ЖИЗНЬ ДУХОВНАЯ
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1. Spiritual life is from the Lord. Its essence is the soul’s abiding with the Lord
Moreover, the soul’s being with the Lord, which is the whole essence of internal activity, does not depend on us. The Lord visits the soul - it is with Him, and plays before Him, and is warmed by Him. As soon as the Lord departs, the soul becomes empty, and it is not at all in its power to bring back the Good Visitor of souls to itself. But the Lord departs, torturing the soul; but it happens that he leaves, punishing not for external deeds, but for something accepted by the soul inside. When the Lord departs, torturing the soul, then when it screams, He soon turns back. And when he departs, punishing, it is not soon, until the soul recognizes the sin, and repents, and mourns, and suffers penance. Now, if you leave the matter and thereby go against the will of the Lord, do you think that He will remain with your soul? If it is a sin against Him and He becomes angry, He will go away and not return. And it will happen that what is done for the benefit of internal work will turn to its detriment and even to its complete destruction. So, in my opinion, it’s better to pull the yoke until the owner unharnesses it against your will (1, p. 6).
2. Everyday affairs are not of an earthly nature and are not an obstacle to inner life
You have an unceasing prayer to the Lord. Didn't current affairs interfere with her formation? One must assume that they will not interfere if a small fraction is added to them. These things are only seemingly mundane, but in essence they are not of an earthly nature. Therefore, by working on them, it seems that one can avoid being separated from the Lord (1, pp. 5–6).
3. Our goal is life in God through the Lord Jesus Christ (keeping the commandments, receiving the Sacraments and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ)
Our goal is life in God, but there is no other way to God than the Lord Jesus Christ. There is One God and One intercessor for God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). So one must believe in Christ the Savior, accept the Sacrament, fulfill the commandments and everything that the Holy Church contains and prescribes. He who is with the Church is with the Lord. Be like this, without being foolish, and you will be on the saved path (1, pp. 74–75).
4. Everyday care should be with complete trust in God
Taking care of the estate? - How can that be? - The children need to be placed. There is no one without worries. But there is a measure for worries, and at the same time care - with complete trust in God. Keep this concern as an obedience imposed on everyone in monasteries. At St. Simeon the New Theologian has a rule: “Keep your conscience clear before God, people and before things...” So there is a price for conscience towards them... Pray - and God will preserve. Do not become acquainted with the cheerful, but with the God-fearing... Solomon concluded his Ecclesiastes: Fear God and keep His commandments: as does every man 38 (1, pp. 75-76).
5. Any service can be turned into the ability to please God: to perform external things in connection with internal ones
There is nothing to look at the feeling. The main thing is duty. External debt is good service. But any service can be turned into a way of pleasing God or the external can be performed in connection with the internal, sanctifying the former with the latter (1, p. 221).
It is true that without advice it is difficult, but not everything is about advice. God begins life, God leads in it. Therefore, we must resort to Him and always resort and wait for a decision from Him. How He decides and how His decision reaches the heart cannot be understood, but it is certain that every deed pleasing to Him is aroused by Him and brought to completion by Him. Without Me you cannot do anything 39, says the Lord (John 15:5) And so it happens. And none of those who please Him of their own accord does what pleases Him. Our relationship with God is all marked by prayer. The whole point, therefore, is in prayer. Lean on it (2, p. 84).
6. Spiritual stimulants: ruthlessness towards oneself, standing before God with attention, memory of death
Do you see what strong determination... selflessness does? Labor is not labor. And at the end there is an unusually comforting state of the heart. At the core was self-compassion. Deign to love her... and do not let her go... Ruthlessness builds the inner cross, and it gives co-crucifixion to Christ the Lord, for which the Lord immediately rewards with spiritual benefits... consolation and cheerful strength, ready for any work. This is the means to prevent and drive away lethargy of spirit, dryness and lifelessness... Always go against yourself and do not give yourself rest, especially through any kind of bodily pleasure (1, pp. 241–242).
Also find some task from the ascetic order, which would, however, be difficult and associated with difficulties in fulfillment... and impose it on yourself as an urgent law... even if you die, do it. How beneficial this would be for invigorating the spirit (1, p. 242)!
Besides this ruthlessness towards oneself, the strongest spiritual stimulants are standing with attention in the presence of God and the incessant aspiration that death is about to happen (1, p. 242).
7. God conceives life and leads in it, and no one creates what pleases Him on his own.
Without Me you cannot do anything, says the Lord (John 15:5). And so it happens. And none of those who please Him of their own accord does what pleases Him (2, p. 84).
8. God, finding a heart that does not resist Him, enters it and makes it happy (a ball filled with fresh air)
God is everywhere and, as soon as He finds a heart that does not resist Him, He enters into it and makes it glad. It rejoices and, clinging to Him, does not want to leave Him. Imagine an empty ball. The air there is stale and foul. If you drill a small hole, then the fresh air from the outside, gradually being forced inside, will displace the old - spoiled. If you gave the ball a feeling, it would certainly respond: “Oh, how good I feel now!” It's the same with us. A heart plugged up by selfishness spoils inside and goes very wrong. We turn to the Lord - a hole is drilled in it by the labors of a new life, the unclean inner comes out, and something else - clean - comes in its place. This is the Divine spiritual element - the Lord Himself. Feeling this, the heart rejoices in the joy of life drawn from the Lord. The Lord is called the Visitor of souls... When He visits, the soul plays (2, pp. 87–88).
9. Producers of spiritual life
Compassion for oneself, readiness for any service to others and surrendering oneself entirely to the Lord, with prayerful abiding in Him, are all producers of spiritual life (2, pp. 177–178).
10. The law of spiritual life is to make a beginning every day, forgetting the former, except sins.
Whether anyone succeeds in life and to what extent he succeeds is not possible to notice, because otherwise everyone would eat himself out of sight. This ignorance keeps people in fear and constantly renews jealousy, assuring that nothing has been done yet and that, therefore, it is necessary to begin.
Beginning again is the law of spiritual life. Every day must be considered the first day of life in the fear of God, forgetting everything behind, except for sins, about which one must always repent (2, pp. 202–203).
Difficulties of the path, obstacles, relaxation, despondency - all these are accidents that come and go. There is nothing to pay attention to them. We must contrast them with the conviction that the goal ahead is true and that the means we have been given reliably lead to it. From this, all worries will go away, filling the soul with hope (2, p. 203).
11. About unashamed trust and always being with God
A change in spirit is our common destiny. You must endure, handing over your fate into the hands of God. Let us be concerned about one thing, to always be with the Lord. In all cases, turn directly to Him, reveal to Him the burdens of your soul and pray: may He deliver if He wills.
Joy and consolation are not the final evidence of a good mood. The main thing is determination and zeal to please God, a broken spirit and a contrite and humble heart, and surrender of oneself to the will of God. When this is present, it is good (2, p. 210).
12. The best way to counteract earthly attractions
Our spirit is restored by the grace of God, with the power to resist attractions to the earth from the soul and body. He has already been restored among Christians. But inattention to him and his work means that earthly things manage to captivate us and, like fog, obscure Heaven. The best way to strengthen our spirit in its struggle with soul and body with attractions to earthly things is the memory of the exodus and the subsequent Judgment and predetermination of our fate. Take the trouble to put yourself in the state of dying now and now having to stand before the Judgment and at the same time arouse the corresponding feelings - and see what happens? I believe that all earthly threads will be torn by this and only one cry will remain in the heart: “Oh, Lord! Save me!” Teach this to N... Nothing revives the fear of God with all its fruits more than putting oneself in this state and feeling it.
You need to tease your heart with various stimulating thoughts. And if you leave it like that, it will become overgrown with thorns and thistles, insensibility, negligence and inattention (2, pp. 212–213).
13. Instructions on building a church for your soul
Help you, Lord, instead of a church made with hands, build a spiritual church in yourself and from yourself, a holy sanctuary, so that in it you can offer sacrifices to God, living from the heart, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ 40 (1 Pet. 2:5). For this purpose there will then be no need (and sorrow due to illness) to go... (to church); for everything will be accomplished without external movements... (lie down and pray with all your soul)...
We should all be churches according to our purpose, as St. ap. Paul: Don’t you know that the church of God is in nature... and not only does it affirm, but that the Spirit of God also lives in you 41 (1 Cor. 3:16) (2, pp. 238–239).
The laity, fussing about, forget this or drown it out in themselves, but monks and nuns enter into a special kind of life in order to reveal such an apostolic definition about us. You personally are called to this in a special way: by a painful state in which spiritual prayer must especially develop. Close your eyes... and your mind will have nothing to see except God, the Omnipresent and All-Seeing... So you will become a church where God dwells... the walls of this church of yours are patience, the throne is a heart grateful to God, songs are all religious feelings for God: faith, hope, devotion to His holy will and all prayer; The regent in this choir is a prudent spirit who composes songs and performs them in constant contemplation of God (2, p. 239).
14. Spiritual life is not certainly subject to the influence of external conditions
Spiritual life is not unconditionally subject to the influence of external conditions and can bloom in any place and in any situation, for it is all in the internal structure and does not bow to the external, but, on the contrary, dominates it and directs it (3, p. 27).
15. To achieve communion with God is our goal and the main promise of the Lord. Spiritual life has many obstacles - courage and vigor are needed
The Christian life encounters many obstacles from the first steps, and the further it goes, the more. Those who embark on this path of life must arm themselves with strong courage in order to walk without timidity from the struggles ahead with obstacles (3, p. 165).
Please put on courage and vigor... and flow steadily, imitating St. to the Apostle Paul, who said about himself: so I flow that I may comprehend. And you will achieve it. What? – You may not be worthy to see Christ the Lord, for this is not universal, but you will achieve deep communion with God, for this is our goal, and the main promise of the Lord (3, pp. 164–165).
He who courageously struggles with passions, strictly fulfilling the commandments of the Lord, is, as he succeeds, purified in his heart and, as his heart is pure, draws closer to the Lord, Who promised such: we will come to him and make our abode with him 42 (3, p. 165).
16. Basic rules of good behavior
Keep in mind the main thing, namely, a heart well disposed towards the Lord and towards everything that the work of salvation requires of us.
Always keep the Lord before the eyes of your mind and conduct yourself in everything as one should conduct oneself before the Lord.
Always keep and kindle the fear of God and reverence for His indescribable greatness within yourself; and with him, the heart is contrite and humble. Keep strong faith and indestructible hope. Humble yourself before everyone and consider others higher than yourself. Love silence and isolate yourself as much as possible in order to be in unity with the Lord. Then He Himself will become your leader and teacher - and you will no longer need other such persons (3, pp. 169–170).
17. About spiritual vigilance
The merciful Lord called you and put you on a good path. Thank the Lord! And this is from the Lord, that, having come out from there... keep well in the order of life according to God. Hold on tight: don’t close your eyes, looking sharply here and there, for the enemy does not sleep. He doesn’t lag behind you, but is immediately looking to see if he can confuse you again, but the grace of God covers you and does not give you an attack... As soon as grace retreats for something, he will immediately begin to turn around - deliver you, Lord!
And what did you decide to be proud of?! With tears! Tears are crying about sins. When vanity comes due to tears, you turn your gaze to your sins... and say to your soul: see what you have piled up! Is there anything to be proud of here?! – If you do this sincerely, then instead of vanity you will perceive bitter contrition, which you always try to have under your tears (3, pp. 170–171).
18. Fatherly admonition and instructions on various subjects on issues of those who are zealous for spiritual life
I have before me your letters dated August 17, September 23 and September 30... A whole bunch! Everything you write about yourself does not give rise to any concern about you... Thank God! You behave strictly and conduct your affairs carefully. Continue like this... and God’s favor will not cease to overshadow and protect you (3, p. 172).
Now you are already vainglorious, as you wrote. This is on the enemy side. Vanity is the fruit of his field. And it is such that grace departs for it. Watch out. They calmed down and turned to God. Mercy is God's. Remember her often or constantly keep in mind those vows that were spoken then, and strive to keep them.
The spirit is broken, the heart is contrite and humble... - the main thing.
Then the omnipotent overexertion of oneself in the labors of prayer, fasting and novitiate...
Keep yourself on death row, keeping in mind: death is about to happen... now, this minute, this moment.
There is no better way to keep the mind sober than this (3, p. 172).
From the heart let the cry go unceasingly to the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ... etc.
You wrote that you get up at night and pray... This is very good... Pray with contrition and weeping... That’s when crying and tears are good... but in church suppress tears and only keep your contrite spirit” (3, p. 172).
Work in matters of salvation—work in every possible way, but place all your hope of salvation in the Lord the Savior. This point is very important... If you deviate a little from the Lord with your trust, then the whole matter is distorted, for then the Lord retreats, as if saying: well, stay with what you put your trust in. And this, whatever it is, is completely insignificant (3, p. 172).
Refresh your head with good thoughts through reading and meditation. You have enough books... And the order here is all good... But read more Hesychius, Abba Dorotheus, Simeon the New Theologian, Isaac the Syrian, Barsanuphius... and all are good. Don’t read too much at once (3, p. 172).
Don’t read just to read, but to refresh and nourish your soul. It is nourished by the fact that it will pass into the heart through attention and occupy it... If, while reading and reflecting, any thought snatches you from the midst of creatures and takes you before the face of the Lord... - close the book and stay with this thought... even for a whole day... or more... Such a thought is one of the turns of the key that is handed to you in a dream.
Another turn - the spirit is crushed; the third is movements of love for the Lord; the fourth is impulses of self-sacrifice or readiness to endure everything, to suffer everything, just to please the Lord and be saved. There are many other turns of this key (3, pp. 171–172).
That you don’t see your thoughts means nothing... It means a lot if your attention is immersed in the Lord. For this is the main thing you should take care of... As soon as you open your eyes after sleep, immediately direct your thoughts to the Lord and be with Him... This is what the Jesus Prayer is intended for. Rules at home and going to church - everything must be directed... and during needlework, too, everything should be with the Lord (3, p. 174).
Sister who comes to you, but of a different spirit... let her walk, don’t push her away, but sometimes invite her to listen to a book... and read Hesychius, or Abba Dorotheus, or something else (3, p. 174).
You mentioned that every trip upsets you spiritually... and you need time to get ready... If these trips are not absolutely necessary, then deny yourself them. And when there is a need, then be as attentive as possible to yourself and your thoughts (3, p. 174).
Sins are immediately forgiven under the permission of the spiritual father. But their trace remains in the soul, and it languishes. With the progress of efforts in resisting sinful urges, these traces are erased, and at the same time the languor is diminished: when the traces are completely erased, then the languor ends. The soul will be confident of remission of sins. For this reason, the spirit is contrite, the heart is contrite and humbly form the basis of the feelings of the flowing path of salvation (3, pp. 174–175).
“The further I go, the more shortcomings I discover.” Say: thank God! This is a sign that you are going well... As soon as thoughts begin to appear that you are good... know that you are going astray... And take care to correct it. After a good deed - vanity, after a bad one - hopelessness of salvation... These are the usual attacks of the enemy. Against the first, expose your sins and mistakes. Against the second is the confidence that there is no sin that overcomes Divine mercy. The death of the Lord was the price for all sins, no exceptions...
You have noticed the power of reverence with prayer and please maintain them and renew and strengthen them in every possible way” (3, p. 175).
Carnal movements and passions, as if they had already passed, remember lightly in general, without details... only in order to humble your thoughts... otherwise they will immediately come to life, like worms withered under a stone from being sprinkled with water. We must work hard to mortify these movements, for they have their basis in nature, therefore they are very tenacious... strong, constant fasting, little sleep, exhaustion of the body... especially prayerful sobriety... they finally achieve that they subside.
Never stop worrying about this part of the feat (3, p. 175).
We would like to know: what is your main passion... To this end, I will remind you of a legend about one ascetic who asked his elder a similar question, namely: what passion should we fight first? “The elder replied: “Fight the one who is fighting you now, and there will be no time to find out what is your main one” (3, pp. 175–176).
You act well when you hear what others think or say about you reproachfully, or even show it to your face. And continue like this!.. The first thing is not to show insult to the outside, then drive away such internal feeling and replace it with a kind feeling in relation to those persons. And endure actions of this kind... The time will come - and you will greet everything with a calm spirit.
And envy!!! How can she be in a spiritual kind of action?! – Because in the spiritual order everything is accessible to everyone... Did you see anyone who is spiritually superior to you? Put in the work and you can get it too. But in everyday life, not everything is accessible to everyone. So they take envy (3, p. 175).
19. A person has three lives: spiritual, mental and physical. God reveals the need for spiritual life and calls to it
From everything that you have written about yourself, it is clear that God is calling you to monasticism and your whole disposition and all your thoughts are directed there; you will not find, nor do you find, peace in any other way of life. If this is your calling, then the sooner you fulfill it, the better. And oh. Ambrose gave you direct advice. Your relatives reason in a worldly way, not in a spiritual way. If you follow their speeches, then no one will have to become a monk or nun, and monasticism will become a kind of delusion. And it’s a sin to think like that. The Lord approved of it, the apostles established it, and the Church has recognized its pleasingness to God at all times.
Your relatives would be right if they were told that the only salvation lies in monasticism. And no one says this. They only say that the best and most convenient way of salvation is monasticism - life in renunciation of the world.
Read 1 Cor. 7, 25 and 9.
Man's purpose is not on earth, but in another life. If we were on earth, we would not die, but as we die, it means that our real life is not on earth. Earthly life is only a preparation for another life, but about that life the Lord said that they do not marry there, they do not encroach, that is, that there will be no earthly, earthly orders there, but there will be an angelic order. Monastic life is adapted to it (3, p. 195).
Do you have the book “What is spiritual life and how to establish yourself in it”? It explains well that a person has three lives - spiritual, mental and physical. The first is addressed to God and Heaven, the second - to the organization of earthly life, the third takes care of the life of the body. It rarely happens that all these lives are revealed in the same strength, but for one one predominates, for another the other, for a third the third. It is spiritual above all, because the spirit is higher than the soul and body and because through it a person is brought closer to his goal, that is, to Heaven and God. Are such lives chosen? - Not visible. They themselves reveal themselves in the course of life and then force a person to live according to one life or another (3, pp. 195–196).
God reveals the need for spiritual life and calls to it. So it's yours. It is fitting to listen to God more than to listen to people... your relatives (3, p. 196).
When we are with the Lord, then the Lord is with us. And everything is light. In the room, when all the windows are open and the sun is shining, it is light and bright. But close one window and it will get dark, and when they all close, it will become completely dark. So it is with the soul. When she is turned to the Lord with all her strength and feelings, everything in her is light, joyful and calm. When he turns his attention and feeling to something other than the Lord, this lordship is diminished. More things occupy the soul - greater darkness enters... And there it is completely dark. Thoughts do not darken so much as feelings; a one-time passion for feelings is not so much as an addiction to something. What darkens sin most of all is deed (3, p. 210).
21. Approval of the current good way
In your soul, as I see, everything is going well... And grant you, Lord, to always steadfastly adhere to the path you have begun. The grace of God overshadows your soul. Guard this gift and be careful yourself, so as not to offend the Spirit of God (3, p. 213).
22. Where the soul has gathered within itself, there is a better, brighter, more embellished place.
Congratulations on finishing the cemetery church. May the Lord grant prayer to all those who pray in it and grant them the blessings they ask for.
Your dreams are very edifying. Your friend and guardian gave them to you. But listen! This mercy from above obliges you to the strongest zeal for salvation and to vigilant care for your sisters.
That you remain in the wilderness for a long time... God's determination - and, of course, for your good. Do you hear what is sung: in every place of God’s dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul 43?!
Where the soul has gathered within itself, there is a better place, brighter, more embellished. You surrender yourself to the Lord; you shouldn’t look for another solution. Be the will of God - the best solution (3, pp. 221–222).
23. How to judge the authority of an inner feeling
Are you asking if it is possible to blindly follow your inner feeling? The Apostle mentions the senses trained in the judgment of good and evil (Heb. 5:14). They learn through long study or experience and then correctly determine what they should follow - their inner conviction tells them. As you already know this and experience does not expose your feelings as erroneous, then do as you did. The elders write about this, about reasoning with this and prayer. And this is possible, but not always convenient. Do you have the book of Barsanuphius and John? There are many similar issues being resolved there. Browse. Prayer must be sanctified and illuminated every step (3, pp. 222–223).
24. How to be unentertained when busy
The Lord approves of your desire for solitude, but does not indicate the time. We must wait for certain instructions, and before that, maintain inner silence and diligently continue the work of improving the monastery. How to maintain inner uninterruption during troubles? Do things diligently, carefully, constantly and without fuss. Accept every work that is assigned to you as entrusted by God himself and do it as God’s... Your thoughts will be with the Lord. This can be learned with the help of God (3, p. 228).
25. We must not allow even small actions that are convicted by conscience
You wrote that you allow some small-scale actions, for which your conscience later denounces you. This must be prevented as much as we can.
Peace of conscience is the first condition for a peaceful relationship with God, and these latter constitute the conditions for spiritual success in the inner life. To conquer your desires, knowing that it is better to refuse them than to obey them, is a sacrifice pleasing to God, for which He will reward with inner consolation.
And to lower these cases to victory over oneself means to place pleasing God below self-pleasing. When the enemy tells you ahead: “Make such and such an order,” do not listen to him, but, having driven away his hostility towards him and his lessons, continue your prayer without interruption (3, p. 231).
26. Christian renewal of life
In His death we all died, and in His resurrection we all rose again. And everyone becomes a partaker of these blessings in the Holy Spirit. Baptism, where he dies for one life and comes to life and is resurrected for another... I wish you to live this life and in it I wish you to be more and more established. According to the Apostle: just as Christ has risen and dies no more, so we too will walk in newness of life (3, pp. 232–233).
27. An incident that clearly shows God’s care
It is comforting to see such a tangible indication that the merciful Lord does not take His eyes off you! You were driving to the monastery’s benefactor, and your horses were so scared; those running down the mountain, when you were already under the carriage, were suddenly stopped by the Lord, for it is unusual for them to stop so calmly in fear. Without this, neither you, nor the coachman, nor the carriage, nor even the horses would exist. And they wouldn’t have collected anyone’s bones, or splinters from the crew. Did you serve a prayer service? You treated N. well, just like a mother. And bring the matter to the end, and put her on her feet, so that later she can walk straight and walk boldly.
But you take better care of yourself and carefully keep yourself in that internal order to which the Lord calls and obliges you with His suggestions and care for you (3, p. 235).
28. Must record special cases of God’s inspiration and care
Do you write down what is special about you? I think that you should write it down in order to review it from time to time and, seeing God’s care for yourself, be more and more zealous for the care and improvement of that internal structure to which It points... Be a heart in the Lord (3, pp. 235–236)!
29. Two ways of appropriating to the Lord: active and contemplative (essential). How to follow an active path without leaving everyday worries
Now there is only one thing left for you - to appropriate the Lord and appropriate Him for yourself, otherwise, try to get to the point where you constantly feel in your heart that your Lord and you are the Lord’s.
And I think that the course of your life is heading towards that. You just need to focus your attention on this.
There are two ways to become one with the Lord: active and contemplative. The first is for worldly Christians, the second is for those who have abandoned everything worldly. In action, neither the first exists without the second, nor the second without the first. And worldly [Christians. – Ed.], that is, they must, to their extent, maintain the contemplative path. And this is your lot... you should not strain yourself into contemplation, as hermits do, but you should not abandon it either. I wrote to you: learn to always remember the Lord and walk before Him. This is the contemplative part. But while the hermit drives everything else out of his attention, you must, when doing everything in life, do it in such a way that you do not forget the Lord. If you bother to act this way, you will end up with the same thing as the hermit. Only during the period of your activity you will either see little or almost nothing that would promise such fruit. Rarely, rarely, does anything show through, but for the most part it’s all the work and doing...
Now the question is: how to make sure that productive work leads to the designated goal (4, pp. 6–7)?
“You cannot give up your everyday affairs. You are bound in relation to them by the commandments and, breaking them or not fulfilling them, you will do what is displeasing to the Lord. There are commandments for everything: for all your relationships towards your husband and servants, and towards relatives, and towards all strangers. So understand for yourself how you should act according to the commandments regarding everyone and everything, and act like this... This, of course, will occupy your attention. The question is, how can we keep the Lord in mind? - So: no matter what business, big or small, you do, keep in mind that the Lord Omnipresent Himself commands you to do it - and He watches how you do it. Conducting yourself this way, you will do everything with attention, and you will remember the Lord. This is the whole secret of successful action for the main goal in your position. Please delve into this and get it right. When you get comfortable like this, then your thoughts will stop wandering here and there...
Why is everything not going well for you now? I think it’s because you want to remember the Lord, forgetting about the affairs of life. But everyday affairs creep into the consciousness and crowd out the memory of the Lord. But you should do the opposite: worry about everyday affairs, but as an assignment from the Lord and as before the Lord.
There, neither one nor the other works out for you... but here both will work properly (4, p. 7).
30. About spiritual renewal
It seems that I have already congratulated you on your housewarming and wished you all the best in your new home. I repeat the same thing without writing it again, and you will remember it without reading the same words again. New housing means new orders... and behind them, a new internal building. This will be a renewal of the ancient truth 44. And who are these? Those who have put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man, created by God in righteousness and perfection of truth. All this has been read and reread, spoken and discussed. But these words came to mind when I wished you a new system. You've had it for a long time, so it won't be entirely new. However, there is a need for everyone to renew it. The tarnished icon is washed and it becomes brighter. But when the paints deteriorate, then they redraw them, applying even new paints, but still the same ones as they were. The same thing happens in the spirit when one changes clothes and dresses in the image of the Creator (4, pp. 20–21).
31. About the reconstruction of the inner man
What a gloomy portrait you painted of yourself or your inner man! Out of your hands! Everything looks fine on the outside, but in the middle everything has decomposed. We need to let an architect into the middle so that he can destroy everything there, clean up the old materials and straighten them out, and then build everything anew, everything from the foundation to the roof.
Who is the architect? Lord Savior. He Himself asks to get inside, stands and pushes. We must open the door to Him. The key to this door is fiery jealousy and ruthless selflessness.
The forge where these keys are made is a terrible fear for one’s fate if everything inside remains as it is now. As soon as the keys are prepared, they will turn on their own, open the door - and behold, the Lord is the Creator of the inner church. Then everything will go quickly... and the inner church will be built...
Then instead of short prayer there will be unceasing prayer, instead of scattered prayer there will be concentrated prayer, fussiness and over-concern will go away and indomitable concern for the one thing needed will reign, frequent and inappropriate irritability will be replaced by meekness and energy, quiet and serene (4, pp. 25-26).
32. Clarification on spiritual life
I wish you complete resurrection in spirit. What you experienced last Lent are the beginnings of this resurrection. The Lord visited you and brought peace in your spirit. It is He who begins to build an abode for Himself in your heart, or He just examines the place and outlines where to build what, and begins to lay the foundation. Please see in what was with you the embrace of Christ the Savior, with which He appropriates you to Himself. And rejoice, and revere, and accept fear (4, pp. 70–71)!
How did your question about trips come about? If you have your own inner urge, then this is bad. The soul betrays the Lord. You will reproach her for this. And if there is an everyday need for this, then do this: refuse until the last possible opportunity... and when you already see that you can’t go on, go somewhere where there is less peace and where there are fewer eyes that can jinx you. And never leave without praying for a long time, so that the Lord will deliver you from the fear of the ghost and give you the strength to return home unfogged and unhindered (4, pp. 70–71).
What's wrong with you?! Your well-being is similar to homeopathic medicines. Little by little a smell of some kind (for example, camphor and the like) will pass through the room - and everything will be gone. As soon as you smelled the air of the world... everything spiritual in you has already been upset. Please brace yourself! And don’t let your heart wander to what is a wasteland. And then, when the child has all passed... then sit down and figure out... why everything is so fragile... God arranged for you such a combination of circumstances so that you would know yourself... and not think about yourself... a lot and highly, but humble yourself more and in humility resort more to prayer (4, pp. 76-77).
34. About unentertained performance of work
You need to wean yourself from being carried away by work and get used to working as you should and not getting carried away. Accept every work as God's command; When starting work, pray for the successful completion of the work and, when finished, thank the Lord. The Lord will always be in your mind, overshadowing your work. Instead of bowing, taking you away from work, do this: passion happens at the very beginning of work. Here, at the beginning, drive him away with an internal appeal to the Lord and do not begin work until you drive him away. Do the same thing when the passion appears again... immediately at work, call on the Lord... and keep calling until it goes away... Turn to bows when the hobby does not obey, does not go away (4, p. 80).
35. How not to have fun with chores
The troubles are overwhelming... But it’s good that you notice and try to destroy their consequences that resonate in your soul. Try not to be busy with all your soul, but with only the ends of your arms and legs and the same surface of your eyes and ears. Keep your mind and attention with feeling on other objects. It seems that I wrote to you to go through everything with your mind more often, including the truths of God about us. Do this - and the mind will become stronger in unanimity... and then there will be no worries (4, p. 86).
36. Hands on business, and mind on Heaven
It is good that, while you are busy taking care of what you need, you are trying not to give up your inner work. Work and seek; and God willing, you will learn how to deal with thoughts and feelings. Anthony the Great also said: let your hands be in action, but let your mind be in Heaven! He did it himself and taught everyone else to do it. If the Lord gives the consolation of inner peace and warmth - thanksgiving. This is the main thing that you should look for... Otherwise it is called having feelings for God. The greatest thing... Here is the power that organizes everything (4, p. 88).
37. Household chores should be used to please God
Do not think that everything you do around the house and household is vanity. No, there are commandments for this, and the proper fulfillment of these deeds is among the deeds pleasing to God. Just fulfill everything as a commandment, as the will of God imposed on you. Before every task, call on God for help, during its continuation, turn to God for instructions, and at the end, thank God. And it will happen that, while you are busy doing housework, you seem to be fulfilling a prayer rule. If your thoughts run wild when you're busy, turn them back. And as soon as you have finished your work and are left alone, sit down and gather yourself with the Jesus Prayer. Doing this with faith, you will always receive help in this and success (4, p. 92).
38. Guests must be viewed as messengers of God
Look at guests as messengers of God and try to put them to rest in a Christian way. Do not consider this work and trouble a waste of time. Turn your face to God... He sees everything and will accept it as service to Him. Remember to think about why this happened and what God wants from you by putting you in this position. When troubles become too much of a distraction, do not forget, as soon as you find a moment, to gather inside with a short prayer or directly praying that the Lord will calm this storm (4, p. 93).
39. Domestic behavior of one who is zealous for salvation
Read the Gospel and other spiritual books every morning after prayer. If you have your own corner, then don’t leave it without reading and praying. From this you will have strength of spirit and heart (4, p. 99).
"N. arrived. He'll start chatting again. Don't listen. As soon as he starts speaking badly, get up and leave without saying a word.
Be careful not to let any evil thoughts enter your heart. As soon as it seems like something is wrong, turn to the Lord, asking him to drive you away, and he will drive you away (4, pp. 99–100).
40. About knowing the measure of your perfection
What does your soul look like? If you do not waver in faith and hold in your soul a firm desire and search for salvation, then, undoubtedly, your soul is on the side of the light... And glory to God! To what extent she became enlightened is difficult for us to guess. And the Lord does not allow us to see this because we will now eat ourselves out of sight, that is, by becoming vain, we will lose the light (4, p. 127).
41. About distraction from worldly impressions
You seem a little shaken by the journey. If yes – bad recommendation! But I hope that your inner structure is stronger than that it could be shaken by such trifles as a trip, and what happened to be seen and heard in passing... It’s my own fault. And I forgot to remind you that impressions that do not agree with the system you have adopted should be erased immediately - immediately as received... without delaying until the evening, much less for a further period. The point is simple: go down into the heart where the impression remains, push it away with displeasure towards it - and at the same time pray to the Lord against it. And be like this until it passes... This is just a minute. If you please, at least make this a rule for all cases, both large and small (4, pp. 132–133).
42. Lesson on the Day of Transfiguration
I congratulate you on the Feast of the Transfiguration! – Look at the Savior and learn how to transform yourself from strength to strength... He was transformed for us, and He Himself is always in an unapproachable light, which the incarnation did not diminish in the least. Plant the fear of God deeper within yourself, and he, taking the reins of your inner man into his hands, will direct you after the Lord to acquire the bright glory promised to us, driving you with the scourges of mortal memory and the memory of the Judgment... in which no apologies are acceptable (4, p. 143).
43. Secular life deprives of freedom and keeps those devoted to it in grave slavery
You say: “This is also what I see: that everyone is in a hurry, chasing after something to catch, and no one has time to catch anything. I happened to pass through a crowded street or place - what turmoil and bustle there! But then I see: it’s the same in houses; the same is probably true in their souls. And I can’t imagine, is it really possible to live like this? And this is what I also see, that here they are crowding each other, binding and tyrannizing; no one has their own will and freedom. Don’t you dare dress however you want; don’t dare to move as you please; say the same - and don’t dare do anything as you want. Everything with them is subject to some kind of law, which they do not know who wrote it; He oppresses everyone, but no one dares to break him. For this reason they themselves become tyrants to each other. Dare not to listen to anyone - woe. For example, I sing when I want to sing, because this is heaven: it’s pleasant for myself and for those listening. And here, whether you want it or not, sing. This is offered very politely, but to refuse is considered illegal. And eat. The hardship itself is unbearable - your chest almost bursts, but you puff up to show that you are eating from the heart. I've noticed this in others too. Here's freedom for you!
But to look from the outside - everything is freemen. Freemen, tangled in arms and legs!! On this occasion, I began to take a closer look - do they do everything else from the heart? So what? Maybe I'm wrong, but I didn't see anything that was from the heart. Affected affection, readiness for services - too, mutual respect - too. Everything is feigned. Behind the appearance, smooth and elegant, hides a completely different soul, which, if pulled out, no one would find not only elegant, but also tolerable. And it turns out that when we gather, we are a gathering of actors and actors. Comedy! And what’s amazing to me is that everyone feels cold. How is this so?! After all, everyone seems ready to give their souls to each other, but there is cold all around.”
Absolutely right. There is nothing to add to your description. All this has long been noticed and indicated as a precaution. Macarius the Great also depicted the turmoil and pursuit of something that you saw: “The children of this age are likened to wheat poured into a sieve of this earth, and are sifted among the fickle thoughts of this world, with the constant excitement of earthly affairs, desires and multi-woven material concepts. Satan shakes souls and sifts through the entire sinful human race with a sieve, that is, earthly affairs. Since the fall, when Adam transgressed the commandment and obeyed the evil prince who took power over him, with his incessant seductive and restless thoughts he sifts all the sons of this age and brings him into conflict in the sieve of the earth.
Just as wheat beats in a sifter’s sieve and, constantly being thrown into it, turns over, so the prince of wickedness occupies all people with earthly affairs, shakes them, leads them into confusion and anxiety, makes them cling to vain thoughts, impure desires, earthly and worldly connections, constantly captivating the entire sinful race of Adam. And the Lord predicted to the apostles the future uprising of the evil one against them: Satan asks you to sow like wheat. I prayed to My Father, that your faith may not fail 45 (Luke 22:31). For this word and definition, clearly spoken by the Creator to Cain: groaning and shaking, you will be on earth in anxiety (Gen. 4:12), serves secretly as an image and likeness for all sinners; because the race of Adam, having transgressed the commandment and become sinners, secretly took on this likeness. People are shaken by fickle thoughts of fear, fear, all kinds of embarrassment, desires, various kinds of pleasures.
The prince of this world worries every soul that is not born of God, and, like wheat constantly rotating in a sieve, he agitates human thoughts in various ways, leading everyone into hesitation and entrapping everyone with worldly seductions, carnal pleasures, insurances, and embarrassments (Conversations 5; §1, 2).
Here's an addition to your observation! Have you noticed that there is and does happen, and St. Macarius indicated both the reason for this and the first outcome. This view of the matter is not accepted in the circle we are talking about, and it is impossible to start talking about it. I ask you to internalize this view and always keep it in mind. It expresses the essence of the matter and, if accepted by you with conviction, will serve as a shield for you from the charms of secular life (9, p. 911).
For my part, I will add that this pursuit of something and dissatisfaction with nothing depend on the same thing that I wrote about last time: namely, on the fact that in this way of life not all of human nature is nourished and not all of its needs are satisfied. The dissatisfied side, like a hungry side, demands food to quench its hunger and thirst and drives a person to look for it. A person runs to search, but as he continues to rotate in the same circle that does not satisfy the hungry side, there is no satisfaction, hunger and thirst do not stop, the demand for food does not stop, and the pursuit does not stop. And it will never cease in those who live according to the spirit of the world. The enemy keeps them in blindness, due to which they do not notice the mistake, that they are running the wrong way and aiming in the wrong direction; and in this darkness these poor souls languish and suffocate. And the enemy has so misled them that no one dares to tell them about their error. They will growl like fierce animals. Is this not the roar of that lion who prowls everywhere, looking for someone to devour (9, pp. 11–12)?
As for the other aspects of secular (secular) life that you noticed, I will only say that it cannot be otherwise. For such a life is the life of fallen humanity, whose starting feature is pride or egoism, which sets itself as an end, and everything and everyone as a means. This is the reason that everyone wants to impose his desires on another or bind him with them, which you aptly called tyranny. No matter how much someone brightens up their desires, what stands behind everything is egoism, which wants to turn you in its own way or make you a means. This is also the reason for hypocrisy, the essence of which is an intense trick to hide one’s bad sides in every possible way without correcting them, otherwise the influence on others and, consequently, the use of them as means will be stopped. This is also the reason why everyone feels cold, because everyone is closed in on himself and does not spread the rays of the warmth of life around him (9, pp. 9–12).
True, you probably meet several people with a sympathetic structure of heart: they cling to you and take you right by the heart. This disposition is a remnant of the kindred feeling with which man was created in relation to others; but here it consists of serving egoism, which uses it as the best means for arranging its affairs (9, p. 13).
Now I’ll just say: you can’t completely lag behind everyone, of course, but as much as possible, refuse to enter the circle of this social life, and when you are drawn in against your will, behave as if you weren’t there: seeing, don’t see, and hearing, don’t hear. Let what is visible pass past the eyes, and what is heard - past the ears. Outwardly, act like everyone else, as if wide open, but protect your heart from sympathies and hobbies. This is the main thing - take care of your heart, and you will be there only in body, and not in soul, faithfully fulfilling the commandment of the Apostle: let them... demand peace, as they do not demand 46 (1 Cor. 7:31). Peace here also means that you have light and a social life. You will be one who demands peace, that is, one who needs to be in touch with secular life, but when you keep your heart away from everything, you will be one who does not require such a life, that is, not participating in it out of sympathy and desire, but forced by your present situation (9, p. 14).
44. Three aspects of human life. The first side: bodily life, its organs and needs; normal and excessive concern for the body
Our body consists of different organs, each of which performs its functions, which are essential for bodily life. There are three main organs:
1) the stomach with lungs, heart, arteries and veins, lymphatic vessels and many other vessels, vessels and glands that serve for various departments of the blood and juices of the body; the sending of all of them is the nourishment of the body or the creation of flesh;
2) a system of muscles and bones, the function of which is movement inside and outside;
3) a system of nerves, the center of which is the head, spinal cord and ganglion system - somewhere under the abdominal and thoracic barrier, and the branches penetrate the entire body; its origin is sensitivity.
When the course of these functions and their mutual relations are in order, the body is healthy and life is not in danger; and when this order is disturbed, the body becomes ill and life is in danger. Each departure has its own need, which makes itself vividly felt by the living, demanding satisfaction.
The needs of the gastric, or nutritious and carnal, part are food, drink, air, sleep; the need of the muscular-skeletal part is the need to tense the muscles, which everyone feels after sitting for a long time, and directly the need for movement, which makes you walk, walk, do something; The need of the nervous part is a pleasant irritation of the nerves of the whole body, like the measure of heat and cold and the like, and especially a pleasant irritation of our five senses, in which the nervous system has come out to communicate with the outside world.
All this, as you see, is bodily; What does the soul care about all this? But just as she, through the closest combination with the body, accepted it into her personality, then she considers all bodily needs to be hers. That’s why we say: I want to eat, drink, sleep, I want to walk, walk, work, I want to see different colors, hear different voices, smell different smells, etc. Having mastered all the bodily needs, the soul considers it its business to satisfy them and worries about food, drink, sleep, clothing, shelter and everything else, in every possible way wanting to ensure that the body is calm and does not disturb it with its annoying demands.
This relationship of the soul to the body, which it maintains not by learning, but by itself, by some internal compulsion, is revealed in it like some kind of instinct - love of life, love of the body, the desire to rest the body and get everything needed for that. The totality of all this is the bodily side of human life. But not everything here is equally bodily, or carnal and sensual. Only the nutritional part is strong; but it is also ennobled by the adaptation of its satisfaction to the needs and goals of the soul itself. The organs of movement and feeling serve more the needs of the soul than the body. And one organ that seems to stand outside the system of other organs, namely the organ of the word, is exclusively an organ of the soul, designated to serve it alone (9, pp. 15–17).
Corporeal, carnal, sensual - a morally disapproving life is one when a person, carried away by extreme love of life and love of the body, sets the main goal and concern for himself to be the peace of the body, or the comprehensive satisfaction of only bodily needs - with oblivion about the soul and, even more so, about the spirit. Moreover, each bodily need, naturally simple, develops into many instilled needs through habit and addiction to different ways of satisfying it. Take food or drink or clothing. What seems to be the simplest thing that relates to this? Meanwhile, there are so many inseparable needs: even if you die, give! From this we see that some people do not have free minutes, running after what they need to satisfy them, despite the fact that dozens of other people are busy doing the same thing for them. Such people must inevitably have a hungry soul and spirit, if they are not yet completely drowned out, clogged and immersed in sensuality.
Please think about all this (9, pp. 17–18).
45. The second side of human life: mental life and its three main functions. The thinking side with its views. Knowledge and science. Normal functioning of the mind and idle wandering of thoughts
You went inside, let's go there again. Look how many and varied actions and movements there are?! Now one thing, now another comes in, now comes out, now accepted, now rejected, done and remade. For the soul is constantly moving and cannot stand on one thing. If we begin to look into the soul together, we will not understand anything; it is necessary to distribute its actions by gender and then consider each gender separately. Yes, they took a closer look a long time ago and divided all the actions of the soul into three categories - thoughts, desires and feelings, calling each a special side of the soul - thinking, desiring and feeling. Let's take this division and begin to survey each side (9, p. 18).
If there is confusion within us, then it has the greatest scope in thoughts, while desires and feelings are disturbed already under the influence of thoughts. But in the category of thoughts, not everything is disordered movement; There are a number of serious activities among them. They, in fact, constitute the real work of mental life from the side of thoughts. These are the classes:
1. As soon as you notice something outside through your senses or listen to the story of others about what they noticed with their senses, your imagination immediately imagines everything and your memory remembers; and nothing can enter the soul except imagination and memory. Then subsequent mental activity is based on imagination and memory. What your memory hasn’t preserved, you can’t imagine, you won’t even think about it. It happens that thoughts are born directly from the soul, but they too are immediately clothed in an image. So the thinking side of the soul is all figurative.
2. But imagination and memory extract and store only material for thoughts. The very movement of thoughts comes from the soul and is conducted according to its laws. Remember how your little brother, having seen some new thing, immediately turned to you or others with questions: “What is this? Who did it? What is this made of? - and did not calm down until all these issues were solved for him and he was satisfied. The mentality of the soul begins precisely with the generation of these questions and gives birth to thoughts in response to them or accepts thoughts already prepared about this from others. Imagination and memory do not think. They are unskilled laborers, under the yoke. The ability of the soul, from which such questions emanate and by which thoughts are sought and generated in response to them, is called reason, whose job is to reason, ponder and find the required solutions. Observe yourself and you will find that nothing is done without thought and consideration. Every little thing has to be discussed. No matter how instantly this is done, consideration enters everywhere and follows the previously mentioned questions.
3. When you think about it, there is no definite thought yet. A definite thought is established when you find a solution to any of the issues. Your mind keeps rummaging around, looking for what a thing is, where it comes from and what it is for, etc. When you find such a solution yourself or, having heard it from others, agree with it, usually say: now I understand, there is nothing more to interpret, the matter is decided.
This decision gives peace to your thinking regarding the subject that occupied you. Then your mind turns to other objects, and the formed thought is handed over to the spiritual archive - memory, from where, at the request of need, it is taken as a tool for solving other issues, as a means for composing other thoughts. The totality of all the concepts formed in this way constitutes the image of your thoughts, which you discover in any case in your speeches. This is the area of your knowledge, acquired by you through mental labor. The more questions you have resolved, the more definite thoughts or concepts you have about things; The more such concepts, the wider the circle of your knowledge. Thus, as you see, above memory and imagination you have reason, which, through its mental labor, obtains for you certain concepts or knowledge about things.
We are not able to find a definite answer to every question. Most of them remain unresolved. They think and think and come up with nothing definite. Why do they say: maybe this, or maybe that? This gives opinions and assumptions, which in total we have no more than how many defined concepts there are. When someone, discussing a certain class of objects, obtains himself and borrows from others so many specific thoughts and concepts about them, and manages to supplement what is unresolved in them with such successful opinions and assumptions that he can consider this circle of objects sufficiently known and understood, then he puts everything he has obtained in order, presents it in connection and consistency, and gives us a science about those objects. Science is the crown of the mental work of the mind.
I am telling you all this so that it will be clearer to you what the natural, legitimate activity of our thinking power should consist of. She should have diligently discussed what is not yet known in order to know it. Very few people are given the opportunity to become scientists; not everyone can study science; but everyone can and should discuss the things around us in order to obtain certain concepts about them. This is what everyone’s thinking power should have been occupied with. How much she will get is judging by her strength; but she must always be occupied with the serious business of thinking and discussing realities. Meanwhile, what do we see in our mental area? – Continuous movement of images and ideas without any specific purpose or order. Thought after thought rises up and either walks in a row, then crosses each other, then runs ahead, then returns back, then runs away to the side, without stopping at anything.
This is not reasoning, but wandering and scattering of thoughts; Consequently, the state is completely opposite to what our thinking power should be - a disease of it, so embedded in it and common to everyone that you will not find a single person who could constantly carry out the serious work of thinking without being subject to scattering and wandering of thoughts, separating him from his work and dragging him in different directions. We often wonder: what kind of condition is this? – Here’s what: thought goes into the archive of memory and, with the help of imagination, sorts through all the collected rubbish there, moving from history to history, according to the known laws of the concatenation of ideas, weaving into the past the unprecedented, and often even the impossible, until it comes to its senses and returns to the surrounding reality. They say: deepened. He went deeper, but into emptiness, and not into a serious discussion of the matter. This is the same as sleepy daydreaming - idle thinking and empty thinking. Watch yourself - and you will see that most of our time passes in precisely this kind of idle thinking and wandering of thoughts.
Every other day (and aren’t there more like these?) not a single serious thought will come to mind. I ask you to pay attention to this and begin to resolve the question: is it appropriate for a rational creature to act this way (9, pp. 18–22)?
46. The desirable side of mental life. Regular and disordered state of the desired area
The force operating here is the will, which wills, wants to acquire, use or do what it finds useful for itself or necessary or pleasant, and does not will - does not desire the opposite. The volitions of the will require a corresponding action, therefore the will, more directly, is an active force, the essential need of which is to live and act. She keeps under her control all the forces of the soul and body and all the available methods, which she puts into action when necessary. It is based on jealousy, or zeal - a thirst for action, and its triggers are the pleasant, useful and necessary, which when they are not there, jealousy sleeps and the active forces lose tension and decline. They support desire, and desire fuels jealousy. The process of revealing this side of the soul is as follows. There are needs in the soul and body, to which everyday needs are grafted - family and social. These needs in themselves do not give a specific desire, but only force them to seek satisfaction.
When the satisfaction of a need in one way or another is given once, then after that, along with the awakening of the need, the desire for what has already been satisfied with the need is born. Desire always has a specific object that satisfies the need. Another need was satisfied in various ways; therefore, with its awakening, various desires are born - now for this, now for another, now for a third object that can satisfy the need. In the unfolding life of a person, the needs behind the desires are not visible. Only these last ones swarm in the soul and demand satisfaction, as if for themselves. What should a soul do with these desires? She will have to choose which item she wants to give preference to. Based on the choice, a decision is made - to make, or get, or use the chosen one. Based on the decision, a selection of funds is made and the method and order of execution is determined. This is followed, finally, by a matter of its time and place. Everything, even the smallest business, goes in this order. You can check this in any of your business.
According to skill, sometimes all these actions are performed instantly and the desire is immediately followed by action. The choice, decision and means are then taken from previous cases and do not require special proceedings.
In an older person, almost everything is done by skill. Rarely does any enterprise or undertaking occur that comes out of the ordinary order of affairs and knowledge. It just so happens that the current life requires corresponding actions. As they are repeated often, they naturally turn into a habit, disposition, rule of life and character. From the totality of all such skills, rules and orders, the way of life of a known person is established, just as from the totality of established concepts the image of his thoughts and views is formed. Knowing someone's lifestyle, you can guess what he thinks at one time or another and how he will act in certain circumstances.
The ruler of active life is prudence, which is the same reason, only in the service of the will. In the mental realm, the intellect decides what exists from what exists, and in the desirable and active realm it determines how what should be done so that what is legally desired is truly achieved. When he learns to determine this properly, so that a person always conducts his business or for the most part with success, then prudence is rightly attributed to him - the ability to successfully conduct business, correctly comparing means with goals and affairs with external circumstances. From what has been said, it will not be difficult for you to draw a conclusion about the natural lawful activity of the will, which, as you see, is the mistress of all our forces and all life. Its job is to determine the image, method and measure of satisfaction of desires generated by needs or those that have replaced them, so that life flows as it should, bringing peace and joy to the living. We have, as mentioned, needs and desires - mental, physical, everyday and social.
They do not manifest themselves in the same way for everyone, because not everyone’s life is the same, but for one it is one way, for another it is different. A person’s job is to determine how, in his situation, he can and should satisfy his needs and desires, to adapt methods suitable to this, and to lead his life accordingly. Leading your life sensibly according to the established norm with all its affairs and undertakings is the task of the desirable or active side of our life. That's how it should be. But delve into it and consider what happens.
On the mental side we experience confusion, scattering and wandering of thoughts, and on the desirable side we experience inconstancy, disorder and waywardness of desires, and behind them, deeds. How much time we spend in idleness and idleness: we wander back and forth, not knowing why; we do and redo, not being able to give a sound account of it; We have initiative after initiative and business after business, but all that comes out is hustle and bustle. Desires arise - and nothing can be done about them: go ahead and go ahead. And it would be good if it were like this one day, otherwise it would be almost an hour. Why is this? Our mistress - will - has blurred. Look also how many alien stimulants of desires we have: anger, hatred, envy, stinginess, vanity, pride and the like. The source of desires should be the natural needs of established family and social life; and what is natural about all of these? They only upset nature and all orders of life. Where did this barbaric invasion come from? – I’ll leave this for you to consider (9, pp. 22–26).
47. The side of feeling is the heart. The importance of the heart in human life. The influence of passions on the heart
The side of feeling is the heart.
Who doesn’t know how important our heart is in life? Everything that enters the soul from the outside and that is produced by its mental and active side is deposited in the heart; Everything that is revealed by the soul on the outside passes through the heart. That is why it is called the center of life.
The matter of the heart is to feel everything that touches our face. And it constantly and persistently feels the state of the soul and body, and at the same time various impressions from private actions, mental and physical, from surrounding and encountered objects, from the external situation and in general from the flow of life, forcing and forcing a person to give him the pleasant in all this and avert the unpleasant. The health and unhealthiness of the body, its liveliness and lethargy, fatigue and strength, vigor and drowsiness; then what is seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted, what is remembered and imagined, what is thought and pondered, what has been done, is being done and is to be done, what has been obtained and is being obtained, what can and cannot be obtained, what is favorable or unfavorable to us, whether it be a person or a combination of circumstances - all this is reflected in the heart and irritates it, pleasant or unpleasant. Judging by this, he could not be at peace for even a minute, but be in continuous excitement and anxiety, like a barometer before a storm.
But he felt it and a lot passes without a trace, as you can verify by those cases that when we happen to be somewhere for the first time, everything occupies us, and after the second and third time - perhaps?
Any impact on the heart produces a special feeling in it, but there are no words in our language to distinguish them. We express our feelings in general terms: pleasant - unpleasant, like - dislike, fun - boring, joy - grief, sorrow - pleasure, peace - anxiety, annoyance - contentment, fear - hope, antipathy - sympathy. Observe yourself and you will find that there is one thing or another in your heart.
But the importance of the heart for saving our life is not only to remain passively under impressions and testify to our satisfactory or unsatisfactory state; but also to maintain the energy of all the forces of the soul and body. Look how quickly the work that you like and to which your heart lies is being done! And before the one to whom the heart does not lie, the hands drop and the legs do not move. That is why those who know how to control themselves, when they encounter a necessary task, which, however, the heart does not like, rush to find a pleasant side in it and with that, having reconciled the heart with it, they maintain in themselves the energy required for the task. Jealousy, the driving force of the will, comes from the heart. The same is true in mental work: a subject that falls on the heart is discussed more quickly and comprehensively. At the same time, thoughts swarm by themselves and work, no matter how long it may be, is not difficult.
Not everyone likes everything, and not everyone has the same heart for everything, but some have more for one thing, and others have more for another. It is expressed this way: everyone has their own taste. This depends partly on natural predisposition, partly - and isn’t it more? - from first impressions, from the impressions of upbringing and the accidents of life. But no matter how tastes are formed, they force a person to arrange his life in such a way, to surround himself with such objects and relationships as his taste indicates and with which he is at peace, being satisfied with them. Satisfaction of the tastes of the heart gives him sweet peace, which constitutes the measure of happiness for everyone. Nothing worries you: that’s happiness.
If a person always maintained sanity in his thoughts, and prudence in his activities, he would encounter the least amount of accidents in life that were unpleasant to his heart, and, therefore, would have the greatest amount of happiness. But, as indicated, the mental part rarely behaves properly, indulging in dreams and distraction, and the active part deviates from its normal direction, carried away by fickle desires, aroused not by the needs of nature, but by alien passions. That is why the heart does not have peace and, while those sides are in such a state, cannot have it. Passion tyrannizes the heart most of all. If there were no passions, there would, of course, be troubles, but they would never torment the heart as much as passions do. How anger burns the heart! How his hatred torments him! How evil envy sharpens! How much anxiety and torment causes unsatisfied or disgraced vanity! How oppressive grief is when ambition suffers! - Yes, if we take a closer look, we will find that all our anxieties and pains of the heart are from passions.
These evil passions, when satisfied, give joy, but short-lived, and when they are not satisfied, but, on the contrary, meet the opposite, they cause sorrow, long-lasting and unbearable.
Thus, it is clear that our heart is precisely the root and center of life. It, letting one know about a person’s good or bad condition, arouses other forces to activity and again takes the aftereffect of their activity into itself - to strengthen or weaken the feeling that determines the person’s condition. It would seem that he should be given full power over the management of life, as is the case with many, many completely, and with everyone else, little by little. It would seem so, and perhaps by nature it had just such a purpose, but passions arose and clouded everything. With them, our heart’s state is indicated incorrectly, and impressions are not what they should be, and tastes are distorted, and the stimulation of other forces is directed in the wrong direction. Therefore, now the law is to hold the heart in your hands and subject its feelings, tastes and inclinations to strict criticism. When someone is cleansed of passions, let him give free rein to his heart; but while passions are strong, giving free rein to your heart means clearly dooming yourself to all sorts of wrong steps.
Those who act worst of all are those who make the sweets of the heart and the pleasure, as they say, of life as the goal of life. Since carnal and sensual pleasures and pleasures make themselves felt more strongly, such faces always descend into coarse sensuality and become below the line that separates man from other living creatures.
So here is your soul and mental life from all its sides! I pointed out on purpose what should naturally be on each side and what should not be (9, pp. 26–30).
48. The third side of human life: spiritual life. Human dignity
The entire soul is focused exclusively on the organization of our temporary life - earthly. And all her knowledge is built only on the basis of what experience gives, and her activity is directed to satisfying the needs of temporary life, and her feelings are generated and maintained only from her visible states and positions. Anything higher than this is none of her business.
Although there is something higher than what has been said in her, these are guests who come to her from another, higher region, namely, the region of the spirit (9, p. 31).
What kind of spirit is this? – This is the power that God breathed into the face of man, completing his creation. All kinds of land creatures were tormented by the earth, by the command of God. Every soul of living creatures also came out of the earth. The human soul, although similar to the soul of animals in its lower part, is incomparably superior to it in its higher part. What it is like in a person depends on its combination with the spirit. The spirit inhaled by God, combining with her, elevated her so much above every non-human soul. That is why within ourselves we notice, in addition to what is seen in animals, what is characteristic of the spiritualized human soul, and above that, that which is characteristic of the spirit itself. The spirit, as a force that comes from God, knows God, seeks God and finds peace in Him alone. Convincing himself of his origin from God by some innermost spiritual instinct, he feels his complete dependence on Him and recognizes himself as obligated to please Him in every possible way and to live only for Him and by Him. More tangible manifestations of these movements of the life of the spirit are:
1. Fear of God. All people, no matter what levels of development they are at, know that there is a Supreme Being, God, who created everything, contains everything and controls everything, that they depend on Him in everything and must please Him, that He is the Judge and Rewarder of everyone according to their deeds. This is the natural creed, written in the spirit. Confessing it, the spirit reveres God and is filled with the fear of God.
2. Conscience. Conscious of being obligated to please God, the spirit would not know how to satisfy this obligation if conscience did not guide it in this. Having communicated to the spirit a piece of His omniscience in the indicated natural Creed, God inscribed in it the requirements of His holiness, truth and goodness, instructing it to observe their fulfillment and judge itself whether it is correct or not. This side of the spirit is conscience, which indicates what is right and what is wrong, what is pleasing to God and what is displeasing, what one should and what one should not do - having indicated, it imperiously forces one to do it, and then rewards it with consolation for fulfillment, and punishes it with remorse for non-fulfillment. Conscience is a legislator, guardian of the law, judge and rewarder. It is the natural tablet of God’s covenant, which extends to all people. And we see in all people, along with the fear of God, the actions of conscience.
3. Thirst for God. It is expressed in the universal desire for the all-perfect good and is also more clearly visible in the general dissatisfaction with anything created. What does this dissatisfaction mean? – That nothing created can satisfy our spirit. Having come from God, he seeks God, desires to taste Him, and, being in living union and combination with Him, he calms down in Him. When he achieves this, he is at peace, but until he achieves this, he cannot have peace. No matter how many created things and blessings someone has, everything is not enough for him. And everyone, as you have already noticed, is searching and searching. They search and find; but, having found it, they give it up and start looking again, so that, having found it, they also give it up. So endlessly. This means that they are looking for the wrong thing and in the wrong place, and what should be looked for and where. Doesn’t this tangibly show that we have a power that draws us from the earth and earthly grief to the heavenly! I do not explain to you in detail all these manifestations of the spirit, I only direct your thoughts to its presence in us and ask you to think more about this and bring yourself to the full conviction that, for sure, the spirit is in us. For it is the distinctive feature of man.
The human soul makes us little more than animals, and the spirit shows us little less than the Angels. You, of course, know the meaning of the phrases we hear: the spirit of the writer, the spirit of the people. This is a set of distinctive features - real, but in some way ideal, recognizable by the mind, elusive and intangible. The spirit of man is the same; only the spirit of the writer, for example, is seen ideally, and the spirit of man is inherent in him as a living force, testifying to its presence with living and tangible movements.
From what I have said, I would like you to draw the following conclusion: someone who does not have movements and actions of the spirit does not stand on a level with human dignity (9, pp. 31–34).
49. The universality of faith in the existence of God as a manifestation of life
You ask: “But how do you say that you all have a spirit with the indicated manifestations; and yet how many nations are there who do not lead God? Those peoples do not know that there is a true God, but everyone confesses that He exists. Believing that there is a God and wanting to more accurately define what He is, they were mistaken and called God that which is not God: some the sun, some the moon or the stars, or something else. Not everyone, however, was so grossly mistaken. When God scattered the nations across the face of the earth after the pandemonium, they all took with them the hitherto faithful concepts of God as an invisible Spirit, Creator, Provider, Judge and Rewarder. That He is the Creator, the Provider, the Rewarder, this was preserved by everyone, but that He is an immaterial Spirit, this was not all preserved, but they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man, and birds, and four-footed creatures, and creeping things 47 (Rom. 1:23). They understood God, that is, they knew that there is God, but they did not glorify Him as God 48 (Rom. 1:21). Eastern peoples have more exalted concepts of God - Persians, Indians, Asians and Americans.
The Greeks and Romans crushed God, so to speak. American, for example, Indians call God the universal Spirit - invisible, all-encompassing. This is a very high concept, and a spirit left to itself cannot go further than this. Asian Indians delved deeper into their understanding of God; but, having retained the concept of His invisibility, omnipotence and omnipotence, when they decided to more accurately define His creative and providential actions, they confused a lot of untenable things and wrote many fabulous stories.
So this is the sense in which there are those who do not lead God! And not that there are peoples who do not confess the existence of God. Some travelers gave evidence that they met peoples and peoples who did not know God at all and did not worship Him. The only thing that is true in this testimony is that they did not hear the confession of faith and did not see the worship of God, but if neither one nor the other happened, for this they should have lived more among those nations. Becker, in our days, lived for a whole month among some people near the lakes through which the Nile flows, and did not see worship of God. But, he says, the new moon has come and I see: the king is going somewhere, all the elders are gathering, preparing a bull. A certain day came - they went to some hill and sacrificed a bull. If I had left, says Becker, two or three days earlier, I could have testified with all sincerity that this people does not honor God.
So completely get rid of the idea that there are those who do not recognize the existence of God. There are some scientists who think of doing without God and talk and talk and write books about it, but when their tongue and pen produce such idle talk, their heart speaks differently. They are trying to show themselves not to believe in God, but it is very doubtful that they will finally succeed in this even before their conscience.
Knowing God, everyone shows conscience, and honors God, and prays to Him, and looks forward to a future life, in which everyone will be rewarded according to his deeds. The force that contains all such beliefs and convictions is spirit. Let us assume that in every person there is a spirit - the highest side of human life, a force that draws him from the visible to the invisible, from the temporary to the eternal, from creation to the Creator, characterizing man and distinguishing him from all other living creatures on earth. This force can be weakened to different degrees, its demands can be interpreted crookedly, but it cannot be completely drowned out or destroyed. It is an integral part of our human nature and manifests itself in its own way in everyone (9, pp. 34–36).
50. The influence of the spirit on the human soul and the resulting phenomena in the area of thinking, activity (will) and sensitivity (heart)
I take up what was interrupted, namely: what came into the soul as a result of its union with the spirit that is from God? From this, the entire soul was transformed from animal, which is what it is by nature, to become human, with those powers and actions that are indicated above. But that’s not what we’re talking about now. Being as described, it reveals, in addition, higher aspirations and ascends one level higher, becoming an inspired soul. Such spiritualization of the soul is visible in all aspects of its life - mental, active and feeling (9, p. 37).
In the mental part, from the action of the spirit, the desire for ideality appears in the soul. Actually, mental thinking is all based on experience and observation. From what is learned in this way, fragmented and without connection, she builds generalizations, makes suggestions, and thus obtains basic principles about a certain range of things. This is where she should stand. Meanwhile, she is never satisfied with this, but strives higher, seeking to determine the meaning of each circle of things in the totality of creations. For example, what a person is is known through observations of him, generalizations and inductions. But not content with this, we ask the question: “What does man mean in the totality of creation?” Seeking this, another will decide: he is the head and crown of creatures; another: he is a priest - in the thought that he collects the voices of all creatures praising God unconsciously and offers praise to the Almighty Creator with an intelligent song. The soul has an urge to generate thoughts of this kind about every other kind of creature, and about their entirety. And it gives birth.
Whether they answer the point or not is another question, but there is no doubt that she has the urge to seek them, seeks them and generates them. This is the desire for ideality, for the meaning of a thing is its idea. This desire is common to everyone. And those who do not value any knowledge except that of experience - and they cannot resist being idealistic against their will, without noticing it themselves. They reject ideas with language, but in reality they build them. The guesses that they accept and without which not a single circle of knowledge can do, are the lowest class of ideas.
The ideal image of view is metaphysics and real philosophy, which have always been and will always be in the field of human knowledge. The spirit, always inherent in us as an essential force, contemplates God himself as the Creator and Provider, and beckons the soul into that invisible and boundless region. Perhaps the spirit, in its likeness to God, was destined to contemplate all things in God: and it would have contemplated it if not for the fall. But in every possible way, even now, those who want to contemplate everything that exists ideally should proceed from God or from the symbol that God has written in the spirit. Thinkers who do not do this are, for that very reason, not philosophers. Not believing the ideas constructed by the soul on the basis of the inspirations of the spirit, they act unfairly when they do not believe what constitutes the content of the spirit, for that is a human work, and this is Divine (9, pp. 37-38).
In the active part, the action of the spirit is the desire and production of selfless deeds or virtues, or even higher - the desire to become virtuous. Actually, the work of the soul in this part of it (the will) is the arrangement of a person’s temporary life, may it be good for him.
Fulfilling this purpose, she does everything according to the conviction that what she does is either pleasant, or useful, or necessary for the life she arranges. Meanwhile, she is not content with this, but leaves this circle and carries out deeds and undertakings not at all because they are necessary, useful and pleasant, but because they are good, kind and fair, striving for them with all zeal, despite the fact that they do not give anything for temporary life and are even unfavorable to him and are led at the expense of him. For some, such aspirations manifest themselves with such force that he sacrifices his entire life for them in order to live detached from everything. Manifestations of this kind of aspirations are everywhere, even outside of Christianity. Where are they from? - From the spirit. The standard of a holy life—a good and righteous life—is inscribed in the conscience. Having received knowledge about it through combination with the spirit, the soul is carried away by its invisible beauty and greatness and decides to introduce it into the circle of its affairs and its life, transforming it according to its requirements.
And everyone sympathizes with this kind of aspirations, although not everyone completely indulges in them; but there is not a single person who would not from time to time devote his labors and his wealth to works in this spirit (9, pp. 38–39).
In the feeling part, from the action of the spirit, the desire and love for beauty or, as they usually say, for the graceful, appears in the soul. The proper business of this part in the soul is to perceive with feeling its favorable or unfavorable states and influences from the outside, according to the measure of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of mental and physical needs. But we see in the circle of feelings, along with these selfish - let's call it that way - feelings, a number of unselfish feelings that arise completely apart from the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of needs - feelings from the delight of beauty. I don’t want to take my eyes away from the flower and my ears away from the stump, just because both are beautiful. Everyone organizes and decorates their home one way or another, because it’s more beautiful. We go for a walk and choose a place for the sole reason that it is beautiful. Above all this is the pleasure delivered by paintings, works of sculpture, music and singing, and above all this is the pleasure of poetic creations.
Fine works of art delight not only with the beauty of their external form, but especially with the beauty of their internal content, with intelligently contemplated, ideal beauty. Where do such phenomena in the soul come from? These are guests from another realm - from the realm of the spirit. The spirit that knows God naturally comprehends the beauty of God and seeks to enjoy it alone. Although he cannot definitely indicate that it exists, but, secretly carrying its destiny within himself, he definitely indicates that it does not exist, expressing this indication by the fact that he is not content with anything created. To contemplate, taste and enjoy the beauty of God is the need of the spirit, it is its life and the life of heaven. Having received knowledge about it through combination with the spirit, the soul is carried away after it and, perceiving it in its own spiritual image, either rushes in joy at what in its circle seems to be a reflection of itself (amateurs), or it itself invents and produces things in which it hopes to reflect it, as it presented itself to it (artists and performers).
This is where these guests come from - sweet, detached from all sensual feelings, elevating the soul to spirit and spiritualizing it! I note that of the artificial works I classify in this class only those whose content is the Divine beauty of invisible Divine things, and not those that, although beautiful, represent the same ordinary mental-physical life or the same earthly things that make up the ever-present environment of that life. The soul, led by the spirit, does not only seek beauty, but expression in the beautiful forms of the invisible beautiful world, where the spirit attracts it with its influence.
So this is what the spirit gave to the soul, being combined with it, and this is how the soul is spiritualized (9, pp. 39-41)!
51. Conclusions from the doctrine of three aspects of human life. The possibility of transition from one state to another and the predominance of one or another aspect of life. The predominance of soulfulness or carnality as a sinful state. The dominance of spiritual life as the norm of true human life
You see how many sides or, better yet, degrees of life we have! There is a spiritual side and degree of life, there is a spiritual-spiritual one, there is actually a mental one, there is a mental-physical one (it seems that I didn’t highlight it properly. This includes observations with imagination and memory, desires from the needs of the body and feelings of bodily states and impressions), there is a bodily one. There are five tiers, but a person’s face is one, and this one face lives first one, then another, then a third life and, judging by the kind of life it lives, it receives a special character, reflected in its views, and in its rules, and in its feelings, that is, it is either spiritual - with spiritual views, rules and feelings, or spiritual - with spiritual concepts, rules and feelings, or carnal - with carnal ones thoughts, deeds and feelings.
(I don’t take into account the middle states - mental-spiritual and mental-physical - so as not to split them up too much.) This does not mean that when a person is spiritual, soulfulness and physicality no longer have a place in him, but that then spirituality becomes dominant in him, subordinating and penetrating soulfulness and physicality; equally, it is not that when a person is spiritual, his spirituality and physicality no longer exist, but that then spirituality is dominant, governs everything and gives its tone to everything, and spirituality itself is clothed with the veil of soulfulness; It is also not that when a person becomes carnal, his spirituality and soulfulness disappear, but that then everything in him becomes solidified and his spirituality and soulfulness are carnal, subordinate to the flesh and trampled upon by it and kept in slavery to it (9, pp. 41–42).
Since no matter what degree a person is at, other aspects of his life remain inherent in him, then at no stage is he enslaved so that he cannot free himself from this bondage, but always has the opportunity to move from one degree to another, weakening one side of his life and strengthening another. Likewise, a spiritual person can fall into the soul and body, and a carnal person can rise to spirituality, when he loves the spiritual and the carnal, and the other seeks the spiritual. Man is always free. Freedom is given to him along with self-awareness and together with it constitutes the essence of the spirit and the norm of humanity. Extinguish self-awareness and freedom - you extinguish the spirit, and the person becomes not a person (9, pp. 42–43).
But while asserting that a person has the freedom to move up and down the degrees of his life, I do not assert at the same time that it is equally easy and convenient for him to move whether he goes from top to bottom or from bottom to top, or that these movements can be performed in him as quickly and often as transitions from one room to another, which happen several times a day. By this I only wanted to say that a person who is self-aware and free is the culprit of his inner state, and that if he, having found himself in a state that cannot be approved, remains in it, then he himself is to blame for this and is responsible before God and people.
Each of the demonstrated degrees or manifestations of our life is natural in us and, therefore, cannot be disapproved of in itself.
It is unnatural and, therefore, in itself disapproving of the state in which thoughts wander, soar and seethe, desires are fickle, excited by passions that are not natural to us, but alien, and the feelings of the heart are agitated and troubled because of these same passions. I deliberately highlighted these unnaturalities within us, speaking about mental life, in order to draw your attention to them. I remember this on purpose even now, in order to also force you to better understand this matter and treat it according to its dignity. The wandering of thoughts, the inconstancy of passionate desires and the anxieties of the heart constantly bother us, not allowing us to do a single thing as it should and always almost leading us astray. This is a disease, although universal and everywhere, but not natural, but acquired by us arbitrarily. The enemy knows how much she is at his disposal, and, trying to tempt someone, first of all tries to push him into this pool, namely: first he introduces him into a stream of thoughts, then ignites passionate desires under them, and this excites the heart. Whoever is brought to this point, the temptation is ripe.
If he does not come to his senses, he falls and, having fallen, is carried away into a whirlpool of turbulent movements of thoughts, wishes and feelings, sometimes for a short time, sometimes for a long time, and often forever. That life, a part of which, remember, you have experienced, all passes in this whirlpool and, judging by the circles, it happens where it is more seething, where it is quieter, where it is more modest, where it is wide open - in all its nakedness and shame. But even beyond this, rarely is anyone free from those seethings inside. No, no, it will break through. Because of the wandering of thoughts and ideas, I don’t know if anyone is free? So, if you please notice this illness of ours (and you have already noticed it in part, complaining about the uncontrollability of thoughts) - and, having noticed, take up the work of healing. At all times, do not let go of the idea that there is always something unkind within you that is always ready to lead you astray from what you should and direct you to what is not proper (9, pp. 43–44).
As for soulfulness and physicality, they in themselves, as has already been noted, are sinless, as natural to us; but a person formed according to his soul or, even worse, according to his flesh, is not without sin. He is guilty of giving dominance in himself to something that is not intended to dominate and should occupy a subordinate position. And it turns out that although soulfulness is natural, it is unnatural for a person to be soulful; Likewise, fleshiness is natural, but being fleshly is unnatural for a person. The error here lies in the exclusive predominance of what should consist of subordination. But when spirituality dominates someone, then even though this will be his exceptional character and mood, he does not sin, firstly, because spirituality is the norm of human life and that, therefore, being spiritual, he is a real person, while a spiritual and carnal person is not a real person; and secondly, because, no matter how spiritual someone is, he cannot help but give due to spirituality and carnality, he only keeps them lightly and in subordination to the spirit.
Even if his soul is not broad (in scientific knowledge, arts and other matters) and his flesh is tightly constrained, he is still a real full person. But a spiritual person (knowing a lot, an artist, a businessman), and even more so a carnal one, is not a real person, no matter how red he may appear on the outside. He's headless. Hence the simple man, who fears God, is superior to the multi-educated and elegant, but does not have to please God in his goals and aspirations. Judge the same about works of literature and art. Works in which everything is carnal are not good at all; but even those in whom spirituality dominates do not meet their purpose, although they are higher than those of the flesh. This is the judgment only about those works that are alien to spiritual elements; those who are directly hostile about everything spiritual, that is, about God and Divine things, are directly the essence of enemy suggestions and should not be tolerated. From this you see that by natural purpose a person must live in the spirit, subordinate to the spirit and penetrate with the spirit everything spiritual, and even more so bodily, and behind them everything external, that is, family and social life.
This is normal! I am not trying to persuade you to live in the spirit and subordinate everything to it, believing that if you have thoroughly understood everything that has been said, then the decision to live this way is already inherent in you. You have already expressed your decisive desire to stand on the level of human life as it is intended to be. You see now what it is intended to be, and, of course, you want to show it that way. But you have lived hitherto in your family and in the circle of relatives as depicted, that is, in spirit, although you have studied science, and you know farming, and you are an expert in music and singing. You are asked not to develop spirituality in yourself, but to maintain and preserve it, protecting yourself from the influences and attractions of spiritual and carnal life, into the whirlpools of which you have begun to fall. This is what you and I agreed to talk about. And, of course, you are waiting for a decision as soon as possible: so what should we do (9, pp. 44–46)?
52. The true happiness of a person is life according to the spirit. The thinnest shell of the soul, serving as a mediator between it and the body and a means of communication of souls with each other and with the world of saints and Angels. Light and dark states of the soul shell
While you are not living in spirit, do not expect happiness. Mental and physical life, when flowing favorably, gives something similar to happiness, but this is a fleeting ghost of happiness that soon disappears. Moreover, with them, that stormy environment that forms between the soul and the body and is stirred up by passionate thoughts, desires and feelings is always strong; and with it, due to the poison of passions, only intoxication is possible, forgetting suffering, as happens with opium, but not the absence of suffering and heart pain. Heart pain is an integral part of that life. The spirit hovers beyond all worries and takes the one living in it there and, giving him to taste its blessings, which always remain, makes him truly and lastingly happy (9, pp. 47–48).
If you haven’t forgotten, I once started talking to you about some subtle, subtle element that is thinner than light. Her name is Ether. And let it be; It’s not about the name, but about recognizing that it exists. I admit that such a subtle element exists, it penetrates everything and passes everywhere, serving as the last facet of material existence. I believe that in this element all the blessed spirits - Angels and saints of God - hover, being themselves clothed in some kind of clothing from this same element. From this same element is the shell of our soul (understand with this word also the spirit, which is the soul of our human soul). The soul-spirit itself is immaterial, but its shell is made of this subtle immaterial element. Our body is rough, but that very subtle shell of the soul exists and serves as a mediator between soul and body. Through it, the soul acts on the body and the body on the soul... From this it is not difficult for you to draw the conclusion that that universal subtle element from which these shells and in which all spirits soar is a mediator for the mutual communication of our souls and the spirits of those (9, pp. 48–49).
The element we are talking about passes everywhere and does not encounter any hindrance anywhere. A ray of sun passes through the glass, and that element passes through the glass, and through the walls, and through the earth, and through everything. But just as it passes through everything, so those who hover in it can pass through everything when necessary (as the Savior went into the upper room where the apostles were, with the door closed). They live in a certain place; but, when they are commanded or allowed, they are immediately transported wherever needed by that element and not only do not encounter any obstacles, but they do not even see them. When necessary, they are transferred; and when there is no such need, staying in their place, they see in all directions, what is where and what is going on where. And when their eyes turn to the earth, that is, to us sinners, they clearly see us too... only not this rough body of ours, which they have nothing to do with, but they see our soul itself, as it is, not directly, but through the shell of the soul, akin to their shell and the element in which they live, for the state of the soul is truly reflected in its shell.
Now, please imagine: two people are sitting and talking; At the same time, everyone’s soul is configured in its own way. Each of them does not see what is in the other’s soul because of the rough curtain of the body behind which the soul hides; and Angels and saints, if they turn their gaze to them, will see their soul as it is and what is in it, for what it is and what is reflected in its shell. If it contains holy thoughts and feelings, its shell is light and with each holy feeling it is light in a special way. And if her thoughts and feelings are not entirely pure, then her shell is not bright and from each unclean feeling it is darkened in its own way, appearing sometimes like fog, sometimes like the darkness of the night. If you ascended to Heaven and perceived angelic vision, having, of course, been removed from this body, then, looking at the earth, you would see, instead of a diverse mass of people, certain shadows: light, half-light, foggy, gloomy; Moreover, it is not surprising that those dressed in light would seem gloomy to you if their soul is bad, and those dressed in rags would seem bright if their soul is pure.
And this is how the celestials see us; and, judging by how they see us, they rejoice or mourn for us (9, p. 51).
53. The shell of the soul can be light or dark - according to the internal mood (state). Examples. The darkened shell is seen by demons
The soul in its shell exactly takes on the form corresponding to its inner mood. During the life of St. Andrew, the Fool for Christ's sake, was a priest (from among the unmarried) in Constantinople, a faster, a solitary man, and a man of prayer. Everyone respected him. But St. met him. Andrei sees that he is dressed in some kind of dark fog, and around his neck there is a snake entwined with the inscription: “snake of the love of money.” This is what his soul was like! And yet no one saw this. The enlightened spiritual eyes of the saints saw. Andrey. But among the celestials they are even more enlightened. Thus, while we think that no one sees us as we are, we are seen by countless eyes. See how many stars there are in the sky! There are even more eyes turned to us (9, pp. 51–52).
In addition to Angels and saints, dark forces also see us invisibly. Only they, when the soul is bright, cannot look at it, fearing, like bats, the light, and they look at it only when it begins to darken. They scurry around in flocks and, as soon as they notice a darkened soul somewhere, they immediately attack it indiscriminately and begin to turn it back and forth with thoughts, passionate desires and excitement of feelings. That seething region about which I spoke, which lawlessly settles between the soul and the body, is a place where demons attach themselves to the soul and begin to sweep it away like dust by the wind. They try to sneak up on bright souls, but they are reflected and struck, like an arrow, by rays of light. There was a sorcerer Cyprian in Antioch. One young man asked him to win over Justina, a beautiful Christian woman, whom he wanted to marry, but she didn’t even want to look at him.
Cyprian sent demons in his service to her several times, so that they would stir up her love for the young man in their own way; but they approached her dwelling, but could not go inside and, turning back, said that from there - from the inside - the light reflected and scorched them, for that Justina, like some kind of cloud, was dressed in light and they were not able to look at her.
This is the best example of how bright a soul can be when it is a Christian, pure in its conscience and devoted to the Lord. With a clear conscience, the fear of God fills the soul and keeps it inviolable. Then the Lord, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, visits that soul and it all becomes light and shines like a star (9, pp. 53–54).
54. The true purpose of life. Lifestyle according to purpose
The purpose of life, for sure, must be definitely known. But is this wise? And hasn't it already been determined? The general position is that since there is an afterlife, the goal of all present life, without exception, should be there, and not here. This position is known to everyone and there is nothing to talk about it, although it is least remembered in practice. But make it a law for your life to pursue this goal with all your might, you will see for yourself what light will spill from this on your temporary stay on earth and on your deeds. The first thing that will open will be the conviction that, therefore, everything here is only a means for another life. Regarding means, there is only one law - to use them, to use them in such a way that they lead to the goal, and do not deviate from it or contradict it. Here is the solution to your bewilderment: I don’t know what to do with my life. Look at Heaven and measure every step of your life so that it is a step there. It seems to me that it is so simple and yet so comprehensive.
You ask: should we do something? Of course it is necessary. And do whatever comes to hand in your circle and in your environment - and believe that this is and will be your real business, more than which is not required of you. A big misconception is when they think that for Heaven, or - in a progressive way - in order to make one’s contribution to the depths of humanity, one must undertake big and loud things. Not at all.
You just need to do everything according to the commandments of the Lord. What exactly? – Nothing special, just what everyone imagines according to the circumstances of his life, what is required by the particular cases that occur to each of us. It's like this. God arranges the fate of everyone, and the entire course of everyone’s life is also the work of His all-good providence, therefore, every moment and every meeting. Let's take an example: a poor man comes to you; it was God who brought him. What do you need to do? - Help. God, who brought the poor man to you, of course, with the desire that you act in relation to this poor man as He pleases, looks at you to see how you actually act. He wants you to help. Can you help? Do what pleases God and take a step towards the final goal - the inheritance of Heaven. Generalize this case - it will come out: in any case and at every meeting, we must do what God wants us to do. And what He wants - we know this correctly from the commandments prescribed to us. Who is looking for help? Help. Who offended? Sorry. Did you offend anyone? Hurry to ask for forgiveness and make peace. Who praised? Don't be proud. Scolded?
Don't be angry. Is it time to pray? Pray. Work? Work, etc., etc. If, having discussed all this, you decide to act in all cases so that your deeds are pleasing to God, being carried out steadily according to the commandments, then all the problems regarding your life will be solved completely and satisfactorily. The goal is a blissful life beyond the grave; means - deeds according to the commandments, the fulfillment of which is required in all cases of life. It seems to me that everything is clear and simple here; and there is no need for you to torment yourself with complicated tasks. You need to throw out of your head all plans for multi-useful, multi-embracing, universal human activity, which progressives rave about, and your life will be contemplated as enclosed within a calm framework and quietly leading to the main goal. Remember that the Lord does not forget even a glass of cold water given to someone who is thirsty.
You say: “But of course, a way of life still needs to be chosen and defined!” - But where can we determine this? Let's start thinking about it, and our heads will become confused. The best and most reliable thing is to accept with humility, gratitude and love the definition that God pronounces over the course of life’s circumstances (9, pp. 58–60).
You are now under the roof of your parents. What better thing to wish for? Warm, safe, free. And live without your thoughts flying into the distance and doing diligently everything that lies on you. “But still, think about it, you can’t stay like this forever, your own special life must finally begin. What should we do here? And how can you not think about it? Here's the best way to think about it! Put yourself in the hands of God and pray that He will arrange for you as He finds best, so that your fate does not interfere, but helps you achieve a blissful life beyond the grave, without dreaming of a brilliant fate. Having thus prepared yourself, wait patiently for what God will finally say about you. He will speak by coincidence of circumstances and the will of the parents. Having established yourself in these thoughts and calmed down in God, live without making empty plans, and do the things that are your responsibility in relation to your parents, brothers and sisters, to other relatives and to all people. But don’t think that this life is empty. Whatever you do in this order will be a work, and if you do it with the consciousness that this follows the commandments and that God wants it this way, it will be a work pleasing to God.
So every little thing (9, p. 6061).
God gave us this life so that we would have time to prepare for that one. This one is short, but that one has no end. But even though it is short, in its continuation you can prepare provisions for an eternity. Every good deed goes there as a small contribution; from all such deposits the total capital will be formed, the interest on which will determine the content of the investor for all eternity. Whoever sends more deposits there will receive richer contents; whoever is smaller will have less rich content. The Lord rewards everyone according to his deeds.
This is what we should be all about now - to send more deposits there. And this care is not difficult or difficult, as the Lord Himself confirms, saying: My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30). I explained this to you in relation to the thoughts that confused you,
to assuage your sorrow, as if you live without benefit and will live your whole life without benefit if you live the way you live. The whole structure of Christian life is this: believe in God, worshiped in the Trinity, who saves us in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit and, receiving the grace-filled powers through the Divine Sacraments of the Holy Church, live according to the commandments of the Gospel, inspired by the hope that God, for our small feasible labor, for the sake of faith in the Lord Savior and obedience to Him, will not deprive us of heavenly things. I add this on purpose so that you can see in what spirit we, living Christians, should do things. For others say: do-do; and others: believe, believe. You need to do both: combine faith with deeds and deeds with faith.
But still, the main focus should be on fulfilling the commandments. We already believe, what else? Keep the commandments, for faith without works is dead 49. And thanks be to the Lord that He was pleased to determine the value of our deeds not by their breadth and greatness, but by our inner disposition when doing them, meanwhile surrounding us with a multitude of opportunities to do deeds according to His will, so that if we pay attention to ourselves, we can do deeds pleasing to God every minute. For this there is no need to go overseas, like the progressives, but look around every day and hour; Whatever you see stamped with a commandment, fulfill it urgently, in the conviction that God Himself requires this and no other thing from you at this hour.
Try to establish yourself even more firmly in this thought. As soon as you are established, peace will begin to flow into your heart from the confidence that every minute you are working for the Lord. This beginning embraces everything. Even when you are told to mend a stocking for your younger brother and you do it for the sake of the Lord’s commandment - to obey and help, this will be counted towards the sum of deeds pleasing to God. So every step, every word, even a movement and a glance - everything can be turned into a means of walking in the will of God and, therefore, constantly moving towards the final goal (9, pp. 61-63).
Progressives mean all of humanity and, at least, all of their people indiscriminately. But humanity or a people does not exist as one person, so that something could be done for it now. It consists of private individuals: by doing for one, we contribute to the general mass of humanity. If everyone, without blinking their eyes at the community of humanity, did what was possible for the one who is before his eyes, then all people together at every moment would do what all those in need need, and, satisfying their needs, would arrange the good of all humanity, made up of the sufficient and the insufficient, the weak and the strong (9, pp. 63–64).
The whole problem comes from having too broad an outlook. It’s better to humbly lower your eyes, look at your feet and figure out which step you should take where. This is the surest path (9, p. 64).
56. The importance of spiritual needs in a number of other aspects of human life. One thing you need. The dominance of the spirit is the natural harmony of all needs that can give peace and tranquility. General vanity and collapse of the spirit
Spiritual needs are above all, and when they are satisfied, then, although others will not be satisfied, there is peace, and when they are not satisfied, then, even if all others are richly satisfied, there is no peace. This is why their satisfaction is called the only need.
When spiritual needs are satisfied, they teach a person to put in agreement with them the satisfaction of other needs, so that neither what satisfies the soul nor what satisfies the body contradicts spiritual life, but contributes to it, and complete harmony of all movements and manifestations of his life is established in a person - harmony of thoughts, feelings, desires, enterprises, relationships, pleasures. And lo – paradise! On the contrary, when the spirit is not satisfied and this one need is forgotten, then all other needs scatter in different directions and each demands its own, and as there are a bunch of them, their voices, like the noise in the market, deafen the poor man and he rushes here and there like mad to satisfy them. But she never has peace, because when one is satisfied, the others are not satisfied with it and, not considering themselves anything lower than the one who is honored by satisfaction, they persistently demand theirs, like a mother, when she feeds one child, the other five scream. That is why inside such a person there is noise, commotion, dislocation in all directions and disorder in everything.
Immediately, that seething streak, about which there was special talk, also arises, and further disturbs and disturbs everything internal. This kind of person is not happy with anything, is always in a tight spot, then, tired, stands with his eyes bulging and wondering what to start, then he spins and spins. And behold, there is vanity and ruin of the spirit (9, pp. 65–66)!
This is where the question arises: so what to do? How can we make sure that the spiritual side is predominant in us and, ruling everything, brings order to our life?
I will tell you in advance that this question would have no place if life, which is characteristic of us, had developed as it should. For both bodily and mental needs are as natural to us as spiritual ones, and satisfaction with them in itself cannot bring disorder and confusion into life, like spiritual satisfaction. If they all developed in order and natural mutual subordination - and human life would flow wonderfully well. Plant a seed, water it, keep it properly warm, it will give a sprout, a trunk, a leaf and, finally, a lovely color. It would be the same with a person. If he reveals himself in his natural rank, he will always emerge as a wonderful person. Why is it that we don’t see ourselves or others as beautiful? Why is our life distorted?
Remember what happened to you after you plunged a little into that whirlpool or that turbulent life. After all, there was great turmoil inside you. Repeat this several times, and if you don’t take precautions, you will become entangled in the same whirlpool - and you will have a life that is vanity and ruin of the spirit. So, can’t our disorder be explained by the fact that there are disorderly people: we get carried away by them and internalize their disorderliness. You have only now begun to be influenced by this disorder, but your upbringing was passed under the ordering influences of your pious family and your relatives. And others, whose family and kinship live in turbulence and turmoil, from childhood internalize this turmoil and grow up in it. So, perhaps, this is the reason why our life is distorted from its natural course and unnatural confusion enters into it?
No, this does not explain the matter, because another question remains: how did confusion come to this circle of people? Where does it come from in families and in society? A person is the same on the outside as he is on the inside. Disorder in the family and society entered from within the person. If it were not inside, it would not be outside. Now the external gives back to the internal what it received from it. And again the question: where did it come from inside? And I will also say: external seething acts inside and reproduces itself there, because its germ and predisposition to it are already inside. You were confused then and did not find peace. Why? You kept silent, and I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t the time. Now I'll tell you. In those two days, having plunged into a hectic life, you were carried away, your heart sympathized with, if not everything, then much. From these sympathies, seething and confusion arose in you. When you came to your senses, you saw the news in yourself. Your conscience informed you that this news was your business, and it was not your business, and began to execute you for it. Obeying this voice, you then discussed everything well and correctly assessed that life.
After this, if you still have to get into this turmoil and you, as I have said more than once, keep your heart away, not giving it free rein when it begins to yearn for sympathy, then you will not experience the experienced languor. But I remember this in passing. My point is about where you, who have hitherto lived in other orders, got this sympathy for that disorderly thing. If you please, take it apart and you will find that it was inside you before, it was hidden, and now it has come out. External influences do not give anything new, but only stimulate what is already inside.
I'll give you an example. I saw lepers. Their children are born beautiful and grow up completely healthy. But the time comes, leprosy appears in them, and they begin to be like their parents and like all other lepers. Where is she from? Came out from inside! Where did you get there from? Received at birth.
From this it will not be surprising for you to draw the following guidance: if we see disorder and confusion within ourselves - thoughts, feelings, desires, undertakings, deeds - and we are spinning in them, it is because the germ of all this is introduced into our nature and that this germ of disorder, revealing itself along with the revelation of our strengths and needs, introduces confusion into them and thus makes our whole life confused and turbulent.
Please now consider where this embryo comes from. I say: please consider this, because otherwise we will not be able to find a satisfactory answer to the question that has already been repeated several times: what should we do? Anyone who wants to successfully heal a disease must find its cause. Without this, treatment cannot have the correct course and success (9, pp. 66–69).
57. Original sin as a source of internal confusion and disorder. The possibility of healing a person’s condition damaged by sin
Although I wrote to you to judge and I myself promised to talk about where the germ of internal confusion and disorder comes from in us, you already know where it comes from. Therefore, there is no need to argue, but just remember how we believe about this. We believe that such an embryo was not inserted into our nature by the Creator at the creation of man, but was introduced after creation by the force of the fall of our first parents, who, breaking the commandment, damaged and upset our nature, which they passed on to their offspring, disturbed and damaged, i.e. to the entire human race. So it passed on to you and me and serves as the cause of that confusion and that disorder within us, from which all the disorder arises outside - in the private life of each person, family and public life. Why is this disorder, although we receive it in the embryo at birth, but is not natural to us, does not belong to human nature, is not so essential in it that without it a person would no longer be a person, but, on the contrary, without it a person is a real person?
She is our illness; and only after its elimination can we appear healthy in the form in which we should be by nature, as it came from the hands of the Creator. I remember your desire to become at the level of human dignity. Heal the disease in yourself - and you will become like this.
Remember that our inner confusion and disorder are innate to us, but are not natural, do not constitute our nature as an essential part of it, but are squeezed between the natural parts and are upset both in each part of our activity and in their mutual relations. If it were natural, then its presence would not produce the suffering and torment that we experience from it. What is natural is the joy of life, and what is contrary to nature torments and torments it. On the other hand, if this were natural, then when someone appeared free and pure from that, he would no longer be a person. But we know a man who was completely clear of this and yet was a man - a real man. We also know that all who put on Him receive the power to purify themselves, just as He is pure (1 John 3:3), and to appear like Him.
Remember, I say that this disorder is innate to us, but it is not natural, remember and hold firmly to the conviction of that. This conviction will keep you jealous of the cure for this disease. If it is not natural, then it means there is an opportunity to heal it. Having this hope, who would not be inspired to heal himself by doing so? Our nature in its pure form is amiable. The Angels themselves look at it with love and surprise when it appears as such. Shouldn’t we want to see it as such and, moreover, not outside, in others, but within ourselves? But all our happiness and well-being consists in getting rid of this disease. For when it is gone, what will prevent us from being in a blissful state and feeling like one? On the contrary, if this disease is natural, then it cannot be cured. So it will remain forever, no matter how much you work to expel it. Accept this thought - and you will throw up your hands, saying to yourself: that’s right, that’s how it will be. And this is that destructive despair into which, having invested themselves, they give themselves up to the practice of doing all uncleanness (Eph. 4:19).
And I repeat: keep the conviction that our disorder is not natural to us, and do not listen to those who say: what is there to interpret, this is how we were created, you can’t help yourself. This is not how we were created, and if we take care of ourselves properly, we will do something to ourselves (9, pp. 69–71).
58. Explanation of the disorder introduced into human nature by the sin of our ancestors. Communication with God served as the source of the dominion of the spirit over the soul and body. Through violation of the commandment, man separated from God and lost power over soul and body and submitted to the rule of passions. Image of a man after his fall, tormented by passions
What happened to us as a result of the crime of our ancestors?! Our nature has remained the same, the parts and forces of our nature have remained the same, with the same laws and requirements. But our consciousness with freedom went in the wrong direction, through which they disturbed the mutual relationship of our parts and forces and, violating their primitive structure, introduced disorder into the general activity and life of man, giving rise to a special class of destructive forces - passions that are not natural to us, but have gained such power that they move all our forces as they please. Here's how it all happened.
God created man for bliss, and precisely in him, through living communication with him. For this purpose He breathed into his face the breath of His life, which is spirit, as has already been mentioned. The essential properties of the spirit are consciousness and freedom, and its essential movements are the confession of God, the Creator, the Provider and the Rewarder, with a feeling of complete dependence on Him, which is all expressed in a loving view of God, unceasing attention to Him and reverent fear of Him, with the desire to always do what is pleasing to Him, according to the instructions of the law-maker - conscience, and with renunciation of everything so that the One To eat God and live and delight in Him alone.
Man is given consciousness and freedom in the spirit, but not so that he becomes arrogant and self-willed, but then, so that, realizing that he has everything from God and in order to live in God, he freely and consciously directs everything towards this single goal. When he is so disposed, he abides in God and God abides in him. God, who dwells in man, gives his spirit the power to rule over soul and body, and then over everything that is outside of him. This was the original state of man. God appeared to the first parents and confirmed all this with His Divine word, commanding them to know His One, to serve Him alone, to walk in the will of His One. So that they would not get confused about how to do all this, He gave them a small commandment - not to eat the fruits of one tree, which He called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is how our first parents began to live and were blissful in paradise (9, pp. 71–73).
The spirit that had previously fallen through pride envied them and led them astray, inciting them to break the small commandment given to them by seductively imagining that by eating the forbidden fruit they would taste such a good that they could not even imagine without it - they would become like gods. They believed and tasted. The matter of eating may not be great, but it is bad that they believed without knowing whom. Perhaps this would not have been so important if it were not for those terribly criminal thoughts and feelings towards God that, like poison, the evil spirit poured into them. He told them that God forbade them to eat from the tree so that they too would not become gods. They believed it. But, having believed this, they could not help but accept thoughts blasphemous about God, as if He envied them and treated them unkindly, and having accepted such thoughts, they could not avoid some unkind feelings towards Him and self-willed decisions: so we ourselves will take what You do not want to allow us to do. “So this is what He is like - it stuck in their hearts about God - and we thought that He was so good. Well, then we will set ourselves up in opposition to Him.”
“These thoughts and feelings were terribly criminal!” They mean a clear apostasy from God and a hostile rebellion against Him. The same thing happened inside them, which is attributed to the evil spirit: I will set my throne above the clouds and I will be like the Most High - and this is not as a fleeting thought, but as a hostile decision (9, pp. 73-74).
So consciousness became arrogant and freedom became self-willed, taking upon itself the arrangement of its fate. The falling away from God was complete, with a kind of disgust and hostile rebellion against. For this, God retreated from such criminals - and the living union was interrupted. God is everywhere and contains everything, but He enters into free creatures when they surrender themselves to Him. When they are contained within themselves, then He does not violate their autocracy, but, preserving and containing them, does not enter inside. So our ancestors were left alone. If they had repented as soon as possible, perhaps God would have returned to them, but they persisted and, despite obvious accusations, neither Adam nor Eve admitted that they were guilty. A trial followed and punishment by expulsion from paradise. Then they came to their senses, but it was already too late. It was necessary to bear the imposed punishment, and for them, our entire family. Thank you to the all-merciful God that although He retreated from us, He did not abandon us, having arranged a wonderful way to reunite us with Himself (9, p. 74).
What happened inside a person. - That's it! – The spirit had power over the soul and body, because it was in living communication with God and received Divine power from Him. When living communication with God was cut off, the influx of Divine power was cut off. The spirit, left to itself, could no longer be the ruler of soul and body, but was carried away and itself captured by them. Soulfulness prevailed over man, and through soulfulness, physicality, and he became soulful and carnal. The spirit is at least the same, but without power. He declares his existence either by the fear of God, or by the anxieties of conscience, or by dissatisfaction with anything created; but they do not take his presentations into account, but only take note of them, paying all their attention to the organization of their life here, for which the soul is assigned - and a more material life, because life here is mediated by the body and that everything corporeal is more tangible and seems more necessary.
When such a degradation of order occurred in the relationships between the parts of our nature, man could no longer see things in their present form, could not keep his needs, desires and feelings in proper order. They became confused, and disorder became their characteristic feature. But this unkind state, of course, would still be tolerable if it were not for passions, otherwise passions have risen and tyrannized a person. See how anger hits the angry one like a fever? How did the envious one become so overcome with envy that he turned blue, poor thing? How is the saddened one dried up by grief that he is bones and skin? - Such are all passions. They entered along with selfhood. As soon as it was said inside the forefather: so I myself... so selfhood took root in him - this poison and this satanic seed. From it later developed a whole horde of passions: pride, envy, hatred, sorrow, despondency, amorousness and sensuality - with all their numerous and varied origins. Having multiplied inside, they further disturb the already disturbed state there without them.
So this is the disease. The spirit became arrogant and self-willed. For this he lost power and fell under the dominion of soul and body and everything external. Hence the confusion of mental and physical needs and desires, and especially their immensity. This immensity is communicated to them by the spirit they have enslaved. In themselves, these needs are measured and not seething. The fact that they have no measure and seethe is because the spirit is raging in them, for by nature its energy is boundless. Hence gluttony, drunkenness, hoarding of money... and many other things for which a person does not think to give measures. But the main disease is passions, alien tyrants (9, pp. 74–76).
59. The need for renewal and self-purification
Someone lived somewhere far away in the desert. His insides began to hurt: his lungs, or his heart, or his liver, or all together. Pain at least die. Having nowhere to expect human help, I resorted to God with all-powerful prayer. The Lord heard. One night, falling asleep, he sees such a vision. Two Angels came with knives, cut it open, took out the diseased parts, cleaned them, washed them and lubricated them with something. Then they put everything in its place, sprinkled it with something, and everything grew together, as if there were no cuts. Having woken up, the old man stood up completely healthy, as if he had never been sick, brand new, like a young man in the prime of his life. – Do you see what I wish for you? So that everything in your soul is cleansed, the sick and old are thrown away, everything that is healthy and renewed is put in its place and sprinkled with living water. And you will become new, fresh, full of bright, joyful life.
I told this story to one of those working on myself. After listening to her, he did not coldly cry out: “Oh, if only the Angels would come and do with my soul what they did with the body of that old man!” In this appeal one could hear both prayer and the desire to blame on others what should be done with one’s own labors. For even such wickedness is not alien to our hearts, that we are not averse to being good, but to work for it, we give up. Angels will not come to cleanse and heal your soul. There are also their instructions and admonitions, but you have to do everything yourself. All means or instruments and medicinal instruments are given. Take it yourself and cut yourself where necessary, without any self-pity. No one else can do this. God Himself does not enter the sanctuary of the soul with His power, but graciously asks for entry (9, pp. 90–91).
60. How to support the incipient desire for spiritual life
So thank God! You write that you have a strong desire to draw closer to God. Bless, Lord! What else was I leading my entire speech to, if not to revive this desire in you? And kindle the fear of God in yourself. Know that when there is fear of God, it means that your spirit is alive and the grace of God is working in you. The first work of our spirit is the knowledge of God and the fear of God, and the main gift of God's grace is the spirit of the fear of God. He is the beginning, continuation, and completion of the path of the saved. He who has the fear of God - living and active, has in himself an inexhaustible force that drives everything pleasing to God, and at the same time - a cheerful guard, protecting him from enemy attacks and from his deviations to crossroads. Help you, Lord, to kindle and then always keep in strength this spirit of the fear of God!
It is very kind that you devote some time in the morning to reading spiritual books. But who is it that is so unfavorable to you about this?! If it were so charged that all there was to be was reading and prayer, of course, it would be something outstanding; and so – read a little and think, what’s special here?! As far as I know, all the pious and God-fearing people do this...
This reading, together with the preceding prayer, strengthens the soul and gives it strength for the whole day. Doctors say: don’t go outside on an empty stomach. In relation to the soul, this is fulfilled by morning prayer and reading. The soul is nourished by them and no longer goes out empty-handed to the work of the day (9, pp. 115–116).
We have a vigilant guard - conscience. She will never let anything go wrong; and no matter how you explain to her that this is nothing, but this will do, she will not stop repeating everything: what is bad is bad. And here’s the first thing for you: listen to your conscience and recognize all those deeds that it denounces as sinners without any apology and get ready to confess them.
This could be called the first and last thing, i.e. to admit that we are unrequitedly guilty of what our conscience denounces, having decided in advance to avoid it - and it would be enough if we could be sure that the conscience itself is correct in everything. And then it happens that she will not notice some things due to some confusion, she will forget others because they have been so long ago, and perhaps she will not consider others to be a sin due to ignorance or incomplete knowledge of things that are obligatory for us. Here, to the aid of conscience, we need to turn to the commandments of God, depicted in the Word of God, and, reviewing them, inquire whether we have done anything against this or that commandment. At the same time, much will be remembered that was forgotten, and much that is remembered will be presented in a different form than how we thought about it. The Word of God is like a mirror.
Just as, looking in the mirror, everyone sees where there is a stain or a speck of powder on the face or on the dress, so the soul, reading the Word of God and looking at the numbered commandments there, cannot help but see whether it is correct in those commandments or not correct; conscience, having been enlightened by this word of the living God, will immediately tell it this without hypocrisy. And here's the second thing for you. Go through the commandments and see whether you have fulfilled them or not. For example, the commandment commands to give alms whenever someone asks for it. And see if you always did this or not always: sometimes they refused not for any good reason, but simply because they despised the beggar. If it turns out to be this, then notice: sin.
The commandment says to forgive everyone everything, even the unpleasant and offensive. And see if you were always compliant, if there were any arguments, big conversations or even quarrels. If you remember what happened, notice also: it’s a sin, even though conscience usually doesn’t care about such things. Also: we must place all our trust in God. Has it always been like this for you?! In the ordinary course of affairs you will not notice this, but when a need is encountered, it immediately comes out, it is immediately clear what the soul rests on: on God or on something else, forgetting about God. It is certain that one must use all one’s own methods in order to extricate oneself from difficult circumstances, for they too are from God, but one can expect final success only from God, why turn to Him with a prayer for help and, when the matter is settled, thank Him as the only Savior, without remembering one’s own methods. So look, did you act like this? If not, notice one more thing: sin. Do this with every commandment and notice in what ways you have violated what commandment. This way you will go through your affairs in more detail.
But what is the most convenient way to do this? Have you studied the catechism? There, each commandment is interpreted and it is shown which good deeds are imposed on us by which commandment and which sins are prohibited. Take it and use it to review your affairs...
I suppose for the first time you want to take care of yourself properly and determine what you are and what is in you. Take the trouble to take a good look at yourself according to this instruction. Afterwards, other times, this matter will no longer be so difficult for you. Now work hard (9, pp. 127–129).
62. Checking the location of the heart. Determining the main character or spirit of your life
The second side of life is the disposition, or mood and inclination of the heart.
Actions do not yet provide complete knowledge of themselves. You need to go deeper into yourself and consider what your heart is like - and pay more attention to this than to your actions. It may happen, for example, that another person turns out to be intractable (will not help another) by accident, even though he has a merciful heart. But the other one won’t give it right away - not by chance, but because he suffers from stinginess. In appearance, both cases are the same, but in the internal mood of the actors there is a big difference between them. These are isolated cases, at this hour and in this place of action; and dispositions mean the constant moods of the heart, by which the character and disposition of a person are determined and where his greatest desires and directions of his affairs come from. The good ones are called virtues, and the bad ones are called vices, vicious inclinations and passions.
What dispositions a Christian should have in his heart are indicated by the sayings of Christ the Savior about the beatitudes, namely: humility, contrition, meekness, love of truth and love of truth, mercy, sincerity, peace and patience. St. Apostle Paul indicates the following Christian dispositions of the heart as the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22,23). In another place: put on your clothes, for you are holy and beloved, for you are the chosen one of God, in the womb of generosity, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering; accepting each other, and forgiving yourself, if anyone has reproach against someone: just as Christ forgave you, so do you. Over all these, acquire love, which is the essence of perfection. And let the peace of God dwell in your hearts, in your life and calling quickly in one body, and be grateful 50 (Col. 3:12-15). The opposite dispositions are vices or passions - the sources of all bad deeds that destroy us.
The most important of them are: pride, vanity, self-interest, intemperance, anger, hatred, envy, laziness, passion for sensual pleasures, despondency, despair. About them the Apostle laid down the law that Christians not only should not have them, but even that there should not be a mention of them among them: below let them be named among you (Eph. 5:3).
See how strict it is! So, if you please, take a good look to see if there are any bad inclinations or passions. Everyone has a little bit of each of them, but they are not deep and not constant. Otherwise, everyone has one main passion, around which all others hover. This is the one you should take care to find most of all. Although it is not yet completely obvious, due to your youth, all traces of it should be tangible if you look closely. Having found it, and then distribute the others, which one is closer to it, which one is further away. And you will understand the structure of your heart. Precious acquisition! Because when, after this, you set out to cleanse yourself of passions and bad inclinations, then you will see where to direct your efforts and blows, namely, towards your main passion. When you defeat her, then all the others will scatter on their own; as in war, having defeated the main forces of the enemy, the rest can only be driven and finished off without difficulty. Things are easy to fix. Don't do it - that's all. But it’s not suddenly possible to break a heart and fix it. There is a struggle ahead.
In a fight, if you don’t know where to direct your blows, you can become exhausted, floundering uselessly, and not achieve any success. Work hard!
The third side of life is the spirit of life. This is the most important and at the same time the most difficult thing. An unkind spirit can be so cunning and so able to disguise itself with the guise of kindness and appropriateness that one must have the sharpest spiritual vision in order to notice it. But the good spirit is obvious, for it is one and only, namely, to live for God, putting everything aside. The opposite spirit is to live for oneself (egoism). This spirit very often, if not always, takes the side direction of living for the world.
So, if we assume that living for someone means the spirit of life, then it will not be surprising for you to determine the spirit of your life by determining for whom you live or, as you are just beginning to live, for whom you want to live more, what you are striving for in your heart, to whom you are more disposed to devote your life. Determine the spirit of your life according to its properties, although now it is only in embryo or exists as a weak chick. He who lives for God has a God-fearing spirit, trying to please the One God. He who only lives for himself has a spirit of life that is self-indulgent, selfish, selfish or carnal. He who lives for the world has a peace-loving or vain spirit. Look at these features to see what kind of spirit breathes in you.
Judging by the way you rushed with a desire to draw closer to God, we must assume that your main spirit is a good, real spirit, as it should be. Judging again by the fact that you have so unfriendly met the secular order of life, in which the spirit of the world, one must assume that this spirit has no place and power in you, although it can overwhelm you if you are not careful. It remains doubtful whether there is an egoistic spirit. I think there is, although I don’t know to what extent. Let it be; but since you rushed with a desire to draw closer to God, but your soul does not belong to the world, then your egoistic spirit will soon evaporate if you give space to your heart to flare up more and more with a desire for God. Please take this into account.
So you see what you have to do, and do it. At first glance this seems like a huge undertaking, but in essence it is simple and easy. Having prayed to God, take it - and you can determine everything in one evening. Don’t go overseas, but disassemble what’s inside you. However, do not put this off until that evening, after which Confession follows. No, now start this, from the very beginning of the fast. Little by little you will find out everything more thoroughly and clearly. It may be difficult only this time. But if you then begin to live according to the attraction of your good spirit, then life itself will lead you to even more complete self-knowledge. For why do we for the most part not know ourselves? Because we live carelessly (9, pp. 129–133).
63. The awakened determination to be good must be clearly defined as the desire to act in everything in accordance with the will of God. Peace and joy of God's servants. A warning against being half-determined to live according to God. Anyone who is neither warm nor cold will be rejected by God. Indifferent to the cause of pleasing God
So, let’s assume that you, having inserted yourself into the fastening frame, or the external fastening order, will meanwhile begin to disassemble yourself strictly according to the instructions given, so that, having examined all the faults, you will then decide to be in good order in everything. This word, to be serviceable, must be well defined. This is the essence of the matter, without knowing which one can make a big mistake, believing that the matter is being done right.
Put it in good order. Now why are we bad? Why is our behavior bad? I think you, too, have experienced that when you begin Confession, you don’t know what to say, you can’t see what you’ve sinned about. Why would you think this? – From not understanding what our life should be, and whether all our deeds and thoughts are directed towards this. As it is not clear, then, looking at our life in general and seeing that, like everyone else, it does not represent anything bad, conspicuous, we remain calm within ourselves, saying or only secretly feeling: what else can we want? So that this does not affect you, everything hitherto written is written to disgust him. And if you act as indicated, then your tongue will no longer dare to say: what else do you want? I will keep your attention on this even longer.
The point, as has been mentioned more than once, is this! Our whole life, in all its particulars and fractions, must be dedicated to God. The general law is this: whatever you do, do it in accordance with the will of God and to please God, for the glory of His most holy name 51 . So it is necessary to examine every work that presents itself, whether it is in accordance with the will of God, and do it no other way than by making sure that it is exactly in accordance with it, and do it as it pleases God for it to be done. Whoever always acts with such prudence and with such a clear consciousness of the deeds he does being pleasing to God, at the same time cannot help but realize that his life is going correctly, that although his deeds are not brilliant and not perfect, nothing was deliberately allowed in them that would offend God and would not be pleasing to Him.
This consciousness fills his heart with quiet peace from a calm conscience and that spiritual joy that is born from the feeling that he is not a stranger to God and that although he is not great, not famous and not visible, he is His servant, trying in every possible way to please Him and directing all his efforts towards this and believing that God Himself sees him as such.
Our moral life should be like this for everyone. Meanwhile, in reality, what happens most of the time? We live as we live. This conscious and spontaneous direction of all one’s affairs, both large and small, to please God is not present in thought and intention. Things go on haphazardly with us, and what is done is done for the most part according to established procedures, because everyone does it, without confidence in their suitability for the main goal of life (9, pp. 138–140).
Recently I reminded you about the spirit of life, that it can be either God-fearing, or self-loving, or peace-loving. And I forgot to add a fourth here: neither this nor that, although I mentioned this somewhere in passing 52 . Isn’t this the spirit that most people breathe? They don’t seem to have anything against God, but they don’t have any deliberate goal of pleasing God. For example, I had to go to church - I went, but no - and no grief. And at home, when they pray, bow or two - and that’s the end. And happy. So it is in everything Divine. It’s not that they are noticeable egoists, but in order to protect their interests, in order to prevent themselves from making any self-sacrifice, they will always find a reason to evade. They are not overly outstanding peace lovers, but they are not averse to amusing themselves with the world in the affairs of the world. These kinds of people are all over the place. These are those who are indifferent to the matter of pleasing God and salvation: neither warm nor cold. God turns away from them and rejects them (9, pp. 140–141).
Let's leave what you were. I assure you that if you conscientiously carry out everything prescribed for you, you will no longer be even remotely similar to them, but will begin to do things that are selectively good and very good. It’s not that there will be some peculiarity, but the same things will take on a special flavor, a different appearance, a different decorum and decorum. Bless, Lord! I wish this for you with all my heart. Having laid down all the news according to the will of God and begun to lead in this way, you will certainly be overshadowed by inner peace, you will have peace of mind - clear, warm, joyful, in which there is spiritual paradise.
But for this to happen, you must have the determination to live such a life; for determination to come, you need to feel the unkindness of a life that is inattentive to the main thing (neither this nor that), and the delightful dignity of an attentive life. And this is not enough. We must lament that although a little time has still been lived, there is still a part of it that has been lived in vain. Contrition of the heart over one’s shortcomings before God forms the basis of one’s determination to continue to be correct before Him. Take care of all this now. Help you, Lord! May the Lord, who arranges the salvation of all those who are saved, and the message of fate, teach you how to adjust yourself so that your life is not in vain - neither this nor that, but is pleasing to God, brings you salvation and serves as a path to receiving the Kingdom of Heaven (9, pp. 141-142)!
64. Correction of life does not consist in rearranging external orders, but in the spirit, with a willingness to fight obstacles. Various ways in which the enemy tries to deflect those who are embarking on the path of true life
So, you decided to do everything as it should. Bless, Lord! All your plans for future new orders of life are good. But so that you don’t misrepresent this matter in the heat of the moment, even though it would be easy 53, I hasten to tell you something to the management.
See, when rearranging everything, pay more attention to the internal than to the external. For now, the external can be left as it is, except for the fact that by its very essence it has a harmful effect on the heart - it saddens, breaks thoughts, fills with unnecessary desires and the like.
Perestroika, of course, must also affect external orders, but not so much in their form, but in the spirit with which it must be done. If you do this, then the external will remain the same, with minor exceptions, but the spirit will be completely different in everything. The benefit of not breaking the external order too sharply is that your change will not be noticeable to anyone.
The second thing you need to have in mind, you already have, namely, do not think that what you have planned will easily come true. How much interference both outside and inside! And you are doing well that you are preparing to embark not on the flowery path, but on the struggle. Well, well! Get ready to fight and keep asking the Lord to give you the strength to endure everything that you encounter who is hostile and interferes. Don't rely on yourself. Place all your trust in the Lord, and His help will always be with you.
But when you prepare to fight, do not think that you will always triumph. Often you just have to endure it, bearing one burden. You will often see that with all the desire to be in good working order, mistakes creep in and break through. Know in advance that all this is in the order of things. If you meet, don’t be horrified. Now, having foreseen this in advance, do not expect a different course of life ahead, as among all sorts of resistances, worries and failures.
Just stock up on one thing - strong courage to stand in the work you have started no matter what. This alone must now be laid down and sealed with a vow and firm determination for the rest of one’s life. And how life goes, what successes and failures there will be, how others will greet it - leave it all to the will of God. From the experiences observed in the lives of the saints, it is clear that the Lord leads differently to perfection those who cling to Him with warm love and devote their lives to Him. He allows the enemy to act hostilely, without, however, alienating His helping right hand. Everything is God. But His ways are wondrous and, most importantly, hidden. Even the leader himself sees them only afterward, looking back. How appropriate, therefore, is the constant prayer: in the image of fate, save me! And with prayer - and surrendering oneself into the hands of God - completely, irrevocably.
And the enemy will not sleep. The saints of God noticed that it has a dual effect on beginners: it does not interfere with some at all and does not provide any resistance. Those, not encountering any obstacles either inside or outside and seeing that everything is going so smoothly, begin to dream that this is what we are like: suddenly all the enemies have been dispersed - and they don’t dare show themselves. As soon as these thoughts subside, the enemy will immediately arrive and begin to develop vain dreams, from which self-confidence and God’s help will be born, oblivion, non-seeking, and for that - deprivation. As soon as it comes to this, the enemy will begin to act tyrannically - to arouse evil within and strong opposition from without - and the poor self-confident person falls. These cases are not uncommon. And if you please, take this into consideration now, when you are figuring out how to get organized in life, so that when you start a new life and everything goes smoothly, you do not dream about yourself, but see in this the most dangerous enemy ambush and aggravate your caution and attention to the matter. Perfection, more or less visible, comes after labors and labors, after years and years, and not from the first beginnings and first days.
On others, on the contrary, the enemy attacks from the very first days with all his strength and swiftness, so that the one who started is lost. Wherever you turn, everything is against you: in your thoughts, in your feelings, and on the outside, you see only one thing that goes against your good intentions, and nothing favorable. The enemy does this in order to frighten the newcomer the first time and force him to abandon his good intentions and return back to a life of carelessness and inattention. As soon as he notices that the newcomer does not give in, but stands his ground, he immediately retreats. For courageous standing against the enemy deserves crowns for the workers, but he does not want to deliver them. So, keep this in mind so that in the event of a strong pressure of opposition, you do not immediately become discouraged, knowing that this is a trick of the enemy, which he will immediately abandon as soon as he notices resistance.
You are doing very well that you don’t see flowers ahead. This is the real view of the matter. And a willingness to persevere. However, save yourself (9, pp. 144–147).
65. Precautions for those who have entered the true path. The leap of life in spring. Why do many who fast do not correct themselves completely?
Now I will point out two or three small precautions.
First. Never think that you have already succeeded in anything. Such is our weakness that as soon as something good appears inside, we immediately shout: here it is, we’ve achieved it! Banish such thoughts. For good things are never given suddenly, but the enemy inspires them. Just give in to this suggestion, the energy will immediately weaken - and here again disorder is close. In order not to fall into this bad thought, every day, when you get up, set yourself up as if you were starting to work on this path for the first time.
Second. Do not allow yourself benefits under any circumstances. A day or two will pass in the labors of self-observation and self-compulsion, the enemy will come up and start buzzing in your ears: “Well, it will be, you worked hard, now give yourself a little benefit.” This is such a flattering suggestion that you won’t even suddenly think that you need to resist it, and yet it is so villainous that just give in to it a little, and everything inside will be agitated. Easing yourself is the same as a small hole in a dam. Once this hole appears, you won’t be able to hold the dam, the water will certainly blow it apart. Relaxation does the same thing inside us: everything will be marked out, so that the restoration of oneself will have to begin again all over again. Fear this as the most evil, albeit sweet-talking enemy. There are two particular cases when you should be wary of this. It's Easter time and spring. After all, with fasting we all more or less settle down. Why then doesn’t everyone survive? Because they give themselves benefits: some on Easter, some after it, in the spring. On Easter you think: it’s a festive time, you can give yourself some freedom.
Anyone who listens will go broke in good spirits. For, having given himself freedom, he no longer returns to self-restraint and begins to do the will of his flesh and thoughts in the old way.
Spring is a pleasant time, but how much evil it does in moral terms! Have you seen how the lambs, when they are driven out onto the grass, jump, bleat, and frolic? Why is this? - Life plays. Everyone feels this leap of life, not only the young, but also the old. There is nothing wrong here. This is an innocent feeling, but how people use it is not entirely sinless. Joy of life! Having felt it, we must thank the Lord that on earth, full of grief for our sins, He also left a place for joys, so that we would not fall into despair. What happens? They will not thank God, but will set out to prolong this joy, dissipate and return to their old ways. This joy or this leap of life is pleasant, but it is completely sensual, bodily, and the urges that arise from it are the same - sensual, bodily. You will want to look at what is pleasing to the eye, to hear what is pleasing to the ear, to smell what is pleasing to the sense of smell, to breathe the air, to be blown by a pleasant breeze - in general, to multiply pleasant sensory impressions.
Whoever follows these urges will not sit within himself, but will certainly come out; then attention to oneself stops; thoughts, feelings and desires will again begin to seethe and enter into the same disarray. The thought of God will go away, and inner peace will disappear. The soul tormented by conscience will say: tomorrow I will not do this; but tomorrow it’s the same again, the same thing the day after tomorrow, and then your hands give up. Life will go on again as it is. All the fruit of Lenten labors in ordering the soul will be lost. And this is for the sole reason that they were not careful and did not manage to deny their feelings some pleasures, and while allowing others, they did not take care to keep their inner in due fear and, carried away by the external, left it (the inner) without attention (9, pp. 161-164).
A cautious thought has already occurred to you: well, how can you not resist?! If, for sure, you do not resist, then God knows whether you will return to such decisive intentions. But know that, turning back, you will be much worse than you were when you did not start such a new life. The Savior compares such recurrent descents into disorder with the return of an old demon to an abandoned house again, but not just one, but with seven others. And, He concluded His parable, the last pot of the first will be for that man. May the Lord deliver you from this!
After reading this, don’t say: oh, why did I start. No no! Don't bother yourself. You have decided on what is right - on a kind of life in which you will, as you first wished, keep yourself at the level of human dignity. So do not humiliate your decision and do not insult the Lord as if He will leave you alone. He is in you with His grace. But if the Lord is in you, who can be against you? (see Rom. 8:31). For there is something greater in you than in the world 54 (1 John 4:4). Moreover, a life that is attentive to oneself is not such that, while depriving one of consolations, one does not give anything in return. On the contrary, this life, with the memory of God and following one’s conscience, is in itself an inexhaustible source of spiritual joys, compared with which earthly joys are like wormwood before honey. You will have to deprive yourself of something external a little. Everything must happen inside. You can participate in everything and be alien to everything. One thing is done externally, but something else happens internally (9, pp. 164–165).
66. General rules for those standing on the path of true life
You have so decisively embarked on the path of serving the Lord. Bless, Lord! Work for the Lord! Most of all: 1. Beware of conceit. It is the first enemy. Our goodness before God, while still only intentional, already gives rise to the thought of some specialness of ours before others and even before our past selves, especially when we manage to do something along this path. As soon as we stand in this order for a little while, it seems like something wondrous - and we begin to dream of ourselves as perfect persons, performing wondrous deeds. And the enemy is inciting this in order to arouse self-esteem. Whoever gives in and falls into this conceit, grace immediately departs from him and leaves him alone. Then the enemy seizes him like a helpless prey.
2. Do not let fear and apprehension leave you. We walk in the middle of networks. The enemy never immediately tempts with obviously bad things, but rather deceives with appearances of good. An inexperienced person will follow the bait and fall into the hands of the enemy, just as an animal carelessly walking through the forest falls into a covered hole. But if you are afraid, do not lose courage, for the Lord is near.
3. Let the fear of death and after death of Judgment and retribution never leave you. In the morning, as you restore the memory of the Lord in your heart, take care to attach to it the memory of these last ones. Then be with this thought inseparably all day, just as you are with the Lord, and, going to sleep, say: “The grave is laid before me!” Death awaits us!” See what kind of guardians you will find in them.
4. You cannot completely withdraw from society. But it is up to you to be more in one where there is less entertainment. And in this, when you are there, do not lose as much of your attention to the Lord, near and within what exists, and the memory of death, ready to take you. Do not give your heart to the impressions of present pleasures from the eyes, ears and other senses. Life in the world is not good because it fills the soul with too many things, persons and deeds, the memory of which then troubles the soul. And it doesn’t allow me to pray properly. There is only one remedy for this: protect your heart as [more] as possible from receiving impressions. Let everything go and pass by you without entering your heart.
5. However, don’t run away from people and don’t be gloomy. In your position, this is inconvenient, and it will not benefit you. However, be more with your own people. Your arrangements are probably good. Do not retreat from them, so as not to give yourself away and not be subjected to human idle talk.
6. Spiritual activities: prayer, reading and meditation should be carried out every day. What to do at what time - decide for yourself. Get up early and, before going out to your friends, complete all these classes to the extent you have time. Pray, however, longer. Express your deepest need to the Lord in childlike words and with childlike trust, intersecting the prayers of the prayer book with bows and short appeals to God. After prayer, read with meditation and apply everything you read to yourself or think about how to implement it in your life. I have already written and I repeat again: it would be much fruitful if every morning you briefly wrote down the thoughts generated or obtained by reflection while reading the Gospel and the Apostle. Take up this work and do it in simplicity, without any verbiage.
7. Working hard, cast all your sorrow about success on the Lord. Confidence in God is the root of spiritual life. Suddenly nothing will be given, everything will come in due time. Whatever you seek with faith will come. And when? – When the Lord pleases to give. Be patient, standing firm in the orders you have begun. Be inspired by the hope that the day will come when the light of joy will shine in the heart and return it to freedom from all bonds, and will bring ease of movement and ascension to where the good marks of the spirit lead. You will then soar in the spiritual realm, like a bird released from a cage (9, pp. 168–170).
67. Extracts from the teachings of St. Pimen about living a godly life, conquering passions and instilling virtues
The beginning of God's path is repentance and crying for sins...
He saw a woman sitting on the grave and crying bitterly, and said: “If all the pleasures of the world appeared here, they would not free her soul from sorrow. This is how we should always cry” (paragraph 26) 55. In paragraph 27, the same circumstance is described in more detail and the words of St. The Pimens are given in this form: “I assure you that if a person does not mortify all the lusts of the flesh and does not cry like that, then he cannot become one with God. This woman’s whole soul and life were plunged into sorrow.” He who repents and weeps for his sins naturally moves away from evil and does good. While he is like this, he will not commit evil deeds, but he cannot be free from evil thoughts. Therefore, his removal from evil almost exclusively consists of fighting his thoughts. This is what St. has to offer. Pimena.
One brother came to Abba Pimen and said to him: “Abba! I have many thoughts, and I am in danger from them.” The elder took him out into the air and said: “Open your bosom and don’t let out the wind!” “I can’t do this,” the brother answered. “If you cannot do this,” said the elder, “then you cannot stop the tide of thoughts. But your job is to resist them” (paragraph 28). Resist; but how? First of all, pay attention to yourself and be sober. So one brother, having said about himself that when he meets others, he has fun and returns to himself no longer the same as when he left, asked what he should do. The elder said to him: “Do you want, when you return to yourself, to find yourself the same as you left? “Keep guard over yourself at home, and keep guard outside the house” (par. 137). “And in general,” Abba Pimen used to say, “what is most needed for us is a sober mind” (p. 135).
As soon as you notice something passionate, while watching over yourself, immediately pray - and it will go away. The brother asked Abba Pimen about the fight against rebellious thoughts, and the elder answered him: “This matter is similar to if a person had fire on one side, and a bowl of water on the other. When the fire starts to burn, he takes water from the bowl and puts out the fire. Fire is the enemy’s (passionate) suggestions, and water is fervent prayer to God” (paragraph 146).
In order to suffer less from passionate thoughts, you need to remove the reasons for their arousal. “Everything passionate must be avoided,” said Abba Pimen. “A person close to what can give rise to passion is like standing over a deep abyss, and a person’s enemy can easily cast him into this abyss. But one who moves away from something that can arouse passion is like one who stands far from an abyss. Let the enemy drag him down to throw him into the abyss, but as long as he is dragged with compulsion, he will cry out to God - and God will help him” (p. 59).
The main thing is to manage in every possible way not to give in to your thoughts. To encourage this, in the legends about St. We read the following to Pimen. His brother asked him: “Can a person always maintain his thoughts and not yield to the enemy in any way?” And the elder answered: “There is a man who holds ten, but gives in one.” The same brother asked Abba Sisoes about the same thing, and he said: “Indeed, there is a man who is in no way inferior to the enemy” (pp. 88, 89). And one more thing: Abba Anuvius asked Abba Pimen about unclean thoughts born in the human heart and about vain desires. Avva Pimen answered him: Will food be glorified by the ax without the one cutting it? 56 (Isa. 10, 15). Don't shake hands with them and they won't do anything.
What will come of such intransigence? - Passions will die down. Abba Pimen expressed this to Abba Isaiah when he asked him about unclean thoughts, saying: “If a chest with a dress is left without care, the dress will decay over time; Likewise, thoughts, if we do not actually fulfill them, will disappear over time or, as it were, decay” (paragraph 20).
Abba Joseph asked Abba Pimen about the same thing, and he said: “If someone puts a serpent and a scorpion in a jug and closes it, then, of course, the reptiles will die over time; Likewise, evil thoughts arising from demons will die out if we patiently resist them and do not give them food” (paragraph 21).
But, moving away from evil by such ruthless resistance to passionate thoughts and desires, at the same time one must do good, instilling in oneself all virtue. Both will soon have their hearts cleansed.
And there are many lessons from St. about inculcating virtues. Pimena. Here are the main ones. He cites the saying of Abba John Kolov, who said: “I wish, at least to some extent, to have all the virtues” (paragraph 46). And then he offers his own lesson about this, saying: “When a person intends to build a house, he collects a lot of materials and various kinds of substances so that he can build a house for him. So we must acquire, at least to some extent, all the virtues” (p. 130).
But there are basic and guiding virtues, on which we must therefore direct all our efforts. They are often indicated by St. Pimen.
Here: “self-preservation, attention to oneself and prudence - these are the three virtues that guide the soul” (paragraph 35).
“To submit before God, to humble yourself and to deny one’s will—these are the working tools of the soul!” (clause 36).
“The Scripture says: If these three men be: Noah, Daniel and Job, as I live, they will be saved in their righteousness, says the Lord 57 (Ezek. 14, 14, 20).
Noah represents non-covetousness, Job – patience, Daniel – prudence. If these three virtues are in a person, then the Lord dwells in him” (paragraph 60).
“Fear of God, prayer and doing good to one’s neighbor—these are the three foundations of perfection” (n. 160).
Abba Pimen makes the layman say the following: I don’t know how to speak from Scripture, but I will tell you a parable. One man said to his friend: “I want to see the king, come with me.” The friend answered him: “I’ll go with you half the way.” He also said to the other: “Go, take me to the king.” He said: “I will take you to the royal palace.” He also said to the third: “Come with me to the king.” “Come on,” answered the third friend, “I will take you to the palace, bring you into it, tell the king about you and introduce you to him.” They asked him: “What does this parable mean?” He replied: “The first friend is asceticism, which leads to the true path; the second is purity, which reaches to Heaven, the third friend is alms, which boldly leads to the king himself - God” (paragraph 109).
When, therefore, on the one hand, concessions to passions are not given, on the other, virtues are implanted, the heart little by little softens (p. 182), warms up and accepts the Divine fire, which only take care of and you will be safe. Abba Pimen says about this: “When a pot is heated from below by fire, neither a fly nor any other reptile can touch it; when it gets cold, then they sit on it. The same thing happens with the soul: as long as it remains in spiritual activity (burning of the spirit towards God), the enemy cannot defeat it” (p. 111)” (9, pp. 232–237).
68. About the possibility and necessity of spiritual life for zealots of piety amid the vanity of life
Count Speransky goes through spiritual life. A statesman, almost constantly busy either with administrative institutions or with improving the order of state life, found it possible to intelligently and heartily abide in God - the all-ruling, omnipresent, all-seeing. This brings to mind the usual excuse with which secular people cover up their reluctance to work properly on the work of God, the work of their salvation: “Where can we be!” Speransky actually denounces them, and he is not the only one, but many others as well. I remember that Elder Vasily denounced the same excuse in his prefaces to the articles of the Philokalia on mental work or prayer, placed in the biography of Elder Paisius of Nyametsky. “Look,” he says, “what a high life people lived, busy with external affairs out of duty,” and he lists them.
Such was the nobleman-housekeeper mentioned by Simeon the New Theologian in the Word on Faith placed in the Philokalia; such was Patriarch Photius, who was familiar with this matter before the patriarchate, during the works of the Secretary of State; Such were the other patriarchs, who had in their hands the management of church affairs, mostly external, which was quite troublesome. Elder Vasily, presenting these spiritual figures among external obligatory affairs, had in mind to dispose the zealots of piety to the same kind of life, in due time. Will you and I not be able to motivate someone to similar experiences by presenting them with a picture of spiritual life, as Speransky paints it in his letters, of course, from his own experience (10, pp. 5–7)?
69. The false path to spiritual perfection among the mystics and the teaching of the holy fathers about the many difficulties of spiritual achievement
Mysticism and quietism are the morbid products of misdirected religiosity. They appeared and were possible only in the West, in Christian communities that had fallen away from the Holy Church, and mainly during the fermentation of minds caused by Protestantism and the Reformation. They were looking for a good deed - living communication with God, but they were looking for it in the wrong way; and most importantly, they hoped through their own efforts and, as it were, by right to take possession of what was to be expected from the mercy of God and what was to be accepted as a gift of this mercy. In the tension of this arrogant initiative, the imagination flared up and gave rise to dreamy expectations, which, as ardently desired, soon seemed and were considered fulfilled and the goal of the work achieved. All this was painted in the most attractive colors and presented in charming images, in dreamy, transcendental contemplations.
The Scriptures attract them, because they talk about subjects dear to their hearts, but they only attract and give nothing. This is a distinctive feature of all of them (10, pp. 12–13).
True life in Christ is a hidden, mysterious (mystical) life. The Apostle Paul calls it the life hidden with Christ in God 58 (Col. 3:3); the Apostle Peter - the hidden man of the heart 59 (1 Pet. 3, 4); The Savior Himself is the Kingdom of God within us 60 (Luke 17:21). But in its appearance it is very simple. It is unknown how the Spirit comes and excites us to repentance. Having accomplished this internal revolution, He then equips the believing heart for the difficult struggle with passions, guides and helps in it. Everyone has this struggle, more or less long and painful; it leads to purity of heart, for the sake of which the believing worker is rewarded with both the clearest comprehension of the truths of God and the sweetest sensation - both in such features as are precisely defined in the Gospel and the Apostolic Scriptures. This latter appears at the end of long labors and many trials - like a crown of reward (10, pp. 13–14).
The truth can only be told by experience, by tasting only spiritual blessings by deed itself; and the mystics, with their very dreams, block the real road there for themselves.
On the contrary, the patristic writings speak least of all about these higher states, and everything about the works of repentance, struggle with passions and various cases (10, p. 14).
70. Behavior and signs of a person in whom the seed of grace-filled spiritual life given at Baptism has been suppressed. Christians by name
All of us, Orthodox Christians, receive the grace of rebirth in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is the seed of grace-filled spiritual life in Christ Jesus. During the period of education, this should also be developed, along with the development of the natural forces of human nature, just as St. Timothy had to, according to the commandment of St. Apostle Paul to kindle in himself the gift he received with the laying on of the hands of the priesthood (2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Tim. 4:14), otherwise this seed will die out under the yoke of evil movements and movements of our life, as often happens, if not most of the time.
Take the last case: the seed of grace-filled spiritual life is suppressed - and you will receive in a person who has matured or entered into life a face without the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The negligence of parents and educators to reveal in him the beginning and rules and requirements of this life, and even more unkind examples at home and outside, in elders and peers, leave full scope for the disclosure in him of all the natural shortcomings of our damaged nature. But as soon as he opens up, he then begins to live and act under the influence of all passionate inclinations and bad habits, especially his own specific ones, for not everyone has everything. He is angry, self-seeking, voluptuous, proud, envious, lustful, self-willed, etc. It is not that these and similar passions act in him every minute, but as soon as the opportunity arises. It’s also not that he has a shameful life: no, outwardly he is good and will not allow himself to be disgraced in front of others by bad character: living for show is his main spring.
It’s not that there is nothing good in it: the Creator placed a lot of good in our nature and we, with all our depravity, cannot completely destroy it, so it peeks through and peeps through. It is a mixture of good and evil, and the predominance of one or the other depends on chance. Today I am angry, tomorrow I am offended; today he offended someone, tomorrow he will do a favor; now he abstains, tomorrow he indulges in all the excitement of a comfortable life, etc. He acts as his character and the interweaving of external circumstances of life dictate, he acts according to the movement of mental and physical changes and the flow of surrounding events, allowing himself self-government to the extent that his pride gives him the strength to do so. His inseparable companion is alienation from everything Divine and spiritual, from the Church, from persons with a Christian character, from holy books and conversations about the holy, although sometimes by chance he ends up in a place where he, albeit reluctantly, comes into contact with all this. Concern for his salvation and his fate after death never visits or disturbs him.
For all that, he is a pleasant member of society, a fascinating conversationalist, and enjoys general attention, respect and fame. Only there is nothing in it that is part of the life of Christ Jesus (10, pp. 16-18).
71. Signs of Christians with incomplete education
Take another case. They pay attention to Christian education, but do not complete it or ignore the most essential and difficult aspects of Christian life, focusing on the easiest, visible, external ones. This incomplete or not properly directed education is given to persons who carefully observe all the established orders of pious life, but pay little or no attention to the internal movements of the heart and to the true progress of the inner spiritual life. This is not like hypocrites who deliberately behave this way for their own special purposes: no, they do everything with all zeal and love and limit themselves to this alone or mainly to this out of ignorance of the best, out of not feeling the insufficiency of their way of life. They are alien to mortal sins, but they do not watch the movements of the thoughts of the heart.
That is why sometimes they judge, and become vain, and become proud, and become angry in the sense of the rightness of their cause, sometimes they get carried away by beauty and pleasures, sometimes they even offend in fits of displeasure, they are lazy to pray and in prayer they are squandered in vain thoughts and so on - and nothing to them. These movements are of little significance to them. They went to church or prayed at home, gave alms according to the usual procedure, corrected their usual affairs - and were completely happy and at peace. And what happens in the heart at the same time is of little concern to them; meanwhile, it can forge evil and thereby take away all the value from their regular pious life (10, pp. 18–20).
72. The difficulty and duration of the struggle to achieve the goal and the first signs of coming into the Kingdom of God
Thus, someone turns from external piety to internal... despite all his good health, he does not have internal peace; it does not contain what is promised to true Christians - peace and joy in the Holy Spirit 61 (Rom. 14:17). When this restless thought arises in him, then a conversation with knowledgeable people or books will explain to him what the matter is, and indicate a significant flaw in the structure of his life, a lack of attention to internal movements and self-government. He understands that the essence of Christian life is to become the mind in the heart before God in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit and, from there, controlling all internal movements and all external actions, turning everything in oneself, both small and great, into the service of the Trinitarian God, devoting oneself to Him entirely with consciousness and freedom (10, pp. 21-22).
Having realized this, he loves and, having loved, begins to be jealous of reproducing in himself such a structure of inner life. Oh, if only desire and jealousy were enough for this! I thought about it - and everything would appear. But in reality, there is a long and tedious work to be done on oneself in order to organize everything within oneself according to what is written. So what happens? – The goal seems bright, the desire to achieve is strong, the work for this is carried on tirelessly - and yet nothing is accomplished. Everything seems to fall out of hand, and when you think that something that is so desirable is about to happen, it turns out to be not what is desired, like a mirage of water to a thirsty person in the desert. Whether this happens for a long time or for a short time depends on the grace of God: some years, some tens of years, he spends working until he manages to get into the heart and receive what he is looking for, because, with all the work and searching, that structure is not achieved through our efforts alone. The Lord gives it, but does not give it without searching and effort. He sees the diligent search and the painful work and the languor of the thirsty heart - he takes pity and gives the desired good.
Why He does this - He alone knows, only without this painful quest no one reaches that normal order. This is the secret of spiritual life... You cannot enter into the treasury of God without experiencing the fidelity of the person being introduced (10, pp. 22-23).
73. About the danger of excessive enthusiasm for the thought of God and theology without practical implementation in life
He who seeks the inner Kingdom of God, or living Communion with God, naturally thinks everything about God, with effort turning his mind to Him; he only wants to read about Him, and talk about Him. But these activities alone, without others, which I will talk about later, will not lead to what you are looking for. For mystics, this activity alone is exposed because they are theorists, not practitioners. There are several excesses on this subject in the Catholic manuals for spiritual life, and this is unsafe. It teaches ease, because it is easier to think than, for example, to pray or listen to oneself; disposes to conceit, like the work of the mind, which is so akin to boasting, and can completely cool down to practice and, therefore, stop lasting success, flattering success in this mental matter. Therefore, sensible teachers are wary of this and advise not to go too much into this activity, to the detriment of others. This is the teaching of Bishop Diadochos.
Here are his words: “For the mind, long exercise in prayer is harmful for the sake of tightness and concentration required by prayer; He plunges into theology with joy, for the sake of the space and freedom presented to him in this area. He should not be allowed to enter this path or, more than anything else, to burst into joy on it” (10, pp. 29–30).
74. The Lord’s parable about kvass: The Kingdom is at first hidden, and then revealed by involuntary attractions inward before God, until it reaches permanent penetration into the heart
Remember now the parable of the Lord about kvass hidden in three satehs of flour. Kvass does not suddenly become noticeable, but remains hidden for some time, then exhibits noticeable effects and finally penetrates the entire dough. So the Kingdom is first hidden in us, then revealed, finally revealed or in force. It is revealed by involuntary inclinations shown inward before God. Here the soul is not autocratic, but is subject to outside influence. Someone takes her and brings her inside. This is God, the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Savior: no matter how you say it, the power of the word is the same.
God shows by this that he accepts the soul and wants to rule over it, and at the same time accustoms it to His rule, showing what it is like. Until these inclinations appear, and they do not appear suddenly, a person, apparently, acts more on his own, with the hidden help of grace. He strains with attention and good intentions to be within himself, to remember God, to drive away idle thoughts and bad thoughts and to do every work pleasing to God, he strains and works until he gets tired, but he never manages to succeed in this: his thoughts are plundered, and passionate movements overcome him, and in his affairs there are disorganizations and mistakes; all this is because God has not yet revealed His rule over the soul. And as soon as this is shown (and it is shown with the above-mentioned attractions), immediately everything inside comes into order - a sign that the Tsar is here. Let everyone remember what happens in his soul when he is drawn inside or when he wants to pray on his own, without a prayer book. This is what we are talking about.
What is meant here is not some kind of extraordinary state, but one that is common to everyone and that happens to everyone who is not careless about salvation. Only it happens in different degrees of strength and duration, but in essence it is the same, starting with light movements that quickly pass, to unperturbed inner presences of God, sometimes lasting for whole hours. God says here: “This is what you are looking for!” Whoever understands the calling and seeks it, those desires will become more frequent and last longer until they reach a permanent and unchangeable establishment in the heart. The holy ascetics everywhere prescribe one law regarding this: not to ignore this state and not to upset it not only with anything external, but even with internal reflection or any undertakings, even if they are good. Even when this happens during prayer, they are ordered to stop and stand before God like this, offering only small and large bows. He will remain like this in his soul and move away. Then the wandering of thoughts and the attack of passionate movements will begin again.
The soul descends from Heaven again to earth, from light into darkness, from light peace into difficult work. Be patient and wait until this discovery of the Kingdom of God in your heart comes again. This will be so as long as it pleases God to consolidate this deepened inward dwelling forever and make it permanent and unchangeable. The search for this latter is actually the search for the Kingdom of God; his appearance is the revelation of the Kingdom (10, pp. 36–39).
75. When an inward desire appears, personal activity ceases. Its difference from despondency:
a) in the absence of beneficial inclinations;
b) when satiated from reading and thinking
Having said that “the Kingdom of God is revealed,” Speransky continues: “Then, when all reflections, all reasoning about heavenly objects become dry, boring, tasteless”... No, not like that: that attraction is not a consequence of this tastelessness, but tastelessness is a consequence of that attraction. It must be said this way: when that attraction is revealed, then all personal activity ceases, whether with the mind or other forces, and there is no desire for it; unless the enemy can come up and suggest something, suggesting that you need to do this or that or think about it in order to develop the incipient good state (10, pp. 39–40).
In Speransky this is expressed too strongly: “dry, boring, tasteless,” whereas it would be enough to say: everything stops and is abandoned. If these words of Speransky are understood as they sound, then they will indicate stops in spiritual life due to dryness, tastelessness and boringness. These are attacks of the spirit of despondency - the tormentor of ascetics. But then there are no grace-filled inclinations; on the contrary, their absence is the cause of despondency. There is only room for silent patience. Something similar to this also happens when someone reads for a long time with attention and thinks deeply about what he reads; the soul is then satiated and no longer wants to read and requires rest in prayer for its tired attention. It goes without saying that the attraction here is not at all the one we are talking about: here is the usual need for rest, revealed by a tired soul, just as it is revealed by a tired body (10, pp. 40–41).
76. A true Christian has “one spirit with the Lord” (1 Cor. 6:17). It is not “Christ is born in us,” but the putting on of Christ is accomplished (Gal. 3:27; Col. 3:10)
Christ is not born in us, but we are reborn in the image of Christ; for our rebirth in the font of Baptism is renewal in the image of the Creator (Col. 3:10), or putting on Christ (Gal. 3:27). The true life of man, lost in the fall, is restored and revealed in its most perfect form in the person of Jesus Christ, God the Word incarnate. It is in Him in such completeness that all believers will draw true life from Him. That is why He calls Himself the vine, and all believers - branches on the vine, taking life juices from the vine.
A true Christian has one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). So close is the union! Meanwhile, a Christian is in himself; he does not disappear in Christ the Lord, but, remaining a separate individual, arranges himself in the image of Christ. This is accomplished by the grace of the Holy Spirit, sent down to earth after the ascension of Christ the Savior into Heaven and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father - and from that time on, continuously abiding in the Church and acting in it through the Holy Sacraments for the sanctification of all humanity. This is our spiritual life according to the source! When they say: “Christ is born in us,” this gives the idea that this is done in us outside of us, mechanically, and yet the actions of grace addressed to a rationally free creature cannot be such. By them we must always understand morally free changes in the mind and heart in a person. These changes are indicated before this, when explaining that there is the Kingdom of God in us.
When applied to the beginning of life, this will be the imagination of Christ in oneself or the transformation of one’s moods according to the properties of Christ, so that in us there will be in us the self-sacrifice of Christ, the patience of Christ, obedience to God of Christ, the mind of Christ - in a word, everything of Christ (10, pp. 41-43).
77. Waiting period: intensification of jealousy, destruction of arrogance - “before the fates, save me”, acquisition of the skill of a godly life, transition of jealousy inward. The meaning of the Jesus Prayer for connecting the mind with the heart and stopping the fermentation of thoughts
The light descends... The Kingdom of God is revealed - it is the same as for the sailors: the shore! shore! But this Kingdom does not come with discretion; It’s impossible to calculate: I’ll do this and that, I’ll position myself this way and that – and the light will come, and the Kingdom of God will open. On our part, perhaps, this is so: fulfilling all the conditions included in the preparatory work for the manifestation of the Kingdom in us, persist in waiting for it, or, better to say, wait with humble, constant, hopeful and imploring patience until it finally pleases the man-loving Lord to show His mercy to us. The Lord does not give suddenly, but why - He alone knows. Wait with hope, for the promise is not false: we will come to him and make our abode with him 62 (John 14:23). But let your wait not be idle. The Lord is waiting until, having exhausted all your efforts, not seeing success, in the depths of your heart you say: “Those who weigh your destinies, save, Lord!” But in order to exhaust efforts, you need to intensify, or work with effort. This is how it should be, and according to the spirit of a jealous person this is required.
Having decided to please the Lord, he, without sparing himself, throws himself into the work of pleasing God and knows no fatigue, and there is no work for which he would not be ready immediately: he wants to repay him for the time spent in negligence. I believe that grace itself brings about this order and spirit of action. But that's only at the beginning...
At first you cannot even notice whether there is fruit from your labors; over time, when one acquires skill in the order of a godly life and this side no longer requires effort, the spirit of jealousy moves from the outside inward, from deeds to thoughts, feelings and intentions. The Lord Himself guides others to this by His grace; another is prompted by a kind interlocutor or leader.
The zealot turns inward and what do you think he finds here? - Incessant fermentation of thoughts, incessant passionate battles, whiteness and coldness of heart, stubbornness and immobility in obedience, the desire to do everything in one’s own way - in a word, everything inside oneself again finds itself in a very bad state. Jealousy flares up again, and one’s efforts turn to one’s inner life, to the thoughts and dispositions of the heart. In the guides to inner spiritual life, he will find that one must pay attention to oneself, one must observe the movements of the heart in order to prevent anything unkind, one must remember God, etc. Work and effort begin in this direction. But you cannot hold thoughts like moving air; you cannot help but miss bad feelings and movements, like the bad smell from a rotting corpse; and the mind does not rise to the remembrance of God like a wet and frozen bird. What to do? – They say: be patient and work hard. There is patience and work, but inside everything is the same.
Finally, someone who knows the matter will come along and explain: that’s why everything is discordant inside you, because there is a disintegration of forces there; the mind goes its own way, and the heart goes its own way. It is necessary to connect the mind with the heart; then the fermentation of thoughts will stop and you will receive a rudder to control the ship of the soul, a lever with which you will begin to set in motion your entire inner world. How is this possible? – Get used to praying with your mind in your heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!” - and this prayer, when you learn to perform it properly or, better yet, when it is grafted into your heart, will lead you to the desired end: it combines your mind with your heart, it will calm the fermentation of thoughts and give you the strength to control the movements of your soul (10, pp. 51-54).
78. The unceasing attraction inward before God is the establishment of the Kingdom of God within us and the beginning of a new change in inner life, called the spiritualization of soul and body
Those who express consent are given instructions on how to perform this prayer. The work of exercising in it should immediately begin, but first you have to overcome your unbelief. No one who was not involved in this matter immediately believed that such a simple means could lead to such important goals, especially in connection with some of the techniques that determine the order of production of this prayer. But finally, something must be done. And so, although reluctantly, with half-faith and half-disbelief, the work of becoming accustomed to this saving work begins. The first fruits revive faith, faith strengthens the work and multiplies the fruits: the work will be done (10, pp. 54–55).
In the continuation of precisely this work of acquiring the habit of mental prayer to the Lord, by the grace of God, those inward attractions to God, which have already been discussed, become more frequent. And then it comes that this involvement within is strengthened forever and the inward presence before God becomes unceasing. This is the establishment of the Kingdom of God within us. But, let us add, this is at the same time the beginning for a new circle of changes in inner life, which can properly be called the spiritualization of soul and body (10, pp. 55–56).
In the course of this life there is ample scope for persistence in waiting. The poor soul toils and toils, searching and not finding. Expecting something from your efforts doesn’t even cross your mind. All self-confidence has long since disappeared, and in the depths of one’s soul one can only hear: “Beholden by fate, save.” Placing ourselves in the hands of God and expecting everything from His sole mercy is the final limit of preparation, readiness and suitability for the establishment of the Kingdom of God within us, which, however, always comes not with discretion (see Luke 17:20). This state of humble, without any pretensions, expectation is the darkness of faith (the phrase of the mystics), which is gloomy only because of the unknown time of receiving what is desired and sought, while the object and basis of the expectation are completely clear (10, p. 56).
79. The Kingdom of God is an incomparable treasure, depicted in the parable of a man who, having found treasure in a field, sold everything he had
I believe that the question is already on your mind: what kind of Kingdom is this?
God's? Speransky answers this further: “No one can either describe it to you or give an idea about it: you feel it, but it is not communicated. Jesus Christ himself describes the Kingdom of God only in parables and similitudes.” Let us add: only everyone knows that this is an incomparable precious treasure, not expected, but actually received and possessed. The Savior explains this with a parable about a man who, having found a treasure in a field, rejoiced and in joy, without telling anyone, sold everything he had and bought that field; and - another - about a merchant who, having learned that there was a pearl of great price somewhere, went, sold everything he had, and bought that pearl (Matt. 13:44, 46). It is possible, however, to satisfy your curiosity to some extent, for what is not definable from the sense of feeling can be determined in the features of its manifestation (10, pp. 56–57).
80. The Kingdom of God comes when God reigns over us; from a psychic point of view - when the mind combines with the heart, itself merging with the memory of God
The Kingdom of God is in us when God reigns over us, when the soul in its depths confesses God as its Master and submits to Him with all its might, and God sovereignly acts in it both in its wills and in its deeds (Phil. 2:13) 63. From a mental point of view, the following should be said about the Kingdom of God: The Kingdom of God arises in us when the mind is combined with the heart, having itself merged with the memory of God. Man then betrays to the Lord, as a sacrifice pleasing to Him, his consciousness and freedom, and from Him he receives power over himself and, with the power received from Him, rules over all of himself, internal and external, as if on His behalf (10, pp. 57–58).
81. The Kingdom of God is a burning spirit
The Kingdom of God is a burning of the spirit, testifying to the birth of inner life, and not only the mind merges with the memory of God, but our entire spiritual being enters into living communion with God: “God is fire.” Warmth, having originated in the heart, becomes non-waste and keeps the attention of the mind to itself - this represents the integrity of our body
I think that you also remember how in the answers of the elders Barsanuphius and John they often speak of a certain fire that they wished with all their desire to kindle in the souls of their disciples. They talk about the emergence of inner life, or the revelation of the Kingdom of God in us. At the same time, all the forces of human life are concentrated together, as if into a focus, and this is reflected by the burning of the spirit, or spiritual warmth; at the same time, not only the mind dissolves with the memory of God and is imbued with it, but our entire spiritual being enters into living communion with God: God... is fire (Heb. 12:29). And so the warmth and burning of the spirit takes root in us from the moment the Kingdom of God is revealed in us. This feature is the most tangible of all, more accessible to the concept and makes it more convenient to explain the manifestations of spiritual life. It is known that when a person is in a feeling, then he is completely constrained by that feeling and is ready and strong to unquestioningly do everything that that feeling prompts. Feeling is like a lever and steering wheel in controlling your inner self. This is what is sought, and this is what is given.
What worries the seeker most of all is the internal disorder in thoughts and desires; all his jealousy is directed at how to eliminate this disorder. There is no other way to achieve this than to obtain this spiritual feeling or warmth of the heart, with the memory of God. As soon as this warmth arises, thoughts will subside, the inner atmosphere will become clear, all the origins of good and bad movements of the soul will become visible, and the power to drive away the latter will be obtained. And this inner light diverges to the external, and there it makes it possible to distinguish what is proper from what is not proper, imparting the strength to establish oneself in the former, despite any obstacles; in a word, then true, effective spiritual life begins, which until now was only in search, and if it manifested itself, it was in fits and starts. And with the drives we were talking about, there is warmth, but it stops with the cessation of the drive. Here, warmth, having originated in the heart, remains persistent and keeps the attention of the mind to itself.
When the mind is in the heart, this is the combination of the mind and the heart, representing the integrity of our spiritual organism.
In relation to this sign - warmth and burning spirit - it is easier to understand why certain methods are used to achieve this state or to prepare for it (10, pp. 58–61).
82. Spiritual warmth, ways to generate it:
1) friction – ascetic labors; 2) mental prayer to God (holding in the sun) - no less difficult, but more likely to lead to the goal. The light is evidence of the birth of spiritual life - the reign of the Lord in us
Remember how heat is excited in the physical world: rubbing wood against wood produces heat and even fire; keep a thing in the sun and it warms up, and if you concentrate more rays, it lights up. The method for generating spiritual warmth is similar to this. Friction is the work of asceticism; holding in the sun is a mental prayer to God.
The labors of asceticism are the entire order of a godly life. I'll retell it briefly. After the firm intention of working for the Lord and not offending Him with sins has been established in repentance, for success in this and for further movement through the degrees of perfection of Christian life, it is necessary to change the external way of life and external relationships as required by this vow; to bind the body with rules in all its needs, especially those that provide more support to passions, through prudent abstinence, feasible vigil and labor, and the removal of irritation of the senses; it is unmissable to occupy all the forces of the soul, according to the spirit of the life begun: the mind - with soul-saving reading, conversation and contemplation of God, the will - with good deeds and undertakings in fulfilling the commandments of God, and the heart - with every kind of prayer, church and home, to excite and strengthen in it holy feelings and sympathy for heavenly things; diligently keep the spirit in the fear of God, in detachment from earthly goods, and most of all - in peace from the conscience.
Thus, the spirit, soul, and body will be in constant friction in all their powers and functions, and through them the heart will be the focus of all of them. From this, it will naturally warm up more and more, just as someone walking naturally warms up from movement and exertion of strength. Through the labors of asceticism, a fire can ignite in the heart, but not soon if they are left alone: this path is full of obstacles. That is why, from time immemorial, zealots of salvation, experienced in spiritual life, without departing from these works, by God’s inspiration, discovered and gave to everyone for use another method for warming the heart, and, moreover, the simplest and easiest in appearance, but no less difficult to perform, only more quickly leading to the goal - this is the expedient performance of mental prayer to the Lord Savior.
It consists of the following: become mindful and attentive in your heart and, having raised the conviction that the Lord is near and listening, cry out to Him tenderly: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, sinner or sinner” - and do this constantly: in church, and at home, and on the way, and at work, and at the table, and in bed, in a word - from the minute you open your eyes, until the way you close them. This will exactly correspond to holding things in the sun, because here there is holding oneself before the face of the Lord, Who is the Sun of the intelligent world. You should know that the fruit of this prayer begins when it is grafted onto the heart and goes deep into it, and for this you need to work on the skill of performing it; To do this, you need to devote a certain part of your time in the morning and evening exclusively to it. When you go through all this with diligence, without laziness and without laziness, the Lord is merciful: a light will warm up in your heart, which will testify to the birth of inner spiritual life in the center of our nature or to the reign of the Lord in us (10, pp. 61–64).
83. The Kingdom of God is revealed when a non-waste spiritual fire is kindled in the heart from a relationship with God: inward abiding.
Such a system is established every day from the moment of awakening until sleep closes the eyes: a) the disorder that arises during the period of searching ceases; b) the uncontrollable fermentation of thoughts stops; c) lordship in everything internal: the memory of the Lord alone stands; d) an unkind thought and feeling meets resistance at the very beginning; e) conscience is always kept clear before the Lord; f) unceasing warmth is the spirit of life
A distinctive feature of the state when the Kingdom of God is revealed inward, or, what is the same, when a non-waste spiritual fire is kindled in the heart from a relationship with God, is inward abiding. Consciousness is all concentrated in the heart and stands before the face of the Lord, pouring out its feelings before Him, most of all painfully falling to Him in humble feelings of repentance, with an inherent readiness to devote one’s entire life to serving Him alone. This system is established every day from the moment of awakening from sleep, lasts all day, with all work and activities, and does not go away until sleep closes the eyes. Along with the formation of such a system, all the disorder that had existed inside until this moment ceases, during the period of searching, in this transitional state of languor, as Speransky calls it...
The uncontrollable fermentation of thoughts stops; the atmosphere of the soul becomes pure and cloudless: there is only one thought and memory of the Lord. Hence the lightness in everything internal. Everything is clear there; every movement is noticed and worthily assessed in the intelligent light emanating from the face of the Lord being contemplated. As a result of this, every unkind thought and unkind feeling that attacks the heart meets resistance at the very beginning and is driven away. Here what Philotheus of Sinai advises is fulfilled: “In the morning, stand at the entrance of the heart and defeat the approaching enemies in the name of Jesus.” This driving away of evil can be instantaneous, but it can last hours, days, months and years; Meanwhile, the essence of the matter is always the same: namely, that nothing unkind is allowed into the heart, but meets with a decisive rebuff from the moment of awareness of its unkindness, and its persecution does not stop until the heart is completely abolished from it.
Following this, whatever is thought, whatever is felt, whatever is desired, whatever is said or done, is thought, felt, desired, said and done with the exact consciousness that all this does not offend the relentlessly contemplated Lord, it is pleasing to Him and in accordance with His will. If, against the will, something contrary slips in, one immediately humbly confesses to the Lord and is cleansed by internal repentance or external confession, so that the conscience is always kept pure before the Lord. The reward for all such internal work is boldness to God in prayer, which incessantly warms in the heart. The warmth of unceasing prayer is the spirit of this life, so that with the cessation of this warmth, the movement of spiritual life also ceases, just as with the cessation of breathing, bodily life ceases (10, pp. 80–83).
84. The period of waiting (the state of seeking) and the signs of the Kingdom of God - the period of Communion with God, the Infusion of God
[Let us consider] our new state from the mental, heart and activity side...
The mind stands in the heart before the Lord, in the conviction or feeling that He is here, sees, hears and listens. This is cultivated by a prayerful appeal to the Lord, intelligent in the heart, until this becomes the predominant feeling; and it becomes such along with the emergence of the state in question. At the same time, the inner fog dissipates, and everything there becomes light from the Lord contemplated, Who is light
Until this mental vision of the Lord is cultivated in the heart, everything is limited to readings that reproduce the same truth before us from different points of view, that is, you constantly turn in the same circle of thoughts, true in essence, but fruitless in their application.
Having realized what the essence of Christian life is, and not finding it in itself, the mind begins to work to achieve this, reads, reflects, talks. At the same time, the truth that life depends on union with the Lord is presented in different forms and discussed, but still remains far from the heart, is not yet felt, and therefore does not bear fruit. Thoughts wander uncontrollably and often shake the very foundations of life. The main thing that is tormenting and disturbing in this state is that all the truths of faith, being contained only on the cognitive side, are subject to the attack of misunderstandings, doubts and unbelief. Only when the predominant feeling becomes the feeling of salvation in the Lord (which happens contemporaneously with the emergence of the state in question), the truths of the holy faith will begin, one after another, to pass into the heart and, turning into juice and blood, remove in advance any possibility of perplexity and doubt. After this you can hear thousands of objections - the heart will not be shaken, for it feels that everything is truly as it is confessed.
Until that time, this is what happens, as Speransky further describes well.
“You convince yourself that you are constantly moving forward, and, by natural delusion, from the variety of points of view you conclude that you are expanding and multiplying your information; Meanwhile, the great questions about the incarnation, about suffering, about death, about the resurrection of Jesus Christ remain unresolved, or you try to reconcile them through allegorical interpretations and systems, more or less witty, and, if in the end you are not yet immersed in doubts, you assure yourself that you are walking in the darkness of faith: this great word, poorly understood and even worse applied, answers everything and reassures about everything.”
More or less, but everyone experiences this, especially those who are engaged in science and, therefore, develop a more cognitive side in themselves. Pathetic are all the methods for calming the mind, invented by those who enter the realm of faith without humble submission to faith, with arrogant confidence to understand and understand everything! Perplexity after perplexity swarms in the mind, and he himself rushes to eliminate them in his own ways, but no matter what he comes up with, he does not meet with satisfaction. And it will always be this way until the heart experiences the truth of all the truths of the holy faith. Then all hesitation and perplexity will end, then the soul will calm down in the bosom of faith and the light of God will firmly illuminate everything within...
It’s the same with Speransky in relation to feeling: he only hinted at what happens in this state, and speaks more about it as it happens in the previous state. In this state, prayer warms in the heart and gives strength to repel all vain attacks. And in the previous state there was prayer (labor), but the heart was almost always cold and only when it moved towards warm and fervent prayer. Now, on the contrary, the warmth of prayer does not go away, but only occasionally a cooling sets in, which is soon driven away by patient stay in routines and activities that excite the feeling. There is a big difference in the attitude of the heart towards vain and passionate struggles - who is free from them! - but in the previous state they entered the heart, co-admired it and seemed to take sympathy by force; therefore, even though there were no sinful deeds there, the heart rarely remained free from defilement by sinful pleasure. And now the same attacks are coming; but at the entrance of the heart a guard constantly stands - attention - and in the name of the Lord Jesus repels these enemies.
And only sometime, when the enemy thievishly manages to plant such sweetness, which, however, is immediately noticed, is erupted and cleansed by repentance until not a trace of it remains. This is the usual structure of the heart in the state in question. Let's now see what Speransky says next.
“Prayer becomes gentler and hotter, or more independent, that is, it turns from verbal to mental.”
Yes, that's true. It turns not only into the smart one, but also into the heartfelt one and becomes smart-hearted or heart-smart. The heart prays and the mind keeps attention and prayer. But what is said before this: “Attentive diligence in pious reading naturally produces a change in prayer,” that is, as if a change in prayer comes from attentive reading - this does not fit here. Pious reading in the previous state predisposes to prayer or provides material for it, but in that state prayer maintains itself, starting from the entire internal structure and holding on to it. Here she holds everything and gives movement and life to everything - reading, reasoning of thoughts, and all kindness and good will, for it becomes the breath of spiritual life (10, pp. 84-90).
Coolings also occur during this period of persistent warmth of the heart from being inside before the face of the Lord, but do not characterize it. They are random here: whereas in the previous state, in the transitional period of quest, these plunderings of the mind, wandering of thoughts, coldness or whiteness of the heart are constant. Only in moments of grace-filled attraction within do the waves of thoughts subside and the heart soften a little; but as soon as this ends, the same thing begins again. And this is until real inner life arises, the first benefit of which is the ongoing warmth of the heart and the pacification of thoughts. It’s sad to experience this, but you still don’t have the strength to control yourself; and there is nothing left to do but, working on yourself to the best of your ability, patiently wait for the Lord to visit. The hope of receiving from the merciful Lord what is sought for keeps us on the path we have begun, but it is no longer pride. Pride drives away the grace of God and causes the retreat of help from above, which can be accompanied by disastrous consequences.
Pride can still keep external behavior in order; but never let it encourage you to work to achieve inner perfection! On the contrary, at the first step inside you will have to arm yourself with it. And if this does not happen, then there will be no success, because pride is the denial of all help from above; and without it all our efforts are nothing (10, pp. 90–92).
With all the inner conviction,” it goes on, “in the duty of humility, in reality one stumbles at every step, and the most cautious spends his life more likely in being aware of his falls than in avoiding them. You value everything, but at the same time you feel that you should renounce everything. Thus, regarding all the feelings that are most essential for piety (I’m talking about prayer, humility and renunciation), you live in almost constant contradiction.”
Both of these traits - conceit and valuing everything - are qualities in the previous state, and not they alone, but all other unkind feelings and passions live in the heart, are hidden there and come out of it when they tempt. That is why there is a contradiction or constant discord with oneself; the mind and consciousness demand one thing, but the heart holds its own. In a state of grace or tangible communion with God, everything passionate and wrong is erupted from the heart: the fire of grace takes possession there and begins to burn out our entire nature from its center. Bad thoughts and passions no longer come from the heart, but attack from the outside and tempt, trying to get inside again, but are always repelled. As for the feelings indicated here, it is precisely on their complete extinction that a truly spiritual, inner life is created. Only when all arrogance and self-confidence, these children of pride, all valuing anything and all hope for anything other than God irrevocably departs, only then is access to God’s all-action open to us, kindling in the heart the fire of life in the Lord.
Here's what it finally says about actions:
“Behavior generally becomes more correct, conscience becomes more sensitive; weaknesses are represented as vices, vices as crimes.”
This is absolutely true. Constantly standing with his mind in his heart before the face of the Lord, a person discusses all his business, both internal and external, with all its connections, so that it would be completely pleasing to the visible Lord. The fear of God is the presiding judge in this court; reasoning of thoughts - clerk; conscience is the judge who makes the final decision. This internal council meets continuously. That is why such a person does all his deeds only in accordance with the true consciousness of God’s will for them - whether they are great or small. Nothing is done haphazardly; within there is a sober and prudent self-government. The Lord, who has prevailed in the heart, gives strength to man. And he is strong not only to resist external circumstances, but also to the flow of internal changes and movements. The property of the Kingdom of God is such that a person who has taken God as his King becomes king over himself and his entire life and turns everything into a way of pleasing God. And before that, what happens?
“You don’t go deep,” Speransky further writes, “it’s enough in the heart; you recognize yourself as a great sinner, but at the same time you say to yourself: “such is man,” and, thus generalizing your depravity, you belittle it with cunning twists of your pride, hide it from yourself, and the life-giving fire of repentance only slides over the ulcer. This is the most deplorable delusion!”
But how could this be otherwise? It’s not established inside, so you can’t see what’s going on there and how it’s going on. There everything flows by itself, without restraint or autocratic direction, and after that, outside it happens as circumstances dictate. From such a mechanism of life, wrongs are not noticed, unless they are sharp and large, like a log; and not being noticed, they do not cause repentance and concern for correction - and a person lives as he lives. Even though he set out to live as he should, he doesn’t have the strength to control himself...
“Let’s summarize,” he says, “the results: little light, constant contradiction in feelings, a lot of impurity in actions; This is the state that I call the state of languor. Longing is its true name, because you feel unable to retreat, too weak to move forward, and yet unhappy while remaining in place. Sitting near the font, you spend years exclaiming: “Man is not an imam.” Oh, when the salvation of Israel will come to throw us into this life-giving font! How does He, accepted into our hearts, allow us to languish in this way? He is inside us, but we ourselves are not there. So we need to get back there. It’s enough to read – you need to act; It’s enough to watch others walk—you have to walk yourself.”
There is nothing to add to these wonderful thoughts and suggestions. If you want inner life, go inside (10, pp. 92–96).
85. Retreat: repentance, Confession, Communion
...[Speransky] talks about the image of the first entry into the path leading to that, such an image by which one can measure the steps forward on this path. It is he who speaks about withdrawing from the world from time to time in order to take deeper care of oneself, about Confession and Communion. Although he calls these three actions three steps, in the practice of our Church this is one thing - fasting.
What a wonderful institution we have - this fasting! Whether a person wants or not, he will occupy himself more deeply and fall more earnestly to the Lord; and then, unknown how, one person begins to make a decision to improve his life, another begins to worry about moving from external correctness to internal one, and a third begins to ignite the fire of inner life before God; further, this fire is supported and intensified by the strict implementation of this same institution in all positions assigned to us and in addition to them.
Having said that we must go inside before the Lord, Speransky determines the steps there. “The first step,” he says, “is to enter into oneself (by withdrawing from the world); the second step is repentance; the third is Communion.”
In other words: give up everything for a while, reconsider your whole life, turn away from everything bad, mourn what should be mourned, and, having set the intention to walk according to the commandments blamelessly, cleanse yourself with repentance; then accept the cup of salvation in order to sincerely unite with the Lord. Having been renewed in this way, you will again enter into the order of your life with new strength, to work for salvation, according to the degree of your spiritual progress. Not everyone takes away one thing from this rite of worship: some take out the determination to live properly, others – zeal for the inner life, others – the fire of this life or the maintenance and strengthening of it...
“Removal from the world. To be alone 64 in the midst of the world is an affiliation of perfect beings, to which we should not have claims 65 . Periodic removals are necessary. Dedicate one or two weeks to removal, I want to say, to the strictest solitude 66 . Strangeness, decency - all this is nonsense in comparison with salvation 67. Use this time solely to consider yourself, without any admixture of theoretical reflections. You've been thinking enough, it's time for you to discuss yourself. Carry out an investigation on yourself from three main points: civil, moral and religious 68.
It is not enough to condemn oneself in general terms - the great mistake of ordinary confessions! - you need to go down to the smallest details, you need to have the courage to face all the ugly forms of your lawlessness 69. I rely too much on the goodness of our Savior and on the grace already abiding in us, so as not to hope that your gaze will not be averted by the twists of pride and that you will have enough strength to see yourself as you are 70. Do not leave this crucible until you are convinced that the villain, dragged into prison and tormented by public execution, is a kind of saint 71 in comparison with us, people of goodness and inner piety, who have claims 72 to grace and to communion with Jesus Christ (you will easily be imbued with this truth, both bitter and saving). In this analysis, one should beware of one stumbling block: judging oneself, one should not judge others, one should stick to one’s own personality and leave all comparisons to the One who knows the hearts 73 "(10, pp. 97–103).
"Repentance 74. When you feel penetrated, torn apart in the consciousness of your iniquity, then you understand for the first time what repentance is. A contrite heart is not a metaphorical expression: it is a true and positive feeling; you feel how it is crushed, erased into dust. Do not be afraid to crush it; on the contrary, tear it apart, finally 75 testifying, so to speak, publicly about this inner repentance - I want say, confessing in the church, that is, to the priest, who in some way is the representative, authorized by all our believing brethren, known and unknown, visible and invisible, living and dead, who in the mystical and true sense constitute the body of Jesus Christ, I am not afraid to assert that internal repentance, no matter how ardent it may be, without this formal Confession (unless in the case of insurmountable obstacles) will always be incomplete 76 "(10, p. 103–106).
“Communion. In Communion, Jesus Christ truly unites with us. He is always in us 77 (and this presence is called grace; this is the true meaning of this expression, so little known to the scribes of our age), although we do not feel Him, we must feel Him in ourselves; and in order to excite or revive this feeling, Holy Communion was established 78 .
Thus, Communion is an essential matter in the Christian life, as in the body - the reception of blood particles by each small member is essential in the matter of its life. There may or may not be a feeling of living communication with the Lord. It is in the hands of the Lord: He does as He pleases. But in those who partake worthily, life from the Lord is always received and acts - whether it is hidden or open. Those who claim that due to constant continuous communication they can do without this special combination are deeply mistaken. For, firstly, constant communication presupposes a high degree of holiness - and who will be brave enough to ascribe it to themselves? Further, even assuming that this continuous communication exists, this other, deliberate and symbolic communication will only revive and strengthen it. So, in any case, it is extremely useful and necessary 79.
Add to these arguments that your church provides such great conveniences to this exercise that it is unforgivable not to use them 80 . It would be superfluous to warn you about another danger - dryness of the heart. You know too well that meekness and ardor of feeling are not always a sure guarantee of an increase in grace; on the contrary, it acts more powerfully during internal torment and crosses 81” (10, pp. 106–109).
86. After achieving the state of tangible communication with God, a new period begins in spiritual life, leading to the height of perfection - a state of purity
Speransky continues: “Return, oh, return, dear friend, to these three exercises 82, and I dare to assure you on behalf of Him whose joy lies in life and communication with people, that He will not be slow to appear 83. He will come to shed His light on your mind, to purify your feelings, to guide your actions. You will feel strength within yourself that is still unknown to you 84 . Your yearnings will dissipate, for He will come not in the form of a thought, an abstract concept, as you have experienced before, but as truly, as physically 85 as the rising sun today. For once the spectacle of the spiritual world is revealed to us, it is impossible not to feel the sun that rules it 86 .
But I ask you: what is more real - the spiritual or the material world? 87 I am not saying that everything is done as soon as you reach this state of tangible communication 88 . Oh no, much remains to be done to achieve another communication, which is already imperceptible, but transcendentally detached not only from every image, but also from every thought, communication, almost inexplicable in words, although very real 89 . When you are once firmly established in it, then you will either no longer need my advice (for He will lead you Himself), or, if He still wants to act through me, then He will give me ways and strength to do so. Oh, what great things He will reveal to you! Your insides will then literally tremble with joy. Believe me, during our separation you and I ate only milk. The bread of the strong has a completely different taste, although it is composed of the same principles 91.
I now know quite accurately your way of life in the world and I do not hide from myself all the difficulties that you will have to struggle with in order to indulge in these exercises with consistency 92. But consider, 1) that you have already received significant inclinations of the Holy Spirit and that such apostasies, when persistent, are not forgiven 93 ; 2) that everything that now seems to you an obligation, a debt of gratitude, pleasure, decency, in two or three months will seem almost ridiculous 94; 3) aren’t sacrifices needed on this path, like on any other? and how long will we remain neither cold nor warm? 4) there are always means to deal with the light and evade it slowly and without breaking 95 "(10, pp. 109–116).
87. About the need for feat and some features of this period
“During your retreat from the light, in order to prevent distraction of thoughts, choose simple reading, for example, “Imitation,” or do translations - in a word, take on an exercise that would occupy your mind without prompting it to research. But most importantly, indulge in prayer and careful consideration of your past life 96.
At other times, I will advise you to study the Bible in detail, not because the true light flows from the letter, no, but through this medium it usually pours out. So, you need to stock up on this material for the duration of its effect. Establish yourself in the literal sense, and the Teacher in due time will reveal to you the true meaning... Start with the Old Testament: this is the step necessary to rise to the New. But once again: no one should be flattered by the thought that he sees clearly until the light from above 97 illuminates him” (10, pp. 116–118).
88. About the “twilight of faith”, visions and false mysticism and the need for an experienced leader
To walk in the darkness of faith will mean to walk in devotion to the will of God. Faith, according to Patriarch Callistus, is twofold: one is theoretical, which believes in dogmas; the other is active, which consists in confidence in God, in the fact that God will not leave those who cling to Him, but will keep them unharmed and, like the message of destinies, will bring them into His eternal Kingdom. But this is the essence of devotion to the will of God and humble submission to His orders regarding our fate. Patriarch Callistus expresses this as follows: we mean faith that, by the testimony of the mind, confirms the heart to be undoubted in the communication of hope, distant from any opinion (hesitation) (10, pp. 229–230).
Speransky’s idea of visions does not agree with the teachings of his fathers. The Fathers say not to accept visions at all, but Speransky says: “Do not cling to them, but accept them with gratitude,” and gives the following reason: “This is the Spirit of God, but the Spirit passing through a substance that has not yet been sufficiently purified.” One cannot speak so decisively and without restrictions about visions. We must not forget that there are visions - the fruit of a heated imagination, and there are visions - the charm of demons. Visions of grace are very rare and are arranged by the Spirit of God in the form of spiritual education. Thus, there are visions from the Spirit of God, but we must be very careful in distinguishing them, for not far from us we have a dark master who knows how to take the form of a bright angel. And how many careless people there were who died from indiscriminate trust in visions (10, pp. 230–231)!
89. On the origin of false mysticism, with instructions on how to avoid it
A truly Christian life is a life hidden with Christ in God. It is mysterious both in its origin, and in the ways of maturation, and in its perfection. Therefore, not all mysticism is false. False mysticism comes from deviating from the right path of ascent to Communion with God. The beginning of this path is repentance. The one who repents corrects all the paths of his life and his soul and body in all their powers and functions, imposes rules, the fulfillment of which kills and erases the evil that has been grafted onto them, and the good that is akin to them is nurtured and strengthened. All this together constitutes the order of a godly life. The regulator of everything is prudence with the advice of experienced people. They establish all rules in accordance with the character of the person and his external position. Walking in these routines constitutes an active life. But since they strive to please God with all this, then the attitude towards God is inevitably observed in all such matters - in all such matters, the communication of the mind and heart to God should be an integral part, their inner soul, a condition for their pleasingness.
If turning the mind and heart to God is prayer, then prayer constitutes the soul of active life in its proper structure and direction. But prayer also has its own special part that belongs exclusively to it in life, where it alone reigns. This is a feat of prayer. It begins with the assimilation of other people's prayers, left to us by the wise fathers; when the spirit of prayer is thus cultivated, prayer begins to ascend to the level of personal prayer, where it passes through new degrees, of which the first is mental prayer, the second is mental-heart prayer, the third is spiritual or contemplative. Life in God is a whole life; she is also the being of prayer. Consequently, the right path of ascent through the degrees of prayer is the right path of ascent to communion with God, or, what is the same, is right mysticism. Deviation from the right ascent of prayer to perfection is at the same time a deviation into false mysticism.
It is not difficult to notice the place of this deviation, or the first point of departure into deviation: this is the transition from verbal prayer, according to ready-made prayers, to personal prayer, in other words, the transition from external prayer to internal, mental. To remove delusion from this point will mean to remove the deviation into false mysticism. The deviation into false mysticism among the fathers and sober ascetics is called deviation into delusion.
We have seen these deviations from rightness on the path of movement from the outside to the inside... Some get stuck on the imagination, others stop on the mental doing. The true step is taken by those who, bypassing these stations, go to the heart and take refuge in it. But here, too, error is still possible, because part of mental-heart prayer is self-made, laborious; and where we are, there is always the possibility of falling into delusion, just like into sin. Security begins when pure and unadulterated prayer is established in the heart, which is a sign of the overshadowing of the heart with tangible grace, for here feelings are formed that are trained in the judgment of good and evil. So, from the very beginning of the movement from outside to inside until this blissful moment, deviation into false mysticism is possible. How to avoid this misfortune? The fathers indicate one way for this: do not be left alone, have an experienced adviser and leader. If there is none, get two or three together and be mutually guided in the light of the fatherly writings.
I don’t know of any other way to avoid the errors of mysticism, except perhaps for the special grace-filled guidance that God’s chosen few were granted. But these are features, and we are talking about ways of life that are common to everyone (10, pp. 231–235).
“Now let's see what Speransky says about this.
“Where do the delusions of false mysticism come from? From zeal for faith, not purified from self-love. What is the means for this purification? Fasting, strict observation of your thoughts, battle with feelings, life of repentance. But all this is the activity of my own mind and heart, which must be put to death, and although the activity is, without a doubt, commendable, it is still an exercise, everything is the development of spiritual strength, everything is an opportunity and a reason for the same pride and self-love. Consequently, without rejecting active paths, it remains to conclude that prayer, and mental prayer, is the only completely safe path. Visions, deep and, apparently, inspired thoughts are all thoughts, all exercises of the mind, and not its clinging, not its numbness in the one God.”
So, when mental prayer is established and reaches the final degree of its perfection, at which the mind, clinging to God, becomes numb in unity with Him (filled with love and devotion to God), then self-love burns in this fire and, as a result, the danger from delusions passes. Absolutely! Here, for the sake of complete devotion to God, God will already be both what he wants and what he does 98 (Phil. 2:13). But this state does not appear suddenly, as soon as you want to have it. First of all, we must go a more or less long way; and on this path all the crossroads are scattered, from deviating into which, without the right outside guidance, only a special miracle of God’s grace can save someone for the extremely childish simplicity of faith; But what about others? Mental prayer, he says, will save, but mental prayer itself has an extreme need for guidance while it is self-made or laborious. It is at this time that mental prayer, not guided by a skilled hand, most often goes astray. So, the remedy expressed by Speransky is not complete and not reliable.
Its main mistake is that a person is left alone on this gloomy and secretive path of inner life, especially when taking the first steps along it.
For all the fathers who wrote guides to spiritual life, the first point in the rules for those entering the inner life is to have a spiritual father-guide and to obey him... This is what Gregory of Sinaite says: “Without a teacher, it is impossible to succeed in smart work yourself. What you do on your own, and not on the advice of those who have succeeded, gives rise to dangerous conceit. If the Son of God did not create anything about Himself, but as the Father taught Him, He did so, and the Holy Spirit did not speak about Himself, then who is this among us who has reached such a height of perfection that he no longer requires anyone else to guide him? This is pride, not virtue! Such a person is already in delusion, that is, he has embarked on the false path of evasion into error.”
And here are the words of Callistus the Patriarch: “First of all, take care to find yourself a mentor and teacher who is not charming and, having found him, completely surrender to him, like a loving son to your own father, walking steadily according to his commands and looking at him as at Christ Himself. Whoever wants to live on his own, that is, independently, without a mentor, according to the word of the Climacus, easily deviates into error and perishes, even if he has exhausted all the wisdom of this world. Those who do not walk with advice walk as if in a sleepy reverie; they sow much, but reap very little, and instead of wheat - alas! “They gather up the weeds.”
And in active life, rarely does anyone manage without stumbling, remaining with only their prudence. But here, at least, the harm is not so great: one thing done wrong, if necessary, and it’s easy to redo it or do it properly another time. In smart doing, deviation from the right path gives its direction to everything internal, which cannot suddenly be changed. Some of these, as we have seen, become entangled in the networks of imagination, others stop at mental activity, or, according to Simeon the New Theologian, at the first and second degrees of attention to prayer or mental activity. And when they are consolidated in this system, the most experienced and most diligent mentor will hardly be able, if only he can, to knock them out or lure them out of these slums in which they imprison themselves, finding them extremely delightful (10, pp. 235–239).
90. About reading the Holy Scriptures, about the essence of spiritual life, the purpose of the world’s existence and about silence
“The study of Scripture,” writes Speransky, “in the way you do it, that is, the development of its meanings not by the effort of the mind, but by prayerful reflection alone, is, in my opinion, the holiest and most useful exercise after pure contemplation.” More precisely, it should be said this way: in order to feed on the word of God and nourish spiritual life within oneself with it, one must assimilate it wholeheartedly. For this, when starting to read, place yourself in the presence of God and ask the Lord for enlightenment of the mind; then, prayerfully opening your heart to accept the truth, understand by reflection and understand the content of what you read; then arouse sympathy for the understood person or lead him to the heart and love him; Desire to use those you love in life, or determine in what cases in your life the truths you understand and love can be applied, and apply them to action. This will be the whole-hearted assimilation of Scripture. But it should be noted that the meanings of Scripture cannot be developed. The true meaning of every passage of Scripture is one; diversity is appropriate only in its application.
Everything that a pious Christian can think about a certain passage of Scripture for his own edification should not necessarily be considered the meaning of that passage. Therefore, the phrase development of meanings is inappropriate. It must be replaced with this: the development of various applications of the considered passages of Scripture for one’s edification.
“If we,” continues Speransky, “were free to choose between various gifts of grace, I would stop at this and prefer it to all visions, even the gift of prophecy itself, for it gives less room to self-love and therefore is less dangerous and more consistent with Christian humility. You constantly feel on a leash, more suffering, more subordinate to a given and established authority. The Church is here to correct errors as we fall into them. But, while indulging in this exercise, one must be very careful not to become attached to distant interpretations.”
Great rules! God willing, all smart and educated people would follow them! But what follows must be specified. Does the meaning of Scripture really change with the spiritual age of the reader? It is not the meaning that changes, but its application or, with the aid, its insight into the spiritual realm. The stronger in spirit extracts the best thoughts for his edification from a certain place or further gains insight and is more likely to survey the circle of spiritual objects with his help than the weaker; the meaning of the place is all the same (10, pp. 239–242).
“Scripture,” says Speransky, “is a book for teaching everyone, adapted to all spiritual states. As these states change, its meaning changes and, although the essence is always the same, its applications diversify indefinitely 99 . That is why we notice that the holy fathers gave different explanations to the same place, depending on the times and degrees of their spiritual life and depending on the development of learning.”
The Holy Fathers did not give different explanations to one and the same passage, but made various applications to them for the edification of those being instructed; the meaning of places was recognized as uniform and unchanging. Under this only condition of unity of understanding of the revealed Scripture, they are the fathers and teachers of the Church.
“So, do not find it strange if during your labors you happen to have different views regarding the same facts, and always accept your daily bread with gratitude, without being attached to one form in preference to another. You need to maintain this form as long as it holds on its own; but if another, clearer one presents itself, we should not stubbornly reject it, because the only reason is that we have already accepted another form. Systematic consistency, a strict order of thoughts, so praised in human sciences, have no place here, for everything here is a matter of feeling or, better, spiritual growth.”
These points are quite the opposite of what was said above about the feeling of being bound and subordinate to a given authority when reading and studying Scripture. “Don’t get attached,” he says, “to any form of understanding,” therefore, today is one thing, tomorrow another; and, therefore, Scripture will not represent anything solid for us: the soil under us will be unstable, fluid, and shaky.
“Imagining the clearest image of understanding, throw first.” But he only introduced himself to me, and I am not the decider of the meaning of Divine Scripture - how can I be so capricious? Lutherans have it in their hands. They have a law not to be bound by any definite interpretation, and every good man follows his own example. If you are truly Orthodox, you cannot allow yourself or others to act like this, for this undermines the entire authority of Scripture and opens up limitless scope for self-thinking.
“Among many things,” Speransky concludes, “truly beautiful, two considerations in particular struck me: the explanation of the population census prescribed by Augustus, and the history of the massacre of infants. There is no doubt that these facts contradict everything that the most reliable history has left us. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to look for an allegorical meaning here.”
Said too soon and too strongly. I was too lazy to think and rushed into an allegory. This is what mystics always do. On the contrary, both ancient and modern interpreters of Scripture, persons of solid education, do not find these events to contradict historical data and the arising perplexities are resolved very satisfactorily for the unprejudiced. Allegory in these and similar cases, if recognized as the only way of explanation, weakens the meaning of Scripture and undermines faith in its immutable truth. That Speransky’s friend came up with something cunning is not surprising: it is in the spirit of the Lutherans, and especially the Germans. But how Speransky agreed with this is amazing (10, pp. 242–245)!
Speransky's last letter to Bronevsky again draws our attention to prayer.
“So... a short prayer, Lord, have mercy! there really is spiritual magnetism, and it was not without the assistance of the grace and truth of Christ that this comparison came to you. By closing the sensory world, spiritual magnetism is achieved.”
About a person who influenced another with a word, they say: he magnetized him. Mental-heart prayer to the Lord, having become established, captivates and transforms both soul and body, and whenever it is powerful, it introduces the mind into a vision of another better world - the spiritual, distracting it from everything (10, pp. 245-246).
“By natural birth we put on a spiritual body: Adam became the first man into a living soul; by rebirth we put on a spiritual body: the last Adam is a life-giving spirit 100 (1 Cor. 15:45).”
We are born in a state of damage, in the font of Baptism we are reborn by grace in the Lord Jesus Christ for a new, spiritual life. The damage consists in the fact that the spirit, having fallen away from God, fell under the dominion of the soul, and the soul - under the dominion of the body. In rebirth, the strength of the spirit is restored and dominion over the soul returns to it, and through the soul, over the body. The life of the regenerate must take place in the transformation of soul and body according to the requirements of the spirit, or in their spiritualization (10, pp. 246–247).
“The mystery of our redemption consists in the transformation of the spiritual into the spiritual, or, as some holy fathers call it, in transfiguration, and St. Paul is even more expressive: in leading everyone in Christ; and this leadership, or transformation, begins in this very life, in this very dead body of ours, and is accomplished.”
The essence of life in Christ Jesus, spiritual life, consists in the transformation of the soul-body into spirituality, or in the spiritualization of soul and body. The moment from which this spiritualization begins is the birth in the heart of a persistent warm prayer to the Lord - a sign of its combination with the Lord. The heart is the root of life and all its manifestations. When it is dominated by the spirit, then through it the spirit naturally begins to penetrate the entire composition of our nature and spiritualize it; then the mind begins to be saturated with Divine truth, completely imbued with it, in all its volume: the will - with holy moods and dispositions, with all the virtues; heart - with holy feelings; at the same time, the body becomes restrained, hardworking, lively, cheerful, chaste. Where all this is present, there the fallen one is completely restored (10, pp. 247–248).
“The existence of this world is an episode in the great work of Creation, a necessary episode, but not the goal and end of the poem. It is necessary because spirituality, freedom and the possibility of falling are one and the same thing.”
The current way of being of the world is, for sure, an episode. It would not have existed if there had not been a fall. But it is not necessary, just as the fall is not necessary. Created freedom presupposes not just the possibility of a fall, but together the possibility of non-fall; otherwise it would not be freedom. Therefore, it denies the necessity of the fall, and at the same time the necessity of the present way of being of the world. What would have happened if there had not been a fall, we cannot guess, but everything would not be as it is. For now everything is adapted to the sub-punishment state of a person who bears penance for his fall. And then everything would be in accordance with the state of inviolable fidelity to the will of God (9, pp. 248–249).
“Turning to spiritual prayer, I will also talk with you about its properties. As we practice and get used to it, it becomes clear that it seems to stop the course of our mental strength - and to the question of what we were thinking about when we prayed in this way, we do not find an answer in ourselves, for indeed at this time we do not think about anything, do not imagine anything and do not remember anything, for remembering, imagining and thinking is a matter of the soul, not the spirit.”
It is not just one mental force that is stopped by mental prayer, but all of them. If we delve into the ordinary state of our soul, we will see that thoughts are constantly agitated in it, desires are born one after another, and underneath both of them the heart is agitated in feelings that constantly disturb it. When mental prayer is reborn in the heart and comes into force, until the heart burns, then all this flow of spiritual movements stops, like the flow of blood in a bleeding woman. And this is not only during prayer, but also constantly. Only in the latter case, not all of their activities cease, but their unauthorized, unrestrained and uncontrolled movement. On the contrary, the activity of all forces begins, purposeful, directed by the same beginnings and towards the same end. At the same time, order is established inside instead of the previous disorder.
“Eastern fathers call this state silence, and Western fathers call it suspention des faculties de l'ame. And that is why this prayer is called spiritual. It is prayer in spirit and truth; and not what some, however, pious people mean by this. Briefly: it consists in the absence of everything that is called any concept, everything that is not the spirit of Christ, for the spirit has neither concepts nor words.”
Silence among the Eastern Fathers is one of the types of monastic life - hermit life, when someone lives alone or sometimes together. They call the state of mental-heart prayer sobriety, attention, work hidden in Christ, etc. Again there is talk about the retreat of everything, or about emptiness. Speransky thinks that during mental prayer consciousness rests on nothing or emptiness, so that nothing can be discerned inside. Not at all like that: at this time, ordinary mental movements stop, but not spiritual actions. Here the spirit is in power, but in itself it is not empty and stands before God, Who is everything. Having deepened in the presence of God, the mind contemplates God, worships Him and confesses His Godly properties and actions. Even in a state of captivity or admiration of the mind into contemplation, this captivity is always accomplished under the influence of a certain spiritual object. The Apostle Paul was raptured, but not into emptiness, but saw and heard there, but could not express it or found it inappropriate (10, pp. 249-251).
91. About devotion to the will of God
Believe and hold deep in your heart that nothing can happen without God, even to the smallest detail. Everything is calculated with Him. It is our duty to turn everything into the salvation of the soul and to derive spiritual benefit from everything. This is all our wisdom. But no one has yet figured out how to organize themselves. Everything is like a web. The poor man weaves, weaves; the wind will blow and everything will fly apart. And how the Lord weaves is so durable. And thin, but strong, like a rope. Blessed is the soul that rests in the hands of God! Like a baby at its mother’s breast, she rests under the shelter of the Lord. It is difficult to understand, and even more so to feel, this. May the Lord help you! He who falls painfully towards God is not forgotten (11, p. 13).
92. The purpose of creating man
You write: God created man for society. Correct this thought: man was created to communicate with God. This is his main goal. Therefore, when man fell away from God, the Only Begotten Son of God deigned to descend to earth in order to reunite him with God again. This communication with God is so significant and necessary! But just as in order to enter into this communication and strengthen in it, a person needs to live a short moment on earth, and it is difficult for him to live here alone, then for a while he was given a disposition towards the public - not as the main thing, but as an accessory along with other everyday inclinations. For all of them, the seat is in the soul... The spirit is not earthly... Therefore, when it takes strength, it drowns out the voice of spiritual needs and breaks all the bonds that hold the soul, which are insoluble for it alone. Then it is easy and spacious for a person: he is in his element. It's a disaster for a society in which the public is a target. Then the center moves and confusion and disorder begins.
You admired music, but you exalted its price too much. Another area is music, and another is prayer. Therefore, the transition from one to another can only be random. There are many ghosts of spiritual things, which seem, but are not spiritual. You say that sometimes it’s so good and easy, and sometimes everything will fall apart... Life goes in stripes... Yes! something flies off... But I think it’s always our fault. The Lord is near. God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. When this is there - and that is. Like clothes, then the soul is covered... otherwise it is naked and in the cold. What to do, we are weak people.
Ah, we understand!.. the Lord is jealous! My glory, he says, I will not give to anyone else. The Lord demands decisive exclusivity. Deviation of the heart is treason, and there is a fine for it. The longer one remains in love, the stronger the reproach for the evading heart. Any distraction, attachment of the heart to anything other than the Lord - everything is counted and punished (11, p. 1314).
93. Warmth of spirit - from the breath of grace
Warmth of spirit comes from the breath of grace. But our pride sits next to her. From the length of this blissful state, a person will either begin to blow a trumpet before himself, or will appropriate this benefit to himself, or will hope too much: “Well, now we’ve settled down.” When this happens inside, the Lord takes His grace and leaves the person alone. What does a person have? So you feel a lack of taste for everything spiritual, and burden, and indifference... just like through an open window, all the warmth has gone. It is necessary to drown; but firewood is not sold in the noise of the world, but is stored in the Lord's store. Open the store and take it... Anyone has free access. The key is crying, repentance, contrition, or simply a patient cry to the Lord, even without any taste, with self-compulsion... Then the Lord turns back the warmth again... And this is called an instructive retreat of grace (11, pp. 16-17).
94. Attention to oneself as a necessary condition for spiritual life
It’s good that you repented and asked the Lord for forgiveness for the thought of appropriating good things for yourself... There is no more evil thing! A thought seized at the entrance like a robber and driven away is not a disaster. But when its reflection falls on the heart and it delights in it, then this heart must be beaten hard for betrayal. The reason for everything is inattention. The mind will not notice how the evil spark falls; but does not notice for entertainment. Work hard, but don’t let the Lord out of your mind and lips. And don’t forget to fall before Him. Even if it is difficult: the more valuable the feat and the sooner grace is given. With good efforts, the tension of being with the Lord brings many benefits. Let us fall down and cry: Lord, have mercy! This small tightness is instructive and saving... There is a Lord who arranges everything. He will restore all sorts of ruins... But another thing: the end is not here... The fruit of life will be revealed beyond the line of life... Save us, Lord, in that terrible hour; and here one word is enough: Thy will be done, Lord (11, pp. 29–30)!
Egoism is formed from external exploits without attention to thoughts. Whoever begins to truly pay attention to himself and establishes himself in this attention will begin to receive from himself the most convincing lessons in humility every minute. For then it will be revealed how much uncleanness lies at the bottom of the heart. Thoughts, movements, desires constantly emerging from the heart - not always right - will let you know that the heart is nothing more than a purulent scab, emitting a disgusting stench. This feeling will sink deeply into the soul - and where is the egoism? The path of attention to oneself is the path of true humility - and the only path to that. You yourself write: the opposite of good arises. Where is it from? From the soul. It became that inside the soul there is a reserve of the opposite of good. What kind of soul should we consider this? Certainly not a saint. Whoever does only external feats and does not pay attention to himself will fall into selfishness. He makes a few bows, sits and dreams: well, now we’ve worked hard. You see, they borrowed God. Or he doesn’t eat his fill and thinks: so are all saints, i.e. at least write in the holy calendar... and other things like that.
External feats are essential; but dwelling on them alone is a disaster! Have you ever seen the expression among the holy fathers: action and reason, in which they combine all the work for the salvation of the soul? This is the same as saying: feat and attention (11, pp. 55–56).
95. About being with the Lord
There are people who are so established in the Lord that, despite any separation, everyone remains with the Lord. Is their strength of spirit higher, is their composure more concentrated, or is the heat of love and warmth more abundant! Let us pray that the Lord will grant us this grace too. And He is inquisitive. Diligence, labor, search will not be in vain. He himself prescribed: seek and you will find. Let us seek and find (11, pp. 30–31).
Living between people, it is impossible, of course, to have relations quickly; but it is possible. And here death is not far away. It is good to die in a state of quest, if the Lord does not bless - in a state of perfection. And in the next world there will be an ascent from the lowest to the highest.
But we forgot about that world: the troubles knocked it out of our heads. Let us repent, shake off the lull of entertainment, enter the peace of sobriety - and everything will go well. It would be better, of course, to pull the thread continuously; but what to do when it breaks?! Let's twist and pull the same thread again... After all, our entire life is the spinning of one cob... Everything dangles and dangles - and a big ball is formed. In the next world they will unwind it all... They will begin to strictly examine the merits of the thread: by arshins, quarters, tops. And whoever was spinning will stand and wait with fear for what they will finally say: good or bad (11, pp. 30–31).
96. Warmth of the heart is the fire that the Lord came to bring to earth
There is life in the heart, and one must live there. Don't think that this is a matter of perfection. No. This is the work of everyone who begins to seek the Lord. Then only the beginning of life will appear when concentrated, unquenchable warmth appears in the heart; and slight warmth is very fragile. First God created the light poured out; and on the fourth day he concentrated it near the sun. So it is in spiritual life: when reading, and when thinking about God, and when praying, and in church, and during conversation, there is warmth in the heart, but some kind of light, inspired, and not instilled. It must be concentrated in the heart, grafted onto it, smolder and burn. Then whatever. This is the fire that the Lord came to bring to earth (11, pp. 52–53).
97. In the resolute intention to work for the Lord to the stomach position is the root of life
The resolute intention to work for the Lord to the point of the stomach is the root of life. When this is there, it means there is life, and when it is not, there is no life. With it there may be mistakes, evasions, even strong falls; but when it’s intact, it’s not a problem yet. Anyone who falls will rise; If you're hurt, you'll be cured. It is the thread on which all goodness is strung; but it is also a knife with which everything unkind is cut off. Keep this heartfelt zeal, devoting yourself to the Lord every minute. And the fact that, due to circumstances, sometimes there are involuntarily omissions, retreats, even crooked steps... what to do? – Just don’t justify yourself in them. Condemn yourself before the Lord, contrite and confess to Him. And one more thing: never allow yourself to do anything arbitrarily, consciously. Be patient with the Lord in all your troubles, in all your obstacles and inconveniences. He sees everything and measures what you are with the right measure. And for us sinners, where can we guess what we are? – Earth and ashes (11, p. 54).
98. About correction of sinful life
When a person is given over to sin, then all the powers of the soul and all the functions of the body work towards this sin, and the image of home life and external relationships is also imbued with the same spirit. Now, if after conversion the sinner does not leave his former occupations and his former order of life, then they will easily draw him back to his old ways. It is necessary to rebuild everything and introduce new orders everywhere. So - the eye was accustomed to looking at what fed sin, the ear was accustomed to hearing what flattered passions, and other feelings were also instruments of vicious inclinations. Now we must, on the contrary, make them instruments of truth. Let the eye see, instead of bad pictures, the image of the Last Judgment or some image... Let the ear listen to church singing instead of seductive songs, etc. There were also friendly conversations, walks, and so on... we must leave all this and replace it with other ways of mutual relations, for example, going to church, conversations with people of spiritual life, etc. There was a habit of going to bed and getting up at such and such a time, keeping a table at such and such a time, because then there were other needs.
Now all this must be given a different time and a different content... Previously, such and such books were readily read. Now we must abandon them and take into our hands the Word of God and the scriptures of the Fathers... Thus, we must go through all our behavior and all our activities and everywhere establish the rule of doing what the spirit of the new life requires. Like a plaster on wounds, this kind of new activity is for a soul wounded by sins and seeking healing!.. Whoever, remaining in the same order, wants to be cleansed of passions, flatters himself with hope in vain. Why did Mary of Egypt not return to Egypt to settle in the deserts there, but went to the Trans-Jordan desert? Because before she reached the Egyptian desert, she would have to meet with previous objects and would hardly have resisted the incitements of sin that resulted from that... Everyone must do the same. Having made a good intention to improve, you need to discard everything that was before and assign yourself new orders and rules. In this way, vicious inclinations and passions will be constrained or placed, as it were, under oppression (11, pp. 110–111).
99. Sobriety and consideration
It is written among you: a warrior of Christ must have two watchful guards - sobriety and discretion. Sobriety is understandable. But regarding good consideration, how can one find out what will happen during the day and what movements may therefore be generated in the soul during the course of the day at different meetings? Of course, it’s impossible to predict everything, but a lot can be foreseen, especially for those for whom the affairs of the day go in a more or less definite order. When going to a house, you can imagine in advance who you will meet there, what might be discussed, etc., and therefore probably assume that vanity or anger or some other passion will be aroused there and, as a result, prepare to fight back. Let nothing expected happen; and the mere suggestion of an attack will keep the soul on vigilant caution, and that means a lot. Another may think that he will then figure out what to do when he encounters this or that.
Of course it is; but it may also happen that before he begins to think, his heart will already burn with passion, and it may no longer be possible to overcome it. The last circumstance, more than anything else, makes it necessary to prepare oneself in advance for encountering various types of cases. Those who have experienced a lot and in many cases remained victorious can easily withstand themselves, no matter what they encounter, because due to their extensive experience they are ready for anything; and for beginners it is better to prepare in advance. To meet unforeseen cases that go beyond the circle of ordinary affairs, it is good to practice deliberate mental warfare. Namely: in a calm state of mind, imagine yourself under the influence of certain feelings and heart movements and immediately figure out how to rebuff them or how to turn your soul in a good way (11, pp. 111–112).
You want to spin, but not get dizzy. If you listen to mother, then maybe you will succeed in this... But it is doubtful. The spirit of social life acts like a frenzy... Everything comes in and comes in, you don’t feel it... And then suddenly - your eyes turn green... and you hit the ground... and before you have time to look back, you’re spinning. No, you better plan to be in the world and to be respectable... the main thing is not to dance (6, p. 13).
Imagine that you see a room where there is hidden intoxication, and you are eager to stay in it and reconsider what is there. They tell you: don’t go, it’s crazy there. And you answer: I don’t want to get burned. Will the frenzy spare you, because you say that you don’t want to get burned?.. Secular entertainment is a frenzy. And before you know it, you’ll burn out (6, p. 16).
Remember the popular saying: “Beware of the first glass.” Where did it come from? From experience, after drinking one glass, it’s difficult to resist another... and then it got spilled. Such is the power of sensual pleasures over our weak hearts! The whirlpool and seething of secular entertainment is of the same nature (6, p. 15).
101. Three main points in spiritual life
Keep it this way: always belong to the Lord. This requires a lot: always carrying the Lord in your thoughts; in the heart - always have a feeling for the Lord; in the will - do everything you do for the Lord. Three points, but those that combine everything in themselves, embrace your whole life (6, p. 72).
102. How heaven on earth works
Your winter labors in feeding the poor had a beneficial effect on your soul - and you felt like you existed in paradise... God's paradise, blessed, carried in your heart. This is, after all, the future paradise - not instilling bliss from the outside, but arranging it inside, like an inexhaustibly flowing spring of joys and consolations.
...But, it seems, I wrote to you about short prayers. They make up a real prayer and go straight from the heart to God, and God listens to them and blesses them. God is then present in the soul. Make sure that the intervals between these sighs become smaller and smaller... then the sighs will merge into one continuous prayer... and God will be inherent in you in a special way, and where God is, there is heaven. Add to this a reflection on the Divine mysteries of faith. How much warmth and light will then spill inside (6, pp. 100–101)!
“I pulled myself up,” you say. Great - and never give up at all... After all, the Lord placed all the virtues in us. They immediately ask to come out as soon as we are in such a mood, about which there is a saying: “Now he is in the spirit”... this is the same as being ready for all good things. And then something rises inside, something swoops in from outside... And the person becomes unrecognizable. But this too can be shaken off like some kind of cape... When zeal for your salvation is alive and strong, take care of this treasure, for it is more valuable than the whole world (6, p. 104).
104. Instruction on the flow of spiritual life
The main thing is to establish yourself in your heart before the face of God and stand so unapproachable. When this is there, then everything else will come by itself. In a series of spiritual changes in the heart, the best thing is the inward pull... to be with the Lord. Then everything external departs: God remains in the soul and the soul in God... And behold, a real monk and schema-monk (6, p. 121).
They've returned! Thank God it was pleasant... And another mercy - the return of health! But it’s bad that they scattered. Although you only said that you are not so focused; but it means a lot. This means that you have gone out of your rut... For the Lord’s sake, beware and try to return - and become your rank. It’s easy to get out, but difficult to toss and turn; and if you stay outside for a long time, then, perhaps, you won’t be able to fit into the middle... you’re fat, you’re fat... God save you! Otherwise they won’t let you in (6, pp. 166–167).
106. About the improvement of the inner church
Praise the new housing: clean, tidy. Now set everything up in the same way in the middle. The external reminds and points to the internal. In each letter you have been repeating for some time: return to the old ways, get into your rut. What do you mean by this? Has the inner church really collapsed there? It is not built on sand. In addition, you say that the Jesus Prayer is in force for you... What other rut do you want to enter (6, p. 185)?!
107. How to get into a good mood in the morning
At the first moment after waking up from sleep, hurry to realize that God from above looks down on the sons of men to see, even if there is understanding and seeking Him. Then turn to yourself, are you such that the Lord will gladly fix His gaze on you longer? To this further attach another thought: have you fallen into the rut of Divine Providence and is the chariot of your life rolling along it, for everything is in the will of God and everything is governed by it, and that is only lasting that it is governed by it. We have many of our own ways, which seem, but are not, the ways of God’s will (6, p. 201).
108. Instruction on maintaining a clear conscience
Let your conscience always be clear. But the conscience must be enlightened by the word of God, otherwise it often worries about things that should not be stood up for. To do this, you need to read the Gospel and from there draw rules by which your conscience should then be guided.
You are a wife, you are a mother, you are a housewife. Responsibilities for all these parts are depicted in the Apostolic Writings. Look through them and take it upon yourself to perform them conscientiously. For it is doubtful whether salvation can be achieved apart from the fulfillment of the duties that are imposed by rank and fortune. For since both are from God, both can be turned either to please Him, if fulfilled correctly, or to insult Him, if not fulfilled (8, pp. 3-4).
That the Gospel cannot be reconciled with the world - the Lord knew this when giving the commandments; but nowhere did he say that it was possible to make concessions to the world. Concession is betrayal of the Lord.
It is only necessary to distinguish between an explicit commandment and what is not determined by the commandment, but is left to our freedom. In the latter case, the measure of concession is determined by prudence, which sometimes requires it.
The struggle should not be stopped, but only the means should be used. It doesn’t take one thing - come up with another, and even better pray to the Lord to admonish and give strength (8, pp. 7-8).
110. About success in spiritual life
Whether anyone succeeds in life and to what extent he succeeds is impossible to notice, because otherwise everyone would eat himself out of sight. This ignorance keeps one in fear and constantly renews jealousy, assuring that nothing has been done yet and that, therefore, it is necessary to start again. To begin again is such a law of spiritual life... Every day must be considered the first day of life in the fear of God - forgetting everything behind, except for sins, which must always be repented of (8, p. 8).
The only thing needed must be planted in the mind and heart: faith and life by faith in the hope of eternal life (8, p. 36)
112. The Lord loves those who voluntarily devote themselves to spiritual life
If you want to devote yourself to the Lord, then there is no need for you to deal with a world in which there is no spirit of Christ. If you don’t want it, whatever you want.
The Lord loves brides who come to Him willingly (8, p. 75).
113. The best way to protect yourself from attraction to earthly things
“Our spirit is restored by the grace of God - in the strength to resist attractions to the earth from the soul and body. He has already been restored among Christians. But inattention to him and his work means that earthly things manage to captivate us and, like fog, obscure Heaven. The best way to strengthen our spirit in its struggle with soul and body with attractions to earthly things is the memory of the exodus and the subsequent Judgment and predetermination of our fate. Take the trouble to put yourself in the state of a dying person, now and now having to stand before the Judgment, and at the same time arouse the corresponding feelings - and see: what will happen? I believe that all earthly threads will be torn by this - and only one cry will remain in the heart: “Oh, Lord! Save me!” Teach this to Blueberry too. Nothing revives the fear of God with all its fruits more than putting oneself in this state and feeling it (8, pp. 95–96).
Behold, the preparatory weeks for fasting have begun, and at the very beginning - Meeting, which very significantly indicates that those who wish to meet the Lord can achieve this only through fasting labors - tax collectors, humility, sincere repentance, at the direction of the prodigal; in memory of the Last Judgment, we cry about the fall in Adam and about our own - and cry: have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me (8, pp. 99-100)!
115. About the feeling of Resurrection
The power of the Resurrection of Christ is inexpressibly great! We not only need to have a bright understanding of Him, but also to enter into sympathy with Him, for the Lord rose not for Himself, but for us, He resurrected us together. Grant us, Lord, to see this co-resurrection by faith and receive joy from it (8, p. 100).
You always do your own thing, and what comes from outside is not from you. God sends, and God sends this to the exam. Having sent, he watches how you act. If you act wisely and fairly, He gives you better marks; and if otherwise, other points are given. Then a summary of points will be made... And what turns out to be in the end, that’s why you will be issued a certificate. The certificate is written not on paper, but on the forehead. In the next world, the gatekeepers will immediately see where you should go... “This is not the place for you” - it will be sad to hear (8, p. 158).
117. General instructions on maintaining attention to God and successfully passing spiritual life
Please keep in mind that the only Teacher of all good is the Lord, our Savior. In an hour of reflection or while bowing, saving, or guiding, or explanatory thoughts will suddenly appear - you need to notice them and write them down. If you surrender yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord, then He Himself will teach, or through the Guardian Angel, all Christian science (8, pp. 197–198).
Ruthlessness towards oneself, readiness for any service to others and surrendering oneself entirely to the Lord with prayerful abiding in him are all producers of spiritual life (8, p. 198).
118. An expensive rule for avoiding hostile relations with neighbors
In unpleasant cases that give rise to unpleasant feelings against others, one should neither speak nor act. You need to calm down first - and completely remove the trouble from your heart so that there is no trace of it. Nothing more is required. Then both speech and business will go well. You can then speak sternly and sternly, even scoldingly - and the speech will not produce a bad effect, for the spirit in it will not be irritable, but peaceful and loving. Let me now take a lesson from that incident. Sit down and look at what you should think about in order to erase the unpleasant feeling... and then act on it.
You think badly about those... This is the source of unpleasant feelings towards them. Learn to think well of them and arouse in yourself feelings of respect for them. Be sure to do this: bring yourself to the same feeling for them that you have for any respected person - and keep this feeling... and walk with it. Then there will be no troubles. That’s how you should be disposed. What do you care about their behavior?! There are bosses - and read them (8, pp. 198–199).
...fear God and keep His commandments, because this is everything for man (Eccl. 12:13).
you can't do anything without Me
...build yourselves into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you?
...and We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23).
Who is a new creation in Christ (4, p. 20).
...Satan asked to sow you like wheat, but I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail.
...there must be... those who use this world, as well as those who do not.
...the glory of the incorruptible God was changed into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed creatures, and reptiles.
They did not glorify Him as God.
Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against anyone: just as Christ has forgiven you, so have you. Above all, put on love, which is the sum of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be friendly.
This is discussed in detail in the bishop's brochure. Feofan "Seven words in the Week, preparatory to fasting." M., 1902 (9, p. 139).
Letter XXVI (at the end) (9, p. 140).
The deviation can be on the gum side and on the neck (right and left). The first is jealousy beyond reason, the second is laziness (9, p. 144).
...for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Points of Memorable Tales (9, p. 232).
Is the ax greater than the one who cuts with it?
...and if these three men had been found in her: Noah, Daniel and Job, then by their righteousness they would have saved only their own souls.
...your life is hidden with Christ in God.
the hidden person of the heart.
The Kingdom of God is within you.
...peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We will come to him and make our abode with him.
Better: secluded in oneself, collected in the heart (10, p. 90, footnote 1).
Those who are established in their inner life are strong enough to withdraw from the world, or solitude, which is prescribed at times, and they need it (10, p. 99, footnote 2).
Our fasting usually lasts for a week or six days, and that’s enough. Temporary removal from the world requires the cessation of everyday affairs and relationships. The most convenient thing for us, especially if fasting is not undertaken during fasting, along with others, is to retire to some well-appointed monastery. There it is easier to forget everything and focus only on the matter of salvation: for to warm the spirit, a church service, soulful reading, and edifying conversation are necessary. Strict loneliness, even temporary, is not useful for someone who does not yet know how to control his inner self (10, p. 100, footnote 1).
If you fast during Lent, there will be no strangeness and there will be no omission of decency. Unfortunately, the custom of fasting during Lent is becoming more and more alien to our society, especially to educated ones. This is regrettable, because it exposes negligence about salvation, and even more so, unbelief (10, p. 100, footnote 2).
It is difficult to consider yourself without benefits, especially for the first time; You need to have a manual handy. It’s simpler: take the rite of confession and review yourself according to it. In addition, read the Gospel and the Apostolic Epistles where the characteristic features of the Christian life are depicted. But since we are on the transition to inner life, it is best to take into our hands the paternal writings about this. The best in this regard is St. Ladder. John Climacus (10, pp. 100–101, footnote 3).
The parties to consideration are: 1) cases or facts; 2) underlying feelings and dispositions, each of which can be expressed by a variety of facts, sometimes of different types; and 3) the main thing is the general spirit of all life: whom we serve, ourselves, the world or God. When one turns only from sin to virtue, then things or facts become more apparent and become more apparent; when they want to move from external to internal goodness, then they sort it out and look for more feelings and dispositions; and after this they try to define the more general spirit of life, the spirit of selfless, exclusive pleasing to God. But everyone should always inspect these sides (10, p. 101, footnote 1).
We must earnestly pray to the Lord about this, asking Him for enlightenment in order to see ourselves. How a frank conversation with your spiritual father before Confession itself helps in this regard! It can be recommended to anyone, as long as there is an opportunity to arrange it (10, pp. 101–102, footnote 2).
Let your imagination run wild. After all, this will only lead to momentary movements, like parliamentary speeches, although, of course, comparisons and images can help in pacifying pride and dispersing its seductions. The main thing is that you must take care to form a deep and lasting feeling and conviction of your lewdness and irresponsibility before God. There will be no time to determine whether anyone is more sinful. It is necessary to place the fear of God as the presiding officers of this court with the consciousness of God's inexorable justice. He will awaken and revive the conscience and with it will go to the separation of soul and spirit, members and brains, that is, along all the origins and paths of our affairs, and will condemn the most secret thoughts of the heart (10, p. 102, footnote 1).
Not the right phrase: not claims, but the matter itself. It must be said about everyone that he received the grace of rebirth in holy Baptism, the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, he received more than once the grace of remission of sins in the Sacrament of Repentance and the grace of closest communion with the Lord in the Sacrament of Communion. This is what is incriminating that not only natural, but also all these gifts of grace are trampled underfoot by sin and sin-loving dispositions (10, p. 102, footnote 2).
When God gives contrition, then no one else will come to mind except yourself. But for contrition to come, you need to rub your heart. It rubs with prayer. We need to pray a lot: both in church and at home; The largest part of the fast should be devoted to prayer. How much help in this regard is vigil or at least the reduction of sleep! (It is enough to get up for Matins.) It will give tenderness - the threshold of contrition (10, p. 103, footnote 1).
This is the second part of fasting. The word “repentance” alone does not fully express it. We must also take into account Confession. It would be more accurate to title it that way. The first thing - the consciousness of oneself as guilty and irresponsible before God - is carried out by the already mentioned judgment of oneself. Now we must add to this the corresponding feelings of repentance and, through the strength of our feelings, reach the resolution to be correct in everything in which we now find ourselves faulty. The complete case is made up of all these three points. Self-examination and self-judgment are not complete without feelings of contrition; and these latter are fruitless without a subsequent decision to show themselves in good working order (10, p. 103, footnote 2).
God gives true contrition, and one must pray to Him for this with all diligence, without ceasing, however, to evoke crushing feelings through one’s efforts. Shame on yourself before people, Angels and saints... be annoyed at yourself for your mistake, grieve for yourself for the losses caused by sin, grieve that you offended God, who never ceased pouring out His mercies on you even as you worked for sin, frighten yourself with the bitter participation awaiting you in the future, and cry about all this, if God gives you tears. Contrition is made up of all these feelings, each of which in real strength is the same for the heart as a hammer blow is for a stone. Contrite? - Good for you. But you also need to think about how to improve your bitter state. This is done by deciding not to walk any more on the paths that led to it. It’s all here in a nutshell: I’ve sinned, I won’t. This act has a different meaning during the first Confession, when one renounces sin and turns to the path of virtue; another - during the period when they are looking for inner life; and another when it is already established.
In the second, everyday Confession and revelation of thoughts to the spiritual father greatly helps this matter; in the third, besides this, minute-by-minute cleansing of oneself with heartfelt repentance, or continuous contrition and heartfelt crying. But in all types of repentance, it is necessary to get to the reasons for deviating from the right and figure out how to avoid what in the future, so that when it is said: I have sinned, I will not, it is clear what and how will be done later (10, p. 104, footnote 1).
The words “without formal Confession” are not good. It would be better this way: without the Sacrament of Confession, or without verbal confession of your sins before the priest in the Sacrament of Repentance. Without this, internal repentance alone is not only incomplete, but also fruitless; it is a barren flower. Grace is lost through sin; the penitent seeks her return. When the priest pronounces absolution from all sins, the door again opens in us for the entry of grace, which immediately comes out, and in many cases very tangibly. For many, a real inner life immediately arises, and the inner presence before the face of the Lord, conceived at this moment, does not cease later (10, p. 106, footnote 1).
It must be understood: as long as we do not fall into mortal sins and do not suffer from carelessness and negligence about pleasing God and salvation. For in this case the Lord departs and stands outside and pushes to enter again (10, p. 106, footnote 2).
This is not enough. The Lord Himself speaks more strongly about this: Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you.” He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him. (John 6, 53, 56). (Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you... He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.)
The words “without a special combination” are not good. It’s better this way: without this combination through the divinely established Sacrament of Body and Blood. “Symbolic communication” is equally inaccurate: it is not a symbol of communication. It would be better to say here: communication through the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Only theoreticians, not practitioners, can refuse Communion, citing the already inherent communion with the Lord. He who has achieved continuous communion with the Lord and feels Him, strives even more strongly than before for the Sacrament of Communion - and receives Communion as soon as possible. And this is not only because Communion is useful or sweet, but because it is a condition without which there is no spiritual life, for the Lord Himself said: otherwise you will not have life in yourself (10, pp. 107–108, footnote 2).
Speransky writes to a Lutheran about the Lutheran Church. To what extent the grace of God is inherent in this church is not our business to judge. Perhaps the word of the Lord is applicable here: be according to your faith. As much as they believe, so much they receive. But what is said about the convenience of receiving communion in this church should be expressed like this: “And your church represents convenience. Our Orthodox Church has all the conveniences, but yours is not deprived of them at all.” Our Church of God is always open and every day believers are invited to approach the cup of the Lord with the fear of God and faith. It is not the Church’s fault that they do not begin, or rarely begin, but those who neglect this most sacred task. In ordinary times, perhaps, someone else will not get his act together properly; but we have four posts assigned to it. At these times, it is very convenient to prepare for Holy Communion, and you can receive communion twice during the Nativity Fast, and three times during Lent, and at least once during the Assumption Lent” (10, p. 108, footnote 1).
Dryness during fasting or, as is usually the case, lethargy and lifelessness depend on the fact that not everyone fulfills what fasting requires. Some work a lot with their minds, others limit themselves to one external rite of fasting. We must do everything: not only withdraw from the world, but also fast, go to church and pray at home, read, meditate, talk with someone of like mind. Moving from one to another, the faster will constantly revive and avoid dryness (10, p. 109, footnote 1).
This is how Speransky begins his application. In our opinion, we would say this: organize fasting for yourself more often, with all its accessories, cessation of everyday affairs or, in extreme cases, without that, fasting, deeds of charity, going to church, home prayers, pious reflections, reading and conversations, especially mental prayer. But even the intermediate time between fasts must be spent in such a way as to deviate not far from the procedures observed during fasting. Only with such constancy of self-compulsion can one expect a visit from God, at first, as often repeated by St. Macarius: “God will see that you earnestly desire and force yourself to do it - and will give it” (10, p. 110, footnote 1).
The seeker earnestly finds, according to the word of the Lord, but a certain period cannot be assigned to him. It may happen that ten fasts will be fulfilled as they should and years will pass in intense work on oneself, and what is sought will still be sought. But it happens that it is given quickly, even sometimes at the moment when the sinner is taken from the crossroads of sin. As the Lord wills, so it happens, although there is no doubt that He arranges this according to considerations with us (10, p. 110, footnote 2).
He will appear and come not sensually and visibly, but invisibly and spiritually, but nevertheless really. A sign of this is the emergence of an unceasing burning of the heart; moreover, the mind, standing in the heart, merges with the memory of the Lord, inward abiding is established and, as a result, everything that happens there is noticed, and what is pleasing to God is accepted, and everything sinful is rejected, and all affairs are carried out according to the exact consciousness of the will of God on them; the power is given to rule the entire course of one’s life, both internal and external, mastery over oneself is given. Man is usually more a doer than an actor. He receives freedom of action with the coming of the Lord felt in his heart. Then the promise is fulfilled: if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free (John 8:36). This is what the Lord brings, and not anything extraordinary!
The phrase, according to the usual concept of it, does not quite go to the point. It’s better this way: essentially, that is, with your being. God is not an idea, but a living being, personally acting, although still invisible and spiritual (10, p. 111, footnote 2).
The planets face the sun and are ruled by motion. And the entire spiritual world, Angels and saints in Heaven and people living spiritually on earth, are turned to the Lord Savior and dance with Him. He is the center around whom everything revolves, the head of all things, even in Heaven and on earth (see Eph. 1: 10) (10, pp. 111–112, footnote 3).
It’s amazing, but that’s how it is. For spiritual people, the meaning of everything material disappears. No matter how huge this world is, it is also recognized as insignificant. They confess that only God exists, the Great, the Great and the Wonderful: everything else seems to not exist. For people of carnal life, it is the opposite: the spiritual world does not seem to exist, even the existence of God is often a question for them (10, p. 112, footnote 1).
This marks only the beginning of a new degree or a new period of Christian life. From here the transformation of soul and body will begin according to the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, or their spiritualization. Having gained control over himself, a person will begin to put into himself everything that is true, holy and pure and drive out everything that is false, sinful and carnal. And hitherto he worked at the same thing, but was constantly robbed; From what he managed to create, it was immediately almost destroyed. Not so now. Man has become a firm foot and, not succumbing to opposition, leads his creation purposefully (10, p. 112, footnote 2).
The state of purity is the height of perfection, and, once achieved, it remains permanent. What we are talking about here cannot be permanent. It finds, temporarily arising on the soil of purity. This is the essence of the occasional captivity in contemplation, which we have already mentioned. St. Isaac the Syrian more than once touches on this highest state, which, according to him, is given to those who have achieved purity. He does not say that it is imperceptible, but that the mind in it has no power over itself. Hitherto he had the power to say to his thoughts: “come and go,” but here he has no power: he stands and contemplates. Well, some of the holy fathers defined it as captivity of the mind. The word "transcendental" may be good; but since it was invented to mean completely different objects, it can be confusing, therefore, it seems to me, it would be better for it not to be here (10, p. 113, footnote 1).
One can only be established in a state of tangible communion with God and then in a state of purity; but not in the one he mentioned before, for this cannot be permanent, but is given from time to time. St. Macarius says that if it became permanent, it would be impossible to live on earth with people. As for guidance and consultation with the most experienced, it never ceased, even among those who had achieved perfection, for the enemy has many enticements and deceptions with the appearance of good. We must pray to the Lord that He will give us a leader who knows the matter and not deprive us of him until the end of our lives (10, p. 114, footnote 1).
Peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are promised to those in whose hearts grace perceptibly operates. But this state is quiet, although deeply penetrating. Trembling joy, especially when accompanied by pleasant movements in the body, is not safe. They must be watched strictly and sternly. They may be natural, or they may be from the enemy. They are dangerous because they lead you out of the fortification, i.e. from the heart. We have already spoken about the flattering promises of some wondrous revelations and now we repeat: no special revelations happen here, but the same truths, already open and known, enter the heart, are tasted by it and appear in a new light, previously unknown (10, p. 114, footnote 2).
Speransky represents the motivation to resist the inconveniences that piety encounters in the order of secular life. What is said here applies at all times and to all who seek the Lord. Of course, it would always be better to take up the work of searching more quickly, without any self-pity and without being constrained by the opinions of others. Do this, knock yourself inside, lay the foundation, and then conduct this business among the ordinary order of life as much as possible. But not everyone has the spirit for this. However, one must decide to make sacrifices; for it is certain that without changing the external order of secular life, the cause of piety cannot be advanced; and, moreover, to the extent that a concession is made to these orders, the success in the search for the Lord slows down. Look, everyone, what is more prudent to sacrifice (10, p. 115, footnote 1).
Concessions to the orders of secular life to the detriment of the search for the Lord are certainly not forgiven, especially when they arise from self-indulgence, and not from any reasonable reasons. Error is in the spirit, and punishment is in the spirit. But it is necessary to distinguish between cases so as not to be too strict. It is imperative to seek the Lord diligently; it is imperative to fulfill all the conditions without which it is impossible to achieve what you are looking for; but the way of fulfilling everything cannot be the same for everyone, due to the difference in the circumstances of each: here everything must be left to the prudence of the seeker himself, so long as this title does not conceal flattering self-indulgence and man-pleasing (10, pp. 115–116, footnote 2).
In two months, it’s impossible to promise, as has been said more than once. Seek with undoubted hope, but without definitions (10, p. 116, footnote 1).
When there is jealousy, she herself will invent everything, how to settle things, and when there is no jealousy, there is nothing to say. But even with jealousy, you need to have a fairly strong heart in order to decide to resist the environment in which you move. The inspiration for this is given by the feeling of extreme danger from concessions. They should stock up and raise it, because who knows when they will have to fight (10, p. 116, footnote 2).
The main thing is to pray not according to prayer books, but to pray on your own, best done intelligently, the Jesus Prayer with bows. When the movement of prayer stops, start reading to warm it up. You need to have books adapted to the exercises you have started. Such are those who talk about inner life, about sobriety and prayer. “Imitation” is not the first of them. Better - Climacus and St. Isaac the Syrian, Barsanuphius and John, in the Philokalia articles by Hesychius, Philotheus, Theoliptus, Diadochus, Gregory the Sinai, Simeon the New Theologian. Don't read much; listen more and taste the truth. Reading a lot entertains and cools. Translations are not good at all: this is a frustrating job. As for the study of one’s life, it is almost the main thing when turning from vice to virtue. It can take a lot when turning from external serviceability to internal life. But in the last period of seeking the Lord, one’s life will already be fairly well known. Sit and cry: “Lord, in His image, arrange this good thing for me!” (10, p. 117, footnote 1).
For reading, what could be better than books containing Divine Revelation? But the concepts expressed here about the meanings of Scripture are not ours, but are taken from the mystics. Mystics see sacraments everywhere and transform the simplest gospel tales into allegories of lofty ideas that they themselves weave. The letter is nothing for them, and the literal meaning is not the true meaning for them because it is simple; but they want to be cunning. In fact, the literal meaning is the true meaning, emanating from the Holy Spirit, and deviating from it when studying Revelation is allowed only in extreme need. If we deviate from this law, then we can distort all of Divine Scripture according to our own ingenuity - and we will not be left with any criterion of truth. What does illumination from above give? It does not give something new to see besides the literal meaning, but the same meaning, imprinting it on the heart. While one mind works to understand Scripture, so long the truths received are kept in the head for mental interests, mostly fruitless for life.
Illumination from above, imprinting these truths on the heart and allowing them to be tasted, makes them the guides of life, and the experiences of life make it possible to understand their power even more fully. Moreover, since every truth has its own circle of concepts, illumination introduces the mind through the heart into the contemplation of this entire circle. This may seem like a revelation of something new, but it is not new at all; it is the same, only it is seen more fully and clearly (10, pp. 118–119, footnote 1).
This is a real phrase! But this does not offer change or diversity of meaning (10, p. 242).
...the first man Adam became a living soul; and the last Adam is a life-giving spirit.
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