Section III: The Spiritual Man in the Struggle with the Passions (continued).

Chapter 8.

§ 1. Non-acquisitiveness.

"The beginning of the path of life is always to learn with one's mind in the words of God and to spend one's life in poverty," says St. Isaac the Syrian1.

Such is the meaning of non-acquisitiveness. "Non-acquisitiveness is the laying aside of earthly cares, carelessness about life, unhindered travel, faith in the commandments of the Savior; it is alien to sorrow," says St. John of the Ladder. It is the Divine institution (Luke 14:26, 33). Voluntary poverty is higher than almsgiving. "If you impose on your soul the rule of poverty," says St. Isaac the Syrian,

No, please, don't be dependent. Alms are like raising children, and silence is the height of perfection. If you have possessions, squander them suddenly. But if you have nothing, do not desire to have. Cleanse your cell of luxury and superfluousness, and this will lead you to abstinence involuntarily, even if you do not want to. The scarcity of things teaches a person abstinence; and when we allow ourselves to indulge in things, then we will not be able to restrain ourselves."3

In the "Ancient Patericon"4 there is an incident showing that the saints strictly remembered this position (that non-acquisitiveness is higher than almsgiving).

"Someone asked the elder to accept money for his needs. He did not want to accept it, being content with his needlework. When he did not cease to beg the elder to accept the money, even for the needs of the poor, he answered:

"There will be a twofold shame here: I accept needlessly and I am vain with someone else's giving."

Knowing the height of the virtue of non-acquisitiveness and its superiority over almsgiving, the devil builds temptations for ascetics on this.

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"The demon of the love of money fights with the non-acquisitive, and when he cannot overcome them," says St. John Climacus,5 "then, presenting them with the poor, under the guise of mercy, he exhorts them to become material again from immaterial."

And often he succeeds in this and leads into ruin even persons6 of a high spiritual life.