Elder Paisios Athonite: Passions and Virtues

The struggle against the passions

-Elder, when the prophet David said: "Spirit hegemonic supported me," the asking?
- David asked God to arrive at the administrative talent, because he had to govern people. But every man needs "hegemonic spirit" because he has to govern himself, not to make him boss of the passions.

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 - Elder, what are the passions?

- I see the passions as the forces of the soul. God does not give any defects but forces. But when not using these powers for good, comes the Tagalaki, the exploits and sufferings are, and then nag and put them to God. While, if you utilize them turning against the evil, help us in the spiritual struggle. Anger, for example shows that the soul is masculinity, which helps in the spiritual life. Someone who is tetchy and no masculinity can not be easily Vali himself in the position. The choleric man, although recovery in the spiritual life force that has, like a solid car that catches the line and no one arrives. If we do not use and leave it unchecked itself, like a car running with excessive speed on a bumpy road and every so often derailed.

Man must acknowledge the forces that has to twist the heck. This will reach with the help of God, in good mental condition. Selfishness example to the torsion against the devil and not vazi down when pai and mind. The tendency to babble to sanctify fostering hope. It is better to speak of Christ and sanctified than to babble and to sin? Depending ie how to use the human forces of the soul can happen good or bad.

Do not justify our passions

- Elder, some people think that they have no requirements to make the spiritual life and say "not if they hold, rather than the have-nots.
- If you already say that they weigh hereditary passions and justifying themselves, this is even worse.
- And when, Elder, someone did in fact weigh?
- Look to tell you: Every man has inherited payments of good and bad. We strive to be free of defects and to cultivate the good that has to happen a true, graceful image of God.
Poor inheritance payments are not an obstacle to spiritual progress. Why, when someone is struggling, even with very little but pride, then moves to a spiritual place, the miracle, and all the bad hereditary dissolves the Grace of God.

God touched and very much help a poor soul who has hereditary roots and strive honestly to uranium flying with the wing-atrophied bad heredity. I know many who with little effort made and the great help of God freed them. These people are God great heroes. Because what will appeal to God is the work we do in our old man.

- Elder, Baptism does not remove the bad inheritance payments?
- The Baptism of us from the curse of original sin and all sins. When baptized man clothed in Christ, freed from original sin and comes Aunt Grace ∙ bad but left hereditary origins. Perhaps God could not eliminate them and those with the Holy Baptism? Leaving them but to strive to win and be crowned.

- Elder, too, when I fall below a certain passion, saying: "I was born, I am such.
- Even absent this, pis us that your parents gave you all have defects. From grandfather to grandfather all defects in and you were all gifts to others? ... Did you turn with God? "Whoever says:" I have this character, so I was born, I inherited poor backgrounds, with these conditions I grew up, so it can be corrected ... "is like lei:" It's not only my father and my mother, but God! " When I hear things like that, you know how sad? So swears one and his parents and God. Since he thinks so no longer active, the Grace of God.

- Elder, some say that when a defect is in the structure of man, not corrected.
- You know what? Few in their interest to say that due to a defect structure, because that justify themselves and make no effort to get rid of it. "I say, it gave me gifts of God! What's my fault, why ask me things over my powers? "So araliki later. They justify themselves, rested in their software and going with their simple job. If we say 'this is hereditary, the other is my character, how to fix it? This treatment removes the intellectual bravery.

- Yes, Elder, but ...
- Again, "but"? What are you, well my child? San eel slips. Continue justified.

- Elder, deliberately do that?
- I'm not saying do it deliberately, but while God endowed with both mind and you match, clever, do not understand how bad is the excuse! A tiny head so he has to mind, and do not understand!

I noticed that some, but they are smart and understand what is right, support the wrong, because it suits them, thus justifying their passions. Others do not justify themselves, but with software there is something incorrigible in nature fall into despair. The devil do so: one to prevent the spiritual progress to excuse himself, the other the piano with sensitivity and cast into despair.

 To cut a passion, should not justify the man himself, but humble. If for example lei: "I do not have love in my nature, while the other is" not struggling to get, how to thrive? Without struggle there is no progress. You have read how the patristic books were some flaws in the Fathers and spiritual measures reached what? Surpassed others who had many virtues. Be the Abba Moses the Ethiopian, one so great a criminal, what the situation is over! What is the Grace of God!

In my thoughts he has inherited bad payments and struggling to get virtues, he has to pay more than the one he inherited from his parents and virtues do not have to fight to get them. Why does one find all the ready, while the other fought hard to get it. You see, and people value most those children who found debts of their parents struggled hard not only to pay, but also to create wealth, rather than what they found property from their parents and maintained.

From the book: "PASSIONS AND VIRTUES"
GERONTOS Paisios Athonite
REASONS R
Monastery of the HOLY
"The John EVANGELISTIS THEOLOGOS"
SOUROTI THESSALONIKI
2007




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