“The man in this picture is not a pauper, nor a beggar, nor a vagabond. This is Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy – a giant of Russian and world literature. At the age of fifty, Tolstoy fell into a deep depression. There was no external cause – he had everything. He was a count, rich, famous, recognized. But inside him, something was dying. Day by day, sadness grew, and life lost its color.
At the age of fifty, Tolstoy discovered how power is powerless in the face of sadness. “Money is nothing. Power is nothing,” he wrote. “I have seen many who have both, and yet are unhappy. Even health is not decisive – the sick often have the will to live, and the healthy are paralyzed with fear.” One day, walking along Afanasyevskaya Street in Moscow, he saw an orphan. A child, barefoot, lost, without any support. Tolstoy approached, without a word, and took him with him. That evening, for the first time in a long time, he felt peace. He forgot about himself, his problems, his sadness. At that moment, something broke inside him. From that day on, he renounced the clothes of a gentleman, luxury, privileges. He began to live simply, to share what he had with those who had nothing. He no longer talked about religion, charity, love – he demanded that all this be shown in deeds. “Don’t talk to me about religion,” he said, “show me religion in your actions.”
Tolstoy became the first great theorist of nonviolence, he preached brotherhood among nations, and his ideas later deeply influenced Mahatma Gandhi. Until the last day of his life, he continued to help others. Many called him crazy for this.
In a world where all that matters is having – things, people, power – in a world where everyone wants to take, and no one knows how to give, Tolstoy seemed like a madman. Once a friend, rich and respected, said to him: “What is the point of all this? Why do you care about others? You should think about yourself.” Tolstoy replied: ‘If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel someone else’s pain, you are human.'” ~ N. N. Good night brothers and sisters
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