Слово 28. О третьей степени ведения, которая есть степень совершенства

Listen, then, to how a person becomes refined, acquires spirituality and becomes likened in life to the invisible Forces, who carry out their service not through sensually performed deeds, but through the care of the mind. When knowledge rises above the earthly and above the care of earthly things and begins to test its thoughts in what is hidden from the eyes within, and in some way begins to neglect that which causes indecency of the passions, and grief spreads, and follows faith in the care of the future age and in the desire for what is promised to us, and in the search for the hidden mysteries, then faith itself absorbs this knowledge, and is converted, and gives birth to it again, so that it becomes entirely spirit. Then it can soar on wings in the realm of the incorporeal, touch the depths and the intangible sea, imagining in the mind the Divine and wonderful actions of government in the natures of mental and sensory beings, and explore the spiritual secrets comprehended by simple and subtle thought. Then the inner feelings are aroused to spiritual activity in accordance with the state that exists in this life of immortality and incorruptibility, because even here, as if in secret, it 161 received mental resurrection, as a true testimony of universal renewal. These are three methods of knowledge with which the entire course of a person in the body, in the soul, in the spirit is associated. From the time a person begins to distinguish evil from good, and until he leaves this world, the knowledge of his soul remains in these three measures. And the fullness of all untruth and wickedness, and the fullness of truth, and in order to touch the depth of all the secrets of the spirit, produces a single knowledge in the said three measures, and in it is contained every movement of the mind, when it ascends or descends in good, or in evil, or in the middle between good and evil. The fathers call these measures: natural, unnatural and supernatural. And these are the three directions along which the memory of the rational soul rises and falls when, according to what has been said or according to nature, someone does the truth, or above nature admires its memory, in the contemplation of God, or outside of nature goes to feed pigs 163, as if he wasted the wealth of his prudence, working with many demons. Cumulative overview of the three knowledges The first degree of knowledge cools the soul for the work of walking in God. The second warms the soul for a rapid flow to that which is at the level of faith. The third is peace from doing (which is the image of the future), enjoying the mysteries of the future in a single ever-teaching of the mind. But since nature cannot yet completely rise above the state of mortification and the burden of the flesh and perfect itself in this spiritual knowledge, which is higher than other deviating knowledge, then this knowledge is not able to serve towards perfection, which has no deficiency; A person cannot be in the world of death and completely abandon the nature of the flesh. But while a person lives in the flesh, he remains in a transitional state from one knowledge to another. Then suddenly his soul, like a poor and beggar, begins to perform service on the second, average degree of virtue, which is embedded in nature and can be produced with the help of bodily nature; then he remains, like those who have received the Spirit of sonhood, in the sacrament of freedom, enjoys the grace of the Spirit, who gives it according to its dignity, and again returns to the humility of his deeds, and these are the essence of deeds performed with the help of the body. And grace preserves them so that the enemy does not captivate it 164 with lures found in this evil age, and with confused and enticing thoughts, 165 because a person, while imprisoned under the veil of the doors of the flesh, has no hope. For in this imperfect age there is no perfect freedom. Every act of knowledge consists of doing and continuous exercise; the work of faith is not accomplished by works, but is fulfilled by spiritual thoughts, in purely spiritual action; and it is beyond feelings. For faith is more subtle than knowledge, just as knowledge is more subtle than sensible things. All the saints who have been deemed worthy to acquire this life (and this is admiration for God), by the power of faith, remain in the delight of this supernatural life. We do not mean faith by which a person believes in the distinction of the venerable and Divine Hypostases, in the surpassing everything, especially 166 the nature of the Divinity itself and in the wonderful economy 167 perfect in humanity by the perception of our nature (although this faith is extremely high), but faith that shines in the soul from the light of grace, strengthening the heart with the testimony of the mind, so as not to it wavered in the certainty of hope, far from any conceit. And this faith is revealed not in the increased hearing of the ears, but in spiritual eyes, which see the secrets hidden in the soul, the invisible and divine riches hidden from the eyes of the sons of the flesh and revealed by the Spirit, feeding from the table of Christ, in the teaching of the laws of Christ, as the Lord said: “If you keep My commandments, I will send you the Comforter, “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, and He you will teach “all truth” (John 14:15,17,26). He shows a person this holy power that dwells in him at all times, this cover, this mental fortress, which always covers a person, repelling everything harmful from him, so that it does not come close to his soul or body. The bright and spiritual mind invisibly senses this power with the eyes of faith. It is known to the saints even more through their experienced communion with it. This power is the Comforter Himself, who, with the strength of faith, kindles the members of the soul like fire. And the soul rushes, neglecting 168 all danger in hope of God, soars on the wings of faith above visible creation and is always as if intoxicated, in amazement before Divine care, in false contemplation and invisible examination of the Divine nature, training the mind to be attentive to thinking about His mysteries. For until He 169 comes, Who is the performer of the sacraments, and until we are clearly worthy of the revelation of them, faith between God and the saints sacredly administers the ineffable sacraments, which, by the grace of Christ Himself, we too may be worthy of, here as a pledge, and in the actual truth itself, there, in the Kingdom of Heaven with those who love Him. Amen. So according to the translation of Rev. Paisia. According to the Greek text: “...in the contemplation of God is outside of nature, or comes from...” Those who deviate from the proper direction. Only characteristic of the Divine. You might be interested in: