Слово 22. О многообразном тщеславии

1. Some are in the habit of writing about vanity in a special chapter and separating it from pride; That’s why they say that there are eight initial and main sinful thoughts. But Gregory the Theologian and others count them seven 64. I agree with them more; for who, having conquered vanity, can have pride? Between these passions there is the same difference as between a youth and a man, between wheat and bread; for vanity is the beginning, and pride is the end. So, in order of words, let us now briefly talk about the wicked ascension, about this beginning and the fulfillment of all passions; for whoever attempted to philosophize at length about this subject would become like a man who tries in vain to determine the weight of the winds. 2. Vanity, in its appearance, is a change in nature, corruption of morals, observation of reproaches. In quality, it is a waste of labor, a loss of sweat, a thief of spiritual treasure, the fiend of unbelief, the forerunner of pride, drowning in a pier, an ant on the threshing floor, which, although small, nevertheless plunders all labor and fruit. The ant waits for the gathering of wheat, and vanity awaits the gathering of wealth: for he rejoices that he will steal; and this that will be wasted. 3. The spirit of despair rejoices, seeing the increase of sins; and the spirit of vanity, when it sees an increase in virtues; For the door of the first is a multitude of plagues, and the door of the second is an abundance of toils. 4. Observe and you will see that indecent vanity is decorated with clothes, incense, numerous servants, aromas, and the like, right up to the grave. 5. The sun shines on everyone without distinction: and vanity rejoices over all virtues. For example: I become vain when I fast; but when I allow fasting in order to hide my abstinence from people, I again become vain, considering myself wise. I am overcome by vanity by dressing in good clothes; but when I dress thin, I also become vain. I will begin to say, I am overcome by vanity; I’ll shut up, and again they won. No matter how you throw this three-horn, one horn will always go up. 6. A vain person is an idolater, although he is called a believer. He thinks he worships God; but in fact he pleases not God, but people. 7. Every person who likes to show off himself is vain. The fast of a vain person remains without reward, and his prayer is fruitless, for he does both for human praise. 8. A vain ascetic causes double harm to himself: the first is that he exhausts the body, and the second is that he does not receive a reward for it. 9. Who will not laugh at the worker of vanity, whom this passion, while standing at the psalmody, sometimes compels him to laugh, and sometimes to cry in front of everyone? 10. The Lord often hides from our eyes those virtues that we have acquired; the person who praises us, or, better said, who misleads us with praise, opens our eyes; and as soon as they are opened, the wealth of virtue disappears. 11. A flatterer is a servant of demons, a leader to pride, a destroyer of tenderness, a destroyer of virtues, a diverter from the true path. “You are blessed, you are flattered” (Is. 3:12), says the Prophet. 12. Great people tend to endure insults courageously and with joy, while saints and saints tend to listen to praise without harm. 13. I saw mourners who, having been praised, became angry because of the praise; and, as happens in trade, they exchanged one passion for another. 14. “No one knows... what is in a man, but the spirit of a man” (1 Cor. 2:11). So, let those who try to please us in person be put to shame and restrained. 15. When you hear that your neighbor or friend has reproached you in your absence or in your presence: then show love and praise him. 16. It is a great thing to reject human praise from the soul, but a greater thing is to turn away demonic praise from oneself. 17. It is not he who shows humility who condemns himself (for who will not endure reproach from himself?); but he who, being reproached by another, does not diminish his love for him. 18. I noticed that the demon of vanity, having inspired thoughts in one brother, at the same time reveals them to another, who incites him to tell the first brother what is in his heart, and through this pleases him, like a seer. Sometimes this unclean one even touches the members of the body and produces trembling. 19. Do not listen to him when he instills in you the desire to be a bishop, or an abbot, or a teacher; for it is difficult to drive a dog away from the meat-selling table. 20. When he sees that some have acquired at least a somewhat peaceful dispensation, he immediately encourages them to go from the desert into the world, and says: “Go to the salvation of perishing souls.” 21. The image of the Ethiopian is different, and the image is different: so the image of vanity is different for those who live in the community, and another for those living in the deserts 65. 22. Vanity prompts frivolous monks to warn the coming of worldly people, and to leave the monastery to meet those coming; teaches them to fall at their feet, and, being filled with pride, is clothed in humility; in actions and in voice shows reverence, looking at the hands of those who came in order to receive something from them; calls them rulers, patrons and givers of life according to God; during meals he encourages them to abstain in front of them, and to treat inferiors imperiously; during psalmody he makes the lazy zealous and the voiceless sing well, and the sleepy vigorous: he flatters the director and asks to give him the first place in the choir, calling him father and teacher until the visitors leave. 23. Vanity makes those who are preferred proud, and those who are despised, spiteful. 24. Vanity is often the cause of dishonor, instead of honor; for he brings great shame to his angry disciples. 25. Vanity makes angry people meek before people. 26. It very conveniently joins natural gifts, and through them often overthrows its accursed slaves. 27. I saw how one demon saddened and drove away his brother. One monk became angry, and meanwhile the worldly people came; and suddenly this accursed one, abandoning his anger, sold himself to vanity; for he could not serve both passions at the same time. 28. A monk who has become a slave to vanity leads a dual life, outwardly living in a monastery, but with his mind and thoughts in the world. 