Letters to various persons

Contents Letters to my sister No. 1. About earthly life and humility No. 2. About prayer No. 3. About patience, about God’s providence and other subjects No. 4. About widowhood No. 5. About blasphemous thoughts and sorrows No. 6. About sorrows No. 7. About immeasurable sorrow, about sins and other subjects No. 8. About bodily illness No. 9. On the responsibilities of a sick mother to raising a daughter No. 10. Encouragement for patience with illness No. 11. Encouragement for patience No. 12. Encouragement not to leave the village No. 13. On the fight against passions No. 14. On leaving the world Letters to A.A.Zh. No. 15. On the patience of sorrows No. 16. To her Letter to sister S.A. B-k-noy No. 17. About the temptation of sorrows Letters to A.V.Zh. No. 18. About the illness of the body No. 19. Sorrow - the seal of election No. 20. About pleasing God and mankind No. 21. Prudent self-view and the narrow path No. 22. About earthly life No. 23. About thoughts, about devotion to the will of God and about faith in God, conquering the hopelessness of salvation 24. About attention in prayer Letter to K.V.G. No. 25. Prayer rule Letters to A.A.S. No. 26. On the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries No. 27. On enduring bodily illness No. 28. On enduring bodily illness Letters to S.I. S-noy No. 29. About the Providence of God No. 30. Sorrow, obedience, fear, standing in the church of God, not condemning oneself and other subjects No. 31. About prayer No. 32. About the action of mental prayer; about the residence of someone who wants to be saved No. 33. About the inner life. Vision. The need to open with consideration of the person for that chosen Letter to I. I. Glazunov No. 34. To I. I. Glazunov on the publication of “Ascetic Experiences” undertaken by him No. 35. On the proofreading of “Experiences” and various subjects No. 36. In response to those tempted by the “Tale of Death” No. 37. On the works of Bishop Ignatius, published and published No. 38. About true and false phenomena. – About confessors No. 39. To two sisters. About Christian life No. 40. Letter dated April 12, 1866 No. 41. About the duties of an Orthodox spouse to a non-Orthodox spouse and about other things No. 42. About the advantages of certain provisions from the society of persons seeking salvation No. 43. About the structure of the Church of God No. 44. Letter dated February 1, 1865 No. 45. Letter dated 1866 No. 46. Letter dated June 22, 1866 No. 47. On the patience of sorrows and trust in God No. 48. On trust in God No. 49. Saying of St. Tikhon on Christianity No. 50. On sorrows and the life of a Christian in the world and on Christianity No. 51. Reading the Word of God - the simplicity of the Gospel, life by faith, spiritual understanding of the Gospel commandments No. 52. About the book of N. Gogol: “Selected passages from correspondence with friends” No. 53. About church painting Letters to S.I. S-voy No. 54 No. 55 No. 56 No. 57 No. 58 No. 59 No. 60 No. 61 No. 62 No. 63 No. 64 No. 65 No. 66 No. 67 No. 68 No. 69 No. 70 No. 71 No. 72 No. 73 No. 74 No. 75 No. 76 No. 77 No. 78. Letter to A.A. Orlova-Chemenskaya Letters to S.P. Titova No. 79 No. 80 No. 81 No. 82 No. 83 No. 84 No. 86 No. 87 No. 88 No. 89 No. 90 Letters to A.A. Pleshcheev and his daughter Lydia No. 91 No. 92 No. 93 No. 94 No. 95 No. 96 Letters to A. P-ne P. No. 97 No. 98 June 15, 1844 No. 99 No. 100 No. 101 1846 No. 102 January 17 1858 No. 103 February 1, 1860 No. 104 No. 105 January 24, 1861 No. 106 June 24, 1861 No. 107 Letter to A.V. Zh. June 22, 1866 No. 108 Letters to the Right Reverend Leonid (Krasnopevkov) Bishop of Dmitrov 1859–1867 January 24, 1860 No. 109 December 25, 1859 No. 110 April 19, 1860 No. 111 April 5, 1860 No. 112 January 12, 1861 No. 113 April 22, 1861 No. 114 June 3, 1861 No. 115 October 24 1861 No. 116 January 3, 1863 No. 117 December 15, 1863 No. 118 June 1, 1865 No. 119 December 27, 1865 No. 120 January 10, 1867 No. 121 March 4, 1867 No. 122 May 4, 1859 No. 123 No. 124 June 22, 1859 No. 125 No. 126. Letter to Archimandrite Pimen Letters to his brother Alexander Bryanchaninov June 20, 1852 No. 127. On withdrawal from the world on March 28, 1853 No. 128. On the choice of a confessor on April 29, 1853 No. 129. On the attitude towards clergy on September 18, 1854 No. 130. On the war on August 3, 1855 No. 131. About N.N. Muravyov September 17, 1855 No. 132. About the article “A Word on Death” February 5, 1856 No. 133. About one’s own desire for solitude February 14, 1856 No. 134. About monasticism, about the Optina Desert, about the founding of one’s monastery, about the reluctance of one’s own exaltation and other subjects April 3, 1856 No. 135. About withdrawal from the world No. 136. About one’s own desire to retire to Optina Pustyn and about other subjects No. 137. No. 138. About obstacles to retiring to Optina Pustyn, about the best book that explains Christianity and other subjects No. 139 No. 140 No. 141. About submitting oneself to the will of God, about the need for urgent repentance and other subjects No. 142. About the proper upbringing of children, about mental health loneliness No. 143. On the need for humility and patience in times of mental troubles No. 144 No. 145 No. 146 December 19, 1857 No. 147 October 24, 1858 No. 148. On the spread of Christianity in the Caucasus June 29, 1858 No. 149. Wish for the Day of the Angel - to know the Lord August 15, 1859 No. 150 August 17, 1861 No. 151 August 31, 1861 No. 152 September 4, 1861 No. 153. On the need for salvation of sorrows and temptations September 11, 1861 No. 154 September 14, 1861 No. 155 October 5 1861 No. 156. On the proper attitude towards temptation November 25, 1861 No. 157 December 9, 1861 No. 158 December 25, 1861 No. 159 January 7, 1862 No. 160. On Pyotr Alexandrovich leaving the ministry and other subjects January 15, 1862 No. 161 January 22 1862 No. 162. About the modern Reverend. Ignatius of public life February 9, 1862 No. 163 February 17, 1862 No. 164 February 20, 1862 No. 165 February 24, 1862 No. 166. About Peter Alexandrovich’s intention to retire from the world to the Babaevsky Monastery March 10, 1862 No. 167. About the need to surrender to the will of God, etc. subjects March 18, 1862 No. 168. About Alexei Petrovich March 25, 1862 No. 169 March 30, 1862 No. 170. About dying visions and the proper attitude towards them April 26, 1862 No. 171. About the need for repentance and other subjects May 9, 1862 No. 172. About the need for repentance and other subjects May 21, 1862 No. 173. On upcoming reforms of public life May 27, 1862 No. 174. About sinful thoughts June 5, 1862 No. 175 June 14, 1862 No. 176. About the departure of Peter Alexandrovich from the world No. 177 September 30, 1862 No. 178. About the publication of the works of Bishop Ignatius No. 179 No. 180. About the works of Bishop Ignatius and other subjects No. 181 No. 182 No. 188. On the publication of the works of Bishop. Ignatius and on other subjects No. 184. On the inclination of Bishop. Ignatius on solitude and other subjects No. 185. About Fr. Macarius of Optina and on other subjects No. 186. On the writings of Bishop Ignatius No. 187 No. 188 No. 189 No. 190. On the cutting off of one’s own will and on other subjects No. 191 No. 192. On the writings of Bishop Ignatius No. 193. On the cutting off of one’s own will No. 193. On the cutting off of one’s own will No. 195 No. 196. On prayer No. 197 No. 198. On cutting off one’s own will No. 199 No. 200. On the issue of choosing a place of residence for those who wish to be saved No. 201. On the writings of Bishop Ignatius No. 202 No. 203 No. 204 No. 205. On the proper attitude towards temptations No. 206. On the need to surrender to the will of God, on the view of Bishop. Ignatius on his writings and on other subjects No. 207 No. 208 No. 209. On entering the monastery No. 210 No. 211 No. 212 No. 213. On sorrows No. 214 No. 215 No. 216. On labors preceding silence and on other subjects No. 217. On the naming of one’s works “Ascetic. experiments” No. 218. About the construction of the Church of the Virgin Mary and other subjects No. 219 No. 220 No. 221 No. 222 No. 223 No. 224 No. 225 No. 226 No. 227. About modern Bishop Ignatius social life and other subjects No. 228 No. 229 No. 230 No. 231. About prayer No. 232. About publication of the works of Bishop Ignatius on the correct understanding of prayer and other subjects No. 233 No. 234. On prayer No. 235 No. 236. On correct prayer, on temptations, on the writings of Bishop Ignatius and on other subjects No. 237. On the correct act of prayer and on other subjects No. 238 No. 239. On the writings of Bishop Ignatius No. 240 No. 241 No. 242. About the publication of the works of Bishop Ignatius No. 243 Letters to P.A. Brianchaninov, who was away in P.b. No. 244 No. 245 No. 246. About the works of Bishop Ignatius No. 247 No. 248 No. 249 No. 250 No. 251 No. 252. About the fall of monasticism No. 253. About monasticism No. 254. About the illness of Bishop Ignatius and other subjects Letter to N.V. Golousheva No. 255. About salvation No. 256. Letter dated May 23, 1865 About the proper attitude towards lies No. 257 No. 258 No. 259. Letter dated February 20, 1865 No. 260. Letter to the Optina monks No. 259. Letter to Glazunov. About good deeds No. 262. Letter to His Eminence Metropolitan St. Isidore No. 263. Letter to Melnikov No. 264. Letter to Prince Gorchakov No. 265. Letters to Mikhail Vasilyevich Chichakhov No. 265. About mercy for the soul No. 266. About the need for salvation No. 267. About bodily illnesses No. 268. About the need to rely on the will of God and thank God for everything No. 269 No. 270 February 17, 1860. No. 271. About the proper attitude towards bodily illnesses No. 272 No. 273. About bodily illnesses and Chikhachev’s intention to take monastic vows No. 274 No. 275 No. 276 No. 277. About acquiring a village of repentance No. 278. About acquiring repentance No. 279. About earthly well-being and earthly sorrows, about publishing one’s own works and about other subjects No. 280 No. 281 No. 282. About the death of Fr. Macarius of Optina and about other subjects No. 283 No. 284 No. 285. About one’s own sinfulness, about the deceitfulness of earthly well-being and about other subjects No. 286. About the need to surrender oneself to the will of God No. 287. About one’s own sickness No. 288. About one’s own desire for solitude No. 289 No. 290. About the Nikolo-Babaevsky monastery No. 291 No. 292 No. 293 No. 294 No. 295 No. 296 No. 297. About earthly and future life and other subjects No. 298 No. 299 No. 300. About the special nature of one’s own writings and the reasons for this No. 301 No. 302 No. 303 From the extensive correspondence of the Most Reverend Ignatius Brianchaninov, the following has been printed to date: 1) 23 letters from him to Stefan Dmitrievich Nechaev, former Chief Prosecutor of St. Synod. These letters, under the title: “Letters of an Ascetic,” along with brief but valuable biographical information in their authenticity, were published in 1895 by O. G. Runkevich on the pages of the magazine “Christian Reading” (see “Christian Reading” for 1895, pp. 553–595). 2) 25 letters of the Most Reverend Ignatius to Fr. Anthony Bochkov, Abbot Cheremenetsky These letters together, with five reply letters to him, Fr. Anthony Bochkov and with a brief preface, published by the Imperial Society of Russian History and Antiquities at the Imperial Moscow University in 1875 under the title: “Letters of Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea, to Anthony Bochkov, Bishop of Cheremenets. This edition is sold out and is currently bibliographic rarity. 3). 92 letters from Bishop Ignatius to various persons (to monks, to nuns, to abbots and novices of monasteries, to laymen who asked him for guidance). These letters were published in the magazine “Theological Bulletin” for 1913, June–December 4). Letters of the Right Reverend Ignatius to his relatives: one letter to his father Alexander Semenovich Brianchaninov and ten letters to his sister Maria Alexandrovna. These letters are published in the magazine: “Theological Bulletin for 1914. See (January–February). 5) 59 letters from Bishop Ignatius to the Beloberezh Abbot, Fr. Bartholomew. These letters were published in the magazine “Theological Bulletin” for 1914 (see February–April). 6) 65 letters from the Most Reverend Ignatius to unknown persons (without appeals). They are placed with the IV volume of his works (“Ascetic sermon and letters to the laity, as well as with his biography, compiled by his closest students and admirers. 7) Letter of the Most Reverend Ignatius to K.P. Bryullov published in “Russian Antiquity” in 1900). The content of all these already published letters of the Right Reverend Ignatius Brianchaninov is partly autobiographical, partly spiritual and edifying in nature. In our biography of Bishop Ignatius and the description of his personality, we repeatedly refer to them. The letters of the Most Reverend Ignatius Brianchaninov that we publish were borrowed by us either from the handwritten notebooks of his brother Pyotr Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov, the former Governor of Stavropol, or are a reprint of the original letters of Bishop Ignatius; the latter, in our publication, are highlighted by the presence in them of an address to the addressee of the signature and the writer. We received those and other letters from Vladyka Ignatius from his own nephew, Senator N.S. Brianchaninov, who, in a letter dated September 3, 1914, sympathetically and with sympathy for our task; allowed the publication of part of Bishop Ignatius’s letters as an appendix to the biography of the Bishop. The letters of Vladika Ignatius, which we published for the first time, in most cases also have a spiritual, general edifying character, because in both family and friendly correspondence, Vladika Ignatius devoted very little space to ordinary everyday trifles and everyday interests. focusing all his attention and his friends and relatives on “the only thing needed” - the salvation of man. In his letters, Vladyka Ignatius spoke little about the external world, more about the inner world of the human soul: “from childhood, my bodily feelings were not receptive, the material world weakly affected me through their material world. I was incurious, cold towards everything. But I could never look at man indifferently. I was created to love human souls, to admire souls. human." (Letters of the Most Reverend Ignatius, appended to his biography, compiled by disciples and admirers; letter 5, p. 6). In the letters of Bishop Ignatius, his loving, brotherly soul is revealed, and the reader’s attention involuntarily focuses on the beauty and highest tasks of the human soul, and issues of salvation and care for spiritual well-being involuntarily come to the fore in the reader’s mind, as issues of paramount and immeasurable value. Many of the printed letters, having undergone preliminary editing by I.A. Brianchaninov, received the blessing of the Author himself, His Eminence Ignatius, which we affirm on the basis of the pencil marks made by the hand of Peter Alexandrovich on some letters: “given by the Bishop” or “given by the Bishop for entry”, etc. Therefore, by printing these letters, we believe in this the fulfillment of the intentions of P. A. Brianchaninov and act in accordance with the will of Bishop Ignatius, pursuing in this case, especially the goals of general edification, the assimilation of Saint Ignatius to the world and the greatest awareness of the believer and the world living in the spiritual interests of what concerns the personality of the ascetic Saint. No. 1. About earthly life and humility I sincerely tell you - you are happy because you are walking the path of salvation, because you have learned that a person should seek his happiness not in the temporary and earthly, but in the Divine and eternal. What is man on earth? - Traveler. -What is death? – The era from which our real life begins. – Wandering for a long time in this darkness of the night, in the midst of weaknesses and temptations, guided by the light of true faith, we finally reach the line where light is separated from darkness. – Happy is the man who was a true Christian. When you mentioned my prayers, you struck me like a thunderbolt. Of course, we must pray for each other not only as Christians, but also as brothers and sisters... my sinful prayer cannot yet be called a prayer; for what is prayer? – Prayer is a conversation between a person and God; I confess to you with sad frankness that almost always my tongue only somehow pronounces prayer words without any participation of the mind and heart. So, do I pray? No, I sin more than I pray; however, I hope in the All-Merciful Lord that he will one day help me taste the power of prayer. No. 3. About patience, about God’s providence and other subjects Your case was completely unsuccessful - thank God! God knows what he's doing. No one is forgotten by God and the watchful eye of God watches over everyone and builds everything for his benefit. So, rely on God and abandon the unnecessary desire that the enemy brings to you to confuse you. I know that it is difficult and very difficult for you. But what to do? There is no other remedy except patience and thanksgiving to God, who is looking intently at us. Why do you get angry during your studies? “Think,” says the Great Barsanuphius, “that all earthly studies will pass, and the patience that you show during these studies will remain with you, go beyond the grave and justify or condemn you before God. Be careful not to waste this daily bread (i.e., patience), which you will need for the journey from earth to heaven.” You'll definitely need it! You write that you are now completely devoid of inner joy. – Sometimes the grace of God comforts a person, and sometimes it is hidden, and he does all this at his wisest discretion, and therefore all such cases and changes must be endured with patience and considered oneself unworthy of joy or spiritual consolation. In due time you will again feel joy. Also, a person should not despair, no matter how great his sins may be: for a person is not saved by his own good works, but by faith alone in Christ the Savior; but only by deeds must one prove one’s faith. Think that “even that great Peter wept bitterly.” There is now no means of changing one’s place of residence (unless the Lord creates something unforeseen) and therefore must be strengthened with all kinds of patience and good hope. Why are you despairing? Or do you think God is unmerciful? How is it possible! He is the very best. Trust in Him and be strong. Don’t forget the prayer: “Lord! Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." This prayer can be performed during all activities; moreover, it drives away bad thoughts and fills us with joy. Sorry! God was pleased to free you from marriage. Your freedom should be a means for you to work for the Lord. Sacrifice this freedom to him and do not bind it with carnal bonds. You have a child, to whom, having given essential existence, you must give spiritual life, that is, teach him to believe in Christ and fulfill His holy commandments, in which lies love. He who keeps the commandments of Christ loves Christ, but he who does not keep the commandments is alien to love. May the Lord bless both mother and child. No. 5. About blasphemous thoughts and sorrows I bring you my sincere gratitude for remembering me, a sinner and a sick person, on the days of the greatest Christian holiday! May God bless you for this good memory! May he comfort you in your sorrows! May he give you the strength to bear them with generosity and patience! For both consolation and the strength of patience are shed in us by the one mercy of God, the one grace of God! Do not be embarrassed about the thoughts of unbelief and blasphemy that come to you. This obvious demonic warfare, which happened to many saints, and lasted for a very long time. Saint Niphon was tormented by such abuse for four years. Look at his life in the Fourth Menaion, December 23. In such battles there is no need to be embarrassed, no need to fall into despair, but to throw yourself before the all-seeing and all-powerful God and, surrendering your soul to His will, ask for His mercy. Out of embarrassment and despair, the enemy’s abuse strengthens against us, but if we look at this abuse with generosity, saying to ourselves: “Well? The Lord sees this battle. and he allows it - it means this is His holy will and it is for my spiritual benefit”; then the abuse weakens and diminishes. Be patient and you will see the mercy of God! Throughout your entire life, from your very infancy, you were allowed sorrows. This is a sign, as the Holy Fathers claim, of the special Providence of God. God wants to make you a participant in eternal bliss and gives you the cup of saving sorrows. Calm down and pray. May God's blessing rest upon you and your child. May God strengthen you in your sorrows! Accept my sinful and insufficient word of consolation, which I send you in these lines, to comfort you with God, just as the Prophet David said: “My soul has refused to be comforted; We remembered God and rejoiced.” Firstly, every Christian must believe that he is under the constant Providence of God. This is what the Gospel teaches us. The Savior Himself says: “And the hair of your heads is numbered.” Therefore, a Christian, when sorrows are allowed to him, must undoubtedly believe that these sorrows were allowed to him by the all-good and all-wise God Himself, Who foretold to His beloved: “You will be in a world of sorrow.” So, one should not consider it strange, seeing oneself in sorrows, one should not give in to despondency; on the contrary, one should thank God for sorrows, as a sign of election to a blessed eternity. Thanks to thanksgiving not only dulls the fierce sting of sorrow, but also instills heavenly, spiritual consolation in the heart of the person giving thanks. You can give thanks in the words of the righteous Job. Secondly, we are all sinners before God. A sinner should not consider it strange when punishment is sent to him. No! He must open up before God, recognize himself as worthy of the sorrow sent to him and rejoice that in earthly life he accepts punishment for sins in knowledge and ignorance and thereby gets rid of eternal torment. When reflecting on this, it is useful to say with the holy thief: “I will receive what is worthy according to my deeds, remember, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.” Christ completed His earthly course in unceasing suffering. As soon as He was born, people rushed to kill Him. He invites His disciples to suffer, and to those who do not want to suffer, He says: “Whoever does not take up his cross and comes after Me is not worthy of Me.” Consider the lives of all the Apostles: they all spent their lives and ended in suffering. Consider the lives of the martyrs: they bought heaven for themselves with blood and countless torments. Consider the lives of the saints: wasn’t their whole life a long, invisible martyrdom? “Wandering in the deserts, in dens and abysses of the earth, deprivation, sorrow, embitterment,” according to the Apostle, “with many bloods and deaths,” as the Trebnik puts it, they inherited a blessed eternity. “No one ascends to heaven in weakness,” says the great saint Isaac of Syria, “on the contrary, a person who is under the special Providence of God is aware of this when incessant sorrows are sent to him.” So, give thanks, humble yourself, believe, surrender to the will of God, pray for those whose hearts are not at peace. Only in these can you find solace and healing. A.I. No. 7. About immeasurable sorrow, about sins and other subjects I received your letter dated October 2nd. May the merciful Lord not leave you! He allows us sorrow to cleanse us from sins; He also sends us consolation so that we do not become completely exhausted under the burden of sorrow. Immeasurable sorrow for sins, reaching the point of despair, is rejected according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers. This sorrow must be dissolved by hope for God’s mercy; we must grieve and hope together; to be sad - because we anger God with our sins, we move away from God; hope - because we have an all-powerful Physician for our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for us. When blasphemous thoughts of unbelief, doubts and the like come, then, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, we should not be embarrassed by this, but know that these thoughts do not belong to our soul, but to our enemy the devil. One should not be embarrassed by them, should not accept them and become entrenched in them. It is more beneficial for a sick person to pray frequently, but briefly. It is good to pray several times a day for short periods of time. Beautiful prayers: “God, cleanse me, a sinner,” and “Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.” They should be pronounced slowly, enclosing the mind in the words of prayer, as St. John Climacus puts it. May the merciful Lord help you and bless you and your daughter! A.I. Thank you for your letter. I heard about your illness. What to do? It is impossible to find consolation in anything else than in patience, which is born from humility. Humility consists in recognizing ourselves as worthy of the sorrow allowed to us by the Providence of God. “We will accept what is worthy of our deeds,” said the prudent thief, and for condemning himself he was rewarded with higher understandings and sensations, followed by the Kingdom of Heaven. Sorrows have always been the property of those who are being saved, but they are especially characteristic of the present time, when people have weakened in the practice of virtues. So, do not be faint-hearted, but in patience and humility, surrender yourself to the will of God and thank His Holy Providence for everything sent to you. May God’s blessing be upon you and upon your child. No. 9. On the responsibilities of a sick mother to raising her daughter I congratulate you on the appointment of your daughter to the Catherine Institute as a boarder of the Empress. Pray to God for the health and prosperity of the Queen - kind as an Angel. Be peaceful: you did everything that depended on you regarding your daughter. Entrust it to God! and in the silence of your desert and pious activities, take care of improving your health. It can get better from calmness. Christ is with you. Pray for me. A.I. No. 10. Encouragement to endure illness May the risen Christ ease your suffering, may He grant you patience and a good, saving thought to endure temporary illness with generous patience and courage, with thanksgiving to God, who arranges our eternal joy through temporary sorrows. Thank you for your letter. May God grant you to get better. Solitude will help you a lot: - solitude combined with simple activities, animated by love for your neighbors and piety. A.I. May 3, 1848, p. Pokrovskoe. #11: Encouraging Patience Thank you for your kind letter. Although I did not see you here with the eyes of my body, I see you with the eyes of my soul. May God strengthen you and grant you to bear your cross with patience and hope. We are all creatures - nothing else. Let us surrender ourselves into the hands of the Creator: may He do with us what He pleases. I wanted to call on you, but the time is so short that it is impossible for me to do this. So, then we will live in the deserts: I am in the Sergievskaya desert, and you are in the Maslinskaya desert; Let us take care of the healing of our mental and physical ailments, surrendering to the will of God. Christ is with you. No. 12. Encouragement not to leave the village I received your wonderful letter dated September 18th. What a beautiful hand so far! How similar it is to the hand of your late mother. May God strengthen you and comfort you! Please live in Maslina without leaving until you recover: calmness is necessary in case of a nervous disorder - calmness and distance from objects that touch the heart. Otherwise, the disease may increase and turn into something serious and irreparable. Take my sincere advice. No. 13. On the fight against passions Truly Christ is Risen! Thank you for your friendly letter and congratulations on the Feast of Feasts of the Resurrection of Christ, on which I equally congratulate you, wishing you all true blessings. Christ, who trampled upon the death of men with His death and by His resurrection granted resurrection to all who believe in Him, has already won victory over all your sorrows, and with Christ you have also won this victory. Gently endure the furious waves, generously endure the pressure of the fierce winds, endure with the power of faith - and Christ will lead you, in due time, to His peace. For the many illnesses that visit you in this temporary life, great consolations await you in eternal life. Do not be disturbed by rebellious passions, try as much as possible to resist them: a person, while on earth and clothed in a mortal body, is still subject to change, then he feels peace and tranquility of the heart, not disturbed by any passion, then he is overwhelmed by passions. Such changeability teaches us self-knowledge, humility; teaches us to constantly resort to God’s help, which as soon as it leaves us, even for one minute, then we fall and fearlessly commit iniquities. Calling upon you the blessing of God. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” said the Lord. It will be good for you, burdened with many spiritual and physical sorrows, to obey this saving calling, leaving the world, whose care you are no longer able to deal with, to ascend to a quiet monastic haven. I bless your intention - not to see your daughter during your earthly life: may God accept this essential sacrifice from you and may he guide you on His path, calling upon you the blessing of God. The earthly sorrows sent by the Lord are the guarantee of eternal salvation: why they must be endured with patience, and patience is then poured into a person’s soul when a person thanks and praises the Creator for his sorrows. We are pilgrims here on earth: both the good and the bad of a person pass by like a dream. Our treasure is the Lord. Don’t grieve about your daughter, but leave her to the will of God. It is not with your sickness that you take great care of her. I advise you to leave your daughter to the care of the sisters in faith and hope in the Lord, and cleave to the Lord with alms and prayer, by leaving S. to the sisters or Father, you will benefit both her and yourself. But there is no need to condemn her: we are all weak, and the entire fallen human race is infected with pride. Letter to sister S.A. B-k-noy No. 17. About the temptation of sorrows I earnestly wish you both physical and mental health. May our all-merciful Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed us with His priceless blood, strengthen you; may he grant you patience in your illnesses and other sorrows, may he instill in you gratitude for them as for the greatest blessings. Hear His most holy voice, saying: “Even if I love them, I reprove and punish” (Apoc. 3:19). Remember righteous Job, covered with stinking scabs, deprived of his children and all his possessions, sitting on a dunghill and saying: “The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever.” Remember the Prophet Jonah from the belly of the whale, confessing his sin and glorifying the justice of God. Remember the three youths thrown into the fiery furnace and blessing God from the heart of the furnace. Remember all the saints and the path by which they achieved salvation. Was it not the narrow and regrettable path of temptation that led them to the abodes of the belly? Remember all this and be jealous of the lot of the saints, say to your cowardly thoughts: and the hair of all my head is counted by God, then how can I lose heart? “I will not send,” He promises me through the lips of His Apostle, “temptations beyond your measure”; but in the temptation itself I secretly grant you deliverance from temptation. I am striking you with illnesses on purpose, so that you will not become addicted to anything vain, but in contrition of heart you will seek to cleave to Me, your Creator, by fulfilling My commandments, and acquire Me within yourself; and when you have acquired Me within yourself, then all your hearts will leap with endless joy: for I am Goodness Itself and Bliss Itself, inexhaustible and inapplicable. Thanks to the merciful God for everything, let us pray to Him to keep us in love and harmony for the glory of His holy name. Forgive and pray for the great sinner Demetrius. May the Lord God remember you with His mercy. Soreness makes up for heroic deeds. Illness is a ready salvation when the patient moves away from bad words, thoughts and dreams; - when he surrenders to the will of God; - when he thanks for the illness that removes him from the world: what he would not have done solely of his own free will. Sorry: I write little, although I have written a lot. I am weak in strength, and due to scrofula in my eyes, I must take care of my eyes. - Calling upon you the blessing of God. No. 19. Tribulation - the seal of election Thank you for your letter of December 15 and congratulations on the upcoming holidays. You reason very justly and pleasingly to God when you say that pain and the tightness associated with it were sent to you by God to protect you from sins and sinful temptations with which the world is now filled. But even now the elect are saved. The seal of election is tribulation. The Lord sends sorrows to whomever He accepts into His immediate assimilation, and to whom He wants to support into assimilation with Him, He sends sorrows, and whom He wants to crown, He subjects him to many and various sorrows, so that the soul, shaken by sorrows, may receive its sight and see God in His Providence. In grief, it is very useful to surrender to the will of God and thank God for the grief sent. It is useful for those who mourn to read the life of the Great Martyr Eustathius-Placis (Cheti Menaion, September 20). The blessing of God will rest upon you. No. 20. About pleasing God and pleasing people I thank you for remembering me and congratulating me on the Holidays, I mutually congratulate you, I wish you all the true blessings from the right hand of God. When undertaking something, we must first judge whether the undertaking is pleasing to God and beneficial to the soul, then whether it is pleasant or useful to our neighbors? Pleasing God and one’s own spiritual benefit, always associated with this pleasing, must be preferred to everything else - this is what the Gospel teaches us. Pleasing a person, when it is in accordance with God’s commandments and provides spiritual benefit, is also very useful, as is the expression of love for one’s neighbor, commanded by the Gospel. If pleasing people is not pleasing to God and is harmful to the soul, then it is called people-pleasing and is forbidden by God. Consider your situation based on these signs and act according to the will of God. May God's blessing rest upon you. No. 21. Prudent Self-View and the Straight Path It is very good when a person constantly sees and confesses himself as a sinner. From such self-view, the human spirit constantly remains in humility and God-loving sadness. But it is necessary that such self-conception be dissolved by prudence and not go beyond due measure. In the latter case, it can be harmful and can put a person in complete confusion regarding his residence. Our nature is damaged by sin. For this reason, the heart of every person naturally produces a large amount of tares. And therefore, whoever sees the tares arising in himself should not be surprised at this, as if it were something extraordinary, and should not become bewildered and cowardly. This is how it should be! The tares of the heart do their work: they grow and grow; being weeded out, they appear again. And we must do our part: weed and weed out the tares. This position instills humility in a person. God's mercy descends upon humility. The all-powerful and all-good God is steadily looking at us. That is why He allows us a situation that leads us to humility in order to bestow His mercy on us. There is a time for everything: there is a time for cultivating the land for sowing bread, there is another time for sowing, another time for harvesting, for milking, for turning into flour, for baking, and finally, for eating bread. The soul of every person who has given himself up to the service of God without any evil, earthly purpose for the purpose of pleasing God and his salvation is in the hand of God. No one and nothing can snatch such a soul from the hand of God. God grants such a soul a narrow path during its earthly journey, consisting of various sorrows and hardships, because it is impossible to come to God along the wide path. With faith, surrender yourself to the will of God, rejecting not labor care for yourself, but dreamy care. When such concerns come, it is much better to turn to God in prayer for yourself, rather than go into writing and painting various plans that are always unrealizable. May God's blessing rest upon you. God bless you for your congratulations on the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, on which I congratulated you, sincerely wishing to meet you at the eternal Feast prepared for all Christians by the risen Christ. How long has it been since I saw you in Moscow? It seems very recently, but more than six months have flown by since then. This is how all earthly life will fly. It is given to us to prepare us for eternity. May God's blessing rest upon you. No. 23. About thoughts, about devotion to the will of God and about faith in God, overcoming the hopelessness of salvation When a person is especially bothered by thoughts against his will, this is a sign that God has mercy on that person. Unclean spirits are jealous of such a person and try to confuse him. One should not analyze such thoughts and pay special attention to them, because this increases embarrassment. You cannot find order in those in which everything is disorder. All embarrassment must be answered with short words: “I surrendered myself to the will of God.” Also, in prayer, we must daily ask God to do His holy will over us and then strengthen ourselves with faith in God, without whose will nothing can happen to us. The memory of death, of God’s judgment, of eternal torment is good; but when at the same time hopelessness, despondency, despair comes, then you need to know that there is also a demonic admixture here, which is driven away by faith. The Holy Scripture calls God faithful and man a lie. God is faithful and will in no way deprive the salvation of the person who wants to be saved; also will not send a premature and untimely death to such a person, but will give him all the time to prepare. Strengthen your faith and surrender to the will of God. May the mercy of God and the blessing of God rest upon you. The general rule for everyone involved in prayer is: “to enclose the mind in the words of prayer,” that is, to pray with attention. What the soul is to the body, attention is to prayer: without attention it is dead and has no meaning. You should take care to enclose your mind in the words of prayer both when praying the Jesus Prayer and when reading akathists and other prayers. The Holy Fathers advise those who wish to succeed in prayer to engage in praying the Jesus Prayer and reading the rules alternately. Such diversity facilitates the feat of prayer and promotes success. Beginners should engage in prayer little by little, but often, in order to maintain a taste for prayer and not produce fatigue in the mind, which leads to abandonment of prayer. When you are alone, pray a little out loud so that you can hear yourself: this promotes attention. One should not pay any attention to incoming thoughts, no matter how obvious they may be. “The light of my paths is Your law,” said the Prophet, and nothing else. If you do not have proper attention during prayer, then do not be embarrassed. God will give attention in due time to those who, by constant practice of prayer and in urging themselves to attention, prove that they really want to pray with attention. One saint said: “I laid all my infirmities on God and gave myself completely to His will.” And you speak about yourself like that and you will calm down. May God's blessing and God's mercy rest upon you. No. 25. Prayer rule The Holy Fathers, praising the rule of prayer and confessing the necessity of it, not only instruct for its benefits to have it in moderation, commensurate with one’s strength, with the state of spiritual prosperity and with the circumstances in which a person is placed by God’s Providence. The essence of fulfilling the prayer rule is that it be fulfilled with attention. From attention our spirit comes into humility; from humility comes repentance. In order to make a rule slowly, the rule must be moderate. The Holy Fathers, highly praising the moderate rule, advise us to fulfill it without neglect. The following rule may be useful for you and, in the first case, satisfactory: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee; Heavenly King; Trisagion; Our Father; Lord have mercy, 12 rubles; Come, let us worship; Psalm 50; Creed; Virgin Mary, rejoice three times; After this, 20 prayers: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”; at each prayer, bow to the ground, Then, another 20 of the same prayers, and at each bow, bow to the ground, It is worthy to eat, as in the truth...; Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers...; Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. This prayer rule should be performed in the morning and evening. Bows should be made very slowly, with a feeling of repentance, as if standing before the Lord Himself, falling at His feet and begging for mercy, but not at all imagining the Lord, but only believing His presence and the fact that He looks at you and sees you. You have written instructions on prayer: try to borrow from it the direction for your spirit during prayer. Of the other prayers, the akathist to the Lord Jesus is most useful for the novice. Read it once a week, standing or sitting, whichever is more convenient for you, but certainly with attention and slowly. Also, do not allow yourself to read superficially or fluently the Gospel and other holy books: read them slowly and with attention. When reading, observe moderation. Moderation maintains a constant desire to read, and satiety with reading produces aversion from it. The book of letters from the Zadonsk recluse George can be very useful for you. It is of the same spirit and direction as the writings of St. Tikhon of Voronezh. I allow myself to say that it is of the same spirit as my sinful writings, which you can read all of, because they explain what is for the beginner and what is for the successful. Do not forget to constantly surrender yourself to the will of God and thank God for all His blessings done to you. We all must be sure that we do not deserve the blessings of God that we have, that we deserve incomparably greater troubles than those that we encounter. With such a view of himself, a Christian remains peaceful because of his submission to God and thanks God for everything that happens to him. No. 26. On the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries Christ came to earth to save sinners, not the righteous. In exactly the same way, He descends with His holy body and His all-holy blood into sinful man and saves him. It is not sympathy for our righteousness and our virtues that attracts the Lord to us, but His mercy for our sinfulness and weakness, which we recognize and mourn. Whoever, if possible, makes every effort to abstain from sins and, with the consciousness of his sinfulness and weakness, approaches the Lord: the Lord accepts him. He turns away from those sinners who approach him without reverence and without the intention of leaving a sinful life. I accept such Holy Mysteries as a condemnation for myself. No. 27. On enduring bodily illness Those who are in a sick state are like being shackled in heavy fetters from the outside and inside. But it is sent or allowed by God, who “punishes everyone but accepts him.” For this reason, illness is included in the labors by which our salvation is achieved. Every feat is required to be correct. Then a person strives correctly in the work of his illness, when he thanks God for it. The Holy Fathers classify illness, accompanied by thanksgiving to God and glorification of God for His fatherly punishment, leading to eternal bliss, as two of the greatest monastic feats: silence and obedience. No. 28. On enduring bodily illness I am writing to you because you are in an ill state. I know from experience the difficulty of this situation. The body's strength and abilities are taken away; together the strength and abilities of the soul are taken away; disorder of the nerves is communicated to the spirit, because the soul is connected with the body by an incomprehensible and intimate union, due to which the soul and body cannot help but influence each other. I am sending you a spiritual recipe, which I advise you to use the proposed medicine several times a day, especially in moments of intense suffering, both mental and physical. When used, there will be no delay in revealing the power and healing hidden in medicine that is outwardly the most humble. When you are alone, say slowly, out loud to yourself, enclosing your mind in words (as advised by St. John Climacus) the following: “Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent; I accept what is worthy according to my deeds: remember me in Your Kingdom.” Since the essence of this exercise lies in concentrated attention, the body must be given a calm position so that body movements and the resulting heating of the blood do not interfere with the mind’s concentration. The best position for lying on a bed. And the Gospel says that the sick man in this position was presented to the Lord and received mercy from the Lord. For the same purpose of the most convenient attention, it is commanded to enclose the mind in the words of prayer, and to pronounce the prayer extremely slowly. After saying the prayer once, rest for a while. Then say it again and rest again. Continue praying like this for 5 or 10 minutes until you feel your soul calmed and comforted. You will see: after three prayers said in this way, you will begin to feel that peace is entering your soul and destroying the confusion and bewilderment that tormented it. The reason for this is clear: the grace and power of God lies in the praise of God, and not in eloquence and verbosity. Doxology and thanksgiving are acts taught to us by God Himself—they are by no means a human invention. The Apostle commands this work on behalf of God (1 Thess. 5:18). Let us surrender voluntarily to the will of God: because we want it or not, but we are and will be in the hands of God, although for some time we are given freedom of action so that our will and heartfelt pledge can be expressed. Together with me, N. N. testifies to you his complete respect and devotion. The reason for these feelings is the teaching of Christ. ABOUT! May this precious bead, so rare on earth, hidden in the humiliations and sufferings in which the earthly life of the Savior was clothed, be for us a guarantee of eternal heavenly bliss, revealed and shining with the Divine light. Earthly life is a school. Having been at this school for 25 years, N. N-ch saw a star guarding him. The star is the Providence of God. The stars are seen at night in a clear sky; when daylight comes, they, remaining in their places, become inconspicuous due to the predominantly light that appears, spilled by the sun. The sun is Christ. Now your son’s knowledge of religion is like a bright night, and therefore he noticed the incomprehensible, beyond descriptions, but truly existing Providence of God. When his mind, by the special grace of God, is illuminated by Christianity, then his religious knowledge from superficial, meager, unclear will be transformed into bright, extensive, deep and lofty, abundantly satisfactory; they will become like a beautiful summer day, during which an intelligent and good-minded person will be able to accomplish his salvation, that is, arrange his life and fate in eternity for his own good. “Why, Mom, are you so worried about me?” Because, my dear, Mom has weak faith in God, Who forbade vain cares that do not and cannot bring any benefit, producing only anxiety and confusion, upsetting the soul and body. A weak person wants to act and act; wants to act in his own way, wants to act even where action is impossible for him. Everywhere he would stretch out his strong hand, everywhere he would indicate a course of action. in his own wisest way, he does not want to recognize God as a sufficiently powerful and intelligent figure, and on this basis he does not want to constantly resort to God in prayer. Pray for your son! By carefully reading my wretched writings, enter into the closest relationship with my soul in order to unite in that world and city where “there is no male gender, female,” but all the true servants of God are one in God, like different members of the body, united into one being by the soul that animates them. E.I. R.S. The future is known only to God; in our time of transition, a change in the position of the monasteries can easily happen and very soon. My health is very bad; I have no time for earthly affairs anymore! should think more about moving to another world. However, according to my obligatory attitude towards the monastery, I must take care of its internal and external, spiritual and material well-being, which I try to do to the best of my ability, taking care so that actions in favor of the monastery are not associated with burdens and unpleasantness for my neighbor. No. 30. Sorrow, obedience, fear, standing in the church of God, not blaming yourself and other subjects Through many sorrows, not small, mind you, but many and varied, it is fitting for us to enter the Kingdom of God. This is what the Word of God determined. This same all-holy Word commanded us not to be afraid of sorrows, because they are allowed to us by the Providence of God, and the Providence of God, allowing them to us, due to their essential necessity and benefit for us, vigilantly watches over us and protects us. So a doctor, in order to heal a sick person, gives him bitter, disgusting and painful medicines and at the same time carefully looks after him. Believe this and bear the illness that befalls you complacently, thanking God for it. Obedience is a saving feat. The strength and life of all human passions are concentrated in the corrupted will: obedience, binding and killing the will, binds and kills all passions together. Others are looking for this feat with all their might and diligence, but for you it took place by itself. Try to succeed in obedience wisely and piously and thank God for giving you this feat. Obedience is more useful than all voluntary exploits, although at a superficial glance it seems that a position in obedience hinders spiritual success, preventing the performance of voluntary exploits. This view is wrong. In the Egyptian Skete (the seat of the greatest Saints) the young monk Zacharias lived with his own father Karion, who was also his elder. Zechariah was overshadowed by the grace of God, and this brought him into a special state. He told the elder about his supernatural state. The elder was engaged in one physical feat and did not understand either the spiritual feat or its context. He began to beat Zechariah, saying that what had happened to him was a consequence of self-delusion and a demonic action. Zechariah was forced to go secretly to one of the Holy Fathers for a conference. The father gave the following advice: “Your condition is due to the action of Divine grace, but go and remain in obedience to your elder.” It is obvious that the Holy Father left for 3axapia a position, a position of obedience, on which, as a foundation, his spiritual prosperity was erected. With the removal of the foundation, what was built on the foundation could collapse. The fear that comes to you in the evenings should be reflected by faith. Reminding yourself that you are in the right hand of God, under His gaze, drive away fear that makes no sense. In church, do not read any special prayers, but listen to the Divine service. It is good to get used to the publican’s prayer, which is approved by the Lord and which the publican, as can be seen from the Gospel, said while in the Church. This prayer reads like this: “God be merciful, be merciful to me a sinner”; or “God be merciful, cleanse me a sinner.” This prayer is equivalent to the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or “Lord, have mercy.” Read from these prayers the one that you find most convenient for yourself. But read, be sure to take your time and pay attention. I advise you to stick to the second one (i.e. G.I.H.S.B.p.m.g.). The first two prayers are identical; the third is a reduction of the second. In church, sometimes listen to the Divine Service; and sometimes say a prayer with your mind, without ceasing to listen to the Divine service. You can pray together with your mind and listen to church prayer. The first helps the second, and the second helps the first. A church service when you stay at home can be replaced by reading one of the akathists: an akathist to the Lord Jesus, or an akathist to the Mother of God. In church, do not kneel and, in general, do not distinguish yourself from others in appearance by any features; but maintain both internal and external reverence. Bow as little as possible. There are only two bows to the ground during the Liturgy, at the end of it, when the Chalice with the Holy Mysteries is brought out twice. Resist yourself from getting excited and from all the impulses that are so contrary to humility. Demand silence and attention from yourself both when praying, and when reading, and in all your actions. This behavior brings humility to the spirit. Humility is overshadowed by the mercy of God. Do not bind yourself to any trifles and do not condemn yourself because of petty errors and misdeeds. Both serve as sources of confusion and despondency. Petty mistakes, into which every person falls hourly, are healed by hourly repentance before God, repentance consisting of a few words with a heart that sympathizes with them. Often it turns out that it is possible to pronounce words of repentance only with the mind: and this is enough, as long as they are pronounced with attention. In church, when you find it necessary to sit down, sit down, because God listens not to the one who sits or stands, but to the one whose mind is directed towards Him with due reverence. The desire for God, reverence for God and fear of God are acquired by attention to oneself. Read what you read. Reading the Apocalypse leads to the fear of God; refrain from explaining this mysterious book, content with the effect it produces on your soul. When you find it necessary to add or subtract something from your prayers and readings on the occasion of weakness or other activities encountered, regardless of you, do it without doubt or embarrassment. Be free! do not bind yourself to any scrupulousness. The rules are for the man, not the man for the rules. The opposite of this understanding produces only bewilderment and frustration. I am pleased that you understood the reason why you were invited to read the works of St. Tikhon. Now there is no reason for you to hesitate when they offer you this or that spiritual and moral holy book to read. Walk your own path, respecting and blessing the paths of all others who are faithfully saved. The letters of the recluse George are of the same spirit as the writings of St. Tikhon; May God's blessing rest upon you. No. 31. About prayer Anyone who wants to engage in godly prayer should only take care that during prayer his mind remains attentive, and his heart contributes to the mind with a feeling of repentance. Sometimes prayer is accompanied by abundant tenderness, which comes to a person independently of him, and sometimes during prayer a special dryness is felt, also for no apparent reason. One should look at these changes with indifference, as an experienced farmer looks at changes in the weather, knowing that after bad weather there is a bucket, and after a bucket there is bad weather. The farmer cares about successfully sowing and reaping the harvest, even if it involves great difficulty and great obstacles from bad weather: similarly, the one who engages in prayer takes care that his prayer is correct and that when cultivating himself with it, he receives the gift of salvation from God, even though the feat of prayer is accompanied by labor and sorrow, and is attacked by various temptations. He looks at sorrows and temptations as if they were storms that come and go. The Holy Fathers said that the devil is especially envious of a person engaged in attentive prayer and brings various temptations upon him. This is not done without the Providence of God, for our essential benefit, and therefore we must endure the temptations of the enemy generously, surrendering ourselves to the will of God. The Fathers also said: “Having prayed as you should, expect the opposite.” This means: after attentive prayer, when we are given abundant tenderness, some kind of embarrassment or temptation always occurs. One must guard against embarrassment, that is, reject it when it comes, and one should not be surprised that it comes. The attack on us by sinful thoughts is allowed to us for our benefit, because it leads us to humility, to the experimental knowledge of our fall, our sinfulness. The Fathers recognize the invasion of sinful thoughts on those engaged in prayer as a good sign: from the fight against sinful thoughts, an active mind and strength of spirit are obtained. Sinful thoughts must be resisted, and infatuation with them must be immediately cured by repentance. Do not enter into a subtle examination of your passions: this is beyond your power and will certainly harm you. Know that our fall planted in each of us the seed of all sins, and therefore the fall, of necessity, must manifest its presence in us through various sinful thoughts and sensations. This should not be surprising as something strange! This should be! But one should not consider sinful thoughts and sensations, lest they creep into the soul and infect it; one should immediately reject them, and oneself should plunge into the abyss of God’s mercy. Thanks to the goodness of God for the peace of mind that you received by visiting the holy Abode! All the benefits that people enjoy belong to God - His gifts. To him be glory forever. Amen. No. 32. About the action of mental prayer; about the residence of one who wants to be saved It is characteristic of mental prayer to reveal the passions hiding and secretly living in the human heart! She opens them and tames them. It is characteristic of mental prayer to reveal the captivity in which we find ourselves among fallen spirits. She opens this captivity and frees us from it. Therefore, one should not be embarrassed and perplexed when passions arise from fallen nature, or when they are aroused by spirits. And just as passions are tamed by prayer, then when they arise, one should slowly and very quietly say the Jesus Prayer with the mind, which little by little will calm down the rising passions. Sometimes the revolt of passions and the invasion of enemy thoughts is so strong that it leads to a great spiritual feat. This is the time of invisible martyrdom. We must confess the Lord in the face of passions and demons with long prayer, which will certainly bring victory. The book by St. Nil of Sorsky is very good: it wouldn’t hurt you to pick it up. Do not engage in subtle examination of your thoughts and states. This is beyond your strength. Your consideration must certainly be erroneous and have a harmful effect on your residence. One Saint said: “I laid all my infirmities and sins on the Lord and on His Most Pure Mother.” So do you. Walk before God along the mental path with simplicity. Know that you are infected with sinfulness, that this sinfulness should naturally resonate in all your actions, and therefore cry prayerfully before God and nothing more. God is by no means an executioner, as you imagined, but an educator. Sometimes He sends grace-filled sensations as a consolation, and sometimes He allows, for the sake of humility, to be agitated by passions and to be attacked by spirits: both are done out of great mercy towards us, for the purpose of our essential benefit. Thank you for notifying us of sad events. This is the fruit of the sow, as the Apostle said: “God is not mocked: whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.” (Gal. 6. They cared about their glory by all impermissible means, but neglected the true glory of God: then God allowed them to be dishonored. In general, the situation of monasteries in Russia in moral and spiritual terms is the most disastrous. A hundred years before us, Saint Tikhon said that true piety is almost disappeared, and it was replaced by hypocrisy to deceive people for the purpose of material gain. We must understand the spirit of the times and not recognize the former refuges as refuges, because they have most turned into disastrous whirlpools and abysses. No. 33. About inner life. Vision. The need to open up with consideration of the person for that one being elected In comparison made by the Holy Fathers, the inner life of an ascetic of Christ is like the weather: sometimes it is clear and warm, and sometimes cloudy, stormy and cold. In their comparison, this life is like grain harvests, which are sometimes very abundant and sometimes very meager. Experienced people do not rely on the constancy of good weather and are not embarrassed by bad weather, knowing that one is constantly replaced by another! Also, when the harvest is good, they do not rely on it and do not stop working, and when the harvest is bad, they do not become despondent and, likewise, do not stop cultivating the land. This is the law of nature. The law of asceticism is similar to it. Sometimes there is a visitation of grace, and the soul is comforted, and sometimes waves of temptation arise, and it is put in a difficult situation. This was the way of all the Holy Fathers. They command everyone who wants to strive correctly, so that he submits with obedience to this law of asceticism, established by God Himself for the earthly wanderer. Due to constantly clear weather, the earth dries out and worms and other harmful insects infest in abundance. In a similar way, prolonged calm, even produced by grace, affects the soul: arrogance, conceit, arrogance, contempt for neighbors, humiliation and condemnation of them, and similar ailments of the human spirit, the most dangerous and most terrible, arise in the soul. It is a great thing: to recognize oneself as worthy of temptation, and to submit to the will of God when temptation comes. This also helps a lot with insurance. Recognizing oneself as worthy of any punishment, even obvious demonic punishment, leads to self-sacrifice and devotion to the will of God. Through self-sacrifice and devotion to the will of God, the fear induced by demonic temptation is destroyed. The devil cannot do anything without God's permission; it is constantly in the almighty hand of God and has no other meaning in this hand than the meaning of a scourge, which in itself is devoid of any ability to act. A spiritual vision of the lowest level was sent to you, a vision of your sinfulness and the communication in which a person is kept through sin with rejected spirits. The enemy envied this and wanted to snatch the fruit from your soul, that is, the feeling of crying. He did this cunningly, instilling a wrong thought, which is always the beginning of evil. He was allowed to do this for your test, so that you would experience the devil’s wiles and be constantly on guard. Spiritual treasures must be preserved and preserved. However, a visit to grace is usually preceded or followed by temptation. Everything that happens to an ascetic testifies to itself. But this can only be understood by those who undergo the feat correctly. The deluded are also satisfied in their blindness with their conditions and what happens to them: their contentment is self-satisfaction, based on their satisfying and flattering opinion of themselves, and not on the sight of their sinfulness and damnation. It is very good to trust yourself by discovering what happens outside the ordinary order. It should be revealed to those who know the matter, and not to the clever ones, glorified and presented by the world as saints and spiritual ones. “The world loves its own,” said the Savior. The world is in delusion and sympathizes only with those who are in delusion. He rejects and hates the servants of truth. Spiritually difficult times are coming; they have come a long time ago, as St. Tikhon of Voronezh writes, but the difficulty is constantly increasing, apostasy is assuming enormous proportions. This is God’s permission, predicted in the word of God. One must be in awe of the incomprehensible destinies of God. What are we before God? - Insignificant worms, called by His ineffable mercy into being and what is higher than being, into the knowledge of God, into communication with God. Let us glorify His goodwill towards us, His mercy towards us! Let us pray to Him that He may fulfill His mercy upon us to the end! Letters to I. I. Glazunov No. 34. To Glazunov I. I-chu on the publication of “Ascetic Experiences” undertaken by him God was pleased to instill in you the disposition to join my wretched work by publishing the Ascetic Experiences I compiled. This book in its own sense does not belong to me: it is entirely borrowed from the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church. My work consists in the fact that throughout my entire life I have been studying the Fatherly Scriptures and have made such an extract from them that can only be done through a long-term study of these quests. The teachings belonging to the Holy Fathers should be of significant benefit to modern Christians who want to lead a pious and godly life, but who do not have the opportunity to thoroughly and thoroughly study the Scriptures of the Fathers. What I say is proven by experience: many who read the manuscript instructions on repentance, prayer, and the shortness of earthly life, found in my book, felt the strong effect of reading, which contributed to their spiritual success. That's how it should be! Ascetic Experiences is a practical book. It is the only one because, since the introduction of education in Russia, no one has yet written of this kind. The Holy Fathers said that alms given to the soul is as much higher than alms given to the body as the soul is higher than the body. I recognized the book – Ascetic Experiences – as such alms. By the providence of God it was given to me, for the salvation of my soul, to prepare this alms: by the same divine providence it is given to you, for the salvation of your soul, to give this spiritual alms to Christians who need it. The work of God, I. I-ch, must be done with care, so that the work given for salvation is not damaged by negligence and does not serve as condemnation. To the best of my ability, I tried to give the possible clarity and correctness to the book, preparing it since 1840, revising, correcting, supplementing it, so that the teaching of the Fathers set out in it had satisfactory clarity and completeness: so you also take care that the book is published correctly and in due time. Many pious souls thirst for this spiritual food and wish to have the book to guide their lives precisely for the reason that it is a collection of the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church on the main Christian Virtues and on spiritual achievement. Invoking the abundant blessing of God upon you and your family, with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, etc. No. 35. About the proofreading of “Experiments” and various subjects You were not mistaken in entrusting your son to the protection of the Mother of God. As a result of this patronage, he was lucky in the service. I hear that you are unwell. I am in the same position. One must rely on God and try to please Him: Being constantly in His full will and power; we must certainly appear at His judgment, at which our eternal fate is decided, depending on whether we have approached God or moved away from Him during our earthly journey. Regarding the proofreading of the Experiments, I earnestly ask you to act with all sincerity and directness. If this work is convenient for you, take it upon yourself; if it is inconvenient in any way, then discard it. By acting sincerely, you will act in the most pleasant way for me. What does it mean? The world feels like a kind of desert, either because I myself live in the desert, or because a crowded society, when it is alienated from the Word of God, takes on the character of a desert. May the blessing and mercy of God rest upon you and your son. No. 36. In response to those tempted by the “Word of Death” M. G. G. Iv-ch, sincerely, thank you for your letter! I would not have bothered you with my answer if you had not mentioned the temptation of some regarding the “Word on Death”, and if we did not have the teaching of the Holy Fathers regarding this kind of temptation. I recognize this teaching as my duty to inform you. It is set out in the 54th word of Saint Isaac of Syria, recognized by the Church as one of the foremost teachers of Christian asceticism. “Blessed Paul,” says this Father, added: “the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18). What of this? Should Paul have been silent and stopped preaching for the reason that the word of the cross was imputed to foolishness by those who did not feel the power of this word? The teaching of the cross continues to this day as a stumbling block for Jews and Greeks. So, should we remain silent about the truth, so that those who are not offended? Paul not only did not remain silent, but also cried out, saying: “Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). The praise of the cross was told to the Saints not in order to seduce others, but so that the great power of the Cross could be preached. Accordingly, you too, O holy one! complete your life for the purpose that you have set for yourself before God, so that your conscience does not condemn you, and consider your life according to the Divine Scripture and according to the Tradition that you received from the Holy Fathers. If you are not condemned by them (Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition), then do not be afraid of the temptation to which some will be exposed. No one can satisfy everyone equally or please everyone and at the same time please God and his conscience.” “The Word of Death” was written by me in the Sergeev Hermitage at the request of some acquaintances. I had neither the intention nor the hope of publishing it. I can say this about my other works. Special circumstances arose in their publication and, as I understand it, not without the Providence of God. Several persons wrote to me about this, who devoted themselves in the monastery and outside the monastery entirely to the theoretical and practical study of Christianity: they expressed to me sincere gratitude for the presentation of the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church, which they essentially needed, and on such a subject, which is essential for every person. Even the priest Matveevsky, who wrote a review in The Wanderer, admits (p. 28) that “there is not yet a single eschatology, or part of theology; considering recent events concerning the world and man, was not included in such a detailed solution to these issues as was done in the “Tale of Death”. The review itself has nothing reprehensible; on the contrary, it was very useful, suggesting questions that made it difficult for the reviewer and, of course, not for him. Their resolution was supposed to bring general benefit. It would be desirable if the proposal of questions in a spiritual journal did not smack of Herzen’s antics. Our Theology is gradually taking on a more and more definite, Orthodox-Eastern character. This immediately becomes clear when comparing the Theology compiled by Ternovsky with the Theology of the Eminences Anthony and Macarius. Naturally, as the Fathers of the Eastern Church are translated into Russian, the tradition of this church is indicated more clearly. In general, we are not yet quite familiar with the tradition of our Church and we have inconspicuously adopted some Western opinions that are alien to it: For this reason, “The Word on Death” was at first received unfavorably by many, but the most thorough persons from the clergy are on his side, and in the Academies, where the libraries are very satisfactory, they will probably begin to carefully process this part of theology and present it in the usual system. St. Petersburg is very convenient for a solitary life: I experienced this myself in secular life; on the contrary, it is very inconvenient for monastics. However, no matter where anyone lives, if he lives according to the commandments of God and is guided by the Word of God, then he lives on the threshold of eternal bliss. May the merciful Lord grant this bliss to me and you and your entire blessed family. E.I. No. 37. About the works of Bishop Ignatius, published and published Truly Christ is Risen! It must be accomplished by the Word of God. Our sacred duty is to revere the incomprehensible destinies of the Lord God and, understanding the deep significance of what is happening, to pay all our attention, the most intense attention, to assimilating ourselves to Christ, as the Holy Fathers said: “He who saves, may he save his soul.” The Savior commanded: “Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune.” Before the onset of great sorrows, one must pray with special care and beg God for mercy. Thank you for notifying me of the opinions of various individuals about the “Word on Death” and other writings in connection with these “Words”. There is a similar phenomenon in St. Petersburg. Namely: the majority of the clergy were at first against the “Word,” but some of the clergy—very few—were for it. When they thought about it, especially after the appearance of the article “View” on the opinion of Westerners, then everyone fell silent, but not because of agreement. It was impossible for the servants of the Orthodox Church to reject the teaching proclaimed by the Church publicly throughout the entire space of its worship. They wanted to take revenge differently; but the hand of God averted the blow directed through B.B., who stood at the head of a gang of publishers of the reformation and, at the same time, revolutionary magazine “The Wanderer”. My writings do not belong to me; their sources are the Fathers, they belong to the Fathers of the Orthodox Church. The election of me by God’s Providence as an instrument for teaching this vital spiritual food to the modern remnant of believers is a blessing from God to them and to me, “The world loves its own,” said the Savior. When the world hears the Word of God proclaimed in the elements and in the spirit of the world, that is, when it hears its teaching covered with the guise of God’s teaching, then it extols it with praise. When he senses in the word the presence of another spirit, acting destructively on the dominion of the world, then he becomes infected with hatred of the word and initiates persecution against the one who uttered the word. It is very dangerous to acquire knowledge not in Christ, but by developing your own fallen nature to remain in spirit in communion with the world. Acting in the area of ​​the latter method, people will certainly become infected with enmity towards the Holy Spirit, just as the Jewish clergy was infected with this deadly enmity, for which they were exposed by the first martyr Stephen. (Acts 7:51). These literal scholars did not find words to contrast with the words of the Spirit that Stephen spoke, and therefore they were kindled with envy and hatred towards the vessel of the Spirit. They responded to words with stones; They responded to the teaching of truth with murder. The Word of God has always been persecuted by the world; persecution from the world has always been evidence of the teaching coming from God. P.A. takes care of the publication of “Ascetic Experiences”, in which the concept of correct prayer is taught with particular detail and variety, as well as other essentially necessary and important spiritual feats, without which some bodily ones are useless and can even be very harmful and soul-destroying. “Experiments” should provide a thorough understanding of such subjects, about which today in Christian society there is the most superficial knowledge, for the most part the most distorted, soul-harmful and soul-destroying. “Experiments” must satisfy the urgent need of those struggling and being saved in our time, in which grace-filled mentors have dried up and false teachers have multiplied. The publication of the “Experiments” was arranged by the special providence of God. The retreat began to take place for some time very quickly, freely and openly. The consequences must be the most tragic. God's will be done! May God's mercy cover us! Calling upon you the blessing and grace of God. E.I. No. 38. About true and false phenomena. – About confessors The Holy Fathers command the ascetic of prayer, when phenomena occur outside and within himself, to remain indifferent to them and not listen to them, not recognizing himself as worthy of seeing the saint. They command, on the one hand, not to condemn the phenomenon, so as not to censure the sacred, and on the other hand, not to entrust oneself to the phenomenon, hastily recognizing it as true, so as not to fall into the snare of the evil spirit, trying to seduce and deceive the ascetic, in order to damage or destroy him. After the phenomenon has passed, sometimes after a considerable time, an explanation of the meaning that should be given to the phenomenon appears in the heartfelt feeling. In general, it was noted by the Holy Fathers that those whom God visits with a true appearance, Satan begins to tempt with false appearances. You need to pay special attention to this as a precaution. Seeing the real position of spiritual leaders is necessary in order to protect yourself from deception; together we must be very careful not to judge them, constantly turning to attention to ourselves. Frankness is very dangerous in our time, because some, due to a misunderstanding of their position, consider it their duty to find out and then pass on what they have found out. This is probably done with the aim of currying favor. Take the trouble to convey to K.I. my sincere gratitude for remembering me. I can’t say anything positive about my health. The pain inside has decreased. During Lent I was worried about boils, and now I am suffering from plethora. The blood has improved significantly. I had to live a difficult life, almost constantly being engaged in activities that exceeded my bodily strength and did not correspond to my state of health. May God's blessing rest upon you. E.I. No. 39. To two sisters. About Christian life I sincerely wish that you become like the pious sisters, Martha and Mary, mentioned in the Gospel, who were honored to receive the Lord into their home and please Him by paying attention to His word and diligently serving Him. The Lord said: “Where two or three are gathered in My name,” that is, they live together for a truly Christian purpose, “there I am in the midst of them.” May this happen to you! He who calls upon you the blessing of God is your most humble servant. E.I. No. 40. Letter dated April 12, 1866 The earth itself produces various weeds (tares). No one plants them: they grow on their own. The reason for this is the perverted property of the earth. It is foolish to desire from the earth what is not characteristic of it, that is, so that the earth does not produce tares. Knowing this property of the earth, farmers carefully and patiently pull out the tares from the ground as they appear, otherwise the tares will choke and destroy useful plants. The same should be done with the manifestation of passions when they arise from the heart. – It is common for our fallen heart to give birth to various sinful desires. One should not become despondent from this: one should heal passionate manifestations and passions for repentance and self-correction. No. 41. On the duties of an Orthodox spouse to a non-Orthodox spouse and other things It is impossible not to respond to your letter. God has opened your heart to the scriptures of repentance. All the Saints of the Orthodox Church throughout their lives relentlessly held to repentance, holding on to it even when the grace of God clearly acted on them. Nowadays, when engaging in religion, they are more likely to seek either cold knowledge by letter, or seductive pleasure. Both belong to this world, and not to Christ. For obedience I pray for you and your children. May the merciful Lord restore the health of your wife. Out of true Christian love, which seeks not to please, but to provide significant benefit to one’s neighbor, try to instill in your wife, for her salvation, that Western beliefs have only the letter and self-delusion left; and in the Orthodox Church, despite our extreme exhaustion, the Truth and the Holy Spirit still act in vessels adapted to this by correct, as humanly possible, Christian living. It is necessary to enter into communication with the Spirit of God through the Truth; it is necessary to do this during earthly life; without this there is no salvation. For the sincerity of your word, accept the sincerity of my word as sacred retribution - and may God bless you! The Apostle instructs a faithful husband to take care of delivering the priceless treasure of true faith to his wife (1 Cor. 7:12–16) when she does not have it. Oh, what happiness it is to bring bliss to your neighbor in eternity. E.I. No. 42. On the advantages of certain provisions from the society of persons seeking salvation You rightly say that God’s mercy is for those who are removed by God’s Providence from the general aspiration of the masses to separate positions, as if on “islands”, from which only the storm of the sea is visible and heard, and then, when the inhabitant of the island leaves its depth - attention to himself, and approaches the shore - he begins to listen to what is happening on the worldly sea. This mercy of God is also proclaimed by the Holy Scriptures ( Ps.30:20,21:22) The Holy Fathers foretold that in the last times those who are being saved will hide from the entrances of men and will follow a humble path of action, being careful to condemn apostates, submitting everything to the will of God and the judgment of God, revering the very permission of God. There is no one to expect the restoration of Christianity! The vessels of the Holy Spirit have completely dried up everywhere, even in monasteries, these treasuries of piety and grace, and the work of the Spirit of God can be supported and restored only by His instruments. The merciful patience of God prolongs time and delays the decisive end for the small remnant of those who are being saved, while the rotting and almost rotten reaches the fullness of corruption. Those who are being saved must understand this and use the time given for salvation, “for time is shortened,” and the transition to eternity is not far from any of us. No. 43. About the structure of the Church of God May God's will be done on us! Recently I was working on a book that contains the works of various Saints, among other things, Anthony the Great. Among other sayings of the Father, it is placed that they saw the descent of the Holy Spirit on Abba Athanasius and on Abba Pachomius, while the first was given the gift of patriarchate, and the second - abbot of cenobitic monasteries. The Gospel also says that the Lord commanded the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from Above, that is, until the Holy Spirit descended on them. Already convicted by the power from Above, not before, they went out to preach and sowed the true knowledge of God in the universe. The Holy Spirit was the founder and educator of Christianity! The Holy Spirit founded the Church! The Holy Spirit supported the Church through chosen men who served the Spirit only as instruments! People rejected this supernatural Power, which they considered foolishness, unworthy of them, and want to act with the forces and means of their fallen nature. But fallen nature is infected with enmity towards God: how can it act in favor of the body of God? This is unnatural for him! This is impossible for him! The decisive impossibility is proven by experience on the most extensive scale. It turned out that people who decided to act on their own in favor of the cause of God became the main enemies of this cause, its destroyers. Life is simpler - or rather. Trying to fulfill the will of God and relying on God in everything is the best thing. E.I. No. 44. Letter dated February 1, 1865 The article by “The Wanderer” is very weak. “I have greatly expanded my view of the teachings of the West. It will be published in the second volume of “Ascetic Experiences” and can serve as a very satisfactory answer to the article by “The Wanderer.” In the “Christian Reading” (a book for December) of 1864 there was a very important article entitled: “New publications on the schism of I. Nilsky.” It sets out the accusations of the Old Believers who have Austrian axies against the Great Russian Church. These accusations, although not entirely approved with some evasiveness in general terms, are not in essence rejected. On page 486 it says: “Under Alexander I, the priests became Freemasons and published and read thousands of Masonic and godless books; they published spiritual magazines, such as: “The Zion Messenger”, “The Threats of the Lights”, the most heretical books; even “Christian Reading” does not contain any heresies”... “Who in the Russian Church should talk about dogmas, about faith? Following the apostolic example, one must reason in a conciliar manner, but in the All-Russian Church what kind of councils are there? The Synod deals only with external affairs, but does not discuss dogmas, therefore every scientist writes according to his own model. Either they lived without tradition according to Luther's meaning, then they turned to the traditions of the Holy Fathers and added this teaching to the Catechism, thereby denouncing that they had previously shied away from; Orthodox faith, but they remade it in their own way, showing that they do not think the same way with the Eastern Patriarchs. Having counted other inconsistencies, it is said (p. 487): “And all because they teach not according to the Holy Fathers, but according to Latin and Lutheran books.” You can hear from everywhere that the schism, on the one hand, and godlessness, on the other, are growing unusually. This cannot be the case. How can the above-mentioned voice of the priests have no significance and power? In the November book of “The Wanderer” the book was published: “26 Moscow false prophets” and so on. - What? In the first two articles, especially the first about Ivan Yakovlevich, the participant exposed their face, an object of general respect, and turned it into an object of ridicule. Again: how can this brochure not have its effect on the frivolous! New philosophical books confuse scientists. It would be necessary to take timely measures, but they are not taken and then it turns into a flood. E.I. No. 45. Letter from 1866 My brother brought me the news that you were suffering from a serious illness, which is why I am writing you these comforting lines. The Holy Fathers advise us to thank God for the sorrows that are sent to us, and to confess in our prayer that we are worthy of punishment for our sins. Thus accepted grief will certainly serve us as a cleansing of our sins and a guarantee for receiving eternal bliss. We, by the nature of our nature, which is suffering from the fall, are most concerned about the arrangement of our earthly position, and God arranges our eternal position, which we would forget about if our earthly position were not shaken by sorrows, if the sorrows sent from time to time by the Providence of God did not remind us that everything temporary and earthly is passing away and that our main concerns should be about the eternal. Scripture says: “The Lord loves him and punishes him.” Sorrows that admonish are sent from God to those whom He wants to have mercy on, and to those rejected, crushing and decisive sorrows are sent, especially at the very end of life, such as sudden death or loss of reason and the like. Great is our God! The great thing is the redemption of men by God! Terrible days - the fall of man! It is necessary to thoroughly understand this so as not to perish forever. E.I. No. 46. Letter dated June 22, 1866 Ascetics engaged in mental feats are allowed primarily before physical feats of illness and other sorrows: from their action, the ascetic must, of necessity, place hope in God. As hope in God increases, self-confidence weakens; As self-confidence decreases, self-esteem decreases. With the weakening of these ailments, true humility begins to emerge in the soul, on which the correctness and strength of any achievement are based. This is said to console you in the illness that has befallen you. Let us surrender to the will of God and do what depends on us. No. 47. About endurance of sorrows and trust in God The person whom God chooses to serve Him is sent various sorrows. During sorrows one must thank and glorify God, praying to Him to grant him obedience and patience. Saint Isaac of Syria said very well, exhorting us to submit to God: “You are not smarter than God.” Simple and true. After the last time I took the syrup, I felt unusually weak. The legs don't work. The pain in the heart, which was already very strong in the Sergius Hermitage, was revealed with particular clarity after the syrup. Having spent my life under the yoke of various infirmities, in constant stumbling, in constant omission of my duties, I have that happy result from such a life that I must place all the hope of my salvation on God alone! E.I. No. 48. About trust in God The life of a Christian on earth is a chain of suffering. You must fight with your body, with passions, with spirits of evil. In this fight is our hope. Our salvation is our God. Having placed one's trust in God, one must endure the time of struggle with patience. Temptations seem to trample a person, turning grain into flour. They are allowed to us according to the Providence of God, for our great spiritual benefit: from them we receive a contrite and humble heart, which God will not despise. I ask for your holy prayers for me, who is exhausted in both body and soul. Calling upon you the blessing of God. No. 49. Saying of St. Tikhon about Christianity For about a month now I have been feeling extreme pain and exhaustion throughout the lower part of my chest. The merest task of writing makes me incredibly tired. P.A. Enough trouble with publishing my works! But these efforts were all the more useful to him because they gave him the opportunity to take a closer look at the sad state of the Church. Saint Tikhon, looking shrewdly at the direction taken by his contemporaries, said: “We must fear that Christianity, being life, sacrament and spirit, does not quietly withdraw from that human society that does not know how to preserve this priceless gift of God.” I ask for your prayers for me. Calling upon you the abundant blessing of God. E.I. No. 50. About sorrows and the life of a Christian in the world and about Christianity I offer my sincere gratitude for the memory of me, weak and sinful. May the ineffable mercy of God grant both me and you to bear the sorrows that are allowed to us with devotion to the will of God, with thanksgiving to God, with confession of our sinfulness, from which patience appears in the soul. A person’s life in the world, in secular life, even if young, does not relieve him of the obligation to behave piously. Piety is necessary not only in relation to eternity, but also to his temporary well-being: piety alone can keep him from destructive hobbies, with which he harms himself and shocks those who truly love him. The further the times go, the harder it gets. Christianity, as a Spirit, in an inconspicuous way for the bustling crowd serving the world, in a very noticeable way for those who listen to themselves, is removed from the midst of humanity, leaving it to its fall. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. No. 51. Reading the Word of God - the simplicity of the Gospel, life by faith, spiritual understanding of the Gospel commandments What a sweet, spiritual, lofty fruit is reaped by those who immerse their minds and hearts in the Word of God, who trust the experiences of their earthly wanderings according to the words of this Heavenly Wisdom! Such achieve what the Apostle desired from believers in Christ when he wrote to them: “I pray you, brethren, that you may be affirmed in the same understanding and in the same thought.” I felt the fulfillment of these words in myself, reading your lines, which were poured out by a heart pierced by many sorrows, which found consolation in the ulcers of Jesus, which saw more clearly into the future, which saw more clearly the Providence of God, the true purpose of man, the insignificance and rapid disappearance of everything temporary and vain. Reading your lines, I seemed to be thinking to myself; in response, I could send you your letter, signing my name under it. We haven’t seen each other for a long time, we don’t talk face to face, we don’t write to each other often, but we are getting closer and closer to each other! This is the fruit of Christ's teaching! Your letter told me that you often resort to the Word of God and prayer, which enlighten people. By the thoughts born in the soul, you can find out what impressions affect it! Accept my words with simplicity of heart, because I pronounce them from a sincere heart. There is nothing flattering in my words! Flatterers flatter in order to catch, to ridicule, to harm. No, I don’t have this goal! I speak for the sake of truth, for love: of course you can distinguish their language from the language with which flattering and deceitful people-pleasing speaks. I liked your thoughts about simple-heartedness and deceit, drawn from the experiences of a Christian and attentive life, so much that I blessed my sincere disciples to copy your letter into their written books, into which especially noteworthy modern things are included for the purpose of spiritual benefit. What is the condition for Christian simplicity? - Following God's law. The virtuous and well-intentioned does not need to appear as such: on the contrary, the one who loves sin, whose will is in sin, needs a disguise. Faith gives birth to simplicity. The believer follows the path of life, relying on his Provider, as Scripture says: “walk simply, walk in hope”: The unbeliever does not see Divine Providence, he thinks that his fate depends on the tricks of his mind; - believes all good in earthly things; striving for it, he is deceitful in thought, word and deed. The more we delve into the Word of God, the more we grow in spiritual age, the more we become convinced that it is impossible to approach God except through simplicity, in which faith, purity of conscience, and way of thinking are created by the commandments of the Most High. Some who are simple-hearted are able to prosper spiritually, as the Scripture says; “Wisdom will not enter into the soul of an evil-doer”: The simple-hearted are subjected to suffering; but not without reason: the heavenly Vertogradar cuts off His vines. He sees their ability to bear fruit. A barren branch does not attract His attention and concern until that unfortunate time when the time comes to cut it off and throw it out of the vineyard. Then the poor lands pick it up for their fuel! By the name of beggars I mean here demons deprived of all good, who care so that their eternal furnace burns hotter. The words of the Savior you quoted are significant: “Whatever you do, do it quickly.” The silence of Christ before the lawless judges, who judged in order to accuse, to find some pretext for accusing the righteous, for the fulfillment of an evil plan, long conceived in a criminal, evil and wicked heart, has the same broad meaning. In the midst of this Divine silence, the words of the Savior to Pilate thundered for our instruction, words quiet in appearance, but terrible, like thunder and lightning, in meaning: “Have not any power upon Me, unless it be given from above.” (Ev. John,). What deep and extensive instruction for those who suffer for Christ; teaching them to look at their Pilates, as if at a soulless weapon of God’s Providence, giving to their beloved the cup of Christ, a guarantee of eternal bliss with Christ; Here the wheat is already separated from the tares and God’s judgment is carried out on them. The follower of Christ suffers in generous silence, recognizing Christ through the cross; but Pilate coldly asks about the Truth, does not think and does not want to know about It, because he does not even want to listen, to wait for an answer. Meanwhile, the Truth of Christ Himself stands before him in humility and in high silence about Himself says: “My mind is amazed at You,” Saint David prayerfully cried out to God, a Christian who reads it with faith and purity of conscience with insight from above will be surprised by the Gospel and its deep teaching, the teaching of the Divine. Those who live the life borrowed from the old Adam according to the law of childbirth are in a state of decline; They prove this state by constant self-delusion, venerating the earth, the place of their exile, as a place of endless pleasures. New Adam - Christ saves the fallen by the cross: the life of the fall is killed by the taking away of earthly pleasures; and from the depths of this death arises life in Christ, finding pleasure in hardship. From here a person moves with thoughts, desires, hopes to Heaven and awaits with informed faith the promises from Above, renewal by the Holy Spirit. We must wander with Christ, suffer with Him, endure crucifixion, taste death, be buried, rise again and ascend.. I wish this for you and for myself; why am I saying with you, filled with spiritual intelligence, the most comforting prayer: “Lord! do Thy will upon us; and grant us to think, feel and act according to Your will. This is the only thing we ask of you; in this one we conclude all our desires and prayers." Amen. No. 52. About the book by N. Gogol: “Selected passages from correspondence with friends” With gratitude I return to you the book that you delivered to me. Hear my opinion about her. A man is seen turning to God with fervor of heart. But in the matter of religion this is not enough. In order for it to be a true light for a person and to emit genuine light from him for his neighbors, it must be definitive. Determination lies in the exact knowledge of the Truth in its separation from everything false, from everything that seems true. The Savior Himself said this: “The truth will set you free.” Elsewhere in Scripture it is said: “Your Word is Truth.” Why does someone who wants to gain certainty delve deeply into the Gospel, taking into account the teachings of the Lord, straightening out his thoughts and feelings. When a person completes this work, then he is able to separate in himself the correct, kind thoughts and feelings from the counterfeit, imaginary correct and kind ones. Then he enters into purity, just as the Lord, after the Last Supper, said to His disciples, already educated by the teaching of the Truth: “You are pure by nature because of the word that was spoken to you.” But purity alone is not enough for a person: he needs revival, inspiration. So, in order for the lantern to shine, it is not enough to cleanly wash the glass; a candle must be lit inside it. This is what the Lord did with His disciples. Having cleansed them with the truth, He quickened them with the Holy Spirit, and they became light for men. Before receiving the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were not able to teach humanity, although they were already pure. Such a move must take place with every Christian, a Christian in reality, and not just in name: first purification by the Truth, and then enlightenment by the Spirit. True, a person also has an innate inspiration, more or less developed, arising from the movement of the feelings of the heart. Truth rejects this inspiration as mixed and mortifies it, so that the Spirit, coming, resurrects it in a renewed state. If a person, before purification by the Truth, is guided by his inspiration, then he will emit for himself and for others not a pure light, but a mixed, deceptive one, because in his heart lives not simple good, but good mixed with evil more or less. Everyone, look into yourself and believe my words through the experiences of your heart! – They are accurate and fair, copied from nature itself. Applying these principles to Gogol's book, we can say that it exudes both light and darkness. His religious concepts are not defined, they move in the direction of his heart’s inspiration, which is unclear, indistinct, spiritual, and not spiritual. He is a writer, and in a writer, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” or: the composition is an indispensable confession of the writer, for the most part not understood by them, but understood only by such a Christian who is elevated by the Gospel to the abstract land of thoughts and feelings in which he distinguishes light from darkness; Gogol's book cannot be taken entirely as pure verbs of Truth. There is confusion here; here between many correct thoughts there are many incorrect ones. It is desirable that this person, in whom self-sacrifice is noticeable, should moor to the haven of Truth, where the beginning of all spiritual blessings is. For this reason, I advise all my friends to engage in religion only by reading the Holy Fathers, who acquired purification and enlightenment in the likeness of the Apostles, and then wrote their books, from which pure Truth shines and which convey to readers the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Outside this path, at first narrow and deplorable for the mind and heart, there is darkness everywhere, rapids and abysses everywhere! Amen. No. 53. About church painting I find that your description of the two cardboards adorns these cardboards with many beautiful thoughts. With this description, the imagination is prepared, the eyes are prepared to see beautiful icons, almost alive, speaking a most instructive sermon. At least that's the mood I got. But when my eyes turned from reading to the drawings, my expectation was not realized: - I saw not the icons of our Orthodox Church, but caricatures of icons; It’s as if a singer from the Italian stage began to sing in his own way, with an outpouring of romantic feeling, our majestic Cherubic Song. A beautiful, sublime thought - to depict the indescribable Deity with the Word, from Whom are the rays! Why did the Angels turn their gaze away from the Deity depicted so beautifully? They should have taught those present to reverence the Divine; they should show the desire for Divinity with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their thoughts, with all their strength, as this is required, this is taught by the Savior Himself. In this state, by the very thing, are the Angels who stand before the glory of God, as Scripture reveals to us. On the contrary, here the Angels show little attention and respect to the Divine, not one deigns to look at Him, everyone yawns (excuse the expression) around. And the majestic Sy stands alone, separated, cut off from the whole picture! Did the artist really have in his soul the intention to write criticism of our time, to hint to us that we have forgotten God, that apparently we are stretching out our hands to Him, but because of the thing itself we have turned away from Him. The four upper Angels are female figures. This violates the tradition of the Orthodox Church, which always portrays Angels as beautiful young men. There is no example in all of Holy Scripture for an Angel to appear in the form of a woman. There are ladies and unimportant ladies here. Judging by their physiognomies, in which there is nothing Divine, which are too ordinary, one must assume that the models were nothing more than girls' maids, and the model for the upper figure on the left side was some German wardrobemaid, apparently already elderly, with an expression of carelessness on her face - probably the feeling that was in her soul at the time when she stood in front of the artist. Take away the wings from the figures, put a chandelier in place of Sy and ask what the picture represents? - Dance! Boys served as models for the lower three Angels. And there are boys in the picture. There is not even an effort to make them into Angels. The middle one looks out of the window with all the due attention of a child at the people walking on the street and the carriages driving by; and two assistants frolicked, played and glanced at something in passing - but not at God. They don't care about Him at all! In well-bred boys, the predominant feeling is innocence and tenderness. And here are healthy-built kids, capable of playing pranks, for whom the rod is not out of place. How careful and strict the choice of sitters must be! Their feelings, their characters, their morality, their ability are transferred to the paintings. Due to the lack of much-needed sacred criticism in our newest icons, in which the art of painting has reached an undeniably high degree of development, sharp inconsistencies are also visible. I do not intend to count them, because they are countless, but I will express the inconsistency that often tormented my eyes when they saw in those eyes from which Divine Wisdom should shine an expression of a lack of mental abilities. A certain coachman, prominent, but of a very limited mind, having entered into my service, himself told me: “I was a model at the Academy for seven years in such and such a church, such and such an icon was painted from me.” He counted the icons for which he served as the original, which I don’t want to name! My heart can't stand this! But here is the reason for the stupid eyes on the icon: it is a faithful portrait of a stately coachman with stupid eyes. The icon painter must firmly know the dogmas of the Orthodox Church and lead a deeply pious life. Because the purpose of an icon is to instruct the people with images. Therefore, icons must communicate true concepts, reverent feelings, as if pious. Otherwise, the icon will act as if a preacher, infected with false teaching or with only literary knowledge without theological knowledge, would act from the pulpit. The ancient warriors would never have remained in their helmets in front of the sacred image of the Life-Giving Trinity, carried out by the hands of the great saint of God, famous for his glorious miracles! The ancient pious warriors would have bowed their knees! Fast forward to the event itself: St. Sergius blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the campaign against Mamai. Under this circumstance, what awe there was! What serious thoughts and sensations must have filled each and every one. They went to the bloody Battle of Kulikovo, against countless hordes of Tatars, who had on their side not only superiority in numbers, but enormous moral strength - the memory of two centuries of victories and dominion. The Russians clearly saw that victory for them was extremely doubtful, that the consequences would be the most disastrous. Death was in front of everyone's eyes! It was adorned only by the fact that the thought of it was combined with the thought of a martyr's crown, because in the campaign against Mamai everyone recognized not only a domestic necessity, but also a religious necessity. And exactly! This campaign was more the fruit of faith than political calculations; the campaign is blessed by St. Sergius! When performing this blessing, could there have been a lightness and frivolity that is noticeable in others, and even in some monks? Here the warriors could not have the feeling that our modern heroes have when they are in the playpen waiting for a divorce. There is a picture of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov being installed as Tsar. There the feeling of reverence and piety is quite satisfactorily expressed on all the faces and in the poses of the figures. This feeling gives the painting unity of action, moral and religious dignity, the dignity of an icon. It’s not my place to judge the art itself, and therefore I don’t pay attention to the fact that the figure of Dimitri Donskoy seems to me to be in an unnatural position. But I must say that even today pious military people, intending to venerate the Holy Place, take off their weapons and put them aside. Why does Demetrius bring his sword so close to the icon? Isn't it for blessing? To do this, it is enough for the sword to lie on the ground. It is not like the feelings and concepts of a prince imbued with deep piety that he would dare to bring a weapon that sheds human blood so close to the Holy Place. In general, R-a’s cardboard, not animated by reverence and other sacred sensations, on the contrary, depicting a lot of secularism, is far from the dignity of an icon, having, perhaps, all the dignity of a painting. In your description, you praised the works of artists as artists, and praised them beautifully as a writer. Accept my words - this is a sincere, direct expression of my feelings; I did not stop at some rather harsh expressions so that the Truth would not suffer at all. Let the ear and delicate taste suffer a little! Agree! How much must the heart, the very eyes of a true son of the Orthodox Eastern Church suffer, when he sees in places that belong to holy icons - only paintings, often of a beautiful brush, but almost always alien to theological knowledge and feeling. You will not be at all mistaken, dear S. I., if you liken our entire life to a long war. Each of us is destined to take our Jerusalem and our Constantinople from the foreigners. Glory in heaven awaits the winner and conqueror; eternal dishonor awaits the decisively defeated, who has allowed himself to fall, from which there is no rebellion. Do not desire first a decisive victory, no peace, no rest. Fight! If you feel exhausted, if you are defeated in thoughts, then encourage yourself again, try not to be actually defeated and learn over time to win when only thoughts collide. Having brought Kolya earthly happiness, try to bring him heavenly happiness as well. Here's work after work. Your virtue will attract God's blessing to your son; and for your sin the wrath of God may break out over him. Remember this and strengthen yourself. God, who has not left you before, will not leave you in the future. May His blessing rest upon you. Please accept my most ardent congratulations on your Angel’s Day. May he keep your days in complete prosperity, which can be on earth, and may he guide your soul on right and holy paths, leading to eternal bliss. Take the trouble to convey my congratulations to Sofia V. On this day, my mother had a birthday: her name was Sofia, four sisters were birthday girls - all deceased. Calling upon you the blessing of God n. A.I. There is no reproach in my heart for you. There is a desire in him for spiritual benefit, there is sincerity. Accept my words with simplicity and love. because they are spoken with simplicity and love. Love is not suspicious, it is full of faith, I am talking about spiritual love; carnal love is always dissolved by jealousy and suspicion. I call idols, or, better yet, learned to call them, learned from the Holy Fathers, in their writings, earthly objects and their images, which captivate the thought and heart. These idols fall when the almighty and saving name of Jesus is pronounced in the spiritual church. I wish this to happen in me, and therefore in you. What do you find in this desire of cruelty? True, it leads to a narrow and sorrowful path, carried out with thoughts and feelings about the Lord, but this path leads to bliss. I don’t complain about you for your indifference to everyone; I do not seek from you fiery love for the Savior. I am looking for a contrite and humble heart, which God cannot despise. What does it mean not to humiliate? This means that into a humble heart, lamenting with blissful sadness over many sins and shortcomings, God pours out love for Himself. Witness to this St. Ap. Paul, who says that the love of God was poured into him through the Holy Spirit who was given to him (Rom. 5:5). The love of God mortifies carnal and spiritual love. She is Spirit. She remains in a subtle coldness, always even, as in the Gospel, but teaches those wounded by her to lay down their souls for their neighbor. For the feeling of this love is sweeter than the feeling of life. It puts a person in the right attitude towards everyone and everything. She is in the holy world, and the world is in her. She is in holy purity, and there is purity in her. We enter purity through repentance; repentance should humble us, bring us into the state of children. Kiss Kolya for me and admire him: we need to be like him in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which is Divine Love. Notifying you that my “Balaam” is finished and wanting it to be placed in B. for reading, I ask you to take the trouble to convey this to G. Senkovsky. But there is a condition hidden within me - and I will tell you it right now. I would very much like to get to know G. Senkovsky, not only for the present circumstances, but as a writer whose trial will probably be useful to me, and therefore I need him. From time to time, a pamphlet with a poetic scope may come from my pen and therefore serves as not entirely superfluous furniture for his magazine. Somewhere in a corner! I paint my paintings in two stages. In the first I create, in the second I do finishing. With the first reception, “Balaam” is over, and by the second I would like to get acquainted with G.S., hear his opinion, use it usefully; I read the first picture to you, then came all the different pictures, supporting and varying the reader’s feelings. In the last final picture, My hand diverged - and it seems that the last picture is above all in the boldness of painting. Sorry - I reserve modesty for sincerity, which is necessary in these cases. I would be very grateful if G.S. would come to me as soon as possible; I am free in the morning until 12, and in the afternoon from 4 o'clock until late in the evening. I'm waiting for your response. A.I. Thank you for the wonderful poems: not to mention the external decoration, which is exquisite to the smallest detail, there is a lot of strength and a lot of logic in them - more of both than in Maykov’s poems. I liked two poems by Vasily Peto, a student of the noble regiment: “Prayer” and “Song”, published in “Invalid”. You can see a child, you can see an imitator of Lermontov, but at the same time you can see true talent, you can see an extraordinary depth of feelings... which... which... is not found in any of the modern poets. – If you are so kind as to take upon yourself to take the first aid kit ordered for me; then do it. Take a manual for it, if there is anything special. A.I. Your dearest letter, kind letter from E.I., dear little letter from Kolya, I received it; but I answer very little, because I am very weak from the saving effect of the medicine: I don’t have any cash capital, will you believe me in debt? This duty is to write to you, E. I-ne, Kolya in a special letter, when I get stronger. Christ is with you! I greet you all together - wanderers on earth, like me!... We all have one pier!.. A.I. “A debt is worth its payment,” says the Russian proverb, a kind, fair proverb. This is what I need to do regarding you: to respond to you in some decent manner to your kind letter, to your dear letter. When I last wrote to you, I was not myself; - and now I am still not myself. This is due to the effect of the medicine, the effect of the saving one, but keeping you in some kind of numbness, in a state of half-life. Instead of an extensive letter, I am sending you an article " The Cup of Christ ". - I have written 15 such articles, intended to compose a book - “My gift to my friends,” my payment for the love that many have for me to such an extent. The image of the presentation, the outer form, the very syllable - this is what was suggested to me - and I act simply according to the inspiration. I want my book to be a friend, always comforting, never burdensome to the reader. the beginning, the end everywhere. If you want to read the whole article, you will find a common connection. I want the book to be accessible to everyone, like a friend; and so that a proud mind can be humbled by the height of truths and the depth of feelings: a friend must be of character. The book should consist of 4 parts. The first article is moral advice - you have an example. Article two – elegies; the soul considers itself, its relationship to earth, to heaven, etc. Article Three: internal actions of Christian religions. Article four: preparation for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Each part has its own tone. Read “The Chalice”, tell me your opinion about this type of writing. If Joseph Ivanovich had a moment and he would convey his advice and opinion to you, I would be especially grateful. The memory of the Borodino Monastery that I had in my soul came out on paper. This is my entire justification against the fair accusation of brevity. I don’t send my children to an orthopedic institution to stretch out limbs that were born short! – I have some things that are more extensive than “Memoirs,” but I don’t know if they go into a secular magazine. I’ll send something when I’m stronger, and I’ll leave it to I.I.’s discretion whether to publish it or not. Keep the “cup” a secret with your sister. Drink from it together, spiritual consolation in your sorrows. Of course, you will not blame me for the following: after reading “The Chalice,” give it to E.I. – I wanted to write to her, but I’m exhausted, I have to go and lie down on the bed. But I want not to be in debt to her, so I offer you this request. My letter to I.I. and the manuscript “Joseph” were returned, citing the reason for I.I.’s absence and allegedly it was no longer he, but someone else who was publishing the Bib. for h. Why am I forwarding to you both my letter and the manuscript, take on the labor of delivering both to I. I-chu. I received your kind letter and with it a letter from I.I. I very much regret that the most respected I.I., in his illness, took upon himself the trouble of writing a letter, which took away from him many precious minutes that could have been given either to useful work or just as much to useful rest. This letter will remain with me as a shield against spiritual censorship. Leaving now to talk about everything else, I will only say that it is necessary to someday fulfill the good intention of I. I. and his wife to visit Sergiev P. Take upon yourself the concern of arranging this. This will be the punishment that you ask from me in your last letter for your constant goodwill towards me. The other day I received his letter from the East. I like this essay. It is more modest and mature than his other works. I have the honor to present the “Preparatory Conversation for the Sacrament of Confession.” I agree, according to your word, that it be published by the most respected publisher B. d. ch., in a separate book, as a gift to subscribers. But I must tell you that this conversation is an imitation of the public conversations of St. Cyril of Jerusalem - will seem very new to spiritual censors at the present time, which is why I suggest that Mr. St. (and it would be better if I. I. took on this work) to visit K. S. Serbinovich, who has special respect for I. I.’s publications. If K. S. approves the conversation for publication, then let Mr. S. ask him for a note to the Censor, Fr. Archim. Ioannikiy, with such a note from Fr. Ioannikiy is very well disposed towards me, he won’t have any difficulty skipping the conversation, skipping it soon, and without undergoing surgery. If the conversation is distorted by remarking and rhetoric, relegated from the anthological type in which it was written, then I do not agree to its publication. - A note, a note from K.S.! She will have magical powers! Be healthy! V.p.A.I. You should come to me to read Nakhimov’s answer, edifying in its humility and piety. This is a response to your humility and piety, driven by them, you conveyed to me your desire to send him an icon of St. Mitrophan, instilled in me this desire. Yesterday I had the real pleasure of receiving your letter through Colonel X. I sincerely thank you for your memory of me; I was sure that you had not forgotten me - and it was necessary to receive your letter to confirm my conviction, on those very days when the thought of the opposite appeared to me in a minute. The merciful Lord bless you and your son. Be a comfort to one another. Let the Word of God be your guide. It constantly tells the earthly wanderer about his eternal fatherland. This is a heavenly song that constantly reminds an exile from heaven of heaven. If we do not heed the Word of God, then we can easily be deceived, consider the earth to be our eternal dwelling and use all the forces of soul and body solely for the earth, then suddenly and unexpectedly appear into eternity at the call of the Almighty God, while being occupied exclusively with temporary things, we have done nothing for eternity, that is, for blissful eternity. By the grace of God, I live very calmly, but treatment with water is very difficult due to the old age of my illness. For everything, thank God. I end this letter with a beautiful prayer: “We will surrender ourselves, each other and our whole life to Christ our God.” Your most humble servant Ig. Ep. K. and Ch. What should I tell you in response to your letter of June 10? “Pray, but do not fall into misfortune,” the Lord said to his disciples before the onset of misfortune. There is a time of sadness; It is also harvest time. The moral law is immutable, according to which people must inevitably reap what they sowed arbitrarily. But the omnipotence of God and the unlimited mercy of God can change or soften the legal, logical sequence of a solid moral law. May God's blessing rest upon you and your child, and may God's mercy protect you from all evil. I come to you with my most humble request! My brother P.A. B., publishes some of my works. They need not only clear proofreading, but also correction of grammatical errors, of which I make a lot. – Take this work upon yourself if it does not burden you. Calling on you and your dearest son, etc. God bless you for your Letter of November 26th. May God's mercy cover you and your son, both in the field of the coming New Year, and in the field of all earthly life. This field is the most unfaithful and changeable. When demanded of him, he immediately betrays and betrays him, no matter how much he apparently caresses and convinces him of loyalty. The appointment of V.K. to the Caucasus greatly consoles me, of course, for the good of the region. Will your son be drawn there? To this question I will say again, may God’s mercy be with you. I would sincerely wish that your time and the strength of your soul be used for something that is not so much hostile to God and hostile to God, as the newest magazines are hostile to God, trying to destroy faith and morality among the people with their preaching. This will require a formidable response. – May God’s mercy arrange another occupation for you. You know how much I love you! The scripture says; Believed in the same words. And I can say: I loved, in the same words. Write about yourself and your dear son. Also write down the state of printing of my works. – Last December I was very exhausted, especially exhausted, worse than the exhaustion in which I am constantly. May God's blessing rest upon you and your child. With feelings of sincere devotion and respect, I have the honor to be: V.p.s.E.I. I sincerely thank you for your memory of me in your letter to P.A. and for your work on my writings. I admit that I am indebted to you and to many. I haven’t told you as much about faith as I should have. I think I will pay off this debt by publishing my writings, and I will try to carefully revise, correct and expand what I have written since 1840. From that time on, I began to write about spiritual subjects, but more so from 1844, for which there was a reason. You know that I have always especially loved you. I have love and trust for both your mind and heart. I have always wanted this mind and this heart to be directed towards God and to be assimilated to Him. Now a thought comes to me: isn’t this being fulfilled now, by an unexpected coincidence of circumstances, as secular people say, by a special arrangement of God’s Providence, as I will allow myself to express it according to my consciousness. You, re-reading my works, borrow from them all thoughts and feelings into your property - as I understand it - you unite with me in one direction, in one spirit. I borrowed the direction entirely from the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox, Eastern Church. I am heartily glad that Ivan Ilyich had the good idea to publish my works on his own credit. I dare to think that he will do a benefit to the entire domestic Christian society by providing spiritual reading not from the education that is given by school, which imparts only knowledge by letter, but which is acquired by monastic life. The school imparts knowledge that is taken into account by the mind, and only: monastic life imparts active Christian knowledge, which certainly produces a saving influence on the direction, mood, and activity of the reader. St. Isaac of Syria likened the first type of occupation to sources of water and fruits depicted on the wall by painting on them; You can look at them with pleasure if they are well written, and that’s all. This Saint likened knowledge of the second kind to the very sources of water, the very fruits that can serve to nourish a person. “As much as the soul is higher than the body,” says St. John Climacus, so much is mental alms higher than physical alms. If my works could be recognized as spiritual alms, then I dare to think that Iv, Il-ch, having published them, would do not so much a commercial work as a work of Christian piety. Time to think about Christian piety! I do not pursue monetary benefits, and if there are any, I wish, according to my custom, to use them for the benefit of humanity and Christianity. My only goal is not to hide something that can be useful to many. If I’m not mistaken, we have almost no spiritual works of this kind. Ivan Ilyich will also do spiritual good to me and my brother, because he will save us from material troubles about printing, and will give us the opportunity to devote ourselves entirely to our spiritual pursuits, with which entertainment is incompatible. I hope in the mercy of God that you will understand everything I have said here: it is quite deep, and despite the simplicity and clarity of the matter, not everyone will understand it: Explain what I said to An. V. and L. Iv-ne. Tell them for me that I invite them to take part in doing spiritual good, in giving spiritual grace to a society that is in great need of healthy and nutritious spiritual food. Both of these ladies have always been well disposed towards me. Why should they visit the Babaevsky Monastery? And with them it’s convenient for you to take a pleasant, useful walk. I call upon bl. God on the E. and on the p. B. I trust in God, and God preserves those who resort to God even in the midst of dangers. With feelings of sparks, devoted, and respect. And. b.b. What you said in your letter of April 21 about your son could only be said by such a tender mother as you. He is your air, your sun. It seems that I will never forget this expression, although I have become extremely forgetful. After all, I haven’t forgotten the beaver collar, decorated with gray hair, on Kolya’s overcoat; when I saw him for the first time as an officer in the cathedral church in the Sergeev Desert! Due to my extraordinary impressionability and sensitivity, it seemed to me that in this luxurious, one might say, collar, every hair was the work of your hands: and this collar remained depicted in my memory because of the impression that struck me at the most casual glance. Accompany your son with your prayer! There are sorrows, both private and public. Both of them comprehend people not without God’s permission. The proud human mind recognizes itself as the ruler of the world, because it does not see God ruling the world: and therefore, with sorrows that exceed human comprehension, it falls into despondency and hopelessness. But whoever recognizes God as the ruler of the world turns to him in difficult circumstances and receives help beyond his expectations. First of all, I will tell you that your dream has no meaning. Your attention to him was erroneous; you know this from the fact that attention to him produced confusion in you, i.e. brought your soul into the wrong state, but inattention will calm you down, that is, lead your soul to the correct state. These are the effects of lies and truth on the soul. Next I will say; If you feel up to it, take on the proofreading of “Ascetic Experiences.” There are significant reasons for this: 1) I believe that a thorough revision of the “Experiments” will have a beneficial effect on your soul, which is already accustomed to entering into communion with the spirit of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church and finding food and consolation, moreover, revival in this communication; 2) due to your devotion to me, due to the sympathy that I have for my poor writings, due to your knowledge and skill in this matter, I cannot point to anyone else who would serve in the general benefit of Christianity with such zeal and with such service as you; 3) You are well acquainted with Glazunov and can, more than anyone else, manage his printing house. Then may the Lord bless you for this work. It was with particular pleasure that I saw you in the secluded monastery of Babaevskaya; I was especially pleased to hear from P.A. a story about the impression made on your soul by visiting the monastery. This behavior is completely consistent with your letter dated June 20, which I received on the 26th. You saw me changed a lot, approaching the end of my earthly journey. And you have moved along this path. The afterlife is no longer a journey, but in the full sense of life, life unchanging either in eternal bliss or eternal disaster. May the Mother of God, to whom you betrayed your son, overshadow him with Her mercy and instruct him to conduct his earthly pilgrimage correctly. And I sincerely wish you to act in favor of your son, without sinning before the Lord God by doing things displeasing to Him. Those who enter into communication with rejected spirits during earthly life through their thoughts and heartfelt feelings will be relegated upon death to the terrible company of these spirits. When you engage in activities pleasing to God, your prayer for your son will receive power before God and will attract God’s blessing on you and your son. May God's mercy grant you to find something pleasing to God. I sincerely thank you for sending the brochures about Daryushka: such simple Christian souls as Daryushka are very close to God, between them and God there are no those screens, that stone wall that is provided by education and the customs of this world. I am very pleased with your work on proofreading the “Ascetic Experiences,” which are of great importance from a Christian perspective. This is not my work: for this reason I express myself so freely about it. I was only an instrument of God’s mercy to modern Orthodox Christians, who are in dire need of a clear exposition of the spiritual Christian feat that decides the eternal fate of every Christian. It is very easy to indulge in the wrong endeavor, and through it become completely alienated from God. By proofreading the “Experiments,” you are working both for the common good and for your own. I dare to think that God’s Providence brought you this work; so that your spirit is torn away from the spirit of this world and assimilated to the spirit of God, which is the essence of salvation. In "Pet. b-ke" a very wonderful brochure came out: "About the horrors and temptations that a soul can experience during its transition to the afterlife." The priest, apparently an academician, described the experience that happened to him in 1862. The experience confirms the “Word on Death” and the “Word on the Vision of Spirits.” I advise you to read it for your spiritual benefit. May God's blessing rest upon you. Your most devoted servant and friend E.I. This brochure was compiled by Archimandrite Macarius, former Rector of the Tver Seminary (now censor) from his own experience. He also owns the brochure “Repent,” published at the beginning of 1865 in favor of the Athos Monastery, St. Panteleimon. I am writing to you to thank you and to console you. The continued failure to receive a letter from the borders of Persia and Turkey (from my son) is very natural. There are no comforts of cities: you don’t suddenly find time to write a letter; the time will not suddenly be found to send it; on its way it can easily get lost and even get lost. You hastened to indulge in immeasurable sadness. Your dreams brought it to you. You have entrusted your son to the Mother of God: give him over to the will of this Great Patroness and calm down. I sincerely thank you for your efforts in proofreading “Experiments”. – I am glad that you are reading and re-reading my book: by doing this you are removing the burden from my conscience, which reproached me for not communicating enough spiritual knowledge to you. In response to your kind letter dated November 16, I will tell you that, ending my earthly journey, I send greetings of love to all humanity, wishing all true blessings to everyone. With special gratitude I address those few who showed me special love. Among these few, very few, are you. Thank you for your sympathy towards me. What a great thing you have done! You entrusted, completely handed over, as you write, your son to the Mother of God. Be sure that the Mother of God accepted him, and let him strive to be worthy of his High and Great Patroness! I am no longer writing to you because I am very weak. It’s strange that letters are already exhausting. This is what I have lived up to or what I have outlived. God bless! May God's blessing rest upon you and your son. God is willing to allow the remaining 2 volumes of my works to be published. When I read in your letter to P.A. a hint of some hope of persuading I. I-cha to fulfill his intention, expressed by him from the very beginning, then he felt the urge to write about this from. Ignatius. And God blessed the undertaking that came from you. The late Hieroschim. Empty. Ser. Empty. Before his death, Stefan constantly read “The Word on Death” and repeated the following words to me more than once: “It was not you who wrote this: God gave it to you to write.” Very true! I must also say the same about all my wretched writings. This is the response I hear from the most profound people about “Ascetic Experiences". It is God’s will. Now I see that the last two volumes serve as additions to the first two. I am sure that when you read them, you will see this too. I acknowledge the mercy of God for your participation in this matter. Your occupation with them replenishes my debt to you. I remember; I have already written to you about this. I’ll tell you about myself, I’m unusually weak. But since this happened by God’s permission, I must recognize my situation as a good thing that came from the hand of God. I invoke God’s blessing on you and on N.A. Judging by the way things are going, business people will have a lot to do. I sincerely wish N. A-chu to be useful to the fatherland and to himself in time, not forgetting about eternity. I am becoming obsolete and can affirmatively say that everything temporary and earthly is urgent, that the period for which it is given is very short. You need to be very careful and not allow yourself to be deceived by the temporary and urgent. And it does this. And how? – Seemingly eternal and inalienable. Your most humble servant and friend E.I. Both you and I, despite our illness, are granted the continuation of our earthly wanderings for thorough preparation for eternity. The mercy of the Lord, which gives us the gift, may also give us reason to take advantage of the gift. You rightly say that the “Experiments” are not my work. They are God's gift to modern Orthodox Christians. I was only a tool. I must also say about the two volumes that have now arrived at the printing house. It's a terrible time! The living organs of Divine grace have become decidedly impoverished; wolves appeared in their clothing: they deceive and destroy the sheep. It is necessary to understand this, but few understand it. I very much sympathize with your grief caused by the death of Mother V. The destinies of God are many. In rare cases, we can be the correct judges of a person’s death, and this is given when spiritual benefit requires it according to the special vision of God. In the case you describe, it is best to rely on God and try to carefully remember the deceased to compensate for the omission made at her death. I ask for your prayers for me in fulfillment of God’s commandment, which commands us to pray for each other. According to this commandment, I also pray for you, although I know that my prayer is completely unworthy of God. E.I. The fact that we are all, dear prince, short-term wanderers on earth is a tangible truth. The fact that we pay so little attention to eternity, that we forget it, is a sure sign of our fall, a fall not only in the body but even more in the mind, in the heart. Looking at ourselves, we will see in ourselves that we need salvation, we need a Savior. The knowledge of the Savior, and through this the receipt of blissful eternity, is the first happiness on earth, is the only treasure of man. God brought Ekat. W-well get this treasure; then, cleansed by suffering, he called into eternity and blessed eternity. Her death leaves in those truly disposed towards her a memory in which a calm feeling, a true feeling is combined with an ordinary feeling of sadness about the one who has passed away. At least that's how I feel! And this feeling is not new to me; it was left to me by some who departed from here after a life (on earth) pious in the Lord. It consoles me that the merciful Lord led me to serve H.P. with a soul-saving word, although it is very insufficient. Seeing that God inspires many to resort to my meager word, I cannot help but admit that God assigns to me the service of my neighbor with the word of God. Why do I wish for you to carry out this service to your neighbors and proclaim to you the Word of God, how much in my negligence and weakness I could learn it from the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers. May the merciful Lord comfort you and strengthen you! Time will quickly, quickly fly by and the hour of relocation to eternity will come for you. Use your earthly days to prepare for it. You saw in your wife how good it is to prepare for eternity. This preparation dissolves even the sorrows here with consolation and thereby proves that this preparation is a preparation for bliss. O Lord, your most devoted A.I. No. 78. Letter to A.A. Orlova-Chemenskaya “The Lord loves him, punishes him,” and for whom he prepares a blissful eternity, he sends him sorrows and illnesses. Therefore, the one to whom illness is sent must spend time in thanksgiving to God, in glorifying God. By thanksgiving the soul is kept in patience and peace and thus increases its reward in heaven. You need to thank God like this: “I thank You, Lord my God, for everything that You deigned to send me to cleanse my sins. Thy will be done." We must praise God like this: “Lord, glory to You for everything that is happening to me!” Thy holy will be done!” I advise you to repeat thanksgiving and doxology more often throughout the day. With them, little by little, peace and consolation will enter your soul, which will now be the guarantee of eternal consolation for you. Put aside vain activities. Accept my earnest advice for the consolation and salvation of your soul. May your spiritual exercise be pleasing to God, like fragrant incense, like a fat burnt offering. Your most zealous Bogomolets N. A.I. Here, at your request, I will taste it for you. May the merciful Lord open my mouth and open your ears for His Word. A Christian should never be embarrassed by anything, for God’s Providence carries him in its arms. Our care should be that we remain faithful to the Lord. If the tempter dared to approach the Lord Himself made man, then we should not be surprised that he approaches us, even if it was after we had accepted the Lord into our vessel. The larger the treasure, the more the thieves try to steal it. The greater the treasure, the more vigilant one must be about keeping it. After communion of the Holy Mysteries, after fervent prayer, after any deed that is particularly beneficial for the soul, we need, according to the experienced instruction of the Fathers, special observation of ourselves, for then the enemy is especially inflamed against us with envy and malice; seeing earth and ashes ascend into heaven, from whence he was cast down. The spiritual paradise, which, according to the teachings of the Savior, is within us, must be cultivated and preserved, as it was commanded by God at creation itself, in the person of Adam, to all people. As usual, I assumed that after the embarrassment, you must have felt the consolation that the Lord sends to His lawfully struggling servants as reinforcement, to increase faith, hope and love. Do you understand that you are more favored to the Lord than you were before, as those who received a pledge and an announcement of the promises! “To him more has been given, and from him more will be required,” says Scripture. Having realized this, be careful how dangerously you walk, i.e. live with care and attention. Now I want to scold you; You write to me emphatically, “I’m leaving on Wednesday.” At least you added: If God commands. Read the words of the Spirit in the conciliar epistle of James about such human words, which dishonor the Providence of God, in which there is no faith and humility. If you ask for forgiveness, then may the merciful Lord, through me, His indecent and sinful priest, forgive you and may He instruct you to please Him in deeds, words and thoughts, as He commanded in His Holy Gospel, which commands not to violate even the small commandments (Matthew 5. The saints said: Whoever keeps the commandments in small things, keeps them in great things.” Peace be with you! When you are far away and cannot bring your aching heart to me, then I come to you and bring a word of consolation. Our days are days of sorrow, and our consolation is the Cross of the Savior. When the sons of Zebedee asked the Lord for the thrones of glory, then He promised them the cup of sorrows, without which it is impossible to receive the thrones of eternal glory, which is the Holy Spirit. And so pray to the Lord to grant you patience in sorrows, so that you will constantly see God’s Providence above you, so that your faith and fidelity to God will increase from this; and then let sorrows pierce you, cleanse you from earthly things and prepare you for Heavenly things. Do not be surprised at human weaknesses and sins. The Righteous Lord looks at them and has mercy on sinners, expecting their repentance, but who are we to get angry at the brethren who are sick with sin, while we ourselves are unclean before the All-Seeing and Most Pure One? Let us leave everything that does not depend on us to the will of God, and what depends on us, we will conform to the will of God, either by fulfilling it or not fulfilling it through repentance. “Through your patience you will gain your souls,” the Lord commanded us in the Gospel. May the peace of God rest upon you. I come to you not in body, but in spirit; bringing to you a sincere word from my heart in response to your letter dated January 19, which I received on February 14. Place your external circumstances on the Providence of God and, as they work out, let them work out; and you be peaceful and calm, worrying only about your soul, which you promised to present to Christ purified by repentance. The knowledge of one's weaknesses is an essential knowledge for a Christian. It leads to humility, and this leads to spiritual intelligence. To whom the Lord deigns to bestow His understanding, He especially reveals his infirmities. They are revealed to you according to the state of your soul; and their full discovery, if there is one, you cannot yet bear. There is great attachment in you according to the laws of the flesh; this is because you have known little of Christ. Carnal fire is extinguished by spiritual fire; when the second one is kindled, the first one will certainly be extinguished, according to the teaching of the Spirit-Bearing Fathers and partly according to experience itself. You write that many people find that your trip to your sister is a pleasant sacrifice to God, but you do not dare to attach your heart to this thought, which, however, you call comforting. The Lord commanded His disciples, when they had fulfilled everything commanded, to call themselves unbreakable slaves and consider themselves debtors to the commandments. I don’t see any sacrifice in your action - only the desire of the soul to fulfill the commandment of love, a desire in which it is desirable for the Lord to find something pure and beneficial for himself. The great saint of God Agathon, completely immersed in the love of God from love for the image of God - his neighbor, when before his death he looked at himself and sat in silence for a long time, his disciples asked him: “or are you, father, afraid?” He answered: “I tried to the best of my ability to fulfill the commandments, but how can I know, being a man, whether my work is pleasing to God: for the judgment of God is different and the judgment of man is different.” Moreover, we, who are insufficient in everything, should fear and tremble at the praiseworthy conclusion about our actions, fearing that the imaginary comforting feeling is not only a subtle satisfaction of vanity. The Prophet said: “All our truths are impurities.” And another Prophet: “The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise.” You wrote about insurance and consolation during prayer, but what they were and what exactly they consisted of, you did not write; and this is also necessary if you want to hear my judgment about them according to God. During your journey, you were in danger twice, and the hand of God saved you. Such experiences cultivate faith in a person and have happened to many to whom the Lord wanted to bestow the great wealth of faith. In the name of the Lord, I bless you to come five rosaries a day, no more. You should pray for them while sitting, listening to the language with your mind, pronouncing the prayer with your tongue so that only you hear. Due to your residence in the middle of the world and due to the recentness and news on this path, you do not need to go much into prayer, which requires either greater spiritual experience or the proximity of a leader; and in the latter case, people new to pious deeds are more forced to humility, which is the foundation in the building of virtues. In your free time, do whatever handicraft you find more convenient. May the Lord forgive you for the past and strengthen you in good things for the future. Peace be with you! What should I say to you in response to your letter? - That our life is a chain of sorrows ending in death, this greatest sorrow for people, especially for those who forget their true purpose in eternity. This chain must be traversed with patience, link by link, in order to end with good hope. Patience is begged from the Lord through prayer. The soul enters the house of patience when it says to God: “Thy will be done.” Amen. Truly Christ is risen! I am answering your letter by letter. Some consolation that you feel is not a charm, but an ordinary consequence of your path, or more correctly, the path of God. The beginning of enlightenment of the soul is the sight of one’s sins and one’s insignificance. since this is the fruit of the grace given to us at baptism, it is accompanied by sweetness, consolation, tears in which sadness is mixed with joy, tears completely different from the tears of the people of this age. Taste and see that the Lord is good. This eating opens the eyes and gives birth to a living, clairvoyant faith, completely opposite to that which the blind call blind, which is truly blind and dead, existing only at the edge of the tongue. Immerse yourself in humility and love for your neighbor, denying yourself. In this way you will find the Lord. Amen. Anyone who wants to learn true wisdom, i.e. to acquire Christ God's power and God's wisdom, "may it happen," in the words of the Apostle. Try to preserve the violence that you have and to acquire more, without delving into a multifarious mind, which is evidence of spiritual emptiness. When your sister enters into a conversation with you, offering questions, as she proposed here to Ig. the little one about the perplexed, then it is not useful to answer these questions by solving the question, but should lead her to simplicity and repentance, resolutely saying that one who is engaged in thinking about high subjects cannot avoid delusion and, in his opinion, leading a spiritual life, will be far from the path of salvation. It is less useful to know heaven and earth in detail than to know one’s shortcomings and sins. This last knowledge is so useful, at the same time so high, that it is a gift of grace sent by God, and man cannot enter into this knowledge through his own efforts. One’s own effort is needed as evidence of the sincerity of the desire to receive knowledge from God. Witness this to your sister, proving the truth of your words, especially with the first four chapters of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians. The downside to privacy is don't get bored. Circumstances, or more correctly, God's Providence, leads you to practice serving and comforting your neighbors. And work in this field in which you are assigned, without indulging, on the one hand, in entertainment, and on the other, in reckless zeal, in which the thought certainly creeps in that you provide consolation, and not God provides you with consolation to others, and you be a consolation for others. The sweetness of solitude stems from the fulfillment of Christ's commandments, perfected in community. Finally – you are sick. It is fitting for someone who wants to get closer to God to go through many sorrows and illnesses in body and soul. Say to your illnesses: “Come, sent by God, torment the sinful body, burn it, torment it for the iniquities of which it was a dwelling! As a rule, do not be excessively tired during illness: in return, offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord? Peace be with you. There is illness and there is the opinion of illness. Finally, it happens that a person is definitely sick, but his enemy convinces him that he is not sick, but only imagines that he is sick. The last one with you. Leave it on. time to bow: they were replaced by illness; but do not leave prayers with contrition of heart. When a vicious thought or a vicious feeling comes to you, reject it and reproach yourself. You should not think about yourself that any vice in you has diminished; on the contrary, think that you are the repository of all vices. You should not be embarrassed when mental and physical weaknesses are revealed in you; on the contrary, bear your infirmities with patience and generosity. There is a hidden pride in you; You do not firmly remember that you are a sinner; If you remembered this as you should, then, seeing weaknesses in yourself, you would not be embarrassed, but would say to yourself: “A sinner like me must have such shortcomings.” May the Lord teach you humility, from which all calm flows and peace and silence pour into your heart. God bless you. Our whole life must consist of repentance: for we are hitherto outside the truth, hitherto not fully in Christ, which we can expect only after death. The more we plunge into repentance, the more we find that we need it. The more we purify ourselves, the more we find that we are far from the Most Holy and Most Pure. He who is completely blackened does not see a single spot on himself. Regarding the feelings that you had before and after communion, I will tell you: we must always consider ourselves unworthy of Christ and approach Him, the Physician of our souls and bodies, among the lepers, the blind, the demoniac, because that is what we are at heart. But we must watch that heartfelt contrition does not turn into hopelessness, which comes from relying on oneself, and not on the bounty of Christ. Take a closer look! Before confession between good thoughts. You had the craft of petty calculation, you wanted to pay Christ, you wanted to no longer be in debt to Him! - And they left, carrying in themselves an unsatisfactory feeling, but a crafty thought, which led to petty calculations, began to confuse, saying: “You didn’t say everything in confession.” - Believe me! We say in confession that we see in ourselves, but we do not see an incomparably greater number of sins, which is why we cast many of our known and unknown sins into the sea of ​​Christ’s bounty, and after the Sacrament of Confession we feel a satisfying sense of peace, not because of our deeds, but because of Christ’s bounty, and we remain in His due unpaid debt. Regarding your rule, what do you say? It was given to you when your mind was dead and when physical labor with short and uniform prayer contributed to the revival of the mind by killing daydreaming. Now, if this work is too burdensome for the body, it can be shortened by allowing the mind, freed from daydreaming, to float in the words of the Spirit, in psalms, chants and spiritual songs, singing not only with lips and thoughts, but also in the heart of the Lord. On the path of pious life, the leader is God. “No one can come to Me,” says the Savior, “unless My Father in heaven draws him.” On this path lies the experimental recognition that man is a fallen being, damaged in mind, heart, and body. We could not have obtained this experimental knowledge if we had not seen that sinful thoughts arise in our minds against our will, feelings in our hearts, and movements in our bodies. Such a state, according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, must be endured with patience, humbled before the Lord and complacently awaiting healing from the only Physician of our souls and bodies. I wish you to delve into the 3rd chapter of the 1st Epistle of St. Apostle. Paul to the Corinthians. If you completely neglect me as a vile sinner, and belong only to God, then your path will be right. So, I use the words Ap. Paul: “Let no one boast about men, lest you be left without Christ.” When Ap. Peter thought about the human, not the Divine, although this human apparently was good; Then the Lord called him Satan. The truth outside Krest is not acceptable. You need to win the dead in order to receive life, destroy your soul in order to gain it. Look where you got carried away and try to improve. A godly life requires sobriety and it is impossible to do without invisible falls. Having treasured from them humility and experience, let us not lose heart, but rising from our fall, we will move on. No matter how the end of our earthly short temporary life comes, it must come in every possible way. The servant of Christ surrenders both his soul and body to the will of Christ. Where to put the sins? Where should we put our countless infirmities? “And we will hand them over to the almighty Christ, who bore the infirmities and sins of the whole world.” If we are given a cup of suffering, let us accept it as a cup of salvation, as a guarantee of eternal joy. Let us say with the thief: “We will accept our worthy deed, remember us, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.” The heart will respond to us with calmness, the anticipation of eternal peace. Peace be with you. We cast the countless infirmities of our souls and bodies into the abyss of God’s mercy. All our hope is in God’s mercy, and not in our righteousness. Physical illnesses can be very complex; mental illnesses are even more complex. Speaking about them, St. The Prophet likened them not to some private wound, but to a whole scab that covered the entire soul. And we plunge such and such a soul into the abyss of God’s mercy! After immersion in it, the soul comes out completely clean and healed. Such immersion always occurs when the soul, through repentance and confession of its sins, and especially during the sacrament of confession, turns to God. Therefore, your condition should not embarrass you! There is undoubtedly a physical illness, and with illness there is also pretense. This should not cause him to be embarrassed and despondent; on the contrary, he should expose his scabs, his pretense and his parents’ vanity and voluptuousness before the All-Powerful and All-Good. However, asking Him for healing and bearing the cross of our passions with patience until the Lord himself takes it from us. Bear Nebuchadnezzar's yoke! the Prophet of the Israelites mysteriously exhorted. This is the way of salvation; go to them. Peace to you from the Lord! May the blessing of God rest upon you and may the grace of God guide you in the short field of earthly life to salvation in eternity. I am heartily consoled that the spiritual family, gathered by the finger of God in the Monastery and around the Monastery of St. Sergius, is preserved by the same finger of God. In her circle you can find satisfaction of your spiritual needs. For this you must constantly thank God, for very few have this blessing. I entrust myself to your prayerful remembrance. V.p. servant I., Ep. K and Ch. Letters to A.A. Pleshcheev and his daughter Lydia Dearest friend A. A-ch! May the Lord comfort you and your family in the sorrow that has befallen you. Consider God’s goodness to you, His wonderful Providence for you, and with this quench the sorrow of your heart, bring it to feelings of gratitude. Your elder, in the last days of his life (I also call years by days), devoted himself to God, and managed to prepare himself more for eternity than is usually the case now in the world. The invisible hand of God led him to this; this shows the special mercy of God towards him. Let us tear away from the earth our thought, which has stuck to the earth, let us think, let us believe that there is an eternity, before which our earthly wandering is shorter than a minute in comparison with a century. Let us consider that this life here is given to us solely as preparation for eternity! We recognize that the human race is in a state of decline from the very thing that we do not want to even think about eternity. We live on earth, as if we are eternal on it. Let us turn our eyes to Christ, our Savior! What will appear then in our mind's eye? The extraordinary goodness of God to your home, which is led by the strange paths of Providence to the knowledge of God and the worship of God, little known to us in the world. With what meek humility your Elder followed the common aspiration of the family. All the more surprising is his humility; he was not the first in this endeavor, but only a follower, which is especially difficult for elders. When he departs into the future, one should rejoice rather than indulge in sorrow: for it is obvious that God chose him and now accepts him into eternal bliss. I wrote this for your consolation; May the grace of God speak a word of consolation in your hearts, with which you mutually console each other, looking at the path that lies before us all and turning carnal tears into spiritual ones, in which there is sadness and joy together. “No one lives in us,” said the Apostle, “and no one dies in us.” Having remained to live on earth, live not for yourself, but for the Lord: he who lives to fulfill His will lives for the Lord; He lives for himself who lives to fulfill his wishes. The latter, although it seems to the sensual eyes to be moving, living, is dead in soul to the Lord, is imputed to God as if it does not exist, is not inscribed in the book of Life; his name is included in other books. The first does not die and cannot die: it passes through death only into the great development of life. Take care not to come to life for yourself! By living in the Lord, kill yourself and thereby preserve yourself in eternal life. Having heard about the seizures that were happening to you, I was very worried about this. I ask you, out of your friendship, to welcome me to the monastery around 9 o’clock. We will ask our doctor, and if you need to bleed, He will let you. I have never met a doctor or paramedic who would bleed with such clarity as B. Listen to me, a sinner; I hope that you will not repent of your obedience. Note from P.A. B. These kinds of letters indicate a long-term, constant friendly relationship with Al. Al. Pleshcheev, there were a lot. The letter that followed was, as it were, parting words to Pleshcheev, written to him a month before his death, when no one had yet spoken or thought about the proximity of his hour of death. The late Pleshcheev called this letter his road to eternity, and kept it under his pillow during all his last days; illness prevented Archim. Ignatius himself came to his dying friend. Dearest beloved in the Lord, Alex. Alexander-h! “Divine Wisdom” says the Scripture, “having created a house for itself,” that is, the Holy Church: in this house everything breathes with the Divine Wisdom that created it. This wisdom also shines in the fact that every series of petitions of the Church, or ectenia, is concluded with these words: “We will commit ourselves, each other and our whole life to Christ God.” A wise and holy conclusion of petitions! Now lies ahead You must actually fulfill it and fulfill it with living faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is strong; faith in something false is full of meager fruits! Faith in Christ can be entrusted to Christ with thanksgiving and joy: let such reflection comfort you in the last moments of your earthly life; family, entrust it to Christ. He arranged it so that you were the support of your family: now He calls you to Himself. You were His instrument: putting aside one weapon, He can take another weapon into His almighty right hand. You are separated from your neighbors, separated for a short time! You can draw the correct conclusion about earthly human life! You can calculate how fleeting it is! Soon the life that passed by passed by! Soon their future earthly life will pass for those who are still destined to live on earth. Go to heaven, to eternity, where Christ is calling you. “Blessed is he who comes “to eternity” in the name of the Lord.” Go to Heaven for the endless and joyful holiday of Christ. You were called there by Christ, you accepted the call there by living faith in Christ and with it you entered into the Book of Life. Your loved ones will soon come there to unite with you forever. Here on earth they shared sorrows with you, were consoled by faith: it is worthy and righteous for them to share with you the joys of heaven, prepared and delivered by faith and earthly sorrows in faith in Christ. In Heaven, in eternal joy, at the bright feast of Christ, remember those who spoke the Word of God to you, so that they may find mercy at the judgment of Christ, at which the deeds, words and thoughts of men will be judged as they were before God, not before people looking only at appearances. What can I tell you about the suffering to which medical necessity exposes you? Don't give up on this suffering! They may be rewarded with the pleasantness of recovery. In addition to this benefit, there is another benefit in them, incomparably the most important: this is the renewal of your soul. You can become able to thank God and draw closer to Him. For this there is no other means than the cross, that is, generous patience with all the suffering sent down by Providence. Those who throw off the cross become obscene for God. The power of God can fully support you, despite your youth. Those inspired by this power can overcome all fear and all torment. When your thought becomes quiet, and some kind of calm sadness, like a rain cloud, comes over your soul, then you become clear and joyful, then know that this is the effect of spiritual crying, which has appeared in you because of your suffering and because you are trying to resort to God in it. Be attentive and reverent, because spiritual sensations are subtle and disappear from the inattentive and irreverent. If you are attentive, the clouds will become thicker from time to time, and will finally burst into tears and produce tears such as you have never cried. Enjoying these tears will be the greatest consolation and reinforcement in your illness. You will feel wonderful peace and quiet! But remain faithful to God! Amen. September 24, 1847 Nick. Bab. monastery. M. G-r, Al. Al-ch with your wife and with your entire God-saved family! Hello! May God's blessing rest upon you. I remember you very often with the love of my heart in the Lord. I have nothing special to tell you: by the grace of God, the path of salvation is known to you in sufficient detail. And if you live in the commandments of the Lord, you will learn even more. I have traveled quite a distance, I have seen pious people in the middle of the world and in monasteries: These people are now extremely rare and sometimes with very little knowledge, and others with mixed concepts, but because they add tar to the honey, that is, they read the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, so as not to leave behind the counterfeit saints of the dark West. And the Russian proverb comes true: a barrel of honey, but a fly in the ointment. Throw it all away, get out! True spiritual knowledge and spiritual guides have become scarce. Some people believe something no worse than our brother, but some kind of teaching is not enlightening, everyone walks around, but doesn’t get into the door, as if they are playing blind man’s buff. The place I live in is nice: our society would like to live in such a place. The hotel is two-story, stone. Here you can combine the amenities of a hostel with the comforts of privacy. I am undergoing treatment and therefore do not leave the room and hardly receive anyone. Sorry for writing little and poorly. There is nothing to write, but I wrote it only so that you can: I was not mourned. Asking for your prayers. A.I. Whomever the Lord loves and whom he desires to choose for a blessed eternity, he sends unceasing sorrows, especially when the soul being chosen is infected with a love of peace. The effect produced by sorrows is similar to the effect produced by poison. Just as a body that has taken poison dies from its natural life, so a soul that tastes sorrow dies to the world, to carnal life, which was born from the fall and constitutes true death. Therefore, whoever refuses sorrows refuses salvation: for the Lord Himself said that those who do not follow Him with their cross are not worthy of Him, that “whoever wants to save his soul in this age will destroy it for eternity.” The words of Christ are irrefutable and will come true in every possible way, which is why we must be crucified according to His word, or, more clearly, to the cross of His words, although the flesh cries out against the crucifixion. To endure sorrows complacently and courageously, we must have faith, that is, believe that all sorrow comes to us not without God’s permission. If the hair of our head does not fall without the will of the Heavenly Father, much less without His will anything more important cannot happen to us than a hair falling from our head. Further, complacency is born in sorrows, when we surrender to the will of God and ask that it always be done to us. Thanksgiving also consoles us in sorrows, when we give thanks for everything that happens to us. On the contrary, grumbling, complaints, carnal disposition, that is, according to the elements of the world, only multiply grief and make it unbearable. Saint Isaac said that the patient who resists the operator during an operation only multiplies his torment, so let us submit to God not in word alone, but in thought, heart, and deed. Let us despise the world and its opinion, because the Savior tells us: “Whoever is ashamed of My words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him I will be ashamed before My Father and His Angels.” From pleasing the world, boldness towards God is lost, and from contempt for the world, a Christian becomes his own to God and with much boldness turns to His house, believing His word as the Word of God, and not with double-mindedness, from which the effect of the Word of God is weakened for the unbelief associated with double-mindedness. Those who have fallen asleep in the sleep of despondency - arise!' You who have weakened yourselves with double-mindedness, strengthen yourselves with faith! Soften your hardened hearts with fervent prayer and tears. Approach the Lord with humility, and His Word and His grace will be contained within you, and will resurrect your dead souls! If a word is judged and condemned, then it remains useless; if it is accepted with humility, then although its appearance is harsh, the fruit is spiritual consolation, born from the knowledge and acceptance of the Truth, in which lies salvation. The Holy Fathers said: “When you see a drowning person, stretch out the end of your staff to him and do everything you can to save him; but do not give your hand to him, so that he does not drag you into the abyss with him.” May God grant you wisdom to act on this advice. He who approaches God must approach with faith in His omnipotence, and not with double-mindedness, and then he will receive help from above. Evil, wanting to keep a person in chains, always frightens him; One should not be afraid of these threats: the mighty God will deliver those who approach Him from all attacks of sin. I wrote something to you in French, but having written it, I saw that the image of my speech did not suit you. since it was written for you, then let it be for you. On behalf of Father Ignatius the Little, I am answering you, kindest A. P., in his place. Have peace in your thoughts and hearts, drive away confusion with complacency. Tell yourself when various thoughts begin to confuse you: “I surrender to God with all my weaknesses and my circumstances. Let Him do His holy will over me. God's providence arranged it in such a way that His people, upon their exodus from Egypt, received their reward for the work done in Egypt. You went to Revel to use L-and Al-ny and be peaceful; fulfill with care what you set out for and guard your soul, which you must preserve at the judgment seat of Christ. When you can’t stay away from noisy society, then try to keep yourself away from verbosity and unnecessary jokes, and when you can’t keep away from this, then wash yourself in repentance. Keep peace within yourself! Know that if there is embarrassment in you, then this is a sign that some false thought has crept into you. You, like me, have no faith, no humility! By surrendering to the will of God, you will enter into both and find peace in your heart. Peace be with you! peace S.P.L. and A. in the world. Peace to everyone and to me, a sinner. Amen. Finally, I received from you, my true friend, O Lord, a letter according to my thoughts, according to my heart! When I read it, I heard the words of St. Apostle Paul: “There is no Scythian and barbarian, Jew and Greek, male and female, but a new creation in Christ Jesus.” Save you, Lord, for you consoled me, for letting me see the Gospel printed on my soul, and not on paper. Understand all this simplicity, and all this depth, and all this breadth, and all this height. May God give you understanding about everything. “Whoever wants to save his soul, let him destroy it,” and when he destroys it, then he will see it gained. Destroy to the end: for faith is higher than reason. The mind tortures; faith is in God. Christ is with you and yours. Accept obedience from me, a sinner. Take the trouble to arrange for a description of G. Ilyinskaya’s vision to be compiled in full detail, writing on half a sheet of paper so that I can correct it. The sign given by God should not be ignored: for it was given so that we, cold and unfaithful, would turn our attention from the delights of the world to the salvation of our souls, which are lost due to our negligence. We dare to argue the following: since this soul accepted torture from unclean spirits while still in the body, its salvation is beyond doubt. Don’t worry, but in peace of mind surrender to the will of God. God knows what He creates and whatever He does, He creates according to His great goodness, according to His wisest and unsearchable destinies. Say to yourself more often: “God’s will be done.” Let your mind and heart be immersed in this soothing and sacred thought. May they be satisfied with it. May God bless you and give you the mind of truth and submission to His holy will, which is why spiritual peace vegetates. Your most devoted in the Lord, Arch. AND. I offer my sincere gratitude for your memory of me and invoke God’s blessing on you and your family. Your sorrows are a sign of God’s election. Blessed be the mercy of God, imprinting you with the seal of election. Every sigh of those who suffer for the Lord is heard in heaven and is written into the book of God for reward a hundredfold. May the grace of God cover the holy Abode where you have taken refuge, may it cover your family, may it cover everyone. Your most humble servant I. Bp. Kavk. and Chern. Please accept my sincere gratitude for your remembrance of me before the day of remembrance by the Holy Church of the Holy Martyr Ignatius the God-Bearer. May the merciful Lord remember you and your children in His Kingdom, which is due to be inherited by many earthly sorrows. The Lord sent you sorrows as a guarantee of the Kingdom. I entrust myself to your love in the Lord and remain forever your most devoted servant I. E. K. and Ch. Thank you sincerely for your letter of April 18th. May God's blessing rest upon you and your home. May He guide you to blissful eternity. We are all filled with infirmities; but those of us who want to please the Lord, the Lord heals from infirmities with His law and His destinies. Everything I hear about the Sergeev Desert consoles me very much. In appointment from. Ignatius as the rector of this Monastery, I see God’s mercy towards the Monastery and towards me. I hope that in the future the Lord will not abandon us all with His mercy. And again calling upon you God’s blessing, with feelings of sincere respect and devotion to m.ch.b. V. p. servant I. Bp. Kavk. and Cherny. I bring you my sincere gratitude for your memory of me! I congratulate you and your entire pious family on the upcoming New Year, and I sincerely wish you to pass through it under the shadow of God’s mercy. Blessed are those who, far from worldly noise and worldly worries, can devote all their time to serving God, to preparing themselves for eternity. The Lord called this position of man a good part. May this good part not be taken away from you all the days of your earthly life! May she remain your constant asset and a sure guarantee of eternal joy. Invoking God's blessing on you and your family, etc. I sincerely thank you for your memory of me. You rightly say that God’s Providence for me is worthy of surprise and praise. My situation was settled as satisfactorily as I dared not wish for. Forgive me too for writing to you rarely. Even in Stavropol, I greatly reduced my correspondence, and now it is necessary to reduce it further, limiting myself to the essentials. Save yourself! May the Lord bless you and your family and guide you on the path of salvation. Ascetics engaged in mental feats are allowed primarily before physical feats of illness and other sorrows: from their actions, the ascetic must necessarily place his hope in God. As hope in God increases, self-confidence weakens; As self-confidence decreases, self-esteem decreases. With the weakening of these ailments, true humility begins to arise in the soul, on which the correctness and strength of any achievement are based. This June 22nd I received a letter from M. dated the 15th from P.A. As he informs me in this letter that on the 14th he is leaving for P. b. d, then take the trouble to send him this letter of mine in the original. It contains the answer to his letter. On May 15th I stopped using the (horseradish) syrup, and to this day it has a strong effect on thinness, producing in me the same incredible weakness that it produced last summer, and which then significantly passed with the cessation of the effect of the syrup. Our church turns out to be unusually good, far better than what it looks like in the drawing, so that the hand of God is clearly shown in this matter. Calling upon you the abundant blessing of God, your most devoted servant and relative E.I. Letters to His Eminence Leonid (Krasnopevkov) Bishop of Dmitrov 1859–1867 2 Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! Let me ask for your gracious attention to the bearer of this letter, Alexei Petrovich Brianchaninov, my own nephew, the only son of my brother, the local governor of the province. Alexey Petrovich wishes to join Moscow University. Do not refuse him useful instructions, which young people have always needed, and now, with the increase in temptations, they need even more. My brother is the most religious person; tried to raise his son in the fear of God, and now, releasing him from his personal supervision, he entrusts him to God and God’s servants. Moscow magazines opened a war against monasticism. They call it an anachronism. We should speak more frankly and say that Christianity is becoming an anachronism. Looking at modern progress, one cannot help but admit that in all its principles it contradicts Christianity and enters into a most hostile relationship with it. Rural priests see this from their own experience: the position of priests, especially well-intentioned ones, becomes the most difficult. God sees all this. May God's will be done! May God's mercy cover us! O. Epiphanius is doing well. I'm pleased with him; it seems that he is happy with his position. Committing myself to Your holy prayers, with feelings of sincere respect and devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence's most humble servant Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea. Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! Please accept my most sincere congratulations on the upcoming holidays and the New Year, and together with my most sincere gratitude for your letter. I received the nameless one from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, but the Face that is blackened there by this nameless name turns out to be good until now. His heart didn't belong there. He treats the Moscow Academy with love and respect. My relationship with the Rector is the same as you describe. Unfortunately Fr. Herman rejected the relationship that, according to the same system, he should have had between the Rector and the Bishop, and rejected the love with which I accepted him. He considered it necessary to form his own opposition to the Bishop on diocesan affairs, under the leadership of a certain archpriest who had been removed from the consistory by the Holy Synod. Fortunately Fr. Herman was soon transferred from here: without this, he would have become a victim of his inexperience and enthusiasm. I sincerely thank you for notifying me about the health of His Eminence the Metropolitan. It is no wonder that the perspicacious Elder leads the most solitary life: from the silence of his cell He sees the clouds that accumulate on the horizon. Committing myself to Your Holy prayers, with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant. Most Reverend Bishop, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! Please accept my most sincere congratulations on the upcoming All-Holy Easter, my most earnest wish for Your Eminence all true and perfect blessings and all-joyful greeting: Christ is Risen! Today I had the real pleasure of receiving your letter dated March 30th and I bring you my sincere gratitude for your most merciful concern for my poor Word. I sincerely rejoice that the Word of God will be in common use in Russian. That same day I received a letter from St. Petersburg from an acquaintance who wrote that he was sending me the newly published Gospel. God bless! It seems that the Holy Spirit, having imparted to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost the knowledge of languages, clearly indicated the will of God, which was that the Word of God should be available and proclaimed in all languages... During the fourth week of Lent, I was very ill with the smallpox. Drinking the local mineral waters prepared me to accept this disease. These waters have an effect on people affected by old diseases not during the summer use of the waters, but the following winter and throughout the entire winter. The effect of the waters is a special kind of disease, which drives out old illnesses. My illness was very severe; the loss of strength is extraordinary. I spent Easter week in bed, and now I spend most of my time there. I thank you very much for the news about His Eminence the Metropolitan. May the all-merciful Lord strengthen his strength at this difficult time, in which many different storms are beginning to play. I accept my heartfelt sympathy for Mr. Gorsky. May the Lord grant him prosperity and prosperity and fill him with all true blessings. Committing myself to Your Holy prayers and love for the Lord, with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble novice. Most Reverend Vladyka, Most Gracious Archpastor! The venerable Citizen of the Mother See of Moscow, Vladimir Andreevich Sapelkin, delivered to me some information relating to the schismatics located in the Caucasus among the Linear Cossack Army and asked that I convey my answer to him through the Person of Your Eminence. Fulfilling this Vladimir Andreevich, I humbly ask Your Eminence to take on the task of transmitting the following answer: “I have no influence on the Cossack Army and have no right to interfere in the affairs of the Army. But due to my good relationship with Ataman Zudzevich, I conveyed to him part of the information given to me. Last month, the Chief Priest of the Caucasian Army, Stefan Ivanovich Gumilyovsky, visited me and told me that the Main Command in Tiflis was aware of the appearance of false Bishops from Austria in the village. On these grounds, I would consider it very useful for Vladimir Andreevich to enter into direct relations with the Chief Priest of the Caucasian Army. Actually, in the Caucasian Diocese there are very few schismatics. We are experiencing a significant migration of Mohammedans to Turkey. This greatly weakens the remaining highlanders, gives an advantage to the Russians and calms the region. Here is one piece of news that I can tell Your Eminence from the remote deserts of the Caucasus. Committing myself to your love in the Lord, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant P.S. Epiphanius is doing well and working hard. I'm very pleased with it. The gratitude that I brought to Your Eminence for the hospitality shown to me in Moscow, I replenish with a repetition of thanksgiving. The hospitality shown to me was so full of love that it was necessarily aroused by gratitude every time I remembered this hospitality. May the Lord save you! Do not refuse to provide patronage to the bearer of this letter, the treasurer of the Babaevskaya Community, if I have to bother you with any request. I am pleased with my position, given to me by the ineffable grace of God. It seems that my health has begun to improve. The seizure that happened to me in Moscow, which was repeated to a very strong degree here - it was a consequence of my chronic illness and treatment with water - has not remained without consequences to this day. The tranquility and solitude in the Babaevskaya Abode are priceless. Those who need them and even need them cannot help but rejoice at such a shelter. Committing myself to Your Holy prayers, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant. Please accept my most ardent congratulations on the upcoming Feast of Holidays and my earnest wish for Your Eminence true and perfect blessings. I treasure your letter dated December 1, 1859, like a treasure. This is the treasure. It shows the most faithful relationship of the Bishop to the Rector, and the Rector to the Bishop. Since the wise and experienced Saint of Moscow established these relationships in himself and these relationships are constantly maintained, I considered it my duty to adhere to them and to constantly maintain them in my relations with Arch. Epiphany. The other day I considered it my duty to show a beneficent letter to the Archimandrite, so that he could see from the letter the way of thinking that they have in Moscow about the duties of the Rector to his Diocesan Bishop. I allow myself to disturb Your Eminence with a most humble request. If you have received any complaint about me from O. Epiphanius, do not refuse, for the love of the Lord, to communicate it to me first, in whatever form pleases you, so that I too can say something, and thus prevent the complaint from being one-sided. By this you will do both of us a true benefit: you will give me the opportunity to correct my mistake and be more prudent in the future, and Fr. Epiphany You will maintain within the decent limits of modesty necessary for a monk, from attempts to write absurdities against your Archpastor and shake the subordination necessary for Him in the Diocesan Department. 3 Committing myself to Your brotherly love and asking Your holy prayers, with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence's most humble servant Your Eminence Vladyka, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! I sincerely thank Your Eminence for your loving letter dated (June 17?). May the merciful Lord reward you for your love. O. Rector Epiphany wrote a letter of petition to the Synodal Chief Prosecutor about moving from here due to his inability to endure the local climate. I advised him to write to him and to the High Hierarch of Moscow, which, as he says, he did. And I wrote to His Eminence, asking Him not to leave Fr. Epiphany. At the same time, Fr. The rector submitted a note to the Seminary Board about his illness; Despite this pain, I asked him to visit me from time to time, believing that my conversation, which has no other merit than good intentions, could calm his spirit, which he really needed. Having seen that he goes into complete frenzy and self-forgetfulness when he is exposed to a temper, that he is brought into this state by others and does not notice it, I concluded that he is incapable of the position of Rector. Recently he himself expressed this thought: thank God if he spoke sincerely. Understanding your inability is a great blessing! I very well understand how you write that one High Hierarch tried and is trying to introduce a new element into the Higher Hierarchy. This opinion was shared by our late Metropolitan Gregory. But it seems that one Person of Your Eminence is destined to justify the election and thought of the Moscow High Hierarch. May the Lord overshadow you with His grace, may He strengthen you with His strength, so that you can more and more provide comfort and reinforcement to those who need it and who come running to You for it. The destinies of God are many! And every reproach is not without its consolations, when a person gives thanks to God for his situation. Committing myself to Your holy prayers, Your paternal and brotherly love, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence's most humble servant Please accept my sincere gratitude for the loving reception given to me by Your Eminence. You made the most favorable impression on me, which I enjoy to this day. I made the journey safely. But the last day of the journey was difficult and the cold in my leg got worse. Upon arrival at the monastery, a few days later he took to his bed. It’s better now, I get out of bed from time to time, and today I’ve already started doing a little writing. Committing myself to Your Holy prayers, with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant, Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor! Please accept my sincere gratitude for your thoughtful message of December 27th. It was with particular consolation that I read the description of the relationship of the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empress to His Eminence the Metropolitan. This good is social good. God united the Kings and Priests for the benefit of humanity wandering on earth, instructing the former to arrange the temporary prosperity of human society and the latter to prepare this society for migration to eternity and for bliss in eternity. Representatives of both ministries must be in unanimity, as called to this unanimity by God Himself, and act out of their pious unanimity. Satan always tries to upset the order established by God, deceiving people with sophisms, and using people themselves to destroy their temporary and eternal well-being. ABOUT! As a person (judging by myself) he is blind and gullible. With great difficulty he decides to believe God, with the greatest speed, headlong, as they say, he believes Satan. From my solitude I look at the world as at a ship sailing in the distance, and I am filled with the desire that it complete its voyage under the cover of God’s mercy. May she not betray us to the leadership of false reason - this source of human disasters. Committing myself to Your Holy prayers and for the Lord's love, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, the Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the most humble servant. R.S. I offer Your Eminence my most sincere gratitude for your gracious remembrance of my loved ones, who themselves will thank you. Please accept my most sincere congratulations on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of Christ and the New Year and my most earnest wish for Your Eminence the longed-for health and all true and perfect blessings. This is already the third year since I had the honor of seeing you in Moscow! Since then, you too have become ill. My business is over: recovery, due to the complete exhaustion of strength caused by a forty-year-old illness, is impossible. I sincerely wish Your Eminence the restoration of health and strength for your and public benefit. Committing myself to your Hierarchal prayers, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, the Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the most humble servant I bring you my sincere gratitude for your favorable acceptance of my work, the book “Ascetic Experiences”. Please accept my most humble request: do not refuse to offer this book, known to Your Eminence, to monastics and ascetics in general, this book, which protects against abuses in the feat of prayer, abuses leading to self-delusion. Committing myself to your Hierarchal prayers with feelings of perfect reverence and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, the Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the most humble novice I bring you my sincere gratitude for your gracious remembrance of me and my most ardent congratulations on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of Christ and the upcoming New Year, which I wish you to enjoy in the desired health and prosperity. God bless you for your love for monasticism. Many now complain about him, seeing or finding various shortcomings in him; but monasticism is a barometer, which, standing in a secluded room, closed on all sides, accurately shows the state of the weather outside. Old buildings must be repaired with great care and skill: otherwise the repair may turn into destruction. Be the will of God! Asking for your Holy prayers in support of my mental and physical infirmities, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, the Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the most humble servant Take the trouble to convey my most ardent bow to Fr. Arch. Pimen and sincere gratitude for his memory of me. I thank you for remembering me, and I mutually greet you with the past holidays and the coming New Year from the bottom of my heart, wishing Your Eminence all true and perfect blessings. At the present time - as in November and December of last year - I feel especially sick and weak, I sit deprived of the ability to engage not only in writing but also in reading: therefore, I hasten to finish these lines by asking for your Holy prayers to strengthen the infirmities of my many. Your Eminence, most humble novice, Bishop Ignatius. I humbly ask you to accept the last two volumes of the 3rd and 4th of my works and cover my shortcomings with love and condescension. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your letter dated April 25th. You were not mistaken in honoring me with the notification of granting you the rank of Bishop! I sincerely rejoiced at this news, and I trust in the mercy of God that you will carry out the great service entrusted to you, for the glory of God, for the significant benefit of the holy Church. You have a great duty: to reconcile the main classes of the fatherland, which have been separated by European teaching. Both the clergy and the nobility largely submitted to the influence of this teaching. I read with horror the January and March articles of the Kazan Orthodox Interlocutor, in which the clash of classes is expressed very clearly. The Church and the clergy have suffered, are suffering and, it seems, should suffer from European teachings, and not from any class. I saw merchants in St. Petersburg who were staying in Europe, and I marveled at the distance, the savagery that they began to show towards the Church and the clergy. I saw priestly children there, educated according to European standards: the same thing! Here I became acquainted with the white clergy much more than I was acquainted with in St. Petersburg, and I find that among them there are the kindest people, that all clergy in general can be perfectly directed, that they are very virgin, that their errors and shortcomings are more gross than deep. Your will: we need more specific education and direction. Works in this field belong to Your Eminence. You have become very closely acquainted with the clergy and the spiritual class: You understand the means by which it can be satisfied and brought closer to other classes, which is necessary for the benefit of the Church, for the benefit of society. I thank God: the local clergy shows me a special affection; but I am old, formed in the monastery and for the monastery, I cannot penetrate into the life of the clergy so that I can judge it quite thoroughly. Committing myself to your brotherly love for the Lord and your holy prayers, with a sincere desire for all true blessings for you, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant I was somewhat slow in responding to your Eminence’s letter, wanting to tell you something satisfactory, O D. Williams. But no one here knows anything about him. I bring you my sincere gratitude for your concern about the “Word on Death”. My ailments often talk to me about death. This conversation is edifying! After it, the world with all its events appears in a completely different form. The Eye of the Wanderer looks differently than the eye of a permanent resident. I was pleased with the information contained in your letter about the Ugreshsky Monastery. God bless Father Pimen, who used and continues to use his abilities for the Glory of God! Nowadays it is difficult to find a well-maintained monastery! In many monasteries, various buildings of considerable size are erected, which give the monastery the appearance of prosperity. But this is a deception for a superficial glance. Monasticism itself is quickly being destroyed. Spiritual achievement is almost universally rejected; the very concept of it is lost. This is not enough! in many monasteries morality is completely lost. I say this, having before my eyes the saddest sight - the Black Sea desert, a monastery with very significant funds, located in a very secluded place. There are two convents in the local diocese; In them, morality is good, but physical labor and much concern for material development destroy mental development. I sincerely wish that the reforms in theological schools achieve good results. It is very useful to remove the pupils of theological schools, if possible, from the seductive impressions of the world and to give the education itself a stronger and more defined character, so that the education acts not only on the mind, but also on the heart, so that the pupil educated in the theological school receives the decisive character of Orthodox Christianity, prepared to serve the Church with all his soul. Our pupil comes out with some kind of vague direction: he wants to get a priestly position, if it is profitable; if, by chance, a more advantageous position in the clerk's office presents itself, he does not hesitate at all to accept it. During conversations, you always hear in the foreground the idea of ​​​​benefits. Detailed teaching of Church History is necessary so that students have an understanding of the characters of historical figures, and themselves are formed according to the characters of true servants of the Church. From teaching that acts exclusively on the mind, there is a coldness towards Church work, and there is a predominantly material direction. Because of this coldness, we have almost no monastics from seminaries. They don't go to monasteries! They did not feel any inclination towards self-sacrifice or spiritual development. As a result, the monasteries are in great decline, being a haven for only illiterate jealousy. If seminary students went to monasteries, the monasteries would be in a completely different situation. Be the will of God! You can't do anything against the assassination attempt. Committing myself to Your holy prayers, with feelings of sincere devotion and respect, I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble servant. With heartfelt joy and gratitude I read your letter dated May 25, a letter from the Bishop, and wished you from the depths of my soul with all the fullness of my desire, true and eternal blessings and gifts characteristic of true servants and disciples of Christ. Thank you also for the holy icon, which will constantly remind me of you. Do not interrupt your love for me: I wander along the path of earthly life very lonely. Nowadays it is very difficult to find a true servant of God, although outwardly no time has abounded in the servants of God as much as our time, which proclaims its positivity, abounds (1 Thessalonians 5:3). There are many who lead God and are pleasing to God according to human testimony, but it is difficult to find a God-attested God-knower and God-reader. The testimony of God is clear as the sun, but the world is blind and therefore does not see the testimony of God; not seeing the testimony of God, he replaces the testimony of God with his own testimony and thinks to be satisfied. How well our Ancient Fathers of the Orthodox Church acted! Having learned human sciences, they accepted the yoke of Christ and in the field of self-sacrifice, under the guidance of the Cross of Christ, learned Divine Wisdom, and for them human learning became a humble slave, which they used in the service of Divine Wisdom to teach this Wisdom to their neighbors. A scribe, having learned the Kingdom of Heaven, can wear out both the old and the new, subjugating the old to the new and adapting it to it; and one who has not learned, obviously, can wear out only one old thing, which is death and enmity towards God, which produces its own impression on others, even if they talk to them about God, even if it scratches the ears of the soul, arousing in it the subtlest adulterous movement of passions, recognized by many as the effect of grace. Save us, Lord! We perish on our own, having loved our own teachings and rejecting, or having little value for, the teachings sent to us by God. Currently I am traveling through the western half of my Diocese - along the Black Sea coast, which is not as corrupt as other places. But European enlightenment has penetrated here too with its fornication, and there is nothing to say about state-owned peasants. Their officials are naked and hungry, they have completed courses at different universities, they seem to believe only in money; From the root of evil all the branches of evil grow. What will happen? In all likelihood, such university graduates will soon become rulers and leaders of the entire common people. Here are the results, expressed very modestly, of practical views on Russian soil. Committing myself again to Your Fatherly and brotherly love, asking Your Holy prayers with feelings of excellent respect and perfect devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the most humble novice Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea. Taman. No. 126. Letter to Archimandrite Pimen Most beloved in the Lord, Father Archimandrite Pimen! 4 I bring you my sincere gratitude for remembering me, a sinner, and for congratulating me on the Feast of Holidays, on which I mutually congratulate you, wishing you all the true blessings, and greeting you with an all-joyful greeting: Christ is Risen! I am also very grateful to you for notifying me that on August 5th of this year, His Eminence, Metropolitan Philaret, will celebrate 50 years of service as Bishop. It is highly desirable that the address to His Eminence from the cenobitic monasteries be carried out satisfactorily. The matter itself shows that the preparation of the address should be entrusted to a person: 1) who knows monastic life; 2) someone who knows the actions of the Metropolitan in favor of monasticism in general according to the Synod; 3) who knows the actions of the Metropolitan in the Moscow Diocese; 4) who knows His private actions. An address can be strong only by the number and merit of facts. Obviously, there is nothing to do here for a writer who is completely unfamiliar with information on the last three points, even if he has troubled himself with something on the first. Your letter was in the post office in Yaroslavl, because the muddy road destroyed the monastery’s communications with the cities at that time. I received the letter on the 23rd. That day I was so weak that I went to bed, barely breathing. When I passed through Moscow to Babayki, I was incomparably stronger than now, although even then I was already extremely ill. I can’t serve at all: no chest, no breathing, no legs, my back seems to be broken. And I hardly do any cell work, although in winter I absolutely do not leave my cell. I ask for your holy prayers. Your most devoted servant E. Ignatius. Letters to his brother Alexander Bryanchaninov 5 No. 127. On withdrawal from the world What should I say to You in response to Your thoughts about moving away from the world? The Lord, who blessed and established such a removal, at the same time commanded us to first count our possessions - is it enough to create this high life - and the amount of our strength to fight the opposing forces. I advise you to settle this score through prayer, surrendering to the will of God. No matter how much I prayed to God to grant me a solitary life, I still remain in the Sergeev Hermitage, exposed to various kinds of entertainment. It is not enough that we want: it is necessary that our desire be in accordance with the will of God. We want it now, but God sometimes prepares the same thing after many years. At the present time, You are necessary for Alyosha, who, in the event of Your removal, his grandfather will rightfully attack and make him unhappy in soul and body. The visions You described should not attract Your attention: the path of L.A. is special, and the Holy Fathers order those who are destined to follow the common Christian path to distance themselves from such peculiarities. My advice is to engage in soul-helping reading, be guided by it in your actions, heal through repentance for sin, and surrender to the will of God, offering God your secret thought and intention. No. 128. On choosing a confessor I am much guilty before You for the fact that I did not answer Your letter for a long time due to my illness known to You and the multitude of activities that have now increased due to the Lenten service. The first week he served himself every day, and only had enough strength for the service and for the necessary reception of visitors. In a confessor, in my opinion, the great dignity is simplicity, unswerving adherence to the teachings of the Church, alien to any of his own speculations. Some are strict, some are smart; but strict and smart in their own way, they are not suitable for spiritual edification. And a strict, and intelligent, and merciful, and forbearing, and a simple-hearted, but faithful son of the Church, can be equally useful. May God grant you a confessor according to your desire. No. 129. On the attitude towards clergy It is very prudent that you do not establish a close acquaintance with any clergy: such an acquaintance can very easily serve to harm and very, very rarely to benefit. Consult the books of St. Tikhon, Demetrius of Rostov and George the Recluse, and from the ancients - Chrysostom; tell your confessor your sins - and nothing more. The people of our century, whether in a cassock or a tailcoat, first of all inspire caution. Read the following prayers in the morning and evening: Trisagion, Our Father, 12 Lord have mercy, Psalm 50, Creed, Theotokos and some remembrances; after this, make 10 bows from the waist with the prayer: God, cleanse me, a sinner. The enthusiasm of the people (on the occasion of the war) here is extraordinary. The French and the English are funny! In fact, they prove that Russia needs to own the Bosporus, without which its coastal possessions on the Black Sea can always be exposed, and over a longer distance, to attack by enemies. Nikolai Nikolaevich (Muravyov) is a deeply kind person. Many do not at all suspect this quality in him; on the contrary, they consider him cold, because he is not flattering or affectionate, while True love is strict and, appearing in business, does not need the guise of affection and flattery, with which pride certainly covers itself to deceive its neighbors. No. 132. About the article “A Word about Death” I would like to send to You the “Word on Death”; I hope to do this after some time, when we have dealt with this article here, because it is very great, expounds in detail the mystery of death and shows how to live in order to die safely. My health is very bad: I can’t stand the air at all; While I’m in my cell, I feel decent; as soon as I leave, I start to swell; No. 133. About one’s own desire for solitude My desire to move from the noisy Sergius Hermitage to solitude, in order to more thoroughly prepare for the transition to eternity, flares up more and more. When I receive a letter from you from Stavropol, then I will write about it in more detail. No. 134. About monasticism, about the Optina Desert, about the founding of one’s monastery, about not wanting one’s own elevation and other subjects The more I walk the path of life and approach its end, the more I rejoice that I entered monasticism, the more I am inflamed with heartfelt zeal to achieve the goal for which the Holy Spirit established monasticism in the Church. Monasticism is not a human institution, but a Divine one, and its goal is to remove the Christian from the vanities and cares of the world, to unite him through repentance and crying with God, revealing the Kingdom of God in him from here on out. The mercy of the mercies of the King of Kings is when He calls a person to monastic life, when in it he gives him prayerful crying and when, through the communion of the Holy Spirit, he frees him from the violence of passions and leads him into the anticipation of eternal bliss. I happened to see people who had achieved this. But what did other people gain who chased vanity throughout their earthly lives? Nothing. And even if they acquired something temporary, it was taken away from them by inexorable and inevitable death, which left only their sins with them. Therefore, God’s mercy is great for that person whose heart is not completely attached to the earth and whom God calls to monastic life by a mysterious calling. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews chapter III). This is my answer to Your intention to end Your days in a monastery for repentance and for lasting reconciliation with God. Regarding Your son: the impartial God accepted his desire, but at the present time this is impossible to fulfill, not because a child could not enter a monastery, but because in our time monasteries are in a terrible situation, and many good people, having entered them without proper preparation, became upset and died. Let Alyosha accustom himself to monastic obedience by obedience to his parent; let him prepare for himself studies in the monastery, corresponding to his origin, rules and strengths, by careful study of the sciences, Russian literature, languages, it would be nice to have Latin and Greek, among other things. Don't neglect calligraphy either. Learning makes it possible to maintain solitude in the monastery during cell studies and can make a monk useful to society in a moral sense. For a solitary residence and for convenience to repentance, I have in mind Optina Pustyn, Kaluga province, near the city of Kozelsk, five miles away. The conveniences of this place are the following: near the desert there is a monastery, where entry to women is prohibited, surrounded by mast pine trees, therefore, completely protected from the wind; Quite a few nobles live in this monastery, under the leadership of an elder, also from the nobles of a very good life; They are engaged in translating the Holy Fathers from Greek and publishing them. Here is the moral side: there is solitude and there is a spiritual society, one’s own, noble, and this is not found in any Russian monastery. St. Pimen the Great said: the most important thing is good society. And so, what is especially important in worldly life for a well-bred person; this remains especially important in monasticism. This, important for us, will be extremely important for those young men who will accompany us: when we die, we will be consoled by the thought that we are leaving them in good hands. In material terms, Optina Pustyn is also good; The disadvantage is that live fish are scarce and expensive, and firewood is also expensive. On the thought of establishing our own new monastery, I will say that establishing our own monastery will lead us to material concerns, which will interfere with the care of our souls. The strong dependence of our spiritual state on our external state and the knowledge of man, borrowed from the experimental instructions of the Holy Fathers, leads to the conclusion that we can succeed much more by living as wanderers and strangers in a foreign country than if we founded a monastery in our homeland, where everyone knows us and many respect us. This is my judgment about our common life, perhaps in the eleventh hour of our earthly life. As for me, I am indebted to many people for many things and, by the way, for the friendly disposition, which I did not deserve in any way, I am indebted to Nikolai Nikolaevich (Muravyov). But I am indebted to God immeasurably: because He visited me with mercy from above, which I must correspond to in my behavior. This correspondence can consist, in my opinion, only if I spend the rest of my days in deep and strict solitude. This is incomprehensible to others, for whom my conscience is hidden and who can judge me only by appearance, but for me it is quite clear. Any virtue with entertainment is not mine. The search or desire for any higher rank is sin and madness for me. If you see N.N., explain this to him. However, I myself want to write to him and ask him to leave his plans for me. Due to the special distrust of the so-called clergy towards the nobility, Nikolai Nikolaevich will face great difficulties in fulfilling his intentions, one can even predict certain failure. I don't want him to compromise himself for me; I don’t want the highest clergy to become agitated because of me; Finally, for myself I find it more advantageous to withdraw than to exalt, and the exaltation is fruitless, for the short time of the rest of my earthly life. No. 135. On withdrawal from the world May the Lord fulfill Your pious intentions and show You the path along which you can approach Him. You pray about this too. Only then will you be able to do something decisive when I move to Optina; if N.N. wants to move you to Tiflis, move for the sake of his own benefit; many people close to him pay him poorly! No. 136. About one’s own desire to retire to Optina Pustyn and other subjects Dearest Friend and Brother, Pyotr Alexandrovich! I am answering your letter dated April 24, which I received in St. Petersburg, from Optina Pustyn, located in the Kaluga province, 4 versts from the city of Kozelsk. - I’ll tell you that I’m very glad that you could evade managing Nikolai Nikolaevich’s estate. The sacrifice that a person makes to a worthy person, especially when the benefit of the fatherland is combined with such a donation, is wonderful; but sacrificing ourselves to God, to whom we already belong, is incomparably more excellent. Moreover, the last donation is actually necessary for us; Before death, it is necessary for us to be reconciled and unite with God through repentance, so as not to hear at His judgment: “We do not know you: depart from Me, you who called Me your Lord and violated My commandments.” Living in the Sergius Hermitage, which is, after all, a monastery, I cannot withstand the pressure of the waves and whirlwinds of life, I often falter and fall; What can we say about life in complete dependence on the world and in the midst of it? In this conviction, I wanted to see with my own eyes the Optina Hermitage, which at present is undoubtedly the best monastery in Russia in moral terms, especially its Hermitage, located 100 fathoms from the Hermitage itself, fenced on all sides by centuries-old pine trees, on sandy soil, inaccessible to the female sex, can satisfy the pious desires of a hermit in our age. Many nobles who study spiritual literature live in it; but the treasure there is their confessor or elder, in whose hands is the moral leadership of the monastery brethren and most of the monastic brethren, that is, all well-intentioned and successful in virtue. He is one of the nobles, 68 years old; with me on the most friendly terms. Considering the needs of my soul and my body, I chose the monastery as a place to end my days in silence, and in order to give this undertaking some strength, I bought a body of wooden cells. During this matter, I mentioned you to the local chief monks who were talking with me. The cells require amendment, even restructuring; they would be suitable for residence only by the summer of 1858. These are my own actions, in which my will and judgment are evident; but I entrust this will, this judgment, these actions to the will of God, praying to Her to guide me and direct me according to Her wise and all-good purposes. You will do a very good job by giving Alyosha to the Muravyov family, both because it is much more convenient to educate him in Tiflis, and because you will probably have to spend a lot of time traveling. In addition, a young man, being brought up in the hands of others, wipes himself off better; The Muravyov family has strict morality. Nikolai Nikolaevich seems to be firmly in his place. There was a lot of talk in St. Petersburg that no one (?) got along with him, that for this reason they would give him another assignment; but before my departure they had already explained that bribe-takers and other persons inclined to abuse do not get along with him, that for this reason it is necessary to keep him in the Caucasus so that he has time to destroy the nest of bribe-takers and start a family of well-meaning people. All that remains for me is to wish you a successful treatment in Pyatigorsk, which you will write about in detail at the end of the water course, and all other temporary and eternal benefits. Your most devoted brother Arch. Ignatius. Our intention requires God's favor and blessing, especially in our time, in which the passion for money has crept into all classes and ranks, drowned out and suppressed all good motives and all the most sacred duties. I would like to write an article “Man”, with the aim of understanding the purpose of man’s existence on earth; but I don’t know whether I will have time and opportunity for this activity, because such activities require solitude and health. I am almost deprived of both. My chest is terribly weak and my strength is very weak; I am exhausted extremely quickly from the smallest work, especially writing. No. 138. About the obstacles to moving hermitages to Optina, about the best book explaining Christianity and other subjects I received your letter dated July 26th on August 18th. First of all, I will tell you, in addition to my previous letters, that, despite my desire to stay in Optina Hermitage, I did not get along with its abbot, and therefore the time of my removal from Sergievskaya was postponed for an unlimited time. I surrender to the will of God. You have to live differently than what you think. This is not the only fate of me. – According to human judgment, the society of the Optina monastery and the confessor - Father Macarius - are the best that could be desired in the current state of Christianity and monasticism in Russia; but the Providence of God, which guides our fate, is wiser than human judgment. Regarding the book to read, unfortunately, I must say that we do not have one that satisfactorily explains Christianity. In the absence of a better one, I think I will send the Theology of Macarius, which has been greatly damaged by the school system, to this book. It is strange to see the system according to which mechanics, analytics, and so on are set out, applied to the study of God! However, this book is our best. I am very glad that the waters had a beneficial effect on Alyosha. Perhaps by the time he is able to control himself, your and my desire for solitude will become more easily fulfilled. Most devoted brother, Archimandrite Ignatius, calling upon You and him the abundant blessing of God. My position here seems very precarious to me; my good friends died out, I myself became extremely ill. However, this is my opinion and human judgment. But God’s judgment is different, and God’s Providence for man is unknown. I have been ill for a long time since the holidays; my illnesses cannot be reconciled with the local climate; but all my attempts to escape from here remain in vain, so I completely surrendered to the will of God, casting aside all my understandings and reasoning. The inevitably beneficial climate of the Caucasus should be good for your health, and increased activity should be good for your soul. And during activity, you can listen to yourself in the fear of God, observing that your spiritual movements and the actions that depend on them are governed not by wordless fervor, but by a sound mind, based on the desire for public and then private good, illuminated by the light of the Gospel. No. 141. On submitting oneself to the will of God, on the need for urgent repentance and other subjects Regarding Your way of life, I recognize the best thing that I have chosen for myself: to surrender to the will of God, because we do not know for sure where spiritual benefit will meet us and where spiritual harm will meet us. We must constantly pray to God, so that He, by His infinite goodness, wisdom and power, will guide us on the path of salvation and arrange it for us. We must heal our inclinations with repentance and patiently endure our own self-indulgence until the power of the Most High overshadows us and frees us from the work of sin. In due time, God will show us what to do with ourselves. My health is so-so; circumstances are so-so. Given the current general turn of affairs, where everything strives for the most extensive material development and therefore fusses, works, and hurries without ceasing and rest, it would be unfair (it already seems so) to seek peace in the monastery itself. Therefore, everyone should value their place and time, not succumbing to the flattering advice of our enemy, who inspires us: “behave somehow today; the time will come, a convenient place will be given; then you will behave as you should.” Contrary to this advice, let us behave every day and everywhere as we should, and correct violations in due course by repentance. The enemy flatters in order to steal all the time given for repentance. But we, having realized the flattery of the enemy, must resort to repentance every day and make a good beginning. A person who has given himself to God must consider his time now to be the best time for salvation. Book of essays by Rev. Abba Dorothea helps to consider oneself, and also provides excellent guidance for raising young people. No. 142. About the proper upbringing of children, about mental loneliness I received your letter dated March 14 on the 30th. Protect your son from poisonous heretics. Do not be afraid of criticism from him for the lack of disastrous, excessive secularism; Fear that terrible saying of the Lord that awaits parents at the Last Judgment of Christ for raising children for eternal destruction; Fear those desperate and useless tears and curses on parents that children raised for hell will then utter. Are you sad in Your loneliness in spirit? This is the condition of almost everyone. For 38 years he lay paralyzed in Solomon’s porch in the midst of the most crowded Jerusalem; but when the Lord who became man approached his bed, he brought Him a complaint: “I am not an imam of man.” A relaxed person could not get attracted to a person for 38 years! – And in this case, we must rely on God: He allows a person to suffer from hunger, so that the person will give the due price for food at the time when it is offered to him. “A well-fed soul,” says Scripture, “belches a hundred times.” May God's blessing rest upon You and Your son! No. 143. On the need for humility and patience during mental troubles Let the will of the Lord our God be over all of us, who knows much more than we what is good for us. One Holy Father said: “With faith let us surrender ourselves to God. This faith is humility, because humility is complete devotion to God with complete distrust of oneself." Do not be embarrassed that at times you feel bitterness, coldness and the action of passions. These periods of mental disorder must be endured with patience. St. Macarius the Great said: "In each of us there are changes, like in the air: sometimes the weather is clear, sometimes it rains, the wind rustles and there is bad weather. “... Another saint, St. Isaac, citing and explaining these words of St. Macarius, says: “Note the word: it is not intended in everyone, but it is used for the purpose of showing that all people, without exception, (not only sinners, but also saints), are at times overcome by passions. There is no constant infallibility and a constant state of mind on earth. ". Therefore, one must look at one’s spiritual changes with prudence, as if showing and revealing to God one’s sinfulness, and at the same time surrendering to His Holy will and asking for His mercy and help. I am very glad that K.N. turned his attention to you: I earnestly wish that this attention would not be just a greeting, needed for a time and for a while. This is my desire for You for man; and in spirit, let us give ourselves, each other and our whole life to Christ God, for He alone knows what is good for us, and arranges our destinies for our eternal benefits, allowing us to grieve in this temporary and shortest life, according to our strength, so that our souls do not cling to the earth, but are constantly torn away from it by various sorrows and turn, oppressed from everywhere, to the Lord our God. - My situation is similar to yours: they match, they match, and they don’t match. However, even in the Sergius Hermitage I enjoy such prosperity that can rarely be found on earth at the present time, especially in spiritual terms. Consequently, my sacred duty is: not to desire anything according to my understanding, will and self-justification - to desire that the will of God be done in everything. The new Metropolitan Gregory is a very pious shepherd; shows a special affection towards me. My health is so-so. By the special grace of God, my doctor discovered that scrofula plays a very significant role in my very complex illness. Antiscrofulous remedies work perfectly, especially Adelaide waters, which contain iodine, and with them an ointment that replaces baths, which are almost impossible in the local climate and with my duties. – Many people have left for foreign lands: they are fleeing the murderous climate of St. Petersburg. And for me, at the end of my life, somewhere in the quiet region of my native Russia, away from St. Petersburg, which, in terms of climate and everything else, is not akin to me. However, not my will, but God’s will be done. I invoke God's blessing on You and Your son. I have now received your letter of June 10 and, without any delay, I am answering it. God, who controls everything, especially watches over people who want to serve Him, even if they are overcome by their weaknesses. He leads them along a sorrowful path, cutting them off from the world through sorrows and bringing them to Himself. Then he delivers them from all sorrows so that they can see His all-good Providence and acquire faith in Him. We must remember death, frighten ourselves with the unknown of its hour and the terrible torture that awaits every person after it; but you also need to know that, according to the assurance of the Holy Fathers, sudden death does not happen to people who want to cleanse themselves by repentance, even if at times they are overcome by their infirmities; but the Just and Merciful God gives them an end in accordance with their intentions. With all my heart I wish that the Merciful Lord will arrange Your circumstances in the best way for both Your temporary and eternal good. We must surrender to the will of God and subdue all thoughts of disobedience, no matter how many times these thoughts rebel. My health is bad, so bad that I serve with the greatest difficulty and effort. Doctors admit that the local climate is the reason for my illness. Again: God's will be done. I kiss dear Alyosha. On December 18, I arrived in Kharkov, where I found letters from You, for which I thank you very much. I earnestly wish that you remain in Stavropol and that God bless us to work together for the benefit of Christianity and humanity, otherwise for the benefit of the Orthodox Church and the benefit of the fatherland, closely related to it. In St. Petersburg, very faithful people told me that Prince B. is very disposed towards you. May the all-holy will of God be done on us and grant us salvation as sinners! The purpose of my life in Stavropol is piety. I earnestly wish and pray to the Lord to grant me to devote myself entirely to the teaching of Christ, as my duty requires, and to imbue myself and my neighbors with this teaching for salvation. No. 148. On the spread of Christianity in the Caucasus I received your letter dated October 13th on the 23rd. Your letter traveled for a long time. I thank You for all Your actions in favor of the Caucasian Church. I am extremely pleased that Alexei Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and I agree on the same concept about the effect of religion on the mountaineers. In my opinion, Mozdok, at present, is the only point from which it is possible to operate with success; perhaps later on the right flank the commander’s residence will serve as a similar point. But that is ahead: first you need to do what is at hand, you need to form and strengthen what is already in effect, being left to itself. In Mozdok there is an Apostle for the mountaineers, incomparable with any missionaries: the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, to which even Mohammedan mountaineers flock in large numbers. At the church in which the Icon resides, there are 800 male souls of Ossetian Christians and 700 souls of Circassian Christians. The church where the Icon is, very small and ancient. Several thousand money was raised to build a new one; if you add a small amount from the treasury to them, you can build a beautiful church that will delight the Ossetians and Circassians. It is necessary to establish religious processions with the Icon for the Terek. It would be very good to establish a communal monastery near the church and the Icon: monks are the best missionaries; Moreover, Ossetians and Circassians could join the monastery as a brotherhood, which they are inclined to do. In Mozdok there is a theological school, in the poorest condition: it needs to be put in order, and it must be given the opportunity to educate Circassian and Ossetian children, with the aim of preparing them as clerics. Having now been in Mozdok, I ordered four boys to be taken to school, and one smart 15-year-old young man came to me in Stavropol to prepare to receive the priesthood. With all these orders, the question of funds constantly arises, because without them you can’t do anything, and they don’t even exist. At the local Seminary, I proposed to strengthen the teaching of the Ossetian language; It would be necessary to introduce and develop teaching of other local languages ​​and dialects in the Seminary, precisely for the sake of the church benefit of the region, but here they wanted to destroy the teaching of the Ossetian language and develop the teaching of French and German. Please see the direction! It is not without an initial reason and thought, and not without a goal. I am sending to Vasily Antonovich in a letter the information that I could find about both amounts. The reason that the money was not sent to me was Count Tolstoy’s news in business and the extreme carelessness of Metropolitan Gregory on the one hand, and on the other the dislike of the minor officials of the Synod serving in this department towards me, which disposition I constantly took advantage of. And – I’m proud! I have invited Alyosha to my place more than once because of your travels, and as a result of your letter, I gave the order that he should come to me whenever he had free time. Mine bow to You very much and thank You for the memory. My house is unusually comfortable and warm. You will do very well if you follow the affairs in Tiflis, and you will follow them completely: affairs, like children, have the necessary need for a nanny. Without a protective nanny, just look, they will become freaks. Take the trouble to write me your address. The waters continue to have a strong effect on me: now my head is in overdrive. May God's blessing rest upon you. Be healthy and prosperous. Your most devoted brother Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea. Take the trouble to write out for me the Caucasian calendar and the newspaper “Caucasus” for the next year, 1859. No. 149. Wish for Angel Day - to know the Lord I sincerely congratulate You on Your Angel's Day. The Supreme Apostle Peter, when he confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as God and the Son of God, then heard from the Lord that the Heavenly Father Himself had revealed this to him. So, the knowledge of the Lord is not something accidental, but a special gift of God. Let the soul that receives this gift rejoice in the Lord. “I used to tell you this, and on the day of your angel I greet you with this and in writing.” May the Lord extend His mercy over you to the end, so that you cultivate the gift given to you and appear to the Face of the Lord with increased talent. I congratulate you on the mercy of God, by the wave of which human mercy also acts. May the Lord direct the rest of Your earthly journey according to His Holy will, to a blessed eternal refuge. Count Evdokimov asked me to inform you that dispatches from St. Petersburg inform him of the arrival of the Sovereign Emperor in the Caucasus. The Emperor will not be in Stavropol. I received an official notification from St. Petersburg that my papers arrived on August 1st and were distributed to the addresses on the same day. The Emperor leaves St. Petersburg on the 7th or 8th. The Church concludes all its various petitions to God with the following words: “let us commit ourselves, each other, and our whole life to Christ our God!” I conclude my letter with these words. I answer your letter dated August 22 from Kherson: I am no longer the Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea. On August 21, I received a letter from the Synodal Chief Prosecutor with the following content: “By the Highest command, I have the honor to notify Your Eminence that your most loyal letter of last July 24 was received favorably by His Imperial Majesty and your wishes expressed in it are satisfied. August 6th, 1861." – According to private letters, the Emperor handed over my letter to the Synod on August 4; The Synod expressed its consent to satisfy my desire on the 5th. This is the all-merciful will of God for me, giving me time and convenience to thoroughly prepare myself for the transition to eternity through thorough repentance. Some believe that I should remain in the official field for public benefit. There is an answer to this in the Gospel, which says: “What good is it for a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul”? Having taken up the acquisition of my soul for God, I can all the more conveniently help those of my neighbors who have the intention of acquiring their souls, being unentertained by external concerns about the church administration, into which much that is not churchly has crept in. Not being already the Bishop of the Black Sea Region, I do not have the right to meet the Emperor in Ekaterinodar. In response to your letter of the 18th; hear the following instruction of the Holy Fathers: “As long as a ship is at sea, it must necessarily be exposed to the diverse influence of the elements; when he enters the haven, then he enjoys peace, and the owner of the ship makes a purchase that is most profitable for him. The latter, that is, peace and profitable trade would not have existed if the difficult voyage on the sea had not been undertaken and if all obstacles and disasters had not been overcome.” Take this to yourself and strengthen yourself with hope in God, whom you intend to serve and join. Swim and swim across the stormy abyss in the Lord. Correct damage that cannot but happen through repentance. Believe and don’t relax. In this case you will certainly be saved. For God in no way leaves the person who does not leave God himself, despite the stumbling blocks encountered due to weakness and damage to the nature by sin. God will certainly lead such a person to salvation. But telling God: save me this way and that is impossible. Because salvation, as a gift of God, is beyond human comprehension; Why should anyone who wants to be saved ask for salvation from God, as the ineffable mercy of God, completely surrendering himself to the will of God? No. 153. On the necessity for salvation of sorrows and temptations There is no decree on my dismissal yet, but I am ready. Thus, the all-holy and all-good will of God for me was determined. It gives me the opportunity to be useful to myself and to my neighbors in a spiritual sense, in an essentially necessary and useful way. Glory to the Providence and Mercy of God! “As I was dismissed from the management of the diocese, I did not consider myself entitled to travel to Yekaterinodar. Regarding the stumbling blocks that occur to a Christian while he, by the inscrutable destinies of God, is among the world, the following opinion of the Holy Fathers was written, which does not hurt to repeat. A Christian is like a ship, and the life of a Christian, among people and the world, is like a ship sailing on the sea. While the ship is at sea, it is exposed to the influence of winds, currents, stormy waves, hits underwater rocks, collides with other ships, is exposed to various dangers, and suffers various injuries, which are healed by repentance. When he enters the pier, then he is out of all danger; the owner unloads the goods with which the ship was filled, carries out trade and makes big profits: It is impossible to demand for a ship, when it is on the open sea, the peace that it enjoys at the pier; It is impossible on the open sea to trade the goods available on the ship. Again it is impossible for a ship to enter a quiet haven unless it first undergoes a difficult voyage on the open sea. In the same way, it is impossible for a person, as long as he is among people, not to be subjected to many different misfortunes arising from the world and from his own fall, until God brings him to a quiet refuge. God knows how long a person must endure, among the waves and storms of the sea of ​​life, and when to bring him into the quiet haven of repentance, undisturbed by the waves. But the abundant fruit gathered in solitude is the consequence of a arduous stay among people. The second is the basis for the first, and the first cannot take place unless the second precedes it. Why should everyone who wants to be saved without sin must surrender themselves with full faith to the All-Holy will of God and pray to God to grant them salvation, for salvation is not a human undertaking or a human act, but the work of God and the gift of God to man. Thank God for everything! Glory to God, who grants that person who has an extreme and significant need to repent of sins committed while having fun spend the rest of his days away from entertainment. I am at peace with the actions of the Moscow Metropolitan and others: for they are not carried out without God’s permission, and God leads a person to spiritual goals in ways that, in appearance, have the character of troubles and misfortunes. Glory to the Wisdom of our All-Good God. And in the evening I received a Synodal decree granting me the management of the Babayevsky Monastery with the rights of a diocesan Bishop with 1000 rubles. ser. pensions. All that remains is to thank and glorify God, who has given me a position that could not be better desired. I think I'll leave on the 15th. The Synod did not give any passes or lifts. There is also nothing from Tiflis. No. 156. On the proper attitude towards temptation By the grace of God, I arrived safely on September 30 in the evening in Moscow and stopped at Pr. The vicar, as well as the Metropolitan, was received very kindly. If they acted against me, they did it out of darkness and infatuation, and not out of malice, since the temptation that expelled me from the diocese was arranged by demons, with the permission of God, who allowed both demons and people acting under their influence to act against me, but thereby contribute to the fulfillment of God’s will for me, who was pleased to grant me time for repentance before my death. Lecturer Mark the Ascetic said: “When temptation comes, do not look for how or from whom it came, but look for something to endure it with thanksgiving.” Forbidden Rev. Mark's proceedings only lead to confusion in the soul and help to sow in it the seeds of hatred and resentment towards one's neighbors; and thanksgiving to God for the temptation sent brings the soul into the haven of faith, makes peace with others and serves as the cause of spiritual joy. With this view of the actions of hostile people, I attract peace into my soul. And I found in the most satisfactory situation: He enters on the true path and begins to understand monasticism as it is. In this I see God’s indescribable blessing and favor towards You and A. All the perplexities sown by the enemy between him and You dissipated by themselves by the grace and wave of God. All you have to do is console yourself and thank God; Based on the spiritual blessings received, we hope that these blessings will continue to be poured out, and at the same time stay awake and sober, so that the blessings given are not stolen from our very hands by invisible and never-slumbering enemies. Save yourself! I received your letter from Kursk. A is doing well; noticeably improving in health; engages in monastic life with attention and diligence. God bless this sweet child! The special mercy of God brought me to a quiet refuge. Whoever wants to serve God must pray to God that God will accept his intention and arrange for him to depart from the world. My exit took place in Your eyes. When convenience presents itself, you yourself should not indulge in double-mindedness. It's eleven o'clock! The field of repentance can be closed by death in a short time. There is no time to look at the sides. I received your letter dated November 26th. We live well; My weakness is greatly aggravated by the lack of warmth in the room, but Alexey Petrovich has greatly improved his health and is getting used to the true spiritual life. The entire room requires significant re-arranging. In my cells the room temperature hardly rises to 12°. Salvation is a gift from God. Whoever wants to receive salvation must pray to God to grant him His gift. The Babaevsky Monastery is very secluded, especially in winter, and therefore demonic warfare is noticeably active here; but God is the King of the world and the Almighty, why for those who have surrendered to God are demonic battles not terrible, but rather contribute to prosperity. I congratulate you on the holidays and the New Year. May God's mercy cover you. Anyone who wants to be saved must surrender to the will of God and pray to God, so that God will speak, that is, show him the path of salvation. Man does not know what is intended for him by God's Providence. Especially in our time of general hesitation, every situation becomes unfaithful and unstable if God, with His all-powerful Hand, does not strengthen it and make it true. No. 160. On Pyotr Alexandrovich leaving the ministry and on other subjects I received your letter dated December 17th on January 3rd. May the Lord arrange you according to His all-holy will and according to His ineffable mercy. Rely on God. If the time has come for your dismissal, then you will be fired; if they stop you, then be peaceful and try to live to please God, moving away from sin, especially mortal sin. We do not say to God: save me this way and that, but we say: “In the image of your destinies, save me.” Salvation is a gift of God, not a human invention. If it is God’s will that you be fired, then all circumstances will promote your dismissal. In Your eyes, what happened to me happened: I was suddenly snatched from one position, as if by a whirlwind, and placed in another. But this other position cannot yet be recognized as valid due to the unfoundedness of the circumstances: it will take some time for it to become more definite. Alexey has gained a lot of weight and already has a blush on his cheeks. It is advisable that you be given the promised pension: Your years are approaching old age, and insufficient maintenance will be very constraining, but sufficient will provide comforts that can be called necessary. Money A.P. must be left untouched, for this is his thought, and an order contrary to it can greatly confuse him. A solid thought under the current circumstances! The young man may have to end his monastic life outside the monastery. From the published works it is clear that the entire educated society in all classes has adopted a new direction, which should have corresponding results. Bread is becoming more expensive everywhere; Due to the strong decrease in crops, one should expect a significant increase in the cost of crops even with good harvests. Lack of money is widespread! However, news from the capital is more difficult to reach here than to the Caucasus; They often come here very distorted. Babaevsky Monastery is like a separate world! This dignity is given to him by his extraordinary solitude. May God arrange you according to His holy will! Earthly life means nothing compared to eternal life. The first is given solely to prepare for the second. We must not waste time, otherwise death will creep up in an unnoticeable way and snatch us away unprepared for the judgment of God. However, I repeat: you must rely on the will of God. Nowadays you cannot understand or foresee what needs to be done and how you should act. “Do not consider what the present day will bring forth,” says the Holy Scripture. With the current direction of minds, it is unknown how long the monasteries will last and how reliable the shelter in them is: For this reason, I look at Alexei with condolences! We are old, we are reaching the end of our time, but he is beginning to live. We must pray to God to do His holy will over us, and not persist in following our own, even though it is well-intentioned. Mr. Shchapov was appointed here to admonish him. What a late measure! When his works spread throughout Russia, they were, and probably still are, read by the majority with delight and enthusiasm; when Shchapov has completely completed his work, then they send him to the Monastery. A monastery for the face, if there is God's mercy towards it, can be useful; but this person is already alien to his work, which has acquired its own meaning and independence. Both students of the Caucasian Seminary, sent with me to the Kazan Academy, are involved in the case. These are sacrifices; the priests are on the sidelines. Every trifle that now appears in print is imbued with a revolutionary spirit. The direction has become universal. The peasant question has become an all-Russian question. The depletion of funds from the landowners affected the well-being of the merchants; the rise in the price of bread and other supplies of life, prices that are constantly rising and must rise, affects the situation of all city residents. The peasants become infected with the most violent spirit, which is spread into them by various ill-intentioned people from outside and from among them. Be healthy and prosperous. May God's mercy protect you. Guard and protect Your soul amid the general moral flood. No. 162. About the modern Reverend. Ignatius of public life Everything has been done by You on Your part; may the Merciful Lord arrange the rest according to His Holy Will. “The days are evil,” says Holy Scripture. Inconspicuously they flow away one after another. Nowadays the century moves quickly; It seems that since the fall, since my arrival here, it has gone even faster; The autumn events gave a great impetus and made a significant revolution. Ignatiev, Putyatin, were replaced by people of a different direction. The old direction gives way to a new direction; the new one has not yet been determined. You don't know what to do or how to be. Nothing positive has been heard about the progress of Prince Baryatinsky’s illness; All you can hear is that he is incurably ill. How wrong everything in life is! Just see that he, or someone like him, and those like him will leave the stage. – Bread prices are increasing. In St. Petersburg, merchants selling luxury goods and conveniences do not know what to do: there are no buyers. Necessary items are available, but prices for everything are very high. Labor costs have risen. The great work of liberating the peasants is fraught with significant difficulties, to overcome which, firstly, the special help of God is needed, and then the wisest, most vigilant human activity. You, as governor, need this information for consideration. I don’t go out anywhere: I’m in very bad health. I have gotten used to this condition, and therefore it does not seem very difficult to me. Since it is obvious that bread will rise in price more and more, I want to strengthen the monastic farming. What God will give; everything is wrong; every position is wrong; nothing serious that requires time can be undertaken; – We need to think about Alexei. We are old, we are becoming obsolete; he is a child, just entering life. I see that the hand of God is leading you out of the Caucasus. N.N. wrote to you under the influence of modern circumstances, which have moved far forward since the time of his letter. Nothing has been heard about a change of power in the Caucasus, but a change must certainly follow as a logical consequence of other changes. I don’t write anything about St. Petersburg news. The pace incessantly accelerates and takes on a decisive character. What has barely begun can be considered finished. The people of the previous direction have almost all left the official field; they are being replaced by people of a new direction, young, capable of their work, full of energy, acting unanimously. Probably our good friend Neverov will also come into play. These are difficult times! In this mail I received an order from the Cabinet to give me 3,000 rubles as a pension. ser. from the Yaroslavl Treasury. I would like to give something to the monastery from this money, but setting up a shelter with furniture requires more than this amount. – I don’t leave the room and with the strictest diet I feel an extraordinary increase in blood. The solitude here is very comforting; it produces a saving influence on the soul, little by little erasing worldly memories. Whatever God pleases, you will be with us in this difficult age. Thank you for the birthday wishes in temporary life. Exactly; There is nothing to congratulate! It is not known whether this birth will cause eternal joy or eternal grief. When a soul, having passed, by the grace of God, demonic ordeals, enters heaven, then the inhabitants of heaven greet it with love and joy and bring it congratulations. This is a correct, unmistakable congratulation. A.P. made a big mistake; does not understand the situation; child. It hasn't developed yet. Dear, kind child, sheep. Things are moving extremely quickly. It seems like ten years have passed since You were here. My position is tricky. But with God even the tricky is not tricky. Pray, Father, to God for me, so that He will grant me to behave as befits a servant of Christ and not allow me to be carried away by the suggestions of Satan. Let us give ourselves, each other and our whole life to Christ our God. No. 166. About Peter Alexandrovich’s intention to retire from the world to the Babaevsky Monastery If God's permission follows, then some Bogomolets have the desire to enter the Bab. a monastery for cohabitation with me and preparing myself for the transition to eternity, to which transition I am called by my constantly growing and multiplying infirmities. The Holy Fathers affirm that anyone who wants to join a monastery must choose a way of life that would correspond to his spiritual goal and lead to it. Reasoning about the position that would befit the most mentioned Bogomolets, I consider it best for him to enter into relations with the monastery as a monastery ktitor. Remaining in secular rank and dress, he can live permanently in a monastery; making a feasible arbitrary monetary contribution, managing the agriculture of the monastery, which must certainly improve, managing buildings, attending to the affairs of the monastery in the capitals and neighboring cities; the ktitor will have the character of a benefactor before the monastic brotherhood and in general before the clergy. This external position also corresponds to the spiritual needs of those who have newly entered the monastery and need material pursuits. The transition from secular entertainment to unbreakable deep silence must be gradual. After classes involving some generally useful work that is useful for the monastery and brotherhood, God will create a very calm situation, based on previous work associated with entertainment. This general order is indicated by the Holy Fathers in the ordinary course of affairs. But during social upheavals and misadventures it happens differently, and it is impossible to predict what will follow, how and how the earthly wandering will end. We must fulfill ours and leave it to God to fulfill His unknown destinies. Looking at the present prosperity and general peace, the disasters from Batu or the Lithuanians seem fabulous. However, they were, they came when they were not expected at all; they found the people unprepared for them. It seems that the disasters from the Lithuanians were worse than from Batu. This one passed through Russia as a fleeting storm, destroying almost only cities, while the Lithuanians nested for a long time, destroying both cities and villages. In the Cheremenetsky Monastery of St. Petersburg. The diocese has preserved information that they massacred the entire brotherhood of this monastery. This is what they did with many monasteries. Death, which appears unhappy in appearance, may in essence be the most blissful. Of course, in these difficult times, many of the Orthodox were crowned. Alexey II. today St. received communion. Tyne. After communion, his face acquired an unusually pleasant expression. O. Feofan testifies that he has the softest heart. The position of ktitor also for Alexei II. It will be very useful, who knows how long I will last. Very exhausted! In the event of my death, all of the Lord's brotherhood is required to have a defender of considerable weight. Be healthy and prosperous. May God's blessing rest upon You. Your most devoted brother No. 167. About the need to surrender to the will of God and other subjects I received your letter dated February 14th on March 10th. Since this answer should come to You around March 23, I congratulate You on your Birthday, earnestly wishing that the day of your entry into existence would be a truly happy day for You, as a guarantee of eternal bliss. The newly-minted saint of God Tikhon spoke about his time that it was very difficult for those who were being saved by the increased number of people of the opposite direction; what can I say now? May the will of the All-Holy God be accomplished, both in His actions and in His allowances. Money for panagia 3125 rub. ser. I received it on March 4th. I gave 1000 to the monastery, and I keep the rest until Your arrival or until Your position is certain, what direction they will take. Rely on the will of God. You've done yours. We don't know the future; we judge according to our short-sightedness, and therefore in solving matters we must rely on God, who provides for everything and often does not give us what we recognize as good for us, and which, being in itself definitely good, is not given to us, because for us it may have other consequences. Surrender to the will of God and be peaceful. Alexey Petrovich took the smallest amount of salfur for some time, which is why scrofula began to pour out, onto his face and head. This is good,. Considers continuing to use a useful medicine. In general, homeopathy works here with excellent success. – There is no special news here. A new chief prosecutor was appointed to the Synod - Akhmatov, the former Kharkov military governor; Tolstoy - to the State Council. At the end of February, I received a notification that Mr. Shtatsov had been forgiven by the Sovereign Emperor and would not arrive at the Babaevsky Monastery. Be healthy and prosperous. May God's abundant blessing rest upon You. Your most devoted brother: Bishop Ignatius. R.S. I wrote to St. Petersburg to Archimandrite Sergius so that he would hurry Gornostaev regarding the expulsion of the plans for the Mozdok Church. No. 168. About Alexey Petrovich Aleksey worries me the most. Child! He wanted to be tonsured into the cassock, but I postponed it until Your arrival. Times are difficult! Further even more difficult! He does not see this and does not suspect that when acting for the present, one must think very seriously about the future. Morally it is comforting. Has a very soft heart. May the merciful Lord grant You to complete Your affairs safely! You have nothing in this world. One son! and he is in the monastery. The new young ministers are busy with activity, and success is likely to crown their work. The Synod has a new Chief Prosecutor, Akhmatov, a good friend of Andrei Muravyov, who wrote to me, expressing his desire that I would enter public service again, after my health had improved. I answered with a decisive refusal, but due to the ability of circumstances to revolutionize, you won’t know anything in the future, and therefore you can’t make any guesses. Also, nothing real can be accepted as true. May the merciful Lord arrange Your circumstances according to His All-Holy will and His great mercy. The ineffable mercy of God, when God calls someone during this life to repentance and to careful preparation for eternity. No. 170. About dying visions and proper attitude towards them Dearest friend and brother Pyotr Alexandrovich! I have now received your letter dated March 15th and I hasten to answer: because my Nikolai is going to Yaroslavl tomorrow along the last and already very difficult winter route; then we must expect a thaw, during which there will be no communication between the monastery and its neighboring provincial towns for about two weeks. With heartfelt sympathy I heard the news of the death of Alexandra Ivanovna Markova, for whom I was very pleased. Take the trouble to convey to Sergei Alexandrovich my blessing and zealous bow. God, according to His unsearchable destinies, having allowed him severe grief, is also able to send spiritual consolation. In temporary sorrows, it is often brought up, especially at the death of loved ones, by the thought of one’s own death. It is not useful to be curious about near-death phenomena. If God had been pleased to show something with clarity, then it would have been shown that way. All people, without exception, enter the world of spirits by death. This world opens up to others earlier, to others later. In St. Petersburg, one secular lady, when I was the rector of the Sergius Hermitage, was tortured for three days in the hearing of all those present. The ways of God cannot be understood. Sometimes a miracle is given to the most unbelieving and bitter people, and they remain in their unbelief and bitterness. Judging by what you write, we must understand that the deceased had a vision before her death. One can also conclude regarding the late Fr. Alexander - Andryusha, who died in my presence; I was sitting by his bed at the time of his death. What is unclear, as I said, is best left without interpretation, because an attempt at interpretation can be harmful to the soul, can serve as a reason for an inconspicuous hobby, to deceive oneself, to obtain a mood capable of deceiving oneself. I’m very sorry for Prince Baryatinsky as a person. Here is one of the sad examples of earthly happiness. How vain, perverse, fragile, insignificant everything here is! The prince - in the midst of happiness - is unlucky, in the midst of pleasures - a sufferer. All brilliant earthly situations are similar in their variability to his position, with the insignificant difference that some situations collapse sooner, while others do not so quickly. In comparison with eternity, both the quick and the slow earthly are equally quick. We are doing well. For a long time no one known from the noisy world came to our quiet abode. My health seems to be better. Homeopathy began to have a beneficial effect on me after bloodletting, which was nothing more than a consequence of treatment with waters. However, my companions say that my face has changed a lot. I surrender to the will and mercy of God. May God's blessing rest upon You. Your most devoted brother, Bishop Ignatius. No. 171. On the need for repentance and other subjects Dearest Friend and Brother Pyotr Alexandrovich! I bring You my sincere gratitude for your congratulations on the Feast of Holidays in Your letter from April 11th to 12th. Maybe this answer of mine will find you back in Stavropol, and that’s why I don’t stop writing. The Holy Fathers liken the life of a Christian to the sailing of a ship at sea, and retirement into solitude to the entry of a ship into a pier. While you are at sea, says St. Barsanuphius, wait for winds and storms; There is rarely silence or a completely tailwind there. Consequently, one cannot and should not demand from the heart a constant stay in holy sensations: and it is good that these sensations are given at least for a while, then leaving information in the soul about their existence. In your affairs, rely on the will of God. Both of us will not be wandering on earth for long. Pray to God to grant you to spend the rest of your earthly life in repentance; this is a great gift of God, an eternal gift, as having a decisive influence on our destiny in eternity. St. Tikhon of Voronezh, before his death, especially thanked God for giving him this gift. Exactly: at death, all the preciousness of this gift will be revealed. This is how we reason, and this is how we should pray. But, says St. Isaac of Syria, if you pray to God for something, and He hesitates in granting what you ask, then do not grieve; you are no wiser than God. This happens for various reasons, incomprehensible to a limited person. Therefore, it is quite fair, with the best desires and undertakings, to surrender oneself to the will of God. We are doing well. Seems; Homeopathy is starting to help me. Its action can be likened to the action of a chisel and a carver, which require the preliminary action of an ax and other rough tools, the action of which I liken to the action of the Caucasian waters on me. - Alexey Petrovich is growing. Your remark is correct that God had a special mercy for him, which brought him to the monastery at the most difficult time of his life in moral terms. Especially. the local monastery is precious for its solitude from objects of temptation; In addition, the young man entered into close and frequent communication with his confessor, Fr. Feofan, who both consoles him and scolds him: both are beneficial. It is impossible to demand from Alexei that he understand modernity, but it is my duty, especially yours: to protect him from the abyss into which he can easily plunge due to his blindness. May the merciful Lord, who began to arrange his path, arrange it to the end. Mikhail Chikhachov writes to me, he begins to lose his health, he falls apart. For all your time. We are all guests on earth. May the blessing and mercy of God rest upon You. Your most devoted brother, Bishop Ignatius. No. 172. On the need for repentance and other subjects I received your letter dated April 22 on May 7. I answer, believing that my answer may still find you in Stavropol. It is good that You did everything concerning yourself that depended on You; the rest you entrust to the Lord God. The insurance that comes to you comes from the left side. This will be proven by the fact that it will depart from the thoughts of faith when you place your trust in God, in whose will is our life and death. Each of us must die. Timely preparation for death is a precious gift of God, and therefore our invisible enemies are intensifying to steal it from us. May the merciful Lord abolish them, sending us the correct view of temporary and eternal life, so that we, in order to gain bliss in the second, properly use the first, which in itself, as quickly passing, would not have any significance if it did not decide our eternal fate of St. Tikhon, when he left the Diocese and entered the monastery, evil thoughts lured him out of the monastery for a year, imagining to him that he can be useful in the midst of the world. When the Saint realized that this was an enemy plot, attempting, under a plausible pretext, to steal from him the time given by God for repentance, then he calmed down and turned all his attention to taking advantage of God’s gift. When these lines were written on the evening of May 8th, during the bell service for the all-night vigil (the 9th is the monastery's church holiday), I received your letter dated April 25th through Alexandra Ivanovna Samarina, and I hasten to answer it so that today my letter could be sent to Yaroslavl with the person who delivered your letter to me. Definitely wait until you resign. Faith must be combined with prudence, which is recognized as the greatest Christian virtue. Do not demand righteousness from yourself and do not be embarrassed by sinful thoughts and feelings that arise, otherwise all your activities will take a false direction. We must resist sin and not get carried away by it. Act wisely and cautiously. You see for yourself that in general things are becoming confusing. “Be careful how dangerously you walk,” says the Holy Scripture. May the merciful Lord enlighten and bless you. Your most devoted brother, Bishop Ignatius. No. 173. On the upcoming reforms of public life I received your letters dated May 4 and 9 on the 20th, the day of Angel Alexei Petrovich. I answered Your main question and other secondary questions. Thanks to the good advice from Tiflis; it also states that one must wait for a decision, i.e., resignation. Matters in general are such that one must act for the sake of God, guided by God-given law and reason, leaving everything else to God: for there is no way to recognize any prudent consideration as correct, everything is so shaky. There are rumors here, which should be considered plausible, that the Sovereign Emperor, at the inspiration of his angelic heart, wants to bestow a lot on his subjects on the occasion of the coming millennium of Russia. Following the solution of the peasant question, there must be a solution to another or other issues, no less important, and which ones I don’t know, and I’m not interested in knowing, being primarily occupied with my own soreness. It is known that after the leading questions, subsequent questions always arise or arise, the existence of which is often not assumed, while they cover their fathers and mothers with their importance. So, when the foundation is laid, the work seems so enormous, but when the building is built, the foundation becomes completely invisible. It is unknown what will come of all this; We should expect big reforms in every possible way. May God's mercy cover Russia! It seems that I wrote to You that we should not transgress the will of God with our will, but, having done what is due on our part, leave the rest to God. I thank God for the establishment of the Caucasian See, in which You took a significant part, and for which may God’s blessing rest upon You. Do not ignore the affairs of the House of Bishops with Krupensky. My health seems to be improving from homeopathy, which works especially well after the waters; this is the action of small chisels after the axe. Take the trouble to convey to all my good friends my most sincere bow, and to the Goloushevs my heartfelt joy about the recovery of the head of the family. I remember with special gratitude their kindness towards me. Your child and other brothers bow to You most earnestly. Your most devoted friend and brother, Bishop Ignatius. No. 174. About sinful thoughts In the Word about the various relationships of human nature to good and evil, it is described in detail how in a person who begins a truly godly life, various sinful thoughts begin to arise, through which the state of fall in which all humanity finds itself is actually revealed to him. This view of oneself leads to true repentance. Therefore, one should not be at all embarrassed by the multitude of thoughts that arise. This is a cloud of dust blown by the wind. The wind from the other side will carry it away. The merciful Lord will arrange Your path and bring You salvation, through His destinies. I repeat the saying of Isaac of Syria: “If you pray to Bor about something, and He hesitates to hear you, do not grieve about it; you are no smarter than God. This is done this way according to the wisest Providence of God, incomprehensible to the human mind.” And the fact that God loves us incomparably more than how much we love and can love ourselves must be believed without a doubt.” “Everything,” the Saint concludes his judgment on this subject, “is conveniently achieved and is quickly lost. However, everything acquired with heart disease is stored carefully." Let everything pleasing to God be accomplished over everyone, everything that God allows, but we must pay attention to ourselves and not look at the outside, for our migration into eternity has approached. There is no point in staring at the hotel-land and at what is happening in it. No. 176. About the departure of Pyotr Alexandrovich from the world Blessed be God, who freed You from the bonds of the world and gave You the opportunity to prepare through repentance for the transition to eternity. The Babaevsky Monastery is a very convenient place for such a life, for such a purpose, for the purpose of preparing oneself for eternity. The monastery is very secluded, not only in winter, but also in summer. While You are in Moscow, it does not bother You to visit the Metropolitan and the Vicar and accept their blessing, like the Saints. On the original will of Bishop Ignatius there are the following inscriptions: 1). “I certify that this letter was written and signed by the hand of His Eminence Bishop Ignatius. Kostroma Provincial Prosecutor Collegiate Advisor and Cavalier Pyotr Nikolaev Kashchiev. That this letter was written and signed by the hand of His Eminence Bishop Ignatius, I certify - Advisor to the Kostroma Provincial Board, Court Advisor Alexander Vasilyev Popov. I certify the same to the Chairman of the Kostroma Civil Chamber, Collegiate Assessor Pyotr Ivanov Korovin. 2). “By Decree of His Imperial Majesty, this inscription was made that this home spiritual will, after the death of the testator, His Eminence Bishop Ignatius, which followed on April 30th of this 1867, was submitted to the Kostroma Chamber of the Civil Court on May 12th of this year at the request of the testator’s brother, Actual State Councilor Peter Alexandrovich Brianchaninov. The Civil Chamber for the selection of established interrogations from those who signed the will, by a resolution held on July 20, concluded: seeing that the home spiritual will of the Most Reverend Bishop Ignatius in its form was drawn up in accordance with 1014,1046,1050,1051 and 1054 art., I part 10 t., was submitted for appearance at the established time 1060 and 1063 art. term, its authenticity is certified by a legal number of witnesses and disputes, the will is not declared from anyone, the Civil Chamber, without entering, by force of Art. 1042. I hour X t., in consideration of the legality of the orders contained in the will, determines the authenticity of this will to be certified with entry into the land register and wholesale to be carried out on the will established by Art. 917. 1, part 10 t. inscription, issue it to the bearer Actual State Councilor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov, and collect from him 3 rubles for the act, stamp duties for the simple, five sheets, paper - 2 rubles used in this case instead of the stamp. and for the sheet following for writing a will, at the price of the estate 700 rubles. and according to the amount of pension not received by the testator, 250, a total of nine hundred and fifty rubles, – 3 rubles. 50 k., and only eight rubles 50 k., serf duties from the price of the bequeathed estate, on a basis of 372 art. Vol. V Establishment about the duty and 376 art. the same volume and charter, following the continuation of 1864, shall not be recovered, since the estate passes to the testator’s brother with the issuance of some things from him to the brethren of the Nikolaev Babayevsky Monastery. About the note of money 8 r. 50 k. in the parish to give a decree to the accountant. As a result, the indicated duties are 8 rubles. 50 k. recovered and recorded in the parish, and this home spiritual will, according to a note in the original in the land register under No. 35, was issued to the Actual State Councilor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Bryanchaninov with a receipt in that book on July 25, 1867. For the chairman, his comrade N. Frenev, secretary Nikolai Baskakov, and I. D. Chief Remshchov. Seal of the Kostroma Civil Chamber. No. 178. On the publication of the works of Bishop Ignatius May the merciful Lord bless your journey and grant from His spiritual treasury the mind and wisdom to accomplish everything according to His holy will, for the glory of His holy name and for the benefit of our souls. When I lived in the Sergeev Hermitage, they did not favor my works being published in print, having their own reasons for this. Perhaps these reasons still exist. As for me, I in no way seek the publication of my works, I do not in any way recognize them as worthy of publication or capable of edifying Christian society. Therefore, if you encounter an obstacle to printing, then do not try to get it printed. At first they didn’t tell me directly; We used our own technique to refuse. This is exactly how they messed up the manuscript and changed the essay in such a way that the manuscript became worthless, and the essay became alien to me and acquired a distorted appearance that could seduce the reader and make the author the laughing stock of the public. Subsequently, one censor was so kind as to say that there was a secret order regarding my works, after which I did not bother the censor by submitting my works there. 7 And now I will be completely peaceful if they refuse to publish it. In general, the writings of people who lived an ascetic life are much more convenient to print after their death. So, if intercourse is first announced, then let those works be published that I have appointed for publication. If you see doubts and hesitations, then this is a sure sign of reluctance. Do not allow, my father, to spoil the manuscript of the “Teachings.” We have only one, and it can be useful for our private use. May God make it better! Maybe the refusal to publish will serve me, and in general, for the good: it will protect us from many troubles that may arise from the publication itself, according to the spirit of the times and due to the many ill-wishers. Our age is very wise and requires special wisdom in behavior. However, may the Lord grant you to act with wisdom. In my opinion, we must guard with the greatest care our position, created and given to us by God Himself for our preparation for the transition to eternity, to the edges of which we have both approached, and I have especially approached. My health is as it was. Now he will give you away, then again he will press you so hard that you will inevitably begin to think about death. Thick cotton curtains were hung in my bedroom, which is why this cell took on a reclusive character. “I have never been so pleased with my premises!” Sometimes you look at my two little rooms; - and they seem like paradise. In general, my situation on Babayki is the most consistent with the state of my health and mental mood, and therefore the most satisfactory. It is noticeable that it is getting better and better! this suggests that we will be very We are calm when we have settled down and settled down - when those who fear us are convinced that there is nothing to fear. No. 180. On the writings of Bishop Ignatius and on other subjects Firstly: may God’s mercy and blessing cover us and grant You to arrange everything according to the holy will of God for our salvation and peace; to the salvation and peace of our cohabiting fathers and brothers. About my writings. It is not without the Providence of God that their publication, which had hitherto encountered difficulties, was arranged. We recently spoke with Fr. Justin that the ancient patristic books for monks cannot in any way be fully applied to modern Russian monasticism. The most applicable book is Prev. Nile of Sorsky, but even that one was written specifically for the silent. What did I see recently, reviewing what I wrote for correspondence with Fr. Moses. I saw that my sinful writings contained an adaptation of the teachings of St. Nile to modern monasticism, namely “Ascetic Experiences” can satisfy this goal. Fr. rewrites them. Moses. I am sincerely glad that you got along with P.I. Solomon. Personally, I don’t know him, but with Evdokia St. and A.V. I'm on better terms. I probably know Solomon’s wife, but I don’t remember her and don’t know her name; write it to me. Don’t be surprised at Akhmatov’s technique: people who know the world well are usually distrustful, and this is very smart; and whoever is trusting will be taught by bitter experiences to be distrustful. Our needs are very small. The Chief Prosecutor should not worry about them. If P. I-ch is attentive to them, that will be enough. I will be very glad to personally meet P.I. and his family, if they visit the Babaevsky Monastery, which in terms of brotherhood and rules is very similar to Optina. The monastery here is less visited, and the brotherhood is simpler. About Fr. Justina and the elder brethren. Council P.I. I consider it very thorough, and therefore I will not make any other representation. We must give time for them to look at us and make sure of us. St. Tikhon of Voronezh writes in his cell letters that people judge by themselves. Do you think we are not suspected of any earthly purpose by those who have no other purpose besides an earthly one? They suspect, you know for sure. Give alms little by little, so as not to upset those asking with a refusal. Regarding yourself, be complacent. Ave. Barsanuphius the Great wrote Pr. John, who, before entering into silence, had to bother and work for the organization of the monastery, for which he traveled from Palestine to Egypt: “Do not lose heart in the Sorrows and physical labors that you bear, working for us and for the sake of our community, for this also means laying down your soul for your brothers. I hope that the reward for this work will be great (Response 9). Your future, the strength of your peace of mind, is based on your present entertainment. Today I received your letter dated the 20th. Accept your dream as a reminder of death, without attributing anything special to it and without rejecting it: this is what the Holy Fathers command. On Valaam, an Angel appeared to the Hieroschemamonk Cleopas in reality and told him to prepare for death, which the Hieroschemamonk did, but died nine years later. “With God one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day,” said the Apostle. You rightly and very justly say that the indifference shown to us can be turned to our special benefit - it will allow us, as forgotten and withdrawn from society, to calmly finish the rest of our earthly wanderings in preparation for the future life. Expressed participation could draw us into the world. Termination of relations with P.P. He can also turn to increasing calm, blocking the opportunity to reason with him about the position of the Church, about which the Almighty Lord cares, which He invisibly controls, allowing what it pleases Him to allow. The Holy Fathers do not command the silent ones to engage in the apparently good care of the Church, since they are not called to this, but to pay attention to themselves. No. 188. On the publication of the works of Bishop. Ignatius and other subjects I will be sincerely glad if V.I. Askochensky is the publisher of all my works, and I ask him about this. And in fact, he is the engine of this business! I fully respect the dedication with which he acts. The attacks of progressives to which he is subjected, in my eyes, are the greatest praise for him, since these are attacks of demons on the saints of God. I would be very glad if my assumption, known to you, turned out to be unfair! I'm so scared, I've seen so much maliciousness that I've almost lost faith in the existence of good intentions. Yesterday I received a letter from Ugresh Archimandrite Pimen; writes that his patron is Pr. Leonid talks with the Metropolitan about granting me the diocese, that they have heard rumors about my falling into despondency, and so on. I replied that I was quite satisfied with my current position and that my illness made it impossible for me to correct my official duties. The parcel from St. Petersburg has been received. God bless you for your labors. In general, I believe that your trip clarifies and determines our situation. Having brought peace and benefit to the whole society, you yourself will certainly feel calm, and you will even see that your spiritual pursuit will be more successful. V.I., as a publisher, can send out all my works from himself: It is very inconvenient to send out from here. No. 184. About the inclination of Bishop. Ignatius on solitude and other subjects I am very grateful to You for giving everyone the correct understanding of my situation. I hope that P.I. I will be convinced that public service is impossible for me and that it is possible to be useful to Christian society from solitude, if a person is called to solitude by God. The “Experiments” would never have turned out the way they do now if they had not been the fruit of solitude. The modern need for the “Experiments” will be clearly seen by everyone who understands practical Christian, especially monastic life. It was with special sympathy that I read the news of the death of A.A. Sukharev and about the dangerous illness of Prince Baryatinsky. On the path on which one has gone and the other is going, it is certainly appropriate for all of us to go at the time appointed by God. At the sight of approaching death, all earthly acquisitions lose all meaning. No. 185. About about. Macarius of Optina and other subjects The beginning of my letter will be a response to the end of yours, dated November 8th. It is impossible to keep your mood in the same position amidst rumors, as is possible in solitude. However, even in solitude there are deviations produced by the passions of fallen nature, which cannot but manifest their presence in man. These changes should be looked at prudently, as if at changes in the weather, in comparison made by Pr. Macarius the Great, and do not stay in a hobby for long, rather get out of it. Take the trouble to convey to P.V. that although I do not know her personally, I am very familiar in spirit and am very happy about her acquaintance with the Optina elders. The destinies of God are incomprehensible, but according to human judgment one cannot but regret the death of Fr. Macarius of Optina. This man was an invaluable treasure for Christians living in the midst of the world. He was prepared and destined for the service he was undergoing. Simplicity and freedom in circulation, innate love and humility, self-education by reading the Fatherly books, obedience to skillful elders gave him the opportunity to early become a confessor and mentor, and long-term experience perfected him in this service. Advice from his A.V. would be significantly useful. My path was completely different: I was often sick for a long time, did not leave my cell for a long time, and suffered a lot of troubles. All this separated me from human society and concentrated me within myself. This mental state deprived me of knowledge of people. The further I walk along the path of life, the more this knowledge moves away from me, because I walk very alone. You know that even a monk can only enter into intercourse with me when he takes a very, very close look at me. Strange thing! When my self-view is seen written, then it is liked. Why? Because it also attracts self-concept. I believe that, oh. Antony Bochkov can be much more satisfying than me: he is much more familiar with people than I am. If A.V. If you want to write to me through P.V., then I will consider it my duty to respond in the same way, whatever God pleases to grant in response. Turnip juice very strongly drives away scrofulous and rheumatic sputum. I’m postponing consultations with doctors until spring. I would like not to undergo treatment at all - it distracts me from spiritual work. No. 186. About the writings of Bishop Ignatius Today I finished with the correspondence “A Word about the Fear of God and the Love of God.” The bearing gives articles written at different times and long ago and very long ago, the character of maturity and the character of the whole. Since I did not enter into real work spontaneously, but was somehow introduced by a combination of circumstances, and I see that something special is coming out, then I allow myself to believe that what is happening is not happening without the Providence of God. When you return here and start reading what has been copied, you will see for yourself the meaning that the “Experiments” receive. I do not attribute their composition to myself, but to the mercy of God, firstly, to me, and secondly, to my neighbors. My open life in St. Petersburg, in which suffering was covered up with external brilliance, seduced many and even now keeps many in temptation: “Experiments" can significantly seduce to heal, and to remove from me the sin, at least partly, of the temptation of my neighbors. Moreover, this book can be very useful, as I wrote to you, for all monks, even laymen, who want to be Christians in reality, practically. No matter how meager the book is in comparison with the works of Spiritual Men, it is borrowed from them, and this weak borrowing was bought by me at the cost of my life. St. John of Damascus, when he returned as an old man to live in the monastery of St. Savva, where he began his monasticism, then began revising and correcting his writings. Blessed Augustine, in his old age, compiled a separate book, which he called "Retractions". In it he set out those changes that he recognized as necessary in his writings, since for this reason it was impossible to correct the very writings that had already spread throughout the world. Reading now the works written by me, when I was forty years old, I find a lot of immature, insufficiently understood, and therefore insufficiently explained. Note from P.A. Brianchaninova. In his youth as a cadet, an engineering officer, often being in the circle of modern writers and taking advantage of the special favor of one of them, Gnedich, the Right Reverend Ignatius accepted as a rule and often repeated Gnedich’s advice: that works written before the age of forty, without any exception, be considered decidedly unfinished, in the conviction that from these only years a sufficient maturity of mind, experience and taste can be recognized in the author, and therefore everything written before the age of forty should not be published in print, but left until the mentioned period of life; to which, having revised the work, forward it and then pronounce your judgment on it - either send it to press, or destroy it. This rule, which the Most Reverend Ignatius adhered to, serves as an explanation of why he, speaking about his writings, considers everything he wrote before the age of forty as if it did not exist, and those that he wrote at the age of forty in the above letter are immature relative to the real spiritual height of his understanding. Living in St. Petersburg. The printing of the Words took place according to the special Providence of God. This same Providence of God can protect books from malicious intentions. Place your troubles on God, who foretold that temptations were coming. We need to pay attention to ourselves, to our salvation, and to know that the prophecy of Holy Scripture about the general apostasy from the Orthodox faith must take place in due time. Monk Abel, who predicted the capture of Moscow by the French, said that the time would come when the monks would be driven into several monasteries, and other monasteries would be destroyed. We must understand the spirit of the times and not get carried away by previous concepts and impressions, which are currently impossible to realize. The importance is in Christianity, not in monasticism; monasticism is important to the extent that it leads to perfect Christianity. Even church disasters cannot happen without God’s permission. “Ascetic Experiences” and “Ascetic Sermon” should constitute extremely useful reading for modern true Christians, extremely necessary for them in modern spirit and mood. We must repent, pray and be protected from delusion, because at present the majority of those who want to live piously and think of themselves that they live piously are heated by material fervor, and are in more or less self-delusion. We are all under the Providence of God. The arrangement of external affairs at the present time is to prepare tranquility for the time when external tranquility will be needed due to the acquired internal tranquility. Now you need to examine the fall of man within yourself. “Repay your debt to the passions,” said St. Isaac of Syria. I know little about external affairs, and my mind, being directed towards self-conception since my youth, is little capable of a satisfactory overview of the external, temporary, earthly environment of a person. I hear that my writings, borrowed from the study of the Fathers, met with criticism and some persecution: this is a good sign. God is righteous and measures in the world in which man measures his neighbors. For feeding souls with spiritual food, your soul will be filled with it. This is not my word, this is the word of the Gospel. If only the matter was done not for man-pleasing and not for vanity, but for the glory of God and for the benefit of Christianity. Many many have been tempted: let them be healed by the grace of God with an edifying word for their salvation and mine. All that remains for you and your son is to thank God and preserve the desire for salvation that God has given you, as all earthly things pass by, and eternal salvation acquired over time accompanies a person to the afterlife and leads him into heaven. The internal disorder in the monasteries is so ripe that it needs to break out into the most terrible adventures. General moral disorder and loss of faith are predicted in Holy Scripture: we need to pay attention to ourselves. What times! There is no one to turn to with a power of attorney. The mercy of God led us to the most secluded corner, and, moreover, when I had already lost all hope of seeing a living Vessel of the Holy Spirit on earth, it opened such a Vessel and brought us into close communication with Him. No. 190. On cutting off one’s own will and on other subjects The Lord does not abandon those who give themselves up to serve Him: He allows them to be overwhelmed by sorrow for their training and education. He holds them in His right hand, keeping them like the apple of his eye. From time to time, abuse comes: who doesn’t it come to? They are necessary for spiritual success. Carnal feelings flowing from carnal kinship prevent the assimilation of spiritual feelings and the very activity according to the spiritual law, which requires crucifixion for carnal wisdom. You must seek spiritual success in cutting off your will. This work mortifies passions and removes, as if from hell, from carnal wisdom. In one who cuts off his own will, the action of prayer appears by itself when he exercises attentive prayer, with the mind enclosed in the words of prayer. If a person is not first purified by cutting off his will, then true prayerful action will never be revealed in him. When the prayer action is revealed, then it will become clear that it is nothing more than a complete rejection of one’s will for the sake of the will of God. Now I should have an all-night vigil. At these hours, in 1827, I arrived at the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery to live, straight from my officer’s uniform. No. 192. About the writings of Bishop Ignatius In the conversation about monasticism, I completely threw out the place that was changed when printed in “Home Conversation”, replacing ten pages with two, piously and edifyingly (in a private sense), refusing to judge about putting monasteries in order, although recently, in the writings of St. Anthony the Great, I read exactly the same prediction about monasteries and the reason for their decline, which was written by me. I don’t want it to come out of me mean, evasive and wavering evidence of the truth. They don’t want to listen? It’s better to remain silent. A contagious deadly disease, when it is not treated correctly, but only gets worse, “Experiences” have proven this. The dark and abstract concept of spirits, borrowed from Western scholastics, is equivalent to a complete rejection of them and can decisively confuse true ascetics, as do many of the newest works, written from the same knowledge in letter, in appearance belonging to the Orthodox Church, but in spirit, more or less separated from it. The goal of Matveevsky (critic of “The Tale of Death”) and his party was and is to distract readers from the works of the definitely Orthodox, and to achieve the goal it was necessary to throw mud at the works. This does not bother me; on the contrary, I am encouraged and comforted. Scolding serves as a cleansing for me. Moreover, from Church History it is clear that persons and writings precisely from the Church were met and persecuted by the hatred of the sons of the world. But the power of God appeared from human weakness, and then the persecuted and oppressed won victory over their strong persecutors as a result of the struggle. Monastic life reveals to a person his weaknesses. St. Isaac of Syria said about himself that in this life he received countless wounds from the enemy. It is none other than God who allows the enemy to strike us for our humility. Be peaceful and calm, guarding yourself from inclinations and not demanding non-assertion from yourself. No. 193. On cutting off one’s own will I told you about the need to cut off your will. This applies specifically to the feat of prayer. You must renounce within yourself all consciousness of dignity for prosperity and poverty of spirit (which is the cutting off of the will), in attention to the words and fear of God, stand mentally before God, cry out for mercy and expect everything from the mercy of God. He will do with us according to His will and according to His mercy: then it will be clear that what God has given is completely different from what man expected to receive. For those who have not renounced their will, delusion is dangerous. I am saying what is essential for you. Who should support the Church? This requires people with grace, and carnal wisdom can only damage and destroy, although in its pride and blindness it dreams and proclaims about creation. The writings do not belong to me, but to the grace of God, which either wanted to reward my wretched will, given by it; and those fierce sorrows and persecutions that were allowed to me and from which the Lord delivered me, leading me out of the sea of ​​life into a haven of solitude. "The Wanderer", a magazine harmful to the clergy, as separating them from the people into a caste, and not only not taming, but also inciting hatred of the caste towards other classes. For sheep, wolf weapons are unnatural. The sheep subdued the wolves with love and meekness, and if teeth were used, then the sheep could not resist, especially with the current cooling of the laity towards religion, and even more so towards the clergy. It is impossible for me to think about the diocese due to my poor health and my separate, completely separate character from all the bishops. They are graduates of the Academies, and I am a graduate of the Monastery, therefore, I am a decidedly backward person, in no way suitable for the whole composition. My current situation is the most normal. The publication of my works is obviously the work of Providence. And me, and you, and oh. Photius, and V.I. Askochensky, and Glazunov, and S.I. are tools. Everyone is given a task for the common benefit, and therefore for their own. Those who study Christianity literally and have lost its active study have one teaching for themselves, and another for others. When praying, you need to deny yourself, that is, not recognize yourself as worthy of any success, but resolutely rely on God. One should not even think about success, but make sure that prayer is performed with attention. Subsequently, you will see that all your aspirations for success were nothing more than hobbies - due to material fervor, without which it is impossible for anyone who is again starting a prayer feat, in which they focus and for which all other feats are undertaken as serving him. Conceit is always associated with passion. From self-sacrifice, which is explained above, comes true humility of spirit, poverty of spirit, and such humility attracts the mercy of God to a person. When a person is worthy to feel something spiritual, that is, a feeling from God, then he will understand that all his own spiritual sensations are insignificant and are associated with self-delusion. To get to the promised land you have to go through the desert. Walking through this desert, you need to know that it is a desert, and not a promised land, so as not to mistake any desert oasis with luxurious and rich nature for the promised land and for this reason not to lose the promised land. Oases are those consolations and especially clear self-views that are given from time to time to a beginner in the feat of prayer. You shouldn't pay special attention to them. The first spiritual gift is grace-filled attention during prayer, which is impossible to have with one’s own effort. When old people with wasted health, leaving the direction they have followed for centuries, begin to walk alongside the young, their situation becomes strange. They just get in the way! Good deeds are associated with labor and sorrow. “Virtue,” said a certain father, “unaccompanied by sorrow is not virtue.” No. 198. On cutting off one’s own will I very much agree to publish “The View” in “Home Conversation”, as well as “Additional quotations to the Word about Death, about the location of heaven and hell.” These articles can serve as material or reference for those who want to write a systematic essay on this subject. It was so announced by the liturgical books and the Church books in general, published by determination or approval of the Holy Synod, that the proclamation against this teaching made by the priest Matveevsky aroused the indignation of many Orthodox Christians, about which many wrote to me, offering to cast their vote. At the same time, questions were asked: what will we be ordered to believe, when we are ordered to reject what we learn to believe from our Divine services and from reading the books of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church. In St. Petersburg, fifty priests were seduced by the “Review” in a moment of heat, and in Russia, all reading Orthodoxy was seduced by the priest’s proclamation, seduced both by its content and by the manner of its presentation. The pastors of St. Petersburg need to be more far-sighted, to understand that the transitional state is transitional for everyone, and not to alienate from themselves the flock, of which the upper layer is inclined more than towards indifference, and the lower layer is inclined to fall away into schism. Both the first and second are subject to unfavorable influences on them for the reason that they do not see faith and its fruits where they should be seen. What else is there when a voice is heard against the Church? I know the St. Petersburg clergy. They are very kind people and this is not the first time they have been angry with me. I can treat them as acquaintances, which is why I ask V.I. to pass on the information reported here to them. Law, caution and prudence are needed. Infatuation can be very damaging. What was published in Domestic Conversation that a certain monsieur promised his son that by the time he entered into marriage there would be no priests is said by many monsieurs. Take the trouble to convey from me to V.I. that he is an ascetic, as the only modern voice opposing the reformation principle in the matter of faith and the Church. And for this he is subjected to sorrows and reproaches, which place him in an honorable and high place in the eyes of the Orthodox. This is not my review exclusively: it is a general review. Virtue, the Fathers said, untested by adversity is not virtue. Looking at what is happening in the world, looking at the appointment of certain persons to certain places, let us rely, father, on God and revere His very permission. He provides for everyone. For example, look at yourself: your efforts about spiritual books have opened your eyes so much! And this is necessary as the basis for spiritual living. The blind righteous man will immediately fall into the pit. You yourself can already understand how blindness and wrong views are harmful. They ruin the whole thing. I am sending “The View” and additional quotes to “The Word about Death.” They provide material for developing the issue without any controversy. In essence, this material is such that it will block lips that open against the direct and open teaching of the Church. From “The View” it is clear that all the concepts were borrowed by the reviewer from Western teaching, which is contrary to the teaching of the Eastern Church. No. 200. On the issue of choosing a residence for those who want to be saved There is little hope for the monasteries: they have withered away and been destroyed inside, they are still supported by the hand of God for the sake of several well-intentioned monks, as God promised to spare Sodom and Gomora if ten righteous people were found in them. Hieromonk I. was recently at a big dinner at the Seminary, and when the conversation about monasticism began, they say he raised his voice and fluttered that it was necessary to destroy this useless class of parasites. Also, a certain archimandrite, high in the diocese, said about himself that he would certainly have left monasticism if his regulations had not made it difficult for those leaving it. Not everyone is so frank, but the majority thinks so, that is, the majority of abbots are predominantly from the clergy. Many monasteries have turned from havens of morality and piety into the abyss of immorality and wickedness: the strongest character cannot withstand. For this reason, prayer is needed, fervent prayer to God, so that He will guide N on His path according to His holy will. The opinion of the heated blind people, who see everything in full bloom, should not have any weight. All deeds that are done for the sake of God are associated with sorrows. The Holy Fathers recognize virtue that is not associated with sorrow, rejected by God. True prayer is based on the impression made in the soul by good deeds associated with sorrows. The Scriptures of the Fathers were sealed with the sorrows of the Fathers who wrote them. St. Maximus's hands were cut off for his writings against the Monothelites. So, do not be surprised at our small sorrows and do not be discouraged by them, but rather look at them as evidence of God’s mercy. No. 201. About the writings of Bishop Ignatius Matveevsky’s pamphlet (this abusive and malicious review cannot be called otherwise) was published without hindrance, despite the fact that it rejects the teaching taught in Orthodox Theology, generally accepted in theological educational institutions as determined by the Holy Synod. The "review" of this pamphlet was also printed to reassure the remaining children of the Orthodox Church. If "Quotes" and "View" are published, then nothing more is needed to reassure the children of the Church. The exclamations of the priests, even if they are printed, will not have any meaning for the children of the Church, except for the meaning that these priests have deviated from the teachings of the Church. The polemic on our part can be considered over. If the spiritual authorities want to accept measures to stop the temptation, then this is his good will. The temptation flows from the action of the “Wanderer,” but we should not get involved in this matter. Probably, if they do anything, they will do it at hand. The publication of “Quotes” and “View” will be useful for everyone, because rarely does anyone know that in our liturgical books the location of heaven and hell is expressed with such certainty. The verses and troparia in which this teaching is set forth are read most quickly and without attention, and therefore remain unnoticed by the majority of even the clergy. From a sorrowful and unpleasant matter, perhaps, by the grace of God, a matter of general benefit will emerge. Please, do me a favor and do not tell anyone, any of the spiritual people about the “Review”: it will only bother them and will certainly bring harm to us. It was as if nothing had happened. The matter should not appear to be serious. They will read “Quotes” and “View” and they themselves will understand that it is not clever for them to present themselves to the public as apostates from the Church. Thus, the matter will calm down, and in the future they will be more careful for fear of a “Recall.” I know them: the kindest people. The monastery brought N. undoubted benefit, gave him a pious direction, which usually remains for the rest of his life, sometimes falling asleep for a while, but then awakening again. Don’t be at all embarrassed by N.’s exit from the monastery. His forced and false entry into the monastery was bound to have some outcome. Thank God that the outcome is reasonable and not comical or tragic. I belong to the most zealous monks and recognize monasticism as a Divine institution. What to do when people, according to their carnal wisdom, transformed it into a caricature, and they wanted to replace true monasticism in human eyes with acting, the thought of God, of His omnipresence and perfection, surveying all the depths of the heart, leaving it aside and forgotten. Let us rely on God, who foretold that temptations and apostasies would come. When this is God’s permission, then we have nothing to say and should not be embarrassed. Let everything be done the way God allows everything to be done. We must revere His destinies. Do not be embarrassed because of this sorrowful circumstance, but with humility, without impulses, pour out your sorrow before God, pray to God to cover your son with His mercy and surrender him to the will of God, and take care of the salvation of your soul; this is necessary all the more so since little time remains for you to wander on earth and to prepare yourself for eternity. We are going through a difficult time spiritually! A hundred years before us, St. Tikhon said: “Nowadays there is almost no true piety, but only hypocrisy.” Vices mature over time. Nowadays hypocrisy has reached incredible impudence and shamelessness. Spiritual experience comes at a price. It is better to leave the monastery and lead a life in the world that corresponds to one’s disposition, rather than, living in a monastery with a feeling hostile to it, to lead a life that is not in the least consistent with monastic rules, the inevitable consequence of which is usually the most terrible debauchery. Thank God for everything! May His all-holy will be done over us, and may we be granted the reverence and submission that we are obliged to have towards the destinies of God. Do not be embarrassed by what is happening, but rely on God for your son, who needs the special mercy of God. I continue to talk with them over afternoon tea: my goal in these conversations is the desire to give him the right direction as he enters a new life and to strengthen in him the faith to which his heart began to open and which he did not understand before. At the same time, I advise N to repent before God in order to receive forgiveness from God and attract God’s blessing for his next life. I speak with love, even with gaiety, albeit positively: he listens with attention, and, perhaps, with spiritual benefit. Saint Job said that man’s entire earthly life is a continuous temptation. When it is so determined by God, then we must humbly endure the sorrows of the temptations that befall us, and be admonished by them for our further activities. The Monk Nilus of Sorsky says: “Mnomium hates this great thing, even the cutting off of God’s own will, but now everyone is deprived of his own justification.” About such in the “Divine Ladder” it is said: “It is better to drive away from the Monastery than to leave the novice to do His will: having driven away the most humble one, create in multitudes, and teach to cut off your will,” and whoever, under the guise of love for mankind, condescends to such people, brings them to the point that they terribly curse him during the exodus. In the same article, the Monk Neil says that it is imperative for a monastic to live according to the tradition of the Holy Fathers: although we cannot compare with the Fathers, we must certainly live in their direction and achieve unity with them in spirit. (Ibid.). The Holy Fathers looked at the residence of a father and his Son in a monastery as follows: “The Monk Mukiy wished to live with his eight-year-old son in a certain episcopal hostel, whose abbot was a gracious husband. He realized that there was a special mercy of God for Mukiy, and they accepted both, father and son. Upon acceptance, they were separated, and in order to introduce Torment into the experimental knowledge of self-sacrifice, his son was and is constantly subjected to various sorrows, especially when he was in the eyes of his father. The torment remained firm, with the help of the elder to whom he was given, and began to feel spiritual success due to his selflessness. The abbot, having seen this, wanted to elevate him to a more difficult feat. One day, appearing angry with his son, he ordered his father to throw him into the river. The father immediately did this, but was held back near the shore by the brothers who had previously been planted here. At the same time, the Divine Revelation about Mukiya followed to the abbot, and when the abbot ended, he appointed no one else but Mukiya as his successor, as having reached the highest degree of selflessness, obedience and faith. This story is conveyed by the Monk Cassian for the general edification of monastics. To act exactly like this, you must have the grace of the Holy Hegumen on the one hand and the power of Mukiy’s will on the other, but it is necessary to act in this spirit! An action contrary to this is spiritually recognized as adultery and is counted among actions for the salvation of the soul in this age for its destruction in eternity, contrary to the commandment of the Savior, Who commanded to destroy one’s soul in this age for its salvation in eternity. This is the carnal mercy mentioned by St. Neil: this is that blind mercy that destroys both itself and the one for whom it is merciful. I am writing this so that you will understand the enemy’s machinations. Monastic life is a tricky business: in it the enemy tries to catch and damage the ascetic with his obscene truths. An enemy action is recognized by the deprivation of peace from the heart and by the state of bewilderment into which a person is brought. “Be sober, be vigilant,” says St. Apostle Peter, “your adversary the devil, like a lion, roars, looking for someone to devour.” The devil acts precisely against those who want to be saved, and not against those who are given over to sin and vanity, as if they are self-caught. God allows all this for our humility, so that we can see how easily we are mocked by the invisible enemy and how convenient our destruction is for him, because of our feeble-mindedness and lack of firmness in faith: then the Lord takes us away with His Providence and thereby reveals His inexpressible love and mercy for us, and the enemy’s network is dissolved, like a cobweb. This is all clearly evident from the former temptation. You see now how important for salvation the direction provided by the study of the Holy Fathers is, how rare it is and how hitherto strong and irresistible. You see how subtle the demonic machinations are, how they entangle a person unnoticed by him; You see how modern people are deceitful, how easily one who is saved (who, by the nature of his life, usually acquires simplicity of heart) can be deceived. Woe to one, said the Holy Fathers, but we strengthen brother from brother, as the city is established. I pray to the merciful Lord that He will bless your and mine intentions so that we will not be separated until death. O. Justin is the only person who has entered into unity with me in spirit, who has self-sacrifice and is able to bear the infirmities of his neighbors. He understands You with perfect correctness and sees Your capacity for self-sacrifice. This is the person who, after me, is most likely to be close to You, he is of weak character and deeply overcome by delusion, which he captured in Nikiforovskaya, seeking pleasure before repentance. He upset his spirit with this, distorted his mind, but conceit and pride maintain the charm in him. Here in Russia people are more Orthodox in their hearts than in their mental convictions. No. 205. On the proper attitude towards temptations The first word of this letter is from N. He continues to talk to me at afternoon tea. Consciousness, to whatever degree it was, brought him out of a false, tense state into a more correct, and therefore calmer, state. My advice that one needs to bring repentance to God in a dramatic entry into the monastery and in a dramatic stay in the monastery in order to ward off the wrath of God and to attract God’s blessing for the next life, he accepted and is currently busy with this with obvious benefit for himself. God bless! As for me, I look at the allowed temptation as if it were my own, in the words of the S. Fathers, that is, as one that was necessary for my spiritual benefit, and therefore was allowed by the Providence of God. For this reason, I have no claim against anyone, especially against N., and my concern is focused on ensuring that the fruit of temptation is turned to the benefit of both him and all those whom the temptation touched. O. Justin is unanimous with me, he is in the same mood as me. Regarding N., the essence of the matter is that his residence in the monastery leaves a good impression on him. This should have an impact on his whole life, on his faith, on his salvation. In communicating this to you, I wish that you too would enter into the same mood as me, that is, realize that the temptation was necessary for you, that it was very useful to you, as it opened your eyes to people and to the modern religious trend. Then, your behavior regarding N. should be prudent and God-pleasing. Without the first there can be no second. It is necessary to abandon carnal tenderness as a means of seduction, and act according to the rules of love commanded by the Word of God. The past must be left behind without going into detail with subtle inquiries and questions, which will involve him in lies and deceptions and destroy the good fruits that appeared in the soul from some consciousness of which he was capable. The ability to become conscious does not appear suddenly, but from forcing oneself to constant consciousness and from skill. Everything necessary must be provided to God, begging Him for Mercy. In these cases, prayer is stronger than your own actions. Do not grieve that some of your colleagues are cold towards you. Saint Tikhon wrote from his experience that when a person has dedicated himself to God, then his acquaintances and neighbors become distant from him, and the closer he gets to God, the more they will move away. We don't have long to live on earth! It is a great mercy that He has given you the desire for knowledge of God and salvation, which is the only thing you need and which will accompany you beyond the grave. No. 206. About the need to surrender to the will of God, about the view of Bp. Ignatius on his writings and other subjects Constant reverence for the destinies of God is necessary for correct spiritual living. One must bring oneself into this reverence and submission to God by faith. Everything that happens is accomplished either by the grace of God, or by God’s permission, that is, everything that happens is accomplished according to the destinies of God, incomprehensible to man. The three holy youths in the cave of Babylon confessed God, confessed that all the civil and spiritual disasters allowed to them and the people of Israel were allowed according to the righteous judgment of God. Such a view attracts peace into the soul, does not allow one to get carried away by excitement, directs the vision of the mind to eternity, and brings patience in sorrows, which seem to be short-lived, insignificant accidents and trifles. Anyone called by God to salvation must thank God for the calling and try to take advantage of it. The words spoken by the Lord to His Apostles: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you,” apply to all those called to salvation. I verify this from my own life, and from the lives of those who are being saved: believing it, I find the opinion I expressed to be completely justified by experience. The “Review of the Orthodox” has done its job and has its significance. He explained to the Orthodox the Church Tradition, which is especially important for ascetics, and shut the lips of people of opposing opinions. Matveevsky, although he had the intention of undermining the opinion of the “Word” of the reading public, served to publicize and improve the “Word”, which, in addition to the dignity of the ascetic, received the dignity of a Theological work, the first on this subject in the Russian language, as Matveevsky says in his review. The providence of God arranged the printing of the “Tale of Death” and “Experiments” in the same way as He arranged the writing of them. I do not recognize these works as belonging to me. They flowed from the Fatherly Scriptures and from the mercy of God, and to write them was given to me for the benefit of many souls, and therefore for the benefit of my soul. You too have been given the gift of working in this matter for the salvation of your soul. You yourself see what a need arises for the active teaching of the Fathers, the moral tradition of the Church, almost completely forgotten, to be recalled. Serving the Word of God has always been associated with sorrows, as being contrary to the spirit of the world. But even over the allowance of sorrows, God’s Providence is vigilant, allowing each worker to grieve as much and in such a way that God’s work is accomplished with great humility and purified from the admixture of vanity and exaltation. By the special grace of God, N begins to see all the wrongness of his entry into the monastery and his behavior in the monastery. I try to help him in the repentance that is necessary for him, I showed exactly as it was written to you, the falsity and darkness of his actions, so that his repentance would be true and serve as a solid foundation for the course set before him in the field of earthly life. Having opened the doors into his heart for my wretched words through the slightest consciousness, he gradually moves to a greater consciousness, which provides him with saving self-perception. Because of this self-perception, he came into the right state of mind, for which I thank God. He realized that my words, despite their outward sorrow, were significantly useful for him. It has come to the point that he asks me not to leave him in the future, because of the beneficial rapprochement to which his sincerity led, which I promised him. Consciousness must be kept in a person as the greatest spiritual treasure, as the basis of all spiritual blessings. Sorry to bother you with concerns about the construction of the Church. You know how I did not want to start any construction in the monastery, but necessity leads to care. We do not live as we would like, but as God leads us to live. He knows the most useful and the present situation should recognize Him with great mercy. May the will of our God, who governs both the fate of societies and the fate of each person in particular, be done, and therefore glory to God both in His actions and in His allowance! People from St. Petersburg usually have a so-called arrière pensee in their gaze, which gives the look a mistrust and suspicion, which in a certain respect has its basis. But well-intentioned people, who always have simplicity and straightforwardness in their hearts, no matter how smart and capable they are, suffer more from arriere pensee than ill-intentioned and self-interested people, who are usually cunning, no matter how limited they are. I was convinced of this by long-term observations. Therefore, if possible, try to give, to those who need it, a correct view of my situation. I am sure that many in St. Petersburg suspect me of seeking and plans. Having no concept of true monasticism, they find monasticism where there is only hypocrisy and hypocrisy and do not see it where it exactly exists, or judging by themselves, not understanding that the search for the eternal can even exist. I am sure that many people do not believe that I am as terribly ill and exhausted as I am definitely ill and exhausted, they compose moods for me, in accordance with their mood, and take their own measures against these intentions they have composed. I have proof of this. We need to do what depends on us. Then: God's will be done! When priest Krasnotsvetov published “The History of the New Testament,” which said that the Mother of God ceased to be a Virgin after the Birth of the God-Man, and many similar blasphemies, many of the St. Petersburg clergy became terribly angry with me for this; that I stopped this book in the Sergeev Desert and forwarded it to the highest authorities. A similar vision in Church History: the confessor Constantius, an Arian, constantly acted against St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria; so the Arians constantly directed the Empress Justina against St. Ambrose of Milan. Champions of the Church have always been persecuted. God bless! Staying in a monastery without a sincere desire to lead a monastic life, and therefore eliminating from oneself the behavior that is required by the rules of the Holy Fathers, can only serve as harm and will lead the person being raped to such a life to the most tragic consequences. The appointment of Archimandrite John and other appointments do not deserve either your or my attention. This is in the nature of modern events, the consequences of which are clear. God's pariah is not inclined towards John; she will probably intrigue against this appointment. Equally, the appeal of the “Russian Messenger” will not have any significance; This is not the spirit of the times. No. 209. About joining the monastery Monasticism is a Divine institution through which Christianity reaches its highest development. Among the rules of this Divine institution is that people entered into monasticism with true will and subjected this will to strict examination and testing before taking vows. Those who have a cold and wavering will are strictly prohibited from entering monasticism. I see, as I saw before, that N was not at all prepared for monastic life, that he could not have the correct, thorough will towards it, having no idea about it. That at present his heart has softened from consciousness, and as a result of such softening he is disposed to follow my advice, then such a disposition cannot in any way be recognized as a will to monasticism. It is only a consequence of consciousness and that trust that usually appears in everyone who has received relief and calmness of consciousness. To take advantage of such a temporary feeling to incline towards monasticism would be criminal on my part. Why do I recognize the departure from the monastery as a necessity for N, due to his lack of will, and therefore the necessary abilities for monastic life, but the departure, with a feeling of awareness of the sinfulness of his behavior in the monastery, with a feeling of repentance, I recognize the special mercy of God. This can serve as a basis for God's blessing on his future life. If now he were stopped in the monastery, then later, and even in the very near future, the lack of true will would arouse in him the most unpleasant feeling towards the monastery and towards those who would take advantage recklessly and contrary to the holy rules of the young man’s momentary gentleness of heart. Then placing him in V. close to people who can support N, I consider the best thing for him. N. life experiences are necessary. Experiences always have their sorrow and their work. But without them, a person remains an empty doll for the rest of his life. Experiences during life in V. will be the easiest. There are no such storms and abysses as there are in the noisy light. We must act according to the will of God, and not according to feelings of deceptive and destructive tenderness: God will arrange the rest with His destinies. N.'s way out of temptation was arranged by the grace of God for the benefit of his soul, leading him to consciousness and to the fruits of consciousness that everything was previously unknown to him. After consciousness, having acted on my advice, he felt especially relieved. This is a sign of the action of Truth. You will do well not to allow yourself detailed questions, because the Holy Fathers forbid them to be done to those who have touched the saving consciousness. It is obvious: from shy questioning, a person who has only confessed and confessed with great economy can again move from consciousness to denial and deception, and all the good effects produced by consciousness will be erased from the soul. It is absolutely necessary that it remains. He himself will probably tell you something from which you can conclude everything. The rough construction of the church takes three years. ABOUT! so much time for the old and sick! And for everyone in general! At such a time, many completely unexpected things can happen. Let us do what we can and what our duty to our neighbors requires, and let us rely on God for the rest. Your calling to inherit salvation is obvious. Do you remember how long in Stavropol I stopped to tell you a lot about Christianity, generally not wanting to waste words about this holy subject in vain. But your heart was warmed by the mercy of God and as a result of your attention and zeal to serve, God granting you your eleventh hour to assimilate to Him. When they sweep a room, they don’t look at the rubbish, but just throw it all in a heap and that’s it. Do the same. Confess your sins to your confessor, and that’s all, but don’t go into examining them. The Holy Fathers strongly forbid this to those who cannot examine themselves correctly: such examination confuses, leads to relaxation and frustration. Beware of sins committed out of weakness and passion, repent, not allowing yourself to become bewildered and despondent when repenting, and do not expect sinlessness from yourself. N. flourished: apparently from the cessation of internal confusion. Your remark is correct that he will later regret his action; but the matter is done according to his will, according to the demands of his conscience and paternal decrees: if this will were to be violated, then such violence would soon lead him into disorder, which could no longer be corrected. Every person whom God has deigned to bring closer to Him learns through tribulations. Sorrows act like Vomitivum, spewing out evil from the inside and exposing it before the ascetic, so that he may be healed by repentance. N. has gained a lot of weight and is very cheerful, despite Lent. A heavy burden has been lifted from the soul! He did not and does not have the will to lead a monastic life; at the same time, the monastery brought him significant benefit, giving him a savingly long rest from the disastrous revelry and introducing him to the Christian faith. According to his own consciousness, he did not believe anything when he left the Caucasus. You will do very well by taking Easter in St. Petersburg, otherwise the rest of the fast will be lost for you and for N. It will be taken away by conversations and explanations that disturb the spiritual mood. May God's blessing rest upon you for your labors regarding the affairs of the monastery and the printing of books essential for Christianity. Do not think that these labors were arranged for you without the Providence of God: these labors and the sorrows associated with them were quite useful for you, opening your eyes to many things and giving you many opportunities to humble yourself. You are not yet ripe for cell silence. No. 101 reported to the Synod about the rescue of 14 people from drowning. They were brought in front of the monastery on the Tikhvinka and covered with ice closer to the opposite bank. A cry arose from the people who were on the ship and saw the danger of their situation; some stood with their hands raised to the sky, apparently in prayer. Help seemed impossible because the river was covered with ice blocks. One selflessness known to you, Fr. Justin may have encouraged some of the brethren. They, led by the abbot, went to the river and, exposing themselves to obvious danger, saved the lives of 14 people. Hieromonk and Hierodeacon Nikodim especially distinguished themselves. No. 216. On the works preceding silence and on other subjects The Providence of God has provided you with such labors by which true, heartfelt, spiritual silence is prepared, based on the service of the spirit, and therefore alien to delusion, labors by which a solid foundation is laid for such silence. You can notice for yourself that in these labors, sorrow is combined with consolation, and the labors themselves are combined with humility, and not with vainglorious splendor. An example of such works can be seen in the correspondence of St. Barsanuphius the Great with John. The book of Barsanuphius begins with this correspondence. N., after realizing this, becomes closer and closer to me. He grieves that he must leave the monastery, but he also sees the necessity of this, having neither the will nor the vocation for monastic life. Time helps a lot to establish a correct view of objects. I can say this in relation to “Ascetic Experiences”. Their printing was arranged by the Providence of God. Comparing them with the writings of the Holy Fathers, I see that the “Experiences” teach the very beginning of spiritual work, in a varied literary form, making it easier to read and interesting in it, which is extremely necessary and useful for the present Christian generation. The Fathers, due to their loftiness, despite the simplicity of the style, are little understandable for this generation, in which Christianity is weak in the extreme. No. 217. On naming your works “Ascetic experiences” I received the books of "Patrology". What a pity that our Church is deprived of such a treasure, for the acquisition of which enormous amounts of money were spent. Apparently, this is God's permission! We were busy not glorifying God, but vainly glorifying ourselves, and the “frost” of our face covered us. Regarding the title of my book “Ascetic Experiences”, I remain with my previous opinion. Now, after a revision, a significant correction and a huge addition of articles of a different kind, it is not possible without a serious and accurate name: the property of the book requires it - This is the book of a martyr! A martyr for his sins and from his sins, but a martyr. The book is light in spirit, but the thoughts and feelings in it are deep and lofty. A light name, a gentle name, does not suit her serious character: she should have a strict name. No. 218. About the construction of the Church of the Virgin Mary and other subjects Above the construction of the church of Our Lady, the finger of Our Lady is obvious; help is given to people who work in business; together it is granted to them to struggle with obstacles and grieve for their own spiritual benefit, in order to cleanse the matter from the admixture of vanity and other hobbies, so that it is accomplished in Godly humility. This is the usual course of affairs protected by God. The Apostle Paul writes that Satan twice forbade him to come to Thessalonians for the gospel of Christ. The Jerusalem Temple was built the second time under many obstacles, and the first time with the success of all circumstances; but the spiritual glory of the first church far surpassed the glory of the second church, being worthy to receive God incarnate into its bosom. The Monk Anthony of Pechersk said that many rich princes and boyars, with a sense of arrogance and vanity, built monasteries and churches at their own expense, without difficulty; but the churches and monasteries, built with the tears of monks, their prayers and the zeal of persons who had a humble position in the world, turned out to be much superior to the first. God does not like heat and does not like things that are pleasing to Him to be done with heat, but He loves for them to be done with trust in Him, the Almighty and All-Good, with patience and humility with prudence, which is impossible to observe when carried away into heat. “A house is built with wisdom,” says Scripture, “and with understanding it is corrected” (Proverbs, chapter 24, v. 3).. We must follow the instruction of Scripture: haste can ruin the matter. N. is very peaceful and very peaceful in spirit, but he is concerned about the upcoming change in life. Consciousness, so new to his soul, produced a strong revolution in him. In the monastery, and specifically in the Babaevsky monastery, he acquired faith, which he did not have before entering this monastery. He became very close to me and the other day he again asked me not to interrupt relations with him, which I promised him. He saw many things in a different form than in which it had appeared to him before. His further fate is in the hand of God, like each of us. N. went from the consciousness that he entered the monastery frivolously and behaved incorrectly in it to the correct and lasting mood of a Christian, as far as I can understand. The feeling that he felt is usually not forgotten throughout his life and is a Guardian Angel even during hobbies, drawing a blissful memory of himself from the very abyss. May God's will be done over all of us! May the will of God be done in relation to the church of God in the Babaevsky monastery! May the will of God be accomplished in all God’s deeds and in all God’s permissions. We must listen to ourselves and pray to God that He will grant us to end our days in repentance. Devotion to the will of God in the very permissions of God is necessary. It is obvious that Christianity, this mysterious spiritual gift to people, is removed in an inconspicuous way for those who do not pay attention to their salvation from human society, which has neglected this gift. One must see this so as not to be deceived by actors and the acting of piety; Having seen, we must turn our gaze away from the sad sight, so as not to be subjected to the vice of condemning our neighbors, we must turn our gaze to ourselves, take care of our own salvation, since the mercy of God still grants the opportunity to be saved to those who choose to be saved. NВ. “Experiments,” being a purely spiritual book, should be useful to the fatherland in a civil sense. The book makes a strong impression on many, an impression completely separate from the impression made by modern spiritual works. It places the attentive reader in the ranks of true Orthodox Christians and gives him a decisive, one-sided, saving direction. The energy of our people, the independence of their spirit, depends on the development of the ideas of Orthodoxy and on firmness in Orthodoxy. Thank God for everything! I congratulate you on the completion of your labors, which were entrusted to you by the Providence of God, carried out under the protection of God, and ended by the grace of God. We hope that God’s mercy will cover us for the future, allowing us the necessary sorrows for our learning and admonition and wonderfully bringing us out of them with the fruit of patience and humility. Regarding your troubles due to your property, then, it is nothing more than a temptation, similar to other temptations. Judging yourself is useful: it leads to humility. Judging yourself is harmful: it plunges you into despondency and relaxation. You shouldn’t throw away the matter, especially since you set the intention to use the money for good deeds, and leaving the matter to the arbitrariness of those acting incorrectly is, as it were, taking part in a wrong action, to the harm of their souls and to the harm of your soul. Our time is a difficult time for true Christians due to the general cooling of the people towards faith and piety. Our collectors from the Caucasus betrayed us, collecting only 100 rubles. They conveyed to me the words of some pious people: “Only 3 years have passed since Vladyka left the Caucasus, but if he returned now, he would not recognize the direction of the people, who rushed entirely towards “secularism.” On the way back, the pickers saw the same direction. The prophecy of Scripture about the apostasy from Christianity of peoples who switched to Christianity from paganism is being fulfilled. NВ. The book “Experiences” will provide significant benefit to those who want to be saved (in recent times), essentially the teaching they need about prayer and other Christian virtues that contribute to prayer. I sympathize with the fact that only “Experiments” were published for the first time; I cannot give a clear account of why I wanted this, but I did. It was arranged this way by a merciful fate towards us sinners, which put us on the path of soul-sustaining sorrows and clearly patronized us along this path. The scant news coming to our monastery about the state of the Christian faith in Russia is extremely disappointing. On the one hand there is a split, on the other there is decisive apostasy. General immorality prepares apostasy on an enormous scale. Save, let him save his soul! Today's ascetics are given the path of sorrows, external and internal, as the most reliable. No. 227. About the modern Bishop. Ignatius of social life and other subjects An archpriest from the village in which Susanin’s descendants live, a rather smart man, came to see me. He said that the peasants were drunk and impoverished, that nothing could be done to stop this current, because those who fell into drunkenness would drink vodka even when they decided to raise the price for it. This has been proven by experiments. Along with the riotous life came a special cooling towards the Church and the clergy. The revelers among the peasants are carousing and have fallen into indifferentism towards religion; Nekutils turn in large numbers to the schism. The nobility is poor and cannot help the churches and clergy as they did before. The contents of the clergy are becoming scarcer and scarcer. The archpriest, who had a practical view, said that there was no outcome in sight for this situation, and that the consequences of this situation should be prolific. Progress is moving at amazingly fast pace. Who will stop him? P.S. I study Sayings. What a time it was for monasticism! What an abundance of spiritual elders! How many there were then who created their neighbor, and now how many who destroy and destroy their neighbor! We need to thank God for the mercy He has poured out on us, which is rare in our time, and may His mercy complete this mercy to the end. I largely agree with S.I.’s comments. I look for comments that come from true disposition and knowledge, like treasures. I would like to review the last two volumes most and almost solely for the sake of style. The “Experiments” themselves require revision, which is what I intend to do, just in case. I have always recognized strict criticism, careful revision and merciless purification as the best means for achieving perfection in works. In general, conversations such as about the Jesus Prayer, about humility and about monasticism have been discontentedly revised and purified. Their style is different and should be different from that of poetic works such as “Crying,” “Blessed is the Man,” “The Cup,” and “Seeing His Sin.” Again, theological articles have a different style (for example, about the Gospel commandments), and articles belonging to Christian morality and philosophy, for example, have a different style. about true and false humility. The “Ascetic Sermon” has its own separate syllable, but in general this “Sermon” has not been sufficiently revised and cleaned up! I find variety of syllable inevitable; being natural. it constitutes one of the merits of the collected works. Health has a great influence on the syllable: a patient has a sick syllable. It is obvious that the departure from the Orthodox faith is universal among the people. Some are open atheists, some are deists, some are Protestants, some are indifferentists, some are schismatics. There is no cure or healing for this ulcer. Save, let him save his soul! It is noticeable that now tribulations are sent to everyone who wants to be saved. This also happens to A.V. J. And I am very glad that the publication of my works will now end with “Experiments.” It is necessary to wait for a more favorable situation. If God wants the printing to be arranged, He will arrange it. If it is not pleasing to God, then I do not desire it either. What is most precious to us is to be under the guidance of the will of God, and not to do anything outside of it, no matter what the ideas of the carnal wisdom of ours and other people may be. And here before Epiphany the weather was the worst, it rained heavily for a long time and it was very heavy because of the density of the clouds. Let us commit ourselves, each other and our whole life to Christ our God - this is how the Holy Church prays and this is how it teaches us to pray. The other day I carefully read “The Word on the Jesus Prayer.” It clearly states that prayer with the mind enclosed in the words of prayer is the most useful and safest, that the mechanism through nostril breathing with an effort to ascend with the mind into the heart is forbidden by the Holy Fathers for those who are not mature enough for such prayer! You need to pray in the first way, taking into account the general rule and not accepting exceptions to the general rule, which took place according to the special discretion of God. I try to get used to the first method only, as necessary for attention. Attention is the soul of prayer. I even try to eliminate everything else, so that the work is completely disinterested, so that success is completely left to the will of God. No. 232. On the publication of the works of Bishop. Ignatius on the correct understanding of prayer and other subjects The other day I looked at the book of Barsanuphius the Great; The book opened on page 362, where, on the very first line, it was said: “Goodness is certainly resisted by sorrow from the envy of the devil, but through prayer this goodness is multiplied.” This can also be attributed to the publication of “Experiments”. One can see both the action against printing and the action promoting printing, arranged by the Providence of God. Remember, my Father, what labors and sorrows everyone suffered who spread the Word of God and the true teaching about God. Sorrows serve as evidence of following the truth in this matter. On the contrary, with success not forbidden by the ruler of the world, with a reward from the world, books are published in the spirit and views of the ruler of the world, even if they bore a name borrowed from Christianity. At the present time there is a significant need for correct prayer, but they don’t even know it! They do not know that it should be an instrument and expression of repentance, they seek pleasure and delight, they flatter themselves and kill their souls with the instrument given for salvation. A correct understanding of prayer in our time is essential! She is the essential, the only leader in our time towards salvation. There are no mentors! The best, as far as is known, are the Optinsky mentors. But they are exclusively bodily workers. And therefore they themselves walk in darkness and keep those who follow them in darkness, satisfying themselves and demanding from others only the physical fulfillment of the commandments. I liked John, due to his openness, more than the academicians of his time. And then many bare admired his sermons aimed at the liberation of the peasants, not realizing that John was by no means a spiritual preacher, but a zealous class fanatic and that he had a disguised thought about the massacre of nobles and about giving his flock primacy in both civil and church service. Others, having the same thought, hide it better, and therefore John, as he speaks out more openly than others, is morally superior to others. In the book of “Christian Reading” for December there is a remarkable article “New publications on schism” by I. Nilsky. Here the deviations of the Great Russian Church are boldly exposed. Filaret was greatly offended by his participation in Masonic teachings. We all, whether we want it or not, are in the hand of God. Why, acting according to the degree of reason and conscience given by God, the rest should be entrusted to God, our Provider. I bring you my sincere gratitude for congratulating me, a sinner, on Angel’s Day. My only desire: may the merciful Lord grant me repentance and forgiveness of my sins, but I am unworthy of spiritual gifts and unable to properly preserve them. – (The way of thinking on which all the activities of a Christian who desires and seeks salvation should be based). Whether we want it or not, we are in the almighty will of God. The most correct consequence of such a concept is that we submit to the will of our God and from this feeling of submission we implore Him to show mercy to us. - I wrote to you that you really need to read the “Word” about the Jesus Prayer (Ascetic. Experiences. Volume 2). It is stated there with clarity which mechanism is appropriate for whom. Stay resolute in confining your mind in the words of the prayer. If at the same time some other mechanism appears by itself, then let it act until it goes away. If it goes away, then do not be embarrassed. Your prayer is still quite material. And therefore the very mechanisms, which you previously held incorrectly, can be corrected by confining the mind in the words of prayer. With this last mechanism, an invaluable prayer action, completely spiritual, appears in its time. Your search for the place of the heart is very mistaken! If you enclose your mind in words, then your heart will come into sympathy with the mind. First you need to pray with this sympathy. Such a prayer is a prayer of repentance. When a person is cleansed through repentance, then the place of the heart will be designated by itself. When you feel insensibility during prayer, then, despite this state of insensibility, it is useful to force yourself to attentive prayer, and not give up the effort of prayer, doing the prayer loudly and slowly, because after insensibility, the grace of God suddenly touches the heart and it comes into tenderness. The period of struggle with passions should not be burdened in any way. This period is appointed by God according to His wise discretion. Scripture says: “By enduring, I have endured the Lord, and give heed to me.” Also: “I will subdue the wrath of the Lord because those who have sinned against Him.” Premature liberation from internal struggles is harmful to the soul. You have chosen the good part, abandoning all mechanisms and being content with enclosing your mind in words: this will lead to the most correct results, without any admixture of delusion, which you could be subjected to and partly have already been subjected to, using mechanisms that do not suit you. For myself, I hold on when I hold on to the sole conclusion of the mind in the words of prayer: everything else appears, when it appears, by itself. Regarding my reconciliation with the Most Reverend John, if it happens, it will be a most pleasant event for me. I am very pleased with his disposition towards monasticism and I find that, due to the openness and directness of his character, he is very capable of accepting true monasticism, even of the gracious feeling of God’s mercy, from which living faith appears in a person. I did not quarrel with John, but only gave a review of G. Shchapov’s articles, which became so heated in the Caucasus that they “demanded blood.” Experiments have proven and will continue to prove how wrong and harmful the way of thinking in these articles is. Namely, the articles have been forgotten, but it is in their spirit that they are written and spoken - the spirit and direction receive a huge volume. Those under the leadership of the elder should not leave his system of guidance. This is what I demand from those who are guided by my advice, especially in relation to reading books, even paternal ones. One must be at peace with the position of the Church, although one must also understand it. This is permission from Above, which we cannot understand. Elder Isaiah told me: “Understand the time. Do not expect improvement in the general composition of the church, but be content with what is provided in particular for people who want to be saved.” As far as I can understand: I do not foresee, in the spirit of the time and in general in the morality of the entire people, that there could be a restoration of the Church in its ancient beauty, as well as monasticism. And this should be considered a great mercy of God if no heavy blow to the monasteries soon follows. No. 236. About correct prayer, about temptations, about the writings of Bishop. Ignatius and other subjects For those who have entered into the service of God, special temptations begin. “Repay your debt to passions,” said St. Isaac of Syria, “by fighting them.” In the field of struggle there are victories and defeats. Victories must be healed by repentance. It heals them with all satisfaction. To succeed in prayer and to avoid delusion, self-sacrifice is necessary, which teaches one to seek only attention in prayer. Then the feat of prayer will become simpler and easier; Temptations, which, however, always accompany feat, will also be alleviated. If someone prematurely strives to reveal in himself the actions of heartfelt prayer, “to him,” says Pr. Nile of Sorsky, “according to the other Holy Fathers, those that are severe beyond one’s strength, temptations from demons, are allowed.” Second word. Read it. This desire is based on misunderstood exaltation and arrogance, which appears to be zeal. Considering the book of “Experiments” and the influence it has on others, I believe that its second edition is inevitable. When and how it will be arranged is God’s work, and my duty is to provide the book with the possible satisfaction and improvement. My relationship with the book is set out in a letter to the brethren of the Optina Hermitage, a list of which I enclose. (See below) To Alexei Petrovich, don’t put every bastard on the line; warn him lightly: it will be more effective. I recognize S.I.’s dreams as God’s mercy towards her, calling her to a truly pious life: They are not out of delusion and not of her own making. Acquaintance with Ave. I showed both you and me the position of the Church. In its highest shepherds there remained a weak, dark, confused, incorrect understanding of the letter, which kills spiritual life in a Christian society, destroys Christianity, which is a matter, and not a letter I, more frankly than others - only. There is nothing to look for in anyone! Must run to the mountains - to isolated positions! God has given us this position. It is obvious that reconciliation can only be external, and not in spirit. And that's enough. For external reconciliation, a bound book is needed. It is also obvious that one should not be bothered by a request to write a comment on the book, especially since I do not respond to Matveevsky’s last article, despite the fact that the answer to it is very simple: he imposed on the Fathers Descartes’ understanding of the immateriality of spirits, took away from them their own understanding and on this founded clashes between them and heteroglossia that do not exist. Give this to Ignatius. 9 Polemics can seduce pious people, whose way of thinking was formed by reading the Chetya-Menai and other similar books. The academic journal "Christian Reading" is higher than "The Wanderer", which contains two articles by Matveevsky against my writings and many articles about modern cases of the appearance of spirits, for my writings. The idea of ​​analyzing my works in “Christian Reading” must be abandoned, although it will be impossible to say in print what he said during the meeting. He doesn't know his fathers. My father! Bear your work graciously in the capital. Complete this work with completeness. You work for the benefit and true needs of the remnant of true Christians. For this reason, the envy of the devil acts against the book, serving as evidence of God’s mercy both to the book and to your work. Now about. Justin reads articles from the "Experiences" to the brothers and sees their effect, that everyone who wants to be saved will firmly grasp the book and hold on to it. Justin is a rare monk and abbot in our time, far superior to Ignatius of Sergius, who, however, has a special ability and resourcefulness in his relations with secular people. No. 237. About the correct feat of prayer and other subjects If you abandon all desire for imaginary success, entrusting the matter of your success to God and entrusting your temporary and eternal fate to the will of God, and during your prayer you only care about attention, from which it usually comes, and which is usually facilitated by tenderness, then your prayerful feat will receive correctness. This will calm you down a lot. Calmness will be the banner of God's mercy. Also, I would not advise you to go into too much consideration of your sinfulness. It's enough if you know this. Spiritual achievement should be as less difficult as possible. The analysis of “Experiments” in “Christian Reading” is hardly convenient for this journal itself, which is the organ of the Academy. However, whatever. The “look” in its present form is so strong that it is difficult for a critic unfamiliar with the Fathers and monastic asceticism to cope with it. If they write anything, it will serve as an occasion for a more precise definition of the subjects that will be criticized, therefore, they will provide an opportunity to improve the book for the second edition, which improvement I heartily wish for the general benefit of modern Christianity. I bring you my sincerest congratulations on your upcoming birthday. I sincerely wish for you that this birth into earthly life will also be a birth into eternal life, into eternal bliss. As a gift, I am sending you one of the sayings of St. Pimen the Great, a great practitioner of mental prayer. Warning his disciples against the wiles of the devil, he says: “Everything that exceeds measure is from demons". What is brought by demons is recognized by the confusion of this indispensable and inevitable fruit of their action. In intelligent work, in repentance itself, one must avoid excess. One must do it in great quietness. The correctness of such work is evidenced by the peace brought to the soul. May God's blessing rest upon you. No. 239. About the works of Bishop. Ignatius The great mercy of God is the publication of “Experiments”. God's mercy to all who have worked in this matter for the benefit of Christian society. The “look” comes out in its present form much stronger than in its primitive form. The definition of the word spirit of St. Cyril of Jerusalem is important. Not all academics stubbornly adhere to Descartes' opinion about spirits: the most thorough of them are on my side. And it was not long before I received the concept that I have now. For a long time my understanding of spirits remained very dark and vague. The sadly modern religious and moral direction of the people. During our three-year stay in the Babayevsky Monastery, this unhappy mood moved with giant steps forward and assumed the most extensive dimensions. Everything that happens should be done under the eyes of God. There should be no rush regarding the distribution of books that have come to our part. We need a lot here for gifts to the brethren and benefactors. Maybe in a year a new proportion will be needed in Optina. There is nothing to send indiscriminately to the monasteries: many are only interested in “Kolokol”, “Iskra” and so on. A feat of prayer, my Father, is a feat. We have to work hard. Whoever patiently prays his defiled prayer, said St. John Climacus, and does not leave it, bored with its filth, God gives him true prayer in due time. Pay attention to yourself, i.e. words of prayer, and do not listen to the thoughts that come during it. Don't get into trouble with yourself. Replace this investigation with reading articles about prayer in the “Experiences.” You should really avoid that detailed analysis to which you are accustomed and on the basis of which the enemy confuses you with his thoughts. To your question about the wanderer Glinka (“Conversation of F.N. Glinka with the Wanderer,” published in “House. Conversation” of 1865), I will tell you that I read this article, but did not find anything special, very likely for the reason that I was brought up by the teachings of the Holy Monks and avoid any special path. A saint of God can follow a special path, according to a special election and calling of God, which happens very rarely. The most special path is taken either by those who are in self-delusion, or by those heading towards self-delusion. We must stay away and be careful from everyone who follows a special, mysterious path. Father Justin accepted the refusal to elevate him to the rank of archimandrite with such complacency as befits a monk. The providence of God leads him not along the flowers, but along the path of regret, in the midst of human reproach, which marks a person as beloved by God. This refusal is spiritually beneficial both for him and for me. We accept it as from the hand of God. The position of the Metropolitan in the Synod is very sad. It is sad not for the individual, but for the metropolitan and as a preponderance taken by the priests over the bishops. The matter of the Orthodox faith can be recognized as approaching a decisive denouement. The fall of the monasteries, which has already taken place, is inevitable. One special mercy of God can stop a moral, all-destroying epidemic, stop it for a while, because what is predicted by Scripture must be fulfilled. Your letter dated April 5th has been received. At the same post office I received a letter from A. N. M., who, apparently, did not like the “Experiments” - probably as competition in the literary field. “Cry” especially confused him, as he put it. I answer that I did not want to publish this article, but it turned out to be necessary for those who are in similar circumstances on the border between monasticism and the world, and it was published for them, at the request of some of them. No. 242. On the publication of the works of Bishop. Ignatius God bless you for your labors in publishing the book “Ascetic Experiences” and congratulations on the completion of this work, for which may the merciful Lord reward you. God grant that the book will be of some use to modern Christianity. I received letters from Archimandrite Ignatius and Norov, in which their heartfelt sympathy for the teaching set forth in the “Experiences” is evident. The situation of the Church and Christianity is most sad, sad everywhere. What was predicted in Scripture is being fulfilled: a cooling of the faith has come over our people and all the countries in which Orthodoxy has hitherto clung. It was preserved in particular purity in Moldova, Wallachia, and Serbia. Do not take it upon yourself to publish the remaining two censored parts of my works. This will involve you in the most difficult situation associated with mental disorder. Thank God that “Ascetic Experiences” was published. They contain great help for those who want to truly pray and truly struggle. Regarding the slander raised publicly through a printed article in the Odessa Bulletin, in which P.A. B. was unfairly accused of acting in bad faith. The temptation that has befallen you is nothing more than a temptation that, by the grace of God, passes by. This temptation testifies to the path you have chosen. The practice of patience has its own measures and degrees. The perfect ones maintain complete silence in the face of accusations, corresponding to the degree of their self-sacrifice and suffer all the consequences of such silence, such as, for example, St. Andrew and Simeon, holy fools for Christ's sake. This activity is not only unsuitable for you, as it exceeds your limits, but it is also extremely harmful to your soul, because you cannot stand it. For a review, do a printed review without getting excited; give your review the power of facts; Conduct the matter lawfully and with firmness, calling upon God’s help. Fight the heartfelt feelings of anger and vengeance. It is in such cases that the memory of malice is dulled by the fight against it; unaffected by anything, it remains to live in the heart unnoticed. The clearing of your name is necessary for you and for your son, due to your position as pious laymen. And the Apostle Paul asked for trial and appeal from Caesar. Calm down, my Father, the Lord will not leave you. May God's blessing rest upon you. Letters to P.A. Brianchaninov, who left for P.b. Hume cannot be trusted. Such gentlemen sometimes speak and predict successfully with the aim of gaining the trust of people and, all the more likely, harming them. This is what St. Anthony the Great instructs. God changed his definitions, announced through the holy prophets, such as the prophecy of the prophet Jonah about the Ninevites, Elijah and Ahab (1 Kings 21:29), Isaiah about Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-11); the more convenient it is for the prediction of the false prophet not to come true, even if it had any basis. He who has surrendered himself and everything to the will of God does not need to know anything in advance. May the will and mercy of God be upon us all. May the merciful Lord cover the remains of those who believe in Him! But this remains is scanty; it becomes poorer and poorer. N. Ya. Sh. could not pacify himself and finally left the monastery. I did not consider myself entitled to restrain him by persuasion: it would be against my conscience; and advised him to enter into a legal marriage and live piously in the world. Monasteries are attacked from the outside, but they have also decayed within themselves. We must thank V.I. Askochensky and thank him a lot! Judging by the review of Filaret (Moskovsky), they decided to write something, following the example and challenge of Askochensky. Let them write something. This something may have some meaning for people who do not understand anything, and will delay the reformers’ plans for some time. The Patriarch of Constantinople answered very correctly to the Lutherans who informed him of their actions. “You did well in rejecting the errors of the papists, but you did badly in replacing these errors with your own errors: you should have turned to tradition, the universal primacy of the Church.” The same can be said about monasteries: to correct deviations, one must return to the rules of the Holy Fathers. The defenders of monasticism from the host of Philaret will not want to do this: they need to maintain many deviations to protect their benefits. And therefore sophistry is generated on both sides; There will be no result for the work of God, except, perhaps, that through this measure the Lord will tolerate a few more times of our weakness, our relaxation, our sinfulness. And for this – thank God. In the "Dom. Conversation" for 1865, in the 50th issue, there is an article "The New Missionary Society in Russia." I read it deliberately in order to become familiar with the spirit of the modern activities of the Synod. A fiery jealousy is visible, which we cannot keep up with, and therefore we must be very careful and pious. Now Matthew 10 came to me with the knowledge that he had brought my letters back with him here and burned them in the oven. This is the general state of morality in Christian society. What can be demanded from monasteries when the world brings them corrupt people, when they are surrounded by immorality everywhere, when immorality oppresses them from above? An ulcer that can be healed by one death. No. 246. About the composition of Bishop. Ignatius Thank you very much for your letter dated January 10th. There is nothing better than to calm people down and make hostility unnecessary for enemies. The most important embarrassment, serving the word of God, remains to the lot of those who have shied away from serving vanity primarily. Comfort and reassure everyone with the news that my health is completely upset, which is the absolute truth. The information I receive about how the “Experiments” are received by individuals truly seeking salvation greatly consoles me. “Ascetic Sermon” and “Advice” will add to the edifying reading, giving readers a decidedly Orthodox direction. It becomes clear that these books will be distributed and installed among the mentioned individuals. From Bezhetsk they write: “Experiments” were received with great love, this book replaces the “Philokalia” for us, being much more understandable than the “Philokalia” and containing everything that is said in the “Philokalia”. This view is very correct, and on it I base my opinion that the book will be established. It will be read and re-read for nourishment, verification and support of one’s asceticism. Now it turns out to be very important to publish the 3rd and 4th volumes, which explain asceticism even more satisfactorily, more precisely. On the 24th I received both your letters: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your feat. Glory to God, who pours out his mercies on me. Towards the end of my life, when I essentially need peace, when my nerves can no longer withstand shocks, when I need to prepare for the transition to eternity in a peaceful mood of my soul, the Chief Prosecutor came for the first time to express sympathy for me. The Count will be located, the members of the Synod will be located. What a time! To maintain the Church, a secular person needs to be at the head of the administration, because the overwhelming salt can only be trampled underfoot by people. However, St. Athanasius the Great says that one of the signs of the approaching coming of the Antichrist will be the transfer of church government from the hands of archpastors to the hands of secular dignitaries. The sign is very true! This cannot happen otherwise than when the Clergy loses its essential spiritual significance, its energy generated by a decisive renunciation from the world. The Count rightly noted that the bureaucracy has destroyed the essential meaning of the hierarchy in the Church, the connection between pastors and flock has been destroyed, and the love of peace, the insatiable desire for vain honors, for the accumulation of capital has destroyed Christians in the shepherds, leaving in them only despicable, hated policemen due to their hatred of the people, abuses and immorality. Hierodeacon Nikodim, a precious man for the monastery and in the prime of his life, has passed away. Guts intertwined, then Antonov fire followed. During our time, not a single trustworthy person entered here, but from the previous brotherhood, Nicodemus came closer than all the others, and had the disposition to serve the monastery. Be the will of God! But in my opinion, everything in the monasteries, even the most comfortable ones, is heading towards decline. The essence of the matter is that trustworthy and capable people are becoming extremely rare. Naturally: the devil sees this and attacks from the outside. Matthew left. I wrote to Sukharev via this mail. Sent him a copy of “Experiments” from Moscow. A book can leave a decisive stamp on new soil, which has been stirred by sorrow. May the will of God and the mercy of God be upon us all! The mercy of God and the Providence of God can grant a way of salvation to those Christians who wish to be truly saved, and do not strive for earthly prosperity, hiding behind the guise of piety. M.A.’s review of the article “Farmer” is very pathetic. 11 The servants and supreme servants of the word remain without a word and are happy to hide under the cover of the word, which has the exclusive nature of private protection in a private matter. I’m very sorry for S.I! May God grant her a recovery! More than once she was very dangerously ill, and God brought her back to life. And now may the mercy and will of God be upon her. Judging by the spirit of the times and the ferment of minds, it must be assumed that the building of the Church, which has been shaking for a long time, will shake terribly and quickly. There is no one to stop and resist. The measures of support being taken are borrowed from the elements of a world hostile to the Church, and are more likely to accelerate its fall than to stop it. I will say again: God’s will be done! What they sow, so shall they reap! What they sow is what they reap! The last one. One can say something about spiritual journals and the teaching of the law of God by the Malovs and the brethren. Thank you for remembering my birthday. 59 years old! Lived enough; There is very little time left to live, judging by the ever-increasing exhaustion of strength. On the 12th and 18th I went to Church; looked at the Brotherhood and rejoiced at God’s mercy towards us at the time in which we live. Everything is moving very quickly. Be the will of God! Take the trouble to convey my sincere bow to S.I. I hope in the mercy of God that she will recover. She needs life for the same reason I need it - to prepare for eternity. Despite all the difficulties of our time, the almighty right hand of God does not abandon those people who have placed their trust in God to serve Him to the best of their ability. In a conversation between a layman and a monk 12 it is foretold that touching the monasteries such as the newspapers preach will lead to the final destruction of the monasteries, which were already destroyed when their estates were taken away a hundred years before. In general, there is no one to build monasteries. The monk must arrange it. What should I say to the monk? There is nothing and no one. Perhaps some monasteries will be fenced off due to some special request, as happened over a hundred years. No. 252. About the fall of monasticism Since the matter of printing volumes 3 and 4 has received proper progress, why do you need to stay in P.b.? I look with heartfelt regret at the inevitable fall of monasticism, which serves as a sign of the fall of Christianity. Who comes to the monastery? People are from the lower class almost exclusively; almost all those who come have already upset their morality in the midst of the world. There are no conditions among the people themselves for the existence of monasticism to last; so in a dried tree there are no conditions for it to produce leaves and fruit! Moreover, storms from outside are intensifying to tear it off the face of the earth. Due to the direction taken by the upper strata of society, and due to the poverty of the alms sent, do not bother printing invitations in the statements. The Sarov desert received “Experiments” with special love. From M.D.’s letter you will see how “Ask. Experiments" in the Sarov desert and what significance is given to them there. This shows the importance that volumes 3 and 4 should have. The 4th volume depicts monastic life with certainty, and the first three volumes serve as a kind of shading of the picture. The Finger of God acts here, benefiting all those participating in both the publication and reading of the Experiments. Take the trouble to tell S.I.S. that the best article about monasticism, about the benefits brought by monasticism to Christianity and humanity, is published in the Dictionnaire de théologie par l’abbé Bergier. Volume 5 article:Moine, Monasteres, Etat Monastique.” The author shows what harm European sovereigns caused to states by destroying monasteries, in the assumption that this measure would enrich the state. With the help of a conversation between a monk and a layman in “Ascetic. Oops,” where the spiritual side of monasticism is more clearly analyzed, the mentioned article by Bergier can have the best effect on modern society, on a frivolous, ill-informed society. Bergier wrote on the eve of the coup in France. We need to look at the articles in the same lexicon: Anachorète, Célibat, etc. They are indicated in the main article. We successfully used extracts from this article after 1825. The opponents of monasticism gave in. No. 254. About the pain of Bishop. Ignatius and other subjects I had Kuehne, a doctor I had never met before. He found scrofula and colds to be my secondary illness, and the main one, from which a general disorder occurs, damage to the heart, which he positively proved by feeling the sore spots and talking about seizures that I did not tell him about. Initially, they prescribed a wash made from water and Carlsbad salt, which should be dissolved in a glass of water and drunk as they drink mineral waters. He recognized the disease as incurable, very similar in consequences to consumption, but acting very slowly, therefore, subject to complete calm, he believed that life could last a long time. He considered service impossible for me, as well as any quick and strenuous movement or activity: mental shocks, from which the illness arose, are especially harmful. The bishops of Kostroma and Nizhny Novgorod were given vicars, mainly for the conversion of schismatics. God grant that the well-meaning count will at least somewhat slow down the terrible spread of depravity and unbelief among the people. Evil is easily grafted and grafted onto humanity, and only God can heal humanity from evil. Take the trouble to tell A.V. my zealous bow and my wretched blessing. I wish her courage and patience in the sorrows that befall her. In my relationships I try to convey spiritual and moral concepts drawn from the teachings of the Orthodox Church, but I do not touch upon external affairs, or touch them very superficially. P.S. Yuri Samarin’s essay about the Jesuits is written in the spirit of Novikov’s “Goose and Luther,” but Samarin’s style is better. I recognize Samarin’s essay as useful and necessary, and Op. Gr. Tolstoy's "Ii Catholicisme Romain" is even necessary. Letter to N.V. Golousheva. I bring you and S.F. my sincere gratitude for your memory of me on the New Year and on the day of my Angel. May God's blessing rest upon you and your child! In any business, the initial condition for success is the correct view of the matter; so in the matter of salvation, in order to obtain the desired salvation, a correct view of oneself and of salvation is necessary. Due to the damage to our nature by sin, good and evil are mixed in us and our heartland does not cease to produce evil, and does not allow good to grow alone, whole, but always with an admixture of evil. This process is natural to us, not because we were created this way, but because we arbitrarily introduced into our nature the poison of sin, which we can no longer separate from our nature through our own efforts. The Redeemer makes this separation for us, seeking from us and our own efforts to destroy the evil in ourselves, as active evidence of the true acceptance of the salvation given by God to the tuna. So, one should not be discouraged when seeing various evils arising in oneself, one should constantly resist it and purge it from oneself. Labor and feat are lifelong! In due time, when little by little evil begins to wear out, spiritual peace will begin to appear, a sign of the health of the soul. But there is no complete peace in the country of war and struggle. He either appears, then disappears again: a place of permanent peace in heaven and in eternity. We need to know all this so as not to demand from ourselves what is not natural to us, and again in order not to lose heart in a lifelong feat, fighting courageously against the evil that rises against us both inside and outside of us. When by such a feat we prove our faithfulness to God, then the gift of God's grace - salvation, mysteriously invested in us by baptism and consisting in the union of human nature with God's nature and in the healing of the former by touching the latter, will begin to more clearly reveal its presence in us, giving us a more decisive victory over evil, producing deep peace in us and consoling us with the hope of a blessed eternity. I wish you to strive correctly under the guidance of the Word of God and be crowned with the crown of salvation by the ineffable mercy of God. With feelings of complete respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be your p.s. E.I. No. 256. Letter dated May 23, 1865 Devotion to the will of God in the very permissions of God is necessary. It is obvious that Christianity - this mysterious spiritual gift of God to people - is being removed in an inconspicuous way (for those who do not pay attention to their salvation) from human society that has neglected this gift. One must see this so as not to be deceived by actors and the acting of piety; Having seen, we must turn our gaze away from the sad sight, so as not to be subjected to the vice of condemning our neighbors, we must turn our gaze to ourselves, take care of our own salvation, since the mercy of God still grants the opportunity to be saved to those who choose to be saved. About the proper attitude towards lies Wolves clothed in sheep's skin appear and are known by their deeds and fruits. It is difficult to see who is entrusted or who has fallen into the hands of the sheep of Christ, who is given their guidance and salvation. But this is God’s permission. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. February 5th is my birthday. On this day, a gift was given to me, inexplicably pleasant: On this day, an article was published in the Moskovsky Vestnik, in which the main idea was stated that a lie can only have momentary triumphs, that a lie cannot take anything firmly, that it does not strengthen, but weakens and derails the cause it serves. This is a great truth of the greatest importance! It must be inscribed in golden letters! It must be known and understood by anyone who wants to govern themselves correctly, especially who wants to govern people and public affairs correctly. What turns out to be? In “Ascetic Experiences” this idea is developed in all its clarity and detail: it is expressed in the article “Conversation about the Jesus Prayer” (p. 121), at the beginning of the article about the monastery (p. 437) and in many other places. Why does it sometimes happen that people get into a false position and act to the detriment of themselves and everyone? From accepting and assimilating false thoughts and concepts, from acting in the realm of murderous lies. The entire history of mankind proves this with the most amazing facts. Oh, when would we in Russia develop a majestic and beneficial for the temporary and eternal life of people, a correct concept of the holy Truth! If only all activity, both private and public, would flow from this Divine source! A lie does not strengthen, but undermines the cause it serves! How true! This is especially true in matters of religion. By the way, proof of this is the book of 26 Moscow false prophets recently published in Moscow. The book was published in the magazine “Wanderer”, and in the book a shadow is cast on the holiness of a person who is not named, but I guessed. The course of affairs is such that exposure on a large scale is inevitable. No. 259. Letter dated February 20, 1865 In religious terms, our time is very difficult: various apostasies from the Orthodox faith have assumed extensive proportions and began to act with extraordinary energy and freedom. This was predicted by the Word of God and, even among us, has been happening for a long time. The Providence of Almighty God is vigilantly vigilant over the destinies of the world and every person, and everything that happens is accomplished either by the will or by the permission of God. We must turn our minds to ourselves and beg the Lord to keep us faithful to the Orthodox Church, to reveal to us His all-holy will and the stumbling-free path to Himself, the source of true life and salvation. The salvation of men is God’s gift to men, and is by no means their own invention and acquisition: and therefore it cannot be worked out otherwise than under the guidance of God - by His mercy and grace. This mercy of God delivered you from visions, leaving you with the most useful, safest vision for your soul: the vision of your sins. The mercy of God is evidenced by the calmness of the heart. No. 260. Letter to the Optina monks Most Reverend, Fr. Abbot, and most reverend Fathers and Brothers of the God-saved Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage! By the will of God, my wretched work, a book entitled “Ascetic Experiences,” ends in publication. A copy of this book will be forwarded to you as a sign of my respect and cordial affection. At the same time, I offer you my most humble request, the fulfillment of which I consider the greatest favor for myself. Take the trouble to make comments on this book, without at all canceling or stopping from any comment at the thought that it might upset me. I do not recognize the book as my property, but as the property of all monasticism and Orthodox Christianity. Consequently, it is my duty to listen to every comment with gratitude, even if I did not agree with it, because comments expressed with love will give me the opportunity to improve the book for its second edition and thereby more fully satisfy its purpose. Committing yourself to your Holy prayers and so on. No. 259. Letter to Glazunov. About good deeds All good deeds are cursed with sorrows. Meanwhile, Holy Scripture says that he who begins a good work, let him complete it. In our time, rejected spirits especially oppose the spread of the teachings of the Holy Fathers, introducing various thoughts of carnal wisdom and raising up people guided by carnal wisdom. Why would I believe that you need to firmly adhere to the good intention you have accepted, and take the thoughts and suggestions of people that come as a sign that your work is pleasing to God and useful to a Christian, precisely because obstacles and sorrows are always erected against such actions, according to the Holy Fathers. Such cases are evidenced by obstacles. On the contrary, deeds done in the spirit of this world, to the detriment and condemnation of one’s own soul and the souls of others, flow like clockwork. This is closest to you to see: you see how quickly books are distributed, destroying both faith and morality, what expenses are made to print them, with what zeal some try to distribute them, while others buy them. What do you think it is like in the sight of God? And what should one expect for this at God’s judgment? Unbelievers shout that there is no God, and there is no judgment of God. Because of such a cry, with which depravity intensifies only to drown out the ideas of conscience, God did not cease to exist. He exists, and will certainly reward every person according to his deeds. The apostasy itself is predicted with all clarity by Holy Scripture and serves as evidence of how faithful and true everything said in Scripture is. With these lines I fulfilled my duty to you and to me; however, God left each person free to do good or not to do it during his earthly life. You yourself see what a need there is now for the teaching of the Holy Fathers for a Christian society overwhelmed by various ungodly teachings. Having done my job, that is, having given you my twenty years of work free of charge for publication, I otherwise rely on the will of God and wish to remain in peace of mind, on the basis of submission to the will of God. Note from P.A. B. This letter to I. I. G. was written as a result of his intention to postpone the publication of the bishop’s works at his expense and the demand to print them at the expense of the bishop and his brother, contrary to the previously given promise to print all the works at his, Glazunov’s, expense. All typographical work on the unfinished Volume II was left in these forms. Upon receipt of the letter, the second volume of “Experiments” was completed in print, but the other two remained unpublished. No. 262. Letter to His Eminence Metropolitan St. Isidore I have the honor to present to the favorable and pious attention of Your Eminence my work - a book entitled “Ascetic Experiences”. The book sets out those concepts about spiritual achievement that I gleaned during my long-term contemplation of monasticism, both in its living representatives and in the writings of the Holy Fathers. Given the current situation of monasticism in Russia and, together, the state of society in spiritual and moral terms, a close acquaintance of both monasticism and society with the correct way of asceticism turns out to be especially necessary and useful. The respect for bodily achievement when left only to itself, the respect paid in times of simplicity, has passed away. It passed for the very natural reason that monks, engaged exclusively in physical feats, cannot give a proper account of monastic life either to themselves or to their brethren living in the middle of the world. Moreover, the practice of physical feats, to the extent that the ancient monks were engaged in them, has now become very, very weakened due to the general decline in strength and health in people. This activity no longer reproduces athletes who would surprise themselves by discovering something supernatural. Spiritual feat forms true, conscious monks, and it is this that modern education calls forth, so to speak, in the field of activity. He, he alone, can introduce into monasteries and maintain strict moral order in monasteries, providing the brotherhood with precise, correct, deep concepts of Christianity, providing the brotherhood with reasonable freedom, combined with reasonable spiritual submission, forming spiritual strength and connection in the brotherhood. He, he alone, can fully equip a monk to repel modern teachings hostile to the Church, giving the monk a sense of harmony between the Gospel teaching and the properties of the human soul. He introduces the monk to correct self-conception and, flowing from this self-conception, the consciousness of His fall and the need for a Redeemer. The physical feat itself, brought to its normal meaning by the spiritual feat, acts in the ascetic with a special beneficence, to which he is alien when he acts alone. The favor and patronage shown by Your Eminence to monasticism, your zeal and zeal for maintaining it and raising it to the success destined by church tradition, inspired me with the boldness to present to your eyes the book I compiled. A copy of it, as well as a note about the places of sale at its price - the price was set by the bookseller, who printed the book at his own expense - will be presented to Your Eminence by my brother, Pyotr Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov. Perhaps it will be pleasing to Your Eminence, after reviewing the book, to provide Archpastoral assistance in distributing it in the monasteries of your dioceses. Asking for your Archpastoral blessing and entrusting myself to your Hierarchal prayers with feelings of deepest reverence and perfect devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence, the most merciful Archpastor and Father. No. 263. Letter to Melnikov Most Gracious Sovereign, Dimitri Alekseevich! They cannot pay for your visit to Stavropol by visiting you in person. I come with my book. Accept it with love and in moments of freedom look into it. This book is a book of self-reflection. The book proclaims Christianity not from the outside - from man’s exploration of himself. All earthly situations are urgent. Our earthly life is a school in which we must prepare for eternity. Lack of practice in any science causes ignorance of it, and eternity close to us becomes an endless distance, clothed in deep darkness for those who do not consider it. In the study of any science it is required that the study be correct; without this we come to empty or false results: exactly the same in the study of Christianity, correctness is necessary; Without it, a person will certainly deviate into a variety of errors, where truth reigns, there is no place for those sealed with lies. While I wish you temporal blessings, I wish you even more eternal blessings. With feelings of complete respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Excellency. No. 264. Letter to Prince Gorchakov Most Gracious Sovereign, Prince Alexander Mikhailovich! When you were an envoy in Wirtemberg, and I was the rector in the Sergius Hermitage, then after the death of your wife, you visited the monastery I mentioned and honored my cells with your visit. I had the honor to receive Your Excellency on the balcony. We were talking about the work of Thomas a à Kempis: I told you my opinion about his book “Imitation.” But the spiritual cage is of immeasurable depth! The meeting was too brief, and my opinion, based on a long-term study of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church, could not be expressed satisfactorily. I make up for the lack of what I have said by presenting to you the book “Ascetic Experiences”. In them you will read the teaching of our Fathers about internal spiritual achievement. This teaching differs from the teaching of the Western writer in that the Fathers lead their writer to repentance and weeping for himself, while the Western writer leads him to enjoyment and self-satisfaction. Every earthly position passes away, and man imperceptibly approaches and approaches the gates of eternity. If true love desires true blessings for one’s neighbor, then this desire must be classified as eternal blessings. Accept this wish from me! Looking at the book, you will find on every page this desire expressed without flattery to fallen man. With feelings of complete respect and devotion, I have the honor to be In response to the testimony of Archimandrite Macarius, the former rector of the Tver Seminary, now a censor, that evil spirits told him that a countless number of evil spirits were released to fight against the Orthodox Church, in unity with papism and Mohammedanism. There is no doubt that the effect of perfume is enhanced. But it is impossible to believe their stories: if they sometimes tell the truth, it is in order to cover up deceit or to earn trust and then, all the more likely, to cause harm. At present, their main work is to drop all true ideas about God and everything Divine and to exalt the ideas about man in his fallen nature - thereby preparing the exaltation of that man who is exalted more than God, according to the prophecy of St. Ap. Pavel. The same idea that destroyed people in paradise! Only now it is developing more extensively. What papism! What Mohammedanism! This is just a disguise; these are private actions: the Pope, Mohammed serve in front of the image of the Antichrist; his closest image is Grishka Otrepyev. Letters to Mikhail Vasilyevich Chikhachov. (later to Schemamonk Michael) 13 No. 265. Letters to Mikhail Vasilyevich Chichakhov No. 265. About mercy for the soul Property is tempting: it is rare that a person can resist the temptation it produces. Show the old man in the “Word to the Shepherd” of St. John Climacus the place where this saint says that alms given to souls is as much higher than alms given to bodies as the soul is higher than the body. Our invisible enemies will try in every possible way to steal such alms, or the intention to perform such alms, which can open the way for the old man through ordeals and bring about a blessed death and eternity, either by instilling in the old man himself plausible thoughts that delay him from actually fulfilling his plans, or by acting through people. We must notice this and beware, contrasting the thoughts of demons and human speech, which delay from fulfillment, with the above-mentioned saying of Scripture, which is precisely said as a precaution against evil thoughts brought by the devil and teaching us to delay the intended good, in order to completely steal it from a person. No. 266. On the necessity of sorrows for salvation Having received your letter of May 15, I answered it. After that, I did not have a letter from you, but read what was sent to O.I. and was glad that during your illness the thought of death came to you, and that you understood the danger of your illness. The memory of death does not bring one closer to death, but only prepares one for it, disposing one to repentance. Your wound and the pain from it is a fatherly punishment from God, who loves him and punishes him. I spent my whole life in illnesses and sorrows, as you know: but now, if there are no sorrows, there is nothing to save yourself. There are no exploits, no true monasticism, no leaders: only sorrows replace everything. The feat is associated with vanity; vanity is difficult to notice in yourself, much less to cleanse yourself of it; grief is alien to vanity, and therefore provides a person with a godly, involuntary feat, which is sent by our Provider in accordance with his will.... At my age and with my sickness, I need to seek repentance, and not before earthly lordships. Everything will take its course into the darkness of the grave of oblivion: only service to God and repentance before Him will have eternal value. It seems a big war is brewing on earth; but the struggle with passions and lusts is completely abandoned. The general weakening in faith is very noticeable. Be comforted! May the Lord comfort you and cover you with His mercy. No. 267. About bodily illnesses God bless you for your letter of August 14th. We live very calmly and quietly. O. Alexander (formerly Andryusha), according to the consciousness of all doctors, is hopeless in relation to recovery. But this does not upset us! We rely on the will of God, we often talk about salvation and death, reasoning that it is much better for a young person to die with repentance and with proper preparation than for an old person without repentance and without preparation. Now temptations have multiplied to such an extent, even in the depths of the Holy Abodes, that everyone who wants to be saved is overwhelmed by fear and bewilderment due to the many machinations of the enemy: such a death as God gives to Fr. Alexandra, I must acknowledge the special mercy of God... Now it’s your turn to get sick. Get sick, father, with patience and self-reproach; illness is a teacher of many good things; Moreover, she is God’s message in return and replenishment of our insufficient exploits. No. 268. About the need to rely on the will of God and thank God for everything I thank you for your letter of September 1 and sincerely wish your health to improve; I know from my own experience that a sick person is not a servant to himself or others. Health is easy to lose, but difficult to regain. Having been treated here for two seasons, I am only now beginning to feel significant relief after a long rash, and that relief, not recovery. My health was disturbed even in childhood by secretive scrofula, which was not understood and therefore not treated, and then by a cold. Thank God for everything! for me, illness was like chains that curbed the ardor of my character and build; it hindered activity, and at the same time prevented the greater development of pride, which often develops from successful activity. Glory to God, our Provider for everything. I know about the intention to submit a request to the King of one of the locals... it is difficult for such a request to succeed. Yes, even if she received some success, then I rely on the will of God, which often arranges salvation for a person through various opposites, about which I should think and think about in my years. Be the will of God and for everything that happens, thank God. Father Alexander is very weak, but he is also in good spirits; he talks with me every day about death and the need for a person to surrender to the will of God. Thank you for the information about the consecration of the church of St. Sergius, which gave me great comfort. May the name of God be glorified on earth by the poor creation of God - man, and may this poor creature achieve the vision of the eternal glory of God in heaven. O. Alexander is melting gradually, extremely weak. I admire him as if he were a heavenly inhabitant; his face is angelic. The providence of God is vigilantly vigilant over the destinies of His Church and over the destinies of the world. God's will be done! You live with my closest disciple and in the monastery, which was almost founded by me: therefore, you did not move away from me and did not diverge from me. He didn’t wander off somewhere out of the fascination of a stupid fantasy, but stayed in his place and was obedient to me as a correspondent. Leonid and Juvenaly chose their own path, rejecting the proposal that they made. May God give them all the best! You can and should wish them all the best, but it is impossible to interfere with any of your suggestions or advice. May the Lord grant everyone everything for temporary and eternal benefit! No. 271. On the proper attitude towards bodily illnesses The destinies of God help those who have a sincere, albeit weak, intention to be saved. You know how early illnesses were sent to me, gradually taking away the possibility of achievement and destroying the ability to study. I see that my sickness is a gift from God: it curbed me, and, depriving me of temporary prosperity, attracted the eternal mercy of God to me. Now it's time for you to get sick too. I rejoice that you are enduring your illness properly, repeating the words of the thief who was crucified at the right hand of the Lord and received entry into heaven for his consciousness. Your illness is a God-given penance. May the merciful Lord grant you to endure penance with thanksgiving to God. Both from illness and from treatment I am so weak that I should go to some monastery to retire, that is, with the management of the monastery. Send me a book where Russian monasteries are described, and collect what information you can about the Zadonsk and Kolyazin monasteries. The latter would be more convenient: as less visited by the nobility. However: these are human thoughts, and God knows what he does with his creatures. Take the trouble to convey my regards to P. P-chu and tell him that it’s time to stop being angry with me and forgive me. Give my regards to all the brethren. God bless you for all your love for me, a sinner. Thank God for everything! We do not begin to live, but end our earthly life. We have seen enough of everything earthly: it seems that we need to learn and firmly know that everything earthly is wrong, that every sorrow and joy, earthly moments, like a deceptive dream, pass and do not return. No. 273. About bodily illnesses and Chikhachev’s intention to take monastic vows Your illness must be recognized as the mercy of God. The All-Good Lord, with His fatherly punishment, complements the lack of arbitrary human achievement. You write that O. Justin is a man of rare soul. Exactly: there is a special mercy of God towards him. I must thank God that He, in His great mercy, sent me in my old age, in my extreme weakness, a man who bears my burden in the Lord. And Callistus is very nice, he becomes respectable. The matter of tonsure into the schema must begin after the completion of the matter of treatment. Treatment greatly entertains the thoughts of those being treated, I know this from my own experience; After tonsure, a schema-monk must certainly have a thought concentrated within himself: the initial disposition of spirit, perceived after tonsure, will affect the rest of his life. God has arranged for you to get sick in your old age and sit in your cell so that you can remember the sins of your youth, and in them, bring repentance to God, and receive forgiveness from God. Glory to God, who arranges for our salvation through His wise destinies. From the illness that has befallen you, you should understand that God accepted your will in relation to your entry into the monastery and rewards you for your feasible service to Him in the monastery. The Apostle says that God “beats every son, but accepts him.” (Heb. 12:6). And so, although now there are beatings, they are a sign of acceptance, and should be accepted with joy and thanksgiving. From thanksgiving comes patience; from patience comes the hope of salvation. Thank you for the notification about the deceased Bishop and about the departing one. Such news is instructive: and we have a path to the same place. We need to get ready. And the Lord prepares with his destinies those who prepare themselves according to their strength. God bless you for notifying me of the death of Metropolitan Gregory. Although this is sad news, God’s destinies are unsearchable, and we must submit to them. May God grant you to live safely under the decree. I myself found your trip here unnecessary. We are not worldly people! I would only have enough time to talk to you for five minutes. It is much better to pay attention to yourself, without leaving the space given by God for salvation. The hour of calling into eternity is not known to each of us, but it will certainly be, and for the most part it creeps up like a thief in the night. No. 277. On the acquisition of the village of repentance I recently came across the will of St. Tikhon of Voronezh. In this testament, among many thanksgivings, the righteous man sends thanks to God for having given him, before his death, the village of repentance, in which the precious pearl of salvation is hidden. But in order to buy a village of repentance, it is necessary, according to the instructions of the Gospel, to sell all property, that is, to sacrifice a prominent earthly position, which leads to distraction, and all earthly pleasant relationships, entertaining the heart and preventing one from deepening into repentance. In this disposition of our souls, we will surrender ourselves, each other and our entire life to Christ our God. No. 278. About acquiring repentance I pray to God that He will grant me a path of repentance. In my opinion, I have not yet begun to repent, and I fully share the opinion of the Monk Isaiah the Hermit, expressed by him in a letter to his disciple, Abba Peter, that as long as a person is in entertainment and care, he cannot achieve repentance. No. 279. About earthly well-being and earthly sorrows, about publishing one’s own works and other subjects The Lord shows His mercy to His servants not in earthly prosperity, but in earthly sorrows. This idea is expressed very comfortingly in the life of the Great Martyr Eustathius Placidas: it says that if the Lord gives earthly well-being to his servants, it will be for a short time, so that they do not spoil. Constant well-being spoils the heart. With the current changes, I can expect that they will offer me rest: I must consider this as the great mercy of God, giving me time for thorough repentance. Excuse me to A.S. that I do not start correspondence with him, although I retain all my former love. I have completely stopped correspondence with everyone, and write only when absolutely necessary. At my age and with the weakness of my health, I have no time for correspondence or earthly thoughts, but rather remember death more often and bring repentance to God until the field of repentance is taken away. Regarding my writings, tell Fr. Archimandrite, that I do not want them to be published now, for many reasons, among other things, because I am correcting and adding to them. So the Rules for the outward behavior of beginners have been corrected and the other half, five times larger than the first, has been added to them, about spiritual work for beginners. I corrected the “Tale of Death” and sent it to the Moscow Metropolitan with a request for permission to publish it as an experience of my ascetic labors. What will happen? Don't know! If God wills, then I would like to publish a collection of my works, having revised them carefully, and publish them under my own supervision. If this does not please God, then the corrected manuscript may remain after my death to the one into whose hands God will bring it, and may be printed, or even unprinted it will serve someone for spiritual benefit. U o. Archimandrite has a photograph of many of my writings in memory of me, a sinner, and in memory of the fact that, although I myself knew little, I communicated what I knew to the brethren for the common salvation. Why do I ask and pray about. Archimandrite should not publish my works either in their entirety, or in extracts, or in altered form. Elder Isaiah used to tell me: don’t write! Not for anyone! This is already the truth, said in Holy Scripture, that every person blossoms for earthly life for a short time! You look: it will bloom, bloom, and then fade. And the hero Prince. O. leaves. Hieroschemamonk Macarius Ivanov, a famous elder, died in Optina on September 7: he constantly corresponded with me from the time I was in the Caucasus. Tell Sh-vu that I sincerely rejoice at the monastery he erected for monks; for this, in all likelihood, he will find in that life the eternal abode prepared by God. They cannot remain without fulfilling the words of Christ: “measure in moderation, it will be measured to you.” I believe that on the 25th the Metropolitan was with you in the desert: I sincerely wish that he would allow Fr. to live. Ignatius and the brethren in the monastery which they entered when it was in ruins, and when, by the grace of God, it turned into a most magnificent monastery with such beautiful buildings as are not found in any other monastery. God judges decency and good morals. But in this respect, Sergius Hermitage is far superior to many other monasteries, even those famous for their holiness. However, God's will be done! If any temptation follows Ignatyushka, it will serve as a sign of God’s special favor. By the grace of God, I begin to feel significant relief after the strong and painful effect of the waters, which, however, continues to a significant extent to this day. I lead a very solitary life. I cannot sufficiently thank God for taking me out of the St. Petersburg whirlpool: it seems that I was deliberately put there in order to see all the vanity of the world up close, to know its deceptive charm, and to finally hate it. The Nikiforovskys live peacefully here, and they get along very well with me. In the city they are edified. Glory to God, who gives time for repentance and familiarization with the future before entering the future. I would be very glad if they gave me a diocese somewhere far away, but with monasteries, so that I could prepare a monastery in advance and then retire to it. This is a human assumption, but the Lord is building His own, and one must submit to His will. No. 282. About the death of Fr. Macarius of Optina and other subjects I received your letter dated October 31, and was glad to hear that the new metropolitan had warmed up to the Sergeev Desert and its rector. I sincerely wish that this disposition would be necessary and strengthened for the good of the monastery, for the peace and salvation of those living in it, and for the saint himself, who for the first time in his life deals with monastics who understand monasticism. It is very easy to push monks away from you and disperse them, but to gather and form them is very difficult, even impossible without a special gift from God. Fr. Archimandrite Moses informed me about the death of the elder Hieroschemamonk Macarius and asked for a brochure of the work of Fr. Leonid Kavelin. Optina lost her soul. O. Macarius, although he was the most physical fulfiller of the commandments, had love for his neighbor and supported brotherhood with it. He is irreplaceable in my opinion and opinion! the remaining ones are too physical workers. St. Isaac of Syria said that bodily activity without spiritual activity cannot approach the mind of God, but is very capable of conveying an opinion about oneself. The world glorifies the Optinaskys as saints; but the opinion of the world is always contrary to the truth. Monasticism has become impoverished, and must become even more impoverished. Let him save his soul. My deepest bow to all the brethren. I feel sorry for the ladies who got married abroad. Such a century! It tastes like that! Such pledges! I am very sorry about the former K.E. I love their whole family so much that their joys and troubles touch me vividly. I earnestly wish you to accept the holy angelic image for the salvation of your soul and final renunciation from the world. Regarding myself, I will tell you directly that I do not want any prominent place for myself, and I am not able, due to illness and exhaustion from illness, to serve in prominent places, but I sincerely wish to end my days somewhere, in solitude and obscurity, in self-attention and repentance. No. 285. About one’s own sinfulness, about the deceitfulness of earthly well-being and other subjects God bless you for everything, and for your testimony about me that I was exhausted from a long illness. This is absolutely true. I forgot my whole sinful life; write what you know and want, but all I know and remember is that my life was and is a chain of sins. Rightly, the Holy Fathers call earthly life a deceptive dream, and happiness, which does not remain the property of a person through fidelity, self-delusion. How many examples of earthly contentment and greatness crumbling before our eyes! And now a living example of K.O. - He is both rich and famous, but in his mind he is in a childish state, and therefore fame and wealth constitute a situation devoid of almost any meaning, which death will completely take away. Great is God’s mercy for us, which brought us to the monastery. This is a blessing above all earthly blessings. There are serious rumors about me here that they will transfer me. So what? The whole earth belongs equally to God, and I surrender myself entirely to His will and guidance. God often arranges for those who have entrusted themselves to Him a spiritually beneficial situation through contrary circumstances. Tikhon of Voronezh was accused of excessive ardor; Because of such an accusation, he had to retire to a monastery, where he was honored with the special mercy of God. In his dying testament, the Saint brought special gratitude to God for what was given to him; he was to prepare for the transition to eternity by thorough repentance. This is what is considered by a spiritual husband to be God’s good deed; expulsion from the pulpit and a humble stay in the monastery. The most correct judgment! Take the trouble to convey my most ardent bow to Father Archimandrite and all the brethren. Be healthy and prosperous. Pray for me. E.I. No. 286. About the need to surrender oneself to the will of God God bless you for your letter of January 31st. St. John Chrysostom and other Holy Fathers, when starting to talk about anything, always tried to begin with the following words: “Be the will of God over us all!” Glory to God for everything that happens, even if what happens is hard and bitter.” God is both abundantly merciful in His benefits and abundantly merciful in His punishments. It is up to every Christian to understand and acknowledge this truth. It often happens that, according to God’s will, something material and temporary is taken away, and in its place something moral, spiritual, and eternal is given. And people attached to matter and temporary life grieve, not realizing that they are being elevated to priceless, highest benefits. Surrendering oneself to the will of God brings peace and consolation to the heart in all sorrows. I say this from my frequent experiences, but I am sure that the experiences of every person will confirm the same if he tunes himself in the spirit of the Holy Fathers. Rumors about my movement here continue; but don’t talk about them for idle talk and with everyone. Having heard about the death of Metropolitan Gregory, I realized that I had to receive another appointment, because with a change in the highest power there is usually a significant change in administrative plans. E.I. No. 287. About my own pain I find the appointment of the Most Reverend Leonidas to consecrate the church in Paris very reasonable, and I find the desire of some that I be used for this to be completely unfounded; I thank you for the love. I was very old, I had lost my physical strength and mental faculties, I came here half-dead, not realizing that I was terribly ill. Treatment on the waters revealed the full importance of my illness, which was even accompanied by a nervous breakdown. Now, although I feel some relief, but not enough to figure in prominent positions; for whom I have not the slightest sympathy. The share of Pr Tikhon of Voronezh is a share worthy of sympathy and competition! No. 288. About one’s own desire for solitude K.S. N-well, I’m very grateful for the participation he takes in me. But I, seeing that my days were slipping away like a shadow, and my strength was weakening extremely, moreover, having a long-standing desire to end my days in solitude, I submitted a petition to the Holy Synod to dismiss me from the management of the diocese and to give me the management of the cenobitic Babayevsky Monastery of Bonfire. diocese. Having done this, I felt in my soul a special feeling of calm and even quiet joy, as if I had fulfilled my duty. It is not in my direction to live in prominent places and occupy prominent positions. And now - and not with my strength and health. If we waver from double-mindedness and put off the good intention of repentance day after day, to which the enemy of our salvation attracts with flattery, under various plausible pretexts, then we can spend our entire earthly life in such double-mindedness and indecision and be caught by death in unpreparedness. Babayki is a secluded place, little visited, especially not visited at all in winter, dry and healthy, next to the Volga River. If God grants me this shelter, then it can become a shelter for many who truly want salvation away from the noisy world. Ask from me about. Arch. I., so that he would talk about me to the Metropolitan, and if not directly, then through the Most Reverend Vicar. The reason is that many learned monks have the most wrong idea about me, judging by themselves. The Monk Isaiah the Hermit said: “just as a canvas retains the mark of the paint in which it was painted for the first time, no matter how many times it is repainted, so a monk retains within himself for the rest of his life the imprint of the direction that he initially received when entering the monastery.” Perfect truth! I see this in myself and others. Academic monks, entering monasticism for the purpose of serving the Church in academic and administrative relations, preserve this direction, and the newly-minted Pleasant of God, Saint Tikhon, having left the episcopal see, was at first bored in monastic solitude, being deprived of administrative activities. The same thing was noticed in others. I, on the contrary, having spent the beginning of my monasticism in the most secluded monasteries and imbued with the concepts of the strictest asceticism, maintained this direction in the Sergeevskaya hermitage, so that in my living room I was a representative archimandrite, and in my study - a hermit. Here the same thing continues, only to a greater extent: I have become so close to my cell that I can hardly force myself to go out into the garden in order to give myself the solitude necessary for my health. Many people do not suspect this direction of mine, and therefore they compose for me a direction that is completely alien to me, which is what the late Metropolitan Gregory wrote to me. Having satisfied my request, they will provide double payment: 1) they will not only reassure me, they will benefit me by providing me with a residence that suits my direction; 2) will reassure those who see in me various plans that are dangerous or unpleasant for them. And the second point is very important to me. The Monk Pimen the Great said: “Do not live there in such a way that your residence brings confusion to your neighbors, otherwise you will also be deprived of your spiritual fruit for the sole reason that your residence leads to confusion to your neighbors.” In addition to the request to the Synod, I also wrote letters of petition to the Metropolitans, Moscow and St. Petersburg and the Chief Prosecutor. The request was sent on July 24th, therefore negotiations need to hurry up. E.I. God bless you for your letter of August 8th and the notification. I have already received a formal notification from the Chief Prosecutor on Monday, August 21st. A special feeling of joy and tranquility fills me, and the depletion of bodily strength is extraordinary. By October 1st, take the trouble to write to me at the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, in Nerekhta. No. 290. About the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery Arriving on October 14 at the Desert Monastery of St. Nicholas, Babaevskaya, I found there your letter dated September 29. I made the journey with difficulty due to the weakness of my body, exhausted by illness, and in Moscow I fell seriously ill. He left Moscow sick and came here sick, despite the fact that 120 leeches were applied to his sick leg in Moscow. The Babaevsky Monastery is a semi-staff, communal construction building. For many merits, abbots are elevated to abbot and, occasionally, to archimandrite. There are 36 monastic vacancies, but there are only 18 monks on staff. The monastery is in decline both morally and materially; located on a very healthy and quite pleasant area, very convenient for monastic life. The future of the monastery is in the power of God. Never in my life have I been so pleased with my position as I am now. 14 It seems that my Guardian Angel, at the command of God, dictated a decree about me to the Holy Synod - so this decree satisfies the requirements of my mental mood and physical health. The Emperor, being in the Caucasus, sent me an order. If to 1000 rubles. pensions have been increased by another 500, then I no longer know what to say about such an abundance of favors. My address is in Yaroslavl, n. E.I. I can’t get enough of my current situation. After much suffering in the midst of the stormy sea of ​​life, God brought me to a quiet refuge. Everything worked out just fine. Even before my arrival, the local abbot applied for another abbot’s position, and therefore it is natural that Justin took his place to the general pleasure of the brotherhood, of which there are more than 80 people. The monastery is especially convenient for monastic life in all respects! The air and water are healthy. E.I. I am very pleased with what they gave me; I thought they would give me nothing at all. When the given is enough, then it is not in accordance with the monastic conscience to bother about more. If we hold back anything here, we will meet it multiplied in the next century. The time has come when it is most necessary to think about eternity: the years have passed, health and strength have left. You won't see how death will creep up. I am very pleased with the place: the most secluded, no one bothers me. I cannot expect recovery: because I am very exhausted from both illness and treatment. Will some special miracle follow according to the Providence of God? One should not flatter oneself with the assumption of a long earthly life: rather, by frequent recollection of death, try to make it less terrible at the hour of its arrival. – Mineral waters strongly drove away colds and scrofula from me: this continues even now, always keeps me in a difficult situation, and at times leads to very difficult ones. Thank God for everything! R.S. While passing through Moscow, I looked at those who had succeeded in earthly success: There is nothing enviable; on the contrary, many things seemed worthy of regret. Who will finally be appointed Chief Prosecutor will be notified. In the local wilderness, such as the Babaevsky Monastery, in winter, no information comes: we live, as it were, in another world, which I am very pleased with. It’s nice here in the summer: if you decide to visit, you’re welcome to join its namesake. I seem to become fresher; I was very ill when I arrived. As usual, I boast: I’ve only been to church 4 times, I’m sitting hopelessly in my cell; I never took a walk, either on foot or in a carriage. In general, I am very pleased with everything, and what is missing, I hope the merciful Lord will arrange for a sinner for me. Take the trouble to convey my letters to Chernyavsky and Rudavsky. It doesn’t matter that these children remembered me: what matters is that they remembered themselves. Without the latter, the first would not exist. God bless you for your letter and for the complacency with which you endure what you find. Everything passes by, both good and bad, but neither humans nor demons can do what God will not allow. If you encounter difficulty in getting a vacation, then it is better not to start, especially since there is no extreme in the trip. In particular, Fr. The archimandrite must be careful both for himself and for the monastery. I do not at all want to see you with sensual eyes, but I want to see you with spiritual eyes in pious prosperity, in living in the fear of God. This is enough for me. Today, for the 4th time during the winter, I left my cell for church. Thank God for everything! In 1856, it seems, I renewed my acquaintance with the Optinskys precisely for this purpose, in order to diverge even more from them. God's providence also delivered me from Juvenal, who would not have borne my infirmities. Now I'm in my circle! among the brothers who bear my infirmities. I got along very well with Fr. Feofan, the former Nikiforovsky, who is little by little aging here. And the old Babaevsky brotherhood, simple, with a deserted direction, suits me as an old man. The monastery is very secluded, especially in winter. Glory to God, who gave me peace after a long period of distress. Health is very weak. And for that thank God! E.I. No. 297. About earthly and future life and other subjects Although I wrote to you recently, I am also responding to your letter of April 15, seeing from your letter that you are unwell. May the merciful Lord grant you patience, which appears in the soul when we surrender ourselves to the will of God, and thank God for the sorrow sent to cleanse our sins. Well said St. Martyr Tivorti about earthly life (Cheti Menaion, November 22) “seems to be and not.” Exactly! It’s as if she’s before your eyes and in your hands, but everything is slipping away. About the future life Tivortius said: “It seems not to be, but it is.” Exactly, when we live here, it seems that we will always stay here; future life seems non-existent. But no! You can’t see how it will come, and it will certainly come. Blessed are those whom God prepares for eternity through illnesses and other sorrows, who, out of the midst of their sorrows, confess to God. “What is worthy according to our deeds is acceptable! Remember us, O Lord, in Thy kingdom! My arms and legs hurt, my right leg especially hurts; I have a very bad headache, but the main pain is in the left side, along the entire lower part of the chest and ribs, even from the left shoulder, especially near the heart. In this place, from time to time I feel pain, as if from a spear ulcer, which makes me extremely exhausted, and I feel like I’m dying. God bless you for announcing the death of Sheremetyev. The Lord visited him with a serious illness. It is useful to hear about the death of acquaintances; such news reminds one of one’s own death. How suddenly, without any particular apparent reason, the freshest blood and flesh conceive the germ of death in and out of themselves! This embryo begins to develop, and suddenly develops into an incurable disease that puts a person in a coffin. E.I. And news of the sorrows that befell the capital reaches here. Sorry, very sorry! People have multiplied, neglecting the law of God and not stopping to plunge their neighbors into troubles and misfortunes. It's a pity and oh. Heraclius, who decided to raise his voice against his brethren. May the merciful Lord block the sources of temptation if we become weak. At least I will say about myself that I have become extremely weak, and every little thing worries me and is harmful to my health. The other day I went to Yaroslavl and Kostroma to visit the saints there and was received very favorably - I greeted everyone and said goodbye to everyone, saying that I had the intention not to leave the monastery, which was required by my extremely upset health and the corresponding spiritual mood. The trip was a difficult feat for me. Currently I live in the cells of Fr. Abbot, because they provide me with the necessary comfort according to my health, which is very bad. Here we received news of the death of our neighbor and my good friend N.P. Polozov. Almost everyone close to me has moved into eternity; my turn has come or will come. Here, since June, the weather has been good, it rains, but there is no dirt around the monastery; bread and herbs are good. The monastery has almost no visitors; In summer the privacy is almost the same as in winter. Commoners visit the monastery in significant numbers: but they come to the Divine service, and after it go to their villages or to an inn, without disturbing the brethren with whimsical demands. K Ah. I wrote a formal statement that I have no opportunity to deal with the subordinates whom Gr. decided to send to me. T., due to the complete disorder of my health. This is quite fair! and now I feel a terrible pain in my left side: apparently, a severe aneurysm has formed, 15 which requires being in complete peace and solitude. It is clear: the time has come to start correcting ourselves, and not others, and preparing for the transition to eternity. No. 300. On the special nature of one’s own writings and the reasons for this Take the trouble to convey my sincere greetings to Viktor Ipatievich. I respect his feat, performed with such selflessness and with such benefit for Orthodox Christians. Pyotr Aleksandrovich, who is one of Viktor Ipatievich’s most zealous readers, wants to meet him personally, being very acquainted with him in absentia. Regarding my writings, you know that I wrote them for myself and for short, few acquaintances of mine, out of the mood received and assimilated by monastic life. It is not surprising that this mood in some shades seems to be separated from the mood of pious monks, even saints, but who borrowed their mood from theological schools. As an example, I will point to the works of St. Tikhon of Voronezh, excellent in all respects. My writings, despite their many shortcomings in spiritual and academic terms, are of a different nature. I believe it is necessary to preserve this character and not reshape them to the Academic model; otherwise, leave them unpublished, especially since they were not written for this purpose and I myself consider them unworthy. Here, in solitude, looking back at my past life and strengthened by repentance to weaken the power of my sins, I bring repentance in the written works, recognizing them as sinners before God, and their words unworthy of the subject. With all this, and for many monks, famous for their ascetic life, for example, for the Optina ones, my mood remains very unclear: for their mood was formed from an active physical life, so visible to the world and glorified by it, and mine from a retreat forced by illness and other circumstances and the spiritual activity and feat associated with it, invisible and incomprehensible to the world. It is this mood that manifests itself everywhere in my writings, how insufficient they are, and makes them unique. Their character matches the writings of ancient ascetics. Autumn has come; They close the windows for the winter, and I close my rooms out of necessity, not just arbitrarily. What to do? one must follow the path indicated by God's Providence. Those asking for your Holy prayers. E.I. God bless you for your letter of July 6 and for your good wishes: Both I and Pyotr Alexandrovich are looking for the same thing: to end our days in repentance. This is the only thing we ask of God; We leave the development of the monastery or non-development to the all-holy will of God, the only useful thing in life. We are afraid of material cares and rumors, as if they distract us from caring for the soul. The Babaevsky Monastery, very secluded in winter, turns out to be very secluded in the summer. My health is very weak: I have no strength, and I have seizures of a paralytic nature. God bless you for taking care of me. About death: a person cannot choose what disease he will die with; die the one God sends. Saint Tikhon, the newly-minted Pleasant of God, fell ill with paralysis from a stroke. I stopped having open hemorrhoids a long time ago and from that time on I started having paralytic seizures. No matter how you die, God forbid you die with repentance. O. Gideon, hierodeacon, dies with very good preparation. My health is very weak. Most of all, my strength is completely exhausted. Changes happen not by the day, but by the hour: it will give away, then it will grab again. I cannot get enough of the calm shelter that God has given me and which suits my situation so much. God bless you, my Father, for the work you have undertaken, write to me quite often. Don't bother yourself so much anymore. I will be very grateful if you write occasionally or for any special need. God bless you for your letter of January 5th. He rightly said that God gave me in His own time, known to God, what I had long and constantly desired, but for which I was not ready. “Silence,” says St. John Climacus, “destroys the inexperienced.” I ask for your prayers that I may be given the wisdom to properly use the time given to repentance and prepare myself for eternity. Talk about yourself with caution. This place is not the Sergius Hermitage. The so-called talents, in which they allow themselves pride, self-will and other indulgences, are not valued here, but the preservation of the monastic direction is valued. Anyone who violates monastic rules and deanery, no matter who they are, is immediately given a ticket to find another place. Therefore, anyone who wants to live here must first prepare for repentance, which is defined by St. John Climacus as follows: “repentance consists in constant oppression of the belly and contrition of the spirit.” It is better not to enter here with any other preparation. The place here is secluded, conducive to self-attention and repentance; The brethren are not allowed to go to cities and villages, they do not go to a hotel without asking, and they do not accept females into their cells. I will be very glad to visit Fr. Archimandrite, but I can say in advance that I have lost the ability to give advice, even if I had it. Take the trouble to convey my zealous bow and blessing to the brethren and to the sick John Dementievich, to whom I wish to end his earthly course in repentance and hope for our only hope - the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Redeemer. And again I ask for your holy prayers. Note: In all letters to M.V. The time of receipt of the letter was indicated to Chikhachov, blessings were constantly sent to the entire brethren of the Sergius Hermitage, but both these and other random circumstances that did not have any special significance were omitted from the letters, only instructions and the most important circumstances personally related to the Bishop were preserved. This sister did not enter the monastery due to intensifying painful attacks, but led a very secluded, strictly pious life in her Maslenskaya village; I did not see my daughter until almost the last year of my life, which I graduated from on May 19, 1855 in the village. Pokrovsky, where, anticipating her death, she arrived on the 13th of the same month in order to die in her family village. Until the last evening she was on her feet and did not complain of any particular pain, except for her usual long-standing general painful condition. Note P.A. Brianchaninova. His Eminence Leonid, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, in the world Lev Vasilievsky, son of Comrade Herold Master, born February 16, 1817. In August 1829, at the thirteenth year of his life, his parents placed him in the Mountain Cadet Corps. In 1832, Krasnopevkov left the mountain corps and, after home preparation, entered the Baltic Fleet as a cadet. In February 1836, Krasnopevkov was enlisted in the 14th naval crew. At this time, he met (according to the testimony of P.A. Brianchaninov in 1831) with Archimandrite Ignatius Brianchaninov, who was at that time the Rector of the Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg. Archimandrite Ignatius introduced him to monastic life and confirmed his determination to become a monk. In 1840, Krasnopevkov entered the Moscow Theological Academy, and Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, wrote on June 30 of the same year to the Viceroy of the Lavra, Archimandrite Anthony: An official from the Krasnopevkov nobles is entering the Academy. This is not like some who were before this. Receive him with attention and give him the right to know the monastery and monasticism. After graduating from the Academy, Lieutenant Krasnopevkov became a civilian teacher. history to the Bethany Seminary and in September 1845 became a monk, with the name Leonidas. From April 1848 to November 1849, Hieromonk Leonid was a graduate of the Moscow Theological Academy in the class of patristics and an assistant librarian. In November 1849 he was appointed Rector of the Lebanese Theological Seminary, in 1853 Rector of the Moscow Theological Seminary. In March 1859, Archimandrite Leonid was elected by the Holy Synod and Supremely confirmed as Bishop of Dmitrov; in May 1870 he was appointed Archbishop of Yaroslavl; died on December 15, 1876 in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery of the Kostroma Diocese (you can read in detail about His Eminence Leonid in the interesting book of the Eminence Savva: “Memories of the Eminence Leonid, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov. Kharkov. 1877). Archbishop Leonid arrived at the Nikolo-Babaevskaya monastery on December 13, and in the church Rev. The Radonezh series listened to the cathedral memorial service for His Eminence Ignatius Brianchaninov; At the end of the funeral service, His Eminence Leonid approached the very grave of Vladyka Ignatius, bowed to the ground, greeted the deceased and, turning to the brethren, explained to them his spiritual relationship to him. The body of the deceased hierarch, after being washed and vested, was covered with the mantle of Bishop Ignatius. The destinies of God led the monk-loving hierarch Leonid to end his days in a deserted monastery, in which hierarch Ignatius reposed, who instilled in him the determination to leave service to the world and accepted him, who passed into eternity, into his unity, into his monastery, which was expressed by the tactile expression and covering of the body, which appeared to be his episcopal robe. “Not without the Providence of God,” notes P.A. Brianchaninov, “the Lord has vouchsafed me, the brother of Bishop Ignatius, to serve at this great hour to His Eminence Leonid” (Petr Brianchaninov. The last two days of the life of His Eminence Leonid*. Church Bulletin. 1877, January, No. 1, pp. 11–12). There is a rumor here that the Rector's letter was sent to the Synod, of course, not officially. Archimandrite Pimen is the rector of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery of the Moscow Diocese. Pyotr Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov, the younger brother of His Grace Ignatius, was educated at the Military Engineering School. He entered service as a conductor in the Conductor Company of the Main Engineering School on June 3, 1824. Based on the exam, he was promoted to field engineer-ensign on November 20, 1827, remaining in the same school. Transferred to the 7th Pioneer Battalion on December 20, 1828. For his distinction in the battle against the Turks, he was promoted to second lieutenant on August 30, 1829. Promoted to lieutenant on March 26, 1832. Promoted to staff captain with transfer to the Borodino Jaeger Regiment with appointment as adjutant to the Chief of the Main Staff of the former 1st Army, Adjutant General Muravyov, November 1–23, 1834. Promoted to captain on December 29, 1835; to major on March 26, 1839; promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 6, 1847. Upon his retirement on March 14, 1848, by the Highest Order of the Civil Department, he was assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. By the highest order he was appointed Kostroma Vice-Governor on December 16, 1852, by the Highest order on October 24, 1855, he was appointed Stavropol Vice-Governor; By the Highest Order on August 1, 1859 he was appointed Stavropol Governor and on December 17, 1859 he was promoted to full state councilor for distinction; on June 21, 1862, by the Highest Order, according to the petition, due to poor health, he was dismissed from service, with due consideration for his special official jealousy and labor, in addition to the following pension, upon death, the full salary of the Governor's allowance (Official Certificate of the actual state councilor P.A. Brianchaninov dated September 27, 1862, No. 537). With the retirement of his elder brother Bishop Ignatius, Pyotr Alexandrovich began to strenuously strive to leave the civil service for obedience to the monastery and, upon his retirement in June 1862, settled in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery in the position of a novice. In May 1887, the Kostroma Spiritual Consistory issued a certificate to the former Stavropol Civil Governor, Actual State Councilor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Bryanchaninov, who lives in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery as a pilgrim, to the effect that he, Mr. Bryanchaninov, in consideration of his long-term residence in the said monastery, with the blessing of His Eminence Alexander, Bishop of Kostroma and Galich, he is allowed to wear a cassock and hood, without changing his rank, while maintaining the rank and those rights that were acquired to him by origin and in the State Service. (Certificate of the Kostroma Spiritual Consistory dated May 18, 1887, No. 3765) The Consistory certificate certifies the unimpeded absence of P.A. Brianchaninov from the monastery and the right to wear monastic robes outside the monastery. Before the death of P.A. Brianchaninov was tonsured a monk and with the name of Monk Paul died on June 25, 1891, at the age of 82, and was buried in the cemetery of the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery of the Kostroma Diocese, which owes all its improvement to the holy zeal and care of the ascetic brothers Bishop Ignatius and. P.A. Brianchaninovs. Until August 1861, on the occasion of a joint stay in Stavropol, correspondence, if it happened, was very, very rare and, moreover, everyday, limited to random daily needs. In the last days of July, His Eminence Ignatius asked in a letter addressed to the Emperor for his most merciful retirement. At this time I was on vacation, which was the reason for the restoration of correspondence. Note from Peter Alexandrovich. I don’t know who Pr wanted to talk about. Ignatius, without naming the censor who gave him the secret order, but I know for sure that the Warsaw Archbishop Ioannikiy, who was also once a censor, conveyed the same thing to the St. Petersburg merchant wife Tatyana Semyonovna Mitropolova (Nikiforova). Note P.A. Brianchaninova. Written in response to a proposal to act against the spread of the evil teaching of Matvevsky’s review through the highest spiritual authorities. Archimandrite of the Sergius Hermitage. The novice collector returned from the collection, who had revealed unreliable inclinations, although in appearance he seemed to be of the most impeccable appearance. “The Farmer,” an article by “Home Conversation,” in response to an article by “The Day,” which attacked monasteries in general and the Sergius Hermitage, which is near St. Petersburg in particular. “Ascetic Experiences.” Volume 1/ Detailed information about this wonderful friend of Vladyka Ignatius can be read in the first part of our book, especially in chapter. I. The mood of contentment did not leave Bishop Ignatius until his death. This attack seemed to have completely passed in the spring of 1863, but it soon reappeared and developed into a fatal cause. Note from P.A. Brianchaninova.