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as he rejoices in our quickness, because indeed a swift obedience with poverty is better than tardiness with an abundance of money.

20. If the world and all things in the world pass away, but God alone is eternal and immortal, rejoice, all you who for His sake have left behind perishable things. And perishable things are not only wealth and money, but also every pleasure and enjoyment of sin is corruption. But only the commandments of God are light and life, and by all they are called this.

21. If you have received a flame, brother, and for this reason have run and come to a monastery or to a spiritual father, even if you are urged by him or by the brothers who are your fellow ascetics to make use of baths or foods or other bodily therapies for the sake of repose, do not accept this, but be always prepared for fasting, for hardship, for the utmost self-control, so that, if you are urged by your father in the Lord to partake of some comfort, you may be found obedient to him, yet not doing your own will by choice even in this; but if not, with joy you will endure what you willingly wished to do, being spiritually benefited. For by observing this, you will be in all things always as one fasting and practicing self-control and having renounced completely your own will. And not only this, but you will also keep unquenched the flame present in your heart, which compels you to despise all things.

22. When the demons have done everything in their power and have not been able to alter or hinder our purpose according to God, then they enter into those who feign piety and through them they try to hinder those who are struggling. And first, as if moved by love and sympathy, they advise them to proceed to bodily rests (389), "lest," it is said, "the body grow weak and you fall into listlessness." Then, being called to useless conversations, they make them spend their days in these. If one of the earnest ones obeys and becomes like them, they turn and mock his destruction. But if he is not led astray by their words, but keeps himself a stranger from all, and thoughtful, and without familiarity, they are moved to envy and do and practice everything until they drive him out of the monastery. For vainglory, when dishonored, cannot bear to see praised humility opposite it.

23. A vainglorious man is choked when he sees a humble-minded man shedding tears and being doubly benefited, making God merciful through them and unwillingly drawing men to praise him.

24. From the moment you have committed your whole self to your spiritual father, know that you are a stranger to all that you bring in from the outside, I mean to human affairs and possessions, without whom you should not wish to do or make anything with them, nor should you ask him to permit you any thing, small or great, unless he himself, by his own judgment, either commands you to take it, or he himself gives it to you with his own hand.

25. Do not give alms from the money you brought in without your father according to God, nor should you wish to receive any of it from him through an intermediary. For it is better for you to be and be called poor and a stranger than to scatter money and give to the needy, for it is introductory to pure faith to commit all things by your will as into the hand of God or of your spiritual father.

26. Do not, then, ask for a drink of water, even if you happen to be burning with thirst, until your spiritual father, moved of his own accord, urges you. For constrain and compel yourself in all things, persuading and saying to your thought, "If God wills," "and if you are worthy to drink, He will surely reveal it to your spiritual (390) father and he will say to you, 'Drink.'" and then you will drink with a clean conscience, even if the hour is inopportune.

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ὡς ἐν ταχύτητι ἡμῶν ἐπευφραίνεται, ἐπειδή καί κρεῖσσον ὑπακοή σύντομος μετά πενίας ἤ βραδύτης μετά πλήθος χρημάτων.

κ΄. Εἰ ὁ κόσμος καί τά ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ πάντα παρέρχονται, ὁ δέ Θεός μόνος ἀΐδιός ἐστι καί ἀθάνατος, χαίρετε ὅσοι δι᾿ αὐτόν τά φθαρτά κατελείψατε φθαρτά δέ εἰσιν οὐ μόνον πλοῦτος καί χρήματα, ἀλλά καί πᾶσα ἡδονή καί ἀπόλαυσις ἁμαρτίας φθορά ἐστι μόναι δέ αἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολαί φῶς εἰσι καί ζωή καί τοῦτο παρά πάντων καλοῦνται.

κα΄. Εἰ φλόγα ἔλαβες, ἀδελφέ, καί δραμών παρεγένου ἐν κοινοβίῳ ἤ πνευματικῷ πατρί διά τοῦτο, κἄν προτρέπῃ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἤ παρά τῶν συνασκομένων σοι ἀδελφῶν λουτροῖς ἤ βρώμασιν ἤ ἄλλαις θεραπείαις σωματικαῖς χρήσασθαι ἀναπαύσεως χάριν, τοῦτο μή καταδέξῃ, ἀλλ᾿ ἀεί παρεσκευασμένος ἔσο πρός νηστείαν, πρός κακοπάθειαν, πρός ἐγκράτειαν ἀκροτάτην, ἵνα, εἰ μέν παρά τοῦ σοῦ ἐν Κυρίῳ πατρός προτραπῇς μετασχεῖν παρακλήσεως, εὑρεθῇς ἐκείνῳ μέν ὑπήκοος, τό δέ ἴδιόν σου μηδέ ἐν τούτῳ ποιῶν ἐκ προαιρέσεως θέλημα εἰ δέ μή, μετά χαρᾶς ὑπομενεῖς ἅπερ ἑκουσίως ποιῆσαι ἠθέλησας ψυχικῶς ὠφελούμενος. Τοῦτο γάρ φυλάττων, ἔσῃ διά παντός ἐπί πᾶσιν ὡς νηστεύων καί ἐγκρατευόμενος καί τό ἴδιον ἀποταξάμενος παντάπασι θέλημα οὐ μήν δέ ἀλλά καί τήν ἐνοῦσαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου φλόγα ἄσβεστον διατηρήσεις, τήν πάντων καταφρονεῖν σε βιάζουσαν.

κβ΄. Ὅταν πάντα τά παρ᾿ ἑαυτῶν οἱ δαίμονες πράξωσι καί τόν κατά Θεόν ἡμῶν σκοπόν μεταστῆσαι οὐ δυνηθῶσιν ἤ ἐμποδίσαι, τότε τοῖς τήν εὐλάβειαν ὑποκρινομένοις ὑπεισέρχονται καί δι᾿ αὐτῶν τούς ἀγωνιζομένους ἐμποδίζειν πειρῶνται. Καί πρῶτον μέν, ὡς ἐξ ἀγάπης δῆθεν καί συμπαθείας κινούμενοι, εἰς σωματικάς ἀναπαύσεις (389) χωρεῖν παραινοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μή καί τό σῶμα ἀδυνατήσῃ, φησί, καί εἰς ἀκηδίαν ἐμπέσητε. Ἔπειτα εἰς συντυχίας ἀνωφελεῖς ἐκκαλούμενοι, τάς ἡμέρας ἐν ταύταις προσαναλίσκειν αὐτούς ποιοῦσιν. Εἰ μέν τις ὑπακούσας τῶν σπουδαίων ὁμοιωθῇ αὐτοῖς, στρέφονται καί ἐπεγγελῶσι τήν αὐτοῦ ἀπώλειαν εἰ δέ μή ὑπαχθῇ τοῖς αὐτῶν λόγοις, ἀλλά τηρεῖ ἑαυτόν ξένον ἐκ πάντων καί σύννουν καί ἀπαρρησίαστον, κινοῦνται εἰς φθόνον καί πάντα ποιοῦσι καί πράττουσιν ἕως οὗ καί τῆς μονῆς αὐτόν ἐκδιώξωσιν οὐ φέρει γάρ κενοδοξία ἄτιμος ἐπαινουμένην ταπείνωσιν ὁρᾶν ἀπεναντίας αὐτῆς.

κγ΄. Ἄγχεται κενόδοξος ταπεινόφρονα ὁρῶν προχέοντα δάκρυα καί δισσῶς ὠφελούμενον, Θεόν ἵλεω δι᾿ αύτῶν ἐργαζόμενον καί ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἔπαινον ἐπισπώμενον ἀβουλήτως.

κδ΄. Ἀφ᾿ οὗ σεαυτόν ὅλον τῷ πνευματικῷ σου ἀναθῇ πατρί, ἴσθι ὡς ξένος εἶ ἐπί πᾶσιν οἷς ἔξωθεν ἐπιφέρῃ, ἀνθρωπίνοις λέγω πράγμασί τε καί χρήμασιν οὗ χωρίς μηδέν ἐν αὐτοῖς πρᾶξαι ἤ ποιῆσαι θελήσῃς, ἀλλά μηδέ μικρόν ἤ μέγα αἰτήσῃ πρᾶγμα αὐτῷ ἐᾶσαί σοι, εἰ μή τοι αὐτός τῇ οἰκείᾳ γνώμῃ, ἤ προστάξῃ λαβεῖν ἤ αὐτός ἐκεῖνος αὐτοχείρως παρέξῃ σοι.

κε΄. Μή δῷς ἄνευ τοῦ κατά Θεόν πατρός σου ἐλεημοσύνην ἐξ ὧν χρημάτων εἰσήνεγκας, ἀλλά μηδέ διά μεσίτου σου λαβεῖν τινα ἐξ αὐτῶν παρ᾿ ἐκείνου θελήσῃς. Κρεῖττον γάρ πτωχόν καί ξένον εἶναί τε καί ἀκούειν σε ἤ σκορπίζειν χρήματα καί διδόναι τοῖς πένησι, εἰσαγωγικόν ὄντα πίστεως δέ ἀκραιφνοῦς τό πάντα ὡς ἐν χειρί Θεοῦ ἤ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ πατρός ἀναθέσθαι βουλήσει.

κστ΄. Μή δή λαβεῖν ὕδατος αἰτήσῃ ποτόν, εἰ καί συμβῇ σε φλέγεσθαι, μέχρις ἄν οἴκοθεν κινηθείς ὁ πνευματικός σου πατήρ προτρέψηται. Ἄγχε γάρ σεαυτόν καί βιάζου ἐν πᾶσι, πείθων καί λέγων τῷ λογισμῷ «Εἰ θέλει ὁ Θεός» καί εἰ ᾗς ἄξιος τοῦ πιεῖν, ἀποκαλύπτει πάντως τῷ πνευματικῷ σου (390) πατρί καί λέγει σοι «Πίε» καί τηνικαῦτα πίεσαι μετά καθαροῦ συνειδότος, εἰ καί παρά τόν καιρόν ἡ ὥρα ἐστίν.