Greek Life of Saint John of Damascus

Migne, Patrologia graeca, t.XCIV, col.430 (hereinafter, the numbers in square brackets correspond to the columns of this edition, indicated by the author of this article in the margins - Editorial of the ABC of Faith). I. People usually venerate the sacred images of those men who have preserved the image of God unsullied and undamaged - whether it was such from the beginning, or was restored after it had been repeatedly erased and polluted. And those who want to show special respect for them, depicting the features of the saints, with a hand generous in all splendor, use the best and most elegant materials, believing that by doing this they are doing great honor to the saints. So, if (people) care so much about [432] the grace of the images of saints, then is it really necessary, when telling about their deeds, to allow the speech to be careless and ungraceful? No way. Indeed, ignorant people can be forgiven if they, as best they can, in raw words, talk about the deeds of those who pleased Christ. But for those who have studied the word, it is unforgivable to compose the lives of the saints carelessly, at random, and especially about such men who breathed and lived for science and who with their words cleansed the mind from ignorance and oblivion, and the soul from every passionate movement - and with whom the universe is decorated, and every mind was enlightened by the writings on which they worked and which not only have external wisdom, but also emit abundant light Comforter. II. One of them, and one of the first among them, is the great John, who received his name from his home city of Damascus. He was not a small luminary in the church horizon, but a very great and very brilliant one. He shone not only in the darkness of heresy, which spread everywhere, but he dispersed every night of wrong teaching with his messages. In fact, night spread throughout the universe, darkening the bright features of the revered icons, and the darkness was deep. The one who distributed and produced it was not a simple man who would sow evil only in one part of the universe, but he held in his hands, so to speak, the limits of the universe, for he possessed the scepter of the Roman Empire. Therefore, great was he whose breath blew everywhere and who with terrible power uprooted sacred images; and those who revered them, this sovereign, who was Leo in name and in spirit, made some his food, like a lion who delights and roars (Ps. 21:14), while other Orthodox Christians with his roar scattered throughout various countries and forced them to hide in underground shelters. And many preferred to live with lions and dragons than to live with him and his accomplices. Others, under the influence of fear, fled [433] to the distant reaches of the universe, for the lion roars, and whoever does not fear (Amos 3:8) - and they fled from him as from the face of a serpent. III. This same man, filled with spiritual grace and named after her 1, was inflamed with anger against this one serpent, so that anger became jealousy and virtue. Living not in Thrace at that time, he fled to the Sauromatians, and not from Byzantium to the pillars of Hercules, and not from the royal palaces did he go into the desert, frightened by the roar of a lion; but spending time first in Damascus, and then in Palestine and laboring in a desert place, he most nobly entered into the struggle against Leo, and, despite such a great distance, my thrice-strong fighter with his books, forged in the fire of the Comforter and tempered by the water of life, pierced the heart of the king, like a three-pointed spear. But our word will speak about this in more detail and better together. So, is it really necessary to allow the life of such a husband to be written haphazardly, in rude words, and, moreover, in Arabic and in Arabic script? No way. Therefore, it must be told from what noble root this flowering offspring came and what fatherland boasts of having produced it. IV. This fatherland was the city of Damascus. Just as this city boasts of Paul, for he was the first to see him caught up into heaven, when he left ungodliness and from an enemy of Christ became His friend, so it boasts beautifully and gloriously of this man (John), for he did not come here from other countries and did not convert to the Orthodox from another faith, but this city produced him, raised him more for piety than for bodily existence, and, having nourished him with science, greatly boasts of its industry. This city is proud and rejoices in this husband more than in its other glorious attractions, for example, the moderation of its climate, the sweet and clear waters of the tributary, which irrigate it abundantly. This city is exalted and proud not of the abundance of noble fruits, but of the fact that this beautiful and noble tree grew in it, nurtured by the flowing waters (Ps. 1:3) and yielding the fruits of the spirit [436] in its time; and some of its fruits remain fresh with us all the time, pleasant to the eye and sweet to the taste. And those who touch and partake of them, they not only delight, but also nourish, and contribute to the growth of the one who partakes, and elevate and perfect him into a man perfect in the Holy Spirit. Thus, the city of Damascus was famous for this creation of its own more than for all its other benefits and pleasures with which it abounded; such was the city from which this man came. V. His ancestors were pious, and only one preserved among the thorns the flower of piety and the fragrance of the calling of Christ. Only they have preserved the name of Christians, as some glorious and inalienable heritage, without tarnishing the Orthodox faith in any way, since the descendants of Hagar took possession of the city. Hence, for their virtue, they became famous among the infidels, since their virtue was also revered by their enemies - or, better said, just as God glorified Daniel among the Assyrians for the piety he discovered (Dan. 2:48), and Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 41:41), from captives making them leaders and masters among strangers and enemies, so here too he made the ancestors of John the rulers of affairs among themselves Saracen. Thus, here too the pious captives began to rule over the infidels who had captured them. Oh, great miracles of God and amazing signs! There is nothing higher than virtue! There is nothing more valuable and higher than piety! For like a banner on a hill (Isa. 30:17), or better said, like a lamp in the night, like a seed to Israel (Is. 1:9), like a spark in the ashes, so the family of John's ancestors remained in Damascus to produce this brilliant lamp that should illuminate the ends of the earth; These were the ancestors of the praised (husband). VI. His father, coming from such a good root, tried to surpass his parents in piety and other virtues, revealing a special love for God: for it was necessary that such a glorious man, who was supposed to reach the heights of virtue, should have as the closest culprit of his existence such a person who would be higher than his ancestors, so that the ascent to heights would be accomplished correctly, as if through a gradual progressive movement. Thus, it seemed that in relation to this great and glorious man, by divine Providence from above, everything was arranged in the same way as before in relation to John the Baptist. Since a greater one than the prophets who came before him was about to shine and accomplish the mystery of the entire priesthood that preceded him, namely, the baptism of the Lord, Providence arranged it in such a way that he did not come from ordinary people, but came from a priestly family, and his parent was a prophet. So here too, divine Providence chooses a person who is extremely pious and philanthropic as the parent of John; for, having been made, for the excellence of his virtue and for other advantages of his life, the manager of public affairs throughout the country, he used the abundant wealth he collected not for festivities and feasts, and useless expenses, but what he had in gold and other (movable) property was used for the ransom of captive Christians. As for his real estate estates, most of which were located in Judea and Palestine, he provided them for recreation and food to those Christians he had redeemed who settled in these places; he released others, freely allowing them to go wherever they wanted. Such was the philanthropic virtue of this man. Having a lot, he seemed to have nothing, day and night giving his wealth to God. VII. Being such, he receives as a reward not for love of strangers, like Abraham, but for love of mankind a wondrous child, born, if not by promise, then by divine foreknowledge and predestination; for God, foreseeing what John would be, predestined that he would be born of this man as a reward for his constant love for those who were deprived of freedom and fell into terrible slavery. So this glorious child is born to him, and while still an infant, his father makes him a son of light through rebirth from a spiritual mother. With this he accomplishes a very difficult task at that time, which not many could dare to do while living among the pagans. After this, the concern of the boy’s father was not to teach him to skillfully ride a horse, deftly wield a spear, shoot accurately from a bow or fight with animals and, instead of natural meekness, to impart to him brutal cruelty, which is usually the lot of the majority of those whose spirit is often outraged by anger and who are accustomed to making wild and frantic movements. Therefore, John’s father did not need another Chiron, raised on the mountains, who would feed his student with the brains of deer; but he needed a comprehensively educated husband, who would know every science, who would regurgitate good words from his heart (Ps. 45:2), so that he could raise his son with this food and these delicacies. And God fulfills the husband’s sacred desire, and the seeker finds the one he was looking for. This is the image of finding what you want. VIII. The Damascus barbarians, having made a routine raid on the coastal countries, took many Christians into captivity. Then, setting out on ships to sea, they captured many more. Having then brought the captives to their city, they put some up for sale, and dragged others away to give food to the sword. Among the latter there was one man, dressed in monastic clothes, a native of Italy, beautiful (κόσμιος) in appearance, even [441] more beautiful (κοσμιώτερος) in soul, and named Cosmas (Κοσμᾶς). A certain majesty of his appearance testified to his inner qualities. Those drawn to execution fell at his feet, asking him to have mercy on God for them and to pray that they would find forgiveness for their sins from the humane God. The barbarians, seeing the respect that those doomed to death showed to this majestic man, approached and asked him what position he held among Christians and what honors he enjoyed. He answered them with these words: “I did not hold any secular position, but was invested only with priestly anointing; I am a simple monk, devoted to the study of philosophy, not only ours and God-loving, but also that taught by the pagan sages.” When he said this, his eyes filled with tears. IX. John’s father stood not far away, and, seeing his husband crying, he approached him to console him in misfortune, and said: “Why are you, a man of God, mourning the loss, like me, of this world, you, who have long ago abandoned it and died, I see by your dress.” And the monk answered him: “I am not mourning the loss of this life: I, as you said, died for the world, but what saddens me is that I have comprehended all human wisdom and the range of sciences that lies at its foundation. I refined my language with rhetoric, educated my mind with dialectical techniques and proofs, studied moral science in the way that the Stagirite [Aristotle] and the son of Ariston [Plato] betrayed it; I have mastered the teaching of nature to the extent that it is accessible to man; I learned the basics of arithmetic and reached the pinnacle of knowledge in geometry; I have sufficiently explored musical harmonies and proportions; I also did not ignore what concerns the celestial movement and rotation of the luminaries, so that from the greatness and beauty of creations, [444] to the best of my knowledge, I could draw the contemplation of the Creator. For whoever acquires a clearer knowledge of creations also thinks more clearly and marvels at valuing Him more highly who created them. From here I moved on to the mysteries of theology, both that which was handed down to us by the sons of the Hellenes, and that which our theologians unerringly taught. Having been saturated with this knowledge, I had not yet had time to convey the benefits arising from them to others and had not yet had time to give birth to a son in philosophy, like my father; for just as most people wish to have natural children, believing that through this the continuity of their race is preserved, so those who engage in philosophy wish to give birth to children through learning and dedication, so that the golden race of philosophers will be preserved in life all the time. And those who give birth to such a wondrous son acquire immortal glory. In addition, it is characteristic of goodness that it communicates to others the benefits with which it itself is rich. He who is not like this and does not desire this, is not in good, but in evil, since he is filled with arrogance and envy, not wanting to share with others the good that he himself has received. Therefore, even if he thinks he has something, it is taken from him, like that servant who did not give his talent to the traders (Matthew 25:29). I chose the good part and strenuously sought to communicate the wisdom inherent in me to others. And since I have not achieved what I wanted, to take my place among the faithful as a slave who doubled my talents by giving them to others for use, and since I do not have a son in philosophy and am leaving, so to speak, childless, then, as you see, I am sad, I wet my face with tears and grieve terribly. X. Hearing these words, (John’s father), who was looking for such a treasure, answered him: “Enough, blessed man, be of good cheer, perhaps the Lord will fulfill the desires of your heart.” With these words, John's father hastily went to the Saracen prince and, falling at his feet, asked for the beautiful Cosmas. And his request was not rejected. He receives a gift that was truly worth a lot. And taking the husband to his house, he consoled him and tried to dispel his sadness. At the same time, he added the following words: “You are not only free from now on, but I make you an accomplice of my house, a master with me, a sharer in all my joy [445] and sorrow. From you, venerable husband, I ask only one thing, that you carefully educate and teach my son by blood, John, as well as this other youth, who has the same name as you, whom I made my spiritual son and who comes from Jerusalem and from a young age lost his carnal parents, every science and philosophy that you know, both external and that into which the grace of the Spirit has initiated the worthy.” The philosopher, hearing these words, was like a horse that had broken its bridle and ran across the plain, or a deer that was thirsty and released into springs of water (Ps. 42:2). You would say that this is a certain Mede who found great treasures of gold. With such zeal for the work, he accepts the young men and becomes their teacher. XI. With the superiority of his nature and the zeal of his will, John was like an eagle flying in the sky, as if he had wings. His spiritual brother and fellow student Kosma was like a ship covered with sails, or a merchant ship sailing on the water when there was a fair wind and a gentle breeze blowing into its stern. Thus, thanks to the superiority of their talents and zeal, they in a short time mastered all the most difficult knowledge, both grammar, dialectics and the art of proof. In moral philosophy, they succeeded so much that they not only embellished their minds with its study, but also humbled their spiritual passions. And just as an eagle looks at the sun, so they gazed intently at the foundations of nature. They mastered arithmetic proportions as well as some Pythagoras or Dufants, and they studied geometric proofs so much that they could seem like some kind of Euclid or the like. In the art of music they achieved such perfection as knowledgeable people find in the divine chants they created. As for astronomy, although John, in accordance with the limited knowledge of ordinary people [448], wrote little about distance, figures and proportions of distances, however, what kind of knowledge he was of this kind, his writings clearly show. The same was, undoubtedly, Cosmas. But I leave the discussion about him to others, for John is the subject of our praise. XII. As for theology and the precise expression of dogmas, who does not recognize its merits here and will not marvel at them on the basis of his fundamental book, or, better to say, the most perfect book in the dogmas of faith, which if anyone calls the law of all right teaching and the Tablets of Moses, he will not sin against the truth. However, I know that I have yet to speak with praise about this book later, and not now; but we said this to show what kind of education he received and how intelligently and accurately he studied every science. And the surprising thing is that he was not proud of knowledge, but just as the noble branches of plants, burdened with abundant fruit, bend down to the ground, so the great John, despite the multiplication of the fruits of his knowledge, bowed down. However, his gaze was inclined not to the earth, but to the deepest philosophical sea, on which he still sailed, as if on some ship of worldly passion. But he wanted to leave the ship of this world, and completely throw off the clothes of carnal addiction and so with a naked mind, swim across the sea and plunge into the depths in order to find the valuable pearl lying there. So, wanting this and striving for this, he leaned towards the very bottom of the abyss. And he was not puffed up by knowledge, but was humbled by the love of mysterious wisdom. Thus, the mental lamp of his soul was filled with the oil of worldly wisdom, so that the immaterial light, descending from above onto this lamp, would light it and so that John would be completely enlightened by the light. XIII. After this, his teacher, apparently led to this desire by the successes of the student, appears to the boy’s father and [449] says: “Now your desire has been fulfilled, and the youths surpass me in wisdom, for they were not content with being equal to the teacher, but, thanks to the superiority of their talents and their labors, and perhaps due to the fact that God increased their gift of wisdom, they began to soar more perfectly than me, rising to the heights of philosophy. Therefore, they no longer need me, and let my reward for my work be that you allow me to go to a monastic monastery and there wisely seek higher wisdom; for philosophy, which I have previously studied, leads me to this wisdom. Moreover, it is better if I abound in two blessings and, in addition to the old wisdom, acquire (new) wisdom, completely detached from everything material, exceeding all thought and perceived only by a pure mind, completely detached from the body.” The philosopher’s speech was bitter to John’s father, but he could not restrain him, so that it would not seem that he wanted to reward him with evil for teaching (his son) the sciences, but, having provided him with everything most necessary, he sent him away in peace. Kosmas, having gone into the desert, to the Lavra of Saint Sava, and remaining there until death, went to God, Who is wisdom itself. John's father also died. The Saracen prince, having called John to himself, wanted to appoint him as his first adviser. He refused, because he was drawn in the other direction; However, under the influence of persistent coercion, he could no longer resist and was placed in a greater position than his parent. XIV. At this time, the Roman Empire was ruled by Leo the Isaurian, who in relation to revered icons and the entire Orthodox Church was like a lion, delighting and roaring (Ps. 21:14): in his wild madness he burned icons with fire, and those who worshiped them, he grabbed, destroyed and mercilessly tormented with the teeth of his tyrannical wickedness. This reached the ears of John, and he followed the zeal of Elijah and the reproof of the one of the same name with him (John the Baptist), as if the Spirit had invisibly anointed him before the anointing of the enemy of wickedness, and published a book, like some kind of spiritual sword, a sharpened weapon that should cut off, like the head, the teaching of this beastly one. Namely, he sent a message to the Orthodox who knew him in defense of the veneration of revered icons, in which he very [453] thoughtfully argued for the need for worship of divine images. And he convinced others to say the same thing and show everyone his letters. So the new champion of truth tried his best to keep his letters. passing from hand to hand, they spread among the faithful and strengthened the Orthodox teaching, and, following the example of Paul, he wanted to go around (the entire) universe, if not with his feet, then by proclaiming the truth in letters. XV. King Leo heard about this, and, not being able to bear the exposure of his wickedness, which was very clearly proclaimed by the writings of John, he called to himself some of his like-minded people and ordered them, taking on the guise of piety, through questioning and conversation, to try to find John’s own message. The accomplices of wickedness, observing all caution and hiding their insidious plan, looked for what they were ordered, and when they found it, they handed it to the king. The king, having called some of his scribes, gave them examples of John's writings to imitate, both in the nature of his writing, and in relation to meaning, and in relation to expressions. Finding that there are enough people who can serve in this, he commands them to write, as if on behalf of John, a letter to him, the ill-named king, with the following content: “Rejoice, king, and I rejoice in your strength, for we have the same faith. I have disposition and due respect for your royal majesty, by virtue of which I bring this to your attention: our city is completely carelessly guarded and the Hagaryan army located here is weak and can easily be numbered. For God's sake, take pity on this city and send an unexpectedly brave and numerous detachment, pretending that it is going in the other direction. You will easily take possession of the city, [456] for for my part I will help you a lot in this matter, since this whole country and city is subject to me.” XVI. Having prepared this letter, the wicked king, with equal cunning, writes another letter to the Saracen prince in Damascus. The letter had the following content: “Since I know that there is nothing more blessed than peace and happier than friendship, and that it is commendable and pleasing to God to observe peace treaties, then I place above all else the inviolability of maintaining those peaceful friendly alliances that I have concluded with your honor. However, one of the Christians under your power, with his numerous messages, calls on me to secretly break my friendship with you and treacherously break the agreement. At the same time, he assures that he will greatly help me take possession of your city, if only I send a large army against him. And in confirmation of what I wrote to you, I am sending you one of his letters to me, so that you will be convinced how true and unshakable I am in my alliances, and so that you will also recognize the malice and cunning of the one who dared to write this to me.” XVII. Both of these letters were addressed to the lion, but through the cunning of the serpent, he sent them through one of his people to the barbarian. The latter, having received them, calls John and shows him this insidious scripture. John, having read it, admitted that the handwriting of the scripture was similar to his; what was contained in it was completely unknown to him and had never occurred to him. After reading the letter, John did not hide the cunning and deceit of the king; but this prince, a hater of Christ, was as inattentive to the words of John as, in the words of a fable, an ass to playing the lyre, and became numb to good and true words, and did not remain silent until he pronounced an unjust sentence: he immediately ordered John’s right hand to be cut off. John asked to be given a short time to justify himself and to explain the insane rage of the wicked king against him; but the barbarian did not allow it and did not allow it, becoming completely beside himself with frantic anger. Thus the right hand was cut off, which through its writings constituted the power of God for the Orthodox; the right hand, which exposed those who hated the Lord, was cut off, and instead of the ink with which it was previously sprinkled when writing the word about the worship of icons, it is sprinkled with its own blood. So, this severed right hand, so to speak, of the Lord himself was hanged in the square. ХVIII. With the onset of evening, when, according to John’s assumption, the tyrant’s anger had already subsided, he sent an embassy to him [457], begging him and saying the following: “My pain intensifies and has become unbearable; acute suffering will not subside until my severed hand hangs in the air. Order it to be given to me so that I can hide it underground and get rid of severe pain.” The tyrant immediately bowed to this request, and the righteous is given his hand. He, taking it, retired to his home chapel and, prostrating himself before the sacred icon depicting the divine features of the Mother of God, put his right hand in its original place and from the depths of his heart prayed to the Merciful One, calling on Her with lamentations and tears: Lady, Most Holy Mother, who gave birth to my God! For the sake of divine icons my right hand was cut off. You know the reason why the Lion was angry; Hurry quickly and heal my hand. The Right Hand of the Most High, who took flesh from You, He accomplishes many powers through Your intercession. May He, through Your prayers, now heal this right hand of mine, So that the hymns You bestow in honor of You and Him Who was incarnate from You Wrote in harmonious consonances, Theotokos, And she became an accomplice of Orthodox worship, For, as the Mother of God, You can do whatever You please. Saying these words with tears. John fell asleep and saw in a dream the holy icon of the Mother of God, which looked at him with merciful and bright eyes and said: “Behold, your hand has become healthy, do not hesitate any longer, but make it the cane of a scribe (Ps. 45:2), as you just promised me.” XIX. When he woke up healed, he felt his severed hand and, seeing that it was healed, he rejoiced in spirit in God, his Savior, and in His Mother, as if the Mighty One had done him greatness (Luke 1:49). And standing on his feet, he stretched out his hands upward and chanted the divine song that most suited the occasion. And all night long he rejoiced with his whole house and sang a new song of thanksgiving to God. He sang like this: “Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorified in strength, Thy right hand has healed my stricken right hand, and through it you will defeat the enemies who do not honor your honorable icon and the one that gave birth to you, and with the multitude of your glory you will wipe out the opposing iconoclasts with my hand.” And this night was for him day and light, and not darkness (Amos 5:18); and - if we allow [460] a rearrangement in the words of the prophet - there was a bright noise of those celebrating and a voice of joy (Ps. 41:5) in the house of a righteous man. And this was not done in secret and not in silence, but this wondrous sound and this sonorous rejoicing reached the neighbors and the surrounding area. And immediately some of the Saracens who hated Christians went to their prince, telling him that John’s right hand was not cut off, but (cut off) from someone else, perhaps from his slave or from one of his servants, who, out of favor with his master, gave his hand in his place; and those who were ordered to cut off (the hand), instead of punishment, took the money; for John sits at home and sings and rejoices so much that you would say that he is celebrating the marriage and composing a wedding song, or better to say, his joy seems to exceed even such rejoicing. XX. When this was thus brought to the attention of (the prince), he called John and, upon his arrival, ordered him to show his severed right hand. When he showed it, a certain cutting line appeared - this was arranged by the Mother of God - confirming that the cutting was not false. After this, the barbarian said: “Which doctor healed you, John, and what medicines were given to you?” In a bright and loud voice he announced the miracle that had taken place. “My Lord,” he said, “is the almighty Physician, who has power equal to His will.” The barbarian answered him: “As I see, man, you suffered what you suffered unjustly, and forgive us that we subjected you to punishment on the basis of our rash and unreasonable sentence. So, take your former position, and you will be the first of my advisers. And from now on I will not do anything without your opinion and advice.” XXI. He, falling to the ground, bowed to him and, lying prostrate on the ground, for a long time asked (the prince) to let him go and allow him to go another way, more dear to him, and to follow the One who said: I am the way (John 14:6). But the barbarian did not give his consent, and it seemed that these were combatants, as someone would say: a barbarian and a righteous man. The first fought in many ways, wanting to keep John in the bonds of peace; the second strained all his strength to break them and fly away on the wings of angels. And then a great field opened up (before the combatants), the chairman (of the competition) was the hero Christ, and the spectators were angels. Someone would rightly say that the evil spirits stood on the right side of the barbarian and taught him how to convince John. But my combatant wins with great glory, and he considered all the opponent’s convictions as if they were childish arrows. [461] And he leaves victorious with a shiny bandage on his head, and with a joyful face the one who previously left him sad enters his home. XXII. John had before him two commandments of the Master: one, which commands to sell the property and distribute to the poor (Luke 18:22), and the other, which demanded to leave the house, fields and everything else, for the sake of the name of the Master (Matthew 19:21, 29), but he did not begin to fulfill either the first, perhaps, so that there would be no delay, nor the second, so that, as usually happens, many disputes would not occur and discord between those close to him by blood, when one considers it fair to receive one thing, and the other another. He chooses the middle path between one and the other (commandments), dividing everything he owned, property to the poor, his captive slaves, whom he honored with freedom, relatives, and dedicating them to divine churches. Just as he came naked from his mother’s womb, so naked he departed from the world, having nothing but the necessary clothes. Having come to Jerusalem and having given due worship to these sacred places, like a deer thirsting for God (Ps. 41:1), he retires into the desert and comes to the monastery of the God-bearing Savva, having his accomplice both in teaching and in upbringing Cosmas, not only a companion on the road, but also an accomplice of his intentions. We can say that this was a sacred couple, and they hurried under Christ's burden in order to lift Him (αὐτοῦ) with the yoke. XXIII. So John, who is the subject of my book, enters this divine sheepfold, falls at the feet of the shepherd, persistently asking to be accepted as one of the sheep here, calling himself a lost sheep who returned from the desert mountains to the shepherd Christ. [464] The leader of the flock rejoiced at him and pleased his intention. Having praised him for his life and the excellence of his knowledge, he decided to entrust the new newcomer to one of the greatest elders, so that, under his guidance, he would walk the right path, the path of God. The first he calls is the one whom he considered outstanding among the monks of the monastery in all good deeds, and decided to entrust John to him. But (the elder) refused, saying that he was unable to lead such a great man, who had gained great glory in wisdom. The chief shepherd dismissed this elder and calls another after him; but the other one also said the same thing as the first. After them a third was brought in, and after those there were many others. And they all unanimously refused to lead John. XXIV. After many elders, a new elder was finally brought in, simple in character, but rich in knowledge and zealous. Having accepted the zealous John, he retired with him to his cell. And first of all, he laid a solid foundation for him, commanding him not to do anything of his own free will, to sacrifice to God the sweat of his brow in prayers from the duration of his zeal for them, and in order to cleanse the stains of his former life, to shed tears from his eyes, which are valued by Christ as a pure sacrifice, above any other incense. This first refers to what is accomplished through the body. With regard to the spiritual: one should not imagine any worldly dreams, should not imagine images of obscene things in the soul and keep the mind from any vain exaltation, should not be proud of the wealth of knowledge and should not think that in the sciences that he has studied, everything has been comprehended by him, should not strive for some visions and revelations of secrets, should not fall into excessive arrogance, that is, do not think that, before the separation of the soul from the body, one can achieve infallible knowledge, but to know that his thoughts are fearful and his plans are sinful (Wis.9:14). Try not to allow thought to be scattered, but to concentrate it in the most careful way, so that in this way the spirit is saturated with divine light, the soul is purified, the body is sanctified, and, finally, the body, soul and mind are so combined with each other that these three, united with the simplest Trinity, become something simple, and a person becomes not corporeal, not spiritual, but completely spiritual, when by rational will the first two parts turn into the third and primary – I mean the mind. This is how the father advised his son, the teacher the student, and to this he added the following, saying: “Do not send letters to anyone and do not speak a word to anyone about worldly knowledge, diligently practice [465] silence, for you know that this is the rule not only of our philosophers, but also the famous Pythagoras of Samos prescribed many years of silence to his students, newly initiated into the secrets of philosophy. And don’t think that it’s great to say good things at the wrong time. David must convince you of this, who says: I was silent from good things (Ps. 38:3), and what happened from here, listen to the speaker: My heart was warmed within me (Ps. 38:4), undoubtedly, with the fire of love for God, for through intense reflection this fire kindled in the prophet.” XXV. The elder gave such instructions to John, and he did not write on water or sow on a rock, but sowed in good soil. So, quite a lot of time passed as John was brought up by the elder, subjected to all kinds of tests, demonstrating impeccable obedience in everything. And on the part of John there was no contradiction to what he was ordered; there was no murmuring on his tongue or reflection in his heart, and he did not judge within himself at all about what his mentor ordered him. But in the depths of his spirit it was imprinted, as if on some tablet, that when carrying out every task and every order, he must do as Paul bequeathed, fulfilling what was ordered without grumbling or reasoning. For what good is it to him who does something good if there is murmuring on his lips and an evil thought lurks in his heart like a snake? How will the soul of one who serves like this improve? How will he succeed and achieve the best? Hence it happens that many work with great diligence, apparently for virtue, but they work in vain, not having time and not moving forward. XXVI. So, exercising the ascetic with all kinds of obedience, what does the elder come up with? He knitted many baskets for fish, which he himself made, and under this pretext he turns to John with the following words: “I heard, my child, that in Damascus baskets are sold more expensive than in the Palestinian countries; and you know that we have many needs: take them all and, as soon as possible, go there and sell them there, not for a different price and not for less than what I will assign you.” And he set a price for them that was twice the (actual) value. The obedient one to death did not object to the word of the one who ordered; but, inspired by obedience, [468] he places the burden on his shoulders and, previously distinguished, enters Damascus beggarly dressed, thin and dirty. He goes around the square selling baskets. Since he valued them too highly, he aroused laughter, and everyone persecuted him with insults and reproaches. Finally, one of those who served him at the time when he was famous in this city, standing nearby, remembered his face and recognized who this so pitiful and so beggarly dressed man was and who he had been before. With a constricted heart, he approached him and, as if knowing nothing, bought the baskets, giving him the price he asked. He, having taken the money, returns to the sender, like some conqueror who bravely threw the enemy to the ground, which was the founder of vanity and exaltation. XXVII. Among the neighbors of mentor John there was one monk who left his earthly home, moved to a heavenly monastery and went to God. He had a brother according to the flesh. The latter, dejected by misfortune, could not remain silent about the death of his brother at all. John consoled his brother and, as best he could, dispelled his grief with words. The mourner persistently begs him to compose a song for him that would console his grief and calm his soul. But John was afraid of the elder’s commandment and did not agree to his request. However, the beggar did not stop asking. “Won’t you really,” he said, “won’t you take pity on the soul of a grieving person and won’t you offer him a little medicine that will soothe his pain? If you were a physical doctor, and I was tormented by bodily pain, would you really not offer me a feasible medicine? And if I suffered terribly and, perhaps, was close to death, then wouldn’t you really suffer punishment from God for your negligence? And now, allowing me to suffer even more, will you not suffer greater punishment? If you are afraid of the elder’s commandment, then know that the matter will not be told to anyone and no one will hear about it.” These speeches persuaded John, and he composed for the monk a euphonious chant about his deceased brother, which is still sung by the lips of everyone, namely, the chant: “All is human vanity.” [469] XXVIII. One day, John’s mentor left his cell, and while he was in the cell, he sang the aforementioned troparion in agreement, but the elder, approaching from outside, hears this pleasant sound and with great anger says to John: “So, you have forgotten about your promises given at the beginning and, instead of being sad and grieving, you sit joyful and enjoy the hymns?” He explained the reason to the elder and drew his attention to the grief of the man who forced him (to compose the chant), and, falling prostrate on the ground, asked for forgiveness. But the elder stood like a stone and, not at all moved by his requests, immediately expelled him from his cell. XXIX. This wonderful man immediately remembers his ancestral disobedience and the subsequent expulsion from paradise. He did not know what to do and where to turn, and was filled with grief more than one who had lost a brother, turning to himself with the following words: “That man lost a brother, but I destroyed my own soul through disobedience.” Finally, he goes to other elders, whom he knew as outstanding among others in virtue, and sends them as intercessors to the elder to pray and ask him to relent and forgive John his crime. They left and persistently begged him, but he did not yield, like a statue, and did not allow his disciple to enter his cell. XXX. Then one of the monks answered him: “You can give the sinner another commandment, and not deprive him of cohabitation with you.” To this the elder replied: “I give John the following commandment: if he wants his disobedience to be forgiven, then he must go around the entire area of ​​​​the monastery and with his own hands cleanse the places of uncleanness in the cells of the monks.” They, having heard this and ashamed of his words, left with sadness, dejected by the severity of the elder. John, coming out to meet them and paying the usual respect, asked what his father had determined for him. They replied that they were amazed at the elder’s severity and were ashamed to convey his answer. But he persistently begged them to open it to him. Finally, giving in to his requests, they tell him about this humiliating cleansing. He, having heard these words, contrary to all their expectations, rejoiced greatly and said that it was easy and extremely pleasant for him. And he immediately goes and, having asked for an instrument of purification, comes to the cell of the monk who lived next door to the elder, and, entering it, began to dirty with uncleanness those hands that [472] he had previously doused with incense, and did not hesitate to plunge into uncleanness - oh the wondrous humility of the husband! - my right hand, healed by Christ. XXXI. The elder, having learned about John's great zeal in obedience and about the depth, or, better to say, about the height of his true and great humility, hastily came to him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissing his hands, his eyes and shoulders. “Oh,” he said, “what a great ascetic of blessed obedience I gave birth to in Christ!” John, very embarrassed by the words of the elder, fell on his face before him, as if before the face of God himself, and watered the earth with his tears. For he did not become proud at the words of his father, and the elder’s praise did not arouse in him exaltation: but he humbled himself even more, and his mind was very depressed. Thus, intelligent men are humbled by praise and dejected by glorification, lifting their minds to God. After this, the father raised his son and, taking him by the hand, happily retired to his cell. And, looking at John, one could say that he was now returning to heavenly Eden. Having first depicted the ancient Adam in himself by disobedience, he then depicted the new Adam in himself, that is, Christ, by his highest obedience. XXXI. After a little time, the Glorified and Pure Mother of God appears to the elder in a dream and says to him: “Why did you block a spring that could pour out water so pleasant, so transparent, so abundant and life-giving - water that gives consolation to souls, water that is superior to that which miraculously flowed out of a rock in the desert (Num. 20:11), the water that David wanted to drink (Ps. 41:1), the water that he promised Christ to the Samaritan woman (John 4:10). Let the fountain flow; it will flow abundantly and pass throughout the entire universe in order to cover the seas of heresies with the abundance of its waters. And he will change these seas, giving them a wonderful sweetness. And those who are thirsty must go hastily to this water, and those who do not have the silver of a pure life, having sold their passions, must buy from John impeccable purity in doctrine and deeds (Is. 55:1). He will also take the prophetic cithara and the psalter of David and sing new songs, songs to the Lord God. With his songs [473] he will surpass the song of Moses and the choral singing of Miriam (Ex. 15: 1, 20). The vain songs of Orpheus will turn out to be fables. He will sing a spiritual and heavenly song. He will imitate the cherubic songs and make all the daughters of Jerusalem his tympanum virgins (Ps. 67:26), singing a new song to God, which will herald the death of Christ and the resurrection. He will give a correct definition of the dogmas of faith and expose the wrongness and perversion of all heresies. From his heart he will vomit good words and speak the king’s wonderful deeds” (Ps. 44:1). XXXII. Having received this revelation, the elder calls John in the morning and says to him: “O child of obedience to Christ, open your mouth to attract the Spirit” (Ps. 119:131). And what you have received in your heart, vomit out with your mouth: your mouth will speak wisdom, for you have in your heart care for many things (Ps. 48:4). Open your mouth, but not in parables (Ps. 77:2), but in truths, and not in riddles, but in teachings. Speak among Jerusalem, which sees God, that is, among His peaceful church, utter not empty words spreading through the air, but those words that the Spirit has written in your heart. You climbed Mount Zion, the mountain of God's visions and revelations, while you humbled yourself to the depths of great humility. Now go up to the mountain of the church and proclaim the good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength (Is. 40:9), for the Mother of God told me glorious things about you. Forgive me if I hindered you in any way, since I did it out of my ignorance.” XXXIII. From then on, John began to compose divine hymns. He sang the sweetest songs that rejoiced the church and made it the place of the tabernacle of God, where the bright noise of those celebrating is heard (Ps. 42:5). In addition [476] to this, he also wrote speeches dedicated to the bright holidays, as well as a sacred book and, so to speak, an inscribed tablet of God, which serves as a considerable consolation to everyone, both wise and simple, and is the door of entry into the secrets of theology and other dogmas of the holy faith, and also contains in a compressed form the knowledge of everything that exists, both conceivable and perceived by the senses. I would call this book the sky, which shines like stars with correct evidence, borrowed both from nature and from the scriptures, both of which are very learned. And the one who does not raise his gaze to this sky and does not see the beauties that are in it, and does not enjoy its light, is either blind or in darkness. And I would call the one unfortunate who closes his eyes to this divine brilliance. In addition, John composed lengthy words - and again about the veneration of divine [477] icons. And just as much as in him the original beauty of the image of God became more beautifully expressed, so he now spoke more sublimely and more gracefully about the veneration of divine icons than (before). XXXIV. In these labors he was assisted with fraternal advice by the one whom he had as a brother in the Holy Spirit, namely the wonderful Cosmas, who shared both his teaching and his asceticism. Cosmas also composed hymns, skillfully imitating the spiritual labors of John. In addition, in church he himself sang consonant hymns on the cithara and in the voice of a psalm, turning his own body through the mortification of passions into a tympanum for God, making himself as if a new ten-stringed psalter, skillfully and wisely straining all five bodily senses and the same number of spiritual [480] forces. But Cosmas is ordained by the Patriarch of Jerusalem as bishop of the city of Mayuma, ordained not of his own free will, but yielding to coercion. Then, having tended his flock well and as it pleased God, he, having been nurtured in a good old age (Gen. 15:15), went to his fathers, or, better said, went to God. As for John, the governor of the Jerusalem [481] church, by inspiration from above, called him to himself and ordained him an elder, so that in the department of elders he would glorify the Lord. XXXV. He, having returned to the Lavra of the God-bearing Sava and, so to speak, entering his nest again as a high-flying eagle, did not remember the apostle’s instruction that elders are given special honor (1 Tim. 5:17); but, changing this saying in his own way, he said that elders must take care of double humility, that elders must strive twice as hard as before, that elders must wage a double struggle, fighting not only with bodily passions, but also with spiritual and secret passions, which are often invisible to ascetics, unless they are intensely awake. Therefore, even without feeling them, a person can touch them. These passions are: deceit, envy, conceit, hidden pride, vanity under the guise of humility, preoccupation with other people's affairs, which includes many types of evil arising from the tongue, exaltation, daydreaming, spoiled disposition, exaltation through humility of the body, abstinence combined with voluptuousness, assertion of one's own will, selfish addiction to insignificant things, deviation from accepted clothing, as a result of which isolation from brothers and the hidden lure of exaltation. XXXVI. Trying to root all this out of his soul, John applied labors to his work, and especially spiritual labors: he strained all his mind and, having collected everything that he had previously written, looked through it, arranging, decorating and correcting it in order to give greater accuracy to the expressions, meaning, volume and plan; and where there was excessive floweriness and the measure seemed to be violated, there he prudently tried to communicate great importance so that there was nothing ostentatious and empty in his books. Therefore, whoever pays attention to his works will see the height of his teachings and the beauty of his words, combined with greatness. And who will not see his zeal for piety from his book? Who also will not notice how he distributed the riches of his wisdom to everyone, so that the talent of knowledge he received was not doubled, but tenfold? I don’t want to increase the number, lest it seem that I am going beyond the limits of the Gospel, for it is not good to say immoderate things without any reason. XXXVII. Divine jealousy prompted him to come out in defense of divine institutions, first in Damascus, and then in Palestine, he fought against those who in Constantinople destroyed and insulted honest [485] icons. That is why the son of the great city of Antioch, who, like the first martyr, was called Stephen and, like him, stoned - only not for Christ, but for his icon, mentions the books of John and further about his struggle against the wicked, calling him a God-bearing man, although John did not have bishop's anointing 2. However, the truth cannot be denied that John's head was adorned with the crown of martyrdom, for as a result of his zeal for piety, the pious man was subjected to slander, because of which his hand was cut off. XXXVIII. Thus, having completed the course of his life and his feat, preserving the faith, or rather, expanding it with his books and strengthening it with his teaching, and until now strengthening it with his labors, promoting it and preserving it, he departed to Christ, whom he loved. And now he sees Him not in an icon and worships Him not in an image, but contemplates Him Himself face to face, looking with an uncovered face at the glory of the blessed Trinity. That’s why I should have used the words within my power to glorify the ascetic, the adornment of the church, the leader of truth - the leader both in exploits and in teaching, [489] the mentor of the foolish, the teacher of the uninitiated. I did this not in order to add anything to his glory, but so that he would remember us in heaven and so that we, still on earth, would be filled with his heavenly glory, that heavenly glory to which David testifies in relation to the king’s daughter and the royal soul, saying: all the glory of the king’s daughter is within (Ps. 44:14). XXXIX. Forgive me, thrice blessed man, and be my zealous and firm intercessor before God after I, who bear your name, out of love for you and according to your inspiration and even, if necessary, on your instructions, remade this beautiful offering, made by another simply as he could, and written in Arabic and in Arabic words. And make me also a worshiper of the Trinity, a worshiper detached from everything material and freed from the body, immersed in contemplation, devoted entirely to the burnt offering of divine love, so that after the bodily passions have subsided, I, together with you, will stand boldly before the face of God, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The Hebrew name John means "grace of the Lord." Migne, Patrologia graeca, t.C, col.1113–1116.