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53 Let those who badly nourish the flesh and make provision for it to satisfy its lusts blame themselves and not it; for those who have acquired dispassion of the soul through this body and in some measure attain to the contemplation of beings know the grace of the Creator. t5456 Concerning the things that happen in dreams

54 When in fantasies during sleep the demons, warring against the appetitive part, show us, and we run toward, encounters with acquaintances and banquets with relatives and dances of women and whatever other such things are productive of pleasure, we are sick in this part and the passion is strong. And when again they disturb the irascible part, compelling us to travel precipitous paths, and bringing on armed men and venomous and flesh-eating beasts, and we are terrified at the paths and flee, being pursued by the beasts and the men, let us take care of the irascible part, and calling upon Christ in vigils, let us use the aforementioned remedies.

55 The imageless, natural movements of the body in sleep indicate that the soul is in some measure healthy; but the formation of images is a sign of sickness; and consider the indefinite faces a symbol of an old passion, but the definite ones a symbol of a recent wound.

56 We shall recognize the proofs of dispassion by day through our thoughts, and by night through our dreams; and we shall call dispassion the health of the soul, and knowledge its food, which alone is accustomed to unite us with the holy powers; since indeed the union of incorporeal beings naturally comes about from a like disposition. t5762 Concerning a state approaching dispassion

57 There are two peaceful states of the soul, one which arises from the natural seeds, and another which comes about from the withdrawal of the demons; and the first is followed by humility with compunction, and tears and an infinite longing for the divine, and immeasurable zeal for the work; but the second by vainglory with pride, which drags down the monk upon the removal of the other demons. He, therefore, who keeps the boundaries of the first state, will recognize more keenly the attacks of the demons. 58 The demon of vainglory is opposed to the demon of fornication, and it is not possible for these to attack a soul at the same time; since indeed the one promises honors, but the other becomes the cause of dishonor. Whichever of these, therefore, should approach and press you, form within yourself, as it were, the thoughts of the opposing demon; and if you should be able to drive out a nail with a nail, as the saying goes, know that you are near the boundaries of dispassion; for your mind has been strong enough to destroy the thoughts of demons with human thoughts. But to thrust away the thought of vainglory through humility, or that of fornication through chastity, would be a proof of the deepest dispassion. And try to do this in the case of all demons that are opposed to one another; for at the same time you will also know by which passion you are more characterized. Nevertheless with all your strength ask from God to ward off the enemies in the second way.

59 The more a soul progresses, the greater the adversaries that succeed one another against it; for I am not persuaded that the same demons always remain with it; and those especially know this who more keenly attend to their temptations, and see the dispassion present in them being pried loose by those who have taken their place. 60 Perfect dispassion comes to be in the soul after the victory over all the demons opposed to the practical life; but imperfect dispassion is spoken of in relation to the strength for the time being of the demon wrestling with it.

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53 Οἱ τὴν σάρκα κακῶς διατρέφοντες καὶ πρόνοιαν αὐτῆς εἰς ἐπιθυμίας ποιούμενοι, ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ταύτην καταμεμφέσθωσαν· ἴσασι γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ οἱ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπάθειαν διὰ τοῦ σώματος τούτου κτησάμενοι καὶ τῇ τῶν ὄντων θεωρίᾳ ποσῶς ἐπιβάλλοντες. t5456 Περὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις συμβαινόντων

54 Ὅταν ἐν ταῖς καθ' ὕπνον φαντασίαις τῷ ἐπιθυμητικῷ μέρει πολεμοῦντες οἱ δαίμονες αὐτοὶ μὲν δεικνύωσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ προστρέχωμεν, συντυχίας γνωρίμων καὶ συμπόσια συγγενῶν καὶ χοροὺς γυναικῶν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα ἡδονῶν ἀποτελεστικά, ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει νοσοῦμεν καὶ τὸ πάθος ἰσχύει. Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν τὸ θυμικὸν ἐκταράσσωσιν, ὁδοὺς κρημνώδεις ὁδεύειν καταναγκάζοντες, καὶ ἐνόπλους ἄνδρας ἐπάγοντες καὶ ἰοβόλα καὶ σαρκοβόρα θηρία, ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς μὲν τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐκδειματούμεθα, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν διωκόμενοι φεύγωμεν, τοῦ θυμικοῦ μέρους ποιησώμεθα πρόνοιαν, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις ἐπικαλούμενοι, τοῖς προειρημένοις φαρμάκοις χρησώμεθα.

55 Αἱ ἀνείδωλοι ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις τοῦ σώματος φυσικαὶ κινήσεις ὑγιαίνειν ποσῶς μηνύουσι τὴν ψυχήν· πῆξις δὲ εἰδώλων ἀρρωστίας γνώρισμα· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀόριστα πρόσωπα τοῦ παλαιοῦ πάθους, τὰ δὲ ὡρισμένα τῆς παραυτίκα πληγῆς σύμβολον νόμιζε.

56 Τὰ τῆς ἀπαθείας τεκμήρια, μεθ' ἡμέραν μὲν διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν, νύκτωρ δὲ διὰ τῶν ἐνυπνίων ἐπιγνωσόμεθα· καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀπάθειαν ὑγείαν ἐροῦμεν εἶναι ψυχῆς, τροφὴν δὲ τὴν γνῶσιν, ἥτις μόνη συνάπτειν ἡμᾶς ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν εἴωθεν· εἴπερ ἡ τῶν ἀσωμάτων συνάφεια ἐκ τῆς ὁμοίας διαθέσεως γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν. t5762 Περὶ καταστάσεως ἐγγιζούσης τῇ ἀπαθείᾳ

57 ∆ύο τῆς ψυχῆς εἰρηνικαὶ καταστάσεις εἰσί, μία μὲν ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν φυσικῶν σπερμάτων ἀναδιδομένη, ἑτέρα δὲ ἡ ἐξ ὑποχωρήσεως τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιγινομένη· καὶ τῇ μὲν προτέρᾳ ἀκολουθεῖ ταπεινοφροσύνη μετὰ κατανύξεως, καὶ δάκρυον καὶ πόθος πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἄπειρος, καὶ σπουδὴ περὶ τὸ ἔργον ἀμέτρητος· τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ κενοδοξία μετὰ ὑπερηφανίας ἐν ἀναιρέσει τῶν λοιπῶν δαιμόνων τὸν μοναχὸν ὑποσύρουσα. Ὁ τοίνυν τηρῶν τὰ ὅρια τῆς προτέρας καταστάσεως, τὰς ἐπιδρομὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ὀξύτερον ἐπιγνώσεται. 58 Ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας δαίμων ἀντίκειται τῷ δαίμονι τῆς πορνείας, καὶ τούτους ἅμα προσβαλεῖν ψυχῇ τῶν οὐκ ἐνδεχομένων ἐστίν· εἴπερ ὁ μὲν τιμὰς ἐπαγγέλλεται, ὁ δὲ ἀτιμίας πρόξενος γίνεται· ὁπότερος τοίνυν τούτων ἐὰν προσεγγίσας πιέζῃ σε, τοὺς τοῦ ἀντικειμένου δαίμονος πλάττε δῆθεν ἐν σεαυτῷ λογισμούς· κἂν δυνηθῇς τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον ἥλῳ τὸν ἧλον ἐκκρούειν, γίνωσκε σεαυτὸν πλησίον ὄντα τῶν ὅρων τῆς ἀπαθείας· ἴσχυσε γάρ σου ὁ νοῦς λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις λογισμοὺς ἀφανίσαι δαιμόνων. Τὸ δὲ διὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀπώσασθαι τὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας λογισμόν, ἢ διὰ σωφροσύνης τὸν τῆς πορνείας, βαθυτάτης ἂν εἴη τεκμήριον ἀπαθείας. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἀλλήλοις δαιμόνων πράττειν πειράθητι· ἅμα γὰρ καὶ γνώσῃ ποίῳ πάθει μᾶλλον πεποίωσαι. Πλὴν ὅση δύναμις αἴτει παρὰ Θεοῦ τῷ δευτέρῳ τρόπῳ τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμύνασθαι.

59 Ὅσῳ προκόπτει ψυχή, τοσούτῳ μείζονες αὐτὴν ἀνταγωνισταὶ διαδέχονται· τοὺς γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀεὶ δαίμονας αὐτῇ παραμένειν οὐ πείθομαι· καὶ τοῦτο ἴσασι μάλιστα οἱ ὀξύτερον τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ἐπιβάλλοντες, καὶ τὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτοῖς ἀπάθειαν ἐκμοχλευομένην ὑπὸ τῶν διαδεξαμένων ὁρῶντες. 60 Ἡ μὲν τελεία τῇ ψυχῇ ἀπάθεια μετὰ τὴν νίκην τὴν κατὰ πάντων τῶν ἀντικειμένων τῇ πρακτικῇ δαιμόνων ἐγγίνεται· ἡ δὲ ἀτελὴς ἀπάθεια ὡς πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν τέως τοῦ παλαίοντος αὐτῇ λέγεται δαίμονος.