The one who resists passion is "who does not act according to it and does not cut it off, but by inquisitiveness (fighting), as it were, bypasses passion, but has it in himself" [p. 119]. He is "like one who is showered with the arrows of his enemy, but clothed in armor and therefore receives no wounds" [p. 123]. A person who resists passion is sad if he could not patiently endure an offensive word, condemnation, slander from someone. Although he is overcome by the compulsion of passion, he struggles, labors, does not want to respond with insult to insult, tries not to say anything that disturbs the peace of his neighbor - he does not want to act according to passion. But there are also those who try to stop the passion, but under the suggestion of another passion: one is silent out of vanity, the other out of man-pleasing, or out of some other passion - these are the evil ones who want to heal the evil. But Abba Pimen showed that evil does not destroy evil in any way" [pp. 120, 121].In the feat of resisting passion, one must see the causes of its appearance and direct one's forces against them. This is all the more necessary since some passions lose their power if the causes of their action are cut off. "Thus, envy in itself is nothing, but has some causes, among which is the love of glory, for whoever wants to be glorified envies the glorified or the preferred. Anger also comes from various causes, and especially from sensuality..." [p. 142], etc. Directing attention to the struggle with the passions, it is necessary to "fertilize morals well" [p. 142]. This is what repentance and weeping serve [p. 142]. To the question of the Monk Dorotheus: how to begin repentance? - Elder Barsanuphius answered: "If you wish to lay the foundation for repentance, look at what the prostitute did: with her tears she washed the feet of the Lord (See: Lk. 7, 38). Weeping washes everyone from sins; but a person achieves weeping through labor, through much instruction in the Scriptures, patience, meditation on the Last Judgment and eternal shame, and through self-denial" [p. 217]. "Try," exhorts the holy abba, "to restrain your tongue, so as not to say anything evil to your neighbor and not to offend anyone either in word, or in deed, or in any other way, and do not be easily irritable, so that when one of you hears an unpleasant word from his brother, you will not immediately be indignant with anger, do not respond to him boldly, and do not remain offended by him; it is unseemly for those who want to be saved, it is unseemly for those who strive" [pp. 63, 64].The attacks of the evil force on a person can be grave, but the Lord shortens their actions. "An attempt inflicted by demons," says the monk, "is difficult for a person, but it is short-lived: it is gloomy, heavy, inconsolable, there is no peace from anywhere, but oppression is everywhere. However, the grace of God soon visits the soul" [p. 76]. With the help of grace, the struggling one can and must resist the actions of the dark spirit. "No one can say to anyone," replies St. Barsanuphius the Great to St. Dorotheus, "I will take care of you, and you be calm... He who is supported must bring a little of his own effort, do what is due according to his strength, carefully keeping the commandments of his fathers. And if he falls once, then let him again try to govern himself" [p. 230]. If you fall, rise, "and if you fall again, rise again" [p. 154]. If you have been defeated, have committed a sin – immediately fall down to the goodness of God, and God, seeing the zeal, will give a helping hand and show mercy [p. 135]. If even once the soul submits to the action of any passion, it will immediately be "in danger of falling into habit" [p. 134]. For this reason the holy abba cries out again and again: "Try to cut off the passions before they turn into habits" [p. 120]. "Cut off the passions while they are still young, before they take root and strengthen in you and begin to depress you, for then we will have to suffer much from them, because it is one thing to uproot a small blade of grass, and another thing to uproot a large tree" [pp. 101, 102].

The eradication of passion is the acquisition of good

The Monk Abba Dorotheus - "glorious among the fathers"

Ascetic teaching

The one who eradicates passion is the one "who strives and does what is contrary to passion" [p. 119]. Who is he like? "To him who, being showered with arrows on his enemy, crushes them, or brings them back into the hearts of his enemies, as it is said in the Psalm: Let their weapons enter into their hearts, and let their bows be broken (Ps. 36, 15)" [p. 123].This is not just the path of resistance, but the path of victory - the destruction of passions, the purification of the soul for the other - for good, and the acquisition of it. To this, in the main, the monk dedicates his works, as has already been seen in a review of their content (see: section II, Creations).The monk reflects on those who eradicate the passions: "Some rejoice when they insult him, but because he has in mind a reward. This one belongs to those who eradicate passion, but unwisely" [pp. 121, 122]. And how is it "reasonable" to cut off - eradicate - passion? Every evening to examine yourself how the day was spent, and in the morning - how the night went, and if something wrong or sinful happened - "repent before God". It is also good to test yourself in the middle of the day, because it is natural for a person to forget or gradually weaken the sin committed. One must ask oneself: "

One must also say to oneself: Did not the canonarch or any other of the brethren say an unpleasant word to me, and I did not endure it, did not contradict it?.. Did he rise up for vigil with zeal, or did he slander him who woke him up?" [p. 128]. In order to eradicate passion, it is not enough not to do evil, but to do good. Our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Omniscient Heavenly Physician, "also gives proper medicine against every passion: thus, against vanity He gave the commandments of humility, against the love of sensuality the commandments of abstinence, against the love of money the commandments of almsgiving, and, in a word, each passion has as its medicine the commandment corresponding to it" [p. 124, 125] (cf. p. 143). Listen, – says the holy abba, – our Lord Himself has shown us briefly, in a word, the root and cause of all evils and the cure for them – the cause of all good: He has shown that the exaltation has brought us down, that it is impossible otherwise to receive mercy than through its opposite, that is, humility" [p. 24]. And the Monk Dorotheus places humility at the forefront in the eradication of every passion, as well as in the acquisition of virtue." First of all, we need humility," the holy abba reminds us of the instruction of a certain elder [p. 38]. Humility "covers the soul from every passion and from every temptation" [p. 41], "overcomes all passions" [p. 238]. It crushes the arrows of our spiritual "enemy and adversary" [p. 38], breaks all his snares [p. 213], crushes all his weapons [p. 40]. When the Monk Anthony the Great was shown in a vision the outstretched snares of the evil power, and the monk, sighing, asked God: "Who then avoids them?" – the Lord answered: "Humility avoids them... They do not even touch him" [p. 41]. Humility "gives birth to obedience and salvation of the soul" [p. 24]. The children of humility are also: "Self-reproach, distrust of one's own reason, hatred of one's own will" [p. 27]. Without humility, neither "the fear of God, nor almsgiving, nor faith, nor abstinence, nor any other virtue" can be perfected [p. 39]. "Without humility it is impossible to obey the commandments and achieve anything good" [p. 27]. With these assertions, St. Dorotheus reminds us of the teachings of his great contemporary and ascetic St. Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh († 620), who answered the question: "What is self-perfection?" he answered directly and decisively: "The depth of humility" [2]. "Whoever combines humility with labor," the elder answered the holy abba who questioned, "he will soon reach the goal" [p. 234]." Do you see the grace of this virtue?" [p. 41] – asks the monk and exclaims: "Oh, miracle, how powerful is humility!" [p. 26]. The holy abba shows the meaning of humility, its greatness, power, fruits, but does not give a precise definition of it, although he says: "I mean true humility" [p. 24]. "Each of the saints," he argues, "acquired humility through the fulfillment of the commandments. But what humility is and how it is born in the soul, no one can express in words, unless a person learns it from experience; but it is impossible to learn this from words alone" [p. 45]. And then he explains: "Does not the same thing happen in the sophistic and medical arts? When someone has learned an art well and is engaged in it, then, as he exercises in it, the physician or sophist acquires a certain skill, but he cannot and cannot explain how he became experienced in the art: the soul has acquired the skill gradually and insensibly, through the exercise of art. So it is in humility: from the fulfillment of the commandments there is a certain habit of humility, and it cannot be expressed in words" [p. 46]. The holy abba points out only some of the signs, qualities of humility: humility does not get angry and does not anger anyone, "resists vanity and protects a person from it", in sorrow it does not reproach anyone and does not lay the blame on anyone, "and thus endures what has happened without confusion, without sorrow, with complete calmness" [pp. 40, 41]. In the elder's answer to the question of the holy abba: "What is humility?" it is said thus: "Humility consists in not considering oneself to be something in any case, to cut off one's will in everything, to obey everyone and without embarrassment to endure what befalls us from without. Such is true humility, in which vanity does not find a place. The humble-minded should not try to express his humility in words, but it is enough for him to say: "Forgive me" or "Pray for me." Nor should one be called upon by oneself to perform low deeds; for both lead to vanity, hinder progress, and do more harm than good; but when they command something, not to contradict it, but to do it with obedience: this is what leads to success" [pp. 235, 236]. "Humility strongly attracts the grace of God into the soul" [p. 40].There are two types of humility. The first consists in honoring one's brother higher than oneself, the second in attributing one's feats to God. The latter is born from the fulfillment of God's commandments, from the measure of the ascetic's approach to the Heavenly King [pp. 43, 44]. That is why the holy Egyptian wilderness dweller Agathon (fifth century), when asked at the end of his life whether he feared Divine judgment, humbly answered: "I have done the will of God according to my strength, but I do not know whether my work is pleasing to God; for the judgment of God is different, and the judgment of man is different" [p. 78]." Let us humble ourselves a little, – calls the monk, – and we will be saved" [p. 40]. "Blessed is he, brethren, who has humility, great humility" [p. 40]. "May the good God grant us humility" [p. 49]. Humbling oneself, it is proper to reproach oneself. The one who reproaches himself is always calm. Wherever he is, whatever happens to him, he does not fall into sorrow, for "he already considers himself worthy of all sorrow" [p. 91]. If we blame ourselves for everything, and not others, then this brings us only good, "brings us great peace and prosperity, and all the more must we do this, since nothing happens to us without God's Providence" [p. 93]. But it happens that a brother, hearing a reproachful word, becomes confused and blames his offender for