He was born around 340 in Egypt. With his two brothers Anuvius (IV century; memory of June 5/18) and Paisius, he went to one of the Egyptian monasteries, where all three took monastic vows. The Monk Pimen spent his time in strict fasting and prayerful exploits and reached such a height of virtues that he entered into perfect dispassion.
For many monks, St. Pimen was a spiritual mentor and guide. They wrote down his answers for the edification of themselves and others. When asked how to get rid of obsessive evil thoughts, the elder replied: "Evil thoughts inspired by the enemy of our salvation can, like a spark, ignite sinful desires in a person. It is necessary to extinguish these sparks with water, that is, with prayer and the aspiration of the soul to God."
The monk said: "A person needs to follow three main rules: to fear God, to pray often and to do good to people. Malice will never destroy malice; if someone has done evil to you, do good to him, and your good will overcome his malice."
Having become famous for the sanctity of his life and the deep edification of his teachings, having been about 110 years old from birth, the Egyptian hermit died around 450. Soon he was recognized as a saint of God and received the name Great as a sign of great humility, modesty, truthfulness and selfless service to God.