Words of asceticism (translation 1854)

See also: Series of Creations of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation: history and modernity Hegumen Dionysius (Shlenov) Homily 1. On renunciation of the world and on monastic life The fear of God is the beginning of virtue. It is called the product of faith and is sown in the heart when the mind is removed from worldly distraction, so that it can collect its thoughts whirling from soaring in reflection on the future restoration. In order to lay the foundation of virtue, it is best for a person to keep himself away from the affairs of this life and to abide in the law of the light of the right and holy paths, which the Psalmist indicated and named by the Spirit (Ps. 23:3; 119:35). It is unlikely that there will be, and perhaps there will not be at all, a person who, even if he is equal to the angels in morals, can endure honor; and this happens, as others will say, from the rapid perception of changes. The beginning of the path of life is to always learn with your mind the words of God and spend your life in poverty. Drinking oneself in one way promotes improvement in another. If you hydrate yourself with the study of the words of God, this helps you to prosper in poverty, and prosperity in non-covetousness gives you the leisure to prosper in the study of the words of God. The assistance of both contributes to the rapid construction of a whole edifice of virtues. No one can approach God unless he withdraws from the world. I do not call removal from the body, but removal from worldly affairs. This is virtue, so that a person does not occupy his mind with the world. The heart cannot remain silent and be without dreams while a person is affected by feelings; bodily passions do not become inactive and evil thoughts do not become impoverished without desertion. Until the soul comes into the rapture of faith in God by accepting the power of its sensation, it will not heal the infirmities of the senses, will not be able to forcefully trample on visible matter, which serves as a barrier to the internal, and will not feel freedom in itself, and the rational generation, and the fruit of both - salvation from snares. Without the first 1 there is no second 2, and where the second is legal, there the third 3 is tied as if with a bridle. When grace has increased in a person, then, by the desire for righteousness, the fear of death becomes of little respect for him, and he finds many reasons in his soul why he must endure sorrow for the sake of the fear of God. Everything that apparently harms the body and suddenly affects nature, and therefore leads to suffering, is considered nothing in his eyes in comparison with what he hopes for in the future. Without allowing temptations, it is impossible for us to know the truth. Man finds exact confirmation of this in the thought that God has great providence for man and that there is no person who is not under His Providence, and he sees this especially clearly, as if at the direction of a finger, in those who seek God and in those who endure suffering for His sake. But when the impoverishment of grace in a person has increased, then everything said appears in him in almost the opposite form. His knowledge, due to research, is greater than faith, and there is not trust in God in every matter, and God’s Providence for man is understood differently. Such a person is constantly exposed to the machinations of those who lie in wait in the darkness to shoot him (cf. Ps. 10:2) with their arrows. The beginning of true life in man is the fear of God. But he does not tolerate dwelling in someone’s soul along with the soaring of the mind, because by serving the senses the heart is scattered, losing its delight in God. For internal thoughts are connected by their sensation, as they say, in the very senses that serve them. Doubt in the heart brings fear into the soul. And faith can make the will firm even when members are cut off. To the extent that love for the flesh prevails in you, to such an extent you cannot be courageous and fearless in the many confrontations surrounding what you love. He who desires honor for himself cannot lack reasons for sorrow. There is no person who, with a change in circumstances, would not feel in his mind a change in attitude towards the task at hand. If lust, as they say, is a product of feelings, then let those who assert about themselves that they maintain peace of mind even during entertainment be silent. Chaste is not the one who, in work, during struggle and feat, says about himself that then shameful thoughts cease in him, but who, with the truth of his heart, disciplines the contemplation of his mind so that he does not shamelessly listen to obscene thoughts. And when the honesty of his conscience testifies to the fidelity of the gaze of his eyes, then shame is likened to a curtain hung in the innermost receptacle of thoughts. And his integrity, like a chaste virgin, is preserved to Christ by faith. To avert the dispositions preoccupied by the soul towards obscenity and to eliminate the disturbing memories rising in the flesh, producing a rebellious flame, nothing is as sufficient as immersing oneself in the love of studying the Divine Scripture and comprehending the depth of its thoughts. When thoughts are immersed in the delight of comprehending the wisdom hidden in words, then to the extent that a person extracts clarity from them, he leaves the world behind him, forgets everything in the world, and all memories, all effective images of the materialization of the world, erases in the soul, and often destroys the very need for ordinary thoughts visiting nature. The soul itself is delighted at the new ideas it encounters in the sea of ​​the mysteries of Scripture. And again, if the mind floats on the surface of the waters, that is, the sea of ​​the Divine Scriptures, and cannot penetrate the thoughts of Scripture to the very depths, comprehend all the treasures hidden in its depths, then this very fact that the mind is occupied with zeal for understanding the Scriptures is enough for it to firmly bind its thoughts with a single thought about the wonderful and prevent them, as one of the God-bearing said, from striving for bodily nature; whereas the heart is weak and cannot bear the bitterness that occurs during external and internal battles. And you know how painful a bad thought is. And if the heart is not occupied with knowledge, then it cannot tolerate the rebellion of bodily aspiration. Just as the speed of a scale's oscillation in a windy storm is hindered by the weight of what is being weighed, so the oscillation of the mind is hampered by shame and fear. And as there is a lack of fear and shame, the mind is given an impulse to constantly spin, and then, as fear is removed from the soul, the yoke of the mind, as if free, floats back and forth. But just as the yoke of a scale, if its bowls are burdened with a very heavy load, is not easily shaken by the blow of the wind, so the mind, under the burden of the fear of God and shame, is hardly seduced by what causes it to waver. And to the extent that fear becomes scarce in the mind, to the same extent vicissitude and variability begin to dominate it. Manage to put the fear of God at the foundation of your procession, and in a few days, without making circles along the way, you will be at the gates of the Kingdom. In everything that you encounter in the Scriptures, seek the purpose of the word, so that you can penetrate into the depths of the thoughts of the saints and understand them with greater accuracy. Those who are guided in their lives to enlightenment by divine grace always feel that some intelligent ray passes through the verses of what is written and distinguishes bare words to the mind from what is said to spiritual knowledge with great thought. If a person reads meaningful verses without delving into them, then his heart remains poor, and the holy power fades away in him, which, with the wonderful understanding of the soul, gives the heart the sweetest taste. Every thing usually strives for what is akin to it. And the soul, which has within itself the portion of the spirit, when it hears a speech containing hidden spiritual power, ardently draws to itself the content of this speech. Not every person is awakened to surprise by what is said spiritually and has hidden great power in itself. The word about virtue requires a heart that is not concerned with the earth and close communication with it. In a person whose mind is burdened with concern for what is transitory, virtue does not awaken the thought to love it and seek its possession. Detachment from matter by its being precedes union with God, although often, according to the Dispensation of grace, in others the latter turns out to precede the former, because love is covered by love. The rank common to the economy is different from the rank common to people. But you maintain the general rank. If grace precedes you, that is her work. And if it does not precede, then in the way of all people, in which they walked one after another, you too ascend to the height of the spiritual pillar. Any work done contemplatively and fulfilled according to the commandment given for it is completely invisible with bodily eyes. And every work done actively can be difficult, because the commandment, which is only one, namely activity, for the sake of the carnal and the incorporeal, has a need for both, in contemplation and in activity. For the one is a combination of contemplation and activity. Deeds that show concern for cleanliness do not suppress the feeling aroused by the remembrance of past misdeeds, but the sadness felt during this remembrance is borrowed from the mind. And from now on, the process of remembering is carried out in the mind with benefit. The insatiability of the soul in acquiring virtue turns part of the visible desires of the body associated with it to its advantage. Every thing is beautiful in measure. Without measure, even what is considered beautiful turns into harm. Do you want to be in communion with God with your mind, accepting into yourself the feeling of this pleasure, not enslaved to the feelings? - Serve alms. When it is found within you, then this holy beauty is depicted in you, by which you become like God. The comprehensiveness of deeds of alms produces in the soul communion with the Divine without the mediation of any time, leading to unity with the glory of lordship. Spiritual unity is unimpressed remembrance; it continuously burns in the heart with fiery love, in non-deviation from the commandments, borrowing strength to remain in union not with violence and not according to nature. For there one finds support for firmly establishing oneself in unity through spiritual contemplation. Therefore, the heart comes into amazement at the confluence of its two feelings, carnal and spiritual. There is no other path to spiritual love, which imprints an invisible image, unless a person first begins to be generous in the same measure as the Father is perfect, as our Lord said; for thus He commanded those who obeyed Him to lay this foundation 4 . The word of activity is different, and the word of beauty is different. And without experienced knowledge of anything, wisdom knows how to decorate its words, speak the truth without knowing it. Someone else can talk about virtue without having experienced its practice himself. But the word from activity is a treasury of hope, and wisdom not justified by activity is a guarantee of shame. That an artist who paints water on the walls and cannot quench his thirst with that water, and that a person who sees beautiful dreams is the same as a word not justified by activity. Whoever speaks about virtue that he himself has experienced in practice, conveys this to the one who listens to him, just as someone gives to another the money earned by their labor. And whoever, out of his own acquisition, sows teaching into the ears of those who listen to him, he opens his mouth with boldness, speaking to his spiritual children, as the aged Jacob said to the chaste Joseph: But I give you one portion above your brethren, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow (Gen. 48:22). Every person who lives uncleanly desires a temporary life. The second according to him is the one who is deprived of knowledge. Someone beautifully said that the fear of death saddens a man who is condemned by his conscience. And whoever has a good testimony in himself desires death as much as life. Do not recognize him as a true sage who, for the sake of this life, enslaves his mind to fear and fear. Consider everything good and bad that happens to the flesh as a dream. For it is not in death alone that you renounce this, but often even before death it leaves you and moves away. And if any of this has some communication with your soul, then consider it your acquisition in this age; it will go with you into the next century. And if this is something good, then rejoice and thank God in your mind. If this is something bad, then be sad, and sigh, and try to free yourself from this while you are in the body. Every good thing that happens in you mentally, you yourself carefully keep secret, because Baptism and faith were your mediators for it; in them you are called by our Lord Jesus Christ to His good works. With the Father and the Holy Spirit, to Him be glory, and honor, and thanksgiving, and worship forever and ever! Amen. Word 2. On gratitude to God, with the addition of a brief summary of the original teachings The gratitude of the receiver encourages the giver to give greater gifts than before. He who is ungrateful for little is deceitful and unjust for more. He who is sick and knows his illness must seek treatment. He who declares his illness to others is close to his healing and will easily find it. Through the hardness of the heart, its illnesses multiply; and if the patient resists the doctor, his torment increases. There is no unforgivable sin except unrepentant sin. And the gift does not remain without aggravation, unless there is gratitude for it. The part of the meaningless is small in his eyes. Always keep in mind those who are superior to you in virtue, so that you can constantly see in yourself a deficiency against their measure; always keep in your mind the gravest sorrows of the grieving and embittered, so that you yourself can give due thanks for the small and meaningless sorrows that you find in yourself, and be able to endure them with joy. During your defeat, relaxation and laziness, bound and kept by the enemy in painful languor and in the grave work of sin, imagine in your heart the previous time of your diligence, how you cared about everything even to the smallest extent, which feat showed, how you jealously resisted those who wanted to hinder your progress. Above all, think about the sighs with which you suffered over the shortcomings that appeared in you from your negligence, and about how, with all this, you received a victorious crown. For with all such memories, your soul awakens, as if from a deep sleep, is clothed in the flame of jealousy, rises from its immersion, as if from the dead, ascends - and with ardent confrontation with the devil and sin returns to its primitive rank. Remember the fall of the strong and humble yourself in your virtues. Remember the grave falls of those who fell in ancient times and repented, as well as the height and honor that they were awarded after this, and you will take courage in your repentance. Pursue yourself, and your enemy will be driven away by your approach. Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you. Strive to enter your inner cage, and you will see the heavenly cage, because both are one and the same, and when you enter one, you see both. The ladder of this Kingdom is within you, hidden in your soul. Immerse yourself in yourself from sin, and you will find there ascents along which you will be able to climb. Scripture has not explained to us what the blessings of the next age are. But how it is possible for us to receive the feeling of enjoying them here without natural change and departure from this world, this was conveniently taught to us; although, in order to arouse us to lust for them, he presented them under the names of things desired and glorious for us, pleasant and precious, when he says: ... which eye has not seen, nor ear heard (1 Cor. 2:9) and so on. And this also announced to us that future blessings are incomprehensible and have no resemblance to the blessings here. Spiritual pleasure is not the use of something independently existing outside the soul of those who receive it. Otherwise, what was said: ... The Kingdom of Heaven is within you (Luke 17:21) and: Thy Kingdom come (Matthew 6:10) will already mean that we have accepted the substance of something sensual within ourselves, as a guarantee of the pleasure contained in this. For it is necessary that the acquisition itself be like a pledge and the whole like a part. And what is said: as in a mirror (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12), although it does not show what is independently abiding, nevertheless means the acquisition of likeness. And if the testimony of those who interpreted the Scriptures is true that this very sensation is the mental action of the Holy Spirit, then it is already a part of that whole. Not the lover of virtue who does good with struggle, but the one who joyfully accepts the disasters that follow. It is not a great thing for a person to endure sorrow for his virtue, just as it is not to waver in his mind in choosing his good will when the senses are seductively tickled. Any repentance, after the deprivation of freedom, is such that it neither exudes joy nor gives the right to a reward to those who have acquired it. Cover the falling one, if there is no harm to you from this: you will give him complacency, and the mercy of your Master will support you. Strengthen the weak and sorrowful in heart with words and with all that is sufficient for your hand, and the almighty Right Hand will strengthen you. With sorrowful hearts, be in communion with prayerful work and heartfelt affection - and a source of mercy will be opened to your petitions. Constantly bother yourself with prayers before God in your heart, bearing a pure thought, filled with tenderness, and God will preserve your mind from unclean and nasty thoughts, so that God’s path does not reproach you. Constantly exercise yourself in meditation, reading the Divine Scriptures, with an accurate understanding of them, so that, with the idleness of your mind, your vision is not desecrated by other people's defilements of lewdness 5 . Do not dare to tempt your mind with obscene thoughts or the sight of persons leading you into temptation, even when you think that you will not be overcome by this, because even the wise were darkened in this way and fell into foolishness. You cannot hide the flame in your bosom without strong sorrows in your flesh. It is difficult for youth to submit to the yoke of the sacred without training. The beginning of darkening of the mind (when a sign of it begins to reveal itself in the soul) is first of all seen in laziness towards God’s service and prayer. For if the soul does not first fall away from this, there is no other way to spiritual deception; when it is deprived of God's help, it conveniently falls into the hands of its opponents. And also, as soon as the soul becomes careless about deeds of virtue, it will certainly be carried away into the opposite. For the transition from any side is already the beginning of the opposite side. If you do something for virtue and for the soul, then do not worry about vain things. Continually reveal your weakness before God, and you will not be tempted by strangers, as soon as you are left alone without your Intercessor. The activity of the godmother is twofold; According to the duality of nature, it is divided into two parts. One, consisting in the endurance of carnal sorrows produced by the action of the irritable part of the soul, is what is called activity. And the other consists in the subtle work of the mind and in Divine meditation, as well as in staying in prayer, and so on; it is accomplished by the concupiscible part of the soul and is called contemplation. And one, that is, activity, purifies, by the power of jealousy, the passionate part of the soul, and the second is the effectiveness of spiritual love, that is, natural lust, which enlightens the intellectual part of the soul. Every person who, before perfect training in the first part, moves on to this second, attracted by its sweetness, not to mention his laziness, experiences anger because he did not first put to death his evils on earth (Col. 3:5), that is, did not heal the weakness of his thoughts by patiently practicing the reproach of the cross, but dared in his mind to dream of the glory of the cross. This is what was said by the ancient saints, that if the mind sets out to ascend to the cross before its senses, having been healed of weakness, become silent, then God’s wrath will be experienced. This ascension to the cross, which brings wrath, does not happen in the first part of the suffering of sorrows, that is, the crucifixion of the flesh, but when a person enters into contemplation - and this is the second part, following the healing of the soul. Whose mind is defiled by shameful passions and who hastens to fill his mind with dreamy thoughts, his lips are blocked with a prohibition because he did not first cleanse his mind with sorrows, did not subdue carnal lusts, but, relying on what the ear heard and what was written in ink, he rushed straight ahead, to walk a path full of darkness, when he himself was blind in his eyes. For even those whose eyesight is sound, being filled with light and having acquired leaders of grace, are in danger day and night, while their eyes are full of tears, and they continue their service in prayer and weeping all day long, even night, because of the horrors that await them on the way and the terrible rapids they encounter and images of the truth that turn out to be mixed with the deceptive ghosts of it. They say: “What comes from God comes by itself, but you won’t even feel it.” This is true, but only if the place is clean and not defiled. If the apple of your soul’s eye is unclean, then do not dare to fix your gaze on the solar globe, lest you lose even this small ray, that is, simple faith, humility, heartfelt confession, and small deeds within your power, and not be cast out into the single region of spiritual beings, which is total darkness, that which is outside of God and is a semblance of hell, just as the one who was not ashamed to come was cast out. to marry in unclean clothes. Through labor and self-preservation, purity of thoughts exudes, and purity of thoughts exudes the light of thinking. From here, by grace, the mind is guided to that over which the senses have no power, which they neither teach nor learn. Imagine that virtue is the body, contemplation is the soul, and both are one perfect person, united by a spirit of two parts, the sensual and the rational. And just as it is impossible for the soul to come into existence and be born without completing the formation of the body with its members, so it is impossible for the soul to come into the second contemplation, that is, into the spirit of revelation - into contemplation formed in falsehoods that receive the substance of the spiritual seed, without performing the work of virtue; and this is the abode of the recognizing power that receives revelations. Contemplation is the feeling of the Divine mysteries hidden in things and in their causes. When you hear about moving away from the world, about leaving the world, about purity from everything in the world, then you first need to understand and find out, in terms not of the common people, but of purely rational ones, what the name itself means: world, from what differences this name is made up, and you will be able to find out about your soul, how far it is from the world and what is mixed in with it from the world. The word world is a collective name, embracing what is called passions. If a person has not first learned what the world is, then he will not achieve knowledge by what members he is far from the world and by what means he is connected with it. There are many who have renounced the world with two or three members, and have refused to communicate with the world, and have thought of themselves that they have become strangers to the world in their lives, because they did not understand and wisely discern that with only two members they died to the world, while their other members in the body live in the world. However, they were not able to recognize their passions in themselves; and since they did not recognize them, they did not care about their healing. According to speculative research, the composition of the collective name, which embraces individual passions, is also called the world. And when we want to name passions collectively, we call them peace; and when we want to distinguish them by the difference in their names, we call them passions. Passions are parts of the continuity of the world; and where passions cease, there the world began in its continuity. And the passions are the following: commitment to wealth, to collecting things; bodily pleasure, from which comes the passion of marriage; the desire for honor from which envy flows; desire to be in charge; arrogance at the splendor of power; desire to dress up and be liked; the search for human glory, which is the cause of rancor; fear for the body. Where these passions stop flowing, there the world has died, and to the extent that some of these parts are missing there, to that extent the world remains outside, not acting with those parts of its composition; just as someone said about the saints that while they were still alive, they became dead, because while they lived in the flesh, they did not live according to the flesh. And look at which of these parts you live in: then you will know in which parts you live, and in which parts you died to the world. When you find out what the world is, then from the difference of all this you will find out how you are connected with the world and how you have renounced it. And I will say briefly: the world is carnal living and the wisdom of the flesh. By the very fact that a person has extricated himself from this, it is known that he has come out of the world. And alienation from the world is recognized by these two signs: by the most excellent life and by the difference in the concepts of the mind itself. From this, finally, concepts arise in your thoughts about things over which thought hovers in its concepts. And you achieve the measure of your life in accordance with whether nature desires something without violence, whether there are any indestructible vegetation in you or some that are produced only by chance; whether the mind has come to the consciousness of completely incorporeal concepts, or whether it moves entirely in the material, and this material is passionate. For the seals of materialization of deeds, under which the mind involuntarily appears in everything it does, are virtues. In them, without weakness, he borrows for himself the reason for ardor and concentration of thoughts with a good purpose, to work physically, to exercise this ardor, if only this is done non-passionately. And see if the mind does not faint when it encounters these seals of secret thoughts, due to a better ardor for God, which usually cuts off vain remembrances. These few signs shown in this chapter, instead of many books, will be enough to enlighten a person if he is silent and lives in seclusion. The fear for the body is so strong in people that as a result they often remain unable to do anything honorable and honorable. And when fear for the body is overshadowed by fear for the soul, then bodily fear faints before spiritual fear, like wax from the power of a burning fire. Glory to our God forever and ever! Amen. Word 3. About the fact that the soul reaches the knowledge of God's wisdom and God's creatures without difficulty if it remains silent away from the world and worldly cares; for then he can recognize his nature and those treasures that he has hidden within himself When worldly cares have not entered the soul from outside, but it remains in its natural state, then its labor is short-lived and it reaches the knowledge of God’s wisdom; because the removal of the soul from the world and its silence naturally prompt it to the knowledge of God’s creatures, and from this it ascends to God, is amazed in amazement and remains with God. For when waters from outside do not enter the spiritual source, then the natural waters flowing in it constantly give rise to thoughts in the soul about the miracles of God. And as soon as the soul turns out to be without these thoughts, this means either that some reason was given for this by some alien memories, or that the feelings from the encounter with objects produced a rebellion against it. When the feelings are enclosed in silence, they are not allowed to rush outside, and with the help of silence the remembrances become obsolete, then you will see what the natural thoughts of the soul are, what the very nature of the soul is and what treasures it has hidden within itself. These treasures are the knowledge of the disembodied, which arises in the soul by itself, without preliminary thought and without labor about it. A person does not even know that such thoughts arise in human nature. For who was his teacher? or how did he comprehend that which, even though it is mentally imagined, cannot be understood by others? or who was his guide in what he did not learn at all from another? This is the nature of the soul. Consequently, passions are something additional, and the soul itself is guilty of them. For by nature the soul is dispassionate. When you hear in Scripture about mental and physical passions, let it be known to you that this is said in relation to the causes of passions. But the soul is dispassionate by nature. Those who adhere to external wisdom do not accept this, and like them, their followers do not accept this. On the contrary, we believe that God created those created in his image to be impassive. By being created in the image I mean not in relation to the body, but to the soul, which is invisible. For every image is removed from the image that is presented. It is impossible to imagine any image without a similarity seen before. Therefore, we must be convinced that passions, as we said above, are not in the nature of the soul. If anyone contradicts what has been said, then we will ask him a question, and let him answer us. Question. What is the nature of the soul? Is something dispassionate and full of light, or passionate and darkened? Answer. If at one time the nature of the soul was enlightened and pure due to its reception of the blessed light, and similarly it turns out to be the same when it returns to the primitive order, then there is no doubt that the soul is outside its nature as soon as it comes into passionate movement, as the nurturers of the Church assert. Therefore, passions came into the soul subsequently, and it is unfair to say that passions are in the nature of the soul, although it is set in motion by them. So, it is clear that it is set in motion by something external, not as if it were its own. And if passions are called spiritual 6 because the soul is set in motion by them without the participation of the body, then hunger, thirst, and sleep will be spiritual, because in them, as well as in the cutting off of members, in fever, in illness and the like, the soul suffers and groans with the body. For the soul sympathizes with the body through communication with it, just as the body sympathizes with the soul; the soul rejoices with the joy of the body, and accepts its sorrows. To our God be glory and power forever! Amen. Word 4. About the soul, about passions and about purity of mind, in questions and answers Question. What is the natural state of the soul? What is an unnatural state? What is a supernatural state? Answer. The natural state of the soul is the knowledge of God's creatures, sensory and mental. The supernatural state is an arousal to the contemplation of the all-essential Divinity. An unnatural state is the movement of the soul in troubled passions, as the divine and great Basil said, that the soul, when it turns out to be in accordance with nature, remains in grief, and when it turns out to be outside its nature, it appears down on earth; when there is grief, it turns out to be passionless, and when nature descends from its characteristic rank, then passions are revealed in it. So, it becomes clear, finally, that the passions of the soul are not spiritual by nature. If the soul in the condemned bodily passions comes into the same movement as in hunger and thirst, then, since in the reasoning of these latter there is no law laid down for it, it is not so much worthy of blame as in other passions that deserve censure. It happens that sometimes God allows someone else to do something apparently inappropriate, and instead of censure and reproach, he is given a good reward. So it was with the prophet Hosea, who married a harlot, with the prophet Elijah, who, out of God’s jealousy, committed murder, and with those who, according to the command of Moses, killed their parents with the sword. However, it is said that in the soul, even without bodily nature, there is naturally lust and irritability, and these are the essence of the passions of the soul. Question. Is it in accordance with nature, when the lust of the soul is inflamed by the Divine, or when it is directed towards the earthly and bodily? And why does the spiritual nature reveal its jealousy with irritability? And in what case is irritation called natural? Is it then that the soul is irritated by some kind of carnal lust, or by envy, or by vanity, or something similar, or when something contrary to this irritates it? Let him answer who has the word, and we will follow him. Answer. Divine Scripture says a lot and often uses names not in the exact sense. Something different is characteristic of the body, but it affects the soul. And vice versa, what is characteristic of the soul affects the body. And Scripture does not share this, but those who are wise understand it. So, from what is characteristic of the Divinity of the Lord, other things that are not applicable to human nature are said in Scripture about His all-holy body; and vice versa, derogatory things characteristic of His humanity are said about His Divinity. And many, not understanding the purpose of the Divine words, crawled into this, sinning incorrigibly. Thus, in Scripture there is no strict distinction between what is proper to the soul and what is proper to the body. Therefore, if virtue is naturally the health of the soul, then the illness of the soul will be passions, something accidental that has entered the nature of the soul and leads it out of its own health. And from this it is clear that health precedes accidental illness in nature. If this is really so (which is true), then it already means that virtue naturally occurs in the soul; the accidental is outside the nature of the soul 7. Question. Are bodily passions naturally attributed to the body or as something accidental? And are the spiritual passions that belong to the soul, due to its connection with the body, naturally or in an improper sense attributed to it? Answer. No one dares to say about bodily passions that they are taken in an improper sense. And about spiritual passions, as it is soon recognized and recognized by everyone that purity is natural to the soul, we must boldly say that passions are not at all natural to the soul, because illness is later than health. And it is impossible for one and the same nature to be both good and evil. Therefore one thing necessarily precedes the other; what is natural is what is preceded by something else, because it is said about everything accidental that it is not from nature, but came from outside; and everything that is accidental and emergent is followed by change, but nature does not change or change. Every passion that serves good purposes is given by God. And bodily passions are invested in the body for its benefit and growth; such are the passions of the soul. But when the body, by deprivation of what is characteristic of it, is forced to stand outside its well-being and follow the soul, then it becomes weak and suffers harm. When the soul, leaving what belongs to it, follows the body, then it also suffers harm, according to the word of the divine Apostle, who says: The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: but these resist one another (Gal. 5:17). Therefore, let no one blaspheme God, as if He put passions and sin into our nature. God has invested in each of the natures that which serves for its growth. But when one nature comes into agreement with another, then it is not in that which is its own, but in the opposite of that. And if passions were natural in the soul, then why would the soul suffer harm from them? What actually belongs to nature does not harm it. Question. Why do bodily passions, which increase and strengthen the body, harm the soul if they do not actually belong to it? And why does virtue oppress the body, but restore the soul? Answer. Don't you notice how what is outside nature harms it? For every nature is filled with joy when it approaches what belongs to it. But do you want to know what each of these natures has in common? Note: what helps nature is its own, and what harms is alien and came from outside. So, since it is known that the passions of the body and soul are one opposite to the other, then everything that in any way helps the body and gives it rest is its own 8 . But when the soul has become friends with that, it is not said that this is natural to it, for what constitutes the property of the soul is death for the body. However, in an improper sense, what was said above is attributed to the soul; and the soul, due to the weakness of the body, while it carries it on itself, cannot free itself from this, because it naturally entered into communication with what is sorrowful for the body, due to the unity that, by incomprehensible Wisdom, has been established between the movement of the soul and the movement of the body. But although they are in such mutual communication, movement is still different from movement, and will from will, and also body from spirit. However, nature does not change; on the contrary, each of the natures, although it deviates extremely, either into sin or into virtue, is nevertheless set in motion by its own will. And when the soul rises above the care of the body, then the entire spirit blossoms in its movements and rushes through the sky in the incomprehensible. However, even in this state it does not allow the body to not remember its own. And also, if the body finds itself in sins, spiritual thoughts do not cease to flow into the mind. Question. What is purity of mind? Answer. The one who does not know evil is not pure in mind (for such a person will be bestial), not the one who is in an infant state by nature, not the one who is a hypocrite. But purity of mind is enlightenment by the Divine, through active exercise in virtues. And we dare not say that anyone should acquire this without temptation of thoughts, unless he is endowed with a body. For we do not dare to say that our nature will not be fought and harmed until death. I call temptation of thoughts not only to obey them, but to begin the fight against them. Enumeration of movements in thoughts The movement of thoughts in a person occurs for four reasons: firstly, from the natural carnal will; secondly, from the sensory representation of worldly objects, which a person hears about and which he sees; thirdly, from pre-occupied concepts and from spiritual inclinations that a person has in his mind; fourthly, from the attack of demons who fight with us, involving us in all passions, for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, a person, even before death, while he is in the life of this flesh, cannot help but have thoughts and battles. For, judge for yourself, is it possible that before a person’s departure from the world and before death, any one of these four causes should become inactive? or is it possible for the body not to covet what is necessary and not to be forced to desire anything worldly? If it is inappropriate to imagine something like this, because nature has a need for such things, then it already means that passions act in everyone who wears a body, whether he wants it or not. Therefore, every person, as someone who carries a body, must protect himself not from one passion, which is clearly and incessantly active in him, and not from two, but from many passions. Those who have conquered the passions within themselves through virtues, although they are disturbed by thoughts and the attack of these four causes, nevertheless do not yield to victory over themselves, because they have strength, and their mind is delighted with good and Divine remembrances. Question. What is the difference between purity of mind and purity of heart? Answer. One is purity of mind, and another is purity of heart. For the mind is one of the spiritual feelings, and the heart embraces and holds in its power the inner feelings. It is the root. But if the root is holy, then the branches are holy, that is, if the heart is brought to purity, then it is clear that all feelings are purified. If the mind applies diligence to reading the Divine Scriptures or labors a little in fasting, in vigils, in silence, then it will forget its previous life and achieve purity as soon as it moves away from bad behavior; however, it will not have constant purity, because it is soon cleansed, but soon it is also defiled. The heart achieves purity through many sorrows, deprivations, removal from communication with everything that is worldly in the world, and self-mortification for all this. If it has achieved purity, then its purity is not defiled by anything small, it is not afraid of great, obvious battles - I mean terrible battles - because it has acquired a strong stomach that can quickly digest any food that is indigestible in weak people. For doctors say that all meat food is indigestible, but it imparts much strength to healthy bodies when a strong stomach accepts it. Thus, any purity acquired quickly, in a short time and with little difficulty, is soon lost and desecrated. Purity, achieved through many sorrows and acquired over a long period of time, is not afraid of any attack that does not exceed the measure of any part of the soul, because God strengthens the soul. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Word 5. About feelings, and at the same time about temptations Chaste and collected feelings create peace in the soul and do not allow it to enter into the testing of things. And when the soul does not accept the sensations of things, then victory is achieved without struggle. If a person is careless and allows enemies to have access to him, then he is forced to endure the abuse. The original purity, which can be very simple and even, is also indignant. For due to this negligence, most people, or the whole world, leave their natural and pure state. Therefore, those who live in the world, in close ties with worldly people, cannot purify their minds for the reason that they have learned a lot of vice. Few are able to return to the original purity of mind. Therefore, every person should always carefully guard his feelings and mind from battles. For much is required of sobriety, vigilance, and forethought. Great simplicity can be easily converted 9 . Human nature requires fear to maintain the limits of obedience to God. Love for God arouses in a person a love for doing virtues, and thereby is drawn into doing good. Spiritual knowledge is by its nature later than the doing of virtues. Both are preceded by fear and love. And again: fear precedes love. Anyone who says without shame that the latter can be acquired without doing the first 10 undoubtedly lays the first foundation of destruction for his soul. This is the way of the Lord, that the last are born from the first. Do not replace love for your brother with love for any thing, because your brother has secretly acquired within himself the One who is most precious of all. Leave the little to gain the great. Despise what is superfluous and of little value in order to gain what is of great value. Be dead in your life, so that you may live after death. Give yourself over to dying in exploits, and not living in negligence. For not only those martyrs who accepted death for faith in Christ, but also those who die for keeping the commandments of Christ. Do not be foolish in your petitions, lest you offend God by the smallness of your knowledge. Be wise in your prayers so that you may receive glory. Ask the worthy one from the Giver without envy, so that you may receive honor from Him for your wise desire. Solomon asked himself for wisdom, and since he asked wisely from the great King, he accepted the kingdom of the earth with wisdom. Elisha asked in full measure for the grace of the Spirit that the teacher had, and his request did not remain unfulfilled. For whoever covets something of little importance from the king humiliates his honor. Israel asked for little things, and the wrath of God came upon them. He left aside to marvel at the terrible miracles of God in the works of God, and sought to satisfy the lusts of his belly. But there is still evil in their mouths, and the wrath of God is upon her (Ps. 77:30,31). Bring your petitions to God in accordance with His glory, so that your dignity will be magnified before Him and He will rejoice over you. If someone asks the king for some pus 11, he will not only dishonor himself by the unimportance of his request, as he has shown great ignorance, but he will also insult the king with his request. This is what the one who asks God for earthly blessings does in his prayers. For behold, the Angels and Archangels, these nobles of the King, during your prayer direct their attention to you, with what petition you will turn to their Lord; and they are amazed and rejoice when they see that you, earthly, have left your flesh and are asking for heavenly things; and, on the contrary, they are upset, looking at the one who has left heavenly things and asks for his own pus. Do not ask God for what He Himself gives us without asking according to His providence, and gives not only to His own and beloved, but also to those who are strangers to the knowledge of Him. For it is said: do not be like the pagans, speaking too much in your prayers (Matthew 6:7). This is bodily, and this is what the pagans are looking for, said the Lord. You don’t worry about what you eat, or what you drink... or what you wear. ...For your Father knows that you need this (Matthew 6:25,32). The son no longer asks his father for bread, but seeks the greatest and highest things in his father’s house. For out of the weakness of the human mind alone, the Lord commanded to ask for daily bread. But look at what is commanded to those who are perfect in knowledge and sound in soul. They are told: do not worry about food or clothing; because if God cares about dumb animals, about birds and about inanimate creatures, then how much more will He care about you: Seek therefore the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). If you ask God for something and He is slow to hear you quickly, do not be sad, because you are no wiser than God. This happens to you either because you are not worthy to receive what you ask, or because the ways of your heart are not consistent, but contrary to your requests, or because you have not yet come to the extent to accept the gift that you ask. For we should not touch upon great measures ahead of time, so that the gift of God, from the speed of its acceptance, does not become useless, because what is easily received is soon lost; However, acquired with heart disease, it is stored with caution. Endure your thirst for Christ’s sake, that He may intoxicate you with His love. Close your eyes to the pleasures of life, so that God will grant you His peace to reign in your heart. Refrain from what your eyes see, so that you will be rewarded with spiritual joy. If your deeds are displeasing to God, do not seek glorification from Him, lest you become like a man who tempts God. Your prayer should also be consistent with your life. For it is impossible for one who is attached to earthly things to seek heavenly things, and for one who is occupied with worldly things there is no opportunity to ask for divine things, because the desire of each person is shown by his actions: in what he shows his zeal, he strives for that in prayer. He who desires great things is not busy with unimportant things. Be free, although you are bound by your body, and for Christ’s sake prove the freedom of your obedience. Be prudent in your simplicity, so as not to be stolen from you. Love humility in all your affairs in order to get rid of inconspicuous snares, which are always outside the path of the humble. Do not give up on sorrows, because through them you enter into the knowledge of the truth, and do not be afraid of temptations, because through them you gain what is worthy. Pray not to fall into spiritual temptations, but prepare for bodily temptations with all your strength. For outside of them you cannot approach God, because divine peace is prepared among them. He who runs from temptations runs from virtue. I mean the temptation not of desires, but of sorrows. Question. How does what is said agree with each other: ... pray that you do not enter into adversity (Matthew 26:41), and in another place: Strive to enter through the strait gate (Luke 13:24); and again: ...do not be afraid of those who kill the body (Matthew 10:28); and: ...whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matthew 10:39)? Why does the Lord everywhere encourage us to endure temptations, but here He commanded: pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune? For what virtue is there without sorrow and temptation? Or what temptation is greater than this - to destroy a person himself? However, the Lord commanded to be subjected to this temptation for His sake. For he says: ... whoever does not take his cross and comes after Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:38). Why, in all His teaching, commanding one to be subject to temptation, here He commanded to pray not to be tempted? For it is said: ...through many tribulations you must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Acts 14:22); and: ...you will be in a world of sorrow (John 16:33); and: In this patience gain your souls (Luke 21:19). Oh, what subtlety of mind the path of Your teachings requires, O Lord! He who does not read meaningfully and with knowledge will always be outside of Him. When the sons of Zebedee and their mother wished to sit with You in the Kingdom, You said to them the following: ...can you drink the cup that Az imam drinks, or be baptized with the baptism in which I am baptized (Matthew 20:22)? Why do you command us here, Lord, to pray so as not to fall into misfortune? What temptations do you command us to pray about so as not to fall into them? Answer. It is said: pray so as not to fall into temptation regarding faith. Pray that, together with the demon of blasphemy and pride, you will not fall into the temptations of self-conceit in your mind. Pray that, by God’s permission, you will not fall into obvious temptation from the devil because of the evil thoughts that you have thought in your mind and for which temptation is allowed to befall you. Pray that the Angel of your chastity will not depart from you, that sin will not raise a fiery battle against you and separate you from him. Pray not to fall into the temptation of irritating one against another or into the temptation of double-mindedness and doubt, by which the soul is led into a great struggle. And prepare to accept bodily temptations with all your soul, and overcome them with all your members, and fill your eyes with tears, so that your Guardian does not depart from you. For outside temptations the Providence of God is not seen, it is impossible to acquire boldness before God, it is impossible to learn the wisdom of the Spirit, and there is also no possibility for Divine love to be established in your soul. Before temptations, a person prays to God like a stranger. When he enters into temptations out of love for God and does not allow himself to change, then he is considered to God as if he were his debtor and as a sincere friend, because, in fulfillment of the will of God, he fought with the enemy of God and defeated him. This is what is said: pray, but do not fall into misfortune. And one more thing: pray that the terrible temptation of the devil will not bring you into danger for your arrogance; but for your love for God, may the power of God help you, and through you he will defeat his enemies. Pray that these temptations will not implicate you for the depravity of your thoughts and deeds; but let your love for God be tested, and His power glorified in your patience. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 6. About the mercy of the Lord, by which from the height of His greatness He descended to human weakness, and about temptations And our Lord, providing in accordance with His mercy and according to the measure of His grace, if you understand it meaningfully, commanded to pray for bodily temptations. For, knowing that our nature, due to the earthy and mortal body, is weak and, when it is in temptations, is not able to resist them, and therefore falls away from the truth, turns its spine and is overcome by sorrows, He commanded us to pray so as not to suddenly fall into temptations, if even without them it is possible to please God. And if a person, striving for high virtue, suddenly falls into terrible temptations and cannot stand it, then he cannot at that time reach perfection in virtue. We should not have partiality either towards ourselves or towards others, out of fear of abandoning a noble and honest cause, in which the life of the soul is hidden, and presenting pretexts and teachings that pander to weakness, for example, this: ... pray, so that you will not fall into misfortune (Matthew 26:41). For it is said of such that they sin in secret for the sake of the commandment. Therefore, if a person befalls and temptation befalls him, and he is forced to violate one of these My commandments, that is, to abandon chastity or monastic life, or to renounce the faith, or not to strive for Christ, or to leave one of the commandments without fulfilling, then if he is afraid and does not resist the temptations courageously, he will fall away from the truth. From now on, we will neglect the body with all our might, surrender our souls to God, and in the name of the Lord we will enter into the struggle against temptations. And Who saved Joseph in the land of Egypt, showed in him the likeness and example of chastity, Who kept Daniel unharmed in the lion's den and the three young men in the fiery cave, Who delivered Jeremiah from the pit and gave him mercy in the Chaldean camp, Who brought Peter out of prison with the doors closed and saved Paul from the host of the Jews - in short, Who is always in every place, in He is present in every country with His servants and reveals His strength and victory in them, observes them in many extraordinary circumstances, shows them His salvation in all their sorrows, may He strengthen us and save us among the waves surrounding us! Amen. Let there be in our souls as much zeal against the devil and his henchmen as there was in the Maccabees, and the holy prophets, and the apostles, and the martyrs, and the saints, and the righteous, who established Divine laws and spiritual commandments in terrible countries, under the most difficult temptations, and cast down the world and the body behind them, and stood in their righteousness, not yielding victory over themselves to the dangers that, along with their souls, surrounded and bodies, but defeating them courageously. Their names are written in the Book of Life even before the coming of Christ, and their teaching, by God's command, is observed for our instruction and strengthening, as the Apostle testifies (Rom. 15:4), so that we become wise and know the ways of God, and have before our eyes stories about them and their lives, like animate and living images, take them for ourselves as a model, walk in their path and follow them. were likened. Oh, how sweet are Divine words to the thoughtful soul! They are the same for the soul as food is for the body, supporting it. Tales of the righteous are as desirable to the ears of the meek as constant watering for a newly planted plant. So, beloved, as a kind of good medicine for weak eyes, keep in your mind the Providence of God, by which everything is protected from the beginning to the present day; keep the remembrance of this in yourself at every hour, meditate and worry about this, extract instructions from this for yourself in order to become accustomed to keeping in your soul the remembrance of the greatness of God’s honor and to find for your soul eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who, as God and Man, became the Intercessor of God and men. The ranks of angels cannot approach the glory surrounding His Throne of Honor; but for our sake He appeared in a humiliated and humble form, as Isaiah says: ... we saw Him, and without the name of appearance or kindness (Is. 53:2). He, who by nature is invisible to all creation, took on a body and accomplished the Economy for the salvation and life of all nations who found purification in Him. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 7. About sins voluntary, involuntary and committed on some occasion There is a sin committed out of weakness, into which a person is carried away involuntarily; and there is a sin committed arbitrarily and out of ignorance. It also happens that someone will commit a sin for some reason and because of a long stay and obsessiveness in evil. These are all the kinds and types of sins, and although they are all worthy of reproach, nevertheless, when comparing the punishments imposed for sins, it turns out that one is greater than the other. The greatest condemnation falls on another, and repentance from him is difficult to accept, and the sin of another is close to forgiveness. And just as Adam, Eve and the serpent, although they all received retribution from God for sin, were nevertheless cursed to varying degrees, so it happens with their sons: for each, the severity of the punishment is proportionate to his intention and addiction to sin. If someone, having no desire to serve sin, through negligence about virtue, is drawn into sin because he has not practiced virtue, then it is hard for him to remain in sin, and his punishment is hard. And if it happens that someone who cares about virtue is tempted by some sin, then, without a doubt, mercy is close to him to atone for his sin. Another sin is committed when a person turns out to be caring for virtue and constant in doing, so that he does not sleep at night, worrying so as not to suffer damage in what he cares about, and during the day he carries his burden with him everywhere, and all his care is about virtue, but with these and similar concerns, either due to some ignorance, or from any obstacles on his path, that is, on the path of virtue, and from the waves, at all times heaving in his members, or as a result of the deviation that may be in him to test his freedom, his scale tilts somewhat to the left, and through bodily weakness he is drawn into one of the types of sin; and at the same time he grieves, grieves, sighs painfully for his soul because of the disaster that happened to him from those who opposed him. Sin is different, when a person turns out to be weak and careless in the practice of virtue, has completely abandoned its path, slavishly strives to obey every sinful pleasure, shows zeal to seek means to complete pleasure, like some slave, is ready to carefully fulfill the will of his enemy and prepare his members for weapons to the devil with all obedience to him, does not in the least intend to think about repentance, to get closer to virtue, to stop evil and put an end to your destructive path. Otherwise, sin comes from the inclinations and falls that can happen on the path of virtue and on the path of truth. For, according to the fathers, on the path of virtue and on the path of truth there are falls, obstacles, coercions and the like. Another thing is the fall of the soul, its complete destruction, complete abandonment. Whoever clearly belongs to the number of such, when he falls, let him not forget the love of his Father; but if it happens to him to fall into many different sins, let him not cease to care about good; let him not stop in his course, but let the conquered one again rise up to fight with his opponents and daily begin to lay the foundation for the destroyed building, until his very departure from this world, having in his mouth the prophetic word: Do not rejoice in me, my enemy, for I have fallen; for I will rise again...if I sit in darkness, the Lord will give me light (Mic.7:8); and let him never stop fighting until his death, and as long as there is breath in him, let him not give up his soul to be overcome, even during the very defeat. But if every day his boat is broken and all its cargo is wrecked, let him not cease to take care, stock up, even borrow, switch to other ships and sail with hope, until the Lord, having looked upon his feat and having mercy on his contrition, sends him His mercy and gives him strong incentives to meet and endure the kindled arrows of the enemy. This is the wisdom given from God; such is the wise patient who does not lose his hope. It is better for us to be condemned for some things, and not for abandoning everything. Therefore, Abba Martinian exhorts us not to become exhausted from many exploits, from many different and frequent battles on the path of righteousness, not to go back and not give in to the enemy victory over ourselves in any way that is shameful for us. For, as a certain child-loving father, in a decorous and orderly manner, says the following: “If you, children, are truly ascetics striving for virtue, and you have spiritual zeal in you, then desire to present your mind to Christ as pure and to do deeds pleasing to Him. For you must certainly endure for this all the warfare raised by natural passions, the opposition of this world, the constant and incessant malice of the demons with which they usually attack you, and with all their evil tricks. Do not be afraid that the cruelty of the battle is continuous and prolonged; do not be shaken by the long duration of the struggle; do not weaken and do not tremble from the enemy’s armies; do not fall into the abyss of hopelessness, if, perhaps, it happens to you for a while to creep and sin. But even if you suffer something in this great battle, you are struck in the face and wounded, this will not in the least prevent you from striving for your good goal. Above all, remain in the work you have chosen and achieve this longed-for and praiseworthy end, that is, to find yourself in battle steadfast, undefeated, stained with the blood of your wounds, and in no way stop fighting your opponents.” These are the teachings of the great elder. There is no need for you to become weak or exhausted, as has been said. Woe to that monk who lies to his vow and, trampling on his conscience, gives his hand to the devil so that he can boast of involving him in some kind of small or great sins, and who cannot again stand in the face of his enemies with the contrite part of his soul. With what face will he appear to the Judge when, having achieved purity, his friends meet each other - the very same ones with whom, having been separated on his journey, he went down the path of destruction, lost both the boldness that the venerables have before God, and that prayer that comes from a pure heart, ascends to the mountain above the angelic powers and is not hindered by anything until he receives what he asks for in it and returns with joy to the lips that sent it? And the most terrible thing is that just as here he was separated from them on his journey, so Christ will separate him from them on the day when a bright cloud carries bodies on its ridge, shining with purity, and places them at the gates of heaven. For by the very fact that their deeds have already been condemned here, wickedness will not rise for judgment, lower than the sinner in the council of the righteous, at the resurrection of Judgment (Ps. 1:5). Word 8. About preserving and keeping yourself away from relaxed and careless people; that from drawing close to them, negligence and relaxation reign in a person, and he is filled with all sorts of unclean passions; and about keeping yourself away from intimacy with young people, so that the mind is not defiled by obscene thoughts He who forbids his mouth to speculate, keeps his heart from passions. And whoever keeps his heart from passions sees the Lord every hour. He who always thinks about God drives away demons and eradicates the seed of their malice. Whoever watches over his soul hourly, his heart rejoices at revelations. He who concentrates the vision of his mind within himself sees the spiritual dawn within himself. He who abhors all soaring of the mind sees his Lord within his heart. If you love purity, in which the Lord of all can be seen, then do not condemn anyone and do not listen to the one who condemns his brother. If others argue in front of you, close your ears and run away from there, so that you do not hear angry expressions and your soul does not die, having lost its life. An irritated heart cannot contain the mysteries of God, but a meek and humble heart is the source of the mysteries of the new age. Now, if you are pure, then heaven is within you, and in yourself you will see the Angels and their light, and with them and in them the Lord of the Angels. He who is justly praised suffers no harm. But if praise delights him, then he is a free worker. The treasure of the humble man is within him, and this is the Lord. He who watches his tongue will never be robbed by it. Silent lips interpret the mysteries of God, but those who are quick to speak withdraw from their Creator. The soul of a good person shines more than the sun and every hour rejoices at the vision of Divine revelations. Whoever follows the one who loves God will be enriched in the mysteries of God, and whoever follows the unrighteous and proud will withdraw from God and be hated by his friends. He who is silent with his tongue in all his appearance acquires a humble and wise orderliness, and he will easily prevail over the passions. Passions are uprooted and put to flight by the constant immersion of thought in God. This is the sword that kills them. Just as in the silent silence of the sensual sea a dolphin rushes and swims, so in the silence and calming of irritability and anger in the sea of ​​the heart, at all times, to the joy of the heart, secrets and Divine revelations rush through it. He who desires to see the Lord within himself makes an effort to purify his heart by constant remembrance of God; and thus, with the brightness of the eyes of his mind, he will see the Lord hourly. What happens to a fish that comes out of the water, so happens to the mind that has emerged from the remembrance of God and soars in the remembrance of the world. To the extent that a person withdraws from conversing with people, to the same extent he is rewarded with a bold mind to converse with God, and to the extent that he cuts off the consolation of this world from himself, to the extent that he is rewarded with the joy of God in the Holy Spirit. And just as fish die from lack of water, so smart movements that arise with the help of God disappear in the heart of a monk who often turns and spends time with worldly people. A layman who is poor and suffers in worldly and everyday affairs is better than a monk who suffers and spends time with the laity. He who with fiery zeal, day and night, seeks God in his heart and eradicates in him the attacks that come from the enemy, is feared by demons and desired by God and His Angels. The pure in soul has a mental region within him; the sun shining in it is the light of the Holy Trinity; the air that the inhabitants of this region breathe is the Comforting and All-Powerful Spirit; those co-seating with him are holy and ethereal natures; and their life, and joy, and gladness is Christ, Light from Light - the Father. Such a one is hourly amused by the vision of his soul, and marvels at his beauty, which is truly a hundred times more brilliant than the light of the sun. This is Jerusalem and the Kingdom of God, hidden within us, according to the Lord’s word (Luke 17:21). This region is the cloud of God’s glory, into which only the pure in heart will enter to see the face of their Master and illuminate their minds with the rays of the Master’s light. And whoever is irritable, who is angry, who is love-loving, who is covetous, who is a glutton, who treats the worldly people, who wants his own will to be done, who is hot-tempered and filled with passions - all of them are in the same confusion as those who fight at night, and they feel the darkness, being outside the realm of life and light. For this region is the lot of the good, the humble, who have made their hearts pure. A person cannot see the beauty that is within him until he abhors all beauty outside of him and dishonors it. He cannot raise his gaze directly to God until he has completely renounced the world. Whoever humiliates and belittles himself, the Lord will make him wise. And whoever considers himself wise falls away from God’s wisdom. To the extent that the tongue refrains from verbosity, the mind is illuminated to discern thoughts; and the most prudent mind is confused by too much verbiage. He who becomes poor in the things of the world will become rich in God, but the friend of the rich will become poor in God. He who is chaste, humble-wise, abhors license in words and has driven irritability from his heart, he (I am sure of this), as soon as he begins to pray, sees in his soul the light of the Holy Spirit, and gallops in the brilliance of illumination with His light, and rejoices in the vision of the glory of this illumination and its change until it becomes like himself. There is no other work that could so overthrow the armies of unclean demons as vision in God. One of the fathers told me the following: “One day I was sitting, and my mind was captivated by a vision. And when I came to my senses, I sighed deeply. The demon standing opposite me, as soon as he heard this, was afraid and, as if devoured by some lightning, cried out in need and, as if persecuted by someone, gave himself up to flight.” Blessed is he who remembers his departure from this life and abstains from attachment to the pleasures of this world, because he will receive greatly increased satisfaction during his departure, and this pleasure will not become scarce for him. He is born of God, and the Holy Spirit is his nourisher; from the bosom of the Spirit he sucks life-giving food and smells His stench to his joy. But whoever is attached to the worldly, to the world and to its rest, who loves conversation with the world, loses his life, and I have nothing to say about him; All that remains is to cry with a cry, an inconsolable cry that will crush the hearts of those who hear it. You who are in darkness, lift up your heads, so that your faces may be illuminated with light. Come out from under the power of worldly passions, may the Light that is from the Father come to meet you and may He command the servants of His mysteries to loosen your bonds, so that you can follow in His footsteps to the Father. Alas! How are we bound, and what prevents us from seeing His glory? Oh, that our bonds would be broken and that we would seek and find our God! If you want to know human secrets and have not yet reached the point of knowing by spirit, you will find out by the speeches, lifestyle and orders of everyone, unless you are a wise man. He who is pure in soul and blameless in his lifestyle always pronounces the words of the Spirit with chastity and, in accordance with the measure of his understanding, discusses both the Divine and what is in himself. And whose heart is crushed by passions, their tongue is set in motion by them. If he begins to talk about spiritual things, he will reason under the influence of passion in order to gain victory in untruth. The wise notice such a person at the first meeting, and the pure smell his stench. He who, in soul and body, is always given over to vanity and wanderings of the mind, is a fornicator; whoever agrees and shares activities with him is an adulterer; and whoever communicates with him is an idolater. Friendship with young people is fornication, which God abhors. There is no band-aid to soften such a person. And whoever loves everyone equally with compassion and indifference has achieved perfection. The young, following the young, makes the prudent weep and weep for them; the old man, following the young man, acquires a passion that is stinkier than the passion of the young. Even if he talked about virtues with the young, his heart was wounded. A young man, if he is humble and silent, if his heart is pure from jealousy and irritability, moves away from every person and is attentive to himself, then he will soon understand the passions of a careless old man. And if the old man is not equally disposed towards the old man and the young man, then try with all your might not to have contact with him, but even more so, move away from him. Woe to the careless who pretend and, under the appearance of purity, feed their own passions. He who has achieved gray hair in purity of thoughts, in good living and in continence of the tongue, here still enjoys the sweetness of the fruit of knowledge, and upon his departure from the body he receives God's glory. Nothing cools so much the fire breathed into the heart of a monk by the Holy Spirit for the sanctification of the soul as dealing with people, talking a lot and any conversation, except conversation with the children of the mysteries of God, which contributes to an increase in the knowledge of God and to drawing closer to God. For such conversation, more powerful than all virtues, awakens the soul to life, eradicates passions and lulls bad thoughts to sleep. Do not acquire for yourself friends and companions other than these, 13 lest you cause your soul to stumble and stray from the path of the Lord. Let the love that unites and interfaces you with God be magnified in your heart, so that worldly love, whose cause and end is corruption, does not captivate you. Staying and interacting with ascetics enriches both with the mysteries of God. But love for the careless and lazy makes it so that, having indulged in soaring of the mind with each other, they fill the belly to the point of satiety and beyond measure. To such a person food without his friend seems unpleasant, and he says: “Woe to him who eats his bread alone, for it will not be sweet for him.” And they invite each other to feasts and pay each other, like mercenaries. Get away from us with this damned love, with this indecent and impious pastime! Run away, brother, from those who are accustomed to such things and do not agree to eat with them, even if you are in need; because their meal is cursed, demons serve at it; the friends of the Bridegroom-Christ do not partake of it. He who often builds feasts is a worker of the prodigal demon and defiles the soul of the humble. The cheap bread from the table of the immaculate cleanses the soul of the eater from all passion. The stench from a glutton’s meal is an abundance of dishes and cookies. The mad and senseless are drawn to her like a dog to a butcher's shop. The meal of one who is always in prayer is sweeter than any fragrance from musk or fragrance from the world 14; the lover of God desires it as a priceless treasure. From the meal of those who fast, remain on vigil and work for the Lord, borrow for yourself the medicine of life and awaken your soul from deadness. For among them, sanctifying them, the Beloved reclines and the bitterness of their suffering transforms into His inscrutable sweetness; His spiritual and heavenly servants overshadow them and their holy dishes. And I know one of the brethren who clearly saw this with his own eyes. Blessed is he who has stopped his mouth from all voluptuousness, which separates him from the Creator. Blessed is he who eats the Bread that came down from heaven and gave life to the world. Blessed is he who in his field saw the Watering of life, mercifully coming from the bosom of the Father, and raised his eye to Him. For when he drinks of it, his heart will rejoice and prosper, and will be in gladness and joy. He who has seen his Lord in his food hides from everyone and partakes of Him alone, without entering into communication with the unworthy, so as not to become their partaker and not be left without illumination by the ray of the Lord. But whoever has deadly poison mixed into his food cannot eat it pleasantly without his friends. He is a wolf, devouring carrion, who enters into friendship for the sake of his own belly. What gluttony you have, foolish one - you want to fill your belly at the table of the careless, where your soul is filled with every passion! These warnings are sufficient for those who can bridle the belly. The stench of a faster is very sweet, and meeting him gladdens the hearts of the prudent, but the glutton is overcome by fear from his treatment, and he uses all measures not to eat with a faster. The way of life of the abstinent is dear to God, while its proximity is very difficult for the covetous. The silent one is much praised by Christ, but his approach will not be pleasant to those whom the demons have caught with an addiction to fun and soaring of the mind. Who does not love the humble and meek, except the proud and slanderous, who are strangers to his work? Someone told me from his own experience: “On the days I have a conversation with someone, on those days I eat three or four crackers a day; and if I begin to force myself to pray, then my mind does not have boldness towards God and I cannot direct my thoughts to Him. When I am separated from my interlocutors for silence, on the first day I force myself to eat one and a half crackers, on the second - one, and as soon as my mind is established in silence, I try to eat one whole cracker - and I cannot; my mind constantly converses with God with boldness, although I do not force it to do so, and the luminosity of the Divine, without diminishing, illuminates me and draws me to see the beauty of the Divine light and to be amused by it. If, during the silence, someone happens to come and talk to me for even one hour, then it is impossible for me not to add more food, not to leave something from the rule, not to relax my mind to contemplate this light.” You see, my brothers, how beautiful and useful patience and solitude are, what strength and what comfort they bring to ascetics. Blessed is he who remains silent for God's sake and eats his bread alone, because he always converses with God. To him be glory and power now, and always, and forever! Amen. Sermon 9. About the rank and regulations of the novices and what is appropriate for them This is a chaste and God-loving rite - not to turn your eyes here and there, but always look forward; do not idle talk, but speak only what is necessary; to be content with wretched clothes to satisfy bodily needs, to use foods that support the body, and not for gluttony; to eat a little of everything, not to despise one thing, but to choose another and willingly fill the belly with this one, and sweep away the rest 15. Above all virtue is prudence. But do not drink wine when you have no friends with you, or do not have an illness, or a loss of strength. Do not interrupt your speech when another is speaking; and do not answer like an ignoramus, but be firm like a wise man. And wherever you are, consider yourself the least of all and a servant of your brethren. Do not expose any of your members to anyone; do not approach anyone's body without necessary reason. Do not allow anyone to approach your body without an important, as stated, reason. Avoid freedom in speech as if you were dying. And acquire a chaste rite for your sleep, so that the power that protects you does not depart from you. Wherever you sleep, let no one, if possible, see you. Don't drool in front of anyone. If, while you are sitting at dinner, a cough comes over you, turn your face back and cough. Eat and drink chastely, as becomes the children of God. Do not stretch out your hand to shamelessly take anything that is offered to your friends. And if a stranger is sitting with you, invite him to eat once or twice, and offer him to the meal in an orderly manner, and not in a disorderly manner. Sit decorously and modestly, without exposing any of your members. When you yawn, close your mouth so that others do not see, for if you hold your breath, the yawning will pass. If you enter the cell of a superior, or a friend, or a student, guard your eyes so as not to see what is there. If a thought compels you to do this, be attentive to yourself, do not listen to it and do not do this. For whoever is shameless in this is a stranger to the monastic image and to Christ himself, who gave us this image. Don’t pay attention to the places where the utensils are hidden in your friend’s cell. Quietly open and close the door for yourself and your friend. Do not enter anyone suddenly, but, having knocked on the outside and asked permission, then enter reverently. Do not be hasty in your gait without a necessary need forcing you to hurry. Be obedient to everyone in every good deed, just do not follow the covetous, or the lovers of money, or the lovers of peace, so that the work of the devil does not happen. Talk to everyone meekly, look at everyone chastely, do not satiate your eyes with anyone’s face. When walking along the road, do not get ahead of your elders. And if your comrade falls behind, move a little forward, wait for him. Whoever does not do this is foolish and is like a pig who has no law. If your friend starts speaking to someone you meet, wait for him and don’t rush him. Let a healthy person tell a sick person in advance: we will do what is needed. Do not convict anyone of any wrongdoing, but consider yourself responsible in everything and guilty of sin. Do not refuse or shirk any low deed with humility. If you are forced to laugh, do not show your teeth. If you are forced to talk to women, turn your face away from their sight and talk to them like that. And move away from nuns, from meeting and talking with them and from seeing them, as if from fire and as from the snare of the devil, so as not to cool your love for God in your heart and not to defile your heart with the mud of passions. If they are your sisters according to the flesh, beware of them as if you were strangers. Beware of getting close to your own, so that your heart does not grow cold in the love of God. Avoid free speeches and meetings with young people, like friendship with the devil. Have one interlocutor and companion - the one who fears God and is always attentive to himself, poor in his church, but rich in the mysteries of God. Conceal your secrets, deeds and battles from everyone. Do not sit with your head open in front of anyone, except in extreme need 16. With chastity, proceed to fulfill the necessary need, as one who reveres the Angel who protects you, and do the work with the fear of God, and force yourself until death, even if it is unpleasant to your heart. It is better for you to take deadly poison than to eat with a woman, even if it is your mother or sister. It is better for you to live with the serpent than to sleep and lie under the same cover with the young one, although it will be your brother in the flesh. If you are walking along the road and one of your elders says: “Go, let’s sing,” listen to him. And if he does not say this, be silent with your tongue, but glorify God with your heart. Do not resist anyone in anything, do not argue with anyone, do not lie, do not swear in the name of the Lord your God. If you are neglected, do not neglect yourself. If you are offended, do not offend yourself. It is better to let the physical perish along with the body, so long as nothing spiritual suffers harm. Do not go into court with anyone, but if you are condemned, when you should not be judged, be patient. Do not love with your soul anything worldly, but submit to rulers and rulers and refrain from close relations with them, because this is a snare that ensnares the careless to destruction. It is better for you, glutton, trying to please your belly, to cast a fiery coal into your womb than the baked goods of rulers and rulers. Shower mercy to everyone and be humble in everything. Keep yourself from talking too much. For it quenches in the heart the mental movements that come from God. Like a lion rushing at everyone, run and learn to hunt. For this purpose, do not associate with either the disciples of the Church or strangers. Do not pass through the crowds of angry and quarrelsome people, lest your heart be filled with irritability and the darkness of delusion prevail over your soul. Do not live with someone who is proud, lest the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit be taken away from your soul and lest it become the dwelling place of every evil passion. If you, man, observe these precautions and always engage in the thought of God, then your soul will truly see the light of Christ within itself and will not be darkened forever. Glory and power to Christ forever! Amen. Word 10. The legend of the holy men, their venerable sayings and wonderful lives One day I went to the cell of one holy brother and, due to my illness, lay down in one place with him, so that he would follow me for God’s sake, because I had no acquaintances there. And I saw how this brother gets up at night ahead of time, he has the custom of coming to rule before the brethren. He spoke poetry for quite some time, and suddenly, for the entire time this was happening to him, he abandoned the rule, fell on his face, and hit his head into the ground a hundred or more times with the fervor that grace kindled in his heart. After this, he stood up, kissed the Lord’s cross, bowed again, and kissed the same cross, and again prostrated himself on his face. And he observed this custom all his life, so that it is impossible for me to describe the number of his many genuflections. And who would be able to count the bows this brother made every night? Twenty times with fear and ardor, with love dissolved in reverence, he kissed the cross and again began poetry, and sometimes, from the great ignition of thoughts that inflamed him with their ardor, when he was unable to bear the kindling of that flame, overcome by joy, because he could not restrain himself, he exclaimed. Therefore, I marveled greatly at the grace of this brother, and his feat, and his sobriety in the work of God. In the morning, after the first hour, when he sat down to read, he became like a captive man, and during each chapter he read, he more than once fell on his face, and in many verses he raised his hands to heaven and praised God. He was forty years old. He also ate food in very small quantities and completely dry. And since beyond measure and force he did frequent coercion to his body, he seemed like a shadow, which is why pity aroused in me the exhaustion of his face, so emaciated from much lack of eating that there were not even two fingers in it. And I often said to him: “Have pity on yourself, brother, in your feat, and on this good life that you have acquired; do not confuse and do not break this, similar to a spiritual chain, exercise of yours and, out of the desire to add a little more labor, do not diminish or completely stop the flow of your path. Eat in moderation so as not to lose the opportunity to eat 17; do not stretch your legs beyond your strength, lest you become completely incapable of doing your work.” He was merciful, very modest and showed mercy with complacency. Pure in his innate qualities, submissive to admonition, wise according to God, he was loved by everyone for his purity and for his complacency. With the brethren, when they needed him, he often worked for three or four days; then for the entire time, from evening to evening, he went to his cell, because he was skilled in every service. When he acquired something, although he needed it, out of his great respect for great and small, he could not say that he did not have it. Most often, when he worked with the brethren, he did it as if ashamed and forced himself, not finding any pleasure in leaving the cell. Such was the life and conversion of this truly wonderful brother. To our God be glory forever! Amen. Word 11. About the ancient elder Another time I went again to one ancient, beautiful and virtuous old man. He loved me very much and, although ignorant in words, was enlightened by knowledge and deep in heart, and said that grace inspired him; He did not often leave his cell, except for holy services; He was attentive to himself and lived in silence. I once told him: “Father, the thought came to me to go to the church porch on Sunday, sit there and eat early in the morning, so that everyone coming in and out, seeing me, would humiliate me.” To this the elder answered me like this: “It is written that anyone who causes offense to the laity will not see the light. But you are not known to anyone in this side, they don’t know your life, they will say that the monks eat in the morning; especially, the brethren here are beginners and weak in their thoughts; many of them, having faith in you and benefiting from you, will soon suffer harm as soon as they see that you have done this. The ancient fathers did this because of the many miracles they performed and because of the honor shown to them and the glorification of their name, and they did this in order to subject themselves to dishonor, to hide the glory of their life and to remove from themselves the reasons for pride. What makes you act like this? Don’t you know that every life has its order and its time? You do not have such an excellent life and such a name, but you live like other brethren. You will not benefit yourself, but you will harm others. Moreover, such action is not useful for everyone, but only for those who are perfect and great, because this involves detachment from feelings. For those who have only reached the middle and those who are new to beginning, it is harmful, because they need greater caution and subjugation of the senses. The elders have already lived through the time of caution and benefit from whatever they want. For inexperienced merchants in large transactions cause great losses to themselves, but in unimportant transactions they quickly move forward with success. And again, as I said, every task has its order, and every kind of life has a certain time. Whoever begins ahead of time, beyond his measure, gains nothing, but only aggravates his own harm. If this is what you desire, joyfully endure the dishonor that will befall you according to God’s will, and not according to your will, and do not be embarrassed, do not hate the one who dishonors you.” I once had another conversation with this grateful husband, who ate the fruit from the tree of life for the labors he endured from his early youth until the evening of his old age. And having taught me many lessons of virtue, he also said this: “Every prayer in which the body did not tire and the heart did not grieve is counted as one with the unborn fruit of the womb, because such prayer does not have a soul in it.” And he also told me: “To an inquisitive person who wants to stand on his word, is cunning in mind and shameless in his feelings, do not give anything, and do not take anything from him at all, lest you remove from yourself the purity acquired with great difficulty, and fill your heart with darkness and confusion.” Word 12. About another elder I once went to the cell of one of the fathers. The saint did not often open the door to anyone. But as soon as he saw through the window that I was coming, he said to me: “Do you want to come in?” - and I answered: “Yes, honest father.” After I entered, said a prayer, sat down, and we talked about many things, finally I asked him: “What should I do, father? Others come to me, and I gain nothing and do not gain any benefit from talking with them, but I am ashamed to tell them: do not go. They even often prevent me from correcting the usual rule, and therefore I grieve.” To this the blessed old man answered me: “When such lovers of idleness come to you, as soon as they sit for a while, give them the appearance that you want to stand in prayer, and say to the one who came with a bow: let’s pray, brother, because the time has already come for me to rule, and I cannot break it, it becomes difficult for me when I want to do it at another hour, and this becomes a cause of embarrassment for me, and I cannot leave without some urgent need.” rules. And now there is no need for my prayer to be canceled. And don’t let him go without praying with you. If he says: Pray, and I will go, bow to him and say: for the sake of love, do at least this one prayer with me, so that I may benefit from your prayer. - And when you become, extend your prayer even beyond what you are accustomed to do. If you do this to them, as soon as they come to you, then, having learned that you do not indulge them and do not like idleness, they will not approach the place where they will hear that you are there. Therefore, be careful that you do not ruin the works of God through partiality. If you meet one of the fathers or a weary wanderer, then you will be charged with being with such a person instead of the longest prayer. But if the wanderer is one of those who love vanity, then calm him down as much as possible and let him go in peace.” One of the fathers said: “I am amazed when I hear that some in their cells are engaged in handicrafts and can carry out their rule without neglect and not be embarrassed.” He uttered a word worthy of surprise: “To tell the truth, if I go out to get water, I feel confusion in my custom and in the order thereof and encounter an obstacle to improving my reason.” Word 13. About the question of one brother The same elder was once asked by some brother: “What should I do? Often I have some thing that I need either because of weakness, or because of business, or for some other reason; and without this thing I cannot live in silence, but I see that someone has a need for it, and, overcome by pity, I give him this thing; and often I do this because I am begged by someone. For both love and the commandment force me to do this, and I yield what I myself need. And then the need for this thing makes me fall into anxiety and confusion of thoughts; and this distracts my mind from caring about silence, and I am even forced to leave silence and go looking for the same thing. If I have the patience not to leave silence, then I find myself in great sorrow and confusion of thoughts. Therefore, I don’t know what to choose: either to calm my brother, do something that dispels and ends my silence, or despise the request and remain in silence?” To this the elder answered and said: “If alms, or love, or compassion, or anything considered to be done for God, interferes with your silence, turns your eye to the world, plunges you into anxiety, darkens your remembrance of God, interrupts your prayers, produces confusion and confusion in your thoughts, causes you to stop engaging in divine reading, leave this weapon that delivers from the soaring of the mind, they destroy your caution, they bring about that, having been hitherto bound, you begin to walk freely and, having entered into solitude, you return to the society of people, they awaken buried passions in you, allow the abstinence of your feelings, they resurrect for the world you, who died to the world, from the angelic work, about which your only concern is, they degrade you and place you on the side of the laity - then let such truth perish! For fulfilling the duty of love, providing bodily calm, is the work of worldly people, and even if they are monks, then they are insufficient, do not remain in silence, or those whose silence is combined with unanimous community, who constantly enter and leave. For such people this is a wonderful thing and worthy of surprise. And for those who have truly chosen for themselves an asceticism from the world both body and mind, in order to establish their thoughts in solitary prayer, in mortification to all that passes, to the sight of worldly things and to the remembrance of them - such should not serve by doing anything bodily and the truth of obvious deeds (in order to be justified by them before Christ), but, according to the word of the Apostle, by mortifying their pleasures, even on earth (Col. 3:5). to offer to Christ a pure and immaculate sacrifice of thoughts, as a beginning of cultivating oneself, and bodily sorrow in enduring dangers, for the sake of future hope. For the life of a monk is equal to that of an angel. And it is indecent for us, having abandoned heavenly work, to cling to worldly things.” Glory to our God forever! Amen. Word 14. About one rooted brother Once a certain brother was reproached for not giving alms; and he freely and boldly answered the one who reproached him: “Monks are not required to give alms.” But the one who reproached him objected: “The monk who is not required to give alms is visible and visible. For it is not given to the one who with an open face can say to Christ, as it is written: ...we have all left us all and are dead after You (Matthew 19:27), that is, who has nothing on earth, is not concerned with bodily things, does not think about anything visible, does not care about any acquisition, but even if someone gives him something, he takes only what he needs, and what is beyond his needs, he puts it at nothing and lives just like a bird. Such a person is not obliged to give alms. For how can he give to another what he himself is free from? But whoever amuses himself with the affairs of life, works with his own hands and takes from others, is all the more obliged to give alms. And if you do not care about alms, then this lack of mercy is opposition to the Lord’s commandment. For if someone does not approach God in secret and does not know how to serve Him in spirit, but does not care about the obvious deeds that are possible for him, then what other hope will he have of acquiring life for himself? This is meaningless." Another elder said: “I marvel at those who embarrass themselves in the matter of silence in order to calm others in the physical.” And he also said: “We do not need to mix concern for anything else with the matter of silence: let every deed be honored in its place, so that our behavior does not have stains on it. For he who cares for many is the servant of many. And whoever has left everything and cares about the well-being of his soul is a friend of God. Look, there are many in the world who give alms and fulfill love towards their neighbors by satisfying bodily needs; and workers of universal and beautiful silence, occupied with the thought of God, are hardly found and are rare. Who of those who give alms in the world or observe righteousness in regard to the body could achieve even one of those gifts that are awarded from God to those who remain in silence? And he also said: “If you are a layman, then engage in worldly goods. And if you are a monk, then decorate yourself with deeds that distinguish monks. If you intend to do both, you will lose both. The deeds of a monk are the following: freedom from the body, physical labor in prayer, and unceasing heartfelt remembrance of God. Judge for yourself whether you can be content with worldly virtues without these things!” Question. Can’t a monk who suffers in silence acquire two types of occupations, that is, think about God and have another concern in his heart? Answer. I think that someone who intends to spend time in silence, when he leaves everything and takes care of his own soul alone, will not be able to manage the matter of silence without deficiency, even if he places himself outside of everyday care, and even more so if he also takes care of another. The Lord left Himself in the world those who work for Him and care for His children and chose for Himself those who would serve only before Him. For it is not only among earthly kings that one can notice the difference in ranks and see that those who always stand before the king and participate in his mysteries are more glorious than those who are engaged in external affairs, but one can also see the same in the affairs of the Heavenly King, namely: what kind of boldness have acquired those whom their constant presence in prayer has made His interlocutors and mysteries, what riches they are worthy of, both heavenly and earthly, and to what extent they reveal their power over every creature, more than those who serve God with their property and worldly goods and please Him by doing good deeds, which is also very important and wonderful. Therefore, we should take as a model not the last ones, who are still insufficient in the works of God, but those ascetics and holy warriors who completed their lives beautifully, abandoned everything worldly and cultivated the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, once forever abandoned earthly things and stretched out their hands to the gates of heaven. How did the ancient saints, who paved the way for us to live this life, please God? Like the saints, John of Thebes, this treasure of virtues, this source of prophecy, did he please God by resting his brothers in their bodily needs inside his seclusion, or by prayer and silence? I do not argue that many of the first also pleased God, but they pleased those who were less pleased through prayer and the abandonment of everything. For from those who live in silence and are skilled in it, there is clearly some kind of help for their brethren. I understand that in times of need they help us with words or bring prayers for us. And what besides this (if remembrance or care for the sake of someone about everyday things sleeps in the hearts of those who remain silent), then this is not a matter of spiritual wisdom. For it is said not to those who are silent, but to those who live outside of silence: ...render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and the things that are God's to the Gods (Matthew 22:21), that is, to each his own, what is his neighbor's, his neighbor's, and what is God's, his. Those who live in the angelic order, that is, have care for the soul, are not commanded to please God with anything worldly, that is, to take care of handicrafts or take from one and give to another. Therefore, a monk should not have concern for anything that shakes and lowers his mind from standing before the face of God. If anyone, contradicting this, mentions the divine Paul the Apostle that he worked with his own hands and gave alms, then we will tell him that Paul alone could do everything; We don’t know that there was another Paul, capable of anything like him. For show me another such Paul, and I will believe you. Moreover, what happens according to God’s will, do not expose it to public affairs. For one thing is the work of the gospel and another is the work of silence. But if you intend to remain silent, be like the Cherubim, who do not care about anything worldly. And do not think that besides you and God there is anyone else on earth for whom you should take care, as you were taught by the former fathers before you. If someone does not harden his own heart, and does not forcefully hold back his mercy so as to become far from caring for everything below, both for the sake of God, and for the sake of anything in life, and does not remain in prayer alone at certain times, then he cannot be free from confusion and care and remain in silence. Therefore, when the thought comes to you to take care of something under the pretext of virtue and thereby disturb the silence that is in your heart, then say to that thought: “Beautiful is the path of love, wonderful is the work of mercy for the sake of God; but for God’s sake I don’t want this.” “Stop, father,” said one monk, “for God’s sake I’m hurrying after you.” And he answered: “And for God’s sake I am running from you.” Abba Arseny, for God’s sake, did not talk to anyone about spiritual benefits or anything else. The other, for the sake of God, spoke all day and received all the strangers who came, but instead he chose silence and silence, and for this reason, in the midst of the sea of ​​​​real life, he talked with the Divine Spirit, and in the greatest silence it sailed on the ship of silence, as the ascetics clearly saw this, inquiring about this from God. And here is the law of silence: to remain silent for everything. And if even in silence you find yourself filled with confusion and you confuse your body with handicrafts and your soul with caring for someone, then judge for yourself what kind of silence you spend then, caring for many, in order to please God? - For it is shameful to say that without abandoning everything, without removing ourselves from all care, we succeed in silent living. Glory to our God! Word 15. About the various differences in silence, about the power of the mind and about how much power the mind has to arouse its own movements during different types of prayer, what limit is given to prayer by nature itself, to what limit you have the power to pray with prayer, after transgressing what limit your prayer is no longer a prayer, although what you do is called prayer Glory to Him who poured out His gifts abundantly on people! He made those of flesh also serve Him in the rank of incorporeal natures, and He made earthly natures worthy to speak about such mysteries. Most importantly, when sinful people like us are unworthy to hear such verbs, He, by His grace, opened our hearts’ blindness to understanding them, from consideration of Scripture and the teachings of the great fathers. For, as a result of my own feat, I was not worthy of learning by experience even a thousandth part of what I wrote with my own hands, especially in this work, which I offer to excite and enlighten the souls of yours and all who read it, in the hope that perhaps they will perk up and, having desired this, begin to do it. Prayerful pleasure is another thing, and prayerful contemplation is another. The latter is superior to the former to the same extent that a perfect man is superior to an imperfect youth. Sometimes verses become sweet in the mouth, and the versification of one verse in prayer continues innumerably, not allowing one to move on to another verse; and the one who prays does not know satiety. Sometimes a certain contemplation is born from prayer, and it interrupts oral prayer, and the one praying in contemplation is amazed, his body numb. We call this state prayerful contemplation, and not a vision or image, or a dreamy phantom of something, as the foolish say. And again, in this prayerful contemplation there is a measure and difference of gifts; and this is still prayer: because the mind has not crossed over into a state where there is no longer prayer, into a state that is higher than prayer. For the movements of the tongue and heart in prayer are the keys; and what comes after this is already the entrance to the hidden chambers. Here let every mouth, every tongue be silent; May the heart, this ruler of thoughts, and the mind, this ruler of feelings, and thought, this fast-flying and shameless bird, be silent, and may all their tricks cease. Let those who seek stop here, because the Lord of the House has come. Word 16. On pure prayer Just as all the power of the laws and commandments that God has given to people, according to the word of the fathers, has its limit in purity of heart, so all kinds and types of prayer that people pray to God have their limit in pure prayer. For sighs, genuflections, heartfelt petitions, the sweetest cries, and all types of prayer, as I said, have a limit of pure prayer and only have the opportunity to reach out to it. And when prayerful and even internal purity has been achieved, then the mind, as soon as it crosses this limit, will no longer have the boldness to pray and the prayer movement, no crying, no power, no freedom, no petition, no lust, no pleasure in anything hoped for in this life or in the next century. And therefore, after pure prayer there is no other prayer. It is only to this limit that every prayerful movement and all types of prayer bring the mind to the power of freedom. That is why there is a feat in this prayer. And beyond this limit there will be amazement, and not prayer, because all prayer ceases, and a certain contemplation begins; and the mind does not pray through prayer. Every kind of prayer performed is performed through movements; but as soon as the mind enters into spiritual movements, there is no prayer there. Prayer is another thing, and contemplation in prayer is another, although prayer and contemplation borrow their origin from each other. Prayer is sowing, and contemplation is the gathering of handles 18, during which the reaper is amazed by the unspeakable vision of how from the small and bare grains he sowed such beautiful grains suddenly grew before him. And he remains in his own doing 19 without any movement, because every prayer performed is a supplication that contains either petition, or thanksgiving, or praise. Consider more carefully whether one of these types of prayer is asking for something when the mind crosses this limit and enters this area? For I ask about this one who knows the truth. But not everyone has this prudence, but only those who became spectators and servants of this matter or studied from such fathers, and from their lips learned the truth, and spent their lives in these and similar studies. Just as out of many thousands there is hardly one who has fulfilled the commandments and everything legal with a small deficiency and has achieved spiritual purity, so out of a thousand is there really one who, with great caution, has been vouchsafed to achieve pure prayer, to break this limit and receive this sacrament, because many could not be vouchsafed to pure prayer; very rare ones were honored; and the one who has achieved that sacrament, which is already behind this prayer, barely, by the grace of God, remains from generation to generation. Prayer is prayer and care for something and desire for something, such as deliverance from present or future temptations, or desire for the inheritance of the fathers, moreover, prayer by which a person acquires help from God. Prayer movements are limited to these movements. And the purity and impurity of prayer depend on the following: as soon as the mind is preparing to offer one of the movements we have mentioned, some extraneous thought or worry about something is mixed in with it, then this prayer is not called pure, because the mind was not brought from clean animals to the altar of the Lord, that is, to the heart, this spiritual altar of God. And if someone mentioned this, which the fathers called spiritual prayer, and, not understanding the power of the fathers’ sayings, said: “This prayer is within the limits of spiritual prayer,” then I think, if we understand this concept more precisely, it would be blasphemous to say to any creature that spiritual prayer is completely worshiped. For prayer that bows down is lower than spiritual. All spiritual prayer is free from movement. And if hardly anyone prays with pure prayer, then can we say anything about spiritual prayer? It was the custom of the holy fathers to give the name prayer to all good movements and spiritual deeds. And not only the fathers, but also everyone who is enlightened by knowledge, usually credits every wonderful work almost simultaneously with prayer. It is clear that prayer is another matter, and deeds are another. Sometimes this so-called spiritual prayer is called a path in one place, and knowledge in another, and sometimes a mental vision. Do you see how the fathers change the names of spiritual objects? For the exact meaning of the names is established by the objects here, and for the objects of the future century there is no genuine and true name, but there is one simple knowledge about them, which is higher than any name and any compound principle, image, color, outline and all compound names. Therefore, when spiritual knowledge ascends from the visible world, then the fathers use whatever names they want to designate it, since no one knows the exact names for it. But in order to confirm spiritual thoughts on this knowledge, they use names and parables, according to the saying of Saint Dionysius, who says that for the sake of feelings we use parables, syllables, decent names and sayings. When, by the action of the Spirit, the soul is moved towards the Divine, then both feelings and their activity are superfluous for us, just as the spiritual powers of the soul are superfluous when, by incomprehensible unity, it becomes similar to the Divine and in its movements is illuminated by a ray of higher light. Finally, believe, brother, that the mind has the ability to distinguish its movements only to the limit of pure prayer. How quickly he reaches there and does not return back or does not leave prayer - prayer then becomes, as it were, a mediator between mental and spiritual prayer. And when the mind is in motion, then it is in the soul realm; but as soon as one enters this area, prayer also ceases. For the saints in the age to come, when their minds are absorbed in the Spirit, do not pray in prayer, but are raised with amazement in the glory that rejoices them. This happens to us too. As soon as the mind is worthy of feeling the future bliss, it will forget both itself and everything here, and will no longer have any movement in itself towards anything. Therefore, someone dares to say with confidence that free will guides and sets in motion through the senses every virtue performed and every order of prayer, whether in the body or in thought, and even the mind itself - this king of passions. When the control and supervision of the Spirit dominates the mind - this steward of feelings and thoughts - then freedom is taken away from nature and it guides, but does not guide. And where will prayer then be, when nature is unable to have power over itself, but is guided by another force, does not know where and cannot make movements of thought about what it would like, but is mastered at that hour by the power that has captivated it and does not feel where it is being guided by it? Then a person will have no desire, even, according to the testimony of Scripture, he will not know whether he is in the body or apart from the body (2 Cor. 12:2). And will there be prayer in someone who is so captivated and unaware of himself? Therefore, let no one speak blasphemy and let no one dare to assert that one can pray spiritual prayer. Those who pray with arrogance, are ignorant of knowledge, and falsely talk about themselves, as if they pray spiritual prayer whenever they want, indulge in such insolence. But those who are humble and understand the matter agree to learn from the fathers and know the limits of nature, but do not allow themselves to indulge in such daring thoughts. Question. Why is this unspoken grace, if it is not prayer, given the name prayer? Answer. The reason for this, as we affirm, is that this grace is given to the worthy during prayer and has its beginning in prayer, since, according to the testimony of the fathers, except at such times, there is no place for the visitation of this glorious grace. The name prayer is given to this because from prayer the mind is guided to this bliss and because prayer is the cause of it; at other times it does not take place, as the patristic writings show. For we know that many saints, as it is related in their lives, stood in prayer and were admired for their intelligence. But if anyone asks why at this time only these great and indescribable gifts occur, then we answer: because at this time, more than at any other time, a person is collected into himself and is prepared to listen to God, desires and expects mercy from Him. In short, this is the time of standing at the royal gates to beg the king; and it is fitting that the request of the one who begs and calls at this time be fulfilled. For is there any other time at which a person would be so prepared and watch himself so much, except the time when he begins to pray? Or, perhaps, it is more decent to receive something like that while he is sleeping, or working, or when his mind is disturbed? For the saints, although they do not have idle time, because they are busy with spiritual things every hour, nevertheless there are times with them when they are not ready for prayer. For they often engage in either thinking about something encountered in life, or looking at creatures, or in other things that are truly useful. But during prayer, the contemplation of the mind is directed towards the one God and directs all its movements towards Him; it brings prayers to Him from the heart, with zeal and unceasing fervor. And therefore, at this time, when the soul has only one care, it is fitting for Divine favor to flow. And so we see that when the priest gets ready, stands in prayer, propitiating God, praying and gathering his mind together, then the Holy Spirit descends on the bread and wine offered on the altar. And an angel appeared to Zechariah during prayer and announced the birth of John. And Peter, when he was praying in the upper room during the sixth hour, a vision appeared, guiding him to the calling of the pagans by the shroud that came down from heaven and the animals imprisoned in it. And an angel appeared to Cornelius while he was praying and told him what was written about him. And God also spoke to Joshua the son of Nun when he bowed his face in prayer. And from the purgatory that was above the ark, from where the priest was given secret instruction from God in visions about everything that he should have known, at the very time when the bishop, once a year, at the terrible time of prayer, at the gathering of all the tribes of the children of Israel, standing in prayer in the outer tabernacle, entered the Holy of Holies and prostrated himself on his face - he heard God’s words in a terrible and unutterable vision. Oh, how terrible is this sacrament, which was served by this bishop! Likewise, all visions of saints happen during prayer. For what other time is so holy and in its holiness so fitting for the reception of gifts, as the time of prayer, during which a person converses with God? At this time, during which prayers and supplications are made before God and conversation with Him, a person, with effort from everywhere, gathers together all his movements and thoughts and is immersed in thought in one God, and his heart is filled with God; and therefore he understands the incomprehensible. For the Holy Spirit, according to each person’s strength, acts in him, and acts, borrowing the reason for action from the very thing for which one prays; so that by attentiveness the prayer is deprived of movement, and the mind is amazed and absorbed in amazement, and forgets about the desire of its own petition, and its movements are plunged into deep ecstasy, and it is not in this world. And then there will be no difference between soul and body, no remembrance of anything, as the divine and great Gregory said: “Prayer is purity of mind, which alone, in the amazement of a person, is given from the light of the Holy Trinity.” Do you see how prayer is given to those who are amazed when they understand what is born from it in the mind, according to what I said at the beginning of this scripture and in many other places? And yet, the same Gregory says: “Purity of mind is the soaring of the mental. She is likened to a heavenly flower; during prayer, the light of the Holy Trinity shines in her.” Question. When will anyone be worthy of all this grace? Answer. It is said: during prayer. When the mind puts off the old man and puts on the new, grace-filled man, then it will see its purity, like the flower of heaven, which the elders of the children of Israel called the place of God (Ex. 24:10), when God appeared to them on the mountain. Therefore, as I said, this gift and this grace should not be called spiritual prayer, but the product of pure prayer, sent down by the Holy Spirit. Then the mind is there - above prayer, and with the acquisition of something better, prayer is abandoned. And then the mind does not pray with prayer, but is in admiration, at the contemplation of the incomprehensible - that which is beyond the boundaries of the mortal world, and falls silent in the ignorance of everything here. This ignorance is called the highest knowledge. About this ignorance it is said: blessed is he who has comprehended ignorance, inseparable from prayer, which may we also be worthy of, by the grace of the Only Begotten Son of God. To Him is due all glory, honor and worship, now and always, and forever and ever! Amen. Word 17. On the assumption of the soul seeking deep contemplation in order to immerse itself in it from carnal thoughts excited by the remembrance of things Everything that is higher than another is hidden from that of which it is higher; and this is not because another body serves him by nature as a kind of veil, so that it can reveal his hiddenness. Every intelligible entity does not borrow from outside itself that which constitutes its own difference; on the contrary, this difference is determined within its movements, that is, it can directly proceed to the reception of the first light, in greater clarity, or like another rank, which obviously differs not in place, but in the purity of acceptance and advantage, or in accordance with the mental measure in the strength of the reception of heavenly signals and forces. Every intelligible essence is hidden for the essence that is lower than it; they are hidden from one another not by nature, but by the movements of virtues; and I say this about holy powers, about spiritual ranks and about demons. The first from the middle and the middle from the third are hidden both by nature, and by place, and by movements. The essences of each rank, both for themselves, and one for another in the same rank, whether they are visible or invisible, are hidden according to knowledge; and from beings of the lower rank - by nature, because the vision of incorporeal beings is not outside of them, like that of corporeal beings, but to see each other means that both the virtues and the measure of movements are within the movements of the beings visible to them. Therefore, if they are worthy in equal share, then although they are distant from each other, they do not see each other dreamily, but in undeceitful vision, in true nature, except for the Cause of all, Who, as the only venerable one, is above this difference. Demons, although extremely unclean, are not hidden from each other in their ranks, but do not see the two ranks that are higher than them, because spiritual vision is the light of movement, and this very thing serves as both a mirror and an eye for them. And as soon as the movements become darkened, the beings do not see the higher ranks. In their own rank they see each other, since they are richer than the spiritual ranks. And this takes place in the reasoning of demons. Souls, while defiled and darkened, cannot see either each other or themselves; and if they purify themselves and return to the ancient state in which they were created, then they will clearly see these three ranks, that is, their lower rank, their highest rank, and each other in their rank. And not because they will change into a bodily form, then they will see either Angels, or demons, or each other; on the contrary, they will see in nature itself and in the spiritual order. And if you say that it is impossible for a demon or an Angel to be visible unless they change and take on a visible image, then this will mean that it is not the soul that sees, but the body. But in that case, what is the need for purification? For demons, as well as angels, also appear to unclean people from time to time; however, when they see, they see with their bodily eyes, and there is no need for purification here. But this is not what happens to a soul that has achieved purity; on the contrary, she sees spiritually, with a natural eye, that is, with a perceptive or rational eye. And do not be surprised that souls see one another, even while in the body. For I present to you a clear proof, testifying to the truth, I mean the blessed Athanasius the Great, who in his essay on Anthony the Great says: The Great Anthony, standing one day in prayer, saw someone’s soul lifted up with great honor, and blessed him who was worthy of such glory; This blessed one was Ammun from Nitria, and the mountain on which Saint Anthony lived was thirteen days' journey from Nitria. This example of the three orders mentioned above has already proven that spiritual natures see one another, although they are distant from one another, and that distance and bodily feelings do not prevent them from seeing each other. And similarly, souls, when they achieve purity, see not physically, but spiritually; because bodily vision occurs openly, and sees what is before the eyes, but distant vision requires a different vision. Many high ranks in existence are innumerable and are named by distinction and rank. For why are they called Principalities, Powers, Powers? They are called dominions, perhaps, as distinguished by honor. And they are fewer in number than those subordinate to them, as Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Athens said, but they are greater in power and knowledge, and are most honored in the greatness of their ranks. For they extend from rank to rank until they reach the unity of that which is greater and mightier than all – the Head and foundation of all creation. I call the head not the Creator, but the one who precedes the miracles of God’s works. For many are below the providence of the wisdom of God, theirs and our Creator, and as many below as those who are under them are below themselves. I call them lower, meaning height and baseness not in place, but in strength and knowledge, in accordance with the measure that they acquire in comparison with subsequent, greater or lesser knowledge. For the Divine Scripture called all these spiritual entities by nine spiritual names and divided them into three degrees; and divides the first into great, high and most holy Thrones, many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim; the second degree - for Dominance, Strength and Authority, and the third - for the Beginnings, Archangels and Angels. These ranks are interpreted from the Hebrew: Seraphim - warming and burning; Cherubim - abundant in knowledge and wisdom; Thrones are God’s support and God’s peace; and these ranks are named by these names according to their actions. The Thrones are named as venerable, Dominions as having power over every kingdom, Principalities as those who organize the ether, Powers as those who rule over nations and over every person, Powers as strong in strength and terrible in their vision, Seraphim as sanctifying, Cherubim as bearers, Archangels as vigilant guardians, Angels as sent. On the first day nine spiritual natures were created in silence and one nature in words; and this is light. On the second day the firmament was created. On the third day God brought together the waters and the vegetation of the grain; in the fourth - separation of light; in the fifth - birds, reptiles and fish; in the sixth - animals and humans. The structure of the whole world is longitude and latitude; beginning - east; end - west; right side - north; left - south. God set the whole earth as a bed; the highest heaven is like skin and vault and cube; the second heaven, like a wheel, is adjacent to the first heaven, and that by which heaven and earth are adjacent to each other; the ocean is like a belt surrounding heaven and earth, and inside it are high mountains, reaching to the sky, and behind the mountains the sun so that it passes there throughout the whole night, and among these mountains there is a great sea, which occupies about half and a quarter of the entire land. To our God be the glory! Word 18. About the vision of the nature of the disembodied, in questions and answers Question. In what ways and with what differences does human nature accept the vision of incorporeal things? Answer. Comprehension of any simple and subtle nature of spiritual bodies 20 falls under the sense of human nature in three different forms: either in the plumpness of the hypostasis (the represented object) - essentially, or in the subtlety of the hypostasis - immaterially, or in true contemplation, which is essential contemplation. In the first case, feelings have power; in the second, the soul sees in detail; in the third, the power of the nature of understanding operates. In all these cases, will and understanding have power. And as for the will and spiritual pleasure, to which the will agrees, it is, first of all, the cause. And this is the essence of the generation of will; although, in times of need, the will and the will are at rest as long as the action (vision) takes place and continues there, and as long as it represents only and remains without an accepting will and true knowledge, because the senses are capable of accepting all contingencies without the participation of the will. These three images serve as the holy Powers, in communication with us, to teach us and to organize our lives. Unclean demons, when they approach us for our destruction and not for our benefit, can only activate two methods in us; They cannot approach us, to seduce us, in a third way, because demons do not at all have the power to set in motion the natural thoughts of the mind in us. For it is impossible for the sons of darkness to approach the light. But the holy Angels have this, that is, they can both set in motion and enlighten thoughts; whereas demons are the rulers and creators of false thoughts - the offspring of darkness, because light is received from those who are luminous, and darkness is received from those who are darkened. Question. What is the reason that it is given to those and not to those? Answer. Every teacher first examines, studies, accepts, tastes the information he teaches, and then can offer it to the students. The first teachers convey accurate knowledge of things from their own sound knowledge; and these are those who, at the very beginning, can embrace everything in the quick imagination of the most insightful and pure mind. Demons have speed, but not light. Insight is another matter, and light is another. The first without the second leads to the destruction of the one who possesses it. The second shows the truth, and the first is a ghost of the truth, because light shows the reality of things, and increases and decreases in proportion to the way of life. The Holy Angels, from their own knowledge, pour into us knowledge of the movement of things; What they themselves first tasted and what they imagined with their minds is then passed on to us. And the second teachers, as they teach, arouse in us ideas about the movement of things; because otherwise, about what they themselves did not abide in, it will be necessary for them to arouse right thoughts in us. However, be sure, as I have already said, that even if we could accept, they are not able to teach us true contemplation, although at the beginning they had it. And again, each of them excites those taught to this or that, in accordance with God's vision, which governs them. And I recognize it as true that our mind, even without the mediation of the holy Angels, can by itself and without learning to be aroused to good, although the knowledge of evil without the mediation of demons does not accept the senses, and is not set in motion by evil, and the mind cannot by itself do evil. For good is implanted in nature, but evil is not. However, everything alien and coming from outside, in order to receive knowledge about it, needs some kind of mediator. Meanwhile, everything that grows inside penetrates to some extent into nature even without teaching. And if the property of nature is such that it is spontaneously aroused to good, then its growth and luminosity are possible even without contemplation of Angels. However, they are our teachers, as well as teachers to each other. The lower ones learn from those who follow them and have more light; and thus, one learns from another, gradually ascending to that unit which has the Holy Trinity as its teacher. And again the very first order affirmatively says that it does not learn by itself, but has as a teacher the mediator Jesus, from Whom it receives and passes on to those below. I reason that our mind has a natural power to strive for Divine contemplation, and with one desire 21 we are equal to all heavenly natures, since grace operates in us and in them. But by nature, both by the human and angelic mind, the contemplation of the Divine is extraordinary, because this contemplation is not ranked among other contemplations. In all rational beings, both first and middle, contemplation of all things, both heavenly and earthly, occurs not by nature, but by grace; and it was not nature that comprehended this like other things. Intelligent contemplation of the order of heavenly beings and vision, before the coming of Christ in the flesh, were not so accessible to them to penetrate into these mysteries. But when the Word became incarnate, a door was opened for them in Jesus, as the Apostle says (2 Cor. 2:12). And if we had become immaculate and pure, then I reason (and this is indeed the case) that for us, humans, our thoughts, without the mediation of heavenly beings, could not approach revelations and knowledge leading to that eternal contemplation, which truly is the revelation of mysteries, because our mind lacks such power as the heavenly beings have, which receive revelations and contemplation directly from Eternal. For they also receive in image, and not without covering; and like them our mind accepts them. For each rank receives through transmission from another rank, observing strict order and distinction in communication from the first rank to the second, until the secret passes in this way to all ranks. But many of the mysteries stop at the first rank and do not extend to other ranks, because, except for this first rank, all the others cannot contain the greatness of the mystery. And some of the mysteries, proceeding from the first rank, are revealed to the second rank and are preserved in silence by them, but other ranks have not comprehended them; and some mysteries reach the third and fourth orders. And also in revelations visible to the holy Angels, there is an increase and decrease. And if this happens with them, then how much more can we accept such mysteries without them and without their mediation? On the contrary, from them this happens that in the minds of saints there is a feeling of the revelation of some secret. And just as quickly God allowed revelation to be transmitted from a higher rank and then a lower one to another rank, then just as quickly God’s wave allowed something to reach human nature, it reaches people who are worthy of everything. For through the heavenly ranks the saints receive the light of contemplation even to the glorious Ever-present - this unstudied mystery, but they themselves receive from each other, because the essence of the service souls is sent to those who are ready to become heirs of life (cf. Heb. 1:14). But in the next century such an order will be abolished, because not one will then receive the revelation of the glory of God from another to the glorification and joy of his soul; but to each, according to his valor, what immediately follows him will be given by the Master according to his dignity, and he will not receive the gift from another, as here. For there is neither one who teaches, nor one who is taught, nor one who has need for another to fill his lack. There is one Giver, who directly gives to those who are able to receive, and from Him those who acquire receive heavenly joy. There the ranks of teachers and students will cease, and all desires will be concentrated in the One. I say that those tormented in Gehenna are struck by the scourge of love. And how bitter and cruel is this torment of love! For those who feel that they have sinned against love endure torment greater than any torment that brings fear; The sadness that strikes the heart for sin against love is more stinging than any possible punishment. It is inappropriate for a person to think that sinners in Gehenna are deprived of God’s love. Love is a product of the knowledge of truth, which (as everyone agrees) is given to everyone in general. But love, with its power, acts in two ways: it torments sinners, as here it happens to a friend to suffer from a friend, and it brings joy to those who keep their duty. And so, in my opinion, this is the torment of Gehenna - it is repentance. Love intoxicates the souls of the sons of heaven with its joys. Question. Someone was asked: when will a person know that he has received remission of his sins? Answer. And the person asked answered: when he feels in his soul that he has completely, with all his heart, hated sins, and when he clearly gives himself a direction opposite to the previous one. Such a one hopes that he has received from God remission of sins, as having already hated sin through the testimony of his conscience, which he acquired in himself according to the apostolic word (see: Rom. 2:15): an uncondemned conscience is its own witness. May we also be worthy to receive remission of our sins through the grace and love of mankind of the Beginning Father with the Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Homily 19. A sample of speculation about Sunday and Saturday; their inflow value Resurrection Day is unacceptable to us while we are with flesh and blood, the mystery of knowing the truth, and it surpasses thoughts. In this age there is no eighth day, no Sabbath in the true sense. For he who said: ...God rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2) meant rest after completing the course of this life, because the tomb is a body, and it is from the world. Six days are spent making life the keeping of the commandments; The seventh day is spent entirely in the tomb, and the eighth day is spent leaving the tomb. Just as those honored in the parable here accept the mysteries of Sunday, and not the day itself in its essence, so the ascetics in the parable accept the mysteries of the Sabbath, but not in reality the Sabbath itself, which is rest from all sorrow and complete repose from worries. For God gave us here a mystery, and not true reality, to arrange. The true and incomparable Sabbath is the tomb, showing and signifying perfect repose from sorrows, from passions and from activities that oppose peace. Humanity, both soul and body, sabbaths there. In six days, God put the entire composition of this world in order, arranged the elements, gave their composition over to the ever-moving movement for service, and they will not stop flowing until their destruction. It was by their power, that is, by the power of the primeval elements, that He formed our bodies. But he did not give rest to the elements in their movement, nor to our bodies, which came from the elements, rest from doing. He set a limit for rest from work in us, while our bodies will follow their first affinity, and this is permission from this life. So he said to Adam: By the sweat of your brow, eat your bread. And how long will this last? - ... Until you returned to the land from which you were taken, and which will grow for you thorns and thistles (cf.: Gen. 3:18,19). These are the secrets of doing this life while you live! But from that night on which the Lord shed sweat, He exchanged the sweat that brought forth thorns and thistles for sweat shed in prayer and together in doing righteousness. For five thousand and five hundred-odd years God left Adam to work on earth, because until then the way had not appeared to the saints, as the divine Apostle says (Heb. 9:8). In the last days he came and commanded freedom to replace one sweat with another, and allowed not a rest from everything, but a change of everything; because, for the duration of our suffering on earth, He showed us His love for mankind. Therefore, if we stop shedding sweat on the earth, then of necessity we will reap thorns. For by the same necessity, abandoning prayer means planting the earth, which naturally produces thorns. Indeed, passions are thorns, and they grow in us from being sown into the body (see: Gal.6:8). While we carry the image of Adam, we must also carry Adam’s passions within us. For it is impossible for the earth not to grow the vegetation inherent in its nature. The product of her nature is the earth of our bodies, as God’s testimony says: the earth from which you were taken (Gen. 3:19). That land produces thorns, and this intelligent land produces passions. If the Lord was an image for us in everything, in the sacrament, in all the various actions of His Household, and even until the ninth hour the heel did not cease from work and labor (and this is the secret of our work for a whole life), and on Saturday he rested in the tomb, then where are those who claim that there is still a Sabbath in life, that is, rest from passions? It is high for us to talk about Sunday. Our Saturday is the day of burial. There our nature truly sabbaths. Every day, as long as the earth stands, we must pluck thorns out of it. Over the course of our work alone, these thorns become scarce, because the earth is not completely cleared of them. And if this is so, and with temporary laziness or a little negligence, thorns multiply and cover the face of the earth, suppress what you sow, and turn your labor into nothing, then every day we must cleanse the earth, because the cessation of cleansing increases the multitude of thorns, from which may we be cleansed by the grace of the Consubstantial and Only Begotten Son of God! Glory to Him with the Beginningless Father and the Life-giving Spirit forever! Amen. Homily 20. Daily remembrance of what is most necessary and what is very useful for someone who stays in his cell and decides to be attentive to only himself One of the brethren wrote and always put it before him, reminded himself and said: “You have lived out your life unreasonably, a disgraced man and worthy of all evil; Beware, though, of this day that remains from your days, which passed in vain without good deeds and were enriched by evil deeds. Do not ask about the world, nor about its behavior, nor about the monks, nor about their deeds, nor about how they live, how great their work is, do not worry about anything like that. You mysteriously came out of the world and are counted as dead in Christ; Live no more in the world and in the things that are in the world, so that rest may precede you, and you will be alive in Christ. Be prepared and armed with patience against all reproach, all insult, ridicule and reproach from everyone. And accept all this with joy, as truly worthy of it, endure with gratitude every labor, and every sorrow, and every misfortune from the demons, whose will you carried out, courageously endure every need, and what happens naturally, and all sorrows. In trusting in God, endure deprivation of what is necessary for the body and soon turns into pus. Desire to accept all this in hope of God, without expecting deliverance or anyone else’s consolation from anywhere else. Cast your sorrow upon the Lord (Ps. 54:23) and in all your temptations condemn yourself as guilty of all this. Do not be tempted by anything and do not reproach anyone who insults you, because you have also eaten from the forbidden tree, and you have acquired various passions. Accept sorrows with joy, let them make you shudder; but later you will feel pleasure. Woe to you and your stinking glory! You left your soul, which was filled with all sin, as uncondemned, but you condemned others in word and thought. Enough, enough decent food for you for these pigs, which you still eat. What do you have in common with people, you nasty one, and you are not ashamed to remain in their company, spending your life so unreasonably? If you pay attention to this and preserve all this, perhaps you will be saved, with the assistance of God. Otherwise, you will go to a dark country and to the village of demons, whose will you carried out with a shameless face. I have testified to you about all this. If God righteously incites people to repay you for the insults and reproaches that you held in your thoughts and uttered against them all the time of your life, then the whole world will have no peace from you. Finally, stop from now on, and endure everything that will be rewarded to you.” The brother reminded himself of all this every day, so that when temptations or sorrow come to him, he would be able to endure it with gratitude and benefit for himself. Oh, if only we could endure the disasters that befall us with gratitude and benefit from them, by the grace of God, the Lover of Mankind! To him be glory and power forever! Amen. Word 21. About various subjects. In questions and answers Question. By what ties is the human heart bound so that it does not strive for evil? Answer. Those who constantly follow wisdom and abound in the teachings of life. For there are no other bonds so strong as to restrain the disorder of thought. Question. Where is the limit of aspiration for a follower of wisdom, and how is this learning accomplished? Answer. It is truly impossible to reach this limit in your march; because even the saints did not reach perfection in this. The path of wisdom has no end; she moves higher and higher until she unites her follower with God. This is its sign that its comprehension is limitless, because Wisdom is God Himself. Question. What is the first path that brings us closer to wisdom, and what is its beginning? Answer. It is to strive with all your might to follow the wisdom of God and in this striving to work zealously with all your soul until the very end of life, even out of love for God, not to neglect and, if necessary, to become distracted by life itself and reject it from yourself. Question. Who deserves to be called meaningful? Answer. The one who truly understood that there is a limit to this life. He can put a limit to his sins. For what knowledge or understanding is higher than this - for a person to manage to emerge from this life in uncorruption, not having a single part defiled by the stench of lust, and not having any defilement in the soul left by the sweetness of lust. For if a person refines his thoughts in order to penetrate into the secrets of all natures, and is enriched by discoveries and knowledge in all knowledge, but his soul is defiled by sinful filth and he has not acquired evidence of the hope of his soul, but nevertheless thinks that he has happily entered the harbor of hope, then there is no more unreasonable person in the world than him, because his deeds, in his continuous striving for peace, have brought him only to worldly hope. Question. Who is truly the strongest? Answer. He who is content in temporary sorrows, in which the life and glory of his victory are hidden, did not desire the breadth in which the stench of shame is hidden and which at all times gives drink to the one who finds it from the cup of sighing. Question. What harm is there in the procession to God if someone, due to temptation, deviates from good deeds? Answer. It is impossible to approach God without sorrow; without it, human righteousness does not remain unchanged. And if a person interrupts the deeds that increase righteousness, then he also interrupts the deeds that protect it. And he becomes like an unguarded treasure and a fighter from whom his weapons were taken away when the regiments of his enemies surrounded him, and a ship that does not have its rigging, and a garden that is no longer watered by a source of water. Question. Who is enlightened in their concepts? Answer. He who knew how to find the bitterness hidden in the sweetness of the world, forbade his lips to drink from this cup, always seeks how to save his soul, does not stop in his quest until he renounces this world, and locks the doors of his feelings so that commitment to this life does not enter him and steal his secret treasures. Question. What is peace? How do we recognize him, and how much harm does he do to his lovers? Answer. The world is a harlot, who attracts those who look at her with lust for beauty into love for herself. And whoever, at least partially, has prevailed in love for the world, whoever is entangled in it, cannot get out of its hands until the world takes his life. And when the world strips a person of everything and carries him out of his house on the day of death, then the person will know that the world is truly a flatterer and a deceiver. When someone strives to come out of the darkness of this world, while he is still hidden in it, he will not be able to see his ways. And thus the world retains within itself not only its disciples and children and those who are bound by it, but also those who are not covetous, ascetics, those who have broken its bonds and, in a word, have become higher than it. So in various ways he begins to entrap them in his deeds, throws them under his feet and tramples them underfoot. Question. What should we do with the body when illness and heaviness surround it, and with it the will becomes weak in wishing good and in its first strength? Answer. It often happens to others that one half of them followed the Lord, and the other half remained in the world, and their hearts did not renounce this world, but they were divided within themselves, and sometimes look forward, and sometimes look back. And I think that the Wise One gives advice to those who are divided in themselves and approaching the path of God, saying: ... do not approach Him with a divided heart (Sir. 1:28), but approach as one who sows and as one who reaps. And the Lord, knowing that these, who do not completely renounce the world, but are divided in themselves, under the pretext of fear and sorrow, in mind, or, more accurately, in thought, are turning back, because they have not yet rejected carnal lust, and wanting to overthrow from them this relaxation of the mind, he spoke to them a certain word: ... whoever wants to walk after Me must first deny himself, etc. ( Matthew 16:24). Question. What does it mean to deny yourself? Answer. Just as someone who is preparing to ascend to the cross has one thought about death in his mind and thus ascends to the cross, just as a person who does not think that he will again have a part in the life of this century, so does he who wants to fulfill what has been said. For the cross is the will, ready for any sorrow. And the Lord, when he wanted to teach why this is so, said: whoever wants to live in this world will destroy himself for the true life; and whoever destroys himself here for My sake will find himself there (Matthew 10:39), that is, he who walks the path of the cross and establishes his feet on it will find himself. If anyone cares about this life again, then he has deprived himself of the hope for which he went out into trouble. For this care does not allow him to approach sorrow for the sake of God, and by the very fact that he indulges in this care, it gradually draws him away and takes him away from the midst of asceticism for the sake of a blessed life, and this thought grows in him until it overcomes him. And whoever in his mind destroys his soul for My sake, out of love for Me, will be preserved blameless and unharmed into eternal life. This means what was said: ...whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matthew 10:39). Here you yourself prepare your soul for complete destruction for this life. And if you destroy yourself for this life, then the Lord will say in the same sense: ... I will give you eternal life, as I promised you (John 10:28). If you remain in this life, then here by the very deed I will show you My promise and proof of future blessings. And then you will gain eternal life when you neglect this life. And when you set out for heroic deeds in this armor, then in your eyes everything considered difficult and sorrowful will become worthy of contempt. For when the mind is armed in this way, then there is no struggle or sorrow for it during mortal danger. Therefore, one must know exactly that if a person does not hate his life in the world, because of the desire for the future and blessed life, then he cannot fully endure all kinds of sorrows and labors that befall him every hour. Question. How does a person leave his previous habit and become accustomed to shortcomings and achievements in life? Answer. The body does not agree to live without satisfying its needs while it is surrounded by what serves for luxury and relaxation; and the mind cannot keep it from doing this until this body is removed from everything that produces relaxation. For when the spectacle of luxury and vanity is open to him and every almost hour he sees something that leads to relaxation, then a fiery desire for this awakens in him and, as if inciting it, irritates him. Therefore, the Redeemer Lord very well commanded those who pledged to follow Him to be naked and come out of the world (see: Matt. 19:21), because a person must first reject everything that serves to relax, and then get down to business. And the Lord Himself, when he began the battle with the devil, waged it in the driest desert. And Paul advises those who accept the cross of Christ to leave the city. Let us come to Him, he says, outside the city, and accept His reproach (see: Heb. 13:13), because He suffered outside the city. For, as soon as a person separates himself from the world and from everything in the world, he immediately forgets his former habit and his former way of life and does not engage in this for a long time. And as he approaches the world and worldly things, the strength of his mind soon weakens. Therefore, one must know what is especially helpful and leads to success in this salvific and ascetic struggle. So, it is suitable and helpful in this struggle for the monastic cell to be in a meager and insufficient state, so that the monk’s cell is empty and does not contain anything that arouses in him the desire for peace. For when relaxing causes are removed from a person, there is no danger for him in a double battle - internal and external. And thus, a person who has something that serves him for pleasure at a distance, easily wins in comparison with someone who has something nearby that excites him to lust. For this is a great feat. When a person lacks what is necessary for the construction of his home, then his needs become conveniently neglected, and even in the necessary time of moderate satisfaction of his needs, he does not look at this with lust and does not please the body in any small way, but looks at it as something conveniently neglected, and approaches food not by its sweetness, but in order to help and strengthen nature. Such impulses soon bring a person to the point where he sets about the feat with a non-sorrowful and carefree thought. So, it is appropriate for a zealous monk to run quickly, without turning back, from everything that is at war with the monk, not to enter into communication with those who are fighting with him, but to refrain from even looking at them and, as much as possible, move away from their approach. And I say this not only about the womb, but also about everything that leads into temptation and battle, with which the monk’s freedom is tempted and tested. For a person, when he comes to God, makes a covenant with God to abstain from all this, namely: not to look at a woman’s face, not to look at beautiful faces, not to lust for anything, not to be luxurious, not to look at elegant clothes, not to look at any order established by the laity, not to listen to their words and not to be curious about them, because passions acquire greater strength from drawing closer to everything like this, as it weakens the ascetic and changes thoughts his and intentions. And if the view of something good excites the will of a true zealot and inclines him to do good, then it is clear that the opposite of this also has the power to enslave the mind. And if nothing more happens to a silent mind, but only plunges itself into a violent feat, then this is already a great loss - to arbitrarily plunge oneself from a peaceful state into a troubled one. And if one of the elders-ascetics, experienced in the struggle, saw a young man who had no beard and looked like a woman, considered this harmful to his thoughts and disastrous for his feat, then can anyone be remiss in anything else when this saint did not dare to enter and kiss his brother? The wise old man reasoned: “If I think just this night that there is something like this here, then this too will be a great harm to me.” That is why he did not enter and said to them: “I am not afraid, child; However, why should I want to in vain criticize myself? The memory of something like this produces useless confusion in the mind. In every member of this body there is a bait hidden, a person faces a great battle from this, and he must protect himself and ease the battle that threatens him by fleeing from it; and as soon as something like this approaches, a person, although he forces himself to do good, is nevertheless in danger, always seeing it and desiring it.” In the earth we see many hidden medicines, and in the summer, due to the heat, no one knows them; when they are hydrated and feel the power of the cool air, then it turns out where each medicine was buried in the ground. So a person, when he is in the grace of silence and in the warmth of abstinence, then he really is at peace from many passions; if he enters into worldly affairs, then he sees how every passion rises up, lifts its head, especially if it feels the stench of peace. I said this so that no one would indulge in arrogance while he lives in this body and until he dies; I also wanted to show that running away and moving away from everything that leads to a vicious life helps a person a lot in the ascetic struggle. We should always be afraid of what one memory causes us shame, and also not trample on our conscience or neglect it. Finally, we will try to remove the body into the desert for a while and force it to acquire patience. And what is most important, let everyone (even if it was regrettable for him, he will no longer have anything to fear) try, wherever he is, to move away from what is the cause of war, so that when the need comes, he will not fall from the proximity of the one who satisfies the need. Question. Whoever has cast aside all entertainment and embarked on a feat, what is the beginning of his battle with sin and how does he begin the fight? Answer. Everyone knows that every struggle against sin and lust begins with the work of vigil and fasting, especially if someone is struggling with the sin that resides within us. This is seen as a sign of hatred of sin and its lust in those leading this invisible war; They begin with fasting, and after it a night vigil contributes to the feat. Whoever loves conversation with this couple throughout his entire life becomes a friend of chastity. Just as the beginning of all evil is the repose of the belly and the relaxation of oneself by sleep, which kindles lust, so the holy path of God and the foundation of all virtues is fasting, vigil, wakefulness in the service of God, in crucifying the body all day and all night, in contrast to the sweetness of sleep. Fasting is the protection of all virtue, the beginning of struggle, the crown of abstinence, the beauty of virginity and holiness, the lordship of chastity, the beginning of the Christian path, the mother of prayer, the source of chastity and prudence, the teacher of silence, the predecessor of all good deeds. Just as healthy eyes are characterized by a desire for light, so a fast observed with prudence is characterized by a desire for prayer. As soon as someone begins to fast, from that time on his mind desires to come to a desire for conversation with God. For a fasting body does not tolerate sleeping the whole night on its bed. When the seal of fasting is placed on a person’s lips, then his thoughts are taught in tenderness, his heart exudes prayer, there is sadness on his face, and shameful thoughts are far from him, joy is not visible in his eyes, he is the enemy of lusts and vain conversations. No one has ever seen a prudent faster become a slave to evil lust. Fasting with prudence is a vast abode for all good things. But whoever neglects fasting causes everything that is good to be shaken; because fasting was a commandment, initially given to our nature as a precaution when eating food, and by breaking the fast the beginning of our creation fell. But what was the first humiliation, from that the ascetics begin to excel in the fear of God, as soon as they begin to keep the law of God. This is where the Savior began when he appeared to the world on the Jordan. For after Baptism the Spirit led Him into the desert, and He fasted there for forty days and forty nights. Likewise, all those who follow the Savior on this basis affirm the beginning of their feat, because fasting is a weapon prepared by God. And who, if he neglects him, will not be reproached for this? If the Lawgiver himself fasts, how can anyone who keeps the law not fast? Therefore, before fasting, the human race did not know victory, and the devil never experienced his defeat from our nature, but from this weapon he was exhausted at the very beginning. And our Lord was the leader and firstborn of this victory, in order to place the first victorious crown on the head of our nature. And as soon as the devil sees this weapon on one of the people, this enemy and tormentor immediately comes into fear, immediately thinks and remembers his defeat in the desert by the Savior, and his strength is crushed, and the sight of the weapon given to us by our Leader burns him. What weapon is stronger than this? and what gives so much courage to the heart in the fight against the spirits of evil as greed for Christ? For to the extent that the body is tormented and suffers while a demonic army surrounds a person, to that extent the heart is filled with hope. He who is clothed in the weapon of fasting is at all times inflamed with jealousy. For even the zealot Elijah, when he became zealous for the law of God, remained in this matter - in fasting. Fasting reminds the one who has acquired it the commandments of the Spirit. He is the mediator of the old law and the grace given to us by Christ. He who is negligent about fasting is also weakened in other exploits, negligent, weak, thereby showing the beginning and a bad sign of relaxation of his soul and giving the one who fights with him an opportunity for victory, because he goes out naked and unarmed to the feat, and therefore it is obvious that he will come out of the fight without victory, because his members were not clothed in the warmth of greed in fasting. This is the post. Whoever abides in it has an unshakable mind and is ready to meet and repel all fierce passions. They say about many martyrs that on the day on which they expected to receive the crown of martyrdom, if they knew about it either by revelation or by information from one of their friends, they ate nothing all night, but from evening until morning they stood watchfully in prayer, glorifying God in psalms, songs and spiritual songs, with joy and joy they awaited that hour, like others who had prepared for marriage, so that in fasting meet the sword. Therefore, we, too, who have been called to invisible martyrdom in order to receive the crowns of holiness, will be sober, and let not a single member or part of our body be given a sign of renunciation to our enemies. Question. Why often do others, and even many, even having these things, do not feel silence, and calming of passions, and peace of thoughts? Answer. The passions hidden in the soul are not corrected, brother, only by bodily labor; they do not even hold back thoughts about what is always awakened by feelings. These works protect a person from desires, so as not to be overcome by them, and from demonic seduction, but they do not bring peace and silence to the soul. For deeds and labors then bring dispassion to the soul, mortify the evils of the earth (Col. 3:5), and give peace to thoughts, when we partake of silence, when confusion ceases in external feelings and they remain for some time in the practice of wisdom. And until a person loses the opportunity to be in community with people and gathers his members and himself from the relaxation of his thoughts into himself, until then he will not be able to recognize his passion. Silence, as Saint Basil said, is the beginning of the purification of the soul. For when external rebellion and outward entertainment cease in the external members, then the mind from external entertainment and soaring returns to itself and rests in itself, and the heart awakens to explore the inner thoughts of the soul. And if a person persists well in this, then he gradually comes to the state of moving toward spiritual purity. Question. Can't the soul be cleansed even while outside the door? Answer. If a tree is watered daily, does its root ever dry up? Does it ever decrease in a vessel to which you add daily? And if purity is nothing other than ignorance of free behavior with people and abandonment of this habit, then how can one who actively, by himself or others, through the senses, renew in himself the remembrance of the old habit, that is, the knowledge of vice, want his soul to be cleansed? Is it possible that his soul would be cleansed from this or that he would be freed from external oppositions and could see himself? If the heart is defiled daily, will a person be cleansed of defilement? He is unable to resist the action of external force, and even more so cannot he cleanse his hearts when he stands in the midst of a military camp and expects to hear frequent news of battle every day? And how dare he proclaim peace in his soul? If you move away from this, then you can gradually stop the internal unrest. As long as the river is not blocked at the top, its waters below do not dry up. When a person comes into silence, then the soul can discern passions and intelligently explore its wisdom. Then the inner man awakens to spiritual work and day by day he feels more deeply the hidden wisdom blooming in his soul. Question. What are the exact indications and close signs by which a person feels that he has begun to see in himself the fruit hidden in his soul? Answer. When someone is worthy of the grace of many tears shed without coercion; because tears are placed in the mind as a kind of limit between the physical and the spiritual, between a passionate state and purity. Until a person accepts this gift, his work is still accomplished in the outer man only, and he has not yet at all felt the effectiveness of what is hidden in the spiritual man. For when a person begins to leave the physical body of the present age and finds himself crossing this limit of what is truly internal in nature, then he soon reaches this grace of tears. And these tears begin in the first abode of hidden life and raise a person to the perfection of God’s love. And the further he acts, the more he is enriched by this grace, until, from a continuous outpouring of tears, he begins to drink them both in his food and in his drink. And this is a clear sign that the mind has come out of this world and felt this spiritual world. But to the extent that a person approaches this world with his mind, to the same extent these tears diminish. And when the mind is completely in this world, then it is completely deprived of these tears. And this is a sign that a person is buried in passions. There are burning tears, and there are fattening tears. Therefore, all those tears that come from the essence of the heart from contrition for sins dry up and burn the body; and often the most sovereign thing in the soul, during the outpouring of tears, feels harm from them. And at first a person, of necessity, enters this stage of tears, but with them the door is opened for him to enter the second stage, better than the first; and this is the land of joy in which man receives mercy. These are tears shed out of prudence: they both decorate and fatten the body, and flow naturally by themselves; and not only, as has been said, do they make the human body fat, but also the appearance of the person changes. For it is said: When the heart is glad, the face blossoms; but when I am in sorrow, I lament (Prov. 15:13). Question. What does the resurrection of the soul mean, about which the Apostle speaks: If you rise with Christ (Col. 3:1)? Answer. The Apostle, saying: God, who made the light shine out of darkness, which is bright in our hearts (2 Cor. 4:6), showed that the resurrection of the soul should be called the coming out of oldness, precisely so that a new man may arise, in whom there is nothing of the old man, according to what was said: And I will give them a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26). For then Christ is imagined in us by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him. Question. What is (to put it briefly) the power of the activity of silence? Answer. Silence mortifies outer feelings and stimulates inner movements. But preoccupation with the external produces the opposite of this: it excites external feelings and kills internal movements. Question. What causes visions and revelations; for some have visions, and others work harder than they, but the vision does not work as much in them? Answer. There are many reasons for this. Some of them are economic, aiming at general benefit, while others are consolation, encouragement and teaching of the weak. And firstly, all this is arranged by the grace of God towards people; For the most part, this is done for the sake of three kinds of people: either for the sake of simple and extremely gentle people, or for the sake of some perfect and saints, or for the sake of those who have a fiery zeal for God, have renounced and completely renounced the world, withdrawn from cohabitation with people, leaving everything, not expecting any help from the visible, and followed God. They are attacked by fear due to the exceptionality of their condition, or they are surrounded by mortal danger from hunger, from illness, or from some circumstance, and from grief, so that they approach despair. Therefore, if there are such consolations, but there are no consolations for those who surpass them with labors, then the first reason for this is innocence and depravity, and precisely conscience. The second reason is certainly the following: as soon as someone has human consolation or consolation from something visible, then there is no such consolation for him, unless according to some kind of dispensation, for the sake of the common good. We have a word about hermits; and a witness to what was said was one of the fathers, who prayed for consolation and heard: “Human consolation and conversation with people is sufficient for you.” And someone else, like this, when he was in seclusion and led a hermit’s life, hourly enjoyed the grace-filled consolation; and when he became close to the world, he sought, according to custom, consolation and did not find it, and began to ask God to reveal to him the reason, saying: “Was it not for the sake of bishopric, Lord, that grace departed from me?” And he was told: “No, not for that reason, but because God provides for those living in the desert and deigns them to receive such consolations.” For it is impossible for any of the people to have visible consolation, and at the same time receive grace, unless through some kind of hidden Dispensation mentioned above, which in such cases is known only to the Dispenser. Question. Are vision and revelation the same thing or not? Answer. No. On the contrary, there is a difference in them. Revelation is often called both. since the hidden is revealed in vision, every vision is called revelation. Revelation is not called a vision. The word revelation is mostly used about what is knowable, about what is experienced and imagined by the mind. Vision happens in all sorts of ways, for example, in images and transformations, as it happened in ancient times in the Old Testament, in deep sleep or a waking state, and sometimes with all accuracy, and sometimes as if in a ghost and somewhat indistinctly; why even the one who has a vision often does not know whether he sees in a waking state or in a sleepy state. You can hear a voice about help and sometimes see some kind of prototype, but sometimes you can see more clearly face to face, and talk, and question, and receive answers to questions. The visible are worthy and give them revelation - holy powers. And such visions happen in places that are the most deserted and remote from people, where a person necessarily needs them, because he has no other help and consolation from the place itself. Revelations, felt by the mind, when pure, are acceptable and are only perfect and leading. Question. If someone has achieved purity of heart, what is its sign? And when will a person know that his heart has achieved purity? Answer. When someone sees all people as good and no one seems unclean and defiled to him, then he is truly pure in heart. For how can we fulfill the word of the apostle, according to which we must all equally from a sincere heart do great things for ourselves (cf. Phil. 2:3), if it is not said that the good eye will not see evil (see: Hab. 1:13)? Question. What is purity? And where is its limit? Answer. Purity is oblivion of the unnatural methods of conduct invented by nature in the world. And in order to free yourself from them and become outside of them, this is the limit: for a person to come to the original simplicity and original gentleness of his nature and become like a baby, only without infantile shortcomings. Question. Can anyone ascend to this degree? Answer. Yes. For others came to this measure, just as Abba Sisoes came to this measure, so that he asked the disciple: “Have I eaten or not?” And another one of the fathers came to such simplicity and almost infantile innocence that he completely forgot everything here, so that he would have eaten before Communion, if his disciples had not prevented him from doing this, and, like a baby, his disciples brought him to Communion. But to the world he was a baby, but to God he was a perfect soul. Question. What should an ascetic who is in silence, in his silent cell, do and think about? and what should he constantly do so that his mind has no leisure for vain thoughts? Answer. Are you asking about studying and thinking about how a person can become dead in his cell? Does a person who is zealous and sober in soul really need to ask how he should behave when he is alone with himself? What other activity does a monk have in his cell other than crying? Does he ever have time to turn to another thought from crying? And what activity is better than this? The very stay of the monk and his loneliness, like being in a tomb, far from human joy, teach him that his activity is lamentation. And the very meaning of his name also calls and convinces, because he is called lamenting, that is, filled with sorrow in his heart. And all the saints moved from this life in tears. If the saints wept, and until they moved from this life, their eyes were always filled with tears, then who will not cry? The monk's consolation comes from his crying. And if the perfect and victorious here wept, how can one who is full of plagues endure so as to stop weeping? Whoever has a dead man lying before him and sees that he himself has been killed by sins, should he be taught with what thought to use his tears? Your soul, which is dearer to you than the whole world, has been killed by sins and lies before you; does it really not require crying? Therefore, if we enter into silence and remain patiently in it, then, of course, we will be able to remain in tears. Therefore, let us often pray in our minds to the Lord to grant us weeping. For if we acquire this grace, which is better and more excellent than other gifts, then, with its help, we will achieve purity. And as soon as we achieve it, purity will not be taken away from us until our very departure from this life. Therefore, blessed are the pure in heart, because there is no time when they do not enjoy this sweetness of tears, and in it they always see the Lord. While there are still tears in their eyes, they are granted the vision of His revelations at the height of their prayer; and they have no prayer without tears. This is what the Lord said: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). For from crying a person comes to spiritual purity. Therefore, the Lord, having said: ... that they will be comforted, did not explain by what consolation. For when a monk has been vouchsafed, with the help of tears, to cross the realm of passions and enter the plain of spiritual purity, then he receives such consolation. Therefore, if one of those who sought consolation here stretches out to this plain and on it encounters consolation that cannot be found here, then he will understand what kind of consolation he finally expects for crying and what kind of consolation God gives to those who cry for their purity, because those who cry incessantly cannot be disturbed by passions. Shedding tears and crying is the gift of the dispassionate. And if the tears of someone who weeps and laments can temporarily not only lead him to dispassion, but also completely cleanse and free his mind from the remembrance of passions, what can we say about those who practice this activity with knowledge day and night? Therefore, no one knows the help that comes from crying, except those alone who have devoted their souls to this cause. All saints strive for this entrance, because with tears the door is opened for them to enter the land of consolation; and in this country the most good and saving traces of God are depicted in revelations. Question. Since some, due to the weakness of the body, are not able to cry incessantly, what should they do to protect the mind so that passions do not rebel against it when it is not busy with anything? Answer. Passions cannot rise up in the soul and confuse the ascetic if, in his hermitage, removed from all distraction, his heart is not occupied with the things of life, unless he is lazy and careless in his duty. And mainly, if he exercises himself in the study of the Divine Scriptures, then, while searching for their meaning, he remains in no way disturbed by passions. For with the understanding of the Divine Scriptures growing and taking root in him, vain thoughts flee from him, and his mind cannot lag behind the desire to read the Scriptures or reflect on what he has read, and he does not pay the least attention to real life, due to the very great pleasure of his occupation, admiring the Scriptures in deep desert silence. Why does he forget himself and his nature and become, as it were, a man who has gone into a frenzy, does not remember this age at all, is mainly occupied with the thought of the greatness of God and, immersing himself in this with his mind, says: “Glory to His Divinity!” and again: “Glory to His miracles! All His works are wondrous and extraordinary! To what heights has He raised my misery! What have you vouchsafed me to learn, what thoughts to dare, how to delight my soul!” Turning his thoughts to these miracles and always amazed by them, he remains in constant rapture and, as it were, already tastes life after the resurrection, because silence greatly contributes to this grace. For his mind finds the opportunity to remain in itself with the peace that it acquired in silence. And at the same time, he is stimulated to remember what is in accordance with the order of his life; For, mentally imagining the glory of the future age and the good things, according to the hope, prepared for the righteous who abid in this spiritual life and in God, and this new restoration, does not contain either in thought or in memory what is in this world. And when he is intoxicated with this, he is again transported from there by contemplation to this age in which he still lives, and in amazement says: Oh, the depth of the wealth, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, prudence and economy of the unsearchable God, for His judgment has not been tried, and His ways have not been searched (Rom. 11:33)! For when He prepared another so wonderful age to bring into it all rational beings and preserve them in endless life, what was the reason for Him to create this first world, to expand it and enrich it so much with a crowd of 22 and a multitude of species and natures, and to give place in it the causes of many passions and what feeds them and what opposes them? And why did he first place us in this world, plant in us the love for a long life in it, and suddenly snatch us from it by death, keep us insensible and immobile for a considerable time, destroy our image, pour out our dissolution, mix it with the earth, allow our composition to collapse, decay and disappear, and nothing at all remains of the human composition; and then, at the time that He has determined by His venerable wisdom, when He wills, He will raise us up in another image, which He only knows, and will lead us into another state, which not only we, humans, hope for, but also the most holy Angels, who have no need in this world, due to the extraordinary nature of their little less than having achieved perfection, await our rise from corruption, when our race will rise from the dust and will its corruption be renewed? For for our sake the entry is denied to them, and they are waiting for the one-time opening of the door of the new age. And this creation (Angels) with us will calm down from the weight of the body that burdens us, as the Apostle says: For the creation itself longs for the revelation of the sons of God, that it may be freed from the work of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (cf. Rom. 8:19,21), after the complete destruction of this age in its entire structure and after the restoration of our nature to its original state. And from here he already ascends with his mind to what preceded the creation of this world, when there was no creation, no heaven, no earth, no Angels, nothing that was brought into existence, and to how God, by His sole good pleasure, suddenly brought everything from non-existence into existence and every thing appeared before Him in perfection. And again he descends with his mind to all God’s creatures, draws attention to the wonder of God’s creatures and the wisdom of his works, reasoning with himself in amazement: “What a miracle! How much His economy and Providence exceed all understanding, how much His wondrous power is stronger than all His works! How did He bring this creation - this innumerable multitude of different things - into existence from non-existence? and how will he ruin it again, destroying this wonderful arrangement, this beauty of nature, this orderly flow of creatures, hours and years, this combination of night and day, the air changes that contribute to the year, these various flowers growing from the earth, these beautiful city buildings and the embellished palaces in them, this rapid movement of people, this existence, burdened with labor from their entry into the world until their very departure? And how suddenly this wonderful order will cease, and another age will come, and the memory of this first creation will not enter anyone’s heart at all, and there will be another modification, other thoughts, other concerns! And human nature will also not remember at all about this world and about its first way of life; because the human mind will cling to the contemplation of this state, and the minds of people will not have the leisure to return again to warfare with flesh and blood. For with the destruction of this age the future age will immediately begin. And every person will then say the following: “O mother, forgotten by her children, whom she gave birth to, raised and made wise, and who in the blink of an eye were gathered into someone else’s womb and became the true children of the barren woman who never gave birth! The barren ones rejoice (Isa. 54:1) for the children whom the earth has given birth to you." And then, as if in a frenzy, he reflects and says: “How long will this age last? and when will the future age begin? How much longer will these churches sleep in this form and their bodies be mixed with dust? What will this life be like? In what form will this nature arise and be composed? How will it pass into a new creation? And when he reflects on this and the like, he comes into delight, amazement and silent silence, and he rises at this hour, and kneels, and with abundant tears sends thanks and praise to the only wise God, always glorified in His all-wise deeds. Blessed is he who is worthy of anything like this! Blessed is he who has such occupation day and night! Blessed is he who meditates on this and the like all the days of his life! And if a person at the beginning of his silence does not feel the power of such contemplations, due to the soaring of his mind, and cannot yet ascend to the powers of the above-mentioned miracles of God, then let him not become despondent and let him not leave the silence of his silent life. For even the farmer, when he sows, does not immediately see the ear of grain with the sowing of the seed; but sowing is followed by despondency, labor, exhaustion of his own members, the removal of his comrades, and separation from his family. And when he endures this, another time comes, in which the worker delights, and jumps, and rejoices, and is glad. What time is it? When he tastes the bread he has earned with his own sweat, his meditation will be kept in silence. For great and endless pleasure is aroused in the heart and the mind is brought into inexpressible wonder by silence and this above-mentioned, patient meditation in silence. And blessed is he who patiently continues in it; because this rich spring opened before him, and he drank from it, and enjoyed it, and will not stop drinking from it always, at all times, at every hour of the day and night, until the end and the last limit of his entire temporary life. Question. What is the main thing in all the labors of this matter, that is, silence, so that a person who has reached this point can know that he has already achieved perfection in life? Answer. That is when a person is honored to remain in constant prayer. For as soon as he achieved this, he ascended to the height of all virtues and became the abode of the Holy Spirit. And if someone has not undoubtedly accepted this grace of the Comforter, then he cannot freely continue in this prayer, because, as it is said, when the Spirit dwells in one of the people, then he will not stop praying, but the Spirit Himself always prays (see: Rom. 8:26). Then, both in the sleepy and in the waking state of a person, prayer is not stopped in his soul, but whether he eats, drinks, sleeps, or does anything, even in deep sleep, the fragrance and evaporation of prayer are easily emitted by his heart. Then prayer does not leave him, but every hour, although it is silent in his appearance, at the same time it performs God’s service in him in secret. For one of the Christ-bearing men calls the silence of the pure prayer, because their thoughts are Divine movements, and the movements of a pure heart and mind are meek voices with which they secretly sing of the Hidden One. Question. What is spiritual prayer? and how can an ascetic be worthy of it? Answer. Spiritual movements for strict purity and purity become partakers of the activity of the Holy Spirit. And one out of many thousands of people is granted it, because this is the secret of the future state and life. Nature ascends and remains inactive, without any movement or remembrance of what is here. The soul does not pray through prayer, but through feeling it senses the spiritual things of this age, surpassing human understanding, the understanding of which is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is mental contemplation, but not movement and not the seeking of prayer, although it borrowed its origin from prayer. For through this, some of these people have already achieved the perfection of purity. And there is no hour in which their inner movement is not in prayer, as we said above. And when the Holy Spirit comes, he always finds them in prayer; and from this prayer lifts them to contemplation, which is called spiritual vision. For they do not need the form of prolonged prayer, nor the standing and rite of prolonged service. For them it is enough to remember God, and they are immediately captivated by His love. However, they do not completely neglect standing in prayer, when they give honor to prayer, and, in addition to unceasing prayer, stand on their feet at the appointed hours. For we see Saint Anthony standing at the ninth hour of prayer and feeling the elevation of his mind. And another of the fathers, standing in prayer with his hands raised, went into rapture for four days. And many others during such prayer were captivated by a strong remembrance of God and great love for Him and came into admiration. A person is worthy of it when, by keeping the commandments of the Lord, which resist sin, he is freed from sin both internally and externally. Whoever loves these commandments and uses them according to order, it will become necessary for him to free himself from many human affairs, that is, to be stripped of the body and to be outside of it, so to speak, not by nature, but by necessity. He who leads life in the image of the Lawmaker and is guided by His commandments, it is impossible for sin to remain in him. Therefore, the Lord promised in the Gospel to the one who kept the commandments to create a monastery with him (see: John 14:23). Question. What is the perfection of many fruits of the spirit? Answer. It is when someone is worthy of the perfect love of God. Question. And how does a person know that he has achieved it? Answer. When the remembrance of God is aroused in his soul, then his heart is immediately aroused by love for God and his eyes are abundantly filled with tears. For love usually brings tears to the memory of loved ones. And he who abides in the love of God never lacks tears, because he never lacks that which nourishes in him the remembrance of God; why even in his sleep he talks with God. For love usually produces something like this, and it is the perfection of people in this life. Question. If, after much work, exhaustion, and struggle that a person has acquired, the thought of pride is not ashamed to attack him, because it borrows food for itself from the beauty of his virtues and counts on the greatness of the labor he has endured, then how can a person overcome his thought and acquire such firmness in his soul that it does not submit to the thought? Answer. When someone recognizes that he falls away from God, like a dry leaf falling from a tree, then he understands the strength of his soul: that is, did he acquire these virtues by his own strength and endure all the struggles for their sake, while the Lord withheld His help and allowed him to enter into the struggle with the devil alone, and did not go with him, as He usually participates in the struggle with those who strive and assists them - then his strength is revealed; better to say, the defeat and its difficulty become clear. For the Providence of God always happens to the saints, protecting and strengthening them. Through it every rank of people is conquered if a person endures heroic deeds and suffers as martyrs and other disasters that befall them for God and endure for His sake. And this is clear, obvious and undeniable. For how can nature overcome the power of tickling, which is constantly aroused in the members of people, causing them grief and very strong in order to overcome them? And why do others desire victory and love it, but cannot achieve it despite their strong opposition; on the contrary, every day they suffer defeat from bodily tickles and remain in labor, in crying and in exhaustion, laboring for their souls; But will you be able to comfortably bear the claims of the body, which are so difficult, and not become more confused? And how can a body, which in other cases is sensitive to suffering and does not tolerate being stung by a thorn that has pricked its nail, can overcome cutting with iron, endure crushing of the members and all kinds of torment, and not be overcome by suffering, without feeling, as nature usually does, these various torments, if, in addition to natural strength, another force does not come from there, reflecting from it the cruelty of torment? And since we started talking about God’s Providence, we will not be too lazy to bring to mind one soulful story that elevates a person in his struggles. One young man named Theodore, whose whole body was subjected to torment, was asked by someone: “Did you feel torment?” - answered: “At first I felt it; and later I saw a certain young man who wiped away the sweat of my struggle, strengthened me and gave me coolness during the feat.” Oh, how great are God's mercies! How close is the grace of God to those who struggle for the name of God, so that they may joyfully endure suffering for Him! Therefore, man, do not be ungrateful to God’s providence for you. If, finally, it is obvious that you are not a winner, but only, as it were, an instrument, the Lord is victorious in you, and you still receive the name of victory, who forbids you at all times to ask for the same strength, and to win, and to receive praise, and to confess to God? Haven't you heard, man, how many ascetics from the foundation of the world, being unappreciative of this grace, fell from the heights of life and from the heights of their exploits? Just as many and varied are the gifts of God to the human race in themselves, there is just as much difference in the acceptable gifts and, accordingly, in the degree of those who receive them. There is humiliation and greatness in the gifts of God; although they are all lofty and wonderful, one is superior to the other in glory and honor, and the degree of degree is higher. And also: to devote oneself to God and live virtuously is one of the great gifts of Christ. For many, having forgotten that by this grace they were deemed worthy to become excommunicated from people and dedicated to God, partakers and successors of His gifts, chosen and worthy of serving and performing sacred acts to God, instead of constantly thanking God for this with their lips, have turned into pride and arrogance and think of themselves not as those who have received the grace of sacrament, in order to serve God with pure life and spiritual deeds, but as showing mercy God; when they should have judged that God had taken them out from among people and made them His associates to know His mysteries. And they do not tremble with all their souls, reasoning in this way, especially when they see how the dignity of those who reasoned like this before them was suddenly taken away and how the Lord in the blink of an eye overthrew them from the high glory and honor that they had; and they strayed into uncleanness, lasciviousness and filthiness, like cattle. since they did not recognize their strength and did not constantly keep in mind the One who gave them grace - to perform service before Him, to become included in His Kingdom, to be cohabitants of Angels and to approach Him with angelic life, then God removed them from their work and, by leaving silence and changing their way of life, showed them that the power was not theirs if they observed decorum in life and did not disturb their compulsions nature, demons and other other resistances, on the contrary, it was the power of God’s grace, which produced in them that which the world, due to the difficulty of this, cannot contain or hear, and in which they remained for a long time and were not overcome; why, of course, there was in them a certain power accompanying them, sufficient to help them in everything and protect them. But since they forgot about this power, the word spoken by the Apostle was fulfilled on them: Because they were not tempted to have in their minds God, their Master, who had taken dust for spiritual service, he gave them over... to an unskilled mind (Rom. 1:28), and as they should have, they received dishonor for their error. Question. Does it ever happen that someone who suddenly dares to completely renounce cohabitation with people and, out of good jealousy, suddenly goes into an uninhabited and terrible desert, dies of hunger due to the lack of cover and other needs? Answer. Whoever, before their creation, prepared a home for dumb animals and takes care of their needs, He will not despise His creation, especially those who fear Him, and those who follow Him in simplicity, without inquisitiveness. He who betrays his will in everything to God no longer cares about the needs of his body, about its misfortune and suffering, but wants to remain in a hidden life and lead a humble life, is not afraid of sorrows, but considers alienation from the whole world pleasant and sweet for the purity of life, exhausting himself among the hills and mountains, lives like a wanderer in the circle of dumb animals, does not agree to rest bodily and spend a life full of filth. And when he gives himself up to death, he cries and prays hourly, so as not to be deprived of God’s pure life; then he receives help from God. Glory and honor to him! May He preserve us in His purity and may He sanctify us with the sanctity of the grace of the Holy Spirit, in honor of His name, so that His holy name may be glorified in purity forever and ever! Amen. Word 22. That the body that fears temptation becomes a friend of sin One of the saints said that a body that is afraid of temptations becomes a friend of sin, so as not to go to extremes and lose its life. Therefore the Holy Spirit compels him to die. For he knows that if he does not die, he will not overcome sin. If someone wants the Lord to dwell in him, then he forces his body to serve the Lord, works in the commandments of the Spirit, written by the Apostle, and keeps his soul from the deeds of the flesh, described by the Apostle (see: Gal. 5:19). The body, which has partaken of sin, rests in carnal deeds, and the Spirit of God does not rest in its fruits. For when the body faints in fasting and humility, then the soul is strengthened by prayer. The body, when it is much oppressed by the sorrows of silence, suffers deprivations and shortcomings and is close to losing its life, usually begs you and says: “Give me a little freedom to live decently; Now I walk in the right way, because I have been tested by great suffering.” And how soon, out of compassion for him, you calm him from his sorrows and give him some rest, and although he calms down for a while, little by little he begins to whisper to you with caresses (and his caresses are very strong), until he forces you to leave the desert, and says to you: “We can live well near the world; because they have been tested in many ways; therefore, we can live there according to the same rules as we live now. Just tempt me, and if I am not what you want, we can return. Behold, the desert does not flee from us.” Don’t believe him, although he will beg you strongly and make many promises. It won't do what it says. When you bow to his request, he will plunge you into great falls, from which you will not be able to rise and come out. When you become despondent from temptations and are fed up with them, say to yourself: “Again you desire uncleanness and shameful life.” And if the body tells you: “It is a great sin to kill yourself,” then answer it: “I kill myself because I cannot live uncleanly. I will die here and will not yet see the true death of my soul, death for God. It is better for me to die here for the sake of integrity and not live a bad life in the world. I arbitrarily chose this death for my sins. I put myself to death because I have sinned against the Lord; I will no longer anger Him. What is there to me in a life that is far from God? I will endure this bitterness, so as not to be alienated from heavenly hope. What does God have to do with my life in this world if I live in it badly and anger God?” Word 23. Message written to one brother, a lover of silence Since I know that you love silence and that the devil, knowing the will of your mind, under pretexts of goodness entangles you in many ways, until he has led you to distraction and has not interrupted you in virtue, which contains many types of goodness, so that I, as a member closely connected with you, good brother, can help your good desire with a useful word, I took care to write what I myself acquired from men wise in virtue in the Scriptures, from fathers and their own experience. For if a person does not neglect both honors and dishonor and, for the sake of silence, endure reproach, reproach, harm, even beatings, does not become a laughing stock and those who see him do not consider him a holy fool and a fool, then he will not be able to remain in the good intention of silence, because if a person once opens the door to some motives, then the devil will not stop exposing some of these motives to him. under many pretexts, in frequent and countless meetings with people. Therefore, if you, brother, truly love the virtues of such silence, which does not tolerate dispersion, rejection, or separation, and which the ancients conquered, then you will find in this case the opportunity to fulfill your laudable desire, as soon as you become like your fathers and accept the intention in yourself to show their lives. But they loved complete silence, did not care to support the love of their loved ones, did not try to use their strength to calm them down, and were not ashamed to avoid meeting those who were considered respectable people. So they walked, and were not condemned by wise and leading people as despisers of the brethren, contemptuous, or careless, or devoid of reason, which is what was said in their justification by those who respect silence and hermitage more than community with people. A person,” he says, “who experiences the sweetness of silence in his cell, does not run away from meeting him as someone who neglects his neighbor, but for the sake of the fruit that he reaps from silence.” “Why,” he asks, “Abba Arseny indulged in flight and did not stop when he met someone?” Abba Theodore, if he met someone, his meeting was like a sword. He did not say greetings to anyone when he was outside his cell. But Saint Arseny did not greet even those who came to him with greetings. For at one time one of the fathers came to see Abba Arseny, and the elder opened the door, thinking that it was his servant; but when he saw who the newcomer was, he fell down on his face and, begging for a long time to get up, after the newcomer assured him that he would accept the blessing and leave, the saint denied, saying: “I will not get up until you leave.” And he didn’t get up until he left. And the blessed one did this so that if one day he gave them his hand, they would not return to him again. Look at the continuation of the word, and then you will not say that perhaps Arseny neglected this father or someone else due to his insignificance, and for the sake of his honor he showed partiality and talked with him. On the contrary, Arseny equally ran away from everyone, both small and great. One thing was before his eyes - for the sake of silence, to neglect communication with people, whether it be a great or small person, and for the sake of the honor of silence and silence, to bear reproach from everyone. And we know that the archbishop, Blessed Theophilus, came to him, and with him was the judge of that country, who had a desire to see the saint and honor him. But Arseny, when he sat before them, did not even with a small word honor their high rank, although they really wanted to hear his word. And when the archbishop began to ask him about this, the good old man was silent for a while and then said: “Will you keep my word if I tell you?” They agreed by saying, “Yes.” The elder told them: “If you hear that Arseny is here, do not approach there.” Do you see the wonderful disposition of the old man? Do you see his disdain for human conversation? Here is a man who has reaped the fruit of silence. The blessed one did not reason that the universal teacher and head of the Church had come, but imagined the following in his thoughts: “Once and forever I died for the world, what is the use of a dead man alive?” And Abba Macarius reproached him with a reproach filled with love, saying: “Why are you running from us?” The elder presented him with a wonderful and praiseworthy excuse, answering: “God knows that I love you; but I cannot be together with God and with people.” And he was taught this wonderful knowledge by no other person than the voice of God. For it was said to him: “Run, Arseny, people, and you will be saved.” Let no idle and conversation-loving person be so shameless as to refute this, distorting the words of Arseniev, and let him not say contrary to this: “This is a human invention, and was invented for the benefit of silence.” On the contrary, this is a heavenly teaching. And lest we think that this was said to Arseny in the sense of fleeing and moving away from the world, and not in the sense of running away from the brethren, after he left the world, went and settled in the monastery, he again prayed to God, asking how he could live virtuously, and said: “Show me the way, Lord, how to be saved,” and thought that he would hear something else; but for the second time I heard again the same Master’s voice: “Run, Arseny, be silent and silent. And although there is a lot of benefit (he was told) in meeting and talking with the brethren, it is not so much useful for you to talk with them as to run away from them.” And when blessed Arseny received this in Divine revelation, and while he was still in the world, he was commanded to run, and then, when he was with his brethren, the same thing was said, then he was convinced and knew that in order to acquire a good life, it was not enough for him to run only from the worldly, he must run away from everyone equally. For can anyone resist and contradict the Divine voice? Yes, and the divine Anthony was told in revelation: “If you want to remain silent, go not only to Thebaid, but even to the inner desert.” Therefore, if God commands us to run away from everyone and loves silence so much when those who love Him abide in it, who will present any pretext to remain in conversation and closeness with people? If flight and caution were useful to Arseny and Anthony, how much more useful are they to the weak? And if God honored those, both in word and in sight, and whose help the whole world needed, more for their silence than for helping the whole brotherhood, or better yet, all of humanity, then how much more is silence necessary for someone who is not able to protect himself well? We also know about another certain saint that his brother became ill and was imprisoned in another cell. And since the saint, throughout his illness, overcame his compassion and did not come to see him, the sick man, approaching his departure from life, sent to tell him: “If you have not come to me until now, then come now so that I can see you before my departure from the world, or come even at night, and I will kiss you and leave you.” But the blessed one did not agree even at this hour, when nature usually demands our compassion for each other and transgresses the determination of the will, but said: “If I go out, then I will not be pure in my heart before God, because I was negligent in visiting my spiritual brothers, but I preferred my nature to Christ.” And his brother died, and he did not see him. Therefore, let no one, out of laziness of thoughts, imagine that this is impossible, let him not refute this, and let him not turn his silence into nothing, rejecting God’s Providence for him. If the saints have conquered nature itself, no matter how strong it is, and if Christ loves it when silence is honored, while His children are neglected, then what other necessity could you have that you could not neglect when you fall under it? This commandment, which says: ...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37) more than the whole world and nature and all that is in nature, is fully fulfilled when you remain in your silence. And the commandment to love one’s neighbor is contained within him. Do you want, according to the Gospel commandment, to acquire in your soul love for your neighbor? Get away from him; and then the flame of love for him will kindle in you, and you will rejoice when you see him, as when you see a bright Angel. Do you also want those who love you to thirst to see you? On certain days only have a meeting with them. Experience is truly a teacher for everyone. Be healthy. To our God be thanksgiving and glory forever and ever! Amen. Word 24. Message to a certain natural and spiritual brother, who, living in the world and wanting to see Isaac, urged and begged in his letters to come to him We are not as strong as you think, blessed one; and perhaps you do not know my weakness and the fact that my death is not difficult for you, and therefore, as if inflamed by nature according to its custom, you constantly ask me for what we should care about, what you should not desire either. Don’t ask me, brother, for this one thing that gives rest to the flesh and its wisdom, but take care of the salvation of my soul. A little more time, and we will pass from this age. How many faces will I meet when I go to you! How many human customs and places will I see until I return to my place! How many reasons for thoughts will my soul receive when meeting people! How much embarrassment she will suffer from the passions that have awakened in her, from which she has calmed down somewhat! This is not unknown to you either. That it is harmful for a monk to see worldly things, you yourself know that. And look what a change occurs in the mind of someone who has been silent with himself for a long time, when he suddenly falls into it again, and sees and hears what is unusual for him. If someone who is in ascetic labor and is still fighting with his opponent is harmed by meeting with monks when they are not close to his condition, then consider what a well we will fall into, having acquired knowledge through especially long experience! Oh, if only we could get rid of the sting of our enemy! Therefore, do not ask me to do this unnecessarily. Let us not be deceived by those who claim that there is no harm to us because we hear and see something, that we are the same in our thoughts both in the desert and in the world, that our modesty is not indignant both in our cells and outside it, that no bad change occurs to it, that when we meet persons and things we do not feel the anxiety of passions. Those who say this, even if they accept wounds, do not know this; but we have not yet achieved this mental health, we have stinking ulcers on ourselves, and they will boil with worms if there is no care for them for one day and they remain unbandaged, not covered with a plaster and tied with bandages. Word 25. About the three ways of knowledge, about the difference in their work and concepts, about the faith of the soul, about the mysterious wealth hidden in it, and about how much the knowledge of this world differs in its methods from the simplicity of faith A soul that travels the paths of life and the path of faith and often succeeds in this latter, if it turns again to the methods of knowledge, soon begins to limp in faith, and its spiritual strength is lost in it, which was revealed in the pure soul by the reciprocity of assistance and, due to simplicity, was not included in the study of everything that is in it and related to it. For the soul, having once given itself over to God with faith and having experienced His assistance many times over, no longer cares about itself, but is bound by amazement and silence, and does not have the opportunity to return again to the methods of its knowledge and use them in action, lest otherwise, if they resist, it would not lose God’s providence, which secretly vigilantly watches over the soul, cares for it and incessantly pursues it in all ways - not to be deprived because the soul has gone mad, dreaming that it itself can provide enough for itself, according to the power of its knowledge. For those in whom the light of faith shines no longer reach such shamelessness as to again ask God in prayers: “Give us this,” or: “Take this from us,” and they do not care at all about themselves, because with the spiritual eyes of faith they hourly see the Fatherly Providence with which that true Father, Who with His immeasurably great love surpasses all fatherly love, enshrines them, more than anyone else he can and has the power to help us to the point of abundance, to a greater extent than we ask, think and imagine. Knowledge is contrary to faith. Faith in everything that relates to it is the permission of the laws of knowledge, however, knowledge that is not spiritual. The definition of knowledge is that it does not have the power to do anything without searching and research, but on the contrary, it seeks out whether it is possible for what it thinks and wants to be. What does faith do? She does not agree to abide in someone who approaches her in the wrong way. Knowledge without searching and without its own methods of action cannot be known. And this is a sign of wavering in the truth. And faith requires a single, pure and simple way of thinking, far from any tricks and search for methods. Look how they oppose each other. The house of faith is an infantile concept and a simple heart. For it is said: in the simplicity of their hearts they glorified God; and: ... unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). Knowledge puts a snare in the simplicity of the heart and concepts and resists it. Knowledge is the charter of nature, protecting it in all its paths. And faith makes its procession above nature. Knowledge does not attempt to allow anything destructive to nature, but moves away from it, and faith easily allows and says: Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent (Ps. 90:13). Knowledge is accompanied by fear, faith by hope. To the extent that a person is led by methods of knowledge, to the same extent he is bound by fear and cannot be granted liberation from it. And whoever follows faith soon becomes free and autocratic, and, as the son of God, enjoys everything freely and autocratically. He who loves this faith, like God, disposes of every created nature, because faith is given the opportunity to create a new creation, in the likeness of God, as it is said: “You desired, and all things appeared before you” (Job 23:13). Often it can produce everything from a carrier. And knowledge cannot produce anything without substance. Knowledge does not have the arrogance to produce what is not given by nature. And how can he do this? The flowing nature of water on its ridge does not accept bodily feet, and he who approaches the fire burns himself, and if he has the courage to do so, then trouble will follow. Knowledge carefully protects itself from this and does not agree to exceed the limit in this regard. Faith autocratically transgresses everything and says: ... even if you pass through fire without being burned ... the rivers will not cover you (cf. Is. 43:2). And faith often did this before the whole creation. And if knowledge had an opportunity here to tempt itself in this, then, without a doubt, it would not have decided to do so. For many, by faith, entered the flames, harnessed the burning power of the fire, and walked unharmed in the midst of it, and walked along the ridge of the sea as if on dry land. And all this is above nature, contrary to the methods of knowledge and showed that it is vanity in all its methods and laws. Do you see how knowledge preserves the limits of nature? Do you see how faith acts above nature and makes paths for its progress there? These methods of knowledge ruled the world for five thousand years, or a little less, or more than that, and man was not at all able to raise his head from the earth and recognize the power of his Creator, until our faith shone and freed us from the darkness of earthly work and vain submission with the fruitless soaring of the mind. And even now, when we have found a calm sea and an unfailing treasure, we again desire to turn to scanty sources. There is no knowledge that is not in poverty, no matter how much it becomes rich. But neither earth nor heaven can contain the treasures of faith. The one whose heart is strengthened by the hope of faith never loses anything. And when he has nothing, he maintains everything by faith (see: 2 Cor. 6:10), as it is written: Whatever you ask for in prayer, receive it by faith (Matthew 21:22); and one more thing: The Lord is near. Worry about nothing (Phil.4:5-6). Knowledge is always looking for ways to protect those who acquire it. And faith says: ... Unless the Lord builds the house ... and preserves the city, which was built in vain ... laboring in vain to build (cf. Ps. 127:1). He who prays with faith never uses or resorts to methods of self-preservation. For knowledge praises fear in every place, as the Wise One said: Blessed is the soul of the one who fears (Sir.34:15). What is faith? It is said: ... he was afraid and began to drown (Matt. 14:30); and it is also said: Do not receive the spirit of work into fear: but receive the Spirit of sonhood into the freedom of faith and hope in God (Rom. 8:15); and again: do not be afraid of them and do not flee from their presence. Fear is always accompanied by doubt, and doubt is accompanied by seeking, and seeking by accepted methods, and accepted methods by leading. And in the research and search itself, fear and doubt are always known, because knowledge does not succeed in everything at all times, as we showed before. For the soul often encounters difficult confluences and collisions of circumstances and many cases filled with dangers, in which knowledge and the methods of wisdom cannot help at all. But, on the other hand, in difficulties that cannot be averted by all the forces and the utmost limit of human knowledge, faith is not in the least overcome by any of these difficulties. For is human knowledge enough to help in any way in obvious battles with invisible natures and with bodily forces, as well as with many other things? Do you see the weakness of the power of knowledge and the strength of the power of faith? Knowledge forbids its disciples to approach everything alien to nature. But notice the power of faith in this; What does she offer to her students? It is said: ...in My name you will create demons; you will take away the serpent; Even if you drink mortally, it will not harm you (Mark 16:17,18). Knowledge, according to its laws, proposes to find the end of every business before it begins, and then begin, so that if it turns out that the end of the matter is difficult to find within the limits of human power, you do not work in vain, and so that it does not become clear that the matter is difficult and impossible to accomplish. What does faith say? ...Everything is possible for a believer (Mark 9:23), because for God nothing is impossible. What indescribable wealth! What a sea of ​​wealth in the waves of faith and in the wonderful treasures overflowing by its power! What complacency, pleasure and hope the procession with her was filled with! How light are her burdens! And how much sweetness there is in making it! Question. Who is likened in his deed to the one who was honored to taste the sweetness of faith and again turned to spiritual knowledge? Answer. To the one who found a valuable pearl and exchanged it for a copper ovol; to the one who left sovereign freedom and returned to a state of poverty, filled with fear and slavery. Knowledge is beyond reproach, but faith is higher than it. If we reproach, we will not reproach the knowledge itself. Let this not happen! But how can we distinguish between the different ways in which it goes against nature 24? How does it approach the ranks of demons (which will be clearly discernible later)? How many steps does knowledge ascend to in these ways? What difference opens at each stage? By what concepts does knowledge awaken in each method when it adheres to them? In which of these ways, when one follows them, resists faith and goes out of nature? and what difference is there in it? and to what extent, when he returns to his original goal, does he come to his nature and establish himself on the same level with faith in a good life? and to what extent does it sometimes allow differences to extend within the same degree? and how does one move from this to the higher? and what are the ways of this other, or initial, degree? And when knowledge is coupled with faith, becomes one with it, is clothed by it in fiery concepts, is ignited in spirit, acquires the wings of dispassion and from serving the earth, using other methods, ascends to the region of its Creator? However, for the time being it is enough for us to know that faith, and its ascensions, and the doing of them are above knowledge. Knowledge itself is perfected by faith and acquires the power to ascend the mountain, to feel that which is above all sensation, to see that ray, not perceptible by the mind and knowledge of creatures. Knowledge is the step by which a person ascends to the height of faith, and as soon as he reaches it, he no longer uses it. For it is said: now we understand in part, we understand in part. When that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with (1 Cor. 13:9-10). Now faith, as it were, brings before our eyes the reality of perfection, and by our faith we study this incomprehensible, and not by search and the power of knowledge. These are the works of righteousness: fasting, almsgiving, vigils, shrines and everything else done with the help of the body; love for one's neighbor, humility of heart, forgiveness of transgressions, thinking about good, studying the real mysteries hidden in the Holy Scriptures, exercising the mind in the most perfect deeds, in maintaining the limits of spiritual passions, and other virtues performed in the soul. All this needs knowledge, because knowledge protects it and teaches order in it. And all these are just steps along which the soul ascends to the mountainous heights of faith - and these are called virtues. But the life of faith is higher than virtue, and doing it is not works, but complete peace, and consolation, and words in the heart, and it is accomplished in the concepts of the soul. Its also doing is all the wonderful ways of spiritual living, the doing of which is a feeling in spiritual life, and pleasure, and peace of mind, and lust, and joy in God, and everything else that in this life is given to a soul worthy of the grace of that bliss, and that, as if according to the instructions of faith in the Divine Scriptures, is accomplished here by God, rich in His gifts. Confusion. Someone will say: if all these blessings, and the deeds of virtue that have been enumerated before this, and avoidance of evil, and discernment of subtle thoughts arising in the soul, and struggle with thoughts, and opposition to irritable passions, and everything else, without which faith itself cannot show its strength in spiritual activity - if all this is accomplished by knowledge, then why is knowledge considered contrary to faith? Resolution of doubt. We answer: three are the mental ways by which knowledge ascends and descends; and there is a change, both in the ways in which knowledge is conducted, and in the knowledge itself; and through this it harms and helps. There are three ways: body, soul, spirit. And if knowledge in its nature is one, then, in relation to these areas of the mental and sensory, it becomes refined, changes its methods and the making of its concepts. Finally, listen to the order of this work and the reasons why it harms and helps. Knowledge is God’s gift to the nature of rational creatures, given at the beginning at their creation, and by its nature it is simple and indivisible, like sunlight, but in accordance with its doing it acquires changes and divisions. Word 26. About the first degree of knowledge When knowledge follows carnal desire, then it brings together the following methods: wealth, vanity, decoration, bodily peace, zeal for verbal wisdom, suitable for ruling in this world and exuding renewal in inventions, arts, and sciences, and everything else that crowns the body in this visible world. And according to these distinctive features, as we have said and distributed, knowledge becomes contrary to faith. And it is called naked knowledge, because it excludes all Divine care, and due to the predominance of the body, it introduces unreasonable powerlessness into the mind, and all its care is completely about this world only. Here is the concept of this knowledge about itself: it, without any doubt, is a mental power that secretly rules a person, Divine guardianship, overseeing him and completely caring for him. Therefore, he does not attribute the government of the world to God's Providence, but everything good in man, his salvation from what is harmful to him and his natural caution from difficulties and from many of the opposites that secretly and openly accompany our nature, seem to him to be a consequence of his own zeal and his own methods. This is the self-image of the mocking 25 knowledge. It dreams that everything happens according to its industry; and in this we agree with those who claim that there is no control over this visible world. However, it cannot remain without constant care and without fear for the body, and therefore it is overcome by cowardice, sadness, despair, fear from demons, fear from people, rumors of robbers, rumors of deaths, care in illness, care in poverty and lack of necessities, fear of death, fear of suffering and evil animals and everything else similar to this and likened to the sea, in which Every hour, day and night, the waves are restless and rush towards the swimmers, since this knowledge does not know how to cast its care for itself on God in the hope of faith in Him. And therefore, in everything that concerns himself, he is busy inventing means and tricks. When the methods of its invention in one case remain invalid, and it does not see the mysterious Providence, then it argues with people who hinder and resist it. In this knowledge the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is planted, uprooting love. And it looks for the small misdeeds of other people, their guilt and weaknesses, and sets up a person to teach, to contradict in words, to use crafty inventions and tricks; it also resorts to other methods that are offensive to humans. There is arrogance and pride in him, because he appropriates every good deed to himself, and does not attribute it to God. Faith imputes its works to grace, and therefore cannot be exalted, as it is written: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13); and again: Not I, but the grace of God which is with me (1 Cor. 15:10). And what the blessed Apostle said: reason is boastful (1 Cor. 8:1), then he spoke this about this knowledge, not dissolved by faith in God and hope in Him, and not about the knowledge of the truth. Let this not happen! The knowledge of the truth perfects the soul of those who acquire it in humility, as it perfected Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul and other saints who were granted this, according to human nature, perfect knowledge. And in such saints, their knowledge is always absorbed by extraordinary contemplations, Divine revelations, high contemplation of the spiritual, ineffable mysteries; and their soul is considered ashes and dust in their sight. Other knowledge, as befits it, is arrogant, because it walks in darkness, values ​​its wealth in comparison with what is on earth, and does not know that there is something better than it. Everyone is drawn into exaltation, because they are on earth, weighing their lives with their flesh, relying on their deeds, but do not think in their minds about the incomprehensible. And they are exposed to this while they swim in these waves. But the saints excel in glorious Divine virtue; and their work is sorrow, and their thoughts do not wander into the care of inventions and vain things, because they walk in the light and cannot be mistaken. Therefore, all those who have wandered away from the light of the knowledge of the Son of God and who have strayed from the truth walk along these paths. This is the first degree of knowledge in which a person will follow carnal lust! And we condemn this knowledge and recognize it as contrary not only to faith, but also to every practice of virtue. Word 27. About the second degree of knowledge When a person, having left the first degree, is occupied with spiritual thoughts and desires, then, in the light of the nature of the soul, both with bodily feelings and spiritual mental ideas, he performs the following excellent deeds, namely: fasting, prayer, almsgiving, reading the Divine Scriptures, a virtuous life, struggle with passions, etc. For all the good deeds, all the wonderful differences discerned in the soul, and the wonderful ways used for service in the court of Christ, in this second degree of knowledge, in the work of its power, are accomplished by the Holy Spirit. And it shows the heart the paths that lead us to faith, in it we collect parting words to the true age. But here, too, the conduct is physical and complex. It contains only the path that leads and carries us to faith. On the contrary, there is a higher degree of knowledge. And if anyone succeeds, he will find the opportunity, with the help of Christ, to be elevated to this, when he lays the foundation of his work in silent distance from people, in reading the Scriptures, in prayer and in other good deeds, by which everything related to the second knowledge is accomplished. And everything beautiful is produced by him; it is called conducting affairs, because through sensual affairs, through the mediation of bodily senses, it accomplishes its work on the external level. Amen. Word 28. About the third degree of knowledge, which is the degree of perfection Listen, then, to how a person becomes refined, acquires the spiritual, and becomes likened in life to the invisible Powers, who carry out their service not through sensually performed deeds, but through the thoughtfulness of the mind. When knowledge ascends above the earthly and above the care of earthly things and begins to test its thoughts in what is hidden from the eyes within, and in some way begins to neglect that which causes indecency of the passions, and grief spreads, and faith follows in the care of the future age, and in the desire for what is promised to us, and in the search for hidden mysteries, then faith itself absorbs this knowledge, and turns, and gives birth to it again, so that it is entirely made by the spirit. Then it can soar on wings in the region of the incorporeal, touch the depths of the intangible sea, imagining in the mind the Divine and wonderful actions of government in the natures of mental and sensory beings, and seeks out spiritual secrets comprehended by the simple and subtle mind. Then the inner feelings awaken for spiritual activity according to the order that will be in this life of immortality and incorruptibility, because even here, as if in secret, the mental resurrection has taken place, as a true testimony of universal renewal. Here are three methods of knowledge with which the entire course of a person is associated in the body, in the soul, in the spirit. From the time a person begins to distinguish evil from good, and until he leaves this world, the knowledge of his soul remains in these three measures. And the fullness of all untruth and wickedness, and the fullness of truth, and in order to touch the depth of all the mysteries of the spirit, produces a single knowledge in the said three measures, and in it is contained every movement of the mind, when it ascends or descends in good, or in evil, or in the middle between good and evil. The fathers call these measures: natural, unnatural and supernatural. And these are the three directions along which the remembrance of the rational soul rises and falls when, according to what has been said, either by nature one does the truth, or above nature admires its remembrance, in the contemplation of God outside of nature, or goes out to graze pigs, like one who squandered the wealth of his prudence, who worked with many demons. List of what has been said about the three knowledges The first degree of knowledge cools the soul for the work of walking in God. The second warms the soul for a rapid flow to that which is at the level of faith. The third is peace from doing (which is the image of the future) in a single exercise of the mind, enjoying the secrets of the future. But just as nature cannot yet completely rise above the state of mortification and the burden of the flesh and perfect itself in this spiritual knowledge, which is higher than other deviating knowledge, then this knowledge is not able to serve towards perfection, which has no deficiency, and to be in the world of deadness, and to completely abandon the nature of the flesh. But while a person lives in the flesh, he remains in a transitional state from one to another. Then suddenly his soul, like a poor and beggar, begins to perform service on the second, average degree of virtue, which is embedded in nature and can be produced with the help of bodily nature; then in time, like those who have received the Spirit of sonhood, in the sacrament of freedom, he enjoys spiritual grace, according to the dignity of the One who gives it, and again returns to the humility of his deeds, and these are the essence of deeds performed with the help of the body. And the soul preserves them so that the enemy does not captivate it with the baits found in this evil age, also with confused and rejected thoughts; because man, as long as he is imprisoned under the veil of the doors of the flesh, has no hope. For in an imperfect age there is no perfect freedom. Every act of knowledge consists of doing and continuous exercise; The work of faith is not done by works, but is fulfilled by spiritual ideas, in purely spiritual work; and it is beyond feelings. For faith is more subtle than knowledge, just as knowledge is more subtle than sensible things. All the saints who have been deemed worthy to acquire this life (and this is admiration for God), by the power of faith, abide in the delight of this supernatural life. We do not mean the faith that a person has in considering the difference between the venerable and Divine Hypostases of the all-exceeding and special nature in the Divinity Himself, the wonderful Economy in the incarnation of the perception of our nature (although this faith is extremely high), but the faith that shines in the soul from the light of grace, strengthening the heart with the testimony of the mind, so that it does not waver in the certainty of hope, far from any conceit. And this faith is revealed not in the increased hearing of the ears, but in spiritual eyes that see the secrets hidden in the soul, the invisible and Divine riches hidden for the eyes of the sons of the flesh and revealed by the Spirit to those who feed on the table of Christ, in the teaching of the laws of Christ, as the Lord said: if you keep My commandments, I will send you the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot accept... and You are the One. will teach all truth (John 14:17,26). He shows a person this holy power that dwells in him at all times, this cover, this mental fortress, which always covers a person, repelling everything harmful from him, so that it does not come close to his soul or body. The bright and spiritual mind invisibly senses this power with the eyes of faith. It is she who is known by the saints even more through their experience of communion with her. But this power is the Comforter Himself, with the strength of faith, like fire, burning the members of the soul. And the soul rushes forward, neglects all danger in the hope of God, rises on the wings of faith above visible creation and is always as if intoxicated, in amazement before Divine care, in simple contemplation and invisible examination of the Divine nature, training the mind to be attentive to the study of His secrets. For until the One who performs the sacraments comes, and until we are clearly vouchsafed the revelation of them, faith between God and the saints sacraments the ineffable mysteries, which, by the grace of Christ Himself, may we also be vouchsafed here as a pledge, and in the most real truth - there, in the Kingdom of Heaven with those who love Him! Amen. Word 29. About other ways of conducting and representations of its differences Knowledge that deals with the visible or accepts through the senses what is transmitted from the visible is called natural. Knowledge, which deals with the power of the mind and within itself with the natures of incorporeal beings, is called spiritual; because sensation is received by the spirit, and not by the senses, and these two births 26, when observed, occur in the soul from the outside. And the knowledge given by Divine power is called supernatural; and it is even more unknown, and above knowledge. And the soul does not receive contemplation of this knowledge from a substance that is outside it, as in the first two knowledges; but inside it itself, immaterially, tuna, soon and beyond expectation it is revealed and revealed from the very inside; because, according to the word of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven is within you (Luke 17:21), does not nourish hope by transformation, does not come with observance, but within the image imprinted in the innermost mind, it opens by itself, without thinking about it, because the mind does not find substance in it. The first knowledge is the result of incessant study and diligent training; the second is a consequence of good living and reasonable faith, and the third is given as a lot to faith alone; because it abolishes knowledge, deeds come to an end and feelings become unnecessary for use. Therefore, knowledge is honored to the extent that it descends from this limit; and the more he descends, the more he is honored. And when it reaches the earth and earthly things, then knowledge rules over all; and without it, every work is lame and imperfect. When the soul raises its contemplation to the mountain, and expands its concepts in heavenly things, and thinks about what is not visible with bodily eyes and what is not in the power of the flesh, then everything is composed of faith, which may the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, give to us, amen (Rom. 9:5). Homily 30. About the form of prayer and other things that are necessary for constant remembrance and in many ways useful if the reader retains this with reasoning For a person, during his prayerful request, to be confirmed in his trust in God is the best part of the grace of faith. Affirmation of faith in God is not the same as sound confession, although it is the mother of faith; on the contrary, the soul sees the truth of God through the power of life. When in the Holy Scriptures you find faith combined with works, then do not mistake discussions about it for discussions about right confession, because faith, leading to certainty in hope, is never achieved by people who are not baptized or whose minds are corrupted to the truth. For the certainty of faith in people who are high in soul is revealed to the extent that their morals are attentive to living according to the commandments of the Lord. Continuous study of Scripture is light for the soul, because it shows the soul useful reminders to beware of passions, to remain in the love of God and in purity of prayer, and also outlines before us a peaceful path in the footsteps of the saints. However, do not doubt the power of the prayers of our poetry, when during prayers or hourly reading they are not followed by strong excitement and incessant contrition. The word spoken from experience must be accepted, although the one who spoke it is not a bookish person, because the royal treasures are greater than anyone else on earth, but they do not neglect to accept in addition an ox taken from a beggar; and from small streams the rivers overflow and become great in their course. If the remembrance of the good, when we bring it to our minds, renews virtue in us, then it is obvious that the remembrance of lewdness, when we remember it, renews the shameful desire in our mind, because the remembrance of both shows and outlines in our thoughts the difference between the most remembered things, as if with a finger it points us either to the shamelessness of our thoughts, or to the height of our life and strengthens us. thoughts and movements and gums and ears. We are busy with them in the secrets of our mind, and in this mental occupation the lot of our life is depicted, so that, of necessity, we constantly see ourselves. Finally, not only this activity harms the one who has it, but along with it the vision, as well as the remembrance that replenishes it, also harms. And it is not just the practice of virtue that will greatly help the one who practices this practice, but also the mental image formed by the recollection of persons who have labored in virtue. And this makes it clear why very many who have reached the degree of purity are honored to see certain saints always in night vision; and during the day, every hour in the mental exercise of the mind, the vision of these saints, imprinted on their souls, becomes a source of joy for them. And therefore they begin to practice virtues with ardor, and the flame to lust for them burns in them in abundance. And they say that the holy Angels take on the likenesses of some venerable and good saints and in a sleepy dream show these likenesses to the soul, during the soaring of its thoughts, to its joy, enrichment and admiration, and during the day they constantly set them in motion when the soul considers its thoughts; and doing it is made easier by the joy of the saints; and from this they prosper in their course. This also happens with the duration of the battles. Whoever has the habit of occupying his thoughts with evil, with the assistance of demons, it appears in its likeness. Demons take on their likeness and show the soul dreams that terrify it, and more mediate to this through daytime recollection. And sometimes this terrible vision, terrifying the soul, soon brings it to exhaustion, and sometimes it is also presented with the difficulty of living in silence and solitude and something else. Therefore, we, brethren, as for attentiveness to our recollections and the conclusion from them about the state of our soul, from now on we will begin to constantly distinguish in our reasoning the recollections that occupy us, which of them attract our attention and which we immediately drive away from ourselves, as soon as they approach our thoughts: whether those who are in us by the premeditation of demons, who plunge this food into passions, or those who are from lust and irritability, or those which are from the holy Angels, giving us a wave of joy and knowledge, that is, remembrance that awakens us with thoughts during the approach of the holy Angels to us, or those that are in us from impressions previously received by the senses, and by which thoughts are aroused in the soul, attracting us to one thing. Through knowledge of this difference, let us gain experience in two things: in observing remembrances and in doing the things they remind us of, and we will try to ensure that both are followed by a specific prayer. Love, aroused by something, is like a small lamp fed by oil, which maintains its light, or like a stream flooded with rain, the flow of which stops with the impoverishment of its constituent rainwater. But love, which has God as its culprit, is the same as a spring gushing from the earth: its streams are never stopped (because God alone is the source of love), and what feeds this love does not become scarce. About how you should pray without your thoughts spinning Do you want to enjoy poetry during your service and comprehend the meaning of the words of the Spirit spoken by you? Put completely aside the number of verses, do not take into account the knowledge of the measure in verses, say them as a prayer, leave the usual thunder and understand what I am saying to you and what is said narratively, as written by one of the men guided by God. Let your mind deepen in the study of the words of the Spirit until your soul, with wonder at the economy, is aroused to their lofty understandings and through this is moved to praise or useful sorrow. And if there is something for prayer, internalize it for yourself; and when your mind is established in this, then confusion will give way and go away. For in slavery there is no peace of mind, and in the freedom of children there is no rebellious confusion. And confusion usually takes away the taste from meaning and understanding and plunders thoughts like a leech sucking life out of bodies with the blood of their members. And confusion, if possible, would be decently called the chariot of the devil, because Satan always has the custom, like a rider, to sit on the mind, take with him a bunch of passions, with them enter the unfortunate soul and plunge it into confusion. But understand this also wisely. When versifying your psalmody, do not seem to be borrowing words from another, so as not to give the idea that you are constantly multiplying the work of teaching, and not to become completely distant from the tenderness and joy gleaned from the verses; but pronounce the words of your petition on your own behalf with tenderness and reasonable understanding, as one who truly understands his matter. What gives rise to despondency and what gives rise to a soaring mind? Dejection comes from a soaring mind, and a soaring mind comes from idleness, reading and vain conversations, or from a satiated belly. About the fact that one should not contradict evil [27] thoughts, but submit oneself before God If someone does not contradict the thoughts implanted in us by the enemy, but interrupts the conversation with them through prayer to God, then this serves as a sign that his mind has acquired wisdom by grace, that his true knowledge has freed him from many matters, and that by finding the short path that he has achieved, he has stopped long-term soaring on a long path, because not at all times we have the strength to so contradict all opposing thoughts in order to stop them; on the contrary, we often get ulcers from them, which cannot be cured for a long time. And you go out to give a lesson to those who are already six thousand years old. And this serves as a weapon for them, with which they will be able to strike you, despite all your wisdom and all your prudence. But when you defeat them, even then the impurity of thoughts will defile your mind and the stench of their stench will remain in your sense of smell for a long time. Having used the first method, you will be free from all this and from fear, because there is no other help except God. Tears during prayer are a sign of God’s mercy, which the soul has received in its repentance, a sign that the prayer has been accepted and has begun to enter the field of purity with tears. For if thoughts about the transitory are not taken away from people, and they do not reject worldly hope from themselves, and disdain for the world is not aroused in them, and they do not begin to prepare a good farewell for their departure, and thoughts about what will happen there do not begin to arise in their souls, then the eyes cannot shed tears, because tears are the result of unalloyed and low-flown reflection, many frequent and steadily abiding thoughts, remembrance of something subtle happening in the mind, and with this remembrance bringing the heart into sadness. Because of this, tears multiply and increase even more. About needlework and the love of money When, during your stay in silence, you turn to handicrafts, do not turn your father’s commandment into a veil for your love of money. To avoid despondency, let you have a small task that does not disturb your mind. If you want to do more work for almsgiving, then know that prayer in its rank is higher than almsgiving. And if for the sake of bodily needs, then if you are insatiable, what God gives you is enough to satisfy your needs. For He never leaves His workers to suffer want of temporal things. The Lord said: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33), before you ask. One of the saints said: “The order of your life is not to satisfy the hungry and for your cell to become a host for strangers. This is the work of the laity: it is more appropriate for them, as a wonderful thing, and not for hermits, free from visible worries and keeping their minds in prayer.” Homily 31. About hermitage and the fact that we should not come into fear and be afraid, but strengthen our hearts with hope in God and be content with undoubted faith, because we have God as our guardian and guardian If when you find yourself worthy of a hermitage, which in the kingdom of freedom has light burdens, then the thought of fear does not force you, according to its custom, to change your thoughts in a variety of ways and engage in them. But be more sure that your Guardian is with you, and may your wisdom assure you in all accuracy that, together with all creatures, you are under one Master, who with one wave sets everything in motion, and shakes, and tames, and arranges. Not a single slave can harm any of the slaves like him without the permission of the Provider of all and the Manager of everything. And you immediately rise up and be in good spirits. If freedom is given to others, it is not in every matter. For neither demons, nor destructive beasts, nor vicious people can fulfill their will for harm and destruction, unless the will of the Ruler allows this and does not give this place to a certain extent. He doesn’t even allow freedom to put everything into action. And if it had not been for this, no flesh would have survived. The Lord does not allow the power of demons and people to approach His creation and carry out their will on it. Therefore, always say to your soul: “I have a Guardian who protects me; and not one of the creatures can appear before me, unless there is a command from above.” Be sure that they will not dare to appear before your eyes and force you to listen with your ears to their threats. For if it were allowed from above from the Heavenly One, then there would be no need for word or words, but their will would be followed by deeds. Say also to yourself: “If it is the will of my Lord that the evil ones should prevail over creation, then I accept this without being upset, as if I do not want the will of his Lord to remain unfulfilled.” Thus, in your temptations you will be filled with joy, as one who knows and understands exactly that the Master’s beck governs and disposes of you. Finally, strengthen your heart with trust in the Lord; and thou shalt not fear from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies in the days (Isa.90:5). For it is said that faith in God and in wild animals makes the righteous gentle, like sheep. You will say: “I am not righteous, that I should trust in the Lord.” But you really went out into the desert, full of sorrows, to do righteousness, and for this you became obedient to God’s will. You work in vain when you carry out these labors, not because God only desires human labor when you offer Him your sorrow as a sacrifice of love. This prudence is demonstrated by all who love God, exposing themselves to sorrows out of love for Him. For those who deign to live in Christ Jesus in the fear of God choose tribulation for themselves and endure persecution. And He makes them the owners of His secretly kept treasures. About the benefits that temptations bring to those who endure them with gratitude and courage One of the saints said: “There was one hermit, a venerable old man, and I came to him one day, and I myself was in sadness from temptations. He lay sick; and when I greeted him, I sat down next to him and said to him: “Pray for me, father, because demonic temptations greatly sadden me.” Then he, opening his eyes, looked at me carefully and said: “You are young, child, and God does not leave temptations to be sent to you.” I answered him: “Yes, I am very young, but I endure the temptations of men who are strong in strength.” And he continued: “God wants to make you wise.” I objected: “How can you make me wise? I taste death every day." And he said to this: “God loves you; be silent: He gives you His grace.” Then he added: “Know, child, for thirty years I fought with demons, and after the twentieth year I did not see any help for myself. When I had lived through the fifth of the last ten, then I began to find peace. And over time it increased. And when the seventh year passed, and the eighth year came after it, the repose extended to a much greater measure. During the thirtieth year, and when it was already coming to an end, the peace became so strong that I don’t even know the extent to which it increased.” And he added: “When I want to get up to perform God’s service, I can still accomplish one more glory 28; and as for the rest, if I stand for three days, I am in amazement with God and do not feel any labor.” This is the kind of insatiable peace generated by a arduous and long-term undertaking!” That keeping the tongue not only makes the mind rise to God, but also promotes abstinence There was one old man who ate food twice a week and told us: “On the day on which I talk to someone, it is impossible for me to maintain the rule of fasting according to my custom; but I am forced to allow fasting.” And we understood that keeping the tongue not only makes the mind rise up to God, but also open deeds done with the help of the body secretly provides great strength for their accomplishment, and also enlightens in secret work, as the fathers used to say, because keeping the mouth makes the conscience rise up to God, if only one observes silence with knowledge. This saint was more in the habit of spending the night in vigil. For he said: “On that night that I stand until the morning, I fall asleep with psalmody, and upon awakening from sleep, on that day I am as if a person who does not belong to this world; no earthly thoughts come to my heart, and I have no need for certain rules, but all this day I am in amazement. So one day I wanted to take food, after four days had passed in which I had not eaten anything. And when I stood for the evening service, so that I could taste it after it, and stood in the courtyard of my cell, while the sun was still high, having begun the service, I only performed it with consciousness during the first glory, and after that I remained in it, not knowing where I was, and remained in this position until the sun rose again the next day and warmed my face. And then, as the sun began to greatly disturb me and burn my face, my mind returned to me, and then I saw that another day had already arrived, and I thanked God, reflecting how much His grace is poured out on man and what greatness He vouchsafes for those who follow Him.” After this, glory and splendor are due to Him alone forever and ever! Amen. Word 32. About how the secret inner sobriety in the soul is preserved and where drowsiness and coldness come to the mind, quench the holy fervor in the soul and kill the desire for God, depriving the soul of fervor for the spiritual and heavenly Whoever has good desires cannot be prevented from fulfilling them by opposition, unless the evil one finds a place for a bad pretext in those who want good. This happens for the following reason. Every thought of a good desire, at the beginning of its movement, will be followed by a certain jealousy, its ardor likened to fiery coals; and it usually protects this thought and does not allow any resistance, obstacle or obstacle to come close to it, because this jealousy acquires great strength and unspeakable power to protect the soul from relaxation or from fear when all kinds of constraining circumstances are directed at it. And just as the very first thought is the power of holy desire, naturally planted in the nature of the soul, so this jealousy is a thought driven by an irritable force in the soul, given by God for our benefit, to observe the natural limit, to express the concept of our freedom by fulfilling the natural desire found in the soul. This is a virtue, without which no good is produced, and it is called zeal, because from time to time it moves, excites, inflames and strengthens a person - to neglect the flesh in sorrows and in the terrible temptations that confront him, to constantly surrender his soul to death and go to meet the apostate force for the sake of accomplishing the work that the soul strongly desired. For someone clothed in Christ called this zeal in his words a dog and a guardian of the law of God, that is, virtue, because virtue is called the law of God. This power of jealousy is strengthened in two ways, awakened and ignited in the keeping of the house, and also in two ways it is brought to exhaustion, drowsiness and laziness. And precisely: awakening and ignition occurs when some kind of fear occurs to a person, causing him to fear for the good that he has acquired or intends to acquire, lest it be stolen or destroyed by some event or consequence thereof. And this is awakened in man by Divine providence; I mean fear in all true workers of virtue, abiding in the soul for its awakening and jealousy, so that it does not indulge in slumber. When this fear is aroused in nature, then jealousy, which we call a dog, flares up day and night like a blazing furnace and awakens nature. And, like the Cherubim, a person awakens and hourly pays attention to what is around him, and, as the person mentioned above says, if a bird passes near him, he begins to move and barks with the fastest and unspeakable swiftness. And when this fear is about the body, then it becomes satanic 29 because a person has wavered in his faith in the Providence of God and has forgotten how God cares and provides for those who strive for the sake of virtue, hourly watching over them, about which the Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of the Prophet: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and so on (Ps. 33:16); and again: The Lord is the power of those who fear Him (Ps. 24:14). And the Lord Himself, as if on His own behalf, said to those who feared Him: No evil will come to you, and no wound will come near your body (Ps. 90:10). But when there is fear about the soul because of what happens to virtue and what accompanies it, and precisely the fear that it will not be stolen and for some reason will not suffer damage, then this thought is divine, good care, sorrow and languor occur according to God's providence. And there is another way, that is, the strength and ignition of the dog are revealed when the desire for virtue increases most in the soul. For to the extent that lust grows in the soul, to the same extent this dog, that is, natural zeal for virtue, is inflamed. The first reason for cooling it down is when lust itself decreases and ceases in the soul. And the second reason is when some thought of confidence and courage enters the soul and takes hold in it, and a person begins to hope, think and hold on to the thought that there is no reason for him to be afraid of being harmed by some force; and therefore he lays down the weapon of jealousy and becomes like a house without guards; the dog falls asleep and leaves the guards for a long time. Quite a few mental homes are robbed by this thought. And this happens when the purity of this illumination with holy knowledge fades in the soul. Why does it fade? Of course, because some very subtle thought of pride entered the soul and nestled there; or the person began to indulge more in the care of the transitory or the frequent seductive communication with the world for him. Or does this happen from the womb - this mistress of all evil. Every time an ascetic enters into communication with the world, his soul immediately becomes exhausted. The same thing happens when he comes into contact with many who, out of vanity, necessarily crush his soul. In short, the mind of a fleeing ascetic, when he enters into communication with the world, is likened to a helmsman who calmly walks on the sea and suddenly falls into the midst of reefs and is wrecked. To our God be glory, power, honor and splendor forever! Amen. Homily 33. About many changes that follow in the mind and are tempted by prayer To prefer a good will is the business of the wisher; to complete the choice of good will is God’s work. For this, man needs God's help. Therefore, let us make sure that the good desire that appears in us is followed by frequent prayers, and we will ask not only to help us, but also to show whether this desire is pleasing to the will of God or not. For not every good desire enters the heart from God, but only that which is useful. Sometimes a person desires good, but God does not help him, because some desire similar to this comes from the devil and is considered to serve as a help; and often it is not according to man. The devil himself intends to harm a person and forces him to seek what he wants when he has not yet achieved the life corresponding to it. Or the desire is alien to the image a person has assumed. Or the time has not yet come when you can fulfill it or begin to fulfill it. Or the person does not have sufficient knowledge and bodily strength for the task. Or the circumstances of the time do not help us. And the devil in every way, as if under the guise of this good deed, either confuses a person, or harms his body, or hides snares in his mind. However, as I said, let us diligently perform frequent prayers, when a good desire appears in us, and let each of us say to himself: “Thy will be done, until I complete this good deed, which I wished to do, if it pleases Your will. For in this matter, to desire is convenient for me, but I cannot do this without the gift sent by You; although both are from You, both what I want and what I do (Phil. 2:13), because without Your grace I would not have decided to accept this desire that arose in me, or I would have been afraid of it.” For this is the custom of one who desires good, to use prayer, according to the prudence of the mind, as an aid to action and to the acquisition of wisdom, to distinguish truth from falsehood. And the good is given preference with many prayers, doing, storing, unceasing devotion, with frequent tears, humility and heavenly help, especially when a person has resistant thoughts of pride. For they do not allow God’s help to reach us, but we bring them into inaction through prayer. Word 34. About those who live close to God and spend their days in a life of knowledge One elder wrote words and various thoughts on the walls of his cell, and when they asked him: “What does this mean?”, he answered: “These are thoughts of truth coming to me from the Angel who is with me, and natural right reflections arising in me; I write them down at the time of their appearance, so that, when I am darkened, I can deal with them and they will save me from delusion.” Another elder was pleased with his thoughts that instead of a transitory world he was granted undying hope, and the elder answered: “While I am still on the way, it is in vain to praise me; I have not yet completed the journey.” If you work in beautiful virtue and do not feel that you are enjoying pleasure from it, then do not be surprised. For until a person humbles himself, he does not receive a reward for his work. The reward is given not for doing, but for humility. He who insults the latter loses the former. He who has anticipated and already accepted the reward for good deeds has an advantage over those who practice virtue. Virtue is the mother of sadness, and from sadness humility is born, and grace is given to humility. The reward is no longer for virtue and labor for its sake, but for the humility that is born from them. If it is lost, then the first will be in vain. The practice of virtue is keeping the commandments of the Lord. An abundance of doing is a good preparation of the mind. It consists of humility and conservation. When the strength of the first becomes impoverished, this is accepted in their place. Christ does not require the making of commandments, but the correction of the soul, for which he legitimized the commandments to those under the law. The body acts equally with both the gums and the neck, and the mind does as it wants: it either justifies itself or sins. Some people make life in the wisdom of God by deeds, while others sell sin as if under the guise of the divine. In others, who protect themselves, even shortcomings are guardians of the truth. Gift without temptation is destruction for those who accept it. If you do good before God and He gives you a gift, beg Him to give you knowledge of how much it is appropriate for you to humble yourself, or to assign a guard to you over the gift, or to take it from you, so that it will not be the cause of your destruction. For it is not harmless for everyone to keep wealth. A soul that has taken upon itself the care of virtue and lives in severity and fear of God cannot be without sorrow every day, because virtues are associated with sorrows. Whoever leaves sorrows, of course, is undoubtedly separated from virtue. If you desire virtue, then surrender yourself to all sorrow. For sorrows give birth to humility. God does not want the soul to be without care. Whoever wishes not to have care is, by his wisdom, outside the will of God. We do not mean concern for the physical, but for that which troubles subsequent good deeds. Until we achieve true knowledge, that is, the revelation of the mysteries, through temptation we approach humility. He who abides in his virtue without sorrow, the door of pride is open to him. And who already wants to be without sadness in his thoughts? Without insults, the mind cannot remain in humility, and without humility, it cannot purely engage in prayer to God. First, a person’s thoughts move away from proper care, and after this the spirit of pride approaches him. When a person remains in pride, then the providential Angel, who is near him and arouses in him concern for righteousness, moves away from him. And when a person offends this Angel and he leaves, then a stranger approaches the person, and from that time on he no longer has any concern for righteousness. Before contrition comes pride, says the Wise One (Prov. 16:18; 18:12), and before gifts comes humility. The measure of pride visible in the soul, and the measure of contrition with which God admonishes the soul. I don’t mean pride when a thought appears in the mind or when a person is temporarily overcome by it, but pride that constantly resides in a person. The first proud thought will be followed by contrition, and when a person has loved pride, he no longer knows contrition. To our God be glory and splendor forever! Amen. Word 35. On commitment to peace The word spoken by the Lord is true that it is impossible for a person, with a commitment to the world, to acquire love for God and there is no possibility, when communicating with the world, to enter into communication with God and with care for the world to have care for God (see: Matt. 6:24). As soon as we leave God out of vanity or often because of a lack of what is needed for the body, many will turn away from us in other directions. Others have expressed their consent to work for the Kingdom of Heaven and do not remember the promise that the Lord spoke: “If you apply all your care to the Kingdom of Heaven, I will not deprive you of the visible nature that satisfies your needs, but everything will come to you along with the rest. For I will not leave you to worry about yourselves” (see: Matthew 6:25–34). The Lord cares about inanimate things, about birds created for us; will he really not take care of us? This is impossible. Whoever cares about the spiritual or about something that serves the spiritual, bodily things, without worrying about that, are delivered in proportion to the urgent need and over time. And whoever cares about bodily things beyond need, involuntarily falls away from God. If we try to take care of what is needed for the sake of the name of the Lord, then the Lord will take care of both, according to our efforts. However, let us not try to tempt God in the physical, in exchange for our spiritual deeds, but let us direct all our deeds towards the hope of future blessings. Whoever, out of love for his soul, has once given himself over to virtue and desired to complete its practice, does not after this worry about the physical, whether he has it or not. In this reasoning, God often allows the virtuous to be tempted by something of this kind, allows temptations to rise up against them from everywhere, strikes them in their body, like Job, plunges them into poverty, causes humanity to abandon them, defeats them in what they have acquired; only no harm comes to their souls. For it is impossible that, when we follow the path of righteousness, we should not encounter sadness, that the body should not become exhausted in illnesses and labors, and remain unchanged, if only we love to live in virtue. If a person spends his life according to his own will, or indulging in envy, or destroying his soul, or doing anything else harmful to him, then he is subject to condemnation. And when he follows the path of righteousness, and already completes his procession to God, and acquires many like himself, and encounters something similar with him, then it is indecent for him to deviate from his path, but he must accept it with joy, without inquisitiveness, and thank God that he sent him this grace and that for God’s sake he was deemed worthy to fall into temptation and become an accomplice in suffering with the prophets, apostles and other saints, for the sake of this path those who have endured tribulation. Whether from people, from demons, or from the body, temptations will come to him (it is impossible for them to come and be allowed without God’s signal), let this be for him a reason for the truth. For it is impossible for God to show a benefit to one who desired to remain with Him except by sending temptations to him for the sake of the truth; how a person can become worthy of being worthy of this greatness, that is, for these divine works, entering into temptation and rejoicing is impossible without the grace of Christ. Saint Paul testifies to this. For this is such a great thing that the Apostle clearly calls it a gift, when a person is prepared to suffer for the sake of hope in God. Paul says: This has been given to us from God, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him (Phil. 1:29). So Saint Peter wrote in his epistle: when you suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed (1 Peter 3:14), because you have become partakers of the passions of Christ (see: Phil. 3:10). Finally, then you should not rejoice when you live in abundance, but in sorrows you should lower your face and consider them alien to the path of God. For from eternity and from generation to generation his path has been paved by the cross and death. Where did you get this idea from? Find out from this that you are outside the path of God and are moving away from it, you do not want to follow in the footsteps of the saints, or you intend to arrange for yourself a different special path and walk along it without suffering. The way of God is a daily cross. No one ascended to heaven living a cool life. As for the cool path, we know where it ends. God is not pleased that those who have devoted themselves to Him with all their hearts should be careless. His concern should be about the truth. And from this it is known that he is under God’s Providence, when God constantly sends him sorrows. Providence never allows those living in temptation to fall into the hands of demons, especially if they kiss the feet of the brethren, cover up and conceal their guilt as if it were their own. Whoever wants to have no worries in this world and desires this, but also wants to practice virtue, is not on its path. For the righteous not only strive in good deeds of their own free will, but also involuntarily endure strong struggles with temptations, as a test of their patience. A soul that has the fear of God in itself is not afraid of anything that harms it physically, because it trusts in God from now on and forever and ever. Amen. Word 36. About the fact that one should not desire or strive unnecessarily to have in one’s hands any obvious signs The Lord does not, at every time when He is close to His saints, clearly show His power in some deed or sensory sign to help them without need, so that the help provided to them does not become useless and does not lead to any harm. And he does this, providing for the saints and wanting to show them that he does not stop His secret care for them even for an hour, but in every matter he allows them, to the best of their ability, to show their feat and work in prayer. If the work overcomes them with difficulty, when they are exhausted and are unable to complete the work, because their nature is insufficient for it, He Himself does it according to the greatness of His power; and as He Himself knows, they receive proper help, and as much as possible, strengthens them in secret until they resist their grief with strength. For he does so that by the knowledge he bestows on them, all the fetters of their sorrow are resolved, and by contemplating it he awakens them to praise, which is useful in both cases. If the matter requires discovery, then, of necessity, he does this too; and His methods are the most wise, sufficient in poverty and need, and not some randomly chosen ones. He who unnecessarily dares to do this or prays to God and desires to have miracles and powers in his hands is tempted in his mind by the scolding demon and turns out to be boastful and weak in his conscience. For in sorrow we must ask for God’s help. It is dangerous to tempt God unnecessarily. And whoever desires this is not truly righteous. Many saints also find that which the Lord did not create with good will 30 . But whoever wants and desires this according to his own will without need, falls, losing his guard, and crawls in the knowledge of the truth. For if the one who asks is heard in this, as he dared to ask God for it, then the evil one finds a place in him and leads him to even more of what he asked. But the true righteous not only do not desire this, but also refuse when it is given to them; and not only in front of people, but also secretly for themselves, they do not want this. For one of the holy fathers, for his purity, by grace, received the gift of foreknowledge of those coming to him and prayed to God (and other saints prayed with him, asked for this by the elder) so that the gift would be taken from him. If some of them accepted gifts, they accepted them out of need or out of their simplicity; and others were encouraged 31 to accept God’s call, and, of course, not without special reasons. When Saint Blessed Ammun went to greet Saint Anthony the Great and got lost on the way, then look what he said to God and also what God did with him 32 . Remember Abba Macarius and the others. True righteous people always think to themselves that they are unworthy of God. And that they are truly righteous, this can be seen from the fact that they recognize themselves as damned and unworthy of God’s care, and confess this secretly and openly, and are wise to this by the Holy Spirit, so as not to be found lacking in the care and work appropriate to them while they are in this life. God kept a time of rest for them in the next century. And those who have the living Lord within themselves for this very reason do not want to be at peace and free from sorrows, although at times they are given mysterious consolation in the spiritual. It is no longer a virtue for a person, when he reaches it, not to have care and labor in it; but here is the habit of the Spirit - to constantly force yourself to be in obedience, although there is a way to do the job in peace, because such is the will of the Spirit: in whom He dwells - not to accustom those to laziness. On the contrary, the Spirit encourages them not to seek rest, but to devote themselves more to work and the greatest sorrows. Through temptations the Spirit strengthens them and causes them to draw closer to wisdom. This is the will of the Spirit, that His beloved should remain in labor. It is not the Spirit of God that lives in those who are at rest, but the spirit of the devil, as one of those who love God said: “I swore that I was dying every day.” This is what distinguishes the sons of God from others, that they live in sorrow, while the world prides itself on luxury and peace. For God did not deign that His beloved should rest while they were in the body, but rather wanted them, while in the world, to remain in sorrow, in hardship, in labor, in poverty, in nakedness, in loneliness, need, illness, humiliation, in insults, in contrition of heart, in a weary body, in renunciation of relatives, in sad thoughts, to have a different view on the whole creation, a place of residence, unlike an ordinary human one, a monastic dwelling, which is silent, invisible to the human eye, does not contain anything that makes a person happy here. Monks cry, but the world laughs. They sigh and the world rejoices. They fast, and the world enjoys luxury. They work during the day, and at night they indulge in exploits in cramped conditions and labor. Some of them are in voluntary sorrows, others are in labor, struggling with their passions, others are persecuted by people, and others are in poverty from passions, from demons and from other things. And some were expelled, others were put to death, others were killed (Heb. 11:37), and so on. And the word of the Lord was fulfilled on them: ... in the world you will have sorrow, but in Me you will rejoice (John 16:33). The Lord knows that it is impossible for those living in bodily peace to abide in His love, and therefore He forbade them peace and pleasure in it. May Christ our Savior, whose love overcomes bodily death, show us the strength of His love! Word 37. About the reason why God allows temptations to fall on those who love Him Because of the love that the saints showed for God, because they suffer for His name, when he keeps them in close quarters and does not depart from those whom He loves, the heart of the saints acquires the boldness to look at God with an uncovered face and ask Him with hope. Great is the power of bold prayer. Therefore, God allows His saints to be tempted by all kinds of sorrow and also experience His help and how much God provides for them, because as a result of temptation they acquire wisdom. Allows that, while remaining ignorant, they do not lose training in both, but from experience they acquire knowledge of everything and do not suffer ridicule from demons; because if he trained them in one good thing, then they would lack training in another part and they would be blind in battles. And if we say that God teaches them without their knowledge, then this means already saying that God wants to make them like oxen and donkeys and not having freedom in anything. And because a person, if he is not first tempted by the test of bad things, does not have a taste for good things, so that when he encounters good things in bad things, he will be able to use them with knowledge and freely as his property. How pleasant knowledge is, borrowed by the deed itself from experience and from exercise, and what strength it gives to those who have acquired it in themselves through long-term experience, this is recognized by those who have experienced the assistance of knowledge, as well as the weakness of nature and the help of Divine power, and are convinced of it. For only then will they know when God, having first withheld His power from assisting them, brings them into awareness of the weakness of nature, the difficulty of temptation, the wickedness of the enemy and the one with whom they are fighting, with what nature they are endowed and how they were protected by Divine power, how many journeys they have made, how much God’s power has elevated them, and how weak they are in the fight against any passion if this power is removed from them, so from all this they acquire humility, draw closer to God, begin to expect His help and remain in prayer. And where would they have taken all this if they had not gained experience about many bad things, having fallen into this bad thing by God’s permission, as the Apostle said: ... for the many revelations, let me not be arrogant, since I have given him a vile of the flesh, an angel of Satan (2 Cor. 12:7)? But in temptations, repeatedly experiencing God's help, a person acquires firm faith, which is why he becomes fearless, and acquires complacency in temptations from the very exercise that he had. Temptation is useful for every person. For if the temptation was useful to Paul, then let every mouth be stopped, and the whole world be guilty of God (Rom. 3:19). Ascetics are tempted to add them to their wealth; relaxed, to protect themselves from harm; immersed in sleep in order to prepare for their awakening; far away in order to bring them closer to God; theirs to God, so that they may rejoice with boldness. Every untaught son receives wealth from his father's house to no avail. That is why God first tempts and torments, and then shows the gift. Glory to the Lord, Who through bitter medicine brings us to the opportunity to enjoy health! There is no person who does not grieve during training; and there is no person who would not find the time bitter when he drinks the poison of temptation. Without them it is impossible to acquire a strong build. But we are not able to withstand temptations. For how can a clay vessel withstand the flow of water if Divine fire does not strengthen it? If, humbly asking with unceasing desire, we submit to God with patience, then we will receive everything in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Word 38. About how to find out by the thoughts aroused in a person what degree he stands at A person, while in negligence, fears the hour of death, and when he approaches God, he fears the meeting of the Judgment; when he enters completely into the antechamber, then both fears are absorbed by love. Why is this? Because when someone remains in the knowledge and life of the body, he is horrified by death; when he is in spiritual knowledge and good living, then his mind is occupied every hour with the remembrance of the future Judgment, since he stands right by his very nature, moves in spiritual order, is engaged in his knowledge and life and is well-ordered in order to draw closer to God. But when he reaches this knowledge of the truth, after the arousal in him of the feeling of the mysteries of God and after the affirmation of the hope of the future, then both this bodily man, like an animal who fears the slaughter, and the rational man, who fears the Judgment of God, is absorbed in love; he who has become a son is adorned with love, and is not admonished by a scepter. …And I and my father’s house will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). Whoever has reached into the love of God does not want to stay here again, because love destroys fear. And I, beloved, since I have fallen into foolishness, I cannot keep the secret in silence, but I become meaningless for the benefit of the brethren, because such is true love: it cannot keep anything secret from its beloved. When I wrote this, my fingers repeatedly did not have time to follow the charter, and I could not maintain patience from the pleasure that invaded my heart and silenced my feelings. However, blessed is he who always has his thoughts on God, who has refrained from everything worldly and has remained in the conversation of his knowledge with Him alone. And if he has enough patience, he will not be long delayed in seeing the fruit. The joy of God is stronger than life here; and whoever has found it will not only not look at the suffering, but will not even look at his life, and there will be no other feeling there, if this joy really existed. Love is sweeter than life, and understanding according to God, from which love is born, is even sweeter than honey and honeycomb. It is not sad for love to accept a hard death for those who love. Love is a product of knowledge, and knowledge is a product of mental health; mental health is strength that comes from prolonged patience. Question. What is leading? Answer. Feeling of immortal life. Question. What is immortal life? Answer. Feeling in God; because love comes from understanding, and knowledge according to God is the king of all desires, and to the heart that accepts it, all sweetness on earth is superfluous. For there is nothing like the sweetness of the knowledge of God. Fill my heart, O Lord, with eternal life! Eternal life is consolation in God; and whoever has found consolation in God considers worldly consolation unnecessary. Question. How does a person know that he has received wisdom from the Spirit? Answer. From wisdom itself, which in his innermost being and in his feelings teaches him humble morals; and in his mind it is revealed to him how humility is accepted. Question. How does a person know that he has achieved humility? Answer. From the fact that he finds it disgusting to please the world with his communication with him or his word; and in his eyes the glory of this world is hateful. Question. What are passions? Answer. The impulses that are produced by the things of this world, prompting the body to satisfy its most essential needs; and these battles do not cease as long as this world stands. But a person who has been honored with Divine grace, has tasted and felt something higher than this, does not allow these affections to enter his heart, because instead of them another, better desire has prevailed in him, and neither these very affections nor what they generate come close to his heart, but they remain externally ineffective, not because there are no longer passionate affections, but because the heart that receives them is dead to them and lives on something else; not because the person has calmed down as a result of maintaining prudence and deeds, but because there is no anxiety in his mind from anything, his consciousness is saturated, having enjoyed something else. The heart, which has fully accepted the feeling of the spiritual and the contemplation of the future century, is in the same way in its consciousness towards the remembrance of passions as a person who is satiated with expensive food, with other food that is not similar to the one offered to him, that is, does not pay attention to it at all, does not desire it, and, moreover, abhors it and turns away from it, not only because it is vile in itself and hateful, but also because the man was satisfied with the first, best food, which he ate, not as he squandered his share and then coveted the people, when he had already squandered his father’s wealth that he had. And also, the one who is entrusted with the treasure does not sleep. If we keep the law of sobriety and the work of prudence in management, the fruit of which is life, then the struggle with passionate battles will not come any closer to the mind. They are enabled 33 to enter the heart not as a result of struggle, but of the satiety of consciousness and knowledge with which the soul is filled, and the desire for the wonderful contemplations found in the soul. This is what prevented the attacks from approaching the heart; not because, as I said, they withdrew due to the preservation and works of prudence, which protect the knowledge of truth and the light of the soul, but because the mind, for the reasons stated above, has no struggle. For the food of the poor is vile to the rich, and likewise the food of the sick is vile to the healthy; wealth and health come from sobriety and care. While a person lives, he needs sobriety, guardianship and vigilance in order to guard his treasure. But if you leave the limit assigned to him, he will become sick and will be robbed. You should not work until you see the fruit, but you must strive until the very end. For often a ripe fruit is suddenly destroyed by hail. Whoever interferes in everyday affairs and indulges in conversations, it is still impossible to be sure that his health will remain in him. When you pray, say the following prayer: “Grant me, Lord, to truly be dead for an interview with the 34th century.” And know that you have combined all the petitions in this; try to fulfill this task in yourself. For if prayer is followed by action, then you truly stand in the freedom of Christ. And mortifying oneself for the world consists not only in removing a person from communication in conversation with what is in the world, but also in not lusting after worldly goods in the conversation of one’s mind. If we train ourselves to think well, we will be ashamed of passions as soon as we encounter them. And those who have experienced it themselves know this. But we will be ashamed of approaching passions because of their guilt. When, out of love for God, you wish to accomplish some deed, set death as the limit of your desire; and in this way, in fact, you will be honored to ascend to the level of martyrdom in the fight against every passion and you will not suffer any harm from what meets you within this limit, if you endure to the end and do not relax. The thoughts of a weak mind make the strength of patience weak, but a strong mind imparts strength to those who follow its thoughts, which nature does not have. Grant me, Lord, to hate my life for the sake of life in You! The life of this world is like drawing some only letters from those inscribed on a table; and when anyone wants and wishes, he adds and subtracts to them and makes a change in the letters. And the life to come is like manuscripts inscribed on blank scrolls, sealed with the royal seal, in which there is neither addition nor omission. Therefore, while we are in the midst of change, we will be attentive to ourselves, and while we have power over the handwriting of your life, which we write with our own hands, we will try to make additions to it with a good life, we will begin to erase in it the shortcomings of the previous life. For while we are in this world, God does not put a seal on either good or bad, until the very hour of our departure, at which the work in our fatherland ends, and we depart for a foreign country. And as Saint Ephraim said: “It is fitting for us to reflect that our soul is like a ready ship that does not know when the wind will blow on it, and an army that does not lead when the trumpet will sound. And if,” he says, “this happens for a small gain, in such cases that, perhaps, will return again, then how should we prepare and equip ourselves before that terrible day, before this bridge and before this door of the new century?” May the Mediator of our life, Christ, grant us the readiness to be confirmed in this expression of aspiration. To him be glory, worship and thanksgiving forever and ever! Amen. Word 39. About why spiritual people see through knowledge into another spiritual, in proportion to bodily debility, how the mind can rise above it, what is the reason for not freeing itself from it, when and to what extent can the mind remain without daydreaming during the hour of prayer Blessed is the honor of the Lord, who opens the door before us, so that we have no other request than the desire to rush to Him. For in this case we leave everything and the soul rushes after Him alone, so that it has no care that would prevent it from contemplating the Lord. To the extent, beloved, the mind abandons the care of this visible and is preoccupied with the hope of the future, in accordance with its elevation above the care of the body and above the thought of this care, to the same extent it becomes refined and enlightened in prayer. And to the extent that the body is freed from material bonds, the mind is also freed. And to the extent that the mind is freed from the bonds of care, to the extent it is enlightened, and to the extent it is enlightened, to the same extent it becomes refined and rises above the concepts of this age, which bears the images of puerility. And then the mind learns to contemplate in God, like Him, and not as we see. If a person does not first become worthy of revelation, he cannot see it. And if he does not achieve purity, his concepts cannot become enlightened in order for him to see what is hidden. And until he is freed from everything visible, seen in the visible creation, he will not be freed from concepts about the visible and will not become pure from darkened thoughts. And where there is darkness and confusion of thoughts, there are passions. If a person does not free himself, as we said, from this and from the reasons for that, then the mind will not gain insight into the unseen. Therefore, the Lord first of all commanded to take up non-covetousness, to withdraw from worldly rebellion and to renounce the care common to all people, saying: anyone who does not renounce all humanity and all that is his own and deny himself cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:33). So that the mind does not suffer harm from everything: from sight, from hearing, from caring about things, from their destruction, from their multiplication, from man, and in order to bind it with one hope in God, the Lord rejected from us all other care, so that as a result we would desire an interview with the one God. But prayer still needs exercise so that the mind can remain in it for a long time. After non-acquisitiveness, which frees our thoughts from bonds, prayer requires staying in it, because with the passage of time the mind acquires the habit of exercise, learns how to reflect thoughts from itself, and through long experience learns what it cannot borrow from another source. For every present life borrows growth from the life of the previous one, and the previous one is required to gain the subsequent one. Prayer is preceded by hermitage, and hermitage itself is necessary for the sake of prayer, and prayer itself is necessary in order to acquire the love of God for us, because as a result of prayer, reasons are found for us to love God. We must also know, beloved, that every conversation carried out in secret, every concern of a good mind about God, every meditation on the spiritual is established by prayer, and is called the name of prayer, and under this name is brought together, whether you mean various readings, or the voice of the mouth in praise to God, or caring sorrow for the Lord, or bodily bowing, or psalmody in poetry, or everything else from which the entire rite of genuine prayer is made up, from which the love of God is born; because love comes from prayer, and prayer comes from being a hermit. We need solitude so that we have the opportunity to talk privately with God. But hermitage is preceded by renunciation of the world. For if a person does not first renounce the world and does not get tired of everything worldly, then he cannot be alone. And also, renunciation of the world is preceded by patience, and patience is preceded by hatred of the world, and hatred of the world is preceded by fear and love. For if the fear of Gehenna does not frighten the heart and love does not lead to the desire for bliss, then hatred of this world will not be aroused in the heart. And if he does not hate the world, he will not tolerate being outside its peace. And if patience is not preceded in the mind, then a person will not be able to choose a place full of severity and not inhabited by anyone. If he does not choose a hermit’s life, he will not be able to remain in prayer. If he does not talk with God, does not remain in these thoughts combined with prayer and in all types of the prayer order we have said, then he will not feel love. Finally, love for God comes from conversation with Him, and prayerful reflection and teaching is achieved through silence, silence through non-covetousness, non-covetousness through patience and hatred of lusts, and hatred of lusts through fear of Gehenna and the aspiration of bliss. He hates reluctance, who knows the fruit of it, and what is prepared by it for a person, and to what bliss he is not allowed by lust. Thus, every life is connected with the previous one, and from it it borrows an increase and passes into another higher one. And if one thing is lower than itself, then what follows cannot stand and be visible, because everything is destroyed and perishes. What is more than this, that is, there is a measure to words. To our God be glory and splendor forever! Amen. Word 40. About bows and other things Do not call the duration of prayer idle, low-flown, collected and long, because you left the psalms. But more than exercises in poetry, love bowing in prayer. Prayer, when he gives you his hand, replaces God’s service. And when during the service itself you are given the gift of tears, do not call the enjoyment of them idleness in prayer, because the grace of tears is the fullness of prayer. While your mind is distracted, do more reading than prayer. But, as has been said, not all writing is useful. Love silence much more than action. If possible, prefer reading to standing. For reading is the source of pure prayer. Do not indulge in negligence under any circumstances, but be sober from the soaring of your mind. For psalmody is the root of life. However, know also that physical deeds are much more useful than poetry, performed with the soaring of the mind. And mental sadness surpasses physical labor. During times of negligence, be sober and gradually arouse jealousy in yourself, because it greatly awakens the heart and warms the thoughts of the soul. Against lust, during times of negligence, irritability helps nature. For it stops the coldness of the soul. For these reasons, negligence usually comes to us either from a burden in the belly, or from a multitude of affairs. Piety in action is light in the way of thinking. This is nothing more than leading. Let every prayer that we perform at night be more honorable in your eyes than all the deeds of the day. Do not burden your womb, so that your mind does not become clouded, and you do not be in confusion from the soaring of thoughts when you get up at night, and your limbs do not relax, and you yourself do not find yourself filled with feminine relaxation, and on top of this, so that your soul does not become darkened, and your concepts do not become darkened, and so that, due to darkness, you do not become completely powerless to collect them together for poetry, and so that you do not become spoiled. you have a taste for everything, and the verse of psalmody has not ceased to delight you, while the mind, with the lightness and brightness of thought, usually savors its variety with pleasure. For when nighttime orderliness is disturbed, then in daytime activities the mind is confused, and walks in a darkened state, and does not enjoy reading, as usual, because whether the mind turns to prayer or to some activity, a storm appears on the thoughts. The pleasure given to ascetics during the day flows out in a pure mind from the light of night work. Every person who has not experienced prolonged silence should not expect to learn anything more about the benefits of asceticism, even though he is great, wise, teacher, and has many merits. Be careful lest your body become too weak, and therefore negligence grows stronger against you and chills your soul by tasting its work. Everyone should weigh his life, as it were, on a scale. When you are full, beware of giving yourself freedom even in small things. Let your sitting be chaste while satisfying your needs. Most of all, during your sleep, be chaste and pure and strictly observe not only your thoughts, but also your members. Keep yourself from conceit during good changes in you. Diligently reveal your weakness and ignorance in considering the subtleties of this conceit to the Lord in prayer, so as not to be abandoned to you and not to be tempted in anything shameful; because pride follows fornication, and conceit follows deception. Do handicraft according to your needs, or better yet, so that it serves as a bond for you in your silence. Do not faint in your trust in your Provider, for His dispensation among those who are related to Him is marvelous. For in the uninhabited desert, it is not with human hands that He arranges the affairs of those who live by trusting in Him. If the Lord visits you in the physical without your labor, when you strive to care for your soul, then, through the trick of the murderer-devil, then the thought arises in you that the reason for all this providence, without a doubt, is in yourself. And then, along with this thought, God’s providence for you ceases, and at that very hour very many temptations are rushed at you, either from the cessation of the Provider’s care for you, or from the resumption of labor and illnesses rising in your body. God stops His care not just because a thought arises, but because the mind stops on this thought. For God does not punish or judge a person for an involuntary movement, even if we temporarily agree with the thought. If at the same hour we pierce passion within ourselves and contrition appears in us, then the Lord does not punish us for such negligence, but punishes us for negligence to which the mind really indulges so that it looks at it insensitively and recognizes it as something necessary and useful, and does not consider it a dangerous concern for itself. Let us always pray to the Lord like this: “May Thy truth, O Christ, the fullness of truth, shine in our hearts, and may we learn how to walk in Thy way according to Thy will!” When a certain evil thought is sown in you, either from among those who come from afar, or from among those who have occupied you before, and often appears in your mind, then recognize it as true that it is hiding a net for you. But you wake up and sober up in time. And if the thought is from the part of the good and good, then know that God wants to give you a certain way of life, and therefore this thought, beyond the usual, is aroused in you. If the thought is darkened, and you doubt it, and cannot clearly comprehend whether it is your own or a thief, a helper or a slanderer hiding under a good guise, then let us arm ourselves against it with the strongest and quickest prayer with much vigil, day and night. Do not alienate him from yourself, and do not agree with him, but with diligence and fervor, make a prayer for him and do not be silent, calling on the Lord. He will show you where this thought comes from. Love silence above all, because it brings you closer to fruition; the tongue is weak to depict it. First, let us force ourselves to silence, and then from silence something will be born for us that will lead to silence itself. May God grant you to feel something born of silence. If you begin with this life, I cannot even say how much light will shine for you from here. Don’t think, brother, that, as they say about the wonderful Arseny, when his fathers and brothers visited him and came to see him, and he sat with them in silence and in silence let them go from him, he did all this completely of his own free will and that at first he did not force himself to do it. From practicing this activity, over time, some kind of pleasure is born and forcibly leads the body to remain in silence. And many tears are born in us in this life, and in wonderful contemplation the heart separately feels something in them, at other times with difficulty, and at others with surprise; because the heart diminishes and becomes like a child; and as soon as the prayer begins, tears flow. Great is the man who, through the patience of his members, acquired this wonderful skill internally in his soul. When you put all the deeds of this life on one side, and silence on the other, then you will find that it outweighs on the scales. People have a lot of advice, but when someone comes close to silence, the work of keeping them will be unnecessary for him, and the previous works will turn out to be unnecessary, and he himself will turn out to have surpassed these works, because he has approached perfection. Silence helps silence. How is this possible? Living in a crowded monastery, it is impossible for us not to meet someone. And the equal-angel Arseny, who loved silence most of all, could not avoid this. For it is impossible not to meet with the fathers and brothers who live with us, and this meeting happens unexpectedly: a person needs to go to church or another place. This blessed man saw all this, and namely, that it was impossible for him to avoid this while he lived near the human monastery. And when I often found it impossible, at my place of residence, to avoid getting close to people and monks living in those places, then I was taught by grace this method - unceasing silence. And if, out of necessity, he opened his door to some of them, they were amused only by the sight of him, and verbal conversation and the need for it became unnecessary for them. Many of the fathers, by seeing this, were brought into a position to protect themselves and increase spiritual wealth, taking advantage of the lesson that the sight of the blessed one served for them. And some of them tied themselves to a stone, or tied themselves with a rope, or tormented themselves with hunger, while the desire to go to people was born in them, because hunger greatly contributes to taming the feelings. I have found, brother, many fathers, great and wonderful, who, more than about deeds, took care of the orderliness of feelings and bodily habits, because from here comes the orderliness of thoughts. Many reasons occur to a person outside of his will, which force him to go beyond the limits of his freedom. And if he is not protected in his feelings by a previously acquired unrelenting skill, then it may happen that for a long time he will not enter into himself and will not find his original peaceful state. Prosperity of the heart is thinking about your hope. The prosperity of life is renunciation of everything. Remembrance of death is a good bond for external members. The bait for the soul is the joy produced by hope thriving in the heart. The increase in knowledge is the constant testing to which the mind is daily subjected internally as a result of twofold changes. For if from solitude sometimes despondency is born in us (and this, perhaps, is allowed at God’s discretion), then we have the excellent consolation of hope - the word of faith, which is in our hearts. And one of the God-bearing men said well that for a believer, love for God is sufficient consolation even in the event of the destruction of his soul. For, he says, what harm will sorrow cause to one who, for the sake of future benefits, neglects pleasure and peace? I give you, brother, this commandment: let alms always take precedence over you until you feel in yourself the mercy that you have for the world. Let our mercy be a mirror so that we can see in ourselves that likeness and that true image that exists in God’s nature and in the essence of God. Let us be enlightened by this and similar things, so that with enlightened will we may move toward living according to God. A cruel and unmerciful heart will never be cleansed. A merciful person is the doctor of his soul, because, as if with a strong wind, he disperses the darkness of passions from his insides. This, according to the Gospel word of life, is a good debt given by us as a loan to God. When you approach your bed, tell her: “This night, perhaps, you will be my coffin, my bed, and I don’t know if this night, instead of a temporary sleep, an eternal, future dream will come to me.” Therefore, while you have legs, follow the doing, before you are bound by bonds that can no longer be resolved. While you have fingers, crucify yourself in prayer before death comes. While you have eyes, fill them with tears before they are covered with dust. Like a rose, as soon as the wind blows on it, it withers, so if within you you breathe on one of the elements that make up your composition, you will die. Put it into your heart, man, that you are about to depart, and constantly say to yourself: “There is a messenger already at the door who has come for me. Why am I sitting here? my exile is eternal, there will be no return.” He who loves conversation with Christ loves to be alone. And whoever loves to stay with many is a friend of this world. If you love repentance, love silence. For without silence, repentance does not reach perfection. And if anyone contradicts this, do not enter into competition with him. If you love silence - the mother of repentance, then love with pleasure the slightest bodily harm, and the reproaches and insults that will be poured on you for silence. Without this preparation you will not be able to live freely and unperturbed in silence. If you neglect what has been said, you will become a partaker of silence, according to the will of God, and you will remain in silence for as long as it pleases God. Commitment to silence is a constant expectation of death. Whoever enters into silence without this thought cannot bear what we must endure and endure by all means. Know also this, prudent one, that we choose solitary living with our souls, silence and seclusion, not for deeds that extend beyond the rules, not in order to do them. For it is known that due to bodily zeal, more communication with many contributes to this. And if this had been necessary, then some of the fathers would not have left coexistence and communication with people, and others would not have begun to live in tombs, and others would not have chosen to seclude themselves in a solitary house, where, most of all, having relaxed the body and leaving it unable to fulfill the rules they had imposed on themselves, with all kinds of weakness and bodily exhaustion, they happily endured their entire lives with the still serious illnesses that befell them, from which they did not they could stand on their feet, or say the usual prayer, or glorify with their lips, but did not even perform a psalm or anything else performed with the body; and instead of all the rules, only bodily weakness and silence were enough for them. This is how they behaved all the days of their lives. And with all this imaginary idleness, none of them wanted to leave their cells and, due to their failure to fulfill their rules, go somewhere else or in churches to cheer themselves with the voices and services of others. He who has felt his sins is superior to the one who raises the dead with his prayer, when his abode is among a crowd of people. He who spends one hour sighing for his soul is superior to the one who benefits the whole world with his vision. He who is worthy to see himself is higher than he who is worthy to see Angels. For the latter enters into communication with the eyes of the body, and the former with the eyes of the soul. He who follows Christ in solitary weeping is better than he who boasts of himself in assemblies. Let no one expose what the Apostle said: I prayed that I should be excommunicated from Christ (Rom. 9:3). Anyone who has accepted Pavlov’s power is commanded to do so. And Paul, for the benefit of the world, was given water by the indwelling Spirit, as he himself testified that he did this not of his own free will. For he says: ... my needs are present, but woe is it for me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16). And Paul's election was not to show him an image of his repentance, but to preach the gospel to mankind; For this purpose he also received superabundant strength. However, we, brothers, will love silence until peace is killed in our hearts. Let us always remember death, and in this thought draw closer to God with our hearts, and despise the vanity of the world, and worldly pleasures will become despicable in our eyes, with pleasure in a sick body we will endure the everlasting idleness of silence, so that we may be worthy of pleasure with those who in the dens and abysses of the earth (Heb. 11:38) look forward to the glorious revelation of our Lord from Heaven. To Him and His Father and His Holy Spirit be glory, and honor, and power, and splendor forever and ever! Amen. Homily 42. Message to one of Isaac's beloved, in which he offers: a) a teaching about the mysteries of silence and that many, due to ignorance of these mysteries, are negligent about this wonderful work, but most of them stick to staying in their cells according to the legend circulating among the monks, and b) a short collection related to the legend of silence Since I am forced by duty to write to you, brother, about what is due, then with my letter, according to our promise to you, I inform your love that I have found you, by the severity of your life, having prepared yourself to go to remain in silence. Therefore, everything that I heard about this work from sensible men, after I combined the collection of their sayings in my mind with the closest experience that I actually had, I imprint in a short word in your memory; Only you yourself, after carefully reading this message, help yourself with your usual diligence; because with wise understanding, not along with ordinary reading, you must begin to read the words collected in this epistle of ours, and, due to the great hidden power in it, with other reading, accept it as a kind of light; and then you will find out what it means to remain in silence, what the doing of it consists of, what secrets are hidden in this doing, and why some belittle the value of truth in public life and prefer it to the sorrows and feats of silent sojourn and monastic life. If you wish, brother, to find incorruptible life in your short days, then let your entry into silence be with prudence. Enter into the study of his work, and not only by name enter this path, but delve into it, go deeper, strive and strive with all the saints to comprehend what the depth and height of this life is. For in every human undertaking, from the beginning of its doing to the end, some method and hope of accomplishment are presupposed; and this prompts the mind to lay the foundation for the matter. And this goal strengthens the mind to bear the difficulty of the matter, and in looking at this goal the mind borrows for itself some consolation in the matter. And just as someone unremittingly strains his mind until the end of his work, so the venerable work of silence is done in the pursuit of the mysteries with a deliberate goal, which the mind attentively looks at in all its long and difficult labors until the end of the building. Just as the eyes of a helmsman are fixed on the stars, so one who lives in solitude, throughout the entire course of his journey, directs his inner gaze to the goal towards which he set out to go in his mind from that first day on which he decided to make his way through the formidable sea of silence, until he finds that pearl for which he set off into the intangible abyss of the sea of silence: and attention filled with hope eases him in the burden of the task and in the cruelty of the dangers encountered in his life. his procession. And whoever, at the beginning of his silence, does not assume this goal in himself in the work ahead of him, acts unreasonably, just like someone who fights with the air. Such a person never gets rid of the spirit of despondency throughout his life; and one of two things happens to him: either he cannot bear the unbearable burden, is overcome by it and completely leaves silence, or he patiently remains in silence, and the cell becomes a prison house for him, and he is baked in it, because he does not know the hope of consolation generated by the practice of silence. Therefore, wanting this consolation, he cannot ask with heart disease and cry during prayer. Our fathers, filled with pity and loving their sons, left us signs of all this for the needs of our lives in their writings. One of them said: “For me, the benefit of silence is that when I leave the house in which I live, my mind rests from the preparation of war and turns to better work.” In a similar way, another said: “I strive in silence so that the verses may be enjoyed for me when reading and praying. And when my tongue becomes silent from pleasure at understanding them, then, as if in some kind of dream, I come to a state of compression of my feelings and thoughts. And also when, during the duration of this silence, my heart calms down from the rebellion of memories, then waves of joy are constantly sent to me by inner thoughts, which, beyond expectation, suddenly come to the delight of my heart. And when these waves approach the ship of my soul, then from the broadcasts of the world and from carnal life they plunge it into true miracles, into the silence that abides in God.” And another, on the contrary, said: “Silence cuts off pretexts and reasons for new thoughts and, within its walls, leads to dilapidation and fading of the memories of what we have done before. And when the old substances in thought become dilapidated, then the mind, correcting them, returns to its rank.” And another said: “You will understand the measure of what is hidden in you from the difference in your thoughts, but I am talking about constant thoughts, and not randomly excited and passing in an hour. There is no one who carries a body who would come to his home without being separated from two, good or bad, changes: and if he is diligent, then from changes of little importance, and with the help of nature (because fathers are the fathers of those born); and if he is careless, then - from high changes, and with the help of the leaven of this grace that was in our nature.” And another said: “Choose for yourself a delightful work, unceasing vigil at night, during which all the fathers put off the old man and were deemed worthy of renewal of mind. In these hours the soul feels this immortal life, and by the sensation of it it takes off the garments of darkness, and receives the Holy Spirit into itself.” And another also said: “When someone sees various faces and hears various voices that disagree with his spiritual occupation, and enters into conversation and communication with them, then he cannot find free time for the mind to see himself in secret, to bring to mind his sins, to purify his thoughts, to be attentive to what appears to him, and to converse intimately in prayer.” And again: “It is impossible to subordinate these feelings to the power of the soul without silence and alienation from people, because the rational soul, being essentially united and associated with these feelings, is involuntarily carried away by its thoughts if a person is not awake in secret prayer.” And again: “How much pleasure it brings, how it amuses, how it delights wakefulness and cleanses the soul through its awakening, and together with prayer and reading, these are especially known to those who are engaged in this at every time of their lives and live in the strictest asceticism.” Therefore, you, a person who loves silence, place these indicative gestures of your father’s words before you as a certain goal, and direct the course of your work towards getting closer to them. And first of all, manage to find out what is most important to agree with the purpose of your work. For without this you cannot acquire knowledge of the truth; and in this endeavor to show your patience in abundance.” Silence is the secret of the future age, and words are the instrument of this world. A fasting person tries to liken his soul to spiritual nature through silence and incessant fasting. When a person, in his divine work, excommunicates himself to remain in his innermost being, then he is initiated into these mysteries; and his service is filled with Divine sacraments, and through them, invisible Powers, and the shrine of the Power dominating over creatures. And if some excommunicated themselves for a time in order to enter into the Divine mysteries, they were marked with this seal. And some of them were entrusted, for the renewal of those at the middle level, with the discovery of the mysteries hidden in the unknown silence of the Lord, because to serve such mysteries would be indecent for a person whose belly is full and his mind is outraged by intemperance. But the saints did not dare to converse with God and did not ascend to the secrecy of the mysteries, except when their members were weak, with a pale complexion from love of greed and from a silent mind and renunciation of all earthly thoughts. For when, over a long period of time, in your cell, amid the deeds of labor and preserving what is hidden, and while abstaining from all encounters with your senses, the power of silence overshadows you, then you will first experience joy, which, without reason, takes possession of your soul from time to time, and then your eyes will be opened, so that, according to your purity, you can see the strength of God’s creation and the beauty of creatures. And when the mind is guided by the miracle of this vision, then both night and day will be one for it in the glorious wonders of God’s creatures. And from now on, the feeling of passions in the soul itself is stolen by the pleasantness of this vision; and in this, in the order following it, starting from purity and higher, the mind ascends to two more degrees of mental revelations. May God grant this to us too! Amen. Word 43. About different assumptions and what is the need for each of them The spiritual feeling is of such a quality that it absorbs contemplative power, like the apple of the body’s eyes, which have sensual light within it. Mental contemplation is natural knowledge attached to the natural state; and it is called natural light. Holy power is the gift of the sun to prudence, placed between light and contemplation. Natures are something in between, contemplated by the discerning in the light. Passions are like a solid essence; they occupy the middle between light and contemplation and prevent one from distinguishing the diversity of things during contemplation. Purity is the transparency of the mental air, in the depths of which our inner nature soars. If the mind is unhealthy in its nature, then knowledge in it is ineffective, just as the bodily sense, when damaged for some reason, loses sight. If the mind is healthy, but there is no knowledge in it, then without it the mind does not discern spiritual things, just as an eye, healthy in its entire composition, is often weak in relation to sensory vision. And if in all this it is preserved that what is characteristic of something, but is not close to grace, then in the matter of discernment all this remains ineffective; as in the hours of the night, since there is no sun then, the eyes are unable to make out objects. And when everything (that is, both the eye and vision) is healthy and perfect in itself, but some things are not distinguished or not distinguished, then what is said is fulfilled: ... in Your light we will see light (Ps. 35:10). If the grace of the mental Sun is close, excites desire, encourages and makes one awake, but there is no purity in the mind, then it is like empty air, which is opaque 36 from the density of clouds and dark substances, conveniently ascending to the sunlight, which makes us happy with the pleasantness of this vision. When vision is weak in discernment, then nature is weak in activity. The soul is prevented from feeling the pleasantness of the second Sun shining over everything by the physicality superimposed on it, which covers the insights of truth, so that they do not reach us. However, all this that we have said is sought out with need, both because it is difficult to find all this in one person as a whole, without deficiency and reproach, and because many cannot achieve perfection in any one spiritual knowledge. This deficiency occurs for the following reasons: due to the insufficiency of the mind, due to the disorder of the will, due to a position that does not correspond to the goal, due to impoverishment of purity, due to the lack of a teacher and guide, due to the withholding of grace (it is said: It is not foolish for a stingy man to have wealth and great possessions, Sir. 14:3), due to obstacles from circumstances, from place and from morals. Truth is a feeling about God, which only a person experiences in himself through the sensation of the feelings of the spiritual mind. Love is the fruit of prayer; and from its contemplation it raises the mind to its insatiable lust, when the mind remains in it without despondency, and a person prays with his mind only in the silent thoughts of the understanding, ardently and with ardor. Prayer is the mortification of concepts inherent in the will of carnal life. For he who prays diligently is as he who is dead to the world; and to remain patiently in prayer means for a person to deny himself. In the selflessness of the soul, the love of God is finally found. Just as from the seed of the sweat of fasting the ear of chastity grows, so from satiety - debauchery and from satiety - uncleanness. With a hungry and humble belly, shameful thoughts cannot penetrate into the soul. Every food we consume adds moisture and becomes a natural strength within us. And when the instrumental members, due to the tension of the whole body that has taken place in them, become full, and at the same time something bodily happens to be seen, or something is involuntarily aroused in the heart along with a thought, then from the thought something pleasant suddenly begins to move and spreads throughout the whole body. Although the mind of a chaste and immaculate person is strong in his thoughts, yet by this sensation that occurs in his members, his mind is immediately indignant, and, as if from some high place, he descends from the place on which he stands; and the holiness of his thoughts wavers, and his bright chastity is desecrated by the rebellion of passions that entered the heart during the disintegration of the members. Then half of his strength is exhausted, which is why it can be said that he forgets the first goal of his hope, and before he enters into the struggle, without struggle he finds himself a captive, without the effort of his enemies he becomes subject to the will of his weak flesh. The will of a good person is forced to do all this by the strong will of constant satiation. Even though he remained firmly in the haven of chastity, satiety inclines him to indulge in what he would never want to allow into his heart. And as soon as one thought falls asleep, it is surrounded by a collection of thoughts containing empty and shameful dreams; and this pure bed makes him a vitality of fornication and a disgrace of visions. When, in the ecstasy of thoughts, he joins in conversation with them, he defiles his venerable members without the approach of his wife, then is any sea agitated and boiling as much from a storm as the mind is troubled, subjected to the force of waves, from the satiety of the belly stirred up on it by the sea of ​​its flesh? How your beauty and chastity are illuminated by reclining on the bare ground, by the labor of hunger that robs you of sleep, by the suffering of the flesh, which, when abstaining from food, between the ribs and the belly becomes like a deep ditch! Every food we take in, and every resting place, forms in us shameful likenesses and ugly ghosts; and they are born, come out, become visible in the hidden region of our mind and irritate us to secret communication in shameful matters. But the emptiness of our belly and our thoughts makes us a deserted country, not disturbed by thoughts and silent from all rebellious thoughts. The belly, filled with satiety, is the region of ghosts; and satiety makes him the four gates for absurd dreams, although we will be alone in the desert. For they say that satiety desires many things. When you are honored with Divine grace and spiritual dispassion, then understand that it is not due to the non-appearance of ugly thoughts in you or the non-excitation of carnal thoughts (it is impossible for anyone to live without them), nor due to thoughts that are conveniently overcome by you (because, of course, the thought is not defiled or disturbed by them, no matter how extremely lofty it may be), but due to thoughts of better mental activity, the mind is not left in the need to carry on with them scold and destroy them. But as soon as a thought enters, it is predatoryly snatched away from approaching them by some force, outside the will, which, by skill and grace, keeps the leaven inside the heart, which is the abode of the mind. Another is the mind of an ascetic, and another is the rank of the priesthood: the mind, which by heavenly grace died for the world, has bare thoughts about some only objects without struggle and achievement. Perfection, associated with flesh and blood, reigns supreme over the thoughts arising from flesh and blood, but does not bring them and other thoughts inherent in nature to complete inaction, while the life-giving thought of man still beats with elemental life and the foundation of his mind in every movement and inclination borrows change from the four moistures. To our God be glory forever and ever! Amen. Homily 44. About how a prudent person should remain silent Listen, beloved: if you want your deeds not to be in vain and your days not to be idle and not devoid of benefit, which the prudent hope from silence, then let your entry into it be with reasoning, and not in the hope of something, so as not to become like many. On the contrary, let there be a goal in your thoughts towards which to direct the affairs of your life. Ask those who know more about this, and those who know from experience, and not from mere speculation. And do not stop doing this until you show experience in all the paths of silence. With every step you take, find out whether you are following the path or have deviated from it and are following some path outside the real road. And by obvious deeds alone, do not be convinced that you are accurately living a silent life. If you want to gain something and comprehend it through your own experience, then at every step you take, let signs and omens be hidden in your soul, and by them you will recognize the truth of your fathers and the charm of the enemy. Until you become wiser on your path, let this little thing serve you. When, during silence, you notice in your mind that your thought can freely act with your thoughts and in its power over any of them there is no compulsion to it, then know that your silence is correct. And also, when you perform services, if, during various services, you are, as far as possible, from soaring your mind, and suddenly the verse on your tongue is stopped, and the shackles of silence are imposed on your soul, without the participation of your freedom, and this follows a long stay in silence, then know that you are stretching forward in your silence and that meekness has begun to deepen in you. For simple silence is truly worthy of condemnation. Simple living among the wise and prudent is recognized as the only member excommunicated from the assistance of other members. And again, if you notice in your soul that with every thought that arises in it, with every remembrance and during contemplations that happen in your silence, your eyes are filled with tears, and tears flow freely down your cheeks, then know that an opening has begun to appear before you as a barrier to the destruction of those who resist. And if you find in yourself that at times your thought, without prior thought, outside the usual order, sinks inside you and remains in this state for about an hour or some time, and then you notice that your members seem to be in great exhaustion and peace reigns in your thoughts, and the same thing is always repeated with you, then know that a cloud has begun to overshadow your tabernacle. If, when you have spent enough time in silence, you find thoughts in your soul that divide it into different parts and take possession of it, and as if forcibly every hour it is surrounded by these thoughts, and its thought is always raised to what it has done, or wants to embark on vain searches, then know that you are working in vain in silence, and your soul spends its time floating in the mind, and The reasons for this can be external or internal negligence about what should be done, and even more so about vigil and reading. And you immediately arrange your business. If, when you enter these days, you do not find peace from the passions that trouble you, then do not be surprised. If the depths of the world, after the sun's rays move away from it, remain warm for a long time, and also the smell of medicine and the smoke of the world, spreading in the air, remain for a considerable time before they dissipate and disappear, then all the more passions, like dogs accustomed to licking blood in a butcher's shop, when they are not given their usual food, stand at the door and bark until the strength of their former skill is crushed. When negligence begins to enter your soul like a Tatar, and it returns back in darkness, and the house is close to being filled with darkness, then the following signs are approaching. You will secretly feel within yourself that you are exhausted in your faith, you prevail in what is visible, but your hope is diminished, you suffer loss in those close to you, your whole soul is filled with reproach in your mouth and in your heart for every person and for every thing, with whatever you encounter in your thoughts and feelings, and for the Most High Himself, and you are afraid of bodily harm, for the sake of which cowardice takes possession of you every hour, and from time to time your soul is excited by such fear that you are frightened and run from your shadow, because you have eclipsed your faith with unbelief; By faith we do not mean the basis of a common confession, but this mental power, which with the light of the mind strengthens the heart and with the testimony of conscience arouses in the soul great hope in God, so that it does not worry about itself, but carelessly casts its care in everything on God. When you stretch forward, you will find the following clear signs close to your soul: you will be strengthened in everything by hope and enriched by prayer, the things that serve for your benefit will never become scarce in your mind every time you meet people and feel the weakness of human nature, and each such case will protect you from pride. On the other hand, your neighbor’s shortcomings will become unworthy of attention in your eyes. You desire to leave this body with the same desire as you would to remain in the next century. About every sorrowful adventure for us, which meets you openly and secretly, with all caution, far from conceit, you will find that in justice and judgment all this has approached you. And for everything you will bring confession and thanksgiving. These are the signs of those who are sober, cautious, who remain in silence and who want to achieve strictness of life. The weakened have no need for these subtle signs of the downfall that threatens them, because they are far from the hidden virtues. When one of them begins to penetrate your soul, guess at that hour which side you have begun to lean towards. For you will soon find out what kind of community you are. May God give us true knowledge! Amen. Word 45. About the degree of subtle prudence Always be attentive to yourself, beloved; and in the series of your affairs, consider the sorrows that you encounter, and the desolation of your place of residence, and the subtlety of your mind, along with the coarseness of your knowledge, and the long duration of your silence, along with many healings, that is, temptations that the true Doctor leads to the health of the inner man (and at other times demons also bring), sometimes illnesses and bodily labors, and sometimes fearful thoughts of your soul, terrible memories about what will happen in the end, sometimes the instillation and obligation of the grace of heartfelt warmth, and sweet tears, and spiritual joy, and everything else, I will say this without multiplying words. Do you completely notice in all this that your ulcer has begun to heal and close? That is, have passions begun to wear out? Make a sign, and constantly enter into yourself, and see: what passions, according to your observation, have become exhausted before you, which of them have disappeared and completely retreated from you, and which of them have begun to fall silent as a result of your mental health, and not as a result of the removal of what led you to fear, and which ones have you learned to overcome with your mind, and not by depriving yourself of what serves as a reason for them? Pay attention also to whether you really see that in the midst of the festering of your ulcer, living flesh, that is, spiritual peace, began to grow. What passions gradually and rapidly compel, and at what intervals? Are these passions physical, or mental, or complex and mixed? And are they awakened in memory by darkness, like the weak, or do they rise up against the soul with strength? and, moreover, in a sovereign or Tat manner? And how does the king of the senses, the mind, pay attention to them? And when they strain their strength and enter into battle, does he fight with them and render them powerless with his strength, or does he not even look at them and do not regard them as anything? And which of them were erased after the struggle, and which were depicted again? Passions are set in motion either by some images, or by feeling without images and by memory without passionate movements and thoughts, and do not produce irritation. From all this you can also recognize the measure at which the soul stands. The first did not come into the structure, because the soul still has to struggle, although it reveals its strength against them, and the second depend on the use, as the Scripture said, saying: ... David sat in his house, and God gave him rest from all those around him (2 Samuel 7:1). Understand this not about passion alone, but together with natural passions, desire and irritability, and about the passion of love of glory, which imagines and mentally imagines faces and arouses to lust and desire, and also about the passion of love of money, when the soul enters into communication with it secretly, although it does not agree to enter into the act itself, but depicts in the mind a likeness of what the love of money feeds on when collecting wealth and what makes the soul think about this, and produces in her a desire to possess this, along with other things. Not all passions wage war offensively. For there are passions that show only sorrow to the soul. Negligence, despondency, sadness do not attack aggressively and boldly, but only impose heaviness on the soul. The strength of the soul is tested in victory over passions that lead an offensive battle. And a person must have a subtle knowledge of all this and know the signs, so that with every step he takes he is aware of where his soul has reached and what country it has begun to trample under its feet: whether it is in the land of Canaan or beyond the Jordan. But pay attention to this too. Is the knowledge, according to the spiritual light, sufficient to distinguish this, or does it distinguish it in darkness, or is it completely devoid of such an ability? Do you really find that your thoughts have begun to purify? Does the floating of thoughts in the mind occur during the hour of prayer? What passion troubles the mind as it approaches prayer? Do you feel within yourself that the power of silence has enveloped your soul with meekness, silence and peace, which is usually born in the mind beyond the norm? Does the mind constantly admire, without the participation of the will, the concepts of the incorporeal, the explanation of which is not allowed to enter into the senses? Does joy suddenly flare up in you, with its incomparable pleasure making your tongue fall silent? Does a certain pleasure constantly flow from the heart and is the mind completely attracted? From time to time, some kind of pleasure and joy enters the whole body imperceptibly, and the carnal language cannot express this until everything earthly is, with this remembrance, considered dust and vanity. For this first pleasure flowing from the heart, sometimes at the hour of prayer, sometimes during reading, and sometimes also as a result of incessant occupation and duration of thought, warms the mind. And this last thing most often happens without all this, and many times during the sharing, and in the same way often at night, when you are between sleep and awakening, as if sleeping and not sleeping, awake and not awake. But when a person finds this delight, beating throughout his whole body, then he thinks at that hour that the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing other than this same thing. See also, has the soul acquired the power that consumes sensory recollections with the power of hope that takes possession of the heart and strengthens inner feelings with an inexplicable conviction of certainty? And the heart, without care that it is not captivated by earthly things, is it awakened by unceasing behavior and continuous heartfelt activity performed with our Savior? Gain knowledge of the difference between the calling to work and the commandment when you hear about it. The opportunity to quickly taste this brings continuous silence to the soul through its incessant and constant activity. For, due to the negligence of those who receive, even after acquiring it, it is lost again and for a long time is not acquired again. And will anyone, relying on the testimony of his conscience, dare to say about this the same thing as blessed Paul said: I am aware that neither death, nor life... neither the present nor the future, nor anything else can separate me from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:38,39), that is, neither physical nor mental sorrows, nor hunger, nor persecution, nor nakedness, nor loneliness, nor the shutter, nor trouble, nor the sword, nor the angels and powers of Satan with their evil tricks, nor the glory that is abolished by their attack on man, nor slander, nor reproaches, nor suppression, inflicted without reason and in vain. If you have not begun to see in your soul, brother, that all this is in some way abundant or impoverished, then your labors, and sorrows, and all your silence are useless weariness of yourself. And if miracles are performed by your hands and they raise the dead, this cannot be compared with this, and immediately move your soul and with tears beg the One who saves everyone to take away the prayers 37 from the door of your heart, to destroy the darkness of the storm of passions on the inner firmament, to make you worthy to see the ray of day, so as not to resemble a dead man who is eternally in darkness. Constant vigil along with reading, followed by frequent bowing, will not slow down the gift of these blessings to those who are diligent. And whoever found them, found them precisely by these means. Those who want to find them again have the need to remain in silence, and at the same time in doing what we have said, but first of all, not to become attached to anything except your soul, not even to a single person, with your thoughts, but to practice in the internal practice of virtue, and even in the reasoning of the affairs themselves - to practice in those precisely in which we especially find close to ourselves a certain feeling that confirms us in the reasoning of other things. He who remains in silence and has experienced the goodness of God by experience does not need much convincing; on the contrary, his soul does not suffer at all from unbelief, like those who waver in the truth, because the evidence of his mind is enough for him to reassure himself more than countless words that are not justified by experience. To our God be glory and splendor forever! Amen. Word 46. About true knowledge, about temptations and about the need to know for sure that not only people who are short, weak and untrained, but also those who have been granted dispassion for a time, who have achieved perfection in their way of thinking, who have partially approached the purity associated with mortification, [who have become above passions, while in this world, by God’s permission from the union of their life with passionate flesh, remain in struggle and because of the flesh they suffer anxiety from passions, because] 38 by mercy this is allowed to happen to them for their fall into pride Many times, day after day, others transgress the law and heal their souls through repentance, and grace accepts them, because in every rational nature there are countless changes, and changes happen to every person hourly. And the sensible person finds many opportunities to understand this. But the tests he carries out on himself every day can especially make him wiser in this if he is sober in order to observe himself in his mind and find out what change in meekness and modesty his thought takes every day, how suddenly from his peaceful state he comes into confusion when some reason for this is not rejected, and how a person is in great and unspeakable danger. And Saint Macarius, with great foresight and diligence, clearly wrote this as a reminder and as an instruction to the brethren, so that, during a change to the contrary, they would not fall into despair, because even with those who stand at the level of purity, like cooling with air, falls always happen, while there is no negligence or indulgence in themselves; on the contrary, even when they observe their rank, falls happen to them that are contrary to the intention of their own will. And blessed Mark, as one who has known exact experience, testifies to this and sets it out in excellent order in his writings, so that no one would think that Saint Macarius said this in his epistle by chance, and not from actual experience, and so that from these two witnesses the mind would surely receive consolation for itself in times of need. So what now? “Changes,” he says, “happen in everyone, like in the air.” Understand this word: in each; because nature is one, and lest you think that you said this about the lower and worse, the perfect ones are free from change and steadily stand on the same degree without passionate thoughts, as the Euchites say 39, therefore he said: in everyone. How is this, blessed one? However, you say, there is cold and soon then heat, also hail and a little later a bucket. This is what happens in our exercise: sometimes there is warfare, sometimes there is help from grace; sometimes the soul is overwhelmed, and cruel waves arise against it; and again a change occurs, because grace visits and fills a person’s heart with joy and peace from God, with chaste and peaceful thoughts. He points here to these thoughts of chastity, letting them understand that before them there were bestial and unclean thoughts, and gives advice, saying: if an impulse follows these chaste and modest thoughts, let us not grieve and despair, we will not also boast during the time of repose of grace, but during the time of joy we will begin to expect sorrow. He advises us not to be sad when painful attacks follow, showing that the mind should not bring them upon us, but should joyfully accept them as natural and characteristic of us. Let us not give in to despair, like a person who expects something for a feat, even perfect and unchangeable repose, and at the same time does not allow exploits, and sorrows, and for the movement of something contrary to occur in him, which our Lord God did not find fit to give to this nature in this world. Macarius gives this advice so that we do not become completely idle, remaining idle, and with this thought we do not relax in despair and remain motionless in our course. Know, he says, that all the saints were in this work. While we are in this world, after these labors we secretly receive abundant consolation, because every day and every hour we are required to experience our love for God in struggle and feat against temptations. And this means that we should not be sad or discouraged in our feat. And thus our path becomes successful. And whoever wants to depart or evade this becomes prey to wolves. It is truly worthy of surprise in this saint that with such a short word he confirmed this thought and proved that it was full of reason, and completely destroyed doubt in the mind of the reader. He says: whoever turns away from this and becomes the prey of wolves, he wants to go the wrong way, and has decided in his mind to pursue this, and intends to walk his own path, which the fathers did not pave. But he also teaches us to expect sorrows during times of joy. When, through the action of grace, great thoughts suddenly arise in us and, as St. Mark said, we are in amazement at the mental contemplation of the Supreme Nature, when Angels approach us and fill us with contemplations, then everything contrary is removed and during the entire time in which a person is in such a state, peace and unspeakable silence continue. But when grace overshadows you, and the holy Angels, protecting you, approach you, and at this approach all those who tempt you retreat, do not become arrogant and do not think in your soul that you have reached an unstormable pier and unchanging air, and have completely left this depth of the opposite winds, and there is no longer an enemy and an evil meeting, because many have dreamed of this and have fallen into danger, as said blessed Neil. Or don’t think either that you are higher than many and it is appropriate for you to be in such a state, but not at all appropriate for others, due to the insufficiency of their life; or, since they do not have sufficient knowledge, they are deprived of such gifts, but you have the right to this, because you have achieved the perfection of holiness, and spiritual degree, and unchangeable joy. On the contrary, consider better the unclean thoughts in yourself and those indecent images that were established in your mind during the overwhelm, in the hour of confusion and disorder of thoughts, which shortly before this rose up against you in blind darkness; Think about how quickly you deviated into passion, and talked with them in a clouded mind, and were not ashamed or horrified by the Divine vision, talents and gifts that you received. And know that all this, to our humility, was brought upon us by God’s Providence, which provides for each of us and arranges what is useful to whom. And if you are exalted by his gifts, he will leave you and you will completely fall in that in which you will be tempted by thoughts alone. Finally, know that to resist is not yours or your virtue’s business, but this will be accomplished by grace, which carries you in the palms of its hand, so that you do not fall into fear. Put this into your thoughts during times of joy, so that your thoughts do not become exalted, as our holy father said; and cry, and shed tears, and fall down at the memory of your sins during the time of remission, so that you can be freed from this and gain humility through this. However, do not despair and, in thoughts of humility, make your sins forgivable through propitiation. Humility and doing nothing makes many sins forgivable. On the contrary, without humility, deeds are useless, and they even prepare a lot of bad things for us. By humility, as I said, make your iniquities forgivable. What salt is to all food, humility is to all virtue: it can break the strength of many sins. To acquire it, it is necessary to constantly grieve in thought with humiliation and rational sadness. And if we acquire it, it will make us sons of God and present us to God without good deeds, because without humility all our deeds, all virtues and all deeds are in vain. Finally, God wants a change in thought. Thought makes us both better and obscene. She alone is enough to make us helpless before God, and she speaks for us. Give thanks and silently confess to God that you have received such a weak nature and capable of evasion, and - with the assistance of grace, to what extent you sometimes rise - what gifts you are worthy of, and to what extent you are above nature; when something is allowed to happen, how much do you condescend and acquire a bestial mind! Keep in mind the poverty of your nature and the speed with which changes will follow in you, as one of the holy elders said. “When,” he says, “the thought of pride comes to you, saying to you: “Remember your virtues,” you say: “Look, old man, at your fornication.” I understood that fornication, by which, during the period of indulgence, you are tempted in thoughts, that grace arranges with everyone, either leading us into battle, or showing us help when something is useful for us. Look how easily this wonderful old man expressed this thought. When, he says, the thought of pride comes to you about the height of your life, say: look, old man, at your fornication. From this it is clear that the elder said this to a man of high life. For it is impossible for people to be disturbed by such a thought, except those who stand at the highest level, in a life worthy of praise. It is also clear that this passion grows in the soul after a virtue has been accomplished, in order to deprive the soul of doing it. And if you like, you can learn from one epistle of the same Saint Macarius at what level the saints stand and what is allowed to tempt them in this. This message is as follows. Abba Macarius writes to all his beloved children and clearly teaches what God's economy is about them during battles and gracious help, because it is pleasing to God's wisdom to teach the saints in this way while they are in this life, in the struggle 40 with sin for virtue, so that their gaze at all times is raised to God and with the constant aspiration of their gaze to God, holy love grows in them Him, when they will continually strive for God from confusion and fear of deviation, and will be confirmed in faith, hope and His love. And this is really said now not to those who stay with people, go to all sorts of places and are always devoted to deeds and thoughts that are shameful and unclean, nor to those who, out of silence, observe the truth in deeds, and are constantly caught up in their feelings, are at all times in danger of falling (because the necessity that encounters them not at all according to their will, puts them in involuntary positions), cannot completely protect not only their thoughts, but also their feelings, but those who are able to observe their bodies and thoughts, are completely far from rebellion and communication with people, in renunciation of everything and from their souls have found the convenience of protecting their minds with prayer, accept changes in grace-filled views, without leaving a silent life, and live under the arm of the Lord's knowledge, secretly wise up the spirit for silence, moving away from worldly things and even from looking at some of them, and have acquired deadness of thought for peace, because passions do not die in them, but thought dies in them when removed from worldly things and with the assistance of grace. And may this grace preserve us at this limit! Amen. Word 47. About the very meaning of this chapter and about prayer The briefly expressed thought of this chapter is the following: hourly we must know that in these twenty-four hours of the day and night we have a need for repentance. The meaning of the word repentance, as we learned from the actual properties of things, is this: it is, with a prayer filled with contrition, an unremitting petition approaching God to leave the past and pain to preserve the future. Therefore, our Lord also indicated the support of our weakness in prayer, saying: wake up, watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune (Matthew 26:41). Pray and be not lazy, being watchful and praying at all times (Col.4:2,3). Ask and you will receive: seek and you will find; push, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives it, and everyone who seeks finds it, and it will be opened to the one who asks (Matthew 7:7,8). He especially confirmed His word and moved us to greater diligence with the parable of a friend who came to his friend at midnight and asked him for bread. The Lord says: Amen, I say to you, even if he does not give it to him... he is a friend, but because of his recklessness, when he rises up, he will give it to him and demand it (Luke 11:8). And you pray and do not be careless. What an unspeakable encouragement to boldness! The Giver encourages us to ask Him to give us His Divine gifts. And if He Himself, as He knows, organizes everything that is beneficial for us, then these words of His are filled with great power to arouse boldness and hope in us. Since the Lord knows that before death He will not take away from us the opportunity to deviate, that this change is very close to us, namely the transition from virtue to vice, that man and his nature conveniently accept the opposite, he commanded us to be careful and strive in constant prayer. If there were a land of authentication in this world, then as soon as a person reached it, his nature would then become higher than need and his action higher than fear, and God would not have commanded us to strive in prayer, doing this by His providence, because in the next century they do not bring prayers to God with requests for anything. In this homeland of freedom, our nature does not accept change and deviation on pain of resistance, because everything is perfect. Therefore, I commanded not only for the sake of prayer and self-preservation, but also because of the subtlety and incomprehensibility of what always meets us and is not comprehended by the knowledge of our mind in those states in which we often find ourselves involuntarily at all times. For although our thoughts are very firm and attached to good, yet His Providence has repeatedly left us at the limit of temptations and plunged us into them, as Blessed Paul said, for the abundance of revelations, let me not be exalted, since the foul of the flesh, the angel of Satan, plays dirty tricks on me... And about this I prayed to the Lord three times, that he would depart from Me. And I said: My grace is sufficient for you: for My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:7-9). If this is already Your will, Lord, and our infancy requires all this to guide and awaken its own by You, and even when a person is intoxicated with Your love, like me, and is drawn after the good, so that he does not look at the world at all, because of the ecstasy in which he is, even when, in addition to this, You have given me to achieve revelations and contemplations that cannot be explained in carnal language, You have given me to see and hear the voice of spiritual service and be honored filled with the holiness of Your contemplation, but even with all this, I, a perfect man in Christ, am not sufficient to protect myself, because there is something that, due to its subtlety, cannot be comprehended by my strength, although I have acquired the mind of Christ, then I rejoice for this reason, Lord, in weaknesses, in sorrows, in prisons, in bonds, in needs. Whether it is from nature, from the sons of nature, or from its enemies; Only by rejoicing do I now endure my weaknesses, that is, the weaknesses of my temptations, so that the power of God may dwell in me. If, after all this, I need the rod of temptations, so that Your settlement in me may be expanded and I may be kept close to You, then I know that no one is loved by You more than me, and therefore You have exalted me above many. And just as you made me know Your wondrous and glorious powers, so you did not give them to any of my fellow apostles. And he called me a chosen vessel (Acts 9:15); because I will faithfully preserve the order of Your love. For all this, and especially in order for the work of preaching to prosper and extend forward, as far as I know, You would grant me freedom if this were useful for me. But You deigned that I should not be without sorrow and care in this world, since it is not so important for You that the work of preaching Your Gospel in the world should multiply, but that I should benefit from my temptations when my soul is kept healthy by You. Finally, if all this, reasonable, is a great gift of temptations, because the more exalted a person is and, in the likeness of Pavlov, has entered into the spiritual, the more he still needs fear and caution and reaps the benefit from the temptations encountered by him; Who is this who has reached a land of authentication, full of predators, and has accepted something in order to become unwavering, which was not given to the holy Angels, so that not without us they will receive perfection (Heb. 11:40) - has accepted that which is contrary to everything spiritual and physical, and wants to be completely unchangeable, wants temptation not to approach him in his thoughts? The order of this world is this thought, expressed as if in all the Scriptures: if every day we constantly accept thousands of blows, then let us not be faint-hearted and let us not stop in the flow of the field, because in one unimportant case we can delight in victory and receive a crown. This world is a competition and a field for competition. This time is a time of struggle. But in a country of struggle, and during a competition, there is no law, that is, the king does not set a limit for his warriors until the competition is over, and every person is brought to the door of the King of Kings, and there the one who was in the competition is tested, who did not allow him to be defeated and who turned his back. For many times it happens that a person, unfit for anything due to his lack of skill, is constantly defeated and deposed, and at all times remaining in powerlessness, when he suddenly steals the banner from the hands of the army of the sons of giants, his name is exalted, and he is praised much more than those who labored and became famous in victories, and receives a crown and expensive gifts more than his comrades. Therefore, let no man remain in despair. Let’s just not neglect prayer and don’t be too lazy to ask for help from the Lord. Let us firmly believe in our thoughts that while we are in this world and left in the flesh, even if we ascend to the vault of heaven, we cannot remain without deeds and labor and be without care. This (forgive me for this) is perfection: and what is more than this is mockery without reason 41 . To our God be glory, and power, and splendor forever! Amen. Sermon 48. On the difference of virtues and on the perfection of the entire field The perfection of the entire field lies in the following: in repentance, in purity and in self-improvement. What is repentance? Leaving the past and sadness about it. What is purity? Briefly put: a heart that has mercy on all created nature. What is self-improvement? The depth of humility, that is, the abandonment of everything visible and invisible (visible, that is, everything sensory, and invisible, that is, mental) and care about it. At another time the question was asked again: what is repentance? - and said: a contrite and humble heart. – What is humility? - and said 42: a pure, voluntarily accepted death for everything. – And what is a merciful heart? - and said: a person’s heart is kindled about all creation, about people, about birds, about animals, about demons and about every creature. When remembering them and looking at them, a person’s eyes shed tears. Because of the great and strong pity that envelops the heart, and because of the great patience, its heart is diminished, and it cannot bear, or hear, or see any harm or small sorrow endured by the creature. And therefore, for the dumb, and for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, every hour he offers a prayer with tears, so that they will be preserved and have mercy; and also for the nature of reptiles he prays with great pity, which is immeasurably aroused in his heart until he becomes like God in this. And it was also asked: what is prayer? - and said: freedom and the abolition of the mind from everything here, - a heart that has completely turned its gaze to the lust of what is hoped for in the future. And whoever is far from this sows mixed seed in his field and is like one yoking an ox and a donkey together (see: Deut. 22:10). And it was also asked: how can a person acquire humility? - and said: by unceasing remembrance of sins, by hope approaching death, by poor attire, by choosing at all times the last place and in any case willingly taking upon oneself the most recent and humiliated things, not to be disobedient, to maintain constant silence, not to like going to meetings, to wish to remain unknown and not chosen for anything, not to keep any thing at your complete disposal, to hate conversations with many people, not to love profits and, above all, with one’s mind to be above blaming and blaming every person, and above envy, not to be the kind of person whose hands would be on everyone and on whom everyone’s hands would be, but to go about his business alone in solitude and not take care of anything in the world except himself. In short: a wandering life, poverty and solitude - this is what gives birth to humility and purifies the heart. The sign of those who have achieved perfection is this: if they are handed over to be burned ten times a day for their love for people, they are not satisfied with this, as Moses said to God: ... if you forgive them sin, forgive it; Otherwise, blot me out of Your book, You have written me down (Ex. 32:32); and as blessed Paul says: I prayed... to be excommunicated from Christ according to my brethren, and so on (Rom. 9:3); and again: Now I rejoice in my sorrow for you Gentiles (Col. 1:24). And the other apostles, for their love for human life, accepted death in all its forms. The end of all this together is God and the Lord. Out of love for creation, He gave His Son up to death on the cross. For God so loved the world, as He gave His only begotten Son to die for it (John 3:16) - not because He could not redeem us in any other way, but in order to teach us His abounding love and by the death of His Only Begotten Son to bring us closer to Himself. And if He had something more precious, He would have given it to us in order to thereby acquire our race for Himself. And out of His great love He did not deign to restrict our freedom, although He was strong to do this, but He deigned that through the love of our own hearts we would draw closer to Him. And Christ Himself, out of His love for us, was obedient to His Father in joyfully accepting reproach and sorrow upon Himself, as Scripture says: ... instead of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, being careless about the shame (Heb. 12:2). Therefore, on the night on which he was betrayed, the Lord said: This is My body, which is given for life for peace (Luke 22:19); and: This is My blood... which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28); and he also says: For them I consecrate to myself (John 17:19). This is how all the saints achieve this perfection when they become perfect and become like God through the outpouring of their love and philanthropy towards everyone. And the saints strive for this sign - to become like God by perfection in love for their neighbor. This is what our fathers and monks did, when for the sake of this perfection they always accepted into themselves the likeness filled with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. They say that Blessed Anthony never decided to do anything more useful for himself than for his neighbor, in the hope that the benefit of his neighbor was the best thing for him to do. They also tell about Abba Agathon, as if he said: “I would like to find a leper and take his body from him, and give him mine.” Do you see perfect love? And also, while he had something outside himself, he could not bear it, so as not to put his neighbor to rest. And one more thing: he had a knife; the brother, having come to him, wished to have it, and the abba did not allow him to leave his cell without this knife. This is also what is written about such men. But why say this? Many of them, for the sake of their neighbors, betrayed their bodies to beasts, sword and fire. No one can ascend to the level of this love unless he secretly feels his hope. And those who love this world cannot acquire love for people. When someone acquires love, together with love he puts on God Himself. And the one who has acquired God must not only not agree to acquire anything else with Him, but also put off his body. But if anyone puts on love for the world in this world and in this life, he will not put on God until he leaves this. For God Himself testified to this, saying: ... unless someone forsakes everything and hates ... his own life, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26). You should not only leave it, but also hate it. And if someone cannot be a disciple of the Lord, then how can the Lord dwell in him? Question. Why is hope so sweet, and its life and deeds are easy, and its deeds are quickly accomplished in the soul? Answer. Because at this hour a natural desire awakens in the souls of the saints, and gives them to drink from this cup, and makes them drunk. Therefore, they no longer feel labor, but become insensitive to sorrows, and throughout their procession they think that their procession is taking place through the air, and that they are not walking in human feet; because the difficulty of the path is invisible to them, there are no hills or streams before them, and they will be sharp... the path is smooth and so on (Is. 40:4); and because their attention is hourly directed to the bosom of their Father; and hope itself, as if with a finger, at every moment points out to them the distant and invisible, as if looking at it speculatively with the hidden eye of faith; and because with the desire for the distant, all parts of the soul are kindled, as if by fire, and they impute the absent for the present. The whole extent of their thoughts stretches there, and they always hasten to reach there; and when they approach the accomplishment of any virtue, they do not work on it alone, but suddenly and completely perform all the virtues together, because these giants do not make their procession in the royal way, like all the others, but choose short paths for themselves, along which other well-known ones soon come to the monastery. Hope itself kindles them, as it were, with fire, and they cannot give themselves rest in the rapid and incessant flow, accomplished with joy. What Jeremiah said happens to them; for he says: Rekokh: I will not remember His name; below I will speak to someone in His name. And it became like a fire in my heart, piercing into my bones (Jer. 20:9). This is how remembrance of God acts in their hearts, intoxicated with the hope of God’s promises. The shortened paths of virtues are generic virtues, because they do not have a large distance between many paths of life from one path to another: they do not wait for place or time, do not allow waste, but immediately get down to business and fulfill it. Question. What is human dispassion? Answer. Dispassion consists not only in not feeling passions, but also in not accepting them into oneself. As a result of the many and various virtues, obvious and hidden, acquired by the saints, passions have become weak in them and cannot easily rise up in the soul: and the mind does not need to constantly be attentive to their reasoning, because at all times it is filled with thoughts that are consciously aroused in the mind by thinking and talking about the most excellent morals. And as soon as passions begin to be aroused, the mind is suddenly delighted by the approach to them by some kind of understanding that has penetrated the mind; and the passions, as Blessed Mark said, remain idle in him. The mind, by the grace of God, performing virtuous deeds and approaching knowledge, feels little of what constitutes the bad and unreasonable part of the soul. For knowledge delights him in height and alienates him from everything in the world. And because of the integrity of the saints and the subtlety, flexibility and sharpness of their minds, and also because of their feat, their mind is purified and turns out to be enlightened, according to the dryness of their flesh. And, as a result of teaching them silence and a long stay in it, inner contemplation is easily and quickly given to everyone and leads them to amazement at what they contemplate. At the same time, they usually abound in contemplations, and their minds never lack objects of understanding, and they are never without something that produces the fruit of the spirit in them. Long-term practice erases the memories in their hearts, which arouse passions in the soul, and weakens the power of the devil’s power. For when the soul does not become friends with the passions by thinking about them, then, since it is incessantly occupied with other concerns, the power of the passions cannot hold its spiritual feelings in its claws. Question. What are the benefits of humility? Answer. Just as conceit is the crucifixion of the soul in its dreams, which carries it away and does not prevent it from soaring in the clouds of its thoughts, so that it whirls throughout creation, so humility gathers the soul together in silence, and it concentrates in itself. Just as the soul is unknowable and invisible with bodily eyes, so the humble person is not known among people. And just as the soul inside the body is hidden from sight and from communication with all people, so a truly humble person, due to his separation from everyone and due to his lack in everything, not only does not want to be seen and known by people, but even this is his will - if possible, from himself, plunge within himself, enter into silence and dwell in it, completely leave all his previous thoughts and feelings, become something as if non-existent in creation, not who have yet come into existence, completely unknown even to their very soul. And while such a person is hidden, enclosed in himself and separated from the world, he remains entirely with his Master. The humble man never stops to look at meetings, crowds, excitement, noise, revelry, troubles and pleasure, the consequence of which is intemperance; does not pay attention to words, conversations, clicks and dispersion of feelings, but prefers to everything to be separated from everyone in silence, secluded and separated from all creation, taking care of himself in a silent country. In everything, humiliation, non-covetousness, need, and poverty are desirable for him. What he wants is not to have a lot for himself and to be in constant business, but to remain free at all times, not to have worries, not to be indignant at what is here, so that his thoughts do not come from outside him. For he is sure that if he gets involved in many things, he will not be able to remain without confusion of thoughts, because with many things there is a lot of worries and a collection of complex thoughts. And a person, in the world of his thoughts, ceases to be above all earthly concerns, with the exception of small, most necessary needs, and puts aside thought, preoccupied only with his best thoughts. If his needs do not cease to keep him from his best thoughts, then he reaches a state in which he suffers and does harm - and from that time on, the door to passions is opened, the silence of prudence is removed, humility flees, and the door of peace is closed. For all this, the humble one constantly protects himself from many things; and then it turns out that at all times he is in silence, in peace, in peace, in modesty, in reverence. In a humble person there is never haste, haste, confusion, hot and easy thoughts, but at all times he remains at peace. If the sky clung to the earth, the humble man would not be horrified. Not every silent person is humble, but every humble person is silent. He who is unhumblely wise does not restrain himself; but you will find many unhumble-wise people restraining themselves. This means what was said by the meek and humble Lord: ... learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). The humble person remains at peace at all times, because there is nothing to move his mind or terrify him. Just as no one can frighten a mountain, so his mind is unafraid. And, if I may put it this way (and perhaps it is not inappropriate to say this), the humble man is not of this world (John 8:23), because in sorrow he is not horrified and does not change, and in joy he is not surprised and does not expand. But all his joy and true joy is about what pleases his Master. Humility is followed by modesty and self-collection, that is, chastity of feelings, proportionality of voice, laconicism, neglect of oneself, poor clothing, a non-arrogant gait, lowering of the eyes, superiority in mercy, rapid outpouring of tears, a solitary soul, a contrite heart, immobility to irritation, unsquandered feelings, smallness of property, belittling in every need, enduring everything, patience, fearlessness, firmness of heart, which comes from hating temporary life, patience in temptations, weighty and not light thoughts, extinguishing thoughts, keeping the secrets of chastity, modesty, reverence, and above all this, incessant silence and always blaming oneself for ignorance. The humble man never encounters such a need that would lead him to confusion or embarrassment. The humble man sometimes, being alone, is ashamed of himself. I am amazed that a truly humble person does not dare to pray to God or to be worthy of prayer when he begins to pray, or to ask for anything else, and does not know what to pray for, but only remains silent with all his thoughts, awaiting only mercy and the will that will come for him from the face of the venerable Majesty, when he bows his face to the ground and the inner vision of his heart is raised to the exalted gates of The Holy of Holies, where is He, whose habitation is darkness, before whom the eyes of the Seraphim are drawn together, whose virtue prompts the legions to stand tall, pouring silence upon all their ranks. And he only dares to speak and pray like this: “According to Your will, O Lord, be it with me.” We will say the same about ourselves. Amen. Word 49. About faith and humility Do you, little man, want to find life? Keep faith and humility in yourself, because with them you will acquire mercy, and help, and words spoken in your heart by God, as well as a Guardian who is secretly and openly with you. Do you want to acquire this, that is, the fellowship of life? Walk with God in simplicity, not in knowledge. Simplicity is followed by faith, and refinement and perversion of thoughts are followed by conceit, and conceit is followed by distance from God. When you stand before God in prayer, in your thoughts become like an ant, like a reptile on the ground, like a leech and like a silent child. Do not speak before God anything out of knowledge, but draw closer to Him with your childish thoughts and walk before Him, so that you may be worthy of that paternal providence that fathers have for their children and infants. It is said: The Lord protect the infants (Ps. 114:5). The baby approaches the snake, takes it by the neck, and it does not harm him. The baby walks naked all winter, when others are clothed and covered, and the cold enters all his members; He sits naked on a day of cold, winter cold and frost, and does not get sick. For the body of its simplicity is covered with another invisible garment by the hidden Providence, which guards its tender members so that no harm comes near them. Do you now believe that there is a certain hidden Providence, by which the tender body, due to its tenderness and weak life, ready to immediately accept any harm, is protected among those that resist it and is not overcome by it? It is said: God bless the infants, and not only those little in body, but also those wise in the world who abandoned their knowledge, relied on this all-sufficient Wisdom, by their will became like infants and then began to learn this wisdom, which is not felt in the labors of learning. And the godly wise Paul said beautifully: ... whoever thinks he is wise in this world, let him be, for he may be wise (1 Cor. 3:18). However, ask God to give you the measure of faith. And if you feel this pleasure in your soul, then it is not difficult to tell me that there is nothing to turn you away from Christ. And it is not difficult for you every hour to be taken into captivity far from earthly things and to hide from this weak world and from the memories of what is in the world. Pray for this without laziness, ask for this with fervor, beg for this with great zeal until you receive it. And pray again so as not to weaken. You will be worthy of this if you first, with faith, force yourself to cast your care on God and replace your care with His providence. And when God sees this will in you, that with all the purity of your thoughts you trusted God more than yourself, and forced yourself to trust in God more than in your soul, then this unknown power will dwell in you and you will tangibly feel that there is undoubtedly power with you - that power that, having felt in themselves, many go into the fire, and are not afraid, and, walking on the waters, do not waver. in his thoughts with the fear of drowning, because faith strengthens spiritual feelings, and a person feels within himself that, as if something invisible is convincing him not to listen to the vision of terrible things and not to look at the vision that is unbearable for the senses. Of course, do you think that with this spiritual knowledge someone else accepts this spiritual knowledge? Not only is it impossible to receive this spiritual knowledge with this spiritual knowledge, but there is even no possibility of feeling it with feeling or being granted it by anyone who zealously practices spiritual knowledge. And if some of them want to get closer to this spiritual knowledge, then until they renounce this spiritual knowledge, and all the twists and turns of its subtleties, and its complex methods, and put themselves in an infantile way of thinking, they will not be able to approach, even if only a little, to spiritual knowledge. On the contrary, the skill and concepts of spiritual knowledge are a great obstacle for them until they erase this little by little. This spiritual knowledge is simple and does not shine through in the thoughts of the soul. Until the mind frees itself from the thoughts of many and comes to the single simplicity of purity, it will not be able to feel spiritual knowledge. This is the order of this knowledge - to feel the pleasure of this life of this century: why does it make many thoughts worse. This spiritual knowledge, except for the multitude of thoughts, cannot cognize anything else acceptable in the simplicity of the mind, according to the word of the One who said: Unless you are converted, and you become like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3). But many do not come to this simplicity, but because of their good deeds we hope that they will have a share in the Kingdom of Heaven, as from the understanding of the Gospel beatitudes, which the Lord depicted in various ways, we can learn that with these beatitudes He showed us many changes in different types of life, because every person, on every path in which he walks towards God, opens the door before himself by all means Heavenly Kingdom. But no one can receive this spiritual knowledge unless he is converted and becomes like a child. For from now on only this delight in the Kingdom of Heaven is felt. They say about the Kingdom of Heaven that it is spiritual contemplation. And it is not acquired by the deeds of thoughts, but can be tasted by grace. And until a person purifies himself, he does not have sufficient strength to hear about it, because no one can acquire it by studying it. If you, child, achieve purity of heart, produced by faith in silence from people, and forget the knowledge of this world, so that you do not even feel it, then spiritual knowledge will suddenly appear before you, without searching for it. Build a pillar, they say, and pour oil on it, and you will find treasure in your bosom. If you hold on to the rope 43 of spiritual knowledge, then it is not inappropriate for me to say that it is more convenient for you to free yourself from iron bonds than from this rope; and you will always be close to the snares of delusion, and you will never understand how to have boldness before the Lord and trust in Him; at every hour you will walk on the edge of a sword and in no way will you be able to be without sorrow. In weakness and simplicity, pray that you may live well before God and be without care. For as the shadow follows the body, so mercy follows humility. Finally, if you want to do this, then do not give your hand to weak thoughts. If all harm, all malice and all dangers surround and frighten you, do not worry about it and do not care about it. If you once entrusted yourself to the Lord, who is all-sufficient to protect you and look after you, and if you follow Him, then do not worry about anything like that again, but tell your soul: “For me, every work is sufficient for Him to whom I once gave my soul. I'm not here; He knows it." Then you will actually see the miracles of God: you will see how at all times God is close to deliver those who fear Him, and how His Providence surrounds them, although invisible. But because the Guardian who is with you is invisible to your physical eyes, you should not doubt Him as if He does not exist, for He often reveals Himself to your physical eyes in order to make you feel good. As soon as a person rejects all visible help and human hope and follows God with faith and a pure heart, grace will immediately follow him and reveal its power to him in various help. First, he opens it - in this obvious way, touching the body, and helps him with providence for him, so that in this he can most of all feel the power of God's Providence for him. And by understanding the obvious, he is also assured of the hidden, as is characteristic of the infancy of his thoughts and his life. For how is the needful prepared for him, when he did not care about it? Many blows approaching him, often full of danger, pass by when the person did not even think about them; Meanwhile, grace imperceptibly and very miraculously reflects this from him and protects him, like a bird feeding its children, which spreads its wings over them so that no harm comes close to them. Grace allows him to see with his own eyes how close his death was to him and how he remained unharmed. Thus he teaches him to reason about the hidden, and reveals to him the intricacies of thoughts and thoughts that are difficult and incomprehensible. And a person can easily find out their meaning, the mutual connection between them, and their charm, and to which of these thoughts a person is attached, how they are born from one another and destroy the soul. And grace puts to shame before his eyes all the malice of the demons and the refuge of their thoughts, and puts into him the meaning of understanding the future; in its simplicity, a hidden light shines in order to fully feel the power of concepts in subtle thoughts, and, as if with a finger, it shows him what he would have suffered if he had not known this. And then the thought is born in him that every thing, small and great, he should ask for himself in prayer from his Creator. When Divine grace confirms his thoughts so that in all this he trusts in God, then little by little he begins to enter into temptation. And grace allows temptations to be sent to him, corresponding to his measure, in order to inflict their power on a person. And in these temptations, help is tangibly approaching him, so that he may be in good spirits until he gradually learns and acquires wisdom, and in trusting in God begins to despise his enemies. For it is impossible for a person to gain wisdom in spiritual battles, to know his Provider, to feel his God and to be intimately established in faith in Him except by the strength of the test he has passed. Grace, as soon as it sees that a certain amount of conceit has begun to appear in a person’s thoughts and he has begun to think highly of himself, immediately allows temptations to intensify and become stronger against him, until he recognizes his weakness, runs and clings in humility to God. By this a man comes to the measure of a man perfect in faith and trust in the Son of God and is elevated to love. For the wonderful love of God for a person is known when he finds himself in circumstances that destroy his hope. Here God shows His power in saving him. For man never knows the power of God in peace and freedom, and nowhere has God palpably demonstrated His effectiveness except in the land of silence and in the desert, in places devoid of gatherings and the rumors that occur among people. Do not be surprised that when you begin to practice virtue, cruel and strong sorrows are poured out on you from everywhere, because even that which is not accompanied by difficulty is not considered a virtue. For for this very reason, as Saint John said, it is called virtue (αρετη): virtue, he says, usually encounters difficulties; it is reprehensible when it is tied to peace. Blessed monk Mark said: “Every perfect virtue is called a cross when it fulfills the commandment of the Spirit.” Therefore, everyone who wants to live in the fear of the Lord and in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). For He says: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after Me (Mark 8:34). He who does not want to live in peace, having lost his soul for My sake, will find it (Matthew 16:25). For this purpose, He preceded you and offered you the cross, so that you would determine death for yourself and then send your soul to follow Him. Nothing is as strong as despair: it does not know that anyone will defeat it, either with the gums or with the skin. When a person in his thoughts deprives his life of hope, then there is nothing more impudent than him. None of the enemies can resist him, and there is no sorrow, the hearing of which would exhaust his wisdom, because any sorrow that happens is easier than death, and he bowed his head to take death upon himself. If in every place, in every deed, at every time, no matter what you want to do, you presuppose in your thoughts the goal of both deeds and sorrows, then not only will you at all times appear complacent and non-lazy in order to resist every inconvenience that presents itself to you, but from these thoughts of yours the thoughts that frighten and terrify you will flee from you, usually generated by these thoughts directed towards peace. And everything that is difficult and inconvenient for you will seem convenient and easy to you. Often you will encounter something contrary to what you expected; and perhaps nothing like this will ever happen to you. You know that the hope of peace at all times has made people forget what is great, good and virtue. But even those who live in this world for the body cannot fully achieve the fulfillment of their desires if they do not decide in their minds to endure the unpleasant. And since experience testifies to this, there is no need to convince of this with words; That is why, even before us and to this day, not because of anything else, but because of this, people are exhausted and not only do not gain victory, but are even deprived of the best. Therefore, let us say briefly that if a person neglects the Kingdom of Heaven, it is only because of the hope of little consolation here. And this is not the only thing that happens to him, but often strong blows and terrible temptations are prepared for every person who is attentive to his will, and his thoughts go towards this, because lust rules them. Who doesn’t know that birds also approach the net with peace in mind? In comparison to the knowledge of birds, perhaps our knowledge of what is hidden or hidden by circumstances, place or something else is lacking, in which only the devil initially catches us with the promise of peace and thoughts about it. But having in mind that the speech should flow as desired, I deviated from the goal that I suggested to my speech at the beginning, namely, that at all times we should in our thoughts assume the goal of sorrow in every matter with which we want to begin the path to the Lord, and carefully affirm the end of the journey at this beginning. How often does a person, when he wants to start something for the Lord’s sake, ask: is there peace in this? Is it possible to conveniently walk this path without difficulty? Or perhaps there are sorrows on it that cause languor to the body? This is how we strive for peace everywhere by all means. What are you saying, man? You want to ascend to heaven, accept the Kingdom there, communication with God, peace in the bliss there, communication with Angels, immortal life - and you ask: is there any work on this path? Wonderful thing! Those who desire what is in this transitory age swim over the terrible waves of the sea, dare to travel along difficult paths and do not at all say that there is labor or sorrow in what they want to do. And in every place we ask about peace. But if at all times we imagine in our minds the path of the cross, then let us think about what kind of sorrow is not easier than this path? Or, perhaps, there will be a person who is not at all convinced that no one has ever won victory in battle, has not even received a perishable crown, has not achieved the fulfillment of his desire, although it was praiseworthy, has not served in any way in the affairs of God, has not succeeded in any of the praiseworthy virtues, unless he first turned out to have neglected the labors of sorrows and did not allow the thought that encourages him to draw closer to him. peace, which gives rise to carelessness, laziness and fear, and through them relaxation in everything. When the mind becomes jealous of virtue, then the external senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, do not yield to victory over such difficulties that are alien to them, extraordinary, beyond the limits of natural powers. And if natural irritability reveals its activity in time, then bodily life is neglected more than the skills 44. For when the heart becomes jealous in spirit, the body does not grieve over sorrows, does not become afraid and does not shrink from fear, but the mind, like adamant, with its firmness resists all temptations. Let us also become zealous with spiritual zeal for the will of Jesus, and all negligence, which gives rise to laziness in our thoughts, will be driven away from us, because zeal gives birth to courage, spiritual strength and bodily diligence. What kind of power is there in demons when the soul stirs up its natural strong jealousy against them? And also zeal is called a product of jealousy. And when it brings its power into action, gives strength in the soul to every power that has become fearless (and the very crowns of confession, which ascetics and martyrs receive with their patience, are acquired by these two works of jealousy and zeal, generated by the power of natural irritability), then people in the fierce sorrow of torment become fearless. May God give us such zeal to please Him! Amen. Word 50. About the benefits of escaping from the world The struggle that lies ahead of us in everyday affairs is truly stubborn, difficult and inconvenient. No matter how much a person can become invincible and strong, as soon as it approaches him, which serves as the reason for the battle of battles and exploits, fear does not leave him and threatens him with a quick fall, even more than during obvious warfare with the devil. Therefore, as long as a person does not move away from what his heart fears, the enemy always has the opportunity to attack him. And if he dozes off a little, the enemy will easily destroy him. For when the soul is connected by harmful relations with the world, these very relations become sharp pricks for it; and as soon as he meets them, he naturally gives in to victory over himself. And therefore, our ancient fathers, who walked these paths, knowing that our mind will not at all times be able and able to stand steadily in one place and guard its guard, but at other times cannot even see what harms it, they reasoned wisely and, like a weapon, put on non-covetousness, which, as it is written, is free from many struggles (so that in this way a person could get rid of his poverty from many falls), and went into the desert, where there are no everyday activities that serve as the cause of passions, so that when they become exhausted, they do not encounter reasons for falling, I mean irritation, desire, rancor, glory, but so that all this and the rest would be made easy by the desert. For they strengthened and protected themselves with it, like an insurmountable pillar. And then each of them could perform his feat in silence, where the feelings did not find help for themselves, to assist our opponent in meeting with anything harmful. It is better for us to meet death in achievement than to live in decline. Word 51. About how a person can acquire a change in his innermost thoughts with a change in his external way of life While a person remains in non-covetousness, the thought of leaving life constantly comes to his mind; and he always applies his concern for life after the resurrection, at all times he thinks about every preparation there and acquires patience, runs after all honor and bodily peace sown in his thoughts; and the thought of neglecting the world constantly vibrates in his mind; and he is complacent in his mind, and acquires a strong heart at all times in order to face every danger and every fear that causes death; He is not even afraid of death, because every hour he fixes his gaze on it, as if it were something approaching, and awaits it, while his care, with undoubted complete trust, is placed in God. And if he encounters sorrows, then he seems confident and knows for sure that the sorrows will bring him a crown; and endures them with all joy, accepts them with joy and joy. For he knows that God Himself, for beneficial reasons, intends them for him in His economy, which is not obvious to us. If, through the action and cunning of this sage for any evil, he happens to acquire something transitory for any reason, then at that very hour love for the body begins to awaken in his soul; he thinks about a long life; Every hour thoughts of carnal peace arise in him and come into force, he overcomes the bodily, and seeks within himself whether it is not possible for him, be that as it may, to have with himself everything that constitutes this peace for him, and he emerges from this freedom of disobedience to the thoughts of fear, and therefore, in any case, he dwells on thoughts that lead to fear, and invents reasons for fear, because this hardness of heart has been taken away from him, which he acquired when, in his non-covetousness, he was above the world, and which he enriched himself in his soul, as the heir of the world, in proportion to what he acquired. He is subject to fear according to the law and economy determined by God. To serve what our members are prepared for, we are enslaved to it and, according to the word of the Apostle, we are guilty of working with all fear (see: Rom. 6:16; Heb. 2:15). Above all passions is self-love; above all virtues is disdain for peace. Whoever gives up his body to rest, in the land of peace, causes it sorrow. He who enjoys in his youth becomes a slave in old age and groans in his last days. Just as it is impossible for someone whose head is in the water to inhale the thin air that spreads in this empty depths, 45 so it is impossible for someone who immerses his thoughts in local worries to inhale the sensations of this new world. Just as the stench of death upsets the physical composition, so does an obscene spectacle upset the world of the mind. Just as it is impossible for there to be health and illness in one body, and one not being upset by the other, so it is impossible for there to be a lot of money and love in one house, and one not harming the other. Just as glass cannot remain intact when colliding with a nearby stone, so a saint, when they are together, stays for a long time and talks with his wife, cannot remain in his purity and not become defiled. Just as trees are uprooted by a strong and constant influx of water, so the love for the world is eradicated in the heart by the influx of temptations directed at the body. Just as medicine destroys the impurity of bad juices in the body, so the cruelty of sorrows cleanses the heart from evil passions. Just as a dead person cannot emit the smell that is felt from the living, so the soul of a monk, buried in silence, as in a coffin, is deprived of that breeze that usually appears, like smoke, when sensing anything used by people. Just as it is impossible for someone who spares his enemy on the battlefield to remain unharmed, so it is impossible for an ascetic to save his soul from destruction if he spares his body. Just as a young virgin is amazed by terrible sights and, indulging in flight, holds on to the edges of her parents’ clothes, calling on them for help, so the soul, to the extent that it is oppressed and crushed by the fear of temptation, hastens to cleave to God, calling on Him in unceasing prayer. And while temptations continue to attack her one after another, she multiplies her prayer, and as soon as she receives liberation again, she indulges in soaring thoughts. As those who are handed over to the hands of judges for punishment for an atrocity, if, as soon as they are approaching torture, they humble themselves and immediately admit their unrighteousness, the punishment is reduced, and soon, through minor sorrows, they are freed from trial; if some criminals are stubborn and do not confess, then they are subjected to new tortures and finally, after many tortures, when their body is covered with wounds, although they confess involuntarily, they do not receive any benefit from it - so do we, when for our sins, carelessly committed by us, mercy delivers us into the hands of the righteous Judge of all and commands us to be stretched out under the rod of temptations in order to ease the punishment there. ours, if as soon as the rod of the Judge approaches us, we will humble ourselves, remember our iniquities and bring them to confession to the One who punishes us, we will soon be delivered from short-term temptations; and if we become hardened in our sorrows and do not confess that we are really guilty of such sins and are worthy to endure even greater sorrows, on the contrary, we will begin to blame people, and sometimes demons, at other times God’s truth, and assert that we are innocent in such matters, and we will think and say this, and will not think that God knows better than ourselves and knows us, that His judgments throughout the whole earth and without His command are not if a person is punished, then everything that happens to us will cause us constant sadness, our sorrows will increase, and one after another they will, like a rope, bind us until we know ourselves, humble ourselves and feel our iniquities (for without feeling them, it is impossible for us to reach correction); and finally, burdened with many sorrows, we will bring confession without benefit to ourselves, when, as a rule, there is no longer any consolation. But this - to feel our sins - is a gift that is given to us by God when God sees that we are tired of manifold temptations; and then the thought comes to us that, despite all our misfortunes and sorrows, we should not depart from this world without receiving any benefit for ourselves. And the fact that we do not understand our sins is not due to the difficulty of the temptations, but due to ignorance. Often others, being in similar circumstances, depart from this world guilty and have not confessed their sins, but deny them and blame others; the merciful God expected this to forgive them and make them feel better, if only they would humble themselves; and would not only ease their temptations, but would also forgive them their sins, being appeased by a small heartfelt confession. Just as someone, having brought a great gift to the king, is rewarded by him with a tender gaze, so to the one who has tears in his prayer, the great King of the ages, God, forgives every measure of sin and rewards him with a benevolent gaze. Just as a sheep, leaving the fence and wandering through the pasture, stops at the lair of wolves, so a monk, leaving the meeting of his friends under the pretext of remaining in silence, constantly encounters spectacles, moves away from them, and approaches them, and passes through disgraces in cities 46. Just as a person who carries a valuable pearl on his shoulder and walks a path on which there are robbers and about which there is a bad rumor, is in fear every hour so as not to be attacked, so the one who carries the beads of chastity and walks in peace, on this enemy path has no hope of getting rid of the robbers until he comes to the abode of the tomb, that is, to the land of hope. And can he who carries with him a pearl of great price not be afraid? So this one does not know in what place, from where and at what hour they are spying on him, and they will suddenly deprive him of his hope, and at the door of his house, that is, during his old age, he will be robbed. Just as a person who drinks wine on the day of mourning, having drunk, forgets all sadness about his difficult situation, so one who is intoxicated with the love of God in this world, that is, in the house of mourning, forgets all his labors and sorrows and, because of his intoxication, becomes insensitive to all sinful passions. His heart is strengthened by hope in God; his soul is light as a feathered bird; his mind hourly rises from the earth, soars above all human thoughts with his thoughts and enjoys immortality with the Almighty. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 52. About night vigil and about various ways of doing it When you wish to attend the service of vigil, then, with the assistance of God, do as I tell you. Bow your knees according to custom and rise up; and do not immediately begin your service, but when you have prayed first, and have completed the prayer, and have sealed your heart and members with the life-giving sign of the cross, stand silently for a while until your feelings calm down and your thoughts subside. After this, lift your inner gaze to the Lord and with sadness beg Him to strengthen your weakness, so that your poetry and the thoughts of your heart may become pleasing to His holy will. And pray silently in your heart, saying this: “You, Lord Jesus, my God, who looks upon your creation, you, to whom my passions are clear, and the weakness of our nature, and the strength of our adversary, you yourself protect me from his malice, because his power is powerful, but our nature is poor, and our strength is weak. Therefore, You, Good One, Who know our weakness and have borne the difficulties of our powerlessness, save me from the rebellion of thoughts and from the flood of passions and make me worthy of this holy service, so that I do not corrupt its sweetness with my passions and do not appear shameless and impudent before You.” We must behave with all freedom during our service, without any childish or embarrassed thoughts. And if we see that there is little time and morning will overtake us before the end of the service, then out of good will and knowledge we will leave one or two glory from the usual rule, so that there is no room for confusion, which would cause us to lose the taste for our service and we would not begin to read the psalms of the first hour in the proper order. If, when you are performing a service, a thought speaks in you and begins to whisper to you: “Hurry a little, for your work is multiplying; You’ll be free sooner,” don’t join in with this thought. And if this bothers you more, then immediately go back one glory or as much as you want, and repeat each verse containing a type of prayer many times with meditation. And if the thought again confuses and oppresses you, leave the verse and say: “I do not want to calculate words, but to reach abodes, for whatever path you lead me, I will go quickly.” This people, who cast a calf in the desert, walked through it for forty years, crossing mountains and hills, ascending them and descending from them, but did not see the land of promise even from afar. If, when you are in vigil, prolonged standing overcomes you with its long duration, and you become exhausted from powerlessness, and a thought says to you, or rather, a malicious one says in your thought, as in a serpent: “Finish; because you can’t stand,” then answer him: “No; but I will sit for one kathisma; it's better than sleep. And if my tongue is silent and does not pronounce a psalm, but my mind learns with God in prayer and in conversation with Him, then wakefulness is more useful than any sleep.” Neither standing nor the verse of psalms alone is a complete vigil. On the contrary, some spend the whole night in psalms, others in repentance, tender prayers and prostrations to the ground, and others in tears and sobs over their sins. They say about one of our fathers that for forty years his prayer consisted of one speech: “I have sinned as a man; Forgive like God." And the fathers heard him repeat this verse with sadness, and yet he cried and did not stop; and this one prayer replaced his service day and night. And yet, some people speak poetry for a small part of the evening, but spend the rest of the night in singing troparions, and others - in doxology and reading. Someone made it a rule not to bend the knee, like the one who was attacked by a lustful thought. To our God be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 53. About what honor humility acquires and how high its degree is I want to open my mouth, brethren, and speak about a lofty subject, about humility; but I am filled with fear, like one who knows that he intends to reason about God according to his own thoughts. Humility is the robe of the Divine. The Word made human clothed itself in it and through it spoke to us in our body. And everyone clothed in it truly became like Him who Descended from His height, who hid the valor of His greatness and covered His glory with humility, so that creation would not be deceived by looking at Him. For the creature could not have looked at Him if He had not received part of it and thus began to talk with it. I could not have heard the words from His mouth face to face, because the children of Israel could not hear His voice when He spoke to them from the cloud, and they said to Moses: Let God speak to you, and let you tell us His words, and let not God speak to us, lest we die (Ex. 20:19). Therefore, how could creation openly accept the sight of Him? The vision of God is so terrible that the intercessor 47 said: ... I am afraid and trembling (Heb. 12:21); because on Mount Sinai the very valor of glory appeared; the mountain smoked and shook from the fear of the revelation that was upon it; why the animals that approached the lower parts of the mountain died, and the sons of Israel, having purified themselves, according to the command of Moses, prepared and equipped themselves for three days in order to become worthy to hear the voice of God and see God's revelation; but when the time came, they could not accept the vision of His light and the strength of the voice of His thunder. Now, when at His coming He poured out His grace on the world, He did not descend in cowardice, not in fire, not in a terrible and strong voice, but like rain on a fleece and like a drop quietly dripping onto the ground, and He was visible, talking to us in a different way, that is, when, as if in a treasury, He hid His greatness under the veil of flesh and among us talked with us in that with a wave He built Himself for Himself in the bosom of the Virgin and Mother of God Mary, so that we, seeing that He is one of our kind and talks with us, would not be horrified when we look at Him. Therefore, everyone who is dressed in the robe in which he was seen in the body in which the Creator was clothed, he clothed himself in Christ Himself, because in the likeness in which Christ was seen and lived with His creation, and he wished to be clothed according to his inner man, and in this likeness we see slaves like him, and instead of the robe of honor and external glory he was adorned with this. Therefore, the creature, verbal and dumb, looking at every person clothed in this likeness, worships him as a ruler, in honor of its Master, Whom it saw clothed in this same likeness and lived in it. For what creature will not look with respect at the humble one? However, until the glory of humility was revealed to everyone, this spectacle filled with holiness was neglected. Now his greatness has shone before the eyes of the world, and every person honors this likeness, visible in every place. In this way, creation was honored to receive the vision of its Creator and Creator. Therefore, it is not neglected by the enemies of truth. Although the one who acquired it is poorer than any creature, nevertheless, the one who has learned it is adorned with it, like a crown and purple. A person never persecutes with hatred, does not hurt the word of the humble and does not neglect him. Because his Lord loves him, he is loved by everyone. And he loves everyone, and everyone loves him. Everyone lusts after him, and in every place, wherever he approaches, they look at him as an Angel of light and give him honor. Even if a wise man or a mentor begins to speak, they will remain silent, because the right to speak is conceded to the humble one. Everyone's eyes are fixed on his lips, waiting to see what word will come out of them. And every person awaits his word as the word of God. His short word is the same as the sayings of the sages, interpreting their thoughts. His words are sweeter to the ears of the wise than the honey of the honeycomb and the throat. His sentence for everyone is like God’s, although he is uneducated in his word, humiliated and insignificant in appearance. Anyone who speaks contemptuously about a humble person and does not recognize him as a living person, opens his mouth, as it were, to God. But while the humble is despised in his sight, he is honored in every creature. If a humble man approaches destructive beasts, as soon as they turn their gaze to him, their ferocity is tamed: they approach him as to their ruler, bow their heads, lick his hands and feet, because they felt from him the stench that emanated from Adam before his crime, when the beasts were gathered to Adam and he gave them names in paradise. This was taken away from us, but Jesus renewed and gave us this again at His coming. This is how the fragrance of the human race is anointed. Does the humble one also approach the deadly reptiles? As soon as the feeling of his hand approaches and touches their body, the causticity and cruelty of their deadly bitterness ceases, and with his own hands he crushes them like locusts. If he approaches people, they listen to him as to the Lord. And what am I saying about people? Even the demons, with all their impudence and vexation, with all the loftiness of their wisdom, when they come to him, become like dust; all their malice loses its power, their intrigues are destroyed, their wiles remain ineffective. Now, since we have shown the greatness of the honor of humility from God and the power hidden in it, we will now show what humility is and when a person is worthy to accept it in the perfection that it is. Let us also make a distinction between someone who is apparently humble in wisdom and someone who has been granted true humility. Humility is a certain mysterious power, which, after completing the entire life, perfect saints will receive. This power is given only to those who are perfect in virtue by the power of grace, since they are adequately capable of this by nature, because this virtue contains everything. Therefore, not every person, no matter who he is, can be considered humble by anyone, but only those who have been worthy of this rank we have spoken of. Not everyone who is modest and silent, or prudent, or meek by nature, has already reached the degree of humility. On the contrary, he is truly humble who has in his secret something worthy of pride, but is not proud and in his thoughts regards it as dust. And the one who is humble when remembering his sins and misdeeds and remembers them until his heart is contrite and his mind, when remembering them, descends from the heights of proud thoughts, we will not call him humble, although this is commendable, because there is still a proud thought in him, and he has not acquired humility, but cunningly brings it closer to himself. And although, as I said, this is commendable, humility does not yet belong to him; He only desires humility, but he has no humility. The one who is completely humble is the one who does not need to invent reasons for humility through his wisdom, but in all this has completely and naturally acquired humility without difficulty, like a person who has accepted into himself a certain great gift that exceeds all creation and nature, but who looks at himself as a sinner, at a person who means nothing and is despicable in his own eyes; and while he has entered into the secrets of all spiritual beings and has become completely perfect in the wisdom of all creation, he recognizes himself as meaningless. And this one, not subtly, but without coercion, is like that in his heart. Is it possible or impossible for a person to become like this and by nature to change himself like this? Do not doubt, finally, that the power of the sacraments received by a person accomplishes this in him, in every virtue, without his labors. This is the power that the blessed apostles received in the form of fire. For her, the Savior commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until they received strength from above (Acts 1:4). This Jerusalem is virtue, strength is humility, and the power from above is the Comforter, otherwise interpreted as the Spirit of consolation. This is what is said about Him in the Divine Scripture, that mysteries are revealed to the humble. It is this Spirit of revelations, revealing mysteries, that the humble of wisdom are privileged to receive within themselves. This is why some saints say that humility perfects the soul with Divine contemplations. May a person finally not dare to think in his soul that he has come of his own accord to the measure of humility; and for the sake of one thought of tenderness that arose in him at some time, or with small tears that flowed from him, or for one good deed that he has by nature or which he mastered with effort, and everything that constitutes the fullness of all mysteries, that serves as the repository of all virtues - I say, I acquired all this, along with this gift, through small deeds. On the contrary, if a person has conquered all opposing spirits, and of all the deeds of every virtue there is not a single one left that he has not clearly committed and acquired; if he defeated and conquered all the strongholds of his opponents and after that felt in his spirit that he had accepted this gift, when, according to the word of the Apostle, the Spirit obeys his spirit (Rom. 8:16), then this is the perfection of humility. Blessed is he who has acquired it, because every hour he kisses and embraces the bosom of Jesus. If a person asks: “What should I do? How to purchase? What is the way to become worthy to accept humility? So I force myself, and as soon as I think that I have acquired it, I see that thoughts contrary to it are turning in my mind, and therefore I am now falling into despair,” the following answer will be given to this questioner: “It is sufficient for a disciple to become like his teacher, for a servant to become like his master” (cf. Matt. 10:25). Look how He who commanded it and bestows this gift acquired humility, and imitate it, and you will find it. He said: ...the prince of this world is coming, and in Me he will find nothing (John 14:30). You see how with the perfection of all virtues you can acquire humility! Let us be jealous of this One who gave the commandment. He says: ...foxes have wounds, and birds of the air have nests: but the Son of man has no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). He says this, Who of all who are perfect, sanctified, and made complete in every generation has glory, together with the Father who sent Him, and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Word 54. About various subjects, in questions and answers Question. Is it good to distance yourself from everything that irritates passions? And such an escape, when the soul avoids battles and chooses peace for itself, is it recognized as a victory or defeat of the soul? Answer. Let's answer this briefly. A monk must in every possible way avoid everything that irritates evil passions in him, especially cut off in himself the causes of passions and what triggers and from which increases, even the smallest passions. If there is time to resist passions and fight them, when snares are set for us in spiritual contemplation, then we will do this not jokingly, but skillfully. And man must always turn his thoughts away from passions to natural good, which the Creator put into nature, although the devil has misused the truth itself into an evil temptation. And if it is proper to say so, then he should flee not only from the bothersomeness of passions, but also from his feelings, and immerse himself in his inner man, and remain there in solitude, constantly cultivating the vineyard of his heart, until he brings his affairs into harmony with the monastic name given to him in his secrecy and openly. And it may be that by this stay close to the inner man we will come into perfect union with the knowledge of our hope, Christ living in us. For when our mind dwells there in solitude and as a hermit, then it is no longer the mind that wages war with the passions, but grace; unless even the passions themselves come into action in him. Question. If a person does something for the sake of spiritual purity, and others, without understanding, are tempted by his spiritual life, then should he withdraw from his divine life because of the temptation or do what is useful for his intention, although it is harmful to those who look at him? Answer. Let us also say about this that if, legally, as he received from the fathers who came before him, he does anything that serves to purify his mind and assumes this goal in himself - to achieve purity, and others, who do not know, are tempted by his intention, then it is not he who is responsible, but those who are tempted. It is not for this that he abstains, or fasts, or lives in strict seclusion and does what is useful for his purpose, so that others will be tempted, but in order to purify his mind. And those who are tempted blame him for ignorance of the purpose of his life and are indeed subject to responsibility for the fact that, being in negligence, they were unable to comprehend the spiritual goal that he assumed for himself, that is, the purity of his soul. The divine Paul wrote about them, saying: The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). What now? Since the word of the cross was imputed to foolishness by these, who did not feel the power of the word, should Paul have been silent and not preached? But even to this day, the teaching of the cross serves as a stumbling block and a temptation for Jews and Greeks, so should we also remain silent about the truth, so that they are not offended? But Paul not only did not remain silent, but even cried out loudly, saying: Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14). This praise of the cross was expressed to the saints not in order to seduce others, but because the preached power of the cross is great. Therefore, you, saint, carry out your life in accordance with the purpose that you have proposed for yourself before God, in which your conscience is not condemned, and test your life according to the Divine Scriptures and according to the commandments that you received from the holy fathers. And if you are not accused by them, then do not be afraid of what others have been tempted by. For not a single person can satisfy everyone equally or please everyone, and in his secretness work for God. Blessed is that monk, O blessed one, who truly strives for the purity of his soul with all his strength, and in the lawful way in which our fathers marched towards purity, according to the degrees of it by which they ascended orderly and gradually, and he will rise to approach it in the wisdom and patience of grief, and not through cunning alien degrees. Purity of the soul is the original gift of our nature. Without purity from passions, the soul is not cured of sinful illnesses and does not gain glory lost through crime. If someone has been worthy of purification, that is, mental health, then his mind really and truly accepts joy with a spiritual feeling, for he becomes a son of God and a brother of Christ and does not have time to feel the good and bad that encounters him. May God grant us to know His will, so that, always fulfilling it, we may come to His eternal rest, according to the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is due all glory, honor and worship, now and forever and ever. Amen. Word 55. Message to the Venerable Father Simeon the Wonderworker Your message, saint, is not just written words; on the contrary, in it, as in a mirror, you depicted and showed your love for me. And as you imagined me, so you wrote, and by your very deeds you showed that you love me excessively; and therefore, out of strong love, I forgot my limits. For what I had to write to your reverence and about what, if I cared about my salvation, I should have asked you and learned the very truth from you, you warned me to write about this, out of great love, and perhaps you did this out of the cunning of wisdom, so that by offering them to me with subtle and spiritual questions, I would awaken my soul from the negligence in which it was deeply immersed. However, because of this love, for which you have forgotten the measure of me, I forget my poverty, and therefore I pay attention not to what I may be capable of, but to what your prayer can do. For when I forget my limits, and you beg God with your prayers to make your request come true, then, without a doubt, what you asked for in prayer will be given from God to you as His sincere servant. So, the first question in the message is the following. Question. Should one keep all the commandments of the Lord, and is there a way for one who does not keep them to be saved? Answer. And, it seems to me, there is no need for anyone to ask about this. For although there are many commandments, it is nevertheless necessary to preserve them. Otherwise, the Savior would not have needed to give them, because the Lord, as I think, did not say or do anything unnecessary, for which there would be no reason and for which there would be no need. And the purpose of His coming, when He gave us His life-giving commandments as cleansing medicines in our passionate state, was to cleanse the soul from the damage caused by the first crime and restore it to its primitive state. What medicine is for a sick body, so are commandments for a passionate soul. And it is clear that the commandments were established in spite of passions, for the healing of a criminal soul, as the Lord clearly says to His disciples: If you have My commandments and keep them, then you love Me; but he who loves Me will be loved by My Father: and I will love him, and I will appear to him Myself. ...And we will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:21,23); and again: Of this the world understands, because you are my disciples, if you love one another (cf. John 13:35). It is clear that love can be acquired with mental health, but a soul that has not kept the commandments is not healthy. Keeping the commandments is even lower than spiritual love. And since there are many who keep the commandments out of fear or for the sake of reward in the future, and not out of love, the Lord urges many to keep the commandments out of love, so that they may impart light to the soul. And again: ... let people see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). But good deeds, as the Lord taught, cannot be visible in the soul if the commandments are not kept. And the Lord said that the commandments are not heavy for those who love the truth, for He says: Come... all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28,30). He Himself also commanded that all the commandments must be preserved by us diligently, when He says: whoever destroys the one of these little commandments and teaches this to men, he will be called in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19). After all this, legitimized for our salvation, I cannot say that we should not keep all the commandments. And the soul itself will not be able to become pure if it does not keep them. The commandments were given by the Lord as medicine to cleanse from passions and sins. Do you know that damage came to us from the transgression of the commandments. From this it is already clear that health is restored again by keeping them. And without doing the commandments, until we first of all follow this path leading to spiritual purity, we should not desire or hope for spiritual purification. And do not say that God, even without doing the commandments, can, by grace, grant us spiritual cleansing. These are the Lord's judgments, and the Church does not command us to ask for anything like that. The Jews, during their return from Babylon to Jerusalem, followed the naturally laid out path, and thus came to their holy city and saw the miracles of the Lord. But Ezekiel, supernaturally, by the action of revelation, was caught up and arrived in Jerusalem, and in Divine revelation became a spectator of the future renewal. A similar thing happens in the discussion of spiritual purity. Others, through the trodden and legal path, through keeping the commandments in a difficult life, come to spiritual purity with their own blood. And others are worthy of it through the gift of grace. And the wonderful thing is that it is not allowed to ask in prayer for the purity given to us by grace, and to renounce the life that is carried out in doing the commandments. For to the rich man who asked the Lord how I will inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25), the Lord clearly said: keep the commandments. And when the rich man asked: what are the commandments? - firstly, he commanded him to refrain from bad deeds and thereby reminded him of the natural commandments. When he wanted to know even more, he said to him: If you want to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor, and take up your cross and follow Me (Matthew 19:21). And this means: die to everything that you have, then live in Me; leave the old world of passions and then enter the new world of spirit; take and put off the knowledge of human ways and tricks and then put on the simple knowledge of the truth. For the Lord, having said: take up your cross (Matthew 16:24), taught man to die for everything in the world. And when he killed the old man, or passions, within himself, then he said to him: follow Me. It is impossible for the old man to walk the path of Christ, as Blessed Paul said: ...for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, but corruption inherits incorruption (1 Cor. 15:50); and again: put off the old man, which decays in lust, and then you will be able to put on the new man, renewed by the knowledge of being like Him who created him (Eph. 4:22,23); and again: ... the wisdom of the earth is enmity against God: for the law of God does not repent, for it can do less. For those who are in the flesh practice carnal wisdom and cannot please God through spiritual wisdom (Rom. 8:7,8). But you, holy one, if you love purity of heart and the spiritual wisdom you have spoken, then cleave to the Lord’s commandments, as our Master said: ... if you love to take them into your belly, keep the commandments (cf. Matthew 19:17) out of love for Him who gave them, and not out of fear or for reward. For we taste the pleasure hidden in righteousness not when we do the righteousness, but when the love of righteousness consumes our heart; and we become sinners not when we commit sin, but when we do not hate it and do not repent of it. And I’m not saying that any of the ancients or people of recent times did not keep the commandments and achieved purity of heart and became worthy of spiritual contemplation; on the contrary, it seems to me that anyone who did not keep the commandments and did not follow in the footsteps of the blessed apostles is not worthy to be called a saint. Blessed Basil and Blessed Gregory, about whom you said that they were lovers of the desert, pillars and light of the Church and praised silence, came into silence not because they did not practice doing the commandments, but first lived in the world and kept the commandments that those living in society were supposed to keep, and then they came to spiritual purity and were honored with spiritual contemplation. Indeed, I am sure that when they lived in cities, they received strangers, visited the sick, clothed the naked, washed the feet of the working people, and if someone fought their race one, two went with him (Matthew 5:41). And when they kept the commandments needed in social life, and their mind began to feel 48 the original steadfastness, Divine and mysterious contemplations, then they hurried and went out into the desert silence; and from that time on they remained with their inner man, which is why they became speculative and remained in spiritual contemplation until they were called by grace to become shepherds of the Church of Christ. In considering what you said, that the great Basil sometimes praised the social life, and sometimes the hermitage, I note that truly zealous people acquire benefit for themselves in two ways, each according to his strength, according to the difference and the goal that he assumed in himself. For in living together with many, sometimes there is benefit to the strong, and sometimes to the weak, and the same thing happens in the desert. He who has achieved spiritual health, whose mind has been harmonized with the spirit and who has mortified himself for human life, living with many is not harmful if he is sober in his affairs. And he, since he is called to this by God, let him not only benefit himself, but also benefit others in the name of other fathers. But it is also beneficial for the weak, who still needs to grow, feeding on the milk of the commandments, to cohabit with many until he learns, is educated, suffers from temptations, falls and in more cases rises, and acquires mental health. There is no baby who is not fed with streams of milk, and not a single monk, without being nourished with the milk of the commandments, has succeeded, conquered passions and been granted purity. And in a similar way, the desert, as we said, is sometimes useful for the weak and fleeing, and sometimes for the strong: and first, so that in them, in order to inflame and increase passions, that which serves as food is not prepared for them, and for the strong - when they are surrounded by the nourisher of passions and have encountered the battles of the evil one. Indeed, as you said, the desert lulls passions. But what is required of a person is not just this - to lull his passions to sleep, but also to eradicate them, that is, to overcome them when they persist against us. Passions that have been put to sleep awaken as soon as a reason for them to come into action is encountered. How can you find out, you say, that it is not only the desert that lulls passions? Notice that during illness and great weakness, passions slightly attack us. And not only that, but they even often put one another to sleep when one gives way to the other. For the passion of vanity forces the lustful passion to give way to it, and again, the lustful passion tames the passion of ambition. Let us not only wish for the desert because it lulls the passions, but let us wish that, in the absence of the sensual and in the distance from everyone, we might manage in it and that the inner, spiritual man in Christ would be renewed in us, so that at every hour we could be observers of ourselves and that our mind would become alert and guard itself every hour and the remembrance of his hope would not be stolen from him. This, it seems to me, is enough for your first question, if only the need insisted on this. Let's also talk about the second one, and he was next. Question. Why did our Lord, in order to make us like the greatness of the Heavenly Father, ordain mercy for us, but monks prefer silence to mercy? Answer. Here's the answer. It is good that from the Gospel you presented an example and a sample of research about this great life - silence. We enter into a debate about mercy, but we do not try to turn it into nothing, as something unnecessary. The Lord, in order to make us like the Heavenly Father, appointed us mercy, because it brings the merciful closer to God. This is really true. And we, monks, honor silence, not excluding mercy, but trying, as much as possible, to remove ourselves from care and rebellion, and not while we intend to resist the needs that we encounter, on the contrary, we take care of silence in order to remain in the thought of God, by which we can most of all restore ourselves to purity after confusion and draw closer to God. If, for a certain time, there is a need for us among the brethren, we should not neglect it. Therefore, let us constantly force ourselves at all times to be inwardly merciful to every rational nature. For this is how the teaching of the Lord inspires us, and in this, and not in anything empty, lies the difference between our silence. And we must not only preserve this inner mercy of ours, but when the very circumstances of affairs and need call upon us, we must not neglect to prove our love openly; and especially if the silent ones have not determined themselves to be completely silent - not even to meet with anyone, but follow the rule of those who designate silence for themselves for one or seven weeks. For such, even during the time appointed by the rule, do not restrain themselves, until this time is fulfilled, from deeds of mercy towards their neighbors; unless someone is extremely insensitive, cruel and inhuman and maintains silence hypocritically and for show. We know that without love for one’s neighbor the mind cannot be enlightened by Divine conversation and love. And what wise monk today, having food and clothing and seeing his neighbor hungry and naked, will not give him what he has, but will save some of it? Or else, who, seeing that a person of one flesh with him is exhausted by illness, is in poverty from exhaustion and has a need for charity, out of love for silence, will prefer the rule of seclusion to love for his neighbor? When there is no such thing, let us keep in our minds love and mercy for the brethren. For only when the matter is close to us does God require us to fulfill and show love in reality. Therefore, it is clear that if we have nothing for ourselves, we are not allowed to plunge ourselves into care and rebellion for the sake of the poor, but if we have anything, it is required of us. Also, if, according to our accepted type of life, we withdraw from cohabitation with people and from participating in their meetings, then we should not leave our cell and place of monastic and hermitic stay and devote ourselves to wandering around the world, visiting the sick and spending time in such matters. For it is clear that in such cases there is a transition from higher to lower. If someone lives in the company of many, and there are people near him, in the very place where he is with them, and through the labors of others, he rests in time of health or illness, then he himself is obliged to do the same, and not to put on a false appearance of his silence, so that in everything he himself demands peace from others, but as soon as he sees in cramped circumstances the son of his flesh, bearing the same image with him, or better yet, he sees the defeated and suffering Christ, - move away and hide from him. Everyone like that is merciless. And don’t bring me to mind John of Thebaid and Arsenius, don’t say: which of them used themselves for such things or took care of the sick and poor, but did not care about their silence? You won’t even get close to any of the affairs of such men. For if you are far from all peace and communication with people, as far as they were, then the Lord commands you to neglect such things. If you are far from this perfection and at all times remain in bodily labors and in communication with people, then why do you neglect the commandments (which you must keep to the best of your ability), imagining as an excuse that you are living the great life of the saints, which you have not even approached? And I will not be so negligent as not to remind you of the act of Saint Macarius the Great, which serves as a reproof for those who neglect their brethren. Macarius once went to visit a sick brother. And when the Great asked the sick man if he wanted anything, and he answered: “Some soft bread” (and then all the monks, for the most part, baked bread for themselves once a whole year, this was the custom in that place), this blessed man, already ninety years old, immediately got up, went from the monastery to Alexandria and exchanged the dry bread, which he took in his bag, for soft bread and brought it to his brother. But something even greater was done by Abba Agathon, like the great Macarius, the most experienced man of all the monks of that time and who respected silence and silence more than anyone else. So, this wonderful man, during a great bargaining, came to sell his handicrafts and in the marketplace he found one sick wanderer lying down; rented a house for him, stayed with him, worked with his hands, and whatever he received for it, he spent on him and served him for six months until the patient recovered. This same Agathon (as they tell about him) said: “I would like to find a leper and give him my body, and take it for myself.” This is perfect love. Those who fear God, beloved, willingly desire him and take care to keep the commandments. And if it turns out in fact that the search for them falls into their hands, then they are exposed to danger for their sake. The Giver of Life connected and concluded the perfection of the commandments in two commandments, which embrace all the others - in love for God and in similar love for its creation, that is, in love for the image of God. And the first satisfies the goals of spiritual contemplation, and the second – contemplation and activity. For the Divine nature is simple, uncomplicated, invisible, naturally has no need for anything; and consciousness, with its self-deepening, naturally has no need for bodily activity and for the assistance of anything, and for the dullness of ideas; its activity is simple and is found in a single part of the mind, in accordance with the simplicity of the venerable Vina 49, which is above the carnal feeling. And the second commandment, that is, love for mankind, due to the duality of nature, requires that care for the work of the mind be special, that is, what we fulfill invisibly in consciousness, we similarly want to fulfill physically, not only openly, but also secretly, and the commandment performed in deeds also requires fulfillment in consciousness. Just as a person is composed of two parts, that is, of soul and body, so everything in him requires double care, in accordance with the duality of its composition. And since activity everywhere precedes contemplation, it is impossible for anyone to rise to the realm of this highest unless the deed itself first fulfills the lower. And not a single person now dares to say about acquiring love for his neighbor that he succeeds in it with his soul, if he has left that part which, to the best of his ability, in accordance with the time and place that brings the occasion to the matter, is fulfilled bodily. For only with this fulfillment does contemplative love become certain and make itself known. And when we are, as far as possible, faithful and true in this, then the soul is given the strength to reach in simple and incomparable concepts to the great region of lofty and Divine contemplation. And where a person does not have the opportunity to fulfill love for his neighbor in visible and physical deeds, there it is sufficient before God for our love for our neighbor, accomplished only in thought; especially if the reclusive and silent life and success in it remain sufficient in their work. If we are poor in all parts of silence, then we will make up for the deficiency by adding a commandment to it, that is, sensory activity. And we will fulfill this, as a replenishment of the peace of our life, by the exertion of our body, so that our freedom does not turn out to be an excuse for subjugating ourselves to the flesh, when we begin to work in vain under the name of a hermit. For it is clear that one who has absolutely no communication with people and is completely immersed in thought in God, when he is dead to everything, at a distance from this, is not commanded to serve people and please them. But whoever maintains the rule of silence for seven weeks or one week, and after fulfilling his rule comes together and enters into communication with people, and is comforted with them, but does not care about his brothers who are in sorrow, thinking thereby to strictly adhere to the weekly rule, he is merciless and cruel. And it goes without saying that, due to a lack of mercy, and due to conceit, and false thoughts, he does not deign to participate in such matters. He who neglects the sick will not see the light. Whoever turns his face away from someone who mourns, his day will be darkened. And whoever despises the voice of the afflicted, his sons in blindness will grope for their homes. Let us not disgrace the great name of silence with our ignorance. For every life has its time, place, and difference. And then let God know whether everything he does is pleasing. Without this, the work of all who care about the measure of perfection is vain. Whoever expects his weakness to be consoled and visited by others, let him humble himself and work together with his neighbor at a time when he suffers temptation, so that he can complete his own work with joy in his silence, being far from all conceit and from demonic delusion. One of the saints, the leading husband, was told: nothing can so deliver a monk from the demon of pride and assist him in maintaining chastity when lustful passion is kindled, as to visit those who lie on their beds and are overcome by the sorrow of the flesh. The great angelic work of silence is when, for the sake of the need for humility, such prudence is added to itself. For when we are robbed and plundered, we ourselves do not know. I said this, brethren, not in order to make us careless about the work of silence and neglect it. For everywhere we urge silence, and now we do not find ourselves contradicting our words. Let no one take or deduce anything separately from what we have said and, putting everything else aside, let no one unreasonably hold this one thing in his hands. I remember in many places I gave such advice that if someone happens to be completely idle in his cell, then, due to the need of our weakness, which befalls us from this, he should not think about completely leaving the cell and consider external work better than cell work. What I called a perfect way out is not if the time comes to us with the necessary task of going out for a few weeks and during that time acquiring the peace and life of our neighbor, and you would begin to call this idleness and recognize it as inaction, but if someone thinks of himself that he is perfect, both by his presence before God and by his removal from everything visible above all those living here, and on this plausible pretext he begins to refuse this too. Great is the exercise of prudence in what is done under the guidance of God. And God, in His mercy, grants us to fulfill His word, which He spoke, saying: ...as men will, let men do to you, and you do likewise to them (Luke 6:31). Glory and honor to him! Amen. You also wrote in your letter that a monk who wants to love God above all else must take care of the purity of his soul. And you said perfectly well, if you have sufficient strength to do so. And since you also say that the soul does not have boldness in prayer, since it has not yet overcome the passions, then it seems to me that there is a contradiction in both, although I am ignorant. For if the soul has not overcome passions, then how can it care about purity? And since the rule of spiritual truth did not command her to do this, when she has not overcome her passions, it means that you are seeking something that is higher than her. For it is not known from what a man desires that he loves; but from what he loves, a conclusion is drawn about what he desires: love naturally precedes lust. (What a person does not love, he will not lust after.) Passions are the door closed in front of purity. If someone does not open this closed door, he will not enter the immaculate and pure region of the heart. And what you said, that the soul does not have boldness at the hour of prayer, is said fairly. For boldness is higher not only than passions, but also purity. And I’ll tell you what the order of this succession is: patience with self-force struggles with passions for purity. Therefore, if the soul overcomes passions, it acquires purity; and true purity causes the mind to acquire boldness in the hour of prayer. Shall we really be subject to reproach, asking in prayer for this spiritual purity, which we are now talking about, and our request becomes a matter of pride and conceit if we ask God for what the Divine Scripture and our fathers prescribe to us and for which a monk goes into hermitage? But I think, saint, that just as a son does not doubt his father and does not ask him in such words: “Teach me art” or: “Give me something,” so it is indecent for a monk to reason and ask God: “Give me this and that.” For he knows that God’s providence for us is higher than that which a father has for his son. And therefore, it is fitting for us to finally resign ourselves, to cry over those causes of sins that are beyond our will, whether they were done by thought or by deed itself, and with a contrite heart speak in the words of the publican: God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13); secretly and openly to do what the Lord taught, saying: ... when you have done all that is commanded to you, say, for we are unbreakable servants; as if you must make a man, a man (Luke 17:10), so that your conscience can testify to you that you are incapable and have a need for mercy. You yourself know that it is not actions that open the closed door of the heart, but a contrite heart and humility of the soul, when you overcome passions with humility and not with disdain. For the sick person first humbles himself and takes care of recovery from his ailments, and then strives to become a king, because purity and mental health are the kingdom of the soul. What kind of kingdom of the soul is this? Just as a sick person does not say to his father: “Make me a king,” but first takes care of his illness, and upon complete recovery, his father’s kingdom automatically becomes his kingdom, so the sinner, bringing repentance, receiving the health of his soul, enters with the Father into the realm of pure nature and reigns in the glory of his Father. Let us remember how the holy Apostle Paul describes his sins and places his soul in the very last and lowest place, saying: ... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. But for this reason He had mercy, so that He might first show all His long-suffering in me (1 Tim. 1:15,16). For in the beginning I was a persecutor, a troublemaker, and a blasphemer, but I received mercy, because I had done something ignorant in unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13). When and at what time did he say this? After great deeds, filled with the power of deeds, after the sermon, according to the gospel of Christ, preached by him to the whole world, after multiple deaths, various sorrows, which he suffered from Jews and pagans. And he still looked at his first deeds, not only did he not consider himself to have achieved purity, but he did not even think of recognizing himself, as he should have, as a student. For he said: ... I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I have persecuted the Church of Christ (1 Cor. 15:9). And when, more than all people, he won victory over the passions, he said: ... I kill my body and enslave it, so that by preaching to no one else, I myself will not be enslaved (1 Cor. 9:27). If you say that the Apostle in other places tells great things about himself, then let him himself convince you of this reasoning. For he says that he did this not voluntarily, not for his own sake, but for preaching. And when he talks about this for the benefit of the faithful, for such praise he presents himself as devoid of all reason, crying out and assuring: ... you force me (2 Cor. 12:11); and again: ... I do not speak according to the Lord, but as if in foolishness, in this part of praise (2 Cor. 11:17). This is the just and true rule that St. Paul gave us. Let us finally preserve it and be jealous of it. Let us renounce seeking high things from God when He does not send or grant it, because God knows the vessels chosen to serve Him. For blessed Paul, even after that, did not ask for the kingdom of his soul, but said: those who prayed should be excommunicated from Christ (Rom. 9:3). How can we dare, even before the time known to God, to ask the soul for the kingdom, without keeping the commandments, without overcoming passions and without paying off debt? Therefore, I beg you, saint, do not let this even enter into your thoughts, but most of all, acquire patience for everything that happens to you. And in great humility and contrition of heart for what is in us and for our thoughts, we will ask for forgiveness of our sins and spiritual humility. One of the saints wrote: “Whoever does not consider himself a sinner, his prayer is not accepted by the Lord.” If you say that some fathers wrote about what spiritual purity is, what health is, what dispassion is, what contemplation is, then they did not write so that we would expect this ahead of time; for it is written that the kingdom of God will not come without waiting (Luke 17:20). And in those who had such an intention, they acquired pride and downfall. And we will bring the area of ​​the heart into order through works of repentance and a life pleasing to God; The Lord’s will come by itself if the place in the heart is clean and undefiled. What we seek in observance, I mean God’s lofty gifts, is not approved by the Church of God; and those who accepted this acquired pride and downfall. And this is not a sign that a person loves God, but mental illness. And how can we strive for God’s high gifts, when Paul boasts of his sorrows and honors fellowship in the sufferings of Christ as God’s high gift? You also wrote in your letter that your soul loved love for God, but you did not achieve love, although you have a great desire to love, and moreover, desert hermitage is desired for you. And by this you showed that the beginning of heartfelt purity has been laid in you and that the remembrance of God is diligently kindled and warmed in your heart. And this is a great thing, if it is fair; but I would not want you to write this, because this does not belong to one degree. If he said this for the sake of a question, then the question required a different order. For whoever says that his soul does not yet have boldness in prayer, because it has not overcome passions, dares to say that his soul has fallen in love with the love of God? There is no way to be aroused in the soul by Divine love, following which you mysteriously flow in hermitage, if it has not overcome the passions. You said that your soul did not overcome passions and loved the love of God; and there is no order in this. Whoever says that he has not overcome passions and has loved the love of God—I don’t know what he is saying. But you will say: I did not say: “I love,” but “I loved love.” And this does not take place if the soul has not achieved purity. If you want to say this just for the word, then you are not the only one saying it, but everyone is saying that they want to love God; and not only Christians say this, but also those who worship God wrongly. And everyone pronounces this word as if it were their own; however, when pronouncing such words, only the tongue moves, but the soul does not feel what it is saying. And many patients do not even know that they are sick. Vice is a disease of the soul, and error is the loss of truth. And very many people, although ill, declare themselves healthy, and deserve praise from many. For if the soul is not cured of vice and is not brought into natural health, in which it was created to be born from spiritual health, it is impossible for a person to desire the supernatural gifts of the spirit, because the soul, while it is sick with passions, does not sense the spiritual with its feelings and does not know how to desire it, but desires only by hearing the ears and according to the scriptures. Finally, I rightly said above that those who desire perfection should keep all the commandments, because the secret doing of the commandments heals spiritual strength. And this did not happen simply and no matter how it is. For it is written that without bloodshed there is no abandonment (Heb. 9:22). But initially our nature, in the incarnation of Christ, received renewal, participated in Christ’s suffering and death; and then, after renewal through the outpouring of blood, our nature was renewed and sanctified and became capable of accepting new and perfect commandments. And if these commandments were given to people before the shedding of blood, before the renewal and sanctification of our nature, then perhaps the newest commandments, like the ancient commandments, would only cut off vice in the soul, but could not destroy the very root of vice in the soul. Now it is not so: on the contrary, the subsequent secret work and new and spiritual commandments, which the soul keeps, meaning the fear of God, renew and sanctify the soul and secretly heal all its members. For it is obvious to everyone what passion each commandment silently heals in the soul, and their effectiveness is felt by both the healer and the healed, as was the case with the bleeding woman. You know, beloved, that if the passionate part of the soul is not healed, is not renewed, is not sanctified in secret, is not bound by spiritual life, then the soul will not acquire health and will not be freed from whatever it encounters in creation that saddens it. And this healing can be accomplished by grace, as it was with the blessed apostles, because by faith they were perfected in the love of Christ. And sometimes it happens that the soul acquires health legally. For whoever, by doing the commandments and the difficult deeds of true living, has overcome passions, let him know that he has legitimately acquired spiritual health, and has been milked with milk outside the materialization of this world, and has cut off his former disposition, and has been reborn, as originally, in the spiritual, and by grace, as having acquired the concepts of the inner man, has become visible in the realm of the Spirit, and has received it into himself into a new, uncomplicated world. When the mind is renewed and the heart is sanctified, then all the concepts that arise in it are aroused in accordance with the nature of the world into which it enters. First, love for the Divine is awakened in him, and he desires communication with Angels and the revelation of the secrets of spiritual knowledge; his mind senses the spiritual knowledge of creatures, and the contemplation of the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, as well as the mysteries of the venerable Economy for our sake, shines in him; and then completely enters into unity with the knowledge of the hope of the future. Finally, from what I wrote to you, understand your condition. If the soul, when confined in the region of passions, could truly love God, it would not have much need to ask and inquire about the mysteries of the spiritual world. But it is clear that training and knowledge of the passions are not beneficial and are not sufficient to open the door that is closed in the face of purity. If passions are taken away from the soul, then the mind is enlightened and placed in a pure place of nature, and has no need for questions, because it clearly sees the benefits found in its place. For as our external senses, not as a result of learning and questioning, perceive the natures and things in contact with them, but each sense naturally, and not with the help of questions, senses the thing it encounters (because there is no teaching mediating between the sensed and the sensed; to the blind, no matter how much you talk about the glory of the sun and moon, about the host of stars, about the brilliance of precious things, he both accepts, and judges, and imagines the beauty that they have, only by name; knowledge and reasoning it is far from the pleasure delivered by vision itself), so, in a similar way, imagine spiritual contemplation. For the mind that despises the hidden mysteries of the Spirit, if it is in its natural health, fully contemplates the glory of Christ, and does not question or study, but enjoys the mysteries of the new world, above free will, in proportion to the ardor of faith and hope in Christ, as blessed Paul wrote: if we see, what also do we hope? We wait with patience (Rom.8:25). Finally, we must wait and remain alone and in simplicity with our inner man, where there are no imprints of thoughts, no views on anything complex: because the mind, what it looks at, receives images. When he looks at the world, then, in accordance with the modification of the images through which he rushes, he receives from them in the same number images and similarities, which, according to their multitude and the difference in their change, arouse thoughts in him; when thoughts are excited, they are imprinted on the mind. If the mind penetrates with its gaze into the inner man, where there is nothing that could serve as a change in species, and where the complex is not separated from another complex by the otherness of the image, but everything is one Christ, then it is clear that the mind then accepts simple contemplation, without which nothing else will sweeten the soul’s throat and will not cause the soul to acquire boldness in the hour of prayer, because this is the food of the nature of the soul. And when the mind becomes in the area of ​​knowledge of the truth, then it has no need for questions. For just as the bodily eye does not first inquire and then look at the sun, so the spiritual eye does not first enter into inquiry and then contemplate spiritual knowledge. Thus, the mysterious contemplation that you desire, saint, is revealed to the mind after acquiring mental health. To desire to find out such secrets through research and questioning is the foolishness of the soul. For blessed Paul did not say that by science or any material method he saw and heard mysteries and ineffable verbs, which it is not for a man to speak (2 Cor. 12:4), but he was caught up in rapture into the spiritual realm and saw the revelation of mysteries. Finally, you, saint, if you love purity, cleanse from everything the love poured out on everyone and, having entered the vineyard of your heart, work in it, destroy passions in your soul, try not to know human malice. Purity looks to God, shines and blossoms in the soul not as a result of petition, but as a result of ignorance of the malice of any person. If you want your heart to become the abode of the mysteries of the new world, then first enrich yourself with bodily deeds, fasting, vigil, service, asceticism, patience, laying down your thoughts, and so on. Bound your mind by reading the Scriptures and delving into them, write the commandments before your eyes and pay off the debt of passions when you are defeated and when you win. And through constant prayerful conversation and self-absorption in prayer, eradicate in your heart every image and every likeness that you have previously perceived. Accustom your mind to always delve into the secrets of the Savior’s Economy; and leave asking for knowledge and contemplation, which in their place and time are above verbal description, continue doing the commandments and working in acquiring purity; and ask the Lord in prayer for the sorrow kindled by fire for everything (which He put into the hearts of the apostles, martyrs and fathers), may it sink into your heart, and may you be worthy of intelligent living. The beginning, middle and end of this life is the following: cutting off everything by unity in Christ. If you desire to contemplate the mysteries, cultivate the commandments in yourself by deed, and not by mere desire to know them. Spiritual contemplation acts in us in the realm of purity. And you first try to find out how you can enter the realm of spiritual mysteries, and then begin. The first of the mysteries is purity, achieved through the effectiveness of the commandments. Contemplation is the spiritual view of the mind in order to comprehend what has been and will be, and to be amazed at everything. Contemplation is a vision of the mind, brought to amazement by the Economy of God in every generation and generation, and comprehending the glory of God and the difficulties of the new world, at which the heart is contrite and renewed; like infants in Christ, it is brought up with the milk of new and spiritual commandments, becomes immaculate, is taught spiritual mysteries and revelations of knowledge, ascending from knowledge to knowledge, and from contemplation to contemplation, and from comprehension to comprehension, and is taught and strengthened mysteriously until it is exalted by love, united by hope, and joy is established in it, and it is exalted by God. and crowned with the natural glory of its creation, in which it was created. In these spiritual pastures the mind ascends into the revelations of knowledge, and falls, and rises, and conquers, and is conquered and burned out in the cave of the cell, and thus it is purified, and mercy comes to it, and it is actively granted that contemplation of the Holy Trinity, which you desire. For there are three contemplations of natures in which the mind is elevated, exerts its activity and is exercised: two contemplations of created natures, rational and irrational, spiritual and physical, and also contemplation of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, first there is a view of every creature that has come into being, and the mind surveys it in the revelation of knowledge; and what is not subject to feelings, there is a mental view. The mind also has a view for contemplating itself; It was to them that the external philosophers were puffed up in their minds when representing creatures. Therefore, the contemplation of the sons of the sacrament of faith is associated with faith and grazes in the meadows of the Scriptures: it gathers together the mind from all external soaring and binds it with the unity of Christ, like Basil the Great and Gregory; and his view is 50 on the mysterious words placed in Scripture. And words that are not comprehended by knowledge become understandable to us with the help of faith, and we receive knowledge about them in contemplation, which happens after purification. For spiritual mysteries, which are beyond knowledge and which are not felt by either the bodily senses or the rational power of the mind, God gave us faith, by which we only know that these mysteries exist. And from this faith, hope for them is born in us. By faith we confess that God is Lord, Master, Creator and Maker of all things; and by knowledge we decide that we must keep His commandments and understand that the old commandments are kept by fear, as He Himself said, but the life-giving commandments of Christ are kept by love, according to what was said: ... I have kept My Father’s commandments, and I abide in His love (John 15:10). Why is it clear that the Son keeps His Father’s commandments not out of fear, but out of love, and therefore commands us to keep His commandments out of love, as He says: If you love Me, you will keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter (John 14:15,16). The coming of the Comforter calls the gift of revelation of spiritual mysteries, therefore in the reception of the Spirit, which the apostles received, there is all the perfection of spiritual knowledge. And the Lord confessed and promised, begging His Father, to give them a Comforter, so that, while they kept the commandments and cleansed themselves, He would remain with them forever. Do you see that for keeping the commandments the mind is awarded the grace of mysterious contemplation and revelations of spiritual knowledge, and not, as your wisdom assumed, that the act of keeping the commandments serves as an obstacle to the contemplation of the Divine mysteries performed in silence? Therefore, I beg you, if you feel in your soul that you have reached the realm of love, keep the new commandments out of love for Him who gave them, and not out of fear, like blessed Paul, when he was inflamed with Divine love, he said: Who will separate me from the love of Christ? Is it tribulation, or prison, or persecution, etc.? And he also adds: I have learned that neither death nor life... neither the present nor the future can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35,38,39). And so that no one would think that he desires a great reward, or honor, or the abundant giving of spiritual gifts, as your shrine desires, he said: I prayed to be excommunicated from Christ (Rom. 9:3), so that those that are alien to him might be appropriated to Him. And in order for you to know that he was not looking for mysterious and solitary contemplation, like your fatherland, but desires only that which others have often been granted by grace, listen to what he says in another place: Even if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I am not an imam of love, but there is a ringing brass, or a clanging cymbal. And even if I am a prophecy, and I know all mysteries, and all my understanding, and even if I am a faith, even as I have left behind mountains, but I am not an imam of love, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:1,2), because the lawful door that leads into this is love. If we acquire love, it leads us into this. If we are granted this by grace without love, then we will certainly lose it someday, because the acquisition and guardianship of the highest saints and divine life is love. As soon as a monk is deprived of love, his heart is immediately deprived of peace, which is the village of God, and the door of grace is closed for him, by which our Lord will enter and go out, according to what He said: I am the door of life, and by Me man will enter into life and find pasture (John 10:9) to nourish his spiritual life, where neither malice nor delusion hinder him; but in all the ascents of revelations of knowledge and mysterious contemplations, Divine love introduces and leads him out, as well as those who have the freedom of Christ. And in order to know the truth of this, namely, that spiritual life really is Divine contemplation of the mind, listen to the great Paul. For he cries: this is displeasing to me without love; and if I do not enter (that is, into contemplation) through the lawful gates 51; love, then I will not wish for it; and if it were given to me by grace, when I did not acquire love, then I do not covet it; because he did not enter through the natural door, which is love. Therefore, first I must acquire love, which is the initial contemplation of the Holy Trinity, and after that, and without giving, naturally, I will have contemplation of the spiritual. Understand the wisdom of blessed Paul, how he abandoned all the gifts imparted by grace, and asked for the most essential, that which accepts the gifts and preserves them, as someone says. The gift of contemplation of creatures was also given to Moses, and many were granted it, however, not permanently, but in revelation. I, who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and filled with grace, want to receive within myself the feeling of Christ living in me. For Christ made His Hypostasis a renewal of our nature, we are clothed in Him with water and the Spirit, and in an ineffable sacrament He united us with Himself and made us members of His body; but here - in the form of only a pledge, but in the new world He naturally imparts life to the other members. Why therefore do you desire and strive for contemplation before love, when the divine Paul did not approve of it without love? But, having said that doing the commandments serves as an obstacle for me to contemplation, you clearly blasphemed love for one’s neighbor, and preferred contemplation to it, and you desire to see it where it is not seen. While we cannot yet see contemplation, wise one, contemplation itself shows us itself in its place. Just as, as the soul grows naturally, it accepts new and new knowledge, and senses what exists in the world, and learns this more and more day by day, so in the spiritual, a person accepts spiritual contemplation and Divine sensation and learns this to the extent that the mind grows in rational living and extends forward. When he comes to the region of love, then he contemplates the spiritual in its place. But while a person makes an effort for the spiritual to descend upon him, it does not submit. And if he boldly dreams, and raises his gaze to the spiritual, and reaches it with his understanding at the wrong time, then his vision soon becomes dull, and instead of the real, he sees ghosts and images. As soon as you fully comprehend this with your rational mind, you will not seek contemplation at the wrong time. If it seems to you that even now you see contemplation, this contemplation is the shadow of a ghost, and not contemplation, because everything mental has a similarity and a dreamy image, but there is also true contemplation. For even in complex natures there is a ghost, and sometimes true contemplation is possible. If the contemplation is true, then light is found, and what is contemplated is seen to be close to reality. And when the opposite of this happens, then the eye sees a shadow instead of reality and sees water where there is no water, sees buildings raised up and hanging in the air, while they stand on the ground. According to such a physical phenomenon, imagine the same about the mental. If the vision of the mind is not purified by doing the commandments, by the deeds of silent living, if it does not acquire the perfection of the light of love, if it does not advance in age in the renewal of Christ, if the superiority of knowledge does not approach spiritual natures to the degree at which it seeks spiritual, angelic life, then it will not be possible to become a true spectator of Divine contemplation. Nevertheless, those similarities of the spiritual that the mind thinks to form for itself are called a ghost, and not reality. And this, that the mind sees one thing instead of the other, occurs because it has not been purified. For the nature of truth remains always unchanged and never changes into similarities; The reason for dreaming images is weakness, and not purity, of the mind. This also happened with external philosophers, because they considered spiritual that which they did not accept the true teaching from God. By the reduction and stimulation of the rational force in them, by the concepts of their thoughts, they concluded in their conceit that they are something; and at the same time they reasoned about how they exist, so that the discovery of their origin and the change in likeness would become both for them. And they talked about this in inappropriate conceit, they divided the One God in polytheism, they spoke and agreed among themselves in the mockery of their thoughts, and they called this dream of the madness of their thoughts the speculation of natures. Therefore, true contemplation of the sensual and supersensible natures, and the Holy Trinity Itself, is given in the revelation of Christ. Christ taught him and showed him to people, when initially through His Hypostasis he renewed human nature, returned and gave him the first freedom, and Himself paved the way for us to ascend to the truth with His life-giving commandments. And nature is only then capable of becoming a spectator of true, and not dreamy, contemplation, when a person initially, through suffering, work and sorrow, puts off the old passionate person, just as a newborn baby takes off the clothes taken out of his mother’s womb. Then the mind is able to be reborn spiritually, become visible in the spiritual world and accept the contemplation of its fatherland. Therefore, now the contemplation of creatures, although it is sweet, is only a shadow of knowledge. And its sweetness is inseparable from dreaming in a dream. Therefore, the contemplation of the new world by the spirit of revelation, with which the mind is spiritually delighted, is an action of grace, and not a shadow of knowledge; and its sweetness is inseparable from that which the Apostle described, saying: But these are not seen by eye, nor heard by ear, nor breathed into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to the saints by His Spirit: for the Spirit tests all things, even the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:9,10). And this contemplation becomes the food of the mind until it comes to the state of accepting contemplation higher than the first contemplation; because one contemplation transmits a person to another contemplation until the mind is brought into the region of perfect love. Love is the abode of the spiritual, and settles in the purity of the soul. When the mind becomes in the area of ​​love, then grace acts, the mind accepts spiritual contemplation and becomes a spectator of the unseen. For I said that the gift of revelations of mental contemplation is given in two ways. For sometimes it is given by grace for the fervor of faith, and sometimes for keeping the commandments and for purity. By grace, like the blessed apostles, who, not by doing the commandments, purified their minds and were granted the revelation of contemplation, but by ardent faith, because they believed in Christ in simplicity and undoubtedly followed Him with an inflamed heart. And when Christ completed His venerable Economy, sent them the Comforter Spirit, purified and perfected their minds, and effectively killed the old passionate man within them, and effectively revived in them a new spiritual man, and they received the sensation of both. So blessed Paul was renewed mysteriously, and then received the contemplation of the revelation of the mysteries; but even at the same time he did not rely on it. He effectively accepted the grace and gift, but all the time of his life he carried on the course in order, if possible, to repay the grace that he was honored with when the Lord talked with him, as with His own, on the way and sent him to Damascus. It is not written what Jesus talked to him about explicitly, but it is written that Ananias said to him: Brother Saul, our Lord Jesus Christ appears on the way, sending me to you, so that your eyes may see and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). And when he baptized him, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and felt the hidden mysteries of revelations, just as this happened with the holy apostles, when Jesus was with them and said: ... the imam has many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now: when the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide you into all truth ... and He will tell you what is to come (John 16:12,13). And blessed Paul then, just as he received the Holy Spirit and was renewed by Him, was granted the mysteries of revelation, began to contemplate with the spirit of revelations and enjoyed contemplation, heard ineffable verbs, saw the contemplation of the highest nature, was delighted with the contemplation of heavenly powers and enjoyed the spiritual. And let it not be what the heretics, called Euchites, claim in their madness, as if he achieved this ascent by his own desire! The mind cannot go there at all. On the contrary, Paul was delighted with the spirit of revelation, as he himself wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, in spite of these vain people who likened themselves to the holy apostles, confessed the dreams of their thoughts and called them spiritual contemplations. This also applies to many heretics, that is, it is close to Origen, to Valentin, to the son of Dissanov, to Marcion, to Manes, to other ancient leaders of harmful heresies that began from the time of the apostles and are still found in places. Finally, since some people, corrupted in their minds by demonic dreams, wanted to corrupt the teaching of the blessed apostles, the divine Apostle was forced to turn into nothing the boasts of the heretics who boasted about the shadow of the work of the demons who appeared to them, and therefore with humility and great fear he describes his divine contemplation, attributing it to the person of another. For he says: Before he was fourteen years old, I knew a man about Christ, whether apart from the body or in the body, God knows: he was caught up into paradise, and he who heard the words that man should not fly (2 Cor. 12:2,4). So, he says, he was caught up in admiration, and did not arbitrarily ascend with his mind in contemplation to the third heaven. He wrote that he saw contemplations; He said that he heard verbs: but what words or images of contemplation there were, he could not write. For when the mind, through the spirit of revelation, saw this in its place, then it did not accept the commandment to say it in a place that was not appropriate for this. And even if I wanted to say this, I could not, because I did not see it with my bodily senses. What the mind accepts with bodily feelings, it can again explain with them in the physical realm; and what he tangibly contemplates, or hears, or feels within himself, in the spiritual realm, when he returns to the body, he is not able to retell, but only remembers that he saw it; but as he saw, he does not know how to tell clearly. And this denounces the false writings, the so-called revelations, set forth by the leaders of heresies, corrupted by demonic dreams, about the abodes in the firmament, into which the mind is led for unauthorized training, and about the ascension of the mind to heaven, and about the places of those excommunicated at the Judgment, and about the multiform images of the heavenly Powers, and about their effectiveness. All this is the shadow of a mind intoxicated with conceit and numbed by demonic activity. That is why blessed Paul with a single word closed the door in front of all contemplation and brought its shutter inside silence, where the mind, even if it could announce this, would not have received permission to do so. For he said that all contemplations that the tongue is able to detect in the bodily region are dreams of spiritual thoughts, and not the action of grace. Finally, your reverence, remembering this, may he watch over the dreams of deep thoughts. And it is usually the monks of the subtle mind who are most often subjected to this abuse, who enter into the study of what vanity feeds on, who desire innovation and do everything for show. Someone named Malpas, descended from Edessa, at one time became the inventor of the heresy of the Euchites, while he led a high life and endured the most difficult labors and sorrows. For they say that, being a disciple of blessed Julian, called Savoy, he went with him for a short time to Sinai and Egypt and saw the great fathers of that time, saw blessed Anthony, heard from him the mysterious words spoken by him about the purity and salvation of souls: he heard subtle questions about the passions, in which Anthony explained that the mind, after its purification, has contemplation of spiritual mysteries and that the soul can, grace, to be worthy of dispassion, when by doing the commandments he is stripped of old passions and comes to the health of his primitive nature. And when Malpas, in the bloom of his youth, listened to these words, he burned like fire and came to his city; and, since the passion of love for fame was kindled in him, he chose a hermitage for himself and devoted himself to works and severe sorrows and unceasing prayers. And when the passion of exorbitant love of glory kindled in him, that is, the hope of achieving for him those lofty talents that he had heard about, since he had not learned the art of confronting the enemies of the truth, did not understand the intrigues, deceptions and tricks of the adversary, with which he draws the strong and strong into destruction, he hoped only for deeds, for sorrow, for non-covetousness, for asceticism, for abstinence, without acquiring self-abasement, humility, heartfelt contrition - these are irresistible weapons against the resistance of the evil one, not remembering the Scripture, which says: when you have done your deeds, keep the commandments, endure sorrows, consider yourself indecent slaves; but on the contrary, he was kindled by a high self-conceit, based on the work he had done in his life, and burned with the desire for the high gifts that he had heard about - after a long time, when the devil saw that he had no work of humility, but only longed for contemplation in order to experience the mysteries that he had heard about, he appeared to him in immeasurable light, saying: “I am a comforter, and was sent to you from the Father, to make you worthy to see the contemplation that you desire for your deeds, to give you dispassion and for the future to rest you from deeds.” In return for this, the evil one demanded worship from this poor man. And this fool, because he did not feel the scolding of the evil one, immediately accepted him with joy, and bowed to him, and that same hour became under his power. And the enemy, instead of Divine contemplation, filled him with demonic dreams, made him stop working for the truth, exalted him and mocked him with the vain hope of dispassion, saying to him: “Now you have no need for deeds, for the suffering of the body, in the fight against passions and lusts”; and made him the leader of the heresy of the Euchites. When they multiplied and their teaching became evidently vile and wrong, they were expelled by the then bishop. And another one, named Asinas, in the same city of Edessa, having composed many trilogies that are sung to this day, led a high life and recklessly bound himself to the most difficult affairs, until he became famous. The devil seduced him, took him out of his cell and placed him on the top of a mountain called Storium, made an agreement with him, showed him an image of chariots and horsemen and said to him: “God sent me to take you to heaven, like Elijah.” And as soon as he was deceived by his infant mind and climbed onto the chariot, this whole dream was destroyed, he fell from a great height, fell from there to the ground and died a death worthy of laughter. It was not in vain that I said this here, but so that we might know reproach from demons who thirst for the destruction of the saints, and not lust at the wrong time for the heights of intelligent living; otherwise we will be ridiculed by our crafty adversary, for even now I see that young men, filled with passions, fearlessly talk vainly and decisively judge the mysteries of dispassion. In the reasoning of people who are filled with passions and enter into the study of the laws of the bodily and incorporeal, and therefore do not differ from the sick who teach the rules about maintaining health, one of the saints wrote: “Blessed Paul, when he learned about the disciples who neglected the commandments and did not overcome the passions, but lusted after the bliss of contemplating the mysteries, which is possible after cleansing, he said to them: put off first the old man passions, and then desire to be clothed with a new man, renewed by the knowledge of the mysteries in likeness to the Creator, and do not desire my and the other apostles’ bliss, effectively accomplished by grace; because God wills him and has mercy on him; but he who wills him he will harden (Rom. 9:18). For who can resist His face or resist His will? God sometimes grants tuna; sometimes it requires works and purification, and then sends a gift; and sometimes even after work and purification it does not give here, but keeps it in order to bestow contemplation in its place.” We find that He does this also in consideration of what is less in comparison with this gift - I mean the forgiveness of sins. For behold, baptism bestows tuna and requires absolutely nothing except faith; when repenting of sins after baptism, he does not completely forgive, but demands work, sorrows, sorrows, contrition, tears, long-term crying, and then forgives. Tune forgave the robber for one word of confession on the cross and promised him the Kingdom of Heaven; and he also demanded faith and tears from the sinner. And from the martyrs and confessors, beyond their heartfelt faith, he demanded sorrow, torture, planing, torment, and various deaths. Therefore, let your holiness, convinced of this and the like, look at the first and last, and let it not seek contemplation when it is not the time for contemplation. And while you are confined in the place of the body, be diligent in matters of repentance and an opponent of the passions, patient in doing the commandments, and beware of demonic reproach, as well as those who preach immutable perfection in a passionate and comfortable world. This is higher even than the holy Angels, these servants of the Father and the Spirit; and they wait for renewal in the intermediary, in order to be freed from the work of incorruption in the freedom of the children of God. For is perfection possible here, where the sun rises and sets among the clouds, at times there is goodness in the air, and at times of drought, sometimes joy and sometimes lamentation? What is contrary to this is part of the wolves, as one of the saints said. May God confirm the foundation of our life with the true affirmation and His holy teaching. To Him befits glory, power and splendor now and to the endless ages of ages! Amen. Word 56. About love for God, about renunciation of the world and about rest in God The soul that loves God finds peace in God and in Him alone. First allow every external union within yourself, and then you will be able to be in union with God with your heart, because union with God is preceded by renunciation from matter. Bread is given to the baby as food after he has been fed with milk; and a person who intends to succeed in the Divine desires first to remove himself from the world, like a baby from the embraces and suckles of his mother. Bodily work precedes spiritual work, just as dust preceded the soul blown into Adam. He who has not achieved bodily work cannot have spiritual work, because the latter is born from the first, like an ear from a bare grain of wheat. And whoever does not have spiritual activity is deprived of spiritual gifts. The illnesses suffered in the present age for the sake of truth cannot be compared with the pleasure that is prepared for those who suffer for good. Just as the handles of rejoicing follow those who sow in tears, so suffering for the sake of God will be followed by joy. The bread that one earns later seems sweet to the farmer; doing for the sake of righteousness is also sweet to the heart that has accepted the knowledge of Christ. With good will, endure both humiliation and humility, so that you may have boldness before God. A person, knowingly enduring every cruel word, when he himself has not first done an injustice to the one who spoke it, although at the same time he places a crown of thorns on his head, he is nevertheless blessed, because he is crowned incorruptibly, although he himself does not know it. He who with knowledge flees from vain glory has sensed in his soul the future age. Whoever says that he has left the world, and argues with people because of some need, so that he does not lack anything for his repose, is completely blind, because, although he voluntarily left his whole body, he nevertheless argues and argues about one of its members. He who runs from peace in this present life, has a mind that has already looked ahead to the future age. And whoever is bound by covetousness is a slave of passions. Do not think that the mere acquisition of gold and silver is covetousness; it is the acquisition of anything, something to which your will is attached. Do not praise someone who suffers physically, but who has been given free rein to his senses, I mean hearing, gaping and uncontrollable lips and wandering eyes. When you prescribe rules for a soul to arrange its salvation through mercy, teach your soul not to seek justification in other matters, so that it does not turn out that you are doing with one hand and wasting it with the other, for there the need is for compassion, and here for the breadth of the heart. Know that forgiving sins to debtors is one of the works of righteousness. Then you will see silence and lightness everywhere in your mind. When you take the path of truth, then you will cleave to freedom in every matter. One of the saints said about this: “The merciful is blind if he is not just; I understand that I must give to another from what I have obtained through my own efforts and labors, and not from what I have obtained through lies, untruths, and tricks.” And he also said in another place: “If you want to sow among the poor, then sow from your own. And if you intend to sow from someone else’s, then know that these are the most bitter tares.” And I add that if a merciful person is not above his own truth, then he is not merciful, that is, a merciful person not only gives alms to people from his own, but also joyfully endures untruth from others and shows mercy to them. And when he overcomes righteousness through alms, then he is crowned not with the lawful crowns of the righteous, but with the gospel crowns of the perfect. For to give to the poor from your property, to clothe the naked, to love your neighbor as yourself, not to offend, not to lie - this was also proclaimed by the old law; The perfection of the gospel economy commands this: do not torture from him who takes yours, and give to everyone who asks (cf. Luke 6:30). And one must joyfully not only endure the unjust confiscation of any thing and other external things, but also lay down one’s very soul for one’s brother. He who lays down his soul is merciful, and not the one who only shows mercy to his brother through alms. But he is also merciful who hears or sees something that saddens his brother and his heart burns; and equally the one who, if strangled by his brother, will not have such shamelessness as to answer and sadden his heart. Almost doing a vigil to find you consolation close to your soul. Engage in reading in silence, so that your mind is always raised to the wonders of God. Love poverty with patience in order to gather together your mind from soaring. Hate the spacious life in order to keep your thoughts serene. Refrain from many things and take care of one soul of yours in order to save it from the waste of inner silence. Love chastity, so as not to be ashamed during your prayer before God. Acquire purity in your deeds, so that your soul is illuminated in prayer and the remembrance of death kindles joy in your mind. Beware of the small, so as not to fall into the big. Do not be lazy in your work, so as not to be ashamed when you stand among your friends, and not to find yourself without travel supplies, so that your friends leave you alone in the middle of the road. Conduct your affairs with knowledge, so as not to be condemned for your entire course. Gain freedom in your life to be free from the storm. Do not bind your freedom to what serves for pleasure, lest you become a slave of slaves. In your attire, love poor clothes, in order to disparage the thoughts that arise in you, that is, the arrogance of the heart. He who loves brilliance cannot acquire humble thoughts, because the heart is internally imprinted in the likeness of external images. Who, loving idle talk, can acquire a pure mind? Who, seeking to seize human glory, can acquire humble thoughts, or who, being intemperate and pampering his members, can become pure in mind and humble in heart? When the mind is carried away by feelings, then it eats animal food with them. And when the feelings are carried away by the mind, then they partake of angelic food with it. Humility is followed by abstinence and limitation in everything; and vanity is the servant of fornication and the work of pride. Humility, due to constant self-restraint, comes into contemplation and adorns the soul with chastity; and vanity, due to constant rebellion and confusion of its thoughts, collects unclean treasures from everything it encounters and defiles the heart. It still looks at the nature of things with an obscene gaze and occupies the mind with shameful ideas; but humility spiritually limits itself to contemplation and excites those who have acquired it to praise. Do not compare those who do signs, wonders and powers in the world with those who are silent with knowledge. Love the ineffectiveness of silence more than the satiation of the hungry in the world and the conversion of many nations to the worship of God. It is better for you to free yourself from the bonds of sin than to free slaves from slavery. It is better for you to make peace with your soul in the unanimity of the threefold composition within you, that is, body, soul and spirit, than to pacify those of different minds through your teaching. Gregory says: “It is good to theologize for the sake of God, but it is better for a person to make himself pure for God.” It is better for you, being a leader and experienced, to be tongue-tied than to flow out teachings like a river from the sharpness of your mind. It is more useful for you to take care to restore what has fallen in your soul from passions by exciting your thoughts to the Divine, than to resurrect the dead. Many performed powers, raised the dead, worked in the conversion of the lost and performed great miracles, with their hands many were brought to the knowledge of God, and after all this they themselves, who revived others, fell into vile and vile passions, killed themselves and became a temptation for many when their deeds became obvious, because they were still in mental illness, did not care about the health of their souls, but, being still weak, they set out into the sea of this world to heal the souls of others; and, as I said, they have lost hope in God for their souls. The weakness of the senses was not able to meet and endure the flame of what usually enrages the ferocity of passions, because the senses also needed caution, namely, not to see women at all, not to indulge in peace, not to acquire silver and other things, not to rule over others, not to exalt themselves over others. Let it be better that you be considered uneducated for your lack of ability to argue, than one of the wise for your shamelessness. Be poor in humility - and do not be rich in shamelessness. Convict those who hold teachings contrary to yours by the strength of your virtues, and not by the persuasiveness of your words. With meekness and calmness of your lips, stop the lips of shamelessness of the disobedient and make them silent. Reprove the depraved with the nobility of your life, and those who have shameless feelings with the self-control of their eyes. All the days of your life, wherever you go, recognize yourself as a wanderer, so that you can be able to get rid of the harm caused by freedom in circulation. Always think about yourself that you know nothing, in order to avoid being blamed on suspicion that you want to establish the opinion of others in your own way. Always bless with your mouth, and they will not slander you, because from slander comes slander, and from blessing comes blessing. In every matter, consider yourself poor in order to teach, and throughout your life you will prove wise. Do not tell another what you yourself have not comprehended, so that you are not ashamed of yourself and your lies are revealed when your life is compared. If you begin to tell someone something useful, then speak as a student, and not with authority and shamelessness, and judge yourself in advance, and show that you are lower than him, so that you can show those who listen the order of humility and encourage them to listen to your speech and begin to do it, and you will be honored in their eyes. If you can, then in such cases speak with tears in order to benefit both yourself and those listening to you - and the grace of God will be with you. If you have received the grace of God and have been worthy to enjoy the sight of the destinies of God and visible creatures, which constitutes the first degree of knowledge, then prepare yourself and arm yourself against the spirit of blasphemy. But do not stand in this country without weapons, lest you die soon from those who lie in wait and deceive you. Let your weapons be tears and unceasing fasting. Beware of reading heretical teachings, because this most often arms the spirit of blasphemy against you. And when you have filled your belly, do not shamelessly enter into the study of any Divine objects and concepts, lest you repent. Understand what I am telling you: with a full belly it is impossible to know the mysteries of God. Often, and not knowing enough, read in the books of teachers about the Providence of God, because they guide the mind to discern order in the creatures and affairs of God, strengthen it with themselves, with their subtlety prepare it for the acquisition of luminous thoughts and ensure that it goes in purity to the understanding of God’s creatures. Read the Gospel, bequeathed by God for the knowledge of the entire universe, in order to gain guidance in the power of His Providence for every generation and so that your mind is immersed in the wonders of God. Such reading is consistent with your goal. Let your reading be in silence, undisturbed by anything: and be free from much care in the body and from everyday rebellion, so that you can feel in your soul, with sweet understanding, the sweetest taste, surpassing all sensation, and so that your soul feels this while it is in it. Let not the words of well-skilled people be for you the words of hypocrites who trade in the word of God, so that you do not remain in darkness for the rest of your life, lose the benefit of these words, and during a battle do not become confused, as if you were confused, and, apparently seeking good, do not fall into a pit. Whatever you intend to delve into, let the following be for you a sign of entry 52 inside. When grace begins to open your eyes to perceive objects in their reality, then at the same moment your eyes will begin to shed tears in streams, so that your cheeks will be washed more than once with a multitude of them. And then the battle of feelings subsides and shrinks inside you. If anyone teaches you anything contrary to this, do not believe him. Apart from tears, do not look for another more obvious sign in the body. When the mind has risen above creatures, then the body will have neither tears nor any movement or sensation. You have found honey and eaten in moderation, so that you are not so full that you vomit (Proverbs 25:16). The nature of the soul is flexible and easy: sometimes, being delighted, it desires to ascend high and find out what is above its nature. Often, when reading the Scriptures and looking at things, one perceives something; when it is allowed, and she compares herself with what she has comprehended, then it turns out that in the measure of her vision she is lower and less than what her knowledge has extended, and therefore in her thoughts she is clothed in fear and trembling, and in fear, as if ashamed that she dared to touch her highest spiritual objects, she hastens to return again to her insignificance. Because of the fear inspired by objects, some kind of fear comes over her, and reason tells the mind of the soul to learn silence and not be shameless, so as not to perish and not to look for what is superior to it, not to interrogate what is above it. Therefore, when you are given the opportunity to understand, understand, and do not touch the mysteries with shamelessness, but worship, glorify and give thanks in silence. Just as it is not good to eat a lot of honey, so do not go into the study of the words of God, so that when you want to peer at distant objects without approaching them yet, due to the inconvenience of the journey, your power of vision will not become exhausted and damaged. Because sometimes instead of reality you see some kind of ghosts. And the mind, when it becomes despondent from research, forgets its goal. Therefore, Solomon said beautifully that, just as a city is unfenced, so is an impatient man (see: Proverbs 25:29). Therefore, man, cleanse your soul, cast off concern for what is outside your nature, hang the veil of chastity and humility on your concepts and movements, and through this you will find what is inside your nature, because the revelation of mysteries is given to the humble. If you intend to devote your soul to the work of prayer, which purifies the mind, and to staying awake at night in order to acquire a bright mind, then move away from the sight of the world, stop meeting with people, do not accept friends into your cell, as is customary, even under the guise of benefit, except those who are of the same opinion, like-minded with you and your co-workers; Beware of the embarrassment of emotional conversation, which usually occurs involuntarily; after cutting off, renunciation and complete cessation of external conversation, pair alms with your prayer, and your soul will see the light of truth. For to the extent that the heart ceases to be disturbed by external objects, to the same extent the mind can go from understanding the thoughts and deeds of the Divine to comprehension and amazement. For the soul usually quickly replaces (human meetings with conversations with God and the words of God and) 53 one conversation with another, if we try to show little diligence. And in order to replace one interview with another, engage in reading Scripture, which opens up the path of subtlety of contemplation for you, and the lives of saints, although at first you will not feel the sweetness, due to the darkening proximity of things. And when you begin to pray and practice your rules, then instead of thinking about what you have seen and heard in the world, you will find in yourself thinking about the Divine Scriptures that you have read, and by this reflection you will be brought into oblivion, which was mindful of worldly things, and thus the mind comes to purity. And this means that it is written that reading helps the soul when it begins to pray; and also: the soul is enlightened by prayer in reading. And reading again, instead of an external admixture, provides food for different types of prayer, and therefore by reading the soul is enlightened in order to always pray without laziness and without embarrassment. It is as indecent for carnalists and gluttons to enter into the study of spiritual subjects as it is for a harlot to talk about chastity. The body, which is extremely sick, is disgusted and does not tolerate the fat in foodstuffs: and the mind, occupied with the worldly, cannot approach the study of the Divine. Fire does not ignite in damp wood: and divine fervor does not kindle in a heart that loves peace. The harlot does not remain in love with one: and the soul, attached to many things, does not remain faithful to Divine instructions. Just as someone who has not seen the sun with his own eyes cannot describe its light to someone just by hearing, and does not even feel its light, so has not tasted with his soul the sweetness of spiritual affairs. If you have anything extra for your daily needs, give it to the poor and go boldly to offer your prayers, that is, talk with God like a son with his father. Nothing can bring the heart closer to God like almsgiving; and nothing produces such silence in the soul as arbitrary poverty. It is better for many to call you ignorant for the sake of simplicity, than for the sake of fame to be wise and perfect in mind. If someone, sitting on a horse, stretches out his hand to you to accept alms, do not refuse him, because at this time he is, without a doubt, as poor as one of the beggars. When you give, give with generosity, with a kindly expression on your face, and provide more than you asked for. For it is said: send your piece on the face of the poor, and in a short time you will find recompense (Eccl. 11:1). Do not separate the rich from the poor and do not try to distinguish the worthy from the unworthy: let all people be equal for you for a good deed. For in this way you can also attract the unworthy to goodness, because the soul through the physical is soon drawn into the fear of God. And the Lord shared meals with tax collectors and harlots and did not separate those unworthy from Himself, so that in this way he would draw everyone into the fear of God and so that through the physical they would come closer to the spiritual. Therefore, by beneficence and honor, make all people equal, whether someone is a Jew, or an infidel, or a murderer, especially since he is your brother, of the same nature as you, and through ignorance he has strayed from the truth. When you do good to someone, do not expect retribution from him: God will reward you for both. And if it is possible for you, do good, and not for the sake of future reward. If you impose on your soul the rule of poverty, and, by the grace of God, you are freed from cares, and by your poverty you become above the world, then be careful not to love acquisitions out of love of poverty, for the sake of giving alms, do not plunge your soul into confusion by taking from one and giving to another; do not destroy your honor by your subordination to people and, asking them, do not lose the freedom and nobility of your mind in caring for everyday things, because your degree is higher than the degree of the merciful; I ask you not to obey in any way. Almsgiving is like raising children, and silence is the height of perfection. If you have any property, squander it suddenly. If you don’t have anything, don’t want to have it. Cleanse your cell of luxury and excess, because this will lead you to abstinence involuntarily, even if you don’t want to. Poverty in everything teaches a person abstinence; and when we have allowed ourselves to have both, then we are unable to control ourselves. Those who won the victory in the external battle had the courage not to be afraid of the internal battle itself; and nothing prompts them to fear, they are not worried about the battle threatening them in front or behind; I mean the warfare raised against the soul by feelings and negligence, for example, by hearing, tongue, when we give and take. All this, entering the soul, produces blindness in it. And when external turmoil sets in, she cannot be attentive to herself in the secret warfare raised against her and defeat those rebelling within her with silence. And when a person closes the gates of the city, that is, his feelings, then he fights within and is not afraid of those who plot evil outside the city. Blessed is the one who knows this, remains in silence and does not bother himself with many things, but devotes all bodily activity to the work of prayer and is convinced that while he works with God and cares about Him day and night, he will not lack anything extremely necessary; because for God it moves away from distraction and from labor. If someone cannot remain in silence without handicraft, then let him work, using handicraft as a benefit, and not for profit, out of greed. Handicraft is intended for the weak, but for the more advanced it is a cause of confusion. For the fathers ordained that the poor 54 and the lazy should engage in work, but not as a necessary task. While God inwardly brings your heart to tenderness, constantly bow and genuflect. Don’t let your heart worry about anything when the demons start convincing you to do other things; and then look and wonder what will happen to you from this. Nothing else in ascetic struggles is so important and difficult and does not arouse such envy in demons as if someone casts himself before the cross of Christ, praying day and night, and it is as if his hands were tied behind him. If you want not to cool down in your ardor and not become impoverished with tears, do this; and blessed are you, O man, if you take care of what is said to you day and night and do not covet anything else. Then the light will shine within you, and your righteousness will soon shine, and you will be like a blooming garden and like a spring that never runs out of water. Look what benefits are generated by a person from his exploits. It often happens that a person kneels in prayer, and his hands are raised to heaven, his face is fixed on the cross of Christ, and he gathers all his thoughts together in prayer to God; and while a person is praying to God with tears and tenderness, at that very hour a source suddenly boils up in his heart, pouring out joy, his limbs relax, his eyes close, his face droops to the ground and his thoughts change, so that he cannot bow from the joy that is aroused in his whole body. Pay attention, man, to what you read. For if you do not strive, you will not gain, and if you do not strike the doors with ardor and constantly remain vigilant at them, then you will not be heard. Who, hearing this, would desire external righteousness, except one who is unable to remain silent? However, if someone cannot practice silence (because by the grace of God it is given to a person to be inside the door), then let him not leave another way, lest he otherwise lose a part on the two paths of life. Until the outer man dies to everything worldly, not only to sin, but also to every bodily activity, and also the inner man to evil thoughts, and the natural movement of the body is exhausted so that sinful sweetness is not aroused in the heart, until then the sweetness of the Spirit of God will not be aroused in man, his members will not accept purity in this life, divine thoughts will not enter his soul and will remain imperceptible and invisible. And until a person in his heart brings into inaction the care of everyday things, except for the necessary needs of nature, and leaves it to God to take care of this, until then spiritual rapture will not be aroused in him and he will not experience that consolation 55 with which the Apostle was consoled (Gal. 2:20). I said this without cutting off hope, as if someone who does not reach the height of perfection will not be worthy of God’s grace and will not experience His consolation. For indeed, as soon as a person despises the inappropriate, and completely moves away from it, and turns to the good, he will soon feel help. If he puts in a little effort, he will find consolation for his soul, gain remission of sins, become worthy of grace and receive many benefits. However, it is less in comparison with the perfection of the one who separated himself from the world, found in his soul the secret of the bliss there and comprehended what Christ came for. Glory to Him with the Father and with the Holy Spirit now, and always, and unto ages of ages! Amen. Word 57. About withdrawal from the world and from everything that confuses the mind God showed great honor to people by the twofold teaching with which he bestowed upon them, and everywhere he opened the closed door for them to enter into saving knowledge. Do you want a faithful witness to what has been said? Be yourself and you won't die. And if you want to know this from the outside, then you have another teacher and witness who will unmistakably lead you to the path of truth. A confused mind cannot escape oblivion. And wisdom does not open its door to such. Whoever, with precise knowledge, was able to comprehend to what equality the common end of all leads, has no need for another teacher to renounce the things of life. Initially, the natural law given by God to man is the consideration of His creatures. The written law was added after the fall. He who does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of passions is involuntarily drawn into sin. The causes of sin are the following: wine, women, wealth, bodily health, however, not because these are sins by nature itself, but because nature conveniently inclines into sinful passions; and therefore a person must carefully guard against this. If you always remember your weakness, you will not exceed the limit of caution. Poverty is disgusting to people, but a high-hearted soul and a soaring mind are much more disgusting to God. People have respectable wealth; but with God the humble soul is worthy. When you want to begin good deeds, first prepare yourself for the temptations that befall you and do not doubt the truth. For it is the enemy’s custom, when he sees that someone has begun a good life with ardent faith, to meet him with various terrible temptations, so that, coming from this into fear, he cools down in his good will and has no ardor at all to approach God-pleasing work. And the opponent does this not because he has such power (then no one could do anything good), but because God allows him, as we learned from the righteous Job. Therefore, prepare to courageously face the temptations that are sent to the virtues, and then begin to practice them. And if you are not prepared to face temptations, then refrain from doing virtues. A person who doubts that God is a Helper in good deeds is afraid of his shadow, and in times of prosperity and abundance he languishes with hunger, and in the silence that surrounds him, he is filled with storms. But he who trusts in God is strong in his heart, and his honor is evident to all people, and his praise is before his enemies. The commandments of God are higher than all the treasures of the world. Whoever acquires them finds God within himself. He who always rests in God's care has acquired God as a steward. Whoever desires to fulfill the will of God will have heavenly Angels as guides. He who fears sins will make a terrible procession without stumbling, and during the darkness he will find light before him and within himself. The feet of one who fears sins are protected by the Lord, and during the creeping, the mercy of God precedes him. Whoever considers his sins to be small falls into the worst of his past and suffers sevenfold punishment. Sow alms in humility, and you will reap mercy at the Judgment. When you have destroyed something good, acquire it again. You owe an ovol to God; for an ovol he will not take a pearl from you. For example: you have ruined chastity; God will not accept alms from you if you are in fornication, because He wants the holy body from you. Since you have violated the commandment, will you really, thinking of leaving the acquisition of the world, fight for something else? Have you left what you planted, and have you come to fight with others? Saint Ephraim said that during the harvest you will not fight the heat with winter clothes. So everyone who sows will also reap. And every ailment is cured with its own medicines. You may be overcome by envy; Why are you trying harder to fight sleep? While the offense is still small and has not matured, destroy it before it spreads its branches and begins to ripen. Do not indulge in negligence when the shortcoming seems small to you, because later you will find in him an inhuman ruler and will run before him like a slave-prisoner. And whoever first resists passion soon dominates it. He who can joyfully endure an insult, even having in his hands the means to repel it, has received consolation from God through faith in Him. And whoever with humility endures the accusations brought against him has achieved perfection, and the holy Angels are amazed at him. For no other virtue will be so high and difficult to fulfill. Don't believe yourself that you are strong until you are tempted and find yourself unchangeable. So test yourself in everything. Acquire right faith in yourself, so that you can trample on your enemies. Let your mind be not arrogant, and do not rely on your strength, so that you are not allowed to fall into natural weakness; and then by your own fall you will recognize your weakness. Do not trust your knowledge, lest the enemy, entering the middle, catch you with his cunning. Let your tongue be meek, and, of course, dishonor will not meet you. Have sweet lips, and everyone will be your friend. Never boast in your speech about your deeds, lest you be put to shame. In everything that a person boasts about, God allows him to change, so that he can be humbled and learn humility. Therefore, you must leave everything to God’s foreknowledge and not be convinced that there is anything unchangeable in this life. Doing this, constantly raise your eye to God, because the protection and providence of God embraces all people, but it is invisible, except to those who have cleansed themselves from sin and always think about God, and moreover, about Him alone. Mostly, the Providence of God is revealed to them when, for the sake of God, they enter into great temptation. For then they feel the Providence of God, as if seeing it with their bodily eyes, in accordance with the measure and cause of the temptation that befalls each of them, in order to arouse these ascetics to courage, as was the case with James, Joshua, the three youths, Peter and other saints, to whom he appeared in some human form, encouraging and confirming them in piety. If you say that this was given by God to the saints according to the Dispensation, and they alone were worthy of such visions, then let your models of courage be the holy martyrs, who often many together, and sometimes one at a time, in many and different places, fought for Christ and, with the strength that came upon them, courageously endured in their mortal bodies planing with iron and all kinds of torment, unbearable for nature. For the holy Angels clearly appeared to each of them, so that each of them could know how, for God’s sake, they had fully endured every temptation and every sorrow, God’s Providence abundantly manifested itself, in demonstration of their valor and in the shame of their enemies. For as much as the saints took courage at such visions, their opponents were irritated and driven into a frenzy by their patience. Is it necessary to say something about ascetics, alien to the world, and about hermits? They turned the desert into a city and turned it into a village and abode of Angels. Angels always came to them after the improvement of their lives; and as warriors of the one Lord, from time to time they allied with each other. All the days of their lives they loved the desert, and out of love for God they had their homes in the mountains, dens and abysses of the earth. And just as they, having left the earthly, loved the heavenly and became imitators of the Angels, the most holy Angels, in justice, did not hide their appearance from them for this and fulfilled their every desire, from time to time they appeared to them, teaching them how they should live, and sometimes they explained what they were perplexed about; and sometimes the saints themselves asked them what needed to be done; sometimes the Angels guided those of them who were mistaken on the path; sometimes they delivered those who fell into temptation; sometimes, in case of sudden misfortune and threatening danger, they snatched them away from this, saving them, for example, from a serpent, or from a stone, or from a piece of wood, or from a thrown stone; sometimes, if the enemy was clearly attacking the saints, they appeared visibly and said that they had been sent to help them, and gave them courage, bravery and joy; and at other times they performed healings through them, sometimes they healed the saints themselves who had undergone some kind of suffering; sometimes their bodies, exhausted from not eating, were given supernatural strength by the touch of a hand or words and strengthened them; sometimes they brought them food, bread and even vegetables 56 or some other foodstuffs to eat with bread; and to some of them the time was announced, and to others the manner of their repose. And should we list many things that prove the love of the holy Angels for us and all their possible care for the righteous? They look after us like older brothers look after younger ones. This was said so that everyone could know that the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth (cf. Ps. 145:18), and to see what His providence is for those who have dedicated themselves to please Him and will follow Him with all their hearts. If you believe that God is looking after you, why should you worry and worry about the temporary things and the necessities of your flesh? And if you do not believe that God provides, and therefore, apart from Him, you yourself take care of what you need, then you are the most pitiful of all people. Why do you live or will you live? Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will nourish you (Ps. 54:23). And do not be afraid of the fear that comes (Proverbs 3:25). Whoever has once devoted himself to God forever spends his life in peace of mind. Without non-acquisitiveness, the soul cannot free itself from the rebellion of thoughts and, without bringing the feelings into silence, it will not feel peace in thought. Without entering into temptation, no one will acquire spiritual wisdom. Without diligent reading, he will not recognize the subtleties of thoughts. Without silence of thoughts, the mind will not move into the hidden mysteries. Without trust in faith, the soul cannot boldly venture into temptation. Without experiencing the clear protection of God, the heart is unable to hope in God. If the soul does not taste with knowledge the sufferings of Christ, then it will not have fellowship with Christ. Consider as a man of God the one who, out of great compassion, killed himself for a necessary need. For whoever shows mercy to the poor has God as his guardian. And whoever becomes poor for God’s sake will find endless treasures. God has no need for anything; but he rejoices when he sees that a person reposes His image and honors it for His sake. When someone asks you for what you have, do not say in your heart: I leave this to my soul to rest in it; God from another place will give him what he needs. Such words are appropriate for unrighteous people and those who do not know God. A just and kind person will not give his honor to another and will not allow the time of grace to pass without action. A poor and needy person is supplied by God, because the Lord does not leave anyone; but you, having sent the poor one away from you, have deviated from the honor given to you by God and removed His grace from yourself. Therefore, when you give, have fun and say: “Glory to You, God, that you have made me worthy to find someone to put to rest!” If there is nothing to give you, rejoice and, thanking God, say: “I thank You, my God, that you have given me this grace and honor to become poor for the sake of Your name, and have made me worthy to taste the sorrow laid on the path of Your commandments, in sickness and poverty, as Your saints who walked this path tasted!” And when you faint, say: “Blessed is he who has been found worthy to be tested by God in that for which we will inherit life.” For God sends illnesses for the health of the soul. One of the saints said: “I noticed that a monk who does not work pleasingly to the Lord and does not strive zealously for the salvation of his soul, but is careless in practicing the virtues, is certainly allowed by God to fall into temptation, so that he does not remain idle and does not deviate from his much idleness into the worse.” Therefore, God imposes temptation on the lazy and careless, so that they think about temptations and not about vain things. God always does this to those who love Him, in order to enlighten, make wise and teach them His will. And when they beg Him, He will not quickly heed them, until they are exhausted and until they undoubtedly understand that this happened to them because of their negligence and laziness. For it is written: Whenever you stretch out your hands to Me, I will turn My eyes away from you; and if you increase your prayer, I will not hear you (Is. 1:15). And although this is said about others, it is actually written about those who have abandoned the path of the Lord. But since we say that God is abundantly merciful, then why, when we constantly ask en masse and in temptation, are we not heard, but does He despise our petition? This, of course, is what the Prophet teaches us, saying: The hand of the Lord is not small to show mercy, and the Lord is not hard of hearing to hear. But our sins separated us from Him, and our iniquities turned away His face so as not to hear (see: Is. 59: 1-2). Remember God at all times, and He will remember you when you fall into trouble. Your nature has become conveniently accepting passions, many temptations in the real world, evil is not far from you, and is exuding inside you and under your feet. Don't move from where you are. When God deigns, you will be freed from this. Just as the eyelids are close to each other, so temptations are close to people; and God wisely arranged this for your benefit, so that you would constantly knock on His door, so that the fear of sorrow would instill the remembrance of Him in your mind, so that you would draw closer to Him in prayer and your heart would be sanctified by unceasing remembrance of Him. And when you beg, he will hear you; and you will know that the one who delivers you is God, and you will recognize the One who created you, who provides for you, who preserves you, and who created the world for you: one as a temporary teacher and mentor, the other as a fatherly home and an eternal inheritance. God did not make you inaccessible to the deplorable, so that you, having desired the Divinity, would not inherit the same thing that was inherited by the one who was originally a star, and who later became Satan for exaltation. And also He did not create you steadfast and motionless, so that you would not become similar to the nature of inanimate creatures and so that the good in you would not remain unprofitable for you and not deserving of reward, like natural bestial advantages in dumb ones. For it is easy for anyone to understand how much benefit, gratitude and humility are born from the fact that these thorns are sharpened against you. Therefore, it is clear that it is within our ability to strive for good and avoid evil, and that we learn both the honor and dishonor that flow from this. Shamed by dishonor, we are afraid; Excited by honor, we give thanks to God and reach out to virtue. God multiplied these pestuns so that you, having freed yourself from them, having become inaccessible to sorrows and having become above all fear, would not forget the Lord your God, would not deviate from Him and would not fall into polytheism, like many others, although they were servile to you and struck by the same sorrows, in one instant of time, due to temporary and insignificant power or bodily kindness, not only fell into polytheism, but also dared to call themselves meaninglessly gods. That is why God allowed you to be in sorrows. And sometimes he allows it so that you, by evading, do not upset Him, and so that He, having subjected you to punishment, does not destroy you from His presence. I will not talk about wickedness and other blasphemies generated by prosperity and fearlessness of life, when no one else dares to say what was said before. Therefore, through suffering and sorrow, God increased the remembrance of Him in your heart, and through the fear of the opposite he prompted you to approach the gates of His mercy, and through deliverance from this he instilled in you love for Him; Having invested love in you, He brought you closer to Himself with the honor of sonship and showed you how rich His grace is. For how would you know such His providence and care if you did not encounter anything contrary? Therefore, love for God can most of all be increased in your soul by this very thing, that is, by understanding His gifts and remembering the abundance of His providences. All these blessings are generated for you by sorrows, so that you learn to give thanks. Finally, remember God so that He will always remember you. And when He remembers you and saves you, then you will receive all bliss from Him. Do not forget Him, hovering in thought in vanity, so that He does not forget you during your battles. Be obedient to Him in your abundance, so that in sorrows you may have boldness before Him, in heartfelt and constant prayer to Him. Continually cleanse yourself before the Lord, having the remembrance of Him in your heart, so that, having spent a long time without remembering Him, you will not be found to lack boldness when you come to Him. For boldness before God comes from frequent conversation with Him and much prayer. Communication with people and its continuation occurs through the body, and communication with God occurs through spiritual remembrance, attentiveness in prayers and burnt offerings. By maintaining the remembrance of God for a long time, the soul is at times brought into amazement and amazement. …Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord, you condemned ones, and be strengthened in hope; seek His face with repentance (Ps. 104:3,4), and sanctify the sanctity of His face, and be cleansed from your sins. All who are guilty of sins, come to the Lord, who can forgive sins and despise transgressions. For with an oath He spoke through the Prophet: “As I live, says the Lord, I do not want the sinner to die, but to turn and live to be him (cf. Eze. 33:11); and again: I have stretched my hands all day long to people who do not submit and speak against people (Is. 65:2); and again: since you are dying, O house of Israel (Ezek.33:11), turn to Me, and I will turn to you (Mal.3:7); and one more thing: on the day on which a sinner leaves his way and turns to the Lord and does justice and righteousness, I will not remember his iniquities, but he will live while he lives, says the Lord. And if a righteous man forsakes his righteousness and, having sinned, commits unrighteousness, I will not remember his righteousness, but I will lay his trespass before him, and in the darkness of his deeds, remaining in them, he will die (see: Eze. 18:21-24). Why is this? Because a sinner will not stumble in his sin on the day on which he turns to the Lord; and the righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him on the day on which he sins, if he continues in such sin. And God said this to Jeremiah: Take a scroll of books, and write what I said to you: from the day of Josiah king of Judah to this day... all evil; that, as I said, I will bring it upon this people, so that when they hear and fear, man will leave his evil way and, turning, will repent, and I will take away their sins (cf. Jer. 36:2,3). And Wisdom said: covering your sin will not be good for anything; and whoever confesses his sins and leaves them behind him will be granted mercy from God (cf. Proverbs 28:13). And Isaiah says: Seek the Lord, and having sought, call on Him, and when you draw near, let the sinner leave his way, and the unrighteous man leave his counsel, and turn to Me, and I will have mercy on you. For My counsels are not as your counsels, nor are My ways as your ways (cf. Is. 55:6–8). If you listen to Me, you will destroy the good earth (Is. 1:19). Come to Me and listen to Me, and you will live in your soul. When you keep the ways of the Lord and do the will of the Lord, then trust in the Lord and call on Him. And again I speak to you, saying: Behold, I have come (Is. 58:9). When temptation comes upon the unrighteous, he has no hope to call on God and expect salvation from Him; because in the days of his repose he moved away from the will of God. Before you start fighting, seek help for yourself, and before you get sick, seek a doctor. Before sorrow comes upon you, pray to God; and in times of trouble you will find Him, and He will hear you. Before you crawl, call and beg; and before you begin to pray, prepare vows, that is, directions from here. Noah's ark was prepared during the time of peace, and its wood was dressed in a hundred years; and during the wrath the unrighteous perished, but it became a covering for the righteous. Unrighteous lips are stopped with prayer, because the condemnation of conscience makes a person lacking boldness. A kind heart joyfully sheds tears in prayer. In whom the world is dead, they joyfully endure insults; and in whom the world is alive, they cannot tolerate insults, but, driven by vanity, they become angry and, from an unreasonable movement, become confused or overcome with sadness. Oh, how difficult it is to succeed in such virtue, and what glory it acquires from God! Whoever wants to succeed in this virtue, that is, to endure offense and be generous, must move away from his relatives and become a wanderer, because in his own country it is impossible to succeed in this virtue. It is common for the great and the strong to endure her suffering among their relatives, and only those in whom this world has died can do this, because they have despaired of any real consolation. Just as grace is close to humility, so painful adventures are close to pride. The eyes of the Lord are on the humble, to make them glad. The face of the Lord is against the proud, to humble them. Humility always accepts mercy from God. And cruelty and lack of faith encounter terrible events. Humble yourself in everything before all people, and you will be exalted before the princes of this age. Preface everyone with your greeting and bow, and you will be honored more than those who bring Ophir gold as a gift. Humble yourself and you will see the glory of God in yourself. For where humility vegetates, there God’s glory flows. If you strive to be openly humiliated by all people, then God will make you glorified. If you have humility in your heart, then in your heart God will show you His glory. Be convenient in your greatness, and not great in your smallness. Try to be neglected, and you will be filled with God's honor. Do not strive to be respected, being internally filled with ulcers. Reproach honor in order to become venerable; and do not love honor, lest you be dishonored. He who strives for honor runs forward from him. And whoever runs away from honor, it overtakes him from behind and becomes a herald of his humility for all people. If you neglect yourself so as not to be honored, then God will proclaim about you. If you really blame yourself, then God will command all His creatures to praise you, and they will open the door of the glory of your Creator before you, and they will praise you, because you truly have His image and likeness. Who has seen a man, shining with virtues and appearing insignificant to people, bright in life, wise in knowledge, humble in spirit? Blessed is he who humbles himself in everything, for he will be exalted. For whoever humbles and humbles himself in everything for God’s sake is glorified by God. Whoever hungers and thirsts for His sake, God will intoxicate him with His blessings. He who endures nakedness for the sake of God is clothed by Him with the robe of incorruptibility and glory. He who becomes poor for God's sake is comforted by His true riches. Humble yourself for the sake of God, and you will not know how your glory will increase. Throughout your life, acknowledge yourself as a sinner, so that throughout your entire life you may be justified. Be ignorant in your wisdom, and do not appear wise while being ignorant. If humility exalts a simple and unlearned person, then consider what honor it will bring to the great and honorable? Flee vanity and you will be glorified. Fear pride and you will be exalted. Vanity is not given to the sons of men, nor is arrogance given to the offspring of women. If you have voluntarily renounced everything worldly, then you will no longer compete with anyone about anything. If you are disgusted by vanity, then run away from those who are chasing after it. Flee from covetous people, as well as from covetousness itself. Stay away from the luxurious, as well as from luxury itself. Flee from obscenity, as well as from obscenity itself. For if the mere recollection of what was said disturbs the mind, then how much more is it looking at them and spending time with them? Get close to the righteous, and through them you will get closer to God. Treat those who have humility, and you will learn their morals. For if the view of such is beneficial, how much more is the teaching of their lips? Love the poor, so that through them you too may receive mercy. Do not get close to lovers, so as not to be forced to stand outside your silence. Without disgust, endure the stench from the sick and especially the wretched, because you too are covered with body. Do not rebuke those who are sorrowful in heart, lest their rod strike you; and you will seek comforters, but you will not find them. Do not disparage the crippled, because we will all go to hell equally honest. Love sinners, but hate their deeds and do not despise sinners for their shortcomings, lest you yourself be tempted in the same way that they were tempted. Remember that you too are involved in earthly nature, and do good to everyone. Do not rebuke those who demand your prayer and do not deprive them of softened words of consolation, so that they do not perish and their souls are not collected from you. On the contrary, remember that doctors heal inflammatory diseases with cool medicines, and the opposite ones with intoxicating medicines. When you meet your neighbor, force yourself to show him honor beyond his measure. Kiss his hands and feet, hug them often with great honor, place them on your eyes and praise him even for what he does not have. And when you are separated from him, say everything good and honorable about him. For with this and similar things you will attract him to goodness, you will make him ashamed of the greeting with which you greeted him, and you will sow the seeds of virtue in him. From such a habit acquired by you, a good image will be imprinted on you, you will acquire high humility in yourself and without difficulty you will succeed in great things. And besides this, if the one honored by you has any shortcoming, he will easily receive healing from you, ashamed of the honor that you showed him. May you always have this character - to be friendly and respectful to everyone. Do not upset anyone or envy anyone, either because of faith or because of his bad deeds. But beware of reproaching or reproaching anyone for anything, because we have an impartial Judge in heaven. If you want to convert someone to the truth, then grieve for him and, with tears and love, say a word or two to him, and do not become angry with him, and let him not see a sign of enmity in you. For love does not know how to be irritated, or to be upset with anyone, or to reproach someone indifferently. The indication of love and knowledge is humility, which is born from a good conscience about Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto ages of ages! Amen. Word 58. What kind of person is he who has received the sacraments and has carefully preserved the grace received from the sacraments? To crawl towards something sinful reveals human weakness, because God, for the benefit of the soul, allowed it to be accessible to the passions, but did not see it useful to place it above the passions before the second rebirth. And the soul to be accessible to passions is useful for wounding the conscience; to be in passions is brazen and shameless. There are three ways in which every rational soul can approach God: either fervor of faith, or fear, or the admonition of the Lord. No one can approach God’s love unless he first approaches one of these three ways. Just as rebellion of thoughts is born from gluttony, so from verbosity and disorderly conversations - misunderstanding and frenzy of the mind. Concern about the affairs of life confuses the soul, confusion over them confuses and deprives the mind of silence. It is fitting for a monk who has devoted himself to heavenly work to always and at all times be outside of all worldly worries, so that, immersed in himself, he does not find in himself anything that belongs to the present age. For, having become idle from all such things, he can study the law of the Lord day and night without entertainment. Bodily labors without purity of mind are the same as a barren womb and withered breasts, because they cannot approach the knowledge of God. They tire the body, but do not bother to eradicate passions in the mind, and therefore do not reap anything. Just as he who sows among thorns cannot reap anything, so he who humiliates himself with rancor and covetousness cannot succeed in anything, but groans on his bed from much vigil and from the difficulty of his affairs. And the Scripture testifies, saying: ... that people who have done the truth and have not cared about a single one of the commandments of the Lord, seek from Me righteousness and truth, and want to draw closer to Me, God, saying: Why have we been silent and have not seen? Have you humbled yourself and not been led away? During the days of your fastings, do your wills (Isa. 58:2,3), that is, your evil thoughts, and offer them as burnt offerings to idols, and to strange thoughts, which you recognized in yourself as gods, you sacrifice your body 58, the most precious of all incense, and which you should have dedicated to Me with your good deeds and a clear conscience. The good soil pleases its worker with fruit bearing even up to a hundred. If the soul has shone with remembrance of God and vigilant vigil day and night, then the Lord arranges a cloud there to protect it, overshadowing it during the day and illuminating the night with fiery light; in its darkness a light will shine. Just as a cloud blocks the light of the moon, so the vapors of the womb drive God’s wisdom out of the soul. And as the flame of fire is in dry wood, so is the body when the belly is full. And just as one combustible substance applied to another increases the fiery flame, so the variety of brushes increases the movement in the body. The knowledge of God does not dwell in a voluptuous body; and whoever loves his body will not benefit from God’s grace. Just as in the diseases of birth a fetus is born that brings joy to the one who gave birth, so with the languor of the larynx a fruit is born in the soul - knowledge of the secrets of God, but for the lazy and voluptuous - the fruit of shame. Just as a father cares for his children, so Christ cares for the body that suffers for His sake, and is always near his lips. The acquisition of doing things done with wisdom is priceless. He is a wanderer who, with his thoughts, has become outside of everything worldly. He who weeps, who, in the hope of future blessings, spends all the days of his life in greed and thirst. That monk who is outside the world and always prays to God to grant him future benefits. The wealth of a monk is the consolation found in crying, and the joy of faith shining in the mysteries of the mind. He is merciful who in his thoughts does not distinguish one from another, but has mercy on everyone. He is a virgin who not only has preserved his body undefiled by carnal intercourse, but is even ashamed of himself when he is alone. If you love chastity, drive away shameful thoughts by reading and prolonged prayer; and then you will have a weapon against natural impulses, and without this it is impossible to see purity in the soul. If you want to be merciful, train yourself first to neglect everything, so that the mind does not get carried away by the weight of this and does not go beyond its limits. For the complete perfection of mercy is demonstrated by the patience of one who decides to endure insults. The perfection of humility is to bear false accusations with joy. If you are truly merciful, then when what you have is unjustly taken from you, do not grieve internally and do not tell about the damage to strangers. Let it be better that the damage caused by those who have offended you be absorbed by your mercy, just as the astringency of wine is absorbed by a lot of water. Prove the abundance of your mercy by the benefits that you repay to those who have offended you, just as blessed Elisha did with his enemies who intended to take him captive. For when he prayed and blinded them with darkness, he showed them what power he had, and when, having given them food and drink, he allowed them to leave, he proved to them what his mercy was (2 Kings 6:13-23). He who is truly humble, when offended, does not become indignant and does not say anything in his own defense about what he was offended about, but accepts slander as the truth, and does not try to assure people that he has been slandered, but asks for forgiveness. For others voluntarily brought upon themselves the name of obscene, without being such; others endured the name of adulterers, being far from adultery, and testified with tears that they bore the fruit of sin, which they did not do, and with tears they asked those who offended them for forgiveness for the iniquity that they did not commit, when their soul was crowned with all purity and innocence. Others, so that they would not be glorified for the excellent rules of life that they observed in secret, were presented in the image of holy fools, having been dissolved in Divine salt and unshakable in their silence, so that at the height of their perfection the holy Angels were heralds of their virtues. Do you think about yourself that you have humility. But others accused themselves, and you, accused by others, cannot stand this and proclaim yourself humble. If you want to know whether you are humble, then test yourself in what has been said, do you not become confused when you are offended? 59 The Savior calls the many abodes of the Father the different measures of the mind of those placed in that country, that is, the differences and diversity of spiritual gifts that are enjoyed according to the measure of the mind. For he called the monasteries many not according to the variety of places, but according to the degree of talent. Just as everyone enjoys the sensual sun, in proportion to the purity and acceptability of the power of vision, and just as from one lamp in one house the illumination can be different, although the light is not divided into many illuminations, so in the next century all the righteous are not separately settled in one country, but each is illuminated in its own measure by one mental sun and, according to its dignity, attracts to itself joy and gladness, as if from one air, from one place, throne, spectacle and image. And no one sees the measure of his friend, both higher and lower, so that if he sees the superior grace of a friend and his own deprivation, this would not be a cause of sadness and sorrow for him. Let this not happen where there is neither sorrow nor sighing! On the contrary, everyone, according to the grace given to him, rejoices internally in his own measure. Outside of all there is one spectacle and one country, 60 and besides these two degrees there is no other intermediary degree, I mean one higher degree, the other low, and in the midst of them there is diversity in the difference of rewards. If this is true (as indeed it is true), what is more meaningless or unreasonable than such speech: “It is enough for me to avoid Gehenna, but I do not care about entering the Kingdom”? For avoiding Gehenna means this very thing – entering the Kingdom; just as to lose the Kingdom means to enter Gehenna. Scripture has not given us three countries, but what does it say? When the Son of man comes in His glory... and He will set the sheep at His right hand, and the goats at His right hand (Matthew 25:31,33). He did not call the host three, but two - one at the right hand, the other at the left. And he divided the boundaries of their various abodes, saying: And these, that is, sinners, go away into eternal torment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46); They will be enlightened like the sun (Matthew 13:43). And again: ...from the east and the west they will come and lie down in the bosom of Abraham in the Kingdom of Heaven: but the sons of the kingdom will be driven out into utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:11,12), which is more terrible than any fire. Have you not understood from this that the state opposite to the highest degree is the most painful Gehenna? Therefore, it is a wonderful thing to teach people the goodness of God, to attract them through the continuity of God’s Providence and to lead them from error to the knowledge of the truth. For this was the mode of action of Christ and the apostles, and it is very high. If a person, with such a way of life and frequent communication with people, feels within himself that his conscience is weak when looking at what exists, and his silence is indignant, and his knowledge is darkened, because his mind still needs to be protected and subordinated to the senses, and, wanting to heal others, he ruins his own health, and, leaving his own free will of his own, comes into confusion of mind, then let him remember that the apostolic word, inspiring us that there is solid food for those who are perfect (Heb. 5:14); and let him turn back, so as not to hear from the Lord what was said in the parable: doctor, heal yourself (Luke 4:23). Let him judge himself and protect his health; and instead of his sensual words, let his good life serve, and instead of the voice of his mouth, let his deeds teach. And when he finds out that his soul is healthy, then let him benefit others and heal with his health. For when he is away from people, then he can do more good to them through zeal for good deeds than he can do with words, being himself weak and having more need for healing than they do. If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14). Solid food is appropriate for those who are healthy, have trained senses, are able to accept all kinds of food, that is, to satisfy all kinds of sensations, and, due to perfect training, do not see harm to the heart from any encounters. When the devil wants to defile the minds of such people with prodigal memories, then he first tests their patience with their love of vanity, and the origin of this thought does not seem to be passion. This is what he usually does with those who guard their minds and in whom it is impossible to quickly implant any indecent thoughts. When he pulls a person out of his stronghold, and he begins to converse with his first thought and move away from this stronghold, then the devil catches him with something reminiscent of fornication and seduces his mind into indecent objects. And at first he is embarrassed by their sudden attack - by the fact that the previous chastity of thoughts met with such objects that the ruler was far from viewing - the mind. And if the devil does not defile him completely, then at least he degrades him from his former dignity. But if the mind steps back and prevents the first attack of thoughts, which serves as the cause of the invasion of second thoughts, then it can conveniently, with the help of God, overcome passion. It is better to turn away passions by remembering virtues than by resistance, because passions, when they emerge from their domain and are raised up for battle, imprint their images and likenesses on the mind. This warfare acquires great power over the mind, greatly disturbing and confusing thoughts. And if you act according to the first rule we said, then there will be no trace of passions in the mind after driving them away. Physical labor and teaching in the Divine Scriptures protect purity, and labor is supported by hope and fear. Hope and fear are strengthened in the mind by distance from people and unceasing prayer. Until a person accepts the Comforter, he needs the Divine Scriptures so that the remembrance of good will be imprinted in his thoughts, and by constant reading the striving for good will be renewed in him, and will protect his soul from the subtlety of sinful ways: because he has not yet acquired the power of the Spirit, which removes delusion, takes captive spiritually beneficial remembrances and approaches coldness when the mind is scattered. For when the power of the Spirit descends into the spiritual force operating in a person, then instead of the law of the Scriptures, the commandments of the Spirit take root in the heart, and then one learns secretly from the Spirit and has no need for the aid of sensory substance, because while the heart learns from substance, error and oblivion immediately follow the teaching, and when the teaching is taught by the Spirit, then remembrance remains unharmed. There are good thoughts and good intentions; There are evil thoughts and an evil heart. The first degree is the movement that occurs in the soul like the wind raised in the sea and raising the waves; the second degree is support and foundation. And according to the firmness of the foundation, and not according to the movement of thoughts, there is a reward for good. The soul is not brought to rest by the movement of changeable thoughts. If for each of them, although it has no basis in the depths of your heart, you assign a reward, then you will be close to changing your good and the opposite a thousand times a day. The fledgling bird is the mind that, through repentance, has recently emerged from the shackles of passions and during prayer strives to rise above the earthly, but cannot, and, on the contrary, still creeps along the face of the earth, not having the strength to fly. However, with the help of reading, doing, fear and concern for many virtues, he gathers his thoughts together, because he is not able to know anything other than this. And this keeps the mind undefiled for a short time, but later memories come and disturb and defile the heart, because a person has not yet felt that calm air of freedom into which, after a long time 61, he leads the mind into oblivion about earthly things, for he has acquired only bodily wings, that is, virtues that are performed externally, but has not yet seen the contemplative virtues and has not been granted the sensation of them; and they are the wings of the mind on which a person approaches the heavenly and moves away from the earthly. As long as a person serves the Lord with something sensual, the images of this sensual are imprinted in his thoughts, and he represents the Divine in bodily images. When he receives a sense of the inner, then, as he senses it, the mind, from time to time, will rise above the images of things. The eyes of the Lord are on the humble in heart and His ears are attentive to their prayer (Ps. 33:16). The prayer of the humble man seems to be straight from mouth to ear. During your silence, cry out through good deeds of humility: Lord my God! You enlighten my darkness (cf. Ps. 17:29). When your soul comes close to emerging from the darkness, then this will be a sign for you: your heart is burning and, like fire, it flares up day and night, and therefore you regard the whole world as scraps and ashes, you do not even desire food from the sweetness of new, flaming thoughts that are constantly aroused in your soul. Suddenly a source of tears is given to you, like a stream, flowing without compulsion and mingling with everything you do, that is, during your reading, your prayer and your meditation, when you take food and drink; and in everything you do, it turns out that you have tears mixed with it. And when you see this in your soul, be trustworthy, because you have crossed the sea; and be so diligent in your deeds, so carefully maintain your guard, so that grace multiplies in you from day to day. Until you meet this in yourself, you have not yet completed your journey and have not entered the mountain of God. If, even after you have found and accepted the grace of tears, they stop, and your fervor cools down without any change in anything else, that is, without bodily weakness, then woe to you. What have you ruined by falling either into conceit, or into negligence, or into relaxation? But what follows tears after accepting them and what encounters a person after this, we will write about this later in another place, in the chapters about Providence, how we are enlightened in this from the fathers, to whom such secrets were entrusted, and from the Scriptures. If you have no business, do not talk about virtues. More precious than any prayer and sacrifice before the Lord are sorrow for Him and for His sake; and more than all fragrances is the stench of their sweat. Consider any virtue accomplished without bodily labor to be a premature and inanimate fruit of the womb. The offering of the righteous is the tears of their eyes, and the sacrifice pleasing to God is their sighs during vigils. The righteous and those oppressed by the weight of their bodies will call to the Lord, and in illness they will send prayers to God, and in response to the cry of their voices, the holy Orders will come to their aid to encourage and console them with hope, because the holy Angels, by their closeness to the holy men, have fellowship in their sufferings and sorrows. Good deeds and humility make a person a god on earth, and faith and alms help him quickly approach purity. It is impossible for one soul to have both ardor and contrition of heart; just as in rapture it is impossible to control thoughts. For as soon as this ardor is given to the soul, tearful contrition is taken away from it. Wine is given for joy, and fervor for spiritual joy. Wine warms the body, but the word of God warms the mind. Those who are inflamed with ardor are delighted by thinking about what they hope for and prepare their thoughts for the future age. For just as those drunk with wine imagine some perverted likenesses of things, so those drunk and warmed with hope know neither sorrow nor anything worldly. With people who are simple-hearted and have ardent hope, after constant work and after acquiring purity, all this and other similar things happen, namely, what is prepared for those who walk the path of virtue. And at the beginning of the journey this is accomplished by the faith of the soul, for the Lord does everything he wants. Blessed are those who, for the sea of ​​sorrows, for the love of God, have girded their loins with simplicity and an inquisitive disposition and do not turn their backs. They are soon saved to the harbor of the Kingdom, rest in the villages of those who have labored well, receive consolation in their misfortunes and are filled with the joy of their hope. Those who set out on the stubborn path with hope do not go back and do not stop to enter into research about this. But when they cross the sea, then, looking at the difficulty of the path, they give thanks to God for delivering them from cramped conditions, rapids and such roughness on the way, while they did not even know it. And of those who think a lot, want to be very wise, indulge in slowness and fear of thoughts, prepare themselves and want to provide for harmful causes, the majority find themselves always sitting at the door of their house. The lazy one, sent on a journey, will say: ... a lion is in the paths, but robbers are in the paths (Proverbs 22:14), like those who said: we saw the sons of giants there and ran before them like fools (cf. Num. 13:34). These are those who, at the time of their death, find themselves still on the road: they always want to be wise, and do not want to make a beginning in everything. But an ignoramus, setting off on a voyage, swims across with the first ardor, without taking the slightest care of the body and without reasoning with himself whether or not there will be any success from this work. Let not the excess of wisdom be a drag on your soul and a snare before your face; on the contrary, having placed your trust in God, courageously begin a path full of blood, so that you do not always find yourself poor and deprived of God’s knowledge. He who is fearful and greedy does not sow wind (Eccl. 11:4). It is better to die for God than to live in shame and laziness. When you want to begin God’s work, first make a will, as a person who can no longer live in this world, as one who has prepared for death and despairs of this life, as one who has reached the time of his term. And really keep this in mind, so that the hope of extending your present life does not prevent you from struggling and winning; because the hope of prolonging this life relaxes the mind. Therefore, do not become too clever in any way, but give faith a place in your mind, keep in mind the many days left behind, and the inscrutable centuries after death and judgment, and let relaxation never come to you, just as it did not come to the wise one, who says that a thousand years of the present age is not equal to one day in the age of the righteous (see: Ps. 89:4). Begin every good deed with courage, and do not approach such deeds with double-mindedness, do not waver in your heart in trusting in God, so that your work does not become useless and your work becomes burdensome. On the contrary, believe in your heart that the Lord is merciful and gives grace to those who seek Him, as a rewarder, not according to our work, but according to the zeal and faith of our souls. For he says: ...as thou hast believed, so be it unto thee (Matthew 8:13). The actions of those who live according to God are the following: one hits the ground with his head all day long - and does this instead of performing a service, that is, hours. Others combine the number of prayers with constant and prolonged kneeling. Another replaces God's services for himself with many tears - and is content with that. Another tries to understand the meaning of what he is reading - and combines with it the rule determined for him. Another torments his soul with hunger, so that he is unable to perform God’s services. And others, zealously studying the psalms, make this service continuous. Another spends time reading - and his heart warms. Another is given into captivity, contemplating the Divine meaning in the Divine Scriptures. Another, amazed by the miracles that amaze him in poetry, is refrained from ordinary reading - and is mastered by silence. The other, having tasted all this and being satisfied, returned back - and remained inactive. But another, having tasted only a small something and became arrogant, 62 fell into error. Others were prevented from maintaining their rule by serious illness and impotence; and to another the predominance of some habit, or some desire, or lust, or vanity, or covetousness, or addiction to collecting material things. Another stumbled, but rebelled, and did not turn his back until he received a pearl of great price. Therefore, always lay the foundation for God’s work with joy and zeal; and if you are pure from passions and hesitations of the heart, then God himself will take you to the top, and will help you, and make you wise in accordance with His will; and in surprise you will accept perfection. To him be glory and power now and always and unto the ages of ages! Amen. Word 59. About what God allowed for the benefit of the soul, so that it was accessible to passions, and about ascetic deeds From intense activity, immeasurable ardor is born, inflamed in the heart by ardent thoughts that reappear in the mind. And this doing and keeping refines the mind with its fervor and imparts vision to it. And this vision gives rise to the above-mentioned ardent thoughts in the depths of the spiritual vision, which is called contemplation. And this contemplation gives rise to ardor, and from this ardor, produced by the grace of contemplation, a stream of tears is born, at first to a small extent, that is, in one day a person’s tears flow many times and then become scarce; and this is followed by incessant tears, and from incessant tears the soul receives pacification of thoughts; from the pacification of thoughts, he rises to purity of mind, and with purity of mind, a person comes into the vision of the mysteries of God, because purity remains hidden in pacification from battles. After this, the mind reaches the vision of revelations and signs, as the prophet Ezekiel saw. This depicts the three degrees by which the soul approaches God. The beginning of all this is a good intention before God. And the types of deeds of silence are immutable; they are generated by much cutting off and removing oneself from the affairs of life. There is no great need to talk about each type of these matters, because they are known to everyone; however, since the description of them is harmless and even, as I argue, more useful to the reader, there is no reason to be lazy in describing them. This is the essence: hunger, reading, all-night and sober vigil, according to each person’s strength, and many bows, which are useful to do during the daytime, and often at night. Let the smallest measure be for you - to make thirty bows, then bow to the honorable cross and finish with that. But there are also those who, to the best of their ability, increase this number of bows. Others spend three hours in a single prayer, having a sober mind and throwing their face to the ground without compulsion and soaring thoughts. And these two types reveal and show the wealth of goodness, or grace, which is given to each person, according to his own dignity. What other way of praying and remaining in it, free from coercion, I considered it fair not to announce and not to depict the order of this prayer either in spoken word or in writing, so that the reader, who does not understand what he is reading, does not consider what is written useless or, if he turns out to know it, does not begin to humiliate the one who does not know the order in this, and in the latter case there would be no reproach, and in the first - laughter. And then, according to the saying of the Apostle, which he uses about those who prophesy, I too will find myself a foreigner in such matters (1 Cor. 14:11). Therefore, whoever wants to find out this, let him follow the path described above and make sure that the doing corresponds to the mind. And when he begins to do this in practice, then he will recognize this on his own and, of course, will not require a teacher. For they say: sit in your cell, and this will teach you everything about itself. To the true God be glory forever! Amen. Homily 60. About the various methods of warfare that the devil wages against those who walk on the narrow path that exceeds the world Our opponent the devil has an ancient custom of cunningly diversifying his struggle with those entering this feat: using different weapons against them and taking into account the intention of the person, he changes the method of his struggle. Those who are lazy in will and weak in thoughts, he pays special attention to those and from the very beginning strongly attacks them, so that he sets up strong and strong temptations against them, so that at the beginning of the path he can force them to experience all the ways of his wickedness, so that from the first exploit they are overcome by fear, their path seems cruel and difficult to pass and they say this: “If the beginning of the path is so hard and difficult, then can anyone withstand the many upcoming years until the very end?” Is there no fighting? And from that time on, they can no longer rise up again or move forward, or even see anything else due to the haunting concern about this. And the devil does not carry on his cruel warfare with them for long in order to put them to flight. It’s better to say that God Himself allows the devil to overcome them, and will not help them in anything, because they entered into the Lord’s feat with doubt and coldness. For God says: Cursed is everyone who does the work of the Lord with negligence, and whoever withholds blood from his hand (Jer. 48:10); and again: The Lord is near those who fear Him (Ps. 84:10). For God commands to go against the devil without fear and coldness, saying: “Just begin to destroy him, and rush to battle with him, and fight with him courageously, and I will put your fear on all your enemies under heaven,” says the Lord (Deut. 11:25). For if you do not voluntarily die a sensual death for the goodness of God, then you will inevitably die spiritually, having fallen away from God. Therefore, if this is your fate, without indignation, voluntarily accept temporary suffering for God in order to enter into the glory of God. For if you die physically in the Lord’s feat, the Lord Himself will crown you, and God will bestow upon your honorable remains the honor of martyrdom. Therefore, as I said above, since at the very beginning they were careless and relaxed and did not dare to give themselves up to death, from now on they turn out to be the last and unmanly in all battles. It’s better to say that God allows them to be persecuted and persecuted in battle, because they did not seek Him in truth, but, as if by tempting and mocking them, tried to do the work of God. Therefore, the devil himself first recognized them and tested their thoughts for what they were, that is, fearful and self-loving and most of all sparing their body. And that’s why he drives them away, as if through a storm, because he doesn’t see in them the spiritual strength that he usually sees in saints. By the will of a person to strive for God, and by intention to achieve a goal known for His sake, and God assists, and helps, and shows him His providence for him. But the devil cannot approach a person or bring temptations upon him unless the person is remiss or God does not allow him. Or if someone allows himself to have shameful thoughts through conceit and exaltation or thoughts of doubt and double-mindedness, then the devil asks for such as temptation. But he does not ask beginners, simple and inexperienced, from God, like the saints and great ones, to tempt them. For he knows that God will not allow such people to fall into his hands (since God knows that they do not have sufficient strength against the devil’s temptations), unless they have one of the above reasons; and then the power of God’s Providence moves away from them. This is the first method of the devil's warfare. About the second method of devilish warfare But those who, as the devil sees, are courageous, strong, do not count death as anything, go to work with great zeal, give themselves up to every temptation and death, neglect worldly and bodily life and all temptations, the devil does not suddenly come out to meet them, and does not show himself to them for a long time, restrains himself, gives them space, and does not meet them at their first aspiration, and does not enter into battle with them. For he knows that every beginning of battle is hot; and he knows that the ascetic has great zeal, and zealous warriors are not easily defeated. The devil does this, not being afraid of them themselves, but he is afraid of the surrounding them, of his terrifying Divine power. Therefore, while he sees them as such, he does not even dare to touch them until he sees that they have cooled in their jealousy and what weapons they have prepared for themselves in their thoughts, they have laid aside by changing the Divine words and remembrances that assist and assist them. During their laziness, he pays attention to them when they deviate somewhat from their first thoughts, and on their own they begin to invent something that serves to overcome them in themselves with the caresses of their wisdom emanating from them, and from themselves they dig a ditch of destruction for their souls, from laziness with the resulting soaring of thoughts, from which coldness reigned in them, that is, in their thoughts and hearts. And the devil, when he refrains from attacking them, does this involuntarily, not because he spares them or is ashamed of them. For he does not count them as anything. On the contrary, I reason that a certain force surrounds those who strive for God with fiery zeal, set out to heroic deeds with infantile feelings, renounce the world without any calculations, but hope in God, believe in Him and do not know with whom they are fighting. Therefore, God repels the cruelty of the devil’s wickedness from them, so that it does not approach them. The enemy is curbed by seeing the Guardian always protecting them. For if you do not reject from yourself the reasons for help, that is, prayers, labors and humility, then the Intercessor and Helper never moves away from them. Look and write this down in your heart, because voluptuousness and love for peace are the reasons for permission. And if someone remains in unflagging abstinence from this, then God’s assistance never leaves him and the enemy is not allowed to attack him. If it happens that it is allowed to attack him to admonish him, then holy power accompanies and supports him, and he is not afraid of demonic temptations, because his thought is complacent and neglects temptations for the sake of this power. For the Divine power itself teaches people, just as someone teaches a small child to swim and, when he begins to drown, carries him out of the water, because the child floats above the hands of the teacher, and when he begins to be timid so as not to drown, the one who carries him in his arms calls out to him with encouragement: “Do not be afraid, I am carrying you.” And as a mother teaches her little son to walk, she moves away from him and calls him to her; and when, going to his mother, he begins to tremble and, due to the weakness and tenderness of his legs and limbs, to fall, his mother comes running and carries him in her arms: so the grace of God carries and teaches people who, purely and in simplicity, have given themselves into the hands of their Creator, have renounced the world with all their hearts and follow the Lord. And you, a man who goes after God, at every time of your exploit, always remember the beginning and the first zeal at the beginning of the path and those ardent thoughts with which you left your home for the first time and entered the military ranks. So test yourself every day, so that the fervor of your soul does not cool in one of the weapons with which you are clothed, and in the jealousy that flared up in you at the beginning, that is, at the beginning of your feat, and so that you do not lose one of the weapons with which you are clothed at the beginning of your feat. And constantly raise your voice among the military camp, encourage and encourage the children of the right hand of the country, that is, your thoughts, to courage, and show others, that is, the enemy side, that you are sober. And therefore, if at first you see the aspiration of the tempter frightening you, do not weaken; it may be useful to you, because He who saves you does not allow anyone to come close to you for nothing unless he arranges something for your benefit. But do not show negligence at the beginning, so that, having shown negligence here, you will not fall when you move forward, and you will no longer be unable to resist the sorrows that come upon you, I mean sorrow due to hunger, weakness, terrible dreams and other things. Do not change the intentions of your hero 63, because he will give you help against the enemy, so that the enemy does not find you as he expects. But constantly call on God, weep before His grace, shed tears and work until He sends you a helper. For if one day you see Him who saves you near you, you will no longer be defeated by your enemy who resists you. Up to this point, two methods of fighting the devil have been described. About the third method of enemy warfare with the strong and courageous Therefore, when the devil, after all this, rises up against someone, he no longer has the strength to fight him, or better yet, to fight with Him who Strengthens him and Helps him; With this assistance, a person rises above the enemy, borrows strength and patience from the Helper, so that the gross and material body defeats the incorporeal and spiritual. When the enemy sees all this power that a person has received from God, sees that a person’s external feelings are not overcome by visible things and audible voices and his thoughts do not relax from his caresses and seductions, then this deceiver wants to find some way to alienate this Angel helping him from the person. Better to say, this deceiver wants to blind the mind of the person who is being helped, so that he turns out to be helpless, and to arouse in him thoughts of pride, so that he thinks to himself that all his strength depends on his own strength and that he himself acquired this wealth for himself, and with his strength saved himself from the enemy and the murderer. And sometimes he argues that he defeated the enemy by accident; and sometimes that I won due to the powerlessness of the enemy (I am silent about other methods and blasphemous thoughts, at the mere memory of which the soul falls into fear); sometimes the enemy, under the guise of revelations from God, brings forth his charm into the environment, and in dreams shows something to a person, and also, during his wakefulness, transforms into a bright angel and does everything to be able to little by little convince a person, and at least bring him somewhat into agreement with himself, and so that the person is delivered into his hands. If a prudent person safely keeps his thoughts, or better yet, retains the remembrance of the One who assists him and directs the eye of his heart to heaven so as not to see those whispering this in him, then the enemy again undertakes to invent other methods. About the fourth stubborn enemy battle Finally, he has this one thing left, because nature has an affinity with it; and therefore by this he primarily hopes to cause death to a person. What is this trick? In the following: to oppress a person with his natural needs. The ascetic’s mind is often blinded by the vision and approach of sensory things and is easily defeated in the struggle when it comes close to them, much more so when they are right before a person’s eyes. For the fierce devil uses this method with knowledge and experience, that is, he learned this experimentally from many strong and strong ascetics who fell from this, and he does it cunningly. Although he cannot force a person to do anything in reality, because a person is protected by silence and his home is far from reasons and reasons for sin, he nevertheless tries to make the minds of ascetics see this in a ghost, and tries to form in them false dreams under the guise of truth; so that they come to lust for what they dream of, it creates tickles in them and urges them to dwell on shameful thoughts, to agree to them, to become guilty of them, if only through this to remove their Helper from them. For the enemy knows that a person’s victory, and his overcoming, and his treasure, and his protection, and everything for an ascetic is produced by his thought and is accomplished in a short moment, if only the thought would move from its place, and from that height descend to the earth, and with the will to show its consent for one moment, as happened with many of the saints during the dreamy presentation of female beauty. If they approached the world one or two miles or a day's journey, the enemy often resorted to actually bringing women to them. But he cannot catch those who are far from the world in this net, therefore in his dreams he shows them female beauty in obscene forms, attracting attention either by the decoration of clothes, or by the freedom of address, or by bodily nudity. By this and similar things, some were actually defeated by the enemy, while others, through the carelessness of their thoughts, were deceived by their dreams and through this they fell into the depths of despair, strayed into the world, and their souls lost heavenly hope. Others were stronger than them and, enlightened by grace, defeated the enemy and his dreams, trampled upon bodily pleasures and turned out to be skilled in the love of God. Often the enemy also made them dreamily see gold, precious things and golden treasures, and sometimes actually showed them this in the hope that, perhaps, with such various dreams he would be able to stop one of them in its flow and trap one of them in one of his nets and among his own. But Thou, Lord, Lord, Who knowest our weakness, do not lead us into such temptations, from which even the stronger and more skilled can hardly emerge victorious from such a struggle! And all this is allowed to the tempter, the devil, when he wages war with the saints through temptations, so that through such temptations the love of God in them may be tested, to see if, with these things removed, in seclusion, deprivation and poverty, they are God-loving, and will remain in the love of God, and truly love God; and when they approach these things, out of love for God, they try to neglect them and humiliate them; those deceived by them do not yield to them victory over themselves. And in this way they are tempted, so that through this they become known not only to God, but also to the devil himself, because it is desirable for him to experience many things and everyone, if possible, to experience and ask God for temptation, as he asked the righteous Job. And when there is a small allowance from God, the tempter the devil approaches uncontrollably; but, according to the strength of those tempted by him, and not according to his own desire, the lawless devil attacks them. And through this, true lovers of God, firm in the love of God, are tested to see whether they neglect all this, and whether this is considered nothing in their eyes in comparison with the love of God, whether they always humble themselves, give glory to the One who assists them in everything and the Author of their victory, and surrender themselves into His hands during the feat, saying to God: “You are strong, Lord; This is your feat, you fight and win in it for us.” Then they are tempted like gold in a furnace. But false lovers of God are also tested and recognized in such temptations, and they, having given place to their enemy and become guilty, fall away from God like uncleanness, for the carelessness of their minds or for their pride, because they were not worthy to receive the power that acted in the saints. The force assisting us cannot be overcome. For the Lord is omnipotent, and stronger than all, and at all times is the victor in the mortal body, just as He quickly condescends to the ascetics during battle. If they are defeated, then it is clear that they are defeated without Him. And these are those who, by their own will, through their ingratitude, have removed God from themselves, because they have not been granted the power to help the victors, and even feel deprived of that ordinary, their own strength that they had during their strong battles. How do they feel it? They see that their fall seems pleasant and sweet in their eyes and that it is difficult for them to withstand the cruelty of the fight against their enemy, which they previously resolutely overcame with jealousy by the desire for natural movement, which at that time was accompanied by ardor and speed. And now they do not find this in their souls. And those who are careless and weak at the beginning of the feat, not only from these and similar struggles, but also from the noise of tree leaves, come into fear and confusion, and with little need, hunger in case of lack and a little weakness, they overcome the feat, renounce the feat and return back. True and skillful ascetics are not satiated with grains and vegetables, even eating dried roots, do not agree to taste anything before the appointed hour, but lie in bodily exhaustion on the bare ground; Their eyes can hardly see from the excessive exhaustion of the body, and if from need they are close to being separated from the body, they do not yield victory over themselves and do not abandon strong will, because they wish and desire to force themselves better out of love for God and prefer to work for the sake of virtue rather than have a temporary life and any peace in it. And when temptations come upon them, they rejoice even more, and are further perfected by them. Even amid the difficult labors ahead of them, they do not waver in the love of Christ; but, until they lose their lives, they ardently desire to withstand attacks with courage and do not retreat, because through this they improve. To our God be glory forever and ever! Amen. Word 61. About what is useful for a person in bringing his heart closer to God, what is the true reason for secretly bringing help closer to him, and what again is the reason that brings a person into humility Blessed is the man who recognizes his weakness, because this knowledge becomes for him the foundation, root and beginning of all goodness. As soon as someone recognizes and really feels his weakness, he raises his soul from the relaxation that darkens knowledge, and reserves himself with caution. But no one can feel his weakness unless even a small temptation is allowed upon him, something that tires either the body or the soul. Then, comparing his weakness with God’s help, he immediately recognizes its greatness. And also, when he considers the many measures he has taken, caution, abstinence, protection and protection of his soul, in which he hoped to find its safety, and does not find it, even his heart, from fear and trembling, does not have silence - let him understand and know then that this fear of his heart reveals and shows the indispensable need for him of some other helper. For the heart, with fear, striking it and struggling inside it, testifies and makes one aware of the lack of something; and this denounces that it cannot live in safety, because, as it is said, God’s help saves. But he who knows that he needs God’s help makes many prayers. And to the extent that he multiplies them, the heart is humbled. For everyone who prays and asks cannot help but humble himself. But God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). Therefore, the heart, until it humbles itself, cannot stop soaring; humility brings it together. As soon as a person humbles himself, mercy immediately surrounds him. And then the heart feels Divine help, because it gains a certain power of confidence awakening in it. When a person feels that Divine help will really help him, then his heart is instantly filled with faith. From this he understands that prayer is a refuge for those seeking help, a source of salvation, a treasure of hope, a pier that saves from anxiety, a light for those in darkness, a support for the weak, a cover during temptations, an aid in a decisive moment of illness, a shield of deliverance in battle, an arrow sharpened against enemies, and simply say: it is revealed to him that all the multitude of these blessings is made available to him by prayer; and from now on he delights in the prayer of faith. His heart becomes bright from hope, and in no way remains in its former blindness, with the simple broadcast of his lips. But when he understands this in this way, then he will acquire in his soul prayer like a treasure, and out of great joy the form of his prayer will change into voices of gratitude. And here is the word spoken by the One who determined each thing to have its own image: “Prayer is joy that sends thanksgiving.” He understood this prayer to be performed in the knowledge of God, that is, sent from God, because then a person does not pray with difficulty and fatigue, like any other prayer, which a person prays before feeling this grace, but with heartfelt joy and surprise, he constantly exudes grateful movements, with innumerable kneelings - and from many excitements to knowledge, surprise and amazement before by the grace of God, he suddenly raises his voice, singing songs and glorifying God, sends thanks to Him and in extreme amazement sets his tongue in motion. Anyone who has reached here in reality, and not dreamily, has actually put many signs in himself and through long self-examination has recognized many features, he knows what I am saying, because this is not contrary to the truth. And from now on, let him stop thinking about vain things, let him remain relentlessly before God in unceasing prayer with fear and fear, so as not to lose God’s great help. All these benefits are born to a person from the knowledge of his own weakness. For, out of a great desire for God’s help, he approaches God, remaining in prayer. And to the extent that he approaches God with his intention, to the same extent God approaches him with His gifts and does not take away grace from him for his great humility and because, like a widow before the judge, he relentlessly cries out to protect him from his opponent. Therefore, the generous God withholds gifts of grace from him, so that this would serve as a reason for a person to draw closer to God and so that for the sake of his needs, a person would inseparably remain before the One who pours out what serves for good. And God fulfills some of his requests quickly, namely those without which no one can be saved, while others are slow to fulfill. And in other circumstances he reflects and dispels the scorching power of the enemy, and in others he allows him to fall into temptation, so that this test, as I have already said, serves as a reason for him to draw closer to God and so that he learns and has experience in temptations. And here is the word of Scripture: The Lord left many nations, did not destroy them, and did not deliver the son of Nun into the hands of Joshua, in order to teach the children of Israel with them, and so that the tribes of the children of Israel would heed their lessons and learn warfare (Judges 3:1,2). For a righteous man who has not recognized his weakness, his deeds are as if on a razor’s edge, and he is not at all far from falling and from the corrupting lion, I mean the demon of pride. And he who does not know his weakness lacks humility; and whoever lacks it has not reached perfection; and those who have not reached it are always in fear, because its city is not built on iron pillars and brass strakes, that is, on humility. No one can acquire humility otherwise than by the means in which a contrite heart and humble thoughts about oneself are usually acquired. That is why the enemy often looks for ways to seduce a person. For without humility a person’s work cannot be accomplished, and the seal of the Spirit has not yet been attached to the handwriting of his freedom; it would be better to say that to this day he is a slave and his work is not free from fear, because no one can correct his work without humility and learn without temptation, and without learning no one achieves humility. Therefore, the Lord leaves the saints reasons for humility and contrition of heart in fervent prayer, so that those who love Him will draw closer to Him through humility. And he often frightens them with the passions of their nature and the inclinations of shameful and unclean thoughts, and often with reproaches, insults and slander from people, sometimes with illnesses and bodily ailments, and at other times with poverty and the scarcity of necessary needs, sometimes with the torment of strong fear, abandonment, the obvious abuse of the devil, which usually frightens them, then with various terrible things. incidents. And all this happens in order to give them reasons for humility and so that they do not fall into the sleep of negligence, either due to the circumstances in which the ailing ascetic finds himself, or because of future fear. Therefore temptations are necessarily useful to people. But I do not say this in the sense that a person should voluntarily relax himself with shameful thoughts, so that remembering them would serve as a reason for him to humility, and as if he should try to fall into other temptations; but in the sense that he should be sober in good deeds at all times, guard his soul and reason that he is a creature and therefore subject to change. For every creature requires God’s power to protect itself, and anyone who demands protection from another reveals thereby natural weakness. And whoever has recognized his weakness must, of necessity, humble himself in order to receive what he needs from the One who is able to give it. And if he had known and seen his weakness from the beginning, he would not have been negligent. And if he had not been careless, he would not have fallen into sleep, and in order to awaken, he would not have been handed over to those who insulted him. Finally, one who walks the path of God must thank God for everything that happens to him, reproach and shower his soul with reproaches, and know that the Provider allowed this to happen only because of his own negligence, or in order to awaken his mind, or because he became proud. And therefore, let him not be embarrassed, let him not give up the field and feat, and let him not stop reproaching himself, so that no greater evil befalls him; because there is no unrighteousness with God, who exudes righteousness. Let this not happen! Glory to him forever! Amen. Sermon 62. About the words of Divine Scripture that encourage repentance, and that they were spoken out of human weakness, so that people would not perish by falling away from the Living God, and that they should not be used as a reason to sin That courage in repentance, which the fathers demand in their divine writings, and that strength of it, which is depicted in the Writings of the apostles and prophets, we should not turn into an aid to sin and destroy the inviolable decrees of the Lord, which from the days of old, through the mouth of all the saints in all the scriptures and laws, were determined by the power of God for the destruction of sin. For in order to give us hope in repentance, they contrived to prevent the fear of despair in our feelings, so that every person would hasten to repent and would not sin without fear. For behold, God by all means in all the Scriptures instilled fear and showed that sin was hateful to Him. How did Noah's contemporary family perish in the flood? Was it not for lust, when people furiously desired the beauty of the daughters of Cain? At that time there was no love of money, idolatry, sorcery 64 and wars. Why were the cities of Sodom burned with fire? Is it not because they gave over their members to lust and impurity, which, according to their will, possessed them all in all nasty and indecent acts? Was it not because of the fornication of one man that twenty-five thousand sons of the firstborn of God Israel fell into death in an instant? Why was this giant Sampson rejected by God? Is it not because he desecrated his holy members by living with a harlot? For this reason God withdrew from him and gave him over to his enemies. But David, a man after God’s heart, who for his virtues was deemed worthy to bring about from his seed the promise of the fathers and that Christ would shine from him for the salvation of the entire universe, was he not punished for committing adultery with one wife, when he saw her beauty with his own eyes and an arrow fell into his soul? For this, God raised up a battle against him in his house, and he was driven out by what came from his loins, although David repented with many tears, so that he wet his bed with tears, and God spoke to him through the Prophet: ... The Lord has taken away your sin (2 Samuel 12:10). I intend to remember some before him. Why did the wrath of God and death come to the house of the priest Eli, a righteous elder who had been adorned with the priesthood for forty years? Is it not because of the iniquity of his children, Hophni and Phinehas? For he himself did not sin, and they sinned without his consent. But, since he had no zeal to punish them for their crime before the Lord, and the father loved them more than the commandments of the Lord, so that no one would think that the Lord, on those alone who lived out all the days of their lives in iniquities, shows His anger for this reckless sin, shows His zeal on those close to Him, on priests, on judges, princes, people sanctified by Him, to whom He entrusted miracles. This makes it known that God never ignores how quickly those who transgress His statutes appear, as it is written in Ezekiel: He said to the man whom I commanded to destroy Jerusalem with an invisible sword: begin with those who stand before My altar and do not pass by the old man and the young man (see: Eze. 9:6). And this shows that those who walk in fear and reverence before Him and do His will are close and dear to Him, and that valiant deeds and a clear conscience are holy before God. He also humiliates those who despise the ways of the Lord, and rejects them from His presence, and takes away His grace from them. For why did the sentence suddenly come out on Belshazzar and strike him as if with a hand? Was it because he encroached on the inviolable offerings to Him, which he stole in Jerusalem, and drank from them himself and his concubines? Likewise, those who have dedicated their members to God and again dare to use them for worldly affairs perish from an invisible blow. Therefore, in anticipation of repentance, with the courage given to us by the Divine Scriptures, let us not despise the words and threats of God, and anger God with the incongruity of our actions, and desecrate the members that we once forever consecrated to the service of God. For we too are sanctified to Him, like Elijah and Elisha, like the sons of the prophets and other saints and virgins, who performed great miracles and talked with God face to face, and all those who came after them, such as John the virgin, and Saint Peter, and the rest of the evangelists and preachers of the New Testament, who sanctified themselves to the Lord and received mysteries from Him, some from His mouth, others through revelation, and became mediators of God and men and preachers of the Kingdom in the universe. Sermon 63. About how the kindness of monastic life is protected, and about the rite of glorifying God The monk in all his traits and deeds should be an edifying example for everyone who sees him, so that, due to his many virtues, shining like rays, even the enemies of the truth, looking at him, would even reluctantly recognize that Christians have a firm and unshakable hope of salvation, and from everywhere they would flock to him, as if to a real refuge, and therefore the horn of the Church would be raised against her enemies and many they would be moved to emulate monastic virtue and leave the world, and the monk would become worthy in everything for the kindness of his life, because monastic life is the praise of the Church of Christ. Therefore, a monk must have excellent traits in all respects, that is, contempt for the visible, strict non-covetousness, complete disregard for the flesh, high fasting, remaining in silence, orderliness of feelings, caution in vision, cutting off all discord about anything in this age, brevity in words, abandonment of rancor, with prudence, simplicity, with prudence, activity and resourcefulness of the mind, simplicity and simplicity of heart. He should know that real life is vain and fleeting and that true and spiritual life is close; not to be known or ignored by people, not to associate oneself with friendship or unity with any person; have a silent place of residence; always run away from people, remain in prayers and readings with unflagging patience; not to like honors and not to admire gifts; do not become attached to this life; endure temptations courageously; to be free from worldly desires, from intelligence and remembrance of worldly affairs; always take care and reflect on this true country; have a mournful and wrinkled face, constantly shed tears day and night; Above all this, maintain your chastity, be clean from gluttony, from small and large shortcomings. Here, to put it briefly, are the virtues of a monk, testifying to his complete deadness to the world and his closeness to God. Therefore, at all times we must take care of these virtues and acquire them. If someone says: what is the need to define them in particular, and not talk about them in general and briefly? - then I answer: this is necessary so that when someone who cares about his life seeks in his soul any of the above-mentioned virtues and finds himself poor in any of the above, he recognizes from this his lack of any virtue and this description serves as a reminder for him. But when he acquires in himself everything that is certain here, then he will be given knowledge about other things that I have not mentioned. And he will be the source of praise to God for holy people. And here, even before his departure from life, he will prepare a resting place for his soul. To our God be glory forever! Amen. Homily 64. About the change and vicissitudes that happen in those who walk the path of silence established by God Whoever has decided in his mind to live in silence, let him arrange himself and spend the rest of his days in the practice of silence according to the order thereof. When it happens that your soul is internally filled with darkness (and this is usually in the order of silence determined by God’s grace), and just as the sun’s rays are obscured on earth by the darkness of clouds, your soul is deprived of spiritual consolation for some time, and the light of grace within dims, due to the cloud of passions overshadowing the soul and because the somewhat joyful power in you is diminished and the mind is overshadowed by an unusual darkness, you will not be embarrassed by thoughts and do not give a hand to spiritual ignorance, but be patient, read the books of teachers, force yourself to prayer and wait for help. She will come soon, and you won’t know it. For just as the face of the earth is revealed by the rays of the sun from the airy darkness that envelops the earth, so prayer can destroy and dispel the clouds of passions in the soul and illuminate the mind with the light of joy and consolation, which prayer usually generates in our thoughts, especially when it borrows food from the Divine Scriptures and has vigilance that illuminates the mind. Constant engagement with the writings of the saints fills the soul with incomprehensible surprise and Divine joy. To our God be glory forever! Homily 65. About the silent ones: when they begin to understand how far they have stretched themselves with their deeds in the boundless sea, that is, in a silent life, and when they can somewhat hope that their labors have begun to bear fruit I'll tell you something, and don't doubt it; Do not neglect my other words as something unimportant, because those who delivered this to me are faithful people, and I, both in this word and in all my words, tell you the truth. If you hang yourself by the eyelids of your eyes and through this achieve tears, then do not think that you have already achieved something by the behavior of your life. For to this day your innermost serves the world, that is, you lead a worldly life and do God’s work with an outer man, but the inner man is still sterile; because its fruit begins in tears. When you reach the region of tears, then know that your mind has come out of the prison of this world, put its foot on the path of the new age and began to smell the stench of the wonderful new air. And then he begins to shed tears, because the birth of the spiritual baby is approaching. The common mother of all, grace, desires mysteriously in the soul to produce the Divine image into the light of the next century. And when the time of birth comes, then the mind begins to be excited by something there, like the breath that the baby attracts into itself while still inside the limbs in which it usually feeds. And since he does not tolerate what is still unusual for him, he suddenly begins to induce the body to scream, mixed with the sweetness of honey. And to the extent that the inner baby is nurtured, to the same extent there is an increase in tears. But this rite of tears that I have described is not the same as occurs at intervals among those who are silent, because everyone who remains in silence with God experiences this consolation from time to time: sometimes when he is in mental contemplation, sometimes when he is occupied with the words of the Scriptures, sometimes when he is in prayerful conversation. But I’m not talking about this order of tears, but about the one that weeps continuously day and night. But whoever actually and accurately found the true meaning of these images found it in silence. For his eyes become like a spring of water until he is two years old or more, and then he comes to pacification of his thoughts. And by pacifying one’s thoughts, as much as one’s nature can partly accommodate, one enters into that peace that St. Paul spoke about (see: Heb. 4:3). And in this peaceful repose the mind begins to contemplate mysteries. Then the Holy Spirit begins to reveal heavenly things to him, and God dwells in him, and resurrects the fruit of the Spirit in him, and therefore, somewhat unclearly and as if guesswork, a person feels in himself the change that his inner nature will take during the renewal of all things. I wrote this as a keepsake for myself and for everyone reading this work, as I borrowed from the Scriptures, from what was told by truthful lips, and something from my own experience, so that it could serve me to help through the prayers of those who would benefit from it, because I spent a lot of work on it. But listen also to what I will now tell you and what I have learned from unlying lips. When you enter the area of ​​pacification of thoughts, then many tears are taken away from you, and then tears come to you in moderation and at the appropriate time. This is the most accurate truth; in short, the whole Church believes so. Word 66. That the servant of God, who has become poor in the world and has gone out to seek God, out of fear that he has not achieved an understanding of the truth, should not stop searching and cool off in the ardor generated by the love for the Divine and for the study of the mysteries of God; and how the mind is outraged by passionate recollections There are three ranks in which a person excels: the rank of beginners, the rank of intermediate and the rank of perfect. And whoever is in the first rank, although the way of thinking is inclined towards good, the movement of the mind is nevertheless in passions. The second rank is something between the state of passion and dispassion, and the spiritual and spiritual thoughts are equally aroused in a person, and, as already said, he does not cease to exude both light and darkness. If he stops for a short time from frequently reading the Divine Scriptures and imagining in his mind Divine mental ideas, which inflame him with images of truth, imagining them to the best of his ability with external caution, from which both internal preservation and sufficient action are born, then a person is carried away in passion. If he feeds his natural ardor with what has been said above and does not abandon the search, research and desire for this from afar, although he does not see this, but, at the behest of reading the Divine Scriptures, nourishes his thoughts, and keeps them from deviating into the land of the world, and does not accept into himself under the image of the truth any devilish omnipotence, and moreover, he preserves his soul with love and asks God with patience in tireless prayer, then God Himself will fulfill his request and open His door to him, especially for his humility, because the revelation of the mysteries happens to the humble. And if he dies in this hope, then although he will not see this land up close, nevertheless, I think, his inheritance will be with the ancient righteous who hoped to achieve perfection and did not see it, according to the apostolic word (see: Heb. 11:39); and they toiled all their days and rested in hope. But what can we say? If a person does not achieve the goal of ascending to the land of promise, which is the image of perfection, that is, in order to clearly comprehend the truth to the best of his natural ability, then will he really be forbidden for this and will he remain in the last rank, in which all intentions are diverted to the land of the future? Or, just because he has not understood the whole truth, will he remain at the low level of the last rank, which neither knows nor desires this? Or is it fitting for him to rise to this middle path that I said? For although he did not see it otherwise than in the mirror, he nevertheless hoped from afar and with this hope attached himself to his fathers: although he was not worthy of perfect grace here, yet by the fact that he always talked with it, turned his whole mind to it and longed for it all his life, he was able to cut off evil thoughts; and since God filled his heart with this hope, he departs from this world. Everything that has humility is beautiful. The spiritual teaching of the mind in the love of God, guided by the understanding of the Divine Scriptures, protects the soul from the inside from previous evil thoughts and guards the mind in remembering future blessings, so that it does not relax from its negligence and, instead of the better, does not engage in remembering worldly things, because from this the strength of its wonderful movements gradually cools, and it falls into vain and unreasonable desires. To our God be the glory! Word 67. About the types of hope in God, about who should hope in God and who hopes recklessly and unreasonably There is hope in God with heartfelt faith; and it is beautiful, connected with prudence and knowledge; and there is another, different from this hope, a consequence of lawlessness, and it is false. A person who has no concern at all for the soon-to-perish, but wholly, day and night, entrusts himself to the Lord, does not care about anything worldly, due to his great zeal for virtues, uses all his time for the pursuit of the Divine and therefore neglects preparing food and clothing for himself, arranging a home for the body and everything else - such a person has excellent and reasonable hope in the Lord, because the Lord will prepare for him what is necessary. And this is truly the true and wisest hope. And it is right for such a person to hope in God, because he has become His servant, and is diligent in His work, and does not indulge in negligence, for any reason. Such a one is worthy for God to show His care in a special way, because he has kept the commandment of God, which says: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33); and do not please the flesh (Rom. 13:14). For with our disposition, the world, like a slave, will prepare everything for us, will undoubtedly obey us as rulers, and will not resist our words and our will. Such a person, in order not to interrupt his unceasing presence with God, does not indulge in worries about the necessary needs of the body and, out of the fear of God, does not care about anything else except this one thing, so that he can be free from all such concerns, small and great, with the goal of pleasure and soaring of the mind; and yet miraculously receives it without caring or working about it. But a person whose heart is completely buried in earthly things, who always eats dust with the serpent, never cares about what is pleasing to God, but is tired and weakened by everything bodily, has no concern for a single virtue, due to constant relations with people and distraction in amusements, and presents some excuses for this - such a person, indeed, due to this laziness and idleness, has become far from good. And when we are hampered by poverty or death and depressed by the fruits of our iniquities, then perhaps he will say: “I will put my trust in God, and he will make me carefree, and give me relief.” Until this hour, you, foolish one, did not remember God, but insulted Him with the lewdness of your deeds, and the name of God for your sake, as it is written, was blasphemed by the pagans (see: Rom. 2:24), and now you dare to say with open lips: “I will put my trust in Him, He will help me and take care of me”! To the shame of such, God said well through the Prophet: Day by day they seek Me, and desire to understand My ways, as men who have done righteousness, and have not forsaken the justifications of God, ask Me for righteous judgment (Is. 58:2). Among these is this foolish one, who did not even approach God with his thoughts, but as soon as he became surrounded by sorrows, he raised his hands to Him with hope. Such a person would have to be burned on fire many times in order to admonish him in every possible way, because he has not done anything to make him worthy of having trust in God. On the contrary, for his evil deeds and for his negligence about what is due, he is worthy of punishment; and the long-suffering God, by His mercy alone, endures him. Therefore, let him not deceive himself, let him not forget what his life is like, and let him not say that he hopes in God. For he will be punished because he does not have a single work of faith. Let him not remain in idleness and let him not say: “I believe that God will give me what I need,” as one who spends his life in the works of God, or let him not recklessly plunge into the well, so that, having never had God in his thoughts, now after falling he can say: “I will put my trust in God, He will deliver me.” Do not flatter yourself, foolish one; Hope in God is preceded by work for God and sweat shed in doing it. If you believe in God, then you do well. But faith requires works, and hope in God is revealed in suffering for the sake of virtue. Do you believe that God provides for His creatures and is omnipotent? May your faith be accompanied by decent work, and then God will hear you. Do not try to hold the wind in your handful, that is, faith without works. Often someone, without knowing, walks a path where there are wild animals, or murderers, or something similar; and so the general Providence of God saves him from such harm: either, until an evil beast passes by, he somehow slows down the traveler’s progress, or someone meets him and forces him to deviate from the path. And yet, sometimes the evil serpent lies in the way - and is invisible; but God, not wanting to give a person over to such a temptation, makes the serpent suddenly begin to hiss and move from its place or crawl ahead of the traveler, and he, seeing this, isware and is saved from the serpent. Although a person is unworthy of this due to secret sins known to him alone, yet God takes him away from trouble, by His mercy. And yet, it often happens that a house, or a wall, or a stone falls, noisily moving from its place, and others were sitting there, and God lovingly commands the Angel to hold and stop this place from falling until those sitting stand up or until he takes them away with something and no one remains in place; and as soon as they move away, they immediately let them fall. And if it happens that another is caught, he makes sure that he does not suffer any harm. For by this he wants to show the infinite greatness of His power. All this and similar things are the work of God’s Providence, universal and everywhere; the righteous person has an inseparable providence over him. For God commanded other people to judiciously manage their affairs and, with God’s providence, to use their knowledge; but the righteous does not need this knowledge to manage his affairs, because instead of this knowledge he acquired faith, which casts down every heap that is charged on the mind of God (2 Cor. 10:5), and he will not be afraid of anything listed above, as it is written: the righteous trusts like a lion (Prov. 28:1), venturing into everything by faith, not because he tempts the Lord, but because He looks upon Him, and is, as it were, armed and clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit. And just as his constant care is dedicated to God, so God says about him: ... I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him. I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation (Ps. 90:15,16). He who is relaxed and lazy in his work cannot have such hope. But whoever abides with God in everything, draws closer to Him through the kindness of his deeds and constantly directs the eyes of his heart towards His grace, he can say about himself what the divine David said: ...my eyes are gone from the hedgehogs of my hope in My God (Ps. 68:4). To Him be due glory, honor and worship forever! Amen. Word 68. About renunciation of the world and about maintaining free treatment of people When we love to escape from the world and distance from worldly people, then nothing separates us so much from the world, mortifies our passions, does not excite and revive us for the spiritual, like crying and heartache with reasoning. For the face of the humble imitates the humility of the Beloved. But also, nothing makes us so much accomplices of the world, both those living in the world, and those who in the world are given over to drunkenness and lewdness, and nothing removes us so much from the treasures of wisdom and the knowledge of the mysteries of God, as laughter and, with freedom in circulation, the soaring of thoughts. And this is the work of the prodigal demon. But since I have learned through experience of your wisdom, beloved, I beg you with love to beware of the malice of the enemy, so that you do not cool down in your soul the ardor of love for Christ, who for your sake tasted the gall on the tree of the cross, and so that the enemy, instead of this sweet exercise and boldness before God, does not begin to fill your soul with many dreams during your wakefulness, and during your sleep captivate it with absurd ones. dreams, the stench of which the holy Angels of God cannot tolerate. And then you will become a reason for others to creep, and a sharp prick for yourself. Therefore, force yourself to imitate the humility of Christ, so that the fire He placed in you will quickly ignite, by which all the movements of the world that kill the new man and desecrate the courts of the holy and almighty Lord are eradicated. For I dare say with Saint Paul that we are the church of God (1 Cor. 3:16). Therefore, as God Himself is pure, let us cleanse His church, so that He may desire to dwell in it. And just as He Himself is holy, let us also sanctify the church; let us adorn it with all sorts of good and honest deeds, we will perfume it with the fragrance of the peace of God’s will, with pure and heartfelt prayer, which cannot be acquired by communication in frequent worldly unrest. And thus, the cloud of His glory will overshadow the soul, and the light of His greatness will shine inside the heart, and all the inhabitants of the village of God will be filled with joy and gladness, and the arrogant and shameless will disappear from the flame of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, constantly reproach yourself, brother, and say: “Woe is me, poor soul! The time for your separation from the body has come. Why do you rejoice in the fact that you will have to leave this day and what you will not see forever? Pay attention to your previous life, consider what you did, why you did it and what your deeds were, with whom you spent the days of your life or who took advantage of the labor of your work on earth, whom you delighted with your warfare so that he would come out to meet you when you left the world, whom you delighted during your course so that you may rest in his haven, for whom you labored in poverty in order to come to him with joy, Whom did you acquire as a friend in the next century, so that he would receive you during your departure, in what field did you work for hire, and who will give you wages at the setting of the sun when you are separated?” Test yourself, soul, and consider in what land your inheritance is, and whether you have passed through the field, which brings sorrow to the fruitful workers; with groaning and anxiety, cry out and cry out, - in what way will your God rest more than sacrifices and burnt offerings. Let your lips exude painful voices, with which the holy Angels delight; wet your cheeks with the tears of your eyes, so that the Holy Spirit may rest in you and wash you from the filth of vice; Appease your Lord with tears to help you; call Mary and Martha, let them teach you lamentable voices; cry to the Lord: “Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who wept over Lazarus and shed tears of sorrow and compassion over him, accept the tears of my sorrow, heal my passions with Your sufferings, cleanse my blood with Your blood and dissolve the stench of Your life-giving body with my body. May the bile that your enemies gave you to drink sweeten my soul from the sorrow that my opponent gave me to drink. Thy body, stretched out on the tree of the cross, may my mind, carried away by the demons, stretch out to Thee. May Thy head, bowed on the cross, exalt my head, strangled by adversaries. May Your all-holy hands, nailed by the infidels to the cross, lead me to You from the abyss of destruction, as Your all-holy lips promised. May Your face, which has received the blows and spitting from the damned, illuminate my face, darkened by iniquities. Let Thy soul, which Thou gavet unto Thy Father on the cross, guide me to Thee by Thy grace. I do not have a sick heart to seek You; I have neither repentance nor contrition, by which children are introduced into their own inheritance. I have no consoling tears, Vladyka. My mind has been darkened by the affairs of this life and with illness I do not have the strength to raise my gaze to You. My heart has grown cold from many temptations and cannot be warmed by tears of love for You. But You, Lord Jesus Christ God, treasure of good things, grant me complete repentance and an untiring heart, so that with all my soul I may begin to seek You. For without You I will be alien to all good. Therefore, O Good One, grant me Your grace. May the Father, childless and eternal, who brings You out from His bosom, renew in me the features of Your image. I left you; Don't leave me. I have departed from You; You come to seek me and lead me into Your pasture, number me among the sheep of Your chosen flock, nourish me with the grain of Your Divine mysteries along with those whose pure heart is Your abode, and in it the leafing of Your revelations is visible - this is consolation and this joy for those who have labored for You in sorrows and in bitterness of all kinds. May we also be worthy of this oblation by Your grace and Your love for mankind, our Savior Jesus Christ, forever and ever! Amen". Word 69. About the fact that it is useful for the silent ones not to have worries, but entrances and exits are harmful A person who cares deeply cannot be meek and silent, because the necessary reasons for the affairs that burden him force him involuntarily, even if he did not want to, to engage in them and spend time in them, and waste his silence and silence. Therefore, a monk must place himself before the face of God and always immutably raise his eye to God if he truly wants to guard his mind, learn to stop and reject small movements creeping into him and, in the silence of thoughts, distinguish between what is incoming and outgoing. The frequent idleness of monks serves as a sign of their relaxation in readiness to do the commandments of Christ and reveals their insufficiency for the Divine. Without liberation from worries, do not look for light in your soul, nor for silence and silence when relaxing your feelings. If you have time to spare from business, do not multiply your leisure time - and you will not find soaring in your mind or in your prayer. Without unceasing prayer it is impossible to get closer to God. After the labor of prayer, placing new care on the mind produces a waste of thoughts. Tears, hitting oneself on the head during prayer and fiery zeal to continue prayer awaken in the heart the fervor of the sweetness of tears, and the heart with laudable enthusiasm soars to God and cries out: My soul thirsts for You, for the Mighty, Living God: when will I come and appear before Your face, O Lord (Ps. 41:3)? Whoever drank this wine and then lost it, only knows in what pitiful state he was left and what was taken away from him due to his relaxation. How bad it is for those living in silence to see people and talk with them! Truly, brethren, it is much worse than for those who do not keep silence. Just as a strong hail, suddenly falling on tree fruits, dries them out and destroys them, so meetings with people, even if they were very short-lived and allowed, apparently for a good purpose, dry up the flowers of virtues, which have just blossomed from the dissolution of silence, tenderly and luxuriously crowning the stem of the soul, planted with the outgoing waters of repentance (Ps. 1: 3). And just as strong frost, covering the greenery that has barely emerged from the ground, burns it, so a meeting with people burns the root of the mind, which has begun to produce from itself the seed of virtues. And if conversation with people who are in some ways abstinent, and in others who have only minor shortcomings, is usually harmful to the soul, then isn’t talking and meeting with people who are ignorant and stupid, not to mention the laity, much more harmful? Just as a noble and respectable man, when he gets drunk, forgets his nobility, and his fortune is dishonored, and his honor is subjected to ridicule for the alien thoughts that entered him from wine, so the chastity of the soul is indignant at the sight of people and conversation with them, and forgets its caution; in a person’s thoughts, the intention of his will is erased and every basis for a laudable structure of life is eradicated. Therefore, if a meeting with people and the dispersion of oneself, which happens to someone who is in silence while floating thoughts, or even one approach to something in order to see or hear it, is already sufficient for what enters through the gates of sight or hearing to produce coldness in a person and darkening of the mind for the Divine, and if a short hour can cause so much harm to an abstinent monk, what can we say about constant meetings and long-term contact in this? The evaporation emanating from the womb does not allow the mind to receive Divine knowledge, but darkens it like fog rising from damp earth and darkening the air. But pride does not understand that it walks in darkness, and has no concept of wisdom. For how can she know this, being in her darkness? Therefore, with her darkened thoughts, she exalts herself above all others, being insignificant, and weak, and incapable of knowing the ways of the Lord. The Lord hides his will from her, because she did not want to walk the path of the humble. But to our God be glory forever and ever! Amen. Homily 70. About the paths that bring one closer to God and become obvious to man by the pleasantness of the deeds of the night vigil, and that those who do it eat honey all the days of their lives Do not think, man, that in all monastic work there is any activity more important than night vigil. Truly, brother, it is both important and very necessary for the abstinent. If the ascetic is not distracted and disturbed by bodily affairs and concern for the transitory, but he keeps himself from the world, vigilantly guards himself, then his mind will soar in a short time, as if on wings, and will rise to the delight of God, will soon come to His glory and, with its ease and ease, will be immersed in knowledge that exceeds human understanding. If a monk remains vigilant with prudence, then you will see in him as if he were not a flesh-bearer. For this is truly the work of the angelic order. It is impossible for those who spend their whole lives in this occupation to be left by God without great gifts for their sobriety, alertness of heart and caring aspiration of their thoughts towards Him. The soul that labors to remain in this vigil and is distinguished by it will have cherubic eyes in order to constantly lift up its gaze and contemplate the heavenly spectacle. I think that with knowledge and prudence, it is impossible for someone who has chosen this great and divine work and decided to bear this burden not to strive in this glorified, chosen work and not to protect himself during the day from the rebellion of the gatherings and from worrying about affairs, in fear of otherwise losing the wondrous fruit and great pleasure that he hopes to receive from this. Whoever is negligent about this, I will boldly say that he does not know why he is working, abstains from sleep, torments himself with prolonged poetry, straining his tongue and all-night standing, while his mind does not participate in psalmody and prayer, but, as if driven by habit, works without reasoning. And if this is not so, as I said, then why is he deprived of the opportunity, with his constant sowing, on which he works, to reap great benefits and fruit? For if, instead of these worries, he had practiced reading the Divine Scriptures, which strengthens the mind, especially serves to irrigate prayer and helps vigil, which is closely united with prayer and at the same time gives light to the mind, then in this reading he would have found a leader on the right path, he would have found that in which the seed of everything that nourishes prayerful contemplation and that keeps thoughts from soaring, does not allow them to spin and feed vain, constantly sows in the soul the remembrance of God, shows the paths of the saints who have pleased God, and makes the mind acquire subtlety and wisdom - in a word, it would gain the mature fruit of such deeds. Why, man, do you dispose of yourself so unreasonably? At night you perform all-night vigil and tire yourself with psalmody, hymns and prayers, but it seems difficult and considerable to you, with short-term diligence during the day, to be worthy of God’s grace for your suffering with a friend 65. Why do you bother yourself, sowing at night, and destroying your labor during the day, turning out to be fruitless, wasting the vigilance, sobriety and ardor that you acquired, wasting your labor in vain in anxious conversations with people and things, without any valid excuse? For if your nighttime exercise were consistent with your daytime activities and the fervor of your heartfelt conversation, and there was no gap between one and the other, then in a short time you could fall to the breasts of Jesus. But from this it is clear that you live unreasonably and do not know why monks need to stay awake. You think that this was established only so that you can work, and not for anything else that comes from here. But whoever is worthy to know, by grace, in what hope the ascetics resist sleep, force nature, and in the waking state of their body and thoughts bring their petitions every night, knows the power of daytime guarding, knows what help it gives the mind in the silence of the night, what power it takes over thoughts, to what purity it brings, how naturally and without struggle a swarm of virtues is given to the mind, and he freely recognizes the nobility of thoughts. And I will add that if the body, due to its weakness, was weakened and could not fast, then the mind with one vigil can bring the soul into nobility and give insight to the heart to discover spiritual strength; unless it is destroyed by the multiplication during the day of counteracting causes. Therefore, I beg you, who wish to acquire a sober mind before God and the knowledge of a new life, not to be negligent in staying on vigil throughout your entire life. For through them your eyes will be opened to see all the glory of this life and the power of the path of righteousness. And if (which may not happen!) the thought of laziness appears in you again and begins, perhaps, to nest in you, because your Helper, who usually allows you in everything like this, whether hot or cold, to change for some reason, or because of the weakness of the body, or because of the depletion of your strength to endure the labor usually performed by you, long psalmody, intense prayer, numerous genuflections, which you are accustomed to do, then with love I beg you, if this does not become in you and you are not able to do this, then, although sitting, stay awake and pray with your heart, but do not fall asleep, and use all measures to spend the night without sleep, sitting and occupied with good thoughts. Do not harden your heart, do not darken it with sleep - and, by grace, the former fervor, lightness, and strength will come to you again, and you will rejoice, jumping and thanking God, because this coldness and such burden are allowed upon a person for testing and temptation. And if he arouses himself, shakes it off with ardor and with little compulsion, then grace approaches him, as it was before, and another power comes to him, in which all good and all kinds of help are hidden. And the man marvels in amazement, remembering the former burden and the lightness and strength that had come over him, and imagining this difference and ease of mobility and how he suddenly accepted such a change within himself. And from now on he becomes wise and, if such a burden comes upon him, he knows it from his previous experience. And if a person does not struggle for the first time, he cannot acquire this experience. Do you see how much a person manages when he arouses himself somewhat and endures during the battle, just so that his bodily nature does not become exhausted? But this is no longer a struggle, but a necessity of weakness. For in this case there is no benefit in fighting nature. In all other cases, it is good for a person to force himself to do everything that is useful for him. Constant silence together with reading, moderate eating and vigil soon excite the mind to amazement, unless there is some reason that breaks the silence. Thoughts that arise in the silent ones by themselves, without deliberate effort, make both eyes, pouring tears from them and washing their cheeks with their abundance, become like the font of Baptism. When your body is tamed by abstinence, vigilance and attentiveness to silence, but you feel that lustful passion arises in your body without natural movement, then know that you are tempted by thoughts of pride. Mix ashes into your food, stick your belly to the ground and find out what you were thinking about, find out the change in your nature and your unnatural deeds, and then, perhaps, God will have mercy on you, send you light so that you can learn humility and your sin will not increase in you. Therefore, we will not stop striving and making efforts until we see repentance in ourselves, we gain humility and our heart rests in God. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 71. About the power and effectiveness of sinful injuries, how they are produced and how they are stopped Until someone truly hates the causes of sin from the heart, he is not freed from the pleasure produced by the effectiveness of sin. This is the most brutal struggle, not inferior to a person even to the point of blood; in him his freedom is tempted in the unity of his love for virtues. This is a force called irritation and abuse; from the mere stench of this the poor soul is exhausted, due to the inevitable battle taking place in it. This is the power of the greatness of sin. With it, the enemy usually confuses the souls of chaste people and forces pure movements to experience something that they have never accepted at all. Here, beloved brethren, we will prove our patience, competition and zeal. For this is a time of invisible feat, about which they say that the monastic order always defeats them. When confronted with this abuse, a pious mind will soon become confused, unless it is strongly disturbed. In these times - times of martyrdom - You, Lord, are the source of all help, are able to strengthen the souls who with joy betrayed themselves to You, the heavenly Bridegroom, and out of sincere, and not cunning, motives entered into a holy covenant with You. Therefore, grant them the strength to boldly destroy fortified walls and every height that rises against the truth, so that they do not remain unsuccessful in their own intention due to intolerable and intolerable coercion at a time when the struggle is about blood. In this fierce battle, chastity does not always withstand the feat, because a person is left without help and to temptation. But woe to the weak, who are tempted in this decisive battle, because this battle, from acquired skill, has acquired great power over those who betray themselves to defeat with the consent of their own thoughts. Beware, beloved, of idleness, because known death is hidden in it, and without it it is impossible to fall into the hands of those who seek to capture a monk. On that day God will judge us not about the psalms, not for our abandonment of prayer, but for the fact that by omitting this we give entrance to demons. And when they find a place for themselves, they enter and close the doors of our eyes, then they will painfully and uncleanly carry out on us what subjects their workers to Divine condemnation and the most severe punishment; and we will become their assistants for the omission of this unimportant thing, but which, as it is written by the wisest, for the sake of Christ becomes worthy of care. He who does not submit his will to God will submit to His adversary, and therefore this, which seems small to you, will be counted against you as a wall protecting us from those who take us captive. The fulfillment of this inside the cell according to the Spirit of revelation was established by the wise, maintaining the church rite, for the protection of our lives. The omission of this is considered unimportant by the unwise. since they do not take into account the harm that occurs from that, then both the beginning and the middle of their path is ignorant freedom, which is the mother of passions. It is better to try not to omit even the smallest things, rather than by expanding this to give room to sin. For this inappropriate freedom will end in cruel slavery. While your feelings are alive, when you encounter anything, consider yourself dead, because if the sinful fervor in all your members does not subside, you will not be able to acquire salvation for yourself. If one of the monks says in his heart that he is wary of this, then it means that he does not want to know when they will strangle him. Whoever deceives his friend is worthy of damnation according to the law. And whoever deceives himself, what punishment will he suffer for the fact that, knowing the depravity of a bad deed, he hides behind ignorance? But what he knows, it shows a convicted conscience. That’s what torments him, what he knows, what he pretends not to know. Oh, how sweet are the occasions for passion! A person can sometimes cut off passions; far from them he enjoys the silence, has fun when they stop: but he cannot do so that he does not have reasons for passions. Therefore, we are tempted and reluctantly, and grieve when we are in passions, but we love that the reasons for them remain in us. We don’t want sins for ourselves, but we accept the reasons that lead us to them with pleasure. Therefore, the latter are made guilty of the effectiveness of the former. He who loves reasons for passions, unwittingly and reluctantly becomes an assistant and enslaves to passions. He who hates his sins will stop sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission. It is impossible for a person to abandon a sinful habit if he does not first acquire hostility towards sin, and it is impossible to receive remission before confessing his sins. For enmity is the cause of true humility, confession is the cause of contrition, which follows in the heart from shame. If we do not hate what is worthy of reproach, then while we carry it in our souls, we cannot feel the stench and stench in the effectiveness of all this. Until you reject from yourself what is inappropriate, you will not know how covered you are in shame and how much you should blush because of it. When you see your burden on others, then you will recognize the shame that lies on you. Get away from the world, and then you will recognize its stench. And if you don’t leave, you won’t know how much it stinks; on the contrary, you will rather clothe yourself with its stench as a fragrance, and you will consider the nakedness of your shame a veil of glory. Blessed is the one who has withdrawn from the world and its darkness and listens to himself alone. For insight and prudence cannot act in or serve one who spends his life in vain affairs. And how will his indignant rationality be able to discern what should be? Blessed is he who emerges from sleep in his rapture and sees in others how insatiable they are with this intoxicating child! Then he will know his own shame. And while a person carries within himself the child of the intoxication of his sins, everything he does seems decent to him. And as soon as nature leaves its order, it makes no difference whether it is intoxicated with wine or with lusts: because both of them lead out of the proper state, and both of them produce the same disintegration in the body that contains it; although the methods are different, the dissolution is the same. And although the change is the same, the differences in causes are not equal, but they are recognized by the acceptability of each. Every joy is followed by misfortune, and every misfortune for the sake of God is accompanied by joy. If everything that is in this world is subject to corruption, and corruption, both here and in the next century, and during the exodus, happens from the opposite reasons, and especially from indecent lust or from the evil suffering opposite to this lust, endured during sanctification, then God arranges this too out of love for mankind, so that either during the journey itself, or at the end of it, we may taste punishment, and then, by His rich mercy, we will pass away. path, in one case - as a kind of reward, and in the other - as a pledge. For he does not forbid acquiring good things even until the last hour; but he actually forbids evil, because he remains in evil, as it is written, worthy of punishment. The one punished here, for the sake of his shame, tastes his own Gehenna 66. Beware of your own freedom, which precedes evil slavery. Beware of consolation that precedes warfare. Beware of the knowledge that precedes a meeting with temptations, and what most often happens, the desire for this meeting, before repentance. For if we are all sinners, and no one is above temptation, then not one of the virtues is above repentance, because the work of repentance can never be perfect. Repentance is always appropriate for all sinners and righteous people who want to achieve salvation. And there is no limit to improvement, because the perfection of the most perfect is truly endless. Therefore, repentance until death is determined neither by time nor by deeds. Remember that every pleasure is followed by disgust and bitterness, like inseparable companions. Beware of joy that is not accompanied by a reason for change. For regarding everything in which the highest vision is hidden, you cannot comprehend and know the limit and reasons for the change in this. Be afraid of those whom you assume to be on the straight path, because they, as they say, walk outside the path. He who wisely knows how to steer the ship of the world has put changeability into everything in the world; and what is outside this is a shadow. The rest of the members is followed by frenzy and confusion of thoughts; behind immoderate activity there is despondency, and behind despondency there is frenzy. But one frenzy is different from another. The first frenzy after rest is followed by prodigal warfare, and the frenzy from despondency is followed by leaving one’s silent abode and moving from place to place. There is no price for proportionate and zealously continued work. Derogation in this increases pleasure, and excess increases frenzy. Endure the foolishness of your nature, which overcomes you, brother, because you are prepared to be in this wisdom, which has the eternal crown of superiority. Do not be afraid of confusion in Adam's body, destined to be in that pleasure, the knowledge of which is here above the mind of the flesh - to be when the heavenly Image comes, that is, the King of the world. Do not be embarrassed by the change and confusion of nature, because this is temporary suffering for those who accept it with pleasure. Passions are like small dogs that are used to being in meat markets and run away from one voice, and if they don’t pay attention to them, they attack like the biggest lions. Put a small wish into nothing, so as not to harbor thoughts about the power of its disintegration, because temporary patience in the small delays the danger in the great. It is impossible to overcome the great unless you overcome the unimportant. Remember, brother, the rank in which you will be and in which - not this life, as if moving and moving through the moisture, but a life that reduces deadness, a life in which in this dissolution there is no ignition from the indulgence of voluptuousness, which provides occupation for the infant nature. Endure the difficulty of the feat into which you were introduced as a test, in order to receive a crown from God and rest in peace after leaving this world. Remember also this rest, which has no end, and the unflattering life, and the order of the perfect and immutable Economy, and the captivity that compels us to love God, which dominates nature. May we also be worthy of this by the grace of Christ Himself, to Whom be glory with the Originless Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages! Amen. Word 72. On guarding the heart and on subtle contemplation If you are alone in your cell and have not yet acquired the power of true contemplation, then always occupy yourself with reading troparions and kathismas, remembering death and hoping for the future. All this brings the mind together and does not allow it to spin until true contemplation comes, because the power of the spirit is more powerful than passions. In the hope of the future, occupy yourself with remembrance of God, try to understand well the meaning of the troparia and beware of everything external that prompts you to lust. And at the same time, be careful in the small things that you do in your cell. Always test your thoughts and pray so that in every activity you have eyes: from this joy will begin to flow to you; and then you will find sorrows that are sweeter than honey. No one can overcome passions, except through tangible and visible virtues; and no one can overcome the soaring of the mind, except by studying spiritual knowledge. Our mind is light; and if not bound by any thought, does not stop hovering. And without improvement in the above-mentioned virtues, it is impossible to acquire this preservation, because if one does not defeat one’s enemies, there cannot be peace. And if peace does not reign, how can one find what is provided to the world? Passions serve as an obstacle to the innermost virtues of the soul; and if they are not first overthrown by the obvious virtues, then the internal virtues are invisible behind them. For he who is outside the wall cannot be in communication with what is inside the walls. No one sees the sun in darkness, and no one sees virtue in the nature of the soul, with the ongoing rebellion of passions. Pray to God to make you feel the desire of the Spirit and His lust. For when this contemplation and desire of the Spirit come to you, then you will withdraw from the world, and the world will retreat from you. It is impossible for anyone to perceive this without silence, asceticism and exercise in the reading specified for this. Without the latter, do not seek the first, for if you seek, it gradually turns and becomes corporeal. Let him who understands understand. The all-wise Lord deigned that we should eat this bread in sweat; And he did this not out of malice, but so that we would not have indigestion and die. For each virtue is the mother of another virtue. Therefore, if you leave your mother, who gives birth to virtues, and go to look for daughters before you find their mother, then these virtues turn out to be similar for the soul 67. If you don't reject them from yourself, you will soon die Word 73. About the signs and actions of love for God Love for God is naturally ardent and, when it attacks someone without measure, it makes that soul enthusiastic. Therefore, the heart of one who has felt this love cannot contain and bear it, but, according to the quality of the love that has found it, an extraordinary change is seen in it. And here are the tangible signs of this love: a person’s face becomes fiery and joyful, and his body warms up. Fear and shame recede from him, and he becomes, as it were, ecstatic. The power that gathers the mind together flees from him, and he appears as if amazed. He considers terrible death to be a joy; the contemplation of his mind does not allow any suppression in thoughts about heavenly things. And in absence, not visible to anyone, he talks as if he were present. His natural awareness and vision pass away, and he does not sense the movement excited in him by objects, because although he does something, he does not feel it at all, since his mind floats in contemplation and his thought always seems to be talking with someone else. The apostles and martyrs once reveled in this spiritual rapture. And some went around the whole world, toiling and suffering reproach; and others from their truncated members shed blood like water; in terrible suffering they were not faint-hearted, but endured them valiantly and, being wise, were recognized as foolish. Others wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens, in the abysses of the earth, and in troubles they were the most comfortable. May God grant us to achieve this foolishness! If, before entering the city of humility, you notice in yourself that you have calmed down from the rebellion of passions, then do not trust yourself. For the enemy is preparing some kind of ambush for you; on the contrary, after peace, expect great anxiety and great rebellion. If you do not go through all the monasteries on the path of virtues, then you will not find peace from your labor and will not have rest from the enemy’s machinations until you reach the monastery of holy humility. Grant us, O God, to achieve this by Your grace! Amen. Word 74. About the types of virtues Asceticism is the mother of shrines; from it comes the first experience of the sensation of the mysteries of Christ, which is called the first degree of spiritual knowledge. Let no one deceive himself and let no one dream of fortune-telling. A defiled soul does not enter the pure Kingdom and is not united with the spirits of saints. Conceal the kindness of your chastity with tears, fasting and solitary silence. A little sorrow for the sake of God is better than a great deed done without sorrow, because voluntary sorrow shows the experience of faith in love. And the matter of peace is the result of the lull of conscience. Therefore, the saints, out of the love of Christ, showed themselves to be skillful in sorrows, and not in coolness, because what is done without labor is the truth of worldly people, who give alms from the outside, but do not gain anything in themselves. But you, ascetic and imitator of the sufferings of Christ, strive within yourself so that you may be worthy to taste the glory of Christ. For if we suffer with Christ, then we will be glorified with Him (see: Rom. 8:17). The mind will not be glorified with Jesus if the body does not suffer for Christ. Finally, whoever neglects human glory is honored with the glory of God, and his body is glorified along with his soul. For the glory of the body is the submission of chastity with the help of God, and the glory of the mind is the true contemplation of God. True submission 68 is twofold: in deeds and in reproach. Therefore, when the body suffers, the heart also has compassion with it. If you do not know God, it is impossible for you to arouse love for Him. You cannot love God if you do not see Him. And the vision of God is a consequence of knowing Him, because contemplation of Him does not precede knowledge of Him. Grant me, O Lord, to know and love You not with the knowledge that is acquired through exercise with waste of the mind, but grant me with that knowledge in which the mind, contemplating You, glorifies Your nature in contemplation, stealing the sense of the world from thought. Vouchsafe me to rise above the vision of the will that gives rise to dreams, and to see You, bound by the bonds of the cross, in this second part of the crucifixion of the mind, which, free from the influence of mental ideas on it, rests in the unceasing, supernatural contemplation of You. Make it so that my love for You grows in me and that, following Your love, I leave this world for me. Arouse in me the understanding of Your humility, with which You lived in the world, in this monastery, which You bore on Yourself, borrowing from our members through the mediation of the Holy Virgin, so that in constant and unforgettable remembrance of this, I may perceive with pleasure the humility of Your nature. There are two ways to ascend to the cross: one is the crucifixion of the body, and the other is entering into contemplation; the first is a consequence of liberation from passions, and the second is a consequence of the effectiveness of the deeds of the spirit. The mind does not submit unless the body submits to it. The kingdom of the mind is the crucifixion of the body: and the mind does not submit to God if freedom is not subjugated to the mind. It is difficult to teach anything high to a beginner or an infant. Woe to you, city, in which your king is young (Eccl. 10:16). Whoever submits himself to God is close to having everything submit to him. He who knows himself is given knowledge of everything, because to know himself is complete knowledge of everything, and in the submission of your soul everything will be subject to you. While humility reigns in your life, your soul submits to you, and with it everything submits to you, because the peace of God is born in your heart. But while you are outside of it, not only passions, but also circumstances will constantly pursue you. Truly, Lord, if we do not humble ourselves, you never cease to humble us. True humility is a product of knowledge, and true knowledge is a product of temptation. Homily 75. About unceasing fasting, about remaining concentrated within oneself in one place, about the consequences of this, and about the fact that in learning to discern he learned the correct use of everything similar to what was said Having been tempted for a long time in the gums and ears, having repeatedly tested myself in these two ways, having taken upon myself countless blows from the enemy and having been granted great secret help, over the course of many years I gained experience and, by the grace of God, I learned the following experimentally. The foundation of all that is good, the return of the soul from captivity to the enemy, the path leading to light and life - all this is contained in these two ways: to gather oneself together and always fast, that is, wisely and prudently make it a rule for oneself to abstain from the womb, to constantly stay in one place, to constantly engage in the thought of God. Hence the submission of feelings; hence the sobriety of the mind; hence the taming of the fierce passions aroused in the body; hence the meekness of thoughts; hence the bright movements of thought; hence the diligence towards acts of virtue; hence the high and subtle mental ideas; hence the tears that know no measure, flowing at all times, and the memory of death; hence pure chastity, completely far from any dream that tempts thought; hence insight and foresight; hence the deep, mysterious concepts that the mind comprehends with the help of Divine words, and the internal movements occurring in the soul, the division and discrimination of the spiritual both in holy powers and true visions, and in vain dreams. Hence that fear on the paths and paths, which cuts off laziness and negligence in the sea of ​​​​thought, that flame of jealousy, which tramples all danger and overcomes all fear, that ardor, which neglects all lust, and blots it out in the mind, and along with everything else, brings into oblivion all remembrance of what is transitory; in short, hence the freedom of a true person, spiritual joy and resurrection with Christ in the Kingdom. If anyone neglects these two methods, then let him know that he will not only harm himself in everything that has been said before, but he will also shake the very foundation of all virtues by neglecting these two virtues. And just as they, if someone holds them within himself and remains in them, are the beginning and head of Divine work in the soul, the door and path to Christ, so if someone retreats and moves away from them, he will come to these two opposite vices, I mean bodily wandering and dishonest gluttony. This is the essence of the beginning of the opposite of what was said above, and they give place to passions in the soul. And the first principle of one reason, first of all, releases submissive feelings from the bonds of abstinence; what finally happens from this? Inappropriate and unexpected gatherings that lead to falls, a rebellion of strong waves excited by vision, a rapid inflammation of the eyes that takes possession of the body and encloses it in chains, a convenient creep in thoughts, uncontrollable thoughts tending to fall, a cooling of love for the works of God, a gradual weakening in preference for silence and a complete abandonment of the rule of one’s life; and due to the fact that it appears to a person in involuntary and different visions and is encountered when moving from country to country, from place to place - the resumption of forgotten, bad deeds and learning others that he did not know before. And the passions, which, by the grace of God, had already been mortified in the soul and destroyed by the oblivion of the memories stored in the mind, again begin to move and force the soul to do them. This is what (if you don’t talk and don’t go into detail about everything else) is revealed as a result of this first reason, that is, the wandering of the body and impatience in enduring the misfortunes of silence. What happens as a consequence of another reason, that is, if we have started the business of pigs? What is this matter? Is it not to allow the belly to know no boundaries, to constantly fill it and not have the specified time to satisfy bodily needs, which is typical for rational beings? And what finally comes out of this? Hence the heaviness in the head, the great heaviness in the body and the relaxation in the muscles, and from this the need to leave God’s service, because laziness comes to perform prostrations at it, negligence about the usual bows, darkness and coldness of thought, a mind that is white and incapable of prudence from confusion and great darkness of thoughts, a thick and impenetrable fog spread throughout the whole soul, strong despondency in all God’s work, as well as in reading, because man is not able to taste the sweetness of God’s words; great laziness in doing necessary things, an uncontrollable mind wandering throughout the earth; greater accumulation of juices in all members, at night, unclean dreams of nasty ghosts and absurd images, filled with lust, which penetrates the soul and in the soul itself impurely fulfills its desires. And the poor man’s bed, and his clothes, and even his whole body are desecrated by a multitude of shameful uncleanness, which flows from him as if from a source. And this happens to him not only at night, but also during the day, because the body always exudes impurities and defiles the thought, so that the person therefore renounces chastity. The pleasantness of tickling throughout his whole body is produced by a constant and unbearable kindling. And he has seductive thoughts that portray beauty to him and, when interacting with them, irritate and tickle his mind at all times. And a person, without any hesitation, combines with these thoughts, thinking about them and lusting after them due to the darkening of his mind. And this is the very thing that the Prophet said: this is the reward for sister Sodom, who, in luxury, ate bread to her satisfaction, and so on (Ezek. 16:49). And about this it was said by one of the great sages that if someone feeds his body with great luxury, he will subject his soul to war; and if he comes to his senses and takes the trouble to force himself in order to master himself, then he will not be able to do this due to the excessive inflammation of bodily movements and because the irritations and ticklings produced by those who captivate the soul with their desires are strong and compelling. Do you see the subtlety of these godless people in this? And he also says: bodily pleasure with its softness and moisture produces that the soul soon acquires youthful passions, and death surrounds it, and a person falls under the judgment of God. And the soul, busy remembering its duties, rests in its freedom; her worries are small, she does not repent of anything, pursuing virtue, curbing passions, preserving virtue, she brings carefree joy to growth, and brings a good life into a safe haven. Bodily pleasures not only intensify passions and stir them up in the soul, but even uproot it from the very root, and at the same time inflame the belly to intemperance, disorder to the point of extreme wastefulness, and force it to untimely satisfy bodily needs. The one overcome by this does not want to endure a small hunger and control himself, because he is a prisoner of passions. These are the shameful fruits of gluttony. And the above-described fruits of patience, staying in one place and in silence bring great benefit to the soul 69 . Therefore, the enemy, knowing the times of our natural needs that prompt nature to satisfy itself, knowing that from the wandering of the eyes and the rest of the womb the mind comes into a whirlwind, tries and intensifies at precisely such times to encourage us to increase our natural needs, and to sow in us images of evil thoughts, so that, if possible, passions in an intensified struggle would prevail over nature and man would become mired in the fall. And therefore, just as the enemy knows the times, so we must know our weakness and the strength of our nature, that it is insufficient to resist the aspirations and movements in those times, and the subtleties of thoughts, which in our eyes are easily likened to fluff, and that we cannot see them 70 and resist what meets us, and because of the many trials to which we have been miserably exposed more than once and with which the enemy has tempted us, finally to manage and not allow ourselves to rashly fulfill the will of our peace, not to give in to victory over ourselves to greed, but even more so if hunger exhausts and oppresses us, not to move from the place of our silence, not to go where it conveniently happens to us, and not to prepare for ourselves pretexts and ways to leave the desert. For these are obvious plans of the enemy. If you remain in the desert, you will not be tempted, because you will not see any women or anything harmful to your life, and you will not hear obscene voices. ...What is the way of Egypt to you, if you drink the water of Geon (Jer. 2:18)? Understand what I am telling you; Show the enemy your patience and experience in small things, so that he does not look for great things from you. Let this little be an indication for you how to overthrow your opponent, so that he does not have time and he does not dig great traps for you. For whoever does not listen to the enemy in order to move five steps away from the place of his silence, can he obey and leave the desert or approach the village? Who does not agree to look out the window from his silent cell, will he agree to leave it? And whoever you can barely convince in the evening to taste very little food, will the thoughts of eating catch him before the time? Whoever is ashamed to fill himself with something cheap, will he desire expensive dishes? Whoever you can’t convince to look at your own body will be caught by curiosity to see other people’s beauties? Therefore, it is clear that someone, at first neglecting the small, is defeated, and thus gives the enemy a reason to attack him in the great. Whoever does not care that his temporary life continues, even for a short time, will he be afraid of bitterness and sorrows that lead to the desired death? This is a judicious battle, because the wise do not allow themselves to imagine great deeds, but the patience they show in small things protects them from falling into great labors. Therefore, the devil strives to first make sure that unceasing heartfelt prayer is abandoned, and then instills disregard for the established times of prayer and the rules performed physically. And thus, at first the thought indulges in weakness to taste some small amount of food and something most insignificant and insignificant ahead of time, and after falling into violation of one’s abstinence, a person creeps into immoderation and debauchery. First, he is overcome by the desire (it’s better to say, it seems unimportant in his eyes) to look at the nakedness of his body or at some other beauty of his members, when he takes off his clothes, or when he goes out for bodily needs or to the water, and relaxes his feelings, or boldly puts his hand under his clothes and begins to touch his body, and then it rises within him, and so on, one after another. And whoever previously guarded the stronghold of the mind and grieved over one of the things said, then opens wide and dangerous entrances to himself, because thoughts (I will say likewise), like water, while they are restrained from everywhere, maintain their good order; and if a few come out from their stronghold, they destroy the fence and cause great devastation. For the enemy stands before our eyes day and night, taking notice, waiting and watching through which open entrance of our feelings he can enter. And when we are negligent in any of the above, then this cunning and shameless dog shoots his arrows at us. And sometimes nature itself begins to love peace, freedom, laughter, soaring thoughts, laziness - and becomes a source of passions and an abyss of rebellion; and sometimes the enemy instills this in the soul. But we will finally replace our great labors with small labors, which we regard as nothing. For if these labors, neglected by us, as shown, prevent many great feats, inconvenient labors, the hottest struggles and heavy blows - who would not hasten to find sweet peace for themselves with these small preliminary labors? Oh, how amazing you are, wisdom, how you foresee everything from afar! Blessed is he who has found you. He is free from the negligence of youth. If someone buys a cure for great passions for an unimportant thing from his property, then he does well. For one day one of the wise men, swaying from weakness and feeling this, immediately sat down, bringing himself to an upright position; the other, looking at him, laughed at this. But he answered: “I was not afraid of this, but I am afraid of negligence: because small negligence often leads to great dangers. And by the fact that I violated the order and soon corrected myself, I showed that I was sober and did not neglect even what was not scary.” This is wisdom - for a person, no matter what he does, to always be sober in both the small and insignificant. He prepares for himself great rest, and does not sleep, lest anything nasty happen to him, but he suppresses the reasons for this in advance and, for the sake of unimportant things, endures minor sorrow, destroying with it the great sorrow. But the reckless prefer small, near peace to the distant Kingdom, not knowing that it is better to endure torment in asceticism than to rest on the bed of the earthly kingdom and be condemned for laziness. Death is desired by the wise, so as not to fall under the accusation that they performed any of their deeds without sobriety. This is why the wise man says: be awake and sober for the sake of your life, because the sleep of the mind is akin to true death and is its image. And God-bearing Basil says: whoever is lazy in anything small that concerns him, do not believe that he will excel in great things. Don’t be discouraged when it comes to what life will bring you, and don’t be too lazy to die for it, because cowardice is a sign of despondency, and negligence is the mother of both. A fearful person makes it known that he suffers from two ailments, that is, love of life and lack of faith. And love of life is a sign of unbelief. But whoever neglects this confirms to himself that he believes in God with all his soul and looks forward to the future. If someone has approached God without dangers, exploits and temptations, then you too imitate him. Vigor of heart and disregard for dangers occur for one of these two reasons: either because of hardness of heart, or because of great faith in God. Hardness of heart is followed by pride, and faith is followed by humility of heart. A person cannot acquire hope in God if he has not previously fulfilled His will in his own measure. For hope in God and courage of the heart are born from the testimony of conscience, and only with the true testimony of our mind do we have hope in God. The evidence of the mind is that a person’s conscience does not condemn him at all, as if he had neglected something to which he was obliged, to the best of his ability. If our heart does not condemn us, the imam's boldness towards God (1 John 3:21). Therefore, boldness is a consequence of progress in virtues and a good conscience. Therefore, it is a painful thing to subjugate the body. Anyone who even slightly feels hope in God will not agree to work for this cruel ruler, the body, out of necessity. Glory to our God forever and ever! Amen. Word 76. About silence and silence A person always remains silent and maintains silence for the following three reasons: either for the sake of human glory, or out of ardent zeal for virtue, or because