Complete collection and description: a monk’s prayer in a cell for the spiritual life of a believer.
Symphony based on the works of St. Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea
MONACHISM (See also SILENCE, ABSTINATION, WORK, CELL, PRAYER, NOVICE MONK, LONACY, RENUNCIATION FROM THE WORLD, CRYING, REPENTANCE, FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, OBEDIENCE, HUMILITY, SOLITUDE)
The work of a monk, which surpasses all his other, most sublime works, is to confess his sins before God and his elders, to reproach himself, so that he will be ready to face any temptation with complacency until his very departure from earthly life (Antony the Great). VI, 15.
Just as a ruin located outside the city serves as a repository for all stinking impurities: so the soul of the lazy and weak, in fulfilling monastic decrees, becomes a receptacle for all passions and all stench (Antony the Great). VI, 23–24.
My son! turn your cell into a prison for yourself, because everything related to you has been accomplished, both outside and inside you. Your separation from this world will be real, your separation will be real (Antony the Great). VI, 24.
A monk should not allow his conscience to accuse him of anything (Abba Agathon). VI, 57.
An ascetic can be likened to a tree: bodily deeds are its leaves, and spiritual activity is its fruit. Scripture says: every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. From this it is clear that the goal of the entire monastic life is the acquisition of fruit, that is, mental prayer. However, just as a tree needs cover and decoration with leaves, so a monk needs physical feat (Abba Agathon). VI, 60.
Covetous thoughts are the same as those of criminals imprisoned in prison. They constantly ask: where is the judge? when will he come? and cry out of despair. Likewise, a monk must constantly listen to himself and expose his soul, saying: woe is me! How will I appear for judgment before Christ? What will I answer Him? If you constantly occupy yourself with thoughts, you will be saved (Abba Ammon). VI, 61–62.[Abba Apollos] used to say to his brethren: one must bow at the feet of strange monks who come to their monastery. When we worship the brethren, we worship not men, but God. Have you seen your brother? you have seen the Lord your God. We learned to worship the brethren from Abraham, and we learned to give rest to the brethren from Lot, who forced the Angels (Abba Apollos). VI, 71.
A monk, like the cherubim and seraphim, must be all eyes (Abba Vissarion). VI, 80.
Abba Daniel of the monastery said: I lived both in a hostel and as a hermit; Having experienced both life, I find that in hostels one succeeds more quickly and more if one conducts one’s life correctly (Abba Daniel). VI, 89.
If you want to be saved, observe non-covetousness and silence: all monastic life is based on these two deeds (Abba Daniel). VI, 95.
Great shame will come over us if, after wearing the holy monastic image for so long, we find ourselves in the hour of need lacking the wedding robe. Oh, how we will repent then! (Abba Diaskor). VI, 106.
A true monk must constantly pray and sing in his heart (Epiphanius of Cyprus). VI, 108.
It is not he who speaks who is wise, but he who knows the time when he should speak. Be silent in your mind and speak in your mind: before you begin to speak, discuss what you should say; say what is necessary and proper, do not boast about your intelligence, and do not think that you know more than others. The essence of monastic life is to reproach yourself and consider yourself worse than everyone else (Abba Isaiah). VI, 152.
The perfection of the entire monastic life lies in the fact that a person achieves the fear of God in the spiritual mind and his inner ear begins to listen to his conscience, directed according to the will of God. (Abba Isaiah). VI, 180.
Monastic life is a path; the goal of the path is to achieve peace. On this path, on the path of virtues, there are falls, there are enemies, there are changes, there are abundance and decline, fruits and barrenness, sadness and joy, painful lamentation of the heart and peace of mind, success and loss. But dispassion is alien to everything mentioned. It has no disadvantage. It is in God, and God is in it. For dispassion there are no enemies, no fall. Neither disbelief nor any other passion bothers him. It does not feel any labor in preserving itself, it is not bothered by any desire; he does not suffer from any enemy warfare. Great is his glory, his dignity is inexpressible. Far removed from it is any mental structure that is outraged by any passion. It is the body that the Lord Jesus took upon himself; it is the love that the Lord Jesus taught (Abba Isaiah). VI, 224–225.
Those who have truly chosen to retreat from the world with body and mind, in order to concentrate their thoughts in solitary prayer through mortification to everything that is transitory, to seeing the objects of the world and to remembering them, should serve Christ not with bodily deeds and not with outward righteousness with the goal of being justified by it, but with mortification according to according to the word of the Apostle, their fortunes, even on earth, by the sacrifice of pure and immaculate thoughts, these first fruits of self-cultivation, by the suffering of the body in enduring troubles for the sake of hope for the future. Monastic life is equivalent to angelic life. We must not abandon the work of heaven and cling to the work of material things (Isaac of Syria). VI, 255.
A certain brother was once accused of not giving alms. This brother boldly and decisively answered the accuser: “Monks should not give alms.” The one who denounced him said to him: “It is clear and obvious which monk is not subject to the obligation to give alms: this is the one who can openly tell Christ the words of Scripture: behold, we have left everything and died after You. This is someone who has nothing on earth, does not indulge in caring for the body, does not occupy his mind with anything visible, does not care to acquire anything, but even if someone gives him something, he takes only what is necessary, without being carried away by attention to anything. what is 1 superfluous - who lives like a bird. Such a person does not have the obligation to give alms: for how will he give what he does not have? On the contrary, those who care about everyday things, do handicrafts, and receive from others should give alms. Neglect of her is lack of mercy, contrary to the commandment of the Lord. If someone does not approach God through secret deeds, and only knows to serve Him in spirit, and does not care about the possible virtues that are obvious to him: then what hope can there be for such a person to acquire eternal life? Such an one is unreasonable (Isaac of Syria). VI, 280–281.
The holy monastery fathers pronounced a prophecy about the last generation. They asked the question: what did we do? One of them, a great resident, Abba Ischirion, said to this: we kept the commandments of God. The fathers asked: what will those who immediately follow us do? He answered: they will do half as much as we do. The fathers asked again: what about those who will come after them? “These,” Abba answered, will by no means have monastic work, but misfortunes will befall them, and they, having been exposed to misfortunes and temptations, will turn out to be greater than us and greater than our fathers (Abba Ischirion). VI, 283–284.
Forcing oneself to obey every commandment of God constitutes distinctive feature monk One who lives like this is a monk (Ioann Kolov). VI, 290.
One day Abba John was in church and sighed, not noticing that his brother was standing behind him. Seeing him, John bowed to him, saying: forgive me, Abba! I have not yet been trained in monastic rules (John Kolov). VI, 293.[Note from Saint Ignatius:] So the ancient monks were afraid of revealing themselves. A true monk is one who conquers himself in everything. If, while correcting your neighbor, you move towards anger, then you are fulfilling your passion. To save one’s neighbor one must not destroy oneself (Macarius the Great). VI, 310.
The life of a monk should consist of work, obedience, mental prayer, and the elimination of condemnation, slander and murmuring from oneself. Scripture says: He who loves the Lord, hates evil. The life of a monk consists in not entering into communication with the unrighteous, so as not to see evil, so as not to be curious, not to find out, not to hear about the actions of your neighbor, so as not to steal someone else’s - on the contrary, to give your own, so as not to be proud of the heart, not to be cunning in thought, so as not to fill your belly, so as to be guided by prudence in all behavior. In this is a monk (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 371–372.
Rising from sleep, first, glorify God with your lips, then immediately begin your rule, consisting of the psalmody and prayer assigned to you, with attention, with much humility and fear of God, as if standing before God Himself and saying the words of prayer to Him. The mind, on what it directs itself in the morning, is occupied with that all day, like a millstone, grinding throughout the whole day what is poured into it in the morning - whether it be wheat or whether it is tares. We will always try to put in wheat in the morning so that the enemy does not pour in tares. If you saw women's faces dreaming in a dream, then beware of reflecting on what you saw during the day: such thinking defiles the soul and causes it death. When you lie down on your bed, remember your coffin in which you will lie, and say to yourself: I don’t know whether I will get up tomorrow or not, and before you sleep, pray to God with all humility and tenderness; then lie down on the bed, watching carefully, so as not to think anything bad, so as not to remember wives, even saints. Fall asleep, engaged in prayer, reflecting on the day of judgment, on which you have to appear before Christ and give an account of every deed, word and thought. What a person thinks about before going to bed, he dreams about in his sleep at night, either about good or evil. There are unclean spirits who are dedicated precisely to being with a person when he lies on his bed, and bringing him memories of women. Likewise, the holy Angels are present with the monk and protect him from the snares of the enemy, being appointed by God for this very purpose. When your heart says to you at night or during the day: get up and pray to God, understand that the holy Angel is with you, and it is he who says: get up and pray. If you get up, then he will stand with you in prayer, strengthening you in your feat and driving away from you the evil spirit that deceives you and roars at you like a lion. If you do not get up, he will immediately retreat from you, and then you will fall into the hands of your enemies. If you are engaged in work with your brothers, then do not show them that you have done more than them; otherwise you will lose your bribe. Preserve yourself from verbosity: silence in the mind is good. If you talk a lot, everything is good, but evil is mixed in with the good. Watch yourself strictly in the words you pronounce, so as not to repent later. If you are doing some kind of handicraft in your cell, and the time for prayer comes, do not say: I will finish the work first; but immediately get up and pray diligently, so that the Lord will correct your life, preserve you from enemies visible and invisible, and make you worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 378–379.
By fasting the body is pacified, by vigil the mind is purified, by silence weeping is brought, by weeping perfection and sinlessness are brought to the monk (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 380.
The enemy imposes unnecessary sorrow and rumors on the monk when he lacks the necessary needs. You know what natural strength you have: why don’t you seek for yourself, out of laziness and voluptuousness, all kinds of waste; being healthy, do not give yourself everything you desire. When you eat what God sends you, give Him praise every hour, saying: I eat food that is not monastic and have all peace; I don’t do monastic works. Consider yourself as not a monk, reproach yourself for wearing an image alien to yourself, and constantly have sadness and humility in your heart (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 380–381.
Human protection destroys all spiritual dignity in a monk and makes him completely fruitless if he places his trust in this protection (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 388.
A monk must examine himself every morning and evening, what he has done in accordance with and in disagreement with the will of God. By doing this, a monk must spend his entire life in repentance. This is how Abba Arseny lived (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 393.
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Prayer and cell rule
The meaning of prayer
The main activity of a monk is prayer: “All other activities serve either as preparatory or facilitating means for prayer.” The basis for the prosperity of monastic life was the development in monasteries of the ascetic practice of internal prayer, the revival of which the abbots of monasteries should pay special attention to.
Prayer connects with God, expresses gratitude and repentant feelings, opens the opportunity to ask the Lord for everything good and saving, lays the foundation for every work and sanctifies it. Through constant prayer appeal God maintains unceasing remembrance of Him and reverent presence before His eyes at all times.
Cell rule
According to the holy fathers, every monk has a vital need - to stand alone in his cell before the Face of the One God. As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says, “The essential work of a monk is prayer, as the work that connects a person with God.” Therefore, each monastic is assigned a personal cell rule, which includes a certain number of Jesus prayers and bows, as well as other prayers.
The cell rule is determined in accordance with the spiritual structure of the brother, bodily strength and obediences performed. To implement the cell rule, it is necessary to allocate certain time during the day, according to the rules of the monastery.
A rule that is executed at the same time every day “turns into a skill, into a necessary natural need” and lays a solid foundation on which the spiritual life of a monastic is built. Thanks to constant rule, a monk acquires a peaceful spirit, memory of God, spiritual zeal and inner joy.
During their stay in the cell, monastics are called upon to maintain and develop the prayerful attitude created by common church prayer. Solitude time is devoted to performing the prayer rule, reading the Holy Scriptures, especially the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter, patristic interpretations and ascetic works.
When performing a cell rule, a monk must attach importance not only to the number of prayers read, but also to performing them with a contrite and humble heart, unhurriedly and attentively.
The abbot must carefully take care of the harmonious combination of physical labor and cell prayer activities of the brothers, giving special meaning the inner prayer work of each brother, his zeal and constancy in performing prayer.
About the Jesus Prayer
The Jesus Prayer occupies a special place in prayerful communication with God: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The Jesus Prayer requires inner concentration and repentance from those who perform it. Due to its brevity, it is convenient for continuous utterance, which helps keep the mind from distraction and the flesh from the harmful effects of passions. Being an important part of the cell monastic rule for all residents of the monastery, it must be performed outside of reading the rule, at any time and in every place.
The senile instruction of Abbot Nazarius of Valaam: “On staying in the cell and on the departure”
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Monk praying in his cell
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Methods of prayer of a monk in a cell and his connection with the elder
Petras Monastery, Greece
I have translated here a small excerpt from the new book of Archimandrite Emilian (Vafidis) “Sober Life and Ascetic Canons”, chapter “Methods of Prayer of a Monk in a Cell and His Connection with the Elder” (you just need to understand that “ A new book"This is a transcript of old tape recordings of conversations with the brethren).
It was this passage that interested me because it clearly and figuratively formulated the method of the so-called "circular prayer", which Elder Joseph the Hesychast spoke about, for example, considering it the safest.
For ease of reading, I will post the text in small excerpts:
“Let us now see how prayer is performed. Prayer is performed in various ways. Each person, according to his character, finds his own way, which little by little changes. Today I assure you that it is good to say a prayer with your lips. Tomorrow I will discover that it is better to do this using the tongue. I move my tongue, saying “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and keep my attention on my tongue. Someone else discovers that it is much better to pray with the throat, so that the organs of the larynx move and the mind stays there. Others connect prayer with heartbeats. This does not mean that we will place our mind in the heart, we will not use such technical techniques. It is important that we find a way that suits us today, and tomorrow Christ will give us another way, or we will discover it ourselves. This “tomorrow” can come in a month or in five years, or maybe in 20 years. But think, twenty years of ascetic labor with Christ, journeying with Christ!
During prayer, I make sure that nothing enters my mind. Just as the circle line I draw is uninterrupted by anything, the same should happen with my mind. When I say a prayer, it should be as if I were drawing a circle that constantly returns to itself and nowhere else. And even if Christ appears and says to me: “Well done, my child, I have come to bless you,” I will tell him: “My Christ, go away, now I only care about what I say.” And even more so, I will not engage in anything good that comes to my mind, a pious thought or a solution to a problem. I will not allow such a break to occur, because prayer is constant unity with Christ. Christ comes and cleaves to the mind. Just as if I put honey somewhere, the bee itself will fly there, and I don’t plant it there, the same thing happens with prayer: I place my mind in the words of prayer and the Holy Spirit itself comes and cleaves to the mind. This is how our deification occurs, very simply, without us understanding it ourselves, and little by little we see the results, discover experiences, joys, consolations, pleasures, fun. Thus, we receive a complete guarantee of communication with God. Is there another way, a simpler one, that can guarantee us God?
When someone spends the night like this, during the day he has no desire to talk or argue. And if you tell him: look! the donkey is flying! - then since he will say a prayer, he will agree with you. Who doesn't know that donkeys don't fly? But since his mind abides in Christ, and you abide in Christ, in order to show unity with you, he will not deny your words. When spoken constantly in prayer, these words of prayer and our mind become fire and hot coals, and the sacrifice of our selfhood, our desires, our dreams, our aspirations is placed on top of them and the smoke rises up, ascends to Christ, and Christ smells the sacrifice and rejoices . Because His child is with Him.”
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner
Archimandrite Elisha: The monastic cell is an arena of ascetic warfare and a meeting place with God
Report by Archimandrite Elisha, rector of the Simonopetra Monastery (Holy Mount Athos) “The meaning and significance of cell prayer in the spiritual life of the brethren of a cenobitic monastery” at the Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses of Monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church (Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, October 8-9, 2014). .
The stated topic is very important for the life of the cenobitic monastery. From the very beginning, I would like to clarify that I intend to rely on the spirit and prayer experience of Elder Emilian and the monks of our monastery to a greater extent than on my own poor and insufficient experience. In itself, the fullness of the Church is already community life. For monks who have renounced all worldly ties and their former life, the monastery becomes the place where they discovered God for themselves; their life moves into another reality, namely into the reality of the Kingdom and last days, where everything will be filled with the glory of God. Their life, freed from any compromises with the world, is a constant presence before the Throne of God, like the angels. An indicative gospel saying that some of those standing here. They will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom (Matthew 16:28), addressed to the monks. Each monk heeded the call of Christ directed to him personally. Either as a result of forced actions, or due to life circumstances, or in the process of consistent Christian upbringing, but, one way or another, the gaze of Christ stopped on him and called him to leave everything and follow Him. But perfect following of Christ occurs among monks through prayer, in which they imitate the apostles. Thus, we will try to explain how private prayer fits into the life of a communal monastery, revealing several aspects of both.
Continuous service to God
Just as the disciples followed Christ to Mount Tabor, so the monk enters the monastery, and there - mainly, of course, thanks to serving God - the light of the Lord is revealed to him. This light is similar to the light with which the face of the Lord shone. The same thing happens in other manifestations of communal life: in work, in relations between brethren, at meals, when receiving guests, when caring for the infirm and elderly, at general fraternal conversations, etc., that is, all this in the monastery is likened to vestments Lord, who became white from the Divine light reflected in them. In the monastery everything is God-bearing, everything is constant service. Service to God is at the center of life, services regulate every moment, and any activity begins and ends in the temple, with prayer and chants. The initial calling from the Lord is like a spark that flared up in the heart to give an impetus that delivers us from the temptations of this world. This spark greatly facilitates testing and learning the rigors of ascetic life, but there is a danger that it will fade away if it is not nourished, so the monk is called to perceive the mystery of God's revelation, which is clearly and mysteriously expressed in church worship.
This perception occurs in two ways: through ascetic warfare and cell prayer. Asceticism aims to help the monk to cleanse himself of passions, the beginning of which is selfishness, and makes him a vessel that receives Divine energies; prayer is the connecting link connecting the monk with God - through prayer he speaks with the Lord and hears His answer.
Prayer as an essential component of a monk's life
Since the monastery is a place of the unceasing presence of God, it is impossible for prayer not to be the center of a monk’s life. “Monastic life is unthinkable without prayer - and since the service is carried out unceasingly, without unceasing prayer,” Elder Emilian told us and added: “When a monk prays, he becomes a person who shows, first of all, that he lives in God. He lives insofar as he remains in prayer. Prayer serves as a prerequisite for his spiritual growth.” The main thing that justifies his presence in the monastery is the pursuit of unceasing communication with God through prayer. There are many types of prayer, but only private prayer truly transforms our existence.
Community and silent monasticism
Some argue that cell or mental prayer is used only by the sacredly silent and that cenobitic monks are busy only with divine services, and this should be enough for them. However, there are not two different types monasticism. Of course, there is some difference, but it is mainly due to living conditions and the organization of time free from general prayer and obedience.
The goal of both forms of monastic life was and is the same: to gain intimacy with God and personal experience of deification in Christ. The history of monasticism, which has always implied these two parallel and complementary types, demonstrates a tendency towards their mutual rapprochement. As we see, from the time of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky) to the present day, an attempt has been made to introduce hesychast spiritual teaching into the monastic community. This is one of the characteristic features the current revival and flourishing of Svyatogorsk monasticism. Today, young people who come to the Holy Mountain (I suspect that the same thing happens in Russian monasteries) for the most part strive to live according to the norms of the community, while having the opportunity to live an individual spiritual life. Let's see how cell silent prayer is carried out in a communal monastery.
Monk's cell: Babylonian oven
When in the evening, after Compline, the monk returns to his cell, he is not separated from the general body of the brotherhood. The cell represents his personal space, but at the same time it integrally belongs to the hostel. Everything that is in it - furniture, icons, books, vestments, etc. - is located there with blessing. Whatever the monk does in his cell - rest, pray, reflect on his life, prepare for confession and Communion - all this has an organic connection with the rest of the life of the monastery. Of course, the monk rests in his cell, but the cell is not a place for rest. In reality, it is an arena of ascetic warfare and a meeting place with God. Some ancient monastic texts compare the cell to the Babylonian furnace, where the monk, like the three youths, is tested, purified and prepared to meet God. The cell is a reserved place for the monk, where nothing from the world should penetrate in order to allow him to fight with God to receive blessings from Him (see Gen. 32:24-30), and then he can be called, like Jacob, the one who saw God.
In the cell, the monk fulfills his rule, which consists of a number of prostrations determined by the elder, prayers on the rosary, reading sacred books and some other prayers. There is - and should exist - great diversity in terms of content, method of execution, time and duration of the cell rule, due to the fact that people are different from each other and have different degrees of bodily endurance, temperament and character. All this must be taken into account by the confessor when assigning a prayer rule for his novice. In some ways, the cell rule for the personal life of a monk has the same meaning as the liturgical rules for a church, with the only difference being that the rule, firstly, must be within the monk’s ability, and secondly, it must become more complex as he grows spiritually . One thing is a rule for a novice, another for a monk carrying out some kind of difficult obedience, another rule for the infirm, another for the elderly. At a meeting with the elder, the monk, of course, confesses all his sins to him, reveals his thoughts, asks for advice, but the main conversation will concern the rule: how does prayer go? do you have problems sleeping? does he get tired of bowing? Should I exercise more? what ascetic works should be read to inflame the heart more, etc. Regular revision of the cell rule is a significant indicator of the spiritual growth of every conscious monk.
Spiritual life as such should not be reduced to cell rule. It simply represents the necessary minimum that a monk must perform daily and at a certain time in order to “remember that he is excommunicated from God and deprived of His Grace,” as Elder Emilian taught us. The issue of constancy of the rule is of significant importance, which is invariably emphasized by the spiritual fathers. You cannot follow the rule only when you are in the mood for it, and if you have already missed it, you should inform your elder and confessor about this as a deviation from your monastic duty. Therefore, the rule must be designed so that it can be fulfilled daily, with attention, humility and full awareness of the fact that you are not offering something to God, but you are appearing before Him, asking for His mercy. Thus, the rule does not degenerate into a simple habit and does not become a formal duty performed by the monk “just to get rid of it”, and with thoughts of something else. Since it is during the execution of the cell rule that the monk makes every effort to fight for a meeting with God, we in our monastery prefer to call it “vigil” or “cell liturgy,” not only because it is performed mainly at night, but mainly because it represents the expectation and aspiration of God, the upward-directed tension of all the forces of the monk. The minimum determined for him by the elder out of condescension can become the fuse that will ignite in him the burning of divine zeal, and then the rule will stretch over time and increase in strength, filling the whole night. In the brethren of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, the rule lasted six hours and consisted exclusively of mental prayer, and in many Svyatogorsk hostels the monk is given the opportunity to devote at least four hours to prayer every night, in addition to the daily cycle of services. The “cell liturgy” represents a space of sacramental experience, an entrance into the “cloud” that covered the three apostles after the appearance of the Light, an abyss of divine knowledge, and therefore is performed at night.
Night is the time of divine revelations, great epiphanies in the Holy Scriptures, this is the hour when God bends over people. That is why both the prophets and our Lord Jesus Christ prayed at night (see Matt. 26:36, Luke 21:37). During these hours, a person, having gotten rid of the distraction of the mind, can raise a battle against thoughts, ascend to God, speak with Him, know Him, so that He becomes from an unknown and abstract God his own God. Without nightly prayer, the Holy Spirit will not act in us and speak to us - as Elder Emilian taught, who placed this part of the monk’s work at the very center of his life.
Therefore, the cell rule is so important that performing it in church immediately before the morning service depreciates it. Of course, such a transfer guarantees that the monks will fulfill the rule, but at the same time its personal character is lost. In a cell, a monk can dissolve his heart, kneel, pray, cry, change his position to fight sleep, but in a temple these possibilities become unavailable, and the rule takes on a liturgical and objective character, taking the place of service. At the same time, it contains all the same elements, but takes on a liturgical form.
Prerequisites for night prayer
Just as worship has its own charter, so “liturgy in the cell” has certain prerequisites, in the absence of which its goal cannot be achieved. When a monk enters his cell, or rather, after he has rested for a few hours and wakes up in the middle of the night to fulfill his rule of prayer, he should not bring anything from the world into his cell. He must be free from worldly cares and activities related to his obedience, and have no attachments or curiosity for anything. He must also be in a state of inner peace and unity with all his brothers, not feel resentment or envy towards anyone, or even remorse for possible sins. This peace reigns in the conscience primarily as a result of pure confession and revelation of thoughts, as well as after a brief examination of oneself, which may precede the fulfillment of the prayer rule. Elder Emilian instructed in much the same way: “We must empty ourselves, constantly awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. We must abide in things above in order to receive Him at all times. In fasting, in hardships, in pain, with a thirst for humiliation, in detachment and silence, in order to be worthy to receive the Holy Spirit. The spirit usually descends into empty stomachs and into watchful eyes.”
Only by not caring about anything can you acquire contrition of heart, piety, a humble awareness that you are filled with lawlessness and darkness, and do everything to “touch God” and attract the Spirit so that it will overshadow you.
Temperance and the Jesus Prayer
In addition to what the monk will do at this hour, following the instructions given to him by the elder, his main task will be to empty the mind of everything, be it good or bad, “so that we cultivate our capacity through sobriety, vigilance, silence and digging a well of joy, peace and heavenly life, which is called the Prayer of Jesus." “Capacity depends not only on our attitude and how much we love God, but also on our work, effort and sweat, and the more our capacity increases, the more God gives us.”
This devastation in patristic spiritual terminology is called “sobriety.” It consists of attention, vigilance, observation of the thoughts that come to the mind and strive to enter the heart in order to master the strength of the soul. Sobriety is the main task of a monk, since, for the most part, it does not include the fight against bodily temptations. This is “the art of arts and the science of sciences,” which is difficult to comprehend for one who still lives in the confusion of the distractions of the mind and worldly passions. Therefore, we cannot talk about sobriety and internal struggle when there is no corresponding “silence.” In the silence of the night, a monk can follow his thoughts and reflect various thoughts in order to devote himself to only one invocation of the Name of Christ. Sobriety and monosyllabic prayer are integral companions of the sacramental life, so that it is impossible to strive in one without the other, due to the mobility of the mind, which always needs some kind of activity. For this reason, to repel the attacks of various thoughts, I give my mind one and only occupation - invoking the Name of Christ as an irresistible weapon and means of sanctification. Therefore, the Jesus Prayer, mental prayer, this royal path is the main weapon of a monk in this battle, and it contains a clot of all the experience accumulated by the Church. There is no need to dwell here in more detail on the art of the Jesus Prayer, carefully described in the texts of the sober fathers and clearly explained by the great Russian God-bearing fathers of the 19th century. The Jesus Prayer is the most effective form of prayer, but it is not the only one, so it would be unwise to force it on all monks. For some, the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer may become boring and become an obstacle to free communication with the longed-for Lord, not because of succumbing to passions or immaturity, but simply due to temperament and state of mind.
According to the faithful disciple of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky), St. George of Cherniksky, the imposition of a single rule of the Jesus Prayer was one of the reasons for the rapid collapse of the large brotherhood of the Nyamets monastery after the death of St. Paisius. Accordingly, we can recommend the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer for the night rule, but it is better not to impose it, since there should be some variety for the brethren.
We should also not forget that the great desert fathers and great theologians of the sacramental life did not resort to the Jesus Prayer, but rather read the psalms and Holy Scripture.
What Abba Cassian the Roman says in his conversations from the desert about various types prayers (prayer, prayers, petition and thanksgiving), about deanery during various prayers, about who is suitable for this or that type of prayer, as well as about the meaning of prayer performed in the silence of the cell.
The main thing that a waking monk should follow, regardless of whether he occupies his mind with the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer or its other types, is the feeling of standing before Christ, which is spoken of in the psalm: the sight of the Lord before me (Ps. 15: 8). Here it is necessary to make a distinction between unceasing prayer or prayer, on the one hand, and, on the other, unceasing remembrance of God, which is the desired result. This constant remembrance of God is achieved not only by prayer, but also by all sober activities and life in the community. Particular emphasis should be placed on keeping the mind in every possible way, but the words themselves, repeated incessantly, are very useful and soar the mind. The prayer cry of the ancient fathers, for example, God, come to my help, Lord help me, strive (Ps. 69:2) was not chosen by chance, as well as the later “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” because they express everything experiences that human nature can accommodate. These words can be spoken under any circumstances, suitable to repel every temptation and satisfy every need. They must be used both in difficulties and in good times in order to observe the unspeakable and protect oneself from pride. These words become a foretaste of salvation, the breath of the Divine, your constant sweetest companion.
We should not be concerned that prayer will have a “result”, or that the Lord will give us a gift as some kind of reward. This attitude exposes a selfish and vain soul. The only thing I need is to stand before God and be patient. I realized that I was nothing, good for nothing and not capable of anything, “I stand here” and say: “My God, if you want, take me, if you want, give me years of life, but I am dying before You.” . “Presence” in the temple becomes a revelation of God, both explicitly and sacramentally. During the internal “cell liturgy” the monk himself stands before the invisible God and longs to see Him with his own eyes.
It would be delusional to believe that through our many years of daily struggle, prayer rules and prayers, we will acquire the right to see God as many saints saw Him, to see Him in the light of the transfiguration of His face. No. Our “task” is to stand before God so that He sees us, to become like Him as much as possible in acquiring the gospel virtues.
Waiting for the Holy Spirit is the purpose of the prayer rule and our night vigil. The criterion of success is not so much the talents and gifts of grace that we acquire through prayer, but labor and self-sacrifice.
Thus, after we acquire the skill of extreme precaution, which we can develop over the years, laboring in sobriety, our prayer ceases to be supplication and petition, even if God has given us something, but becomes simple listening to the steps of the approaching God and the swaying of the Spirit. Naturally, our books are full of experiences of the prayer of saints. There is no shortage of similar experiences among modern monks and nuns. I have accumulated many of their letters, in which they personally testify to their own life in God.
Standing in the cell can be difficult when, despite persistent efforts, the monk experiences problems associated with sleep, with physical or mental pain, with fatigue, with melancholy, with devastation of the heart, with darkness, unbelief, confusion of thoughts, with despondency, with enemy attack and perhaps even difficulty saying the words of the Jesus Prayer out loud. Then the darkness in the cell becomes gloomy, and these hours become painful. In such cases, Elder Emilian repeatedly told us: “The monk experiences the greatest problems in prayer. But we should not forget that this is no coincidence. This confirms that prayer begins to become our real experience. our real occupation. May God grant that you receive true pleasure from prayer. This is very, very useful. But know that at the beginning (not to say long years, and sometimes once and for all) it is much more useful to have problems, and obstacles, and difficulties than pleasure. Because when we face obstacles, our will, our freedom and our love for God are truly tested: do I have love in the depths of my soul; is there divine love within me; Is my will turned to the Lord?
So these difficulties can turn into real bloodless martyrdom (μαρτύριο) for a monk who does not abandon his goal and continues to struggle every night for many years, perhaps feeling nothing and relying only on his faith and on the testimonies (μαρτυρία) of the saints.
When a monk is sufficiently rooted in the tradition of the Church, he is not shaken by the difficulties he encounters during prayer, but rather takes joy from his humble struggle. When the church bell rings at the end of the night, he leaves his cell to meet the brethren as having fought a good fight and proud even of his defeats.
Return to the temple and offering to the brotherhood
At the hour when the brethren gather again for prayer, each brings his nightly battle as a kind of offering that will be offered along with the gifts of the Divine Eucharist on the altar. Where everything is common, there is common struggle, common joy and common gifts. Each divine mystical experience does not belong to any one monk, but is offered to the entire Brotherhood and becomes the driving force for the advancement and acceptance of the Holy Spirit by all members of the Body of Christ.
Church services are enriched by the nightly experience of the brethren, who, in the hostel, thus have the opportunity to partake a little of the experience of genuine hesychasts. While during the day, in the cycle of obedience, the authenticity of the night spiritual experience is tested, since it gives the monk the strength to endure, for God's sake, the difficulties that he may encounter during the day while fulfilling his obedience.
The above considerations show us that cell night prayer is an integral and organic part of the life of a cenobitic monastery. In it, the experience of the sacrament of salvation is mastered, and the joy that the monk receives from it is a confirmation of the authenticity of his vows before God - for the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21) - and a foretaste of the life of the future century.
Translation from Greek: Maxim Klimenko, Alexey Grishin.
Archimandrite Emilian (Vafidis) - abbot of the monastery of Simonopetra from 1973 to 2000, one of the most revered elders of Holy Mount Athos. Now he rests in the monastery of Ormilia (Chalkidiki).
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Metropolitan Afanasy Limassolsky
Monastic tradition and its significance in modern monasteriesMetropolitan Athanasius of Limassol
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For the first 12 years I lived completely alone. He made the candles himself. The water was rain. Then he appeared
Kelia a special room for each monk in the monastery. If there is a lack of space in the general monastery building, each monk is allowed to build a special room in the monastery for himself at his own expense, in accordance with existing rules. IN Ancient Rus' When many people from the wealthy classes of society entered the monasteries, this permission was widely practiced, and the monasteries of other monks - for example, from the disgraced boyars in the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery under John IV - were distinguished not only by their vastness and spaciousness, but also by their comfort. Since the time of Peter the Great, when forced tonsure of wives into monasticism by their husbands became a custom, convents abounded with their own nuns’ cells. In both cases, inheritance of these K. was allowed by will by relatives of lay monastics (see “Description of the affairs of the Synodal Archive”), and sometimes they were sold by them to wealthy people newly entering the monasteries, sometimes they were donated to the monastery. Currently, after the death of the owners of such K., they necessarily become the property of the monastery (St. Law. Vol. IX, 387).
Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. - S.-Pb.: Brockhaus-Efron. 1890-1907 .
See what “Kelia” is in other dictionaries:
Cell (from Wed. Greek κελλίον, plural ία, κέλλα, from Latin cella “room, closet”; other Russian cell) the dwelling of the monks of the cell attendants in the monastery. A cell can be a room with a minimum of amenities: a table, a chair, a bed. Also, cells can be... ... Wikipedia
cell- Lii, zh. Etc. Keliya; outside the room in the monastery, the room in the yaznitsa; a small room with a closed window... Dictionary of Lemko language
Kelia- a separate room in the monastery, intended for the residence of a monk, or a monk’s house, standing especially ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
- (Mount Athos, Holy Mountain, Άγιον Όρος in Greek, among the Turks Aineros) a narrow mountainous peninsula (the eastern part of the wide Chalkidiki Peninsula), jutting into the Archipelago (Aegean Sea), somewhat east of the Gulf of Thessaloniki, 40° 40° N. sh., 42° ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
St. Andrew's Monastery ... Wikipedia
Athos- or the Holy Mountain, as it is usually called, is located in the south of Macedonia, near the waters of the Aegean Sea. It is a peninsula, entirely covered with mountain ranges, stretching up to 80 versts in length and up to 20 in width. The light of Christian faith... Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary
Cell in the caves of the Kitaevskaya desert. This term has other meanings, see Cell (meanings). Cell or cell (from the Greek ... Wikipedia
- (Georgy Alekseevich) recluse Zadonsky, son of the clerk of the Vologda Treasury Chamber; born in 1789 in the city of Vologda. Even before his birth, G. lost his father, who was mistakenly killed on Pyatnitsky Bridge. G.'s parents were people... ...
- (in the world Konstantin Alexandrovich) bishop, master of theology (from June 1, 1831), doctor of Hellenic literature, known for his numerous works on the history and archeology of the East and richly compiled collections of manuscripts. P.'s father was... ... Big biographical encyclopedia
- (in the world Timofey Sokolov) saint, bishop of Voronezh, famous hierarch and spiritual writer, born in 1724 in the village. Korotsk, Novgorod province, Valdai district, in the family of the poor sexton Savely Kirillovich. Having lost his father early, from the very... Large biographical encyclopedia
Stay in your cell - and your cell will teach you everything.
Venerable Moses of Ethiopia, 4th century
My soul becomes silent in Your presence, O my Lord,
in order to discern what You want to say to my heart.
Your words are so quiet that they can only be heard in silence.
Guigo II (1173 - 1180), Prior of the Great Chartreuse
The spirituality of the Carthusians is based on the principle - “Oh, blissful solitude, oh, the only bliss” (“O vera solitudo, o sola beatitudo”). In other words, solitude is the only happiness that should be sought in the name of meeting God. St. Anthony the Great (251 - 356), an early Christian ascetic and desert father, said that a monk needs a cell like water for a fish. " Just as fish die if they stay on land for a long time, so monks lose their spiritual connection with God if they leave their cell for a long time, spending time with worldly people. Therefore, just as a fish rushes into the sea, so we must rush to the cell, so that, while remaining outside it, we do not forget about inner vigil».
Archbishop Giuseppe Mani (b. 1936) recalls his experience in the Carthusian monastery as fundamental in his life. Fifteen days spent in the Certosa di Serra San Bruno allowed him to understand that solitude is not loneliness at all. It is in silence and solitude that a person discovers the presence of God next to him. " The first three days of my stay in the cell, I admit, were very difficult, recalls Giuseppe Mani. - But at some point I realized that I was not alone in the cell. That there is someone else with me - God. And then the cell turned into heaven for me». « How many people these days live in their houses, feel lonely, suffer and are always waiting for someone - continues Giuseppe Mani . - Everyone is afraid of loneliness. That's why radios and televisions are always on in their homes. Oh, if only people discovered that they are not alone, their “confinement chambers” would turn into a paradise».
The Charter of the Carthusian Order states: “ A cell is that holy place where God and his servant communicate on equal terms, talking to each other as friends. In the cell the soul listens to the word of the Lord, the bride unites with her Groom, heaven meets earth, the divine meets the human».
The cells of the Carthusian monastery, located along the perimeter of the large cloister, are much more impressive in size compared to the cells of the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries. This is due to the fact that Carthusian monks spend almost all their time in their homes, leaving them only three times a day to participate in worship in the church. Therefore, the cell is the place where the Carthusian spends most of his life. Being isolated from the rest of the monastery complex, it embodies the idea of seclusion within a retreat. In addition to the common wall surrounding the monastery, each cell and even the adjacent garden are completely separated by walls from other cells and rooms.
All the activities of a monk take place within the confines of his cell. In it he prays, engages in craft activities, reads, meditates, sleeps and eats. With the exception of joint meals held on holidays, the monks eat exclusively in their homes. As a rule, food is taken twice a day - a fairly hearty lunch and a modest dinner. And during Great monastic Lent, which lasts from September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, until Easter, the Carthusians limit themselves to lunch only. Converse brothers (secular brothers who take only part of the monastic vows and remain laymen in status), responsible for distributing food, deliver lunches and dinners to the cells, passing the food through the windows located next to the entrance to the cell.
This window is designed in such a way that the monk cannot even meet his brother-convert with his eyes. The shutters of this window should not be open on both sides at the same time, so that the innermost spirit of seclusion and solitude is not disturbed in any way. A reclusive monk can, if necessary, leave a note in the window asking for what he needs, and this request will be granted in the near future. This idea of a window through which a converse brother passes food to a monk goes back to the story of St. Paul the Hermit (249 - 341), the first Egyptian hermit, who lived almost his entire life in complete solitude. It is known that Saint Paul was fed by a raven sent by God, who brought him a piece of bread every day.
The Carthusian cell is actually a small two-story house with everything you need. Downstairs there is a workshop-laboratory with a lathe and different instruments, as well as a woodshed where firewood for the stove is stored.
These rooms overlook a tiny vegetable garden, which is cultivated by each monk at his own discretion, but always with great care and painstaking care.
On top floor there is a special room, the so-called “Ave Maria”, with an image of the Blessed Virgin, to whom the monk turns in prayer, kneeling each time. Next comes another room - the real heart of the cell. This room is intended for prayer, reflection, and reading. The monk spends most of his time in it. This is where the recluse sleeps. The chambers are equipped with a simple bed, a table for eating and studying, as well as a place for reading prayers - a small chapel - with a bench for kneeling. The wood-burning stove is used for heating during severe cold weather, and is heated with wood that the monk prepares for himself and stores in the woodshed.
The window of the room, as a rule, overlooks the garden, and the recluse can admire the beauty of nature while sitting at his desk. " The view from the window was the only luxury that even the strictest ascetics allowed into their lives."- wrote Russian historian and art critic of the early 20th century Pavel Muratov.
Reading, studying written sources, working in the garden and lathe- important components of the life of a monk, which allow you to avoid the worst enemy of a lonely life - idleness. The physical labor required to maintain health and fitness is appropriately interspersed with mental labor and spiritual reflection.
At the sound of a bell, as if by magic, each in his own cell, but all together at the same time, the hermits raise their prayers to heaven. Then, also in unison, at the ringing of the bell calling for Matins, Vespers, the cells open, and their inhabitants pass the cloister in complete silence, heading to the church for a joint service.
Sometimes, with the permission of the abbot, a monk can visit the library or his spiritual father. However, the rest of the time the hermit prefers to remain in the peace and quiet of his cell, devoting his life to waiting for a meeting with God in blissful solitude. Anyone who has the experience of an internal conversation with the Almighty, who has tasted the wonderful fruits of a solitary life, does not even feel the desire to leave his cell. For him, the cell is his fortress, his citadel, in which he not only feels safe, but in which he feels himself to be halfway to God.
The life of hermit monks, their ascetic feat in silence they always evoked genuine, undisguised interest. The grandeur and charm of the hermitage gave rise and still gives rise in many people to what one Carthusian defined as “the temptation of a desert island.” Theologian, professor of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome Robert Chaib in his book “Standing Before God. Embodied Spirituality” tells an interesting story that could be called a parable. One young man, interested in the life of hermit monks, decided to test himself in this role. However, very soon he realized that he was oppressed by the “deafening” silence in which the life of the hermits proceeds, consisting of alternating chants, prayers and physical labor. What surprised him most of all was the imperturbable calm that radiated from the monk’s face even at that moment when, for example, he was weaving baskets. It was quite obvious that even while carrying out this monotonous mechanical work, the monk offered his prayers to God. The young man asked for an audience with the abbot. Sitting in front of the abbot, he told him his doubts: “I came to your monastery in search of peace and quiet. I wanted to understand the secret of your radiant, joyful peace. But, I admit, the few days I spent within the walls of the monastery left me completely confused. Your life is so simple and unpretentious. I’ll be honest with you and apologize for my words, but such a life seems empty and boring to me. Explain to me what could be interesting in this silence.” The monk listened to him carefully. Then, without saying anything, he took him by the hand and led him to the well, which was located next to the cell. He threw a stone into the well and asked young man: “Look down and tell me what you see there?” “I see breakers and ripples on the surface of the water,” the young man answered frankly. After some time, the monk asked him again: “Now what do you see?” “I see the surface of the water and the reflection of my face,” he said in bewilderment. “Take a closer look. What else do you see? - the ascetic did not lag behind. The young man looked down intently and exclaimed, overwhelmed with embarrassment and joy at his discovery: “I see the face of heaven reflected there.”
Anastasia Tatarnikova
Based on materials kindly provided by Roberto Sabatinelli.
Illustrative material: www. cartusialover.wordpress.com
The monk's cell is red not with things. Monasteries today attract the curious, and the monk is looked at as some kind of curiosity that causes bewilderment: taciturn, stern face, long-haired, bearded - “It is the will of God that it grows and does not need to be touched!” When tonsured as a monastic angel, the abbot’s first question to the person being tonsured is: “Why did you come, brother, falling before the holy Altar and this holy retinue?” And the first word of the one who came: - To remove yourself from the world, honest father. - God called to atone for the sins of the laity. Everything is the will of God - this is approximately the answer you can hear from a monk when asked about the reasons that prompted him to renounce his family and friends, and worldly life. Take refuge within the walls of the monastery. Taking monastic vows they will say: “That’s it!” Never, never again should you think about worldly joys: about the family hearth, about cheerful feasts with friends, about cinema and television, and about many, many things that ordinary worldly people live with. Forget everything you were attached to, die and be buried here! But before that, he must be a novice for up to five years and a monk (half-monk) for the same amount of time. As you can see, there is plenty of time for reflection to make the right decision. The candidate, of course, undergoes an interview. And in some monasteries it is required letter of recommendation from the priest. Grounds for refusal: not yet of age, debt obligations (alimony, loans, etc.), lack of citizenship or wanted (the police regularly carry out passport control in monasteries), “playing hide and seek with the military registration and enlistment office.” The future monk is introduced to the Rules of the monastery and assigned to a mentor (confessor). Are you ready forever, until the very last hour of your life on this sinful earth, to remain on that path, to forever renounce such a close, so warm, so dear to our hearts worldly life-existence? Will a year or two pass and, frozen, hungry, bored, run with uncontrollable lust, giving up all monastic vows, into the arms of his family and friends? The duty of every spiritual mentor, to whom young people who wish to follow the monastic path turn for advice, is to warn them in every possible way against haste, against thoughtlessness, against frivolity in this matter: to undergo the test - to make irrevocable vows. The future monk is only allowed to pray and work (perform obediences). “Have a modest gait, do not speak loudly, observe decorum in conversation, eat food and drink reverently, remain silent in the presence of elders, be attentive to the wise, obedient to those in authority, have unfeigned love for equals and lesser ones, avoid the evil, speak little, carefully collect knowledge, do not talk too much, do not be quick to laugh, adorn yourself with modesty" (St. Basil the Great) Conversations and reading - only on Orthodox topics. He can leave the monastery completely at any time. Monks who accept the great schema take even stricter vows. They change their name again. Instead of a hood, a cowl is worn that covers the head and shoulders. The schema-monk's diet is even more meager. Most monasteries are self-sufficient: they have monasteries with gardens and vegetable gardens, barnyard(monks do not eat meat). They pay taxes and pay utilities. On average, there are about 10 percent of monks in a monastery, 30 percent of novices and monks, and approximately 60 percent of workers and pilgrims. In the Middle Ages, monasteries had great importance, as centers of science and disseminators of education. Behind high and strong walls it was possible to repel enemy attacks. People settled next to the new monastery, forming a village that sometimes grew into Big city. Strangers were received at the monasteries. Alms were sent to prisoners languishing in prison, who were in poverty during famine and other misfortunes. Often greatest sinners transformed into the greatest righteous people in the monastery. Monasticism is a wandering, a mournful and tiring journey to a distant unknown country, which we know only by hearsay, it is a constant distance from the familiar, the familiar, the dear. In many groups you can meet an individual about whom they will say behind your back: he is not of this world; white crow, etc. They are not like everyone else: overly honest, frank, simple-minded, receptive. They cut the truth right in the face - and they themselves often suffer from it. Many of them can be called “God’s chosen one”! And these are the majority of the monastic brethren! English word PRIVACY (privacy) has become a legal term and is translated into Russian as PRIVATE PROPERTY. More correct translation of this word – MY SMALL WORLD (closed to outsiders). The monks did not renounce worldly life so that they could then confess and give interviews to us, the laity. In the Gorensky Monastery (Jerusalem), an elderly Arab who speaks Hebrew and his native Arabic has been working as a furniture maker for many years. - I tried to explain to him in English, German, French, but he didn’t understand! Won't you help? - the new nun addressed me with a Moscow accent. “She speaks three foreign languages!?” - I thought. In the cell, the nun laid out drawings and sketches, saying a couple of times: - Hi-Tech style. Another shock! During the pause, I couldn’t resist: - What is your education? - Artistic and philological. I'm going to get a spiritual degree in absentia. - Sister, I’m sure you were approached with a question about the reasons that prompted you to take monastic vows? If I repeat this question, won't it become something offensive for you? - No, you won’t offend me with your question, but I’m sure you’ve already asked others about this. Can I hear their answers first? Be a gentleman. After my a short story , she said: “You wouldn’t hear anything new from me - my reason completely coincides with one of your opponents.” In a small secluded gatehouse-cell lived a tall, handsome monk with good bearing (many people develop a stoop over time) and thick, wavy gray hair. He spoke not in a chant, as most people do when reading prayers, but in a well-trained commanding voice! I never considered myself suspicious, but with him I felt a strange chill through my body from his gaze and voice - this was the first time this happened to me! The only and bad association: as if he was looking at me through the sight rail! Later I learned from others that the monk, a former officer, in Afghanistan was obliged to torture and execute prisoners. Returning to his wife and daughter, he was unable to get along with the family, and nothing worked out with regard to employment. There was even a suicide attempt. So he came to the monastery. I met “former celebrities” in monasteries. One of them was in the past the pride of Great Soviet Sports! A modest, quiet, slightly scruffy, short old man lived with me in my cell. As it turned out later, he was my age. The future monk rarely went to church to pray - perhaps he was tired after obedience: he tended a herd of calves. He knew the history and legends of this monastery and was a good storyteller. Almost every day, young guys and girls came to my neighbor by taxi and had a picnic at the spring: they set the table, grilled kebabs, and cooled drinks in the spring. The taxi, paid for for the whole day, was waiting at the gate. - Pitersky, come to us! - they often invited. It is not difficult to notice that the topic of conversation changed in my presence, and I quickly found a reason to leave their company. One day, a neighbor was changing clothes in his cell, and I accidentally saw his tattoos - “stars on his forearms.” I heard (but did not see) that some monks in their cells have a telephone, a TV, a computer, the Internet, and even their own passenger vehicles. Modern monasticism is a special topic. In the south, young monks are sent to their elderly parents to help during sowing and harvesting. They put a guy of about twenty in the cell. His athletic figure was successfully emphasized by an expensive leather jacket and an imported sports suit. He did not wear a massive gold chain in plain sight, but hid it. Once a police UAZ arrived at the monastery - passport control. At the sight of the police, the guy twitched and quickly went behind the ruins of the old bell tower. “The guests have left,” I reassured him. - Give me a cigarette. - You don't smoke, do you? Or, today is not a sin!? We smoked and chatted... The guy began to read spiritual literature intensively, entered a theological seminary, graduated, got married and became a priest. My neighbor and I are going to church evening prayer, and his cell phone rang. Moving away from me, he began to sharply give commands to someone. “Don’t tell me again that you’re standing at the conveyor belt at a pasta factory,” I smiled. - Split. - What does interrogation of the 3rd and 4th degree mean - how long will it take for him to wake up!? - I’m here to forget about work at least for a while... I found out with the monk - we lived on neighboring streets in St. Petersburg and studied at the same school! He asked about other monasteries. I’m talking about Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda (Vladimir region): about the bell tower from which a man descended on homemade wings, and Ivan the Terrible put him on a barrel of gunpowder for this, about the famous library and how 2,200 novices-brides were introduced to Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar pointed to Marfa Sobakina! In the morning the monk told me about his dream: he was sitting on the throne instead of Ivan the Terrible, and around him were 2200 novices! Have you ever witnessed something unusual or mystical? In one word – a miracle!? Easter. Old evening Jerusalem. Along the street Via Dolarosa in beautiful knightly costumes there is a religious procession for Catholics. Drums, trumpets and bagpipes sound. At the edges of the procession with torches are adults, and in the middle are children. People stretch their hands into the fire of torches - but the fire does not burn! The Holy Dormition Gerbovetsky Monastery houses miraculous icon Holy Mother of God. Every year in Moldova a religious procession is held with this icon. The monastery was ravaged and burned three times, but each time the monks found St. the icon in the ashes, intact and facing the ground (traces of fires on the scroll are barely visible). A bright young woman from a neighboring village worked in the monastery bakery. I decided to help her - bring buckets of water from the well. He bent over the bucket, when suddenly the chain with the cross got caught, broke and fell into the well! In his cell he only told how he dropped a cross into the well, and the monk commented: “The Lord’s warning!” There was something He didn’t like about you! Two brothers came to the monastery. The eldest is a doctor, candidate of science, and the youngest: abandoned school, got involved with bad company, was registered with the police. They gave the three of us an obedience: to build a barn for hay. A few days later, the younger one was replaced: he became scandalous, irritable, violent - it was impossible to work together! - Humble yourself! He should receive communion this evening - this is what Satan does to a person before communion! Tomorrow my brother will be different. That's exactly what happened! In the basement of a monastery in the Kherson region, the monastic brethren were brutally shot, and for many years now, when painting the walls, the dark silhouettes of the murdered monks appear. Getting to the remote monastery, surrounded by impenetrable swamps, I wandered through the forest for a long time, racking up an extra fifteen kilometers! You approached the walls of the monastery long after midnight - Satan took you - I heard later. The strap of my shoulder bag and sneakers rubbed my calluses and became a haven for forest ticks. In the morning I was given an obedience: to clear the bark from slabs (I had my own sawmill) and line them with them in a hay barn for thirty cows. After a difficult time, out of habit, working day in the evening I plunged into the waters of the holy spring - fatigue disappeared, the pain from the tick went away, I forgot about calluses! - This is your monastery! - I said to myself.
Kalinina L., 7th grade.
Municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 34 with UIP"
Saratov
Teacher: Strekalova N.V.
“I knew only the power of the thought,
.......................
She called my dreams
From cell stuffy and prayers..."
(M.Yu. Lermontov, “Mtsyri”. Literature. 7th grade, p. 126).
Pronunciation
Cell
Lexical meaning
Cell or cell(from avg.- Greek κελλίον , plural -ία, κέλλα, from lat. cella - “room, closet”; Old Russian keli ɪ A ) - monk's dwelling , usually a separate room in monastery
Religious:a separate room or separate dwelling of a monk, nun in a monastery
Portable: small room lonely man
Etymology
From Middle Greek κελλίον, plural -ία, κέλλα, from cella "room, closet", connection. With celare"to hide, conceal "(goes back to Proto-Indo-European kel- « hide, hide")
According to monastic regulations, most Russian monasteries allowed each monk or nun to build his own cell. As a result, monks from wealthy families had comfortable, spacious cells . In Russian monasteries, a cell, as a rule, is a room for one or two monks with a minimum interior decoration: table, chair, bed or hard trestle bed. Very often in monastery cells there is a shelf for books, as well as an individual iconostasis consisting of paper icons. Monastic tradition suggests that all the time that a monk is not busy with obediences or monastic services, he spends in his cell praying, doing handicrafts and reading spiritual books. According to charter monastery, in the fraternal building in general, and in the cell in particular, it is not recommended for strangers to enter, and persons of the opposite sex are categorically prohibited (an exception is made only for relatives, and then only in the most extreme cases.
Synonyms: Shutter, cell, room, hermitage
Antonyms: No
Hypernyms: Room, premises; housing, dwelling
Similar words:
Cellular(adj.) - transl. secret, secret, committed by a narrow circle of people. Examples: Cell discussion. Solve the matter privately (adv.).
In the future, we will meet this word in 8th grade when studying A.S. Pushkin’s drama “Boris Godunov” and in 9th grade, reading Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin”.
1. Pushkin uses the word “cell” in the poem “Eugene Onegin” in a figurative meaning and means a cramped honeycomb:
Driven by spring rays,
There is already snow from the surrounding mountains
................................
Bee for field tribute
Flies from cells wax.
(A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”. Ch.VII)
2. In Pushkin’s drama “Boris Godunov” part of the action takes place in cell Miracle Monastery:
Monk Pimen
I saw here - in this very cell
(The long-suffering Kirill then lived in it,
The husband is righteous. Then me too
God has vouchsafed to understand insignificance
Worldly vanities), here I saw the king,
Tired of angry thoughts and executions.