Spiritual laws. 14 main laws of human life

Spiritual laws of life. A very important and necessary topic.

If we take a house as an analogy, we are talking about the foundation. If the state is about its laws, without which it is impossible.

This is a very clear example. Why is it important? Because the topic of this article may seem completely unimportant and insignificant to many.

But try to imagine a house that was built on bare ground without a foundation? What will happen to him after a while? How long will it last? Remember the fairy tale about the three little pigs?

If you have already decided to build a house, then build it thoroughly according to all the rules and laws . And since we were born, then let’s live according to the laws of the world in which we have the good fortune to be.

• How to find the meaning of life?

Otherwise, your whole life will be nothing more than a straw house that will fly apart at any blow of the breeze. And it will constantly need to be patched or completely rebuilt.

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Spiritual laws are the basis on which life must be built.

Then neither winds, nor earthquakes, nor floods, nor droughts will be terrible. Your house of life will withstand everything and it will not matter to it.

Problems, stress, disappointments, resentments, betrayals, losses - nothing can shake the house of your life, because it will stand on a solid foundation.

By the way: you can read how to find peace of mind here, I can also advise where it’s best to relieve stress.

• How to stop being nervous and start living?

We need to look not at the outside of our world, which is constant and changeable, but inside ourselves - where everything comes from and where everything goes... To spiritual laws , which are eternal, constant and independent of any external circumstances.

Having built our lives according to these laws, we learn to see the external world in a completely different way and to perceive everything that happens in it differently, on a different level.

Spiritual laws, rules of life, cannot simply be taken and learned. These are not at all the rules to which we are accustomed.

Write “Zhi” and “shi” with the letter “i”. Memorized, memorized and that’s enough. But I can’t help but say that I once discovered the great power of words and language. I am happy to share this here.

Spiritual laws have a different nature and can only be understood by observing them and living by them. The more and more often we try to live according to the laws of the soul, the deeper and stronger we realize and understand their essence. The wider and stronger our connection with the inner world, with the soul, with God becomes.

Where do we start?

To understand what these laws are, you need to turn to religion, which, as they say, is “responsible” for the spiritual component of a person, although sometimes it is religion that is used for their own purposes by those who benefit from it. But that’s not about that now.

You need to be very careful with religion, because you can often encounter extremes and closedness, which can be dangerous without understanding why and why.

I defined it this way for myself. I follow what resonates in my soul , where I see the meaning and do not feel deception, falsehood, lies and substitution of concepts.

I do not understand the closedness of many religious teachings to other directions. That is, everything that is not from here is a lie, it is a myth, it is fiction and the road to nowhere. My understanding of true faith is here.

It is important for me not only to learn the laws of the soul, but also to understand why they are needed, why I should follow them . And this reason should not be a foreign body that I must accept simply because I have to.

No. This should be clear at the level of reason, at the level of intuition, there should be no resistance or rejection.

That is why I will start with Christianity and move on. Because it is in this religion, namely in its interpretation for ordinary people, that I see a problem for myself and these very rejections and misunderstandings.

Although in its essence Christianity is beautiful. As you read the Bible, each time you will discover more and more new meanings both for the world around you and for yourself.

Morning prayers

An Orthodox Christian should force himself to get up early, at certain hours. Immediately after awakening, you need to evoke the thought of God and apply the sign of the cross to yourself. Then, after performing ablution, begin performing morning prayers. It is sometimes difficult for a beginning Christian to read the entire rule. In this case, with the blessing of the confessor, it can be shortened. At first, read several prayers, gradually, day after day, increasing their number.

In the prayers read in the morning, a Christian:

• thanks God for last night;
• takes a blessing for the beginning of the day;
• enlists the Lord's support in all matters;
• asks for help not to sin;
• remembers family and friends.

You need to say prayers carefully, thinking about every word. When you are overwhelmed with feelings and want to stop, you need to stop, collect your thoughts and turn to God in your own words. Then continue reading the church prayer rule again.

Christianity.

The main spiritual laws in Christianity.

What can be called the main law in Christianity?

That's right, commandments. Ten Commandments of Christianity.

What confuses me? No, not in the commandments themselves, of course, they in their essence carry the truth of life. I'm talking about causes and consequences, about conditions, about crime and punishment.

The commandments must be strictly observed, otherwise the soul will go to hell. They are thereby, as it were, torn away from our life on Earth. We must because there will be punishment after death.

Well, death is still perceived by a person in isolation from life. This is something we don’t want to think about because we want to live and not die. And we cannot as clearly and concretely perceive the punishments that may await us beyond the threshold of life, beyond which anything at all may await us. And it is very difficult to project what will happen next, behind the fog of ideas and expectations, onto real life.

Therefore, the commandments are perceived by us as being in isolation from our real life on earth. They are sometimes perceived simply as a deterrent.

But their meaning is still in our development and spiritual growth.

That is, we can say that we are forced to perform - led by the fear of punishment . There is no deep understanding of why . There is a lack of integrity in understanding. A negative attitude is formed.

In plain language, let’s just say that I don’t like the presentation of these great laws of human life.

The meaning of their observance should be closer to the person right here and now.

That's why I said at the very beginning of the article that this topic may not be at all important for many of us. And to be more precise, it is not recognized as important because it is cut off from us.

The commandments are there, in religion, in monasteries, in churches, but here I am, I need to live. If you want to live, know how to move around.

Let us still take Christian spiritual laws as a basis, because the value of the commandments is unspeakably high. And with this basis, let's move on and see what we can find in other traditions and religions. Maybe we can find something important there.

I’ll say right away that I found it for myself.

Ten Commandments of Christianity.

You can easily find God's commandments on the Internet. Let's look on Wikipedia.

Since there are more than one religions on Earth, in order not to offend anyone, let’s note for ourselves only those commandments that speak about a person’s relationship to himself and to the world around him (this is exactly what we are looking for today - spiritual laws of life ).

But let’s omit those commandments that talk about the name of God, about honoring God, about the days of the week, and so on. Today I am trying to find commonality, and not the other way around.

• Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
• Dont kill.
• Don't commit adultery.
• Don't steal.
• Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

So, to love and honor our father and mother - our life is extended by following this law.

Don't kill. What is important is that there are no additional notes here that some people are still allowed, but others are not. For example, people are not allowed, but animals are allowed. No. Don't kill at all. Very clear.

Don't commit adultery. That is, do not cheat on your wife or husband. Again, without explanations or additions. Everything is very clear.

I have an interesting article about abstaining from sex, which turns out to be necessary.

Don't steal and don't lie. Don't covet anything that belongs to others.

In addition to the commandments, there are eight main sins in Christianity. We must definitely note them and under no circumstances miss them.

Gluttony, fornication, greed, anger, sadness, despondency, vanity, pride are also things that should not be done.

Before reading further, you may want to take a moment to think about which of these are present in your life.

So, these were the main spiritual laws of the life of a Christian.

№6 (903) / February 7 '17

Conversations with the priest

In this topic:

Conversations with the priest

Priest Vladimir Flavyanov: To bring out the best in yourself

Conversations with the priest

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov: You need to hit Heaven with prayer

Numerous questions come to our studio regarding the simple matters of the daily life of a Christian - morning and evening prayers, prayers during the day, rules of conduct during the day. And today I would like to combine these questions and devote a conversation to the daily life of a Christian - from morning to evening, throughout the day.

– Some kind of algorithm?

A certain algorithm for an ordinary Christian day. How should a Christian start his day?

– Everything starts from the beginning. (Laughs.) The day begins with waking up. But about this very awakening and about this very time, Anatoly Optinsky once said: “If a person does not dare to get up in the evening and does not have an internal mood, structure, mood, then put even the Optina bell tower above your head instead of an alarm clock, you still won’t get up.” . This is the secret and the lead to what I will talk about now. That is, to get up on time in the morning, you need determination.

In general, the whole day begins with simply getting up on time. Now our transmission began second by second, we arrive at the church - early Liturgy at 7 am, late at 10, evening - sometimes at 5 o'clock, sometimes at 6, and everything in the temple goes according to schedule. Church life is on a schedule, on TV - on a schedule, trains run on a schedule, trams are the same, clinics also work like that. And so on... There is some order. Our universe itself is called cosmos - κόσμος, “cosmos” is translated as “order”. And that’s why I tell people: “When I visit your house, your apartment doesn’t look like a temple. Have you seen something lying around somewhere in the church? Is it not right? You see, there is order and harmony in the temple, and this is how it should be in the house.” They say: “Well, in principle, yes.” And if it should be in the house, then it should be so in the soul. As Chekhov said: “Everything in a person should be beautiful: his face, his thoughts, his clothes”... That is, harmony is generally the normal state of a Christian. Therefore, we must also have some kind of order even in our everyday life. Therefore, it is customary among the holy fathers to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time.

Always at the same time?

– That’s how it’s supposed to be – there’s also order in this, the appointed time then becomes a habit, it’s easier for you yourself when everything is subordinated to this, and not just to some kind of trend or mood. We start the service not according to our mood, but according to a schedule; the program has now begun not according to our mood, but according to a schedule.

By the way, it’s interesting, I was once riding in a taxi, a Muslim gave me a lift, and I asked him: “I know about your certain rules of life, tell me: do you pray five times a day at all or on a schedule?” He says: “Listen, how do planes fly? Scheduled. And what - God will wait for me when I want? No, we also do everything according to time: at sunrise, at 9.00 o’clock, at 12.00 o’clock, at 15.00 o’clock and at sunset, when the sun sets.” That is, everything is also subject to some kind of order. Why do we have morning and evening rules whenever we want? During the day, also depending on your mood, but at a certain hour - there is no such thing, that is, in principle there is no such thing, but at least the beginning should still be more or less fixed. That is, we are now talking about the fact that the beginning should also be constant, if it depends on you. It’s right to put it all in order, so then a habit arises, a schedule, you still get used to it.

Theophan the Recluse Vyshensky said: “Don’t rely on yourself if you’re planning to get up.” Some say: “And I get up on a whim: when I tell myself, then I get up.” But these are some rare talents, I, for example, cannot do this. I have two alarm clocks, and many others do too, I know about it. Therefore, there must be an alarm clock. And what does this have to do with it? Many holy fathers give such advice, even, for example, the Father of the Fathers John Climacus says: “Where does asceticism begin? To get up immediately after waking up.” It would seem: what does these few seconds have to do with it? What if not right away? But if not immediately, what happens here? There is a certain secret in this too. You really need to get up right away. Why? Because as soon as we wake up, dark forces begin to act on our mind, consciousness, and thoughts. How? “Lie down for five minutes”, “my head hurts”... Thoughts immediately begin: “How do I feel?” Wait, you first get up, start the day, go wash, then you will figure out how you feel. “No, I’ll lie down a little longer.” Remember how much time or incidents you lost through this “I’ll lie down a little more.”

Why is the morning time the most precious?

– It’s not busy yet, that is, if you have to leave the house at 7 o’clock to go to work or start having breakfast, but if you set the alarm for 6 o’clock, then this hour is yours. In general, any hour before the start of the day is yours, if it’s half an hour, at least half an hour, but they are yours. And we overslept this time that we could devote to our soul, we have to jump up, wash, cook breakfast, run to work and just start the work day without starting it spiritually. Therefore, Climacus says that asceticism begins with simply getting up instantly.

By the way, I read one very scary thing (in my opinion, by Paisius of Athos). He says: “If we lie down again after waking up, a demon falls on us.” And why? This is some kind of personal experience, that is, you still need to start the day courageously. Saint Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensky has this advice: “Immediately throw off the blanket.” And I do this: I set the alarm clock farther away so that my hand won’t reach it. To turn off the alarm, you need to get up. This is already some kind of action. And then, I don’t live alone, with my mother, and in order not to wake her up, I don’t have to wait until it rings so loudly that I get tired of it, I have to turn it off right away. And just in case, there’s also an alarm clock on your phone. But Elder Anatoly Optinsky said: “In the evening there must be a determination that you specifically get up.”

They asked me the question: “Father, is it hard to get up early in the morning?” Of course it's hard. Now, with age, it has become easier. When I was young, when I was in Optina, I always wanted to sleep. Now it’s time to get old, there is little time left, and old people complain that they are getting insomnia. Insomnia is the grace of God, it extends the time of your life. There is less time to live, so the Lord gives less sleep and more wakefulness. Whatever you think, whatever you remember - both good and bad. If it’s bad, you’ll repent; if it’s good, you’ll thank, remember the kind people you’ve met in life (doctors, teachers, relatives), pray for someone, cry for someone, lament for someone that it’s so bad. it worked out, ask for forgiveness – at least mentally. Therefore, insomnia is also a time for some kind of summary, a look at your life. Therefore, it is very important to have attitude and determination.

Is it difficult to get up? Hard. But the thought must go ahead (I always forced myself to get up with one thought, because getting up was always hard, and it’s hard now): “The Kingdom of God is in need; and women in need delight her.” That is, it will never be easy. When I say the words that the Kingdom of God is in need, it motivates me to get up right away. And again: “To whom much is given, from him more will be required.” Do you know that you can’t sleep through this morning time? You know. To whom much is given, more will be required: the first will be last, and the last will be first, and that servant who knew the will of his master and did not do it will be beaten more than the one who did not know and did not do it. These thoughts instantly flashed through my head, and I forced myself to get up through these thoughts: as soon as we wake up, in a split second this or that thought appears in my head.

One day we had a Sunday conversation in church with parishioners about how to help someone with getting up early. Now we have Christmastide, first there was New Year, then the days before Christmas, everyone had days off. Our weekday services begin both in the Church of Peter and Paul and in the Church of the Intercession at 8.00 am, even at 7.30. I went to the service - there was almost not a single illuminated window, that is, people were sleeping off, I went into the temple - the temple was full. Are people reluctant to sleep? Hunting. Are they a different type or made from different cells, molecules? No, they're the same. What drove them? What led the way was thought, soul, concern for one’s inner state. Was it difficult to get up? Of course it's hard. If this were common, then all the windows would be on fire. This means that any early getting up is still a certain amount of work and compulsion.

I was just asking the parishioners for advice: “How do you manage to get up early and drag yourself out of bed?” One grandmother said: “You know, when I wake up, I put my foot on the carpet from under the blanket, it gets cold, and then I understand that I have to get up”: they usually wake up and, to make it sweet, start wrapping themselves up again. Well, it’s nonsense: you’ll sleep through the most valuable time. Therefore, of course, the feat of compulsion is important, but it must be with a specific thought: the day begins, prayer begins, you will go to work later, and a Christian’s day begins with gratefully getting up, washing his face - and immediately, before all breakfasts and other things, of course, morning prayers.

Question from a TV viewer: – I work in a kindergarten. When the children and I sit down to eat (and I eat with them, and my colleagues eat), I am somehow embarrassed that I reluctantly cross the plate, although they know, of course, that I am a believer. But I don’t know what to do at this moment, or really get baptized as expected and say a prayer... But when so many eyes are looking at you, you don’t know what to do; or not eat at all then? But we have lunch together.

- There is no need to be embarrassed. Before sitting down at the table, you must read “Our Father” to yourself, and when you have already sat down, make the sign of the cross with a spoon in a plate. But you shouldn’t be baptized deliberately: then there will be some temptation because of this. When you are among your family and friends, this is one thing, but when you are at work, especially in a social setting, it is another; this is usually not accepted there. Always read the prayer silently to yourself, both before and after meals, and cross the plate with a spoon or make imperceptible movements of the sign of the cross. Or, as they also do, they first reached for the bread (forward), then for the fork (backward), then moved the glass (to the right) and reached for another plate (to the left) - you got a wide sign of the cross across the entire table. But even if this doesn’t work, just cross your plate with a spoon. This will already be the sign of the cross for you, and the food will be blessed, and the prayer that you read will also be a blessing to you and those people who are with you. By the way, food after prayer (mental or vocal) is no longer food, it is medicine, blessed for the benefit of soul and body.

So, we return to the morning prayers with which a Christian’s day should begin. And they often ask the following question: “Are these prayers the same for everyone or not?” The fact is that we have morning prayers in our prayer book, and they can be different (according to the state of a person’s soul). For example, a beginner should discuss with his confessor or with the priest with whom he is confessing what a constant but unchangeable rule he should have. Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says about this: “A small rule, but constantly followed, has no price.” Therefore, if people are beginners, it should be a little shorter. Gradually it is added: after a week I added one thing, after another week - another, after a month - a third, and in the end we need to go to full morning prayers, which make up the beginning of our day. Bishop Theophan the Recluse advises: after you have prayed according to the prayer book, in your own words ask God for blessings for the coming day and, mentally imagining all those things that should happen during the day, ask for God’s help, admonition, inspiration, teaching or warning, if you know it's going to be a hard day.

Another important point. We all have a cross: priests have a priestly cross, monks also have a monastic cross, but every Christian wears a cross. I remember the instruction of one of the elders, who said: as soon as you wake up, immediately cross yourself and kiss your pectoral cross. That is, all these tiny, purely physical (not only mental) movements will help overcome the most difficult moment, about which for some reason Climacus says: “Asceticism begins with instantly getting up.” Some will say: “Yes, I wake up very easily.” Well, then you are a happy person if you wake up easily, most of us still like to sleep and through this we wake up half of our lives.

By the way, I remember one very wise piece of advice. The teacher kept dragging the young man so that he would get up early and not be late for school, but he kept oversleeping. Then one day he came up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said: “You know, son, those who sleep a lot see only dreams, but you and I should also see life.” He who sleeps a lot sees only dreams, and then more such dreams, when during excessive sleep he has to read the prayer of Basil the Great (let the one who reads or watches understand what I am talking about).

What should be the spiritual result of the morning rule, and why is it so important to read it before starting all business?

– This is a blessing from God, we greeted the Lord, prayed: thanked (the first prayers are thanksgiving), confessed and asked. Basil the Great teaches us this algorithm: all of our prayer should approximately consist of the following - gratitude, confession and petition. And the result of these prayers is the mood of the algorithm: the alarm clock is set, if we are driving a car, the road (navigator) is paved. So, morning prayers are a navigator for the whole day. Since we are believers, we understand that this is God’s blessing at the beginning of every day - the one who started the day with God will spend it with God. And when I started in a hurry, somehow, that’s how the day will be. Therefore, morning prayers are the foundation for the whole day.

We have just talked about morning prayers, which make up the beginning of the day, and many holy fathers advise us to make this spiritual time in the morning as large as possible - but we must start gradually. By the way, regarding the amount of sleep, many holy fathers and devotees of piety, our Optina saints, said that 6 hours of sleep is enough for a healthy person, 7 for a sick or infirm person, and what is more than this, then with repentance. They said this in the 19th century, but now we can add another hour because of our psyche, hassle, and the poor ecological environment that surrounds us. But in Optina Pustyn there is a spiritual oasis, there is a forest, vegetable gardens, and the spring of Paphnutius Borovsky. Now people from Optina, my friends, are watching us. The ecology there is different, with fresh air and normal food you can sleep less there, but on average it turns out like this: 7–8 hours.

If on average a person goes to bed at 10–11, then when you get up at 6:00 in the morning you get 7 hours of sleep - you can easily get up. And if you have to leave for work by 9.00, at 8.00, then you get two whole free hours if the person doesn’t sleep until he stops. Therefore, we must start gradually. For example, at 8.00 a person should start having breakfast, getting dressed and going to work, but let the day begin first half an hour before, then 40 minutes, 50 minutes, an hour before this time. That is, we must gradually get used to getting up early so that there is as much time as possible before the start of the working day: you can then add the Holy Scripture to your morning prayers, which is also the foundation of our spiritual life.

And Elder Ambrose of Optina gave the following advice: “Be sure to read the Holy Scriptures in the morning, so that later those thoughts with which you are fed will feed you throughout the day. Look, the cow first eats grass, and then chews the cud, which she has been fed with since the morning. So you, Christian, listen to the word of God, because when we pray, we talk with God, and when we read the Holy Scriptures, God talks with us.”

We want, for example, during our program to hear something bright, kind, edifying, and useful from us, ordinary people. And here the Lord Himself speaks through the lines of Holy Scripture. Moreover, how many times have I noticed: when you don’t know what to do during the day, what to say, what to do, how to answer, you begin to remember at least something from the Gospel you read in the morning, and you will definitely find the answer from what you read, because it is the Lord Himself I wanted to tell you something this morning through specific lines.

Over time, Holy Scripture should become our daily “breakfast” for the soul. We don’t run to work without breakfast if someone is not on a diet (by the way, new information has appeared on how you can lose 7 kilograms in a week - they advise you to eat chicken broth as much as you want, but with Chinese chopsticks, and they guarantee that you will lose 7 kilograms per week). If someone is not on a diet, then they have breakfast. Why? This is food for the body, but there must also be food for the soul: morning prayers and at least one chapter from the Gospel, which, by the way, is read in 5 minutes if it is a short chapter, and 7 minutes to read a long chapter. That is, 5 minutes, but this is breakfast and food for the soul, because we all need to be nourished - both soul and body.

Question from a TV viewer from Kalmykia: “My daughter has reached the age when she can already go to Sunday school, but classes are held at the same time as the Liturgy. Before that, we always went to Liturgy with her, she received communion; I prayed as best I could. And now, it turns out, if I send her to Sunday school, she will miss the Liturgy and will not be able to stand there with me. What to choose – Liturgy or Sunday school classes?

– You know, there is a saying: “There is a time for everything.” What you are saying now causes me great surprise: how do the Liturgy and Sunday school classes go on at the same time? If you don’t confuse anything, then this is surprising, so you need to talk to the rector of this temple and say: “Father, what would you do in my place?” You need to come either alone, or with a group of parents, or write - maybe he doesn’t know this or this is the decision of the Sunday school director, but it’s very strange for me to hear this. Classes should be at least half an hour or 40 minutes before the start of the Liturgy or immediately after the Lord’s Prayer, but you can’t mix everything together, so you need to try here so that everything falls into place.

In any normal churches, Sunday school begins immediately after the Liturgy. I don’t know all the reasons, maybe there are some objective reasons for this routine. If I were you, I would alternate: one Sunday is Liturgy, the other is Sunday school classes, so that the child also has the skill to learn, to gain knowledge. Maybe this is the best way to do it. In the end, if we have to choose between Sunday school and Liturgy, of course, our prayer will do more than our words, because “words edify, but only deeds lead.”

How many children do we know who have completed Sunday school... I have heard these questions and am answering an unasked, but very relevant question: “Why, father, do we notice that many children who have reached adolescence (12–14 years old) leave Sunday school and even from the Church? Once I asked this question to the priest of our church, Father Alexy Sysoev (father of the murdered Daniil Sysoev), who headed the Sunday school. He says: “Not many leave, but almost all.” (Ends in next issue)

Recorded by: Elena Kuzoro

You can view or listen to the full version of the program on the website of the Soyuz TV channel.

In other rooms:

Buddhism.

Spiritual laws of Buddhism.

Let's move on to Buddhism. What do we find in this ancient Eastern tradition.

We also see the Ten Commandments . I will reflect here everything except the last one, which, as in the case of Christianity, directs us further to the symbols of Buddhism itself with its features as a faith.

Don't kill.

Don't steal.

Don't commit adultery.

Do not lie or slander.

So far there is an absolute coincidence with Christianity. Let's look further.

Do not use intoxicating substances. What do we mean by such substances? It's alcohol, smoking, drugs, right? Our body is perfect and our perception of the world only worsens under the influence of alcohol and tobacco, and not vice versa, as we think. It’s just that, in fact, we are accustomed to perceiving this world very superficially and incompletely, I would say. But it is possible to develop subtle and vivid perception without intoxicating substances.

I can recommend meditation. In particular, a simple breathing meditation, Tonglen meditation, which is practiced by the Dalai Lama. And here I must definitely mention pranayama and one of the pranayama techniques.

Don't gossip about other Buddhists. I left it too because the emphasis here is on gossip and not on Buddhists. The word Buddhist can be safely replaced with “man”. Don't gossip!

Do not exalt yourself and do not humiliate others. In other words, arrogance.

Don't be stingy with those in need. In other words, compassion and generosity.

Do not hold a grudge and do not incite evil.

Also in Buddhism there are pramitas - six actions that, when performed, lead a person to enlightenment - the highest point of spiritual development.

Six Pramitas of Buddhism.

Generosity. Agree that most people are greedy and greedy. Generosity is a completely opposite concept.

The law of karma always exists, no matter what. (here is an article about karma) It is by showing generosity to the world around you and to those living in it that you can fully experience the manifestation of the world’s generosity towards you.

Ethics. It means understanding and realizing the meaning of your life. Not to live meaninglessly, thoughtlessly, but to understand why, and learn to understand what to do in order to live like this.

Patience. In everything.

Zeal. Down with laziness. We believe in our success, we believe in ourselves, we are not afraid to work and work towards our goal. And patience will help us.

Meditation. Develops calmness and concentration. It teaches you how to work with your own mind, a new vision of the world opens, and a deep sense of unity between yourself and God comes. The answer to why meditate is here.

Wisdom. This is the result of the previous five actions. After all, the meaning is in their sequence and interconnectedness. Opening up an understanding of the essence of the universe. Everything is one, everything is one. It is impossible to read and understand this. The sixth pramita can only be achieved by fully observing the first five.

Look, there is already a principle of interconnection here! , what is important. That is, there is an understanding of the meaning in what we do, there is a goal. Great.

Let's take a brief look at Taoism and Hinduism.

Hinduism and its spiritual rules.

Ten Precepts.

Patience.

Forgiveness.

Self-control and self-restraint. This is otherwise called asceticism. I have an article about this. This prescription, in my opinion, is very general. That is, it also concerns patience and, for example, from Christianity, gluttony, anger, lust (adultery). Many of the rules and commandments require self-restraint and self-control from us.

Don't steal.

Honesty and purity.

Sexual control and control of passions. Sexual energy is the basis of your development and success. Did you know about this? You can find out in the article on the website.

Knowledge of the truths of the sacred scriptures and spiritual knowledge.

Liberation from the evil within yourself.

Of the five basic commandments, we, on the same principle as above, can only take:

«Complete safety of all living beings»

Laws of spiritual life in Taoism.

Ten Rules of Taoism

Dont kill.

Elimination of lust.

Do not steal.

Tell the truth.

Be sober, clean.

Honor your ancestors.

Help those who do good. Do good accordingly.

Help the unlucky and you will find good luck . Still, this rule does not quite fit the concept of fundamental. Still, the key word here is “Help.” And this was just in the previous rule.

No revenge.

Spiritual laws of life in yoga. Yama and Niyama.

Rules of life in yoga. Target.

I want to end with Yama and Niyama because it is important for me to have a clear MEANING and PURPOSE of these rules. And it was in yoga that I found what I was looking for in full, or, let’s say, in a form and interpretation that was understandable to me.

I’ll immediately give you a link to an article about yoga.

So finally, yoga. Yama and Niyama.

Before defining the rules of Yama and Niyama and trying to combine everything that we received above into one set of rules, let's define this.

In yoga, the meaning, the reason for performing Yama and Niyama is very clearly given. Personally, I accepted this meaning for myself and offer it to you.

There is a famous work by the great Patanjali, where he outlined the essence of the “eightfold path” of yoga. The ultimate goal of this path is a state known as Samadhi.

In simple words, it is the achievement of complete unity with the Almighty. A state when that which alienates God from us is overcome and dissolved. The power of time and space is broken.

This is the state of realizing the Lord, superconsciousness. In this state, the yogi can leave the body and return to it again whenever he wants. In fact, death, which does not exist for the soul, is defeated.

Yoga, in short, is the path to God. Every soul created by God has as its main goal the desire for Him and knowledge of Him, overcoming the limitations and delusions associated with life on earth.

The soul can go to the Goal for many lives. This is a very long path and on it she learns everything that can be known. He will experience all the suffering and joy that one can experience. There will be nothing that does not touch the experience of the soul.

But the main goal remains and will always be the knowledge of God, samadhi.

The path of spiritual development.

It is impossible to take today and right now to immerse yourself in this state. We will live life after life. Until one day we realize within ourselves the desire to take the path of spiritual development.

That is, first of all, we must realize for ourselves the need to take the first step. And if such a desire appears, then the soul has come to this, it means it is ready .

And so the soul feels that life as it is, false and inferior, does not suit it. And in the end he realizes the need for spiritual development - a person wants to know his inner world and answer questions concerning his soul. He begins to feel something in himself that, perhaps, he simply did not notice before.

Then we can come to church. Maybe we start reading spiritual literature, maybe we react differently to emerging internal impulses.

But, as I said, at the very beginning, very often we do something without understanding why. But this is also a path. Over time, little by little, everyone will begin to discover this meaning for themselves if they ask and think about it.

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Yama and Niyama are sequential movement.

The Eightfold Path of Yoga contains everything you need. The meaning of any religion is the pursuit of God. But here it is reflected very logically and clearly.

For example, let’s take the third stage of the “path”. Asanas. Something that is very popular today. How many fitness yoga centers are open? Physical exercise through yoga asanas really develops the body, warms it up, pumps blood, and has a positive effect on breathing.

I can recommend a simple but very effective set of Surya Namaskar exercises for a beginner.

But! For the spiritual path, these are simply meaningless actions. Although, as we see, this is the third step on the path to God. And without the first two, asanas are just physical exercise and nothing more. I don’t remember that I developed spiritually in physical education classes at school.

And further, to the fourth stage - pranayama, and further, and further. For those who miss the basis of the spiritual laws of Yama and Niyama, when performing exercises from the third and fourth stages, the doors of new spiritual discoveries will be locked.

As stated above, the rules of the spiritual path are, first of all, practice , thanks to which, through effort and time, we discover a new perception of the world.

And just without this new vision and sensation, we will not be able to catch and notice what Asanas, Pranayama and so on contain. They contain the keys to further spiritual growth, but we simply will not notice them, we will assume that they simply do not exist, because they will be closed to us. We won't be able to see them.

Any path must be filled with meaning.

We can wander away from yoga and face the same thing. You can go to church every weekend and pray regularly. But we will not feel the treasures that are stored in sacred rituals, and prayers will be just words, unable to resurrect the spiritual that is within us.

The prayer life of an Orthodox Christian

The purpose of life for an Orthodox Christian is union with God. The word “religion” is translated from Latin - restoration of connection. Hence the word “league” (in musical literacy - an arc connecting notes).

The Christian religion is also called the Orthodox faith. The words “faith”, “trust”, “confidence” have the same root. We believe in God and trust Him, we have confidence that the Lord is always there, always close and will never leave His children who turn to Him. It is confidence, not self-confidence, that is, relying only on one’s own weak strength. A Christian knows that God’s Providence operates in his life, leading him, sometimes even through difficult trials, to salvation. And therefore, an Orthodox person is not alone in this world. Even if his friends and loved ones turn away from him, God will never leave him. This distinguishes him from people who are unbelievers or have little faith. Their life is accompanied by constant stress, tension, fear: how to survive in this cruel world? What will happen tomorrow? etc. An Orthodox person should have no fear of the present and the future: perfect love for God, faith in Him casts out fear (cf. 1 John 4:18). But faith is not just a recognition that there is a certain cosmic Mind, the Absolute; it is a living connection with the Living God.

Without faith, not a single sacrament or even ritual is possible. The grace of God, healing and strengthening us, is given only according to our personal faith. A sacred rite is not a magical ritual: they did something for us, and now everything will be fine with us. No, you need to open your heart to God, personally turn to Him. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).

Unfortunately, many modern people who consider themselves Orthodox approach the sacraments and other sacred rites of the Church without understanding, faith and personal appeal to God. Just in case, children are baptized, out of fashion or respect for traditions, they get married and go to church on Easter.

If we turn to the Gospel, we will see that the Lord performs miracles and healings only through the faith of those who turn to Him or through the faith of those people who ask for the sick. For example, one day Christ was teaching the people in a certain house, and a paralyzed man was brought to this house. Unable to enter the house due to the crowd, those who brought them dismantled the roof and lowered the bed with the sick man through the roof. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: child, your sins are forgiven. And he healed him (see: Mark 2:1-12). That is, the miracle happened through the faith of the paralytic’s friends, who really wanted his healing.

Here is an example of a personal appeal. One woman, who suffered from bleeding for twelve years and spent all her property on doctors, had a strong faith that only by touching the Savior’s clothes would she receive healing. And her faith was not disgraced. Touching the robe of Christ, she received healing. The Lord Himself praised her faith, saying: dare, daughter! your faith has saved you (see: Matt. 9:20–22). And many such examples can be found in the Holy Scriptures.

The most important question: how to acquire faith and how to strengthen it in your heart? Faith is acquired through turning to God, through prayer. By praying, a person begins to feel the presence of God in his life, and he no longer needs other evidence of God’s existence, he knows that when he turns to the Lord with prayer, he receives according to his prayer. The second thing that strengthens faith is gratitude to God. It is necessary to notice in our lives the blessings and gifts of God poured out on us.

Moreover, you need to thank the Lord not only for the pleasant moments of life, but also for the trials you send. “Did anything good happen? Bless God and good things will remain. Did something bad happen? Bless God, and bad things will stop. Thank God for everything!" – says Saint John Chrysostom[1].

Prayer Rule

So, prayer for an Orthodox Christian is a way of connecting with God, conversation, communication with Him. Turning to the Lord in prayer is a need for the soul of a believer; it is not for nothing that the Holy Fathers called prayer the breath of the soul.

When following your daily prayer rule, you need to remember two things.

Daily prayer is called a rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian.

First. Daily prayer is called a rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian. Every Orthodox Christian should pray in the morning and before going to bed - read the morning and evening prayers set out in the Orthodox prayer book. Also pray before meals (read the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” or “The eyes of all trust in Thee, O Lord...”) and after meals (read a prayer of thanks). These prayers are also contained in the Orthodox prayer book. Christians pray before starting any activity (work, study, other activities) and after it is completed. Before starting work, read the prayer “To the Heavenly King” or special prayers for the beginning of any task from the prayer book. After finishing the task, the prayer to the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat” is read. You can also read special prayers of thanksgiving, which are also contained in the prayer book; they are read, thanking God for His blessings.

There must be regularity and discipline in your prayer life. The daily prayer rule cannot be omitted and you cannot pray only when you feel like it and when you are in the mood. A Christian is a warrior of Christ; in Baptism he takes an oath of allegiance to the Lord. The life of every warrior or soldier is called service and is built according to a special schedule and regulations. Arbitrariness and laziness are unacceptable in the service. And an Orthodox person also performs his service. The prayer rule is not only communication with God, which should be a need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service takes place according to the statutes of the Church.

The prayer rule is not only communication with God, which should be a need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service takes place according to the statutes of the Church.

The second thing to remember when following the rule: you cannot turn daily prayer into a formal reading of the prescribed prayers. It happens that during confession you hear something like this: “I started reading the morning prayers and only halfway through I realized that I was reading the evening rule.” This means that the reading was purely formal, mechanical. God does not need such a prayer. To prevent the implementation of the rule from turning into an empty “proofreading” (read the rule for show, and you can calmly go about your business), you need to read it slowly, preferably out loud, in a low voice or in a whisper, pondering the meaning of the prayer, standing reverently, because we are standing before God Himself and talk to Him. Before prayer, you need to stand for some time in front of the icons, calm down, drive away all everyday thoughts and worries, and only then begin prayer. If, while reading prayers, attention wanders, extraneous thoughts come and we are distracted from what we are reading, it is recommended to stop and start reading the prayer again, this time with due attention.

It can be difficult for a new Christian to immediately read the complete prayer rule. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest, he can select at least a few morning and evening prayers from the prayer book, for example, three or four, and pray for now according to this abbreviated rule, gradually adding one prayer at a time from the prayer book. As if ascending from strength to strength (cf. Ps. 83:6-8).

Understanding and skill in prayer will certainly come with time if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in his prayer life.

Of course, it is not easy for a person taking his first steps in spiritual life to follow the unabridged rule. He still doesn’t understand much; the unfamiliar Church Slavonic text is still difficult for him to understand. To understand the meaning of the texts you read, you should purchase a small dictionary of Church Slavonic words. Understanding and skill in prayer will certainly come with time if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in his prayer life. A comparison can be made here. Anyone who starts playing sports starts with light loads. For example, he runs short distances, works out with lightweight dumbbells, but then gradually, more and more, increases the load and eventually achieves good results.

Christians are sure to read prayers in the morning, asking God for blessings for the coming day and thanking Him for the night that has passed; they pray to Him every evening, fulfilling the rule that prepares them for bed and is a confession of the sins of the past day, that is, it has a repentant character. But the entire day of an Orthodox person should also be inspired by the memory of God. This memory is very well strengthened by prayer. Without Me you cannot do anything, says the Lord (John 15:5). And every task, even the simplest one, must begin with at least a short prayer to call upon God’s help for our labors.

It is very good when we do not limit ourselves to just reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God in prayer throughout the day.

Many mothers of infants complain that they do not have time to read the daily rule. Spiritual life suffers from this: a person begins to rarely remember God. Indeed, when a child causes a lot of trouble, you need to constantly get up to him day and night, feed him and look after him - it can be very difficult to fulfill the complete prayer rule. Here we can advise you to constantly call on the name of God throughout the day. For example, if the mother is preparing food, pray that dinner will be tasty; before breastfeeding, read “Our Father”; after - a prayer of thanks. If there are especially many things to do, you should pray that the Lord will help, give strength and time to redo all the things. So our life will pass with constant memory of God, and we will not forget Him in the vanity of the world. This recommendation is suitable not only for an Orthodox mother of small children, but also for any Orthodox Christian. It is very good when we do not limit ourselves to just reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God in prayer throughout the day.

Prayers are conventionally divided into supplication, repentance, thanksgiving and doxology (although repentance is also a request for the forgiveness of sins). We, of course, must turn to the Lord not only with requests, but also constantly thank Him for His countless benefits. And most importantly, be able to see them, notice them in your life and appreciate the gifts of God. It is very good at the end of the day to make a rule for yourself to remember all the good things that were sent from God on the past day and read prayers of gratitude. They are in any complete prayer book.

In addition to the mandatory prayer rule, every Orthodox person can also follow a strict rule. For example, read canons, akathists, and the Psalter throughout the day. This is especially necessary to do in difficult, sorrowful or simply difficult periods of life. For example, the prayer canon for the Mother of God, which is found in the prayer book, is read “in every spiritual sorrow and situation,” as stated in the very name of this canon. If a Christian wants to take upon himself a constant prayer rule (read the canons or, for example, say the Jesus Prayer - “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” - according to the rosary), he must take the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest for this. Before communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, Orthodox Christians fast, that is, they fast and read the canons: repentant; prayer service to the Mother of God; canon to the Guardian Angel and canon before Holy Communion with prayers.

It should also be added that in addition to the constant prayer rule, a Christian must regularly read the word of God - the Holy Scriptures. You can hear the following opinion: why bother God with your requests and prayers, the Lord already knows what we need. You need to turn to God only in special cases when it is really necessary.

This opinion is a simple excuse for one’s own laziness. We cannot bore God with our prayers. He is our Heavenly Father, and, like any Father, He wants His children to communicate with Him and turn to Him. And God’s grace and mercy towards us can never become scarce, no matter how much we turn to God.

There is one parable on this topic.

In the house of some rich people they stopped praying before meals. One day a priest came to visit them. The table was set very elegantly: the best food was brought out and the best drink was served. The family gathered at the table, everyone looked at the priest and thought that now he would pray before eating. But the priest said: “The father of the family should pray at the table, because he is the first prayer book in the family.” There was an awkward silence because no one in this family prayed. The father cleared his throat and said: “You know, dear father, we don’t pray, because in prayer before meals the same thing is always repeated. Prayers out of habit are empty chatter. These repetitions are every day, every year, so we don’t pray anymore.”

The priest looked at everyone in surprise, but then the seven-year-old girl said: “Dad, don’t I really need to come to you every morning and say “Good morning” anymore?” [2]

Archpriest Pavel Gumerov, November 22, 2016

https://www.pravoslavie.ru/98836.html

So. Spiritual laws of life in yoga.

Yama and Niyama are the main conditions on the path of spiritual development. This is where you need to start. And if you missed it, then going further is pointless, and maybe even dangerous, because you can be disappointed and see something that is not there, or vice versa.

Pit. 5 rules.

Yama is the first stage of yoga , according to the Yoga Sutras, containing 5 rules for a person’s relationship with the outside world.

1. Nonviolence . Again, the already famous “Thou shalt not kill.”
2. Tell the truth , don't lie.
3. Don't covet someone else's.
4. Control of lust , sexual abstinence, chastity (at least until marriage). Very similar to “Thou shalt not commit adultery”
5. Generosity, non-hoarding , freedom from attachments, things, from other people's opinions, one's own inner freedom and the inviolability of another person's freedom.

Niyama. 5 rules.

Niyama is the second stage of yoga. It contains 5 rules for a person’s relationship with his inner world.

1. Purity of body and mind . That is, hygiene, clean clothes, but at the same time we monitor the purity of our thoughts.
2. Happiness is in the present moment . Here and now. Everything is fine, positive attitude.
3. Self-discipline. Patience, diligence, hard work in spiritual aspirations.
4. Study of scriptures, spiritual books.
5. Accepting God as the goal of life.

Subtotal.

Now let's summarize everything.

This is the final table of spiritual laws according to world religions and traditions.

In Christianity, I combined the commandment “do not commit adultery and fornication”, the sins “sadness” and “despondency”, as well as “vanity” and “pride”. I combined “don’t covet someone else’s” and “don’t steal” - I think they are similar in many ways.

I did not write Buddhist “wisdom” - it is rather the result of observing the rules, and not one of them. Made a few more adjustments.

The main laws of life.

In all five religions and traditions under consideration, the first 4 spiritual rules coincide.

This:

DON'T KILL!

Do not encroach on any life. You didn’t create it, and it’s not for you to stop it. A person is not able to create life, he can only have sex, and life arises without his participation. The man is simply a guide. And once again I want to note that there are no notes anywhere that we are talking only about human life.

CONTROL OF SEXUAL DESIRE!

Both in marriage and after it. You have a choice. You can choose the path of chastity. You can practice sexual practices and conserve sexual energy. But you must take control of it.

And first of all, do not cheat on your spouse, exclude promiscuous relationships if you are not married. And stop masturbating and watching pornography. Purity of thoughts also fits here.

DO NOT STEAL!

The law of karma works as it did, whether we believe in it or not, it doesn’t matter to it. If you take someone else’s, then don’t even doubt that you will have to give up yours. What will it be? It is unknown, but it is a fact that it will happen.

DO NOT LIE!

How difficult this is to achieve. It seems to me that everyone is deceiving. Some more, some less.

And I’ll also tell you one interesting thing that, in my opinion, Yogananda Paramahansa said: if you said something but didn’t do it, then you weakened the power of your thoughts.

In fact, it turns out that by doing so we make it clear that our words mean nothing and do not materialize . And in the future, the space will “get used” to the fact that your words are just words and it will be more difficult to achieve what you want. So it is with lies, when our words are not true.

Further we see discrepancies, but at the same time we can notice that all the rules have much in common and the direction is the same, and it is understandable.

Also in Yama and Niyama, according to many sources, there are 10 laws each. And if we write them all down, we will practically fill all the empty spaces.

What else should we include in the fundamental spiritual laws of life, without which spiritual growth and full-fledged success in life are impossible?

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION!

Don't pass by someone who is hurting. Help good people and do good for others.

FORGIVENESS!

Don't hold grudges. Not on anyone and never. Learn to forgive. How many times should I forgive? Leo Tolstoy answered: And if you decide to stop drinking, how many times will you say “no” when they bring you a glass?

HONOR YOUR ANCESTORS!

This is believed to prolong your life on earth. Love your parents and grandparents.

GENEROSITY!

We fight greed and greed. Not being attached to things. After all, human life is short. Everything will come back, there is no other way. Don't doubt it!

HUMILITY! NO VANITY!

All people are equal. There are no those who are higher or lower. Each soul has its own experience in this life. There is one God in each of us. We are all one! There is no point in showing and proving something to each other and showing off your coolness.

If we can prove something, it is only to ourselves and to the One who created us and the world around us. Do the best you can, and everything else is out of your control.

DILIGENCE AND PATIENCE!

In any business, haste does not lead to good. Never give up, go forward, albeit slowly, but step by step.

HAPPINESS HERE AND NOW!

Stop being sad and whining. Everything is really good. Everything is really good, no matter what happens in your life. Everything is fine! Stay calm always.

Find happiness within yourself and then you will find it in everything around you and life will smile at you. Yes, you’ve known all this for a long time, right!? But what good is knowledge that is not applied? Look, the thousand-year-old scriptures say the same thing. And you are probably all looking for something else.

PURITY!

I would include here not only purity as such, but also, for example, gluttony, or, as it is written in the Bible, gluttony. That is, cleanliness of the stomach. We live for the soul, not for the body. The body will die, the soul will not.

Keep your body clean, both outside and inside. Watch what you eat and how much.

SOBRIETY AND DRUG FREEDOM!

What else can I add here? Stop drinking, smoking and whatever else you use.

Rules of Christian Life

Dr. Billy Graham

“And as you want people to do to you, do so to them.” Onion. 6.31

Whatever you do: whether you play, drive a car, bake a pie, you need to follow the known rules if you want your business to be successful.

The Bible teaches that the Christian life is in a state of continuous growth. When you are born again, you are born into the spirit world. You become a small child in the family. God's purpose is for you to grow to full stature and maturity in Christ. It would be against God's and natural laws if you remained a child all the time and thus became a spiritual dwarf. In 2 Peter 3.18 the Bible says you must grow. This means consistent development, constant growth, expansion of knowledge and seeking wisdom from above.

In order to grow properly, the known rules of good spiritual health must be observed. First of all, you should read the Bible daily. Your spiritual life needs food. What kind of food? Spiritual food. Where to find this spiritual food? In the Bible, in the Word of God. The Bible reveals Christ, who is the daily bread for your hungry soul and the living water for your thirsty heart. If you do not feed yourself daily with spiritual food, you are in danger of becoming exhausted and losing your spiritual vitality. The Bible says: “Like newborn babes, crave the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Read the Bible, study it, meditate on it, memorize it. Ninety-five percent of all the difficulties you experience as a Christian are due to not reading and studying the Bible enough.

Don't be content to skim a chapter just to ease your conscience. Keep the Word of God in your heart. A little, but well thought out, is of greater value to your soul than a large amount of hastily read. Don't be discouraged because you can't understand everything. Read simple passages from the Bible first. You also won’t feed your baby meat from the very first day, but give him milk.

I would suggest starting by reading the Gospel of John first. As you read, the Holy Spirit will illuminate to you the meaning of what you read. He will reveal to you the meaning of difficult words and help you figure out mysterious places. But even if you can't remember or understand everything you read at once, keep reading! The very process of this reading will have a cleansing effect on your mind and heart. Don't let anything interfere with this daily activity.

Secondly: learn to comprehend the mystery of prayer. You now have a Heavenly Father. He hears and answers prayer. Jesus Christ said: “And whatever you ask in prayer in faith, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). And He also said: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). Every person whose life had value for the church and for the Kingdom of Heaven was a man of prayer. You can't afford to be too busy to not pray. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Jesus Christ spent hours in prayer. Sometimes He spent the night on the mountain top in lonely communion with God the Father. If He needed prayer, how much more do we need to pray!

At first, your prayers may falter. You may still speak awkwardly and tongue-tied. But the Holy Spirit who lives in you will help you and guide you. Every prayer you say will be answered. Sometimes the answer will be “no”, sometimes “wait”, but nevertheless, it will be answered.

All your requests should always have one condition: “Thy will be done!” “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart” (Psalm 36:4). But being comforted in the Lord precedes the fulfillment of our desires. God always does what is best for His children.

Remember that you can pray anytime, anywhere. Whether you are washing dishes, digging a ditch, working in an office, in a store, on a sports field - anywhere you can pray, and God will answer you!

Develop for yourself a systematic method of prayer. Prayer, together with Bible study, contributes to the development of a full and bright life of Christ. The Bible teaches: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). If you devote certain hours of the day to prayer, then throughout the day your subconscious will be saturated with prayer. It is not enough that when you get up in the morning you kneel and say a few words of prayer. There should be set times during the day when you will retire to communicate with God.

The devil will lie in wait for you in this at every step. Either a child screams, then the phone rings, or someone knocks on the door - you will be disturbed a lot, but still stick to prayer! Don't lose heart: you will soon see that these hours of prayer are the most precious things in your life. You will look forward to them more than anything else. Without constant, daily, systematic prayer, your life will seem cramped, frustrating and fruitless. Without constant prayer, you will never experience the inner peace with God that He wants to give you.

Third: rely continually on the Holy Spirit. Remember that Christ dwells in you through the Holy Spirit. Your body is now the abode of the third person of the Blessed Trinity. Don't ask Him to help you as if you were asking your servant. Ask Him to come and do everything. Ask Him to take everything in your life into His hands. Tell Him how weak, helpless, fickle and unreliable you are. Step aside and leave all the choices and decisions of your life to Him.

It is impossible for you to stand firm in your Christian life—but He can help you along the way. It is not easy for him to hold you back while you yourself are still struggling and resisting. Surrender and rest in God. Leave your internal complications and tensions behind. Rely completely on Him. Don't rack your brains or be afraid about your decisions—let Him make them for you. Don't worry about tomorrow - He is the God of tomorrow. He sees the end at the very beginning. Don't worry about the necessities of life - He will provide you with everything you need. A truly overcoming Christian will be free from worries, inner conflicts and tensions. By relying completely on the Holy Spirit, you will find that many of your bodily and spiritual infirmities have disappeared.

Fourth: attend church regularly. John Wesley once said, “The Bible knows nothing of religion alone.” Christianity is a religion of communication. Following Christ means love, righteousness, service. And all this can only be manifested and applied in the human environment. You will find this environment in the church.

The Church is Christ's building on earth. This is where we worship God, learn His Word, and have fellowship with other believers. The Bible calls the church “a holy nation,” “the people of God,” “God’s economy,” “a holy temple in the Lord,” “the habitation of God,” “the body of Christ” (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Eph. 2:21- 22, etc.). All these pictorial expressions, symbols and images are used to indicate the reality that is the church.

Nothing can replace going to church. If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, you will reject empty excuses such as the weather being too cold or hot, snowing or raining. These are all lame excuses. There are many people who claim that they can stay home on Sunday morning and pray at home. But a person who limits himself to this does not give God that full worship to which He has a right, for God is the Creator of our body as well as of our mind and soul, therefore both mind and body must participate in the proper worship of God.

There are many who say that they can stay at home and listen to a sermon on the radio, and that this replaces church worship. But this is not enough. You don't go to church just to listen to a sermon. You go to church to worship God and serve Him in fellowship with other believers. You cannot be a happy and successful Christian without being faithful to the church. In the church you will find your place to serve. We are saved to serve. A happy Christian is a diligent Christian.

Fifth: Be a witnessing Christian. If you correctly follow the four previous rules, the fifth will be fulfilled by itself - just as if you continuously add water to a bowl, it will overflow.

You have now become the appointed and authorized messenger of the King of kings. You must raise the flag of your state high above the building of your embassy. Suppose that our ambassador orders the removal of the American flag from the embassy building in a foreign country on the grounds that the people of that country do not like it. Then this envoy will be immediately called home! He will not be worthy to represent the United States!

If you do not agree that your flag flies over your home, in your office, in your store, in your hostel, then you are not worthy to be an ambassador of Christ! You must stand at your post and let everyone around you know that you are a Christian. You must testify for Christ.

We bear witness in two ways: by life and by word; one of the two is not enough. After you are converted, God gives you the task of bearing witness to His saving grace and His Omnipotence. You stand under the banner of Christ. You become His armor bearer.

Jesus Christ said: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Acts of the Apostles 28:23 describes an impressive scene: the Apostle Paul, while in custody in Rome, called people who came to him in large numbers to Christ and from morning to evening expounded to them the doctrine of the Kingdom of God. About each of us, too, it should be said daily: “Behold, a sower went out to sow” (Matthew 13:3).

The messenger of a large office is not given freedom of action. His only duty is to deliver the letter received by the office to the person to whom it is addressed. Perhaps the letter contains unpleasant news or sad news for the recipient. But the messenger cannot stop on the way, open the envelope and change the contents of the letter. His duty is only to deliver the news.

We Christians have the Word of God. Our great Lord told us: “Go, bring this message to a dying world!” Some people don't pay attention to this. Some tear up God's message and replace it with their own. Some people cross out some words. Some tell people that the Lord does not mean what he says. Others claim that He did not actually write it Himself, but that it was written by ordinary people who misunderstood the meaning.

Let us remember that the Apostle Paul urged Christians centuries ago to teach only the Word of God. Remember that we must sow the seed. Some seeds may indeed fall on stony ground, others on thorns and thistles, but our business is to continue to sow them. We should not stop planting because the soil may seem infertile.

We are holding a candle. And we must give it the opportunity to shine! Even if it seems only a faintly flickering light among a whole world of darkness, our job is to let it shine!

We are trumpeters. The sound of our trumpets may be lost in the din and noise of battle, but we must still continue to sound the alarm for those in danger.

We light a fire. In this cold world full of hatred and selfishness, our little fire may seem insignificant, but we still have to keep it burning.

We strike with a hammer. The blows may only tire our hands, but we must continue to strike.

We take up the sword. The first or second blow with our sword may be a blow through the air, and all our efforts to strike the enemy may seem hopeless, but we must continue to sharpen our sword, for it is the “sword of the Spirit.”

We have bread for a hungry world. Perhaps people are so busy absorbing other things that they will not want to accept the bread of life, but we still must continue to give it, to offer it to the souls of people.

We have water for thirsty people. And we must continue to say: “If anyone thirsts, let him come and drink!”

We must continue, without becoming discouraged, to once again relentlessly spread His Word!

Jesus Christ said that many of your seeds will find favorable soil, grow and bear fruit. The fire in your heart and on your lips will kindle a sacred flame in some cold hearts and lead them to Christ. The hammer will break anyone's hard hearts and force them to submit to Christ. The sword will pierce the armor of sin and defeat self-righteousness and pride, and open a place in the hearts for the Spirit of God. Some hungry souls will be satisfied with the Bread of Life, and some thirsty souls will quench their thirst with living water.

Be soul catchers! The most joyful experience a person can have is leading others to Christ. It has fallen to my lot to lead thousands of people to the knowledge of salvation in Christ. And I always experience the inner excitement again when I see a person stretch out his hand and say: “I accept Christ!” This is more valuable than all the riches in the world. There is no happiness, no experience, no romantic adventure that can compare with the delight of winning a person to Christ. Be soul catchers! Be witnesses of Christ!

The Bible says: “A wise man wins souls” (Proverbs 11:30). “And those who have understanding will shine like the lights of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

“You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). Salt makes you thirsty. Does your life make others thirst for living water?

Sixth: Let love be the guiding principle in your life. Jesus Christ said to those who followed Him: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And elsewhere in the Bible we find the same confirmation from the Apostle John: “Beloved! Let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God; He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. God's love for us was revealed in the fact that God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might receive life through Him. This is love, that we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:7-10).

Of all the gifts that God has given to His children, the greatest is love. Of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, love comes first.

The Bible says that those who follow Christ should also love one another, just as God loved us when He sent His Son to die for us on the cross. The Bible says that the hour we come to Christ, He gives us supernatural love and that this love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The greatest proof that we are Christ's is that we love one another. If you comprehend this mystery of God immediately in your Christian experience, then you have already passed part of the way to a mature, happy life with Christ!

Seventh: Be an obedient Christian. Give Christ first place in every decision you face in life. Let Him be your Lord and Teacher. Let Him be your pilot.

Eighth: Learn how to resist temptation. As we have already seen, temptation is natural. Temptation is not a sin. Giving in to temptation is a sin. God will never tempt you. But He allows temptation to test you. Temptation is the work of the devil. Remember this. One of the means to avoid temptation is to read a verse from the Gospel to the tempter - and he will run away from you, because he cannot resist the Word of God.

When Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness, His only means of victory was the Word of God. Three times He said: “For it is written.”

If you say to the devil, “Thus said the Lord,” then the devil will disappear. And at the same time, give Jesus Christ the right, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to fight for you. One little girl said, “Every time I hear the devil knocking at the door, I send Jesus Christ to the door.”

Every person is subject to temptation, but there are people who linger with them. They definitely like to be tempted. If you decide to drive a mouse away with a broom, you will see that it is not looking at the broom, but at the hole where it can escape. Take your eyes away from temptation and fix your eyes on Christ!

I once asked an officer what he would prefer on the battlefield: courage or submission. Without hesitation, he answered: submission!

God pleases your submission more than anything else. In order to obey Him, you must know His commands. This is another reason for the need to read and study the Bible. The Bible serves as your compass and guide. Listen to what God tells you.

Ninth: Be a true Christian.

Someone has well said that “some Christians are so heavenly-minded that they are unfit for earthly things.”

True, the Bible teaches to shun sin, but the Bible never says that we are filled with unhealthy peculiarities and are unnatural. You must shine! You must be helpful, polite, friendly, pure in body and soul, balanced. Stupid politeness, unhealthy gossip, ambiguous conversations and dubious entertainment should be avoided like a viper. Your appearance should be pleasant, neat, attractive, and it is also good to adhere to good taste. Extremes should be avoided in all respects. Whether you are a man or a woman, you should strive to conduct yourself in a mannered manner, and so that your life, as well as your appearance, will conform to the gospel and thereby make it attractive to others. As Dr. Bernhaus said: “People may not read the gospels bound in luxurious leather, but they cannot do without the gospels in the simplest binding.”

Tenth: be content with the position in life that the Lord has given you. God created you the way you are. He put you where you are. And therefore, you can serve Him in the best possible way and glorify Him exactly as you are, and where you are. Some people are constantly looking at the other side of the fence, where the grass seems greener than theirs. They spend so much time in vain, wishing that everything was different for them, and they reflect and are tormented by questions about why everything is not the way they would like, and do not notice the advantages and opportunities that open up for them just like that. the place where they are located.

Be like Ap. Paul, who said: “But I do not look at anything and do not value my life” (Acts 20:24). The Apostle Paul said that he learned to live both in poverty and in abundance. Even in prison he learned to be a true Christian. Don't let the circumstances of your life weigh you down. Learn the right way to deal with your circumstances.

These rules and suggestions may seem too simple. But follow them - they help. I have tested them in the lives of thousands of people. I have tested them in my own life. If they are followed strictly and steadily, they will give you peace of mind, peace of mind, happiness and joy, and you will master the secret of how to lead a satisfying life.

Dr. Billy Graham, Peace with God

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