29. If we diligently want to please the Heavenly King, then, without a doubt, we will taste the heavenly glory; and he who tastes it will despise all earthly glory; and I would be surprised if anyone, having not tasted the first, could despise the last. 30. It often happens that we, having been robbed by vanity, and then turning around, are quicker to steal it. I have seen some who began spiritual work out of vanity, but although the beginning was vicious, the end turned out to be commendable, because their thoughts changed. 31. Whoever exalts himself with natural gifts, that is, wit, understanding, skill in reading and pronunciation, quickness of mind, and other abilities that we have acquired without difficulty, will never receive supernatural benefits; for he who is unfaithful in little things is also unfaithful and vain in many things. 32. Some, in order to obtain extreme dispassion and wealth of talent, the power of miracles and the gift of clairvoyance, exhaust their body in vain; but these poor people do not know that it is not labor, but most of all humility, that is the mother of these blessings. 33. He who asks God for gifts for his labors has laid a dangerous foundation; and whoever considers himself a debtor will suddenly and unexpectedly become rich. 34. Do not obey this leader when he teaches you to declare your virtues for the benefit of those who hear; “What good is it for a man if he uses the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Nothing brings so much benefit to others as a humble and unfeigned disposition and word. In this way we will also encourage others so that they do not ascend; and what could be more useful than this? 35. One of the seers told me what he saw. “When I,” he said, “was sitting in the meeting of the brethren, the demon of vanity and the demon of pride came and sat down with me, on this side and on the other; and the first pushed me in the side with his vain finger, urging me to tell about some of my visions or deeds that I accomplished in the desert. But as soon as I managed to reflect it, saying: “Let those who think evil about me turn back and be ashamed” (Ps. 39:15); immediately the one sitting on the left side said in my ear: it is good, you have done good, and you have become great, having defeated my most shameless mother. Then I, turning to him, said the following words in order after the verse I had spoken: “let them return... ashamed, saying to us: It is good, it is good that you have done” (Ps. 39:15-16). Then I asked the same father, how is vanity the matter of pride? He answered me: “Praise elevates and puffs up the soul; when the soul ascends, then pride embraces it, which lifts it to the heavens and brings it down to the abyss.” 36. There is glory from the Lord, for the Scripture says: “I will glorify those who glorify Me” (1 Samuel 2:30); and there is glory that comes from the devil’s deceit, for it is said: “Woe when all men speak good things to you” (Luke 6:26). You will clearly recognize the first when you look at fame as something harmful to you, when you turn away from it in every possible way, and wherever you go, you will hide your residence. The second one you can recognize when you do even the smallest thing so that people can see you. 37. Bad vanity teaches us to accept the image of virtue, which is not in us, convincing us of this with the words of the Gospel: “so let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). 38. Often the Lord heals the vain of vanity by befalling dishonor. 39. The beginning to the destruction of vanity is guarding the lips and loving dishonor; the middle is cutting off all conceivable tricks of vanity; and the end (if there is an end in this abyss) consists in trying to do in front of people what humiliates us, and not feeling any sorrow at it. 40. Do not hide your mistakes 66 with this thought, so as not to give your neighbor a reason to stumble; although it may not be useful in every case to use this plaster, depending on the nature of the sins. 41. When we seek glory, or when, without seeking on our part, it comes to us from others, or when we attempt to use certain tricks that serve vanity: then let us remember our cry and think about the holy fear and trembling with which we stood before God in our solitary prayer; and thus, without a doubt, we will shame shameless vanity, if, however, we strive for true prayer. If we do not have this in us, then let us hasten to remember our outcome. If we do not even have this thought, then at least we will be afraid of the shame that follows vanity, because “he who is exalted will certainly humble himself” (Luke 14:11) even here before the age to come. 42. When our praisers, or, better said, seducers begin to praise us, then let us hasten to remember the multitude of our iniquities; and we will see that we are truly unworthy of what they say or do in our honor. 43. There are those who are vain, whose requests should be heard by God; but God precedes their prayers and petitions, so that they, having received what they ask for through prayer, do not fall into greater conceit. 44. The simple-hearted are not very susceptible to poisoning by this poison; for vanity is the destruction of simplicity and feigned living. 45. It often happens that a worm, having reached full age, receives wings and flies to heights: so vanity, having become stronger, gives birth to pride, the leader and finisher of all evils. 46. ​​He who does not have this illness is very close to salvation; and the one possessed by it will appear far from the glory of the saints. Degree twenty-two. Whoever is not caught by vanity will not fall into insane pride, hostile to God. One of the first church writers to distinguish between vanity and pride is Cassian. He considered eight main passions, among which he placed vanity as the seventh passion, and pride as the eighth. Saint Gregory the Theologian in the 39th homily, on the Epiphany of the Lord, says that there are seven spirits of evil, just as there are seven virtues (St. Gregory the Theologian. Collection of creations in 2 volumes. Vol. 1. Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1994, p. 537 (Homily 39)). Just as there is a difference between the face of a living Ethiopian and his idol, so the image of the vanity of the monks living in the community is different from the vanity characteristic of the hermits. Elijah of Crete says that the vanity of the first is rude, palpable, sharp, directed at the appearance of good deeds, which is the essence of labor in church worship, in serving the sick, in receiving strangers, and in general in matters of obedience; while the vanity of the latter is subtle and almost insensitive, because it comes from a humble life and filled with secret exploits and hidden spiritual gifts. In Slavic translation: “shame.” You might be interested in: