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useful, nothing serviceable, nothing beneficial to your way of life will you see there. “I have seen,” says the holy one again, “iniquity and strife in the city.” Pursue, therefore, your own and undistracted places; do not fear to possess them. But if you also see there phantoms of demons, do not be terrified; nor flee the arena of our benefit; fearlessly endure, and you will see the great works of God, His help, His care, all the other full assurance for salvation. “For I waited,” says the blessed man, “for the one who saves me from faint-heartedness and from storm.” Let not the desire for wandering overcome your purpose; for “wandering with desire perverts an innocent mind.” For this reason, many temptations. Fear stumbling, and be steadfast in your cell.

7. If you have friends, flee frequent meetings with them; for by meeting them after a long while, you will be useful. But if you perceive that harm comes to you through them, do not approach them at all. For you must have friends who are beneficial and contribute to your way of life. Flee also the company of wicked and quarrelsome men; dwell with none of them; but indeed, refuse also their worthless intentions; for they are neither reconciled 40.1260 to God, nor do they last. Let peaceful men be your friends, spiritual brothers, holy Fathers. For so also the Lord called these, saying: “My mother and my brothers and fathers are these, who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Do not consort with the distracted, nor go with them to a banquet; lest they draw you into their own deceits, and lead you away from the knowledge that comes from stillness; for this passion is in them; do not incline your ear to their words, and do not accept the thoughts of their heart. For they are truly harmful. Let your desire be for the faithful of the earth, and the labor of your heart for zeal for their mourning. For “My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me.” But if one of those who walk in the love of God comes and invites you to eat, and you wish to go, go indeed, but return more quickly to your cell. If possible, never sleep outside of it; so that the grace of stillness may remain with you always, and you may have unimpeded worship according to your purpose in it.

8. Do not become a desirer of fine foods, and of the deceits associated with luxury. “For she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives,” as the Apostle also says. Do not fill your belly with the foods of others, lest a desire for them arise in you, and create in you a longing for outside tables. For it is said: “Do not be deceived by the filling of the belly.” And if you see yourself being invited outside your cell continually, refuse. For continuous lingering outside your cell is harmful; it takes away grace, darkens the mind, withers desire. See for me a jar of wine that has aged for a long time in its place, and lies unmoved, how it makes the wine bright, settled, fragrant; but if it is carried here and there, it becomes disturbed, harsh, showing all at once the unpleasantness of the evil from its dregs. Therefore, likening yourself to this, strive for benefit, cut off relations with the many, lest your mind become distracted and disturb the way of stillness. Take care for the work of your hands, and this itself, if possible, night and day, so as not to be a burden to anyone, but rather even to give to others, just as the holy apostle Paul also exhorts, saying; so that indeed in this you may wrestle down the demon of acedia, and tear apart all the other desires of the enemy. For the demon of acedia lies upon idleness, and is in desires, as he says. In giving and receiving you will not escape sin. Therefore whether you sell,

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εὔχρηστον, οὐδὲν χρήσιμον, οὐδὲν ὠφέλιμον τῇ πολιτείᾳ σου ἐκεῖ θεάσῃ. «Εἶδον,» φησὶ πάλιν ὁ ἅγιος, «ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀντιλογίαν ἐν τῇ πόλει.» Τοὺς οὖν ἰδίους καὶ ἀπερισπάστους δίωκε τόπους, μὴ δειλιάσῃς εἶχον αὐτῶν. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ δαιμόνων φαντασίας ἐκεῖ θεάσῃ, μὴ πτοηθῇς; μηδὲ ἀποφύγῃς τὸ στάδιον τῆς ἡμετέρας ὠφελείας· ἀφόβως ὑπόμεινον, καὶ ὄψει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ μεγαλεῖα, τὴν ἀντίληψιν, τὴν κηδεμονίαν, τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ πληροφορίαν. «Προσεδεχόμην» γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ μακάριος ἀνὴρ, «τὸν σώζοντά με ἀπὸ ὀλιγοψυχίας καὶ ἀπὸ καταιγίδος.» Μή σου νικήσῃ ῥέμβους ἐπιθυμία τὴν προαίρεσιν· «Ῥεμβασμὸς» γὰρ «μετὰ ἐπιθυμίας, μεταλλεύει νοῦν ἄκακον.» Πολλοὶ διὰ τοῦτο πειρασμοί. Φοβοῦ τὸ πταῖσμα, καὶ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ σου ἑδραῖος ἔσο.

Ζʹ. Ἐὰν φίλους ἔχῃς, φεῦγε τούτων τὰς συνεχεῖς συντυχίας· διὰ μακροῦ γὰρ αὐτοῖς συντυγχάνων εὔχρηστος ἔσῃ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ κατανοήσῃς διὰ τούτων αὐτῶν βλάβην σοι γινομένην, μηδὲ ὅλως ἐγγίσῃς. Φίλους γὰρ ἔχειν σε χρὴ τοὺς ὠφελίμους καὶ συμβαλλομένους σου τῇ πολιτείᾳ. Φεῦγε καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ μαχίμων τὰς συντυχίας· μηδενὶ τούτων συνοικήσῃς· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τὰς φαύλας αὐτῶν προθέσεις παραιτοῦ· οὔτε γὰρ Θεῷ προσοι 40.1260 κειῶνται, οὔτε μὴν παραμένουσιν. Ἄνδρες εἰρηνικοὶ ἔστωσαν φίλοι σοι, ἀδελφοὶ πνευματικοὶ, Πατέρες ἅγιοι. Τούτους γὰρ οὕτως καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀπεκάλει λέγων· «Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου καὶ πατέρες οὗτοί εἰσιν, οἱ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» Μετὰ περισπωμένων μὴ συναυλίζου, μηδὲ συμπορευθῇς εἰς συμπόσιον μετ' αὐτῶν· μήποτέ σε περὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀπάτας ἑλκύσωσι, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἐπιστήμης ἀπαγάγωσιν· ἔστι γὰρ τὸ πάθος τοῦτο ἐν αὐτοῖς· μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς τὸ οὖς σου εἰς τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐννοίας καρδίας αὐτῶν μὴ παραδέξῃ. Εἰσὶ γὰρ ὄντως ἐπιζήμιοι. Ἐπὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς τῆς γῆς ἔστω σοι ὁ πόθος, καὶ ὁ πόνος τῆς καρδίας σου εἰς ζῆλον πένθους αὐτῶν. «Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου» γὰρ «ἐπὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς τῆς γῆς, τοῦ συγκαθῆσθαι αὐτοὺς μετ' ἐμοῦ.» Ἐὰν δέ τις καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ πορευομένων, ἐλθὼν πρὸς σὲ ἐπὶ τὸ φαγεῖν προσκαλέσηταί σε, καὶ θέλεις ὑπάγειν, ὕπαγε μὲν, τάχιον δὲ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ σου ὑπόστρεφε. Εἰ δυνατὸν, ἐκτὸς τούτου μὴ καθευδήσῃς ποτέ· ἵνα διαπαντός σοι παραμείνῃ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἡ χάρις, καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ προθέσεως ἀνεμπόδιστον ἕξεις τὴν λατρείαν.

Ηʹ. Μὴ γίνου ἐπιθυμητὴς βρωμάτων καλῶν, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν σπατάλην ἀπατῶν. «Ἡ γὰρ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν,» ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι. Μὴ χορτάσῃς τὴν κοιλίαν σου ἐν βρώμασιν ἀλλοτρίων, ἵνα μὴ πόθος σοι τούτων γένηται, καὶ περὶ τὰς ἔξω τραπέζας ἐμποιήσῃ σοι τὸν πόθον. Εἴρηται γάρ· «Μὴ ἀπατᾶσθε χορτασίᾳ κοιλίας.» Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ συνεχῶς ἔξω τοῦ κελλίου σου θεάσῃ σεαυτὸν προσκαλούμενον, παραιτοῦ. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐπιζήμιος ἡ ἔξω τοῦ κελλίου σου συνεχὴς διατριβή· ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν χάριν, σκοτοῖ τὸ φρόνημα, μαραίνει τὸν πόθον. Ἴδε μοι κεράμιον οἴνου πλεῖστον ἐγχρονίσαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, καὶ κείμενον ἀσάλευτον, πῶς παρασκευάζει τὸν οἶνον λαμπρὸν, καθιστάμενον, εὐώδη· ἐὰν δὲ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περιφέρηται, τεταραγμένον, στυγνὸν, πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς ἐκ τῆς τρυγίας κακίας τὴν ἀηδίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενον. Τοιγαροῦν τούτῳ παραπλησιάσας σεαυτὸν, πειρῶ τῆς ὠφελείας, κόπτε τῶν πολλῶν τὰς σχέσεις, μή σου ὁ νοῦς περισπαστικὸς γένηται, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἡσυχίας ταράξῃ τρόπον. Ἐργασίας χειρῶν φρόντιζε, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ, εἰ δυνατὸν, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ μεταδιδόναι, καθάπερ καὶ παραινεῖ λέγων ὁ ἱερὸς ἀπόστολος Παῦλος· ἵνα δὴ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὸν τῆς ἀκηδίας καταπαλαίσῃς δαίμονα, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πάσας ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ ἐχθροῦ διάρῃς. Ἐπίκειται γὰρ τῇ ἀργίᾳ ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας δαίμων, καὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις ἐστὶν, ὥς φησιν. Ἀποδόσεως καὶ λήψεως οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἁμαρτίαν. Εἴτε οὖν πωλεῖς,