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For as many as forgot this only and fell, being enslaved by pride, but as many as again had knowledge of this, were lightened by fear and by love, cleaving to their own Master. Whence the full knowledge of His mastership also produced the addition of love, because they also saw the flashing radiance of the Trinity more abundant and more clear, and this again repelled every other thought and made unchangeable those who from the beginning received a changeable nature, while remaining in the height of the heavenly realms.

C.

Who the monk is and what is his work; and to what height of contemplation this divine father ascended.

A monk is one who is unmixed with the world and ever converses with God alone, seeing, he is seen, loving, he is loved and becomes a light, shining ineffably; being glorified, he seems to be more impoverished and, becoming intimate, he is as a stranger. O strange and ineffable wonder in every way! Through infinite wealth I am poor, and I seem to have nothing while possessing much, and I say: I thirst because of a multitude of waters, and who will give me what I have abundantly, and where will I find Him whom I see every day? And how shall I hold Him who is within me and outside the world, for He is not seen at all? He who has ears to hear, let him hear, truly understanding the words of an unlettered man.

D.

Instruction for monks who have just renounced the world and the things in the world; and concerning what sort of faith one ought to have towards one's own father. (51)

Leave the whole world and those in the world; only take up blessed mourning. Lament only the things badly done by you, because these have deprived you of the Creator of all, of Christ and of the saints. Care for nothing else besides this,

19

ὅσοι γάρ μόνον ἐπελάθοντο τούτου καί κατέπεσον ἐπάρσει δουλωθέντες, ὅσοι δέ τοῦτο πάλιν εἶχον εἰς γνῶσιν, ἐκουφίζοντο φόβῳ καί τῇ ἀγάπῃ, προσκολλώμενοι τῷ ἑαυτῶν ∆εσπότῃ. Ὅθεν ἡ ἐπίγνωσις τῆς δεσποτείας καί τήν προσθήκην τῆς ἀγάπης ἐποίει, ὅτι καί πλείω τήν ἀστράπτουσαν αἴγλην καί τρανοτέραν ἑώρων τῆς Τριάδος, καί τοῦτο πάλιν πᾶσαν ἔννοιαν ἄλλην ἀπεκρούετο καί ἀτρέπτους ἐποίει τούς τρεπτήν φύσιν τό κατ᾿ ἀρχάς λαβόντας, ἐν τῷ ὕψει μένοντας τῶν οὐρανίων.

Γ'.

Τίς ὁ μοναχός καί καί τίς ἡ αὐτοῦ ἐργασία˙ καί εἰς οἷον ὕψος οὗτος ὁ θεῖος πατήρ θεωρίας ἀνῆλθεν.

Μοναχός, ὅστις ἀμιγής ἐστι κόσμῳ καί ἀενάως ὁμιλεῖ Θεῷ μόνῳ, βλέπων βλέπεται, φιλῶν φιλεῖται καί γίνεται φῶς λαμπόμενος ἀρρήτως˙ δοξαζόμενος δοκεῖ πλέον πτωχεύειν καί προσοικειούμενος ὡς ξένος πέλει. Ὤ ξένου πάντῃ θαύματος καί ἀφράστου! ∆ιά πλοῦτον ἄπειρον ὑπάρχω πένης καί μηδέν ἔχειν δοκῶ πολύ κατέχων καί λέγω˙ ∆ιψῶ διά πλῆθος ὑδάτων καί τίς μοι δώσει, ὅπερ ἔχω πλουσίως, καί ποῦ εὑρήσως, ὅν ὁρῶ καθ᾿ ἑκάστην; Πῶς δέ κρατήσω, ὅ ἐντός μου ὑπάρχει καί ἔξω κόσμου, οὐ γάρ βλέπεται ὅλως; Ὅ ἔων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω νοῶν ἀληθῶς ῥήματα ἀγραμμάτου.

∆'.

∆ιδασκαλία εἰς μοναχούς ἄρτι ἀποταξαμένους κόσμῳ καί τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ˙ καί περί τοῦ, ὁποίαν τις ὀφείλει πίστιν ἔχειν πρός τόν ἴδιον πατέρα. (51)

Ἄφες κόσμον ἅπαντα καί τούς ἐν κόσμῳ˙ μόνον προσλαβοῦ τό μακάριον πένθος. Θρήνησον μόνα τά κακῶς σοι πραχθέντα, ὅτι ταῦτά σε τοῦ ποιητοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀπεστέρησαν, Χριστοῦ καί τῶν ἁγίων. Μηδενός ἄλλου φροντίσῃς ἐκτός τούτου,