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Do not, then, by thus giving yourselves over to unbelief, descend into the abyss of destruction; but even if until now you did not hope to receive an awareness of such things and for this reason asked for nothing, at least from the present moment be fully convinced, first believing these things to be true and in harmony with the divine Scriptures, of course by going through them all, that from this point on the seal of the Holy Spirit is given to us, the faithful, in a knowable way. And having believed, so pursue that you may obtain, so box as not beating the air; and in addition to this, "ask, and it will be given to you; knock, and it will be opened to you," whether here or in the age to come. For now, be taught, for now, repent, be obedient, fast, weep, pray; and thus through these and such things run, box, pursue, seek, knock, ask, turning aside to nothing else, until you obtain, until you grasp, until you receive, until it is opened for you and you enter, until within the bridal chamber you behold the bridegroom, until you hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things," until you become sons of light and sons of day. But indeed, lest before seeing and receiving and experiencing these things, you delude and deceive yourselves, thinking you are something when you are nothing, and, as though reclining in conscience, you suppose yourselves to be spiritual before receiving the Holy Spirit, and for this reason you unwisely hasten to accept alien thoughts, and you ascend to leadership and high positions and fearlessly dare the priesthood and shamelessly promote yourselves through countless methods to metropolitan sees and episcopacies to (225) shepherd the Lord's people. But pay attention, I beg you, to yourselves, setting your minds on things above, seeking the things above, longing for the things above, caring for nothing earthly before receiving those things.

Yes, let us despise all things seen, I ask your love; let us put off all human things, let us abhor all passionate and harmful things, so that we may obtain the good things both here and to come in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is due all glory, honor, and worship, with the unoriginate Father and the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, the one thrice-holy light, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

DISCOURSE VI. (226)

On dispassion and a life of virtue. And how one must cut off one's own will and ascend to the height of perfection. And on the connection of God to the soul and of the soul to the body and the paradoxical union of the three. And in addition to these, on spiritual medicine and how one must heal those who are spiritually sick.

Having often conversed with many in the world and certain discussions

having been stirred up between us, concerning passion, I say, and dispassion, I have heard nearly all of them saying, not only those imperfect in virtue and piety, but also those thought to be perfect in virtue and having great names and reputations according to the world, that it is not possible for a man to reach such a height of dispassion as to converse and dine with women and suffer no harm, nor to experience any stirring or defilement in secret. I, an ear-witness of these things

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Μή δή τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ οὕτως ἑαυτούς ἐκδιδόντες, εἰς βυθόν ἀπωλείας κατέρχεσθε· ἀλλ᾿ εἰ καί μέχρι τοῦ νῦν αἴσθησιν τῶν τοιούτων λαβεῖν οὐκ ἠλπίσατε καί διά τοῦτο οὐδέν ᾐτήσασθε, κἄν ἀπό τοῦ παρόντος πληροφορήθητε, πρῶτον ἀληθῆ ταῦτα πιστεύσαντες εἶναι καί συνᾴδοντα ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς, πάσας αὐτάς δηλονότι διεξερχόμενοι, ὅτι ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη γνωστῶς ἡ σφραγίς τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἡμῖν τοῖς πιστοῖς δίδοται. Καί πιστεύσαντες οὕτω διώκετε ἵνα καταλάβητε, οὕτω πυκτεύσατε ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέροντες· καί πρός τούτοις "αἰτεῖτε καί δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· κρούετε καί ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν", εἴτε ἐνταῦθα εἴτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι. Τέως διδάσκεσθε, τέως μετανοεῖτε, ὑποτάσσεσθε, νηστεύετε, κλαίετε, εὔχεσθε· καί οὕτω διά τούτων καί τῶν τοιούτων τρέχετε, πυκτεύετε, διώκετε, ζητεῖτε, κρούετε, αἰτεῖσθε, πρός μηδέν ἕτερον ἀπονεύοντες, ἕως καταλάβητε, ἕως δράξησθε, ἕως λάβητε, ἕως ὑμῖν ἀνοιγῇ καί εἰσέλθητε, ἕως ἔνδον τοῦ νυμφῶνος τόν νυμφίον θεάσησθε, ἕως ἀκούσητε· "Εὖ, δοῦλε ἀγαθέ καί πιστέ, ἐπί ὀλίγα ἦς πιστός, ἐπί πολλῶν σε καταστήσω", ἕως υἱοί φωτός καί υἱοί ἡμέρας γένησθε. Ἀλλά γάρ μή πρό τοῦ ταῦτα καί ἰδεῖν καί λαβεῖν καί παθεῖν φρεναπατοῦντες ὑμᾶς ἑαυτούς καί παραλογιζόμενοι εἶναί τι δοκεῖτε μηδέν ὄντες, καί ὡς ἀναπεπτωκότες τῇ συνειδήσει πνευματικούς ἑαυτούς εἶναι πρό τοῦ τό Πνεῦμα τό Ἅγιον λαβεῖν οἴεσθε, καί διά τοῦτο εἰς τό ἀναδέχεσθαι λογισμούς ἀλλοτρίους ἀσυνέτως ἐπείγεσθε καί εἰς ἡγουμενείας καί ἀρχάς ἐπιβαίνετε καί ἱερωσύνης ἀφόβως κατατολμᾶτε καί πρός μητροπόλεις καί ἐπισκοπάς τοῦ (225) ποιμαίνειν τόν τοῦ Κυρίου λαόν ἑαυτούς ὑμᾶς διά μυρίων μεθόδων ἀναιδῶς ἐπιδίδοτε. Ἀλλά προσέχετε, παρακαλῶ, ἑαυτοῖς, τά ἄνω φρονοῦντες, τά ἄνω ζητοῦντες, τά ἄνω ἐπιποθοῦντες, μηδενός τῶν ἐπιγείων, πρό τοῦ λαβεῖν ἐκεῖνα, φροντίζοντες.

Ναί, καταφρονήσωμεν πάντων τῶν ὁρωμένων, ἀξιῶ τήν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν· ἀποδεισώμεθα τά ἀνθρώπινα πάντα, ἅπαντα τά ἐμπαθῆ καί βλαβερά βδελυξώμεθα, ἵνα καί τῶν ἐνταῦθα καί τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμή καί προσκύνησις σύν τῷ ἀνάρχῳ Πατρί καί τῷ παναγίῳ καί ἀγαθῷ καί ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, τῷ ἑνί τρισαγίῳ φωτί, νῦν καί ἀεί καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ στ΄. (226)

Περί ἀπαθείας καί ἐναρέτου ζωῆς. Καί ὅπως χρή τό οἰκεῖον ἐκκόπτειν θέλημα καί εἰς ὕψος ἀνέρχεσθαι τελειότητος. Καί περί συναφείας Θεοῦ πρός ψυχήν καί ψυχῆς πρός σῶμα καί ἑνώσεως τῶν τριῶν παραδόξου. Καί πρός τούτοις περί πνευματικῆς ἰατρείας καί ὅπως χρή θεραπεύειν τούς ψυχικῶς ἀσθενοῦντας.

Πολλοῖς τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ πολλάκις προσομιλήσας καί τινων συζητήσεων

ἀναμεταξύ κινηθεισῶν, περί ἐμπαθείας, φημί, καί ἀπαθείας, λεγόντων ἀκήκοα σχεδόν ἁπάντων, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀτελῶν εἰς ἀρετήν καί εὐσέβειαν, ἀλλά καί αὐτῶν τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι τελείων εἰς ἀρετήν καί τά ὀνόματα καί τήν φήμην μεγάλην ἐχόντων κατά τόν κόσμον, ὡς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ἄνθρωπος εἰς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἀπαθείας ἐλθεῖν, ὥσθ᾿ ὁμιλῆσαι καί συνεστιαθῆναι γυναιξί καί μηδεμίαν βλάβην ὑποστῆναι, μήτε τινά κίνησιν ἤ μολυσμόν ἐν τῷ λεληθότι παθεῖν. Τούτων αὐτήκοος ἐγώ