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the admirable quality of the commandment will be saved. But he who does not choose thus, but to build a monastery on his own property and to summon a spiritual father, so that on his own property he might live as a monk and be guided and be saved, is ignorant that he toils rashly and in vain and will not find what he seeks, but on the contrary, monstrous things, since such a renunciation is not according to the Lord's commandment. If only one would be stripped of all material possessions and be far from one's own things and obtain the best spiritual father and thus cross the great sea of this life without danger, not that none of the aforementioned things is done, but from merely building a monastery and donning the grey habit and seeming to have a superior who is rather a steward, both hindering and being hindered, and neither saving nor being saved. Go forth, it says, from your land and from your kindred, take up the cross upon your shoulders, be spat upon, be struck, drink vinegar, be scourged, ascend the cross, pour out your blood whether spiritually or physically. But if you cannot bear these things, sit in your house, forcing yourself to be saved by the more humble life; for not even here is salvation without toil, but indeed through many tribulations. Do not now bring me examples; whatever is not according to the commandment of the Lord is unapproved, stale, scandalous, the work of one who has renounced in this way, but not of a divine command. But if you desire to found a new monastery, it is not unreasonable, but when you have handed it over to a man who is superior, no longer lay your hand upon it, as upon things that are not yours, and the matter will be well-pleasing to God and will meet you for eternal hospitality. We hand over to one who so chooses that brother, whom the seeker would choose, along with nine other brothers, willing to be subordinate to the one who leads. Behold, good friend, I have announced to you the rule of the monk. The manner of one establishing a monastery is our grant. For the rest, may the Lord be your consolation, making you wise in all things for salvation. 468 {1To Niketas the deputy}1 Since your commandment-loving right hand has brought us this gift and that, master, may it also accept what is from us, the humble. Our dispatches are prayers, thanksgivings, and if it is necessary to add anything else, admonitions; and what are these? that you fear God, have an orthodox faith, abstain from carnal desires, from fornication, adultery, impurity, every other licentiousness, but to choose to do divine things, to have mercy on the poor, to spare slaves, to extend a hand to your neighbor, to be humble-minded, to be restrained and not dissipated in the senses, through which the death of sin enters, to practice self-sufficiency, not to be drunk with wine, in which there is, to speak apostolically, debauchery, not to be a lover of money, in which is the root of all evils, to be at leisure in prayers, in readings, in psalmody, in mindfulness of death, upon which follows contrition of soul and tears (for the present life is for tears, O Christians, but not for laughter), by no means to swear nor to carry the precious name of God through the mouth as an oath (for it is not possible for one who swears to be saved), to be pure from the envy of Cain, from destructive slander, from God-hating hatred, from reviling which places one outside the kingdom of heaven, to honor the emperor, your parents, to love your spouse as yourself and not to know another's rib in fornication, upon which is the wrath of God (for God will judge fornicators and adulterers), to educate your children in a godly manner and to set yourself as an example for their understanding, and whatever else the word of the commandment requires for the salvation of the soul. These things, O master, are our repayment for your good provisions, which you should not dishonor, even if they proceeded from a dishonorable mouth; for the commandments of God are more precious than all gold and precious stones. 469 {1To Thomas, patriarch of Jerusalem}1 How greatly we the humble were pleased, having been deemed worthy of your all-wise address through your letter, it is possible for your supreme beatitude to perceive; who indeed, being raised high in apostolic rank and holding the person of the brother-of-God through lawful succession, could honor those unhonored like us with a mere address, as is fitting, let alone of such great things

