What is the sin of the despondent?
My heart is disgusting
And I live without joy.
V. S. VYSOTSKY.1. Church about the sin of despondency.
1.1. The place of the sin of despondency in the church classification of sins.
1.2. Religious recipes for the sin of despondency.
1.3. Approach to the sin of despondency in modern Orthodoxy.2. Depression is synonymous with despondency.
2.1. The medical meaning of the term depression.
2.2. Depression is a disease of millions.
2.3. Main symptoms of depression.
2.4. Mechanisms of depression.
2.5. Depression is not a life sentence, it is treatable.
2.6. Modern ideas about depression (briefly).3. Three consequences.
3.1. The dogma of the sin of despondency is dangerous to the health of believers.
3.2. Theological inconsistency of the sin of despondency.
3.3. The sin of despondency is a worthless moral criterion of good and evil in society.1-
When the melancholy finds, do not forget to reproach yourself: remember how much you are guilty before the Lord and before yourself, and realize that you are not worthy of anything better, and you will immediately feel relief. It is said: "many sorrows are for the righteous," and "many wounds are for sinners." Such is our life here - all sorrows and sorrows; and it is through them that the Kingdom of Heaven is attained.
Rev. Ambrose of Optina. (1812-1891).
With a special effect of absent-mindedness, sadness, despondency, laziness, it is very useful to perform the Jesus Prayer publicly: in response to the public Jesus Prayer, the soul is gradually awakened from a heavy moral sleep, into which sadness and despondency usually plunge it.Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov. (1807-1867).
When you are overcome by despondency, melancholy, then force yourself to mentally say: “Glory to You God, Glory to You God! heart and after a while you will feel relief in your heart, peace and tranquility, firmness and patience.
Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). (1894-1963).
Emotional manifestations
- melancholy, suffering, oppressed, depressed mood, despair
- anxiety, feeling of inner tension, expectation of trouble
- irritability
- guilt, frequent self-blame
- dissatisfaction with oneself, decreased self-confidence, decreased self-esteem
- a decrease or loss of the ability to experience pleasure from previously pleasurable activities
- decreased interest in the environment
- loss of the ability to experience any feelings (in cases of deep depression)
- depression is often combined with anxiety about the health and fate of loved ones, as well as with the fear of appearing incompetent in public places
Physiological manifestations
- sleep disorders (insomnia, drowsiness)
- changes in appetite (loss or overeating)
- bowel dysfunction (constipation)
- decreased sexual desires
- decreased energy, increased fatigue during normal physical and intellectual stress, weakness
- pain and various discomforts in the body (for example, in the heart, in the stomach, in the muscles)
Behavioral manifestations
- passivity, difficulty engaging in purposeful activity
- avoidance of contact (tendency to solitude, loss of interest in other people)
- giving up entertainment
- alcoholism and substance abuse providing temporary relief
Thought Manifestations
- difficulty concentrating, concentrating
- decision making difficulties
- the predominance of gloomy, negative thoughts about yourself, about your life, about the world as a whole
- a gloomy, pessimistic vision of the future with no perspective, thoughts about the meaninglessness of life
- thoughts of suicide (in severe cases of depression)
- the presence of thoughts about one's own uselessness, insignificance, helplessness
- slow thinking
To be diagnosed with depression, some of these symptoms must persist for at least two weeks.
2.4. The level of development of modern science and technology makes it possible to determine the true causes of depression. Various manifestations of external symptoms (2.3) are caused by internal restructuring of the organism. This is confirmed by biochemical analyses. Thus, a number of substances have been discovered that are produced in the body and directly affect the mood of a person. It has been established that a decrease in the concentration of these substances, disturbances in their synthesis and metabolism lead to depression ( despondency). In some cases, these changes may be genetically determined. For example, researchers have been able to isolate and study serotonin, which directly controls a person's mood. Its concentration in the body does not depend on confessional affiliation or religious experience. The disorder of physiological functions in the body of a depressed person is accompanied by a decrease in the level of serotonin, which leads to despondency. The action of many antidepressant drugs is to normalize disturbed neurochemical processes in the production and metabolism of serotonin.
2.5. Depression is treatable. Based on scientific data on depression and its mechanisms, a number of antidepressants have been developed, tested and successfully used to help in the fight against the disease. The drugs can achieve both a significant reduction and a complete cure for depression in patients. These pharmacological agents bring real relief of suffering, not imaginary. You can read more about this on numerous specialized medical websites.
2.6. Summing up what has been said (2.1-2.5), it can be noted that modern medicine quite rightly considers depression (despondency) not just a protracted bad mood, but a clearly diagnosed disease that requires the intervention of specialists and is quite treatable. Even the mildest depression (despondency), which believers naively believe will pass by itself or with God's help, can go very far with such a careless attitude. Even less conducive to recovery are numerous church-mystical writings on the topic of getting rid of despondency. Everyone knows about the harm and perniciousness of self-medication, which is the Orthodox approach to the issue. It should be remembered that the earlier the correct diagnosis is made and the correct treatment is started, the greater the chances for a quick recovery, that depression ( despondency) will not be repeated again and will not take a severe form, accompanied by an obsessive desire of the believer to commit suicide!
Trust in God, but don't make a mistake yourself!
Proverb.3.1. Believers faced with despondency At the instigation of the Church, they begin to inadequately explain the reasons for the poor state of their own health, and take actions opposite to those required. The reasons for this behavior become clear if you read the background. So, even in ancient times, John Cassian (360 - 435) outlined in the book "ABOUT THE EIGHT MAIN PASSIONS" following views on despondency:
":There are eight main passions: gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, sadness, despondency, vanity and pride: these eight passions, although they have different origins and different effects, however, the first six, i.e. gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, sadness, despondency, are connected with each other by some kind of affinity or connection, so that the excess of the first passion gives rise to the next. For from the excess of gluttony necessarily comes fornication, from fornication the love of money, from the love of money anger, from anger sadness, from sadness despondency; and therefore it is necessary to fight against them in the same way, in the same order, and in the struggle we must always pass from the previous to the next. ...so to win despondency, you must first suppress sadness; to drive away sadness, anger must first be suppressed; to extinguish anger, it is necessary to trample on the love of money; in order to expel the love of money, it is necessary to tame the prodigal lust; in order to suppress prodigal lust, one should curb the passion of gluttony: So, all passions, both from the strengthening of the previous ones, are born, so they are suppressed by their decrease ... Therefore, we should fight these passions in such a way that everyone, experiencing any passion, especially against it and directed weapons, using every effort and care of the spirit to watch her and suppress her, directing spears of daily fasts against her, every minute throwing arrows of heartfelt groans and sighs at her, constantly shedding tears in prayer to God, constantly asking the Lord to stop his struggle.
This point of view of Cassian on the causes of despondency and ways to curb it - more than a thousand years. Such reasoning can testify to anything but a claim to truth. Modern science has gone far ahead, such naive statements can cause nothing but a smile. However, even today, on the official website of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, they continue to develop the church tradition and, in all seriousness, write about despondency, as if about demonic temptations:
For reference (sanatorium "Barvikha", December 2002) - the total duration of the tour is 24 days. The cost of a full-time stay is: Single Suite - 132000 rub. One-room double suite - 120000 rub. (from each). The cost of the ticket includes most of the services of the sanatorium. There are a number of additional paid services.
Words of Jesus "Do you have and the hairs on the head are all numbered" (Mt. 10.30) relate primarily to those who carry God's word to people - the priests. The main church hierarch - Alexy II clearly showed how much he trusts the biblical promises of the savior. For the sake of maintaining his own health, he did not spare any money or time for quality medical care, and in between medical procedures, he was happy to talk to journalists about singing with a guitar and the work of such writers as L. Tolstoy, M. Bulgakov and A. Solzhenitsyn. It is clear that in order to pray for one’s health, worship miraculous (healing) relics and other zeal in serving the Lord, it is not at all necessary to stay in expensive luxury hospital and sanatorium wards, and the baptized person (according to church teaching) needs to think in a slightly different direction - not about secular writers and worldly entertainment. Ordinary Orthodox do not interfere with parting with illusions about biblical miracles of healing and following their spiritual leader - to be treated not by prayers at the icons, but in the offices of doctors who really heal. This is undoubtedly required in the case of depression (despondency).
Guilty is the one whose words or deeds are obviously false,
and not the one who honestly and sincerely believed in this lie.
Chesterfield.3.2. Secondly, the concept the sin of despondency so internally contradictory that its religious comprehension becomes impossible, leads to logical dead ends.
Above (2.1-2.6) it was found that depression (despondency) is a disease. Diseases in the biblical interpretation are sent to believers for the sake of punishment for previously committed sins:
14. But if you do not listen to Me, and do not keep all these commandments,
15. And if you despise My statutes, and if your soul abhors My laws, so that you will not keep all My commandments, breaking My covenant,
16. Then I will also do this to you: I will send terror, sickness, and fever upon you, from which the eyes are weary and the soul is weary, and you will sow your seeds in vain, and your enemies will eat them up;
15. But if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do not try to do all His commandments and His ordinances, which I command you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.
21. The Lord will send a pestilence on you until he destroys you from the land where you are going to possess it.
22. The Lord will strike you with sickness, fever, fever, inflammation, drought, scorching wind and rust, and they will persecute you until you perish.
27. The Lord will strike you with the leprosy of Egypt, weeping, scabies and itching, from which you will not be able to be healed;
28. The Lord will strike you with madness, blindness, and stupefaction of the heart.
35. The Lord will strike you with an evil leprosy on your knees and legs, from which you will not be able to be healed, from the sole of your foot to the very crown of your head.
59. Then the Lord will strike you and your offspring with unusual plagues, great and constant plagues, and evil and constant diseases;
60. And he will bring upon you all the plagues of Egypt, which you feared, and they will cling to you;
61. And every disease, and every plague, not written in the book of this law, the Lord will bring on you until you are destroyed;
It is absurd when, as punishment for past, already committed sins, a new, 100% inevitable sin is awarded, for which punishment will again be required. This is exactly what happens when depression occurs ( despondency). In principle, nothing prevents God from punishing a particular believer for sins every time with the same depressive disease. God works in mysterious ways! As a result of church verbiage about the sin of despondency, the image of the eternal sinner is born. By the will of God, such a believer will never get out of the vicious circle in which the old sin is punished by the forced commission of the next sin. All sense of religion disappears, because mortal sin of despondency(see above) means spiritual death. Salvation of the soul for unstoppable sinners becomes an unattainable peak. In addition, being forced to continuously sin, a person will change daily, not for the better, but for the worse.
1. What is discouragement? What is its effect on the soul?
Despondency is the gravest passion that can destroy the soul. The word "despondency" ("acedia" - from α - not and χήος - diligence, work) literally means - carelessness, negligence, complete relaxation, discouragement. This passion lies in the relaxation of all the forces of the soul and body, the exhaustion of the mind, laziness in all spiritual deeds and work, the abandonment of all Christian, saving feat, despair.
Despondency presents God as merciless, writes St. John of the Ladder, who calls this passion a “deceiver of God,” despondency inspires the ascetic that he has been abandoned by God and God has no care for him. Because of this, Christian asceticism seems senseless to the despondent, and he stops working for his salvation, forgetting that “the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use effort take it down” (Matt. 11, 12), that without labor and patience we cannot be saved , - and the fact that all our temptations are also an expression of Divine love for man, His Providence for us.
The Holy Fathers say that despondency is a fierce passion, “all-conquering death,” against which one who wants to be saved must fight hard and courageously.
Rev. John of the Ladder:
“Despondency is the relaxation of the soul, the exhaustion of the mind, the neglect of monastic deeds, hatred of the vow, the appeaser of the worldly, the slanderer of God, as if He is not merciful and not philanthropic; needlework lazily, hypocritically in obedience.
To those who stand up for prayer, this crafty spirit reminds of the necessary deeds and uses every trick to only distract us from the conversation with the Lord, as if by some plausible pretext.
The demon of despondency produces three hours of trembling, pain in the head, fever, pain in the abdomen; when the ninth hour comes, it gives rise to a little; and when the meal is already offered, it forces you to jump off the bed; but then, at the hour of prayer, it weighs down the body again; those who stand at prayer he plunges into sleep and in untimely yawning steals verses from their mouths.
Each of the other passions is abolished by one virtue opposed to it; despondency for a monk is an all-conquering death.
When there is no psalmody, then despondency does not appear, and the eyes that were closed from drowsiness during the rule are opened as soon as it is over.
Watch and you will see that it fights those who are on their feet, inclining them to sit down; and admonishes those who sit to lean against the wall; it forces one to look out the window of the cell, prompts one to make a knock and stamp of one's feet.
... of all the eight leaders of malice, the spirit of despondency is the most difficult ... "
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky:
Despondency means the same laziness, only worse. From despondency you will weaken both in body and in spirit. You don't feel like working or praying, you go to church with negligence, and the whole person weakens.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) writes about the sins and passions that are generated by despondency:
“Laziness in every good deed, especially in prayer. Abandonment of church and private rules. Abandoning unceasing prayer and soulful reading. Inattention and haste in prayer. Neglect. Irreverence. Idleness. Excessive comfort with sleep, lying down and all kinds of languor. Moving from place to place. Frequent exits from the cell, walks and visits to friends. Idle talk. Jokes. Blasphemers. Leaving bows and other bodily feats. Forgetting your sins. Forgetfulness of the commandments of Christ. Negligence. Captivity. Deprivation of the fear of God. Bitterness. Insensibility. Despair".
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk:
From your letter, I see that you are overcome with despondency. This passion is fierce, with which Christians who want to be saved have to struggle a lot.
St. Theophan the Recluse writes that despondency is boredom for every business, both everyday, everyday, and prayerful, the desire to quit doing: “The desire to stand in church, and pray to God at home, and read, and correct ordinary good deeds, is lost.”
St. John Chrysostom:
“Truly, despondency is a severe torment of souls, some inexpressible torment and punishment, worse than any punishment and torment. Indeed, it is like a deadly worm that touches not only the flesh, but the very soul; it is a moth that eats not only bones, but also the mind; a constant executioner, not cutting the ribs, but destroying even the strength of the soul; continuous night, unrelieved darkness, a storm, a hurricane, a secret heat that burns more than any flame, a war without a truce, a disease that obscures much of what is perceived by sight. Both the sun and this bright air seem to burden those in such a state, and the very noon seems to them like deep night.
That is why the wondrous prophet, pointing to this, said: “The sun will set for them at noon” (Am. 8, 9), not because the luminary is hidden, and not because its usual run is interrupted, but because the soul , being in a state of despondency, in the brightest part of the day, imagines night.
Truly, the darkness of the night is not so great, as the night of despondency is great, which appears not according to the law of nature, but comes with a clouding of thoughts - some kind of terrible and unbearable night, with a stern look, the most cruel - more ruthless than any tyrant, not soon yielding to anyone who tries to fight her, but often holds the captive soul tighter than adamant when the latter does not have much wisdom.
... death that inspires such fear ... much easier than despondency.
And again, that glorious Elijah ... after fleeing and leaving Palestine, unable to endure the burden of despondency, - and indeed, he was very discouraged: the writer of history also pointed this out, saying that “I departed for my soul” (1 Kings 19, 3 ), - listen to what he says in his prayer: “now it is sufficient, Lord, take my soul from me, for I am my best father” (4). So [death] is a monster, this highest degree of punishment, this head of evils, this retribution for every sin, he asks as desired and wants to receive as a mercy. To such an extent, despondency is more terrible than death: in order to avoid the former, he resorts to the latter.
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
“When despondency strongly takes up arms against us, the soul is elevated to a great feat. This spirit is fierce, the most difficult, for it is associated with the spirit of sorrow and helps him. Those who are in silence, this battle strongly overcomes.
When those cruel waves rise on the soul, a person does not think that he will ever get rid of them at that hour, but the enemy puts such thoughts in him that today is so bad, and then, on other days, it will be even worse, and inspires him that he is left by God and [God] does not have care for him, or what happens besides the providence of God, and with him alone this, but this has not happened and does not happen with others. But it's not like that, it's not like that. For not only us sinners, but also His saints, who from time immemorial have pleased Him, God, as a child-loving father of His children, punishes with a spiritual rod out of love, for the sake of success in virtues. Soon, without fail, there is a change in this and then a visitation, and the mercy of God, and consolation.
Rev. John Cassian the Roman writes about “how despondency creeps into the heart of a monk and what harm it does to the spirit:
“The sixth feat is before us against the spirit of despondency ... which is akin to sadness. ... This evil enemy often attacks a monk around the sixth hour (at noon), like some kind of fever attacking at a certain time, with its attacks causes a severe fever to a sick soul at certain hours. Some of the elders call him the midday demon, which the Psalmist also speaks of (Ps 91:7).
When despondency attacks a miserable soul, it produces fear of the place, disgust for the cell and for the brothers who live with him or far away, gives rise to contempt, disgust, as to negligent and less spiritual. Likewise, he makes him lazy about any business inside the cell. The spirit of despondency does not allow him to remain in the cell or engage in reading, and he often groans that, having been in the same cell for so long, he does not manage to do anything, grumbles and sighs that he has no spiritual fruit as long as he is associated with this society. , grieves that he has no spiritual benefit and lives in this place in vain, because, having the opportunity to manage others and benefit very many, he does not teach anyone and does not benefit anyone with his instruction and teaching. He praises other distant monasteries and considers those places more useful for prosperity and more conducive to salvation, and the company of brothers is also considered pleasant in spiritual life. On the contrary, everything that is at hand is bad, not only is there no instruction for the brothers, but the bodily content itself is acquired with great difficulty. Finally, he thinks that, while staying in this place, he cannot be saved, that he should leave the cell in which he will have to die if he continues to remain in it, and therefore he moves to another place as soon as possible. Then despondency also produces a weakening of the body and hunger in the fifth and sixth (according to our reckoning - in the eleventh and twelfth) hours, as if he was tired and weakened by a long journey and the hardest work, or spent two or three days in fasting, without reinforcement of food. Therefore, he looks around uneasily, sighs that none of the brothers will come in to him, often goes out, then enters the cell and often looks at the sun, as if it is slowly going to the west. Thus, in such an unreasonable confusion of the spirit, as if the earth were covered with darkness, he remains idle, not occupied with any spiritual business, and thinks that nothing can be a remedy against such misfortune, except for visiting a brother or comforting him with sleep. Therefore, this ailment inspires that it is necessary to make decent congratulations and visits to the sick, who are near or far. It also inspires (like some pious, pious duties) that it is necessary to find parents and go to them more often with congratulations; considers it a great act of piety to visit more often some pious woman who has dedicated herself to God, especially one who does not have any help from her parents, and if she needs something that her parents do not give, it is the most sacred thing to take care of it, and more should be done. this to make pious efforts, rather than fruitlessly, without any benefit to sit in a cell.
2. Holy Scripture about despondency
Rev. John Cassian the Roman in his writings he cites evidence from the Holy Scriptures about despondency:
“This vice of idleness is clearly condemned in many ways by the wise Solomon, saying: “He who pursues idleness will be filled with poverty” (Prov. 12, 11), i.e. either visible or spiritual, according to which every idler will surely get entangled in various vices and will always be a stranger to the contemplation of God, or spiritual wealth, about which the blessed apostle says: “in Him you were enriched in everything, in every word and in every knowledge” (1 Cor. 1, 5). About this poverty of the idle, in another place it is written like this: every drowsy one will dress in torn clothes and rags (Prov. 23, 21). Without a doubt, he will not deserve to be adorned with that garment of incorruption, about which the apostle commands: “Let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love” (1 Thess. 5:8). And the Lord, through the prophet, speaks of her to Jerusalem: “Arise, arise, Jerusalem, put on the garment of your beauty” (Isaiah 52:1). Anyone who, being overcome by the sleep of idleness or despondency, wants to cover himself not with meticulous industriousness, but with tatters of inactivity, cutting them off from the perfect fullness and composition of Holy Scripture, he will dress not in a garment of glory and beauty, but in a dishonest veil of excuse for his negligence. For those who are weakened by laziness, not wanting to support themselves by the work of their own hands, which the apostle was constantly engaged in and commanded us to do, are in the habit of using some testimonies of Holy Scripture, with which they cover their laziness; they say, it is written: “Do not try for the food of perishability, but for the food that abides into eternal life” (John 6:27). “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 4:34). But these testimonies are, as it were, rags from the perfect fullness of the gospel reading, which are torn out more in order to cover the dishonor of our idleness and shame than in order to warm and adorn us with that precious and perfect garment of virtues, which, as it is written in Proverbs, a wise woman, dressed in strength and beauty, made herself or her husband, about whom it is also said: “strength and beauty are her clothes, and she looks cheerfully at the future” (Prov. 31, 25). About this ailment of inactivity, again, the same Solomon says: “The paths of the lazy are strewn with thorns” (Prov. those and similar vices that come from idleness, as the apostle said above. And one more thing: “everyone is lazy in desires” (Prov. 13:4). Finally, the Wise One says: idleness teaches much evil (Sir. 33:28). This the apostle clearly means: “they do nothing, but fuss” (2 Thess. 3:11). Another vice was added to this vice: try to be calm (in Russian - to live quietly). And then: “do your own work, and that you act decently towards outsiders and lack nothing” (1 Thess. 4, 11, 12). And some he calls disorderly and disobedient, from those he commands the zealous to move away: “we command you,” he says, “to move away from every brother who acts disorderly, and not according to the tradition that they received from us” (2 Thess. 3, 6).
3. The fatality of despondency
The Holy Fathers attribute the sins of despondency to mortal sins. It is destructive because it slanders God as allegedly unmerciful and inhumane; deprives the one who surrendered to him of mental and physical strength for a feat for the sake of God, plunges him into inactivity and despair. Meanwhile, we have to struggle with the sin that lives in us, and only then can God's saving grace be assimilated by us. The Holy Fathers say that we cannot be saved without God's grace, and it is given only to those who act according to the will of God. God honored us with free will and does not save us by force, against our will, without our being with Him in the matter of our cleansing from sin, renewal, sanctification. We ourselves must, by doing what we can, by fulfilling the commandments, clean up and prepare the temple of our soul, so that Divine grace can dwell in it. And the one who is defeated by despondency leaves his temple untidy and desecrated by blasphemy against God, and its doors open to the enemy of the human race.
Rev. Efrem Sirin:
Do not give sorrow to your heart, for "worldly sorrow produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10) Sorrow consumes the heart of man.
Satan maliciously seeks to sadden many in order to plunge them into hell with despair.
Saint John Chrysostom:
“Just as thieves at nightfall, having extinguished the fire, can easily steal property and kill its owners, so the devil, instead of night and darkness, bringing despondency, tries to steal away all guarding thoughts, so that the soul, deprived of them and helpless, inflict countless wounds.
Excessive despondency is more harmful than any demonic action, because demons, if they rule in whom, they rule through despondency.
Despondency and incessant anxiety can crush the strength of the soul and bring it to extreme exhaustion.
The soul, having once despaired of its salvation, no longer feels how it aspires to the abyss.
Despair does not come from a multitude of sins, but from an unholy disposition of the soul.
Rev. John of the Ladder:
A courageous soul also resurrects a dead mind, while despondency and laziness squander all wealth.
Rev. John Cassinus the Roman explains “how despondency conquers a monk”, and it is obvious that many of his words can be fully applied to the laity, if they seek salvation from despondency not in a feat, but in worldly entertainment:
“So, the unfortunate soul, entangled in such cunning of enemies, weakened by the spirit of despondency, like a strong tyrant, falls into a dream or, driven out of the seclusion of his cell, begins to seek solace in this misfortune in visiting his brother. And by this remedy, from which at present the soul seems to be relieved, a little later it will be further weakened. For more often and more cruelly the enemy will tempt the one about whom he knows that, having entered the struggle, he will immediately turn to flight, and in whom he foresees that he expects salvation for himself not from victory, not from struggle, but from flight. Leaving his cell, he will gradually begin to forget the work of his calling, which is nothing but the contemplation of that divine and transcendent purity, which can in no way be acquired except by constant stay in the cell and reflection in silence. Thus, the soldier of Christ, having become a traitor and a fugitive from his military service, binds himself with worldly affairs and becomes objectionable to the military leader (2 Tim. 2, 4).
Despondency blinds the mind, makes it incapable of contemplating the virtues
Blessed David well expressed the harm of this disease: "My soul melts away from sorrow" (Ps. 119:28) - not the body, but the soul melts. For truly the soul melts, weakens for the virtues and spiritual feelings, when it is wounded by the arrow of despondency.
How harmful are the actions of despondency
For whom it begins to overcome from any side, it will force him to remain in a cell lazy, careless, without any spiritual success, or, having driven him out of there, he will then make him fickle in everything, idler, negligent in every business, will force him to constantly go around the cells of his brothers and monasteries and nothing else to worry about, as soon as where and under what pretext one could find an opportunity to dine. For the mind of an idler cannot think of anything else but food and the womb, until it makes friends with some man or woman, weakened by the same coldness, and takes care of their affairs and needs. And thus, little by little, he becomes so entangled in harmful occupations, as in the convolutions of a snake, that he will never be able to untie himself in order to achieve the perfection of the former monastic vow.
From despondency are born idleness, drowsiness, timelessness, restlessness, vagrancy, inconstancy of mind and body, talkativeness and curiosity.».
Such a breakdown teacher John Cassian ascribes to the special action of the fallen spirit, which “covers the whole soul and drowns the mind” (monk Evagrius).
Abba Dorotheos writes about how despondency and the laziness and carelessness that it engenders hinder salvation:
“Why is the devil called not only an enemy, but also an adversary? He is called an enemy because he is a misanthrope, a hater of good and a slanderer; he is called an adversary because he tries to hinder every good deed. Does anyone want to pray: he resists and hinders him with evil memories, captivity of the mind and despondency. ...Does anyone want to stay awake: he hinders us through laziness and negligence, and thus he resists us in every deed, when we want to do good. Therefore, he is called not only an enemy, but also an adversary.
I found out that the demon of despondency precedes the demon of fornication and prepares the way for it in order to, completely relaxing and plunging the body into sleep, to enable the demon of fornication to produce, as in reality, desecration.
Rev. Seraphim of Sarov:
“One thing is boredom, and another is the vexation of the spirit, called despondency. Sometimes a person is in such a state of mind that it seems to him that it would be easier for him to be annihilated or to be without any feeling and consciousness, than to remain longer in this unconsciously painful state. We must hurry to get out of it. Watch out for the spirit of despondency, for all evil is born from it».
4. Reasons for discouragement
According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, despondency comes from various reasons: from vanity, pride, self-love, from the inability to act according to the passion that lives in the heart and commit the desired sin, from pleasure that separates us from God, from verbosity, vanity, omission of the prayer rule, from that the soul is devoid of the fear of God, from insensibility, from oblivion of the future punishment and bliss of the righteous, and vice versa - from great compulsion and excessive labor, from overwhelming zeal, and from the envy of demons.
The holy fathers write about the causes of despondency:
Rev. Isaac the Syrian:
Despondency is born from the hovering of the mind, and the hovering of the mind - from idleness, vain readings and conversations, or from satiety of the womb.
Rev. Macarius Optinsky writes that the cause of despondency is pride, vanity, high opinion of oneself and other passions and sins:
“The cause of discouragement and fear, of course, are our sins.
You were so blinded by your imaginary holiness and chastity that you could not see your infirmities: that is why you now suffer from melancholy and other disorders.
despondency comes from the fact that we have not yet despised vain glory and value human opinion, or at least do not value it, but have not yet rejected it.
Peace, according to St. Isaac, are passions, and especially the three main ones: love of glory, voluptuousness and avarice. If we do not arm ourselves against these, then we inevitably fall into anger, sadness, despondency, remembrance, malice, envy, hatred, and the like.
You notice that you get discouraged from great fuss and from neglecting the rule, as well as from great compulsion and labor. I will add to this: there is also despondency from vanity, when something is not done according to our way, or others interpret us differently than we would like. Still there is despondency from unbearable zeal. Measure is good in everything."
Saint John of the Ladder:
“Despondency comes sometimes from pleasure, and sometimes from the fact that there is no fear of God in a person.
Polyverb is a seat on which vanity loves to appear and solemnly present itself. Loquacity is a sign of unreason, a door of slander, a guide to laughter, a servant of lies, the destruction of heartfelt compunction, the invocation of despondency, the forerunner of sleep, the waste of attention, the destruction of heart storage, the cooling of holy warmth, the clouding of prayer.
Despondency is often one of the branches, one of the first offspring of verbosity.
“The mother of fornication is gluttony, but the mother of despondency is vanity, sadness and anger are born from the three main passions; and the mother of pride is vanity.”
“So, tell us, O you careless and relaxed, who is the evil that gave birth to you? and who is your killer? He replies: “... I have many parents: sometimes insensitivity of the soul, sometimes forgetfulness of heavenly blessings, and sometimes excessive work. My offspring who are with me: changes of location, neglect of the commands of the spiritual father, forgetfulness of the last judgment, and sometimes the abandonment of the monastic vow.
5. Dealing with discouragement
Based on what became the cause of despondency, it is necessary to choose weapons to combat this passion. The Holy Fathers warn that one should not give in to the wishes of despondency, refusing to do good deeds, but one must definitely resist it.
Since despondency fights with the relaxation of all forces, the holy fathers instruct by all means force yourself to lead a spiritual life, force yourself to every good deed, and above all to prayer. All efforts must be used, the holy fathers advise, so as not to reach despair and not abandon prayer. Helps fight depression change of occupation- you need to pray, then work on some kind of needlework, then read a spiritual book, then think about the salvation of your soul and about eternal life. " The memory of death, the memory of the Judgment of Christ and the memory of eternal torment and eternal bliss drives away despondency"- writes St. Tikhon Zadonsky. In "The Philokalia" it is said that despondency is conquered by prayer, refraining from idle talk and entertainment, exercise in the word of God, needlework, patience in temptations, reflection on spiritual, heavenly blessings.
If despondency fights because of overwork, then it is necessary to weaken them, to moderate both spiritual and bodily deeds.
It is very important to force yourself to work as hard as you can, and above all, for the benefit of others. The ancient ascetics noted that the demons of despondency cannot even approach one who never sits idle.
Confession and Holy Communion very important for the tempted by despondency, they abundantly give him the grace-filled help of God in his struggle.
It is most convenient to resist despondency with humility, meekness, patience and hope, with gratitude to God for His providence for us. We must remind ourselves that God arranges everything for our good, and even sorrows and temptations, if we endure them with patience, contribute to our salvation.
Rev. John of the Ladder writes about weapons to combat discouragement:
“So, tell us, oh you careless and relaxed… who is your murderer? He answers: “... And my opponents, who bind me now, are psalmody with needlework. My enemy is the thought of death, but prayer mortifies me with the firm hope of becoming worthy of eternal blessings ... "
a) It is impossible to give in to the wishes of despondency and run away from it, leaving your feat
Rev. John Cassian the Roman insists that one must not yield to the spirit of despondency, being distracted from good deeds, but resist it:
« The words of Abba Moses, spoken to me to drive away despondency
When I, having begun to live in the desert, said to Abba Moses (He is mentioned in Sob. 7, ch. 26. Sob. 1 and 2 are attributed to him) [Libyan], the highest of all the elders there, that yesterday I was seriously weakened by the disease of despondency and could not free himself from it otherwise than by visiting Abba Paul. He said: no, you did not free yourself from him, but you surrendered yourself even more and became enslaved to him. For afterward, despondency will attack you more strongly, as a coward and a fugitive, seeing that you, defeated in battle, immediately fled, if you, having entered into a fight with him, do not want to immediately repel his attacks by not leaving your cell, not plunging into sleep but you will learn to win through patience and confrontation. Therefore, experience has proven that the attack of despondency must not be deflected by flight, but conquered by confrontation.
b) Patience is required, forcing oneself to do everything good
Rev. Macarius Optinsky teaches with firmness and patience to resist the spirit of despondency:
... tempts the enemy with various thoughts and brings despondency and boredom; but you be firm and in times of trouble run to the Lord and to the Most Pure Mother of God, ask for their help and intercession; open your grief to your mother abbess, and the Lord will help you; after sorrows he will send consolation.
Rev. Abba Isaiah:
Demons bring despondency to the soul in the assumption that its patience will not be exhausted in the long expectation of God's mercy, whether it will leave the very life according to God, recognizing it as unbearably difficult. But if we have love, patience and temperance in us, the demons will not succeed in any of their intentions ...
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:
He who gives way to despondency is far from patience, as the sick is from the healthy.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk:
“From your letter, I see that despondency has attacked you. This passion is fierce, with which Christians who want to be saved have to fight a lot. ... I advise you the following: convince yourself and force yourself to prayer and to every good deed, although you don’t feel like it. Just as people drive a lazy horse with a whip so that it walks or runs, so we need to force ourselves to do everything, and especially to prayer. Seeing such work and diligence, the Lord will give the desire and diligence. Causes a desire for prayer and, as it were, attracts to it and to every good deed and habit. Get used to it and get used to it, and the habit itself will lead you to prayer and every good thing. Diligence helps and a change of occupation, that is, when you do one and the other alternately. Do this too: either pray, or do something with your hands, or read a book, or talk about your soul and eternal salvation and other things, that is, pray, read a book, do needlework, and pray again, and do something else again. . And when strong despondency sets in, leave the room and, walking, reason about Christ and the rest, and, reasoning, raise your mind to God and pray. You will drive away the sadness.
The memory of death, which comes unexpectedly, the memory of the Judgment of Christ and the memory of eternal torment and eternal bliss drives away despondency. Think about them. Pray and cry out to the Lord, that He Himself would give you zeal and desire; without Him we are fit for nothing. When you do this, believe me that little by little you will gain willingness and zeal. God demands labor and achievement from us, and promised to help the working people. Work hard, may the Lord help you. He helps those who work, not those who lie dormant."
Priest Pavel Gumerov:
“And one should not think that there will always be peace and joy in the soul from prayer, there are periods of recession, laziness, cooling and lack of faith. Cooling down in spiritual life, its crisis is one of the signs of despondency. But here you need to use will and self-compulsion. In any case, we will only achieve a result when we constantly force ourselves to it, lift ourselves up by the hair, like the famous Baron Munchausen, and pull us out of the swamp of laziness, relaxation, melancholy and despondency.
No one will achieve anything in any occupation if he does not force himself to do it regularly. This is the education of the will. You don’t want to go to church, you don’t want to get up in the morning and in the evening for prayer—force yourself to do it. Laziness, it’s hard to get up in the morning every day and go to work or do everyday things - remember that there is a wonderful word “must”. Not "I want - I do not want", but simply "I must". And so, from these little things, we will cultivate willpower in ourselves.
Good deeds are also not easy to do, you also need to force yourself to do them. After all, the Gospel nowhere promises that it will be easy, but on the contrary: “The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it away” (Matt. 11, 12). We say: Divine service, church service. But the service, by definition, is not some kind of easy, pleasant occupation; it is work, labor, sometimes hard. And the reward for it are moments of spiritual uplift, joyful prayer. But it will be a great boldness to expect that these gifts will accompany us constantly. ... this does not mean that you need to wait for some special conditions for prayer, because you can never wait for them. In the church, one should not seek comfort and emotional experiences, but a meeting with God.
... So, you need to force yourself to everything, starting, perhaps, with small steps, then despondency will not be able to drag us into its quagmire, and so gradually we will win back island after island. And, of course, in this case, not an impulse is required, but constancy.
There is an expression: "The more you sleep, the more you want." The more you are in bliss and relaxation, the more you get used to this state. We must not forget that despondency is one of the eight passions, which means it captures, enslaves a person, makes him dependent. There is no need to think that the habit of being lazy, relaxing, bored will someday get bored and pass by itself. It is necessary to fight with it, disciplining your will and soul, pushing yourself to every good deed.
Spiritual life cannot be supported only by impulse, by fiery burning. The salvation of the soul is a very painstaking work that requires constancy. A rise may be followed by a decline. This is where the demon of despondency is on the alert.
If you have visited despondency and spiritual relaxation, you must, first of all, force yourself to lead a spiritual life, not to leave prayer, to participate in the sacraments of the church. Next: read spiritual literature, Holy Scripture; spiritualize our being, overcome earthliness and see the hand of God in our lives. And the third: to force yourself to work, and above all - for the benefit of others. The ancient ascetics noticed that the demons of despondency cannot even approach one who never sits idle.
c) Prayer, spiritual reading drives away despondency
The Holy Fathers instruct that man, having a nature damaged by sin, himself, without the help of God, cannot cope with evil thoughts. Therefore, one of the most important weapons in mental warfare is turning to God with repentance and asking for mercy and help.
The reflection of sinful thoughts and sensations is accomplished through prayer; it is action united with prayer, inseparable from prayer, constantly in need of the assistance and action of prayer.
Teaching in general, and especially the Jesus Prayer, serves as an excellent weapon against sinful thoughts.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) instructs to fight against the thoughts of despondency, melancholy, despair, sadness by prayer to God, without entering into a conversation with thoughts:
1st - the words " Thank God for everything».
2nd - the words " God! I surrender to Your holy will! Be with me Your will».
3rd - the words " God! Thank you for everything you please to send to me».
4th - the words " Worthy according to my deeds I accept; remember me, Lord, in your kingdom».
The Fathers did not at all enter into an argument with the thoughts that appeared; but, as soon as a foreigner appeared before them, they grabbed a wonderful weapon and they - right in the face, in the jaws of a foreigner! That's why they were so strong, they trampled down all their enemies, became the confidants of faith, and through faith - the confidants of grace, the arm of grace, they performed supernatural feats. When a sad thought or anguish appears in your heart, begin with all your heart, with all your strength, to pronounce one of the above sentences; pronounce it quietly, not hastily, not excitedly, with attention, in the hearing of you alone - pronounce it until the foreigner leaves completely, until your heart is known in the coming of the grace-filled help of God. It appears to the soul in the tasting of comforting, sweet peace, peace in the Lord, and not from any other reason. In time, the foreigner will again begin to approach you, but you are again for weapons ... Do not marvel at the strangeness, insignificance, apparently, of David's weapons! Use them in action - and you will see a sign! These weapons - a club, a stone - will do things more than all put together, thoughtful judgments and researches of theologians-theorists, narrators of letters - German, Spanish, English, American! The use of these weapons in action will gradually transfer you from the path of reason to the path of faith, and by this path will lead you into the boundless, wondrous land of the spiritual."
Rev. Macarius of Optina:
Anguish will attack you, read the Gospel.
Do you remember the words: “Cleave unto the Lord, one spirit is with the Lord” (1 Cor. 6:17), refer to being careful against inappropriate drowsiness and yawning, which happens from despondency, as it was said: “My soul slumbers from despondency” (Ps. 119, 28) ...
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky:
I offer advice against despondency: patience, psalmody and prayer.
Ancient Patericon:
Saint Abba Anthony, while once in the desert, fell into despondency and into a great clouding of thoughts and said to God: Lord! I want to be saved, but my thoughts won't let me. What should I do in my sorrow? How will I be saved? And soon getting up, Antony went out, and now he sees someone similar to himself, who sat and worked, then got up from work and prayed; then he sat down again and twisted the rope; Then he started to pray again. It was an angel of the Lord sent to instruct and strengthen Anthony. And the angel said to Anthony: Do this, and you will be saved! Hearing this, Antony was filled with great joy and boldness, and in doing so he was saved.
Rev. John of the Ladder:
“He who weeps for himself knows no despondency.
Now let us bind this tormentor with the memory of our sins, let us beat him with handicrafts, let us lead him to think about future blessings ... "
Rev. John of the Ladder teaches about despondency that his “enemy ... is the thought of death, but prayer mortifies [him] with the firm hope of becoming worthy of eternal blessings.”
Rev. Macarius Optinsky
Read the books of your fathers and consider yourself the last neck, and your boredom will pass ...
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky:
…Prayer is most necessary and useful, i.e., invoking God’s mercy and help at all times how much more so in illness, when the afflicted person is afflicted with bodily illness, or joyless languor of soul, and in general a sad and despondent mood of the spirit, which the holy apostle James clearly confirms, saying: “is anyone in you suffering, let him pray” (then is invoking the mercy and help of God): “if he is in good spirits, let him sing” (that is, let him practice psalmody) ... (James 5, 13). I advise you now to read these letters [of St. Chrysostom to the deaconess Olympias] with attention and re-read: in them you will see how useful it is to endure illnesses and all kinds of sorrows with thanksgiving and submission to the will of God, although this is a very easy task.. But what to do? It is necessary, however, to lead to a soul-beneficial outcome from a difficult situation, and not simply to act as things appear to us. In addition to bodily ill health, one must also look for spiritual reasons to clarify the sad and gloomy disposition of the spirit.
Rev. Tikhon Zadonsky:
I advise you the following: convince yourself and force yourself to prayer and to every good deed, even though you don’t feel like it. Just as people drive a lazy horse with a whip so that it walks or runs, so we need to force ourselves to every business, and especially for prayer. ... Pray and cry out to the Lord, so that He Himself will give you zeal and desire; without Him we are fit for nothing.
We must often pray to God, ask Him for help, work and not miss the slightest time without doing something - so boredom will pass.
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
Strongly then it is fitting to force oneself, so as not to fall into despair, and do not neglect prayer, as much as you can and, if he can, fall on his face in prayer - this is very useful. Yes, let him pray as Barsanuphius the Great says: “Lord, look at my sorrow and have mercy on me! God, help me a sinner!” And as St. Simeon the New Theologian commands [to pray]: “Do not let temptation, or sorrow, or illness be higher than my strength, O Lord, but give me relief and strength so that I can endure with thanksgiving.” Sometimes, raising his eyes to heaven and stretching out his hands in height, let him pray, as blessed Gregory of Sinai commanded to pray against this passion, for he called these two passions cruel - I mean fornication and despondency. And so, striving, and diligently read as much as possible, and force yourself to needlework, for they are great helpers in that time of need. But it happens when [that passion] does not allow resorting to this, then the burden is great, and much strength is needed, and with all your strength [should] rush into prayer.
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:
d) It is necessary to kindle in oneself faith, hope, reflection on the good Providence of God, on the future eternal blessings
Ancient Patericon:
Someone asked the elder: why do I become weak in spirit when I am in a cell? Because, - the elder answered, - you did not see either the expected calm, or the future punishment. If you had seen them closer, then even if your cell was filled with worms and you were mired in them up to your very neck, you would have endured without weakening in spirit.
One old man was in the wilderness, having a distance of two miles from the water. One day, going to draw water, he fell into despondency and said: what is the use of this labor? I'll go and settle closer to the water. Having said this, he turned back - and saw someone following him and counting his steps. The elder asked him: who are you? I am the angel of the Lord, he answered, I have been sent to count your steps and reward you. Hearing this, the elder was inspired and encouraged, and took his cell even further - five miles from the water.
Rev. John of the Ladder:
Let us now bind this tormentor with the memory of our sins, let us beat him with needlework, let us draw him to contemplation of future blessings...
Rev. Macarius of Optina points to faith and hope, to remembrance of future blessings, to trust in the good Providence of God as a sure cure for despondency:
The bewilderment and confusion that troubles you concerns you and your children not only in temporal life, but extends to eternity. You, although to get rid of inconveniences in life, resort to material means and ask God to send them down to you; if you don’t receive it soon, you reach despondency and despair. I offer you what you yourself know: the fate of God is inscrutable! “Your judgments are many” (Ps. 35:7), and “Your judgments, O Lord, are in all the earth” (Ps. 104:7). And the apostle Paul exclaims: “O depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God! who can try the mind of the Lord, or who is his counselor?” (Rom. 11, 33, 34). From this we can conclude that God's providence is over all of us, and even a bird will not fall without His will and the hair of our head will not perish (Luke 21:18). And isn't your present position in the will of God? Believe firmly that God provides for you; leave no room for doubt...
... do not indulge in despondency and longing; think not only of the present, but rather of the future. Is it our business to test the fate of God? He is the only message: for the sake of this, he did it, having removed your wife from here; perhaps the time has come for her eternal salvation, “lest malice change her mind, or flattery deceive her soul” (Wisdom 4:11), in the words of a wise man.
From your letter I see that you are discouraged and mourn, and the death [of your son] strikes your heart more. This is very regrettable for me, especially since you are a good Christian who believes in God and in His all-wise Providence; but then your faith fails, and therefore you are subject to despondency and languor. How can we not believe in His goodness when, at every step, we see His all-wise and paternal Providence? Who loved your son better, you or Him? We firmly believe, of which you have no doubt, that He accepted him into eternal blessedness; and if he were alive, what temptations and temptations and falls, as well as misfortunes, could he undergo, and could you deliver him from all this? And moreover, he would not have had the strength and intelligence to prepare him for the Kingdom of Heaven.
About the languor of the spirit again you slander and get scared; Are you working for the enemy instead of bearing the cross? - yes, do we know the abyss of God's judgments; Why does He allow you to be tempted by the vexation of the spirit? And yet you do not want to realize that you are bearing the cross for sins, but to think that for the sake of Jesus; but this is a matter of pride, and pride is a sin.
What was the time for our Savior when in the garden he exclaimed: "Mournful is my soul unto death" (Mt. 26:38). For the sins of the whole world He bore this burden, and who can depict or imagine it? what does ours mean? and for our sins to cleanse them; and the enemy burdens it even more with doubt. Leave it and surrender yourself to the will of God; do not seek: how, when and through whom temptations are found: for all this is the will of God, how and for what? Perhaps the Lord protects you from grave and cruel temptations with this burden, and He is able to give you consolation. Why do you think others at your age are not so tempted? yes, it's none of your business; and how can we know who has what temptation? there are those who are incomparably more tempted: another by carnal passion, another struggles with poverty, another languishes with a furious part - but is each of them easy? let's leave it to the will of God, He knows what anyone needs!
Rev. Seraphim of Sarov gives an example of how the memory of God, of His good and saving Providence, can drive away despondency.
“Sickness comes from sin,” said St. Seraphim of Sarov, but immediately added about the benefits of illness: “passions weaken from them, and a person comes to his senses,” and everyone knows that there are such difficult states of the soul associated with insurmountable stubbornness that “coming to oneself” is a great blessing for a person. Further, Seraphim of Sarov spoke of even greater consolation: “whoever endures an illness with patience and gratitude, it is imputed to him instead of a feat, or even more.”
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
After all, this is the cunning of the enemy's malice - to put despondency on us, may the soul depart from hope in God. For God never allows the soul that trusts in Him to be overcome by adversity, because He knows all our infirmities. If people are not ignorant of what burden can be borne by a mule, what a donkey and what a camel, and what is feasible for everyone to load, so does the potter know how long the vessels should be kept on fire, so that, after staying longer, they would not crack and, also, before sufficient firing, they were taken out , turned out to be unusable - if a person has such a mind, then Isn’t it much better, and without measure better, the mind of God knows how much every soul should be tempted, so that it will be skilful and fit for the Kingdom of Heaven and not only future glory, but also here it will be worthy of consolation from the Good Spirit. Knowing this, it is fitting to endure valiantly, keeping silent in your cell.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov):
Do not pay attention to the thoughts of false humility, which, in your infatuation and fall, suggest to you that you have irrevocably angered your God, that God has turned His face away from you, abandoned you, forgotten you. Know the source of these thoughts by their fruits. Their fruits: despondency, weakening in spiritual achievement, and often leaving it forever or for a long time.
« For a complacent and courageous enduring of sorrows, one must have faith,those. believe that every sorrow comes to us not without the permission of God. If the hair of our head does not fall without the will of the Heavenly Father, all the more so without His will nothing more important can happen to us than the fall of a hair from the head.
“Wherever I am, whether in solitude or in human society, light and comfort are poured into my soul from the cross of Christ. Sin, which possesses my whole being, does not cease to say to me: "Come down from the cross." Alas! I descend from it, thinking to find the truth outside the cross, and I fall into spiritual distress: waves of embarrassment engulf me. Having descended from the cross, I find myself without Christ. How to help disaster? I pray to Christ to lead me back to the cross. Praying, I myself try to be crucified, as one who has been taught by experience that not crucified - not Christ. Faith builds on the cross; brings down from him a false mind full of unbelief. As I myself do, so I advise my brethren to do!
Rev. Barsanuphius and John write about what salvation is impossible without temptations, and they are sent to us according to the Providence of God, which takes care of us and does not allow us temptations beyond strength:
Brother! you have not yet been trained in warfare with the enemy, and therefore thoughts of fear, despondency and fornication come to you. Resist them with a firm heart, for fighters, if they do not strive, are not crowned, and warriors, if they do not show the king their skill in battle, are not honored. Remember what David was like. Don't you sing: "Test me, O Lord, and test me; kindle my bowels and my heart" (Ps. 25:2). And one more thing: “if the army takes up arms against me, my heart will not be afraid: if the battle rises up against me, I trust in Him” (Ps. 26, 3). Also about fear: “if I go in the midst of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil, for you are with me” (Ps. 22, 4). About despondency: “If the spirit of the possessor rises up against you, do not leave your place” (Eccl. 10, 4). Don't you want to be skillful? But a man who has not experienced temptations is not skillful. Scolding makes a man skillful. The work of a monk consists in enduring battles and resisting them with courage of heart. But as you do not know the tricks of the enemy, then he brings you thoughts of fear and relaxes your heart. You must know that God will not allow battles and temptations to exceed your strength; the Apostle also teaches you this, saying: “God is faithful, that he will not leave you to be tempted more than you can” (1 Cor. 10, 13).
Rev. Macarius of Optina:
You are looking for a warm prayer, but this is not to be approved. If it happened to you to pray with warmth of heart, then you are already thinking in this that you will make up your salvation, and from this you can reach deception: that is why the Lord does not allow you to rely on it, but allows you to be confused thoughts and be overcome by sleep. The purity of prayer, its warmth, tears, and so on - all this is a gift of God; but it is bestowed on the humble, for they can no longer rise in mind, but only see their own thinness and, like a publican, cry out to God for mercy. But to give a gift, leave it to God's care: He knows to whom and when to bestow it. St. Isaac ... writes ... "gift without temptation, that is, death to those who accept it" ... Humble prayer is pleasing before God, and the one to which we ourselves give a price, we also appreciate our zeal and through this we ascend with the mind, not pleasing to God. Let us leave it to God to give a price to our prayers, and we must regard all ours as nothing, but not abandon prayer, even though it may seem cold to us; we do not know the Providence of God, why He will take away the feeling of warmth from us, and allow dryness, despondency, laziness, and so on; all this to our good fortune.
…we must be sure that our cross is certainly made from the tree that grew on the soil of our heart; and if we are left in a sorrowless life, then we will fall into pride and various passions, and by this we will completely estrange ourselves from God. You hoped to lead a humble and simply holy life in the monastery and fly to heaven with the warmest prayer; and now, seeing coldness in yourself, you become discouraged, from which you should humble yourself more, and even carry this spiritual cross with thanksgiving. Take note of yourself, when you pray with warmth, then you will not escape the opinion of yourself, and the further you go, the more you can come to pride; and when this gift is taken away and coldness comes, she must involuntarily humble herself and have herself worse than everyone else. You consider yourself worse than everyone else, and this is more pleasing to God than your imaginary, your warm prayers. Do not give in to despondency, but humble yourself; when you humble yourself, then prayer will warm up. Read spiritual books and, seeing your misery and unworthiness, humble yourself more. Revelation<помыслов>it is difficult for you because there is no humility; annihilate yourself in thought, and you may freely expose your sores, and they will be healed. Art will teach you everything.
You write that boredom and sadness are without consolation to you. This is a test of your faith and love for God - they are tempted by the opposite; meanwhile, the same thing brings you humility but do not despair of the mercy of God: this cross and this burden, perhaps, will make up for the poverty of your deeds ...
You say that some kind of melancholy is crushing you, P. seems to you a desert and there is no consolation in anything. Darkness and melancholy occur, perhaps, by God's allowance to the temptation of your will and love for God; God's love not only appears in us when we become intoxicated with spiritual pleasures, but even more so when, when they are taken away, we do not lose heart, seeing gloom and darkness in ourselves. The love of God is tempted by adversaries.
St. John Chrysostom:
Whoever feeds on good hopes, nothing can plunge him into despondency.
Let us never lose heart in sorrows and, carried away by our thoughts, let us not give in to despair. But with great patience, Let us feed on hope, knowing the good Providence of the Lord for us.
For this, the devil plunges us into thoughts of despair in order to destroy hope in God, this safe anchor, this support of our life, this guide on the way to Heaven, this is the salvation of perishing souls.
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
For just as in that evil hour a person does not think that [he can] endure in the feat of living a good life, but the enemy shows him everything good as abominable, so, again, after a change in that, everything seems pleasing to him and everything that was mournful - as if did not have; and he becomes diligent for good, and marvels at the change for the better. And he does not want to deviate from the path of the virtuous in any way, realizing that God, by His mercy, arranges this for his benefit - he directs it to him for teaching out of love - and he is inflamed to the love of God, knowing for sure that "the Lord is faithful" and never He will let temptation come upon us beyond our strength” (1 Cor. 10:13). The enemy, on the other hand, cannot do anything to us without God's permission, for he saddens the soul not as much as he wants, but as much as God will let him. And, having comprehended that from experience, [a person] succeeds from the changes that have taken place and valiantly endures these fierce [thoughts] infliction, knowing that the monk’s love for God is manifested in this, if he valiantly endures it; hence he comes to prosperity. For nothing brings crowns to a monk like despondency, if he relentlessly compels himself to divine deeds., said John of the Ladder.
e) Praise and thanksgiving to God attract God's grace to us
Knowing that the Providence of God does not leave us, but takes care of our salvation always and everywhere, and any mournful circumstances are allowed by God for our salvation, we must therefore learn to thank God for everything, and for everything good, even the smallest, and for the most grief. The glorification of God in sorrow attracts to the suffering God's grace, His all-powerful consolation.
Rev. Macarius of Optina:
I want to tell you about your languor or spiritual darkness ... to each his own cross; and rare does not have it at the present time, and all will someday be visited; I know many of yours who have this cross, only expressing it differently, for example: longing, despondency, unaccountable sorrow, but all the same. If I'm not mistaken, it seems that N. also went through and is going through this feast, but she expresses it differently. I myself had enough of this feeling, and now it happens from time to time and passes. Give thanks to God in everything and count yourself worthy to be sorrow, not consolation; In this way you can alleviate each other's sadness and compassion one another.
It must always be remembered that “weeping will come in the evening and joy in the morning” (Ps. 29:6); and being in abundance, do not think that I will not move forever: this was experienced by the great prophet St. David, and we should not be discouraged by the visitation of the spiritual cross sent for our own benefit. And you, being in temptation, received from it abundance and joy - thank God.
The anguish that happens to you, I believe, is a spiritual cross, which must be accepted with humility, thanksgiving and patience; with it our faults, sins and infirmities are cleansed, and we even come to the knowledge of those whom we considered for nothing, and they are the cause of such a burden. Enduring with thanksgiving, you will receive relief from this anguish; but when you are cold and faint-hearted, you burden yourself with this cross more.
Elder Paisios Svyatogorets said:
“One teacher had seven or eight children. And so, when he was about fifty, something happened to one child's eye. He was examined, a tumor was found and the eye was removed. All the children at school laughed at the poor thing. How was it possible to console this unfortunate man? I thought I could help him. The child was twelve years old and already understood something. The unfortunate man did not know what consolation was. I told the teacher that the souls who struggle with misfortune with the help of the glorification of God will be in the future together with Paphnutius the Confessor, whose eye was plucked out for his faith in Christ. The poor teacher understood this and jumped for joy. It was a real consolation. It was reality. He saw that there was no injustice, for God does not do injustice. I believe that on the Day of Judgment God will repay that child.”
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), as we have seen, writes about the invincible power of the praise of God and humble prayer:
“For sure success in the invisible battle with the princes of the air, with the spirits of malice, the dark rulers of the world, you need to take up arms served by faith, served by the rampage of Christ's preaching. “More wiser than God is man; and the weak of God is stronger than man” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Here are the weapons that the holy rampage of Christ's preaching gives to the servant of Christ to fight against the sons of Enan - gloomy thoughts and feelings of sadness that appear to the soul in the form of terrible giants, ready to erase it, devour it:
1st - the words " Thank God for everything».
2nd - the words “Lord! I surrender to Your holy will! Be with me Thy will."
3rd - the words “Lord! Thank you for whatever you please to send to me.”
4th - the words “I accept what is worthy according to my deeds; remember me, Lord, in your kingdom."
These short words, borrowed, as you see, from Scripture, were used by the venerable monks with excellent success against thoughts of sorrow.
The Fathers did not at all enter into an argument with the thoughts that appeared; but, as soon as a foreigner appeared before them, they grabbed a wonderful weapon and they - right in the face, in the jaws of a foreigner! That is why they were so strong, they trampled down all their enemies, became the confidants of faith, and through faith - the confidants of grace, the arm of grace, they performed supernatural feats. When a sad thought or anguish appears in your heart, begin with all your heart, with all your strength, to pronounce one of the above sentences; pronounce it quietly, not hastily, not excitedly, with attention, in the hearing of you alone - pronounce it until the foreigner leaves completely, until your heart is known in the coming of the grace-filled help of God. She appears to the soul in the tasting of comforting, sweet peace, peace in the Lord. and not for any other reason. In time, the foreigner will again begin to approach you, but you are again for weapons ... Do not marvel at the strangeness, insignificance, apparently, of David's weapons! Use them in action - and you will see a sign! These weapons - a club, a stone - will do things more than all put together, thoughtful judgments and researches of theologians-theorists, narrators of letters - German, Spanish, English, American! The use of these weapons in action will gradually transfer you from the path of reason to the path of faith, and by this path will lead you into the boundless, wondrous land of the spiritual."
"How much you endure here with thanksgiving, so much in the future life you will enjoy spiritual consolation. The earthly sorrows sent by the Lord are the guarantee of eternal salvation, why they must be endured with patience, and then patience is poured into the soul of a person when a person thanks and glorifies the Creator for his sorrows.
In seclusion, say slowly, aloud to yourself, enclosing the mind in words (as St. John of the Ladder advises), the following: “ Glory to Thee, my God, for sent grief; worthy according to my deeds I accept; remember me in your kingdom". ... Having said a prayer once, rest a little. Then say it again and rest again. Continue to pray like this for five or ten minutes, until you feel your soul calm and comforted. You will see: after three prayers said in this way, you will begin to feel that calm enters your soul and destroys the embarrassment and bewilderment that tormented it. The reason for this is clear: the grace and power of God lies in the glorification of God and not in eloquence and verbosity. Doxology and thanksgiving are the works taught to us by God Himself - by no means a human invention. The apostle commands this work on behalf of God (1 Thess. 5:18). …
For sorrows, one should thank and glorify God, praying to Him to grant obedience to Him and patience. St. Isaac of Syria said very well, admonishing to obey God: "You are not smarter than God." Simple and true. The life of a Christian on earth is a chain of suffering. You must fight with your body, with passions, with the spirits of malice. This fight is our hope. Our salvation is our God. Having entrusted ourselves to God, we must endure with patience the time of struggle. Temptations, as it were, trample on a person, turning grain into flour. They are allowed to us according to the Providence of God, for our great spiritual benefit: from them we receive a contrite and humble heart, which God will not despise.
"... complacency is born in sorrows when we surrender to the will of God and ask that it always be done over us. Thanksgiving also comforts in sorrows when we give thanks for everything that happens to us. On the contrary, grumbling, complaints, carnal disposition, i.e. i.e., according to the elements of the world, they only multiply sorrow and make it unbearable. Saint Isaac said that "that patient who resists the operator during the operation only multiplies his torment," why let us submit to God not in one word, but also in thought, and in heart, and deeds."
« The Holy Fathers advise to thank God for the sorrows that are sent to us and confess in our prayer that we are worthy of punishment for our sins. Sorrow received in this way will certainly serve us as a cleansing of our sins and as a pledge to receive eternal bliss.».
f) The fear of God, the memory of death overcome despondency
Sayings of the nameless elders:
The elder said: a person who constantly has death before his eyes overcomes despondency.
Rev. John of the Ladder teaches about despondency that his "enemy ... is the thought of death."
Rev. Barsanuphius and John:
Question 78, the same to the same old man. I ask you to enlighten me, why does the weakness of the body and the exhaustion of the heart come about, and why can’t I always keep one rule in food?
Answer . I am amazed, brother, and I am amazed how worldly people, looking for gains or going to war, do not pay attention to wild animals, or to the attacks of robbers, or to the dangers of the sea, or to death itself, and do not weaken in soul, if only to gain what they want. wealth, although they do not know for sure whether they will receive it. But we, the accursed and lazy ones, who have received the power to tread on snakes and scorpions and on all the power of the enemy, and heard this: “It is I; do not be afraid” (John 6:20), knowing beyond doubt that we do not fight by our own strength, but by the strength of God who strengthens and arms us, we become weak and despondent. Why so? Because our flesh was not nailed to the fear of God (see Ps. 118, 120)…
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:
The memory of death and punishment is a sword against the demon of despondency.
Abba Euprenius:
Knowing that God is faithful and omnipotent, believe in Him and you will be a partaker of His blessings. But if you are discouraged and remain inactive, then you do not believe.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk:
The memory of death, which comes unexpectedly, the memory of the Judgment of Christ and the memory of eternal torment and eternal bliss drives away despondency. Think about them.
g) Humility is the strongest medicine against despondency
Rev. Isaac Sirin writes that the strongest cure for the passion of despondency is humility:
“When it pleases God to subject a person to great sorrows, he allows him to fall into the hands of cowardice. And it generates in a person the force of despondency that overcomes him, in which he feels the depression of the soul, and this is a taste of hell; this induces a spirit of frenzy on a person, from which thousands of temptations emanate: embarrassment, irritation, blasphemy, complaint about fate, perverse thoughts, migration from one country to another, and the like. If you ask: “What is the cause of all this?”, then I will say: your negligence, for you yourself did not take care to seek medicine from this. There is only one cure for all this, with the help of it alone a person finds quick consolation in his soul. What is this medicine? Humility of the heart. Without it, no one will be able to destroy the stronghold of these evils. He will soon find that calamities have overcome him.”
It says the same teacher Macarius of Optina:
“We think to find peace in removing from ourselves everything that offends us; but, on the contrary, it is in our distance from the world and passions: love of glory, voluptuousness and love of money, from which other passions are born and fight us. But we must resist them and endure sorrow. And how we do not resist them in the least, but always act more out of passion, and instead of resigning ourselves, self-love and pride multiply even more; and in our imaginary sorrows, instead of blaming ourselves, we blame our neighbors; and, thinking to fight them, we fight against ourselves; and as we do not voluntarily bear any sorrows, but reflect them, then God also sends a different kind of sorrow - anguish and vexation of the spirit, so that they humble themselves and seek help from Him. Read at St. Isaac the Syrian 79 Word; there you will see how the Lord allows such temptations: tedious boredom and despondency, and offers medicine - humility of heart; and try to heal your spiritual ulcers with this medicine.
Read more in the 51st Word of St. Isaac the Syrian and you will see there that those who indulge in real sorrows, when they recognize themselves as guilty and reproach themselves, they are soon freed from sorrows; but when they become hardened and accuse others, their sorrows are even more multiplied and burdened. And you don’t have real sorrows, but are made up of self-thinking, and not only do you not reproach yourself, but you blame others, and thereby bring sorrow, despondency, melancholy and spiritual constriction on yourself even more.
“You also write that you have no spiritual consolation, but you always feel languor in the spirit and, as it were, a spiritual boa. As far as I can understand the root of it all is pride; and you do not try to destroy it with virtues that are contrary to it: self-reproach and humility. You read holy books that teach us virtues and self-reproach and humility, but you do the opposite, and instead, seeing how far you are from doing virtues, you despise and reproach yourself, thereby gaining humility and receiving God's help: you reproach all others and you hold others responsible for your sorrows. Also standing in church; you draw a whole story about your embarrassment and still don’t blame yourself, but you say that you don’t even know what self-reproach can be.
You write that a terrible inner annoyance, boredom happens to you - that even from embarrassment you would scream, and this happens for no apparent reason. To this I will tell you: our life should be mournful, not joyful ... When we cannot endure external sorrows, that is: humiliation, annoyance, reproach, slander, neglect, and so on, which purify and heal our spiritual passions, then God sends us an inner spiritual cross: darkness, languor, annoyance, zeal, and so on... And now you, with your spiritual languor and annoyances happening, one must reproach oneself, humble oneself and consider oneself worthy of this burden, bow down to the Lord, asking for His mercy, and, surrendering to His will, thereby calm oneself, bearing this spiritual cross ...
You write whatever boredom comes over you, and then nothing helps and you can't read. You went out to spiritual warfare and, having not yet been in battle, you are looking for rewards - peace of mind; it is bestowed on those who have suffered many wounds in battle, have fallen and rise again, having tied their wounds, and are cheerfully fighting.
"Read the books of the fathers and consider yourself the last neck, and your boredom will pass…»
“... The gloominess of the spirit, although it is sometimes sent to temptation, however, everything must be tested: is it not sent for pride? and you have to put up with it.
You also write that you were very sad because of the languor of the spirit, that is, the spiritual cross, and I immediately see that you accept this burden without grumbling, considering yourself worthy of it, and ask for patience in such cases. This made me glad that you began to come to mind the true. Thank God!
In times of dryness and languor, one should also not fall into the pit of despondency and despair; not to seek in ourselves what we are unworthy of - the great gifts of God; but rest on humility, considering yourself unworthy of them.
You write that when there is a burden, it does not depend on yourself: how not on yourself? who is the cause? our passions, lying inside us and not defeated, pride, pride, vanity and others; they rise up against us, and we, carried away by them, are righteously punished by God, for the destruction of our passions. Remember the word of St. Apostle: "God is not a tempter to evil people; but everyone is tempted by his own lust by attracting and deceiving" (James 1, 13, 14). So do not say that it is not from yourself; a blame yourself for everything, but you will acquire humility and calm down. If we were humble, we would always be calm, otherwise this is not the case; and yet we are in high-mindedness, for the sake of which other passions rise up against us stronger.
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky:
Boredom is the despondency of the grandson, and laziness is the daughter. To drive it away, work hard in business, do not be lazy in prayer, then boredom will pass, and zeal will come. And if you add patience and humility to this, then you will save yourself from many evils.
h) Constant work, needlework, relentless, feasible spiritual work
ward off discouragement
An ancient patericon tells of the teachings of the holy fathers:
Abba Matoj said: I rather desire for myself an easy and long-term work than a difficult one at the beginning, but soon ending.
said Abba Pimen: Abba Isidore, the presbyter of the skete, once spoke to the assembly like this: brethren! Is it not for work that we came to this place? And now there is no more work. Therefore, taking my mantle, I will go where there is work, and there I will find peace.
Rev. Tikhon Zadonsky:
I advise you the following: convince yourself and force yourself to prayer and to every good deed, even though you don’t feel like it. Just as people drive a lazy horse with a whip so that it walks or runs, so we need to force ourselves to do everything, and especially to prayer. ... Pray and cry out to the Lord, so that He Himself would give you zeal and desire; without Him we are fit for nothing.
We must often pray to God, ask Him for help, work and not miss the slightest time without doing something - so boredom will pass.
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
The destruction of despondency is served by prayer and unceasing meditation on God; reflection is guarded by abstinence, and abstinence by bodily labor.
Rev. John of the Ladder:
Let us now bind this tormentor with the memory of our sins, let us beat him with needlework...
Rev. John Cassian the Roman insists that constant occupation, work, needlework is necessary in the fight against despondency:
“About Abba Paul, who every year burned the work of his hands in the fire
Finally, Abba Paul, the most experienced among the fathers, when, while living in a vast desert called Porphyrion, being provided with the fruits of palm trees and a small garden, he had sufficient material for food and life, and could not engage in any other business for his maintenance, therefore that his habitation in that desert was seven days' journey or still further from the cities and the inhabited land, and more was required for the carriage than could be received for the finished work. However, having collected palm leaves, he constantly demanded from himself a daily lesson in work, as if by this he should be supported. When his cave was filled with the work of a whole year, he, having made a fire with diligence, burned it every year. By this he showed that without the work of hands it is impossible for a monk to remain in one place, and even more so to ever reach the pinnacle of perfection. So, although the need for food did not require it at all, he worked only for the purification of the heart, the collection of thoughts and constant stay in the cell, or to overcome despondency itself.
Rev. Macarius Optinsky
Only have peace, and the construction of a private cell will be to your advantage, some absent-mindedness and occupation will entertain you and free you from despondency.
Rev. Barsanuphius and John teach that constant spiritual work is necessary to combat despondency:
Question 470. Why does it happen to me that when I talk to someone about a matter, I speak with embarrassment, and although I repent of it many times, but again and against my desire I fall into the same thing, and also why does despondency weigh me down?
Answer. This happens because our heart does not abide in action, and therefore falls into despondency and into many other kinds of evil.
An instructive story is given in the Ancient Patericon about how to overcome despondency, albeit in small, but in constant, hard work:
One brother, having fallen into temptation, left the monastic rule out of grief. He wanted to make a new beginning, but grief prevented him, and he said to himself: when can I see myself as I was before? In his discouragement, he could not start a monastic business. He went to an old man and revealed his need to him. The elder, hearing about the consequences of his grief, told him the following parable: one man had a field, which, due to his carelessness, became deserted and overgrown with worthless grass and thorns. After that, he had the intention to cultivate the field and said to his son: go, clear the field. The son, having come to clear the field, and seeing on it a lot of grass and thorns, became despondent, saying to himself: can I ever destroy all this and clear the field? Falling to the ground, he began to sleep, and did so for many days. After this, his father came to him to see what he had done, and found him doing nothing. He said to him: Why hasn't he done anything until now? The young man answered his father: as soon as I came to work and saw a lot of grass and thorns, I was overcome with sorrow, and fell to the ground and slept. Then his father said to him: My son! Cultivate every day as much as your bed occupied, and in this way move your work forward and do not be discouraged. After hearing this, the son did just that, and in a short time he cleared the field. So you, brother, work a little and do not lose heart - and God, by His grace, will restore you to your former state. After departing from him, the brother remained patient and acted as the elder had taught him. And thus, having received rest, he prospered with the help of Christ.
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
“... when thoughts invade, needlework with prayer or some kind of service is very useful, the fathers said; especially suitable in times of sorrow and thoughts of despondency.
i) Reasoning is necessary in the fight against despondency
Rev. Barsanuphius and John teach us reasoning in the fight against the spirit of despondency, instructing us that the weapon of struggle depends on the cause of passion:
Question 559. Where does despondency come from? And what should you do when it happens?
Answer . There is natural despondency - from impotence, and there is despondency from a demon. If you want to recognize them, recognize them this way: the demonic comes before the time in which you should give yourself rest, for when a person begins to do something, it, before a third or a quarter of the work is done, forces him to leave the work and get up. Then it is not necessary to listen to him, but one must make a prayer and sit at work with patience, and the enemy, seeing that a person is praying about this, ceases to fight him, for he does not want to give a reason for prayer. Natural despondency occurs when a person works above his strength and is forced to add even more work to himself; and thus a natural despondency from bodily impotence is formed; at the same time, one must test one's strength and put the body to rest, according to the fear of God.
It is good to asceticise, so as not to depart from one's place during the battle. But whoever sees that he is overcome, being weighed down by labor, let him give in and, having actually been lightened from the burden, let him strive to the very despondency, calling on the name of God, and receive help from God. To retire for the sake of despondency, while there is no heaviness, depending on the place, only more burdens, intensifies the battle and harms your soul.
Question 561. When, out of despondency, he finds slumber and hinders the work ahead, should he get up or continue the work while sitting?
Answer. You must get up and not stop praying to God, and the Lord will abolish slumber by prayer.
j) Participation in the sacraments of the Church gives grace-filled help to the struggling
Saint Nicholas of Serbia in "a letter to a woman who is oppressed by severe despondency" shows that small, as it were, insignificant, unnoticed and unconfessed sins can destroy a person:
“You write that some kind of insurmountable and inexplicable sadness is oppressing you. Your body is healthy, your house is a full cup, and your heart is empty. It is your heart that is full of heavy despondency. You are forced to attend balls and places of entertainment, but this only increases sadness.
Be careful: this is a dangerous disease of the soul! It can completely kill the soul. The Church considers such sadness a mortal sin, for, according to the apostle, there are two kinds of sadness - sadness for the sake of God, which produces repentance unto salvation, and worldly sadness, which produces death [See: 2 Cor. 7, 8–10]. Obviously, you suffer from the second kind of sadness.
Sadness for the sake of God seizes a person when he remembers his sins, repents and cries out to God. Or when someone is sad about the sins of others, seeing how they fall away from the faith. The Lord turns such sadness into joy, similar to the one described by the Apostle Paul, speaking of all the servants of Christ: “we are grieved, but we always rejoice.” They rejoice because they feel the power and nearness of God. And they receive comfort from the Lord. So said the psalmist: “He remembered God and rejoiced” [Ps. 76, 4].
The sorrow of the saints is like clouds through which the sun of comfort shines. And your sadness is like a solar eclipse. You must have many minor sins and misdeeds behind you, which you considered insignificant and did not confess or repent of them. Like a web, they entangled your heart and made a nest for that heavy sadness that the demonic power gloatingly keeps in you. Therefore, review your whole life, subject yourself to a merciless judgment and confess everything. By confession you will ventilate and cleanse the house of your soul, and fresh and healthy air from the Spirit of God will enter it. And then boldly take on good deeds. Let's say, start doing alms for the sake of Christ. Christ will see and feel it and soon give you joy. He will give that inexpressible joy that only He gives and which no sorrow, no torment, no demonic power can darken. Read the Psalter. This book is for grieving souls, a book of consolation.
May the Lord send you joy."
Priest Pavel Gumerov:
A person who has fallen into despondency and cooled off spiritually often rarely confesses and takes communion, it is difficult for him to prepare and proceed to these holy sacraments. And without participation in the sacraments, without the grace of God, he will further and further away from God, and the cooling will only grow. If we are afflicted with despondency, the first thing to do is to prepare ourselves, confess in detail and take communion. And try to do it more often, keeping this spiritual gift in yourself.
k) Conversation with a like-minded person can ease the scolding of discouragement
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
« Sometimes, however, when a person is required who is most experienced in living and brings benefit in conversation, as Basil the Great says. For often, he said, the despondency that was in the soul can be dispelled by a timely and sinless visit to such and conversation with them in moderation, because this, having strengthened [the soul] and delivered a little rest to it, gives [the opportunity] to more diligently proceed to the exploits of piety. However, then it is better to endure hopelessly in silence, say the fathers, having themselves understood [that] from experience.”
6. Cooling
One of the properties of despondency is cooling.
Chilling starts as it says Saint Theophan the Recluse, oblivion:
"The blessings of God are forgotten, and God Himself, and one's salvation in Him, the danger of being without God, and the memory of death departs - in a word, the entire spiritual realm is closed."
« Beware and hasten to restore the fear of God and warm up your soul,- advises the saint. “It [cooling] happens involuntarily ... but it also happens from arbitrary deeds ... from external entertainment, disorderly conversations, satiety, excessive sleep ... and much more.”
Rev. Vaosonofiy Optina speaks of the signs of the cooling of the soul towards God:
“Observation of the surrounding nature also gives us a lot of instructiveness. Everyone knows the sunflower plant. It always turns its yellow head towards the sun, stretches towards it, from where it got its name. But it happens that the sunflower stops turning towards the sun, then those experienced in this matter say that it began to deteriorate, a worm wound up in it, it is necessary to cut it off. The soul, hungry for God's justification, like a sunflower strives, reaches out to God - the Source of Light. If, however, it ceases to seek Him, then such a soul perishes. It is necessary in this life to feel Christ; whoever did not see Him here will not see Him there, in the Hereafter. But how to see Christ? The path to this is possible - the unceasing prayer of Jesus, which alone is capable of instilling Christ in our souls.
The Monk John of the Ladder was asked if there were any sure signs by which one could know whether the soul is drawing near to God or moving away from Him. After all, with respect to ordinary objects, there are certain signs - they are good or not. When, for example, cabbage, meat, and fish begin to rot, it is easy to notice this, because the spoiled products emit a bad smell, change color and taste, and their appearance indicates spoilage.
Well, what about the soul? After all, she is incorporeal and cannot emit a bad smell or change her appearance. To this question, the Holy Father replied that a sure sign of the mortification of the soul is the avoidance of church services. A person who grows cold towards God, first of all, begins to avoid going to church. At first he tries to come to the service later, and then he stops attending the temple of God altogether. That is why it is obligatory for the monks to attend the service."
Priest Pavel Gumerov advises:
Since the cooling generated by despondency and laziness is often associated with forgetting the blessings of God and the loss of interest in spiritual life, we must learn to see the presence of God in all everyday events and thank Him for the gifts He sends us.
7. We must arm ourselves against the spirit of ingratitude and despair, so as not to fall into the sin of blasphemy.
Because of despondency, a spirit of ingratitude and despair can arise, and here one must be careful not to fall into the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Neil Sorsky:
« When this terrible battle occurs, then it is appropriate to arm yourself strongly against the spirit of ingratitude, and be afraid of blasphemy, for at that time the enemy fights with all this; and then the man is filled with doubt and fear, and the devil inspires him that it is impossible for him to be pardoned by God and receive the forgiveness of sins, get rid of eternal torment and be saved. And there is an invasion of some other evil thoughts, which it is impossible to betray writing, and whether he reads [something] or engages in some kind of service, they do not leave him. Then it is proper to force yourself strongly so as not to fall into despair, and not to neglect prayer, as much as you can…
Against the spirit of ingratitude and blasphemy, it is fitting to say: Get away from me, Satan; I will worship the Lord my God and serve Him alone"(Matt. 4, 10) - and I accept everything painful and sorrowful with gratitude, as sent from Him to heal my sins, according to what is written: "I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him" (Mic. 7, 9) . But ingratitude and blasphemy against you, on your head, may they return, and the Lord will write it down for you. Get away from me. May God, who created me in His image and likeness, make you abolish.” If, after this, [that spirit] still annoys, turn your thought to some other Divine or human object. May the soul that wants to please God hold on, first of all, patience and hope, as St. Macarius writes. After all, this is the cunning of the enemy's malice - to put despondency on us, may the soul retreat from trust in God.
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:
Let no one say: "I have sinned a lot, there is no forgiveness for me." Whoever speaks like this forgets about the One Who came to earth for the sake of those who suffer and said: "...there is joy among the angels of God and over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10), and also: "I came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32).
Saint John Chrysostom:
“The Devil plunges us into thoughts of despair in order to destroy the hope in God, this safe anchor, this support of our life, this guide on the path to Heaven, this is the salvation of perishing souls.
The evil one does everything to instill in us the thought of despair. He will no longer need efforts and labors for our defeat, when the fallen and those who are lying do not want to resist him. Whoever could escape these bonds, he keeps his strength, and until his last breath does not stop fighting with him, and at least experienced many falls, rises again and crushes the enemy. Whoever is bound by thoughts of despair and thus weakened himself, he is not able to defeat the enemy.
Despair is disastrous not only because it closes the gates of the Heavenly City for us and leads to great carelessness and negligence... but also because it plunges us into satanic madness...
The soul, having once despaired of its salvation, no longer feels how it aspires to the abyss.
Let us not despair of our salvation. Even though we have plunged into the very abyss of vice, we can rise again, become better, and leave vice altogether.
Sin destroys not so much as despair.
If you fall into despair, then the devil, as having reached the goal, remains near you, and God, as offended by blasphemy, leaves you and thereby increases your distress.
Saint Nil of Sinai:
To sin is a human matter, but to despair is satanic and destructive; and the devil himself was cast down by despair into perdition, for he did not want to repent.
Saint John of the Ladder:
There is nothing equal to the grace of God, there is nothing greater than it. Therefore, he who despairs destroys himself.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:
“Thoughts vague and leading to despair come from the devil, who wants to plunge us into complete despair, destroy us, since despair is a subtle sin. Whoever despairs of his salvation thinks that God is unmerciful and untrue, and this is a terrible blasphemy against God. Satan wants to lead us to this grave sin through thoughts of confusion and despair. And we must resist this fierce temptation of his, and affirm ourselves in the hope of God's mercy, and expect our salvation from Him.
Judas the traitor, having fallen into despair, "strangled himself" (Mt. 27:5). He knew the power of sin, but did not know the greatness of God's mercy. So many do now and follow Judas. They know the multitude of their sins, but they do not know the multitude of God's bounties, and so they despair of their salvation. Christian! heavy and last diabolical blow - despair. Before sin, he presents God as merciful, and after sin as just. That is his trick.
Despair is a grave sin, and a sin against the mercy of God. The loving God "desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). Why despair? God calls everyone to repentance and promises and wants to show mercy to those who repent (Matthew 4:17). And when a sinner turns from sins, and repents of sins, and regrets them, and guards himself from other sins, God wants this, and it pleases Him, and God mercifully looks down on such a sinner, and forgives him all sins, and the former ones are not remembers already.
When such a thought comes to us: how can we compare with the apostles, prophets, martyrs and other great saints who shone with so many virtues? let us answer this thought in the following way: we desire to be with the thief, who at the very end of his life uttered one exclamation of repentance: "Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!", and heard from Christ crucified on the Cross: but you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). And when we are with the thief in paradise, we will be with Christ Himself, since this thief is in paradise with Christ, and therefore with all the saints. For where Christ is, there are all the saints.
So, look also by faith on the crucified Christ and you will be healed from sinful sores and you will come to life. All who look to Him by faith are given healing and eternal salvation; Will the impartial and merciful God refuse you alone? … Read the Gospel: who was denied mercy and philanthropy by the One Who came to this in order to show His mercy to everyone? Whom did He drive away from Himself, whom did He who came to call everyone to Himself reject? "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Harlots, robbers, tax collectors and other sinners came to Him and received mercy, for He "came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13).
Saint Theophan the Recluse:
Despair is a denouncer of unbelief and selfishness in the heart: he who believes in himself and trusts in himself will not rise from sin by repentance...
Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov):
The worst sin is despair. This sin denigrates the All-Holy Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, denies His omnipotence, denies the salvation He has bestowed - shows that arrogance and pride previously dominated in this soul, that faith and humility were alien to it.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov:
During the free suffering of the Lord, two fell away from the Lord - Judas and Peter: one sold, and the other was rejected three times. Both had the same sin, both seriously sinned, but Peter was saved, and Judas perished. Why were not both saved and not both perished? Some will say that Peter was saved by repentance. But the holy Gospel says that Judas also repented: "... having repented, he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood" (Matthew 27:3-4); however, his repentance is not accepted, but Petrovo is accepted; Peter escaped, but Judas perished. Why so? And because Peter repented with hope and hope in the mercy of God, Judas repented with despair. This abyss is terrible! Without a doubt, you need to fill it with hope for the mercy of God.
8. Consolation to the Struggling
Rev. John of the Ladder writes about the benefits of fighting the temptation of the spirit of despondency:
During despondency, ascetics are revealed; and nothing brings so many crowns to a monk as despondency.
St. John Chrysostom who fell into despondency after experiencing the persecution of the righteous:
“So, don't be discouraged.
After all, only one thing, Olympias, is terrible, one temptation, namely, only sin; and I still do not stop reminding you of this word; everything else is a fable, whether you point to intrigues, or hatred, or deceit, false interrogations, or abusive speeches and accusations, deprivation of property, or exile, or sharpened swords, or the deep sea, or the war of the whole universe . Whatever all this may be, it is both temporary and fleeting, and takes place in relation to the mortal body, and does not in the least harm the sober soul.
If you wish now to reflect along with sad events and about joyful ones, then you will see many, if not signs and wonders, then in any case similar to signs and an inexpressible multitude of proofs of the great Providence of God and help. But so that you do not hear everything from us without any difficulty, I leave this part to you, so that you carefully collect everything (joyful) and compare it with the sad one, and, having engaged in a wonderful deed, deflect yourself from despondency in this way, because from here you will receive great comfort".
Rev. Macarius Optinsky exhorts:
The boredom and despondency that happens to you is nothing but monastic scolding, sent to you to the temptation. Saints and great men were tempted by these battles, but not yet to such an extent, but exorbitantly stronger, and by this their love for God was shown; then you, too, do not suffer in visiting you, but stand courageously, enduring, and the cloud of despondency will open up, and light, silence and tranquility will shine. And to always be unfailingly calm, this is impossible, and the completely opposite path that St. Macarius "part of the wolves". Read ... in Callistus and Ignatius chapters 43 and 85 and ... in St. Cassian about sorrow and despondency, and accept from these teachings for yourself healing and encouragement, so as not to be cowardly in battle, but to take courage and endure.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:
If you give in to despondency and boredom, even greater despondency will rise up on you and drive you out of the monastery in shame. And if you stand against him and defeat him in the prescribed way, then victory will always be followed by joy, consolation and great spiritual strength. And those who strive always alternate between sadness and joy. Just as under the sky it is sometimes gloomy, sometimes stormy, sometimes sunny, so in our soul there is sometimes sadness, sometimes temptation, like a storm, sometimes consolation and joy, like clear weather; and just as sunny days are pleasant after bad weather, so after temptation and sorrow there is sweet consolation.
9. Virtue of sobriety
The passion of despondency is opposed by the virtue of sobriety. Works of sobriety banish this passion.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) lists what sobriety consists of: Despair
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What is despondency? What to do if you are discouraged? Give up or can this terrible state be overcome? Hegumen Nektary (Morozov) shares his experience.
One of the most common sins of our time is. The very thing that plunges a person into some kind of hopeless longing, constrains his heart, makes life gray and boring. That which weakens the will, debilitates, leads to a state resembling paralysis. He convinces that there is no point in anything, nothing will come of it, no matter what you do, and therefore you don’t need to do it. And as if he is applying some terrible seal of despair, hopelessness to you: “You can’t be saved…”.
And I am not surprised when, over and over again, I hear a confession: “Father, I don’t know what to do. I'm sad again!" And not only because I'm already used to it. But also because I can often quite honestly answer: “Me too.” True, with one small but significant difference: how to be, how to cope with this state, I know. And that means that if I want to, I can do it again - with God's help, of course. And I want…
Why does it come at all - despondency? Sometimes the very confluence of circumstances plunges into it - difficult, depressing soul, "fatal". Often, a chain of constant failures leads to it (however, one single, and not particularly serious, failure can drive someone into despondency). Sometimes it is the result of severe fatigue, both physical and mental.
But if we talk about us, people of believers, then we, in addition to all the above reasons, often lose heart not so much from something external, but ... from ourselves. We are discouraged because we are so weak and of little faith, because we are so accommodating to sin, so often we fall, so often we come to confession with the same thing - as if we were writing it under a carbon copy. We are discouraged because year after year we change very little for the better. Although for some reason we do not change almost because we lose heart ...
We really lack spiritual vigor, true Christian courage, the feeling of being not an unfortunate victim persecuted by the enemy and adversity, but a warrior of Christ - even if sometimes he suffers defeat, suffers from wounds and even often turns back, but still a warrior. Moreover, you can see how conveniently this weakness of ours dresses up in the clothes of “repentance”, “weeping for ourselves”, “pious sorrow”.
True, this “repentance” does not lead to correction, but to some kind of terrible obsession with sins, turning to them, which does not help to part with them, but, on the contrary, as if reconciles with them, convinces: you cannot get rid of them. And crying does not purify the soul, does not make it brighter and softer, but, on the contrary, exhausts, weakens, deprives the ability to rejoice. And sadness is not at all like charitable, because it does not bring one closer to God and does not add zeal for salvation. Yes, and it would be wonderful to expect good fruits from what is itself the fruit of despondency.
I often remember (I try to remember) when a cloud of despondency comes into my heart, capable of turning into a gloomy, black cloud in an instant, of the Reverend Abba Apollos. Paterik tells about him that when he noticed one of his brethren as confused, despondent, he never left it just like that, but immediately asked him about the cause of embarrassment and exposed his secrets of the heart to everyone.
He said: “The one who is destined to receive the Kingdom of Heaven should not be sad. Let the Greeks be confused! let the Jews cry! let the sinners cry! but let the righteous rejoice!” And this memory always consoles me, makes me happy, helps me to get rid of the “cloud”.
Yes, there are no words, it is difficult to rank oneself among the righteous, what is there is impossible! But how can we renounce predestination to be sure that it is unattainable for us? If so, what is Christian left in us? Where then is the hope for God's mercy, where is the faith in His love?
Another episode from the Patericon often comes to mind to me - then most of all, when it’s not easy at all in the soul. About another reverend father, to whom an old soldier once came, who had not done anything during his long and terrible, probably, his life. And what did the holy elder say that strengthened his heart? A simple but so eloquent comparison...
After all, you don’t throw away your old cloak, no matter how chopped and tattered it is, but you mend it, darn it, put it on again, because it is dear to you. So why do you think that the Lord will reject you, even if you were full of tears and wounds of sin?
... It's so gratifying to feel like this shabby, torn, but again mended cloak. And be sure that you will not be thrown away, rejected, rejected. Why confident - yes, only because our unfaithfulness does not abolish the faithfulness of God. He is always faithful. Always loves, never leaves, never takes away hope.
And another thing that helps to cope with despondency is not at all patriotic. Understanding helps such a simple fact - you can spend your whole life in this smoldering, despondent state and therefore neither life nor the white light of God can be seen. And it becomes so annoying from this thought, such anger at despondency appears that it runs away somewhere.
It also happens, of course, that it somehow leans so strongly, so fiercely that you feel: a little more - and it will crush you, and there is no strength to resist. And here, too, a non-paterican kind helps: those who attacked you have no pity, they do not get tired, they are consistent and diligent. And your moaning that you have no strength, that you "can't do anything," will only provoke and inspire them. And the choice is simple in essence: either find the strength, or the abyss. Here also choose!
... This, of course, all their own, human means. And only the Sun of Truth, the Lord, disperses clouds and clouds. But when? Only when you reach for Him - from the very forces that seem to be the last.
If we consider despondency, based on the biblical canons, then at all times it was ranked among the category of mortal sins. For what reason is despondency a sin, and if it is a sin, then how to overcome it? It became very interesting for me to understand this issue and I invite you to do it together.
Falling into a state of melancholy, sadness, despondency, sadness - a person does not think at all about the possible consequences that these negative, destructive emotions are fraught with.
Some even attribute to this state some subtlety of the mysterious Russian soul. But experts in psychiatry say that when a person is depressed for a long time, depression develops, which means a serious danger to his health and even life. Different researchers call the figure 20% - exactly how many people around the globe suffer from a depressed morale.
As for the Church, it has long since added despondency to the list of major sins. Next, we will understand what caused this.
What is despondency in Orthodoxy
Let us turn to the statement of the professor of the Russian Orthodox University, John the Theologian Viktor Trostnikov, who says the following:
“Despondency is included in the category of mortal sins exclusively in Orthodoxy. For comparison, Catholics included sadness in this list, but only in Orthodoxy is despondency singled out as a single sin.
It is for this reason that in Orthodoxy there are only 8 deadly sins, and not 7. At first glance, it may seem that sadness and despondency are one and the same. If we look in more detail, we establish that sadness is a passing feeling related to some unpleasant incidents, but this feeling is temporary, passing.
And if we are talking about despondency, then we must note that it acts as a protracted, chronic condition, and for it there are often no obvious factors. Despondency is precisely a state of mind, it is quite capable of visiting you even if outwardly everything looks quite safe. At the same time, a person himself will not be able to give an intelligible answer to the question of what he really needs.
Be that as it may, the Church calls both sadness and despondency mortal sins. A layman must perceive all the types of trials sent to him, having a whole soul, being filled with faith, hope and love in his soul. In the opposite case, he begins to renounce the whole, does not recognize this whole, and therefore condemns the doctrine of God, the world and humanity. This is one of the variations of the lack of faith. When the spirit is left to itself, and the individual is automatically doomed to various pathologies and suffering.
All mortal sins have a destructive effect on the physical and spiritual shells of a person. It is not in vain that despondency is known as "evil debauchery." When this passion begins to influence an individual, he becomes lazy, it is difficult for him to motivate himself to perform any actions. Also, he does not experience any joy and consolation, loses faith and hope for the best.
It is not in vain that there is a saying that "a dry spirit can dry up bones."
A despondent spirit dries up the bones
- sleep is disturbed (a person suffers from insomnia or increased drowsiness);
- appetite changes (increases or is lost);
- bowel problems (constipation);
- markedly reduced sexual potential;
- the general energy state decreases, the person begins to tire more of the usual physical and mental stress;
- there are various uncomfortable pain types of sensations in the trunk.
As a result of such a conflict with oneself, even organic pathology can arise. Thus, sin begins to penetrate into the physical body of a person.
In modern medicine, methods of healing from depression are offered, however, the famous specialist in this field, Polishchuk, who is a doctor of medical sciences, also advises using spiritual and religious methods of psychotherapy.
He expresses the following opinion about the treatment of despondency: “If someone who suffers from depression turned to me and asked for a way out of this state, I would definitely recommend him not only to visit the temple of God, but to search for his personal spiritual mentor in one of the monasteries.
Of course, this option will be more difficult, as it requires efforts to search, but as a result, they will not just listen to you for a couple of minutes, but will try to establish the true source of mental suffering. Conversations with spiritual mentors last for several hours, and sometimes the applicant is offered to stay within the walls of the monastery for a certain time in order to endure the fast and begin to heal his soul.
Father (Berestov), acting as a hieromonk and head of the Counseling Orthodox Center of John of Kronstadt, as well as a doctor of medical sciences, is sure that a person who dreams of healing this ailment not only on a bodily, but also on a spiritual level, must definitely seek help from Holy Church.
After all, it is Orthodox medicine that is called upon to save a person, to free him from internal sins that destroy the body with the soul.”
Although, from a different position, believers who have suffered from depressive conditions should not neglect official medicine, because, according to St. Theophan the Recluse, “medicine and medicines were given to us by the Almighty and to refuse them means to reproach the Creator.”
What can lead a person to the mortal sin of despondency?
It becomes clear that despondency can seriously harm both our physical body and cause damage to our immortal soul.
But why does this passion arise? Among the main factors that provoke despondency, the following can be distinguished:
- Loss of the meaning of life.
- A state where a person is not in control of his life.
- Lost faith in yourself and in God.
- Laziness.
- Lack of responsibility.
- Loss of joy.
- Disappointment (in oneself, other people, ideals, life in general, and so on).
- Constant guilt.
- Unwillingness to admit their own mistakes.
Of course, perhaps the most important point of all of these is the meaning of life. Until a person has found the answer to the question why he lives on Earth, what is his true destiny, all attempts to achieve happiness will fail.
As a result of this, internal blocks of consciousness begin to appear, manifested in the form of irresponsibility, disbelief in one's own strengths, hatred of oneself and a complete refusal to move forward, neglect of one's capabilities.
For what reasons does the sin of despondency arise according to Orthodoxy
The Orthodox Church names its specific factors for the appearance of this passion:
- trials sent to man by God so that he can improve spiritually;
- self-loathing;
- vanity;
- loss of faith;
- godlessness;
- little spiritual life.
Due to a disturbed way of life and unwillingness to observe moral morality, people find themselves in a state of spiritual crisis, getting out of which is already quite problematic.
Despondency provokes a vicious circle: the individual is in a depressed state, he has no desire to perform any actions, such idleness plunges him even more into a state of despondency, makes him do even less something, which, as a result, is fraught with an even greater state of despondency.
The Holy Fathers say that from time to time each of us may encounter a state of natural longing. Due to mental suffering, moral benefactors are cultivated in a person. And when a person copes with the state of despondency, he begins to improve himself spiritually and becomes closer to the Creator.
Therefore, we can consider the sin of despondency as a test sent from above, which must be dealt with.
How to deal with discouragement
If you do not take any action, then the state of despondency can provoke a deep depression. Doctors note that it is often quite problematic (sometimes impossible) to get out of depressive states without outside help.
Modern psychology and medicine offers various methods and means that eliminate such conditions. But the church has always advised people who have undergone despondency to find a way out in prayers. But after all, as a rule, all prayers are said alone, which means that a person unconsciously closes himself even more from the outside world. Loneliness is complemented by an inner sense of guilt. The effect of such "therapy" will be very doubtful as a result.
What do modern doctors advise people in the fight against despondency? Famous psychoanalysts, psychiatrists and psychologists strongly recommend that you improve your life with active activities - relaxation, dating, entertainment. It is very easy to trace the effect of such a recommendation - you simply do not have enough time to be sad and yearn.
Of course, there are especially neglected situations when a person came to the doctor too late and drug therapy is already required. In the fight against despondency, one should not forget that it often reaches a protracted depression, and it can end very badly.
Therefore, contact a specialist as soon as you notice in yourself or one of your relatives and friends the initial symptoms of this pathology.
How to protect yourself from discouragement?
The most effective remedy for despondency is moderate exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle. When a person is subjected to stress, he gets rid of all the negativity accumulated in the body, and becomes calm, plus more confident in himself and his abilities.
In addition, in the life of every athlete, no matter whether he is a professional or an amateur, there is always a goal. In some cases, it does not manifest itself as clearly as in others and has more of the character of a struggle with oneself.
But even novice athletes, when they leave the gym, think: “Today I managed to perform such and such a load. And tomorrow I can do even more (run faster, lift more weight, and so on). And this is the goal, which is the main salvation from the state of despondency. And it doesn't really matter what the goal is.
Also try to surround yourself with positive in all its signs - let there be exceptionally cheerful people, good kind films and exciting incidents in your life. If life sends you little positive, start attracting it yourself.
Interesting expert answers to questions about despondency
It is very interesting to receive information from smart people who understand the topic of the issue. Here is the cognitive reasoning of Yuri Shcherbatykh, who is a professor of psychology at the Moscow Humanitarian and Economic Institute, as well as a doctor of biological sciences and the author of the monograph "The Seven Deadly Sins for Believers and Unbelievers."
— Who is tempted more often than others by the sin of despondency?
- Basically, these are melancholic people with reduced energy. For example, factors that lead to long-term sadness and despondency in melancholic people will cause fits of rage in choleric people, and only fleeting dissatisfaction in sanguine people.
Many famous personalities have been subjected to bouts of blues. Of the latter, famous writers and poets can be named - Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Nekrasov Nikolai Alekseevich and Guy de Maupassant.
- Besides temperament, what else influences the development of mental suffering?
- The main factor can be called the people around us, especially those close to us, who can unjustifiably hurt us, insult, slander, or simply be inattentive where we want to get attention to our person. Speaking specifically of the latter case, the real cause of discouragement is a completely different sin of pride.
In addition, our physical well-being often leads to a state of hopeless longing: apathy, pathologies, regular lack of sleep. It also happens that a person falls into a depressive state when he begins to make increased demands on the Universe.
Another passion of despondency often attacks people on the eve of a certain age limit - at forty, fifty or sixty years. At such moments, a person suddenly feels that she has lived her life absolutely in vain and in her failures exceeded successes.
- What is the danger of despondency for physical health?
- The state of despondency becomes dangerous if it reaches a depressive disorder. After all, as a result of such a depressed state, various types of biochemical disorders begin to appear in the central nervous system - first of all, the exchange of neurotransmitters (substances that affect mental performance) worsens.
It is noteworthy that very vivid and characteristic symptoms of depression are shown in the Bible by King David: “I am all bowed and drooping, I complain all day long. I am exhausted and lament beyond all measure, I scream, as my heart is constantly tormented. My heart begins to tremble, my strength has left me, I do not even have light in my eyes.
Have doctors managed to cure depression?
- Yes, American researchers were able to establish serotonin, which is a biologically active substance that affects a person's mood. And on its basis, many drugs have been invented to help fight depression.
- How to eliminate this pathological defect?
- Do not forget that depression cannot be cured with antidepressants, alcohol or drugs, on the contrary, the condition will only worsen. Also remember that your enemies and competitors will easily take advantage of world sorrow. Do not be surprised if more cheerful colleagues easily “jump” you up the career ladder, and your beloved girl cannot stand the constant grumbling and complaints and finds herself a more cheerful and active guy. Therefore, try to live in such a way that your enemies lose heart, and you be a complete optimist.
Make changes in your lifestyle - instead of the usual sedentary work, find yourself something more interesting and mobile, stop drinking alcohol and spending time on the couch, actively expand your social circle. And, of course, let there be a maximum of sports and walks in nature in your life.
Set a life motto for yourself: "Less self-pity and as many smiles as possible!".
And at the end of the topic, watch an interesting video:
Fortune telling today with the help of the Tarot "Card of the Day" layout!Hello, friends! In this article, we will address a very topical issue - how to get rid of despondency? But to complete the picture, we will also need to answer the following questions: what is despondency? What are the causes of this common spiritual problem? despondency is a sin or not a sin at all, and if it is a sin then why? And other questions.For correct divination: focus on the subconscious and do not think about anything for at least 1-2 minutes.
When you're ready, draw a card:
Let me remind you that we will consider the problem of despondency from an esoteric and spiritual point of view (we will dig into the depths).
There are many reasons why a person can become discouraged, and in each case you need to look individually so that help in getting rid of discouragement is really effective. But there are always general patterns and the most common causes.
Despondency, as a rule, is preceded by apathy, and if despondency drags on, then it runs the risk of developing into. Let's start with definitions and get to the bottom of this unpleasant problem.
What is Despondency?
Esoteric understanding of despondency:
Despondency– loss of the Spirit, connection with one’s own and with the Higher (with God), a state in which the mind loses the ability to think, the soul decomposes from spiritual laziness, structures begin to disintegrate and the process of self-destruction of the personality takes place.
sad man - fallen in spirit, having lost faith (his core), life support and strength, having lost the meaning of life. The one who refused to develop and fight for his soul and destiny, refused to search for answers and attempts to solve the problem (surrendered).
Some scriptures say that St. George the Victorious killed the downhearted and despondent with his own hand with a sword right on the battlefield, because. considered despondency to be one of the gravest sins, the essence of which is the betrayal of one's Soul, and hence God.
Despondency- this is primarily a spiritual problem, and its root causes must be sought not in the external world and events, but inside the person himself, in his erroneous beliefs, ideals, worldview.
Despondency is one of the main obstacles to human development, like pride, vanity and other mortal sins. In yoga, discouragement is also considered one of the main obstacles.
Other definitions characterizing Despondency:
From Wikipedia: Despondency (lat. acedia) is a negatively colored mood, a depressed state of mind, accompanied by a general breakdown. Severe despondency is characteristic of depression and may precede suicide.
Despondency is the gravest passion that can destroy the soul. The word "despondency" ("acedia" - from α - not and χήος - diligence, work) literally means - carelessness, negligence, complete relaxation, discouragement. This passion lies in the relaxation of all the forces of the soul and body, the exhaustion of the mind, laziness in all spiritual deeds and work, the abandonment of all Christian, saving feat, despair.
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky: Despondency means the same laziness, only worse. From despondency you will weaken both in body and in spirit. You don't feel like working or praying, you go to church with negligence, and the whole person weakens.
“Just as thieves at nightfall, having extinguished the fire, can easily steal property and kill its owners, so the devil, instead of bringing despondency to night and darkness, tries to steal all guarding thoughts in order to inflict countless wounds on a soul deprived of them and helpless” .
Science of Joy (Kora Antarova): Remember that joy is an invincible force, while despondency and denial will destroy everything, no matter what you undertake ...
Another simple description that I really liked: this is the state of mind of arrogant people who are prone to when something doesn’t work out for them.
Main Causes of Despondency
As religious people describe the causes of despondency:
A person gives himself up to a heavy spirit of despondency when he loses all hope in God (Faith). Despondency is a grave mortal sin that contains blatant blasphemy, distrust of God and resistance to God (pride,). From unconscious resistance to God, the soul comes to despair and impotence. Despondency is terrible because it leads to despair. Despair tries to finally destroy a person, moving him to. Despondency happens for various reasons, but is based on the mother of all sins -. The strongest reason for despondency is also impenitence in the accumulated, especially in difficult ones.
Despondency also comes from various reasons: from offended pride or from what is not being done in our own way; so also from when a person sees that his equals enjoy great advantages; from embarrassing circumstances that test our faith in God's Providence and hope for His mercy and all-powerful help. And we are often poor in faith and hope, and that is why we lose heart.
Esoteric Causes of Despondency:
- or loss of faith above all faith in God. Loss of faith always leads to loss of connection with God, His protection and protection. And when the patronage of God is lost, a person (his Soul) is taken into circulation. In this case, you need to find out why the loss occurred, because of which Faith was destroyed, on what internal weakness the person stumbled.
- Loss of joy and connection with your Soul. This happens for various reasons: disappointment in oneself, unforgiveness of oneself, or when a person has lost confidence in himself (lost confidence), non-recognition of his own sins (insincerity before himself) and unwillingness to repent.
- Loss of the meaning of life, disappointment in or when there are none at all. A man without a goal is like a ship without sail and wind. The meaning of life is revealed to a person in the process of searching for his destiny, vocation. This is the answer to the question - Why was I born on this earth? Until a person has found at least some satisfactory answer, he may be prone to discouragement.
- Disillusionment own control over their own destiny and the lives of others. This happens with powerful and proud people who are accustomed to keep everything in life under personal control, to subordinate everything and everyone to personal power, only to their will. For such people, the most important thing is that everything is as they want. And if fate lays out the cards differently, then at the beginning such people are very nervous, furious, and when they realize that what is happening does not obey their only will and desires, they often become discouraged and depressed from impotence. In this case, you need to study.
- The collapse of ideals, idols, idols. In other words, disappointment in someone or something. For example, you strongly idealized some person, authority, defending his infallibility, holiness, uniqueness, etc. before other people. And at some point you saw your idol from the negative side, realizing that he was not a god descended from Heaven at all, but an ordinary person with his own weaknesses and vices. When false ideals collapse, a person almost always falls into disappointment and despondency. In this case, you need to shake off the fragments of false ideals, an illusory value system as soon as possible, so as not to be buried under them, and turn your tragedy into a victory, thanking God and fate for the shed Light and open eyes.
- Spiritual laziness and irresponsibility for oneself and one's destiny. Spiritual laziness - unwillingness to make efforts to solve pressing problems, unwillingness to develop one's soul, get rid of shortcomings, achieve goals in life. - unwillingness to even admit that it is you who should solve these problems, by the efforts of your mind, your soul and will. Spiritual laziness is often the result of refusing to fight for one's soul, refusing strength and moving forward (from development). In this case, despondency and depression for a person are, which can lead him to insanity (loss of reason).
There are other reasons for despondency, which, as I wrote above, must be considered and removed individually in each case with or.
esoteric features. What strikes despondency?
As already mentioned at the beginning, despondency affects both the mind and soul of a person.
Despondency oppresses and blocks: for violating the principles of distinguishing between Good and Evil and Struggle (for refusing to fight, etc.).
Also, negative blocking effects are exerted on (irresponsibility, renunciation of power), on and (for a negative attitude towards oneself), in addition, despondency depresses a person’s individuality -.
First of all, we need to understand that we must cultivate the positive in ourselves when we are freed from despondency:
- Pure, like the bright creative power of your soul.
- as the ability to appreciate the Valuable that is given to us in life by God and fate.
- The meaning of life, corresponding to the destiny of the human Soul. If a person's goals do not correspond to his destiny, he may become discouraged.
- Formation of a true system of values and ideals, where the Eternal, Spiritual values are at the head.
- The real light is the ability to gladly accept what is happening, everything that is not subject to our own will.
It is also necessary to say that it is quite difficult to overcome despondency on your own, since in this state the human mind is affected, and in order to solve this spiritual task, it must be in working order. However, difficult does not mean impossible. If you have a strong Soul and have real Faith in God, you will succeed.
But the most effective way to overcome despondency or depression is to get outside help, preferably the help of a specialist who will quickly help you find the individual root cause of your problem, which is often karmic, rooted in past incarnations of the human soul.
Algorithm for working on yourself:
- Identify the most likely causes of discouragement (see Causes section).
- The next step is to deal with specific causes. You follow the links indicated and find practical articles on our website with techniques and methods, for example, how to remove disbelief or laziness. Make appropriate recommendations.
- It is important not only to get rid of this or that disadvantage, but also to form a corresponding dignity. If disbelief was removed, Faith must be strengthened. If you got rid of irresponsibility, you need to form responsibility.
- When the main cause of despondency is eliminated, all the others need to be worked out. Because it is not a fact that after a while you will not step on the next rake.
- And in order to be guaranteed to forget from such phenomena as apathy, despondency and depression, you need to start the process of continuous development and growth in your life and soul. So that development and work on yourself become your way of life, so that step by step you rise closer and closer to God, to the Light, to your highest destiny.
And if you decide that you need the help of a mentor or healer in solving such problems -! I can recommend you good specialists for individual work.
