There are, however, eight main passionate thoughts (temptations), say the Fathers, from whom others are born: gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, sorrow, despondency, vanity, pride.

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About the memory of death and about the Last Judgment, how and with what to occupy one's mind in order to root this remembrance in one's heart

The Fathers said that for our (monastic) work it is very useful and necessary to think about our death and to keep the Last Judgment before our eyes.

Philotheus the Sinaite established a rule for this activity: from early morning until the time for the meal, one must remain in thoughts of God, that is, in prayer and guarding the heart; after we thank God, we should think about death and the Last Judgment. Those who care about this should first of all remember the words of the Lord: "This night the angels will take your soul from you (cf. Lk. 12. 20). Think also about the words of the Holy Apostles: Horses are near to all 0 Pet. 4. 7); The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5. 2).

As of all meals bread is the most necessary, so of all the virtues is the memory of death; And just as a hungry man cannot forget bread, so he who wants to be saved cannot but remember death, say the Fathers. Many laymen and monks who lived happily, loved all earthly things, and hoped for a long life, did not reach old age because the knife of death cut off their lives.

In fact, everything is insignificant that will not remain with us after death. If we know this, then why do we rush here and there, isn't it vanity? The path is short. Life is smoke and steam, dust and ashes: it appears and soon disappears... In vain do those born on earth rush hither and thither, as the Holy Scriptures say. And if they possess the whole world, they will still go to the grave, taking nothing from it: no beauty, no glory, no power, no honors, and no joy of life. Look into the coffin - how ugly and inglorious are our remains! Looking at the bare bones, we ask: who is the king and who is the beggar? Who is full of glory and who is inglorious? Where is the joy and beauty of this life? Is not all this ugliness and stench? All the good and lust of this world has become useless; like a withered flower it fell and passed like a shadow — so everything human is destroyed.

But our Lord, Who in the depths of His ineffable wisdom set a limit to our life and foresaw death in order to defeat the serpent, granted us the Resurrection, so that His servants would pass on to another life. The disciple whom the Lord loved most of all, John the Theologian, wrote thus: The time is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who have done good will go out into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of condemnation (Jn. 5. 28—29). Verily, truly, I say to you, 'The time is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and when they hear it, they will live. 5. 25).

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И я слова 8

О слеяах и что приличествует делать тем, которые хотели бы их получить

Если кто, молясь и размышляя о смерти и Суде, по благодати Божией обрящет слезы, то приличествует ему плакать в той мере, в которой он имеет для этого возможность и силу. Плач, говорят отцы, избавит его от вечного огня и прочих будущих мучений.