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σωθήσεται τὸ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἀξιάγαστον. ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἑλόμενος, ἀλλὰ κτίζειν μοναστήριον ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ καθηγητὴν προσκαλούμενος, ὡς ἂν ἐν τοῖς αὑτοῦ καὶ μονάσῃ καὶ ὁδηγηθῇ καὶ σωθῇ, ἀγνοεῖ ὅτι εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην κοπιᾷ καὶ ἅπερ ζητεῖ οὐχ εὑρήσει, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἔκτοπα, ἐπειδὴ οὐ κατ' ἐντολὴν Κυρίου ἡ τοιαύτη ἀποταγή. ὤφελον γυμνωθῆναι πάσης ὕλης καὶ πόρρω τῶν ἰδίων γενέσθαι καὶ καθηγεμόνος ἐπιτυχεῖν ἀρίστου καὶ οὕτως περαιωθῆναι τὸ μέγα πέλαγος τοῦ τῇδε βίου ἀκινδύνως, οὐχ ὅτι μηδὲν τῶν προειρημένων, ἀλλ' ἐκ μόνου τοῦ οἰκοδομεῖν μοναστήριον καὶ τὸ φαιὸν περιβαλέσθαι καὶ ἡγούμενον δοκεῖν ἔχειν ὄντα μᾶλλον ἐπίτροπον καὶ συμποδίζοντα καὶ συμποδιζόμενον καὶ οὔτε σῴζοντα οὔτε σῳζόμενον. ἔξελθε, φησίν, ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, λάβε τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπ' ὤμων, ἐμπτύσθητι, κολαφίσθητι, πίε ὄξος, φραγελλώθητι, ἄνιθι ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρόν, κένωσον αἷμα εἴτ' οὖν νοητῶς εἴτ' οὖν αἰσθητῶς. εἰ δὲ μὴ φέροις ταῦτα, κάθου ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου, τῷ ταπεινοτέρῳ βίῳ ἐκβιαζόμενος σῴζεσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἀμογητὶ τὸ σῶσμα, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων. μή μοι τανῦν παραδείγματα προσοίσῃς, πᾶν ὅπερ οὐ κατ' ἐντολὴν Κυρίου ἀδόκιμον, ἕωλον, σκανδαλῶδες, τοῦ οὕτως ἀποταξαμένου ἔργον, ἀλλ' οὐ θείου προστάγματος. εἰ δὲ ἐρᾷς νεουργῆσαι μονήν, οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ εἰκότος, ἀλλ' ἐπὰν παραδώσῃς αὐτὴν ἀνδρὶ καθηγουμένῳ, μηκέτι ἐπιβαλεῖς τὴν χεῖρα ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐ σῶν, καὶ θεῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα εὐάρεστον καὶ ἀπαντήσει σοι εἰς ξενίαν αἰώνιον. ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τὸν οὕτως αἱρούμενον ἐπιδιδοῦμεν ἀδελφὸν ἐκεῖνον, ὃν ἐκλέγοιτο ὁ ἐπιζητῶν, μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων ἐννέα ἀδελφῶν, ἐθελόντων ὑποτάττεσθαι τῷ προηγουμένῳ. Ἰδού, φίλε καλέ, τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ μοναχοῦ ἀνήγγειλά σοι. ὁ τρόπος τοῦ συνιστάνοντος μοναστήριον ἡ ἡμετέρα ἐπίδοσις. τὸ λοιπὸν εἴη Κύριος παραμύθιόν σου, συνετίζων σε κατὰ πάντα εἰς σωτηρίαν. 468 {1Νικήτᾳ τοποτηρητῇ}1 Ἐπειδὴ ἐδωροφόρησεν ἡμῖν ἡ φιλέντολός σου δεξιὰ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο, δέσποτα, δέξοιτο καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡμῶν τῶν εὐτελῶν. αἱ ἡμέτεραι ἀποστολαὶ προσευχαί, εὐχαριστίαι, εἰ δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον δεῖ προσθεῖναι, νουθεσίαι· καὶ τίνες αὗται; φοβεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς τὸν θεόν, πίστιν ἔχειν ὀρθήν, ἀπέχεσθαι σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, πορνείας, μοιχείας, ἀκαθαρσίας, πάσης ἄλλης ἀσελγείας, αἱρεῖσθαι δὲ τὰ θεῖα πράττειν, ἐλεεῖν πτωχόν, φείδεσθαι δούλων, ὀρέγειν χεῖρα τῷ πλησίον, ταπεινοφρονεῖν, συνεσταλμένον εἶναι καὶ μὴ διακεχυμένον ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι, δι' ὧν θάνατος ἁμαρτίας ἄνεισιν, αὐταρκείας ἔχεσθαι, μὴ μεθύσκεσθαι οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν, ἀποστολικῶς εἰπεῖν, ἀσωτία, μὴ φιλαργυρεῖν, ἐν ᾧ ἡ ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν, σχολάζειν ἐν δεήσεσιν, ἐν ἀναγνώσεσιν, ἐν ψαλμῳδίαις, ἐν μερίμνῃ θανάτου, ἐφ' ᾗ κατάνυξις ψυχῆς καὶ δάκρυα (δακρύων γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος, ὦ χριστιανοί, ἀλλ' οὐ γελώτων), μηδαμῶς ὀμνύειν μηδὲ ὅρκιον τὸ πολυτίμητον ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ στόματος φέρειν (οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τὸν ὀμνύοντα σωθῆναι), καθαρεύειν φθόνου τοῦ Καΐτου, καταλαλιᾶς τῆς ὀλεθρίου, μίσους τοῦ ἐχθροθέου, λοιδορίας τῆς ἔξω τιθείσης βασιλείας οὐρανῶν, τιμᾶν τὸν βασιλέα, τοὺς γεννήτορας, ἀγαπᾶν ὡς ἑαυτὸν τὴν ὁμόζυγον καὶ μὴ γνωρίζειν ἄλλην πλευρὰν πορνικήν, ἐφ' ᾗ ὀργὴ θεοῦ (πόρνους γὰρ καὶ μοιχοὺς κρινεῖ ὁ θεός), παιδεύειν ἐνθέως τὰ τέκνα καὶ ἑαυτὸν ὑπόδειγμα τιθεῖν τῆς αὐτῶν συνέσεως, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὁ τῆς ἐντολῆς λόγος ἀπαιτεῖ εἰς σωτηρίαν ψυχῆς. Ταῦτα, ὦ δέσποτα, ἀμειπτήρια τῶν καλῶν σου παροχῶν, ἃ μὴ ἀτιμάσοις, κἂν ἐξ ἀτίμου στόματος προήχθη· θεοῦ γὰρ ἐντολαὶ παντὸς χρυσίου καὶ λίθων πολυτίμων τιμαλφέστεραι. 469 {1Θωμᾷ πατριάρχῃ Ἱεροσολύμων}1 Ἡλίκον ἥσθημεν οἱ ταπεινοί, τῆς διὰ τοῦ γράμματος πανσόφου ὑμῶν προσφωνήσεως ἠξιωμένοι, συνορᾶν πάρεστι τῇ κορυφαίᾳ ὑμῶν μακαριότητι· οἵ γε, τῷ ἀποστολικῷ βαθμῷ ὑπερανεστῶτες καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοθέου δι' ἐννόμου διαδοχῆς ἐπέχοντες πρόσωπον, καὶ ψιλῇ προσρήσει τιμᾶν ἔχοιτε τοὺς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀγεράστους κατὰ τὸ εἰκός, μὴ ὅτι γε τηλικούτων