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Whether you are buying, defraud yourself of a small part of the fair price; do not be carried away by methods of precision or greed concerning the price, lest you fall into things that are harmful causes for the soul, 40.1261 contentiousness, perjury, changes in your words, and in such things dishonor and shame the honorable worth of our purpose. Thus, considering also your own giving and your receiving, be on guard. But if you choose the better course, and this is possible for you, cast your care upon some other faithful man, so that thus becoming cheerful, you will have good and joyful hopes.

IX. The way of stillness knows how to advise you thus in useful things. Come now, I will also set before you the understanding of the matters that follow in it; and you, listen to me, and do what I command you. Sitting in your cell, gather your mind; remember the day of death; see then the deadness of the body; consider the calamity; accept the sorrow; condemn the vanity in this world; take care of both gentleness and earnestness, so that you may be able always to remain in the same purpose of stillness, and not grow weak. Remember also the present condition in Hades; consider how the souls are there, in what most bitter silence, or in what most terrible groaning, in how great a fear or agony, or in what expectation; the unceasing pain, the endless weeping of the soul. But remember also the day of resurrection and of presentation to God; imagine that fearful and dreadful judgment; bring to mind the things laid up for sinners: shame before God and His Christ, angels, archangels, authorities, and all men; and all the places of punishment, the eternal fire, the undying worm, Tartarus, the darkness, the gnashing of teeth on top of all these things, the fears and the torments. Bring to mind also the good things laid up for the righteous: boldness with God the Father and His Christ, angels, archangels, authorities, and all the people; the kingdom and its gifts, the joy and the enjoyment; bring the memory of both of these to yourself; and at the judgment of sinners, groan, weep, put on the appearance of mourning, fearing lest you yourself also be among them; but at the good things laid up for the righteous, rejoice and exult and be glad; and hasten to enjoy these, but to be estranged from those; see that you never forget these things, whether you happen to be inside your cell, or somewhere outside, do not cast aside your mind from the memory of these things; so that at least through these things you may escape filthy and harmful thoughts.

X. Let your fasting be as much as you are able before the Lord. This will cleanse your iniquities and your sins, ennoble the soul, sanctify the mind, drive out demons, and prepare God to be near. But having eaten once a day, do not long for a second time, so that you do not become extravagant and disturb your mind. From this you will be able to have means for works of beneficence, and also to deaden the passions of the body. But if a meeting of brothers occurs, and there is a need for you to eat a second and a third time, do not be sullen nor downcast; but rather rejoice, becoming obedient to the need; and having eaten a second or third time, give thanks to God, because you have fulfilled the law of love, 40.1264 and because you will have God Himself as the steward of our life. But there are times when an illness of the body occurs, and it is necessary to eat a second and a third and many times; so let your reasoning be relaxed. For one must not hold fast to the bodily labors of the way of life, even in illnesses; but give way in some things, so that returning more quickly to good health, he may again be trained in the same labors of the way of life. But concerning abstinence from foods, the divine word did not forbid eating anything, but said: ‘Behold, I have given you all things as the green herbs.

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εἴτε ἀγοράζεις, μικρόν τι τοῦ ἴσου ζημίωσον σεαυτόν· μὴ τοῖς κατ' ἀκρίβειαν ἢ τοῖς περὶ τὴν τιμὴν φιλοκερδείας ἐπενεχθεὶς τρόποις, ἐπὶ τὰ βλαβερὰ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς αἰτιῶν καταπέσῃς, φιλο 40.1261 νεικίας, ἐπιορκίας, ταῖς τῶν λόγων σου ἐναλλαγαῖς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις τὴν ἔντιμον τῆς ἡμετέρας προθέσεως ἀτιμάσῃς καὶ καταισχύνῃς ἀξίαν. Οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐννοῶν ἀποδόσεώς σου καὶ λήψεώς σου φυλάσσου. Εἰ δὲ τὸ κρεῖττον αἱρῇ, καὶ ἔστι σοι τοῦτο δυνατὸν, ἐπὶ ἕτερόν τινα πιστὸν ἄνδρα παράῤῥιψόν σου τὴν φροντίδα, ὅπως οὕτως εὔθυμος γενόμενος, χρηστὰς καὶ ἐπιχαρεῖς ἕξεις τὰς ἐλπίδας.

Θʹ. Ταῦτά σοι οὕτως παραινεῖν οἶδε τὰ χρήσιμα ὁ τῆς ἡσυχίας τρόπος. Φέρε δὴ καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐπιφερομένων ἐν αὐτῇ πραγμάτων παραθήσομαί σοι τὸν νοῦν· σὺ δέ μοι ἄκουε, καὶ ποίει ἃ ἐντέλλομαί σοι. Καθεζόμενος ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ σου. συνάγαγέ σου τὸν νοῦν· μνήσθητι ἡμέρας θανάτου· ἴδε τότε τοῦ σώματος τὴν νέκρωσιν· ἐννόει τὴν συμφοράν· λάβε τὸν πόνον· κατάγνωθι τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ ματαιότητος· ἐπιμέλησαι τῆς τε ἐπιεικείας καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς, ἵνα δυνηθῇς διαπαντὸς μένειν τῇ αὐτῇ προθέσει τῆς ἡσυχίας. καὶ μὴς ἀσθενήσας. Μνήσθητι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ νυνὶ καταστάσεως· λογίζου τὸ πῶς ἄρα εἰσὶν ἐκεῖ αἱ ψυχαὶ, ἐν ποίᾳ πικροτάτῃ σιωπῇ, ἢ ἐν ποίῳ δεινοτάτῳ στεναγμῷ, ἡλίκῳ φόβῳ ἢ ἀγωνίᾳ, ἢ τίνι προσδοκίᾳ· τὴν ἄπαυστον ὀδύνην, τὸ ψυχικὸν καὶ ἀπέραντον δάκρυον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμέρας ἀναστάσεως καὶ παραστάσεως μνήσθητι τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· φαντάζου τὸ φοβερὸν καὶ φρικῶδες ἐκεῖνο κρῖμα· ἄγε εἰς μέσον τὰ ἀποκείμενα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, αἰσχύνην τὴν κατενώπιον Θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγγέλων, ἀρχαγγέλων, ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων· τά τε κολαστήρια πάντα, τὸ πῦρ αἰώνιον, τὸν σκώληκα τὸν ἀτελεύτητον, τὸν τάρταρον, τὸ σκότος, τὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις τῶν ὀδόντων βρυγμὸν, τοὺς φόβους καὶ τὰς βασάνους. Ἄγε δὴ καὶ τὰ τοῖς δικαίοις ἀποκείμενα ἀγαθὰ, παῤῥησίαν τὴν μετὰ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγγέλων, ἀρχαγγέλων, ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ παντὸς τοῦ δήμου, βασιλείαν καὶ τὰ ταύτης δωρήματα, τὴν χαρὰν καὶ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν· ἑκατέρων τούτων τὴν μνήμην ἄγε σεαυτῷ· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κρίσει στέναζε, δάκρυε, πένθους ἔνδυσαι τὴν ἰδέαν, φοβούμενος μὴ καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ἐν τούτοις γένῃ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς δικαίοις ἀποκειμένοις ἀγαθοῖς χαῖρε καὶ ἀγαλλία καὶ εὐφραίνου· καὶ τούτων μὲν σπούδασον ἀπολαῦσαι, ἐκείνων δὲ ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι· ὅρα μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τούτων ποτὲ, κἂν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ σου τυγχάνῃς, κἂν ἔξω που, τῆς ἐκ τούτων μνήμης μὴ παραῤῥίψῃς σου τὸ φρόνημα· ὅπως κἂν διὰ τούτων τοὺς ῥυπαροὺς καὶ βλαβεροὺς ἐκφεύξῃ λογισμούς.

Ιʹ. Νηστεία σοι ἔστω ὅση δύναμις κατενώπιον Κυρίου. Αὕτη σου τὰς ἀνομίας καὶ τὰς ἀμαρτίας περικαθαριεῖ, σεμνύνει τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀγιάζει τὸ φρόνημα, δαίμονας ἀπελαύνει, Θεὸν ἐγγὺς εἶναι παρασκευάζει. Ἅπαξ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας φαγὼν, εἰς δεύτερον μὴ ἐπιποθήσῃς, ἵνα μὴ πολυδάπανος γένῃ, καὶ ἐκθορυβήσῃ σου τὸ φρόνημα. Ἔνθεν εὐπορῆσαι δυνήσῃ ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς εὐποιίας ἔργα, καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ σώματος νεκρῶσαι τὰ πάθη. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀπάντησις ἀδελφῶν γένηται, καὶ ἔστι χρεία, ὥστε καὶ δεύτερόν σε καὶ τρίτον φαγεῖν, μὴ στυγνάσῃς μηδὲ κατηφήσῃς· χαῖρε δὲ μᾶλλον, ὑπήκοος τῆς χρείας γινόμενος· καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ἢ τρίτον φαγὼν, εὐχαρίστει τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι νόμον ἀγάπης πε 40.1264 πλήρωκας, καὶ ὡς ὅτι δήπερ αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν ἕξεις τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς οἰκονόμον. Ἔστι δ' ὅτε καὶ ἀῤῥωστία σώματος συμβαίνει, καὶ δέῃ, ὥστε καὶ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον καὶ πολλάκις φαγεῖν, οὕτω ἔστω σοι λελυμένος ὁ λογισμός. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς σωματικοὺς τῆς πολιτείας πόνους, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀῤῥωστίαις ἐπικρατεῖν χρή· ἀλλ' ὑπενδιδόναι τισὶν, ἵνα τάχιον ἐπὶ τὴν εὐρωστίαν ἐπανελθὼν, πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς τῆς πολιτείας ἐγγυμνάζηται πόνοις. Περὶ δὲ ἀποχῆς βρωμάτων, οὐκ ἐκώλυσέ τι μὴ φαγεῖν ὁ θεῖος λόγος, ἀλλ' εἶπεν· «Ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν πάντα ὡς λάχανα χόρτου.