The Life of Humility and Meekness Vainglory
The Life of Humility and Meekness
Vainglory¹
The thought of vainglory is the most skillful of thoughts. It comes to those who live a virtuous life, and it begins to glorify their struggles and to gather for them the praise of people. Vainglory is an appearance of love for the labors of virtue. It is a demon that loves prominence in assemblies, desires advancement and the first seats, proclaims the struggle and rejoices in its remembrance, and is a slave to praise. It is a spirit of many kinds, a lover of greatness, and bound to pride. It is a tongue for innovators, that is, heretics who are strangers to the truth.
Vainglory is a bestial disease that comfortably entwines itself around every work of virtue. And just as the bramble entwines around the tree, and when it reaches its heart it dries up its roots, so vainglory, when it grows among virtues, does not leave them until it has dissolved their strength… Virtues are scattered if they are founded upon vainglory. And the worshiper who practices asceticism for this reason resembles a laborer who does not receive his wages.
(Saint Mar Evagrius)
We must, my beloved, flee all the more from vainglory—this which does not envy us before we toil in virtue and suffer in asceticism, but after our toil seeks to steal our crown from us. This which is difficult to grasp, which cunningly schemes against our salvation and strives by its tricks to cast virtue down from heaven after having raised it up to heaven.
This which destroys the humility of the heart, which is the foundation of virtue, and causes its possessor to lose all his labors. And it delights its heart by seeking the wage of his toil from people, that is, their honoring and thanking him—things in which there is no profit. This should never be so. Rather, we must look to God alone, and practice the virtues for His sake, and leave them to be gathered with Him so that we may receive the reward from Him alone as our due. And if we have consented to do good for the sake of the glory of people, taking glory from them, which is their vain honor, then it is far better and exceedingly preferable that we do this for the sake of God Almighty and seek His eternal reward. For He, to whom be the glory, has said in the Gospel concerning those who do good for the sake of people: “Truly I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Let us flee from this hunter who wars against our souls with sweetness, who makes honey upon the mouth of his deceit, and extends his deadly cup to the hearts of people; and when they find it sweet, he gives them to drink of his pains without satiety.
And the loss caused by vainglory does not stop at the wasting of the reward of the toil of virtue; rather, it burns its possessor and turns him from virtue to vice. And if it leaves him to seek glory from foolish or ignorant people, these will praise him and honor him for base things.
(Saint Basil the Great, his Ascetical Works)
This unclean spirit, “vainglory,” is of many kinds and many forms; therefore it strives to dominate all. Whatever craft anyone practices, in it it sets up its snare for him: the wise man—his heart boasts in his wisdom; the strong—in his strength; the rich—in his wealth; the handsome—in his beauty; the eloquent—in his speech; the sweet-voiced—in the beauty of his voice; the well-mannered—in his good conduct; the ascetic—in asceticism; the silent—in silence; the one without possessions—in the renunciation of possessions… Likewise in the trials of the spiritual: the obedient—it tests him through obedience so that he may be exalted by his obedience; the learned—by knowledge.
A house built on sand does not stand nor endure, and asceticism mixed with pleasing people does not stand nor endure.
Saint Mar Ephrem (his Homilies)
Our other errors and pains may be simpler and have only one form. But this one takes on many forms and many images, and from every side it attacks those who oppose it and those who overcome it… For where the devil cannot introduce vainglory into a person through elegant and luxurious clothing, he elevates him by means of cheap clothing that he has neglected! And if he cannot cause him to fall through honor, he casts him down through humility. And if he cannot make him puffed up by the grace of knowledge and eloquence, he causes him to fall through the sobriety of silence!
If a person fasts openly, the pride of vainglory attacks him; and if he hides his fasting—out of contempt for boasting—from this side as well vainglory attacks him! And if, in order not to be defiled by the stain of vainglory, he avoids offering long prayers before the brethren, the thoughts of vainglory also wage war against him when he offers these prayers in secret without anyone knowing!
The elders—admirably—described the nature of this disease by the example of the onion: when you peel off one layer, you find it wrapped in another layer; and whenever you remove these coverings, you find that it is still wrapped.
John Cassian
This disease works harm to a person only through his virtues, presenting obstacles that lead to death through the very things from which springs of life are sought… Thus it happens that those who could not be overcome in wrestling with the enemy are defeated by their very victory!
(John Cassian)
Vainglory is attached to pride, and hypocrisy gives birth to all pains.
(Saint Barsanuphius)
The love of people’s admiration causes its possessor not to understand that he is walking in darkness; thus he does not experience the meaning of wisdom. He appears to himself greater than all, while he is more contemptible than them. He cannot understand the way of the Lord. But the Lord hides His will from him, since he did not choose to walk in the way of the humble.
If a dog licks a file, it drinks its own blood without knowing, because of the sweetness of its blood. And if a worshiper bends to drink the cup of vainglory, he drinks his own life from himself, and does not perceive the harm because of the sweetness that comes to him at every hour.
The praise of people is a hidden rock in the sea; the sailor does not know of it until the ship encounters it, is pierced from below, and fills with water. Thus vainglory acts, according to the saying of the Fathers: by it all the pains return to the soul which has suddenly turned and gone out from them. Virtues gathered together with vainglory perish in the end through the love of praise.
(Mar Isaac)
¹ An article by His Grace Anba Shenouda, Bishop of Education – Al-Keraza Magazine, First Year – Issue Seven – September 1965
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