John of Damascus, On the Eight Spirits of Wickedness

De octo spiritibus nequitiae

OF JOHN OF DAMASCUS CONCERNING THE EIGHT SPIRITS OF WICKEDNESS.

1. Know, brother, that there are eight thoughts that war against the monk, as the Fathers say. First, that of gluttony; second, that of evil and shameful desire; third, that of avarice; fourth, that of sadness; fifth, that of anger; sixth, that of acedia; seventh, that of vainglory; and the eighth, that of pride. 2. You ought therefore to know, O monk, and to pay close attention, to which passion you are disturbed and troubled by our enemies and the spirits of wickedness, and to which passionate thought your mind consents. 3. And if you perceive that you are troubled by gluttony and by indulgence, tighten your stomach, limiting by weight and measure the indulgence and the drink; have continual remembrance of the separation of the soul, and of the future judgment and of the fearful Gehenna; likewise also of the desire for the kingdom of heaven. For thus you will be able to conquer the pleasure through the stomach, and to loathe it. 4. But if again you are possessed by the spirit of shameful and evil desire, practice continence of body, and contrition of soul, and vigils, with earnest prayer; in addition to these, have also reticence, and not to judge anyone or to speak against, or to loathe them at all. And be mindful of death, and love thirst; and do not at all wish to meet with women, or even to see their face at all, and you will be freed from the passion. 5. But if you wish to conquer avarice, love poverty and simplicity; and be mindful of the condemnation of Judas. and that through it he betrayed the Lord to the lawless; and that every avaricious man is also called an idolater by the divine Scripture; and that it removes us from hope in God; and that the enjoyment of money is temporary, but for the avaricious the punishment is eternal; therefore, by considering these things, and seeking nothing more than sufficiency, you will conquer this passion. 6. But if again you are disturbed and troubled by worldly sadness, you ought to pray continually, and to place all hope in God, and to practice the study of the divine Scriptures, and to associate with reverent monks who fear the Lord, and to despise all present things as if they were not, and to consider the joy that is in heaven, and the enjoyments of the just. And if you are struck by someone, or dishonored, or persecuted, do not be sad, but rather rejoice; but be sad only then, when you sin against God; for thus in spirit you will be able to be freed from the passion. 7. But when again you are troubled by anger and irascibility, take up compassion, and be a servant to the brothers, and if possible, wash their feet continually in humility, and seek forgiveness from every man, and visit the sick continually, and move your tongue to psalmody, and you will very quickly be freed from the passion. 8. But if you wish to conquer acedia, toil at some small handiwork, and read, and pray frequently with a firm hope of good things; consider those at the point of death, and the violence and choking of sinners, how pitilessly they are punished and tormented, and thus you will have rest from the passion.

De octo spiritibus nequitiae

ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ∆ΑΜΑΣΚΗΝΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΟΚΤΩ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΝΗΡΙΑΣ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ.

