this is dangerous, according to the teachings of St. Fathers Gregory Sinaite and others. Due to brevity, there is now no opportunity to expand on this. If you want to correct a damaged matter, then imitate in prayer the publican, about whom the Lord Himself says that he did not even dare to raise his bodily eyes to heaven, and there is nothing to say about his mind; those. He did not dare to ascend to heaven with his mind, but stood before God with fear and humility, as seen from above from the Lord, and asking for mercy: God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13), and not daring to argue with the Pharisee, who clearly humiliated him. This is an image of repentance and a return to the right path for all who have sinned. And do not argue with anyone and do not teach anyone, but only pay attention to your repentance and correction of your own life, in the fear of God with humility and self-reproach, without justifying yourself and without rejecting reproaches from the outside, especially without judging or condemning anyone. 669. About sorrows in the monastery: those who spend their lives in humility and self-reproach experience few sorrows. The main cause of sorrow is pride, and sometimes a good determination to live piously Do the cases of sorrow that occur in the monastery affect everyone equally? Not equal, but very different and varied. Whoever enters the monastery directly follows the path of humility, in the fear of God and keeping his eyes, ears and tongue according to his conscience, and resorting to self-reproach when making mistakes, he will see few unpleasant cases: and the word “gossip” will not even exist for him. If the Lord, for the sake of our salvation, endured spitting and strangulation and every kind of humiliation, then none of those who want to be saved should not know, if only he has the right desire for salvation, that he must also suffer the same, although to a lesser extent, for his sins and for the sake of his salvation. The main idea during tonsure is expressed as follows: “Imashi will be annoyed, and humbled, and driven out, and bear all the sorrow.” For those who know and remember this, the word “gossip” cannot have any power. If anyone asks: for whom do they exist and have power? Of course, even for the weak, although well-intentioned, whose pride is still strong, even if it was plausibly covered up with some supposedly blessed pretexts, for those who look at things, although in some cases, with a human eye, not yet being free from receiving attention and affection and greeting and some respect, and sometimes preference, especially when a kind of pretext is presented for this through the benefits they received. The Holy Apostle Paul clearly expressed both of these states with a reproach: Having been made in the spirit, you are now finished in the flesh (Gal. 3:3). How can one be weak in this case? It’s very simple: realize your weakness, resort to self-reproach and humility, and in unpleasant cases blame yourself more than others, and above all, look at things simply, that we are all people, all human beings, everyone sees in their own way, understands in their own way, judges and interprets in their own way. In this we will be judged by the Son of God alone, to Whom alone this power was given from God the Father. When we leave simplicity and think and interpret: what, and how, and why, and for what, and who they are, and how they are, then it will not be simple, but it will turn out to be tricky, and even more stupid. There will be confusion and misunderstandings; will not do without a complaint. And sorrow! There will be unbearable sorrows! I don’t remember, it’s written somewhere that vanity, if you touch it with your finger, screams: “Your skin is being torn.” Although this is not always the case, it happens not in small portions, only in various modifications. Our pride is the root of all evil. It is the beginning of all passions, it is the cause of all our disasters and suffering, sometimes at the present time, and sometimes as a consequence of previous mistakes. However, it is not just pride that is the cause of sorrow, but often a good determination to live godly, as the Apostle says: All who want to live godly will be persecuted (Compare: 2 Tim. 3:12). And in another place it is said: Many are the sorrows of the righteous, only with the addition of encouragement: but the Lord will deliver me from them all (Ps. 33:20). Blessed is he who is one of these and endures sorrows and righteousness for a pious life. What about those about whom it is said: Many are the wounds of the sinner (Ps. 31:10)? And such should not despair, but without embarrassment and with hope in God’s mercy, graciously reach out to repentance and humility, imitating the publican, who, seeing his fault in everything, cried out to the Lord: God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13). Trying to live piously, one must remember and never forget that everything one reads and understands must be applied to oneself, and not to others, to be prudently strict towards oneself, and lenient towards others. To be prudently strict means not to be stupidly embarrassed. We can see an example of this in children of different ages, who are treated with leniency according to their understanding. There are also spiritual children, whose age is not calculated by years or wrinkles, but rather it is said positively: The age of old age is not a bad life (Wis. 4:9). How soon will we reach that age of old age? And having not lived, we all demand from each other indulgence, out of love for God: to hear condescendingly, to see condescendingly, to judge condescendingly about what we have seen and heard.