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ABOUT THE THREE VOWS OF MONASTICISM : VIRGINITY, NON-POSSESSION, AND OBEDIENCE
Moscow 1998
The text is printed according to the publication: “On the three vows of monasticism: virginity, non-possession and obedience”, M., 1845. From the St. Petersburg Committee of Spiritual Censorship, May 1, 1845, it is allowed to print. Censor Priest Andrey Okunev.
Table of contents
Foreword
I. VOW OF VIRGINITY
a) THE BASIS OF THE VIRGINITY VOW.
b) CONTENT OF THE VOW.
c) THE PURPOSE OF THE VIRGINITY VOW.
d) THE IMPORTANCE AND INVIOLABILITY OF THE VOW OF VIRGINITY.
e) MEANS FOR KEEPING THE VOW OF VIRGINITY.
II. VOW OF NON-POSSESSION
a) THE BASIS OF THE VOW OF NON-POSSESSION.
b) CONTENT OF THE VOW OF NON-POSSESSION.
c) PURPOSE OF THE VOW OF NON-POSSESSION.
d) THE IMPORTANCE AND INVIOLABILITY OF THE VOW OF NON-POSSESSION.
III. VOW OF OBEDIENCE
a) THE BASIS OF THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
b) CONTENT OF THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
c) PURPOSE OF THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
d) THE IMPORTANCE AND INVIOLABILITY OF THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
e) THE IMPORTANCE AND INVIOLABILITY OF THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
On the ladder of monastic vows, the vow of obedience is the highest and therefore the most difficult step. One great old man, being in an angel-like vision, saw four degrees in heaven, signifying the perfection of the ascetics. In the first degree stood one dejected by ailments, but blessing the name of the Lord; to another disinterested stranger, and always obliging; on the third, a silent desert-dweller; finally, the fourth and highest degree was occupied by the obedient to his mentor, and for the sake of God devoted to him with all his heart. This man, for obedience, wears a shield and a scarlet robe, as a sign that he was obedient even unto death, and shone with glory above all. Why is this one, apparently less in deeds, exalted more than others, thought the elder, who was awarded the heavenly vision! “For this, a mysterious voice suddenly answered him, that the stranger is practicing virtue, so dear to his heart, of her own free will; likewise, the hermit, removed from the world according to his own good judgment, and lives freely; as for one who is afflicted with ailments, he would gladly change them to health. But this one, who has undertaken the most difficult task of obedience, having abandoned all his desires, depends on God and his guide; therefore he received great glory before others. “So, children,” the same elder continues, “obedience to the Lord is a good deed. Obedience, you are the salvation of all the faithful, you are the mother of all virtues, you open the heavens and raise people from the earth to them, you feed all the Saints, they are perfected through you, you dwell with the Angels! obedience; for such a person is a true follower of our good Teacher, who was obedient even unto death (Phil. II, 8). Truly blessed who has learned obedience: for, being an imitator of Jesus Christ, he also becomes a joint heir with him.”[2] A monk by means of this virtue (obedience) can be perfected in such a way as it cannot be from any other. “Like a traveler,” says St. Abba Dorotheos, having found the rod, and leaning on it, makes the path faster with its help, as it happens with those who follow the path of cutting off their will. For whoever cuts off his own will, through this acquires impartiality, and from impartiality passes with the help of God into perfect impartiality. It is possible to cut off ten desires in a short time, while another completes the entire path in a short time. He sees something, and the thought tells him: pay attention to it, and he answers the thought: “I do not pay any attention, and cuts off my desire, and does not pay attention.” He finds those engaged in idle talk, and the thought says to him: “Say such and such a word,” but he cuts off his desire and does not speak. Thus, cutting off everything, he acquires the habit of cutting off, and after the small, he begins without difficulty to cut off the great; and thus finally begins to have no will at all, and whatever happens to him, he is calm, no matter how everything goes according to his desire. And then, as he does not want to fulfill his will, it is always fulfilled with him: because whoever has nothing of his own, for him everything that happens is his own. And thus he becomes, as I said, impartial, and from impartiality comes to impartiality. Do you see to what success little by little the cutting off of one's own will leads? so the monk, having given himself over to the exploits of obedience, having passed through the fire of all the sorrows of life for God, and in this sorrow and much patience having learned obedience, having melted morals, he learns humility and becomes bright and worthy of heavenly treasures, endless life and a blissful fate, from where sorrow and sighing are removed, and joy and uninterrupted joy are installed. Great is the feat of obedience, so that some Holy Fathers equated it with martyrdom. “Whoever cuts off his own will and does the will of the abbot,” says St. Theodore the Studite, this is imputed before God, that he seemed to have shed his blood for Christ.[5] “Without the shedding of blood,” says another teacher of the Church, one cannot forsake one’s own will, i.e., to cut off one’s own will, one needs labor even to death.”[6] In one Egyptian Monastery there was an old man very angry and stern. Learning about this, one young brother made a vow before God to go to obedience to the angry old man and endure any insult from him for his sins. For six years the patient brother lived with the elder, and every day he endured new vexations. Then he sees in a dream a husband wearing a larger scroll. Here, says the one who appeared to the novice, look: the Master has crossed out half of your debt; strive for the other half too! The brother revealed this vision to an old man and continued his obedience with the same patience. If the day passed as usual in the patience of insults from a stern old man; then a novice to the question of that good old man, who knew the secret of his life: how was the day? Did we manage to cross something out of the scroll? He answered: so, father, we have not worked much now. But when the day passed peacefully, without vexations and beatings, the novice wept and said: Today was an evil day; we didn't buy anything! So another six years passed, and the patient brother died. After this, the good old man saw the deceased among the martyrs, and heard that he is praying to God for the obstinate old man. Lord, this is what the new martyr said, just as You had mercy on me for the sake of the elder, so have mercy on him according to Your Goodness for the sake of me, your servant! Forty days after the death of the novice, his elder also died, and was taken to a place of eternal rest.[7] In addition, how important the feat of obedience is, this is evident from the fact that God shows special favor to those who are distinguished by this virtue, it is sometimes He rewards her ascetics with the gift of miracles. So once an elder ordered John (Kolov) to stick a dry tree and water it every day until it bears fruit. The novice, despite the remoteness of the water, fulfilled the commandment for three years. And what? the power of obedience revived the dead tree; it flourished and bore fruit. Then the elder, having called the brethren, and showing them the fruit of a dry tree, said: take and taste, this is the fruit of obedience! Another time, the elder said to the same novice: in such and such a place I saw hyena droppings; come and bring it to me. “Well, father,” John asked, “if the hyena itself finds me?” "If it finds, then you tie up the beast and bring it here." John, having gone in the evening, really saw the hyena itself, and, without thinking anything, immediately chased after the beast, and said: wait, my father ordered me to tie you up. The hyena was caught, bound, and brought to the old man; but the elder, wanting to humble the obedient monk, and fearing that he would not become proud of his very obedience, took a stick and beat John, saying: what a fool you brought a dog here! untied the hyena and let it go.[8] So great is the power of the virtue of obedience! So, spiritual ascetic, you promised to keep obedience until death, then do not leave it. "If anyone," says St. Basil the Great, once joined the body of the brotherhood and wants to be recognized as a usable vessel, then he must show obedience and obedience to his mentor until his death, remembering that the Lord is obedient to reality even to death, but death on the cross” (Phil. II, 8).[9] “There is no more unfortunate, says another teacher of the Church, there is no closer to the destruction of that person who does not have a guide for himself on the path of God. For what do these words mean: if there is no control, like leaves fall? (Prov. II. 14) At first, the leaf is always green, blooming, pleasant, then little by little it fades, and finally they despise and trample it: so also a person who is not controlled by anyone, at first always has a disposition to fasting, to vigil, to silence, to obedience and to every other good, but then this disposition, without a mentor that arouses and kindles it in him, little by little decreases in him, cools and insensibly disappears, and he finally becomes subject to enemies who do what they want with him. And the enemy especially rejoices over those who have no control over them. Imagine that brother, says the same teacher of the Church, whom the evil one loved, and about whom he speaks to Abba Macarius: “I have one brother who, when he looks at me, whirls like a whirlwind.” He loves such, he always rejoices in such, whom no one controls, who do not reveal their state to those who, according to God, can give them a helping hand. For this demon did not approach all the brethren, when the saint, seeing him carrying all sorts of dishes in pots, did not offer them to everyone; because everyone, seeing his chains, fled and opened his thoughts, and found help in time of temptation, so that the evil one could no longer do anything with them, but he found only this one unfortunate one, disposing of himself, having no help from anyone; and therefore he treated him like a toy, and, departing, thanked him, and cursed others. When in this way he told Abba Macarius the very matter and announced the name of his brother: the saint hurried to this brother, found that this was the very reason for his death, found that he did not want to confess, found that he was not in the habit of revealing his state, and therefore the enemy circled him as he wanted. When the saint asked: "What is your condition, brother?" He replied: "Thy prayers, good." When the saint still asked him: “Do not thoughts fight against you?” He replied: "I find myself well." And until then he did not want to confess anything, until he was brought by the art of the saint to the point that he told his state. Having strengthened him with a conversation and the word of God, St. Macarius returned; the enemy, according to his custom, again came to this brother, with the intention of overthrowing him, but he was put to shame: for he found him fortified, he found him no longer such that it was possible to mock him. So he departed from it, having done nothing, departed in shame. Therefore, when the saint asked him again: “What is the state of this brother, your friend?” became more ferocious than all." That is why the enemy hates the voice of affirmation! Because he always seeks our doom. That is why he loves those who dispose of themselves! because they help the devil by building their own yards. I do not know any other reason for the fall of a monk, except for the power of attorney to my heart. Some say: "A man falls from one or the other"; but I don't know, said, another reason for the fall, except this one. Did you see someone fall? Know that he had himself. There is nothing more dangerous than to dispose of oneself; There is nothing more disastrous than this!” [10] “How did the devil deal with Adam and Eve, says St. Anthony V.; so it is with those who follow their own inclinations, are content with their own opinion and judgment in everything, and do not want to follow the instructions of their fathers, who are more perfect than them and know how to distinguish good from evil. Those people, my children, who fulfill the desires of their hearts and think that they have reached perfection because of the blessing of their fathers, are like birds that make their nests on high, but fly to the ground, and here they are caught in a net by bird-catchers. The devil is trying to produce in these people the confidence that they are great and glorious in their spirit, superior to many other people; therefore they do not want to obey their fathers, so that they may be said to be like bitter, unripe grapes. They are really like him, because the instructions of the fathers are unpleasant for them, and they think of themselves that they know everything. So my children, understand that you will not succeed, grow and perfect in virtue if you do not obey your fathers, who have already reached perfection. And our fathers themselves obeyed their fathers and followed their instructions, and therefore grew up and perfected in piety, and became teachers of others.”[11] “Unfortunate and worthy of contempt, who has not accustomed himself to obedience, but always grumbles!”[12] departed from the pride and ambition of the world. He should look carefully so as not to approach the host of Korah, whose end showed that the pure desert land does not want to bear the power-hungry and rebellious"[13]. Let us conclude our discussion with this brief instruction of one teacher of our Church. “Twice you promised, he says, to work for Christ faithfully, during Baptism and tonsure. Listen to this, beloved, and always remember your vows, and act according to them and live, so that you will not be condemned as a deceiver at the court of it.
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1. Paterik of Skitsky. Abba Ruf.
2. TV. Ephrem the Syrian.
3. Chr. Thu. Lecturer Abba Dorotheus' guidance in self-sacrifice.
4. St. Theodore of Edessa
5. St. Theodore the Studite Announcement on Cheesefare Week.
6. St. Barsanuphius and John the Disciple, soul-saving instructions. Chr. Thu.
7. Sunday Thu.
8. Sunday Thu.
9. Chr. Thu. Space rules.
10. Chr. Thu. St. Abba Dorotheus's instruction is that one should not arrange oneself according to one's own mind. “And at those who labor under the supervision of the Fathers, the enemies of our life, the demons, are excessively furious,” says St. Theodore of Edessa; gnashing their teeth with their teeth, and devising all sorts of tricks. What don't they do! Why are they not inspired in order to snatch them from their fatherly embraces? They present reasons apparently plausible; they invent motives for strife, incite hatred towards the father, they give the appearance of reproaches to his exhortations, and reproaches are presented in the form of sharpened arrows. Why, they tell him, having been born free, have you made yourself a slave, and a slave of the merciless master? How long will you suffer under the yoke of this slavery and not look freely at the world? Then they are encouraged to hospitality, to go after the sick and to care for the poor, and sometimes they also exalt the feat of deep silence and solitude, in a word, they sow every kind of worthless tares in the heart of a warrior of piety, in order only to snatch him from the spiritual fence, and, having pulled him out of an unstormy haven, plunge him into the sea raging with soul-destroying waves. Finally, having received into their power, they will, like a prisoner, dispose of it according to their evil will. So, when you are under the supervision of your father, try to penetrate the secret deceit of your haters and enemies, and do not forget your doom and promise before God, do not be cowardly when you are offended, do not be afraid of censure, or reproach, or ridicule, do not obey suggestions of evil thoughts, do not run away from the strictness of the father, do not dishonor the good yoke of humility with the audacity of self-indulgence and self-will, but, having put in your heart the word of the Lord: enduring to the end, He will be saved (Matt. X. 22); with patience, flow to the feat set before you, looking to the Head and Finisher Jesus. St. Theodore of Edessa
11. Chr. Thu. Letter. St. Anthony the Great.
12. TV. Ephrem the Syrian.
13. Word of Metropolitan Mosk. Philaret, speaking. in the church built over the relics of St. Micah 1842 — If this salvific law (of obedience) is excluded even for a moment from the sphere of moral existence, and everywhere the brute force of matter overcomes the mind, eclipses the truth, and the orderly world plunges into the abyss of destruction. Monastic cloisters given freedom would be hotels in which frivolity and lawlessness would stay, as well as in noisy gatherings of vain peacefulness.
14. Works of Tikhon Voronezh. Monastic instruction.
Who will give me a krill, like a dove, and I will fly and rest? Behold, he ran away, and settled in the wilderness. The teas of God saving me from cowardice and from the storm. (Ps. LIV, 7-9) The (whole) world is not worthy of them, wandering in the deserts and in the mountains, and in dens, and in the abysses of the earth. (Heb. XI, 38) Truly red and monastic life is red in truth and good, if it is in accordance with those rules and laws that were laid down by the rulers and founders of the onago, taught by the Holy Spirit. (St. Theodore of Edessa. 48 act.ch.)
A life entirely dedicated to God has always won the hearts of well-meaning people. Knowing that we are all here only strangers and strangers (Heb. XI, 13), they love to develop in themselves the spirit and powers of the higher - the spiritual nature of man; they like to shorten and reduce their earthly needs and worries for heaven; they love to seek bliss in the one and only Source of heavenly comforts - God; in a word, they love life in the Lord, a higher, perfect, holy life, indicated by the Gospel counsels about arbitrary virginity, non-possession and obedience to the Lord for the sake of it. All, even in the world, says the beloved disciple of Christ, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John II, 16). This triple evil can, however, be conquered by chastity, poverty and obedience. And this is why monasticism always requires the fulfillment of three vows: virginity, non-possession, and obedience. For those who wish to devote themselves to the monastic life, a correct and thorough understanding of each of these three vows is necessary. Let us satisfy this need according to our strength and ability: we will consider with attention each vow separately.
I. VOW OF VIRGINITY.
a) THE BASIS OF THE VIRGINITY VOW.
