200
being dominated by things perceived by the senses; and he established the pain of sense-perception, being deprived of all things perceptible according to nature. For where reason takes precedence over sense-perception in the contemplation of visible things, the flesh is deprived of all pleasure according to nature, not having sense-perception unrestrained, and freed from the bonds of reason, for the service of its own pleasures.
Therefore, as I said, since pleasure according to sense-perception establishes the pain of the soul, that is, toil—for both are the same thing—and pleasure according to the soul is naturally disposed to produce the pain of sense-perception, that is, toil; it is fitting that the one who longs for the life according to the hope of our God and Savior Jesus Christ through the resurrection of the dead unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven, has, according to the soul, exultation and rejoices with an unspeakable joy, being continually gladdened by the hope of future good things [Fr. et. Reg. γαννυμένην]; but according to the flesh and sense-perception, pain. That is, the toils that come upon it from various trials, and the anguish from them; for pleasure and toil accompany every virtue; toil indeed of the flesh, being deprived of agreeable and smoother sensation; but anguish of soul, delighting in the pure reasons in the spirit apart from everything sensible.
It is necessary, therefore, for the mind in the present life—for this is what "now" means to me—though grieving according to the flesh because of the many toils of the trials brought upon it for the sake of virtue, always to rejoice and be pleased according to the soul, because of the hope of eternal good things, even if its sense-perception is exhausted; for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us, says the divine Apostle.
Thus, then, in my opinion, a man is able to rejoice in that in which he grieves. For grieving in virtue according to the flesh (600) because of the toils, he rejoices in that same virtue according to the soul, as he beholds the beauty of future things as present; for the sake of which, according to the great David, by the volitional renunciation of the flesh he dies each day, he who is ever renewed according to the soul's birth in the spirit; since indeed he has both saving pleasure and profitable pain. For we do not mean the irrational pain of the masses, which destroys the soul over the deprivation of passions or material things; as when they have impulses contrary to nature towards what they ought not, and aversions from what they ought not; but the rational pain, approved by those wise in divine things, and signifying a present evil. For they say that pain is a present evil, established according to the soul when pleasure according to sense-perception prevails over rational discernment; but existing according to sense-perception when the soul's course according to virtue is accomplished without hindrance, bringing upon sense-perception toils in proportion to the pleasure and joy it produces in the soul that is brought to God through the kindred illumination according to virtue and knowledge.
SCHOLIA. a. He speaks of the pain according to the soul. b. He has now called the anguish according to sense-perception, pain. c. He says that the pain according to the soul is the end of the pleasure according to sense-perception; for from
this is established the pain of the soul; just as, therefore, the end of the pleasure according to the soul is the pain according to the flesh; for the gladness of the soul becomes the pain of the flesh.
d. Successive definitions of pain, referring to the cause according to which it is naturally produced.
e. He speaks of a twofold pain: the one relating to sense-perception, established by the deprivation of bodily pleasures; the other relating to the mind, by the deprivation of the soul's
200
τῶν αἰσθήσει θεωρουμένων κρατούμενος· τήν δέ τῆς αἰσθήσεως συνεστήσατο λύπην, πάντων κατά φύσιν τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐστερημένος. Ἔνθα γάρ προκαθηγεῖται ὁ λόγος τῆς αἰσθήσεως κατά τήν τῶν ὁρατῶν θεωρίαν, πάσης ἐστέρηται τῆς κατά φύσιν ἡ σάρξ ἡδονῆς, οὐκ ἔχουσα τήν αἴσθησιν ἄφετον, καί τῶν λογικῶν ἀπολελυμένην δεσμῶν, εἰς ὑπηρεσίαν τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτήν ἡδονῶν.
Οὐκοῦν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐπειδή τήν μέν τῆς ψυχῆς λύπην, ἤγουν τόν πόνον· ταὐτόν γάρ ἀλλήλοις ἀμφότερα, ἡ κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν ἡδονή συνίστησι· τήν δέ τῆς αἰσθήσεως λύπην, ἤγουν τόν πόνον, ἡ κατά ψυχήν ἡδονή ποιεῖν πέφυκεν· εἰκότως ὁ τῆς κατ᾿ ἐλπίδα ζωῆς Τοῦ Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δι᾿ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν εἰς κληρονομίαν ἄφθαρτον καί ἀμίαντον καί ἀμάραντον τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐφιέμενος, κατά μέν ψυχήν ἀγαλλίασιν ἔχει καί χαράν χαίρει ἀνεκλάλητον, διηνεκῶς τῇ τῆς μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδι γαννύμενος [Fr. et. Reg. γαννυμένην]· κατά δέ τήν σάρκα καί τήν αἴσθησιν, λύπην. Ἤγουν τούς ἐκ τῶν ποικίλων πειρασμῶν ἐπιγινομένους αὐτῇ πόνους, καί τάς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ὀδύνας· πάσῃ γάρ ἀρετῇ, ἡδονή καί πόνος παρέπεται· πόνος μέν σαρκός, ἐστερημένης τῆς προσηνοῦς καί λειοτέρας αἰσθήσεως· ὀδύνη δέ ψυχῆς, παντός αἰσθητοῦ καθαροῖς ἐντρυφώσης τοῖς ἐν πνεύματι λόγοις.
∆έον οὖν ἐστι τόν νοῦν κατά τήν παροῦσαν ζωήν· τοῦτο γάρ μοι νοεῖται τό, νῦν· κατά σάρκα λυπούμενον, διά τούς πολλούς πόνους τῶν ὑπέρ ἀρετῆς αὐτῷ προσαγομένων πειρασμῶν, ἀεί χαίρειν κατά ψυχήν καί ἥδεσθαι, διά τήν ἐλπίδα τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, κἄν ἔχῃ καταπονουμένην τήν αἴσθησιν· οὐ γάρ ἄξια τά παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ, πρός τήν μέλλουσαν δόξαν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι, φησίν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος.
Οὕτως οὖν κατ᾿ ἐμέ φάναι, δύναται χαίρειν ἄνθρωπος ἐφ᾿ ᾧ λυπεῖται. Τῇ γάρ ἀρετῇ κατά σάρκα (600) μέν διά τούς πόνους λυπούμενος, ἐν αὐτῇ χαίρει τῇ ἀρετῇ κατά ψυχήν, ὡς παροῦσαν θεώμενος τήν τῶν μελλόντων εὐπρέπειαν· ὑπέρ ἧς κατά τόν μέγαν ∆αβίδ, τῇ κατά γνώμην ἀπογενέσει τῆς σαρκός καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἀποθνήσκει τήν ἡμέραν, ὁ κατά τήν ψυχῆς ἐν πνεύματι γένεσιν ἀεί καινιζόμενος· ἅτε δή καί τήν ἡδονήν ἔχων σωτήριον, καί τήν λύπην ὠφέλιμον. Λύπην γάρ φαμεν οὐ τήν παράλογον καί τῶν πολλῶν, ἐπί στερήσει παθῶν ἤ πραγμάτων ὑλικῶν τήν ψυχήν ἀφανίζουσαν· ὡς τάς ὁρμάς παρά φύσιν ἐφ᾿ ἅ μή δεῖ, καί τάς ἀποφυγάς ἀφ᾿ ὧν μή δεῖ ποιουμένων· ἀλλά τήν λελογισμένην καί τοῖς τά θεῖα σοφοῖς ἐγκριθεῖσαν, καί τό παρόν κακόν ὑποσημαίνουσαν. Παρόν γάρ κακόν, φασίν εἶναι τήν λύπην, συνισταμένην μέν κατά ψυχήν, ὅταν ἡ κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν ἡδονή τῆς λογικῆς κρατῇ διακρίσεως· ὑφισταμένην δέ κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν, ὅταν τῆς ψυχῆς κατ᾿ ἀρετήν ἀκωλύτως ὁ δρόμος ἀνύεται, τοσοῦτον ἐπάγων τῇ αἰσθήσει τούς πόνους, ὅσον ἡδονήν ἐμποιεῖ καί χαράν τῇ ψυχῆ τῷ Θεῷ προσαγομένῃ, διά τῆς συγγενοῦς κατ᾿ ἀρετήν τε καί γνῶσιν ἐλλάμψεως.
ΣΧΟΛΙΑ. α΄. Τήν κατά ψυχήν λύπην φησί. β΄. Τήν κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν ὀδύνην, λύπην νῦν προσηγόρευσε. γ΄. Τήν κατά ψυχήν λύπην τέλος εἶναί φησι τῆς κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν ἡδονῆς· ἐκ γάρ
ταύτης συνίσταται λύπη ψυχῆς· ὥσπερ οὖν καί τῆς κατά ψυχήν ἡδονῆς τέλος ἐστίν ἡ κατά σάρκα λύπη· ψυχῆς γάρ εὐφροσύνη, σαρκός γίνεται λύπη.
δ΄. Ὁρισμοί λύπης ἐπάλληλοι πρός τήν αἰτίαν, καθ᾿ ἥν γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν, ἀναφέροντες.
ε΄. ∆ιττήν τήν λύπην λέγει· τήν μέν περί τήν αἴσθησιν, κατά στέρησιν τῶν σωματικῶν ἡδονῶν συνισταμένην· τήν δέ περί νοῦν, κατά στέρησιν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς