Житие преподобного отца нашего Пахомия Великого

Pachomius was born in Upper Egypt - in Thebaid, precisely in the vicinity of the city of Esne 3240, in the last decade of the 3rd century. 3241 His parents were zealous pagans. He met Christians much later, during his short service in the army. The makings of a pure life were evident in him very early, even before he knew Christ. One day, Pachomius was instructed by his parents to take a pot of beef to the workers. Having spent the night in that place out of necessity, Pachomius met temptation. One of the owner’s daughters, a very beautiful girl, convinced him to sin with her. The chaste Pachomius answered her sternly: “It is impossible for me to commit this evil deed; Are my eyes the eyes of a dog, that I might sin with my sister?” He immediately went home. Subsequently, he himself told the monks about this incident, urging them to carefully anticipate temptations and defeat temptations. Saint Pachomius was no stranger to book education. His subsequent activities prove this. Moreover, his parents were wealthy people, and among the Egyptians there was a developed love for education. Children were sent to school very early, at the age of five to eight. Here they learned to read and write, and they were also taught the rules of morality: these rules were contained in the very copybooks. When Pachomius was twenty years old, he was taken into the army. At this time, Emperor Constantine had a war with some “tyrant,” probably Maxentius, in 315. Pachomius and his comrades, newly recruited soldiers, set off on the road. By evening we reached the city of Esne. Here Pachomius and his comrades were left in a prison building under guard. Soon Christians came here with supplies of bread and all kinds of food and earnestly asked the travelers to reinforce their strength. When Pachomius later asked why these people cared so much about them, without knowing them at all, he was told that these were Christians, and that they were doing this for the sake of God. This had a strong effect on the impressionable soul of Pachomius. The next day, Pachomius and his companions went further to the city of Antinoe 3242. Here many young warriors indulged in all sorts of pleasures and sensual pleasures. They wanted to seduce Pachomius, but he rose above temptation and persistently distracted his comrades from evil. At this time, Emperor Constantine defeated his enemies and gave the order to disband the army. Together with others, Pachomius was freed from the need to participate in the campaign. Now the time had come for him to become a Christian. He passionately desired to serve faithfully Christ God, to keep himself pure from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to do good to his neighbors to the best of his ability. He made a vow of perfect allegiance to Christ while still in prison in the city of Esna, amazed by the mercy of Christians. Having been released, Saint Pachomius now goes to the secluded village of Shenesit (Khinovosk). Here he is proclaimed in the truths of the faith of Christ and receives holy baptism in the local church. Pachomius lived in the vicinity of the village of Shenesit for quite a long time. He settled here in the ancient, then empty, church of Serapis. It should be noted that with the widespread spread of Christianity, many pagan temples could be abandoned. He earned his livelihood through hard work, cultivating vegetables and a few palm trees. These vegetables and fruits were food for those who accidentally or deliberately came here, as well as for the poor who lived in Shenesite. Pachomius here excelled in love for his neighbor. Many sought consolation from him. His fame spread further than Shenesit. Even at this time, Pachomius’ piety, love for one’s neighbor and prudence attracted many to him for permanent residence. At this time, zeal for pleasing God prompted many to leave noisy cities and villages, and if a particularly zealous ascetic appeared somewhere, lovers of desert life flocked to him. We see that Pachomius soon begins to seek greater solitude, looking for his own leader in spiritual exploits. Perhaps it was the experience of leading his cohabitants that awakened in Pachomius the need for a leader for himself. Living in the vicinity of Shenesit, Pachomius was in many ways useful to the residents of this village. When some terrible, contagious disease began to rage in the village, from which many were dying, Pachomius ministered to the sick and even delivered large quantities of acacia branches to the residents so that by burning them they could purify the air. In the first years of his monastic life, Pachomius did not yet clearly distinguish Orthodox teaching from heretical fabrications; he did not quite know where the true Church of Christ was. The followers of the heretic Marcion 3243 tried to win him over to their side. But he knew that there were other teachings, different from one another, that were strengthening to prove their truth. Confused by this disagreement, he tearfully prayed to God to reveal to him where the truth was. In admiration, he heard a voice that the truth was kept in that church ruled by Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria. Of course, Pachomius now began to desire with all his heart to know this truth and to always be completely faithful to it. The need for a leader prompted Pachomius to leave his home in the vicinity of Shenesit. The motivation for this was also the desire to completely devote oneself to God, spiritual purification and improvement. Pachomius was also afraid that his constant concerns about the various needs of the laity, concerns most of all suitable for priests and faithful laymen, could seduce weaker monks: they, following the example of Pachomius, could captivate them with serving the world and at the same time fail to keep themselves undefiled by the world. Pachomius left the environs of Shenesit, living here for three years. Leaving here, he asked one old monk to cultivate vegetables and palm trees here for the sake of the poor people who came here. So Pachomius found the cell of Elder Palamon, famous for his exploits. This old man lived at some distance from cities and villages. He was respected throughout the surrounding country. Other monks lived around him, following his advice and imitating his lifestyle. But many soon left here, feeling that they could not afford such a strict lifestyle. When Pachomius knocked on the door of Abba Palamon, the elder asked: Pachomius replied that he also wanted to be a monk. The elder objected to him, urging him to go back to test himself whether he could endure the strict lifestyle that Palamon’s students lead. He told Pachomius: “I must first tell you what the measure of a monastic life is.” Here she is. At any time we stay awake half the night, meditating on the word of God; very often we stay from evening until morning working with our hands, making ropes, in order to fight sleep and supply ourselves with what we need to maintain our body. What remains beyond our needs we give to the poor. As for eating butter or something boiled, or drinking wine, we don’t know what that means. We fast every day until evening during the summer, and in winter we fast for two or three days in a row. The rule of common prayers is to pray sixty times during the day and sixty times at night, except for those prayers that we perform at every moment and the number of which we do not know. Abba Palamon urged Pachomius to test himself further and then come to him again. Pachomius answered the elder decisively: “I tested myself in everything for many days before coming to you. Then Palamon opened the door, kissed Pachomius brotherly and hastened to explain to him that he was not saying all this out of vanity, but for the sake of his salvation, that they do not tell this to worldly people. However, Abba Palamon again expressed a desire for Pachomius to return to his former home in order to test himself there again. “I have already tested my soul in everything and I am sure that with the help of God, through your holy prayers, your heart will be calm regarding me. Pachomius was immediately accepted. Abba Palamon watched Pachomius especially carefully for several days in order to test him in prayer, in vigilance, in fasting. When it was necessary to eat bread, the elder left Pachomius to eat alone. After a three-month trial, Abba Palamon clothed Pachomius in monastic robes and girded him with a monastic belt 3244, before which both ascetics prayed together the whole night. Now Palamon especially tried to accustom Pachomius to vigil in prayer at night. In the evening they prepared material for manual labor, then prayed for a long time with zeal, and finally got to work, trying not to lose the prayerful mood of the spirit and not succumb to sleep. When the feast of Holy Pascha arrived, Palamon told Pachomius that on this day he would eat food twice. While preparing food, Pachomius poured some oil into it. But Palamon did not want such a weakening of fasting, even on Easter day. With great sorrow he said: “My God was crucified for me, and I will eat the oil that gives strength to the body!” He wanted to give up food completely until another day. The elder only agreed to take food when Pachomius threw in the salt, which contained a little oil, and gave him salt sprinkled with ash. Pachomius asked for forgiveness with great humility. Of course, they both tasted bread and salt. Tears flowed down the cheeks of the strict old man and the humble student, who wanted to imitate his beloved teacher in everything. Pachomius often retired among the mountains and here spent whole nights in fiery prayer. The place where he prayed in the summer heat, raising his hands to the sky and not allowing himself to lower them, sometimes even became covered with dirt from the profuse sweat falling from his body. Pachomius did not pay attention to the fact that sometimes thorny thorn needles pierced his legs. No matter what inconveniences of desert life he encountered, he endured everything with complacency, constantly looking at the torment that the Lord Jesus Christ endured for our salvation. Strict with themselves in everything and at the same time humble, Palamon and Pachomius did not dare to ask themselves for a sign from God, they never relied on their righteousness. From the last period of the life of Abba Palamon, the following incident is known, showing how strict the teacher Pachomius was with himself, even when his strength was very weak from old age and exploits. One day Palamon became very ill. The monks invited an experienced doctor to see him. But the doctor refused to treat the old man, saying that he first needed to improve his nutrition. The brothers began to convince the elder to listen to the doctor. He agreed to take the food prescribed for the patient. When Palamon did not recover even after this, he began to say to the monks with deep conviction: – Do not think that health comes from perishable food: after all, strength and health come from Christ; after all, the martyrs of Christ allowed their members to be cut off, endured fire and all kinds of torment, until, finally, they were beheaded. And me! I cannot bear a slight illness, I asked the doctor to take care of me; I used medication; then, having agreed to use them, I did not get any benefit from it. All that remains for me is to begin my exploits again; this is the best medicine, and He, whose path I follow, will certainly know my intention and will care for me more than I could do for myself. Abba Palamon, with the same zeal and constancy, devoted himself to monastic deeds, limiting all his needs. The merciful Lord restored his health for some time. One day Pachomius walked through the desert. Finally, he reached the ruins of the village of Tavennisi, a little south of Shenesit in the Tentir district 3245. Here Pachomius heard a voice: “Pachomius, Pachomius, strive and remain