The World Beyond the Grave: Toll-houses and Examples of the Saints

The Guardian Angel, of course, meets the person after his death. Two Angels meet the deceased Christian: The Guardian Angel, and the Angel-guide. They take the person to the various places beyond the grave. Likewise, he is also met by at least two evil spirits: an angel-temptor, and the angel-guide to the depths. This ordinarily happens on the third day, or, if the the person greatly yearns to be in Heaven, on the very first day. Ordinarily, the Saints were not delayed, and did not have to wait for anything, but simply went straight to Heaven. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6: 21). If one has a great store in Heaven, why should he wait? Perhaps he wants to receive his inheritance as soon as possible? Thus, if his beloved Bridegroom is there, what does he need to do on earth?

When the person is taken up into the air, he encounters the barriers of the princes of darkness, which are ordinarily referred to as "toll-houses." Before her Dormition, even the Mother of God, on leaving the earth to go to her Son, prayed that He protect her from the toll-houses of the air. The Holy Martyr Eustratius, whose prayer we read during the Saturday Midnight Office, also asks God that He make him worthy to pass through the barriers of the toll-houses. Accordingly, we also must pray to God that he protect us.

The toll-houses are the final attempt to tempt and harm people. They are unavoidable, because you have to pass through their realm. The question is, how unavoidable are they? As I said, one who communes is immediately lifted up to Heaven, and bypasses the toll-houses, while the demons scatter in all different directions.

Read Fr. Tikhon Agrikov's Winged in the Trinity. It is a remarkable book about contemporary spiritual strugglers, one that I recommend to everyone. For a time, Fr. Tikhon Agrikov, Schema-archimandrite Panteleimon, was spiritual director of the Lavra, then was an elder in the Caucasus, then during the Chechen War lived in the Carpathians, and later, again in the Caucasus. He reposed and departed to the Lord in Malakhovka. This was an eminent Elder of our time! I even knew him a little bit personally. He was truly an ascetic struggler for God; in your commemorations, remember him as "Schema-archimandrite Panteleimon." His book is now available for sale. His nephew, Bishop Alexander of Dmitrov, is now vicar to the Patriarch in Moscow, and serves in Cherkizovo.

At Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, there was a certain well-known hierodeacon who reposed in 1960. Fr. Tikhon related that the hierodeacon served the Liturgy, communed, consumed the Holy Gifts left in the Chalice, and went to rest in his cell. He fell asleep and never woke up again. Then, right in his cell, Fr. Tikhon prayed that the deacon's fate beyond the grave be revealed to him. On the 40^th day, the [deceased hierodeacon] appeared to him, happy and radiant with joy. Then Fr. Tikhon asked him, "How did you get through the toll-houses?" He replied, "You know, through the power of Holy Communion, I sailed right by them." The demons scattered in all directions, because he had communed of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Do you understand? That is your best defense.

At the same time, intense prayer provokes the demons to attack. Ascetic strugglers, who lead a spiritual way of life, are constantly subjected to demonic attack Demons do not try to terrify those who do not lead such a way of life. If you do not want the demons to try to frighten you at the toll-houses, just lead a bad way of life, and they will simply deceive you.

As St. Theophan the Recluse said, if a person has gotten used to gluttony, the demons will try to deceive him. If the soul has left the body, but the person had been used to living to satisfy his stomach, what will the soul see? St. Theophan the Recluse says that it will see an elaborately laden table, with black caviar, red caviar, sturgeon fillets, tortes, wine and so on. What will the soul do? Where will it be drawn? That is where [the demons] catch it. You voluntarily went in that direction, you see? This is the origin for all of the tales of astral worlds, astral blessed abodes. They are a description of those very Satanic traps that he places on the path beyond the grave. It is a well organized reality - the reality of traps made to catch people. Moreover, I am convinced that Muslims actually see a Muslim paradise. You see? Later, of course, they are quite unhappy to have wound up there.

Everyone except those who have confessed certainly fall into those traps. Theodora's account describes twenty, while other sources list a different number. In essence, they are where our sins are examined. How? At that moment, the evil spirits pull out all of the notes they have made, and call to mind one's sins and use them to try to harm the soul, and to establish their right to take it away. Remember however, that they will be unable to find a single sin that has been confessed. They can remember sins being committed, but they will find no material proof of them. Therefore, you should go to Confession as often as possible.