Pay attention to the spirit of sadness as this one generates all the evils. A thousand temptations appear because of this one: unrest, fury, blame, discontent about our personal fate, thoughts of debauchery and permanent change of the place.
Sometimes the evil spirit of sadness takes over the soul and deprives it of humbleness and kindness towards the brothers and generates disgust towards any conversation.
Then the soul avoids the people thinking they are the reason of his disorder and he doesn`t understand that the reason of his disorder is within himself.
The soul which is full of sadness and apparently out of its mind is incapable to accept in peace the good advice he is given or to answer humbly at the questions he is asked.
The first remedy which helps the man to find his spiritual comfort is the humbleness of the heart as Saint Isaac the Syrian teaches us.
This sickness is treated with prayer, abstention from speaking in vain, hand work according to the power of everyone, the reading of the Word of God and patience; as this spirit is born from cowardice, idleness and speaking in vain.
Pious Seraphim of Sarov
