Антоний Великий

1. Anthony the Great, the venerable Abba, an Egyptian desert dweller, said: Brothers! Let us believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and worship Him. Let us submit ourselves to Him and strive to do His will at every moment. Let us not believe in any other God besides Him: He is the great God, the Lord of lords. Let us praise Him in truth and righteousness; Let us not liken Him to any of the creatures, neither of those who are in heaven, nor of those who are on earth below, because all this was created by Him and He is first of all, and will remain forever, will have no end. Let us believe in Him and worship Him in order to reign with Him and enjoy His blessings for eternity: He is the King of kings, and all kingdoms are from Him. Let us believe in Him with all our hearts and live according to His commandments, because “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20,26); and He will have mercy on us in His kingdom when we leave the wanderings assigned to us in this world 1 . 2. Truly blessed is he who watches over himself and fulfills the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ: he will be counted worthy of true understanding coming from the Lord, and will be able to say: “Your understanding is amazed at Me” (Ps. 139:6). Do not sin in faith, so that our Creator does not become angry with you: whoever does not maintain the right faith prepares food for sleeping worms and a sacrifice for the prince of the prisons of hell; his spirit is alien to eternal life; he is a clear apostate from God 2. 3. Fear deviations from the faith as the beginning of all evil. Let us believe in the name of the Lord God the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so that what is said in Scripture may be fulfilled upon us: those who believe in the Lord “are like Mount Zion: they shall not move in the living age in Jerusalem” (Ps. 124:1). The solid foundation of all saints is faith: with it they shut the mouth of the lions and quenched the flame of fire. 4. As incomprehensible is the power and might of God, so incomprehensible are His actions. Just as His wisdom is immeasurable, so is “His way is unsearchable” (Rom. 11:33). God can fulfill what he promised: why don’t we allow ourselves unbelief, so as not to be condemned more for unbelief than for lawless deeds. To err in deeds is a sign of weakness; allowing yourself to lack faith is a sign of daring frivolity and recklessness. As long as we have time, let us spare ourselves, and let us beg God for the forgiveness of our sins, so that He does not command “to bind our hands and noses, to plunge us into pitch darkness, in which there is weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). What do weeping and sobbing mean, if not the immensity of cruel and terrible torment? And what is depicted by gnashing of teeth, if not the greatest regret for the sins we have committed? Then - and this will probably happen - then we will begin to be indignant at ourselves, to repent, gnashing our teeth, when repentance does not take place, when there is no benefit from it, when the time given for repentance has passed. Having the opportunity to appease God in a short time of earthly life by serving Him, having the opportunity to free ourselves from Gehenna and eternal torment, why do we remain in negligence, and despising the commandments of God, serving our lusts, subjecting ourselves to inevitable execution? Our God, the great and lover of mankind, “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4), almighty in His action, may He Himself help our weakness, may He quickly cast Satan under our feet, may He grant us strength and spiritual intelligence, so that we, in the time remaining to us, may serve Him with faithfulness, in truth, and may be worthy of His mercy on the terrible day of His judgment 4 . 5. Great power has the one who strives throughout his life, and daily, until his last breath, is on guard against the tempter by whom he is persecuted. I prayed to God to show me the militia surrounding and protecting the monk, and I saw the monk surrounded by lamps; many Angels with drawn swords in their hands guarded him like the apple of his eye, and behold, a voice from heaven saying: “Do not allow him peace as long as the righteous lives in this world.” Seeing such a militia surrounding the monk from everywhere, I sighed and said to myself: “Oh Anthony! all this is given to the monk, and with all this the devil overcomes him: the monk often falls.” And a voice came to me from the merciful Lord: “The devil cannot overthrow anyone. He does not have such power: because I came, taking upon myself humanity, and erased its power into dust; but man himself, with his lust and voluptuousness, crushes himself and falls.” I said: “Is it really possible that every monk is given such power”? and many monks who were worthy of it were shown to me. Then I exclaimed and said: “Blessed is the human race, especially the monastic army, having such a merciful, such a humane God.” For this reason, let us take care of our salvation, let us not neglect it, in order to be worthy of the kingdom of heaven, with the assistance of the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever. Here, on the one hand, the testimony of God’s abundant help, which assists every ascetic of piety, especially the true monk, for his special self-sacrifice, serves as the greatest consolation; on the other hand, the testimony that during the entire earthly wandering the servant of God is not provided with peace, but with struggle and feat, serves as an admonition so that we do not give in to despondency, seeing that we are constantly exposed to various sorrows. This is the will of the Lord our God for us. 6. Let us complete our earthly pilgrimage in the fear of God: we are commanded to serve God in fear and trembling (Isa. 26:18; Ps. 2:11), and thus work out our salvation. There is nothing more precious than the fear of God in our Lord Jesus Christ 5 . 7. The beginning of all virtues and the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. 8. The fear of the Lord is glory, great grace 6. 9. The fear of the Lord eradicates from the soul all sins and every type of wickedness 7 . 10. Light, entering a dark house, drives out darkness from it and illuminates it: so the fear of the Lord, having entered the human heart, disperses its darkness, fills it with all virtues and wisdom. 11. Pride and arrogance cast the devil from heaven to hell, but humility and meekness lift a person from earth to heaven. 12. My children! a fish taken out of the water dies: this is how the fear of God is destroyed in the heart of a monk who allows himself frequent exits from his cell. 13. The fear of the Lord makes a person free and saves him from sins, from the eternal punishments prepared for sinners and from the evil dragon 8. 14. The fear of the Lord, abiding in a person, preserves him and preserves him until the time in which a person throws off the burdensome burden - the body: then the fear of the Lord will make his pet an heir of the blessedness of the saints to rejoice with them with eternal joy, just as the Scripture proclaims: “For the sake of Thy fear, O Lord, in the womb I was taken, and sick, and begat the spirit of Thy salvation” ( Isa. 26, 18). 15. Let the fear of the Lord and the remembrance of death be constantly before our eyes. Let us hate the world and remove from ourselves everything that brings pleasure to our flesh. Let's spend this short life in such a way that we can live in God, who will demand an account from us on the day of judgment - did we hunger, did we thirst, did we endure nakedness, did we weep, did we sigh from the depths of our hearts, did we consider ourselves, are we worthy of God? Let us immerse ourselves in weeping and lamentation in order to find God. Let us despise the flesh to save our souls! 9 . 16. The work of a monk, which surpasses all his other, most sublime works, is that he should confess his sins before God and his elders, that he should reproach himself, that he should be ready, until his very departure from earthly life, to face every temptation with complacency 10 . From constant confession of sins before God and the fathers, the sight of one’s sinfulness is revealed; on the contrary, unconfessed sins are, as it were, not recognized as sins, and are conveniently repeated; constant self-condemnation and self-reproach increases the consciousness and feeling of sinfulness; He who has fully sensed his sinfulness and confessed it naturally recognizes himself as worthy of any permissive punishment from God. 17. Be courageous and generous at the same time: God dwells in a generous person. The magnanimous is in accordance with the will of God at all times 11. 18. The saints are united with God by their simplicity. You will find simplicity in a person filled with the fear of God. He who has simplicity is perfect and like God; it smells fragrant with the sweetest and most gracious fragrance; he is filled with joy and glory; the Holy Spirit rests in him as in His abode. Just as a dense forest, when careless about it, is destroyed by fire, so wickedness, being allowed into the heart, destroys the soul, and at the same time it defiles the body, bringing many unclean thoughts. The evil one mocks the simple and all the good; his heart is filled with numerous, most vile thoughts, sown by the devil, forcing the mind to wander everywhere, arousing an internal struggle in the soul 12. 19. Pride of the heart is hateful to God, His angels and His saints. He who has pride in himself is a partaker of the devil. Because of pride, the heavens bowed down and the foundations of the earth shook, the deeps were troubled, the angels were confused, and they turned into demons because of the pride of the heart. The Almighty is angry with pride: He commanded the abyss to cast fire out of itself, and the fiery sea to boil with fiery excitement. Because of pride, He instituted hell and torment. Because of pride, prisons and beatings were instituted, with which the devil is tormented for the pride of his heart. Because of pride, the underworld was created, the undying and never-sleeping worm was created 13. 20. Let us strive for purity even to the point of death, and keep ourselves from all impurities that are unusual in nature, according to the words of the firstborn among the prophets - Moses. Let us especially guard against acts of debauchery. The angels fell and were cast out from their state of glory and honor, allowing their eyes to look upon illicitly 14 . There is nothing worse than looking at a woman with lust. Many died because of their wives. Some were killed because of their spouses, others because of their sisters, others because of their daughters: all this was due to unclean lust. Do not be slaves to the most vile, unnatural passions, nor to shameful lusts, which are so abominable before God. Write the name of God on your hearts; May the voice continually be heard within you: “You are the church of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:16) and the place of the Holy Spirit. A person deceived by unclean lust is like dumb beasts before God, devoid of all consciousness 15 . 21. Know that there is a natural movement of lust in the soul; but it does not produce its effect unless the consent of the soul follows: because lust is only assimilated by the body and moves; but does not move sinfully and compulsorily. There is also another action in the soul, which is born from the peace and pleasure of the body, ignites the blood, and moves with the production of its action. For this reason, the Divine Apostle Paul says: “Do not get drunk with wine, in it there is fornication” (Eph. 5:18). The Lord also commanded His Apostles in the Holy Gospel: “Take heed to yourselves, lest they burden your hearts with gluttony and drunkenness” (Luke 21:34). In addition to these two movements, there is also a movement that is aroused in ascetics by the envy and deceit of demons. So you need to know that the excitement of bodily lust is threefold: one is natural, and the other two are incidental; of these two, one comes from excess in food and drink, the other is produced by demons. Consequently, it depends on us, on our free will, the fulfillment and rejection of the demands of lust 16. The information conveyed here by the Great Anthony is of particular importance for every monk who is concerned about his salvation. In the first case, you must watch yourself with sobriety - not allow yourself any thoughts and voluptuous dreams, to which the disposition appears during the movement of bodily lust, and it will stop by itself. In the second, one must pay attention to the quality and quantity of food, as well as the amount of sleep, and curb the effect of lust with abstinence. The action of demons is known from the intensified, sometimes sudden and short-term, sometimes constant and prolonged invasion of lustful thoughts and dreams that attempt to attract the mind into communication with itself and arouse in the body lust, to which the body, pacified by feat, is unwilling, or slightly inclined. That is why Saint Anthony says that the latter happens to no one else, namely to ascetics. Then you need to look around to see if it is the condemnation of the brethren, or the creeping in of conceit that gives the demons a reason to tempt with fornication those who are incapable of fornication. In any case, by allowing such warfare, the ascetic is called by God’s providence to success: and therefore, let him stand courageously against invisible enemies! 22. If anyone, at the instigation of the devil, happens to fall, let him rise in repentance and resort to the One who descended to earth to save one sheep, led astray by sin 17 . 23. The Lord Himself commanded us to seek peace in order to acquire it. Let us carefully understand the meaning of God’s peace, and let us strive towards it, just as the Lord said: “My peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you” (John 14:27), so that no one can reproach us that our world is the world of sinners 18. 24. Let us flee from hatred and strife. He who is in friendship with one infected with hatred and quarrelsome is in friendship with a beast of prey. Exactly, one who trusts himself to a beast is safer than one who trusts himself to a grumpy and hate-infected person. He who does not turn away from quarrelsomeness and does not disdain it will not spare any of the people lower than his friends 19. 25. Master the tongue and do not multiply words, lest you multiply your sins. Put a finger on your mouth and a bridle on your tongue: a man with many words will never leave room within himself for the abode of the Holy Spirit 20 . 26. And night and day, let the name of the Lord speak in your mouth, and be blessed with spiritual salt. If one of the beginners begins to talk to you and asks about something related to spiritual benefit, answer him. If he speaks about things that are not good for the soul, be like a deaf man who does not hear, and a dumb man who does not speak 21 . 27. Evil lust transforms the heart and changes the mind. Remove it from yourself, so that the Spirit of God who dwells in you is not grieved. 28. The Lord guards your soul as long as you guard your tongue 23. 29. Let's not be stupid: a stupid person puts everything at nothing. This is why it is said that the stupid and the reckless perish equally 24. 30. All sins are abominable before God, but the most abominable of all is the pride of the heart 25 . 31. If we bless those who slander us, that is, speak good about them, then we will put a bridle on our lips 26. 32. Let's stay awake! Let us establish good sobriety in the church of our spirit! If you have sobriety, you will improve your spirit. He who has sobriety has already become the church of God. Blessed is he who watches at the gates of wisdom! Passions have no power against someone who is sober and awake. Even if he falls through the cunning of the tempter, his sobriety and vigilance will immediately raise him up. On the contrary, an inattentive and lazy person who does not stay alert in serving God, if he falls, carried away by the temptation of the devil, does not even see the sin he is committing: his heart is hardened; it is like a stone; it is like a broken and bridled horse, on which various riders constantly mount, whom it cannot resist 27 . 33. Acquire sobriety so that every clash with the enemy does not overthrow you. A careless person is like a ruined house without inhabitants, of no importance to anyone, despised by everyone, like the home of snakes, scorpions and wild animals; no one cares about him as if he is in destruction and fall. This is the state of the negligent: you will not find in him any Divine virtue that would protect him or reside in him 28 . 34. Try to maintain sobriety, do not leave it, so as not to be dominated by enemies. As long as graceful spiritual activity remains in a person - sobriety and care for pleasing God: until then it protects him from stumblings and falls, raises him up from them - and this person becomes a resting place for the Holy Spirit, completes his path safely, is worthy in the world to reach the resting place of the saints and hear the glorious and sweet voice: “A contrite and humble heart, God is not will humiliate" (Ps. 50:19) 29. 35. Virginity is an indestructible sign, a perfect and irreplaceable likeness, a spiritual, holy sacrifice, a height, a place from which one can conveniently see the path leading to the extreme limit of perfection; it is a crown woven from the highest virtues 30. 36. He who degrades virginity dishonors God and the Angels 31 . 37. No one, no one from the enemy army dares to attack virginity, has the strength to attack it. However, none of the virgins should boast about virginity: it is a good gift from God Himself 32. 38. A virgin removes from himself the thought of women, carnal thoughts, pride of heart and love for everything that brings him into communication with the devil; a virgin drives away grumbling, hatred of people and the glory of the world. He is diligent in pious deeds, restrains his tongue, tames his stomach with fasting; adorned with these exploits, he is made a sacrifice without blemish or defilement 33. 39. Death dwells in those whose tongue is a two-edged sword. Such a one has entered into an alliance with eternal death and has prepared for himself destruction and a dwelling in hell: he will not have an inheritance in the land of the living, who do the will of God. Consider and you will find that a bilingual person destroys his soul, confuses acquaintances and friends, upsets society, contributes to the commission of all kinds of evil and takes part in it, and constantly plots intrigues for his neighbor. Move away, beloved brethren, from the bilingual! do not enter into friendship with him in any way: whoever entered into friendship with him at the same time submitted to death 34. 40. A wicked man first deceives his own soul: his wickedness turns on his head, as it is written in the psalms: “his illness will turn on his head, and his unrighteousness will descend on his top” (Ps. 7:17). Do not make acquaintance with an evil person. Friendship with the evil one is friendship with the devil 35. 41. The time will come when people will become ill. Seeing someone who is not susceptible to a common illness, they will rebel against him, saying: “You are predominantly in illness because you are not like us” 36 . Here it would be very useful to note that this one must be very wary of thoughts of false humility, which will not fail to be presented to him by demons and people - the tools of demons. Usually in such cases, carnal wisdom objects: “Are you really the only one who is right, and all or most people are wrong!” Objection – meaningless! always a few, very few, walked along the narrow path; in the last days of the world this path will be extremely empty. 42. Always think and say to yourself: “I will not remain in this world longer than this day.” And you will not sin before God 37. 43. Both day and night, be sick about your sins 38. 44. Continually grieve over your sins, as if you constantly had a dead man in your house 39 . 45. Light your lamp with the oil of your eyes: with tears 40. 46. ​​First of all, offer unceasing prayer, without interrupting it, and thank God for everything that happens to you 41. 47. Try with all your might to offer unceasing prayers with tears, so that God will have mercy on you and remove from you the image of the old man 42. 48. Observe the established hours for prayers and do not miss any of them, so as not to be judged for this 43. 49. Be careful that your mind is not defiled by the memory of previous sins, and that the feeling of them is not renewed in you. 50. Do not reveal your thoughts to everyone, but only to those who can save your soul. 51. Do not expose anyone to his lack for any reason. 52. Do not use gods at all, neither in that which is doubtful, nor in that which is true. 53. Love humility: it will cover you from sins. 54. Be ready to respond to every word you hear: “Forgive me,” because humility destroys all the machinations of enemies. 55. Be diligent in the works that I will offer you here, namely: work, poverty, wandering, suffering and silence, because they will make you humble. Humility brings about the remission of all sins. Humility consists of when a person recognizes himself as a sinner who does no good before God; when he carefully observes the silence; when he imputes himself for nothing; when he does not strengthen himself so that anyone will accept his word; when he rejects his own will, retains his sight, has death before his eyes, refrains from lying, does not utter empty words, does not contradict his elders, patiently endures dishonor and forces himself to endure toil and sorrow. 56. Observe modesty in all your behavior. 57. Let your face always be sad, except in those cases when strange brothers visit you. Then take on a cheerful appearance, and the fear of God will dwell in you. 58. Do not at all become acquainted with the laity, and do not imitate the Pharisee, who did everything for show to people. 59. Do not be proud of your deeds, whatever they may be. 60. Do not consider yourself wise: otherwise your soul will be exalted in pride, and you will fall into the hands of your enemies. 61. If you see that your brother has fallen into sin, then do not be tempted by him, do not despise or condemn him; otherwise you will fall into the hands of your enemies. 62. Don’t be vain and don’t laugh. 63. Avoid strife and argument. 64. Don’t talk at all in church. 65. Sleep little, in moderation, and the Angels will watch over you. 68. Do not be voluptuous and given over to gluttony, so that your previous sins do not renew in you. 69. Do not allow fasting except due to extreme illness. 70. Mortify yourself daily. 71. If you visit one of the brethren, do not stay long in his cell. 72. Do not have a meeting with your relatives; do not let them come to you and do not go to them. 73. If you are walking with your brothers, then walk a little further away from them in order to maintain silence. 74. When traveling, do not look to the right and to the left, but listen to your psalms, pray with your mind to God in every place where you are; do not allow yourself free treatment with the inhabitants of that place. 75. Force yourself to do handicrafts, and the fear of God will dwell in you. 76. Love work, and soon peace will be sent to you from God. 77. Don’t wear clothes that make you vanity. 78. Just as a ruin located outside the city serves as a repository for all stinking impurities, so the soul of the lazy and weak, in fulfilling the monastic orders, becomes a receptacle for all passions and all stench. 79. My son! Turn your cell into a prison for yourself, because everything related to you has been accomplished, both outside and inside you. Your separation from this world will be real, your separation will be real 44. 80. Just as fish, when they slow down on land, die, so monks, staying outside their cells with worldly people, lose the ability to live a silent life. Just as fish strive to the sea, so we must strive to our cells, so as not to forget about internal work, slowing down outside them 45. 81. Remember that your sins have reached their fullness, that your youth has already passed. The time has come, the time has come for your departure, the time in which you must give an account of your deeds! Know that there brother will not redeem brother, father will not free his son 46. 82. My son! First of all, do not impute anything to yourself: humility is born from insanity 47 . Insanity, according to the teaching of the Fathers, consists in not recognizing oneself as having any virtue or any dignity 48 . Recognizing one's virtues and virtues is a destructive self-delusion, which the Holy Fathers call opinion. Opinion alienates people infected by it from the Redeemer. 83. Reject the evil eye - acquire the simple eye 49 . 84. Do not be afraid of dishonor caused by people 50. 85. Do not leave the will of God to fulfill the will of men 51. 86. Don’t complain and don’t allow yourself to offend anyone 52. 87. Do not envy the one who succeeds through untruths; but consider all men superior to yourself, and God Himself will be with you 53 . 88. Do not imitate those who are addicted to the pleasures of this world, because they will never prosper; but imitate those who wandered in the mountains and deserts for the sake of God and power from Above will overshadow you 54. 89. My son! Do not multiply words: verbosity will drive the Spirit of God away from you 55. 90. My son! do not live with the proud, - live with the humble 56. 91. Do not be a hypocrite or a pretender; don't be a liar 57 . 92. Don't speak with anger. Let your words be, just as your silence is, filled with prudence and wisdom. The words of our wisest fathers were reasonable and wise; Their silence was similar 58. 93. Do not justify yourself before people, but in your soul be wise, meek, generous, patient, thorough (thorough in fulfilling the commandments), filled with love for people 59. 94. Do not allow your heart to become indecent, harboring evil thoughts in it; try to make it good, seek goodness and peace, strive to perform all the holy virtues 60. 95. Do not raise your voice 61 . 96. When in the company of brethren, remain silent. If you need to talk to them about something, then tell them about it briefly and with humility 62. 97. Dishonored one, do not hate the one who was dishonored - say to yourself: I am worthy of all the brothers showering me with dishonor 63. 98. If someone reproaches you for any type of sin in which you are not involved, humble yourself before the one who reproaches you, and you will inherit an incorruptible crown 64 . 99. Do not incline your ears to hear evil about your neighbor; be a friend of men, and you will gain life 65. 100. Do not return evil for evil, reproach for reproach. It is written nowhere: if you do not humble yourself, then I will humble you, said the Lord 66. 101. Do not be proud, do not proclaim or shout, do not speak loudly and hastily. He who multiplies words cannot remain pure from sin 67 . 102. Poverty is nothing more than abstinence and contentment with one’s situation. Wandering and desert living consist of moving away from rumors. To wander for the sake of piety means to remain piously in the cell 68. 103. Wandering is when a person restrains his mouth 69. 104. Let your lips always speak the truth 70. 105. Some exhausted their bodies with fasting and other bodily labors, but remained far (removed) from God because they did not have a spiritual mind 71 . 106. My son! love dishonor more than honor; love bodily labors more than the rest of the body; love the loss in the acquisitions of this world more than the gain 72. 107. Beloved son! While you are in a state of submission, listen to what is said to you, try to understand what is said, and carefully carry it out according to its meaning and meaning 73. 108. If you visit the company of faithful people like you—Christians and monks—choose primarily listening and silence; try to understand what is said to you: the gain from this is superior to the gain from speeches, if you allowed yourself to pronounce them. A lover of idle talk and verbosity is incapable of any good deed 74 . 109. My son! great glory is to learn silence. Silence is an imitation of our Lord, who “answered nothing but marveled at Pilate” (Mark 15:5) 75. 110. My children: there is no wickedness that would be higher than that wickedness when a person inflicts grief on his neighbor and rises above his neighbor 76. 111. Let your tongue be guided by your mind: words spoken thoughtlessly are thistles and thorns 77 . 112. Don’t offer anything to anyone, don’t teach anyone anything that you yourself haven’t done before in practice 78 . 113. Prayer performed with carelessness and laziness is idle talk 79 . 114. Retreat—quickly do it—from people who are alien to prudence and spiritual understanding 80. 115. If you learn any virtues, do not boast, do not say: I did and fulfilled this. Such boasting is a sign of the greatest foolishness 81 . 116. A wise man thoroughly knows the meaning and context of his path; for this reason, he is in no hurry to speak, but waits and considers what he should say and what he should listen to; on the contrary, one who has not been brought up by the correct monastic upbringing does not stop from announcing even the secrets entrusted to him 82 . 117. To the one who does not listen to your words, do not speak them 83. 118. Test your friends first, and do not make close acquaintances with everyone. If you make an extensive acquaintance, do not trust everyone: because the world is fermented with deceit. Choose as your friend one brother who fears the Lord, and cleave to God as a son to his father, because all people, with the exception of a few, have given themselves over to wickedness; the earth was filled with vanity, worries and sorrows 84 . 119. If you love silence, do not mix yourself with those whose hearts are entirely directed towards vanity. If you happen to be with them by accident, act like a stranger to them 85. 120. If you want to please God, almost Christ. He will set you free and protect you 86 . 121. Don’t talk about the good deed you want to do; do it without first disclosing it 87. 122. Do not love lusts: the one who loves his own lusts, when he asks something from God, God does not listen 88 . 123. Observe humility in everything: in your appearance, in your clothes, in sitting, standing, walking, lying down, in your cell and its accessories. Throughout your entire life, adopt the custom of poverty; Do not be vain either in your speeches or in your praises and songs offered to God; when you happen to be with your neighbor, let your words not be dissolved by cunning, deceit and deception 89 . 124. Do not accuse or reproach anyone thoughtlessly and hastily: this is your downfall 90. 125. Preface your actions by remembering your departure from the body, and do not forget the remembrance of eternal condemnation: by doing this, you will not sin forever 91. 126. The desert is a convenient place for thinking about death, a refuge from the causes that arouse carnal desires 92 . 127. Eat the simplest food 93. 128. Having felt anger, immediately cast it away from you, so that your joy in the Lord may remain undisturbed to the end. I beg both young men and elders that they do not allow anger to take over them 94 . 129. Courage is nothing more than staying in the truth while firmly confronting invisible enemies: if you constantly confront them, they will move away, disappear completely and never return 95. 130. Be wise: silence the lips of those who slander you. Do not be offended if someone speaks ill of you: this is the action of unclean spirits who try to create obstacles for a person to receive spiritual intelligence 96 . 131. Remove hatred from yourself, protect yourself from your lusts, as well as from bad thoughts 97. 132. The Apostle John, having become the abode of the Holy Spirit, in the following wise saying combines human lusts into three divisions: “all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of desire, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Carnal lust is in the satiation of the belly and in many varied dishes, which will necessarily be followed by defilements. voluptuousness - when, due to sight, we are carried away to do the affairs of this world, or impure images are imprinted in the heart. Worldly pride is vanity, which incites our spirit and attracts us to perishing and vain cares. 133. Rejoice in the temptations that will be allowed to you: through them, spiritual fruit is acquired 99 . 134. Do not enjoy the pleasures of the world: otherwise you will die an unhappy death 100. 135. Constantly watch over yourself, so as not to be deceived and led astray, so as not to fall into laziness and negligence, so as not to be rejected in the next century. Woe to the lazy! their end is approaching, and there is no one to help them, there is no hope of salvation for them 101. 136. Die daily in order to live forever: for he who fears God will live forever 102. 137. Do not forget the labors you have endured for the sake of virtue, do not fall into laziness, so as not to end up in your last hour careless and astray from the right path; but love the Lord to the end in order to inherit mercy 103. 138. Every night wash your bed with tears, pour your tears over the mat on which you sleep; Humble yourself before the Lord Jesus Christ, so that He will forgive you your sins, renew you, give you the strength to perform virtues, and, finally, provide you with His endless kingdom as an inheritance. 139. If a brother comes to you and reveals his thoughts to you, then be careful not to tell anyone about them; but pray for your brother and for yourself, so that you both will be freed from the influence of sin. 140. Stand always in the presence of God in truth and righteousness. 141. If you are absent from your monastery somewhere, try to return to it as soon as possible, so that a prolonged absence does not weaken your prayerful mood. 142. A person living in the desert calms down from threefold struggles, namely: from those that in the middle of the world chill the heart through quarrels and litigation, through hearing and through sight. 143. A monk who wants to be saved should not enter his worldly home, nor should he live in the city in which he sinned. Let him not allow himself meetings with his parents and other close relatives, because this causes damage to his soul and the fruit of life is lost 104. 144. Do not allow yourself to share a meal with a woman, and do not become intimately acquainted with a boy 105. 145. If you are healthy, do not let go of your belt 106. The ancient monks were so strictly vigilant over themselves that they even lay down on their bed for a short rest, clothed and girded (Luke 12:35). This custom continues to this day in some monasteries of Mount Athos. 146. Thou shalt not take hold of thy neighbor's hand, nor touch his knees 107 . 147. Do not allow yourself to violate the Divine commandment for the sake of human friendship 108. 148. Be diligent in reading the Scriptures: this will remove you from a wicked life 109. 149. While silent in your cell, do handicrafts; Moreover, do not give up praying in the name of the Lord Jesus. Draw this name in your mind, teach it in your heart, praise it with your tongue, say: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” Also: “Lord Jesus Christ, help me.” Also: “I will praise You, my Lord, Jesus Christ” 110. 150. Love work: it, combined with fasting, prayer and vigil, will free you from all defilements. Bodily labor brings purity to the heart; purity of heart is the reason that the soul bears fruit 111. 151. Do not judge anyone at all, but remain in mourning for your sins 112. 152. Beware of getting angry with anyone - forgive everyone 113. 153. Away - lies! she will remove the fear of God from you 114. 154. Remove sinful thoughts from yourself and surrender yourself to God, who will protect you with His right hand 115. 155. Do not reveal your thoughts to everyone, so as not to lead your brother into temptation 116. 156. Love humility; it will cover all your sins 117. 157. Don't be disobedient. Otherwise, you will become an instrument and vessel of all evil and all wickedness 118. 158. Have obedience to your father as a constant pledge in your heart, and the fear of God will dwell in you 119. 159. Do not curse your brother, even if you see him breaking all the commandments. Otherwise you yourself will fall into the hands of your enemies 120. 160. Do not strengthen previously committed sins in your soul by thinking about them, so that they do not recur in you. Be sure that they have been forgiven you from the time you surrendered yourself to God and repentance. Don't doubt it 121. 161. Do not consider yourself learned and wise: otherwise your work will perish, and your ship will make a futile voyage 122. 162. Learn to let your tongue say on all occasions that arise, always, at all times, to all brothers and to the Most High God Himself: forgive me. If you always say: forgive me, you will acquire humility 123. 163. Do not condemn anyone, so that the fear of God does not depart from you and you are not delivered into the hands of invisible enemies 124. 164. Don’t remember or talk about your desires and the pleasures of this world, which you indulged in during your careless life. Do not say: I did this and that, I transgressed this and that commandment. This will be to your detriment 125. 165. While silent in your cell, devote yourself to the following three activities: reading scripture, prayer and handicraft 126. 166. Constantly and thoroughly remain in repentance; do not sacrifice a single minute to laziness 127. 167. Humbly and with tears ask your father, without being ashamed to do this, so that he will teach you what you do not know 128. 168. When each day comes, arrange yourself as if this day were the last in your earthly life, and you will save yourself from sins 129. 169. Know: humility consists in recognizing all people as better than you and being convinced in your soul that you are burdened with sins more than anyone else. Keep your head bowed, and let your tongue always be ready to say to those who reproach you: my lord! I'm sorry. Let death be the subject of your constant reflection 130. 170. Do not speak at all about the affairs of this world 131. 171. Do not fulfill your lusts and desires 132. 172. Cast away pride from yourself; recognize your neighbor and all people as better than you 133. 173. Do not hide the sin you have committed from your spiritual father 134. 174. Do not utter empty words, and do not listen to those who utter empty words, so that your soul is not imprinted by them 135. 175. Flee the desire to accumulate property, avoid disobedience. Avoid overeating even more, so as not to get stuck in the net of carnal lust: overeating takes away the fear of God from the heart and the beauty of modesty from the face: the ascetic submits to shameful and nasty passions, the mind is alienated from God 136. 176. Don't be vain. Do not put boastful thoughts in your heart, do not utter boastful words: I did this and that, I suffered such and such difficulties, I did not bother or disturb anyone. All this introduces vanity, and those who are infected with such and similar thoughts have become the habitation of the devil and unclean spirits 137 . 177. Let your thoughts always revolve in the Divine commandments; try to fulfill them with all your might, do not miss a single one of them 138. 178. Do not blame any mortal, lest your prayers become abominable before God 139. 179. Beware in every possible way from jokes and from spending time in laughter and amusements 140. 180. If you constantly and carefully read the Scriptures and fulfill the commandments, then God’s mercy will be inseparable from you 141. 181. Always remain in weeping and tears: God will have mercy on you and ease all your sorrows 142. 182. Hate everything worldly and move away from yourself. Be sure that it drives us away from the face of God to a further distance 143. 183. Love work, submit yourself to everyone, keep your lips closed, and you will acquire humility: true humility gives a person forgiveness of all his sins 144. 184. I know monks who, after much labor, fell and went mad, because they trusted in their own works and despised the commandment of Him who said: “Ask your father, and he will tell you” (Deut. 32:7) 145. 185. It is appropriate for a young monk to consult with an elder about every step that he takes even in his cell, about every drop of water that he drinks: I say this because I know some monks who fell into decline precisely because they recognized themselves as pleasing to God. If you are commanded to do anything, in accordance with the commandments of the Lord our God, observe and fulfill it with care, so that what the Apostle said to you will be accomplished: “submitting to one another in the passion of God” (Eph. 5:21). On the contrary, if something contrary to the Divine commandments is ordered, then the orderer must answer: “It is fitting to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29); “If there is righteousness before God, you will listen rather than God, judge” (Acts 4:19). Let us remember the words of the Lord: “My sheep do not follow a stranger, but flee from him, because they do not know the strange voice” (John 10:5). Likewise, the heavenly Paul admonishes us and says: “If we, or an angel from heaven, or whoever else, preaches the gospel to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). Don't accept it 146. 186. I, Anthony, tell you the truth. Listen carefully to my words and put them in your heart; know that with these instructions and testaments I betray you to the Creator. If you follow them, you will rejoice with all the Angels and put all evil spirits to shame. If you fulfill them in practice and live according to them, then God will be with you, and His Angels will surround you; your soul will be filled with the fragrance that the Saints emit from themselves; your face will shine with the light of the blessed, like all the saints; You will become a sacrifice to God, and you will hear a voice saying to you: “Good, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful for a little, I will make you ruler over many: enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21), to whom be glory forever. Amen. 187. The brother asked Saint Anthony: “What should I do to cleanse myself of my sins?” - The elder answered: “Whoever wants to be freed from sins is freed from them by crying and sobbing; whoever wants to acquire virtues acquires them through weeping and tears.” The entire book of psalms is nothing more than lamentation. Remember Hezekiah, the king of Judah, who, as the prophet Isaiah wrote about him (Isaiah 38), through crying was not only healed of an illness, but was also honored to receive an extension of life for fifteen years; While his tears were pouring out, the power of God struck with death one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the army that attacked him. Through crying, the Holy Apostle Peter regained what he had lost by renouncing Christ. Mary, who shed tears at the feet of Christ, was honored to see the resurrection of her brother, the four-day-old Lazarus. 188. A certain brother asked Abba Anthony: “What should I do to find mercy from God?” “The holy elder answered him: “What I tell you, keep it carefully: wherever you are, have God before your eyes; do only what you have the testimony of Scripture to do; Be careful not to soon leave the place in which you live, whatever that place may be.” From the answer of St. Anthony it is clear that the Holy Scriptures have been recognized since ancient times as the main guide for monasticism. Only those advice and those instructions of the elders were accepted as the rule of life that were in agreement with the Holy Scriptures. 189. Abba Pamvo once asked Abba Anthony how he should behave in order to inherit salvation? - The blessed elder answered: “Do not trust your righteousness; sincerely repent of your previous sins; restrain your tongue, heart and belly.” 190. Being asked whether it was permissible to laugh sometimes, he answered: “The Lord condemns those who laugh. “You will mourn and lament,” He said to His disciples, “but the world will rejoice” (John 16:20). A true monk should not laugh, but should cry for those who curse God, breaking His law, and for those who spend their whole lives committing sins. Let us weep and cry, constantly begging God not to allow them to remain in a sinful life, so that death does not snatch them away before they have time to repent.” 147 191. One day, some brethren came to the monastery of Abba Anthony to consult with him about the ghosts that appeared to them, and to ask him whether these visions were from the right side or from the devil. The brothers, setting off on their journey, took with them a donkey, which died on the way. When they came to the elder, and before they had time to say anything to him, he asked them: “Why did your donkey die on the road?” The brothers answered: “How do you know this, father?” – Elder: “The demons told me.” “And we came,” said the brothers, “to ask you and consult with you about something like this: ghosts appear to us, who sometimes apparently tell the truth; but we are afraid of being deceived.” Then the elder admonished them not to pay any attention to these ghosts, because they were from the devil. A general rule for everyone: do not get carried away by phenomena from the world of spirits - recognize any such phenomenon as a grave temptation for yourself. Angels appear to only holy people, and only saints are able, being enlightened by Divine grace, to distinguish between holy Angels and devils. Devils, when appearing to people, most often clothe themselves in the form of holy angels, surrounding themselves with all kinds of appearances, so that it is all the more convenient to seduce, deceive and destroy the inexperienced, self-important, stupidly curious. It is a great disaster to enter into communication with demons, to accept impressions from them, even to submit to their influence alone, which, being attracted by a person’s own will, has a special effect. 192. A certain brother in his community was falsely accused of adultery; he left the hostel and came to the monastery of Abba Anthony. The brethren of the hostel followed him, wanting to console him and return him to the hostel; but when they came, they began to reprove him, saying: you did this and that. The brother claimed that he did not do any of this. While they were arguing, Abba Paphnutius happened to be there. He told the disputants the following parable: “I saw a man on the seashore, stuck in a swamp up to his knees; some came to help him and plunged him into the swamp up to his shoulders.” Abba Anthony, having listened to the parable of Abba Paphnutius, exclaimed: “Here is a man who can heal and save souls.” The brothers were moved by what the elders said, began to ask for forgiveness from their brother, and took him back with them to the hostel 148. 193. In the monastery of Abba Lot, a temptation happened to a certain brother. The brother, because of this temptation, was expelled from the monastery. He came to the mountain of Abba Anthony, and stayed here for some time, after which the blessed one sent his brother to his monastery. They didn’t accept my brother there; they sent him away again. He returned to Abba Anthony and told him: “They didn’t want to accept me!” Abba sent him again, instructing him to tell the fathers of the monastery: “The ship was wrecked and lost its cargo; With great difficulty this ship reached the haven, and you want to sink even what was saved from sinking!” The fathers, having learned that Abba Anthony had sent his brother to them, immediately received him with joy 149. 194. They say about Saint Abba Anthony that, while living in the desert, he was once subjected to spiritual confusion, despondency and a special invasion of dark thoughts. While in this state, he began to pour out his sorrow before God. “Lord,” he said, “I want to be saved, but my thoughts do not allow me to do this. What should I do with my passions? how can I be saved? Rising from the place where he was sitting, and moving away a little, he sat down in another place, and behold, he sees a man unknown to him, carefully busy with the labor of his hands. This man either got up, leaving his needlework, and prayed, then again returned to his needlework: he sewed palm leaves. Then he got up again and prayed; After prayer, he again took up needlework. The one who did this was an Angel sent by God to encourage Anthony and arouse him to courage. And Anthony heard a voice coming from the Angel: “Antony! do this and you will be saved.” Hearing this, Anthony was very happy and encouraged: he began to do this, and was saved 150. Excellent instruction and rule, especially for those living in silence! The mind cannot constantly remain entirely in prayer and other acts of spiritual achievement: being limited, it becomes tired; he needs rest. This relaxation is provided by moderate handicraft, in which the activity of the mind, although it continues, is not so intense. Care is needed so as not to get carried away by an addiction to needlework, not to devote too much time to it, too much strength of soul and body, to the detriment of prayer, which constitutes the essential work of the silent person. 195. They say that Abba Anthony, being once perplexed by the depth of God’s economy (government of the world) and God’s judgments, prayed and said: “Lord! Why do some people reach old age and a state of weakness, while others die in childhood and live little? Why are some poor and others rich? Why do tyrants and villains prosper and abound in all earthly blessings, while the righteous are oppressed by adversity and poverty? “He was busy thinking about this for a long time, and a voice came to him: “Antony! pay attention to yourself and do not subject yourself to the study of God’s destinies, because this is harmful to your soul” 151. It is necessary for the ascetic and every Christian to distinguish what is left to his understanding from what is left only to his contemplation. It is not natural for a limited mind to understand with all satisfaction the actions of the unlimited mind, the mind of God; a vain effort to understand and explain what is beyond understanding leads only to error, to blasphemy, to heresies and atheism. 196. A hunter of wild animals of the desert came to the mountain of Abba Anthony to catch. Seeing Abba comforting the brethren, he was tempted by this. The elder, wanting to calm him down and show him that sometimes the brethren need to be given some relief, said to him: “Place an arrow in your bow and draw it.” The hunter did it. The elder said: “Tighten it some more.” The hunter pulled his bow tighter. The elder again tells him: “Tighten it even more.” The hunter answered: “If you stretch the bow too much, it will break.” To this Abba Anthony said: “This is how it happens in the work of God. If you strain the strength of the brethren beyond measure, they will soon fall away from the work of God; it is necessary to give them some relief from time to time.” The catcher, having heard this, expressed his consent and left the elder with greater benefit, and the brethren, having established themselves in the correct view of their feat, dispersed to their cells 152. A story of extraordinary importance! All feats undertaken inappropriately are abandoned. The impression made by disproportionate, abandoned feats is so harmful that ascetics who have abandoned immoderate feats usually abandon all feats and move on to a careless life, to mental disorder. “Immeasurable work, says Saint Isaac of Syria, will be followed by despondency; despondency – frenzy”, i.e. disorder! 153. – Here it would not be out of place to note that consolation is a certain relaxation of the brethren, outside the usual order and rules for their life, mainly in food. When either fish, or wine, or fruits are served at a meal, this is called consolation; when on a great holiday all this is offered at a meal, then the consolation is called great, great. When a sick person or an old man is given clothes that are more comfortable than what the brethren generally wear, this is called consolation. One should not think that the indulgence consists of idle talk, jokes and laughter, which are prohibited by the commandments of the Lord and the apostolic tradition. “Every idle word that men speak will be given back on the day of judgment: by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). “Woe to you who laugh now! for you will mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25). “Let not every corrupt word proceed out of your mouth; but if it is good for the building up of faith, let it give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). “Let this be called in you foul language, and blasphemies, or blasphemies (ridiculous speech, jokes), even inappropriate things” (Eph. 5:4). Crying is the life of a monk: it gives birth to the thought of consciousness of his sinfulness, the thought of repentance. For this reason, idle talk and ridicule, as destroying crying at its very root - in the holy thoughts of repentance, as destroying the essence and all the fruit of monastic life, were strictly persecuted and are being persecuted in all comfortable monasteries. 197. They say about Abba Anthony that he said: “I saw the Spirit of God descending on three people: on Abba Athanasius, and the patriarchate was given to him; to Abba Pachomius - and he was given authority over the hostels; to Abba Macarius - and the grace of healing ailments was given to him" 154. Wonderful vision! These are the instruments with which the Church of God was supported! These are the tools with which its institutions were established! God founded His Church through the action of His Word and Spirit, and He supports the Church through this action. The Apostles themselves alone could not do anything. The Lord commanded them to remain continually in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from above, that is, until the Holy Spirit descended on them. Endowed with power from above, not before, they went out to preach and planted the true knowledge of God in the universe. Actors in the Church are the Word of God and the Spirit of God; blessed people are only instruments. A person who is alien to grace cannot be an instrument. Those who want to act in the work of God with the strength and means of their fallen nature are mistaken, gravely mistaken. Fallen nature is infected with enmity towards God, is in communion and affinity with fallen spirits: how can it act in favor of the cause of God? This is unnatural for him! this is impossible for him! Experiments have consistently shown that people who decided to act on their own in favor of the cause of God acted to its detriment, in favor of the cause of demons. 198. One day the elders came to Abba Anthony; Among them was the monk Joseph. The elder, wanting to tempt them, started speaking from Scripture and began asking everyone for an explanation, starting with the youngest. Each gave an explanation according to his own understanding, and the elder found everyone’s explanation unsatisfactory; then, turning to the monk Joseph, he said to him: “How will you explain this word of Scripture?” Joseph answered: “I don’t know.” Then Abba Anthony said: “However, the monk Joseph found the path where they say: I don’t know.” 155 The holy mentors of the monks, wanting the Holy Scripture to serve as a complete guide in monastic life, at the same time wanted the monks, knowing it by letter, to study it most by deeds, 156 especially by humility. This can be seen in the lives of Saints Dositheus 157, John of Damascus 158 and others. 199. One day blessed Anthony was praying in his cell, and a voice came to him: “Antony! you have not yet come to the measure of the tanner who lives in Alexandria.” Hearing this, the elder got up early in the morning and, taking his staff, hastily went to Alexandria. When he came to the husband indicated to him, this husband was extremely surprised to see Anthony there. The elder said to the tanner: “Tell me your deeds, because for you I came here, leaving the desert.” The tanner answered: “I don’t know for myself that I have ever done anything good: for this reason, getting up early from my bed, before I go to work, I say to myself: all the inhabitants of this city, from large to small, will enter the kingdom of God for their virtues, and I alone will go to eternal torment for my sins. I repeat these same words in my heart before I go to bed.” Hearing this, blessed Anthony answered: “In truth, my son, you, like a skilled jeweler, 159, sitting quietly in your house, acquired the kingdom of God; Although I spend my whole life in the desert, I have not acquired spiritual intelligence, I have not achieved the level of consciousness that you express in your words” 160. The depth of humility is at the same time the height of prosperity. Descending into the abyss of humility, we ascend to heaven. Anyone who attempts to ascend to heaven without humility is cast into the abyss of self-conceit and destruction. 200. One day, some disciples of the Divine Abba Anthony, seeing in the deserts countless numbers of monks, flocking with great zeal for God and competing with each other in all virtues and holy deeds, asked him: “Father! How long will this zeal and zeal for solitude, for poverty, for humility, for love, for abstinence and for all other virtues, to which all this multitude of monks, almost without exception, so carefully adhere? The Man of God answered them like this, sighing and shedding copious tears: “The time will come, beloved sons, in which the monks will leave the deserts and instead rush to the richest cities; there, instead of the dens and huts with which the desert is dotted, they will erect, trying to surpass one another, magnificent buildings, rivaling the splendor of the royal chambers. Instead of poverty, the desire to accumulate wealth will creep in; humility of heart will turn into pride; many will be pompous with knowledge, but alien to the good deeds prescribed by knowledge; love will dry up; instead of abstinence, pleasure to the stomach will appear, and many of the monks will take care of providing themselves with exquisite dishes no less than the laity, from whom they will differ only in clothing and hood. Being in the middle of the world, they will not be ashamed to misappropriate the name of monks and hermits. They will not cease to boast, saying: “I am Paul,” “I am Apollos” (1 Cor. 1:12), as if the whole essence of piety lies in the significance of their predecessors, as if it is permissible and fair to boast about their fathers, as the Jews boasted about their ancestor, Abraham! However, among the monks of those times, some will be far better and more perfect than us: because more blessed is the one “who could transgress and do not transgress, and do evil and do not do it” (Sir. 31:11) than the one who is drawn to good by the example of many good ones. Thus Noah, Abraham and Lot, who led a holy life among the wicked, are justly glorified by Scripture." 161 201. After the death of the Great Anthony, a certain spiritual elder, asked by the monks, made an explanation of the sayings of the Great 162. So, for example, to the saying: “Go, live in the desert, and study the battles of demons,” the mentioned elder gave the following interpretation: the perfection of a monk stems from spiritual work, and spiritual work is acquired by purity of the heart, and purity of the heart by mental prayer. Success in mental prayer brings about unceasing prayer. But demons carry out the struggle through thoughts and dreams, also through ghosts, and this struggle is aroused more strongly in the desert and silence 163. 202. Abba Anthony told about himself: “I saw all the nets of the devil spread over the earth; Seeing this, I sighed and said: “Woe to the human race! who can free himself from these snares? - To this it was said to me: “Humility is saved from them and they cannot even touch it.” – Extract from the explanation made by the elder: Abba Macarius the Elder, an Egyptian, a disciple of Abba Anthony, also saw in the inner desert of the monastery all the networks of passions that Abba Anthony saw in his time. Macarius saw devils in the likeness of two people; this vision was sensual; he saw with the eyes of the body, but Abba Anthony saw with the eyes of the spirit according to the law of visions, and so on. 164. 203. Abba Anthony said: “We do not achieve prosperity for the reason that we do not know either our measures or the order that is necessary for prosperity; we do not understand what deeds are appropriate for us - we want to acquire virtues without using labor to acquire them. Every time a struggle arises against temptation in the place where we are called to live, we move to another, believing that there is some place in which there is no devil. He who has spiritual knowledge of the fight against temptations fights against them in God with firmness and constancy, just as the Lord said: “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). The elder’s explanation: the meaning of these words is this. We move to live from one place to another, looking for a place in which there would be no devil; when in the place to which we moved we see anxiety arising from temptation, then we move again. But he who is experienced in spiritual warfare does not look for another place, but resists temptation in the Lord in his place of residence. He is strengthened by the Lord’s assurance that the kingdom of God is everywhere, that it is within us. This means: we, monks who came from the world, who took the cross on our shoulders according to the commandment of our Lord, following the footsteps of the Lord, must remain in one place, caring for the salvation of our souls and withstanding all the shocks produced by temptations. For the sake of love for God, for the sake of fulfilling His will, experimentally proven by keeping His commandments, we must generously endure all shocks and temptations - whether they arise from our passions, or from demons, or from evil people. Some inexperienced in spiritual warfare - let it be known to us - often jump up, like young horses, not accustomed to carrying a burden on their backs, and strive to other places, hoping to find consolation and calm from the struggle and from the pressure of evil thoughts by moving from one place to another, from one country to another. Let us patiently abide in our place of residence. If warfare or temptation arises, we will resort to fasting, prayer, kneeling, with tears and heartache we will ask the Lord for help and salvation: He is with us at all times, He dwells in us. The Scripture says: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and will save the humble in spirit” (Ps. 33:19). The Lord also said that the kingdom of God is within you. This means: I dwell in you. The Kingdom of God, according to the explanation of Saint Macarius, is Christ, Who always dwells in us. Blessed Paul said: “Or you do not know that Christ is in you” (2 Cor. 13:5). Not only does He live in us, but we also abide in Him, as He Himself says: “Be in Me and I in you” (John 15:4). Be My church, into which I could enter at all times, and receive salvation from Me. Dwelling in God, we are together and His abode. Let us not abandon the Lord during temptation, confusion and struggle; Let us not seek consolation and help from places and countries, moving from place to place and from country to country. While we are in your place of residence, let us ask the Lord who lives in us to protect us, to help us. In addition to this, let us open our thoughts to our fathers and ask them to help us with their prayers. Staying patiently in our place of residence, we will constantly resort to the protection of our Savior, and He will certainly make us winners in all our battles” 165. 204. Question: What does it mean that Abba Anthony said: “When fish are taken out of the water, they die: the same thing happens to a monk if he stays outside his cell for a long time”? – Answer: The life of the soul is constant remembrance and love of God. This should primarily be called the life of the soul and spirit. For this reason, if a monk stays in cities for a long time, he dies, killed by the sight of temptations and conversion among them; he is deprived of spiritual life, moving away from God and forgetting Him, expelling from his heart the love for Christ, acquired through many labors in cell silence. His jealousy for depressing himself with exploits weakens; he indulges in laziness and is carried away by lusts. The purity of his heart is indignant from the effect on him of passionate impressions entering through the senses - through sight, hearing, talking, touch, taste, smell. With these impressions, he is intensely drawn to fornication and other vices, which for a monk are death and destruction. And so, rightly said Blessed Anthony: “Just as fish die when taken out of the water onto land, so does a monk who leaves his cell and lives in cities die.”166 Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 963 and 964. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 973. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 973 Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 964. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 965. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1097. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1084. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 966. This opinion of the Great Anthony, initiated by the right hand of God into the secrets of the world of spirits, is inconvenient for those alien to such knowledge. But Holy Scripture testifies that the fallen spirit loved a woman and killed seven young men, whom she married in turn (Tov. 6:15). Some of the fallen spirits are so devoted to carnal lust that they borrowed their character from it: they are called prodigal demons, in contrast to other demons devoted to other passions. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 967. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 968 Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 968. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 969. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 970. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 972. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 974. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 975. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 976. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1071. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1069. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1067. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1077. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1077 Venerable Barsanuphius the Great, answer 269. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1073. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1075. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1076. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1078. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1080. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1081. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1082. Memorable Tales, ch. 37. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1082 and 1083. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1095. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1099 and 1100. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1100 and Alphabetical Patericon. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1097 and Alphabetical Patericon. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1100. Venerable Mark the Ascetic on the Spiritual Law, Ch. 32. At the beginning of the Teachings of the Venerable Abba Dorotheos. Maker of gold and other precious things. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 785, cap. 130. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1095 and 1096. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1083 and 1084. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1085. Patrologiae Graecae, Tomus XL, pagina 1089. 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