Having decided that the object is to preserve external chastity, people either leave the world, fly from women, like the monks of Afon, or else mutilate themselves and overlook the most important point of it all, -the inner struggle with one's thoughts, in the world, amidst temptation. This is just the same as if a soldier were to say to himself that he will go to war, but only on the condition of being certain of victory. Such a soldier would have to avoid real enemies, and to fight with imaginary ones only. He would not learn to fight, but would always be a failure. Besides this, it is disadvantageous to thus place external chastity before oneself as one's object, with the hope, sometimes certainly, of realizing it; because while striving towards it every temptation to which man is subject, and especially every fall, immediately destroys his hopes, forcing him to doubt the possibility and even the lawfulness of the struggle. "It is impossible to be chaste, and I have placed before myself a false aim." And naturally the man gives way altogether and sinks into lust. This is like a warrior who carries a charm which in his imagination insures him against death or injury. At the slightest wound or scratch he loses his last shred of manliness and flies. One's aim can only be the attainment of the greatest degree of chastity corresponding to one's character, temperament, and past and present conditions; and that, not before men who do not know with what we have to struggle, but before ourselves and God. Then nothing interferes with nor arrests advance; then temptation fails even, and everything leads to one eternal aim leaving the animal and approaching God. *****
The Christian teaching does not define the forms of life, but only, in all the relations of men, indicates the ideal, the direction; so
