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But also hold your body as a stranger and look down as one condemned and walking the road to death, groan always from the depth of your heart. And wash your face with tears alone. But your feet, which have run to evil things, do not wish to wash with water at all, yes, indeed, and keep your hands folded; do not stretch them shamelessly toward God, those which you have often spread out for sin. Restrain, as much as you can, a rash, ready tongue, for this too is prone to sin, since through it alone many even of the great have been turned from the straight way and have lost the kingdom of heaven. (52) But first block your ears from it, to hear nothing shameful and vain, and then perhaps you will gain mastery over it as well. Listen only to your father's admonitions, make humble responses to him and tell your thoughts to him as to God, even to the initial assault, and hide nothing. Neither do anything without his consent, nor sleep nor eat nor drink. And when you have kept these things for a time, do not think you have accomplished anything great; for you have sown in sweat and toil, but you have not yet reaped the fruit of your labors. Do not then be deceived or think you have found, before you have acquired spiritual eyes and the ears of your heart have been cleansed, washed clean of filth by your tears and you begin to see and hear spiritually and to alienate all your senses, for you will see many ineffable things and you will hear most wondrous things, which you will not be able to speak with your tongue. A fearful wonder it is, then, to hear spiritually, and to see thus is a wonder of wonders! Such a person never thinks of anything carnal, but treads the earth as if walking on air, and he sees all things even to the abysses and understands all creation, he knows God, is struck with fear, and worships and glorifies him as creator; it is a great thing to know his dominion, (53) even if all suppose they know this, but most are deceived, have no doubt! Those who have been enlightened know this,

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ἀλλά καί τό σῶμά σου ὡς ξένον ἔχε καί κάτω βλέπε ὡς κατακεκριμένος καί τήν ἐπί θάνατον ὁδόν βαδίζων στέναζε ἀεί ἐκ βάθους τῆς καρδίας Καί τό πρόσωπον μόνοις δάκρυσι πλῦνε. Τούς δέ πόδας σου, τούς εἰς κακά δραμόντας μή θελήσῃς ὕδατι νίψαι μηδόλως, ναί δή, καί τάς χεῖράς σου συνεσταλμένας ἔχε˙ ταύτας ἀναιδῶς πρός Θεόν μή ἐκτείνῃς, ἅς πολλάκις ἥπλωσας εἰς ἁμαρτίαν. Κράτει προπετοῦς, ὅση δύναμις, γλώσσης εὐχερής καί γάρ αὕτη πρός ἁμαρτίαν , ἐπεί δι᾿ αὐτῆς μόνης καί τῶν μεγάλων πολλοί ἀπεσφάλησαν ὁδοῦ εὐθείας καί ἀπώλεσαν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν. (52) Ταύτης δέ πρῶτον φράξον τάς ἀκοάς σου, ἀκούειν μηδέν τῶν αἰσχρῶν καί ματαίων, καί τότε ἴσως κυριεύσεις καί ταύτης. Ἄκουε μόνας πατρός σου νουθεσίας, ποιοῦ ταπεινάς πρός αὐτόν ἀποκρίσεις καί ὡς τῷ Θεῷ λέγε τούς λογισμούς σου μέχρι προσβολῆς καί μηδέν ἀποκρύψῃς. μηδέ τι πράξῃς ἄνευ γνώμης τῆς τούτου, μηδέ κοιμηθῇς μήτε φάγῃς ἤ πίῃς. Καί ὅτε ταῦτα φυλάξῃς ἐπί χρόνοις, μηδέν δοκήσῃς μέγα κατωρθωκέναι˙ καί γάρ ἔσπειρας ἔν ἱδρῶτι καί κόπῳ, οὔπω δέ καρπόν τῶν σῶν πόνων ἐδρέψω. Μή οὖν πλανηθῇς ἤ δόξῃς εὑρηκέναι, πρίν ἤ ὀφθαλμούς ψυχικούς ἐπικτήσῃ καί σῆς καρδίας καθαρθῶσι τά ὦτα τοῖς δάκρυσί σου ἐκπλυθέντα τοῦ ῥύπου καί πνευματικῶς βλέπειν τε καί ἀκούειν καί ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι ὅλας αἰσθήσεις ἄρξῃ, καί γάρ θεάσῃ πολλά τῶν ἀνεκφράστων καί ἀκούσεις πλείονα πανεξαισίως, ἅ οὐ δυνήσῃ τῇ γλώσσῃ σου λαλῆσαι. Φρικτόν οὖν θαῦμα πνευματικῶς ἀκούειν, καί τό οὕτως βλέπειν δέ θαῦμα θαυμάτων! Οὐδέν σαρκικόν ἐννοεῖ ποτε ὁ τοιοῦτος, πατεῖ δέ τήν γῆν ὡς εἰς ἀέρα βαίνων, πάντα τε ὁρᾷ μέχρι καί τῶν ἀβύσσων καί κατανοεῖ τά ποιήματα πάντα, γνωρίζει Θεόν, ἐκπλήττεται τῷ φόβῳ καί ὡς ποιητήν προσκυνεῖ καί δοξάζει˙ μέγα τό γνωρίσαι δέ τήν δεσποτείαν, (53) κἄν πάντες νομίζωσι τοῦτο εἰδέναι, ἀπατῶνται δέ πλεῖστοι, μή ἀμφιβάλλῃς! Τοῦτο ἴσασιν οἱ φωτισθέντες,