Безмолвие

We must try to have a silent mind. Just as the eye, which in constant movement sometimes turns to the sides, sometimes turns up and down, cannot clearly see what is in front of it, but on the contrary, if it wants to make its vision clear, it is necessary to fix its gaze on one visible object, so the human mind, if distracted by thousands of worldly concerns, cannot clearly perceive the truth. Just as those not yet bound by the bonds of marriage are thrown into confusion by frantic wishes, uncontrollable attractions and some kind of torment of love, so those who have already entered into marriage are met with a new wave of worries: when there are no children, the desire to have them, and when there are children, care for their upbringing, protection of the spouse, care for the home, supervision of servants, losses under contracts, disputes with neighbors, litigation in courts, dangers in trade, labor in agriculture. Each day brings with it its own darkness to the soul, and the nights, receiving the inheritance of the day's work, seduce with the same ideas. The only way to avoid this is to withdraw from this world. And removal from the world does not consist in being outside the world in body, but in order to break away with the soul from attachment to the body, to have no city, no house, no property, no partnership, to be non-acquisitive, not worrying about the means of life, carefree, avoiding all intercourse with people, not knowing human rules, ready to accept what is imprinted in the heart by Divine teaching. The preparation of the heart consists in weaning it from those rules that are occupied by it out of evil custom, because one cannot write on wax without erasing the marks placed on it; and it is impossible to entrust the soul with Divine dogmas without destroying the opinions rooted in it by skill. For this, of course, solitude gives us a very great benefit, which lulls passions in us and gives the mind the leisure to completely cut them off from the soul. How easy it is to overcome tamed animals; so wishes, anger, fear, sorrows - these evil poisonous beasts in the soul, if they are lulled by silence, and not driven into rage by constant irritation, are more easily overcome by the power of reason (6). Therefore, let a place be chosen, such as ours, free from communication with people, so that nothing outside interrupts the continuous exercise. Exercise in piety nourishes the soul with Divine reflections. Therefore, what is more blessed than this is to imitate the face of the Angels on earth: at the very beginning of the day, to rush to prayer, to honor the Creator with songs and singing; then, when the sun is completely shining, having set to work and having prayer with you everywhere, season your work with chants like salt; because song consolations bring carefree and joyful peace to the soul. So, silence serves as the beginning of purification for the soul, when neither the tongue utters anything human, nor the eyes are busy looking at the goodness and proportionality in bodies, nor does the ear relax mental tension by listening to songs composed for pleasure, or the conversations of playful and ridiculous people, which, as a rule, weakens the spiritual strength the most. The mind, without being scattered over external objects, and not being entertained by the world under the influence of feelings, enters into itself, and from itself ascends to the thought of God; illuminated by this Kindness, he comes into oblivion about nature itself; the soul is not carried away either by worrying about food or worrying about clothing, but, freed from earthly worries, directs all its zeal to the acquisition of eternal blessings, to ensure that chastity and courage, justice and prudence grow in it, as well as other virtues, which, being under these generic virtues, oblige the zealot to perform every task in life properly (6). You might be interested in: