M-a \u00eentrebat un b\u0103tr\u00e2n odat\u0103: \u201cP\u0103rinte Paisie, dar ce-i aceea m\u00e2ndrie, p\u0103rinte, cum vine?\u201d (El umbla iarna cu capul gol \u015fi descul\u0163, prin z\u0103pad\u0103.) \u201cFrate Gheorghe, m\u00e2ndria este atunci c\u00e2nd ai s\u0103 socote\u015fti c\u0103 tu e\u015fti ceva mai mult dec\u00e2t altul, c\u0103 e\u015fti mai bun, mai frumos ca altul\u2026\u201d \u201cS\u0103racu\u2019 de mine, p\u0103rinte Paisie, eu s\u0103 am ceva bun? Dar ce am eu bun?\u201d A stat opt ani cu mine\u2026 P\u0103rintele Ghenadie Av\u0103t\u0103m\u0103ni\u021bei. Nu vedea nici el, s\u0103racul, ca \u015fi mine\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iaca, asta e m\u00e2ndria: c\u00e2nd te socote\u015fti c\u0103 \u015ftii mai mult dec\u00e2t altul, c\u0103 po\u0163i ceva mai bine dec\u00e2t altul. Asta e m\u00e2ndria. \u015ei e foarte periculoas\u0103, c\u0103 nu-i place lui Dumnezeu m\u00e2ndria asta. C\u0103 dac\u0103 socote\u015fti c\u0103 \u015ftii mai mult, c\u0103 po\u0163i mai mult, c\u0103 faci mai mult, s\u0103 nu p\u0103\u0163e\u015fti ca acela care socotea c\u0103 face, c\u0103 drege, c\u0103 poste\u015fte, iar cel de l\u00e2ng\u0103 u\u015f\u0103 pl\u00e2ngea \u015fi \u00ee\u015fi b\u0103tea pieptul c\u0103 nu are nimic bun. \u015ei a c\u00e2\u015ftigat mai mult dec\u00e2t acela care socotea c\u0103 are ceva de la el \u00eensu\u015fi \u2013 Vame\u015ful \u015fi Fariseul\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C\u0103 M\u00e2ntuitorul a zis: \u201cC\u00e2nd ve\u0163i \u00eemplini vreo porunc\u0103, s\u0103 spune\u0163i a\u015fa: \u201cRob netrebnic sunt eu, \u015fi n-am f\u0103cut dec\u00e2t ceea ce eram dator a face\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De c\u00e2te ori te m\u00e2nii, m\u00e2nia nu lucreaz\u0103 dreptatea lui Dumnezeu. C\u00e2nd te m\u00e2nii, acolo e duhul r\u0103zvr\u0103tirii, duhul m\u00e2ndriei, duhul slavei de\u015farte, s\u0103 \u015ftii. El te \u00eendeamn\u0103 s\u0103 nu te smere\u015fti \u2013 \u201cCe, eu sunt chiar at\u00e2ta de lep\u0103dat?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C\u0103 vezi, eu pot s\u0103 zic a\u015fa, singur: \u201cM\u0103i oameni buni, da\u2019 p\u0103c\u0103tos mai sunt, da\u2019 prost mai sunt, da\u2019 r\u0103u mai sunt, m\u0103i\u201d\u2026 Dar ia s\u0103 m\u0103 fac\u0103 altul prost \u015fi ur\u00e2t, s\u0103 vezi cum m\u0103 umflu \u015fi m\u0103 m\u00e2nii asupra lui \u2013 \u201cCe te intereseaz\u0103? Ce te ocupi de mine? Ce cutare\u2026?\u201d Ei, apoi asta-i smerenie? Atunci c\u00e2nd altul te oc\u0103r\u0103\u015fte \u015fi te smere\u015fte f\u0103r\u0103 voia ta, atunci s\u0103 vezi dac\u0103 po\u0163i zice: \u201cA\u015fa mi-a trebuit, a\u015fa trebuie, Dumnezeu i-a poruncit s\u0103 fac\u0103 a\u015fa, pentru c\u0103 \u015fi eu am oc\u0103r\u00e2t pe altul\u201d. Asta-i smerenia cea adev\u0103rat\u0103, nu c\u00e2nd zic eu c\u0103-s prost. C\u00e2nd te oc\u0103r\u0103\u015fte cel\u0103lalt, atunci s\u0103 faci dovada c\u0103 e\u015fti smerit, atunci s\u0103 spui iute: \u201cDumnezeu \u00eei porunce\u015fte s\u0103 m\u0103 oc\u0103rasc\u0103\u201d. C\u00e2nd \u00ee\u0163i ia cineva lucrul cu sila: \u201cDumnezeu \u00eei porunce\u015fte s\u0103 mi-l ia, pentru c\u0103 \u015fi eu am luat de la altul\u2026\u201d C\u00e2nd te mut\u0103 cineva cu de-a sila, de ici-colo: \u201cDumnezeu \u00eemi schimb\u0103 locul, ca s\u0103-mi schimb eu n\u0103ravul \u015fi obiceiul\u2026\u201d Asta ar fi smerenia cea adev\u0103rat\u0103. Dac\u0103-\u0163i cere cineva haina, d\u0103-i \u015fi c\u0103ma\u015fa. Dac\u0103 te love\u015fte peste partea dreapt\u0103, \u00eentoarce-i \u015fi partea cealalt\u0103. Apoi vezi: po\u0163i face treaba asta? C\u0103 noi trebuie s\u0103 urm\u0103m dup\u0103 porunca lui Hristos. Dar noi\u2026 Dac\u0103 \u00ee\u0163i d\u0103 cineva una peste fa\u021b\u0103, tu \u00eei dai patru \u00eenapoi \u2013 \u00eei \u00eentorci \u00eemp\u0103trit. A\u015fadar, noi nu urm\u0103m porunca lui Hristos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C\u00e2nd eram \u015fi eu mai t\u00e2n\u0103r, m\u0103 punea stare\u0163ul la \u00eencercare. Odat\u0103 m-a scos afar\u0103 din biseric\u0103. Eu c\u00e2ntam la stran\u0103 \u015fi c\u00e2ntam \u015fi eu \u00een felul meu, \u201cIisuse, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluie\u015fte-m\u0103\u201d, \u015fi mi se p\u0103rea c\u0103 tare c\u00e2nt frumos, \u015fi m\u0103 m\u00e2ndream \u00een inima mea. \u015ei o dat\u0103 intr\u0103 stare\u0163ul \u015fi, c\u00e2nd m\u0103 aude, \u00eemi d\u0103 un ghiont \u015fi \u2013 afar\u0103! \u201cIe\u015fi afar\u0103, m\u0103garule, ce ragi a\u015fa?\u201d Mie mi se p\u0103rea c\u0103 eu c\u00e2nt tare frumos \u015fi, c\u00e2nd colo, uite a\u015fa am p\u0103\u0163it. \u015ei m\u0103 g\u00e2ndesc \u015fi acum: s\u0103raca m\u00e2ndrie, cum se aga\u021b\u0103 ea de toate tiviturile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
M-am pomenit odat\u0103 aici cu un om t\u00e2n\u0103r. Era el a\u015fa, cam delicat, venea de la Bucure\u015fti \u2013 \u015fi m-a \u00eentrebat: \u201cDumneata e\u015fti p\u0103rintele Paisie?\u201d \u015ei i-am r\u0103spuns a\u015fa: \u201cD\u2019apoi ar mai fi \u015fi al\u0163ii, n-oi fi numai eu\u201d. Dar el a zis: \u201cAm auzit de dumneata \u015fi am venit s\u0103 te v\u0103d\u201d. \u015ei atunci i-am zis eu cuv\u00e2ntul acesta:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vai de acel om c\u0103ruia \u00eei va prisosi mai mult lauda dec\u00e2t via\u021ba \u015fi faptele.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Din dragoste izvor\u0103\u015fte smerenia. C\u0103 dac\u0103 iube\u015fti pe cineva, nu-l oc\u0103r\u0103\u015fti, c\u0103 se sc\u00e2rbe\u015fte; nu-l superi, c\u0103 t\u00e2nje\u015fte. C\u0103 dac\u0103 apuci s\u0103 superi pe cineva, s\u0103racu\u2019, nici nu poate m\u00e2nca, nici nu se poate ruga, nici nu poate dormi. A\u015fadar, faci \u00een toate chipurile s\u0103 nu superi pe nimeni. Dar nu se poate s\u0103 nu superi chiar pe nimeni; poate f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103-\u0163i dai seama spui un cuv\u00e2nt mai tulbur\u0103tor. Dar cum te-ai \u00eent\u00e2lnit cu cel pe care l-ai sup\u0103rat, \u00eendat\u0103 f\u0103-i plec\u0103ciune: \u201cIart\u0103-m\u0103, dragul meu, c\u0103 te-am sup\u0103rat\u201d. \u015ei c\u00e2nd ai zis \u201ciart\u0103-m\u0103\u201d, a ie\u015fit deodat\u0103 toat\u0103 sup\u0103rarea, s-a spart totul, n-a mai r\u0103mas nimic. \u015ei c\u00e2nd se uit\u0103 diavolul \u00eentr-acolo, vede c\u0103 a r\u0103mas p\u0103c\u0103lit\u2026 nu mai r\u0103m\u00e2ne nimica scris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nici prin cap s\u0103 nu-\u0163i treac\u0103 s\u0103 placi oamenilor\u2026 S\u0103 fii mai necinstit de oameni, asta da. \u015ei ce dac\u0103 spune lumea c\u0103 ai p\u0103cate? Ce, nu ai? Trebuie s\u0103 r\u0103bd\u0103m oc\u0103rile, tat\u0103, pentru c\u0103 a\u015fa ne-a l\u0103udat M\u00e2ntuitorul Hristos: \u201cFerici\u0163i ve\u0163i fi c\u00e2nd v\u0103 vor oc\u0103r\u00ee \u015fi v\u0103 vor prigoni \u015fi vor zice tot cuv\u00e2ntul r\u0103u \u00eempotriva voastr\u0103, min\u0163ind pentru Mine\u201d. Trebuie s\u0103 r\u0103bd\u0103m toate, cu smerenie, tat\u0103; s\u0103 r\u0103bd\u0103m cu smerenie pentru dragostea lui Hristos. Doar vom c\u00e2\u015ftiga \u015fi noi \u2013 nu tot raiul, ci numai un col\u0163i\u015for, c\u00e2t de mic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u0162i se pare grea smerenia, tat\u0103\u2026 Dar \u00eencearc\u0103 \u00eent\u00e2i \u015fi vezi dac\u0103 po\u0163i ridica piatra, \u015fi dup\u0103 aceea spune \u201cnu pot\u201d. Smerenia inimii izvor\u0103\u015fte din dragostea cea pentru Dumnezeu, t\u0103tuc\u0103.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P\u0103rintele Paisie Olaru<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extras din \u201dParintele Paisie De la Sihla\u201d, Ed. Bizantina, Bucure\u015fti, 1999<\/p>\n\n\n\n