Approved for distribution by the Publishing Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 13-314-2075 32 pp. Priest Daniel Sysoev. On Meekness and Freedom from Anger. Daniel Sysoev Inc, New Jersey, 2018. ISBN: 978-5-4279-0077-8
In researching the nature of anger, freedom from anger, and meekness, the author draws on the works of Saint John of the Ladder—an ingenious expert on the activity of the human soul. Anger as such is placed in us by God, and its purpose is to serve as our soul’s immune function, that by this means we might be able to resist evil and learn the virtues. The passions are rooted in natural properties of the soul, off which they feed like parasites. Anger, like any other passion, has an opposite virtue—two, in fact, which are like two steps on a ladder. These are freedom from anger and meekness.
Booklet 5 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 MEEKNESS AND FREEDOM FROM ANGER Anger ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 4 Quieting Anger ������������������������������������������������������ 5 On Freedom From Anger �������������������������������������� 6 On Meekness ���������������������������������������������������������� 7 The Two Forms of Anger �������������������������������������� 9 Righteous Anger �������������������������������������������������� 10 On Irritability and Humility ������������������������������ 11 Outer Meekness and Inner Resentment ���������� 17 Temptations When Struggling Against Anger and Resentment ������������������������ 19 The Causes of Anger ������������������������������������������28
ON MEEKNESS AND FREEDOM FROM ANGER
Anger
It is important to understand that all the passions
are rooted in our nature. Anger, as such, was placed in us by God, and its task is to be our soul’s protective force, so that it can fight against evil and be confirmed in the virtues. There is another aspect to anger, called zeal — zeal in glorifying God. In its usual form, anger should reject evil; it should be directed against everything that wants to distance us from God, and, conversely, should compel us towards good works. The only passion that goes against human nature is avarice; it has never been inherent in people. Love of money is a foolish thing, a form of idolatry that constitutes a kind of insanity. As for the rest of the passions, they feed off certain of the soul’s attributes. Anger, like any other passion, finds its opposite in a virtue — two virtues even — that differ like one step from another. These are meekness and freedom from anger. From now on in our study we will be drawing on John Climacus’s The Ladder
of Divine Ascent.* The struggle with anger is located on the eighth step leading to Heaven. Quieting Anger
“As the gradual pouring of water on a fire completely extinguishes the flame, so the tears of true mourning are able to quench every flame of anger and irritability.”** The passion of anger is gradually extinguished specifically because a person is mourning over his sins. Tears bring a person inner stillness; thus, in order to acquire stillness one needs to combat anger, which disturbs true mourning. Virtue precedes vice, beauty precedes ugliness, and health precedes sickness. This is why Saint John starts by identifying the virtues towards which we must strive. “Freedom from anger is an insatiable appetite for dishonour, just as in the vainglorious there is an unbounded desire for praise.” This * All quotes from The Ladder of Divine Ascent are taken from the edition published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA. All rights reserved.—Trans. ** Citations are frequently missing in the original Russian. Unless otherwise specified, quoted material is from The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus.—Trans.
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Priest Daniel Sysoev
ON MEEKNESS AND FREEDOM FROM ANGER Translator Deacon Anthony Williams Editor in Chief Priest Nathan Williams Layout and design Kyrill Zubchenko Daniel Sysoev Inc was founded as a USA-based subsidiary of the Rev. Daniel Sysoev Missionary Center Benevolent Fund in 2014. The company offers a wide assortment of Orthodox literature in Russian and English, liturgical items, and jewelry. We distribute our products throughout the USA and Canada, on attractive terms and with significant discounts for wholesalers, Orthodox church bookstores, and monasteries. Detailed descriptions of our products may be found at mission-shop.com, with e-book editions of our titles available at danielsysoev.com mission-shop.com danielsysoev.com mission379@gmail.com +1(609)605-70-76