What does a humble person mean? What is humility? Basic Christian virtue
– this is the natural state of man, where the Will of God and man form one whole. But this does not mean that in this state we lose our will and individuality. Our will simply coincides with the Will of God. In humility, the higher nature of man is awakened and the lower nature is spiritualized. Humility is peace, silence, equanimity in human nature. In a selfish person, the quality of humility is not manifested, but in a non-selfish person, humility speaks fully. Humility is our guide to Goodness, Love and Bliss ( highest state happiness). The word humility itself speaks about itself: “I am together with the world,” “I am not separated from it,” unlike a selfish person. The word peace means peace, harmony. It follows that humility is a state of calm in our being, where complete peace reigns.
The Word of God says: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). It follows from this that complete humility cannot exist without surrendering oneself to God, and also cannot exist without accepting one’s destiny from Above.
This means that humility is surrendering oneself to God. This is acceptance with Faith and openness of the Heart of what the Lord God has prepared for us in this life. This is not a blind decision, but a sober, reasonable and necessary step towards complete humility.
Humility is clarity, understanding or awareness of the Will of God. Everything that happens in our lives must be accepted, not grumble, not look for the guilty, and endure all hardships with dignity, honor, and prudence. Everything that happens is for the better in relation to Eternity. Humility does not mean that we should be inactive, sit quietly and do nothing. Humility is a call from Above, driving force, forcing us to extend a helping hand and support in difficult times to a person, animal, plant, etc. This is compassion and mercy towards our neighbor. This is a powerful force that can stop hostile people, tame natural elements (rain, fire, wind, etc.), prevent danger and work miracles.
On the path to God, a person, step by step, acquires a state of humility, according to the Will of the Almighty. Humility allows you to control your thoughts, feelings and actions. In contrast to pride and humility, humility helps you see your sinfulness and penetrate with clarity into the depths of your soul. Therefore, humility, like nothing else, allows you to root out the weeds of ignorance and passion from the soul. To be humble means to be above your pride, your ego. We must not forget that: “...God resists the proud, but gives Grace to the humble.”
Complete humility– this is maturity, purity, Light. Humility gives access to reality or transcendental invisible things. Humility is not weakness, but Spiritual strength (power of the Spirit).
Humility is the end of worldly existence and the readiness, in its perfection, to depart on the ship of Eternity to the Abode of God.
Who is a humble person
A humble person is not attached to the fruits of his activities. He takes humiliation calmly. When they hit him on “one cheek,” he does not think that it is unfair, and turns “the other cheek.” Turning the “other cheek” means remembering your wrongful deeds in relation to people and the world. A humble person understands that everything is given justice and there are no accidents in life. He treats all events occurring in his life with quiet, calm joy, without any emotions or reactions. He understands that no matter what happens, everything is for the best. A truly humble person is in harmony with himself and his environment. Even his breath will not disturb a blade of grass, or a person, or an animal because he is filled with Love. A humble person is wise and truthful to himself and others. He treats all people sincerely, kindly, with respect and openness of Heart, regardless of origin and position in life. He does not praise himself for good deeds, but rather underestimates himself and attributes all the glory to God. He understands that everything comes from God and even his perfect good action is His Will. There is the radiance of Eternity in his eyes. You can’t hide anything from his light, all-penetrating gaze and you can’t hide anywhere. His gentle touch penetrates to the depths of the soul and comfort comes. His wise word inspires good deeds and awakens the mind. He illuminates with His Light the path to Truth for many. Wherever he is, his presence brings joy and peace. He is truly free, and God is always present with him.
Good afternoon, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!
What is true humility and how to find it in our lives? Everyday life, how should it manifest itself? “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,” said the Lord, but, nevertheless, when he saw the money changers in the temple, he took the whip and drove them away. Does this mean that meekness and humility of heart do not mean resignation and do not prohibit decisive action? They write: “A humble person does not do his own will, he always does God's will. He humbles himself before other people, because these are images of God, and we must humble ourselves before them.” But is it possible, for example, to submit to sectarians who are trying to lure people into their networks? Or, a purely everyday case - is it necessary to humble yourself in front of a saleswoman trying to sell a damaged product? How to understand where God's providence is and where it is not? They write: “The heart of a humble person is already silent before God, it considers itself unworthy to ask for something.” It turns out that you cannot ask the Lord for mercy? But we ask for it in our prayers. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you"?
Archimandrite Raphael answers:
“Humility is the state of the human heart that recognizes the worth of others and sees its own shortcomings.
Humility reveals itself to us as deep world and peace of soul, but it is difficult to describe it in human words - you have to experience it yourself to have an idea about it.
Humility is meekness combined with courage, and many famous warriors were distinguished by humility.
Humility does not prevent the fight against evil and sin; This is peace - as the action of grace in the heart, and not reconciliation - as the covering up of contradictions. It is easier to understand pride than humility, therefore the properties opposite to pride are contained in humility.
There are two types of pride: before God and before people. And there are two types of humility:
1. Before God. When a person knows that he cannot accomplish anything without the help of God, and attributes everything good that he has ever done to the assistance of grace.
2. Humility before people. These are not external manners, nor bows, nor endless repetitions: “I’m sorry,” but the desire in all situations to justify another person and blame oneself, therefore humility is a constant internal readiness for sacrifice.
About prayer. A person’s heart is silent before God in two cases: when a person has forgotten about God, and when grace has descended into his heart; he does not pray in words, but experiences grace.
The Bible says: “My will is your salvation” (or approximately so), so you should always ask God for mercy and help in the matter of salvation.
As for specific life situations, then such prayers should end with the words: “Thy will be done,” since we do not know exactly which choice is best for us.
So, prayer for the salvation of the soul, for help in the fight against sin, is an unconditional prayer, where there are no exceptions. And prayer for the accomplishment of earthly affairs or earthly well-being, in a sense, is conditional, and must take into account our limitations, which do not know the future.
Some do not receive what they ask for because this gift would be unhelpful for them, or premature. What seems to be a contradiction, in abstract, abstract thinking, in fact, in prayer, becomes simple and clear. A person must have some experience in prayer in order to ask about prayer and correctly perceive the answer. God help you."
Discussion: 9 comments
The Gospel eloquently shows us the life of Jesus Christ, the apostles, the surrounding people, and the Pharisees with the Saducees and other teachers.
Jesus Christ, despite his Divinity, was humble and taught a humble spirit to his disciples and all the people.
Proud Pharisees who lived only earthly life and thought only about their own exaltation, they did not understand all the great wisdom and truthfulness of the teachings of Christ. Indeed, they fell into great excitement, pursuing only earthly goals.
Yes, only a humble heart can embrace the truth of Christian teaching.Answer
You know, Michael - not only the Christian truth, but also in science, in knowledge, invention, even in war - it’s the same. No matter how overwhelmed you are by the heat of a sudden revelation, if you do not cool down, do not bring yourself into a state no more complacent than before (that is, you do not crush yourself with HUMILITY), then you will certainly “attack”, deviating from the true, often even more, than if it hadn't dawned on you at all. This is partly why they often say to the zealous, “Don’t get excited!” It’s true, Truth loves those who are zealous, but capable of effectively managing passion by attracting the Highest. This undoubtedly requires repeated training.
Answer
Of course, humility does not mean any passivity. Humility must be in the heart. And in actions, a humble person who defends his Fatherland must be active and courageous. Likewise with those who defend the truth. Humility alone will not protect her. Although the Lord was humble, when he drove those selling and buying out of the temple, he was in righteous anger. Each individual situation requires a special approach. And a humble spirit must live in the heart. This is the general background of the life of a Christian.
Answer
Is it only the defense of the Fatherland that requires zeal, reaching the point of anger and harshness, deafness to others? -When we encounter the mutilation of the souls, minds, health of our people, our children, when we see the desecration of that on which, in fact, everything human on Earth rests - how can we be cold-blooded, indifferent, only “hopeful”?!
No - not fighting back here means COMPLICATING! And HUMILITY here is in the fulfillment of that High Healing Will, which runs counter to the destructive will of the lost and rabid. And to destroy here properly means to be TRULY HUMBLE - before the Lord (and not before the freaks and their henchmen).
So - main question: HUMILITY - before whom and what? Without posing this question, without answering it, they most often slide into humility in front of their loved ones (even though the person knows that he is doing something nasty, but he has come to terms with it for HIMSELF’s sake, and even momentarily...)Answer
This publication addressed a private issue. The humility of a person before any situation in which only his own interests are affected. That is, in this case, humility acts as a kind of weapon against one’s own egoism. For example, you want to get something for yourself, and another person also wants this “something”. There are two options here further development, either snatch it for yourself, or give in - by resigning yourself.
Perhaps the example is not very accurate, not very successful, but many, many people live according to this scheme. Most people. The main thing is to get what you want, grab it for yourself, and not think about something else, and not resign yourself to the situation.
This topic is quite deep and extremely multifaceted.
The main essence of humility is that a person should suppress his ego, his benefits, which lead not to the salvation of the soul, but to its destruction.Answer
Combining everything that has been said about humility, including the article itself, the conclusion suggests itself that humility is neither a goal nor universal remedy. The goal is ALWAYS unity with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, with the Lord - in all matters, all the way. Humility is only good REMEDY extinguishing worldly things in oneself, incl. sinful influences. But it is not universal and not the only one, especially when the petty, personal, momentary clearly collide with the High, with Duty, Calling. There MUST be other means at work here.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that even the Savior more than once set aside humility and resorted to other means... And not only the Savior. And rightly so!Humility is by no means the ultimate goal. It's right.
You can make a mistake by being too humble in a situation where you need to stand up for your faith, for your Fatherland, for your friends.
Lord make us wise!
I forgot one more important point about humility. There is a simple and true statement by St. Macarius of Optina: “The sacraments are revealed to the humble.” Indeed, only if a person is not deafened, not blinded by excitement, only then will he be able to understand, assimilate the depths of truth and notice its manifestations in his own life. life path, without being mistaken about it.
But therefore, for the benefit of humility, a person needs to solve his important problem - how to be firm and energetic on his path of life and at the same time not fall into excitement, not be stunned, not become Satan.
The people have long understood the danger of such stunning. This is, for example, what the popular expression “the topic of the day” says. It is clearly emphasized here that the essential, eclipsing everything else, is the same as anger. And she, oh, is so well known for her destructiveness and complicity with the destroyer...
Answer
In our times, when there are so many different nationalities among us, it is appropriate to recall that humility, as one of the most important principles, is also inherent in other faiths. For example, even the word “Islam” means “humility”, “submission” - before what, before whom? - before what is connected with the will of their Deity - Allah. But in what and when exactly this will is manifested, here, as everywhere and for everyone, there are no common views, and, accordingly, no actions or deeds.
Answer
Humility(meekness, simplicity) is an evangelical virtue that is established in a person through the action of Divine grace. Discovering the essence of humility is not easy. By humility they often mean humble speech - deliberate humiliation of oneself in front of people, humiliation of oneself for show. Such humiliation is not humility, but a form of passion of vanity. It is hypocrisy and people-pleasing. It is recognized by the saints as harmful to the soul. Following the teachings of Orthodox ascetics, true humility is achieved only by doing the Gospel commandments. “Humility is naturally formed in the soul from activity according to the Gospel commandments,” teaches the Monk Abba Dorotheos. But how can keeping the commandments lead to humility? After all, fulfilling the commandment, on the contrary, can lead a person to excessive self-satisfaction.
Let us recall that the gospel commandments infinitely exceed ordinary ones. moral standards, sufficient for human habitation. They are not human teaching, but the commandments of a completely holy God. Gospel commandments represent the Divine requirements for man, consisting of a call to love God with all his mind and heart, and his neighbor as himself (Mark 12:29-31)
Striving to fulfill Divine demands, the Christian ascetic experiences the inadequacy of his efforts. According to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, he sees that every hour he is carried away by his passions, contrary to his desire, he strives for actions that are completely contrary to the commandments. The desire to fulfill the commandments reveals to him the sad state of human nature damaged by the Fall, reveals his alienation from love for God and neighbor. In the sincerity of his heart, he admits his sinfulness, his inability to fulfill the good ordained by God. He views his life itself as a continuous chain of sins and falls, as a series of actions deserving of Divine punishment.
The vision of one’s sins gives rise to hope in the ascetic only in God’s mercy, and not in one’s own merits. He experiences the need for Divine help and asks God for strength to free himself from the power of sin. And God gives this grace-filled power, liberating from sinful passions, bringing indescribable peace into human soul.
Let us note that the word “peace” is the root of the word “humility” is not at all accidental. Visiting the human soul, Divine grace gives it indescribable serenity and silence, a feeling of reconciliation with everyone, which is characteristic of God Himself. This is the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, of which the apostle speaks (Phil. 4:7). This is Divine humility and meekness, which God wants to teach all people (Matt. 11:29).
Humility is incomprehensible and inexpressible, since God Himself and His actions in the human soul are incomprehensible and inexpressible. Humility is composed of human weakness and Divine grace, replenishing human weakness. In humility there is the action of almighty God, therefore humility is always filled with inexpressible and incomprehensible spiritual power that transforms a person and everything around.
Humility– this is a sober vision of oneself. A person who lacks humility can truly be compared to a drunk. How he is in euphoria, thinking that “the sea is knee-deep”, does not see himself from the outside and therefore is not able to correctly assess many difficult situations, and the lack of humility leads to spiritual euphoria - a person absolutely does not see himself from the outside and cannot adequately assess the situation in which he finds himself in relation to God, people and himself. Humility can be divided into these three categories only conditionally, theoretically, for ease of perception, but in essence it is one quality.
- Humility towards God is a vision of one’s sins, hope only in God’s mercy, but not in one’s own merits, love for Him, combined with uncomplainingly enduring life’s hardships and difficulties. Humility is the desire to subordinate one’s will to God’s holy will, the good and all-perfect will. Since the source of any virtue is God, then, along with humility, He Himself indwells the soul of a Christian. Humility will reign in the soul only when “Christ is represented” in it (Gal. 4:19).
- In relation to other people - lack of anger and irritation even towards those who, it would seem, fully deserve it. This sincere kindness is based on the fact that the Lord loves the person with whom the disagreement occurred, just as he loves you, and the ability not to identify your neighbor as God’s creation and his sins.
- A person who has humility towards himself does not look at the shortcomings of others, since he sees his own perfectly well. Moreover, in any conflict he blames only himself, and in response to any accusation or even insult addressed to him, such a person is ready to say a sincere “I’m sorry.” All patristic monastic literature says that without humility a good deed cannot be accomplished, and many saints said that you can have no other virtue other than humility and still find yourself close to God.
Of course, what is said is an ideal that every Christian, and not just a monk, should strive for, otherwise life in the church, and therefore the path to God, will turn out to be fruitless. It is no coincidence that the root of the word “humility” is the word “peace.” The presence of humility in the heart is truly evidenced by deep and lasting peace of mind, love for God and people, compassion for everyone, spiritual silence and joy, the ability to hear and understand the will of God, various points the perspective and position of other people.
In “The Ladder of Virtues Leading to Heaven” Rev. John Climacus writes about three degrees humility. The first degree consists of joyfully enduring humiliation, when the soul accepts it with open arms as medicine. In the second degree, all anger is destroyed. The third degree consists of complete distrust of one’s good deeds and an ever-present desire to learn (Ladder 25:8).
*** *** ***
…Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(Matt. 11:29)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
(Luke 14:11)
So you too, when you have fulfilled everything commanded you, say: we are worthless slaves, because we did what we had to do.
(Luke 17:10)
If you accept yourself only as a pitiful creature, then it is easy to allow and forgive yourself many kinds of iniquities; and in fact, considering himself lower beings in relation to Christ, people (let this not seem like some kind of exaggeration) refuse to follow Him to Calvary. To belittle in our consciousness the Creator’s eternal plan for man is not an indicator of humility, but delusion and, moreover, a great sin... If on the ascetic plane humility consists in considering oneself worse than everyone else, then on the theological plane divine humility is love, giving oneself without the rest, completely and completely.
Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)
Those who say or do anything without humility are like building a temple without cement. To gain and know humility through experience and reason is the property of very few. In short, those who talk about him are like those who measure the abyss. But we, the blind, who guess little about this great light, say: true humility neither speaks the words of the humble, nor assumes the appearance of the humble, does not force itself to think humbly about itself, and does not blaspheme itself while humbling itself. Although all these are rudiments, manifestations and different types humility, but it itself is grace and a gift from above.
St. Gregory Sinait
Love, mercy and humility differ only in their names, but their strength and actions are the same. Love and mercy cannot exist without humility, and humility cannot exist without mercy and love.
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky
Humility is not the destruction of human will, but the enlightenment of human will, its free submission to the Truth.
ON THE. Berdyaev
Humility
Not all people who appear humble have real humility. Some people who seem humble may actually be proud and will stop at nothing until they achieve what they want. Then there are those who use a mask of false humility to impress others.
A person who has humility does not inappropriately draw attention to himself or his abilities.
Another benefit of humility is that it keeps us from boasting. This ensures we don't irritate others and avoid embarrassing ourselves if they aren't thrilled with our accomplishments. A humble person listens to advice and accepts instruction. “Instructive teachings are the way to life.” (Prov. 6:23) Proud people do not accept instruction; they think that they never do anything wrong. Humble people, on the other hand, know they make mistakes and are grateful for guidance. If we are clothed with humility, we will respect others.
People agree that clashes between peoples and racial strife are explained by national and racial pride. But pride is the opposite of humility, and “pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18) In conditions of intense competition for power or resources, in which everyone is guided by their own rather than common interests, there is a lack or lack of humility. IN modern society there is an opinion that boasting, ambition, the desire to stand out, to break through the ranks by any means, allows you to achieve more life success rather than humility.
Berdyaev about humility: “Humility is the opening of the soul to reality... Considering yourself the most terrible sinner is the same conceit as considering yourself a saint... Humility is not the self-destruction of the human will, but enlightenment and free submission to its truth.”
Another option is humility is a holistic perception of Life, since situations and circumstances are an external reflection internal state human soul. Humility is revealed in a person in the process of spiritual growth and going beyond one’s own ego, which actively controls the human soul and limits its manifestations through creation negative reactions as a way of self-defense, which shares the unified process of realizing Life. It is necessary to separate the dignity of the ego and the dignity of God in man. As a rule, the latter is replaced by the former and humility is designated as a humiliation of the dignity of the ego-personality, forgetting that the dignity of God cannot be humiliated. Humility is one of the highest virtues of a person without which any “human goodness is an abomination before God” since this external goodness is only a beautiful mask covering internal imperfection. Humility is not slavish obedience and depression, it is the quality of the revealed divine dignity of man as a creation of God. In many major religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc., humility is one of the virtues that allows a person to live consciously with God already in this life. Over the years of militant atheism, the concept of “humility”, as well as other virtues, was given a distorted meaning, replacing true meaning with the aim of affirming life without God, which is already false from the very beginning, since until now man only discovers the laws of the universe, studies their action, and does not create them.
see also
Notes
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Synonyms:See what “Humility” is in other dictionaries:
Cm … Synonym dictionary
HUMILITY, humility is a virtue that can arise from the consciousness that perfection (divinity, moral ideal, sublime goal) to which a person strives remains infinitely distant. Humble behavior towards to the outside world … Philosophical Encyclopedia
HUMILITY, humility, many. no, cf. (book). 1. Action under Ch. humble humble. Humility of pride. 2. Awareness of one's shortcomings and weaknesses, combined with a lack of pride and arrogance. “I did not disguise the evil pride in words of humility.” Khomyakov... ... Dictionary Ushakova
HUMILITY, I, cf. 1. see come to terms with. 2. Lack of pride, willingness to obey someone else's will. Showy p. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
humility- A. Themes in the Bible HUMILITY as the theme of the first letter to the Corinthians: 1 Cor 1:29 B. Which implies humility, childlike kindness and purity: Matthew 18:1 4 repentance: Isa 66:2; Luke 18:13,14 submission to God: 2 Chronicles 34:27; Dan 5:22,23 seeking the face of God in prayer: ... ... Bible: Topical Dictionary
Humility- a positive spiritual and moral quality of a person, one of the highest Christian virtues, meaning a person’s ability to meekly endure adversity, forgive people their sins, be meek and not vain, overcome pride and... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)
Trust and submission to God, belittling oneself or recognizing one’s insignificance when it relates to objects of the highest dignity (B.S. Soloviev). Developing Christian humility in oneself is radical treatment souls, because it eliminates... ... Russian history
humility- great humility deep humility... Dictionary of Russian Idioms
Humility- (originally moderation, the same root as measure, and meant “restraint, moderation”) - awareness of one’s weaknesses and shortcomings, a feeling of contrition, repentance, modesty; curbing your negative feelings and aspirations. I fought bravely, but... ... encyclopedic Dictionary in psychology and pedagogy
Humility is that great thing that, unnoticed by others, happens in the heart of a person. About humility and what kind of humble person he is in modern world?
Humility. A humble man - who is he?
– Vladyka, today we would like to talk about humility and what kind of a humble person he is in the modern world?
– At first glance, it may seem that to humble yourself means to show weakness, but in fact, humility is what allows a person to adequately assess his place in the world: both in relation to God and in relation to his neighbors. Humility is that great thing that happens in a person’s heart without unnecessary effects, sometimes unnoticed by others. The opposite of humility is pride: the immoderate and even illegal (in the theological sense of the word) exaltation of one person over another, which can even go as far as rivalry with God. Pride is an already completed, formed type of human behavior, a passion that takes possession of him. Humility and pride are the two poles of the measure by which a person measures himself and his life, and this measure is determined by the state of his soul.
For example, a singer has good voice, it is clear that his voice is a gift from God. And if a person is humble (that is, he thinks about himself with humility, there is such a theological term), then he understands Who endowed him with this gift, he thanks the Lord for it. Such a person is truthful because he has not distorted the real state of things, and he adequately perceives what is happening. Another situation: the same singer believes that his voice is what sets him apart from those around him, he perceives this gift of God as his merit, as what makes him exceptional. And if he does not have humility, then he will look down on everyone, build relationships accordingly, and in the end, such a distorted perception of his place in this world leads to the fact that a person actually puts himself above God. This is how what we call the sinful path begins, because pride requires constant confirmation of his exclusivity, and he finds this confirmation in conquering someone, in the fact that he begins to commit sinful acts, hiding behind this exclusivity.
– In the New Testament, the idea is repeated more than once that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5.5), that is, if a person begins to do something out of pride, then nothing will work out for him . Is this really true?
- Certainly. A biblical example of this is the Tower of Babel, when people decided: “... let us build ourselves a city and a tower high to heaven, and make a name for ourselves...” (Gen. 11.4). The point is not about the height of the tower, that doesn’t matter, the question is about motivation - people wanted to build a tower up to Heaven in their own name, and this is not just human arrogance, this is pride. According to the word of God, which was spoken by His prophet Jeremiah, Babylon “revolted against the Lord.” So what happens next? As it is written: “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men were building. And the Lord said: Behold, there is one people, and they all have one language; and this is what they began to do, and they will not cease from what they have planned to do” (Gen. 11:5-6). And then God punishes people, but note that the punishment is educational in nature: “And the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth; and they stopped building the city [and the tower]. Therefore the name was given to it: Babylon (i.e. confusion. - M.G.), for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there he scattered them throughout all the earth” (Genesis 11:8–9). It was a desire to stop people invading God's inheritance. And here it is important to understand that the punishment - “the confusion of languages and the scattering of people” - was protective in relation to people, because the Lord saw that “they would not give up what they had planned,” and He stopped them on their sinful path. Remember, we wrote that even in paradise man had an attempt to take the place of God, to become “like the gods, those who know good and evil." When a person strives for his prototype, when he strives for “deification” - this is one thing, but when he, not commensurate with the fact that he is a creation, makes himself the center of everything - this is another. He himself, and not God, becomes the measure of all things, the center of the universe and at the same time the beginning of everything. This sin is called covetousness. And such a loss of one’s commensurability in this world leads to tragic consequences first of all for the person himself.
- How is it shown?
– Its destruction occurs, and it begins with the fact that a person ceases to see pride in himself as a sin. A proud person “carries only himself”, he sees only his mind, his talent, his merits, he does not notice anyone around, he makes himself the measure of everything - complete disorientation occurs. And on this sinful path, he moves further and further away from the Creator, he builds his relationships with the surrounding world accordingly: nature, people, and such relationships ricochet back to him.
In 1947, the creator of the first atomic bomb Jacob Oppenheimer said: “Physicists have known sin, and this knowledge they can no longer lose,” and unexpectedly abandoned the development of the hydrogen bomb. Historians of science can put forward different versions of the motive for this act of Oppenheimer, but at least its biblical roots famous saying obvious. I think he felt that people had invaded God's inheritance, and this would not go unpunished for humanity.
– Maybe any science is a violation of the Divine plan and the very daring to know something and create something (that is, become a creator) is sinful?
- Not at all like that. In the liturgical prayer read during the Liturgy of the Faithful, we ask the Lord: “And grant us, O Master, with boldness, dare without condemnation to call on You, Heavenly God the Father...” That is, we ask the Lord for boldness, and a person needs this boldness if we want to overcome, cognize, create something. Boldness and pride are two different things. What does pride have to do with it if a person has a talent given to him by God, and he cannot cope with it? He just has to give him a way out: write a book, make a film, this all applies to science. Another thing is that in science, in revealing the secrets of the universe, the question of moral choice, the question of good and evil, always arises even more acutely. But there is nothing sinful in boldness itself; pride manifests itself in How And for what this is boldness.
– Or we dare to build something “to heaven and in our name”...
– ...or we dare “by the will of God.” This is where pride manifests itself. In general, pride is not a simple sin. It seems to us that its signs are arrogance, arrogance, intolerance, vanity, etc. But there is, for example, such a very subtle type of pride as charm. A person is deceived by himself; deception is such self-deception, a spiritual illness, that it is very difficult to detect. This is a state when a person has lost his measure, but this did not happen as a result of some sinful action, but because of excessive zeal in spiritual matters, when he was not spiritually observed by anyone. For example, a person suddenly believed in his sinlessness: indeed, he does not smoke, does not drink, does not fornicate, observes all fasts and is clean from a formal point of view. But these actions (does not smoke, does not drink, fasts) reveal hidden pride in him, he begins to feel like the measure of everyone and everything. This is a very subtle temptation: the thought creeps into a person that he can do anything, that he is already righteous, and what’s more, almost a saint! What does he care about others! This, I repeat, is a rather subtle temptation typical of people who have already reached some heights.
Humility and Temptations
– Master, why do they say that the higher a person rises spiritually, the stronger the temptations?
-What did Satan do? There is a world created by God, and Satan created a mirror world that leads down. And if the Lord calls us to go up and we go, then we must remember that the higher we climb, spiritually improving and ascending to the heights of the Spirit, the steeper the abyss that opens up beneath us. Therefore, the higher a person has ascended, the deeper the abyss into which he can fall. This is an objectively existing pattern of the spiritual world, but this does not mean that one must, afraid of temptations, stand still or fluctuate around zero. It’s just that a person who has embarked on the spiritual path must understand that this is a special world and the further you go, the subtler the temptations can be. And if you have started a spiritual movement, then first of all you need to tell yourself: “I am not an exception, my coming to church in itself is not some kind of gift to God,” you need to be able to correctly place the emphasis. Because people who take their first steps in faith, especially those who engage in intellectual work, immediately have the feeling that they have gifted God with their appeal to Him - this is the first stage of temptation. And as a person learns the basics, he begins to actively teach others, he puts on the clothes of a righteous man, not realizing that one can, for example, observe all fasts, but at the same time be completely intolerant of one’s neighbor. Moreover, outwardly this will not necessarily be expressed in violent actions - condemnation, teaching, etc. Outwardly, he may look humble, he will humbly retire to his cell with the thought “what does he care about others, he is already a celestial inhabitant.”
harm.
– That is, having learned to fast, a person has not learned love, compassion, mercy?
– Yes, and all this comes from spiritual homelessness, but a person cannot see pride in himself, and it prevents him from repenting.
– So, external humility is deceptive?
- Certainly. Humility, like pride, are categories inner world people who can give different external manifestations related to temperament, character, upbringing. In order to be humble, it is not at all necessary to walk with a fast look, with your eyes downcast. A person can be humble despite his impetuous nature. They say that when Seraphim of Sarov was told: “Father, how humble you are, with what love you turn to everyone...”, he answered: “How humble I am, that soldier who greets those who come to the monastery, that’s how humble he is.” " “How can this be? - people were surprised. “This soldier literally attacks everyone.” But the fact is that this soldier, due to shell shock, wounds, illness, may have been irritable or intemperate, but in the way he himself suffered from this, how he repented and how he tried to hold on, there was the greatness of his humility.
- Master, before whom do we humble ourselves?
- Before God. Because if we humble ourselves before a person, then how will we find the line between humility and people-pleasing, which, as we know, is a sin? And if human dignity is affected, if there is an attack on the individual, how can one not resist? We humble ourselves before God, before His will, but every time His will is revealed to us in specific circumstances, therefore our humility is, so to speak, concrete. That’s why I’m always against harsh generalizations: this way it will be humble, but this way it won’t... No general recipe"How". And if there is, then it will not sound as we expect: “A person must correctly measure himself in relation to the Creator and to those around him (that is, have a measure), seek God’s will for himself, realizing that he himself can be a co-worker God, bringing light and goodness to this far from ideal world.” Humility does not mean that you are not a fighter; humility is the ability to stop evil, but in a different way. Do this not in the usual way, when a person responds to evil, even in defense. Indeed, in this case, strictly speaking, you do not stop it, you pass it on, and it, already multiplied, can return to you. Or you can do it differently: evil took up arms against you, but you stopped its development by accepting it into yourself and extinguishing it.
- That is, you were offended, but you did not answer, but not in the sense that you remained silent and hid the offense within yourself, but in the sense that you forgave, understood, justified.
- Yes. This does not mean that a humble person is unprotected. “Humble” is said about both warriors and fighters - this is a spiritual quality, because personality does not dissolve, we are all different.
That is, we are dealing with two systems of measures. One - pride - declares itself to be the measure of all things, it can manifest itself in different ways, but the essence will be the same: I am the center of everything, I have achieved something and therefore have the right to exclusivity. Another system of measures is humility. In theology they talk about humility and humility. This is a measure of attitude towards God and man, which can also be called a measure of thanksgiving, when a person is grateful to God both for the fact that He gave him talent, abilities, and for the fact that He sent him people in time and he succeeded, and for the fact that he is alive, healthy and can give thanks. And if we can reach such levels in our relationship with God, then we will become humble; we will perceive everything “with peace within ourselves,” in our souls.
– So, humility, when you don’t complain about what happens to you?
“You may grumble because of your character, but you still accept the will of God.” You know, it's like Gospel parable narrated by Jesus: “A certain man had two sons; and he, approaching the first, said: son! go today and work in my vineyard. But he answered: I don’t want to, and then, repenting, he went. And going up to the other, he said the same thing. This one said in response: I’m going, sir, but I didn’t go. Which of the two,” Jesus later asks, “did the will of the father?” (Matthew 21:28–31).
Confusion occurs due to the fact that people, mistakenly, consider humility to be avoiding problems, which means weakness. But humility is strength. Which inner strength must be in order to hear the voice of Christ among the many voices calling us, accept His will and reveal it, uniting God’s will with our own.
– So, contrary to popular belief, humility does not consist in the fact that you give up in the face of circumstances, do not establish yourself in the workplace, etc.
– You know, the point is that if a person is not affirmed on the rock, which is Christ, then any other statement he makes is worthless - you will still be destroyed.
How to learn humility
– Vladyka, there is an expression: “work humbles,” probably, it humbles fatigue, illness, and understanding of one’s weakness. And what else? And in general, how to learn humility?
– For an unhumble person, the understanding of his weakness can lead to aggression and ultimately to the destruction of his personality, but for a humble person - not. To become humble is, first of all, to overcome pride and spiritual laziness. After all, why is pride a sin? Because this is what separates man from God, this is the stumbling block between man and God. But if a person has taken a step towards God and repented, then he has already managed to overcome pride, and then comes the spiritual warfare that we have already written about.
– Vladyka, in the words of Ephraim the Syrian, “if a sinner acquires humility, then he will become righteous.” Why does humility have such power to cancel out everything?
– Yes, because to be humble is, first of all, to be a winner. Conquer your pride. And then humility lies in the fact that we understand that without God’s help we cannot overcome our sins. Remember how we pray: “Lord, grant me to see my sins.”
We cannot think that some spiritual exercises will immediately help us acquire humility. Many learned it through imitation of spiritual fathers, people who spiritually survived in this world. It happens that illnesses life circumstances teach us. The Apostle Paul said: “And lest I should become arrogant... I was given a thorn in the flesh.” And further: “...the angel of Satan oppresses me so that I do not become arrogant. Three times I prayed to the Lord to remove him from me. But Lord He said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
We have an elder Alexey in Stary Oskol, people simply call him: Alyosha from Stary Oskol. This is a physically very sick, weak person, he doesn’t even speak, and if he needs to answer a question, he simply moves his finger over a table with letters, and words come out. Or he runs his finger over the letters, and poetry comes out. And no matter what happens around him, in any situation, he is always surprisingly bright, he has so much love and warmth for people. For me, this Alyosha from Stary Oskol is the embodiment of humility.
A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov
In a time of unrest, despondency and debauchery
Do not judge a lost brother;
But, armed with prayer and the cross,
Before pride, humble your pride,
Before evil - love, know the sacred
And execute the spirit of darkness within yourself.
Don't say: “I am a drop in this ocean!
My sadness is powerless in the general grief,
My love will disappear without a trace..."
Humble your soul - and you will comprehend your power:
Trust love - and you will move mountains;
And tame the abyss of stormy waters!
Cry to Our Lady
What should I pray to You for, what should I ask of You? You see everything, you know it yourself, look into my soul and give it what it needs. You, who have endured everything, overcome everything, will understand everything. You, who cradled the baby in the manger and took Him with Your hands from the Cross, You alone know all the heights of joy, all the oppression of grief. You, who have received the entire human race as adoption, look at me with maternal care. From the snares of sin, lead me to Your Son. I see a tear watering Your face. It’s over me You shed it and let it wash away the traces of my sins. Here I have come, I am standing, I am waiting for Your response, O Mother of God, O All-Singing One, O Lady! I don’t ask for anything, I just stand before You. Only my poor heart human heart, exhausted in longing for the truth, I throw myself at Your Most Pure feet, Lady! Grant to all who call You to reach the eternal day by You and worship You face to face.
A. A. Korinfsky
Who poor in spirit- blessed... But, God,
You inspired my spirit with thoughts,
You made it possible to comprehend: what is more valuable,
What is higher than our perishable strength!..
You gave my dream freedom
And the gift of insight to the mind,
Penetration into nature
Sent to my ignorance...
Oh, let the chains fall
Overwhelming passions!
Clothe humility with a veil
All the nakedness of my soul!..