From Antipin’s Potrebnik. Chapter 2
In ancient times many people had a strong desire to dedicate themselves to the service of God. Some did so dedicated themselves from their youth, others later in life, and yet others first placed their children in God’s service from infancy and afterwards gave themselves to the same path.
The number of those living the monastic life became so great that in certain cities – for example in Ossirikhos – there were scarcely as many laypeople as monastics. Monastic dwellings stood along every street. There were 10,000 monks and 20,000 virgin nuns (Menaion, 15 May, at the end of the Life of St Pachomius the Great).
The ancient Christians had such burning desire for the solitary life because they knew it was far easier to attain the Kingdom of Heaven that way. For, according to Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Fathers, it is exceedingly, exceedingly, exceedingly difficult for those who live a worldly married life to be saved. As it is written: “Of worldly people scarcely one in ten thousand can be saved, whereas among monks a hundred times more will be saved” (Book “Alpha”, ch. 33, fol. 257; cf. Prologue, 13 March, St Simeon of Divnogorye).
Even with us in Russia, after the fall of true piety brought about by Patriarch Nikon, there remained among all Old Believers in general a very great multitude who lived monastically in forests and villages.
But in the present time, among all branches of the Old Rite, this solitary, virgin, continent life has begun to shrink and almost disappear, because Christians have come to love the broad and worldly life more, and they abandon the narrow and saving path.
Nowadays many Christians, instead of dedicating themselves or their children to the service of God, dedicate them to the service of the devil – dressing them in every seductive fashion and dragging them into the corrupt amusements of this world. “and so they become worse than the pagans who know not God.” That is why the lofty and continent Christian life is everywhere falling.
Moreover, with the disappearance of pious priests of the true rite, truly pious monasteries have completely ceased to exist. Consequently, those sincere Christians who desire to live monastically have nowhere to lay their heads.
For this reason very many people now ask us: “In the present time, is monasticism still possible? And if it is, then how – with tonsure or without tonsure? Where may one live and in what manner, seeing that there are no monasteries of the same faith?” and similar questions.
All such questions come from deeply believing people who grieve over the fall of the ancient lofty life of piety. For their consolation and for the common benefit we have been compelled to write all that follows.
It is indeed most sorrowful that we are deprived of the ancient havens of piety. Nevertheless, monasticism is still possible even now, albeit without formal tonsure.
According to the rule laid down in the Book of Needs (Trebnik), only priests are permitted to perform the tonsure; laypeople are not given this authority. “And what is not given, it is very dangerous to take,” even though in some Lives of saints we read that simple (non-priestly) monks did perform tonsures. Yet we do not know according to what rite or rule they did so, and “what is unknown is also very dangerous to do.”
Nevertheless, one can be a monk without tonsure, because monasticism consists in “another way of life,” that is, not in the cutting of hair but in solitary and continent living. Many of the ancient saints were monks without tonsure, such as Anthony the Great in the beginning of his ascetic life, Paul of Thebes, Mark of Thrace, Mary of Egypt, and very many others (Menaion: 17 Jan., 15 Jan., 1 Apr., 5 Apr.).
One may live the monastic life not only in monasteries and deserts but also in one’s own cell in a village or hamlet, provided only that one does not live in a worldly and broad way but in strict continence. This was how monasticism was in its very beginning, in the time of St Anthony the Great: people did not yet live in organised monasteries or deserts, but each dwelt alone in his own cell. So too did St Alexius the Man of God, St John the Hut-dweller, the martyr Charitina, St Paraskeva, and a very great multitude of others (Menaion: 17 Mar., 16 Jan., 28 Oct., etc.).
But one thing must always be remembered: everyone who wishes to remain virgin and live monastically may indeed dwell in his or her own cell, yet it is absolutely obligatory to live separately from worldly married households.
In our own day, however, some virgins live inside worldly married houses – with brothers or sisters and their children – and spend all their time doing the household’s domestic work and vain occupations.
Such people live most unwisely and are directly destroying themselves.
For all who preserve virginity must in every possible way flee worldly soul-destroying vanity and seductions, and must be freer for the service of God. But those who live in married households can in no way be free from worldly vanity and temptations, because there they are always bound like slaves to Pharaoh’s labour; they clean up all the household’s impurity, and constantly see and hear various kinds of filthiness and scandals. By this they continually defile themselves, and their whole life is wasted in vain. They suffer torment yet receive no benefit whatsoever, because such a life was never handed down by the Holy Fathers and no one ever lived in families. “Especially nowadays when almost all families live very carelessly and without fear of God.”
Some who live in families excuse themselves by saying, “We have nowhere to live and no means.” But this is no excuse. Everyone must take care to have his own cell. If that is truly impossible, then one must seek a like-minded person and settle with him or her, supporting oneself by the labour of one’s own hands. For this reason all parents and those who bring up children ought to teach them handicrafts and arrange separate cells for them.
Furthermore, some virgins live very simply in great ignorance: they make no vow or promise concerning themselves and do not even know about themselves who they are and why they live as they do.
Such ignorance is a very great perdition, because “ignorance is worse than any sin.” Everyone must know about himself: who he is, where he is going, why, and what the outcome will be.
Therefore every virgin must know that he or she places themselves in the service of God for the sake of their own salvation, to be spiritually a bride of Christ the Bridegroom. In this all are alike, both young men and maidens.
For this it is necessary: first, the desire itself; and together with it, a covenant or promise to remain in this state all one’s life. The promise is necessary so that it may be easier to fulfil one’s service to God.
Some think that a promise must not be made for fear they will be unable to keep it. But by such thinking a person only gives himself an occasion to fall, because he does not wish to place himself firmly on the path. In reality a promise helps a person very greatly: it constantly reminds him to fulfil his duties and always holds him back from falling into sin.
The vow has helped even the ancient saints very greatly against the various temptations of the devil. For example: When a king’s daughter tried to seduce the holy Prince Joasaph into marriage, he answered her: “At my baptism I gave a promise to Christ to preserve my virginity” (Menaion, 19 November). The holy martyr Justina, when tempted said: “I already have a Bridegroom—Christ, and it is Him I serve” (Menaion, 2 October). The martyr Faith (Vera), at the moment of her death, exhorted her sisters: “Fulfil the promise you made to Christ your Bridegroom” (Menaion, 17 September). The venerable Mary (of Egypt) was always strengthened against the devil “by the remembrance of her own promise” (Menaion, 1 April).
Moreover, such a vow is so great a thing that it helps even those who have fallen: it more quickly brings them to repentance. It can also help in another way, through others who have made the same vow: “Four friends promised to serve God and to be together both here and hereafter; one of them later grew weak, but thanks to the vow the others helped him and all were saved” (Prologue, 6 July).
A vow always shows a person that he must keep to the one narrow path he has already chosen. It is like a worldly maiden before she is betrothed: she does not know where she belongs, her thoughts wander here and there; but once she is betrothed she leaves all others and prepares herself for one alone. So too a person without a vow wavers in every direction because his path is not yet fixed; but when he makes the vow, by that very act he fixes for himself the one firmest path to salvation.
Therefore all the ancient saints made their vows to God in various ways—sometimes without priests, sometimes alone, sometimes together with like-minded friends. The martyr Zinovius with his sister vowed together to serve Christ (Menaion, 30 October). The martyr Thecla, as soon as she believed, immediately made a vow to be Christ’s bride, renounced a rich worldly suitor, and suffered for it (Menaion, 24 September). St Sophia betrothed all her daughters—Faith, Hope and Love—to Christ while they were still very young and openly declared this before the judge (Menaion, 17 September). The venerable Eugenia, together with her servants Protus and Hyacinth, even before their baptism, vowed to serve God together (Menaion, 24 December). The venerable Xenia with her maidservants vowed to be brides of Christ together; for this reason she left her rich father’s house and her worldly bridegroom.
All the saints made their vows on different occasions and in different words, but the meaning was always the same: “to serve God all their life in purity.” At the same time they asked help from God, also in various words: St Alexius, when he left his bride on their wedding night, prayed: “O God who saved me from my mother’s womb, save me now from the vain life of this world and make me worthy to stand at Thy right hand with all who have pleased Thee” (17 March).
The holy martyr Anysia, when making her testament, said: “Let us flee this pernicious life that is full of uncleanness. Let us desire the life that perishes not and spiritual struggles; let us exchange the temporal for the eternal, let us honour the incorrupt marriage and keep pure for the Creator the seal of virginity unto Christ,” and so forth. And she prayed: “Lord Jesus Christ, my light and the source of immortality, the root of incorruption… O good Lord, grant that I may not be excluded from the choir of virgins, that I be not shut out from Thy bridal chamber, but number me with the wise virgins and make me worthy, with unquenchable lamp, to meet Thee, that having blamelessly finished the contest I may become a partaker of Thy glory,” etc. (Menaion, 30 December).
There are a very great number of such vows with various prayers recorded in Holy Scripture. All this confirms that in ancient times Christians, whenever they desired to serve God, always made different vows accompanied by prayers; and they did this not only according to a formal rite with priests, but simply of their own free will, setting it forth in their own prayers and asking for whatever each one needed. And all this is the tradition and custom of the holy ancient Church.
Therefore we also counsel everyone who wishes to live the monastic life to make a vow with suitable prayers (as is written in this book), either alone or—better still—in the presence of a spiritual father or mother, but only if that elder himself truly keeps this path. If the elder does not keep it and even walks the opposite way, then the vow must not be made before him; rather it should be made alone before God. It is best of all to make the vow in the presence of those who have already made the same vow earlier. And all this should be done as secretly as possible, so that there be no empty talk.
After the vow it is very good to have a spiritual guide—father or mother—but only a good one, that is, one who knows the way and lives a continent life. If there is no such guide, it is better to remain without one, “because a good guide will help very much, but a bad one will destroy very much” (Ladder of Divine Ascent, Word 4).
One must strive to live as peacefully and continently as possible, so as to be able to serve the Lord more fully. Every day one should set aside time for prayer and the reading of Holy Scripture. It is especially profitable to read the Gospel, the Epistle, the Ladder, the works of Ephrem the Syrian, and the Lives of the Saints. There are ready-made monastic rules and prayer rules; each person fulfils them according to his strength and ability—of course, the one who fulfils more will also receive more!
And when any temptation comes from the devil or from evil people, one must turn even more earnestly to prayer unto God and strengthen oneself with Holy Scripture. If there is a spiritual father or mother, tell them everything at once; always carry out the elder’s counsel with exactness and in every way flee all contrary advice, especially from worldly people.
With fellow-believers, and above all with those who keep the same manner of life, abide in love and unity; often take counsel together and speak about the salvation of the soul; pray for one another according to the commandment: “Pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). And, as far as possible, bring others also to this same life. In general, care not only for your own salvation but for the salvation of all.
But from worldly dwellings—even those of the closest relatives—one must keep away, according to the Lord’s strict commandment: “If any man love father or mother, son or daughter more than Me, he is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37). “He that hateth not father, mother, wife, children and brethren cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). “If thine eye, hand or foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better to enter into life maimed than having two eyes, two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire” (Mark 9:43-48)—that is, if even the nearest of kin draw one away from the saving path by any temptation, one must in every way separate oneself from them.
Furthermore, one must live by the labour of one’s own hands, as did many saints who abandoned their riches and fed themselves by their own toil. Food should be simple, not rich in taste, according to the monastic rule; one must neither eat flesh nor drink wine, as the Apostle commands: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess” (Eph. 5:18). At the same time, as far as possible, one should help the needy—especially one’s brethren who live the spiritual life, and not the worldly life. All one’s possessions must be left for the benefit of the spiritual brethren, to support the spiritual life; on no account must any help be given, nor property left, to one’s carnal kin for their broad worldly life—because by doing so one brings eternal perdition upon them and upon oneself.
Clothing must without fail be simple and black, suitable to the monastic life, even if not in the full monastic schema. For even the ancient saints did not all wear the complete monastic habit, yet they ever went about in simple black garments more befitting monks than worldly dress. Clothing is in a certain sense a fence unto salvation: by its very unsuitability for worldly gatherings it restrains one from going to improper places; and to some extent a man’s life is seen by his clothing. As it is written: “If anyone adorns himself in worldly fashionable dress, he has no spiritual garment” (Gospel for the 14th Sunday, at the end).
All who live continently according to their vow, in the monastic way—though without tonsure and without the full monastic habit—will stand before God on an equal footing with the ancient monks, “for many of the ancient saints had neither tonsure nor the complete monastic habit, yet after their repose they received everything” (Book The Enlightener by St Joseph of Volokolamsk, fol. 432, 434; and Menaion-Cheti, 7 August, at the end of the life of St Pimen of the Kiev Caves).
But those who do not keep their vow will likewise be subject to the same severe judgement as tonsured monks, according to the canons of St Basil the Great (rules 6, 18, 56, 60): “A virgin or nun who breaks her vow and enters into marriage—such a marriage is not reckoned lawful, but both parties are condemned as adulterers. If they do not dissolve the unlawful union, they are granted no penance at all and after death receive no commemoration; if they do dissolve it, they are given fifteen years of penance.”
Moreover, every Christian, even one living a worldly life, is obliged to fulfil the promise he made at baptism—to serve God always, that is, to live according to the commandments in all piety and continence. And for not fulfilling it “all will be condemned more severely than idol-worshippers.”
Therefore, all who desire to be saved must always fulfil their duties—that is, live virtuously—so as to obtain “eternal blessedness”; “for the broad and spacious way leadeth all to destruction” (Matt. 7:13–14).
From everything set forth above it is clear that even in the present time it is fully possible to be true monks, though without monasteries and without tonsure, provided only that one lives in monastic continence and in fulfilment of the commandments: “Whoever wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). “He that taketh not his cross and followeth not after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:38). “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15). “Come out from among them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:17).
And it is entirely possible for every person to make vows and, according to his own discernment, to offer various petitions in prayer for his salvation. This is very pleasing to God and fully in accord with the Gospel teaching: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them” (Matt. 18:19). “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9). Everything concerning petitions and vows has already been treated at length by us in the First Preface.
To all who desire the monastic life we give this counsel according to the above instruction: begin, every one of you, wherever you are—even if only one man or one woman at first. In time such a life can multiply. “Even so in ancient times it began with individuals, and afterwards many gathered together.” Only begin with faith and zeal toward God, and hold firmly to this path according to the guidance given; the Lord will not abandon you, but will help you with His mercy.
All the above we have written not as a law, but only as fraternal counsel—for the consolation of the many who yearn for the monastic life. Every reader of good understanding will fully agree with us, provided only he reads with simplicity of soul and not with opposition. Concerning this we have written more fully at the end of the First Preface and at the conclusion of this book; let all this always be taken as the foundation for one’s own strengthening and for a right understanding in everything.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
