Writings of Porphyry Ivanov. Articles and Letters.
The Five Rules.
The first initial thing — it will be necessary to do foot washing with cold water in the morning and evening: when thou hast gotten up — wash thy feet, [when] it is time to sleep — also wash them. Do it with heart and soul.
The second: a man walkes on the road, and meets other people — it is not unimportant. Man is a friend, a comrade to man in life. A living man has to learn, in his life among people, to do so that Nature turned to him and taught him in this sense. When thou meetest a man — it does not matter who he is in his life: an old man, an old woman, a man, a woman, a person of the same age with thee, or a young man — do not expect from him his alms, but hurry to awake him thyself, tell him thy personal words, “Health to thee.” ¹) Whether he will answer or not, it is not important for thee, thou oughtest to say thy words.
The third, it will be thy business: to look in Nature for a poor man. And they exist, those who need help. Thou wilt have to learn how to find such a person, and thou wilt have to know what he needs. If thou hast something to help him, it will be necessary to do it skillfully, so that he was satisfied with thy help. Say to thyself about this help, “I help this man in order that I felt in this business good for this act,” and give him what thou hast to without any censure.
The fourth: when comes to thee time of Saturday, begin to work after supper on Friday evening: whether thou gettest into bed or not, do not forget about the fact that the passing time is thine, thou hast to necessarily endure this obligatory term — forty-two hours. And this time will be between thee and Nature, thou hast to take nothing — neither food nor water — all day Saturday until noon on Sunday. After that thou hast to go outdoors, raise thy head up the hill, and then inhale the air from the height. Ask of he who will teach thee, but will teach this, He is the Owner of Nature, the Keeper of Everything, “Teacher, give me my health.” ²) When thou hast done this — inhaled [the air] three times and said, then sit down and eat. This will be thy great holiday, do not thou ever forget about — it is thy personal health, one of them all. Thou wilt always do [this].
The fifth. And when thou wantest to enjoy a cigarette or wine, do not thou do it: do not drink, do not smoke, and do not spit onto the ground.
When the truth becomes firmly established in thy head and thou knowest well about this business — thy duties, then thou canst stand at the side of thy Teacher.
¹)It is a greeting in Rossia.
²)It is clear that these words mean that we must make a request to Allah, glorious and exalted is He, what means that we must pray, and that the request “Teacher, give me my health” (Porphyry Ivanov, peace be upon him, used to say, “My dear Teacher, give me my health.”) reflects Surah “The Opening”.