Saint Seraphim of Sarvo and His Bear-Friend. By Dr Chapman Chen

Intro.: Saint Seraphim of Sarov (19 July 1754 – 14 Jan. 1833), born in Kursk, was a most revered Russian vegan monk. Between 1794 and 1819, he lived as a secluded hermit in the woods outside Sarov Monastery, during which he subsisted on vegetables he cultivated himself and formed gentle, trusting relationships with wild animals such as bears, rabbits, wolves, and foxes. A nun once saw the holy monk sitting beside a bear, stroking him and feeding him with bread. From 1825 onward, Seraphim began receiving pilgrims, healing many of them both physically and spiritually.

1. A Hermit for 25 Years

In 1777, at the age of nineteen, Seraphim entered the Sarov Monastery in Tambov Province. In 1793, he was ordained as a hieromonk, and he later became the spiritual father of the Diveyevo Convent. From 1794 to 1819, he retreated to a log cabin in the woods outside Sarov Monastery and lived a solitary life as a hermit for 25 years. During this period, he spent 1,000 days standing, kneeling, and praying on rocks in the age-old Stylite tradition. He chopped his own firewood and subsisted on bread and

2. Growing His Own Veggies

According to Valentine Zander’s (1968) Saint Seraphim of Sarov: His Life (https://archive.org/details/saintseraphimofs0000zand/page/16/mode/2up?q=abject ), Father Seraphim once pointed out to a sister of Diveyevo a small plant growing in the forest, explaining that it was edible and had sustained him for years. He dried it for use in the winter and ate it raw during the summer months.

3. Befriending Wild Animals

Based on The Oxford Dictionary of Saints by David Farmer (2004), Finding Deep Joy by Robert Ellwood (2001), and online sources like Gracia Fay Ellywood (2007 https://www.vegetarianfriends.net/issue30.html), whilst living in the woods, Seraphim formed close bonds with wild animals like bears, rabbits, wolves, and foxes. This intimacy with animals is not merely legendary: a nun from the nearby Diveyevo Convent gave the following testimony.

3. Feeding the Bear

According to Valentine Zander’s (1975) St. Seraphim of Sarov (https://archive.org/details/stseraphimofsaro0000zand/page/66/mode/2up), one day, Matrona Plescheva, a nun of Diveyevo, saw Fr. Seraphim seated on a tree trunk beside a bear. Startled, she cried out. Seraphim gently patted the animal and sent him away, then invited her to sit with him. Shortly afterwards, the bear returned and lay quietly at his feet. Though frightened at first, Matrona soon calmed when she saw Seraphim treating the bear gently, stroking him and feeding him bread. She later recalled being struck by the radiant joy on his face. Reassured, she herself offered bread to the bear and felt great delight in feeding him. Smiling, Seraphim remarked that, just as St Jerome had fed a lion, here was a bear obedient to them. When Matrona expressed fear that others would be terrified, Seraphim replied that no one else would see it and that the bear would not be harmed.

On another occasion, two nuns witnessed a similar scene. Fr. Seraphim was seated on a log when a large bear suddenly emerged from the forest, standing on its hind legs. Startled, the nuns drew back, but the Elder calmly said, “Misha, why are you frightening the orphans?” The bear came back two hours later carrying a fresh honeycomb wrapped in leaves. Seraphim gave Misha some bread, and sent him away (Helen Kontsevich 2012 https://orthochristian.com/58793.html).

There is little doubt that Seraphim’s vegan way of life arose from compassion rather than from the mere observance of ascetic custom (cf. Ellywood 2007).

4. Forgiving His Enemies

During his hermithood, Seraphim was brutally assaulted—not by animals, but by human bandits—who beat him with the handle of his own axe as he offered no resistance and left him for dead. He survived and managed to crawl back to the monastery, but the injuries left him permanently stooped. When the attackers were later captured, Seraphim is said to have pleaded with the judge to show them mercy (Helen Kontsevich 2012 https://orthochristian.com/58793.html).

5. Performing Healing Miracles

From 1819 through 1825, Seraphim returned closer to the Sarov Monastery, lived in a cell, not the forest, and took a vow of silence.

In 1825, Seraphim began admitting pilgrims to his hermitage as a confessor. He quickly became hugely popular due to his reputation for healing powers and gift of prophecy. Hundreds of pilgrims per day visited him, drawn as well by his ability to answer his guests' questions before they could ask.

6. The Original of Father Zossima

St Seraphim is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. He extended the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson. His most popular quote is "Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and thousands around you will be saved." He was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1903. His feast day is 2 Jan. Though many people may know little of Seraphim himself, they have nonetheless been influenced by him via Dostoevsky, who based the character of Father Zossima in The Brothers Karamazov on the saint. #VeganChrist  #VeganGod #VeganTheology #VeganChurch

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