In dreams, legs symbolize the path a person has chosen. Any items or...
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich
Three elders
L.N. Tolstoy
THREE ELDERS
And when you pray, do not say too much, like the pagans, for they think that for their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them: for your father knows what you need before you ask him.
(Matt. VI, 7, 8)
The bishop sailed on a ship from the city of Arkhangelsk to Solovetsky. On the same ship the pilgrims sailed to the saints. The wind was fair, the weather was clear, there was no sway. The pilgrims - who were lying down, who were having a snack, who were sitting in groups - were talking with each other. The bishop also went out onto the deck and began walking back and forth along the bridge. The bishop approached the nose and saw that a bunch of people had gathered. A little man points something in the sea with his hand and speaks, and the people listen. The bishop stopped and looked where the peasant was pointing: nothing was visible, only the sea glistening in the sun. The bishop came closer and began to listen. A little man saw the bishop, took off his hat and fell silent. The people also saw the bishop, they also took off their hats and showed respect.
Don’t be shy, brothers,” said the bishop. “I also came over to listen to what you, good man, were saying.”
“But the fisherman told us about the elders,” said one bolder merchant.
What about the elders? - asked the bishop, walked up to the side and sat down on the box. Tell me too, I’ll listen. What were you showing?
“Yes, there’s an island looming,” the little man said and pointed forward to the right. - On this very island the elders live and are saved.
Where is the island? - asked the bishop.
Look at my hand, if you please. There's a cloud over there, down to the left of it you can see like a stripe.
The bishop looked and looked, the water rippled in the sun, and he could not see anything without habit.
“I don’t see,” he says. - So what kind of elders live here on the island?
“God’s people,” answered the peasant. - I’ve heard about them for a long time, but I haven’t seen them, but last summer I saw them myself.
And the fisherman began to tell again how he went for fish, and how he washed up on this island, and he himself did not know where he was. In the morning I went for a walk and came across a dugout and saw one old man at the dugout, and then two more came out; They fed and dried him and helped him repair the boat.
What are they like? - asked the bishop.
One is small, hunched over, very ancient, in an old duckweed, probably more than a hundred years old, the gray in his beard has already begun to turn green, and he is still smiling and bright, like a heavenly angel. The other one is taller, also old, in a torn caftan, a wide beard, gray and yellow, and a strong man: he turned my boat over like a tub, before I even had time to help him, - also joyful. And the third is tall, with a long beard down to his knees and white as a harrier, and he is gloomy, his eyebrows hang over his eyes, and he is completely naked, only girded with a matting.
What did they say to you? - asked the bishop.
Everyone did more in silence, and they didn’t say much to each other. And one person will look, and the other will understand. I began to ask the tall man how long they had been living here. He frowned, said something, really got angry, but the ancient little one now took him by the hand, smiled, and the big one went away. The ancient one just said “have mercy on us” and smiled.
While the peasant was speaking, the ship approached the islands even closer.
“Now it’s completely visible,” said the merchant. “If you please take a look, Your Eminence,” he said, pointing.
The bishop began to look. And sure enough, I saw a black stripe - an island. The bishop looked and looked and walked away from the bow to the stern and approached the helmsman.
What is this island, he says, visible here?
And so, nameless. There are many of them here.
Is it true, they say, that the elders are saved here?
They say, Your Eminence, but I don’t know if it’s true. The fishermen, they say, saw it. Yes, too, sometimes they talk in vain.
“I want to land on the island and see the elders,” said the bishop. - How to do it?
“You can’t approach the ship,” said the helmsman. - You can go on a boat, but you have to ask the elder. The elder was called.
“I would like to see these elders,” said the bishop. - Can you take me?
The elder began to dissuade him. “It’s possible, but we’ll spend a lot of time, and, I dare say, to your Eminence, there’s no point in looking at them.” I heard from people that these old people live very stupidly, they don’t understand anything and can’t say anything, like fish in the sea.
“I wish,” said the bishop. - I’ll pay for my troubles, take me.
There is nothing to do, the shipmen ordered, and adjusted the sails. The pilot turned the ship and sailed to the island. They brought a chair to the bishop's nose. He sat down and looked. And all the people gathered at the bow, everyone was looking at the island. And those with sharper eyes can already see the stones on the island and show the dugout. And one of them even saw three elders. The elder brought out the trumpet, looked into it, and handed it to the bishop. “Exactly,” he says, “there are three people standing on the shore, right next to a large stone.”
The bishop looked into the pipe and pointed it in the right place; exactly, there are three standing: one is tall, the other is shorter, and the third is completely small; standing on the shore, holding hands.
The elder approached the bishop. - Here, Your Eminence, the ship needs to stop. If you really want, you can take a boat from here, and we’ll anchor here.
Now they released the cable, dropped the anchor, lowered the sail - the ship jerked and swayed. They lowered the boat, the rowers jumped off, and the bishop began to go down the ladder. The bishop came down, sat down on a bench in the boat, the rowers struck their oars, and swam to the island. They swam up like throwing a stone; they see three elders standing: the tall one is naked, girded with matting, the shorter one is in a torn caftan, and the ancient one, hunched over, is wearing an old duckweed; All three are standing, holding hands.
The rowers moored to the shore and got caught in the hook. The bishop came out.
The elders bowed to him, he blessed them, and they bowed even lower to him. And the bishop began to speak to them.
“I heard,” he says, “that you are here, the elders of God, saving yourself, praying for people to Christ God, and here, by the grace of God, I am an unworthy servant of Christ, called to shepherd his flock; so I wanted to see you, God’s servants, and if I can, give you an instruction.
The elders are silent, smiling, looking at each other.
Tell me how you are saved and how you serve God,” said the bishop.
The middle old man sighed and looked at the elder, at the ancient one; The tall old man frowned and looked at the elder, at the ancient one. And the eldest, ancient old man smiled and said: “We, servant of God, do not know how to serve God, we only serve ourselves, we feed ourselves.”
How do you pray to God? - asked the bishop.
And the ancient elder said: “We pray like this: three of you, three of us, have mercy on us.”
And as soon as the ancient elder said this, all three elders raised their eyes to heaven and all three said: “Three of you, three of us, have mercy on us!”
The bishop grinned and said:
You’ve heard about the Holy Trinity, but that’s not how you pray. I fell in love with you, elders of God, I see that you want to please God, but you don’t know how to serve him. This is not how you should pray, but listen to me, I will teach you. I will not teach you from myself, but from God’s scripture I will teach you how God commanded all people to pray to him.
Star elders are Chinese deities who bestow wealth, health and longevity. Figurines of these symbolic deities, or their images, are widely used in feng shui, one at a time or all three together.
The three star elders symbolize the three most important family successes: material well-being, family power and authority, health and longevity of all family members. The star elders are the deities Fu-hsin, Lu-hsin and Shou-hsin, each of which has its own purpose, and who, only by gathering together, can bring real happiness and complete prosperity to the house.
Fu-hsing - the deity of happiness, attracts great luck to the house, which, in turn, brings money, prosperity and material well-being. Usually the god Fu is depicted surrounded by many coins, symbolizing wealth and abundance. This is the tallest Star Elder and his figure should always be in the center of the composition.
Lu-xin is the god of wealth and abundance, as well as a symbol of worthy heirs and continuation of the family. He is often depicted holding or next to a child, as well as surrounded by children. Lu-sin also symbolizes family authority, then he is depicted holding a scepter and a scroll in his hands - symbols of strength and authority.
Shou-shin is the god of longevity and health, he is almost always depicted with two symbols of longevity - a deer and a peach. Sometimes they are complemented by pine, another symbol of longevity, but this is if the picture is depicted in the manner of Chinese scroll painting. In the hands of the deity is a traveler's staff made from ginseng root.
Figures or images of these respected elders can be placed in the center of the apartment. Nothing else will strengthen the energy center of your home like these ancient talismans of protection, wealth and longevity.
If the center of your apartment is in a not very convenient place, and for some reason it is impossible to place the Star Elders there, bring them into your living room or the room where your whole family usually gathers.
In China, and in many Chinese wealthy homes around the world, even special rooms are reserved for sculptures and images of these gods. It is believed that Star Elders should be able to “meditate”, and to do this they need solitude. Create a little meditative space for them by placing their figurines on a high table in the living room, or setting aside an alcove in the family dining room.
It is also good to hang a panel with the image of the Three Star Elders in the northwestern sector of your home, in the zone of Helpers and Patrons. This talisman will be appropriate in the Career sector, and in the Family sector, and in the Wealth sector, the versatility of the Star Elders allows this, everywhere they will create favorable qi, which will activate the corresponding zone.
In the office, you can place the Star Elders behind you, then they will provide you with vital support and an influx of wealth.
Many are probably wondering what works better, figurines or scrolls depicting Star Elders? Here is what Feng Shui masters say about this: “Of course, having real Chinese-made figurines of the Three Star Elders is preferable. However, Feng Shui is primarily a language of symbols. Therefore, any reduced copy of an object with intense radiation acts as a successor to this radiation. If it is not possible to arrange a waterfall in the southeastern sector, we place what there? That's right, his image, that is, a picture. And the symbolism of the element begins to work!”
Therefore, choose those Star Elders that will suit your home and your interior style, and that you will like, which is also very important.
Aura House website. RU 
The Three Star Elders are the most popular and effective talisman in Feng Shui for attracting money, good luck and prosperity. It is best to use all the figures at the same time, but you can use them individually.
The star elders are grey-haired old men who are symbolic deities. They are associated with the three stars that occupy central positions in astrology. The star elders are named Lu-hsin, Fu-hsin and Shou-hsin.
Phuc, Luk and Sao will give you everything you need. They will protect your home from troubles and unexpected guests. They will bring health, longevity, prosperity, and fulfillment of desires.
Also, the Three Star Elders are an excellent defense against the “Three Killers”.
One of the star elders is Fu-sin. It is a symbol of wealth and success. With its help, you can find an independent source of money and achieve career growth. Fusina is often placed between other star elders. He is often surrounded. This emphasizes its importance for gaining wealth.
With a child in his hands - this is Elder Lu-sin. Sometimes he holds a scepter in his hands. This elder helps the birth of respectable heirs, strengthens the family and increases the authority of the clan.
The third elder is Shou-shin. It symbolizes health and longevity. Shousin holds a ginseng staff and a peach in his hands. This elder personifies virtue and sincerity.
If you make a talisman yourself, mentally recite the program that this amulet is aimed at fulfilling. Before you start making it, think through all the details of the talisman and the possibility of applying certain symbols to it.
Together, the elder figures combine their magical powers and are more effective. This talisman leads to prosperity.
Where to place star elders?
Star elders anywhere will attract good luck, health and prosperity to the house. The best place for star elders will be the assistant sector.
You can place them in the center of the house or in a place where family members like to gather. They will work great in areas of wealth, family, health, and career. But it is not recommended to place talismans in the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
If you need to attract good luck in a short time, then the elders are placed in the center of the apartment, in the living room or bedroom.
For those who are involved in charity, it is recommended to place the figurines in the assistants’ area.
If you want to live a long, happy and healthy life, they should be placed in the dining room.
If you need to move up the career ladder and receive decent pay for your work, then the elders should be placed in the office.
The ideal place for elders in the office would be to place them behind the owner of the office, which will provide vital support and attract prosperity.
Wealthy Chinese place elders in separate rooms so they can practice meditation.
Star elders should be placed on an elevated platform so that they are taller than the people in the room.
Sometimes it happens that the figurine of an old man is broken or lost. In this case, you should not be upset, but should purchase a new figurine instead.
If it was not possible to purchase a new figurine, then it is recommended to place the remaining two in different places.
A damaged figurine must not be thrown into the trash. It should be buried or thrown into the river.
The plot of the tale of the three elders belongs to the wandering ones. It is known in various modifications: the number of elders, their prayers, the location of the action, etc. vary. This story is also known in oral retellings, such as, for example, the story of the storyteller Erofei, recorded (by M.I. Semevsky) and in written monuments. In the latter case, the legend is associated with the Western translation of the story about the appearances of Augustine, bishop. Hipponian (354-430), which has been known in Russia since the 16th century. Prince A.M. Kurbsky, who heard it from Maxim the Greek, but did not know whether it had been translated into Russian before him. In Augustine's story, instead of Tolstoy's three elders, one elder is depicted, whom Augustine saw, returning from the Council of Carthage, on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, “empty and uninhabited,” where his ship landed. The hermit was “naked” and “many-year-old”; he was born in “African soil,” “from the Italian language.” From his answers to Augustine’s questions, it turned out that he knew the prayers “by no means skillfully and inconsistently,” “putting them above the ground,” that is, by mixing up the order of words. Augustine was amazed at his devotion to God and at the same time at his “unart,” and began to teach him prayers. He covered his nakedness with his clothes and swam further when the wind became favorable. On the second day, the “shipwomen” from above saw a man on the sea who was chasing the ship like “a swiftly flying bird or an arrow shot from a bow,” as he approached asking him to wait for him: “Wait, for God’s sake, wait for me, a sinner.” The bishop, who came up, saw the elder sailing on the sea, spreading half of his clothes across the water and holding half of them instead of a sail. And having reached the ship, the elder went up with a prayer to Augustine, who was prostrate before him: “Rise up, O bishop, I pray that you have forgotten these prayers that you have learned, and I pray now that you will study them again, as they are foolish.” And having repeated his prayers again, he got off the ship, sat down again on his clothes and returned to the desert in the same way, sailing across the sea “with the fastest desire according to the first custom.”
We see how close the basis of Tolstoy’s story is to Augustine’s legend, but of course, Tolstoy did not use it; undoubtedly he became acquainted with this legend through oral, folk, Russian transmission. According to P.I. Biryukov, Tolstoy heard a legend from the Olonets storyteller V.P. Shchegolenok (see about him above in the commentary to the story “How People Live”); However, it should be noted that in the notebook with Tolstoy’s notes and legends that he heard from Shchegolenok, this legend was not preserved. It cannot be emphasized enough that in his story about the three elders, Tolstoy, in order to give vitality to the narrative, moved away from it the miraculousness that is necessary in all tales about the three elders, and imagined catching them on the water with the vision of a bishop.
Tolstoy's work on the story "The Three Elders" (three manuscripts and proofreading) can be divided into two editions and a stylistic reworking of the text, which was called the third edition by the copyist. The main difference between the two editions is in the depiction of the bishop’s vision or dream: The first story about the dream more closely conveys the old legend, since here everyone present sees something mysterious (for example, the “shipwomen” in Augustine’s legend). Tolstoy, in the first outline of the story, depicted that the people were the first to notice the elders running on the water and the bishop, having heard the general conversation, approached those gathered (his dream is visible only from the words: “everything fell silent and the bishop thought... raised his head”). In the second edition, Tolstoy deviated from the usual legend: the first bishop sees (his dream is depicted: “his eyes ripple, here and there the light will play on the waves. Suddenly he sees”...): he rises, shows the helmsman asking him to see what is visible on the sea; The helmsman screams in horror, the people have risen... Let us note an interesting detail: in the first edition the elders walk on the water without holding on to each other; in the second, they hold hands with each other, as at the first meeting on the island; The bishop remembers most vividly in his dream the first impression he had of the sight of the elders in reality.
The writing of the story “The Three Elders” probably dates back to June 1885. In one letter to V.G. Chertkov (Ch) on June 18, 1885, Tolstoy talks about writing a new story for “The Mediator”: “I wrote another story for you , and, it seems, better than before.” The compiler of explanatory notes to these letters, A.K. Chertkova, expresses the idea that this story, “The Three Elders,” is “a very beloved legend” by Tolstoy. L. Ya. Gurevich suggests that Tolstoy was talking here about another story - about “The Candle”.
“The Three Elders” was published for the first time in “Niva” 1886, 13, column. 330-334 (censored March 26, 1886). To the title of the story “The Three Elders” in “The Collected Works of L.N. Tolstoy” (ed. 10 et seq.) the subtitle “From folk tales on the Volga” was added, which is not in all manuscripts of the story and in the first editions in 1886 “ Collected Works". The manuscripts also do not contain the subtitle that was placed in the first edition of the story in the Niva magazine: “Three Elders, a Folk Legend.” From this we can see that these added subtitles, which are not only common, but also short, do not belong to Tolstoy. That it was not the Volga legend that served as the basis for the story, but rather the northern one, is evident from the names of the local, northern ones. It is interesting that Tolstoy’s story served, for its part, as the basis for a new fairy tale about the Three Elders, who know only one prayer, “Three of you, three of us, have mercy on us,” and who, with the help of the bishop, memorize “I Fatherly” and then, forgetting this prayer, follow behind the ship they “scratch the water.” This story was recorded in the Yenisei province in 1900 by A. A. Makarenko. From what has been said, it is clear how great the degree of vitality of this plot is.
DESCRIPTION OF MANUSCRIPTS.
The story is preserved in three manuscripts and a proof copy. The manuscripts belong to the Archive of V. G. Chertkov, transferred to the State Technical Committee, and are stored in folder 8 under Nos. 27, 28 and 29. Proofreading - in BL under code. V, 9, 5 pp.
1) No. 27. Autograph, F° and 4°, 4 sheets. Apparently written in one sitting, with minor blots. On ob. sheet 1 - an excerpt from “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” (not the first edition, by someone else’s hand). Title: “The Three Elders” and a reference to the Gospel of Matthew. VI. 7-8. Beginning: “Sailed to the ship? Bishop from the city of Arkhangelsk to Solovetsky”... On the cover in the hand of A. L. Tolstoy: “Three Elders (draft).”
2) Manuscript No. 28. Copy by V. G. Chertkov, with numerous amendments and additions by Tolstoy. 4°, 14 pp. On the cover in blue pencil: “Second Edition.” Title: “Three Elders.” Beginning (after the epigraph from Matthew VI. 7-8): “Sailed on the ship? bishop from the city of Arkhangelsk to Solovki”... The changes and corrections are significant: For example. in the 1st edition, the elders running on the sea were first seen not by the bishop, but by other travelers, who began to look and reason; the bishop approaches, asks and then peers and sees the elders. In the second edition, the bishop sees the elders first, the rest are asleep. The bishop approaches the helmsman and asks to see what? visible; he sees the elders, is horrified and screams; the people jump up, and everyone sees the elders approaching the ship.
3) Manuscript No. 29. A copy by V. G. Chertkov from the previous one. 4°, 13 sheets of lined notebook paper, with corrections and additions by Tolstoy’s hand and another. Title: “Three Elders.” Beginning (after the epigraph from Matthew VI. 7-8): “Sailed on the ship? Bishop from the city of Arkhangelsk to Solovki”... Sheets with signs of being in the printing house. Apparently, they typed from this manuscript for the publication. 1886. Amendments not made by Tolstoy from proofreading. On the cover in blue pencil: “Third edition.”
4) Proofreading for publication. 1886 (Works of L.N. Tolstoy, part 12. M. 1886), with amendments and additions by Tolstoy himself and S.A. Tolstoy and signed by S.A. Tolstoy for printing.
The publication is based on the text of “Works of Gr. L. N. Tolstoy. Part 12. Works of recent years. M. 1886", pp. 154-162.
"Domestic Notes" 1864, v. 152.
G. 3. Kuntsevich, “The Three Elders” by L. N. Tolstoy and “The Tale of the Apparitions to Augustine” (Historical and literary collection, dedicated to Vs. I. Sreznevsky), L. 1924, pp. 201-296.
Biryukov, P. I. L. N. Tolstoy. Biography. Ed. 3, vol. 2, p. 122.
V. I. Sreznevsky “Language and legend in the notes of L. N. Tolstoy” (F. S. Oldenburg, to the fiftieth anniversary of scientific and social activity 1882-1932, Collection of articles, p. 476).
Tolstoy's yearbook of 1913. P. 1914. II. 25, 2 pr. t. 85, p. 229.
See “Russian fairy tales and songs in Siberia and other materials.” Krasnoyarsk, 1902, edited by Potanin.
Good day everyone. You are on the “Your Feng Shui” website. The last article was about the god of wealth and fun, a good-natured person and a joker, as well as what he can “give you.” If anyone has not heard of this yet, I advise you to get acquainted.
Fu Xing Lu Xing Shou Xing
Well, I want to continue the story about Chinese deities, there are quite a lot of them, so I have highlighted a separate section on the site - “”, to make it easier for you to navigate.
Today I’ll tell you about a powerful and interesting talisman - the Three Star Elders of Feng Shui. These are three deities at once, bestowing almost all the basic benefits that people need so much.
Three Feng Shui Elders Fuk Luk Sau 
Three star elders This symbol includes figurines of three gods at once, their names are Fu-sin, Lu-sin and Shou-sin (or they are also called Fuk, Luk, Sau). They are depicted as grey-haired old men who are symbolic deities. The Chinese believe that the elders symbolize the three brightest stars of the Big Dipper, and are able to bring happiness, health, and wealth to the house. You can use the figures of elders separately, but it is believed that placing them together will be much more effective.
Feng Shui meanings of the three star elders
Fu-sin (Fuk, Fu)
Considered the first of these gods, he stands, as a rule, in the middle of the talisman, and is sometimes slightly taller than his companions. Symbolizes happiness and great luck. As a rule, it brings material well-being and stability to the home. Its attributes can be coins, gold bars, a cup of wealth, or the “fu” symbol written in 100 variants, which means “hundreds of wishes for prosperity and happiness.”
Lu-sin (Bow, Lu)
Unlike Fu-sing, he can be depicted with different attributes, and this will change his purpose. For example, if this star elder holds a child in his hands, then this means procreation, abundance and prosperity. If he has a scepter or scroll in his hands, these are symbols of strengthening strength and power, family authority.
Shou-shin (Sau, Shu)
God is a talisman that bestows health and longevity. Most often, its attributes are a peach, a deer, a pine tree (symbols of longevity) or a staff made of
ginseng root (symbol of good health).
Where to put it in the house
Three Elders of Feng Shui Fu Lu Shu 
Three Elders of Feng Shui Fu Xing Lu Xing Shou Xing Fook, Luk, Sau feng shui can be placed in many places and areas of the house, due to its wide range of effects.
It is believed that the most suitable place for it is the center of the house, this is precisely the sector that unites all the other zones surrounding it. While the elders are here, they activate various energies, giving them unusual strength. True, the arrangement of rooms in a house or apartment does not always allow one to find such a center. In this case, other accommodation options are also good.
Three star elders according to feng shui together 
Three Feng Shui Elders Fu Lu Shu If you choose by room, these are the rooms where all family members most often gather, for example, the living room or dining room. A bathroom, toilet or kitchen will not work.
If you choose a place for elders by zone, then zone, zone, zone or zone are perfect for them.
Three elders feng shui figurine Moreover, it would be best to organize a special niche for this talisman, some place of solitude, providing an opportunity for “meditation.” In peace and quiet, the elders will be able to “concentrate” and will be as useful as possible for their owners.
Perhaps, instead of figurines, use images of the three star elders of Feng Shui.
If a figurine of one of the elders is damaged
If it suddenly happens that one of the figurines has become unusable, then do not throw it in the trash. This is disrespectful to the elders. You can either bury it in the ground (bury it) or throw it into a running river. Arrange the remaining two figures in the rooms according to their purpose or give them as a gift to someone. It's up to you to choose. And in return, buy a whole talisman of three star elders.
This is such an interesting talisman. One might say universal.
That's all for me, friends. See you soon on the pages of the site.
