Беседа 1. 10 Послание [к мар Ишо-зека...] 11 о особенностях жизни в безмолвии. 12

1. [...] out of my ardent love 13 for you, which is that even at night I talk with you in my dreams. 14 For love constantly exceeds the limit: this is what you yourself also desired to obtain. 2. The beginning 15 of our entire life in God, my brother, so that in your faith you may be healthy, along the path of your asceticism 16, so that thanks to this you may taste all the sweetness that the Spirit has contained in the holy Scriptures. I am not talking about how you confess God, for it is unnecessary to mention this to those who have left the world and followed God. But be strong in your hope with undoubted faith in all those blessings that are encountered 17 on this path and which are handed down to us in the Holy Scriptures: the ascetics have achieved and are achieving them. When you hear the testimony of the Fathers about the glory of the hermit life, full of mysteries, [...] in their writings the Holy Spirit as an incentive, [...] they were the first, do not despair when [...] for you will achieve the discernment of these things [...] already with you, although the Spirit gave you a foretaste of them some time ago. They are yours [...] but the time is not yet: 18 The Lord knows the time when to bestow them on you, for He has prepared these blessings for you and for those like you. Either here or there, but in any case they are yours, if only you remain in the monastery, 19 in accordance with the will of the One who crowns you. 20 He also wants to give them to you, but you are not yet able to accept them as you would like, until, when their time comes, the Lord Himself kindles in you the knowledge of them without asking on your part. 3. Be careful that you do not become an unbeliever when you are looking for them, but do not find them nearby, lest this result in something being born in you that you are not looking for at all and that you do not know about. For unbelief entails punishment. 21 Do not say: “I have labored for a long time and have not gained”; or: “The reality of 22 does not match the big words.” 23 Beware of this thought, 24 for punishment follows immediately upon unbelief: 25 the heart that does not believe is condemned. 4. What is punishment? So that this will cause you to fall into despair 26 because of being forsaken by God, 27 because of your unbelief. Despair will give you despondency, 28 and despondency will give you weakness, but the latter will lead you away from your hope. There is nothing worse that can happen to you. 29 5. Know, my brother, beloved friend of my soul, that silence 30 and every existing asceticism in accordance with time and constancy in them 31 bears its fruits. “The silence and peace of the cell correspond to constancy and vigilance,” 32 according to a certain holy Elder. 33 If you are deprived of constancy and regularity in your service, do not expect the true consolation that comes from them. You are not even rooted in their usual, which tends [...] to wear them out. And since you are constantly just beginning, 34 due to the great distance between, 35 you find yourself not succeeding in anything: even before it began to bear fruit, you moved away 36 from it. 6. Any way of life that lacks constancy 37 and is short-lived will also be fruitless. so, I will not embarrass you; but I show you the goal and the path. Take for example a planted tree that is tended by an unwise man: 38 when it puts out its first leaves and fresh buds appear on it, he does not water it regularly, 39 and that tree withers and dries up. And again a long time passes, 40 until the power of the water affects it and it is imbued with power from the soil and comes to life. Or maybe he often transplants it from one place to another 41 and regularly damages 42 its root, constantly hitting it with something. 43 And despite all this, he is surprised that it does not bear fruit for us. It’s exactly the same with an untrained person: 44 he does not judge his deeds based on his way of life, but asks God for what is appropriate, as if he does not have what he deserves. I leave aside the mysteries of reason, 45 on the basis of which God intends to judge human affairs; but even these external “sides” of asceticism He will ask of us whether we at least observe the external order of asceticism, according to its order. 7. When a person lacks something that is necessary for his way of life, he cannot calmly complete his course and receive his crown, 46 for at the time of crowning this very lack will shake and confuse 47 the eye of his soul. But it is fair that his way of life be provided with everything necessary, whether it relates to the body or the soul. 8. Just like a helmsman, 48 if he is deprived of one part of the ship's equipment, cannot go to sea even for a short time until he has completely acquired and placed them all on his ship, in the same way with someone who follows the path of loneliness 49 and wants to enjoy [the fruits] of it and [gain] hope in God in his soul, if he lacks even the smallest part of what is necessary on the journey: this very little, which is not there, makes everything useless at the moment when need to use it. 9 . For this way of life 50 first of all requires time and constancy in it. For if it is impossible for a person to learn the worldly arts until he has spent a long time constantly in them, and then the mind comprehends the meaning and method of performing 51 the art that he intends to learn, how much more so for us. And if art visible to the eye requires such time and constant practice, how much more spiritual art, 52 which the eye does not see. 53 And it is unknown from whom one can learn this, and it requires great purity, and the teacher of this is the Spirit, and this art is hidden, and those who harm it 54 are incorporeal. It requires a long time and consistency in doing. Likewise, the body always acts deceptively against the one learning this: 55 and the obstacles, it, 56 are many and innumerable. 10. Therefore, O man, first of all, such a way of life requires time and constancy in it, as well as diligence, 57 for on this man strives 58 in labor, enduring loneliness and its sorrows. For this is the most difficult and difficult thing in asceticism, 59 due to the many struggles that occur 60 due to the distance from everyone. 61 He should not quickly abandon what he has begun, but persevere in it, like a woman giving birth in her torments, until he completes it. 11. What is also required of him is uniformity of asceticism, 62 so that in every kind of work there is even 63 his asceticism: he should not be rich only in one or two labors that he likes according to the desire of his will, and work in them, being deprived of others that are more necessary. But his asceticism must be uniform in all its component parts 64 thanks to the fulfillment 65 of all the labors of virtue. Reading corresponds to service, and service to bowing, and bowing to fasting, and fasting to night vigils, 66 and with them the secret service of the mind, so that when the body works, the heart is not relaxed and abandoned. But the power of understanding, 67 which is in him, knows what is within the visible nature; for everything that is required for its benefit is accomplished by the visible body. 12. When the demons see a person who, thanks to the uniformity of his service and the moderation of his labors, moves in the light of his mind, then through unevenness they fight with him so that he either reduces or increases one of these: for both are equally harmful. For the type of physique changes in asceticism: 69 when there is unevenness in one of the parts, it immediately produces confusion 70 in the body, which is why it causes illness. Likewise with these: when one of those that helps restore the health of the soul is added, the same thing happens as when it is taken away. 13. For both due to increase and due to decrease, darkness appears in the soul. After all, demons are very afraid of equality, and therefore, if they cannot hinder his jealousy 71 under pretexts and stop his continuous advancement or defile his asceticism, they fight him through his ardor, loading him with excessive things so that he falls under theirs. A wise person will equally avoid both laziness and increasing workload. 