Слово 16. О высокомерии и тщеславии

If you want to humble a proud person, do not make lengthy speeches, but remind him only of his nature and severely reprimand him with these words: “Why is earth and ashes proud?” (Sir.10:9). If he says that this happens after death, then humble him while he is alive, and teach him that he is earth and ashes, because he does not know that now he is the same. He sees the beauty of the body, looks at power, at the servility of flatterers, at the crowd of parasites; dressed in expensive clothes, endowed with enormous power; appearance deceives him and makes him forget about his nature; he waits only for proof from death; he does not go to the tombs and graves of his ancestors; looks only at the present and does not think at all about the future. Therefore, teach him here that he is earth and ashes, so that he can receive medicine during his lifetime. Indeed, having said: “A hundred proud earth and ashes?” , The Wise added further: “and during life his entrails are erupted” (Sir. 10:10), calling the entrails the intestines, the belly, full of feces and all uncleanness and stench. Look at the insignificance and frailty of the essence. Do not wait until the day of your death to recognize your insignificance; examine a person while he is still alive, penetrate mentally into his insides and you will see all our insignificance. However, don't be discouraged. Not out of hatred towards us, but sparing us, God created us this way, wanting to provide great reasons for humility. In fact, if a person, being earth and ashes, dared to say: “I will ascend into heaven” (Is. 14:13), then where would he have fallen with his mind if he had not had the reins of nature? So, when you see an arrogant man who cranes his neck, raises his eyebrows, rushes on a chariot, threatens, throws him into prison, commits insults, puts him to death, then tell him: “Why is the earth and ashes proud? And during his lifetime his insides are erupted." This is said not only about the common man, but also about the one sitting on the royal throne. Do not look at the purple, nor at the diadem, nor at the golden clothes, but explore nature itself and you will see that the earth is hidden under them. Truly, “all the glory of man is like the flower of the grass” (1 Peter 1:24). For what and why, man, do you think a lot about yourself? Descend from your vain heights, consider the insignificance of your nature; you are earth and ashes, dust and dust, smoke and shadow, grass and grass color. And living with such nature, do you think highly of yourself, tell me? What could be funnier than this? Are you in charge of many people? But what is the use of that when you rule over people, and you yourself are a captive and slave of passions? It is as if someone at home suffered beatings and received wounds from servants, and when he went out into the square, he began to boast of power over others. Are you a slave to all passions and are you proud of the fact that you rule over your equals by birth? Oh, that you would rule over the first and be equal with the last! If he who boasts of truly good deeds deserves censure and is deprived of all reward for them, then isn’t the funniest of all the one who is puffed up with worthless deeds and falls into pride because of local glory? Pitiful and unfortunate, when your soul is perishing from a grave illness, when you suffer extreme poverty, are you proud that you have so many talents of gold and many slaves? But it's not yours; and if you do not believe my words, learn from experience from what has happened before. If you are so intoxicated with passion that you cannot be brought to your senses by what happens to others, then wait a little and you will learn from your own experience that wealth is of no use to you, that, lying at your last breath and not having in your power a single hour or a short minute, you will involuntarily leave it present, and, moreover, often to those whom you did not want, and against your will you will yield to those whom you previously did not allow to even look at it. Truly, the essence of human affairs is nothing more than dust and dust, smoke and shadow, and even more insignificant. Really, tell me, what do you consider great? What virtue do you find great? Dignity of Ipat 4? Indeed, many people think that there is nothing higher than this dignity. So, in comparison with the one who is surrounded by such splendor and arouses such great surprise, he has no less and is no less; both the first and the second are in the same dignity, because both the one and the other cease to exist a little later. When was it, what time was it, tell me? Two days? This happens in dreams too. But that, you say, is a dream. So what? But isn’t what happens during the day a dream, tell me? Why don't we call it sleep rather? Just as when the day comes it turns out that dreams are nothing, so too when night comes it turns out that the deeds of the day are nothing; and just as during the day no one rejoices at what happened at night, it is certainly impossible for anyone at night to enjoy what happens during the day. Were you a hypocrite? And I was there at night. But I, you say, during the day, and you at night. What's wrong with that? And yet you have nothing more in comparison with me, unless hearing people say about you: “such and such a hypocrite,” and receiving pleasure from such speeches does not mean having more (and how could it?). If I say: “such and such a hypocrite,” and do something pleasant with these words, then at the same time as these words are said, will they not fly away? This is exactly what happens in reality: as soon as the hypocrite appeared, he was no longer there. But let’s say that he was a hypocrite for a year, three, four years. Where are those who were hypocrites for ten years? Nowhere. Meanwhile, Paul is not like that: he was always glorious during his life, not for a day, not two, not ten or twenty days, not even ten or twenty years, but he died, and four hundred years have passed, and he is still famous today, and even much more glorious than he was during his life. And this is on earth; as for his glory in heaven, what word is able to show it? And just as the waves of the sea either rise to an immeasurable height, then suddenly fall down again, so too, infected with arrogance, as we see, they either exalt themselves, knit their eyebrows and are passionately carried away by the affairs of this life, then suddenly they are humiliated and fall into extreme poverty. Pointing to them, blessed David said: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases” (Ps. 48:17). He said it well: “don’t be afraid.” Let him, he says, not be embarrassed by the abundance of wealth and the brilliance of glory, because a little later you will see how he will lie on the ground, powerless, dead, defeated, having become food for worms, how he will become naked from all this, not being able to take anything with him (after all, wealth and glory do not accompany those leaving here), but leaving everything here and dragging with him only wickedness and the burden of sins collected from it. It is therefore right that human glory was called vanity by the ancients; indeed, she is completely empty inside, having nothing useful; how masks on the outside seem luxurious and beautiful, but on the inside they are empty, which is why they never awakened love for themselves in anyone, although they are more beautiful than carnal faces, that’s true, or better - and that’s even more pitiful, and human glory. Truly, nothing turns away God’s mercy so much and consigns it to the fire of Gehenna like the passion of pride. If it is inherent in us, then no matter what deeds we perform, whether abstinence, virginity, fasting, prayers, alms, our whole life becomes unclean. “Everyone who is proud in heart,” it is said, “is an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 16:5). Vanity is such a great evil because it not only pushes those captured by it into vice, but also attacks virtues; and when it cannot throw us out of there, it causes great damage to virtue itself, thus forcing us to bear labor and depriving us of the fruits from it. It is impossible, desiring both earthly and heavenly glory, to achieve both; it is possible to achieve both when we desire not both, but only one - heavenly glory; for one who loves both, it is impossible to achieve both. Whoever does something good in order to gain fame from people, whether he is able to use it or not, already receives a sufficient reward here, and will not receive any reward for it there. Why? Because he himself had already deprived himself of the Judge’s bounty in advance, preferring human glory to the verdict of the Righteous Judge. Whoever performs any spiritual deed with the sole purpose of pleasing only this one Vigilant Eye, the treasure remains inseparable, and the virtue is unalloyed, and the good hope that comes from here gives him great consolation; and besides the fact that that reward is kept in a safe depository for him, glory among people will also accompany him. Indeed, we enjoy this glory more abundantly when we despise it, when we do not seek it, when we do not pursue it. Likewise, on the horse lists, the riders, when the whole people applauds them and emits thousands of greetings, do not turn to him and do not receive any pleasure from his exclamations, but look only at one - the king sitting in the middle, and, listening to his wave, do not pay any attention to the whole multitude of people, and only then do they feel proud when he honors them with victorious crowns. So, what could be more unfortunate than those who strive in virtue to show off to people, darken their faces with fasts and say prayers at crossroads, when they endure labor and are deprived of any reward? What are you doing, man? To one you must give an account of what you have done, and call the other to witness what is being done? Do you have one as a Judge and the other as a spectator? Do you not see how the charioteers at horse races, when the whole city is sitting at the top, running through the rest of the lists, try to overturn the chariots of their rivals where they see the king sitting? They consider one eye more trustworthy than so many eyes. And you, seeing the King of Angels Himself in your field as an ascetic, having left Him, turn to the gaze of slaves just like you? That is why, after countless competitions, after many labors, you leave without a crown, and without a reward you go to the Hero. Isn’t it senseless that the servant, no matter what he does, does to please the master, does not seek anything more than his gaze and does not try to attract other people’s eyes to his work, even if those watching were great people, but cares only about one thing, so that the master can see; meanwhile, having such a Lord, we are looking for other spectators who are not able to provide any benefit to us with their sight, but can harm us and make all our work in vain? If the one who is puffed up with virtue destroys everything, then what punishment will be worthy of the one who does this with sins? Truly, when you sin, you also take pride, which is a much more serious evil than sinning. If it is foolish to boast about truly good deeds, how much more so about such deeds that cost nothing? Truly, nothing makes people so criminal and insane as an addiction to human glory, just as nothing makes them so glorious and unshakable in virtue as contempt for it. That is why a very courageous soul is needed for someone who wants to resist such a gust and force of the wind. When a man pursuing glory prospers, he places himself above all others, and when he is exposed to misfortune, he is ready to bury himself in the ground, being consumed by passion. And listen to what I say. Once upon a time, King Uzziah, having overstepped the limits and measure of his royal power, entered the church, wanting to personally burn incense. What does a priest mean to him? You are not allowed, O king, to burn incense (2 Chronicles 26:18); you transgress the limits of your power, you seek what is not given to you; through this you will also destroy what you received; This is not your business, but mine. Did I steal your purple? Do not steal my priesthood either. But he did not listen, but, puffed up with pride, entered the church, opened the Holy of Holies, wanting to burn incense. When, in this way, the priest was despised, the word of the priesthood was trampled upon, and nothing more remained except to expose and show boldness, and he shook his weapon and used his strength, then the priest says: I did everything on my part, I can’t do anything more; help you, Lord, the trampled priesthood, whose laws are now being violated and their statutes are being overthrown. And look what happens. Immediately “leprosy appeared on his forehead” (2 Chronicles 26:19). Where there is shamelessness, there is punishment. Do you see God's mercy in the punishment itself? He did not send out lightning, He did not shake the earth, He did not shake the sky, but leprosy appeared, and not in some other place, but on the forehead, so that it lay like an inscription on a pillar, like a law in a prominent place, saying: “Do not do such things, so as not to suffer such punishment.” So why are you craning your neck, tell me? Why are you walking on the tips of your fingernails? Why are you raising your eyebrows? Why are you sticking out your chest? You cannot make your hair white or black, but you act as if everything is in your power. Maybe you would like to grow wings so that you don’t have to walk on the ground? What should I call you and bring down your pride? Shall I call you dust and dust, smoke and ashes? But with this I will not yet achieve an exact similarity. You seem to me like burning tow, because when it is set on fire, it apparently swells and rises, and if you touch it a little with your hand, it all sinks down and turns out to be insignificant than any ashes. And just as rain bubbles, when they rise high, burst very quickly, so those who are puffed up by vanity easily perish. There is no evil equal to pride. Through her, the devil became a devil, without being one before. In the same way, the first man fell and became mortal from the proud hopes inspired by the devil. Having hoped to become a god, he destroyed what he had. For this very reason, God, reproaching him and as if ridiculing his madness, said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of Us” (Gen. 3:22). If the devil, having gained some power over Job, destroyed his house to the ground, crushed his body, created such a deplorable spectacle, destroyed his property, covered his children with earth, pierced his flesh, corrupted his wife, forced his friends, enemies, servants to say such words, then, if he had not been restrained by countless bonds, would he not have destroyed everyone? This is an evil and insatiable beast, and if it were not constantly curbed, it would overthrow and destroy everything. That is why God, as a Lover of Mankind, does not give him power over everyone. To him belongs glory and power, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” Ipatus (ὕπατος – Praefectus Praetorio) was the first dignitary in the Greco-Roman Empire, who was the sovereign governor of the emperor and concentrated in his hands the entire military and civil administration of the prefecture. You might be interested in: