Глава 4. О том, что воздержание должно измерять телесною силою, и о том, что телесный труд есть дело прекрасное и законное

It is also necessary to overcome the belly, because the training of the belly is the curbing of passions, and the curbing of passions is the serenity and silence of the soul, and spiritual silence is the most productive source of virtues. The best continence of the womb is that which for everyone is commensurate with bodily strength. For to others, the increased suffering did not seem regrettable and seemed more like relaxation than labor, due to the hardness and inflexibility of their bodily composition and strength. But what was tolerable for such people was the cause of danger for others. For one can find as much difference between one body and another as between copper and iron and trees and bushes. Therefore, one must choose abstinence according to the strength of each one. Thus, the virtues performed by one soul are equally prescribed to everyone. These are: meekness, modesty, humility, kindness, brotherly love, simple-heartedness, love of truth, compassion, courtesy, philanthropy. These virtues are primarily called spiritual, because the body no longer contributes to the soul in acquiring and achieving them, but only serves as a meeting place for it, where the soul discusses these virtues. Continence for everyone should be determined according to his bodily strength, so as not to stop at what is below the strength that a person has, and not to extend to what is above strength. And I think we need to pay attention to this, so that, by excessive abstinence, weakening bodily strength, we do not make the body lazy and inactive for the most important activities. For God, when creating man, of course, did not want him to remain idle and motionless, but to be active in what he should. And in paradise He commanded Adam to “do it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15) (although these words also have a higher meaning, but in their own meaning they are worthy of jealousy and zeal); after being expelled from there, He determined for him “to eat bread by the sweat of his brow” (Gen. 3:19). And that what was said to Adam was said to all who were born of him, this is clear from the following: and God determined death as a punishment for Adam, saying: “You are earth, and to earth you will go” (Gen. 3:19), but all those born of him became, like him, participants in this calamity. Therefore, one should not make innovations contrary to nature and the rules of the Benefactor of nature, but, adhering to them, it is necessary to keep the body active, never weakened by excess. For, I think, that the sign of the best stewardship is to follow the established rules. Otherwise, I can confirm my word with many testimonies of Divine Scripture. For Divine Scripture commands to work, to set the body in motion, and to strengthen the weakness of others rather than to seek the hands of others, but it does not at all command to exhaust and weaken the body through immoderate exhaustion. And to this I present to you the most reliable witness - St. Paul, who nowhere says: “We hear... some among you who walk disorderly and do nothing” (2 Thessalonians 3:11), and calls idleness disorderly, for he says: “It is not without order among you, who wastes bread below the twilight, but in toil and toil, working night and day” ( 2 Sol. 4, 11). The ascetic must be free from all arrogance and, following the truly middle and royal path, without deviating in the least in one direction or the other, not love indulgence and not render the body powerless through excess of abstinence. For if it were good to be exhausted in body and lie breathing dead, then, of course, God would have made us like that in the beginning. If he did something wrong, then, of course, he did what he recognized as good. And if he made us such as it was good to make us, then those who sin do not preserve what was well created as long as they can. Therefore, let the ascetic of piety keep one thing in mind: whether, through negligence, vice has not crept into the soul, whether sobriety and the intense desire of the mind for God have weakened, whether the shrine of the Spirit and the enlightenment it produces in the soul have not been eclipsed. If the counted good gifts remain in full force, then the bodily passions will not have time to rebel, because the soul is occupied with heavenly things and does not give the body time for the passions to rebel in it. If it often happens in life that when we think about something with the strain of the mind, sight and hearing remain inactive, the whole soul is occupied with the subject of reflection, leaving feelings aside, then if Divine love intensifies in our soul, all the more so we will not have time to think about passions. Even if a few of them rebel, they will soon be pacified by the height of their mind. Tell me what is better: to imitate fruitful trees, which themselves are rich in fruits and delight others with their fruitfulness, or to be like garden plants that wither from heat and drought, to be, in the words of the Prophet, “like undercooked beets” (Is. 51:20), to be unable to serve our own needs (and, moreover, when we have by nature perfect strength to satisfying one’s needs) and to exercise one’s wisdom only halfway, that is, with one soul, and not with one’s body? If we were outside the body, then it would be necessary to strive for the most perfect with one soul. But since a person is twofold, then the exercise of virtue must be twofold, consisting of both bodily labor and spiritual deeds. It is not idleness that should be called bodily labor, but work. However, one must also pay attention to not deviating into the service of voluptuousness under the pretext of bodily need. If it were possible to perform the work proper to the body while constantly abstaining from food, then this would be the best thing. But since very few bodies can not lose strength with such abstinence, one must fast moderately and provide the body with the most necessary help, but in such a way that it is not voluptuousness that guides the choice of food, but reason with all rigor determines the need, like a knowledgeable doctor who impartially treats a disease with what it should. For with such a spiritual disposition, the one who eats food turns out to be no lower in wisdom than the one who does not eat, and by intention observes not only unceasing fasting, but also non-eating; taking care of the body deserves praise as the best steward, because proportionate nutrition of the body and abstinence are not capable of inflaming lust and making passions unbridled. This is a consequence of gluttony and luxury. This, insofar as it is based on natural laws and the evidence of Divine Scripture, is now the subject of our consideration. But since what has been said must not only be supported by verbal exhortations, but also confirm this advice by examples of activity, I will now move on to the very life of the Savior, which He, having lived in the flesh, left as a model and outline of virtue for all who want to live piously, so that others, looking at these traits, would imprint a similar image in their lives, without deviating in any way from the prototype by deviation in imitation. And that the Savior set His life as a model of the most perfect life for all who want to obey Him, listen to how He Himself clearly teaches about this: “If anyone serves Me,” He says, “let him follow Me” (John 12:26), meaning not a bodily following of Him (which was not possible for everyone, because the Lord, as is known, now dwells body in heaven), but the exact imitation of His life, if possible. How did our Savior live and act? “You shall not commit sin” (1 Pet. 2:22). How would truth be overcome by sin? How would a lie triumph over the truth? How would power be overcome by weakness? Or how would the non-being become stronger than the existing? God, who always exists and has no limit to existence, does not allow an end (of His existence). But sin never exists (by itself) and is not thought of as a special entity. But through the impoverishment of good, obtaining existence more in those who commit sin than in what is done badly, unrighteous deeds are formed into spiritual darkness, which, however, is dispelled by the light of truth, because “the light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5) and continues only until the end of the most untruths. For with the cessation of evil works, the existence of sin is also destroyed. It is said: “his sin will be sought and will not be found” (Ps. 9:36), even if the punishment for sins was observed for sinners and the torment for unrighteousness was endless. So, “do not commit sin, lest flattery be found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). He showed many examples of long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, meekness, love of mankind, forbearance, humility, prudence and, in a word, all virtues, which are clearly described in the Gospels. Examples of long-suffering and gentleness are in the fact that he endured the slander of the Jews, which constantly overshadowed the previous wickedness with new excesses, and although he meekly rebuked them in order to stop the wickedness, he did not take revenge and did not punish them in the least, but tried to overcome their inhumanity with good deeds and by giving goods - to strengthen the wickedness; Finally, he took the cross for those who crucified Him. Examples of meekness and condescension are that He allowed everyone to come to Him with His characteristic goodness and allowed them to boldly talk with Him not only to virtuous people, but also to those for whom it was pleasant and had already become a habit to indulge in the most shameful deeds. So the harlots and tax collectors approached Him, and they did not increase the disease of lust or love of money, but were cleansed from mental illness, and were not so much brought to shame by the consciousness of their wickedness, but rather gained boldness in their hope for healing, because they encountered in reality something that exceeded their expectations. And what examples of His love for mankind and compassion! Either in the desert he quickly prepares a rich meal for those who are weak from being without food, doubly treating them with both the abundance of necessities and the wonderful supply (Matt. 15:32-38), then he has mercy on the sick, “as if I were in confusion and rejection, like sheep that have no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). And just as he heals bodily infirmities, heals injuries and necrosis of members, so he resolves mental illnesses, insoluble bonds of sins and the shackles of violent agreements that we have concluded with the father of sin, the devil. And what examples of humility! He not only deigned to be clothed in flesh, but also to be and be revered as the son of parents, who are low in his present state, to be the son of the Mother, and to be revered as the son of the named father. And examples of prudence! Either he denounces the Sadducees, who tried to ridicule the resurrection with a fictitious story about the dead seven brothers, after they had one wife (Matthew 22:25-32), then he shames the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians when, proposing a double-edged question: “Is it worthy to give kinson to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:17), they both received a devastating answer, which could expose their folly in both respects, commanding them not to give, but to repay, for he says: “Render... Caesar’s son” (Matthew 22:21), because the coin was Caesar’s and had on it the image and inscription of Caesar’s. That's how many, and even an immeasurable number of times more, some of the most important feats! And what and how numerous are His bodily labors, for the sake of which the example is especially given! At the first age, obeying his parents, He meekly and dutifully endured all bodily labor with them, because they, as people, although righteous and pious, were poor and not abundantly supplied with the necessities of life (as witnessed by the manger that served as an honorable Christmas), naturally engaged in incessant bodily labor, thereby obtaining what they needed for their needs. Jesus, “obeying them,” as Scripture says (Luke 2:51), without a doubt, showed humility in enduring labor with them. And having come to age and showing the Lord’s and Divine benefits, already choosing disciples and intending to preach the Kingdom of Heaven, he does not demand service from others, lying on one side and tenderizing his body, but for the sake of our salvation he travels, and always on foot, and serves the disciples, as He Himself said: “I am the one who serves among you” (Luke 22:27) and “like the Son Man did not come and let them serve Him, but serve him” (Matthew 20:28), then he washes the disciples’ feet, and then, having been studying for a long time, he moves from place to place without laziness. Only once, and then for a short time, does he use the animal under the jugular (Matt. 21:5), however, not to calm the body, but to seal the prophecy with His deeds (Zech. 9:9). What about the Apostles? Was it not the Lord who was imitated? Weren't you constantly working? Look at Paul, who works continuously, tirelessly travels, swims, suffers poverty, endures bad weather, exile, blows, stoning, resists all temptations with spiritual zeal and bodily strength. And if he had weakened his bodily strength through immoderation, he would not have been crowned for this. Therefore, it is good, imitating the life of the Master and His disciples and Apostles, by spiritual virtues and physical deeds, to use the body in the service of the most good deeds. For it belongs to the soul to choose from among good deeds those which are accomplished with the assistance of the body, and to the body to put into action what the soul has chosen. If the body is powerless to bring this into action, then the good deed, hidden in the work, stopped halfway, like some sprout withering in the bowels of the earth and not being used by those for whom it was born. But they say: the Lord endured a long period of not eating food, and so did Moses and Elijah the Prophet. But notice that our Lord only did this once; likewise Moses and Elijah. At all other times, managing the body in the proper order and keeping it active, always engaged in work and labor, thus shining with spiritual virtues with the assistance of the body, making active life the seal and fulfillment of spiritual life. This is what Moses did, so did Elijah, and so did John himself, who, through an ineffable economy, lived for a long time in the desert, and after completing his economy, came to a populated country to preach and baptize, and in addition to his activity, he completed his feat by boldness before Herod. This is what the whole host of saints and Jesus Himself did, spending time in the work. Therefore, from everywhere - both from the laws of nature, and from the teaching of the Divine Scriptures, and from what all the saints did, and from the life of our Savior, and from the rule of life of the pious - it is clear that it is much better and more useful to have a strong, not a weakened body, and to use it for good deeds, and not to arbitrarily keep it inactive. You might be interested in: