Слово 13. Об унынии и лености

1. Dejection is often one of the branches, one of the first offspring of verbosity, as we have already said before; That’s why we put this vice here, as in its proper place in the evil chain of passions. 2. Dejection is relaxation of the soul, exhaustion of the mind, neglect of monastic feats, hatred of the vow, a pleaser of the worldly, a slanderer of God, as if He is unmerciful and inhumane; in psalmody it is weak, in prayer it is weak, in physical service it is strong as iron, in handicraft it is lazy, in obedience it is hypocritical. 3. An obedient husband does not know despondency, correcting mental and spiritual (deeds) through sensory deeds. 4. Communion is contrary to despondency, and to a husband who remains in silence, it is an everlasting companion; before death it will not leave him and until his death it will fight him every day. Seeing the hermit’s cell, (despondency) smiles and, approaching him, moves in next to him. 5. The doctor visits the sick in the morning, and despondency comes upon the ascetics around noon. 6. Dejection encourages hospitality; exhorts to give alms from handicrafts; diligently encourages to visit the sick; reminds us of the One who said: “you were sick, and come to me” (Matthew 25:36); exhorts to visit the mourning and faint-hearted; and being itself cowardly, he inspires to console the faint-hearted. 7. This evil spirit reminds those who have begun to pray about the necessary things to do and uses every trick to distract us from the conversation with the Lord, as if by some plausible pretext. 8. The demon of despondency produces three-hour 48 trembling, pain in the head, fever, pain in the stomach; when the ninth hour comes, it allows a little to arise; and when the meal is already offered, he forces him to jump off the bed; but then, at the hour of prayer, it again burdens the body; He plunges those standing at prayer into sleep, and in untimely yawns steals poetry from their lips. 9. Each of the other passions is abolished by one virtue that is contrary to it; For a monk, despondency is an all-defeating death. 10. A courageous soul also resurrects a dead mind; despondency and laziness waste all wealth. But since the spirit of despondency is the most severe of all eight leaders of evil, we will deal with him in the same manner as with others; however, let us add the following. 11. When there is no psalmody, then despondency does not appear; and the eyes, which were closed from drowsiness during the rule, open as soon as it is over. 12. During times of despondency, ascetics are discovered 49; and nothing brings as many crowns to a monk as despondency 50 . 13. Watch and you will see that it wrestles those who stand on their feet, inclining them to sit down; and he exhorts those sitting to bow to the wall; it makes you look out the window of your cell, it encourages you to knock and stamp your feet. He who weeps for himself does not know despondency. 14. Let us now bind this tormentor with the memory of our sins; We will beat him with handicrafts, we will entice him with thinking about future benefits; and when it appears to us, we will ask it the appropriate questions. 15. So, tell us, O you, careless and paralytic, who is it that gave birth to you evil? and what are your offspring? Who are those who fight against you? and who is your murderer? He answers: “In true novices, I have no place to lay my head; but I have a place for myself in the silent ones, and I live with them. I have many parents: sometimes insensibility of the soul, sometimes forgetfulness of heavenly blessings, and sometimes excessive labor. My fiends who are with me: changes of location, neglect of the commands of the spiritual father. Failure to remember the last judgment, and sometimes abandonment of the monastic vow. And my opponents, who bind me now, are psalmody with handicrafts. My enemy is the thought of death; Prayer kills me with the firm hope of being worthy of eternal blessings; and whoever gave birth to the prayer, ask her about that. He who has truly won the thirteenth victory will be skilled in everything. In Greek In glory trembling for three hours. In modern Greek lane 1693 explained: i.e., when the hours are sung: the first, third and sixth. In Slav. the needy are. That is, if he is relentlessly compelled to do Divine work. You might be interested in: