Того самого преподобного отця нашого Теодора Слово умоглядне

The word of our venerable father Theodore, imagining this is a great feat – to break these strong ties and free yourself from serving earthly things, and to acquire a good habit. Even a courageous soul needs to distance itself from everything earthly. And what she is looking for is not only purification from passions, because it is not virtue in itself, but only preparation for virtue. It is necessary to cleanse oneself of evil habits and acquire virtue. Purification of the soul consists in the fact that the verbal power is cleansed of earthly images and deceptive, according to the word of the Theologian, everyday worries and cares, and evil inclinations, that is, it changes its inappropriate inclinations and completely leaves them; the desiring power should not long for anything earthly, and not look at sensual things, and listen to reason; a fierce force not to be embarrassed by anything. After purification and mortification of all impure or good disposition, we need ascension and deification; he who shuns evil should do good. And above all, one must deny oneself and, taking up one’s cross, follow the Lord to the highest deification. What is it, this ascension and deification? As for the mind, it is the most complete, as far as human nature can comprehend, the contemplation of all created things and the Being that is beyond creation. As for the desire force – a complete and unceasing admiration and movement towards the original beauty. As for fiery power, it is the most active movement towards the desired, inseparable and unrelenting, not interrupted by any grief that happens, a bold and irreversible movement forward. The movement of the soul towards good should be as much stronger than the movement towards evil, by how much spiritual beauty surpasses sensual beauty. The soul must care for the body as much as it needs to sustain it, so that it does not die. This is easy to determine for oneself, but much more difficult to do. It is not without difficulty that you root out of the soul its habits, which are not so easy to eradicate, and the acquisition of knowledge is not without a feat. Indeed, diligent contemplation and direction to the blessed being [God] is acquired with many labors and over a long time, until our desires get used to this direction and feel what it brings them. Often the condition will have to resist the senses, which draw it to extraneous things – this is the war and struggle with the body, which continues until death, although it seems to decrease, when the rage and lust subside, and the senses obey the condition, which has been enriched with knowledge. However, one must know that an unenlightened soul, since it does not receive help from God, cannot truly purify itself or descend to the divine world. What we have already said applies to the faithful. And in order to explain it better, it is necessary to briefly mention the differences between cognition. There is one knowledge according to nature and there is knowledge beyond nature. What it is, this second knowledge, will be seen from the first. Knowledge by nature is the knowledge that the soul receives by investigating and learning in natural ways about the creation and the Cause of everything created, as much as it is possible for the soul bound to the body.For it is said of the senses, imagination, and mind that the action of the mind is dulled by connection with the body and mixing with it, therefore it cannot touch mental things, but can only imagine them, and imagination brings it images, different from the real ones. So, while the mind is still attached to the body, it needs images that it can perceive. The mind, being the way it is, acquires knowledge in a natural way, which we call natural. And supernatural knowledge is that which enters the mind beyond the ways known to it, or when what is known exceeds the measure of the mind connected with the body, and is more characteristic of the disembodied mind. Such knowledge can only come from the one God, when He sees the mind very purified from all passion for worldly things and covered with divine love. And not only knowledge is divided in this way, but also virtues. There is such a virtue that does not surpass nature and is rightly called natural, and there is one that is caused by the First Source of good, it exceeds our natural powers and condition, therefore it is rightly called supernatural. This is how they are divided: even an unenlightened person can have natural knowledge and natural virtue, but supernatural knowledge cannot. How could an unenlightened person have them without being a partaker of a deity who causes supernatural virtue? An enlightened person can have both, but he will not have a supernatural virtue, until he acquires a supernatural one, but nothing prevents him from obtaining supernatural knowledge without having a natural one. However, it is necessary to know that both animals and humans have senses and imagination, or fiction, but in humans these powers are much better and higher. This is also the case with natural virtues and understanding: although both the enlightened and the unenlightened can have them, the enlightened one has them higher and better. Knowledge, which is called natural, that is, knowledge of virtues and their opposites, is twofold. One kind of knowledge is simple, when the researcher has not learned these virtues in action, and therefore sometimes doubts, and the second is active and, so to speak, inspired, when knowledge is confirmed by the experience of virtues, from which there are no longer any doubts or hesitations. Having learned all this, let us also learn that there are four oppositions that prevent the condition of acquiring virtues. The first is a tendency to the opposite skills: relying on a long habit, it begins to lean towards the earthly; the second – of beings who reach for sensual beauty, and also drag the mind along with them; the third is the freedom of the mind due to the fact that the mind is connected to the body. After all, there is not such a connection between sight and what is seen, and in general between the senses and what the senses perceive, as there is between the mind and knowledge. I am talking about the mind of the soul, which is still in the body. After all, the mind, freed from the body, understands mental things better than the eyes see visible things. But just as dim sight sees visible things vaguely and as if vaguely, so the mind that is in us comprehends mental things. He cannot clearly contemplate mental beauty, therefore he cannot desire anything from it, because according to the measure of knowledge there is also a measure of desire, therefore the mind immediately returns to sensual beauty, which he sees more clearly, and he has to fill himself with what he considers to be good, whether it is true or not.In addition to these three opposites, there is also a fourth – at the hands of impure and misanthropic spirits – it is impossible to even describe how many and what tricks they arrange for souls in various ways: by sense, word, mind – and everything that can be. And if it had not been for the one who took the lost sheep on his shoulder – those who look to him – and by an unspeakable providence had not made them superior to all, not a single soul would have escaped their nets. In order to avoid them all, we need three things: the first and the greatest of them is to look to God and ask Him to extend a hand to help all those who put their hope in Him and fully believe that if He does not hurry to help, we will inevitably fall into the nets that their evil spirits have set for us. The second, in my opinion, is the cause of the first as well – to endlessly feed the mind with contemplation, that is, the contemplation of all things that exist, both sensible and thinking, which are in themselves, and how they are connected with the First Cause, how they come from It and return to It, and to contemplate the Cause of all things, as far as is available to us. Understanding the nature of things cleanses the mind from their passionate desire, frees them from their delusion and raises them to their beginning: from the good, wonderful and great – to the better, more wonderful and majestic, and even better – to that which is beyond all beauty, and wonder, and majesty, and allows Him to be seen as in a mirror. Does the condition need any other good, if it revolves all the time in this? If he sometimes rushes to what is foreign to him, will he not rush to his own even more? And the soul, captured by love for these, does it want something eternal, when the eternal pulls it away from the one who loves it? Life in the body will also become unpleasant for her, because it will be an obstacle to her good. For although the mind, as we have already said, vaguely sees the mental beauty, the mental benefits are such and there are so many of them that even a small stream and the subtlest manifestation of that magnificent beauty prompts the mind to leave everything earthly and go only to the spiritual, not retreating from that sweetness, even if it falls into some bitterness. And the third thing is the mortification of our body, which is connected with the mind; without mortification, it is impossible to receive contemplation clearly and distinctly. It is mortified by fasting, keeping vigil, and lying on the ground, wearing hard clothes, and labors, and suffering evil. This is how the body is mortified, and what is more, it is crucified with Christ, refined and purified, becomes light, and acquires good things with the mouth, and without resistance follows the movements of the mind, and it is easy for him to rise to the highest. And without this, all our efforts will be in vain. When this honest trio is in harmony with itself, it will give birth in the soul from the harvest of blessed virtues. In those who are adorned with these three, no trace of malice will be found, and no virtue will be lacking in them, neither turning away from the acquisition of wealth, nor disdain for fame will confuse the mind, because as long as the soul clings to them, it is still affected by many passions. And I say definitely that it is impossible for a soul attached to wealth and fame to soar. And I’m not saying that a soul that has long performed feats in the three things named will be able to take care of them, so that it has become accustomed to them.When she knows no other true good, except that above all good, and of all other goods she prefers that which approaches the first, how will she love and praise gold, or silver, or anything else that is on earth? The same can be said about fame. But even such a strong thing as a request will not attack the mind like that. What is there to worry about when the soul is not interested or attracted to anything from earthly things? A cloud of petitions is formed as if from the smoke of the main passions – love of pleasure, love of money and love of glory. He who is free from them is also free from solicitation. He who has acquired the things mentioned does not lack prudence, which is different from wisdom, and is the first of those ways that elevate one to the top. Whoever learns virtue learns to recognize both what is good and what is contrary to good, and this requires prudence. Through experience and struggle with the body, she will teach how to go straight to God. Such people also have fear. As much as love increases, fear increases as much, as much as there is hope to receive good, so much does the fear of not receiving it increase. This fear gnaws at those struck by love more than the threat of countless torments. The most blessed thing is to receive good, and not to receive it is the most miserable. In order for our word to come in the right and different way, we like to start from the end. For everything that exists receives from its end both the separation of parts and their rank. The end of our life is bliss, or, in other words, the Kingdom of Heaven, or God. And it is not only that you contemplate the Sovereign Trinity, but also that you receive divine influence, self-deification – it adds to us what we lack and perfects the imperfect. It is food for thinking beings – the addition by divine influence of what is lacking; this influence is unceasing, like a circle, starting from the same and ending with the same. To the extent that one understands, to the extent that one desires, and to the extent that one desires, to the extent that one enjoys, and to the extent that one enjoys, to the extent that one is strengthened in understanding and begins again motionless movement and motionless immobility. This is the end of our life as far as we can understand. We must consider how to reach this end. For verbal souls, which are thinking beings and differ little from angelic minds, life in the body is given as a labor and a feat. The reward for the feat is the already mentioned condition, a gift worthy of God’s goodness and truth. True, because blessings are given for personal labor, and blessings are given because the power of a gift surpasses all labor. Besides, the very ability to do good is also a gift from God. Then what is the feat here? The verbal soul is connected with the animal body, which takes its existence from the earth and leans towards the dead. Dushatak is combined with the body, so that from the two, completely opposite to each other, one being has formed, but without transformation or mixing of these two parts. From these two, different in nature, one person was formed in two unchanging natures. Thus, this being – man, composed of two natures, does what is characteristic of each nature in particular.Therefore, it is not surprising that the body desires things similar to itself, that is, bodily things. The desire for such is inherent in all beings, because their existence rests on connection with that which is similar to their being. Therefore, it is natural for the body to enjoy this sense, and rest is also useful for it when it is tired. This is natural and desirable for our bodily nature. For a verbal soul, as for a thinking being, all thinking and enjoyment of thinking in its own way is natural and desirable. First and foremost, love for God is rooted in her. The soul wants to enjoy Him and other thinking beings, but cannot do so without hindrance. The first man could perceive sensuous things with his senses and enjoy them with his thinking mind. But she had to practice not in the worst, but in the best. She could then do both the first and the second: she could be with the mental with her mind, and her senses with the sensual. I do not say that Adam did not have to perceive through the senses, he had a body for a reason; but he did not like to enjoy sensual things. It was necessary for him, seeing the beauty of creatures, to rise to the One who created them and enjoy Him in wonder, having double reasons to marvel at the Creator, and not to attach himself to sensual things and enjoy them, leaving mental beauty. That is what Adam should have done. But he did not use his senses for good, because he was surprised by sensual beauty, and, seeing the fruit, which was beautiful in appearance and good in taste, he consumed it, ceasing to enjoy thoughts. Therefore, the righteous Judge condemned him as unworthy of what he had despised, that is, the contemplation of God and all created things, banished him, placing the darkness between him and incorporeal beings. For it was not pleasing to the unclean to leave the holy, but what he loved was given to him to enjoy, that is why God gave him to live with the senses and small traces of the life of thought. Because of this, the feat in mental things has become difficult for us, because it is not in our power that our mind delights in mental things as much as the senses delight in sensual things, although baptism gives us help, and it purifies and elevates us. However, as much as it is possible for us, we must exercise in mental [things], and not in sensual things, and to desire mental things, but not at all to be surprised by sensual things and not to desire to enjoy them; indeed, they cannot compare with mental ones. We know that as one creature is stranger than another, so one beauty is stranger than another. And is it not more than madness: to seek the shameful instead of the most beautiful, and to desire the dishonorable instead of the most honorable? This is what we do with regard to both sensory and mental creatures. And what can we say when we do this to the Being, who is above all, when instead of Him we choose something inappropriate and disgusting in appearance?This is also a feat, to be alert to ourselves and always seek pleasure in mental things, directing both the mind and desire to them, so that we are never deprived of them by sensual things, when we are captivated by the sense and make us wonder about ourselves. creatures, as far as they can contain Him. This is our feat, we must now consider how we can accomplish it. For it is said that the body enjoys things similar to itself through the senses, which contradicts the desires of the soul. The more the body enjoys, the more it desires. Therefore, let the soul take pains to curb all the senses, so that we do not enjoy sensual things, as has already been said. And since the stronger the body, the more it rushes to its own, and the more it rushes, the harder it is to restrain it, so let the soul try to mortify the body by fasting, vigil, standing, lying on the ground, not washing, and all other patience, so that, having weakened its strength, it can easily control it and make it obedient to mental actions. This is the essence of our feat. But it is easy to wish for it, but it is not easy to fulfill it, and there are many mistakes in fulfilling it, because the sense often robs us, even when someone is very careful. Therefore, there are other, third, medicines, that is, prayer and tears. In prayer, we give thanks for the benefits received and ask for the forgiveness of sins and for the strength that strengthens us. For without divine help, as we have already said, the soul cannot do anything. Also, divine help gives the soul connection with the desired and pleasure and inclines the desiring power to the desired, and this is the most important thing – to direct the will to desire it as strongly as possible. Tears have great power and propitiate the Lord for sins, and cleanse the impurities that increase in us from sensual sweetness, and wing us with the desire of evil. That’s the whole thing. The next thing that comes after that is the contemplation of mental things and the utter desire for them. Due to this, the body is calmed down, that is, fasting, whole body and everything else, which is done one for the sake of another, and for their sake and with them and prayer. Each of these actions is divided into many parts, but one happens for the sake of others, and others happen for the sake of one. Let no one think that love of glory and love of money are carnal passions. Only voluptuousness is a carnal passion for which there is a useful medicine – the mortification of the body. And the two mentioned passions, that is, love of glory and love of silver, are the product of ignorance. Not having experienced true benefits and not knowing mental things, the soul invented false benefits for itself. She thought that she would fill the lack with wealth; and she also cares about wealth for the sake of lust and glory and considers wealth to be good in itself. And this is because the soul does not know true goods. Love of fame is not due to a lack of bodily needs, not due to a lack of their satisfaction, but due to inexperience and ignorance of the first good and true glory. The reason for this and, in short, the root of all evils is ignorance.Because it is impossible for someone who has understood the nature of things, where everything comes from and where it goes, and also sees his own end, rush to earthly things. After all, the soul does not want such a good that only appears to be good, and even if a habit pushes it towards it, it can defeat the habit. But when there was no habit, the soul was seduced through ignorance. So that first of all it pleases to acquire correct knowledge and to think correctly about the creation, and also to direct one’s desires to the first good, yet it is visible to despise, knowing its great vanity. What helps us reach our goal? I will briefly say about it. The only work of the verbal soul residing in the body is to desire to reach the goal. The action of desire does not move without knowledge. That’s why we act mentally. We act both for the sake of desire, even if for its own sake, and for the sake of knowledge. Bliss is not only the cause, but also the way of the present ascetic life. It has both actions: knowledge and desire, that is, love and pleasure. Whether these actions are both the same, or whether one of them is more important, let those who wish to think about it. We are talking about both actions, calling one contemplation and the other action. It is impossible to find one of the two without the other in these highest deeds, and it is possible in the lower ones and those that follow them. What prevents these actions or draws us to the opposite, we call sins, and what helps or even helps to overcome obstacles, we call virtues. Actions to acquire virtues are called successes, while actions that are the opposite are transgressions and sins. And everything that leads to an action, either to the worse or to the better, is called the highest intention, because the action consists of awareness and the desire to complete it.