αʹ. Γίνωσκε, ἀδελφὲ, ὅτι ὀκτώ εἰσιν οἱ λογισμοὶ οἱ πολεμοῦντες τὸν μοναχὸν, καθὼς λέγουσιν οἱ Πατέρες. Πρῶτον ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας· δεύτερος ὁ τῆς κακῆς καὶ αἰσχρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας· τρίτος ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας· τέταρτος ὁ τῆς λύπης· πέμπτος ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς· ἕκτος ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας· ἕβδομος ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας· καὶ ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὄγδοος. βʹ. Ὀφείλεις οὖν γινώσκειν, ὦ μοναχὲ, καὶ προσέχειν ἀκριβῶς, εἰς ποῖον πάθος παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ πνευμάτων τῆς πονηρίας ἐκταράττῃ καὶ θορυβῇ, καὶ πρὸς ποῖον ἐμπαθὲς νόημα ὁ νοῦς σου συγκατατίθεται. γʹ. Καὶ εἰ μὲν συνορᾷς, ὅτι ὑπὸ γαστριμαργίας, καὶ ὑπὸ τρυφῆς ταράττῃ, στένωσόν σου τὴν γαστέρα, περιορίζων ἐν σταθμῷ καὶ μέτρῳ τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τὸ πόμα· ἔχε μνήμην διηνεκῆ τοῦ χωρισμοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς, τῆς τε μελλούσης κρίσεως καὶ τῆς φοβερᾶς γεέννης· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῦ πόθου τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνήσῃ τὴν ἡδονὴν διὰ γαστρὸς νικῆσαι, καὶ βδελύξασθαι. δʹ. Εἰ δὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς αἰσχρᾶς καὶ κακῆς ἐπιθυμίας κατέχῃ, ἄσκησον ἐγκράτειαν σώματος, καὶ συντριβὴν ψυχῆς, καὶ ἀγρυπνίας, μετὰ ἐκτενοῦς προσευχῆς· πρὸς τούτοις ἔχε καὶ τὸ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον, καὶ τὸ μὴ κρίναι τινὰ ἢ καταλαλῆσαι, ἢ τὸ παράπαν βδελύξασθαι. Ἐνθυμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ ἀγάπησον τὴν δίψαν· καὶ μηδόλως θέλε παραβάλλειν ταῖς γυναιξὶν, ἢ κἂν ὅλως τὴν τούτων ὄψιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλαγήσῃ. εʹ. Εἰ δὲ θέλεις νικῆσαι τὴν φιλαργυρίαν, ἀγάπα τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἀτέλειαν· καὶ ἐνθυμοῦ τὴν τοῦ Ἰούδα κατάκρισιν. καὶ ὅτι δι' αὐτῆς προδέδωκε τὸν Κύριον τοῖς ἀνόμοις· καὶ ὅτι πᾶς φιλάργυρος καὶ εἰδωλολάτρης καλεῖται παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς· καὶ ὅτι τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμᾶς ἀφιστᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτι ἡ ἀπόλαυσις τῶν χρημάτων πρόσκαιρος, τοῖς δὲ φιλαργύροις ἡ κόλασις ἀθάνατος· ταῦτα οὖν λογιζόμενος, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον τῆς αὐταρκείας ζητῶν, τὸ πάθος τοῦτο νικήσεις. ϛʹ. Εἰ δὲ πάλιν ἐκ τῆς κοσμικῆς λύπης ἐκταράττῃ, καὶ θορυβῇ, ὀφείλεις εὔχεσθαι συνεχῶς, καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν θεῖναι, καὶ μελέτην ἀσκεῖν τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, καὶ μετ' εὐλαβῶν μοναχῶν καὶ φοβουμένων τὸν Κύριον συναναστρέφεσθαι, καὶ πάντων τῶν παρόντων, ὡς μὴ ὄντων καταφρονεῖν, καὶ τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐννοεῖν, τάς τε τῶν δικαίων ἀπολαύσεις. Καὶ ἐὰν τυφθῇς ὑπό τινος, ἢ ἀτιμασθῇς, ἢ ἐκδιωχθῇς, μὴ λυπηθῇς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον χαῖρε· τότε δὲ μόνον λυποῦ, ὅταν εἰς Θεὸν ἁμάρτῃς· οὕτω γὰρ πνεύματι δυνήσῃ τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλαγῆναι. ζʹ. Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ τῆς ὀξυχολίας ταράττῃ, συμπάθειαν ἀναλαβοῦ, καὶ δούλωσον πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ εἰ δυνατὸν, νίπτε τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν συνεχῶς ἐν ταπεινοφρονήματι, καὶ συγχώρησιν ζήτει παρὰ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας συνεχῶς ἐπισκέπτου, τήν τε γλῶσσαν κίνει πρὸς ψαλμῳδίαν, καὶ τάχιστα τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλαγήσῃ. ηʹ. Εἰ δὲ τὴν ἀκηδίαν θέλεις νικῆσαι, κάμνε τί ποτε μικρὸν ἐργόχειρον, καὶ ἀναγίνωσκε, καὶ προσεύχου πυκνῶς μετ' ἐλπίδος βεβαίας τῶν καλῶν· ἐννόει τούς τε ψυχοῤῥαγοῦντας, καὶ τὴν βίαν καὶ τὸν πνιγμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, πῶς ἀνηλεῶς τιμωροῦνται καὶ βασανίζονται, καὶ οὕτω τοῦ πάθους ἕξεις ἀνάπαυσιν.