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But when you see your mind, in its thoughts, dwelling on sins, and you do not check it, know that your body also will not take long to fall into the same things.

53. Just as the body has things as its world, so too the mind has thoughts as its world; and just as the body commits fornication with the body of a woman, so too the mind commits fornication with the thought of a woman, through the imagination of its own body. For it sees the form of its own body being mingled with the form of the woman in its thought. Likewise also it takes revenge in thought on the form of the one who has caused it pain, through the form of its own body. And similarly with the other sins. For what the body does in act in the world of things, these things the mind also does in the world of thoughts.

(1033) 54. Is it not a thing to shudder at and be amazed and astounded in one’s thought, that God the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son; and the Son cries out: Judge not, that you be not judged; Condemn not, that you be not condemned. And the Apostle likewise: Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes; and, In whatever judgment you judge another, you condemn yourself; but men, having ceased to weep for their own sins, have taken judgment from the Son, and themselves, as though sinless, judge and condemn one another? And heaven was astonished at this; and the earth shuddered; but they are not ashamed, being insensible.

55. He who meddles in the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet laid a foundation of repentance, nor sought to know [Fr. and to know] his own sins, which are in truth heavier than lead of many talents; nor has he known whence a man becomes hard of heart, loving vanity and seeking falsehood. For this reason, as one who is senseless and walks in darkness, leaving his own sins, he imagines those of others, whether they exist, or are supposed to exist out of suspicion.

56. Self-love, as has often been said, becomes the cause of all passionate thoughts. For from it are born the three most general thoughts of desire: gluttony, avarice, and vainglory. And from gluttony is born fornication; and from avarice, covetousness; and from vainglory, pride. All the rest follow each of the three: that of anger, and that of grief, and that of remembrance of wrongs, and that of despondency, and of envy, and of slander, and the rest. These passions, therefore, bind the mind to material things, and hold it down to the earth, lying upon it like a very heavy stone; although it is by nature lighter and swifter than fire.

57. The beginning of all passions is self-love; and the end is pride. Self-love is the irrational love for the body. He who cuts this off, has cut off with it all the passions that come from it.

58. Just as the parents of bodies are attached to those born from them; so too the mind is naturally attached to its own reasonings. And just as ((1036) to the more passionate of them, even if their children are in every way most ridiculous, they seem the most reasonable and most beautiful of all; so too to the senseless mind, its own reasonings, even if they are the most wicked of all, seem the most prudent of all. But to the wise man, his own reasonings are not so; but when he seems to be fully persuaded that they are true and good, then especially he does not trust his own judgment; but he makes other wise men judges of his own reasonings and thoughts, lest he should be running or have run in vain; and through them, he receives assurance.

59. When you have conquered one of the more dishonorable passions, such as gluttony, or fornication, or anger, or covetousness, immediately the thought of vainglory assails you; and if you conquer this, that of pride succeeds it.

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ὅταν δέ τόν νοῦν βλέπῃς κατά διάνοιαν ἁμαρτίαις σχολάζοντα, καί μή ἀνακόπτῃς, γίνωσκε καί τό σῶμά σου μή πολυχρονίζειν τοῦ τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν.

νγ΄. Ὥσπερ τό σῶμα ἔχει κόσμον τά πράγματα, οὕτω καί ὁ νοῦς ἔχει κόσμον τά νοήματα· καί ὥσπερ τό σῶμα πορνεύεται μετά τοῦ σώματος τῆς γυναικός, οὕτω καί ὁ νοῦς πορνεύει μετά τοῦ νοήματος τῆς γυναικός, διά τῆς φαντασίας τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος. Τήν γάρ μορφήν τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος βλέπει μιγνυμένην μετά τῆς μορφῆς τῆς γυναικός κατά διάνοιαν. Ὡσαύτως καί τήν μορφήν τοῦ λυπήσαντος ἀμύνεται κατά διάνοιαν, διά τῆς μορφῆς τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος. Καί ἐπί τῶν ἄλλων ἁμαρτημάτων ὁμοίως. Ἅπερ γάρ πράττει τό σῶμα κατ᾿ ἐνέργειαν εἰς τόν κόσμον τῶν πραγμάτων, ταῦτα πράττει καί ὁ νοῦς εἰς τόν κόσμον τῶν νοημάτων.

(1033) νδ΄. Οὐκ ἔστι φρίξαι καί ἐκπλαγῆναι καί ἐκστῆναι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὅτι ὁ μέν Θεός καί Πατήρ κρίνει οὐδένα, πᾶσαν δέ τήν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ· ὁ δέ Υἱός κράζει· Μή κρίνετε, ἵνα μή κριθῆτε· Μή καταδικάζετε, ἵνα μή καταδικασθῆτε. Ὁ δέ Ἀπόστολος ὁμοίως· Μή πρό καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἄν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος· καί, Ἐν ᾧ κρίματι κρίνεις τόν ἕτερον, σεαυτόν κατακρίνεις· οἱ δέ ἄνθρωποι ἀφέντες τό κλαίειν τάς ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτίας, ἦραν τήν κρίσιν ἀπό τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καί αὐτοί ὡς ἀναμάρτητοι, κρίνουσι καί καταδικάζουσι ἀλλήλους; Καί ὁ μέν οὐρανός ἐξέστη ἐπί τούτῳ· ἡ δέ γῆ, ἔφριξεν· αὐτοί δέ οὐκ αἰσχύνονται ἀναισθητοῦντες.

νε΄. Ὁ τάς τῶν ἄλλων ἁμαρτίας περιεργαζόμενος, ἤ καί ἐξ ὑπονοίας τόν ἀδελφόν κρίνων, οὔπω ἔβαλεν ἀρχήν μετανοίας, οὐδέ ἐρευνᾷν τοῦ γνῶναι [Fr. καί γνῶναι] τάς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ βαρυτέρας οὔσας μολίβδου πολυταλάντου· οὐδέ ἔγνω πόθεν γίνεται ἄνθρωπος βαρυκάρδιος ἀγαπῶν ματαιότητα καί ζητῶν ψεῦδος. ∆ιά τοῦτο ὡς ἄφρων καί ἐν σκότει διαπορευόμενος, ἀφείς τάς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας, τάς τῶν ἄλλων φαντάζεται, ἤ οὔσας, ἤ νομιζομένας ἐξ ὑπονοίας.

νστ΄. Ἡ φιλαυτία, ὡς πολλάκις εἴρηται, πάντων τῶν ἐμπαθῶν λογισμῶν αἰτία καθίσταται. Ἐκ γάρ ταύτης γεννῶνται οἱ τρεῖς γενικώτατοι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας λογισμοί· ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας, καί τῆς φιλαργυρίας καί τῆς κενοδοξίας. Ἐκ δέ τῆς γαστριμαργίας γεννᾶται ὁ τῆς πορνείας· ἐκ δέ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, ὁ τῆς πλενονεξίας· ἐκ δέ τῆς κενοδοξίας, ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανείας. Οἱ δέ λοιποί πάντες, ἑκάστῳ τῶν τριῶν ἀκολουθοῦσιν· ὅ τε τῆς ὀργῆς, καί ὁ τῆς λύπης καί ὁ τῆς μνησικακίας καί ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας καί φθόνου καί καταλαλιᾶς, καί οἱ λοιποί. Ταῦτα οὖν τά πάθη, συνδεσμοῦσι τόν νοῦν τοῖς ὑλικοῖς πράγμασι, καί κατέχουσιν αὐτόν εἰς τήν γῆν, λίθου δίκην βαρυτάτου αὐτῷ ἐπικείμενα· φύσει ὄντα αὐτόν πυρός κουφότερον καί ὀξύτερον.

νζ΄. Ἀρχή μέν πάντων τῶν παθῶν, ἡ φιλαυτία· τέλος δέ, ἡ ὑπερηφανία. Φιλαυτία δέ ἐστιν, ἡ πρός τό σῶμα ἄλογος φιλία. Ὁ ταύτην ἐκκόψας, συνέκοψε πάντα τά πάθη τά ἐξ αὐτῆς.

νη΄. Ὥσπερ οἱ γονεῖς τῶν σωμάτων, προσπάσχουσι τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν γεννωμένοις· οὕτω καί ὁ νοῦς, φυσικῶς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ πρόσκειται λόγοις. Καί ὥσπερ ((1036) τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐμπαθεστέροις, κἄν πάντως κατά πάντα ὦσιν οἱ παῖδες καταγελαστότατοι, πάντων φαίνονται ἐπιεικέστατοι καί εὐμορφότατοι· οὕτω καί τῷ ἄφρονι νῷ, οἱ αὐτοῦ λόγοι, κἄν πάντων ὦσι μοχθηρότεροι, πάντων φαίνονται φρονιμώτεροι. Τῷ δέ σοφῷ, οὐχ οὕτως οἱ ἑαυτοῦ λόγοι· ἀλλ᾿ ὅταν δόξῃ πληροφορεῖσθαι ὅτι ἀληθεῖς εἰσι καί καλοί, τότε μάλιστα οὐ πιστεύει τῆ ἑαυτοῦ κρίσει· ἀλλ᾿ ἄλλους σοφούς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ λόγων καί λογισμῶν κριτάς καθίστησι, μή εἰς κενόν τρέχῃ ἤ ἔδραμε· καί δι᾿ αὐτῶν, τήν βεβαίωσιν λαμβάνει.

νθ΄. Ὅταν τινά νικήσῃς τῶν ἀτιμοτέρων παθῶν, οἷον, ἤ γαστριμαργίαν, ἤ πορνείαν, ἤ ὀργήν, ἤ πλεονεξίαν, εὐθύς ἐφίπταται ἐπί σέ ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας λογισμός· ἐάν δέ τοῦτον νικήσῃς, ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας διαδέχεται.