The Vision of the Staretz – from the writings of Saint Theophan the Recluse.

One old staretz, living in a secluded wilderness, fell into despair from tempting doubts – is he striving correctly, and is there hope that his labors will be crowned in the end with success. The staretz sat with head hung down; his heart ached, but his eyes did not offer tears. At that moment an angel of the Lord appeared before him and said: “Why are you troubled, and why do such thoughts enter your heart? You are not the first, and you are not the last to walk this path. Many have passed it, many are walking it, and many will yet pass beyond it to the bright dwelling – places of heaven. Let us go – I will show you various paths, by which the sons of men walk, and where they lead.

The staretz got up and followed the angel; but he had hardly gone several steps when unto his spiritual eyes a wondrous vision was revealed. He saw to his left a thick darkness, like an impenetrable wall, in the midst of which was heard a clamor, anxiety and commotion. Looking carefully into the darkness he saw a wide river, along which waves moved back and forth, to the right and left – and every time that a wave flashed before the staretz, someone distinctly said to him: “this is the wave of unbelief, of carelessness, coldness; this is lack of mercy, lust, bribery; these are comforts, amusements, envyings, discord; and this is drunkenness, uncleanness, laziness, infidelity of spouses” and so forth – and every wave turned over a countless number of people lifting them out of the river and again plunging them into its depths. In horror the staretz cried out: “Lord! Can it be that all these people will die, and there is no hope of salvation for them?” The angel said to him: “Look further, and you will see the mercy and truth of God.”

Gazing further at the river, the staretz saw that it, along its entire width and length, was covered with little boats, in which bright youths sat with all kinds of instruments for the salvation of the drowning people. They called everyone to them; to some they held out their hands, to others they lowered poles and planks, cast ropes, and sometimes plunged hooks into the very depths – to maybe lay hold of someone down there. And what was the result? Very, very few responded to the voice calling them, and even fewer were those who properly used the instruments of salvation held out to them; the majority repudiated them with disdain, and with some queer delight plunged themselves into that river, which exhaled smoke, stench and fumes.

The staretz stretched his gaze along the river, and at the end of it he saw an abyss, into which the river plunged. A great number of youths floated in boats back and forth at the very edge of the abyss, giving help to everyone with great care: but, regardless, every minute, at every point of the river, thousands of people plunged together with the river into the abyss, from which were heard moans of despair and the gnashing of teeth. The staretz covered his face and sobbed... And there was a voice from heaven speaking to him: “it is bitter, but who is to blame? Tell me, what more could I do for their salvation, which I havn’t already done? They themselves with bitterness reject any help offered to them. They will even reject ME, if I descend to help them in the most dismal places of their suffering.”

The staretz turned his eyes to his right, to the bright east, and saw a joyful appearance. Those who heeded to the call of the bright youths, gave them their hand, or grasped onto one of the instruments of salvation, were extracted by them to the right shore. Here others took them, brought them into small, well-proportioned buildings scattered in great quantity along the entire stretch of the shore, where they washed them with clean water, clothed them in clean clothes, girded them, gave them boots, a staff, and having refreshed them with food, sent them on their way, further to the east, having commanded them not to look back, to walk without stopping, to attentively look beneath their feet and not let a single such building pass without stopping in it and strengthening themselves with food and advice from those in whose charge those buildings, as well as those who stop in them, are entrusted.

Passing his eyes over the shore, the staretz saw that along its entire stretch these saved ones were preparing for the path. Joy and animation were imprinted on their faces. It was obvious that they all felt a particular lightness and strength, and somewhat unable to hold back, they rushed to the path, the first miles of which were strewn with pleasant flowers.

