let us have affliction and struggle and a ceaseless race, daily stretching forward always to the things that are before and forgetting the things that are behind, always hungering and thirsting for righteousness, having a contrite heart, since indeed we have not yet reached the calling to which we were called nor have we attained the perfect measure of Christianity nor have we yet reached the perfect love of Christ; for those who truly desire to attain the highest goal that is set before and has been previously shown are always wounded with longing for that calling of unspeakable perfection, not being fully assured or remaining in any of the lesser goods, of righteousness, fastings or vigils or almsgivings or participation in the gifts of the Spirit, until their last breath; but in all good and beautiful things and in all virtues giving themselves completely and thus remaining in need on account of virtue, they will never seem to fulfill the law of wisdom; but although they are honored by God, they consider themselves unworthy, and though they are in spiritual progress, in their own eyes they are as beginners, and though they are great, they despise themselves and judge themselves as being nothing; and so, according to how much they have believed and how much they have loved, they will receive the rewards of the gospels of the kingdom. Such souls will be able to please God and become heirs of the kingdom, those who have a contrite heart and are poor in spirit, but always hungering and 256 thirsting for righteousness, striving for perfect honors on account of their supreme love for God, they will be rewarded with supreme gifts. And concerning the hope of the goal, what sort especially those who have undertaken the solitary life and embraced virginity ought to have, has been sufficiently said; but concerning the gathering and the sacred constitution of the monasteries of the brotherhood, and how they ought to live together and continue with one another, and through what toils and sweatings and practice the lovers of truth can attain the aforementioned goal of piety, it is necessary to discuss, so that the zealous and steadfast, having eagerly set out on the road leading to the heavenly city, may so run until they lay hold of it. First of all, he who is running toward the goal of piety and desires to walk in the footsteps of the Lord, having withdrawn from the world and carnal pleasures and having given himself over to the brotherhood, having denied according to the gospel father, mother, children and wife, brothers and sisters, kinship, wealth, glory, noble birth, and having come into the monastery as to a fullness of all good things [add this: still], he will still also deny his own soul. But what is the denial of 257 his own soul other than to give himself over completely to the brotherhood and not to carry out his own wishes at all, but having suspended himself always on the word of God, from there his soul is to be adorned with the holy and pure concepts of the commandments and to consider these saving and sweet; and to have nothing at all in his own possession except the garment he wears, so that he may be free from care in every way, performing only what is commanded him with joy; and as a grateful purchased slave, let him consider all the brothers, and especially the superiors, in all things as masters and lords for Christ's sake, just as the Lord himself said: Whoever wishes to be first and great among you, let him be the last of all and servant of all and slave of all, not hunting for glory or honor or praise, as far as it is up to him, for his service or his way of life from the brothers themselves, according to what is said: Serving with all goodwill, not with eye-service as a man-pleaser, but as a slave of Christ who has given himself over to the Lord, let him walk the narrow and afflicted way, as one who is a lover of the kingdom, and the light and good yoke of the Lord eagerly

τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ ἀγῶνα καὶ δρόμον ἄπαυστον ἔχωμεν, ὁσημέραι ἐπὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενοι πάντοτε καὶ τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθανόμενοι, πεινῶντες ἀεὶ καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, συντετριμμένην ἔχοντες τὴν καρδίαν, ἅτε δὴ μηδέπω φθάσαντες εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθημεν κλῆσιν μηδὲ κατειληφότες τὸ τέλειον τοῦ χριστιανισμοῦ μέτρον μηδὲ φθάσαντες ἀκμὴν εἰς τὴν τελείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀγάπην· οἱ γὰρ ὄντως ἐπιθυμοῦντες τυχεῖν τοῦ προκειμένου καὶ προδηλωθέντος ἀκροτάτου σκοποῦ τέτρωνται ἀεὶ τῷ πόθῳ εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν τῆς ἀνεκλαλήτου τελειότητος κλῆσιν, ἐν μηδενὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἐλάττοσι καλῶν, δικαιοσύνης νηστειῶν ἢ ἀγρυπνιῶν ἢ ἐλεημοσυνῶν ἢ χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος μετοχῇ, πληροφορούμενοι καὶ ἐναπομένοντες ἕως ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς· ἀλλ' ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ καλοῖς καὶ πάσαις ἀρεταῖς ὁλοτελῶς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποδιδόντες καὶ οὕτως ἐνδεεῖς διαμένοντες ἕνεκεν ἀρετῆς οὐδέποτε δόξουσι πληροῦν νόμον σοφίας· ἀλλὰ καίπερ ὄντες παρὰ θεοῦ τίμιοι ἑαυτοὺς ἀναξίους ἡγοῦνται, καὶ ὄντες ἐν πνευματικῇ προκοπῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ὡς ἀρχόμενοι τυγχάνουσιν, καὶ ὄντες μεγάλοι ἑαυτοὺς ἐξουθενοῦσι καὶ ὡς μηδὲν ὄντας κρίνουσι· καὶ οὕτως καθ' ὅσον ἐπίστευσαν καὶ καθ' ὅσον ἠγάπησαν τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῶν εὐαγγελιῶν τῆς βασιλείας ἀπολήψονται. αἱ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ εὐαρεστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ δυνήσονται καὶ τῆς βασιλείας κληρονόμοι γενέσθαι, αἱ συντετριμμένην ἔχουσαι τὴν καρδίαν καὶ πτωχαὶ τῷ πνεύματι, πεινῶσαι δ' ἀεὶ καὶ 256 διψῶσαι τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῶν τελείων ἐφιέμεναι τιμῶν διὰ τὴν ἄκραν αὐτῶν πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπην ἄκροις δώροις ἀμειφθήσονται. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ σκοποῦ, οἷον ὀφείλουσιν ἔχειν μάλιστα οἱ τὸν μονήρη βίον ἐπανῃρημένοι καὶ παρθενίαν ἀσπασάμενοι, αὐτάρκως εἴρηται· περὶ δὲ τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς συγκροτήσεως τῶν μοναστηρίων τῆς ἀδελφότητος πῶς τε ὀφείλουσι συνδιάγειν καὶ συνδιατελεῖν ἀλλήλοις, δι' ὁποίων τε πόνων καὶ ἱδρώτων καὶ ἐπιτηδεύσεως τοῦ προειρημένου τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοποῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν οἱ φιλαλήθεις δύνανται ἀναγκαῖον διαλαλῆσαι, ὅπως καὶ τὴν ἀπάγουσαν ὁδὸν εἰς τὴν οὐράνιον πόλιν προθύμως οἱ σπουδαῖοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι ταύτης ἐπιβάντες οὕτως τρέχωσιν ἕως οὗ καταλάβωσι. πρῶτον πάντων ὁ τῷ σκοπῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας τρέχων καὶ τοῖς ἴχνεσι τοῦ κυρίου βαίνειν ἐπιθυμῶν ἀναχωρήσας τε τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν σαρκικῶν ἡδονῶν καὶ ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἀδελφότητι ἔκδοτον δεδωκώς, ἀρνησάμενος κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πατέρα μητέρα, τέκνα καὶ γυναῖκα, ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφάς, συγγένειαν πλοῦτον δόξαν εὐγένειαν, καὶ ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ ἐλθὼν ὡς ἐπὶ μέστωμα πάντων τῶν καλῶν [τοῦτο προσθῆ· ἔτι], ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀρνήσεται. τί δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἄρνησις τῆς 257 ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς ἢ τὸ ἔκδοτον ἑαυτὸν ὁλοτελῶς τῇ ἀδελφότητι δοῦναι καὶ τὰ ἴδια θελήματα μὴ ἐπιτελεῖν ὅλως, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκρεμάσαντα ἑαυτὸν πάντοτε ἐκεῖθεν ταῖς ἁγίαις καὶ καθαραῖς τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐννοίαις τὴν ψυχὴν κατακοσμεῖσθαι καὶ ταύτας σωτηριώδεις καὶ ἡδείας ἡγεῖσθαι· μὴ ἔχειν δέ τι ὅλως ἐν ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ἐκτὸς οὗ φορεῖ ἐνδύματος, ἵνα πάντοθεν ἀμέριμνος εἶναι δύνηται, τὰ ἐπιτασσόμενα αὐτῷ μόνον μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐπιτελῶν· καὶ ὡς ἠγορασμένος δοῦλος εὐγνώμων πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφούς, μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς προεστῶτας, κατὰ πάντα ὡς κυρίους καὶ δεσπότας διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἡγείσθω, καθὼς αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος εἶπεν· Ὁ θέλων ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος καὶ μέγας, ἔστω πάντων ἐσχατώτερος καὶ πάντων διάκονος καὶ πάντων δοῦλος, μὴ δόξαν ἢ τιμὴν ἢ ἔπαινον, ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, τῆς διακονίας ἢ τῆς πολιτείας παρ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδελφῶν θηρεύων κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· ∆ιακονῶν μετὰ πάσης εὐνοίας, μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοδουλείᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκος, ἀλλ' ὡς δοῦλος Χριστοῦ τῷ κυρίω ἐκδεδωκὼς ἑαυτὸν τῇ στενῇ ὁδῷ καὶ τεθλιμμένῃ ὁδευέτω, ὡς τῆς βασιλείας ἐραστὴς ὤν, καὶ τὸν ἐλαφρὸν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ χρηστὸν ζυγὸν προθύμως