Советы относительно душевного иноческого делания

Mental activity is natural to man and constitutes an integral part of him. A person cannot be without thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings serve as a sign of human life. If they stopped for any time, then this would be the cessation of human life, human existence. Life does not stop for a moment: the mind does not stop for a minute from the birth of thoughts, and the heart does not stop for a minute from the birth of feelings. Continuous activity is natural to the soul. Giving the soul something to do that is pleasing to God is an indispensable duty for everyone who has entered a monastery. The holy fathers called such activity spiritual work, mental feat, guarding the mind, guarding the heart, sobriety, and attention 38 . Just as after the creation of the body the soul was immediately blown into it, so after accepting the new beginning rules for external behavior, it is necessary for him to immediately assimilate godly spiritual activity. Just as the body is enlivened by the soul, so reverent outward behavior is enlivened by godly spiritual activity. Without a soul, the body is dead; abandoned by her, it begins to become damaged and emit a stench; Likewise, outward reverent behavior, without pious direction and exercise of the soul, first turns out to be alien to spiritual fruit, then becomes infected with vanity, conceit, hypocrisy, man-pleasing and other most destructive, difficult to notice and comprehend spiritual passions. Spiritual passions grow and strengthen very quickly under the cover of outward reverence, when it is not animated by true piety. A person, admiring his outward reverence, imperceptibly moves from reverence to pretense. Pretense is very pleasing to the blind world; it attracts praise, respect, and the trust of people, 39 it drives the monk away from the way of the cross, and arranges for him the most advantageous earthly, carnal position. When pretense benefits its doer in this way, then the doer, seeing, on the one hand, his gain, and on the other, the insults and persecutions from the world to which true ascetics of piety are subjected, tries to succeed more and more in pretense and man-pleasing. Complete success in pretense creates a Pharisee, holding to the killing letter of the law, who has rejected the quickening spirit of the law. Although the Pharisee constantly talks about God and virtue, he is completely alien to God and virtue: he is ready and capable of any crime, any base act to satisfy his pride. This move and fruit are natural. The soul cannot exist without constant exercise: if you do not give it Godly exercise, then it will constantly exercise in those thoughts and feelings that are born within itself; otherwise: she will develop her fall, develop in herself the lies and evil with which she is infected. It is necessary to take measures in advance so as not to become a Pharisee and not to lose salvation and bliss in eternity for the instant enjoyment of earthly advantages and human praises. Our heart is weak: it can very conveniently be carried away by vice, covered with a plausible mask. He will take precautions against pharisaism who, upon entering a monastery, will take care of immediately achieving correct spiritual activity. From the fact that the mind constantly gives birth to thoughts, and the heart to feelings, it is obvious that the monk is obliged to give to his soul. The mind must be given exercise in godly thoughts, and the heart – in godly feelings. Otherwise: it is necessary for the mind and heart to accept and assimilate the Gospel. To help those who wish to acquire saving spiritual activity, we offer the following advice, borrowed from the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers. Chapter 1. About studying the Gospel commandments and living according to the Gospel commandments From the very moment he enters the monastery, a monk must begin to read the Holy Gospel with all possible care and attention, study it so that the Gospel is always before his memory, and at every moral step, for every action, for every thought, he has in his memory the ready instruction of the Gospel. This is the will of the Savior Himself. This will is associated with a promise and a threat. The Lord, sending His disciples to preach Christianity, told them: “As you went, teach all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things given to you in the commandments” (Matthew 28:19, 20). The promise for the fulfiller of the Gospel commandments is that he will not only be saved, but will also enter into the closest communion with God and become a God-created church of God. The Lord said: “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father: and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). From these words of the Lord it is clear that it is necessary to study the Gospel commandments in such a way that they become an asset, the property of the mind, only then is it possible to carry them out precisely and constantly, such fulfillment as the Lord requires. The Lord appears to the doer of the Gospel commandments spiritually and the doer of the commandments sees the Lord with the spiritual eye, mind, sees the Lord in himself, in his thoughts and sensations, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. One should not expect the Lord to appear to the sensual eyes. This is clear from the words of the Gospel that follow the above: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word: and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). It is obvious that the Lord comes into the heart of the one who follows the commandments, makes the heart the church and dwelling of God, is seen in this church, is seen not with the physical eyes, but with the mind, and is seen spiritually. The image of vision is incomprehensible to the beginner and inexplicable to him in words. Accept the promise by faith: in due time you will know it through blessed experience. The threat to one who neglects to fulfill the Gospel commandments lies in the prediction of sterility, alienation from God, and destruction. The Lord said: “Without Me you cannot do anything. If anyone does not abide in Me, he will be cast out like a rod and dry up, and they will gather it up and put it into the fire and it will burn. Be in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love” (John 15:5–6, 9–10). “Not everyone, say to Me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but do the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many people will say to Me on that day (on the day of judgment): Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in Your name we have cast out demons, and in Your name we have created many mighty powers? and then we will confess to them: Because I have never known you, depart from Me, you who practice iniquity” (Matthew 7:21–23). The Giver, teacher and example of humility, our Lord, Jesus Christ, called His all-holy, omnipotent Divine commandments small (Matthew 5:19), according to the simplest form in which they are presented and in which they are accessible and understandable to every person, even the most unlearned. But at the same time, the Lord added that an intentional and constant violator of one such commandment “he will be called in the kingdom of heaven,” or, according to the explanation of the holy fathers, will be deprived of the kingdom of heaven and will be cast into fiery hell 40. The commandments of the Lord “They are spirit and life” (John 6:63); they save their workman; from what is dead in the soul they are made alive, from what is carnal and spiritual they are made spiritual. On the contrary, he who neglects the commandments destroys himself, remaining in a physical and mental state, in a state of decline, developing this decline in himself. “A natural man does not accept the Spirit of God, for he has foolishness” (1 Cor. 2:14), and therefore for salvation it is necessary to transform from a natural man into a spiritual man, from the old into the new (1 Cor. 15:49). “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50), and therefore for salvation it is necessary to free ourselves not only from the influence of the flesh, or gross passions, but also from the influence of blood, through which passions act on the soul in a subtle way. “Those who move away from You” (not by bodily position, but by the disposition of the soul, which has deviated from fulfilling the will of God) “will perish: You have consumed everyone who commits fornication from You,” who commits fornication while following his own will and his own understanding, while rejecting the Gospel commandments or the will of God. The second necessarily accompanies the first. “For me,” a true monk, “it is good to cleave to God, to place my trust in the Lord” (Ps. 72:27–28). Chapter 2. People will be judged at the Judgment of God according to the Gospel commandments According to the Gospel commandments, we will be judged at the court established by God for us, Orthodox Christians - at that court on which our eternal fate depends. The judgment is private for every Christian immediately after his death, and will be common for all people at the second coming to earth of our Lord Jesus Christ. At both courts, God Himself is present and judges. In private judgment, He carries out judgment through the angels of light and fallen angels; at the general judgment He will carry out judgment through His Word made man (Matthew 25; John 5:22, 27). The reason for such a varied trial is clear. Man submitted to the fallen angel arbitrarily: therefore, he must initially complete his reckoning with the fallen angel in accordance with the extent to which the Christian broke off communication with the rejected spirit through atonement. At the general judgment, both fallen spirits and the people carried away by them must appear for torture as having sinned before the majesty of the Divine, why God Himself, the Word of God Himself, who took upon himself humanity, by whom our redemption was accomplished and by whom it would behoove all the fallen to be saved, will bring judgment on all of us, fallen and not purified by repentance. The code or collection of laws on the basis of which judgment will be made and sentence pronounced at both courts is the Gospel. The Lord said: “Discard Me, and do not accept My words, the word of him who judges him: the word that is spoken by him is what he judges on the last day. For I did not speak from Himself: but the Father who sent me gave Me the commandment that I should speak and that I should speak. And we know that His commandment is eternal life” (John 12:48–50). From these words of the Lord it is clear that we will be judged according to the Gospel, that neglect to fulfill the Gospel commandments is an active rejection of the Lord Himself. Let us, brothers, use all our diligence to become fulfillers of the Gospel commandments! It is not known when death will come; they may demand us to appear in court suddenly, at a time when we least expect this demand. Blessed are those who have prepared themselves for the transition into eternity by the gospel life! Woe to the careless, inattentive, self-willed, self-important! Woe to those who have not broken fellowship with Satan! Woe to those who have not entered into communion with God! Greater woe to those who entered into this fellowship and rejected it! Chapter 3 Monastic life is living according to the Gospel commandments The ancient monks called monastic life evangelical life. Saint John Climacus defines a monk this way: “A monk is one who, in every place and deed, at every time, is guided solely by God’s commandments and God’s word” 41 . The monks, subordinate to the Monk Pachomius the Great, were obliged to memorize the Gospel 42 in order to have the laws of the God-Man, as if in a constantly open book, in memory, in order to have them constantly before the eyes of the mind, to have them inscribed on the soul itself for the most convenient and steady execution. Blessed Elder Seraphim of Sarov said: “We must accustom ourselves in such a way that the mind seems to float in the law of the Lord, by which, being guided, we must govern our life” 43 . By studying the Gospel, trying to fulfill its commands with deeds, words, thoughts, you will follow the will of the Lord and the moral tradition of the Orthodox Church. The Gospel in a short time will raise you from infancy to adulthood in Christ, and you will become that blessed man whom the inspired prophet sang, who “walked not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the destroyers: but his will is in the law of the Lord, and in His law shall he learn day and night. And it will be like a tree planted by the rising waters, which will yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall away, and everything that it does will prosper” (Ps. 1:1-3). The Holy Spirit instructs the true servants of God, men who have become God's own: “My people, give ear to My law, incline your ear to the words of My mouth” (Ps 77:1). Chapter 4. On the fragility of monastic life when it is not based on the Gospel commandments He who based his life on the study of the Gospel and on the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, founded it on the hardest stone. No matter what position he was placed in by the circumstances of life, his heroism was always with him. He continually does, he continually strives, he continually succeeds, although his work, although his achievement and success are inconspicuous and incomprehensible to others. Whatever sorrows and temptations befall him, they cannot overthrow him. The Lord said: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does this, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his church on the rock: and the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the wind blew, and attacked that church, and did not fall: it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24–25). Here, residence and spiritual structure are likened to a church: this church receives extraordinary strength from the Divine, unlimited power with which the words of Christ are filled. It is obvious that the kind of firmness that the fulfillment of Christ’s commandments brings to the soul cannot be provided by any other means or aid: the power of Christ acts in His commandments. The Lord added the following to the above words: “Everyone hear these words of mine, and without doing them, he will be like the deformed man who built his church on the sand: and the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the wind blew, and polluted that church, and fell: and great was its destruction” (Matthew 7:26, 27). The apparently good lifestyle of those who base it solely on some physical feat, or many feats, sometimes very difficult and very impressive, but do not pay due attention to the Gospel commandments, is conveniently destroyed. It very often happens that ascetics do not even pay any attention to the Gospel commandments, openly trample on them, without giving them any value and not at all understanding their importance. Such ascetics, when faced with an unexpected temptation or an unexpected change in life, not only waver very quickly, but are also subjected to complete moral disorder, called in the Gospel the great destruction of the spiritual church. As an example, let’s take a hermit living in deep solitude, who pinned all the hope of his prosperity and salvation on this solitude. Let us suppose that suddenly, due to the violence of circumstances, this hermit had to leave solitude and live among crowds. He, being unfastened within himself by the Gospel commandments, must certainly be subjected to the strong influence of temptations that are found in abundance in human society. This is natural, he had no other force to protect him except external solitude: having lost it, he lost all his support and, of necessity, must yield to the power of other external impressions. What has been said was not said at all to disparage the desert life, which protects from temptations and entertainment, especially conducive to the study and fulfillment of the Gospel commandments; It is said so that the hermit in his wilderness should take special care to study and fulfill the gospel commandments, through which Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom are introduced into the soul (1 Cor. 1:24). True Christianity and true monasticism lie in the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. Where this fulfillment does not exist, there is neither Christianity nor monasticism, whatever the appearance. The righteous will inherit the earth and dwell on it forever and ever: Scripture calls righteous those who try most carefully to fulfill the truly and only righteous will of God, not at all their own, imaginary and falsely righteous. Only the doers of God's righteousness can inherit the earth, that is, dominate with their heart, their flesh, their blood. “The mouth of the righteous shall learn wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment. The law of his God is in his heart, and his feet will not falter” (Ps. 36:29-31). Chapter 5. About keeping yourself from temptations Basing one’s residence on the Gospel commandments, one must at the same time choose a monastery for one’s residence that is farthest away from temptations. We are weak and damaged by sin. Temptation, being in front of us or near us, will necessarily find sympathy for itself in our sinful damage and make an impression on us. This impression may at first be unnoticeable; but when it develops and strengthens in a person, then it will prevail over him and can bring him to the brink of destruction. Sometimes the impression of temptation acts very quickly, without allowing, so to speak, the tempted one to come to his senses or come to his senses: it instantly darkens the mind, changes the disposition of the heart, plunges the monk into falling and falling. The Monk Pimen the Great said: “It is good to run away from the causes of sin. A person who is close to the cause of sin is like standing on the edge of a deep abyss, and the enemy always, whenever he wants, conveniently plunges him into the abyss. But if we are removed in body from the reasons for sin, then we are like one who is far removed from the abyss; The enemy, even if he drags us into the abyss, is still able to resist at the time when he is drawn, and God will help us” 44. The causes (guilt) of sin, the reasons for it, the temptations are the following: wine, wives, wealth, health (superfluous) of the body, power and honors. “These,” says Saint Isaac of Syria, “are not actually sins; but because of them, our nature conveniently inclines towards sin, which is why a person must be carefully guarded against them” 45. The Fathers forbid choosing a glorious monastery as a place of residence in the opinion of worldly people 46: vanity, common to the entire monastery, must necessarily infect each member. Experience shows that the entire brotherhood can become infected with the spirit of vanity, not only because of the material advantages of its monastery, but also because of the high opinion of the laity about the special piety of its charter. The contempt that arises from this for the brethren of other monasteries, which is precisely what pride consists of, takes away the possibility of monastic success based on love for one’s neighbors and humility before them. As an example of how temptation, acting little by little on a monk, as if inconspicuously and insensitively, can finally prevail over him and plunge him into a terrible fall, we cite the following story: “In the Egyptian Skete there was a certain old man who fell into a serious illness and accepted service from the brethren. Seeing that the brethren were working for his sake, he decided to move closer to the villages so as not to bother the brethren. Abba Moses (probably the one whom the Monk Cassian calls the most sensible among the fathers of Skete, who were generally distinguished by an abundance of spiritual gifts) told him: “Do not move to the vicinity of the villages, so as not to fall into fornication.” The elder was surprised and saddened by these words; he answered: “My body has died, and is this what you are talking about?” He did not listen to Abba Moses and settled in the vicinity of a worldly village. Residents, having learned about him, began to come to him in large numbers. A certain girl also came to serve him for God’s sake. He healed her - it seems: the girl had some kind of illness, and the old man had the gift of miracles - then, after some time, he fell with her, and she became pregnant. The villagers asked her: “Who is she pregnant from?” She answered: “From the elder.” They didn't believe her. The elder said: “I have done this, but save the child who is about to be born.” The child was born and was breastfed. Then, on one of the holidays of the Skete, an old man came there with a child on his shoulders and entered the church at a meeting of the entire brotherhood. The brotherhood burst into tears when they saw him. He said to the brethren: “You see, children: this is the son of disobedience.” After this, the elder went to his previous cell and began to bring repentance to God” 47. Such is the power of temptation when the monk stands before him face to face. The gift of healings did not stop people from falling into fornication; the body, killed for sin by old age, illness and prolonged monastic feat, came to life again, being subjected to the constant or frequent action of temptation. As an example of how the guilt of sin can instantly affect a monk, darken his mind, transform his heartfelt disposition and plunge him into sin, let us again cite a church story: “The bishop of a certain city fell into illness, due to which everyone despaired of his life. There was a convent there. The abbess, having learned that the bishop was desperately ill, visited him, taking with her two sisters. While she was talking with the bishop, one of her disciples, standing at the bishop’s feet, touched his leg with her hand. From this touch, a fierce and prodigal battle flared up in the sick man. Passions are deceitful. He began to ask the abbess to leave his sister with him to serve him, citing the lack of his own servants as the reason for such a request. The abbess, suspecting nothing, left her sister. Through the action of the devil, the bishop felt a restoration of strength and fell into sin with the nun, who became pregnant. The bishop left the pulpit and retired to a monastery, where he ended his life in repentance, the acceptance of which God witnessed by granting the repentant the power of miracles.”48 Such is our weakness! Such is the influence of temptations on us! They cast into the abyss of destruction the holy prophets (2 Samuel 11), and the holy bishops, and the holy martyrs, and the holy desert dwellers. Moreover, we, passionate and weak, must take all precautions and protect ourselves from the influence of temptations on us. The passions in monks are hungry: if they are left without storage, they rush with fury at objects of lust, like wild beasts unleashed from chains. Chapter 6. A godly life in silence must be preceded by a godly life in human society For those beginning monastic life, cenobitic monasteries are more appropriate as they represent a vast field for the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. However, if you have joined a regular monastery, then do not be discouraged; do not leave him without a good reason and in a regular monastery make every effort to educate yourself with the Gospel commandments. The general rule is that a monk must first learn to do the commandments in human society, in which mental work is associated with physical work, and then, having achieved sufficient success, engage in exclusively spiritual work in silence, if he turns out to be capable of it. Rare people are capable of silence. A beginner cannot bear to do mental work alone. Through spiritual activity we enter the world of spirits, which is why experienced monks retire into solitude. In the world of spirits, fallen spirits initially meet a Christian as belonging to the host of their souls due to the fall, as one who must prove the good direction of his free will by rejecting communication with fallen spirits and accepting communication with God, communication given to us by the Redeemer. Spirits conveniently kill those who enter into a fight with them without proper experience and without proper preparation 49 . The fulfillment of the commandments in human society provides the performer with an experienced, clear and most detailed knowledge of the fallen human nature and fallen spirits, with whom, through the fall, humanity entered into communication and into the same category of rejected beings, hostile to God, doomed to burial in the prisons of hell. The Holy Fathers assert that “whoever truly wants to be saved must first, in cohabitation with people, endure annoyance, dishonor, deprivation, humiliation, free himself from the influence of his feelings and then go into complete silence, as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself revealed in Himself, for He, having endured all this, finally ascended to the Holy Cross, which means mortification of the flesh and passions and holy, perfect tranquility” 50 . Then know for sure that you will succeed everywhere, both in a community monastery and in a regular monastery, if you study and fulfill the Gospel commandments; On the contrary, everywhere you will remain without success and alien to the spiritual mind, everywhere you will end up in a state of self-delusion and mental disorder if you neglect the study and fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. Never stop studying the Gospel for the rest of your life! Don’t think that you know him well, even if you knew him from memory! The commandment of the Lord is “very wide” (Ps. 119:96), although it is contained in small words. The commandment of the Lord is endless, just as the Lord who spoke it is endless. Doing the commandments and success in them are limitless: the most perfect Christians, brought to a state of perfection by Divine grace, remain imperfect in relation to the Gospel commandments. Chapter 7. About keeping yourself from the good that belongs to fallen human nature If any good thought comes to you, stop, do not rush to fulfill it recklessly, thoughtlessly. If you feel any good attraction in your heart, stop: do not dare to get carried away by it. Master the Gospel. Consider whether your good thought and your good desire of heart agree with the all-holy teaching of the Lord? You will soon see that there is no agreement between the good of the Gospel and the good of fallen human nature. The good of our fallen nature is mixed with evil, and therefore this good itself has become evil, just as tasty and healthy food becomes poison when it is mixed with poison. Be careful to do the good of fallen nature! By doing this good, you will develop your fall, you will develop conceit and pride, and you will achieve the closest resemblance to demons. On the contrary, by doing the good of the Gospel, as a true and faithful disciple of the God-man, you will become like the God-man. “He who loves his life,” said the Lord, “will destroy it; and he who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternity” (John 12:25). “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after Me. If anyone wants to save his soul, he will destroy it; and if anyone destroys his soul for the sake of Me and the Gospel, he will save it” (Mark 8:34, 35). The Lord commands the complete rejection of fallen nature, hatred of its motives, not only the obviously evil ones, but also everyone without exception, and the supposedly good ones. The great disaster is to follow the truth of a fallen nature: with this comes the rejection of the Gospel, the rejection of the Redeemer, the rejection of salvation. “Whoever does not hate his own life cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26), said the Lord. Explaining the above words of the Lord, the Great Barsanuphius says: “How does a person renounce himself? Only by abandoning natural desires and following the Lord. That is why the Lord speaks here about the natural, and not about the unnatural; for if someone leaves only the unnatural, then he has not yet left anything of his own for the sake of God; because the unnatural does not belong to him. And the one who has abandoned the natural always calls out with the Apostle Peter; “We have all forsaken ourselves, and are dead after Thee, so that what shall be done to us” - and hears the blessed voice of the Lord, and is assured by the promise of the inheritance of eternal life (Matthew 19:27-29). What did Peter leave behind, not being rich, and what did he boast of, if not abandonment of his natural desires? For unless a person dies to the flesh while living in the spirit, he cannot be resurrected in soul. Just as in a dead person there are no natural desires at all, so there are none in someone who is spiritually dead to the flesh. If you are dead to the flesh, how can natural desires live in you? If you have not reached the spiritual level, and are still an infancy in your mind, then humble yourself before the teacher - “may he punish you with mercy” (Ps. 141:5), and “do nothing without advice” (Sir. 32:21), even if it seemed apparently good to you, for the light of demons subsequently turns into darkness” 51 . Exactly the same should be said about the light of fallen human nature. Following this light and developing it in oneself produces complete darkness in the soul and completely alienates it from Christ. Someone who is alien to Christianity is alien to God: “Let everyone deny the Son, so that he does not have the Father” (1 John 2:23) - an atheist. In our age, proud of their success, the majority of people, proclaiming themselves both Christians and doers of the most abundant good, rushed to perfect the truth of fallen nature, rejecting the truth of the Gospel with contempt. Let this majority hear the determination of the Lord; “These people draw near to Me with their lips, and with their lips they honor Me; but their heart is far from Me. But they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandment of men” (Matthew 15:8, 9). The worker of human righteousness is filled with conceit, arrogance, and self-deception: he preaches, trumpets about himself, about his deeds, not paying any attention to the Lord’s prohibition (Matthew 6:1–18); pays with hatred and vengeance those who would dare to open their mouths for the most thorough and well-intentioned contradiction of his truth; recognizes himself as worthy and worthy of earthly and heavenly rewards. On the contrary, the doer of the Gospel commandments is always immersed in humility: comparing his fulfillment with the sublimity and purity of the all-holy commandments, he constantly recognizes this fulfillment as extremely insufficient, unworthy of God; he sees himself as having deserved temporary and eternal punishment for his sins, for unbroken communication with Satan, for the fall common to all people, for his own stay in the fall; finally, for the most insufficient and often perverse fulfillment of the commandments. Before every sorrow sent by the Providence of God, he bows his head with humility, knowing that God trains and forms his servants through sorrows during their earthly wanderings. He has mercy on his enemies and prays for them as brothers carried away by demons, as members of a single body struck by illness in their spirit, as his benefactors, as instruments of God’s Providence. Chapter 8. About enmity and struggle between fallen nature and the Gospel commandments If you renounce and constantly renounce your own understanding, your own will, your own truth, or, what is the same, from the mind, will and truth of fallen nature, in order to implant in yourself the mind of God, the will of God and the truth of God, taught to us in the Holy Gospel by God Himself, then the fallen nature will open within you a fierce war against the Gospel, against God. Fallen spirits will come to the aid of fallen nature. Do not fall into despondency because of this: by your firmness in the struggle, prove the thoroughness and positiveness of your will. Defeated, rise up; deceived and disarmed, arm yourself again; defeated, rush to battle again. It is extremely useful for you to see in yourself both your own fall and the fall of all humanity! You essentially need to recognize and study this fall in your own heart and mind experiences; you essentially need to see the weakness of your mind, the weakness of your will! The vision of one's fall is a spiritual vision. The vision of one's weakness is a spiritual vision 52. In it the viewer is the mind. Vision is delivered by grace, implanted in us by baptism: by the action of grace, the blindness of the mind is resolved, and in the field of his struggle he begins to clearly see what he has not seen before, being outside this field; he learns the existence of something he didn’t even suspect existed. Associated with the spiritual vision of human fall is another spiritual vision—the vision of fallen spirits. This vision is again a spiritual vision, a gift of grace. In it, the viewer is the mind: the mind, from making the commandments, striving for the most thorough fulfillment of them, little by little begins to see fallen spirits in the thoughts and sensations they bring, begins to see the sad communication of people with fallen spirits, the subordination of people to fallen spirits, the machinations and actions of spirits for the destruction of people. There is nothing sensual in spiritual visions: they are achieved through careful fulfillment of the Gospel commandments and the fight against sinful thoughts and sensations. A person who has not experienced these visions cannot have any idea about them, and does not even know that they exist 53 . The war and struggle of the ascetic of Christ with his fall and with fallen spirits was excellently depicted by the Holy Spirit in the Psalter. The monks of the first times studied the Psalter from memory, and with the words of the Spirit they clothed their prayers for their extraction from the pit of passions, for deliverance from the jaws of the enemy, the devil. Chapter 9. About reading the Gospel and patristic writings From the above it is clear that the most important cell activity of a new monk should be reading and studying the Gospel and the entire New Testament. The entire New Testament can be called the Gospel, as containing one gospel teaching. However, the beginner must first study the commandments of the Lord in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. From studying the commandments in these evangelists, while fulfilling the commandments by deeds, the other Scriptures that make up the New Testament will become more understandable. When reading the Evangelists, one should also read the Blagovestnik, that is, the explanation of the Gospel by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria. Reading the Gospel is necessary: ​​it contributes to a correct understanding of the Gospel and, consequently, to its most accurate fulfillment. Moreover, the rules of the Church require that Scripture be understood as explained by the Holy Fathers, and not at all arbitrarily: guided in understanding the Gospel by the explanation of the Holy Father, the explanation accepted and used by the Church 54, we will preserve the tradition of the Holy Church. The writings of Saint Tikhon of Voronezh are very useful for our time: they do not have a one-sided goal, they serve as an excellent guide for the ascetics of Christ living in the middle of the world, and for communal monks, and for monks living in regular monasteries, and for solitary silent ones. The grace of God inspired the saint with writings that were especially relevant to modern needs. These scriptures explain the teachings of the gospel. There is no obstacle to living according to the Gospel commandments in any monastery, no matter what the charter of that monastery is, or even what the amenities of that monastery are. The latter is said to encourage and reassure those who are not satisfied with the improvement of their monastery, rightly or wrongly. For every monk it is more correct to look for the reason for his dissatisfaction in himself, rather than in his surroundings. Self-condemnation always brings peace to the heart. It does not in any way follow from this that a well-maintained monastery does not deserve preference over a poorly equipped monastery, when the choice of a monastery depends on us. This doesn't always happen. Having made the teaching and fulfillment of the Gospel commandments the rule of life, without being carried away by the directions provided by the various writings of the holy fathers, you can begin to read them for the closest and most accurate acquaintance with the monastic laborious, much painful, but not joyless feat. In reading the paternal writings, you need to observe gradualness and not read them hastily. First, you need to read books written for cenobitic monks, such as: The Teachings of the Venerable Abba Dorotheos, The Catechumens of the Venerable Theodore of Studium, The Guide to the Spiritual Life of the Venerable Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet, starting with Answer 216 (the previous Answers were given to the most hermits and therefore correspond little to the novices), The Words of Saint John Climacus, The Works of the Venerable Ephraim Sirsky, Community decrees and interviews of St. Cassian the Roman. Then, after a considerable time, you can read books written by the fathers for the silent, such as: Philokalia, Patericon of Skete, Words of St. Isaiah the Hermit, Words of St. Isaac of Syria, Words of Mark the Ascetic, Words and Conversations of St. Macarius the Great, works in prose and verse by St. Simeon, the New Theologian, and other similar active writings of the fathers. All the books counted here belong to the category of active or ascetic ones, because they set forth the work and feat of monks. Saint John Climacus said: “Since you lead an active (ascetic) life, then read active (ascetic) books” 55. Active books excite the monk to monastic deeds, especially to prayer. Reading other paternal holy works leads to reflection and contemplation, which is premature for an ascetic who has dissatisfiedly cleansed himself of passions. Chapter 10. On caution when reading patristic books on monastic life The books of the holy fathers on monastic life should be read with great caution. It has been noticed that the new monk cannot apply the books to his situation, but he is certainly carried away by the direction of the book. If a book teaches advice about silence and shows the abundance of spiritual fruits gathered in the deep desert, then the novice will certainly have a strong desire to retire into solitude, into the deserted desert. If the book speaks of unconditional obedience under the guidance of a spirit-bearing father, then the desire to live strictly in complete obedience to the elder will certainly appear in the novice. God has not given our time either one or the other of these lives. But the books of the Holy Fathers, written about these residences, can affect the novice so strongly that he, due to his inexperience and ignorance, easily decides to leave his place of residence, in which he has all the convenience of being saved and spiritually succeeding by fulfilling the Gospel commandments, for the unrealizable dream of a perfect residence, drawn picturesquely and seductively in his imagination. Saint John of the Climacus speaks in the Word about silence: “At the meal of good brotherhood, there is always a certain dog who tries to steal the bread from it, that is, the soul, then runs away, holding it in its mouth, and devours it in a secluded place” 57 . In the Word on Obedience, this teacher of monks says: “The devil gives to those who live in obedience the desire for impossible virtues.” Likewise, he advises those who remain in silence to perform feats that are unusual for them. Reveal the way of thinking of unskilled novices and you will find there a concept born of self-delusion: you will find there a desire for the strictest silence and fasting, unceasing prayer, complete lack of vanity, unstoppable remembrance of death, constant tenderness, all-perfect lack of anger, deep silence, excellent purity. They, having been deceived, rushed in vain (they moved from the fraternal hostel to deep solitude), not having in themselves at their new beginning the mentioned virtues according to the special vision of God: the enemy taught them to strive for these virtues prematurely, so that they would not receive them in due time. The seducer (the devil) pleases, in front of the silent ones, the hospitable love of the novices, their service, brotherly love, sociability, going after the sick, so that the latter, like the former, can be made impatient” 58 . The fallen angel tries to deceive and draw the monks into destruction, offering them not only sin in its various forms, but also offering them the most sublime virtues unusual for them. Do not trust, brethren, your thoughts, understandings, dreams, inclinations, even if they seem to you the best, even if they represent to you in a picturesque picture the most holy monastic life! If the monastery in which you live gives you the opportunity to lead your life according to the Gospel commandments, if you are not tempted into mortal sins, then do not leave the monastery. Be generous with her shortcomings, both spiritual and material; Do not try to seek in vain the field of exploits that God has not given to our time. God desires and seeks the salvation of all. He always saves everyone who wishes to be saved from drowning in the worldly and sinful sea; but it does not always save you in a ship or in a comfortable, well-equipped shelter. He promised salvation to the holy Apostle Paul and all the apostle’s companions; He gave this salvation; but the apostle and his companions were saved not in the ship, which was broken, but with great difficulty, some by swimming, others on planks and various debris from the ship (Acts 27:21–49). Chapter 11. About the hermit life Let it not be hidden from the beloved brethren that the most sublime types of monastic life, such as hermitage in the deep desert or silence in a seclusion, as well as living with a spirit-bearing elder with unconditional obedience to him, were arranged not by chance, not by arbitrariness and human reason, but according to the special vision, determination, calling and revelation of God. Anthony the Great, the head of monasticism, the founder of desert life, retired into the desert, already endued with power from above and none other than called by God. Although this is not clearly stated in his life, further events in the life of the monk prove this clearly. The fact that he was guided into the deepest (inner) desert for the strictest silence by the Divine voice and command is also said in his life 59. A cherub appeared to the Monk Macarius the Great, a contemporary of the Monk Anthony, somewhat younger than him, showed him a barren, wild plain - later the famous Egyptian Skete - commanded him to settle in it and promised that the desert plain would be populated by many hermits 60. Arseny the Great, being in the royal chambers, prayed to God to show him the path of salvation, and heard the voice “Arseny! Run from people and you will be saved.” Arseny retired to the mentioned Skete, again there he begged God to instruct him in salvation and again heard a voice: “Arseny! Flee (people), be silent, remain silent: these are the roots of sinlessness” 61. The Venerable Mary of Egypt was called to hermitage in the Trans-Jordan desert by the command of God 62. God, who called His chosen ones to silence and seclusion, that is, those whom He foresaw capable of silence and seclusion, provided them with such benefits and means for this life that a person cannot have on his own. And in those times in which monasticism flourished, in which there were many spiritual leaders, few were recognized as capable of silence, especially of hermitage. “True, reasonable silence,” says Saint John Climacus, “can only be experienced by few, and only by those who have acquired Divine consolation, encouraging them in exploits and helping them in battles” 63. “Silence destroys the inexperienced” 64. Hermits and hermits were often subjected to the greatest spiritual calamities: those of them who entered the seclusion spontaneously, not called by God, were subjected to disasters. In the Prologue the following story is read: “In Palestine there was a certain monastery at the base of a large and high cliff, and in the cliff there was a den (cave) above the monastery. The monks of that monastery said: “Some time before this, one of our brotherhood had a desire to live in a den in the mountain, and asked the abbot about it. The abbot had the gift of reasoning. He said to his brother: “My son, how do you want to live alone in a den, having not yet overcome your carnal and spiritual passionate thoughts? Anyone who wants to remain silent should be under the guidance of a mentor, and not control himself. You, having not at all achieved the proper measure, ask my thinness to allow you to live alone in a den, but I think that you do not understand the various networks of the devil. It is much better for you to serve your fathers, to receive help from God through their prayers, to glorify and glorify the Lord of all with them at the appointed times, than to fight wicked and evil thoughts alone. Have you not heard what the God-voiced Father, John, the writer of the Ladder, says: “Woe to him who lives alone: ​​if he falls into despondency or laziness, then there is no one to restore him! And where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them,” said the Lord. This is what the abbot told him, but he could not distract the monk from his soul-destroying thoughts. Seeing his brother’s irresistible desire and his persistent requests, the abbot finally allowed him to live in the den. Encouraged by the abbot's prayer, he entered the den. During the hours of eating food, one of the monastic brethren brought it to the nativity scene, and the hermit had a basket on a rope, which he lowered and took food. When he had spent some time in the den, the devil, who always fights with those who want to live godly, began to confuse him with evil thoughts day and night; A few days later, having transformed into a bright angel, he appeared to him and said: “Let it be known to you that for the sake of your purity and good living, the Lord sent me to serve you.” The monk answered: “What good have I done for the angels to serve me?” The devil objected: “Everything you have done is great and lofty. You left the beauties of the world and became a monk, you work in fasting, prayers and vigil; again, you left the monastery and took up residence here: how could the angels not serve your shrine? With these speeches, the murderer-snake made him arrogant, proud, and began to constantly appear to him. One day a man, robbed by thieves, went to the monk. The unclean demon, who, deceiving him, appeared to him in the form of an angel, said to him: “This man has been robbed by thieves; the stolen goods are hidden in such and such a place. Tell him to go there and take what is his.” The man, having come to the nativity scene, bowed, and the monk from above said to him: “It’s good, brother, that you came! I know that sorrow has befallen you, because thieves came to you and stole this and that. Don't be sad! They put the stolen goods there: go there and you will find everything, but pray for me.” The man was surprised, obeyed and found what was stolen. He glorified the monk throughout that country, saying that the monk living in the den is a prophet. Many people began to flock to the monk; listening to him, they were amazed at the teaching that he taught at the suggestion of the devil. He predicted, and his predictions came true. The unfortunate man spent a considerable time in such seduction. On the second day of the second week after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, a nasty demon appeared to the monk and said to him: “Know, father, that for the sake of your immaculate and equal life other angels will come, and they will take you to heaven in the body; there, with all the angels, you will enjoy the sight of the indescribable beauty of the Lord.” The demon, having said this, became invisible. But the philanthropic and abundantly merciful God, who does not want human destruction, put it in the monk’s heart to inform the abbot about what had happened. When the brother who usually brought food to the hermit arrived, the hermit, looking out of the den, said to him: “Brother! Go and tell the abbot to come here.” The brother passed this on to the abbot. The abbot hurried to come; He went up the stairs to the den to the recluse, and said to him: “For what reason, my son, did you command me to come here?” He answered: “How will I repay you, holy father, for everything that you have done for my unworthiness!” The abbot said: “What good have I done to you?” Monk: “Truly, father, through your agency I have been granted many and great blessings. By you I am clothed in an angelic form; through your mediation I see angels and am privileged to converse with them; through your mediation I received the gift of clairvoyance and prophecy.” The abbot, hearing this, was surprised and said: “Unfortunate! Do you see angels? Have you been granted the gift of clairvoyance? Woe to you, unfortunate one! Didn’t I tell you: don’t go to the den, so that the demons don’t deceive you?” When the abbot said this, the brother objected to him like this: “Don’t say that, honest father! For the sake of your holy prayers I see angels; tomorrow I will be taken up by them into heaven with my body. Let your shrine know that I want to ask the Lord our God that the angels take you too, so that you too may be with me in heavenly glory.” Hearing this, the abbot said to him menacingly: “You are seduced by the demon, unfortunate one! However, if I came here, I will not leave here: I will stay here to see what happens to you. I will not see the nasty demons that you call angels; but when you see that they have arrived, tell me.” The abbot ordered the ladder to be taken away and remained in the den with the seduced one, remaining in fasting and incessant psalmody. When the hour arrived at which the seduced man hoped to ascend to heaven, he saw the demons come and said: “They have come, father.” Then the abbot embraced him and cried out: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, help your deceived servant and do not allow unclean demons to dominate him.” When the abbot said this, the demons grabbed and began to drag the seduced man, trying to tear him out of the abbot’s embrace. The abbot forbade the demons. They tore off the seduced man’s mantle and disappeared. The mantle was seen rising through the air to a height and finally disappeared. After quite some time, the mantle again seemed to be flying down and fell to the ground. Then the elder said to the seduced man: “Mad and unfortunate! You see what the demons did to your mantle: this is what they intended to do to you. They intended to lift you up into the air and lower you, like Simon the Magus, so that you would be crushed and miserably cast out your accursed soul.” The abbot called the monks, ordered them to bring a ladder, brought the seduced man from the den to the monastery and assigned him service in the bakery, in the cookery and in other monastic obediences, so that his thoughts would be humbled. In this way he saved his brother." 65 Our compatriots, the Venerable Isaac 66 and Nikita 67 of Pechersk, were subjected to a grave temptation due to their early entry into seclusion. It is noticeable from the biography of the Monk Isaac, a contemporary of the Monks Anthony and Theodosius, that he entered into seclusion of his own volition. He underwent the most intense physical feat; the desire for feat, even more intensified, inspired him to imprison himself in one of the cramped caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. His food was prosphora and his drink was water, and he took this meager food every other day. With such an intense physical feat and with a lack of experienced information about the feat and the struggle of the soul, it is impossible not to give some value to both your feat and yourself. The temptation inflicted on him by demons is usually based on the inner mood of the ascetic. “If a person,” says the Monk Macarius of Egypt, “does not himself give Satan a reason to subjugate him to his influence, then Satan cannot dominate him by force” 68. The demons appeared to Isaac in the form of bright angels; one of them shone more than the others; the demons called him Christ and demanded that the ascetic worship him. The ascetic, by worship befitting the only God and given to the devil, subjugated himself to demons, who tortured him with violent bodily movements (dancing) until he was half to death. The Monk Anthony, who was serving the hermit, came to him with the usual food, but seeing that the hermit did not give any voice, and realizing that something special had happened to him, with the help of other monks he broke the entrance, tightly sealed, into Isaac's cave. They carried him out as if dead and laid him in front of the cave; Noticing that he was still alive, they carried him to his cell and onto his bed. The Monks Anthony and Theodosius, one after the other, followed him. Isaac weakened in mind and body from temptation: he could neither stand, nor sit, nor, lying down, turn from side to side; for two years he lay motionless, mute and deaf. In the third year he spoke and asked to be raised and put on his feet. Then he began to learn to walk like a child, but did not express any desire, even the thought of visiting church; they barely forced him to do this; he began little by little to go to the church of God. After this, he began to go to meals and little by little learned to eat food; in those two years in which he lay motionless, he did not taste either bread or water. Finally, he was completely freed from the terrible and wonderful impression made on him by the appearance and action of demons. Subsequently, the Monk Isaac achieved high levels of holiness. The Monk Nikita was younger than the Monk Isaac, but contemporary with him. Carried away by jealousy, he asked the abbot to bless him for his feat in seclusion. The hegumen - the Monk Nikon was then the abbot - rebuked him, saying: “My son! It is not good for you, young man, to be idle. It is better to live with the brethren: by serving them, you will not lose your reward. You yourself know how Isaac the cave-dweller was seduced by demons in seclusion: he would have perished if the special grace of God for the prayers of our venerable fathers, Anthony and Theodosius, had not saved him.” Nikita answered: “I will not be seduced by anything like that, but I want to stand firmly against the demonic machinations and pray to God, who loves mankind, that He will grant me the gift of miracles, like the recluse Isaac, who still performs many miracles.” The abbot said again: “Your desire is higher than your strength; take care that, having ascended, you do not fall. On the contrary, I command you to serve the brethren, and you will receive a crown from God for your obedience.” Nikita, carried away by intense jealousy for the reclusive life, did not at all want to listen to what the abbot told him. He fulfilled his plan: he locked himself in seclusion and remained there, praying and not leaving anywhere. After some time, one day during the hour of prayer, he heard a voice that was praying with him, and smelled an extraordinary fragrance. Having been deceived, he said to himself: if it had not been for an angel, he would not have prayed with me and the fragrance of the Holy Spirit would not have been heard. Then Nikita began to pray diligently, saying: “Lord! Show yourself to me intelligently, so that I can see You.” Then a voice came to him: “You are young! I will not appear to you, lest you, having ascended, fall.” The recluse answered with tears: “Lord! I will not be seduced in any way, because the abbot taught me not to listen to demonic delusion, but I will do everything that You command me.” Then the soul-destroying serpent, having assumed power over him, said: “It is impossible for a person in the flesh to see me, but behold! I send my angel to stay with you: do his will.” With these words, the demon appeared before the recluse in the form of an angel. Nikita fell at his feet, worshiping him like an angel. The demon said: “From now on, don’t pray, but read books, through which you will enter into an unceasing conversation with God and get the opportunity to teach soul-helping words to those who come to you, and I will constantly pray to the Creator of all for your salvation.” The recluse, believing these words, was even more deceived: he stopped praying, took up reading, saw the demon constantly praying, and rejoiced, believing that the angel was praying for him. Then he began to talk a lot with those who came from the Scriptures and prophesy like a Palestinian recluse. Fame spread about him among worldly people and at the grand ducal court. Actually, he did not prophesy, but told those who came, being informed by a co-present demon, where the stolen goods were placed, where what happened in a place far away from him 69 (Hab. 2:5). A Christian emperor will rise, an excellent man, in a short life. Why don’t go deeper into Thebaid, don’t bother yourself, but secretly go to meet the new emperor: you will see him on the way, you will be received by him very favorably, and you will return to your Church, and God will soon take him from this life. That’s how it all happened” (Sancti Athanasii opera omnia, torn 2). So, he let Grand Duke Izyaslav know about the murder of the Novgorod prince Gleb, and advised him to send the grand duke’s son to Novgorod to reign. This is enough for the laity to proclaim the recluse a prophet. It has been noticed that lay people and even monks themselves, who lack spiritual understanding, are almost always carried away by deceivers, hypocrites and those in demonic delusion, recognizing them as saints and blessed ones. No one could equal Nikita in knowledge of the Old Testament, but he did not tolerate the New Testament, never borrowed his conversation from the Gospel and the Apostolic Epistles, and did not allow any of his visitors to remind him of anything from the New Testament. Based on this strange direction of his teaching, the fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery realized that he was seduced by a demon. At that time there were many holy monks in the monastery, adorned with gifts of grace. They drove the demon away from Nikita with their prayer; Nikita stopped seeing him. The fathers brought Nikita out of seclusion and asked him to tell them something from the Old Testament; but he swore that he had never read these books, which he previously knew by heart. It turned out that he even forgot to read from the impression made by demonic delusion, and barely, with great difficulty, they taught him to read again. Brought to his senses by the prayers of the holy fathers, he recognized and confessed his sin, mourned it with bitter tears, and achieved a high measure of holiness and the gift of miracles through a humble life in the midst of brotherhood. Subsequently, Saint Nikita was consecrated Bishop of Novgorod. The latest experiences confirm what the experiences of past times clearly prove. And now delusion - this is what self-delusion, combined with demonic seduction, is called in monastic language - is an indispensable consequence of premature withdrawal into deep solitude or a special feat in cell solitude. While the writer of these ascetic advice, as a young man, in 1824-1825, visited the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to consult about his thoughts with the monk Ioannikiy, the candle-bearer of the Lavra, a disciple of the elders Theodore and Leonid; Many lay people who lived an ascetic life went to this monk for spiritual advice 70 . The soldier Pavel, who had recently converted from the schism, had previously been a mentor to schismatics, and was literate, also visited him from the Pavlovsk regiment. Pavel's face shone with joy. But he, due to the strongest zeal that was kindled in him, indulged in an immoderate and incongruous physical feat, having an insufficient understanding of spiritual feat. One night Paul stood in prayer. Suddenly, a sun-like light appeared near the icons and in the middle of the light a dove shining white. A voice came from the dove: “Receive me: I am the Holy Spirit; I have come to make you my abode.” Paul expressed joyful agreement. A dove ascended into him through his lips, and Paul, exhausted by fasting and vigil, suddenly felt a strong lustful passion in himself: he abandoned prayer and ran into the whorehouse. His hungry passion made the saturation of passion insatiable. All the fornications and all the harlots available to him became his permanent hangout. Finally he came to his senses. He outlined his seduction by the demonic phenomenon and desecration by the consequences of delusion in a letter to Hieroschemamonk Leonid, who then lived in the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. The letter revealed the fallen man’s former high spiritual state. The mentioned young man was then the cell attendant of Hieroschemamonk Leonid (1827–1828) and, with the blessing of the elder, read Paul’s letter. Hieroschemamonk Leonid in the spring of 1828 moved from the Svirsky Monastery, initially to Ploshchanskaya, then to Optina Pustyn. He was accompanied by his cell attendant, who on this occasion visited some monasteries of the Kaluga and Oryol dioceses. When he was in the famous Beloberezhskaya Hermitage, then the cassock monk Serapion, who saw an angel in his solitary cell rule, was famous there for his ascetic life. Not only the laity, but also the monks - since in Russia the physical feat dominates, and the very concept of the spiritual has almost been lost - glorified Serapion and held him up as a model of monastic life. In 1829, Serapion moved due to mental illness to Optina Pustyn to lead the councils of Hieroschemamonk Leonid. During one of the meetings with the elder, he pulled out a significant part of the elder’s beard. Serapion, placed in the skete of Optina Pustyn out of respect for his ascetic glory, came one night to the head of the skete, Hieromonk Anthony, announcing that John the Baptist had now appeared to him and ordered the slaughter of this Anthony, Hieromonk Leonid, Hieromonk Gabriel and the landowner Zhelyabovsky, who was then visiting the skete. “Where is your knife?” – the quick-witted and fearless Anthony asked him. “I don’t have a knife,” answered the seduced man. “So why do you come to cut without a knife?” - Anthony objected and removed the seduced man into his cell, who was supposed to be transferred to the insane asylum, where he died. Before his death, as we hear, Serapion came to his senses and departed with the hope of salvation. It should be noted that the fallen spirit, wanting to take possession of Christ’s ascetic, does not act in a powerful manner, but seeks to attract the person’s consent to the proposed delusion and, upon receiving consent, takes possession of the one who expressed consent. Saint David, describing the attack of a fallen angel on a person, expressed himself with all precision, saying: “The hedgehog catches the beggar, snatches the beggar, and at any time draws him into his net” (Ps. 9:30). The Holy Spirit acts autocratically, just as God comes while a person who has humbled himself and humbled himself does not at all expect His coming. Suddenly changes the mind, changes the heart. By its action it embraces all the will and all the abilities of a person who does not have the opportunity to reflect on the action taking place in him. Grace, when it is in someone, does not show anything ordinary or sensual, but secretly teaches what has never been seen or imagined before. Then the mind secretly learns high and hidden secrets, which, according to the Divine Paul, the human eye cannot see, below which the mind can comprehend by itself... “The human mind by itself, not being united with the Lord, reasons according to its own strength. When he is united with the fire of the Divine and the Holy Spirit, then we all possess the Divine Light, the whole becomes light, burns in the flame of the All-Holy Spirit, is filled with the Divine mind, and it is impossible for him in the flame of the Divine to think about his own, and about what he would like.” This is what St. Maximus Kapsokalivi said to St. Gregory of Sinai 71. On the contrary, when a demonic phenomenon occurs, a person is always given the freedom to judge the phenomenon, accept or reject it. This is evident from the demon's attempts to deceive the saints of God. Once, when the Monk Pachomius the Great was in solitude outside the monastic rumors, the devil appeared to him in great light, saying: “Rejoice, Pachomius! I am Christ, and I have come to you as my friend.” The saint, reasoning with himself, thought: “The coming of Christ to man is united with joy, free from fear. At that hour all human thoughts disappear: then the whole mind is fixed on the vision of the visible. But seeing this one present himself to me, I am filled with confusion and fear. This is not Christ, but Satan." After this reflection, the monk boldly said to the one who appeared: “Devil! Get away from me: cursed are you, and your vision, and the deceit of your evil plans.” The devil immediately disappeared, filling the cell with stench 72 . It is impossible for a person who is still in the realm of carnal wisdom, who has not received a spiritual view of fallen human nature, not to give some value to his deeds and not to recognize some dignity in himself, no matter how many humble words such a person utters and no matter how humble he appears in appearance. True humility is not characteristic of carnal wisdom and is impossible for it: humility is an attribute of the spiritual mind. The Monk Mark the Ascetic says: “Those who have not considered themselves debtors to every commandment of Christ, honor the Law of God bodily, not understanding either what they say or what they are based on, and therefore think of fulfilling it by “deeds” 73 . From the words of the reverend father, it is clear that anyone who acknowledges any good deed is in a state of self-delusion. This state of self-delusion serves as the basis of demonic delusion: the fallen angel finds refuge in the false, proud concept of a Christian, conveniently grafts his seduction onto this concept, and through seduction subjugates a person to his power, plunges him into the so-called demonic delusion. From the above experiences it is clear that not a single one of those who were deceived recognized himself as unworthy of seeing the angels; therefore, he recognized some dignity in himself. Otherwise, a carnal and spiritual person cannot judge himself. That is why the holy fathers said in general about all ascetics who are not sufficiently educated by spiritual activity and not overshadowed by grace, that silence destroys them. The behavior of the Monk Barsanuphius the Great and his fasting companion John the Prophet, who themselves were hermits in the hostel of Abba Serida, is instructive regarding hermits and silence. All the brethren of that monastery, or at least most of the brethren, were guided by the instructions of these great saints of God, filled with the Spirit of God; Hegumen Serid himself, whom Barsanuphius the Great called his son, was guided by their instructions. Serid served the holy elder, who remained hopelessly in his cell, receiving only Serid and through him giving written answers to the other brethren. The brethren of the monastery, guided by the edifications of divinely inspired men, experienced rapid and abundant spiritual progress. Some of them became capable of a reclusive life, to which they were called by God, who foresaw their ability. Thus, the Great Barsanuphius foretold to John of Mirosavsky that silence was destined for him by God and, having prepared this monk to live according to the Gospel commandments among the monastic community, in the crucible of obedience, at the time indicated by God, he brought him into seclusion 74. From the correspondence of the Great Barsanuphius with John of Mirosavsky it is clear that John, even upon entering the seclusion, was overwhelmed by passionate thoughts. Other monks who were allowed to go into seclusion were even more indignant at their passions, but the seclusion was not forbidden to them. On the contrary, the reverend Abba Dorotheos, who was distinguished by both worldly and spiritual wisdom, the ability to lead other monks, who actually proved this spiritual gift, was forbidden by the spirit-bearing elders to go into seclusion, no matter how much he desired it. “Silence,” they told him, “gives a person a reason for arrogance before he acquires himself, that is, he is blameless. Only then does true silence take place when a person has already bore the cross. And so, if you have compassion for your neighbors, you will receive help, but if you hold yourself back from compassion, wanting to ascend into something that is beyond your measure, then know that you will lose what you have. Do not turn aside either inward or outward, but keep in the middle, understanding that this is the will of the Lord, “for the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16) 75. My words mean: do not dare to remain silent and do not neglect yourself when you are in the midst of care - this is the middle path, safe from falling. In silence, one must have humility and, when in care, be vigilant over oneself and keep one’s thoughts. All this is not limited to any specific time. Everyone must endure with thanksgiving what befalls him out of necessity. The more a person descends into humility, the more successful he is. Staying in a cell does not make you experienced, because you stay in it without sorrow (obviously: due to the failure to fight with demons, which leads those shut up in the cell into such severe sorrow and struggle, which are completely unknown to the common monk) 76 . And because you abandon all concerns ahead of time, the enemy is preparing not peace for you, but rather confusion, so that he will finally force you to say: it would be better if I had not been born.” 77 The Monk Dorotheos, recognized as a saint by the universal Church, one of the most excellent ascetic writers, remained in a hostel among the brotherhood, and after the death of the holy mentors he founded his monastery and was its abbot. Saint John of the Climacus notes that those inclined to arrogance and other spiritual passions should in no way choose for themselves a solitary life, but remain in the midst of brotherhood and be saved by doing the commandments 78 because all living, whether in the desert or in a community, when it is in accordance with the will of God and when its goal is to please God, is blessed 79 . From a premature retreat, demonic delusion vegetates, not only obvious, but also invisible in appearance: mental, moral, incomparably more dangerous than the first, as it is very difficult to heal, and often incapable of healing. This kind of delusion, based on arrogance, is called by the holy fathers “opinion” 80 and consists in the fact that when an ascetic accepts false concepts about spiritual objects and about himself, he considers them true. False concepts and contemplations, due to the natural sympathy and assistance of the mind to the heart and the heart to the mind, are certainly accompanied by seductive, sweet, heartfelt sensations: they are nothing more than the action of refined voluptuousness and vanity. Those infected with this delusion became preachers of false ascetic teachings, and sometimes even heresiarchs for the eternal destruction of themselves and their neighbors. Saint Isaac of Syria in the 55th Word mentions that a certain Malpas spent a strict ascetic life in seclusion in order to achieve a high spiritual state, fell into arrogance and obvious demonic delusion, and became the inventor and leader of the Euctite heresy. An example of an ascetic book written from a state of delusion called opinion is the work of Thomas à Kempis entitled “The Imitation of Jesus Christ.” It breathes refined voluptuousness and arrogance, which in people blinded and filled with passions produce pleasure, which they recognize as tasting Divine grace. Unhappy and darkened! They do not understand that having smelled the refined stench of the passions living within themselves, they enjoy it, recognizing it in their blindness as the stench of grace! They do not understand that only saints are capable of spiritual pleasure; that spiritual pleasure must be preceded by repentance and cleansing from passions; that the sinner is incapable of spiritual pleasure; that he must recognize himself as unworthy of pleasure, reject it if it begins to come to him, reject it as unusual for himself, as obvious and harmful self-delusion, as a refined movement of vanity, arrogance and voluptuousness. Like Malpas, Francis d'Asiz, Ignatius Loiola and other ascetics of Latin 81, recognized in its depths as saints, achieved the strongest demonic delusion in their hermitage. “When Francis was caught up into heaven,” says the writer of his life, “God the Father, seeing him, was for a moment at a loss as to who to give priority to, whether His Son by nature, or His son by grace, Francis.” What could be more terrible, uglier than this blasphemy, sadder than this beauty! At present, in our fatherland, hermitage in a deserted desert can be considered absolutely impossible, and seclusion is very difficult as it is more dangerous and more incompatible than ever. We must see the will of God in this and submit to it. If you want to be a silent person pleasing to God, love silence and get used to it with all possible effort. Do not allow yourself idle talk, either in church, or at meals, or in your cell; do not allow yourself to leave the monastery except for the most extreme need and for the shortest time; do not allow yourself to make acquaintances, especially close ones, either outside or inside the monastery; do not allow yourself free circulation and harmful entertainment; behave like a wanderer and a stranger both in the monastery and in your earthly life itself you will become a God-loving silencer, a hermit, a hermit. If God sees you capable of desert or seclusion, then He Himself, by His ineffable destinies, will give you a deserted and silent life, as He delivered it to the blessed Seraphim of Sarov, or He will deliver a seclusion, as He delivered it to Blessed George, the recluse of the Zadonsk monastery. Chapter 12. About living in obedience to the elder What has been said about hermitage and seclusion must also be said about obedience to the elders in the form in which it was in ancient monasticism; such obedience is not given to our time. The Monk Cassian the Roman says that the Egyptian fathers, among whom monasticism especially flourished and bore amazing spiritual fruits, “affirm that it is characteristic of the wise to rule and be governed well, and define that this is the greatest gift and grace of the Holy Spirit” 82 . A necessary condition for such obedience is a spirit-bearing mentor, who, by the will of the Spirit, would mortify the fallen will of the one who submitted to him in the Lord, and in this fallen will, mortify all passions. The fallen and corrupted will of man contains within itself the desire for all passions. It is obvious that the mortification of the fallen will, accomplished so majestically and victoriously by the will of the Spirit of God, cannot be accomplished by the fallen will of the mentor, when the mentor himself is still enslaved by passions. “If you want to renounce the world,” said Saint Simeon, the New Theologian, to the monks of his day, “and learn the gospel life, then do not betray (entrust) yourself to an unskilled or passionate teacher, lest you learn the devil’s life instead of the gospel life, because good teachers and teaching are good, but evil ones are evil: from evil seeds evil ones will certainly grow.” fruits. Anyone who does not see and promises to instruct others is a deceiver and plunges those following him into the pit of destruction according to the word of the Lord: “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14) 83. In another case, this great relative of God, advising the monk to act according to the instructions of his spiritual father, adds: “However, let him do this only in such a case when he knows that his spiritual father is a partaker of the Spirit, that he will not tell him the opposite of the will of God, but, according to his gift and to the extent of his obedience, will speak what is pleasing to God and useful for the soul, so as not to find himself obeying man and not God 84 . In this sense, the apostle also bequeaths: “Do not become slaves of men” (1 Cor. 7:23). He commands that the very service of servants to masters should be performed spiritually, and not in the character of people-pleasers, but in the character of servants of Christ, doing the will of God in outward service to men (Eph. 6:6). “Now,” says the apostle, “am I trampling on man or on God? or am I looking to please a person? Even if he had pleased man, he would never have been a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). “Do you not know that you are slaves to him in obedience” - to a man of carnal wisdom or to God - “you are slaves of nature, and you will listen to him, either sin and carnal wisdom leads to death, or obedience to the righteousness” of God and salvation (Rom. 6:16). Obedience forms the obedient in the image of the one to whom he obeys: “the sheep was conceived with a rod,” says Scripture (Gen. 30:39). Those elders who take on the “role”, let us use this unpleasant word belonging to the pagan world in order to more accurately explain the matter, which, in essence, is nothing more than soul-destroying acting and, the saddest comedy - the elders who take on the role of the ancient holy elders, not having their spiritual gifts, know that their very intention, their very thoughts and concepts about the great monastic work - obedience are false, that their very way of thinking, their reason, their knowledge are self-delusion and demonic delusion, which cannot fail to produce fruit corresponding to itself in what they teach. Their incorrect and insufficient mood can only remain unnoticed for some time by the inexperienced beginner led by them, if this beginner is at all intelligent and is engaged in holy reading with the direct intention of salvation. In due time, it must certainly reveal itself and serve as a reason for the most unpleasant separation, for the most unpleasant relationship between the elder and the student, for the mental disorder of both. It is a terrible thing to accept, out of conceit and willfully, duties that can only be performed at the command of the Holy Spirit and by the action of the Spirit; It’s a terrible thing to imagine yourself as a vessel of the Holy Spirit, while communication with Satan has not yet been broken and the vessel continues to be desecrated by the action of Satan! Such hypocrisy and hypocrisy is terrible! It is disastrous for oneself and for one’s neighbor, criminal before God, blasphemous. It will be in vain to point us to the Monk Zacharias, who, being in obedience to the inexperienced elder, his father according to the flesh, Karion, achieved monastic perfection 85, or to the Monk Akakios, who was saved by living with a cruel old man, who drove his disciple to a premature grave with inhuman beatings 86. Both were in obedience to the insufficient elders, but were guided by the advice of the spirit-bearing fathers, as well as by the most edifying examples, which were in abundance before their eyes: for this reason alone they could remain in outward obedience to their elders. These cases are outside the general order and rule. “The mode of action of God’s Providence,” said Saint Isaac of Syria, “is completely different from the general human order. Keep to the general order." They will object: the faith of a novice can replace the lack of an elder. It’s not true: faith in the truth saves, faith in lies and demonic delusion destroys, according to the teaching of the Apostle. “Love has not accepted the truth,” he says about those who perish arbitrarily, “how can they be saved. And for this reason, God will send (allow) them the act of flattery, so that they may believe lies: so that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness, may receive judgment” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). “According to my faith, be ye” (Matthew 9:29), said the Lord, the Self-Truth, to two blind men and healed them of blindness: they have no right to repeat the words of the Self-Truth, lies and hypocrisy to justify their criminal behavior, with which they destroy their neighbors. There have been cases, very, very rare, when faith, according to the special vision of God, acted through sinners, bringing about the salvation of these sinners. In Egypt, the elder of the robbers Flavian, intending to rob a certain nunnery, put on a monastic robe and came to this monastery. The nuns accepted him as one of the holy fathers, brought him into the church, asking him to bring a prayer to God for them, which Flavian fulfilled, against his will and to his surprise. Then the meal was presented to him. At the end of the meal, the nuns washed his feet. In the monastery, one of the sisters was blind and deaf. The nuns brought her and gave her water to drink, with which they washed the wanderer’s feet. The patient was immediately healed. The nuns glorified God and the holy life of the strange monk, proclaiming the miracle that had happened. The grace of God descended on the elder of the robbers: he brought repentance, and from the elder of the robbers he was transformed into a standard-bearing father 87 . In the life of Saint Theodore, Bishop of Odessa, we read that the harlot, forced by the desperate wife of Adera, brought a prayer to God for her deceased son, that the baby was resurrected through the harlot’s prayer. The harlot, horrified by what had happened to her, immediately left her sinful life, entered a monastery and through an ascetic life achieved holiness 88 . Such events are exceptions. Contemplating them, we will do the right thing if we are amazed at the sight and incomprehensible destinies of God, strengthened in faith and hope; We will do very wrong if we take these events as a role model. To guide our behavior, God Himself has given us the Law of God, that is, the Holy Scriptures and the scriptures of the Fathers. The Apostle Paul decisively says: “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you separate yourself from every brother, walking disorderly, and not according to tradition, which was received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). Tradition here refers to the moral tradition of the Church. It is set out in the Holy Scriptures and in the writings of the holy fathers. The Monk Pimen the Great ordered immediate separation from the elder, cohabitation with whom turns out to be harmful to the soul, 89 obviously due to this elder’s violation of the moral tradition of the Church. It’s a different matter when there is no mental harm, but only disturbing thoughts: disturbing thoughts are obviously demonic; there is no need to obey them as acting precisely where we receive spiritual benefit, which they want to steal from us. Monastic obedience in the form and character as it took place among ancient monasticism is a high spiritual sacrament. Comprehension of him and complete imitation of him have become impossible for us: perhaps just a reverent, prudent examination of him, perhaps the assimilation of his spirit. Then we will enter the path of correct judgment and soul-saving prudence, when, reading the experiences and rules of the work of the ancient fathers, their obedience, equally marvelous both in the leaders and in the led, we see in modern times the general decline of Christianity, we admit that we are unable to inherit the work of the fathers in its fullness and in all its abundance. And it is God’s great mercy to us, great happiness for us, that we are given the opportunity to feed on the grains falling from the spiritual table of our fathers. These grains do not constitute the most satisfying food, but they can, although not without a feeling of need and hunger, protect against mental death. Chapter 13. About residence by advice In the previous chapter, grains are the name given to the spiritual dwelling provided by the Providence of God to our time. It is based on guidance in the matter of salvation by the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the holy fathers, with advice and edification borrowed from modern fathers and brethren. In its own sense, this is the obedience of the ancient monks, in a different form, adapted to our weakness, mainly spiritual. To the ancient novices, their spirit-bearing mentors immediately and directly proclaimed the will of God: now monks themselves must search for the will of God in Scripture, and therefore be subjected to frequent and prolonged bewilderment and errors. Then prosperity was fast in the nature of doing, now it is again sluggish in the nature of doing. Such is the good will of our God towards us: we are obliged to submit to him and revere him with thanksgiving. Our modern monastic life, according to Scripture and the advice of the fathers and brethren, is sanctified by the example of the head of monasticism - St. Anthony the Great. He was not in obedience to the elder, but in his new beginning he lived separately and borrowed instructions from Scripture and from various fathers and brethren: from one he learned abstinence, from another - meekness, patience, humility, from another - strict vigilance over himself, silence, trying to assimilate the virtue of every virtuous monk, showing obedience to everyone as much as possible, humbling himself before everyone and praying to God incessantly 90. Do you too, beginner, in this way! Show the abbot and other monastic authorities unfeigned and inhumane obedience, obedience that is alien to flattery and caresses, obedience for the sake of God. Show obedience to all fathers and brothers in their orders, which are not contrary to the Law of God, the charter and order of the monastery and the order of the monastic authorities. But do not be obedient to evil, even if you happen to suffer some sorrow for your inhumanity and firmness. Consult with virtuous and wise fathers and brothers, but take their advice with extreme caution and prudence. Don’t get carried away with advice based on its initial effect on you! Due to your passion and blindness, other passionate and harmful advice may please you solely due to your ignorance and inexperience or because it pleases some hidden passion, unknown to you, living in you. With tears and heartfelt sighs, beg God that He will not allow you to deviate from His all-holy will to follow the fallen human will, yours or your neighbor, your advisor. Both about your thoughts and about the thoughts of your neighbor, about his advice, consult the Gospel. Vanity and conceit love to teach and instruct. They don't care about the merits of their advice! They do not think that they can inflict an incurable ulcer on their neighbor with absurd advice, which is accepted by an inexperienced beginner with unconscious confidence, with carnal and blood heat! They need success, whatever the quality of this success, whatever its beginning! They need to impress the newcomer and morally subjugate him to themselves! They need human praise! To be known as saints, wise men, visionaries, elders, teachers: they need to feed their insatiable vanity, their pride. The prayer of the prophet has always been fair, and it is especially true now: “Save me, O Lord, for I have become impoverished, for the truth has fallen away from the sons of men. A vain verb, every one to his sincere: the lips, flattering in the heart; and there is evil in the heart” (Ps. 11:2-3). A false and hypocritical word cannot but be an evil and harmful word. Caution must be taken against such sentiments. “Study the Divine Scripture,” says Simeon, the New Theologian, “and the writings of the holy fathers, especially active ones, so that by comparing the teaching and behavior of your teacher and heart with their teaching, you can see them (this teaching and behavior) as in a mirror and understand; to assimilate and contain in thought what is in agreement with Scripture; recognize and reject what is false and bad, so as not to be deceived. Know that these days there are many deceivers and false teachers." 91 The Monk Simeon lived in the tenth century after the birth of Christ, nine centuries before our time: it was already when the voice of the righteous was heard in the holy Church of Christ about the lack of true spirit-bearing leaders, about the multitude of false teachers. As time passed, satisfactory teachers of monasticism became more and more scarce; then the holy fathers began to offer more and more guidance from the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers. The Monk Nil of Sorsky, referring to the fathers who wrote before him, says: “It is no small feat,” they said, “to find a charming teacher for this wonderful work (true monastic heartfelt and mental prayer). They called the one who has the work and wisdom attested by the Divine Scripture and has acquired spiritual reasoning unpretentious. And then the holy fathers said that even then it was hardly possible to find an unprecious teacher of such subjects; now, when they have become extremely poor, we must search with all care. If it is not found, then the holy fathers commanded to learn from the Divine Scriptures, hearing the Lord Himself saying: “Test the Scriptures, and in them you will find eternal life” (John 5:39). “For it was written beforehand in the Holy Scriptures, for our punishment (instruction) it was written” (Rom. 15:4) 92. The Monk Neil lived in the 15th century; he founded a monastery not far from Bela Ozero, where he practiced prayer in deep solitude. It is useful to listen to the elders of modern times, with what humility and selflessness the Monk Nilus speaks about the instructions that he taught to the brethren. “No one should hide the words of God through his own negligence, but confess his weakness and at the same time not hide the truth of God, so as not to make us guilty of transgressing the commandment of God. Let us not hide the word of God, but let us proclaim it. The Divine Scriptures and the words of the holy fathers are as numerous as the sand of the sea: eagerly exploring them, we teach them to those who come to us and those who need them (demanding, questioning). It is more correct: it is not we who teach, because we are unworthy of it, but the blessed holy fathers who teach from the Divine Scripture” 93 . Here is an excellent example for modern instruction! It is quite spiritually beneficial for the mentor and the mentee; he is the correct expression of moderate prosperity; it is combined with the rejection of conceit, insane arrogance and audacity into which those who imitate in appearance the Great Barsanuphius and other standard-bearing fathers fall, without having the grace of their fathers. What was in those an expression of the abundant presence of the Holy Spirit in them, in the reckless, hypocritical imitators serves as an expression of abundant ignorance, self-delusion, pride, and insolence. Beloved fathers! Let us pronounce the word of God to our brethren with all possible humility and reverence, recognizing ourselves as insufficient for this service and protecting ourselves from vanity, which greatly chills passionate people when they teach the brethren. Consider that we must give account for every idle word (Matt. 12:36), the more painful is the answer for the word of God spoken with vanity and prompted by vanity. “The Lord will consume all flattering lips, a lofty tongue, saying: Let us magnify our tongue, our lips are with us: who is the Lord to us?” (Ps. 11:4, 5). The Lord will consume those who seek their own glory, and not God’s. Let us fear the rebuke of the Lord. Let us pronounce the word of edification as required by essential necessity, not as teachers, but as those in need of instruction and striving to become partakers of the instruction taught by God in His all-holy Word. “Everyone receives the gift,” says the holy Apostle Peter, “serving among themselves, as good builders of the various graces of God. If anyone speaks as the words of God, with the fear of God and reverence for the words of God, and not as his own words; If anyone serves as from the strength that God bestows, and not as from his own, let God be glorified in Jesus Christ in all things” (1 Pet. 4:11). He who acts from himself, acts for vanity, sacrifices himself and those who listen to him to Satan: he who acts from the Lord acts for the glory of the Lord, accomplishes his own salvation and the salvation of his neighbors by the Lord, the only Savior of men. Let us be afraid of teaching the original any thoughtless instruction that is not based on the word of God and on the spiritual understanding of the word of God. It is better to admit ignorance than to show knowledge that is harmful to your soul. Let us protect ourselves from the great disaster of turning the gullible novice from a servant of God into a servant of man (1 Cor. 7:23), by attracting him to the creation of the fallen will of man instead of the all-holy will of God” 94. The humble attitude of a counselor towards his disciple is completely different from that of an elder towards an unconditional novice, a servant in the Lord. The advice does not contain conditions for necessarily fulfilling it: it can be fulfilled or not fulfilled. The adviser does not bear any responsibility for his advice if he gave it with the fear of God and humility, not spontaneously, but being asked and forced. Likewise, the one who receives advice is not bound by it; It is up to arbitrariness and reasoning to carry out or not to carry out the advice received. It is obvious how the path of advice and following the Holy Scriptures is consistent with our weak times. Let us note that the fathers forbid giving advice to one's neighbor on one's own impulse, without asking one's neighbor: unauthorized giving of advice is a sign of one's consciousness of spiritual knowledge and dignity, which is obvious pride and self-delusion 95 . This does not apply to superiors and leaders, who are obliged at all times, in every need encountered and without being asked, to instruct the brotherhood entrusted to them (2 Tim. 4:2). But when visiting other monasteries, they should be guided by the advice of St. Macarius of Alexandria to St. Pachomius the Great. Pachomius asked Macarius about the instruction of the brethren and the trial of them. Abba Macarius answered: “TEACH and judge your subordinates and do not judge any of the strangers” 96. This rule was and is observed by all abbots who want to please God. Chapter 14. The purpose of monastic life is to study the will of God, to assimilate it to oneself, and to submit to it The essence of monastic life is to heal one’s damaged will, unite it with the will of God, and sanctify it with this union. Our will, in a state of fall, is hostile to the will of God; due to its blindness and state of enmity towards God, it constantly strengthens to oppose the will of God. When her efforts remain unsuccessful, she leads a person into irritation, indignation, embarrassment, grief, despondency, murmuring, blasphemy, and despair. In the renunciation of one's will in order to inherit the will of God, there is renunciation of oneself, commanded by the Savior, which constitutes a necessary condition for salvation and Christian perfection, so necessary that without satisfying this condition, salvation is impossible, much less Christian perfection is impossible. “The life is in His will,” said the prophet (Ps. 29:6). To fulfill the will of God, you need to know it. Only with this knowledge is it possible to reject one’s damaged will and heal it by the will of God. The will of God is a divine mystery. “No one knows the message of God,” says the apostle, “but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). Consequently, the delivery to people of the knowledge of God's will can only be accomplished through Divine revelation. “Teach me to do Thy will,” prayed the inspired David, “for Thou art my God. Your good Spirit will guide me to the right land” (Ps 143:10). “Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law” (Ps. 119:18). “Hide not Thy commandments from Me” (Ps. 119:19). The will of God is revealed to humanity in the Law of God, but primarily, with special accuracy and detail, it is declared to us by the Word of God made man. As something beyond comprehension, it is accepted by faith. “I came down from heaven,” said the Savior, “not to do My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, so that I will not destroy everything that Mi has given, but I will raise it up on the last day. This is the will of him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38–40). “I did not speak from Myself: but the Father sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should say. And we know that His commandment is eternal life” (John 12:49–50). Studying the will of God is work filled with joy, full of spiritual consolation, and at the same time work associated with great sorrows, sorrows, temptations, with selflessness, with the mortification of fallen nature, with the saving destruction of the soul. It is associated with the crucifixion of the old man (Gal. 5:24; Col. 3:9–10). He demands that carnal wisdom be rejected, trampled upon, destroyed: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” says the apostle, “in order to test you, what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). With such certainty the Son of God revealed the will of God to men, with such significant consequences He combined this manifestation of the will of God, that the Holy Scripture calls Him the one who confessed God (John 1:18), i.e. who revealed in the fullness in which humanity is capable of receiving, capable of receiving not by itself, but by the action of the abundant action of Divine grace. The words of the Lord have the same meaning: “I have revealed Your name to man” (John 17:6), “I have told them Your name, and I will say, Yes, by the same love You have loved Me, He will be in them, and I will be in them” (John 17:26) 97. The manifestation of the name of the One who is above every name is the most perfect knowledge of the One who is above all knowledge. The highest knowledge, which comes from the sanctification of man by the Divine will, leads into Divine love, into the union of man with God. Some of the Gospel commandments teach us to act in a manner pleasing to God; others teach us to behave in a godly manner in the face of outside influence on us. Studying the second is more difficult than learning the first; but the first will also be understood satisfactorily when the soul studies and accepts the second. It is necessary to assure yourself that God controls the participation of the world and the participation of each person. The experiences of life will not be slow to confirm and approve this teaching of the Gospel. The consequence of accepting this teaching by faith is humble submission to God, the retreat of confusion, peace of soul, and the strength of courage. Whoever accepts the teaching of the Gospel in this way will receive “the shield of faith, in which all the flaming arrows of the evil one will be able to be quenched” (Eph. 6:16). This faith is called active by the holy fathers, in contrast to dogmatic 98. It appears in a person from the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, grows as they are fulfilled, fades and is destroyed as they are neglected, transforms, in due time, after the overshadowing of grace, into living faith, fills the Christian with spiritual power, with which the saints of God “conquered kingdoms, did righteousness, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, having escaped the sharp sword, being strong from weakness, being strong in battle, putting to flight the hosts of strangers” (Heb. 11:33, 34). It is necessary to revere the destinies of God, incomprehensible to us, in all God’s permissions, both private and public, both civil, moral and spiritual. “Humble yourselves,” exhorts the holy Apostle Peter, “by the mighty hand of God, you have put away all your sorrow, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7). Humility is appropriate according to that excellent example that is presented to us by the Holy Scriptures in the prayer of the three holy youths, who were subjected to a severe test in Babylon for their faithfulness to God and recognized all God’s allowances as the consequences of God’s righteous judgment (Dan. 3). “Need is a temptation,” the Lord determined (Matthew 18:7); foreshadowing the terrible disasters that were to befall those who believe in Him and all humanity, He said: “See, do not be horrified, for it is fitting for all these things to happen” (Matthew 24:6). If so, then we have neither the right nor the opportunity to say or think anything against the determination pronounced by the all-good, all-wise, all-powerful God. “You will be betrayed,” the Lord foretold us, “by your parents and brothers and family and friends, and you will be put to death, and you will be hated by everyone for My name’s sake” (Luke 21:16–17). “Everyone who kills you will decide to offer service to God. You will be in a world of sorrow, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:2, 33). Having depicted and foreshadowed the position of true Christians during their earthly life, the position intended for them by God, the Lord added: “And the hair of your head will not perish” (Luke 21:18). This means: God will vigilantly provide for you; He will vigilantly watch over you, support you in His almighty right hand, and because no sorrowful thing happens to you, it will happen only by His permission, by His all-holy will, for your salvation. The Lord concluded the instruction to the disciples in relation to the misfortunes of earthly life that must befall them with a decisive and definite commandment: “In your patience your souls will be gained” (Luke 21:19). Recognize and confess God as the ruler of the world; reverently, with selflessness, submit and surrender to His will: from this consciousness, from this humility, holy patience will vegetate in your souls. It is known to the soul by the peace it brings to the soul. Every word against the destinies of God will die in the mouth, every thought will fall silent before the greatness of God’s will, as the holy evangelist Luke said about himself and about his comrades: “We kept silent, saying: the will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:14). You need to know that every thought that appears with the property of contradiction and opposition to the destinies of God comes from Satan and is his fiend. Such a thought must be rejected as ungodly at its very appearance. The Lord gave us an example of this. When He told the disciples about the suffering and violent death that lay ahead of Him, then the Apostle Peter, moved by compassion according to the nature of the old man, “began to contradict Him, saying: You are merciful, O Lord, that you should not have these things.” The Lord answered Peter, denouncing the beginning of the thought he expressed: “Follow me, Satan, you are the temptation of me: thinking not the things of God, but of men” (Matthew 16:22–23). Why is our spirit indignant against the destinies and permission of God? Because we have not honored God as God; because we have not submitted to God as God; because we have not given ourselves our due place before God; from our pride, from our blindness; because our fallen, damaged, perverted will is not destroyed and not rejected by us. “Then I will not be ashamed to always look upon all Your commandments. Let us confess to You in uprightness of heart, never having learned the destinies of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:6–7). “You are the God of my Savior, and I have endured You all day long” (Ps. 24:5), complacently enduring throughout my entire earthly life all the sorrows that You were pleased to allow me for my salvation. Saint John Climacus defines the gift of spiritual reasoning, which is sent down from God exclusively to monks who walk the path of humility and humility, as follows: “reasoning, in a broad sense, consists and is known in the infallible comprehension of the Divine will in every time, place and matter, which is characteristic of those who are pure in heart, body and lips” 99 . Chapter 15. Love for one's neighbor serves as a means of achieving love for God The Savior of the world combined all His private commandments into two main general commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” He said, “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is similar to it: love your sincere one as you love yourself. By this two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). Although the commandment about love for God is so much more exalted than the commandment about love for the image of God - man, as God is more exalted than His image, the commandment about love for one's neighbor serves as the basis for the commandment about love for God. He who has not laid a foundation labors in vain to build a building: it cannot possibly stand without a foundation. Through love for our neighbor we enter into love for God. A Christian's love for God is love for Christ (1 John 2:23), and love for one's neighbor is love for Christ in one's neighbor: having loved one's neighbor, having loved him in the Lord, that is, according to the commandments of the Lord, we acquire love for Christ, and love for Christ is love for God. The union of love for God with love for neighbor is excellently outlined in the epistles of the holy Apostle Evangelist John the Theologian. It is impossible to love God, according to the teaching of the Theologian, without first loving your brother. Love for a brother consists in fulfilling the commandments of the Lord regarding him (2 John 1:6). The same teaching is also proclaimed by the holy teachers of monasticism. St. Anthony the Great said: “Both life and death (souls) depend on one’s neighbor. By acquiring a brother, we gain God; By tempting a brother, we sin against Christ” 100. The Monk John Kolov, one of the greatest fathers of the Egyptian Skete, said: “It is not possible to build a house starting from the top, but you must start building from the foundation and build to the top.” He was asked: “What does foundation mean?” He answered: “The foundation is our neighbor; we must acquire it and begin with it. All the commandments of Christ are based on it” 101. Rev. Mark the Ascetic: “It is impossible to be saved otherwise than through your neighbor” 102. According to this, all the holy fathers reason and teach; this is the general Christian teaching, the teaching of the Church, the teaching of Christ. Pay all your attention to acquiring love for your neighbor as the basis of your life and monastic achievement. Love your neighbor according to the instructions of the Gospel commandments, not at all according to the inclination of your heart. The love planted by God in our nature is damaged by the fall and cannot function correctly. Don't let her act! Her actions are devoid of integrity, abominable before God, like a desecrated sacrifice; the fruits of actions are soul-destroying, murderous. Love your neighbor in the following way: do not be angry and do not bear any resentment against him; do not allow yourself to say any reproachful, abusive, mocking, cutting words to your neighbor; keep peace with him as much as possible; humble yourself before him; do not take revenge on him either directly or indirectly; in everything in which you can yield to him, yield; unlearn bickering and argument, reject them as a sign of pride and self-love; speak well of those who slander you: repay good for evil; pray for those who arrange for you various insults, insults, misfortunes, persecutions (Matthew 5:21-48). In no way, under any pretext, do not condemn anyone, do not even judge anyone, whether he is good or bad, having before your eyes that one bad person for whom you must answer before God - yourself. Act towards your neighbors as you would like them to act towards you (Matthew 7:1-12). Let go and forgive from the depths of your heart to people their sins against you, so that the Heavenly Father will forgive you your countless sins, your terrible sinful debt, which can overthrow you and imprison you forever in hellish prisons (Matthew 18:23-35). Do not acquire addiction, especially lustful passion for your neighbor; By the name of neighbor we mean not only the male, but also the female gender. If, having been struck by an arrow from the enemy, you somehow unexpectedly become infected with them, then do not be discouraged, knowing that we ourselves carry within ourselves the ability to become infected with all sorts of passions, that this has happened to great saints as well; make every effort to heal yourself. Finally, do not harm your brother by verbosity, idle talk, close acquaintance and free treatment of him. By behaving this way towards your neighbor, you will show and acquire for him the love commanded by God and pleasing to God; with it you will open for yourself the entrance to the love of God. Saint Simeon, the New Theologian, said: “You cannot acquire special love with any person, especially with a novice, even if it seems to you that this person has a very good life and not a shameful one. For for the most part, spiritual love turns into passionate love and you fall into useless sorrows. This happens most often to those who strive. You should consider yourself strange in relation to every brother in the hostel, especially in relation to those with whom you were familiar in the world, and love everyone equally” 103. Saint Isaac: “Love of the young is fornication, which God abhors. There is no band-aid for this wound. He who loves everyone equally with mercy and without distinction has achieved perfection. The young one, following the young one, leads the prudent to weep and lament for them. The old man, who follows the young man, has acquired a passion that is more stinking than the passion of the young; even if he talked with them about virtue, his heart was wounded” 104. Chapter 16. Humility before one's neighbor serves as a means of achieving love for one's neighbor Love for one's neighbor is preceded and accompanied by humility before him. Hatred of one's neighbor is preceded by condemnation of him, humiliation, slander, contempt for him, otherwise pride. The holy monks constantly remembered the words of Christ: “Amen I say to you: if you alone have made these least of my brothers, you have made them for Me” (Matthew 25:40). They did not enter into consideration of whether one's neighbor was worthy of respect or not; They did not pay attention to the multitude and obviousness of his shortcomings: their attention was drawn to the fact that the concept that our neighbor is the image of God, that Christ accepts our actions regarding our neighbor as if they were committed in relation to Him, would not somehow be hidden from them. The proud fallen angel hates such a concept and uses all measures to steal it from a Christian in an imperceptible way. This concept is not akin to the carnal and spiritual wisdom of fallen human nature, and special attention is needed to keep it in memory. A significant spiritual feat is needed, the assistance of Divine grace is needed in order to assimilate this concept to a heart damaged by sin, in order to constantly have it in mind when communicating with the brethren. When this concept, by the grace of God, is assimilated to us, then it will become a source of the purest love for our neighbors, equal love for everyone. The reason for such love is one - Christ, revered and loved in every neighbor. This concept becomes a source of the sweetest tenderness, the warmest, undistracted, most concentrated prayer. The Monk Abba Dorotheos used to say to his disciple, the Monk Dositheus, who was at times prompted by anger: “Dositheos, are you angry and are not ashamed that you are angry and offend your brother? Don’t you know that he is Christ and that you are insulting Christ?” 105. The Venerable Great Apollos often told his disciples about accepting the strange brethren who came to him, that it was appropriate to honor them with earthly worship: when we bow to them, we bow not to them, but to God. “Have you seen your brother? You have seen the Lord your God. This,” he said, “we received from Abraham (Gen. 18), and we learned from Lot, who forced (persuaded) the angels to spend the night in his house” (Gen. 19) 106, that we should calm the brethren (shelter, provide hospitality). This way of thinking and behavior was adopted by all the monks of Egypt, the first in the whole world in terms of monastic success and gifts of the Holy Spirit. These monks were honored to be foreseen and foreshadowed by the prophet: “women of prayer will come from Egypt,” Saint David predicted about the monks of Egypt (Ps. 67:32). The Venerable Cassian the Roman, a church writer of the 4th century, narrates the following: “When we (the Venerable Cassian and his friend in the Lord, the Venerable Herman), wanting to study the decrees of the elders, arrived from the Syrian countries to the region of Egypt, we were surprised that they received us there with extraordinary cordiality, and the rule for eating food was never observed, for which a certain hour was appointed, contrary to how we were taught in the Palestinian monasteries. Wherever we went, the established fast of that day was allowed, with the exception of the fast legalized (by the Church) on Wednesdays and Fridays. We asked one of the elders: for what reason do they skip daily fasting without distinction? He answered: Fasting is always with me; but I must let you go immediately and cannot always have you with me. Although fasting is useful and constantly needed, it is a gift and an arbitrary sacrifice, and fulfillment by a deed of love is an indispensable duty required by the commandment. Receiving Christ in your person, I must show Him all zealous hospitality; Having seen you off, after showing love, the reason for which is He, I can reward the permission with intense fasting, in private. The sons of the marriage cannot eat or fast with them until the groom. When the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they fast lawfully” (Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34–35) 107. Living in a monastery with the brethren, recognize yourself alone as a sinner, and all the brethren, without exception, as angels, give preference to everyone before yourself. When your neighbor is preferred to you, rejoice at this and approve of it as the most just action. You will conveniently achieve such a state of mind if you move away from close acquaintance and from free circulation. On the contrary, allowing yourself close acquaintance and free circulation, you will never be worthy to come into the dispensation of the saints, you will not be worthy to say from sincere consciousness, to say with the Apostle Paul: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15). Because of humility before one's neighbor and because of love for one's neighbor, bitterness recedes from the heart. It falls away like a heavy stone from the entrance to a tomb, and the heart comes to life for a spiritual relationship with God, for which it was hitherto dead. A new sight opens to the eyes of the mind: numerous sinful ulcers with which all fallen human nature is filled. He begins to confess his plight before God and beg Him for mercy. The heart helps the mind with crying and tenderness. This is the beginning of true prayer. On the contrary, Saint Isaac of Syria compares the prayer of the memory-evil one to sowing on a stone 108 . The same should be said about the prayer of one who condemns and despises his neighbors. God not only does not heed the prayer of the proud and angry, but also allows the one praying in such a spiritual dispensation various humiliating temptations, so that, struck and oppressed by them, he resorts to humility before his neighbor and to the love of his neighbor. Prayer is an active expression of a monk’s love for God 109. Prayer, being the daughter of fulfilling the Gospel commandments, is also the mother of all virtues, according to the general opinion of the holy fathers 110. Prayer gives birth to virtues from the union of the human spirit with the Spirit of the Lord. The virtues that give rise to prayer are distinguished from the virtues that are born from prayer: the first are spiritual, the second are spiritual. Prayer is primarily the fulfillment of the first and most important commandment of those two commandments in which the law, the prophets and the Gospel are concentrated (Matthew 22:37–40). It is impossible for a person to strive with all his thoughts, with all his strength, with all his being towards God except through the action of prayer, when it rises from the dead 111 and is revived, as it were, by the soul, by the power of grace. Prayer is the mirror of monastic prosperity 112. Considering his prayer, the monk knows whether he has achieved salvation, or whether he is still in misery in the agitated passionate sea, outside the sacred pier. For such knowledge, he has as a guide the divinely inspired David, who, prayerfully speaking to God, said this: “In this knowledge, because you have delighted in me, because my enemy will not rejoice in me. But you accepted me for my kindness, and you established me before You forever” (Ps. 40:12–13). This means: I learned, Lord, that you had mercy on me, and took into Yourself, through my constant victorious rejection, by the power of my prayer, all enemy thoughts, dreams and sensations. This mercy of God towards man appears when a man feels mercy towards all his neighbors and forgives all those guilty before him (Matthew 6:14–15, 7:2; Luke 6:37–38). Prayer should be the main feat of a monk. All his exploits must be concentrated and combined in it; through it the monk cleaves most closely to the Lord, unites into one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:11). From the very moment you enter the monastery, you must learn the correct prayer in order to succeed in it and through it work out your salvation. The correctness of prayer and success in it are opposed by our damaged nature and fallen angels, who are trying to keep us in their enslavement, in the fall and rejection from God, common to humans and fallen angels. Chapter 18. About preparation for prayer According to the importance of prayer, before practicing it, you need to prepare yourself for it. “Before even praying, prepare for yourself, and do not become like a man tempting the Lord” (Sir. 18:23). “When we go to appear before the King and God and speak with Him,” says Saint John Climacus, “let us do this not without preparation, so that He does not see from afar that we do not have the weapons and clothes necessary to stand before the King, and He does not command His servants and servants to tie us up and drive us somewhere far from His face, and tear up our petitions and throw them in our faces.” 113. The first preparation is to reject the memory of malice and condemnation of neighbors. This preparation is commanded by the Lord Himself. “When you stand praying,” He commands, “forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will forgive you your sins. If you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25–26). Further preparation is the rejection of care through the power of faith in God, the power of obedience and devotion to the will of God, the consciousness of one’s sinfulness and the contrition and humility of spirit flowing from this consciousness. One sacrifice accepted by God from fallen human nature is contrition of the spirit. “If you had desired sacrifice, you would have given it,” His prophet says to God on behalf of every fallen person and those who remain in their fall; but You do not favor not only any private sacrifice, physical or mental, but also a complete burnt offering. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:18–19). Saint Isaac of Syria repeats the following saying of another holy father: “If anyone does not recognize himself as a sinner, his prayer is unfavorable to the Lord” 114 . Stand in your prayer before the invisible God, as if you saw Him and with the confidence that He sees you, looks attentively at you; stand before the invisible God, as a criminal stands, convicted of countless atrocities, sentenced to death, before a formidable, impartial judge. Exactly: you stand before your sovereign Lord and Judge; you stand before such a Judge, before whom “everyone living will not be justified” (Ps. 142:2), Who always wins, “He never judges” (Ps. 50:6), Who only does not condemn when, out of His ineffable love for mankind, having forgiven a person his sins, He does not enter “into judgment with His servant” (Ps. 143:2). Having felt the fear of God, having felt the presence of God from the action of the fear of God during your prayer, you will see the invisible, spiritually, Invisible, you will know that prayer is a presence at the Last Judgment of God 115. Stand in prayer with your head bowed, your eyes directed to the ground, on both legs equally and motionless: assist your prayer with weeping hearts, sighs from the depths of your soul, and copious tears. External reverent standing in prayer is very necessary and very useful for everyone who struggles in the feat of prayer, especially for the novice, in whom the disposition of the soul is most consistent with the position of the body. The Apostle commands thanksgiving during prayer: “endure in prayer,” he says, “being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2, coll. Phil. 4:6). The Apostle testifies that thanksgiving is commanded by God Himself: “Pray without ceasing; give thanks in everything; For this is the will of God regarding Christ Jesus in you” (1 Thess. 5:17–18). What does thanksgiving mean? This is the praise of God for His countless blessings poured out on all humanity and on every person. With such thanksgiving a wonderful calmness is introduced into the soul; joy is introduced, despite the fact that sorrow surrounds you from everywhere; a living faith is introduced, due to which a person rejects all concerns about himself, tramples upon human and demonic fear, and surrenders himself entirely to the will of God. This disposition of the soul is an excellent preparatory disposition for prayer. “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord,” says the apostle, “so walk (live) in Him, being rooted and built up in Him and known by faith, as you have learned, abounding in it with thanksgiving,” that is, through thanksgiving, acquiring an abundance of faith. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, rejoice: the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Col. 2:6–7; Phil. 4:4–6). The importance of mental achievement - thanksgiving - is set out in particular detail in the Guide to the Spiritual Life of the Venerable Fathers Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet. Chapter 19. About attention during prayer Prayer requires constant co-presence and the assistance of attention. With attention, prayer is the inalienable property of the one praying; in the absence of attention, it is alien to the person praying. With attention it bears abundant fruit; without attention it bears thorns and thistles. The fruit of prayer consists in enlightening the mind and tenderness of the heart, in reviving the soul with the life of the Spirit; Thorns and thistles are the deadness of the soul, Pharisaic conceit, vegetating out of heartfelt bitterness, content and exalted with the number of prayers and the time spent on pronouncing these prayers. That attention that completely keeps prayer from entertainment or from extraneous thoughts and dreams is a gift of God’s grace. We prove our sincere desire to receive the gift of grace, the soul-saving gift of attention, by forcing ourselves to pay attention during every prayer. Artificial attention - this is what we call our own attention, not yet overshadowed by grace - consists in, according to the advice of St. John Climacus, enclosing the mind in the words of prayer. If the mind, due to its news in the feat of prayer, comes out of its conclusion into words, then it must again introduce it into them. Characteristic of the mind, in its state of fall, inconsistency and disposition to float everywhere. But God can grant him steadfastness and grants it in due time for constancy and patience in his struggle 116. Especially conducive to maintaining attention during prayer is the very leisurely pronunciation of the words of the prayer. Pronounce the words slowly, so that the mind can more easily retain its conclusion in the words of the prayer, so that it does not escape from a single word of it. Saying the words a few times out loud when you are praying alone will help maintain your attention. Attentive prayer can and should be learned with particular convenience when performing the cell rule. Beloved brother! Do not reject the yoke of some boredom and some compulsion, initially getting accustomed to monastic cell activities, especially to the cell prayer rule. Stock up in good time with an omnipotent weapon - prayer: learn to use it in good time. Prayer is omnipotent because of the omnipotent God at work in it. She is the spiritual sword, which is the word of God 117. Prayer in its quality is a person’s presence with God and the union of a person with God; in its action, it is the reconciliation of man with God, the mother and daughter of tears, the bridge over which one passes through temptations, the wall that protects from sorrows, the crushing of battles, endless work, the source of virtues, the cause of spiritual gifts, invisible prosperity, food for the soul, enlightenment of the mind, cutting off despair, indicating hope, resolving sadness, the wealth of monks 118. First one must be compelled to pray; soon she will begin to provide consolation, and with this consolation to ease the compulsion, to encourage herself to compel herself. But prayer requires compulsion throughout life, 119 and rare ascetics have freed themselves, due to the most abundant grace-filled consolation, from forcing themselves: prayer has a deadly effect on our old man; As long as he is alive in us, he resists prayer as a taste of death. Fallen spirits, knowing the power of prayer and its beneficial effect, try in every possible way to distract the ascetic from it, teaching him to use the time designated for prayer on other things: or they try to destroy and defile it with vain and sinful absent-mindedness, bringing in countless worldly and sinful thoughts and dreams while performing it. Chapter 20. About the cell rule The cell rule consists of a certain number of bows, a certain number of prayers and psalms, and the exercise of the Jesus Prayer. It is assigned to each person according to the strength of the soul and body. Since these forces are endlessly varied in people, the rule is offered to ascetics in the most varied forms. The general rule for a prayer rule is that it should not in any way exceed the ascetic’s strength, should not deplete these strength, should not upset his health, and thus should not force the ascetic to abandon any rule. Abandoning a prayer rule is usually a consequence of a rule adopted or imposed beyond one’s strength. On the contrary, a moderate, prudent rule remains the property of a monk for his entire life; towards the end of his life it develops and multiplies as if naturally, taking on both in appearance and in inner dignity a character corresponding to success. When performing the rule, a strong and healthy body is required to have a large number of bows and a large number of prayers, and a weak body is required to do less. Human bodies differ so much from each other in relation to strength that some are more tired from 30 prostrations than others from 300. Bows are divided into ground and waist bows; They usually rely on the evening rule, before repose to sleep. It is best to bow before reading the evening prayers, that is, to begin the rule with bows. From bowing, the body will become somewhat tired and warm, and the heart will come into a state of contrition: from such a state, the ascetic will pray more fervently, warmly, and more attentively. You will feel a completely different taste in prayers when they are read after bowing. Bows must be made very slowly, animated by this bodily feat in the cry of the heart and the prayerful cry of the mind. If you want to begin kneeling, give your body the most reverent position that a servant and creation of God should have in the presence of the Lord his God. Then collect your thoughts from wandering everywhere and with extreme leisurely, aloud only to yourself, enclosing your mind in words, say from a contrite and humble heart the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Having said your prayer, slowly bow to the ground, with reverence and fear of God, without heat, with the feeling of a sinner repenting and begging for forgiveness, as if at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Do not imagine in your mind an image or image of the Lord, but have conviction in His presence; have the conviction that He is looking at you, at your mind and heart, and that His reward is in His hand: the first is an impermissible dream leading to disastrous self-delusion, and conviction in the presence of the omnipresent God is conviction in the all-holy truth 120. Having bowed to the ground, again bring your body into reverence and calmness, and again slowly say the above prayer; Having said it, bow again in the above manner. Do not worry about the number of bows: pay all attention to the quality of the prayer performed with kneeling. Not to mention the effect on the spirit, a small number of bows performed in the above manner will have a much stronger effect on the body itself than a large number performed hastily, without attention, for the sake of counting. Experience will not be slow to prove this. Having tired yourself from kneeling, move on to bowing from the waist. The measure of the bow is determined by when, during execution, his lowered hand touches the ground or floor. Having made it an indispensable duty when performing prostrations to perform abundant spiritual activity, consisting of attentiveness, slowness, reverence, and the intention to bring repentance to God, the ascetic will see within a short time how many prostrations his physique can bear. Having excluded from this number several bows in the form of his weakness and self-indulgence, from the remaining number of bows he can establish a daily rule for himself and, having asked for the blessing of a confessor or abbot, or one of the monks to whom he has power of attorney and with whom he consults, he can apply such a rule daily. For the edification of our beloved brothers, let us not remain silent about the following: bows performed for the sake of numbers, inanimate by correct mental and heartfelt deeds, are more harmful than beneficial. The ascetic, having fulfilled them, begins to rejoice. Behold, he says to himself, like the Pharisee mentioned in the Gospel, today God has vouchsafed to make (approximately) three hundred bows! God bless! Is it easy? In modern times, three hundred bows! Who now bears such a rule? And so on. It must be remembered that bowing warms the blood, and warmed blood greatly contributes to the stimulation of mental activity; Having come to such a disposition, the poor ascetic, for the sole reason that he has no concept of true spiritual activity, indulges in soul-harmful mental activity, indulges in vain thoughts and dreams based on his feat, through which he thinks to succeed. The ascetic delights in these thoughts and dreams, cannot get enough of them, internalizes them, implants in himself the destructive passion of conceit. Conceit soon begins to manifest itself in secret condemnation of neighbors and in an obvious disposition to lecture them. Obviously, such an attitude is a sign of pride and self-delusion: if the monk had not considered himself superior to his neighbor, he would not have dared to teach him. This is the fruit of any bodily feat, if it is not animated by the intention of repentance and does not have the goal of repentance alone, if the feat in itself is given a Price. True monastic success lies in when the monk sees himself as the most sinful of all people. “The brother said to the Monk Sisoes the Great: “I see that my thought is constantly with God.” The monk answered: “It is not great that your thought is constantly with God; great is it when a monk sees himself under every creature” 121. This was the way of thinking of true servants of God, true monks: it was formed in them from correct spiritual activity. With correct spiritual activity, physical feat is of great importance, being an expression of repentance and humility through the actions of the body. “See my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins” (Ps. 24:18), Saint David prayerfully cries out to God, who in his pious deed combined physical labor with deep repentance and deep humility. Chapter 22. On the application of the cell rule to the monastic rule In some Russian monasteries, in very few that follow the rules of the Sarov Hermitage, the evening rule is celebrated in the church with bows; in some cenobitic monasteries there is a rule without bowing; In most monasteries, the evening rule is left to the discretion of the brotherhood, and is carried out by those who wish to do so in their cells. In the Sarov Hermitage and other monasteries that follow its rules, the work is so significant that hardly anyone from the brotherhood can perform cell work in addition to church rules. But others are very strong in body, and the bodily labors of even the Sarov Hermitage and the Valaam Monastery are not enough to tire their body, which is full of strength. For those who excessively worship by force or live in monasteries in which the rule is not combined with bows or there is no general evening rule at all, we offer the following poor advice: the evening rule must be performed, applying the rule taught by the angel to the Monk Pachomius the Great. Applying it because at the present time, both due to our weakness and according to the rules generally accepted in our monasteries, it is impossible for us to fully and exactly fulfill the rule taught by the angel in accordance with the ancient life of the monks. You should not be embarrassed by what has been said. And our monastic order in our country is blessed from above: it corresponds to our weakness and our time. Considering how the rule taught by the angel 122 lays down the law, you can give your cell rule the following order: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee”; King of heaven; Trisagion; Our Father; Lord have mercy - 12 times; Come, let us worship; Psalm 50; Creed; then the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” During this prayer, some make 20 bows to the ground and 20 from the waist, others - 30 bows to the ground and the same number from the waist, others 40 bows to the ground and the same number from the waist, and so on. It is useful to add several prostrations to the ground and from the waist with the prayer to the Mother of God: “My Most Holy Lady, Mother of God, save me a sinner.” After completing the required number of genuflections and bows, one should not remain idle. The mind and heart should not be given the freedom to wander indiscriminately into thoughts and feelings of any kind: it should immediately move on to prayer or the Jesus Prayer. Having accomplished a physical feat, warming his body and blood with it, the ascetic receives, as said above, a special disposition towards spiritual work, and if the soul is not immediately given the right and saving work, then it can easily turn to wrong and harmful work, to thoughts and dreams that are empty and harmful. We must carefully preserve and use with benefit the fruit acquired through correct bodily deeds. Invisible enemies and tati are not asleep! Our most fallen nature will not be slow to produce tares akin to it. The purity, liveliness of the mind and tenderness of the heart acquired during prayer with bows must immediately be used for prayer without bows, slowly and quietly pronounced with the lips, out loud to oneself, while concluding the mind in the words of the prayer, with the heart’s sympathy for the words of the prayer. In monasteries where the Evening Rule is not sent to churches, but is sent to cells, prayers for those coming to bed should be read after bowing. Those who wish and feel quite strong read, in addition, akathists, canons, the Psalter and the memorial. We must remember that the essence of the feat of prayer lies not in the number of prayers read, but in the fact that what is read is read with attention, with the sympathy of the heart, and leaves a deep and strong impression on the soul 123. The number of prayers needed for the rule is determined in the same way as the number of bows. Read with due attention and leisurely some prayers that you consider especially nourishing your soul: having noticed how much time it takes to read them, and considering how much time you can set aside for prayer, otherwise for psalmody, draw up for yourself an appropriate cell prayer rule. For beginners, the reading of akathists to the sweetest Jesus and the Mother of God is very beneficial, and for those who have succeeded and have already felt some enlightenment of the mind, reading the Psalter. To carefully read one kathisma it takes about 20 minutes. The Holy Fathers performed the prayerful reading of psalms and other prayers with such leisurelyness, necessary for attention and for concluding the mind in the words of prayer, that they called this reading psalmody. Psalmody is by no means singing according to voices or according to notes, but an extremely leisurely reading, its length suitable for singing. In those monasteries where the evening rule is performed in church without bowing, one must in the cell, after fulfilling the rule with bows, no longer engage in psalmody, but in prayer, without allowing oneself to be distracted by vain and soul-harming thoughts and dreams. Those monks who, for some reason, are often forced to remain in their cells with no way out, perform the rule with bows, rising from sleep, before morning prayers, due to the above-explained beneficial effect of bows on the body and soul. Chapter 23. About the Jesus Prayer Actually, prayer is what the holy fathers call the Jesus Prayer, which is pronounced like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Saint John Climacus says about the silent that “some of them sing and spend most of their time in this (singing), while others endure in prayer”; by the name of singing here we must understand the prayerful reading of psalms (at that time there were no other prayer books used today), and by the name of prayer - the Jesus Prayer 124. The following words of the same saint have the same meaning: “At night, devote most of your time to prayer, and less time to psalmody” 125. This is how the meaning of the words prayer and psalmody in the work of St. John the Ladder is explained by his later great ascetics and teachers of monasticism, the Venerable Simeon, the New Theologian 126 and Gregory of Sinaite 127. The Jesus Prayer is divided into two types: oral and mental. The ascetic moves from oral prayer to mental prayer by himself, provided that the oral prayer is attentive. First you must learn the Jesus Prayer orally. The Jesus Prayer is performed while standing; when exhausted, sit and even lie down. The essential accessories of this prayer should be: attention, confinement of the mind in the words of the prayer, extreme slowness in pronouncing it and contrition of the spirit. Although these conditions are necessary for any prayer, they are more conveniently preserved and more required when performing the Jesus Prayer. During psalmody, the variety of thoughts in which the prayer is clothed involuntarily attracts the attention of the mind and provides it with some entertainment. But during the Jesus Prayer, the mind is concentrated in one thought: the thought of Jesus having mercy on the sinner. Outwardly, work is the driest, but in experience it turns out to be the most fruitful of all spiritual works. Strength and dignity are given to him by the all-powerful, all-holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophet, prophesying about the God-man, foretold: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32). The words of the prophet are repeated by the holy Apostle Paul (Rom. 10:13); “If you confess with your mouth,” he says, “the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him up from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). The Holy Apostle Peter, after healing a lame man from birth in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, testified before the Jewish Sanhedrin the following: “Princes of mankind and elders of Israel! “Even though we” (the holy apostles Peter and John) “are now tormented because of the good deeds of man, we are weak, because of this we have been saved: be wise to all of you and to all the people of Israel, for in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Him you crucified, His God raised from the dead, for this reason this one stands before you healthy. For there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which it is fitting that we should be saved” (Acts 4:8–10, 12). The use of the all-holy Divine name Jesus in prayer and prayer for this name was established by our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ. This can be seen from that most sublime and profound conversation contained in the Gospel of John (John 13 and ch. 14, 15, 16), which the Lord had with the holy apostles after the Last Supper, in the significant hour that preceded the Lord’s voluntary departure to the place of tradition and to the suffering that would save the human race. The teaching pronounced by the Lord at this hour has the character of a final, dying testament, in which He collected and set forth before His disciples, and in their person - before all Christianity, the most soul-saving, final commandments, reliable and infallible guarantees of eternal life 128. Among other pledges and spiritual gifts, permission and command to pray in the name of Jesus is given and confirmed. “Whatever you ask from the Father in My name,” the Lord said to His disciples, “I will do it: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14). “Amen, amen, I say to you, for whatever you ask from the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now, do not ask for anything in My name: ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be filled” (John 16:23–24). What will be given to those who pray in the name of the Lord Jesus that can fill the one who receives it with joy? He will be given, we answer with the words of the Lord, “The Holy Spirit, and the Father will send him in My name” (John 14:26). This experimental knowledge belongs to the holy fathers, and is their tradition. Chapter 24. About practicing the Jesus Prayer If you live in a monastery in which the evening rule is celebrated with bows in the church, then, when you come to your cell, immediately engage in the Jesus Prayer. If you live in a monastery in which the evening rule is celebrated in church, but without bows, then, when you come to the cell, first perform the rule with bows, and after it, engage in the Jesus Prayer. If you belong to a monastery in which there is no general evening rule, but everyone is left to perform it in their cell, then first, complete the rule with bows, then engage in prayer or psalmody and, finally, the Jesus Prayer. Initially, set yourself to say one hundred Jesus prayers with attention and leisurely. Subsequently, if you see that you can say more, add another hundred. Over time, depending on the need, you can further increase the number of prayers said. Slowly and attentively pronouncing one hundred prayers takes 30 minutes, or about half an hour; some ascetics need even longer time. Do not say prayers hastily, one immediately after another; Take a short rest after each prayer and thereby help your mind concentrate. Continuous chanting of prayers distracts the mind. Breathe with caution; breathe quietly and slowly: this mechanism protects against distraction. Having finished praying with the Jesus Prayer, do not indulge in various thoughts and dreams, which are always empty, seductive, deceptive, but according to the direction received in the feat of prayer, spend the time until sleep. When going to sleep, repeat the prayer: fall asleep with her. Train yourself so that when you wake up from sleep, your first thought, first word and deed is the Jesus Prayer. Having said it several times, get up from your bed and hurry to Matins 129. During Matins, if possible, practice the Jesus Prayer. If you have some free time between Matins and Liturgy, practice the Jesus Prayer. Do the same after lunch. Fathers advise spending the afternoon thinking about death 130 . This is quite correct, but the living Jesus Prayer is inseparable from the living remembrance of death 131: the living remembrance of death is associated with living prayer to the Lord Jesus, who abolished death by death and gave men eternal life by His temporary submission to death. During church services, it is useful to practice the Jesus Prayer: it, by keeping the mind from being distracted, helps it to listen to church singing and reading. Try to get used to the Jesus Prayer so much that it becomes your unceasing prayer, for which it is very convenient due to its brevity and for which long prayers are inconvenient. The Fathers said: “A monk must, whether he is eating or drinking, whether he is in his cell or on obedience (in monastic work and labor), traveling or doing anything else, constantly cry out: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”132 Chapter 25. On unceasing prayer Continuous prayer is commanded by God Himself. The Savior of the world said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; press, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). “Doesn’t God want to take vengeance on His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, being patient for them? I tell you that he will take their vengeance quickly” (Luke 18:7–8). The Apostle, repeating the teaching of the Lord, says: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). “I want men to say prayers in every place, lifting up their holy hands, without anger or reflection” (1 Tim. 2:8). By the name of husbands the apostle means Christians who have achieved Christian perfection. Only perfect Christians tend to pray without anger and reflection, that is, in deep peace, in the purest love for one’s neighbor, without the slightest memory of malice towards one’s neighbor and condemnation of him, without being entertained by extraneous thoughts and dreams (without reflection). Such people can offer prayer to God in every place and at every time, lifting up and lifting up their reverend hands to Him: mind and heart, cleansed from passions, sanctified by the Spirit. Obviously, unceasing prayer cannot be the property of a novice monk; but in order to become capable of unceasing prayer in due time, he must accustom himself to frequent prayer. Frequent prayer in due time will automatically turn into unceasing prayer. Just as during continuous prayer it is most convenient to perform the Jesus Prayer, the novice should turn to the Jesus Prayer as often as possible. Did you have the shortest free time? Don’t kill it by using it for some unrealizable and empty dream, for some vain, insignificant activity! Use it to practice the Jesus Prayer. If, due to weakness or, more correctly, due to the nature of fallen nature, you happen to get carried away by seductive dreams and thoughts, do not be discouraged, do not relax. Having repented before God of your frivolity and realized before Him your fallen nature and your passion, fall mentally before His mercy and take precautions against seductive dreams and seductive thoughts. He who does not get used to frequent prayer will never receive unceasing prayer. Continuous prayer is a gift from God, given by God to His servant and servant who has been tested in fidelity. “It is impossible to get closer to God other than through unceasing prayer” 133. Continuous prayer is a sign of God’s mercy towards man, it is a sign that all the powers of the soul have rushed towards God. “Lord, have mercy on me, for I will cry to You all day long. Make glad the soul of Your servant, for I have taken my soul to You” (Ps. 86:3-4). Chapter 26. About the Jesus Prayer, verbal, mental and heartfelt Anyone who wants to practice the Jesus Prayer without sin must trust himself and his practice of it by frequently reading the following patristic writings: 1) Words about sobriety by Hesychius the presbyter of Jerusalem 134, 2) Chapters on the sobriety of St. Philotheus of Sinai 135, 3) Words about the hidden work in Christ of Saint Theoliptus, Metropolitan of Philadelphia 136, 4) The writings of Saints Simeon, the New Theologian, and Gregory of Sinaite, placed in the first part of the Philokalia, 5) The words of Nikephoros the Monastic and the writings of Saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos, placed in 2 parts of the Philokalia, 6) Traditions of St. Nile of Sorsky, 7) Flower garden of the holy monk Dorotheus, and others. The reader will find in the Philokalia, in the Word of Simeon, the New Theologian, on three images of prayer, in the Word of Nikephoros the Monastic and in the work of Xanthopoulos, instructions on the artistic introduction of the mind into the heart with the help of natural breathing, in other words, a mechanism that contributes to the achievement of mental prayer. This teaching of the fathers made and continues to make it difficult for many readers, while there is nothing difficult here. We advise our beloved brothers not to seek to discover this mechanism in themselves if it does not reveal itself. The essence of the matter is for the mind to unite with the heart during prayer, and this is accomplished by God’s grace in its own time, determined by God. The mentioned mechanism is completely replaced by the unhurried pronunciation of the prayer, a short rest after each prayer, quiet and unhurried breathing, and confinement of the mind in the words of the prayer. With the help of these aids we can conveniently achieve attention to a certain extent. The attention of the mind during prayer very soon begins to sympathize with the heart. The sympathy of the heart for the mind will little by little begin to transform into the union of the mind with the heart, and the mechanism proposed by the fathers will appear by itself. All mechanical means of a material nature were proposed by the fathers solely as aids to the most convenient and speedy achievement of attention during prayer, and not as anything significant. An essential, necessary attribute of prayer is attention. Without attention there is no prayer. True grace-filled attention comes from the mortification of the heart for the world. Benefits always remain only benefits. The same holy fathers who propose introducing the mind into the heart along with the breath say that the mind, having acquired the skill of uniting with the heart, or, more correctly, having acquired this connection by gift and action of grace, does not need the assistance of a mechanism for such a connection, but simply, by itself, by its own movement, connects with the heart 137. This is how it should be. The separation of the mind from the heart, their opposition to each other came from our fall into sin: it is natural for Divine grace - when it stretches out its finger to heal the broken and broken into pieces of man by his fall - to reunite his separated parts, to reunite the mind not only with the heart and soul, but also with the body, to give them one correct desire for God. Together with the connection of the mind with the heart, the ascetic receives the strength to resist all passionate thoughts and passionate sensations. Could this be due to some mechanism? No! This is a consequence of grace, this is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed the invisible feat of Christ’s ascetic, incomprehensible to carnal and spiritual people. Reading in the fathers about the place of the heart, which the mind gains through prayer, one must understand the verbal power of the heart, 138 placed by the Creator in the upper part of the heart, the power by which the human heart differs from the heart of beasts, who have the power of will or desire and the power of jealousy or rage, on an equal basis with people. The power of words is expressed in conscience or in the consciousness of our spirit, without the participation of reason, in the fear of God, in spiritual love for God and neighbor, a feeling of repentance, humility, meekness, in contrition of spirit or deep sadness in sins and in other spiritual sensations alien to animals. The power of the soul - the mind, although spiritual, has its place of residence in the brain, and the power of words, or the spirit of a person, although spiritual, has its place of residence in the upper part of the heart, located under the left nipple of the chest, near the nipple and slightly above it. The connection of the mind with the heart is the connection of the spiritual thoughts of the mind with the spiritual sensations of the heart. Since man has fallen, since his thoughts and sensations have changed from spiritual to carnal and spiritual, it is necessary, through the commandments of the Gospel, to raise his mind and spirit to spiritual thoughts and sensations. When the mind and spirit are healed, then they will unite in the Lord. It is formed in due time, in the department of the heart, where the power of words, or spirit, is located, the wonderful, not made by hands, spiritual church of God, the Holy of Holies: there descends the mind, ordained by the Holy Spirit as a priest and bishop for the worship of God by Spirit and Truth. Then the Christian will come to know through blessed experience what is said in the Holy Scriptures: “You are the churches of the living God, as God said: for I will dwell in them, and walk, and I will be God, and they will be my people” (2 Cor. 6:16). – Below the power of words, in the middle of the heart, is the power of jealousy; Below it, in the lower part of the heart, is the power of desire or will. In animals these two forces act very crudely, as if they were not at all connected by words; in people they act in accordance with how much and in what way their spirit is developed. But they can act correctly and be in complete submission to the spirit or the power of words only in a true Christian, who has laid down not only obviously sinful, but also all natural thoughts and sensations before the mind of Christ - the Gospel. The mind and heart cannot be united otherwise than through the mediation of the Spirit and Truth. This means that the mind and heart will not be able to unite if they do not completely reject the fallen nature, if they do not completely surrender themselves to the leadership of the Gospel, if for constant and intense adherence to the Gospel commandments they do not attract the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, they are not healed and revived from its touch, from the overshadowing of it 139 (Ps. 119:63). The monk answered: “This is the Holy Spirit speaking about himself.” Alphabetical patericon. Not only every sinful feeling and every sinful thought, but also all natural thoughts and sensations, no matter how subtle and disguised by imaginary righteousness, destroy the connection of the mind with the heart, putting them in opposition to each other. When deviating from the spiritual direction provided by the Gospel, all aids and mechanisms are in vain: the heart and mind will never unite with each other. The fulfillment of the commandments, which precedes the union of the mind with the heart, is distinguished from the fulfillment of the commandments, which follows the union. Before union, the ascetic fulfills the commandments with the greatest difficulty, raping and coercing his fallen nature: after union, the spiritual power that connects the mind with the heart attracts him to fulfill the commandments, making it comfortable, easy, and sweet. “The path of Your commandments flowed when You enlarged my Heart” (Ps. 119:32), said the psalmist. It is very useful for the practitioner of the Jesus Prayer to read the Notes (Prefaces) of Schemamonk Vasily of Polanomerul on the books of the saints: Gregory of Sinaite, Hesychius of Jerusalem, Philotheus of Sinai and Nilus of Sora 140. After reading these notes, reading the entire Philokalia becomes clearer and more useful. When reading the fathers, one should not lose sight of the fact that the measures of the beginners of their times are already the measures of those who are very successful in our time. The application of fatherly instructions to oneself and one’s activities must be done with great caution. Saints Demetrius of Rostov and Tikhon of Voronezh were engaged in contemplation of God, that is, holy reflection on the incarnation of God the Word, on His wondrous presence on earth, on His terrible and saving sufferings, on the glorious resurrection and ascension to heaven, also on man, on his purpose, on his fall, on his renewal by the Redeemer, and other similar deep mysteries of Christianity. The holy reflections of the mentioned saints are excellently presented in their writings. Saint Peter of Damascus, in agreement with other ascetic writers, classifies such reflections as spiritual visions and, in the category of these visions, gives them the fourth degree 141. Every spiritual vision is a vision of a certain kind of sacraments, which appears in the ascetic according to his purification by repentance, as can be seen in the book of Peter Damascene 142. Repentance has its gradualness, and spiritual visions have their gradualness. The mysteries of Christianity are revealed to the ascetic gradually, according to his spiritual progress. The divine thoughts, or pious reflections, of Saints Demetrius and Tikhon serve as an expression of their spiritual prosperity. Anyone who wishes to exercise the thought of God, let him read the works of the saints. Such thinking of God will be the most infallible and most spiritually beneficial. On the contrary, thinking about God will become the most incorrect and harmful to the soul if the ascetic, before purification by repentance, without having an accurate understanding of the Christian teaching, allows himself to think without permission, which cannot but be erroneous and therefore cannot but bring harmful consequences to the soul and self-delusion, cannot help but draw him into the abyss of disastrous delusion. The saints were taught Orthodox theology with all precision and detail, then through holy life they ascended to the heights of Christian perfection: thinking about God was natural to them. It is unnatural for an ascetic who does not have thorough, accurate knowledge of theology, and who has not been purified by repentance. For this reason, the holy fathers forbade it for new monks, and in general for all monks who are not prepared for it by science, who have not achieved it by living. Saint John Climacus says: “The depth of dogmas is invisible, and it is not safe for the silent mind to plunge into it. It is very dangerous to swim with clothes on; it is just as dangerous for one who is captive to the passions to touch theology” 143. This is a warning to those who are silent: it is known that monks who have already succeeded are allowed to become silent. In ancient times, many monks fell into the disastrous abyss of heresy solely because they allowed themselves to consider dogmas beyond their ability to understand. “A humble monk,” Climacus again instructs, will not allow himself to curiously explore the mysteries; the proud, on the contrary, strives to test God’s destinies” 144. Very true! The desire to indulge in the thought of God by someone who is not capable and not ripe for it is already an instillation of conceit, it is a reckless and proud desire. Practice in prayer, in soul-edifying reading, and this exercise will be an exercise in thinking about God correctly, safely, and pleasing to God. Just as the sensual eyes, having been healed of blindness, see according to their natural properties, so the mind, having been cleansed of sinful morbidity, naturally begins to see the mysteries of Christianity 145. Rely on God for your feat. If it is necessary for you and for the general benefit of Christianity that you be a spectator of deep mysteries and a preacher of them for your brethren, then God will certainly give you this gift. If this is not pleasing to God, then strive for what is essential for your salvation and what fully satisfies the requirement of this need of yours. Strive to acquire pure prayer, combined with a feeling of repentance and crying, with the remembrance of death, of God’s judgment, of the terrible prisons of hell, in which eternal fire burns and eternal darkness is present: such prayer, combined with such memories, is infallible, excellent, most soul-helping Godly Thought. Chapter 28. About remembering death The monk must remember daily and several times a day about the inevitable death that awaits him, and in due time achieve constant remembrance of death. Our mind is so darkened by the fall that, if we do not force ourselves to remember death, we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if immortal, sacrificing all our activities for the earth, not caring at all about the terrible transition to eternity, or about our fate in eternity. Then, with determination and fearlessness, we trample on the commandments of Christ; then we commit all the most terrible sins; then we abandon not only unceasing prayer, but also prayer set at certain hours - we begin to neglect this essentially and necessarily necessary activity, as if it were an unimportant and unneeded activity. Forgetting about physical death, we die a spiritual death. On the contrary, the one who often remembers the death of the body comes to life in soul. He remains on earth like a wanderer in an inn, or like a prisoner in a dungeon, constantly expecting to be taken out of it for trial or execution. The gates to eternity are always open before his eyes. He constantly looks there with spiritual concern, with deep sadness and thought. He is constantly busy thinking about what will serve as his justification at the Last Judgment of Christ and what determination will be pronounced about him! This definition decides the fate of a person for the entire unlimited afterlife. No earthly beauty, no earthly seduction attracts his attention and love. He does not condemn anyone, remembering that at the Judgment of God the same judgment will be pronounced on him as he here pronounced on his neighbors. He forgives everyone and everything so that he himself can receive forgiveness and inherit salvation. He is condescending to everyone, has mercy on everyone, so that he too may be shown indulgence and mercy. He joyfully accepts and kisses every coming sorrow as retribution for his sins in time, freeing him from retribution in eternity. If the thought came to him to exalt himself with his virtue, then the remembrance of death immediately rushes against this thought, shames it, convicts it of absurdity, drives it away. What significance can our virtue have at the judgment of God? What value can our virtue have in the eyes of God, before whom even heaven is unclean? ( Job 15:15 ). Remind and remind yourself: “I will die, I will certainly die! My fathers and forefathers died: none of the people remained forever on earth, and the fate that befell and is befalling everyone awaits me.” Do not waste the time given for repentance! Do not look at the earth on which you are a momentary worker, on which you are an exile, on which by the mercy of God it is given to you to come to your senses, to bring repentance in order to escape the eternal dungeons of hell and eternal torment in them. Use your short period of wandering on earth to acquire a calm shelter, a blessed shelter in eternity. Intercede for the acquisition of eternal acquisition by rejecting all temporary acquisition, by rejecting everything carnal and spiritual in the realm of fallen nature! Intercede for the fulfillment of Christ's commandments! Intercede with sincere repentance for your sins! Intercede with thanksgiving and praise to God for all the sorrows sent to you! Intercede with abundant prayer and psalmody! Intercede with the Jesus Prayer, combining with it the remembrance of death. These two actions - the Jesus Prayer and the remembrance of death - conveniently merge into one action. From prayer comes a living memory of death, as if a premonition of it, and from the premonition of death prayer is kindled more powerfully. It is necessary for the ascetic to remember death! This memory is necessary for the feat itself. It protects the monk’s feat from damage and corruption by self-conceit, to which an ascetic and attentive life can lead if it is not protected by the remembrance of death and the Judgment of God. It is a great spiritual calamity to give any value to one’s feat, to consider it a merit before God; recognize yourself as worthy of any earthly punishment, worthy of eternal torment. Such an assessment of oneself will be the most correct, the most soul-saving, the most pleasing to God. Count often the eternal disasters that await sinners. By frequently counting these disasters, make them appear as if they were coming before your eyes. Gain a foretaste of the torments of hell, so that your soul, with a living memory of them, shudders, rejects sin, and runs to God with a humble prayer for mercy, in hope of His unlimited goodness and in hopelessness for itself 146. Remember and imagine the immeasurable, terrible underground abyss and prison that constitute hell. The abyss is called the abyss: this is exactly what it is in relation to people. The vast prison of hell has many sections and many different kinds of languor and torment, which are rewarded to each person according to his deeds committed during his earthly life. In all departments, imprisonment is eternal, torment is eternal. A languid, impenetrable darkness reigns there, and at the same time an unquenchable fire burns there, always equally strong. There is no day there: there is eternal night. The stench there is unbearable, with which no earthly stench can compare. The fierce hellish worm never sleeps and never sleeps, it sharpens and sharpens, devours hellish prisoners without violating their integrity, without destroying existence, and without being satisfied. All hellish torments have this property: they are heavier than any death, and do not bring death. Death in hell is as desirable as life on earth is desirable. Death would be a delight for the prisoners of hell. It does not exist for them: their destiny is endless life for endless suffering. They are tormented in hell by the unbearable executions that abound in the eternal prison of those rejected by God; they are tormented there by unbearable grief; They are tormented there by the most severe mental illness - despair. Recognize yourself as condemned to hell for eternal torment, and from this consciousness such uncontrollable prayerful cries will be born in your heart that will certainly persuade God to have mercy on you, and God will lead you into heaven instead of hell. Those who recognize themselves as worthy of earthly and heavenly rewards! Hell is dangerous for you, more than for obvious sinners, because the gravest sin among all sins is pride, conceit, sin of the spirit, invisible to sensual eyes, often hiding behind the guise of humility. The greatest of the reverend fathers practiced remembering and thinking about death. The writer of his life says about Pachomius the Great that he “kept himself constantly in the fear of God by the memory of eternal torments and diseases that have no end, that is, by the memory of an unquenchable fire and that worm that never dies. By this means Pachomius restrained himself from evil and aroused himself to the better” 147. Chapter 29. The narrow path is established by God Himself for His true servants Our Lord Jesus Christ spent His earthly life in the greatest humility, subjected to incessant sorrows and persecutions, persecuted, slandered, reviled by His enemies, who finally betrayed Him to a shameful, commercial execution along with criminals. The path of salvation, which leads into eternal life, was established by the Lord, narrow and sorrowful (Matthew 7:13), established both by the all-holy example of the Lord and by the all-holy teaching of the Lord. The Lord foretold to His disciples and followers that they would be sorrowful in the world, that is, during the course of earthly life (John 16:33), that the world would hate them (John 15:18–19), that it would persecute them, humiliate them, and put them to death (John 16:2–3). The Lord likened the position of His disciples and followers among vicious humanity to the position of sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16). From this it is clear that the sorrowful situation during earthly life is an institution of the Lord Himself for the true slaves and servants of the Lord. This institution, as an institution of the Lord, cannot be rejected by any human means, by any wisdom, by any prudence, by any foresight, by any caution. And therefore, one who enters monastic life must surrender entirely to the will and guidance of God, prepare in good time to endure all the sorrows that the Providence of the Most High will allow His servant to endure during his earthly wandering. The Holy Scripture says: “Child, if you begin to work for the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation: guide your heart, and be patient, and do not be hasty during the time of guidance: cleave to it, and do not retreat, so that you may grow to the end. Whatever is dealt to you, accept it, and be patient in changing your humility: as gold is tempted by fire, and men are taken into the furnace of humility” (Sir. 2:1-5). What would be the reason that the Lord provided His true servants with sorrows during their earthly life, and provided His enemies with prosperity, material prosperity and material benefits? The carnal mind says: it should have been arranged in a completely opposite way. The reason is this: man is a fallen being. He was cast down to earth from paradise, having attracted death to himself in paradise by transgressing the commandment of God. Death immediately after the crime struck the soul of a person and incurably infected his body. The body, for which the soul serves as life, was not immediately separated from the soul after the fall, but the soul, for which the Holy Spirit serves as life, immediately after the fall was separated from the Holy Spirit, who retreated from it as defiled and poisoned by sin, leaving it to itself. With such and such a dead soul and with a living body, the life of an animal, the first man was cast down to earth for some time, and other men were born and remained on earth for some time. After this time, called earthly life, the body, which is cursed by it and struggles with it throughout earthly life, is finally struck by death. Earthly life - this shortest period - was given to man by the mercy of the Creator so that man would use it for his salvation, that is, for returning himself from death to life. The salvation or revitalization of a person by the Holy Spirit is accomplished through the mediation of the Redeemer, or Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. It was granted to people born before the Redeemer to be saved by faith in the promised Redeemer, and to receive salvation after the Redeemer had completed the atonement; those born according to the Redeemer are given the opportunity to be saved by faith in the coming Redeemer and to receive salvation even during earthly life, and the inalienability of salvation immediately after the separation of the soul from the body and after the completion of a private judgment. Everyone who believes in the Savior must necessarily recognize and confess his fall and his state of exile on earth; he must realize and confess this with his very life, so that consciousness and confession are alive and active, and not dead and inactive. Otherwise, he cannot properly recognize the Redeemer! Because the Redeemer and Savior are needed only for the fallen and lost: He is not at all needed and cannot be of any use to those who do not want to recognize and confess their fall, their destruction. To confess your fall through life itself means to endure all the sorrows of earthly life as a just reward for the fall, as a natural, logical consequence of sinfulness, and to constantly renounce all pleasures as unusual for a criminal and an exile who has angered God, rejected by God. Temporary earthly life is nothing more than the threshold to eternal life. And what kind of life? To eternal life in the prisons of hell, among the most terrible torments of hell, if during our temporary earthly life we ​​do not take advantage of the redemption given to tuna - redemption, the acceptance and rejection of which is left to the arbitrariness of each person. Earthly life is a place of experiencing sorrows and suffering, a place of contemplating sorrows and suffering, incomparably greater than earthly suffering. Earthly life presents nothing joyful, nothing comforting, except the hope of salvation. “Blessed are those who weep now,” now, during his earthly wanderings, our Redeemer said to us, and “woe to you who laugh now” (Luke 6:21, 25). “The entire Christian life on earth is nothing more than repentance, expressed by activities characteristic of repentance. Christ came to call us to repentance. Pay special attention to His words: “I came to call you to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). Not fun, not meals, not festivities, not feasting, not celebrations, but repentance, but crying, but tears, but sobbing and the cross, our Lord offers us here. Do you see how a Christian’s life on earth should be spent! YOU WILL SEE this when reading the Gospel of Christ. There is also fun here for Christians, but it is spiritual. They rejoice not about gold, silver, food, drink, honor and glory, but about God their Savior, about His goodness and mercy towards them, about the hope of eternal life” 148. The Lord, having taken upon Himself humanity and all human infirmities, except sin, took upon Himself the active consciousness of the fall into which the entire human race had fallen: He spent his earthly life in constant sorrows, without uttering any word against these sorrows that would express displeasure; on the contrary, he called them a cup given by the Heavenly Father, which must be drunk and drunk without question. The innocent and all-holy Lord, having suffered for the guilty and sin-infected humanity accepted by Him, provided suffering as a path of salvation for all His followers, for all His spiritual tribe and kinship, into an active consciousness of fall and sinfulness, into an active recognition and confession of the Savior, into an active union with Him, assimilation to Him. At the same time, He pours out ineffable spiritual consolation from His suffering into the suffering of His servants, as active proof of the faithfulness of salvation and the faithfulness of the suffering path leading to salvation. The innocent and all-holy Lord spent his earthly life in suffering: even more so must the guilty suffer with full consciousness that they deserve to suffer; they should rejoice that through short-term suffering they are freed from eternal suffering, and become among the followers and relatives of the God-Man. He who refuses suffering, does not recognize himself as worthy of it, does not recognize his fall and destruction! He who spends his earthly life in pleasures renounces his salvation! He who has used his earthly life for earthly success alone recognizes the insanely shortest time as eternity, and eternity as non-existent, and prepares for himself eternal disaster in it! He who does not recognize his fall and destruction does not recognize the Savior, rejects Him! Recognizing oneself as worthy of temporary and eternal executions precedes the knowledge of the Savior and leads to the knowledge of the Savior, as we see from the example presented to us by the thief who inherited paradise (Luke 23:40–43). Perhaps they will say that the robber was an obvious criminal and therefore the consciousness was convenient for him: how can those who have not committed such crimes come to such a consciousness? We answer: the other thief, crucified near the Lord, was an obvious criminal, but did not come to the consciousness of his sinfulness, because consciousness is a consequence of heartfelt mercy and humility, and ignorance is a consequence of heartfelt bitterness and pride. God's saints constantly recognized themselves as sinners, despite the obvious grace-filled gifts with which they abounded; on the contrary, the greatest villains always justified themselves and, drowning in atrocities, did not stop proclaiming their virtue. The Apostle Paul testified about the Old Testament righteous that they all spent their earthly lives “sorrowfully, embittered,” confessing with their very lives “as strangers and strangers are on the earth” (Heb. 11:13, 37). Then, turning to the true servants of God of his time and pointing them to the Author of the faith and Finisher of Jesus, Who, instead of the glory due to Him, endured dishonor and the cross, the apostle pronounces the following admonition: “Jesus, that He might sanctify the people with His blood, was pleased to suffer without the gates: so let us therefore come to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:12–13). Outside the camp, that is, having rejected and abandoned everything that the fickle, transient world considers desirable; bearing His reproach, that is, having taken part in the way of the cross, established by the Lord and passed through His suffering earthly life. All true Christians responded to this voice and, leaving the camp, changeable in all respects and alien to any stability, they walked the path of suffering to the eternal heavenly city. “If you are without punishment,” says the apostle, “all are partakers of him: for you are naturally adulterous, and not of sons” (Heb. 12:8). The word “all” should be noted here: all the righteous spent their earthly lives in sorrows! Not one of them reached heaven, walking along the broad path of earthly prosperity. “The Lord loves him and punishes him; he beats every son whom he accepts” (Heb. 12:6). “If I love them, I rebuke and punish” (Apoc. 3:19), said the Lord in the Revelation of St. John the Theologian. Instructed by these testimonies of the Holy Spirit and many others with which the pages of Holy Scripture are dotted, we boldly affirm: the sorrows sent to man by the Providence of God are a sure sign of man’s election by God. When Jesus loved the young man, he invited him to follow Himself and wear the cross (Mark 10:21). Let us not reject the calling! A calling is accepted when, upon the coming of sorrow, a Christian recognizes himself as worthy of sorrow; A Christian will follow his cross to the Lord when he gives thanks and praises the Lord for the sorrows sent, when he “does not keep his life honest to himself” (Acts 20:24), when he completely surrenders himself to the will of God, when he strives with even greater zeal to fulfill the gospel commandments, especially the commandment about love for enemies. So sure is the sign of election through tribulations that the Holy Spirit greets those subjected to tribulations with a heavenly greeting. “Rejoice,” He proclaims to them, “Rejoice! Have all joy, that is, the greatest joy, when you fall into various temptations” (James 1:2). “Blessed are you when people revile you, and persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you, lying, for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12). The Holy Apostle Peter tells Christians that their calling is suffering (1 Pet. 2:21). This is the Divine purpose for man during his earthly life! He must believe in the Redeemer, confess Him with his heart and lips, confess Him through his activity, accepting with humility the cross that it would please Jesus to lay on His disciple. One who has not accepted the cross cannot be a disciple of Jesus! (Luke 14:27). “He who suffers according to the will of God,” says the Apostle Peter, “is that I will return to my Creator, that they may give their souls to do good” (1 Pet. 4:19). The builder of our souls is the Lord: He builds the souls of those who believe in Him through sorrows. Let us surrender to His will and providence, just as the poor man silently surrenders to the will of the poor man, and we ourselves will make every effort to fulfill the Gospel commandments. When a Christian surrenders himself to the will of God, places all his cares on God with selflessness, thanks and glorifies Him for the cross, then the extraordinary spiritual power of faith unexpectedly appears in the heart; then inexpressible spiritual consolation suddenly appears in the heart. Jesus seals the disciple who has accepted the election with the Spirit - and earthly sorrows become a source of pleasure for the servant of God. On the contrary, a person’s sorrowless earthly life serves as a sure sign that the Lord has turned His gaze away from him, that he is not pleasing to the Lord, even if he seems reverent and virtuous in appearance. The holy prophet David sang: “Many are the sorrows of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver me from them all” (Ps 33:20). How true this is! All who truly serve the Lord, righteous through the righteousness of the Redeemer, and not through their own fallen and false ways, are allowed many sorrows, but all these sorrows crumble away by themselves; not one of them can crush the servant of God: they educate, purify, perfect him. The prophet did not say a word about the sorrows of sinners living on earth for earthly pleasures and for earthly prosperity. Sorrows are not allowed to them. Why should they mourn? They will not bear them with thanksgiving, but will only murmur, despondency, blasphemy against God, and multiply their sins with despair. The Lord allows them to enjoy earthly blessings until their death, so that they may come to their senses, at least because of their prosperity. He sends sorrow only to those sinners in whom he foresees conversion, who in the book of life, according to the foreknowledge of God, are already included in the number of the righteous, justified by the righteousness of the Redeemer. The Lord does not recognize intentional and arbitrary sinners, in whom there is no guarantee for correction and repentance, as worthy of sorrow, as those who did not accept the teachings of Christ, who did not show any zeal to follow Christ, who entered on the path of untruth not out of passion or ignorance. Sorrows “for Christ” are the greatest gift of Christ (Phil. 1:29), bestowed on those who have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the service of Christ. Saint David, having mentioned the many sorrows to which the righteous are subjected, did not mention anything about the sorrows of sinners: they, being adulterers and not sons, do not attract the punishment of the Lord. David only says about their death that it is cruel (Ps. 33:22). Exactly: the death of sinners is cruel, forgotten, not studied by them: it suddenly places them from the midst of abundant pleasures into the abyss of eternal torment. David, turning with consolation to the servant of God, who is on earth in deprivation and languor, says to him: do not be jealous of the one who is successful in his journey, the man who commits a crime. “Do not be jealous of those who are wicked, nor be jealous of those who do iniquity: for the grass will soon dry up, and the herbs will quickly fall away” (Ps. 36:1-2). Further, the prophet speaks on behalf of the ascetic, who is still shaken by carnal wisdom: “I am jealous of the wicked, the world of sinners is in vain: for there is no joy in their death,” that is, no sorrow awakens them from mental slumber, from mortal sleep, from spiritual death. They “have no meaning in human labors, and they do not accept wounds from a person.” Humans here are the servants of the true God who have retained the dignity of man: they practice pious voluntary deeds and are subjected to involuntary punishment from the Lord. Rejected sinners, living in negligence, do not participate in either exploits or sorrows. What is the consequence of this situation of those rejected by God? “For this reason I have restrained their pride to the end: clothed in their unrighteousness and wickedness” (Ps. 72:3-6). In them all consciousness of their sinfulness is destroyed, immeasurable, incurable conceit appears; sinful life becomes their inalienable accessory, as if permanent clothing, vestment, revelation, and makes their wickedness, which consists in ignorance of God, in false concepts about God and about all the revealed teachings, the same accessory. In this state, death finds arbitrary, unrepentant sinners, and, having captured them, presents them to the judgment of God. The Holy Scripture connects the concept of temptation with the concept of reproof: “My son,” it says, “do not suffer the punishment of the Lord; let us not weaken; we will be rebuked by Him” (Heb. 12:5). This can be seen from the above words of the Lord: “If I love them, I reprove and punish.” On what basis is reproof connected with temptation? On the fact that any sorrow reveals the hidden passions in the heart, setting them in motion. Before grief, a person seems calm and peaceful to himself, but when grief comes, then unprecedented passions arise and are revealed, especially anger, sadness, despondency, pride, and unbelief. It is essential and useful for the ascetic to expose the sin that nests in him in secret. Moreover, sorrows, accepted and endured as they should, strengthen faith; they show a person his weakness and bring humility, overthrowing self-conceit. The Apostle Paul, mentioning one of the temptations that befell him, says: “We do not want you, brethren, to be ignorant of our tribulation that happened to us in Asia, for we were weighed down much and more than might, because we had no hope of living. But we have within ourselves the condemnation of death, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead, who has delivered us from so much death and is delivering us: And yet we hope that He will also deliver us again” (2 Cor. 1:8-10). Our heart, doomed after the fall to a vegetation of thorns and thistles, is especially capable of pride if it is not cultivated by sorrows. Even the most righteous man, filled with grace-filled gifts, is not beyond this danger. The Apostle Paul openly says that the reason for the great sorrows allowed to him was God’s supervision in order to protect him from exaltation, into which he could have fallen not for some vain reason, but because of the many Divine revelations and visions that had come to him. When the apostle did not yet know the reason for the temptations that oppressed him, he prayed to God three times that the temptations that had so much hindered the success of the preaching would be removed, but when he learned the reason, he exclaimed: “I am pleased with weaknesses, with annoyances, with exiles, with hardships according to Christ” (2 Cor. 12:7-10). “Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the world has been crucified, and to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Having entered the holy monastery, let us voluntarily deviate from the pleasure that depends on us and generously endure those sorrows that, regardless of us, will be allowed to us by the Providence of God. Let us surrender ourselves with faith entirely into the hands of our Creator and the Shaper of our souls. He not only created us, but also builds the souls of those who wanted to be His servants. He builds us with the Church sacraments, He builds us with the Gospel commandments, He builds us with manifold sorrows and temptations, He builds us with His grace. “My Father is a workman,” said the Lord, “every rod that does not produce fruit for Me, He will cut it off: and every rod that produces fruit He will cut it off (cleanses it with temptations and sorrows), so that it may bear abundant fruit” (John 15:1-2). Note: the fruit sought and accepted by God from every vine, which represents the human soul, is its activity in Christ, that is, its fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, and is by no means natural, that is, not at all the fulfillment in practice of natural good, defiled by mixing with evil. “The rod,” said the Lord, “cannot produce fruit for itself unless it is on the vine; so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). Only that soul that bears fruit in Christ is cleansed by the Heavenly Father; a soul that does not bear fruit in Christ, that remains in its fallen nature, that bears the barren fruit of natural good and is content with it, does not attract Divine care for itself: it is cut off by death in due time, cast out of the vineyard by it - from the bosom of the Church and from earthly life, given for salvation in the bosom of the Church, is put into the eternal fire of hell, where it burns, burning and not burning forever (Jn. 15:6). The ascetic himself should not willfully and impudently plunge into sorrow and tempt the Lord: this is madness, pride and fall. “Do not let your feet fall into confusion,” says Scripture, “keep you from slumbering” (Ps. 121:3). “Do not tempt the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:16, Matt. 4:7). This is the meaning, according to the testimony of the Lord, of those daring and vain undertakings when an ascetic dares and attempts to spontaneously fall into attack. But those sorrows and misfortunes that come to us involuntarily, therefore, allowed and arranged by the Providence of God, must be accepted with the greatest reverence as gifts of God, as cures for our spiritual ailments, as guarantees of election and eternal salvation. The fruit of sorrows, which consists in the purification of the soul, in its ascension to a spiritual state, must be preserved as a precious treasure. This fruit is preserved when, having been subjected to temptation and conviction, at that time he makes every effort to remain in the Gospel commandments, without being carried away by the passions discovered and set in motion by temptation. There is a wonderful affinity between the Gospel commandments and the cross! Doing the commandments attracts the cross to the doer’s shoulder, and the cross perfects and refines our activity according to the law of Christ, explains this law to us, gives us a feeling of spiritual freedom, despite being nailed down, fills us with indescribable spiritual sweetness, despite the bitterness of external circumstances. The Divine Scripture consoles and exhorts those who have been subjected to various sorrows: “You who fear the Lord, wait for His mercy, and do not turn aside, lest you fall; you who fear the Lord, believe in Him, and your reward will not fall away; you who fear the Lord, hope for good things and for the joy of the age and mercy. Look at the ancient generations and see who is the faith of the Lord and is ashamed? or who remained in His fear and remained? or who called Him and despised Him? The Lord is generous and merciful, and forgives sins and saves in times of trouble. Woe to fearful hearts and weakened hands, and to the sinner who walks in two paths! Woe to the weakened heart, because it does not believe: for this reason it will not be covered. Woe to you who have lost patience; what will you do when the Lord visits? Those who fear the Lord do not doubt His words, and those who love Him will keep His ways; those who fear the Lord will seek His favor, and those who love Him will be filled with the law: those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and before Him will humble their souls, saying: let us fall into the hand of the Lord, and not into the hand of men: for as is His majesty, so is His mercy” (Sir. 2:7-18). He falls into the hands of men who, being tempted by men, does not see the Providence of God, which allows men to be tempted, and therefore, by attributing meaning to men, can conveniently incline towards man-pleasing and apostasy from God. He who sees the Providence of God with the eye of faith, in the face of temptations inflicted by people, will not pay any attention to these blind instruments of Providence and with his spiritual mind will remain solely in the hands of God, calling on Him alone in his sorrows. When Hegemon Pilate, led by carnal wisdom, said to the Lord standing before him: “I am the authority to crucify Thee, and the authority is to let Thee go,” then the Lord answered him: “Have no authority over Me, except it be given from Above” (John 19:10–11); You are such a blind instrument that you don’t even understand or suspect the work for which you are being used. “By your patience gain your souls,” said the Lord, “he who endures to the end will be saved”; “The righteous shall live by faith; and if he stumbles (if anyone hesitates), My soul has no pleasure in him” (Luke 21:19, Matt. 24:13, Heb. 10:38). Chapter 30. Sorrows are primarily the lot of monks of the last time The Holy Fathers, monks of the first times of Christianity, perfect Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, had revelations from above about monasticism in recent times and uttered a prophecy about it that is coming true before our eyes. All the predictions of the fathers are similar to each other and proclaim that monasticism in recent times will lead a very weak life, that it will not be provided with either the mental and physical strength, or the abundance of grace-filled gifts that were provided to the first monks, that salvation itself will be very difficult for it. A certain Egyptian father once went into a frenzy and became a spectator of a spiritual vision. Three monks, he saw, stood on the seashore. A voice came to them from the other bank: “Take your wings and come to me.” Following the voice, the two monks received wings of fire and quickly flew to the other side. The third remained in the same place. He began to cry and scream. Finally, he was given wings, but not fiery, but some kind of powerless ones, and he flew across the sea with great difficulty and effort. Often he weakened and sank into the sea; Seeing himself drowning, he began to cry out pitifully, rose from the sea, again flew quietly and low, again became exhausted, again sank to the abyss, cried out again, rose again and, exhausted, barely flew across the sea. The first two monks served as an image of the monasticism of the first times, and the third - the monasticism of the last times, meager in number and success 149. Once upon a time, the holy fathers of the Egyptian Skete spoke prophetically about the last generation. “What did we do?” - they said. One of them, the great Abba Iskhirion, answered: “We have fulfilled the commandments of God.” They asked him: “What will those who come after us do?” “They,” said Abba, “will accept (do) doing things half against us.” They also asked him: “What will those who come after them do?” Abba Ischirion answered: “They will by no means have monastic work, but they will be allowed sorrow, and those of them who survive will be higher than us and our fathers” 150. Archimandrite Arkady, abbot of the Kirillo-Novoezersk Monastery, who died in 1847, told the following about himself: “Once I was in grief over some occasion. Oppressed by her, I came to Matins, and, standing at Matins, I reflected on my sorrow. I don’t know what happened to me: I involuntarily closed my eyes, felt some kind of forgetfulness, but not dozing, because I clearly heard every word of the reading that was happening then. Suddenly I see before me the venerable monk of our monastery, Kirill. He says to me: “Why are you depressed? Don’t you know that monks of recent times must be saved by sorrows?” Hearing these words, the archimandrite woke up. The vision left deep peace in the soul of the simplest elder - such was Archimandrite Arkady. And so, sorrows are primarily our lot, the lot of modern monasticism, the lot assigned to us by God Himself. May this information be a source of consolation for us! May it encourage and strengthen us in all the various sorrows and temptations that befall us. Let us humble ourselves “for under the mighty hand of God, we have cast aside all our sorrow (care) from Nan, for He cares for us” (1 Pet. 5:6–7), and wholeheartedly devote ourselves to the training of sorrows, with the most careful fulfillment of the Gospel commandments: such is the will of the Lord our God for us. Our sorrows are for the most part very subtle, so that at a superficial glance they cannot be recognized as sorrows. But this is only the cunning of our enemy, who in the fight against a weak person acquired extraordinary experience and art from long-term exercise in the fight. The fallen spirit saw that obvious, rude and cruel temptations arouse in people fiery jealousy and courage to endure them; he saw this, and replaced the gross temptations with weak ones, but refined and very powerful. They do not arouse jealousy from the heart, do not elevate it to a feat, but keep it in some kind of unresolved situation, and the mind is perplexed; they languish, gradually deplete a person’s spiritual strength, plunge him into despondency, into inaction, and destroy him, making him a home of passions due to relaxation, despondency, and inaction. The evil cunning of Satan and the severity of the attacks he brings upon modern monasticism are clear before God. God will crown the newest fighters no less than the ancients, although the feat of the former is less obvious than the feat of the latter. We should not indulge in relaxation, despondency and inaction; on the contrary, let us direct all our attention and all our efforts to fulfilling the Gospel commandments. This execution will reveal to us the countless machinations of the enemy, the cunning deliberation with which they are arranged and placed. We will see that modern, seemingly weak sorrows and misfortunes, strive, like ancient strong sorrows and misfortunes, to distract a person from Christ, to destroy true Christianity on earth, leaving only a shell for the most convenient deception. We will see that weak temptations, but invented and executed with hellish cunning, act much more successfully in the form of Satan than severe temptations, but obvious and direct. The main reason why sorrows are especially painful for modern monasticism lies within itself and consists primarily of a lack of spiritual edification. The lack of spiritual edification must be recognized as the greatest disaster. And this disaster will not be seen soon. It will not soon become clear to the monk! The novice, overwhelmed by jealousy, in which blood is of great importance and spiritual reason is of very little importance, is usually content with the edification that he encounters in the monastery or that he wants to give to himself. Later, with the most careful study of the Holy Scriptures and paternal writings, it gradually becomes clear to ascetics, and even then only a few, that spiritual edification is necessary for monastic success, that spiritual edification, no matter how luxurious and magnificent it may be in appearance, no matter how glorified by the blind world, remains in darkness, and keeps those who follow it in darkness, in the region of fallen spirits ( James 3:15) 151 I took from the Amorites a single portion from the Amorites with my sword and my bow” (Gen. 48:22). Word 1. “Do not seek advice from anyone alien to your (monastic) residence, even if he is very learned. Confess your thoughts to someone who is ignorant of the sciences but has an experienced knowledge of monasticism, and not to an eloquent philosopher who speaks from learning according to the letter and is not experienced in practice.” Word 78. Guidance by the word of God from a book, and not from living lips, the only guidance that is provided to us, and the monk, by necessity, becomes to a large extent his own leader, despite the significant benefits it brings, is associated with large and frequent errors and deviations, the inevitable consequences of ignorance and a state under the dominion of passions. The ignorance of the beginner and the predominance of passions in him do not give him the opportunity to understand Scripture as he should and adhere to it with due firmness. Flying across the sinful sea, we often weaken, often fall exhausted and plunge into the sea, running the risk of drowning in it. Our condition, due to the lack of leaders, living vessels of the Spirit, due to the countless dangers with which we are surrounded, is worthy of bitter crying, inconsolable sobbing. We are in poverty, we are lost, and there is no voice that can help us get out of our delusion: the book is silent, the fallen spirit, wanting to keep us in error, erases from our memory the very knowledge of the existence of the book. “Save me, Lord,” cried the prophet, foreseeing our misfortune with the prophetic Spirit and accepting the face of those who wanted to be saved, “for the saint is impoverished!” There is no spirit-bearing mentor and leader who would infallibly show the path of salvation, to which one who wants to be saved could entrust himself with all confidence! “Having lost the truth from the sons of men, the vain verb of each one to his sincere” (Ps. 11: 1-3), according to the inspiration of the spiritual mind, is only capable of developing and imprinting delusions and conceit. We are extremely weak, the temptations around us have multiplied, intensified excessively: in their seductive variety and attractiveness they appear before the painful gaze of the mind and heart, attracting them to themselves, turning them away from God. We have submitted so much to the influence of temptations that even the guidance of the word of God, the only means of salvation, has been abandoned by us. With it, it is necessary to lead the most attentive life, alien to absent-mindedness, and our damaged will requires the completely opposite. We strived for material prosperity, for the prosperity of the world! We need honors, we need abundance and luxury! We need distraction and participation in the pleasures of the world! To achieve this, we are exclusively concerned with the development of fallen nature. The very concept of a renewed nature has been lost by us; the gospel commandments are neglected and forgotten; spiritual work is completely unknown to us, but we are so busy with physical work and for the purpose that we can appear reverent and holy before the world and receive its retribution from it. We have abandoned the narrow and sad path of salvation: we are following the broad and spacious path. “God save me! as if the monk is impoverished." We, monks, “have humbled ourselves, above all others, and we are humbled throughout the whole earth today for our sins. And at this time there is not a prince, and a prophet, and a leader" (Dan. 3:37, 38) for leadership in the battle invisible to sensory eyes, not "against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, and against the authorities, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). “Woe to the world because of temptation: for there is a need to come with temptation” (Matthew 18:7), the Lord foretold. And the coming of temptations is God’s permission, and moral disaster from temptations is God’s permission. By the end of the life of the world, temptations should intensify and multiply so much that “due to the increase of iniquity, the love of many will dry out” (Matthew 24:12), and “Will the Son of Man come to bring faith to the earth?” (Luke 18:8), the land of Israel, the Church, will be brought down from the sword - from the murderous violence of temptations - and very empty (Ezek. 38:18). Living according to God will become very difficult. It will become this way because it is impossible for someone who lives in the midst and in the face of temptations not to be influenced by temptations. Just as ice, when exposed to heat, loses its hardness and turns into the softest water, so the heart, filled with good will, when subjected to the influence of temptations, especially constant ones, relaxes and changes. Living according to God will become very difficult due to the vastness and universality of the retreat. The multiplying apostates, calling themselves and presenting themselves as Christians in appearance, will be all the more convenient to persecute true Christians; the multiplied apostates will surround true Christians with countless intrigues and will oppose countless obstacles to their good intention of salvation and service to God, as Saint Tikhon of Voronezh and Zadonsk notes. They will act against the servants of God with the violence of power, and slander, and cunning intrigues, and various deceptions, and fierce persecution. The Savior of the world barely found the insignificant and remote Nazareth in order to hide from Herod and from the scribes, Pharisees, priests and high priests of the Jews who hated Him; so in recent times, a true monk will hardly find any distant and unknown shelter, so that in it he can serve God with some freedom and not be carried away by the violence of apostasy and apostates into the service of Satan 152. O time of trouble! O wretched condition! Oh, a moral disaster, inconspicuous for sensual people, incomparably greater than all material, loud disasters. O disaster that begins in time and does not end in time, but passes into eternity! Oh, the calamity of calamities, understood only by true Christians and true monks, unknown to those whom it embraces and destroys! Having become spectators of such a spiritual vision, let us utter from the flames of temptations that confession and that song of glorification that were uttered by the three blessed youths from the burning cave of Babylon. With our love let us unite with all humanity scattered across the face of the earth; on behalf of all mankind, being its representatives before God, let us make a confession and praise to God, let us pour out before Him a humble prayer for ourselves and for all mankind: “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, praised and glorified is your name forever. For Thou art righteous in regard to all that Thou hast done for us, and all Thy deeds are true, and Thou art righteous in Thy ways, and Thy judges of all things are true, and Thou hast created true destinies for all that Thou hast brought upon us and upon the city of our holy father Jerusalem, for through truth and judgment Thou hast brought all this sin upon us for our sakes. Having sinned and been lawless, we have departed from You, and have sinned in all things, and have not obeyed Your commandments; we have been inferior in observance, inferior to those who have done as Thou hast commanded us, so that it may be good for us. And all the great things you have done for us, and all the great things you have brought upon us, you have created true judgment, and you have delivered us into the hands of lawless enemies, vile apostates... Do not betray us to the end for Thy name's sake, and do not break Thy covenant, and do not leave Thy mercy from us... With a contrite soul and a humble spirit, yes we will be accepted. Do not put us to shame, but deal with us according to Your meekness and according to the abundance of Your mercy, and redeem us according to Your wonders, and give glory to Your name, O Lord” (Dan. 3:26–43). The Holy Fathers said about the monks of the last time: and in the last time, those who will truly work for God will safely hide themselves from people and will not perform signs and wonders among them, as at the present time, but will follow the path of work dissolved in humility 153. In fact, what is the most reliable way of salvation for a monk today? The path that can protect him from the influence of temptations from outside and inside. Outwardly, it consists in moving away from acquaintance and free circulation outside and inside the monastery, in staying, if possible, in the monastery and in the cell, and in the soul in the study and fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, or, what is the same, in the study and fulfillment of the will of God (Rom. 12:2) and in the resigned and complacent patience of all sorrows allowed by the Providence of God, while recognizing oneself from the sincerity of the heart as worthy of these sorrows. The Gospel commandments teach the monk humility, and the cross perfects him in humility 154. Humility destroys all sinful passions from the soul and body and attracts the grace of God into it. This is where salvation lies. Chapter 31. Sources of monastic sorrows Temptations against a monk arise from the following four sources: from our fallen nature, from the world, from people and from demons. Actually, the source of temptation is one: our fallen nature. If nature were not in a state of decline, then evil would not arise in ourselves, the temptations of the world would not have any influence on us, people would not rebel against each other, fallen spirits would not have the reason and right to approach us. That is why Scripture says: “Everyone is tempted, because of his own lust he is drawn and deceived.” (James 1:14). The infinite goodness and wisdom of God has arranged for those who are being saved in such a way that all temptations, whatever they may be, bring the greatest benefit to the true servants and servants of God and will powerfully assist them in the matter of salvation and spiritual success. Evil has no good purpose; it has one evil purpose. But God so miraculously arranged the work of our salvation that evil, having an evil goal, and acting with the intention of harming the servant of God in time and eternity, thereby contributes to his salvation. Salvation as a spiritual sacrament that makes a person a participant in Divine good is incomprehensible to evil, which is blind to Divine good as completely alien to it, and understands only its own, that is, either one-sided evil, or the good of fallen nature, mixed with evil and poisoned by evil. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “Evil promotes good with evil intentions” 155. And the Apostle Paul said: “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). Fallen nature, spewing out sin from itself in various forms - here, of course, sin is not active, but in thoughts, in the sensations of the heart and body - and arguing with the Gospel, provides, in the light of the Gospel, the ascetic with an experienced and detailed concept of the fall of both his own and that of the common fall of all humanity, provides experimental knowledge of the need for a Redeemer, provides experimental knowledge that the Gospel heals and revives the soul, provides a broken spirit and humble, who is installed in the ascetic because of his vision of countless ulcers and infirmities inflicted on man and the human race by the fall. The poison of sin, cast into every person by the fall and found in every person, acts according to the Providence of God in those who are saved to their essential and greatest benefit 156. The world, tempting the ascetic, gives him experimental knowledge of how earthly life is perverse and deceptive, that everything sweet, desirable and great ends in emptiness and sorrow; From this experimental knowledge, the ascetic acquires coolness towards earthly life, towards his hotel - the earth, towards everything that is recognized on it as desirable for the sons of the world, turns the gaze of his mind and heart to eternity and begins to intercede with the most fervent prayers before God for his afterlife. People, tempting the ascetic, give him the opportunity to become a fulfiller of the most sublime commandments of the Gospel, commandments about love for enemies. Love for enemies is the highest degree of love for one’s neighbor legitimized by the Gospel. He who has achieved love for his enemies has achieved perfection in love for his neighbor, and the gates of love for God have automatically opened for him. All obstacles are rejected! Eternal closures and locks have relaxed and opened up! The ascetic no longer condemns his neighbor; he has already forgiven him all his sins; he already prays for him as for his fellow member belonging to one body; he has already recognized and confessed that all the sorrows that happen to the servant of God are tolerated only by the will of God; he has already submitted to the will of God in all circumstances, private and public, and therefore with freedom, as a confidant of the sacred world, as one who has fulfilled everything commanded by God regarding his neighbor, he enters into the arms of Divine love. The ascetic could not have achieved this if he had not been subjected to various temptations from people, and because of the temptations had not cast out from himself, as if from the action of a cleansing medicine, all the malice and pride that had infected the fallen nature. Temptations from evil spirits are usually allowed after training in temptations from fallen nature, from the world and from people. Evil spirits first support the fallen nature in the fight against the gospel teaching or take part in the temptations inflicted on the ascetic by the temptations of the world and people; subsequently, in due time, by the special permission of God, they personally open up a battle against the servant of Christ, elevating him to a great feat. The winner in this battle is crowned with special spiritual gifts, as can be seen from the lives of St. Anthony the Great, St. John the Long-Suffering and other holy monks. Without entering into battle with spirits and without enduring it as it should, the ascetic cannot completely break off communication with them and therefore cannot achieve complete freedom from enslavement by them in this and the next century. Those who leave earthly life in such a state cannot help but be tortured by demons in aerial ordeals. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “Souls, not tempted by sorrows inflicted by evil spirits, remain in adolescence and, I bet, are not capable of the Kingdom of Heaven” 157. Evil is the cause of all sorrows and temptations. But the wisdom and omnipotence of God serve as the reason that temptations and sorrows have a soul-saving effect on God’s servants, giving them the opportunity to fulfill the most sublime commandments of the Gospel, to follow Christ, taking up their cross, and to become the closest disciples of the Lord. On the contrary, sorrows and temptations act disastrously on the sons of perdition! Evil overthrows them; They do not know how to defeat him and are making up for their previous crimes with new crimes. Thus, one of the thieves crucified near the Lord on the cross supplemented his atrocities with blasphemy (Luke 23:39). The omnipotence and wisdom of God serve as the reason that evil, acting with the only evil intent and purpose, fulfills, without knowing it, the plans of God’s Providence. Thus, the Jewish clergy, driven by envy and hatred of the God-man, persecuted Him throughout His entire earthly life and gave Him a shameful death penalty, but this clergy, according to the infinite wisdom of God and His omnipotence, was a blind instrument of God’s predestination, which consisted in the fact that the all-holy Christ, having suffered for guilty humanity, would redeem guilty humanity with His sufferings and laid out the saving way of the cross for everyone who wanted to be saved, leading those walking along it to heaven (Acts 3:18). In the same way, evil is an instrument of God in relation to all the servants of God, without gaining anything from it for themselves: evil, cooperating at the behest of God in its ignorance with good, does not cease to remain for itself and for those who commit it what it is - evil. Servants of God! Know for sure that the sorrows that happen to you do not come by themselves, but by God’s permission, and make every effort possible to endure them with patience and long-suffering, bringing praise and thanksgiving to God for them! Know that those who resist sorrow and seek to divert the sorrowful path from themselves act against their salvation, strive in their blindness to destroy the order and method of salvation established by God for all His servants. Chapter 32. On the need for courage in the face of temptation One of the greatest virtues of a commander in the battles of this world is when he does not lose heart despite all the vicissitudes of happiness, but remains unshakable, as if stony-hearted, borrowing from his firmness the most reasonable and useful orders, leading with this firmness to bewilder his enemies, weakening their audacity, inspiring his own army with courage. This character of a commander is the reason for extraordinary successes, and suddenly a whole series of losses and misfortunes are crowned with decisive victories and triumph. This should be the mind of a monk, this leader in the invisible struggle against sin. Nothing, no temptation inflicted by people and spirits, arising from fallen nature, should confuse him. Let the source of steadfastness and strength be faith in God, to whom we have devoted ourselves to service, who is omnipotent. Cowardice and confusion are born from unbelief, but as soon as the ascetic resorts to faith, cowardice and confusion disappear, like the darkness of the night from the rising sun. If the enemy brings you various sinful thoughts and sensations, or if they arise from your fallen nature, do not be afraid, do not be surprised at this as if it were something extraordinary. Say to yourself: “I was conceived in iniquities and born in sins: it is impossible for my nature, so much infected with sinful poison, not to reveal its infection.” Exactly: it is impossible for a fallen nature not to give its fruit from itself, especially when it begins to be cultivated by the Gospel commandments. When they begin to plow the earth with a plow, then the very roots of the tares are plowed out and with constant plowing they are gradually destroyed, gradually the field reaches purity: thus, when cultivating the heart with the commandments, the most basic thoughts and sensations are brought out from it, from which all kinds of sin grow, and thus, with constant and gradual discovery, they are destroyed little by little. Suppose a lustful passion suddenly arises in you - do not be embarrassed by this. In the same way: if anger, resentment, selfishness, sadness arise, do not be embarrassed by this. This must be it! But as soon as any passion appears, do not hesitate to cut it off with the Gospel commandments. If you do not indulge the passions, you will see their mortification. If you indulge them, converse with them, nourish them within yourself and delight in them, then they will kill you. Sinful thoughts and sensations arise from our fallen nature, but when sinful thoughts and sensations begin to constantly and intensely come, this serves as a sign that they are brought by our enemy, a fallen angel, or he forces our fallen nature to produce them especially. Such thoughts and feelings should be confessed to the confessor, so often and as long as they are cold, even if the confessor were a simple-hearted man, without the glory of a saint. Your faith in the holy sacrament of confession will save you: the grace of God inherent in the sacrament of confession will heal you. By constant and intensified attack on us, the fallen spirit tries to sow and grow the seeds of sin in us, to accustom us to some type of sin by frequent reminders of it, to arouse a special attraction to it and to turn this type of sin into a habit, as if into a natural property. A sinful habit is called passion, it deprives a person of freedom, makes him a captive, a slave of sin and a fallen angel. Against the intensified and frequent attack of sinful thoughts and sensations, called abuse in monastic language, there is no better weapon for a novice than confession. Confession is perhaps the only weapon for a beginner during battle. At least it is the strongest and most effective weapon. Run to him as often as possible during a misfortune inflicted by the devil: run to him until the devil and the misfortune inflicted by him leave you. The devil loves to commit evil in secret; loves to be unnoticed, misunderstood 158. He “catches in secret, like a lion in his fence: he catches the hedgehog to snatch the poor” (Ps. 9:30), an inexperienced and weak monk. He hates to be discovered and announced; Having been exposed and declared, he throws away his spoils and leaves. Thoughts, although sinful, are fleeting, have not been strengthened to be assimilated by the soul, and do not need immediate confession. Reject them, do not heed them, drown them out by remembering the Gospel commandments opposite to them; mention them in general terms, without at all taking the meaningless concern of counting them, in confession before communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ; say that in addition to the significant sins that must be stated with accuracy, you have sinned in various thoughts, words and deeds, in knowledge and ignorance. Chapter 33. The teaching of the holy fathers on the narrow path The doctrine of the narrow path, taught by the Holy Scriptures, is expounded by the holy fathers very strongly, deeply, clearly, convincingly, in abundance, as a type of food that is of utmost importance in the spiritual meal of the spiritual word. “If you want,” said the Monk Mark the Ascetic, “in a few words to give soul-saving instruction to a person who loves learning, then teach him prayer, the right faith and patience with the sorrows encountered. By these three kinds of good all other good is acquired.” The doctrine of endurance of sorrows has always been recognized as one of the main Christian moral traditions. At the present time, when by the Providence of God the education and salvation of monks has been entrusted primarily to various misfortunes and temptations, the teaching on patience with sorrows receives the greatest significance. We make a sufficient number of extracts about this subject from the works of the fathers with the aim of providing the modern monk with spiritual reinforcement in the midst of sorrows that have already come, in order to provide him with a correct understanding of sorrows, preparation for the correct acceptance of sorrows that have not yet come - accumulating, perhaps, menacingly in the distance, like a dark thunder cloud. Whoever they find by chance, unprepared, unarmed, they conveniently shake him down and often depose him. Taking up one's cross, that is, complacent patience with sorrows, is based on self-sacrifice. Without self-sacrifice it is impossible. It is according to the degree of selflessness. Self-sacrifice is based on faith in Christ. This spiritual law was presented by Christ (Matthew 16:24). Extract from the works of St. Macarius the Great: “Whoever wants to be an imitator of Christ, in order to thereby receive the title of son of God, born of the Spirit, must first of all endure complacently and patiently all the sorrows that happen to him, such as: bodily illnesses, insults and insults from people and slander from invisible enemies, because, according to the Providence of God, who disposes of everything wisely and with an all-good purpose, such trials through various misfortunes are allowed souls, so that it will be clearly revealed which of them love God sincerely. From the beginning of the century, for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, it was a sign of election that they walked along the narrow path of temptations and sorrows and thus pleased God. “Son,” says the Scripture, “if you have begun to work for God, prepare your soul for temptation: guide your heart and be patient” (Sir. 2:1-2). And in another place: “accept whatever is done to you” (Sir. 2:4) as good, knowing that without God nothing happens to us. And therefore, a soul that wants to please God must first of all arm itself with patience and hope. One of the evil tricks of the devil is that during the time of grief he plunges us into despondency in order to turn us away from trust in God. God never allows temptations to oppress a soul that trusts in Him so much that, driven to the extreme, it comes to despair. “God is faithful,” says the apostle, “who will not leave you to be tempted more than you are able, but will create with temptation an abundance, so that you are able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). And the devil embitters the soul not as much as he wants, but to the extent that God allows it. If people do not know what burden a mule, what a donkey, what a camel can carry, and on the basis of this knowledge, each of the mentioned animals is assigned a burden corresponding to its strength; if the poor man knows how long clay vessels should be kept in the oven so that they, being overexposed in it, do not crack or, on the contrary, being taken out insufficiently fired, do not turn out to be unfit for use; if, I say, a person is gifted with such an understanding, then isn’t it much more, isn’t it incomparably more, provided by the wisdom of God what burden of temptations should be placed on each soul, so that it, having been tested by him, became capable of the Heavenly Kingdom" 159. “If the hemp stalk is not beaten for a long time, it will not gain the ability to turn into the finest threads; the longer it is beaten, the more it is combed with combs, the cleaner and more capable it becomes. A newly molded clay vessel, but not sealed in fire, is not fit for use; a young boy is not capable of correcting everyday duties, is not able to build buildings, plant trees, sow fields prepared for this, or fulfill any other of everyday needs; so often souls, being partakers of Divine grace, being filled with heavenly sweetness by the goodness of God, condescending to their infancy, and tasting the peace of Christ from the action of the Holy Spirit in them, but not yet tempted by various misfortunes from evil spirits, have not risen in the least from the state and mind of children, and, to put it this way, are still incapable of the Kingdom of God. Because “even if you are without punishment,” says the apostle, “all were partakers of him; for you are naturally adulterers, and not the sons” (Heb. 12:8). Both temptations and sorrows are sent to a person for his benefit; they bring experience and strength to the soul, and if, in hope of the Lord, it bears them patiently to the end, then it cannot be that it does not inherit the promises of the Spirit and is not freed from the indignation of vicious passions” 160. “Our enemy has countless intrigues with which he tries to harm us and distract us from Christ. He induces either internal sorrows, acting with the spirits of malice, or arouses nasty passionate thoughts in the soul, renewing previously committed sins in the memory, trying at the same time to plunge the soul into despondency, presenting it with salvation as no longer possible and thereby inspiring a disposition towards despair. He acts so cunningly that such thoughts seem to be born in the soul itself, and not inspired in it by an alien evil spirit, which, while acting, also wants to hide. Either he acts in the manner described above, or puts him in a difficult position in the body, or invents all means to expose pious people to insults from vicious people. But the more fiercely the evil enemy shoots fiery arrows at us, the more and more we must strengthen ourselves in God, placing hope in Him and in the firm conviction that all this is allowed according to the will of God, the sole purpose of which is that souls who love God should be fully tested by temptations and prove their love for God with all satisfaction” 161. “God’s people must prepare themselves for battle and struggle. The young warrior generously endures his wounds and bravely repels his adversaries; Likewise, Christians must courageously endure insults and struggles, both external and internal. Christians struck by tribulations must ascend to prosperity through patience. This is the way of Christian living. Where the Holy Spirit is, persecution and strife will follow, like the shadow of the sun. Look at the prophets in whom the Holy Spirit acted: how persecuted they were by their compatriots! Look to the Lord, Who is “the way and the truth” (John 14:6) and Who suffered persecution not from any foreign people, but from His own tribe, from the Israelites! They persecuted the Lord with fury and crucified him on the cross. The apostles suffered a similar fate. From the time the Lord was nailed to the Cross, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, departed from the Jews and moved into Christians, and none of the Jews were persecuted: only Christians were given over to martyrdom. Christians should not be perplexed in the face of adversity: being persecuted is an integral part of the truth” 162. “The martyrs, who went through many types of torment, showed the power of invincible courage, submitting to violent death itself: after this they were awarded crowns. The more numerous and painful their sufferings were, the greater they received glory from God and boldness towards God. Likewise, souls given over to various sorrows, either clearly inflicted by people, or arising in the souls themselves from the rebellion of absurd thoughts, or caused by falling into bodily illnesses, if they endure everything with firmness to the end, are awarded the same crowns with the martyrs, the same boldness towards God. The sorrows of the martyrs, which the martyrs suffered from men, were suffered by these souls from the cruel attack and onslaught of the most crafty spirits - and the more numerous and painful the attacks of the adversary - the devil, to which they are subjected, the more abundant glory they will receive from God, not only in the next century, but also here, enriched by the abundant consolation of the Spirit" 163. “It is known with all certainty that the path leading to eternal life is narrow and cramped, that for this reason there are few who follow it, and therefore we must endure all the temptations inflicted by the devil with firmness and constancy for the sake of the hope of receiving the blessings prepared for us in heaven. No matter how much sorrow we have suffered here, what does this mean in comparison either with the blessings promised to us in the future, or with the communion of the Comforter, the all-good Spirit, which is already given here to the worthy, or with liberation from the darkness of vicious passions, or with the forgiveness of many of our debts, that is, sins? “The passions—the sufferings—of this present time are unworthy for the glory that desires to be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). And therefore we must courageously endure everything for the Lord, like brave warriors, without denying, and die for our King. Why were we not subjected to such sorrows as we are now subjected to, when we were in worldly life and diligent in its affairs? Why now, when we have entered into the service of God, do we endure many different temptations? Obviously, for Christ’s sake, our sorrows are inflicted on us by an adversary, obsessed with envy of us over the blessings prepared for us, he tries to plunge our souls into relaxation and despondency, so that we do not receive the promised rewards for a life spent pleasing God. But we fight with Christ, and all the tricks of the enemy against us are destroyed. Christ is our great, invincible Patron and Protector. Let us consider, let us look carefully: He Himself passed through earthly life, showered with reproaches and ridicule, pursued by persecution, and finally executed by a blasphemous death on the cross” 164. “Do you want to comfortably endure all sorrows and temptations? Let death for Christ be desirable to you, and let this goal of our vow be constantly before the eyes of the mind. This is what we are commanded to do: we are commanded to take up our cross and follow Christ, which means to be constantly ready to face death. If we are in such a disposition and frame of mind, then, as has been said, we will endure with great comfort all sorrow: both internal and external. Can someone who wants to die for Christ meet with indignation or annoyance the opposing things that happen? It is precisely for this reason that sorrows seem so grave that we are not disposed to die for Christ, and have not concentrated all our heartfelt aspirations in Him. He who desires to have Christ within himself and to acquire such an elegant inheritance must, in accordance with this desire, imitate His sufferings. Those who say that they love the Lord, let them prove the justice of their words not only by generous patience with all the sorrows that occur, but also by willing patience, with love, for the sake of the hope set aside in the Lord” 165. “The Word of God acts in every person proportionately and in accordance with him. To the extent that anyone contains the word, so much is he contained by Him; to the extent that He is preserved, to the extent that He is preserved. For this reason, all the saints, prophets, apostles, martyrs kept the word in their hearts, did not care about anything temporary, but, despising earthly things, remained in the commandment of the Holy Spirit, giving preference to love of God and virtue over everything, giving this preference not to empty words and superficial consciousness, but to the word connected with deed, reality itself. Instead of wealth, they chose poverty, instead of glory - dishonor, instead of pleasure - suffering; instead of rage, they chose love: hating the pleasures of this life, they loved all the more those who took away the means of pleasure from them, and thereby contributed to the direction they had taken. They avoided eating the forbidden fruit “to know” good and evil (Gen. 2:9), they loved the pious and well-intentioned, but did not blame the wicked, recognizing both as messengers of the Sovereign administration; They had the right love for everyone. Heeding the commandment of the Lord, “Let go, and it will be forgiven you” (Luke 6:37), they recognized those who offend as benefactors, providing those who are offended with a means to receive forgiveness of sins. Again: heeding the commandment of the Lord, “let men do whatever you will, and you do the same to them” (Luke 6:31), they loved the good, out of duty of conscience. Leaving their own truth and seeking God’s truth, they gradually found love, naturally hidden in God’s truth.” “The Lord, having taught many commandments about love, commanded us to seek the truth of God (Matthew 5:6). This truth is the mother of love. It is impossible to be saved except through your neighbor. “Let go,” the Lord commanded, “and it will be forgiven you” (Luke 6:37). This is the spiritual law written on the hearts of believers and serves as the fulfillment of the first law. “I did not come,” says the Lord, “to destroy the law, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). How is it performed? Hear." The first law, condemning the one who did evil to his neighbor for a blessed reason, also condemned the offended one, so that everyone, condemning his neighbor for something, condemned himself at the same time, and he who forgave his neighbor thereby granted forgiveness to himself. The law says: “Condemnation for condemnation, remission for remission.” So, fulfilling the law consists in forgiving offenses. We mentioned the first law not because God gave two laws; One is given who is spiritual by nature, but in relation to retribution he pronounces the correct definition: he forgives the one who forgives, but he subjects the one who demands punishment to judgment. “You will be chosen with the elect,” he says, “and with the obstinate you will be corrupted” (Ps. 17:27). For this reason, those who fulfill the law spiritually and, as they fulfill them, become partakers of grace, loved not only those who did good, but also those who reproached and persecuted, expecting to receive love as a reward for virtue. Their virtue consisted not only in the fact that they forgave the insults inflicted on them, but also in doing good to the souls of the offenders, praying for them to God, as for those instruments through which they receive bliss, according to the testimony of Scripture: “It is blessed when they revile you and destroy you” (Matthew 5:11). The spiritual law taught them this way of thinking. When they observed patience and meekness in spirit, then the Lord, seeing the patience of a struggling heart and not retreating from love, destroyed the “mediastinum of the fence” (Eph. 2:14) and completely drove out anger from them. From that time on, they already had love in themselves, not by violence against themselves, but by the grace of God, because from that time on their Lord held back the “convertible weapon” (Gen. 3:24), which raised passionate thoughts; they entered the inner curtains, “where Jesus the Forerunner appeared for us” (Heb. 6:20), where they enjoyed the fruits of the Spirit, from where they saw the bliss of the future life awaiting them, with perfect knowledge of the heart, that is, essentially, and not in a mirror and fortune-telling (1 Cor. 13:12); They testify with the apostle: “Whose eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). But I will propose the following question about this wonderful action: if it did not enter the heart of man, then how do you, the apostles, know it? How do you know him, having confessed that you are “men servile to us”? (Acts 14:15). HEAR what blessed Paul answers to this: “God has revealed this to us by the Holy Spirit: for the Spirit tests all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10) So that no one could say: “The Holy Spirit was given to the apostles as apostles; but it is not natural for us to contain Him within ourselves,” Paul says, giving his words the form of a prayer: “that God grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts, rooted and founded in love” (Eph. 3:16–17). “The Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9). Let us also pray that we too may receive the grace of the Holy Spirit in full knowledge and clear sensation, so that we may ascend again to where we were expelled from, so that the murderer - the serpent, the spirit that constantly puts vanity in us, the spirit of care and gluttony, will be removed from us, so that we will believe in the Lord with a living faith, keep His commandments and grow in Him “into a man.” perfect, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), so that we are no longer possessed by the love of this world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15), so that we are firmly convinced in our spirit, and believe undoubtedly in the good will of God’s grace for repentant sinners. What is bestowed by grace is no longer commensurate with the weakness that dominated a person before receiving grace, otherwise grace would not be grace. Having believed in the omnipotent God, let us approach Him who gives the communion of the Holy Spirit for faith, and not at all for the works of nature and disproportionately to them, let us approach with a simple and not curious heart: “We did not receive the Spirit by the works of the law,” says the scripture, “but by the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:2) 166. Extract from the works of St. Mark the Ascetic 167 “God is the beginning, the middle, and the end of every good thing. True good can neither be accepted by faith nor fulfilled in practice except through the mediation of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit" 168 . “Living faith is a strong pillar: Christ is everything to the one who believes in Him through such faith” 169. “Vigil, prayer and patience with the sorrows that befall us bring harmless, useful contrition to the heart, as long as the disproportionate increase in the achievement does not take away its essential dignity. He who neglects these three types of work, and who practices them weakly, will be subjected to unbearable torment at his death” 170. “At the time of death, a voluptuous heart serves as a prison and fetters for the soul; but whoever loves achievement is an open door” 171. “The iron gates leading into Jerusalem are an image of a hard heart: they open of themselves to one leading an ascetic life and enduring sorrow, as they opened to the Apostle Peter” (Acts 12:10) 172. “While the memory of God is active in you, increase your prayer, so that the Lord will remember you when forgetfulness of Him attacks you” 173. “A merciful heart will obviously attract mercy to itself, the opposite of this will naturally happen to a heart that is in a disposition opposite to mercy” 174. “The law of spiritual freedom teaches the truth, and many know it with a superficial understanding, but few understand it as they fulfill the commandments by deeds” 175 . “The perfection of the spiritual law is hidden in the cross of Christ” 176. “Because of affliction, good things are prepared for men; evil - for vanity and voluptuousness" 177. “He who is offended by people avoids sin and finds intercession commensurate with the sorrow” 178. “Whoever believes in Christ, who promised reward, will diligently, according to the measure of faith, endure every insult” 179. “Whoever prays for people who offend him casts down demons; He who allows himself to confront those who offend him is overthrown by demons” 180. “Reproach from people brings sorrow to the heart: for the one who suffers, it is the cause of purity” 181. “Living in contentment, accept the sorrows that are tolerated and, as one who must give an account, forbid yourself excesses” 182. “Sorrow that happens unexpectedly reminds the prudent of God, hurting those who have forgotten about God in proportion to the oblivion that has crept in” 183. “Mentally show yourself to the Lord: a person sees everything on his face. God is in the heart" (Heb. 4:13) 184. “Let every involuntary sorrow teach you to turn to the remembrance of God, and the impulse to repentance will not be lacking in you” 185. “Examine your sins, and not the sins of your neighbor, and your spiritual achievement will not be robbed” 186. “Neglect of all feasible virtues is unforgivable; alms and prayer restore the negligent” 187. “All sorrow for God is an essential matter of piety: true love is tempted by opposition” 188. “Do not think that you can acquire virtue without sorrow: he who lives in joy remains alien to spiritual experience” 189. “Look closely at the final consequence of all tribulation and you will find that it consists in the destruction of sin” 190. “He who wishes to receive praise from men without condemnation should first love reproof of his sins” 191 . “He who has been dishonored for the truth of Christ will be glorified a hundredfold by many. But it is better to do good in the hope of future reward" 192. “He who hypocritically praises his neighbor will humiliate him at a convenient time” 193. “He who does not know the intrigues arranged by his enemies is conveniently tempered by them, and he who does not know the principles on which passions are based conveniently falls into sin” 194. “He who acts according to the commandment should expect temptation as a result of his action: love for Christ is tempted by opposition” 195. “When a thought appears to you offering glory from men, then know for sure that it is preparing dishonor for you” 196. “The enemy knows the truthfulness of the spiritual law and seeks only for the human mind to express consent to the sinful thought presented to it. Thus, the enemy either subjects the one who has submitted to him to the labors of repentance, or, if the defeated person does not resort to repentance, subjects him to suffering, bringing upon him, as one who has arbitrarily submitted to him, various sorrows; sometimes he teaches him to rebel against the induced sorrows, in order to increase suffering here too and show them to the unfaithful because of impatience, when the soul leaves the body” 197. “Many have struggled a lot against the sorrows that occur involuntarily, but no one has escaped sorrow except through prayer and repentance” 198. “Vices borrow strength from one another, and virtues develop in a person one from the other, stimulating in their participants a movement towards prosperity” 199. “Small sins are further diminished by the devil in our eyes, otherwise he cannot lead us to greater sins” 200. “He who is angry with his neighbor, either for money, or for fame, or for pleasure, has not yet learned that God rules creatures righteously” 201. “If someone, clearly sinning and not resorting to repentance, did not undergo any sorrow until his very departure from this life, then understand from this that judgment without mercy will befall him” 202. “He who prays in his mind endures the sorrows encountered, but he who is overcome by memory malice does not yet have pure prayer” 203. “Offended, dishonored, expelled by any person, do not look at the present, but direct your gaze to the consequences of this person’s actions and you will find that he was the cause of many blessings for you, not only in the present, but also in the next century” 204. “Bitter wormwood is useful for those whose digestion is spoiled, and it is also useful for evil-doers to be exposed to misfortunes. Both serve as medicine, bringing bodily health to the first and leading to repentance of the second” 205. “You don’t want to endure evil? Do not wish to do evil: the first will inevitably follow the second. Everyone reaps what he sows” 206. “Having sowed evil arbitrarily, reaping it involuntarily, we must be amazed at the truth of God” 207. “A certain time has been determined between the sowing and the harvest: not seeing retribution following the evil done, let us not disbelieve the retribution, as some do not believe it for this reason; it will come in due time" 208. “He who praises and at the same time blames his neighbor shows by this that he is suffering from vanity and envy: with praise he tries to hide envy, and with blame he tries to show his superiority over the person being blamed” 209. “It is impossible to herd sheep and wolves in the same pasture; so it is impossible for someone who does evil to his neighbor to receive mercy” 210. “Water and fire, being united in one place, counteract each other: justification and humility counteract each other in the soul” 211. “He who seeks remission of sins loves humility; he who condemns his neighbor seals his own sinfulness” 212. “Do not leave sin unerased, even if it is the slightest, otherwise it will lead you to greater evil” 213. “If you want to be saved, love the truthful word and never turn away from reproof” 214. “It is better to pray with reverence for your neighbor than to denounce him for any sin” 215. “A repentant person is truly exposed to the reproach of the insane: this serves as a sign of pleasing him to God” 216. “Having exalted yourself with praise, expect dishonor” 217. “He who seeks praise enters the realm of passions; he who weeps over the sorrow that has come upon him reveals the predominance of voluptuousness in him” 218. “The thought of a voluptuous man fluctuates, as on a scale: the voluptuous sometimes sheds tears, mourning his sins; sometimes, defending his voluptuousness, he fights against his neighbor and enters into an argument with him” 219. “A long-suffering man abounds in understanding; he who strives with all his heart to study Divine wisdom will also abound in understanding.” 220 “Without the memory of God, reason cannot be true: without it it is false” 221. “He who hates reproach plunges into passions arbitrarily. He who loves reproof, even if he is still carried away by passions, is obviously carried away by a previously acquired skill” 222 . “Do not want to hear stories about your neighbor’s sins: in such willfulness the images of these sins are imprinted” 223. “Exchange present sorrows in your thoughts for the blessings of a future life, and negligence will never weaken your feat” 224. “Accept the interweaving of pleasant and unpleasant adventures with equal thought (with equal indifference); With such a feat of man, God equalizes the inequality of events” 225. “Mental changes and fluctuations occur from thoughts that are not brought into a solid, always equal state. God has arranged it in such a way that the involuntary is a natural consequence of the voluntary” 226. “The deeds performed by the body are the products of the actions of the spirit, being their natural and just consequences, according to God’s definition” 227. “Remain unshakably in the spiritual mind - and you will not be exhausted by temptations. Having deviated from the spiritual way of thinking, you will feel suffering: endure it” 228. “Pray that temptation will not overtake you. Accept the temptation that befalls you as something that belongs to you, and not as something alien to you” 229. “Abstain from all excess when satisfying the needs of the body - and then you will be able to discern the wiles of the devil” 230. “When the mind abandons bodily concerns, then it begins to see, in proportion to this abandonment, the machinations of invisible enemies” 231. “Someone outwardly fulfills the commandment, but in essence satisfies his secret passion and corrupts a good deed with sinful thoughts” 232. “Introduced into the beginning of evil, do not say: it will not defeat me. To the extent that you are introduced into it, you are already defeated” 233. “Every great sin begins with a small submission to its principles and grows gradually, being nourished and developed” 234. “The machinations of evil are a multi-braided mess! It often covers the one who gets entangled in it from all sides, if he allows himself to be careless” 235. “Do not want to hear about the misfortune that befell a person who is hostile to you. Those who listen arbitrarily to such stories reap the fruits of their will." 236 “Do not think that all sorrow is allowed to people because of their sins: even those who please God are tempted. Scripture says: “The wicked and the wicked will become wives” (Ps. 34:28); it also says: “All who want to live godly in Christ will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12) 237. “During sorrow, try to notice the effect of sweets: they, consoling in sorrow, are pleasant to us” 238. “Some call those who understand and explain various objects in the visible world wise: wise – those who have their own wishes” 239. “If you see a strong movement in the soul, attracting a silent mind to passion, then know that the mind prevented this involuntary action with a voluntary action, arbitrarily setting passion in motion and planting it in the heart” 240. “When you stop actually fulfilling carnal lusts, according to the teaching of Scripture, then, with the help of the Lord, the invisible action of passions in the soul will conveniently cease” 241. “God imputes both deeds and intentions to us. The Scripture says: “The Lord will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:27); it is also said: “The Lord will give you according to your heart” (Ps. 19:5) 242. “He who is not constantly examining his conscience will not take upon himself physical labors to acquire piety” 243. “He who has not voluntarily taken upon himself to strive for the acquisition of piety, the more he will be subjected to involuntary sorrows” 244. “Conscience is the book of natural law. He who reads this book, by actually fulfilling its requirements, learns by experience that God will help man” 245. “He who knows the will of God and carries it out to the best of his ability with small labors will avoid great labors” 246. “Whoever wants to overcome temptations without prayer and patience will not be able to repel them from himself - he will become even more entangled in them” 247. “A good direction of conscience is acquired by prayer, and pure prayer is acquired by a correctly disposed conscience. One naturally serves as a consequence of the other” 248. “Jacob arranged for Joseph to wear a coat of many colors, and the Lord gives to the meek the understanding of truth, according to the testimony of Scripture. “The Lord,” it says, “will teach the meek in His way” (Ps 24:9) 249. “The Lord is hidden in His commandments, and is found by those who seek Him as they fulfill His commandments” 250. “The peace of Christ is deliverance from passions: it cannot be obtained otherwise than through the action of the Holy Spirit” 251. “The Lord, teaching us that the fulfillment of every His commandment is our duty, and adoption to God is His gift, bestowed as a result of the redemption of men by His blood, says: “When you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘For we are unworthy servants, and even if we have done, we have done’” (Luke 17:10). From these words it is clear that the Kingdom of Heaven is not retribution for deeds, but a gift, according to the good pleasure of God, prepared for faithful servants” 252. “Christ died our sins, according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3), and to those who serve Him pleasingly He grants freedom: “O good and faithful servant,” He says, “thou art faithful for a little, I will make thee ruler over many: enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:23) 253. “Whoever honors the Lord does what He commands. The one who has sinned, that is, the one who has disobeyed the Lord, patiently endures the sorrows that are tolerated as being characteristic of himself, as belonging to him” 254. “Temptations that happen to us unexpectedly teach us to be hardworking and attract us to repentance when we lack the will to do so. This is done according to God’s care for us” 255. “The sorrows that befall people are the product of the sins they have committed and the passions living in them. If we endure these sorrows with the help of prayer, then the induction of a good state will follow the induced sorrows” 256. “Some, being praised for their virtue, rejoiced in this praise and took the pleasure of vanity for the consolation of their conscience; others, being convicted of sin, became sad and considered useful sadness to be an act of malice” 257. “He who wishes to cross the mental sea cultivates long-suffering, humility, patience, and abstinence. If he attempts to sail without the assistance of these virtues, he will only disturb his heart, but will not be able to swim.”258 “Silence is the rejection of all types of evil. Whoever, in silence, combines the four above-mentioned virtues with prayer, they will become the most reliable means of achieving dispassion” 259. “It is impossible to be silent in the mind without being silent in the body; it is impossible to destroy separated bodies and spirits without silence and prayer” 260. “Prayer without attention focused on it is not considered perfect; but a thought that cries silently, that is, without being plundered by absent-mindedness, will be heard by God” 261. “The mind that prays unentertained oppresses the heart: “God will not despise a contrite and humble heart” (Ps. 50:19) 262. “And prayer is called a virtue, although it is the mother of all virtues: it gives birth to them from union with Christ” 263. “Whatever we do without prayer and without placing our trust in God will later turn out to be harmful and sinful” 264 . “If you fall into despondency during prayer or are exposed to various misfortunes from the enemy, then bring to mind your upcoming departure from this life and the fierce torments of hell. But it is better to cleave to God through prayer and placing all your cares on Him, rather than resorting to memories that disrupt concentration, despite their benefits” 265. “Anyone who is entertained by various thoughts is not considered an abstinent, even if they were useful: they are no more useful than prayers” 266. “The penitent does not rightly think that his feat of repentance serves as a satisfactory retribution for the sins he has committed, but is strengthened by the feat of repentance to appease God” 267. “No matter how much we increase our virtue today, we do not deserve reward: this is a denunciation of previous negligence” 268. “Great virtue is to endure the sorrows that befall you and to love your neighbor who hates you, according to the commandment of the Lord” (Matthew 5:44) 269. “The sign of unfeigned love is forgiveness of insults. So the Lord loved this world" 270. “It is impossible to forgive an offense from the heart without true spiritual reason: spiritual reason explains that everything that befalls everyone is his property” 271. “You will not lose anything that you leave for the sake of the Lord: what you left will return in due time with great abundance” 272. “True reason consists in enduring sorrows and not blaming one’s neighbor for one’s misfortunes” 273. “He who does good and seeks reward serves not God, but his own will” 274. “It is impossible for someone who has sinned to avoid retribution except by repentance corresponding to the sin” 275. “Having realized that the onslaught of misfortunes from outside is allowed to us by the truth of God, he found, by seeking the Lord, both reason and truth” 276. “If you understand, as Scripture teaches, that “throughout all the earth the destinies of the Lord” (Ps. 104:7): then every opportunity will become for you a teacher of the knowledge of God” 277. “Everyone meets what is due, according to his mood; the guidance allowed is varied: one God knows the proper guidance for everyone” 278. “If you have been subjected to any dishonor from men, know that through this you will have glory from God, and you will remain carefree and undisturbed in dishonor, but in glory, when it comes, you will be faithful and uncondemned” 279. “Praised by many, by the good pleasure of God, do not at all mix any self-praise into the praise arranged according to the Lord’s will, lest change be permitted, lest you be subjected to dishonor instead of praise” 280. “When the mind, armed with courage in the Lord, begins to distract the soul from long-term sinful habits, then the heart seems to be torn, being distracted in two opposite directions by mind and passion, acting like two warriors hostile to each other” 281. “No one is so good, no one is so merciful as the Lord; but He does not forgive the unrepentant” 282. “We grieve over sins, but remain attached to their causes” 283. “When a sinful soul does not accept with humility the sorrows allowed to it, then the angels say about it: “I was the physician of Babylon, and was not healed” (Jer. 51:9) 284. “The mind, having consigned to oblivion the spiritual understanding of truth, fights against people for what is harmful to it, as if for what is useful” 285. “Passion, arbitrarily brought into action, then acts violently and against the will of the one who initially allows it to act arbitrarily” 286. “The devil, when he sees that the mind has prayed from the heart, then inflicts heavy and intricate temptations, wanting to destroy virtue at its beginning with great suggestions” 287 . “There are three mental states into which the mind enters when undergoing changes: natural, supernatural and subnatural or unnatural. Having entered a natural state, the mind finds itself guilty of evil thoughts and confesses sins to God, seeing the initial causes of passions. Having descended into an unnatural state, he forgets the truth of God and fights with people as those who have offended him; elevated to a supernatural state, he receives the fruits of the Holy Spirit, counted by the Apostle: love, joy, peace, etc. Then it becomes clear to him that he will not be able to remain in a supernatural state if he gets carried away with bodily concerns! Having descended from this state, he is subject to sinful falls and the misfortunes that follow the fall, if not soon, but in due time, known to the truth of God” 288. “Reason is as true as it is based on meekness, humility and love” 289. “In every matter and circumstance, never fail to resort to prayer to God, so that you may have God’s help in everything” 290. “Nothing is as powerful in action as prayer: God is not pleased with anything as much as he is pleased with prayer” 291. “The fulfillment of all commandments lies in prayer, because love for God, expressed by prayer, is the highest of the virtues and the totality of them” 292. “Prayer free from distraction is a sign of love for God, which is the essence of prayer; negligence in prayer and absent-mindedness in performing it are signs of voluptuousness” 293. “He who unsorrowfully performs vigils and prayers, and perseveres in long-suffering, has truly become a partaker of the Holy Spirit. And he will soon receive help who voluntarily forces himself to these good deeds, although he hesitates in them” 294. “It is good to benefit one’s neighbor with words, but it is better to assist them with prayer and virtue: with them, he who offers himself to God, helping himself, will also help his neighbor” 295. “Whoever places his trust in God in any circumstance no longer comes into conflict with his neighbors regarding this circumstance” 296. “If everything involuntary is caused by the voluntary, according to the testimony of Scripture, then man’s fiercest enemy is himself” 297 . “Flee from temptation through patience and prayer. If you fight temptation without these tools, it will oppress you more.” 298 “The meek in disposition, borrowed from God, are wiser than the wise, and humble in heart more powerful than the mighty: they bear the yoke of Christ in their minds” 299. “Whether we say something or do something, without asking for God’s help through prayer, everything will later turn out to be either sinful or harmful; we are subjected to mysterious exposure experientially” 300. “In deeds, words and thoughts there is only one Righteous – the Lord Jesus. From faith, grace and repentance there are many righteous people: all holy people” 301. “It is alien to the repentant to be arrogant: so, on the contrary, the one who sins arbitrarily is not able to be humble” 302. “Humility does not consist in conscience convicting a person; it is the grace of God; it is the knowledge of spiritual mercy” 303. “He who hates passions rejects their causes; he who remains in assimilation to causes arbitrarily is attacked by passions and against his will” 304. “He who does not love the principles on which passions are based does not tend to bow to passions in thought” 305. “Will he who despises shame be carried away by vanity? Will he who loves humiliation be indignant at the dishonor? Will he who has a contrite and humble heart bow down to carnal pleasure? Will a believer in Christ care about anything temporary, or will he enter into a dispute or conflict about something temporary? 306. “He who is neglected and does not enter into competition with him who neglects either word or thought has acquired true reason and demonstrates by his very behavior a firm faith in God” 307. “In essence, neither the one who offends gains from the insult, nor the one who is offended has any deprivation: “In the same way a man walks, yet he is troubled in vain” (Ps. 39:7) 308. “If you see someone subjected to many dishonors and, because of them, giving in to great sadness, then know that he was previously filled with thoughts of vanity and therefore with sorrow reaps the thorns that grew from the seeds sown in the heart” 309. “He who is satiated with bodily pleasure beyond what is due will reward his satiety with suffering a hundredfold” 310. “To one who is in obedience, his mentor is obliged to speak what is due and announce to him the guidance of misfortune if he allows himself to disobey” 311. “He who is offended and does not repay the offender proves by this his faith in Christ, will be rewarded a hundredfold in this age and will inherit eternal life” 312. “The remembrance of God lies in the pain of the heart for the acquisition of virtue. He who forgets God will certainly be influenced by voluptuousness and will be deprived of a saving heart disease” 313. “Do not say that a dispassionate person cannot grieve: he must grieve, if not for himself, then for his neighbor” 314. “If you want to constantly remember God, then do not reject inflicted sorrows, as if inflicted unjustly, but endure them with patience, as if inflicted justly. In every sorrowful case, patience awakens remembrance of God; from the abandonment of patience, the spiritual mind becomes impoverished, and from the consolation of self-justification, oblivion of God occurs” 315. “Do you want the Lord to cover your sins? Do not announce to people the virtues that you have. As we act in relation to our virtues, so the Lord acts in relation to our sins” 316. “Do not rejoice when you do a good deed for your neighbor: rejoice when you unmindfully endure the insult that follows your good deed. As night follows day, so evil will follow good deeds" 317. “The mercy of God is hidden in involuntary suffering, attracting the sufferer to repentance and delivering him from eternal torment” 318. “The fear of eternal torment and the desire for the Kingdom of Heaven inspires patience with sorrows; it is inspired not only by a person’s own will, but by the gift of Him who looks at our thoughts” 319. “Whoever believes in future rewards arbitrarily moves away from earthly pleasures: an unbeliever is both voluptuous and alien to heartfelt contrition” 320. “If you want to be saved and come to the understanding of truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), then try to always remain above the sensory, clinging in hope to the one God. By avoiding everything sensual, by forcing yourself, you will discover the invisible action of principles and powers acting hostilely against you through various attacks. Encouraging them with prayer and good hope, you will receive the grace of God, which will deliver you from future wrath” 321. “Having understood the meaning of the mysterious message of the Apostle Paul, that “we wrestle against spiritual wickedness” (Eph. 6:12), understand also the Lord’s commandment that it is appropriate to always pray, without giving in to despondency” (Luke 18:1–8) 322. “He who calls the truth does not resist sorrowful intimations: he knows that sorrowful intimations lead to the fear of God” 323. “If you want to bring to God an infallible confession of sins, then do not remember the appearance of your sins, but courageously endure the sorrows caused for them” 324. “Sorrows are brought in for previously committed sins, bringing to each sin its own kind of retribution” 325. “He who is reasonable and knows the truth confesses to God not by remembering the sins he has committed, but by enduring the sorrows brought upon him” 326. “Having rejected suffering and dishonor, do not think of bringing repentance through other virtues: vanity and the mood of the heart, alien to contrition of the spirit, know how to serve sin and deeds of righteousness” 327. “Virtues are usually born from suffering and dishonor; so, on the contrary, vices are born from pleasure and vanity” 328. “Every manifestation of carnal voluptuousness comes from the pleasure that preceded this manifestation. Allowing oneself pleasure comes from unbelief” 329. “He who does not reconcile his will with God stumbles in his undertakings and is subject to the predominance of adversaries” 330. “A God-loving listener receives benefit from opposite actions: if his goodness is evidenced by approval, then he becomes more diligent; if he is convicted of evil, then he forces himself to repentance” 331. “It is good to adhere to the main commandment, not to worry about anything in particular and not to pray for anything in particular, but through prayer and all activity to seek only the Kingdom and Word of God. If we are still in such a position that we must take care of our every need, then we must pray for each one. Anyone who does anything or cares about something without prayer will not be able to accomplish things with good success. The Lord testified to this, saying: “You cannot do anything without Me” (John 15:5) 332. “Whoever neglects the commandment of prayer suffers the most serious violations of other commandments, handing him over from one to another like a prisoner” 333. “He who accepts the sorrows of the present time through the hope of receiving future benefits has acquired the mind of truth: he will conveniently get rid of anger and sorrow” 334. “He who is subjected to bitterness and dishonor for the truth, walks in the way of the apostles, taking the cross on his shoulder and putting shackles on himself. He who strives to listen to his heart without these aids cannot help but wander everywhere, cannot help but fall into temptations and the snares of the devil” 335. “He who is struggling with sin will never be able to overcome thoughts if he does not act together with and against their initial causes; it will also not be possible to defeat the initial causes without acting together and against the thoughts: having rejected one of the two, after a short time we will be carried away by the other into both” 336. “He who argues with people for fear of being subjected to suffering and reproach either here incurs the most severe misfortunes, or will be tormented without mercy in the next century” 337. “Whoever wants to ward off any misfortune must, through prayer, reconcile his affairs with God, acquire trust in God in his spirit and neglect as much as possible the worries about the sensory” 338. “The devil, having found that a person exercises himself in bodily affairs unnecessarily, unnecessarily, first steals the treasures of his mind - spiritual concepts, and then cuts off hope in God as his head” 339. “When you achieve steadfastness and purity in prayer, do not accept the understandings brought by the enemy during your prayer, so as not to lose more. It is better to shoot arrows of prayer at an enemy who has been thrown down and imprisoned there, rather than to talk with him. He does not bring good things; he cunningly brings evil things in order to distract us from prayer” 340. “Good thoughts are useful to a person in times of temptation and despondency; during prayer they are harmful” 341. “Having received the lot to teach about the Lord and encountering disobedience among those being taught, grieve in spirit and do not be embarrassed, do not show embarrassment. By tribulation, you will not be condemned with the disobedient; being embarrassed, you will be tempted by the same weakness” 342. “Do not allow yourself to expose a sin to someone who is not in your obedience: such exposure belongs to the authorities” 343. “Do not enter into a debate with those who oppose the truth and do not want to show you obedience, so as not to arouse in them hatred towards you, as Scripture testifies to this” (Prov. 9:8) 344. “He who allows a novice to contradict where he should not, betrays him in such cases to self-delusion and allows him to violate the vow of obedience” 345. “He who instructs and reproaches someone with the fear of God acquires virtue itself, which is the opposite of sin; on the contrary, he who acts out of remembrance and reproaches maliciously falls, according to the spiritual law, into a similar passion” 346. “Someone speaks the truth, and fools hate him, according to the word of the Theologian (John 8:31, 47); another is a hypocrite, and they love him for it. However, neither one nor the other of these rewards is long-term: the Lord will give everyone their due in due time” 347. “He who wishes to ward off the calamities of the future life must bear complacently the calamities of the present life. Thus, exchanging one thing for another in his mind, he will avoid great torment through insignificant suffering” 348. “Forbid self-praise and arrogance in your mind, so as not to be tolerated and fall into the opposite of what you are vain about: good things are accomplished not by one person, but by the all-seeing God and man” 349. “The All-Seeing God determines the proper guidance both for our deeds and for our arbitrary thoughts and reflections” 350. “Involuntary sinful conjectures grow from a preceding sin, but voluntary ones from free will: thus, the latter become the cause of the former” 351. “Sinful thoughts that arise against the intention will be followed by sadness and therefore they are quickly destroyed. Arbitrary sinful thoughts will be followed by joy and therefore they are erased with great difficulty” 352. “Strikes and misfortunes produce sadness in the voluptuous; produce it in God-loving praise and excess" 353. “He who does not know the destinies of God with his mind travels between abysses and is conveniently thrown into them by every wind: being praised, he is lifted up; being reproached, he becomes upset; enjoying himself, he is carried away into fornication; being exposed to suffering, he becomes faint-hearted and cries; Having understood something, he wants to show it and, not understanding, wants to present himself as understanding; becoming rich, he is arrogant, and, becoming poor, he is a hypocrite; having had enough, he becomes impudent and, while fasting, indulges in vanity; He loves to argue with those who accuse him, and he looks mockingly at those who forgive him as if they are crazy.”354 “Whoever, through the grace of Christ, does not acquire the understanding of truth, is severely tormented not only by passions, but also by the influence of external circumstances on him” 355. “If you want to resolve an incomprehensible circumstance, then look for something in relation to it that would be pleasing to God, and you will find a useful solution to the perplexity” 356. “What God is pleased with, all creation cooperates with by serving, and what God turns away from, all creation opposes” 357. “He who resists sorrowful guidance resists, without understanding it, the command of God: but he who accepts them with true understanding endures the Lord” 358. “When an attack comes, do not seek why and why it came: seek to endure it with thanksgiving to God, without sadness and without remembrance of malice” 359. “The evil of others does not increase sin, unless we accept it with evil thoughts” 360. “If it is inconvenient to find someone who pleases you without temptation, then you should thank God for everything that happens” 361. “If Peter had not abandoned his night fishing, he would not have had success during the day. If Paul had not been blinded by his senses, he would not have received his sight with his mind. If Stephen had not been slandered as a blasphemer of God, then the heavens would not have opened for him, and he would not have seen God.”362 “Activity according to God’s commandments is called virtue, and unexpected sorrow is called temptation” 363. “God tempted Abraham” (Gen. 22:1) not in order to find out what Abraham was like: because the Leader of every man knew him before man began to exist. God tempted Abraham, that is, sent him sorrows, for his benefit, in order to give him the opportunity to improve in faith” 364. “Every sorrow exposes the deviation of the will, whether it bends to the right or to the left. Revealing the hidden direction of the will, unexpected sorrow rightly bears the name of temptation for the one to whom it is allowed” 365. “The fear of God compels us to fight against evil. When we fight against it, the grace of God fights for us” 366. “Wisdom consists not only in knowing the truth, but also in patiently enduring the anger of people who offend us, accepting their insults as our own. Those who dwell exclusively in the first type of wisdom are able to become exalted with pride; those who add the second to the first type acquire humility” 367. “Do you want to not be bothered by sinful thoughts? Love the humiliation of the soul and keep the body in a mournful state - through the possible deprivations for you. Do this not temporarily, but always, in every place and circumstance” 368. “If you protect yourself with deprivations and arbitrary exploits, then thoughts that are contrary to your will will not possess you. He who does not submit to hardships and exploits will involuntarily submit to the violence of thoughts contrary to his will” 369. “When your insides and heart are indignant from resentment, do not be upset about it! According to God’s vision, that which was previously put into your soul was set in motion. Joyfully cast down your thoughts! Know: when these thoughts are destroyed in their very initial manifestations, then the evil movement will be destroyed along with them. It will multiply if we allow thoughts to develop” 370. “Without heartfelt contrition it is impossible to completely get rid of the infection of sin. The heart is broken by threefold abstinence: abstinence from sleep, from food and from excessive bodily rest. From the violation of abstinence in these objects, voluptuousness is born. Voluptuousness favorably accepts evil thoughts, resists prayer and proper service” 371. “Having accepted the lot to rule over the brethren, keep the duty entrusted to you, and for the sake of the contradictions of those who disagree, do not keep silent about what you are obliged to say. Where they obey, you will receive reward for their virtue; If they do not listen to you in any way, forgive them and accept the petition from Him who said: “Let it go, and it will be forgiven you” 372 . “Every case is like trade: those who are knowledgeable in it gain a lot, but those who are ignorant suffer a loss” 373. “Do not force him to obey the word of love through selfish strife; the acquisition rejected by him, acquire for yourself: your kindness will bring more benefit than an attempt at violent correction” 374. “Whoever falls into sin and does not grieve in proportion to the sin will conveniently fall again into the same snare” 375. “An arrogant heart does not kindly accept sorrow for God” 376. “The satiety of the belly does not combine with heart disease to conceive virtues” 377. “A person will not be able to acquire illness and sorrow for God if he does not first love the causes of them” 378. “The fear of God and reproof plant sadness in the heart; abstinence and vigil make him a partaker of illness” 379. “He who does not heed the instruction of the commandments and teachings set forth in the Holy Scriptures will be driven with the whip that is used to drive a horse, and the gob that is used to drive a donkey. If he does not feel this, his jaws will be tightened with reins and bridles, and he will be brought in through them” 380. “Conveniently defeated in small things, he will inevitably be defeated in great things; He who conquers in small things will also show valor in the Lord in great things.”381 “Do not try to use reproaches to benefit someone who boasts of virtues, because he who loves to show off cannot be a lover of the truth” 382. “Every saying of Christ reveals mercy, truth, and the wisdom of God, through the ear it implants the power of these virtues in those who listen with a good disposition: for this reason, the unmerciful and unrighteous, listening with an evil disposition, were unable to know the wisdom of God, and the One who taught this wisdom was crucified. Let us also consider ourselves: are we listening to Him with a good disposition, because He said: “Whoever loves Me will keep My commandments, and will be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and I will appear to him Myself” (John 14:21). Do you see that He placed His appearance mysteriously in the commandments? Love for God and neighbor combines all the commandments: it is formed from removal from everything material and from the silence of thoughts” 383. “In order for us to achieve silence of thoughts, the Lord commands: “Do not worry about morning” (Matthew 6:34). Quite right! One who has not freed himself from everything material and from caring about it, how can he get rid of evil thoughts? How can one who has thoughts see the sinfulness with which the entire being of a person is infected, which lies in darkness and mist on the soul, formed as a consequence of arbitrary sinful thoughts and actions? Will someone who has not known this sinfulness or sin in the broad sense of the word beg God for cleansing from sinfulness? How can one who has not been purified feel the pure nature within himself? How can one who has not acquired a pure nature see the house of Christ within himself? We are the house of God. The prophets, the Gospel, and the apostles proclaim this” (Ezek. 37:27; Zech. 2:10; John 14:23; 1 Cor. 3:16) 384. “In the order stated above, we must strive to find this house: we must knock relentlessly in prayer, so that the Lord will open the doors to it for us either during this life, or during the transition from this life to eternity. Let us not hear for our negligence: “We do not know where you are from” (Luke 13:25). One must not only ask and receive, but also preserve what is given. Some, having received spiritual treasure, have lost it. Knowledge by letter or from hearing about the above, or perhaps from random experience, is also available to those who began learning spiritual feats late and those who are young; constant and patient stay in it was acquired with difficulty by the most reverent and most experienced of the elders, who more than once lost it through inattention and again regained it through labor assigned to themselves out of good will. We will not stop doing this until we acquire treasure in inalienable dignity” 385. “Perhaps you will say: I don’t have money, how can I show mercy to a beggar without it? You don’t have money, but you have the will: renounce your sinful will and thereby do mercy. Can't give alms by hand? Give it with good will: “When your brother sins against you, leave it to him” (Luke 17:3), according to the commandment of the Lord, and it will be imputed to you as a great mercy. If we seek forgiveness of sins from God, then we must do the same in relation to our neighbor whenever he sins against us, so that what is said in the Gospel will be fulfilled over us: “forgive, and it will be forgiven you” (Luke 6:37). It is a great thing to give alms to the poor when you have money; but to have mercy on our neighbor who sins against us is so much higher and so much more conducive to obtaining forgiveness of sins, insofar as the soul, by nature, is superior to the body. If we, having asked God for forgiveness of sins, having received forgiveness many times and because of this forgiveness have not suffered any harm here, do not want to make our neighbors partakers of this gift, then of necessity we become like that evil servant who, having received forgiveness from the Master for a debt of ten thousand talents, did not forgive a hundred fines to his debtor neighbor. The Lord, carrying out legal judgment over the evil servant, said: “Evil servant, he has forgiven you all your debt, because you begged Me: would it not be fitting for you to have mercy on your minion and forgive him the debt, just as I had mercy on you? And having become angry,” the Gospel tells us, “he betrayed him to the tormentor, until he repaid all his debt.” To this the Lord added, as a conclusion, the following words: “So will My heavenly Father also do to you, if you do not let each of your brothers let their sins go from your hearts” (Matthew 18:32–35). Similarly, in another place, those who have been enriched by Him with various blessings, but who have an unmerciful and uncompassionate disposition, are recognized as unfortunate, saying: “Woe to you who are rich, because you receive your consolation” (Luke 6:24). True wealth is the abundance in us of the various gifts given to us: woe to us! We begged God many times and were granted mercy by God, but we ourselves were begged and did not have mercy on anyone. We will receive our consolation by satisfying our vindictiveness to other lusts” 386. “We are not condemned for a multitude of evils, but because we do not want to repent and recognize the miracles of Christ, as the Truth itself testifies. “Do you remember,” She says, “that these Galileans, whose blood mixed Pilate with their victims, were the most sinful of all people on earth? Neither, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will perish.” And “they are eighteen, on whom the pillar of Siloam fell, and beat them, do you remember that they were more sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? Neither, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will also perish” (Luke 13:2–5). You see that we are condemned for unrepentance” 387. “I believe that repentance is made up of the following three virtues: purification of thoughts, unceasing prayer, and patience with ongoing sorrows. These virtues must be performed not only explicitly, but also through intelligent practice: these virtues are intended to bring dispassion to those ascetics who, through long-term practice, acquire the skill in them” 388. “Take up your Cross, walk after Me” (Mark 10:21), said the Lord. The cross is the patience of those who find sorrows” 389. “Without the above three virtues, the work of repentance cannot be accomplished. I believe that repentance is appropriate for everyone and always, both sinners and righteous people who want to receive salvation, because the state of perfection itself has no limit at which the fulfillment of the above-mentioned virtues would not be required. They lead beginners into piety, average ones into prosperity, and confirm perfect people into perfection. These virtues cannot be satisfactorily fulfilled either from long-term exercise in them, or from the consciousness of one’s righteousness” 390. “The little one who despises will fall little by little” (Sir. 19:1). Do not say: how can a spiritual person fall? Being like this, he does not fall. When it accepts into itself something small from the realm of sin and does not throw this small thing out of itself through repentance, then, having become entrenched in it and developed, it no longer tolerates being alone, but also attracts something else, akin to itself, forcibly, as if by a chain that was formed from prolonged favoring the original type of sin, accepted arbitrarily. If a spiritual person enters into a struggle with the evil that has appeared and repels it with prayer, then he will remain in his faith of success, losing, however, partly his dispassion to the extent that he allowed himself to be addicted to the creeping evil. If the spiritual one is finally brought down by the increasing violence of the relaxation that has prevailed over him, having rejected the work of struggle and prayer, then, of necessity, he will be subject to seduction from other passions. Thus, being transferred from one passion to another and little by little carried away by each of them, he is deprived of Divine grace, and is already drawn into greater evil, even contrary to his will, from the violence of the types of sin that previously prevailed over him.” “You will certainly object to me on this: couldn’t a spiritual person, while evil began to act in him, beg God so as not to fall into such disastrous consequences? And I say that I could. But, neglecting the small, he arbitrarily accepted it as insignificant, not caring to pray for it and not knowing that this small serves as the reason for the greater, leading into the greater, both in good and in evil. When the passion grows and, admitted arbitrarily, takes root in him, then even against his will it begins to stubbornly act against him. Having understood the essence of the matter, we must resort to prayer to God, confront and resist the enemy, whom we previously defended by arguing with people. It even happens that we, having already been heard by the Lord, do not receive help perceptibly for us, because it does not come in the way that is intended for it by man, but in the way that God arranges for our benefit. Knowing our inclination toward sin and our inclination to neglect sins, He helps us through many sorrows, so that we, having been freed without sorrow, would again not become carried away and recklessly fall into the same sins. Based on this, we affirm that it is necessary to endure what befalls us, that remaining in repentance is a state that is completely appropriate for us” 391. “We are all descendants of Adam; We will all be born in his sin and for this reason we are all condemned to eternal death by the definition of God; we have no opportunity to be saved without Christ. Everyone, including the most righteous among people, are delivered from eternal death only through the mediation of Christ, who was crucified for all and redeemed everyone with His blood. For this reason, the Redeemer Himself offers for all one work, which embraces all other works, and commands the apostles to say one thing to everyone: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing near” (Matthew 4:17, 10:7). At the same time, the Savior taught many private commandments, from the fulfillment of which perfection in repentance is achieved, and he bequeathed this fulfillment until his death, saying: “Whoever loses his soul for the sake of Me and the Gospel, will preserve it for eternal life” (Mark 8:35; John 12:25). And again, commanding him to renounce everything, he adds: “also his own soul” (Luke 14:26). Capturing the great significance of the commandments, he says: “Whoever destroys one of these little commandments, he will be called in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19). If Christ, as here explained, appointed to remain in repentance until death, therefore, the one who claims that repentance can be finally fulfilled before death, rejects the commandment, denying the destruction of the soul until death, he is a transgressor of all Christ’s commandments. There is no end to repentance until death for both the small and the great! No one could actually achieve perfection in repentance, such perfection that would not need application or was not already capable of it! And therefore, even if we do not deserve to fulfill it as we should, we will practice it at will, so as not to be counted among those who deliberately reject the commandment, so as not to be condemned for this. Consider from the beginning of the world the lives of all those who successfully completed their earthly journey, and you will find that the sacrament of piety in all those who pleased God was accomplished through repentance. Was anyone convicted? He was condemned for neglecting repentance. Was anyone acquitted? He is justified because he cleaves to repentance” 392. “Nature itself teaches us to remain in repentance until death. The mind cannot be idle. If the mind were very significant in volume and strength, natural and acquired, then it, being in a state of health, acts in the field of good; if, relying on his superiority, he abandons the practice of good, then, of necessity, he deviates into the realm of evil; and again, moving away from evil, he is naturally attracted to good and correct activities. Such activity for beginners, intermediate and perfect people consists of prayer, purification of thoughts and patience with tolerated sorrows, without which it is impossible to perform other virtues that make repentance favorable” 393. “If repentance is a request for mercy, then the one who practices repentance must take care not to hear: “Behold, you are full” (1 Cor. 4:8), must continue the persistent petition as for those who do not have enough, because “everyone who asks accepts” (Matthew 7) 394. “If only the one who pardons himself is pardoned, then, as I think, the whole world is held together by repentance, people help each other in repentance according to the arrangement of God’s Providence” 395. “If we strive in repentance until death, even then we will not fulfill what is due, because even then we will not bring anything equivalent to the Kingdom of Heaven” 396. “Just as it is natural for us to eat, drink, speak, hear, so it is natural for us to repent” 397. “According to the definition of the law, one who once deserves death is killed, but if someone continues to live, he already lives by faith, for the sake of repentance, if not for his own sins, then for the sin of his ancestors, common to all humanity” 398. “We have been cleansed by baptism; having been cleansed, they received the commandments. He who violates the commandments defiles baptism, “forgetting the cleansing of ancient sins” (2 Pet. 1:9), of which no one is poor, subject to daily sins involuntarily, even if he strives to fulfill all the commandments” 399. “Everyone needs repentance: it shows us our sins, which were previously committed voluntarily, and now, when we have hated the passions and began to move away from them, serving as the cause of involuntary sins” 400. “He who recognizes his repentance as finally fulfilled looks back, the impressions of previous sins are renewed in him” (Luke 9:62). “A truly wise person also understands that he needs repentance: the mind of truth is bestowed by repentance, and repentance by the mind of truth” 401. “Christ stood surety for us on the condition of repentance: he who rejects repentance rejects the Savior” 402. “By good deeds of nature 403 without repentance we cannot do anything worthy of mercy from God; The Lord will grant us great mercy for the disposition of the soul, disposed to repentance. He who forces himself and remains until his death in the mood brought by repentance will be saved for forcing himself and for repentance, even if he has suffered some sins: this is promised by the Lord in the Gospels” 404. “Whoever declares that he does not need repentance declares himself righteous, and Scripture calls him a brood of vipers. (Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:7). He who recognizes himself as having committed repentance because of an opinion about his righteousness is combined, without knowing it, with the sweets of the passions, because opinion and arrogance belong to such sweets” 405. “One infected with self-conceit will not be able to be saved: “a contemptuous and offended man and a great man will die in nothing” (Hab. 2:5), says Scripture" 406. “If humility does not bring any harm to the perfect, then let the perfect not abandon the initial cause of humility - repentance” 407. “He who is full of repentance cannot be humble” 408. “If we carefully took care of humility, we would not need punishment. Everything evil and cruel that befalls us, befalls us for exaltation. The angel of Satan was allowed to torment (2 Cor. 12:7) the apostle, so that the apostle would not become arrogant; much more will Satan be allowed to us, who are carried away by exaltation. He will trample on us until we humble ourselves” 409. “Let’s talk a little about the wordless passion of anger. It devastates, confuses and darkens every soul; during her movement and action she makes a person - especially one who is accommodating and quick to bow down to her - like a beast. This passion is predominantly affirmed, strengthened, and remains indestructible until the devil’s tree of grief and irritability, anger and rage is watered with the evil water of pride, until then it grows strongly, blooms profusely, and bears many fruits - crimes of God’s law. Thus, the building erected in the soul by evil spirits remains in inviolable, unhappy integrity, affirming and strengthening on its foundation - on pride. If you want the sinful tree, the passion of grief and irritability, anger and rage, to wither in you and become barren, so that the ax of the Spirit, approaching, chops it down, throws it into fire, according to the definition of the Gospel, and destroys it with all malice; if you want the house of iniquity, constantly and maliciously built by the devil, who, collecting, like stones, various pretexts, both blessed and vain, either in reality or in thoughts, builds a building of evil in the soul; If you want, I say, for this house to be destroyed and scattered, then keep the humility of the Lord unforgettable in your heart. Reason: who is the Lord and what did He do for us? From what height of the Divine light, revealed to the heavenly beings according to their visual power, glorified in heaven by all rational creatures: angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, cherubim, seraphim and intelligent powers not named in Scripture, whose names have not reached us, according to the prophecy of the apostle, to what depth of human humility He descended by ineffable goodness In his own way and in everything he became like us, who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, who became captives through the crime of Adam, who are in the violent power of demons who act in us through our passions. When we were in this fierce enslavement, in the region of invisible and bitter death, our Master of all creation, visible and invisible, was not ashamed of this position: He humbled Himself and took man from the passions of dishonor and from the state of rejection, where man, condemned by the decree of God, was cast down. The Master became like us in everything except sin, that is, except for the passions of dishonor. The executions imposed by the decree of God on man as punishment for breaking the commandment and for falling into sin, that is, bodily death, labor, hunger, thirst, He accepted all this, becoming what we are, so that we may become what He is. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14), so that the flesh became the Word; “For our sake, the rich man became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9), - out of great love for mankind, he became like us, so that we would become like Him in all virtues. Exactly! From the time Christ came, man is changed into a new man, being renewed by the grace and power of the Spirit, achieving a measure of perfect love, casting out fear and no longer subject to fall. “Love falls away from nothing” (1 Cor. 13:8): because “God,” says John, “is love, and he who abides in love abides in God” (1 John 4:16). The apostles and all those who, like them, learned virtue thoroughly and correctly, presented themselves to the Lord as perfect, following Christ throughout their entire lives with a perfect desire, were honored with this measure. Constantly contemplate, without being overcome by oblivion, the humility that the Lord took upon Himself out of love for us, out of inexpressible love for mankind. Contemplate the indwelling of God the Word into the womb of the Virgin, His acceptance of humanity, the birth of a woman, the gradualness of bodily growth, dishonor, vexation, reproach, reproach, reproach, beating, spitting, ridicule, abuse, the scarlet robe, the crown of thorns, the judgment of the rulers against Him, the cries against Him of the lawless Jews, those of His kindred - “Take, take Him, crucify Him" (John 19:15) - the cross, nails, a spear, drinking alcohol and gall, the mockery of the pagans over Him, the mockery of those who, passing by His crucified, said to Him: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we believe in You" (Matthew 27:40, 42). Contemplate other sufferings that the Lord endured for us: crucifixion, death, three-day burial in a tomb, descent into hell. What were the fruits of suffering? Resurrection from the dead, captivity of hell and death, ascension to heaven of souls who went from there with the Lord, sitting at the right hand of the Father (Mk. 16:19) “above all beginning and power and every name that can be named” (Eph. 1:21), honor, glory, worship of all angels to the Firstborn from the dead because of the suffering He suffered, as the apostle says: “Let this be understood in you, even in Christ Jesus, who is in the image of God, not by admiration not to be equal with God, but to make Himself of no reputation. We received a servant, having become in human likeness, and being found in the likeness of a man, he humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name above every name: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth: and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5–11). This is the glory and height to which, according to the judgment of God’s truth, the above-mentioned sufferings elevated the Lord’s man! And therefore, if with love and zeal you remember them unforgettably in your heart, the passion of grief and irritability, anger and rage will not possess you. When the very foundation of this passion - pride - is turned upside down by considering the humility of Christ, then the entire edifice of lawlessness, rage, anger and sadness will collapse conveniently and by itself. What cruel and stony heart will not soften, will not be touched, will not humble itself if the mind is constantly accompanied by the remembrance of the humility of the Only Begotten Son of God, of the suffering He endured? Will it not present itself, according to Scripture, arbitrarily to be trampled upon by all men, just as earth and ashes are trampled underfoot by them? When the soul, looking at the humility of Christ, is humbled and contrite, what rage, what anger will be able to prevail over it? What sadness can overcome her? 410 “It is proper to learn the spiritual law, to take upon oneself 411 deeds of piety, and to endure the sorrows that befall us with patience, as if they were our own. Without this, no one can become truly wise. When asked what kind of deeds of piety there were, the Monk Mark answered: these are the commandments of Christ, of which the first and greatest is love. She “thinks no evil, loves everything, has faith in everything, trusts everything, endures everything” (1 Cor. 13:5-7), according to the word of Scripture. By doing this, she does not judge those who seem to offend her. We are distinguished from each other by love, and we are all deficient in relation to it, expecting this deficiency to be filled by the grace of Christ, if we neglect it to cultivate love according to our strength. God knows how much we cannot do due to weakness, and how many deeds of love we fail to do due to negligence. Love is strengthened not only by arbitrary labors, but also by the sorrows that occur, and therefore we need God to send us a lot of patience and meekness. In relation to this, the apostle says: “If you want to be wise in this world, let it happen that you will be wise” (1 Cor. 3:18). Those who are wise according to the letter recognize only those who offend as sinners, but those who are wise according to the Spirit of God, even though they are offended, reproach themselves when they do not endure insults patiently, with good will, and with joy. They blame themselves not only for this, but also for the reason that they recognize their sorrows as having arisen from a reason they once gave, from some previous sin, although sins are lighter and heavier than one another. He who avenges himself, as it were, accuses God of injudgment, and he who endures the sorrow that has come to him as characteristic of himself, with patience he brings confession of previously committed sins, for which he is subjected to suffering from the induced misfortune.” “There are three types of piety: the first is not to sin; the second is to, having sinned, patiently endure the sorrows that occur; the third is to cry about the lack of patience if we do not endure grief with due patience. If we do not here make reconciliation with God through the means established by Him, then this will necessarily expose us to liability at a future trial: unless God, seeing that we have humbled ourselves and weep, will blot out, as He Himself knows, our sins with His omnipotent grace. If we not only do not humble ourselves and do not mourn our negligence in fulfilling the above-mentioned types of piety, but also defend ourselves with the words of worldly wisdom (learning) and exalt ourselves with it over the reverent, then how will we be pardoned, acting contrary to the conditions of pardon?” When the monk was talking like this, one of his disciples, who trusted in his abstinence and for this reason remained outside the knowledge of the truth, who tried to endure everything sorrowful, but wrongly, thinking about himself that he was suffering as a martyr, objected to the elder: “Where does the Scripture say that through the fault of everyone and through the righteous judgment of God, disasters are found on people?” The elder answered: “beloved! You will find this in many places in Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments. However, we will show you some of these places, if you wish. Having understood the truth, reject arrogance; Not only this, reject evil wisdom and acquire humility, borrowing it from God, who said: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). The disciple stopped the monk at this word and said to him: “if each of us imitates the humility of Christ by recognizing the sorrows that befall him as his due reward, as you said, then from this it is obvious that Christ, having suffered, fulfilled his duty. But I consider such an opinion blasphemous.” Abba answered: “Tell me, beloved, those who borrow money with the guarantee of guarantors, are they the only debtors? or are the debtors and those who guarantee them equally with them?” Disciple: “Obviously, they also vouched.” To this the elder: “Be convinced with all certainty that Christ, having accepted us, made Himself a debtor, just as the Divine Scripture testifies of Him: “Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29), “being cursed against us” (Gal. 3:13). He suffered death for us all; He died for us all: didn’t He take you alone? explain it sincerely.” - The disciple, falling at the feet of the elder, said: “I sinned like a child, saying in ignorance what I said; but I by no means renounce the Savior and Receiver of all who believe in Him. I know that besides Him there is no other hope for salvation for people, as the Apostle says: “All who have sinned and come short of the glory of God will be justified without His grace” (Rom. 3:23–24). “The brothers who were present here benefited from seeing that the brother knew the truth and repented. The elder continued: “Now it remains for us to show from Scripture that of the sad things that happen to each of us, nothing happens unjustly, everything is according to the righteous judgment of God. Some suffer for their own evil, and others for their neighbors: “all the unrighteous go into the depths: but all righteousness comes from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). For this reason it is said: “Or will there be evil in the city which the Lord has not created?” ( Amos 3:6 ). And again: “all the works of the Lord are in righteousness” (Proverbs 16:9). And: “Everyone sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). And: “If our untruth constitutes God’s truth, what do we say? food is not righteous God, bring wrath? let it not be” (Rom. 3:5–6). And the three youths cast into the fiery furnace teach us this way of thinking, saying that they were cast through their own fault and at God’s command, although they took on the face of their sinners, being themselves innocent (Dan. 3:28-31). And Saint David, insulted by Shimei, confesses that he is being insulted by the command of God and for his own guilt (2 Sam. 16:11). And Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and other prophets foreshadowed the people of Israel and the pagan nations that they would suffer tribulations, according to the sins committed by each nation. The prophets announced at the same time both guilt and guidance for these guilt: for this precisely, the prophets predicted, for what was proclaimed among the people, this and that, this and that was done, and this and that would befall them. Explaining this, blessed David says in his psalms: “I understood, O Lord, that Thy destiny is righteous, and Thou hast truly humbled me” (Ps. 119:75). And again: “Thou hast given me reproach to the fool. I was dumb and did not open my mouth, as you have done” (Ps. 39:9-10). We should pronounce these words of David to God when we are reproached by someone, and thank God for sending the accuser of the evil thoughts hidden in us, for the purpose that we, having examined our thoughts with certainty, would correct ourselves. We do not know most of our sinful ailments! because only a perfect husband tends to keep his shortcomings in mind. If obvious violations of the spiritual law are incomprehensible, even more incomprehensible are its violations committed in the realm of thoughts. But we, not knowing most of our sinfulness, are confused by the guidance. Let us understand, as prudent ones, that the Lord brings temptations for our benefit and through them does us a lot of good: firstly, through them we discover the presence in ourselves of evil thoughts that secretly possess us; upon their discovery, true, unfeigned humility is given to us; then deliverance from vain exaltation and the discovery of various evils hidden within us, as Scripture says: “all who practice iniquity have penetrated, so that they may be consumed for ever and ever” (Ps. 91:8). Brethren! Know this for sure: if we do not endure the guidance with patience, faith and gratitude, then we will never be able to reveal the anger hidden within us. If we do not open it, then we will not be able to repel other evil thoughts that attack us, nor seek cleansing from the impressions produced by previously committed sins, nor will we be able to obtain firm confidence about the future.” “The tribulations and accusations inflicted are not similar in appearance to wines, but in the spiritual meaning the relationship of one to another preserves the exact truth. This can also be seen from the Holy Scriptures: those who were crushed by the tower of Siloam that fell on them did not bring down the towers on others: the captives taken to Babylon for seventy years for repentance did not take others captive for repentance. The means of punishment do not have an unwavering resemblance to guilt: thus, soldiers caught in wrongdoing are subjected to beatings, but not to the very evil that they did. Likewise, we are all punished by the sorrows that befall us, both in time and rightly for repentance, but not identically, that is, not at the very time when we sin, and not with the evil of which we are guilty. This is what leads some to disbelief in the truth of God, that is, the delay of punishment and the dissimilarity of punishments with guilt.” Question: “The tribulations brought upon us are very diverse. Some of them come from people who slander, slander, caress, mislead, seduce, hide, offend, seduce, quarrel, despise, hate, oppress, beat, persecute, in a word, doing the evil that men can do to men. Other sorrows arise from one’s own body when it acts out of order, fights against the spirit, seeks weakness, falls into various ailments and illnesses, is subject to falls, bruises and other various consequences of its weakness. Again, other sorrows come from outside: the remorse of dogs, poisonous and carnivorous animals, also infectious diseases, famine, earthquakes, floods, frosts, heat, old age, squalor, imprisonment and the like. Sorrows are caused by evil spirits with whom we are at war, according to the apostle; they observe our words and deeds, and from them they conclude about thoughts, which, naturally, should be similar to words and deeds. The conclusion of the demons is correct! If our autocratic mind, due to unbelief, does not converse with the tempting enemies of the enemy; If he does not abandon his due perfect hope in God and does not begin to produce thoughts, then neither words nor deeds can follow. But you said that all kinds of disasters befall the fallen in proportion to his guilt, drawing us into the knowledge of the righteousness of God; Show us the causes of sorrows, so that we will thus believe that we are precisely to blame for the sorrows brought upon us and must patiently endure the sorrows that attack us. We are afraid of being subjected to severe torment, as defined by the afterlife judgment awaiting us, not only as sinners, but also as those who have rejected healing.” Answer: “The cause of every sorrowful incident is everyone’s thoughts. I could point to words and deeds as the reason; but they are not born before thoughts, and therefore I attribute everything to thoughts. Thought precedes, then through words and deeds communication between man and man is formed. There are two modes of communication: one of malice, and the other of love. Through communication, we perceive each other without even understanding it; perceptions will not follow due to the necessity of grief, as Scripture says: guarantee for a friend; he betrays his hand to the enemy (Prov. 6:1). Everyone endures the sorrows that befall him, not only because of himself, but also because of his neighbor, in that he has taken the neighbor upon himself. “Perception from anger is involuntary. It happens like this: he who takes something from his neighbor takes upon himself the temptation of that neighbor, although he does not want to; in the same way, he who slanderes the slandered, the one who covets the extorted, the one who rapes the abused, the slanderer of the slandered, the despiser of the despised. So as not to list each action separately, everyone who offends will accept the temptations of the offended person, in proportion to the offense. Divine Scripture testifies to this. “The righteous,” it says, “will flee from the trap: the wicked will be committed to a worthless place” (Proverbs 11:8). And again: “He who digs a hole for his sincere self will fall into shame; and if he rolls a stone, he will fall on himself” (Proverbs 26:27). And: “all the unrighteous go into the depths, but all the righteous come from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). “If our unrighteousness,” as the apostle said, “is God’s truth in our relations one to another: then what are we talking about? Is God unjust, inflicting wrath” (Rom. 3:5), not only on those who are admonished by sorrows, but also on those who rebel against sorrows recklessly and fiercely? “The perception of our neighbor is handed down to us by the Lord Jesus. He accomplished this perception by healing, firstly, our spiritual infirmities, then “healing every disease and every disease” (Matthew 9:35), “taking away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), restoring a pure nature in those who sincerely believe in Him, delivering them from death, imparting true worship of God, teaching piety, instructing by word and example that for the sake of love we must endure suffering even to the point of death. death, in addition to this, making us partakers of the Spirit and through Him bestowing patience and those blessings, “which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor breathed into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). He will accept temptations for us: reproach, reproach, chains, betrayal, beating on the cheeks, drinking vinegar and gall, nailing, crucifixion, piercing with a spear. Thus, having communed with us in flesh and spirit and having taken upon Himself suffering for us, He handed over such perception into law to His holy apostles and disciples, and first to their prophets, forefathers, patriarchs, teaching the latter by the Holy Spirit, and the former by His all-holy incarnation. Revealing this perception, He said: “Do not be afraid, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Also: “I have sanctified myself for them, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:19). And again: “Greater love has no one to sow, but whoever lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). On this basis, Saint Paul, imitating the Lord, said about himself: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, because I am fulfilling the privation of the sorrows of Christ in my flesh for His body, which is the Church” (Col. 1:24). In these words, the apostle depicted a secret perception of love. Do you want to understand more clearly how all the apostles communed with us in thought, word, and deed, and because of such communication they accepted temptation for us? Through thought they entered into communication with us, offering us the Scriptures, explaining the mysterious meaning of the prophecies, exhorting us to believe in Christ as the Savior, to serve Him as the Son of God by nature, proving the preaching with amazing signs, praying for us, shedding tears, doing everything that should be done by those illuminated by the truth in thought. They entered into communication with words, begging us, threatening us, teaching, denouncing, showing the shame of our lack of faith and ignorance, explaining the Scripture about the meaning of the times, confessing Christ, preaching that He was crucified for us, that He is the Word made man, that the Word made man is one person, and not two persons, although he confesses in two natures, united inseparably and unfused, stopping evil and blocking his path in every time, place and matter, not agreeing with lies, moving away from those who boast in the flesh, not staying with those who are vain, not fearing those who are arrogant, humiliating hypocrites, accepting the humble, adopting those who are reverent, teaching us the same behavior. They shared with us through their deeds, being subjected to persecution, reproach, deprivation, insults, atrocities, imprisonment, violent death and other suffering for us. Having entered into the same communication with us, through it they also received your temptations. “As long as we grieve,” they say, “for your salvation; May we be comforted by your consolation" (2 Cor. 1:6, 7), having accepted this law of love from the Lord, Who said: “Greater love has no one to sow, but whoever lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). They betrayed this behavior to us too. “If the Lord laid down His life for us,” they say, “then we ought to lay down our souls for our brethren” (1 John 3:16). Also: “bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Having realized that there are two ways of communication between people, that they will be followed by a double perception, one involuntary, and the other out of love, let us not be curious about the temptations that we encounter, subjecting to a detailed study the quality of perception, how, when, through whom the temptation came: it is characteristic of God alone to know the correspondence of each of them with guilt, the determination of his time on them, the direction of all creation to assist the allowed temptation 412. Our only duty is to believe the truth of God and to know that everything sorrowful that befalls us, against our will, befalls us either out of love or for sinfulness, that for this reason we are obliged to endure temptations with patience, not reflecting them by resisting them, so as not to add new sin to our sins. First of all, I ask you, brethren, to be very attentive to what has been said, so that we, having been subjected to temptation for our words, do not expose ourselves to it fruitlessly, and so that you do not forget what was said, accepting what was said without due diligence. Oblivion is the daughter of coldness of heart (dejection); the mother of both is unbelief.” “The brethren answered this: calm down, father, regarding the teaching you spoke. Convinced by the testimony of Scripture, we listened with faith to the message that without the righteous judgment of God, no involuntary sorrow touches people, although we, due to our limitations, do not comprehend both the mysterious combination of circumstances and the time at which the indulgence of temptation is appointed" 413. “Hear, soul, my verbal accomplice in life! - St. Mark puts such an instruction to the soul into the mouth of its mind, - I intend to tell you a secret that applies to both me and you. I comprehended this secret not because I was cleansed of passions, but because I calmed down a little, by God’s grace, from their effects. I have reliably learned, O soul, that both I and you, having been subjected to unnatural actions, led astray by ignorance, accuse others of our sins, falsely imagining that evil is outside of us. Because of this erroneous view, we sometimes blame Adam, sometimes Satan, sometimes the people with whom we have intercourse. As a result of this, we enter into a variety of struggles and, thinking of fighting against others, we fight against ourselves; Believing to protect each other, we attack each other; Believing to do good to ourselves, we torment ourselves like those who are possessed; We bear labor, we are subjected to reproaches, which rightly become useless for us, being the consequences of an incorrect mood. We think we love the commandments, but we have hated the principles on which their fulfillment is based because of our self-delusion. Now I have learned for sure that no power draws us unrighteously, either to good or to evil, that from the time of baptism both God and the devil encourage us to assimilate ourselves righteously, in accordance with the direction our life took after baptism and to whom we arbitrarily enslaved ourselves.” “There are two types of attacks with which the world deceives us if we do not consider them in time: praise from people and joy of the body. When they attack without our prior will, then they belong neither to malice nor to virtue - they only serve as a reproof for our will, which way it will incline. It pleases the Lord that we endure reproach and live in hardship and struggle; The devil wants the opposite of this. If we delight in human praise and the joy of the body, then it is clear from this that we, disobeying the Lord, bow to the spirit of voluptuousness. If we do not favor human praise and bodily pleasure, then it is clear from this that we bow to God, having loved the narrow path. For this reason, these two seductive attacks were allowed to act on people, so that those who love the commandment and sympathize with it would reveal and prove the inclination of their will to Christ, so that Christ, having gained entry into their souls, would teach their minds the truth. Likewise, understand the opposite about the opposite. Those who love human glory and the joy of the body give entrance to the devil, who, by these means, having found the entrance characteristic of himself, freely introduces evil and does not cease to multiply it as much as he delights in the thoughts he puts into him. He does this until we, having come to our senses, hate from the sincerity of our hearts the two above-mentioned means of attack. But we love them! We not only betray virtue for them, but also exchange them one for another, depending on the circumstances: sometimes we subject the body to hardships and exploits in order to acquire human glory, and sometimes we subject ourselves to human reproach in order to satisfy voluptuousness; sometimes, abandoning all concern for them, we rush to gain those types of peacefulness that feed and from which vanity and lust increase. For them, the means of nourishment and strengthening is the love of money, “the root of all evil,” according to the definition of Divine Scripture” (1 Tim. 6:10). “You will certainly object to me, soul, that we neither collect gold nor have any acquisitions. To this I will tell you that neither gold nor property are harmful in themselves—the abuse of them is harmful, the use of them by addiction is harmful. Some, having been rich without a passion for wealth, pleased God: such was the holy Abraham, such were the righteous Job and David. On the contrary, some of us, even without possessions, have nurtured the passion of covetousness through insignificant trifles. Thus, we have become worse than those who possessed great property: having abandoned our life, which in all respects should consist of hardships and heroism, we cunningly allow ourselves pleasure in various cases, as if thinking to act secretly from God; By running away from the love of money, we do not run away from the love of voluptuousness; We do not accumulate gold, but collect unimportant things; we renounce positions of authority and power, and seek glory and praise by all means; They left property - they did not leave pleasures, to the delivery of which property serves as a means. Some of us also abandon pleasures, but in a false mind, not running away from excesses harmful to the salvation of the soul, but as if abhorring the good creatures of God and thinking to follow the words of Scripture: “touch not, taste, touch” (Col. 2:21). "Soul! When you hear about the crime of Adam and Eve, understand it this way: in the beginning, they themselves were subjected to it: now we, you and I, are subject to it in spirit. “All this image was received by him: and it was written for our instruction, in which the ends of the ages have reached” (1 Cor. 10:11). Consider the following! Having been reborn through baptism and established in paradise by the Church, we have transgressed the commandment of Him who reborn us, and how? The Lord commanded to love all like-believers and, through patience, to eat the fruit that they bring to us, saying: “Take food from every tree that is in paradise” (Gen. 2:16). But we, following the thoughts of the serpent, loved some as good, hated others as evil. This is what eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil consists of (Gen. 2:9). Having tasted it, we are killed in spirit, not because death was created by God, but because it appears by itself in a person who has hated his neighbor. “God did not create death, nor rejoices at the destruction of the living.” ( Prem. 1:11); He is not driven to action by the passion of anger, does not invent ways to punish for sins, does not apologize according to the dignity of each, but “he created all things with wisdom” (Ps. 103:24), predetermining that everything should be judged according to the spiritual law. For this reason, He did not say to Adam and Eve: “On the day that you eat the forbidden fruit, I will kill you”; but, warning and confirming them, he presented them with the law of righteousness, saying: “If you take away the stench of the day, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). In general, God established that every deed, both good and evil, would naturally be followed by appropriate retribution. Retribution is not imagined on every occasion, as some who do not know the spiritual law think. Knowing it in part, we must be convinced that if we hate one of our fellow believers as evil, we ourselves will be rejected by God as evil; Having not accepted repentance from our neighbor as from a sinner, we ourselves will be rejected as sinners; without forgiving our neighbor’s sins, we ourselves will receive forgiveness. Announcing this law, the legislator Christ said: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be judged; forgive, and they will forgive you” (Luke 6:37). Saint Paul knew this law and said, without adding any reservation: “If you judge another, you condemn yourself” (Rom. 2:1). The prophet knew this law and cried out to God: “Reward each one according to his deeds” (Ps. 61:13). Another prophet proclaims on behalf of God: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19). But why count the Scriptures, when all Divine Scripture, both Old and New, and especially the great psalmist, sets out this law with all clarity, so that we, having learned its spiritual meaning and mystical charter, would fear in any case a deviation from it and try to love the brethren not only in appearance, but also in the heart? This law is not the law of Moses, which judged only visible things: this law is spiritual; by it the secret is also revealed. And the Mosaic Law was given by God for a certain, determined time, but it was supplemented by the spiritual law, that is, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: “I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). On this basis, it is appropriate in any matter, having once said what is due, not to continue beyond the controversy, but to forgive the one whom we recognize as having offended us, no matter what the offense was, just or unjust. Let us know that the reward for forgiving offenses is greater than the reward for any other virtue. Since we cannot freely act in the proposed direction, which is caused by the prevalence of sin over us, allowed by the previous way of life, we must pray to God, assisting prayer with vigils and other deeds and hardships, in order to receive mercy from God and accept such strength. O beloved soul! In every time, place and matter, let us firmly adhere to one goal, so that when we are subjected to various insults from people, we rejoice and not grieve - we rejoice not simply, not meaninglessly, we rejoice on the basis that we find a favorable opportunity to receive forgiveness for our sins, forgiving our neighbor. This is the intelligence of truth. It is more abundant than any other knowledge: from it we can pray to God, surely knowing that we will be heard; he is the fruit of faith and proof of faith in Christ: through him we can take up our cross and follow Christ; he is the parent of the first and great commandments; through it we can love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves; To gain it, we must take upon ourselves fasting, vigil and other deeds and hardships, so that our hearts and inner disposition open up, accept it into ourselves and no longer spew it out. Then, for forgiving our neighbor for his sins, let us see in ourselves the action of grace, mysteriously given to us by Holy Baptism; it will no longer act in us unnoticed by us, but with all obviousness, quite perceptibly.” “Two passions counteract this virtue: vanity and voluptuousness. You must first renounce them in your spirit, then you will acquire this virtue. Soul! Having arbitrarily given yourself over to these two passions, do not blame anyone: neither Adam, nor Satan, nor men, but enter into the struggle with your will and do not neglect this struggle. It is internal and internecine. In it we are not fighting with our brethren - we are fighting with ourselves. In it we have one Supporter, an invincible Supporter, from Whom nothing can hide - Christ, mysteriously planted in us through baptism. He strengthens us if we keep His commandments according to our strength. What fights against us, as I have already said, is the disposition to pleasure with which our body is infected, and the vanity that possesses both me and you. These two passions deceived Eve and seduced Adam: the tree is represented by voluptuousness “as good food, and red to eat” (Gen. 3:6); vanity said: “You will be like gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). The primordial Adam and Eve were ashamed of each other when they saw themselves naked; so we too, having lost the integrity of gentleness in spirit, are ashamed of each other in conscience. Then we sew ourselves clothes from fig leaves: clothed with empty words and images of false justification. In contrast to soft clothing made of leaves, the Lord arranges for us harsh clothing made of leather, signifying ascetic living, and says: “In your patience you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:19). He gives instructions corresponding to this clothing: “whoever finds his soul in spite or in any other sin will destroy it: and whoever destroys his soul, not allowing it to bear any rancor, will retain any other sin in an eternal life” (Matthew 10:39) 414. Extract from the life of St. Andrew, Christ for the Fool's sake One day Saint Andrew walked among the people in the market square located near the tower that was built by the emperor, Saint Constantine Equal to the Apostles. There was also a certain wife named Varvara. She, through the action of the Spirit of God, went into a frenzy and saw that blessed Andrew was walking in the midst of the crowd like a shining pillar of fire. Some kicked him, others beat him; many, looking at him, said: “This man does not belong to himself: he has gone crazy! We don’t wish such a state on our enemies either.” Demons in the form of black Ethiopians followed Andrei and said to each other: “God forbid there is another like him on earth: no one has burned out our hearts like this one, who pretended to be crazy out of unwillingness to serve his master: now he is mocking the whole world.” Varvara saw that the Ethiopians put signs on those who beat the saint, and said to each other: “At least it serves us as a consolation that they beat him without mercy: those who beat the saint of God, without any reason, will be condemned for this at the hour of their death, and there is no salvation for them.” The blessed one, hearing this, rushed at them with the action of the Spirit of God, like a flame, scattered with terrible force the signs imposed by the demons, and menacingly reprimanded them: “You have no right to impose signs on those who beat me, because I pray to my Master, so that the beatings inflicted on me are not considered a sin by those who inflict them. They do this in ignorance, and because of their ignorance they will be forgiven.” When the saint said this, the sky opened, as a gate opens, and many beautiful swallows flew out to the saint: among them was a snow-white dove holding a golden olive leaf in its beak. He said to the saint in a human voice: “Accept this leaf sent to you by the Lord Almighty from paradise as a sign of God’s grace, because you are merciful and loving of mankind, just as the Lord Himself is merciful and loving of mankind. He will glorify you and magnify His mercy over you, because you also forgive and have mercy on those who beat you, praying for them to forgive this sin.” Having said this, the dove sat on the head of the saint. Looking at this, the pious wife was surprised, and, having come to her senses after the end of the vision, she thought: “How many lamps does God have on earth, and no one knows them.” Several times Varvara tried to tell others what she had seen, but the power of God forbade her. After this, Saint Andrew met her in the city and said to her: “Barbara! Keep my secret, and do not tell anyone what you have seen until the time when I “go to the place of the wondrous settlement, even to the house of God” (Ps. 42:5). She answered him: “Lamp and saint of God! It happened that I intended to tell, but the invisible power of God forbade me” 415. About those who think to be justified by works, ch. 102. Extract from the Ladder of St. John Climacus “Faith, combined with firm conviction, is the mother of renunciation of the world; steady hope is the door to impartiality; love of God is the reason for wandering; abstinence is the mother of health; mother of abstinence - thinking about death and constant remembrance of the gall and vinegar that our Lord and God tasted; the helper and cause of chastity is silence; the liquefaction of the flesh is extinguished by fasting; the adversary of evil and lustful thoughts is contrition of the heart; through diligent prayer, despondency is destroyed, and from the memory of judgment, zeal for exploits is born” 416. “Loving dishonor cures rage and irritability; singing, mercy and non-covetousness destroy sadness” 417. “Silence and stillness counteract vanity; if you are among people, then go through the path of dishonor” 418. “Outward pride is healed by the outward sorrowful situation formed by poverty and deprivation; invisible - Invisible" 419. “The destroyer of sensual snakes is the deer, and the destroyer of mental snakes is humility” 420. “It is impossible for a snake to strip off its old scales except by crawling through a narrow hole: and it is impossible for us to cast off sinful habits and impressions, it is impossible to cast off the oldness of the soul and the clothes of an old man, unless we follow the narrow path of fasting and dishonor” 421. “Fat birds cannot fly high, and he who pleases his flesh will not fly to heaven” 422. “A dried-up swamp no longer attracts pigs to itself - and flesh, dried up by exploits, no longer gives rest to demons” 423. “The sun is covered with clouds - evil thoughts darken the mind and serve as the cause of its destruction” 424. “A criminal who has heard the verdict and is going to execution does not talk about public celebrations, so the one who weeps will truly not please the belly” 425. “Iron involuntarily obeys the magnet, like this, sinful habits and impressions, turned into quality, are already raping those infected with them” 426. “Water, being compressed, rises up: this often happens with the soul. She, being oppressed by disasters, ascends to God and is saved” 427. “The winds disturb the abyss - and rage, more than all passions, disturbs the mind” 428. “Thieves come to those places where the royal weapons are stored with special caution: in the same way, mental thieves use special cunning to rob someone who has a heartfelt prayer” 429. “Fire does not give birth to snow - and those who seek earthly glory will not receive heavenly glory” 430. “It is impossible to kill animals without weapons; it is impossible to acquire freedom from anger without humility” 431. “Those who ascend the rotten ladder will necessarily be subject to disaster: likewise, honor, glory, power are harmful to humility” 432. “Water washes away letters, and a tear cleanses sins” 433. “For lack of water, letters are blotted out in other ways: in the same way, souls that have no tears blot out and scrape out their sins with sadness, sighs, and great lamentation” 434. “He who is weak in body and has suffered grave sins, let him follow the path of humility and those paths that lead to humility: he will not find another means of salvation” 435. “There is no reason for someone suffering from fever to commit suicide: so no one, under any circumstances, even to the last breath, should despair” 436. “If someone who buried his father, immediately upon returning from the funeral, went to the wedding, then his act would be dishonorable. Likewise, it is indecent for those who cry over sins to seek honor, peace and glory from men in this age” 437. “The king not only does not order that warrior whose face is ulcerated by cruel wounds in war to be expelled from the army, but also incites with significant rewards to greater jealousy: and the heavenly King crowns a monk who suffers many misfortunes from demons” 438. “Having seen one of our companions stricken with a physical illness, we will not allow ourselves to explain his illness by an evil and evil judgment; on the contrary, let us accept him with simplicity and uncurious love, like our own member, like a warrior wounded in war, and take care of his healing” 439. “Sometimes illness is sent to cleanse oneself from sins, sometimes to humble an ascended thought” 440. “Our good and all-good Master and Lord, seeing that some are lazy in feat, curbs their flesh with illness as a feat that is more enjoyable than others, often at the same time cleansing the soul from evil passions and thoughts” 441. “Let those who are weak in soul know the good will of the Lord towards them from bodily illnesses and from external misfortunes and temptations, but let those who are perfect come to know by the influx of the Holy Spirit upon them and by the addition of new gifts to the gifts previously received” 442 . “Repentance - however, thorough repentance - crying, cleansed from all filth, and the reverend humility of beginners differ from each other as much as flour, dough and baked bread differ from each other. The soul becomes thinner and erased by true repentance; it unites in some way and, so to speak, mixes with God with the water of unfaithful crying: from crying the Divine fire is kindled, then bread is created and a humility unleavened and alien to zeal is formed” 443. “The first and graceful property of this good and wonderful trinity of spiritual achievement is the joyful lifting of humiliations: the soul accepts and embraces them with outstretched hands as medicines with which its ailments are healed and great sins are cleansed. The second property, after what has been stated, is the complete destruction of rage and, after it is quenched, in the correct mood of the soul. The third and most excellent degree consists of an established disbelief in one’s own good and a constant desire to learn” 444. “In one who has acquired humility, neither hatred nor contradiction appears; the stench of disobedience is not heard from him” 445. “He who is united in the closest union with the virtue of humility becomes quiet, meek, receptive to tenderness, merciful, calm, joyful, submissive, carefree, cheerful, non-indolent and - to say a lot - becomes dispassionate. It is done this way because “in our humility the Lord remembered us; He delivered us from our enemies” (Ps. 135:23, 24), from our passions and defilements” 446. "Beloved! Know that “the harvest will multiply the wheat” (Ps. 64:14) and spiritual fruit in its soil. A humble soul is called a valley, alien to exaltation, remaining constantly and unshakably, as if among the mountains, among deeds and virtues. “I did not fast,” says Saint David, “I did not stay vigil, I did not lie on the bare ground; but “I humbled myself, and the Lord quickly saved me” (Ps. 114:5) 447. “Repentance restores; crying strikes the heavens; venerable humility opens the gates of heaven" 448. “One thing is to be exalted, another thing is not to be exalted, and another thing is to humble yourself. In the first dispensation, we judge and condemn others all day long; being in the second, we do not judge or condemn either others or ourselves; in the third, being justified by God, we condemn ourselves incessantly” 449. “Wanting to achieve self-knowledge, let us not stop examining and torturing ourselves. If we realize from the sincerity of our hearts that each neighbor is superior to us, then God’s mercy is close to us” 450. “Very many call themselves sinners, even admit they are so; but a person’s true concept of himself, secretly living in his heart, is revealed by accidentally inflicted dishonor” 451. “He who hastens to a quiet haven of humility, not afraid of storms, will not cease to resort to all kinds of means, to words, to thoughts, to various actions, choosing the appropriate way of life, offering many prayers and supplications, until, with the assistance of God and the humblest, most humiliating asceticism, he frees the boat - his soul - from the storm that is constantly raging on the sea of exaltation.” 452. “Some retained until the end of their lives the memory of previously committed sins, having already received forgiveness for them, leading themselves with this memory to humility and suppressing vain exaltation (Ps. 50:5). Others, constantly directing the gaze of their minds to the sufferings of Christ, recognized themselves as debtors, never able to repay the debt. Others humiliate themselves, seeing in themselves daily omissions and shortcomings. Others have overthrown their exaltation because of the temptations, illnesses and falls they allowed. Others have acquired the mother of spiritual gifts by praying that the burden of spiritual gifts would not be placed on them. There are also those - whether they exist today, I don’t know - who descend into humility through the most Divine gifts, recognizing themselves as unworthy of this wealth and looking at its increase as an increase in their debt" 453. “If you see someone or hear about someone that in a few years he has achieved the highest dispassion, then know that he walked the blessed and short path of humility, no other” 454. “Not to us, Lord, not to us,” someone says from the sincerity of his heart, “but give to Your name (Ps. 113:9). The one who said this knew that fallen human nature cannot accept praise without harming itself. “My praise in the Church is great from You” (Ps. 21:26), in the next century: before this time I cannot bear it without distress” 455. “It is typical for a lemon tree, when it suffers from infertility, to push its branches high up. When the branches are inclined downwards with proportionate weight, then the tree from being barren becomes fruitful” 456. “Birds are afraid as soon as they see a hawk, and workers of humility are afraid when they hear even one voice of dissent” 457. “Meekness is an unshakable disposition of the spirit, remaining the same both with praise and with reproach” 458. “Meekness consists in not feeling insulted by your neighbor and praying purely for him” 459. “Meekness is a rock that rises above the sea of ​​rage and breaks all the waves that strike it” 460. “Meekness is the stronghold in which patience dwells, the door to love, or rather, its mother, the initial cause of spiritual reasoning. “The Lord will teach the meek in His way” (Ps. 24:9). It provides remission of sins and boldness in prayer. She is the seat of the Holy Spirit. “On whom I will look,” says the Lord, “only to the meek and silent” (Is. 66:2) 461. “The Lord rests in the hearts of the meek; an indignant soul is the abode of the devil" 462. “The meek will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5): they will dominate the earth, the heart; but those who give in to wrath will be taken captive out of their land” 463 . “A meek soul is the throne of simplicity, an angry mind is the worker of deceit” 464. “The right soul is the confidant of humility; the evil soul is the servant of pride" 465. “The souls of the meek will be filled with the knowledge of the truth; an angry mind remains in darkness and unreason” 466. “Simplicity is a quality acquired by the soul, alien to complexity, incapable of evil thoughts about one’s neighbor” 467. “Evilness is extensive knowledge, but what is more correct is the perversion of knowledge in the likeness of the knowledge of demons, which has lost the truth and attempts to hide from people” 468. “Hypocrisy is the opposite mood of the soul and the body, intertwined with all kinds of fictions” 469. “Kindness is a quiet mood of the soul, free from any intent” 470. “Rightness consists in a state of mind that is incurious and unsuspicious, in sincerity in dealing with others, in an unfeigned word, not thought out in advance” 471. “Cunning is the transformation of rightness, the deception of the mind with false concepts that give it a false view of the government of the world by God, the assumption of oaths to oneself that are guilty of torment, the intricacy of words, the depth of the heart, the abyss of flattery, lies turned into a spiritual quality, exaltation that has become a natural property, opposition to humility, hypocrisy, putting on the guise of repentance, eliminating crying, hostile confession of one’s sins, having formed one’s own understanding of faith and stubbornly holding on to it, the cause of falls, an obstacle to uprising through repentance, an insidious smile when exposed, feigned reverence, living a demonic life” 472. “Just as God is called love, he is also called righteousness. The Wise One says to the pure in heart in the Song of Songs: “Thou shalt love righteousness” (Song. 1:3). The father of the wise man said: “The Lord is good and right” (Ps. 24:8), and recognizes as saved those who are the same as God, “who saves the upright in heart” (Ps. 7:11). And again: “He saw the righteousness of souls and visited His face” (Ps. 10:7) 473. “All who want to attract the Lord to themselves! Let us approach Him in simplicity, unfeignedly, without double-mindedness, without guile, let us approach Him as students and children approach their teacher in school. Being simple and uncomplicated, He deigns that the souls approaching Him approach in simplicity and gentleness. Simplicity is always combined with humility" 474. “Enslaved to vanity by necessity, an idolater, considering himself a servant of God, he strives to please not God, but people” 475. “The flatterer is a servant of demons, a leader to pride, a destroyer of tenderness, an informer of the path to salvation. “My people,” says the Lord through the prophet, “the blessed ones flatter you, and the paths of your feet trouble you” (Isa. 3:12) 476. “It is common for those who have achieved great success to endure grief courageously and with joy; listening to praise without harm to oneself is characteristic of only saints and reverends” 477. “There is no one who knows what is in a man, but the spirit of a man” (1 Cor. 2:11): let those who try to praise you in your face be ashamed and stop their mouths” 478. “If you hear that your neighbor and friend has said something bad about you in your absence or in your presence, then show your love for him by praising him” 479. “It is great to reflect human praise from the heart, more so to reflect demonic praise” 480. “It is not the one who speaks evil of himself who proves his humility, but the one who does not cease to love his neighbor who speaks evil of him, who does not endure reproach from himself?” 481 “Do not accept a vain thought when he offers you the rank of bishop, or abbot, or teacher, because it is difficult to drive a dog away from the table where meat is sold” 482. “Vanity leads a person to pride when he is preferred to others, and to malice when he is despised” 483. “Vanity was often for the vain the cause of dishonor instead of the honor that they were looking for, giving them a reason for anger and exposing them to disgrace before people” 484. “If we strive to please God, we will certainly taste the Divine glory. He who has tasted the Divine glory will certainly despise earthly glory. I doubt that anyone would despise the second without tasting the first” 485. “Do not obey vain vanity, which teaches you to proclaim your virtues for the benefit of those who hear: “What good is it for a man if he brings benefit to the whole world, but loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26). Nothing can bring such benefit to others as a humble and unfeigned disposition, a humble and unfeigned word” 486. “There is glory that comes from the Lord, who says: “Whoever glorifies me, I will glorify” (1 Samuel 2:30). And there is glory brought about by the evil cunning of the devil; it is said about her: “Woe, when all men speak good things to you” (Luke 6:26). You will clearly recognize the first kind of glory when, recognizing glory as harmful to yourself, you will eliminate it by all means, when you constantly and everywhere hide your asceticism and virtues. You will recognize in yourself the desire for the second glory when you do something, even the smallest, “that you may be seen by men” (Matthew 23:5) 487. “Bad vanity teaches us to assume the guise of virtue, which we do not have, relying, to deceive us, on the words of the Lord: “so let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16) 488. “The Lord often distracts the vain from vanity, allowing them to be dishonored” 489. “Be sure to humble yourself here, in earthly life, before the next century” 490. “When flatterers, or rather, seducers, begin to praise us, then we will hasten to bring to mind the multitude of our iniquities; we will find ourselves unworthy of the praises spoken to us or the honors bestowed upon us” 491. “The worm, having reached the proper age, receives wings and flies to heights; and vanity, having achieved its fulfillment, is transformed into pride. Pride is both the beginning and the perfection of all evils” 492. “The final success in vanity is the beginning of pride; the middle of pride is humiliation of one's neighbor, shameless preaching and revealing one's exploits, praising oneself in the heart, hatred of accusations; the end of pride is rejection of God’s help, arrogant reliance on one’s own intentions and actions, demonic disposition” 493. “Whoever fell into sin, pride first took root in him: the forerunner of the first is the second” 494. “A highly wise monk will argue strongly; discord is unknown to the humble-wise” 495. “A high-hearted husband wants to be in charge, otherwise he cannot destroy himself, or rather, he doesn’t want to” 496. “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6): who will have mercy on them? “Everyone who is high-hearted is unclean before the Lord” (Prov. 16:5); who will cleanse it? 497 “He who rejects reproof reveals the presence of pride in himself; he who seeks reproof has been released from the bonds of pride” 498. “Pride is the destruction of wealth and the deeds suffered: “you have cried, and do not save”, of course, because they cried with pride; “they cried out to the Lord, and did not hear them” (Ps. 17:42), because, without any doubt, they did not want to part with the initial reasons for what they prayed against” 499. “Do not indulge in carelessness and do not rely on the steadfastness of your condition until the final pronouncement of the Judge comes about you after the departure of the soul from the body. Keep in mind the one who has already reclined in the palace, but was expelled from it into the pitch darkness with his hands and feet tied” 500. “O you, created from the dust of the earth, do not lift up your head, because many holy and immaterial ones were cast out of heaven” 501. “When the demon of pride establishes an abode in people enslaved by pride, then it begins to appear to them in a dream or even in reality, taking the form of a holy angel or one of the martyrs and, as it were, teaching revelations and spiritual gifts. This is done with the goal that the unfortunate ones will be deceived and subjected to decisive mental damage (madness)” 502. “From the forgetting of sins comes pride; remembrance of sins is the cause of humility" 503. “Verbs of blasphemy will vegetate in the hearts of the proud, and heavenly visions in the souls of the humble” 504. “Most of the proud, not knowing themselves, imagined that they had achieved dispassion, but when leaving this life they saw their wretchedness” 505. “Water, little by little poured on the fire, completely extinguishes it: so a tear of true crying extinguishes the flame of rage and temper” 506. “Lack of anger is an insatiable desire for dishonor; it is also found in vain people from an exorbitant desire for human praise. Lack of anger is a victory over nature, the loss of the feeling of insult, acquired through exploits and sweat” 507. “Meekness is an unshakable disposition of the soul, remaining the same even under reproach and under praise” 508. “The beginning of freedom from anger is silence of the lips when the heart is confused; the middle is silence of thoughts with subtle confusion of the soul; the end is silence in the blowing of unclean winds, planted and established in the soul by pious habit and Divine grace” 509. “Anger is a manifestation of innermost hatred and memory of malice. Anger is the desire to take revenge on the offender. Hot temper is an untimely inflammation of the heart. Sadness is a state opposite to a pleasant state of mind, which enters the soul and remains in it. Fury is a changed mood of character and ugliness of the soul" 510. “When light appears, darkness disappears, when the fragrance of humility spreads in the soul, both grief and rage (irritability) are destroyed from it” 511. “Some, prone to irritability, are negligent about taming and healing this passion, not paying attention to the words of Scripture; the rush of his rage is his downfall” 512. “The movement of the millstone is so fast that in one instant it erases and destroys more wheat and other grains of the soul than in another whole day: for this reason we must constantly remain in prudent attention to ourselves. It happens that a flame that has just flared up, fanned by a strong wind, scorches and devastates the spiritual field more quickly than a fire that has been acting for a long time, but slowly” 513. “Oh friends! It should not be secret from us that crafty demons hide themselves and hide for a while, so that we, neglecting great passions, as if they were of little importance, make our illness no longer incurable” 514. “An angular and hard stone, colliding with other stones and hitting them, erases the angularity throughout its entire volume, despite its natural rigidity and hardness, and acquires a rounded appearance. Likewise, a ferocious and cruel person, living and dealing with people of the same disposition, acquires one of two things: either he heals his ulcer with patience, or, having removed himself from such a society, he will certainly recognize his weakness, which his flight showed him, as if in a mirror.”515 “He who is prone at times to irritability, if he allows himself to be voluntarily carried away by rage, will be defeated and crushed by it subsequently, and involuntarily, from the previous voluntary obedience to it” 516. “Nothing is more counterproductive to those who repent than rage, which disturbs the soul, because repentance requires great humility, and rage is a sign of the greatest pride” 517. “If the highest degree of meekness consists in maintaining the silence of the heart and the guarantee of love even in the presence of someone who irritates us, then the highest degree of rage is learned from when we become furious and angry at someone who has upset us in his absence” 518. “If peace of the soul serves as a sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit into it, and anger is the indignation of the heart, then nothing blocks the entrance of the Holy Spirit into our souls more than rage” 519. “The fight against anger requires special diligence, because the passion of anger is promoted by nature, just as it is promoted by the passion of carnal lust” 520. “He who is subject to the passion of anger often disturbs the whole herd, like a wolf: with his fury he leads many souls into disorder and bewilderment” 521. “It is great harm to disturb the eye of the heart with rage, as the psalmist testifies: “my eye is troubled with rage” (Ps. 6:8), he says. The greater harm is to express emotional excitement in words. If it comes down to it, then this is already completely alien to the monastic angelic and Divine life, hostile to it” 522. “If you intend or intend to remove your neighbor’s twig, do not use logs instead of medical instruments for this. The log is harsh words and rough treatment, and the medical tools are gentle instruction and reprimand, combined with long-suffering” 523. “The beginning of blessed kindness lies in enduring dishonor with grief and illness of the soul; the middle is to remain in them without sorrow; perfection, if it exists, lies in turning reproaches into praises” 524. “He who ceased from anger also killed the memory of malice: as long as the father lives, childbearing does not stop” 525. “He who has acquired love has avoided enmity; he who dwells in enmity collects for himself vain labors and sorrows” 526. “A meal of love destroys hatred, and pure gifts soften the soul. But an inattentive meal is the mother of insolence, and gluttony leaps through the window of love” 527. “Bear grudges and grudges against the demons; quarrel, quarrel constantly with your body. The flesh is an ungrateful and flattering friend: being pleased, it does all the more harm.”528 “You will know that you have gotten rid of memory malice - this internal rottenness - not when you pray for the offender, not when you repay him for his evil with gifts; below, when you invite him to your meal, you will know when, having heard about his physical or mental imprisonment, you will regret and shed tears for him, as if for yourself” 529. “Remembering the suffering suffered by Jesus will heal one’s memory of malice, disgracing it by the gentleness of Jesus” 530. “Worms are born inside a rotten tree, and anger is grafted onto the meek and silent not in true reason. The one who spews out anger will receive remission; the one who harbors anger will lose mercy" 531. “In order to receive forgiveness of sins, some have taken upon themselves deeds; but before them, an unforgettable and evil man achieved this according to the promise of the Lord; let go of a little, and much will be given to you immeasurably” (Luke 6:37) 532 “The sign of true repentance lies in the rejection of remembrance, and whoever does not cease to repent and at the same time thinks of himself as bringing repentance is like someone who is sleeping and sees himself running fast in a dream” 533. “Let no one recognize the passion of memory malice as unimportant: it often creeps into spiritual men” 534. “Vulnerable by reproof, we will remember our sins, until the Lord looks upon the violence of those who violate themselves for His sake, blots out our sins and transforms the illness gnawing at us in our hearts into joy. “According to the multitude of my illnesses in my heart, in proportion to them, Your consolations made my soul glad” (Ps. 93:19) in due time, so said the psalmist. Let us not forget the following, which he said to the Lord: “You showed me many sorrows and evils, and when you returned, you gave me life, and from the depths of the earth, after my fall, you raised me up again” (Ps. 70:20) 535. “Blessed is the one who, reproached and humiliated daily, forced himself to patience for the sake of God: he will take part in the eternal feast of the martyrs and boldly enter into communion with the angels” 536. “Blessed is the monk who recognized himself worthy of all dishonor and humiliation” 537. “Blessed is the monk who has completely mortified his will: he will stand at the right hand of the Crucified One” 538. “Whoever rejects fair or unjust reproof has rejected his own salvation” 539. “I saw in that monastery 540 novices about the Lord, who, in their minds according to God, reviled themselves and subjected themselves to all kinds of humiliation for the purpose of preparing themselves for insults brought from outside, and to meet them complacently” 541. “My son! If from the very moment you enter the monastery you surrender yourself to the patience of dishonor, then you will not need many years of labor to acquire blissful peace in your soul” 542. “Drink diligently the reproach, like the water of life, from every person who tries to give you a cleansing medicine that drives out voluptuousness from the heart. If you are guided by this rule, then deep purity will shine in your soul, and the light of God will not become scarce in your heart” 543. “The wax is softened by a little fire, and the insignificant dishonor that often happened suddenly softened and sweetened the heart, destroying ferocity, insensibility and bitterness from it” 544. “Those who are zealous for monastic asceticism and those who succeed in it must especially pay attention to themselves and beware of condemning those who live carelessly, so as not to be subjected to greater condemnation than what the careless should be subjected to. And Lot, I believe, attracted the mercy of God to himself by the fact that, living among depraved people, he never condemned them” 545. “Insults, humiliation and other similar things produce in the soul of the novice an effect similar to the effect of wormwood, and praise, honors and approval, like honey, produce great joy in the voluptuous. Let us consider the property of each of these actions: the first cleanses all impurities in the stomach, and the second increases the bile in it” 546. “He who is not guided by true reason, being subjected to reproaches or reproaches, becomes upset or rushes to quickly bow to the one reprimanding, not out of humility, but wanting to quickly stop the reprimand. When they strike you with a reprimand, remain silent and take cauterizations, or rather, means that bring bright purity; when the spiritual doctor stops reproaching you, then ask him for forgiveness” 547. The holy, spirit-bearing abbot of the Alexandria hostel, described by Saint John Climacus, subjected the monks subordinate to him, even the very successful and elders, to humiliating punishments; This protected them from exaltation and gave them the opportunity to achieve the deepest humility. “The Righteous Lord,” narrates Climacus, “sent a steward for that monastery, who was in charge of its property, in accordance with the spiritual, God-given dignity of a shepherd and mentor of verbal sheep. The housekeeper was a man of extraordinary chastity and rare meekness. The great one once ordered such a monk to be expelled from the church untimely and without any reason, appearing to be angry with him. Knowing that the steward was innocent of what the shepherd accused him of, I, being alone with the great, justified the steward before him. Guided by spiritual wisdom, the shepherd answered me: “Father! And I know that he is innocent, but taking bread from the hands of a hungry child would be an unjust and unmerciful act! The shepherd does a similar thing, harming both himself and the ascetic, if he does not provide him with opportunities to receive crowns, which the ascetic can earn, at the discretion of the shepherd, by enduring insults, dishonor, humiliation, and reproach. This results in threefold damage of great importance. Firstly, the abbot himself is deprived of compensation for well-intentioned reproof and punishment. Secondly, the abbot, having the opportunity to benefit the brethren through the virtue of their brother, did not do this. The third and gravest damage is that often those very people who seem to endure grief and are patient, being left for a while without attention as perfected virtues, not reproached or reproached by the superior, lose their acquired meekness and patience. This land is good-quality, fruitful and fat, but the impoverishment of the water of dishonor makes it capable of growing tares: the thorns of arrogance and fornication vegetate on it.” Knowing this, the great apostle wrote in his letter to Timothy: “insist, reprove, rebuke them in time and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). To refute these words, I presented to the shepherd the weakness of the modern generation and the fact that many may be torn away from his flock due to vain or not in vain strict punishment; to this, this husband, filled with spiritual wisdom, said: “A soul, attached for the sake of Christ by faith and love to the shepherd, does not depart from him, even if blood has to be shed because of this attachment. Such a disposition appears in the soul especially if it has ever been blessed by a shepherd and through his medium received healing from sinful wounds. She remembers the words of the apostle: “neither authority nor principle, nor power 548 nor any other creature can separate us from the love” (Rom. 8:38–39) of Christ. If the soul, in this way, has not become attached, has not clung, has not acquired such a basic, solid guarantee: then I am surprised if it is not in this monastery in vain, being towards the shepherd and flock in a feigned and self-seductive relationship.” Exactly! The great one was not deceived: he collected, instructed, performed and brought to Christ many immaculate sacrifices” 549. It should be noted here that the behavior of a dispassionate man, filled with Divine grace, cannot in any way serve as an exact role model for superiors and mentors, whose success is very moderate, and who are still struggling with passions. But a meek rebuke of subordinate brethren, a prudent, based on the word of God, pointing out their shortcomings to them, abstaining from harmful and crafty man-pleasing and caressing in dealing with subordinates with sincere love for them, should bring undoubted significant benefit to both the fraternity and the abbot himself. The main purpose of the extracts made here is to show and explain the great mystery of God, the precious spiritual wealth that is hidden and taught by the Providence of God in various sorrows and humiliations allowed to the servant of God during his earthly wanderings. “Once,” Saint John Climacus continues to narrate, “when I was sitting at a meal near this great abbot, he bowed his holy lips to my ear and said: “Do you want me to show you the action of the Divine mind in a man of extreme old age?” I asked him about it. The monk called the monk Lawrence, who was sitting at the second table, who spent about forty-eight years in that monastery and was the second hieromonk of the cathedral. He approached the abbot and, bowing to the ground, accepted his blessing. But when Lawrence stood up from worship, the abbot did not say anything to him, but left him standing before the meal. Lunch had just begun, and Lavrenty had not yet had time to taste any of the food. He stood there like that for an hour or more; I even felt ashamed to look at this ascetic, who was all gray and had already entered the eightieth year of his life. He stood like that until the end of lunch. When we got up from the table, the monk gave him some instructions. I did not fail to find out from Lawrence what he was thinking while standing before the meal. He answered: “Having clothed the shepherd in the image of Christ, I recognized that I am in obedience to God, and not to man. And therefore, Father John, I stood not before the human table, but before the altar of God and prayed to God. No evil thoughts formed in me against the shepherd because of my faith and love for him, as someone said: “love thinks no evil” (1 Cor. 13:5). Know, father, also that the demon does not take possession for an hour of those who arbitrarily surrender themselves to simplicity and gentleness” 550. “Macedonius, the first deacon of the monastery, a man who diligently worked for the Lord, once, two days before the Holy Epiphany, asked the pastor for permission to go to Alexandria for some of his needs, promising, however, to soon return from the city to take part in the celebration. A hater of good, the devil created an obstacle for the chief deacon, and Macedonius did not make it to the monastery on the holy holiday, according to the order received from the abbot during his vacation. He came a day after the holiday. The shepherd excommunicated him from priestly service and assigned him to undergo lower obediences with the novices. The Chief Deacon, this zealous servant of patience and long-suffering, accepted his father’s determination with such complacency, as if someone else, and not he, was being punished. Macedonius spent forty days in such humiliation; After this period, the wise shepherd returned the deacon to the ministry. Having spent one day in this service, the chief deacon began to beg the shepherd that he would again be allowed to remain in humiliation and in the studies of novice novices. “I,” he said, “have committed an unforgivable sin in the city.” The monk, realizing that the chief deacon was expressing himself in a trivial manner and was looking for this in order to improve in humility, fulfilled his good desire. It was an amazing sight! The elder, adorned with venerable gray hair, was among the newcomers and sincerely asked everyone to pray for him. “I,” he said, “fell into the fornication of disobedience.” But to me, a sinner, this great Macedonius revealed the reason why he arbitrarily rushed to such a humble position. “Never,” he said, “have I felt such relief from the internal struggle and have not seen the sweet Divine light in myself as now. It is unusual,” he added, “and even, as some argue, impossible for angels to fall; It is human nature to fall and rise quickly, no matter how many times they fall; belonging only to demons - remaining in the fall after the fall" 551. “While in that monastery, I was amazed at the faith and patience of some of the novices, their constancy in these virtues, with which they tirelessly endured reprimands and reproaches and other reproaches from the abbot, and not only from the abbot, but also from the least brethren. For the purpose of my spiritual edification, I asked one of the brethren, who had already lived for fifteen years in that monastery, named Avvakir, whom almost everyone offended, and the servants kicked him out of the meal almost every day - this brother was by nature somewhat intemperate in his tongue: “Brother Avvakir! Why do they kick you out of the meal every day, and you go to bed without dinner?” He answered: “Believe me, father, that these fathers of mine are tempting me whether I really intend to be a monk. But just as they do this, only tempting me, so I, knowing the way of thinking of the Great One and them, endure everything patiently, without embarrassment. For fifteen years I have been supporting myself with this kind of thinking; and they told me, when I entered the monastery, that they tempt those who have renounced the world until they are thirty years old. They act justly, Father John! Gold, having not been in fire, cannot obtain purity.” After my arrival there, this courageous Avvakir stayed in the monastery for another two years and moved to the Lord. Dying, he said to his fathers: “I thank, I thank the Lord and you for tempting me for my salvation. I have spent seventeen years without suffering anything from the temptations of demons.” The shepherd, filled with spiritual intelligence, ordered him to be placed with the saints resting there as worthy, as a confessor” 552. “The Lord, not wanting to deprive me of the prayer of one of the reverend fathers, a week before my departure from that holy place, took to himself a wonderful husband, the second person in the management of the monastery after the shepherd, named Minu. He spent fifty years in a dormitory and passed all obediences. On the third day, when we were performing the usual prayerful study for the deceased, the entire place where the body of the monk lay was suddenly filled with fragrance. The Great Father ordered us to open his tomb, and when this was done, we all saw that fragrant myrrh was flowing from his honest feet in two sources. At the same time, the teacher said to the council of monks: “Behold! His labors and exploits, of which his feet serve as an image, brought myrrh to God.” The fathers of that place, telling about Mina’s many good deeds, also told the following: one day the abbot wanted to test the patience bestowed upon him by God, and when in the evening Mina, having come as usual to the abbot’s cell to receive an order from him the next day, asked for this and bowed to the ground before the abbot, the abbot left him prostrate on the ground even until the time of his reign. Then the shepherd had already raised Mina from earthly worship, blessing and reproaching him as someone who loved to show off and was impatient. This is what the monk did for the edification of everyone, knowing that Mina had courageously endured the dishonor done to him.”553 Extract from the works of St. Abba Dorotheos “Abba Pimen rightly said that the distinguishing mark of a monk is revealed in temptations. A monk who begins to truly work for the Lord must, according to the will of the Wise One, prepare “his soul for temptation” (Sir. 2:1), so that he will never be bewildered or embarrassed because of any adventure encountered by him. He must believe that nothing happens without the Providence of God. Where the Providence of God operates, from there flows every possible good, every possible benefit for the soul: because everything that God does to us, he does for our good, he does by loving and merciful to us, and we must give thanks in everything (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:18) to His goodness, according to the instructions of the Apostle, never giving in to sadness and cowardice because of what happens to us. We will accept everything that befalls us without embarrassment, with humility and trust in God, believing, as I said, that everything that God does to us, he does out of His goodness, loving us and for our good, that otherwise there can be no benefit to us except in the way that God arranges.” “God is the source of wisdom. He knows what is useful to us and, in accordance with this knowledge, arranges everything related to you, even down to the smallest detail. With God everything is possible; nothing is impossible for Him. Knowing that God loves and has mercy on His creation, that He is the source of wisdom, that He knows how our circumstances should be arranged, that nothing is impossible for Him, that everything serves His will, also knowing that everything He does does for our benefit, we are obliged to accept everything allowed to us, even if it is sorrowful, as from a Benefactor, as from a Master, with thanksgiving. Everything that happens is done according to the righteous judgment of God, and God, infinitely merciful, will not despise us in any of our sorrow, even the slightest.” “Some are perplexed by the following reflection: “If someone, when faced with adversity, sins, overcome by sorrow, then how can he remain in the conviction that the adversity was allowed to him for his benefit?” When we are exposed to adversity, we sin solely because of our impatience, because we do not want to endure less than a small sorrow, we do not want to suffer anything against our will, while God does not allow us temptations that exceed our strength. The apostle testified to this, saying: “God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can” (1 Cor. 10:13). We, we have no patience! We do not want to endure the slightest sorrow! We don't want to accept anything with humility! For this reason, misfortunes overthrow us, and the more we try to get rid of them, the more they entangle us; we become exhausted, but cannot free ourselves (due to the incorrectness of the means used for liberation). Those who sail the seas to remedy their needs, if they are familiar with the art of navigation, when they see a wave rising on them, they bow under it: it passes along the ship and is cut by it; swimmers do not suffer any harm. On the contrary, if the swimmers decided to resist the wave, it would throw them back and carry them a considerable distance; during further swimming, another wave comes at them, and if they resist this one, then this one throws them back and eliminates them from the undertaken path: the swimmers are exposed only to useless fatigue. If, as I said, they bend under the waves and adapt to the direction of the waves, then the waves will go around them without causing them any harm, the swimmers will complete their voyage safely and the task for which the voyage was undertaken. So it is in adversity. If someone endures an attack with patience and humility, then it will pass harmlessly for him. If he indulges in sadness, embarrassment, and blames everyone, then he will burden himself with an unbearable burden, aggravating the effect of the adversity on himself, will not receive any benefit from the adversity, and will receive harm. Adversity then brings great benefit when it is endured patiently, without embarrassment.” “If passion disturbs us, then we should not be embarrassed further by this. The confusion that appears when passion operates in us comes from unreason and pride, from the fact that we do not understand our mental structure and run away from work, as the fathers said. We do not succeed for the reason that we do not know our limits, we do not have patience in the affairs we begin, but we want to acquire virtue without difficulty. What does a passionate man marvel at when he is troubled by passion? Why is he embarrassed? You formed it in yourself, you have it in yourself and you are embarrassed! You have taken into yourself her pledges and say: why does she bother me? Better be patient, strive and pray to God. It is impossible not to have sorrow from passions for someone who has formed them in himself, fulfilling them in practice. Their property, said Abba Sisoes, is deposited within you: give them this deposit, and they will leave. The property of the passions, which we have as collateral, refers to the initial causes of passions and voluntary love for passions. We have become carried away by the initial causes of passions, aroused passions to action, and therefore it is impossible for us not to be tempted by passionate thoughts: they force us to fulfill passions against our will, because we have surrendered ourselves into the hands of passions arbitrarily.” “The state of the prophet who arbitrarily submitted to passions is depicted by the story of the prophet about Ephraim: “Stop Ephraim,” says the prophet about the tribe of Ephraim, “his rival, his conscience, trampled down the court” (Hos. 5:12), turned to Egypt, and was forcibly taken to Assyria. By the image of Egypt, the fathers mean the will of the flesh, which draws us to the repose of the flesh with pleasure and imparts a voluptuous mood to the soul; By the image of the Assyrians they mean passionate thoughts that disturb and disturb the mind, fill it with unclean idols, and force it, against its will, to actually fulfill sin.” “If anyone voluntarily indulges in carnal pleasure, he is taken against his will, forcibly, as a captive to Assyria, to work for Nebuchadnezzar. Knowing this, the prophet became ill and persuaded the Jews so that they would not descend from the elevated terrain occupied by Judea into low-lying Egypt (Jer. 42). What are you doing, you unfortunate people? Humble yourself at least a little, bow your neck, serve the king of Babylon and remain in the land of your fathers. Then he encourages them, saying: “Fear not from the presence of the king of Babylon, says the Lord, for I am with you, to deliver you and save you from his hand” (Jer. 42:11). He further predicts the sorrow that should befall them if they do not show obedience to God: “If you,” he says, “give your face into Egypt, and you will go down to live there, you will be an impenetrable place and a servant, and a curse and a reproach, and no one will see this place” (Jer. 42:15, 18). But they answered the prophet: “We will not sit on this land, but we will go into the land of Egypt, and we will not see the army, and we will not hear the voice of the trumpet, and we will not hunger for the bread, but we will dwell there” (Jer. 42:13-14). The Jews fulfilled this intention, went down to Egypt, arbitrarily entered into the service of Pharaoh, then were forcibly taken to Assyria and served the Assyrians against their will” 554. “Look deeper into what I am telling you. Before anyone begins to fulfill his passion in action, he is in his own city, he is free, even if contrary thoughts arise; Moreover, he has God as his helper. If he humbles himself before God and bears with thanksgiving the yoke of sorrow and temptation, then God’s help will rescue him from his difficult situation. If, avoiding feat, he descends to satisfy the voluptuous demands of the body, then he will be forcibly and against his will taken to the land of the Assyrians and will work for them against his desire. To those who have come to this state, the prophet says: “Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar,” because in his life is your salvation (Bar. 1:11–12). The command to pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar depicts the duty of a person who has actually fallen into sins: he should not indulge in cowardice while the sadness produced by the temptation that happened acts in him, not shy away from the languor produced by passionate thoughts 555, but endure this state with humility, recognizing that he had to be exposed to it; let him put it into his mind that he is not even worthy of getting rid of the severity of his condition, that this condition must continue and develop. Whether he sees in himself the reason for the misfortune that happened or does not see it yet, he must believe that nothing happens without the judgment of God, that nothing unrighteous comes from God. From a certain brother God took away the temptation that was weighing on him, and he spoke, grieving and crying about it; "God! I’m not worthy to even grieve a little.” It is also narrated that the disciple of the great elder was tempted by the fornication that rose up against him. The elder, seeing his suffering, said to him: Do you want me to pray to God, and He will free you from the battle? The student answered: father! although it is difficult for me, I see in myself the result of this state, therefore, it is better to pray that God will grant me patience. Such are those who truly want to be saved! This is what it means to wear the yoke with humility and pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar! That is why the prophet says that in his life your salvation is yours. Two sayings are similar to each other: what the brother said: “I see in myself the fruit of the struggle of passion,” - similar to what the prophet said: “your salvation lies in his life”; and the elder confirmed this, saying in response to his brother: “Now I know that you are in greater prosperity than I.” “When someone embarks on a feat against all the actions of sin and begins to fight against the passionate thoughts that come to the mind, then he humbles himself, laments, works and is purified little by little by the sorrows of the feat, ascending to the natural state. From this it follows, as we said, that he who is troubled by passion, if he is troubled by it, is troubled by foolishness and pride. It is better for him to humbly know his limits, remain patient and pray until God shows mercy to him. If someone is not subjected to temptations, does not experience sorrow from passions, he will not strive to ever be cleansed from them. The psalmist speaks about this: “the sinner always grows like grass, and every one who practices iniquity cuts through, so that he may be consumed for ever and ever” (Ps. 91:8). Sinners who vegetate like grass are passionate thoughts. The grass is weak and has no strength. When passionate thoughts vegetate in the soul, then they penetrate, that is, “whoever works iniquity” is revealed, that is, passions, “so that they may be consumed forever and ever”: passions are then destroyed by ascetics when they become obvious to them. Consider the order of the matter: firstly, passionate thoughts vegetate; through this passions are revealed; once discovered, they are exterminated. All this applies to those who strive; but we, who actually sin, always fulfilling our passions, do not even know when passionate thoughts vegetate, when passions arise. Not knowing this, we do not even think of embarking on the feat of struggle against passions: we are constantly cast down, we are still in Egypt, in the ill-fated plaster work of the pharaoh. Who would let us at least come to the feeling of our bitter slavery, so that we would humble ourselves, so that we would take care of obtaining mercy!” “When the children of Israel were in Egypt, enslaved by Pharaoh, then they were busy making bricks 556. Those who make bricks are always in a downward position, always looking at the ground: similarly this happens with the soul. When the devil takes possession of her, when she actually commits a sin, then she tramples on reason and does not think about anything spiritual; she constantly thinks about one thing, earthly, acts solely for the earth. The Israelites, from the bricks they made, built three strong cities for Pharaoh: Python, Ramessin and On, or Heliopolis, that is, the Solar City. These cities signify voluptuousness, love of fame and love of money. All sins are born from these passions.” “God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and deliver them from slavery. Then Pharaoh burdened them even more with work, saying: “You are holidays, for this reason you say: let us go and devour the Lord our God” (Ex. 5:17). Likewise, the devil, when he sees that God has mercifully looked upon the soul, that He deigns to have mercy on it and grant it relief from passions, either through His word, or through the mediation of one of His servants, then burdens it even more with the pressure of passions and attacks it even more powerfully. The fathers, knowing this, strengthen man with their teaching and do not allow him to plunge into fear and bewilderment. One of the fathers says: “Have you fallen? Rise up. Have you fallen again? Rise again,” and so on. Another father says: “The strength of those who want to acquire virtue lies in the fact that they do not become faint-hearted when they fall, so that they do not fall into despair, but continue to strive.” In short: each of the fathers in a different way, one in one way, the other in another, gives a hand to the ascetics who are offended by the enemy. The Fathers borrowed this way of acting from the Holy Scriptures. It says: “food falls, does not rise? or will he turn away and not be converted?” (Jer. 8:4) “Return to Me, sons, and I will heal your afflictions,” says the Lord, “and the like” (Jer. 3:22). “When the hand of God was heavy upon Pharaoh and upon his subjects, then he decided to let the children of Israel go. Pharaoh said to Moses: “Go, serve the Lord your God: only leave the sheep and the oxen” (Ex. 10:24). The name sheep and oxen refers to the thoughts that constitute the property of the mind 557, which Pharaoh wanted to possess, hoping through them to again attract the children of Israel to himself. Moses answered Pharaoh: “Nor, but you also give us the sacrifices and burnt offerings that we will make for the Lord our God” (Ex. 10:25). Moses, having brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, transported them across the Red Sea. God, intending to lead them to a place where there were seventy dates and twelve springs of water, first brought them to Marah. Here the people mourned, not finding anything to drink, because the waters of Marah were bitter. Already through Marah they came to seventy dates and twelve springs of water. Likewise, the soul, having stopped committing sins in reality and having crossed the mental sea, must first labor in labors and undergo many sorrows, then through sorrows ascend into holy rest: “for through many sorrows it is fitting for us to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Through sorrows, God's mercy is directed into the soul, just as rain clouds are driven by winds. Rain that falls for a long time rots the grain crops, if they are still young and tender, destroys the fruit on them; the winds gradually dry and strengthen the seedlings. This is what happens with the soul. Weakness, lack of sorrows, contentment in material means deprive her of strength, lead her into a state of delicacy, but temptations strengthen her and assimilate her to God, just as the prophet says: “Lord! in sorrow I remembered Thee” (Is. 26:16). And therefore, as we have already said, we should not be embarrassed, we should not lose heart in temptations: we should endure sorrows, thank God for them and pray unceasingly, with humility, to God, so that He would show mercy to our weakness and cover us from all adversity, for His glory” 558. “Whoever does a deed for the sake of God will certainly be faced with temptation, because every good thing is either preceded or followed by temptation. What is done for the sake of God cannot even be lasting if it is not tempted by adversity.” “Being passionate, we should never trust our hearts: a crooked rule distorts what is straight in itself.” “Whoever does not renounce everything in his soul, who does not renounce glory, bodily pleasures and, moreover, justifications, will not be able to cut off his desires, nor get rid of anger and sadness, nor preserve the peace of his neighbor undisturbed.” “It is not great not to condemn someone who is well disposed towards us or to have mercy on him when he is in sorrow. It is great not to condemn someone who acts against us, not to take revenge on him out of passion, not to agree with those who condemn him; It is great to sympathize with the joy of what is preferred to us.” “Do not seek love from your neighbor. A person looking for love, if he does not see it, is embarrassed. You better show love to your neighbor. By doing this, you yourself will calm down and you will lead your neighbor to love.” “In everything that happened to me, I never wanted to settle the matter solely according to human considerations and efforts in anything, I act according to my strength, leaving everything else to God.” “Not to despise one’s neighbor’s alms belongs to acts of humility: one must accept such alms, even if they are meager and unimportant.” “He who does not strive to fulfill the impulses of his own will always acts in accordance with his own will. Having no individual wishes, he always fulfills his desire and is happy with everything that happens to him: he does not want things to be done the way he wishes; he wants things to be done the way they are done.” “It is untimely to correct someone’s brother at the very time when his brother sins against him. (We need to give time to the brother so that the brother can come to his senses and calm down). And we should not do this at any time if the feeling of revenge for ourselves is the initial reason for our action.” “Do not do evil even as a joke: it happens that someone first does evil as a joke, and later is drawn to it against his will.” “One should not desire deliverance from passion, avoiding the sorrow it produces: one should desire this out of complete hatred for it, as the Scripture says: “With complete hatred I hated those who were my enemies” (Ps. 139:22). “It is impossible for anyone to be angry with his neighbor if his heart does not first rise above his neighbor, if he does not humiliate his neighbor before himself, if he does not recognize himself as superior to his neighbor.” “A sign that someone is fulfilling a passion arbitrarily is his embarrassment at the time when he is accused of it or corrected. If someone endures conviction of passion without embarrassment, that is, without embarrassment he submits to the measures of correction, then this serves as a sign that he acted out of passion in ignorance, or out of infatuation” 559. “Newbie! Never trust your heart; it is in a state of blindness from the influence of addictions for the old man.” “Force yourself to everything good and cut off your will (that is, the will of the old man): by the grace of Christ and your own deed you will come to the skill of cutting off the will and you will cut it off without coercion and sorrow, so that everything that happens will happen as if according to your will and according to your desire.” “Don’t wish for everything to be done according to your wishes, wish for it to be done as it is done, in this way you will be at peace with everything. However, this applies to what is not a violation of the commandment of God or the father.” “Try to bring yourself into such a state that in everything you find yourself worthy of reproach.” “Constantly guard against forming an opinion about yourself and your own speculation about anything.” “Believe that everything that concerns us, down to the smallest, is under the Providence of God, and you will endure the sorrows that come your way without embarrassment.” “Believe that dishonor and vexation are the cure for the pride with which your soul is infected.” “Pray for those who reproach you as your true physicians, with the undoubted conviction that he who hates dishonor hates humility, and whoever runs away from grief runs away from meekness.” “Do not want to know the vices and sins of your neighbor and do not accept suspicions instilled in him by the enemy. If they are implanted in us because of our own depravity, then try to turn them into good thoughts.” “Give thanks in everything, acquire goodness and holy love.” “Let us guard our conscience with all possible sobriety in all respects: towards God, towards our neighbor, towards things.” “Before we say or do anything, let us consider whether it is in accordance with the will of God. Having considered and prayed, we will say or do, presenting our weakness before God, and the goodness of God will prosper us in everything” 560. “From little things, from the fact that we say: “What does this mean?”, “What is the importance of this?”, an evil habit is formed in the soul, and it begins to neglect even the great. Do you know what a grave sin it is to judge your neighbor? And what's harder than that? What is it that God hates so much? Why does He turn away so much? There is nothing worse than condemnation, the fathers said. However, a person also comes to this great evil from undertakings that seem insignificant to him, having accepted an insignificant view of his neighbor, saying to himself: “What is the importance if I hear what such and such a brother is telling?”, “What is the importance if I say one word?”, “What is the importance if I see what such and such a brother or such a wanderer will do?” – the mind begins to abandon attention to its own sins and notice the sins of its neighbor, and from this move on to condemning, slandering and reproaching its neighbors. From judging our neighbors, we come to the point that we ourselves fall into the errors for which we condemned our neighbors. If someone does not constantly care about his sins, does not mourn his dead, as the fathers said, he cannot succeed in anything good; he always watches the affairs of his neighbor. Nothing angers God so much, nothing exposes a person so much, nothing causes God to abandon him so much as slander, condemnation and reproach of his neighbor.” “Something is to slander, another thing is to condemn, and another thing is to humiliate. To slander is to say about someone: such and such lied, or became angry, or fell into fornication, or did something similar. The one who said this fell into slander, that is, he spoke biasedly about his brother’s sin. To condemn is to say: such and such is a liar, angry, fornicator. He who expressed himself in this way condemned the very disposition of the soul, pronounced a sentence for life, saying about the whole person: this is how he is. This is hard. It’s another thing to say “he was angry”, and another thing to say “he’s angry”, expressing himself in this way pronounced, as I said, a sentence for life. The sin of condemnation is so painful, so much more painful than other sins, that Christ Himself said: “You hypocrite, first remove the plank from your hair, and then see clearly to take away the speck from your brother’s hair” (Luke 6:42). Here the sin of a neighbor is likened to a branch, and condemnation to a log. Why, instead of condemning our neighbors, do we not condemn ourselves and our sins, which are known to us with certainty and for which we must answer to God? Why do we delight in the judgment of men, which belongs to the one God? What do we want from His creation? What do we want from our neighbor? What do we want from someone else's burden? Brethren! We have something to take care of! Let everyone take heed to himself and his own evil. It belongs to the one God to justify and condemn people, who knows the dispensation, strength, circumstances, gifts, physique, abilities of everyone and, in proportion to this, judges everyone with a judgment comprehensible to the one God.” “Sometimes we not only condemn our neighbors, but also humiliate them. One thing is to condemn, as I have already said, and another thing is to humiliate. Humiliation consists not only in condemning our neighbor, but also in contempt for him, when we abhor our neighbor, when we turn away from him as an abomination. This is much worse and more harmful than condemnation. Those who want to be saved do not pay attention to the shortcomings of their neighbor; their attention is constantly directed to their own shortcomings: for this reason they succeed. We, the accursed, without considering the matter at all, condemn, abhor, and humiliate if we see or hear anything, even if something appears to us only in our imagination. What’s worse is that we are not satisfied with our own harm alone, but when we meet another brother, we immediately tell him: this, and this, and that happened. We damage our brother by introducing sin into his heart: we are not afraid of the threat of Scripture: “Woe to him who solders his companion with muddy corruption” (Hab. 2:15); we are committing a demonic work and neglecting it. What are the activities of demons? Only that they confuse people and harm them. We turn out to be the helpers of demons to our own and our neighbor’s destruction! He who harms the soul promotes and helps demons; on the contrary, the one who benefits the soul helps the holy angels. Why are we subjected to this? The only reason is that we don’t have love. If we had love, we would look with mercy and compassion at the shortcomings of our neighbor, just as Scripture says: “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8): “love does not think evil, it endures everything” (1 Cor. 13:4–5, 7). If we had love, as I said, then this love would cover every brother’s sin, just as saints do when they see human shortcomings. Are saints blind? Don't they hate sins? And who hates sin as much as the saints? Hating sin, they do not hate the sinner, do not condemn him, do not turn away from him. They sympathize with the sinner, instruct him, console him, heal him like a weak member, do everything to save him. The saints attract their brother to virtue through long-suffering and love, and do not turn away from him, do not disdain him. Just as a mother, having an ugly son, does not disdain him and does not turn away from him, but lovingly takes care to make up for the natural defect with artificial decorations and does everything to beautify her son: so the saints constantly cover and adorn the sinner, intercede for him with the goal of correcting him over time, in order to prevent others from being damaged because of him, and so that they themselves can succeed even more in the love of Christ.” “Let us acquire love, let us acquire a merciful heart for our neighbor, so that through this quality we can protect ourselves from fierce slander, from condemnation and humiliation, so that through it we can help each other as our own members. Who, having a wound on his hand, or on his leg, or on any other member, abhors himself? Will he really cut off his member, even if this member has festered? On the contrary, doesn’t he cleanse it, doesn’t he wash it, doesn’t he apply a plaster to it, doesn’t he sprinkle it with blessed water, doesn’t he pray for healing, doesn’t he ask the saints to pray for him? In short, he does not leave his bodily member neglected, does not disdain its ugliness or its stench, but uses all means to heal it. In the same way, we must sympathize with each other, we must help each other, both ourselves and through our fathers and brothers who are more successful than us; we must invent and do everything that serves to mutually help ourselves and our brothers; We are members in relation to one another, just as the Apostle says: “We are all one body, and we judge one another according to one” (Rom. 12:5); “If one soul suffers, all people suffer with him” (1 Cor. 12:26). What do dormitories mean, do you think? Isn't this the same body? Are not all those who live in the dormitory members of this body? Let each member serve the body according to its strength! Try to always help each other: either by teaching, putting the word of God into your brother’s heart, or by comforting him during sorrow, or by giving him a helping hand in some matter. In a word, let each one, according to his strength, draw closer to his neighbor through love.” “The closer we get to each other, the closer we get to God. The same thing happens with distance. Those who move away from God will abandon the love of God to such an extent that they will move away from God, just as they will move away from each other; also, the more they move away from each other, the more they move away from God. This is the property of love. To the extent that we are outside of it, to the extent that we do not love God, we are so far removed from our neighbors. If we love God, then to the extent that we draw closer to Him with love, we are united by love with our neighbor, and we are united by love with God” 561. “Sometimes, having heard an offensive word, we do not pay attention to it and bear it without embarrassment, as if we had not heard it at all, but sometimes, as soon as we hear it, we are immediately embarrassed. What is the reason for this difference? Is there one reason for this difference or are there many? I find that there are many reasons, but there is one that, so to speak, serves as the beginning for all other reasons. It happens that someone is exposed to temptation after he has engaged in prayer or silence, and at that time is in a good mood: for this reason, he endures the offensive act of his brother without embarrassment. Again, it happens that the insulted person has a partial disposition towards the insulter and therefore is not upset by his actions. Again, another has contempt for the offender and therefore imputes his insults to nothing, does not pay any attention to him, as if not even recognizing him as a person and without making any response to his words, no matter what he says.” “The main reason for all confusion, if we thoroughly examine it, is that we do not reproach ourselves: this is where all disorder stems! For this reason, we can never reach a state of peace! After this, there is nothing to be surprised when we hear from all the saints that there is no other way except the path of self-reproach. But we, seeing that not one of the saints found peace by following a different path, hope to obtain peace, or to follow the right path, never wanting to reproach ourselves! Truly, if a person commits a thousand virtues and does not adhere to this path, he will never cease to be offended and insult others, thereby ruining all his works. On the contrary, what joy, what peace is felt by the one who reproaches himself! He who reproaches himself, wherever he goes, as Abba Pimen said, no matter what happens to the one who reproaches himself, whether it is the loss of something or dishonor, or any kind of sorrow, he will never be embarrassed, constantly preceding the embarrassment by recognizing himself as worthy of adversity. What other mood could be freer from sadness! “It happens that another, as it seems to him, is in peace and silence. But then his brother came and said an unpleasant word to him, and he became embarrassed. On this basis, considering grief to be blessed, he says: “If so-and-so had not come, said an insulting word to me and had not embarrassed me, then I would not have been upset. This is funny! This is lovely! Was it really the one who said an unpleasant word to him who put passion into him? Whoever says such a word will only reveal the passion hidden in him, so that he repents of it if he wants. One who is guided by such judgments is like rotten bread, which looks good, but is moldy inside. When they break it, its rottenness is revealed 562. So this one, as it seemed to him, was in the world, having a passion living within himself, and did not know it. His brother spoke one word to him and brought out the rottenness that was hidden inside him! Let him repent if he wants to be pardoned; let him purify himself, let him succeed, let him see that he should thank his brother and not grieve at him: his brother brought him the greatest benefit.” “Blaming ourselves, and not anyone else, for the sorrows that happen to us brings us great benefit, brings us deep peace and significant prosperity. Moreover, we must act in this way, since nothing happens to us without the Providence of God. If someone truly deserves peace, then God will notify the Saracen heart to show mercy to him according to his need. If someone is unworthy of peace, or it is not useful to him, then he will not find it, even if he created both a new heaven and a new earth. With every adventure that comes our way, we must face grief. Whether they do good to us or suffer evil, we must fix the eyes of our souls on grief and thank God for everything that happens to us, constantly maintaining self-reproach. According to the instructions of the fathers, we must say if something good happens to us: “This happened according to God’s will.” If something evil happens, we must say: “This happened because of our sins. Truly, all the sorrows that we endure, we endure for our sins" 563. “Let us be sober, brothers, and with God’s assistance, let us fight mightily against the all-destructive passion of memory malice, in order to get rid of its possession. The following happens: when confusion or displeasure arises between brothers, a brother will bow to his brother, but even after worshiping he continues to grieve and harbor hostile thoughts against his brother. He should not neglect such thoughts, but reject them as quickly as possible: this is memory malice. Special attention is required so as not to become rigid in it and die. Cut off passions while they are young, before they take root in you, become stronger and begin to forcibly dominate you. Then you will have to suffer a lot, uprooting them: it’s another thing to tear out a blade of grass from the ground, and another thing to uproot a large tree.” “You can repay evil for evil not only in deed, but also in word and appearance. Another thinks of himself that he does not repay evil for evil. In fact, it turns out that he repays with a word or an appearance: he takes on such an appearance, makes such a movement, throws such a look that confuses and offends his brother. This is retribution of evil for evil. Another tries not to repay evil for evil, either through deeds, or through words or appearance, or movement, but nourishes sorrow in his heart for his brother, nourishes grief, which also has the character of remembrance of malice. See the difference in moods!” “Again, the other does not even retain any sorrow for his brother in his heart. If he hears that someone has insulted this brother, or that he has been reprimanded, or that he has been humiliated, then, hearing this, he does not cease to rejoice. It turns out that in this way he repays evil for evil in the secret of his heart. Another does not harbor malice in his heart, nor does he rejoice when he hears about the humiliation of the offender, he even complains if the offender is insulted, but he also does not rejoice at his well-being: if he sees that he is being glorified or reassured, he grieves. And this is a type of memory malice: it is easier than those listed above, but it belongs to them. Each of you should rejoice in the well-being of your brother, contribute as much as you can to this well-being, and do everything in your power to please and reassure your brother.” “What means can one obtain healing from memory malice? Praying with all your heart for the offender and saying: “God! Help my brother and me with prayers for his sake.” Thus, a person suffering from memory malice, firstly, prays for his brother, which serves as a sign of mercy and love, and secondly, he humbles himself before his brother, asking himself for help for the sake of his prayers. Where mercy, love and humility are present, can rage, or remembrance, or some other passion develop there? Abba Zosima rightly said: “If the devil, having invited all the demons to assist him, puts into action all the tricks of his malice, then from the humility of Christ’s commandment his deceit, whatever it may be, will be abolished and crushed.” And another elder said: “He who prays for the enemy will be unforgettable.” Having thoroughly understood what you hear, implement it in practice. I tell the truth: if you do not do it in practice, you will not be able to learn from just hearing words. Who, wanting to learn any art, learns it from just an explanation in words? He certainly gets down to the actual exercise of the matter; At first, his exercise is fraught with errors: he both does and spoils his work; but constantly working and enduring, little by little he learns art, with the help of God, who despises labor and his willfulness. We, without getting down to business, want to study art, which exceeds all arts, from just hearing? Is this possible? Brethren! As long as we have time, let us pay attention to ourselves and work carefully.”564 “The abbot of the brethren! Take care of them with a contrite heart, filled with goodness and mercy, instructing them in virtues in deed and word, and even more so in deed, because an example is more effective than words. If you have sufficient bodily strength, be an example for brotherhood in bodily labors: but if you are weak, then influence him with a good spiritual disposition and the fruits of the Spirit, counted by the Apostle: love, long-suffering, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness and abstinence from all passions (Gal. 5:22, 23). Do not worry unnecessarily due to misdeeds that occur, but without embarrassment explain the harm resulting from the misdemeanor. If it becomes necessary to reprimand or punish, then pay attention to the face and choose a convenient time. Do not torture too much for small sins, as if you were a righteous person, free from all sin. Do not rebuke often: it is burdensome; the habit of listening to frequent reproofs leads the person being rebuked to bitterness and neglect. Do not command lordly, but offer it humbly, as if consulting with a brother: such a word is accepted more conveniently, is more conducive to obedience and has a favorable effect on one’s neighbor.” “In times of confusion, when your brother resists you, hold your tongue so as not to say anything to him in anger; do not allow your heart to be lifted up against him: remember that he is your brother, a member of the same body with you in Christ, the image of God, tempted by the common enemy; have mercy on him, so that the devil does not wound him with your rage and, having captured him, does not kill him with memory of malice, so that the soul for which Christ died does not perish from our carelessness. Remember that if you become angry, you will be condemned for your anger; Realizing your own weakness, show compassion to your brother and thank God that He has given you the opportunity to forgive your brother, and thereby receive forgiveness for your sins, which are more important and more numerous than your brother’s sins. “Let go, and it will be forgiven you” (Luke 6:37), said the Lord. Does it not seem to you that your long-suffering will cause harm to your brother? But the Apostle commands us to induce evil to be good, and not good to be done to evil (Rom. 12:21). And the fathers say: “When admonishing your neighbor, if you yourself are carried away by anger, then by doing this you will only satisfy your passion.” No one who is prudent destroys his own house in order to build his neighbor's house. If the confusion continues, then forcefully keep your heart within the limits of meekness and pray like this: “Merciful and humane God! You, in Your ineffable goodness, created us from nothing to enjoy Your blessings! You called us to Yourself by the blood of Your only begotten Son, our Savior, when we fell away from You by transgressing Your commandment! And now come and help our weakness, rebuke the rebellion of our hearts, as you once rebuked the troubled sea, so that both of us in one hour do not lose our adoption as sons of You, being killed by sin, so that You do not say to us: “What profit is there in my blood if we ever descend into corruption?” (Ps. 29:10). “I say Amen to you, we do not know you,” because your lamps have gone out for lack of oil” (Matthew 25:12). After this prayer, when your heart is tamed, you will be able to do it wisely and with humility, according to the instructions of the Apostle (Gal. 6:12; 1 Tim. 4:2), to reprove, admonish, heal and correct with mercy, like your own weak member. Then the brother, realizing his bitterness, will accept correction with confidence: you will pacify his heart with your peace. Let nothing separate you from Christ’s holy commandment: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). First and most of all, one must take care of the peaceful dispensation of the soul and in no way allow the heart to become confused, neither under supposedly just pretexts, nor for the sake of the commandment. Let us know for certain that it is precisely in order to achieve love and purity of heart that we try to fulfill the commandments with all possible care. By ruling the brethren in this way, you will hear the Divine decree proclaiming: “If you bring forth honest things from the unworthy, you will become My mouth” (Jer. 15:19) 565. Extract from the works of St. Isaiah the Hermit “Above all, we need humility. Let us always have the word “forgive” ready in response to every unpleasant word, to every unpleasant deed towards us. Through humility, all the snares of our adversary, the devil, are dissolved” 566. “Do not blame yourself for anything in any matter, and your thoughts will remain untroubled” 567. “Virtues are born from lack of curiosity, from suffering, from humility, from the constant cutting off of one’s will in the spiritual mind, from disobedience to one’s justification, from attention constantly directed to one’s sins” 568. “If you make a mistake in anything, do not cover up your mistakes with lies. Bow down and say: “Forgive me.” This will erase the error" 569. “If someone says a cruel word to you, then do not let your heart rise up against your brother. Force yourself to bow to the offender before anger affects you. Anger is preceded by humiliation of one's neighbor" 570. “If you are reproached for something, then do not allow yourself to get angry at the person who insulted you. Without considering whether the reproof made was correct or incorrect, bow to the one who reproached, saying: “Forgive me.” Such behavior leads the young person to success” 571. “If you want something, but your living brother does not want it, cut off your will from your brother, so that no dispute arises between you and so that your brother is not offended by you” 572. “If a brother, having come to your cell, begins to utter unhelpful words, stop him. Tell him with love: “Forgive me! I am weak and cannot bear such words." 573 “If you hear about your brother’s sin, do not pass on such information to anyone else: by such an act you will inflict a mortal wound on your soul” 574. “If someone in your presence begins to reproach a brother, then do not remain silent before the critic, do not be ashamed of him, do not agree with him, do not sin before God. With humility, say to the critic: “Brother, forgive me: I too am a sinner worthy of all regret. The vice you are talking about belongs to me, and I cannot listen to accusations about it” 575. “If your brother does you harm, and someone in your presence begins to slander him, take care to guard your heart so that the feeling of anger towards your brother does not renew in it. Remember your many sins before God, and if you want them to be forgiven you, do not repay your neighbor with evil for evil” 576. “If you hear that your brother has treated you poorly and after that you meet him somewhere, or he comes to you, accept him favorably, with a joyful greeting and appearance. Don’t tell him what you heard about him, don’t ask him: “Why did you say this and that?” It is written in parables: he who remembers dishonor is a transgressor" 577. “Being silent in your cell, if you remember someone who has done you harm, then get up and pray with all your heart to God, so that God will forgive the one who did the harm, and the thought of revenge will leave you” 578. “When you are silent in your cell, if you fall into illness, do not fall into cowardice, but thank God. If you see that confusion is creeping into your soul due to illness, then tell it as admonition and consolation: “This illness is more useful than the illness that awaits you in Gehenna and into which you will fall if you are not firm and constant in patience.” Such reflection will silence your confusion.”579 “Take heed diligently so that, when you begin to partake of the Holy Mysteries, you do not have malice against your brother: otherwise you will harm yourself” 580. “If a brother, carried away by cowardice, says a rude word to you, bear it with joy. Having examined your thoughts at the judgment of God, you will find that by your sin you have given rise to an insult to you” 581. “If anyone reproaches and humiliates his brother in your presence, then do not allow yourself to listen to the words of slander. Otherwise, trouble will befall you too” 582. “Do not harbor anger in your heart against anyone. Otherwise, all your labors for piety will be in vain” 583. “Let your heart be pure and favorable towards everyone, and you will see the peace of God in yourself” 584. “The venom of a scorpion spreads throughout the body and damages the very heart of the one who is stung by a scorpion: such is the effect of anger on one’s neighbor. The soul is wounded by its poison; crafty malice destroys those infected with it. He who wants to preserve his feat and virtue from ultimate damage, tries to quickly ward off Scorpio - malice and deceit" 585. “Three virtues constantly impart light to the mind - not seeing malice in any person, doing good to those who have offended, enduring befalling sorrows without embarrassment” 586. “From these three virtues three great ones are born: blindness to human evil gives birth to love; From doing good, those who do evil gain peace; meekness is achieved by undisturbed patience of tolerated sorrows” 587. “Four virtues protect the soul and provide it with respite from the confusion caused by enemies - demons: mercy, freedom from anger, long-suffering and forgetfulness of insults” 588. “Four vices darken the soul - hatred of one’s neighbor, humiliation of one’s neighbors, envy and murmuring” 589. “For four reasons, the passion of anger intensifies in a person: from the disposition to accept alms and distribute it, from following one’s will, from the desire to teach others, from recognizing oneself as reasonable” 590. “If someone reproaches you for something you have done or not done, and you remain silent, you will act in accordance with the nature of Jesus. If you start to object, saying: “What have I done?” - then you will no longer act in accordance with the properties of this nature. If you repay equal for equal, then this will be completely contrary to the nature of Jesus” 591. “Train your tongue to say “Forgive me,” and humility will instill in you” 592. “God showed the holy Apostle Peter that no person should be considered unclean or unclean” (Acts 10:15) 593. “Whose heart has acquired holiness sees all people as holy. Whose heart is mired in passions does not consider anyone pure. He imagines that everyone is like him; he immediately feels displeasure in his heart when someone is spoken of favorably in front of him. On this basis, beware of reproaching anyone, either openly or in your heart.”594 “The more careless a person’s life, the stronger his conceit, and he recognizes himself in his heart as a friend of God. When he enters into asceticism and frees himself from passions, then he does not dare to raise his eyes to heaven” 595. “In every feat, in every sorrow, we must not give in to despondency and relaxation. Let us work with all our hearts, and, I believe, God will number us among the host of His saints” 596. “It is necessary for a person to utter abundant prayers before God with great humility in soul and body, so that no vain opinion of himself is mixed into any of his deeds, so that he does not agree with human praise brought to him, so that he is not offended by human reproach, so that he pacifies his heart - in relation to those who blame - by remembering his sins" 597 . “Do not allow your mouth to spew out a bitter word about your critics, who are lower than your loved ones” 598. “Do not blame or praise anyone 599. (Both are judgment forbidden by God (Luke 6:37), and an expression of exaltation over one’s neighbor).” “Let us carefully consider ourselves so as not to have hatred or enmity, in which pleasing God is impossible” 600. “Whoever constantly thinks about the last day of his life and about the executions that he must undergo for his sins, the thought of condemning others does not occur to him. His heart is consumed by the painful expectation of eternal torment. Hellish yearnings appear before the eyes of his mind and do not allow him to be entertained by vain curiosity. His teaching is dissolved in grief. He has no words for the proud instruction of his neighbors, no matter how careless their lives may be. He doesn't care about food. Whether someone shows him mercy, he does not feel the consolation of this mercy due to the deep consciousness of his sinfulness. When he is reproached, he does not respond with anger. He endures insults with patience, recognizing himself as worthy of them; laughter is never seen on his lips. He shakes his head, utters heavy lamentations, remembering the terrible judgment before which he must appear. If he hears a judgment about something, he does not give his opinion whether it is good or bad; it attracts neither his attention nor his hearing. His eyes shed tears abundantly, due to the serious illness that engulfs his heart. If he is the son of noble parents, he is all the more saddened, because the greater shame awaits him at the trial before the multitude of spectators to whom he is known. Contemplating the prepared throne of judgment, he does not pay attention to who is good and who is evil among people. If other prisoners are kept in prison with him, he does not enter into any communication with them, does not enter into reasoning, what to say and do in his own justification and deliverance: “everyone will bear his own burden” (Gal. 6:5). When they drag him to death, his face is gloomy and his eyes are lowered to the ground. None of the people dares to say a word in his defense; everyone trembles for himself; and he makes a confession and confession of the sins he has committed, admits that he deserves condemnation and punishment” 601. “To those who have acquired humility, God reveals their sins, so that they may recognize them and repent of them. If weeping is added to humility, then seven demons will be driven out of the soul, and the soul will be given the opportunity to prosper through its deeds and virtues. Those who come to such a mood are not embarrassed by human reproaches. The sight of their sins serves as their entire armor. It preserves them from anger and vindictiveness, and gives them strength to endure the sorrows they encounter. What insult can touch them when they are constantly engaged in considering their sins before the face of God? 602 “On the contrary, if you allow yourself to be overcome and do not bear the word of your neighbor, but repay him with a harsh word, then battles will arise in your heart. They will take away your peace, recalling the word spoken to you and regretting what you decided to say contrary to it. Thinking about this will torment you: you will please the hermits who live alone, and your heart will harden towards your neighbors as those who lack love” 603. “Try to acquire patience and love: with patience you overcome anger, and with love you will be healed of sorrow. Pray to God to grant you these virtues. Love and patience extinguish anger, which moves unnaturally, leaving the natural action of anger, which then rebels against demons. Having humility and lamentation within you, you will always maintain peace with your neighbors” 604. “Whoever, for the sake of God, to preserve peace, endures the cruel words of a rude and ignorant man, he will be called the son of peace. He will become capable of bringing his spirit, soul and body into a state of mutual peace. When these three components of man come into mutual agreement with each other, then the action of all those who arm themselves with the law of the mind will cease, and carnal wisdom will be destroyed. The son of the world who has come to this state is made the abode of the Holy Spirit, having first become an accessory of the Holy Spirit, who will no longer be separated from him” 605. “Humility brings the ability to endure humiliation” 606. “A worm that wears away a tree destroys it, the malice nourished in the heart poisons it” 607. “Whoever lays down his soul before God receives the strength to endure reproach unabashedly. The tears of such an ascetic are not defiled by any admixture of human motives” 608. “Abandoning self-reproach leads to abandonment of anger” 609. “Do not harbor enmity towards any person. Otherwise, God will not accept your prayers. Have peace with everyone and gain boldness in prayer" 610. “Do not want to hear about the temptation that befell the person who insulted you, so as not to commit revenge in your heart” 611. “Take heed to yourself: if your conscience reproaches you because your brother grieves for you, then do not neglect this reminder of your conscience, but bow to your brother and in a humble voice ask him for forgiveness. Try to get forgiveness" 612. “Beware: do not be cruel and harsh to your brother. We all suffer violence from the enemies of demons" 613. “If envy overcomes you, then remember that we are all members of Christ. On this basis, the honor and dishonor of each of us belongs to all of us. Such reflection will calm you down." 614 “If a thought compels you to say something bad about your brother, then think how sad your brother will be when he hears your review of him, how ashamed you will be to meet him after this. By such reflection you will be able to restrain yourself from slander” 615. “If you feel a vicious desire to humiliate your brother, then remember that for this God will hand you over to your enemies. With this you will stop yourself in your undertaking” 616. “The Lord said in the Gospel: “If you forgive a person their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14–15). The word of the Lord is terrible and menacing! If you see that your heart is not pure towards everyone, then beware of asking God for anything. You will show disrespect for God when, being a sinner and harboring grief for a person like you, you dare to ask the One who looks at hearts for the forgiveness of your sins. A person praying in such a dispensation cannot pray with mental prayer: he prays with his lips alone, not understanding himself and not belonging to himself” 617. “Whoever wants to pray true mental prayer, acted by the Holy Spirit in a pure heart, must, before starting to pray, carefully examine himself to see if there is any hostility towards anyone nesting in his soul. If hatred and anger move within him and disturb him, and he prays in such a mood, then he is only deceiving himself. God does not listen to him, because his mind, agitated and plundered by passion, does not pray; he who imagines praying fulfills the usual rule only in appearance” 618. “Whoever wants to offer pure prayer must, first of all, subject his mind to a thorough test and consider whether he has internalized evil thoughts. You need to forgive your neighbor and have mercy on him before you ask the Lord to have mercy on you. It is necessary that you forget the insults and insults inflicted on you by your neighbors before you begin to ask the Lord so that He does not remember your sins, into which you fell willy-nilly. If you do not do this, you will pray in vain. God will not listen to you" 619. “You will receive forgiveness of sins to the extent that you forgive your neighbors” 620. “Consider your heart. Have you cleared him of the memory of malice towards all people? God is the truth and requires service to Himself with the truth, and not with mere words spoken with the tongue. And therefore, cultivate your heart so that all remembrance of insults and insults is erased from it by voluntary oblivion of them” 621. “Each person prepares himself for Gehenna or frees himself from it: there is nothing stronger than the will, and it, according to the freedom given to it, bows either to life or to death. Blessed are those who love eternal life! By this love they are protected from stumbling" 622. “One must strive through labor and sweat in the depths of the heart against the thoughts of memory and malice that rape it, so that they do not cause a serious ulcer, the healing of which will be very difficult. Constant contemplation of one’s sins will help in this feat. Being in such a mood, if you find out that an insult has been caused to you, you will be more easily able to expel from your soul any desire for revenge” 623. “And the fear of Gehenna curbs the violated with anger, intending to repay the offender with some evil. He says: “Unfortunate! You beg God for the forgiveness of your sins, and even to this day God is patient with you, not exposing your sins, but you are angry with your brother and declare his sins without mercy. Do you know what is clear from this? From this it is clear that you are still in your sins and have not received the slightest forgiveness for them” 624. “If your heart softens and becomes alien to anger towards your neighbor, then you will receive mercy from God. If your evil heart remains in bitterness towards your neighbors, then know that you have not yet been remembered by God. I'm sorry!" 625 “A person who has not reached the primitive, immaculate natural state according to the example of the Son of God, let him recognize his feat as having not yet borne any fruit” 626. “Every person who has accepted Holy Baptism is obliged to crucify all the unnatural evil attractions with which Adam was infected during the fall, due to which he lost his holy glory and was cast into eternal reproach and shame” 627. “Let the mind strive courageously! Let him despise and hate everything that is highly valued by carnal people! Let him be at enmity with irreconcilable enmity until the end of his life against all vain things! The following leaders and leaders of evil plunge the sons of Adam into sinful slavery: corruptible profit, earthly glory and honor, pleasure and bliss of the body, adorning oneself with clothes and concern for bodily beauty. This feeds sensuality and voluptuousness - those passions that the serpent poured into the mouth of Eve and by which we know ourselves that we are the sons of Adam. The presence of passions in us is exposed by the evil thoughts that boil within us and make us enemies of God” 628. “Blessed is he who was crucified with Christ, died, was buried and rose again in a renewed nature, who follows the holy steps of Jesus. The Son of God became man, so that His followers would become like Him through humility, non-covetousness, a humble position in the world, enduring insults and insults, carelessness about the body, and disregard for the slander of evil demons. Whoever, having conquered the passions, comes to this state is Christ, he is the son of God and the brother of Jesus” 629. “The Lord said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3). What's up, child? A child, when he is punished, cries; with those who rejoice it rejoices; if they reproach it, it does not get angry; is not exalted with praise; if someone else is preferred to it, it is not disturbed by jealousy; if they take from him something that belongs to him, he will not be embarrassed; if they leave him an inheritance, he remains indifferent to it; it does not sue anyone, does not enter into any disputes, does not hate any person. A child, being in poverty, does not grieve about it; being in wealth, does not exalt himself; seeing a woman, he does not feel lust, voluptuousness and carelessness do not possess him; it does not condemn anyone, does not own anyone, does not envy anyone, does not boast about what it does not know; does not mock his neighbor because of his physical defects, does not harbor enmity towards anyone; is not hypocritical; does not seek worldly honors, does not collect wealth, is alien to the love of money, insolence, and curiosity; does not teach others out of a passionate impulse of arrogance; does not care about anything; if they take off his clothes, he does not grieve about it; will not follow his own will; He is not afraid of hunger, or evildoers, or beasts, or war, or persecution. These are also those about whom our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” 630. “What kind of things does the Lord require of us, according to the nature of infants? The apostle explains this in the following words: “putting aside all malice and all flattery and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, as newborn babes, love the milk of words and unflattering milk, so that in it you may grow unto salvation” (1 Pet. 2:1). Did you, brother, understand from this the meaning of the words of our Lord Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” These words are terrible, spoken by the Lord with oath confirmation: “Amen, Amen,” that is, truly, truly, “I say to you.” He who spoke these words is the Truth Himself. “God,” as the apostle says, “for if you swear by any great name, you swear by yourself” (Heb. 6:13). Let us carefully delve into these words and take care with fear and trembling; let us constantly take care to fulfill these words. Whatever temptation approaches our soul, let us try to remember the words of the Lord, confirmed by an oath: “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Let these words be a shield for us, no matter how many times the devil hurts us with an arrow of anger against our neighbor, no matter how many times our neighbor himself hurts us with reproach, or slander, or denial of obedience to us, even though this obedience was his duty. May the words of the Lord be a shield for us when evil grief affects us, intensifying to arouse in us the evil memory of what has been done to us by our sorrowful neighbors, in order to darken our soul with anger and hatred. Who, bringing to mind the words of the Lord, will not fear them? Who is wise, who wants to save his soul, who wants to avoid the fire of hell, who will not cast out from his heart all indignation against his neighbor? Who will not throw out all hatred from his heart, so as not to be thrown out of the Kingdom of Heaven? A terrible and brief definition was pronounced by the Lord Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” This definition seems difficult for those who follow the will of their fallen nature, for those who love the world, for those who do not recognize that even now the Holy Spirit descends on God’s chosen ones and fills them with His gifts. The Spirit, having descended on them, teaches them oblivion of all evil and at the same time teaches them the teaching from Himself: He teaches them meekness and replaces anger with it; He teaches peace, which replaces enmity; He teaches humility, which replaces the disposition to disputes and quarrelsomeness; He teaches love, replacing hatred with it; He teaches long-suffering, replacing cowardice with it. Those who are worthy of rebirth receive such qualities” 631. “Take careful attention to yourself and be strengthened by faith, looking with the eyes of your mind at our Lord Jesus Christ, who, being God, having unfathomable glory and majesty, became man for our sake, and left us “an image, that we might follow His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). “He took on the form of a servant and humbled Himself” (Phil. 2:7, 8) inexpressibly. He came to us in the position of a beggar and endured this state of humiliation with indifference. He suffered many and severe reproaches and disgraces. The prophecy of Scripture was fulfilled over Him: “Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter, and like a lamb that is silent before its shearers, so it does not open its mouth. In humility His judgment will be taken away” (Isa. 53:7, 8). He accepted the death penalty for us, which was preceded and accompanied by terrible abuse, beatings and torture. Following Him, in fulfillment of His commandment, for the cleansing of our sins, we must patiently and diligently endure if we are justly or unfairly subjected to reproaches or slander. Why talk a lot? If they persecute us to death, then we will go to death, like sheep being led to the slaughter, like dumb cattle to the slaughter, without contradicting or resisting. BEG for mercy if possible. If it turns out to be impossible, then remain silent in great humility." 632 “Pay close attention to yourself and believe that reproaches and dishonor endured for the sake of the Lord constitute a great gain for your soul and serve as a means of salvation for it. Endure them diligently, without being embarrassed. Think that you are worthy to suffer incomparably more for your sins. Say to yourself: “It is great for me that I am worthy to endure these sufferings and sorrows for the sake of the Lord. The many sorrows and humiliations that I am subjected to will make me, perhaps to some extent, a follower of God who suffered for me.” Every time you remember those who have offended you, do not complain about them: pray for them sincerely, from your heart, as benefactors who have granted you great gains.”633 “Pay close attention to yourself and abhor covetousness, the search for glory, honors and human praise, sanity that encourages you to recognize yourself as significant or having fulfilled some virtue, or better than your brother, or even equal to him; hate all this with complete hatred as the cause of soul destruction, eternal death, eternal torment. Cut off vile lust and carnal pleasure even in the slightest manifestations. Do not allow yourself to treat anyone freely; do not touch your neighbor’s body, and do not even look at his face unless absolutely necessary; Do not untimely eat less than the slightest amount of food. Thus, by observing and affirming yourself in small things, you will not fall into serious sins. He who neglects little things, little by little, descends into a disastrous fall” 634. “Pay close attention to yourself and recognize yourself sincerely, from the heart, as the last of all Christians and the greatest sinner. Constantly keep your soul in tears, in humility, in lamentations. Always remain silent, as one unworthy to speak and not knowing anything; do not speak at all unless absolutely necessary” 635. “Pay close attention to yourself, constantly remember, constantly have before your eyes eternal fire and eternal torment, look mentally at the sinners condemned there and tormented there, consider yourself more belonging to them than to the number of those living on earth” 636. “Pay close attention to yourself and think that our Lord Jesus Christ died for us, redeemed us with His blood, rose again and resurrected us with Himself. For this reason, you should no longer live in your fallen nature, but in the Lord. Believe that you are always before Him and that He is looking at your heart" 637. “Pay close attention to yourself and keep yourself in constant readiness to show complete obedience to the will of God, even if small or great sorrow were associated with this obedience, even if life were endangered, if violent death followed. Always expect great and terrible temptations, sorrows, misfortunes, cruel death, so that they do not find you unprepared” 638. “Pay close attention to yourself, and do not allow yourself to think about anything that is not pleasing to God: God is present everywhere and sees everything. If you want to say something, or do something, or enter into any kind of communication with your neighbor, or taste food and drink, or fall asleep - in a word, intending to begin any undertaking, first consider whether it is in accordance with the commandment of God, weigh the reason prompting you to act in this way, speak and act as before the eyes of God, with the goal of saying and doing one thing pleasing to Him. In this way, you will gain closeness to God and great boldness towards Him” 639. “Pay close attention to yourself, and if someone insults you, and this arouses sadness or anger in you, then remain silent, and do not allow yourself to say anything indecent at this time. When prayer calms your heart, then explain yourself meekly and peacefully to your brother. If you encounter the need to expose your brother and at this time you see that you yourself are worried with anger and are upset, then do not say anything to your brother, so as not to become even more indignant. When you come and your brother comes into a good and meek dispensation, then speak, not denouncing or reproaching, but explaining the matter with great humility” 640. “Pay close attention to yourself and do not at all seek satisfaction of your will and your peace in any deed, in any word, in any thought: try in any case to investigate and find with accuracy what is in accordance with the will of God, and to fulfill it with determination and completely, even if the fulfillment was associated with great difficulty. Those who do this act and endure in truth for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Believe with all your heart that following the will of God is incomparably more beneficial for you than all actions according to the intentions of human wisdom. The commandments of God contain eternal life. “Those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good” (Ps. 33:11) 641. “Pay close attention to yourself, as if you are constantly before God. Do not place your hope in anyone, direct all your faith to God, trust in Him alone. If you need anything, pray to God that He will provide you with what you need according to His holy will. For everything you have, thank God constantly. Recognize everything you have as received from God and from no one else. Are you lacking anything? Do not be sad, do not grumble against anyone, endure deprivation diligently and without embarrassment, thinking that you are worthy of many sorrows for your sins. Do not resort to human means, say to yourself: “If God is pleased to have mercy on me, he can do this.” God sends everything necessary to those who are guided by this way of thinking” 642. “Pay close attention to yourself and do not accept anything without making sure that what is offered to you was acquired through a righteous means and is sent to you by the Providence of God. Take such a gift without any doubt. If you find out that what is offered to you was acquired through untruth, violence, deceit, wickedness, reject the offering. “Better is a small particle with the fear of the Lord than great treasures without fear” (Prov. 15:16) 643. “Pay close attention to yourself and force yourself to learn silence, so that God will give you the strength to strive and excel in virtue. When the need to speak presents itself, think first whether this need is respectful and what will be more pleasing to God: either that you enter into a conversation, or that you remain silent? Having become convinced that you must speak, open your lips with the fear of God, having your face lowered, and pronounce your word modestly and respectfully. Having entered into a conversation with your beloved, talk a little and hurry to shut up. When asked, answer as much as the essential need requires: do not say anything beyond what is necessary.”644 “Take careful attention to yourself and, just as you abstain from fornication, so refrain from being carried away by lust of the eyes, hearing, tongue and touch. Let your eyes be constantly fixed on your handicraft; let them not see the face of a man, without a blessed need. Be especially careful not to look at women and even handsome men. Don’t allow yourself to listen to a conversation in which other people’s affairs are discussed. Brother, if you find these tips helpful, then try to follow them, and God will help you and protect you in the hour of temptation” 645. The Holy Church, among other instructions, bequeaths the following to the monk receiving tonsure: “Do not prefer anything more than God: do not love less than your father, below your mother, below your brethren, below anyone from your own, below yourself, love more than God, - below the kingdom of peace, or the rest of someone or honor. Do not turn away from poverty, below bitterness, below human humiliation, below other things, which you cannot bear to be inconvenient, and you will be forbidden to be a mother-in-law following Christ; but always look upon those who live in good hope in God, and from all eternity think upon the martyrs and saints, whose many sweats and toils, and the countless bloods and deaths of this gainer. Be sober in all, suffer evil, as a good warrior of Christ: for the Lord and our God Himself, rich in mercy, for the sake of our poverty, being for us, that we may be enriched by His kingdom. It is fitting therefore for us to be His imitators, and to endure everything for His sake, adhering to His commandments day and night. For the Lord Himself said: “If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross, and let him follow Me.” For you may hunger, thirst, and become glutted, become annoyed and reproached, humiliate yourself and be driven away, and become burdened with many other sorrowful things, and the life that is according to God is outlined by them. And when you have suffered all this, rejoice, says the Lord, “for your reward is great in heaven” in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever, amen.” The Holy Church, having uttered this exposition of her spiritual way of thinking (wisdom, reason), which shows the wonderful combination of the commandments of Christ with the cross of Christ, demands from the recipient of tonsure that he, firstly, confess the truth of this exposition, and secondly, vow to follow it. She asks the one entering monasticism: “Did you confess all this in hope of the power of God, and promised to abide in these vows even to the end of your life by the grace of Christ?” Then tonsure is given only to those who recognize the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church pronounced here as true and vow to prove through all their life activities the truth they have heard, recognized, and confessed” 646. Such is the mind of the Holy Church! This is the mind of all the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church! We were content here with a few extracts: much more could be made, but this would be a repetition of the same teaching in a different form. Let us conclude the advice of the fathers with our poor advice, based on the most beneficial and beneficent experiences. When faced with grief, it is useful to repeat the following short sayings, repeat with attention and with all your heart, repeat until calmness, even consolation and sweetness flows into your heart from repetition: 1) “I accept what is worthy of my deeds: remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom.” 2) “Lord! may Thy holy will be done over me, a sinner, now and forever.” 3) “Lord! I am Your creation and servant; whether I want or not, I am in Thy power: do with Thy creation according to Thy holy will and according to Thy great mercy.” 4) “Glory to You, Lord, for everything that You have brought upon me, glory to You! Righteous and abundantly merciful is Your judgment against me, who deserved all the temporary and eternal punishments.” 5) “I thank and glorify You, my Lord and God, for those small and insignificant sorrows that You allow me through Your all-good and wise Providence, with which You expose my unknown passions, with which You make it easier for me to respond to Your terrible judgment, with which You redeem me from the eternal torments of hell.” It is obvious that these sayings are borrowed from the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers; with careful, unhurried repetition of them, they act very quickly, powerfully, beneficially, and savingly. Among His other all-holy and saving testaments, the Lord commanded us to have unceasing prayerful vigilance over ourselves, a state called sacred sobriety in the active patristic writings. “Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune” (Matthew 26:41), the Lord said to His disciples, “and as I say to you, I say to all: watch” (Mark 13:37). The Monk Hesychius of Jerusalem defines sobriety as follows: “Sobriety is the path of all virtue and the commandments of God” 647. From this it is clear that sobriety is based on the most careful and constant study of the Gospel commandments, and subsequently the entire Holy Scripture. Sobriety strives to constantly remain in fulfillment of all the Gospel commandments with deeds, words, thoughts, and feelings. In order to achieve its intention, it constantly stays awake, constantly studies in the law of God, and constantly cries out to God for help with the most intense prayer. Sobriety is a continuous activity. “Sobriety,” says the Monk Hesychius, “is a spiritual art that, with the help of God, completely delivers a person from evil deeds, from passionate words and thoughts, if it is practiced diligently and over a long period of time. It provides to those who practice it a firm understanding of the incomprehensible God, as far as He can be comprehended, the resolution of the Divine secret mysteries; it fulfills every commandment of God of the Old and New Testaments, it provides every good of the future age. It is, in fact, purity of heart and, due to its majesty and dignity, or, more correctly, due to our negligence, is now very scarce in monks 648. Sobriety is the unceasing silence of the heart from every thought, always, continuously and unceasingly calling on Christ Jesus, the Son of God and God, the One who breathes, courageously taking up arms with Him against enemies, confessing to Him, the only One who has the power to forgive sins, often embracing Christ, the One Mystic of hearts, through calling on Him. Such a soul tries in every possible way to hide its sweetness and inner feat from people, so that the evil one does not secretly introduce evil and destroy good deeds. Sobriety is a firm structure of the mind and its standing at the door of the heart: it sees the thoughts of predators coming to it, hears what they say, knows what these murderers are doing, and what images are drawn and erected by demons in order to deceive the mind with dreams” 649. “The great lawgiver Moses, and especially the Holy Spirit, showing the purity, purity, versatility and high-quality of this virtue (sobriety) and teaching us how to begin and perform it, says: “Take heed to yourself, so that there is not a word of secret in your heart of iniquity.” an excuse brought to the heart by the devil; our thoughts will follow this pretext, immediately, upon presentation to his mind, and enter into a passionate conversation with him” 650. Sobriety counteracts the very beginnings of sin; sinful thoughts and feelings. Sobriety fulfills the commandments in the very beginnings of a person: in thoughts and feelings. Sobriety reveals to the sober person his fallen nature, reveals fallen spirits, reveals that dependence of a person on fallen spirits, into which a person fell from fulfilling their will, into which he falls even deeper, fulfilling their will and his own sinful will. Our fall is strengthened, imprinted, made our inalienable property, an inalienable guarantee of eternal death from following our fallen will and the will of demons. Sobriety is a necessary accessory to true spiritual activity, in which all the visible and invisible activity of a monk is carried out according to the will of God, solely to please God, and is protected from any admixture of serving the devil. Sobriety is the cause of purity of the heart, and therefore the cause of the vision of God, bestowed by grace on the pure, elevating the purity of the heart to blissful dispassion. Sobriety is inseparable from unceasing prayer, it is born from it and gives birth to it: from the mutual birth of each other, these two virtues are combined with each other in an indissoluble union. Sobriety is spiritual living; Sobriety is heavenly residence; Sobriety is true humility, focusing its hope in God, renouncing all arrogance and hope in people; For this reason, it appears to them as the most terrible pride, is blasphemed, and is persecuted with bitterness by them. It would not be superfluous to note here that the Monk Hesychius speaks of the commandments of the Old Testament in a spiritual, and not a Jewish, meaning. When the veil that lies over the eyes of the soul is destroyed about Christ (2 Cor. 3:14), and the Jew becomes a Christian, then the Old Testament receives for the reader the same meaning as the New. The law, set forth openly in the New Testament, is set forth in the Old in images and allegories. A new monk must first begin to study the New Testament; the spiritual understanding of the Old Testament will come in due time: it is the property of those who have succeeded. Sobriety is acquired gradually; acquired through long time and labor; is born primarily from attentive reading and prayer, from the skill of observing oneself, staying awake, pondering every word and deed set before us, being attentive to all one’s thoughts and feelings, watching oneself, so as not to become in any way a trap of sin. Be sober, be vigilant, says the holy Apostle Peter, your adversary is the devil, like a lion, roaring, he walks, looking for someone to devour, but resist him in the firmament by faith (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). “Be like a cherub, all eyes,” said Euthymius the Great to a monk who was subjected to the devil’s temptation, protecting yourself from everywhere with the greatest caution: because you are walking in the middle of nets” 651. The Monk Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet taught those who wished to lead a sober, godly life excellent advice on active sobriety. They advised before each undertaking, that is, before entering into a conversation or starting a business, to raise one’s thoughts to God, asking Him for admonition and help 652. In order to remain sober, one must carefully preserve the freshness and lightness of the mind. The mind is darkened by the unwise use of food, drink and sleep, by too much talking, absent-mindedness and worldly cares. Hearken to yourselves, said the Lord, lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony and drunkenness and the sorrows of this life, and that day (the day of the Last Judgment of Christ, the last day of the world) suddenly come upon you: for a snare will come upon all the living faces of the whole earth. Be vigilant, praying at all times, so that you may be deemed worthy to flee all these who will be, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34–36). Just as the day of the general judgment of all men suddenly comes, so suddenly the day of his private judgment, the day of his death, comes for each person. The hour at which we will be called is unknown. Another, having just begun the path of earthly life, admires him for eternity; another will be caught after completing a very short journey; another from the middle of the path; another, without significantly finishing it. Rarely does it reach the fullness of days and leaves its earthly hut - the body, when it becomes incapable of living in it. During our earthly journey, it, due to the sense of immortality perverted in us by the fall, seems to us endless, full of the most abundant, most fruitful activity. A child, a youth, a husband, and an old man have this feeling: they are all created immortal, immortal in soul; they should be immortal in body too! They either do not know their fall, which struck death both soul and body, or do not want to know, or do not know it enough. That is why the view of the mind and the feeling of the heart in relation to earthly life are false and full of self-delusion; That is why it deceptively appears to every age as the eternal property of man. After completing the earthly journey, at the gates of death, the path that seemed endless in the future is the shortest in the past, and extensive activity, not performed for eternity, is the most disastrous, irrevocable loss of time and all the means given for salvation. The people of this century very correctly express their seduction, usually calling death an unexpected disaster, no matter at what age it befell their relatives and friends. And for a decrepit old man, burdened with years and illnesses, who had long ago bowed to his grave, but did not think about death, removing from himself every reminder of it, it is an unexpected disaster. In the full sense, it is a disaster for everyone who is not prepared for it. On the contrary, blessed servants, whom the Lord will find vigilant, sober, rightly looking at earthly life, remembering death and preparing for it as something that can come at any age and in any state of health (Luke 12:37-39). We must complete the path of earthly wandering with the greatest attention and vigilance over ourselves: we must complete it, constantly calling on God in prayer for help. Let the Gospel be our lamp as we travel, as David sang: Thy law is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my paths. (Ps. 113:105). We walk not only along the narrow path: we walk by night (2 Pet. 1:19) 653. We need constant sobriety of mind so as not to be carried away by our fallen nature, so as not to be carried away by our fathers and brothers who are carried away by it, in order to avoid all the intrigues and obstacles created by the numerous and varied temptations of the world, created by the frantic malice and cunning of the fallen angels, incomprehensible to man. Having protected ourselves from distraction and worries, let’s turn our attention to our body, on which the sobriety of the mind is completely dependent. Human bodies differ infinitely from each other in their strength and health 654. Some are like copper and iron in their strength; others are as weak as grass. For this reason, everyone should manage his body with great prudence, exploring the powers of his body. A strong and healthy body is characterized by special fasting and vigil: it becomes lighter from them and gives the mind special vigor. A weak body should be supported with food and sleep, in accordance with the body’s requirements, but not to the point of satiation. Saturation is very harmful for a weak body, weakens it, and makes it susceptible to disease. Prudent continence is the door to all virtues. Hold your belly and you will enter heaven. If you please your belly and feed yourself excessively, you will fall into the abyss of prodigal defilement 655, into the fire of anger and rage, you will become dull and darken your mind, you will lead your blood to become heated, to a special capacity for excitement, which will attack and destroy your attention to yourself, your sobriety. Sobriety certainly requires physical calmness of the blood, which is initially provided by prudent abstinence. The blood is set into a very diverse movement by passions, which, in turn, are so diverse that they often counteract one another, and one movement of the blood is destroyed by another; not all these various movements of the blood are necessarily associated with absent-mindedness, daydreaming, an abundant invasion of thoughts and self-indulgent pictures. An abundant invasion of thoughts and daydreaming is always accompanied by bringing the blood into increased, unnatural movement. This movement is a sinful movement, the fruit and manifestation of the fall. It is said about this movement of blood that it is incapable of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor. 15:50) 656: that is, a person who allows himself to bring his blood into such a movement and enjoys it is not capable of receiving Divine grace. This movement of blood is all the more dangerous because it is understood by very few. On the contrary, many mistake the sinful movement of blood in themselves for the action of good and follow their erroneous attraction, as if an attraction inspired by a holy, godly truth. Notice, when abundant, out of the ordinary order, thoughts and dreams appear, the state into which your blood will then come, and you will learn to understand its sinful movement and protect yourself from it. The waters of Siloam flow quietly from their source (Isa. 6:6): godly virtues flow from obedience to God, accompanied by humility, and not heat, not impulses, not conceit and vanity, inseparable companions of sinful blood fever. The blood moves differently with angry thoughts and dreams, and differently with the prodigal, differently with the vain, and differently with the selfish; otherwise with thoughts and dreams of sadness and despondency, otherwise with bitterness, otherwise with pride, and so on. For this reason, fasting is the initial tool of all virtues. Just as one must beware of satiety, one must also beware of excessive abstinence. Excessive abstinence weakens the body, destroys in it the vigor and freshness necessary for sobriety, which withers and weakens at a time when the bodily strength becomes exhausted and fades. “If you force a weak body,” said the Monk Isaac of Syria, to do things beyond its strength, then you plunge your soul into deep darkness, and give it embarrassment (and not relief). But if you give up your strong body to peace and idleness, then all the passions intensify in the soul living in it. (At the same time), even if someone really wanted good, little by little the very thought of the good that he wanted was taken away from him... Measure and certain limits in living enlighten the thought and drive away confusion. Confusion of thought from disordered (reckless) living produces darkening in the soul, and darkening produces disorder” 657 . Prudent abstinence ensures a steady stay in sobriety. Consistently staying in sobriety allows you to unswervingly follow the teachings of the Gospel. The Gospel teaching is the only source of all true, Christian, godly virtues. Chapter 35. About the benefits and harms of bodily exploits In paradise, after the forefathers transgressed the commandment of God, among the executions to which man was subjected, execution is mentioned - the curse of the earth. “Cursed is the earth in your deeds,” God said to Adam, “bear it in sorrow all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles will grow for you, and take down the grass. By the sweat of your brow you shall bear your bread” (Gen. 3:17–19). The curse still lies on the earth, and is obvious to everyone. She never ceases to produce tares from herself, although no one sows them. It is irrigated by the sweat of the farmer, and only through sweat, often bloody labor, does it deliver those herbs whose seeds serve as food for humans and are called bread. The execution ordained by God also has a spiritual meaning. God's punishment for man is fulfilled just as faithfully in the spiritual sense as in the material sense 658. The Holy Fathers mean the heart by the name earth. Just as the earth, due to the curse that has struck it, does not cease to produce thistles and thorns from its damaged nature, so the heart, poisoned by sin, does not cease to give birth from itself, from its damaged nature, sinful sensations and thoughts. Just as no one cares about sowing and planting tares, but perverted nature produces them on its own, so sinful thoughts and sensations spontaneously begin and vegetate in the human heart. By the sweat of the brow material bread is obtained: with intense labor, mental and physical, the bread of heaven, which brings eternal life, is sown in the human heart; with intense labor it grows, is reaped, becomes capable of consumption, and is preserved. The bread of heaven is the Word of God. The work of planting the Word of God in the heart requires such effort that it is called a feat. Man is doomed to eat the earth in sorrow all the days of his earthly life, and bread in the sweat of his brow: here, by the name of earth, we must understand carnal wisdom, by which a person who has departed from God is usually controlled during his earthly life, being subjected, due to carnal wisdom, to incessant care and thoughts about earthly things, incessant sorrows and sorrows, continuous confusion; Only one servant of Christ feeds during his stay on earth with heavenly bread by the sweat of his brow, in constant struggle with carnal wisdom, in constant labor of cultivating virtues. For cultivation, the earth needs various iron tools, plows, harrows, shovels, with which it is turned over, loosened, softened: so our heart, the center of carnal sensations and carnal wisdom, needs to be processed by fasting, vigil, kneeling and other depressing of the body, so that the predominance of the carnal passionate sensation gives way to the predominance of the spiritual sensation, and the influence of carnal, passionate thoughts on the mind loses that the irresistible force it has in people who have rejected asceticism or neglected it. Whoever would decide to sow seeds on the ground without cultivating it, would only destroy the seeds, would not receive any profit, and would cause himself a sure loss: in exactly the same way, the one who, without curbing the carnal desires of the heart and the carnal thoughts of the mind with appropriate bodily exploits, would decide to engage in mental prayer and planting the commandments of Christ in the heart, will not only work in vain, but may also be subject to mental disaster, self-delusion and demonic delusion, incur the wrath of God, as he did when he came to the wedding feast in non-wedding clothing (Matthew 22:12). The earth, cultivated in the most careful manner, highly fertilized, finely loosened, but left unsown, will give birth to tares all the more forcefully: so the heart, cultivated by bodily exploits, but not having assimilated the Gospel commandments, the more strongly the tares of vanity, pride and fornication grow from itself. The better the land is cultivated and fertilized, the more capable it is of growing thick and juicy weeds: the stronger the physical feat of a monk who neglects the Gospel commandments, the stronger and more incurable his conceit. A farmer who has many excellent agricultural implements, admiring them, but not cultivating the land with them, only deceives and deceives himself, not receiving any profit: so the ascetic, who has fasting, vigil and other bodily exploits, but neglects to examine himself and manage himself in the light of the Gospel, only deceives himself, hoping in vain and mistakenly for exploits; he will not receive any spiritual fruit, will not accumulate spiritual wealth. Anyone who would try to cultivate the land without using agricultural tools will work a lot and will work in vain: so the one who wants to acquire virtues without bodily exploits will work in vain, will lose unrewarded, non-returnable time, will spend mental and physical strength, will not gain anything. Whoever decides to constantly plow his land will never sow or reap anything: so the one who constantly engages in one physical feat will lose the opportunity to engage in spiritual feat, planting the Gospel commandments in oneself, from which spiritual fruits are born in due time. Bodily labors are necessary in order to make the earth of the heart capable of receiving spiritual seeds and bearing spiritual fruits: abandoning labors or neglecting them makes the earth incapable of sowing and bearing fruit; excess in them, relying on them is as much or more harmful than leaving them. Abandoning bodily exploits makes people like cattle, giving freedom and scope to bodily passions: their excess makes people like demons, contributing to the disintegration and strengthening of spiritual passions. Those who abandon the physical feat submit to gluttony, fornication, and anger in its gross manifestations; those who carry out immoderate bodily exploits, use it recklessly or place all their trust in it, seeing in it their merit before God, their dignity, fall into vanity, conceit, arrogance, pride, bitterness, into contempt for their neighbors, humiliation and condemnation of them, into memory malice, hatred, blasphemy, schism, heresy, into self-delusion and demonic lovely. Let us give all due value to bodily exploits as tools necessary for the acquisition of virtues, and let us be careful not to recognize these tools as virtues, so as not to fall into self-delusion and lose spiritual success due to a false concept of Christian activity. Physical feat is necessary even for saints who have become temples of the Holy Spirit, so that the body, left unbridled, does not come to life for passionate movements and does not cause the appearance in a sanctified person of bad feelings and thoughts, so unusual for a spiritual church of God not made by hands. The holy Apostle Paul testified to this, saying about himself: “I mortify my body and make it enslaved, so that if I preach to others, I myself will not be enslaved” (1 Cor. 9:27). The Monk Isaac of Syria says that permission, i.e. abandoning fasting, vigil, silence and other bodily labors, these aids to a pious life, allowing oneself constant peace and pleasure, damages both the elders and the perfect 659. Chapter 36. About mental and spiritual jealousy A monk must be very wary of carnal and spiritual jealousy, which appears pious on the surface, but in essence is reckless and harmful to the soul. Lay people and many monastics, out of ignorance, greatly praise such zeal, not realizing that its sources are conceit and pride. They call this zeal zeal for faith, for piety, for the Church, for God. It consists in more or less harsh condemnation and denunciation of neighbors in their moral errors and in errors against church deanery and order. Deceived by the false concept of jealousy, unreasonable zealots think, indulging in it, to imitate the holy fathers and holy martyrs, forgetting about themselves that they, the zealots, are not saints, but sinners. If the saints denounced the sinners and the wicked, then they denounced them according to the Command of God, according to their duty, according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and not according to the inspiration of their passions and demons. Whoever decides to spontaneously rebuke a brother or make a reprimand to him clearly reveals and proves that he considered himself more prudent and virtuous than the one he reproaches, that he acts out of passion and seduction by demonic thoughts. It is appropriate to remember the commandment of the Savior: “Why have you seen the bitch that is in your brother’s eye, but have you not sensed the log that is in your own eye? Or how do you say to your brother: leave him alone, so that I may take away the speck from your mind, and this log in your eye? O hypocrite, first remove the log from your side; and then you will see to take away the speck from your brother’s side” (Matthew 7:3–5). What is a log? This is carnal wisdom, as thick as a log, taking away all ability and correctness from the visual power bestowed by the Creator on the mind and heart. A person led by carnal wisdom cannot in any way correctly judge either his own internal state or the state of his neighbors. He judges himself and others as he appears to himself and as his neighbors appear to him in appearance, according to his carnal wisdom, erroneously, and therefore the Word of God very correctly called him a hypocrite. A Christian, after healing himself with the word of God and the Spirit of God, receives a correct view of his spiritual structure and the spiritual structure of his neighbors. Carnal wisdom, hitting a sinning neighbor with a log, always confuses him, often destroys him, never brings and cannot bring benefit, and has no effect on sin. On the contrary, spiritual wisdom acts exclusively on the spiritual illness of a neighbor, having mercy on the neighbor, healing and saving him. It is worthy of note that after acquiring spiritual intelligence, the shortcomings and errors of one’s neighbor begin to seem very unimportant as redeemed by the Savior and conveniently healed by repentance - those same errors and shortcomings that seemed immensely great and important to the carnal mind. It is obvious that carnal wisdom, being itself a log, gave them such great importance. Carnal wisdom sees in one's neighbor such sins as are not in him at all: for this reason, those who were carried away by reckless jealousy often fell into slandering their neighbor and became a tool and playground of fallen spirits. The Monk Pimen the Great said that a certain monk, carried away by jealousy, was subjected to the following temptation: he saw another monk lying on a woman. The monk struggled for a long time with a thought that forced him to stop the sinners, and, finally, defeated, he pushed them with his foot, saying: stop it! Then it turned out that they were two sheaves 660. The Monk Abba Dorotheos says that while he was in the hostel of Abba Serida, a certain brother slandered another brother, being carried away by reckless jealousy, which is always associated with suspicion and suspiciousness, and is very capable of writing. The accuser blamed the accused for stealing figs from the garden early in the morning and eating them: according to the research carried out by the abbot, it turned out that the slandered man on the indicated morning was not in the monastery, but in one of the neighboring villages, having been sent there by the steward, and returned to the monastery only by the time the Divine Liturgy ended 661. If you want to be a faithful, zealous son of the Orthodox Church, then achieve this by fulfilling the Gospel commandments regarding your neighbor. Do not dare to rebuke him, do not dare to teach him, do not dare to condemn and rebuke him! This is an act not of faith, but of reckless jealousy, conceit, and pride. They asked Pimen the Great: what is faith? The Great One answered: “Faith consists in remaining in humility and doing mercy, 662 that is, humbling yourself before your neighbors and forgiving them insults and insults, all their sins.” Since unreasonable zealots cite faith as the primary reason for their zeal, let them know that true faith 663, and therefore true zeal, must be expressed in humility before one’s neighbors and in mercy towards them. Let us leave the judgment of men and the chastisement of men to those men who are entrusted with the responsibility of judging and governing their brethren. “He who has false zeal,” said Saint Isaac of Syria, “suffers from a great illness. O man who thinks of carrying out jealousy against the illnesses of others, you have renounced the health of your soul! Work diligently for the health of your soul. If you want to heal the weak, then know that the sick need more care for them than harsh reproofs. But by not helping others, you plunge yourself into a serious and painful illness. This jealousy in people is not recognized as one of the types of wisdom, but is ranked among the ailments of the soul, it is a sign of extreme ignorance. The beginning of the wisdom of God is quietness and meekness, characteristic of a great and strong soul, a most thorough way of thinking, and bears human infirmities. “For you are strong,” says Scripture, “and bear the infirmities of the weak” (Rom. 15:1), and “correct the one who sins with a spirit of meekness” (Gal. 6:1). The apostle counts peace and patience among the fruits of the Holy Spirit" 664. In another word, St. Isaac says, “Do not hate the sinner, because we are all sinners. If you struggle against him (a sinner) for God’s sake, then shed tears for him, why do you hate him? Hate his sins, and pray for him, and thereby you will become like Christ, Who was not indignant at sinners, but prayed for them. Don't you see how He wept for Jerusalem? And in many cases we serve as a laughing stock for the devil. Why do we hate the one who laughs at us, the devil, who laughs at us? Why do you, O man, hate the sinner? Is it because he is not as righteous as you? Where is your truth when you have no love! Why did you not weep for him, but do you persecute him? Some, who think that they judge sensibly the deeds of sinners, and (on this occasion) are angry with them, act so out of their ignorance” 665. The great disaster is conceit! The great disaster is the rejection of humility! A great disaster is that mental dispensation or state in which a monk, without being called or questioned, out of his own consciousness of his dignity, begins to teach, reprove, and reproach his neighbors! When asked, either refuse to give advice and say your opinion as if you don’t know anything, or, in extreme need, speak with the greatest caution and modesty, so as not to hurt yourself with vanity and pride, and your neighbor with harsh and reckless words. When, for your work in the garden of commandments, God grants you to feel Divine zeal in your soul, then you will clearly see that this zeal will prompt you to silence and humility before your neighbors, to love them, to have mercy on them, to condole for them, as Saint Isaac of Syria said 666. Divine jealousy is a fire, but it does not heat the blood! He extinguishes the heat in her, brings her to a calm state 667. The jealousy of carnal wisdom is always associated with heated blood, with the invasion of numerous thoughts and dreams. The consequences of blind and ignorant jealousy, if a neighbor resists it, are usually indignation at him, resentment, vindictiveness in various forms, and if he submits, vain self-satisfaction, excitement and an increase in our arrogance and conceit. A novice monk should not give material alms to the poor, except in some special case when it is necessary to provide assistance to a neighbor, and this neighbor has no other means of receiving assistance 668. Giving alms to the poor is a virtue of worldly people, whose virtue is consistent with life, that is, material and not alien to admixture. Successful monks who have acquired the gift of reasoning or who have been called to this by God can give alms to the poor. They are obliged to satisfy this service as their duty, recognizing themselves as instruments of God's Providence, recognizing themselves as having been blessed by the provision of a means of beneficence, recognizing themselves as having been favored more than those to whom they benefit. A novice monk, spontaneously giving alms to the poor, will certainly be carried away by vanity and fall into conceit. If you have any excess, then give it to the poor before you enter the monastery. This is what the Gospel commandment commands. The Lord said to the young man who wanted to achieve the perfection of virtues: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor: and have treasure in heaven: and come and walk after Me, let us take up the cross” (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21). The taking of the cross is preceded by the distribution of property. While preserving the property, it is impossible to accept and wear the cross (Luke 14:33): the cross will be constantly removed from the shoulder and replaced with means provided by the property, and faith in one God and the sight of God through faith will be destroyed by trust in the property and attention to it. The holy martyrs and monks tried to fulfill with all accuracy the above commandment of the Lord before beginning their feat. The first, before the Exodus, squandered their property on visible torment to the poor or, due to lack of time, bequeathed the God-ordained disposal of property to relatives and friends. The latter did exactly the same before going to invisible martyrdom. The monastic feat is an invisible, but in the full sense, martyrdom for the one who goes through this feat as it should. Let us precede our entry into the monastery by distributing our property, and seal with material mercy, one of the greatest material virtues, our material residence in the midst of the world. For those who have entered the monastery, a different kind of alms is offered: immaterial alms. It lies in the fact that we should not judge our neighbors when they sin, but should have mercy on them, so that we should not even judge our neighbors, speaking well of some and badly of others; such a judgment is certainly associated with the rejection of humility, with pride, which appropriates to man what belongs to the only God. Immaterial alms means that we should not repay evil for evil, but rather repay evil with good; immaterial alms lies in the fact that we forgive all insults and insults inflicted on us by our neighbors, and in relation to ourselves we recognize these insults and insults as true blessings that cleanse us from sinful filth. In short: monastic alms consist in following Christ, that is, in carefully fulfilling the Gospel commandments and in wearing the cross, that is, in complacent patience and carefully forcing oneself to endure all the sorrows that God’s Providence is pleased to allow us during our earthly journey for our salvation. Without the second, the first cannot take place: following Christ cannot take place without accepting the cross and recognizing in it the New Testament truth and the justification of God. For successful monks and those called by God, immaterial almsgiving consists of teaching others the word of God. Immaterial alms are as much higher than material alms, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, as the soul is higher than the body 669. In order to give material alms, one must try to acquire material property; In order to give immaterial alms, one must try and take care of enriching oneself with spiritual wealth - the teachings of Christ. If you somehow receive property upon entering the monastery, then try to immediately transfer it to heaven through alms. Hand over the property you have inherited to the abbot or some other person known to you for his conscientiousness and leave it to him to distribute your property. Don’t dare to make decisions yourself and spontaneously! Otherwise you will harm your soul. After transferring your property to the administrator, do not suspect him, do not check him: leave the matter to his conscience, and do not plunge yourself into care and suspicion to the detriment of your soul. You have fulfilled your duty, and you have nothing to do with how the steward fulfills his duty: he “stands for his Lord or falls” (Rom. 14:4) 670. Anyone who has entered a monastery and accepted the good yoke of Christ must certainly remain in non-covetousness, being content with what is most necessary and guarding against excess in clothing, cell supplies, and money. The property, wealth, and treasure of a monk should be our Lord, Jesus Christ. The eyes of the mind and heart must be turned and constantly directed towards Him; Our hope must be centered in Him; All our hope must be placed on Him: we must be strong in our faith in Him. It is impossible for a monk to maintain such a spiritual mood with property - the commandment about non-covetousness was given by the Lord Himself. “Do not hide for yourselves treasures on earth,” He commands us, “where worms and aphids corrupt, and where people dig up and steal things: hide for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither worms nor aphids corrupt, and where people do not dig up or steal things” (Matthew 6:19-20). Having established the commandment, the Lord also stated the reason for its decree. He said: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21). “You cannot work for God and for mammon” (Matthew 6:24). If a monk has money or some expensive things, then involuntarily, due to some urgent and irresistible necessity and law, his hope descends from God to property. He places his trust in property, in property he sees his strength, in it he sees a means of evading the influence of vicissitudes that may be encountered in the field of earthly life; his love, his heart and mind, his whole being are concentrated in the property. And the heart of a substance lover becomes hard and alien to any spiritual sensation, just as matter is hard and insensitive. The accumulation of money and other property by a monk is idol worship, according to the definition of the apostle (Eph. 5:5). Idolatry is necessarily associated with renunciation of God. The darkened substance lover is not slow to reap the fruits of his self-delusion: death comes, which in his darkening and intoxication with earthly well-being he completely forgot, delights him from the midst of his wealth; the capital and filled storerooms in which he trusted remain for others, without even bringing him any temporary benefit, alienating him from God (Luke 12:15–22). The Holy Spirit mourns the state of man, deceived by the deception of wealth, entering into eternity in the terrible and disastrous poverty of the spirit, saying: “Behold, man, who has not made God a helper for himself, but has trusted in the abundance of his wealth, and what is possible through his vanity” (Ps. 51:9). How, from an addiction to perishable property, a renunciation of God is accomplished in the depths of the soul, which, when the opportunity arises, will not fail to come to light, can be seen from the following story, preserved for us by church history: “A certain Paul, a presbyter, was in a desert mountain, hiding from idolatrous persecutors. He had a significant amount of gold with him. He was joined by five virgin nuns, who also avoided persecution. These virgins shone with virtues and were filled with the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. They lived with Presbyter Paul, practicing with him in prayer and in fulfilling the Divine commandments. Some ill-intentioned person, having learned about their whereabouts, informed the chief of the magi under the Persian king Sapor that a Christian presbyter, who had a lot of gold, was hiding in the mountain with five virgin nuns. “If you want,” the informer said to the nobleman, “to buy gold for yourself, then order them to be taken and brought before you for trial; when they do not want to renounce their faith, then you will cut off their heads and take the gold for yourself.” The nobleman immediately carried out the advice given to him: he presented the presbyter with the nuns and his gold for trial before him. Then the presbyter said to the nobleman: “For what reason are you taking away my property from me, while I am not guilty of anything before you?” Nobleman: “Because you are a Christian and do not obey the command of the king.” Павел: «Господин мой! Прикажи мне что хочешь». Nobleman: “If you bow to the sun, take what you have and go wherever you know. Paul looked at his gold and said, “Whatever you command me to do, I will do.” And immediately he bowed to the sun, ate the idols' sacrifices and drank the blood sacrificed to idols. The nobleman, seeing that his intention failed, said: “If you persuade your fasting women, so that they, like you, worship the sun, then get married or commit adultery, then, taking your gold and fasting women, go with them wherever you want.” Paul went to the fasting women and said to them: “The nobleman has taken my property and commands you to do the will of the king. So I bowed to the sun and ate something sacrificed to idols. I order you to do the same.” The nuns said as if with one mouth: “Unfortunate! Isn't your destruction enough for you? How dare you speak to us? Now you have become the second Judas and, like him, for the sake of gold you betrayed your Teacher and Master to death. Judas, taking the gold, went and hanged himself. And you, accursed one, have become the second Judas in terms of your morality! For the sake of gold, you destroyed your soul, not remembering the rich man who, having received great wealth, said to his soul: “To your soul, you have many good things that lie ahead for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry,” and for this you heard: “You fool, this night they will take your soul from You: and what you have prepared, who will it be?” (Luke 12:19–20). We tell you, as if standing before God Himself, that both will happen to you; and what happened to Judas and what happened to the rich man.” Having said this, they spat in the face of the apostate. Then, by order of the nobleman, the nuns were beaten brutally and for a long time. Under the blows they cried out: “We worship our Lord Jesus Christ, but we do not obey the command of your king; You do what you do.” The nobleman, seeking all means to take possession of the gold, ordered Paul to cut off the heads of those truly wise virgins with his own hands, thinking that Paul would not want to do this, and then the nobleman would take the gold. Unhappy Paul, hearing this and again looking at his gold, said to the nobleman: “Whatever you command me to do, I will do.” Taking the sword, he approached the fasting women. Seeing this, the holy virgins were horrified and unanimously said to him: “You damned one! Until yesterday you were our shepherd, but now you have come like a wolf to devour us. Is this your teaching, which you repeated to us daily, exhorting us to willingly die for Christ! You yourself did not at all want to suffer for Him, but, without thinking for a minute, you rejected Him. Where are the holy Body and Blood that we received from your unclean hand? Know that the sword that you hold in your hand is an intercessor for us for eternal life. We are going to our Teacher, Christ: you, as we predicted for you, will soon be strangled with a rope and become a son of Gehenna along with your teacher Judas.” Having told him this and adding something else, they prayed. Paul cut off their heads. Then the nobleman said to him: “Not a single Christian fulfilled the will of the king as you did. For this reason, I cannot let you go without a personal royal command. When I tell him and he finds out what you have done, he will bestow great honors on you. Now rejoice with us and stay near us in the room that will be assigned to you. Tomorrow we will report about you to the king.” The apostate answered: “Let it be done according to your word.” At night, the nobleman sent his slaves to secretly strangle Paul with a rope in the room assigned to him, and when morning came, pretending to know nothing, he came to visit him. Finding him hanging on a rope and strangled, he condemned him, recognizing him as a suicide, ordered him to be taken out of the city, and there to be devoured by dogs, and appropriated his property for himself” 671. A monk who leads a sober life and examines the sins or fall of humanity in himself will conveniently notice that when on some occasion he receives a valuable thing or a significant amount of money, trust in this property immediately appears in the heart, and trust in God grows cold and weakens. If you are not careful, then attachment to property will soon appear. Attachment or addiction to property can easily turn into passion, due to which an imperceptible renunciation of Christ occurs in the heart, although the lips continue to confess Him, call upon Him in prayer, and preach His teaching. When one murderous passion prevails over a person, then other passions fall silent in him; the devil ceases to inflict abuse and temptation on him, keeping in him as his treasure, as a sure guarantee of his destruction, the deadly passion that has infected him. A person killed by sin in the secret of the heart, drawn by it to the very gates of hell, often appears to others as holy and edifying, as Paul seemed to the nuns, until experience exposes him, as it exposed Paul. Whoever wants to concentrate his trust and love in God must try to remain in non-covetousness, and use the money and valuable things given to him to acquire wealth in eternity (Luke 16:9). The beginning of all spiritual blessings is faith in Christ, in the Gospel, living faith, proven by fulfilling the Gospel commandments by deeds and life: it is natural that the “love of money,” which eradicates faith from the heart, “is the root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:10). Chapter 39. About human glory Like the love of money and greed, vanity destroys faith in the human heart; like them, it makes a person’s heart incapable of faith in Christ, of confessing Christ. “As much as you can believe,” the Lord said to the representatives of the Jewish people of his time, “you accept glory from each other; and you do not seek glory other than God alone” (John 5:44). Many of the most important Jews believed in the Lord, “but,” the evangelist testifies, “the Pharisee did not confess, lest they be cast out from the congregation: for they loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God” (John 12:42–43). The Jews made a decree by which it was forbidden for anyone who confessed the God-man to be the promised Messiah to participate in synagogue meetings (John 9:22). Vanity feeds on human praise and advantages invented by carnal wisdom and arising from our fall. It feeds on wealth, the nobility of the family, big names with which service and servility to the world are crowned, and other vain honors. By this nature, earthly and human glory is directly opposite to the glory of God. The beginnings of human glory and the paths to it are completely different from the beginnings of God’s Glory and the paths to achieving it. The principles of vanity and love of fame are based on false concepts about human opinion and power, vain, short-lived, changeable, insignificant. The path of the seeker of human glory is constant and varied people-pleasing. Whether this man-pleasing is right or wrong, whether it is legal or illegal, seekers of human glory have nothing to do with it, as long as it achieves its goal. The beginning of the desire for the glory of God and the striving for it are based on a living faith in the omnipotence of God and in His ineffable mercy towards fallen man. Падший человек посредством покаяния и исполнения евангельских заповедей может примириться с Богом, стяжать у Бога, выразимся так для ясности, благое о себе мнение, как сказано в Писании, от лица Божия человеку, которого дела оказались угодными Богу: «Добре, рабе благий и верный, о мале Ми был ecи верен, над многими тя поставлю, вниди в радость Господа твоего» ( Мф. 25:23 ). In accordance with its initial reason, the activity of a person who wants to gain the glory of God consists in careful and constant pleasing to God, or in following the Lord: with his cross on his shoulder, in pleasing his neighbors, allowed and established by the Gospel commandments. Such pleasing does not at all satisfy and even infuriates the sons of the world, who seek and demand unlimited gratification of their passions and their self-deception, for which they reward with earthly glory a people-pleaser who is hostile to God and the true good of their neighbors. “Whoever serves Me,” said the Lord, “let him follow Me, and where I am, he also will be My servant: and whoever serves Me, My Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Among the other moral rules of the God-man, the features of His all-holy character, is the rejection of human glory. “I do not accept glory from men,” the Lord said about Himself (John 5:41). Although He is the King of kings, “His kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). When the people wanted to proclaim Him king, He withdrew into a deserted mountain, teaching us, according to the explanation of Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, to run away from honors and glory (John 6:15). When, during an interview after the Last Supper, the disciples said to the Lord: “Now we know that you weigh everything and do not demand, but who asks you: about this we believe, because you came from God”: then the Lord did not express any sympathy for these words, which contained human praise and human approval. On the contrary, knowing the close cowardice of the disciples and teaching unrenewed man not to trust in his fallen nature, capable of unexpected, sudden changeability, He objected to them: “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming, and now it has come, that each one may be separated into his own, and leave Me alone” (John 16:30–32). Christ, who took upon himself humanity, through suffering and the cross ascended to humanity into His glory (Luke 24:26, 46), which, according to Divinity, has always been His glory (John 17:5). We must follow Christ: by fulfilling the commandments and enduring all the sorrows allowed to us, we must become partakers of the glory of Christ in this and the next century. Christ “humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of humanity, and being found in the likeness of a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, death on the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth: and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:6–11); so we must humble ourselves, externally and internally, in order to become partakers of the glory of Christ in this and the next century. The guarantees of glory bestowed by the God-Man to His follower during the earthly pilgrimage consist in the various gifts of the Holy Spirit; in the next century, Divine glory will embrace the followers and disciples of Christ from without and within in such fullness and in such greatness that the human mind cannot imagine (1 Cor. 2:9). For this reason, our reverend fathers, holy monks, tried to avoid, like a deadly poison, everything that leads to vanity and brings human glory. Divine Providence itself, as can be seen with all clarity from the biographies of God’s saints, does not allow God’s chosen ones to remain in joy, in constant earthly well-being and in earthly glory during their earthly wanderings. Their earthly journey is always filled with sorrows, voluntary and involuntary. Just as sweet food, constantly consumed, damages the stomach, so human glory, undissolved by sorrows, damages the soul. Just as constant clear weather, uninterrupted by rain, causes bread and herbs to wither and dry out, and worms to appear in fruits, so constant earthly happiness weakens and destroys a person’s good qualities, and conceit, pride and lust arise in his heart. Saint Isaac of Syria said: “There is hardly a person who could bear honor, and perhaps there is none at all: this comes from the ability to quickly undergo changes” 672. The ability to change quickly, proven by experiments 673, is the reason that God, who has prepared eternal, unchanging honor and glory in heaven for His servants, does not deign that in this fickle and perverse world they should be constantly revered with vain and temporary veneration, as Blessed Simeon Metaphrastes noted in the life of the Great Martyr Eustathius Placis 674. Those of the holy men to whom God, in accordance with their significant natural abilities and spiritual success, granted high ministry in the Church, were subjected to special persecution, dishonor, abuse, bitterness, suffering: this is confirmed by the biographies of Athanasius the Great, and Gregory the Theologian, and Basil the Great, and John Chrysostom, and other lamps Churches. The misfortunes they allowed protected them from mental damage, which could easily arise from the greatness of the dignity and veneration of humanity 675. “Take diligent attention to yourself,” said the Monk Isaiah the Hermit, “so that you may avoid the desire for power, honor, glory and praise as an ulcer, death and spiritual destruction as eternal torment” 676. If you look carefully at yourself and at humanity, then it is impossible not to be convinced of the justice of the advice given by the holy hermit; it is impossible not to see that the desire for human glory and human honors leads the monk from the narrow path of salvation paved by the God-man and traversed by all His followers. That's not enough! The very teaching about the narrow and regrettable path becomes strange, wild, and reckless for those who sympathize with human glory; they mock him and those who proclaim him, just as the Pharisees, being lovers of peace, mocked the Lord’s teaching about self-sacrifice. But the Lord gave this teaching as a necessary medicine and aid in the land of exile and self-deception to free us from lies, from those who captivate us and take us captive through lies (Luke 16:14). There is no other key that would open the gates to the Kingdom of God except the cross of Christ. This key is given by the right hand of God to those who deign to enter the Kingdom of God, and they themselves try to acquire it, rejoice and rejoice in what they have acquired as a guarantee of eternal, ineffable bliss. Says the Monk Simeon, the New Theologian: “With undoubted faith in God, he who has renounced the world and everything that belongs to the world, believes that the Lord is generous and merciful, accepts those who approach Him in repentance, honors his servants through dishonor, enriches them through poverty, glorifies them through annoyances and humiliations, makes them partakers and heirs of eternal life through death. The believer hurries like a thirsty tree, ascending these steps to the immortal and heavenly beginning, like a ladder along which angels ascend and descend, at the top of which is the man-loving God, expecting from us all possible feats and diligence, not enjoying the sight of our labor, but wanting to give us a reward as deserved” 677. Beloved brothers! Let us flee from vanity and love of glory as a renunciation of the cross of Christ. Renunciation of the cross of Christ is also renunciation of Christ: “Whoever does not bear his cross and comes after Me, I cannot be a disciple” (Luke 14:27), said the Lord. Fallen people! We cannot otherwise know and confess Christ with sincerity, actively, as from our cross, having known and confessed in advance our fall and the necessity of the way of the cross to achieve heaven and the eternal bliss stored in it. Let us run away from all reasons for vanity and human glory, as their holy fathers ran away, so as not to lose sympathy for the teachings of Christ, not to become like stones, Christians in appearance, apostates in essence. A small speck of dust that gets into the eye disrupts the correctness of vision: an apparently insignificant attachment deprives the mind of correctness, damages, and changes the way of thinking of the ascetic. The fathers, strong in spirit and body, were afraid of the slightest sin, the slightest deviation from the gospel teaching, all the more so should we, weak in spirit and body, fear sin, which has a reliable refuge and benefit in our weakness, which, entering us, takes the form of an insignificant trifle, and when it enters, it turns into a terrible monster 678. It is not without reason that the holy fathers observed extreme simplicity in clothing, in cell needs, in monastic buildings, in the structure and decoration of the churches themselves 679. The thought and heart of a weak person are consistent, which is incomprehensible to the inexperienced and inattentive, with his external situation. If a monk wears shiny clothes, if his cell is carefully decorated, with taste and luxury, even if the monastery’s churches are magnificent, shining with gold and silver, equipped with a rich sacristy, then his soul is certainly vain, full of conceit and self-satisfaction, alien to tenderness and consciousness of his sinfulness. Intoxicated with vain pleasure, which appears to her as spiritual joy, she remains in darkness, self-delusion, bitterness and deadness, as if in the midst of a solemn celebration. On the contrary, when the clothes on a monk are simple, when he, like a wanderer, lives in a cell, as if in a tent or a tabernacle, when in this tabernacle there is only one thing necessary, when the church of God serves for him as a place of prayerful confession and weeping, without entertaining or delighting him with its splendor, then his soul borrows humility from the external environment, is separated from everything material, and is transferred with thoughts and feelings to the inevitable future that awaits all people. eternity; the soul tries, through repentance and fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, to prepare for itself a favorable reception in eternity. A commoner enters a modest cell, simply decorated, just like a nobleman; into the cell, which is carefully decorated, there is no entrance for the commoner, who could, by his arrival, disturb the distinctness of the decoration in the cell. In the person of the poor commoner, often rich in faith, Christ is rejected (James 2:1–6). One's own vanity is destructive: the more destructive is human glory. The glory of a monk from the children of the world and carnal wisdom is a sign that this monk is a vessel rejected by God, since, on the contrary, reproach and persecution from people constitute for a monk a sure sign of his election by God. Both are attested to by the Lord Himself: “Woe,” He said, “when all men speak good things to you: for this reason I made their fathers a false prophet.” On the contrary, “you will be blessed when men hate you, and when they separate you and revile you, and carry your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap: behold, your reward is great in heaven. For this reason I made their fathers a prophet” (Luke 6:26, 22–23). Let us follow the above advice of the holy hermit! If, according to the destinies of God, a monk will have to bear the heavy burden of earthly dignity and honors, then let him beg God with diligent and tearful prayers, so that earthly greatness does not influence the way of his thoughts, does not instill pride in his soul, does not give him a high eye on his neighbors, from which the Lord warned and warns His disciples: “Be careful that you do not despise one from these little ones: I say to you, for their angels in heaven will always see the face of my heavenly Father. The Son of Man came to seek and save lost man. He shed His priceless blood for each and everyone and thereby established for all people one, identical, equal price, one equal value (Matt. 18:10–11. Comp. 1 Cor. 6:20). The deep and hidden secret is the fall of man! There is no way for a person to know it through his own efforts, because among the consequences of the fall is blindness of the mind, which does not allow the mind to see the depth and darkness of the fall. The state of fall deceptively appears as a state of triumph, and the country of exile as an exclusive field of prosperity and pleasure. God gradually reveals the secret to the ascetic who sincerely and wholeheartedly serves Him. What, brethren, what a varied and terrible sight appears to us when the secret is revealed! When, at the command of God, the hellish abysses in the abyss of the heart are laid bare, how can one not be filled with fear! How can we not be filled with fear, especially for the reason that our weakness has been proven to us by countless bitter experiences! How can one not be filled with horror at the thought that some murderous passion can live secretly in the heart for a long time, suddenly appear and destroy a person forever! This is fair, but he who fears sin, who does not trust himself, is safer from sin. And therefore, wishing to acquaint our beloved brethren with the mysteries of sin in order to protect themselves from it, we do not fail to point out here the terrible, invisible devastation that the passion of remembrance produces in the soul. “God is loving” (1 John 4:8), said Saint John the Theologian: therefore, rejection of love, or remembrance of malice, is a renunciation of God. God retreats from the memory-loathing person, deprives him of his grace, decisively alienates himself from him, betrays him to spiritual death, if he does not strive to be healed in time from the murderous moral poison, from memory-maliciousness. In Antioch, the capital of the East, in the first centuries of Christianity there lived two friends, Sapricius, a presbyter, and a citizen Nikephoros. For a long time they remained in the closest friendship; then the sower of evil, the devil, sowed enmity between them, which, growing, turned into irreconcilable, fierce hatred. Of the two friends, Nikephoros came to his senses, came to his senses, it is said in the biography, and, realizing that hatred had been sown and strengthened by the devil, he sought to reconcile with Sapricius. Sapricius stubbornly rejected the proposal for reconciliation, which was repeated more than once. With such a mutual relationship between these two persons, a persecution against Christians suddenly arose in Antioch, in the kingdom of the Roman emperors Valerian and Gallienus. Sapriky, as a Christian and presbyter, was captured and presented before the Antioch hegemon. Forced to make sacrifices to idols, Sapriky confessed Christ and, confessing Him, endured unnaturally terrible torments. When various tortures could not shake Sapricius’s firmness in confessing Jesus Christ as God, then the hegemon ordered his head to be cut off. Nikephoros, having heard about the feat of Sapricius, and wishing to receive the forgiveness and blessing of the martyr who had accomplished his feat and was already on his way to crown him with death at the hands of the executioner, hastened to meet the martyr. He fell at the feet of the martyr, saying: “Martyr of Christ! Forgive me, who have sinned against you.” But Sapriky did not even give him any answer, because he had a heart filled with malice. No matter how many prayers Nikephoros repeated, the embittered and blinded Sapriky responded to them with nothing but hate-filled silence and aversion of his gaze. They reached the place of execution. Here Nikephoros again begged Sapricius for forgiveness. “I BEG you, martyr of Christ,” he said, forgive me if I, as a man, have sinned against you. Scripture says: “Ask and it will be given to you.” (Matthew 7:7). So I ask: grant me forgiveness.” And Sapriky did not bow to this dying prayer. Suddenly the grace of God, which strengthened him in his martyrdom, retreated from him. When the tormentors wanted to cut off his head, he suddenly turned to them with the question: “Why do you want to execute me?” They answered: “Because you refused to make sacrifices to the gods and despised the royal command for the sake of a certain person called Christ.” The unfortunate Saprikiy told them: “Don’t kill me; I will do what the kings command; I will worship the gods and make sacrifices to them.” Hearing these terrible words of Sapricius, Saint Nicephorus begged him with tears, saying: “Don’t do this, beloved brother, don’t do it! Do not deny our Lord Jesus Christ, do not lose the heavenly crown that you have woven for yourself through the patience of many torments. Here! At the door stands the Lord Christ, who will immediately appear to you and reward you with eternal reward for the temporary death for which you came to this place.” Sapriky did not pay any attention to these words and rushed entirely into eternal destruction. Then Saint Nicephorus, seeing that the presbyter had finally fallen and rejected Christ, the true God, began, moved by Divine grace, to cry out to the tormentors in a loud voice: “I am a Christian! I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, whom Sapricius denied! Cut off my head! The wish of Saint Nicephorus was fulfilled in 680. It is obvious: for one, the rejection of the Gospel commandment is imputed by the Holy Spirit, who instantly departed from the unfortunate one, into a heartfelt rejection of Christ; without a heartfelt confession of Christ, one oral confession could not stand; for another, careful fulfillment of the commandment gave him the high dignity of a martyr. Nikephoros was suddenly elevated to this dignity by the grace of the Holy Spirit, declaring his heart, prepared for the Spirit of God, to be the fulfillment of God’s commandments. Here's another story. In the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, two monks, Hieromonk Titus and Hierodeacon Evagrius, lived in unanimity and spiritual friendship. Their mutual love was a subject of edification and amazement for the other brothers. The enemy who hates good, accustomed to sow tares among the wheat and turn the wheat into tares, especially when people are asleep, that is, they do not pay attention to themselves and are not afraid of being stolen, believing the good they acquired to be durable and inalienable, turned the love of monks into enmity. Titus and Evagrius were so upset one against the other that they could not even look at each other. The brothers begged them many times to make peace, but they did not want to hear about peace. After a considerable period of time had passed between them, Hieromonk Titus became seriously ill. The illness was so difficult that they despaired of his recovery. Then he began to weep bitterly about his sin and sent to the hierodeacon to ask for forgiveness, placing the blame on himself with much humility. He not only did not want to forgive, but also uttered many cruel words about the hieromonk, even curses. However, the brethren, seeing Titus dying, forcibly brought Evagrius to him for reconciliation. The sick man, seeing him, rose up in bed, bowed to the newcomer, falling at his feet and saying with tears: “Forgive me, father, and bless me.” Evagrius turned away from him and uttered the following terrible words in front of everyone: “I will never reconcile with him, neither in this century nor in the future.” Having said this, Evagrius broke free from the hands of the brethren who were holding him and fell. The brethren wanted to raise him, but he turned out to be dead: they could neither bend his arms, nor shut his lips, nor close his eyelashes, and the sick hieromonk Titus rose from his bed healthy, as if he had never been sick. All those present were seized with horror, and they began to ask the healed presbyter how his healing was accomplished. Blessed Titus answered them: “When I was seriously ill, I saw the angels moving away from me and crying about the destruction of my soul, poisoned by memory malice, and the demons rejoicing that I was dying because of my anger: why did I begin to beg you to go to your brother and ask him for forgiveness. When you brought him to me and I bowed to him, and he turned away from me, I saw that one of the formidable angels, holding a fiery spear, struck the unforgiving one with it, from which he fell and died, and the same angel gave me his hand and raised me up, and, behold, I am healthy.” The brethren cried a lot for Evagrius, who died a terrible death, and buried him in the position in which he was ossified, with open lips and outstretched hands 681. Brethren! Let us be afraid of our weakness! Let us fear sin, which conveniently seduces us, conveniently creeps into us, captivates, fetters us! Let us fear our fallen nature, which never ceases to sprout sinful tares. We must constantly pay attention to ourselves, check our behavior and state of mind according to the Gospel, and not allow any sinful passion to intensify and multiply in the soul, recognizing this hobby as unimportant. “Introduced to the beginning of evil, do not say to yourself: it will not defeat me. To the extent that you are introduced, you are already defeated,” says the Monk Mark the Ascetic 682. And then you need to know that “the devil represents small sins as even smaller ones, for otherwise he cannot lead to big sins,” said the same reverend 683. One should in no way neglect the tares that arise from the heart, or the sinful thoughts that appear to the mind. Thoughts must be immediately rejected and driven away, and sinful feelings must be eradicated and destroyed, opposing them to the Gospel commandments and resorting to prayer. The tares are conveniently cast out when they are powerless and young. When they take root through time and skill, then their removal is associated with the greatest efforts. A sinful thought, being accepted and assimilated by the mind, becomes part of the way of thinking or reason and deprives it of correctness, and a sinful feeling, ossified in the heart, becomes, as it were, its natural property, depriving the heart of spiritual freedom. Let us acquire an undeniable conviction in the immutable truth: God cares vigilantly for the monk and for every Orthodox Christian who has given himself entirely to the service of God and the will of God, protects him, builds him, forms his soul, prepares him for a blessed eternity. All the sorrows inflicted on us by people befall us only by God’s permission, to our significant benefit. If these sorrows were not necessary for us, God would not have allowed them. We need them so that we have the opportunity to forgive our neighbors and thereby receive remission of our own sins. We need them so that we can discern the Providence of God watching over us and acquire a living faith in God, which appears in us when we learn from numerous experiences that the all-powerful right hand of God, and not our tricks, always rescues us from sorrows and difficult circumstances. We need them so that we acquire love for our enemies, thereby finally cleansing the heart from the poison of malice and making it capable of the love of God, of receiving the special, abundant grace of God. The union of love for one's neighbor with love for God is clearly seen in the above two stories. From these stories it is clear that love for enemies is the highest step in the ladder of love for one’s neighbor, with which we enter the vast palace of love for God. Let us force our hearts with all our might to forgive our neighbors all kinds of offenses, whatever they may inflict upon us, in order to receive remission of our countless sins by which we have offended the Majesty of God. Let us not, overcome by unbelief, indulge in various worries, considerations, dreams, and tricks to protect ourselves from our enemies, to act against their malicious intent. This is forbidden by the Lord, who said: “Do not resist evil” (Matthew 5:39). Let us resort, oppressed by sorrowful circumstances, with prayer to the omnipotent God, Who has complete power over us, our enemies, our circumstances, and the circumstances of all people, Who can autocratically dispose of everything, instantly overcome and destroy all the greatest difficulties. Let us pray carefully for our enemies, with this prayer erasing malice from our hearts, instilling love for them. “He who prays for people who offend him crushes demons; he who resists first is wounded by the second,” said the Monk Mark the Ascetic 684. “Above all,” says the apostle, “take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). These arrows are the various actions of demons in us that set in motion the ailments of the fallen nature: inflammation of the heart with anger, heated thoughts and dreams, impulses for vengeance, overzealous and numerous considerations, mostly unrealizable and absurd, about resisting the enemy, about defeating and humiliating him, about achieving the most durable position for yourself, not subject to any dangers. He who has acquired faith has acquired God through his work, and stands above all the tricks of not only human, but also demonic ones. He who has acquired faith has the opportunity to touch true, pure prayer, which is not plundered by any worries about oneself, by any fears, by any dreams or pictures presented to the imagination by the crafty spirits of malice. By his faith in God, the pious monk entrusted himself to God; he lives in simplicity of heart and carelessness; he thinks and cares about only one thing: to become in all respects an instrument of God and a doer of God’s will. Chapter 41. The meaning of the word "peace" The word peace has two meanings in Scripture. The word peace denotes all of humanity in the following and similar expressions of Scripture: “God so loved the world, as He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world, that the world might judge, but that the world might be saved by him” (John 3:16–17). “Behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world” (John 1:30). The word world denotes those people who lead a sinful life, contrary to the will of God, who live for time, and not for eternity. This is how the word world must be understood in the following and similar expressions: “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. If only we were quicker from the world, the world would love its own. As you are not from the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you” (John 15:18–19). “Do not love the world, nor those in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him: for everything in the world, carnal lust and desire and worldly pride, is not from the Father, but is from this world. And the world passes away, and its lust: but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17). “Adulterers and adulterers! Don’t you know that everyone in this world is enmity with God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria defines the world as follows: “Usually Scripture calls the world the life of sinners and people of carnal wisdom who dwell in it, which is why Christ said to His disciples: “You are not of the world.” They formed part of the people living in the world, but, not being in sin, they were not of the world” 685. Most people have led and continue to lead sinful lives, abominable before God, hostile to God; for this reason and because the majority of God's enemies are disproportionately large in comparison with the number of God's faithful servants, the majority is called in Scripture the world, referring to the majority is attributed to all mankind. This is how we must understand the words of the evangelists: “This is the True Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world. In the world there was no, and the world was, and the world did not know Him. He came to his own, and did not receive him from his own” (John 1:9–11). “This is judgment, because the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light; for they had done evil” (John 3:19). “You will be blessed when men hate you, and when they separate you, and revile you, and carry your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of man. Woe, when all men speak good things unto you: for this cause their fathers made them a false prophet” (Luke 6:22, 26). The majority of people did not know the Savior, the majority of people hate and persecute the true servants of God with slander and persecution, and this majority is so great that the word of God recognized it as correct to attribute the rejection of the God-man and the persecution of His servants to all humanity. The Lord testified that there are very few people who live pleasing to God, and many who please sinful and carnal lusts: “The wide gate and the broad path lead into destruction, and many are those who enter into them. What a narrow gate and a strait path you bring into the belly, and those who find it eat few” (Matthew 7:13–14; coll. Luke 13:23–24). “The Wisdom of God was justified from very few of her children” (Matthew 11:19); few chosen ones have known her, few have given her due justice. True servants of the true God! Study and find out the position established for you by Divine Providence during your earthly wandering. Do not allow fallen spirits to seduce and deceive you when they present earthly well-being to you in a tempting, false picture and instill in you a desire for it, a desire for it, in order to thus steal and rob you of your eternal treasure. Do not expect or seek praise and approval from human society! Don't seek fame and glory! Do not expect and do not look for a residence that is painless, spacious, and quite comfortable! This is not your lot. Don't look for or expect love from people! Seek with all your might and demand from yourself love and compassion for people. Be content with the fact that the few true servants of God, whom you will meet from time to time on the path of life, will love you, approve of your behavior with love and sympathy, and glorify God for you. Such meetings were not frequent even in the flourishing times of Christianity; Lately they have become extremely rare. “Save me, Lord, for the venerable one has become impoverished, for the truth has fallen away from the sons of men. A vain verb every one to his sincere” (Ps. 11:1-3). The Monk Abba Dorotheos excellently explains the words of the holy Apostle Paul: “Peace be crucified unto me, and unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). It is essential for monastics to know this explanation. Here it is: “The Apostle says: “The world will be crucified to me, and to the world.” What's the difference between the two? How is the world crucified to man and man to the world? When a person renounces the world and becomes a monk, leaves his parents, possessions, acquisitions, trade, giving to others and receiving from them, then the world is crucified to him, for he has abandoned it. This is what the words of the apostle mean: “The world will be crucified to me.” Then he adds: “and to the world.” How does a person crucify himself to the world? When, having freed himself from external things, he strives against the very pleasures, or against the very lust of things, against his desires and mortifies his passions, then he himself is crucified to the world and is vouchsafed to say with the apostle: “The world will be crucified to me, and to the world.” Our fathers, as we said, having crucified the world to themselves, devoted themselves to exploits and crucified themselves to the world. But we think that we have crucified the world to ourselves, because we left it and came to the monastery, but we do not want to crucify ourselves to the world, for we still love its pleasures, we still have its passions, we sympathize with its glory; We are addicted to food, to clothes: if we have some good working tools, then we are partial to them, and we allow some insignificant tool to produce worldly addiction in us, as Abba Zosima said. We think that when we left the world and came to the monastery, we left everything worldly; but even here, for the sake of insignificant things, we fulfill worldly addictions. This happens to us because of our much foolishness, that leaving great and valuable things, we satisfy our passions through some insignificant ones. Each of us left what he had: he who had great things left great things, and he who had something also left what he had, each according to his strength. And when we come to the monastery, as I said, we feed our passion for unimportant and insignificant things. However, we should not do this, but just as we have renounced the world and its things, so we must renounce the very attachment to things” 686. After this explanation, the reason is very clear on the basis of which Saint Isaac of Syria, who wrote his instructions to monks of the most exalted residence, that is, the silent, hermits and hermits, defines the world as follows: “peace is the common name for all passions. If a person does not first know that there is a world, then he will not achieve to know by how many members he has withdrawn from the world and by how many he is attached to it. There are many who, having renounced the world with two or three members, and having refused to communicate with it, have imagined that they are alien to the world by their residence. This happened to them because they did not understand and did not consider wisely that they died to the world with only two members, and their other members live inside the carnal wisdom that belongs to the world. However, they could not even feel their passions: without feeling them, they could not take care of healing themselves from them. According to the study of (spiritual) reason, the word world is used to compose a general name that embraces individual passions. When we want to call passions by a general name, we call them the world; when we intend to distribute them according to their particular names, then we call them passions. Each part is a particular action according to the principles of the world (Col. 2:8). Where passions cease to act, there the beginning of the world remains without action. Passions are the following: lust for wealth, the desire to collect various things; bodily pleasure, from which lustful passion; lust for honor, from which envy arises; desire to be in charge; arrogance with the splendor of power, adorning oneself with magnificent clothes and vain utensils; human glory, which serves as the cause of remembrance; bodily fear. Where these passions cease to act, there the world died. And to the extent that some of these parts are left, the ascetic remains outside the world, which is so destroyed, being deprived of its constituent parts. Someone said about the saints that while they lived, they were dead, for while they lived in the flesh, they did not live for the flesh. And take a closer look at yourself, for which of the above passions are you alive? Then you will know how alive you are for the world, and how dead you are to it. When you understand what the world means, then you will understand from the above particular instructions in what ways you connected with the world and in what ways you renounced it. In short: the world is carnal living and carnal wisdom 687. The world is a harlot, attracting to her love those who turn their eyes to her with lust for her beauty. He who, although partially carried away by the love of the world and entangled in it, cannot get rid of its hands until the world deprives him of life (eternal). When the world completely exposes a person and carries him out of his house on the day of his death, then the person will know that the world is a flatterer and a deceiver. He who strives to emerge from the darkness of the world, while he is still among it, cannot see its entanglements. The world holds in chains not only its disciples, children and captives, but behold! He catches the non-covetous, the ascetic, and those who have risen above him in their deeds in various ways, tramples them and throws them under his feet” 688. Based on these concepts about the world, taught to us by the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Fathers, we present before our beloved brethren, monks, advice and a most convincing prayer: let us fear serving the world! Even ascetics who do not pay strict attention to themselves can fall into this service: this service can be performed through insignificant attachments to insignificant objects. Let us take all measures, all precautions to protect ourselves from peacefulness! Let us not consider any seemingly meaningless addiction to be of little harm! We will not consider any slightest deviation from the Gospel commandments to be unimportant. Let us not consign to oblivion the formidable saying with which the holy Apostle James thundered: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Don’t you know that everyone in this world is enmity with God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Any addiction is, in the spiritual sense, adultery for a monk, who must direct his love entirely to God, as the psalmist declared: “Love the Lord, all your reverent ones” (Ps. 30:24). “Those who separate themselves from You will perish: You have consumed everyone who commits adultery from You” (Ps. 72:27). When serving the world, service to God is impossible, and it does not exist, even if it appears to the painful gaze of the slaves of the world, it seems to exist. He's gone! And what appears to be nothing more than hypocrisy, pretense, deception of oneself and others. A friend of the world inevitably becomes, perhaps unbeknownst to himself, the worst enemy of God and his own salvation. Peacefulness creeps into the soul like a thief taking advantage of the darkness of the night - negligence and inattention to oneself. Peacefulness is capable of committing the greatest lawlessness, the greatest atrocities. We see a terrible example of this in the Jewish clergy, contemporary with the earthly life of the God-man. It fell into a love of peace: it became infected with a disposition to honor, to glory, to human praise; it is addicted to the love of money and covetousness; it fell into voluptuousness and debauchery; it indulged in robbery and all kinds of untruths, and in order to protect its position among the people, it clothed itself in the guise of the strictest pleasing to God, the most petty execution of ritual decrees and elder traditions. What was the consequence of peacefulness? A decisive alienation from God, which turned into a blinded and frenzied hatred of God. The Jewish clergy opposed the God-man with bitterness when He revealed Himself to the world; it opposed Him, having full conviction of His Divinity, as witnessed by Nicodemus, one of the members of the supreme Jewish council - the Sanhedrin (John 3:2). The Jewish clergy decided to commit deicide and committed it, knowing for sure that they were acting against the Messiah and, in their darkness, expressing this consciousness in the ridicule with which they showered the world-saving Sacrifice on Her altar - the cross. “He saved others, but can’t he save himself?” - said the bishops, scribes, elders and Pharisees (Matthew 27:42), not noticing that they were pronouncing condemnation on themselves: they confess that they delivered Him to crucifixion and curse the One who miraculously saved others with Divine power and authority 689. The Jewish clergy barely heard the news of the birth of the God-man when they hated Him and took measures to get rid of Him. This is clear from the Gospel. When the Magi brought the news of the birth of the King of the Jews - Christ, to Jerusalem, then the present King of the Jews, Herod, was confused, and the entire Jewish capital was confused with him (Matthew 2:3). It was natural to be embarrassed, notes Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, to the Jewish sovereign with the news of the birth of a new King of the Jews, who, therefore, was supposed to take possession of his throne and deprive either him or his descendants of power. But why should Jerusalem be embarrassed at the news of the birth of the Messiah, Jerusalem, which for many centuries had been waiting for the promised Messiah, its Savior, its glory, - Jerusalem, whose entire religion consisted of faith in the coming Messiah and in preparations for receiving Him? Jerusalem was embarrassed because the morality of the Jerusalemites was corrupt. The capital understood, worthy of the subtle metropolitan instinct, that the new Tsar, the Tsar of Truth, would demand the rejection of immorality, would demand true virtue, without being seduced and not satisfied with feigned virtue, hypocrisy. Because of the peacefulness of the Jerusalemites, the monster Herod was more tolerable and more pleasant to them than the King-God. Guessing with faithfulness the spiritual attitude of the tyrant, hypocrite and hypocrite, which were also the members of the Sanhedrin, at the first question about the place of birth of the Messiah, decisively, without stopping or thinking at all, point out to Herod exactly the place of birth of the Messiah, and betray the Messiah into the hands of a murderer. “Christ is born in Bethlehem of Judea,” they say, to strengthen the response, they add: “for it is written by the prophet,” and declare the prophecy to be astonishingly clear (Matthew 2:5). An arrangement contrary to this would force them to give an evasive answer, to hide the place 690. The Gospel attributes to peace lovers all the atrocities committed by people, starting with the murder of Abel by Cain (Matthew 23:35). During the earthly life of the God-man, lovers of peace completed their atrocities by rejecting Christ and committing deicide (Matthew 23:32), and in the last times of the world they will complete their atrocities by accepting the Antichrist and giving him divine honor (John 5:43). Peacefulness is terrible! It enters a person in an inconspicuous way and gradually, and, having entered, it becomes his cruel and unlimited ruler. Gradually, people prepared themselves and acquired a mental state capable of committing deicide; gradually they are preparing, acquiring a mood and character capable of accepting the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:7). The holy martyr Sebastian excellently expounded the vanity of peace and its harmful consequences in a conversation with those martyrs who, through love for relatives and family, wavered in their feat. Saint Sebastian told them: “O mighty warriors of Christ! Behold, with your generosity you have already courageously approached triumph, and now you want to destroy the eternal crown for the sake of the accursed caress of your relatives! Now let the courage of Christ’s soldiers learn from you to arm yourself not with iron, but with faith. Do not cast down the signs of your victory for the sake of women’s tears, and do not weaken the neck of the enemy (the devil) who is under your feet, so that he, having received strength, does not rise again to battle. If his first uprising against you was fierce, then the subsequent one will be fiercer. He is furious and annoyed (by his first defeat). Erect the glorious banner of your feat from earthly attachments and do not lose it for the sake of the empty sobbing of children. Those whom you see crying would rejoice today if they knew what you know. But they believe that there is only that life that is in this world and that after it ends with the death of the body there is no life for the soul. If they knew that there is another life, immortal and painless, in which unceasing joy reigns, then truly they would strive to move on to it with you and, counting temporary life for nothing, they would desire eternal life. This real life is fleeting and so fickle and unfaithful that it could never be faithful to its lovers. She destroyed everyone who had hoped in her from the beginning of the world; she deceived all who desired her; scolded everyone who was proud of her; lied to everyone; She left no one undeceived in her hope and unashamed in her hope, but she completely revealed herself to be false. Oh, if only she would deceive, and not lead into cruel misconceptions! The saddest thing is that she leads her lovers to all kinds of lawlessness. She delights gluttons with gluttony and drunkenness, and encourages the voluptuous to commit fornication and all kinds of defilements. She teaches a thief to steal, an angry person to rage, a liar to deceive. She sows separation between husband and wife, enmity between friends, quarrels between the meek, untruths among the righteous, temptations among the brethren. It takes away justice from the judges, purity from the chaste, reason from the prudent, and good behavior from the moral. Let us also remember the cruelest atrocities to which she leads her lovers. If when a brother killed a brother, a father's son, a friend killed a friend, then at whose instigation were such iniquities committed? By whose command? With what hope and hope? Is it not for the sake of real life, which people, loving each other a lot, hate each other and villainize each other, each seeking the most prosperous stay for himself? For what reason does a robber temper a traveler, a rich man rapes a poor man, a proud man offends a humble man, and everyone guilty of evil persecutes an innocent man? Truly, all this evil is done by those who serve this life and want to abide and enjoy its love for a long time. She, advising all evil to her zealots and servants, betrays them to her daughter, born of her, to eternal death, into which the first people were cast down for the reason that, being created for eternal life, they fell into temporary love, enslaved to gluttony, sweetness and the lust of the eyes, and from there they fell into hell, not taking with them any of the earthly goods. This temporary life, continued Saint Sebastian, turning to the relatives of the martyrs, seduces you to turn back your friends who are approaching eternal life with your unrighteous advice. She teaches you, O honest parents, to distract your sons with your mad sobs from departing to the heavenly army, to incorruptible honor and to friendship with the eternal King. She convinces you, O chaste wives of the saints, that with your caresses you should corrupt the minds of the martyrs, lead them away from their good intentions, and with your advice bring them death instead of life, and slavery instead of freedom. If they deign to your advice, they will live with you for a short time, then they will have to be separated from you by death, and separated in such a way that a meeting with you will be possible only in eternal torment, where flames burn the souls of the infidels, where Tartar snakes devour blasphemous lips, where asps torment the breasts of idolaters, where bitter weeping, heavy sighs, incessant sobbing in agony. Let them avoid these torments, and try to save yourself from them! Let them rush again to the crown prepared for them. Do not be afraid: they will not be separated from you, they are coming to prepare bright abodes for you in heaven, in which you, together with them and your children, will enjoy eternal blessings. If you are comforted here by the beautiful stone houses, then how much more will you be consoled by the beauty of the houses above, where the tables shine with pure gold, where the palaces shine with glory, being built of beautiful stones and decorated with precious stones, where the ever-blooming gardens bloom with unfading flowers, where the grassy fields boil with sweet streams, where the air is always good, life-giving winds, fragrant feelings an indescribable fragrance, where the day does not fade, the light does not set, the joy is not interrupted. There is no sighing, no crying, no sorrow, below any indecency that offends the eyes; no stench is smelled there, no sad, mournful and terrible voice is heard; Everything beautiful is presented to the eyes, only aromas to the sense of smell, and only cheerful things to the ear. There the faces of angels and archangels constantly sing in praise of the immortal King. For what reason is such a life despised and a temporary one loved? Is it for wealth? But the wealth soon dwindles. Anyone who wants to have it with him forever, let him hear what wealth says. You love me so much, it says, that you wish that I would never be separated from you. After your death I cannot follow you, but during your life I can precede you. If you send me before you, then let the selfish moneylender and the diligent farmer serve as an example to you. One gives gold to his neighbor in order to receive double his money from him; another sows various seeds in the ground in order to multiply them a hundredfold. The debtor gives the lender double the amount of gold, and the land returns his seeds to the sower, multiplied a hundredfold. If you entrust your wealth to God, will He not reward you with it multiplied countlessly? Send your wealth there ahead of you, and try to get there yourself as soon as possible. What is the use of this temporary life? If someone lived a hundred years, but when the last day of life comes, don’t all the past years and all the pleasures of life seem to have never happened? Only insignificant traces remain, a memory similar to the memory of a traveler who stayed with us for one day. Oh, in truth, he who does not love the excellent eternal life is insane, completely alien to the knowledge of true blessings! Oh, in truth, he is reckless who is afraid of losing a fleeting life for the perception of another, ever-present, in which pleasures, wealth, joys begin so that they never end, but remain endless forever. Whoever does not want to be a lover of this everlasting life, he also destroys temporary life in vain, falls into eternal death, is kept bound in hell, where there is unquenchable fire, everlasting sorrow, unceasing torment, where fierce spirits live, whose eyes sparkle with fiery arrows, whose teeth are like the size of elephants, whose tails gnaw like the tails of scorpions, whose voices are like voices. roaring lions, of which one vision brings great fear, severe illness and bitter death. Oh, if only it were possible to die in the midst of these horrors and torments! But what is most cruel: they do not stop living there in order to die incessantly; are not completely destroyed in order to suffer endlessly; remain whole to be forever devoured by gnawing serpents; the consumed ouds are renewed again in order to again serve as food for poisonous snakes and the never-sleeping worm” 691. The correct use of earthly life consists in preparing oneself during it for eternal life. Brethren! Let us complete our short-term earthly journey, engaging solely in pleasing God, borrowing from the world only what is necessary. “There is,” said the apostle, “the attainment of great piety with contentment. We brought nothing into this world, apparently, as if we could carry out what we can below. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with them. But those who want to get rich fall into adversity and snares, and into many senseless and harmful lusts, which plunge people into destruction and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:6-9). The love of fame and voluptuousness lead a person to the same moral disaster to which the love of money leads a person: the love of peace is made up of these three main passions. Chapter 42 Our reverend fathers, holy monks of all times, carefully guarded themselves from acquaintance with the female sex. Women were prohibited from entering ancient monasteries. This holy and beneficial custom is still preserved throughout Mount Athos. Those of the monks who led a particularly attentive life were kept with special care from meeting and treating women, as can be seen from the lives of the Venerable Arsenios the Great, Sisoes the Great, John the Silent and other fathers of the most sublime holiness. They did this not only out of arbitrariness, but according to the indication of the necessity they saw, as in a mirror, in their attentive life. Some monks claim that they, being often in the company of women, do not feel harm. These monks should not be trusted: they either tell lies, hiding their mental disorder, or they lead the most inattentive and negligent lives and therefore do not see their dispensation, or the devil robs them, taking away their understanding and sense of harm, in order to make their monastic life fruitless and prepare for them certain death. The Monk Isidore of Pelusiot spoke excellently about this subject in a letter to Bishop Palladius: 692 “If good customs are corrupted by evil conversation (1 Cor. 15:33), according to the saying of Scripture: then this is done primarily by conversation with wives. Even if its object were good, it is strong enough to secretly corrupt the inner man with evil thoughts, and while the body remains pure, the soul becomes defiled. Run away from conversations with wives as much as possible, good husband. If for any reason you come to your wives, then keep your eyes downcast, and teach those to whom you have come to look chastely. Having told them a few words that can confirm and enlighten their souls, immediately leave, so that a long conversation does not soften and weaken your spiritual strength. You will say: although I often talk with wives, no harm will come from this for me. So be it! But I wish everyone to be firmly convinced that stones are thinned by water and broken through by raindrops, which always fall on them. Think about it: what is harder than stone and what is softer than water, especially a drop of water? But by constant action, nature is also conquered. If so much solid nature is overcome, suffers and diminishes from such a thing, which is nothing in comparison with it, then how can the human will not be defeated and transformed by long custom, easily swayed? Elder Seraphim of Sarov likened a piously living monk who maintains chastity to an unlit wax candle; the frequent appeal of this monk in the midst of a company of women - to the same unlit candle, when it is placed between many other lit candles. Then the unlit candle begins to melt under the influence of the heat emanating from the lit candles standing around it. “The heart of a monk,” said the elder, “must certainly undergo relaxation if the monk allows himself frequent contact with the female sex” 693. The combination of the sexes in its existing form is natural (to fallen nature). Virginity is superior. Consequently, whoever wants to preserve his body in virginity must certainly keep it away from that body, the union with which is required by nature. An invisible force is embedded in the bodies of the husband and wife, drawing body to body. Anyone who approaches his wife is certainly influenced by this force. The more frequent the rapprochement, the more frequent, and therefore the stronger the influence. The stronger the influence, the weaker our will becomes, with which we intend to conquer, with God’s help, nature. The images of women, their gazes, their voice, their tenderness are very strongly imprinted on our souls through the action of nature, especially when nature is assisted by Satan. At the time when we treat women and when impressions are made, we do not feel it; but when we retire into solitude, then the impressions assimilated by the soul rise up in it with extraordinary force and produce fierce prodigal warfare. Blessed Jerome tells about himself that when he lived in Rome and was often in the company of pious ladies and maidens of the capital of the world, then he did not feel the slightest lustful movement either in his imagination or in his body. But when the blessed one retired to the Bethlehem desert and devoted himself to the strictest monastic deeds, then suddenly images of the wives he had seen in Rome began to appear in his imagination, and youthful lusts appeared in his senile body, exhausted by thirst, ineating, vigil, and labor. The victory was very difficult, because the fallen nature was helped, as usually happens, by the obvious assistance of the devil. What happened with Blessed Jerome happens with all monks who move from public life to silent life 694. They learn from experience the importance of impressions, about which those devoted to absent-mindedness have no idea. All the impressions to which the soul has been subjected in the midst of human society rise, like dead men from their graves, in silence and intensify to commit sin in thoughts and sensations, until by the grace of God and God’s determination all the armed men who came out of Egypt fall in the desert. Then a new generation of Israel enters the Promised Land. Pure souls who have not known sin in practice are especially easily influenced by impressions. They can be likened to expensive lacquered tables that stand in the living rooms of nobles and rich people; and a small scratch on such a table becomes very noticeable and violates its dignity. On the contrary, people who have not preserved themselves can be likened to tables standing in the kitchen, on which vegetables and other foodstuffs are chopped daily: ten, a hundred new scars have no meaning for these tables, covered with countless scars. The devil tries to infect a pure soul with carnal impressions. This explains the reason why the holy fathers ran away from women with such intense care. The Monk Arsenius the Great said many harsh words to the famous Roman woman, who came especially for him to the deserted Egyptian Skete from magnificent Rome and suddenly appeared before him. Arseny concluded his harsh words with harsh but holy frankness: “I pray to God,” he said to the Roman woman, “that He will erase the memory of you from my heart.” With these words, the monk expressed all the burden and danger of the struggle with impressions, a struggle that reduces the monk to the gates of hell, a struggle that Arseny obviously experienced 695. In the same sense, we must understand the following words of St. Macarius the Great: “Oil feeds the lamp of a lit lamp, and the fire of fornication is aroused by the treatment of a woman. A woman’s face is a fierce arrow: it inflicts an ulcer on the soul. If you want to be clean, avoid contact with a woman like poison, because in this contact there is a strong effect of sin, similar to the action of wild beasts. Approaching a fire is not as dangerous as approaching a young woman. Avoid, while you are young, the violent effects of fornication and association with women. Those who fill the belly and together hope to acquire purity deceive themselves: drowning from looking at a beautiful face is more terrible than drowning from a sea storm. A woman’s face, if depicted in the mind, will force one to despise the very preservation of the mind. Fire put into straw produces a flame: thus, with the abiding memory of a woman, passionate lust is ignited” 696. The Great Macarius could not have said this if he had not endured a fierce struggle with impressions received unexpectedly, in complete ignorance. Saint Tikhon of Voronezh said very accurately and truly in his instructions to monastics: “Beware, beloved, of your wife, lest you be burned. Eve always has her own character: she always seduces” 697. The elder asked the disciple: why do the holy fathers forbid monks, especially young monks, to have a short acquaintance with women? The student answered: so that the monk, having briefly become acquainted with a woman, does not fall into fornication with her. Elder: Yes! falling into fornication is the end, crowning, forbidden to a monk by the Holy Spirit, a short acquaintance with a woman. But this acquaintance, not always ending in a physical fall, is always associated with mental disorder and infertility. A woman is guided by the feelings of fallen nature, and not by prudence and spiritual intelligence, which are completely alien to her. Her mind is a service instrument of feelings. Carried away by her feelings, she very soon becomes infected with a passion not only for the young and mature monk, but also for the old man - she makes him her idol, and subsequently she herself, for the most part, becomes his idol. A woman sees perfection in her idol, tries to assure him of it and always succeeds. When a monk becomes infected, as a result of harmful and incessant suggestions and praise, with conceit and pride, then the grace of God departs from him, he becomes darkened in mind and heart, and in his blindness becomes capable of the most reckless behavior and fearless violation of all the commandments of God. When Delilah put the Israeli judge, the strong Samson, to sleep in her arms, then she deprived him of the conditions under which Divine grace was present and assisted him, and handed over Samson to be mocked and executed by the foreigners (Judges 16:4–21). It has been noticed that a woman, having briefly met a monk living in a well-maintained monastery or benefiting from the instructions of a spiritual elder, considers her first duty to remove her favorite from such a monastery and distract him from the elder, despite the obvious benefits of monastic strictness and the elder’s instructions for the monk. She desires exclusively to possess the object of her passion. In her madness, she considers herself capable and sufficient to replace the old man, whom, on the contrary, she recognizes and proclaims as the most insufficient and incapable. She does not spare any means to achieve her goals - neither the means provided by the world, nor the means provided by Satan. She calls her passion, and often vicious passion, living faith, purest love, the feeling of a mother for her son, a sister for her brother, a daughter for her father - in a word, all the holy names, strengthening through them to preserve intact the acquired property - the unfortunate soul of the monk who entrusted herself to her. In a woman, blood predominates; all the passions of the soul operate in it with particular strength and sophistication, mainly vanity, voluptuousness and deceit. The last one covers the first two. The female sex is not condemned or humiliated here! He is honored by God with the honor of humanity and the image of God, like a man; he has been redeemed by the priceless blood of the Savior; redeemed and renewed, constitutes, together with the male sex, one new creation in Christ (Gal. 3:28). Here women are presented as they are when they act according to the lawless laws of fallen nature, under the guidance of their unbridled blood. Having found themselves able to lead Adam out of paradise, through flattery and seduction, which Adam testified before God about his wife (Gen. 3:12), they continue to demonstrate and prove this ability, leading the monks who submit to them from a pious life, as from paradise. A monk, obligated to love all his neighbors, and among them women, with correct, evangelical love, will undoubtedly show this love for them when, having recognized his own and their weakness, he saves himself and them from soul-destructive harm, behaving with them with extreme caution, not going into a short acquaintance, refraining from free circulation and preserving the senses, especially sight and touch. Chapter 43. About fallen angels The Holy Apostle Paul says to all Christians: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, and against the powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). This swearing is terrible! She is on her stomach and on her death. The consequences of this war must be either our eternal salvation or our eternal destruction. The spirits of evil, infected with fierce hatred of the human race, wage this battle with the greatest cruelty and infernal art. The Holy Apostle Peter says: “Your adversary, the devil, walks around roaring like a lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). But the fallen angels cannot separate those who truly love God from God (Rom. 8:38–39), although they use every effort to accomplish the separation. They use every effort to effect excommunication, because in this excommunication lies our destruction. In order to resist the spirits of evil and defeat them with the grace of God, you need to know with precision who they are, you need to know with precision the way to fight them, you need to know the conditions of victory and defeat. Spirits of evil are fallen angels. God created them along with other angels, created them immaculate, good, holy, and blessed them with many natural and grace-filled gifts. But the spirits, clouded with pride, ascribed to themselves their abundance of abilities, their graceful properties, the very gifts of grace. They excluded themselves from the category of creatures, recognized themselves as original beings, forgetting about their creation, and on this disastrous basis they trampled on their sacred duties to God the Creator. They were led to such conceit and self-delusion by one of the most important angels, whom the holy prophet Ezekiel calls a cherub (Ezek. 28) 698, and in general all saints rank among the highest angels. This cherub became so immersed in conceit and pride that he considered himself equal to God, clearly rebelled against God (Is. 14:13–14), and became an opponent of God, a frantic enemy of God. Spirits who refuse to obey God are cast out of heaven. They creep on the earth, fill the space between heaven and earth, which is why they are called aerial, or living in the air, and descended into hell, into the interior of the earth. All this is attested to by the Holy Scriptures (Isa. 14:12, 15). The number of fallen spirits is very significant. Some believe, based on the testimony of the Apocalypse (Rev. 12:4), that as many as a third of the angels suffered the fall. Many of the highest angels fell, as can be seen from the above words of the Apostle Paul: he calls them principalities and powers. The head and prince of the kingdom of darkness, composed of fallen spirits, is the fallen cherub. He is the beginning, the source, the fullness of evil. Exceeding all other fallen angels in abilities, he exceeds them all in malice. Naturally, the spirits who are carried away by him and arbitrarily submit to him must constantly borrow evil from him, and therefore be in his service. But God, having left to the will of the fallen angels their desired stay in evil, in His omnipotence and wisdom, infinitely superior to the minds of the most intelligent creatures, does not cease to remain their supreme, sovereign Master: they are in the will of God, as if in indestructible shackles, and can only do what God has allowed them to do 699. To replace the fallen angels, God created a new intelligent creature - humans, and placed them in paradise, located in the lower heaven and previously under the authority of the fallen cherub 700. Paradise came under the control of a new creature - man. It is quite understandable that the new creation became the object of envy and hatred of the fallen angel and the fallen angels. The rejected spirits, led by their leader, attempted to seduce the newly created people, to make them partakers of their fall, their like-minded people, to infect them with the poison of their enmity towards God, in which they succeeded. Man, although seduced and deceived, but arbitrarily rejected obedience to God, arbitrarily agreed to demonic blasphemy against God, arbitrarily entered into communication with fallen spirits and in obedience to them, fell from God and from the face of the holy spirits, to which he belonged not only in soul, but also in his spiritual body, and was numbered among the spirits who had fallen in soul, and in body - among dumb animals. The atrocity committed by the fallen angels against people finally decided the fate of the fallen angels: the mercy of God finally retreated from them, they were sealed in their fall. The spirit is destined to grovel in thoughts and feelings that are exclusively carnal and material! The spirit is unable to rise from the ground! The spirit cannot ascend to anything spiritual! This is the meaning, according to the explanation of the holy fathers, of the sentence pronounced by God over the fallen angel after this angel struck the newly created man with eternal death. “You will walk on your stomach and belly,” God said to the demon, “and you will carry away the earth all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:14). Although man was numbered among the fallen angels, his fall, in the way it happened, took on a completely different character than the fall of the angels. The angels fell consciously, intentionally, and created evil in themselves; Having committed one crime, they frantically rushed to another; for these reasons, they were completely deprived of good, filled with evil, and have only one evil as their quality. Man fell unconsciously, unintentionally, being seduced and deceived, for this reason his natural good was not destroyed, but mixed with the evil of the fallen angels. But this natural good, as mixed with evil, poisoned by evil, became obscene, insufficient, unworthy of God, Who is whole, pure good. A person most often does evil, thinking to do good, not seeing evil, clothed in the guise of good, due to the darkening of his mind and conscience. Fallen spirits do evil for evil, finding pleasure and glory in the creation of evil. God, in His ineffable goodness, gave fallen man a Redeemer and redemption. But a redeemed person is also given the freedom to either take advantage of the given redemption and return to paradise, or reject redemption and remain numbered among the host of fallen angels. The time in which a person is given to express his will is his entire earthly life. Through redemption, communication with God was returned to man, but for the free expression of his will he was given the opportunity to remain in this communication or to break it, and the possibility of communication with fallen spirits, communication into which he entered voluntarily, was not taken away from him. With such an unresolved situation of a person throughout his earthly life, the grace of God does not stop to help him until the very moment of his transition into eternity, if he wants it, and the fallen angels do not cease to use all their efforts to keep him in communion with themselves, in the captivity of sin and their own, in eternal death and destruction. The rejected spirit often attempted to tempt even the holy martyrs and reverend fathers, after they had accomplished the greatest feats and signs, just before their death, in view, so to speak, of their heavenly crowns 701 . It is a very fair idea, found in many holy fathers, that a monk until his grave is in danger of being subjected to some kind of temptation, not knowing where and in what nature it will arise. The Holy Church teaches us that every Christian receives from God at Holy Baptism a holy Guardian Angel, who, invisibly protecting the Christian, instructs him in every good deed throughout his life, reminding him of the commandments of God. Likewise, the prince of darkness, who wants to draw the entire human race into his destruction, assigns one of the evil spirits to a person, who, following a person everywhere, tries to draw him into every kind of sin 702. From the concepts presented here it is clear that a monk throughout his entire earthly life must remain vigilant over himself, being filled with both fear and courage. He must constantly be on guard and in fear from his enemy and murderer, and at the same time constantly remain in courage and vigor from the conviction that his powerful helper, the holy angel, is constantly near him. The Venerable Pimen the Great said: “The great help of God embraces man; but he is not allowed to see her” 703. It is not allowed to see her, of course, so that a person, having hoped for this help, does not become careless and does not abandon his feasible feats. The fallen angel, condemned to crawl on the earth, makes every effort to ensure that man constantly crawls on it. A person, due to the self-delusion nesting in him, is very prone to this. He has a feeling of his eternity, but since this feeling is damaged by a false mind and an evil conscience, then to a person his earthly life seems endless. On the basis of this seductive, false, disastrous consciousness, a person indulges exclusively in worries and labors about arranging his position on earth, forgetting that he is a short-term wanderer on it, that his permanent abode is either heaven or hell. The Holy Scripture speaks to God on behalf of fallen man: “My soul is drawn to the earth; live me according to Your word” (Ps. 119:25). From these words it is clear that addiction to land mortifies the soul with eternal death; she is revived by the word of God, which, tearing her away from the earth, lifts her thoughts and feelings to heaven. “The devil,” says St. John Chrysostom about the fallen angel, “is shameless and insolent. He attacks from below. However, in this case he wins for the very reason that we don’t try to get up to where he couldn’t hurt us. For he cannot rise high, but creeps on the ground, and therefore the serpent is his image. And if God made him so in the beginning, how much more so is he now. If you don’t know what it means to attack from below, I will try to explain to you this method of fighting. So what does it mean to attack from below? To overcome through earthly things, through pleasures, wealth and everything of life. Therefore, if the devil sees someone soaring towards the sky, then, firstly, he is not able to attack him, and secondly, even if he dares to attack, he immediately falls, because - be safe - he has no legs. Do not be afraid of him: he has no wings - he crawls only on the ground, creeps among earthly things. If you have nothing to do with the land, then you won’t need labor. The devil does not know how to fight openly, but just as a serpent hides in thorns, so he most often hides in the delights of wealth. If you cut these thorns, he will soon become timid and run away. If you know how to charm him with Divine spells, you can easily injure him. And we have spiritual spells: the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the cross” 704. The Monk Macarius the Great, having learned that a certain monk, Theopempt, was carried away by lustful thoughts brought by the devil, gave Theopempt the following advice: “Fast until the evening, so that you feel hungry, memorize the Gospel and other books of the Holy Scripture, so that you always remain in the mind of God. If an evil thought comes to you, do not accept it, never allow your mind to be brought down, but always direct it to grief, and God will help you” 705. The brother asked Abba Sisoes: “What should I do to be saved and please God?” The elder answered: “If you want to please God, leave the world, retreat from the earth, leave creation, come to the Creator, unite yourself with God through prayer and weeping, and you will find peace in this and the next century” 706. The Monk Barsanuphius the Great wrote to a certain brother: “If you want to be saved, force yourself to die for everything earthly. Consider yourself as nothing and strive for what is before you, so that, under the pretext of a good deed, the devil does not involve you in untimely worries” 707. An evil serpent, experienced in fighting people and destroying them, does not always resort to strong means to achieve its goal. Why use them when they can arouse increased resistance in a monk and give him a glorious victory, as has been proven by many experiments? Weak remedies work more accurately. For the most part, they are not noticed, and even those who are noticed are neglected due to their outward insignificance, their imaginary sinlessness. In general, in the modern warfare of the devil against Christianity and monasticism, strong means are not visible in the matter, but only weak means are visible. The Hagarians and Latins no longer attack Orthodox monasteries, they do not burn or slaughter monks to destroy Orthodox monasticism. It is destroyed by invisible nets, in which it is caught, according to the custom of the time, very conveniently. Earthly pursuits, when a monk devotes himself to them with enthusiasm, are capable, even without obvious sins, of depriving him of prosperity and devastating his unfortunate soul. Such a soul becomes the dwelling place of demons, according to the testimony of the Gospel (Matthew 12:44–45). When the heart of the tree becomes infected with decay, then the tree is destroyed gradually and imperceptibly, while its appearance continues to maintain its splendor for a long time, without showing the death that lives in the inside and consumes it. Weak means, without touching the appearance of monasticism, destroy its essence. What is a monk if not a Christian who has separated himself from everything, secluded himself in mind and heart in order to belong to the one God, entering into inseparable communion with Him. Where is the monk when he is alien to God and nailed to the ground? Among the weak means, but very powerful, are various handicrafts and bodily labors, when a monk engages in them immoderately and with passion, and this happens in a row during unauthorized activities, not out of obedience. During these activities, an addiction to them quietly creeps in: first, special attention and diligence are shown to the activity; then the monk directs all the strength of soul and body to occupation, forgets, leaves God. Meanwhile, the serpent tries to present the monk with his occupation as innocent, even soul-saving, generally beneficial. Due to the serpent’s cunning, approval and praise for the monk’s work begin to be heard from everywhere; he becomes infected with conceit; his soul, not illuminated by the Word of God, is enveloped in the darkness of ignorance and unreason; he comes into the complete possession of the fallen spirit. When the soul abandons the spiritual feat or, what is the same thing, performs it carelessly, superficially and coldly, and engages solely or primarily, with passion and enthusiasm, in earthly pursuits, then the passions belonging to the fallen nature reside freely in the heart, undisturbed by anything; they grow, expand, and become stronger in space and freedom. Then the monk takes advantage of a deceptive calm, comforted by self-conceit and vanity, recognizing this consolation as blessed: those who do not fight passions do not disturb them, and if passions are disturbed for a short time, then one who is not accustomed to self-view does not pay attention to it and tries to calm the passions with some earthly entertainment. Such calmness, or, more correctly, the lull of the soul, alien to tenderness, alien to the memory of death and judgment, about hell and heaven, alien to concerns about the timely propitiation of God, about reconciliation and union with Him, the holy fathers call insensibility, mortification of the soul, death of the mind during the life of the body 708 . During a terrible mental slumber, passions, especially spiritual ones, grow to incredible proportions, acquire strength and strength that exceed natural abilities: the monk dies unnoticed by him. The Monk Cassian the Roman, who visited Egyptian monasteries at the end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century, while monasticism in Egypt was unusually numerous and shone with many spiritual lamps, narrates that the monks of the Egyptian desert of Kalamon or Porphyrion, located at a very considerable distance from secular villages, almost inaccessible in its position for the laity, provided much less success in monastic life than the monks of the Skete desert, which was not very far from secular villages and even from the most populous city of Alexandria. The Monk Cassian sees the reason for this in the following: the desert of Skete was the most barren, and therefore its monks were not entertained either by cultivating the land or contemplating the beauties of nature, but remained in cell silence, doing the simplest handicrafts in their cells, constantly being in prayer, in reading and studying the Word of God, in examining the thoughts and sensations that arose in themselves; Carrying out such a concentrated life, they soon became successful, and their success reached the highest degree of perfection. On the contrary, the Kalamon desert was made up of a spacious, most fertile island, an oasis like paradise, with many magnificent trees, with many diverse plants characteristic of a tropical climate. The island was surrounded on all sides by a vast sandy sea: this can fairly be called the sandy steppe, among which Kalamon retired. Access to it was extremely difficult. The monks of Kalamon, carried away by the amenities of the place they inhabited, did a lot of gardening and farming; Their eyes were greatly entertained by the beauties of the nature that surrounded them; having directed their attention largely to the earth, they could not turn it entirely to the sky 709. In the biography of Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia, it is said that when he visited the holy hermits of Athos, he found them completely alien to all earthly pursuits: they were not engaged in agriculture, or vineyards, or selling their handicrafts - they had no worldly worries; their only occupation was prayer, tears, and the constant aspiration of their minds and hearts to God 710. The Monk Arseny the Great was so wary of being carried away by anything earthly, a passion that could give rise to the subtlest passions of conceit and vanity, that he wrote neither letters nor essays, although he had every opportunity to do so due to his abilities, learning and spiritual success 711 . The ancient great monks, such as Anthony the Great, Macarius the Great and others, abounding in spiritual and physical strength according to the gift of God, were engaged in a lot of handicrafts; but their handicraft was so simple and the skill for it was so acquired that it did not in the least hinder them from practicing handicraft and prayer. They had so accustomed themselves to simple needlework that their minds freely plunged into the depths of prayer, ascended into vision while their hands did not stop mechanically working: the work was so simple and the habit of it was so great that it did not require any attention from the mind 712. Quite a few of the ancient monks made ropes, others made baskets or mats. One can easily notice when observing modern handicrafts that some handicrafts, out of habit, require very little attention to themselves, for example, knitting stockings: those who are accustomed to this work do it without looking at it at all and during it, freely occupying the mind with foreign objects. But other activities, for example, painting, require more attention to themselves: although those who are accustomed to painting can engage in prayer with it, it is impossible for them to fully delve into prayer, because needlework requires that attention be often turned to it. Painting arouses great compassion for oneself in the soul, whose desire, at the same time, cannot help but bifurcate between God and handicraft. Based on the samples given here, you can judge other handicrafts. It is necessary that the monk’s heart be cold to his handicraft. In particular, mental activities can distract a person from humility and God, attracting him to conceit and worship of his “I”. During such activities, we must be especially careful to ensure that our work is done for the glory of God and for public benefit, and not for our vanity and pride. It is impossible for God and mammon to work together! It is impossible to work with God and simultaneously indulge your hobbies, passions, and passions. Based on the above, we give advice to our beloved brethren, monks, so that they observe extreme caution in earthly pursuits, knowing that an evil and insidious serpent creeps across the earth, always ready to bite us and pour out its mortal poison into us. A novice monk must practice the obedience entrusted to him with all care, for the sake of God and his own salvation, not to admire the successful fulfillment of obedience, not to boast about it, not to develop in himself vanity, conceit and pride, through which obedience is transformed from a tool for salvation into a tool and means for destruction. One must constantly pray to God for the successful completion of obedience, and success must be attributed solely to the grace of God. When a monk receives the freedom to use a significant part of his time arbitrarily, then he must be protected from addiction to any material occupation and to everything earthly and perishable, as from a deadly poison. He must continually raise his thoughts to the mountain. Raising a thought to grief does not mean imagining heavenly villages, angels, the glory of God and so on, the like - no! Such daydreaming serves as a pretext for demonic delusion. Without any daydreaming, let the monk be lifted up by a spiritual sensation to the Judgment of God, let him be filled with saving fear from the conviction of the omnipresence and omniscience of God, let him cry and confess before God, who is present in his cell and looking at him, and let him ask for forgiveness and pardon in good time, remembering his many sins and inevitable death. If the time given for repentance and the acquisition of a blessed eternity is spent on temporary activities and acquisitions, then it will not be given another time; his loss is irreparable; his loss will be mourned with eternal and fruitless tears to hell. If during his earthly journey a person does not break off communication with spirits, then even after death he will remain in communication with them, more or less belonging to them, depending on the degree of communication. Unbroken communication with fallen spirits exposes you to eternal destruction, and insufficiently broken communication exposes you to severe torture on the way to heaven. Look, brothers, look at what the devil has done, is doing and will do, bringing man’s mind down from the spiritual heaven to matter, chaining man’s heart to earthly pursuits and to the earth. Look and be afraid with saving fear. Look and beware with necessary, soul-healthy caution. The fallen spirit occupied some monks with the acquisition of various rare and expensive things and, having nailed their thoughts to them, alienated them from God. Others were occupied with the study of various sciences and arts, only suitable for the earth, and, having drawn all attention to transitory knowledge, he deprived God of the essential knowledge of God 713 imputed to God” (1 Cor. 3:19). Many holy fathers possessed significant human learning, but they acquired it before entering monasticism. After accepting monasticism, they exclusively occupied themselves, according to the commandment of the Lord (Matthew 13:52), with the study of the Kingdom of Heaven or Theology in the broadest sense of the word. The Holy Fathers call Theology, studied by monastic life, a science of sciences, an art of arts (Kindness, part 4. St. Cassian's Homily on Reasoning). A thousand-year life is not enough to study it satisfactorily. It is incomprehensible, because its subject - God - is incomprehensible and, no matter how much one studies it, remains incomprehensible with all knowledge about Him. Others were occupied with the acquisition of various types of acquisitions for the monastery, with buildings, cultivation of gardens, vegetable gardens, arable land, meadows, cattle breeding, and forced them to forget God. Others were occupied with decorating their cells, with flowers, pictures, making spoons, rosaries, and distracted them from God. He tied others to a lathe and taught them to neglect God. He taught others to pay special attention to their fasting and other bodily feats, to give special meaning to crackers, mushrooms, cabbage, peas, thus turning reasonable, holy and spiritual feats into meaningless, carnal and sinful ones, infecting and deposing the ascetic with carnal and false reason, conceit, contempt for others, which is the destruction of the very condition for holy prosperity and the condition of destruction. Some were inspired to give exaggerated importance to the material side of church rites, eclipsing the spiritual side of rites from them; Thus, he, having taken away the essence of Christianity for these unfortunates, left only a distorted, material shell, and carried them away to fall away from the Church, to false and stupid superstition, to schism. This type of warfare is so convenient for the fallen spirit that it is now used everywhere. This type of warfare is so convenient for the devil and human destruction that the devil will use it in the last days of the world to completely distract the whole world from God. The devil will use this type of abuse, and will use it with decisive success. In the last days of the world, according to the influence of the ruler of the world, people will become attached to the earth and to everything material and carnal: they will indulge in earthly concerns and material development; they will exclusively engage in the organization of the earth, as if it were their eternal dwelling: having become carnal and material, they will forget eternity, as if non-existent, they will forget God, they will retreat from Him. “As it was in the days of Noah,” the Lord foretold, “so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: I ate, I ate, I married, I trespassed, until the day Noah went into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed everything. Just as it was in the days of Lot: yadyahu, piyahu, kupovahu, sellahu, sazhdahu, zdahu: on the same day Lot went out from the Sodomites, rained down the burning Kamyk and fire from heaven, and destroyed everything: therefore it will be the same on the day on which the Son of Man will appear. (Luke 17:26–30). To resist fallen spirits, you need to see them. Fighting is only possible with an opponent who is exposed to the senses of the body or soul. When the enemy is not visible, when his weapons are not visible, when no sensation testifies to his presence and action, then he is equal to a non-existent enemy. What kind of battle could there be here? Spirits, invisible to the eyes of the body, are visible to the eyes of the soul, to the mind and heart; but the holy fathers, having achieved purity and perfection, saw spirits with bodily eyes. We, who do not see fallen spirits with our bodily eyes, need to learn to see them with our spiritual eyes. To explain how spirits appear to people and how they can be visible to people, let us present the following two stories. 1) The Monk Macarius the Great spent the life of a hermit in the Egyptian Skete. At some distance from his cell there was a large society of monks who were under the leadership of the Great and lived the lives of hermits. Their cells were separated from each other by a stone's throw. One day the monk was sitting on the path leading to the monks’ cells and suddenly saw a walking demon in the form of a man with many vessels. The elder asked him: “Where are you going?” The devil answered: “I’m going to disturb the brethren.” The elder asked: “What do you have in these vessels?” The devil answered: “Meals for the brethren.” The elder said: “Are there food in all the vessels?” He answered: “Yes. If someone finds one dish objectionable, then I serve another, followed by a third, and so on in order, all the dishes, one after another, so that everyone tastes at least one.” Having said this, the demon went further, and the old man remained on the way, waiting for his return. Seeing him returning, the elder said to him: “Hello.” “What a hello!” - he answered. “Why is that?” - asked the old man. “Because,” answered the devil, “all the monks were unfavorable to me, and none of them accepted me.” The elder said: “So, you don’t have a single friend between them?” The devil answered: “I have one friend there who listens to me: when I come to him and he sees me, he will begin to spin in all directions” 714. The elder asked: “What is his name?” The devil said: “Theopempt.” Having said this, he left. The Monk Macarius found Theopemptus and, having entered into a private conversation with him, found that this monk did not recognize the demon who appeared to him, entered into a conversation with the thoughts he brought, enjoyed them, not understanding and not suspecting that through this he entered into communication and the closest connection with a fallen spirit. The saint taught Theopemptus how to fight the devil and turned demons from a friend into an enemy 715. From this story it is clear that Theopempt saw the devil, as the devil testified to this, but saw him only with his mind in various sinful thoughts. The advent of the devil to Theopemptus was marked by a special influx of obsessive and seductive thoughts, with which he did not know what to do, he fell into a state of bewilderment, anxiety and confusion, entered into a conversation with thoughts, obviously not understanding that they were offered by the demon, but believing that they arose in his own soul, tried to calm them down with reasoning and verbal debate and, finally, got carried away and enjoyed them. 2) Another great saint of God, the Venerable Macarius of Alexandria, once saw with his bodily eyes little youths, black as Ethiopians, running and flying throughout the church. The custom in that monastery was such that one monk read psalms protractedly in the middle of the church, and all the other brethren sat and listened to him 716. The monk saw that an Ethiopian sat with each monk and mocked him. The Ethiopians put their fingers on the eyes of one, and he immediately began to doze off; for another, they put their fingers on the mouth, and he began to yawn. Before others they stood in the likeness of women, before others they built buildings, brought various things and practiced various activities. At the end of the Divine Holy Service, Macarius, calling each brother to him, asked him privately what he thought and dreamed about during the Divine Service. It turned out that everyone thought and dreamed about what the spirits depicted before him 717. From this story it is clear that spirits act on us not only with vain and sinful thoughts, but also with sinful and vain dreams, even with touch and various touches. All this will become quite clear to a monk who leads an attentive life according to the Gospel commandments, in due time, from his own experiences. “Demons enter the senses and members,” says St. John of Carpathia, “torture the flesh with liquefaction, cause us to passionately look, hear, smell, inspire us to speak inappropriately, fill the eyes of adultery, lead us into confusion, acting from outside and inside us” 718 . In order to somewhat explain to everyone how spirits, these gaseous intelligent beings, can enter the members of our body, produce in them their own action, touch the soul itself, influence it, let us point out the similar action of some gases; Let us point out the fumes that occur because heavy carbon gas enters the brain, invisible to sensual eyes, through the sense of smell; Let us point out wine alcohol or gas (spiritus, spirit, gas), which, from drinking wine internally, rises from the stomach, through the body, into the head, in a way incomprehensible to us, affecting the brain and mind. This same spirit of wine or gas, penetrating, just as incomprehensibly to us, from the stomach into the blood, produces heat in it, or, what is the same, brings it into physical combination with caloric, a gaseous substance, the most refined, and exposes both body and soul to the influence of this substance. Gaseous substances have the property of entering solid substances and other gases, penetrating through them: thus, a solar ray penetrates through air and through all known gases belonging to the earth, through water, through ice, through glass; caloric (i.e. heat or fire, in the broad sense of the word) easily penetrates iron and all metals, produces a change in them - it also penetrates those gases through which light penetrates; air passes through wood, does not pass through glass; water vapor, different odors, that is, gases separated from different substances penetrate the air. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “From the time when, through the transgression of the commandment (in paradise by the first people), evil entered man, the devil received free access to always talk to the soul, as a man talks to a man, and to put everything harmful in the heart.” 720 The devil talks to a man, not using a voice, but in words, because thoughts are the same words, only not spoken by a voice, not clothed in sounds, without which a person cannot can communicate thoughts. In the same Word, the Great Macarius says: “The devil acts so cunningly that all evil seems to us to be born of itself in the soul, and not from the action of an alien (extraneous) spirit, evil and trying to hide” 721. Clear signs of the coming to us and the action of a fallen spirit on us are suddenly appearing sinful and vain thoughts and dreams, sinful sensations, the heaviness of the body and its intensified bestial demands, hardening of the heart, arrogance, vain thoughts, rejection of repentance, oblivion of death, despondency, a special disposition towards earthly pursuits. The coming of a fallen spirit to us is always associated with a feeling of confusion, darkness, and bewilderment. “Thoughts originating from demons,” said the Great Barsanuphius, “are, first of all, filled with confusion and sadness and attract oneself secretly and subtly: for enemies dress in sheep’s clothing, that is, they instill thoughts that are apparently right, “inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15), that is, they delight and “deceive the hearts of the gentle” ( Rom. 16:18) by what appears to be good, but is in fact harmful” 722. All the great teachers of monasticism argue in a similar way. With the monks, who firmly oppose the rejected spirits in a battle invisible to sensory eyes, in due time, not otherwise than by the permission of God who benefits us, the spirits enter into an open struggle 723. Being gaseous creatures, without flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39), they take on various types of animals, livestock, reptiles and insects, in sizes both very large and very small, they try to frighten the monk, upset him, lead him into a high opinion of himself 724, they try to plunge him into that disastrous state, which is called demonic delusion, they even try to tear out the worship of themselves, the worship befitting of God. Humble devotion to the will of God, consciousness and readiness to endure all the suffering that will be allowed by God, complete inattention and disbelief to all the words, actions and phenomena of fallen spirits destroy the entire meaning of their attempts. Their attempts receive the greatest significance when attention is paid to them and when the demons are trusted. Attention to them and trust always results in the greatest harm, and often the death of the monk. With the correct struggle with spirits, abundant spiritual benefits come from this struggle, and the monk comes to special prosperity. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “The prince of this age for infants in spirit is a punishing rod and a scourge that gives wounds, but thereby, as said above, through bitterness and temptation, he brings them great glory and an increase in honor: for from this it is that they achieve perfection, but for himself he prepares great and severe torment... The devil, being a slave and a creation God, he tempts not as much as he pleases, and does not induce anger in the amount in which he would like, but as much as God's beck, through permission, allows him. For God, fully knowing everything about everyone and how much strength each has, allows everyone to be tempted” 725. A believer with living faith in God, who has devoted himself to God with selflessness, remains undisturbed by all temptations inflicted by the spirits of evil, sees in spirits only the blind instruments of God’s Providence: not paying any attention to them during the temptations inflicted by them, he completely surrenders to the will of God. In devotion to the will of God there is a quiet, calming refuge in all temptations and sorrows (Ps. 106:30). Chapter 44. The first image of the fight against the fallen angels Having outlined in the previous article the image of the struggle of fallen spirits with people in detail accessible to us, which is most necessary and understandable for already successful monks, here we offer an image of the struggle with spirits that is appropriate for beginners and almost the only one that can be known to them from experience. The image of the novice’s struggle with the invisible spirit, visible only to the mind in thoughts and dreams, is that the novice monk immediately rejects sinful thoughts and dreams, without at all entering into conversation or debate with them, without paying or stopping attention to them, so that the thought or dream does not have time to impress itself on the mind and, thus, become assimilated to the mind. A monk who has some spiritual experience and some spiritual success is initially affected by more than one formless thought, bringing only a reminder of sin; then, if the mind enters into conversation with the thought that has presented itself, a sinful dream appears to assist the thought. To a new monk, in whom flesh and blood are very much alive, sinful thoughts and dreams appear together. If he only spends the slightest time paying attention to them and begins a conversation with a thought, apparently disagreeing with it and contradicting it, then he will certainly be defeated and carried away by it. The most experienced monk, even if he spent a century in monastic experiments, is not experienced enough in comparison with a fallen angel, whose experience in the fight against the servants of God has been refined for entire millennia: what significance can a new, inexperienced monk, who does not even have experienced, living knowledge of the existence of a fallen angel, have in the fight against this angel? A battle with him is a sure victory for a new monk. Our foremother Eve, despite the fact that she was in a state of purity and holiness, barely entered into a conversation with the serpent, when she was carried away by his evil cunning into transgressing the commandment of God and into a fall (Gen. 3). She should never have entered into a conversation with the insidious snake! She should never have entered into a discussion about the dignity of God’s commandment! She, having no experienced knowledge of either evil or deceit - malicious creatures usually cover up their evil intentions with deceit and hypocrisy - was easily carried away by the advice of the murderer, who covered the murderous advice with the guise of good intentions: inexperienced monks are subjected to the same deception and disaster. “Our soul,” says St. Hesychius of Jerusalem, “is simple and kind, being created as such by its good Master, delights in the dreamy pretexts of the devil; deluded, she rushes towards evil, which seems to her to be good, and mixes (combines) her thoughts with the dream of a demonic excuse” 726. All the fathers agree that the novice monk must reject sinful thoughts and dreams at the very beginning, without entering into debate, or later into conversation with them. This should be done especially in relation to prodigal thoughts and dreams. To repel sinful thoughts and dreams, the fathers offer two tools: 1) immediate confession of thoughts and dreams to the elder and 2) immediate appeal to God with the warmest prayer for the driving away of invisible enemies. The Monk Cassian says: “Always observe the head of the serpent, that is, the beginning of thoughts, and immediately tell them to the elder: then you will learn to trample on the evil undertakings of the serpent, when you are not ashamed to reveal them, all without exception, to your elder” 727. This image of the struggle against demonic thoughts and dreams was common to all new monks in the flourishing times of monasticism. The novices, who were constantly with their elders, confessed their thoughts at all times, as can be seen from the life of the Monk Dositheus 728, and the novices, who came to their elder at a certain time, confessed their thoughts once a day, in the evening, as can be seen from the Ladder 729 and other paternal books. The ancient monks recognized the confession of their thoughts and the guidance of the advice of a spirit-bearing elder as a necessity, without which it is impossible to be saved. The Monk Abba Dorotheos says: “I know of no other fall for a monk than when he believes his heart. Some say: a person falls from this, or from that; and I, as I have already said, do not know of any other fall than this, when a person follows himself. Have you seen anyone fallen? Know that he followed himself. There is nothing more dangerous, nothing more destructive than this. God preserved me, and I was always afraid of this disaster" 730. The instructions of the spirit-bearing elder constantly lead the new monk along the path of the Gospel commandments, and nothing separates him more from sin and the beginning of sin - the demon, than constant and intense confession of sin at its very beginning. Such a confession establishes irreconcilable enmity between man and demon, which is salutary for man. Such a confession, destroying double-mindedness or hesitation between love of God and love of sin, gives extraordinary strength to good will, and then extraordinary speed to the success of the monk, as can be seen again from the life of the Monk Dositheus. Those monks who could not act against sin through constant and frequent confession of sinful thoughts due to the lack of an elder, acted against it through constant and frequent prayer, such as the Venerable Mary of Egypt 731. The action of prayer should be the most decisive, without any preliminary conversation with the thought, especially without any enjoyment of it. As soon as you feel the coming of the enemy, get up in prayer, kneel, raise your hands to the sky or spread out across the earth: strike the enemy in his face with this lightning, and he will not be able to resist you, and will soon learn to flee quickly. Rejection of double-mindedness, that is, hesitation between love for God and love for sin is necessary: ​​from this, our good will and desire for God are preserved, increased, and strengthened, which attracts the special mercy of God to us. “If we constantly hold the sword in our hands,” said Pimen the Great, “then God will be constantly with us; if we are brave, He will show His mercy to us” 732. We see an excellent example of fighting through prayer against sinful thoughts in the feat of the Venerable Mary of Egypt 733. Saint Isaac of Syria says: “If someone does not contradict the thoughts that the enemy cunningly implants in us, but cuts off conversation with them through prayer to God, then this serves as a sign that his mind has acquired wisdom from grace and that a correct understanding of the matter has freed him from much (vain and unnecessary) labor. By finding a short path, he cut off the long soaring (wandering) along the extended path. Not at all times do we have the power to contradict all thoughts that oppose us and defeat them; For the most part, we accept ulcers from them, the healing of which takes a very considerable time. You go out to fight with wrestlers strengthened by six thousand years of experience! Your interview with them will give them the opportunity to deliberately inflict a defeat on you, exceeding the measure of your wisdom and reason. Even if you defeated them, your mind remains defiled by the filth of the thoughts they brought, and the stench of their evil stench remains in your sense of smell for a long time. When using the first method, you remain free from them and from their consequences; there is no other help but God" 734. In particular, one must avoid conversation and debate with lustful thoughts. The ascetic most indulges in such verbal debate, mistakenly believing that lustful thoughts and dreams have arisen of their own accord in his soul and can be curbed by the power of prudent exhortation to himself, not understanding, due to his inexperience, the coming to himself of a demon who willingly enters into conversation and verbal debate with us, probably knowing that voluptuous thoughts and dreams will find sympathy in the soul of the novice and will arouse and will kindle the voluptuousness that lives in her; he lures and lures us into conversation and debate, then as if yielding and moving away, then attacking again, in the full hope of gaining a decisive victory over us. Saint John of the Climacus said: “Do not try to overthrow the prodigal demon by argument and contradiction, because he has plausible pretexts as fighting us on the basis of nature. He who wants to enter into a struggle with his flesh or defeat it by himself, works in vain, for if the Lord does not destroy the house of the flesh and does not build the house of the soul, then the destroyer watches and fasts in vain. Submit the weakness of your nature before the Lord, recognize your powerlessness in all respects, and you will accept the gift of chastity in an inconspicuous way. This demon, much more than other demons, looks out for the time when we cannot resist him with prayer with the participation of the body in it: then this evil one attacks us mainly 735. Those who have not yet acquired true heartfelt prayer will be helped (in the fight against the prodigal demon) by suffering in bodily prayer, that is, raising hands, beating the chest, frequently turning the eyes to heaven, many sighs, and frequent kneeling. They often cannot do this due to the presence of others: then the demons try to attack them, and they, not yet being able to resist with the courage of the mind and the invisible power of prayer, out of necessity, perhaps, give in to those attacking them. Leave quickly, if possible, hide for a while in a secret place, raise a mountain, if you can, a spiritual eye, and if you can’t, then at least a bodily one, raise your hands crosswise and hold them so motionless that with the image of the cross you can shame and defeat this Amalek. Call upon the One who is able to save, not with cunning speech, but with humble words. First of all, start with these words: “Have mercy on me, for I am weak” (Ps. 6:3). Then you will experience the power of the Most High and with invisible help you will invisibly drive away the invisible. One who has become accustomed to fighting in this way will soon begin to drive away enemies with one soul: the second is a righteous gift of God to the workers of the first 736. Lying down on the bed, then let us especially be sober, because then the mind must fight demons without (the help of) the body, and if it is voluptuous, it conveniently becomes a traitor. May the remembrance of death and the like-minded Jesus Prayer fall asleep and rise with you" 737. The prodigal demon shamelessly attacks even saints and spirit-bearing men, as can be seen from the lives of Saints Macarius of Alexandria, Pachomius the Great and other saints of God. And for holy men, one heartfelt prayer was not always enough to resist the enemy, who has support in our fallen nature! And sometimes, during intense warfare, they had to resort to physical exploits, to assisting heartfelt prayer by participating in the prayer of the body, to curbing the body with work until it became tired. Some monks, who live a very attentive life and have preserved their virginity in body, are attacked by the prodigal demon with particular bitterness, as happened with a young monk upset by the advice of an inexperienced elder, as narrated by the Monk Cassian in his word on reasoning 738. The Monk Pimen the Great said: “Just as the royal squire always stands ready for the king, so the soul must always be ready against the prodigal demon.” 739 For this reason, monks, struggling with strong passions, must always be ready to resist them; On the very bed, to rest in sleep, they lie down dressed and girded, as if armed, as if armed with vigor and jealousy, so that when the enemy appears, they will immediately rise up and repel him. For this reason, in some of the most comfortable monasteries of Mount Athos, an ancient holy custom has been preserved, according to which all brethren are required to rest in sleep only clothed. This custom is indicated by the Gospel itself (Luke 12:35–38). Know, pious monk, that while Satan comes to you with his temptation, your omnipresent Lord is present here, looking at you, at your mind and heart, and waiting for how your feat will be crowned 740: will it be by maintaining fidelity to the Lord or by betraying Him? Is it a manifestation of love for the Lord and entering into communication with Him, or a manifestation of love for Satan and entering into communication with him? One or the other is certainly a consequence of a collision with an invisible enemy. True monasticism is invisible martyrdom; The life of a monk is a chain of continuous struggles and suffering: the winner is given an eternal life - the betrothal of the Holy Spirit. The monk whom God wants to enrich with spiritual intelligence and spiritual gifts is allowed to use strong attacks. “He who overcomes will inherit all things,” says Scripture, “and I will be his God, and he will be my son” (Apoc. 21:7). So! let us not be discouraged. Chapter 45. The second image of the fight against fallen angels Venerable Nil of Sora, based on the instructions of Saint Isaac of Sora, offers the following method of combating sinful thoughts - of course, when abuse does not have much effect and is inferior to this method. This method consists in turning evil thoughts into good ones and replacing, so to speak, passions with virtues 741. For example, if a thought of anger or remembrance comes, then it is useful to remember meekness and gentleness, the commandments of the Lord threateningly prohibiting anger and remembrance; if a thought and feeling of sadness comes, then it is useful to remember the power of faith and the words of the Lord, Who forbade us to indulge in fear and sadness, assuring and assuring us with His Divine promise that the hair of our head is counted with God (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7), that nothing can happen to you without the Providence and permission of God. The Monk Barsanuphius the Great said: “The Fathers say: if demons lead your mind into fornication, remind it of chastity; if he is carried away into gluttony, bring him fasting as a reminder. Do the same in relation to other passions" 742. Do this when thoughts of love of money, vanity and other sinful thoughts and dreams arise. This method, we repeat, is very good when it turns out to be strong enough; it was indicated to us by the Lord Himself (Matthew 4:3–4, 6–7). But when passions become agitated, the mind becomes darkened and confused before the enormity of temptation, thoughts attack with persistence and fury, then not only against lustful thoughts, but also against thoughts of anger, sadness, despondency, despair, in a word, against all sinful thoughts the most reliable weapon is prayer with the participation of the body in it. An example of this was shown and the Lord Himself commanded us again. Embraced by dying anguish, the Savior of the world prayed, kneeling, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and to the disciples, who did not understand the approaching great sorrow, he said: “Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune” (Matthew 26:39, 41). Demons use dreams to disturb and damage human souls; also, inexperienced monks themselves, by paying attention to their dreams, harm themselves: for this reason, it is necessary to make here a definition of the meaning of dreams in a person whose nature has not yet been renewed by the Holy Spirit. During human sleep, the state of the sleeping person is arranged by God in such a way that the whole person is in complete rest. This rest is so complete that during it a person loses consciousness of his existence and comes into self-forgetfulness. During sleep, all activity associated with labor and performed voluntarily under the control of the mind and will ceases: that activity remains that is necessary for existence and cannot be separated from it. In the body, the blood continues its movement, the stomach cooks food, the lungs send out breath, the skin allows perspiration; thoughts, dreams and feelings continue to multiply in the soul, but not depending on reason and arbitrariness, but according to the action of the unconscious nature. From such dreams, accompanied by characteristic thinking and sensations, a dream is composed. It is often strange, as not belonging to the system of voluntary and intentional dreams and thoughts of a person, but being spontaneous and self-righteous according to the law and requirement of nature. Sometimes a dream bears the incoherent imprint of arbitrary thoughts and dreams, and sometimes it is a consequence of a moral mood. Thus, a dream in itself cannot and should not have any meaning. It is ridiculous and completely illogical that some people want to see in the ravings of their dreams a prediction of their future or the future of others, or some other meaning. What about something that has no reason to exist? Demons, having access to our souls while we are awake, also have it during our sleep. And during sleep they tempt us with sin, mixing their dreams into our dreams. Also, having seen in us attention to dreams, they try to make our dreams entertaining, and to arouse in us greater attention to these nonsense, to introduce us little by little into confidence in them. Such trust is always associated with conceit, and conceit makes our mental view of ourselves false, which is why all our activities are deprived of correctness: this is what the demons need. To those who have succeeded in conceit, demons begin to appear in the form of angels of light, in the form of martyrs and saints, even in the form of the Mother of God and Christ Himself, they bless their lives, promise them heavenly crowns, and thereby elevate them to the heights of conceit and pride. Such a height is also a disastrous abyss. We need to know and know that in our state, which has not yet been renewed by grace, we are unable to see dreams other than those formed by the delirium of the soul and the slander of demons. Just as during a state of vigor thoughts and dreams constantly and incessantly arise in us from fallen nature or are brought by demons, so during sleep we see only dreams based on the action of fallen nature and the action of demons. Just as our consolation during our wakefulness consists of tenderness born from the consciousness of our sins, from the memory of death and the judgment of God - only these thoughts arise in us from the grace of God living in us, implanted in Holy Baptism, and are brought to us by the Angels of God, in accordance with our state of penitents, so in a dream, very rarely, in extreme need, the Angels of God present to us either our death, or hellish torment, or a terrible deathbed and afterlife judgment. From such dreams we come to the fear of God, to tenderness, to crying for ourselves. But such dreams are given very rarely to an ascetic or even to an obvious and fierce sinner according to the special, unknown vision of God; are given very rarely, not because of the stinginess of Divine grace towards us - no! - for the reason that everything that happens to us outside the general order leads us to conceit and shakes in us the humility that is so necessary for our salvation. The will of God, the fulfillment of which consists in the salvation of man, is depicted in the Holy Scriptures so clearly, so strongly, in such detail that promoting the salvation of people by violating the general order becomes most unnecessary and unnecessary. To the one who asked for the resurrection of the dead man and his message to the brethren to exhort them to cross from the wide path to the narrow one, it was said: “Moses and the Prophets will listen to them.” When the one who asked objected: “neither!.. but if anyone comes to them from the dead, they will repent”: he received the answer: “if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, and if anyone rises from the dead, they do not have faith” (Luke 16:27-31). Experience has shown that many who were granted visions of ordeals, the Last Judgment and other afterlife horrors in a dream were shocked by the vision for a short time, then scattered, forgot about what they had seen and led a carefree life, on the contrary, who did not have any visions, but carefully studied the law of God, gradually came to the fear of God, achieved spiritual success, and in the joy born of the announcement of salvation, they passed from earthly life. vale of sorrows into blissful eternity. Saint John Climacus discusses the participation of demons in monastic dreams in the following way: “When we, having left home and household for the sake of the Lord, give ourselves up to wandering for the love of God, then the demons, taking revenge for this, attempt to disturb us with dreams, presenting to us our relatives either weeping, or dying, or being kept in prison and exposed to misfortune for us. A believer in dreams is like one chasing his shadow and trying to catch it. The demons of vanity become prophets in dreams, foretelling the future with their cunning and foretelling it to us, so that when the visions are fulfilled, we become bewildered, and, as already close to the gift of foreknowledge, are elevated in thought. For those who believe the demon, he is often a prophet, and for those who humiliate him, he is always a liar. Being a spirit, he sees what is happening in the air and, realizing that someone is dying, announces this in a dream to the frivolous. Demons do not know anything about the future by foreknowledge; otherwise, even the sorcerers could predict our death. Demons transform into angels of light, often take on the image of martyrs and in dreams show us our communication with them, and those who awaken are immersed in joy and exaltation. Let this be a sign of delusion (demonic seduction) for you. The holy angels show torment, judgment, death, which is why, when we wake up, we are filled with trembling and lamentation. If we begin to submit to demons in our dreams, they will begin to mock us in our waking state. He who believes in dreams is completely unskilled, and he who does not believe in any dream is truly wise. Trust only those dreams that announce to you torment and judgment: if, because of them, despair begins to disturb you, then such dreams are from demons” 743. The Monk Cassian the Roman tells about a certain monk, a native of Mesopotamia, that he led the most solitary and fasting life, but died from the seduction of demonic dreams. The demons, seeing that the monk paid little attention to his spiritual development, but directed all his attention to the physical feat and gave it, and therefore himself, a price, began to present him with dreams, which, through demonic cunning, actually came true. When the monk established confidence in his dreams and in himself, the devil presented to him in a magnificent dream the Jews enjoying heavenly bliss, and the Christians languishing in hellish torment. At the same time, the demon - of course in the form of an angel or some Old Testament righteous man - advised the monk to accept Judaism in order to gain the opportunity to take part in the bliss of the Jews, which the monk did without the slightest delay 744. Enough has been said to explain to our beloved brethren, modern monks, how foolish it is to listen, much less trust, to dreams and what terrible harm can arise from trusting them. Attention to dreams inevitably creeps into the soul to trust them, and therefore attention itself is strictly forbidden. The nature renewed by the Holy Spirit is governed by completely different laws than the nature that is fallen and stagnant in its fall. The ruler of the renewed man is the Holy Spirit. “The grace of the Divine Spirit shone upon them,” said the Monk Macarius the Great, “and settled in the depths of their mind: this is the Lord as the soul” 745. Both in wakefulness and in sleep they remain in the Lord, outside of sin, outside of earthly and carnal thoughts and dreams. Their thoughts and dreams, which during sleep are outside the control of the human mind and will, acting in other people unconsciously according to the demands of nature, act in them under the guidance of the Spirit, and the dreams of such people have spiritual significance. Thus, righteous Joseph was taught in a dream the mystery of the incarnation of God the Word; in a dream he was told to flee to Egypt and return from it (Matthew 1 and Matthew 2). Dreams sent by God carry in themselves an irresistible conviction. This conviction is understandable to the saints of God and incomprehensible to those who are still struggling with passions. Chapter 47. About the affinity between both virtues and vices It is necessary for beloved brothers to know the following: all good thoughts and virtues have an affinity with each other; in the same way, all sinful thoughts, dreams, sins and passions have an affinity with each other. Because of this affinity, voluntary submission to one good thought entails natural submission to another good thought; the acquisition of one virtue introduces into the soul another virtue, akin and inseparable from the first. On the contrary, voluntary submission to one sinful thought entails involuntary submission to another: the acquisition of one sinful passion attracts into the soul another passion akin to it; the voluntary commission of one sin leads to an involuntary fall into another sin, born of the first. Malice, the fathers said, does not tolerate remaining unmarried in the heart 746. Let's explain this with examples. He who has rejected memory malice naturally feels heartfelt tenderness; whoever has refused to condemn his neighbors, his thoughts naturally begin to see his sins and weaknesses, which he did not see while he was judging his neighbors. Whoever praised or excused his neighbor for the sake of the commandment of the Gospel naturally felt goodwill towards his neighbor. Following poverty of spirit naturally comes crying for oneself; one who is poor in spirit and weeps for himself naturally becomes meek. He who has humiliated the truth of fallen nature and renounced it naturally hungers and thirsts for Divine truth, because it is not characteristic of man to be completely without truth. On the contrary, the one who condemned his neighbor naturally felt contempt for him; he who felt contempt gained pride. From contempt for one's neighbor, with a high opinion of oneself, and these two states are inseparable, hatred of one's neighbor arises. Hatred and remembrance result in hardening of the heart. Due to the hardening of the heart, carnal sensations and carnal wisdom begin to predominate in a person, and from this a lustful passion is kindled, faith in God and hope in Him is killed, and a desire for greed and human glory appears, leading a person to complete oblivion of God and apostasy from Him. On the basis of this affinity between both virtues and sins, the Holy Spirit lays down the law for the true servant of God: “I have been guided by all Your commandments, and have hated every way of unrighteousness. I have forbidden my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy words” (Ps. 119:128, 101). The path of untruth is sinful thoughts and dreams: through them sin enters the soul. Beloved brother! Do not consider it permissible for you to have any conversation with thoughts, no pleasure in dreams that are contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. Agreement with the enemies of the Lord, unity with them cannot but be accompanied by a violation of fidelity to the Lord, a violation of unity with Him: “Whoever keeps the whole law, yet sins in one, will be guilty of all” (James 2:10). Just as the violation of one commandment is at the same time a violation of the entire law of God or the will of God, so the fulfillment of one piece of the devil’s advice is at the same time the fulfillment of the will of the devil in general. An ascetic who has fulfilled the will of the devil is deprived of his freedom and is subjected to the violent influence of the fallen spirit to the extent that the will of the devil is fulfilled. Mortal sin decisively enslaves a person to the devil and decisively breaks off a person’s communion with God, until a person heals himself through repentance: being carried away by thoughts and dreams produces lesser enslavement and separation, but it produces them. And therefore it is necessary to abstain from all thoughts and dreams that do not agree with the teachings of the Gospel, and to immediately heal any infatuation with repentance. We beg our beloved brethren to pay attention to this. Those who do not know this and do not pay attention to it suffer the greatest harm and deprive themselves of spiritual success. For example, many, guarded from lustful thoughts and dreams, consider the pleasure of thoughts and dreams of greed and vanity to mean nothing, while, according to spiritual law, thoughts and dreams about property, about honors, about human glory are the same fornication. All sinful thoughts and dreams have such a meaning in a person’s relationship with God, as distracting a person from the love of God. According to spiritual law, one who delights in vainglory and other sinful thoughts and dreams will never be freed from lustful passion, no matter how much he struggles against it. The Venerable Macarius the Great says: “You must guard your soul and take care in every possible way so that it does not associate with foul and evil thoughts. Just as a body, having copulation with another body, becomes infected with uncleanness, so the soul is corrupted, combining with nasty and evil thoughts and agreeing with them at the same time, with thoughts that lead not to this or that sin, but which plunge into all kinds of malice, such as: unbelief, flattery, vanity, anger, envy, zeal. This is what it means to cleanse “oneself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1). Know that even in the secrets of the soul, corruption and fornication occur through the action of obscene thoughts” 747. Chapter 48. About the special opposition of fallen spirits to prayer Fallen spirits fiercely oppose all the gospel commandments, especially prayer as the mother of virtues. The holy prophet Zechariah saw in his vision “Jesus, the great priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and the devil standing at his right hand to resist him” (Zechariah 3:1): so now the devil relentlessly confronts every servant of God with the intention of stealing, desecrating his spiritual sacrifices and not allowing him to sacrifice, stop and destroy him. “Fallen spirits are tormented by envy of us,” said St. Anthony the Great, “and do not cease to set in motion all evil, so that we do not inherit their former thrones in heaven” 748. In particular, “the demon is very jealous,” said St. Neil of Sinai, “of a person praying, and uses all sorts of intrigues to frustrate his work” 749. The demon uses every effort to hinder prayer or to make it powerless and invalid. This spirit, cast out from heaven for pride and indignation against God, infected with incurable envy and hatred of the human race, infected with a thirst for the destruction of people, vigilantly, day and night, concerned about the destruction of people, it is unbearable to see that a weak and sinful person separates himself through prayer from everything earthly, enters into a conversation with God Himself and proceeds from this conversation sealed with the mercy of God, with the hope of inheriting heaven, with the hope of seeing even our mortal body transformed into a spiritual one. This sight is unbearable for the spirit, which is forever condemned to grovel, as it were, in mud and stench, in thoughts and sensations exclusively carnal, material, sinful, which, finally, must forever be overthrown and imprisoned in hellish prisons. He rages, goes into a frenzy, deceives, hypocrites, commits villains. We must be attentive and careful: only when absolutely necessary, especially at the request of assigned obedience, can you give the time designated for prayer to another activity. Do not leave your prayers without the most important reason, beloved brother! He who abandons prayer abandons his salvation; He who does not care about prayer does not care about salvation; he who abandoned prayer denied his salvation. A monk must behave very carefully, because the enemy is trying to surround him on all sides with his machinations, to deceive, seduce, outrage, seduce him from the path prescribed by the Gospel commandments, and destroy him in time and eternity. Such a fierce, malicious and cunning persecution of the enemy is soon observed by an attentive life; We will soon notice that at the very time when it is necessary to engage in prayer, he prepares other activities, presents them as both important and impatient of delay, just to take prayer away from the monk. The machinations of the enemy turn in favor of the diligent ascetic: constantly seeing a murderer nearby with a drawn dagger raised to strike, the helpless, powerless, poor in spirit monk continually cries out with tears to the omnipotent God for help and receives it. The rejected spirit, when it cannot take away the time designated for prayer, then tries to steal and desecrate the prayer while it is being performed. For this purpose, he acts with thoughts and dreams. He dresses his thoughts in the guise of truth in order to give them more strength and conviction, and he presents dreams in the most seductive painting. Prayer is stolen and destroyed when, while performing it, the mind does not heed the words of the prayer, but is occupied with empty thoughts and dreams. Prayer is desecrated when, during prayer, the mind, distracted from prayer, turns its attention to sinful thoughts and dreams represented by the enemy. When sinful thoughts and dreams appear to you, do not pay any attention to them. As soon as you see them in your mind, the more intensely close your mind in the words of prayer and beg God with the warmest and most attentive prayer to drive away your murderers from you. The evil spirit arranges its shelves with special skill. Ahead of him are thoughts clothed in all kinds of truth, and dreams that an inexperienced ascetic can mistake not only for innocent phenomena, but also for inspiration, for holy and heavenly visions. When the mind accepts them and, submitting to their influence, loses its freedom, then the leader of the foreign army puts forward clearly sinful thoughts and dreams for the fight. “Dispassionate thoughts,” said the Monk Nilus of Sora, referring to the former great fathers, “will be followed by passionate ones: the allowed entrance of the first is the reason for the forced entry of the second” 750. The mind, as having arbitrarily lost its freedom in a collision with advanced forces, disarmed, weakened, captive, cannot in the least resist the main forces, is immediately defeated by them, subordinated, enslaved by them. During prayer, it is necessary to enclose the mind in the words of prayer, indiscriminately rejecting every thought, both obviously sinful and righteous in appearance. Every thought, no matter what his attire and armor, if it distracts him from prayer, thereby proves that he belongs to a foreign regiment and came, uncircumcised, “to reproach Israel” (1 Sam. 17:25). The fallen angel bases his invisible warfare (struggle) with man with his own sinful thoughts and dreams on the mutual affinity of sins among themselves. This warfare does not cease either day or night, but it acts with special tension and fury when we stand up for prayer. Then, according to the expression of the holy fathers, the devil collects the most absurd thoughts from everywhere and pours them out on our soul 751. Firstly, he remembers to us and all those who offended us; insults and insults inflicted on us; tries to present in vivid painting retribution for them and presents resistance to them as a requirement of justice, common sense, public benefit, self-preservation, necessity. It is obvious that the enemy is trying to shake the very foundation of the prayerful feat - gentleness and meekness - so that the building erected on this foundation collapses by itself. This is what happens, because someone who is malicious and has not forgiven his neighbor for his sins cannot concentrate during his prayer and come to tenderness. Angry thoughts dispel prayer; they carry it to the sides, just as a gusty wind carries the seeds thrown by a sower into his field, the soil of the heart remains unsown, and the intense labor of the ascetic remains in vain. It is known that forgiveness of insults and insults, replacing condemnation of neighbors with a merciful apology for them, and blaming oneself serve as the basis for successful prayer. Very often the enemy, at the very beginning of prayer, brings thoughts and dreams about earthly prosperity: either in a seductive picture he presents human glory as a just or happy tribute to virtue, as if recognized and finally recognized by people who now come under its leadership, then in an equally seductive picture he represents an abundance of earthly means, on the basis of which Christian virtue should flourish and strengthen. Both of these paintings are false, they are depicted in opposition to the teachings of Christ, and cause terrible harm to the spiritual eye that looks at them and to the soul itself, which commits adultery from its Lord with sympathy for demonic painting. Outside the cross of Christ there is no Christian prosperity. The Lord said: “I do not accept glory from man... As much as you can believe, you accept glory from one another, and do not seek glory other than that from the one God” (John 5:41, 44). When doing all your good deeds, “do not be like hypocrites” (Matthew 6:16), doing good for the glory of man, receiving human glory as a reward for your virtue and depriving yourself of the right to an eternal reward (Matthew 6:1–18). “Do not let your fools know,” that is, your own vanity, “what your right hand does,” that is, your will, directed according to the Gospel commandments, “and your Father, seeing in secret, will reward you in reality” with the gift of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 6:3). The Lord also said: “No one can work for two masters: either he will love one and hate the other: either he holds on to one, but begins to be careless about his friends: you cannot work for God and for mammon,” that is, for property, wealth (Matthew 6:24). “Unless he renounces all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). It is worthy of note that the devil, tempting the God-man, offered Him the vainglorious thought of being glorified by a public miracle, and the dream of the most developed and powerful position. The Lord rejected both (Matthew 4; Luke 4): He leads us to the highest success along the narrow path of self-sacrifice and humility, and He Himself paved this saving path. We must follow the example and teaching of the Lord: reject thoughts of earthly glory, earthly prosperity, earthly abundance, reject the joy brought by such dreams and reflections, which destroy in us contrition of spirit, concentration and attention during prayer, introducing conceit and absent-mindedness. If we agree with vain, proud, selfish and peace-loving thoughts and dreams, do not reject them, but abide in them and enjoy them, then we enter into communication with Satan, and the power of God, which protects us, will retreat from us. The enemy, seeing the retreat of God's help from us, directs two heaviest battles at us: warfare with thoughts and dreams of fornication and warfare with despondency 752 . Defeated by the first battle, deprived of the intercession of God, we do not resist the second battle. This is what the fathers said, that God allows Satan to trample on us until we humble ourselves. It is obvious that thoughts of remembrance, condemnation, earthly glory and earthly prosperity are based on pride. Rejection of these thoughts is rejection of pride. The rejection of pride is accomplished by the establishment of humility in the soul. Humility is Christ's way of thinking and that heartfelt guarantee that comes from this way of thinking, by which all passions are mortified in the heart and erupted from it 753. The invasion of prodigal passion and the passion of despondency will be followed by an invasion of thoughts and feelings of sadness, unbelief, hopelessness, bitterness, darkness, blasphemy and despair. The pleasure of carnal lusts makes a particularly grave impression on us. The Fathers call them desecrators of the spiritual church of God 754. If we delight in them, then the grace of God will retreat from us for a long time and all sinful thoughts and dreams will receive the strongest power over us. They will continue to torment and torment us until we again attract grace to ourselves through sincere repentance and abstinence from enjoying the enemy’s excuses. Experience will not fail to teach an attentive monk all this. Having learned the order, the rank and regulations that the enemy adheres to when fighting us, we can organize appropriate resistance. Let us not judge or condemn our neighbor under any pretext; we will forgive our neighbors all the gravest insults inflicted on us by our neighbors. Whenever a thought of malicious malice appears against a neighbor, we will immediately turn to God in prayer for that neighbor, asking him for God’s mercy in time and in eternity. Let us renounce our souls, that is, the search for human glory, the search for an overly comfortable earthly position, the search for all earthly advantages, and we surrender ourselves entirely to the will of God, thanking and glorifying God for our past and present, placing our future on Him. Let such behavior and our direction be a preparation for our prayer, the basis for our prayer. Before starting prayer, let us humble ourselves before our neighbors, accuse ourselves as having seduced and seduced them with our sins, begin our prayer by praying for our enemies, unite ourselves in prayer with all humanity and beg God to have mercy on us together with all people, not because we are worthy of praying for humanity, but to fulfill the commandment of love, which lays down the law: “pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16). Although a true servant of God is allowed to struggle with the various causes of sin brought by Satan and arising from our nature damaged by the fall, the right hand of God constantly supports and guides him. The struggle itself brings the greatest benefit, providing the ascetic with monastic experience, a clear and detailed understanding of the damage to human nature, about sin, about the fallen angel, leading the ascetic to contrition of spirit, to weeping for himself and for all humanity. The Monk Pimen the Great told about the Monk John Kolov, a father filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, that he begged God and the struggle in him caused by the ailments of a fallen nature or passions ceased. He went and announced this to a certain elder who had succeeded in spiritual reasoning, saying: “I see myself in indestructible calm, without any warfare.” The prudent elder answered John: “Go and pray to God that the battle will return, because because of the battle the soul comes to prosperity, and when the battle comes, do not pray that it will be taken away, but that the Lord will grant patience in the battle” 755. Let us surrender ourselves entirely to the will of God, let us surrender ourselves entirely to fulfilling the will of God; Through unceasing prayer we will ask God for the gift of fulfilling the will of God and for that gift so that the will of God will always be done to us. Whoever surrenders to the will of God, God is inseparably with him. Every ascetic of Christ, laboring legally, struggling under the guidance of the Gospel, will feel this and testify to the truth of this. Chapter 49. About keeping the mental eye from everything harmful to it The Savior of the world said: “The eye is the lamp of the body” (Matthew 6:22). The Savior called the verbal power of the human soul, the spirit of man, a lamp; the Savior called “body” all human activity and the quality that is formed and dependent on this activity. The following words of the Apostle have a meaning similar to the above words of the Savior: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you, perfect in all things: and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit is mentioned, firstly, for the reason that the integrity and perfection of soul and body are completely dependent on the spirit. Spirit, or verbal power, is the highest ability of the human soul, by which it differs from the soul of animals, which are called dumb due to the lack of this ability 756. “When your eye is simple,” that is, when verbal power is alien to mixing and communication with sin and Satan, then “your whole body will be light,” that is, your activity will be correct, and your quality will be holiness: “when there is evil, and your body is dark. Observe slaughter, food is light, and there is darkness in you” (Luke 11:34, 35). Take care that your spirit, which is your natural light and the source of light for your life, does not become darkness and a source of darkness. This eye becomes evil from assimilating lies. The consequence of such assimilation is incorrect activity, and the quality is a state of self-delusion and sinfulness. From the acceptance of false thoughts, the mind is corrupted, the conscience loses fidelity in its instructions, all the spiritual sensations of the heart are also infected with incorrectness and sinfulness. Man becomes obscene, an enemy of his own salvation, a murderer of his soul, an enemy of God. Holy Scripture, and especially the Holy Spirit, who lives in Scripture and speaks through Scripture, pronounces the following definition against such people: “Men are corrupt in mind and unskillful in the faith” (2 Tim. 3:8), that is, people corrupted in mind are completely alien to faith. It is in no way possible for a person corrupted by the mind to be a partaker of faith: for him the place of faith is already occupied by a false mind, and the word of the cross serves for him as a subject of either temptation or ridicule, as we see among the Jews contemporary to the God-man (1 Cor. 1:18). Corruption of the mind is always associated with the corruption of other spiritual properties, which is why corruption of the mind and corruption of the spirit have identical meaning in their consequences. By accepting false teaching, or false thoughts about God, by distorting the dogmatic and moral teaching revealed by God through false teaching, the corruption of the human spirit is accomplished, and man becomes the son of the devil (John 8:44); but by conversing and mixing with thoughts that belong to the realm of Satan, without assimilating them, by contemplating thoughts and dreams brought by demons, the spiritual eye is damaged. His visual power loses to some extent, in accordance with the degree of communication with Satan, its correctness and purity. The Monk Hesychius of Jerusalem says: “Just as we harm ourselves by looking at harmful things with our sensual eyes, so we harm ourselves by looking at harmful things with our minds.” 757 For this reason, we must pay special attention to the preservation of the spiritual eye and especially take care of the preservation of the spiritual eye, so that it is not damaged, so that its painful state does not become the cause of our soul destruction. As an example of how a corrupted spiritual eye acts harmfully on our salvation, let us cite the following, which we have seen from experience: some have read novels and have adjusted their minds and hearts to them; Subsequently, struck by some vicissitudes of life, or by their own inner, awakened attraction, or even by the grace of God, these people wanted to lead a pious life. It was then that the disastrous effect of the mood obtained by the previous reading was revealed. The habit of enjoying voluptuousness constantly distracted them from the feeling of repentance and introduced into the very feat the enjoyment of voluptuousness, so abominable before God, making the human soul inaccessible to the Holy Spirit, easily accessible to Satan, his abode. This is especially clear in the female field. Those women who read many novels, then indulged in piety and even asceticism, most want their new life to also be a novel; they want to be mistresses according to the mood of their soul! They want: because the will, damaged by its improper use, forcibly attracts them to acquired voluptuousness, and the mind, weakened, darkened, corrupted, captivated by thoughts communicated by reading, has neither the strength nor the ability to guide the will and keep it from the wrong desire. Those who are nourished by reading novels are very capable of self-delusion and demonic charm, as they have acquired a taste for the pleasure of voluptuousness, which can act not only in a crude, but also in the most refined way, incomprehensible and inconspicuous for a person who has not yet cast off the yoke of passions. A certain monk, during his worldly life, not knowing what prudence and circumspection should be observed when exposing the soul to impressions that remain to live in it, read out of empty curiosity some works compiled against the Christian faith. When he entered the monastery and took upon himself a reasonable monastic feat, the impressions he received began to reveal their presence in the soul with thoughts of doubt, bewilderment, and blasphemy, proving that the spiritual eye was clogged with communication with thoughts from the realm of Satan. The Holy Apostle Paul said: you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you. “If anyone corrupts the church of God, God will corrupt him: for the church of God is holy, just as you are. Glorify God in all your bodies and in your souls, which are God” (1 Cor. 3:16–17, 6:20). Although our bodies are the church of God, what primarily constitutes the church of God is our verbal power, our spirit, our mind and heart. The name heart refers to all the sensations of the spirit. When the mind and heart become the abode of God, and they initially become His abode, then naturally both soul and body become His abode, as completely dependent on the mind and heart. The church of God is corrupted when the body falls into sensual fornication; the church of God is corrupted when the mind and heart enter into adulterous communication with Satan with thoughts and sensations that belong to him. The words: “God will corrupt him” mean that God will retreat from a person who has corrupted the church of God in himself, who has made himself incapable of living God within himself. The consequences of such a retreat are known: the death of the soul, beginning in time, and burial in the dungeons of hell in eternity. The spirit of man is corrupted, struck by blindness and darkness, as we have already said, by the acceptance of false teaching, teaching emanating from the world and Satan, teaching contrary to the revealed Divine teaching, the teaching of Christ, the teaching of the Universal and Eastern Church. The following teachings are recognized as false teachings: teachings that deny the existence of God, or atheism; teachings that reject Christ and Christianity, recognizing the existence of God, but rejecting all relationships between God and people, or deism; teachings that do not directly reject Christianity, but distort the revealed teaching of God with arbitrary, human, blasphemous teaching, which destroys the essence of Christianity, which are all heresies; teachings that do not directly reject Christianity, but reject the works of faith or the moral gospel and church tradition, accept pagan activities, thereby killing the faith and destroying the essence of Christianity. This is the most modern progress, or progress in immorality and in complete ignorance of Christianity, and, consequently, in complete distance and alienation from God. The church of God is not completely corrupted, but is desecrated, the eye is not struck by spiritual blindness, but is damaged, receiving a more or less significant ulcer, when a monk reads an immoral or heretical book, visits an immoral or ungodly society, exposes himself to the influence of sinful temptations, when he converses with sinful thoughts and delights in them, when he allows himself to be carried away by some custom of the world, what are all worldly games and amusements. If a monk pierces all this and justifies his passion, instead of admitting and repenting of it, then he falls into the greatest spiritual disaster. He damages the very beginning of his being - his verbal power, his spirit, his mind and heart. We must preserve the spiritual eye, and preserve it. Whatever we do outside of the Gospel teaching and law will certainly make a harmful impression on us. Every deed, word and thought, both good and evil, certainly puts a corresponding stamp on us. We need to know this and be aware of it. Chapter 50. About repentance and crying Beginning to offer our poor advice to our beloved brethren, we said that monasticism is nothing more than an obligation to strictly fulfill the Gospel commandments, that monastic life is nothing more than life according to the Gospel commandments, no matter where it is spent, whether among crowds or in the deepest desert. Our solitude is in God. In our God our mind and heart can find that reliable and quiet refuge, which is not affected by either the waves or the winds of the sea of ​​life. Without this, the world, hostile to God, will accompany us into the depths of forests, into mountain gorges and caves: there it will make us its cohabitants. Monastic living, not based on the Gospel commandments, is like a building without a foundation: it will collapse. Monastic life, inanimate by the Gospel commandments, is like a body without a soul: it stinks with the stench of Pharisaism, and it stinks all the more the more it is clothed in appearance with bodily exploits. A reasonable reader will find confirmation of this truth in all our advice so far presented. Concluding these wretched advice, we recognize ourselves as obligated to lay out before our beloved brethren the most important spiritual work, which should embrace the entire life of a monk, which should be the soul of his life, the soul of his spiritual and physical achievement. Having carefully read the previous advice, of course, he saw this as doing it; but we consider it our duty to announce it separately and in as much detail as possible. The life of a monk is nothing more than active and unceasing repentance. We certainly need to immerse ourselves entirely in repentance if we wish to bear the monastic name and title without vain and without condemnation. Then only a monk walks correctly when he is filled and guided by a feeling of repentance. When the feeling of repentance recedes from his heart, this serves as a sure sign that the monk is carried away by false thoughts inspired by Satan or arising from fallen nature. A constant lack of repentance is a sign of a completely wrong mood. The man-made church of God is fumigated with incense during every prayer, for this reason the air in the church is constantly filled with gases emanating from the burned incense; the very vestments and other accessories are saturated with a fragrant smell, and, of necessity, everyone who comes to the church for prayer and service breathes it. Likewise, the church of God not made by hands, created and recreated by God, a Christian, especially a monk, must be constantly filled with a feeling of repentance. A feeling of repentance should be aroused with every prayer of a monk: it should accompany it, promote it, inspire it, lift it to God; otherwise it will not be able to rise from the ground and emerge from distraction. The whole behavior of the monk and his very fulfillment of the Gospel commandments should be permeated with a feeling of repentance. He must fulfill them as a debtor, as an unbreakable servant (Luke 17:10), must bring them into the treasury of the heavenly King, as an insignificant payment for his unpayable debt, which can be paid only by the mercy of the Heavenly King. The Monk Mark the Ascetic said: “Those who have not considered themselves debtors to every commandment of Christ, honor the law of God bodily, not understanding either what they say or what they are based on” 758. From the fallen human spirit, only one sacrifice is accepted by God: repentance. Other feelings, the most intense feat, which can be called a burnt offering, are rejected as defiled by sin and in need of cleansing by repentance before being sacrificed. This one sacrifice of fallen man is not degraded by the Lord by rejecting it (Ps. 50:19). When, through repentance, Zion is renewed and the walls of our spiritual Jerusalem are built, then with boldness the sacrifices of righteousness will be offered on the altar of the heart - our feelings, renewed by God’s grace; then a person will become capable of making a burnt offering pleasing to God (Ps. 50:21). The Hieromartyr Zadok said: “Whoever is spiritual awaits martyrdom with joy, desire and great love and is not afraid of it, being ready; but the hour of death is terrible for a carnal man” 759. Repentance is a gospel commandment. The immediate consequence of repentance, according to the instructions of the Gospel, should be our entry into the Heavenly Kingdom, and therefore, the entire space of time from our assimilation to Christ to our entry into eternity, or our entire earthly life, should constitute a field of repentance. It is obvious that the Kingdom of Heaven becomes the inalienable property of those who repent. The first sermon and commandment spoken by God incarnate to fallen humanity, which He came to save, was about repentance: “Jesus began to preach and say: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing near” (Matthew 4:17). After His resurrection, before His ascension into heaven, the Lord opened the minds of the apostles, and they understood the Scriptures. Then He told them that, according to the Scriptures, Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, “and in His name repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:45–47). To believe in Christ and accept Christianity, you need awareness of your sinfulness and repentance; To remain in Christianity you need to see your sins, consciousness, confession of them and repentance. When the Jews, who were inclined to believe, asked the holy Apostle Peter what they should do, he answered: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Also, the Apostle Paul everywhere preached “repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). It is impossible, while living in sins and loving sin, to become assimilated to Christ: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed, for they are evil” (John 3:20). “What communion of righteousness has with iniquity, or what communion of light with darkness? What kind of agreement does Christ have with Belial?” (2 Cor. 6:14–15). In order to approach Christ and enter into union with Him through Holy Baptism, it is necessary to first repent. And by Holy Baptism we are given the freedom to either remain in unity with the Lord, or to violate this unity by communion with sin. That's not enough! In our fallen nature, the ability to give birth to evil mixed with good has not been destroyed by Holy Baptism, so that our will is constantly tempted, so that our choice of Divine good and preference for it over evil and our own damaged good is free, positively proven by submission to all sorrows of the path of the Cross. By Holy Baptism, original sin and sins committed before baptism are blotted out, the violent power over us that it had before our rebirth is taken away from sin, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, by which we are united with God in Christ and receive the power to overthrow and overcome sin. For the reason that we are not delivered from the struggle with sin, we cannot be completely free from sins throughout our earthly life, and the most righteous person “will fall sevenfold (that is, often) and rise” by repentance (Prov. 24:16), says Scripture. He falls due to his weakness and limitations, not always seeing sin, subtly and imperceptibly arising from fallen nature, subtly and imperceptibly brought and imparted by fallen Spirits: repentance becomes his inalienable property, his constant weapon, his invaluable treasure. The righteous person maintains his fellowship with Christ through repentance; he is healed by repentance from the ulcers caused by sin. “If we speak,” says Saint John the Theologian, “as if we are not imams of sin, we deceive ourselves: and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, may he forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we commit Him a lie, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). The Theologian says this about involuntary sins due to weakness and limitation, about unimportant sins that even saints cannot avoid, but about voluntary sinful life he says the following: “whoever abides in Him (in the Lord Jesus Christ) does not sin: whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Children, let no one flatter you: do the truth, he is righteous, just as He is righteous; commit a sin, it is of the devil: as the devil sinned from the beginning. For this reason, the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone born of God does not commit sin (that is, does not lead a sinful life, does not fall into mortal sins and arbitrary sins), for His seed abides in him: and cannot sin, for he is born of God. For this reason he was revealed to be a child of God and a child of the devil” (1 John 3:6–10). The children of God lead their lives according to the Gospel commandments and bring repentance for their inclinations. If by some accident a servant of God happens to fall into mortal sin, he is healed from the wound of sin by repentance and confession and therefore does not cease to be a child of God. Those who lead a sinful life arbitrarily, out of love for it, willingly fall into any sin, no matter what they imagine, who recognize as the enjoyment of life fornication in its various forms and any other crime of the Gospel commandments, are the children of the devil, even if they were called Christians, even if they participated in some church prayers and rituals, even if they resorted to the sacraments, to their reproach, to their own condemnation. This is the attitude of repentance towards every Christian. Moreover, it constitutes the essence of monastic residence. Entering into this life is the consciousness of one’s sinfulness, and the life itself is an uninterrupted field of repentance. Anyone who enters into monasticism and wishes to pronounce monastic vows before God, before the beginning of this sacred rite, sets out the confession of his heartfelt pledge as follows: “Having embraced the Father’s openings, I have spent my life in fornication (the love of my heart has been incorrectly scattered and squandered according to passions), looking at the inexhaustible wealth of Thy bounty, O Savior, who has now made me impoverished and not despise your heart, for, Lord, I call you with tenderness; sinned in heaven and before You" 760. The greatest holy fathers recognized repentance as their only action. Having indulged in this work, they spread it more and more for themselves, because repentance not only cleanses sins, but sharpens a person’s vision of himself. When some sinful stains are cleansed by repentance from the robe of the soul, then the existence of other stains is suddenly revealed on it, less coarse, no less important, which had hitherto remained unnoticed due to dullness of vision 761 . Finally, repentance elevates its worker to the most extensive spiritual visions: it reveals to him his own fall and the fall of all mankind, his suffering and the suffering of all mankind under the yoke of the world ruler, the wondrous work of redemption, and other secrets with which experience itself will acquaint the reader; the word is not enough to tell them. The Monk Arseny the Great had as his constant occupation repentance and, associated with it, expressing his lament; the handkerchief was always on Arseny’s lap, and tears constantly fell on this handkerchief while the monk, busy with his hands with needlework, occupied his mind with the prayer of repentance. The Monk Sisoes the Great asked the angels who came to separate his soul from his body and take it to heaven, that they leave it in the body and give time for repentance, and he said to his disciples, who testified to his perfection, that he did not know about himself whether he had begun repentance - he had such a high concept of repentance, so much importance did he give to it! It is obvious that the monk here called the entire monastic life repentance and, by saying that he had not yet begun to repent, thereby expressed his humble opinion about his monastic life. Those who have acquired a true, spiritual concept of repentance combine in it all their deeds and recognize as lost for themselves that day on which they did not cry for themselves, even if they did some other good deeds on that day 762. There is no doubt that the Monk Sisoes was immersed in the work of repentance and crying: among the properties of this work is the fact that it cannot satisfy the worker, but the more it satisfies him, the more it arouses desire for himself, delivering God-loving purity and at the same time producing a thirst for even more perfect purity. Those purified by crying continue to recognize themselves as unclean. We have already mentioned the advice given by the Monk Sisoy to a brother who asked him for soul-saving advice. “If you want to please God,” said the Great One, “depart from the world, retreat from the earth, leave creation, approach the Creator, unite yourself to God with prayer and weeping, and you will find peace in this and the next century.” He said to another brother: “Stay in your cell with sobriety, present yourself to God with many tears and in contrition of heart, and you will find peace.” It is obvious that the saint gave advice to the brethren from his holy experience. He advised the first to leave everything worldly and everything earthly, that is, all addictions, and advised the second to constantly stay in the cell, because with addictions and frequent idle exits from the cell, such repentance and prayerful crying are impossible. The heart must be renounced from everything and not be entertained by anything; then only it can weep before God and plunge into weeping as into an abyss, as into life. When the brother asked Pimen the Great about how a (reasonably) silent person should stay in a cell, the Great answered: “Like a man mired in stinking mud up to his neck, with a burden on his neck and crying out to God: “Have mercy on me.” In these words, all monastic deeds are combined into crying and prayer of repentance. To another brother, who asked what work he should do, the same monk said: “When the time comes for us to appear before God, then what will concern us?” The brother answered: “Our sins.” Pimen: “So, let us go up to our huts and, secluded in them, let us remember (with repentance) our sins, and the Lord will hear us.” Another brother asked the same old man what work he should do. The elder said: “When Abraham ascended to the promised land, he bought himself a coffin and from the coffin began to own it.” The brother asked: “What is the significance of the coffin?” Pimen answered: “This is a place of crying and sobbing.” Again the brother asked the same saint: “What should I do with my sins?” The Great Pimen answered: “Whoever wants to get rid of sins gets rid of them by crying, and whoever wants to save himself from acquiring them saves himself by crying.” This is the path of repentance, handed down to us by Scripture and the fathers, who said: “Cry, because there is no other way (to salvation) except crying.” “Crying is special,” Pimen the Great used to say, “it makes and preserves.” One day Pimen was walking with Abba Anuv in the vicinity of Diolko; there they saw a woman on the coffin, beating and crying bitterly. They stopped and listened to her. When several departed, one of the local residents met them, and Abba Pimen asked him: “What happened to this woman? Why is she crying so bitterly?” He told him: “Her husband, son and brother died.” Then Abba Pimen, turning to Abba Anuv, said to him: “I tell you: if a person does not mortify all carnal lusts and does not acquire such crying, then he cannot be a monk, for the whole life of a monk consists in crying.” They announced to Pimen the Great about the death of Arseny the Great: he, shedding tears, said: “Blessed, Abba Arseny! You cried for yourself in this life. He who does not mourn himself here will cry forever. It’s impossible not to cry: either voluntarily here, or involuntarily there, in agony” 763. Some, not doing or doing very little spiritual work, but practicing only the physical, not without an admixture of pharisaism - bodily work alone cannot do without pharisaism - do not at all feel the sting of conscience and its convictions of sinfulness, for this reason they recognize this state of their calm as worthy of approval. In their opinion they are supported and confirmed by many of their obvious good deeds and human praise. On this basis, they consider such a state of calm to be a direct consequence of godly activity, a virtuous, impeccable life. Calmness turns at times into unaccountable joy: they do not stop recognizing this joy as grace-filled. Woeful self-delusion! Soul-crushing blindness. Self-delusion here is based on conceit, and conceit is damage to the spiritual eye, born from wrong activity and giving rise to even more wrong activity. Beloved brother, the calm with which you are assured of the fidelity of your path is nothing more than unconsciousness and lack of awareness of your sinfulness, which occurred and continues to occur from a careless life, and the joy that is born in you from time to time due to outward success and human praise is by no means a spiritual and holy joy: it is the fruit of conceit, self-satisfaction and vanity. The Holy Fathers call this state of imaginary calm insensibility, mortification of the soul, death of the mind before the death of the body 764. Insensibility or mortification of the soul consists in the withdrawal and retreat of the feelings of repentance and crying from our spirit, in the retreat of saving pain, called contrition, from our heart. Painlessness of the heart, or imaginary calm, is a sure sign of an incorrect way of thinking, an incorrect feat, and self-delusion. “No matter how high our life may be,” said Saint John Climacus, “but if we have not acquired a sick heart, then this life is false (feigned) and in vain” 765. Painlessness comes from an inattentive life, from untimely exits from the cell, from untimely conversations, jokes, laughter, idle talk and verbosity, from satiety and satiety, from addictions, from the acceptance and assimilation of vain thoughts, from arrogance and pride 766. “If you do not have tenderness,” said the fathers, “then know that you have vanity; It is this that does not allow the soul to come to tenderness” 767. The path to achieving tenderness is an attentive life. “The beginning of repentance comes from the fear of God and attention,” as the holy martyr Boniface says: the fear of God is the father of attention, and attention is the mother of inner peace, the same gives birth to conscience, which does this, and the soul, like in some clean and undisturbed water, sees its own unbeauty, and thus the beginnings and roots of repentance are born. Although an attentive and correct life according to the Gospel commandments serves as the initial cause of repentance, it is still recognized as not overshadowed by Divine grace and fruitless, until heartfelt contrition, tenderness, weeping, tears, all of which constitute true monastic repentance, vegetate from it. To confirm this most important experimental teaching, we will cite the testimonies of the holy fathers. Saint John Climacus says: “He who came out of the world for the purpose of destroying the burden of his sins, let him imitate the one sitting at the tombs outside the city, and let him not cease from warm and hot tears and silent heartfelt sobs, until he sees that Jesus came to him, rolled away the stone of bitterness from his heart, freed our mind - this Lazarus - from the bonds and commanded His servants the angels: “Loose him” from passions, “and leave walking” (John 11:44) to blissful dispassion. If this does not happen, then there is no benefit (from leaving the world)” 769. Saint Isaac of Syria: “Question: What are the reliable signs and signs from which and through the sensation of which the ascetic can understand that he has begun to see the hidden fruit in himself, in his soul? – Answer: When he is worthy of the grace of many tears shed without compulsion. Tears are placed for the mind, as a certain limit between the physical and the spiritual, between a passionate state and purity. Until someone accepts this gift, until then the works of his achievement are still in the outer man, and he has not yet at all felt the mysterious actions of the spiritual man. When he begins to leave the corporeal state of the present age and finds himself having crossed the limit and entered into the interior of what is hidden in the interior of nature, then he immediately reaches this grace of tears. Tears begin from the first abode of the innermost dwelling and elevate the ascetic to the perfection of God’s love. As much as he succeeds in this life, he becomes richer in tears, until, after spending so much time in them, he begins to drink them when he eats his food and drinks. And this is a sure sign that the mind has left this world and felt that spiritual world. To the extent that a person approaches this (material) world with his mind, these tears diminish. When the mind is completely immersed in this world, then it is completely deprived of these tears. This serves as a sign that a person is buried in passions” 770. Saint Simeon, New Theologian: “Before weeping and tears, let no one deceive us with vain words; below, let us deceive ourselves: there is no repentance in us, no true repentance, no fear of God in our hearts; we have not matured ourselves: our soul has not come to the understanding of future judgment and eternal torment. If we had matured ourselves, if we had acquired this and achieved this, we would immediately produce tears. Without them, it will never be possible for our hard-heartedness to soften, nor for our soul to acquire spiritual humility; we cannot be humble. One who has not become so cannot be united with the Holy Spirit; one who is not united to Him cannot come into the vision and mind of God and is not worthy to mysteriously learn the virtue of humility” 771. An attentive life leads to tenderness, and tenderness, especially when it begins to be accompanied by tears, brings deep, gracious attention. Crying and tears are a gift from God: and therefore, while living an attentive life, ask for this gift through diligent prayer. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; ask, and it will be opened to you... Your heavenly Father will give spiritual blessings to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:7-11), will give the door and the key to all spiritual blessings - weeping and tears. “I,” says Saint John of the Climacus, “come to amazement, considering the very quality of tenderness: how the so-called crying and sadness contain within themselves joy and joy, like a honeycomb! What do we learn from this? That such tenderness is actually a gift of God” 772. Saint Simeon, the New Theologian, very thoroughly said that the initial cause of crying and tears is our will 773. It is up to us to leave absent-mindedness, to leave wandering around fraternal cells and among acquaintances outside the monastery, to leave jokes, idle talk and verbosity, to begin an attentive life in prayer and reading the Word of God, while abstaining from excesses and sweets. Such an attentive life will certainly lead to tenderness and weeping, especially when through diligent prayers we beg God to grant us this saving gift. Having received a gift, one must treasure it as a priceless treasure. Exactly: he is a priceless spiritual treasure and wealth. It, even having been acquired, can easily be lost if we indulge in absent-mindedness, entertainment, serving our passions and whims, man-pleasing, peacefulness, gluttony, gossip, slander, even verbosity. In an inconspicuous way, we can move from a state of tenderness to a state of insensibility. The state of insensibility is so important for our invisible enemy that he tries in every possible way to keep us in it and strengthen us, without disturbing us with other passions or temptations from the outside, because conceit and self-satisfaction, which usually accompanies insensibility, self-delusion and pride, which are usually the consequences of deep-rooted insensibility, are sufficient to take away all spiritual fruits and cause destruction. Insensibility is all the more terrible because the person possessing it does not understand his distressed state: he is seduced and blinded by conceit and self-satisfaction. “Tenderness,” says the Monk Simeon, the New Theologian, “is the fruit of keeping the commandments and the cause of all spiritual fruits. It is the creator and creator of all virtues, as evidenced by all Divinely inspired Scripture. And therefore, whoever wants to cut off passions and acquire virtues must, before all virtues and with all virtues, diligently seek tenderness. Without it, he never sees his soul as pure; if he does not acquire a pure soul, then he will in no way acquire a pure body. A defiled robe cannot be washed without water, and without tears it is impossible for the soul to wash itself and cleanse itself of filth and impurity. Let us not present apologies that are harmful to the soul and vain, or rather, completely false, serving as the cause of destruction of the soul, but we will wholeheartedly seek the Queen of virtues. He who seeks it with all his soul finds it; more correctly, she comes and finds the one who sought her with illness, and if he has a heart harder than copper, than iron, than stone, with her arrival she makes him softer than any wax. She is the Divine fire, destroying mountains and stones, angling and transforming everything, transforming those souls who accept her into helicopter cities (gardens). It becomes a source in the depths of these souls, flowing out the water of life. This water incessantly, as if from some reservoir (pool), descends to near and far (places of the garden) and fills souls who receive the Word with faith. Firstly, she cleanses her partakers from filth; then he washes away the passions, wipes them away like scabs that cover wounds, and rejects them - I say, rejects guile, envy, vanity and all the others that follow. Not only does this, but like a kind of flame that goes everywhere, little by little it destroys them, burning and scorching them hourly, like thorns. First, it arouses in us the desire for perfect freedom and purification from passions, then the desire for the blessings God has set aside and prepared for those who love Him. Yet this is accomplished by the Divine fire of tenderness with the assistance of tears, or rather, tears. Without tears, as we have said, none of these blessings have ever been or will be in us or in anyone else. It is impossible to find in the Divine Scripture that any man, without tears and constant tenderness, was purified or became a saint, or received the Holy Spirit, or saw God, or felt Him dwelling within himself, or accepted Him as a resident in his heart. None of this could have happened when repentance and tenderness were not preceded, when tears, pouring out as if from a source and constantly flooding the eyes, did not wash the spiritual church and the soul itself, watering and cooling the soul, embraced and inflamed by an impregnable fire. Those who say that it is impossible to shed tears and cry every night, every day, testify to themselves that they are alien to all virtue. If our holy fathers uttered the following definition: he who wants to cut off passions, cuts them off by crying, and he who wants to acquire virtues, acquires them by crying, then from this it is clear that he who does not cry daily does not cut off passions or perform virtues, although he thinks, deceived by conceit, to perform them. What is the use, tell me, of the tools of any kind of art, when there is no artist who would know how to give proper use to both the tool and the substance? What is the use of a gardener if he cultivates the entire garden, plants and sows all kinds of plants in it, and the rain does not fall on the garden from above and it is not watered? Of course, no benefit. So the one who practices other virtues and works in them will not receive any benefit without this holy and blessed mistress and perfecter of all virtues. Just as a king without an army under his command is powerless and is conveniently defeated by everyone and is not even recognized as a king, an extraordinary person, so, on the contrary, a large army, without a king and their military leader, is conveniently frustrated and exterminated by enemies. Such is the relationship between crying and other virtues. By the likeness of an army we mean the collection of all the virtues of the newcomer; under the likeness of a king and a military leader - blissful sobbing and crying, with which the entire army is put in order, inspired, encouraged, strengthened, learns to use weapons in accordance with the time, circumstances, enemies... Lament controls all this; without it, many people (other virtues) are conveniently defeated. So, brethren, before all works and with all works, let repentance be the work of all of us, with repentance weeping and accompanying tears. There is no crying without repentance; there are no tears without crying: these three have united and connected with each other, and it is impossible for one of them to appear without the other two” 774. The mental path of repentance and crying has the important advantage that it is safe from demonic seduction or so-called demonic delusion. The fallen spirit, in order to seduce the ascetic, first tries to assure him of his dignity or merits, which is clear from the examples given in the previous advice: how can he seduce the one who with all his might seeks to discover his sinfulness, weeps over that which has been revealed to him, because of it he is kindled to discover an even greater one, who consists of all his desire in seeing in himself the one and only dignity of a sinner, so that both externally and through internal activity, bring to God consciousness and confession of one’s sinfulness. “When the devil,” says St. Gregory of Sinai, “sees someone living in tears, he does not stay with him, turning away from the humility produced by crying” 775. Although the enemy tempts those who cry, he is conveniently recognized by them and repelled. A self-conceited person who recognizes some kind of dignity in himself cannot repel demonic seduction from the outside, being embraced and bound by it inside 776. Ignorant and hypocritical ascetics recognize themselves as having achieved their goal when they see themselves as saints, when the world recognizes and proclaims them as such; they rejoice at the self-delusion and conceit that enters them, not understanding how disastrous conceit is, not understanding that human praise serves as a sign of a false prophet. This sign is extremely important: it was given by the God-Man Himself. “Woe,” said the Lord, “when men speak good things to you; for therefore their fathers have made a false prophet” (Luke 6:26). Woe, mental grief and disaster, eternal grief! A true monk rejoices when he begins to: consider his sin, when he, in his opinion of himself, has become lower and more sinful than all his neighbors, when the fear of God’s Judgment and the fear of eternal torment begins to shake him, when the feeling of a criminal and condemned man appears in him, when streams of tears begin to pour out during his prayers and burst out from his chest of sighing and groaning, when his mind, purified by tears, will stand before God in the face to face and see the Invisible through the strongest sensation of God's presence. O blessed vision! With him, the criminal can bring true repentance for the crimes he has committed, appease the All-Merciful with abundant tears, humble verbs, exposing his sorrowful state, ask God, the lover of mankind, for forgiveness, and with it many priceless, eternal, spiritual gifts. The greatest success of a monk is to see and recognize himself as a sinner! The great success of a monk is to prove with all his activities the sincere and real recognition of himself as a sinner! “When the mind begins to contemplate its sins, many like the sand of the sea, then this serves as the beginning of the enlightenment of the soul and a sign of its health,” said the Hieromartyr Peter of Damascus 777. Then the mind can see its sins when the grace of God touches it: darkened by the fall, it is itself unable to see them. Seeing one's sins and sinfulness is a gift from God. The Holy Orthodox Church teaches her children to ask for this gift from God during fasting and kneeling, especially on the days of the Holy Pentecost. The gift of seeing one’s sins, one’s fall, the communication of fallen man with fallen angels, incomprehensibly abounded in the great venerable fathers and, despite the many spiritual gifts that clearly testified to their holiness, aroused them to unceasing repentance and weeping, to unceasingly washing themselves with tears. The sayings spoken by the fathers from this state are incomprehensible to carnal minds. Thus, Pimen the Great used to say to the brothers who lived with him: “Brothers! Believe me: where Satan is thrown, I will be thrown there too.” 778 “Everyone who exalts himself will humble himself; he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14), said the Lord. Conclusion. On the applicability of the stated rules to the situation of modern monasticism Anyone who has carefully read the writings of the holy fathers on monasticism will conveniently notice that the fathers composed their instructions, applying them to the circumstances of the time and to the situation of those monks to whom they dedicated their work. For this reason, almost all the monastic writings of the holy fathers have their own special purpose, their one-sidedness. For this reason, even in the flourishing times of monasticism, it was impossible for every monk to apply to himself everything that the fathers wrote: all the more, such an application is impossible in our times, and many who tried to do it, worked a lot, acquired very little. Let us take as an example the book of St. John Climacus. This saint of God wrote his works for communal monks, whose main virtue should be obedience; for this reason, he speaks with caution, briefly and as if reluctantly about silence, protecting against untimely and incorrect entry into it, and he speaks about obedience in great detail, praising and extolling this life. The saint does this not because silence, under certain conditions, is not soul-saving, but so as not to weaken the zeal of communal monks, so as to strengthen and encourage them in the feat of obedience, which they have taken upon themselves, so as not to give them a reason for double-mindedness, for the desire to enter into a life for which they are not yet ripe, so as not to give a reason for falling into self-delusion and demonic a charm so close to young and not young self-indulgents and self-important people. It is obvious that a monk who lives outside the hostel should feel embarrassment and frustration from reading the Holy Ladder: he will certainly imagine that there is no monastic success outside the hostel and obedience. This effect of this Divinely inspired book is proven by experience: the Monk Anthony the New, who lived as a hermit in the deep desert, read the Ladder: as a result of this reading, he left the desert and entered a cenobitic monastery 779. Not everyone can change their external position! So what of this? The monk, remaining by necessity in his position and having lost confidence in the position as inconvenient for salvation, falls into despondency, cools down to the monastic feat and begins to lead a careless life. In our time, when we are separated by many centuries from the customs and situation in the depths of which the fathers lived and pronounced their teachings, the application of their teachings to the modern situation of monasticism in our Fatherland seemed especially necessary and promising to bring benefits. This was the purpose of presenting the advice offered here. We hope that they can serve as a guide for the monks of our time, according to the position that is given to them by the Providence of God. We hope that our miserable labor can be usefully applied both in communal and in regular monasteries, and in the life of a monk in a courtyard or at a chapel, and in the life of a monk traveling on a ship at the request and custom of the state, and in the life of a monk in long-term obedience in the middle of the world, and in the life of a monk tonsured into monasticism at a theological school, occupying a position at not any academic or administrative position, - even to the life of a layman who would want to take care of his salvation in the midst of the world with special care. The fulfillment of the Gospel commandments has always been and is now the essence of monastic activity and living. Every place and position provides many conveniences for this work and feat. Brethren! Accept the spiritual offering and do not judge it for its meagerness. The meagerness of the offering indicates the meagerness of the property. With your faith and zeal, fill this poverty, and with prayers and blessings, reward those who have worked for their and your salvation. The Rich Householder gave a sumptuous dinner to His many friends and acquaintances and to many of those whom He wanted to invite to dinner, thereby including them among His friends and acquaintances. An immeasurable amount of spiritual dishes of unimaginable and unimaginable dignity was presented at the spiritual meal. At the end of it, the guests are generously endowed with spiritual gifts. When the invited dignitaries left, the Householder looked outside the gates of the palace and saw 780 at these gates a crowd of hungry beggars who would be happy to take advantage of the crumbs left after the wonderful meal. The most merciful Lord ordered the servants to stop and not clear the table. He invited the beggars, despite the fact that the beggars were in dirt and rags that did not correspond to the splendor of the palace, and offered them the remains of the dishes. Timidly and in bewilderment, the beggars entered the vast hall, approached the table, stood near it as it happened, each took and used what came to him. They picked up all the crumbs. Of course, none of them tasted a single whole dish, did not see the harmonious service of the servants, nor the precious dishes and utensils that were used at the table, did not hear a huge choir of singers and a loud choir of music, the sounds of which announced the universe and ascended to the sky. For this reason, none of the beggars, although there were people with natural intelligence among them, could form a clear, precise idea of ​​​​dinner. Having been satisfied with the crumbs for saturation, they had to be content with a fortune-telling and approximate concept of the brilliant and delightful meal that the honored guests enjoyed. Having cleared everything edible from the table, the beggars fell on their faces before the Master of the House, giving thanks for the food that they had never known or seen before. He told them: “Brothers! When I ordered the dinner, I did not have you in mind 781: therefore, I did not present the dinner to you in the proper form and do not give you gifts, which were all distributed according to a previously made calculation, understandable to Me alone.” The beggars exclaimed in one voice: “Vladyka, what about gifts for us! Until the sumptuous dinner! We thank you beyond words that You did not disdain us; He let us, tormented by all kinds of shortcomings, into Your palace and saved us from death by starvation!” The beggars dispersed, continuing to thank and bless the merciful Householder. Then He, turning to the servants, said: “Now clear away the table and shut up my chamber. There will be no more guests, and what could be offered as food has been offered. It's over! (Luke 18:8) “O depth of wealth and wisdom and understanding of God! For His judgment has not been tried, and His ways have not been explored. Who understands the mind of the Lord? or who will be His adviser? or who gave to Him first, and is rewarded to him? For from Him and by Him, and in Him are all things: To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom 11:33–36). Completed April 20, 1861. Stavropol Caucasian Nikephoros the Monk's word. Philokalia, part 2. “Those who pretend to be virtuous, and by the skin of a sheep in outward appearance they show one thing, but in essence in the inner man they are another, who are filled with all unrighteousness, filled with envy, jealousy and evil passions, are considered holy and dispassionate by very many who have an uncleaned spiritual eye and cannot recognize them from their fruits: but those who remain in reverence, virtue and simplicity the hearts of the truly saints neglect, as it were, ordinary people, ignore them and despise them, counting them for nothing. Such a talkative and vain person is recognized as a teacher and spiritual, while a silent person who avoids idle talk is declared ignorant and voiceless. Those who are highly wise and afflicted with devilish pride turn away from those who speak with the Holy Spirit, as if they were highly wise and proud, being more horrified by his words than moved by them; on the contrary, they greatly praise and accept the one who speaks subtle words out of his learning or belly (by the word belly we must understand the carnal state), and who lies against his salvation.” Venerable Simeon, New Theologian, ch. 70, 71 and 72. Philokalia, part 1. See the interpretation of Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria. Vie des peres des deserts d'Orient par Michel Ange-Marin. Saint Tikhon of Voronezh knew the Gospel and the Psalter by heart. Instruction 2. Edition 1844, Moscow. Word 57. Here and about the guilt of sins, as well as in Word 56. Saying of Abba Zinon. Alphabetical patericon. Interview 1st (Collatio) about reasoning. Venerable Nilus of Sorsky, Homily 11. Guide to the spiritual life of the Venerable Fathers Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet, answer 108 and answer 59. Venerable Macarius the Great. Conversation 21. Saint Isaac of Syria, Homily 61. Hieromartyr Peter of Damascus. Book 1, About eight smart visions. Philokalia, part 3. Ladder, Homily 27, ch. 26. In all comfortable hostels, an explanation of the day's Gospel is read daily at Matins in the Blagovestnik. Venerable Simeon, New Theologian. About three types of prayer. Philokalia, part 1. St. Gregory of Sinaite, ch. 11, about reading. Philokalia, part 1. Life of St. Anthony the Great. Chet'i-Minei January 17 and Vitae Patrum Patrologiae coursus complectus, v. 73. Alphabetical Patericon and Memorable Legends. Chet'i-Minei, April 1. Patericon of Pechersk and Chetya-Mineaion February 14. Patericon of Pechersk and Chetyi-Minea January 31. In our times in Moscow, in a mental hospital, there was a similar “prophet”, to whom many curious people flocked. The name of the “prophet” is Ivan Yakovlevich. Moscow residents visited a certain desert monk and began to praise their prophet to him. They said that they were convinced of his gift of foresight by their own experience, asking him about their relative, who was in Nerchinsk doing hard labor. Ivan Yakovlevich did not give an answer for an hour. When the questioners pressed him to give an answer quickly, he told them: how far is it from Nerchinsk? They answered: more than 6000 versts. - So how soon will you run there? - The prophet objected. His answer was that the exile’s feet were rubbed until they bled. After some time, the questioners received a letter from a Nerchinsk relative in which he described the severity of his situation and mentioned that his legs were rubbed raw with shackles. “Imagine the insight of Ivan Yakovlevich!” – the Muscovites concluded their story with this exclamation. The monk answered: “There is no insight here, but here is obvious intercourse with fallen spirits. The Holy Spirit has no need of time: He immediately proclaims mysteries, both earthly and heavenly. Ivan Yakovlevich sent the demon who was with him from Moscow to Nerchinsk and brought empty, material information, satisfying the vanity of the prophet and the curiosity of the carnal people who questioned him. The Holy Spirit always proclaims something spiritual, soul-saving, essentially necessary, and the fallen spirit always proclaims something carnal, like a reptile following its fall in sinful passions and materiality. As an example of action and character belonging to the holy vision bestowed by God, we present a remarkable event from church history. Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, telling Bishop Ammonius about his flight from the apostate Emperor Julian, says: “During these times I saw the great men of God, Theodore, abbot of the Tavenisiot monks, and Pammon, abbot of the monks, who lived in the vicinity of Angina. I, intending to take refuge with Theodore, boarded his boat, which was covered on all sides; Pammon accompanied us out of respect. The wind was not favorable; I prayed with a troubled heart; Theodore's monks went ashore and dragged the boat. Abba Pammon, seeing my sadness, consoled me. I answered him: believe me that my heart does not have as much courage during peace as it does during persecution, because, having suffered for Christ and strengthened by His grace, I hope to receive even greater mercy from Him, even if they killed me. I had not yet finished these words when Theodore looked at Abba Pammon and smiled; Pammon looked at him in return, smiling. I said to them: why are you laughing at my words? Are you accusing me of timidity? Theodore, turning to Pammon, says: “Tell the patriarch the reason for our laughter.” Pammon answered: “This belongs to you.” Then Theodore said: “This hour Julian has been killed in Persia, as God predicted about him: “a disdainful and offended man and a majestic man will die in vain.” Monk Ioannikis was Theodore's nephew. After the death of Theodore, he did not stop communicating with Leonid and subsequently moved to Optina Pustyn to cohabitate with him. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 34. See the lives of St. Anthony the Great, Onuphrius the Great and other hermits and hermits. Word 8, ch. 10, 18, 21, 25. Word 27, ch. 13, 36. Chapter 88 of St. Simeon, the New Theologian. Philokalia, part 1. Saint Gregory of Sinai, chapters 128, 131, 132. Philokalia, part 1. After the Western Church fell away from the Eastern. Reverend Cassian. About the rules of the hostel, book 2, ch. 3. Venerable Simeon, New Theologian, ch. 32 and 34. Philokalia, part 1. Alphabetical Patericon and Memorable Legends. Ladder, Word 4, ch. 3. Word 1. Alphabetical patericon, letter "F". Chetii-Minei, July on the 9th day. Chapter 33, Philokalia, part 1. Preface to the Charter or Tradition. Venerable Nile of Sorsky Tradition. It would not be superfluous to note here that the Monk Nilus of Sora, although he had the grace of God, did not dare to explain the Scriptures spontaneously, but followed the explanation made by the fathers. The path of humility is the only true path to salvation. Here we are not talking about external monastic obedience, not about monastic labors and activities assigned by the monastic authorities, but about moral, hidden obedience, performed in the soul. Addition of the Hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Damascus, and other fathers. Philokalia, part 3. Alphabetical Patericon and Memorable Legends, about Abba Macarius of the City, ch. 2. See the explanation of Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria. Saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos, ch. 16. Philokalia, part 2. Alphabetical Patericon and Memorable Legends, ch. 9. Alphabetical Patericon and Memorable Legends, ch. 37. Word 6 about Paradise and spiritual law. Chapters 125, 126. Philokalia, part 1. In the book of the Teachings of the Monk Abba Dorotheus there is a legend about the Monk Dositheos. Lavsaik and Alphabetical Patericon. Venerable Cassian, Prince. 5, about gluttony, chapter 24. Ladder, Homily 28, ch. 33. St. Macarius the Great sermon 3, ch. 1. This expression belongs to Saint John Climacus, Homily 28. Ladder Word 28, ch. 34. Ladder, Homily 28, ch. 1. Borrowed from Ladder. Word 28, ch. 1. Alphabetical patericon and Memorable tales about Abba Agathon, ch. 9. The Holy Fathers say: “Never accept if you saw anything sensual or mental, outside or inside you: be it the sight of Christ, or an angel, or some saint, or a dreamy image of light in the mind. Abide without believing it or desiring it. Constantly keep your mind unimaginable, unimpressed by anything through the imagination, formless, listening only to the words of Prayer.” Philokalia, part 2. Callista and Ignatius Xanthopoulov on silence and prayer, ch. 75. Canon. Publication of the Holy Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Venerable Simeon, New Theologian. About three images of prayer. Philokalia part 1. In the word about three images of prayer, about the third image. Philokalia part 1. “Let him not practice psalmody, that is, let his lips pray.” On silence, in 15 chapters: Ch. 4, about the hedgehog how it befits to sing. Philokalia, part 1. Borrowed from chapter 10 of Saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos, on silence and prayer. Philokalia, part 2. Ch. 12. On silence and prayer of Saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos. Venerable Nilus of Sorsky, Homily 7. Ladder, Homily 28, ch. 46. Callista and Ignatius Xanfopoulov, ch. 21. Philokalia, part 2. Chapter 53 Ksanfopulov about silence and prayer. Philokalia, part 2. On the powers of the soul, see the chapters of St. Philotheus of Sinai. Philokalia, part 2. The Monk Pimen the Great was asked what the words of Scripture mean: “I am a partaker of all who fear You and keep Your commandments.” Edition of Optina Pustyn in 1847. Book 1, about eight smart visions. Philokalia, part 3. Reverend Cassian. Book 5, about the spirit of gluttony, ch. 34. Council of Saint John Climacus. Ladder, Word 7, ch. 10. Vita sancti Pachomii, abbatis Tabennensis. Patrologie, Tom. LXXIII. Saint Tikhon of Voronezh. Cell letter 99, 15. Alphabetical patericon, in the life of St. John Kolov. Alphabetical patericon, in the life of St. John Kolov and Memorable Tales, letter “I”. Saint Isaac of Syria says: “There is another dignity of the word from spiritual experience, and another dignity of the eloquent word. Learning knows how to decorate its words, and, without having studied the matter experimentally, it knows how to talk magnificently about the truth, without knowing the truth; She knows how to talk at length about virtue, without ever tasting its knowledge from practicing it. A word from spiritual experience is a treasury of hope, and learning without experienced knowledge is a guarantee of shame. He who utters a word that is not based on experimental knowledge is like an artist who depicts springs of water on the walls, and this water cannot quench his thirst - like someone who sees beautiful dreams. He who speaks about virtue from his own experiences teaches the word to his listeners, as if someone were distributing alms from the property acquired with his own money: he sows the word into the hearts of those who listen to him, as if from his own acquisition, he opens his lips with boldness before his spiritual children, like the ancient Jacob, who said to the chaste Joseph: “I am giving you a single portion from above your brethren, which I took from you.” The Ammorites with my sword and my bow (Gen.48:22). Word 1. “Do not seek to receive advice from someone alien to your (monastic) life, even if he is very learned. Confess your thoughts to someone who does not know the sciences, but who knows monasticism with experience, and not to an eloquent philosopher who speaks from learning according to the letter and is not experimentally familiar with the matter.” Word 78.. Cell letters to St. Tikhon, volume 15, letter 67. 4 answer of Saint Niphon of Constantinople, in the Guide to the Spiritual Life of Saints Barsanuphius the Great and John. Words of St. Mark the Ascetic on the spiritual law, ch. 31. Saint Isaac of Syria. Word 46, 58, 61. Venerable Macarius the Great, Homily 7, ch. 31. Sancti Macarii Aegiptii opera omnia, Liber de libertate mentis, caput XIII. Liber de libertate mentis, cap. XIV. Liber de libertate mentis, cap. XXXI. Liber de libertate mentis, cap. XV. Liber de libertate mentis, cap. XVI. Liber de libertate mentis, cap. XVII. The ancient presentation by the Monk Mark of his deep thoughts, sometimes very condensed, sometimes very extended, forced here, during translation, to often turn to a significant rearrangement of the words of the speech (to paraphrase) with the aim that the edifying thought of the writer would always be clear to the reader, so that the edification would not be hidden in the darkness of the presentation. This was observed, although to a lesser extent, in other extracts placed here from the works of the holy fathers. The fathers were often guided by this rule, even in the sayings of the Holy Scriptures they cited. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 2. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 21. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 53. A word about those who think to be justified by works, ch. 2. St. Mark's Word 3 about repentance. The good deeds of fallen nature are alien to repentance, lead to conceit and mistakenly demand salvation as a legal reward: repentance is formed from fulfilling the commandments of Christ. St. Mark the Ascetic's Word 7 about fasting and humility. This assistance is usually called a coincidence of circumstances. The Life of Saint Andrew, written by Priest Nicephorus, also Cheti-Minea, October 2. Brief title, chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8. Word 26 on reasoning, ch. 53. Word 25 on humility, ch. 7. Saint Isaac of Syria, Homily 36. Ch. 2, Homily 24 about meekness. Ch. 6, Homily 22, about vanity. Word 23, about pride, ch. 2. Homily 8, about freedom from anger and meekness, ch. 1. Word 9, about memory malice, ch. 6. Word 4 on obedience, ch. 43. A hostel near Alexandria, led by a spiritual director. St. John the Climacus spent considerable time in this hostel and speaks a lot about it in the 4th and 5th words of the Ladder, also in the Word to the Shepherd. Here, by the name of angels, principles and powers, we mean the spirits of the fallen angelic hierarchy: they are precisely the ones who take care of the separation of man from the love of God. After the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and the remaining Jews fled to Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, conquered Egypt and captured the Jews who fled there. Nebuchadnezzar also ruled Assyria, and therefore is called both the king of Babylon and the king of Assyria. The one who fulfills the passion is actually tormented, after the sin he has committed, although he will repent of it, the thoughts and dreams of the sin he has committed are tormented for a considerable time. This can be seen in many biographies of the holy fathers, among others, in the biography of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. Sometimes passion arises and in such an ascetic who did not fulfill it with deeds, it torments him with passionate thoughts, dreams and wishes. It is obvious that the Monk Abba Dorotheos is speaking here about both incidents together. Brick, in Slavic - plinths. The thoughts of an ascetic, if they revolve in earthly and vain things, will certainly attract him to carnal life and to sins. Lesson 13 on how to endure tribulations. Lecture 19, consisting of short sayings. Lesson 6 is about not judging your neighbor. According to another opinion: it is like a clean vessel in appearance, but inside it is filled with stinking filth: when it is opened, the stench reveals its presence in it. Lesson 7 about self-reproach. Lesson 8 about memory malice. Lecture 17 on the instruction of the brethren. Breviary. Following the small schemas. Chapter 3. Philokalia, part 2. Instructions of Euthymius the Great to the monk Climatius. Chet'i-Minea, January 20, life of St. Euthymius the Great. Canon. Morning prayer, 5. Henceforth borrowed from the 5 Words of St. Nile of Sora. Hitherto from St. Neil. Bowing, as stated above (chapters 21 and 22), naturally warms the body, which disposes and revives a person for soul-saving activities. One is distracted from this activity by the unnatural heating of the blood, which occurs under the influence of some passion. St. Mark the Ascetic Homily 7, about fasting and humility; Saint Isaac of Syria Word 19; St. Macarius the Great conversation 26, ch. 21. The Venerable Abba Dorotheus, teaching 9. Here, of course, faith is active, not dogmatic. For their differences, see Philokalia, part 2. Monks Callista and Ignatius ch. 1 b. Philokalia part 1. Interview of St. Maxim Kapsokalivi with St. Gregory of Sinaite. Philokalia, part 1. St. Simeon, New Theologian, ch. 16. Ladder, Word to the Shepherd. 249, 250 and 251 answers of St. Barsanuphius the Great. Alphabetical patericon and Vies des peres des deserts d'Orient. Tom. 9, chap. 16. See, for example, the Alphabetical Patericon, the story of Eulogia the Stonecutter. Life of the Great Martyr Eustathius Placida, Chetya-Minea, September 20. See about this in the 47th Word of Saint Isaac of Syria. Word 28, to the words “Listen to yourself.” Philokalia, part 1, chapter. 93. Saint Isaac of Syria. Word 75. Guide to the spiritual life of the Venerable Barsanuphius and John the Prophet, answer 603, also the Tradition of the Venerable Nile of Sora, and all other holy fathers of a similar opinion. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 170. The Word on the Spiritual Law, ch. 45. Interpretation on ch. 18, p. 7 Gospel of Matthew. Saint Isaac of Syria. Word 2. But the Jewish Sanhedrin committed deicide with a perfect understanding of the matter, this was also testified by the Jewish priest Afphonius, who converted to Christianity, contemporary with Christ and the Mother of God. Cheti-Minea, August 15, a story about the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the hostile, murderous disposition of the Jewish clergy towards the newborn Infant-Lord, see Cheti-Minea, December 29, in the description of the murder of the Bethlehem infants. Precept 9. 1844 edition. Epistola 22 ad Evstochium. Thus, the then Archbishop of Alexandria Theophilus explained the words and actions of the Venerable Roman celebrity. The Roman woman, having heard the explanation, was satisfied and calmed down. Alphabetical patericon. Excerpt from a message to the monks. Galland Library, volume 7, page 242. According to the explanation of St. Cassian the Roman. Venerable Macarius the Great, Homily 4, ch. 7. Conversation about the spirits of St. Anthony the Great. Chet'i-Minei, January 17. The suffering of the holy martyrs Timothy and Maura. Chet'i-Minei, May 3. The same can be seen in many other lives. Dogmatic Theology of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church, 106. Also: St. John Chrysostom, discourse on Acts of the Apostles 26, Acts. 12:15 pm Life of St. Basil the New. Chet'i-Minei, March 26. Discourse 8 on the Epistle to the Romans. Life of Venerable Macarius the Great Chetya-Menaia, January 19. Sincti Cassiani collatio XXIV, cap. IV. Patericon of Athos, part 1, page 187, edition 1860. The mentioned venerable monks were in constant prayer, and therefore they were engaged in handicrafts along with prayer - with reading psalms by heart or with teaching, i.e. with the repetition of some short prayer, mainly the Jesus prayer, outside the time that was determined for prayer itself or for performing the prayer rule. When they got up to pray, they left their handicrafts, as St. John Climacus testifies: “No one should do handicrafts while praying, especially work (work here refers to an activity that diverts the monk’s attention to itself). This was clearly taught by the angel of the Great Anthony.” Word 19. “Knowing the enemy,” says the Monk John of Carpathia, “I am praying against us, to slander us and to tear us away from this, he puts Hellenic words into our desire, but we apostatize from them, and encourages us to practice about this. Let us not obey him, lest we go astray from the axes of our agriculture; instead of figs and grapes, let us gather thorns and thistles: “the wisdom of this world is violence.” “Turning around in all directions”: this happens to those who are inexperienced in the fight against demonic thoughts. The Venerable Cassian the Roman describes how a certain inexperienced elder, having felt a sudden strong fornication inflicted by a demon, because of it, “like he turned around from drunkenness.” Philokalia, part 4, A Word on Reasoning. Chet'i-Minea, life of St. Macarius the Great, January 19. Also: Alphabetical Patericon. The Monk Cassian narrates that such a custom existed in all cenobitic monasteries in Egypt. About the regulations of the hostels, book. 2, ch. 12. Chet'i-Minea, life of St. Macarius of Alexandria, January 19. “The Monk Macarius,” says Saint Demetrius of Rostov in his life, “recognized human thoughts from things imagined by demons.” Philokalia, part 4. Comforting chapters ch. 87. The physical connection of substance with substance is such a connection that does not destroy either one or the other substance; producing, however, the action of substance on substance. This is the combination of water with salt or sugar. A chemical compound is a connection in which the combined substances cease to be what they were before the connection and form a new substance. Thus, sulfur, when combined with mercury, produces cinnabar (paint). This can be seen from the instruction of the spirits, which the Monk Anthony the Great pronounced to his disciples and which is placed in his life (Cheti-Minea, January 17). The instruction in the Chetyih Menaion is abridged: it can be read in Vitae Patrum, Patrologiae, tomus 73. Precious instruction! The Great Anthony expounded it with extraordinary clarity from his experienced, blessed knowledge of fallen spirits. The devil is especially inclined and capable of putting pride and conceit into us (St. Macarius the Great Word 4, chapter 13). When the ascetic falls into conceit, then the fallen spirit conveniently introduces all the passions into the heart of the ascetic in an inconspicuous way and makes this heart its abode. All the visible and invisible attacks of the devil tend most towards the attraction to conceit. If we consider the endeavors of the ascetics, we can clearly see that every endeavor was preceded by conceit. He fell into fornication who recognized himself as incapable of lustful passion and, on the basis of this conceit, rejected the necessary self-care. He became infected with a drunken passion, who, considering himself immune to it, allowed himself to carelessly drink wine, and so on. A word on sobriety, ch. 43. Philokalia, part 2. Venerable Cassian the Roman. About the regulations of the hostels, book. 4, ch. 37. This life is placed at the beginning of the teachings of St. Dositheos. Lesson 5 is about not relying on your own mind. In this teaching, the Monk Dorotheos, citing the above story about the monk Theotemptus, says that this monk was precisely the playground of the demon because he did not have the custom of confessing the thoughts that came to him. Life of the Venerable Mary, Chetya-Minea, April 1. Homily 30. Saint Isaac of Syria lived in the 6th century AD. Saint John Climacus. Word 15, ch. 25, 26, 27, 81. Word 15, ch. 82 according to the Moscow edition of 1855 and according to the translation of Elder Paisius. The life of the Monk Anthony tells the following: during the strongest demonic warfare, the monk was suddenly illuminated by an indescribable light, and the demons and their temptation disappeared. Having recognized the coming of the Lord to himself, Anthony exclaimed: “Lord! where have you been before? - and heard a voice: “I was here, but I wanted to see your courage,” and so on. Chet'i-Minei, January 17. Sermon 5. The Venerable Nil of Sora, both in this sermon and throughout the entire work, speaks in detail and excellently about prayer as the main weapon against sin. Addition to Homily 3. Saint John Climacus. A word about reasoning. Philokalia, part 6. St. Mark the Ascetic's Word on Repentance and Word on Baptism. Vita Beati Antonii Abbatis. Patrologiae, volume 73, caput 15, and Chetii-Minei. On prayer, ch. 47. Philokalia part 4. Art and the Rule of Saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos, Philokalia, part 2, ch. 29. Venerable Gregory of Sinaite ch. 110, Philokalia, part 1. Title 25 Words of the Ladder. St. John of Carpathia. Comforting chapters 55. Philokalia, part 4. Alphabetical patericon, letter I. Venerable Macarius the Great. Conversation 7, ch. 8. A word on sobriety, ch. 77. Philokalia, part 2. On the spiritual law, ch. 34, Philokalia, part 1. Breviary, Consequence of the minor schema. Ladder, Word 5, ch. 33, according to the translation of Elder Paisius. The sayings of Sisoy and Pimen the Great are borrowed from the Alphabetical Patericon. Ladders, Word 18, title. Ladders, Word 7, ch. 64. Ladders, word 18 and St. Simeon, New Theologian, word 6. Ed. Optina Pustyn, 1852 Chapter 28. Arts and rules of saints Callistus and Ignatius Xanthopoulos. Philokalia, part 2. 15 spiritual instruction of Elder Seraphim of Sarov. Ed. 1844, Moscow. Ch. 69. Philokalia, part 1. Word 6 above. Venerable Simeon, New Theologian, Homily 6. The chapters are extremely useful, the chapter is about charm. Philokalia, part 1. The Fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery did not allow the Monk Lawrence to enter the seclusion, fearing that he would not be subjected to demonic delusion, as the Monks Isaac and Nikita were subjected to it. For a reclusive life, Lawrence moved to the monastery of the Great Martyr Demetrius, where “all the arrows of the evil one, kindled by the water of tears, were extinguished, and by the grace of God the wounding of the demonic remained strange.” Patericon of Pechersk. Book 1, ch. 2, Philokalia, part 3. Alphabetical patericon, letter A. The image of the presentation is borrowed from the Gospel parable. Matt. 22:11. You might be interested in: