introduction
Saint John Chrysostom said that people who distribute wealth to the poor and show mercy to the poor perform a great good - but still not as great as those who, with their righteous life, turn at least one person to God. And if the saint raised even those who led just one of his brothers away from sin and darkness to such a peak, then how can we measure everything that the elders of Optina Hermitage did for us, who managed to save many, many from destruction?
Those who were on the verge of death came to them - and gained the strength to live; the spiritually blind were drawn to them - and saw the light again; they came to them in tears and despair - and found consolation and peace. And for many pilgrims who flocked to the holy monastery even from the most distant lands, the quiet words of the elder marked both the beginning of a new life and the establishment on the path of true “metanoia” - as deep and irreversible as the repentance of the robber Opta, who, according to legend, became founder and first abbot of the desert.
The venerable elders have long left the earthly vale. But they didn't leave us. Their legacy - letters, diaries, recordings of conversations, instructions and advice - even after centuries, protects us and guides us on the right path. After all, only those who themselves came to Him first can lead others to God, as Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote, so is it worth looking for the truth in the unknown distance, if those who know it are very close?
Vladimir Izmailov
How to live
"How to live?" — the elder heard this very important question from all sides. As usual, he answered in a joking tone: “To live, don’t bother, don’t judge anyone, don’t annoy anyone, and my respect to everyone.” This tone of the elder’s speech often brought a smile to the lips of frivolous listeners. But if you seriously delve into this instruction, then everyone will see a deep meaning in it. - “Don’t push”, i.e. so that the heart is not carried away by the inevitable sorrows and failures for a person, but is directed to the One Source of eternal sweetness - God; through which a person puts up with sorrows or “resigns himself”, and thereby calms down. - “Don’t judge”, “don’t annoy”. The most common condemnations and annoyances among people are the offspring of destructive pride. They alone are enough to bring a person’s soul down to the bottom of hell; but outwardly, for the most part, they are not considered a sin. - “My respect to everyone” - points to the commandment of the Apostle: “warn one another in respect” (Rom. 12:10). Reducing all these thoughts to one general one, we see that in the above saying the Elder preached mainly humility - this is the basis of spiritual life, the source of all virtues, without which it is impossible to be saved.
The road to God is the path to salvation
Mercy and condescension to others and forgiveness of their shortcomings is the shortest path to salvation.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina
Elder's advice
Once a woman came to Elder Anatoly Optinsky (Zertsalov) and asked him for his blessing to live alone so that she could fast, pray and sleep on bare boards without interference. The elder told her:
– You know, the evil one does not eat, does not drink and does not sleep, but everything lives in the abyss, because he has no humility. Submit to the will of God in everything - that’s your feat; humble yourself before everyone, reproach yourself for everything, bear illness and sorrow with gratitude - this is beyond any feats!
The Lord will teach His ways
If a person could teach the ways of the Lord, that is, teach how to live in order to be saved, then learned theologians would be the first to be saved. Meanwhile, in reality it turns out that this is not the case, namely, that many learned people do not follow the path of the Lord... But what does a person need to learn the ways of the Lord? It is necessary for a person to be meek and humble, and then the Lord Himself will teach how to walk the path of the Lord. Knowing this is especially important at the present time, when the scarcity of mentors is so noticeable. Humble yourself with the help of God, be meek, have no malice towards your neighbors, prepare your soul with a meek, good life to receive Divine teaching, and the Lord Himself will teach His ways.
Venerable Nikon of Optina
Optina elders about salvation
Without winter there would be no spring, without spring there would be no summer. So it is in spiritual life: a little consolation, and then a little sorrow, and so little by little the path of salvation is formed...
Venerable Anatoly of Optina (Zertsalov)
How to escape? The only way is through humility: “Lord, I am a sinner in everything, I have nothing good, I only hope for Your boundless mercy.”
Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
We all ask and implore you all to learn courage and patience, which results in co-examination of the truth, but speed is rarely commendable...
Venerable Leo of Optina
According to human opinion, the path of salvation, it would seem, should be a smooth, quiet and peaceful path, but according to the Gospel word this path is regrettable, cramped and narrow.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina
They say that money can buy everything. Only Christ cannot be bought for any treasure in the world. And without Christ there is no life, no salvation.
Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
If you only wait for favorable conditions for salvation, you will never begin a life pleasing to God.
Venerable Nikon of Optina
Bear each other's burdens
Anyone who wants to be saved must remember and not forget the apostolic commandment: bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). There are many other commandments, but not a single one has such an addition, that is: thus fulfill the law of Christ. This commandment is of great importance, and before others we must take care of its fulfillment.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina
Live simpler - God will not leave you either.
Venerable Leo of Optina
Pray only for forgiveness of your sins, think about how to save your soul.
Venerable Hilarion of Optina
For us, seeking salvation, in fulfilling God’s commandments, the most self-needing thing is humility, which attracts God’s grace to us and illuminates all our actions, and without it, no deeds and labors can bring us the much-desired peace that the most merciful Creator has given us...
Venerable Leo of Optina
"I saw heaven..."
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky came to Optina Pustyn to relieve his grief after the death of his beloved son Alyosha. And, probably, it was precisely this humble “falling at the feet of the elder” that helped him embody in the novel “The Brothers Karamazov” the image of a “positively beautiful person” - a holy elder. Father Ambrose defined the state of Fyodor Mikhailovich’s soul with the words: “This one is one of the repentant.” And the venerable elder Barsanuphius said: “Dostoevsky, who was here and sat in this chair, told Father Macarius that before he did not believe in anything.
– What made you turn to faith? - Father Macarius asked him.
- Yes, I saw heaven, how good it is there, how bright and joyful! And its inhabitants are so beautiful, so full of love. They greeted me with extraordinary kindness. I cannot forget what I experienced there, and since then I have turned to God.
And indeed, he turned sharply to the right, and we believe that Dostoevsky was saved.”
Optina Patericon
Doing the commandments of the Lord gives life to the soul and even your body will pacify and comfort you to the fullest...
Venerable Leo of Optina
Each one will either become famous or be ashamed by his own deeds
If you want to place yourself on the firm path of salvation, then first of all try to listen only to yourself, and leave all others to the Providence of God and their own will and do not worry about edifying anyone. It is not in vain that it is said: “Everyone will either become famous or be ashamed by his deeds.” This will be more useful, more saving, and moreover, more peaceful.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina
Ark - Church. Only those who are in it will be saved.
Venerable Nectarius of Optina
Prayer of St. Nektarios of Optina
“Lord, grant me Thy grace,” - this is how the venerable elder Nectarius of Optina taught me to pray. “And then a cloud comes over you, and you pray: “Give me grace!” “And the Lord will carry the cloud past,” he said.
Pray that the Lord will reign in your heart, then it will be filled with great jubilation and joy, and no sadness will be able to disturb it.
Venerable Nectarius of Optina
Advice from the elders of Optina Pustyn
The general rule of Father Anthony (Putilov), as well as of all spiritual elders, was not to offer your advice to anyone without question, considering this not only useless, but also harmful idle talk. At the same time, Father Anthony kept a vigilant eye on those asking: if someone proposed questions not out of spiritual need, but out of inquisitiveness or similar motives, in that case he did not answer anything.
“The spiritual father, like a pillar, only shows the way, but you have to go yourself. If the spiritual father points, and his disciple himself does not move, then he will not go anywhere, but will rot near this pillar,” said the Monk Nikon of Optina. And the Monk Ambrose of Optina said: “Giving advice is throwing stones from a bell tower. And to do it - carry stones to the bell tower.”
The Monk Nektary (Tikhonov) approached each person personally, individually, with special measures. He said: “You cannot ask a fly to do the work of a bee.” Elder Nektarios rarely gave instructions on how to live, apparently so as not to impose a yoke and so that the questioners would not suffer from responsibility for not doing what he ordered. But he always answered direct questions. He advised one lady who complained about bad thoughts: “Repeat: “Lord, have mercy!” “And you will see how everything earthly departs.” Another time he advised: “Don’t pay attention to bad thoughts.” And by the grace of God, thoughts stopped bothering people.
Your salvation and your destruction are in your neighbor. Your salvation depends on how you treat your neighbor. Do not forget to see the image of God in your neighbor.
Venerable Nikon of Optina
We must be sure that God's Providence always takes care of us and works for our benefit, even in cases that are contrary to us.
Venerable Leo of Optina
Which way to go to God?
Which way to go to God? Walk the path of humility! Humble bearing of the difficult circumstances of life, humble patience with illnesses sent by the Lord, humble hope that you will not be abandoned by the Lord, your quick helper and loving Heavenly Father, humble prayer for help from above, to drive away despondency and feelings of hopelessness, with which the enemy of salvation tries to lead to despair, disastrous for a person, depriving him of grace and removing God's mercy from him.
Venerable Nectarius of Optina
What is eldership
Of course, Optina Pustyn is, first of all, its elders. And you can understand Optina Pustyn only by understanding what eldership in general is. In Orthodoxy, eldership is a special monastic feat, based on advice and teachings taught by spiritual mentors - elders (in a nunnery - elders). Moreover, an old man is not necessarily a person of advanced years. According to the Monk Peter of Damascus, “not everyone who is old in years is already capable of leadership; but whoever has entered dispassion and accepted the gift of reasoning.” And the gift of reasoning is a special talent, the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, it is believed that an elder is a person whom the Lord God Himself called to this service.
The essence of eldership lies in the fact that from the monastic brethren a monk who is experienced in spiritual and ascetic life is selected, who has achieved dispassion and purity of heart, and has acquired grace and the gift of reasoning. It is such a person who is called an old man. He is filled with the love of God, perspicacious, selfless, compassionate, free from passions and selfless. The will of God is revealed to the elder, and therefore he can guide the salvation of other people and heal their passions. Such a person becomes the spiritual father of the entire monastic community; he reveals God’s will to novices (and laity).
We can say that the elders did not exist for themselves. At any time, people came to them for advice and blessings, and shared their thoughts and actions with them. The wise words of the elders have always been help and support to people, they strengthened their faith in moments of doubt and despondency, and served as a powerful weapon in the fight against passions.
It was the eldership that gave Optina Pustyn a special spirituality, an atmosphere of love, calm and benevolence, instilled hope for salvation and strengthened faith. And it was not in vain that many compared Optina Pustyn with the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, calling it the ideal of Christian relations.
About how much we care about the soul
The Gospel says: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life” (Mark 8:36). That's how precious the human soul is! She is more valuable than the whole world, with all its treasures and benefits. But it’s scary to think how little we understand the dignity of our soul. All our thoughts turn to the body, this dwelling place of worms, this fallen coffin, from morning to evening, but to the immortal soul, to the most precious and beloved creation of God, to the image of His glory and greatness, barely one thought turns all week. The most flourishing years of our life are devoted to the service of the body, and only the last minutes of decrepit old age are devoted to the eternal salvation of the soul. The body daily revels, as at a rich man’s feast, with full cups and sumptuous dishes, but the soul barely collects the crumbs of the divine word on the threshold of the house of God. The insignificant body is washed, dressed, cleaned, adorned with all the treasures of nature and art, but the dear soul, the bride of Jesus Christ, the heir of heaven, wanders with exhausted steps, clothed in the clothes of a wretched wanderer, without alms.
The body does not tolerate a single spot on the face, any uncleanness on the hands, no patch on the clothes, and the soul from head to toe, covered with filth, does nothing but move from one sinful mire to another, and with its annual, but often hypocritical confession , only multiplies the patches on his clothes, and does not renew them. The well-being of the body requires various kinds of fun and pleasure; it often exhausts entire families, for which people are sometimes ready to do all sorts of labor, and the poor soul barely has one hour on Sundays to serve the Divine Liturgy, barely a few minutes for morning and evening prayers, forcibly collects one handful of copper coins for alms, and she is pleased when she expresses the remembrance of death with a cold sigh. For health and preservation of the body, they change the air and home, call on the most skillful and distant doctors, abstain from food and drink, take the most bitter medicines, allow themselves to be burned and cut, but for the health of the soul, to avoid temptations, to avoid sinful infection, do not take not a single step, but remain in the same air, in the same unkind society, in the same vicious house, and do not look for any doctor of souls, or choose a doctor unfamiliar and inexperienced, and hide from him what is already known and heaven and hell, and what they themselves boast about in their societies. When the body dies, then one hears sorrow and despair, but when the soul dies from mortal sin, then they often don’t think about it.
So we do not know the dignity of our soul, and, like Adam and Eve, we give our soul for a red-looking fruit.
Why don't we at least cry like Adam and Eve? For the most part, we are concerned with acquiring goods, only, unfortunately, they are often earthly and temporary, and not heavenly. We forget that earthly blessings are fleeting and unstoppable, while heavenly blessings are eternal, infinite and inalienable.
All-merciful Lord! Help us to despise everything that is fleeting, and to take care of the only need for the salvation of our souls.
Many instructions of the elders for the laity were written down in books
Many of the elders' instructions to the laity were written down in books. For example, there is a book of instructions by St. Seraphim of Sarov. They were compiled and authorized for publication in 1838. This book includes 33 instructions from Father Seraphim.
Let's look at some of his teachings for the laity. This is what Seraphim of Sarov said about God:
“...If you do not know God, then it is impossible for love for Him to be aroused in you. You cannot love God unless you see Him. The vision of God comes from knowing Him, for contemplation of Him does not precede knowledge of Him.
Do not talk about the affairs of God when your belly is full: with a full belly, how can there be knowledge of the mysteries of God?”
Seraphim of Sarov
hieromonk
He also says that human faith without works is dead:
“…“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26); and the works of faith are: love, peace, long-suffering, mercy, humility2 rest from all works,3 just as God rested from His works, bearing the cross and life in the spirit. Only such faith is imputed to the truth. True faith cannot be without works; He who truly believes will certainly have works.”
Seraphim of Sarov also talks about what to do if a person is overcome by a spirit of despondency and sadness:
“...When the evil spirit of sadness takes possession of the soul, then, filling it with grief and unpleasantness, it does not allow it to pray with due diligence, prevents it from reading the Scriptures with due attention, deprives it of meekness and complacency in dealing with the brethren and gives rise to aversion from any conversation... He who conquered passions also conquered sadness. And he who is overcome by passions will not escape the shackles of sadness. Just as a sick person is visible by his complexion, so one who has passion is revealed by his sadness. He who loves the world cannot help but be sad. And the world that despises is always cheerful...”
