Слово 20. О бдении телесном: как мы чрез него достигаем духовного, и как должно оное проходить

1. Some of the kings of the earth stand before them simply and without weapons, others with staffs, others with shields; some with swords. The great and incomparable superiority of the first over the last, because the first are usually relatives and household princes. This is what happens with earthly kings. 2. Come now, we will see how we also correct our standing before God and the King in evening, day and night prayers. For some raise their hands in prayer at evening and all-night vigils, as immaterial and alien to all care; others then stand before God with psalmody; others labor in reading the sacred Scriptures; others, due to weakness, but courageously fight sleep through needlework; others, practicing thinking about death, want to gain tenderness through this. Of all the forces of the ascetics, the first and last exercise themselves in God-loving vigil; the second in corrections common to all monks; others follow a lower path. However, God accepts gifts and values ​​them according to the disposition and strength of each. 3. The waking eye purifies the mind, but long sleep hardens the soul. 4. A cheerful monk is the enemy of fornication, but a sleepy one is his friend. 5. Vigil is the extinguishing of carnal inflammations, getting rid of dreams, filling the eyes with tears, softening the heart, preserving thoughts, the best crucible for cooking the food taken, taming evil spirits, curbing the tongue, driving away dreams. 6. A vigilant monk is a catcher of thoughts, able to conveniently discern and catch them in the silence of the night. 7. The God-loving monk, when the prayer trumpet sounds, says: “Glory to God, glory to God!”, and the lazy one says: “Alas, alas!” 8. Preparing a meal reveals gluttons; and the feat of prayer shows those who love God; The first, having seen the meal, rejoice, and the last lament. 9. Excessive sleep is the cause of oblivion; vigil clears the memory. 10. The wealth of farmers is gathered at the threshing floor and the grindstone; and the wealth and intelligence of monks is in the evening and night prayers of God and in the activities of the mind. 11. Many dreams are an unrighteous companion, stealing half of the life of the lazy, or even more. 12. An inexperienced monk is cheerful in conversations; and when the hour of prayer came, then his eyes were heavy with sleep. 13. A careless monk is skilled in verbosity; and when it’s time to read, he can’t look because of his drowsiness. When the last trumpet sounds, there will be a resurrection of the dead; and when idle talk begins, the sleepy ones become excited. 14. The tormenting spirit of drowsiness is an insidious friend: often, when we are satiated, it moves away, and during fasting, during times of hunger and thirst, it attacks us strongly. 15. During prayer, he encourages him to take up needlework; for otherwise it cannot destroy the prayer of those who watch. 16. He especially wages war against beginners, so that they become lazy at the very beginning of their struggle, or to prepare an entrance for the demon of fornication. 17. Until we are freed from this spirit, until then we should not deny singing psalms in the cathedral of the brethren; for we often do not sleep from shame. The dog is at enmity with the hare; and the demon of vanity is the enemy of drowsiness. 18. The merchant counts his profit after the day has passed; and a spiritual ascetic after performing psalmody. 19. Pay attention to yourself soberly after prayer, and you will see that crowds of demons, defeated by us, try after prayer to defile us with unclean dreams. So sit down and watch, and you will see those who are in the habit of stealing the beginnings of spiritual work. 20. From frequent psalmody, during the waking state, it happens that even in a dream the words of the psalms come to mind; sometimes it happens that demons present them to our imagination in order to make us proud. I wanted to remain silent about the third state of mind, but someone convinced me to talk 63 . The soul, which constantly studies the word of God during the day, usually exercises itself in the same way in sleep; for this second thing is the true reward for the first deed, to drive away spirits and evil dreams. Twentieth degree. He who ascended to it received the light in his heart. “Why did the reverend father add that he did not want to talk about the third state of perfection? Out of fear that those who have this great talent will not become proud and fall into a high opinion of themselves. But who convinced him to speak? David, this great king and prophet, who said about the righteous man that he studies in the law of the Lord day and night. For whoever, according to the word of David, learns in the law of the Lord during the day, learns in it at night, even in his imagination, so that this word of Scripture is fulfilled in him: I sleep, but my heart watches. And this teaching, which comes from Divine enlightenment, according to which the soul reflects on the words of the Holy Scripture even in sleep, is a reward for preliminary teaching, with which it is constantly busy during the day and in which alone it has all the pleasure. When the Lord rewards the soul with this very rare grace, but at the same time drives away and removes from it unclean spirits and night dreams, so that crafty demons do not deceive it, presenting to its imagination the same objects that God shows it, and so that it does not fall into pride.” (Elijah of Crete (PG 88).) You might be interested in: