VARIOUS BRIEF SAYINGS

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΑΒΒΑ ΔΩΡΟΘΕΟΥ ΡΗΜΑΤΑ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΑ ΕΝ ΣΥΝΤΟΜΩ

ABBOT DOROTHEOS used to say:

 1. Ὁ ἀββᾶς Δωρόθεος ἔλεγεν

1. It is impossible for a man who sticks to his own judgment and his own idea to submit himself and promote the good of his neighbor.

 ὅτι ἀδύνατόν ἐστι ⁽¹⁾ τὸν ἔχοντα ἰδίαν σύνεσιν ἢ ἴδιον λογισμὸν ὑποταγῆναι ἢ ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ καλῷ τοῦ πλήσιον.

2. Because we all have passions we ought not to have complete faith in our own [goodness of] heart, for a crooked rule makes the crooked straight and the straight crooked.

  2. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι ἐμπαθεῖς ὄντες, οὐκ ὀφείλομεν ὅλως πιστεύειν τῇ ἰδίᾳ καρδίᾳ· σκαμβὸς γὰρ κανὼν καὶ τὰ ⁽⁵⁾ ὀρθὰ σκαμβὰ ποιεῖ.

3, It is no great thing not to judge, and to be sympathetic to someone who is in trouble and falls down before you, but it is a great thing not to judge or to strike back when someone, on account of his own passions, speaks against you and to disagree when someone else is honored more than you are.

  3. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι ὁ μὴ καταφρονῶν πάσης ὕλης καὶ δόξης καὶ σωματικῆς ἀναπαύσεως, ἔτι μὴν καὶ τῶν δικαιω- μάτων, οὐ δύναται κόψαι τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπαλλάσ- σεται ὀργῆς καὶ λύπης, οὐδὲ ἀναπαύει τὸν πλησίον. ⁽¹⁰⁾

4. If a man does not despise all material things, all glory, all bodily rest, and all claim to righteousness, he cannot cut off his own will, or be delivered from anger and sorrow, or bring tranquillity to his neighbor.

  4. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μέγα τὸ μὴ κρῖναι ἢ καὶ συμπαθῆσαι τῷ ἐν θλίψει ὄντι καὶ ὑποπίπτοντί σοι· μέγα δέ ἐστι τὸ μὴ κρῖναι ἢ ἀντιπαθῆσαι τῷ διὰ πάθος ἴδιον ἀντι- λέγοντί σοι, μηδὲ συμπεισθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ κρίνοντος αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ συγχαρῆναι τῷ προτιμωμένῳ σοι. ⁽¹⁵⁾

5. Do not ask for love from your neighbor, for if you ask he does not respond you will be troubled. Instead, show your love for your neighbor and you will be at rest, and so you will bring your neighbor to love.

  5. Πάλιν εἶπε· Μὴ ἀπαίτει ἀγάπην παρὰ τοῦ πλησίον· ὁ γὰρ ἀπαιτῶν ταράσσεται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀπαντήσῃ· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον σὺ δεῖξον τὴν ἀγάπην τῷ πλησίον καὶ ἀνάπαυε, καὶ οὕτως φέρεις καὶ τὸν πλησίον εἰς ἀγάπην.

6. If a man is doing something according to God, trial of some kind will come upon him, for trial and temptation either precede or follow all good. Neither is it sure the thing is happening according to God, unless it is proved so by trials and temptations.

  6. Πάλιν εἶπεν· Ἐὰν ποιήσῃ τις πρᾶγμα κατὰ Θεόν, ⁽²⁰⁾ πάντως ἔρχεται αὐτῷ πειρασμός· παντὶ γὰρ ἀγαθῷ ἢ  προηγεῖται ἢ ἐπακολουθεῖ πειρασμός· οὔτε δὲ βέβαιόν ἐστι τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν γινόμενον, εἰ μὴ δοκιμασθῇ διὰ πειρασμοῦ.

7. Nothing is so conducive to unity as rejoicing about the same things and holding to the same purpose.

  7. Πάλιν εἶπεν· Οὐδὲν οὕτως ποιεῖ ἕνωσιν, ὡς τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς χαίρειν καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ φρονεῖν. ⁽²⁵⁾

8. Not to despise the favor of any of your neighbors is humility; it ought to be accepted with thanksgiving even if it is small and of little moment.

  8. Πάλιν εἶπε· Τὸ μὴ ἐξουδενῶσαί τινα τὴν χάριν τοῦ πλησίον, ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐστί· δεῖ γὰρ καταδέχεσθαι αὐτὴν μετὰ εὐχαριστείας, κἂν μικρὰ καὶ ἐλάχιστός ἐστιν.

9. If it is my duty to get something done, I prefer it to be done with my neighbor’s advice, even if I do not agree with him and it goes wrong, rather than to be guided by my own opinion and have it turn out right.

  9. Πάλιν εἶπεν· Ἐγώ, ἐὰν συμβῇ μοι πρᾶγμα, ἡδέως ἔχω γίνεσθαι γνώμῃ τοῦ πλησίον καὶ ἀσυστροφῆσαι μετὰ γνώμης αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν ἀπαντήσῃ, ἢ καὶ στοιχῆσαι τῇ ἰδίᾳ ⁽³⁰⁾ γνώμῃ καὶ εὐσυστροφῆσαι.

10. It is a good thing on every occasion to prepare for ourselves a little less than we need, for it is not good for us to be completely satisfied in everything.

  10. Πάλιν εἶπε· Καλόν ἐστιν ἐν ἑκάστῳ πράγματι τὸ παρὰ μικρὸν τῆς χρείας ἐπιτηδεύειν ἑαυτοῖς. Οὐ γὰρ συμφέρει τινὶ κατὰ πάντα ἀναπαῆναι.

11. In all things that come upon me I never desire to run around in quest of human wisdom, but I always act with the small power I have on whatever it is, and at the same time leave the whole thing to God.

  11. Πάλιν εἶπε· Ἐν παντὶ πράγματι συμβαίνοντί μοι ⁽³⁵⁾ οὐδέποτε ἠθέλησα ἀνθρωπίνῃ φρονήσει περιδραμεῖν ἐμαυτῷ, ἀλλ’ ἀεὶ ποιῶ μικρὸν τὴν δύναμίν μου εἰς εἴτι δήποτε καὶ ἀφῶ τὸ πᾶν τῷ Θεῷ.

12. He who does not hold to his own will always has what he will; for externally he does not get his own way but whatever happens, no matter what it is, gives him quiet satisfaction and he discovers for himself that he has what he will. For he does not want things to happen as he wishes; he wants things to have happened as they happen.

  12. Πάλιν εἶπεν· Ὁ μὴ ἔχων ἴδιον θέλημα, πάντοτε τὸ ἴδιον ποιεῖ· ἐξότου γὰρ ἴδιον οὐκ ἔχει, εἴτι δ’ ἂν καὶ ⁽⁴⁰⁾ γένηται, ἀναπαύει αὐτόν, καὶ εὑρίσκεται πάντοτε τὸ ἴδιον ένηται, ἀναπαύει αὐτόν, καὶ εὑρίσκεται πάντοτε τὸ ἴδιον ποιῶν. Οὐ γὰρ θέλει τὰ πράγματα γίνεσθαι ὡς θέλει, ἀλλὰ θέλει ὡς γίνεται.

13. It is not right to correct a brother at the moment when he is doing something wrong, or at any other time for the sake of getting back our own.

  13. Πάλιν εἶπεν· Οὐ δεῖ τινα ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ ἐν ᾧ ἁμαρτάνει ὁ ἀδελφός, κατ’ αὐτοῦ διορθώσασθαι αὐτόν, ⁽⁴⁵⁾ ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐν ἄλλῳ καιρῷ χάριν τῆς ἰδίας ἐκδικήσεως.

14. Love according to God is more powerful than natural affection.

  14. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγάπη δυνατωτέρα ἐστὶ καὶ τῆς φυσικῆς ἀγάπης.

15. No evil! Not even for a joke! A man may do something for a joke, but in the end he is trapped in it against his will.

  15. Ἔλεγε πάλιν· Μηδὲ ἐν γελοίῳ τὸ κακόν. Συμβαίνει γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν ποιεῖ τις τὸ κακὸν μετὰ γέλωτος, ⁽⁵⁰⁾ ὕστερον δὲ καὶ μὴ θέλων πήγνυται εἰς αὐτό.  

16. A man ought to want to be freed from vice not because he wants to escape its affliction, but because he detests it, according to Scripture. [“I hated them with a perfect hate; they have become my enemies.”(Ps 139:22.)]

  16. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι οὐ δεῖ θελῆσαί τινα ἀπαλλαγῆναι πάθους, ὡς θέλοντα φυγεῖν τὴν θλίψιν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀκριβῶς μισοῦντα αὐτό, ὡς λέγει· Τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτούς.

17. It is impossible for a man to be angry with anyone unless his heart is first lifted up against him, unless he despises him and esteems himself superior to him.

  17. Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὅτι ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ὀργισθῆναί τινα ⁽⁵⁵⁾ κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον, εἰ μὴ πρῶτον ἐπαρθῇ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ κατ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουδενώσῃ αὐτὸν καὶ ἔχῃ ἑαυτὸν ὑπερέχοντα αὐτοῦ.

18. If, when a man is rebuked or corrected, he is roused to anger, it is a sign that he freely gives way to his passions. Bearing a rebuke or correction without being put out is a sign that a man does not give way to his passion through weakness or ignorance.

  18. Ἔλεγε πάλιν· Σημεῖόν ἐστιν ὅτι ἑκουσίως τις ἐνεργεῖ πάθος, ὅτε ἐλεγχόμενος ἢ διορθούμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ⁽⁶⁰⁾ ταράσσεται. Τὸ δὲ ἀταράχως βαστάζειν τὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγχον ἤγουν διόρθωσιν, σημεῖόν ἐστιν ὅτι ἡττώμενός ἐστι ἢ ἀγνοῶν ἐνήργησεν αὐτό.