Approved for distribution by the Publishing Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 13-314-2075 48 pp. Priest Daniel Sysoev. On Envy and Despondency. Daniel Sysoev Inc, New Jersey, 2018. ISBN: 978-5-4279-0081-6
The sin of envy is one of the three sins belonging to Satan himself. The apostle Paul says that there is no place for an envious person in the Kingdom of God. No other passion so destructive to a person is spawned in the human soul. Despondency—or, as it is called in the world, depression—is a sin that is very widespread today and a great boon to the pharmaceutical industry. Yet from Holy Scripture we know that one sign of the end times will be a rise in this pernicious passion. In this booklet you will find the antidote for these two passions.
Booklet 9 of 12 from a series of talks given by Priest Daniel Sysoev entitled “How to Inherit Eternal Life.”
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© Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018 © Yulia Sysoeva, 2018
CONTENT
ON ENVY The Sin of Envy ������������������������������������������������������ 4 What Produces Envy? ������������������������������������������ 6 How Is One to Avoid Envy? ���������������������������������� 6 The Effects of Envy and the Disposition of One Who Is Envious ���������������������������������������� 7 One Must Not Associate With Those Who Are Envious. ������������������������������������������������ 18 Many Heresies Are Caused by Envy. �������������� 19 The Evil Eye Results From Envy ����������������������20 The Envious Can Be Known by Their Appearance ���������������������������������������������������������� 21 How Does One Struggle Against Envy? ����������23 Envy’s Last Snare ������������������������������������������������ 27 A Test for Envy ����������������������������������������������������28
ON DESPONDENCY The Holy Scriptures on Despondency ��������������29 The Two Types of Despondency ������������������������ 31 Despondency Breeds Other Sins ���������������������� 32 What Increases Despondency? ������������������������33 The Attributes of Despondency ������������������������34 What Produces Despondency? �������������������������� 41 The Remedy for Despondency ��������������������������43
ON ENVY
The Sin of Envy
The
Bible gives an account of how Joseph’s brothers sold him out of envy: Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt (Gen. 37:28). This is an example of the terrible sin of envy. The sin of envy is usually well disguised under the form of fighting for truth and social equality, dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words (Prov. 23:6–9). The sin of envy is one of the three sins that belong personally to Satan, who sinned first by pride (he decided to become like God); sec4
ond, by envy (he became envious of man); and third, by murder (by corrupting man he took away man’s life). The sin of envy is murderous, and the sin of murder is extremely grave. The apostle Paul writes that the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). The apostle says that no one who is envious has a place in the Kingdom of God. According to Saint Basil the Great, envy is a person’s bitterness over his neighbor’s good fortune; or, as Solomon says, A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones (Prov. 14:30). There is no other passion so destructive to man. The Bible forbids people to try to cure those who are envious; the envious are to be simply isolated from society: Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land (Ps. 100:5–6). 5
What Produces Envy?
There are two sins that are incurable by human ef-
forts: pride and envy. The sin of envy is born from pride, when a person considers himself to be of no little importance; it is born from a person thinking that he has certain rights that have been violated. Envy arises from a false sense of justice: other people should not be better off than I; everything should be equal. God’s justice states: let the good receive good, and the evil, punishment. The slogan for the devil’s justice is: let everyone be miserable! Saint Basil the Great inquires: “How can one who is envious escape the punishment prepared for the devil?”* And he answers: “It is impossible!” The most terrible punishments of Hell will be given specifically to the prideful and the envious.
How Is One to Avoid Envy?
In
the first place, it is essential to identify the people with whom we socialize: the sin of envy is infectious, and we must not socialize with those * St. Basil the Great, Homily XI, On Envy. The author cites this homily frequently throughout the current section on envy. Unless otherwise specified, all citations in this section are from St. Basil’s homily on envy.–Trans.
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who are envious. Therefore, if we want to escape envy, we need to end our associations with those who are envious. The more talented a person is, the more good that he does, the less susceptible he will be to envy, because good works and envy are incompatible. The Bible mentions many cures for envy. We should call to mind the envious murderers of Christ Annas and Caiaphas and the high-priests and scribes who gave Christ over to death because of envy! Why did Cain kill Abel? Out of envy! One might recall Saul’s envy of King David. A person who reads the Scriptures carefully will see whom he is imitating, will see what became of the envious, will want to be healed, and will begin to change for the better. It is very difficult for one who is envious to say to himself, “I am the murderer of Christ, I am Cain,” but if he says this, he will rouse his heart to anger towards this passion.
The Effects of Envy and the Disposition of One Who Is Envious
Basil the Great says that envy is “not so harmful
to bystanders, but it is the evil which is dominant and closest to him who harbors it. Just as rust eats away at iron, so does envy eat away at the soul 7
in which it lives. It is better still to say that, just as vipers are born gnawing through the womb that bore them, so does envy frequently devour the soul in which it is conceived.” If a person sees nothing good in his neighbor’s actions, then envy has consumed him. “For this reason an envious person is never lacking in sorrows and afflictions. Is his neighbor’s field ready for harvest? Is his house overflowing with the good things of this life? Does he have no shortage of joys? For one who is envious, all of this feeds his disease and increases his sorrow. Therefore, he in no way differs from a man without any protection, at whom everyone is shooting arrows. Is someone strong or healthy? This is a striking blow to one who is envious. Is another handsome in countenance? This is a fresh blow to the envious person. Someone excels above many others by his mental superiority, turns people’s heads, and arouses rivalry by his wisdom and eloquence; another is rich, famous for his generous gifts and friendliness to those in need, and receives much praise from those he has aided. All of these things are blows and wounds to the very heart of him who is envious.” Someone who is prone to envy is never satisfied: he tries to find evil in every person. An envious person sees nothing but sin in others. 8
Whereas an objective person sees both good and evil, an envious one sees only evil. Basil the Great continues: “What is grievous about this disease is that an envious person cannot speak about it. His eyes are downcast; he is despondent, confused, sad, and is perishing from his sickness; however, when asked about his suffering, he is ashamed to reveal his affliction and say: ‘I am an envious and evil man; my friend’s accomplishments distress me; I grumble at my brother’s kindness; I cannot look at the accomplishments of others; on the contrary, I count my neighbor’s success as my misfortune.’ This is what he ought to say if he desired to speak the truth. But since he is unwilling to voice this, he retains deep within himself this disease, which festers and devours his insides.” If a person says honestly, “Yes, I am an envious person,” he will get better, because the abscess on his soul will open up. But when one who is envious lies to himself, the disease progresses, eats away at his soul, and ultimately kills him. “Thus, he does not seek the help of a physician and is unable to find any cure for his sufferings, although the Scriptures are filled with such remedies. On the contrary, he awaits one single comfort in his affliction: to see the downfall of 9
the one who has aroused his envy. The one goal of his hatred is to see the one he envies miserable instead of joyful, and to see his rival become pitiable. Then he is in peace and becomes a friend of the other: when he sees him weeping and in distress. He does not rejoice together with him who rejoices, but he sheds tears with one who laments. And if he sorrows over the adversity due to which someone has fallen from such happiness into such misfortune, then it is not from kindness or compassion that he praises the other’s former state, but in order to make his affliction more painful. If another loses a son, he extols the child with a thousand words of praise, saying that he was magnificent, gifted in learning, and talented in all things; but if the child were living, his tongue would not utter a single kind word concerning him. As soon as he sees that many are joining him in his praise, he changes again and begins to envy the deceased once more. He marvels at another’s wealth after the latter’s impoverishment. He praises another’s physical beauty or his strength and health only after the onset of an illness. In general, he is an enemy of what another has in his possession and a friend of what has been lost.” Bishop Elias (Miniatis) describes the rich man in the Gospel parable as being envious. In 10
the Gospel of Luke it says: There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, 11
They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:19–31). Why did the rich man want to have the tip of his tongue moistened? There is no way he could have quenched his hellish thirst with a drop of water; an entire river would not even have been enough. His request stemmed from his envy of Abraham’s bosom, where Lazarus was; he wanted Lazarus, if only for a moment, to come and experience the state he was in. And when he saw that this had failed, he asked that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house. Why? This request is once again out of envy: so that Lazarus would leave his state of blessedness for at least a little while; anything, rather than have Lazarus be joyful. Not once did the rich man ask to be taken to Abraham’s bosom or to have his sufferings lessened; what mattered to him was that someone be tortured alongside him. Every sin has some moment of pleasure: a fornicator derives pleasure from an orgasm; a glutton, from filling his stomach; one who is avaricious, from money he has acquired. The only 12
one who derives no pleasure at all is the person who is envious. His neighbor’s downfall would bring him joy, but he sees that there are others who have not yet fallen. It was the envious who began campaigning against eternal torments: “How is it,” they say, “that the righteous will rejoice, but the sinners will be tormented?” In reality, however, the suffering of the sinners will in no way affect the blessedness of the righteous. Why does the devil wish to destroy everyone? Not because their destruction would make him feel better, and not because he would rule over sinful souls after the end of the world. Satan, the fallen spirits, and sinners will all be bound hand and foot, and will be completely unable to mock one another. Satan’s goal is to have everyone else tormented with him. Basil the Great says: “What could possibly be more pernicious than this disease? It is corruption of life, mockery of our nature, animosity towards that which God has given us, defiance of God. With what has the author of evil, the demon, been armed for battle against man? Is it not envy? The enemy of God clearly proved himself guilty of envy when he became resentful of God for His bountiful gifts to man, and then avenged himself on man because he could not do so on God. Another found guilty of 13
this is Cain, the devil’s first pupil, who learned from him both envy and murder—those kindred transgressions which Paul also correlated, saying: full of envy, murder (Rom. 1:29). What was it that Cain did? He saw honor given by God and became inflamed with jealousy; he killed the one who was clothed with honor in order to revile Him who bestowed it. Having no power to fight God, he slew his brother. Let us, brethren, flee this infirmity which teaches one to oppose God; which is the mother of murder, the perversion of nature, the disregard of one’s kindred, the most unspeakable of afflictions.” Envy is outright war against God! Envy and murder are brothers—literally, not figuratively. It is for this reason that the apostle Paul says, But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another (Gal. 5:15). A person’s envy is usually directed at his relatives or close acquaintances—at those that are close by, rather than those far away. The Scythian does not envy the Egyptian, but the Egyptian the Scythian.* This is why the Lord said: And * The actual quote from St. Basil the Great is: “The Egyptian does not envy the Scythian, nor the Scythian the Egyptian.”– Trans.
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a man’s foes shall be they of his own household (Matt. 10:36). People envy their family members, people at work or in the parish, not just anyone off the street. “Why do you mourn, man, when you have not suffered any wrong? Why do you wage war against a man who has in his possession a few good things, and has not done any harm to that which you have? If you, who have been given much, are resentful, then are you not envious of your own gain? Such was Saul, who turned an abundance of gifts into a cause for war against David. First, after being freed from rage by the latter’s divine, harmonious playing on the harp, he attempted to pierce his benefactor with a spear. Then, after being saved, along with his armies, from his enemies and being delivered from the disgrace threatened by Goliath, the exultant maidens began in their songs of victory to ascribe to David ten times more of a contribution in the attainment of victory: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands (1 Sam. 18:7). For this one expression, for this testimony founded on the very truth, he wanted to kill David with his own hand and cunningly slay him. Then, even after having forced him into exile he did not cease his enmity, but finally marched out against him with three thousand chosen war15
riors, and searched for him in the wilderness. And if one were to question him about his cause for war, then he would certainly indicate David’s good deeds, because during the very time of his pursuit of David, when he was found asleep and vulnerable to his enemy, but was saved by that righteous man, who refrained from laying hands on him, he was not softened even by this good deed, but once more gathered his army and renewed the persecution until he was once again found by David in a cave, where the latter’s virtues were shown forth in a greater light, and the former’s wickedness made manifest.” Usually a person envies another when that person has done something nice for him; hence the saying: “No good deed goes unpunished.” This is why the Bible teaches not to associate with those who are envious, not to correct them, and not to marry them, but to run and distance ourselves from them because they will devour us, albeit figuratively. In the psalms King David says: The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords (Ps. 54:22). The very essence of an envious person, who strikes stealthily, is concealed in these words. He is an intimate person and strikes to the very heart; no 16
one can hurt another as an intimate can. Chapter 16 of the book of Numbers describes the punishment that God sends upon those who are envious. When Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and the rest rebelled against Moses out of envy, God’s wrath punished them: the earth opened up, and they went down alive into Hell. “Envy is the most unconquerable form of enmity. Other enemies are gentled by good works, but one who is envious and perverse is still more angered by a kindness done to him. The more kindness he sees shown to him, the more angry, sorrowful, and distressed he becomes. He is more resentful of his benefactor’s virtue than he is grateful for that which was done for him. Which of the beasts does the envious man not surpass by the cruelty of his nature? Does his ferocity not exceed even the most untameable of them? Dogs, if fed, become submissive; lions when cared for, become tame; but the envious become even more savage when rendered a service.” Envy is more harmful to one who is envious than it is to the person who is envied. Very often people will try to incite an upright person to sin, out of envy. Envy and slander are also things that are inseparable. Jealousy is a form of envy. “Therefore, will you really not be horrified 17
at becoming a servant of a pernicious demon, and will you allow into yourself an evil which will make you an enemy of people who have in no way wronged you and, besides that, an enemy of God, Who is good and devoid of envy? Let us flee from this insufferable evil. It is the serpent’s suggestion, the demons’ invention, the enemy’s sowing, a guarantee of torments, a hindrance to piety, the path to Gehenna, deprivation of the Kingdom.” One who is envious is not an enemy of people, but of God. Those who are envious are tormented in this world, but this is just a token, a small taste of what they will receive in Gehenna. The envious will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
One Must Not Associate With Those Who Are Envious.
Basil the Great writes: “Wise was he who forbade
even to dine with an envious man (Prov. 23:6), meaning also by this any interaction in life. Just as we take care to place inflammable objects away from the fire, so should we, as much as possible, avoid friendly conversation with the envious, distancing ourselves from envy’s darts. For there is no way to give oneself over to envy other than to come into close contact with it. This is truly how 18
it occurs: the Scythian does not envy the Egyptian; rather, every person envies his own countrymen; and of one’s countrymen, one does not envy those unknown to him, but those whom he knows intimately; and of those whom he knows, he envies his neighbors, those of the same trade, or those related in some other way; and of these, again, he envies his peers, relations, and brethren. In general, as mold is the disease of grain, so is envy the infirmity of friendship.� There is no other passion (other than pride) that we will hear described so harshly. We are not even supposed to engage in friendly conversation with those who are envious. Envy is an infectious feeling.
Many Heresies Are Caused by Envy.
The
apostle Jude said that heretics are distinguished by the fact that they are discontented with everything; envious people are discontented with everything as well. There have been many cases where a heresy was preceded by envy. In Alexandria, in the fourth century, there lived a very educated scholar and intelligent missionary, a presbyter named Arius. He was a talented homilist, whom half of Alexandria would come to hear. He had ambitions to the throne of 19
the patriarch of Alexandria, who at the time was Alexander. The presbyter Arius became envious of the patriarch and started to search Alexander’s sermons for something of which to accuse him. And in order to refute the patriarch’s teaching about God, he invented a heresy, and began to teach that the Son of God was a creation. Envy and a craving for power led to Arius’s becoming the most renowned heretic in the world. He met a tragic end: his bowels spilled out, and he died face down in excrement. This was how the Lord punished him.
The Evil Eye Results From Envy
Basil the Great writes: “Those who suffer from
envy are counted more harmful then poisonous beasts. The beasts inject poison through a wound, and the place which was bitten gradually decays. Some think that the envious, however, inflict harm by their eyes alone, in such a way that their envious gaze causes the bodies of the strong and youthfully beautiful to wither away. All their flesh suddenly disappears, as though envious eyes exuded some noxious, harmful, and destructive discharge. I reject such a belief, as it is vulgar and an old wives’ tale; but I will say that 20
when the haters of good—the demons—see in people those inclinations which are inherent in demons, they make every effort to use them for their own ends, which is why they use the eyes of the envious to carry out their will.” Man has inclinations that are inherent in the demons, certain handholds that the fallen spirits can latch onto. The demons use all the desires of a person’s heart for destructive purposes, and they use an envious person’s eyes. This phenomenon is known today as “the evil eye.”
The Envious Can Be Known by Their Appearance
“The envious can be somewhat known by their
very countenance. Their eyes are dry and dim; their cheeks are sunken; their brows are lowered; their soul is troubled by passion, and its judgment is unsound. In their eyes, neither is a virtuous act praiseworthy, nor is eloquence of speech, enriched by warmth and meaning; nor is anything else which is deserving of attention and emulation. Just as the vultures fly past many fields and other beautiful, fragrant places, and rush towards something foul-smelling; and just as the flies pass over what is healthy and hasten 21
towards an infection; so do the envious ignore the brightness of life and the importance of service, and see only what is rotten. And if someone chances to make a mistake (as people frequently do), they sound it abroad; they want the person to be recognized for his mistake alone, as an unkind artist might distinguish a face he was depicting with a crooked nose, or some sort of scar, or another imperfection—either natural or due to some illness. They are skilled at making what is praiseworthy despicable by portraying it in a bad light, and are skilled at slandering virtue by presenting it in the form of a vice that is near to it: they call what is courageous audacious; what is chaste, unfeeling; what is fair, cruel; and what is wise, deceitful. They slander him who loves splendor by saying that he has vulgar taste, they call a generous person wasteful, and they call him who is prudent miserly. And in general, they leave no virtue without a name borrowed from its opposite vice.� Their eyes are dry because they are unable to weep; their brows are lowered because they are always discontented; their cheeks are sunken because they are pining away from envy. It is such a terrible sin that it harms the metabolisms of those afflicted with it: people burn themselves 22
out. Envious people can very cleverly degrade a virtue to its corresponding vice. It is a very small step from a virtue to a vice, and the envious make good use of this. The envious should be avoided, and if someone starts to envy and condemn someone else, we need to drive him away immediately, just as the Scripture says: Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (Ps. 100: 5).
How Does One Struggle Against Envy?
One can struggle against envy by means of mu-
tual joy—rejoicing with one another. Rejoice with those who are joyful, and weep with those who weep. If a person sees that someone else is richer or smarter, and is upset by this, then he needs to stand before an icon and say: “O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Who didst die on the Cross and didst rise from the dead, I thank Thee that Thou hast given this person so much. Give him far greater things, and have mercy on me.” This prayer should be read several times. Nevertheless, our envy will resist fiercely, and will implant in us the idea that we are not saying this prayer from our heart, but are lying to ourselves and be23
ing hypocritical. We need to tell our envy: “Yes, I am being a hypocrite, but I am doing it for good; I want to stop being envious.” There is another way to aid oneself in the struggle against envy: this is through reflection. If we are envious of somebody else’s wealth, then we need to remember that earthly valuables are absolutely worthless. All people are mortal, and of their wealth they will only be able to take with them what they have given to people and to the Church; and a person could die at any time. If we see a rich person spending money for his own pleasure, then we should say: “Glory to God! He is having a good time, and I am glad for him. Just looking at him makes my soul rejoice.” If a person’s heart says differently, then one’s reason must put it in its place, since reason should guide both the will and the feelings. We need to force our reason to look only for the good in people, and to ignore the bad. If someone envious listens to a sermon, he will inevitably search it for flaws. There is a certain sin that most do not repent of, namely: not listening to the priest’s sermons. This comes from envy or pride. It is absolutely necessary for one to constantly read the Bible, since it allows a person to see himself, and teaches him how to improve. If another person 24
has a gift for understanding the Holy Scriptures, then one should take advantage of that gift. In order not to envy, one needs to see another person as a sort of crossword puzzle to be solved. It is important to remember that the person next to you is a riddle. One needs to learn to understand another’s body language and tone of voice, figure out what he means, what his interests are, and converse with him on those topics. At the same time, it is important to remember that people constantly change, and the process of figuring them out will extend constantly as well. One of the causes of divorce is when couples have spent ten years or so together, and then say that they have learned all there is to know about each other. This is not true, however: a person is unknowable. One needs to figure him out and seek out the good in him. Every person bears the imprint of God’s image, and it is interesting to decipher this imprint, and find God in a person. If you search out the good in people, rejoice over the good that is in them, and mourn over the evil they have done, then envy can be overcome. If a person envies another’s virtues, then he should himself strive towards those virtues, which are accessible to everyone, and practice them. And there should be healthy, Christian compe25
tition between people in regard to doing good works; each should strive to do better than the other. This way the inclination to be envious will be overcome by a different urge. The Lord said, Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister (Mark 10:43). If someone wants to be greater, then he must serve more. The apostle Paul directly urges Christians to pursue rewards: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain (1 Cor. 9:24). This is one of the best types of envy. Basil the Great writes: “If he [a rich man] is used for good, then there is no place for envy, because the benefits of the wealth are made free to all; would one who is abundantly wicked be envious even of his own benefits? But in general, if you look with your reason beyond what is human, and fix your gaze on what is truly beautiful and praiseworthy, then you will be quite unwilling to acknowledge anything corruptible or earthly as worthy of honor and competition. And envy is unable to come near to the one who does not marvel at worldly things as though they were things of greatness. ‌ Do not wish, under any circumstances, to become rich by any means possible, and to earn acclaim from something worldly, for you do not have control over this; but be just, chaste, wise, courageous, 26
Priest Daniel Sysoev
ON ENVY AND DESPONDENCY Translator Deacon Anthony Williams Editor in Chief Priest Nathan Williams Layout and design Kyrill Zubchenko
Except where otherwise noted, scriptural quotes are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. mission-shop.com danielsysoev.com mission379@gmail.com +1(609)605-70-76