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Rerum monachalium rationes

OF EVAGRIUS THE MONK, THE CAUSES OF MATTERS CONCERNING MONKS, AND THEIR PRESENTATION IN QUIETUDE

1. In Jeremiah it is said, “And you shall not take a wife for yourself in this place; for thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place: They shall die a grievous death.” The word shows this, that according to the Apostle, “the married man is anxious about the things of the world, how to please his wife, and is divided; and the married woman is anxious about the things of the world, how to please her husband.” And it is clear that it is said in the prophet, “They shall die a grievous death,” not only concerning the sons and daughters who will be born in the married life, but also concerning the sons and daughters born in their heart, that is, carnal thoughts and desires, as these too will die in the grievous and weak and dissolute mindset of this world, and will not attain heavenly and eternal life. “But the unmarried man,” he says, “is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord,” and he will produce the ever-flourishing and immortal fruits of the heavenly life.

2. Such is the monk, and so must the monk be, abstaining from a woman, not producing a son or daughter in the aforementioned place; but also to be an immaterial soldier of Christ, free from care, outside of every commercial thought and action, as the Apostle also says: “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, that he may please the one who enlisted him.” In these things let the monk proceed, especially he who has left behind all the matter of this world, and runs toward the beautiful and good trophies of quietude. For how beautiful and good is the ascetic practice in quietude, how truly beautiful and good! For its yoke is easy, and its burden is light; sweet is the life, the practice a breastplate.

3. Do you wish, therefore, beloved, to take up the solitary life as it is, and to run toward the trophies of quietude? leave there the cares of the world, and the principalities and powers over them; that is, be immaterial, dispassionate, outside of all desire; so that having become a stranger to the circumstance arising from these things, you may be able to be quiet well. For if one does not remove himself from these things, he would not be able to achieve this very way of life. Hold to small and contemptible foods, not many and distracting ones. But if a thought about luxurious things should arise for the sake of hospitality, leave it there, do not attend to it at all; for the adversary lies in wait for you through this, he lies in wait to make you depart from quietude. You have the Lord Jesus in a way blaming Martha, the soul who is busy with such things, and saying: Why are you “about many things,” and “troubled? One thing is needful,” which is, he says, to hear the divine word, and after this to partake unweariedly of whatever is available. Wherefore he immediately adds, saying: “For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” You have also the example of the widow in Zarephath, with what things she entertained the prophet. Even if you have only bread, or 40.1256 water, you can in these things create the reward of hospitality; and if you do not have these things, but only with good intention you receive the stranger, and give him a useful word, likewise you can procure the reward of hospitality; for a good word has been said to be better than a gift.

4. Such things you must think concerning almsgiving. Therefore, do not desire to have wealth for distribution to the poor. For this too is a deceit of the evil one,

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Rerum monachalium rationes

ΕΥΑΓΡΙΟΥ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ, ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΜΟΝΑΧΩΝ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΑ ΑΙΤΙΑ, ΚΑΙ Η ΚΑΘ' ΗΣΥΧΙΑΝ ΤΟΥΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΘΕΣΙΣ

Αʹ. Ἐν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ εἵρηται τὸ, «Καὶ σὺ μὴ λάβῃς σεαυτῷ γυναῖκα ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ· ὅτι τάδε λέγει Κύριος περὶ τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν γεν40.1253 νωμένων ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ· Ἐν θανάτῳ νοσερῷ ἀποθανοῦνται.» Τοῦτο δεικνύντος τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, «ὁ γαμήσας ἄνθρωπος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ μεμέρισται· καὶ ἡ γαμήσασα γυνὴ μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ ἀνδρί.» Καὶ δῆλον, ὡς οὐ μόνον περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν γαμικὸν βίον ἐσομένων υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ εἴρηται τὸ, «Ἐν θανάτῳ νοσερῷ ἀποθανοῦνται·» ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν γεννωμένων υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων, τουτέστι σαρκικῶν λογισμῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ νοσερῷ καὶ ἀσθενεῖ καὶ ἐκλύτῳ φρονήματι τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἀποθανοῦνται καὶ οὗτοι, καὶ οὐ τῆς ἐπουρανίου καὶ αἰωνίου ζωῆς τεύξονται. «Ὁ δὲ ἄγαμος,» φησὶ, «μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ Κυρίῳ,» καὶ τοὺς ἀειθαλεῖς καὶ ἀθανάτους τῆς οὐρανίου ζωῆς ποιήσει καρπούς.

Βʹ. Τοιοῦτος ὁ μοναχὸς, καὶ οὕτως χρὴ εἶναι τὸν μοναχὸν, ἀπεχόμενον ἀπὸ γυναικὸς, μὴ ποιοῦντα υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῷ προειρημένῳ· οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ Χριστοῦ στρατιώτην ἄϋλον, ἀμέριμνον ὑπάρχειν, πάσης πραγματευτικῆς ἐννοίας τε καὶ πράξεως ἐκτὸς, ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησιν· «Οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ.» Ἐν τούτοις ἴτω ὁ μοναχὸς μάλιστα ὁ πᾶσαν ὕλην τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καταλιπὼν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὡραῖα καὶ καλὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἀποτρέχων τρόπαια. Ὡς ὡραία γὰρ καὶ καλὴ τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ ἡ ἄσκησις, ὡς ὡραία ὄντως καὶ καλή! Ἔστι γὰρ ὁ χρηστὸς ὁ ταύτης ζυγὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον ἐλαφρόν· ἡδὺς ὁ βίος, ἡ πρᾶξις στέρνη.

Γʹ. Βούλει τοιγαροῦν, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν μονήρη βίον ὡς ἔστιν ἀναλαβεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἀποτρέχειν τρόπαια; ἄφες ἐκεῖ τοῦ κόσμου τὰς φροντίδας, τάς τε ἐπὶ τούτων ἀρχάς τε καὶ ἐξουσίας· τουτέστιν ἄϋλος ἔσο, ἀπαθὴς, πάσης ἐπιθυμίας ἐκτός· ἵνα τῆς ἐκ τούτων περιστάσεως ἀλλότριος γενόμενος, δυνηθῇς ἡσυχάσαι καλῶς. Εἰ μὴ γάρ τις τούτων ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξάρῃ, οὐκ ἂν δυνηθῇ ταύτην αὐτὴν κατορθῶσαι τὴν πολιτείαν. Τροφῶν βραχέων ἀντέχου καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτων, μὴ πολλῶν καὶ εὐπερισπάστων. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ὡς φιλοξενίας χάριν περὶ τὰ πολυτελῆ λογισμὸς γένηται, ἄφες τοῦτον ἐκεῖ, μὴ ὅλως προσθῇς αὐτῷ· ἐνεδρεύει γάρ σε διὰ τούτου ὁ ὑπεναντίος, ἐνεδρεύει τοῦ ἀποστῆσαι τῆς ἡσυχίας. Ἔχεις τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν μεμφόμενόν πως τὴν τὰ τοιαῦτα σπουδάζουσαν ψυχὴν Μάρθαν, καὶ λέγοντα· Τί «περὶ πολλὰ» εἶ, καὶ «θορυβάζῃ; ἑνός ἐστι χρεία,» τοῦ τὸν θεῖον, φησὶ, λόγον ἀκούειν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀκμητὶ παντὸς τοῦ εὑρισκομένου. ∆ιὸ καὶ εὐθὺς ἐπιφέρει λέγων· «Μαρία» γὰρ «τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς.» Ἔχεις δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν Σαρεφθοῖς χήρας τὸ ὑπόδειγμα, ἐν τίσιν αὐτὴ τὸν προφήτην ἐξένισε. Κἂν ἄρτον μόνον ἔχῃς, κἂν 40.1256 ὕδωρ, δύνασαι ἐν τούτοις τῆς φιλοξενίας ποιῆσαι τὸν μισθόν· κἂν δὲ μὴ ταῦτα ἔχῃς, μόνον δὲ προθέσει ἀγαθῇ ὑποδέξῃ τὸν ξένον, καὶ λόγον εὔχρηστον αὐτῷ ἀποδῷς, ὡσαύτως δύνασαι τῆς φιλοξενίας πορίσαι τὸν μισθόν· ἀγαθὸν γὰρ εἴρηται λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα.

∆ʹ. Τοιαῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης σε δεῖ φρονεῖν. Ἅρα οὖν μὴ ἐπιθυμήσῃς πλοῦτον ἔχειν πρὸς διάδοσιν τῶν πενήτων. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ ἀπάτη τοῦ πονηροῦ,