STEP 26 - On discernment of thoughts, passions and virtues

(26.) ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚϚʹ. Περὶ διακρίσεως λογισμῶν, καὶ παθῶν, καὶ ἀρετῶν.

[1] in beginners is true knowledge of themselves;

[2] in intermediate souls it is a spiritual sense that faultlessly distinguishes what is truly good from what is of nature and opposed to it;

[3] and in the perfect it is the knowledge which they possess by divine illumination, and which can enlighten with its lamp what is dark in others.

ἐν μὲν τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις, ἡ τῶν καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἀληθὴς ἐπίγνωσις·

 ἐν τοῖς δὲ μέσοις ἡ τὸ κυρίως ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τοῦ φυσικοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἀπταίστως διακρίνουσα νοερὰ αἴσθησις·

ἐν τοῖς δὲ τελείοις, ἡ διὰ θείας ἐλλάμψεως ἐνυπάρχουσα γνῶσις, ἥτις καὶ τὰ ἐν ἄλλοις σκοτεινῶς ἐνυπάρχοντα τῷ ἑαυτῆς λύχνῳ καταφωτίζειν ἰσχύουσα.

   Or perhaps, generally speaking, discernment is, and is recognized as, the assured understanding of the divine will on all occasions, in every place and in all matters; and it is only found in those who are pure in heart, and in body and in mouth.

Ἢ τάχα καθολικῶς τοῦτο καὶ ἔστι, καὶ γνωρίζεται διάκρισις, ἡ τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἀσφαλὴς κατάληψις ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, καὶ τόπῳ, καὶ πράγματι, ἥτις ἐνυπάρχει μόνοις τοῖς καθαροῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ τῷ σώματι, καὶ τῷ στόματι.

26.2. He who has piously destroyed within him the three passions[1] has destroyed the five[2] too; but he who has been negligent about the former will not conquer even one passion.

Ὁ μὲν τοὺς τρεῖς εὐσεβῶς καθελὼν συγκαθεῖλε, καὶ τοὺς πέντε· ὁ δὲ ἐκείνων ἀμελῶν οὐδέτερον νικήσει.

26.3. Discernment is undefiled conscience and purity of feeling.

Διάκρισίς ἐστι συνείδησις ἀμόλυντος, καὶ καθαρὰ αἴσθησις

26.4. Let no one on seeing or hearing something supernatural in the monastic way of life fall into unbelief out of ignorance; for where the supernatural God dwells, much that is supernatural happens.

· μηδεὶς ἐν τῇ μοναδικῇ πολιτείᾳ ὑπὲρ φύσιν τινὰ ἀκούων ἢ ὁρῶν, ἐξ ἀγνωσίας εἰς ἀπιστίαν περιπέσοι· ὅπου γὰρ ἐνδημήσει ὁ ὑπὲρ φύσιν Θεὸς, ὑπὲρ φύσιν λοιπὸν τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν πραγμάτων γίνονται.

26.5. Every satanic conflict in us comes from these three generic causes: either from negligence, or from pride, or from the envy of the demons. The first is pitiable, the second is disastrous, but the third is blessed.

 Ἐν τρισὶ τούτοις γενικωτάτοις τρόποις πᾶς πόλεμος δαιμονιώδης ἐν ἡμῖν συνίσταται, ἢ ἐξ ἀμελείας, ἢ ἐξ ὑπερηφανίας, ἢ ἐκ φθόνου τῶν δαιμόνων· καὶ ἐλεεινὸς μὲν ὁ πρῶτος· πανάθλιος ὁ δεύτερος· ὁ δὲ τρίτος τρισμακάριστος.

26.6. After God, let us have our conscience as our aim and rule in all things, so that we may know which way the wind is blowing and set our sails accordingly.

 Σκοπῷ καὶ κανόνι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ κατὰ Θεὸν συνειδότι πρὸς πάντα χρησώμεθα, ἵνα γνόντες τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πνοὴν πόθεν ἔρχεται, πρὸς αὐτὸ λοιπὸν, καὶ τὰ ἱστία ἀνατείνωμεν.

26.7. In all our actions in which we try to please God the demons dig three pits for us. In the first, they endeavour to prevent any good at all from being done. In the second, after their first defeat, they try to secure that it should not be done according to the will of God. But when these rogues fail in this too, then, standing quietly before our soul, they praise us for living a thoroughly godly life. The first is to be opposed by zeal and fear of death, the second by obedience and humiliation, and the third by unceasing self-condemnation. We shall be faced by toil of this kind until the divine fire enters into our sanctuary.[3] And then the force of bad habit will no longer exist in us. Our God is a fire consuming[4] all fever (of lust) and movement (of passion), every inclination rooted in us and all blindness and darkness within and without, both visible and spiritual.

 Ἐν πάσαις ἡμῶν ταῖς κατὰ Θεὸν ἐργασίαις τρεῖς ἡμῖν βοθύνους οἱ δαίμονες ὀρύσσουσι. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν παλαίουσιν, ἵνα τὸ ἀγαθὸν κωλύσωσι γενέσθαι· δεύτερον δὲ μετὰ τὴν πρώτην αὐτῶν ἧτταν, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ Θεὸν τὸ τυχὸν γένηται.  Ὅταν δὲ καὶ τούτου οἱ κλέπται τοῦ σκοποῦ ἀποτύχωσι, τότε λοιπὸν ἡσυχίως ἐπιστάντες ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ψυχῇ μακαρίζουσιν ἡμᾶς, ὡς κατὰ Θεὸν ἐν πᾶσιν πολιτευομένους.  Τοῦ μὲν προτέρου ἐχθρὸς, σπουδὴ καὶ μέριμνα θανάτου· τοῦ δὲ δευτέρου, ὑποταγὴ καὶ ἐξουδένωσις· τοῦ δὲ τρίτου, τὸ ἑαυτὸν διηνεκῶς καταμέμφεσθαι.  Τοῦτο κόπος ἐστὶν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν, ἕως οὗ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὸ ἁγιαστήριον ἡμῶν τὸ πῦρ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ.  Οὐκ ἔσονται γὰρ λοιπὸν τότε προλήψεων ἐν ἡμῖν ἀνάγκαι.  Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον πᾶσαν πύρωσιν καὶ κίνησιν, καὶ πρόληψιν, καὶ πώρωσιν, τὴν ἐντὸς καὶ ἐκτὸς ὁρωμένην τε καὶ νοουμένην.

26.8. The demons generally produce in us the opposite of what has just been said. For when they take possession of the soul and extinguish the light of the mind, then there is no longer in us poor wretches either sobriety, or discernment, or self-knowledge or shame; but there is indifference, lack of perception, want of discernment and blindness.

 Οἱ δαίμονες τὸ ἐναντίον πάλιν τῶν εἰρημένων ποιεῖν πεφύκασιν.  Ἐπὰν γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς περιγένωνται, καὶ τὸ τοῦ νοὸς φῶς περιτρέψωσιν, οὐκ ἔτι ἔσται ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀθλίοις, οὐ νῆψις, οὐ διάκρισις, οὐκ ἐπίγνωσις, οὐκ ἐντροπή· ἀλλ’ ἀναλγησία, καὶ ἀναισθησία, καὶ ἀδιακρισία, καὶ ἀβλεψία.

26.9. What has just been said is known very vividly by those who have subdued their lust in order to become chaste, who have curbed their freedom of speech and have changed from shamelessness to modesty. They know how after the sobering of the mind, after the ending of its blindness, or rather its maiming, they are inwardly ashamed of themselves for what they said and did before when they were living in blindness.

Οἴδασι γὰρ τὰ εἰρημένα εὖ μάλα σαφῶς οἱ ἐκ πορνείας ἀνανήψαντες, καὶ ἐκ παῤῥησίας ὑποστα-  λέντες, καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἀναιδείας εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐληλυθότες· πῶς τε μετὰ τὴν νῆψιν τοῦ νοὸς, καὶ τῆς πωρώσεως, μᾶλλον δὲ πηρώσεως αὐτοῦ διάλυσιν, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς κατὰ νοῦν αἰδοῦνται, ἐφ’ οἷς πρώην ἐλάλουν καὶ ἔπραττον ἐν τυφλώσει διάγοντες.

26.10. If the day in our soul does not draw to evening and grow dark, then the thieves will not come and rob and slay and ruin our soul.

 Εἰ μὴ ὀψίσει καὶ σκοτάσει πρῶτον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς, οὐ μὴ οἱ κλέπται κλέψωσι, καὶ θύσωσι, καὶ ἀπολέσωσι.

26.11. Robbery is loss of property. Robbery is doing what is not good as if it were good. Robbery is unobserved captivity of the soul. The slaying of the soul is the death of the rational mind that has fallen into nefarious deeds. Ruin is despair of oneself following on breach of the law.

 Κλοπή ἐστιν ἄγνωστος αἰχμαλωσία ψυχῆς· θυσία ψυχῆς ἐστι λογικοῦ νοὸς θνῆσις ἐν πράξεσιν ἀτόποις περιπεσόντος· ἀπώλεια δὲ ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἀνομίαν ἑαυτοῦ ἀπόγνωσις.

26.12. Let no one plead his incapacity to fulfil the commandments of the Gospel, for there are souls who have gone even beyond the commandments. And you will certainly be convinced of what has been said by him who loved his neighbour more than himself and laid down his life for him, although he had not received this commandment from the Lord.[5]

 Μηδεὶς ἐπὶ ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς ἐντολαῖς ἀδυναμίαν προβάληται· εἰσὶ γὰρ ψυχαὶ αἳ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐντολὴν διεπράξαντο.  Πείσει σε πάντως τὸ εἰρημένον ὁ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὸν τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπήσας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου τὴν ψυχὴν προθέμενος, καίπερ ἐπιταγὴν Κυρίου εἰς τοῦτο μὴ κομισάμενος.

26.13. Those who have been humbled by their passions may take courage. For even if they fall into every pit and are trapped in all the snares and suffer all maladies, yet after their restoration to health they become physicians, beacons, lamps, and pilots for all, teaching us the habits of every disease and from their own personal experience able to prevent their neighbours from falling.

 Θαρσείτωσαν οἱ τεταπεινωμένοι ἐμπαθεῖς· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς βοθύνοις περιπέσωσι, καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς παγίσι βροχισθῶσι, καὶ πᾶσαν νόσον νοσήσωσιν· ἀλλά γε μετὰ τὴν ὑγείαν πᾶσι φωστῆρες, καὶ ἰατροὶ, καὶ λύχνοι, καὶ κυβερνῆται γίνονται, ἑκάστης νόσου τοὺς τρόπους διδάσκοντες, καὶ τοὺς μέλλοντας πίπτειν, ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας πείρας διασώζοντες·

26.14. If some are still dominated by their former bad habits, and yet can teach by mere word, let them teach. But they should not have authority as well. For, perhaps, being put to shame by their own words, they will eventually begin to practise what they preach. And even if they do not begin, yet they may be able to help, as I saw happen with others who were stuck in the mud. Bogged down as they were, they were telling the passers-by how they had sunk there, explaining this for their salvation, so that they should not fall in the same way. However, for the salvation of others, the all-powerful God delivered them too from the mud. But if those who are possessed by passions voluntarily plunge into pleasures, let them teach by silence; for Jesus began both to do and to teach.[6]

 εἰ μὲν ἐκ προγεγενημένων προλήψεων τυραννοῦνταί τινες καὶ διδάσκειν κἀν ψιλῷ λόγῳ δύνανται, διδάξωσιν. Ἴσως γάρ ποτε κἂν τοὺς οἰκείους λόγους αἰσχυνθέντες τῆς πρακτικῆς ἄρξωνται (μὴ μέντοι καὶ ἄρξωσι), καὶ γενήσεται καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὅπερ ἐπί τινων ἐν βορβόρῳ κυλιομένων εἶδον γινόμενον· ἐμπεπηλωμένοι γὰρ ὑπάρχοντες τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐκεῖσε αὐτῶν καταποντίσεως τοὺς παρερχομένους ἐδίδασκον ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν τοῦτο πραγματευόμενοι, ὅπως μὴ κἀκεῖνοι τῇ αὐτῇ ὁδῷ πέσωσι· καὶ μέντοι διὰ τὴν ἑτέρων σωτηρίαν, καὶ αὐτοὺς ὁ παντοδύναμος τοῦ πηλοῦ ἐλυτρώσατο. Εἰ δέ γε οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς ἑκουσίως ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς ἡδοναῖς ἐπιῤῥίπτουσι, σιωπῇ τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἐνδείξονται.  Ὧν χάριν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν.

26.15. Perilous, truly perilous is the sea that we humble monks are crossing, a sea in which there are many winds, rocks, whirlpools, pirates, hurricanes, shallows, monsters and waves. A rock in the soul we may consider to be fierce and sudden anger. A whirlpool is hopelessness which seizes the mind and strives to drag it to the depths of despair. A shallow is ignorance which accepts what is bad as good. A monster is this heavy and savage body. Pirates are the most dangerous servants of vainglory who rifle our cargo and the hard-won earnings of the virtues. A wave is a swollen and burdened stomach which by its greed hands us over to the beast. A hurricane is pride that casts us down from heaven, that carries us up to the sky and then down to the abyss.

Χαλεπὸν, ὄντως χαλεπὸν περαιούμεθα, ὦ μοναχοὶ ταπεινοὶ, πέλαγος καὶ πολλῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ σπιλάδων, καὶ ἰλίγγων, καὶ πειρατῶν, καὶ σιφώνων, καὶ βραχῶν, καὶ θηρίων, καὶ κυμάτων πεπληρωμένον.  Σπιλάδα μὲν ἐπὶ ψυχῆς, τὸν ἄγριον θυμὸν καὶ αἰφνίδιον νοήσωμεν· ἴλιγγα δὲ τὴν ἀνελπιστείαν τὴν περικυκλοῦσαν τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν ἐν βυθῷ ἀπογνώσεως κατενέγκαι σπουδάζουσαν· βράχος δὲ τὴν ἄγνοιαν, τὴν τὸ κακὸν ὡς καλὸν κατέχουσαν· θηρία δὲ, τὸ βαρὺ τοῦτο καὶ ἄγριον σῶμα· πειρατὰς δὲ τοὺς τῆς κενοδοξίας χαλεπωτάτους ὑπουργοὺς τοὺς τὸν φόρτον ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸν κάματον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀφαρπάζοντας· κῦμα δὲ τὴν πεφυσημένην καὶ ὀγκουμένην κοιλίαν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας ὁρμῆς τῷ θηρίῳ παραπέμπουσαν· σίφωνα δὲ, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐ-  ρανοῦ ῥιφεῖσαν ὑπερηφανίαν, τὴν ἀναφέρουσαν ἡμᾶς λοιπὸν καὶ καταφέρουσαν ἕως τῶν ἀβύσσων.

26.16. Those engaged in education know what studies are suitable for beginners, what for the intermediate and what for teachers. Let us take sensible precautions not to prolong our study and stop in the beginners’ lessons. For to see an old man going to a children’s school is a great disgrace.

Γνώριμα καθεστήκασι τοῖς γράμματα παιδευομένοις, ποῖα μὲν εἰσαγομένων, ποῖα δὲ μέσων, ποῖα δὲ διδασκάλων τυγχάνουσι τὰ μαθήματα.  Πρόσχωμεν νουνεχῶς, μήπως ἐν τῇ μαθήσει χρονίσαντες ἔτι ἐν τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς διατρίβωμεν ἐπαγγέλμασι· ὅπερ αἰσχύνῃ πᾶσι γνωρίζεται γηραλέον ἰδέσθαι εἰς παιδευτήριον πορευόμενον.

26.17. Here is an excellent alphabet for all:

Ἀρίστη πᾶσιν ἀλφάβητος αὕτη.

(A)  obedience 

Α ὑπακοὴ,

(B)  fasting 

Β νηστεία,

(C)  sackcloth 

Γ σάκκος,

(D)  ashes 

Δ σποδὸς,

(E)  tears 

Ε δάκρυα,

(F)  confession 

Ζ ἐξομολόγησις,

(G)  silence 

Η σιωπὴ,

(H)  humility 

Θ ταπείνωσις,

(I)  vigil 

Ι ἀγρυπνία,

(J)  courage 

Κ ἀνδρεία,

(K)  cold 

Λ ψύχος,

(L)  toil 

Μ κόπος,

(M)  hard work

Ν ταλαιπωρία,

(N)  humiliation

Ξ ἐξουδένωσις,

(O)  contrition

Ο συντριβὴ,

(P)  forgetfulness of wrongs

Π ἀμνησικακία,

(Q)  brotherly love

Ρ συναδελφία,

(R)  meekness

Σ ἠπιότης,

(S)  simple and unquestioning faith

Τ πίστις ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀπερίεργος,

(T)  freedom from worldly cares

Υ ἀμεριμνία κόσμου,

(U)  hateless hatred of parents

Φ μῖσος ἄμισον γονέων,

(V)  detachment

Χ ἀπροσπάθεια,

(X)  innocent simplicity

Ψ ἁπλότης σὺν ἀκακίᾳ,

(Z)  voluntary abasement

Ω ἑκούσιος εὐτέλεια.

26.18. A good scheme for the advanced, and evidence of their progress is: absence of vainglory, freedom from anger, good hope, silence, discernment, firm remembrance of the judgment, compassion, hospitality, moderation in reproof, passionless prayer, disregard of self.

[Καλὴ τάξις ὅροι μέσων.] Κατάληψις καὶ ψῆφος προκοπτόντων, ἀκενοδοξία, ἀοργησία, εὐελπιστία, ἡσυχία, διάκρισις, κρίσεως μνήμη παγία, εὐσπλαγχνία, φιλοξενία, νουθεσία σύμμετρος, προσευχὴ ἀπαθὴς, ἀφιλαργυρία.

26.19. And here is a standard, rule and law for those in the flesh who are piously aiming at perfection in spirit and body:

Οὗτος ὅρος, λόγος τε καὶ νόμος πνευμάτων καὶ σωμάτων ἐν σαρκὶ εὐσεβῶς τελειουμένων·

(A) an unfettered heart 

ἀναιχμαλώτιστος Α καρδία,

(B) perfect love 

Β τετελειωμένη ἀγάπη,

(G) a well of humanity 

Γ ταπεινοφροσύνης πηγὴ,

(D) a detached mind

νοὸς Δ ἐκδημία

(E) Indwelling of Christ 

Χριστοῦ,Ε ἐνδημία

(Z) security of light and prayer 

φωτὸς, καὶ Ζ προσευχῆς ἀσυλία,

(H) outpouring if divine illuination 

ἐλλάμψεως Η Θεοῦ περιουσία,

(Th) a longing for death 

πόθος Θ θανάτου

(I) hatred of life 

μῖσος Ι ζωῆς,

(J) flight from the body 

φυγὴ Κ σώματος,

(K) an intercessor for the world 

κόσμου Λ πρέσβυς,

(L) a pleader of God 

Θεοῦ Μ βιαστὴς,

(M) fellow worshipper with angels

ἀγγέλων Ν συλλειτουργὸς,

(N) abyss of knowledge

γνώσεως Ξ ἄβυσσος,

(O) house of mysteries

μυστηρίων Ο οἶκος,

(P) a keeper of secrets [guardian of unspeakables]

ἀῤῥήτων Π φύλαξ,

(Q) a saviour of men

ἀνθρώπων Ρ σωτὴρ,

(R) a divinity to demons

δαιμόνων Σ Θεὸς,

(S) lord of the passions

παθῶν Τ Κύριος,

(T) master of the body

Δεσπότης Υ σώματος,

(U) controller of nature

φύσεως Φ ἐπίτροφος,

(V) banishment of sin

ἁμαρτίας Χ ξένος,

(X) house of apatheia

ἀπαθείας Ψ οἶκος,

(Z) with the Lord’s help an imitator of the Lord

μιμητὴς Ω Δεσπότου, ἐκ βοηθείας Δεσπότου,

26.20. We have need of considerable vigilance when the body is sick. The demons, seeing us laid low and temporarily incapable of entering into the struggle with them owing to our infirmity, try to attack us fiercely at such times. The demon of irritation and sometimes of blasphemy hovers round those living in the world in time of illness. And the demon of gluttony and fornication attacks those living outside the world if they have an abundance of all necessaries; but if they are living in an ascetic way of life bereft of all consolation, then the tyrant of despondency[7] and ingratitude is constantly sitting with them.

οὐ μικρᾶς ἡμῖν, ὅτε τὸ σῶμα νοσεῖ, χρεία τῆς νήψεως. Χαμαὶ γὰρ οἱ δαίμονες θεασάμενοι ἡμᾶς καὶ [κειμένους] μὴ δυναμένους τέως ἐκ τῆς ἀτονίας ἀσκήσει καθ’ ἑαυτὸν χρήσασθαι, χαλεπῶς τότε πολεμοῦν δοκιμάζουσιν.  Ἐν μὲν τοῖς κατὰ κόσμον ὁ τοῦ θυμοῦ, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ τῆς βλασφημίας ὁ δαίμων ἐν τοῖς νοσοῦσι παρέπεται.  Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔξω κόσμου, εἰ μὲν τῶν χρειῶν εὐποροῦσιν, ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας καὶ πορνείας· εἰ δὲ ἐν ἀπαρακλήτοις τισὶ καὶ ἀθλητικοῖς διατρίβουσι τόποις, ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας καὶ ἀχαριστίας παρεδρεύει τύραννος·

26.21. I noticed that the wolf of fornication added to the sufferings of the sick, and during their actual sufferings produced in them movements of the flesh and emissions. And it was astounding to see how the flesh rages and burns with desire amidst violent agonies. And I looked again and saw men lying in bed who were then and there comforted by the power of God or by a sense of compunction, and by this comfort they warded off the pain and reached such a frame of mind in which they never wanted to get rid of their sickness. And again I turned and saw those suffering severely who by illness were delivered from the passions of their soul as if by some penance; and I glorified Him who cleansed clay by clay.

ἐπεσημηνάμην τὸν τῆς πορνείας λύκον ὀδύνας προστιθέντα τῷ κάμνοντι· καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ὀδύναις κινήσεις αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκκρίσεις ποιοῦντα· καὶ ἦν ἔκπληκτόν τι γινόμενον ἰδέσθαι ἐν ἀλγηδόσι σφοδραῖς τὴν σάρκα σφριγῶσαν καὶ μαινομένην. Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα καὶ εἶδον κατακειμένους, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τῆς θείας ἐνεργείας, ἢ ὑπὸ κατανύξεως παρακαλουμένους· καὶ μέντοι διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως τὰς ὀδύνας διεκρούοντο· ὡς οὕτως διακεῖσθαι, ὡς μὴ θέλειν αὐτοὺς τῆς νόσου ἀπαλλαγῆναί ποτε. Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα, καὶ εἶδον κεκακωμένους, καὶ διὰ τῆς νόσου ὡς δι’ ἐπιτιμίου τινὸς πά-  θους ψυχικοῦ ἀπαλλαγέντας, καὶ ἐδόξασα τὸν διὰ τῆς πηλοῦ πηλὸν ἐκκαθάραντα.

26.22. A spiritual mind is inevitably wrapped in spiritual understanding.[8] Whether it is in us or not, we must never stop seeking this understanding. And when it makes its appearance, the outward senses of their own accord cease their natural action. Knowing this, one of the wise said: And thou shalt obtain a sense of the Divine.[9]

Νοῦς νοερὸς πάντως καὶ νοερὰν αἴσθησιν περιβέβληται, ἵν’ ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἡμῖν οὖσαν ἐκζητοῦντες μὴ παυσώμεθα· ἐκείνης γὰρ φανερωθείσης, αἱ ἐκτὸς πάντως, τὰ οἰκεῖα ἐνεργεῖν οἰκείως παύσονται.  Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ γινώσκων τις σοφὸς ἔφησε, Καὶ θείαν αἴσθησιν εὑρήσεις.

26.23. The monastic life in regard to deeds, words, thoughts and movements must be lived with heartfelt conviction. Otherwise it will not be monastic life, let alone angelic life.

 Βίος μοναδικὸς ἐν αἰσθήσει καρδίας γινέσθω, ἐν ἔργοις καὶ λόγοις καὶ ἐνθυμήμασι, καὶ κινήμασι.  Εἰ δὲ μὴ, οὐ μοναδικὸς, ἵνα μὴ λέγω, ἀγγελικός.

26.24. Divine Providence is one thing, Divine help is another, Divine protection is another, Divine mercy is another, and Divine consolation is another. Providence is displayed in all nature,[10] help only in the faithful, protection in the faithful who truly have faith, mercy in those who serve God, and consolation in those who love Him.

 Ἄλλο πρόνοια Θεοῦ, καὶ ἄλλο ἀντίληψις, καὶ ἄλλο φυλακὴ, καὶ ἕτερον ἔλεος Θεοῦ, καὶ ἄλλο παράκλησις.  Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ φύσει, τὸ δὲ ἐν πιστοῖς καὶ μόνον, τὸ ἕτερον ἐν πιστοῖς, πιστοῖς ἀληθῶς· τὸ τέταρτον ἐν τοῖς δουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ· τὸ δὲ ἔσχατον, ἐν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἐνδείκνυται.

26.25. Sometimes what serves as a medicine for one is poison for another; and sometimes something given to one and the same person at a suitable time serves as a medicine, but at the wrong time it is a poison.

 Ἔστιν ὅτε τὸ ἑτέρου φάρμακον, ἑτέρου δηλητήριον γίνεται· ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῷ αὐτῷ ἐν μὲν τῷ οἰκείῳ καιρῷ προσφερόμενον, φάρμακον γίνεται· ἐν οὐ καιρῷ δὲ πάλιν δηλητήριον γίνεται.

26.26. I have seen an unskilled physician who, by subjecting a sick man who was contrite in spirit to dishonour, only drove him to despair. And I have seen a skilled physician who operated on an arrogant heart with the knife of dishonour, and drained it of all its evil-smelling pus.

 Εἶδον ἀφυῆ ἱατρὸν, ἄῤῥωστον συντεθλασμένον ἀτιμάσαντα, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον, εἰ μὴ τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν αὐτῷ προξενήσαντα. Καὶ εἶδον εὐφυῆ, πεφυσημένην καρδίαν δι’ ἀτιμίας χειρουργήσαντα, καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῆς τὴν ὀζωδίαν κενώσαντα.

26.27. I have seen one and the same sick man sometimes drink the medicine of obedience, move, walk and not sleep in order to cleanse his impurity; and sometimes, when the eye of his soul was sick, remain without movement, noiseless and silent. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 Ἑώρακα τὸν αὐτὸν ἄῤῥωστον, ποτὲ μὲν διὰ κάθαρσιν ῥύπου πιόντα ὑπακοῆς ἴαμα καὶ κινούμενον, καὶ περιπατοῦντα καὶ μὴ ὑπνοῦντα· ποτὲ δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς ψυχῆς νοσοῦντα καὶ ἀκίνητον καὶ ἡσυχάζοντα, καὶ ἐν σιωπῇ διατελοῦντα. Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω.

26.28. Some, I know not why (for I have not learned to pry conceitedly into the gifts of God) are by nature, I might say, prone to temperance, or silence, or purity, or modesty, or meekness, or contrition. But others, although almost their own nature itself resists them in this, to the best of their power force themselves; and though they occasionally suffer defeat yet, as men struggling with nature, they are in my opinion higher than the former.

 Τινὲς, πόθεν οὐκ οἶδα (οὐδὲ γὰρ οἰήσει Θεοῦ δῶρα ζητεῖν καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν μεμάθηκα), φύσει, ἵν’ οὕτως εἴπω, περὶ τὸ ἐγκρατὲς, ἢ περὶ τὸ ἡσυχαστικὸν, ἢ καὶ ἁγνὸν, ἢ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον, ἢ πρᾶον, ἢ εὐκατάνυκτον ἐπιῤῥεπῶς ἔχουσι.  Καί εἰσιν ἕτεροι αὐτὴν σχεδὸν τὴν ἑαυτῶν φύσιν πρὸς ταῦτα αὐτοῖς ἀντιπράττουσαν ἔχοντες, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν ἑαυτοὺς βιαζόμενοι· εἰ καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἡττῶνται, ἀλλ’ ὅμως ὡς βιαστὰς τῆς φύσεως, αὐτοὺς τῶν προτέρων μᾶλλον ἀποδέχομαι.

26.29. Do not boast, man, of the wealth you have obtained without labour. For the Bestower, foreseeing your great hurt, and infirmity, and ruin, at least saves you to some extent by those unmerited gifts.

 Μὴ μεγαλαύχει ἐπὶ ἀπόνῳ πλούτῳ, ἄνθρωπε· τὴν γὰρ πολλήν σου βλάβην, καὶ ἀσθένειαν, καὶ ἀπώλειαν προγνοὺς ὁ δωροδότης τοῖς πλεονεκτήμασιν αὐτοῦ ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἀμίσθοις κἂν ποσῶς σε διέσωσε.

26.30. Instruction in childhood, education, studies, when we come of age either help or hinder us in virtue and in the monastic way of life.

 Καὶ αἱ ἐκ νηπίου παιδεῖαι, καὶ ἀνατροφαὶ, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα συνέρχονται, ἢ καὶ ἀντιπράττουσιν, ἡμῖν αὐξήσασι πρὸς τὴν ἀρετήν τε καὶ πρὸς τὴν μοναδικὴν πολιτείαν· φῶς μὲν μοναχοῖς ἄγγελοι· φῶς δὲ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μοναδικὴ πολιτεία.

26.31. Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all men. Therefore let monks strive to become a good example in everything, giving no occasion of stumbling in anything[11] in all their works and words. For if the light becomes darkness, how much darker will be that darkness, that is, those living in the world.

 Οὐκοῦν ἐν πᾶσι τύπος ἀγαθὸς γίνεσθαι ἀγωνιζέσθωσαν, μηδενὶ πρόσκομμα ἐν μηδενὶ διδόντες, ἐν οἷς ἂν ἐργάζωνται, ἢ ἀποφθέγ-  γωνται. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ φῶς σκότος γίνεται, τὸ σκότος, ἤγουν, οἱ κατὰ κόσμον, πόσον σκοτισθήσονται;

26.32. If you will listen to me, you who are willing to do so, it is best for us not to be versatile and not to split our wretched soul into detachments, and not to challenge to battle with oneself thousands and myriads of the enemies:[12] for it is not in our power to comprehend or even to discover all their hosts.

Εἰ ἄρα ἐμοὶ πείθεσθε, οἱ πειθόμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ οἱ βουλόμενοι, καλὸν ἡμᾶς μὴ ποικίλλειν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τὴν ἀθλίαν ἡμῶν ψυχὴν διαμερίζειν, καὶ πολεμεῖν χιλίαις χιλιάσι, καὶ μυρίαις μυριάσιν ἐχθρῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἐξαρκέσομεν πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς πανουργίας καταμαθεῖν, ἢ ὅλως εὑρεῖν.

26.33. With the help of the Holy Trinity, let us battle with three against three.[13] Otherwise we shall make much toil for ourselves.

 Τῇ Τριάδι· τῇ ἁγίᾳ κατὰ τῶν τριῶν, διὰ τῶν τριῶν ὁπλισώμεθα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, πολλοὺς κόπους ἑαυτοῖς προξενήσομεν·

26.34. If He who turned the sea into dry land[14] really abides in us, then our Israel too, that is, the mind that beholds God, will certainly cross this sea untossed, and will see the Egyptians sunk in the waters of tears. But if He has not yet made His abode in us, who will stand the roaring of the waves[15] of this sea, that is of our flesh?

 ὄντως ἐὰν καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν γένηται, ὁ μεταστρέφων τὴν θάλασσαν εἰς ξηρὰν, διαβήσεται πάντως καὶ ὁ ἡμῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ἤγουν νοῦς ὁρῶν Θεὸν, αὐτὴν ἀκυμάντως, καὶ ὄψεται τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐν τῷ ὕδατι τῶν δακρύων ἀποπνιγέντας· ἐκείνου δὲ ἐν ἡμῖν μὴ ἐνδημοῦντος, ἤχους κυμάτων αὐτῆς, ἤγουν τῆς σαρκὸς ταύτης τίς ὑποστήσεται;

26.35. If through our activity God rises in us, His enemies will be scattered; and if we draw near to Him by contemplation, those who hate Him will flee from His face[16] and ours.

Ἐὰν ἀναστῇ ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ πράξεως, διασκορπισθήσονται οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐὰν διὰ θεωρίας προσπελάσωμεν αὐτῷ, Φεύξονται οἱ μισοῦντες αὐτὸν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν.

26.36. Let us try to learn divine truth more by toil and sweat than by mere word, for at the time of our departure it is not words but deeds that will have to be shown.

 Ἱδρῶτι μᾶλλον, καὶ μὴ ψιλῷ λόγῳ, τὰ θεῖα μανθάνειν σπουδάσωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ λόγους, ἀλλ’ ἔργα ἐν καιρῷ ἐξόδου χρεία ἐνδείξασθαι.

26.37. Those who hear of treasure hidden in a certain place seek it and, having discovered it, take trouble to keep what they have found; but those who get rich without trouble readily squander their possessions.

 Οἱ θησαυρὸν κεκρυμμένον ἀκούσαντες ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ζητοῦσι, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ζητήσεως τὸ εὑρεθὲν μετὰ πόνου φυλάττουσιν· οἱ γὰρ ἀπόνως πλουτήσαντες σκορπίζουσι.

26.38. It is difficult to overcome former bad habits; and those who keep on adding further new ones to them either fall into despair or get no benefit at all from obedience. But I know that to God all things are possible, and to Him nothing is impossible.[17]

 Δυσχερὲς μὲν τὸ τῶν προλήψεων εὐχερῶς περιγενέσθαι· οἱ δὲ ἔτι ταύταις προστιθέναι μὴ παυόμενοι, ἢ ἑαυτῶν ἀπεγνώκασιν, ἣ οὐδὲν ἐκ τῆς ὑποταγῆς ὠφελήθησαν. Πλὴν οἶδα, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς πάντα δύναται· ἀδυνατεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ οὐδέν.

26.39. Certain people asked me a question difficult to solve and which is beyond the powers of anyone like me, and is not to be found in any of the books that have reached me. For they said: What are the particular offspring of the eight deadly sins? Or which of the three chief sins is the father of the other five (minor sins)? But by pleading praiseworthy ignorance as regards this difficulty, I learnt from the holy men the following: ‘The mother of lust is gluttony, and the mother of despondency is vainglory; sorrow and also anger are the offspring of those three (i.e. cupidity, sensuality, ambition); and the mother of pride is vainglory.’

Δυσδιάκριτόν μοί τινες θεώρημα ἐπηπόρησαν, καὶ τοὺς κατ’ ἐμὲ πάντας ὑπερβαῖνον, οὐδενὶ δὲ τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ ἐληλυθότων δέλτων περιεχόμενον λέγοντες. Ποῖοι τῶν ὀκτὼ λογισμῶν ἰδιαιρέτως ἀπόγονοι τυγχάνουσι; ἢ ποῖος τοιούτων πέντε ἐκ τῶν τριῶν τῶν προστατῶν γεννήτωρ καθέστηκεν; Ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀπορίαν ἐπαινέτην ἄγνοιαν προβαλόμενος, παρὰ τῶν πανοσίων ἀνδρῶν ἔμαθον οὕτως. Μήτηρ μὲν πορνείας γαστριμαργία, ἀκηδίας δὲ κενοδοξία· λύπη δὲ τῶν τριῶν τούτων γέννημα, ὥσπερ καὶ ὀργή· ὑπερηφανίας δὲ μήτηρ κενοδοξία.

26.40. In reply to this statement of those ever-memorable Fathers, I began again earnestly to ask them to tell me about the pedigree of the eight sins — which exactly are born from which? And these dispassionate men kindly instructed me, saying: ‘The irrational passions have no order or reason, but they have every sort of disorder and every kind of chaos.’ And the blessed Fathers confirmed this by convincing examples and supplied many proofs, some of which we are including in the present chapter, in order to draw light from them in judging the rest.

Ἐγὼ δὲ πάλιν πρὸς τοὺς ἀειμνήστους ἐκείνους ἀποκρινόμενος ἔφασκον, λιπαρῶν μανθάνειν λοιπὸν καὶ τῶν ὀκτὼ γεννήματα, καὶ ποῖον ποίου ὑπάρχει κύημα.  Ἐδίδασκον δὲ εὐμενῶς οἱ ἀπαθεῖς λέγοντες, μὴ εἶναι τάξιν ἢ σύνεσιν ἐν ἀσυνέτοις· πᾶσαν δὲ ἀταξίαν καὶ ἀκαταστασίαν· καὶ πιθόντες οἱ μακάριοι πιθανοῖς ὑποδείγμασιν ἔλεγον, εἰς μέσον προενεγκόντες πιθανὰς ἀποδείξεις καὶ πλείονας, ἐξ ὧν τινα ἐν τῷ παρόντι λόγῳ συντάττομεν, ἵνα ἐξ ἐκείνων λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν φωτισθῶμεν.

26.41. The sort of thing I mean is this. Untimely jesting is sometimes born of lust; and sometimes of vainglory, when a man impiously puts on a pious air; and sometimes too of luxury.

 Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ὁ γέλως, ὁ ἄκαιρος, ποτὲ μὲν ἐκ πορνείας δαίμο-  νος τίκτεται, ποτὲ δὲ ἐκ κενοδοξίας, ὅταν τις ἐφ’ ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοθεν σεμνύνηται ἀσέμνως·

26.42. Much sleep is born sometimes of luxury; and sometimes of fasting, when those who fast are proud of it; and sometimes of despondency; and sometimes from nature.

ποτὲ δὲ ἐκ τρυφῆς, ὁ ὕπνος ὁ πολύς.  Ποτὲ μὲν ἐκ τρυφῆς, ποτὲ δὲ ἐκ νηστείας, ὅταν οἱ νηστεύοντες ἐπαίρωνται· ποτὲ δὲ ἐξ ἀκηδίας, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ ἐκ φύσεως.

26.44. Talkativeness is born sometimes of gluttony, and sometimes of vainglory.

Ἡ πολυλογία ποτὲ μὲν ἀπὸ γαστριμαργίας, ποτὲ δὲ ἀπὸ κενοδοξίας·

26.34. Acedia is born sometimes of luxury, and sometimes of lack of fear of God.

ἡ ἀκηδία ποτὲ μὲν ἀπὸ τρυφῆς, ποτὲ δὲ ἐξ ἀφοβίας Θεοῦ·

26.45. Blasphemy is properly the offspring of pride; but it is often born of condemnation of our neighbour for the same thing; or of the untimely envy of the demons.

ἡ βλασφημία ἔστιν μὲν κυρίως κύημα ὑπερηφανίας· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κρῖναι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τὸν πλησίον, ἢ καὶ ἀπὸ φθόνου ἀκαίρου τῶν δαιμόνων·

26.46. Hardness of heart sometimes comes from over-eating, often from coldness and attachment. And again attachment comes sometimes from lust, or from avarice, or from gluttony, or from vainglory, and from many other causes.

 ἡ σκληροκαρδία ἐστὶν ὅτε ἀπὸ κόρου, ἀπὸ ἀναισθησίας, ἀπὸ προσπαθείας· πάλιν δὲ ἡ προσπάθεια ἔστι μὲν ὅτε ἀπὸ πορνείας, ἢ φιλαργυρίας, ἢ γαστριμαργίας, ἢ κενοδοξίας, καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων πολλῶν·

26.47. Malice is born of conceit and anger.

ἡ πονηρία πάλιν ἀπὸ οἰήσεως καὶ ὀργῆς.

26.48. Hypocrisy comes from self-satisfaction and wilfulness.

 Ἡ ὑπόκρισις ἐξ αὐταρκείας καὶ ἰδιορυθμίας·

26.49. All the contrary virtues are born of parents contrary to these. But without enlarging on the subject (for I should not have time if I were to inquire into them all one by one), I will merely say that for all the passions mentioned above, the remedy is humility. Those who have obtained that virtue have won the whole fight.

τὰ δὲ τούτων ἐναντία ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων γεννητόρων αὐτῶν ἀποτίκτονται. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ πολλὰ λέγω, ἐπιλείψει με γὰρ ὁ χρόνος, ἤπερ τὸ καθ’ ἓν ἐξετάζειν βούλομαι· κυρίως πάντων τῶν προειρημένων παθῶν ἀναιρέτις ἐστὶν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη, ἣν οἱ κτησάμενοι πάντα νενικήκασι.

26.50. The mother of all the vices is pleasure and malice. He who has them within him will not see the Lord; and abstinence from the first will bring but little benefit without abstinence from the second.

Γενήτρια [al. γεννήτρια] πάντων τῶν κακῶν, ἡδονὴ καὶ πονηρία, ἃ ὁ κατέχων οὐκ ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον· οὐδὲν δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἀποχὴ ἐκτὸς τῆς δευτέρας ὀνήσειε.

26.51. As an example of the fear of the Lord let us take the fear that we feel in the presence of rulers and wild beasts; and as an example of desire for God let carnal love serve as a model for you. There is nothing against taking examples of the virtues from what is contrary.

 Φόβου Κυρίου ὑπόδειγμα ἐξ ἀρχόντων καὶ θηρίων ληψώμεθα. Πόθου δὲ τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν ὑπόδειγμα ὁ τῶν σωμάτων ἔρως τύπος γενέσθω σοι· οὐδὲν γὰρ τὸ κωλύον, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων ποιεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς τὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὑποδείγματα.

26.52. The present generation is seriously corrupt and all full of pride and hypocrisy. In bodily labours it perhaps reaches the level of our ancient Fathers, but it is not graced with their gifts, though I think nature never had such need of spiritual gifts as now. And we have got what we deserve. For God is manifested not in labours but in simplicity and humility. And if the power of the Lord is made perfect in weakness, the Lord will certainly not reject a humble worker.

Πεπονήρευται χαλεπῶς ἡ παροῦσα γενεὰ, καὶ ὅλη οἰήσεως καὶ ὑποκρίσεως πεπλήρωται· κόπους μὲν σωματικοὺς κατὰ τοὺς ἀρχαίους πατέρας ἡμῶν ἴσως ἐπιδεικνυμένη· τῶν δὲ χαρισμάτων αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀξιουμένη, καίπερ οἶμαι, οὔποτε ὡς νῦν ἡ φύσις χαρισμάτων ἐδέετο· καὶ εἰκότως πεπόνθαμεν· οὐ γὰρ κόποις, ἀλλ’ ἁπλότητι καὶ ταπεινώσει ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανίζεται.

26.53. When we see one of our athletes in Christ in bodily suffering and infirmity, let us not maliciously seek to learn the explanation of his illness, but rather with simple and genuine love let us try to heal him as though he were part of our own body, and as a fellow warrior wounded in the fray.

 Εἰ καὶ ἡ δύναμις Κυρίου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται, ὅμως οὐ κωλύσει Κύριος ἐργάτην ταπεινόφρονα.  Ὁπόταν τινὰ τῶν ἀθλητῶν ἡμῶν κακούμενον σωματικῶς θεασώμεθα, μὴ ἐκ πονηρίας τὸ κρῖμα τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀσθενείας μανθάνειν σπουδάσωμεν· μᾶλλον δὲ ἁπλῇ καὶ ἀπονήρῳ ἀγάπῃ, ὡς οἰκεῖον μέλος, καὶ ὡς στρατιώτην ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου πληγέντα δεξάμενοι θεραπεύσωμεν.

26.54. Sickness is sometimes for the cleansing of sins, and sometimes to humble our mind.

 Ἔστιν ἀσθένεια διὰ καθαρισμὸν πταισμάτων, καὶ ἔστι διὰ τὸ ταπεινωθῆναι τὸ φρόνημα.

26.55. When our good and all-gracious Lord and Master sees people too lazy in their exercises, He lays their flesh low with sickness, an exercise that gives them no labour; and sometimes it also cleanses the soul from evil thoughts or passions.

 Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν καὶ πανάγαθος Δεσπότης καὶ Κύριος, ὁπόταν πολλάκις τινὰς ὀκνηροτέρους περὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν θεάσηται, δι’ ἀσθενείας λοιπὸν, ὥσπερ δι’ ἀνετωτέρας ἀσκήσεως τὴν σάρκα ταπεινοῖ· ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν λογισμῶν πονηρῶν καὶ παθῶν ἐκκαθαίρει.

26.56. All that happens to us, seen or unseen, can be taken by us in a good or a passionate or some middle disposition. I saw three brethren punished: one was angry, one suppressed his grief, but the third reaped the fruit of great joy.

 Πάντα ἡμῖν τὰ  συμβαίνοντα, ἤτε ὁρατὰ, ἤτε ἀόρατα, ἔστι καὶ καλῶς, καὶ ἐμπαθῶς, καὶ μέσως καταδέξασθαι.  Εἶδον τρεῖς ἀδελφοὺς ζημιωθέντας· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἠγανάκτει, ὁ δὲ ἔμεινεν ἄλυπος, ὁ δὲ πολλὴν τὴν χαρὰν προσελάβετο.

26.57. I have seen farmers who were casting the same seeds on the earth, yet each had his own special intention. One was thinking of paying his debts; another wanted to get rich; another wished to honour the Lord with his gifts; another’s aim was to get praise for his good work from the passers-by on the way of life; another desired to annoy his neighbour who was envious of him; and another did not want to be reproached by people for idleness. Here are the names of those seeds cast to the earth by the farmers: fasting, vigil, alms, services and the like. Let our brethren in the Lord carefully test their intentions.

 Εἶδον παρὰ γεωργοῖς ἓν σπέρμα παρ’ ἀμφοτέροις καταβαλλόμενον, ἀλλὰ σκοπὸν οἰκεῖον ἕκαστος ἐκέκτητο· ὁ μὲν, ἵνα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀποδώσει χρέη· ὁ δὲ ἵνα πλοῦτον ἑαυτῷ θησαυρίσῃ· ὁ δὲ ἵνα δώροις τὸν Δεσπότην τιμήσῃ· ὁ δὲ ἕτερος, ἵνα ἐπὶ τῇ καλοεργίᾳ τὸν παρὰ τῶν παρερχομένων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ βίου ἔπαινον θηράσῃ· ὁ δὲ ἵνα αὐτὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐχθρὸν ζηλώσαντα θλίψῃ· ὁ δὲ, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἀργὸς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀνειδίζηται.  Αὗται αἱ τῶν γεωργῶν τοῦ σπόρου προσηγορίαι· νηστεία, ἀγρυπνία, ἐλεημοσύνη, διακονίαι, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια.  Τοὺς δὲ σκοποὺς προθύμως ἐν Κυρίῳ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ βασανίσουσιν, ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ἐκ πηγῶν ἀπαντλοῦντες, ἔστιν ὅτε λεληθότως, καὶ τὸν λεγόμενον βάτραχον συνηντλήσαμεν.

26.58. In drawing water from a well we sometimes without noticing it bring up a frog with the water, and so in acquiring the virtues we often get involved in the vices that are imperceptibly entwined with them. The kind of thing I mean is that gluttony is entangled with hospitality; lust with love; cunning with discernment; malice with thoughtfulness; duplicity, procrastination, laziness, contradiction, wilfulness and disobedience with meekness; contempt of instruction with silence; conceit with joy; indolence with hope; harsh judgment with love again; despondency and sloth with quietness; acerbity with chastity; familiarity with humility; and behind them all[18] as a general salve, or rather poison, follows vainglory.

 Οὕτως καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς μετερχόμενοι πολλάκις συμπεπλεγμένας αὐταῖς ἀφανῶς τὰς κακίας μετερχόμεθα· οἷόν τι λέγω· τῇ ξενοδοξία ἡ γαστριμαργία συμπέπλεκται· τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἡ πορνεία· τῇ διακρίσει ἡ δεινότης· τῇ φρονήσει ἡ πονηρία· τῇ πραΰτητι ἡ ὑπουλότης, καὶ νωθρότης, καὶ ὀκνηρία, καὶ ἀντιλογία, καὶ ἰδιορυθμία, καὶ ἀνηκοΐα· τῇ σιωπῇ τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ ὄγκος· τῇ χαρᾷ οἴησις· τῇ ἐλπίδι ἡ ὀκνηρία· τῇ ἀγάπῃ πάλιν τὸ κατακρίνειν· τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ ἡ ἀκηδία καὶ ὀκνηρία· τῇ ἁγνείᾳ ἡ πικρία· τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἡ παῤῥησία· τούτοις δὲ πᾶσιν, ὥσπερ κοινὸν κολούριον, μᾶλλον δὲ δηλητήριον ἡ κενοδοξία συνέπεται.

26.59. We should not be distressed if in asking the Lord for something we remain for a time unheard. It would have pleased the Lord if all men in a single moment had become dispassionate, only His foresight told Him that this would not be for their good.

 Μὴ λυπηθῶμεν αἰτούμενοι τὸν Κύριον αἰτήματα, καὶ ἐπὶ χρόνους μὴ εἰσακουόμενοι.  Ἐβούλετο γὰρ Κύριος πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ ἀπαθεῖς γενέσθαι.

26.60. All who ask and do not obtain their requests from God, are denied for one of the following reasons: either because they ask at the wrong time, or because they ask unworthily and vaingloriously, or because if they received they would become conceited, or finally, because they would become negligent after obtaining their request.

 Πάντες οἱ αἰτούμενοι ἐκ Θεοῦ τὰ αἰτήματα, καὶ μὴ λαβόντες, διὰ μίαν τούτων τῶν αἰτιῶν πάντως οὐ κομίζονται, ἢ ὅτι πρὸ καιροῦ αἰτοῦσιν, ἢ ὅτι ἀναξίως αἰτοῦσι, καὶ κενοδόξως, ἢ ὅτι λαμβάνοντες ἐπαρθῆναι ἔμελλον, ἢ ἀμελεῖν λοιπὸν μετὰ τὸν τοῦ αἰτήματος κτῆσιν.

26.61. No one, I think, would doubt that the demons and passions leave the soul either for a time or entirely; but few know the reasons why they go away from us.

Ὅτι μὲν ἀναχωροῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες, καὶ τὰ πάθη ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἢ καιρῷ τινι, ἢ διηνεκῶς, οὐδεὶς ἀμφιβάλλει, οἶμαι. Τὸ δὲ ἐκ πόσων τρόπων ἡ τούτων ἀναχώρησις ἐξ ἡμῶν γίνεται ὀλίγοι ἐπίστανται.

26.62. Some of the faithful, and even of the unfaithful, have been deserted by the passions, all except one; and that one has been left as a paramount evil which fully takes the place of all the others, for it is so harmful that it can even cast down from heaven.

Ἀνεχώρησαν τὰ πάθη ἔκ τινων οὐ μόνον πιστῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπίστων, ἐκτὸς ἑνὸς, ἐκεῖνο μόνον καταλιπόντα αὐτοῖς ὡς κακόν τι πρωτεῦον, καὶ τὸν τόπον πάντων ἀναπληροῦν, εἴπερ τοιαύτην κέκτηται τὴν βλάβην, ὡς καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατενέγκαι. 

26.63. The spent material of the passions is destroyed by the divine fire. And while this material is being uprooted and the soul purified the passions all retire; that is, if the man himself does not attract them again by worldly habits and indolence.

Ἀναλίσκεται ὕλη πυρὶ θείῳ δαπανωμένη, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκριζουμένη.  Ὑποχωροῦσι δαίμονες ἑκουσίως, ἀμεριμνῆσαι παρασκευάζοντες, καὶ αἰφνίδιον τὴν ἀθλίαν ψυχὴν ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ εἰς ἄκρον ποιωθῆναι τοῖς πάθεσι

26.64. Demons leave us of their own accord so as to lead us to carelessness, and then suddenly carry off our wretched soul.

παρασκευάζοντες, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν αὐτεπίβουλον οὖσαν λοιπὸν καὶ αὐτοπολέμιον.

26.65. I know another way in which those beasts slink off; they go after the soul has thoroughly acquired the habits of vice and is its own betrayer and enemy. Infants are an example of what has been said; for, when weaned from their mother’s breasts, from long standing habit they suck their fingers.

 Οἶδα καὶ ἄλλην ὑποχώρησιν τῶν θηρίων μετὰ τὸ τελείως συνηθίσαι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ὑπόδειγμα τοῦ εἰρημένου τὰ νήπια· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν μακρὰν συνήθειαν, καὶ χωρὶς μαζοῦ, ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων δακτύλων θηλάζουσιν.

26.66. I know also a fifth kind of spiritual dispassion which comes from great simplicity and praiseworthy innocence. For on such people help is justly bestowed by God who saves the true of heart[19] and imperceptibly rids them of all vice; just as infants, when undressed, are quite unaware of it.

 Οἶδα καὶ πέμπτην ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ  ἀπάθειαν, ἔτι ἐξ ἁπλότητος πολλῆς καὶ ἀκεραιότητος ἐπαινουμένους συνισταμένη.  Δικαία γὰρ ἡ βοήθεια τοῖς τοιούτοις παρὰ Θεοῦ τοῦ σώζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἀνεπαισθήτως αὐτοὺς τῶν κακῶν ἀπαλλάττοντες· εἴπερ καὶ τὰ νήπια ἐκδυθέντα οὐ πάνυ γινώσκουσι.

26.67. Vice or passion is not originally planted in nature, for God is not the Creator of passions. But there are in us many natural virtues from Him, among which are certainly the following: mercy, for even the pagans are compassionate; love, for even dumb animals often weep at the loss of one another; faith, for we all give birth to it of ourselves; hope, for we lend, and sail, and sow, hoping for the best.[20] So if, as has been shown, love is a natural virtue in us, and is the bond[21] and fulfilment of the law,[22] then it follows that the virtues are not far from nature. And those who plead their inability to practise them ought to be ashamed.

 Κακία μὲν, ἢ πάθος φυσικῶς ἐν τῇ φύσει οὐ πέφυκεν οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ κτιστὴς παθῶν ὁ Θεός· ἀρεταὶ δὲ φύσει καὶ πολλαὶ ἐν ἡμῖν παρ’ αὐτοῦ γεγόνασιν, ἐξ ὧν εἰσι καὶ αὗται σαφῶς· ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη, εἴπερ καὶ Ἕλληνες συμπαθοῦσιν· ἡ ἀγάπη, εἴπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα πολλάκις ἐπὶ τῇ στερήσει ἀλλήλων ἐδάκρυσαν.  Ἡ πίστις· πάντες γὰρ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ταύτην ἀποτίκτομεν· ἐλπὶς, ἐπεὶ καὶ δανειζόμενοι, καὶ πλέοντες, καὶ σπείροντες πλουτῆσαι ἐλπίζομεν. Εἰ τοίνυν, ὡς ἀποδέδεικται, ἡ ἀγάπη φύσει καὶ ἀρετὴ ἐν ἡμῖν καθέστηκε, σύνδεσμος δὲ καὶ πλήρωμα νόμου αὕτη, οὐκοῦν οὐ πόῤῥω τῆς φύσεως αἱ ἀρεταὶ καθεστήκασι, καὶ αἰσχυνθείησαν οἱ ἀδυναμίαν ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων ἐργασίᾳ προβαλλόμενοι.

26.68. Above nature are chastity, freedom from anger, humility, prayer, vigil, fasting, constant compunction. Some of them men teach us, others angels, and of others the Teacher and Giver is God the Word Himself.

 Ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἁγνεία, ἀοργησία, ταπεινοφροσύνη, προσευχὴ, ἀγρυπνία, νηστεία, κατάνυξις διηνεκής.  Τούτων τῶν μὲν ἄνθρωποι, τῶν δὲ ἄγγελοι, τῶν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος καθέστηκε διδάσκαλος καὶ δοτήρ·

26.69. When confronted by evils, we should choose the least. For instance, it often happens that we are standing at prayer, and brothers come to us, and we have to do one of two things: either to stop praying, or to grieve the brother by leaving him without an answer. Love is greater than prayer, because prayer is a particular virtue but love embraces all the virtues.

συγκρίσει κακῶν δεῖ ἡμᾶς τὸ κουφότερον ἐκλέξασθαι.  Οἷον πολλάκις ἐν προσευχῇ παρισταμένων ἡμῶν, πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀδελφοὶ παρεγένοντο· καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ τὴν προσευχὴν καταλιπεῖν, ἢ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀναπόκριτον ἀπελθόντα λυπῆσαι.  Μείζων ἀγάπη προσευχῆς· ἡ μὲν γὰρ μερικὴ, ἡ δὲ περιεκτικὴ πασῶν καθέστηκε.

26.70. Once long ago, when I was still young, I came to a town or village and while sitting at table I was attacked by thoughts of gluttony and vainglory, both at once. Fearing the offspring of gluttony, I decided that it was better to yield to vainglory, for I knew that in the young the demon of gluttony often conquers the demon of vainglory. And this is not surprising. In people of the world the root of all evil is love of money, but in monks it is gluttony.

 Πάλαι ἐν πόλει ἢ κώμῃ παραγενόμενός ποτε, ἔτι νέος ὢν, ὑπὸ λογισμῶν γαστριμαργίας καὶ κενοδοξίας ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπὶ τραπέζης καθήμενος κατελήφθην, καὶ μέντοι τὴν ἀπόγονον τῆς κοιλιομανίας δεδοικὼς, τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ ἡττήθην μᾶλλον.  Ἔγνων ἐγὼ τὸν τῆς γαστριμαργίας δαίμονα πολλάκις, τὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας νικήσαντα ἐν τοῖς νέοις· καὶ εἰκότως· παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἡ φιλαργυρία, παρὰ δὲ μοναχοῖς ἡ γαστριμαργία·

26.71. Often Divine Providence leaves certain slight passions in spiritual people so that by unsparingly condemning themselves for those trifling and venial defects they may obtain that wealth of humility which none can steal.

ἔστι παρὰ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς πολλάκις τινὰ εὐτελέστατα πάθη ἐκ Θεοῦ οἰκονομικῶς καταλιμπανόμενα· ἵνα δι’ εὐτελῶν τινων, καὶ ἀναμαρτήτων ἑαυτοὺς λίαν καταμεμφόμενοι, πλοῦτον ἄσυλον ταπεινοφροσύνης κτήσωνται·

26.72. It is impossible for those who have not first lived in obedience to obtain humility; for everyone who has learned an art on his own fancies himself.

οὐκ ἔστι ἐν προοιμίοις ταπείνωσιν κτήσασθαι ἀνυποτάκτως διάγοντα, εἴπερ πᾶς ὁ ἰδιορύθμως τέχνην μεμαθηκὼς φαντάζεται.

26.73. The Fathers state that the active life consists in two virtues of the most general kind: in fasting and obedience. And rightly, for the first destroys sensuality, and the other reinforces this destruction with humility. That is why mourning also has a double power, for it destroys sin and produces humility.

Ἐν δυσὶν ἁπάσαις γενικωτάταις ἀρεταῖς οἱ Πατέρες τὴν πρακτικὴν ὁρίζονται, καὶ εἰκότως.  Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀναιρετικὴ τῶν ἡδονῶν καθέστηκεν· ἡ δὲ τὴν  ἀναίρεσιν ταπεινοφροσύνη κατησφαλίσατο. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ πένθος διπλοῦν, ὡς τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀναιρετικὸν, καὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ποιητικόν·

26.74. To the pious it is natural to give to everyone who asks; and to the more pious to give even to him who does not ask. But not to demand a thing back from the person who took it, especially when they have the chance, is characteristic perhaps only of the dispassionate.

 εὐσεβῶν μὲν, τὸ παντὶ αἰτοῦντι διδόναι, εὐσεβεστέρων δὲ καὶ τῷ μὴ αἰτοῦντι.  Τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντος μὴ ἀπαιτεῖν δυναμένους μάλιστα, τάχα τῶν ἀπαθῶν καὶ μόνων ἴδιον καθέστηκεν.

26.75. In every passion, and also in the virtues, let us critically examine ourselves: Where are we? At the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end?

Ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πάθεσι καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἐκζητοῦντες μὴ παυσώμεθα, ποῦ τυγχάνομεν ἐν ἀρχῇ, ἐν μεσότητι, ἢ ἐν τέλει.

26.76. All the attacks which we suffer from the demons come from these three causes: from sensuality, or from pride, or from the envy of the demons. The last are blessed, the middle are very pitiful, but the first are failures till the end.

 Πάντες οἱ πρὸς ἡμᾶς δαιμόνων πόλεμοι, ἐκ τριῶν τούτων αἰτιῶν συνίστανται· ἐκ φιληδονίας, ἢ ἐκ ὑπερηφανίας, ἢ ἐκ φθόνου αὐτῶν.  Οἱ μὲν ἔσχατοι μακάριοι· οἱ δὲ μέσοι πανάθλιοι· οἱ δὲ πρότεροι ἀχρεῖοι ἕως τέλους τυγχάνουσι.

26.77. There is a certain feeling, or rather habit, called endurance of hardship. He who possesses it will never fear pain, labour or hardship or turn aside from such. Upheld by this glorious grace, the souls of the martyrs recklessly despised their tortures.

 Ἔστι τις αἴσθησις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἕξις, φερέπονος λεγομένη, ὑφ’ ἧς ὁ ἁλοὺς οὐκ ἔτι δειλιάσει, ἢ ἀποστραφεῖ πόνου ποτέ· ταύτῃ τῇ ἀοιδίμῳ αἱ τῶν μαρτύρων ψυχαὶ κρατηθεῖσαι τῶν βασάνων εὐχερῶς κατεφρόνησαν.

26.78. The guarding of the thoughts is one thing, and the custody of the mind is another. As far as the East is from the West[23] so much higher is the latter than the former, even if it is more laborious.

 Ἄλλο φυλακὴ λογισμῶν, καὶ ἕτερον νοὸς τήρησις, καθόσον ἀπέχουσιν ἀνατολαὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν, κατὰ τοσοῦτον ὑψηλοτέρα τῆς προτέρας ἡ δευτέρα, εἰ καὶ μοχθηροτέρα ὑπάρχοι.

26.79. It is one thing to pray for deliverance from bad thoughts, another to contradict them, another to despise and disregard them. Of the first way he bears testimony who said: O God, come to my help;[24] of the second, he who said: And to those who reproach me I will make contradictory answer;[25] and again: Thou hast made us a contradiction to our neighbours;[26] of the third the witness is the Psalmist: I was dumb, and opened not my mouth;[27] and: I put a bridle on my mouth, when the sinner was before me;[28] and again: The proud have broken the law to excess, but I have not swerved from Thy contemplation.[29] He who stands on the middle step will often make use of the first of these means through being taken unawares. But he who stands on the first step is not in a position to ward off his enemies by the second means. But he who has reached the third step spurns the demons altogether.

 Ἄλλο προσεύχεσθαι κατὰ λογισμῶν, καὶ ἄλλο ἀντιφθέγγεσθαι τούτοις· καὶ ἕτερον ἐξουθενεῖν, καὶ ὑπερτίθεσθαι τούτους.  Καὶ τῷ μὲν προτέρῳ τρόπῳ μαρτυρεῖ ὁ εἰπών· Ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου πρόσχες, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια.  Τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ ὁ φήσας· Καὶ ἀποκριθήσομαι τοῖς ὀνειδιζουσίν μοι λόγον ἀντιῤῥητικόν.  Καὶ πάλιν· Ἔθου ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀντιλογίαν τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν.  Τοῦ δὲ τρίτου μάρτυς ὁ μελῳδήσας· Ἐκωφώθην, καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, καὶ ἐθέμην αὐτῷ φυλακὴν ἐν τῷ συστῆναι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐναντίον μου.  Καὶ πάλιν· Ὑπερήφανοι παρηνόμουν ἕως σφόδρα· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς σῆς θεωρίας ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐξέκλινα.  Τούτων ὁ μὲν μέσος τῷ προτέρῳ πολλάκις κέχρηται, διὰ τὸ ἀπαρασκεύαστον· ὁ δὲ πρότερος οὔπω τῷ δευτέρῳ τρόπῳ ἰσχύει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀπώσασθαι· ὁ δὲ τρίτος εἰς ἅπαν δαιμόνων κατέπτυσεν.

26.80. Naturally it is impossible for a bodiless being to be confined by a body; but for a person who has God everything is possible.

 Ἀμήχανον φυσικῶς τὸ ἀσώματον ὑπὸ τοῦ σώματος ὁρίζεσθαι· πάντα δὲ δύνατα τῷ κτισαμένῳ Θεῷ.

26.81. Just as those whose sense of smell is healthy can tell who has hidden perfumes, so the pure soul can recognize in others both the fragrance which he himself has obtained from God and the stench from which he has been freed, though this is imperceptible to others.

 Ὥσπερ οἱ τῇ αἰσθήσει τῆς ὀσφρήσεως ὑγιῶς διακείμενοι τὸν ἀρώματα λεληθότως κατέχοντα ἐπιγινώσκειν δύνανται· οὕτως καὶ ψυχὴ καθαρὰ τὴν εὐωδίαν, ἣν καὶ αὐτὴ ἐκ Θεοῦ προσεκτήσατο, τήν τε δυσωδίαν, ἧς ἀπαλλαγεῖσα τελείως καθέστηκεν, ἐν ἑτέροις ὑπάρχουσαν γνωρίζειν, ἀνεπαισθήτως ἑτέρων, πέφυκεν.

26.82. It is impossible for all to become dispassionate, but it is not impossible for all to be saved and reconciled to God.

 Οὐ πάντες μὲν ἀπαθεῖς γενέσθαι δυνατόν· πάντες δὲ σωθῆναι καὶ Θεῷ διαλλαγῆναι οὐκ ἀδύνατον.

26.83. Take care that you are not mastered by foreigners, those thoughts which urge you to be inquisitive about the ineffable judgments of Divine Providence or the visions that people have which secretly suggest that the Lord is partial. For they are the offspring of self-esteem, and are known as such.

 Μή σου κατακυριεύσωσιν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐκεῖνοι, οἱ τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀῤῥήτους οἰκονομίας ἢ ὀπτασίας ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γινομένας πολυπραγμονεῖν βουλόμενοι, καὶ προσωπολήπτην τὸν Κύριον εἶναι λεληθότως ὑποβάλλοντες· οἰήσεως γὰρ ἀπόγονοι καὶ εἰσὶ καὶ γνωρίζονται.

26.84. There is a demon of avarice which often apes humility; and there is a demon of vainglory, and one of sensuality too, which both urge to almsgiving. However, if we are clear of them both, we should not stint our acts of mercy wherever we are.

 Ἔστι δαίμων φιλαργυρίας πολλάκις ταπείνωσιν ὑποκρινόμενος· καὶ ἔστι  δαίμων κενοδοξίας πρὸς ἐλεημοσύνην προτρεπόμενος, ὥσπερ καὶ φιληδονίας.  Ἐὰν ἀμφοτέρων τοίνυν καθαρεύσωμεν, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ἐλεεῖν μὴ παυσώμεθα.

26.85. Some have said that demons work against demons; but I know that they all seek our destruction.

 Τινὲς μὲν ἔφησαν δαίμονας δαίμοσιν ἀντιπράττειν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἔγνωκα πάντας τὴν ἡμῶν ζητοῦντας ἀπώλειαν.

26.86. Our own strong desire and intention, with God’s cooperation, precede every spiritual action both visible and mental; for if the first has not paved the way, the second is apt not to follow.

Πάσης πνευματικῆς ἐργασίας ὁρωμένης τε καὶ νοουμένης προηγεῖται πρόθεσις οἰκεία, καὶ πόθος ἄριστος, μετὰ συνεργίας Θεοῦ γινόμενα.  Τῶν γὰρ προτέρων μὴ καταβληθέντων, τὸ δεύτερον ἐπακολουθεῖν οὐ πέφυκεν.

26.87. If there is a time for everything under heaven,[30] as the Preacher says, and by the word ‘everything’ must be understood what concerns our holy life, then if you please let us look into it and let us seek to do at each time what is proper for that occasion. For it is certain that for those who enter the lists there is a time for dispassion (I say this for the combatants who are serving their apprenticeship); there is a time for tears, and a time for hardness of heart; there is a time for obedience, and there is a time to command; there is a time to fast, and a time to partake; there is a time for battle with our enemy the body, and a time when the fire is dead;[31] a time of spiritual storm, and a time of spiritual calm; a time for heartfelt sorrow, and a time for spiritual joy; a time for teaching and a time for listening; a time of pollutions, perhaps on account of conceit, and a time of cleansing by humility; a time for struggle, and a time for safe relaxation; a time for quiet, and a time for undistracted distraction; a time for unceasing prayer, and a time for sincere service. So let us not be deceived by proud zeal and seek prematurely what will come in its own good time; that is, we should not seek in winter what comes in summer, or at seed time what comes at harvest; because there is a time to sow labours, and a time to reap the unspeakable gifts of grace. Otherwise we shall not receive even in season what is proper to that season.

 Εἰ καιρὸς ἐν παντὶ πράγματι τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, ἐν τοῖς πᾶσι δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας πολιτείας ἱερᾶς καθεστήκασι πράγματα· οὐκοῦν σκοπήσωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ, καὶ ἐν ἑκάστῳ καιρῷ τὰ τῷ καιρῷ οἰκεῖα ζητήσωμεν· καιρὸς γὰρ πάντως ἐν τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ἐστὶν ἀπαθείας, διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων λέγω νηπιότητα.  Καιρὸς δακρύων, καὶ καιρὸς σκληροκαρδίας· καιρὸς ὑποταγῆς, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἐπιτάττειν· καιρὸς νηστείας, καὶ καιρὸς μεταλήψεως· καιρὸς πολέμου, σώματος ἐχθροῦ, καὶ καιρὸς θανάτου πυρώσεως· καιρὸς χειμῶνος ψυχῆς, καὶ καιρὸς γαλήνης νοός· καιρὸς λύπης καρδιακῆς, καὶ καιρὸς χαρᾶς πνευματικῆς· καιρὸς διδασκαλίας, καὶ καιρὸς ἀκροάσεως· καιρὸς μολυσμῶν, ἴσως διὰ τὴν οἴησιν, καιρὸς καθάρσεως, διὰ τὴν ταπείνωσιν· καιρὸς πάλης, καὶ ἀσφαλοῦς ἀνέσεως· καιρὸς ἡσυχίας, καὶ καιρὸς ἀπερισπάστου περισπασμοῦ· καιρὸς προσευχῆς ἀεννάου, καὶ καιρὸς διακονίας ἀνυποκρίτου.  Μὴ τοίνυν πρὸ καιροῦ ἐξ ὑπερηφάνου προθυμίας ἀπατώμενοι τὰ τοῦ καιροῦ ζητήσωμεν· μὴ ἐν χειμῶνι τὰ τοῦ θέρους· μὴ ἐν σπόρῳ τὰ τῶν δραγμάτων, ἐπειδὴ καιρὸς τοῦ σπεῖραι πόνους, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ θερίσαι τὰς χάριτας τὰς ἀῤῥήτους. Εἰ δὲ μή γε, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τὰ τοῦ καιροῦ οἰκεῖα κομισόμεθα.

26.88. By the ineffable providence of God some have received holy returns for their toiling before their labours, some during their labours, some after labours, and some at the time of their death. It is a question which of them was rendered more humble?

 Τινὲς πρὸ τῶν καμάτων, τινὲς ἐν τοῖς καμάτοις, τινὲς μετὰ τοὺς καμάτους, τινὲς ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ τὰς ὁσίας ἀμοιβὰς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν οἰκείων κόπων κατ’ οἰκονομίαν ἄῤῥητον ἐκομίσαντο.  Ζητητέον τίς τούτων τοῦ ἑτέρου ταπεινότερος καθέστηκεν.

26.89. There is a despair that is the consequence of a multitude of sins, of a burdened conscience and unbearable sorrow because the soul is covered with a multitude of wounds and it sinks under the burden of them into the depth of despair. And there is another kind of sorrow that comes to us from pride and conceit, when someone considers that he has not deserved a fall that he has had. The observant will find the distinguishing feature of each: the one cooly gives way to indifference, the other in despair still clings to his struggle — which does not accord with his state. The former is cured by temperance and good hope, and the latter by humility and the habit of not judging anyone.

Ἔστιν ἀπόγνωσις ἐκ πλήθους ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ συνειδότος βάρους, καὶ ἀφορήτου λύπης διὰ τὸ ὑπερβαπτισθῆναι τῷ πλήθει τῶν τραυμάτων τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τῷ βάρει αὐτῶν, εἰς τὸν ἀπογνώσεως βυθὸν καταποντίζεσθαι· καὶ ἔστιν ἀπόγνωσις ἐξ ὑπερηφανίας καὶ οἰήσεως ἡμῖν ἐπισυμβαίνουσα, λογιζόμενον ἑαυτὸν ὡς ἀνάξιον ὄντα τοῦ συμβεβηκότος πτώματος· τοῦτο δὲ ὁ παρατηρῶν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις εὑρήσει τὸ ἰδίωμα· τὸν μὲν ἐν ἀδιαφορίᾳ ἑαυτὸν λοιπὸν ἐκδεδωκότα· τὸν δὲ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἐν ἀπογνώσει ἐχόμενον, ὅπερ ἀσύμφωνον· ἀλλὰ τὸν  μὲν ἐγκράτεια, καὶ εὐελπιστία· τὸν δὲ ταπείνωσις, καὶ τὸ μηδένα κρίνειν ἰατρεύειν πεφύκασιν.

26.90. It should not surprise us or seem to us strange when we see that some do bad deeds under cover of good words; for perhaps even in Paradise the snake was destroyed by overwhelming conceit.

Οὐ δεῖ θαμβεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς ἢ ξενίζεσθαι ὁρῶντας πονηρὰ μέν τινας ἐργαζομένους ἔργα, ἀγαθοὺς δὲ λόγους προφέροντας· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ὄφιν ἐκεῖνον ἡ οἴησις ἀπώλεσεν ὑψώσασα,

26.91. In all your undertakings and in every way of life, whether you are living in obedience, or are not submitting your work to anyone, whether in outward or in spiritual matters, let this be your rule and practice, to ask yourself: Am I really doing this in accordance with God’s will? For example, when we, I mean beginners, carry out some task and the humility acquired from this action is not added to our soul, then in my opinion, be the matter great or small, we are not doing it according to God. For in us who are still young in the spiritual life, growth in humility is the fulfilment of the Lord’s will; and for those who have reached a middle state perhaps the test is the cessation of inner conflicts; and for the perfect, an increase and abundance of the divine light.

 τύπος σοι καὶ κανὼν ἔστω οὗτος ἐν πάσαις σου ταῖς ἐγχειρήσεσι, καὶ πολιτείαις, ὑποτακτικαῖς τε καὶ ἀνυποτάκτοις, ὁρωμέναις τε καὶ νοουμέναις, εἰ κατὰ Θεὸν κυρίως καθεστήκασι· λέγω δὴ, ὁπόταν τὸ οἱονοῦν ἐπιτηδεύωμεν, οἱ εἰσαγόμενοι λέγω, ἐγχείρημα, καὶ μὴ ἐκ τῆς τούτου ἐργασίας ταπείνωσιν, ἧς κεκτήμεθα, προσλαμβάνωμεν πλέον ἐν ψυχῇ, οὐ δοκεῖ μοι κατὰ Θεὸν ἡμᾶς αὐτὸ κατεργάζεσθαι, εἰ μικρὸν ἢ μέγα καθέστηκεν.  Ἐν μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῖς νηπιωδεστέροις αὕτη ἡ τοῦ Κυριακοῦ θελήματος πληροφορία· ἐν δὲ μέσοις, ἡ τῶν πολέμων ἴσως ἀναχώρησις· ἐν δὲ τελείοις, ἡ τοῦ θείου φωτὸς προσθήκη καὶ περιουσία.

26.92. Even a small thing can be not small to the great; but to the small, even great things are not altogether perfect.

 Τὰ μὲν μικρὰ παρὰ τοῖς μεγάλοις, ἴσως οὐ μικρά· τὰ δὲ μεγάλα παρὰ τοῖς μικροῖς οὐ πάντως τέλεια.

26.93. When the air is cleared of clouds, the sun shines brightly; and a soul freed from its former habits and granted forgiveness has certainly seen the divine light.

 Ἀὴρ μὲν καθαρθεὶς νεφελῶν, φαιδρὸν ὑπέδειξεν ἥλιον· καὶ ψυχὴ προλήψεων ἀφέσεως ἀξιωθεῖσα πάντως θεῖον φῶς ἑώρακεν.

26.94. Sin is one thing, idleness another, indifference another, passion another and a fall another. He who is able to investigate this in the Lord, let him seek clearly.

 Ἄλλο ἁμαρτία, καὶ ἄλλο ἀργία, καὶ ἄλλο ἀμέλεια· καὶ ἕτερον πάθος, καὶ ἄλλο πτῶμα.  Ὁ δυνάμενος ἐν Κυρίῳ ζητεῖν, ζητείτω σαφῶς.

26.95. Some praise above all the gift of miracle-working and the visible spiritual gifts, not knowing that there are many higher than this which are hidden and which therefore remain secure.

 Τινὲς τὸ θαυματουργικὸν καὶ ὁρώμενον ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς χαρίσμασιν ὑπὲρ πάντα μακαρίζουσιν, ἀγνοοῦντες πολλὰ εἶναι τούτου ὑπέρτερα καὶ ἀπόκρυφα· διὸ καὶ μένουσιν ἄπτωτα.

26.96. He who is perfectly purified sees the soul of his neighbour (although not the actual substance of the soul), and can tell its state. But he who progresses further can judge the state of the soul from the body.

 Ὁ μὲν τελείως καθαρθεὶς, αὐτὴν, ἢ καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἐν ποίοις διάκειται τοῦ πλησίον ὁρᾷ.  Ὁ δὲ προκόπτων ἔτι, διὰ τοῦ σώματος ταύτην τεκμαίρεται.

26.97. A small fire often destroys a whole forest; so too a small flaw spoils all our labour.

 Πῦρ μικρὸν πολλάκις πᾶσαν τὴν ὕλην ἐκάθηρεν, ὥσπερ καὶ ὀπὴ μικρὰ ὅλον τὸν κόπον διέφθειρεν.

26.98. There is a rest from hostility which awakens the power of the mind without stirring the fire of passion. And there is an exhaustion of the body, which perhaps excites even movements in the flesh so that we should not trust in ourselves,[32] but should trust in God, who, without our knowledge, mortifies the lust living in us.

 Ἔστιν ἀνάπαυσις τῇ ἐχθρᾷ τὴν τοῦ νόου δύναμιν διυπνίζουσα, καὶ πύρωσιν μὴ διεγείρουσα· καὶ ἔστι πολλὴ κατάτηξις ἴσως, καὶ τὰς κινήσεις κινήσασα, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ’ ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀγνώστως τὴν ζῶσαν θανατοῦντι.

26.99. When we see that some love us in the Lord, then we should not allow ourselves to be especially free with them, for nothing is so likely to destroy love and produce hatred as familiarity.

 Ὅταν τινὰς ἡμᾶς κατὰ Κύριον ἀγαπῶντας ὀψόμεθα, ἐν ἐκείνοις μάλιστα τὸ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον φυλάξωμεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως διαλύει ἀγάπην, ὡς ἡ παῤῥησία πέφυκε, καὶ μῖσος ἐργάζεσθαι.

26.100. The eye of the soul is spiritual and extremely beautiful and, next after the incorporeal beings, it surpasses all things. That is why people who are still subject to passions can often know the thoughts in the souls of others on account of their great love for them, and especially when they have not been sunk and defiled by the clay. If nothing is so opposed to immaterial nature as material nature, let him who reads understand.[33]

 Νοερὸν καὶ λίαν περικαλλὲς τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα, καὶ πᾶσαν ἰδέαν μετὰ τὰς ἀσωμάτους οὐσίας ὑπεραῖρον· ὅθεν καὶ ἐμπαθεῖς πολλάκις τὰ ἐν ἑτέραις ψυχαῖς ἐξ ἀγάπης πολλῆς τῆς πρὸς αὐτὰς νοήματα ἐπιγνῶναι ἠδυνήθησαν· καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε ὑπὸ τῆς πηλοῦ μὴ καταποντίζονται ῥυπούμενοι· εἰ οὐδὲν τῷ ἀΰλῳ φύσει ὡς τὸ ἔνυλον ἀνθέστηκεν·

26.101. Superstitious observances in the case of lay people are contrary to Divine Providence, and in the case of monks, to spiritual knowledge.

ὁ ἀναγινώσκων νοείτω· αἱ παρατηρήσεις ἐν μὲν τοῖς κατὰ κόσμον ἀνθεστήκασι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίᾳ· ἐν ἡμῖν δὲ τῇ νοερᾷ γνώσει.

26.102. Let those who are infirm in soul recognize God’s visitation from their bodily circumstances, dangers and outward temptations; but the perfect recognize it from the presence of the Holy Spirit and an accession of spiritual gifts.

 Οἱ μὲν τῇ ψυχῇ ἀσθενεῖς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ σώματος περιστάσεων, καὶ κινδύνων, καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς περισπασμῶν, τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπίσκεψιν τοῦ  Κυρίου γνωριζέτωσαν· οἱ δὲ τέλειοι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος παρουσίας, καὶ τῆς τῶν χαρισμάτων προσθήκης·

26.103. There is a demon who comes to us when we are lying in bed and shoots at us evil and dirty thoughts to make us shrink from rising for prayer and from taking up arms against it, and makes us fall asleep with these foul thoughts and then have foul dreams too.

ἔστι δαίμων ἐπὰν ἐν τῇ κλίνῃ ἀναπέσωμεν, πρὸς ἡμᾶς παραγενόμενος, καὶ πονηραῖς ἡμᾶς καὶ ῥυπαραῖς κατατοξεύων ἐνθυμήσεσιν, ἵνα τῇ ὀκνηρίᾳ εἰς προσευχὴν τότε κατ’ αὐτοῦ μὴ ὁπλισάμενοι ἐν ῥυπαραῖς ἐννοίαις ἀφυπνώσαντες, ῥυπαρὰ καὶ τὰ ἐνύπνια κτησώμεθα.

26.104. There is an evil spirit, called the forerunner, who assails us as soon as we awake from sleep and defiles our first thought. Devote the first-fruits of your day to the Lord, because the whole day will belong to whoever gets the first start. It is worth hearing what an expert told me: ‘From my morning,’ he said, ‘I know the course of the whole day.’

 Ἔστιν πνευμάτων, πρόδρομος καλούμενος, ἐξ ὕπνου ἡμᾶς εὐθέως δεχόμενος, καὶ τὴν πρωτόνοιαν ἡμῶν καταμολύνων.  Δίδου σῆς ἡμέρας ἀπαρχὰς Κυρίῳ.  Τοῦ γὰρ προποιοῦντος ἕσται. Ἀξιάκουστόν μοι λόγον ἐργάτης ἄριστος ἔφρασεν.  Ἐξ αὐτῆς γὰρ, μοὶ ἔφη, τῆς πρωΐας τὸν ἅπαντά μου δρόμον τῆς ἡμέρας προεπίσταμαι.

26.105. There are many ways of piety and perdition. That is why it often happens that a way that is unsuitable for one just fits another; and the intention of both is acceptable to the Lord.

 Πολλαὶ καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ ἀπωλείας αἱ ὁδοιπορίαι· διόπερ πολλάκις ὁ τῷ ἑτέρῳ ἀντιτασσόμενος, ἄλλῳ γνησίως συνέρχεται, καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀμφοτέρων σκοπός ἐστι Κυρίῳ εὐάρεστος.

26.106. In all the temptations that happen to us the devils struggle to make us say or do something improper. And if they cannot do that, they stand quietly and suggest that we should offer God arrogant thanksgiving.

 Παλαίουσι μὲν οἱ δαίμονες ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν ἡμῖν πειρασμοῖς ἢ λέξαι ἡμᾶς ἢ πράξαι ἄτοπον. Καὶ ὅταν μὴ ἰσχύσωσιν, ἠρέμα ἐπιστάντες ὑπερήφανον ἡμῖν εὐχαριστίαν πρὸς Θεὸν ὑποτίθενται·

26.107. Those whose minds are on things above, after the separation of soul and body, ascend on high in two parts;[34] but those whose minds are on things below, go below. For souls separated from the body there is no intermediate place. Of all God’s creations only the soul has its being in something else (in a body) and not in itself; and it is wonderful how it can exist outside that in which it received being.

οἱ μὲν τὰ ἄνω φρονήσαντες, χωριζόμενοι ἄνω μερικῶς ἀνέρχονται· οἱ δὲ τὰ κάτω, κάτω πάλιν πορεύονται· τῶν γὰρ χωριζομένων οὐδὲν λοιπὸν μέσον ἵσταται.  Ἓν τῶν κτισμάτων ἐν ἑτέρῳ καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ εἶναι εἴληφε· καὶ θαῦμα πῶς ἐκτὸς τοῦ ἐν ᾧ τὸ εἶναι ἐκομίσατο, συνίστασθαι πέφυκε.

26.108. Pious daughters are born of pious mothers, and the mothers are born of the Lord. And it is not a bad plan to apply this rule in the contrary sense.[35]

 Τὰς μὲν εὐσεβεῖς θυγατέρας αἱ μητέρες τίκτουσι, τὰς δὲ μητέρας ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐναντίων τῷ προειρημένῳ κανόνι ὁρίσαι οὐκ ἄσοφον.

26.109. Moses, or rather God Himself, forbids the coward to go out to battle lest the last spiritual error should be worse than the first bodily fall. And this is right.[36]

 Δειλὸς εἰς πόλεμον μὴ ἐξιέτω, Μωυσῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ Θεὸς παρακελεύεται, μήπως γένηται ἡ ἐσχάτη πλάνη τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν πρώτην πτῶσιν τοῦ σώματος, καὶ εἰκότως.

The eyes of our body are a light for all the bodily members; and the discernment of the divine virtues is a light for the mind.

 Φῶς μὲν τῶν τοῦ σώματος πάντων ἄρθρων οἱ αἰσθητοὶ ὀφθαλμοί· φῶς δὲ νοερὸν ἀρετῶν τῶν θείων διάκρισις.

On expert discernment

  Περὶ διακρίσεως εὐδιακρίτου.

26.110. As the hart parched by the heat longs for the streams,[37] so monks long for grasp of the good and divine will, and not only that, but also for what is not the pure will of God, and even for what is opposed to it. This is a subject that is extremely important for us and not easily explained, namely: which of our affairs should be done at once, without delay, and as soon as possible, according to him who said: Woe to him who puts off from day to day,[38] and from time to time; and again, what should be done with moderation and circumspection, as is advised by him who said: War is a matter for guidance,[39] and again: Let all things be done decently and in order.[40] For it is not for everyone to decide quickly and precisely such fine points. Even the God-bearing David who had the Holy Spirit speaking within him, prayed for this gift and sometimes says: Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God,[41] and sometimes again: Guide me to Thy truth,[42] and again: Make known to me the way I should go, O Lord, for I lift up my soul from all the cares of life and passions, and raise it to Thee.[43]

Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος φλεγομένη τὰ νάματα, οὕτως παρὰ μοναχοῖς ἐπιποθεῖται ἡ τοῦ θείου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ θελήματος κατάληψις· οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ συγκεκραμένου, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἡ ἐπίγνωσις.  Περὶ ὧν πολὺ ἡμῖν ὄντως ὁ λόγος  καὶ δυσερμήνευτος· καὶ ποῖά τε τῶν πραγμάτων, καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἀνυπερθέτως ὀφείλουσι γίνεσθαι· καὶ πάσης ἀναμονῆς ὀξυτέρως, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα· Οὐαὶ ὁ ἀναβαλλόμενος ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας, καὶ καιρὸν ἐκ καιροῦ.  Ποῖα δὲ πάλιν μετὰ ἐπιεικείας καὶ περισκέψεως· ὡς παραινεῖ ὁ εἰρηκώς, Μετὰ κυβερνήσεως γίνεται πόλεμος, καὶ πάλιν· Πάντα εὐσχημόνως, καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω.  Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ, οὐκ ἔστι τῶν τυχόντων τὰ τοιάδε δυσδιάκριτα θᾶττον εὐκρινῶς διαγνῶναι, εἴπερ καὶ ὁ θεοφόρος, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦν ἔχων, τοῦτο πολλάκις φαίνεται προσευχόμενος· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν λέγων· Δίδαξόν με τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεός μου· ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν· Ὁδήγησόν με ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου· καὶ πάλιν· Γνώρισόν μοι, Κύριε, ὁδὸν, ἐν ᾗ πορεύσομαι, ὅτι πρὸς σὲ ἀπὸ πάσης μερίμνης βιωτικῆς, καὶ πάθους τὴν ψυχήν μου ἦρα καὶ ὕψωσα.  Ὅσοι τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μαθεῖν ἠβουλήθησαν θέλημα, ἐν αὐτοῖς θανεῖν κεχρεωστήκασιν [al.

26.111. Those who wish to learn the will of the Lord must first mortify their own will. Then, having prayed to God with faith and honest simplicity, and having asked the fathers or even the brothers with humility of heart and no thought of doubt, they should accept their advice as from the mouth of God, even if their advice be contrary to their own view, and even if those consulted are not very spiritual. For God is not unjust, and will not lead astray souls who with faith and innocence humbly submit to the advice and judgment of their neighbour. Even if those who were asked were brute beasts, yet He who speaks is the Immaterial and Invisible One. Those who allow themselves to be guided by this rule without having any doubts are filled with great humility. For if someone expounded his problems on a harp,[44] how much better, do you think, can a rational mind and reasonable soul teach than an inanimate object.

 τὸ ἑαυτὸν πρότερον θανατῶσαι]· πίστει τοίνυν καὶ ἀπονήρῳ [al. ἑαυτοὺς ἀπαρνούμενοι πίστει, etc. ]ἁπλότητι προσευξάμενοι, καὶ ψυχὰς πατέρων ἢ καὶ ἀδελφῶν ἐν ταπεινώσει καὶ ἀνενδοιάστῳ καρδίᾳ ἐρωτήσαντες, ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ στόματος τὰ παρ’ αὐτῶν συμβουλευόμενα δεχέσθωσαν· εἰ καὶ ἐναντία τῷ ἑαυτῶν σκοπῷ τὰ εἰρημένα τυγχάνουσιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάνυ πνευματικοὶ οἱ ἐρωτηθέντες καθεστήκασιν· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς ψυχὰς πίστει καὶ ἀκακίᾳ ἑαυτὰς τῇ τοῦ πλησίον συμβουλῇ καὶ κρίσει ταπεινωσάσας ἀπατῆσαι, κἂν ἄλογοι οἱ ἐρωτηθέντες τυγχάνωσιν· ἀλλ’ ὁ λαλῶν ἄϋλος καὶ ἀόρατος. Πολλῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀνάπλεοι καθεστήκασιν, οἱ τῷ προειρημένῳ ἡμῖν ἀνενδοιάστως στοιχοῦντες κανόνι.  Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ τις ἤνοιγε πρόβλημα, πόσον οἴεσθε λογικὸν νοῦν καὶ ψυχὴν νοερὰν ἀψύχου διαφέρειν ἀποφθέγματος;

26.112. On account of self-will many have not accepted the perfect and easy blessing mentioned above, and having tried to discover what was pleasing to the Lord of themselves and in themselves, have handed on to us many and various judgments concerning this matter.

Πολλοὶ οἱ μήπω τὸ τέλειον τοῦτο καὶ κοῦφον ἀγαθὸν τὸ προειρημένον ἐξ αὐταρεσκείας κατειληφότες· ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν καὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου καταλαβεῖν εὐάρεστον ἐπιχειρήσαντες, ποικίλας ἡμῖν λίαν καὶ πλείστας τὰς περὶ τούτου κρίσεις ὑφηγήσαντο.

26.113. Some of those who were seeking the will of God laid aside all attachments; they submitted to the Lord their own thought about this or that inclination of the soul, I mean whether to perform an action or to resist it; they submitted their mind stripped of its own will to Him, offering fervent prayer for a set number of days. In this way they attained to a knowledge of His will, either through the spiritual Mind spiritually communicating with their mind or through the complete disappearance from their soul of their cherished intention.

 Ἀπέστησάν τινες τῶν συζητητῶν πάσης προσπαθείας, τὸν ἑαυτὸν λογισμὸν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑκατέραις βουλαῖς τῆς ψυχῆς, λέγω δὴ τῇ ἐπιχειρουμένῃ καὶ τῇ ἀντιλεγούσῃ, καὶ γυμνὸν τὸν ἑαυτὸν νοῦν οἰκείου θελήματος ἐν ζεούσῃ δεήσει ἐπὶ ῥητὰς ἡμέρας παραστήσαντες τῷ Κυρίῳ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ ἐπέτυχον· ἢ νοὸς νοεροῦ νοερῶς τῷ ἡμετέρῳ νοῒ συλλαλήσαντος, ἢ τῆς μιᾶς ἐννοίας τελέως τῆς ψυχῆς ἐξαφανισθείσης.

26.114. Others on account of the trouble and distractions which attended their undertaking concluded that these disturbances came from God, according to him who said: We wanted to come to you time and again but Satan hindered us.[45]

 Ἄλλοι ἐκ τῆς ἐπακολουθείσης τῷ ἐγχειρήματι θλίψεως καὶ διασκεδασμοῦ τοῦτο θεῖον εἶναι κατέλαβον κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· Ἠθελήσαμεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἅπαξ, καὶ δὶς, καὶ ἐνέκοψεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς.

26.115. Others, on the contrary, recognized that their action was pleasing to God from its unexpected success, declaring: God co-operates with everyone who deliberately chooses to do good.

 Ἕτεροι τὸ ἐναντίον πάλιν  ἐκ τῆς ἀπροσδοκήτου ἐν τῷ πράγματι συνεργίας τοῦτο Θεῷ εὐαπόδεκτον ᾔσθοντο, λέξαντες ἐκεῖνο, τὸ, Παντὶ τῷ προαιρουμένῳ τὸ ἀγαθὸν συνεργεῖ ὁ Θεός.

26.116. He who has obtained God within him through illumination, both in actions requiring haste and in actions allowing of delay, is assured of His will by the second way, only without a definite period of time.

 Ὁ Θεὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ διὰ φωτισμοῦ κτησάμενος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατεπείγουσι, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀναμένουσι πράγμασι τῷ δευτέρῳ τρόπῳ οὐ μέντοι χρόνῳ πληροφορεῖσθαι πέφυκε.

26.117. To waver in one’s judgments and to remain in doubt for a long time without assurance is the sign of an unenlightened and ambitious soul.

 Τὸ ἐνδοιάζειν ἐν ταῖς κρίσεσι, καὶ ἀπληροφόρητον ἐπὶ πολὺ διαμένειν, ἀφωτίστου καὶ φιλοδόξου ψυχῆς τεκμήριον.

26.118. God is not unjust and does not close the door against those who knock with humility.

Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἄδικος, ὡς τοῖς μετὰ ταπεινώσεως κρούουσιν ἀποκλείσασθαι·

26.119. In all our actions, the intention must be sought from the Lord, whether in those that require haste or in those that require to be postponed. For all actions free from attachment and from all impurity will be imputed to us for good if they have been done especially for the Lord’s sake and not for anyone else, even though these deeds are not entirely good.

ὁ σκοπὸς ἐν πᾶσι ζητεῖται παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατεπείγουσι, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀναβάλλεσθαι ὀφείλουσι.  Πάντα γὰρ τὰ καθαρὰ προσπαθείας καὶ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ, κυρίως διὰ Κύριον, καὶ οὐ δι’ ἕτερόν τινα γινόμενα, εἰ καὶ οὐ πάντως ἀγαθὰ, ἀλλ’ ὅμως καὶ εἰς ἀγαθὸν ἡμῖν λογισθήσονται.

26.120. Seeking for what is beyond us has no safe end. The Lord’s Judgment about us is unfathomable. By His special providence He often chooses to hide His will from us, knowing that, even if we were to learn it, we should disobey it, and should thereby receive greater punishment.

 Ἡ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν ζήτησις, οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον κέκτηται τέλος.  Ἄῤῥητον τὸ περὶ ἡμᾶς τοῦ Κυρίου κρῖμα.  Πολλάκις γὰρ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ θέλημα οἰκονομικῶς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀποκρύψαι βούλεται, ἐπιστάμενος, ὡς καὶ μαθόντες αὐτὸ τούτου παρηκούομεν· καὶ λοιπὸν πλείους πληγὰς ληψόμεθα.

26.121. An honest heart is free from the different kinds of distractions which occur and it is safely sailing in the bark of innocence.

 Ἀπήλλακται εὐθὴς καρδία ποικιλίας πραγμάτων, ἀκινδύνως πλέουσα ἐν πλοίῳ ἀκακίας.

26.122. There are courageous souls who with love and humility of heart throw themselves into tasks that are beyond them; and there are proud hearts who do the same. For our foes often intentionally suggest to us things beyond our powers so that these should cause us to lose heart and leave even what is within our power and make ourselves a great laughing-stock to our enemies.

Εἰσὶν ἀνδρεῖαι ψυχαὶ ἔρωτι καὶ ταπεινότητι καρδίας ἐν ταῖς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐργασίαις ἐπιχειροῦσαι· καὶ εἰσὶν ὑπερήφανοι καρδίαι τὸ αὐτὸ διαπράττουσαι.  Σκοπὸς γὰρ πολλάκις τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡμῶν τὰ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἡμῖν ὑποτίθεσθαι· ἵνα δι’ ἐκείνων κατολιγωρήσαντες, καὶ τῶν κατὰ δύναμιν ἀποπέσωμεν, καὶ ποιήσωμεν γελοῖον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡμῶν ἑαυτοὺς μέγιστον.

26.123. I have seen those who were sick in soul and body who, because of the multitude of their sins, engaged in battles that were beyond them and which they could not continue. I say to such as these that God judges our repentance not by our labours but by our humility.

 Εἶδον καὶ ἀσθενεῖς ψυχὰς καὶ σώματα διὰ πλῆθος πταισμάτων ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὰς ἐπιχειρησάσας, καὶ μὴ ὑπενεγκάσας, αἷς ἔγωγε ποσότητι ταπεινώσεως, καὶ οὐ καμάτων, τὴν μετάνοιαν παρὰ Θεῷ ἔφρασα κρίνεσθαι.

26.124. Sometimes upbringing is the cause of great evils, and sometimes company. But often a warped soul is of itself sufficient for its ruin. He who is clear of the first two is free from the third as well. But whoever has the third defect is reprobate everywhere; for there is no place safer than heaven.[46]

 Ἔστιν ὅταν ἡ ἀνατροφὴ τῶν ἐσχάτων κακῶν αἴτιος τυγχάνει· ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ ἡ συνδιαγωγή· πλὴν πολλάκις καὶ ἡ διεστραμμένη ψυχὴ αὐταρκεῖ ἑαυτῇ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν.  Ὁ χωρισθεὶς, τῶν δύο, καὶ τοῦ τρίτου ἴσως ἀπήλλακται.  Ὁ δὲ τὸ τρίτον ἔχων, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ἀδόκιμος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ τόπος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀσφαλέστερος.

26.125. In the case of those who malevolently dispute with us, whether unbelievers or heretics, we should desist after we have twice admonished them.[47] But in the case of those who wish to learn the truth let us never grow weary in well-doing.[48] However, we should use both opportunities for the establishment of our own heart.[49]

 Ἐν τοῖς μὲν κακοθελῶς ἡμῖν μαχομένοις ἀπίστοις, ἢ κακοπίστοις μετὰ πρώτην καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παυσώμεθα.  Ἐν δὲ τοῖς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μαθεῖν βουλομένοις, τὸ καλὸν ποιοῦντες ἕως αἰῶνος μὴ ἐκκακῶμεν.  Πλὴν καὶ πρὸς τὸν στηριγμὸν ἡμῶν τῆς καρδίας ἐν ἀμφοτέροις χρησώμεθα.

26.126. The man who despairs of himself when he hears of the supernatural virtues of the saints is most unreasonable. On the contrary, they teach you supremely one of two things: either they rouse you to emulation by their holy courage, or they lead you by way of thrice-holy humility to deep self-contempt and realization of your inherent weakness.

 Ἄλογος λίαν ὁ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀκούων ἀρετὰς, καὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀπολεγόμενος.  Μᾶλλον δὲ δυοῖν θάτερόν σε ἀρίστως παιδεύουσιν, ἢ πρὸς πολλὴν σεαυτοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν· καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης σοι ἀσθενείας φανέρωσιν ἐπιστρέψουσι διὰ τῆς τρισοσίου ταπεινώσεως.

26.127. Amongst the impure evil demons, there are some more evil than others. They suggest to us that we should not commit sin alone, but they counsel us to have others as companions in evil in order to make our punishment more severe. I have seen one learning a bad habit from another, and although he who taught came to his senses and began to repent and gave up doing wrong, his repentance was ineffectual on account of the influence of his pupil.

Εἰσὶν ἀκάθαρτοι πονηρῶν πονηρότεροι δαίμονες, οἳ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἡμᾶς κατεργάζεσθαι μόνους οὐ συμβουλεύουσιν· ἀλλὰ κοινωνοὺς  ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸ κακὸν, καὶ ἑτέρους ἔχειν συμβουλεύουσιν, ἵνα χαλεπωτέραν ἡμῖν τὴν κόλασιν ποιήσωσιν. Ἑώρακα συνήθειαν πονηρὰν ἐξ ἑτέρου μεμαθηκότα ἕτερον· καὶ μέντοι ὁ μὲν διδάξας εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐληλυθὼς μετανοεῖν ἤρξατο, καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ ἐπαύσατο· διὰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ μαθητοῦ ἐργασίας ἀνίσχυρος αὐτοῦ ἡ μετάνοια γέγονε.

26.128. Stupendous, truly stupendous and incomprehensible is the wickedness of the evil spirits. It is not seen by many, and I think that even those few see it only in part. Thus, how is it that while living in luxury and plenty we keep vigil and do not sleep, and why while fasting and exhausting ourselves with labours are we pitifully overpowered by drowsiness? Or why does our heart become hard while abiding in silence? And why, while sitting among our companions, do we come to compunction? When we are hungry why are we tempted by dreams? Yet when sated we do not experience these temptations. In poverty we become dark and incapable of compunction; but if we drink wine we are happy and easily come to compunction. He who can do so in the Lord, let him bring light to the unenlightened in this matter. For we are not enlightened about this. At least we can say that such a change does not always come from the demons. And this sometimes happens to me, I know not how, by reason of the constitution I have been given and the sordid and greedy corpulence with which I am girt about.

 Πολλὴ, ὄντως πολλὴ καὶ δυσκατάληπτος ἡ τῶν πνευμάτων πονηρία, καὶ ὀλίγοις ὁρατή· οἶμαι δὲ οὐδὲ ὀλίγοις πᾶσα.  Πῶς δὲ τρυφῶντες καὶ κορεννύμενοι ἀγρυπνοῦμεν νηφόντως.  νηστεύοντες δὲ καὶ ταλαιπωροῦντες τῷ ὕπνῳ ἐλεεινῶς καταφερόμεθα, ἢ ἡσυχάζοντες σκληρυνόμεθα, καὶ συνδιάγοντες κατανυσσόμεθα; Λιμώττοντες καθ’ ὕπνους πειραζόμεθα, καὶ ἐμφορούμενοι ἀπείραστοι διαμένομεν· ἐν ἐνδείᾳ σκοτεινοί τινες καὶ ἀκατάνυκτοι γιγνόμεθα· ἐν οἰνοποσίᾳ δὲ ἱλαροὶ καὶ εὐκατάνυκτοι; πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ δυνάμενος ἐν Κυρίῳ φωτίσει ἀφωτίστους.  Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἀφώτιστοι πρὸς τὰ τοιάδε τυγχάνομεν· πλὴν ἐκεῖνο λέγομεν, ὅτι οὐ πάντοτε ἐκ δαιμόνων ἡ τοιαύτη μεταβολὴ γίνεται.  Ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγκράσεως τῆς δοθείσης μοι ταύτης, καὶ περιδεθείσης μοι, πῶς οὐκ οἶδα, ῥυπαρᾶς καὶ λιχνώδους παχύτητος.

26.129. With regard to the changes enumerated above, so hard to interpret, let us sincerely and humbly pray to the Lord. And if after prayer and the time which it took we still feel the same thing at work in us, then let us conclude that this is caused not by demons but by nature. Yet it often pleases Divine Providence to benefit us through adversity and to check our conceit by all possible means.

 Περὶ τοῦ δυσδιακρίτου τῆς τυχούσης τῶν προειρημένων μεταπτώσεως εἰλικρινῶς καὶ ταπεινῶς τὸν Κύριον δυσωπήσωμεν· κἂν μετὰ τὴν ἱκεσίαν, καὶ τὸν ταύτης χρόνον ὡσαύτως εὕρωμεν ἐνεργοῦν τὸ γινόμενον, γνωσόμεθα ὡς οὐκ ἐκ δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ φύσεώς ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον.  Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ θεία οἰκονομία διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων εὐεργετεῖν ἡμᾶς βούλεται, διὰ πάντων τὴν οἴησιν ἡμῶν καταστέλλουσα.

26.130. It is dangerous to be inquisitive about the depth of the divine judgments, because the inquisitive sail in the ship of conceit.

 Χαλεπὸν μὲν τὸν περὶ κριμάτων βυθὸν περιεργάζεσθαι· ἐν πλοίῳ γὰρ οἰήσεως περίεργοι πλέουσιν.

26.131. Someone asked one of those who could see: ‘Why does God, who foresees their falls, adorn some with gifts and wonder-working powers?’ And he replied: ‘In order to make other Spiritual men more careful, and to demonstrate the freedom of the human will, and to cause those who fall to be without any excuse at the last judgment.’

Ἤρετό τίς τινα τῶν βλέπειν δυναμένων, τί δήποτε γινώσκων ὁ Θεός τινων τὰ πταίσματα, τούτους χαρίσμασι καὶ τέρασι κατεκόσμησεν.  Ὁ δέ φησιν· Ἵνα καὶ λοιποὺς πνευματικοὺς ἀσφαλίσηται· καὶ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον δείξῃ καὶ ἀναπολογήτους ἐν τῇ κρίσει τοὺς πεπτωκότας ποιήσῃ.

26.132. The law, being imperfect, says: Attend to yourself.[50] But the Lord, being entirely perfect, enjoined upon us the correction of our brother, saying: If thy brother sin against thee,[51] and so on. If your reprimand, or rather your reminder, is pure and humble, you should not refuse to carry out the Lord’s behest, and especially in the case of those who accept correction. But if you have not yet got as far as this, then at least practise the precept laid down by the law.

 Ὁ μὲν νόμος ὡς ἀτελὴς, Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ.  Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ὡς ὑπερτελὴς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῖν διόρθωσιν προσπεφώνηκεν εἰπών· Ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσει ὁ ἀδελφός σου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.  Εἰ μὲν καθαρός σου ὁ ἔλεγχος καὶ ταπεινὸς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπόμνησις, τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ποιεῖν μὴ παραιτήσῃ, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς δεχομένοις· εἰ δὲ οὔπω πέφθακας, κἂν τὴν νομικὴν ἄσκει λατρείαν.

26.133. Do not be surprised when you see that those whom you love turn against you on account of your rebukes. Frivolous people are the tools of the demons, and especially against the demons’ foes.

 Μὴ θαμβοῦ καὶ τοὺς σοὺς προσφιλεῖς ἐχθραίνοντάς σοι θεώμενος· δαιμόνων γὰρ ἐργαλεῖα οἱ κουφότεροι, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν.

26.134. One thing about us astonishes me very much: Why do we so quickly and easily incline to the passions when we have Almighty God, angels and saints, to help us towards the virtues, and only the wicked demon against us? I do not wish to speak about this in more detail; in fact, I cannot.

 Θαυμάζειν μοι ἐφ’ ἑνὶ τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν λίαν ὑπέρχεται· πῶς τε  ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς Θεὸν τὸν παντοδύναμον, καὶ ἀγγέλους, καὶ ἁγίους εἰς συνεργίαν ἔχοντες, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἐναντίοις τὸν πονηρὸν, καὶ μόνον δαίμονα, εὐπρεπεστέρως καὶ ὀξυτέρως πρὸς τὰ πάθη καμπτόμεθα.  Περὶ μὲν τούτου ἐγὼ εἰς ἀκρίβειαν λέγειν οὐ δύναμαι, οὐδὲ βούλομαι.

26.135. If all created substances keep to their nature, then why, as the great Gregory says,[52] am I, the image of God, compounded with clay? If some of God’s creatures have somehow lost their created nature, it is certain that they will continually strive to return to their original state. Man ought to use every means to raise his clay, so to speak, and seat it on the throne of God. And let no one make excuses for not undertaking this ascent, because the way and the door are open.

 Τὰ μὲν γεγονότα πάντα, εἰ οὕτω καθ’ ὃ γεγόνασι φύσεως ἔχουσι, πῶς τε εἰκών εἰμι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῇ πηλῷ συμφύρομαι; ὥς φησιν ὁ μέγας Γρηγόριος.  Εἰ δὲ ἑτέρως πώς τινα τῶν κτισθέντων παρ’ ὃ γέγονε καθέστηκε, πάντως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συγγενείας ἀπλήστως ὀρέγεται; Ἐν πάσῃ τις μηχανῇ χρησάτω, ἵν’ οὕτως εἴπω, ὅπως ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν πηλὸν ἀνενέγκας ἐνθρονιάσῃ. Οὐκοῦν μηδεὶς πρὸς τὴν ἀνάβασιν προφασιζέσθω· ἡ γὰρ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ θύρα ἠνέῳκται·

26.136. It excites the mind and soul to emulation to hear the spiritual feats of the Fathers, and their zealous admirers are led to imitate them through listening to their teaching.

ἡ μὲν τῶν κατορθωμάτων τῶν πνευματικῶν πατέρων ἀκρόασις τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς ζῆλον διυπνίζουσιν·

26.137. Discernment is a light in darkness, the return of wanderers to the way, the illumination of those whose sight is dim. A discerning man finds health and destroys sickness.

ἡ δὲ διδασκαλικὴ ἀκρόασίς ἐστι σκοτίας λύχνος, πεπλανημένων ἐπάνοδος, μυωπαζόντων φωτισμός.  Διακριτικός ἐστιν ὑγιείας εὑρετὴς, καὶ νόσου καθαιρέτης.

26.138. All who show surprise at every trifle do so for two reasons: either from crass ignorance, or else they magnify and exalt the deeds of their neighbour with a view to humility.

 Κατὰ δύο τρόπους πάντες οἱ λεγόμενοι μικροθαύμαστοι τοῦτο πάσχειν πεφύκασι· ἢ ἀγνωσίας ἐσχάτης χάριν, ἢ σκοπῷ ταπεινοφροσύνης τὰ τοῦ πλησίον μεγαλύνοντες καὶ ἐπαίροντες.

26.139. Let us make an effort not only to wrestle with the demons but also to wage war on them. The former sometimes throws them, and is sometimes thrown;[53] but the latter is continuously hounding the foe.[54]

 Ἀγωνισώμεθα μὴ μόνον παλαίειν, ἀλλὰ πολεμεῖν τοὺς δαίμονας· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν βάλλει, ποτὲ δὲ βάλλεται.  Οἱ δὲ πάντοτε τὸν ἐχθρὸν διώκουσιν.

26.140. He who has conquered the passions wounds the demons; by pretending that he still has passions he deceives his foes and remains unassailable. One of the brethren once suffered disgrace and without being in the least moved in his heart he prayed in his mind. Then he began to bewail the disgrace, hiding his dispassion by passion. Another of the brethren who had no longings at all for the office of superior pretended that he was working for this. And how am I to describe the chastity of that man who went into a brothel ostensibly for the sake of sin, but drew the harlot to the ascetic life? Again, a bunch of grapes was brought very early in the morning to one of the hermits, and after the person who brought them had gone, he ate them with a semblance of gobbling but without any pleasure, to make it seem to the demons that he was a glutton. Another, having lost a few palm-leaves,[55] spent all day pretending that he was grieved about this. Such people need to take care, otherwise in trying to fool the demons they may end by being fooled themselves. It was of these, no doubt, that the Apostle said: As deceivers and yet true.[56]

 Ὁ νικήσας τὰ πάθη τιτρώσκει δαίμονας· τὰ πάθη μὲν ὑποκρινόμενος ἔχειν, διὰ τούτου δὲ ἀπατῶν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ μένων ἀπολέμητος ἐξ αὐτῶν.  Ἠτιμάσθη ποτέ τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ μηδ’ ὅλως κινηθεὶς τῇ καρδίᾳ, κατὰ νοῦν προσευξάμενος· εἶθ’ οὕτως ἀποδύρεσθαι ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀτιμίαις ἤρξατο δι’ ἐπιπλάστου πάθους τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀπάθειαν ἀποκρυψάμενος.  Ἕτερος τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἰς προκαθεδρίαν ὢν εἰς ἅπαν ἀνόρεκτος, ὑπὲρ ταύτης τὸν πονοῦντα ὑπεκρίνατο.  Πῶς δέ σοι φράσω τὴν ἐκείνου ἁγνείαν, τοῦ ἐν πορνείῳ τῷ δοκεῖν ἁμαρτίας ἕνεκα εἰσπηδήσαντος, τὴν δὲ πόρνην πρὸς ἄσκησιν ἀνασπάσαντος; Τίνι πάλιν τῶν ἡσυχαζόντων βότρυν τις προσκεκόμικε πρωῒ λίαν· ὁ δὲ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ προσαγηοχότος ἄφιξιν ὀξείᾳ ὁρμῇ τινι ἀνορέκτως τοῦτον βέβρωκε, τοῖς δαίμοσι γαστρίμαργον ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζων; ἄλλος πάλιν μικρὰ ἀπολωλεκὼς θαλλία, ἅπασαν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐποίει ἑαυτὸν ἀλγυνόμενον· πολλὴ τοῖς τοιούτοις νήψεως χρεία καθέστηκε, μήπως ἐμπαίζειν ἐπιχειρήσαντες, εἰς ἐμπαιγμὸν καταλήξωσιν.  Οὗτοι γὰρ ὄντως περὶ ὧν τις ἔφησεν, Ὡς πλάνοι τυγχάνουσι καὶ ἀληθεῖς.

26.141. He who wishes to present his body pure to Christ and to show Him a clean heart must carefully preserve chastity and freedom from anger, for without these our labour is quite useless.

Εἵ τις σῶμα στῆσαι βούληται ἁγνὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ καρδίαν καθαρὰν ἐπιδείξασθαι αὐτῷ, τηρησάτω ἀοργησίαν καὶ ἐγκράτειαν· τούτων γὰρ χωρὶς, πᾶς κόπος ἡμῶν ἀνόνητος.

26.142. Just as eyes have different coloured lights in them, so in the soul many different overshadowings of the spiritual Sun occur. One kind comes through bodily tears, another through the tears of the soul; one kind through what is contemplated by the bodily eyes, another through the spiritual. One kind comes from hearing words, another is the joy that spontaneously springs up in the soul; also there is one kind that comes from silence, and another which by rapture ineffably and unexpectedly transports the mind in spiritual light to Christ.

 Ὥσπερ διάφορα τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ φῶτα, οὕτως πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι τοῦ νοητοῦ ἡλίου αἱ ἐν ψυχῇ γινόμεναι ἐπισκιάσεις· ἄλλη μὲν γὰρ, ἡ διὰ τῶν σωματικῶν δακρύων, καὶ ἄλλη ἡ διὰ τῶν ψυχικῶν· ἑτέρα ἡ διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ ἑτέρα διὰ τῶν νοερῶν· ἄλλη ἡ ἐξ ἀκοῆς λόγου, καὶ ἑτέρα ἡ ἰδιαιρέτως κινουμένη ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἀγαλλίασις· ἄλλη ἡ ἐξ ἡσυχίας, καὶ ἑτέρα ἡ ἐξ ὑπακοῆς.  Πρὸς τούτοις πᾶσιν ἄλλη ἡ δι’ ἐκστάσεως τὸν νοῦν ἐν φωτὶ τῷ Χριστῷ παριστῶσα ἀῤῥήτως καὶ ἀφράστως.  Εἰσὶν ἀρεταὶ καὶ εἰσὶ μητέρες ἀρετῶν.

26.143. There are virtues, and there are mothers of virtues. So a wise man strives rather to obtain the latter. The Teacher of the mother-virtues is God Himself through His own action, while there are plenty of teachers for the daughter-virtues.

 Ὁ ἐχέφρων τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν μητέρων μᾶλλον ἀγωνίζεται κτήσει· τῶν μὲν μητέρων Θεὸς αὐτὸς ἐν ἰδίᾳ ἐνεργείᾳ διδάσκαλος· τῶν δὲ θυγατέρων πλεῖστοι.

26.144. Let us beware lest we compensate austerity in taking food by excess of sleep, and vice versa; for such behaviour is characteristic of foolish men.

 Πρόσχωμεν μήπως τὴν τῆς τρυφῆς ἔνδειαν διὰ πολυυπνίας ἀναπληρῶμεν· ἔργον γὰρ ἀφρόνων τοῦτο, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ ἔμπαλιν.

26.145. I have seen toilers[57] who for some reason slightly indulged their stomachs, but soon after this, these courageous ascetics chastised their poor stomachs by standing throughout the night, and in this way they taught them to be well content to refrain from satiety.

 Εἶδον ἐργάτας κατά τινα περίστασιν μικρὸν τῇ γαστρὶ ὑποχαλάσαντας· θᾶττον δὲ οἱ ἀνδρεῖοι διὰ παννυχίου στάσεως τὴν τάλαιναν ἐβασάνισαν, καὶ τὸν κόρον τοῦ λοιποῦ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀποστρέφεσθαι ἐπαίδευσαν.

26.146. The demon of avarice strives fiercely against those who possess nothing, and when it cannot vanquish them it reminds them of the state of the poor and persuades those who are spiritual to become material again.

 Παλαίει μὲν ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας [δαίμων] ὀξέως τοῖς ἀκτήμοσιν· ὅταν δὲ μὴ ἰσχύσῃ, τότε λοιπὸν τοὺς πτωχοὺς εἰς ἀφορμὴν προβαλλόμενος, ὑλικοὺς πάλιν τοὺς ἀΰλους ἀνέπεισε γενέσθαι.

26.147. In times of despondency never fail to bear in mind the Lord’s commandment to Peter to forgive a person who sins seventy times seven.[58] For He who gave this command to another will Himself do far more. But when we are exalted let us again remember the saying: He who shall keep the whole spiritual law, and yet stumble in one passion, that is, fall into pride, has become guilty of all.[59]

 Ἀθυμοῦντες μὲν, τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐννοοῦντες μὴ παυσώμεθα, τοῦ συγχωρεῖν ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι.  Ὃς γὰρ ἑτέρῳ ἐνετείλατο, πάντως καὶ αὐτὸς πολλῷ πλέον ποιήσειεν.  Ἐπαιρόμενοι δὲ, τὸ σύμπαν τοῦ εἰρηκότος μὴ παυσώμεθα ἐννοούμενοι.  Ὅστις τελέσει πάντα τὸν πνευματικὸν νόμον, πταίσει δὲ ἐν ἑνὶ πάθει, τοῦτ’ ἔστι, ἐν ὑψηλοφροσύνῃ, γέγονε πάντων ἔνοχος.

26.148. There exist certain dispositions of wicked and envious spirits which voluntarily leave the saints so as to deprive those who battle of any chance of obtaining crowns for victory over them.

 Εἰσί τινες πνευματικῶν πονηρῶν καὶ φθονερῶν καταστάσεις ἑκουσίως τῶν ἁγίων ὑποχωροῦσαι, ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνικήτοις πολέμοις πρόξενοι στεφάνων τοῖς ὀχλουμένοις γένωνται.

26.149. Blessed are the peacemakers.[60] No one will deny this. But I have also seen enemy-makers who are blessed. A certain two developed impure affection for one another. But one of the discerning fathers, a most experienced man, was the means whereby they came to hate each other, by setting one against the other, telling each that he was being slandered by the other. And this wise man by human roguery succeeded in parrying the devil’s malice and in producing hatred by which the impure affection was dissolved.

 Μακάριοι μὲν οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ ἀντιλέγων.  Ἐγὼ δὲ ἑώρακα καὶ ἐχθροποιοὺς μακαρίους· δύο τινὲς πρὸς ἀλλήλους σχέσιν πορνικὴν ἐκέκτηντο· τῶν δὲ γνωστικωτάτων τις ἀνὴρ δοκιμώτατος, διάκονος πρὸς ἑκατέρους μίσους ἐγένετο, ἐκείνῳ μὲν, τοῦτον διαβάλλων ὡς λοιδοροῦντα αὐτόν· τούτῳ δὲ πάλιν ἐκεῖνον ὁμοίως· καὶ ἠδυνήθη ὁ σοφὸς δαιμόνων κακίαν ἀνθρωπίνῃ πανουργίᾳ διακρούσασθαι, καὶ μῖσος ἐργάσασθαι πορνείαν λῦον.

26.150. Some set aside one commandment for the sake of another commandment. I have seen young men who were attached to one another in a right spirit. Yet in order not to offend other men’s consciences, by mutual agreement they kept apart for a time.

 Ἔστιν ὁ διὰ ἐντολὴν, ἐντολὴν παρακρουόμενος.  Εἶδον γὰρ κατὰ Θεὸν νέους ἑαυτοῖς προσκειμένους· καὶ μέντοι διὰ τὴν ἑτέρων βλάβην καὶ συνείδησιν, ἀλλήλους πληροφορήσαντες, πρὸς χρόνον ἐμάκρυναν.

26.151. Just as a marriage and a funeral are the very opposite of each other, so too are pride and despair. But as a result of the confusion caused by the demons it is possible to see the two together.

 Ὡς ἐναντία γάμος καὶ ἐξόδιον, οὕτως ἀσύμφωνα ὑπερηφανία καὶ ἀπόγνωσις.  Καὶ ἔστιν ἐξ ἀκαταστασίας δαιμόνων, ἀμφότερα ὁμοθυμαδὸν θεάσασθαι.

26.152. At the beginning of the monastic life some of the unclean demons instruct us in the interpretation of the Divine Scriptures. And they are particularly fond of behaving in this way in the case of vainglorious people and of those who have been educated in secular studies so that by gradually deceiving them they may lead them into heresy and blasphemy. We can recognize this diabolical divinity, or rather, devilry, by the disturbances and the confused and unholy joy which are felt in the soul during the instruction.

 Εἰσί τινες τῶν ἀκαθάρτων δαιμόνων τὴν τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἑρμηνείαν ἐν προοιμίοις ἡμῖν ὑφηγούμενοι· τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα φιλοῦσι ποιεῖν ἐν ταῖς τῶν κενοδόξων καρδίαις, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν τὴν ἔξω παίδευσιν ἐξησκημένων, ἵνα κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτοὺς ἀπατῶντες εἰς αἱρέσεις καὶ βλασφημίας καταγάγωσιν.  Ἐκ τῆς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὑφηγήσεως, ταραχῆς καὶ χαρᾶς διακεχυμένης καὶ ἀσέμνου τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων θεολογίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ θεομαχίαν ἐπιγνωσόμεθα.

26.153. All creatures have received from the Creator their order of being and their beginning, and some their end too. But the end of virtue is infinite. For the Psalmist says: I have seen the end of all perfection, but Thy commandment is exceedingly broad and boundless.[61] If some good ascetics pass from the strength of action to the strength[62] of contemplation, and if love never ceases,[63] and if the Lord will guard the coming in of your fear and the going out[64] of your love, then from this it follows that there is actually no limit to love. We shall never cease to advance in it, either in the present or in the future life, continually adding light to light. And however strange what I have said may seem to many, nevertheless it shall be said. According to the testimonies we have given, I would say, blessed Father, even the spiritual beings (i.e. the angels) do not lack progress; on the contrary, they ever add glory to glory, and knowledge to knowledge.

Τάξιν μὲν καὶ ἀρχὴν, τινὰ δὲ καὶ τέλος παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος τὰ γεγονότα ἐσχήκασιν, ἡ δὲ ἀρετὴ ἀπέραντον τὸ πέρας κέκτηται· Πάσης γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Ὑμνῳδὸς, συντελείας εἶδον πέρας· πλατεῖα δὲ καὶ ἀπέραντος ἡ ἐντολή σου σφόδρα.  Εἰ πορεύσονταί τινες καλοὶ ἐργάται ἐκ δυνάμεως πρακτικῆς εἰς δύναμιν θεωρίας, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε λήγει· καὶ Ὁ Κύριος φυλάξει τὴν εἴσοδον τοῦ φόβου σου, καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον τῆς ἀγάπης σου, οὐκοῦν ἀπέραντος τὸ ταύτης πέρας, ἐν ᾗ προκόπτοντες οὐδέποτε καταλήξομεν· οὐ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα, οὐ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα φωτὶ φῶς γνώσεως προσλαμβάνοντες· εἰ καὶ ξένον πως τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ λεγόμενον, ὅμως κατὰ τὴν προλεχθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξιν, ὦ μάκαρ, οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰς νοερὰς οὐσίας ἔγωγε ἀπροκόπους εἶναι εἴποιμι ἂν, δόξαν δὲ μᾶλλον δόξῃ ἀεὶ προσλαμβανούσας, καὶ γνῶσιν ἐπὶ γνώσει ὁρίζομαι.

26.154. Do not be astonished if the demons often suggest to us good thoughts, and intellectual arguments against them. The aim of our foes in this case is to make us believe that they also know the thoughts of our hearts.

 Μὴ θαυμάσῃς εἴπερ καὶ ἀγαθὰ ἡμῖν οἱ δαίμονες πολλάκις νοήματα ὑποβάλλουσι καὶ τούτοις νοερῶς ἀντιλέγουσι· σκοπὸς γὰρ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡμῶν ἐν τούτῳ πεῖσαι ἡμᾶς, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἐγκάρδια ἡμῶν ἐνθυμήματα γινώσκουσι.

26.155. Do not judge too severely those who are eloquent in preaching but do not support this in practice, for the profit of a word has often compensated for the dearth of deeds. We do not all obtain everything in equal measure. With some speech takes precedence over action, but with others the latter transcends the former.

 Μὴ θέλε εἶναι πικρὸς δικαστὴς τῶν λόγῳ μεγάλα διδασκόντων, ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς τὴν πρακτικὴν ὀκνηροτέρους διακειμένους· πολλάκις γὰρ τὴν τοῦ ἔργου ἔλλειψιν ἀνεπλήρωσεν ἡ τοῦ λόγου ὠφέλεια.  Οὐ πάντες πάντως πάντα ἐπίσης κεκτήμεθα· ἐν ἐνίοις μὲν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τὸ ἔργον· ἐν ἑτέροις δὲ πάλιν τὸ δεύτερον τὸ πρῶτον πλεονεκτεῖ.

26.156. God is not the cause or the creator of evil, and those who say that certain passions are natural to the soul have been deceived not knowing that we have turned the constituent qualities of nature into passions. For instance, nature gives us the seed for childbearing, but we have perverted this into fornication. Nature provides us with the means of showing anger against the serpent but we have used this against our neighbour. Nature inspires us with zeal to make us compete for the virtues, but we compete in evil. It is natural for the soul to desire glory, but the glory on high. It is natural to be overbearing, but against the demons. Joy is also natural to us, but a joy on account of the Lord and the welfare of our neighbour. Nature has also given us resentment, but to be used against the enemies of the soul. We have received a desire for pleasure,[65] but not for profligacy.

 Κακὸν μὲν ὁ Θεὸς οὔτε πεποίηκεν, οὔτε δεδημιούργηκεν.  Ἠπατήθησαν δέ τινες φήσαντες φυσικὰ εἶναί τινα τῶν παθῶν ἐν ψυχῇ, ἀγνοήσαντες ὅτι τὰ συστατικὰ τῆς φύσεως ἰδιώματα ἡμεῖς εἰς πάθη μετηνέγκαμεν.  Οἷον, φύσει ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ σπορὰ διὰ τὴν τεκνογονίαν, μετεποιήσαμεν δὲ ἡμεῖς αὐτὴν εἰς πορνείαν.  Φύσει ὁ θυμὸς ἐν ἡμῖν κατὰ τοῦ ὄφεως, κεχρήμεθα δὲ αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον.  Ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ ζῆλος διὰ τὸ τὰς ἀρετὰς ζηλοῦν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ κακῷ ζηλοῦμεν.  Φύσει τῇ ψυχῇ τὸ τῆς δόξης ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνω· φύσει τὸ ὑπερηφανεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων.  Ὁμοίως ἡ χαρὰ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν Κύριον καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλησίον εὐπραγίαν· εἰλήφαμεν καὶ μνησικακίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς ψυχῆς.  Εἰλήφαμεν ἔφεσιν τροφῆς, οὐ μέντοι ἀσωτίας.

26.157. An energetic soul rouses the demons against itself. But as our conflicts increase, so do our crowns. He who has never been struck by the enemy will certainly not be crowned. But the warrior who does not flinch despite his incidental falls will be glorified by the angels as a champion.

 Ἄο-  κνος ψυχὴ ἐξήγειρε καθ’ ἑαυτῆς δαίμονας, πληθυνθέντων δὲ πολέμων, ἐπληθύνθησαν καὶ στέφανοι.  Ὁ μὴ πληττόμενος ὑπὸ πολεμίων, οὐ πάντως στεφανωθήσεται.  Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβατικοῖς πτώμασι μὴ ἀποκάμνων, ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων ὡς πολεμιστὴς εὐφημηθήσεται.

26.158. He who spent three nights in the earth returned to life for ever,[66] and he who has conquered three hours will never die.[67]

 Τρεῖς μέν τις νύκτας ἐν γῇ πεποιηκὼς ἀνεβίω εἰς ἅπαν· ὁ δὲ τρεῖς ὥρας νενικηκὼς οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται λοιπόν.

26.159. Divine providence causes the sun to rise in us for our edification, and then for a time to set,[68] and then He makes darkness His hiding place,[69] and night falls, in which prowl the fierce young lions, which had previously left us and all the beasts of the forest of thorny passions, roaring to snatch the hope that is in us, and seeking from God their food of passions either in thought or in action. And again through the darkness of humility the sun rises upon us and the wild beasts gather together and lie down in their dens,[70] that is to say in sensual hearts, but not in us. Then the demons say amongst themselves: The Lord has done great things for them. And we say to them: The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad[71] but you are banished. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, no doubt the soul that is raised above all earthly desire, and comes into Egypt, into the heart already darkened, and will shatter the idols of man’s making,[72] that is, vain thoughts of the mind.

 Ἐὰν κατ’ οἰκονομικὴν παίδευσιν, μετὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, Ὁ ἥλιος ἔγνω τὴν δύσιν αὐτοῦ, πάντως ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένετο νύξ· ἐν αὐτῇ λοιπὸν διελεύσονται πρὸς ἡμᾶς οἱ πρώην ἀναχωρήσαντες ἄγριοι σκύμνοι, καὶ πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ τῶν ἀκανθωδῶν παθῶν, ὠρυόμενοι ἁρπάσαι τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ζητοῦντες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν παθῶν βρῶσιν αὐτοῖς, ἢ δι’ ἐννοίας, ἢ διὰ πράξεως, ἀνέτειλεν ἡμῖν διὰ σκοτεινῆς ταπεινώσεως πάλιν ὁ ἥλιος· καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὰ τὰ θηρία συνήχθησαν, καὶ εἰς τὰς μάνδρας αὐτῶν, ἤγουν φιληδόνους καρδίας καταστήσονται, καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἡμῖν.  Τότε ἐροῦσιν ἐν τοῖς δαίμοσιν· Ἐμεγάλυνε Κύριος τοῦ ποιῆσαι μετ’ αὐτῶν ἔλεος πάλιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἐμεγάλυνε Κύριος τοῦ ποιῆσαι μεθ’ ἡμῶν, ἐγενήθημεν εὐφραινόμενοι.  Ὑμεῖς δὲ διωκόμενοι· Ἰδοὺ Κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης, πάντως ψυχῆς γηΐνης πάσης ἐπιθυμίας ὑψωθείσης, καὶ ἥξει εἰς Αἰγυπτίαν, καρδίαν τὴν πρώην ἐσκοτισμένην, καὶ σεισθήσονται τὰ χειροποίητα εἴδωλα, καὶ ἐνθυμήματα τοῦ νοός.

26.160. If Christ, although omnipotent, as man fled bodily from Herod, then let the rash learn not to hurl themselves into temptations. For it is said: Let not thy foot be moved, nor him (the angel) who keeps thee slumber.[73]

 Εἰ Χριστὸς ἀπὸ Ἡρώδου σωματικῶς φεύγει, καίπερ πάντα δυνάμενος, παιδευέσθωσαν οἱ προπετεῖς, μὴ ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ἐπιῤῥίπτειν· Μὴ δῴης γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς σάλον τὸν πόδα σου, καὶ οὐ νυστάξει ὁ φυλάσσων σε ἄγγελος.

26.161. Vanity or conceit twines itself round courage just as bindweed twines round cypress.

 Συμπλέκεται τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ ἡ τύφωσις, ὥσπερ ὁ λεγόμενος σμίλαξ τῇ κυπαρίσσῳ.

26.162. Let us constantly guard against admitting even the mere thought that we have attained to any good whatsoever; and let us keep on looking carefully to see whether this is one of our characteristics. If it is, then we shall know that we have utterly failed.

 Ἔργον ἡμῖν ἔστω ἀένναον, μὴ ψιλῇ ἐννοίᾳ λογίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὸ οἱονοῦν κεκτῆσθαι ἀγαθόν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἀκριβῶς ἐκζητοῦν ἰδίωμα σκοπήσωμεν, εἰ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστι.  Καὶ τότε πάντως ἐλλείποντας ἑαυτοὺς νοήσομεν·

26.163. Look unceasingly for evidence of the passions, and then you will find many of them in you which we are unable to distinguish in our diseased condition, by reason of our own weakness or because they are so deeply rooted.

ζήτει καὶ τῶν παθῶν ἀπαύστως τὰ τεκμήρια, καὶ τότε πολλὰ ἐνόντα σοι συνήσεις, ἅπερ ἐν νόσοις μὲν ὄντες διαγνῶναι οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἢ δι’ ἀσθένειαν, ἢ διὰ βαθεῖαν προκατάληψιν.

26.164. God is the judge of our intentions; but in His love He does also require us to act as far as we are able. Great is he who leaves undone nothing that is within his power; but greater is he who humbly attempts what is beyond his power.

Πρόθεσιν κρίνει ὁ Θεός.  Ἐν δὲ τοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἐργασίαν φιλανθρώπως μέντοι ζητεῖ.  Μέγας ὁ μηδὲν κατὰ δύναμιν ἐλλείπων· μείζων δὲ ὁ ἐν ταπεινώσει ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐπιχειρῶν.

26.165. The demons often hinder us from carrying through what is easy and profitable for us, and they urge us to turn to what is more laborious instead.

 Πολλάκις οἱ δαίμονες τὰ κουφότερα, καὶ συμφέροντα  ἡμᾶς κωλύουσι διαπράττεσθαι, τὰ δὲ μοχθηρότερα μετελθεῖν μᾶλλον προτρέπονται.

26.166. I find that Joseph is honoured for avoiding the occasion of sin, and not for showing dispassion. It may be asked: From what and from how many sins does aversion merit a crown? For it is one thing to turn away from the shadow, but it is a much greater thing to run towards the sun of righteousness.

 Εὑρίσκω Ἰωσὴφ ἐκεῖνον δι’ ἀποστροφὴν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ οὐ δι’ ἔνδειξιν ἀπαθείας μακαριζόμενον.  Ζητητέον ἡμῖν ἐν ποίαις καὶ πόσαις ἁμαρτίαις ἡ ἀποστροφὴ στέφανον κέκτηται.  Ἄλλο τὸ ἀποστρέφεσθαι τὴν σκιάν· ὑψηλότερον δὲ τὸ προστρέχειν τῷ ἡλίῳ.

26.167. Being in darkness is a cause of stumbling; stumbling is a cause of a fall; and to fall is a cause of death.

 Τὸ σκοτοῦσθαι αἴτιον τοῦ προσκόπτειν· τὸ δὲ προσκόπτειν τοῦ πίπτειν· τὸ δὲ πίπτειν τοῦ θνήσκειν.

26.178. Those who have been overcome by wine often wash with water, but those who have been overcome by passions wash with tears.

 Ἐξ οἴνου οἱ σκοτισθέντες, ἐνίψαντο πολλάκις ὕδατι· οἱ δὲ ἐκ παθῶν σκοτισθέντες, ἐνίψαντο δάκρυσιν.

26.169. Pollution is one thing, darkness is another, and blindness another. The first is cured by temperance, the second by solitude, and the third by obedience and by God who for our sakes became obedient.[74]

 Ἄλλο θόλωσις, καὶ ἄλλο ἐπίχυσις, καὶ ἕτερον τύφλωσις· καὶ τὴν μὲν προτέραν ἰάσατο ἐγκράτεια· τὴν δὲ δευτέραν ἡσυχία· τὴν δὲ τρίτην ὑπακοὴ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπήκοος γεγονώς.

26.170. We can take as an example two places in which mundane things are cleaned. Let us picture to ourselves by analogy two sublime institutions for those who set their mind on things above;[75] a monastic community such as is pleasing to God is like the laundry in which uncleanness, grossness and deformity of soul are scoured out; and the dye-works will be the solitary life for those who have already laid aside lust, remembrance of wrongs and anger, and who are now passing from the monastery to solitude.

 Ἡμεῖς ἐκ δύο τῶν τὰ κάτω καθαιρόντων προσφυῶς τὰ δύο τῶν τὰ ἄνω φρονούντων, ὡς ἐν ὑποδείγμασιν ὑπειλήφαμεν.  Κναφεῖον μὲν τὸ κατὰ Κύριον κοινόβιον· τὸ τὸν ῥύπον, καὶ τὴν παχύτητα, καὶ τὴν ἀμορφίαν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποξέον, εἰρηκότες.  Βαφεῖον δ’ ἂν εἴη ἡ ἀναχώρησις τοῖς τὴν λαγνείαν, καὶ μνησικακίαν, καὶ θυμὸν ἀποθεμένοις, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου λοιπὸν πρὸς ἡσυχίαν μετερχομένοις.

26.171. Some say that we fall into the same sins because we have been unable to correct our former sins through the inadequacy of our repentance. But it may be asked: Have all those who have not fallen into the same kind of sin really repented as they should? Some fall into the same sins either because they have sunk into a deep forgetfulness of their former sins, or because they imagine in their own pleasure-loving way that God is merciful, or they have lost all hope of their own salvation. I do not know whether anyone will blame me if I say that their trouble arises because they have not been strong enough to bind the foe who is dominating them through the tyranny of habit.

 Τινὲς τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπίπτειν πτώμασιν ἐξ ἐλλείψεως τῆς ἁρμοζούσης, καὶ ἀντισηκούσης μετανοίας τῷ προτέρῳ φασί.  Ζητητέον δὲ εἰ πᾶς ὁ μὴ πεσὼν τῷ ἑαυτῷ εἴδει, ἄρα καὶ ἀξίως μετενόησε.  Πεπτώκασι τοῖς αὐτοῖς τινες, ἢ τῶν προτέρων ἐν λήθης βυθῷ καταχωσθέντες, ἢ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκ φιληδονίας φιλάνθρωπον ὑπολαμβάνοντες· ἢ τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας ἀπολεγόμενοι.  Οὐκ οἶδα εἰ μήπω μέ τις καταμέμφεσθαι ἤμελλεν, ἐπεὶ ἂν εἶπον, ὅτιπερ τὸν ἐχθρὸν τοῦτον λοιπὸν δῆσαι μὴ ἰσχύοντες, τῇ τῆς συνηθείας ἰσχύϊ τυραννοῦντα αὐτούς.

26.172. We should inquire why the soul which is incorporeal does not see of what nature the spirits are that take up their abode with it. Is it not a result of its union with the flesh? This is known only to Him who joined them.

Ἐρευνητέον πῶς ἀσώματος οὖσα ἡ ψυχὴ, τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁμοουσίους ἐπιδημοῦντας, ὡς ἔχουσι φύσεως ὁρᾷν οὐ πέφυκε· μήπως ἄρα διὰ τὴν ζεῦξιν, ἣν ὁ δήσας μόνος ἐπίσταται;

26.173. A discerning man once asked me: ‘Tell me, tell me, for I desire to know which of the spirits are liable to depress the mind when we sin and which of them to lift it up?’ But I was embarrassed by the question, and on oath I affirmed my ignorance. Then he who wished to learn taught me himself, saying: ‘I shall give you in a few words the leaven of discernment, and then I shall leave you to seek the rest by your own industry. The spirit of lust, the spirit of anger, the spirit of gluttony, the spirit of despondency the spirit of sleepiness have no tendency to lift up the horn of the mind. But the spirit of love of money, ambition, talkativeness and many others add evil to evil. That is why the spirit of criticism is near to the latter.’

Βουλομένῳ μαθεῖν φράζε δὴ, φράζε,τίς με γνωστικὸς ἐπύθετο, ποῖοι τῶν πνευμάτων ταπεινοῦν, ποῖοι δὲ ὑψοῦν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις πεφύκασι τὸν νοῦν.  Κἀμοῦ πρὸς τὸ σκέμμα δυσχεράνατος, καὶ τὴν ἄγνοιαν βεβαιωσαμένου ὅρκῳ, ὁ μανθάνων ἐδίδαξεν.  Ἐν ὀλίγοις, φησὶ, διακρίσεως ζύμην σοι δεδωκὼς καταλείψω ζητεῖν ἐμπόνως· ὁ τῶν σωμάτων, καὶ ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς, καὶ ὁ τῆς κοιλιομανίας· ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας, ὁ ὕπνου οὐ πεφύκασί πως ἐπαίρειν τὸ τοῦ νοὸς κέρας.  Ὁ δὲ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, φιλαρχίας τε καὶ πολυλογίας, καὶ ἕτεροι πλείους κακῷ κακὸν εἰώθασιν ἐπισυνάπτειν.  Διὸ καὶ ὁ τοῦ κρίνειν, τούτοις παραπλήσιος καθέστηκεν.

26.174. If any monk has spent an hour or a day in visiting people in the world, or has had them as guests, he ought to rejoice when he parts from them like someone who has been freed from a clog and a trap. But if on the contrary he feels the dart of sorrow, this indicates that he has become the toy either of vainglory or of lust.

 Εἴ τις πρὸς κοσμικοὺς ἢ παρεγένετο, ἢ ἐδέξατο, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ αὐτῶν μετὰ τὴν ὥραν ἢ ἡμέραν χωρισμῷ λύπης βέλος ἐδέξατο, καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον χαρᾶς ὡς ἐμποδίου παγίδος ἀπαλλαγεὶς, οὗτος ἢ ὑπὸ κενοδοξίας ἢ ὑπὸ πορνείας ἐμπαίζεται.

26.175. We ought to begin by seeing which way the wind is blowing, and then we shall not set our sails against it.

Τὸ πόθεν ὁ ἄνεμος πνεῖ πρὸ πάντων  ζητήσωμεν· μήπως εὑρεθῶμεν ἐναντίως τὰ ἱστία ἐκτείνοντες·

26.176. Comfort with love and allow a little respite to old men practised in charity, such as have exhausted their bodies in asceticism. But compel young men who have exhausted their souls with sins to be abstinent, and bring to their memory the eternal torments.

 παρακάλει ἐξ ἀγάπης γέροντας πρακτικοὺς οἵτινες κατέτριψαν τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν ἀσκήσει, μικρὰν ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτοῖς παρεχόμενος.  Ἀνάγκαζε νέους ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, οἵτινες κατέτριψαν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, μνήμην κολάσεως αὐτοῖς διηγούμενος.

26.177. It is quite impossible, as I said in another place, suddenly to become perfectly free from gluttony and vainglory at the outset of the monastic life. But we should not fight vainglory with luxury, because victory over gluttony, I mean in beginners, gives rise to vainglory. Rather let us master it by frugality. For the hour will come, and is already here for those who desire it, when the Lord will also subdue this passion under our feet.

 Τῶν οὐκ ἐνδοχομένων ἐστὶν, ὅπερ ἐν ἑτέρῳ εἰρήκαμεν, εὐθέως ἐν προοιμίοις εἰς ἅπαν γαστριμαργίας καὶ κενοδοξίας ἡμᾶς καθαρεύειν· ἀλλὰ μὴ θελήσωμεν διὰ τρυφῆς τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ μάχεσθαι· ἧττα γὰρ γαστριμαργίας κενοδοξίαν, τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς λέγω, ἀποτίκτει.  Μᾶλλον δὲ δι’ ἐνδείας κατ’ αὐτῆς πρεσβεύσωμεν.  Ἐλεύσεται γὰρ ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἐστι τοῖς βουλομένοις, ἵνα ὑποτάξῃ Κύριος καὶ ταύτην ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν.

26.178. When they enter monastic life the young and the aged are not afflicted by the same passions, because they often have quite opposite infirmities Therefore, blessed, truly blessed is humility, because it makes repentance safe and effective for young and old alike.

 Οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς οἱ νέοι καὶ οἱ γεγηρακότες προσερχόμενοι πολεμοῦνται πάθεσι.  Πολλάκις γὰρ εἰς ἅπαν ἐναντίας τὰς νόσους κέκτηνται.  Διὰ τοῦτο μακαρία, ἡ μακαρία ταπείνωσις, ὅτι νέοις καὶ γεγηρακόσιν ἀσφαλὴς καὶ δυνατὴ γίγνεται μετάνοια.

26.179. Do not make an uproar at what I am going to say There are indeed true and upright souls, though they are rare, who are strangers to malice, hypocrisy and mischief, for whom living with men is completely uncongenial. But with the help of their guide, from solitude as from a harbour, they can ascend to heaven without desiring or experiencing the disturbances and stumbling blocks of community life.

Μὴ θορυβήσω ἐν τῷ λέγειν ἔρχομαι.  Σπάνιοι γὰρ, πλὴν εἰσὶ ψυχαὶ εὐθεῖς καὶ ἀπόνηροι, κακίας, καὶ ὑποκρίσεως, καὶ κακεντρεχείας ἀπηλλαγμέναι, αἷς πάντη ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνδιατριβὴ ἀντίκειται δυναμέναις μετὰ τοῦ ὁδηγοῦντος ἐκ τῆς ἡσυχίας, ὥσπερ ἐκ λιμένος, εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνέρχεσθαι, καὶ τῶν κοινοβιακῶν θορύβων, καὶ σκανδάλων διαμεῖναι ἀνενδεεῖς καὶ ἀπείρατοι.

26.180. Men can cure the lustful, angels the malicious, but only God the proud.

 Λάγνους μὲν ἄνθρωποι, πονηροὺς δὲ ἄγγελοι, ὑπερηφάνους δὲ Θεὸς ἰάσασθαι πέφυκεν.

26.181. Perhaps one aspect of love often consists in letting the neighbour who is a frequent visitor do what he likes, and in any case showing him all our kindness.

 Εἶδος ἀγάπης πολλάκις ἴσως γέγονε καὶ τοῦτο, τὸ τῷ πλησίον καταλιμπάνειν παραβάλλοντι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν, καθὼς βούλεται, ἐν ἅπασιν, ἡμῶν μέντοι ἱλαρότητα πᾶσαν ἐπιδεικνυμένων,

26.182. It may be asked: How and to what extent, when and whether good is destroyed by a kind of repentance[76] in the same way as evil.

ζητητέον πῶς καὶ ἕως τίνος, καὶ πότε, καὶ ἢ ἄρα ἀναλυτικὴ ἡ μεταμέλεια τῶν καλῶν, ὥσπερ τῶν κακῶν.

26.183. We must use great discernment in order to know when to take our stand against sin, and in what cases and to what extent to struggle against the food of the passions, and when to withdraw from the fray. For, on account of our weakness, sometimes it is necessary to acknowledge that flight is better than death.

 Διακρίσει πολλῇ χρησώμεθα, πότε μὲν ἵστασθαι, καὶ ἐν ποίοις, καὶ ἕως τίνος προσπαλαίειν ταῖς τῶν παθῶν ὕλαις ὀφείλομεν.  Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ φυγεῖν προκρῖναι διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν.

26.184. We should watch and see when and how we can empty out our gall by malice. Some of the demons uplift us, some depress us, some harden, some comfort, some darken, some pretend to communicate enlightment to us, some make us slothful, some make us cunning, some make us sad, and some cheerful.

 Ἴδωμεν καὶ φυλάξωμεν (ἴσως γὰρ καὶ ἐν καιρῷ διὰ πικρίας χολὴν κενῶσαι δυνάμεθα), ποῖοι μὲν τῶν δαιμόνων ὑψοῦσι, ποῖοι δὲ ταπεινοῦσι, καὶ ποῖοι σκληρύνουσι, ποῖοι δὲ παρακαλοῦσι, καὶ ποῖοι μὲν σκοτίζουσι, ποῖοι δὲ πάλιν φωτισμὸν ὑποκρίνονται, καὶ ποῖοι μὲν νωθροὺς, ποῖοι δὲ κακεντρεχεῖς, ποῖοι δὲ σκυθρωποὺς, καὶ ποῖοι ἱλαροὺς ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζονται.

26.185. We should not be dismayed if we find that our passions are stronger at the beginning of our monastic life than they were in our life in the world. For we have to remove the causes of sickness, and then health will come to us. The beasts were there in hiding all the time, only they did not show themselves.

 Μὴ θαμβηθῶμεν ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ ἐν προοιμίοις ἑαυτοὺς ἐμπαθεστέρους τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἡμῶν διαγωγῆς ὁρῶντες.  Δεῖ γὰρ τὰ αἴτια πάντα κινηθῆναι.  Εἶθ’ οὕτως τὴν ὑγείαν ἡμῖν προσγενέσθαι, εἰ καὶ τάχα που τὰ θηρία κρυπτόμενα οὐκ ἐβλέποντο.

26.186. When by some accident those who are otherwise approaching perfection are overcome by the demons in a trivial matter, they should at once use all means in their power to wrench this fault out of them again a hundredfold.

 Ὅτε κατά τινα σύμβασιν λοιπὸν οἱ τελειότητι πλησιάζοντες, ἔν τινι ψιλῷ τοῖς δαίμοσι ἡττηθῶσι, πάσῃ μηχανῇ χρῶνται συντόμως τοῦτο ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑκατονταπλάσιον ἀφαρπάσασθαι.

26.187. As the winds in calm weather ruffle only the surface of the sea, but at other times they stir the depths as well, so you can imagine to yourself the dark winds of iniquity. For in those enslaved by passions they shake the actual consciousness of the heart, but in those who have already made progress they only ruffle the surface of the mind. That is why the latter soon feel their normal calm, for the heart was left undefiled.

 Ὥσπερ οἱ ἄνεμοι, ποτὲ μὲν τὴν ἐπιπολὴν, διὰ τὸ γαληνὸν, ποτὲ δὲ τὸν βυθὸν τῆς θαλάσσης ταράττειν εἰώθασιν· οὕτως μοι νόει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σκοτεινῶν ἀνέμων, τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἐμπαθῶν αὐτὴν τὴν τῆς καρδίας αἴσθησιν ταράσσειν πεφύκασι· τῷν δὲ ἤδη προκοψάντων, τὴν ἐπιπολὴν τοῦ νοός.   Διὸ οὗτοι καὶ θᾶττον τῆς οἰκείας γαλήνης ἐπαισθάνονται, ἀμολύντου διαμεινάσης.

26.188. It is the privilege of the perfect to know unerringly whether a thought in the soul comes from their own consciousness, or from God, or from the demons; for the demons do not at first suggest everything that is repugnant. This is indeed a dark problem and hard to solve.

 Τελείων τὸ ἐπιγνῶναι ἀεὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, ποία μὲν τοῦ συνειδότος, ποία δὲ Θεοῦ, καὶ ποία δαιμόνων ἔννοια.  Οὐ γὰρ πάντα ἐναντία ἐκ προοιμίων ὑποτίθενται οἱ δαίμονες.  Διὸ καὶ σκοτεινὸν ὄντως τὸ πρόβλημα.

26.189. The body is enlightened by its two corporeal eyes; but in visible and spiritual discernment the eyes of the heart are illumined.

Ἐν δυσὶν ὄμμασιν αἰσθητοῖς φωτίζεται τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἐν νοητῇ, καὶ ὁρατῇ διακρίσει ὀφθαλμοὶ τῆς καρδίας λαμπρύνονται.

Brief summary of all the previous steps

  Ἀνακεφαλαίωσις ἐν ἐπιτομῇ τῶν προειρημένων λόγων αὐτοῦ.

26.190.1 Firm faith is the mother of renunciation. The opposite of this is self-evident.

Πίστις βεβαία ἀποταγῆς μήτηρ· τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον πρόδηλον.

26.190.2 Unwavering hope is the door to detachment. The opposite of this is self-evident.

Ἐλπὶς ἀκλινὴς ἀπροσπαθείας θύρα· τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον πρόδηλον.

26.190.3 Love of God is the foundation of exile. The opposite is self-evident.

Ἀγάπη Θεοῦ, ξενιτείας ὑπόθεσις· τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον πρόδηλον.

26.190.4 Obedience is born of self-condemnation and desire for health.

Ὑποταγὴν ἔτεκεν ἑαυτοῦ κατάγνωσις, καὶ ὑγείας ὄρεξις.

26.190.5. Temperance[77] is the mother of health. The mother of temperance is the thought of death and firm remembrance of our Lord’s gall and vinegar.

Ἐγκράτεια μήτηρ ὑγείας· ἐγκρατείας μήτηρ, θανάτου ἔννοια καὶ μνήμη παγία χολῆς καὶ ὄξους Δεσπότου καὶ Θεοῦ.

26.190.6. The helper and foundation of chastity is solitude. The quenching of fleshly burning is fasting. The adversary of shameful thoughts is contrition of heart.

Σωφροσύνης βοηθός ἐστι, καὶ ὑπόθεσις ἡσυχία· πυρώσεως θραῦσις νηστεία. Λογισμῶν τε πονηρῶν καὶ αἰσχρῶν συντριμμὸς διανοίας ἀντίπαλος·

26.190.7. Faith and exile are the death of cupidity. But compassion and love betray the body.

πίστις καὶ ξενιτεία θάνατος φιλαργυρίας. Συμπάθεια δὲ καὶ ἀγάπη προέδωκαν σῶμα.

26.190.8. Unflagging prayer is the ruin of despondency. Remembrance of the judgment is a means of fervour.

Προσευχὴ ἐκτενὴς, ὄλεθρος ἀκηδίας· Μνήμη δὲ κρίσεως προθυμίας πρόξενος.

26.190.9. Love of indignity is a cure for anger. Hymnody, compassion and poverty are the suffocation of sorrow.

Θυμοῦ ἴαμα, ἀτιμίας ἀγάπη· ὑμνῳδία δὲ καὶ συμπάθεια καὶ ἀκτημοσύνη λύπης πνιγμοσύνη.

26.190.10. Detachment from things of the senses is contemplation of spiritual things.

Ἀπροσπάθεια δὲ αἰσθητῶν, θεωρία νοητῶν.

26.190.11. Quietness and solitude are the foes of vainglory. And if you are amongst people, seek dishonour.

Σιωπὴ καὶ ἡσυχία κενοδοξίας πολέμιοι.  Εἰ δὲ μέσος ὑπάρχεις, ἀτιμίαν μέτελθε.

26.190.12. Visible pride is cured by grim conditions, but invisible pride can be healed only by Him who is eternally Invisible.[78]

Ὑπερηφανίαν ὁρωμένην ἰάσονται σκυθρωπαὶ καταστάσεις· ἀόρατον δὲ ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων ἀόρατος.

26.190.13. The deer is a destroyer of all visible snakes, but humility destroys spiritual ones.[79]

Πάντων θηρίων αἰσυητῶν ἀναιρετικὴ ἔλαφος, νοητῶν δὲ, ἡ ταπείνωσις.

26.190.14. By means of what is natural we can be trained to a clear conception of the spiritual.

Ἔνεστι διὰ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν πάντων ἡμῶν ἐναργῶς τὰ νοητὰ παιδεύεσθαι.

26.190.15. As a snake cannot strip itself of its old skin unless it crawls into a tight hole, neither can we shed our old prejudices, our oldness of soul and the garment of the old man unless we go by the strait and narrow way of fasting and dishonour.

 Ὥσπερ ὄφιν ἀδύνατον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παλαιότητα ἐκδύσασθαι, μὴ ἐν στενῇ ὀπῇ εἰσδύντα· οὕτως καὶ ἡμᾶς τὰς παλαιὰς προλήψεις, καὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς παλαιότητα, καὶ τὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἀνθρώπου χιτῶνα, οὐ μὴ ἀποβάλωμεν, ἐὰν μὴ τῆς στενῆς, καὶ τεθλιμμένης νηστείας, καὶ ἀτιμίας ὁδὸν παρέλθωμεν.

26.190.16. It is just as impossible for the person who nourishes and panders to his flesh to fly to heaven as it is for an overfed bird.

Ὥσπερ τὰ πολύσαρκα τῶν ὀρνίθων εἰς οὐρανὸν πετασθῆναι ἀδύνατον· οὕτω καὶ τὸν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα θεραπεύοντα.

26.190.17. Dried up mire offers no attraction for swine, and in exhausted flesh demons no longer find anywhere to rest.

Ξηρανθεὶς βόρβορος οὐκ ἔτι χοίρους θεραπεύει, καὶ μαρανθεῖσα σὰρξ οὐκ ἔτι δαίμονας ἀναπαύει.

26.190.18. As too many sticks often choke a fire and put it out, while making a lot of smoke, so excessive sorrow often makes the soul smoky and dark, and dries the stream of tears.

Ὥσπερ σχιδάκων πλῆθος πολλάκις συμπνίγει φλόγα, καὶ ἀποσβέννυσι, πλῆθος καπνοῦ ἐργασάμενον· οὕτω πολλάκις καὶ λύπη ὑπέρμετρος καπνώδη καὶ σκοτεινὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐργάζεται, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τῶν δακρύων ἀποξηραίνει.

26.190.19. As a blind man is no use as an archer, so a contradictory pupil is a lost one.

Ὥσπερ τυφλὸς τοξότης ἀδόκιμος· οὕτως μαθητὴς ἀντίλογος ἀπόλλυται.

26.190.20. As tempered iron can sharpen untempered, so a fervent brother has often saved an indolent one.

Ὥσπερ σίδηρος δόκιμος, καὶ τὸν ἀδόκιμον ὀξῦναι δύναται· οὕτως ἀδελφὸς πρόθυμος τὸν ῥᾴθυμον πολλάκις ἔσωσεν.

26.190.21. As eggs that are warmed in dung hatch out, so (bad) thoughts that are not confessed hatch out and proceed to action.

Ὥσπερ τὰ ὠὰ ἐν κόλπῳ θαλπόμενα ζωογονοῦνται· οὕτως καὶ λογισμοὶ μὴ φανερούμενοι, εἰς ἔργα προφαίνουσι.

26.190.22. As galloping horses race one another, so a good community excites mutual fervour.

Ὥσπερ ἵπποι τρέχοντες ἀλλήλοις ἁμιλλῶνται· οὕτως συνοδία ἀγαθὴ ἑαυτὴν διεγείρει.

26.190.23. Just as clouds hide the sun, so evil thoughts darken and ruin the mind.

Ὥσπερ αἱ νεφέλαι ὑποκρύπτουσι τὸν ἥλιον· οὕτως αἱ πονηραὶ ἔννοιαι σκοτίζουσι, καὶ ἀπολλύουσι τὸν νοῦν.

26.190.24. As the man under sentence who is going to execution will not talk about theatres, so he who truly weeps for himself will never gratify his stomach.

Ὥσπερ ὁ τὴν ἀπόφασιν εἰληφὼς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν καταδίκην πορευόμενος, οὐ λαλεῖ περὶ θεάτρων· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ πενθῶν, γαστέρα θεραπεύσει ποτέ.

26.190.25. When poor men see the royal treasury they are still more conscious of their poverty, and so too when the soul reads about the great virtues of the Fathers it at least comes to a more humble frame of mind.

Ὥσπερ πένητες θησαυροὺς βασιλικοὺς ὁρῶντες ἐπὶ πλεῖον τὴν ἑαυτῶν πτωχείαν ἐπιγινώσκουσιν· οὕτως καὶ ψυχὴ τὰς μεγάλας τῶν πατέρων ἀρετὰς ἀναγινώσκουσα, πάντως ταπεινότερον ποιεῖται τὸ ἑαυτῆς φρόνημα.

26.190.26. As steel is attracted to the magnet even without meaning to be, for it is drawn by an inexplicable force of nature, so he who has contracted sinful habits is tyrannized by them.

Ὥσπερ καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος ὁ σίδηρος ὑπακούει τῷ μαγνίτῃ [al. μαγνήτιδι]· οὕτω καὶ οἱ ποιωθέντες ταῖς προλήψεσι, τυραννοῦνται ὑπ’ αὐτῶν.

26.190.27. As oil tames the sea, even though it is reluctant to do this, so fasting quenches the involuntary burnings of the body.

Ὥσπερ τὸ ἔλαιον καὶ μὴ βουλομένην ἡμεροῖ τὴν θάλασσαν· οὕτως καὶ ἡ νηστεία, καὶ ἀκουσίας κατασβεννύει τὰς τοῦ σώματος πυρώσεις.

26.190.28. As a dammed stream of water rushes upwards, so often the soul that is pressed by dangers ascends to God and is saved through penitence.

Ὥσπερ στενούμενον ὕδωρ εἰς ὕψος ἀνατρέχει· οὕτω πολλάκις καὶ ψυχὴ ὑπὸ κινδύνων στενωθεῖσα  πρὸς Θεὸν διὰ μετανοίας ἀνῆλθε καὶ ἐσώθη.

26.190.29. As he who carries perfumes with him makes his presence felt by the fragrance whether he wants to or not, so he who has the Spirit of the Lord is known by his words and his humility.

Ὥσπερ ὁ ἀρώματα βαστάζων, καὶ μὴ θέλων ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς ἐλέγχεται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἔχων, ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων καὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεως γνωρίζεται.

26.190.30.. As the sun makes gold glitter, so virtue singles out the man who possesses it.[80]

26.190.31. As winds stir the deep, so temper disturbs the mind more than anything else.

Ὥσπερ τὰ πνεύματα ταράσσουσιν ἄβυσσον· οὕτω καὶ ὁ θυμὸς πλέον πάντων ταράττει τὴν διάνοιαν.

26.190.32. As mere hearsay does not provoke violent desire to taste what the eye has not seen, so those who are chaste in body get great relief through their ignorance.

Ὥσπερ ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, οὐδὲ σφοδρῶς ἐξ ἀκοῆς ἐπιθυμεῖ γεύσασθαι· οὕτως καὶ οἱ ἁγνοὶ τῷ σώματι, πολὺν ἐκ τούτου κουφισμὸν κέκτηνται.

26.190.33. Just as thieves will not attack a place where they see royal weapons lying, so he who has knit his heart to prayer will not lightly be raided by spiritual thieves.

Ὥσπερ ὅπλα βασιλικὰ ἐν τόπῳ κείμενα ὁρῶντες οἱ κλέπται, οὐχ, ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἐκεῖ ἐπιβαίνουσιν· οὕτως καὶ ὁ τῇ καρδίᾳ προσευχὴν προσάψας, οὐχ, ὡς ἔτυχεν, ὑπὸ τῶν νοητῶν λῃστῶν κλέπτεται.

26.190.34. As fire does not give birth to snow, so those who seek honour here will not enjoy it there (in heaven).

Ὥσπερ οὐ τίκτει πῦρ χιόνα· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ τὴν ἐνταῦθα ζητῶν τιμὴν, τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἀπολαύσει.

26.190.35. As one spark has frequently set fire to much wood, so it has been found that one good deed can wipe out a multitude of great sins.[81]

Ὥσπερ εἷς σπινθὴρ πολλάκις πυρὸς πολλὴν ὕλην κατέκαυσεν· οὕτως καὶ ἓν ἀγαθὸν εὑρίσκεται πλῆθος πταισμάτων μεγάλων ἐξαλεῖψαι.

26.190.36. As it is impossible to destroy a wild beast without a weapon, so without humility it is impossible to obtain freedom from anger.

Ὡς οὐκ ἔστι χωρὶς ὅπλου θηρία ἀπολέσαι, οὕτως οὐδὲ χωρὶς ταπεινώσεως ἀοργησίαν κτήσασθαι.

26.190.37. As by nature we cannot live without food, so up to the very moment of our death we cannot, even for a second, give way to negligence.

Ὡς οὐκ ἔστι ζῇν κατὰ φύσιν ἄνευ βρώσεως, οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἐξόδου κἂν πρὸς ῥοπὴν ἀμελῆσαι.

26.190.38. As a ray of sun, passing through a crack, lights everything in the house and shows up even the finest dust, so the fear of the Lord, entering a man’s heart, reveals to him all his sins.

Ὥσπερ ἀκτὶς ἡλίου δι’ ὀπῆς εἰσελθοῦσα ἐν οἴκῳ πάντα φωτίζει, ὡς καὶ τὸν λεπτότατον ὁρᾷν τότε κονιορτὸν πετόμενον· οὕτως καὶ ὁ φόβος Κυρίου ἐν καρδίᾳ γενόμενος πάντα αὐτῇ τὰ αὐτῆς ἁμαρτήματα ὑποδείκνυσιν.

26.190.39. Crabs are easily caught because they walk sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards. So the soul that now laughs, now mourns, now lives in luxury, can make no progress.

Ὥσπερ οἱ λεγόμενοι καρκῖνοι εὐεπιχείρητοι τυγχάνουσιν, διὰ τὸ, ποτὲ μὲν ἔμπροσθεν βαίνειν, ποτὲ δὲ ὄπισθεν· οὕτως καὶ ψυχὴ, ποτὲ μὲν γελῶσα, ποτὲ δὲ πενθοῦσα, ποτὲ δὲ τρυφῶσα, οὐδὲν ὠφελῆσαι δύναται.

26.190.40. The drowsy are easily robbed, and so are those who seek virtue near the world.

Ὥσπερ οἱ ὑπνώττοντες εὐχερῶς συλῶνται· οὕτως καὶ οἱ πλησίον κόσμου τὴν ἀρετὴν μετερχόμενοι.

26.190.41. A man who is fighting a lion is lost the moment he takes his eye off it, and so is the man who, while fighting his flesh, gives it any respite.

Ὥσπερ ὁ λέοντι μαχόμενος ἐὰν ῥεφθῇ τὸ ὄμμα, εὐθέως ἀπόλλυται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ σαρκὶ μαχόμενος ἐὰν ταύτην ἀναπαύσῃ.

26.190.42. As he who climbs up a rotten ladder runs a risk, so all honour, glory and authority oppose humility and bring down him who has them.

Ὥσπερ οἱ εἰς κλίμακα ἀναβαίνοντες σαθρὰν κινδυνεύουσιν· οὕτως πᾶσα τιμὴ, καὶ δόξα, καὶ δυναστεία τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀντίκεινται.

26.190.43. As it is impossible for a starving man not to think of bread, so it is impossible for a man eager to be saved not to think of death and judgment.

Ὡς ἀδύνατον τὸν πεινῶντα μὴ μνημονεύειν ἄρτου· οὕτως ἀμήχανον σωθῆναι τὸν ἐξόδου καὶ κρίσεως μὴ μνημονεύοντα.

26.190.44. As writing is washed out by water, so sins can be washed out by tears.

Ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὰ γράμματα· οὕτως τὸ δάκρυον τὰ πταίσματα ἐξαλείφειν δύναται.

26.190.45. As some, for lack of water, blot out writing by other means, so there are souls who have no tears, but pound out and scour away their sins by sorrow, sighing and great heaviness of heart.

Ὥσπερ τινὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, ἀποροῦντες ὕδατος, δι’ ἑτέρων τρόπων ἀπαλείφομεν· οὕτως εἰσὶ καὶ ψυχαὶ ἀποροῦσαι δακρύων, καὶ διὰ λύπης, καὶ στεναγμοῦ, καὶ σκυθρωπότητος πολλῆς ταῦτα ἐκλεαίνουσι, καὶ ἀποξέουσιν.

26.190.46 As a mass of dung breeds a mass of worms, so a surfeit of food breeds a surfeit of falls, and evil thoughts, and dreams.

Ὥσπερ πλῆθος κόπρου πλῆθος σκωλήκων ἐργάζεται· οὕτως πλῆθος βρωμάτων πλῆθος πτωμάτων, καὶ πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ ἐνυπνίων ἐργάζεται.

26.190.47. As a blind man cannot see to walk, so a lazy man can neither see good nor do it.

26.190.48. As he whose legs are tied cannot walk freely, so those who hoard money cannot ascend to heaven.

Ὥσπερ ὁ τοὺς πόδας πεδηθεὶς βαδίζειν εὐχερῶς οὐ δύναται· οὕτως καὶ οἱ θησαυρίζοντες χρήματα, εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύουσιν.

26.190.49. As a fresh wound is easily cured, so the opposite is true of those suffering from chronic wounds of the soul; if they are healed, they are healed with difficulty.

Ὥσπερ ζεούσης τῆς πληγῆς εὐΐατος καθέστηκεν· οὕτως τὰ χρόνια τραύματα τῆς ψυχῆς τοὐναντίον πάσχουσι, καὶ δυσκόλως ἰῶνται ὅτε καὶ ἰαθήσονται.

26.190.50. As a dead man cannot walk, so a despairing man cannot be saved.

Ὡς οὐ δυνατὸν τὸν ἀποθνήσκοντα βαδίζειν, οὕτως ἀδύνατον ἀπογνόντα σωθῆναι.

26.190.51. He who says he has true faith yet continues to sin is like a man who has no eyes in his face. But he who has no faith, even though he may do some good, is like a man who draws water and pours it into a barrel with holes in it.

Ὁ πίστιν μὲν ὀρθὴν κεκτῆσθαι λέγων, ἁμαρτίας δὲ διαπραττόμενος, ὅμοιός ἐστι προσώπῳ ὀφθαλμοὺς μὴ ἔχοντι. Ὁ πίστιν μὴ ἔχων, καλὰ δὲ ἴσως τινὰ ἐργαζόμενος, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ ὕδωρ ἀντλοῦντι, καὶ εἰς πίθον τετρημένον βάλλοντι.

26.190.52. As a ship which has a good helmsman comes safely into harbour with God’s help, so the soul which has a good shepherd, even though it has done much evil, easily ascends to heaven.

Ὥσπερ πλοῖον, ἀγαθὸν κυβερνήτην ἔχων ἀκινδύνως εἰς λιμένα, Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντος, εἰσέρχεται· οὕτως καὶ ψυχὴ ἀγαθὸν ποιμένα ἔχουσα εὐχερῶς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνέρχεται, καὶ πολλὰ κακὰ διαπραξαμένη καθέστηκεν.

26.190.53. Without a guide it is easy to wander from the road, however prudent you may be, and so he who walks the monastic way under his own direction soon perishes, even though he may have all the wisdom of the world.

Ὥσπερ μὴ ἔχων ὁδηγὸν εὐχερῶς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ πλανᾶται, κἂν λίαν φρόνιμος καθέστηκεν· οὕτως καὶ ὁ αὐτεξουσίως τὴν μοναδικὴν ὁδὸν πορευόμενος, εὐχερῶς ἀπόλλυται, κἂν πᾶσαν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου ἐπίσταται.

26.190.54. If anyone is weak in body and has had some grave falls, he should take the road of humility and the qualities that belong to her, for he will find no other way to salvation.

Ὁπόταν τις τὸ σῶμα ἀσθενὴς ᾖ, καὶ χαλεπὰ πταίσματα πεπραχὼς, τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ταπεινώσεως, καὶ τῶν αὐτῆς ἰδιωμάτων ὁδευέτω· ἄλλην γὰρ σωτηρίαν οὐχ εὑρήσει.

26.190.55. As one who has suffered a prolonged illness can scarcely obtain health in an instant, so it is impossible suddenly to overcome the passions, or even one passion.

Ὡς οὐκ ἔστι τὸν μακρὰν νενοσηκότα νόσον, ἐν μιᾷ ῥοπῇ τὴν ὑγείαν κτήσασθαι· οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξαίφνης παθῶν ἢ πάθους περιγενέσθαι.

26.190.56. Keep track of the extent of every passion and of every virtue, and you will know what progress you are making.

Παντὸς πάθους, καὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς ἔχε σημεῖον τῆς ποσότητος αὐτοῦ, καὶ γνώσεις τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προκοπήν.

26.190.57. As those who exchange gold for clay are the losers, so are those who discuss and divulge the spiritual for material gain.

Ὥσπερ οἱ χρυσίῳ πηλὸν καταλλάττοντες ζημιοῦνται· οὕτως καὶ οἱ τῶν σωματικῶν χάριν τὰ πνευματικὰ θριαμβεύοντες καὶ διηγούμενοι.

26.190.58. Many have soon obtained forgiveness, but no one has obtained dispassion quickly; this needs considerable time, and love, and longing, and God.

Ἄφεσιν μὲν συντόμως πολλοὶ, ἀπάθειαν δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐκτήσατο· τοῦτο γὰρ χρόνου, καὶ πόθου [πόνου] πολλοῦ, καὶ Θεοῦ.

26.190.59. Let us find out which particular beasts and birds try to harm us at the time of sowing, and at the time when the seed shoots, and at the time of harvest, so as to set our traps accordingly.

Ζητήσωμεν ποῖα μὲν ἐν τῷ σπόρῳ, ποῖα δὲ τῇ χλόῃ, ποῖα δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀμήτῳ ἡμῖν θηρία ἢ πετεινὰ ἐπιβουλεύουσιν, ἵνα καὶ τὰ θήρατρα ἁρμόζοντα στήσωμεν.

26.190.60 Just as a man with fever has no right to commit suicide, so till our very last breath we must never give up hope.

Ὥσπερ οὐ δίκαιον τὸν πυρέττοντα ἑαυτὸν διαχειρίσασθαι· οὕτως ἕως ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς μὴ ἀπογνῶναί ποτε.

26.190.61. As it is irreverent for a man who has just buried his father to go from the funeral straight on to his wedding, so for those who are mourning over their falls it is not proper to seek from men in this present life either honour, or rest, or glory.

Ὥσπερ ἄσεμνον τὸν, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα θάψαντα, εἶτα ἐκ τῆς κηδείας ὑποστρέψαντα, εἰς γάμον πορεύεσθαι· οὕτως ἀνοίκειον τοῖς πενθοῦσιν ἐπὶ πταίσμασι, τιμὴν ἢ ἀνάπαυσιν ἢ δόξαν ἐν τῷ παρόντι αἰῶνι ἐκζητῆσαι παρὰ ἀνθρώπων.

26.190.62. As citizens have one kind of dwelling and convicts another, so the needs of those who are mourning ought to be quite different from those of the innocent.

Ὥσπερ ἄλλα τὰ τῶν πολιτῶν, καὶ ἕτερα τὰ τῶν καταδίκων οἰκητήρια· οὕτως πάντῃ ὀφείλει ἐνηλλα-  γμένη εἶναι ἡ τῶν πενθούντων εὐθύνας παρὰ τοὺς ἀνευθύνους κατάστασις.

26.190.63. Just as a king orders a soldier who has received serious wounds in battle in his presence not to be dismissed from his service but rather to be promoted, so the Heavenly King crowns the monk who endures many perils from demons.

Ὥσπερ τὸν εἰς πρόσωπον ἑαυτοῦ λαβόντα πληγὰς χαλεπὰς στρατιώτην ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, οὐ κελεύει βασιλεὺς τῆς στρατείας ῥίπτεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον προκόπτειν· οὕτως καὶ μοναχὸν πολλοὺς κινδύνους ἐκ δαιμόνων ὑπομένοντα ὁ ἐπουράνιος βασιλεὺς στεφανοῖ.

26.190.64. Spiritual perception is a property of the soul itself, but sin is a buffeting of perception. Conscious perception produces either the cessation or lessening of evil; and it is the offspring of conscience. And conscience is the word and conviction of our guardian angel given to us from the time of baptism. That is why we find that the unbaptized do not feel such keen pangs of remorse in their soul for their bad deeds.

Αἴσθησις ψυχῆς ἰδίωμα αὐτῆς· ἁμαρτία δὲ αἰσθήσεως κολαφισμός.  Αἴσθησις γεννᾷ κακοῦ η κατάπαυσιν, ἢ μείωσιν· συναίσθησις δὲ γέννημα συνειδήσεως.  Συνείδησις δέ ἐστι λόγος καὶ ἔλεγχος τοῦ ἡμετέρου φύλακος τοῦ ἐκ βαπτίσματος παραδοθέντος ἡμῖν.  Διόπερ οὐδὲ τοσοῦτον τοὺς ἀφωτίστους εὑρίσκομεν τυπτομένους ἐπὶ ταῖς κακαῖς πράξεσιν ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ· ἀλλ’ ἀμυδρῶς πως.

26.190.65. The lessening of evil breeds abstinence from evil; and abstinence from evil is the beginning of repentance; and the beginning of repentance is the beginning of salvation; and the beginning of salvation is a good intention; and a good intention is the mother of labours. And the beginning of labours is the virtues; the beginning of the virtues is a flowering, and the flowering of virtue is the beginning of activity. And the offspring of virtue is perseverance; and the fruit and offspring of persevering practice is habit, and the child of habit is character. Good character is the mother of fear; and fear gives birth to the keeping of commandments in which I include both heavenly and earthly. The keeping of the commandments is a sign of love; and the beginning of love is an abundance of humility; and an abundance of humility is the daughter of dispassion; and the acquisition of the latter is the fullness of love, that is to say the perfect indwelling of God in those who through dispassion are pure in heart. For they shall see God.[82] And to Him the glory for all eternity. Amen.

Μείωσις μὲν κακοῦ τίκτει ἀποχὴν κακοῦ· ἀποχὴ δὲ κακοῦ, ἀρχὴ μετανοίας· ἀρχὴ δὲ μετανοίας ἀρχὴ σωτηρίας· ἀρχὴ δὲ σωτηρίας πρόθεσις ἀγαθή.  Πρόθεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ γεννήτρια πόνων· πόνων δὲ ἀρχὴ, ἀρεταί· ἀρχὴ δὲ ἀρετῶν ἄνθος· ἄνθος δὲ ἀρετῆς ἐργασία· ἀρετῆς δὲ γέννημα συνέχεια· συνεχεστέρας δὲ μελέτης καρπὸς καὶ γέννημα, ἕξις· ἕξεως δὲ τόκος ποίωσις· καλοῦ δὲ ποίωσις γεννήτρια φόβου.  Φόβος δὲ τίκτει τήρησιν ἐνταλμάτων, ἐπουρανίων λέγω δὴ καὶ ἐπιγείων· ἐνταλμάτων φυλακὴ ἀγάπης τεκμήριον· ἀγάπης δὲ ἀρχὴ πλῆθος ταπεινώσεως.  Πλῆθος δὲ ταπεινώσεως θυγάτηρ ἀπαθείας· ταύτης δὲ κτῆσις ἀγάπης πλήρωμα· εἴτ’ οὖν Θεοῦ τελεία ἐνοίκησις τοῖς δι’ ἀπαθείας καθαροῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ· ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.