The Legend of Peresvet
Written down by Anna Zubkova, M.A.
Edited and translated from Russian
by Dr. Vladimir Antonov
Corrector of the English translation —
Keenan Murphy
Contents
Chapter One: Songs of the Shorebirds
Chapter Two: The Elder
Chapter Three: Seeing and Listening with the Heart
Chapter Four: Hesychia
Chapter Five: Unusual Power
Chapter Six: Andrey Oslyabya
Chapter Seven: Vlada
Chapter Eight: Love and the Growth of the Soul
Chapter One:
Songs of the Shorebirds
Matters from long ago,
Tales from ancient times…
A.S.Pushkin
Ancient Knowledge shall appear again!
Love will once again be the basis for life!
With the power of repentance,
pain will be washed away!
Goodness and peace will prevail!
Peresvet
Peresvet, who was named Alexander after taking his vows as a monk, was standing on the river bank at dawn.
The beauty of spring was all around!
A gentle mist rose on this wonderful, windless morning…
His thoughts were full of light and joy:
“How fine is this expanse, this natural beauty!
“Divine Bliss is everywhere, in every drop of mist!
“In every blade of grass, there is the Love of God!
“You can feel the streams of Bliss! They flow like the mist now, gently and softly shimmering in the rays of the rising sun.
“The Grace of God is inside the spiritual heart and around — as far as the eye can see… And on, and on…
“God is Omnipresent! On sunrises like this, it is so easy to experience this in the transparent breath of life of dawn, which pulsates everywhere and manifests itself in everything! One just needs to quiet oneself and become attentive! And then the marvelous and wondrous is revealed by God to the soul!”
From the flooded meadows, came the voices of great shorebirds, which are also called steppe waders. These birds are the biggest of waders, about the size of large chickens, with long, thin beaks bent downward. Here, in the river floodplain, they joyfully lek in the spring. Their resounding voices, tinkling calls and gurgling trills fill the clear air, coming from the huge flood meadow next to the monastery.
And other spring songs of birds filled the transparency of the morning.
… Peresvet was no longer young. A long life as a warrior-hero preceded the taking of monastic vows.
Almost half a century had passed since his birth in a noble boyar family.
His thoughts flowed smoothly:
“Yes, I have lived many summers, I have met many winters…
“… In former times, listening to such trills of the waders, I would have thought of a successful hunt…
“Why did I not admire their songs before? On the contrary, I was ready to cut off this marvelous music of life!
“Why is it that good thinking does not often arise in man by itself? Why does not caring arise naturally and clearly from the love of the heart?
“Why do men make war and take revenge on one another, attempt to occupy each other’s lands, or seek to subjugate others to collect tribute and taxes?
“Why can’t people live in peace — amidst this beauty of God’s Creation? Where is hidden the evil beast in man? Where is hidden the spark of God that will warm the heart and not allow hardness to enter?”
His thoughts were interrupted by the monk named Yegor. The skinny youth who wanted to become an iconographer… His main dream was to see the Divine Images with the soul so that he could learn the art of creating icons and learn to portray the Faces of the Purest Ones. Many people in the monastery thought that Peresvet already had this skill, even though he told almost no one of his visions.
Yegor loved conversations with Peresvet and loved to be together in silence or when doing monastic obedience or other related work.
Often Yegor asked Peresvet to tell about his life in the outside world, about his military past. Many young people dream about heroic deeds and valor. And not only in the spiritual field but also in earthly life, many people would like to become significant.
And Yegor himself was born during a lean year, growing up sickly and weak… He came to the monastery because of poverty in his family. He did not want to be a burden to his father and mother, taking a share of bread that could have otherwise been given to his brothers and sisters… And when, in the light of the candles, he first saw the icon in the temple — it was as if a feeling of the unknown world of the Highest, flared in the soul! The presence of God invisibly touched his heart.
Peresvet helped Yegor, God willing, to improve his health. Every morning he poured cold water from the river over Yegor’s body. And his body became healthier.
… Now, Peresvet was waiting for Yegor. And together they went to the river. The water was cold, the ice had only recently disappeared. But Peresvet suggested to bathe.
He took off his clothes, went into the burning cold of the transparent water, submerged, swam like this for a few meters, came up and looked at Yegor.
Yegor overcame his fear — and also went into the water. He dove into the water, breathed heavily — and began to shine with joy! He quickly got to the shore.
After the bath, they started carrying water for monastic needs. Many times they went up the hill with full buckets.
Yegor warmed up and his skin colored.
After finishing the task, they sat down on a hill to have a rest.
Yegor asked:
“How did you know that you can be cured by water?”
“Well, people have always known about this. After all, people make different extracts and water is often blessed…”
“But what about this cold water? How did you know about pouring it on ourselves and bathing in it?”
“This has been known by people since time immemorial. And I have experienced it myself when, in my youth, I almost died from wounds and it took a long time for my body to regain its former strength. Now you know it too, and you can help others.”
“Please, tell me more”, — Yegor asked reverently.
“Later! Come with me to chop wood! I’ll tell you while we’re resting. And now — it’s time to pray!…”
Chapter Two:
The Elder
There is Knowledge, hidden from idle eyes.
There is the Wisdom of the Primordial Silence.
And there are those who possess it.
They can share this Preciousness with others.
Peresvet
Peresvet thought about how to tell Yegor about his youth, not just to amuse the adolescent’s curiosity and occupy his time with a conversation, but to fill him with the knowledge gained from his own hard-won life experiences.
And there were many experiences!
There were joys, delights, and the fire of youthful recklessness… There was friendship, courage, readiness to risk one’s life, aspirations to accomplish various deeds, and striving to be true to one’s word… There was pain and despair, and bitter disappointment… All this had long since passed…
… Yes, there were life lessons, both very bright and very hard…
And in order to help Peresvet understand how and what God teaches a person through the many events and meetings of life, an Elder, in Peresvet’s youth, began teaching him these lessons.
* * *
The Elder, or Grandfather, as he was sometimes called, was not at all related to Peresvet, even distantly.
He was a very strange and unusual man.
He lived as a hermit in the forest, but was not an Orthodox monk. No one knew how old he was. Many who had known him for a long time, said that even thirty years ago he was already white-haired and looked exactly the same as now. On the one hand, he was perceived as old, like the divine elders of the tales, but on the other — he was full of strength and not old at all.
The Elder was tall, had a powerful build, never stooped, and even had heroic physical strength, but rarely showed it to people. And his spiritual strength was immeasurable! It was as if it was always hidden in the depths of his stingy words or silent peace.
He was not especially affable or polite. He could choose not to answer idle questions or to tell the whole truth about a person or a situation in a harsh and brief manner.
He did not help everyone, and very few people turned to him for help. People were afraid of him and went to him with requests only in extreme need.
But wild animals approached him without fear and fawned on him, birds ate from his hands. Even feral dogs whimpered wantingly, like puppies, and were ready to rub against his feet with devotion. A huge bear lived near the Elder’s house. And with the Elder himself, the bear was quite obedient, gentle and meek, but strangers could become so afraid of it that they never went into that forest again.
The Elder did not hunt, did not fish, but lived on other gifts of the forest. He had never eaten any food of animal origin, neither in Lent nor outside of Lent.
Although some may have thought so, no one ever called the Elder a warlock, sorcerer, or wizard for fear of what could happen by doing so.
Only with time did Peresvet understand that the Elder called God the One Great All-creating Power, the Only Creator. But the Elder rarely explained in words how he himself understood everything in the world order.
… Peresvet often recalled the Elder.
He often wished that he could ask the Elder now about many important things that he had not considered asking about in his youth…
Now Peresvet was collecting and comprehending bit by bit what he perceived then. Now he was trying diligently to combine the Knowledge introduced by the Elder — with the Teachings of Jesus Christ, which illuminated Peresvet’s life now.
The words of the Elder, as if imprinted in the memory of the soul, sometimes rose from the depths — and a meaningful understanding gradually came: secret things were opened, obvious things were understood… The Knowledge, the Universal Knowledge to which Peresvet so diligently strove in his spiritual discipleship, was slowly being understood.
* * *
Yegor always excitedly waited for Peresvet’s stories. In anticipation of an interesting conversation — it was easy to work! Peresvet chopped wood with measured and strong movements, and Yegor stacked the logs. And he felt so good beside Peresvet as if he plunged into a stream of pure power and unearthly peace!
… When the work was done, they sat together. Yegor, feeling slightly embarrassed, reminded Peresvet that he had promised a story.
“Well, listen!
“At the time, which I’ll tell you about now, I was younger than you— about fourteen years old.
“My friend and sworn brother, Rodion, and I were dreaming of feats, looking for a chance to show off our prowess and strength…
“One day, when our fathers were away, we went to the fair, we fought fist fights, and had all sorts of fun…
“A story happened there. Rodion saved a little girl from under the wheels of a cart, but he broke his right arm. He broke it badly! And the wound healed badly, it festered… The doctor said that if he didn’t cut the arm off above the elbow, he would die of the black fever. Rodion flatly refused: ‘What kind of warrior is without his right hand? It would be better to die!’
“Then an old servant who lived in our house told us that there was an old man who could cure any disease, if he wanted to.
“And Rodion was burning like fire, he was fading in and out from the heat…
“I saddled the horse, put Rodion on it, and sat behind him to support him.
“I did not know how to find that man. The servant only gave a general outline of the way.
“… When we arrived at the Elder’s house, the broad-shouldered old man came out onto the doorstep without my knocking… He took Rodion in his arms and brought him into the upper room.
“He told me briefly:
‘Sit here in the corner and think good thoughts! If you believe in God, pray; if you do not believe, keep quiet and do not interfere!’
“And he began to examine Rodion’s hand.
“I started to look for an icon with my eyes… But there were no icons in the room.
“The Elder, without turning around, said:
‘You should not look for God in icons, but in your spiritual heart!’
“I got goose bumps on my back! I felt that this old man could see even with his back turned, though he leaned over Rodion’s body and guided his hands in a special way over the patient’s arm.
“After a minute or so, the Elder said to me:
‘Get a bucket and fetch some water! The well is in the yard.’
“I took the bucket from the threshold and went out of the hut. And there was a huge bear in the yard, without a chain, without a leash, looking at me intently…
“The Elder, as if he had seen everything himself, said from the hut:
‘Don’t be afraid of the bear: it won’t hurt his own! Bring water quickly!’
“I — under the bear’s rapt attention — crossed the distance to the well and drew water.
“The bear did not move, but just looked at me back and forth.
“The old man took the bucket and dipped Rodion’s hand, which was all black, into it. The water turned black and his hand became a little lighter.
‘Bring more water!’ — the Elder commanded. — ‘And pour this one out so that it does not get on anything living!’
“This repeated several times until Rodion’s hand became normal color with a little pinkish tint…
“After that, the Elder fiddled with the hand for a while more, combining the bones and stitching up the wound.
“Then he told me to take a wide bench out of the chamber and put it by the well. He put Rodion on it, took off all his clothes, and doused him with several buckets of water. Then he wrapped him in a linen and took him back to the room.
“Rodion’s fever seemed to have been washed away by that water.
“The old man bandaged Rodion’s arm, covered Rodion with a blanket and went about his business as if I was not there at all.
“Then he glanced at me:
‘Your brother will live! If you want, you can stay here, or you can leave and come back to get him after three days.’
“I decided to stay.
“I also tried to pay the Elder for the treatment. But he gave me such a look that I almost fell under the ground with shame…
“… The next day Rodion was almost well.
“The Elder was a little nicer to him than he was to me. He told him that his arm would be healthy.
“And then, while Rodion’s hand was healing, we stayed at the Elder’s cottage for two weeks.
“And the Elder began to teach us to do everything with our left hands that we were accustomed to doing with our right hands.
“We laughed at our embarrassment, and the Elder himself showed us how he could do everything with his left hand just as easily as he could do with his right.
“He explained a little more about his miraculous abilities in healing, so that there would be no superstitious fear in us:
‘It is not witchcraft, but ordinary knowledge! But not everyone is able to use it.
‘And there is knowledge about the earthly life and the life of Heaven! If they are known, then mysteries are revealed which are really simple. And in this way, one can acquire useful and important skills. It is not only about how to heal diseases. But this knowledge is about how man on the Earth is commanded by God to live!”
* * *
Yegor listened with bated breath. The scenes told by Peresvet came alive before his inner eyes.
Then the bell rang. It was time for prayer.
“Well, I will tell you the rest at some other time!” — Peresvet said.
And they went to a small temple that was a little bit unfinished and unpainted inside, but it was already consecrated, and services were held in it.
The brethren of the monastery were gathering. The setting sun with its red and golden rays was shining all around.
Peresvet felt warmth in his heart now that God filled his entire life! Now, His Caress was palpable and His Presence was so significant!
This joy merged with the beauty of the sunset and shone in the flame of the candles! It resounded in the space with the chiming of the bells and the singing of the birds in the surrounding groves. Special hymns praising God sounded in the invisible space…
Life with God — is there any greater happiness?!
Chapter Three:
Seeing and Listening with the Heart
The “connecting thread”
between us-souls and God is invisible.
And it is important for us to feel this connection.
Then there is an end to idle worries!
There is the Infinity of God,
the Silence is in It…
And the life of the soul resounds in It
like an instrument string of love!
Ngomo
For several days, Peresvet and Yegor took part in cutting firewood in the forest together with the other monks.
At Peresvet’s suggestion, only dry trees that had already died on their own were felled. It was more difficult than simply felling all the trees in a row. However, in addition to protecting the lives of the living trees, this method provided dry wood, which burned better, and it also prevented the dead trees from later being blown over by a windstorm. This helped keep the forest floor clear of dead logs, and this, in turn, made it more comfortable for the monks when they would go on walks looking for mushrooms and berries.
They spent the nights here, in a shelter of branches.
One evening, after the prayer, when everyone had already gone to sleep, Peresvet still sat near the campfire.
Yegor came up to him:
“I can’t sleep, I’m cold! Can I warm myself here?”
“Yes, sit next to me, it’s warm here!”
… The spring nights were cold but clear.
The sky was covered with bright stars. Tall fir-trees stood around a small glade where the fire was burning.
There was no wind, it was quiet.
Night beauty is special, both mysterious and majestic!
The fire burned brightly. Yegor quickly warmed up, but did not go to sleep.
“Tell me more about that Elder”, — he asked Peresvet.
“All right, listen!
“The Elder started to teach Rodion and me as if in passing, little by little.
“One evening by a campfire, we had a conversation, much like you and I are having now. The Elder was more talkative that time than usual. So, we took the opportunity to ask questions. I asked:
‘Why do we need to be able to do everything with our left hands, if Rodion’s hand will soon recover and my right one isn’t even injured?’
‘And while Rodion’s right hand is recovering, are you going to spoon-feed him yourself, to raise his helplessness?
‘I’ll also ask you, why do you look with two eyes instead of one?
‘A person has many abilities — many God-given talents! But not many people know about this — and that is why they do not use them.
‘You may wonder, how can I see everything, even if I am standing with my back turned to what is going on or even when I’m in another place? Or how can I know many things about you that you have never told me about yourself?
‘A human being is a soul. And a soul can see without a body and hear without a body too! And it is even possible for a human soul to cognize the unknown, learning from God Himself!
‘You are only half-humans still, but you can become true Men! And for this, the first skill is to learn to look at the world with the spiritual heart.’
‘How can we do it?’ — we asked.
‘A soul can see with the eyes of the spiritual heart what is invisible for ordinary eyes. Also, it can hear that which cannot be heard by ordinary ears. It will always be clear to that soul what kind of person is in front of him or her, and whether that person is lying — or telling the truth. And there are many other things that can be understood if you learn to look with the soul, such as understanding how to act righteously, according to your conscience, or how to direct your life.’
‘And how do we learn to look with the soul?’
‘Start by looking at the fire from that place in your bodies where the inhalations and exhalations occur…
‘Then, for a better understanding, look from your head, then — from your belly, and then — again from the center where the soul can see from.
‘Now turn your backs to the fire and try to look the same way.’
“… We got curious and started trying to do this…
“The Elder said:
‘Take your time! Let the fire and its light be the most important things for you now.
‘Try to feel the space around you. First, do this by trying to feel this space with your body. It is like how we can feel the warm water around us when submerged in water. Or try to feel the space of the warm air. Then, in the place where your heart beats in your body, you will begin to feel a caressing warmth. This makes it easier to begin seeing with the soul.
‘The soul will look with love!’
“We became very curious. Not that we saw clearly the light of fire with our backs, but we had a special feeling that, with just a little more, we would start to see the light, the fire, the Elder, and the bear, who was lying some distance away and who was also looking at the fire and noisily sighing sometimes…
“Later, the Elder said:
‘And now — listen with the spiritual heart to the crackle of the fire, the hoots of the owl, and the bear’s breathing…
‘Everything that exists — exists and sounds in the Great Silence…’
“This is how the Elder taught us to understand what he himself called Life with God in everything. He wanted us to understand the quietness in the heart and the Oneness of all living beings…
“Yes, we were not very diligent students: for us it was just fun…”
‘Would it be a sin if I tried to do that too?’ — Yegor asked.
‘Why would it be a sin? Hegumen Sergius also explains to us the same thing about Hesychia — how to cognize the quietness of the heart. And he also tells us about the spiritual heart, which is where a monk’s love for God is kindled. And the Elder taught us the same thing…’
Yegor began to try to look and listen. But because he was trying far too hard, he ended up not being very good at it.
Peresvet comforted him:
“Not every skills comes at once. You look from your heart, but at the same time you think: ‘Did I succeed?’. Because of this, the fullness of the perception with the soul does not come; the fussy mind prevents this!”
“But how can I not think when all kinds of thoughts come by themselves?”
“Think about God with love! Right now, God is next to us! He is closer than this fire! God is always here! Only we don’t often feel it…”
… Peresvet and Yegor submerged into the silence filled with the Divine Presence, and for a long time they sat side by side in the circle of light of the dancing fire.
And God was filling their lives with His Great Love… And this Love of God flowed like a great river…
Chapter Four:
Hesychia
Let this silence ring out
with the good news, the holy message:
God is near at every moment!
God is Love! God is right here!
Open the doors of your heart, open it — and you’ll know His Love!
God is right here, He is — within,
in the Radiance of Eternal Purity!
And only a fussy life
in captivity of the mind and evil passions
prevents you from cognizing
the Love of the Father of all people…
Revelation from Matthew the Apostle
In the morning, after the prayers, hegumen Sergius again explained in his sermon to all the brethren of the monastery about Hesychia, a special inner silence. He said that prayers must not come from one’s head but must instead “go down” and come from one’s spiritual heart, from being within the spiritual heart. He also spoke about the purifica-tion of thoughts and about keeping one’s attention on God at all times.
He reminded the monks of the great words of the Gospels: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” (Matt 5:8), “The Kingdom of God is within you!” (Luke 17:21), “When you pray, enter into your chest and, shutting your door, pray to your Fa-ther in secret” (Matt 6:6), and “He who unites with the Lord is one Spirit with the Lord” (1 Cor 6:17).
* * *
Sergius always spoke with a heartfelt and la-conic voice.
The monks listened in awe; they marveled at Sergius’ holiness!
For most of the brethren, the mystery of the “intelligent prayer”, which was always active in the spiritual heart, seemed inaccessible and unfathom-able, the summit of spiritual achievements, despite the hegumen’s explanations about how this spiritual silence could be attained.
Yegor also dreamed of achieving inner silence, but so far he had little success in doing so. Only sometimes, for a brief moment, his mind quieted and his spiritual heart filled with joy.
That is why Yegor was sad after the morning sermon. He thought with sadness that his failure must be because he was a sinner and unworthy of God’s Grace…
Peresvet, with the blessing of hegumen Ser-gius, looked after Yegor and instructed him in mo-nastic life. Yegor, in turn, helped Peresvet in many matters of the monastery, acquiring through this various abilities, both simple worldly ones and spe-cial spiritual ones.
* * *
On this day, Peresvet and Yegor were gather-ing young goutweed or the whole brethren: to make soup for a meal. The supplies of food in the monas-tery had greatly depleted during the winter.
Hegumen Sergius, who made it a rule for all the monks of his monastery to live in non-acquisitiveness, strictly prohibited begging in towns and villages. Ever since the founding of the monas-tery, this rule had been in place and was strictly ob-served, even though in other poor monasteries in those days, monks often collected alms to survive.
Another one of Sergius’ rules was that all the property of the monks should be part of their com-munal belongings. And everyone, to the best of his ability, worked for the good of all. And the meal for all was communal as well.
It was a joy for Peresvet and Yegor to gather young green sprouts of goutweed. Yegor’s morning sadness was dispelled by this simple task in the open air of the flooded meadows.
Everywhere, the gentle and vivid manifesta-tions of spring could be felt. The primroses were white and blue in the hollows. The spring sun was warming the air. Birds were singing their spring songs. A gentle breeze — still a little cool, but not strong — as if spreading its wings, flew over the earth, bringing to every corner the joyful message: “Spring! Spring is here!”. The lapwings cried out over the meadows, and the trills of the larks hovering in the sky decorated the beginning of the day.
* * *
Peresvet and Yegor sat down to rest on a knoll with sacks full of goutweed.
Yegor asked Peresvet:
“Tell me, please, more about you, Rodion, and that Elder!”
“Now is not the time: a long conversation will make us late! I’d rather show you something that the Elder taught us back then. These birches here are reminding me of that since they are very suitable for this! They are not too thin and not too thick, and they are growing in abundance! Look: what a beauty!”
Peresvet approached a young, slender birch, which swayed slightly in the wind, as if dancing. Raising his head, he admired how the thin branches with the first sticky green leaves swayed in a special rhythm against the blue sky.
Yegor came up too. He stroked the trunk with his palm:
“How white it is! As if with the spring all its beauty awakened in it!”
“Hug this birch tree, cling to it with all your body! So that you feel every movement of it from the wind! Sway with it in this expanse of spring beauty and spaciousness! When embracing a tree in such a way, you can feel how God cradles everything around us and in us, how He caresses and embraces all of us with His Care, like a mother rocking her child in a cradle.
“And then it becomes clear to us that the Holy Spirit permeates all living things with Its Light, and that it is the Power of God that enables everything in the world to live! And then we, in response, irre-pressibly pour out our love to God!
“Try to feel God’s Love not as a human being but as a little birch tree! And then your body be-comes like a graceful dancing birch! And the soul can dissolve in the Flow of God’s Grace!”
Yegor pressed his body against the trunk and fell silent. The wind gently rocked the white trunk of the birch tree together with Yegor’s body…
Peresvet sat down far away. He habitually felt the River of Divine Light, and allowed this Light to become visible to the soul and united with the Flow of Divine Love-Caresses.
He did not hurry the lad, so that the beautiful Gifts of the Holy Spirit could be revealed to Yegor himself.
… Afterwards, Yegor said with tears in his eyes:
“I saw the Light of God! I heard a special si-lence! I had never been able to do it before! And I so wanted to know the silence and warmth of my heart! I wanted to, but I couldn’t! And then it just happened! It happened! It was as if only the birch and the Light of God remained, and I was not!”
Yegor whispered words of thanks to God.
Then he and Peresvet picked up the sacks full of goutweed and went to the monastery.
* * *
Peresvet rejoiced at Yegor’s success. For many in the monastery the peace of heart, even for just a short time, was an unattainable dream. Hegu-men Sergius himself was able to do many things and instructed others in them. But not everyone was able to do it…
Peresvet often tried to understand this, won-dering: how and why does everything happens so with souls? Why do some people find spiritual knowledge easy, while others do not? Maybe the Elder was right in saying that a soul lives on the Earth more than once? And could it be that some souls are just young and unskilled, only just now starting to mature and learn, and therefore, learn more slowly?
Peresvet met people who were not the bright-est mentally, but were kind, with hearts full of love. And on the contrary, he had seen others who boasted of knowledge and were important people who, at the same time, had no notion of love in their hearts, even if they possessed flawless logic and never missed a chance for profit…
Peresvet had started learning long ago how to see souls and understand people, but he still hadn’t learned how to best help such a wide variety of souls…
They had many conversations about this with hegumen Sergius. Peresvet told about his under-standing, about his special visions. Sergius listened attentively, and he never criticized anyone, but he was careful — not to introduce something new into monastic practice.
… And now — Peresvet was glad for Yegor! But for a moment, he imagined teaching all the monks to embrace birches and realized how quickly it would all turn into nonsense! Everyone would have thought it was ridiculous!…
If, of course, hegumen Sergius himself had commanded it, then everyone would have obeyed. But would anyone have succeeded…? Who knows?
“Yegor is a pure, transparent soul! He is so sensitive that even a subtle touch causes an immedi-ate reaction in him, as a soul. Much like how a crystal glass begins to ‘sing’ when touched a certain way, the soul seems to ‘sing’ in reponse to such love and purity! But it’s not like that with others…” — he thought.
Peresvet thanked God for His Love, for His Great Joy, and for such a wonderful day! All felt right in Peresvet’s heart! The future seemed bright!
The response of God’s Love came instantly, as It always does as soon as one directs all of one’s love to Him. And He opens His Embrace to such souls, allowing them to dissolve in His Light and live thus — with Him, and in Him!
Chapter Five:
Unusual Power
If Light shines in the soul,
darkness is powerless!
Soon, Yegor shared his experiences and new successes with Peresvet:
“I started to look at the candle from my heart in the evenings, as you taught me. And it is so blissful! It is as if that candle is lit in my spiritual heart, as if the light of love burns for God there! And the silence comes by itself…
“I told hegumen Sergius about it in confession. I was afraid that he would scold me. But he even praised me! And I showed him drawings of various birds and flowers that I made on small planks, and he praised me for that too! He blessed me to keep on learning to draw. He even said that when you finish teaching me how to read and write, I will be allowed to copy the Holy Gospels and decorate their pages with patterns.”
Peresvet had already been teaching Yegor for some time. And in these studies, much like in his other studies, Yegor showed great diligence. At this point in time, the boy had already mastered a little and could read and write by syllables.
* * *
On that day, Peresvet and Yegor collected various herbs for brews, and after that they began preparing some medicinal remedies.
Peresvet was very knowledgeable in this — hegumen Sergius entrusted him with this job completely.
Yegor was diligently learning the skill, and he tried to memorize everything he could about the herbs and their medicinal properties!
And Peresvet told him to take notes also so that he could both better remember everything and practice his writing.
They were grinding the herbs in mortars and mixing in a special proportion of the medicinal mix when Yegor asked:
“Tell me more about the Elder, about how he taught. He taught you how to distinguish between herbs, didn’t he?”
“Yes and no. It was my wife who taught me the most about herbs. But that was later, much later…
“And there are more interesting things to tell you about the Elder than this. I’ve been thinking a lot about these events, but I don’t even know how to begin…
“Let us consider the life of an ordinary warrior, one who serves his prince faithfully, dreams of heroic deeds, and kills others in battles — those whom his prince considers enemies. Where is the line: what is military duty, and what is a terrible sin? Many of Rodion’s and my dreams and aspirations in our youth were to become brave soldiers — strong, successful, and invincible ones — to gain the glory of heroes in many battles.
“The Elder did not approve of our striving for military heroism at all. And we could imagine no other future for ourselves than serving with the prince’s squad. We dreamed of battles, of heroic deeds…
“I think that is why our training with the Elder ended so soon, almost without having started…
“And the external reason for this was one occasion.
“A rich and noble-looking man came to the Elder’s house. Six armed servants were with him.
“The bear was ready to pounce on that man and not let him come near. He could feel the malice in this man immediately.
“But the Elder told the bear sternly:
‘Sit still! Until I give you a sign — do not interfere!’
“The unexpected guest came into the upper room and spoke to the Elder alone for a very long time.
“After, he came out very unhappy, as if he was torn with indignation and anger that the Elder had refused to fulfill his wishes.
“He went to the edge of the glade to the path where the servants were waiting for him, but suddenly he turned around and, drawing his sword, headed back to the Elder with a clear threat, and not as a petitioner. He shouted at the Elder:
‘I told you in kindness, but you still didn’t understand! So now I will force you to come with us! You’ll do what I want! In this case, I will keep you alive and reward you! And if you don’t do it, then your death will be your fault!’
“The Elder, who came out to escort the uninvited guest, stood quietly in the middle of the clearing.
“The angry visitor with his sword unsheathed came up to the Elder and said:
‘Listen you, old man, come with us — or I’ll cut you down right now! In this very place, you will die!’
“The Elder just grinned and said:
‘You’re stupid, it turns out…’
“This broke the uninvited visitor’s remaining patience. He swung his sword.
“Everything else happened in an instant.
Rodion and I rushed to the rescue, grabbing the first thing that was at hand — a pole and a shank…
“The bear got up on his hind legs and went in the direction of the servants who had already unsheathed their weapons.
“The Elder himself stood quietly and did not move. He only put his open palm towards the sword — and the blade stopped in the air without touching his hand, as if it crashed into an invisible wall.
“The Elder said softly, but in such a way that even we had goosebumps on our backs:
‘That’s enough! Get out of here! Now!’
“The attackers were as if shackled by a special fear. They obediently left the clearing and raced away, showing no more aggression.
“… We were shocked by what had happened, and, most of all, by the special invisible power of the Elder, with which he stopped the attacker’s sword with his bare hand.
“The Elder said:
‘Evil has no power over good, darkness has no power over Light — didn’t you know that? Sometimes, when words alone are not enough to help someone to learn the wrongness of evil will, it becomes necessary to teach through more direct means.’
“Of course, we began to ask to be taught this power.
“The Elder, at first, just kept silent, but then he explained:
‘Power must correspond to human understanding, not surpass it. For you now, a pole and a shank are just right for your minds!’
‘But we wanted to protect you, we had no time to run to get weapons!’ — I said with some offense.
‘That’s what I’m talking about! It’s good that everything turned out that way!
‘What’s the use of explaining it to you now?… This power is directly connected with the Power of the Universal Divine One. It is not only for becoming invincible warriors, as you both want right now! Those who want to fight enemies do not need this skill yet!
‘Now it’s time for you to go home! Don’t say too much about me! Your fathers will be back tomorrow. And it’s time for you to go home, because your mothers have already buried you in their minds! And the servants haven’t been able to find you for two weeks!’
‘Can we come back later, so that you can teach us such things?’
‘No, your reasons for wanting power are not right yet! It’s too early for you to learn from me!’
“It was unthinkable not to obey the Elder. And so, we left that same day.
Yegor asked Peresvet:
“So you never met the Elder again?”
“We did, but it was much, much later…
“Of course, we went to his forest house about a month later. We thought of begging him to teach us…
“But when we approached, we saw that only ashes remained of his house! Only the well was intact in the middle of the clearing!
“We guessed that those bad people had done it on behalf of the man who hated the Elder.
“We did not know then whether the Elder was alive or was killed in the fire. We hoped that he had left before what had happened, knowing, as usual, everything that was coming beforehand.
“We drew water from the well and filled our canteens, as if trying to keep the memory in that water.
“And then, I found and picked up from the ground a plank that had been lying beside the well. There was an inscription carved on it:
‘If Light shines in the soul, darkness is powerless!’
“It seemed to us that it was a message from the Elder for us… It was as if he knew that we would come to him, and that we would find this tablet, and that we would read it…
“We believed that the Elder was saved then. But our next meeting with him did not happen until fifteen years later.”
Chapter Six:
Andrey Oslyabya
It seemed to me at times
That everything in the world was wrong!
I wondered: “How shall I live?
“God, give me a sign!”
And then I stood with my friend
In the midst of battle, shoulder to shoulder.
And blows rang from our armor,
And sword clashed against sword…
Having known both wounds and sorrows,
We searched for our true path.
We learned the lessons of life
And were now prepared to look for the Lord!
Peresvet
Yegor was looking for an opportunity to listen to Peresvet’s story further. And so, when the time was right, he asked Peresvet to continue:
“I can’t wait to hear how it all turned out! Tell me!”
And so, Peresvet continued his narration:
“After the events in my last story, my life with Rodion continued more or less in the way that we wanted. We became warriors in one of our prince’s squadrons. And we became very famous for our strength and courage.
“Were all our battles righteous? No, not all, apparently…
“Often, the princes quarreled among themselves, made alliances, and seized power over their neighbors. Then they made completely different alliances, so that former friends became enemies…
“It was like we wanted to protect our people and land and to defend our towns from attackers… But the truth and purity of those deeds did not always work out…
“Sometimes, it so happened that those soldiers, with whom we fought shoulder to shoulder in one battle, at other times were our enemies…
“The soldiers of one prince could even choose to go to another prince, and this happened and was not forbidden.
“… And one day, before a battle, I felt such anguish that not even words can describe it!
“… In those days, Rodion and I sincerely considered ourselves believers. But our faith in God’s existence, both his and mine, was very incomplete. We went to church on holidays, attended services as we should have, and took communion.
“But we felt like we were still ‘missing something’, as if what we were doing wasn’t at all related to a life with God.
“Our faith and prayers were separated from the rest of our life.
“Only very little time and space were given to God in our lives.
“And it was as if the rest of our lives was not connected with God, but was tied with battles, victory feasts, and funeral rites for fallen comrades…
“Suddenly, I couldn’t bear it at all! Heavy thoughts came over me!
“I was sitting with Rodion by the fire the night before the battle. And he saw that there was something wrong with me.
“He asked:
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Let’s get away from the prince, Rodion! You and I seem to believe in God, but we live like non-Christians, fighting against our own people! One day the princes make alliances with Lithuanians, and then, another day, — with the Horde*, fighting for power and influence. And we — what are we fighting for?’
‘If you want, we’ll leave after the battle. But to leave before the battle would be a betrayal! Now, we must keep our word to the prince! That’s the honor of a soldier! Cheer up, or they’ll think you’re a coward!’
‘Who cares what they think? My conscience commands me to not raise my sword, neither against my brethren nor against my former comrades.’
“Rodion and I decided to leave the prince after the battle and live peacefully. At this time, Rodion was already married, and his son, Yakov, was growing up…”
* * *
“That battle was unsuccessful for our warriors.
“And in me, there was not that special heady courage and prowess, which usually naturally arose in battles. Before, it was as if a common strength for the entire squad was born during the battle. Through this, the valor of the army strengthened! Through this, the fear of death and pain from wounds was easily overcome in a joint, furious outburst! And that time I had no fear, but I had no desire to fight either. I was only waiting for this fight to be over! I tried not to kill or wound anyone…
“And, of course, I was soon very badly wounded. I fell to the ground at the feet of Rodion. He and I always fought shoulder to shoulder…
“The prince then ordered everyone to retreat.
“Rodion didn’t listen to the order, he stayed.
“I said with all my might:
‘Rodion, go away, I can’t get up… Live for both of us, my brother!’
‘Be quiet! I’m not going anywhere!’
“He covered my body with my own shield. Then he took my sword in his left hand and threw his shield over his back to be at least somewhat covered from the rear.
“So he stood and waited…
“An avalanche of attackers seemed to break against him as the current of a turbulent river breaks against a huge rock.
“He did not even know if I was still alive — or already dead…
“So he stood over my body. He did not take one step back!
“He stood his ground and saved my life… When our men saw this, they rushed to help…
“None of our opponents could even hit Rodion. And the courage he displayed that day earned him great respect from everyone! And for a long time after that battle our warriors and harp singers retold the heroic deed of Rodion Oslyabya in epic tales to raise the warriors’ spirits before battles..
“And so that’s the story! Now you know, Yegor, that I owe my life to my brother Andrey and that many warriors died on the battlefield, but here I am, alive to this day…
“From that day on, Rodion and I never fought or took part in another battle.”
Yegor listened, widening his eyes with surprise, and said:
“So is that monk — Andrey Oslyabya?
“I didn’t even guess that he is your sworn brother Rodion! Andrey, they say, came to the monastery much later than you. I thought Andrey was your brother, and Rodion — your childhood friend…”
“He’s more than a brother to me. Life has connected us tightly. We swore to be brothers when we were six years old — and so we live!
“And now in Christ we are brothers!
“Rodion took monastic vows after me when his wife died and his son grew up.”
“Did you take the monk’s vows then?”
“No. For soon, fate brought me and the Elder together again. But it’s a long story, I'll tell it another time.
“I’m going to Pereyaslavl tomorrow. Hegumen Sergius sends me. The bishop promised books for our monastery and an icon. And if you truly want to know so much, ask Andrey to tell you. He remembers that time better than I do. It took me a long time to recover from my wounds: everything was like a fog…”
__________________________________________
* Golden Horde.
Chapter Seven:
Vlada
She is gentle like the morning sun
And quiet like silence itself!
She is as pure as a holy transparent spring
And beautiful, like a springtime fairy!
Peresvet
Andrey Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet stood out among the monastic brethren by their high stature and bogatyr* physique. In shoulders, Oslyabya, perhaps, was wider than Peresvet and therefore looked more powerful. Despite his respectable years, his strength was the same — calm and powerful.
Yegor asked the hegumen for permission to help Andrey in his work. Sergius smiled a little, but allowed him.
Andrey was laying large stones to make steps on the path to the river which was rather steep. This path would often wash out in the rains and then become slippery with clay.
Yegor, who came over to help, filled the gaps between the laid cobblestones with bonding mortar to fasten the stones in the steps.
The work went on.
When they finished their work, Andrey and Yegor went to the river to bathe, change into a new set of clothes, and wash the clothes that had been stained with dust and mortar.
Afterwards, they sat near the river and rested.
Yegor said:
“Peresvet told me about you, about your youth, about the Elder, about how you saved his life in battle. And then, he said that you should be the one to tell me what happened afterwards, because he was ill and unconscious for a long time. Will you tell me?”
“All right, listen!
“Did Peresvet tell you about Vlada, his wife?”
“No.”
“Well, I’ll start with that, then.”
* * *
“All our warriors who were wounded in that battle were taken to one place, where they were treated by healers and those fighters who had at least some knowledge of healing.
“Understanding that Peresvet had little chance to survive, I tried to determine which healer could heal the best. I carried Peresvet in my arms and looked closely at all the healers.
“I noticed a young lady, whose movements — for all her actions — seemed to me something special. I looked and could not take my eyes away… My mind was spinning: ‘What could such a young maiden understand about the treatment of serious wounds?’. But my heart seemed to be telling me that this was the only hope.
“I put Peresvet near her on the ground. It seemed to me as if she startled slightly when she looked at his face, as if she recognized a loved one, but chose not to show it.
“I stood beside her and waited while she examined, washed, and bandaged the wounds. I asked:
‘Is he going to survive? Can you heal him?’
“She raised her clear gray-blue eyes to me, shook her head, and said softly:
‘I cannot heal him… I can only make it so that he doesn’t die now. I can prolong his life time… But I know someone who might be able to do such a healing. But I make no promises.’
‘He is my friend, my sworn brother! I would give anything to save his life! But as a cripple, he will not want to live…’
‘I want nothing in terms of money. And that healer isn’t interested in gold at all… Find a cart and put hay on it so that your friend won’t be shaken on the way. Let’s go to that man. It’s far away. Three days’ journey.’
‘What’s your name?’
‘Vlada.’
‘My name is Rodion, my friend’s name is Peresvet.’
“Vlada, moving her lips slightly, as if kissing the sounds, repeated his name softly, like an echo.
“… Then I said goodbye to the prince, found a good cart, and prepared a comfortable bed on it.
“Vlada approached the horse harnessed to that cart, stroked it very gently, and whispered something to it. Only then did she sit down on the cart and take the reins with one hand. With the other hand, she squeezed Peresvet’s hand in hers.
“I rode beside her. Peresvet’s horse obediently followed behind.
“When I tried to speak to Vlada, she asked:
‘If you want us to bring your friend there alive, do not distract me by talking without an important reason. I must try to support the power of life in him…’
“And so, we rode in silence.
“We stopped for the night only for a short time and made a campfire. It was late autumn, and it was cold.
“Vlada sat down near to the fire. She could not warm up and tried to hold back her trembling. All day, looking at her, I felt her special confidence and clear strength. And now, she seemed so fragile and defenseless! I tossed in some more firewood, covered her with my cloak, and sat down next to her.
“Vlada said softly:
‘Sometimes it’s tiredness that makes it so hard to stay warm. But now, by the fire, it will pass quickly…’
“She spoke on her own, so I asked a question that was especially important to me at the time:
‘And this healer, what Gods does he worship? Peresvet and I are of the Christian faith, so it will not be good if that sorcerer is of some other one…’
“… Vlada looked at me sadly:
‘It’s too late for you to remember this! After all, we cannot turn back now, can we?’
‘Well, I had been thinking to tell you for a long time, but you told me not to say anything!’
‘Have no superstitious fear! He’s not a sorcerer! He’s not even a healer! He’s a Magus! Do you remember? — in the Scriptures about Christ Jesus, there is a story about the adoration of the Magi. These Wise Men heard from above about the birth of Jesus and came to worship Him. He is the same kind of Wise Man.’
‘Did he come from the lands of the East?’
‘No… In dark times, Great Souls are born across many nations to support the forces of Light in the world so that darkness does not completely swallow people… He serves only God!’
“Vlada thought for a while, then made up her mind and said an important thing:
‘God — He is One and the Only One for all peoples! But people forgot about this — and so there are different faiths. That is why people call Him, the One Who created everything, by different names…’
“Vlada was silent.
“I did not ask any more questions…
“After a few hours of rest, we continued our journey.
“… On the third day, close to evening, we approached a river.
“Vlada said sternly:
‘Wait here. And don’t make any noise!’
“… I had to wait a long time, more than half an hour.
“She came back in a boat. Her long blond braids were quite wet. So she had swam across the river in this cold!
“We carefully laid Peresvet into it.
“Vlada said:
‘Get in the boat with me now. We’ll take care of the horses later. I can’t carry your friend to the cave without you.’
“We sailed a little way down the river, to a place where the river made a steep turn. There was a crevice in a high, steep bank. It seemed very narrow, but the boat slipped through. Vlada and I had to duck under the trunk of an overhanging tree that made this narrow channel inconspicuous. Then the channel widened, becoming like a round deep lake of clear water surrounded by high, steep, rocky banks. A waterfall flowed down the opposite slope in a narrow stream. It was apparent that this stream, falling from a height over many centuries, had hollowed out this lake.
“We docked on a small sandy beach and began to climb the steps carved into the almost vertical wall to the cave.
“Vlada led the way. I carried Peresvet in my arms and made every effort not to stumble. When we entered the cave, there was in front of us a tall old man in white clothes.
“With incredible surprise, I recognized the Elder!
‘Well, hello, Rodion!’
“I was amazed that we already knew each other, and that he remembered my name, and that he seemed to have grown younger since our last meeting fifteen years ago!
“He looked majestic, even though he wore simple clothes. His long white robe was without any embroidery or ornamentation, and it was belted with a linen rope. His gray hair and beard were snow-white.
“For the first time in the last few days, I was at peace and happy: I knew for sure that everything would be all right!”
______________________________
* In the epic poems and stories of Russia, a “bogatyr” is warrior of legendary strength, purity, and virtue.
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