EVAGRIUS the MONK
[Prologue: Letter to Anatolius]

ΕΥΑΓΡΙΟΥ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ

[Prol.1.] SINCE you recently wrote to me in Scetis from the Holy Mountain, dear brother Anatolius, demanding that I explain to you the symbolic habit of the Egyptian monks - for you believe it to be neither accidental nor superfluous that [the habit] is so different from what other people wear - I will therefore tell you what we have learned concerning this from the holy fathers.

  [Cassian, Inst. 3]

[Prol.2.] THE hood (koukoullion) is a symbol of the grace of our Saviour [and] God: it shelters their mind (hegemonikon) and nurses their childlike [relationship] with Christ in the face of those who are always attempting to beat and wound it. Anyone who bears this  hood on his head is truly chanting the [inner] meaning of the psalm:

“Unless the Lord builds the house and guards the city, in vain do the builder and watchman labor” (Ps. 126:1).

  [cf. Cassian, Inst. 4]

[Prol.3.] THE nakedness of their hands manifests the absence of hypocrisy in their way of life. Vainglory is [terribly] clever at covering and darkening virtues, always hunting for the esteem [glory] that comes from men and chasing faith away.

For how it is possible for you to believe, it says, when you receive glory from one another; and the glory that comes only from God you do not seek? (Jn 5:44).

Πῶς γὰρ δύνασθε͵ φησί͵ πιστεῦσαι͵ δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες͵ καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου Θεοῦ οὐ ζητοῦντες;

[Cassian, Inst. 5]

[Prol.4.] AND again, the scapular that wraps around the shoulders in the form of a cross is a symbol of the faith in Christ that supports the gentle (Ps.146:6) and always, despite obstacles, permits them to work unimpeded.

 [Cassian, Inst. 1.1 ;  Inst. 1.11]

[Prol.5.] THE belt tied around their loins repels all impurity and declares, It is good for a man not to touch a woman’ (I Cor.7:1).

 [Cassian, Inst. 1.7]

[Prl.6.] THEY wear the sheepskin - those always carrying around in their bodies the death of Jesus: (2 Cor.4:10) and muzzling all the body's irrational passions, cutting back the wickedness of the soul by their communion in good;

³⁷ Τὴν δὲ μηλωτὴν ἔχουσιν οἱ πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες καὶ φιμοῦντες μὲν πάντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος ἄλογα πάθη͵ τὰς δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς κακίας μετουσίᾳ τοῦ καλοῦ περικόπτοντες·

and loving poverty but fleeing from avarice as the mother of idolatry (Col. 3:5)

 [Cassian, Inst. 1.8]

[Prol.7.] THE staff is a tree of life to all who hold it, reliable for those who lean on it just as [they lean] on the Lord (Prov. 3:18).

[Prol.8] THE habit, then, is like a symbol that summarizes [these] things.  And these are the words the fathers always say to them:

“Faith, o [my] child is steadied by the fear of God

And [this fear] in turn [is strengthened] by continence.

This latter [virtue] is made unshakable by patient endurance and hope:

τὴν πίστιν͵ ὦ τέκνα͵ βεβαιοῖ ὁ φόβος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ͵

καὶ τοῦτον πάλιν ἐγκράτεια͵

 ταύτην δὲ ἀκλινῆ ποιοῦσιν ὑπομονὴ καὶ ἐλπίς͵

from these is born apatheia [dispassion], which brings into being love.

Love is the door to knowledge of nature

which leads to theology and the supreme blessedness.”

ἀφ΄ ὧν τίκτεται ἀπάθεια͵

 ἧς ἔγγονον ἡ ἀγάπη͵

 ἀγάπη δὲ θύρα γνώσεως φυσικῆς

ἣν διαδέχεται θεολογία καὶ ἡ ἐσχάτη μακαριότης.

[Prol.9.] And so, concerning the holy habit and the teaching of the elders, these things we have said should suffice for now.

BUT concerning the life of the ascetic and the knower I now propose to describe in detail not [only] what we have seen or heard, but also what I have been taught by [the elders] to say to others. I have compactly divided ascetical matters into a hundred chapters, and matters of knowledge into fifty, plus six hundred.

And some things I have concealed and shadowed over, so that we do not throw holy things to the dogs nor cast pearls before swine (Mat. 7:6). But this will be clear to those who have embarked on the same quest [ichnos =searching for traces].

Introd- 1.

by the same [Evagrius]
TREATISE on the PRAKTIKÉ:
100 CHAPTERS

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ
ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΟΣ
 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΑ Ρ´

§_01

1. CHRISTIANITY is the teaching of our Savior Christ consisting of [:]

ascetical practice,

the [contemplation of] nature,

and theology.

α´. Χριστιανισμός ἐστι δόγμα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ ἐκ

πρακτικῆς

και φυσικῆς

καὶ θεολογικῆς συνεστός.

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2. THE Kingdom of Heaven is apatheia (dispassion) of the soul together with true knowledge of beings

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3.THE Kingdom of God is knowledge of the Holy Trinity, coextensive with the capacity of the nous (mind/intellect) but surpassing it in incorruptibility.

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4. WHATEVER a person ardently loves (eros) he will want completely. And what he wants he will struggle to acquire. Now every pleasure  is preceded by desire (epithumia) and desire is born of sensation: thus that which is not subject to sensation is also free from passion.

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5. AGAINST the hermits the demons engage in naked combat. Against those laboring at virtue in [cenobitic] monasteries or communities they arm the more careless of the brethren.

    For the second battle is much lighter than the first, since there cannot be found on earth men more bitter than the demons, or [able] to undertake all their evil doings at once.

§ 6. NATURE of the LOGISMOI

6. THERE are eight principal kinds of [tempting-] thoughts (logismoi), that contain within themselves every [tempting-] thought:

first, that of gluttony;

and with it, that of sexual immorality;

third, that of love of money;

πρῶτος ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας,

καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ὁ τῆς πορνείας·

τρίτος ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας·

fourth, that of sadness;

fifth, that of anger;

sixth that of acedia;

τέταρτος ὁ τῆς λύπης·

πέμπτος ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς·

ἕκτος ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας·

seventh, that of vainglory;

eighth, that of pride.

ἕβδομος ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας·

ὄγδοος ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίς.

We cannot [control] whether these [tempting-thoughts] can agitate the soul or not; but whether they remain [in us] or not, and whether they arouse the passions or not – that we can [control].

Τούτους πάντας παρενοχλεῖν μὲν τῇ ψυχῇ ἢ μὴ παρενοχλεῖν͵ τῶν οὐκ ἐφ΄ ἡμῖν ἐστι· τὸ δὲ χρονίζειν αὐτοὺς ἢ μὴ χρονίζειν͵ ἢ πάθη κινεῖν ἢ μὴ κινεῖν͵ τῶν ἐφ΄ ἡμῖν.

7. THE [tempting]-thought of gluttony suggests to the monk the sudden rejection of his asceticism.  The stomach, liver, spleen, and [resultant] congestive heart failure are depicted, along with long sickness, lack of necessities, and unavailability of physicians.  It often leads him to recall those of the brethren who have suffered these things. Sometimes it even deceives those who have suffered from this kind of thing to go and visit [others] who are practicing self-control, to tell them all about their misfortunes and how this resulted from their asceticism.

   ζʹ.  (7) Ὁ μὲν τῆς γαστριμαργίας λογισμὸς ἔκπτωσιν ταχεῖαν τῷ μοναχῷ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ὑποβάλλει· στόμαχον καὶ ἧπαρ καὶ σπλῆνα καὶ ὕδρωπα διαγράφων͵ καὶ νόσον μακράν͵ καὶ σπάνιν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων͵ καὶ ἰατρῶν ἀπορίαν. Φέρει δὲ αὐτὸν πολλάκις καὶ εἰς μνήμην ἀδελφῶν τινων τούτοις περιπεσόντων τοῖς πάθεσιν. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους τοὺς πεπονθό τας παραβάλλειν ἀναπείθει τοῖς ἐγκρατευομένοις͵ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐκδιηγεῖσθαι συμφοράς͵ καὶ ὡς ἐκ τῆς ἀσκήσεως τοιοῦτοι γεγόνασιν.

Contaminating the soul, it bends it down towards these sorts of deeds: it makes it speak certain words and then hear them, as if the thing were actually there to be seen.

καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μιαίνων περὶ ἐκείνας κατακάμπτει τὰς ἐργασίας· λέγειν τε αὐτήν τινα ῥήματα καὶ πάλιν ἀκούειν ποιεῖ͵ ὡς ὁρωμένου δῆθεν καὶ παρόντος τοῦ πράγματος.

9. LOVE of money (avarice) suggests: a long old age; hands powerless to work; hunger and disease yet to come; the bitterness of poverty; and the disgrace of receiving the necessities [of life] from others.

θ´.  (9) Ἡ φιλαργυρία γῆρας μακρὸν ὑποβάλλει καὶ πρὸς ἐργασίαν ἀδυναμίαν χειρῶν͵ λιμούς τε ἐσομένους καὶ νόσους συμβησο μένας͵ καὶ τὰ τῆς πενίας πικρά͵ καὶ ὡς ἐπονείδιστον τὸ παρ΄ ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν.

10. GLOOMINESS sometimes arises from frustrated desires; but sometimes it is the result of anger. When desires are frustrated it arises thus: certain [tempting-]thoughts first seize the soul and remind it of home and parents and its former course of life.

ι´. (10) Ἡ λύπη ποτὲ μὲν ἐπισυμβαίνει κατὰ στέρησιν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν͵ ποτὲ δὲ καὶ παρέπεται τῇ ὀργῇ. Κατὰ στέρησιν δὲ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν οὕτως ἐπισυμβαίνει· λογισμοί τινες προλαβόντες εἰς μνήμην ἄγουσι τὴν ψυχὴν οἴκου τε καὶ γονέων καὶ τῆς προτέρας διαγωγῆς.

it causes the soul to be savage all day long, but especially in prayers it seizes the nous, reflecting back the face of the distressing person.

ἥτις πανημέριον μὲν ἐξαγριοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν͵ μάλιστα δὲ ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς συναρπάζει τὸν νοῦν͵ τὸ τοῦ λελυπηκότος πρόσωπον ἐσοπτρίζουσα.

Ἐστι δὲ ὅτε χρονίζουσα καὶ μεταβαλλομένη εἰς μῆνιν, ταραχὰς νύκτωρ παρέχει͵ τῆξίν τε τοῦ σώματος καὶ ὠχρότητα͵ καὶ θηρίων ἰοβόλων ἐπιδρομάς. Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα μετὰ τὴν μῆνιν συμβαίνοντα͵ εὕροι ἄν τις παρακολουθοῦντα πλείοσι λογισμοῖς.

12. THE demon of acedia, which is also called the noonday demon (Ps 90.6), is the most burdensome of all the demons. It besets the monk at about the fourth hour (10 am) of the morning, encircling his soul until about the eighth hour (2 pm).

   ιβʹ (12) Ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας δαίμων͵ ὃς καὶ μεσημβρινὸς καλεῖται͵ πάντων τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστὶ βαρύτατος· καὶ ἐφίσταται μὲν τῷ μοναχῷ περὶ ὥραν τετάρτην͵ κυκλοῖ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ μέχρις ὥρας ὀγδόης.

 [1] First it makes the sun appear to slow down or stop , so the day seems to be fifty hours long.

Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἥλιον καθορᾶσθαι ποιεῖ δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον͵ πεντηκοντάωρον τὴν ἡμέραν δεικνύς.

 [2] Then it forces the monk to keep looking out the window and rush from his cell to observe the sun in order to see how much longer it is to  the ninth [hour, i.e. 3 pm], and to look about in every directions in case any of the brothers are there.  

 Ἔπειτα δὲ συνεχῶς ἀφορᾶν πρὸς τὰς θυρίδας καὶ τῆς κέλλης ἐκπηδᾶν ἐκβιάζεται͵ τῷ τε ἡλίῳ ἐνατενίζειν πόσον τῆς ἐνάτης ἀφέστηκε͵ καὶ περιβλέπεσθαι τῇδε κἀκεῖσε μή τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν.

 [3] Then it assails him with hatred of his place, his way of life and the work of his hands; that love has departed from the brethren and there is no one to console him (cf. Lam 1.17, 21).

  Ἔτι δὲ μῖσος πρὸς τὸν τόπον ἐμβάλλει καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον αὐτόν͵ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τὸ τῶν χειρῶν· καὶ ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπε παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἡ ἀγάπη καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν·

 [4] If anyone has recently caused the monk grief the demon adds this as well to amplify his hatred [of these things]

εἰ δὲ καί τις κατ΄ ἐκείνας τὰς ἡμέρας εἴη λυπήσας τὸν μοναχόν͵ καὶ τοῦτο εἰς αὔξησιν τοῦ μίσους ὁ δαίμων προστίθησιν.

 [5] It makes him desire other places where he can easily find all that he needs and practice an easier, more convenient craft  After all, pleasing the Lord is not dependent on geography, the demon adds; God is to be worshipped everywhere. 

 [6] It combines this with remembrance of his relatives and his former way of life, and depicts to him a long life, placing before his eyes a vision of the burdens of the ascetic life. 

Συνάπτει δὲ τούτοις καὶ μνήμην τῶν οἰκείων καὶ τῆς προτέρας διαγωγῆς· καὶ χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ὑπογράφει μακρόν͵ τοὺς τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνους φέρων πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν·

καὶ πᾶσαν τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον κινεῖ μηχανὴν ἵνα καταλελοιπὼς ὁ μοναχὸς τὴν κέλλαν φύγῃ τὸ στάδιον.

No other demon comes immediately after this one; rather, after the struggle the soul receives in turn a peaceful state and unspeakable joy

 Τούτῳ τῷ δαίμονι ἄλλος μὲν εὐθὺς δαίμων οὐχ ἕπεται· εἰρηνικὴ δέ τις κατάστασις καὶ χαρὰ ἀνεκλάλητος μετὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὴν ψυχὴν διαδέχεται.

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13. THE [tempting-]thought of vainglory is especially subtle and easily sneaks into those whose lives are going well,

   ιγ'  (13) Ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας λογισμὸς λεπτότατός τίς ἐστι καὶ παρυφίσταται τοῖς κατορθοῦσι ῥᾳδίως

[A] wanting to publish their efforts

[B] and go hunting for glory among men;

δημοσιεύειν αὐτῶν τοὺς ἀγῶνας βουλόμενος

 καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξας θηρώμενος͵

[1] it imagines demons shouting,

[2] and women being healed,

[3] and a crowd wanting to touch his clothes.

[4] It prophesies his [ordination to the] priesthood, with people seeking him at his door; and even if resists being carried off [to be ordained] by force.

δαίμονάς τε κράζοντας ἀναπλάττων

καὶ θεραπευόμενα γύναια

καὶ ὄχλον τινὰ τῶν ἱματίων ἐφαπτόμενον·

μαντεύεται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἱερωσύνην λοιπὸν καὶ τοὺς ζητοῦντας αὐτὸν ταῖς θύραις ἐφίστησι· καὶ ὡς εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο δέσμιος ἀπαχθήσεται.

Καὶ οὕτως αὐτὸν μετέωρον ταῖς κεναῖς ἐλπίσι ποιήσας ἀφίπταται καταλιπὼν ἢ τῷ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας δαίμονι πειράζειν αὐτὸν ἢ τῷ τῆς λύπης͵ ὅστις ἐπάγει καὶ λογισμοὺς αὐτῷ ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐναντιουμένους·

[1] not to acknowledge God’s help;

[2] to think it is responsible for its own success;

[3] and to be arrogant towards the brethren as unintelligent because they do not all share the same opinion concerning this.

 Θεὸν μὲν μὴ ὁμολογεῖν βοηθόν͵

ἑαυτὴν δὲ τῶν κατορθουμένων αἰτίαν εἶναι νομίζειν

καὶ φυσιοῦσθαι κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὡς ἀνοήτων͵ διότι μὴ τοῦτο περὶ αὐτῆς πάντες ἐπίστανται.

[1] anger and

[2] gloominess and the ultimate evil,

[3] complete insanity and madness, and visions of throngs of demons in the air.

ὀργὴ καὶ

λύπη͵ καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον κακόν͵

ἔκστασις φρενῶν καὶ μανία καὶ δαιμόνων ἐν τῷ ἀέρι πλῆθος ὁρώμενον.

§ 15. Resisting Logismoi

15. THE wandering nous is made stable by
[1] reading,
[2] vigils and
[3] prayer.

  ιε´.  Νοῦν μεν πλανώμενον ἵστησιν
   ἀναγνωσις καὶ
   ἀγρυπνία  και
   προσευχή·

  Burning epithumia (desire) is quenched by
[1] hunger,
[2] toil, and
[3] solitude. 

 ἐπιθυμίαν δὲ ἐκφλογουμένην μαραίνει
   πεῖνα  καὶ
   κόπος καὶ
   ἀναχώρησις·

  Churning thumos (indignation) is calmed by
[1] the singing of Psalms, by
[2] patient endurance and
[3] mercy. 

θυμὸν δὲ καταπαύει κυκώμενον
    ψαλμῳδία καὶ
   μακροθυμία καὶ
   ἔλεος·

 But all these practices are to be engaged in at proper times and in proper measure.  What is done untimely or without measure is temporary.  And what is temporary is more harmful and not beneficial.

καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς  προσήκουσι χρόνοις τε καὶ μέτροις γινόμενα· τὰ γὰρ ἄμετρα καὶ  ἄκαιρα ὀλιγοχρόνια· τὰ δὲ ὀλιγοχρόνια βλαπερὰ μᾶλλον καὶ  οὐκ ὠφέλιμα.

16. WHEN our soul longs for a variety of different foods, then its portion should be reduced to bread and water to make it thankful for a little morsel. It is satiety that desires variety in food; hunger considers it blessedness just to have satiety of bread.

  ις'  Ὁπηνίκα διαφόρων βρωμάτων ἐφίεται ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχή, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἐν ἄρτῳ στενούσθω καὶ ὕδατι ἵν' εὐχάριστος γένηται καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ψιλῷ τῷ ψωμῷ· κόρος γὰρ ποικίλων ἐδεσμάτων ἐπιθυμεῖ, λιμὸς δὲ τὸν κόρον τοῦ ἄρτου μακαριότητα εἶναι νοίζει.

17.A GREAT aid to chastity is deprivation of water: bepersuaded by three hundred Israelites who defeated Midian in company with Gideon (Judges 7:5-7).

  ιζ'  Πάνυ πρὸς σωφροσύνην συμβάλλεται ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος ἔνδεια· καὶ πειθέτωσάν σε τῶν  Ἰσραηλιτῶν οἱ μετὰ Γεδεὼν τριακόσιοι τὴν Μαδιὰμ χειρωσάμενοι.

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20.  ANGER and hatred amplify indignation: merciful compassion and gentleness decrease it even when present.

  κʹ  Ὀργὴ μὲν καὶ μῖσος αὔξει θυμόν· ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ καὶ πραΰτης καὶ τὸν ὄντα μειοῖ.

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21.  THE sun should not set on our anger (Eph. 4:26): so that the demons do not, rising up by night, terrify the soul and make the nous  more cowardly the day after for the fight. For terrifying phantasms are produced by the disturbance of indignation.  And nothing makes a deserter out of the nous as much as disturbed indignation.

  καʹ  Ὁ  ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπἰ τῷ παροργισμῷ ἡμῶν, ἵνα  μὴ νύκτωρ ἐπιστάντες οἱ δαίμονες ἐκδειματώσωσι τὴν ψυχὴν  καὶ δειλότερον ποιήσωσι τῇ ἐπιούσῃ τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὸν  πόλεμον· τὰ γὰρ φοβερὰ φάσματα ἐκ τῆς ταραχῆς τοῦ θυμου  πέφυκε γίνεσθαι· οὐδὲν δὲ λειποτάκτην οὕτως ἄλλο τὸν νοῦν  ἀπεργάζεται ὡς θυμὸς ταρασσόμενος.

22. WHEN the irascible part of our soul (thumikon) seizes some excuse and is troubled, then the demons suggest to us how good it is to withdraw [into solitude] thus keeping us from resolving the cause of the gloominess and freeing ourselves from the disturbance.

  κβʹ  Ὁπηνίκα προφάσεως ἐφαψάμενον τὸ θυμικὸν ἡμῶν μέρος  τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκταράσσεται, τὸ τηνικαῦτα καὶ οἱ δαίμονες τὴν  ἀναχώρησιν ἡμῖν ὡς καλὴν ὑποβάλλουσιν, ἵνα μὴ τὰς αἰτίας  τῆς λυπης λύσαντες ταραχ͂ς ἑαυτοὺς ἀπαλλάξωμεν. 

But when our desiring part (eipithumetikon) is enkindled, then they make us sociable and call us hardened and uncivil, so that by desiring bodies we [then] come into contact with bodies. We should not obey them, but instead do the opposite.

 Ὁταν  δὲ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν ἐκθερμαίνηται, τότε πάλιν φιλανθρώπυος  ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζονται σκληροὺς καὶ ἀγρίους ἀποκαλοῦντες, ἵνα ⁷ σωμάτων ἐπιθυμοῦντες σώμασιν ἐντυγχάνωμεν. Οἷς οὐ ⁸ πείθεσθαι δεῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ἐναντίον ποιεῖν.

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23. DO not give yourself to the [tempting-] thought of anger by fighting mentally the distressing person; nor to that of fornication by spending most of the time in fantasies of pleasures. For the one darkens the soul, the other summons it to burn with passion.  Both of these pollute your nous .

  κγʹ  Μή δῷς σεαυτὸν τῷ τῆς ὀγῆς λογισμῷ κατὰ διάνοιαν  τῷ λελυπηκότι μαχόμενος· μηδ' αὐ πάλιν τῷ τῆς πορνείας  ἐπἰ πλεῖστον τἠν ἡδονὴν φανταζόμενος· τὸ μἐν γὰρ ἐπισκοτεῖ  τῇ ψυχῇ, τὸ δὲ πρὸς τὴν πύρωσιν τοῦ πάθους αὐτὴν προσκαλεῖται·  ἑκάτερα δὲ τὸν νοῦν σου ῥυπῶντα ποιεῖ·

And [thus] at the time of prayer [you will] fantasize images: and not [being able] to offer pure prayer to God, you will immediately fall victim to the demon of acedia. This demon readily leaps upon such states and, like a dog with a young deer, tears the soul to pieces .

καὶ παρὰ  τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς τὰ εἴδωλα φανταζόμενος καὶ  καθαρὰν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν εὐχὴν μὴ προσφέρων εὐθὺς τῷ τῆς  ἀκηδίας δαίμονι περιπίπτεις· ὅστις μάλιστα ταῖς τοιαύταὶς  ἐφάλλεται καταστάσεσι καὶ δίκην κυνὸς καθάπερ νεβρὸν  τὴν ψυχὴν διαπάζει.

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24. THE nature of indignation is to fight the demons and to struggle over any kind of pleasure. For this reason the angels suggest to us spiritual pleasures and the blessedness [coming] from them; they encourage us to direct our indignation towards the demons.  The latter, however, draging us towards worldly desires, violently force our indignation against nature to fight human beings, so as to darken the nous , separating it from Knowledge, and [thus] making it a traitor to the virtues.

  κδʹ Φύσις θυμοῦ τὸ τοῖς δαίμουσι μάχεσθαι καί ὑπὲρ ἡστινοσοῦν  ἡδονῆς ἀγονίζεσθαι.  Διόπερ ὁι μὲν ἄγγελοι τὴν πνευματικὴν  ἡμῖν ἡδονὴν ὑποβάλλοντες καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης μακαριότητα,  πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας τὸν θυμὸν τρέψαι παρακαλοῦσιν· ἐκεῖνοι  δ' ἆυ πάλιν πρὸς τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἕλκοντες ἡμᾶς τὸν  θυμὸν παρὰ φύσιν μάχεσθαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις βιάζονται, ἵνα  σκοτισθεὶς ὁ νοῦς καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἐκπεσὼν προδότης γένηται  τῶν ἀρετῶν.

25 prosexhe seauto never cause brother to flee

25.  TAKE heed to yourself, that you never so provoke any of the brethren that he runs away, or you will never escape during your lifetime from the demon of despondency, which will always become an obstacle for you at the time of prayer

  κεʹ Πρόσεχε σεαυττῷ μήποτε φυγαδεύσῃς τινὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν  παροργίσας, καὶ οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου τὸν τῆς λύπης  δαίμονα παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς ἀεί σοι σκῶλον  γινόμενον.

27.  WHEN we are oppressed by the demon of listlessness, then with tears let us divide our soul in two, ||||  one part encouraging the other, sowing good hopes within us, soothing with David’s chant, ‘Why are you downcast, my soul, why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will confess him, the Savior of my countenance and my God’ (Ps. 41:6).

  κζ'  Ὅταν τῷ τῆς ἀκηδίας περιπέσωμεν δαίμονι, τὸ τηνικαῦτα τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ δακρύων μερίσαντες τὴν μὲν παρακαλοῦσαν τὴν δὲ παρακαλουμένην ποιήσωμεν, ἐλπίδας ἀγαθὰς ἑαυτοῖς ὑποσπείροντες καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Δαυΐδ κατεπᾴδοντες· ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἵνα τί συντααράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, ὅτι ἐξοολογήσομαι αὐτῷ· σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου.

28.  WE must not abandon our cell in time of temptation, making eloquent excuses: we should stay seated within and persevere and bravely receive all comers, especially the demon of acedia, the most oppressive of all, and thereby most highly proving the soul['s quality]. Fleeing from such conflicts and trying to shun this teaches the nous to be incompetent, fearful and fugitive.

  κη Οὐ δεῖ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν πειρασμῶν καταλιμπάνειν τὴν κέλλαν προφάσεις εὐλόγους δῆθεν πλαττόμενον , ἀλλ' ἔνδον καθῆσθαι καὶ ὑπομένειν καὶ δέχεσθαι γενναίως τοὺς ἐπερχομένους ἅπαντας μέν, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὸν τῆς ἀκηδίας δαίμονα, ὅστις ὑπὲρ πάντας βαρύτατος ὢν δοκιμωτάτην μάλιστα τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπεργάζεται.  Τὸ γὰρ φεύγειν τοὺς τοιούτους ἀγῶνας καὶ περιίστασθαι ἄτεχνον τὸν νοῦν καὶ δειλὸν καὶ δραπέτην διδάσκει.

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29.  OUR holy teacher, who was greatly experienced in asceticism (praktikotatos) said, ‘The monk must always be ready as though he were to die tomorrow, but he must as well treat his body as if he were going to live with it for many years. The first [approach] cuts off the thoughts of acedia and makes the monk more zealous, while the second maintains the body and keeps its self-control in balance.’

  κθ'  Ἔλεγε δὲ ὁ ἅγιος καὶ πρακτικώτατος ἡμῶν διδάσκαλος· οὕτω δεῖ ἀεὶ παρσκευάζεσθαι τὸν μονοχὸν ὡς αὔριν τεθνηξόμενον, καὶ οὕτω πάλιν τῷ σώματι κεχρῆσθαι ὡς ἐν πολλοῖς ἔτεσι συζησόμενον.  Τὸ μὲν γάρ, φησί, τοὺς τῆς ἀκηδίας  λογισμοὺς περικόπτει καὶ σπουδαιότερον παρασκευάζει τὸν μοναχόν· τὸ δὲ σῶον διαφυλάττει τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἴσην αὐτοῦ ἀεὶ συντηρεῖ τὴν ἐγκράτειαν.

30. IT is difficult to escape the [tempting-]thought [logismos] of vainglory, since whatever you do to subjugate it becomes the occasion for renewed vainglory. Our proper thoughts (logismoi) are not all opposed by the demons; some of them are opposed by our own individual vices.

  λ'  Χαλεπὸν διαυγεῖν τὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας λογισμόν· ὃ γὰρ ποιεῖς εἰς καθαίρεσιν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο ἀρχή σοι κενοδοξίας ἑτέρας καθίσταται.  Οὐ παντὶ δὲ λογισμῷ ἡμῶν ὀρθῷ ἐναντιοῦνται οἱ δαίμονες ἀλλά τισι καὶ αἱ κακίαι αὗται καθ' ἃς πεποιώμεθα.

31. I HAVE observed the demon of vainglory chased away by almost all the other demons; but then when its pursuers failed, it shamelessly came forward, proclaiming to the monk how great [the monk’s] virtues are.

  λα'  Ἔγνων τὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας δαίμονα σχεδὸν ὑπὸ πάντων διωκόμενον τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν διωκόντων πτώμασιν ἀναιδῶς παριστάενον καὶ τῷ μοναχῷ μέγεθος ἀρετῶν ἐμφανίζοντα.

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32. ONE who has reached knowledge and harvested the pleasure it brings will no longer be persuaded by the demon of vainglory setting before him all the pleasures of the world. For what could it hold out to him better than spiritual contemplation? But to the extent that we have not tasted the savor of knowledge, we should eagerly engage in asceticism [praktikē], demonstrating to God our goal: namely, that we do everything for the sake of knowledge of Him.

  λβ'  Ὁ γνώσεως ἐφαψάμενος και τὴν ἀπ' αὐτης καρπούμενος ἡδονὴν οὐκέτι τῷ τῆς κενοδοξίας πεισθήσεται δαίμονι,  πάσας αὐτῷ τὰς ἡδονὰς τοῦ κόσμου προσάγοντι· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ ὑπόσχοιτο μεῖζον πνευματικῆς θεωρίας;  Ἐν ὅσῳ δέ ἐσμεν γνώσεως ἄγευστοι, τὴν πρακτικὴν προθύμως κατεργαζώμεθα, τὸν σκοπὸν ἡμῶν δεικνύντες Θεῷ ὅτι πάντα πράττομεν τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως ἕνεκεν.

33.  REMEMBER your former life and your old trespasses, and how while subject to passions you transitioned to apatheia by the mercy of Christ, and how you then left the world that had so frequently and in so many ways humiliated you.

    And reflect on this for me: who kept guard over you in the desert and drove away the demons who gnashed their teeth against you?  Thoughts [logismoi] of this sort will instill humility and deny entry the demon of pride.

  λγ'  Μέμνησο τοῦ προτέρου σου βίου καὶ ἀρχαίων παραπτωμάτων, καὶ πῶς ἐμπαθὴς ὢν ἐλέει Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀπάθειαν μεταβέβηκας, καὶ πῶς πάλιν ἐξῆλθες τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ πολλὰ καὶ πολλάκις σε ταπεινώσαντος. 

   Λόγισαι δέ μοι καὶ τοῦτο· τίς ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ φυλάσσων σε͵ καὶ τίς ὁ ἀπελαύ νων τοὺς δαίμονας βρύχοντας κατὰ σοῦ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν. Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι λογισμοὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην μὲν ἐμποιοῦσιν͵ τὸν δὲ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας οὐκ εἰσδέχονται δαίμονα.

§ 34. PASSIONS

34. IF we have memories full of  passion of certain things, it is because we once welcomed these very things with passion. Whatever things we welcome with passion, these things we will later remember with passion. So anyone who has defeated the demons which activate such things makes light of the things they activate The immaterial battle is harder than the material battle.

λδ' Ὧν τὰς μνήμας ἔχομεν ἐμπαθεῖς͵ τούτων καὶ τὰ πράγματα πρότερον μετὰ πάθους ὑπεδεξάμεθα· καὶ ὅσα τῶν πραγμάτων πάλιν μετὰ πάθους ὑποδεχόμεθα͵ τούτων καὶ τὰς μνήμας ἕξομεν ἐμπαθεῖς. Ὅθεν ὁ νικήσας τοὺς ἐνεργοῦντας δαίμονας τῶν ὑπ΄ αὐτῶν ἐνεργουμένων καταφρονεῖ· τοῦ γὰρ ἐνύλου πολέμου ὁ ἄϋλος χαλεπώτερος.

35

35. THE The passions of the soul originate from human beings; those of the body [originate] from the body. And while the passions of the body are cut away by self-control, those of the soul [are cut back] by spiritual love.

λεʹ Τὰ μὲν τῆς ψυχῆς πάθη ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔχει τὰς ἀφορμάς· τὰ δὲ τοῦ σώματος ἐκ τοῦ σώματος· καὶ τὰ μὲν τοῦ σώματος πάθη περικόπτει ἐγκράτεια͵ τὰ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγάπη πνευματική.

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and the monk’s struggle is thus not to prepare him to fight, , but rather to contemplate [the struggle] itself.

καὶ ἡ πάλη οὐ πρὸς ἀγῶνα λοιπόν͵ ἀλλὰ πρὸς θεωρίαν αὐτῆς παρασκευάζει τὸν μοναχόν.

37. WE must consider whether it is concepts (ennoia) that move passions or passions [that] move concepts. Some [people] have held the first opinion, others the second.

λζʹ Πότερον ἡ ἔννοια τὰ πάθη κινεῖ͵ ἢ τὰ πάθη τὴν ἔννοιαν προσεκτέον· τισὶ μὲν γὰρ ἔδοξε τὸ πρότερον͵ τισὶ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον.

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38. BY means of sensations passions are naturally aroused: if both charity and self-control are present they will not be aroused; [but] if absent, they will be aroused. Indignation requires more remedies than desire, and because of this charity is called “great” (1 Cor. 13:13), because it bridles indignation; and therefore Holy Moses in his natural science symbolically names it “snake-fighter” (Lev. 11:22).

ληʹ Ὑπὸ τῶν αἰσθήσεων πέφυκε κινεῖσθαι τὰ πάθη· καὶ παρούσης μὲν ἀγάπης καὶ ἐγκρατείας οὐ κινηθήσεται͵ ἀπούσης δὲ κινηθήσεται· πλειόνων δὲ παρὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ὁ θυμὸς δεῖται φαρμάκων͵ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μεγάλη λέγεται ἡ ἀγάπη ὅτι χαλινός ἐστι τοῦ θυμοῦ· ταύτην καὶ Μωσῆς ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἅγιος ἐν τοῖς φυσικοῖς συμβολικῶς ὀφιομάχην ὠνόμασεν.

39. ON account of the strong stench in demons the soul is usually enflamed against [tempting-]thoughts [logismoi] when it perceives them approaching, being affected by the passion associated with the demon that is annoying it.

λθ' Πρὸς τὴν ἐπικρατοῦσαν δυσωδίαν ἐν τοῖς δαίμοσιν εἴωθεν ἀνάπτεσθαι πρὸς λογισμοὺς ἡ ψυχή͵ ὅταν αὐτῶν ἐγγιζόντων ἀντιλαμβάνηται͵ τῷ τοῦ παρενοχλοῦντος πάθει πεποιωμένη.

40_Instructions

they prevent the sick from giving thanks in their pain and from being patient in receiving their ministrations;

again they exhort the weak to fast

and those who are weighed down to sing psalms while standing.

καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας εὐχαριστεῖν μὲν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀλγηδόσι καὶ μακροθυμεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑπηρετοῦσιν ἀποκωλύουσιν·

 ἀτονοῦντας δὲ πάλιν ἐγκρατεύεσθαι

καὶ βεβαρημένους ἑστῶτας ψάλλειν προτρέπονται.

41. WHEN we are compelled to spend time in cities or towns, we should especially maintain our self-control on occasions when we interact with secular persons, lest our our mind (nous) become coarse and be robbed of its accustomed diligence because of the present time [occasion] and so become a fugitive, thrown about by the demons.

μα' Ὅταν ἐν πόλεσιν ἢ ἐν κώμαις ἐπ΄ ὀλίγον ἀναγκαζώμεθα διατρίβειν͵ τότε μάλιστα σφοδρότερον τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἐχόμε νοι τοῖς κοσμικοῖς συνεσόμεθα͵ μήποτε παχυνθεὶς ἡμῶν ὁ νοῦς καὶ τῆς συνήθους ἐπιμελείας διὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν στερηθεὶς πράξῃ τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων καὶ γένηται φυγάς͵ ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμόνων βαλλόμενος.

42. DO not immediately pray when you are tempted; first speak some words with anger to the one pressuring you: for when your soul is acted upon by tempting-thoughts prayer cannot be pure. But if you speak to them with anger you will confuse and utterly destroy the ideas (noemata) that come from your enemies. This is also the natural result of anger in the case of good ideas.

μβʹ Οὐ πρότερον προσεύξῃ πειραζόμενος͵ πρὶν εἰπεῖν τινα ῥήματα μετ΄ ὀργῆς πρὸς τὸν θλίβοντα· τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς σου πεποιωμένης τοῖς λογισμοῖς͵ συμβαίνει μηδὲ καθαρὰν γενέσθαι τὴν προσευχήν· ἐὰν δὲ μετ΄ ὀργῆς εἴπῃς τι πρὸς αὐτούς͵ συγχεῖς τε καὶ ἐξαφανίζεις τῶν ἀντικειμένων τὰ νοήματα. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ ὀργὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κρειττόνων νοημάτων ἐργάζεσθαι πέφυκεν.

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43. IT is necessary to be aware of the differences between demons and to interpret their different occasions [opportunties]:

μγʹ Δεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιγινώσκειν͵ καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς αὐτῶν σημειοῦσθαι·

this we shall know from the [tempting-] thoughts,

εἰσόμεθα δὲ ἐκ τῶν λογισμῶν͵

and the [tempting-] thoughts from the objects [they depict;

thus knowing] which demons are less frequent and heavier,

which are more frequent and lighter,

and which leap suddenly and snatch the nous off to blasphemy.

These things it is necessary to know, so that when [tempting-] thoughts begin to move their own particular matter, and before we are driven too far from our proper state, we may speak out to them and indicate which one is present. For thus we shall with God’s help readily make progress, amazing them and forcing them to flee from us.

Ταῦτα δὲ ἀναγκαῖον εἰδέναι͵ ἵν΄ ὅταν ἄρξωνται οἱ λογισμοὶ τὰς ἰδίας ὕλας κινεῖν͵ πρὶν ἢ πολὺ τῆς οἰκείας ἐκβαλώμεθα καταστάσεως͵ φθεγγώμεθά τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν παρόντα σημαίνωμεν· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν αὐτοί τε ῥᾳδίως σὺν Θεῷ προκόπτωμεν͵ κἀκείνους θαυ μάζοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ ὀδυνωμένους ἀποπτῆναι ποιήσωμεν.

44. WHEN the demons are powerless in their struggle with the monks, they withdraw for a little and carefully note which of the virtues the [monks] are meanwhile neglecting; and then they  suddenly rush in and tear the wretched soul to pieces.

μδ' Ὅταν ἀγωνιζόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς μοναχοὺς ἀδυνατῶσιν οἱ δαίμονες͵ τότε μικρὸν ὑποχωρήσαντες ἐπιτηροῦσι ποία τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ παρημέληται͵ κἀκείνῃ αἰφνιδίως ἐπεισ ελθόντες͵ τὴν ἀθλίαν ψυχὴν διαρπάζουσιν.

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45. THE evil demons bring along even more evil demons to assist them. Temperamentally they are opposed to each another, but they all agree in seeking solely the destruction of the soul.

με' Οἱ πονηροὶ δαίμονες τοὺς πονηροτέρους αὐτῶν δαίμονας εἰς βοήθειαν ἐπισπῶνται· καὶ κατὰ τὰς διαθέσεις ἀλλήλοις ἐναντιούμενοι͵ συμφωνοῦσιν ἐπ΄ ἀπωλείᾳ μόνον ψυχῆς.

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48. WHILE the demons prefer to fight persons [who live] in the world by means of [external] matters, they attack monks primarily through [tempting-]thoughts (logismoi), for they are separated [from things] because of the desert. And since it is easier to sin mentally than by action, the mental war is more difficult than that which arises because of [external] matters. The nous is something that is easily moved and hard to restrain when confronted with lawless fantasies.

μη' Τοῖς μὲν κοσμικοῖς οἱ δαίμονες διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον παλαίουσι͵ τοῖς δὲ μοναχοῖς ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν· πραγμάτων γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν ἐστέρηνται· καὶ ὅσον εὐκολώτερον τὸ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἁμαρτάνειν τοῦ κατ΄ ἐνέργειαν͵ τοσοῦτον χαλεπώτερος καὶ ὁ κατὰ διάνοιαν πόλεμος τοῦ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων συνισταμένου· εὐκίνητον γάρ τι πρᾶγμα ὁ νοῦς καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀνόμους φαντασίας δυσκάθεκτον.

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49. WE are not commanded to work the whole time or to keep vigil the whole time or to fast the whole time, but there is a law that we should pray ceaselessly (1 Thes. 5:17). The first three, which heal the part of the soul in which the passions are, need the body for their practice, and it is congenitally too weak for such labours; but prayer makes the mind strong and pure for the struggle, since the mind is naturally made for prayer and it is natural to it to fight demons even without the body, on behalf of all the powers of the soul. Cf. KG 2.9.

μθ' Ἐργάζεσθαι μὲν διὰ παντὸς καὶ ἀγρυπνεῖν καὶ νηστεύειν οὐ προστετάγμεθα͵ προσεύχεσθαι δὲ ἡμῖν ἀδιαλείπτως νενομοθέτηται· διότι ἐκεῖνα μὲν τὸ παθητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς θεραπεύοντα καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν ἐργασίαν προσδεῖται͵ ὅπερ δι΄ οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν πρὸς τοὺς πόνους οὐκ ἐπαρκεῖ· ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ τὸν νοῦν ἐρρωμένον καὶ καθαρὸν πρὸς τὴν πάλην παρασκευάζει͵ πεφυκότα προσεύχεσθαι καὶ δίχα τούτου τοῦ σώματος καὶ ὑπὲρ πασῶν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεων τοῖς δαίμοσι μάχεσθαι.

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50. IF any monk wishes to experience of the savage demons and to become acquainted with their art, he should observe his [tempting-]thoughts and note [down]

καὶ τὰς ἐπιτάσεις σημειούσθω τούτων͵

καὶ τὰς ἀνέσεις͵

καὶ τὰς μετεμπλοκάς͵

 καὶ τοὺς χρόνους͵

 καὶ τίνες τῶν δαιμόνων οἱ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες͵

καὶ ποῖος ποίῳ δαίμονι ἀκολουθεῖ͵

καὶ τίς τίνι οὐχ ἕπεται·

[on γνωστικώτερον cf Eulog 26]

51. THROUGH observation you will discover that two of the demons are the sharpest, so quick that they almost overtake the movement of your mind the demon of fornication and the one which drags us off to blaspheme God But the second does not last for long, while the first, provided it does not stir our thoughts (logismoi) with passion, will not impede our knowledge of God

ναʹ Δύο τῶν δαιμόνων ὀξυτάτους παρατηρήσας εὑρήσεις͵ καὶ σχεδὸν τὴν κίνησιν τοῦ νοὸς ἡμῶν παρατρέχοντας· τὸν δαί μονα τῆς πορνείας καὶ τὸν συναρπάζοντα ἡμᾶς πρὸς βλασφη μίαν Θεοῦ· ἀλλ΄ ὁ μὲν δεύτερός ἐστιν ὀλιγοχρόνιος͵ ὁ δὲ πρότερος͵ εἰ μὴ μετὰ πάθους κινοίη τοὺς λογισμούς͵ οὐκ ἐμποδίσει ἡμῖν πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ.

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52. TO separate body from soul belongs solely to the One who united them; but to separate soul from body belongs also to one who longs for virtue. Withdrawal [into solitude] has been called by our fathers meditation on death and flight from the body.

νβʹ Σῶμα μὲν χωρίσαι ψυχῆς͵ μόνου ἐστὶ τοῦ συνδήσαντος· ψυχὴν δὲ ἀπὸ σώματος͵ καὶ τοῦ ἐφιεμένου τῆς ἀρετῆς. Τὴν γὰρ ἀναχώρησιν μελέτην θανάτου καὶ φυγὴν τοῦ σώματος οἱ Πατέρες ἡμῶν ὀνομάζουσιν.

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53. THOSE who wickedly cherish the flesh and take thought for it to satisfy desires (Rom 13 14) should blame themselves, not [the flesh]. For they know the grace of the creator - those who have attained apatheia of the soul by means of the body, and to some extent zealously strive for the contemplation of beings.

νγ' Οἱ τὴν σάρκα κακῶς διατρέφοντες καὶ πρόνοιαν αὐτῆς εἰς ἐπιθυμίας ποιούμενοι͵ ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ταύτην καταμεμφέσθω σαν· ἴσασι γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ οἱ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπάθειαν διὰ τοῦ σώματος τούτου κτησάμενοι καὶ τῇ τῶν ὄντων θεωρίᾳ ποσῶς ἐπιβάλλοντες.

§ 54 DURING SLEEP

54. WHEN in the fantasies that arise during sleep the demons, attack the desiring part of the soul and show us such things as gatherings with friends, family banquets, dancing women and other similar pleasures, and we eagerly receive them, then we become sick in the [desiring] part [of our soul] and passion dominates.

νδ' Ὅταν ἐν ταῖς καθ΄ ὕπνον φαντασίαις τῷ ἐπιθυμητικῷ μέρει πολεμοῦντες οἱ δαίμονες αὐτοὶ μὲν δεικνύωσιν͵ ἡμεῖς δὲ προστρέχωμεν͵ συντυχίας γνωρίμων καὶ συμπόσια συγγενῶν καὶ χοροὺς γυναικῶν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα ἡδονῶν ἀποτελεστικά͵ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει νοσοῦμεν καὶ τὸ πάθος ἰσχύει.

55.  IF during sleep there are no [mental] images [accompanying] the natural movements of the body, then this shows that the soul is to some extent healthy: [since] the formation of images is a sign of sickness.  Consider on the one hand undefined images to be [the sign of] an old passion, while defined images are the sign of a fresh wound.

  νε' (55) Αἱ ἀνείδωλοι ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις τοῦ σώματος φυσικαὶ κινήσεις ὑγιαίνειν ποσῶς μηνύουσι τὴν ψυχήν· πῆξις δὲ εἰδώλων ἀρρωστίας γνώρισμα· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀόριστα πρόσωπα τοῦ παλαιοῦ πάθους͵ τὰ δὲ ὡρισμένα τῆς παραυτίκα πληγῆς σύμβολον νόμιζε.

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[1] during the daytime by our [tempting-] thoughts; and

[2] at night by our dreams.

which is the only means by which we can normally be united with the holy powers, since our union with incorporeal [beings] naturally occurs because of the similarity of our disposition with theirs.

 ἥτις μόνη συνάπτειν ἡμᾶς ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν εἴωθεν· εἴπερ ἡ τῶν ἀσωμάτων συνάφεια ἐκ τῆς ὁμοίας διαθέσεως γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν.

§ 57. NEAR APATHEIA

[A] the first arises from natural seeds;

[B] while the other is engendered by the withdrawal of the demons

[1] humility, with

[2] compunction, and

[3] tears, and

[4] limitless longing (pothos) for God, and

[5] immeasurable eagerness for [our assigned] task.

 ταπεινοφροσύνη μετὰ

 κατανύξεως͵ καὶ

δάκρυον καὶ

πόθος πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἄπειρος͵

καὶ σπουδὴ περὶ τὸ ἔργον ἀμέτρητος·

[1] vainglory with

[2] pride,

κενοδοξία μετὰ

ὑπερηφανίας

which capture the monk when the other demons go away.

One who perceives the beginnings of the first [peaceful] state will be even more sharply aware of the attacks of the demons.

Ὁ τοίνυν τηρῶν τὰ ὅρια τῆς προτέρας καταστάσεως͵ τὰς ἐπιδρομὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ὀξύτερον ἐπιγνώσεται.

§58_Use_Vainglory_to_drive_out_nail_with_nail

58.  THE demon of vainglory opposes the demon of sexual impurity; and it is impossible for them both to attack the soul at the same time; for the former promises honor while the latter produces disgrace So [1] whichever of them comes and oppresses you, form within yourself the [tempting-]thoughts of the opposing demon. If you are able, as they say, to use a nail to drive out a nail, you can know that you are near to the borders of apatheia, because your nous is strong enough to employ human thoughts to obliterate demonic thoughts.

νη'  Ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας δαίμων ἀντίκειται τῷ δαίμονι τῆς πορνείας͵ καὶ τούτους ἅμα προσβαλεῖν ψυχῇ τῶν οὐκ ἐνδεχομένων ἐστίν· εἴπερ ὁ μὲν τιμὰς ἐπαγγέλλεται͵ ὁ δὲ ἀτιμίας πρόξενος γίνεται· ὁπότερος τοίνυν τούτων ἐὰν προσεγγίσας πιέζῃ σε͵ τοὺς τοῦ ἀντικειμένου δαίμονος πλάττε δῆθεν ἐν σεαυτῷ λογισμούς· κἂν δυνηθῇς τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον ἥλῳ τὸν ἧλον ἐκκρούειν͵ γίνωσκε σεαυτὸν πλησίον ὄντα τῶν ὅρων τῆς ἀπαθείας· ἴσχυσε γάρ σου ὁ νοῦς λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις λογισμοὺς ἀφανίσαι δαιμόνων.

59. THE more progress the soul makes, the more [powerful] the antagonists who take their [predecessors'] place. I am not convinced it is always the same demons against whom we remain steadfast. This is best known by those who pay the most careful attention to temptations and who see the apatheia they have achieved being chipped away by successive demons.

νθ'  Ὅσῳ προκόπτει ψυχή͵ τοσούτῳ μείζονες αὐτὴν ἀνταγωνισταὶ διαδέχονται· τοὺς γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀεὶ δαίμονας αὐτῇ παραμένειν οὐ πείθομαι· καὶ τοῦτο ἴσασι μάλιστα οἱ ὀξύτερον τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ἐπιβάλλοντες͵ καὶ τὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτοῖς ἀπάθειαν ἐκμοχλευομένην ὑπὸ τῶν διαδεξαμένων ὁρῶντες.

60. THE perfection of apatheia arises in the soul after the defeat of all the demons opposing the praktikē. Imperfect apatheia corresponds to the power of the particular demon that is still attacking us.

 ξ'   Ἡ μὲν τελεία τῇ ψυχῇ ἀπάθεια μετὰ τὴν νίκην τὴν κατὰ πάντων τῶν ἀντικειμένων τῇ πρακτικῇ δαιμόνων ἐγγίνεται· ἡ δὲ ἀτελὴς ἀπάθεια ὡς πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν τέως τοῦ παλαίοντος αὐτῇ λέγεται δαίμονος.

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61. THE nous cannot make progress or depart on the grand journey, entering the place of the incorporeals until it rightly orders its inner [life].  For  Its own domestic troubles routinely forceit back to the place from which it had set out.

ξα'  Οὐκ ἂν προέλθοι ὁ νοῦς͵ οὐδὲ ἀποδημήσει τὴν καλὴν ἐκείνην ἀποδημίαν͵ καὶ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ γένοιτο τῶν ἀσωμάτων͵ μὴ τὰ ἔνδον διορθωσάμενος· ἡ γὰρ ταραχὴ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπιστρέφειν αὐτὸν εἴωθε πρὸς τὰ ἀφ΄ ὧν ἐξελήλυθεν.

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62. THE nous is blinded by both virtues and vices: the former keep it from seeing the vices; the latter keep it from glimpsing the virtues.

ξβ'  Τὸν νοῦν καὶ αἱ ἀρεταὶ καὶ αἱ κακίαι τυφλὸν ἀπεργάζονται· αἱ μέν͵ ἵνα μὴ βλέπῃ τὰς κακίας· αἱ δέ͵ ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἴδῃ τὰς ἀρετάς.

§ 63 SIGNS of APATHEIA

63. WHEN the nous begins perform its prayers without distractions, then there commences an all-out battle day and night against the irascible part.

 ξγ´. Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς ἀπερισπάστως ἄρξηται ποιεῖσθαι τὰς προσευχάς, τότε περὶ τὸ θυμικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ὁ πᾶς συνίσταται πόλεμος.

64_nous_radiant

ἀρξάμενος τὸ οἰκεῖον φέγγος ὁρᾶν,

και πρὸς τὰ καθ' ὕπνον φάσματα διαμένων ἥσυχος,

καὶ λεῖος βλέπων τὰ πράγματα.

65. THE nous is healthy [and vigorous] when it does not imagine anything of this world at the time of prayer.

 ξε' Ἔρρωται νοῦς μηδὲν τῶν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς φανταζόμενος.

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66. THE nous that with God’s assistance has successfully completed [the work of] asceticism and drawn close to knowledge is hardly aware at all of the irrational part of the soul, because knowledge has snatched it up on high and separated it from perceptible things.

 ξς' Νοῦς σὺν Θεῷ πρακτικὴν κατορθώσας καὶ προσπελάσας τῇ γνώσει ὀλίγον η]̀ οὐδ' ὅλως τοῦ ἀλόγου μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπαισθάνεται, τῆς γνώσεως αὐτὸν ἁρπαζούσης μετάρσιον καὶ χωριζούσης τῶν αἰσθητῶν.

67. THE soul possesses apatheia not when it is unmoved by matters, but when it abides undisturbed even by the memory of them.

 ξζ´. Ἀπάθειαν ἔχει ψυχή, οὐχ ἡ μὴ πάσχουσα πρὸς τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλ' ἡ καὶ πρὸς τὰς μνήμας αὐτῶν ἀτάραχος διαμένουσα.

68. ONE who is perfect does not practice self-control, and one who has attained apatheia does not practice patient endurance, since patient endurance pertains to one who suffers, and self-control to one who is disturbed.

 ξη' Ὁ τέλειος οὐκ ἐγκρατεύεται, καὶ ὁ ἀπαθὴς οὐχ ὑπομένει, ἔπερ τοῦ πάσχοντος ἡ ὑπομονή, καὶ τοῦ ὀχλουμένου ἡ ἐγκράτεια.

69

69. A GREAT thing - to pray without distraction; a greater thing still - to sing psalms without distraction.

 ζθ´. Μέγα μὲν τὸ ἀπερισπάστως προσεύχεσθαι, μεῖζον δὲ τὸ καὶ ψάλλειν ἀπερισπάστως.

70. A MAN who has established the virtues in himself and is entirely permeated with them no longer remembers the law or the commandments or punishment. Rather, he says and does what [this] excellent condition suggests.

 ο´. Ὁ τὰς ἀρετας ἐν ἑαυτῷ καθιδρύσας, καὶ ταύταις ὅλος ἀνακραθείς, οὐκ ἔτι μέμνηται νόμου ἢ ἐντολῶν ἢ κολάσεως, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγει καὶ πράττει ὁπόσα ἡ ἀρίστη ἕχις ὑπαγορεύει.

A

72. JUST  as wrestlers are accustomed to afflicting and being afflicted, so the demons wrestle with us and when they afflict us, they are afflicted by us in return. As it is said, ‘I will crush afflict and they will bne unable to rise’ (Ps 17 39) and ‘My enemies and those who afflicted me were weakened and fell down.’ (Ps 26 2)

 οβ' Εἰ οἱ παλαίοντες ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαι καὶ ἀντιθλίβειν εἰσί, παλαίουσι δὲ ἡμῖν οἱ δαίμονες, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἄρα θλίβοντες ἡμᾶς ὑφ̓ ἡμῶν ἀντιθλίβονται. Ἐκθλιψω γὰρ αὐτούς, φησί, καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσον.

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73. REST is yoked to wisdom, wearisome labor to prudence.  For just as wisdom cannot be attained without warfare the war cannot be conducted properly without prudence. To it is given [the task of] withstanding the irascibility of the demons, compelling the powers of the soul to function according to nature nature and preparing the way of wisdom.

 ογ' Ἀνάπαυσις μὲν τῇ σοφίᾳ, κόπος δὲ τῂ φρονήσει συνέζευκται· ου]κ ἔστι γὰρ σοφίαν κτήσασθαι ἄνευ πολέμου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κατορθῶσαι τὸν πόλεμον χωρὶς φρονήσεως· αὕτη γὰρ ἀνθίστασθαι τῷ θυμῷ τῶν δαιμόνων πεπίστευται, τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργεῖν ἀναγκάζουσα, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς σοφίας προευτρεπίζουσα.

74. THE temptation of the monk is a [tempting-]thought rising rises up through the passionate part of the soul and darkening the nous.

 οδ' Πειρασός ἐστι μοναχοῦ λογισμὸς διὰ τοῦ παθητικοῦ μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς ἀναβὰς καὶ σκοτίζων τὸν νοῦν.

75. THE sin of the monk is giving consent to the forbidden pleasure of a [tempting-]thought.

 οεʹ Ἁμαρτία ἐστὶ μοναχοῦ ἡ πρὸς τὴν ἀπηγορευμένην ἡδονὴν τοῦ λογισμοῦ συγκατάθεσις.

76

76. THE angels rejoice when vice decreases, while the demons are glad when virtue [decreases].  For the former are servants of mercy and love, while the latter are subjects of anger and hatred. When the former approach they fill us with spiritual contemplation, while the latter cast the soul into shameful fantasies.

 ος' Ἄγγελοι μὲν χαίρουσι μειουμένης κακίας, δαίμονες δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς· οἱ μὲν γάρ εἰσιν ἐλέους καὶ ἀγάπης θεράποντες, οἱ δὲ ὀργῆς καὶ μίσους ὑπήκοοι· καὶ οἱ μὲν πρότεροι πλησιάζοντες πνευματικῆς θεωρίας ἡμᾶςπληροῦσιν, οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι προσεγγίζοντες εἰς αἰσχρὰς τὴν ψυχὴν φαντασίας ἐμβάλλουσιν.

77

77. THE virtues do not cut back the attack of demons, but they preserve us from harm.

 οζ' Αἱ ἀρεταὶ οὐ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ὁρμὰς ἀνακόπτουσιν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς ἀθῴους διαφυλάττουσιν.

78. ASCETICAL practice is a spiritual method purifying the passionate part of the soul.

 οηʹ Πρακτική ἐστι μέθοδος πνευματικὴ τὸ παθετικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκκαθαίρουσα.

79

79. THE effects of [keeping] the commandments are not sufficient to perfectly heal the powers of the soul, unless their [corresponding] contemplations succeed one other in the nous. Cf KG 2.9;  2.15

 οθʹ Οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αἱ ἐνέργειαι τῶν ἐντολῶν πρὸς τὸ τελείως ἰάσασθαι τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐὰν μὴ καὶ κατάλληλοι ταύταις διαδέξωνται τὸν νοῦν θεωρίαι.

80

80. IT is not possible to withstand all the thoughts (logismoi) suggested to us by the angels, but it is possible to overturn all the thoughts suggested by demons. After the first thoughts follows a state of peace; after the latter, turmoil.

 π' Οὐ πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς ὑπ' ἀγγέλων λογισμοῖς ἡμῖν ἐμβαλλομένοις δυνατὸν ἀντιστῆναι, πάντας δὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων λογισμοὺς δυνατὸν ἀνατρέψαι· ἕπεται δὲ τοῖς μὲν προτέροις λογισμοῖς εἰρηνικὴ κατάστασις, τοῖς δὲ δευτέροις τεταραγμενη.

81

81. LOVE is the offspring of apatheia; apatheia is the flower of the ascetical life (praktike). The ascetical life is brought intobeing by keeping the commandments, and their guard is the fear of God, begotten by right faith. Faith is an inherent good that exists naturally even in those who have not yet believed in God.

 πα' Ἀπαθείας ἔγγονον ἀγάπη· ἀπάθεια δέ ἐστιν ἄνθος τῆ πρακτικῆς· πρακτικὴν δὲ συνίστησιν ἡ τήρησις τῶν ἐντολῶν· τούτων δὲ φύλαξ ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅστις γέννημα τῆς ὀρθ͂ς ἐστι πίστεως· πίστις δέ ἐστιν ἐνδιάθετον ἀγαθόν, ἥτις ἐνυπάρχειν πέφυκε καὶ τοῖς μηδέπω πεπιστευκόσι Θεῷ.

82

activating its own [proper] activity [energeia],

recognizes its own powers

τάς τε δυνάμεις ἐπιγινώσκει τὰς ἑαυτοῦ

and through that which interferes with it.

discovers the commandment that is able to heal it[s own activity]

83

83. THE impassioned nous waging warfare is unable to contemplate the logoi of the war; it is like someone who fights at night. But when it has acquired apatheia it will easily recognize the stratagems of the enemies.

 πγ' Ὁ νοῦς τὸν ἐμπαθῆ πόλεμον πολεμῶν οὐ θεωρήσει τοὺς λόγους τοῦ πολέμου· τῷ γὰρ ἐν νυκτὶ μαχομένῳ ἔοικεν· ἀπάθειαν δὲ κτησάμενος, ῥᾳδίως ἐπιγνώσεται τὰς μεθοδείας τῶν πολεμίων.

§_84

84. THE object of the ascetical life is love; of knowledge - theology. The beginnings of each are [respectively,] faith and natural contemplation. The demons that seize the passionate part of the soul are said to oppose the ascetical life, while those that disturb the reasoning [part] are called enemies of all truth and foes of contemplation.

 πδ' Πέρας μὲν πρακτικῆς ἀγάπη· γνώσεως δὲ θεολογία· ἀρχαὶ δὲ ἑκατέρων πίστις καὶ φυσικὴ θεωρία· καὶ ὅσοι μὲν τῶν δαιμόνων τοῦ παθητικοῦ μέρους ἐφάπτονται τῆς ψυχῆς, οὗτοι λέγονται ἀντικεῖσθαι τῇ πρακτικῇ· ὅσοι δ' αὖ πάλιν τῷ λογιστικῷ διοχλοῦσιν, ἐχθροὶ πάσης Ἀληθείας ὀνομάζονται καὶ ἐναντίοι τῇ θεωρίᾳ.

85

85. NONE of the things that purify the bodies remain with them once they are pure; but the virtues both purify the soul and remain with it when it is purified.

 πε' Οὐδὲν τῶν καθαιρότων τὰ σώματα σύνεστι μετὰ τοῦτο τοῖς καθαρθεῖσιν· αἱ δὲ ἀρεταὶ ὁμοῦ τε καθαίρουσι τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ καθαρθείσῃ συμπαραμένουσιν.

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86. THE reasoning soul acts according to nature (kata phusin) when:

 πς' Κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργεῖ ψυχὴ λογικὴ ὅταν

τὸ μεν ἐπιθυμητικὸν αὐτῆς μέρος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐφίεται,

its irascible part (thumikon) fights for virtue, and

τὸ δὲ θυμικὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἀγωνίζεται,

its reasoning part (logistikon) applies itself to the contemplation of beings.

τὸ δὲ λογιστικὸν ἐπιβάλλει τῇ θεωρίᾳ τῶν γεγονότων.

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87. A PERSON making progress in [ascetical] practice reduces the passions, while one making progress in contemplation reduces ignorance. And although there will eventually be a complete destruction of the passions, some say that  ignorance [too] will end; while others say it will not. [On  “infinite ignorance” Cf. KG 3.88 and note]

 πζ' Ὁ μὲν προκόπτων ἐν πρακτικῇ τὰ πάθη μειοῖ, ὁ δὲ ἐν θεωρίᾳ τὴν ἀγνωσίαν· καὶ τῶν μὲν παθῶν ἔσται τοτὲ καὶ φθορὰ παντελής, τῆς δὲ ἀγνωσίας τῆς μὲν εἶναι πέρας, τῆς δὲ μὴ εἶναί φασι.

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88. THINGS that are good or bad depending on how they are used produce both the virtues and the vices; it pertains to prudence to use them in one way or the other.

 πη' τὰ παρὰ τὴν χρῆσιν ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ τῶν κακιῶν γίνεται ποιητικά· φρονήσεως δέ ἐστι λοιπὸν τὸ χρήσασθαι τούτοις πρὸς θάτερα.

89

ὅταν μὲν ἐν τῷ λογιστικῷ μέρει γένηται ἡ ἀρετή, καλεῖται
 φρόνησις καὶ
σύνεσις καὶ
σοφία.

ὄταν δὲ ἐν τῷ ἐπιθυμητικῷ,
 σωφροσύνη καὶ
ἀγάπη καὶ
ἐγκράτεια.

ὅταν δὲ ἐν τῷ θυμικῷ,
ἀνδρεία καὶ
ὑπομονή·

[4] But in the WHOLE of the SOUL [it] is justice.

ἐν ὅλῇ δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ, δικαιοσύνη

τὸ στρατηγεῖν πρὸς τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεἱς,

καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀρετῶν ὑπερασπίζειν,

 πρὸς δὲ τὰς κακίας παρατάττεσθαι,

τὰ δὲ μέσα πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς διοικεῖν·

σωφροσύνης δὲ ἔργον τὸ βλέπειν ἀπαθῶς τὰ πράγματα τὰ κινοῦντα ἐν ἡμῖν φαντασίας ἀλόγους·

[4] JUSTICE effects a certain symphony and harmony among the [different] parts of the soul.

δικαιοσύνης δὲ τὸ συμφωνίαν τινὰ καὶ ἁρμονίαν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς μερῶν κατεργάζεσθαι.

[See also Schol 1 on Ps 30.2, where justice contains the other virtues, and the three chief virtues are [1] temperance [2] courage and [3] charity: i.e of [1] epith., [2] thum, [3] logist.

90

90. WHILE the fruit of sowing is sheaves, that of virtues is knowledge And just as tears accompany the sowing, so joy accompanies the sheaves (Ps 125:6)

Ϛ´. Καρπὸς μὲν σπερμάτων τὰ δράγματα, ἀρετῶν δὲ ἡ γνῶσις· καὶ ὡς ἕπεται τοῖς σπέρμασι δάκρυα, οὕτω τοῖς δράγμασιν ἡ χαρά.

§ 91 APOPHTHEGMATA

 91. IT is also necessary to inquire diligently concerning the paths of the monks who have travelled uprightly before us, and correct with reference to them. For there is much for us to discover of what they said and did so well.  For example, one of them said that a somewhat dry and regular diet, joined to love brings a monk more quickly into the haven of apatheia.

Ϛα´. Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς τῶν προοδευσάντων ὀρθῶς διερωτᾶν μοναχῶν καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς κατορθοῦσθαι· πολλὰ γὰρ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ὑπ΄ αὐτῶν ῥηθέντα τε καὶ πραχθέντα καλῶς· ἐν οἷς καὶ τοῦτό φησί τις αὐτῶν͵ τὴν ξηροτέραν καὶ μὴ ἀνώ μαλον δίαιταν ἀγάπῃ συζευχθεῖσαν θᾶττον εἰσάγειν τὸν μοναχὸν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀπαθείας λιμένα.

 The same [monk] delivered one of the brethren who was being troubled by fantasies at night by recommending that he serve the sick while fasting. He said when asked that nothing quenches such passions as well as mercy.

̔ Ὁ δ΄ αὐτὸς ταρασσό μενόν τινα νύκτωρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν φασμάτων ἀπήλλαξεν͵ ἀσθενοῦσι μετὰ νηστείας ὑπηρετῆσαι προστάξας· οὐδενὶ γὰρ οὕτως͵ ἐρωτηθεὶς ἔφη͵ ὡς ἐλέῳ τὰ τοιαῦτα κατασβέννυται πάθη.

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 92. UNTO the just Anthony came one of the wise men of that time, saying, ‘How can you endure, O father, without the comfort of books?’ He replied, ‘My book, philosopher, is the nature of beings, and it is there whenever I wish to read the words (logoi) of God’.

Ϛβ Τῷ δικαίῳ Ἀντωνίῳ προσῆλθέ τις τῶν τότε σοφῶν καὶ πῶς διακαρτερεῖς͵ εἶπεν͵ ὦ πάτερ͵ τῆς ἐκ τῶν βιβλίων παραμυθίας ἐστερημένος; Ὁ δέ φησι· τὸ ἐμὸν βιβλίον͵ φιλό σοφε͵ ἡ φύσις τῶν γεγονότων ἐστί͵ καὶ πάρεστιν ὅτε βούλομαι τοὺς λόγους ἀναγινώσκειν τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ.

93

93. THE vessel of election, Macarius the Egyptian elder, asked me, ‘Why is it that when we remember past injuries from men we destroy the soul’s power of memory, but it remains unharmed by memory of past injuries from demons?’ And when I had no answer and asked him to explain it to me he said, ‘It is because the former is contrary to nature (para phusin), while the second is in accordance with the nature (kata phusin) of the irascible [part] (thumos)’.

Ϛγ´. Ἠρώτησέ με τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς ὁ Αἰγύπτιος γέρων Μακάριος· τί δήποτε μνησικακοῦντες μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὴν μνημονευτικὴν δύναμιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφανίζομεν͵ δαίμοσι δὲ μνησικακοῦντες ἀβλαβεῖς διαμένομεν; Κἀμοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἀπορήσαντος καὶ παρακαλοῦντος τὸν λόγον μαθεῖν͵ διότι͵ φησὶν ἐκεῖνος͵ τὸ μὲν πρότερον παρὰ φύσιν͵ τὸ δὲ δεύτερον κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ.

94. ON one occasion I visited the holy father Macarius at the full heat of midday, and I asked for some water to drink as I was burning with thirst, and he said, ‘Let the shade suffice, for there are many people at this very moment traveling or sailing who are deprived even of this.’ Then, when I repeated to him some sayings concerning self-control, he said, ‘Take courage, o child: for twenty years I have never taken as much as I wanted wanted of bread, water or sleep. I ate my bread by weight, drank water by measure, and snatched a little bit of sleep reclining against a wall’.

Ϛδ´. Παρέβαλον κατ΄ αὐτὴν τὴν σταθερὰν μεσημβρίαν τῷ ἁγίῳ πατρὶ Μακαρίῳ καὶ λίαν ὑπὸ τῆς δίψης φλεγόμενος ᾔτουν ὕδωρ πιεῖν· ὁ δέ φησιν· ἀρκέσθητι τῇ σκιᾷ· πολλοὶ γὰρ νῦν ὁδοιποροῦντες ἢ πλέοντες καὶ ταύτης ἐστέρηνται. Εἶτα λόγους μου πρὸς αὐτὸν περὶ ἐγκρατείας γυμνάζοντος· θάρσει͵ φησίν͵ ὦ τέκνον͵ ἐν ὅλοις ἔτεσιν εἴκοσι οὔτε ἄρτου͵ οὔτε ὕδατος͵ οὔτε ὕπνου κόρον εἴληφα· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἄρτον μου ἤσθιον σταθμῷ͵ τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἔπινον μέτρῳ͵ τοῖς τοίχοις δὲ ἐμαυτὸν παρακλίνων μικρόν τι τοῦ ὕπνου μέρος ἀφήρπαζον.

95

95. ONE of the monks was informed of the death of his father, but he said to the one who informed him, ‘Stop blaspheming my father is immortal’.

Ϛε´. Ἐμηνύθη τινὶ τῶν μοναχῶν θάνατος τοῦ πατρός· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀπαγγείλαντα͵ παῦσαι͵ φησί͵ βλασφημῶν· ὁ γὰρ ἐμὸς πατὴρ ἀθάνατός ἐστιν.

96. ONE of the brothers asked one of the elders whether he would have him eat with his mother and his sisters when he went home for a visit: he said, ‘Do not eat with a woman’.

Ϛς´. Ἐπύθετό τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἑνὸς τῶν γερόντων εἰ κελεύοι τῇ μητρὶ καὶ ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς συμφαγεῖν αὐτὸν παραβαλόντα τῷ οἴκῳ· ὁ δέ͵ μετὰ γυναικός͵ εἶπεν͵ οὐ βρώσῃ.

97. ONE of the brothers possessed solely a book of the gospels, and he sold it to feed the hungry, saying something worthy of memory: ‘I have sold the word that told me, “Sell what you have and give to the poor “(Mt. 19:21)

Ϛζ´. Ἐκέκτητό τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν εὐαγγέλιον μόνον͵ καὶ τοῦτο πωλήσας ἔδωκεν εἰς τροφὴν τοῖς πεινῶσιν͵ ἄξιον μνήμης ἐπιφθεγξάμενος ῥῆμα· αὐτὸν γάρ͵ φησί͵ τὸν λόγον πεπώληκα τὸν λέγοντά μοι· πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς.

98. NEAR Alexandria there is an island in the northern part of the lake that is called Maria, and a monk who lives there is one of the most excellent of the company of the knowers. He proclaimed that everything done by the monks is done for one of five reasons:

Ϛη´. Ἔστι δέ τις παρὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν νῆσος κατ΄ αὐτὸ τὸ βόρειον μέρος τῆς λίμνης κειμένη τῆς καλουμένης Μαρίας͵ προσοικεῖ δὲ αὐτῇ μοναχὸς τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν γνωστικῶν ὁ δοκιμώτατος· ὅστις ἀπεφήνατο πάντα τὰ πραττόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν μοναχῶν πράττεσθαι δι΄ αἰτίας πέντε·

99. YET another monk said, ‘I strip away pleasures in order to eliminate excuses for anger. I know that [anger] always fights for pleasures and disturbs my nous and chases knowledge away.’  One of the elders said that love does not know how to store up food or money. And the same [monk] said, ‘I do not know that I have ever been deceived twice by the demons on the same matter.’

Ϛθ´. Ἄλλος δὲ πάλιν τῶν μοναχῶν· διὰ τοῦτο περιαιρῶ τὰς ἡδονάς͵ εἶπεν͵ ἵνα τὰς τοῦ θυμοῦ περικόψω προφάσεις· οἶδα γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀεὶ μαχόμενον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡδονῶν καὶ ἐκταράσσοντά μου τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν ἀποδιώκοντα. Ἔλεγε δέ τις τῶν γερόντων ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη παραθήκας βρωμάτων ἢ χρημάτων τηρεῖν οὐκ ἐπίσταται. Ὁ δ΄ αὐτός· οὐκ οἶδα͵ φησίν͵ εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ δὶς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων ἀπατηθείς.

100

100. TO love all the brothers equally is not possible, but it is possible to meet them all with apatheia [by] being free from memory of evil and [from] hatred: priests are next after the Lord, because by means of the sacred mysteries they purify and pray for us; we are to revere the elders as the angels, for it is they who anoint us for our struggle and heal us when we are bitten by [wild] beasts.

ρ´. Πάντας μὲν ἐπ΄ ἴσης οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἀγαπᾶν πᾶσι δὲ δυνατὸν ἀπαθῶς συντυγχάνειν μνησικακίας ὄντα καὶ μίσους ἐλεύθερον· τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἀγαπητέον μετὰ τὸν Κύριον τοὺς διὰ τῶν ἁγίων μυστηρίων καθαρίζοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ προσευχομένους ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· τοὺς δὲ γέροντας ἡμῶν τιμητέον ὡς τοὺς ἀγγέλους· αὐτοὶ γάρ εἰσιν οἱ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἡμᾶς ἀλείφοντες καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀγρίων θηρίων δήγματα θεραπεύοντες.

101_Epilogue

SO now this, my dear Anatolius, is what I have said about ascetical practice, what I have discovered by the grace of the holy Spirit, gleaning from my crop of ripening grapes:  but if the sun of righteousness (Mal 3:20) shines forth upon us in his height, and the grape is fully ripened, then we shall drink his wine, which gladdens the heart of man (Ps 103 13), thanks to the prayers and intercession of the righteous Gregory who planted me, and those of the holy fathers who now water me, and by the power of Christ Jesus our Lord who causes me to grow (cf. 1Cor 3 6-7), to whom be glory and power unto the Ages of Ages, Amen.

Ἀλλὰ νῦν μέν μοι τοσαῦτα λελέχθω πρὸς σὲ περὶ πρακτικῆς͵ ποθεινότατε ἀδελφὲ Ἀνατόλιε͵ ὅσα χάριτι τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ σπόρῳ περκαζούσης ἡμῶν τῆς σταφυλῆς ἐπιρωγολογούμενοι εὑρήκαμεν· εἰ δὲ σταθερὸς ἡμῖν ἐπιλάμψει τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ὁ βότρυς πέπειρος γένηται͵ τότε καὶ τὸν οἶνον πιόμεθα αὐτοῦ τὸν εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου͵ εὐχαῖς καὶ πρεσβείαις τοῦ δικαίου Γρηγορίου τοῦ φυτεύσαντός με καὶ τῶν νῦν ὁσίων Πατέρων τῶν ποτιζόν των με͵ καὶ δυνάμει τῇ τοῦ αὐξάνοντός με Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν͵ ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.