How to fight passions

Once there came to the elder two young men and asked him: "Tell us, Father, how to get rid of evil inclinations and get root out bad habits?" The old man asked one of them to pull out a young tree, which he easily did. Then he asked to root out another one. The boy pulled it out too, but it was stronger, and he had to work hard. The hermit led the boy to a third tall and strong tree. Despite big effort, the young men even together failed to pull it out.

The old man resumed: "My children, evil inclinations and habits are similar to those trees, if they do not grow long and are recently rooted in the heart, a strong will is enough to eradicate them; but if they are deeply rooted, it is already very difficult or almost impossible to dominate them. So work hard, while there is time and a heavy struggle does not exceed your strength!"

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