113

and embracing they exchanged with one another the warmest embraces, being insatiably filled with a long-standing desire. And when they had embraced and greeted each other enough, they sat down and conversed. Barlaam, beginning to speak, said, "Welcome, beloved child, child of God and heir of the heavenly kingdom through our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you have loved, whom you have rightly desired above things temporary and corruptible; and, like a prudent and wise merchant, having sold all, you have purchased the priceless pearl, and having found the inviolable treasure hidden in the field of the Lord's commandments, you have given all, sparing nothing of those things that are soon to pass away, that you might buy that field for yourself. May the Lord give you eternal things in place of temporary things, and the incorruptible and unfading in place of corruptible things. Tell me, then, dearest one, how you came here, what happened to you after my departure, and if your father has come to know God, or if still, being carried away by his former folly, he is taken captive by the deceit of demons." As Barlaam asked these things, Joasaph took up the story, and recounted in detail all that had happened to him after the other's 578 departure, and all that the Lord had prospered until their meeting again. And the elder, hearing with pleasure and wonder, weeping warmly, said: "Glory to you, our God, who are ever present and helping those who love you. Glory to you, Christ, King of all and all-good God, that you were pleased for the seed, which I cast into the soul of your servant Joasaph, to bear fruit a hundredfold in this way, worthy of you, the farmer and Master of our souls. Glory to you, good Comforter, the all-holy Spirit, that you deemed this man worthy to share in the grace which you gave to your holy apostles, and through him you have freed populous multitudes from superstitious error and enlightened them with the true knowledge of God." Thus God was given thanks by both of them. And as they were conversing about such things and exulting in the grace of God, the evening came upon them. And so, rising for prayer, they performed their customary services. Then also being mindful of food, Barlaam set out a lavish table, filled with spiritual seasoning, but having very little part in physical comfort. For there were raw vegetables, of which the elder was the cultivator and farmer, and a few dates found in that same desert, and wild herbs. Having given thanks, therefore, and having partaken of what was set before them, and having drunk water from the nearby spring, they again gave thanks to God, who opens his hand and fills every living thing. Rising again, and having completed the 580 nocturnal prayers, they again after the prayer took up spiritual conversation, going through words of salvation and filled with heavenly philosophy for the entire night, until dawn made them remember again their customary prayers. And Joasaph remained with Barlaam for a considerable time thus, pursuing this wonderful and superhuman way of life, and accompanying him as a father and teacher with all submission and humility, and training himself in every form of virtue, and being excellently taught the wrestling with the evil and invisible spirits. From this, he put all the passions to death; and he so subjected the mind of the flesh to the spirit, as a slave to a master, completely forgetting luxury and rest, and commanding sleep as an evil servant. and, to speak simply, so great was his struggle of asceticism, that even Barlaam himself, who had spent many years in it, marveled, and was overcome by his steadfast endurance. For he partook of that harsh and comfortless food only enough to stay alive, and not, by dying violently, be deprived of the rewards of good things

113

τε καὶ περιπτυξάμενοι θερμοτάταις ἠμείβοντο ἀλλήλους περιπλοκαῖς, χρονίου πόθου ἐμφορούμενοι ἀκορέστως. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀρκούντως περιέλαβον καὶ προσηγόρευσαν, καθίσαντες διωμίλουν. λόγου δὲ ἀρξάμενος ὁ Βαρλαάμ, Καλῶς ἦλθες, ἔλεγε, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, τέκνον Θεοῦ καὶ κληρονόμε τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃν ἠγάπησας, ὃν ἐπόθησας δικαίως ὑπὲρ τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ φθαρτά· καί, ὡς ἐχέφρων ἔμπορος καὶ σοφός, πάντα πωλήσας, τὸν ἀτίμητον ἐξωνήσω μαργαρίτην, καὶ τῷ ἀσύλῳ ἐντυχὼν θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Κυρίου, πάντα δέδωκας μηδενὸς φεισάμενος τῶν ὅσον οὔπω παρερχομένων, ἵνα τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀγοράσῃς ἑαυτῷ. δῴη σοι Κύριος ἀντὶ τῶν προσκαίρων τὰ αἰώνια, ἀντὶ τῶν φθαρτῶν τὰ ἄφθαρτα καὶ μὴ παλαιούμενα. Εἰπὲ γοῦν μοι, φίλτατε, πῶς ἐνταῦθα παρεγένου, πῶς μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἄφιξιν γέγονε τὰ κατὰ σέ, καὶ εἰ ἔγνω τὸν Θεὸν ὁ σὸς πατήρ, ἢ καὶ εἰσέτι, τῇ προτέρᾳ φερόμενος ἀφροσύνῃ, ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπάτης αἰχμαλωτίζεται. Ταῦτα τοῦ Βαρλαὰμ ἐρομένου, ἀναλαβὼν ὁ Ἰωάσαφ τὸν λόγον, ὅσα μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀποδη 578 μίαν γέγονεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅσα Κύριος εὐώδωσε μέχρι τῆς αὖθις συνελεύσεως αὐτῶν, πάντα κατὰ μέρος διῄει. Ὁ δὲ γέρων, ἀκούων σὺν ἡδονῇ καὶ θαύματι, θερμῶς δακρύων, ἔλεγε· ∆όξα σοι, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀεὶ παριστάμενος καὶ βοηθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε. δόξα σοι, Χριστέ, Βασιλεῦ τῶν ἁπάντων καὶ Θεὲ πανάγαθε, ὅτι εὐδόκησας τὸν σπόρον, ὃν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κατέβαλον τοῦ δούλου σου Ἰωάσαφ, οὕτως ἑκατοστεύοντα καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν, ἐπάξιον σοῦ τοῦ γεωργοῦ καὶ ∆εσπότου τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. δόξα σοι, Παράκλητε ἀγαθέ, τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα, ὅτι ἧς ἔδωκας χάριτος τοῖς ἁγίοις σου ἀποστόλοις, ταύτης μετασχεῖν κατηξίωσας τοῦτον, καὶ πολυάνθρωπα πλήθη τῆς δεισιδαίμονος δι' αὐτοῦ ἠλευθέρωσας πλάνης καὶ τῇ ἀληθινῇ ἐφώτισας θεογνωσίᾳ. Οὕτω παρ' ἀμφοτέρων ηὐχαριστεῖτο ὁ Θεός. καὶ τοιαῦτα ὁμιλούντων καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαλλιωμένων χάριτι, κατελάμβανεν ἡ ἑσπέρα. καὶ δὴ πρὸς εὐχὴν ἀναστάντες τὰς συνήθεις ἐτέλουν λειτουργίας. εἶτα καὶ τροφῆς μνησθέντες, παρετίθει πολυτελῆ ὁ Βαρλαὰμ τράπεζαν, τῆς πνευματικῆς πεπληρωμένην καρυκείας, αἰσθητῆς δὲ ἥκιστα μετέχουσαν παρακλήσεως. λάχανα γὰρ ἦσαν ὠμά, ὧν αὐτουργὸς καὶ γεωργὸς ἦν ὁ γέρων, καὶ φοίνικες ὀλίγοι ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ εὑρισκόμενοι ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἄγριαι βοτάναι. εὐχαριστήσαντες οὖν, καὶ τῶν παρατιθεμένων μεταλαβόντες, καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς παρατυγχανούσης πηγῆς πιόντες, τῷ ἀνοίγοντι χεῖρα καὶ ἐμπιπλῶντι πᾶν ζῷον αὖθις ηὐχαρίστουν Θεῷ. ἀναστάντες δὲ πάλιν, καὶ τὰς 580 νυκτερινὰς πληρώσαντες εὐχάς, τῆς πνευματικῆς πάλιν μετὰ τὴν εὐχὴν ἥπτοντο ὁμιλίας, λόγους σωτηρίους καὶ τῆς οὐρανίου πεπληρωμένους φιλοσοφίας παρ' ὅλην διεξερχόμενοι τὴν νύκτα, ἕως αὐτοὺς ὄρθρος τῶν συνήθων αὖθις μνησθῆναι εὐχῶν πεποίηκεν. Ἔμεινε δὲ Ἰωάσαφ μετὰ τοῦ Βαρλαὰμ ἱκανοὺς οὑτωσὶ χρόνους, τὴν θαυμαστὴν ταύτην καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον μετερχόμενος πολιτείαν, καὶ ὡς πατρὶ τούτῳ καὶ παιδευτῇ μεθ' ὅσης συμπαρομαρτῶν αὐτῷ ὑποταγῆς καὶ ταπεινώσεως, καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἰδέαν γυμναζόμενος ἀρετῆς, ἄριστά τε παιδευόμενος τὴν πάλην τῶν πονηρῶν καὶ ἀοράτων πνευμάτων. ἐντεῦθεν τὰ μὲν πάθη ἐθανάτωσε πάντα· τὸ φρόνημα δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς οὕτω καθυπέταξε τῷ πνεύματι, ὡς δοῦλον δεσπότῃ, τρυφῆς καὶ ἀναπαύσεως ἐπιλαθόμενος πάντη, τῷ ὕπνῳ δὲ ὡς κακῷ προστάσσων οἰκέτῃ. καί, ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, τοσοῦτος ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ ἀγὼν τῆς ἀσκήσεως, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν θαυμάζειν τὸν πολλοὺς ἐν ταύτῃ χρόνους διενεγκόντα Βαρλαάμ, καὶ τῆς καρτερᾶς αὐτῷ ἡττᾶσθαι ἐνστάσεως. τοσοῦτον μὲν γὰρ τῆς σκληρᾶς ἐκείνης καὶ ἀπαρακλήτου μετελάμβανε βρώσεως, ὅσον ἀποζῆν μόνον, καὶ μὴ βιαίως θανόντα τοὺς μισθοὺς ζημιωθῆναι τῆς τῶν καλῶν