A Story of Agapit Pechersky by Anastasia Novykh (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

only religion leading to God.”
“Well, you see, your grandmother considered it this way because she had been brought up in a Christian environment. And someone’s grandmother, living in the Middle East, would tell her granddaughter that Islam is the only true religion. A Chinese grandmother would say that the right religion is Buddhism, and so on. But all these are just exterior conventionalities, ultimately leading – provided that a person completely tunes himself to a positive wave, that is domination of his agathodaemon (and not to supporting aggressive fanaticism of the cacodaemon), it all leads to one and the same inner result. A person may often not even surmise what processes take place within him. He only begins to understand what the real faith in God is, feeling an unusual fit of spiritual energy. That is, everyone who sincerely believes in God – no matter how they address Him, ultimately comes to one and the same door and steps over one and the same threshold. It’s said that many a way lead to God, but narrow is the Gate.”
“Now, as for me, I seem to understand it all, I guess,” Kostya began reasoning. “But, to be honest, it’s by and large too hard to believe in all this... Well, take that Agapit, for example, that the Holy Spirit abode in him... How does this Holy Spirit look like, anyway? And was it really that important for Ancient Rus? And why up to now haven’t I ever heard or read about it before? Why only those, like you say, twisted stories came to us? Whom do we have to believe anyway? And if there is God, why he admitted that saints were taunted, Jesus was crucified, and the truth about Agapit was concealed?..”
Sensei sighed wearily and said: “Don’t try to understand the works of God, which are much concealed from people. It is equivalent to an attempt of an ant to swallow an elephant. A human brain is very limited. Man cannot perceive elementary things: how he hears, how he sees, how he thinks, how he lives, and who in truth he is. By and large he doesn’t even know what death is, to say nothing of his ability to understand, with his limited brain, what the infinity of the Universe is. The only thing man can do is either believe, or not believe.”
“Well, how’s that, believe or not believe?” Kostya retorted, having relished arguing. “But any belief needs evidences, even belief in God!“
“Evidences, huh, is that what you say?!” Sensei’s voice changed. “Go to a mirror and take a careful look at yourself. If you do believe you’re a random compound of amino acids that led to mutation of a monkey resulting in its becoming wise, then why do you need to search for God? Go to the market, buy a banana, and enjoy your life! But if you don’t agree with this, and if you believe you are a wonderful creature of God, how can you demand from God evidences of His existence?! Who are you, and who is God?”
Sensei spoke with such a power in his voice and his gaze that Kostya, involuntarily taken aback, shrank, and cast down his eyes. He seemed to wish the ground to swallow him up. A short silence fell.
“Haw,” Nikolai Andreevich broke silence. “It turns out that Theodosius served Caesar, and Agapit served God.”
“Absolutely right,” Sensei answered already in his usual voice. “Starting from that time a separation took place in the Lavra. While some monks performed true spiritual exploits, including living in seclusion; at the same time the others enjoyed self-will, dissoluteness, egoism, and love for gold, fleecing the laymen by showing them the places, where true monks, aspiring to God, were accomplishing their exploits... So, as ever among people: such a holy place they defiled by their avarice; twisted everything, and stirred up. But it could be quite different, you know. For the Holy Spirit Himself created His Abode there. Oh, people, people...”
Sensei became silent for some time and then uttered pensively: “All in all, Agapit influenced the Ancient Rus’ greatly and not only it... And though this influence was indirect, it changed the future world. Though, it wasn’t actually Agapit’ task as a Bodhisattva for that time. It was rather an own initiative of Agapit. Well, in short, a bodhi is a bodhi.
“Agapit founded a spiritual abode where throughout all time of its existence nobody has ever counted how many people could get a healing from lethal diseases and, thank God, are getting cured still. But this is not so essential. The most important fact is that many could get spiritual health there, which is more important than physical one. On a large scale the Pechersk Monastery’s name has resounded for ages owing to Agapit as well as his relics, in which there still remains the healing power of the Holy Spirit.
“Even nowadays many people from various countries and of various religions, even those who consider themselves ‘atheists’ spend more time near the relics of Agapit when attending the Pechersk Caves. Why? It’s because people intuitively feel true Holiness, for soul cannot be deceived, you know. But if only people could know that they can ask not only for healing of their bodies, but, what’s more important, for salvation of their souls – especially during the days when the Holy Spirit abides in the relics, beginning every 25th of February and lasting for the whole week, – now that would bring incomparably more good for their souls. For there is no holier place on Earth during those days other than that one, where any person, irrespective of his religion, can be so close to God’s Ear with his petition. And such a chance has each person, who can use it during the seven days of a year. Since the following year may not come for him. For brief are human days at the crossroads of times. For sorrowful are their deeds before the face of God. Every human instant is already on the scale. And there is no concern for souls more important than the craving for finding salvation. It is not in the outside faith, but in the inner faith that the key to the Gate is. Only a sightless man, blinded with dust, can fail to see it.
“All a human is able to give to God is his faith and his sincere prayer. There is nothing else he can give to God. For everything around a human is God’s creation. It doesn't befit to offer the Master His own property. You see, God needs nothing from human, except his Faith and Love! What can a small child give to his Parent to gladden His heart? Only Love and Respect.”
Sensei stopped, fixing his eyes at the fire. Then he pronounced pensively, seeming to speak to all and sundry: “While you’re alive, human, you have a chance to beg an eternity of God’s love for your soul. And while you have this CHANCE, go to Agapit on the holy week and pray unto the Holy Spirit only for your soul. For your body is perishable, it is dust. And all earthly concerns are empty. But remember, human, that everything you promise in your petition before God, do fulfil! For He, like every parent, brooks no lies; He forgives, but does not entrust after...”

Sensei took his eyes off the fire and looked at us attentively. His eyes were shining with some enormous power and purity. And then he voiced:
“Dare, human! Verily I say, as you are not to avoid death, so you are not to avoid the Judgment of God!”

A silence fell, and no one dared to disturb it. The dawn was breaking. A bird started singing its tuneful song. Looking above the sea, Sensei sighed and said in a tired voice: “Alright, guys, I guess I’ve fatigued you with my stories. It’s high time for you to rest...”
Everybody dispersed and went to sleep. Only Sensei stayed on the shore near the fire burning low. His meditative look was directed to the East, where the first rays of light were swiftly tearing the darkness of the night sky, clearing the way for the Sun.

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Publication Date: 02-14-2011

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