Theophan the Recluse likens man to a king (the soul) who lives in a castle (the body) The castle has 5 windows and a door. The 5 windows are the 5 senses. The door is the mind. The enemy, can not enter into the castle except through the windows or the door. If these are closed shut, the enemy can not enter into the castle.

Through these windows, the salesman of sin can bring in samples of different experiences or sensations that bring delights to the soul. Out of these, the soul bundles together a circle of comfort and pleasure (fun). The soul comes to consider this circle of pleasure as its primary good and goal. In this way, the order of things becomes inverted, and instead of seeking God and His Kingdom, the soul seeks comforts and pleasures (fun).

A person who seeks to start on the road of spiritual perfection, has to re-establish the original order of life; to find comfort in God and not in fun. Sometimes we take this decision, yet the struggle is long and difficult. After years of pleasing and pandering to one’s self, it is very difficult to wean the soul from the bad habits it had acquired over the years. Disciplining the senses is crucial for success in this struggle to re-establish the normal order of things within oneself.

Each sense has its pleasant and unpleasant subjects. The soul delights in pleasurable things, and becoming addicted to them always lusts after them. In this way, each sense introduces into the soul several lusts or passionate attachments. These lusts lie dormant in the soul until the object of lust is once again experienced by the sense. Once the lust is re-ignited within the soul, a chain reaction begins as St. James tells us in James1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Now the saying of Jeremiah becomes fulfilled, “death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces” (Jer 9:21) That is death has entered through the senses into the soul.

The discipline of the senses is twofold, not only should we prevent our senses from wandering about and getting harmful impressions, but we should also train them to receive profitable impressions from every creature and every thing.

DISCIPLINE OF THE EYES :

There are many verses in the Bible that exhort us to discipline our eyes: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” (Matt 6:22-23) “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” (Matt 5:29) “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt 5:28)

In the old times keeping the eye pure was not very difficult. The commandment “Do not look upon a woman in lust” was not difficult to follow, for women in those days were properly dressed and mostly covered up. Today however it is very difficult to keep the eye from encountering offenses. Not only has the dress code become so offensive, but there are so many ways that the Devil, the salesman of sin, can introduce impurity into the eyes.

Magazines and books are now filled with pornography, and it seems that society is gradually increasing its tolerance and indeed its desire for more and more explicit porn.

You go shopping and while standing in line at the cashier, your eyes are bombarded with offensive pictures from every direction. Grocery stores now have candy free lanes, I wish they would introduce porn free lanes.

Department stores are not any better. The varieties of intimate apparel that is on display and the way it is displayed makes it very difficult for the eyes to remain in their sockets. Even if you are just walking in a mall, the windows of many shops are filled with displays of intimate ware. As if this is not enough, some stores would exhibit those items worn by manikins. Billboards on public roads and public transportation are now showing a lot of material that offends the eye (or delights it, depending on weather your eye is single or evil.)

TV offers us a more animated version of the same. There is hardly a movie without some kind of porn in it, even cartoons.

The Internet has now equalled or even surpassed TV in the amount and variety of sinful sights it offers, and they are only a mouse click away.

In trying to wean the eyes from the depraved scenes it became accustomed to, it is good to reflect on what the Bible tells us. The Book of Genesis tells us that when “ the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” Gen 6:2 The results were disastrous, for we are then told, in Gen 6: 7, “And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth.” Looking and lusting after women led to the destruction of mankind.

The story of David should be a reminder to us of how dangerous it is for the eye to wander about without control. How carelessness about controlling the eyes has turned the author of the Psalms into an adulterer and a murderer.

One should struggle unto the blood against all of the above. It is very difficult, but absolutely necessary for our salvation. It is one thing to encounter these things while walking or shopping and another thing to seek them, by looking for them on TV or the internet, or even worse by renting pornographic videos or buying pornographic magazines. The punishment is much more for the latter than the former.

Watching violence is also another sin. There is hardly any movie now without violence. Even cartoons are filled with very violent scenes. Many sports are violent. There is hardly a Hockey game without a delicious bit of banging and stumping. An even more dangerous is the - so called- “sport” wrestling. I know a few kids who are addicted to watching wrestling.

Parents should watch over their children and make sure that they are seeing only appropriate things for their ages. There are ways and means for preventing your children from watching porn on TV and the internet. You should investigate and install these things before getting the internet or cable into your house.

Looking with lust at foods and pictures of food is also to be avoided especially during fasting. Remember that this is what Eve did, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, ... she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.” (Gen 3:6) The rest is history. Today we are bombarded by so many bigger than life pictures of hamburgers, Ice cream, and even Kit Kats that make any mouth water.

Looking with lust at other worldly things, cars, houses, furniture, clothes, computers, toys, etc.. , is another sin that we commit with the eyes. The Lord Jesus was tempted in this way when the salesman of sin showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” (Mat 4:8-9) The devil is still using the same trick trying to tempt us to covet earthly things. Jesus resisted the temptation by using verses of the Bible to answer Satan, we can do the same when he tries to tempt us, by remembering that “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (I Jn 2:15) And that “friendship of the world is enmity with God, whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

The evil eye or the envious eye is another way the eye can offend us. To look with envy at what others have is a sin that we are warned against both in the Old and the New Testaments. The Book of Job tells us that “Envy slayeth the silly one.” Job 5:2

The Parable of the householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard is an example of how envy is hated by God. Matthew 20:1-15, tells us that the man hired labourers and agreed on their wages. Then he went out and hired others who worked less but he gave them the same wages. Now those who worked for a full day complained that the householder gave those who worked less the same wages. It’s not fair! But the householder told them, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

A question that is often put forward to me by many is, “How come those who are far away from God always get good things in their life?” The same thought came into the mind of the writer of Psalm 73, “I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ... They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. ... Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than the heart could wish. ... Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” God, responding to these nagging questions showed the Psalmist the end of the wicked, as we are told later in the Psalm, “I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.”

There is no unfairness with God. Those who choose not to work for eternal life get their portion in this life. We are told in Psalm 17:14_15, “Men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is another example of this, when the rich man asked Abraham to “send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Abraham answered him, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Luke 16:24_25

THE PROPER USE OF THE EYES:

One should not only train his eyes not to look with lust at anyone or anything but also should train the eyes to see God in everyone and in everything. We have many examples from the Fathers of the desert that show us how to do that. A monk was sent by his superior to Alexandria on an errand and when he came back the other monks asked him, “what is Alexandria like?” He simply answered them, “I did not purpose to look at anything in Alexandria.” He went there to do some business and he had no wish to do any sight seeing! In another incident, some monks went into the town to purchase things they needed, and a woman of ill repute started to walk naked in the square, they all turned their eyes away except for an old monk. When the others asked him what was his feeling when he saw the naked woman, he told them “I praised God Who created such beauty.”

We can train ourselves in the same manner, to look at things in simplicity. To see God in all creatures animate and inanimate. If I see a beautiful person of the other sex, instead of making him or her an object of lust, I should think of God the Creator Who made such a beautiful person. This is what Christ meant when He told us if Thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Similarly, if you see a beautiful home, remember your real home in the Heavenly Jerusalem. Tell yourself, if this house is so beautiful, how much more beautiful is the house “not built with hands” that the Lord is preparing for me? Repeat in your mind the word of the beautiful hymn, “Jerusalem my happy home, when shall I come to thee, When shall my woes come to an end, thy joys that I may see!”

In a similar way, when you look at a car and say Wow! Meditate on how much more beautiful was the fiery chariot that took Elijah to heaven.

Another exercise the Fathers use, is using seen objects to meditate on the passion of our Lord. For example, if you see a rope, meditate on how the Lord was bound for your sake. If you see a nail think of the nails that were put in his hands because of your sins.

Finally, what should I do if I inadvertently see something offensive, delete it from your mind in the same way you delete objects from your computer! With an intense act of the will blank the picture and delete it! This is perhaps what the Lord means by saying if your eye offends you pluck it out and throw it out. Take the offence out of your mind and dash it against the rock.

DISCIPLINE OF THE EARS:

Perhaps the most common offense to the ear is bad music. Bad lyrics even blasphemous lyrics. Very loud and violent music is also to be avoided. I sometimes walk into a store to buy something, and I hate the music they are pumping into my ear. Some music gives me the feeling that the devil is beating the drums!

One of the most offensive media now is music videos. Not only are you bombarded by very lustful lyrics sung in a very lustful way, but your eyes are also bombarded with very lustful scenes. The results are devastating and they are all over the TV.

Bad music often sticks to your mind and the words keep repeating themselves in your mind while you are working or walking or even while you are praying.

Another offense is hearing heretic talk or watching heretic programs on TV. I often look at and listen to “so-called” TV evangelists, and not one of them passes my stringent test of Orthodoxy. There is often nice words from the Bible that entice the simple and the uncritical, but there is always the poison hidden in the honey.

“Preachers” who think that they can explain the prophesies of the Bible are all over the waves. There are those who speak of the “Left behind” phantasy also known as the “Rapture heresy”. This heresy is less than 150 years old, and it teaches that Christ will come to take the Church out of the world before the “Great Tribulation”. Let me quote you from an e-mail I received from a Protestant who wants to join our church,

“I am sincere in my search for Christianity, as it has always been. I would love to learn more about the Orthodox faith but I really don’t know where to start. Any suggestions would be great! Here's a little background about me that might help explain how I came to believe Orthodoxy to be the true Church. I have been studying the Bible for 6 years now, first within the Pentecostal tradition and more recently in the Anglican tradition. I was “hood winked” by the Left behind (fiction based end times) and fell in with strict Protestants, disregarding Holy tradition of the Church. With serious study I feel the Bible can only be understood from an Orthodox perceptive.”

Listening to un-orthodox teaching can be the down fall of many in the time of Antichrist. For the deceiver will preach the Bible in order to deceive people, and put the poison of his teachings in a Bible covered pill.

Hearing gossip is another offense. Maybe you say I do not take part in gossip but even hearing gossip is a sin. The desire to know the affairs of others is equated by St. James with murder and stealing, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.” (1 Pet 4:15)

Listening to gossip leads us eventually to judging other people, forming wrong impressions about them and ultimately to spreading rumours about them.

Listening to other people telling me what a certain person is saying behind my back is a very serious problem, especially with our young people. Someone comes to you and says this person is saying bad things about you behind your back, and you no more want to talk to this person. What you don’t realize is that the person who is reporting to you is himself or herself talking about someone else behind their back! The solution for this? Tell the person who is reporting to you, “come and tell me this in front of that person.” Remember that a person is innocent until proven otherwise.

Listening to vain and empty talk is another sin! Remember what the Lord said, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matt 12:36) Remember the story of the Monk that was sitting chatting with the other monks, then, going to his cell, another monk saw him circling his cell several times. So, he asked him what he is doing. He answered, “I am getting rid of all the worldly talk we were talking about, because I don’t want to bring it in with me into my cell!”

Finally, one very difficult offense to get rid of is listening to flattery! We all like it when people say good things about us but we forget what the Lord told us, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!” (Luke 6:26) Flattery will be one of the most potent weapons that Antichrist will use to deceive people. The Book of Daniel tells us that. In Daniel 11:21 we are told, “he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” Also in Daniel 11:32, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries” And again in Daniel 11:33_34, “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.”

PROPER USE OF THE EARS:

Again here we should wean our ears from the bad things they have become accustomed to. Exercise yourself. Lent is a good time to teach your ears to fast from bad music, from gossip and all other un necessary things like spending long time on the phone in idle talk.

Another thing we can do is to train our ears to perceive God in everything we hear. As an example, if you hear a beautiful tune, think of how much beautiful will be the music we will hear in heaven. Repeat in your mind the words of the beautiful hymn, “There David stands with harp in hand As master of the choir. Ten thousand times that man were blest That might this music hear. Our Lady sings Magnificat With tune harmonious and sweet And all the virgins sing their part Sitting about her feet.”

Another exercise is meditating on the passion of our Lord when we hear things. For example, if you hear the clock going ding dong, meditate on the sound of the nails being hammered into the hands of our Saviour.

DISCIPLINE OF THE TONGUE:

The sense of taste has to be trained so that it does not dictate what one eats at all times. To have a liking for gourmet food all the time, and conversely, to have a disliking for humble foods is not the way of spiritual perfection. Remember our Mother Eve, one bite into the forbidden food had such a disastrous outcome. Amos 6:4 tells us, “Woe unto them who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall.” Here it is not the food that is to blame but the life style.

Remember also the rich man, who “fared sumptuously every day.” (Luke 16:19) Emphasize the word everyday, for it is not a sin to eat delicious food once in a while, for example on feasts and when we have guests. For even the Father of the Prodigal sun ordered them to “bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.” (Luke 15:23) Even the Fathers of the desert broke their austere diet of dry bread, salt and water whenever they had a guest. They really splurged then; the master would tell his disciple, boil us a few lentils for the sake of the guest!

St. Paul tells us, “every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil 4:12) That means that I can enjoy a good meal but I can also endure hunger. I eat delicious food sometimes but I also eat humble food when I have to, for example during fasting. Train your taste buds to be content with whatever food there is.

OTHER SINS OF THE TONGUE:

The tongue is not only the organ of taste, it is also the organ of speech. We are all familiar with the sins of speech, like swearing, lying, gossiping and taking the name of the Lord in vain, and I am sure that we all confess about these sins and get the proper advise from our Father in confession concerning them. What I would like to talk to you about are sins we do not confess about because most of us do not know that they are sins.

TALKATIVENESS:

That talkativeness is a sin is obvious from what the Bible tells us. Here are some verses from the Old Testament about talkativeness: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” (Prov 10:19) “He that hath knowledge spareth his words.” (Prov 17:27) “A fool's voice is known by multitude of words.” (Eccl 5:3)

But the most stern warning about talkativeness comes from the Lord of Glory Himself, in Matthew 12:36_37, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

That means that every word said unnecessarily, we will have to account for on the day of judgment. That is scary!

The Fathers tell us that talkativeness is a sign of pride. A talkative person feels that he has lots of wisdom that he feels obliged to share with the world!

Talkativeness is the mother of gossip and backbiting and ruining of people’s reputation. It is the root of arguments and boasting. A talkative person usually embellishes his stories with exaggerations and half truths to attract the admiration of the hearers.

Young people spend hours talking on the phone, without feeling that they are doing anything wrong. But this is exactly what is meant by “idle words” of which we have to give an account.

A new twist to the long phone conversations is the infamous MSN conversations. Chatting on the internet is now the in thing. You don’t even need a computer anymore thanks to text messaging which is available on your cellular.

The amazing thing is that some young people spend hours on MSN then pick up the phone to talk to the person with whom they were chatting.

The Fathers took this sin seriously, they cultivated the virtue of silence by various ways. Saint Arsenius once said, “Many times have I spoken and regretted it, but silence I never regretted.”

The first step in combatting this sin is to realize that it is a sin. To ground in your mind the verse from Matthew 12 about “Idle words.” Next, you have to exercise yourself in silence. One of the Fathers used to put a pebble under his tongue to remind him to keep silent when he is attacked by the urge to talk. Well, perhaps you can find a more hygienic way of doing this by using a button from an old shirt!

GIVING ADVICE:

Is giving advice a sin? Yes, in certain circumstances. First, if the advice is given without being asked for advice. And second, when you are not qualified to give advice. The problem is that when we are asked for advice, we instantly become experts on the subject even if we didn’t know anything about it! Few are those who have the wisdom and the courage to say “I don’t know.”

It is unfortunate that many young people ask each other advice about important things like spiritual matters and “relationships.” Instead of asking someone with knowledge, they seek advice from someone who does not have enough experience to be of any benefit to them.

The Bible has something to say about this, “Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39)

Offering advice about serious matters is a grave sin, because you become responsible for the behaviour of the person to whom you are giving the advice. Of course if someone is asking you about homework or something like that, you have to give advice. But if your best friend tells you, about a person who is interested in him/her and what to do about it, don’t start coaching your friend in something serious like this, because if this leads to sin, you will be held responsible.

Again if someone tells you he/she is using drugs, or smoking or masturbating, urge him/her to seek advice of his/her priest, rather than trying to help him/her, since you, yourself are in need for someone to help you with your own problems. You can encourage that person, by saying, “You know, I had a similar problem, and I went to Abouna, and he guided me out of this problem.”

One thing you can do to help your friend, is to pray for him/her a lot. Write his/her name on a piece of paper and give it to Abouna to put it on the altar and ask him to pray for this person.

Sometimes the problem is so serious that I feel Abouna should know about it. But, what about the solemn promise I gave to my friend to keep the secret? One thing you can do is to tell Abouna that this is a confession you are making to him. This way he cannot mention that information to anyone, including the person who asked you. Abouna will pray for this person and ask God to guide him in how to approach this problem without divulging the information you gave him. Sometimes, if Abouna prays and you pray, the person with the problem may decide to listen to your advice and seek help from Abouna.

THE SENSE OF SMELL:

The sense of smell can provoke lustful thoughts and feelings. Strong smelling perfumes can produce lustful movements in the flesh. Ladies should not use very strong smelling perfumes so that they do not offend others. The Bible has something to say against wearing expensive and exotic perfumes. Amos 6:6 warns us by saying, “woe unto them ... that anoint themselves with the chief ointments.” and in Isaiah 3:24 we are told, “And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink.”

If I encounter a situation when a strong odour brings in thoughts of fornication remember Isaiah’s saying that the flesh that you are lusting after will rot and stink.

The smell of food can also offend especially if you are fasting. If you pass by a hamburger or Pizza place the smell can be very disturbing Well, to quote ex president Clinton, .. Don’t inhale!

Anba Abraam the sainted bishop of Fayum, once had a compelling desire to eat stuffed pigeon (a delicacy in Egypt), so he told his servant to prepare it. When it was cooked, he told the servant to leave it. Whenever the servant asked him if he wanted it, he told him, “Leave it” After a few days it became rotten (there were no fridges in those days) then he told the servant to bring it to him. It smelled awful. The saint then told himself, “This is what your heart desires Abraam, go ahead and eat it!”

THE PROPER USE OF THE SENSE OF SMELL:

If you smell a nice smell, always bring your thought to Mary who anointed the Lord with the sweet smelling ointment and how the “house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”John 12:3

THE SENSE OF TOUCH:

The sense of touch played an important role in the original sin. When Satan disguised as a serpent came to Eve to tempt her, he asked her about God’s commandment regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She answered the serpent, God told us, “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” (Gen 3:3)

Eve must have touched the forbidden fruit out of curiosity and it must have felt so good and irresistible, so she plucked it.

We are all painfully aware that the sense of touch can lead to pleasant but unholy motions in both body and mind. For example, If, while sitting in a bus, my body comes close to the body of someone from the other sex, even though the bodies are separated by layers of clothing, yet, somehow, unholy feelings start disturbing my body and my mind. Sometimes we fight, but other times we surrender and even seek such situations. Someone with trained senses would avoid at all costs such situations.

I remember a story in the Paradise of the Fathers about a young monk who was visited by his mother. He wanted to take her back to the edge of the village, and while going there, he had to cross a shallow river, and, out of courtesy, he carried his mother across. But, before doing so, he wrapped her in a blanket he was carrying. His mother was surprised and told him, “I’m you mother!” and the monk replied, “I am not afraid to touch your flesh mother, but touching you will bring to my memory other flesh that I touched in my foolish days.”

St Jude exhorts us to hate even the garment that has been defiled by the flesh. (Jude 1:23) We are all aware that the site of some garments on display windows or even catalogues can stir up unclean sensations in our bodies. Touching such garments can also stir up the same unholy sensations.

Touching certain parts of our bodies can produce intense sensual stimulation that is unchaste and unholy, and I know that a lot of young people from both sexes struggle very hard with these sensations.

In our social interactions we should be very careful with the use of the sense of touch, never using it indiscriminately especially with members of the other sex. Young people often hug and put their arms around people from the other sex in the name of friendship. Some may say, “I don’t mean anything wrong.” Others may say “I don’t feel anything improper.” But, what about the other person? If I stir in him or her improper senses, then I will have to answer for these.

I can carry these exercises a step further by avoiding pampering my sense of touch with expensive clothes, using expensive lotions and cremes that make the skin softer. Moderation is the word.

The sense of touch is the vehicle through which we feel unpleasant sensations or pain. A person with a well trained sense of touch will learn how to accept pain, even benefit from pain by remembering that the Lord endured pain for my sake. Theophan the recluse gives some exercises in this regard. If I feel pain in my hand, I should think of the nails that went into the Lord’s hands. If my back hurts, I should meditate on the 39 lashes the Lord endured on my behalf. If the pain is in my side, I should remember the spear, and if my head hurts, the crown of thorns should come to my mind.