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2.70 He who wishes to dive into the lower depth and into the upper, the one for the perceptible pearl, the other for the intelligible one, in order to draw it up, if the one is not stripped of his garment, 1441 and the other of sensation, both will fail to obtain what they seek.

(15∆_378> 2.71 The intellect that has come to be within its own thought, while praying, will be found conversing as a bridegroom with a bride in the bridal chamber; but the one not permitted to enter, standing outside groaning, cries out: Who will lead me into the fortified city? or who will guide me, until I no longer look upon vanities and false madnesses in prayer.

2.72 As is food without salt considered by the palate, so also will prayer undertaken by the intellect without compunction be considered.

2.73 The soul that is still pursuing prayer is like a woman in travail; but the one that has attained it is like one who has given birth and is filled with joy because of the child.

2.74 Of old the Amorite, dwelling in the mountain, would come out and wound those who tried to force a passage; but now wicked forgetfulness pursues those who, before purity, attempt to ascend to the higher prayer of simplicity.

2.75 The demons are by nature in great enmity with pure prayer. But what terrifies them is not a multitude of evils [goods], as an army terrifies external enemies; but the harmony of three things: intellect with speech, and speech with sensation.

2.76 Bare prayer will be seen as bread, strengthening beginners; but prayer with some contemplation, as oil, making one fat; and formless prayer, as fragrant wine, of which those who partake insatiably are ecstatic.

(15∆_380> 2.77 The wild ass, it is said, scorns the tumult of the city; and the unicorn cannot be bound by anyone. But the intellect that has become king of nature and of the principles concerning nature, scorns the vanity of thoughts while praying; and it cannot be dominated by any of the things under sensation.

2.78 It is necessary for the one who struggles to restrain his sensation to simple food, and his intellect to single-thoughted prayer; for thus, having become unrestrained by the passions, he will also come to be caught up to the Lord in prayer.

1444 2.79 He who brandishes a stick at dogs has made them savage against himself; and he who forces himself to pray purely, the demons.

2.80 The self-indulgent when praying, being material, have thoughts like frogs distracting them; but those moderate in passions have contemplations like nightingales delighting them, with the transition from one to another branch, that is, various contemplations; but silence is present for the passionless and great stillness from thoughts and concepts in prayer.

2.81 Of old, Miriam, the sister of Moses, having seen the fall of the enemies, taking up the timbrel, led the women singing the victory songs; but now, for the praise of the soul that has conquered the passions, love, which is greater in virtues, having been aroused, handling the lyre with song like some contemplation—that abundance of beauty for which it long labored—does not cease, with those around it, exulting to praise God.

2.82 Whenever through the continuity of prayer are held (15∆_382> the words of the psalms in the heart of the one praying, then he also, like good earth, begins to spontaneously bring forth, like roses, the contemplation of incorporeal beings; and like violets, the varied and hard-to-behold nature of the divine judgments.

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2.70 (ρο΄) Καί εἰς τόν κάτω βυθόν καί εἰς τόν ἄνω ὁ ὑποδῦναι βουλόμενος, ὁ μέν διά τόν αἰσθητόν, ὁ δέ διά τόν νοητόν μαργαρίτην, ἵνα αὐτόν ἀνιμήσηται, εἰ μή γυμνωθῇ οὗτος τῆς ἐσθῆτος, 1441 ἐκεῖνος δέ τῆς αἰσθήσεως, ἀμφότεροι τοῦ ἐπιζητουμένου διαμαρτήσονται.

(15∆_378> 2.71 (ροα΄) Ὁ μέν ἔνδοθεν τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ γενόμενος νοῦς, ἐν τῷ εὔχεσθαι, ὡς μετά νύμφης νυμφίος ἐν τῷ νυμφῶνι διαλεγόμενος εὑρεθήσεται· ὁ δέ μή συγχωρούμενος εἰσελθεῖν, ἔξωθεν ἱστάμενος στενάζων βοᾷ· Τίς ἀπάξει με εἰς πόλιν περιοχῆς; ἤ τίς ὁδηγήσει με, ἕως τοῦ μή βλέπειν εἰς ματαιότητας καί μανίας ψευδεῖς ἐν τῷ εὔχεσθαι.

2.72 (ροβ΄) Ὁποία ἡ χωρίς ἁλός τῷ φάρυγγι λογιζομένη τροφή, τοιαύτη καί ἡ ἐκτός κατανύξεως λογισθήσεται τῷ νῷ μετερχομένη εὐχή.

2.73 (ρογ΄) Ἡ μέν ἔτι καταδιώκουσα ψυχή τήν εὐχήν, τῇ ὠδινούσῃ ὑπάρχει παρεμφερής· ἡ δέ καταλαβοῦσα, τῇ κυησάσῃ, καί πλήρει γενομένῃ διά τόν τόκον χαρᾶς.

2.74 (ροδ΄) Πάλαι μέν ὁ Ἀμοῤῥαῖος ἐν τῷ ὄρει οἰκῶν, ἐτίτρωσκεν ἐξερχόμενος τούς παραβιαζομένους διέρχεσθαι· νυνί δέ ἡ πονηρά λήθη διώκει τούς πρό τῆς ἁγνείας ἐπί τήν ὑψηλοτέραν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀναβαίνειν εὐχήν τῆς ἁπλότητος.

2.75 (ροε΄) Τῆς καθαρᾶς εὐχῆς, ἐν ἔχθρᾳ πολλῇ πεφύκασιν εἶναι οἱ δαίμονες. Καταπλήττει δέ τούτους, οὐχί πλῆθος τῶν κακῶν [καλῶν], ὡς τούς ἔξωθεν πολεμίους τό στράτευμα· ἀλλ᾿ ἡ τριῶν συμφωνία, νοῦ πρός λόγον, καί λόγου πρός αἴσθησιν.

2.76 (ροστ΄) Ἡ μέν ψιλή εὐχή, ὡς ἄρτος ὀφθήσεται ἀρχομένους στηρίζουσα· ἡ δέ μετά τινος θεωρίας, ὡς ἔλαιον πιαίνουσα· ἡ δέ ἀνείδεος, ὡς οἶνος εὐώδης, οὗ οἱ ἐμφορούμενοι ἀπλήστως ἐξίστανται.

(15∆_380> 2.77 (ροζ΄) Ἄγριος μέν ὄνος, πόλεως μέν λέγεται πολυοχλίας καταγελᾷν· καί μονόκερως δέ ὑπ᾿ οὐδενός δεσμεῖσθαι δυνάμενος. Νοῦς δέ φύσεως, καί τῶν περί φύσιν βασιλεύσας λόγων, ματαιότητος μέν καταγελᾷ λογισμῶν προσευχόμενος· παρ᾿ οὐδενός δέ δύναται τῶν ὑπό τήν αἴσθησιν κατεξουσιάζεσθαι.

2.78 (ροη΄) Χρή τόν ἀγωνιζόμενον, τήν μέν αἴσθησιν αὐτοῦ, εἰς τήν μονοειδή συστέλλειν τροφήν· τόν δέ νοῦν, εἰς τήν μονολόγιστον προσευχήν· οὕτως γάρ ἄσχετος γεγονώς ἐκ παθῶν, καί ἐπί τό ἁρπάζεσθαι πρός Κύριον ἥξει ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι.

1444 2.79 (ροθ΄) Ῥάβδον μέν ὁ κυσίν ἐπισείων ἠγρίωσε καθ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ· δαίμονας δέ, ὁ καθαρῶς ἐκβιαζόμενος εὔχεσθαι.

2.80 (ρπ΄) Οἱ μέν ἡδυπαθεῖς προσευχόμενοι, ἅτε ὑλώδεις ὄντες, ὡς βατράχους ἔχουσι τούς λογισμούς περισπῶντας αὐτούς· οἱ δέ μετριοπαθεῖς, τάς θεωρίας ὡς ἀηδόνας κατατερπούσας αὐτούς, τῇ ἀπ᾿ ἄλλων εἰς ἄλλους ἀκρέμονας, τουτέστι ποικίλας θεωρίας, μεταβάσει· σιγή δέ πρόσεστι τοῖς ἀπαθέσι καί ἠρεμία πολλή ἐκ λογισμῶν καί νοημάτων ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι.

2.81 (ρπα΄) Πάλαι μέν ἡ τοῦ Μωσέως Μαρία τῶν πολεμίων τήν πτῶσιν θεασαμένη, τό τύμπανον ἀραμένη, ἐξῆρχε ταῖς ᾀδούσαις τά ἐπινίκια· νυνί δέ εἰς εὐφημίαν τῆς νικησάσης τά πάθη ψυχῆς, ἡ κρείττων ἐν ἀρεταῖς ἀγάπη διεγερθεῖσα, τήν μετ᾿ ᾠδῆς κιθάραν ὥσπερ τινά θεωρίαν μεταχειριζομένη ταύτῃ πάλαι τήν πονηθεῖσαν εἰς κάλλους περιουσίαν, οὐ παύεται σύν τοῖς περί τήν αὐτήν ἀγαλλιωμένη αἰνεῖν τόν Θεόν.

2.82 (ρπβ΄) Ὁπόταν διά συνεχείας τῆς κατά τήν εὐχήν κατασχεθῇ (15∆_382> τά λόγια τῶν ψαλμῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦ εὐχομένου, τότε καί αὐτός γῆ καθάπερ ἀγαθή, ἄρχεται αὐτομάτως ἀναφέρειν, ὡς μέν ῥόδα, τήν θεωρίαν τῶν ἀσωμάτων· ὡς δέ ἴα, τό ποικίλον τῶν θείων κριμάτων δυσθεώρητον.