Внимание к себе

It is said: take heed to yourself (Deut. 15:9) 22. Every living being, from God who arranged everything, has within himself the motivation to protect his own composition. And if you study diligently, you will find that most of the dumb, without studying, have an aversion to what is harmful, and again, by some natural attraction, strive for the enjoyment of what is useful. That is why God, who teaches us, gave us this great commandment, so that in the aid of reason we would find what they have by nature, and that what dumb people do without thinking would be done with attention, with constant tension of reason, and that we would be faithful guardians of the impulses given to us by God, avoiding sin, as dumb people avoid poisonous foods, and pursuing truth, as they seek nutritious in the grass. Therefore, pay attention to yourself so that you can distinguish between what is harmful and what is salutary. But since you can listen in two ways: either with your bodily eyes to peer into visible objects, or with the mental power of your soul to immerse yourself in the contemplation of the incorporeal, then if we say that this commandment is limited to the action of the eyes, we will immediately expose its impossibility. For how can a person embrace his whole self with his eye? The eye cannot direct its vision to itself; he does not reach the crown, does not know either the ridge, or the face, or the location of the insides in the womb. But it is impious to assert that the commandments of the Spirit are impossible. Therefore, it remains to understand this commandment about mental action. So, pay attention to yourself, that is, examine yourself from all sides; To protect yourself, keep your spiritual eye vigilant. You walk in the midst of snares (Sir. 9:18); the enemy has placed hidden snares in many places 23 . Therefore, inspect everything, so that you may be saved, like a roe from a snare, and like a bird from a snare (Proverbs 6:5) 24. The chamois is elusive with snares due to its visual acuity, which is why it got its name from its characteristic sharpness of vision 25 . And a bird, when it is attentive, by the lightness of its wings becomes superior to the tricks of the hunters. Therefore, be careful that you do not turn out to be worse than the dumb in protecting yourself and, having become entangled in the nets, do not become the prey of the devil, being caught alive by him into his will (2 Tim. 2:26). So, pay attention to yourself, that is, pay attention not to what is yours and what is around you, but to yourself alone; for the other is ourselves, the other is what belongs to us, and the other is what is around us. We are soul and mind, for we are created in the image of the Creator; ours is the body and the sensations acquired through it; around us - property, art and other amenities of life. So what does this word mean? Do not listen to the flesh, do not pursue carnal blessings with all your might, that is, health, beauty, enjoyment of pleasures and longevity; respect not money, not fame, not dominion; Otherwise, consider great what serves you for temporary life, and in taking care of this, do not be careless about your primary life. But pay attention to yourself, that is, to your soul. Decorate her, take care of her, so that with your attentiveness you prevent any impurity imparted to her by vice, cleanse her from all sinful shame, and decorate and enlighten her with all the beauty of virtue. Test yourself, who you are; know that your body is mortal, but your soul is immortal; that our life is twofold: one, characteristic of the flesh, is fleeting, and the other, akin to the soul, does not allow a limit. Therefore, pay attention to yourself, do not dwell on the mortal as if it were eternal, and do not despise the eternal as if it were transitory. Do not care about the flesh, because it passes away; take care of the soul, an immortal being (1). In illness, doctors advise patients to be attentive to themselves and not to neglect anything that serves to heal. But in the same way, the word, the doctor of our souls, with this small benefit heals the soul suffering from sin. Therefore, pay attention to yourself, so that as you sin, you will receive benefits from healing. Is your sin great and heavy? You need a long confession, bitter tears, intense vigil, continuous fasting. Is the Fall easy and tolerable? Let repentance be equal to it. Just listen to yourself so that you know the health and illness of your soul. For many, from excessive negligence, having fallen into great and incurable illnesses, do not even know that they are sick. This commandment (take heed to yourself) is of great benefit to those who are strengthened for activity; so that she alone heals the sick and improves the healthy. For each of us who are taught this word is a minister of one of the tasks prescribed to us by the Gospel. In a big house, in this Church, there are not only all kinds of vessels, gold and silver... wood and clay (2 Tim. 2:20), but also all kinds of art. The House of God, which is the Church of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15), has its fishers, travelers, architects, house builders, farmers, shepherds, ascetics, and warriors. This short saying is suitable for all of them, imbuing each with precision in action and zeal of will. Are you a hunter, sent by the Lord, who said: Behold, I will send... a multitude of hunters 26, and they will chase them out of every mountain (Jer. 16:16)? Listen diligently, so that the prey does not run away from you and so that you, having caught the word of truth, lead those who have gone wild in sin to the Savior. Are you a traveler, like one who prays: guide my steps (Ps. 119:133)? Pay attention to yourself, do not turn aside from the path, do not deviate to the right or to the left; follow the royal path. Architect, lay firmly the foundation of faith, which is Jesus Christ. Let the builder see how he builds (1 Cor. 3:10), so that there is no wood, hay, or straw, but gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12). Shepherd - pay attention so as not to omit any duties assigned by the pastoral title. What are these responsibilities? Convert the lost, bind the broken, heal the sick. Farmer - dig up a barren fig tree and cover it with what helps fertility. Warrior - suffer with the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8), fight like a good warrior (1 Tim. 1:18) against the spirits of evil, against the passions of the flesh, take on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13), do not bind yourself with the affairs of this life to please the military leader (2 Tim. 2:4). Ascetic - pay attention to yourself so as not to break any of the ascetic laws; for no one will be crowned if he struggles unlawfully (2 Tim. 2:5). Imitate Paul, both flowing and struggling and beating. And you yourself, like a good fighter, have an undistracted gaze of your soul; protect those places where the blow is fatal, covering them with your hands; don't take your eyes off your opponent. When you run, stretch forward (Phil. 3:13); so run to receive (see 1 Cor. 9:24). In the struggle, fight against invisible enemies. The Word demands that you be like this in life, not to relax, not to indulge in sleep, but to soberly and vigilantly stand up for yourself... Listen to yourself: be sober, prudent, preserve the present, provide for the future (1). Since it is easier for each of us to be curious about someone else’s things than to consider our own, so that this does not happen to us, it is said: stop carefully observing the vices in others, do not give time to your thoughts to experience other people’s weaknesses, but pay attention to yourself (Deut. 15:9), that is, turn your spiritual eye to your own examination of yourself. For many, according to the word of the Lord, notice the speck in a brother’s eye, but do not see the beam in their own eyes (Matthew 7:3). And therefore, do not cease to examine yourself, whether you are truly leading your life according to the commandment; but do not look at the external, so that you can find something worthy of blame in someone, following the example of that cruel and arrogant Pharisee who stood justifying himself and humiliating the tax collector. On the contrary, do not stop judging yourself: have you sinned in some way in your thoughts? Didn't the tongue creep out, anticipating thoughts? Has anything rash been done in the works of your hands? And if you find many sins in your life (and you will, no doubt, because you are a man), then say in the words of the publican: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13) (1). For example, has anger taken over your mind, and irritability leads you to indecent speech, cruel and brutal actions? If you pay attention to yourself, then you will pacify your anger, like a stubborn young horse that cannot tolerate the bridle, hitting him like a whip with the blow of this word; You will hold your tongue and you will not lay hands on the one who upset you. Again, bad wishes, inflaming your soul, plunge it into uncontrollable and unclean aspirations? If you pay attention to yourself and remember that this, in the present sweet for you, will have a bitter end, this tickling, now occurring from pleasure in our body, will give birth to a poisonous worm that will endlessly torment us in Gehenna, and that this kindling of the flesh will be the mother of eternal fire - then the pleasures will immediately disappear, taking flight, and some wonderful inner silence and silence will occur in the soul, just as in In the presence of the chaste mistress, the noise of the frisky maids falls silent. Therefore, pay attention to yourself and know that one thing in the soul is rational and spiritual, the other is passionate and unreasonable, and that the first by nature belongs to dominion, and the other to obedience and obedience to reason. So, do not allow the enslaved mind to ever become a servant of the passions, and again, do not allow the passions to rebel against reason and usurp dominion over the soul (1). In Russian translation: beware... In Russian translation: escape like a chamois from the hand and like a bird from the hand of a fowler. The Greek word dorkaj - chamois - comes from derkomaI - I see. In Slavic translation: hunters are catchers. You might be interested in: