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But evils were properly, not those that grieve the conscience, but purify the soul,

but those that grieve the conscience, but delight the flesh. α´. Think good thoughts, and consider good things concerning every person. β´. We are required by God to give an account of words and deeds and thoughts on the day

of judgment. γ´. The disposition of virtue or of vice moves us to think, or to say, or to do good or evil things. δ´. A mind overcome by the passions thinks improper things; and words and deeds make the thought

manifest. ε´. A passion precedes an evil thought, and sense perception has become the cause of the passion, and of

its evil use, clearly, the mind. στ´. Shut out sense perception; and make war on preconception, and with the weapons of the

commandments destroy your passions. ζ´. Vice that has become chronic requires long training; for a habit, once established, is not suddenly

moved. η´. Intense training of self-control and love, through patience and quietude, removed the things

lying within. θ´. (1449) Move the mind to prayer continually, and you will destroy the thoughts

that stand over the heart. ι´. Training requires patience and long-suffering; for by long-continued love of labor, the love of pleasure

is exiled. ια´.You are easily trained in the labors of ascetic practice, if you accomplish all things with measure and rule.

ιβ´. Keep the measure of the training equal, and do not break the rule except out of

necessity. ιγ´. Just as love and self-control purify thoughts, so do contemplation and prayer purify every high thing

that exalts itself. ιδ´. The labors of ascetic practice make a clean conscience, such as fasting, vigils,

patience, long-suffering. ιε´. He who endures the assaults of involuntary temptations becomes humble-minded, and

approved, and hopeful. ιστ´. Patience is the love of labor of the soul; and this consists of voluntary labors and

involuntary temptations. ιζ´. Endurance of dreadful things begets guilelessness, and patience until the end begets release from evil in the

end. ιη´. The infliction of pains distresses sense perception, and the onset of grief destroys pleasure. ιθ´. There are four most general passions, which shrewdness wisely uses against one another. κ´. For the infliction of grief restrains pleasure, and the fear of punishments withers desire.

κα´. A prudent mind trains its soul, and accustoms its body to all ascetic practice.

κβ´. Hasten to show yourself a monk, not the outer man, but also freeing the inner man from the passions.

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Ἀλλ᾿ ἧν κακά κυρίως, οὐ τά τήν συνείδησιν λυποῦντα, τήν δέ ψυχήν καθαίροντα,

ἀλλά τά τήν συνείδησιν λυποῦντα, τέρποντα δέ τήν σάρκα. α´. Ἀγαθά διανοοῦ, καί περί παντός ἀνθρώπου καλά διαλογίζου. β´. Λόγων καί ἔργων καί ἐννοιῶν ἀπολογίαν ἀπαιτούμεθα παρά Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ

κρίσεως. γ´. Ἡ ἕξις τῆς ἀρετῆς ἤ τῆς κακίας κινεῖ ἡμᾶς ἐπί τά καλά ἤ τά κακά ἐννοεῖν, ἤ

λέγειν, ἤ διαπράττεσθαι. δ´. Νοῦς ἀπό παθῶν κεκρατημένος, ἐννοεῖ τά μή πρέποντα· φανεροῦσι δέ τήν

ἔννοιαν οἱ λόγοι καί τά ἔργα. ε´. Κακῆς ἐννοίας προηγεῖται πάθος, τοῦ δέ πάθους αἰτία καθέστηκεν ἡ αἴσθησις, τῆς

δέ κακῆς αὐτῆς χρήσεως, δῆλον ὅτι ὁ νοῦς. στ´. Ἀπόκλεισον τήν αἴσθησιν· καί πολέμησον τήν πρόληψιν, καί ὅπλοις τῶν

ἐντολῶν ἄνελέ σου τά πάθη. ζ´. Κακία χρονίσασα, ἀσκήσεως δεῖται χρονίας· συνήθεια γάρ παγιωθεῖσα ἀθρόως οὐ

μετακινεῖται. η´. Ἄσκησις ἐπιτεταμένη ἐγκρατείας καί ἀγάπης, δι᾿ ὑπομονῆς καί ἡσυχίας ἀνεῖλε τά

ἐγκείμενα. θ´. (1449) Κίνει τόν νοῦν εἰς προσευχήν συνεχῶς, καί διαφθείρεις τούς λογισμούς

ἐφεστῶτας τῇ καρδίᾳ. ι´. Ὑπομονῆς δεῖται καί μακροθυμίας ἄσκησις· χρονίᾳ γάρ φιλοπονίᾳ φιληδονία

ἐξορίζεται. ια´.Ῥαδίως γυμνάζῃ εἰς τούς τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνους, ἐάν πάντα τῷ μέτρῳ καί κανόνι

διαπράξῃ. ιβ´. Ἴσον τό μέτρον τῆς ἀσκήσεως φύλαττε, καί μή λύσῃς κανόνα ἐκτός τῆς

ἀνάγκης. ιγ´. Ὥσπερ λογισμούς καθαίρει ἀγάπη καί ἐγκράτεια, οὕτως πᾶν ὕψωμα

ἐπαιρόμενον θεωρία καί προσευχή. ιδ´. Συνείδησιν καθαράν πόνοι ποιοῦσιν ἀσκήσεως, οἷον νηστεία, ἀγρυπνία,

ὑπομονή, μακροθυμία. ιε´. Ὁ τῶν ἀκουσίων πειρασμῶν τάς ἐπαγωγάς ὑπομένων, ταπεινόφρων, καί

δόκιμος, καί εὔελπις γίνεται. ιστ´. Ὑπομονή ἐστιν φιλοπονία ψυχῆς· συνίσταται δέ αὕτη ἐξ ἑκουσίων πόνων καί

ἀκουσίων πειρασμῶν. ιζ´. Τίκτει ἀκακίαν ἡ τῶν δεινῶν καρτερία, καί ἀπόλυσιν κακίας εἰς τό τέλος ἡ μέχρι

τέλους ὑπομονή. ιη´. Αἴσθησιν ὀδυνᾷ πόνων ἐπαγωγή, καί ἡδονήν ἀναιρεῖ λύπης ἐπιφορά. ιθ´. Τέσσαρά ἐστι γενικώτατα πάθη, οἷς σοφῶς κατ᾿ ἀλλήλων ὑπόνοια κέχρηται. κ´. Ἡδονήν γάρ συστέλλει λύπης ἐπαγωγή, καί ἐπιθυμίαν μαραίνει φόβος

κολάσεων. κα´. Νοῦς φρόνιμος γυμνάζει ψυχήν αὐτοῦ, καί εἰς πᾶσαν ἄσκησιν ἐθίζει τό σῶμα

αὐτοῦ. κβ´. Σπεῦσον δεῖξαι μοναχόν, μή τόν ἔξω ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλά καί τόν ἔσω τῶν παθῶν

ἀπαλλάττων.