14. Everything that happens in moderation is done in order. When someone goes beyond this limit, confusion appears, 72 and when a person is confused, he does not know what he is doing. 15. It is also necessary for him to despise the body in every possible way, 73 so that he adheres to custom in all his own, so that he does not demand order in everything, 74 in all details [...] But he must acquire contempt for all the local 75 orders, doing only what is necessary. For he will not be able to manage all his affairs if he indulges in this. 76 16. And breadth of heart is also necessary so that he does not lose hope in those hostile changes that happen to him for the sake of testing him and for the sake of increasing his knowledge. For it is necessary that he should be wise in what is right and what is wrong, 77 as Paul well said: that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work, 78 which is achieved by practice and perseverance. 79 Therefore endure suffering, 80 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 81 There is no one who wins a battle without wisdom, and no one acquires wisdom without fighting, according to Evagrius: “As much as the soul succeeds in virtue, so strong are the enemies it encounters.” 82 And the soul that has no struggle is devoid of virtue. For virtue received its name from the fact that, thanks to the various temptations through which it passed, 83 it became famous and was awarded the crown. 17. Much long-suffering is also required so that he does not become cowardly in his expectation: if he waits, but does not receive immediately, or if he asks, but is not given to him as he expects, or if he waits a very long time for an answer to his request, he should not doubt his hope or become distraught, sad and sick in his conscience. 84 18. Moreover, after all this, first of all this and above all this, as I mentioned at the beginning, silence of the body and true faith of the soul are also required, for they contain within themselves the things that have been spoken about, and with care from the outside themselves bring them to perfection. those that in prayer and with tears he must ask God to grant him, so that they remain with him, for it is thanks to them that the service of all these virtues, as well as others that we have not mentioned, is accomplished and brought to completion 85. For without them there is no possibility that those mentioned would be accomplished. 19. Silence, because it protects the senses from external confusion and promotes bodily and mental labors thanks to the peace that it gives due to the freedom inherent in it, 86 and the consciousness that dwells in the body and soul, as well as the cessation of external activity - whether voluntary or accidental. 87 20. And faith <is also necessary> to strengthen him in hope, so that he joyfully endures all the dangers that befall him for the sake of these divine <goods>, so that even in death he is not afraid 88 and does not suffer as a bodily thing, but becomes like one who has a supercorporeal hope, who has a courageous 89 heart and who is confident in God. Every day he awaits the departure from the body, and in his thoughts he at all times gives birth in torment to that future hope for which he suffers every day and for the sake of which he voluntarily endures all these difficulties in order to safely achieve the resurrection from the dead. 21. For the delight of hope, which comes from faith, tends to defy all difficulties. 22. As labor increases, grace flows, but only when consistency accompanies it. And as hope increases, passions decrease. 90 And as wisdom shines, a person enters into joy. For in wisdom he is united with God and enveloped in His love, and he is freed from union with passions, 91 and in joy he overcomes all sorrows. For joy it is easy to even forget the world and the body. 23. It is necessary for us to ask God to grant us the ability to recognize 92 spirits and true revelations from demonic, and also the manifestation of holy powers from the manifestations of Satan; in dreams, distinguish those impulses 93 that come from angels, from those that come from demons, and from those that come from the soul. And the thoughts that arise in the mind because of these three impulses can be recognized by man and distinguished in what is characteristic of each of them, as the Fathers say, 94 peace from anxiety, peace from confusion, joy and confidence from fear and sorrow. The first named 95 is natural, while the last 96 is alien, to thoughts and dreams, or in feelings, or through touch. 24. As for the soul, it is obvious that none of this is connected with them - neither joy, nor sorrow, nor anxiety, nor peace; but they are ordinary 97 movements that pass by without carrying anything. the souls you must understand are those before you entered the natural realm, which is enlightenment. 98 25. It is also known that movements that arise from the body are different from movements associated with lust and anything else of that kind, when the body is excited and out of control. 99 But nature calmly demands what is necessary, remaining calm in its movements. For in what God created 100 there is no disorder, but He gives complete moderation 101 and order to nature. 26. When some alien activity is mixed with them, the natural movements that are in us, we will know 102 that from the disorder, confusion and confusion that arise in us either through bodily knowledge, 103 or through thoughts and memories 104 of events, or through random circumstances: we will understand them as we said, as far as they can be comprehended when grace is nearby. 27. These are the things that a person should always remind his friend, 105 so that he remembers and thinks about them 106 constantly. 28. Fasting, prayer, etc. are known to everyone and are easy for everyone, although in my place I will not fail to point out the help that comes from these “doings,” as well as from those that seem insignificant to many. 107 Although some of them are partially possessed by all who care about their salvation, 108 however, since they do not know the reason for doing them, not everyone is close to their fruits. And especially - since they are not even aware of the significance 109 that they should attach to what they perform; After all, they have no order, and they do not achieve uniformity in doing this, and they have no measure, 110 and they do not have enough time, and their work is immoderate and inconsistent. 29. What is more weak than drops of water? But isn’t it they who, thanks to continuity and constancy, even wear away stones and make deep holes in strong rocks? So is constant service: even if it is insignificant, 111 thanks to constancy it accumulates great treasures. 30. Now I will show you an easy rule, useful for the weak: thanks to it, a person easily prospers, and the pleasure that is born from him very quickly is enough to lead the mind to its constant, so that without compulsion and calmly you can perform his service with zeal. 31. It is this: since your weak body becomes tired from continuously standing on your feet during the performance of ordinary services, and for this reason you very often fail in those constant prayers that are performed by the body from which the heart is born, fall repeatedly on your face 112 near your seat 113 - exactly as described by your hand 114 - and be diligent in prayer, so that the conversation with the Scriptures will be mixed with prayer yours. Then the light that you will receive from these two “doings” will shine in you for the delight of your soul. And prayer will become enjoyable for you thanks to reading, and you will again be illuminated in reading through the keys of prayer. For in prayer the door of insights opens before the mind, and they, in turn, 115 thanks to their delightfulness, arouse again the desire to pray, 116 in accordance with contemplation, from them. 32. For the prayer that awakens through contemplation is unusual: it strongly binds the mind, so that it <becomes> collected 117 and without effort generates fervent and pure prayers. A person is not always able to resist the power of insights or freely use his feelings, 118 for many times they are too strong 119 for a person to turn to himself and begin prayer. 120 For very often there is no strength left in the soul to turn to the senses and operate with them, or to use the body in a natural way, 121 for it is overcome by the power of amazement. But not so with all insights. There are insights that give rise to prayer, and there are those that give rise to silence. Anyone who has experienced these will understand the differences. 122 33. So, my brother, if something higher is impossible, let us act as I said, constantly rising 123 from our place - beyond the sevenfold established due to the weakness of the body. 124 Let us not shrink from this, having received help, 125 for idleness breeds death, even in weakness. 126 34. Thus, as I wrote above, fall on your face many times near your seat. If a book is in your hands, or any handicraft, 127 put it aside and fall on your face and pray earnestly. 128 Let this be your rule throughout your entire life, in every place and area in which you find yourself - be it in the desert, or somewhere populated, when you are with you. 129 Due to my insignificance, I am not able to show you what will be born for you from this, even if I write ten thousand essays. 130 35. It is not out of fear that we carry out our bodily labors and the sobriety of our soul, but because we know: bodily peace removes us from God, and our mind removes us from thinking about Him, from which love for Him 131 is born in our soul. 36. We also hate absent-mindedness, and we avoid conversation 132 with our wonderful and beloved brothers - not because we abhor them, and not because they are no better than us - after all, every day we resort to their prayer - but because we are deprived of pleasure in our Lord, constantly being with people. For loneliness unites us with God. For it is precisely for this reason, and not out of fear of the executions of Gehenna, that we observe the rules, take care of them and diligently fulfill them, but because they contain a conversation with God, and they establish the memory of Him in us. For all that is for His sake [and in His name] 133 [...] thanks to remembrance we rise to Him. Constant remembrance of Him is generated in us by constant remembrance of particulars, 134 namely that we should not leave time 135 without good reason; if we accidentally violate, we should not remain without repentance. 136 37. We must also force ourselves to bow during services, even if we are very sick, very often - even on our bed, whether our sleep will be with sobriety and reverence, or with boldness. 137 With heartache we must cry out to God at all times, so that He may preserve us from bad thoughts 138 and from unclean dreams. strive to ensure that sleep overwhelms us when there is a thought about Him in our hearts. To sit humbly at all services 139 and, on pain of death, 140 to observe the number of our prayers. that a certain time should be set for eating; or that we should not constantly begin to eat everything we find, except at one o’clock; or that we should prepare the table only once, but at other times we should protect our mouths from tasty things - with the exception of great weakness, from illness; or that we cannot expose our bodies and carefully examine our members when they are not covered with clothing; or that we should not constantly touch our body, like licentious 141 and undisciplined people; or that we must maintain constant silence when we happen to be outside, but if a person meets us, we must reduce it to what is necessary and spend our words only on useful things, and not on useless ones, 142 jokes and laughter; or that our gaze must constantly be collected and that we must maintain decency 143 in our feelings; 144 or that we must show signs of contrition on our faces when we look constantly and at all times at the subject of the suffering of our Lord. 145 For from this to the remembrance of what He suffered for the sake of the human race, we are elevated, and to the love that He showed us, and to the promises that He gave us, and to the hope that is prepared for the human race in the new age, especially for Christians: 146 these are the things that were revealed to everyone thanks to the coming 147 of Christ into this world; and through Him access to God was opened for us. According to the word of the Apostle, one man died for many 148 and by offering His body He united the world with His Father, 149 delivering us from enslavement to demons and saving us from their tyrannical power. That is why we serve God and know our Creator. Since we serve and worship Him in every place, we are not afraid of anything from previous generations who trembled before demons. And what is this hope preached to us, here a person is drunk with joy about these and does not know where he is and what knowledge we are approaching in Christ? 38. And then he turns to himself, how in all this we are offended and how we abhor what He loves and His commandments, 150 despite the fact that [they contribute] to the salvation of our life and help each other. From these thoughts 151 suffering is constantly imprinted on our face 152 - when we are alone, or when we happen to be with others. This suffering keeps us from relaxing, and these thoughts sober our hearts. 39. These and the like, my brother, are not because He forces us to fulfill them. 153 For some wise men, not even knowing the reason for these <doings> and only looking at their appearance, despise chaste brothers for observing <them> and say to these brothers: “Will God really throw you into Gehenna because of <abandonment> of these <doings>?”; or: “Will they really bring you into the Kingdom of Heaven if you keep them?” And those who observe them they call hypocrites and ignoramuses. We, knowing what is born from them in our soul, will diligently and joyfully fulfill them; and since we are aware of the usefulness, 154 we will rejoice in doing our labors, which are for God. And let us trust in the many blessings that even in this world come from Him 155 in all small and great, in His name. 156 40. If one of the Fathers commands us, even sitting idly alone in a cell - that is, when we sit without work and only guard the walls for the sake of the name of Christ - to have great hope, how much more for those who perform these deeds 157 for the sake of constant memory of God! 41. We, my brother, should not look at what He does not require of us, the little things that are despicable, but let us admire the fact that when we fulfill these little things, He elevates us to the great thanks to them. For what we gain through these small works is as much more sublime and glorious as fire is more beautiful than flint, and iron is more beautiful than that from which it comes. 