Learning from the Dead

Ἀδελφὸς παρέβαλε τῳ ἀββᾷ Μακαρίῳ τῷ Αὶγυπτίῳ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῳ· Ἀββᾶ, εὶπέ μοι ῥῆμα πῶς σωθῶ. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ ὕβριον τοὺς νεκρούς. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ὁ αδελφὸς, ὕβρισε καὶ ἐλίθασε· καὶ ἐλθων ἀπήγγειλε τῷ γέροντι. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐδέν σοι ἐλάλησαν; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Οὐκι. Λέγει αὐτῳ ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε πάλιν αὔριον, καὶ δόξασον αὐτούς. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ὁ αδελφὸς, ἐδόξασεν αὐτοὺς, λέγων· Απόστολοι, ἄγιοι, καὶ δικαιοι. Καὶ ἧλθε πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἐδόξασα. Καὶ λέηει αὐτῷ· Οὐδέν σοι ἀπεκρίθησαν; Ἔφη ὁ ἀδελφός· Οὐχι. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Οἶδας πόσα ἠτίμασας αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐδεν σοι ἀπεκρίθησαν, καὶ πόσα εδόξασας αὐτους, καὶ οὐδέν σοι ἐλάλησαν· οὕτως καὶ σὐ, ἐὰν θέλῃς σωθῆναι, γενοῦ νεκρός· μήτε τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μήτε τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν λογίσῃ, ὡς οἱ νεκροί· καί δύνασαι σωθῆναι.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

A brother came to father Macarius the Egyptian and said to him, 'Father, speak a word, how I may be saved.' The elder said, 'Go to the graveyard and insult the dead.' The brother went away and insulted them. He returned and the elder said to him, 'What did they say to you?' The brother said, ' Nothing.' The elder said, ' Tomorrow go again and acclaim them.' The brother went out and he praised them, saying, ' Apostles, saints and just men!' He went back to the elder and said to him ' I have praised them.' The elder said to him, ' What did they answer you?' And the brother said, ' Nothing.' The elder said, ' You see that you dishonoured them and they did not respond and you praised them and they said nothing; if you wish to be saved, be the dead. Neither to the injustice of men give thought, nor to their praise, like the dead. So you will be able to be saved.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia