And if only people knew what they are losing because of this! I think then not only would they have allowed themselves to step on their feet and calluses unhindered, but if they had knocked over a burning candlestick on their heads, they would not have even noticed what it was. But leaving such persons to their own care — and they are forgiven, since they have not tasted the gift of prayer, do not understand what it is, even in the simplest qualities — let the ascetic find a secluded corner in the church,50 so that he can see no one and nothing but the icon in front of him, and so that he will not be seen, if, by the grace of God, He will have to pray fervently. The latter, that is, in order not to be seen, must also be observed and foreseen, for demons are in the habit of distracting attention not only to candles, but also to the people around them; And moreover, there are almost more people who pray sincerely than those who stand in intricate hats and buns. But these rotosei make their observations, at best, not for their own instruction and denunciation, or for the reproach of their wretchedness and distraction, but in order to present their observation after the service to the praying person in the form of -225-

Praise. And vanity, like a steppe fire, burns the fruits that have just been gathered in the field of the heart. Let us run around these envious people, calling about our virtues in all the streets and crossroads, and at the same time, in the same conversation, mixing our name with dirt.

In order to free oneself from distraction and to concentrate one's attention, the Holy Fathers advise to stand in church with one's eyes closed,51 and to open one's eyes only when one is discouraged or sleep will weigh one down and incline one to slumber. Then you need to turn your eyes to the image and to the burning candle or lampada. It is clear that we should pray with our eyes closed if our thoughts are really gathered, and if not, then we can fall into hypocrisy.

But if we gain obvious benefits from praying with our eyes closed, there is no need to be confused by the temptation around us. People around us are offended: if a person sins, they condemn him; he begins to repent – he is condemned again, and even more than before: "He also climbs there, with a pig's snout in a Kalash row... Everyone knows what he was like..." Therefore, there is no need to be troubled — the world is adulterous, and so it did to the Lord (Mark 8:38; 6:3).

14. Constancy. Many do not believe in demons. Why? Because they do not lead a spiritual life, they do not have their own experience. They say: "Show me"... There is no need to show, not some kind of treasure, an innumerable multitude of them surround us, but take the trouble that the "nothingness" that you represent to the demons, and in fact what you are, would have at least a little prayer light in your heart and immediately begin to tempt. Their actions against constancy in prayer are clearly visible.

Sometimes (and when you let laziness take on yourself, it can always be) a person before getting up to pray has such a burden! And there it is impossible, and here it breaks, and most importantly, it does not want to, "turns the soul back". But I broke myself, decided to endure, even if the torment was a thousand times stronger, I stood up to pray – but there was no torment. As if it never happened. And in just a minute, in a second, there was even such an unexpected turning point that a person cannot restrain himself from surprise. What does this mean? "The demons attacked, and when they saw that you could not break a person, they departed. Why

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Walked? After all, they always interfere with prayer? — Yes, they do, but only for lazy, stretching, boring people. And whoever keeps himself cheerful, and at the ringing of the bell and at the time of prayer immediately abandons all his affairs, they depart from him, because they do not want a person to acquire crowns because of them. They see in advance that the one who prays to them will not yield an inch, I will die, I will say, and for these half an hour or an hour I will pray properly, so they do not bother him, because they are envious, and I repeat, they do not want us to receive crowns from God for prayer and even for fighting with them. And only when they see that we "have prayed for something, in their opinion, for a long time," they come up again, urging us to finish the prayer as soon as possible and tempting us with the necessary deeds. Otherwise, they say, if you are late, leave it, and then you will be overwhelmed. But if we give in, then, of course, we will no longer have to pray.52

For this reason the Holy Fathers command:

"Stand tirelessly, pray intensely, avoid all thought of cares and worldly calculations; they confuse and disturb you in order to relieve the tension

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of your strength."

But even because of his weakness, without even any temptations of demons, a person is scattered and weighed down, standing in the most favorable environment for prayer. What should he do?

St. St. John Climacus54 teaches: "Try always to bring back to yourself your deviant thought, or, rather, enclose it in the words of prayer. If, in your infancy, it becomes tired and falls into distraction, then again introduce it into the words of the prayer; for inconstancy is inherent in our mind. But He Who is able to affirm all things can also give constancy to our minds. If you strive unceasingly in this work, then the boundaries of the sea of your mind will come to you, and will say to it in your prayer: "Until now you will come and do not pass away" (Job 38:11). It is impossible to bind the Spirit, and where there is the Creator of this spirit, there everything is subject to Him."