Слово 51. О том, посредством чего можно человеку с изменением внешнего образа жизни приобрести изменение в сокровенных мыслях

While a person remains in non-covetousness, the thought of leaving life constantly comes to his mind; and he always puts his thoughts on life after the resurrection, at all times prepares himself there in every possible way and acquires patience against all honor and bodily peace sown in his thoughts 320; and the thought of neglecting the world constantly vibrates in his mind; and he dares with his mind, and acquires a strong heart at all times in order to face every danger and every fear that causes death; He is not even afraid of death, because every hour he fixes his gaze on it, as if it is approaching, and awaits it; His care, with all undoubted hope, is placed in God. And if he encounters sorrows, then he seems confident and knows for sure that the sorrows will bring him a crown; and endures them with all joy, accepts them with joy and joy. For he knows that God Himself, for useful reasons, intends them for him in His implicit providence about things unknown to us. If, through the action and cunning of this sage for any evil, he happens to acquire something transitory for any reason, then at that very hour love for the body begins to awaken in his soul; he thinks about a long life; Every hour thoughts of carnal peace arise and come into force in him, the bodily peace prevails over it, and he seeks within himself whether it is impossible for him, in any way, to have in himself everything that constitutes this peace for him, and he emerges from this freedom, which does not submit to any thought of fear; hence, in any case, he dwells on thoughts that lead to fear, and invents reasons for fear, because this firmness of heart has been taken away from him, which he acquired when in his non-covetousness he was above the world, and with which he was enriched in his soul, since he became the heir of this world, according to what he acquired. He is subject to fear according to the law and economy determined by God. To serve what our members are prepared for, we are enslaved to it and, according to the word of the Apostle, we are guilty of working with all fear (see Rom. 6:16; Heb. 2:15). Above all passions is self-love; above all virtues is disdain for peace. Whoever gives up his body to rest, in the land of peace, causes it sorrow. He who enjoys in his youth becomes a slave 321 in old age and groans in his last days. Just as it is impossible for one whose head is in the water to inhale the thin air flowing into this empty depth, 322 so it is impossible for one who immerses his thoughts in local worries to inhale the sensations of this new world. Just as the stench of death upsets the physical composition, so does an obscene spectacle upset the world of the mind. Just as it is impossible for health and illness to exist in one body and one not be destroyed by the other, so it is impossible for one house to have an abundance of money and love 323 without one of them destroying the other. Just as glass cannot remain intact when it collides with a stone, so when a saint happens to remain and talk with his wife, he cannot remain in his purity and not become defiled. Just as trees are uprooted by a strong and constant stream of water, so the love for the world is eradicated in the heart by the influx of temptations directed at the body. Just as medicine destroys the impurity of bad juices in the body, so the cruelty of sorrows cleanses the heart from evil passions. Just as a dead person cannot feel the affairs of the living, so the soul of a monk, buried in silence, as in a coffin, is deprived of that breeze that usually appears, like smoke, when sensing anything used by people. Just as it is impossible for someone who spares his enemy during a battle to remain unharmed, so it is impossible for an ascetic to save his soul from destruction if he spares his body 324 . Just as a child is amazed by terrible sights and, having run away (from them), holds on to the edges of his parents’ clothes, calling on them for help, so the soul, to the extent that it is oppressed and crushed by the fear of temptation, hastens to cleave to God, calling on Him in unceasing prayer. And while temptations continue to attack her one after another, prayer increases; and, on the contrary, when he receives liberation, he indulges in soaring thoughts. Like those who are handed over to the hands of judges to be punished for an atrocity, if, as soon as they approach torture, they humble themselves and immediately admit their unrighteousness, the punishment is reduced, and soon after minor sorrows they are released; If some criminals are stubborn and do not confess, then they are subjected to new tortures, and although in the end, after many tortures, when their body is covered with wounds, they confess involuntarily, they do not receive any benefit from it; so we too, when for our sins, carelessly committed by us, mercy 325 delivers us into the hands of the righteous Judge of all and commands us to be spread out under the rod of temptations in order to ease our punishment there, if, as soon as the rod of the Judge approaches us, we humble ourselves, remember our iniquities and bring them to confession before the Avenger 326 , after short-term temptations we will soon be delivered; and if we become hardened in our sorrows and do not confess that we are guilty of them and are worthy to endure even greater ones (sorrows), but we begin to blame people, and sometimes demons, at other times God’s truth, and assert that we do not deserve such deeds, and we will think and say this, and will not think that God knows better than ourselves and knows us, that His judgments are throughout the whole earth, and without His command is not punished man, then everything that happens to us will cause us constant sadness, our sorrows will increase, and one after another they will, like a rope, bind us until we know ourselves, humble ourselves and feel our iniquities (for without feeling them, it is impossible for us to achieve correction); and finally, tormented by many sorrows, we will bring confession without benefit to ourselves, when, as a rule, there is no longer any consolation. But this - to feel our sins - is God’s gift that enters our thoughts when God sees that we are tired of manifold temptations, so that, despite all our misfortunes and sorrows, we would not depart from this world without receiving any benefit. And the fact that we do not understand temptations is not due to difficulty 327, but because of foolishness. Often others, being in similar circumstances, depart from this world guilty of their sins, but denying them and blaming them 328; the merciful God waited to see if they would somehow humble themselves in order to forgive them and create deliverance for them; and would not only deliver them from temptations, but would also forgive them their sins, being appeased by a small heartfelt confession. Just as another person, having brought a great gift to the king, is rewarded by him with a tender gaze, so to the one who has tears in his prayer, the great King of the ages, God, forgives every measure of sin and rewards him with a benevolent gaze. Just as a sheep, leaving the enclosure and wandering separately 329, stops at the lair of wolves, so a monk, absent from the meeting of his friends, under the pretext of staying in silence, constantly comes and goes, and approaches spectacles and theatrical disgraces, passing through cities. Just as a person who carries a valuable pearl on his shoulder and walks a path on which there are robbers and about which there is a bad rumor, is in fear every hour so as not to be attacked, so the one who carries the beads of chastity and walks in the world along the enemy’s path has no hope of getting rid of robbers and robbers until he comes to the abode of the tomb, that is, to the land of hope. And can he who carries with him a pearl of great price not be afraid? So this one does not know in what place, from where and at what hour they will attack him and suddenly deprive him of his hope 330, and at the door of his house, that is, during his old age, he will be robbed. Just as a person who drinks wine on the day of mourning, having drunk, forgets all sadness about his difficult situation, so one who is intoxicated with the love of God throughout the world, which is the house of mourning, forgets all his labors and sorrows and, because of his intoxication, becomes insensitive to all sinful passions. His heart is strengthened by hope in God; his soul is light as a feathered bird; his mind hourly ascends from the earth, above all human things, soars with the ever-teaching of his thoughts and enjoys among the immortals of the Almighty. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Resisting the urges of ambition and self-indulgence. By giving him extra peace. You might be interested in: