Авва Авраам

They told about a certain old man that he spent fifty years in great abstinence, not eating bread at all and drinking water in the most moderate quantities. This elder said: “I have killed in myself the passion of fornication, love of money and vanity.” Hearing that the elder was saying this, Abba Abraham came to him and asked him: “Did you say this and that?” The elder answered: “He spoke.” Abba Abraham said to this: “Behold, you enter your hut and find a woman on your bed: can you not think that it is a woman?” - "No! but I struggle with my thoughts so as not to touch her.” Abraham: “So you have not put to death the passion of fornication; it is alive in you, but connected. Again: suppose you are walking along the path, you see stones and fragments of clay vessels, and in the middle of them is gold. Can your mind get along without any thought about gold? Elder: “No! but I’m struggling with the thought that I won’t take the gold.” Abraham: “So the passion is alive, but connected. Again: if two brothers come to you, one of whom loves you and extols you with praise, and the other hates you and slanderes you, will you receive them with the same heartfelt feeling? Elder: “No! but I will fight with my thoughts and try to do good to him who hates me, just as he does to him who loves me.” Abraham: “Consequently, the passions are alive, but bound by holy thoughts” 205. You might be interested in: