Handjob is not a problem. Or a problem?

The problem of the sin of onanism or masturbation, and in medical terms - masturbation - is almost not discussed in the church environment. And when they say, they rush from extremes: from self-deprecation to the position “detente is natural, what's wrong with that?”. We decided to look at this problem through the eyes of a young church girl.

Fragment of the icon "Ladder"

This problem is often referred to as a problem of teenage boys and young men, as if only the stronger sex is facing it. Meanwhile, it concerns young girls and women to no lesser extent, since the Christian teaching on marriage and chastity presupposes complete abstinence before marriage for both sexes. The difficulties associated with keeping the seventh commandment in its entirety are common to men and women equally.

I’ll make a reservation right away that I can only speak about my own experience, and the similar experience of my peers – about how this problem manifests itself in the lives of Orthodox Christian women who came to the Church either as adults or as teenagers and had no experience of being brought up in a Christian family with infancy.

neophyte youth

So, let's imagine a neophyte who is about 18 years old, give or take a couple of years. School graduate or student of the first or second year. Suppose she has not yet had the experience of sexual relations with a man. One way or another, she comes to the Church, begins to comprehend the basics of church life, and learns that they should not exist before marriage. This is perceived as completely normal, natural and even enthusiastic. Teenage experiments with pornography in one form or another, the same masturbation, kissing and hugging boys (and even girls), exploring the boundaries of their own newly born sexuality remain in the past and are discarded as something undoubtedly sinful. The girl enthusiastically begins to comprehend the new world of spiritual life and the near-church subculture that has opened up. Fasting according to the charter, a skirt to the floor, pilgrimages, akathists, reading theological and ascetic literature, sometimes quite complex in content, an intense search for answers to questions of spiritual life, the search for one's parish and confessor - all this takes a lot of effort and time. Sins against the seventh commandment are most often limited to the fact that books on preparing for confession are qualified as “fornication thoughts”, and they are suppressed by a small effort of will. And now, for several years, such a neophyte girl lives easily, not knowing about any problems and sorrows associated with physicality and gender, except, perhaps, “ordinary female”.

At the same time, if we are not talking about asexuals and not about girls of a monastic warehouse, tuned to a completely different path, almost every such neophyte girl dreams of marrying for love, and girlfriends from the parish create families one after another. Marriage and family relationships, of course, are seen in a very romantic rosy light. The head is filled with cliches and slogans from Orthodox books about a family like “Once and for a lifetime” - marriage is primarily for salvation, passionate love for the bride / groom is undesirable, chastity and abstinence in a Christian marriage are required. In any case, no matter how romantic the girl may be, the sexual side in dreams of a True Orthodox Marriage takes third or even fourth place at best.

Crisis: a new look at sexuality

Thus, two or three years pass, and maybe more. Then the intensity of the neophyte subsides, the invoking grace of God gradually departs, and the not quite neophyte gradually begins to see herself, her spiritual life and inner state more realistically. Many, a few years after the beginning of church life, go through a crisis and a rethinking of everything that seemed important before. Around the same time, graduation from the institute takes place, the lifestyle begins to be streamlined, and this is where your own body puts a trick.

Here again I must make a reservation that I can only speak about personal experience, which in women with a lesser sexual temperament can be completely different and even opposite to mine. The fact is that until the age of twenty-five - and also plus or minus a year - it is quite easy not to think about sex. Firstly, higher education, especially if it is associated with work, takes quite a lot of time and effort, just like an active church life. And then the body is rebuilt in a certain way - it's hard for me to describe it in medical terms, but the essence is that the libido, carefully discarded for many years, returns and claims its rights to you. Of course, you think that over the years in the Church you have accumulated some kind of ascetic experience of resisting such temptations, but even here you will be disappointed - all the asceticism of past years turns out to be zilch. "And this is not from us, God's gift." There is neither the strength nor the motivation to fast until the flesh is exhausted, to read the Psalter in whole kathismas, pilgrimages and parish events no longer bring such joy. But in a certain kind of thoughts, emotions, sensations, there is pleasure, which is incomparable in strength to what you felt at the age of 14-15, on the verge of sexual maturity. Well, from thoughts not far to images and videos, and there to actions, in the literal sense, within easy reach. So it turns out, "by word, deed, thought." Secondly, you begin to understand that sexual relations are extremely important for marriage, and how stupid your neophyte pride looked when you snorted to yourself while reading anonymous Internet confessions of Orthodox Christian women, they say, pray, sisters, I live alone, it’s hard without a relationship and sex.

It’s good if at this moment a man appears in your life with whom you can build relationships and start a family and realize everything that is brewing in your head and your body needs. And if not? Then you're a sinner, because Christian women don't watch porn, don't get turned on by bed scenes in books and movies, and don't indulge in self-gratification. Well, if this has already happened, then they repent of it at confession and try not to repeat it.

shameful fall

After each “fall”, you experience burning shame, despondency, a feeling of falling away from God, a feeling of guilt, you feel that you betrayed “your first love” for the sake of a shameful animal pleasure. Thoughts haunt such: yes, you can’t even look at the icons! And ashamed to pray! And in the temple to stand next to the pure and chaste! And you will not have any love and a husband, because husbands are given only to correct and blameless girls!

It is clear that these are thoughts from the evil one, who first tempts you with the sweetness of sin, and then tries to plunge you into despondency. It’s scary to go to confession with this - firstly, it’s shameful, unbearably shameful to admit that you have a body, and the body has instincts, desires, needs and hormones, and secondly - let the priest only be a witness who has heard this many times, he was and still is a man. Sometimes you even avoid confession with a spiritual father/confessor, because you don’t want to appear in an unsightly way in front of a person whom you respect and love. Not very Christian thoughts, but very human, where to go. It’s good if a kind, understanding and tactful priest comes across at confession - he won’t ask for details, he will support and find the right words, or even just keep silent. And if not? Not everyone will find the strength to pull a priest who is rude, humiliating or sadistically asks for the smallest details. Of course, with the years of church life, some kind of “skin” grows and the likelihood of injury becomes less, but it never completely disappears.

Why is masturbation a sin?

At some point, I thought about why, in fact, masturbation is considered a sin by the Orthodox, Catholics, and was once considered by traditional Protestants. Strictly speaking, the seventh commandment forbids only sex outside of marriage and betrayal of a spouse, the word “malakia” in a well-known passage in St. Paul can also be interpreted as passive homosexuality. Yes, a lot is said about penances for self-satisfaction in the so-called confessional letters - lists of sins common in Rus' in the Middle Ages and in a later era, not to mention modern literature on the topic. But this is neither theological nor strictly canonical justification for the need to repent of self-satisfaction.

Then let's talk about how I personally see it. The body, with all its features, is a gift from God. There is no sin in wanting to eat, drink, sleep, have sex, enjoy yourself and your loved one (in a legal marriage, of course). The problem is that our nature is damaged by original sin and it distorts any of our desires. The fact that a person living without sex periodically needs a discharge is completely normal. The distortion begins to manifest itself in what accompanies all this - thoughts, fantasies, secret desires, the same porn pictures and videos. The passion of fornication manifests itself first of all here and can thoroughly poison existence. It is in this that I see sin as a betrayal of the joy of life with God and in obedience to Him, depriving oneself of peace and “pleasure of conscience”.

What if you want to get rid of it?

First of all, you have to be honest with yourself. Yes, one’s nature cannot be conquered, driven into a dark closet and locked up there, and libido cannot be tied into a bundle, unless a woman is ready to leave everything, go into the desert and live there for half a century in the open air, and this is a feat that few people can achieve.

Secondly, you need to understand why you cannot give up masturbation, despite the despondency, the feeling of falling away from God, the need to confess it. Personally, this understanding required a certain courage from me, and I identified several reasons.

1. It gives pleasure, and every pleasure you want to repeat, over time, you begin to want it more and more.
2. In life, there are not enough bright emotions and impressions, the brain lacks endorphins.
3. Fear that these are the only sexual experiences I will have in my life if I don't meet my man this way and live the life of an old maid.
4. Fear of men and relationships that locks my sexuality into myself instead of turning it to the right person.

Of course, everyone will have different reasons, I gave only a few examples from my own experience. After this honest conversation with yourself, you can move on to a conversation about how to deal with prodigal passion in yourself without denying your corporeality, without humiliating your nature and without falling into the abyss of despondency.

1. This kind is driven out by prayer and fasting. Of course, we are not talking about fasting deeds from the patericons, but observance of statutory fasts and regular sincere prayer - including about refraining from what you consider wrong - can give much more than it seems after N years of church life, when You seem to already know everything.
2. "Watch yourself, be careful." This is also an ascetic method, in which books on Christian asceticism read in neophyte youth can help. Since we are no longer quite babies in Christ, we have both reason and conscience, and the ability to monitor our thoughts and feelings, notice where the boundary is beyond which you cannot control yourself, and try not to come close to it, but not some prohibitions, but positive actions, something that brings joy and occupies the mind and soul.
3. Movement. In one of the publications on the topic of the conflict between religiosity and sexuality, it was said that at a young age, playing sports does not reduce libido, but only increases it. Well, that's probably true for sixteen year old boys. But, speaking of young girls in their twenties, any regular exercise - even the usual morning exercises - helps to relieve tension, gives the body new sensations. Any kind of outdoor activity is also here, from walking to skydiving, whatever suits your taste and wallet.
4. Creation. The question of whether it is possible to sublimate sexual energy into texts remains debatable, but any creative process, regardless of what to do and what the result will be, requires mental strength and time, and if successful, also positive emotions. It helps to think about different things, not focusing only on your sex life or lack of it, and to fight the poverty of your emotional life.
5. Dancing. Best of all - couples. As a rule, a single young woman living in abstinence experiences a strong tactile hunger. Close physical contact with relatives and friends left with childhood, meetings with friends are not so frequent, and here lies the danger - with a lack of sexual experiences, any, even absolutely neutral touch, can start a chain of completely unnecessary and embarrassing reactions, and if infinity in oneself suppress everything and give no way out, then you can go crazy, like the heroine of the movie “Pianist”. In modern Orthodox literature, a lot has been said about the sinfulness of dances - not all dances in general, fortunately, but certain types that involve close physical contact between partners. Like it or not, whether to do, for example, tango or kizomba - everyone decides for himself. But the fact that pair dancing is a release of energy, positive emotions and the opportunity to get those same tactile sensations in a safe controlled situation is a fact.
6. If, among other things, there is passion, and even addiction to pornography (and this happens), then every time you press the PLAY icon, it would be good to remind yourself that this is hard, unhealthy and humiliating work, that these men and women portray passion and have sex for money in front of the camera, sell their bodies, violate their human dignity, which means that the viewer does the same with them and with himself.
7. Feelings. One of the best ways to deal with the passion of fornication is to fall in love. Yes Yes exactly. Firstly, the feeling itself is a colossal positive resource, a breath of fresh air that gives the feeling that you are living, not existing. Secondly, the experience of one's own emotions again takes up thoughts and time, preventing one from concentrating on only one, albeit very important, aspect of life. Thirdly, if this feeling turns out to be mutual, then this is a wonderful opportunity to turn your sexuality to your loved one, and not pour it into the void and not turn it into poison that poisons your life. But even if the love is not mutual, all the same, the first two points work great.

And the last thing I would like to say, or rather, recall through the lips of the great Christian apologist of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis in his parable “Dissolution of marriage”: “Lust is pitiful and feeble before the strength and joy of desire, which will rise from its ashes.”

Corporal relations between a man and a woman outside of marriage are condemned, this also applies to betrayal of a spouse. Masturbation, in turn, does not harm the people around and does not lead to the destruction of the family. So what does Orthodoxy see as sinful in masturbation?

Masturbation (malakia) is considered as a kind of fornication, which is characterized by obtaining pleasant sensations. Orthodoxy sees in this occupation prodigal sin.

Malakiah is born of the passion of fornication. Bold impure thoughts have a destructive effect on the human soul. Prodigal sin is unnatural, because mixing with the opposite sex does not occur. The Church approves only fornication committed between a legitimate husband and wife in order to create offspring.

The Church believes that with the frequent satisfaction of one's desires, a person becomes dependent on lust, or rather sick with it. Passion gradually takes possession of him, and you are no longer able to control it. Everything human fades into the background, his life is subordinated to the search for pleasure. Soul and body are subject to destructive influence. Malachi is equated with the deepest perversion, since there is no other sex.

Here is what Scripture says about masturbation:

“Sinful people cannot be heirs of the Kingdom of God. The lecherous, the idolaters, the adulterers, the malakies… the husbandmen deceive themselves.”

The Church calls to avoid any debauchery, because the deed will be committed against your body. Man pays a very high price for enjoyment. God strictly condemns fornicators and adulterers, because sinful thoughts come from their hearts. By masturbating, we defile the body and soul. Even a longed desire for masturbation blackens a person and is already considered a sin. Our body is the temple of God, in which the Spirit of the Lord lives. Such actions defile it, and the person himself is destroyed. Masturbation is ranked among the mortal sins that deprive everyone of eternal life.

Female masturbation

The opinion of the church on female masturbation is precisely stated in the statement of Abba Serapion:

“... let the celibate widows remain, like me. And if it is unbearable for them to restrain their sinful thoughts, then let them enter into a legal marriage.”

Women-prostitutes are condemned by the church to the same extent. They are supposed to repent and subject themselves to the same punishments as men.

Punishment

Words from Moral Theology:

“Nature does not spare and severely punishes the fornicator. The masturbator loses his memory and vision, his face looks sick, and his hands tremble. The masturbator turns into a wandering dead.”

“The wicked and adulterers will burn with brimstone in the lake of fire. Here a second death awaits them.”

The Church does not subject masturbators to many years of penance. To atone for guilt, the sinner must perform certain feats. For example, a person should bow 100 times daily for 40 days, and also eat only meager and dry food.

How to get rid of a bad habit

1. First of all, you should gain strength and believe in yourself. Sincere and great desire will help in the fight against sin.
2. It is recommended to recognize and accept the existence of a problem.
3. You should pray daily. Help should be asked from the Mother of God, who acts as a symbol of chastity. She is also called upon in moments of weakness. Do it with all your heart.
4. The demon will fight for you, and therefore surround yourself with church objects (cross, icons). In moments of temptation, bow to the holy icons, and the demon will retreat.
5. Follow a measured lifestyle, where every detail is subordinate to you. Restrictions apply to the media, from where seductive propaganda pours. It is forbidden to watch pornographic (erotic) films.
6. Do not abuse alcohol, because it can take control of your actions.
7. Avoid any temptations, such as long bubble baths.
8. Try to get very tired during the day, so that in the evening you immediately go to sleep.
9. When you go on a date, plan to meet in a public place. Take care of the chastity of the atmosphere.
10. Try often to admit to yourself in your thoughts. Frequent confession opens thoughts and helps to better resist temptation.
11. Confession in the church should take place at least once a week, regardless of the presence of sinful thoughts and deeds during this period. The spiritual father will send God's help to you. Breaking the habit will be easier.

Masturbation is a great sin, which means it has no place in the life of an Orthodox person. Getting rid of onanism occurs only if you wish. The Church is ready to provide you with all possible assistance in recovering from voluptuousness.

In the modern world, many do not think about the causes and consequences of onanism, but this is a terrible sin of masturbation, from which it is important to cleanse.

To eradicate bad thoughts in yourself, you need to understand what causes them and repent from a pure heart.

Masturbation in girls and women

Female masturbation is considered as great a sin as male, because the thoughts and deeds of all are equal.

The harlot should stop thinking about sinful desires and thoughts, and be sure to repent of the perfect deed.

But young children, especially girls, are often unaware of the meaning of the action they are taking. Most often this is due to discomfort or itching in the genital area.

Parents should gently find out why the girl is doing this action and try to eliminate the cause. It is recommended to wear more comfortable clothes and bathe the baby more often.

Malachi - what is it

Malaki or masturbation means the process of self-satisfaction, in which a person receives pleasant sensations. However, the very thought of this pollutes the mind and turns a person away from the Lord God and the Son of God.

Who is handicraft

A masturbator is a person who deliberately commits sinful touches to himself or actions of a similar plan, the purpose of which is to get pleasure without contact with the opposite sex.

Masturbation in Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy allows sexual relations only for couples of the opposite sex who are married before God and the law.

Such a merger has a good purpose - the birth of an heir. Other deeds aimed at self-satisfaction are considered sinful and waste the vital forces given to us for good deeds, and not for the fall.

Why is masturbation a sin?

Masturbation encourages people's minds to think about lust and depravity, such thoughts can provoke more serious sins. Since onanism weakens the will, makes the spirit powerless against sinful desires and defilement of thoughts.

When a person prays for the atonement of the sin of masturbation, he can be forgiven for other sins caused by lecherous thoughts.

What the Holy Fathers Say About Masturbation

Theophan the Recluse wrote that masturbation is a mortal sin, since the person who commits it succumbs to forbidden passions. He is weak and not ready to fight the temptation, which takes him a lot of time and effort.

Sinful masturbation according to Feofan "dries up and causes premature death ... it is also the cause of insanity."

To the question of the priest, Abba Serapion replied that according to the Bible, the second son of Judah, Onan, was punished by death for not allowing the seed to flow into his own wife (hence the meaning of the word onanism).

The sin of masturbation is much more terrible, and if a person cannot restrain his desires, then it is better to abolish his desires in marriage, in a more righteous way.

How to get rid of masturbation once and for all

The first step is to be sure of your desire to defeat masturbation. You should turn to yourself and try to understand what is the reason for bad desires and actions.

You need to go to church and confess, saying everything as it is. The priest will help you and give you advice. Do not stop praying daily, especially when the sinful desire is strong. If the rejection of malakia is given with great difficulty, then to help yourself you can start attending church more often, surround yourself with icons at home.

To get rid of the sinful habit and the thought of it, one should pray to the Most Holy Theotokos, which is a symbol of purity and chastity. The main thing is not to stop believing in purification and sincerely wishing for it.

Prayers for masturbation

Prayers that should be read at home with a sincere desire to get rid of a bad habit, cleanse your mind and body, are presented below. You can also turn to the saints, who either were themselves subject to the same passions during their lives, or helped to get rid of fornication.

Lord Jesus

God the Almighty, having created all creation with wisdom, raise me up, fallen by many sinners, with Your hand: give me Your help, and make me free from worldly temptations, from the devil's networks, and from carnal lusts. Have mercy and forgive me all, you have sinned all the days of my life; anoint my soul with the oil of grace and bounty of Your Only Begotten Son, the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, with Him all glory befits You and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer to the Wonderworker and Saint Euthymius of Novgorod

St. Euthymius had a miraculous gift from the Lord to deliver the afflicted from carnal passion.

Father Saint Euthymius! You loved Christ from your youth, and we strengthen His grace, you killed all carnal wisdom, you pleased the Lord with a pure life and meek disposition, and by His grace on the throne of hierarchy, you appeared, to the flock of Christ of the Great Novograd, the good shepherd, your soul think about your flock. Even after your death, glorify you the Chief Shepherd Christ with the alms of miracles flowing from you, showing us the image of a virtuous life in you. Even though I am a sinner and despondent, falling to the race of your relics, I pray to you earnestly: give me a helping hand, raise me up with your prayers from the depths of sin: I am overwhelmed by waves of carnal passions and other myriad worldly anxieties. Be a warm intercessor and intercessor to Christ for me, and I, too, have been delivered from the drowning of sin, I will reach the haven of an immaculate life by the grace of Christ, and with a pure life I will glorify my Savior, who has redeemed me with His blood: and having ended such a life, I will receive eternal life in the Kingdom Heavenly, where the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is glorified, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Saint John the Long-suffering

Rev. John during his life was often tempted by demons, which kindled in him lust and passion. The saint, in order to get rid of filth, tested himself, exhausted himself with hunger, wore heavy chains, completely, leaving only his head on the surface, buried himself in a hole. Once the saint spent the entire Great Lent in this position.

O sacred head, reverend father, most blessed Abbot John, do not forget your wretched ones to the end, but always remember us in holy and favorable prayers to God: remember your flock, if you yourself have saved it, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, Father sacred, for your spiritual children, as if you had boldness to the Heavenly King: do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for grace was given to you to pray for us. It’s not imaginary that the creature is dead: even if you’ve died from us in body, but you’re still alive after death, don’t depart from us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of demons and the wiles of the devil, our good shepherd, if only more and relics your cancer is always visible before our eyes, but your holy soul with angelic hosts, with incorporeal faces, with heavenly forces, at the throne of the Almighty, is worthy of having fun, leading you truly and living after death, we fall down and pray to you: pray about us to the Almighty God, about the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, let us pass from earth to heaven unhindered, let us get rid of bitter ordeals, demons of air princes and eternal torment, and let us be with all the righteous heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, from the ages who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ: all glory, honor and worship is due to Him, with His Father Without Beginning, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Martinian of Caesarea

Saint Martinian was tempted by a harlot who came to his house. The monk threw himself on the hot coals in order to quench the growing passion and lust in his body, and stood like that until he completely got rid of the misfortune. During his life he traveled a lot, moving from place to place, retiring to remote corners where there were no women.

Kontakion, tone 2

Like the ascetics of piety, skillful, and the sufferer by the will of the honest, and the desert inhabitant and occupant, in songs we will worthily praise Martinian the honorable: he tramples the snake.

From end to end, go through the broadcast of red virtues and your Divine deeds: young in age, in the deserts, you wished to live, singing to Christ, psalms and prayers, chanting incessantly: day and night, growing in sickness and tears, your pure life died and, wiser, thou hast shamed the mischievous one, thou hast trampled the serpent.

Prayer to the Monk Moses Ugrin

Rev. Moses was captured by the King of Poland, and then ransomed by a wealthy Polish woman. The noble Lyakhin tried to involve her prisoner in a fornication, but the righteous husband did not succumb, since the pious life was dearer to him. Then the polka left Rev. Moses in the pit, did not give food for many days, ordered to be beaten, then condemned him to be a eunuch and drove him away with dishonor.

O wonderful and God-bearing Father Moses, a fair servant of Christ and a great miracle worker, we humbly bow down to you and pray: let us be partakers of your love for God and neighbor, help us to do the will of the Lord in simplicity of heart and humility, do the commandments of the Lord infallibly, look kindly on every soul of your faithful worshipers, seeking your mercy and help.

Hey, all-good servant of God, hear us praying to you, and do not despise us, demanding your intercession and bringing you a worthy song, we bless you, Father Moses, we sing thee, the purity of the lamp, glorifying the merciful God, in the Holy Beginningless Trinity of the glorious Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

How to repent of the sin of masturbation

In confession, it is better to call masturbation sinful or prodigal touches. The main thing is to speak honestly, openly and not be shy.

Although it is difficult to speak without embarrassment, nevertheless, the more truthfully and not cunningly you tell about everything, the purer your soul will become, and the easier it will be to cleanse itself.

You can write on a piece of paper, if you are completely ashamed to admit to your actions, and give the sheet to the priest.

The ministers of the church, who constantly accept confession, that they just do not listen to during their lives, and they try to make it easier for a person to confess if they see that he is honest and open to conversation.

Is penance imposed for the sin of masturbation

Today, the Orthodox Church does not impose penance for sinful masturbation. But there are a number of restrictions that must be met in order to atone for your guilt.

Masturbation must fast and perform 100 prostrations daily for 40 days. In any case, you need to consult with the priest at confession.

Conclusion

Masturbation denigrates the innocence of our soul, and makes us stir up evil thoughts. With the help of repentance and sincere prayers, one can be cleansed and get rid of the sinful habit forever.

It is unacceptable to talk about such a thing. This topic is carefully hushed up and is not discussed even among friends and close circle. However, this does not make it less relevant and important in our lives.

According to the Scriptures, masturbation is a sin that must be fought. But is it really so? Let's try to find out in this material.

Masturbation (or, in other words, the sin of malakia) in the Orthodox Church is a special kind of fornication, during which a person receives pleasant sensations. In Christianity, the passion for masturbation belongs to the category of sinful deeds, namely, it acts as a fornication sin. I suggest that you deal with the sin of masturbation in more detail, read the reviews of the holy fathers about it, and also learn ways to get rid of this passion.

In fact, masturbation (that is, masturbation) is a waste of human energy that can be used more intelligently by a believing Christian. And besides this, this kind of self-satisfaction also indicates the weakness of the Orthodox Christian, his inability to control his own bodily desires.

It should be noted that masturbation is a terrible sinful act in Orthodoxy, no matter what name it is given. Having succumbed to such an addiction later, a person will be more prone to commit other sins, which means that also, if the passion of masturbation is eliminated, in turn, it is really possible to protect oneself from other passions and sins.

If we consider the very nature of malakia, we find that it is generated by a craving for fornication, since the presence of impure lustful intentions has an extremely unfavorable effect on human spirituality. Also, this passion is, in principle, unnatural, because in this case there is no merger with a representative of the opposite sex, that is, it cannot in any way contribute to procreation or finding one's love.

But there is one interesting nuance here - the Orthodox Church allows fornication, but only for those couples who have officially legalized their relationship and their main goal in this case is procreation.

Let's get acquainted with the statements of the clergy regarding the passion of masturbation:

According to the Monk Abba Serapion:

“In total, two varieties of lustful passion are known: the first variety is due to sexual mixing, the second is the one with which the Lord punished the son of the patriarch Judas Onan, it occurs without union with a woman. This kind of lustful passion is an impurity, as the apostle said: “If you are not married or widowed, you should follow my example. But if you are unable to fight your carnal desires, then enter into an official marriage, because marriage bonds are definitely better than susceptibility to pernicious passion.

And Archpriest Vasily Zenkovsky said the following:

“This act is a serious sexual corruption, because the meaning of sex is precisely the need to have sexual intercourse with members of the opposite sex.”

Why is the sin of Malachi harmful to man?

In the church, it is believed that if an individual often satisfies his carnal desires in this way, he falls into dependence on lust, becomes sick with it. Over time, this passion takes him under its full control, and he is no longer able to resist it.

Then absolutely everything human for him turns out to be secondary, and the meaning of life lies only in the search for bodily satisfaction. As a result, the body and soul are destroyed.

Therefore, malakia in Orthodoxy is the deepest perversion, because in this case there is no representative of the opposite sex, which in itself is unnatural.

Reviews of the Holy Scriptures about masturbation

Let us turn to the Bible, in which it is said about the sin of Malachi:

“It is not given to sinners to inherit the Kingdom of God. The libertine, the idolater, the adulterer, the malak ... the husbandman - they are all engaged in self-deception.

The Church urges people to eliminate any debauchery from their lives, since such an action is committed against oneself. And the price for minute pleasure will be too high.

Fornicators and adulterers are condemned by the Almighty, as their hearts and souls are filled with sinful thoughts.

The process of engaging in self-gratification is defiling for body and soul. Even the very thoughts about masturbation are already blackening the soul and sinful. It is not for nothing that the Holy Scripture says that our body is the temple of God, in which the Spirit of the Lord is located.

And when we commit the deeds described, we desecrate the divine and our personality begins to collapse.

That is why masturbation was officially classified as a deadly sin, making eternal life impossible for a person.

How is the sin of masturbation punished?

Here is what Moral Theology has to say about this:

“Nature fornicator never regrets, he receives severe punishment. Thus, onanists lose their memory and vision, they have sick faces and trembling hands. Gradually, such people become like the walking dead.”

“The nasty and adulterers are destined to burn after death in a fiery lake filled with sulfur. There they will die a second time.”

Onanists are not even granted many years of penance from the church. And if the sinner still wants to take the true path and get rid of the destructive passion, then he will be required to perform certain feats. For example, a person is supposed to make a hundred bows every day for forty days, and also eat only meager and dry food.

Passion for masturbation in women and minors

It is noteworthy that Holy Scripture does not say anything about female masturbation, although this does not mean at all that women do not sin by committing this sinful act. In fact, the church condemns them in the same way as men who have a similar addiction.

And this means that the representatives of the fair sex who have sinned should also repent and suffer the same punishment as for the representatives of the opposite sex.

Separately, it is necessary to dwell on masturbation in minor children. They are usually exposed to this sin out of ignorance or lack of personal hygiene, when the genitals begin to itch, while wearing tight clothes, and so on.

If parents want to help their child get rid of this harmful passion, then they need to:

• to establish the cause and deal with its immediate elimination;
• at the same time, in no case do not frighten or condemn the child, so as not to inflict psychological trauma on him;
• do not interrogate or examine him;
• try to give your child as much attention and love as possible;
• let him wear loose clothes;
• take care of your child's diet;
• allow your child to spend enough time in the company of their peers (if you are sure that this is a good company, of course);
• increase water procedures for the child;
• as often as possible be with him in the fresh air.

Not every person has the courage to openly admit this shameful sin. And to cope with it, you should listen to the following recommendations:

1. If a person has a strong desire to eradicate a sinful passion, then he initially needs to resist addiction. In this case, prayers to the Almighty will help him, but, of course, you cannot limit yourself to prayers alone, because otherwise you will not be able to move a single step from the dead point.
2. Also, having decided to fight against masturbation, you need to realize that Christians on their own, without Divine help, will not be able to cope with this sin, which means that you need to ask the Almighty for help.
3. Pray often. As soon as dirty thoughts begin to appear in your head, call on the help of the Queen of Heaven. If you sincerely pray from the sin of masturbation, have a pure heart, then you find yourself under the care of the Mother of God and can finally be freed from passion.
4. If the situation is rather complicated and bad thoughts do not go out of a person’s head, it is recommended to surround yourself with church symbols (crosses, the miraculous faces of the Saints. You will ask them for help at those moments when the temptation becomes especially strong. Then you need to bow to them and ask them to be freed from demons .
5. Orthodox people are recommended to lead the most controlled and measured way of life (of course, here you need to start solely from the prevailing life circumstances). Mass media and viewing of erotic videos are strictly prohibited.
6. Minimize the consumption of alcohol, because, as you know, alcoholic beverages have an extremely negative effect on the mind.
7. Be mindful of any temptations, such as prolonged bubble baths.
8. Be honest with yourself, recognize the presence of sinful passion in yourself. Due to this, you will open your thoughts and increase the power of the fight against sinful vice.
9. Based on the severity of the sinful action, one should go to church for confession at least once in seven days.

Consider also the answer of the clergyman Svyatoslav Shevchenko to a typical question about how to overcome the sinful craving for self-satisfaction.

Most of the clergy are convinced that the most difficult to overcome are those sins that relate to the topic of the administration of the natural needs of the human body.

Sexual attraction is a mechanism laid down by the Creator, which is necessary for procreation. And the enemies of the human race, acting as infernal entities (or in the Christian tradition known as fallen angels) use physiological needs to incline a person to sin.

In this case, there are two ways to solve the problem: with the help of abstinence and finding a partner of the opposite sex, with whom it is possible to create a family.

If you choose the first option, then you will need to maintain an ascetic lifestyle: limiting food, drinks (especially before going to bed), reducing sleep time, intensified prayers, fighting sinful thoughts, reading the Gospel, Psalms, frequent confessions and communion.

The second way - the creation of a family, will probably require an initial appeal to the first, ascetic way.

And the most important thing is sincere fervent prayers to the Almighty for delivering you from this misfortune and finding your soulmate.

If there are signs of the presence of unclean entities in the dwelling that push a person to sin, it is recommended to invite the priest to the house and cleanse your dwelling. To do this, just contact the nearest temple.

Now you know a lot about the sin of malakia, as well as how to deal with it. There are also special prayers for masturbation for men and women that will help to cope with destructive passion.

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Prayers from defilement are used by men in the event that there was an affair outside of marriage or an accidental temptation at night. As a result, many are interested in the question of how to pray correctly. Defilement in the Orthodox faith is considered an exclusively male sin. A prayer from defilement is read with the blessing of one's own confessor. But at the same time, it should be remembered that sometimes purely physiological reasons can contribute to the expiration, and in this case it is not a sin. As a rule, purposeful actions of a man lead to desecration. This may be watching porn movies, alcohol abuse and other addictions.

Prayer from defilement is given so that a person can be cleansed of a committed sin in a timely manner and it does not affect his future life. It is very important to realize your mistakes and sincerely repent.

The most famous prayer from defilement is an appeal to the Lord, compiled by St. Basil the Great. It was written in the 4th century and has since delivered many men from hell. Prayer saves in especially difficult cases, it allows you to restore spiritual and physical purity.

If you contact your confessor, he will most likely advise you to read this prayer in combination with well-known prayers, such as the worship prayer to the King of Heaven and the Fiftieth Psalm. Moreover, these texts should be read exactly as they are written in the Gospel. Be sure to say forty times after each prayer the phrase “Lord have mercy!”

In such a combination, it will be possible to completely purify spiritually and atone for a perfect sin. This is due to the fact that the proposed set of prayer texts is able to snatch any lost soul from the devil's embrace.

The prayer of Basil the Great from defilement plays a huge role in the Orthodox faith in general. In a prayer appeal, believers turn to the most famous saint, who lived in the 4th century. He was a renowned theologian and served as Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. This place is now in Turkey.

Basil the Great, together with Gregory the Theologian and Gregory of Nyssa, were those who completed the processing of the teaching of the Holy Trinity. Scientists-researchers attribute to this saint the invention of the iconostasis, as well as the compilation of the most famous liturgy. It was Basil the Great who created the obligatory morning rule for every Christian.

The text of the prayer from the desecration of Basil the Great in Russian is as follows:

“Much-merciful, incorruptible, sinless Lord Almighty, I ask You to cleanse me, the sinful servant of God (proper name), from heavy carnal and spiritual filth, I ask You to drive away from me my inattention and despondency, which caused impurity that came to me. Forgive, Lord, other iniquities committed by me out of unreason. Cleanse my soul and restore its natural purity. Lord of Heaven, remove the filth of my soul, show your goodness, like a Great Humanitarian. Sanctify, O Lord, my way of life by the coming of Your Holy Spirit. They gave away the demonic darkness with the power of their Divine, and gave me all kinds of filth and devilish ghosts. At the hour of the Last Judgment, I will be able to appear before you in purity of soul. Grant me your goodness so that I can glorify Your name in prayers until the end of my days. Amen".

Prayer from defilement by masturbation

Masturbation in the Orthodox faith also has another name - malakia. This is a kind of sinful fornication, which leads to the acquisition of pleasant touch. At its core, onanism is a waste of vital natural energy that can be used by a believer for other, good purposes. That is why God requires a Christian to learn to control his feelings and desires.

The church classifies masturbation as a punishable sin that must be repented of. The clergy believe that such an addiction can push a person to other sins. This means that by repenting from the Lord of the sin of masturbation, one can learn forgiveness for other committed sins. Malaki is considered a product of impure forces, and, therefore, has a negative effect on human spirituality. Masturbation is distinguished by its unnatural nature, since a merger blessed by God with the opposite sex does not occur. The Christian church only allows relationships among couples who have legitimized their relationship before God.

Prayer from masturbation sounds like this:

“Lord Almighty, Savior of the human race, All-merciful Lover of mankind, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I ask you to take pity on me and grant forgiveness. Help me get rid of my severe weakness and heal me with your grace from a vile and sinful addiction to masturbation. Save me and keep me. Strengthen my will and grant your support. Do not let me fall into a terrible unforgivable sin. If I do not resist this fornicating abomination, then it is better to kill me with your will. Have mercy on me, who sincerely repented, and show me the true path so that I can glorify Your Holy Name in prayers. Amen".

Prayer from night pollution in a dream

Man is a very complex biological organism. Therefore, most of the processes occurring inside are very difficult to control. That is why situations arise in men when pollution occurs. The most common sin of the flesh is the nocturnal ejaculation caused by an erotic dream.

In order to be cleansed of defilement and gain strength to fight new temptations, special prayers should be used.

If this does not happen often, then once you can sincerely pray using the following text:

“To the good shepherd, our merciful Lord, who laid down his soul for us sinners and helpless. Listen to my secret confessions and forgive the sins that I have committed. Fill my mind with bright thoughts, and do not let the evil one overshadow them with sinful charms. If a vile thing happened, then hear my repentance in the morning and grant the salvation of my soul. Save me unworthy and show your goodness to me. Amen".

Prayers from defilement should become a daily obligatory rule for any man. They will help keep the soul clean, avoid devilish temptations and maintain sincere faith. Prayer, which comes from the depths of the heart, is able to calm a person’s pride and arrogance, which is associated with an overestimation of one’s natural mental abilities. It is these traits that lead to the tendency to fall into sin. Both qualities often lead to the fact that a person seeks to go beyond the predetermined human and religious norms. In this case, he easily succumbs to the devilish temptations. Without realizing the danger, a person indulges in adultery in his thoughts, which leads to soul-defiling outpourings. Prayer from defilement makes a person think about the essence of his being and realize the greatness of the Higher Forces that rule the world. But at the same time, it is very important to sincerely believe in the power of the prayer appeal used.