Vitae monasticae institutio

28.845 AN OUTLINE OF THE GREAT ATHANASIUS FOR THOSE WISHING TO LIVE IN QUIETUDE. Such is the monk, and so ought the monk to be, abstaining from earthly affairs; but also a soldier of Christ, immaterial, free from care, beyond every commercial thought and action. Let the monk be in these things, especially he who has left behind all the matter of this world; and the spiritual practice is for the beautiful splendors of quietude, sweet is the life, delightful the practice. Do you wish, therefore, beloved, to take up the solitary life, and to run for the trophies of quietude; leave there the world and the cares of the world, and the principalities and powers over them, that is, be alone, immaterial, dispassionate, beyond all desire, so that, having become a stranger to the distraction from these things, you may be able to be quiet well. For unless one removes himself from these things, he will not be able to set this way of life aright. Hold to scant and simple foods, not many and distracting, or rather, without distraction. But if for the sake of hospitality a thought about expensive things should arise, leave it there, do not be persuaded by it at all; for through this the adversary lies in wait for you, to make you abandon quietude. 28.848 See that you do not desire to have wealth for distribution to the poor; for a good word is better than a gift; for this too is a deceit of the evil one, often for vainglory and casting the mind into a cause of meddlesomeness. And concerning clothes, do not desire to have many clothes; but provide only for what is sufficient for the body's need. If you are in need of food or clothing, do not be ashamed to receive what is offered to you by others; for this is a form of pride. But if you yourself have an abundance in these things, give to the one who is in need; thus God wishes His own children to be provided for. Having what is necessary for the present time, do not be anxious for the future time, such as for one day, or a week, or the present month; the time itself will supply what is necessary. But rather seek especially the kingdom of heaven. Always be mindful of your own benefit, and cultivate the way of quietude. Do not love to dwell with material and distracted men; either dwell alone, or with immaterial and like-minded men; for he who dwells with material and distracted men, will certainly share himself in their distraction, and will be a slave to human commands, and to vain chatter, and to all the other terrible things: anger, grief, madness for material things, fear of scandals, parental cares, friendships with relatives. But indeed refrain from meeting with them, lest they destroy for you the quietude in your cell, and lead you into their own distractions. And if the cell in which you sit is full of distractions, flee, and do not spare it, do not be drawn into love for it. Do all things, act on all things, so that you may be able to be quiet, and be at leisure, and be eager to be in the will of God, and in the struggle with the unseen. If you cannot easily be quiet in your own regions, set your purpose on exile, and hasten your thought towards it; become like some excellent merchant, testing all things for quietude, and what is quiet and useful for it. Nevertheless I say to you, love exile; for it frees you from the distractions in your own country, and from that according to the

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Vitae monasticae institutio

28.845 ΤΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ∆ΙΑΤΥΠΩΣΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΛΟΝΤΩΝ ΕΝ ΗΣΥΧΙΑ

∆ΙΑΓΕΙΝ. Τοιοῦτος ὁ μοναχὸς, καὶ οὕτω χρὴ εἶναι τὸν μοναχὸν, ἀπεχόμενον ἀπὸ γηΐνων πραγμάτων· οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ Χριστοῦ στρατιώτην, ἄϋλον, ἀμέριμνον, πάσης πραγματευτικῆς ἐννοίας καὶ πράξεως ἐκτός. Ἐν τούτοις ἤτω ὁ μοναχὸς, μάλιστα ὁ πᾶσαν ὕλην τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καταλιπών· καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὡραῖα κάλλη τῆς ἡσυχίας ἡ ἄσκησις, ἡδὺς ὁ βίος, ἡ πρᾶξις τερπνή. Βούλει τοιγαροῦν, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν μονήρη βίον ἀναλαβεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἀποτρέχειν τρό παια· ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰς τοῦ κόσμου φροντίδας, τάς τε ἐπὶ τούτων ἀρχάς τε καὶ ἐξουσίας, τουτέστι μόνος ἄϋλος ἔσο, ἀπαθὴς, πάσης ἐπιθυμίας ἐκτὸς, ἵνα, τῆς ἐκ τούτων περιστάσεως ἀλλότριος γενόμενος, δυνηθῇς ἡσυχάζειν καλῶς. Εἰ μὴ γάρ τις τούτων ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξάρῃ, οὐκ ἂν δυνηθῇ ταύτην κατ ορθῶσαι τὴν πολιτείαν. Τροφῶν βραχέων ἀντέχου καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτων, μὴ πολλῶν καὶ εὐπεριστάτων, ἢ μᾶλλον ἀπεριστάτων. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ὡς φιλοξενίας χάριν περὶ τὰ πολυτελῆ λογισμὸς γένηται, ἄφες τοῦτον ἐκεῖ, μὴ ὅλως πεισθῇς αὐτῷ· ἐνεδρεύει γάρ σε διὰ τούτου ὁ ὑπεναντίος, τοῦ ἀποστῆσαι τῆς ἡσυχίας. 28.848 Ὅρα μὴ ἐπιθυμήσῃς πλοῦτον ἔχειν πρὸς διά δοσιν τῶν πενήτων· κρεῖσσον γὰρ λόγος ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ δόμα· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ἀπάτη τοῦ πονηροῦ πρὸς κενοδοξίαν πολλάκις καὶ εἰς πολυπραγμοσύνης αἰτίαν ἐμβάλλουσα τὸν νοῦν. Περὶ δὲ ἱματίων, μὴ ἐπιθυμή σῃς πολλὰ ἔχειν ἱμάτια· ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀρκοῦντα τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ σώματος μόνα προνοοῦ. Ἐὰν δέῃ τροφῶν ἢ ἱματίων, μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς τὰ παρ' ἑτέρων σοι προσφε ρόμενα λαβεῖν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὑπερηφανίας εἶδος. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τούτοις περισσεύῃς, δίδου τῷ ὑστερουμένῳ· οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ παῖδας οἰ κονομεῖσθαι βούλεται. Ἔχων τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος καιροῦ τὰ δέοντα, εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα μὴ μεριμνήσῃς καιρὸν, οἷον ἡμέρας μιᾶς, ἢ ἑβδομάδος, ἢ μὴν ἐνεστῶτος καιροῦ· αὐτὸς ὁ καιρὸς ἐπιχορηγήσει τὰ δέοντα. Ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ζήτει μάλιστα τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐ ρανῶν. Τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ὠφελείας πάντοτε φρόντιζε, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἡσυχίας περιποιοῦ τρόπον. Μὴ ἀγαπήσῃς οἰκῆσαι μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ὑλικῶν καὶ ἐμπερισπάστων· ἢ μόνος οἴκει, ἢ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἀΰλων καὶ ὁμοφρό νων· ὁ γὰρ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ὑλικῶν καὶ ἐμπερισπά στων οἰκῶν, πάντως κοινωνήσει καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ τούτων περιστάσει, καὶ δουλεύσει ἀνθρωπίναις ἐπιταγαῖς, λαλιαῖς τε ματαίαις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι δεινοῖς, ὀργῇ, λύπῃ, μανίᾳ τῶν ὑλῶν, φόβῳ τῶν σκανδάλων, γονικαῖς μερίμναις, συγγενικαῖς φιλίαις. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τῆς πρὸς τούτους συντυχίας παραιτοῦ, μήποτέ σε ἀπολέσωσι τῆς ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ ἡσυχίας, καὶ περὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν περιστάσεις ἀγάγωσιν. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὸ κελλίον ἐν ᾧ καθέζῃ εὐπερίστα τον ᾖ, φεῦγε, καὶ αὐτοῦ μὴ φείσῃ, μὴ ἑλκυσθῇς εἰς ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ. Πάντα ποίει, πάντα πράττε, ὅπως δυνηθῇς ἡσυχάσαι, καὶ σχολάσαι, καὶ σπουδάσαι γενέσθαι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ θελήμασι, καὶ ἐν τῇ πάλῃ τῶν ἀοράτων. Εἰ μὴ δύνασαι ῥᾳδίως ἡσυχάσαι ἐν τοῖς σοῖς μέρεσι, δός σου ἐπὶ ξενιτείαν τὴν πρόθεσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτην κατάσπευδέ σου τὸν λογισμόν· γενοῦ καθά περ τις πραγματευτὴς ἄριστος, τὰ πάντα πρὸς ἡσυχίαν δοκιμάζων, καὶ τὰ πρὸς ταύτην ἥσυχα καὶ χρήσιμα. Πλὴν λέγω σοι, ξενιτείαν ἀγάπα· ἀπαλλάττει γάρ σε τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν περιστά σεων, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν

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