INSTRUCTIONS

Ὑποθῆκαι

40. IT is not possible at all times to carry out the customary rule, but it is necessary to be watchful of the opportune time and [thus] to perform whatever commandments we can, as best we are able. Regarding these opportune times and what concerns them the demons themselves are not ignorant. Thus in their movements against us they prevent our accomplishing what is possible and force us to undertake what is not possible: they prevent the sick from giving thanks in their pain and from being patient in receiving their minstrations; again they exhort the weak to fast and those who are weighed down to sing psalms while standing.

μ´. Οὐκ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ δυνατὸν ἐκτελεῖν τὸν συνήθη κανόνα͵ προσέχειν δὲ δεῖ τῷ καιρῷ καὶ τὰς ἐνδεχομένας ἐντολὰς ὡς ἕνι μάλιστα πειρᾶσθαι ποιεῖν· τοὺς γὰρ καιροὺς καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς τοιούτους οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες. Ὅθεν κινούμενοι καθ΄ ἡμῶν͵ τὰ μὲν δυνατὰ γενέσθαι κωλύουσι͵ τὰ δὲ μὴ δυνατὰ γενέσθαι πράττειν ἡμᾶς καταναγκάζουσι· 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 obliged to spend time in towns or villages, we should particularly hold to our self-control at such times in consorting with worldly people, in case our mind coarsens and loses its habitual vigilance because of its actual situation and so becomes a fugitive, tossed around 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 with anger to them, you will confuse and banish the ideas that come from your enemies. This is the natural result of anger in the case of good notions too

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.

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

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

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

εἰσόμεθα δὲ ἐκ τῶν λογισμῶν͵ τοὺς δὲ λογισμοὺς ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων͵ τίνες τῶν δαιμόνων σπάνιοι καὶ βαρύτεροι͵ καὶ ποῖοι συνεχεῖς καὶ κουφότεροι͵ καὶ τίνες οἱ ἀθρόως εἰσπηδῶντες καὶ πρὸς βλασφημίαν τὸν νοῦν ἁρπάζοντες.

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 helpless in their conflict with monks, they retire for a while and watch to see which area of virtue they are neglecting in the mean time, and then suddenly rush in and devastate the poor soul

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.

45. MALICIOUS demons bring along even more malicious demons to help them. In their dispositions they are opposed to one another, but they all agree in seeking only 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.

46. WE should not let ourselves be disturbed by the demon which drags the mind towards blasphemy against God and towards forbidden fantasies which I have not ventured even to put down in writing, nor should such things interrupt our zeal. The Lord knows en’s hearts and he knows that we were not guilty of such madness even when we were in the world. This demon’s aim is to sake us abandon prayer, so that we shall not stand before the Lord our God or dare to lift up our hands to his, because of having had such ideas as these.

μς' Μὴ ταραττέτω δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ δαίμων ὁ συναρπάζων τὸν νοῦν πρὸς βλασφημίαν Θεοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀπειρημένας φαντασίας ἐκείνας ἃς ἔγωγε οὐδὲ γραφῇ παραδοῦναι τετόλμηκα͵ μηδὲ τὴν προθυμίαν ἡμῶν ἐκκοπτέτω· καρδιογνώστης γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Κύριος καὶ οἶδεν ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὄντες ποτὲ τοιαύτην μανίαν ἐμάνημεν. Σκοπὸς δὲ τούτῳ τῷ δαίμονι παῦσαι ἡμᾶς τῆς προσευχῆς͵ ἵνα μὴ στῶμεν ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν͵ μηδὲ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι τολμήσωμεν καθ΄ οὗ τοιαῦτα διενοήθημεν.

47. THE sign of the passions that are affecting the soul is some word which we utter or some movement of the body; by means of these the enemies of the soul perceive whether we have their thoughts (logismoi) within us and are ready to bring them to birth, or whether we have discarded them and are concerned with our salvation. It is only God who made us who knows our mind directly and does not need symptoms to know what is hidden in our heart.

μζ' Τῶν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ παθημάτων σύμβολον γίνεται ἢ λόγος τις προενεχθείς͵ ἢ κίνησις τοῦ σώματος γενομένη͵ δι΄ οὗ ἐπαισθά νονται οἱ ἐχθροὶ πότερον ἔνδον ἔχομεν τοὺς λογισμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ὠδίνομεν͵ ἢ ἀπορρίψαντες αὐτοὺς μεριμνῶμεν περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν. Τὸν γὰρ νοῦν μόνος ἐπίσταται ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς Θεός͵ καὶ οὐ δεῖται συμβόλων αὐτὸς πρὸς τὸ γινώσκειν τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ κρυπτόμενα.

48. THE demons prefer to fight worldly people by means of things, but monks for the most part they attack by means of thoughts (logismoi), because in the desert they are deprived of things. And in as much as it is easier to sin in intent than in deed, the inner war is proportionately harder than that which arises because of things. The mind is something which is easily moved, and hard to hold when it is faced with unlawful imaginings.

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.

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.

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.

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] their intensification and diminution, and their interconnectedness, and their timing, and which demons produce what, and which demon comes after another, and which does not follow after which;

νʹ Εἴ τις βούλοιτο τῶν μοναχῶν ἀγρίων πειραθῆναι δαιμόνων καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν τέχνης ἔξιν λαβεῖν͵ τηρείτω τοὺς λογισμούς͵ 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͵

and he should seek from Christ the inner meanings [logoi] of these things They dislike those who approach the ascetic life with greater knowledge, for they wish to shoot in darkness at the upright of heart (Ps 10:2).

καὶ τίς τίνι οὐχ ἕπεται· καὶ ζητείτω παρὰ Χριστοῦ τούτων τοὺς λόγους. Πάνυ γὰρ χαλεπαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς γνωστικώτερον τὴν πρακτικὴν μετιοῦσι͵ βουλόμενοι κατατοξεύειν ἐν σκοτο μήνῃ τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ.

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.

52. TO separate the body from the soul belongs exclusively to him who united them; but to separate the soul from the body belongs to anyone who desires virtue The life of withdrawal has been called by the fathers a rehearsal for 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.

53. THOSE who improperly cherish the flesh and take thought for it to satisfy its desires (Rom 13 14) should blame the selves, not it Those who have obtained passionlessness of the soul by means of the body and who, to some extent, attain the contemplation of beings, recognize the grace of the Creator.

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.