it. "What a ridiculous judgment! – exclaims the holy abba. "This is the devil's deception!" Did the one who said the word to him put passion into him? He only showed him the one that was already in him, so that he, if he wished, would repent of her." The monk compares the troubled with rotten bread: good on the outside, but moldy on the inside. "Therefore, if he wants to receive mercy, let him repent, be cleansed, prosper; and let him see that he still has to thank his brother, as having brought him such benefit" [p. 91, 92].He who turns away from the path of self-reproach loses all his labors, even if he has accomplished "a thousand virtues" [p. 91].It is even more dangerous to condemn others - one should not judge one's neighbor.Nothing angers God so much, does not distance from Him and "exposes a person" as condemnation of one's neighbor [p. 80]. Infallible power belongs to God alone, for only He knows the spiritual constitution and possibilities of everyone. He judges differently "the deeds of the bishop and the secular ruler, he judges differently the deeds of the abbot and the disciple, the old and the young, the sick and the healthy. And who can know all these judgments? Only One, Who created all, created all things, and leads all things" [p. 82]. In order to better imprint this thought on the memory, the monk relates an incident. A ship with slaves arrived in a certain city. Among them were two little girls. One of them was bought by a holy virgin, the other by a prostitute. Of course, the girls were given different upbringing. And the monk asks: "If both fall into fornication, or some other sin, can it be said that both of them will be subjected to the same judgment, although both have fallen into one and the same sin?.. How is it possible that both should be judged by the same court?" [pp. 82, 83]. It also happens that we judge a sinner, and he has "one good deed, which is pleasing to God more than all life." By condemning him, we burden our soul [p. 83].A person will do the right thing when he stops the sinner (himself or through someone else), but he does it with a sense of compassion, with sincere love and humility, with the aim not to reproach, but to correct. With the fear of God he will say to him: "Forgive me, my brother, if I am not mistaken, we do not do this well" [p. 62].Such an attitude is possible only in the presence of that love that was inherent in the saints. The saints saw the fall of their neighbors better than others and rejected sin more than others, and nevertheless treated them as brothers. They did not condemn them, did not turn away from them, but compassionate, grieved, admonished, comforted, healed - they did everything to save them [p. 85].Emphasizing the power of love, it was here that the monk remembered "a circle drawn on the ground, the middle of which is called the center, and straight lines going from the center to the circumference are called radii." The circle is the world, the center is God, the radii are the paths of human life. "To the extent that the saints enter into the circle, desiring to draw closer to God, so much do they become closer to each other... And the closer they get to each other, the closer they come to God. Thus understand also the removal." "Such," concludes the holy abba, "is the nature of love" [p. 88]. And in another place he continues: "Every virtue is perfected by love for one's neighbor... Whoever fears God and prays to Him benefits his neighbor as well" [p. 188]." The perfect will of God" is expressed in the commandment to do almsgiving and to do not with avarice and laziness, "but with all one's strength and all one's will, giving as if one himself had accepted good deeds" [pp. 165, 166]. Doing it especially brings a person closer to God - likens Him to Him. Its goals are varied. Some do it "so that the field may be blessed"; another grants that his ship may be preserved, that his children may be saved, "that he may be glorified" - and God "rejects no one, but gives to each one what he desires, provided it does not harm his soul" [p. 166]. Sometimes alms are done in order to get rid of eternal torment or to receive a reward. But in both cases the creators are still in the state of slaves or hired servants, who do the will of their master not voluntarily and unselfishly. "Reasonable almsgiving" - worthy - occurs when it is given "for the sake of the very good", compassion for others, "as to one's own members" [pp. 167, 168]. "If thou, – teaches the monk, – cannot give as much as these rich men, who put their gifts into the treasury, then give two mites, like that wretched widow, and God will receive it from thee... If you do not have even this, you have strength and can show mercy to a weak brother by service. Can't you do that? You can console your brother with a word... you can, when your brother is grieved with you, show him mercy and endure him in the time of his confusion... say nothing... to forgive him... And thus, having nothing with which to show mercy to the body, you have mercy on its soul." And the latter is even more valuable [pp. 168, 169].Likewise, every ascetic can and must observe abstinence. First of all, it is necessary to observe moderation in food, for "a multitude of foods" leads to much evil. Likewise, one should not break the fast without "great need" [p. 171]. But abstinence should be not only in food. It is also necessary to refrain from all lewdness - from slander, lies, idle talk, humiliation, anger, in short, "from every sin committed with the tongue. Likewise, one should fast with one's eyes, that is, one should not look at vain things... not to look at anyone shamelessly and without fear. Likewise, both hands and feet should be restrained from every evil deed..." [p. 174]. The monk abba did not fail to give rules to those who leave their cell and home for a while in order to visit the brethren and neighbors. also, in order to learn good things from a friend, to hear from him a spiritual word, to check and know "one's spiritual disposition" [p. 177]. It is useful to pay attention to whether the visitor notices only the good in the host, or begins to condemn him; whether he acted as St. Anthony the Great did under the same circumstances: from one he borrowed meekness, from another humility, silence, and thus gathered for himself the virtues of each. "Likewise," concludes St. Dorotheus, "we must also act" [p. 178]." I heard, – says the holy abba, – about a certain brother, that when he came to one of the brethren and saw his cell unswept and untidy, he said within himself: "Blessed is this brother, for he has laid aside the care of everything..." and directed his whole mind to grief... Likewise, if he came to another and saw his cell cleaned, swept and clean, he again said to himself: as pure is the soul of this brother, so is his cell clean... And he never spoke of anyone: this brother is negligent or vain, but, according to his good disposition, he received benefit from everyone" [p. 180]. "Try," the holy abba exhorts, "to draw for yourselves edification from everything" [p. 187].Deeply edifying are the advice of the holy abba to teachers and their disciples. to instruct them more by the example of their behavior - in the "fruits of the spirit", in bodily labor; to show more harm in misdeeds than to punish; choose a convenient time in the reprimand; not to rebuke often; not to command authoritatively, but humbly, "as if advising"; not to allow anger; not to rise - to remember that the disciple is also a brother. One must have compassion for one's brother, overcome evil in relation to him with good, pray for him, saying thus: "O merciful and loving God! By Thy ineffable goodness, Thou hast created us out of nothing to enjoy Thy blessings, and by the blood of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Saviour, Who hast called us who have departed from Thy commandments! Come also now, help our infirmity, and as Thou didst once rebuke the troubled sea, so now rebuke the indignation of our hearts, lest in one hour Thou deprive us both, Thy children, who were slain by sin, and lest Thou say unto us: What profit is in My blood, when I descend unto corruption" (Psalm 29:10), and "Amen, I say unto you, I do not take you" (Matt. 25:10). 12); for our lamps have been extinguished for lack of oil" [p. 182, 183].The duty of the teachers is "to take care of a peaceful dispensation, so that even under just pretexts or for the sake of the commandment we do not at all trouble the heart in the conviction that we are trying to fulfill all the commandments precisely for the sake of love and purity of heart" [p. 182].Addressing his disciples, the holy abba calls for calm obedience; to conquer self-will; to wish that everything "would be as it will be"; to believe that everything that happens, "to the smallest thing, happens by God's Providence" [p. 184].Any virtue, according to the words of the Monk Dorotheus, is preceded by the fear of God, "for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 110:10), and without the fear of God no one can do either virtue or anything good" [p. 187].Fear, first of all, protects from evil, and then contributes to the accomplishment of good. The monk says that fear so protects the soul from all evil, "like polishing copper" [p. 56]. He who shuns evil because of fear of punishment gradually comes to the good, begins to understand "what the true good is, and no longer wants to be separated from it," attains the dignity of a son "and loves good for its own sake, and fears because he loves" [p. 57]. One elder taught: "Whoever loses gold or silver, he can find another in its place; but if we lose time, living in idleness and laziness, then we will not be able to find another to replace what we have lost. Verily, we will seek even one hour of this time, and we will not find it" [p. 126]. We drive away the fear of God, doing the opposite: "We have neither the memory of death, nor the memory of torments, because we do not pay attention to ourselves and do not examine ourselves as we spend our time, but we live carelessly and treat people who do not have the fear of God, and because we do not guard ourselves from boldness... For nothing drives away the fear of God from the soul so much as insolence" [p. 60]. The holy abba speaks of prayer in various of his teachings [3], emphasizing the special importance of prayer in the temple of God. Here, for example, is what he tells about a vision of a clairvoyant elder during a divine service.When the monks began psalmody, an Angel of God came out of the altar and, dipping a brush in the reliquary with myrrh, placed a sign on each of them, as well as on the places of some of those who were absent. Other empty spaces were avoided. To the elder's question why the light-bearing man did this, he answered: "I was commanded to imprint this sign on those who come to church at the beginning of the psalmody and remain until the end of it, their zeal, diligence and good will... Those of the brethren who are zealous and have a good will, but have left the church either through some extreme exhaustion, with the blessing of the fathers, or also by some commandment are busy with their obedience and therefore are not here - they receive their sign, because they are present together with those who sing by their will. Only those who can be in the church and do not come to it through laziness, I am commanded not to give a sign, since such make themselves unworthy of it" [pp. 129, 130]. Having narrated this vision, the holy abba exhorts: "Let us try, brethren, never to be deprived of the sign of the holy Angel" [p. 130]. Even when the ascetic has cleansed his soul of all passions and acquired all the virtues, "he must always have recourse to the mercy of God and to the protection of God, so that he may not be abandoned and perish" [p. 145].If the seed does not irrigate the rain after it has sprung up, grown, and even borne fruit, it will wither and perish. "So it is with man; and after having done so much, if God takes away His protection from him even for a short time and leaves him, then he perishes" [p. 145]. also about the rational "folding" of the virtues - their gradual harmonious work - in the fourteenth teaching of St. Dorotheus "On the Creation and Accomplishment of the Spiritual House of Virtues". The content of this teaching is set forth above - in the section "Creations". ^Saint Isaac the Syrian. Creation. Sergiev Posad, 1911. P. 205. ^See: "Prayer" in the alphabetical index to the instructions contained in the works of the Monk Abba Dorotheus. Edict. cit., p. 296. ^

The word of the holy abba to the lazy

The Monk Abba Dorotheus - "glorious among the fathers"

"Brother! Without labor and contrition of heart, no one can get rid of passions and please God." Barsanophius' question of St. Dorotheus [p. 214]"That is why we do not succeed because... St. Dorotheus [p. 150]The Monk Abba saw that among his listeners and readers of his works there would be such sloths who, referring to their infirmities and exaggerating the weight of the crosses placed on them, would evade the struggle with sin and the acquisition of virtues. And to such careless people he addresses his divinely enlightened word: one should not say "that virtues are great" and that it is impossible to attain them, "for whoever says so either does not trust in God's help, or is lazy to devote himself to anything good" [p. 162]. Virtue is natural to us - "it is in us". And the more "we do good, the more we acquire the habit of virtue, that is, we regain our natural quality and ascend to our former health" [p. 134]. If a person begins with faith in God, then the Lord will continue to help him - he will ease his path. "But lay only the beginning," – cries out the holy abba [p. 163]. "Imagine," he says, "two ladders: one leads up to Heaven, the other leads down to hell, and you stand on the ground in the middle of both ladders. Do not think and do not say: how can I fly up from the earth and suddenly find myself at the height of Heaven, that is, at the top of the ladder? This is impossible, and God does not require it of you; but at least be careful not to go down" [p. 163]." Be patient and give thanks... Be patient, pray... Be courageous, be strong in the Lord and trust in His care for you" [p. 207], – admonishes the holy Abba Dorotheus to each one individually and together.

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This review can be concluded with the words of St. Dorotheus himself and the author of the epistle that precedes his creations." Have a firm heart," the monk exhorts, "have generosity: let your love for one another overcome everything that happens" [pp. 66, 67]." And you, - the author of the epistle addresses the reader, - having found a pleasure worthy of your blessed and sincere care, rejoice and be glad, and imitate the life you worthily desire, praying to the Lord of all and for my foolishness" [p. 6].

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And now, dear listener or reader, having listened to or read this summary, take the trouble to turn to the original source - this pure sacred spring of living water and drink from it yourself. This is how you will quench your spiritual thirst, find inner peace, gain strength to do good, and therefore open the way to INFINITE GOOD.

St. Gregory of Sinaite - Teacher of "Mental Work"