Слово 3. О том, что душа до познания Божией премудрости и Божиих тварей доходит без труда, если безмолвствует вдали от мира и житейских попечений; ибо тогда может познавать естество свое и те сокровища, какие имеет сокрытыми внутри себя

When worldly cares have not entered the soul from outside, but it remains in its natural state, then its labor is short-lived and it reaches the knowledge of God’s wisdom; because the removal of the soul from the world and its silence naturally prompt it to the knowledge of God’s creatures, and from this it ascends to God, is amazed in amazement and remains with God. For when waters from outside do not enter the spiritual source, then the natural waters flowing in it constantly give rise to thoughts in the soul about the miracles of God. And as soon as the soul turns out to not have these thoughts, this means either that some reason was given for this by some alien memories, or that the feelings from meeting objects produced a rebellion against it. When feelings are enclosed in silence, they are not allowed to rush outside, and with the help of silence, remembrance becomes obsolete; then you will see what the natural thoughts of the soul are, what the very nature of the soul is, and what treasures it has hidden within itself. These treasures are the knowledge of the disembodied, which arises in the soul by itself, without preliminary thought about it and without labor. A person does not even know that such thoughts arise in human nature. For who was his teacher? Or how did he comprehend that which, even though it is mentally imagined, cannot be understood by others? Or who was his mentor in something that he did not learn at all from another? This is the nature of the soul. Consequently, passions are something additional, and the soul itself is guilty of them. For by nature the soul is dispassionate. When you hear in Scripture about mental and physical passions, let it be known to you that this is said in relation to the causes of passions; for the soul is by nature dispassionate. Those who adhere to external wisdom do not accept this, and like them, neither do their followers. On the contrary, we believe that God created those 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. For every image is removed from the image that is presented. It is impossible to present an image to someone without first seeing the likeness. Therefore, we must be convinced that passions, as we said above, are not in the nature of the soul. If anyone contradicts what has been said, then we will ask him a question, and let him answer us. Question. What is the nature of the soul? Is something dispassionate and full of light, or passionate and darkened? Answer. If at one time the nature of the soul was light and pure, due to its reception of the blessed light, and like this it turns out to be the same when it returns to the primitive order, then there is no doubt that the soul is outside its nature as soon as it comes into passionate movement, as the disciples of the Church assert. Therefore, passions came into the soul subsequently, and it is unfair to say that passions are in the nature of the soul, although it is set in motion by them. So, it is clear that it is set in motion by something external, not as if it were its own. And if passions are called spiritual, 71 because the soul is set in motion by them without the participation of the body, then hunger, thirst, and sleep will be spiritual, because in them, as well as in the cutting off of members, in fever, in illness, and the like, the soul suffers and groans with the body. For the soul sympathizes with the body through communication with it, just as the body sympathizes with the soul; the soul rejoices with the joy of the body, and accepts its sorrows. To our God be glory and power forever! Amen. In Greek it is read “natural”, but according to ancient Slavic manuscripts it is better to read “spiritual”. You might be interested in: