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.

[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).

[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;

[Prol.4.] AND again, the scapular that wraps a round the shoulders in the form of a cross is a symbol of the faith in Christ that sustains th[ose who are] gentle, and always, despite obstacles, permits them to work unimpeded.

[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).

[Prol.6.] THEY wear the sheepskin - those always carrying around in  their bodies the death of Jesus (2 Cor. 4:10) and muzzling all the irrational passions of the body, 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)

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

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

“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, let these things we have said [suffice].

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

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

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ
ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΟΣ
 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΑ Ρ´

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.

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

3.THE Kingdom of God is knowledge of the Holy Trinity exercised according to the capacity of the nous (mind/intellect) and bestowing incorruptibility upon it

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.

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 together.

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

first is that of gluttony;

and with it, sexual immorality;

third, love of money;

πρῶτος ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας,

καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ὁ τῆς πορνείας·

τρίτος ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας·

fourth, sadness;

fifth, anger;

sixth acedia;

τέταρτος ὁ τῆς λύπης·

πέμπτος ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς·

ἕκτος ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας·

seventh, vainglory;

eighth, pride.

ἕβδομος ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας·

ὄγδοος ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίς.

Whether these thoughts are able to disturb the soul or not is not up to us; but whether they linger or not, and whether they arouse passions or not; that is up to us.

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 quick abandonment 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, 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 seem to slow down or stop moving , so that the day appears to be fifty hours long.

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

 [2] Then it makes the monk keep looking out of his window and forces him to go bounding out of his cell to examine the sun to see how much longer it is to 3 o’clock, and to look round in all directions in case any of the brethren is 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 makes him hate the place and his way of life and his manual work It makes him think that there is no charity left among the brethren; no one is going to come and visit him.

  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 upset the monk recently, the demon throws this in too to increase his hatred

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 joins to this the remembrance of the monk’s family and his previous way of life, and suggests to him that he still has a long time to live, raising up before his eyes a vision of how burdensome the ascetic life is. 

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 follows on immediately after this one but after its struggle the soul receives in turn a peaceful condition and unspeakable joy

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

13. THE thought of vainglory is especially subtle and it easily infiltrates 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 raises up a fantasy of demons shouting,

[2] and women being healed,

[3] and a crowd of people wanting to touch the monk’s clothes.

[4] It prophesies priesthood for him, and sets the stage with people thronging at his door, calling for him, and even though he resists he will be carried off under constraint.

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 admit God’s help

[2] and to believe that the soul is responsible for its own achievements,

[3] and to disdain the brethren as fools because they do not all see this about it.

ἀναπείθει γὰρ αὐτὴν 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] sadness and the final evil,

[3] utter insanity and madness, and visions of mobs of demons in the air.

ὀργὴ καὶ

λύπη͵ καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον κακόν͵

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

15. THE wandering nous is stabilized 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 desires a variety of foods, then It should be confined to bread and water to make it thankful for a mere mouthful. It is satiety which yearns for varied foodstuffs; hunger considers it sheer bliss just to have enough 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.TO deprive oneself of water helps a great deal towards continence; let the three hundred Israelites who defeated Midian with Gideon (Judges 7:5-7) persuade you of this.

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

20.  ANGER and hatred increase indignation: merciful compassion and gentleness diminish it when it is present.

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

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 on some excuse and gets disturbed, then the demons suggest to us what a good thing it is to withdraw; this is to prevent us from resolving the cause of the sorrow 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 is enflamed, then they make us sociable and call us grim and uncivilized, to make us desire bodies and encounter bodies. We should not obey them in either case, but rather 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.

23. DO not give yourself to the [tempting-] thought of anger by fighting in your mind 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.

24. THE nature of indignation is to fight the demons and to struggle for any sort of pleasure. For this reason the angels suggest to us spiritual pleasures and the blessedness [coming] from them; they encourage us to direct our anger 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.  GUARD 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, we should tearfully divide our soul in two, making one part encourage the other, sowing good hopes in ourselves and singing David’s words, ‘Why are you depressed, my soul, why do you disturb me? Hope in God, because I will praise him, the Savior of my person, 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.  AT the time of temptation we should not abandon our cell, whatever plausible pretext we nay invent; we should stay in it and persevere and valiantly tackle all comers, particularly the demon of listlessness, which is the most oppressive of them all, and so particularly brings out the quality of the soul. Running away from such conflicts and trying to evade this teaches the mind to be helpless, cowardly 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.

29.  OUR holy teacher, who was very experienced in the ascetical life (praktikotatos), said, ‘The monk ought always to be ready as if he were to die tomorrow, but at the same time he should use his body as if he were going to live with it for many years to come. The first [approach] cuts back the thoughts of acedia and makes the monk more zealous, while the second preserves the body and keeps its self-control balanced.’

  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, because 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 known the demon of vainglory chased away by almost all the other demons; but then when its pursuers failed, it shamelessly approached, 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.

32. ONE who has reached knowledge and harvested the pleasure it brings will no longer be persuaded by the demon of vainglory offering him all the pleasures of the world. What could it promise him that would be better than spiritual contemplation? But to the degree that we have not tasted the savor of knowledge, we should eagerly engage in the ascetical life [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.  RECALL your former life and your old transgressions, and how when you were subject to passions you crossed over to apatheia by the mercy of Christ; and how you then left the world that had humiliated you so often and in so many ways.

  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. 

34. IF our memories of anything are full of passion, it. is because we once welcomed the things themselves with passion. Whatever things we welcome with passion, we shall 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. THE The passions of the soul derive from men; the passions of the body derive from the body. The passions of the body are cut back 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.

and the point of the monk’s struggle then is not to make him ready to do battle, but to enable him to contemplate the struggle itself.

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

37. WHETHER it is ideas (ennoia) which incite passions or passions which incite ideas is a matter which needs attention. Some have held the first view, 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.

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. BECAUSE of the prevailing stench in demons, the soul is ordinarily enflamed against thoughts (logismoi) when it perceives them drawing near because of the influence of the passion associated with the demon in question.

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