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37. IF you long to pray, renounce everything at once (cf. Lk 14:33) so that you may inherit all.	̈Λϟ´. Ει προσεύξασθαι ποθεῖς, ἀπόταξαι τοῖς σύμπασιν, ἵνα τὸ πᾶν κληρονομήσῃς.
38. PRAY: [1] first, for purification from the passions; [2] and second, for deliverance from ignorance [and forgetfulness]; [3] and third, [for deliverance] from all temptation and abandonment.	̈ΛΖ´. Προσεύχου πρότερον περὶ τοῦ καθαρθῆναι τῶν παθῶν, καὶ δεύτερον περὶ τοῦ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγνωσίας, [ ..?..] καὶ τρίτον ἀπὸ παντὸς πειρασμοῦ καὶ ἐγκαταλείψεως.
39. IN your prayer seek only righteousness and the kingdom, namely, virtue and knowledge; and all the rest will be added unto you (Mt 6:33).	̈ΛΗ´. Μόνην ζήτει ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου τὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, τουτέστι τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα προστεθήσεταί σοι.
40. IT is just to pray not only for your own purification, but also [to pray] for your own [kindred], so as to imitate the angelic way *[lit: the angelic mode].*	̈40. [T 9] Δίκαιον, μὴ μόνον περὶ οἰκείας καθάρσεως προσεύχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ παντὸς τοῦ ὁμοφύλου, ἵνα ἀγγελικὸν μιμήσῃ τρόπον.
41. SEE whether you truly stand before God in your prayer; or whether you are a slave to human praise and eagerly hunt for it, using the appearance of prayer as a disguise (cf. Mt 23:5).	̈Μ´. ̔́Ορα ἐὰν ὰληθῶς Θεῷ̈ παρέστηκας ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου, ἢ ἐπαίνῳ ἀνθρώπων ἡττᾶσαι, καὶ τούτων θηρᾷν ἐπείγῃ, ὥσπερ ἐπικαλύμματι κεκρημένος τῇ παρατάσειτῆς προσευχῃς.
42. WHETHER you pray with [the] brothers or by yourself, struggle to pray not [only] in the customary way, but [also] with perception.	̈ΜΑ´. Εἴτε μετὰ ἀδελφῶν προσεύχῃ, εἴτε κατὰ μόνας, ἀγώνισαι, μὴ ἔθει, ἀλλὰ αἰσθήσει προσεύχεσθαι.
43. PERCEPTION in prayer is concentration *(sunnoia)*, with reverence and compunction and distress of soul, as you confess your failures with silent groans.	̈ΜΒ´. Αἴσθησις ἐστὶ προσευχῆς σύννοια μετ' εὐλαβείας, καὶ κατανύξεως, καὶ ὀδύνης ψυχῆς ἐν εξαγορεύσει πταισμάτων μετὰ στεναγμῶν ἀφώνων.
44. IF the nous is still staring around at the time of prayer, it does not yet know how to pray as a monk; it is still a secular, decorating the exterior tabernacle (cf. Mt 23:27).	̈ΜΓ´. ̓Εὰν περιβλέπηται ὁ νοῦς σου ἀκμὴν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς προσευχῆς, οὐδέπω ὡς μοναχὸς προσεύχεται, ἀλλ' ἔτι κοσμικός ἐστι, τὴν ἔξωθεν σκηνὴν καλλωπίζων.
45. WHEN you pray, keep powerful guard over your memory: in this way, instead of placing its own passions before you, it will, instead, move you to the knowledge that you stand [before God]. For the nous is easily, naturally disarmed [and plundered] by the memory at the time of prayer.	̈ΜΔ´. Προσευχόμενος, τὴν μνήμην σου δυνάμει φύλαττε, ἵνα μὴ τὰ οἰκεῖα πάθη παράθηταί σοι, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς παραστάσεώς σε κινῇ· λίαν γὰρ πέφυκε συλᾶσθαι ὁ νοῦς ὑπ̀ο τῆς μνήμης κατ̀α τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς.
46. WHEN you are praying the memory brings you fantasies of either: [1] ancient issues; [2] or new worries; [3] or the face of one who has distressed you.	̈ΜΕ´. ̓̀Η παλαιῶν πραγμάτων̈ ἄγει σοι φαντασίας ἡ μνήμη προσευχομένῳ, ἢ νέας φροντίδας, ἢ πρόσωπον λελυπηκότος.
47. THE demon is very malignant towards [any] person who prays, and it employs every means to defeat his purpose. It does not cease [1] moving thoughts *(noemata)* of matters through the memory and [2] stirring up all the passions through the flesh, so as to be able to impede his excellent course and his departure to God.	Μϟ´. Λίαν βασκαίνει ὁ δαίμων ἀνθρώπῳ προσευχομένῳ, καὶ πάσῃ χρᾶται μηχανῇ, λυμήνασθαι τὸν τούτου σκοπόν· οὐ παύεται οὖν τὰ νοήματα κινῶν τῶν πραγμάτων διὰ τῆς μνήμης, και ̀ ὅλα τὰ πάθη ἀαμοχλεύων διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα ἐμποδίσαι δυνηθῇ τῷ ἀρίστῳ αὐτοῦ δρόμῳ, καὶ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐκδημίᾳ.
48. WHEN, despite all his efforts, the malevolent demon is unable to hinder the prayer of one who is earnest, it lets up for a time and then takes its revenge when he finishes praying. It either: [1] enflames him with anger, [thus] ruining the excellent state that, through prayer, has been welded together in him; [2] or it entices him to some irrational pleasure and so commits an outrage on the nous.	̈ ΜΖ´. ̔́Οταν πολλὰ ποιήσας ὁ πονηρότατος δαίμων, μὴ δυνηθῆ ἐμποδίσαι τὴν τοῦ σπουδαίου προσευχὴν, μικρὸν ὑποχαλᾷ, καὶ μετέπειτα ἀμύνεται αὐτὸν προσευξάμενον· ἢ γὰρ εἰς ὀργὴν ἐξάψας ἀφανίζει τὴν ἐκ τῆς εὐχῆς συγκροτουμένην ἀρίστην κατάστασιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ἢ πρὸς ἡδονήν τινα ἄλογον ἐρεθίσας ὑβρίζει τὸν νοῦν.
49. HAVING prayed properly, expect what is improper; and stand courageously to keep guard over your harvest. Indeed from the beginning you were assigned this: namely, to work and keep guard (Gen. 2:15). So do not leave your work unguarded after your labor, otherwise you do not receive any benefit from praying.	̈ΜΗ´. Προσευξάμενος ὡς δεῖ, προσδόκα ἂ μὴ δεῖ, καὶ στῆθι ἀνδρείως φυλάττων τὸν καρπόν σου· εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐτάχθης, ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ φυλάττειν· μὴ οὖν ἐργασάμενος ἐάσῃς ἀφύλακτον τὸ πονηθέν· εἰ δὲ μήγε, οὐδὲν ὠφέλησας προσευχόμενος.
50. THE whole war between us and the unclean demons concerns nothing other than spiritual prayer, because it is very hostile and burdensome to them, while it is salvific and very soothing for us.	10. [t 10] Πας ὁ συγκροτούμενος πόλεμος μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων δαιμόνων οὐ περὶ ἑτέρου γίνεται, ἢ περὶ πνευματικῆς προσευχῆς· λίαν γὰρ πολέμιος αὐτοῖς ἐστι, καὶ ἐπαχθεστάτη, ἡμῖν δὲ σωτήριος, καὶ προσηνεστάτη.
51. WHY do the demons wish to activate in us gluttony, sexual immorality, avarice, anger and memory of injury, and all the other passions? It is in order to coarsen the nous through them, so that it is incapable of praying as it ought. When the passions reign through [our] irrational part, they do not allow [the nous] to move rationally and to seek the Word of God.	̈Ν´. τί βούλεται τοῖς δαίμοσι ἐνεργεῖν ἐν ἡμῖν γαστριμαργίαν, πορνείαν, φιλαργυρίαν, ὀργήν τε καὶ μνησικακίαν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάθη; ἵνα παχυνθεὶς ὁ νοῦς ἐξ αὐτῶν, μὴ δυνηθῇ ὡς δεῖ προσεύξασθαι· τὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἀλόγου μέρους πάθη ἄρξαντα οὐκ ἐᾷ αὐτὸν λογικῶς κινεῖσθαι καὶ τὸν Θεοῦ Λόγον ἐπιζητεῖν.
52. WE quest for the virtues because of the logoi *(inner meanings)* of created things, and for these because of the[ir] subsistent Lord; and he customarily appears in the state of prayer.	̈ΝΑ´. τὰς ἀρετὰς μετερχόμεθα διὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν γεγονότων, καὶ τούτους διὰ τὸν οὐσιώσαντα Κύριον, οὗτος δὲ ἐν τῇ καταστάσει τῆς προσευχῆς ἀναφαίνεσθαι εἴωθε.
53. THE state of prayer is a habit[ual condition] free from passion (apatheis) that elevates to the highest rapture of loving *(eros)* the carefully-studious and spiritual nous.	ΝΒ´. Κατάστασίς ἐστι προσευχῆς ἕξις ἀπαθὴς, ἔρωτι ἀκροτάτῳ εἰς ὕψος νοητὸν ἁρπάζουσα τὸν φιλόσοφον, καὶ πνευματικὸν νοῦν.
54. IT is not only indignation *(thumos)* and desire, *(epithumia)* that must be ruled in order to truly pray: one must also be free of every impassioned thought *(noema)*.	ΝΓ´. Οὐ μόνον θυμοῦ, καὶ ἐπιθυμίας δεῖ ἄρχειν τὸν ἀληθῶς προσεύξασθαι ἐπειγόμενον, ἄλλα καὶ ἐκτος ὲμπαθοῦς νοήματος γενέσθαι.
55. ONE who loves God always converses with him as Father, turing away every impassioned thought *(noema)*.	̈ΝΔ´. ̔Ο ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν, τούτῳ ὡς Πατρὶ ἀεὶ συνομιλεῖ, ἀποστρεφόμενος πᾶν νόημα ἐμπαθές.
56. THE attainment of freedom from passion *(apatheia)* does not [necessarily mean] one is already truly praying: it is possible to have simple thoughts *(noemata), but be taken up with [lit distracted by]* [investigating] their stories, and thus still be far from God.	ΝΕ´. Οὐκ ὁ ἀπαθείας τετυχηκὼς, ἤδη καὶ προσεύχεται ἀληθῶς· δύναται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ψιλοῖς νοήμασι εἶναι και ἐν ταῖς ἰστορίαις αὐτῶν περισπᾶσθαι, καὶ μακρὰν ἀπέχειν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ.
57. EVEN though the nous is not spending time on simple thoughts *(noemata)* of issues, it has not thereby already reached the place of prayer. For it may be contemplating issues, involved in idly meditating on their logoi *(inner meanings). And even if these are simple words, since they are contemplations of issues they stamp [their] impression on the nous*, and leading it far away from God.	̈Νϟ´. Οὐκ ἂν ὅτε μὴ ἐγχρονίζῃ ὁ νους ἐν τοῖς ψιλοῖς νοήμασι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἤδη καὶ προσευχῆς κατείληφε τόπον· δύναται γὰρ ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν ἀδολεσχεῖν, ^[79.1180] ἅπερ, καὶ εἰ ψιλὰ ῥήματά εἰσιν, αλλ' ὡς πραγμάτων ὄντα θεωρήματα, τυποῦσι τὸν νοῦν, [..?..] καὶ μακρὰν ἀπάγουσιν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ.
58. EVEN if the nous [rises] above the contemplation of corporeal natures, it has still not beheld the perfect place of God: for it may be involved in the knowledge of noetic (intelligible) beings [i.e angels] and thus multiform by [focusing] on the[ir multiplicity].	̈ΝΖ´. Κἂν ὑπὲρ τὴν θεωρίαν τῆς σωματικῆς φύσεως ὁ νοῦς γένηται, οὕπω τέλεον τὸν τοῦ Θεου τόπον ἐθεάσατο· δύναται γὰρ ἐν τῇ τῶν νοητῶν εἶναι γνώσει, καὶ ποικίλλεσθαι πρὸς αὐτήν.

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