Естественно-научные аналогии состояния молитвы

1. Physichochemical analogies Grace is a spark fanned into flame by churchliness and prayer Firstly, one must remain unswervingly in all the rites and order of the church, or in prayerful and ascetic work according to the rite and rules of St. Churches. Here we mean the observance of fasts, frequent fasting and communion of the Holy Mysteries, all other prayerful consecrations, going to the churches of God for all services, not only on holidays, but at any time when business allows, home prayers, listening and reading the Word of God, conversations with pious people, obedience to the spiritual father - in general, everything that is established in the Church for the creation of spiritual life in us, or the vestment of oneself and one’s entire life churchliness. The grace of the Holy Spirit, which we received in the Sacraments, is the same as a spark embedded in some substance. Just as here, in order for a substance to ignite from a spark, air is necessary, so if it is not there, the spark will go out: so in us, in order for the spark of grace that fell into our nature through the Sacraments to turn into a spiritual flame, we need to surround ourselves with spiritual air (atmosphere)); and the entire church structure serves as such air. Like the movement of air (wind) a spark is fanned into a flame; Thus, through churchliness—this spiritual spirit—the power of the grace of the Spirit of God is kindled in us. (29, pp. 188–189) Add to this the following comparison: when a spark falls on a flammable substance, this substance begins to smolder little by little, then it will flare up, and finally everything will be engulfed in flames and, being dark by nature, will become light and shining due to the fire that has declared it; so will it be with you. As you warm up little by little, warm up, a spiritual fire will flare up and, penetrating you piece by piece, it will embrace you all and make you light, even though you are darkness in yourself. (3, p. 189) Pray and indulge passions - set fire to wood and then pour water on it We go to the churches of God and perform the usual prayers at home, we do not refuse to help on occasion or to do any good to our brother in need, and yet we still do not see that our heart burns with spiritual fire and shows him its presence within us. What is still missing? Let's take a closer look at our affairs and see what we still lack. We say prayers and do some good; but then we meet just by chance, now we are ready to do something unkind, we indulge passions, we succumb to the lust of the flesh or the lust of the hair; and a mixture of good and evil comes out in our lives. And this is the same as setting fire to wood and then pouring water on it: will it ever catch fire? Apparently, we do not have enough zeal or selfless determination to work for the Lord in all its fullness, without indulgence or self-pity, with a readiness for all labors and sacrifices. (29, pp. 190–191) When your heart is warmed by the warmth of God, from that time your inner transformation will begin. That flame will burn and melt everything in you, in other words, it will begin to spiritualize everything until it completely spiritualizes you. Until that light comes, there will be no spiritualization, no matter how much you strain towards the spiritual. Therefore, now the whole point is to get a light. And if you please, direct all your work towards this. But know this, that the light will not appear while the passions are strong, even though they are not favored. Passions are the same as dampness in firewood. Wet wood does not burn. You need to bring some dry wood from the side and light it. As they burn, they will begin to dry out the dampness and, as they dry out, light the damp wood. So, little by little the fire, driving away the dampness and spreading, will engulf all the wood laid in flames. Our firewood is all the strength of our soul and all the functions of the body. All of them, until a person pays attention to himself, are saturated with dampness - passions and, until the passions are expelled, they stubbornly resist spiritual fire. (3, pp. 189–190) Prayer with thoughts is like a candle in the wind - it will not burn Also, we stand in prayer at home or in the church of God, and our thoughts wander here and there: who reads books, who settles scores, who builds enterprises, who sorts out everyday household affairs; and it turns out that we are standing as if in the wind, but will a candle burn in the wind?! Apparently, we lack attention to ourselves, sobriety and composure. We do not listen to the apostolic instructions: to gird up the loins of our thoughts, to be sober, and to stay awake, and to pay attention to ourselves - and the grace of the Spirit of God does not take root in us. (29, p. 191) The action of grace in us is like a noble metal in a copper alloy Fire, melting impure ore, extracts from it pure noble metal: thus the fire of the spirit cleanses our impure nature. Even more, he dissolves with us. Just as the noblest metal, poured into copper, imparts to this latter its purest and most pleasant sound: so grace, having dissolved with our spirit, imparts to it its Divine purity, both internally recognized and externally manifested. (29, p. 211) A Christian no longer has only nature, but also grace. In appearance, he is the same as all non-Christians, but in reality he is a dissolution and confusion of nature and grace. Copper, for example, alone produces a dull sound, but when combined with silver it sounds cleaner and louder, although the difference in appearance is not noticeable in both. Copper alone is our nature; copper combined with silver is the same nature blessed in Baptism. (29, p. 23) Repentance of the soul is like annealing metal Repentance opens the door to further actions of the Spirit of God in us, just as impenitence closes it. Dry soil is not fertile: and in a heart not watered with tears of repentance, spiritual fruits do not return. Metal that is not softened by the action of fire is not capable of being formed: such is the soul that is not crushed by the fire of repentance. Submit to the Spirit, soften with contrition, and the Spirit of God will make of you a vessel of honor, pure and bright, pleasing to the Master of the House. (29, p. 182) Feelings of remorse obviously have a corrupting effect. A certain word penetrates to the division of soul and spirit, members and brains, and judges the thoughts and thoughts of the heart. But the purpose for which this is done in man by the grace of God is not just to destroy, but to create something new through the destruction of the old. This new thing is seeded with a breath of hope for the possibility of making everything better. It is possible to fix what is faulty and return what was lost, just get down to business. (1, pp. 156–157) A heart without deep repentance remains unclean, like unsmelted ore. In the repentant, now fear, now light hope, now illness, now easy consolation, now the horrors of almost despair, now the breath of the joy of mercy, are replaced by one another and leave or keep him in a state of decay, or parting with life, in the hope, however, of the perception of a new one. This is painful, but saving, and so inevitable that anyone who has not felt such a painful turning point has not yet begun to live through repentance. And there is no hope that a person will be able and begin to cleanse himself in everything, not passed through this crucible. Decisive and living resistance to sin comes only from hatred of it; hatred of him - from a feeling of evil from him; the feeling of evil from him is experienced in all its strength at this painful turning point in repentance. Only here does a person feel with all his heart how great an evil sin is; then afterwards he will flee from him as from the fire of Gehenna. Without this same painful test, although someone else will begin to purify himself, he will purify only slightly, more externally than internally, more in deeds than in dispositions; and therefore his heart will still remain unclean, like unsmelted ore. (1, pp. 72–73) The sacraments are necessary for the repentant, like hardening of softened metal. If a blacksmith, after making a knife, does not properly harden it, this knife remains soft and useless. In the same way, a person who decides to leave sin and begin to work for the Lord, if he does not accept confession and Holy Communion, does not have the strength and courage to do any good; he is lethargic, misses opportunities for good, and always almost gives in to obstacles. And this means almost the same as remaining in the same position as before, or stopping halfway. (24, pp. 37–38) Without the Sacrament of Confession, or without verbal confession of one’s sins before a priest in the Sacrament of Repentance, without this, internal repentance alone is not only incomplete, but also fruitless; it is a barren flower. (30, p. 106) God's punishments and sorrows are like hardening metal Because the Lord loves him, he punishes him: he beats every son who accepts him. If you endure punishment, God will be found to you as sons (Heb. 12:6-7)... Add more similar passages... and re-read them... They will cleanse the eye of your heart and teach you how to look at sorrows, oppressions, and reproaches. – Confirm yourself in the conviction that everything is from God... down to the smallest cases... and accept everything as personally imposed on you by Him. And be complacent and give thanks. For all things work for your good, whether visible or invisible. Do you know how iron products are hardened? Having finished everything perfectly, turn it on white... and into cold water. (16, p. 163) 2. Hydrodynamic analogies Prayer, oppressed by fear, like a fountain rushes to grief When you squeeze a bellows filled with water, the water will begin to flow out of it in a fountain upward, as soon as it finds or breaks through a hole. Constrict yourself during prayer with the fear of judgment, and a cry from your heart, like a fountain, will rush to grief, crying out for mercy. (7, p. 443) Your prayer pours out from your heart with feeling, like water from an overflowing vessel. As from a vessel - overflowing - water pours out by itself; So from the heart, filled with holy feelings through prayers, its own prayer to God will begin to flow out of itself. (31, p. 10) Praying in fits and starts is like damming a river with separate clods of earth. And most importantly, what is appropriate? Just get down to business, get down to it, and nothing will happen in fits and starts. When they dam a pond, how do they do it? Suddenly they rush to block the passage. And if you put a clod of earth and leave it, the water will carry it away. Put the lump again and leave it - again the water will spread it away. And so - labor without end - but we still can’t build a pond. Apply this to the soul. The current of thoughts, like a river, quickly flows from the head and heart. Suddenly you need to clamp down on the passages and never let go. But if you hold it a little and let it go, it won’t do any good. This is the same as building and destroying. (6, p. 51) Attention and prayer as focusing rays of light The scattered rays of the sun do not ignite by themselves, but when they are collected into one point by means of a burning glass, they quickly ignite any combustible substance. The same thing happens in us. When we are not attentive to ourselves, our thoughts and feelings are scattered; and when we listen, they gather together, and then warmth is kindled in our hearts - from the thought of the Lord, who is omnipresent and fulfills everything. And so, paying attention to ourselves and intelligently standing before the Lord in our hearts, we will walk in the commandments of God and in the entire structure of the church - and the grace of the Spirit will burn unquenchably in us. The fire of the Spirit will then consume all that is unclean, and we will be built into the habitation of God by this Spirit. Only all this must be done together. If something is missing, then this missing thing will ruin what is there, and especially if there is a lack of attention to the movements of the heart and prudence. Here is a close example of this! We are praying now and will pray tomorrow. The merciful Lord, depending on the zeal of those praying, will send warmth to another and warm his heart. It will be a movement of the Spirit of grace. But if then we are not careful and either at the table we consume something unnecessary, or we indulge in immoderate sleep, or we go to have fun in the parks, or we enter into riotous camaraderie, or we go to see booths and theaters - these demonic plays, then all the warmth collected here will leave us, we will remain empty and cold again and, perhaps, more than before. (29, p. 192) Naturalists have a device consisting of a large concave plate, which, receiving rays of heat, collects them at one point and thus ignites the substance that is placed. Something similar can be done over the heart. Let us collect in the vault of our mind all the amazing truths that holy faith presents to us, and bring them to our hearts. Pressed and penetrated by them from all sides, it may succumb to their strength, soften, melt, give rise to vapors of sighs and ignite with the fire of contrition. (9, pp. 330–331) The action of grace as focusing the rays of the spirit The impulses of the highest aspirations of the spirit are the remnants of the image of God in man - a broken image, and therefore they are revealed like fragmented and scattered rays. It is necessary to collect these rays into one, as if to concentrate them, and then an igniting ray is formed at the focus. It is this, so to speak, concentration of the rays of the spirit, individual in itself, but fragmented in the many-part soul, that produces the grace that excites it and ignites the fire of spiritual life, placing a person not in cold contemplation, but in some kind of life-giving burning. Such a gathering of the spirit comes together in the feeling of the Divine: here is the germ of life. So it is in nature: life does not appear until its forces act fragmented; but as soon as a higher power gathers them together, a living being, for example, a plant, immediately appears. So it is in spirit. While his aspirations break through fragmentarily, first one thing, then another, and one in one direction, and the other in the other, there is no life in him. When the highest, Divine power of grace, simultaneously inspiring the spirit, brings all its aspirations together and keeps them all united, then the fire of spiritual life occurs. (1, pp. 131–132) The radiance of saints during prayer When the soul is outside of grace, its shell is either gloomy, like the darkest night, if someone indulges the passions and serves them, or gray, like an indefinite fog, when someone is not too devoted to the passions, but lives in vanity. Under the influence of grace, as the soul is imbued with it, its shell gradually brightens, just as cloudy weather usually clears up. When the soul is completely imbued with grace, then its entire shell becomes bright and light. Just as everything internal in this case is pulled together to a single one, from which all the movements and actions there emanate, then the brightness of the shell seems to emanate from the same center, following the spiritual actions. This is radiance. The inner being of the blessed shines like a star, not only with spiritual, but also with material light. This internal luminosity of such people often breaks out and is visible to others. Having been in St. Petersburg in the forties, I heard about this from some people and really wanted to see it with my own eyes. It happened to me to receive a monk in whom tangible effects of grace had already begun to manifest themselves. The conversation began about spiritual things. As he came into himself and his thoughts deepened, his face became brighter and brighter, and then everything became white, like snow, and his eyes sparkled. And they say about Father Seraphim of Sarov that he often became enlightened, especially during prayer in church, visible to everyone. There are many legends about such manifestations in Fatherland books. It is written about one, for example, that as soon as he stood in prayer and raised his hands to the sky, beams of light flowed from all the fingers of both his hands over a wide area. About another it is said that his disciple came to him for something and knocked; there was no answer. He bent down to look into the hole and saw that the old man was standing all on fire, like a pillar of light. And there are many, many such tales. And I heard something similar about St. Tikhon when I was little. The Transfiguration of the Lord, when He appeared covered in light, is of the same origin. (3, pp. 101–102) 4. Electrical analogies Prayer reaches the saints like the action of an electric telegraph You have probably heard the question of how the saints hear our prayers, or perhaps you yourself have asked it yourself. In response to it, they interpret and interpret, but the question remains a question. In my opinion, given the assumption of that [radiant] element, it turns out how can the saints not hear our prayers? Do you know how an electric telegraph works? In St. Petersburg, for example, they set up a well-known apparatus, and at the same moment that action in St. Petersburg is reflected in Moscow in a similar apparatus and in the same meaning in which the movement takes place there. Why does this happen? Because the devices are homogeneous, and the wire connecting them is adjusted to them. So, the action of such a telegraph is our prayer. We and the saints are like two apparatuses - homogeneous, and the environment in which the saints and with which our souls are surrounded is a wire. When true prayer - heartfelt - moves in the soul, then it, through that element, influencing it like a ray of light, flies to the saints and tells them what we want and what we are praying for. There is no gap between our prayer and hearing, it is only necessary that the prayer come from the heart. We have it as a telegraph projectile for the sky. The same prayers, which come not from the heart, but from the head and only from the tongue, do not produce a ray ascending to heaven and are not heard there. Yes, this is not prayer, but only prayer techniques... I will not hide from you that even though you prayed like this, you will hardly be able to pray like this always. This is the kind of prayer God gives or the Guardian Angel initiates. And she comes and goes. It does not follow from this, however, that we are allowed to abandon the work of prayer. It comes when someone works in prayer, but whoever does not work will not come to him. And we see that St. The fathers worked a lot in prayer and through these labors they kindled the spirit of prayer within themselves. How they reached this point, they left us an image of it in their writings. Everything they have said on this subject constitutes the science of prayer, which is the science of sciences... And I will also add: there is nothing more important than prayer. Consequently, one must work on it - both harder and more than anything else. (3, pp. 55,56–57) Grace descends on the humble, like electricity from the clouds on high objects When clouds gather in the sky and cover the entire sky we see, they are full of a light substance called electricity. This substance is inquisitive, and as soon as there is a willingness to accept it somewhere, it immediately comes out and clearly happens - both there - in heaven, and here - on earth. He is attracted to objects - tall, sharp, clean; conducts humidity and air flow. When there is something of this in earthly things and in such a force that it is capable of attracting it, it descends to the earth, and when not, it does not descend, and the clouds pass like this. – Exactly the same thing happens in spiritual life. - The heavenly cover is spread out like a cloud over us and is filled with heavenly graces - inquisitive, ready to immediately descend if there are persons among us who attract and are capable of receiving - such, that is, persons whose spiritual properties are similar to material objects that attract light from the clouds. - These are the properties! What is height in the material, is humility in the spiritual: for it is high with the Lord; Where there is sharpness, here is the aspiration of the mind to heaven; that there is purity, there is sincerity in the desire for heavenly things; What is the flow of air, here is the movement of holy feelings and thoughts; That there is humidity, there is a contrite and tearful heart; What is warmth there, here is the burning of the spirit, warmed by hopeful prayer. (33, pp. 4–5) Have you heard about a substance called electricity? When it is aroused in any thing or a thing is filled with it, then that thing becomes a vessel of electricity, and whoever touches it, a spark emanates from it and makes a sensitive blow to the finger or to the part with which you touch it... This is how God built the Church - all of it and everything that is in it, filled with grace; so that those who seek through everything churchly can perceive it. One is converted by the word, another by singing, another by the icon, another by the sacred rite... one is amazed by something great, and another by something small; but in all cases the action is the same, like the blow that comes, it strikes the heart, and from that moment it becomes different... Just as in external nature - let us use the same comparison - the aforementioned electricity does not act on every body... but only on those that are predisposed to it... so in the spiritual world: until the necessary dispositions to receive grace are imagined in our spirit, grace is not poured into it, so as not to be poured out in vain. (34, pp. 14–15) “I sleep a lot, eat a lot.” Sybaritism, it turns out, is Mohammedanism. Have you seen an electric car? Near the wheel she has a copper cylinder into which electricity flows from the wheel through friction and accumulates in it in such a force that it can kill if touched carelessly. But if you put a chain from this cylinder into the ground, then there will be no electricity in it and the sign, because at the same time it enters the cylinder, it goes into the chain and goes into the ground. This is exactly the situation you are in with your sleep and food. Whatever spiritual things you manage to collect, everything that dissipates through them goes away - and you are empty. No, the body must be constrained by little sleep and little food, and overexertion. Which of our fathers had success without constraint of the flesh? I think I wrote to you that you need to keep your body in line... like a soldier in front. This is what I am saying now. While you are resting the body, do not expect anything good. (12, pp. 181–182) Awe is like lightning clearing the air When thought plunges into the Infinite and comes out of itself, it disappears in deep amazement. But as soon as he turns to himself, then, bringing with him the consciousness of the Infinite and into this very act, as if imposing it on his insignificance, he is struck, as if by some blow, by this incommensurability and falls in awe in the dust before the contemplated greatness of God with the consciousness of his insignificance. But one must know that this fear has no torment. It is sweet to be amazed by it, like every mental thing in general, but the true touch of our spirit to God, from Whom it is, is sweet and blissful. The power of this reverent fear is great: it goes so far as to separate the soul and the spirit, the members and the brain, as if it wears out and thins out both the soul and the body through its spiritual action. He who feels it falls on his face, ready to go into the womb of the earth, through all creatures, into the abyss, where there is nothing, from the consciousness of his insignificance and the greatness of God. But for all that, it is pleasant for him to remain in this state: it pours a gratifying coolness into his being, perhaps because there is a true state of the creature in relation to the Creator, or because here a true, and not mental, penetration of its being takes place through the power and action of the Divine. That is why the fruit of reverent fear is always sobering, refreshing, and cleansing of the spirit. Just as lightning, passing through the spaces of air, burns up all impurity and impurity there and makes the air clean, so the fire of the Divine, with reverent fear, eats up the impurity of the spirit and purifies it, like gold in a furnace. Therefore, everyone who has passed through the degrees of perfection recognizes this reverent fear as an essential condition for this, and at the same time as a most powerful means. (6, pp. 339–340) . 5. Biological analogies He who wanders in his thoughts during prayer is like a horse without an owner. One of the elders wrote: I am like a horse that grazes without a master; whoever wants to sits down and drives; As soon as one gets down, having run over, another sits down and does the same, etc. He spoke about wandering here and there with his thoughts. Through them the enemy comes at us. It should be added that he does the same through busy work and much care in soaring conceit. (7, p. 437) Prayer is as inseparable from virtues as a fragrant flower is from leaves, trunk and roots. And in many other places in the Word of God, prayer is presented in an inseparable union with all the virtues, as their queen, after whom they all rush and who draws them all after herself, or even better, like their fragrant flower. Like a flower, in order to appear and attract the eye, it must be preceded by leaves, a trunk with branches and a root; Likewise, prayer, so that it blossoms like a flower in the soul, must be preceded and accompanied by good spiritual dispositions and labors, which in relation to it are: then - like a root, what is faith, then - like a trunk with branches, what is multi-active love, then - like leaves, what are all spiritual and physical feats. When such a holy tree is planted in the soul, then on it, either in the morning, then in the evening, then throughout the day, judging by its properties, the flower of prayer will freely bloom and fill our entire inner church with fragrance. (31, pp. 22–23) 6. Psychological analogies The Kingdom of God and Prayer from a Mental Point of View The Kingdom of God is in us when God reigns over us, when the soul in its depths confesses God as its Master and submits to Him with all its might, and God sovereignly acts in it both in its wills and in its deeds (Phil. 2:13). From a mental point of view, the following must be said about the kingdom of God: the kingdom of God arises in us when the mind is combined with the heart, having itself merged with the memory of God. The person then gives over to the Lord, as a sacrifice pleasing to Him, his consciousness and freedom; and from Him he receives power over himself, and with the power received from Him, he rules over everything internal and external, as if from His face. (30, pp. 57–58) How children hang around their parents Infancy in prayer, as in the whole spiritual structure in general, is the best mood - and take care of it... and ask the Lord not to allow you to lose this feeling. Children come up to their father or mother and don’t say anything, they just hover around them - because it is sweet for them to be with them... Behave in such a way that in the simplicity of your heart you always hover around the Lord. (12, p. 89) When you begin to complete the rule, stand in the presence of God, realize that you need to express to God, and express as a child expresses his desires to his father. As much simplicity and sincerity as possible. For you converse in the presence of God, who sees everything that is in your soul. Don’t make up or pick up words, but say everything as it is and as your heart demands. (14, p. 189) The mystery of unceasing prayer is similar to how a bride loves her groom Pray unceasingly—work in prayer—and you will acquire unceasing prayer, which itself will begin to take place in your heart without much strain. It is obvious to everyone that the commandment of St. The apostle’s work is not fulfilled by simply performing the prescribed prayers at certain hours, but requires always walking before God, devoting all affairs to God, the all-seeing and omnipresent, warming the heart with a warm appeal to heaven. All life, in all its manifestations, must be imbued with prayer. Its secret is love for the Lord. Just as a bride, who has loved the groom, is not separated from him in memory and feeling; So the soul, united with the Lord in love, remains relentlessly with Him, turning warm conversations to Him from the heart. Cling to the Lord; you are one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). (38, p. 219) Have you heard that there is unceasing prayer? Desire and seek. You will search and you will find. You already have the germs of it - this feeling for God, which happens from time to time. You had it in force, but you allowed it to grow cold. And it comes from time to time. Try to make this feeling permanent, and it will be unceasing prayer. Have you ever loved someone deeply? Remember how your beloved face did not leave your heart and the feeling was still there, and the thought did not leave, and all you did was think that that person was seeing, and tried to do what you did well, so as not to deserve disapproval from that person. Continuous prayer is similar to this, only it takes place in a different area. Help you, Lord, to find such a feeling for Him. Then all the mistakes, lethargy and laziness will end!!! (11, p. 212)