Глава 13. О кротости и о том, каким образом появляется любовь

The ascetic must be filled with meekness as much as possible, because he has either partaken or desires to partake of the Spirit of meekness, and he who receives this Spirit into himself must become like the Acceptable One. If, however, when indignation is necessary, namely, at the laziness of someone subordinate to us, then let indignation be dissolved by prudence. For murderers use knives, and doctors also use them. But some, because they use a knife out of anger and cruelty, do the most reckless things with it, killing their own kind, while others, because they use a knife with reason, derive great benefit from this, because they save the lives of those in danger. Thus, he who knows how to be indignant with reason does great good to the one against whom he shows indignation, correcting his laziness or guile, but he who has the passion of anger does not produce anything healthy. And that timely indignation is appropriate for those who care about meekness, this is clear from the following. And Moses, about whom it is testified that he was “meek... above all men” (Num. 12:3), when circumstances demanded it, was indignant and so prostrated himself in a movement of anger that he concluded his indignation by killing his fellow tribesmen - once, when they built a calf (Ex. 32:27), another time, when they were defiled by Beelphegor (Num. 25:5). Therefore, even a meek person can become heated with reason, without damaging the perfection of meekness in himself. Remaining motionless or not showing indignation when it should be is a sign of an inactive nature, and not meekness. But meekness is usually followed by gentleness, because meekness is the mother of gentleness. And in truly meek people, who do not have a difficult disposition, there is no less than this kindness, because goodness is the basis of meekness. All this, mutually dissolved and combined together, produces from itself the best of virtues - love. You might be interested in: