Глава 6. Недоброжелательство, а затем и явное восстание некоторых непонимавших жизни духовной оптинских монахов и мирян против старца о. Леонида, хотя без особенно худых последствий. Соприкосновенный сему рассказ новоначального брата Александра (впоследствии иеросхимонаха Антония Киево-Печерского),

It is not in vain that St. Fathers, that whoever does a deed pleasing to God will certainly be faced with temptation, and that every good deed is either preceded or followed by temptation. The words of the Pechersk chronicler that monastic monasteries are erected through prayerful sweat and tears can also be attributed to the introduction of eldership in Optina Hermitage - the basis of monastic life. It was introduced and strengthened here with much labor and sorrow. According to St. St. Fathers, that the enemy of the human race does not like not only the revelation of thoughts, but even the noise of the words of this revelation; for he knows that through this all his intrigues and deceits are destroyed. Therefore, it is not surprising that he did not hesitate to use his various intrigues against this monastic path, which was especially hated by him, and for the great cause of introducing eldership into the monastery he launched a strong persecution against the elder Fr. Leonida. And it was all the more convenient for the enemy-tempter to be malicious against the Elder and the elders, since not everyone could judge this correctly, as the Elder himself later wrote to his spiritual children, when in 1836 various rumors and blasphemous censures began to spread strongly against him. “Not everyone can sensibly judge about the high life,” he wrote, “not everyone can sensibly judge, especially those who have an uncleaned spiritual eye. Read about this from St. Simeon the New Theologian chapters 70, 71, 72, from which you will see about the justice of human judgment...” 67 According to St. Simeon the New Theologian and other saints. The Fathers teach that ordinary people, who do not have spiritual reasoning, cannot correctly judge the spiritual structure of spiritual people, just like St. The apostle says: a spiritual (man) judges everything, but no one can judge him (1 Cor. 2:15). On the other hand, the soil for the invisible enemy was very favorable. Among the former Optina brethren there were reverent, kind monks, but each of them lived according to his own concepts and labored as best he could. Their main attention was paid to external labors and active virtues, such as fasting, constant attendance at church services, and the like. They had no idea about the path of old age. Therefore, when the elder Fr. settled in the monastery. Leonid and his disciples, when they started talking about eldership and spiritual nourishment, about cleansing the conscience and revelation of thoughts, about cutting off one’s desires and thoughts, about inner work - all this seemed to many to be some kind of new incomprehensible teaching, which some even directly began to call a new heresy. It was also mentioned above that in dealing with people of various kinds, the Elder adhered to playfulness, which sometimes reached the point of semi-ugliness. And since he always acted openly, without being at all embarrassed or caring about what people would say about him, some who had no idea about spiritual life began to be seduced by him. Some, for example, were tempted by the fact that the schema-monk, who, according to worldly concepts, should spend time exclusively in prayer and retreat, was constantly surrounded by a crowd of people. They did not understand that the elder Fr. Leonid left his dear silence not for the sake of any selfish goals or rotten vanity, but solely moved by spiritual love for his suffering and weak brothers, according to the word of the Savior: greater love can no one have, but whoever lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13); and that such is the life of the Elder, according to the remark of St. John Climacus, there is a greatest feat 68. Some were seduced by the simple and humorous speech and address of the Elder, and others by the corpulence of his physique, while this corpulence came from illness. For in the last years of his life the Elder was almost unable to find food in his stomach and throughout his monastic life he accepted it in the most moderate quantities. There was still a reason for temptation. It was said before that the Elder healed the sick with anointing oil from an unquenchable lamp in his cell in front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. But since he anointed suffering women with a cross not only on the forehead, lips and cheeks, but sometimes also on the throat and chest with a cross, for this he suffered great reproach from those who were tempted. Some, even among his disciples, asked him to leave this method of healing, but they could not convince him of this. Of course, the Elder knew the power and significance of such anointing better than them, when he used it until his dying illness, and always beneficially. The Elder’s closest student, the aforementioned Alexey Polikarpovich Bochkov, a well-bred native of the capital, loved the Elder Fr. Leonida and all his simple and at the same time wise words composed in his heart, but as soon as he saw his very free and open attitude towards visitors, he would lose his temper: “Well, what is this, father? .. This and that is indecent for him.” And the Elder would just say: “It’s true that it’s indecent, but what are you going to do?..” The consequence of these circumstances was that the former monastic brethren, who due to their years found it difficult to change the concepts in which they spent most of their lives, clearly rebelled against the innovations of the elder Fr. Leonid and both himself and his students began to be viewed with distrust and hostility. According to the instructions of the Elder, his disciples humbled themselves as much as possible before the venerable old men and, for their part, observed everything so as not to disturb the peace of the monastery. The Elder himself, when the opportunity presented itself, knew how to admonish the disorderly. This was the case. Some who are not disposed towards the elder Fr. Leonidas, the hieromonks from the so-called scientists - widowed priests, in the monastery often gathered together for interviews. During one of these meetings, a question came up between them about some text from the Apocalypse. And here is one of the interlocutors, Fr. Hey, by the way, volunteered to puzzle Elder Leonid with this question. Everyone approved of it. Fr. immediately went. And to the skete apiary. The elder was free at that time, received the visitor kindly and asked him to sit down. “No,” said Fr. And--after all, I came to you for an important matter. What does such and such a text mean in the Apocalypse? A! “Explain it.” “Oh, father,” the Elder humbly answered, “I don’t undertake such wisdom.” “So I’ll explain it to you,” continued Fr. Eeyore. - “Well, now, father, sit down. This is no small matter; So what should I treat you with? Would you like some seagull?” - "Fine". “Soon tea and tea supplies were served. When the visitor had had enough of his meal, then the Elder showed him with his own eyes that voluptuous people, God’s womb, should undertake to interpret and explain the lofty apocalyptic legends, of which the great Apostle St. was honored to be a spectator. John the Theologian, the confidant and friend of Christ, has great audacity. Both the co-questioner and all his accomplices were greatly ashamed of this. Another circumstance. At that time, a famous honorary citizen, millionaire Dimitry Vasilyevich Bryuzgin lived in Kozelsk. Due to his importance and because he took part in the establishment of the Optina monastery, the rector of the Optina Hermitage, Fr. Abbot Moses showed him great respect. Bryuzgin loved Fr. Abbot Moses and, due to the latter’s good review of Elder Leonid, invited him from the Svirsky monastery to the Optina monastery, promising to arrange a cell for him. During the Elder’s journey from the Svirsky Monastery to Kyiv, Bryuzgin had the opportunity to personally see the Elder and get acquainted with him, and asked him on his way back from Kyiv to come directly to the Skete, where his cell would be ready for him. The cell was indeed prepared, but probably for the reason that the elder Fr. Leonid was left to live in the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, but it went to another, Hieromonk Job. But this is true, by the way. For the Elder, a cell was actually prepared, as mentioned above, in the skete apiary, where he settled at one time. At first, the Elder was on good terms with Bryuzgin, but only until the first Lent, when Bryuzgin turned to the Elder for confession. The elder noticed that the one who came to him for confession was praying with a schismatic sign, and immediately explained to him that a true son of the Orthodox Church must unconditionally obey all its rules and regulations, and therefore advised him to change his sign to the Orthodox one. For such an important man, who was held in high esteem by everyone, in whose house both bishops and governors always had an apartment, and to whom no one had ever dared to make comments regarding his physique, the elder-newcomer’s remark was very sensitive. He rejected the elder's proposal, and the Elder refused to be his spiritual father. Since then, Bryuzgin went over to the side of the Elder’s opponents and remained in this attitude towards him until his death. Due to the firmness of character and inflexibility of will, the Elder, animated by holy zeal for the glory of God, could not act otherwise; meanwhile, such actions of his not only did not soften people who had spent their whole lives in their favorite concepts, but even more hardened them. They sent denunciations against the Elder to the diocesan authorities. The matter, of course, was described apparently fairly; but it was presented as it was understood by the opponents of the Elder and the eldership. In fact, as soon as some elder-newcomer appeared in Optina, the abbot immediately entrusted the entire brotherhood to his spiritual care, even he himself submitted to his influence in such a way that without the advice of the Elder he did not undertake any important affairs in the monastery. Isn't this an insult to the old-time monks? And finally, the matter was brought to the point that a decree was received from the Kaluga Spiritual Consistory that four hieromonks from the senior brethren, together with the abbot and treasurer, should participate in meetings on all the most important matters of the Desert, and without their general consent, nothing related to the improvement of the monastery should be undertaken or put into effect. This was in 1830, only a year after the installation of the elder Fr. Leonidas in Optina Pustyn. However, the expectations of the other side were not entirely justified. The then Kaluga archpastor, Bishop. Gabriel (Gorodkov) 69 looked at the matter with different eyes. When visiting Optina Pustyn, in the presence of the entire brotherhood, he showed the rector Fr. Moses received merciful attention, but he reprimanded those who were dissatisfied and ordered them to correct themselves. Although even after this the excitement in the monastery did not completely subside, Fr. Abbot Moses and Elder Fr. Leonid, who had been strengthened in patience by many years of experience, overcame unfavorable circumstances, feeding themselves with the good hope that with the help of God the monasteries would become more comfortable in time. This is what Elder Leonid wrote to the Ploshchansky hieromonk Macarius (Ivanov), with whom, as we saw above, he became close during his short stay in the Ploshchansky Hermitage: “The merciful God of peace is strong and omnipotent in allowing the storm, and excitement, and temptation to turn into goodness and establish peace; and may the Name of the Lord be blessed from now to eternity; and as His all-holy will pleases, let Him govern us—His creation.” The elders’ hope in the all-good Providence of God did not deceive them. Over time, the confusion in the monastery actually subsided somewhat. But after a short period of time, unexpectedly and completely by accident, a new temptation followed for the Elder, and now from the side of worldly people. The invisible enemy of the human race everywhere catches God's piously living servants. Here we offer readers a story from the words of the above-mentioned Kiev-Pechersk confessor, Hieroschemamonk Anthony, who at that time was still a young layman Alexander. “For the first time,” he says, “I heard the holy name Father Leonid from our pious district attorney of Little Arkhangelsk, Nikolai Ioakimovich Barkov, with whom the Elder made acquaintance in the Ploshchanskaya Hermitage in 1828 on his return journey from Kyiv. Then Father, passing through the city of Karachev, was in Barkov’s house with the (above-mentioned) Dimitri Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov, who was at that time still a layman, but already in novice clothes. He served as a coachman under the Elder. Such deep humility of Brianchaninov surprised Nikolai Ioakimovich and even more disposed his soul to the wisdom and holiness of the great Elder. I owe the acquaintance with Father, whom I have not yet seen in person, to this lover of God. When I went on pilgrimage to the Solovetsky Monastery in 1833, along the way I was in Optina Pustyn, with a letter to Father from Barkov. First of all, I had to meet in Kozelsk with Fr. George, who was at that time the Elder’s cell attendant (later Gerontius, abbot of the Kaluga Tikhon Hermitage). But Father was at that time in Voronezh to venerate the incorruptible relics of St. Mitrofan. Having learned about my intention to enter the monastery and my goodwill towards Father, Fr. George introduced me to the well-meaning and like-minded monastery brethren, among whom was Mikhail Ivanovich Antimonov, 70 to whom God blessed me in due time to close my eyes.” “I also visited the sickly hieromonk Fr. Anthony, who was then the head of Skete, was very seriously ill. This was in the twentieth of July. And in December, around the 15th, when I so ardently sought to see Father, I found his disciples in great grief. For their teacher and mentor was at that time formally requested by the diocesan Right Reverend Nikanor 71 to Kaluga, as a result of a report from the chief of gendarmes Zhemchuzhnikov, the Highest authorized to establish order between Oryol citizens. The report was as follows. When Father, traveling to Voronezh and back through Orel, had to see people in Orel who were well disposed towards him, these latter, from ordinary to aristocrats, when meeting him, publicly knelt before him and bowed at his feet. The Zhemchuzhnikovs suspected this. According to his position, he informed the Kaluga Bishop that he had noticed an extraordinary phenomenon: a simple hieromonk was being given godlike honor. By reporting this, he expressed his suspicion as to whether there might be some kind of sect hidden here.” “Subsequently, Father himself,” the narrator continues, “told me the following: “I appeared to the Right Reverend, received a blessing from him and explained who I am.” “Wait, Father Leonid,” said Vladyka, “now I’ll finish one thing and take care of it with you.” - Having finished the matter, he read Zhemchuzhnikov’s report to me and asked: “What do you say to this, Father Leonid?” - I answer: “It is fair, but what should I do with stupid women? They bow down like an idol; and that I do not belong to either a sect or a schism, but a purely Orthodox son of Christ’s Church, do not doubt this.” - “Explain to me how you believe.” - “If you please, Your Eminence Vladyka, but how bless me to explain - simply or in Kiev style? Surprised by the question, Vladyka said: “Well, at least in Kiev.” Clearing my throat a little, I began to read the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith from the lowest possible note, gradually raising the tone with each member, and brought it to “Amen” at the highest note, as it is performed in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra at the Divine Liturgy, adding to this: “This is how I believe and confess St. Trinity, and I anathematize everyone who thinks and speaks differently about Her!..” “Now everything has been proven,” said the bishop. “I am happy that I have the opportunity to deal with you.” “Taking me by the hand, he leads me into the office and bedroom and orders me to make myself at home. He himself takes off my kamilavka and cassock, and he himself pointed out all the amenities for the old man. That day the Vladyka had a very modest dinner, probably always for him alone; and in the next days, more than a week, what he He didn’t treat me. But first he asked: “What are you eating, O. Leonid?” “I answer: “Your Eminence, I am a poisonous man and a wine drinker.” - “Oh, this means our brother!” – To the cell attendant: “Serve everything” (fish, of course). - He pours it for me and pours it himself. - I say: “Have mercy, your Eminence, this is a lot.” - Vladyka: “I didn’t have you for long; go to the Skete, fast there as you please, and now let your bone fill with cerebellum.” - And so I stayed in the bishop’s chambers for more than a week. At this time, the Vladyka was so kind to me that, releasing me and blessing me, on the way back, saying goodbye with tears. Elder Leonid was accompanied at this time to Kaluga by one of his close disciples, Fr. Pavel (Tambovtsev). When the Elder was detained by the Bishop in his chambers, Tambovtsev lived at the hotel and daily, with increasing fear and bewilderment, asked about the Elder, and only received the answer that the Elder was in the bishop’s chambers, like a rare guest. – Upon Father’s return to the Skete, all his followers were in great joy. The Elder himself did not eat anything for two days after his arrival, making the excuse that he was full from the bishop’s treat.” “On the second day of his arrival,” continues the hieroschemamonk Fr. Anthony, - for the first time in my entire past life I had the happiness of being received by him and fatherly kindly, having been tired as a wanderer from a six-month journey to different monasteries. Then the Elder ordered me to stay in the Skete, where I prepared to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ and was honored to be his spiritual son. The first time I was embarrassed to tell him what I could hear in the Valaam hotel from two wanderers from Optina Hermitage about the Skete and about Father, and on the second and third meeting he himself told me everything in the following order: “Well, what did you acquire useful for yourself on your journey?” he began. I will never return to peace.” - “Where do you like it better?” - “I really liked it on Valaam.” - "I lived there myself, but I ended up here and, like Philip, I stuck here. But wanderers and scoundrels say that I’m fat. It’s true. Look how fat I am! " - I think: “It’s just true, as the wanderers told me 44. - “And money,” continued the Elder, “how can you not love it? It’s good with it and the saint of our time. But now you без них приходится плохо, как остался в кармане кукиш. Да и дома-то что тебя ждет? Это теперь у тебя с ума нейдет. Впрочем, не бойся; все будет хорошо, только возвращайся скорей. К нам ты возвратишься с годовым паспортом, и об этом не заботься, – это дело Баркова. Вот и богатых как не любить? Ведь и они люди, да еще какие из них бывают! Ох, брат, тебе ли о сем разсуждать? Подумай-ка лучше о yourself. You wanted to talk a lot about yourself, but now you’re speechless.” I was amazed at the old man’s revelation of many things that only my soul and God knew. For I have not told anyone about this, but suddenly I see a spectator of the secrets of my soul. What is it? I instantly started sweating all over my body! - “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, Sasha-Alexasha (that’s what the Elder later called me, especially when my faith in him wavered), don’t be afraid, I’m not a wizard, or a healer, or a deceiver, as you’ve heard enough of. Get ready to go home by such and such a day (he set the day). There’s a little darling merchant here (Belgorod Bogatyrev); he lived with us for about six months, simpletons, and you’re bored. So you’ll go with him all the way to your house. Otherwise, you’re thinking about how to crawl home, but you’re exhausted, and the money isn’t a penny, but he’s a man of means, he’ll still be glad to see you.” And so I returned to my house with Bogatyrev, whom the very next day, December 24, at his request, I sent to Korennaya Hermitage (Kursk province) with a reliable cab driver. “And my mother and other relatives greeted me as if I had come down from heaven.” There was no end in sight to the questions. But all this did not interest me, and I was preoccupied with how to get out of the house as quickly as possible. It was ordered: after fasting in the first week of Lent, on the second on Monday (i.e. March 11, 1834) to go to Optina on foot. Came on March 17th just in time for Vespers. Then Fr. saw me. Diomede, despite my excuses, took me by the hands and immediately went with me to Father. As soon as I appeared from the door, the priest exclaimed: “Sasha-Alexasha has come to us!” – It so happened that at that time the Elder’s abbot, Fr. Moses. Then Father said to me: “Bow (to the abbot) and ask to live in the Skete.” “I bow and ask, according to the elder’s words.” - Father Moses: “Well, brother, five people from Liveni arrived today, there is nowhere to put them - there are no cells.” – Father: “What kind of cell does he need?” He will be cutting wood here tomorrow. Of the new ones, send one to be his comrade - let him saw, and the other is needed in the kitchen." - Father Moses: “Well, God bless, - stay with the blessing of the Elder.” – And he said goodbye to Father and went to the monastery. Here, at a certain hour, after the second evening meal, the brethren gathered to the Elder for the rule. Of these, I noticed two that I had not seen before. They were: Father Fr. Macarius (Ivanov), who arrived after me from the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, and monk Ioannikiy, who arrived from the Nevsky Lavra, a longtime disciple of Father. - At the end of the rule, Father called: “Mishutka!” 72 – The mentioned Mikhail Ivanovich Antimonov approaches: – “Bless, Father.” - Pointing to me, the Elder said: “Here, take this lion cub with you - lay him down in the hall, and you, little Aniky, soften his bed, but don’t wake him up for the morning rule - let him rest, otherwise he flew from Maloarkhangelsk without looking back, pick up only his heels.” “From that time I lived in the Skete until I was appointed by Father to the Kaluga Tikhon Hermitage on November 14, 1837, and during this period of time I gradually became more and more attached to Father with all my soul and mind.” From the above story one can clearly see the simple playful appeal of the elder Fr. Leonidas with his students, and his fatherly love, and sincere sympathy for his brother who had just come to Skete, and also what an unfavorable rumor about him was spreading everywhere. He was called a wizard or simply a sorcerer, a healer, a deceiver, and was even suspected of belonging to some sect. But all this was only the beginning of the illnesses, or, in the popular expression, these were only flowers, and the berries awaited the Elder ahead. Here are the chapters indicated by the elder: Ch. 70. “Those who pretend to be virtuous and appear to be otherwise in outward appearance, but who are otherwise in their inner man - sometimes filled with all untruths, full of envy, zeal and the stench of sensual pleasures - are revered by many as dispassionate and holy, having the eye of the soul uncleaned (to know them directly) and not being able to know them by their fruits; and those who live in reverence, virtue and simplicity of heart and are truly holy, are not distinguished from other people, they pass by with negligence and impute them to nothing.” – Ch. 71. “Those who talk and show off are considered more teacherly and spiritual, but those who are silent and watchful of idle talk are considered a savage, uneducated and voiceless.” – Ch. 72. “The highly intelligent and afflicted with devilish pride turn away from the one who speaks in the Holy Spirit, as from one who is highly intelligent and proud, being amazed by his words rather than being brought into tenderness and contrition; but the one who grinds like a millstone and speaks from his belly or according to science is praised and accepted, although he falsely interprets everything about the matter of salvation. Thus, among such people there is no one who could recognize and see (people and the work of salvation) well and as they really are.” – The words of St. indicated by Elder Leonid according to the Slavic Philokalia. Simeon the New Theologian are given here in the Russian translation of the Philokalia of Bishop Theophan, where they are designated 79, 80 and 81 chapters. He served as bishop in Kaluga from May 20, 1828 to August 26, 1831. He died in retirement in the Ryazan Olgin Monastery on April 7, 1862. The son of an honorary hereditary citizen of Kursk, millionaire Ivan Vasilyevich Antimonov, later Fr. Meletius - Archimandrite Ecclesiarch of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, died in 1865 at the age of 72. Nikanor (Klementyevsky) ruled the Kaluga flock from September 9, 1831 to September 5, 1834, Doctor of Theology; died Metropolitan of St. Petersburg on September 17, 1856. In exactly the same way, as we will see below, the Elder also named Mikhail Ivanovich’s younger brother, Ivan Ivanovich Antimonov, who for the first time in his life came to the Elder to explain to him some of his circumstances.