Апостолы.

The apostles... went around the whole world, toiling and enduring reproach... from their truncated members they poured out blood like water; in severe suffering they were not faint-hearted, but endured them valiantly, and, having become wise, were recognized as insane. Others wandered in deserts, in mountains and dens, in the abysses of the earth, and in troubles they were the most comfortable. May God vouchsafe us to achieve this madness! Blessed Anthony never decided to do anything more useful for himself than for his neighbor, in the hope that the benefit of his neighbor was the best thing for him to do. They say about Abba Agathon that he said: “I would like to find a leper and take his body from him, and give him mine.” Do you see perfect love? And the same with regard to what he had outside of himself, he could not resist so as not to put his neighbor to rest. And one more thing: he had a knife; the brother, having come to him, wished to have it, and the abba did not allow him to leave his cell without this knife. Such and so on are written about such men. But why am I saying this? Many of them, for the sake of their neighbors, betrayed their bodies to beasts, sword and fire. Sometimes the angels guided those ascetics who were astray on the path; sometimes they delivered those who fell into temptation; sometimes, in the event of a sudden misfortune and threatening danger, they were snatched away from this, saving them, for example, from a serpent or from a (falling) rock, or from an arrow, or from a thrown stone; sometimes, if the enemy was clearly attacking the saints, they appeared visibly and said that they had been sent to help them, and gave them courage, courage and joy; and at other times they performed healings through them, and sometimes they healed the saints themselves who had undergone some kind of suffering. QUESTION. What thoughts and reflections should an ascetic who remains in silence, in his silent cell, have, and what should he constantly do so that his mind does not have leisure for vain thoughts? ANSWER. Are you asking about thoughts and reflections, how does a person become dead in his cell? Does a person who is zealous and sober in soul really need to ask how he should behave when he is alone with himself? What other activity does a monk have in his cell other than crying? Does he ever have time to turn to another thought from crying? And what activity is better than this? The very stay of the monk and his loneliness, like being in a tomb, far from human joy, teach him that his activity is lamentation. And the very meaning of his name also calls and convinces, because he is called lamenting, that is, filled with sorrow in his heart. And all the saints moved from this life 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? The monk's consolation comes from his crying. And if the perfect and victorious here wept, how can he who is filled with plagues endure so that he may remain without weeping? Therefore, if we enter into silence and persevere in it, then, of course, we will be able to remain in tears. Therefore, let us constantly pray to the Lord in our minds to grant us weeping. For if we accept this grace, which is better and more excellent than other gifts, then, with its help, we will achieve purity. And as soon as we achieve it, purity will not be taken away from us until our very departure from this life. Therefore, blessed are the pure in heart, because there is no time when they do not enjoy this sweetness of tears, and in it they always see the Lord. While there are still tears in their eyes, they are granted the vision of His revelations at the height of their prayer; and they have no prayer without tears. This is what the Lord said: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). For from crying a person comes to spiritual purity. Therefore, the Lord, having said: “as they will be comforted,” did not explain by what consolation. For when a monk has been vouchsafed, with the help of tears, to cross the realm of passions and enter the plain of spiritual purity, then such consolation is received by him. Therefore, if one of those who have received consolation here stretches out onto this plain, then on it he will encounter consolation that is not found here, and then understands what kind of consolation the end of crying receives, which God gives to those who cry for their purity; because he who weeps incessantly cannot be disturbed by passions. Shedding tears and crying is the gift of the dispassionate. And if the tears of someone who temporarily weeps and laments can not only guide him to dispassion, but also completely cleanse and free his mind from the remembrance of passions, then what can we say about those who practice this activity with knowledge day and night? Therefore, no one knows the help that comes from crying, except those alone who have devoted their souls to this cause. All saints strive for this entrance (i.e., to receive the gift of crying), because with tears the door opens for them to enter the land of consolation; and in this country the most good and saving traces of God are depicted in revelations. The silent ones moved away from conversations with people. If a person once opens the door for some motive, then the devil will not stop exposing some of these motives to him, under many pretexts, for frequent and countless meetings with people. Therefore, if you, brother, truly love the virtue of such silence, which does not tolerate dispersion, rejection, or separation, and with which the ancients conquered, then in this case you will find the opportunity to fulfill your laudable desire, as soon as you become like your Fathers, and you will accept the intention in yourself to show their lives. But they loved complete silence, did not care to show love to their loved ones, did not try to use their strength to calm them down, and were not ashamed to avoid meeting those who were considered respectable people. So they walked and were not condemned by wise and leading people as despisers of the brethren, contemptuous or careless, or devoid of reason, which was said in their justification by those who worship silence and hermitage more than community with people. “A person,” he says, “who experiences the sweetness of silence in his cell, does not run away from meeting him as someone who neglects his neighbor, but for the sake of the fruit that he gathers from silence.” “Why,” he asks, “Abba Arseny indulged in flight and did not stop when he met someone? Abba Theodore, if he met someone, his meeting was like a sword. He did not greet anyone when he was outside his cell. But Saint Arseny did not greet even those who came to him with greetings. For at one time one of the Fathers came to see Abba Arseny, and the elder opened the door, thinking that it was his servant; but when he saw who the newcomer was, he fell down on his face, and, begging for a long time to get up, with the assurance of the newcomer that he would accept the blessing and leave, the saint refused, saying: “I will not get up until you leave.” And he didn’t get up until he left. And the blessed one did this so that if one day he gave them his hand, they would not return to him again. Look at the continuation of the word and then you will not say that perhaps Arseny neglected this Father, or someone else, due to his insignificance, and for the sake of his honor he showed partiality and talked with him. On the contrary, Arseny equally ran away from everyone, both small and great. One thing was before his eyes - for the sake of silence, to neglect communication with people, whether it be a great or small person, and for the sake of the honor of silence and silence, to bear reproach from everyone. And we know that the archbishop, Blessed Theophilus, came to him, and with him was the judge of that country, who had a desire to see the saint and honor him. But Arseny, when he sat before them, did not even with a small word honor their high rank, although they really wanted to hear his word. And when the archbishop began to ask him about this, the good old man was silent for a while and then said: “Will you keep my word if I tell you?” They agreed by saying, “Yes.” The elder told them: “If you hear that Arseny is here, do not approach there.” Do you see the wonderful disposition of the old man? Do you see his disdain for human conversation? Here is a man who has known the fruit of silence. The blessed one did not reason that the universal teacher and head of the Church had come, but imagined the following in his thoughts: “Once and forever I died for the world, what is the use of a dead man alive?” And Abba Macarius reproached him with a reproach filled with love, saying: “Why are you running from us?” The elder presented him with a wonderful and praiseworthy excuse, answering: “God knows that I love you; but I cannot be together with God and with people.” And he was taught this wonderful knowledge by no other person than the voice of God. For it was said to him: “Run, Arseny, people and you will be saved.” Let no idle and conversation-loving person be so shameless as to refute this, distorting Arsenie’s words, and let him not say, contrary to this, that this is a human invention and was invented for the benefit of silence. On the contrary, this is a heavenly teaching. And let us not think that this was said to Arseny in the sense that he should run away and move away from the world, and not in the sense that he should also run away from his brothers! After he left the world, went and settled in the monastery, he again prayed to God, asking how he could live virtuously, and said: “Show me the way, Lord, how to be saved,” and thought that he would hear something else; and for the second time I heard again the same Master’s voice: “Run, Arseny, be silent, and remain silent. And although there is a lot of benefit (he was told) in meeting and talking with the brethren, it is not so much useful for you to talk with them as to run away from them.” And when blessed Arseny received this in Divine revelation, and since, when he was still in the world, he was commanded to run, and then, when he was with the brethren, the same thing was said, then he was convinced and knew that in order to acquire a good life, it was not enough for him to run only from the worldly, he must run away from everyone equally. For can anyone resist and contradict the Divine voice? Yes, and the divine Anthony was told in revelation: “If you want to remain silent, go not only to Thebaid, but even to the inner desert.” Therefore, if God commands us to run away from everyone and loves silence so much when those who love Him abide in it, who will pretend to be any pretext for being in conversation and getting close to people? If flight and caution were useful to Arseny and Anthony, how much more useful are they to the weak? And if those, both in word, and in sight, and in whose help the whole world needed. God honored them more for their silence than for helping the entire brotherhood, or better yet, all of humanity, then how much more does silence need someone who is not able to protect himself well? We also know about another certain saint that his brother became ill and was imprisoned in another cell. And since the saint, throughout his illness, overcame his compassion and did not come to see him, the sick man, approaching his departure from life, sent him to say: “If you have not come to me until now, then come now so that I can see you before I depart from the world, or come even at night, and I will kiss you and leave you.” But the blessed one did not agree even at this hour, when nature usually demands our compassion for each other and transgresses the determination of the will, but said: “If I go out, I will not purify my heart before God, because I did not care to visit my spiritual brothers, but did I prefer nature to Christ?” And his brother died, and he did not see him. Therefore, let no one, out of laziness of thoughts, pretend that this is impossible, let no one overthrow and turn his silence into nothing, rejecting God’s Providence for him. If the saints have conquered nature itself, no matter how strong it is, and if Christ loves it when silence is honored, while His children are neglected, then what other necessity can you have that you could not neglect when you fall under it? This commandment, which says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all... your mind” (Matthew 22:37), more than the whole world and nature, and everything that is in nature, is fully fulfilled when you remain in your silence. And the commandment to love your neighbor is contained in it. Do you want, according to the Gospel commandment, to acquire in your soul love for your neighbor? Get away from him, and then the flame of love for him will ignite in you, and you will rejoice when you see him, as when you see a bright angel. Do you also want those who love you to thirst for your sight? On certain days only, have a meeting with them. Experience is truly a teacher for everyone. Idle conversations. How to wean people who come to visit from idle conversations? I once went to a cell to one of the Fathers. The saint rarely opened the door to anyone. But as soon as he saw through the window that I was coming, he said to me: “Do you want to come in?” And I answered: “Yes, honest Father.” After I entered, said a prayer, sat down, and we talked about many things, finally I asked him: “What should I do, Father? Others come to me, and I gain nothing and do not gain any benefit from talking with them, but I am ashamed to tell them: do not go. They even often prevent me from correcting the usual rule, and therefore I grieve.” To this the blessed old man answered me: “When such lovers of idleness come to you, as soon as they sit for a while, give them the appearance that you want to stand in prayer, and say to the one who came with a bow: let’s pray, brother, because the time has already come for me to rule, and I cannot break it, it becomes difficult for me when I want to do it at another hour, and this becomes a cause of embarrassment for me, and I cannot leave without some urgent need.” rules. And now there is no need for my prayer to be canceled. And don’t let him go without praying with you. If he says: pray, and I will go, bow to him and say: for the sake of love, do at least this one prayer with me, so that I may benefit from your prayer. And when you do, extend your prayer even beyond what you are accustomed to do. If you do this to them, as soon as they come to you, then, having learned that you do not indulge them and do not like idleness, they will not approach the place where they will hear that you are there. Therefore, be careful that you do not ruin the works of God through partiality. If you meet one of the Fathers or a weary wanderer, then you will be charged with being with such a person instead of the longest prayer. But if the wanderer is one of those who love vanity, then calm him down as much as possible and let him go in peace.” QUESTION. What is immortal life? ANSWER. Feeling God; because love comes from knowledge, and the knowledge of God is the king of all desires, and for a heart that accepts it, all sweetness on earth is superfluous. For there is nothing like the sweetness of the knowledge of God. Fill my heart, O Lord, with eternal life! Eternal life is consolation in God; and whoever has found consolation in God considers worldly consolation unnecessary. QUESTION. What is human dispassion? ANSWER. Dispassion does not consist in not feeling passions, but 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 them; because at all times he is filled with his thoughts as a result of reflection and conversation about the best images that are consciously aroused in the mind. And as soon as passions begin to be aroused, the mind is suddenly delighted by the approach to them with some understanding that has entered the mind, and the passions, as Blessed Mark said, remain in it as if idle. The mind, by the grace of God, performing virtuous deeds and approaching knowledge, feels little of what constitutes the bad (passionate) and unreasonable part of the soul. For knowledge delights him in height and alienates him from everything in the world. And because of the integrity of the saints and the subtlety, flexibility and sharpness of their minds, as well as because of their feat, their mind is purified and turns out to be enlightened, according to the dryness of their flesh. And, as a result of teaching them silence and a long stay in it, the inner is easily and quickly given to everyone and leads to delight in contemplation. At the same time, they usually abound in contemplations, and their minds never lack objects of understanding, and they are never without something that produces the fruit of the spirit in them. Long-term practice erases the memories in their hearts, which arouse passions in the soul, and the power of the devil’s power is abolished. For when the soul does not become friends with the passions by thinking about them, then, since it is occupied with other concerns, the power of the passions cannot hold its spiritual feelings in its claws. Be a preacher of the goodness of God, because God feeds you as an unworthy person and because you owe Him a lot, but His exaction is not visible on you, and He rewards you with great things for the small deeds you have done. Do not call God just, for His justice is not known by your deeds. Although David calls Him just and just (Ps. 119:137), His Son revealed to us that He is even more good and gracious. For he says: “It is good” to the evil and wicked (Luke 6:35). And why do you call God just, when in the chapter about the reward of workers you read: “friend, I will not offend you... I want... to give to this last one, as I did to you. Even if your eye is evil, because I am good” (Matthew 20:13–15)? Why does a person also call God just, when in the chapter about the prodigal son, who prodigally squandered his wealth, you read that with one contrition, which the son (the father) showed, came and fell on his neck, and gave him power over all his wealth? (Luke 15:20–22). For no one else said this about God so that we might doubt Him, but the Son of God Himself testified about Him. Where is God's justice? Is it because we are sinners and Christ died for us? And if He is so merciful, then we will believe that He does not accept change. Let us never imagine this iniquity, so as to call God unmerciful: the property of God does not change like the dead, and God does not acquire what He does not have; does not lose what He has; does not receive increase like creatures. What God had from the beginning, he always has and will have to infinity, as Blessed Cyril said in his interpretation of the book of Genesis: fear Him, he says, out of love, and not by the name of cruel, given to Him (that is, not because people gave Him the name “cruel”). Love Him as you must love Him, and not for what He will give you in the future, but for what we have received in the present world, created for our sake. For who is able to repay Him? Where is His reward for our deeds? Who prompted Him to bring us into being in the beginning? Who pleads with Him for us when we do not remember Him? When we did not yet exist, who brought this body of ours to life? And again, where does the thought of knowledge fall into the dust? Oh, how wonderful is the mercy of God! Oh, how amazing is the grace of God and our Creator! What a force that dominates everything! What immeasurable goodness by which He again raises our sinful nature to rebirth! Who has the strength to glorify Him? He raises up the transgressor (of the commandments) and the blasphemer of His, He renews the foolish dust, makes it rational and verbal, He makes the scattered and insensitive mind and wasted feelings into a rational nature and worthy of Divine thought! The sinner is not able to imagine the grace of his resurrection. Where is Gehenna that could make us sad? Where is the torment that frightens us in various ways and conquers the joy of His love? And what is Gehenna before the grace of His resurrection, when He will raise us from hell, cause this corruptible to put on incorruptibility (I Cor. 15:53-54), and raise up those who fell into hell in glory? Come, you sensible ones, and be amazed! Who, having a wise and wonderful mind, will worthily marvel at the mercy of our Creator? There is a reward for sinners, and instead of a righteous reward, He rewards them with resurrection; and instead of the corruption of bodies that have trampled upon His law, He clothes them with the perfect glory of incorruptibility. This mercy is to resurrect us after we have sinned, higher than mercy is to bring us into being when we did not exist. Glory, Lord, to Your immeasurable grace! Behold, Lord, the waves of Your grace silenced me, and I had no thought left of gratitude to You! (That is, every thought in me fell silent, overcome by gratitude to You). With what lips will we glorify You, good King, who loves our life? Glory to Thee for these two worlds which Thou hast created for our growth and enjoyment! Raising us from everything that You have created to the knowledge of Your glory! Glory to You from now on and forever. AMEN. All the days of your life, wherever you go, recognize yourself as a wanderer, so that you can be able to get rid of the harm caused by freedom in circulation. Always think about yourself that you know nothing, in order to avoid being blamed for the suspicion that you want to establish the opinion of another in your own way. Always bless with your mouth, and they will not slander you, because from slander comes slander, and from blessing comes blessing. In every matter, consider yourself poor in order to teach, and throughout your life you will prove wise. Do not teach to others what you yourself have not achieved (in practice), so that you will not be ashamed of yourself and, by comparing your life, your lies will not be revealed. If you begin to tell someone something useful, then speak as a student, and not with authority and shamelessness, and judge yourself in advance and show that you are lower than him, so that you can show those who listen the order of humility and encourage them to listen to your speech and begin to do it, and you will be honored in their eyes. If you can, then in such cases speak with tears in order to benefit both yourself and those listening to you, and the grace of God will be with you. Near. How to accept your neighbor? When you meet your neighbor, force yourself to show him honor beyond his measure. Kiss his hands and feet, embrace them often with great honor, place them on your eyes, and praise him even for what he does not have. And when you are separated from him, say everything good and something honorable about him. For by this and similar things you will attract him to goodness, you will make him feel shame from the greeting with which you greeted him, and you will sow the seeds of virtue in him. From such a habit acquired by you, a good image will be imprinted on you, you will acquire much humility in yourself and without difficulty you will succeed in great things. And besides this, if the one honored by you has any shortcomings, he will easily receive healing from you, ashamed of the honor that you showed him. May you always have this character - to be friendly and respectful to everyone. Do not irritate anyone (in the Syriac text: “do not be angry with anyone”) and do not hate anyone, neither for their faith (i.e. for weakness of faith or for wrongness of faith), nor for his bad deeds, but beware of reproaching or reproaching anyone with anything, because we have an impartial Judge in heaven. Prodigal lust. Carnal thoughts. The reason for their appearance. Just as from the seed of the sweat of fasting the ear of chastity grows, so from satiety - debauchery, and from satiety - uncleanness. With a hungry and humble belly, shameful thoughts cannot penetrate into the soul. Every food we consume adds moisture and becomes a natural strength within us. And when the instrumental members, due to the tension of the whole body occurring in them, become full, and at the same time you happen to see something bodily or something is involuntarily aroused in the heart along with a thought, then from the thought something pleasant suddenly begins to move and spreads throughout the whole body. Although the mind of a chaste and immaculate person is strong in his thoughts, yet by this sensation that occurs in his members, his mind is immediately indignant, and, as if from some high place, he descends from the place on which he stands; and the holiness of his thoughts wavers, and his bright chastity is desecrated by the rebellion of passions that entered the heart when the members were inflamed. Then half of his strength is exhausted, which is why it can be said that he forgets the first goal of his hope, and, before entering into the struggle, without a struggle he turns out to be a captive, without the efforts of his enemies he becomes subject to the lust of the weak flesh. The will of a good person is forced to do all this by a strong desire for constant satiation. Even though he remained firmly in the haven of chastity, satiety inclines him to indulge in what he would never want to allow into his heart. And as soon as one thought falls asleep, it is surrounded by a gathering of thoughts containing empty and shameful dreams, and this pure bed makes it a den of fornication and a disgrace of visions. When, in the rapture of his thoughts, he joins in conversation with them, he will defile his venerable members even without the approach of his wife. What kind of sea is agitated and boils as much from a storm as the mind, subjected to the force of the waves, is troubled by the satiation of the belly stirred up against it by the sea of ​​its flesh? And the emptiness of our belly and thoughts makes us a deserted country, undisturbed by thoughts and silent from all rebellious thoughts. The belly filled with satiety is the realm of ghosts; and satiety makes him the four gates for absurd dreams, although we will be alone in the desert. For they say that satiety desires many things. When you are honored with Divine grace and spiritual dispassion, then understand that it is not due to the non-appearance of ugly thoughts in you, or the non-excitation of carnal thoughts (it is impossible for anyone to live without them), nor due to thoughts that are conveniently overcome by you (because, of course, the thought is not defiled or disturbed by them, no matter how extremely lofty it may be), but because of the thoughts of better mental activity, the mind is not left in the need to carry on with them abuse and destroy them; but, as soon as a thought penetrates, the mind rapaciously admires the approach to them by some force, outside the will, which, by skill and grace, holds the leaven inside the heart, which is the abode of the mind. When your body is tamed by abstinence, vigilance and attentiveness of silence (i.e., attentive (diligent) silence), but you feel that your body, without natural movement, is in the acuteness of lustful passion, then know that you are tempted by the thought of pride. Therefore, mix ashes into your food, stick your belly to the ground and examine what you have been thinking about, understand the change in your nature and your unnatural deeds, and then, perhaps, God will have mercy on you and send you light so that you can learn humility and your evil will not grow in you. Therefore, we will not stop striving and making efforts until we see repentance in ourselves, we gain humility and our heart rests in God. Diseases. To whom and why are they sent? And when you are sick, say: “Blessed is he who has been found worthy to be tested by God in that for which he will inherit life.” For God sends illnesses for the health of the soul. One of the saints said: “I noticed that a monk who does not work pleasingly to the Lord and does not strive zealously for the salvation of his soul, but carelessly learns virtues, is certainly allowed by God to fall into temptation, so that he does not remain idle and from his much idleness he does not deviate into the worse.” Therefore, God plunges the lazy and careless into temptations, so that they think about temptations and not about vain things. God always does this to those who love Him, in order to enlighten, make wise and teach them His will. And when they beg Him, He will not quickly heed them, until they are exhausted and until they firmly understand that this happened to them because of their negligence and laziness. For it is written: “Whenever you stretch out your hands to Me, I will turn My eyes away from you; and even if you increase your prayer, I will not hear you” (Isaiah 1:15). And although this is said about others, in any case it is written in general about those who have abandoned the path of the Lord. But since we say that God is abundantly merciful, then why is it that when we constantly ask en masse in temptations, we are not heard, but He despises our petition. This, of course, is what the Prophet teaches us, saying: The hand of the Lord is not small to show mercy, and the Lord is not hard of hearing to hear. But our sins separated us from Him, and our iniquities turned away His face, so as not to hear (Isa. 59:1-2). Remember God at all times, and He will remember you when you fall into trouble. Maintaining. Carnal knowledge, or knowledge. About the first degree of knowledge. When knowledge follows carnal desire, then it brings together the following methods: wealth, vanity, 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 in this visible world. And according to these distinctive features, as we have said and distributed, knowledge becomes contrary to faith. And it is called naked knowledge, because it excludes all concern for the Divine, and due to the predominance of the body, it introduces irrational powerlessness into the mind, and all its concern is completely about this world only. Here is the concept of this knowledge about itself: it, without any doubt, is a mental power that secretly rules a person, Divine guardianship, overseeing him and completely caring for him. Therefore, he does not attribute the government of the world to God's providence, but everything good in man, his salvation from what is harmful to him and his natural guarding against misfortunes and from many of the opposites that secretly and openly accompany our nature, seem to him to be a consequence of his own zeal and his own methods. This is the concept of self-reflective (translated from Greek approximately the same as “philosophizing”) knowledge. It dreams that everything happens according to its industry; and in this we agree with those who claim that there is no control over this visible world. However, it cannot remain without constant care and without fear for the body, and therefore it is overcome by cowardice, sadness, despair, fear from demons, fear from people, rumors of robbers, rumors of deaths, care in illness, anxiety 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 restless and rush towards the swimmers, since this knowledge does not know how to cast its care for itself on God in the hope of faith in Him. And therefore, in everything that concerns himself, he is busy inventing means and tricks. When the methods of his inventions in one case turn out to be invalid, and he does not see the mysterious Providence in this, then he argues with people who interfere and resist him. In this knowledge the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is planted, uprooting love. And it looks for the small misdeeds of other people, their guilt and weaknesses, and sets up a person to teach, to contradict in words, to invent crafty means and tricks; it also resorts to other methods that are offensive to humans. There is arrogance and pride in him; because he appropriates every good deed to himself, and does not attribute it to God. Faith imputes its works to grace, and therefore cannot be exalted, as it is written: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13); and also: “Not I, but the grace of God which is with me” (I Cor. 15:10). And what the blessed apostle said: “reason is insolent” (I Cor. 8:1), he said this about this knowledge, not dissolved by faith in God and hope in Him, and not about true knowledge. Let this not happen! True knowledge perfects the soul of those who acquire it in humility, as it perfected Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul and other saints who were granted this, according to human nature, perfect knowledge. And in such saints, their knowledge is always absorbed by extraordinary contemplations, Divine revelations, high contemplation of the spiritual, inexpressible mysteries, and their soul in their eyes is considered ashes and dust. Other knowledge, as is characteristic of it, is arrogant, because it walks in darkness, values ​​​​its property in comparison with what is on earth, and does not know that there is something better than it. Everyone is drawn into exaltation because they are on earth, weighing their lives with their flesh, relying on their deeds, and do not think in their minds about the incomprehensible. And they are exposed to this while they swim in these waves. But the saints excel in glorious Divine virtue; and their work is sorrow, and their thoughts do not wander into the care of inventions and vain things, because those who walk in the light cannot go astray. Therefore, all those who have wandered away from the light of the knowledge of the Son of God and who have deviated from the truths walk along these paths. This is the first degree of knowledge in which a person will follow carnal lust! We condemn this knowledge and recognize it as contrary not only to faith, but also to any practice of virtue. Spiritual knowledge, the second degree of knowledge. When a person, having left the first degree, is occupied with spiritual thoughts and desires, then, in the light of the nature of the soul, with both bodily feelings and mental thoughts he performs the following