42. These not only protect us from the narrow paths that lead to destruction through negligence, but through them we are elevated to glorious things. 158 43. Constantly thinking about these small and insignificant things gives rise to thoughts about Him, and thanks to ordinary thoughts, at times it seems to us that we are in an enlightened conversation with Him, and our eyes are filled with tears, and our soul rejoices with joy. And sometimes we find ourselves as if we had already achieved the resurrection of the righteous, and amazement falls upon us, 160 when, thanks to contemplation, we are taken out of this world, from life and from the memory of earthly things, and are united with God by that spiritual union that is above the world. Thus, thanks to constant thinking about Him and frequent conversation with Him, love is born in our soul; and with that love we are dissolved in God at all times, and our life is mixed with His Spirit, and we anticipate the life of the next century. 161 44. Whoever has been rewarded with constant thought about God is also rewarded with constant amazement 162 at God. 45. Engage in 163 reading - not that which contributes to the acquisition of education, but that which mortifies your passions and shows you a short and direct 164 path to God: without any [...] 165 and will quickly lead you to enlightened service, which is the purpose of your stay in solitude. 166 that reading which does not speak confusingly, from one topic to another 167 and from time to time introducing objects that harm and interfere with your spiritual, super-peaceful reflection. – something that contains a lie; 168 - or that which instructs indiscriminately both monks and laity; 169 – or what is used when teaching people of all levels; - or what leads you to acquiring verbal argumentativeness and learning the wisdom of this world; - or what tells you about the events and clashes that took place in the Church, or about the institutions and deeds of kings, about their victories and exploits; 170 – or polemical words and refutations of the opinions of one side or another. Let us leave such readings and similar ones to the healthy; we ourselves, being sick, will use medicines, that is, works compiled to heal our passions, and the lives of the saints who came before us, they spent their lives in solitude, which is above the world; and stories about the revelations that they received, 171 and about the teaching that they received from God regarding the order 172 of this way of life, and about the sufferings and struggles that happened to them for their own learning and for the sake of those who follow in their footsteps; and of the various victories and defeats, uprisings and downfalls which they suffered. In short, let us deal only with books that teach the monastic path and tell us about its order and form. 46. Even bread, being so nutritious, cannot help a sick stomach: more often the latter is healed by other types of food and medicine. Moreover, it is not the bread that is harmful, 173 but the stomach that receives it is sick. Everything is good in its place, but for us it is 174 not useful. 47. Whoever, before he has acquired power over his thoughts and conquered absent-mindedness, when his feelings are still sick and his conscience is weak, engages in reading, which looks like a scientist, an expert, an interpreter and thoughtful, 175 while he is passionate, he is afflicted 176 with the desire for boasting and ignorance. What knowledge is better than purity? For it reveals everything to your mind, if all your concern is about achieving it; and it will bring you closer to the gift of divine vision. 48. Strive to learn everything that will make the temporary world despicable in your eyes and that will arm you with wisdom against the demons who are preparing your destruction. This will bring you illumination of thoughts and a constant departure from the body, and liberation from lusts thanks to the remembrance of the age to come, contemplation and vision of it. 177 49. Take your mind away from the recollection of lusts, so that there is room in your soul for the revelation in it of the glorious things of God, so that your mind is enriched with spiritual riches and you are constantly captivated by the love of God. 50. Thanks to the amazement of His revelations, the righteous become drunk with love for God. One of the saints said well that the souls who look at Him have forgotten their home. We are talking about such a vision, the memory of which intoxicates the soul. “Vision produces love,” one man clothed with God at a time. And it itself, according to the promise of our Lord, is acquired through purity. 51. Purity is not a thing that is acquired by reading about unnecessary things or by a multitude of teachings, but it is established by purifying the mind from the memory of insignificant earthly things 178 and contemplating the service of silence. Many thoughts and frequent memories of new ones, born from teachings and various reflections and leading the soul to absent-mindedness, are very harmful to her. 52. Do not miss what is valuable, and do not rush into what fills you only with pride. After all, we were not placed in order to know many things, but so that knowledge itself would shine from our asceticism. In saying this, I do not praise ignorance, but I limit the pursuit of unnecessary things that are not very necessary on our path, the search for them is harmful to the care of purity. Look at your illness and take advantage of the medicine for it. 179 Find out about your journey, and carefully prepare for it. Look at your struggle and learn the art of it. Be wise in your teaching, and seek teachers for it. 53. Although your teachers are very enlightened, let your staff always be in your hand. Do not enter the sea without a staff 180 and do not walk in the darkness without a staff: he will drive away dogs, he will slay snakes, he will touch the sea, he will drive away wild animals. Blessed John called him “the stick of the weak.” 181 Lean on him and you will never fall, for there is no helper like God, and those who knock diligently will receive everything. Blessed is he who remembers in every place that he should not neglect this, namely constant prayer, constant remembrance of God. He who constantly prays constantly remembers God, and he who constantly remembers God is the dwelling place of the Spirit. The thought of God is itself a prayer, and the mind, in which thoughts about Him 182 constantly revolve, is constantly in prayer and does not remain idle for a moment. 54. Prayer is not only the repetition of <words>, but also that feeling 183 that awakens in the depths of the mind in relation to Being. Thanks to constant meditation on Him, the mind awakens from time to time, looking at Him as if in amazement, and its movements are united with the Spirit, and in an indescribable way it sees Him close. 184 Blessed is he who constantly and without confusion waits at His door! 55. Do not rely on knowing yourself, 185 lest you be left in the hands of demons, and lest they cast you into the net of their tricks, and lest they surround you with torment, and lest you be thrown into confusion, so as not to even know where you are. 56. Without prayer, do not stretch your foot on a journey - especially on dark paths. May the prayer in your mouth not cease, and may it be accompanied by a confession of your weakness and ignorance, so that at least for your humility you may receive mercy, 186 although you are unworthy. Where there is no activity, humility and confession are completely accepted by God in its place; and for deeds that are not completed, the one who humbles himself receives a reward. 57. Dear to God is the one who, due to the lack of necessities, remains in humility - more than the one who, due to the abundance of his deeds, does a favor to God. The one who possesses both service and humility has established within himself two [...] luminaries, thanks to which he gives pleasure to himself and pleases God at every moment. 58. When the first is absent, the second virtue 187 will supply its deficiency. If the power of humility rules in the soul, a person bears the burden of voluntary labor, remembering the sins he has committed; 188 and without this it is impossible to avoid daily sins or receive forgiveness for past sins. Although we have no work, we can have a feeling of contrition in our minds, constantly remember our sins, think low of ourselves before God, be gentle and peaceful towards people, show honor to everyone, be collected within ourselves, not in laughter and chatter, 189 a kind word for everyone, thanksgiving in our hearts in temptations, wise silence, disciplined limbs, and remember that in any case we are mortal and will leave this world. These things do not require bodily labor, but they are an adornment of the mind. 59. Whoever does not strive to master that which does not require bodily labor and which is achieved neither by bodily labor nor by bodily strength, but can be acquired in a weak state, is, due to the negligence of his mind, left alone with himself and deserves censure from God. 190 God does not so much need long-term service as virtue of will: a virtuous soul is chosen by God not thanks to works, but thanks to a virtuous will, towards Him, and a heart that suffers for every moment. Likewise, He does not reject 191 a sinful soul on the basis of 192 its deeds, for deeds are often forbidden for reasons. But even without will, many things are done - both good and bad. God looks at the aspiration of the will - in which it finds pleasure. And the virtue of the soul is sufficient for Him, even without works, if there is no possibility, as the Blessed Interpreter said: 193 “Our Lord is seen in His laws as making a thorough test of the will of the soul, and not of works.” 60. And in another place, as if on behalf of the Lord, he says, in accordance with the meaning of His words: “I demand will and do not inquire about deeds, for a soul that clings to virtue with a perfect will is sufficient for Me. Those who are under the Law of Moses inquire into matters, feeling remorse for various mistakes, even small ones. Those who belong to Mine, even if they do wrong, being human, are in joy, knowing that they choose virtue in their conscience.” 194 61. There is no need for me to remind you about self-exhaustion 195. We have no intention of talking about everything; we are not talking to someone who does not know the Scriptures. For you know well that without renunciation this way of life is not perfect. This path is poverty. And whoever does not believe in God in the visible, it is clear that in his mind he is very far from hope for the future and for those things, the power of truth of which is only felt by the mind thanks to faith: the things that were discussed in this word from the very beginning 196 to the present moment. After all, it is through hope that this way of life is perfected. “No one carrying earthly burdens will soar to heaven,” as it is written. 197 For no one bound by the affairs of this world can please Him who chose him. But let me remind you of what is necessary. 62. If you decide 198 to improve in virtue, never allow anyone to look at a woman and do not pass near her. Memories are hostile to this reflection; for you are a hermit whose mind is elevated above the corruptible. And if the thought of them 199 disturbs the mind, how much more so does the sight of their face or the sound of their voice 200. Do not rely on old age or on the virtue of your mind - not because you are different, but because it is useful: for what has already been tested by many people, we should not strive to test! It is better to sit in your cell and work on saving your life, awaiting your departure from the world, like a person who knows that he is mortal. Watch your thoughts and do not think about anyone and do not look at anyone as bad: at another time you will see him differently - the one who now seems bad to you. Therefore, do not follow thoughts that show you what they want. If there is love, it will also cover mistakes; the absence of love comes from the darkness of the 201 soul. 63. He who does not love his neighbor, but says that he loves God, 202 has, without realizing it, completely lost his way. Nothing angers God and is more disgusting to Him than someone who, sitting in his cell, thinks about his comrade: and he made his cell a judgment seat, and he himself is a judge, and he judges the shortcomings of others. And he considers himself repentant and says in prayer: “As I have forgiven, so forgive me.” 203 64. If the one who judges his debtors brings upon himself the great condemnation of God's justice, what will happen to us when we judge matters from a distance? If you cannot see the shortcomings and weaknesses of others, but persist in such thoughts, 205 then go somewhere else. But how is it possible for us to see everyone as good if we do not have silence? 65. Be peaceful and humble, so that there may be mercy for everyone. 206 In accordance with the activity of the heart, external circumstances change - to good ones or to temptations. Do not be an accuser or a corrector of anyone, do not be jealous 207 or angry in your soul. A person whose mind is jealous and constantly agitated against people cannot be worthy of that spiritual world in which insights regarding the kindness of God to the worlds arise. For from absent-mindedness 209 of the mind jealousy appears in a person, since he is left to think about the affairs of everyone, 210 like a ship without a helmsman. 66. It is impossible for a person who thinks about the evil deeds of 211 people and jealousy to become dead to the world. 67. For two reasons 212 a person is constantly clothed in jealousy about the behavior of other people: either out of pride, or out of stupidity. Without these two, a person cannot be filled with jealousy. 213 <The latter happens> either because his own vices in his eyes are less significant than the <vices> of all <the others> - or perhaps he thinks that he does not have them <at all> and that therefore he is able to lead everyone to the truth; or he believes that he is a friend of God when he hates sinners: this is truly an insane way of thinking, completely alien to any knowledge of God. He does not know that the saints accepted death of all kinds for the sake of villains and murderers - in order to lead them through love on the path to God. 68. Those who have come to know the Providence of God 214 and who are fully worthy to understand His will die for the sake of sinners, in the likeness of the Son of God. 69. O Christ! Exalted is the power of pleasure of Your hope 215 above human thought! Sow Thy hope in my thoughts, so that through the feeling of You my mind may be freed from looking at earthly things. It is impossible, Lord, for him to free himself from wandering about earthly things, except through thinking about You; 216 and it is impossible to see anyone as bad, unless he is completely alien to the knowledge of Your hope, and his vision is not riveted to the earth, like that of a moth. 70. Grant me, O Lord, to die for everything; 217 and in this deadness for everything, may I be rewarded with the perception 218 of the mystery of new life. 71. God! Those who live for this world have never been worthy to experience that knowledge, but only those who have become dead during their lives for the sake of this true hope prepared for them, and who at all times bring prayer with tears to God, praying with strong love that no one from the human race will be left out of that pleasure. This is the way of thinking of the saints; and this is the reason for the contrition 219 which is constantly present 220 in their minds; and this is their prayer, which they offer to God at all times. And with this will they receive a gift that the world cannot compare with, from that rich treasury of God. Blessed is the man who knows what is born from love for people, and how compassion elevates the soul! 72. Observe this, my brother, and in your mortal body you will live the life of angels. Also, you should know, my brother, that the pinnacle of all good for the man of God in this world is pure prayer. And if a person does not die in relation to all people and does not strive in silence alone with himself, like a dead man in a tomb, he will not be able to acquire this for himself. For pure prayer requires detachment 221 from everything, so that thanks to this he stands before God chastely and without distraction during prayer, and his mind is collected from everywhere inwards, looking only at God in the silence of his movements. In the remembrance of His greatness, He becomes brilliant, and elevates him to the glory of His Being. Thinking about His mercies towards the verbal race 222, he spreads over the earth in amazement and joy. And from the incomprehensibility of Being, the whole soul is filled with praise, being moved by holy movements in fear and love for the nature of the greatness of the Divinity of Him, Whose Being thousands of spiritual ones glorify, not being able to look at the cloud of the holy of holies of His hiddenness. He brought into existence countless worlds and boundless natures; and legions of angels, without number, He created out of nothing. Being in His own Being, He, when there was no one to motivate Him - for nothing existed - by His own will and by His grace deigned and willed that the worlds should come into being, so that they might know Him. And He accomplished creation by His grace, deigning also us, people who are dust from the earth, a mindless nature, thanks to His creative art to rise to the state of 223 literature, so that we could stand before Him and talk with Him in prayer, and so that with our minds we would partake of that glory of the divine Nature - if our life is worthy - and so that the example of incorporeal beings we imitated on earth. 73. Since all these blessings and this greatness came to us from sobriety and purity - for sobriety is the cause of purity - let us strive in silence; let us become dead to every man; let us gather in our thoughts from distraction at all times through these memories, so that we can without difficulty during service and prayer bring our mind to ourselves 224 and so that we diligently sacrifice it to God. 225 74. Let us strive to meet with divine knowledge, 226 constantly praying to Him; 227 let us desire to receive the perception 228 of Him in our souls 229 during prayer. For it is clear that if we desire this and strive for it, and we take care of what is necessary, the good and merciful God will not deceive us, for He gave us all these blessings of His own will. 75. I would now like to jot down a few words of prayer for you, and then I will finish this letter. It seems to me necessary to put them in a letter so that you can use them in prayer 230 and so that the mind, comprehending their meaning, 231 acquires humility and refrains from empty wandering 232 thanks to the contrition 233 in them. And when you eat or drink, stand or sit, go to sleep or do anything, and also when you are traveling or in the company of many, you should occupy yourself with these words of prayer that I write for you in the inmost 234 of your heart. Likewise, when you bow,... When in your prayer you say the obligatory ones that you need, then pray with these. 76. By what movements does the mind awaken to gaze at God during prayer? 235 When you pray, add to your prayer the following: God, deign me to feel the hope that is prepared for the righteous at Your coming, when You come in our body to reveal Your glory to the worlds. 77. God, who brought Your love to the world when it did not know You, 236 and who revealed Yourself to the righteous in part in all generations, through the shadows of 237 revelations, resurrect the deadness of my thoughts 238 so that they might know You, so that I hasten to come to You and not rest until the hour when death puts an end to my journey in the haven of silence. 78. O Christ, the haven of mercy, the One who revealed Himself to the sinful generation, the One for whom generations of the righteous were waiting and who in His time revealed 239 joy to all creation, You grant me other eyes, another hearing and another heart, so that instead of the world I see, hear and feel 240 what You have prepared for the revelation of Your glory to the Christian race through that vision, hearing and feeling, 241 which are extraordinary. 79. Awaken in me, O Lord, a taste for perceiving You, so that I may be worthy from this world to You, for the world has captivated me with its joy away from You. While my eyes rejoice in the vision of perishable things and my mind understands corporeality, 242 it is impossible for me to completely free myself from the weak and corruptible feelings 243 that come from these. 80. Grant me, O Lord, to meet that vision over which corruption has no power, so that when, having met it, I forget the world and myself, all bodily images disappear 244 before my eyes. 81. O Christ, the delight of our race, the consolation in our poverty, the support of our humble nature, 245 which has wavered and fallen, the hope of the deprived, the venerable Name that has become known among people, restore me from the fallen, bring about the resurrection of my deadness, so that the sense of life 246 within me will awaken; Bring my soul out of the prison of ignorance, that I may glorify Your name. 247 Breathe into my members the breath of new life, visit my corruption that is in the tomb, and lead me out of the place of darkness. May the dawn of Your revelation visit me in the Sheol of ignorance. The verbal nature fell silent in me; You, Lord, awaken it again in my nature, 248 for in Sheol there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who will glorify You? 249 I have no lips to utter this last, but let the living, like me today, thank You. 250 82. Feelings have become numb, movements have fallen silent, thoughts have dried up, all the actions of nature in me are devoid of true life; I have no memory of You, no gratitude to You in Sheol, in which I dwell; there is no joyful sound of Your praises in the lostness of my soul; all my members that are dead await the pains of the resurrection! There is no one who would come to me in the abandonment of Sheol! 83. My God, may I hear Your voice, which resurrects everything mysteriously! Mysteriously do what happened to Lazarus, Your friend, to me. I know, Lord, that I have never shown myself to be Your vigilant friend, I am from Your flock, and my enemy captured me and humiliated me on earth. God, deign me to partake of that greatness 251 which You have prepared for Your friends in the new age, and the feeling of this knowledge of Your love, and this inseparable union and this inextricable connection of pleasure from the vision of You. 84. Lord, do not take Your grace from me; may I not be deprived of the knowledge of You, filled with hope. 85. Lord, save me from spiritual darkness! Merciful Christ, may I rejoice in Your hope; sow hope in You in my thoughts and make me worthy, O Lord, of Your mercy when Your revelation shines from heaven. Lord, may I not be called to judgment for my mistakes when You come in Your glory! 86. By Your grace, O Lord, You brought me into existence, and by Your grace You will honor my body with resurrection. May I not rise from the dust for judgment and disgrace! Lord, may I not awaken to endure Your condemnation and deprivation. But awaken me, Lord, from the dust for pleasure and for that glory to which You wanted to bring the verbal creation from the very beginning, when You created it. You did not create me, Lord, to be tested in Gehenna; Let me not become a vessel of destruction. Destruction, Lord, so that man would be completely deprived of that vision of You, which gives all joy. 87. Make me worthy, O Lord, to comprehend that hope, 252 for which from the very beginning, according to Your will, You created me, so that I might see Your eternal glory. For, when we did not yet exist, You desired in Your love that creation should come into being to know You. 88. This is what you should pray about and think about in your prayers. Let desire and suffering move you; pray fervently; warm your heart with these and similar thoughts 253 in your prayer until the attraction to Him ignites in you and a burning suffering 254 of love for Him arises in your heart. 89. With this and similar conversations, the mind concentrates in itself in pleasure and little by little forgets distraction, is absorbed in insights, and frees itself from images. And such a person suffers in his prayer, and suffering is poured into his mind, mixed with faith, and his heart rejoices in God, and beats with joy, and is delighted with love, and is filled with hope and awakens from sleep. The soul will experience great pleasure during prayer thanks to these conversations of conscious prayer. 255 90. Wonderful states 256 are born in a person during prayer thanks to strong languor and much reflection of the mind and constant prayerful conversation, 257 which accompanies a person in his thoughts and in his prayerful conversation. 258 In the Bodleian manuscript syr.e.7: "[We begin to] copy the Second Volume of [Mar Isaac], Bishop of Nineveh." The title "mar" literally means "lord": it was used in the 2nd person when addressing respected people (cf. Greek kyrie), and also in the 3rd person to designate a saint or cleric (cf. Greek kyr). Here and below, ellipses in square brackets indicate damage in handwritten text that makes it impossible to read the text. Words in square brackets [] indicate the intended reading of the manuscript. Angle brackets <> contain words that are not in the original text and were added by us according to their meaning. The name of the addressee of the message literally means “Jesus the Conqueror,” or “Jesus conquers.” This name was borne, in particular, by a contemporary of Rev. Isaac, who is known to have been the abbot of the Beit Rabban monastery and a church historian. The text begins with the words: “Since for your benefit we have formed [...] our chosen friend Mar Isho-zek.” The first page of the manuscript containing the message (Bodleian syr.e.7) is damaged, and only a few words can be read. We begin translation from the point where we can reconstruct a more or less coherent text. The numbering of paragraphs in the text is ours, but it basically corresponds to the division of the text in the manuscript, where the end of each paragraph is indicated by four dots. Lit. "heat of love." Lit. “Even at night I wandered in my dreams to talk with you.” Sire. the term dubbara corresponds to the Greek politeia; it can be translated as “way of life,” “way of being,” “behavior,” “asceticism.” The meaning of the previous lines, which are badly damaged in the manuscript, is obviously the following: “When you read about the benefits that the ancient Fathers were awarded, do not despair because you yourself do not possess them, although you already anticipate them. They will be given to you in due time, which has not yet come.” Lit. “in the sheep pen”, “in the sheepfold”. Those. in accordance with the will of the One who will crown you for your stay in the monastery. Lit. "unbelief receives punishment." Lit. "accuracy of the subject." Sire. We usually translate réyana as “mind”, sometimes as “thought”, “opinion”. Lit. “For punishment is near to unbelief.” Lit. "failing hope" Sire. metabqanuta corresponds to the Greek. egkataleipsis and literally translates as “abandonment.” In Conversation 14.3 teachers. Isaac uses the term metabqanuta d-men alaha, corresponding to the Greek. egkataleipsis tou theou – “forsakenness of God.” See Evagrius of Pontus for these terms (On Prayer 38; Gnostic 28; Scholium on Ecclesiastes, SC 397, p.126). Sire. quttáa corresponds to the Greek. akedia (dejection, hopelessness, despair). Lit. “There is no [greater] evil than this that can come upon you.” Sire. elya (silence, silence) is one of the main ascetic terms used by St. Isaac to characterize the hermit's life. Lit. "interviewing them." Var. "storage", "sobriety". The source of the quote is unknown. Var. "only at the starting point." Lit. “because of the place that is in the middle.” Lit. "standing", i.e. stability. Var. "which has an unwise owner." Lit. “he constantly deprives him of his usual watering.” Lit. "from one soil to another." Lit. “constantly hitting him with one or another of the things he hits him with.” Or “undisciplined.” Marine symbolism is often found in the works of Rev. Isaac. This is due to the fact that he was from Qatar on the shores of the Persian Gulf: he spent his childhood among sailors, fishermen and divers. Sire. ihidayuta - loneliness, solitude, hermit lifestyle. Those. hermitage, loneliness. Sire. pulhana can mean "doing", "serving", "fulfillment". Var. "also acts deceptively against him at the time, is being trained." Lit. “the most difficult and difficult of all is this way of life (asceticism).” Lit. "found in it." Or “equality of lifestyle.” Lit. “their mixtures”, i.e. elements. Sire. mliluta corresponds to Greek. to logistikon (mind, understanding) and in traditional Christian anthropology denotes the rational part of the soul. The division of the soul into three parts - desire, irritation and reason (Greek: to epithymitikon, to thymoeides, to logistikon; Syrian: rehmta, tnana, mliluta) - goes back to Stoic philosophy and could have been borrowed by St. Isaac from the works of Evargius, John of Apamea and Babai the Great. Sire. we usually translate hawna as "mind". Or "lifestyle". Lit. translation: “For the composition of asceticism (way of life) is a type (symbol) of the composition of the body.” Sire. the term bulbala (confusion, confusion, confusion) is used, in particular, when describing the confusion of languages ​​​​during the Babylonian pandemonium. Lit. “He also needs contempt for the body in every way.” Sire. teksa is a translation from the Greek taxis (rank, order, level, orderliness). Those. if he submits to the earthly order. Lit. “what (refers) to the right hand, and what to the shuitz.” Lit. “The seal of something comes from exercise and perseverance.” Sire. “disaster”, “suffering”. Lit. "who passed over her." Or “in your thoughts”, “in your mind”. Lit. “brought to perfection”, “completed”. Lit. “because of the emptiness found in it.” Lit. “and also the abandonment of ordinary causes that rush into his external affairs, whether by his will or by chance.” Or "suffering". Sire. haa means both “passion” and “suffering” (cf. Greek pathos). Sire. purana means "discrimination", "difference"; sometimes we also translate it as “prudence” (cf. Greek diakrisis). Sire. zaw'e is one of the characteristic terms of the language of the teacher. Isaac: we translate as “movements”, “impulses”, “excitements”. Those. rest, peace, joy and confidence (trust). Those. worry, confusion, fear and grief. Sire. apyuta can be translated as “enlightenment”, “radiance”, “clarity”, “luminosity”. In sir. In ascetic writing, this term indicates a special enlightened state of soul achieved by ascetics. The meaning of this phrase is not entirely clear due to the complexity of the syntax, as well as lacunae in the text. We translated it freely. Here is the literal translation: “It is also known that the movements that the body excites [...] in movements of lust or in anything else besides this, when connected to them without external opposition to them, without mixing with them tense excitations and impulses that are difficult to control.” Lit. "knowledge that is from the body." Lit. "thoughts of remembrance." Lit. “He remembered them in his meditation.” Or “about your life.” Sire. word hayye lit. means "life"; in a figurative sense it means “salvation.” Lit. “They don’t even know that level (rank).” The expression “fall on your face” is often found among Rev. Isaac the Syrian. Translation option: “to fall on your face.” In ancient monastic practice, it was customary to perform part of the prayer rule while sitting: for this, each monk had a stool, or “seat” (Sir: mawtba, Greek: kathisma). Lit. "with your hands." Obviously, the real message of Rev. Isaac is a response to the message of Isho-zek, which contained questions regarding specific forms and methods of prayer. Or “focuses on himself.” Lit. “use the service of your feelings freely.” Lit. “use prayer.” Lit. "according to the order of nature." Lit. “Whoever has experienced these differences will understand.” Lit. "in the constant getting up." Lit. "because of the body, which is weak." The meaning of the words of Rev. Isaac, as it seems to us, is as follows: one should not shy away from fulfilling the rule described above even after a person has received gracious help from the Lord; for even for the weak, idleness is dangerous, since it gives rise to spiritual death. Lit. “service” (Sir. pulhana). Lit. “tarry (spend time) in prayer.” Lit. "even in ten thousand forms of scriptures." Or “striving for Him,” “desiring Him.” Lit. “We despise conversation.” The words in square brackets are taken from Sinai syr.14. So in Sinai syr.14. In Bodleian syr.e.7: "of the above mentioned". Or “without compelling circumstances.” The meaning of this proposal is not entirely clear to us. Lit. “from filthiness (impurity) of thoughts.” Lit. "at all times" or "during all hours." Lit. "by forced death." Lit. "loose in heart." Var. “in relation to our feelings”, or “in relation to our feelings”. Lit. "those which He commanded." Or “spreading across our face.” Lit. “not because He compels us to take care of them.” Lit. “Who shows these differences in themselves.” The syntax of this sentence is unclear; There may be one or more words missing from the handwritten text. Or “not worthy of attention.” Sire. the term temha corresponds to the Greek. ekstasis and is usually translated by us as “amazement.” Lit. "the way of life to come." The term tehra is another equivalent of the Greek. ekstasis. Lit. "definite", "clear". M.b. "without any obstacles." Lit. “which your solitary (hermit) way of life looks upon.” Lit. “first on one topic, then on another.” Lit. "that reading which speaks falsely." Lit. “both you and the ordinary ones.” Lit. "which happened to them." Or “rules”, “regulations”. Those. reading the above types of literature. Lit. "rich in insights." Lit. "and the contemplation of his vision." Lit. “from the insignificance of memories of earthly (things).” Rev. Isaac is obviously referring to Exodus 14:16. The source of the quote is unknown to us. Var. "to know your soul." Lit. “You were supported by mercy.” Lit. “the virtue of the second”, i.e. humility. Lit. “The ruling force of humility in the soul lies in the severity of voluntary labors, which are transferred (endured) to the memories of the sins committed.” Lit. “Whoever also neglects to master in himself things that do not require the labors of the body and which are not established by the labors and strength of the body, but can be acquired in weakness, is left to himself in the neglect of the mind and rightly deserves censure from God.” These quotations from Theodore cannot be identified. Let us note that a significant part of Theodore’s literary heritage was lost after his condemnation at the Council of Constantinople in 553 (V Ecumenical Council). Sire. msarquta (lit. “deprivation”, “poverty”, “voluntary poverty”) corresponds to the Greek. kenosis (“exhaustion”, “self-exhaustion”, “impoverishment”). In a Christological context, the term denotes the exhaustion of God before taking upon Himself human nature. In an ascetic context, the term indicates self-denial, self-discipline, mortification of passions and other components of monastic life. Lit. “to which the purpose of all our speech looks from the very beginning.” A paraphrase of the words of the Lord’s Prayer: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Lit. "condemns himself to." Or “in that way of thinking.” Var. “so that you find everyone friends.” Lit. “set in motion”, “moved”. Lit. "to wander about the affairs of all." Lit. "wanders in evil deeds." Lit. “There is no place for a person to be aroused by jealousy.” Or “God’s intention”, “God’s way of thinking”, “God’s goal” (Sir: tar'ita d-alaha). The term tar'ita means “thinking”, “Providence”, “consciousness”, “way of thinking”, “conscience”. Lit. "wandering in You." Or “in relation to everything.” Or “sensations”, “feelings” (Sir. marganuta). Those. return the mind to a state of concentration. Lit. “so that they bring it to God in their care.” Lit. “with the constancy of our prayer to Him.” Lit. “so that they become material for you to pray” Lit. “and so that through the meaning (goal) of their insights, reason.” Or “empty absent-mindedness.” Lit. "through secrecy." This phrase may have been added by a copyist and is a subtitle to the prayer petition that follows. Var. “though he did not know You.” Or “hints”, “sketches”. Those. during His earthly life. Or “perceptions, “feelings.” Those. the mind is only capable of understanding what is in the realm of the physical. Lit. “the humility (lowness) of our nature.” Or "perception of salvation." Lit. "in natural vitality." Lit. "participation of that greatness." Lit. “Vignify me, O Lord, with an explanation of that hope.” Lit. "great movements" Lit. "interview of prayer." Lit. “and in his interview with a certain purpose of prayer.” You might be interested in: