How to learn not to envy other people's Orthodoxy. Envy as a "deadly sin"
The judgment of Osiris is underway. The soul fell on him ancient Egyptian. The heart of the deceased is weighed on the scales held by the god Anubis. They look to see if the heart is heavy? Is it full of anger, sadness, greed and envy. If the heart turns out to be heavier than the feather that lies on the other side of the scale, then it will be eaten by the god Amat with the head of a crocodile. He doesn’t have to hope for enlightenment (read: the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal absolute happiness, Moksha in different religions)…
We have described to you an image from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Just four thousand years ago, envy was considered one of the conditions that were destructive to the soul and blocked its path to another bright world.
Envy... It destroys a person from the inside, although it is associated with situations occurring outside of him. She is able to settle in a person’s soul, regardless of temperament, age, experience, status. It doesn’t matter who you are: a millionaire or an unemployed person, a show business star or a housewife, a student or a famous athlete. This destructive and sinful feeling can creep into your heart.
In this article we will try to reveal how this destructive condition was perceived thousands of years ago and is perceived now, how it was interpreted in different religions and what are the results modern research this feeling.
What is sin?
If we turn to religion, then in both Christianity and Islam those emotions and actions that involve pleasure and personal gain are considered sins. But there is another side: sinful feelings and actions are aimed at self-destruction or the destruction of one’s own kind. The highest creation of God is undoubtedly man. Everything that is aimed at causing harm to a Person (themselves or others of the same Person) is considered sinful. Sins distance one from God, deprive a person of grace, change the state of his heart and change his activity.
Let us consider the harm caused by the example of some sins that are recognized as fatal. On a note! The epithet “deadly” in this situation is allegorical; it indicates not physical death, but the death of the soul. After all, it is she who dies when, by committing sins, a person falls away from God.
One of the sins is anger. Even in ancient times, people knew that anger is poison. It poisons a person so much that he begins to look like a demoniac: he is indignant, curses and torments himself, forgets about the peace of mind. This state is destructive and has a very negative effect.
Later, with the development of psychological sciences, anger was studied in more detail and its destructive nature was also proven. This strong emotion can result in a crime, because a person often directs it at people and objects around him. Without controlling himself, he can even kill a person. And if a negative emotion is not managed and you do not learn to suppress it, then it can lead to nervous exhaustion.
Take any sin: gluttony, fornication, despondency (laziness), greed, etc., they are all aimed at self-destruction.
What is envy?
In Wikipedia we read that “envy is a socio-psychological construct that covers various forms of social behavior and feelings that arise in relation to those who have something that the envier wants to have, but does not possess.
Psychologists define envy as a negative mental state that leads to destructive feelings and actions for a person. The individual seems unprotected from the successes of others: they are perceived as injustice and reduce self-esteem.
Envy in Christianity and biblical stories
- Envy is a devilish state of mind.
- This is sadness that your neighbor is doing well.
- The source of envy is pride: after all, a proud person cannot tolerate and accept that another has something that he does not have.
- Envy is the opposite of love.
- “If you find envy, you will find the devil with it” (St. Isaac the Syrian).
Such definitions of envy were given by the holy fathers in different centuries. They all have one thing in common: the complete conviction that this feeling has a destructive beginning for the person himself, in whose heart a “worm” has settled and gnaws at him day and night, making him deeply unhappy.
What is the essence of envy, according to church leaders? They believe that everyone is given exactly as much as is predetermined by God’s plan. Envy gives rise to the desire to possess what someone else has, but you don’t. It comes into conflict with God’s plan and puts a person in a kind of “confrontation” with the Lord, that is, on the side of the Devil.
Wikipedia identifies several stages in the development of this harmful feeling:
- inappropriate competition;
- zeal with vexation;
- censure (slander) towards someone towards whom envy is felt.
These stages are indicated in the work “On Envy” by St. Ambrose of Optina. It also contains a parable in which various destructive passions were compared. Her main idea is that you cannot please an envious person:
“Once upon a time, a Greek king wanted to know who was worse than the money-lover and envious one. He called both of them to him. The king told them that they asked him for something, just let them know that he would give the second more than what the first asked.
And the “competition” between the envious man and the money-lover began as to who would ask for more, and no one knew who to ask first. Then the king ordered the envious man to ask first. Then the envious one, driven by hatred of the money-lover, said: “Gouge out my eye.”
The king was surprised by this request and wanted to know the reason for this desire. The envious man replied: “Then you will order my opponent to gouge out both his eyes.” This is the essence of envy: the person who is possessed by it desires harm to another so much that he is ready to harm even himself.
The Story of Cain and Abel
According to the Bible and the Koran, the first manifestation of envy was the feeling that flared up in the heart of Cain. It deprived one of God's blood brothers of his mind and pushed him to murder. The essence of the story is that Cain and Abel brought gifts to the Lord: the first - the fruits of the earth, and the second - lambs. But God did not respect the gifts of Cain, for which he rebelled against Abel and killed him. There are up to a dozen interpretations of this story, but one thing is clear: a feeling of envy led to murder, to the destruction of one’s neighbor.
The story of Joseph and his brothers
The sons of Jacob were jealous of their brother Joseph because their father singled him out from the rest and loved him more than all of them. The envy in their hearts boiled even more when He spoke about His dreams. The interpretation of Joseph's dreams was clear: it indicated that in the future he would dominate his brothers.
Overwhelmed by envy, the brothers decided to destroy their brother: first they threw him into a ditch so that he would meet his death there, then, so as not to take on the sin of murder, they sold him into slavery to passing merchants.
The story of David and the envy of King Saul
David served King Saul and, as a warrior, was distinguished by his courage. When they returned after defeating the Philistines, the people greeted them with the words: “King Saul defeated thousands, and David - tens of thousands.” Then a worm of envy settled in Saul’s heart and he decided to get rid of David, but he did not know that the Lord was with him. He tried to kill him several times, but the king did not succeed.
Perhaps the most famous example of destructive envy is the tragic situation with Jesus Christ. The Pharisees and scribes, driven by envy and a thirst for primacy and power, did everything so that Christ would be crucified and die on the cross.
Envy can creep into the soul of anyone: both a monarch and a commoner, a person of any status and age. Psychologists note that people over 50 are less envious. I think this is due to the fact that with age you begin to appreciate what you have more and not waste your mental strength on comparing yourself with others.
Envy in Buddhism
In the sacred book of Buddhism - the Tibetan Book of the Dead - envy is not included in the 5 main sins (they are called “limitless”: inciting strife among religious communities, paternal and matricide, killing a saint and shedding the blood of a Buddha. Envy has a higher and lower manifestation. In the first case, it personifies perseverance, the desire to achieve a goal and fearlessness (there are similarities with the characteristics of “white envy” in our understanding, isn’t it?) In the second, lower manifestation, envy is similar to a deadly poison and stands in the same row as hatred, lust, pride and stupidity. But the difference from the Christian and modern interpretation of this sin is that this feeling is considered harmful not because of the pain that it causes to the envious person and others. The destructive power of envy is that it is not envy allows the deceased to be reborn, as it fetters his consciousness with memories of earthly life.
About the destructive power of envy through the eyes of psychologists
Undoubtedly, in psychology, envy is considered a destructive feeling. Entire programs and algorithms have been created to overcome it. It is clear as daylight that this feeling must be fought, since it poisons a person’s life. Or rather, a person stops living in pleasure, turning every day into torture.
Experts distinguish two types of envy...
- Unconscious. A person does not realize that he is experiencing negative emotions due to the fact that those around him work better, buy and have more. Being unconscious, the feeling is disguised as a constant bad mood, irritability, depressive symptoms, and dissatisfaction with life. If you do not work to eliminate these psychological problems, then it is fraught with neuroses, family and personal dramas - everything that can irrevocably ruin a person’s life.
- Conscious. It can be no less painful. A person experiencing envy understands that this feeling is socially condemned, that it is sinful (if he is a believer). This consciousness is accompanied by painful experiences and the desire to get rid of negative emotions (unless, of course, we are talking about a deeply immoral person).
Is it possible to overcome negative feelings?
If a person has enough mental strength, motivation, opportunities, and most importantly, if he has the desire to get rid of a sinful feeling, then he will overcome it in a constructive way. Having recognized the successes of others, he will direct all his efforts to becoming better and more successful. In this situation, “the happiness of his neighbor” will become an impetus for him to achieve his own happiness. This type of envy is also called “white”.
The situation is completely different with “black envy”. It is dangerous for the person himself or for those around him in relation to whom it arose. The envious person tries to get rid not of the emotion itself, but of the source that caused such a “storm” in him. Mental anguish lead to aggression directed at oneself, at objects, at others and the desire to destroy the source of envy. Psychologists distinguish several types of destruction:
- Symbolic (tearing up a photograph, turning to sorcerers, repeating a thought and sincerely believing that the other person’s luck will end there and misfortune will befall him).
- Psychological. It is expressed in bullying, humiliation, belittling, and spreading rumors. All these actions are aimed at ruining the good relationship of the person being envied and making him suffer.
- Physical (ruin, arson, removal from the road, etc.)
- Fatal biological (murder).
All these methods are destructive and belong to crimes. They clearly prove that we are dealing with a sinful feeling (although in this situation it is viewed from a scientific point of view, and not through the prism of religion).
Psychologists are sure that envious people poison their lives, they are deeply unhappy, they perceive events negatively, they turn the joy and happiness of others into their own irritability, the successes of others into their own inferiority.
Envy is mortally dangerous. Wolfgang Gruber, an Austrian psychologist and psychosomatic specialist, has been conducting research for many years. He is interested in how feelings and emotions lead to illness. He named the 5 most destructive feelings: envy, jealousy, greed, self-pity and self-flagellation. He proved that envy is a slow poison and increases the risk of a heart attack by 2.5 times.
Envy in history
Some historians and researchers note that envy can change the course of history, as, for example, it did at the beginning of the 20th century. In their opinion, the masses, driven by a feeling of envy of what is superior and has already established qualities, staged a coup - the Russian Revolution of 2017. They tried to achieve equality at all costs.
Is everyone equally susceptible to envy?
It is believed that not everyone is equally susceptible to this deadly sin. Psychologists note that children grow up envious due to the fault of their parents. This happens when a child has been instilled with destructive attitudes:
- They were not taught to accept themselves as they are.
- They didn’t let me feel the manifestations unconditional love. Praise only for achieving certain goals is not what children need.
- They scolded us for any failure to follow the rules. They used physical punishment and said offensive words to him.
- They were instilled with the idea that living is hard, making money is difficult, wealth is bad, restrictions and sacrifice are normal.
- They were not allowed to use their own things at their own discretion.
- They developed a feeling of guilt for joy, success, happiness.
The result of such an attitude and upbringing is a person who does not know how to enjoy life, is unsure of himself, with a large number of complexes and restrictions. Unable to realize himself, he destroys the psyche with envy arising in it.
It is important to convey to the child that comparing and identifying oneself with others is wrong. After all, it is the “worse-better” criterion that becomes the main one in assessing actions and achievements. One cannot help but recall the words of church ministers: “What we sow, so we reap,” “Where there is no love, there is envy.”
Both psychologists and church ministers are confident that it is necessary to eradicate envy in oneself, because it corrodes the soul, like rust corrodes iron. It is its destructive nature that makes it the main sin; moreover, envy does not go alone: along with it comes the lust for power, the “love of money,” crimes up to and including murder.
The judgment of Osiris is underway. The soul of an ancient Egyptian fell on him. The heart of the deceased is weighed on the scales held by the god Anubis. They look to see if the heart is heavy? Is it full of anger, sadness, greed and envy. If the heart turns out to be heavier than the feather that lies on the other side of the scale, then it will be eaten by the god Amat with the head of a crocodile. He doesn’t have to hope for enlightenment (read: the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal absolute happiness, Moksha in different religions)…
We have described to you an image from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Just four thousand years ago, envy was considered one of the conditions that were destructive to the soul and blocked its path to another bright world.
Envy... It destroys a person from the inside, although it is associated with situations occurring outside of him. She is able to settle in a person’s soul, regardless of temperament, age, experience, status. It doesn’t matter who you are: a millionaire or an unemployed person, a show business star or a housewife, a student or a famous athlete. This destructive and sinful feeling can creep into your heart.
In this article we will try to reveal how this destructive state was perceived thousands of years ago and is perceived now, how it was interpreted in different religions and what are the results of modern research into this feeling.
What is sin?
If we turn to religion, then in both Christianity and Islam those emotions and actions that involve pleasure and personal gain are considered sins. But there is another side: sinful feelings and actions are aimed at self-destruction or the destruction of one’s own kind. The highest creation of God is undoubtedly man. Everything that is aimed at causing harm to a Person (themselves or others of the same Person) is considered sinful. Sins distance one from God, deprive a person of grace, change the state of his heart and change his activity.
Let us consider the harm caused by the example of some sins that are recognized as fatal. On a note! The epithet “deadly” in this situation is allegorical; it indicates not physical death, but the death of the soul. After all, it is she who dies when, by committing sins, a person falls away from God.
One of the sins is anger. Even in ancient times, people knew that anger is poison. It poisons a person so much that he begins to look like a demoniac: he is indignant, curses and torments himself, forgets about the peace of mind. This state is destructive and has a very negative effect.
Later, with the development of psychological sciences, anger was studied in more detail and its destructive nature was also proven. This strong emotion can result in a crime, because a person often directs it at people and objects around him. Without controlling himself, he can even kill a person. And if a negative emotion is not managed and you do not learn to suppress it, then it can lead to nervous exhaustion.
Take any sin: gluttony, fornication, despondency (laziness), greed, etc., they are all aimed at self-destruction.
What is envy?
In Wikipedia we read that “envy is a socio-psychological construct that covers various forms of social behavior and feelings that arise in relation to those who have something that the envier wants to have, but does not possess.
Psychologists define envy as a negative mental state that leads to destructive feelings and actions for a person. The individual seems unprotected from the successes of others: they are perceived as injustice and reduce self-esteem.
Envy in Christianity and biblical stories
- Envy is a devilish state of mind.
- This is sadness that your neighbor is doing well.
- The source of envy is pride: after all, a proud person cannot tolerate and accept that another has something that he does not have.
- Envy is the opposite of love.
- “If you find envy, you will find the devil with it” (St. Isaac the Syrian).
Such definitions of envy were given by the holy fathers in different centuries. They all have one thing in common: the complete conviction that this feeling has a destructive beginning for the person himself, in whose heart a “worm” has settled and gnaws at him day and night, making him deeply unhappy.
What is the essence of envy, according to church leaders? They believe that everyone is given exactly as much as is predetermined by God’s plan. Envy gives rise to the desire to possess what someone else has, but you don’t. It comes into conflict with God’s plan and puts a person in a kind of “confrontation” with the Lord, that is, on the side of the Devil.
Wikipedia identifies several stages in the development of this harmful feeling:
- inappropriate competition;
- zeal with vexation;
- censure (slander) towards someone towards whom envy is felt.
These stages are indicated in the work “On Envy” by St. Ambrose of Optina. It also contains a parable in which various destructive passions were compared. Her main idea is that you cannot please an envious person:
“Once upon a time, a Greek king wanted to know who was worse than the money-lover and envious one. He called both of them to him. The king told them that they asked him for something, just let them know that he would give the second more than what the first asked.
And the “competition” between the envious man and the money-lover began as to who would ask for more, and no one knew who to ask first. Then the king ordered the envious man to ask first. Then the envious one, driven by hatred of the money-lover, said: “Gouge out my eye.”
The king was surprised by this request and wanted to know the reason for this desire. The envious man replied: “Then you will order my opponent to gouge out both his eyes.” This is the essence of envy: the person who is possessed by it desires harm to another so much that he is ready to harm even himself.
The Story of Cain and Abel
According to the Bible and the Koran, the first manifestation of envy was the feeling that flared up in the heart of Cain. It deprived one of God's blood brothers of his mind and pushed him to murder. The essence of the story is that Cain and Abel brought gifts to the Lord: the first - the fruits of the earth, and the second - lambs. But God did not respect the gifts of Cain, for which he rebelled against Abel and killed him. There are up to a dozen interpretations of this story, but one thing is clear: a feeling of envy led to murder, to the destruction of one’s neighbor.
The story of Joseph and his brothers
The sons of Jacob were jealous of their brother Joseph because their father singled him out from the rest and loved him more than all of them. The envy in their hearts boiled even more when He spoke about His dreams. The interpretation of Joseph's dreams was clear: it indicated that in the future he would dominate his brothers.
Overwhelmed by envy, the brothers decided to destroy their brother: first they threw him into a ditch so that he would meet his death there, then, so as not to take on the sin of murder, they sold him into slavery to passing merchants.
The story of David and the envy of King Saul
David served King Saul and, as a warrior, was distinguished by his courage. When they returned after defeating the Philistines, the people greeted them with the words: “King Saul defeated thousands, and David - tens of thousands.” Then a worm of envy settled in Saul’s heart and he decided to get rid of David, but he did not know that the Lord was with him. He tried to kill him several times, but the king did not succeed.
Perhaps the most famous example of destructive envy is the tragic situation with Jesus Christ. The Pharisees and scribes, driven by envy and a thirst for primacy and power, did everything so that Christ would be crucified and die on the cross.
Envy can creep into the soul of anyone: both a monarch and a commoner, a person of any status and age. Psychologists note that people over 50 are less envious. I think this is due to the fact that with age you begin to appreciate what you have more and not waste your mental strength on comparing yourself with others.
Envy in Buddhism
In the sacred book of Buddhism - the Tibetan Book of the Dead - envy is not included in the 5 main sins (they are called “limitless”: inciting strife among religious communities, paternal and matricide, killing a saint and shedding the blood of a Buddha. Envy has a higher and lower manifestation. In the first case, it personifies perseverance, the desire to achieve a goal and fearlessness (there are similarities with the characteristics of “white envy” in our understanding, isn’t it?) In the second, lower manifestation, envy is similar to a deadly poison and stands in the same row as hatred, lust, pride and stupidity. But the difference from the Christian and modern interpretation of this sin is that this feeling is considered harmful not because of the pain that it causes to the envious person and others. The destructive power of envy is that it is not envy allows the deceased to be reborn, as it fetters his consciousness with memories of earthly life.
About the destructive power of envy through the eyes of psychologists
Undoubtedly, in psychology, envy is considered a destructive feeling. Entire programs and algorithms have been created to overcome it. It is clear as daylight that this feeling must be fought, since it poisons a person’s life. Or rather, a person stops living in pleasure, turning every day into torture.
Experts distinguish two types of envy...
- Unconscious. A person does not realize that he is experiencing negative emotions due to the fact that those around him work better, buy and have more. Being unconscious, the feeling is disguised as a constant bad mood, irritability, depressive symptoms, and dissatisfaction with life. If you do not work to eliminate these psychological problems, then it is fraught with neuroses, family and personal dramas - everything that can irrevocably ruin a person’s life.
- Conscious. It can be no less painful. A person experiencing envy understands that this feeling is socially condemned, that it is sinful (if he is a believer). This consciousness is accompanied by painful experiences and the desire to get rid of negative emotions (unless, of course, we are talking about a deeply immoral person).
Is it possible to overcome negative feelings?
If a person has enough mental strength, motivation, opportunities, and most importantly, if he has the desire to get rid of a sinful feeling, then he will overcome it in a constructive way. Having recognized the successes of others, he will direct all his efforts to becoming better and more successful. In this situation, “the happiness of his neighbor” will become an impetus for him to achieve his own happiness. This type of envy is also called “white”.
The situation is completely different with “black envy”. It is dangerous for the person himself or for those around him in relation to whom it arose. The envious person tries to get rid not of the emotion itself, but of the source that caused such a “storm” in him. Mental anguish leads to aggression directed at oneself, at objects, at others and the desire to destroy the source of envy. Psychologists distinguish several types of destruction:
- Symbolic (tearing up a photograph, turning to sorcerers, repeating a thought and sincerely believing that the other person’s luck will end there and misfortune will befall him).
- Psychological. It is expressed in bullying, humiliation, belittling, and spreading rumors. All these actions are aimed at ruining the good relationship of the person being envied and making him suffer.
- Physical (ruin, arson, removal from the road, etc.)
- Fatal biological (murder).
All these methods are destructive and belong to crimes. They clearly prove that we are dealing with a sinful feeling (although in this situation it is viewed from a scientific point of view, and not through the prism of religion).
Psychologists are sure that envious people poison their lives, they are deeply unhappy, they perceive events negatively, they turn the joy and happiness of others into their own irritability, the successes of others into their own inferiority.
Envy is mortally dangerous. Wolfgang Gruber, an Austrian psychologist and psychosomatic specialist, has been conducting research for many years. He is interested in how feelings and emotions lead to illness. He named the 5 most destructive feelings: envy, jealousy, greed, self-pity and self-flagellation. He proved that envy is a slow poison and increases the risk of a heart attack by 2.5 times.
Envy in history
Some historians and researchers note that envy can change the course of history, as, for example, it did at the beginning of the 20th century. In their opinion, the masses, driven by a feeling of envy of what is superior and has already established qualities, staged a coup - the Russian Revolution of 2017. They tried to achieve equality at all costs.
Is everyone equally susceptible to envy?
It is believed that not everyone is equally susceptible to this deadly sin. Psychologists note that children grow up envious due to the fault of their parents. This happens when a child has been instilled with destructive attitudes:
- They were not taught to accept themselves as they are.
- They were not allowed to feel manifestations of unconditional love. Praise only for achieving certain goals is not what children need.
- They scolded us for any failure to follow the rules. They used physical punishment and said offensive words to him.
- They were instilled with the idea that living is hard, making money is difficult, wealth is bad, restrictions and sacrifice are normal.
- They were not allowed to use their own things at their own discretion.
- They developed a feeling of guilt for joy, success, happiness.
The result of such an attitude and upbringing is a person who does not know how to enjoy life, is unsure of himself, with a large number of complexes and restrictions. Unable to realize himself, he destroys the psyche with envy arising in it.
It is important to convey to the child that comparing and identifying oneself with others is wrong. After all, it is the “worse-better” criterion that becomes the main one in assessing actions and achievements. One cannot help but recall the words of church ministers: “What we sow, so we reap,” “Where there is no love, there is envy.”
Both psychologists and church ministers are confident that it is necessary to eradicate envy in oneself, because it corrodes the soul, like rust corrodes iron. It is its destructive nature that makes it the main sin; moreover, envy does not go alone: along with it comes the lust for power, the “love of money,” crimes up to and including murder.
The Seven Deadly Sins, or Psychology of Vice [for believers and non-believers] Shcherbatykh Yuri Viktorovich
Envy is like a mortal sin
Envy is like a mortal sin
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
Exodus 20; 17
Envy is one of the sins prohibited by the Ten Commandments; it lies in the fact that a person wants to possess what does not belong to him. The object of envy can be both material wealth and intangible things (beauty, success, virtue, etc.). The fact is that trust in God presupposes that everything a person possesses comes from God: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” At the same time, according to church ministers, God gives each person what he needs in accordance with God’s plan. The desire to possess what God has given to another person, therefore, by definition, contradicts the plans and intentions of the Creator. Thus, it turns out that envy contains a person’s desire to carry out his will contrary to the will of God.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, includes envy among the “works of the flesh,” which he contrasts with the fruits of the Spirit. In addition, the apostle in his letter to Timothy specifically notes that envy is not necessarily aimed at material wealth. A very significant reason for it is the desire for primacy and power. The most striking and tragic example of envy is the envy of the Pharisees and scribes towards Jesus Christ, which led to the death of the Savior on the cross.
Despite the fact that envy is included in the list of the seven deadly sins, and despite the fact that this feeling causes a lot of trouble, it has not yet been overcome. Interestingly, the sequence of the main vices changed over time. Even Pope Gregory the Great, who lived in the 7th century, when compiling a list based on the eight thoughts of Evagrius of Pontus, replaced “sadness” with “envy.” Then she was fourth on the list of sins. And in the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas proposed using the sequence that is best known today: laziness, envy, anger, despondency, greed, gluttony, fornication - that is, he put envy in second place.
Rene Descartes considered envy to be a special type of sadness, mixed with hatred, which is experienced when they see good in those whom they consider unworthy of this good. And from this point of view, according to the philosopher, it can be excused if the feeling is directed against those in whose hands the benefit received can turn into evil. But at the same time, Descartes called envy a vice, which is a natural perversity that makes people annoyed at the sight of the good that befalls others. According to the French philosopher, this feeling, like no other, harms the well-being of people, taking away joy not only from the envious person himself, but also from those around him.
Unfortunately, we must admit that we are all susceptible to this sin to one degree or another. This is due to the fact that any person always has a certain number of needs that he cannot satisfy, and ambitions where other people surpass him. And also because it is much easier to explain our mistakes and shortcomings not by our own weakness and laziness, but by the mistake or injustice of fate, which for some reason benefited others instead of us.
People often boast of the most criminal passions, but no one dares to admit to envy, a timid and bashful passion.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
An interesting picture emerges - all people are jealous, but almost no one admits to their sin. Why? Mikhail Weller answered this question well: “Why are we ashamed of our envy? Or rather, are we ashamed to show it? Because it means admitting that the level of your capabilities is below the level of ambition. That you can't do what you want. This means publicly admitting one’s insignificance, weakness, and recognizing another as better than oneself.”
This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Disappearing People. Shame and appearance author Kilborn BenjaminSin outside and outside is sin Renaissance artist Massachio depicted Adam and Eve covering their eyes at the moment when an angel leads them out of Eden in shame. Perhaps Adam and Eve lowered their eyes so as not to see how God looked at them condemningly - like
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From the book Family Secrets that Get in the Way of Living by Carder Dave“Compulsive illness is a sin” This attitude, more than any other, has caused the death of Christians. It limits the perception of diseases in the occurrence and development of which the compulsive component plays a leading role, exclusively
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From the book Coma: The Key to Awakening author Mindell Arnold From the book How to Influence. New management style by Owen Joe From the book Stratagems. About the Chinese art of living and surviving. TT. 12 author von Senger Harro From the book Listen to your best friend - listen to your body by Viilma LuuleInability is not a sin From the moment the foremother wanted to rule over a man, she lost the instinct of motherhood. What does this mean? When the foremother lay with a man, she conceived a child. This happened at the level of instincts, and the child who symbolically stepped on
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Shchmch. Cyprian of Carthage:
[Envy] is the root of all evil, the source of devastation, the breeding ground for sins, the cause of crime.
Rev. Abba Isaiah:
If envy overcomes you, then remember that we are all members of Christ and that both the honor and dishonor of our neighbor are common to us, and you will calm down.
Woe to the envious, for they make themselves alien to the goodness of God.
It is impossible for anyone who wants to become famous among people to be without envy; and whoever has envy cannot acquire humility.
St. Basil the Great:
Envy is grief for the well-being of one's neighbor.
No other passion, more destructive than envy, arises in human souls.
Just as rust eats away iron, so envy eats away the soul in which it lives.
Just as... [echidnas] are born by gnawing the womb that bears them, so envy usually devours the soul in which it is born.
Let us... beware of envy, so as not to become accomplices in the affairs of the enemy, and subsequently not be subjected to the same condemnation as him.
[Envy] is less harmful to strangers, but the first and closest evil for the one who has it.
An envious person never lacks sorrows and sorrows.
[Envy] is a corruption of life, a desecration of nature, enmity against what is given to us from God, resistance to God.
Envy is the most insurmountable type of enmity.
Other ill-wishers are made more meek by beneficence. The envious and malicious is even more irritated by the good done to him.
[Envy] - with this one weapon, from the foundation of the world until the end of the age, everyone is wounded and overthrown by the destroyer of our life - the devil...
The devil... rejoices at our destruction, he himself fell from envy and overthrows us with himself with the same passion.
Won't you be horrified by making yourself a servant of a destructive demon, and allow evil [envy] into yourself, from which you will become an enemy of people... and God.
Arrows thrown strongly, when they hit something hard and elastic, fly back to the one who fired them; so the movements of envy, without harming the object of envy, strike the envious person. Who, upset by the perfections of his neighbor, diminished them through this? Meanwhile, consumed by grief, he exhausts himself.
Those suffering from envy are considered even more harmful than poisonous animals. They let poison in through the wound, and the bitten place gradually rots; About the envious, others think that they cause harm with one glance, so that from their envious glance, bodies of strong build, blooming with all their beauty in their youth, begin to wither. All their fullness suddenly disappears, as if some destructive, harmful and destructive stream is pouring from envious eyes. I reject such a belief, because it is common among the people and is brought into women's chambers by old women; but I affirm that the haters of good - demons, when they find in people the wills characteristic of demons, they use all measures to take advantage of them for their own intentions; This is why the eyes of the envious are used to serve their own will.
From envy, as from a source, flows for us death, deprivation of goods, alienation from God, confusion of statutes, and the degradation of all in the totality of worldly blessings.
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:
Whoever has envy and rivalry is the enemy of everyone, because he does not want anyone else to be preferred. He humiliates those who deserve approval; whoever walks the good path puts temptations in the way: he who lives as he should, he reproaches, he abhors those who are reverent, he who fasts is called vain, he who is diligent in psalmody, he who loves to show off, he who is quick to serve, he is greedy, he who is efficient in business is a lover of fame, and he who diligently studies books is an idle lover... Woe to the envious, because his heart is always exhausted from sadness, his body is consumed by pallor, and his strength is exhausted.
[Envious], if he sees [a person] having fallen, he denigrates him before everyone.
An envious person never rejoices in the success of another. If he sees someone who is careless about the matter, he will not encourage, but rather instruct him to do worse.
[The envious person] is intolerable to everyone, he is the enemy of everyone, he hates everyone, he is a hypocrite before everyone, he plots intrigues for everyone, he wears a disguise in front of everyone...
Envy and rivalry are a terrible poison: they will give birth to slander, hatred and murder.
[The envious one] is now friends with one, and tomorrow with another, and in his disposition towards everyone changes, conforms to the desires of everyone, and after a while he condemns everyone, denigrates one before another...
He who is jealous of his brother's success excommunicates himself from eternal life, and he who helps his brother will be his partner in eternal life.
Why is the good reputation of a successful person unpleasant for you, O man? You will not be saved if one or the other does not receive salvation. Or will you reign only because many will be expelled from the Kingdom of Heaven? You are not the only one who will find a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. You are not the only one destined for heavenly joy. Why does the salvation of many grieve you? So, do not disgrace the deeds of pure love, and do not replace the deeds of lawful living with vexation and severe malice. Let no one deceive you - neither man, nor the devil, nor the thought nesting in the heart. It is an impossible task to bring virtue to solidity without dissolving it with love.
It is a demonic disposition to be offended by the virtues of those who excel. Hatred has taken root in the demons; What they want most is for everyone to perish completely.
We should not envy our brother’s success, because we are members of the body of Christ.
Agree that it is better to die than to succumb to envy.
The vigil of the envious is quite harmful; vigilance is his most shameful and inglorious acquisition.
Silent envy can become an arrow...
St. Gregory the Theologian:
Envy is contrition for the success of one's neighbors...
St. Gregory of Nyssa:
Envy is the beginning of evil passions, the father of death, the first door to sin, the root of vice, the birth of sadness, the mother of disasters, the reason for disobedience, the beginning of shame. Envy drove us out of paradise, becoming a serpent before Eve; envy blocked access to the tree of life and, stripping us of the sacred garments, led us to the branches of the fig tree because of shame. Envy armed Cain against nature, and brought about death avenged seven times (see: Gen. 4:15). Envy made Joseph a slave. Envy is a deadly sting, a hidden weapon, a disease of nature, a bile poison, voluntary exhaustion, a cruelly stinging arrow, a nail for the soul, a flame that burns the insides. For envy, failure is not one’s own evil, but someone else’s good; and vice versa, also for her, luck is not her own good, but her neighbor’s bad. Envy is tormented by people's success and laughs at their misfortunes.
St. John Chrysostom:
Such is envy: it goes against one’s own good, and the envious one would rather endure a thousand disasters than see his neighbor glorified...
Those who envy cause themselves the greatest harm and bring upon themselves great destruction.
Just as a worm born in a tree first of all eats the tree itself, so envy first of all crushes the very soul that gave birth to it within itself. And to the one whom she envies, she does not do what she would like him to do, but the completely opposite.
The malice of those who envy only brings greater glory to those who are subject to their envy, because those suffering from envy bend God to their aid and enjoy assistance from above, and the envier, being deprived of the grace of God, easily falls into the hands of everyone.
Let us... run away from this destructive passion and with all our might pluck it from our souls. This is the most destructive of all passions and harms our very salvation; this is the invention of the devil himself.
Enslaved before any external enemies by his own passion, he [the envious one] seems to crush himself, and, as if devoured by invisible teeth and thus exhausted within himself... plunges into the abyss.
That's what envy is: it doesn't do anything with reasoning.
Such is this destructive passion: it will not stop until the person carried away by it is cast into the abyss, until it leads him to sin - murder, because the root of murder is envy.
When it [envy] takes possession of the soul, it does not leave it until it brings it to the last degree of recklessness...
Being... captivated by it [envy], a person does everything against his salvation.
Just as moth wears through wool, so envy gnaws at the envious person and makes the one who is subjected to it more glorious.
Those who succumbed to the inspiration of envy exchanged freedom for slavery, and the envied one became a king.
Oh, envy, the sister of hypocrisy, the author of deceit, the sower of murder, the serpent's seed, the destructive flower. What's worse than envy? Nothing. And what gave birth to death itself? Nothing else but envy...
The pig loves to wallow in the mud, demons love to harm us; So the envious one rejoices at the misfortune of his neighbor.
There is no evil worse than it [envy]. A fornicator, for example, at least receives some pleasure and commits his sin in a short time, but an envious person torments and torments himself before the one he envies, and never abandons his sin, but always remains in it.
When something unpleasant happens to a neighbor, then he [the envious person] is calm and cheerful, considering other people’s misfortunes to be his happiness, and the well-being of others to be his misfortune, and is looking not for what might please him, but for what might sadden his neighbor.
Just as beetles feed on dung, so they [envious people], being in some way the common enemies and adversaries of nature, find food for themselves in the misfortunes of others.
Cry and groan, weep and pray to God, learn to treat it [envy] as a grave sin, and repent of it. If you do this, you will soon be cured of this illness.
Envy turns a person into a devil, and makes him a fierce demon.
Nowadays, envy is not considered a vice, which is why they don’t bother to get rid of it...
It [envy] always plots intrigues against good neighbors and torments those who suffer from it and surrounds them with countless disasters.
An envious person even looks at the person most favored towards him as an enemy...
A great evil is envy... it blinds the eyes of the soul, contrary to the own benefit of the one obsessed with it.
Just as those who are enraged often turn their swords on themselves, so the envious, having only one thing in mind - harm to the one they envy, lose their own salvation.
...[Envious people] are worse than wild animals and like demons, and perhaps even worse than them. Demons have irreconcilable enmity only against us, and do not plot against those who are similar to themselves by nature...
The envious do not respect the unity of nature, nor do they spare themselves: even before they harm the one they envy, they torment their own souls, filling them in vain and needlessly with all sorts of anxiety and discontent.
Even if you gave alms, even if you led a sober life, even if you fasted, you are the most criminal of all if you envy your brother.
There is nothing more persistent than this passion [envy], and it does not easily yield to healing if we are not careful.
Just as we offend God by envying the good of others, so we please Him by rejoicing with others, and we make ourselves participants in the good things prepared for virtuous people.
There is nothing worse than envy and anger. Through them, death entered the world. When the devil saw a man in honor, he could not bear his prosperity and did everything to destroy him.
The envious person only has in mind how to satisfy his desire; and even if he had to undergo punishment or death, he remains devoted to his passion alone.
Envy is a poisonous beast, an unclean beast, an evil of will that does not deserve forgiveness, a vice for which there is no justification, the cause and mother of all evils.
The envious person lives in continuous death, considers everyone his enemies, even those who have not offended him in any way. He grieves over the fact that honor is given to God, and rejoices at what the devil rejoices at.
Envy is a terrible evil and full of hypocrisy. She filled the universe with countless disasters. Because of this disease, the courts are filled with defendants. From her [is] the passion for fame and acquisition; from her lust for power and pride.
Whatever evil you see, know that it comes from envy. She invaded the Church too. It has long been the cause of many evils. She gave birth to the love of money. This disease has distorted everything and corrupted the truth.
Even if someone performed miracles, even if he observed virginity and fasting and slept on the ground, even if he equaled the Angels in virtue, but if he has this flaw [envy], he will be more wicked than anyone and more lawless than even the adulterer and the fornicator, the robber and the grave-digger. And lest anyone accuse me of exaggerating my speech, I will gladly ask you the following: if someone, taking fire and a spade, began to destroy and burn this house (of God) and destroy this altar, then each of those present would would not throw stones at him, as at a wicked and lawless person? So what? And if someone brings a flame more destructive than this fire - I’m talking about envy, which does not ruin stone buildings and destroys not a golden throne, but overthrows and destroys what is much more valuable than walls and throne, the building of teachers - then can does he deserve any leniency?
...(Envy) overthrew the Churches, gave birth to heresies, armed the brotherly hand, prompted to stain the right hand in the blood of the righteous, trampled the laws of nature, opened the doors of death...
This wound is so incurable that even if countless medications were applied, it would still ooze pus profusely.
For those who have not freed themselves from this disease, it is impossible to completely avoid the fire prepared for the devil. And we will be freed from illness when we think about how Christ loved us and how he commanded us to love each other.
It is better to have a snake swirling in the womb than envy nesting inside...
The snake, which is in the entrails, when there is other food for it, does not touch the human body; envy, even if they offered her a thousand food, devours the very soul, gnaws at it from all sides, torments and tears it; for her it is impossible to find any sedative that would reduce her fury, except for one thing - misfortune with the prosperous.
Oh, envy, tarred, hellish, disastrous ship! Your owner is the devil, your helmsman is the serpent, Cain is the chief oarsman. The devil gave you disaster as a pledge; the serpent, being the helmsman, led Adam to a mortal shipwreck; Cain is the senior oarsman, because through you, envy, he was the first to commit murder. From the beginning, for you, the paradise tree of disobedience serves as a mast, ropes of sins as gear, envious people as sailors, demons as shipbuilders, cunning as oars, hypocrisy as a rudder. O ship, bearer of countless evils! If you ask about hypocrisy, there it is... There lives envy, enmity, quarrel, deception, grumpiness, cursing, slander, blasphemy, and whatever we say and whatever we omit - all this is carried by the hellish ship of envy. The flood was not able to destroy this ship of envy, but Jesus sank it by the power of the Spirit, the source of baptism.
What disease destroys the beauty of the face as much as envy dries up love, the fragrant color of the soul?
Envy was the cause of countless disorders throughout creation, both above and below, and not only on earth, but also in the Church itself.
Envy is born from nothing other than attachment to the present, or, better, (from here) all evil. If you considered the wealth and glory of the world as nothing, you would not envy those who possess it.
The envious person goes against God, and not against the one (whom he envies).
...Nothing usually divides and separates us from each other more than envy and ill will - this cruel illness, devoid of any excuse, and much more serious than the very root of evil - the love of money. In fact, the lover of money at least rejoices when he himself receives; the envious one then rejoices when the other does not receive, considering the failure of others as his own success. What could be crazier than this? Neglecting his own misfortunes, he is tormented by the blessings of others, thereby making heaven inaccessible to himself, and before heaven and real life, unbearable. Truly, it is not like a worm eats wood or a moth eats wool, as the fire of envy devours the very bones of envious people and harms the purity of the soul. The one who calls envious people the worst of beasts and demons will not sin.
Animals attack us only when they either need food or have been irritated by us in advance, and these people, even being benefited, often treat their benefactors as if they were offended. Likewise, demons, although they harbor irreconcilable enmity towards them, do not do evil to those of the same nature as them, and these people are neither ashamed of the commonality of nature, nor do they spare their own salvation, but before those they envy, they themselves punish their souls, filling them, without reason or reason, with extreme confusion and despondency. Envy is such a vice that there is no other worse than it. An adulterer, for example, receives some pleasure and commits his sin in a short time; Meanwhile, the envious person subjects himself to punishment and torment before the one he envies, and never gives up on his sin, but constantly commits it. Just as a pig rejoices in dirt and the demon of our destruction, so this one rejoices in the misfortunes of his neighbor; and if something unpleasant happens to the latter, then he calms down and sighs with relief, considering other people's sorrows to be his joys, and other people's blessings to be his own disasters. And just as some beetles feed on dung, so are those who are envious of other people’s misfortunes, being the common enemies and enemies of (human) nature. Other people and a dumb animal, when they kill it, feel sorry for it; and these, seeing a person receiving benefits, become furious, tremble and turn pale...
Even if [a person] were your enemy and adversary, and God was glorified through him, then it would be necessary to make him a friend for this reason, but you make a friend your enemy because through good name which he uses, God is glorified. How else can you show enmity against Christ? Therefore, even if someone performed signs, even if he showed the feat of virginity, or fasting, or lying on the bare ground, and with virtue of this kind he became equal to the Angels, but if he is subject to the passion of envy, he turns out to be the most vile of all.
…If love for those who love does not give us any advantage over the pagans, then where will be the one who is envious of those who love? To envy is worse than to be at enmity; when the reason for the quarrel is forgotten, the person at enmity ceases the enmity; an envious person will never become a friend. Moreover, the former fights openly, and the latter secretly; the former can often point out a sufficient reason for enmity, while the latter cannot point to anything other than his own madness and satanic disposition.
...(The envious person) shows with envy that he is meaningless and petty. For when he envies, he testifies that he is greater than him, for whose happiness he grieves.
Ava Piammon:
Envy is more difficult to cure than other passions. For whomever she once harmed with her poison, there is almost, one might say, no cure. For it is such an infection, which is figuratively spoken of through the prophet: behold, I will send snakes, basilisks, on which spells do not work, and they will attack you (cf. Jer. 8:17). So, the prophet correctly compares the sting of envy with the poison of the deadly basilisk, with which the first was infected and perished, the culprit of all poisons and the leader. For in advance he destroyed himself before he poured out deadly poison on the man whom he envied. For through the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and his accomplices imitate him (cf. Wis. 2:24), both the one who was the first to be corrupted by the infection of this evil, did not accept either the medicine of repentance or any means of healing, and those who they allowed themselves to be hurt by the same remorse, they rejected all the help of the holy spell (see: Ps. 57: 5-6); because it is not through any fault of others, but because of their happiness, that they are tormented, ashamed to discover the truth itself, and they are looking for some extraneous, empty and absurd reasons for insult. Since these reasons are completely false, there is only one cure for them - the eruption of that deadly poison that they do not want to discover, which they hide in their hearts. The wise one said this well: if the serpent bites someone who is not in a conspiracy, then there is no benefit to the conspirator (cf. Eccl. 10:11). These are the essence of secret remorse, which alone is not helped by the healing of the wise. This destruction (i.e., envy) is even so incurable that it becomes hardened by affection, and becomes pompous by services; gets irritated by gifts; because, as the same Solomon says: jealousy does not tolerate anything (see: Proverbs 6, 34). For the more someone succeeds through the obedience of humility, or the virtue of patience, or the glory of generosity, the more envy incites the envious one, who wishes the downfall or death of the one whom he envies.
Of all the vices, the most fatal and difficult to cure is envy, which is still inflamed by the very medicines that stop other passions. For example, whoever grieves for harm done to him is healed with a generous reward; whoever is indignant at the injury caused is pacified by a humble apology. And what will you do to someone who is even more offended by the very fact that he sees you more humble and more friendly, who is inflamed to anger not by greed, which is satisfied by a reward, not by resentment or the desire for revenge, which is overcome by affection, services, but is irritated only by the success of someone else? happiness? Who, in order to satisfy the envious, would want to lose benefits, lose happiness, or be subjected to some kind of disaster? So, so that the basilisk (devil), with one bite of this evil (envy) alone, does not destroy everything that is alive in us, which is, as it were, inspired by the vital action of the Holy Spirit, we will constantly ask for God’s help, for which nothing is impossible. Other poisons of snakes, that is, carnal sins or vices, to which human weakness is quickly exposed and so easily cleansed, have some traces of their wounds on the flesh, from which even the earthly body suffered very cruelly, however, if any skilled the conspirator of divine verses applies the antidote or medicine of saving words, then the purulent wound will not lead to the eternal death of the soul. And envy, like poison poured out by a basilisk, kills the very life of religion and faith before the wound is felt in the body. For it is not against man, but clearly against God, that the detractor rises up, who, not stealing anything else from his brother except good merit, condemns not the guilt of man, but only the judgments of God. So, envy is that root of grief, vegetating (cf. Heb. 12:15), which, rising in height, rushes to reproach the culprit Himself - God, Who imparts good things to man.
Rev. Isidore Pelusiot:
You do not know rewards, just as you are unable to see the future. But not only at the future judgment, but also in real life, envious people suffer worthy punishment. May Ahab’s wife Jezebel, who furiously desired Paboth’s vineyard, and in this present life become the prey of dogs, and in the future, be kept to eternal fire, convince you of this.
Envy... is not favorable towards any other really or supposedly good quality, but on the contrary, it is cruel and hostile, but towards virtue, which is given a quality in the proper sense of the word, it is completely adamant. Therefore, not to be the subject of envy is, perhaps, a carefree matter, but not a glorious one... the one who arouses envy towards himself must endure the evil intentions of envy with a chaste thought.
Those deprived of intelligence and prudence incessantly hate those whom they suspect are better than them, and they hate them not because of the insults they have received (this, perhaps, would be a lesser evil), but because of their powerlessness to achieve the same good glory as them in virtue. .
Look after yourself with a thousand eyes, so that no harm is planted by you in your neighbor, but every root of temptation is destroyed. If, with such a disposition of yours, some of those who do not do anything good, but envy those who do, accuse you, then do not give yourself up to slavery to despondency, but courageously endure this attack of the enemy, imagining in your mind that the enemy would not use this trick an instrument for destruction, like a pillar, from the life fenced off by you, if it were not greatly touched by the glory of your goodness.
It is the custom of many to envy those who are distinguished by the height of their virtue. For, considering as unbearable and painful the one who does not act the same with them, but puts his glory in the most excellent advantages, and thereby, as it were, denounces their own life, they slander him and build intrigues for him, when they should be competing with him and crowning him.
Rev. Neil of Sinai:
Envy and bitter hatred come from contempt and arrogance.
Envy is the ever-present enemy of great success.
What is worthy of envy in you, hide especially from the envious one.
Venerable Isaac the Syrian:
Whoever has found envy has found the devil with it.
Abba Thalassius:
Under the guise of goodwill, he hides envy, who passes on to his brother the reproachful words he has heard from others.
The Lord blinds the mind of the envious because he unrighteously grieves over the blessings of his neighbor.
One who secretly rejoices at someone who is envied gets rid of envy, and one who hides something that can be envied gets rid of envy.
Rev. Maxim the Confessor:
You can stop envy if you begin to rejoice at the joy of the one you envy, and grieve with him about what he is grieving about...
No one who is wise will ever envy another who is abounding in graces, since it is up to him to acquire the disposition that conditions the acceptance of Divine blessings.
Rev. Simeon the New Theologian:
Where there is envy, there lives the father of envy, the devil, and not the God of love.
St. Gregory Palamas:
...[Love of fame] envy gives rise to envy, tantamount to murder, the cause of the first murder, and then deicide...
[Envy] for the most part is a crafty advisor in shameful matters.
St. Theophan the Recluse:
To be envious in everyday things is bad, but in spiritual things it is unlike anything.
Fatherland (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)):
The holy fathers told us the following: A certain monk who lived in the desert of a monastery came to visit the holy fathers who lived in a place called Kellia, where many monks had separate cells. One of the elders, having an unoccupied cell, gave it to the wanderer. Many of the brethren began to come to him, wanting to hear from him the word about eternal salvation, because he had the spiritual grace to teach the word of God.
Seeing this, the elder who offered him the cell was stung with envy, began to be indignant and said:
How long have I lived in this place, and the brethren do not come to me, except very rarely, and then on holidays. Many brothers come to this same flatterer almost every day.
Then he ordered the student:
Go tell him to leave the cell, because I need her.
The student came to the skit and said to him:
My father sent me to your shrine to find out, he heard that you were sick.
He gave thanks, saying:
Pray to God for me, my father, I suffer greatly from my stomach.
The student, returning to the elder, said:
The wanderer asks your shrine to allow you to endure two days, during which he could look for a cell for himself.
After three days, the elder again sent the disciple:
Go tell him to leave my cell. If he still delays his exit, I will come myself and with my rod I will drive him out of his cell.
The student went to the skit and said to him:
My father was very concerned when he heard about your illness, he sent me to find out how you were feeling.
He answered:
Thank you, holy master, your love! You took so much care of me! I feel better for your prayers.
The disciple, returning, said to the elder:
The skit is still asking for your shrine, so that you wait until Sunday, then he will come out immediately.
Sunday came, the skier calmly remained in his cell. The elder, inflamed with envy and anger, grabbed the staff and went to drive the monk out of his cell. Seeing this, the student says to the elder:
If you command, father, I will go and see, maybe some brothers have come to him, who, looking at you, may be tempted.
Having received permission, the disciple went and, entering the wanderer, said to him:
Here is my father coming to visit you. Hurry to meet him and thank him, because he does this out of great heartfelt goodness and love for you.
The wanderer immediately stood up and walked towards him in joyful spirit. Seeing the elder, before he approached, he fell to the ground in front of him, giving worship and thanksgiving, saying:
May the Lord, beloved father, reward you with eternal blessings for your cell, which you provided to me for the sake of His name! May Christ the Lord prepare for you in Heavenly Jerusalem among His saints a glorious and bright abode!
The elder, hearing this, was touched in his heart and, throwing the staff, rushed into the arms of the wanderer. They kissed each other in the Lord, and the elder invited the guest to his cell so that, after thanking God, they could taste food together.
In private, the elder asked his disciple:
Tell me, son, did you convey to your brother the words that I ordered him to convey?
Then the student revealed the truth to him:
I'll tell you, sir, the truth. Due to my devotion to you as a father and ruler, I did not dare to tell him what you ordered, and I did not convey a single word of yours.
The elder, hearing this, fell at the feet of the disciple, saying:
From this day on, you are my elder, and I am your disciple, because the Lord delivered both my soul and my brother’s soul from the sinful net through your prudence and actions filled with the fear of God and love.
The Lord bestowed His grace, and they all remained in the peace of Christ, brought by faith, holy cares and the good intentions of the disciple, who, loving his elder with perfect love in Christ, was very afraid that his spiritual father, carried away by the passion of envy and anger, would fall into an act that should destroy all his labors, raised from his youth in the service of Christ in order to receive a reward in eternal life.
Athonite Patericon:
Elder Philotheus, in addition to Saint Nektarios of Athos, also had a disciple, whom Satan became so embittered against Saint Nektarios that the unfortunate man began to openly tell Elders Philotheus and Dionysius to drive away Nektarios, otherwise he would kill either him or himself. The elders trembled with horror when they heard about such demonic plans. In vain they admonished the unfortunate man, persuaded and begged him to calm his heart, suppress the feelings of anger and envy, in vain they threatened him with the Judgment of God and Gehenna: he did not want to hear anything, but demanded the fulfillment of his desire. Then the elders suggested that Saint Nektarios withdraw from them for a short time, until the envious brother came to his senses.
After some time, the God-loving Philotheus died at a ripe old age. Dionysius, unable to tolerate the immoral behavior of his student, invited Nectarius to live with him as a brother in spirit, and left the unfortunate man to look for another place and another elder. Dionysius and Nektarios spent their lives peacefully, eating from handicrafts and helping the poor as best they could. And their unfortunate brother, without coming to a sense of humility and repentance, moved from place to place, then withdrew into the world and there, indulging in intemperance, died in a pitiful manner in the middle of the city square, even without the usual Christian parting words.
This is what brotherly hatred and envy mean! The disastrous consequences of them are fully experienced by a person in his present life and often passes into eternity without any hope of salvation. We must protect ourselves from such god-hating vices!
2.2.1.2 Envy as a mortal sin
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
Exodus 20:17.
Envy is one of the sins prohibited by the Ten Commandments; it lies in the fact that a person wants to possess what does not belong to him. The object of envy can be both material wealth and intangible things (beauty, success, virtue, etc.). The fact is that trust in God presupposes that everything a person possesses comes from God: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” At the same time, according to church ministers, God gives each person what he needs in accordance with God’s plan. The desire to possess what God has given to another person, therefore, by definition, contradicts the plans and intentions of the Creator. Thus, it turns out that envy contains a person’s desire to carry out his will contrary to the will of God.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, includes envy among the “works of the flesh,” which he contrasts with the fruits of the Spirit. In addition, the apostle in his letter to Timothy specifically notes that envy is not necessarily aimed at material wealth. A very significant reason for it is the desire for primacy and power. The most striking and tragic example of envy is the envy of the Pharisees and scribes towards Jesus Christ, which led to the death of the Savior on the cross.
Despite the fact that envy is included in the list of the seven deadly sins, and despite the fact that this feeling causes a lot of trouble, it has not yet been overcome. Interestingly, the sequence of the main vices changed over time. Even Pope Gregory the Great, who lived in the 7th century, when compiling a list based on the eight thoughts of Evagrius of Pontus, replaced “sadness” with “envy.” Then she was fourth on the list of sins. And in the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas proposed using the sequence that is best known today: laziness, envy, anger, despondency, greed, gluttony, fornication - that is, he put envy in second place.
Rene Descartes considered envy to be a special type of sadness, mixed with hatred, which is experienced when they see good in those whom they consider unworthy of this good. And from this point of view, according to the philosopher, it can be excused if the feeling is directed against those in whose hands the benefit received can turn into evil. But at the same time, Descartes called envy a vice, which is a natural perversity that makes people annoyed at the sight of the good that befalls others. According to the French philosopher, this feeling, like no other, harms the well-being of people, taking away joy not only from the envious person himself, but also from those around him.
Unfortunately, we must admit that we are all susceptible to this sin to one degree or another. This is due to the fact that any person always has a certain number of needs that he cannot satisfy, and ambitions where other people surpass him. And also because it is much easier to explain our mistakes and shortcomings not by our own weakness and laziness, but by the mistake or injustice of fate, which for some reason benefited others instead of us.
An interesting picture emerges - all people envy, but almost no one admits to their sin. Why? Mikhail Weller answered this question well: “Why are we ashamed of our envy? Or rather, are we ashamed to show it? Because it means admitting that the level of your capabilities is below the level of ambition. That you can't do what you want. This means publicly admitting one’s insignificance, weakness, and recognizing another as better than oneself.”
2.2.1.3 Envy in our lives
By the envy of your opponents you can, to a certain extent, judge the extent of your own success.
Hermann von Helmholtz
IN ancient Greece The tyrant Dionysius (the elder) of Syracuse reigned. He successfully ruled his country, suppressing the uprisings of his subject domains, and his state possessed a large amount of gold and silver. Honor and apparent respect were presented to this tyrant by his subjects - although there were attempts, more than once, to poison the tyrant. Dionysius's favorite, Damocles, taking advantage of the king's favor, received all the pleasures from the ruler, but he really wanted to get the throne of Dionysius. In order to stay close to the ruler, he spoke flattering words of admiration, words of respect and delight to his master. And one day he called the tyrant the happiest of mortals, but these words, however, did not please the all-powerful king.
Then he raised his head and looked up. What he saw there took his breath away and his heart began to beat faster. A huge sword hung above his head. It was tied to the ceiling by a thin thread made of horsehair and could break at any moment, crushing the owner of the throne's skull and cervical vertebrae.
Domocles jumped up from his seat in fear and sat to the side. At that moment, he learned the fragility of the tyrant’s earthly happiness, and his envy instantly disappeared. He realized how changeable the fate of the earthly ruler is, since many people want to overthrow him and take the coveted place. Damocles began to beg the ruler to let him go, since he had already fully tasted the happiness of Dionysius and did not want to experience it anymore.
Nowadays, many girls dream of becoming top models. They see them on TV screens, on the covers of glossy magazines and are desperately jealous of long-legged beauties. Girls dream of how they will find themselves in the coveted environment, how they will become as beautiful and successful, how handsome men will woo them, how their photographs will fill the covers of fashion magazines, how they will travel the world, etc. “Well, why do they live this life, and not me, the girls think,” desperately envying the lucky ones.
And here we are faced with the essence of this sin. " Envy“- to see, and only the advantages. And what the objects of envy experience is hidden behind the scenes of gossip columns. And the profession of a top model has many unpleasant moments. This is a strict diet that destroys the digestive system, bone and immune systems of the body. This is a day shift shifted to night time, this is a change in time zones, this is a series of styling, shampoos, conditioners, varnishes and other chemicals that fall on their hair several times a day, eventually rendering it completely unusable. This is fierce competition, intrigue and envy - as that sweet psychological atmosphere in which they are forced to exist 24 hours a day. And what will happen to them at 35-40 years old? In the best case, a quarter of them will have time to marry profitably, and the rest will only have to remember their past glory - without a profession, with a disturbed metabolism and an unstable nervous system.
Well, are you still jealous of top models? If, after all, “Yes,” seal the refrigerator with tape and nibble on a cracker. May God grant you good luck on the path of the sin of envy.
Envy is inherent in a person, regardless of gender, temperament, character (although it is believed that phlegmatic people do not envy as much as choleric people). The unemployed, millionaires, mechanics, and show business stars suffer equally from this vice. True, envy weakens with age - according to sociological research. Its level in people decreases starting at age 60. Perhaps this is due to the fact that older people begin to think about moving to the “other world”, and try to get rid of at least some of their sins in advance, or maybe at this age people finally begin to appreciate life for its simple joys and have less expectations for her claims for what fate, in their opinion, did not give them. Most dissatisfied with the distribution of benefits are among young people from 18 to 25 years old. They want everything at once, and often they do not want to understand that money, fame and other attributes of success are the result of hard work, and not a gift of blind fortune.
You can envy everything. Women envy fashionable clothes, a new hairstyle, elegant shoes, and bright colored nail polish. Even more - the attention of men to other women. Therefore, the object of envy among women is often a husband, lover, friend or faithful friend. And also, social status, salary, car, etc. The male half reacts more sensitively to the career rise of friends, their material success, social status, prestigious car brand, cottage size, fame and fame.
The history of envy goes back many millennia. Let's start with the Bible. Cain killed Abel's brother when his sacrifice was not appreciated. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery because his father loved him more. King Saul tried to kill the defenseless David when he felt that the people loved his subject more than himself. Throughout Christ’s life, he was surrounded by human envy. Numerous examples from the history of the Old and New Testaments make us understand that over the centuries this human feeling has filled the hearts and souls of people.
In the Bible, the first book of Moses tells how the legendary Joseph, who later performed many miracles in Egypt, suffered from the envy of his half-brothers. His father Israel from the very beginning singled him out from his other sons from different wives, which, of course, his brothers did not like. However, Joseph himself contributed to the negative attitude of his brothers towards himself and did not even try to find a common language with them, but rather “snitched” on them to his dad (“And Joseph brought bad rumors about them to [Israel] their father”). The father, instead of observing at least the appearance of justice, on the contrary, outwardly distinguished his favorite by buying him multi-colored clothes, which in those lean times seemed the height of luxury. Joseph, seeing such a disposition of his parent, became even more proud and began to tell his brothers dreams, which provoked their envy and hatred even more.
6. He said to them: Listen to the dream that I saw:
7. Behold, we are binding sheaves in the middle of the field; and behold, my sheaf rose up and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round and bowed down to my sheaf.
8. And his brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us?” will you really rule over us? And they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9. And he saw another dream and told it to his brothers, saying: Behold, I saw another dream: behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars worship me.
10. And he told his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have seen?” shall I and your mother and your brothers come to bow down to the ground before you?
The further development of the situation was practically predetermined. The brothers planned to deal with their arrogant relative, and only at the last moment they decided to soften his fate by selling him into slavery to merchants heading to Egypt.
17. ... And Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
18. And they saw him from afar, and before he approached them, they began to plot against him to kill him.
19. And they said to one another, “Behold, there comes a dreamer;
20. Let us now go and kill him, and throw him into some ditch, and say that a wild beast has eaten him; and we will see what will happen from his dreams.
26. And Judas said to his brothers, “What good will it do if we kill our brother and hide his blood?”
27. Let us go, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hands not be on him, for he is our brother, our flesh. His brothers obeyed him
28 And as the merchants of Midian passed by, they pulled Joseph out of the den and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.
31. And they took Joseph's clothes, and killed the goat, and stained the clothes with blood;
32. And they sent the coat of many colors, and brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this; see if these clothes are your son's or not.
33. He recognized it and said: [this is] my son’s clothing; a predatory beast ate him; That's right, Joseph was torn to pieces.
Indeed, envy awakens the most negative feelings in people’s souls, which not everyone can boast of. More French philosopher Claude Adrian Helvetius wrote: “Of all passions, envy is the most disgusting. Hatred, betrayal and intrigue march under its banner.” There was a place for this on the pages of the most talented literary works. human sin. Jonathan Swift, Honore de Balzac, Moliere, Alexander Pushkin, William Shakespeare, Petrarch - they all wrote about envy. This list can be continued almost endlessly, because this topic will never dry up or lose its relevance. With the help of satire or tragedy, great writers tried to convey to their readers the full severity of this feeling for everyone who encounters it.
In the Middle Ages, the world was perceived in allegories and symbols. So envy was depicted in the form of a snake, a toad, a jellyfish, a terrible old woman, it was considered the offspring of the devil. Such images were used by artists, for example, Giotto, to depict this destructive feeling, which poisons the souls of people with its poison. At the same time, envy began to be associated with lies, designed to cover, like a mask, a person’s true feelings.
Envy, like thirst caused by intoxication, cannot be quenched. The higher a person rises on the social ladder, the more he envies those who are at least in some way superior to him. An example would be Guy Caligula, an ancient Roman tyrant and rapist. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote about him: “There was no less envy and malice in him than pride and ferocity. He was at enmity with almost all generations of the human race. He overthrew and smashed the statues of illustrious men, transferred by Augustus from the cramped Capitol to the Campus Martius, so that they could no longer be restored with the same inscriptions; and then he further forbade the erection of statues or sculptural portraits to living people, except with his consent and proposal. He even thought of destroying Homer’s poems. Why, he said, could Plato expel Homer from the state he established, but he could not?
He invited Ptolemy, whom I have already spoken about, from his kingdom and received him in Rome with great honor, and killed him only because he, having once appeared to him as a gladiator, attracted all eyes with the brilliance of his purple cloak. When he met beautiful and curly-haired people, he shaved the back of their heads in order to disfigure them. There was a certain Aesius Proculus, the son of a senior centurion, who was nicknamed Colossus-erot for his enormous height and handsome appearance; During the spectacle, he suddenly ordered him to be driven from his place, taken to the arena, pitted against a lightly armed gladiator, then against a heavily armed one, and when he emerged victorious both times, he was tied up, dressed in rags, and paraded through the streets for fun women and finally kill them. Truly, there was no person so rootless and so wretched that he would not try to deprive him.”