120. К Адолии 99

What are you saying? Are you again complaining about the intrigues and the fact that you are enduring great grief? But what, tell me, prevents you from retiring to a peaceful haven and getting rid of all these worries? Didn’t I sing to you constantly, all this time, and yet you never wanted to listen to us? No, you cause countless sorrows to yourself, constantly falling into the swamp and getting dirty with the mud of these endless affairs, and you continuously upset us every now and then by being exposed to this. Do you really think it was pleasant for me to now hear what you write about in your letter, that your closest people, or (I’ll better speak in your own words) your trusted friends, cheated on you and did terrible things to you? How long will you continue to darken your clear spiritual vision in this child? How long will it take you to free yourself from this cruel slavery? And what prevents you from coming here now and jointly consulting with us about everything? You yourself say that you would not have experienced any of this if you had done so. I am completely amazed, perplexed and cannot find absolutely any reason why you have not been coming to us for so long, unless it is due to frivolity and cowardice, the distance is small; The time of year is very favorable for the trip, it is not tormented by either cold or heat. Probably, again, this constant source of all your troubles - probably, I say, this concern for everyday affairs - it is still an obstacle for you. If you come, I will be very glad; If you don’t come, I won’t judge you or get angry, but I will love you just as I always loved your regularity. In any case, it is only regrettable and very painful for me to know that you are now involved in endless troubles and are still burdened with countless everyday worries. And if exile captivity had not kept us here with its chains, I would not have grieved your reverence, but, even if I was even sicker than I am now, I would have come to you myself, and would not have calmed down until, having used all measures and all means, I would have snatched you from this abyss, from this swamp, from this sewer pit of countless evils. And since this is impossible, I would like you to come and consult with us about this. If this turns out to be inconvenient and difficult, then we will not stop, at least in writing, offering you our advice and admonitions - to break the nets, cut the ropes, break the shackles that bind your soul, and set out on the path of independence and complete freedom. Thus, you would not only gain yourself joy here, but you would easily earn heaven. Voluntarily enter into the inviolable treasuries that which, after some time, you will involuntarily have to leave behind, saying goodbye to this life, and through this you will prepare for yourself those wreaths that never die or fade. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” From Cucus in 404, like the next letter to Diogenes. You might be interested in: