MIND, HEART & BODY: THREE ENTRY GATES FOR LUST

Summary

This script narrates a desert tale about a disciple's struggle with lust, who blames his body for his sins. His elder teaches him that it's the mind and emotions, not the body, that lead to lust and other passions. The story emphasizes the importance of guarding one's thoughts and emotions to avoid sin, as they are the true sources of temptation. The elder suggests that by understanding this, one can develop strategies to control the mind and heart, ultimately using the body to overcome these internal battles.

Takeaways

• 🧐 The story emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of free will in succumbing to passions like lust, suggesting that the body is not the primary cause but rather the result of thoughts and emotions.
• 👤 The elder in the story teaches his disciple that the body itself is not the source of lust, but rather the mind and emotions are the true culprits, which is a pivotal realization for the disciple.
• 💭 The narrative highlights the idea that our thoughts and emotions, when not controlled by free will, can lead to sinful actions, with the body being an innocent participant in the act.
• 🏰 The script uses the metaphor of a fortress with gates to illustrate the different aspects of our being, emphasizing that the mind and heart are the primary entry points for negative influences.
• 🛡️ It is crucial to guard not just the body but also the mind and heart, which are often overlooked as the real sources of sin and passion.
• 🤔 The script encourages self-reflection on personal experiences with lust, asking whether it is the body's uncontrollable desire or the mind's thoughts and emotions that lead to sin.
• 🧘‍♂️ The story suggests that monks and spiritual figures are not immune to lustful thoughts, indicating that this struggle is a universal human experience.
• 🌱 The script implies that allowing 'divine sweetness' to grow within through positive thoughts and emotions can lead to a virtuous life, reflecting the power of the mind and heart.
• 🤝 The body is described as capable of being a tool for controlling the mind and heart, suggesting that physical discipline can help in managing mental and emotional states.
• 🔑 The importance of recognizing the true sources of our actions is underscored, as it is the first step towards developing strategies to overcome sin and passion.
• 🙏 The speaker expresses gratitude for the support and prayers of the audience, highlighting the communal aspect of spiritual growth and the need for collective effort.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the story involving the elder and his disciple?

The main theme of the story is the struggle with lust and the understanding that it is not the body alone that falls into sin, but rather the combination of thoughts, emotions, and free will that leads to such actions.

How does the elder use the dead body of their brother to teach the disciple about lust?

The elder asks the disciple if he sees any movement or passion in the dead body, to which the disciple replies no, illustrating that without life and will, there can be no lust, indicating that it is the will and thoughts that contribute to such feelings, not just the body.

What does the elder suggest is the real cause of falling into sin like lust?

The elder suggests that it is not the body itself but the thoughts and emotions, which are products of the mind and heart, that, when given life by free will, lead to the body falling into sin.

Why does the disciple initially believe that his body is responsible for his lustful actions?

The disciple initially believes his body is responsible because he experiences strong physical urges and attributes his inability to resist lust to his body's uncontrollable desires.

What is the significance of the story for the narrator when they first read it?

The story was significant for the narrator as it helped them understand the role of free will, thoughts, and emotions in causing sinful actions, rather than solely blaming the body.

How does the narrator describe the process of falling into lust?

The narrator describes it as a process that often begins with a thought that is entertained and then multiplies in the mind, leading to a pleasurable sensation that, when indulged, grows stronger and eventually leads to physical actions.

What does the narrator suggest is the common misconception about the source of sin?

The narrator suggests that the common misconception is that the body is the source of sin, when in reality, it is often the thoughts and emotions that are the true instigators.

What is the role of the mind and heart according to the narrator?

According to the narrator, the mind and heart are the gates through which thoughts and emotions enter, and they can become either divine or demonic depending on what is allowed to enter them.

Why does the narrator say that the body is often the victim rather than the abuser?

The narrator says the body is the victim because it is acted upon by the thoughts and emotions that have been given life by free will, and it is these internal forces that truly drive sinful actions.

What strategy does the narrator suggest for overcoming sin?

The narrator suggests understanding where the enemy (sinful thoughts and emotions) enters our being, and guarding the gates of the mind and heart, rather than focusing solely on the body.

How does the narrator relate the story to the broader concept of guarding one's fortress?

The narrator relates the story to the concept of a fortress with several gates, representing the body, mind, and heart. The enemy (sin) enters through the mind and heart, which are often overlooked, while the body is mistakenly blamed.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ The Lesson of Free Will and Bodily Desires

This paragraph tells a story about a disciple struggling with lust, who blames his body for his sins. His elder uses the death of a fellow monk to teach him that it is not the body but the free will, thoughts, and emotions that lead to such passions. The elder emphasizes that the body is only a vessel that acts upon the will and desires of the mind and heart. The story serves as a reminder that we often misplace blame and must understand the true sources of our actions to overcome them.

05:02

🤔 The Misunderstanding of Sin's Origin

The second paragraph delves deeper into the misconception that physical desires like lust are solely the body's fault. It explores the idea that these desires often stem from our thoughts and emotions, which we willingly allow to influence us. The narrative suggests that we are like guardians of a fortress with three gates: the body, the mind, and the heart. The body is often wrongly accused and punished, while the mind and heart are the true culprits, allowing negative influences to enter and control us.

10:04

🛡️ Guarding the Gates of the Soul

In this paragraph, the speaker continues the fortress analogy, explaining that the mind and heart are the real gates through which negative thoughts and emotions enter, affecting the body. The speaker urges us to understand the true sources of our actions and to focus our defense on guarding the mind and heart instead of solely blaming the body. The goal is to develop a strategy to defeat the enemy within by recognizing the roles of the mind and heart in our moral downfall.

15:06

🙏 The Unexpected Ally in Spiritual Growth

The final paragraph reveals a surprising twist: the body, which is often seen as the source of sin, can also be the means through which we learn to control the mind and heart. The speaker suggests that by understanding the body's role in our spiritual journey, we can use it to cultivate divine thoughts and feelings. The speaker also hints at future discussions on this topic and mentions the upcoming challenges of balancing video production with community responsibilities, expressing gratitude for the support of the audience.

Keywords

💡Lust

Lust is a strong desire, often for sexual pleasure. In the video, it represents a recurring struggle for the disciple, symbolizing the inner battles individuals face with their desires. The elder explains that lust is not an inherent trait of the body but is fueled by thoughts and emotions, which the disciple must learn to control.

💡Free Will

Free will refers to the ability to make choices that are not determined by external circumstances or fate. In the video, the elder emphasizes that it is the disciple's free will that allows thoughts and emotions to influence the body, leading to sin. Understanding and exercising free will is crucial to overcoming passions like lust.

💡Mind

The mind is the faculty of thought and reasoning. In the context of the video, the mind is depicted as a gate through which negative thoughts can enter and lead to sin. The elder teaches that guarding the mind against such thoughts is essential for spiritual purity.

💡Heart

The heart symbolizes emotions and feelings. The elder explains that the heart can be a source of both divine and demonic emotions. By allowing negative emotions to take root, one can fall into sin. Conversely, nurturing divine emotions leads to spiritual growth.

💡Body

The body is the physical aspect of a person. The elder describes it as an innocent entity that only acts on the influences of the mind and heart. The body's actions, whether good or bad, are a result of the internal battles within the mind and heart.

💡Passion

Passion refers to strong and barely controllable emotions. In the video, it is often linked to desires like lust. The elder explains that passions are not inherently bodily but are triggered and intensified by thoughts and emotions.

💡Confession

Confession is the act of admitting sins or wrongdoings. The disciple repeatedly confesses his struggles with lust to the elder, seeking guidance. This practice highlights the importance of acknowledging one's weaknesses as a step towards overcoming them.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to obey rules or a code of behavior. The elder teaches the disciple that through discipline of the mind and heart, one can control the body's actions and resist sinful passions.

💡Temptation

Temptation is the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise. The elder explains that temptation often begins in the mind and heart before manifesting in the body. Understanding and resisting temptation is crucial for spiritual growth.

💡Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth refers to the process of developing a deeper understanding and connection with one's faith. The elder's teachings aim to guide the disciple towards spiritual growth by understanding the true sources of sin and learning to guard against them.

Highlights

The story emphasizes the role of free will in the struggle against lust and other passions.

The disciple's misconception about the body being the cause of lust is challenged by the elder.

The elder uses the metaphor of a dead body to illustrate that passion is not inherent in the body itself.

The importance of understanding the role of thoughts and emotions in succumbing to sin is highlighted.

The narrative explains that the body is often the victim, not the cause, of sin.

The concept of the mind and heart as potential 'abusers' of the body is introduced.

The idea that guarding the mind and heart is more crucial than focusing on the body is presented.

The story serves as a 'game changer' for understanding the true sources of sin.

The importance of recognizing the influence of thoughts and emotions in moments of temptation is discussed.

The narrative explores the idea that our bodies can be in a state of passion due to hormonal changes.

The concept of the mind and heart as 'gates' to our being is introduced, with the body being a secondary gate.

The story of Saint Basil the Great is used to illustrate the struggle with thoughts and the concept of spiritual virginity.

The idea that our emotions and thoughts can betray us, leading to sin, is explored.

The transcript discusses the importance of not blaming the body for sins that originate in the mind and heart.

The concept of the body as a 'little brother' that can be educated to control the 'big brothers' of the mind and heart is introduced.

The potential for the body to be a conduit for divine thoughts and feelings, in addition to sinful ones, is mentioned.

The transcript concludes with the importance of guarding the mind and heart to prevent sin.

Transcripts

there is a story somewhere in the desert

fathers

about an elder and one of his disciples

the disciple was struggling for a long

time had been struggling with

lust and he kept on coming to make his

confession to his elder and kept

on saying my body made me do this my

body dragged me into this

it's because of my body that i've fallen

again and again

and it happened at once

one of of his brothers one of his

monastic brothers

died and the elder

asked his disciple the struggling one

to come and um and pray with him over

the dead body of their brother

and as they were looking at the dead

body of their brother

the elder asked his disciple

if he sees any movement if he sees any

passion

and he lost in the dead body of their

brother

and of course the disciples said no of

course this is a dead body this is a

dead corpse

there can be no passion there can be no

lust in a dead corpse

and the elder said the same is true

of you my son

because only when your free will

only when your thoughts only when your

emotion

unite themselves to your body

then your body falls into passions

such as lust and gluttony and laziness

and all the other ones

i remember how important this story was

for me when i read it the first time

i remember what uh i think you call

these things

game changers this story has been

for me to understand that without the

contribution

without the push of my thoughts of the

creations of my mind

without the push of my emotions

the creations of my heart which

are both possible only when my

free will agrees to give them life

to give life either to my thoughts or to

my emotions without these

pushes from the mind or the heart

then my body is motionless

and my body is nothing but but

flesh in and of itself unable to do

anything

either good or bad there are moments in

our lives there are periods in our lives

uh when we grow in our teenage years and

um

for some earlier or later for a few

years

when our bodies because of their changes

and all the hormones that um

are raging through through them

then the body itself falls into passion

because of its own needs its own

battle its own struggles but

try to think of yourself try to think of

yourself and the last time you've

fallen into lust of any kind each of us

you know have our own ways of falling

into all these sins even people in

monasteries

because someone like saint basil the

great claimed i have not

known a woman and yet i cannot call

myself a virgin

because like any other human being he

had a mind he had

a thought that could betray him

so try to think of yourself and your

particular way

of falling into lust and ask yourself

when this happens does it happen because

my body is simply

uncontrollably um

taken over possessed by passion

does it happen because your body is in

such a state of

physical excitement that you simply can

no longer

control it or does it happen because

a thought came and you opened

yourself to that thought and then that

thought

became multiplied in your mind and then

you found sweetness in that thought

and you allowed that sweetness to enter

you and you've taken pleasure from that

sweetness

and that sweetness then increased

the thoughts and gave them strength in

your mind

and so on and so forth this

touchless sort of falling into lust

which is controlled up to a moment after

which

perhaps you've lost control and things

became

physical or

for many of us was it the

physical inability of your body to

to go ahead to move ahead without

committing the sin

was it an emotion that took over you

anything the remembrance of someone whom

you once loved or the remembrance

of someone's touch and then you

re-imagined that

touch or in some cases it's not even

an emotion that has to do with love that

has to do with any sort of loss but an

emotion that

maybe pushes you into self-pity

this uh crying over our own

unhappiness this feeling of being alone

and belonging to no one that eventually

pushes you into a corner where all that

feels familiar

all that feels a home to you

is the sin that you've known since

you're perhaps a child

things happen differently for every

single one of us

but ultimately they are all consumed the

same way

but the way they begin rarely

very rarely actually has anything to do

with our bodies the way lust begins

in most of us in most

cases for most of us

have to do with our thoughts that is to

say with our mind

or with our emotions that is to say with

our heart

these thoughts and emotions which we

receive in ourselves

we give them the permission of our free

will to

enter us and then we allow the

bad sweetness poisonous sweetness

to to be poured in ourselves to be

injected downloaded into ourselves

until we can no longer manage that

poison

and then that poison takes hold over us

and we fall into sin with our bodies

and so we end up thinking that these are

all

bodily sins and that this body is to be

blamed and punished for everything when

in fact

for most of us in most cases

the body is just the victim

the body is the abused

not the abuser and to make things even

worse

then we run screaming for help to the

abusers

themselves we ask for help

from our mind we ask for help from our

hearts

and we think oh my mind and my heart can

pull me out of this nothingness this

wretched state of my body

when in fact the enemies

the gates for the real enemy

are the mind and the heart

and it is important it is

i mean it's not important it is a vital

it is essential to understand this

because otherwise we are like

guardians of a fortress if you can

imagine a fortress in the middle of the

desert

and there are these enemies that come

upon this fortress

and that fortress is ourselves and there

are several

gates to our being one gate is our body

with its feelings

another gate is our mind with its

thoughts another gate is our heart with

its emotions

and because we we've grown

to believe that the weak gate

the gate that is always open for the

enemy the gate where the betrayal

takes place is always our bodies

we focus all our attention all our

army all our defense abilities

to protect the gate of the body

and the enemies enter our fortress

through the other gates

through the mind and through the heart

through our

thoughts and through our emotions which

are the real

judas of our being

our thoughts with whom we are so in love

and we take such

pride in our brain in our mind and

and the thoughts that we are able to

master

our emotions which we treasure so much

we actually

identify ourselves with our emotions and

how we feel about other people how we

feel about things and the world and so

on and so forth

these are the judas of our being

the thoughts that we worship and the

emotions which we love

these are the big bad

brothers that allow

the younger less experienced brother

the body to fall into a passion into a

sin

and then we take i don't know we take a

stick

and we keep on kicking the little

brother

who although he has fallen

is in fact innocent because he's only

fallen

because he's being pushed by the brain

and the heart we need

to understand where the enemy

comes in into our being in order for us

to

be able to direct all our attention and

all

our defense abilities and mechanisms

to guard those gates the gate

of our mind and the gate of our heart

so we can keep watch not

over every single movement of our body

but over every single thought of our

mind

and every single emotion that enters our

heart

once we've learned this basic lesson

once we've learned that the body

without the negative influence of the

mind

or the negative influence of the heart

the body in and of itself

rarely and only at certain moments in

our lives

rarely generates a scene itself

once we've learned this then we can

start

then and only then we can start to

hope to develop a strategy

to defeat this enemy of ours and

the surprise is and this is what we'll

talk about in our next video

god willing the surprise is that

the very little brother whom we've

accused of all the falls and the

suffering

that we've experienced this humble

small little brother is the one

through whom we can learn to control

the big brothers the brother of the mind

and the brother of the heart it is

through this little brother

through this little stove of the body

that we can do the work that will end up

heating up the whole room

of our being including

our minds and our hearts

it's not at all by accident that the

fathers

speak of our minds and our hearts

as being either divine or evil

demonic because they can become anything

and they become what they allow to enter

them

if we allow an evil demonic thought

to enter us or if we allow an evil

demonic emotion to enter our heart

then we are going to end up with a

demonic mind

and a demonic heart and of course it's

going to be

reflected onto our bodies and the end

results are going to be the sins of the

body

but similarly through the same gates

of the mind and of the heart divine

thoughts and divine feelings

can enter and if we allow that

divine sweetness to grow into us and to

to grow roots and strength in our being

then the results of those divine

thoughts

and feelings are going to be once again

seen bodily as well we've

just celebrated a few sundays ago the

sunday of saint gregory palamas

and his entire revelation and theology

of divine light

experiencing the presence of

god bodily in our lives

but it all begins with this correct

understanding of where

the gates of the enemy into our being

really are and 90 percent of the time

we are all guarding our body the gate of

the body

but in fact for those 90 percent of the

time

the enemy will enter our being through

the mind

and through the heart

i think either this week or next week or

at some point in the future

we shall have to find a solution so that

although we keep on traveling together

by making these videos

i shall be able to record maybe just one

video

a week and maybe the second video will

record something else

something that doesn't involve me and

my face i'm sick and tired

of looking at my face because somebody

has to edit these videos as well don't

forget

and and the truth is at least in britain

i know it's not

the truth everywhere in the world but at

least in great britain

we are slowly slowly hopefully coming

out of the pandemic

so increasingly there is more work for

me to do

within the community and on the island

but we shall continue to travel together

and at least once a week i shall

continue to record these videos

not because you need them but because

we need you that's the very

humble uh you know humble to the bone

reality we need you and without

your financial support and without your

prayers

god only knows if there would be a

monastery

in the hebrides today

be blessed my brother and my sister

be blessed wherever whoever

however you are in this world

a man a man a man