in this place; build yourself a monastery, and many people will come to you to become monks around you, and they will benefit their souls.” Pachomius immediately goes to Abba Palamon and informs him about this. Then they both go to Tavennisi and build a monastery here, actually building a small monastic dwelling. Palamon went again to the place of his previous exploits. At the same time, he pointed out the proximity of his death and predicted the future glory of the Pachomius Monastery. The elder assured his beloved disciple that the Lord would send him strength and patience to manage his numerous brothers. After a long prayer, they parted. Palamon was accompanied by some of his students who came to visit their teacher. Some time passed, and Abba Palamon became dangerously ill. His disciples sent for Pachomius. He quickly went to the elder and remained with him to serve him until his death. Finally, the elder died the death of the righteous at the tenth hour of the twenty-fifth day of the month of Abib. His disciples spent the whole night reading and singing psalms over the elder. In the morning they performed the usual prayer and then carried the body of the deceased to the mountain, at some distance from his cell; there they buried him, once again performing fervent prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased elder with the saints. They were all now in great sadness. Deprived of the advice and consolation of the great elder Abba Palamon, they considered themselves orphans. Pachomius returned to his cell in Tavennisi, grieving for his deceased mentor, and in his solitude he devoted himself to intense deeds of piety. Soon he himself becomes the leader of others on the path to salvation. When Pachomius lived alone in Tavennisi, his elder brother, John, came to him. Pachomius received his brother with love. Many years have passed since the day of their separation, since Pachomius did not return home after being taken into the army. The pious conversation of Pachomius had a strong effect on John, and he remained in Tabennisi forever. Both brothers now worked together. They gave what they earned through hard work to those in need. They led a very strict life. Dressed in coarse woolen dresses, they went to hot places, where they stood until the morning in prayer, without bending their knees or arms stretched to the sky. They performed this all-night prayer very often, although their legs sometimes became swollen from exertion, and mosquitoes bit their hands until they bled. If the ascetic brothers were overcome by sleep, they sat down in the same place where they performed their prayer, but did not allow themselves to lean on anything. Throughout the day, they engaged in physical labor until the heat from the scorching rays of the southern sun became unbearable. For the sake of his future cohabitants, Pachomius began to take care of building a fence around the place where he labored with his brother. Pachomius wanted the fence to contain as much space as possible: he expected many other monks to join him. But John, assuming that they would always remain together, looked at this work with hostility. He even deliberately damaged the wall they were building. Pachomius once told him on this occasion: “Enough of the madness!” John became very angry and could not calm down for a long time, although Pachomius asked for forgiveness. Towards the evening of this day, Pachomius came down from the wall and prayed for a long time. At this time, he felt his guilt before John even more vividly and in the morning, with even greater humility, he asked for his forgiveness. Of course, the ascetic brothers now began to love each other even more and humble themselves before each other; John became more and more successful in his deeds of piety and self-mortification. Having soon reached high spiritual perfection, he died, mourned by his brother Pachomius. Pachomius at this time was already a perfect ascetic. Therefore, he had very strong temptations, but with his prayer and patience he always managed to repel the most terrible machinations of the enemy. This is what happened to him. Sometimes, when he wanted to kneel down to pray, a pit appeared before him, as a result of the action of demons; but Pachomius prayed fearlessly. Sometimes on the road demons surrounded him like guards of honor and shouted loudly: “Make way for the man of God.” The devil really wanted to inspire Pachomius with vanity and pride; but he was completely insensitive to this temptation. Then suddenly the devil made Pachomiev’s cell shake and waver, as if it was ready to fall; but Pachomius was not at all embarrassed by this and with the deepest calm repeated the words of the psalm: “God is our refuge and strength, a quick helper in troubles. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth shakes and the mountains move into the heart of the seas” (Ps. 45:2-3). One day the demons appeared to Pachomius in the form of workers who were diligently trying to move the stone from its place with the help of ropes, but without success. Pachomius' prayer made them disappear. Many times, when Pachomius sat down to eat meager food, demons appeared to him in the form of naked women; but Pachomius closed his eyes and turned his heart away from the vision, and the demons disappeared. The fight against the dark forces of hell required more effort from Pachomius and sometimes tired him very much. One day the Lord sent him a new comforter in the person of the monk Apollo 3246. Coming to Pachomius, this pious, experienced and kind monk decisively said to him: – Be courageous Pachomius: do not be afraid of any action on the part of the spirits, for God’s help will give you victory over them. This elder remained with Pachomius, to the great consolation of both. However, Elder Apollo soon died. One day, when Pachomius was collecting reeds for his needlework, the Angel of the Lord appeared and said to him: “Pachomius, Pachomius, Pachomius! It is God’s will that you serve the human race and reunite people with God.” When the Angel of the Lord departed, Pachomius remained and looked after him, saying: “This is the work of the Lord.” Having collected some reeds, he went to his abode. Soon after the appearance of the Angel, three people came to the Monk Pachomius - Pshentaisi, Surus and Pshoi. They said to Pachomius: “We want to become monks near you and be servants of Christ.” Convinced of their sincere piety, Pachomius receives them with love and joy and gives them monastic clothes. These three monks with passion and constancy devoted themselves to the most difficult feats, guided by the example and instructions of Saint Pachomius. They were amazed by his hard work. Abba Pachomius himself takes care of everything, cleans and waters the garden himself, opens the door to those who come and talks with them, and diligently serves the sick. He said about new monks: “These are young plants that have not yet reached the level to serve others.” Freeing the new monks from all external worries, Pachomius inspired them to diligently engage in activities that directly lead to the purification of the heart, to strengthening the will for good. When the first disciples openly expressed their regret to Pachomius about his constant labors for them, he told them with deep faith: “What man can tie an animal to a machine 3247 and neglect it until it falls and dies? When the Lord sees that I am tired, He will send us people who will help us in every good deed.” To confirm his first disciples in virtue, Saint Pachomius imposed certain rules on them. Uniformity in food and clothing was considered necessary in this small hostel. The rumor about the piety and wisdom of Saint Pachomius spreads more and more throughout Egypt. Some people come to him, imbued with a thirst for higher exploits. Sometimes hermits, who had already achieved high spiritual perfection, came to place themselves under the guidance of Saint Pachomius. Thus, five glorious ascetics appeared, who had previously led a hermit life. These were: Abba Pechosh (or Pecusius), Abba Cornelius, Abba Paul, Abba Pachomius and Abba John. Pachomius received them all with joy. Sometimes people appeared with bad spirits and bad skills. Noticing that they could not be healed, but that they could corrupt other monks by their example, Pachomius removed them from his hostel. Many aspired to Saint Pachomius, and he was a constant leader and mentor for them. Motivated by love for his neighbors, Saint Pachomius, with the help of his monks, built a church in the village closest to the monastery so that the inhabitants of this village could begin to receive the Holy Mysteries more often and be edified by listening to the word of God. Due to the poverty of the inhabitants, Saint Pachomius took upon himself all the costs of celebrating the Eucharist. He himself and his brothers read in this church. When it was impossible to find a presbyter, Pachomius came to church and edified those present by reading the word of God. The monks in the church behaved so reverently and Pachomius performed the duties of a reader so diligently that visitors to this church gradually forsook their sins, cared about the purification of their hearts, and became Christians not just by name. They looked at Abba Pachomius not as a person, but as an Angel of God. The number of monks in the Tavennisi hostel increased more and more. When it reached a hundred people, Pachomius came to the idea that it was necessary to build a church in the monastery itself. When the church was established, the brethren went, as before, on Saturday to the church located in the village, and on Sunday the presbyter came to the monastery and celebrated the liturgy here. Subsequently, the brethren’s trips to the village to participate in the liturgy on Saturday stopped. Among the monks of the Pachomiev Monastery, no one had the rank of presbyter. And Pachomius himself did not want to accept this rank. He often said to the brethren: “It is good for us not to ask for such a thing, so that there is no envy, no dispute, no disobedience, no division among the monks, contrary to the will of God. Just as a fire on a threshing floor, if they had not hastened to extinguish it, would have destroyed the work of a whole year: the same thing is represented by the thought of pride in its beginning. It is good that we submit to the Church of God firmly and calmly. And at any time, whomever we find consecrated as bishops, he will be sufficient for us for this work. Presbyters also came to Saint Pachomius who wanted to become monks. The holy abba did not refuse them admission to the monastery. Of course, they had to unconditionally obey the rules of monastic life and the customs of the community in everything. Pachomius, in his service to the salvation of his neighbors, turned to their cooperation if they turned out to be invariably modest and obedient. Pachomius himself never agreed to become a priest, although his merits were highly valued by everyone. The following incident from his life is known. One day Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, was surveying his flock. He was greeted solemnly everywhere. Bishops, presbyters and people came out to meet him. Several bishops, presbyters and many clergy accompanied him. Pachomius himself and his monks came out to meet the great saint. They sang psalms until the archbishop entered the monastery. At this time, Serapion, Bishop of Tentira, took Archbishop Athanasius by the hand and said to him: “I ask your love to make Abba Pachomius, the father of monks, a priest, so that he can govern all the monks of my district.” Hearing this, Saint Pachomius instantly disappeared. The Archbishop sat down. A large crowd surrounded him. Saint Athanasius said loudly, addressing Bishop Serapion: “I heard about the faith of Pachomius while I was still in Alexandria, before my initiation. Then Saint Athanasius stood up, said a prayer and said to the Pachomius disciples: - Greet your father and tell him: you hid from me and avoided what could arouse envy and competition; you have chosen virtue, which will remain forever with Christ. May our Lord give you as you wish. Of course, the humility of the Monk Pachomius also disposed the brethren of the Tavennisian hostel to humility. Like their great Abba, they did not seek and even feared exaltation. Neither Greek nor Coptic historians indicate presbyters between them. With the multiplication of monks in Tavennisi, the opportunity arose to strengthen the harmonious order of the community here, to bring all the actions of the monks under strict community rules. The Monk Pachomius himself was for the Cenobites 3248 both a teacher and a judge, and was both a rule and a model for everyone’s activities. The great Abba Pachomius himself cares first of all for the good of each and every one. He constantly convinces the monks not to weaken in prayer, not to stop calling on the name of God, so as not to be taken by surprise by Satan without prayer. Saint Pachomius took every opportunity to say a word of edification to one or another brother. But, besides these private conversations, he usually spoke three more general teachings during the week - one on Saturday and two on Sunday. He commanded that the head of the monastery always compose and deliver three teachings a week. In addition to three teachings from the head of the monastery, during Saturday and Sunday meetings of monks, it is obligatory during two weeks of fasting, i.e. on Wednesday and Friday, the heads of the houses spoke instructions to their monks. The monks gathered every evening for spiritual conversation and generally loved to edify each other with the lessons that each one learned from reading the word of God and from observing the lives of certain people. The monks loved to repeat the sayings of the priest. Scriptures and meditate on them. Therefore, during mutual conversations, they could always edify each other with the thoughts and words of the Bible. We don’t see idle conversations and gossip in Tavennisi. There were many houses in the hostel; each of them was headed by a special chief, who had his own assistant, standing in charge of him. This intercessor replaced the boss in case of his absence or illness. Saint Pachomius made sure that every brother entering the monastery was greeted by especially pious and wise monks. These monastic gatekeepers greeted each new brother, arranged for him, and during three years of probation, before he was clothed in monastic robes, diligently edified him with their conversations, protecting him from all evil. Thus, newcomers to Tavennisi found experienced and permanent leaders and were able to become piously disposed in the very first years of their life in the monastery. Saint Pachomius himself carefully observed the newcomers. How pleased he was with his success and the diligence of the young monks. How attentive he was to their needs! How he protected them from every temptation and temptation from the outside, as well as from being carried away by any unclean thoughts! They cared a lot about the sick brothers in Tavennisi. The monks and their superior, who were specially appointed to serve in the hospital house, had the care of them, and the Monk Pachomius himself also had care. Special monks served at the fraternal meal. They changed every three weeks. Constant diligence was required from these monks, especially since the brethren did not eat food at the same time. The monks who served at the meal spent three hours preparing, distributing and arranging bread, various vegetables and olives. On permitted days, cheese, eggs, boiled vegetables, and a stew of boiled grains were served at meals. Each brother came to the table at the time he wished and took his part. But this was only once a day: some ate at six o’clock, others at seven, others at eight, others at nine, ten, eleven, and others in the evening, when the stars appeared in the sky. Some monks were so strict with themselves that they ate food only once every two days. In general, fast 3249, according to the original charter, was not imposed on anyone against their will. Saint Pachomius persuaded only the monks closest to himself to fast, i.e. completely abstain from food on Wednesdays and Fridays. But many monks themselves imposed intense fasting on themselves. With the large number of monks in the Tavennisi hostel, there were many different positions and obediences. Fulfilling some positions was particularly difficult. Everyone who underwent one or another “obedience” in the monastery, especially the leaders, were very zealous. The Monk Pachomius, after some time, sometimes replaced those who performed the well-known “obedience,” replacing them with others. In this case, he wanted to achieve two goals. First, he sought to ensure that the newly appointed one would derive spiritual fruits from his “obedience,” so that he could receive from the Lord a reward for his zealous work for the benefit of the brotherhood. Saint Pachomius was of the opinion that any “obedience” in the monastery, performed with zeal, gives the monk a reward no lower than that which a monk will receive if he zealously fasts, watches and prays to God. Secondly, Pachomius wanted zealous workers to have the opportunity to rest after labor, at least for a while. However, the brethren, diligently engaged in fulfilling their “obediences,” reluctantly agreed to the rest allowed by the great abbot. They were convinced that this world is not a place of rest, but, on the contrary, a place of hard work, constant struggle and selfless deeds, and that only those who work here will receive true peace and endless bliss in the future life. And everyone continued to diligently engage in the business or craft that he knew, or in general some kind of work for the monastery, strictly obeying the orders of the boss. From every monk, no matter what position he held in the monastery, complete submission to the superior and unconditional, exact fulfillment of the rules was required. This was the main difference between the life of a monk and the life of a hermit in the strict sense of the word. Complete obedience was also the key to the spiritual improvement of the Cenobites. Obedience was the great moral advantage of the kenobia. Violation of the orders of the superior or the regulations of the charter, even out of zeal for asceticism, could always lead to grumbling on the part of others and be the cause of all sorts of disorder in the community. Therefore, Pachomius severely punished violators of the duty of obedience, no matter what they used to justify themselves. Such cases also happened in the Tavennisi hostel, although very rarely. To buy necessary things and sell monastic handicrafts, especially trustworthy monks were chosen, adorned with all sorts of virtues, so that the world could not seduce them, and they would serve as an edification for the world. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that they were not partial to acquisitions, even though the monastery could receive significant benefits from these acquisitions. When the number of monks in Tavennisi increased more and more, various economic institutions had to multiply here. The number of people who underwent one or another “obedience” in order to satisfy the various needs of the monastery was also supposed to increase. When the number of monks and monasteries in the Pachomius monastery increased, we see a lot of monks there, who were entrusted with various responsibilities for the monastery. We see here properly organized grain stores, first only in Tavennisi, and then in the monasteries of Pevou (the most important) and Fenum. In these grain stores the monks worked in the deepest silence, which contributed to the success of their work and the self-collection of their spirit. There were no conversations here. It was impossible to even ask for water or flour: what was needed was demanded by knocking on a kneading bowl. While working, they read from memory what they had memorized from the word of God. At one time, in the Tabennisi hostel there were 15 tailors, 7 blacksmiths, 4 carpenters, 15 dyers, 20 leather tanners, 12 camel drivers, 20 gardeners, 15 shoemakers, 12 monks who prepared bedspreads, 10 night guards and 10 scribes. The monks, with their labor, prepared everything necessary for the monastery, and only a little they had to buy in the cities. The making of matting was especially common among the Cenobites, and this was not only good handicraft for the monks, but could also strengthen the funds of the Cenobite, and money was needed here too. The money was kept, according to the commandment of Saint Pachomius, in one place, at the disposal of the steward. This housekeeper satisfied all the fraternal needs. But the monks could not have their own money. Among the monks there were many who came to the monastery as children with their parents. Growing up, they did not know how to distinguish between gold and silver and were completely indifferent to money. The needs of the brethren were very modest. The lack of covetousness was so great that everyone had only one garment and one coverlet made of sheep or goatskin. A specially appointed monk had to repair torn clothes, wash them and then store them in a warehouse for used clothes. When one of the monks wanted to wash his dress, he took one of these repaired clothes for himself, and after washing his dress, he returned this clothes to the monk in charge of it. There were a lot of scribes in Konovia. These experienced scribes diligently copied those books that were especially useful to the monks, as directed by their superior. They worked with success: the monastery book depositories increased, and every monk could find spiritual food for himself here. In all communications with the world, monks had to be especially careful. During the journey, they had to repeat to themselves the sayings of Holy Scripture known to them and reflect on them. Several people always went on a trip together, at least two. If on the way they met a woman who wanted to talk to them, then the elder monk approached her and, lowering his eyes, carried on a short conversation with great modesty. Meeting a commander or warrior on the way, each monk got off his donkey and prayed to the side, giving way to the traveler. Monks usually did not eat food in worldly houses. As a last resort, they ate only what was permitted by the monastery charter. To prevent the world from exerting a bad influence on the monks through written communications, the boss of the monastery received the letters, and if he saw that the letter contained good thoughts, he passed it on to its destination. No one in the monastery could tell what he saw or heard in the world unless it led to general edification. Anything edifying could be communicated only with the permission of the boss. In general, talkativeness was not encouraged among monks. Travelers were received in a special room. None of the brethren could receive them in their cell. No one could even tell the monks about the arrival of one of their relatives: only the gatekeepers told anyone about the arrival of strangers. At the hotel, travelers were given the most cordial welcome. There was a separate room for women from men. The Monk Pachomius did not even place foreign monks with his monks, did not even allow them to join a common meal, although he showed them all signs of brotherly love and allowed them to enter the church during common prayer, if only they were Orthodox and not heretics. The glory of Saint Pachomius spread more and more throughout Egypt. Finally, his sister Maria, already enlightened by the Christian faith and remaining a virgin, learned about his great exploits. Really wanting to see Brother Pachomius, she goes to Tavennisi. Pachomius was informed of her arrival. Having renounced all earthly attachments and avoided dating women, Saint Pachomius denies his sister a date, but at the same time, through the monk-gatekeeper, shows her a new path of life. He tells her that present life is only a preparation for the life of the next century, and life away from the world, monastic life, can provide all the means for salvation. Pachomius promises his sister that the monks will build a secluded dwelling for her if she wants to lead a monastic life. Then, he says, other women, having settled with her, can devote themselves entirely to the concern of achieving spiritual perfection. It was sad for Maria to hear that her brother himself did not want to talk with her. She began to cry. But the words of Pachomius, conveyed to her through the monk gatekeeper, also contained a lot of comfort. She agreed to what Pachomius urged her to do. Then Pachomius sent monks to build a dwelling for her near the village, at a fairly considerable distance from the men's monastery, on the other side of the Nile. After a short time, a large number of women come to Mary to live with her forever. The sister of the Monk Pachomius becomes a mother, an old woman, for them. She guides them on the path to salvation until her death. For his part, Abba Pachomius takes care of this monastery with great zeal. For the immediate leadership of spiritual life in the women's monastery, he appoints Elder Peter. Pachomius himself wrote a special book with the rules of monastic life, and the sisters of the monastery had to diligently study and follow these rules. Of course, there could be cases when one of the monks needed to visit one or another sister. These meetings, if necessary, were permitted by Pachomius himself. Having received permission from Pachomius, the monk appeared to Elder Peter, who was in charge of the convent. The elder sent nuns for his mother, for the nun whom the monk needed to see, and for a third nun: everyone sat down, and then the conversation began, and, of course, everyone had in mind that long and especially idle conversations were indecent for monastics. If any nun died, the sisters took her to the place of their prayer meetings. The nuns' mother dressed her in a funeral shroud. Abba Peter reported the death of the nun to Pachomius. The monks appointed by him, who led an impeccable life, were sent to a nunnery. They stopped at the gate of the prayer house and sang sacred chants here. Finally, the deceased was buried, and her sisters, preceded by her mother, accompanied her to the tomb singing, and the elder walked behind them. They dispersed, burying the deceased in the ground and performing the last prayer over her. Sometimes the sisters were buried in the monastery itself, and sometimes they were taken to the nearest mountain. In another case, the monks of the Tavennisi men's dormitory provided great assistance to the convent. When there was a need to correct or re-build any building in a nunnery, Pachomius sent the most pious monks for this. They were there under the vigilant supervision of Elder Peter. They could not stay in the women's monastery to eat food, but on the same day they returned to their monastery. The number of sisters in the women's dormitory soon multiplied to four hundred. The nuns' usual food, their fasts, their attire, with the exception of the head veil - everything corresponded to the customs accepted in the men's dormitory. The nuns also worked for the benefit of the men’s hostel: they prepared woolen clothes for the monks. In turn, they received the supplies they needed from the housekeeper of the men's dormitory. There is one important incident from the life of a convent. One of the nuns somehow went outside the monastery fence. She met with a lay tailor and, surprised, asked him about the reason for coming to these places. He replied that he would like to have a job. The sister objected that they had their own tailors. The tailor left. A nun witnessed this conversation. Having somehow quarreled with that nun, she began to reproach her and reproachfully recalled her conversation with the tailor. The young nun, agitated by the false accusation, cried heatedly. She exaggeratedly imagined the shame that, in her opinion, now awaited her in the monastery. Oppressed by grief, she secretly went to the river, threw herself into its waves and drowned. Having learned about this, another sister, who had allowed herself to undeservedly reproach the unfortunate young nun, fell into great despair and took her own life by strangling herself with a rope. The Monk Pachomius soon learned about this. Deeply saddened by this incident, the elder forbade remembering them in household prayers, performing the liturgy and giving alms for them. Pachomius treated all the sisters of the hostel strictly. Due to the fact that they did not use due diligence to find the innocent and the offender, to reconcile and calm them, and neglected their position and peace, and perhaps believed the slander of one of the sisters, the elder excommunicated them from holy communion for seven years. Many people came to Pachomius from everywhere to submit to him forever. The number of monks in Tavennisi has increased too much. It became very crowded. At the inspiration of God, Saint Pachomius went to look for another place convenient for building a new monastery. A very convenient place turned out to be north of Tavennisi, not far from here. This place was called Pevou 3250. Here a new monastery was built, very extensive and soon became the center of the entire community. This monastery was surrounded by a fence. The bishop of the Diospolis region treated the monks favorably. According to his thoughts, the Monk Pachomius built a church here. Now it was possible to accept into the hostel everyone who wanted to settle here forever. Pachomius moved many monks from the old monastery to the new one, especially those who were well accustomed to the rules of community life and could be experienced leaders and serve as a good example for the new brethren. And here their boss, steward and brethren were appointed to carry out various obediences. Everyone had to diligently fulfill the laws of community life, remembering that they were prescribed equally for both the novices and the leaders themselves. Some time passed, and the two monasteries could no longer accommodate everyone who wanted to work here. Gradually, seven more monasteries were established. The number of monks in the Tavennisi hostel reached seven thousand people. Of course, some monasteries were more populated, others less. And all this multitude of monks, scattered across many monasteries, was a single monastic brotherhood. Saint Pachomius often visited all the monasteries. He himself began to live in the Pevou monastery, where the general administration of all monasteries was concentrated. This monastery was the most populous. From here the monks of other monasteries received the items they needed. The steward of this monastery was given a report on the work. Monks from all monasteries gathered here twice a year, took part in prayers and listening to teachings, and received the blessing of St. Pachomius for their exploits. In the monastery of Pevou, the baptism of catechumens was also performed during the Holy Pentecost. Then the catechumens were brought here from all the monasteries. Thus, among the monks there were people who had not yet received holy baptism, but who were preparing for it; they were catechumens. They were brought to Pevou for baptism, probably because there were priests there, and in other monasteries there were no priests. Of course, this communication of all monasteries was extremely useful for the monks: it bound all the monks of the Pachomius monasteries with the closest bonds of spiritual love, it encouraged the faint-hearted, aroused jealousy in the weakened, and for zealous and successful ascetics it was very important that they saw high examples of ascetic life and learned to compete with them and modestly look at their exploits. But most important of all were these trips to Pevou in that they gave all the monks the opportunity to see the ordinary life of Saint Pachomius and listen to his instructions. And during his travels to review the monasteries, Saint Pachomius taught the monks not only by word, but also by example. He was ready to obey anyone, humbled himself before inferiors, and would gladly accept a lesson from the youngest member of the hostel. Here is one of many similar cases. The Monk Pachomius went to Tavennisi especially often. During these visits he did not abandon his usual manual labor. By order of Abba Theodore, a special method of weaving matting was used here: the ropes should not be pulled together too tightly; in this case there was less labor, and the matting came out better. When Pachomius was weaving his matting here, one boy who lived in the monastery, who was doing his turn in this obedience this week, openly remarked to him that he was not weaving as Abba Theodore had ordered. Pachomius listened to the boy’s remark with gentle joy and asked him to teach him exactly how to work. The boy showed Pachomius how they work. Abba Pachomius immediately began to weave matting in just this way. Great fear was aroused among the Tabennisiots by the barbarians living nearby, who not only now, but also later, attacked villages and monasteries and caused them great harm: they robbed, plundered, extorted ransom from the inhabitants or took them into slavery. The monks of the northern monasteries fled from them. In order to ensure that the northern monasteries do not collapse completely and the monks do not go completely bankrupt, the Monk Pachomius sends a large number of monks to the northern monasteries. He himself remained in the Pevou monastery, and sent his beloved disciple Theodore with books to read to the monks of the northern monasteries. Sending Theodore there, Pachomius consoled him with the hope of God's help. Pachomius made a vow - in the event of the removal of the barbarians, to send books, a lot of wheat and generally everything that this church needs to the church they plundered. The next day, the barbarians, completely defeated by the imperial army, withdrew. This calmed the monks. When the barbarians were not yet defeated, they found a hermit and forced him to give them wine. But when he wanted to pour wine for them, they demanded that he first make a sacrifice to their gods. The monk did not agree. The barbarians began to threaten him that they would kill him if he did not fulfill their demands. The unfortunate hermit did not have the courage to refuse to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. He fulfilled the barbarians' demand. After this, he began to feed the barbarians wine. They fell asleep from drunkenness. This gave the monk the opportunity to escape from them. But the hermit's heart was inconsolable. He was so overwhelmed by his grief that he could not even pray. Remembering the kindness and wisdom of Pachomius, this monk hastily went to him, deciding to submit himself entirely to the judgment of the great elder. With deep sorrow, he announced to Saint Pachomius that after his outward renunciation of Christ through making sacrifices to false gods, he no longer saw the opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness of sins, so he had not prayed to God for a whole month. Pachomius fatherly reproached him for throwing into the fire the crown that the Angel was holding over his head and was about to place on him. Seeing the sincere tears of the monk who unwittingly betrayed Christ, Pachomius showed him the path to peace. He suggested that he pray as much as possible night and day, always fast until evening, and never eat anything boiled, except in cases of severe illness. Then he can find mercy from God, receive forgiveness and become again a faithful servant of Christ. The faith of Pachomius encouraged this monk: he stopped despairing and began to sincerely and with hope in God’s mercy repent of his sin. For a long time, only Copts 3251 labored in the Tavennisi hostel. Finally, the glory of Saint Pachomius reached the Greeks and Romans. And some of them began to strive for the hostel under the leadership of the wise Abba Pachomius and became monks here. Saint Pachomius took diligent care of them too: they were no less dear to him than the Copts. Some difficulty for Pachomius in dealing with the Greek monks (there were more of them than the Romans) was his lack of knowledge of the Greek language. Likewise, other Coptic monks did not know this language. Even at the closest distance from Alexandria 3252 the spoken language was not Greek, but Coptic. Even the ascetics who lived relatively close to Alexandria, such as Saint Anthony the Great, who was born near Herakleopolis the Great, Saint Pimen the Great, who spent his entire life in Lower Egypt, in Skete, Terenuof and northern Diolka, did not speak Greek, and it was even more difficult to meet a monk who knew Greek in Thebaid 3253. In the matter of caring for the Greeks, the Monk Pachomius was assisted by Theodore, a former reader of the Alexandrian Church. But Saint Pachomius himself took care to learn the Greek language. Saint Pachomius taught the monks both by word and example. His word was all the more powerful because the monks saw in him an example of all virtues. Pachomius' constant prayerful mood, his deep humility, his severity towards himself, severity even during illness, his love for everyone, his insight and wisdom - all this attracted the hearts of the brethren to him, forced everyone to obey his word without reasoning, accept his advice. Pachomius' humility was extremely great, although he performed extraordinary feats, although monks, laymen, and even bishops, who sometimes sent monks to him so that he would pronounce judgment on them, gave him the greatest honor. Saint Pachomius was afraid to condemn others even in his thoughts. Having repeatedly received visions and revelations from God, he spoke about them to the brethren when he expected moral benefit for the brethren from his story. One day the brethren asked him to tell one of his visions. His answer is wonderful. Not wanting to talk about the visions that had happened to him, in order to warn against exalting those monks whom the Lord had vouchsafed with special spiritual gifts, Saint Pachomius said: “He who is filled with sins will not receive the grace of spiritual visions. But if you want to have a beautiful and wonderful vision, then I will point you to one of them: when you see a pious, modest-hearted, pure man - this is the most beautiful of visions: you see the invisible God in this visible man. Don’t ask for another vision that would be preferable to this one.” The humble Pachomius did not want to have any advantage over his brethren. He called the brother truly just who did not give him a larger share of food than others. And he wanted to work equally with others. He did not allow anyone to make his work easier. One day the great Abba goes with his brothers to work. Each person and his companion had to take a certain amount of bread. Pachomi's companion wanted to carry everything alone. But Pachomius did not agree to this, saying that the leader in everything should bear the same labors as the brethren. Extremely non-covetous, Pachomius wore a very poor dress. It also served as a blanket for him in cold weather. In this dress he received priests and monks who came to him. One brother named Athanasius, who was in charge of the monastic clothes, turned to Saint Theodore with a request to give him the Abba’s dress in the warehouse when he took it off, and to put instead another robe, new and decent for the head. Theodore listened to Athanasius and replaced one garment with another. But Pachomius is looking for his old clothes. Theodore points out new ones, but Pachomius insists that his old clothes be returned to him. To the elder’s request, repeated three times, Theodore replied that now it was impossible to find these clothes. Theodore, however, felt very sorry that he had deprived the elder of the clothes that had been a cover for him in cold times. He even cried about it. But Pachomius did not consider himself right in this case. For a long time he asked the Lord for forgiveness because, while teaching others to obey, he himself did not show obedience to the one who manages the clothes in the monastery. What great humility! When one day Pachomius fell ill, Theodore brought him to where the sick monks were eating food. They prepared a good stew for him. He remarked to his brother who was preparing this dish: - You don’t know how to cook food; give me some water. Pachomius poured the supplied water into this dish. Then Theodore poured water on his hands before starting the meal. Pachomius, in turn, poured water on his feet. After eating, a conversation began between them. To Theodore’s question: why did he spoil the food with water, Pachomius answered him: “The brother who prepared food for me cooked for me with great zeal, and such zeal between people does not last long.” And I said to myself: this time I will eat well, but tomorrow will come, I will be sick, I will still expect my brother to give me good food, and for this reason my heart will be confused. That’s why I ruined the good food that was served to me, so that next time, if he was careless and didn’t cook it, it would still be good, it would be indifferent to me. Theodore asked the elder why he poured water on his feet. Saint Pachomius gave him a wonderful answer. “I did this so that if in another world they tell me: Theodore poured water on your hands, I would have the right to say: I washed his feet myself.” The sick Pachomius did not want to taste the food with butter. Another time, during an illness, he did not agree to cover himself with the best blanket instead of matting and take a handful of dates. What severity towards yourself! Pachomius treated sick monks with special love. Most of all, he cared about saving the soul of his sick brother. He convinced the patient to thank God, aroused pious thoughts in him, warned him against attachment to the earth, against being carried away by unclean thoughts, inspired him to ask for forgiveness from God and cheerfully look at his future, placing his trust in the Lord. He always took care of the body of his sick brother. Patients in the dormitory were never forced to fast, although they were not prevented from fasting. Pachomius sometimes found it necessary to weaken the fast if he saw that fasting greatly depleted the patient’s strength and did not allow him to recover. Thus, one brother was sick during the days of Lent. However, he did not agree to eat anything boiled or drink wine. He did not want to indulge himself if he even had to die from excessive abstinence. The wise Abba Pachomius advised him, if he did not want to completely abandon this fast, to postpone his fasting until the time of complete restoration of strength, when he would be able to spend the same number of days in strict fasting as he should have fasted now. Among the monks who served in the hospital there were also those who did not want to fulfill some of the requests of the sick, which seemed to them whims that were impermissible for a monk. But Saint Pachomius saw it differently. He was ready to provide the patient with possible consolation. One day, for example, Pachomius himself became seriously ill. At the hospital he was offered to eat some boiled vegetables. At this time, a seriously ill monk was lying in the hospital, whose body was skin and bones: he had become so thin after a long illness. When this monk asked the hospital brethren to give him some beef, they did not agree to this. Then the sick man asked to be taken to Abba Pachomius. The Great Abba was struck by the extreme exhaustion of the monk and the lack of prudent compassion among the hospital brethren. He sternly told them: “You fools, where is the fear of God? After all, God said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Can't you see that this brother is almost dead? Why didn't you give him what he asked of you? Now I can neither eat nor drink. After all, there is a difference between diseases, and one disease can be more severe than another.” Pachomius could not help but cry at the sight of the seriously ill monk and the heartless jealousy of others about the strict observance of the food regulations. Now the monks realized their lies. They immediately sent to buy a kid and prepared a meal from it, which strengthened the weakened body of the sick brother and cheered his sad soul. Pachomius tried to arouse trust in God in his students. Here is one case that confirms this. One evening the brothers arrived to load the boat with reeds. Theodore was afraid that the stew 3254 he had prepared would not be enough for everyone. Pachomius understood his thoughts and warned him against excessive concern for food and cowardly fear of it, pointing to God's care for man. Hope did not put Pachomius to shame. One day there was a shortage of wheat in the monastery. This greatly upset and worried the monks. Wanting to eliminate their fears for the near future, Pachomius pointed out to them two beautiful carpets donated by one kind person: as a last resort, they could be sold and the proceeds could be spent on buying wheat. Pachomius spent the whole night in fervent prayer. The next day, in the morning, the head of one city knocked on the gate of the monastery. When the gatekeeper opened the door for him, he said that he had made a vow to give a certain amount of bread to those in need, and that that night he learned in a dream that it was the brethren of this monastery who needed bread; let someone accept the bread he brought. When Pachomius himself was informed about this, he was very happy and told the head of the city that they really needed bread, but they needed a deferment in paying the money. The good Christian said: “I didn’t bring this for money, but because you are people of God. Let’s go, brothers, to bring this in.” Pachomius, sincerely grateful to the kind man who helped the monastery in times of extreme need, gave him monastery bread and vegetables as a blessing. The chief of the city gladly accepted this and left satisfied that he had helped the servants of God. The brethren were surprised and delighted at the unexpected gift of the monk-loving leader. Pachomius was afraid that the monks would become addicted to any beauty on earth. He was even afraid that the harmony, grace and beauty of the church would not entertain the monks. Saint Pachomius zealously warned his disciples against vanity. He convinced his monks to perform feats in secret, for the sake of God, and not for the sake of human praise. He advised them not to stand out from the brethren in appearance. Here are several cases showing how persistently he fought against this enemy of the ascetics. One monk spent many nights in continuous prayerful vigil, enjoying the hope of earning special respect from people. Pachomius convinced him to change his lifestyle, told him to go to the meal when the brethren were called there, and eat food with them, but not to the point of being completely full; so that he performs the same number of prayers as are assigned to all monks, so that upon leaving the cell he is kind to everyone and does not seem gloomy. Of course, one should not abandon one’s exploits, since this would also be pleasing to Satan; but you must do everything for the sake of God, without giving the devil a place in your heart. When this monk continued to act as before, fearing that he would appear weak and pitiful to the brethren, Pachomius again persistently advised him to weaken his exploits. Many times he reminded the vain monk of his previous instructions and finally told him that he would reach a state of madness if he persisted in his addiction to external exploits for the sake of respect from others, and not for the sake of mortifying passions. But the monk did it his way, and Pachomius’ prediction came true. The vain monk, more and more puffed up with pride because of his outward piety, reached the point of madness, to self-forgetfulness. He was even ready to kill Saint Theodore when the Abba sent him to distract this monk from his vain and displeasing prayer to God. Fortunately, his hands, outstretched with a stump of wood, became numb, and he only furiously shouted at Theodore, calling him the enemy of God. For a long time he was in such a pitiful state. At last he was cured of his madness and, at the same time, of his former stubborn pride. Saint Pachomius once sat with some elders outside his cell, talking with them about the word of God. At this time, one brother was preparing matting in front of the door of his cell. He worked with special diligence and that day managed to weave two mats. He expected praise from Abba Pachomius. Seeing his state of mind, Pachomius said to his interlocutors: “Don’t you see this unfortunate brother? He lost this day's work because he loved the glory of men more than the glory of God; he tired himself and deprived his soul of all success and profit.” Pachomius called this monk and severely reproached him for his thoughts. Then, softening his reproof, Pachomius ordered him to bring these two mats when the brethren gathered in the church, and ask the monks for forgiveness and prayers. He had to do the same in the meal during lunch. To further heal his soul, Pachomius ordered him to sit hopelessly in his cell, prepare two mats every day instead of one, eat only bread and salt, not talk to anyone except one brother who would bring him bread, and earnestly ask God for forgiveness of his sin. This punishment was directed directly against the monk's main passion: he had to do as punishment what he had previously done out of vanity. The punishment constantly reminded him of the sin he had committed and should have aroused the most lively repentance in his heart. He valued Pachomius’s praise: of course, he could not help but understand that it was not without reason that the great Abba punished him so severely, having denounced him before everyone. Another wonderful case. One day Saint Pachomius had to go into a monastery where the monks were infected with heretical views. Here the monks told the Pachomius disciples that their leader was inviting Pachomius to cross the river together to show which of them was right, who was more pleasing to God. When the disciples told Pachomius about this, he was very saddened that his monks listened and passed on such an order. Pachomius told them sternly: “A heretic can cross the river on the surface of the water, as they cross on dry land, by the permission of God and with the help of Satan, who wants to confirm him in his wicked belief and persuade others to this belief. Now go and tell these people: “The servant of God Pachomius says: my labors and concerns are not aimed at crossing the river as a pedestrian, but at avoiding the punishments of God and crossing that fiery river through which we all, people, must cross before the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Gospel says: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Saint Pachomius saw in the proposals of the heretics the machinations of Satan, who wanted by a miraculous appearance to shake the faith of the monks and arouse vanity in them. He urged his students not to ever be inclined to do anything like that and not to succumb to vanity. When in any ascetic at least one virtue was manifested, not spoiled by vanity, Saint Pachomius rejoiced at this small success of his brother and carefully cherished his virtue, seeing in it the guarantee of his salvation. Saint Pachomius did not want monks to indulge in strict labors out of compulsion, and not out of their own desire. This is eloquently evidenced by the following incident from the life of Konovia. One day, when Saint Pachomius, after visiting other monasteries, was returning to the monastery where he always lived, the brethren came out to greet him. At the very meeting, one young man loudly declared to him that from the day Pachomius left them, nothing had been prepared for them from grains or vegetables. Saint Pachomius meekly and kindly answered him: – Don’t be sad, my son; from now on I will take care of your affairs and take care of your food. Having entered the monastery and said a prayer in the church, Pachomius went straight to the cookhouse. The cooks were weaving mats, Pachomius asked the chief cook: - Since when have you not prepared stew for the brethren? It turned out that it had been two months since he had ever cooked stew for them. Pachomius asked him: - Why did you do this when the rules command that stew be served to the brethren on all Saturdays and Sundays? The chief cook replied that the brothers, out of love for exploits, do not eat stew, being content with a small amount of vegetables and butter; Previously, stews cooked with oil were thrown out; now he has appointed one brother to deliver olives, vegetables, vinegar for the meal, while he and others with him work on making matting. During this time, five hundred mats were prepared in the kitchen. Pachomius was deeply saddened by the self-will of the monk in charge of the kitchen. Having ordered that the mats prepared without permission be burned, Saint Pachomius sternly remarked to this monk that with his excessive zeal he had neglected the rules. Moreover, the abstinence of the monks in this case was no longer a matter of free will, but a consequence of necessity: no one had the opportunity to show their zeal, everyone fasted involuntarily. “As for me,” said Saint Pachomius, “I would prefer to prepare various types of dishes and boil all kinds of fruits and put all this before the brethren, so that if they curb their desires and voluntarily, for the sake of heroism, refuse to eat it, they can do a great and good deed before God.” If at the meal you do not serve what is permitted by the charter, then the weak brethren would not be able to sufficiently strengthen their fallen strength: they could become completely weakened. Moreover, among the brethren there are many newcomers, some of whom are very young and weak in body: they cannot compare with the perfect ones in monastic feats. It would be especially difficult for them if even on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays they were deprived of brew: they could indulge in despondency from the unusual severity of life for them. What a correct view of the matter! What prudent severity towards rule-breakers, what concern for maintaining order in the hostel, what love for the weak brethren is heard in this reprimand to the cook, who violated the rules about food out of excessive zeal for abstinence! Saint Pachomius always had in mind that extreme severity could lead some ascetics to despair. He treated new and inexperienced monks with special consideration and tenderness, seeing in them “young plants” requiring care and support. Pachomius reproached his favorite student Theodore for his severity towards his brother Paphnutius. Only the love and wisdom of Pachomius kept Paphnutius in the monastery. Here is an example of such forethought and love in relation to a monk of another monastery. Not far from Tavennisi there was a small monastery that did not belong to the dormitory. The head of this monastery often came to Saint Pachomius to listen to his wise instructions, and then pass them on to his monks. One monk of this monastery strenuously sought a position for which he was not worthy. The boss once responded to his requests that Pachomius advised not to give him this position because he was unworthy of it, although Pachomius did not say this. The proud monk almost forcibly dragged his Abba to Saint Pachomius for an explanation. Pale, in deep thought, the chief followed his monk, embarrassed by his unbridled anger. They found Pachomius building the monastery fence. Beside himself with anger, the monk shouted to Pachomius: - Come down to prove my sin, Pachomius is a liar! Extremely meek and patient, Pachomius did not answer the rude monk. However, the monk continued his abuse. Pachomius understood his state of mind and calmly answered: - Forgive me, I have sinned; have you never sinned? The monk's anger subsided. Then Pachomius took the head of the monastery aside and found out from him what was the matter. Abba gave him this advice: “Listen to me and fulfill his request in order to snatch his soul from the hands of the enemy.” The head of the monastery followed this advice. Both he and his monk were consoled and reassured by Pachomius. A few days later, this monk repented of his rudeness towards Pachomius and went to him to ask for forgiveness. He admitted that Pachomius was higher than they say about him, and told him the following: “God knows that if you had not been generous to me and said one rude word to me, then I, a sinner, would have left monasticism and again become a layman. Blessed be you, man of God, for the Lord has revived me through your generosity.” Saint Pachomius often reminded the monks of the zeal they should have. He took advantage of every opportunity to arouse in them zeal for exploits, for crying over sins, for spiritual progress. One day, walking with his student Theodore near the tombs, Pachomius saw that several women were crying inconsolably. He said to Theodore: “Don’t you see these women shedding tears for the dead whom they cannot raise?” Moreover, we, who are called monks, should not weep for our souls who died due to sin, and which Christ will resurrect according to His love for mankind! In any case, tears are commendable if they are shed with good intentions. The Monk Pachomius and his monks rejoiced not only about their own salvation and well-being, but also about the salvation of their neighbors and their true well-being. Incorrect teachings confuse believers, create unrest and divisions in the Church: Saint Pachomius grieves about this. The Orthodox are triumphant, heresy is weakening: what joy fills the hearts of the Tabennisiots with the Monk Pachomius at their head! Famine or some other public disaster befalls the country: the general sorrow of Egypt soon reaches the Tavennisian commander, and here someone else's grief evokes the liveliest compassion. Thus, one day the Monk Pachomius was told that there was a great famine in Egypt, which was joined by the almost inseparable companion of hunger - the pestilence. It was already the second day that Pachomius remained without food. But he so vividly felt the suffering of many from hunger that until the next day he did not touch food at all and said with the greatest sympathy for the suffering: “I cannot eat when my joints are hungry and have no bread.” And all the time, when the famine continued in Egypt, Pachomius was in great sorrow, indulged in the strictest fasting and prayed for an end to the national disaster. Deeply sympathizing with all people and especially monks, Saint Pachomius fervently prayed for everyone. He prayed that the Lord would help the monks fulfill their high vows and become for each of them a pure temple of the Holy Spirit. Praying for other people, he first of all prayed for those who do good, so that the Lord would erase from their hearts all care for earthly things, except for what is necessary for life. The great Abba also prayed for those who were still enslaved to sin or darkened by heresy, so that the Lord would give them repentance. He prayed for kings and for all rulers, so that they would live in love with God and with all people, so that they would bring justice to the offended, so that they would not become addicted to corruptible glory, so that they would be like those kings who did the will of God and were pleasing to God, such as King David was, for example. Pachomius also prayed for the shepherds, so that the Lord would help them to be faithful successors of the apostles, to walk according to all the commandments of the Lord immaculately, to be adorned with true knowledge, firm, apostolic faith, purity and piety. Saint Pachomius, who prayed for the well-being of the world, gave help to everyone whenever possible. Many people were converted to the good life under the influence of his holy life and his gentle instead of firm word. Many monks were saved under his close leadership. That's not enough. Saint Pachomius, with God's assistance, provided people with miraculous help in their bodily ailments. A certain presbyter Dionysius brought a bleeding woman to the gates of the monastery, who had received no help from anyone and now received complete healing through touching the hem of Saint Pachomius’s robe. The Monk Pachomius healed, through anointing with oil, his daughter brought by one man, and told her father that she did not live in virgin purity and commanded her through her father to be chaste. Another man brought his son, possessed by an unclean spirit, to Saint Pachomius. The young man was healed. And another demoniac was soon healed by the great Abba. There was another similar case of healing. Saint Pachomius once prayed for a man possessed by an unclean spirit, but he received a voice from above to stop his prayer for him, since this misfortune befell him for his own spiritual benefit. In the monastery of Pevou one brother was ill. He had been fighting the disease for three days now. Appearing to Pachomius, he tearfully asked for prayers for his healing, pointing out that many lay people were receiving healing. Pachomius objected to this: “The faith of the laity gives healing to their body, and through the healing that God gives them, they are disposed to do good. As for us, the servants of Christ, our faith is the incorruptible rest that God gives us in another world; without illness, without sorrow, we would behave against the commandment.” This instruction of Pachomius consoled the sick monk. After some time, when his illness continued, he, accompanied by his brethren, came to Pachomius. Everyone began to ask the great Abba’s prayers for the healing of this brother. Pachomius began to pray, but immediately heard a voice: “Do not pray for this brother, because the Lord sent him this illness to save him from the wiles of the devil.” All the brethren then praised the Lord, who cares for His servants and arranges for their salvation. Although the Lord performed many healings through the hand of Pachomius, the great Abba always considered it higher and more necessary to heal the soul from serving idols, from lies, from fornication and impurity of all kinds, in general from all sin. And while giving healing to the body, he always sought to heal the human soul at the same time. Great were the fruits of the activity of Saint Pachomius. Monks under his leadership achieve high perfection. Even those who are lazy and stubborn in their vices correct themselves and try to achieve the highest degree of perfection. Among the great ascetics it was difficult to stand out with anything special. That is why so few of the names of these monks have come down to us. Here are some outstanding ascetics. We see an example of hard work, patience, and detachment from the body in the gardener Jonah. He spent eighty-five years in monastic labors. All the trees in the garden were planted by him, but he never ate their fruits. These fruits brought reinforcement and consolation to the monks who came to Jonah. His dress was the most beggarly, something like a leather blanket that barely covered his body. He put on clothes made of coarse wool only before receiving the Holy Mysteries, and then immediately took them off; These clothes lasted him for the rest of his life. He never ate a single food cooked over a fire. He took his usual food, which consisted of bread and vinegar, only in the evening, and then not until he was completely satiated. He did not think at all about bodily peace, and even during his illness, even when he was close to death, he could not be persuaded to go to the hospital: he considered himself unworthy to use the services of others. Working all day in the garden under the scorching rays of the sun, Jonah only stopped this hard work in the evening. When night came, he went to his cell, sat in the middle on his chair and until midnight twisted the ropes, glorifying God with his lips and heart. Then only for a short time he fell asleep, remaining in his chair, and did not let go of the ropes. Cheerful in spirit, Abba Jonah soon got up to devote himself to prayer and then get to work in the garden. At night, during prayer and needlework, he never lit a lamp. He did many other amazing things. He died sitting on his chair: the ropes remained in his hands. Wanting to bury him, the brothers could not join his legs, could not bend his arms to his body, and could not take off his usual leather clothes in order to put on a clean woolen dress. He was buried in the same form as he died, wearing only a woolen shroud. In the Pachomius hostel there was one monk, stricken with leprosy, named Athenodorus. This monk is a rare example of patience, complacency and hard work during a constant, cruel illness. Living away from others, like a leper, Athenodorus ate only bread and salt, and even then two days later in the evening. Like all the monks of the hostel, he wove matting every day, although his hands, damaged by leprosy, were stained with blood from work. During the day he never allowed himself to lie down to rest. Little by little he memorized sections of the Holy Scriptures. Before going to bed, he prayed for a long time, and at midnight he went to common fraternal prayer. But the most amazing thing about him was his patient endurance of the disease. Saint Pachomius often sent him to various monasteries, confident that the mere sight of this monk would awaken pious zeal in many. One day a good monk came into his cell. He was very touched by the patience and painful appearance of Abba Athenodorus. With brotherly love, this monk convinced him to stop working on weaving matting, since it caused terrible pain to his hands. The monk said that each of them would happily work for him and that this would not burden them at all. They already serve the sick and strangers for the sake of the Lord. But patient Athenodorus, imbued with the consciousness of the importance of work for every person and especially for a monk, decisively told his well-wisher that it was impossible for him to stop working. The compassionate brother advised him to at least rub his hands with oil so that they would soften somewhat and stop cracking. Athenodorus followed this advice. But his hands became softer from the oil; While working, he already felt even more pain. Pachomius noticed that this brother resorted to oil. Abba, with brotherly reproach, remarked to Athenodorus that he should not place his hope in oil, but surrender himself entirely to the will of God, since it was not without the providence of God, not without benefit for him and for others, that this illness befell him. Athenodorus pleaded guilty and asked Pachomius for forgiveness. He mourned this sin for a whole year afterwards. The monks of the Pachomius hostel were so strict with themselves. Saint Pachomius knew who he could be strict with and who he should show leniency. One day two young men appear to Pachomius. They both wanted to become monks. One of them, Silvanus, a youth of sixteen or seventeen years old, had hitherto lived in carnal impurity. Pachomius received them with the following thoughts: “I will make them monks, and if the young man who led a bad life brings repentance, I will keep him; if he does not repent, I will expel him.” Abba Pachomius spoke privately with Silvanus, and the young man openly spoke about his previous sins. He promised to become a different man and sin no more. But a little time passed and Silvan indulged in his previous sins. Abba Pachomius already intended to expel him, so that his example would not corrupt anyone in the monastery. Abba called one pious monk to him and instructed him to go with Silvan and five other monks to the monastery he indicated and wait for him there. The next day he intended to announce here to Silvan his decision to expel him from the hostel. But the grace of God, precisely on the eve of this day, at night, touched the heart of the young man, he firmly decided to change his lifestyle and correct his heart. Even at night, he got out of bed, found the reverent brother who had accompanied him to this monastery: he sat down next to him and began to cry bitterly. When asked by his brother about the reason for these tears, Silvan answered him: “I cry because I do not abide in the fear of God; If I feared the Lord, I would keep the words of our Abba Pachomius, the man of God.” The good monk tried to console him. He gave the young man the following advice: “Until this day you were without the fear of God, but now surrender your soul to everything that he commanded you, and you will acquire the fear of God if you keep it.” In the morning Saint Pachomius came to this monastery with two monks. He secretly called Silvanus to him and talked with him from morning until seven o'clock in the afternoon. In this conversation, he revealed to the young man his state of mind, pointed out to him his great guilt and declared that he could no longer keep him in the monastery. The words of the great Abba struck the young man terribly. He was already thinking about self-correction, about cleansing his heart, about spiritual rebirth, and now he hears that he will now be expelled from among the monks, whom he loved and respected quite sincerely. With bitter tears, Silvanus fell at the feet of Pachomius. Begging the elder for mercy, he said: “This time I will repent and do everything that you command me, not for your sake alone, but for the sake of God, who dwells in you and who revealed my uncleanness to you.” He asked the elder not to expel him from the monastery if he did not break his promise again. The sincerity of Sylvan's repentance was obvious. Pachomius left him for a short time in a secluded place and prayed for him, so that the Lord would give him firmness in fulfilling his promise. Then he called the pious monk Sanamon to him and instructed him to take care of Silvanus, and told him about the behavior of this young man, asking him to remain silent about it. Pachomius warned this monk that he would have a lot of work to do in correcting Silvanus, and only then handed the young man to him when the good ascetic agreed to carefully take care of his spiritual rebirth. Then Pachomius called Silvanus and gave him instructions, urging him to always be with this old man, to imitate his life, not to leave him anywhere and not to do anything without permission. Silvanus promised to fulfill the commandment of Pachomius. Pachomius told the head of this monastery not to separate these two monks under any circumstances; but did not reveal anything about Silvan's previous behavior. Now flaming with love for God, Silvan asked himself for help from above and promised complete readiness to endure all sorrow and insult, as something deserved, promised that he would vigilantly watch over his heart; Silvanus fulfilled his vow. He keeps intensifying his exploits. He eats only once a day and does not drink water until his thirst is completely quenched. He prays earnestly and even spends most of the night in prayer, and when sleep overtakes him, he sits on his mat, not allowing himself to lean against the wall. He does all this without any vanity, with the greatest modesty, having in mind only the purification of his heart, the suppression of vicious aspirations and the acquisition of the most perfect love for God. His modesty extends to the point that he chooses the worst vegetables for his food and tries to get the worst reeds for weaving mats and baskets, considering himself the worst of all monks. In a short time, Silvan achieved complete purity of spirit. Pachomius himself rejoiced, seeing the spiritual success of the young ascetic, who bore the fruits of repentance. One day, the brethren of the monastery where Silvan lived were collecting reeds. Pachomius was with them this time, edifying them with the word of God. Finally he said to the monks: “I want to tell you about the miracle that the Lord performed between you.” There is one among you who was converted and became a new man through the second birth, so that he became perfect in purity of heart. Pachomius also pointed out that with a high degree of spiritual purity, this brother is completely devoid of pride, and that there is not a single one of the brethren who resembles him in purity and sublimity of soul. The monks were surprised to learn that Pachomius had told them about Silvanus. All the brethren now began to express the greatest respect to Silvanus. One after another they rushed to him to hear a word of edification from him. They now called him nothing other than Abba Silvan. But the modest monk with great meekness said to them: “Is it true that I am your Abba?” He worked with the greatest effort to reach such a height. After that he did not live long. He died in peace with God and conscience. The Lord also revealed the future destinies of monasticism to Saint Pachomius. One day, many brothers with Pachomius went to cut cane. Some of the monks accompanied them. Among them was Pachomius’ favorite disciple, Saint Theodore. When it was time to set sail from the shore, Pachomius said to Theodore: “Hurry to get into the boat.” Theodore, without asking the reason, immediately carried out the elder’s order, entered the boat and did not even think about taking with him the book that he was reading in those days for the sake of edification. He was glad that the elder gave him the opportunity to show obedience, which does not ask where and why they are leading, like Abraham, who left his land at the command of God, although he did not know where he was going. When the boat was already loaded with reeds, Pachomius saw something very terrible. He imagined that some of the monks were in the mouths of lions, others in the mouths of crocodiles, others in the midst of fire, and some under a mountain on which the waves were pressing - they were trying to climb the mountain, but all their efforts were in vain. They all exclaimed: “Lord, help us!” Seeing the monks in such difficulty, Pachomius threw the reeds he was carrying on his shoulders to the ground, extended his hands to the sky and began to pray very loudly, asking the Lord for help for these unfortunates. Seeing this, all the monks also dropped their burdens and began to pray. This intense prayer of many monks continued until the evening. It was revealed to Pachomius that this vision refers to a time when he will no longer be alive. In the evening, Pachomius did not eat anything at dinner. Saint Theodore, who was sent with a monk on some business while collecting reeds, knew nothing about what had happened. Then he was informed about the vision of Pachomius. Having learned that the elder had not eaten anything, Theodore soaked the bread, prepared some other food, and through one brother conveyed to Pachomius that he wanted to see him. Hearing that Theodore was calling him, Pachomius immediately went to him. Thinking about the fate of many monks, the elder still continued to cry. And he told Theodore that he too should weep before the Lord. One brother at this time noticed that Theodore had not eaten anything yet. Pachomius answered him: “What do you have in common with him? Let him not eat and cry.” The elder himself, in order not to further upset his beloved disciple, ate the food offered by Theodore, although sadness was still very strong in his heart. In the last years of his life, Saint Pachomius had another vision regarding the fate of monasticism. Once, shutting himself up in his cell, Pachomius prayed from the eleventh hour (in our opinion: from the fifth hour in the evening) until midnight. Suddenly a bright light illuminated his room. He hears a voice: “The generation that will follow you will lead a life that will please God, as in these days.” Then it was revealed to him how widely the monasteries would spread. But in admiration he sees some very deep, steep and gloomy ditch. Countless numbers of monks walked in this ditch, not distinguishing one another and bumping into each other. Some made terrible efforts to get out of this ditch. Some of them managed to reach half the depth, but then fell headlong. Many cried pitifully for compassion. Some finally managed to reach the very top point of this abyss - to the very opening from where the light illuminated this terrible darkness for Pachomius; They then gave great praise to God. Having come to his senses, Pachomius realized that in this vision the future state of the souls of the monks who were behaving badly - either through their own negligence or through the fault of bad leaders - was revealed to him. Pachomius cried out to God with great sorrow, asking His mercy for the monasteries and monks. He almost despaired for them. In response to his cries to God, he heard a voice: “Pachomius, do not forget that you are a man: everything depends on My mercy.” Prostrate on the ground, Pachomius prayed to God for mercy towards him. Then he was consoled by the appearance of Christ the Savior himself in the form of a young man, of indescribable beauty, with a crown of thorns on his head. Christ revealed to him that his disciples would look at him as a lamp from which they could borrow light for themselves. Their behavior will be in accordance with the rules. Their inner mood will be good. Subsequent monks will imitate them. But the time will come when faith will weaken and vices will intensify. Neglect and addiction to sensual goods will distinguish the monks of that time. Spiritual darkness will increase. They will fight with each other for the possession of worldly goods. There will be very few true ascetics. They will have no leaders. They will have to motivate themselves to do good and avoid evil. Of course, their exploits will have little value compared to the exploits of the first monks. However, they will receive a reward on a par with the first, because they will have to suffer a lot from the difficult conditions of life for monks today. Pachomius was very glad when all this was revealed to him. He remained without food for many days. The next day, when the brethren were gathering for prayer, the abba went with them to church. Here, after prayer, he offered a touching conversation to the assembled monks. Real life, he said, passes quickly, and death approaches us. Death can suddenly befall us when we are completely unprepared. Therefore, a person must always diligently fulfill the commandments of God, not leaving a single one unattended. The thought of the bliss of the righteous and the torment of sinners should always be with us. When we see the graves of our brethren, we cannot help but think about the perishability of man, about the fact that real life does not contain anything that we could be proud of, for which we could have an addiction. Saint Pachomius persistently warns the monks that it is they, who have renounced the world, who will be most pitiful if they act contrary to their duty, if instead of God they serve the devil and sin. The Great Abba invites his disciples to work hard for their salvation, to do everything possible and to always place their trust in God. Having become very weak from his labors, the Monk Pachomius, shortly after Easter, suffered from a serious illness, from which many monks had already died. When this disease attacked someone, he began to feel a strong fever, his eyes turned red, his complexion changed, and some kind of suffocation appeared. In all the monasteries, one after another, the monks died, and even more were sick. When Pachomius fell ill, Theodore served him with filial love. The illness of the great Abba lasted for many days. He gradually weakened. The heat was extraordinary. The elder did not take food or even water at all for three days. However, he continued to talk with the brethren. Pachomius spent forty days in the hospital. He was cared for equally with all patients. He was so weak that the thick blanket weighed heavily on him. He asked Theodore to cover him with a lighter blanket. Theodore immediately brought a light and, moreover, a new blanket and covered the old man with it. Pachomius noticed that preference had been made for him, and found it unfair. The elder was afraid that this might tempt someone. Then Theodore removed this veil from him and dressed him differently, along with all the sick. Having taught the monks and especially their superiors many useful instructions, Saint Pachomius died on the fourteenth day of the month Pashons 3255, most likely in 348, 53 years old. Theodore's hand covered the eyes of the great Pachomius. The brothers rushed to the holy remains, with tears they kissed the lips and holy body of Abba Pachomius. They read prayers for his repose all day and all night. In the morning the Bloodless Sacrifice was made for him. Then the brethren, singing, carried the body of Pachomius to the mountain and buried it according to custom. It was on the fifteenth day of the month Pashons. Returning to the monastery, the brethren said to each other with great sorrow: “Truly, we are orphaned today.” With the flows of your tears you cultivated the barren, and you brought forth fruit from the depths with sighs of a hundred labors, and you were the lamp of the universe, shining miracles, Our Father Pachomius. Pray to Christ God to save our souls. The lamp of light appeared at the end, and you created desert cities with multitudes of monastics: you crucified yourself, carried your cross on the frame, and you exhausted your body with abstinence, praying unceasingly for all of us. Metaphrastus and then St. Demetrius of Rostov - Oxiriikh, famous for the piety of his inhabitants, contained within his borders, according to the testimony of Rufinus, up to ten thousand virgins and up to twenty thousand virgins. But the story of the newly discovered documents directly indicates the name of this city - Esne. A city on the right bank of the Nile, opposite Hermopolis, built by Emperor Hadrian in honor of his favorite Antinous. Marcion, a heretic of the 2nd century, taught that there are two independent principles in the world: good - the good God, and evil - matter under the dominion of the devil. We already know about the existence of special monastic clothes in the first time of monasticism from the sayings of St. Anthony the Great. See the book by Archimandrite Palladius “Newly discovered sayings of St. Anthony the Great. According to the Coptic collection of tales about the saint" (Kazan, 1898), p. 30. Now the village of Tavennisi does not exist at all. Arab. “Life” calls him by his name – Amriaragabul. Another alteration of this name is Hieracapollo. Of course, a hydraulic machine to which the animal is tied to make it rotate the wheel that raises the water. Cenovia (from the Greek κοινος; - common and βιος - life) are called cenobitic monasteries in which the brethren are supported at the expense of the monastery and in return offer their labor for the general benefit of the monastery. Lent, Greek νηστεια - means complete failure to taste food. The monastery of Pevou was located a little north of Tavennisi, on the eastern bank of the Nile, in the Diospolis region. Copts are Egyptians (Christians). Alexandria is a city famous for its education, political importance and trade, founded by the Greek emperor Alexander the Great in Egypt ca. 333 BC Thebaid is a region in upper Egypt. The month of Pashons corresponds to our May, starting on the 26th of April. Therefore, the 14th Pashons is May 9th. You might be interested in: