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De malignis cogitationibus (sub nomine Nili Ancyrani)

OF THE SAME AUTHOR, 27 CHAPTERS: CONCERNING VARIOUS EVIL THOUGHTS

79.1200 CHAPTER 1.

Of the demons opposing the practical life, the first to join battle are those entrusted with the pleasures of gluttony, that is, appetites, and those who suggest avarice to us, and those who summon us to the glory of men. All the others, walking behind these, succeed those who are wounded by these 79.1201. For it is not possible to fall into the hands of the spirit of fornication, without having been cast down by gluttony; and it is not possible to stir up anger, unless one is fighting for foods or money, or the glory of irrational desires; and it is not possible to escape the demon of sorrow, having been deprived of all these things, or not having been able to obtain them; nor will anyone escape pride, the first offspring of the devil, without having banished avarice, the root of all evils, since indeed "poverty humbles a man," according to the wise Solomon; and to speak concisely, it is not possible for a man to fall prey to a demon, without first being wounded by those leaders, which is why the devil then brought these three thoughts to the Savior. First, urging the stones to become bread, then promising the whole world if falling down he would worship him; and third, saying he would be glorified if he would listen, suffering nothing from so great a fall, of which our Lord, having shown Himself superior, commanded the devil to go behind Him, through these things also teaching us that it is not possible to repel the devil, without despising these three thoughts.

CHAPTER 2. All demonic thoughts, concepts into the soul

of sensible things bring, in which the mind, being shaped, carries around within itself the forms of those things, and from the thing itself it then recognizes the demon which has approached; for example, if the face of the one who harmed me and dishonored me should appear in my mind, the thought of resentfulness which has presented itself is exposed. If again a remembrance of money or of glory should occur, it is clear from the thing that the one afflicting us will be recognized; and in the case of the other thoughts likewise, from the thing you will find the demon that is present and suggesting the fantasies. But I do not say that all memories of such things come from demons; since the mind itself, being moved by the person, is also naturally able to bring up fantasies of past events, but only those memories which draw along with them anger or desire contrary to nature. For on account of the disturbance of these two powers, the mind commits adultery in thought, and fights, being unable to receive the image of its Lawgiver. Since that splendor appears to the ruling faculty in the time of prayer through the deprivation of all concepts related to things. A person would not put away passionate memories, without taking care of desire and anger, consuming the one with fastings, vigils, and sleeping on the ground, and taming the other with long-suffering, lack of resentment, and acts of mercy; for from these two passions almost all demonic thoughts are composed, which cast the mind into ruin and destruction. 79.1204

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De malignis cogitationibus (sub nomine Nili Ancyrani)

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΑ ΚΖ· ΠΕΡΙ ∆ΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΠΟΝΗΡΩΝ ΛΟΓΙΣΜΩΝ

79.1200 ΚΕΦΑΛ. Αʹ.

Τῶν ἀντικειμένων δαιμόνων τῇ πρακτικῇ, πρῶτοι κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον συνίστανται οἱ τὰς τῆς γαστριμαργίας ἡδονὰς, ἤτουν ὀρέξεις πεπιστευμένοι, καὶ οἱ τὴν φιλαργυρίαν ἡμῖν ὑποβάλλοντες, καὶ οἱ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν ἡμᾶς ἐκκαλούμενοι. Οἱ δ' ἄλλοι πάντες κατόπιν τούτων βαδίζοντες, τοὺς ὑπὸ τούτων 79.1201 τιτρωσκομένους διαδέχονται. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς πορνείας, μὴ ὑπὸ τῆς γαστριμαργίας καταπεσόντα· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ταράξαι θυμὸν, μὴ ὑπὲρ βρωμάτων ἢ χρημάτων, ἢ δόξης ἀλόγων ἐπιθυμιῶν μαχόμενον· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τὸν τῆς λύπης δαίμονα διαφυγεῖν, τούτων πάντων στερηθέντα, ἢ μὴ δυνηθέντα τυχεῖν· οὐδὲ ἀποφεύξεται τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν τις, τὸ πρῶτον γέννημα τοῦ διαβόλου, μὴ τὴν τῶν κακῶν πάντων ῥίζαν ἐξορίσας φιλαργυρίαν, εἴπερ καὶ πενία ἄνδρα ταπεινοῖ, κατὰ τὸν σοφὸν Σολομῶντα· καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπον περιπεσεῖν δαίμονι, μὴ πρότερον ὑπ' ἐκείνων τῶν πρωτοστατῶν κατατρωθέντα, διὸ καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς τούτους λογισμοὺς ὁ διάβολος τότε τῷ Σωτῆρι προσήγαγε. Πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς λίθους, ἄρτους γενέσθαι παρακαλῶν, ἔπειτα δὲ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον ἐπαγγελλόμενος εἰ πεσὼν προσκυνήσει· καὶ τρίτον εἰ ἀκούσοι δοξασθήσεσθαι λέγων, μηδὲν ἐκ τοῦ τηλικούτου πτώματος πεπονθότα, ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν κρείττων φανεὶς, εἰς τοὐπίσω τῷ διαβόλῳ χωρεῖν προσέταττε, διὰ τούτων καὶ ἡμᾶς διδάσκων, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπώσασθαι τὸν διάβολον, μὴ τῶν τριῶν τούτων καταφρονήσαντας λογισμῶν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ. Πάντες οἱ δαιμονιώδεις λογισμοὶ, νοήματα εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν

αἰσθητῶν πραγμάτων εἰσφέρουσιν, ἐν οἷς τυπούμενος ὁ νοῦς τὰς μορφὰς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκείνων ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιφέρει, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος λοιπὸν ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν προσεγγίσαντα δαίμονα· οἷον, εἰ τοῦ ζημιώσαντός με, καὶ ἀτιμάσαντός με ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ μου τὸ πρόσωπον γένοιτο, ἐλέγχεται ὁ τῆς μνησικακίας παραβαλὼν λογισμός. Εἰ πάλιν χρημάτων, ἢ δόξης ἀνάμνησις γένοιτο, ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος δῆλον ὅτι ὁ θλίβων ἡμᾶς ἐπιγνωσθήσεται· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ λογισμῶν ὡσαύτως, ἀπὸ τοῦ πράγματος εὑρήσεις τὸν παρεστῶτα, καὶ ὑποβάλλοντα τὰς φαντασίας δαίμονα. Οὐ πάσας δὲ τὰς μνήμας τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων ἐκ δαιμόνων λέγω συμβαίνειν· ἐπειδὴ πέφυκε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ νοῦς κινούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τῶν γεγονότων ἀναφέρειν τὰς φαντασίας, ἀλλ' ὅσαι τῶν μνημῶν θυμὸν, ἢ ἐπιθυμίαν παρὰ φύσιν συνεπισπῶνται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν ταραχὴν τῶν δύο δυνάμεων τούτων, ὁ νοῦς κατὰ διάνοιαν μοιχεύει, καὶ μάχεται, τοῦ νομοθετήσαντος αὐτὸν τὴν φαντασίαν ἀναδέξασθαι μὴ δυνάμενος. Εἴπερ ἡ λαμπρότης ἐκείνη κατὰ στέρησιν πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι νοημάτων ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς προσευχῆς τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ παραφαίνεται. Οὐκ ἂν ἀπόθοιτο τὰς ἐμπαθεῖς μνήμας ὁ ἄνθρωπος, μὴ ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ θυμοῦ ἐπιμέλειαν ποιησάμενος, τὴν μὲν νηστείαις, ἀγρυπνίαις, καὶ χαμευνείαις καταναλώσας, τὸν δὲ μακροθυμίαις, καὶ ἀμνησικακίαις, καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις καθημερώσας· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν δύο τούτων παθῶν πάντες σχεδὸν οἱ δαιμονιώδεις συνίστανται λογισμοὶ οἱ τὸν νοῦν ἐμβάλλοντες εἰς ὄλεθρον, καὶ ἀπώλειαν. 79.1204