The prayer of Ambrose of Optina from smoking will help to overcome the destructive habit

Smoking is a sin or just a bad habit? If this is a sin, then what God's commandment violates the inhalation of tobacco smoke? And if it is a habit, then why is the rejection of it connected with despondency, anguish, anger and a person unable to cope with them? Why Ambrose of Optina's prayer for smoking is necessary, because there is the book of Allen Carr and various means like electronic cigarettes or hookahs today? Let's try to understand these issues, and at the same time to understand what role smoking plays in the life of a person.

Where did it come from?

As you know, smoking came to Europe about five hundred years ago after the discovery and conquest of America. Acquaintance with the ancient civilizations of this region for Europeans was ambiguous. Spanish conquistadors, people are not nervous, were struck by the rites of human sacrifice.

The bodies of the boys and girls were dissected, their throbbing hearts in the clubs of tobacco smoke rose to the sun-god with various requests, and the bodies were eaten at ritual meals. The image of the sun god - a rattlesnake in green plumage - corresponded to the image of Satan. For the European Christians, the demonic character of the rite was understandable, and they mercilessly exterminated the local inhabitants.

Who causes the tube of peace?

On the other hand, Columbus and his companions were struck by the first impression of meeting with the aborigines: they sat around and smoked tobacco (rolled from a special herb tube), releasing smoke from the mouth and nostrils. The ritual was accompanied by the invocation of an invisible "friend" and communication with him in a state of trance. The priests who smoked the trumpet of the world were drawn in smoke one by one, releasing it in different directions: to the earth, to all sides of the horizon, to the sky, invoking the corresponding spirits.

The Europeans did not pay attention to the spell-binding nature of the ritual of smoking, and the state of the nicotine trance so pleased them that they spread it throughout the Old World. If the Indians deliberately evoked demons in the ritual of smoking, the Europeans began to do this unconsciously. But the invisible enemy is more dangerous. A person who considers himself a Christian, lighting a cigarette, invokes an evil spirit. It is not by chance that the prayer for the passion of smoking to St. Ambrose of Optina contains the words that the tobacco passion, which, like all passions, is evil, has gone to where it came from - to hell, to the very womb of it.

The Fatal Incense of Satan

The devil is a caricature of God. He does not create anything new, but only distorts the divine institutions. So, even in the Old Testament times, the Lord commanded people to bring "a smell of fragrance" - incense with incense during worship. A pleasant smell attracts the Holy Spirit and drives away the spirits of the unclean. The desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit reflects the prayer from the smoking of Ambrose of Optina, so that man again has the opportunity for pure prayer.

Tobacco smoke is poisonous to Satan, and the lungs of man become the censer. He takes the image of a fallen angel during smoking as described in Job's book: a monster like a steaming pot (Job 41:12). Since the devil is a "murderer from the beginning", then censuring him is disastrous for people. Since the beginning of smoking, the "scale of burning life" comes into effect. For a smoker it is 1: 2, that is, ten years of smoking shortens life for 20 years, and the heirs degenerate in five generations.

Why is smoking a sin?

So, the very process of smoking and its consequences is the fulfillment of the God-willed will and the violation of the first Divine commandment: "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20: 2,3). The need to smoke is unnatural, human nature does not require poison poisoning and breathe carbon smoke. This need is the product of sin. Well aware of this, the patriarch Nikon in the 17th century, carved rods smoked in Moscow, Catholic priests, and Russian for this sin, exiled to Siberia.

In the last century Silouan Athos gave good advice to those who doubted the sinfulness of smoking: before lighting a cigarette, read the prayer "Our Father". Then the believing person understands without incomplete words the incompatibility of the prayer addressed to God and the smoking associated with the devil. "Wisdom of heart," - says Ambrose of Optina's prayer from smoking to the Savior with the request to overcome the bifurcation of the heart, to give it entirely to God.

The beginning of spiritual obscurations

A smoker with any experience will not deny that it all started with curiosity or with a desire to establish itself in the company. To experience the high is a mental state, unusual for normal life, the proposal is harmless and natural. In life, everything should be tried. From the first cigarette begins the spiritual fall of personality, familiarity with the vicious sides of life. Clubs of tobacco smoke open the permissiveness of any sin: foul language, drunkenness, debauchery. Even if it does not take place in fact, sinful temptations come into consciousness: communication with unclean spirits does not pass without a trace. "Cleanse my mouth," Ambrose of Optina's prayer cries from smoking to God, they are desecrated by demonic kisses.

Mirage happiness - a cigarette

Spiritually, smoking is a manifestation of the passion of self-pleasure: the process itself is identified with pleasant moments of life, which require an increasing number of cigarettes.

A smoker loses the ability to live in a real world without tobacco smoke, considering it a small and forgiving weakness, but not a sin. The process itself brings calmness, rest, relieves nervous tension, makes conversation comfortable, helps to think when solving problems - and how many justifications smokers will not bring, protecting their beloved passion.

Mirage is dispelled when they decide to give up their little sin - and are defeated. Such an innocuous habit turns out to be undeniable. Soberly assessing the situation, the courageous man admits that he needs prayer assistance. "Father Ambrose, only you have the boldness to ask for something from God," the prayer to St. Ambrose of Optina from smoking does not accidentally begin with such words. The smoker who owns an unclean mouth, does not expect to be heard without the help of the saints.

Ambrose Optina: the program of healing

Letting smoke in and out of yourself is not a sin, but being a slave to this habit is really a sin. So Ambrose Optina thought. The struggle against sinfulness is an internal struggle and must be waged by spiritual means. Pills and substitutes, tips and books are weak helpers. The prayer for smoking Ambrose Optina is connected with the following episode of his life. A resident of St. Petersburg who smoked up to 75 cigarettes a day, for two years struggling with his passion - and hopeless. He turned to the elder for advice and received a letter from him with a program of military operations. This program should be used by all who begin to struggle with their passions.

1. Confess for life. Recall all sins from the age of seven and repent of them.
2. Communicate the Holy Mysteries.
3. Read the Gospel according to the chapter of the day. And if despondency attacks - read more than once. That is, reading the gospel to beat the demon of anguish and despondency.
4. Do 33 earthly obeisances according to the number of years that the Savior lived.

Having received this program, the recipient mechanically dragged on a cigarette, but a sudden headache prevented him from doing so. The strong prayer of Ambrose Optina from smoking made her own case: neither in this, nor in other days a former smoker could not tolerate tobacco smoke because of pain in the head. When he came from St. Petersburg to Optina Pustyn to thank Father Ambrose, he, touching the staff of his head, relieved him of the pain.

The impasse and tears

Thus, one believing woman outlined the result of her struggle with the passion of smoking. The experience of smoking - all life from 13 years with breaks for pregnancy. All attempts to quit smoking were accompanied by depression, hatred of close people (husband, children), hysterics, apathy. The prayer of Ambrose Optina from smoking was read at such moments mechanically, "on the machine". But as soon as she was dragging herself with a cigarette, her love and gratitude returned for her patience with her dear family. The cigarette, which evoked physical disgust in her, nevertheless returned fullness of life and adequate behavior. The psychiatrist said that she is not his client, the psychologist has prescribed a pile of sedative pills. Four times she read the notorious Allen Carr. Swimming pool, gym, room, interesting work, no less interesting work-time, knitting - all worldly distracting maneuvers do not help: it is impossible to become an adequate non-smoking person, a loving mother and wife, without a cigarette.

There must be two of you

This woman is not alone in her, it seems to her, hopeless struggle against the passion of smoking. Many people drop their hands and continue to smoke. Although the struggle is not hopeless, it is simply conducted by the wrong means. None of the points of the program planned by Ambrose Optina were mentioned in this story: neither confession nor communion (she admitted that she had not communed for a long time), nor reading the Gospel as the main way to combat the attack of unclean spirits (despondency, hatred, anger, irritation ), No bowing. Despite numerous worldly means, the struggle was conducted alone, it was not even conducted, because she tried to lie for days on end so that she would not be touched.

Prayer from smoking Amvromsia of Optina suggests inviting the help of God: "Ask the Lord to help me in the fight against evil impiety." You can not rely on your will, it is a sign of pride that turns away the help of God. But you can not put your hands down. We must constantly and patiently do all that is possible, and not lose hope of deliverance. "You two are: you and the Lord, and the devil is one, and therefore you will win," said the Monk Ambrose to one of his spiritual children.

The subtleties of spiritual struggle

Ambrose Optina's prayer for getting rid of smoking is a powerful tool in the spiritual struggle, because it correctly places all the accents and assumes the humility of the person who turned for help. Where there is lack of humility, there will be failure. In our history, it happened. In the life of this woman there was a moment when she gave a vow to God to quit smoking. This should not be done. The fight against smoking became for her the idea of fix, a matter of honor: how can I not do that, which I promised!

Theophan the Recluse wrote in this connection that only the enemy can advise to bind himself with vows, so that later the person would suffer from the impossibility of fulfilling them. The correct approach to the problem will be: "I want to quit smoking, I'll try what I can, God will give, and - it will work out." A vow or to pride leads, or to failure. Struggle can be waged for a long time with varying success, when there are failures, Ambrose Optina's prayer must go on to quit smoking completely.

Sometimes this is hampered by the so-called "tribal sin", when the unperceived passions of departed relatives prevent the deliverance from the sins of their living descendants. Instead of contempt and reproaches one must take care of their afterlife: sing, remember them in prayers and do alms.

The Saving Prayer

Above was analyzed the prayer from smoking Ambrose Optina. It is better to know the text by heart. It may happen that an attack of tobacco passion will overtake somewhere along the way or among people. Prayer will not be at hand, and without prayer help you can get lost and fall. The habit in such cases to read a familiar prayer will always help. Father Ambrose, help us!