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2.83 (183) A flame, when bound in matter, becomes a bearer of light; but a soul, when loosed from matter, is found to be a bearer of God. And the former is by nature lifted up as far as its kindling; but the latter, to the conclusion of divine love.

2.84 (184) The soul that has completely denied itself and is wholly dedicated to prayer, this soul is not brought down when it wishes, being found above creation; but when it seems just to the One who directs our affairs with all weight and measure.

2.85 (185) When sloth is driven from the soul, and wickedness is shaken from the mind, then the mind, becoming naked in simplicity, in an artless life and without any covering of shame, and without the veil of outward appearance, it too sings a new song to God; and it gives thanks, striking up a melody in gladness, so as to pre-celebrate the inauguration of the life to come.

2.86 (186) When the praying soul begins to experience certain more divine energies, then it too, like the Bride in the Song of Songs, whispers such things to those of like manner: My kinsman sent his hand from the opening, and my belly was stirred for him.

2.87 (187) A soldier, having returned from war, 1445 puts away the weight of his weapons; and one in the active life puts away his thoughts, when coming to contemplation; for neither does the former have need of his weapons except in war, nor the latter of his thoughts.

(15∆_384> 2.88 (188) Those in the active life contemplate bodies according to their position; those in the contemplative life, according to their nature; but only the gnostics see the inner principles of both.

2.89 (189) In the inner principles of bodies, the incorporeal are known; and in the incorporeal, the supra-essential Word, to whom every earnest soul hastens to depart.

2.90 (190) The inner principles of bodies are like bones covered by sensible things, which no one may see, unless they have become free from attachment to sensible things.

2.91 (191) A soldier too puts away his weapons when he has left the war; and a contemplative puts away his thoughts when departing to the Lord.

2.92 (192) And a general in war who misses the spoils falls into despondency; and one in the active life in prayer, who misses spiritual contemplation.

2.93 (193) A deer, as one bitten by a [serpent] beast, runs to springs of bodily waters; but a soul, wounded by the sweetest arrow of prayer, to the splendors of the incorporeal.

2.94 (194) Neither can the bodily eye see the grain of wheat, nor the practical mind its own nature, unless it be stripped, the former of its husk, the latter of the relationship that covers it.

2.95 (195) Stars are hidden at the rising of the sun; and thoughts depart, when the mind returns to its own kingdom.

(15∆_386> 2.96 (196) After the end of the active life, spiritual contemplations are poured around the mind, like rays of the sun that have risen above the horizon, they seem to strike it from without, though they are its own, and they embrace it on account of its purity.

2.97 (197) Such things can the contemplative mind also utter, when it descends from heaven above, yielding to the necessities of nature; like the one who uttered: What is more wonderful than divine beauty? And what thought is more lovely than the magnificence of God? And what desire is so keen and unbearable as that which arises from God in a soul purified from all evil, and says from its disposition, "I am wounded by love"?

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2.83 (ρπγ΄) Ἐν ὕλῃ μέν δεσμευθεῖσα φλόξ, φωτοφόρος καθίσταται· ἐξ ὕλης δέ λυθεῖσα ψυχή, θεοφόρος εὑρίσκεται. Κἀκείνη μέν αἴρεσθαι πέφυκεν ἄχρι τοῦ ὑπεκκαύματος· αὕτη δέ, μέχρι τοῦ κατά τόν θεῖον ἔρωτα συμπεράσματος.

2.84 (ρπδ΄) Ἡ τελείως ἑαυτήν ἀρνησαμένη ψυχή, καί ὁλικῶς ἀνατεθεῖσα πρός εὐχήν, αὕτη οὐχ ὅτε βούλεται κάτω γίνεται, ἄνωθεν εὑρισκομένη τῆς κτίσεως· ἀλλ᾿ ὅτε δίκαιον εἶναι δόξει τῷ πάντα σταθμῷ καί μέτρῳ διεξάγοντι τά ἡμέτερα.

2.85 (ρπε΄) Ὅταν ἐξ ψυχῆς μέν ἡ ἀκηδία ἀπελαθῇ· ἐκ διανοίας δέ ἡ πονηρία ἐκτιναχθῇ, τότε ὁ νοῦς γυμνός γινόμενος τῇ ἁπλότητι, ζωῇ τε τῇ ἀτέχνῳ καί δίχα παντός τοῦ κατά τήν αἰσχύνην ἐπικαλύμματος, καί τοῦ κατά τήν φανητίαν προβλήματος, ᾆσμα μέν ᾄδει καί οὗτος καινόν τῷ Θεῷ· εὐχαριστεῖ δέ μέλος ἀνακρουόμενος ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, τῷ τῆς μελλούσης τά ἐγκαίνια προερτάζειν βιώσεως.

2.86 (ρπστ΄) Ὅταν τινάς θειοτέρας ἐνεργείας ἐνεργεῖσθαι ἄρξηται ἡ εὐχομένη ψυχή, τότε καί αὐτή κατά τήν ἐν ᾌσμασι Νύμφην, πρός τάς ὁμοιοτρόπους τοιαῦτα ὑποφωνεῖ· Ἀδελφιδός μου ἀπέστειλε τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἀπό τῆς ὀπῆς, καί ἡ κοιλία μου ἐθροήθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν.

2.87 (ρπζ΄) Καί στρατιώτης ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου ἐπαναλύσας, 1445 τό βάρος τῶν ὅπλων ἀποσκευάζεται· καί πρακτικός τούς λογισμούς, εἰς θεωρίαν ἐρχόμενος· οὔτε γάρ ἐκεῖνος εἰ μή ἐν πολέμῳ χρείαν ἔχει τῶν ὅπλων, οὔτε οὗτος τῶν λογισμῶν.

(15∆_384> 2.88 (ρπη΄) Οἱ μέν πρακτικοί ὡς ἔχουσι θέσεως θεωροῦσι τά σώματα· οἱ δέ θεωρητικοί, ὡς ἔχουσι φύσεως· μόνοι δέ τούς λόγους ἀμφοτέρων ὁρῶσιν οἱ γνωστικοί.

2.89 (ρπθ΄) Ἐν μέν τοῖς λόγοις τῶν σωμάτων, γινώσκονται τά ἀσώματα· ἐν ἀσωμάτοις δέ, λόγος ὁ ὑπερούσιος, πρός ὅν ἐπείγεται πᾶσα σπουδαία ἀναλῦσαι ψυχή.

2.90 (ρƒ΄) Οἱ λόγοι τῶν σωμάτων, ὡς ὀστᾶ εἰσι τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἐπικαλυπτόμενοι, οὕς ἴδῃ οὐδείς, τῶν ἔξω μή γενομένων τῆς προσπαθείας τῶν αἰσθητῶν.

2.91 (ρƒα΄) Ἀποτίθεται καί στρατιώτης τά ὅπλα, καταλείψας τόν πόλεμον· καί θεωρητικός τούς λογισμούς, ἀναλύων πρός Κύριον.

2.92 (ρƒβ΄) Καί στρατηγός ἐν πολέμῳ σκύλων διαμαρτάνων, ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ καθίσταται· καί πρακτικός ἐν εὐχῇ, θεωρίας πνευματικῆς.

2.93 (ρƒγ΄) Ἔλαφος μέν ἐπί σωματικῶν ὑδάτων τρέχει πηγάς, ὑπό [ὄφεως] θηρός ὡς ὁ δηχθείς· ψυχή δέ, ἡ τῷ γλυκυτάτῳ βέλει τρωθεῖσα τῷ τῆς εὐχῆς, ἐπί ἀσωμάτων αὐγάς.

2.94 (ρƒδ΄) Οὔτε σωματικός ὀφθαλμός τόν κόκκον τοῦ σίτου ἰδεῖν δύναται, οὔτε νοῦς πρακτικός τήν φύσιν τήν ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ μή γυμνωθῇ, ἐκεῖνος μέν, ἐλύτρου, οὗτος δέ, σχέσεως τῆς περικαλυπτούσης αὐτόν.

2.95 (ρƒε΄) Κρύπτοναι ἀστέρες μέν, ἡλίου ἀνατολῇ· λογισμοί δέ ἐκλιμπάνουσι, τοῦ νοῦ πρός τήν οἰκείαν βασιλείαν ἐπαναστρέφοντος.

(15∆_386> 2.96 (ρƒστ΄) Μετά τό τέλος τῆς πρακτικῆς, αἱ πνευματικαί θεωρίαι περιχυθεῖσαι τῷ νῷ, οἷά τινες ἀκτῖνες ἡλίου αἱ τοῦ ὁρίζοντος ὑπερκύψασαι, δοκοῦσιν ἔξωθεν αὐτοῦ προσβάλλειν, οἰκεῖαι οὖσαι, καί διά καθαρότητα ἐκεῖνον περιπτυσσόμεναι.

2.97 (ρƒζ΄) Τοιαῦτα καί νοῦς θεωρητικός ἐκλαλεῖν δύναται, ὅτε ἄνωθεν ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ καταβῇ, φύσεως ἀνάγκαις ἐπικλιθείς· οἷα καί ὁ φθεγξάμενος· Θείου κάλλους τί ὑπάρχει θαυμασιώτερον; καί τίς ἔννοια τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλοπρεπείας χαριεστέρα; Ποῖος δέ οὕτω πόθος δριμύς καί ἀφόρητος, ὡς ὁ ἀπό Θεοῦ ἐγγινόμενος τῇ ἀπό πάσης κακίας κεκαθαρμένῃ ψυχῇ, καί ἀπό διαθέσεως λεγούσῃ, ὅτι Τετρωμένη ἀγάπης ἐγώ;