`Geronda, why do I feel an emptiness inside me ?`
`It is because of vain glory. When we aim to make an impression to people then we feel inside us an emptiness – the fruit of vain glory – because Christ doesn`t come into an empty heart, only in the heart of the new human. Unfortunately, many times the spiritually evolved people aim for virtue but they also want something to feed their pride, to be acknowledged by the people and be given primacy and so on and in this way they remain with an emptiness in their soul, with the emptiness of vain glory.
There is no fullness and soaring of the heart. The more their vain glory grows the more it grows the emptiness from inside them and they suffer a lot.
`Geronda why do I feel a weight in my ascetic endevour ?`
`You don`t make humble endeavours. Who makes humble endevours doesn`t face ay difficulty in that. But when you aspire for a spiritual thing being fed with vain glory then the soul feels a weight in its ascetic endeavours. The other passions don`t impede us so much in the spiritual evolution if we ask humbly for the mercy of God. But when the devil deceives us with vain glory, he ties our eyes and leads us on his hard path. Then we face great difficulties because we are on the land of the devil.
But spiritual life is not like the worldly life. IN the worldly life in order to see a business grow, it is needed to make advertising and spread fliers and make yourself remarked in a way. But in spiritual life only if you hate the worldly desire to make yourself remarked the spiritual work will go on well.
`Geronda, how will I reject the thoughts of vain glory ?`
`Do not be glad of what the worldly people seek but on their contraries. Only with what is the opposite of the worldly aspirations you will be able to move in the spiritual world. Do you want affection? Be glad when no importance is given to you. Do you seek a throne? Sit on a stool. Do you seek praises? Love defamation to feel the love of Jesus the Defamed One. Do you look for glory? Love dishonor to feel the glory of God. When you feel the glory of God you will rejoice and you will have inside yourself the greatest joy of all the joys of the world.
Excerpt from Passions and virtues – Pious Paisios the Athonite, Evanghelismos Publishing.
