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3.9 (σθ΄) The thoughts of the practical are like deer. For as those are at one time up in the mountains because of the fear of hunters, and at another time down in the valleys because of the desire for the things in them; so also are these; they can neither always be in spiritual contemplation, because of their humbleness; nor always in the natural, because of not always pursuing rest. The thoughts of the contemplative, however, become despisers of commonplace theorems.

3.10 (σι΄) Clods of dew, indeed, make drunk the furrows of the earth; but dispositions of a soul in prayer, wet groans sent up from the heart.

(15∆_392> 1452 3.11 (σια΄) No one will be seen in contemplation of the Godhead conceived in the Trinity, who has not been seen from above the material dyad and the neighboring monad; nor will he become higher than this, unless he has made his own mind monadic with respect to intelligibles.

3.12 (σιβ΄) It will not be found so difficult to check the course of a river so that it is not carried downwards, as to restrain the rush of the mind, so that it is not scattered among visible things, but is gathered to things above and akin to it, whenever the one who prays wishes; even though this is according to nature, while that is established against nature.

3.13 (σιγ΄) Those being purified, sending the mind within [without] visible things, are filled with such astonishment, and are fulfilled with such joy, that they are able to contain nothing else of earthly things, not even if all the things men fight for were to flow to them.

3.14 (σιδ΄) The spoken laws of nature are sufficient, even by themselves, to be greatly marveled at; but when they are understood, they are found to be meadows full of fair flowers, as if from heavenly nectar, sprouting forth with pure flowers the sweetness of the spiritual banquet.

3.15 (σιε΄) Bees indeed surround the queen of the swarm among the dewy flowers of the meadows; but in the compunction that comes unceasingly to the soul, the intelligible powers, surrounding it as their own, long for with it the things according to its heart.

3.16 (σιστ΄) In the visible world, man is seen as another world; but in the intelligible world, thought. For this one [man] is a messenger of heaven and the things between to that one [thought]; and thought exists as an interpreter of mind and sense, and of the things concerning them; without which, both worlds would have been deaf.

3.17 (σιζ΄) A captive who has been released does not so proceed after a time, (15∆_394> as a mind freed from material attachments, proceeds to the heavenly realms as to its own home with exulting foot.

3.18 (σιη΄) To one who does not pray with attention, but is distracted, the psalm will be reckoned as barbarian; and he himself to the psalm, as a barbarian; and both as raving to the demons.

1453 3.19 (σιθ΄) It is not the same for those to whom the world has been crucified, and those who have been crucified to the world. For to the first, the nails are fasting and vigil; but to the second, possessionlessness and contempt. And without the second, the labors of the first are useless.

3.20 (σκ΄) One who is held by the passion for finery and for honor cannot pray purely. For the attachments concerning these things, and the thoughts of vanity which have an affinity for them, become like ropes entwined about him, dragging him down like a bound sparrow trying to fly up at the time of prayer.

3.21 (σκα΄) It is impossible for the mind to become peaceful in prayer, for one who has not acquired self-control and its friend, love. For the one struggles to destroy the enmity of the body against the soul; the other, that against the neighbor for the sake of God. And from there the peace which surpasses all understanding, visiting, has promised to make its stay only with the one who has thus been pacified.

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3.9 (σθ΄) Οἱ τῶν πρακτικῶν λογισμοί ἐλάφοις ἐοίκασιν. Ὡς γάρ ἐκεῖναι ποτέ μέν ἄνω εἰσίν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι διά τόν φόβον τῶν θηρατῶν, ποτέ δέ κάτω ἐν ταῖς κοιλάσι διά τόν πόθον τῶν ἐν αὐταῖς· οὕτω καί οὗτοι· οὔτε πάντοτε ἐν θεωρίᾳ πνευματική δύνανται εἶναι, διά τό αὐτῶν εὐτελές· οὔτε ἀεί ἐν τῇ φυσικῇ, διά τό μή τήν ἀνάπαυσιν διώκειν ἀεί. Τῶν μέντοι θεωρητικῶν, περιπεζίων ὑπερόπται θεωρημάτων καθίστανται.

3.10 (σι΄) Βόλοι μέν δρόσου, γῆς μεθύσκουσιν αὔλακας διαθέσεις δέ ψυχῆς ἐν εὐχῇ, ἔμβροχοι στεναγμοί ἀπό καρδίας ἀναδιδόμενοι.

(15∆_392> 1452 3.11 (σια΄) Τῆς ἐν Τριάδι νοουμένης θεότητος, οὐδείς ἐν θεωρίᾳ ὀφθήσεται, ὑλικῆς δυάδος, καί τῆς γείτονος μονάδος ἄνωθεν μή ὀφθείς· οὐδέ ταύτης γενήσεται ὑψηλότερος, μή μοναδικόν τόν ἑαυτοῦ νοουμένοις ἐργασάμενος νοῦν.

3.12 (σιβ΄) Οὐ τοσοῦτον δυσχερές εὑρεθήσεται τό ποταμοῦ ἀνακόψαι ὁδόν ἐπί τά κάτω μή φέρεσθαι, ὅσον νοῦν ῥύμην ἀναχαιτίσαι, μή ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις σκεδάννυσθαι, πρός δέ τά ἄνω καί συγγενῆ, ὅτε βούλεται τῷ εὐχομένῳ συνάγεσθαι· κἄν τοῦτο μέν κατά φύσιν, ἐκεῖνο δέ παρά φύσιν καθέστηκεν.

3.13 (σιγ΄) Τόν νοῦν οἱ καθαιρόμενοι εἴσω [ἔξω] τῶν ὁρωμένων παραπέμποντες, τοσούτου πίμπλανται θάμβους, καί τοσαύτης πληροῦνται χαρᾶς, ὡς μηδέν ἕτερον χωρῆσαι τῶν ἐπιγείων δύνασθαι, μηδ᾿ ἄν εἰ πάντα πρός αὐτούς συῤῥυεῖεν τά περιμάχητα.

3.14 (σιδ΄) Ἐξαρκοῦσι καί μόνοι οἱ νόμοι ῥηθέντες τῆς φύσεως, πρός τό λίαν θαυμάζεσθαι· κατανοούμενοι δέ, λειμῶνες εὑρίσκονται εὐανθεῖς, ὡς ἐξ οὐρανίου νέκταρος, ἀκηράτοις βρύοντες ἄνθεσι τῆς πνευματικῆς πανδαισίας τόν γλυκασμόν.

3.15 (σιε΄) Ἐν δροσεροῖς μέν ἄνθεσι λειμώνων τήν βασιλίδα τοῦ σμήνους περιζάνουσι μέλιτται· ἐν κατανύξει δέ τῇ γενομένῃ ἀδιαλείπτως ψυχῇ, ὡς οἰκεῖαι αἱ νοεραί δυνάμεις περικυκλοῦσαι, συνεκποθοῦσι τά καταθύμια.

3.16 (σιστ΄) Ἐν μέν τῷ ὁρωμένῳ κόσμῳ, ὡς ἄλλος τις κόσμος ὁρᾶται ὁ ἄνθρωπος· ἐν δέ τῷ νοουμένῳ, ὁ λογισμός· οὐρανοῦ μέν γάρ καί τῶν ἐν μέσῳ οὗτος ἐκείνῳ καταγγελεύς· νοῦ δέ καί αἰσθήσεως, καί τῶν περί αὐτά, ὑποφήτης ὑπάρχει ὁ λογισμός· ὧν ἄνευ, ἀμφότεροι κόσμοι ἐκεκώφωντο ἄν.

3.17 (σιζ΄) Οὐχ οὕτως ἀπολυθείς αἰχμάλωτος διά χρόνον πορεύεται, (15∆_394> ὡς νοῦς τῶν ὑλικῶν σχέσεων ἐλευθερωθείς, πρός τά οὐράνια ὡς πρός τά οἰκεῖα πορεύεται ἀγαλλομένῳ ποδί.

3.18 (σιη΄) Τῷ μή μετά προσοχῆς εὐχομένῳ, ἀλλά διαχεομένῳ, βάρβαρος μέν ὁ ψαλμός λογισθήσεται· αὐτός δέ τῷ ψαλμῷ, ὡς βάρβαρος· καί ὡς μαινόμενοι ἀμφότεροι δαίμοσιν.

1453 3.19 (σιθ΄) Οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστιν οἷς ἐσταυρώθη ὁ κόσμος, καί οἵτινες τῷ κόσμῳ ἐσταύρωνται. Τοῖς μέν γάρ, ἧλοι νηστεία καί ἀγρυπνία· τοῖς δέ, ἀκτημοσύνη καί ἐξουδένωσις. Τῶν δέ δευτέρων χωρίς, οἱ πόνοι τῶν προτέρων ἀνωφελεῖς.

3.20 (σκ΄) Οὐ καθαρῶς δύναται προσεύξασθαι, ὁ φιλοκάλῳ πάθει καί φιλοτίμῳ κρατούμενος. Περί ταῦτα γάρ αἱ σχέσεις, καί οἱ τῆς ματαιότητος λογισμοί τήν οἰκειότητα ἔχοντες, σχοινία καθάπερ ἐκείνῳ περιπλεκόμενοι γίνονται, κατασπῶντες ὡς οἷα στρουθίον δεδεμένον ἀναπτῆναι πειρώμενον ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς εὐχῆς.

3.21 (σκα΄) Ἀδύνατον εἰρηνικόν γενέσθαι τόν νοῦν ἐν εὐχῇ, ἐγκράτειαν καί ἀγάπην φίλην τόν μή κτησάμενον. Ἡ μέν γάρ, τήν κατά τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἔχθραν καταλύειν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι· ἡ δέ, τήν πρός τόν πλησίον διά τόν Θεόν. Κἀντεῦθεν ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν εἰρήνη ἐπιδημοῦσα, μόνην ποιεῖσθαι πρός τόν οὑτωσί κατειρηνεύσαντα ἐπηγγείλατο.