Беседа 29. Его же. О великих благах, рождающихся от собеседования с Писанием, от сокровенного служения и от размышления о нем и постоянного исследования его, и от поиска цели учения его. И против тех, кто считает ненужным прилежно заниматься этим чудным и божественным трудом. И ублажение тех, кто уд

1. I am also surprised at people who, when they see a person laboring in reading the Holy Scriptures and diligently seeking their meaning, 1012 constantly in conversation with these and similar reflections on the topic of sacred service, they say to him some very rude words, tasteless and insane, like: “No matter how much you read and labor, the work is useless.” Especially those who are like: “What is the point of these studies, and what is the use for you to spend your time idly searching for the meaning of Scripture and the like? We need to get busy! If we do what we know, we don't have to spend our days poring over the Scriptures and doing other things like that." 1013 2. They do not understand what they are saying, and they do not know that exactly this - that is, for a person’s mind to be filled 1014 with the divine economy and with constant memory 1015 of it thanks to the delightful thought sown in reading and searching for its hidden meaning 1016 - is the real thing 1017 and the fulfillment 1018 of all the commandments of our Lord. 3. For to exercise only in bodily achievements means to follow the path of the laity and be on their level. 1019 But the one whose memory is constantly connected with our Lord through reading and prayer, who seeks that goal towards which the movements of the mind, consolation and hope for the unseen, 1020 who through this 1021 curbs his mind, wandered among the passions, and also through the pleasure of conversation with God 1022 - such has succeeded in all virtues 1023 and achieved complete perfection 1024 without any drawback. All others, who - each in their own measure - perform certain virtues, 1025 are below this on the path of the commandments. 4. We will rejoice and thank God for the fact that we have been honored, at least for a short time, with the opportunity to avoid chatter and conversation with passions, although for the purpose of fighting 1026 we may be occupied with them; for we find ourselves at least for one moment, thanks to the conversation with some beautiful reflection, above the struggles and reflections on competitions and on the images of the passions. And without constant reading in silence, without thought, without searching for the hidden meaning 1027 and without prayer, it is impossible to acquire this. 5. Reading, of course, is the source and parent of prayer; both of them 1028 transport us to the love of God. And, like honey in a honeycomb, 1029 sweetness is constantly poured into our hearts; and our soul rejoices at the taste that our intimate service and reading pour into our hearts. 6. Who has ever known the flame that engulfs the heart because of this? 1030 7. If keeping the heart is far more important than anything else, it can in no way come through struggles and tricks, but only through conversation with God. Therefore, blessed are those who have been worthy of this, for, having united with our Lord in the thought of the heart and the fullness of the mind, thanks to the constant memory of Him, they have been worthy to avoid conversation and conversation with passions, desiring only one conversation with God. 1031 Constant reading with wonderful 1032 reflection, research and search for secrets - all this is a wonderful 1033 conversation with God. Whoever is constant in this will come to the whole complex of bodily services. 1034 It is many times due to this 1035 that even the recollection of worldly images does not appear in the mind, especially among those who read and meditate with the goal that their mind will grow a certain secret of truth 1036 due to the constant enjoyment of the great words on which they meditate 1037 night and day. 8. The wonderful work of a monk 1038 and his main service is that in his thoughts and memories he is united with our Lord, at least partially. If a person has achieved this, then what other work do those “wise men” 1039 who have an idle mind and are ignorant require from our hands? 1040 9. Blessed is the mind that is worthy of constant contemplation of God, contemplation 1041 and thoughts about His mysteries. What was said is fulfilled on it at every moment: Lord, You have filled my heart with joy. 1042 And what could be greater than when a person constantly rejoices in God and glorifies Him at every moment with new praise, which bursts out of amazement and from a rejoicing heart - along with everything else that is born from here, 1043 that prayer that pours out suddenly, constantly and involuntarily, from the depths of the heart, which has become a seeker of contemplation? 1044 10. Truly, fatigue in reading seems to expose the one who reads, and this refers to the area of ​​idleness. 1045 It 1046 drives away the thought of God from us, and conversation with him makes our mind think about the world, imagine people and their deeds, word disputes, and so on. Sometimes they read only for the sake of being well-read, 1047 in order to gain human glory or to refine their minds. 11. The one who studies the Scriptures for the sake of truth constantly has his mind in heaven and talks with God at every moment, and his thoughts revolve in thoughts about the future age. 1048 And he always despises this world; 1049 his mind reflects on the hope for the future. And throughout his entire life he does not choose any activity, labor or service that would be higher than this. 12. What compares to this? So that man in this world becomes like the angels and his thoughts are constantly about God and the divine. 1050 Even if such a person, who is still clothed in a carnal nature, occasionally has some kind of human passion, it quickly leaves him, without being able to harm him in any way. And if it happens to him that he acts as if connected with the carnal nature, he is immediately healed by immediately turning away from it and again returning 1051 to his ordinary thoughts - those with which his heart itself is constantly occupied. And he is elevated to the height of conversation with them, and not even the slightest trace or breath of 1052 that passion remains in him. Lit. "the insights that are in them." Lit. “Why explore, and what is the use for you to make yourselves idle in search of contemplations (téoryas - spiritual meanings) and the like? Activity is what is required! If we do what we know, we do not need great labor over the Scriptures and studies of this kind.” Var. “so that a person fills his mind.” Lit. "constancy of memory". Lit. "search for the hidden." Lit. "perfect activity". Lit. “For if a person performs only the works that are performed by the body, this is the way and order of the laity.” Var. “through reading, prayer and the search for that goal, which is the movement of the mind, consolation and hope for the innermost.” Those. through movements of the mind, consolation and hope for the innermost. Or “the pleasure of conversing with God.” Lit. “such a person has established all the acts of virtue in himself.” Var. “brought to complete perfection.” Lit. “who works at all levels (measures) of all virtues.” Or “in the form of a struggle,” “under the guise of a feat.” Lit. "search for the hidden." Lit. “thanks to these”, i.e. thanks to God's love and its sweetness. Lit. “due to the exaltation in the desire for conversation with God.” Those. whoever exercises in spiritual activity thereby, as it were, accomplishes all bodily feats. Those. through prayer and reading. Or “a certain mystery of truth”; or "some true symbol." Lit. “working”, “working”. Or “hermit”, “monk”. Or “wise men” (the word is used in an ironic sense). Rev. Isaac continues his polemic with those people who say, “We need to get on with business!” (see paragraph 1 of this Conversation). Lit. "together with others who are born from here." Or “a seeker of spiritual meanings.” Var. “and this is the lot of the idle.” Lit. “His thoughts wander in pursuit of the future age.” Lit. “We despise this world in his eyes.” Or “immediately comes back from it and turns again.” You might be interested in: