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to be, because of their worthlessness; nor always in the natural, because of not always pursuing rest. But of the contemplative, they become despisers of contemptible theorems.

si'. Clods of dew, indeed, intoxicate the furrows of the earth; but the dispositions of a soul in prayer, are moist sighs rising from the heart.

sia'. (1452) Of the divinity conceived in the Trinity, no one will be seen in contemplation, unless he has been seen from above the material dyad, and the neighboring monad; nor will he become higher than this, unless he has worked his own mind to be solitary for things conceived.

sib'. It will not be found so difficult to check the course of a river that it not flow downwards, as to restrain the rush of the mind, that it not be scattered among visible things, but be gathered to things above and akin, whenever the one praying wishes; even though the latter is according to nature, while the former has been established contrary to nature.

sig'. Those who are being purified, sending their mind within [outside] of visible things, are so filled with amazement, and are filled with such joy, that they are able to contain nothing else of earthly things, not even if all the things men fight for were to flow to them.

sid'. The laws of nature that have been spoken are sufficient, even by themselves, to be greatly marveled at; but when understood, they are found to be meadows rich in flowers, as from a heavenly nectar, teeming with the sweetness of the spiritual banquet in their pure flowers.

sie'. Bees, indeed, settle around the queen of the swarm amidst the fresh flowers of the meadows; but in a soul that has come to be in unceasing compunction, the noetic powers, as if kindred, encircle it and long together for the things dear to its heart.

sist'. In the visible world, man is seen as another world; but in the intelligible world, the thought. For the one is a messenger of heaven and the things in between for the other; and thought is an interpreter of mind and sense, and the things concerning them; without which, both worlds would have been deafened.

siz'. A captive released after a time does not travel so, as a mind freed from material attachments, travels toward the heavenly things as toward its own with exulting foot.

sih'. To one who prays not with attention, but is distracted, the psalm will be reckoned as barbarian; and he to the psalm, as a barbarian; and both as madmen to the demons.

sith'. (1453) It is not the same for those to whom the world has been crucified, and those who have been crucified to the world. For to the first, the nails are fasting and vigil; but to the second, dispossession and contempt. But without the latter, the labors of the former are useless.

sk'. He who is held by a passion for beauty and for honor cannot pray purely. For attachments to these things, and the thoughts of vanity having kinship with them, become like ropes entwined about him, dragging him down like a bound sparrow trying to fly up at the time of prayer.

ska'. It is impossible for the mind to become peaceful in prayer, for one who has not acquired self-control and dear love. For the one struggles to destroy the enmity of the body against the soul; the other, that towards the neighbor for the sake of God. And from there the peace which surpasses all understanding, visiting, has promised to make its dwelling only with one who has thus been pacified.

skb'. It is necessary for the one striving to enter the kingdom of God, that the work of his righteousness abound in good things; in almsgiving, through the provision from his own want; and in labors, those for the sake of peace, through the endurance in the Lord of deprivation.

skg'. Neither he who is deficient in virtue on account of negligence, nor he who is excessive on account of conceit, will be found within the harbor of dispassion. For neither of those from

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εἶναι, διά τό αὐτῶν εὐτελές· οὔτε ἀεί ἐν τῇ φυσικῇ, διά τό μή τήν ἀνάπαυσιν διώκειν ἀεί. Τῶν μέντοι θεωρητικῶν, περιπεζίων ὑπερόπται θεωρημάτων καθίστανται.

σι΄. Βόλοι μέν δρόσου, γῆς μεθύσκουσιν αὔλακας διαθέσεις δέ ψυχῆς ἐν εὐχῇ, ἔμβροχοι στεναγμοί ἀπό καρδίας ἀναδιδόμενοι.

σια΄. (1452) Τῆς ἐν Τριάδι νοουμένης θεότητος, οὐδείς ἐν θεωρίᾳ ὀφθήσεται, ὑλικῆς δυάδος, καί τῆς γείνονος μονάδος ἄνωθεν μή ὀφθείς· οὐδέ ταύτης γενήσεται ὑψηλότερος, μή μοναδικόν τόν ἑαυτοῦ νοουμένοις ἐργασάμενος νοῦν.

σιβ΄. Οὐ τοσοῦτον δυσχερές εὑρεθήσεται τό ποταμοῦ ἀνακόψαι ὁδόν ἐπί τά κάτω μή φέρεσθαι, ὅσον νοῦν ῥύμην ἀναχαιτίσαι, μή ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις σκεδάννυσθαι, πρός δέ τά ἄνω καί συγγενῆ, ὅτε βούλεται τῷ εὐχομένῳ συνάγεσθαι· κἄν τοῦτο μέν κατά φύσιν, ἐκεῖνο δέ παρά φύσιν καθέστηκεν.

σιγ΄. Τόν νοῦν οἱ καθαιρόμενοι εἴσω [ἔξω] τῶν ὁρωμένων παραπέμποντες, τοσούτου πίμλανται θάμβους, καί τοσαύτης πληροῦνται χαρᾶς, ὡς μηδέν ἕτερον χωρῆσαι τῶν ἐπιγείων δύνασθαι, μηδ᾿ ἄν εἰ πάντα πρός αὐτούς συῤῥυεῖεν τά περιμάχητα.

σιδ᾿ Ἐξαρκοῦσι καί μόνοι οἱ νόμοι ῥηθέντες τῆς φύσεως, πρός τό λίαν θαυμάζεσθαι· κατανοούμενοι δέ, λειμῶνες εὑρίσκονται εὐανθεῖς, ὡς ἐξ οὐρανίου νέκταρος, ἀκηράτοις βρύοντες ἄνθεσι τῆς πνευματικῆς πανδαισίας τόν γλυκασμόν.

σιε΄. Ἐν δροσεροῖς μέν ἄνθεσι λειμώνων τήν βασιλίδα τοῦ σμήνους περιιζάνουσι μέλιτται· ἐν κατανύξει δέ τῇ γενομένῃ ἀδιαλείπτως ψυχῇ, ὡς οἰκεῖαι αἱ νοεραί δυνάμεις περικυκλοῦσαι, συνεκποθοῦσι τά καταθύμια.

σιστ΄. Ἐν μέν τῷ ὁρωμένῳ κόσμῳ, ὡς ἄλλος τις κόσμος ὁρᾶται ὁ ἄνθρωπος· ἐν δέ τῷ νοουμένῳ, ὁ λογισμός· οὐρανοῦ μέν γάρ καί τῶν ἐν μέσῳ οὗτος ἐκείνῳ καταγγελεύς· νοῦ δέ καί αἰσθήσεως, καί τῶν περί αὐτά, ὑποφήτης ὑπάρχει ὁ λογισμός· ὧν ἄνευ, ἀμφότεροι κόσμοι ἐκεκώφωντο ἄν.

σιζ΄. Οὐχ οὕτως ἀπολυθείς αἰχμάλωτος διά χρόνον πορεύεται, ὡς νοῦς τῶν ὑλικῶν σχέσεων ἐλευθερωθείς, πρός τά οὐράνια ὡς πρός τά οἰκεῖα πορεύεται ἀγαλλομένῳ ποδί.

σιη΄. Τῷ μή μετά προσοχῆς εὐχομένῳ, ἀλλά διαχεομένῳ, βάρβαρος μέν ὁ ψαλμός λογισθήσεται· αὐτός δέ τῷ ψαλμῷ, ὡς βάρβαρος· καί ὡς μαινόμενοι ἀμφότεροι δαίμοσιν.

σιθ΄. (1453) Οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστιν οἷς ἐσταυρώθη ὁ κόσμος, καί οἵτινες τῷ κόσμῳ ἐσταύρωνται. Τοῖς μέν γάρ, ἧλοι νηστεία καί ἀγρυπνία· τοῖς δέ, ἀκτημοσύνη καί ἐξουδένωσις. Τῶν δέ δευτέρων χωρίς, οἱ πόνοι τῶν προτέρων ἀνωφελεῖς.

σκ΄. Οὐ καθαρῶς δύναται προσεύξασθαι, ὁ φιλοκάλῳ πάθει καί φιλοτίμῳ κρατούμενος. Περί ταῦτα γάρ αἱ σχέσεις, καί οἱ τῆς ματαιότητος λογισμοί τήν οἰκειότητα ἔχοντες, σχοινία καθάπερ ἐκείνῳ περιπλεκόμενοι γίνονται, κατασπῶντες ὡς οἷα στρουθίον δεδεμένον ἀναπτῆναι πειρώμενον ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς εὐχῆς.

σκα΄. Ἀδύνατον εἰρηνικόν γενέσθαι τόν νοῦν ἐν εὐχῇ, ἐγκράτειαν καί ἀγάπην φίλην τόν μή κτησάμενον. Ἡ μέν γάρ, τήν κατά τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἔχθραν καταλύειν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι· ἡ δέ, τήν πρός τόν πλησίον διά τόν Θεόν. Κἀντεῦθεν ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν εἰρήνη ἐπιδημοῦσα, μόνην ποιεῖσθαι πρός τόν οὑτωσί κατειρηνεύσαντα ἐπηγγείλατο.

σκβ΄. Ἀνάγκη τοῦ εἰς βασιλείαν Θεοῦ ἀγωνιζομένου εἰσελθεῖν, περισσεύειν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τό ἔργον τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ· ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις μέν, διά τῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὑστερήματος παροχῆς· ἐν πόνοις δέ, τοῖς ὑπέρ τῆς εἰρήνης, διά τοῦ ἀποστερήματος τῆς ἐν Κυρίῳ ὑπομονῆς.

σκγ΄. Οὔτε ὁ ἐνδεῶς πρός ἀρετήν ἔχων διά τήν ἀμέλειαν, οὔτε ὁ περιττῶς διά τήν οἴησιν, εἴσω λιμένος τοῦ κατά τήν ἀπάθειαν εὑρεθήσονται. Οὐδέτερος γάρ τῶν ἐκ