3

was inflamed by the passion of licentiousness; for just as the memory of fire does not burn the mind, so also a passion has no strength, when the material is not present.

CHAPTER 6. If you have mercy on an enemy, he will be an enemy to you, and if you spare a passion, it will rise up against you. The sight of a woman provokes the licentious man to pleasure, but moves the chaste man 79.1152 to the glorification of God; if the passion grows quiet in the company of women, do not trust it when it promises you dispassion. For even a dog wags its tail when left with a crowd, but when it goes outside, it displays its own wickedness. When the memory of a woman occurs without passion, then consider that you have stepped upon the boundaries of chastity. But when her image rouses you to contemplation, and her arrows encompass your soul, then consider that you are outside of virtue. But do not linger in such thoughts, nor for long converse in your mind with the form of a woman, for the passion is fond of returning, and the danger is near. For just as a moderate smelting purifies silver, but a prolonged one easily destroys it, so a lingering fantasy of a woman corrupts the habit of chastity; nor converse for long with the face that appeared, lest it kindle in you a flame of pleasure, and set fire to the threshing floor of your soul; for just as a spark lingering in chaff raises a flame, so the memory of a woman that remains ignites desire.

CHAPTER 7. On Avarice. Avarice is the root of all evils, and it nourishes the other passions like evil branches, and will not let what has blossomed from it wither. He who wants to cut off the passions, let him cut out the root; for as long as avarice remains, he gains nothing by trimming the branches, for even if they are cut off, they will immediately blossom again. A monk with many possessions is a laden ship, and is easily sunk in a squall of waves; for just as a ship full of bilge water is tormented by every wave, so the one with many possessions is submerged by cares. A monk with no possessions is a well-girded traveler, and finds lodging in every place. A monk with no possessions is a high-flying eagle, swooping down for food only when need compels. Such a one is higher than every temptation, he laughs at present things and is raised on high, he departs from earthly things and journeys with those above; for he has a light wing, not weighed down by cares; affliction came, and he left the place without grief; death arrived, and he departs cheerfully; for he has not bound his soul with any earthly bond. But the one with many possessions is shackled by anxieties, and like a dog is bound with a chain, and if he is forced to move, he carries around the memories of his possessions, a heavy burden and a useless vexation, he is pricked by grief, and at the thought is intensely pained; he has left his possessions, and is scourged by grief. And if death should come, he miserably leaves present things, he gives up his soul, and does not turn his eye away from his belongings; unwillingly he is dragged away like a runaway slave, he is parted from his body, but not parted from his belongings; his passion holding him more than those who drag him away. 79.1153

CHAPTER 8. The sea is not filled, though it receives a multitude of rivers, and the desire of the avaricious man is not satisfied with money, he has doubled his money, and desires to make it double again, and he never ceases from doubling it, until death should put a stop to this unaccomplished zeal. A prudent monk will attend to the need of his body, and will satisfy the want of his stomach with bread and water, he will not flatter the rich for the pleasure of his stomach, nor will he enslave his free mind to many masters; for his hands are sufficient to serve his body, and to fulfill its natural need always.

3

ἐφλογίσθη ἀκολασίας πάθει· ὥσπερ γὰρ μνήμη πυρὸς οὐ καίει διάνοιαν, οὕτω οὐδὲ πάθος ἰσχύει, μὴ παρούσης ὕλης.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ϛʹ. Ἐὰν ἐλεήσῃς πολέμιον, ἕσται σοι ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐὰν φείσῃ πάθους,

ἐπαναστήσεταί σοι. Ἀκόλαστον ἐρεθίζει πρὸς ἠδονὴν ὅψις γυναικὸς, τὸν δὲ σώφρονα κανεῖ 79.1152 πρὸς δοξολογίαν Θεοῦ· ἐὰν ἠρεμήσῃ τὸ πάθος ἐν συντυχίαις γυναικῶν, μὴ πιστεύσῃς αὐτῷ ἀπάθειαν ἐπαγγελλομένῳ. Καὶ γὰρ κύων σαίνει μὲν ἀπολειφθεὶς ὄχλῳ, ἔξω δὲ προελθὼν, τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδείκνυται πονηρίαν. Ὅταν γυναικὸς μνήμη γένηται ἀπαθῶς, τότε νόμιζε τῶν ὅρων ἐπιβεβηκέναι τῆς σωφροσύνης. Ὅτε δέ σε τὸ εἴδωλον αὐτῆς ἐπὶ θεωρίαν διεγείρει, καὶ τὰ βέλη αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχήν σου περιλαμβάνουσι, τότε νόμιζε ἔξω εἶναι τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ἀλλὰ μηδὲ οὕτως ἐγχρονίσῃς τοῖς τοιούτοις λογισμοῖς, μηδὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ κατὰ διάνοιαν προσομιλήσῃς μορφῇ γυναικὸς, ἔστι γὰρ φιλυπόστροφον τὸ πάθος, καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον ἔχει ἐγγύς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ σύμμετρος χωνεία καθαίρει τὸν ἄργυρον, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν εὐχερῶς, οὕτως ἕξιν σωφρονικὴν διαφθείρει ἐγχρονίζουσα φαντασία γυναικός· μηδὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ προσομιλήσῃς τῷ φανέντι προσώπῳ, ἵνα μὴ ἀνάψῃ ἐν σοὶ ἡδονῆς φλόγα, καὶ ἐμπρήσῃ ἅλωνα σῆς ψυχῆς· ὥσπερ γὰρ σπινθὴρ ἐν ἀχύροις χρονίσας ἐγείρει φλόγα, οὕτω μνήμη γυναικὸς παραμένουσα ἐξάπτει ἐπιθυμίαν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ. Περὶ φιλαργυρίας. Φιλαργυρία πάντων ἐστὶ ῥίζα τῶν κακῶν, καὶ

τρέφει ὡς κλάδους πονηροὺς τὰ λοιπὰ πάθη, καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει ξηρανθῆναι τὰ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀνθήσαντα. Ὁ βουλόμενος κόπτειν πάθη, τὴν ῥίζαν ἐκκοπτέτω· μενούσης γὰρ φιλαργυρίας ἐπιτέμνων τοὺς κλάδους οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ, κἂν γὰρ ἐκκοπῶσιν, εὐθὺς ἐπανθήσουσι. Πολυκτήμων μοναχὸς, πεφορτισμένον πλοῖον, καὶ ἐν ζάλῃ κυμάτων εὐχερῶς καταδυόμενον· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὑπέραντλος ναῦς ὑφ' ἑκάστου κύματος βασανίζεται, οὕτω πολυκτήμων ταῖς φροντίσι ὑποβρύχιος γίνεται. Ἀκτήμων μοναχὸς, ὁδοιπόρος εὐσταλὴς, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ εὑρίσκων κατάλυμα. Ἀκτήμων μοναχὸς ἀετὸς ὑψιπέτης, τότε καθιπτάμενος ἐπὶ τροφὴν, ὅταν ἡ χρεία βιάσῃ. Παντὸς πειρασμοῦ ὁ τοιοῦτός ἐστιν ὑψηλότερος, καταγελᾷ τῶν παρόντων, καὶ μετέωρος ἐξαίρεται, ἀναχωρεῖ τῶν γηΐνων, καὶ συμπεριπολεῖ τοῖς ἄνω· πτερὸν γὰρ ἔχει κοῦφον, φροντίσι μὴ βαρυνόμενον· θλίψις ἐπῆλθε, καὶ ἀλύπως τὸν τόπον ἀπέλιπε· θάνατος ἐπέστη, καὶ εὐθύμως ἀπέρχεται· οὐδενὶ γὰρ γηΐνῳ δεσμῷ προσέδησε τὴν ψυχήν. Ὁ δὲ πολυκτήμων πεπέδηται μερίμναις, καὶ καθάπερ κύων ἁλύσει προσδέδεται, κἂν μεταναστῆναι βιασθῇ, τὰς μνήμας τῶν κτημάτων περιφέρει βαρὺ φορτίον, καὶ ἀχθηδόνα ἀνωφελῆ, κεντεῖται λύπῃ, καὶ πρὸς, τὴν ἔννοιαν ὀδυνᾶται σφοδρῶς, ἀφῆκε τὰ κτήματα, καὶ τῇ λύπῃ μαστίζεται. Κἂν θάνατος ἐπέλθοι, ἐλεεινῶς ἀφίησι τὰ παρόντα, ἀποδίδωσι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἀφίστησι τῶν πραγμάτων· ἄκων ἕλκεται καθάπερ ἀνδράποδον δραπετεῦον, μερίζεται τοῦ σώματος, καὶ οὐ μερίζεται τῶν πραγμάτων· μᾶλλον τῶν ἑλκόντων αὐτὸν τοῦ πάθους κατέχοντος. 79.1153

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ηʹ. Θάλασσα οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται, ποταμῶν δεχομένη πλῆθος, καὶ

ἐπιθυμία φιλαργύρου οὐ πληροῦται χρημάτων, ἐδιπλασίασε τὰ χρήματα, καὶ ταῦτα διπλᾶ ποιῆσαι ἐπιθυμεῖ, καὶ τοῦ διπλασιάζειν οὐδέποτε παύεται, ἕως ἂν θάνατος τὴν ἀνήνυτον ταύτην παύσῃ σπουδήν. Συνετὸς μοναχὸς τῇ χρείᾳ προσέξει τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τὴν ἔνδειαν τῆς γαστρὸς ἄρτῳ πληρώσει, καὶ ὕδατι, οὐ κολακεύσει πλουτοῦντας δι' ἡδονὴν γαστρὸς, οὐδὲ δουλώσει νοῦν ἐλεύθερον δεσπόταις πολλοῖς· ἱκαναὶ γὰρ αἱ χεῖρες ὑπηρετῆσαι τῷ σώματι, καὶ τὴν φυσικὴν ἀνάγκην πληρῶσαι διὰ παντός.