a person has some kind of Divine conversation within himself, and his mind is drawn to it. Therefore, if someone does not have one of the last causes, then of necessity he suffers from the first infirmity. Virtue is not the discovery of many and various deeds performed bodily, but the wisest heart in the hope, because the right goal binds it to deeds according to God. The mind can do good without bodily deeds. And a body without heart wisdom, even if it does something, cannot benefit from it. However, a man of God, when he finds it convenient to do a good deed, will not resist, so as not to prove his love for God by the work of his doing. The first rank always succeeds, the second often succeeds, and sometimes not. But do not think that it is of little importance for a person to always be far from the causes that excite passions. Glory to our God forever and ever! Amen. Word 77. About bodily movement Movement in the lower members of the body, which occurs without intensified thoughts of inappropriate voluptuousness, which is excited with inflammation and against the will drags the soul into disaster, is without a doubt a consequence of the satiety of the belly. If the belly observes, perhaps, moderation in food, but the members involuntarily, in any way, begin to move, then know that in the body itself is the source of passion. And in this struggle, consider for yourself a strong and insurmountable weapon - to move away from the sight of women, because the enemy cannot produce in us what nature is able to do with its strength. For do not think that nature forgets what was naturally sown into it by God for the birth of children and for the testing of those who are in this feat. But moving away from objects of desire mortifies lust in the members, produces oblivion about it and destroys it. Thoughts about objects that are very distant are different, pass only in thought and produce a slight and barely perceptible movement. The thoughts that immerse the mind in the vision of an object, without leaving it in self-forgetfulness, arouse passions by proximity, nourish a person as oil nourishes the burning of a lamp, ignite a passion that has already died and died out, and disturb the sea of ​​the body with the movement of the ship of thought. That natural movement that occurs in us strictly for the sake of childbearing, without the addition of anything from the outside, cannot disturb the purity of will and disturb chastity, because God did not give nature the power to overcome good will, to rush towards Him. But when someone is excited either by irritability or lust, then it is not a natural force that forces him to go beyond the limits of nature and step out of his duties, but what we add to nature according to the impulses of the will. Whatever God created, He created everything beautifully and proportionately. And as long as the measure of correspondence in the natural is correctly preserved in us, natural movements cannot force us to deviate from the path; on the contrary, only harmonious movements are excited in the body, which only let us know that there is a natural passion in us, but do not produce tickling and confusion, thereby preventing chastity, and also do not darken the mind with irritability and do not lead from a peaceful state to an angry state. If we sometimes get carried away by the sensual (which is why irritability usually takes on an unnatural desire) and indulge in either eating or drinking in excess quantities, or getting close to women and looking at them, or talking about them, which ignites and quickly spreads the fire of lust in the body, then we change our natural meekness into ferocity, either because of the abundance of moisture in the body, or because visions of different things. Sometimes there is movement in the members and by God’s permission for our conceit; and it is no longer the same as before. For we call those battles free, and in them the path of common nature is visible. About this battle, which, due to our conceit, happens as a result of allowing it, we know that when we have been attentive to ourselves for a long time and have worked, even considering ourselves to be somewhat successful, we are allowed to endure this battle in order to learn humility. Other battles, which are beyond our strength without this reason, come from our laziness. For nature, when through gluttony it takes into itself some addition to the sensual, no longer agrees to maintain the order that was established at its creation. Whoever voluntarily rejected sorrows and the endless stay in the cell is forced to love sins. For without sorrow he cannot part with the deception of wisdom. To the extent that labor increases, sins decrease to the same extent, because sorrows and dangers kill voluptuousness in passions, and peace nourishes and increases them. Finally, I clearly understood that God and His Angels rejoice when we are in need, and the devil and his workers rejoice when we are at rest. If in sorrows and oppression the commandments of God are fulfilled, and we have disdained them, then it already means that, contrary to God’s commandment, we manage to neglect the commandments because of the passions born from our peace, and we bring into inaction the cause of virtue, that is, oppression and sorrow, and, as we acquire peace for ourselves, we give place to passions in ourselves, because in an oppressed body thoughts cannot be indulged vain soaring. When someone joyfully bears labors and sorrows, then he can greatly curb his thoughts, because these thoughts are rendered inactive by labor. When a person remembers his previous sins and punishes himself, then God takes care to put him to rest. God rejoices that for deviating from the path of God he himself imposed punishment on himself, which serves as a sign of repentance. And the more he puts pressure on his soul, the more his honor is increased by God. Any joy, the cause of which is not virtue, immediately arouses lustful movements in the one who has acquired it. But keep in mind what we said about all passionate, and not natural, lust. To our God be glory forever and ever! Amen. Homily 78. About the types of different temptations and about how much sweetness the temptations that occur and are endured for the truth have, and by what degrees a prudent person ascends Virtues are successive to one another, so that the path of virtue is not difficult and difficult, so that one can succeed in them in order and find relief for oneself in this, and so that in this way the very difficulties endured for the sake of good become pleasant, like something good. For no one can acquire real non-covetousness unless he convinces and prepares himself to endure temptations with joy. And no one can endure temptations except someone who is convinced that for the sorrows in which he has prepared himself to participate, he can accept something that surpasses bodily peace. Therefore, in anyone who has prepared himself for non-covetousness, the love of sorrows is first aroused, and then the thought comes to him not to acquire what is in this world. And everyone who begins to endure sorrow is first strengthened by faith, and then proceeds to sorrow. Whoever deprives himself of material things, but has not deprived himself of the effectiveness of his senses, I mean sight and hearing, has prepared for himself extreme sorrow and will be in extreme misery and sorrow. It’s better to say: what is the use of depriving oneself of sensory things and pleasing the senses with them? For from the sensations produced by these things, a person suffers the same thing that he previously suffered when performing a task, because the remembrance of the habit of them does not leave his mind. And if mental representations of things without the things themselves produce a painful feeling in a person, what shall we say when the things themselves are with us and close to us? Finally, hermitage is wonderful, because it helps a lot, greatly tames thoughts, the very stay in hermitage puts strength in us and teaches us great patience in the necessary sorrows that befall a person. Do not try to take advice from a person who does not lead the same lifestyle as you, although he is extremely wise. It is better to entrust your thought to an unlearned person who has experienced the matter experimentally, than to a learned philosopher who argues based on his research without having experienced it in practice. What is experience? To gain experience does not mean only for a person to approach some things and look at them without accepting knowledge about them, but after long-term handling of them, clearly experience their benefits and harms. For often a thing outwardly seems harmful, but inside it everything turns out to be full of benefit. Consider the same thing about the opposite, that is, a thing often seems to have benefit, but is internally full of harm. Therefore, many apparently profitable things suffer damage; and therefore the testimony of knowledge is not true. Therefore, use an advisor who knows how to patiently discuss what requires reasoning. Therefore, not everyone who gives advice is worthy of trust, but only the one who has previously managed his freedom well and is not afraid of condemnation and slander. When on your path you find unchangeable peace, then be afraid, because you are far from the straight path trodden by the weary feet of the saints. For while you are still on the way to the city of the Kingdom, let the following be a sign of your approach to the city of God: you will encounter strong temptations; and the more you approach and succeed, the more the temptations facing you multiply. Therefore, as soon as you feel the greatest and most powerful temptations in your soul on your way, know that at this time your soul has actually secretly entered a new higher level, and grace has been multiplied by it in the state in which it is placed, because, in accordance with the greatness of grace, to the same extent God leads the soul into the sorrow of temptations, and does not lead into worldly temptations, which happen to others for curbing vice and obvious deeds, do not understand bodily disturbances as temptations, but temptations that are appropriate for monks in their silence and which we will describe in detail later. If the soul is weak and does not have sufficient strength for great temptations, and therefore asks not to enter into them, and God listens to it, then know for sure that to the extent that the soul does not have sufficient strength for great temptations, to the same extent it is insufficient for great gifts; and just as access to it is forbidden to great temptations, so great gifts are also forbidden to it, because God does not give a great gift without a great temptation. Gifts are determined by God in proportion to temptations, according to His wisdom, which those created by Him do not comprehend. Finally, through the cruel sorrows sent to you by God’s Providence, your soul comprehends what honor it has received from the greatness of God. For as much as there is sorrow there is also consolation. Question. How then? Is the temptation first, and then the gift; or first the gift, and then the temptation? Answer. Temptation does not come unless the soul first secretly accepts greatness beyond its measure and the Spirit of grace it previously received. This is evidenced by the temptations of the Lord himself, and likewise by the temptations of the apostles, who were not allowed to enter into temptation until they received the Comforter. Whoever partakes of good things, it is fitting for him to endure temptations, because his sorrow comes after the good. This is how it pleased the good God to do with everyone. And although this is indeed so, that is, grace comes before temptation, the feeling of temptation, for the test of freedom, certainly preceded the feeling of grace. For grace in no one ever precedes the trial of temptation. Grace accelerates in the mind, but slows down in sensation. And during these temptations it is appropriate for us to already have two opposite and in no way similar sensations, that is, joy and fear; joy - because you find yourself walking along the path paved by the saints, or better yet, by the Life-Giver Himself of all, as is clear from examining temptations. We must have fear, so that we do not endure this temptation because of pride. However, the humble are wise through grace and can discern and find out all this, that is, which temptations come from the fruit of pride and which ones come from blows dealt 71 by love. Temptations when entering into a good life and when it grows differ from temptations allowed to admonish the pride of the heart. Temptation of the friends of God, that is, the humble The temptations that come to the soul from the spiritual rod to its progress and growth and by which it is trained, tested and introduced into asceticism are the following: laziness, heaviness in the body, relaxation of the members, despondency, confusion of thoughts, suspiciousness due to exhaustion of the body, temporary suppression of hope, darkening of thoughts, lack of human help, poverty of what the body needs, and the like. From these temptations a person acquires a lonely and defenseless soul, a deadened heart and humility. And this will find out whether he has begun to lust after the Creator. The Provider balances temptations with the strengths and needs of those who receive them. Both consolation and defeat, light and darkness, battles and help, in short, cramped space and space, dissolve in us. And this serves as a sign that a person is prospering with God’s help. Word 79. About pride. Temptations of the enemies of God, that is, the proud The temptations that happen, by God's permission, to shameless people, who in their thoughts exalt themselves before the goodness of God and insult God's goodness with their pride, are the following obvious demonic temptations, exceeding the limits of spiritual strength: taking away the power of wisdom that people have, giving no peace to the feeling within themselves of the lustful thought allowed to them to humble their exaltation, quick irritability, the desire to put everything according to one’s own will, to argue in words, to give reprimands, a heart that neglects everything, a complete delusion of the mind, blasphemy against the name of God, holy fools, worthy of laughter, or better yet, tears, thoughts that people are neglecting them, their honor turns into nothing, and secretly and openly, in various ways, shame and reproach from demons are inflicted on them, finally, the desire to be in communication and dealing with the world, to talk incessantly and recklessly talk idle talk, always look for news and even false prophecies, promise much beyond one’s strength. And this is the essence of spiritual temptation. Temptations of the body include: painful, complex, prolonged, incurable seizures, constant encounters with bad and godless people. Or a person falls into the hands of offenders, his heart is suddenly, and always without reason, set in motion by the fear of God; He often suffers terrible, body-crushing falls from stones, from high places and from something similar; finally, he feels impoverished in what helps the heart with Divine strength and the hope of faith; in short, everything that is impossible and beyond their strength befalls both themselves and those close to them. Yet this, which we have outlined, belongs to the temptations of pride. The beginning of these appears in a person when someone begins to seem wise to himself in his own eyes. And he goes through all these disasters as he assimilates such thoughts of pride. Finally, according to the nature of your temptations, draw conclusions about the ways of the subtlety of your mind. If you see that some of these temptations are mixed with the temptations mentioned before, then know that as much as you have them, pride penetrates into you. Listen also to another way to conclude about temptations. Every cramped circumstance and every sorrow, if there is no patience with it, leads to greater torment, because patience in a person reflects disasters, and cowardice is the mother of torment. Patience is the mother of consolation and a certain strength, usually generated by the breadth of the heart. It is difficult for a person to find such strength in his sorrows without the Divine gift, acquired through the persistence of prayer and the outpouring of tears. Whenever it pleases God to subject a person to great sorrows, he allows him to fall into the hands of cowardice. And it gives rise to a force of despondency that overcomes him, in which he feels the suppression of the soul, and this is a taste of Gehenna; This induces a spirit of frenzy in a person, from which thousands of temptations emanate: embarrassment, irritation, blasphemy, complaints about fate, wrong thoughts, relocation from one side to another, and the like. If you ask: what is the reason for all this? - then I’ll say: your negligence. You yourself did not bother to seek a cure for this. There is only one cure for all this; with the help of only this, a person finds quick consolation in his soul. What kind of medicine is this? Humility of heart. Without it, no one will be able to destroy the barrier of these evils; rather, he will find that disasters have overcome him. Don't be angry with me because I'm telling you the truth. You have not sought humility with all your soul. But if you want, enter its region, and you will see that it will free you from your vice. In proportion to your humility, you are given patience in your troubles; and as you endure, the severity of your sorrows lightens, and you accept consolation; as your consolation increases, your love for God increases; and as your love increases, your joy in the Holy Spirit increases. Our generous Father, when He deigns to relieve His true sons of temptations, does not take away their temptations, but gives them patience in temptations. And they, with the hand of their patience, accept all these blessings for the perfection of their souls. May Christ God grant us, by His grace, with a grateful heart, to endure evil out of love for Him! Amen. Word 80. On explaining the types of virtues and the meaning and advantage of each of them Corporal virtue in silence cleanses the body of the material in it, and the virtue of the mind humbles the soul and cleanses it from gross destructive thoughts, so that it does not engage in them passionately, but rather remains in its contemplation. This contemplation brings her closer to the exposure of the mind, which is called immaterial contemplation. And this is a spiritual virtue: it lifts the thought from the earthly, brings it closer to the first spiritual contemplation, and places both the thought and the contemplation of the unspeakable glory before God (and this is the awakening of ideas about the majesty of the nature of God), and separates the mind from this world and from the sensation of it. In this way we are confirmed in this hope given to us and we are assured of its fulfillment 72 - and this is the debate about which the Apostle spoke (Gal. 5:8), that is, the assurance by which, according to the hope promised to us, the mind is mentally brought into joy. Listen, then, to what this means and how this or that of what has been said happens. Bodily living according to God consists of bodily deeds; bodily deeds are those that, in order to cleanse the flesh in virtuous activity, are performed by obvious actions by which a person is cleansed of carnal impurity. Mental living is a matter of the heart, relentlessly continued with a caring thought about the Judgment, or the truth of God and the judgments of God, also unceasing prayer of the heart, thinking about the Providence and care of God, both private and general, seen in the whole world, and protecting oneself from secret passions, so that nothing passionate is encountered in the hidden and spiritual realm. All this is a matter of the heart; This is what is called intelligent living. In this matter of life, called spiritual activity, the heart becomes refined, is separated from communication with unnatural, insignificant life, and then sometimes begins to be aroused to look with reflection at sensual things, created for the needs and restoration of the body, and to understand how their service gives strength to the four elements in the body. Spiritual living is activity without the participation of the senses. It is described by the fathers. As soon as the minds of the saints accept this, the material view and the whiteness of the body are taken away from the environment, and the mental view begins (and I call the creation of the original nature the material view), and from this material view a person is conveniently raised to the knowledge of a solitary life, which, according to a clear interpretation, is wonder at God. This is that high state of enjoying future blessings, which is given in the freedom of immortal life, in life after the resurrection, because human nature there will never cease to be amazed at God, having no thought at all about creatures; for if there were something like God, then the mind could be moved to it, sometimes by God, and sometimes by this very thing. But since all the beauty of creation in the future renewal is lower than the beauty of God, how can the mind, through its vision, withdraw from the beauty of God? So what? Will the need to die, or the burden of the flesh, or the memory of relatives, or natural need, or disasters, or obstacles, or unknown soaring, or the imperfection of nature, or being surrounded by the elements, or meeting one with another, or despondency, or tedious bodily labor, sadden him? Not at all. But although all this happens in the world, yet at the time when the veil of passions is removed from the eyes of the mind and it sees the future glory, the thought immediately rises in delight. And if in this life God had not set a limit to such a state, exactly how long to linger in it, and, moreover, this was allowed to a person throughout his entire life, then a person would not be able to avoid looking at this here, and even more so he would not be able to do so where everything calculated above does not exist. For this virtue has no limits, and we will actually and essentially enter into the royal courts, if we are worthy of it for our life. Therefore, how can the mind withdraw and move away from this wondrous and Divine contemplation and stop at something else? Woe to us that we do not know our souls and what kind of life we ​​are called to; but this life of weakness, this state of the living, these sorrows of the world and the world itself, its vices and its repose, are considered something significant! But, Christ, the only omnipotent one! Blessed is he who has his intercession with you: set ascension in your heart (cf. Ps. 84:6). You, Lord, turn our faces away from the world to lust after You, until we see what the world is and stop believing the shadow as reality. Having created again, renew, O Lord, in our minds zeal before death, so that at the hour of our departure we might know what our comings and goings were in this world, until we accomplished the work for which by Thy will we were originally called into life, and then the hope was accepted by a mind filled with hope, to receive, according to the promise of the Scriptures, the great blessings that Thy love has prepared, in the second re-creation, the remembrance of which is preserved by faith in the sacraments. Word 81. On the cleansing of body, soul and mind Purification of the flesh means immunity from carnal filth. Purification of the soul is liberation from secret passions arising in the mind. The purification of the mind is accomplished by the revelation of the mysteries. For he is cleansed of everything that, due to its abundance, is subject to feeling. Small children are innocent in body, dispassionate in soul; but no one will call them pure and intelligent. For purity of mind is perfection in the very action of heavenly view, to which, without the participation of the senses, we are aroused by the spiritual power of heavenly decorations and countless wonders of this heavenly world, the enjoyment of which in their invisible service is shared for both by subtle mental representations of Divine revelations, constantly changing at every hour. May our God Himself grant us the privilege of contemplating Him with an unveiled mind, and then directly, forever and ever! Glory to him! Amen. Word 82. Containing useful objects, filled with spiritual wisdom Faith is the door of the sacraments. Just as physical eyes see sensual objects, so faith looks at the hidden with spiritual eyes. We have two spiritual eyes, as the fathers say, just as we have two bodily eyes; but the need for vision is not the same in each of the eyes of the soul. With one eye we see the secrets of God’s glory hidden in natures, that is, the power and wisdom of God and God’s eternal providence for us, comprehended from the greatness of our governance; and similarly, with the same eye we contemplate the heavenly ranks that serve us. With another eye we contemplate the glory of the holy nature of God, when God deigns to lead us into spiritual mysteries and opens a sea of ​​faith in our minds. As grace upon grace, repentance was given to people after Baptism, because repentance is a second rebirth from God. And that gift, the pledge of which we received from faith, we accept through repentance. Repentance is the door of mercy, open to those who earnestly seek it; through this door we enter into God's mercy; Apart from this entrance we will not find mercy; All of us, according to the word of Divine Scripture, have sinned... we will be justified by His grace (Rom. 3:23,24). Repentance is the second grace, and is born in the heart from faith and fear; fear is the fatherly rod that controls us until we reach the spiritual paradise of blessings; and when we reach it, then he will leave us and return. Paradise is the love of God, in which is the enjoyment of all blessings, - where blessed Paul was fed with supernatural food, and as soon as he ate the fruit of the tree of life there, he exclaimed, saying: Whom eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has breathed into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). The fruits of this tree were forbidden to Adam according to the devil’s intent. The tree of life is the love of God from which Adam fell away; and from then on joy no longer greeted him, but he worked and labored in the land of thorns. Those deprived of the love of God, even if they walk in righteousness, eat that bread of sweat in their deeds, which the first-created was commanded to eat after its fall. Until we acquire love, our work on earth is thorns; and although our sowing is the sowing of righteousness, we sow and reap among thorns, and are wounded by them every hour, and no matter what we do to justify ourselves, we live by the sweat of our brow. And when we find love, then we will begin to eat heavenly bread and strengthen our strength without work and labor. The heavenly bread is Christ, who came down from heaven and gave life to the world (John 6:33). This is angel food. He who has found love eats Christ every day and hour and becomes immortal from this, for it is said: ... whoever eats of this bread that I will give him will never see death (John 6:51). Blessed is he who eats of the bread of love, which is Jesus. And that he who tastes love tastes Christ, who is God above all, John testifies to this, saying: There is a God of love (1 John 4:8). Finally, he who lives in love bears fruit in life from God, and in this still world, in what is felt here, he smells the air of resurrection. The righteous will enjoy this air after the resurrection. Love is the Kingdom; The Lord mysteriously promised the apostles about her that they would taste her in His Kingdom. For what is said: let ye eat and drink at the table of My Kingdom (Luke 22:30)—what else does it mean if not love? Love is enough to nourish a person instead of food and drink. This is the wine that gladdens the heart of man (Ps. 103:15). Blessed is he who drinks this wine! The intemperate drank it and were ashamed; sinners drank and forgot the ways of stumbling; the drunkards drank and became fasters; the rich drank and desired poverty; the poor drank and were enriched with hope; the sick drank and became strong; The ignorant drank and became wiser. Just as it is impossible to cross a large sea without a ship and a boat, so no one can achieve love without fear. We can cross the stinking sea between us and mental paradise only on the boat of repentance, on which there are oarsmen of fear. But if these rowers of fear do not rule the ship of repentance, on which we sail across the sea of ​​this world to God, then we will drown in this stinking sea. Repentance is a ship, and fear is its helmsman, but love is the Divine pier. Therefore, fear introduces us to the ship of repentance, transports us across the stinking sea of ​​life and guides us to the Divine pier, which is love. All who labor and are burdened with repentance come to this pier. And when we achieve love, then we have reached God, and our path is complete, and we have come to the island of the other world, where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are. Glory and power to him! And by His fear He will make us worthy of His glory and love! Amen. Word 84. About how great is the measure of knowledge and the measure of faith There is knowledge that precedes faith, and there is knowledge generated by faith. The knowledge that precedes faith is natural knowledge, and the knowledge generated by faith is spiritual knowledge. There is natural knowledge, distinguishing good from evil, and it is called natural prudence, with which we naturally recognize good and evil without science. God put this prudence into rational nature; with the help of science it receives growth and replenishment. There is no person who does not have it. This is the power of natural knowledge in the rational soul; this is the distinction between good and evil, which is constantly brought into action in the soul. Those deprived of this power are below the rational nature, but those who have it have a spiritual nature in its proper state, and in them nothing of God’s given nature has been destroyed to the honor of His rational creatures. The Prophet reproaches those who have lost this cognitive power, distinguishing good from evil, saying: ... this man is in honor, not in understanding (Ps. 48:13). The honor of rational nature is prudence, distinguishing good from evil, and the Prophet rightly likened those who have lost it to senseless cattle, having no reason and reason. With this prudence we can find the path of God. This is natural knowledge; it precedes faith and is the path to God. By this we acquire knowledge in order to distinguish good from evil and accept faith. And the power of nature testifies that man must believe in the One who created all this, believe the words of His commandments and fulfill them. From faith the fear of God is born. And when faith accompanies deeds and gradually comes into action, then spiritual knowledge will be born, which we said is born from faith. Natural knowledge, that is, the distinction between good and evil, implanted in our nature by God, itself convinces us that we must believe in God, who brought everything into existence. But faith produces fear in us; fear compels us to repentance and action. This is how spiritual knowledge is given to a person, that is, the feeling of the mysteries, which gives rise to the faith of true contemplation. And thus, it is not just from naked faith that spiritual knowledge is born, but faith gives birth to the fear of God, and with the fear of God, when we begin to act in it, from the action of this fear spiritual knowledge is born, as St. John Chrysostom said: “When someone acquires a will corresponding to the fear of God and the correct way of thinking, then he will soon receive the revelation of the hidden.” He calls spiritual knowledge the revelation of the hidden. But it is not the fear of God that gives birth to this spiritual knowledge. For what is not put into nature cannot be born. But this knowledge is given as a gift to the practice of the fear of God. When you carefully examine the work of the fear of God, then you will find that it is repentance; and hence spiritual knowledge. This is what we said, that we received the pledge of this in Baptism, and we certainly accept the gift through repentance. And this gift, about which we said that we accept it through repentance, is the most spiritual knowledge - it is a gift given through the effectiveness of fear. Spiritual knowledge is the feeling of the unseen. And when someone senses this invisible and in many ways most excellent, then it receives from this the name of spiritual knowledge, and in its sensation another faith is born, not contrary to the first faith, but confirming that faith. They call it contemplative faith. Until then there was hearing, but now there is contemplation; contemplation is more certain than hearing. All this is born from this natural knowledge, distinguishing between good and evil. It is the good seed of virtue, and it has already been spoken about. And when we darken this natural knowledge with our voluptuous will, then we will lose all these benefits. This natural knowledge in a person will be followed by an ever-present wounding of conscience, an incessant remembrance of death and a certain painful concern that continues until his very death, and after this sadness, despondency, fear of God, natural modesty, sadness about one’s previous sins, proper diligence, remembrance of the common path, concern for guiding oneself towards it, tearful asking of God for good. entry into this gate, through which every nature must pass, disdain for the world and a strong struggle for virtue. All this is acquired through natural knowledge. Therefore, let everyone compare his deeds with this. For when it turns out that a person has acquired this, then it means that he is following the natural path. And when he surpasses this and enters into love, then he becomes higher than nature, and for him the struggle, fear, labor and fatigue in everything end. These are the consequences of doing what is natural. And we find this in ourselves when we do not darken this knowledge with our own voluptuous will. And we remain at this level until we come to love, which frees us from all this. Let everyone, on the basis of what we have said, compare and test himself where his progress is, whether in what is unnatural, or in what is natural, or in what is supernatural. Based on these directions of progress, anyone can clearly and quickly find out how his whole life is managed. And when, as we have determined, he does not turn out to be in accordance with nature in what we have named, and he is also not in the supernatural, then it is obvious that he has fallen into the unnatural. But to our God be glory forever! Amen. Word 85. Containing useful advice, which he lovingly spoke in humility to those listening to him A good thought does not sink into the heart if it is not from Divine grace. An evil thought does not approach the soul, except for temptation and testing. A person who has reached the point of knowing the extent of his weakness has achieved the perfection of humility. The gifts of God bring to man a heart stirred to unceasing thanksgiving. Temptation is brought to the soul by a murmuring thought that is constantly stirred up in the heart. The Lord bears with all sorts of human infirmities, but does not tolerate a person who always grumbles, and does not leave him without admonition. The soul, far from any illumination of knowledge, indulges in such murmuring thoughts. The lips that always give thanks receive blessings from God; if the heart remains in gratitude, grace descends into it. Humility precedes grace, and conceit precedes punishment. The proud one is allowed to fall into blasphemy, and the one who exalts himself in active virtue is allowed to fall into fornication, and the one who exalts himself in his wisdom is allowed to fall into the dark nets of ignorance. A person, far from any remembrance of God, carries in his heart a thought against his neighbor, troubled by an evil memory. Whoever, while remembering God, respects every person, will, by the will of God, secretly find help for himself from every person. He who defends the offended finds God as his champion. He who stretches out his hand to help his neighbor receives the arm of God to help himself. Whoever accuses his brother of his vice finds an accuser in God. He who corrects his brother in his cage, heals his own vice. And whoever accuses someone in front of the congregation increases the soreness of his own ulcers. He who heals his brother in secret makes the power of his love obvious. And whoever shames him in front of his friends shows the power of envy in himself. A friend who reproaches in secret is a wise physician, but the one who heals in the eyes of many is in reality a scolder. A sign of compassion is forgiveness of any debt, and a sign of an evil way of thinking is rebuke to the fallen. He who admonishes with the goal of making him healthy, admonishes with love; and whoever seeks revenge has no love in him. God admonishes with love, and does not take revenge (let this not happen!); on the contrary, he means that His image will heal, and does not retain anger for a time. This way of love is a consequence of being right and does not deviate into the passion of revenge. A truthful sage is likened to God, for he punishes a person, not at all taking revenge on him for his sin, but so that either the person will correct himself or others will be afraid. Punishment other than this is not admonition. He who does good for the sake of reward soon changes. He who, by the power of his knowledge, is amazed at the contemplation of the knowledge that is in God, even if he is mortified in the flesh, does not exalt himself in his thoughts and does not deviate from virtue. He who enlightens his mind for a worthy reward to God, has descended both soul and body into the depths of humility. For before anyone approaches knowledge, he ascends and descends in his life; as soon as he approaches knowledge, he ascends entirely to heights; and while it rises, the ascent of its knowledge does not reach perfection; Until that age of glory comes, man will not receive his full wealth. For to the extent that a person is perfected before God, to that extent he follows Him; in the true age, God shows him His face, and not what He is. For the righteous, while they enter into the vision of Him, see the image as in a mirror; and there they will see the manifestation of reality. A fire that ignites in dry wood is difficult to extinguish. And if God’s warmth appears and subsides in the heart of someone who has renounced the world, then its ignition is not extinguished and it is faster than fire. When the power of wine enters the limbs, the mind forgets severity in everything. And the remembrance of God, when it takes possession of the pasture in the soul, destroys in the heart the remembrance of everything visible. The mind that has acquired spiritual wisdom is the same as a man who finds a ready ship at sea; and when he ascends to it, he sails away from the sea of ​​this age and comes to the island of the next age. The feeling of the future century in this world is the same as a small island in the sea; and the one who approaches him is no longer bothered by the waves of visions of this age. The merchant, when his division is over, hurries to go to his house. And the monk, while there is still time for his activity, mourns his separation from this body; and when he feels in his soul that he has redeemed the time and received his pledge, he longs for the future age. While the merchant is at sea, there is fear in his limbs, lest the waves rise against him and the hope of his work is drowned. While the monk is in the world, fear takes over his life, so that a storm does not awaken against him and his work, on which he worked from youth to old age, does not perish. The merchant has solid ground in mind, and the monk has the hour of death in mind. A sailor, when sailing in the middle of the sea, looks at the stars and guides his ship according to the stars until he reaches the pier. And the monk looks to prayer, because it corrects him and directs his procession to the pier to which his life is directed in hourly prayer. The sailor looks out for an island where he can anchor his ship, supplies himself there with what he needs for the journey, and then heads to another island. Such is the procession of a monk while he is in this life. The monk moves from island to island, that is, from knowledge to knowledge, and, with this change of islands, that is, knowledge, he succeeds until he emerges from the sea and his procession reaches that true city, in which its inhabitants no longer engage in buying, but everyone rests in their wealth. Blessed is the one whose purchase did not go to waste in this vain world, in the midst of this great sea. Blessed is the one whose ship is not broken, and he reaches the pier in joy. A naked swimmer dives into the sea until he finds a pearl. And the wise monk, having stripped himself of everything, goes through life until he finds the pearls within himself - Jesus Christ. And when he finds Him, he no longer gains anything that exists with Him. Pearls are kept in treasuries: and the monk's delight is observed in silence. It is harmful for a virgin to be in public gatherings and with crowds, and for a monk’s mind to be in conversations with many. The bird, wherever it is, strives for its nest and brings out its children there; and the prudent monk hurries to his place - to create in himself the fruit of life. The snake, when its whole body is crushed, watches its head; and a wise monk at all times protects his faith, which is the beginning of his life. The clouds cover the sun; and verbosity darkens the soul, which has begun to be enlightened by prayerful contemplation. The bird, called Erodius, according to the wise, rejoices and rejoices at the time when it leaves the inhabited places and reaches the desert and settles in it. So the soul of a monk receives heavenly joy at the time when it withdraws from people, comes and dwells in the land of silence, and there awaits the time of its departure. They say about a bird called a siren that everyone, hearing the sweet sound of its voice, is so captivated that, following it through the desert, from the sweetness of its singing, he forgets his very life, falls and dies. This is likened to what happens to the soul. When it senses heavenly sweetness, then from the sweet sound of God’s words, conveyed by feeling to the mind, the soul rushes entirely after this sweetness, so that it forgets its bodily life; and the body is deprived of its desires, and the soul ascends from this life to God. A tree, unless it first throws off its old leaves, does not grow new branches. And a monk, until he erases from his heart the remembrance of his previous deeds, does not bear new fruits and branches of Christ Jesus. The wind fattens the fruits on the trees and in the fields, and care for God fattens the fruits in the soul. In the shell in which the pearl is born, as they say, some semblance of a spark is produced by lightning, and from the air it receives matter into itself, and until then remains simple flesh. Until the heart of a monk accepts the heavenly substance into itself with understanding, his work is something ordinary and does not contain the fruit of consolation in its shells. A dog that licks its nostrils drinks its own blood and, because of the sweetness of its blood, does not feel its harm. And the monk, who is inclined to revel in vanity, drinks his life and from the sweetness felt for an hour, does not realize his harm. Worldly glory is a rock in the sea, covered with water, and it is unknown to the swimmer until the ship bottoms out on it and is filled with water. Vanity does the same to a person until it drowns and destroys him. The fathers say about him that the passions that were once defeated by it and emanated from it return again to the vain soul. A small cloud covers the solar circle, and the sun after the cloud is especially warm. And a little despondency darkens the soul, but after it there is great joy. Do not approach the words of the sacraments contained in the Divine Scripture without prayer and asking for help from God, but say: “Grant me, Lord, to receive the feeling of the power contained in them.” Consider prayer as the key to the true meaning of what is said in the Divine Scriptures. When you want to draw closer to God with your heart, first prove to Him your love through bodily labors. They are the beginning of life. For the heart draws much closer to God through the meagerness of necessities, by accustoming itself to one type of food, and thus this approach will follow bodily deeds. And the Lord laid them as the foundation of perfection. Consider idleness to be the beginning of the darkening of the soul, and as darkening upon darkening, a gathering place for conversations. The reason for the first is the second. If useful speeches, when there is no measure for them, produce darkness, then how much more than vain speeches? The soul is humiliated by many long conversations, even if it protects itself with the fear of God. Finally, the darkening of the soul comes from disorder in life. Moderation and a well-known rule in life enlighten the mind and prevent confusion. Confusion of the mind from disorder produces darkness in the soul, and darkness again produces confusion. Peace is a consequence of good order, and from peace light is born in the soul; from light and peace, pure air shines in the mind. As the heart, having withdrawn from the world, approaches spiritual wisdom, it accepts joy from God to the same extent and in its soul feels the difference between spiritual wisdom and worldly wisdom, because in spiritual wisdom silence takes possession of the soul, and in worldly wisdom there is a source of soaring thoughts. And upon acquiring the first wisdom, you are filled with great humility, modesty and peace, reigning over all your thoughts. From now on, confusion and violent impulses will cease in your members, and silence will come. With the acquisition of the second wisdom, you will acquire pride in your wisdom, and unspeakably strange thoughts, and confusion of mind, shamelessness and arrogance of feelings. Do not think that a person attached to the physical will have boldness before God in prayer. A selfish soul will be deprived of wisdom, but a merciful soul will be made wise by the Spirit. Just as oil is needed to give light to a lamp, so almsgiving nourishes knowledge in the soul. The key to the heart to Divine gifts is given to love for one's neighbor, and, as the heart renounces the bonds of the body, the door of knowledge also opens before it. The passage of the soul from world to world is the acceptance of understanding. How beautiful and praiseworthy is love for one’s neighbor, if only its concern does not distract us from the love of God! How pleasant it is to have a conversation with our spiritual brothers, if only we can also maintain a conversation with God! Finally, it is good to take care of this as long as proportionality is observed in this, that is, as long as under this pretext one can not lose one’s secret work and life and unceasing conversation with God. The latter may find it insanity to strictly adhere to the former; the mind is not sufficient to carry on two conversations. Meeting worldly people in a soul that has renounced them for God’s work produces confusion. Continuous conversation with spiritual brothers can also be harmful; and it is harmful to look at worldly people only from afar. Bodily activity is not hindered by encountering anything with the senses. But whoever desires to reap the joy of doing the unseen as the fruit of pacification of thought, even without vision, the mere sounds of a voice disturb the peace of his heart. Internal death is impossible without rendering the senses inactive. And bodily life requires the awakening of feelings, and spiritual life requires the awakening of the heart. Just as the soul is by nature better than the body, so the soul is better than the body. And just as the original creation of the body preceded the breathing of life into it, so physical deeds precede spiritual deeds. And a low life, invariably continued, is a great strength. A weak drop, constantly falling, breaks through the hard stone. When the time approaches for the spiritual man to resurrect in you, then a deadening of everything is awakened in you, joy is kindled in your soul, which is not like creatures, and your thoughts are contained within you with that sweetness that is in your heart. And when peace is ready to rise in you, then the soaring of thought, low and fickle wisdom, multiplies in you. I call peace the passions that are generated by the soaring of the mind. When they are born and reach maturity, they become sins and kill a person. Just as children are not born without a mother, so passions are not born without the soaring of thought, and the commission of sin does not happen without an interview with the passions. If patience increases in our souls, this is a sign that we have secretly received the grace of consolation. The power of patience is stronger than the joyful thoughts that take possession of the heart. Life in God is a decline of feelings. When the heart lives, feelings fall. The revolt of feelings is the death of the heart. And when they rise up, this is a sign of the death of the heart for God. Conscience does not receive justice from virtues performed between people. The virtue that someone does for the sake of others cannot purify the soul, because it is imputed before God as a reward for deeds. The virtue that a person creates in himself is imputed to perfect virtue and achieves both, that is, it is imputed to reward and produces purification. Therefore, avoid the first and follow the second. Without taking care of the second, leaving the first is a clear falling away from God. But the second replaces the first, even if the first does not exist. Rest and idleness are the death of the soul, and more demons can harm it. When your body is weak and you force it to do things beyond its strength, then you add darkness to darkness to your soul and bring greater confusion into it. But if the body is strong and you give it over to peace and idleness, then every vice is perfected in the soul that dwells in this body; and even if someone strongly desired good, the very thought of good that he had would soon be taken away from him. When the soul is intoxicated with the joy of its hope and the joy of God, then the body does not feel sorrows, although it is weak. For he bears extreme burdens and does not lack strength, but at the same time he enjoys and contributes to spiritual pleasure, although weakly. This happens when the soul enters into this spiritual joy. If you keep your tongue, then God will give you, brother, the grace of heartfelt tenderness, so that you can see your soul in it and through it enter into spiritual joy. If your tongue overcomes you, then believe what I tell you: you will not be able to get rid of delusion. If your heart is unclean, let your lips be pure, as Blessed John said. When you want to instruct someone to goodness, first repose him physically and almost with a word of love. For nothing brings a person to shame and forces him to give up his vice and change for the better, like bodily goods and the honor that he sees from you. To the extent that someone has entered into a feat for the sake of God, to such extent does his heart accept boldness in his prayer. And to the extent that a person is entertained by many things, to the same extent he is deprived of God’s help. Do not grieve over physical shortcomings, because death will completely take them away from you 74. Do not be afraid of death, because God has prepared everything for you to be above it. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Word 86. About the angelic movement aroused in us by God's Providence for the advancement of the soul in the spiritual The first thought, which, according to God’s love for mankind, enters a person and guides the soul to life, is the thought that sinks into the heart about the outcome of this nature. This thought is naturally followed by disdain for the world; and with this every good movement begins in a person, leading him to life. And, as it were, what foundation is laid in man by the Divine power accompanying him when he desires to discover life in him. And if a person does not extinguish this thought we have said in himself with worldly connections and vanity, but grows it in silence, and dwells on it in contemplation, and engages in it, then it will lead a person to deep contemplation, which no one is able to depict in words. Satan greatly hates this thought and attacks with all his might to destroy it in man. And if it were possible, I would give him the kingdom of the whole world, just to erase such a thought in a person’s mind with entertainment. And if he could, as is said, he would do it willingly. For the insidious one knows that if this thought abides in a person, then his mind no longer stands on this land of deception and his intrigues do not approach the person. Let us understand this not about that first thought, which by its reminder awakens the memory of death in us, but about the completeness of this matter, when it implants in a person the inseparable memory of death and when, by the thought of it, a person is put into a state of constant surprise. The first thought is something bodily, and this last is spiritual contemplation and wondrous grace. This contemplation is clothed with bright thoughts. And whoever has it no longer enters into inquiries about this world and is not attached to his body. It is absolutely true, beloved, that if God had granted people this true contemplation for a short time, then there would be no succession in this world. This contemplation serves as a bond, before which nature cannot resist, and to the one who receives reflection on this into his soul - such a grace of God, which is stronger than all individual works and which is given to those who are in the middle degree and in the rightness of the heart who desire repentance, and is given precisely to those about whom God knows that they really should move away from this world to a better life according to His good will, which He also found in them. This grace grows and remains in them, in their hermitage and solitary church. We will ask for this in our prayers; For her sake, we will perform long vigils and with tears we will beg the Lord to grant us this grace, as incomparable to anything, and we will no longer be exhausted in the labors of this world. This is the beginning of the thoughts of life, bringing about the fullness of truth in a person! Word 87. About the second work in man Another activity after this happens when a person goes through a good life well and reaches the ascension to the level of repentance, approaches the taste of contemplation and doing it, when he receives the grace from above to taste the sweetness of spiritual knowledge. The beginning of this work is as follows: a person first becomes convinced of God’s providence for man, is enlightened by his love for the Creator, and is amazed at the structure of rational beings and God’s great care for them. From this begins the Divine sweetness in him, the ignition of love for God, kindling in the heart and scorching spiritual and bodily passions. And a person feels this power within himself as soon as he begins to think rationally about all created natures and about every object he encounters, enter into research about them and reason spiritually. Therefore, a person then begins, with such strong and Divine diligence and a good conscience, to be aroused to Divine love and suddenly becomes intoxicated with it, like wine; his members relax, his thoughts remain in amazement, his heart is taken captive to God; and thus, as I said, he becomes like one drunk with wine. And to the extent that internal sensations intensify, contemplation itself intensifies. And to the extent that a person tries to live a good life, to preserve himself, to spend time in reading and prayer, to the same extent their strength is confirmed and strengthened in him. And it is absolutely fair, brothers, that over time he has to not remember 75 about himself, that he wears this body, and does not know whether he is in this world. This is the beginning of spiritual contemplation in man; This is the beginning of all revelations to the mind! With this beginning the mind grows and strengthens in the unseen; they are elevated to other revelations that exceed human nature; in short: through his hand all Divine contemplations and spiritual revelations that the saints receive in this world, and all the gifts and revelations that only nature can know in this life, are communicated to man. This is the root of our feeling, implanted in us by our Creator! Blessed is the man who preserved this good seed, as soon as it fell into his soul, and grew it, and did not waste it in himself with the vanity of the transitory and the soaring of thoughts! To our God be glory forever! Amen. Word 88. About the change of light and darkness that happens in the soul at any time, and about its deviation towards the gums or ears Let us look, beloved, into our souls during prayer, to see if we have attentive prayerful contemplation when reading poetry. It is a consequence of true silence. And while we are in darkness, let us not be embarrassed, especially if we are not the reason for this. Attribute this to the Providence of God, acting for reasons known to the only God. For at other times our soul languishes mortally and is as if among the waves; and whether a person reads the Scripture or performs a service, in whatever work he undertakes, he has one darkness after another. Such a one abandons the matter, and is often not allowed to even approach it; and he does not at all believe that this is a temporary change with him and that he happens in the world. This hour is filled with despair and fear; hope in God and the consolation of faith in Him are completely rejected by the soul, and it is completely filled with doubt and fear. Those who have endured temptation in this wave of this hour know from experience what change will follow when it ends. But God does not leave the soul in this state for the whole day, because it would lose Christian hope. On the contrary, abundance will soon occur (1 Cor. 10:13). If the alarming state of this darkness continues longer, then soon expect a change in life itself. And I will note to you, man, and give advice: if you do not have the strength to control yourself and fall on your face in prayer, then cover your head with a mantle and sleep until this hour of darkness passes for you, but do not leave your cell. Those who wish to lead a mental life and in their journey seek the consolation of faith are especially exposed to this temptation. Therefore, this hour torments and tires them most of all with the wavering of the mind; This is often followed by blasphemy, and sometimes doubts about the resurrection and other things come upon a person that we should not even talk about. We have often learned all this through experience and, to the consolation of many, we have described this struggle. Those engaged in bodily affairs are completely free from these temptations. A different kind of despondency comes upon them, known to everyone, and in its mode of action it is different from these and similar temptations. The health and healing of those who suffer from it are exuded by silence. This is a consolation for him! In the community of others, he never accepts the light of consolation and is not healed by human conversations, but rests for a while, and after that this despondency arises with greater force in a person. And he needs an enlightened person who has experience in this, who would enlighten him and strengthen him in any case in time of need, but not forever. Blessed is he who endures this without leaving the door. For after this, as the fathers say, he will come to great monastery and power. However, this struggle will not end in one hour and not soon; and grace does not suddenly come completely and settle in the soul, but gradually, and one thing is replaced by another - a time of temptation and a time of consolation; and in this state man remains until his departure. And in order to become completely alien to this and be completely comforted, let us not even hope for that here. For God Himself was pleased that our life here should be arranged this way, and that those who walked the path would endure it. Glory to God forever and ever! Amen. Word 89. About the harm of unreasonable jealousy, hiding behind the guise of Divine jealousy, and about the help that comes from meekness and other moral qualities A jealous person never comes into the world of the mind, and one who is alien to peace is alien to joy. If peace of mind is called perfect health, and jealousy is contrary to peace, then it already means that the one in whom there is evil jealousy suffers from a serious illness. Apparently, man, you reveal your jealousy against other people’s illnesses, but in reality you have deprived your soul of health. Therefore, take better care of the health of your soul. If you want to heal the weak, then know that the sick have more need to take care of them than to reprimand them. And yet, while you are not helping others, you are plunging yourself into a serious, painful illness. Jealousy in people is recognized not as one of the types of wisdom, but as one of the mental illnesses, and precisely there is a limitation in the way of thinking and great ignorance. The beginning of Divine wisdom is modesty and meekness, which is characteristic of a great soul and bears the infirmities of people. For it is said: you bear the weaknesses of the weak (Rom. 15:1). And correct him who falls with a spirit of meekness (cf. Gal.6:1). The Apostle counts patience and peace among the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22). The heart, filled with sadness about weakness and powerlessness in obvious physical affairs, replaces all these bodily affairs. Physical deeds without the sadness of the mind are the same as an inanimate body. He who grieves at heart and gives freedom to his feelings is like a sick person who suffers physically and whose mouth is open to any food harmful to him. He who grieves at heart and gives freedom to his feelings is like a man who has an only begotten son and who little by little kills him with his own hands. Sorrow of mind is a precious gift from God. He who endures it as he should is like a man whose members are filled with holiness. A person who has given free rein to his tongue to speak about people, both good and bad, is unworthy of this grace. Repentance and frequent intercourse with people are the same as a broken barrel. Generous alms and at the same time strangulations are the same as a sword dipped in honey. Chastity and conversation with a woman are the same as a lioness and a sheep in the same house. Deeds without mercy before God are the same as a man who kills his son in the presence of his father. He who is weak in soul and corrects his friends is like a man whose eyes are blind and shows others the way. Mercy and justice in one soul are the same as a person who worships God and idols in the same house. Mercy is the opposite of justice. Justice is an equalization of the exact measure: because it gives everyone what they deserve, and in retribution does not allow inclination to one side or partiality. But mercy is sorrow aroused by mercy, and bows compassionately to everyone; whoever is worthy of bad treatment is not rewarded with evil, and whoever is worthy of good reward is given it in abundance. And if justice is on the side of truth, then mercy is already on the side of sin. Just as hay and fire cannot stand to be in the same house, so justice and mercy cannot be in the same soul. Just as a grain of sand cannot maintain balance with a large piece of gold, so the demand of God’s justice does not maintain balance in comparison with God’s mercy. Like a handful of sand thrown into the great sea, the same is the fall of all flesh in comparison with God's Providence and God's mercy. And just as a source of abundant water is not blocked by a handful of dust, so the mercy of the Creator is not overcome by the vices of creatures. To be vindictive and to pray is the same as to sow on the sea and wait for the harvest. Just as it is impossible to make a barrier to the lordship of fire so that it does not ascend upward, so nothing prevents the prayers of the merciful from ascending to heaven. What is the flow of water in a sloping place, such is the strength of irritability when it finds access to our mind. He who has acquired humility in his heart has become dead to the world, and he who has become dead to the world has become dead to passions. He who has become dead in heart for those close to him, to him the devil has become dead. And whoever found envy found the devil with it. There is humility out of fear of God, and there is humility out of love for God. Some are humble out of fear of God, others are humble out of joy. And he who is humble through the fear of God is accompanied at all times by modesty in all his members, orderly feelings and a contrite heart; and the one who is humble in joy is accompanied by great simplicity, a growing and uncontrollable heart. Love does not know shame, therefore it does not know how to give members the appearance of decorum. It is natural not to be ashamed of love and to forget your limits. Blessed is he who found you, haven of great joy! The assembly of the humble is loved by God, like the assembly of the Seraphim. A chaste body is more precious before God than a pure sacrifice. These two virtues, that is, humility and chastity, prepare in the soul the guarantee of the Trinity. Enter your friends reverently; when you do this, you will benefit both yourself and them, because the soul often throws off the reins of caution under the pretext of love. Beware of gatherings, because they are not useful at all times. In meetings, prefer silence, because it prevents much harm. Observe the belly, but not as eyesight, because domestic warfare is undoubtedly easier than external warfare. Do not believe, brother, that internal thoughts can be stopped without bringing the body into a good and orderly state. Fear habits more than enemies. He who feeds a habit is the same as a person who feeds fire, because the measure of strength in both lies in the amount of what feeds them. If a habit demands something one day and its demand is not fulfilled, then another time you will find it weak. And if you fulfill her will once, then the second time you will find that she attacks you with much greater force. Keep this in mind regarding everything, because the help of precaution is more important to you than the help of the actual actions. Whoever loves laughter and loves to show off himself to people, do not be his friend, because he will teach you the habit of indulging in relaxation. Do not meet with a cheerful face the one who leads a dissolute life, but beware of hating him, and if he wants to rebel, give him your hand and take care until death to acquire him. If you are still weak, then turn away from healing; for it is said: Give him the top of your staff, and so on. Speak carefully to someone who is highly intelligent and suffers from envy. For, as soon as you say something, he gives your words in his heart whatever interpretation he pleases, and in what is good in you, he looks for ways to cause others to stumble; and your words in his mind turn into food for his illness. When someone begins to argue with his brother in front of you, lower your face. As soon as you do this, both before God and before him you will find yourself careful. If you give something to someone in need, let the cheerfulness of your face precede your giving, and comfort his sorrow with a kind word. When you do this, then kindness in his mind is more valuable than your giving, which would even be beyond the needs of the body. On the day when you open your mouth and begin to say something contrary to anyone, imagine yourself dead to God and vain in all your deeds; at least your thoughts prompted you to say, apparently, something fair and edifying. For what need does a man have to destroy his own building and repair the building of his friend? On that day on which you grieve for someone suffering from some kind of illness, for a good or evil person, suffering physically or mentally, consider yourself a martyr and look at yourself as someone who suffered for Christ and who was worthy to become a confessor. For remember that Christ died for sinners, not for the righteous. Look what a great thing it is to grieve over evil people and do good to the sinners more than the righteous! The Apostle remembers this as a matter worthy of wonder (Rom. 5:6-8). If you can justify your soul by yourself, then do not worry about looking for another justification. Let bodily chastity and purity of conscience precede you in all your deeds. For without them, every work is vanity before God. In any matter, if you do it without reflection and study, know that it is vain, although decent, because God imputes righteousness according to prudence, and not according to foolish actions. The righteous man who is unwise is a lamp in the sun. The prayer of the vindictive is sowing on a stone. An unmerciful ascetic is a barren tree. Reproof from envy is a poisonous arrow. The praise of the insidious is a hidden network. A stupid advisor is a blind guardian. Staying with those who have little sense is heartbreak. Conversation with the prudent is a sweet source. A wise counselor is a wall of hope. A stupid and meaningless friend is a repository of harm. It is better to see a man living with weeping women than a wise man following a fool. It is better to live with animals than to live with people of bad behavior. It is better to be with vultures 76 than with a covetous and insatiable person. Better be a friend to a murderer than to a lover of controversy. It is better to talk with a pig than with a glutton, because a pig's trough is better than gluttonous lips. Live better with lepers than with proud people. Let them persecute you, don’t persecute you; let them crucify you, do not crucify; let them offend you, do not offend; let them slander you, do not slander you; be modest and do not be jealous in evil. Litigation is not a matter of Christian life; there is not even a hint of this in the teachings of Christ. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, for this is a sign of purity. With the sick - get sick, with the sinners - shed tears, with the repentant - rejoice. Be friendly with all people, but remain alone in your thoughts. Take part in the suffering of everyone, but with your body be far from everyone. Do not reprove or vilify anyone, even those who are extremely bad in your life. Spread your clothing over the falling one and cover him. If you cannot take upon yourself his sins and bear punishment and shame for him, then at least be patient and do not shame him. Know, brother, that this is why we need not to leave the doors of our cells, so as not to know the evil deeds of men; and then, in the ignorance of our minds, we will see holy and good people in everyone. If we begin to reprove, admonish, judge, investigate, punish, reproach, then how will our life differ from city life? And if we do not leave this, what will be worse than being in the desert? If you are not silent in your heart, at least be silent in your tongue. If you cannot keep your thoughts in order, then at least make your feelings well-ordered. If you are not alone in your thoughts, then be alone in your body. If you cannot labor with your body, grieve at least mentally. If you cannot stay awake while standing, then stay awake while sitting or lying on your bed. If you cannot fast for two days, fast at least until the evening. And if you cannot until the evening, then beware of satiety. If you are not blameless in your heart, then be blameless in your body. If you do not weep in your heart, then at least clothe your face with weeping. If you cannot have mercy, then say that you are a sinner. If you are not a peacemaker, then at least do not be a lover of rebellion. If you cannot become zealous, at least in your way of thinking, be not like a lazy one. If you are not a winner, then do not be proud of yourself in front of your subordinates. If you are not able to stop the mouth of someone who condemns your friend, then at least beware of entering into communication with him. Know that if fire comes out from you and burns others, then God will seek from your hand the souls kindled by your fire. And if you do not cast fire, but agree with the caster and delight in it, then at the Judgment you will be his accomplice. If you love meekness, remain in peace. And if you are worthy of peace, then rejoice at all times. Seek meaning, not gold; clothe yourself with humility and not fine linen; gain the world, not the kingdom. He who is not intelligent does not have humility. And whoever does not have humility will not be meaningful. He who is not peaceful is not humble; and the unpeaceful is not humbly wise; and it is not peaceful unless someone rejoices. In all the paths that people walk in the world, they do not find peace until they come closer to hope in God. The heart is not pacified by labor and stumbling until hope comes into it, pacifies the heart, and sheds joy into it. The venerable and holy lips spoke about her: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Come closer, he says, so that you can place your hope in Me, and you will calm down from labor and fear. Hope in God lifts the heart, but fear of Gehenna crushes it. The light of the mind gives rise to faith; and faith gives rise to the consolation of hope; hope strengthens the heart. Faith is a revelation of reason; and when the mind is darkened, faith is hidden, fear dominates us and cuts off our hope. Faith according to science does not free a person from pride and doubt; The one who liberates is the one who is visible and radiant in meaning and is called the knowledge and manifestation of truth. Until the mind comprehends God as God in the manifestation of meaning, fear does not approach the heart. When we are allowed to fall into darkness and lose this meaning until we humble ourselves, then fear occurs in us until it brings us closer to humility and repentance. The Son of God endured the cross. Therefore, we sinners boldly rely on repentance. For if one image of repentance in King Ahab turned away anger from him, then the reality of our repentance will not be useless for us. If one image of humility in him, who did not remain in the truth, turned away anger from him, then will it not even more turn away from us, who truly grieve over our sins? Sorrow of the mind is enough to replace all bodily activity. Saint Gregory says: he is a church of grace who is in unity with God and is always preoccupied with the thought of His Judgment. What does it mean to have concern for His Judgment, if not to always seek His repose, if not to grieve, to constantly worry about the fact that we cannot achieve perfection due to the weakness of our nature? To have unceasing sadness about this means to constantly carry in your soul the remembrance of God, as Blessed Basil said. Undistracted prayer produces a clear thought about God in the soul. And our instilling in ourselves the remembrance of God is the instillation of God in us. Thus we become the church of God. Here is concern and a heart broken by the preparation of rest in God! Glory to him forever! Amen. Word 90. About involuntary evil thoughts arising from careless observation of the thoughts that preceded them Others strengthen the body and want to give it a little rest for the sake of God’s work, until they gather their strength and return to their work again. Therefore, in the few days of our rest, we will not completely weaken our observation of ourselves and will not indulge in relaxation of our entire soul, as if we have no intention of returning to our work again. During times of peace, others are struck by the arrows of the enemy; and these are those who, by the boldness of their will, gather up dirt for their souls and in the holy land, that is, in prayer, see themselves dressed in unclean clothing. And this is the very thing that is awakened in their souls at the hour of thinking about God and praying. What we acquired during our negligence brings us to shame during our prayer. Sobriety helps a person more than business, and permission to do something harms him more than peace. From peace, domestic battles arise and disturb a person; but he has the ability to stop them. For as soon as a person leaves peace and returns to the place of business, these battles are taken away from him and removed. But what is generated by resolution is not the same as what is generated by relaxation and peace. While a person remains in the realm of his freedom during rest, he can return again and govern himself by establishing his rule, because he is still in the realm of his freedom. But by giving himself permission, he leaves the realm of his freedom. If a person had not completely rejected observation of himself, he would not have been violently and involuntarily forced to submit to what does not give him peace. And if he had not completely gone beyond the limits of freedom, then there would not have been circumstances that necessarily bound him, which he was unable to resist. Do not give, man, freedom to any of your feelings, so as not to reach the point of impossibility of returning to freedom again. Peace harms only the young, but permission harms both the perfect and the old. As a result of peace, those who reach evil thoughts can again return to observing themselves and establish themselves in their high life. But those who, out of hope for work, neglected to monitor themselves, were led away captives from a high life into a dissolute life. Another is defeated in an enemy country, but dies during peace. Another goes out under the pretext of buying his life, and receives a sharp sting in his soul. We will not grieve when we creep in something, but when we become rigid in the same thing, because creep often happens to those who are perfect, and to become rigid in the same is complete deadness. The sadness that we feel at our attempts is imputed to us by grace instead of pure work. Whoever, in the hope of repentance, crawls a second time, deals with God deceitfully; death unexpectedly attacks him and he does not reach the time in which he hoped to fulfill the deeds of virtue. Everyone who gave free rein to their feelings also gave free rein to their hearts. The work of the heart serves as a bond to the outer senses. And if someone engages in it with prudence, following the example of the fathers who lived before us, then this happens clearly by the following three phenomena in him, namely: he is not bound by bodily benefits, does not like gluttony, and is completely far from irritability. Where these three phenomena take place, that is, bodily (whether small or large) gain, hot temper and overcoming gluttony, there (let it be known to you), even if a person was apparently like the ancient saints, permission for the external occurs in a person from impatience in the internal, and not from a special negligence of his soul. Otherwise, why not, neglecting bodily things, acquire meekness? Reasonable neglect is followed by: detachment from anything, neglect of peace and human commitment. And if someone, readily rejoicing, accepts damage for the sake of God, then he is pure internally. If he does not disdain anyone for his physical shortcomings, then truly he is free; whoever does not look with pleasure at the one who honors him or is not indignant at the one who dishonors him, in this life he has become dead to the world. Maintaining prudence is better than any living, no matter how and to what human extent it is carried out. Don't hate the sinner because we are all responsible. And if you rebel against him for the sake of God, then cry for him. And why do you hate him? Hate his sins and pray for him in order to become like Christ, Who was not angry with sinners, but prayed for them. Don't you see how He wept for Jerusalem (see: Luke 19:41)? And the devil laughs at us in many ways; Why hate someone who, like us, is ridiculed by the devil who laughs at us? And why do you hate a sinner, man? Is it because he, like you, is unrighteous? Where is your truth when you don't have love? Why didn't you cry for him? But you drive him away. Out of ignorance, others are aroused to anger, presenting themselves as judges over the affairs of sinners. Be a preacher of God's goodness, because God rules over you, unworthy, because you owe Him a lot, but His exaction is not visible on you, and for the small deeds you have done, He rewards you with great ones. Do not call God only truthful to you, because in your deeds His justice does not make itself known. Although David calls Him truthful and upright, His Son revealed to us that He is even more good and full of goodness. For he says: it is good for the wicked and the wicked (Luke 6:35). Why do you call God only truthful, when in the chapter about the reward of workers you meet: ... friend, I will not offend you ... I want to give to this last one, as I did to you ... Even if your eye is evil, for I am good (Matthew 20:13,14,15)? Why also does a person call God only truthful, when in the chapter about the prodigal son, who prodigally squandered his wealth, he meets that with one contrition shown to him, He came and fell on his neck, and gave him power over all His wealth? No one else said this about God, lest we doubt Him; on the contrary, the Son of God Himself testified this about Him. Where is God's truth? “We are sinners, but Christ died for us!” If He is so merciful, then we will believe that He does not accept change. May we never imagine such lawlessness as to call God unmerciful! The attribute of God does not change, like the dead. God does not acquire what He does not have, nor lose what He has, nor receive increase, like creatures. What God had from the beginning, he always has and will have to infinity, as Blessed Cyril said in his interpretation of the book of Genesis: fear God, he says, out of love for Him, and not because of the terrible name given to Him. Love Him as you must love Him, and not for what He will give you in the future, but for what we have received in the present, and for this one world that He created for us. For who is able to repay Him? Where is His reward in our deeds? Who convinced Him to bring us into being in the first place? Who pleads with Him for us when we do not remember Him? When we did not yet exist, who brought this body of ours to life? And one more thing: where does the thought of knowledge fall into the dust? Oh, how wonderful is the mercy of God! Oh, how amazing is the grace of God and our Creator! What a force that dominates everything! What immeasurable goodness, according to which our nature in us sinners again leads to re-creation! Who has the strength to glorify Him? He restores the one who transgressed His commandment and blasphemed Him, renews the foolish dust, makes it meaningful and verbal, scattered and insensitive dust, wasteful feelings makes it a rational nature and worthy of the ability to think! The sinner is unable to imagine the grace of His resurrection. Where is Gehenna that could make us sad? Where is the torment that frightens us in various ways and overcomes the joy of His love? And what is Gehenna in comparison with the grace of His resurrection, when He will raise us from hell, cause this corruptible to be clothed with incorruptibility, and raise those who have fallen into hell in glory? Come, you sensible ones, and be amazed. Who, having a wise and wonderful mind, will worthily marvel at the mercy of our Creator? There is a reward for sinners, 77 and instead of a righteous reward, He rewards them with resurrection; and instead of the bodies that have trampled His law, He clothes them with the perfect glory of incorruptibility. This mercy is to resurrect us after we have sinned, higher than mercy is to bring us into being when we did not exist. Glory, Lord, to Your immeasurable grace! Behold, Lord, the waves of Your grace silenced me, and I had no thought left to thank You! With what lips do we confess to You, good King, who loves our lives? Glory to Thee for these two worlds, which Thou hast created for our growth and enjoyment of everything Thou has created, leading us to the knowledge of Thy glory - glory to Thee from now on and forever! Amen. Word 91. About patience out of love for God and how help is obtained through patience To the extent that a person neglects this world and is jealous of the fear of God, to that extent God’s Providence approaches him, and a person secretly feels the assistance of Providence, and pure thoughts are given to him to understand it. And if someone voluntarily deprives himself of worldly goods, then to the extent that he is deprived of them, to the same extent God’s mercy accompanies him and God’s love for mankind supports him. Glory to Him who saves us with our gums and lips and in all this provides us with an opportunity to gain our life! For even the souls of those who are exhausted in their will to acquire life for themselves, through involuntary sorrows He leads to virtue. And this beggar Lazarus, not by his own will, was deprived of the blessings of this world, and his body was stricken with ulcers, and he endured two bitter sufferings, each of which was worse than the other; however, he was finally honored in Abraham’s bosom. God is close to the grieving heart of those who cry out to Him in sorrow. Even if it sometimes exposes us to bodily deprivation and other sorrows, then enduring this turns us into help; just as a doctor in a serious illness restores health by cutting his limbs. The Lord shows great love for mankind towards the soul of the mourner, commensurate with the cruelty of suffering in his grief. Therefore, when the desire for the love of Christ does not prevail in you to the point that, out of joy in Christ, you are dispassionate in all your sorrow, then know that the world lives in you more than Christ. And when illness, poverty, exhaustion of the body, fear of what is harmful to the body disturbs your thoughts in the joy of your hope and in care for the Lord, then know that it is the body that lives in you, and not Christ. Just say: what your commitment to strengthens and prevails in you, that’s what lives in you. If you have no shortage of what you need, and your body is healthy, and you are not afraid of anything contrary, and you say that you can go straight to Christ, then know that you are sick in mind and deprived of tasting the glory of God. I judge you not because you are like that, but more so that you know how much you lack in perfection, although you have a certain part of the life of the former fathers before us, and so that you would not say that there was no person whose mind would completely rise above weakness, when the body is wrecked in temptations and sorrows, and whose love for Christ would overcome the sadness of the mind. I will not bring to memory the holy martyrs, so as not to faint before the depth of their suffering. I will not say how much their patience, supported by the power of Christ’s love, overcame great sorrow and bodily illness. Let us leave this aside because its memory plunges human nature into sorrow and outrages us with the greatness of the matter and the wonder of this spectacle. Let's look at the godless, so-called philosophers. One of them made it his law to remain silent for several years. The Roman king, surprised by the rumor, wanted to put him to the test. Therefore, he ordered him to be brought to him. And when he saw that he was resolutely silent in response to every question the king asked him and did not answer, he became angry with him and ordered him to be put to death for not respecting the throne and the crown of his glory. But the philosopher was not afraid, but, on the contrary, kept his law and silently prepared for death. The king gave the order to the executioners: “If he fears the sword and breaks his law, put him to death; and if he persists in his will, return him to me alive.” Therefore, when he approached the appointed place and those who received the order, insulting the philosopher, forced him to break his law and not be subject to death, then he reasoned: “It is better for me to die in one hour and preserve my will, the fulfillment of which I have struggled for so long, than to be overcome by the fear of death, to scold my wisdom and be criticized for timidity in the extreme that I encounter.” And without embarrassment he prostrated himself to be beheaded by the sword. This was reported to the king; the king was surprised and released him with respect. Others have completely trampled natural lust; others easily endured slander; others endured severe illnesses without sorrow; and others showed their patience in tribulations and great disasters. And if they endured this for the sake of empty glory and hope, then shouldn’t we, monks, who are called to communion with God, endure much more? May we be worthy of this, through the prayers of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and of all those who have pleased Christ through the sweat of their deeds! All glory, honor and worship are due to Him with His Originless Father and with the Co-Eternal, One-Natural and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever! Amen. And precisely when he says: Be merciful, as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36); and again: If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor: and have treasure in heaven: and come after Me (Matthew 19:21); and: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). According to the ancient Slavic translation: alien obscene thoughts. The Greek text reads: φυσικά (natural), but according to ancient Slavic manuscripts it is better to read: ψυχικά (spiritual). According to the ancient Slavic translation: passions are outside the nature of the soul. The words: his own are not in the Greek edition, but they were supplemented from an ancient Slavic manuscript. Ευτρεπής, according to the ancient Slavic manuscript and the translation of Paisius, and not ευπρεπής, as in printed Greek. That is, conducting and doing virtues without love and fear. Stink is a fragrance. – Ed. That is, those who are children of the mysteries of God. Myrrh is a fragrant oil consecrated for the sacrament of Confirmation. – Ed. The words: discard the rest are supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. More precisely: without a cape (ανευ επιρριπαρίου). In Greek: ινα μη πάντοτε φάγης; but in the Serbian and ancient Slavic translations - yes always yes, without denial. The handle is a bunch of compressed bread, a sheaf. – Ed. In the ancient Serbian and Slavic translations, instead of the words: in one’s doing, one reads: in one’s vision. Spiritual bodies are here called the most ethereal and immaterial entities, which are called uncomplicated nature. Instead of υφεσει it is better to read εφεσει, according to the ancient Slavic translation. Pillar - completeness, collection. – Ed. In the Greek text the speech is without negation; but here the ancient Slavic and Serbian translations are preferred. This is how it reads in the Greek and ancient Slavic translations; although we read from Paisius: resistance to faith. Mocking - reflecting, philosophizing. – Ed. In this saying, the Ancient Slavic translation agrees with the printed Greek text. The word wicked is supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. One third part of kathisma. The words: about the body, then it becomes satanic are supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. In the 1911 edition it reads here: And what the Lord has done with good will is found among many saints. – Ed. In the Greek text it reads: ουκ εκίνει (did not encourage), but in the ancient Slavic text without negation: without laboring. See: Memorable stories about the asceticism of the holy and blessed fathers. About Abba Ammun of Nitria. To reprimand is to hinder. – Ed. In the 1911 edition it reads: in peace. – Ed. The ancient Slavic translation confirms the Greek reading: εχεις, and not the Paisiev translation: God has. In the ancient Serbian translation it reads: he is not illuminated, although in Greek it is said without negation: οστις διαυγης. Prag – threshold, veil. – Ed. The words in brackets are borrowed from the ancient Serbian translation. Euchites (Greek; or Messalians) - “prayers”, heretics of the 4th century, who practiced continuous prayer to the detriment of church discipline and doctrinal dogma. – Ed. An ancient Slavic translation shows that instead of: εν τω αιωνι one should read: εν τω αγωνι. Mockery without reason is foolish thinking. – Ed. Words: What is humility? – and said supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. Rope, rope - rope, net. – Ed. Umet - droppings, litter. – Ed. According to the Serbian translation: we tell this which is poured into the depths; from which it is clear that instead of: τω κενω the Serbian translator read: τω καινω. A disgrace is a theatrical performance. – Ed. The word feel is supplemented from ancient Slavic and Serbian translations. Guilt is the reason, the beginning. – Ed. An ancient Slavic translation shows that here instead of: γενέται it should read: γίνεται. From the ancient Slavic translation it is clear that here instead of: την λύπην it should be read: την πύλην. The ancient Slavic translation shows that here instead of: του μη εισελθειν should be read without negation: του εισελθειν. The words in brackets are supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. The reading of the Greek text is confirmed by ancient translations - Slavic and Serbian. The ancient Slavic translation shows that here instead of: της παραπληξίας it should read: της παρακλήσεως. The Serbian translation confirms the same. Actually: lupins, vegetables with intoxicating properties. Ophir (Sufir; see: 1 Kings 22:48) is a gold-bearing area in India. The Greek reading: τό υμέτερον σωμα is justified by the Serbian translation. Paisius probably read αυτεξούσιον instead of σωμα; in the ancient Slavic translation it is read without a noun: yours is devouring. This place was translated according to Greek reading, consistent with the ancient Slavic translation. From the ancient Slavic translation it is clear that instead of: χαρά it should be read here: χώρα. Here the ancient Slavic translation is preferred to the Greek text: μετα μικρον χρόνον. The preferred reading here is one consistent with the ancient Slavic translation. The preferred reading here is one that agrees with the ancient Slavic translation. The words: idolatry, sorcery are supplemented from the ancient Slavic translation. In the 1911 edition it reads: in another. – Ed. According to another reading: your shame. In Serbian translation: I eat from my Gehenna. In the 1911 edition it reads: echidnas. – Ed. From the Latin translation it is clear that instead of: υποταγή (submission), the translator read: αποταγή (renunciation of the world). The words: they bring great benefit to the soul are supplemented from an ancient Slavic translation. According to the ancient Slavic translation, here instead of: εαυτους it is better to read: αυτους. The Paisiev translation shows that in this place he read: των τηκτομένων, and not των τυπτομένων, as is read in the Greek text. The ancient Slavic and Latin translations confirm the reading of the printed Greek text. The ancient Slavic translation, which does not agree with the Greek text, is retained here. In the ancient Slavic and Serbian translations, the speech is without negation: And bodily action is forbidden, etc. The Greek reading: ο Θεος αναλαμβάνει is replaced here by another: ο θάνατος αναλαμβάνει, which agrees with the ancient Slavic and Serbian translations. According to the ancient Slavic translation, the printed reading του μνημονευσαι should be corrected as follows: του μη μνημονευσαι. In the Serbian translation this passage reads like this: or does it say, what is retribution for a sinner?