What is sin and what is the essence of sin according to the Bible?

For the beginning Christian

Published 02/13/2016

What is sin according to the Bible? In Hebrew, sin sounds like “het” - a mistake or “avera”, which literally means “going beyond what is permitted.” Dahl's dictionary describes sin as “an act contrary to the law of God; guilt before the Lord."

Many people do not consider sin to be something terrible. Because all people are sinners, most people feel that they are not doing anything wrong. For example, when a person cheats, he does not consider it abnormal, because “everyone cheats.” Or when in a family one of the spouses has a lover or mistress, this is considered the norm for many.

The media around the world promotes sex before marriage - having sex without being married is now considered the norm almost everywhere in the world.

What can we say about such sins as pride, smoking, foul language, laziness, anger, anger and the like. These things have long become part of modern society. After all, “everyone behaves this way.”

One of the important things to understand is that each person will personally answer to God for their sins. And it doesn’t matter what family we were born into, in what country, in what society and in what century. We will be responsible for our actions and God will judge everyone according to what He considers good and what is evil.

Sin is what Jesus Christ died for. Sin is what separates man from God. Sin is something for which every person will ultimately be judged. Sin is a tool of Satan. The wages for sin is death. That's what the Bible says.

Jesus Christ died for the sins of every person on earth. But this does not mean that now all people are forgiven for their sins and can calmly live on and do as they please. Jesus died for the sins of people and left His teaching to everyone in the New Testament - whoever follows this teaching will be forgiven and saved. Those who don't will be condemned.

What is original sin in Orthodoxy.

The definition of this concept given in the “Message of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith”, 1723. Such a concept as “ Original Sin ” exists exclusively in Christianity, and, accordingly, in Orthodoxy. It literally means the “first” sin. That is, exactly the sin that was committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they “ate the forbidden fruit.”

Also, some may understand the essence of “ Original Sin That is, a person’s to committing sinful acts. And this very attraction was born precisely in that very first commission of a sinful crime by Adam and Eve, and was subsequently passed on to all subsequent generations of people.

There are several interpretations regarding the very essence of the sinful act (original sin) of Adam and Eve. In all interpretations there is an understanding that Eve gave Adam a certain “fruit” to try, in many interpretations - an “apple”, and after that everything became completely bad. no more or less clear explanation for WHAT actually happened anywhere .

We will analyze this obvious gap in spiritual knowledge in this article.

There are quite a lot of opinions about the story of Adam and Eve, and their “forbidden fruit,” which in most cases is understood as an apple.

The main debate on the topic of original sin in Orthodoxy is the fruit itself. Some suggest that it was not an apple, but a date or fig. Some people prefer olive. All these judgments are based only on the territorial (presumable) location of the Garden of Eden. But all these arguments are broken by the clear understanding that the fruit Adam ate was not a simple fruit. And “the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.” And participants in discussions on the topic of the original sin of Adam and Eve cannot reduce this entire topic to one essence and logical explanation.

And yet, this explanation exists. Simultaneously with the explanation of WHAT WAS THE “APPLE” OR FRUIT that Eve treated Adam to, after which they became “mortal” people, and the life of Adam and Eve changed so radically that they were expelled from paradise, with subsequent punishments.

For the vast majority of readers, the conclusion drawn about the story of Adam and Eve, and the original sin they committed, will be absolute news (if not a shock).

By the way, an interesting fact is that Adam and Eve were NOT THE FIRST PEOPLE OF THE EARTH CREATED BY GOD.

ABOUT ALL THIS, AND ALSO ABOUT WHAT THIS “THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT” ADAM AND EVE TASTED, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AFTER THIS, A DETAILED REVIEW WHICH HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED IN OFFICIAL SOURCES:

— ADAM AND EVE, THE STORY OF THE “APPLE” (LINK) —

Can a person ask for penance?

In principle, it can, but penance is not punishment, but healing. You need to know how to administer medicine, and only a doctor can do this. Here people like to treat themselves. Often, instead of curing one thing, a person also cripples something else. The same thing happens in spiritual life. This is not possible, this is self-indulgence and pride. Who are you to assign anything to yourself? How do you know that you are not mistaken at this moment? Why do you think you have enough knowledge? You need to be very careful in such matters.

What is sin and mortal sin in Orthodoxy.

What is sin for Christians?

In Orthodoxy there is the concept of seven sins, which are called MORTAL sins.

The mortal sin is anger , anger, revenge.
Lust . Lust also includes: debauchery, fornication .
Laziness , idleness, despondency. The common feature is inactivity.
Pride , vanity, arrogance.
Envy , jealousy.
Gluttony. This is relevant in understanding the excessive consumption of more food than necessary. Also the consumption of foods that are prohibited or not recommended for consumption (during fasting, or in general).
Love of money , greed, greed, stinginess.

What is the sin of Sodom?

The sin of Sodom has the following two interpretations.

The sin of Sodom is a desire that can be expressed in thoughts or in actions or deeds, the basis of which is a person’s sexual attraction to a representative (or representatives) of his own sex. Often, some representatives of the clergy classified this sin as one of the types of fornication, which is considered a mortal sin.

Another understanding of the sin of Sodom includes any manifestation of lust (attraction) towards a person of any gender. That is, any mental or real action associated with sexual relations, except for people who are legally married (consecrated in a temple).

What is anger?

For example: we are angry at someone. What happens in our “biocomputer”? Information about the “Potential Enemy” (the person with whom we are angry) appears in our brain. This person can create a problem (obstacle) for our further existence.

If anger occurs openly, that is, directly in the presence of a person - the object of our anger, then such information about the enemy will take much more energy from the “biocomputer”. The enemy becomes real. This information will be considered by our brain – MORE IMPORTANT! Since this data relates directly to our safe existence.

The more people a person is angry at, the MORE information will appear in his “biocomputer” about “Potential Opponents” (and in an open conflict, about real opponents).

The energy of the brain in the form of its processing of information (data) can be described as a manifestation of a person’s vital or mental energy. Since all life (mental and physiological) processes are organized through the activity of the brain.

Accordingly, the more mental or, in other words, vital energy will be spent on processing information about our “Potential Opponents”, the less vital energy will be left for organizing all other activities (intellectual (mental) and physiological).

A person who is constantly angry at others will experience a constant lack of vital energy. The overflowing memory with information about “Potential opponents” will constantly take away his vital energy to scan this information, since the “biocomputer” will pay attention to it as something IMPORTANT for a safe existence! Even if we never see a stranger at whom we were angry for something again, information about him will still be stored in our memory and will take a certain amount of vital energy from our “biocomputer”.

As a result: low tone, bad mood, lack of mental energy to make intellectual decisions, poor organization of all physiological processes, low awareness of ALL sensations from the senses.

A person who is used to being angry becomes dependent on his anger. The fact is that during anger itself, hormones (stress hormones) are released into the body, which force it to SPEND ITS LIFE ENERGY “BIOCOMPUTER” FASTER . As a result, a person becomes dependent on anger. During anger, he feels that his level of vital energy increases. The rest of the time, the level of vital energy with all the sensations of life (tone, mood) will be very low. After intense expenditure of vital energy during anger, the level of vital energy drops to a low level of economical expenditure of vital energy.

A person has a certain daily supply of vital (mental) energy, which is replenished during sleep.

And the faster he spends it, the faster he will feel its lack in the form of low tone, bad mood, fatigue, etc.

But the most important thing for an “angry” person is that he constantly accumulates in his memory information about “Potential opponents,” which the “biocomputer” classifies as IMPORTANT , because this information about “Potential opponents” directly concerns the safety of existence.

Important. The supply of vital energy is consumed not only at the moment of anger. All information about this action is recorded in memory. And if anything reminds you of this incident (a similar person, or situation, or even more so the same person at whom the anger was directed), then life energy will also be intensively and aimlessly spent. This is how associative memory works.

CONCLUSION:

A person who cannot control his anger pays with HIS LIFE ENERGY from the very beginning of committing this sinful act. And becoming dependent on this anger, over time CONSTANTLY reduces the level of one’s vital energy. And in the future, this same sinful act will consume a person’s vital energy to varying degrees.

It is not for nothing that anger is considered a DEADLY SIN. Since in the process of this sinful action, human vital energy is consumed, with the help of which we feel life and organize all vital processes.

Envy

Considering the 7 deadly sins, Orthodoxy calls this vice one of the most terrible. Most of the crimes in the world are committed based on envy: people rob their neighbors just because they are richer, kill acquaintances who are in power, plot against friends, angry at their popularity with the opposite sex... The list is endless. Even if envy does not become an impetus for misconduct, it will invariably provoke the destruction of a person’s personality. For example, an individual will drive himself into a premature grave, tormenting his soul with a distorted perception of reality and negative emotions.

Many people reassure themselves that their envy is white. They say that they appreciate the achievements of a loved one, which becomes an incentive for personal growth for them. But if you face the truth, no matter how you paint this vice, it will still be immoral. Black, white or multi-colored envy is a sin, because it involves your desire to conduct a financial inspection in someone else’s pocket. And sometimes you take over something that doesn’t belong to you. To get rid of this unpleasant and spiritually devouring feeling, you need to realize: other people's benefits are always superfluous. You are a completely self-sufficient and strong person, so you can find your place in the sun.

Sin condemnation what is it?

How does the following action, which is considered a sin, affect the functioning of our brain - CONDEMNATION.

There are three types of condemnation:

Direct condemnation of a person;
Conviction without the presence of the person being condemned (“behind the eyes”);
Mental judgment.

In any of the three types of condemnation, our mind works. This means that even if we condemn someone only in mental form , then information about the person we are condemning will be “recorded” and saved as – IMPORTANT (!), because this is information about the “Potential Enemy”. And, since this information directly concerns our safety, mental (vital, or in other words, psychic) energy will be periodically spent on scanning it.

Condemnation is the most common sinful action. It seems harmless. But in fact, the constant condemnation of others (the so-called “washing out the bones” of someone) becomes the reason for the appearance of more and more information about people whom our “biocomputer” perceives as “Potential opponents”. Consequently, the more we engage in judging others, the more vital (mental) energy of our “biocomputer” will be spent on scanning such accumulated information. And this happens - DEFINITELY , regardless of what you and I think about it.

Thus, a condemning person robs himself of vital energy. He feels less and less vital (psychic) energy, with the help of which he thinks, feels, that is, feels his entire life directly in all its manifestations.

This is what Jesus Christ said regarding condemnation:

“Life is a Life of love, not hate.”
Many righteous people condemn with hatred. I tell you: “The harlot who does not hate will be more glorious on the Day of Judgment than the righteous man who condemns.”
“For what greater fornication is there than a bad word?”
…………………………
“Better shut up and watch yourself than be buried alive!”
“He lives, Magdalene, only he who, wherever he is, does not judge others”….

“GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE No. 2”.

The amount of vital (mental) energy determines a person’s life itself in all its manifestations.

CONCLUSION:

The process of judging (even mentally) leads to an increase in information in the brain’s memory about “Potential Opponents”. The brain will spend a lot of scanning (vital) energy on this information (as vitally important). Accordingly: vital energy will not be enough!

This will affect quality and ability in:

Analytical (mental) activity;
Organization of the work of all internal organs.

Let's consider an action that is considered a violation of one of the basic commandments - DECEPTION (“Thou shalt not bear false witness”).

The sin of deception.

Let's turn to the research of scientists

In 1968, our scientists V.B. Grechin and N.P. Bekhtereva, the so-called “Error Detector” was discovered.

An “error detector” is a group of neurons (brain cells) that are activated, and thereby signal an “erroneous” action of a person, which differed from the previously determined one as the “correct” course of action.

Many experiments were carried out in which it turned out that the activation of the so-called “error detector” leads to the suppression of the working potential of the brain. That is, there was a decrease in free mental (vital) energy. The brain seemed to pause, “slow down” the speed of information processing (i.e., it reduced the amount of a person’s vital energy) in order to prevent new erroneous actions.

Deception is another action that, when performed, loses vital (or psychic) energy. A person’s deceptive action will be perceived by the brain as “erroneous”, as some kind of “breakdown” in the analytical thinking process.

As a result, we have: loss of the amount of vital (mental) energy.

Thus, the brain warns and “inhibits” new actions that it perceives as “erroneous” (which ultimately are).

In general, mental abilities decrease, control of organs and internal metabolic processes of the body deteriorates, and all sensations from life become dulled.

Russian and British scientists, who at different times studied brain activity, found that when a person deliberately (consciously) tells a lie, the excitement of his brain increases in different cases from 3 to 15 times. The brain perceives this (a deliberate lie) as an ERROR . If you had to tell a lie, then you had to experience this nervously excited state. The brain mobilizes mental energy (in its analytical form) in order to eliminate the error that has occurred. That is, the brain will spend (expend) our vital energy up to 15 times faster ! Accordingly, after this, a person will feel “mental fatigue,” essentially a lack of mental (vital) energy.

Some of us can remember times when we had to tell a lie. Nervous excitement (and in fact, the consumption of vital energy) increases greatly.

The brain is forced to constantly take this “erroneous” (additional) information into account in further actions (especially if something reminds you of this, especially if a deceived or previously condemned person is nearby). And a very large amount of a person’s vital (mental) energy is also spent on this. The consumption of the daily supply of vital energy is greatly increased.

This means that after some time, the daily supply of vital energy will come to an end (the person gets tired, tone and mood decrease, there is no desire to do something, etc.)

The following actions fall under the category of deception: theft, fraud, treason, betrayal.

And this is not all the harm from violating the commandment - “DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS”

All those actions that fall under the category of deception also add to the database about a person’s “Potential Opponents”, in this case this is information about deceived individuals . And as we have already discussed earlier ( anger, condemnation ), the brain (“biocomputer”) will spend its mental energy in an analytical form on scanning information about new “Potential opponents”. And this information is the most important , since it directly concerns our safety!

It is no coincidence that when a person admits to any of his actions or deeds that are associated with deception, he feels relief! This is nothing more than the release of a large amount of mental (vital) energy, which was consumed by the “biocomputer,” which had to take into account deceptive actions in its mental activity (so that the fact of deception would not be accidentally revealed).

The brain spends mental energy on information about “Potential opponents” over time in different ways. Much more mental energy is spent by the brain at that moment in time when the “Potential enemy” is in close proximity. “Associative memory” works. And the brain begins to scan all the information that relates specifically to this “Potential Enemy”.

Consider an example where one spouse cheated on the other. At its core, this fact (if it is hidden from the other spouse) is a deception. The spouse who has been cheated on becomes a “Potential Enemy” for who has cheated on him. This is how the brain of the person who changed him perceives him.

The fact is that in the presence of a person against whom deception has been committed (treason in this case), the person who has committed the deceptive action must pay additional attention to not accidentally betraying (not accidentally revealing) the deceptive action he has committed (treason in in this case). Simply put – DO NOT let it slip. But in fact, a lot of mental energy is spent, which the “biocomputer” (brain) of the cheating spouse spends on taking into account all the moments of information exchange, so as not to accidentally give itself away (the fact of infidelity).

As a result, it is very difficult for the cheating spouse to be in the presence of the other spouse he/she cheated on. Too much mental (vital) energy is consumed by his brain. He feels a decrease in general tone, irritability appears, decreased mood, and so on.

Thus, the cheating spouse, by his betrayal, deprives himself of a significant amount of mental (vital) energy of his brain (“biocomputer”). This often leads to big problems in relationships after the hidden betrayal of one of the spouses. And even to a break in relations, despite the absence of obvious, openly identified reasons.

Conclusion:

Information about a “Potential Enemy” consumes much more vital (mental) energy in the immediate presence of a “Potential Enemy” (a deceived, constantly condemned person or a person towards whom anger is manifested).

Let’s consider how violation of the following commandment affects a person’s consciousness (from the point of view of loss of mental – vital energy):

“You shall not covet your 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.”

The following happens:

When a person lays claim (even mentally) to something that rightfully belongs to another person (“his neighbor”), then this same “neighbor” is perceived by the brain as a “Potential adversary.” He could potentially become the reason for our punishment for wanting to take what belongs to him. And accordingly, our “biocomputer” (brain) will spend a lot of vital (mental) energy on this information regarding the new “Potential Enemy”.

SIN

Reality, called G. in Christianity, accompanies it throughout its history. And, although Christ defeated death as a consequence of this reality, G. continues to dominate the world and destroy man. Therefore, the problem of G., like the problem of salvation, remains the main one in Christ. literature in general and in the works of St. fathers and teachers of the Church in particular.

Describing the construction of a tower symbolizing the Church of Christ, the “Shepherd” Hermas resorts to the biblical image of “living stones” used in the creation of a “spiritual house” (1 Peter 2.5). Such “stones” are the righteous. They rely both on the foundation of the tower-Church and on the building itself. At the same time, there are other stones, which, as a building material, turn out to be unsuitable for use. They are not “square”, that is, not pre-treated, but “round”. In the image of these “stones” we see sinners who have not passed spiritual tests or have not withstood them. Since at the time of the creation of the “Shepherd” (until the middle of the 2nd century) the main trials were persecution of Christians, the “stones” unsuitable for the building of the Church turned out to be those “who knew the truth, but did not abide in it.” Hermas considered the main reason for renouncing the faith to be addiction to wealth, “which consoles them (i.e. sinners - M.I.)” (Herma. Pastor. I 3.6).

Hermas not only talks about sins and sinners, but also makes one of the first attempts to penetrate the psychology of repentance. He, naturally, knows that repentance is the main medicine in the fight against G. However, if a person “sins often and does repentance, this will not serve (him - M.I.) for the benefit... for he will have difficulty living in God" (Ibid. II 4. 3). Here the author of “The Shepherd” anticipates patristic thought, which was further developed in ascetic literature, according to which the result of repentance is not only and not so much the forgiveness of sins, but a change in lifestyle that does not allow “sin often.”

An original way to combat G., which simultaneously brings double benefit - to the one who sins, and to the one who experiences the effect of this G. - is offered by schmch. Ignatius the God-Bearer. Striving to ensure that the life of the first Christians was not only holy, but also served as a living testimony of Christianity as a new religion of love, he entrusts the Ephesian Christians with a responsible didactic mission: by their behavior they must show the surrounding pagan world the truth of Christ. faith, thereby contributing to the conversion of this world to Jesus Christ. “Let them (the pagans - M.I.) learn at least from your deeds. Be meek against their anger; against their pompousness - humility; Oppose their slander with prayers; their error - firmness in faith; against their rudeness, be quiet. Let us not try to imitate them; on the contrary, by our condescension we will show ourselves to be their brothers...” (Ign. Ep. ad Eph. 10). Using biblical images of leaven (Mt 13:33; 1 Cor 5:6-8) and salt (Mt 5:13), Bp. Ignatius calls on Magnesian Christians to throw away “the bad leaven, which is outdated and spoiled” (meaning the Old Testament leaven of the Jewish law) and change “into the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be at peace in Him,” the Antioch saint exhorts, “so that none of you becomes corrupted and then the stench exposes you” (Ign. Ep. ad Magn. 10). With special rigor Sschmch. Ignatius warns Christians against violence leading to church schisms, and against being carried away by “alien teachings” (Idem. Ep. ad Philad. 3).

For Clement of Alexandria, G. is everything “that is not in accordance with sound reason (Logos)” (Clem. Alex. Paed. I 13). In the Stromata, he makes an important addition to this definition: sinful passion is contrary to human nature; it brings “disorder” into the soul “and sets it against reason” (Idem. Strom. II 13). Clement's expression “sound mind” was borrowed from the Stoic philosophers. However, by bringing “sound reason” closer to the Logos, the Alexandrian teacher of the Church thereby avoids the subjectivism and psychologism that inevitably arise when the Stoics interpret this concept. The classification of the main G. Clement also borrows from the Stoics. He writes: “Philosophers (i.e., Stoics - M.I.) find it possible to define the most important passions as follows. Desire is a desire for something that is inconsistent with reason (Logos); fear—unreasonable (not approved by the Logos) relaxation; pleasure is an unreasonable (prohibited by the Logos) inflammation of the soul” (Idem. Paed. I 13). In this scheme of Clement, “sadness” is omitted, which the Stoics define as a constrained state of the soul, disobedient to reason. “Deviation from reason (Logos),” which makes a person an unreasonable being, Clement of Alexandria calls “delusion.” “Therefore,” he notes, “about the first man who sinned and showed disobedience to God, it is said: man became like cattle (Ps 73:22), because he strayed from reason (Logos). Being called unreasonable (devoid of Logos), he is rightly placed on the same level as animals” (Clem. Alex. Paed. I 13).

Giving practical advice on how to avoid sins, the Alexandrian teacher of the Church pays main attention to the fight against the habit of sinning. The danger of the latter lies in the fact that it hides the harmfulness of God from a person. If at the same time a person repents with the same ease with which he sins, he deceives himself doubly. His “frequent request for forgiveness of sins” turns into only a “sign of repentance.” “For frequent repentance reveals only a condescending attitude towards past sins, and the tendency to new falls shows a lack of exercise in true repentance” (Idem. Strom. II 13). Clement of Alexandria sets a very specific goal for a Christian: “not to sin voluntarily.” This will inevitably lead “to limiting... sinfulness... bringing the inclination towards it” to zero (Idem. Paed. I 2).

"Scales of Justice". Fragment of the composition “The Last Judgment”. Painting of the temple of the monastery of St. Barbarians (Rusan) in Meteora. 2nd half XVI century "Scales of Justice". Fragment of the composition “The Last Judgment”. Painting of the temple of the monastery of St. Barbarians (Rusan) in Meteora. 2nd half XVI century

The position taken by Clement on the issue of “involuntary” crimes (“those committed without the participation of free will”) is worthy of attention. Such G. can take place either “out of ignorance” or “out of necessity.” Clement cites a number of cases in which unwitting crimes can be committed: in self-defense from a criminal, when treating a patient for whom a medicine prescribed by a doctor had a negative effect, in competitions among fencers who in Clement’s time used spears as foils, and etc. In these cases, a person may be injured and even killed. However, such “actions,” as Clement of Alexandria believes, “are not subject to trial.” True, when expressing this opinion, he cites the provisions of the law (apparently from the Old Testament), according to which punishment is imposed “for unintentional murder,” although “weaker than for an intentional crime” (Clem. Alex. Strom. II 14 ).

Origen qualifies G. as a “deviation from the good,” which occurs due to “laziness” and “disposition” “to work in preserving the good.” “To depart from good means nothing more than to do evil, for it is known that evil is a lack of good” (Orig. De princip. II 9.2). This conclusion of Origen is based on tradition. patristic concept of evil. Although evil is not an essence or nature, but only its state, it is extremely active and even aggressive and instantly occupies the space abandoned by good. There is no “no man’s land” between good and evil: any decrease in good immediately leads to an increase in evil. “For fathers, evil really is a lack, a vice, an imperfection; not some kind of nature, but what nature lacks in order to be perfect” (Lossky V. Dogmatic Theology. P. 250). Origen explains the appearance of a “lack of goodness” with examples taken from the lives of scientists. If “a physician or a geometrician exercises himself in the reflection of his art and in intelligent pursuits,” his scientific qualification is maintained. If this does not happen, they, as scientists, lose their professional level. Similar things happen in religion. life (Orig. De princip. I 4. 1). Origen does not agree with those who believed that the appearance of certain G. is due to the action of exclusively external causes and therefore it is useless to fight such G. He refutes the fallacy of such ideas with the help of an example, which he considers the most convincing, since the area of sexual relations touched upon in this example is one of those areas in which sinful passion shows the greatest strength. A vicious woman tries with all her might to lure a man into an unlawful relationship; although it is very difficult to resist this temptation, “a woman,” notes Origen, “does not become for him (a man - M.I.) a self-sufficient reason to violate” his previously made decision to observe chastity. “So,” concludes Origen, “reason shows that external circumstances are not in our power. But to use them in one way or another, using reason as a judge and explorer of how to respond to various external influences, is our business... Leading a good life is our business, and God requires this of us - not as if it were depends on Him or comes from someone else or, as some think, from fate” (Ibid. III 1. 4-6). Arguing this way, Origen does not forget about the existence of certain biblical sayings, which “tend to the opposite, that is, to the fact that it is not in our power to keep the commandments and be saved, or to break them and perish.” One of these sayings, such as: “I (says God. - M.I.) will harden his heart” (i.e. Pharaoh) (Exodus 4.21; 8.15; cf. Rom. 9 . 18). “If Pharaoh is hardened by God and sins as a result of this very hardening, then he himself is no longer guilty of his sin” (Orig. De princip. I 7). A significant place is devoted to the refutation of such a conclusion in the work “On Principles”. Using his inherent power of words and depth of thought, Origen convincingly argues that the quoted biblical text should not be understood literally and that God cannot be the culprit of G. He resorts to the widespread comparison of God with the sun (cf. “Sun of Truth” in the troparion to the Nativity of Christ ) and makes a very important conclusion: just as under the influence of the beneficial rays of the sun not only wax melts, but also dirt turns to stone, so Divine actions, being good in nature, can cause not only positive, but also negative consequences. This is exactly what happened to Pharaoh, whose indignation increased as the miracles and benefits shown by God in Egypt to the Israeli people increased.

According to a popular belief among Christians, which also existed during the time of Origen, who called his supporters “the simpletons of believers,” “all the sins that people commit come from the opposite (i.e., the devil. - M.I.) forces.” , since the latter are much stronger than humans. Therefore, such “simpletons” conclude, if “there were no devil, then not a single person would sin at all.” Refuting this misconception, Origen focuses on free will, which is inherent in all people and determines the nature of their behavior. “We, people, give a reason” to G. and we ourselves lay its beginning. “Hostile forces spread sin wider and further, and if possible - to infinity” (Ibid. III 2. 1-7).

St. Athanasius I the Great draws attention to the origin of G. in man. Man, created in the image of God the Word, was called to contemplate this image within himself and to create his life in accordance with it. However, “staying in thought on the non-existent (St. Athanasius, in accordance with the patristic tradition, calls evil “non-existent” - M.I.), he uses his abilities incorrectly, using them for desires invented (by the soul)” (Athanas. Alex. Or. contr. gent. 4). Taking away from the contemplation of God the Word, the “non-existent” gives rise to phantoms in the human mind, which also do not really exist, but which fascinate the human soul with fictitious idols. On this basis, as St. Athanasius, it is precisely the deification of the surrounding world and the worship of idols that takes place (Ibid. 8). On the same basis, ideas arose about evil as a certain entity that really and independently exists, which led some to dualism, which recognized both good and evil as originally existing, and others to doubt that there is no evil in God (Ibid. 6) . The Alexandrian saint compares the sinner with a horseman, who does not direct his horse to a specific goal, but gallops anywhere, carried away by speed and not noticing that he has lost his way (Ibid. 5).

Statements about G. St. Basil the Great, found for the most part in his exegetical works, are usually fragmentary. For him, the most reliable barrier to God is the constant memory of God, which leaves no place in the human heart for the “enemy” (Basil. Magn. Hom. in Hex. 3), and the most favorable soil for “evil deeds” is idleness (Ibid. 7). St. Vasily warns: G. is dangerous not only in itself; it inevitably becomes a reason for new G. (Idem. Enarr. in Is. 9). Therefore, “having sinned through recklessness or passion from an evil” enemy (for “it is impossible for human nature not to sin”), it is necessary to immediately come to your senses, “change, repent and not accumulate evil for evil” (Ibid. 5). At the same time, one should not excuse oneself by ignorance, for “we have been given natural reason, which teaches us to assimilate what is good and to remove what is harmful from ourselves” (Idem. Hom. in Hex. 7). St. Basil the Great likens G. to fire, the flame of which, barely appearing in one place, immediately engulfs surrounding objects subject to combustion. G.'s infection most quickly occurs in public places, where all sorts of outrages often occur, in criminal communities, in drunken companies, among people of free behavior, etc. It is a great temptation for others, notes St. Vasily, serves the unworthy behavior of those who occupy a “brilliant position in the world,” that is, belong to the privileged classes. Some are subservient to them; others consider it worthy for themselves to imitate their vices (Idem. Hom. in Ps. 1). St. Basil the Great wrote a saying that was widely known in Christ. Church: “The angel will not depart from all those who believe in the Lord, unless we ourselves drive him away with evil deeds. For just as bees are driven away by smoke, and doves by stench, so the guardian of our life, the angel, is driven away by lamentable and stinking sin” (Idem. Hom. in Ps. 33).

St. Gregory the Theologian defines G. as “deviation from the good, not permitted by either law or nature” (Greg. Nazianz. Carm. moral. 34). As lawlessness (1 John 3.4), God is unnatural to man, destroying his nature and leading it to death. True, death from G., according to St. Gregory, does not occur instantly, as happens when a person is bitten by a poisonous snake. The sinner continues to live, although his spiritual illness begins to exude “some kind of unpleasant stench” for those around him. St. Gregory the Theologian advises not to turn away from such a person, because all people are subject to G. and Christ died for them all. Moreover, in relation to a fellow sinner, he recommends “deciding” on the highest sacrifice, “on something similar to what Paul the zealot (Apostle Paul - M.I.) dared to think and say, compassionately with the Israelites, i.e., so that instead by him, if possible, Israel was brought to Christ (Rom. 9. 1-5)” (Greg. Nazianz. Or. 32).

In “Comparison of Spiritual Life and Worldly Life” St. Gregory personifies two lifestyles that lead a dialogue with each other. One life, objecting to another, puts forward a list of arguments in its favor. The advantages of worldly life are undeniable; however, they are acquired at too high a price - at the price of a transaction with conscience and with God, which “is alienation from God.” Spiritual life, with all its deprivations, achieves the main thing - it frees one from sinful slavery and unites a person with God (Idem. Carm. moral. 8).

In “Advice to Virgins,” Gregory the Theologian pays special attention to abstinence in food and wine. “If your stomach is shut,” he writes, “then perhaps you will be saved from sin.” Calling wine “bile for virgins,” he notes that it brings upon them “much disgrace” and leads to spiritual death (Idem. Carm. moral. 3).

Reasoning about G. St. Gregory of Nyssa is reminiscent of the sayings of Clement of Alexandria. For the latter, G. is something “that is not consistent with common sense”; for the first G. is “everything that happens outside the true mind.” Both authors think the same way about the consequences of God. The sinner’s unreasonableness (his loss of the Logos), according to Clement, puts him “on the same level” with the unreasonable, that is, with animals. St. Gregory sees in the sinner “a desire for a wordless life,” for what he does “outside true reason is wordlessness. And dumbness and senselessness are characteristic of animals” (Greg. Nyss. In inscript. ps. II 12). He develops the same idea in a symbolic explanation of the “Egyptian plagues” (Exodus 7-11). In particular, commenting on the invasion of toads, which penetrated in large numbers into the dwellings of the Egyptians, he cannot conceive anything other than toads about a person. “For the corrupting offspring of sin truly constitute a race of frogs, which are born as in mud in the unclean heart of man.” The lifestyle of a sinner is striking even when visiting his home, in which one can find “toads of sin” “not only on the beds, but also on the table, and in the storehouses, and throughout the house” (cf.: Exodus 8.3 ). Even on the walls of such a dwelling one can find all kinds of images that serve “to ignite passionate voluptuousness” (Idem. De vita Moysis. 2. 122). Continuing to comment on the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, St. Gregory of Nyssa draws attention to the destruction of Egypt. first-born and sees a symbolic meaning in this event. Firstborns, according to St. Gregory, symbolize the “first emergence of evil” in the human soul. If a person does not want to lead an “Egyptian life” (i.e., a life of sins), then he must immediately pull out the root of evil. “Whoever kills the firstborn (i.e., a G. at the stage of its generation - M.I.), without a doubt, also kills the generation following the firstborn (i.e., G. generated by the first G. - M.I.), just as he who smites the head of a snake also kills its body.” How this happens in life, St. Gregory explains with an example. Murder, he notes, is often committed in a fit of anger, and adultery is often committed due to the prevailing lust in a person. Therefore, in order to avoid murder and adultery, it is necessary to hit 2 “firstborns” “in the head”: the habit of anger and the habit of leading a dissolute lifestyle (Ibid. 2.94).

St. John Chrysostom, who tirelessly fought for the improvement of Byzantine morals. society, exposes G. not only in personal, but also in family and public life. For him, God is the greatest disaster that can exist on earth, and a sinner is the most unfortunate creature in the world. Because of his G., he is the only one excluded from the worldwide choir of those praising God. St. John quotes Psalm 148: “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great fish and all the deeps...beasts and every livestock, reptiles and birds...” (7, 10) - and adds: “Not in vain and not without reason at these words I fell silent ; The thoughts in my mind were confused, and I had to cry bitterly and sigh heavily. What could be, tell me, more worthy of pity? Scorpions, snakes and dragons are called to the praise of Him who created them; one sinner is excluded from this sacred choir - and rightly so. Sin is an evil and fierce beast, not only showing malice towards the creatures that serve it, but also pouring out evil poison on the glory of the Lord: “for your sake... the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” (Rom 2.24)” (Ioan. Chrysost. Cum presb. fuit ordinat. 2). A great temptation for others, according to St. John Chrysostom was served by the luxury of Christians, which led to complete oblivion of the Gospel norms and rules of life and, moreover, to a misconception about G. and virtue. “Not only is it terrible,” St. denounces. John of nominal Christians, - that you instill in children something that contradicts the commandments of Christ, but also that you cover up depravity with euphonious names, calling constant presence on horse tracks and in theaters secularism, the possession of wealth - freedom, love of fame - generosity, insolence - frankness, extravagance - by philanthropy, injustice - by courage." However, the sinful substitutions do not end there. “You also call virtues by opposite names: modesty as discourtesy, meekness as cowardice... humility as servility, gentleness as impotence” (Idem. Sermo 3.7). This shift in concepts occurs, according to St. John, due to the fact that G. has the ability to intoxicate a person. “Those who strive for sin, as if drunk... do not know what they are doing, do not see anything - neither the present nor the future” (Idem. De ieiun.). The only thing they fear is death. St. John Chrysostom, not without irony, likens them to young children, who “are afraid of masks, but not afraid of fire... and, fearing nothing, they stretch out their hand to the candle and the fire... So we too,” the saint concludes, “are afraid of death, which is insignificant mask, and we are not afraid of sin, which is truly terrible and, like fire, devours the conscience.” So one should cry not for the dead, but “for the one living in sins” (Idem. Ad popul. Antioch. 5.3). St. John objects to the widespread idea that the punishment for G. is the most severe suffering that a person has to endure. “Sin itself is the greatest punishment, even if we were not punished,” he writes, making it clear that the source of the sinner’s suffering is not outside, but inside him (Ibid. 6.6). St. John constantly exposes the deceit of G., which not only intoxicates a person, but also likes to dress up in the clothes of innocence, which often takes place already at the birth of G. With examples taken from everyday life, St. John Chrysostom shows how innocent manifestations of human nature can imperceptibly develop into sinful manifestations. “Laughter by nature is not a sin, but it becomes a sin if it manifests itself beyond measure, because from laughter comes mockery, from mockery comes shaming, from shaming comes shameful deeds... So luxury, apparently, does not represent anything dangerous, but from it comes drunkenness and countless evils associated with drunkenness” (Idem. Adv. ebr. 5). St. John sees great danger not only in G., but also in the habit of sinning. The latter leads to the fact that a person stops grieving about his G. “If, when you sin, you do not grieve, do not think that sin (is - M.I.) an unimportant” act. It does not “hurt” not because it supposedly poses no danger, “but because the sinning soul is insensitive” (Idem. Sermo 24).

Destruction of Sodom. Fragment of the icon “Trinity with Being”. OK. 1600 (Tretyakov Gallery)

Destruction of Sodom. Fragment of the icon “Trinity with Being”. OK. 1600 (Tretyakov Gallery) As if continuing this thought, St. John Chrysostom, his student St. Isidore Pelusiot points out that the so-called. Small crimes committed out of habit inevitably lead to great evil. The misconception that, according to Krom, small G. does not pose any danger, leads to the fact that vice takes over life. St. Isidore draws attention to the fact that responsibility for the same G. can be different. It is determined not only by the individual characteristics of a person, but also by his position in the Church. “To fall into sin for one who is in obedience (i.e., a monk - M.I.) is a terrible thing; the fall of an initiate (i.e., a clergyman - M.I.) is even more terrible; the most terrible thing” is the fall of the one who accepted the “lot of the high priesthood.” (The fact that St. Isidore mentions the Old Testament high priest suggests that by the New Testament high priest he means the head of the local Church.) The degree of responsibility for the committed G., according to Pelusiot, is determined in full accordance with the honors given to him or her. another ecclesiastical person. “And why compare the leader with his subordinates,” writes St. Isidore, turning to the Old Testament legislative tradition, - if the Lawgiver said that the fall of the high priest was equivalent to the sin of the entire people, and legalized to bring (for this fall - M.I.) the same sacrifice as is offered for the sin of the entire people" (Isid. Pel Ep. 1).

Constantly mourning his own G., St. Ephraim the Syrian reveals the inner ugliness of the sinner, who is trying to hide it by any means and actions. Moreover, the more it is hidden, the greater the destructive power it exhibits. However, no one will be able to completely hide G. St. Ephraim constantly reminds us of the Second Coming of the Righteous Judge, when all human deeds will be exposed. This shame can only be avoided through prayer and repentance. The one “who with his sins ignites the fire (of sin - M.I.), if he prays, will extinguish it with his tears” (Ephraem Syr. De paenit. Σ. 368). St. Ephraim warns those who lead Christ. way of life, being in more favorable conditions, from being seduced by the place of one’s stay (apparently, this refers to monks who lived in famous monasteries), for the place in itself does not save a Christian. “Blessed and majestic was the dwelling of Adam (paradise. - M.I.), wicked and sorrowful was the place where Lot lived (Sodom. - M.I.). But in the abode of life, Adam died because he wanted to die, and Lot, even among the dead (the inhabitants of Sodom, who found themselves in a state of extreme spiritual decay - M.I.) saved his life because he wanted to live. Our freedom, of its own free will, becomes both the winner and the vanquished” (Ibid. 24).

St. Macarius of Egypt notes that a Christian, called to fight against God, can never defeat him on his own. “To fight him, to resist him... is in your power, but to eradicate (him) is God’s work” (Macar. Aeg. II 3.4). There should be no place for arrogance in this struggle, for a person himself cannot fulfill his “desire to be pure, blameless, undefiled...”; “he does not have the strength for this” (Idem. II 2. 3). “The wind of sin” is very strong; it shakes and confuses human nature to the core (Idem. II 2.4). If a person were able to eradicate G. on his own, notes St. Macarius, then there would be no “need” “for the Lord’s coming” (meaning the coming to earth of the Divine Son). “Just as it is impossible for the eye to see without light, or to speak without a tongue, or to hear without ears, or to walk without legs, or to work without hands, so without Jesus it is impossible to be saved” (Idem. II 3.4).

Blzh. Augustine views Greece through the prism of relationships: on the one hand, God and man, and on the other, the Heavenly City and the Earthly City. The relationship between God and man was first broken due to human disobedience. For some, the Bishop of Hippo argues, this G. may not seem significant enough to lead human nature to “great damage.” However, it is not. To obey Him who created man and by whom we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) is our most important duty. “This virtue (i.e., obedience - M.I.) for a rational creature is in some way the mother and guardian of all virtues. For this creature (man - M.I.) was created in such a way that it is useful for it to be subordinate, but it is disastrous for it to do its own will, and not the One by whom it was created” (Aug. De civ. Dei. XIV 12). An indispensable condition under which obedience can be realized is human humility. Speaking about humility, Blessed. Augustine refutes the popular belief that it allegedly degrades human dignity. Just the opposite, oh man. “Humility makes (a person - M.I.) submissive to what is above him.” And since “there is nothing higher than God,” then “humility elevates because it makes you submissive to God.” The city of self-exaltation elevates a person only in his own eyes; in reality it is a “deposition” of human dignity (Ibid. XIV 13). “Satisfaction with oneself” for the blessed one. Augustine is undoubtedly G., although a person with painful pride does not notice him. To bring such a person to his senses, blzh. Augustine offers a paradoxical remedy: “it is useful for him to fall into some open and obvious sin,” the shame of which will help him open his eyes to his spiritual misery (Ibid. XIV 14).

Comparing 2 cities - earthly and heavenly, - the Bishop of Hippo about the first of them “gives birth to nature corrupted by sin”, and the citizens of the second - “grace that frees nature from sin” (Ibid. XV 2). He considers Cain to be the founder of the earthly city, who committed the first fratricide, which later. was also reflected during the founding of Rome, which, according to legend (“according to the history of Rome,” as Blessed Augustine notes), was associated with the murder of his brother Remus by Romulus. In both cases, the reason for the murder was the desire for sole dominance (Ibid. XV 5). Condemning this G., blessed. Augustine at the same time notes that domination can take place only in one case - when a person keeps his fallen nature in subjection, preventing its baser instincts from manifesting itself. Discussions about domination inevitably lead to the blj. Augustine to a related topic - slavery. Slavery, he notes, is of two types: social and spiritual. The cause of both is G. In the first case, a person becomes a slave of another person, and in the second, a slave of his fallen nature. And although neither one nor the other slavery can be justified, for the nature “with which God created man” excludes the phenomenon of slavery, nevertheless, “it is better to be a slave to man than to lust” (Ibid. XIX 15).

"The departure of the sinful soul." Fragment of the composition on the door to the altar. 1607 Master Mon. Trifon (KBMZ)

According to the ascetic teaching of St. John Cassian the Roman, it is necessary to distinguish the natural needs of the human body from the unnatural, which inevitably lead to various G. This applies not only to nutrition, rest, sleep, clothing, but also to “carnal movements”, which are “beneficially implanted in our body for the birth of children and the propagation of offspring, and not for fornication and adultery.” Even anger can be directed in the right direction for a person if the latter shows it not towards others, but towards himself, “being angry at his own vices and mistakes” (Ioan. Cassian. De inst. coenob. VII 3). The most important danger that awaits a person comes, according to St. John Cassian, from himself, and not from an “external enemy”, of whom “we have nothing to fear.” The enemy, who can inflict terrible damage on us, “is hidden within ourselves.” Therefore, if we want to defeat him, we need to wage a constant “inner war” with our sinfulness (Ibid. V 21).

G., committed by a person, must, according to St. Isaac the Syrian, should be considered not only in itself, but also taking into account the human condition in which it is committed. One becomes the culprit of G. “due to weakness,” that is, “gets carried away (by him - M.I.) involuntarily”; another sins “out of ignorance”; the third - out of habit, i.e. “due to a long stay in evil and obduracy in it”; the fourth - “arbitrarily,” that is, without making any effort to combat G. All four are “blameworthy,” but the guilt of each of them will be different. Although this is a circumstance for St. Isaac is of significant importance, he sees the main thing in another: no matter what state a person is in and no matter what actions he commits, he should not fall “into the abyss of hopelessness” and give up the fight with God. Even defeated by his sinful nature, or the devil , or temptation, he must again rise “to fight with his opponents and daily ... lay the foundation of a destroyed building.” Wounds and blood are inevitable in this battle; The most shameful thing for a soldier of Christ is to flee from them by fleeing the battlefield. “Abandonment of everything” (as St. Isaac means the cessation of spiritual struggle) deprives a person of any opportunity to overcome G. within himself.

Source G., according to St. Simeon the New Theologian, there is often a misconception about the purpose of human life. For some reason, many people think that a person is born in order to “enjoy the world and taste its joys.” However, the life experiences of those who have followed this path refutes this idea. He shows that the consumer attitude to life does not bring true joy, while turning the person himself into a weak-willed egoist, incapable of sacrificial feats and compassion for people. In addition, the monk notes, if the goal of life really were such, then life itself would not tragically end in death, but would continue forever (Sym. N. Theol. Or. 4. 3).

G. for St. Simeon is a serious illness. However, paradoxically, the heavier it is, the less the sinner feels it: “without feeling pain in the soul, he lives cheerfully and is not sad.” Such a state, the monk notes, is “worthy of crying,” for as long as he is “like this,” it is impossible to heal him. Since insensibility hides his condition from the sinner, it inevitably gives rise to complacency and pride in him. “Being proud, he (the sinner - M.I.) does not even admit the thought that he is sick, and pays with hatred to anyone who tells him about his illness or suggests a method of treatment.” St. Simeon pronounces a harsh sentence on him: even if he is formally listed as a Christian, in fact he is not one. As a Christian, he is dead, because noticing and feeling his illnesses is “a natural property of the living” (Sym. N. Theol. Or. 6. 1-3).

Following the common Christ. traditions, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) distinguishes 2 categories of G.: mortal and non-mortal. Mortal G. must be avoided at all costs, because they “kill the soul.” “If someone dies in mortal sin without having time to repent of it, his soul goes to hell. She has no hope of salvation” (Soch. St. Petersburg, 1905. T. 4. P. 374). St. Ignatius notes that death often overtakes a person just when committing a mortal act: “Another got drunk with wine, and in this state his soul was separated from his body; another went to theft and robbery, and the wrath of God struck him at the very crime” (Ibid.). St. Ignatius points out that St. the fathers “liken mortal sin to a heavy stone,” and immortal sin to a grain of sand. If a person with a stone around his neck ends up in water, he will inevitably drown. In the same way, “in the abysses of hell” a mortal G. drowns a person. As for the immortal G., they “do not kill the soul, but only more or less hurt it. Saints are not immune to these sins.” However, “the saints are vigilant over themselves and, noticing the sin into which they were carried away by the common weakness of mankind, they immediately heal it with repentance.” If, while committing minor acts, a person does not pay any attention to it, he may find himself in a deplorable state. And not only because minor errors left in oblivion often lead to serious glitches, but also because grains of small glitches can accumulate in quantities that are not inferior in weight to a heavy stone of mortal gallstones (Ibid., p. . 374-375).

Lit.: Veltistov V. Sin, its origin, essence and consequences. M., 1885; Vvedensky D. The Teaching of the Old Testament about sin. Serg. P., 1900; Rimselis V. Natura et peccatum: De oppositionem inter naturam et peccatum ad mentem S. Thomae: Diss. [R.], 1952; Smith CR The Bible Doctrine of Sin and the Ways of God with Sinners. L., 1953; Eremin V., diac. Analysis of the gradual development of sin and its types: [Course. cit.] / MDA. Zagorsk, 1956. RKP.; Regnier J. Der moderne Mensch und die Sünde. Würzburg, 1959; Rondet H. The Theology of Sin: Transl. from French. Notre Dame (Ind.), 1960; Nenartovich F., prot. The Fall of Man and Its Consequences: [Course. cit.] / MDA. Zagorsk, 1971. RKP.; Malevich B. Origin, essence and consequences of sin: [Course. cit.] / MDA. Zagorsk, 1975. RKP.; Zarin S. M. Asceticism according to Orthodox Christian teaching. M., 1996; The concept of sin in the Slavic and Jewish cultural tradition: Sat. Art. M., 2000.

M. S. Ivanov

What is adultery?

Let's consider how the commission of such a sin as “fornication” or, in other words, “lust” or “adultery” affects a person’s consciousness (from the point of view of the loss of mental – vital energy).

If one spouse cheats on the other spouse, then we examined this version of sin a little higher. The cheating spouse spends a lot of his mental energy (especially in the presence of his spouse). Result: loss of vital energy.

But, if a person is not married, and at the same time commits a lot of promiscuity. How does this affect his vital (psychic) energy?

The fact is that the more a person is attached to something, the more this “attachment” distracts his attention. In other words, a person becomes dependent on a specific habit.

How does this affect the amount of his vital (mental) energy?

ANY DEPENDENCE TAKES A SIGNIFICANT PART OF HIS LIFE ENERGY FROM A PERSON!

The fact is that a person who has any addiction (for example, addiction to constant sexual relationships) spends a lot of mental energy in the form of his attention on two main points:

Recollection of past sexual encounters (habit gratification);
Anticipation of future new sexual relationships.

The longer an addict has not had sexual contact, the more he spends his mental energy (in the form of thoughts) about expected possible contacts in the future.

As a result, a person can no longer think about anything at all except about the future satisfaction of his addiction. That is, all mental energy is spent on waiting (imagining) the future satisfaction of one’s habit.

The same thing happens to any person with any other addiction. Moreover, between satisfying one’s habit (addiction), the overall level of vital (mental) energy is at a lower level, in the so-called “economical consumption mode.” Because when stimulating the expenditure of psychic energy, too much energy is wasted.

Thus, a person who is highly dependent on sexual relations spends almost all of his mental energy thinking about past and future sexual contacts. Accordingly, for the organization of other vital processes:

Analytical (mental) activity;
Organization of the work of all internal organs.

there will be not enough vital (psychic) energy!!

What is the sin of gluttony?

Overeating forces you to spend vital energy on organizing the work of internal organs to digest excessive amounts of food. And then, to remove remaining undigested waste and toxins (especially when eating food of animal origin). Subsequent various physiological diseases that appear over time from overeating will also take away the remaining part of the vital (mental) energy.

In addition, it has been proven that addiction to tasty food is an addiction. As with any other addiction, the brain will spend mental energy in the form of attention waiting for the timing of the next meal (that is: the next stimulation of increased mental energy expenditure).

Gluttony

The word is old and beautiful. It also directly points to the essence of the problem. Gluttony is serving one’s body, worshiping earthly desires and passions. Just think how disgusting a person looks, in whose life the main place is occupied by a primitive instinct: satiation of the body. The words “belly” and “animal” are related and similar in sound. They originate from the Old Slavonic source code zhib – “living”. Of course, in order to exist, an individual must eat. But we should remember: we eat to live, and not vice versa.

Gluttony, greed for food, satiety, eating large quantities of food - all this is gluttony. Most people do not take this sin seriously, believing that the love of goodies is their slight weakness. But one has only to look at it on a more global scale, how the vice becomes ominous: millions of people on Earth are dying of hunger, while someone, without shame or conscience, stuffs their belly to the point of nausea. Overcoming gluttony is often difficult. You will need iron willpower to strangle the baser instincts within yourself and limit yourself in food to the necessary minimum. Strict fasting and giving up your favorite delicacies help to cope with gluttony.

What is envy?

This is another sin that is considered mortal.

When a person is jealous of another person, a lot of information about the new “Potential Enemy” is stored in his “biocomputer”. Information about a “Potential Enemy” as an object of envy consumes a lot of a person’s mental energy. Sometimes, for some people, envy literally “eats” them from the inside. This means in fact that almost ALL of his mental (vital) energy (in its analytical form) is spent on attention to the object of his envy, and in fact to his “Potential Enemy”.

In general, a person who envies someone, in any case, experiences a great lack of mental (vital) energy, proportional to the strength of envy, this detrimental (to vital energy) feeling.

Can a person feel that he has committed a sin?

I think it can: the Lord gave everyone a conscience - the voice of God in a person, and in everyone it sounds differently. A person may not know that he has sinned, but the Lord will reveal it to him through circumstances or other people. How many cases when a person comes to church and says that he is tormented by this or that situation, while describing the situation as sinful! He doesn't know that it is a sin, but he feels it. Or, for example, a small child knows nothing about sin, but understands that he is doing something wrong. He breaks something and hides it; he lies and remains silent.

What is the sin of greed?

Another sin that is considered mortal.

This is a dependence on the organization of actions to accumulate money and material values.

Like any other addiction, this one will also take almost all the attention, that is, all the free life energy of a person. A person turns into a “biorobot” with one single program - acquisitions . He cannot understand this on his own, since almost all psychic energy is spent on the acquisition program. Everything is subordinated to one thing - making money.

Second point. Greed is almost always accompanied by envy! Envy is a negative attitude towards a more successful person. And the brain is forced to remember and take into account in its work a lot of information related to the new “Potential Enemy”, which (for the brain) are all the people towards whom we have a negative attitude in the process of our envy of them. As it was found out earlier, all “Potential opponents” (more precisely, information in our memory about them) are the cause of a large expenditure of our mental (vital) energy.

Greed

The second most serious sin. Vanity is a product of greed and pride, their common fruit. Therefore, these two vices are the foundation on which a whole bunch of immoral character traits grow. As for greed, it manifests itself in the form of an indomitable desire to receive a lot of money. The people whom she touched with her icy hand stop spending their finances even on what is necessary, they accumulate wealth contrary to common sense. Apart from a way to earn money, such individuals do not think about anything else. It is from the seeds of greed that such vices of the human soul as greed, self-interest and envy sprout. They are the reason that the entire history of mankind is drenched in the blood of innocent victims.

In our time, greed continues to occupy a leading position in the sinful hierarchy. The popularity of loans, financial pyramids and business trainings confirms the sad fact that the meaning of life for many people is enrichment and luxury. Greed is going crazy over money. Like any other insanity, it is destructive to the individual: the individual spends the best years of his life not searching for himself, but on the endless accumulation and increase of capital. Often he decides to commit a crime: theft, fraud, corruption. To overcome greed, a person needs to understand that true happiness is within him, and it does not depend on material wealth. The counterbalance is generosity: give part of what you earn to those in need. This is the only way to cultivate the ability to share benefits with other people.

What is the sin of vanity?

Vanity or pride (pride, arrogance).

This is a problem of a person's status in society.

A person who has reached a certain position in society begins to compare the position (status) of those around him with his own position (status).

If his status is lower than someone else’s, then he begins to envy. Envy takes away a certain amount of mental energy in the form of constant attention paid to this person as a “Potential enemy” (we discussed this a little higher). An envious person thinks a lot about the object of his envy, thus spending a lot of mental energy. And if envy is strong, then information about the object of one’s envy (a more successful person in terms of status) will take a lot of vital (mental) energy.

In addition, proud people often arrogantly judge or insult other people. All these actions, and even thoughts, constantly replenish the information in their memory about “Potential Opponents”. Scanning this growing amount of information takes away more and more of their mental (vital) energy.

Pride

This is too high a person's self-esteem. He begins to consider himself the best and most worthy. It is clear that it is necessary to develop individuality, unusual abilities and genius talents. But placing one’s “I” on an unjustified pedestal of honor is real pride. Sin leads to an inadequate assessment of oneself and making other fatal mistakes in life.

It differs from ordinary pride in that a person begins to boast of his qualities before God himself. He develops the confidence that he himself is capable of achieving heights without the help of the Almighty, and his talents are not a gift from Heaven, but exclusively personal merit. The individual becomes arrogant, ungrateful, arrogant, inattentive to others.

In many religions, sin is considered the mother of all other vices. And indeed it is. A person affected by this spiritual illness begins to adore himself, which leads to laziness and gluttony. In addition, he despises everyone around him, which invariably leads him to anger and greed. Why does pride arise? Sin, Orthodoxy claims, becomes a consequence of improper upbringing and limited development. It is difficult to rid a person of vice. Usually higher powers give him a test in the form of poverty or physical injury, after which he either becomes even more evil and proud, or is completely cleansed of the wicked state of the soul.

Dejection what is it?

Laziness or despondency (idleness, inaction).

These are also sins that are considered mortal.

When a person is not busy with anything, his “biocomputer” (brain) naturally stops working. Life energy decreases (as unnecessary and unclaimed). A person feels his vital energy less and less. It cannot be spent either on knowing oneself as a spiritual being, or on understanding what one can do and what one should not do. Man is gradually turning into an unreasonable creature. Laziness and despondency are, in fact, a decrease in one’s vital energy, and in fact, a slow death. It is no coincidence that these sins relate to mortals.

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All human sins come from one another. Here is an excerpt from the oldest Holy Scripture:

BHAGAVAD - GITA: Chapter 3 “KARMA YOGA”; Text 36-40

First appears - lust . Then, as a consequence, there is greed for the accumulation of material resources in order to best be able to satisfy - lust.

Then - envy of those who achieve more than you in their lust. If a person achieves status in society and has great opportunities to satisfy his lust, vanity . Anger takes possession of a person if he fails to achieve the object of his desire. Next - despondency , laziness and apathy.

And all these sinful actions and ways of thinking, as well as violation of the commandments: do not judge, do not lie, do not covet someone else’s, do not steal, do not kill, and others, have one common property: a decrease in vital (mental) energy.

What happens to the soul (consciousness) of a person who commits certain sinful acts is described in detail in the article on the site - “WHAT HELL AND HEAVEN LOOK LIKE IN REALITY -