Time ceased to exist for Olga. She spent 180 days in hell. But the worst was to begin in three days. She would be released... The woman even thought about extending her sentence - there were plenty of possibilities. However, her cellmate Tom tried to persuade her not to fool around. Olya didn’t want to think about how to live further. The happy past was left behind, and in the future nothing but pain and hopelessness could appear. However, Tamara acted on her own new girlfriend, in some amazing way, changing her attitude and alignment life priorities. If Olya entered this cell as a hunted beast, then she had to emerge as a creature filled to the very edges of her soul with indifference. She no longer cared whether to live or die. All emotions were burned out.

Just a year ago everything was fine. Olga and Stas seemed very beautiful couple. Young, healthy, purposeful... Their whole life, with its limitless possibilities, was in their hands. The guys recently graduated from university, but their parents’ savings made it possible to open a small business. This is how the exclusive souvenir shop came into being. At first, business went neither shaky nor slow, but soon the first buyers appeared, and the couple was surprised to notice that religious items were more popular. As soon as masks brought by friends from India or rosary beads made of natural stone were put on the shelves, the goods instantly flew away for fabulous sums. Regular customers and regular orders appeared very quickly. The young couple decided to combine business with pleasure and fly to Goa for two weeks to relax and take a closer look at the range of products that could be resold in their homeland. It is here, on the shores of the Arabian Sea, family life gave a crack. Olya plunged into the traditions and religion of this amazing country, and Stas was completely alien to the local flavor. The woman was indignant:

You must know as much as possible about the culture of the country if you want to professionally give advice and advice to buyers! Darling, understand that it is extremely important for us to understand all the intricacies of religion if we want to sell such a specific product!

Stas was angry and stubbornly did not want to get acquainted with Buddhism:

How can I enter their church if I am wearing an Orthodox cross?

Olya just laughed:

What nonsense?! You have never been a believer! I didn’t even want to get married, and this, by the way, is a very beautiful ritual...

Be that as it may, Olga was seriously interested in India, and Stas was counting the days until he flew home. After returning to Russia, the young people began to swear often. Olya began to carry out everything free time at a Buddhist temple, meeting new people and handing out business cards for her store, and her husband unexpectedly went to Orthodox Church. The young wife did not immediately notice that her beloved had become surprisingly quiet and thoughtful, until one day he decisively declared:

Enough for us to play these pagan games already. We will sell, as before, cheap refrigerator magnets and mugs with funny inscriptions, and throw away all this demonic paraphernalia!

Olya only laughed at her husband’s “righteousness,” but Stas was more serious than ever. Very soon the couple realized that their relationship had reached a dead end. Olya did last try keep your spouse:

Do you even realize that you put faith above our family?! Choose: either me or your God! Keep in mind, I'm tired of your going to church! You look crazy standing in the middle of old women with candles! Orthodoxy is a relic of the past! Faith for mentally degraded people. Look better at the Buddhists - that's where the truly enlightened mind is.

Stas tried to reason with his wife for some time, but Olya was adamant and filed for divorce. She wanted a holiday, fun, intense passions... The next few months passed as if in a fog. A string of new meetings, soft drugs, meeting famous gurus... The woman thought that without Stas she felt better, and she shed some ballast that was hindering her spiritual perfection. But, soon a friend called and a message that ex-husband the bride appeared, knocked Olga out of her usual rut. No, there were no more feelings, but annoyance appeared. How did he manage to forget her so quickly?! And who did you exchange it for? According to the all-knowing girlfriend, Stas’s new passion was a real runt, and besides, she sang in church choir! Well, just for the chickens to laugh at! Her Stas, accustomed to the most expensive restaurants and fashionable boutiques, suddenly became interested in some gray mouse in long skirt"goodbye youth" Soon, annoyance gave way to curiosity, and Olya decided to see this couple of saints with her own eyes. Fortunately, the friend just lived in the house where the young people settled, so it was not difficult to track them down. A day later, the woman, inhaling the sweetish smoke of a hookah, summed up the results of her surveillance. So, Stas is really in love. New darling not as old-fashioned as Olga’s friend described, but, in fact, dressed very modestly. Questioning the grandmothers sitting at the entrance brought unexpected results. It turns out that the young people were going to get married soon and, moreover, get married! How is this known? So, it’s clear where it comes from! Klavdia Ivanovna told her, and the bride’s mother herself confided in her!

Like this. She, Olga, did not receive such an honor, but with this one, you see, he was going to get married! The anger grew with incredible strength, even meditation didn’t help me relax. And then one day, not the most beautiful, Olya committed a terrible act. Being in some strange state after meditation and having lost control of her mind, she started the car and drove away wherever she looked. I wanted the feeling of flying. The woman pressed on the gas and did not notice anything around...

She hit a girl at a pedestrian crossing. The victim was taken to the hospital. The trip ended tragically: the girl suffered a ruptured spleen, and Olga was sentenced to six months. She wasn't even scared. She didn't... care. She could only think about her fate. What frightened the woman was that she had no idea how to live further. She already looked at her passion for Buddhism with a sober look. All this turned out to be such nonsense... She simply joined the ranks of people who believed in some stupid fairy tales and lost their sense of reality. But the reality is that she is completely alone. Parents don’t count – Olga never developed a warm relationship with them. Dejection and unwillingness to live haunted the woman every second.

And then she met Toma. That's where the energy was in full swing! She was imprisoned for theft, but the prison term in no way affected the plans of this young and beautiful woman. Sitting behind bars, she thought about what next scheme she would try to implement:

I've been eyeing nuns for a long time! Religion is the most profitable way to earn money.

Having heard about religion, Olga began to feel sick, but, not noticing her friend’s reaction, Tamara continued:

Can you imagine, I even visited several monasteries. They call it a pilgrimage. You come and work for free for a bed and food. These Orthodox Christians are strange, honestly! The nuns use them as labor, and the pilgrims walk around and smile so blissfully that it becomes disgusting! So here it is. I found out everything. I remembered how these women of prayer dressed, what words they used in conversation, and how they behave. In general, I’ll go out and become a “nun”! Options to raise good money huge amount! You can pretend that you are looking for donors to build a temple. And, if you think everything through carefully, then it’s realistic to pull off the option with Jerusalem - believers call it the Holy Land. I will say that I will fly there soon, and people will ask me to give notes with the names of those for whom they need to pray. At the same time, the Orthodox will certainly donate huge amounts of money.

Tamara stretched dreamily on the bed, and Olga held her breath. Orthodoxy evoked only negative emotions in her. It was the believers who humiliated her, making her a complete laughing stock! We found her replacement! Deprived of confidence in their superiority. How great it would be to abuse them!

Tom, will you take me into the business?

The friend whistled:

Why do you need it? You have a folder with your mother. They will find a good job for you in no time. Yes, and you have your own store...

The store burned down and was closed. And, I have my own scores to settle with the Orthodox. So consider it personal.

And so the last painful three days passed. Freedom! Olya did not feel particularly happy, although, of course, she was glad to be freed. Her parents met her on the street. They looked at their daughter with eyes full of tears, and tried to help in some way:

Daughter, Stas left the apartment for you, so you can go there right now. And if you want, stay with us!

Olga thought for a minute, and then decided:

I’ll probably sell the apartment over time; I don’t want to live there. In the meantime, I’ll rent it out, and with this money I’ll rent a house on the other side of the city, where nothing will remind me of my past life.

Mom looked at her worriedly and timidly asked:

Sunny, what about your passion for all these Indian things? You will still be... - the elderly woman could not find the right words, but Olya helped her.

No, mom. No more gurus, meditations and crowds of guests with expanded consciousness. Now I will not follow the lead of this deception called “religion”!

Dad cleared his throat:

Daughter, but in Christianity, for example, there is no this pagan confusion. Everything is very simple and correct there. You know, while you were in prison, my mother and I couldn’t find a place for ourselves. One day we went to Orthodox church, prayed as best they could. Imagine, it actually became easier for us! Then we talked to the priest about your situation...

Olya jumped up, and her face twisted with anger:

And what?! Did this help me in any way? Or maybe because of your prayers, I was served lobster for lunch instead of gruel in prison? Dad, I knew the most famous gurus, communicated with the “enlightened ones,” and mastered certain meditation techniques. And what? This didn't make me happy! Just as I wasn’t interested in living, I still don’t care whether I wake up tomorrow or not. Oh, you came up with...Orthodoxy! I installed the spark plug and no problem. Why! Why then didn’t this God of yours pull me out of the cell, since you prayed so hard for me?

Dad was silent, and mom said sadly:

Olenka, God didn’t put you there. It’s all your own fault, and you know it... It’s just that at one time we didn’t give you any spiritual education. You didn’t know what faith is. Forgive us, daughter! We were unable to protect you from searching for Truth on the side.

Olga felt sorry for her parents. They've aged so much lately… Well, she didn’t want to upset them and solemnly promised not to label Christianity just because she was disappointed in Buddhism. But this was only in words. And, in her heart, the woman clearly knew what she would do, and in the morning next day I rang the doorbell of a friend who was released just a couple of weeks before Olya.

Tamara let the guest in, rubbing her eyes with her fist:

What a surprise. Well, come in now that you've arrived.

The friends discussed all the details of the upcoming work. Toma said that she herself knew about the image of the nun, but insisted that Olya go to the nearest monastery and look at this “contingent” with her own eyes. Olya was impatient to get down to business, and that same evening she set off on a “pilgrimage.” On the way, sitting in a commuter bus, she imagined amazing pictures: she would get into the very guts of this life of believers and laugh at them heartily. Everything is deception and falsehood, and she will prove it! To whom? The woman did not want to think about the answer to this question.

Near the entrance to the monastery, Olya stopped and watched as others entered there. It turns out that everything is as simple as that: cross yourself three times and go ahead! There were no difficulties inside either. Turning to the first nun she saw, Olya learned that she could live and work in the monastery at any time. Then the nun called the dean - this is how the woman met Mother Susanna, who cordially offered to stay the night. Olya refused. She wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. She felt incredible discomfort and... fear. However, she attributed it to a weakened nervous system.

Having convinced Toma that she was absolutely ready and would not make any mistakes, Olya put on a black robe sewn by Toma’s friend and went out into the street. Her goal was to sit at the station for several hours and meet as many people as possible. It was necessary to tell them in passing that she would soon go to the Holy Land and casually offer to pass on notes to everyone who wanted to. Tamara clearly instructed her friend with whom it is best to start a conversation and who is easier to deceive.

As soon as Olya entered the station building, this whole idea ceased to seem like an adventure. She decided to immediately find a toilet, change clothes and take the “props” to Tamara. Even though she never found her God, it is not right to deceive people who, like her, are seeking the truth. Not fair.

Here is the sign for the ladies' room. It’s literally a few meters away, and suddenly...

Mother, forgive me!

In front of Olga is a young girl who does not stand out from the crowd.

Tell me, which monastery are you from?

Olya, out of confusion, named the monastery where she had visited yesterday, and not the one that was provided for by her and Tamara’s “legend”. The stranger began to fuss, began looking for a pen in her purse and hastily explained:

I haven’t been to your place, but I will definitely come someday, God willing. Sorry for the delay! I just want to pass on a note. Pray, mother, for our son. Doctors have diagnosed him with oncology and he faces difficult treatment...

His name is Antoshka! Our father is Simeon, and I was baptized Rufina. Pray for us...

Olya was speechless. I couldn’t squeeze out a word. Meanwhile, Rufina opened her wallet and took out a hundred dollar bill. The “nun” refused the money as best she could, but the benefactor insisted:

Yes, this is not for prayer! It's just a donation for the needs of the temple, and you can't help but take it!

Olya confusedly put the money and a piece of paper with names in a small travel bag, and her new friend hurried on about her business. But suddenly she turned around and, catching herself, shouted:

Mother, what is your name?

Olya said her real name, and her ears heard:

And I will pray for you, Mother Olga!

She didn't go to any toilet. My legs could hardly stand, my head was noisy. Her hands were shaking and she was sweating every now and then. “I’m probably dying,” Olya thought and forced herself to walk towards Tom’s house. The journey took more than an hour, as the woman could not bring herself to get on the bus. It seemed to her that the passengers would immediately see who she was and what she had done. There is no sin worse than the one she committed! Thief. She stole the most valuable thing this young girl had - the hope of prayer. And even though she, Olga, knew that all these were fairy tales for simpletons, but... What if there is at least one chance in a hundred that God exists and the Orthodox were not mistaken in their choice of faith?! What then? Then it turns out that this prayer could somehow help the sick child, but she was afraid to admit that she was not a nun and could not really pray! Oh, this money... Lord, this gray-green piece of paper will never allow her to sleep peacefully!

She didn’t explain anything to Tamara. She handed over the vestments and said dryly: “It didn’t work out, this is not a job for me.” The friend chuckled contemptuously and closed the door behind the guest. Olya didn’t know where to go, so she went to her parents. Mom made a bed for her in the living room, but she couldn’t sleep. Thoughts revolved only around this naive Rufina and her sick son. How petty all this is: a divorce from an unloved man, unjustified hopes placed on millions of gods whose names cannot even be remembered. All this is such nonsense compared to the real misfortune of Rufina’s young family!

Olya quietly got out of bed and went to the shelf by the window - where her parents had built a small iconostasis in her absence. The woman took off all the books that were there and muttered through her teeth:

OK. Okay... If you exist, then help Antoshka. May he get well. I don't need anything else. I will pray only for this trusting girl. If there is a chance that You hear me and can help the baby, then I will do it. After all, Rufina hopes for my prayer...

The night flew by in an instant. First, Olya read all the prayers in the prayer book from the section “For the Sick.” Then, not finding anything more suitable, she took the Gospel. I decided that I needed to read everything - since these books were on the shelf, it meant they were needed for proper prayer. Surprisingly, Olya’s knowledge of Orthodoxy was very primitive. She only remembered what Tamara told her, and some scraps of information from television and newspapers. There is, they say, God. His name is Christ. To live well, you need to pray around the clock, regularly deny yourself delicious food, while observing fasting, wear creepy old-fashioned skirts and dirty scarves. Yes, even with a luscious smile on his face, bowing, and then shushing the unfortunate girls who dared to enter the temple in jeans. But here in the Gospel everything was different. I felt in all the lines real life. Moreover, Olya unexpectedly learned that according to the teachings of Christians, man is immortal. But immortality here is understood completely differently than, say, in Buddhism.

Olya opened her eyes. It smelled of coffee and pancakes. Mom has already prepared breakfast. The woman picked up the books laid out on the bed and carefully put them back in place. She was in a hurry. And, perhaps, for the first time in her life she did not care about her own self. She was in a hurry for the sake of others.

Mother Susanna, oddly enough, recognized the guest. Olya was very worried and didn’t know where to start. Then I finally decided:

You know, I read the Gospel last night and found out that I am immortal!

The nun nodded and looked at Olga with such love that she, unable to bear it, splashed out her hatred of herself along with a stream of tears:

You smile at me and allow me to stay, but you have no idea what I have done! I spied on you like Satan, and wanted to abuse Orthodoxy and monasticism in particular!

With every word, my heart became lighter, and my mother’s gaze turned from surprised to compassionate. She hugged the sobbing pilgrim by the shoulders and took her to an empty cell:

Be patient, be patient, my dear. There will be a service soon and you will be able to confess. God will forgive you if you repent of what you have done.

Mother, I repent. But, I'm not sure that I can be a Christian. I just need to pray for that child properly and don’t need anything else!

Then Olya came to her senses and took out the money handed over by Rufina. For a long time she held Mother Susanna’s hand and repeated the same thing: “I just want to pray... nothing more.”

Then there was confession and the priest’s blessing to stay in the monastery “to pray.” For some reason, it seemed to Olya that she could only do this properly here, where nothing would distract her from such an important matter.

Days passed. The woman read the entire New Testament, but there were more and more questions. The priests of the monastery tried to answer as best they could. They advised me to read patristic literature. This is how she lived: she prayed, read, thought and prayed again, occasionally interrupting for meals and sleep. Then I started going to church services. I took communion. She asked for obedience and now prayed, doing the work she could. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months...

...Once upon a time, a long time ago, the Creator created a small beautiful Soul!
YOUR Soul!

And he breathed the breath of Life into her, smiled and put part of his big heart into her, admired his creation and decided to give her a piece of his Power as well!

And this Soul, smiling, flew into the world, enjoying the sun’s rays and playing with other sunny souls….

They saw how planets and Universes were created, how they grew and changed, how sunlight includes life forms on these planets.

Then the creation of planet Earth began... People appeared... Big, beautiful, fair-haired, they communicated through images and thoughts, transmitting the energy of these images with their eyes...

They created forms on the planet, columns and buildings, crystals and nature, controlled the elements and flows of energy... Then there was no night and there was no darkness, there was light and joy...

...From that moment only the almost forgotten phrase “GOD created us in his own image and likeness” remained. YES, exactly, in your own image and likeness! He created you as the most beloved child of God and admired his creation for a long time. And then how loving parent, believing in his child, let him walk with his feet on the Earth, explore his land himself, build houses and ships, love and create children in his own image and likeness).

And people began to live, create, create, grow, build... This was all a long time ago, then people lived in harmony with themselves, with nature, with God, they felt a connection with him through their Spirit and their Soul.

And since God gave everyone free will, people began to experiment, what they could create and began numerous experiments that in some ways helped them grow, but in some ways increased their pride, led to envy, jealousy, greed, the desire to share and rule. And darkness came dark night souls and souls fell asleep, forgetting their true essence, losing contact with their inner light of the Soul...

The desire to control and dominate gave rise to religions, priests, secret meetings, magicians, rulers... And human life began to flow along a completely different spiral of development, and it was directed not upward, but downward, towards fall, towards oblivion of oneself in one’s truth...

And people forgot who they are, they forgot that a small flame burns in everyone’s chest - the Spark of God, which was created by God initially in its purity and power of manifestation.

And they spent many years, yes, many centuries, in hibernation.

And they spoke into their sleeping ears “..you are a servant of God, born in sin and conceived in sin, and you will atone for your sins forever and ever...”.

Has everyone heard these commandments? Who invented them? Could GOD create a slave for himself? Does God need slaves? Or does he need Creators who can continue his game called “life” and co-create it in all the beauty and versatility of its manifestations?

This is something I haven't read in books. This is what I learned when I learned to communicate with my Soul. When I opened the “Time Machine” and was able to travel with my Soul to all times and eras that existed on the planet.

This “Time Machine” and the opening of channels, the memory of the Soul is now available to many).
And that's all more people connect with your Soul and gain your Power! That Power that was originally given to us by God. That Power of creation that helps us become true Creators of our Life. And forget about the state of the victim and slave of circumstances.

Yes, to some it seems unusual, to others like a fairy tale. But I know for sure that the Power that God gave to my (and your) Soul is so enormous that I can help any person on the planet become stronger, find their integrity, their connection with the Soul, throw away all restrictions, feelings of guilt, resentment, fears , struggle and see what love God pours out on us from above, we just have to raise our heads! And when love opens in us, our very Power, which is given to everyone and which can be returned to ourselves, will vibrate.

Yes, this one is risky. Because remembering this state, you will never return to the state of a slave, subordinate to religions, society, governments, financial concerns, etc... You will raise your head and throw away your chains that have shackled you for many centuries. And you will begin to create your own Life!

Do you want this? Not everyone wants...And this is everyone's choice. Who do you want to be in your life - a Victim or a Creator?

The choice is yours, any choice you make will be good, there are no rules, just hear what your Soul is whispering to you......

Right now a group is being created that will begin an exciting 2-month training journey along the waves of the memory of your Soul.

And today we have the first open lesson- come!

Once upon a time there lived Little Soul, and she said to God:
- I know who I am!
And God said:
- This is wonderful! Who are you?
And the Little Soul shouted:
- I Am Light!
“That’s true,” God smiled. - You are the Light.
The Little Soul was terribly happy, because she found out what All the souls of the Kingdom had to figure out.
- ABOUT! - said Little Soul. - This is really great!
But soon the knowledge of who she was seemed insufficient to her. Little Soul felt

internal discomfort, now she wanted to be what she is. So the Little Soul went back to God (which is not a bad idea at all for all the souls who want to know Who They Really Are) and said:
- Now that I know Who I Am, tell me, can I be this?
And God said:
- Are you saying that you want to be Who You Already Are?
“Well,” answered the Little Soul, “it’s one thing to know Who I Am, and quite another to actually be it.” I want to feel what it's like to be the Light!
“But you are already Light,” God repeated, smiling again.
- Yes, but I would like to know how it feels to feel like the Light! - exclaimed the Little Soul.
“Okay,” God said with a smile. “I suppose I should know: you’ve always loved adventure.”
And then God continued in a different way.
- There is only one detail...
- What is this? - asked Little Soul.
- You see, there is nothing other than Light. You see, I have not created anything different from you; and therefore it will not be so easy for you to know Who You Are as long as there is nothing that is not you.
“Hmm…” said Little Soul, who was now somewhat embarrassed.
“Think about it,” God said. - You are like a candle in the Sun. Oh, you are there, no doubt, along with the million, quadrillion other candles that make up the Sun. And the Sun would not be the Sun without you. No, it would be the sun without one of its candles. And it would not be the Sun at all, since it would no longer be as bright. And yet, how to know yourself as Light when you are inside the Light - that is the question.
“Well,” Little Soul jumped, “you are God.” Come up with something!
God smiled again.
- I've already thought of it. Since you cannot see yourself as the Light, when you are within the Light, we will surround you with darkness.
- What is darkness? - asked the Little Soul.
God replied:
- This is something that is not you.
- Will I be afraid of the dark? - Little Soul screamed.
“Only if you choose to be afraid,” God answered. “There’s really nothing to be afraid of until you decide that it is.” You see, we make it all up. We are pretending.
“Oh, I already feel better,” said Little Soul.
God then explained that in order for anything to be fully experienced, something completely opposite must happen.
“This is the greatest gift,” said God, “because without it you cannot know what is what.” You cannot know what Heat is without Cold, Top without Bottom, Fast without Slow. You cannot know Left without Right, Here without There, Now without Then. And therefore, God concluded, when you are surrounded by darkness, do not shake your fist, do not shout, do not curse the darkness. Just remain the Light inside the darkness and don’t be angry with it. Then you will know Who You Really Are, and everyone else will know it too. Let your Light shine so that everyone knows how special you are.
- Do you think it's good to show others that I'm special? - asked Little Soul.
- Certainly! - God chuckled. - This is very good! But remember, “special” does not mean “best.” Everyone is special, each in their own unique way! Only many have forgotten about this. They will see that it is good for them to be special only when you understand that it is good to be special for yourself.
“Oh,” said Little Soul, dancing, jumping and laughing with joy. - I can be as special as I want to be!
“Yes, and you can start right now,” said God, who was dancing, jumping and laughing along with the Little Soul. -What part of the special do you want to be?
- Which part is special? - asked the Little Soul. - I don't understand.
“Well,” God explained, “to be Light is to be special, and to be special is to have a lot of special parts.” Especially to be kind. Especially to be gentle. Especially to be creative. Especially to be tolerant. Can you think of any other way to be special?
Little Soul was silent for a moment, and then exclaimed:
- I think of many ways to be special. Especially to be generous, especially to be able to be friends. Especially to sympathize with others!
- Yes! - God agreed. “And you can be all of those things, or any part of the special thing you want to be, at any moment.” This is what it means to be Light.
- I know what I want to be! - said Little Soul with great enthusiasm. - I want to be part of something special called “forgiveness.” Is it special to be forgiving?
“Oh, yes,” God confirmed. - It's very special.
“Okay,” said the Little Soul. - This is what I want to be. I want to be forgiving. I want to experience myself as a forgiver.
“Okay,” said God, “but there is one thing you need to know.”
Little Soul began to show slight impatience. This always happens when there are some difficulties.
- What is this? - exclaimed the Little Soul.
- There is no one who needs to be forgiven.
- Nobody? - Little Soul could hardly believe what she heard.
“No one,” God repeated. - Everything I created is perfect. Among all created things there is not a single soul less perfect than you. Look around!
And then the Little Soul discovered that she had gathered huge crowd. Souls gathered from everywhere, from all over the Kingdom. The news spread throughout him that an extraordinary conversation was taking place between the Little Soul and God, and everyone wanted to listen to what they were talking about. Looking at the countless other souls gathered there, Little Soul was forced to agree. There was nothing less beautiful, less wonderful and perfect than the Little Soul herself. So amazing were the souls gathered around, so bright was the Light they emitted, that the Little Soul could hardly look at them.
-Who should we forgive then? - asked God.
- This is becoming not funny at all! - Little Soul grumbled. - I wanted to test myself as the One Who Forgives. I wanted to know what this part of the special felt like.
And Little Soul understood what it meant to feel sadness. But just at this time, a Friendly Soul stepped forward from the crowd.
“Don’t be sad, Little Soul,” said the Friendly Soul, “I will help you.”
- You? - brightened Little Soul. - But how will you do it?
- I can give you someone to forgive!
- You can?
- Of course! - Friendly Soul chirped. - I can come to your next incarnation and do something to you that you will have to forgive.
- But why? Why will you do this? - asked the Little Soul. - You, who are now in a state of absolute perfection! You, whose vibrations create such bright light that I can hardly look at you! What would make you want to lower your vibration to the point where your bright Light turns into thick darkness? What can make you, who is so bright that you can dance with the stars and move throughout the Kingdom at any speed you want, to come into my life and make yourself so heavy that you can do bad things?
“Very simple,” said the Friendly Soul, “I will do this because I love you.”
Little Soul seemed surprised by this answer.
“Don’t be so amazed,” said the Friendly Soul. - You've already done a similar thing for me. Have you forgotten? Oh, we've danced with each other many times. We slid through eternity and through all centuries. Through all times and in many, many places we danced with each other. Do not you remember? We were both Everything From It. We were Up and Down from It, Left and Right from It. We were Here and There of This, Now and Then of This. We were male and female, good and evil. We were both the victim and the villain of It. So we have come together, you and I, many times before, each bringing to the other the exact and exact opposite, to express and experience Who We Really Are. And therefore,” the Friendly Soul explained a little later, “I will come to your next incarnation and this time I will be “bad.” I will do something truly terrible, and then you can experience yourself as the One Who Forgives.
- But what are you going to do that’s so terrible? - asked Little Soul, already a little nervous.
“Oh, we’ll figure something out,” Friendly Soul replied with a wink.
Then the Friendly Soul became serious and added in a low voice:
- You should know about one thing.
- What is this? - I wanted to know Little Soul.
“I will slow down my vibrations and become very heavy in order to do this not-so-pleasant thing.” I will have to become something very different from myself. And in return I will ask only one good deed from you.
- Oh, whatever, whatever! - Little Soul shouted and began to dance and sing. - I will become forgiving, I will be forgiving!
Then the Little Soul saw that the Friendly Soul remained very quiet as before.
- What is this? - asked the Little Soul. - What can I do for you? You are just an angel of goodwill for doing this for me!
- Of course, this Friendly Soul is an angel! - God intervened. - Everyone is an angel! Always remember: I am not sending you anyone but angels.
And then the Little Soul wanted even more to give a return gift to the Friendly Soul, and she asked again:
- What can I do for you?

At that moment when I will torture you and beat you, at that moment when I will do the worst thing to you that you can imagine, at this very moment...
- What? - Little Soul couldn’t stand it. - What?
The Friendly Soul became even quieter and calmer:
- Remember Who I Really Am.
- Oh, I will remember! I promise! - exclaimed the Little Soul. - I will always remember how I saw you here, right now!
“Okay,” said the Friendly Soul, “because, you see, I’ll pretend so hard that I’ll forget myself.” And if you don't remember who I really am, I won't be able to remember it for a long, long time. And if I forget Who I Am, you might forget Who You Are, and we'll both be lost. Then we will need another soul to come to remind us both of Who We Are.
“No, no, we won’t forget,” Little Soul promised again. - I will remember you! And I will be grateful to you for this gift - a chance to experience myself, Who I Am.
So, an agreement was reached. AND Little Soul went into a new incarnation to become part of something special, whose name is “Forgiveness.” And the Little Soul was excitedly awaiting the opportunity to test itself as a Forgiver, and to thank any other soul who made this possible. And at any moment in this new incarnation, whenever new soul appears on the scene, no matter what this new soul brings, joy or sadness, and especially if it brings sadness - the Little Soul thinks about what God said:
- Always remember, I am not sending you anyone but angels.

Neil Donald Walsh

Loved by a poor student rich girl. One day she invited him to her birthday.
For the anniversary of their only daughter, the parents invited many guests, worthy people, from famous families. They always come with expensive gifts and compete with each other: which of them will amaze the birthday girl the most. What can a poor student give other than his own? loving heart? And it’s not in price today. Nowadays, jewelry, luxurious outfits and envelopes with money are held in high esteem. But you can’t pack a heart in an envelope...
What to do? The student thought and thought and came up with an idea. He came to a rich store and asked:
- Don’t we have a road, but broken vase?

- How much does it cost?
It cost mere trifles. The delighted student asked to pack what was left of the vase into beautiful paper, and hurried to the cash register.
In the evening, when the guests began to present their gifts, the student approached the hero of the occasion and, with words of congratulations, handed her his purchase. Then, turning awkwardly, he seemingly accidentally dropped the package, which fell with a clang.
Those present gasped, and the upset birthday girl, picking up the gift, began to unwrap it.
And - oh, horror! The helpful sellers wrapped each piece of the broken vase separately! The guests were outraged by the deception, and the young man fled in disgrace.
And only pure soul The girls thought these pieces were more valuable than all the gifts. Behind them she saw a loving heart.

PARROT

Petya was wandering around the house. I'm tired of all the games. Then my mother gave instructions to go to the store and also suggested:
– Our neighbor, Maria Nikolaevna, broke her leg. There is no one to buy her bread. He can barely move around the room. Come on, I'll call and find out if she needs to buy anything.
Aunt Masha was happy about the call. And when the boy brought her a whole bag of groceries, she didn’t know how to thank him. For some reason, she showed Petya the empty cage in which the parrot had recently lived. It was her friend. Aunt Masha looked after him, shared her thoughts, and he took off and flew away. Now she has no one to say a word to, no one to care about. What kind of life is this if there is no one to take care of?
Petya looked at the empty cage, at the crutches, imagined Aunt Mania hobbling around the empty apartment, and an unexpected thought came to his mind. The fact is that he had long been saving the money that he was given for toys. I still couldn't find anything suitable. And now this strange thought is to buy a parrot for Aunt Masha.
Having said goodbye, Petya ran out into the street. He wanted to go to a pet store, where he had once seen various parrots. But now he looked at them through the eyes of Aunt Masha. Which one of them could she become friends with? Maybe this one will suit her, maybe this one?
Petya decided to ask his neighbor about the fugitive. The next day he told his mother:

– Call Aunt Masha... Maybe she needs something?
Mom even froze, then hugged her son to her and whispered:

- So you become a man... Petya was offended:

“Wasn’t I a human before?”

“It was, of course it was,” my mother smiled. - Only now your soul has also awakened... Thank God!

-What is the soul? - the boy became wary.

– This is the ability to love.

The mother looked searchingly at her son:

- Maybe you can call yourself?
Petya was embarrassed. Mom answered the phone: Maria Nikolaevna, excuse me, Petya has a question for you. I'll give him the phone now.

There was nowhere to go, and Petya muttered embarrassedly:

- Aunt Masha, maybe I should buy you something?
Petya didn’t understand what happened on the other end of the line, only the neighbor answered in some unusual voice. She thanked him and asked him to bring milk if he went to the store. She doesn't need anything else. She thanked me again.
When Petya called her apartment, he heard the hasty clatter of crutches. Aunt Masha didn’t want to make him wait extra seconds. While the neighbor was looking for money, the boy, as if by chance, began to ask her about the missing parrot. Aunt Masha willingly told us about the color and behavior...
There were several parrots of this color in the pet store. Petya took a long time to choose. When he brought his gift to Aunt Masha, then... I don’t undertake to describe what happened next.
Imagine it yourself...

MIRROR

Dot, dot, comma,

Minus, the face is crooked.

Stick, stick, cucumber -

So the little man came out.
With this poem Nadya finished the drawing. Then, fearing that she would not be understood, she signed under it: “It’s me.” She carefully examined her creation and decided that it was missing something.
The young artist went to the mirror and began to look at herself: what else needs to be completed so that anyone can understand who is depicted in the portrait?
Nadya loved to dress up and twirl in front of a large mirror, and tried different hairstyles. This time the girl tried on her mother’s hat with a veil.
She wanted to look mysterious and romantic, like the long-legged girls showing fashion on TV. Nadya imagined herself as an adult, cast a languid glance in the mirror and tried to walk with the gait of a fashion model. It didn't turn out very nicely, and when she stopped abruptly, the hat slid down onto her nose.
It’s good that no one saw her at that moment. If only we could laugh! In general, she didn’t like being a fashion model at all.
The girl took off her hat, and then her gaze fell on her grandmother’s hat. Unable to resist, she tried it on. And she froze, making an amazing discovery: she looked exactly like her grandmother. She just didn't have any wrinkles yet. Bye.
Now Nadya knew what she would become in many years. True, this future seemed very distant to her...
It became clear to Nadya why her grandmother loves her so much, why she watches her pranks with tender sadness and secretly sighs.
There were footsteps. Nadya hastily put her hat back in place and ran to the door. On the threshold she met... herself, only not so frisky. But the eyes were exactly the same: childishly surprised and joyful.
Nadya hugged her future self and quietly asked:

– Grandma, is it true that you were me as a child?

Grandma paused, then smiled mysteriously and took out an old album from the shelf. After flipping through a few pages, she showed a photograph of a little girl who looked very much like Nadya.

- That's what I was like.

- Oh, really, you look like me! – the granddaughter exclaimed in delight.

- Or maybe you look like me? – Grandmother asked, slyly squinting her eyes.

– It doesn’t matter who looks like whom. The main thing is that they are similar,” the little girl insisted.

- Isn't it important? And look who I looked like...
And the grandmother began to leaf through the album. There were all sorts of faces there. And what faces! And each was beautiful in its own way. The peace, dignity and warmth that radiated from them attracted the eye. Nadya noticed that all of them - small children and gray-haired old men, young ladies and fit military men - were somehow similar to each other... And to her.

“Tell me about them,” the girl asked.

The grandmother hugged her blood to herself, and a story flowed about their family, going back from ancient centuries.
The time for cartoons had already come, but the girl didn’t want to watch them. She was discovering something amazing that had been there for a long time, but lived inside her.
Do you know the history of your grandfathers, great-grandfathers, the history of your family? Maybe this story is your mirror?

Legend of the Caliph

The caliph was rich, but neither countless treasures nor power pleased him. The monotonous, aimless days dragged on languidly. The advisers tried to entertain him with stories of miracles, mysterious events and incredible adventures, but the caliph’s gaze remained absent-minded and cold. It seemed that life itself was boring to him, and he did not see any meaning in it.
One day, from the story of a visiting traveler, the Caliph learned about a hermit to whom the secret was revealed. And the ruler’s heart burned with a desire: to see the wisest of the wise and to finally find out why man was given life.
Having warned those close to him that he needed to leave the country for a while, the caliph set off on his journey. He took with him only an old servant, who raised and raised him. At night the caravan secretly left Baghdad.

But the Arabian Desert doesn't like to joke. Without a guide, the travelers got lost, and during a sandstorm they lost both the caravan and their luggage. When they found the road, they had only one camel and some water in a leather bag.

The unbearable heat and thirst overwhelmed the old servant and he lost consciousness. The caliph also suffered from the heat. A drop of water seemed more valuable to him than all treasures! The Caliph looked at the bag. There are still a few sips of precious moisture there. Now he will refresh his parched lips, moisten his larynx, and then fall unconscious, like this old man who is about to stop breathing. But a sudden thought stopped him.

The caliph thought about the servant, about the life that he had completely given to him. This unfortunate man, exhausted from thirst, dies in the desert, fulfilling the will of his master. The caliph felt sorry for the poor fellow and ashamed that during many years he didn't find anything for the old man kind words, not a smile. Now they both die, and it equalizes them. So, really, for all his many years of service, the old man did not deserve any gratitude?
And how can you thank someone who is no longer aware of anything?
The caliph took the bag and poured the remaining healing moisture into the open lips of the dying man. Soon the servant stopped rushing about and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Looking at the peaceful face of the old man, the caliph experienced unspeakable joy. These were moments of happiness, a gift from heaven, for which life was worth living.
And then - oh the infinite mercy of Providence - streams of rain poured down. The servant woke up, and the travelers filled their vessels.
Having come to his senses, the old man said:

- Sir, we can continue our journey. But the Caliph shook his head:

- No. I no longer need a meeting with the sage. The Almighty revealed to me the meaning of existence.

MAGIC GLASSES

Pavlik found unusual glasses on the road. One piece of glass seemed light to him, and the other dark.
Without thinking twice, he put them on, closed one eye and looked at the world through the dark glass. Around him, gloomy and dissatisfied passers-by were hurrying somewhere along the gray streets. The boy closed his other eye - and it was as if the sun had come out: people’s faces became joyful, and their glances were friendly. He tried again - the result was the same.
Pavlik brought home his find, told his mother about the miracle of transformation and showed her the magic glasses. Mom didn’t find anything strange in them and said:
- These are ordinary glasses. You're always coming up with something.

Pavlik checked again: indeed, the glasses are just like glasses, without any miraculous transformations.

“But I definitely saw how people changed. What happened to them?

“It didn’t happen to them, but to you.” If your soul is good, you will see others as good.
The next day Pavlik came to school and remembered with horror that because of these glasses he had forgotten to do math. He rushed to his neighbor at his desk:
- Olya, let me write it off!

- I won’t give it!

- It's a pity, isn't it?

- I feel sorry for you.

- How do you mean me?

– How many times are you asking me to write it off? If you don't understand something, ask. I'll explain everything to you.
“What a mischief,” thought Pavlik and rushed to Igor, with whom he was in sports section walked. He also said:

- Stop copying! Learn to decide for yourself. How many times have I told you: “Come and I’ll help you”?

- What is there - “come”! I need it now.
“Here are your friends, they won’t shake hands in trouble. They only think about themselves. “Okay, I’ll remind you,” Pavlik decided.
Then the bell rang and the teacher entered. Pavlik sits, shaking: “Oh, he’ll call me, sure as hell he’ll call me.” I know him. He will not regret his own son. He has no heart - so he’s looking for someone to take it out on.”
But the teacher unexpectedly suggested to those who could not solve homework, stay after school and take it apart. And now - a repetition of what has been covered.
“It's gone! – Pavlik rejoiced. - No, the mathematician is still a good guy, he senses when people are having a hard time. And Olya and Igor also wish me well. It’s in vain that I’m so angry with them...”
And Pavlik again looked at the world through the eyes of love.

BIKE

At Slavik's kind soul: He spares nothing for his friends. And when his parents bought him a bicycle, he let everyone ride. He even suggested it himself. When Slava went out into the yard, the children shouted: “Hurray!”
He actually was amazing child. During lessons I sat motionless, so as not to miss a single word. Everything was interesting to him: and distant countries, And ancient history, And chemical experiments, And English language. Yes and mathematics interesting science, if you approach it correctly. But there is also chess, and photography, and much, much more. But how can you get everything done? There are so many interesting things in the world, and the day is so short...
So Slava came up with the idea of ​​studying on an alarm clock: half an hour on one subject, an hour on another. You can get a lot more done.
One day his neighbor Andrei came to him and called him outside. And Slavik’s scheduled walk is in another hour. He refused. But seeing how upset Andryusha was, he suggested:
- Take a bike and go for a ride. And I'll be out soon.
The neighbor's eyes sparkled with joy. He thanked his friend, grabbed the bike and was off. And Slava’s soul warmed. This always happens when you do good.
Then the alarm clock rang. The boy looked at his schedule and went back to his books. An hour has passed.
The doorbell suddenly rang. A tearful Andrei stands on the threshold and mutters something.
-Tell me clearly, what happened?
– In the neighboring yard, the big boys wanted to ride your bike. I didn't give it to them. Then they took him away and began to trample him underfoot. Everything they could did was broken or bent. Here, look,” and Andrey showed what had recently been a bicycle.

- They didn’t touch you?

- Well, thank God.
The neighbor looked at his friend in bewilderment:

- How do you mean “thank God”?

However, Slava did not explain anything to him, he only added

- Nothing. The Lord will control!

Andrey didn’t understand anything: an expensive bicycle was broken, Slava’s parents would definitely make a fuss, and both of them would get hit hard. What to do? And Slava didn’t seem to be very upset, he kept repeating:

- OK. Keep your nose up. The Lord will help.

In the evening, Slava’s parents returned from work. Upon learning of what had happened, the pope pronounced the following sentence:

- Now you will be without a bicycle. It's my own fault. There was no point in letting him ride.

But the mother stood up for her son:

- I gave him permission. You cannot deprive your child of the joy of sharing with friends.
Dad couldn’t find anything to object to this and silently went into another room. Coming closer to her son, the mother asked:

- Well, what did you say to Andryusha?

– What did you thank God for?

- Because the boys didn’t touch Andrei... But the Lord sent me a test. You yourself taught me to always say that.
Mom sighed, was silent, then went up to the icon of the Savior and, crossing herself, said:

– Glory to You, God! Glory to You!
Soon it started to rain, and no one needed the bike anymore. And for Easter, dad gave Slava a new folding bicycle, much better than the previous one. As soon as the roads dried out, the boy began driving it around the area. And he let Andrey ride as if it never happened autumn story. And he, while riding, dreamed of growing up quickly and buying all the kids in the yard a bicycle.

VOVA AND THE SERPENT

Grandmother often read to Volodya about Adam and Eve, about how amazing life was in paradise, how God created the world and how he made the first man from the earth.
Volodya then tried to make a little man himself in the sandbox, but somehow it didn’t work out. And grandma’s stories were so interesting. Can you compare them to cartoons?
The boy also loved to hear about animals: how in paradise a wolf and a lamb were friends, how animals understood people and obeyed them. He also tried to command the cat, but for some reason it ran away.
But most of all Volodya liked the story of how the serpent persuaded Eve to taste the forbidden fruit. Grandmother said:
- This is written about you.
Well, the boy just couldn’t understand why this story was about him. Grandma compared the forbidden fruit to a traffic light. Everywhere in heaven green burns, and the forbidden fruit is red. But what does he have to do with it? He doesn't cross the road at a red light.
One day he and his grandmother went to the store. Vova saw one old woman drop some money. He quietly picked it up, thought for a second, and then returned the find to the old woman. She groaned, thanked and even bowed to the boy. Apparently she really needed the money.
When they left the store, Vova confessed to his grandmother:
“I really wanted to take this money for myself.” I have long dreamed of buying soldiers. And then I remembered the commandment “thou shalt not steal.” So I decided to give it away.
Grandmother stroked his head and said:
“It was the snake that tempted you, whispered to you so that you could take the money you found for yourself.” And you defeated him!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Based on the story by N. Karazin “Fomka Kisten”
An escaped convict, Fomka Kisten, appeared in one district. He was fierce and merciless. He didn’t feel sorry for anyone, neither old nor young. They say they were cruel to him, so he revolted, as if he was taking revenge on everyone.
As soon as he was caught, they even allowed him to be killed, like a mad dog. But nothing worked - Fomka, like a wolf, sensed an ambush and always escaped unharmed.
On the night of Christ's Sunday everyone went to church for service. Only in one rich house there remained a sick boy and a watchman. When the parents returned, they saw that the doors were open and the guards were fast asleep.
- Who came? - they asked their son.
- Uncle came. Big, big, with a black beard. I handed him an egg that I had painted myself and said: “Christ is risen!”
He looked at me and answered: “Truly he is risen!” Then he put something on my bed and ran away.
The parents looked, and there was a flail in the crib. This was such a weapon in the old days. Everything became clear - Fomka the convict was visiting them. They quickly raised the alarm, gathered people and began a raid. And when they went out to the square to the church, they saw Fomka on his knees and, without looking up, looking at the cross. They rushed to grab him, and when he saw the people, he said loudly:

- Christ is risen! And the people to him:

- He is truly risen!

A priest approached with a cross, looked searchingly at the robber and said:

- Christ is risen! And he joyfully:

- Truly, truly risen!

-Will you accept the holy kiss of the cross? - asked the priest.

“Unworthy,” Fomka bowed his head sadly.
But the priest blessed him and put the cross to his lips. What happened in the soul of the robber, who can say? Just from touching the shrine, he shuddered and fell.
He was tied up and taken to the police. He did not resist, but answered all questions with the words of the boy: “Christ is risen!” and at the same time it was as if he was holding out something to people.
The doctors decided that Fomka had lost his mind, but the Eminence said sternly:

“It was before that he was mad and was captured by the spirits of evil.” Now his soul is enlightened.
And he took him on bail. Soon an epidemic broke out in the area, and people began to die in the hundreds. It was here that Fomka showed himself to be a man of God: without fear of any infection, he cared for the sick. Comforting the unfortunate, he told them one thing: “Christ is risen!”
Frosts began and the disease subsided. The doctor remembered about his blessed assistant, but was not found - he disappeared somewhere. And a few years later, people came across a cave in the taiga. A hermit came out of it and told them the main thing that happened in his soul:
- Christ is risen!

In the very title of Nikolai Gogol’s famous poem “ Dead Souls“The main plan and idea of ​​this work has already been concluded. Judging superficially, the title reveals the content of the scam and Chichikov’s very personality - he bought the souls of already dead peasants. But in order to embrace everything philosophical meaning Gogol's ideas, you need to look deeper than the literal interpretation of the title and even what is happening in the poem.

The meaning of the name "Dead Souls"

The title “Dead Souls” contains a much more important and deep meaning, than it is displayed by the author in the first volume of the work. It has been said for a long time that Gogol originally planned to write this poem by analogy with Dante’s famous and immortal “Divine Comedy”, and as you know, it consisted of three parts - “Hell”, “Purgatory” and “Paradise”. It was to them that the three volumes of Gogol’s poem should have corresponded.

In the first volume of his most famous poem, the author intended to show the hell of Russian reality, the terrifying and truly terrifying truth about life of that time, and in the second and third volumes - the rise of spiritual culture and life in Russia. To some extent, the title of the work is a symbol of the life of the district town of N., and the city itself is a symbol of the whole of Russia, and thus the author indicates that his home country is in a terrible state, and the saddest and most terrible thing is that this is due to the fact that the souls of people are gradually growing cold, hardening and dying.

The history of the creation of Dead Souls

Nikolai Gogol began writing the poem “Dead Souls” in 1835 and continued to work on it until the end of his life. At the very beginning, the writer most likely singled out for himself the funny side of the novel and created the plot of Dead Souls, as for a long work. There is an opinion that Gogol borrowed the main idea of ​​the poem from A.S. Pushkin, since it was this poet who was first heard true story about “dead souls” in the city of Bendery. Gogol worked on the novel not only in his homeland, but also in Switzerland, Italy and France. First volume " Dead souls"was completed in 1842, and in May was already published under the title "The Adventures of Chichikov or Dead Souls."

Subsequently, while working on the novel, Gogol’s original plan expanded significantly, and it was then that the analogy with three parts appeared “ Divine Comedy" Gogol intended that his heroes go through a kind of circles of hell and purgatory, so that at the end of the poem they would be spiritually exalted and reborn. The author never managed to realize his idea; only the first part of the poem was written in full. It is known that Gogol began work on the second volume of the poem in 1840, and by 1845 he already had several options for continuing the poem ready. Unfortunately, it was this year that the author independently destroyed the second volume of the work; he irrevocably burned the second part of “Dead Souls”, being dissatisfied with what he had written. The exact reason for this act of the writer is still unknown. There are draft manuscripts of four chapters of the second volume, which were discovered after Gogol's papers were opened.

Thus, it becomes clear that the central category and at the same time the main idea of ​​Gogol’s poem is the soul, the presence of which makes a person complete and real. This is precisely the main theme of the work, and Gogol tries to point out the value of the soul through the example of soulless and callous heroes who represent a special social stratum of Russia. In his immortal and brilliant work, Gogol simultaneously raises the topic of the crisis in Russia and shows what this is directly related to. The author talks about the fact that the soul is the nature of man, without which there is no meaning in life, without which life becomes dead, and that it is thanks to it that salvation can be found.