Ancient monastic rules

Initially, it was intended to compile the second volume of the Philokalia from the ancient monastic rules: and they were prepared at the same time. But then the elders of the Russian monastery on Athos, who took upon themselves the publication of the Philokalia, found it more suitable to give these statutes a place at the end of the Philokalia, or to publish them in a special book: which is now being fulfilled. From St. Anthony, hermitic monasticism spread throughout Egypt and the East in general. The statutory rules for it are collected from the recorded and extant sayings of St. Anthony and in the form of a charter placed in the first volume of the Philokalia. In parallel with hermitage, communal monasticism also spread. Its leader was St. Pachomius, who laid down the rules for this kind of monasticism, which later became the norm for all cenobitic monasteries, not only in the East, but also in the West. During the most flourishing period of communal monasticism, established by St. Pachomius, St. visited Egypt. Basil the Great with the direct goal of seeing monasticism in practice as it should be. And I saw it. Afterwards he visited the monasteries and monks of Palestine and Syria, and he also saw. Everything he saw and experienced impressed itself on the high and deep mind of St. Basil is an ideal image of monasticism, not as something special from Christianity, but as its fullest and most accurate implementation, or as a true way of life about Christ Jesus, our Lord. Returning to himself, he chose it as the norm for his life, and, having accepted vows of monasticism, began not only to live according to his demands, but also to teach others the same; and thus became the leader of communal monastic worship in his country, and then everywhere. At the same time, as he established communal orders in the monasteries he founded, he set them out in writing, taking care in everything to present not just the external form of such a life, but more its spirit, making it possible to see its outline in the Word of God, indicating its full correspondence to the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. His writings on this (volume 5) subject therefore contain the most rational and highest guidance to a truly monastic and Christian life. Almost contemporary with St. Vasily visited the eastern monasteries - Egyptian and Syrian - St. John Cassian with his friend Herman, with the sole purpose of monastic education. He was not an easy observer of what he saw, but he carefully studied everything and memorized not only incidents and sayings, but also entire conversations of the elders. According to what he saw and heard, returning to his homeland, he, like St. Vasily Vel., built two monasteries in his country - male and female, which attracted the attention of the local abbots and bishops, the commendable aspects of the life of monks and nuns he established, which were soon revealed. Wanting, following the example of his monasteries, to have the same ones in their own country, or to transform existing ones, they asked St. Cassian to set out in writing both the rules of communal monasticism and the requirements of the internal life of monks that he saw in the East. – The book he wrote on this occasion serves as a response to this good desire of lovers and admirers of true monasticism. It was in the south of France; but Italy, having monasteries, did not yet have an authoritative charter for monasticism. It was given to them, several decades later, by St. Benedict, the founder of many monasteries, and the establisher of good orders of monastic life in them, both from the outside and from the inside. From the rules of his charter it is clear that he borrowed them, others from St. Vasily Vel., and others near Cassian Ave. He spoke about this himself. Thus, St. Benedict takes us to St. Vasily led. etc. to Cassian, and both of them to St. Pachomius Vel. From Ave. Pachomius it is not difficult to ascend to the Ascetics, and from them to St. The Apostles, and to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is where the source of our monasticism is. So, antiquity handed down to us four monastic rules, which appeared not at the same time and not in the same places, but in exactly the same spirit, and even in the same expressions, and the same outline. By presenting them to the attention of monks and all pious Christians, we hope to provide them with no small spiritual consolation, giving them the opportunity to make sure that 1) monasticism is not something recent and arbitrary, but also ancient, like Christianity itself, and is required by the very spirit of Christianity, which longs to see itself revealed in it in its most perfect form; - and that 2) our image of monasticism agrees with the original one and with the way in which it was kept in the church at all times - from the beginning to us. May the monks rejoice when they see how ancient our monastic family is and may they be inspired by zeal to be monks as they should be. How many ancestors we have and what innumerable kinship! Let us be jealous not to put a stain on our glorious family. May all pious Christians rejoice that having St. monasteries and societies of monks, they do not tolerate too much, but they guard something that is similar to the tributary treasure hidden in the village, which greatly enriches with spiritual wealth everyone who can find access to it. The statutes are offered in the same order in which they were born: 1) St. Pachomius the Great, 2) St. Basil the Great, 3) Cassian Ave. and 4) Venedikt Ave. – The peculiarities of each of them, not in spirit, but in the manner of presentation, will be seen by everyone when reading them. Let us only note regarding the charter of St. Pachomius the Great, the peculiarity that its charter is so closely connected with his life and the life of his closest successors, Orsisius and Theodore the Sanctified, that in front of it lay the need to place the outline of their lives. The same thing, however, can be said about the charter of St. Vasily Vel., and partly about the last two statutes, although not to the same extent. You might be interested in: