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A monk without possessions is an athlete without hindrance, and a light runner, quickly reaching the prize of the upward calling. A monk with many possessions rejoices in many revenues, but the one without possessions in crowns of achievements. A covetous monk works intensely, but the one without possessions devotes his leisure to prayers and readings. A covetous monk fills storehouses with gold, but the one without possessions stores up treasure in heaven. "6Cursed is the man who makes an idol, and sets it in a secret place,"6 likewise also the one who has the passion of avarice; for the one worships a counterfeit, useless thing, while the other carries the image of the fantasy of wealth.

CHAPTER 9. Concerning anger. Anger is a furious passion, and easily drives those who have knowledge

out of their minds, it makes the soul beastly, and makes one avoid every encounter. A strong wind will not move a tower, and wrath does not carry away a soul free from anger. Water is moved by the force of winds, and an irascible person is disturbed by foolish thoughts. An angry monk saw someone, and gnashed his teeth. A rising of mist thickens the air, and a movement of wrath, the mind of an angry person. A cloud running under has darkened the sun, and a resentful thought, the mind. A lion in a cage shakes the bars continually, and an irascible person in his cell, angry thoughts. A pleasant sight, a calm sea, but it is not more pleasant than a peaceful state; for in a calm sea dolphins swim deep, and in a peaceful state, thoughts worthy of God swim. A patient monk, a quiet spring, and providing a gentle drink for all, but the mind of an angry person is always disturbed and will not give water to the thirsty, and even if it gives, it is muddied, and useless, and the eyes of an irascible person, disturbed, and bloodshot and messengers of the disturbed heart. But the face of a patient person is rightly composed, and his eyes are gentle, looking downward.

CHAPTER 10. The gentleness of a man is remembered by God, and a soul free from anger becomes a temple

of the Holy Spirit. 79.1156 Christ rests His head in a patient spirit, and a peaceful mind becomes a dwelling-place of the Holy Trinity. Foxes dwell in a resentful soul, and wild beasts make their lairs in a disturbed heart. A venerable man flees a shameful lodging, and God a resentful heart. A stone falling in has disturbed the water, and an evil word, the heart of a man. Put away angry thoughts from your soul, and let wrath not lodge in your heart, and you will not be disturbed in time of prayer; for in the same way that smoke from chaff disturbs the eyes, so resentment disturbs the mind in time of prayer. The thoughts of an irascible person are the offspring of a viper, and they devour the heart that bore them. The prayer of an irascible person is an abominable incense; and the psalmody of an angry person is a disagreeable sound. The gift of a resentful person is a sacrifice swarming with ants, and it will not approach the altars of lustration. An irascible person sees disturbed dreams, and an angry person imagines the attacks of wild beasts. A patient man sees visions, encounters with holy angels, and one who is not resentful practices spiritual words, and at night receives solutions of mysteries.

CHAPTER 11. Concerning sorrow. A sorrowful monk does not know spiritual pleasure;

for sorrow is a dejection of the soul, and it is composed of angry thoughts. For wrath is a desire for revenge, and the failure of revenge has begotten sorrow; sorrow is the mouth of a lion, and it swallows the sorrowful person easily. Sorrow is a worm of the heart, and it devours the mother that bore it. A mother giving birth to a child is in pain; if she gives birth, she is delivered from the pain, but sorrow, when it is born, stirs up much pain, and remaining after the birth pangs, it causes no little pain. A sorrowful monk does not know spiritual joy, just as one with a high fever does not know the taste of honey. A sorrowful monk does not

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Ἀκτήμων μοναχὸς, ἀθλητὴς ἀμεσολάβητος, καὶ δρομεὺς κοῦφος, ταχέως φθάνων ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως. Πολυκτήμων μοναχὸς χαίρει προσόδοις πολλαῖς, ὁ δὲ ἀκτήμων στεφάνοις κατορθωμάτων. Φιλάργυρος μοναχὸς ἐργάζεται σφοδρῶς, ὁ δὲ ἀκτήμων προσευχαῖς σχολάζει, καὶ ἀναγνώσμασι. Φιλάργυρος μοναχὸς πληροῖ ταμεῖα χρυσοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἀκτήμων θησαυρίζει ἐν οὐρανῷ. "6Ἐπικατάρατος ὁ ποιῶν εἴδωλον, καὶ τιθεὶς ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ,"6 ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ ἔχων φιλαργυρίας πάθος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ προσκυνεῖ κίβδηλον ἀνωφελὲς, ὁ δὲ ἀγαλματοφορεῖ φαντασίαν πλούτου.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Θʹ. Περὶ ὀργῆς. Ὀργὴ πάθος ἐστὶ μανιῶδες, καὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας γνῶσιν

ἐξίστησιν εὐχερῶς, θηριοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ πᾶσαν συντυχίαν ἐκκλίνειν ποιεῖ. Ἄνεμος σφοδρὸς οὐ κινήσει πύργον, καὶ ψυχὴν ἀόργητον οὐ συναρπάζει θυμός. Ὕδωρ κινεῖται ὑπὸ βίας ἀνέμων, καὶ θυμώδης ταράσσεται ὑπὸ λογισμῶν ἀσυνέτων. Μοναχὸς ὀργίλος εἶδέ τινα, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας παρέθηξεν. Ὀμίχλης ἀνάδοσις παχύνει ἀέρα, καὶ θυμοῦ κίνησις διάνοιαν ὀργίλου. Ἐσκότισεν ἥλιον ὑποδραμὼν νέφος, καὶ νοῦν λογισμὸς μνησικακίας. Λέων ἐν ζωγρείῳ ὢν κινεῖ τοὺς στρόφιγγας συνεχῶς, καὶ θυμώδης ἐν κέλλῃ λογισμοὺς ὀργῆς. Τερπνὴ θεωρία, γαληνῶσα θάλασσα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τερπνοτέρα εἰρηνικῆς καταστάσεως· γαληνώσῃ γὰρ θαλάσσῃ ἐγκολυμβῶσι δελφῖνες, εἰρηνικῇ δὲ καταστάσει ἐννήχεται νοήματα θεοπρεπῆ. Μακρόθυμος μοναχὸς, ἡσυχάζουσα πηγὴ, καὶ πᾶσι παρέχουσα προσηνὲς ποτὸν, διάνοια δὲ ὀργίλου διὰ παντὸς τετάρακται καὶ οὐκ ἐπιδώσει τῷ διψῶντι ὕδωρ, κἂν ἐπιδώσῃ, τεθολωμένον, καὶ ἄχρηστον, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ θυμώδους, τεταραγμένοι, καὶ ὕφαιμοι καὶ τῆς ταρασσομένης καρδίας ἄγγελοι. Πρόσωπον δὲ μακροθύμου ὀρθὰ κατεσταλμένον, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ προσηνεῖς κάτω βλέποντες.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιʹ. Πραΰτης ἀνδρὸς μνημονεύεται παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ ἀόργητος ψυχὴ ναὸς

γίνεται τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 79.1156 Κλίνει κεφαλὴν Χριστὸς ἐν μακροθύμῳ πνεύματι, καὶ μονὴ γίνεται τῆς ἀγίας Τριάδος εἰρηνευομένη διάνοια. Ἀλώπεκες κατοικοῦσιν ἐν μνησικάκῳ ψυχῇ, καὶ θηρία ἐμφωλεύουσιν ἐν τεταραγμένῃ καρδίᾳ. Φεύγει ἀνὴρ σεμνὸς αἰσχρὸν καταγώγιον, καὶ Θεὸς μνησίκακον καρδίαν. Ὕδωρ ἐτάραξεν ἐμπεσὼν λίθος, καὶ καρδίαν ἀνδρὸς λόγος κακός. Ἀπόστησον λογισμοὺς ὀργῆς ἀπὸ σῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ θυμὸς μὴ αὐλιζέσθω ἐν σῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ταραχθῇς ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς· ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἀχύρων καπνὸς ταράσσει ὀφθαλμοὺς, οὕτω μνησικακία νοῦν, ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς. Λογισμοὶ θυμώδους ἐχίδνης γεννήματα, καὶ κατεσθίουσι τὴν τεκοῦσαν καρδίαν. Θυμώδους προσευχὴ ἐβδελυγμένον θυμίαμα· καὶ ψαλμῳδία ὀργίλου ἦχος ἀηδής. ∆ῶρον μνησικάκου μυρμηκιῶσα θυσία, καὶ οὐ μὴ προσεγγίσῃ περιῤῥαντηρίους βωμούς. Ἐνύπνια τεταραγμένα ὁρᾷ θυμώδης, καὶ θηρίων ἐπιδρομὰς φαντάζεται ὀργίλος. Μακρόθυμος ἀνὴρ ὀπτασίας ὁρᾷ, συντυχίας ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, καὶ ἀμνησίκακος γυμνάζει λόγους πνευματικοὺς, καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ δέχεται μυστηρίων λύσεις.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΑʹ. Περὶ λύπης. Οὐκ οἶδε πνευματικὴν ἡδονὴν λυπούμενος μοναχός·

λύπη δέ ἐστι κατήφεια ψυχῆς, καὶ συνίσταται ἀπὸ λογισμῶν ὀργῆς. Ἀμύνης γὰρ ὄρεξίς ἐστιν ὁ θυμὸς, ἀποτυχία δὲ ἀμύνης ἐγέννησε λύπην· λύπη στόμα ἐστὶ λέοντος, καὶ τὸν λυπούμενον καταπίνει εὐχερῶς. Σκώληξ ἐστὶ καρδίας λύπη, καὶ κατεσθίει τὴν τεκοῦσαν μητέρα. Ὀδυνᾶται μήτηρ τίκτουσα παιδίον, ἐὰν τέκῃ, τῆς ὀδύνης ἀπήλλακται, λύπη δὲ γεννωμένη, πολὺν κινεῖ τὸν πόνον, καὶ μετὰ τὰς ὠδίνας παραμένουσα, οὐ μικρῶς ὀδυνᾶται. Οὐκ οἶδε χαρὰν πνευματικὴν λυπούμενος μοναχὸς, ὡς οὐδὲ μέλιτος γεῦσιν ὁ πυρέσσων σφοδρῶς. Λυπούμενος μοναχὸς οὐ