above-mentioned excellent deeds, namely: fasting, prayer, almsgiving, reading the Divine Scriptures, various virtues, struggle with passions, etc. For all good deeds, all the various good states seen in the soul, and wonderful images of service in the court of Christ, in this second degree of knowledge, are accomplished by the working of its power (this knowledge) by the Holy Spirit. And it is this that shows the heart the paths that lead us to faith; through it we gather guidance for the future age. But here knowledge is also physical (in its ideas) and complex. Although this knowledge is the path that leads and carries us to faith, there is also a higher degree of knowledge. And if anyone succeeds, he will find the opportunity, with the help of Christ, to be elevated to this, when he lays the foundation of his work in silent distance from people, in reading the Scriptures, in prayer and in other good deeds, by which everything related to the second knowledge is accomplished. And it is through him that all good things are produced; it is called conducting affairs, because through sensual affairs, through the mediation of bodily senses, it accomplishes its work on the external level. AMEN. Knowledge or contemplation. About the third degree of knowledge, which is the degree of perfection. 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 doing 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 faith follows 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 of 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 (i.e., knowledge) 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 which is made up). 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, either by nature one does the truth, or above nature admires its memory, in the contemplation of God, or outside of nature goes to feed pigs, as if he wasted the wealth of his prudence, working with many demons. When a person goes through a good life well and reaches the ascent to the degree of repentance, and approaches the taste of contemplation, then he will receive the grace from above to taste the sweetness of the knowledge of the Spirit, the beginning of this work is as follows: a person is first convinced of God’s providence for man, is enlightened by His love for creation (in the Greek text: “with his love for the Creator”, in our translation the reading of Paisius is accepted) and is surprised and the structure of rational beings and the great care of God for them. From this begins the Divine sweetness in him, the ignition of love for God, kindling in the heart and scorching spiritual and physical passions; and a person feels this power within himself as soon as he begins to think rationally about all created natures and about every object he encounters, go into research about them and reason spiritually. Therefore, a person, with such strong and Divine diligence and a good conscience, then begins to be aroused by Divine love and immediately becomes intoxicated with it, like wine; his members relax, his thoughts remain in amazement, his heart is taken captive to God; and thus, as I said, he becomes like one drunk with wine. And to the extent that internal sensations intensify, this contemplation intensifies. And to the extent that a person tries to live a good life, to preserve himself, to spend time in reading and prayer, to the same extent their strength is confirmed and strengthened in him. And it is absolutely fair, brothers, that over time he has to forget about himself, that he wears this body, and does not know whether he is in this world. This is the beginning of spiritual contemplation in a person, and this is the beginning of all revelations to the mind! And with this beginning the mind grows and strengthens in the innermost; they are elevated to other revelations that exceed human nature; in short, through his hand all Divine contemplations and revelations of the Spirit are communicated to man, which the saints receive in this world, and all the gifts and revelations that only nature can know in this life. This is the root of our feeling, implanted in us by our Creator! Blessed is the man who preserved this good seed, as soon as it fell into his soul, and grew it, and did not waste it from himself with vanity and soaring thoughts about the transitory and perishable. A comprehensive 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, according to the dignity of the Giver, 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 (the soul) with lures found in this evil age, and with confused and creeping thoughts (deviating from the proper direction), 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. The work of knowledge and the work of faith. The difference between knowledge and revelation. Every work is knowledge in work 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 saints who have been deemed worthy to acquire this life (and this is admiration for God), by the power of faith, enjoy it above natural life. We do not mean faith by which a person believes in the distinction of the venerable and Divine Hypostases, in the surpassing all, special (proper only to the Divine) nature of the Divinity itself and in the wonderful economy (of God) perfected in humanity by the perception of our nature (although this faith is extremely high), but the faith that shines in the soul from the light of grace, strengthening the heart with the testimony of the mind, so that it does not waver 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 that see the mysteries hidden in the soul, the invisible and divine riches hidden from the eyes of the sons of the flesh, and revealed by the Spirit to those who feed on 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 accept..., and To him you will teach all truth” (John 14:15, 14:17, 14:26). 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 forward, neglects (in such a state) all danger in hope of God, rises on the wings of faith above visible creation and is always as if intoxicated, in amazement before Divine care, in simple contemplation and invisible examination of the Divine nature, training the mind to be attentive to thinking about His mysteries. For until He (the Spirit of truth) comes, Who is the fulfillment 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. How spiritual vision is acquired. Perhaps you think that such a spiritual vision is acquired by someone with this spiritual vision? Not only is it impossible to receive this spiritual vision with this spiritual vision, but there is even no possibility of feeling it with feeling or being granted it by anyone who zealously exercises in spiritual vision. And if some of them want to get closer to this vision of the Spirit, then until they renounce this spiritual, and from all the twists of its subtleties and its complex methods, and do not put themselves in an infantile way of thinking, they will not be able to approach, even if only a little, to the spiritual vision. On the contrary, the skill and concepts of spiritual vision are a great obstacle for them until they erase this little by little. This vision of the Spirit is simple and does not shine through in the thoughts of the soul. Until the mind frees itself from the thoughts of many and comes to the single simplicity of purity, it will not be able to feel this spiritual vision. This is the order of this vision - to feel the pleasure of this life of this century; Therefore, it discourages many thoughts. This spiritual vision, except for a multitude of thoughts, cannot cognize anything else acceptable in the simplicity of the mind, according to the word of the One who said: “Unless you turn and become like children, you cannot ... enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3). But many do not come to this simplicity, but because of their good deeds we hope that they will have a share in the kingdom of heaven, since from the meaning of the Gospel beatitudes, which the Lord depicted in different ways, we can understand that with these beatitudes He showed us many changes in different kinds of life: because each person, on every path in which he moves towards God, himself by all those measures (shown in the Gospel beatitudes) opens before him the door of the heavenly kingdom. But no one can receive this spiritual vision unless he is converted and becomes like a child. For from now on only this delight in the heavenly kingdom is felt. Visions and revelations. The reasons for their occurrence. QUESTION. What is the cause of visions (spiritual) and revelations: for some have visions, and others work more than them, but the vision does not work in them as much? ANSWER. There are many reasons for this. Some of them are economic, aiming at the common good, while others are consolation, boldness and teaching the weak. And, firstly, all this is arranged by the mercy of God towards people; For the most part, this is done for the sake of three kinds of people - either for the sake of simple and extremely gentle people, or for the sake of some perfect and saints, or for the sake of those who have a fiery zeal for God, have renounced and completely renounced the world, withdrawn from cohabitation with people, leaving everything, not expecting any help from the visible, and followed in the footsteps of God. They are attacked by fear as a result of their solitude, or they are surrounded by mortal danger from hunger, from fear, or from some circumstance and from grief, so that they approach despair. Therefore, if there are such consolations, but there are none for those who surpass them with labors, then the first reason for this is innocence and depravity, and precisely conscience 1 . The second reason is probably the following: as soon as someone has human consolation or consolation from something visible, then there is no such consolation for him, except for some kind of economy, for the sake of the common good. We have a word about hermits; and a witness to what was said was one of the Fathers, who prayed for consolation and heard: “Human consolation and conversation with people are sufficient for you.” And someone else, like this, when he was in seclusion and led a hermit’s life, hourly enjoyed the grace-filled consolation; and when he became close to the world, he sought consolation according to custom - and did not find it, and prayed to God to reveal the reason to him, saying: “Is it not for the sake of episcopacy, Lord, that grace departed from me?” And he was told: “No, but because God provides for those who live in the desert, and He honors them with such consolations.” For it is impossible for any of the people to have visible consolation, and at the same time receive the invisible from grace, the Divine and the mysterious, 2 except through some kind of secret economy mentioned above, which is known in such cases only to the House-builder. Difference between vision and revelation. QUESTION. Are vision and revelation the same thing, or not? ANSWER. No. They are different from each other. Revelation (instead of “revelation,” perhaps we should read “vision,” as Nikephoros Theotokis suggests) is often called both. For, since the hidden is revealed (in both), then every vision is called revelation. Revelation is not called a vision. The word “revelation” is mostly used about the knowable, about what is experienced and understood by the mind. Vision happens in all sorts of ways, for example, in images and images, as it happened in ancient times in the Old Testament, in deep sleep or in a waking state, and sometimes with all accuracy, and sometimes as if in a ghost and somewhat indistinctly; why even the one who has a vision often does not know whether he sees in a waking state or in a sleepy state. You can hear about the intercession through a voice, and sometimes you can see some image, sometimes you can see it more clearly, face to face. And vision, and being together, and questioning, and with it conversation, are Holy powers, visible to the worthy and creating revelation. And such visions happen in places that are most deserted and remote from people, where a person necessarily needs them; because he has no other help and consolation from the place itself. Revelations, felt by the mind, when pure, are acceptable and are only available to those who are perfect and capable of understanding. Reward for thoughts and will. Reward from the Lord for good and evil occurs not according to the movement of thoughts, but according to the firmness of good will and evil will. There are good thoughts and good intentions; There are evil thoughts and an evil heart. The first degree (i.e. thoughts) is a movement occurring in the mind like the wind raised in the sea and raising the waves; the second degree (i.e., good or evil intentions) is the support and foundation. And according to the firmness of the foundation, and not the movement of thoughts, there is a reward for good and evil. The soul is never at rest from the movement of changeable thoughts. If for each of them, although it has no basis in the depths of your heart, you assign a reward, then you will be close to changing both your good and your opposite a thousand times a day. What do thoughts bring to a person? If the remembrance of the good, when we bring it to our minds, renews virtue in us, then it is obvious that the remembrance of debauchery, when we remember it, renews the shameful desire in our mind, because the remembrance of both shows and outlines in our thoughts the difference in the most remembered things, as if with a finger it points out to us either the shamelessness of our thoughts, or the height of our life, and strengthens us. thoughts and movements and gums and ears. We are busy with them in the secrets of our mind, and in this mental occupation the lot of our life is depicted, so that, of necessity, we constantly see ourselves. So, not only this activity harms the one who has it, but along with it the vision, as well as remembrance, which makes up for it, also harms. And it is not just the practice of virtue that will greatly help the one who practices this practice, but also the mental image formed by the recollection of persons who have labored in virtue. And this makes it clear why very many who have reached the degree of purity are honored to see certain saints always in night vision; and during the day, every hour in the mental exercise of the mind, the vision of these saints, imprinted on their souls, becomes a source of joy for them. And therefore they begin to practice virtues with ardor, and the flame to lust for them burns in them in abundance. And they say that holy angels take upon themselves the likenesses of some venerable and good saints, and in a sleepy dream they show these likenesses to the soul, during the soaring of its thoughts, to its joy, enrichment and joy, and during the day they constantly set them in motion, when the soul considers its thoughts; and its work is made easier by the joy of the saints, and from this it prospers in its course. This happens when there is continuity of fighting. Whoever has the habit of occupying his thoughts with evil, with the assistance of demons, it appears in its likeness. Demons take on their likeness and show the soul dreams that terrify it. more with the help of daily mindfulness, acting through it. And sometimes with this terrible vision, terrifying the soul, they soon bring it to exhaustion and sometimes they also present to it the difficulty of living in silence and solitude and something else. Therefore, brethren, as for attentiveness to our remembrances and drawing conclusions from them about the state of our soul, from now on we will begin to constantly discuss the difference in the remembrances that occupy us: which of them attract our attention, and which ones we immediately drive away from ourselves, as soon as they approach our thoughts - whether those that are in us by the premeditation of demons who plunge this food into the passions, or those that, out of lust and irritability, or those from the holy angels, giving us a wave of joy and knowledge, as well as remembrance, awakening us with thoughts during the approach of the holy angels to us, or those that are in us from impressions previously received by the senses, and by which thoughts are aroused in the soul, captivating us to one thing. Through the knowledge of this difference, we will gain experience in two things: in the perception of remembrances and in doing the things they remind us of, and Let us try to ensure that both are followed by a specific prayer. Restoring oneself to lost virtue. What you owe to God, return to Him. Every ailment can be cured with its own medicine. Sow alms in humility, and you will reap mercy in judgment. When you have destroyed something good, acquire it again. Ovol would owe God: He will not take pearls from you instead; for example, if you have destroyed chastity, God will not accept alms from you if you are in fornication, because He wants your body to be holy, since you have violated the commandment. Will you really, thinking of leaving the acquisition of the world, fight for something else? You left what you planted, and did you come to fight with others? 3 Saint Ephraim said that during the harvest you will not fight the heat with winter clothes. So everyone who sows will also reap. And every ailment is cured with its own medicines. You may be overcome by envy - why are you trying harder to fight sleep? While the offense is still small and has not matured, destroy it before it spreads and matures. Do not indulge in negligence when the shortcoming seems small to you, because later you will find in him an inhuman ruler and will run before him like a bound slave. And whoever first resists passion soon dominates it. If this is true (as indeed it is true), then what is more meaningless or unreasonable than such speech: “It is enough for me to avoid Gehenna, but I do not care about entering the kingdom?” For avoiding Gehenna means this very thing - entering the kingdom; just as losing the kingdom means entering Gehenna. Scripture has not given us three countries, but what does it say? “When... the Son of man comes in His glory... and will set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left” (Matthew 25:31, 25:33). He did not call the host three, but two, one at the right hand, the other at the left. And he divided the boundaries of their various abodes, saying: “And these, that is, sinners, go into eternal torment, but the righteous in eternal life” (Matthew 25:46) “will be enlightened like the sun” (Matthew 13:43). And again: “from the east and the west they will come and lie down... in Abraham’s bosom... in the kingdom of heaven; the sons of the kingdom will be driven out into utter darkness... where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:11–12), which is more terrible than any fire. Have you not understood from this that the state opposite to the heavenly degree is that painful Gehenna? Torment in Gehenna is repentance and the scourge of God’s love. Love is a torment for some, but a joy for others. I say that those tormented in Gehenna are struck by the scourge of love! And how bitter and cruel is this torment of love! For those who feel that they have sinned against love suffer torment greater than any torment that leads to fear; The sadness that strikes the heart for sin against love is more terrible than any possible punishment. It is inappropriate for anyone to think that sinners in Gehenna are deprived of God’s love. Love is a product of the knowledge of truth, which (as everyone agrees) is given to everyone in general. But love, with its power, acts in two ways: it torments sinners, as here it happens to each other to suffer from each other, and it brings joy to those who keep their duty. And so, according to my reasoning, the torment of Gehenna is repentance. Love intoxicates the souls of the sons of heaven with its joys. To these words, the publisher of the Greek text, Nikephoros Theotdkis, made the following note: “This is either chastity from bodily passions, but not something that actually exists.” There are no words “invisible - mysterious” in the Greek text (there is only the word “it”); but they are in Paisius's translation. In the Syriac text: “Do not leave unjust gain in its place, and do not fight against anything else. Injustice is eradicated by mercy and renunciation, but you leave the plant in its place and fight against something else, as the great holy teacher Ephraim says.” You might be interested in: