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uniform, for the impatient shutting out the good things promised through desire; but for those who persevere in such constricted nourishment, providing a better and lasting taste.

2.57 (157) Action with contemplation is indeed like a body with a governing spirit; but without contemplation, it will be considered as flesh with a spirit of choice.

2.58 (158) Of the rational soul, the courtyard is indeed sensation; the temple, the intellect; and the high priest, the mind. Therefore, in the courtyard stands the mind that is cut short by untimely thoughts; and in the temple, the one by timely thoughts; but in neither of these, the one who has been deemed worthy to enter into the divine sanctuary.

2.59 (159) Lamentation indeed and song and woe are found in the house of the practical soul on account of the labor, but a voice of exultation and confession, (15∆_374> is heard from the contemplative soul on account of knowledge.

2.60 (160) The practical man indeed desires to depart, because of the labors, and to be with Christ; but the contemplative man prefers rather to remain in the flesh, both because of the joy which he receives from prayer, and because of the benefit to his neighbor regarding earthly things.

2.61 (161) In the case of the more learned, contemplation precedes action; but in the case of the more unrefined, action precedes contemplation; but both end in one good goal. But this will be seen more quickly by those for whom contemplation precedes action.

1440 2.62 (162) Paradise is the contemplation of intelligible things. In this the gnostic man enters from within as into a house in prayer; but the practical man will be seen as a passerby, desiring indeed to peek inside, but not being permitted, because the barrier of his spiritual age has risen too high for him.

2.63 (163) The bodily passions are like wild beasts, and the passions of the soul, like birds; but the practical man is able to wall off the former from the rational vineyard, but no longer also the winged creatures, unless he be in spiritual contemplation, even if he makes the greatest effort towards the guarding of things within.

2.64 (164) The practical man cannot become better than moral propriety, unless he also, like the patriarch Abraham, goes outside, as from his own country, that is, the natural law, and as from his kindred, that is, the life of his own age and according to relation. For thus he also, will receive as a seal the removal of the pleasure of generation, according to (15∆_376> which the covering that surrounds us from birth does not permit complete freedom to be granted to us.

2.65 (165) Neither does a colt in springtime endure to remain inside the manger and eat its contents, nor can a newly perfected mind endure for long the constriction of prayer; but rather, like that one, it gladly desires to go out into the breadth of natural contemplation, which is found in psalmody and reading.

2.66 (166) The practical life has its vital powers, fasting and chastity, as girded loins; while the contemplative life has its gnostic virtues, silence and prayer, as burning lamps; the former setting reason over its powers as a guide, the latter setting the inner word over its virtues as a groomsman.

2.67 (167) An imperfect mind is not permitted to enter into the fruitful vineyard of prayer; but only and with difficulty, like a poor man to the gleanings, to the bare echoes of the psalms.

2.68 (168) Just as not all who come into the king's company are able to dine with him, so also not all who come to an audience of prayer will be seen in the contemplation that belongs to it.

2.69 (169) A muzzle for anger indeed is timely silence; for irrational desire, measured food. And for an unruly thought, the [one-word] prayer.

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μονοειδές, τοῖς μέν ἀκαρτερήτοις ἐναποκλεῖον τά δι᾿ ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων καλά· τοῖς δέ ἐγκαρτεροῦσι τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀπεστενωμένῃ τροφῇ, προξενοῦν τήν κρείττω γεῦσιν καί μένουσαν.

2.57 (ρνζ΄) Πρᾶξις σύν θεωρίᾳ μέν ὡς σῶμα μετά πνεύματος ἡγεμονικοῦ· ἄνευ δέ θεωρίας, ὡς σάρξ μετά πνεύματος προαιρετικοῦ λογισθήσεται.

2.58 (ρνη΄) Τῆς λογικῆς ψυχῆς, αὐλή μέν ἡ αἴσθησις· ναός δέ, ἡ διάνοια· ἀρχιερεύς δέ, ὁ νοῦς. Ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ οὖν ἵσταται ὁ ὑπ' ἀκαίρων νοῦς περικοπτόμενος λογισμῶν· ἐν τῶ ναῷ δέ, ὁ ὑπό εὐκαίρων· ἐπ᾿ οὐδενί δέ τούτων, ὁ εἰς τό θεῖον ἱερατεῖον ἀξιωθείς εἰσελθεῖν.

2.59 (ρνθ΄) Θρῆνος μέν καί μέλος καί οὐαί ἐν οἴκῳ τῆς πρακτικῆς ψυχῆς διά τόν κόπον εὑρίσκεται, φωνή δέ ἀγαλλιάσεως καί ἐξομολογήσεως, (15∆_374> διά τήν γνῶσιν διά τόν τῆς θεωρητικῆς ἐξακούεται.

2.60 (ρξ΄) Πρακτικός μέν, ἐπιθυμεῖ ἀναλῦσαι, διά τούς πόνους, καί συγγενέσθαι Χριστῷ· θεωρητικός δέ, εὐδοκεῖ μᾶλλον σαρκί παραμένειν· καί διά τήν χαράν, ἥν δέχεται ἐξ εὐχῆς, καί διά τήν τοῦ πλησίον πρός τά γήϊνα ὠφέλειαν.

2.61 (ρξα΄) Ἐπί μέν τῶν λογιωτέρων, ἡ θεωρία προηγεῖται τῆς πράξεως· ἐπί δέ τῶν ἀγροικοτέρων, τῆς θεωρίας ἡ πρᾶξις· εἰς ἕν δέ τέλος χρηστόν ἀμφότεραι καταλήγουσι. Συντομώτερον δέ τοῦτο ὀφθήσεται, οἷς ἡ θεωρία προηγεῖται τῆς πράξεως.

1440 2.62 (ρξβ΄) Παράδεισος, ἡ θεωρία τῶν νοητῶν ἐστιν. Ἐν τούτῳ ὁ μέν γνωστικός ὡς ἐν οἰκίᾳ ἔνδοθεν εἰσέρχεται ἐν εὐχῇ· ὁ δέ πρακτικός, ὡς παροδίτης ὀφθήσεται, ἐπιθυμῶν μέν ἔνδοθεν παρακύπτειν· μή συγχωρούμενος δέ, διά τό ὑπερανεστηκέναι τόν φραγμόν τῆς πνευματικῆς ἡλικίας αὐτοῦ.

2.63 (ρξγ΄) Τά μέν σωματικά πάθη θηρίοις ἐοίκασι· πτηνοῖς δέ, τά ψυχικά· ἀλλά τά μέν ἀπό τοῦ λογικοῦ δύναται ἀμπελῶνος ἀποτειχίζειν ὁ πρακτικός· οὐκέτι δέ καί τά πετεινά, εἰ μή ἐν θεωρίᾳ πνευματικῇ γένηται, κἄν ὅτι μάλιστα ποιήσεται σπουδήν πρός τήν τῶν ἔνδοθεν φυλακήν.

2.64 (ρξδ΄) Ἠθικῆς εὐπρεπείας κρείττων πρακτικός γενέσθαι οὐ δύναται, εἰ μή καί αὐτός κατά τόν πατριάρχην Ἀβραάμ ἔξω γένηται, ὡς μέν τῆς οἰκείας, τοῦ φυσικοῦ νόμου, ὡς δέ συγγενείας, τῆς ἥλικος αὐτῷ καί κατά σχέσιν ζωῆς. Οὕτω γάρ καί οὗτος, ὡς σφραγῖδα λήψεται τῆς γενικῆς ἡδονῆς τήν ἀφαίρεσιν, καθ᾿ (15∆_376> ἥν τό ἀπό γενέσεως κάλυμμα περικείμενον, τήν παντελῆ ἐλευθερίαν οὐ συγχωρεῖ παρασχεθῆναι ἡμῖν.

2.65 (ρξε΄) Οὔτε πῶλος ἐν ἔαρι ἔνδον φάτνης μένειν, καί τά ἐκείνης ἐσθίειν ἀνέχεται· οὔτε νεοτελής νοῦς τό ἀπεστενωμένον ἐπί πολύ καρτερεῖν τῆς εὐχῆς οὐ δύναται· ἡδέως μᾶλλον κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον ἔχων, ἐπί τό πλάτος τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας ἐξέρχεσθαι, τῆς κατά τήν ψαλμῳδίαν εὑρισκομένης καί τήν ἀνάγνωσιν.

2.66 (ρξστ΄) Ὡς μέν ὀσφύας ἔχει περιεζωσμένας, νηστείαν καί ἁγνείαν ἡ πρακτική, τάς ζωτικάς δυνάμεις αὐτῆς· ὡς λύχνους δέ καιομένους, σιωπήν τε καί προσευχήν, τάς γνωστικάς ἡ θεωρητική ἀρετάς, ἐφιστῶσα· ἡ μέν ἐκείναις, τόν λογισμόν ὡς παιδαγωγόν· ἡ δέ ταύταις, ὡς νυμφοστόλον λόγον τόν ἐνδιάθετον.

2.67 (ρξζ΄) Νοῦς ἀτελής, εἰς τόν κατάκαρπον ἀμπελῶνα τόν τῆς εὐχῆς οὐ συγχωρεῖται εἰσέρχεσθαι· εἰς μόνα δέ καί μόλις, ὡς πρός ἐπιφυλλάδας πτωχός, τά ψιλά τῶν ψαλμῶν ἀπηχήματα.

2.68 (ρξη΄) Ὥσπερ οὐ πάντες οἱ εἰς βασιλέως ὁμιλίαν ἐρχόμενοι, συναριστᾷν αὐτῷ δύνανται· οὕτως οὐδέ οἱ εἰς ἐντυχίαν εὐχῆς ἥκοντες, πάντες ἐν θεωρίᾳ τῇ κατ᾿ ἐκείνην ὀφθήσονται.

2.69 (ρξθ΄) Θυμοῦ μέν κημός, ἡ εὔκαιρος γίνεται σιωπή· ἀλόγου δέ ἐπιθυμίας, ἡ σύμμετρος ἐδωδή. ∆υσκαθέκτου δέ λογισμοῦ, ἡ [μονολόγιστος] προσευχή.