The staretz directed his gaze further to the east, and behold what was revealed to him. The pleasant meadow ended not far from the shore; further on the mountains started, laden with ridges in different directions. They ran, rising higher and higher, crossed with precipices, sometimes bare and steep, sometimes covered with forest and shrubs. Everywhere the traveller-laborers were visible. Some clambered up the steep slopes, others sat in fatigue, or stood deep in thought. Some struggled with a wild beast or with a serpent; one went straight to the east, another roundabout, while others intersected the rest – but all were in labour, in struggle and tensely exerting the strength of their soul and body. Few of them always saw the road: often it disappeared entirely or splintered off; in one place it was covered by fog and darkness, and sometimes it crossed an abyss or steep cliff; in another place wild beasts of the forest blocked it, or foul, poisonous creatures of the ravines. But behold the wondrous thing: everywhere among the mountains were scattered beautiful buildings, similar to those into which those who were saved from the river were first taken. As soon as a traveller stopped in one of them, no matter how exhausted, he would leave there invigorated and full of strength. Then the wild beasts and foul creatures could not even bear his gaze and would run from him; no impediments could stop him, and he easily and quickly would search out the path which was hidden in some manner, using instructions which he had received in the buildings. And every time, as soon as someone overcame an obstacle or conquered the enemy, he became stronger, taller and more stately; and the higher one rose, the more he shone and grew handsome. Toward the summit of the mountain the land again became smooth and flowered; but those who stepped into it soon entered into a bright cloud, from which they were no longer shown.

The staretz raised his eyes above the cloud, and from behind it, or from behind the mountain he saw a marvellous light, out of which he heard the most sweet sounds: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth.” The staretz in contrition prostrated himself, and over him was loudly carried the word of the Lord: Run this way and you will attain!

Rising once again to his feet, the staretz saw, that from various heights of the mountain not a small number of travellers were running headlong back to the river, sometimes silent, sometimes with a cry and blasphemous words. To each one of them, both from above and from the sides, someone appealed: “Stop, stop!” But pursued by some sort of small, dark creatures, they did not listen to the warnings and again plunged themselves into the stench-filled river. “Lord! What is that?” cried out the staretz, struck, and heard the answer: “the fruit of self-will and non-submission to God-instituted order.”

With this the vision ended. The angel who showed the vision to the staretz asked him, “Are you comforted?” And the staretz bowed before him to the ground.

Behold the meaning of this vision. The river is the world; the people submerged in it are those who live by the spirit of the world, in passions, vices and sins. The bright youths in the boats are angels, and in general, grace calling people to salvation; the abyss into which the river and people within it plunged is eternal destruction; the beautiful building on the right shore is the church with its Holy Mysteries; the ascent onto the mountain with its various obstacles is the various labors in the cleansing of the heart from passions; the beasts and foul creatures are the enemies of salvation; the smooth land near the summit is peace of the heart; the bright cloud, hiding the travellers is peaceful death; the light from behind the mountain is blessed heaven. Whoever stops in the buildings, scattered along the path and on the mountain, that is, whoever partakes in the Holy Mysteries and participates in the religious rites and prayers of the Church, makes use of the advice and guidance of the pastors, for him it is easy to overcome all obstacles and he quickly runs to perfection; but whoever, obeying himself repudiates them, not submitting to the instruction and advice of the pastors, he quickly falls, and the spirit of the world again entices him away.

The End.

 

From Spiritual Sowing (Duchovnie Posvevy) Moscow. 1901. Translated by Elisabeth Zimmerman from Novosibirsk, Siberia.

 

"The Orthodox Family". Vol. IV. No. 1 (Issue No. 7). Spring 1994. pp. 13-16.

 

Editor's note: This story was first published in the journal "Domashnyaya beseda" (Domestic Conversation) 1873. Issue 23. pp. 554-557. Then it appeared in the Homily 5 about the path to salvation, published in "Slova k Tambovskoy pastve" (Words to Tambov Flock). St. Petersburg, 1861. pp. 76-81.

 

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The Patericons relate a story of one sinner in Egypt who, after each confession and Communion, did not guard himself against his former sins, but, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, fell again and again. But since he was not malicious, but rather overcome by weakness, the Lord took pity on him and sent him the following vision to edify him: He was walking somewhere and saw a sort of a monster approaching him who resembled a man of enormous height, shaggy, ugly, unclean, with glowing eyes. It came up to him and, patting him on the shoulder, said: what are you afraid of, you and I are friends, we will be in the same place. The sinner, although very frightened, asked it: who are you? I am the one who struck Jesus Christ on the cheek, and all who sin again after confession and Holy Communion, stand in the same line with Judas and the other torturers and crucifiers of the Lord. He said this and went away. This vision struck the sinner so much that he, leaving everything then and there, withdrew into the desert where he wept over his sins in strict asceticism until the end of his life.

 

“On repentance, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and correction of life. Words of His Grace Theophan on the Forty Days of Lent and the preparatory weeks” 3rd ed. St. Petersburg, 1889. p. 207.

31.03.2025