610. The brethren said, 4 4 Whence canst thou prove to us 44 that this is so?" The old man said: 4 4 From the words of our 44 Lord in the Gospel. For he said, 4 The sower went forth to 44 4 sow. And some [seeds] fell on the roadside, and others fell 44 4 on the rock, and others among thorns' (St. Matthew 44 xiii, 3 ff.) Now these three [kinds of] seed are those who are 44 in the world. And as concerning the other seed of which He 44 spake, saying that it fell on good ground, and gave fruit, 4 4 some thirtyfold, and some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold, these are the grades of monks, for the seed which 4 4 yielded fruit thirtyfold is the beginners, and that which 4 yielded sixtyfold is the half-perfect, and that which yielded 4 one hundredfold is the perfect "
611. The brethren said, 44 And supposing a man in the world 4 condu<Sleth himself in a wholly perfedl manner, and accord- 4 ing to what is right, is not his labour equal unto that of a 4 beginner? " The old man said, 4 4 No."
612. The brethren said, " Why [not]?" The old man said, 4 * Although the monk is little and is a beginner, he is still " more excellent than the man in the world who keepeth every " just [demand] of righteousness."
613. " Why did Abba Anthony say unto Paule, his disciple, " * Go and dwell in silence that thou mayest receive the temp- " 'tations of devils?'" The old man said, "Because the perfection of the monk ariseth from spiritual conduct, and " spiritual conduct is acquired by the condudl of the heart, ' ' and purity of heart ariseth from the conduct of the mind, and " the conduct of the mind from prayer which is unceasing, and "from strife with devils; but unceasing prayer, and the con- " tendings with devils, both in the thoughts and in visions, have " no opportunity for existence without silence and solitariness."
614. The brethren said, "What is the meaning of that which " Paphnutius and James the Lame said to M&r Evagrius, * ' * Every lapse which taketh place through the tongue, or " * through lust, or through an adlion, or through the whole " ' body, is in proportion to the measure of pride which a man " ' possesseth'? Now what is the lapse which cometh through " lust? And what is the lapse which cometh through an adlion? " And what is the lapse which cometh through the whole body? " Enlighten us about these [various] kinds of lapses." The old man said, "The lapse through lust is the fall which taketh "place inwardly through pride, even as the blessed Maca- " rius said, 'Thou shalt not be lifted up in thy heart and in "'thy mind through the knowledge of the Scriptures, lest " ' thou fall into a spirit of blasphemy in thy mind.' And the " lapse through the tongue resembleth that into which one of "the monks once fell through his pride, and he reviled the "holy man Evagrius and the fathers who were in the desert " of Scete. And the lapse through an adlion resembleth that " into which another monk fell when he became lascivious and "abominable; and the lapse through the whole body resem- " bleth that when, through his pride, one of the brethren was "abandoned to the hands of thieves, and they burned him "with fire."
615. The brethren said: — Palladius said, "Once the blessed " man Diocles said, 'The mind which falleth from God is either " ' delivered over to the devil of wrath, or to the devil of forni- " 'cation.' And I said unto him, 'How is it possible for the " ' human mind to be with God uninterruptedly?' And he said, 44 1 In whatsoever work of the fear of God the soul [is engaged], " ' provided that the soul hath due care, its mind is with God.' •'What is the meaning of the action of which the old man "spake?"
The old man said, "He calleth [a man's] care concerning 44 God'spromises 1 a&ion of thefearof God/ wishing to say thus: 44 — If thou art unable to bind thy thought continually in various 44 ways to God, though thou thinkest about His Majesty, and 44 His power, and His grace, and thou prayest to Him with- 44 out ceasing and without wandering [in thy prayer, thy mind 44 cannot be with Him]; but if thou reducest thine understand- 44 ing by means of the constant labour of prayer and by the 44 thought which is on God, and more particularly through the 44 war with devils that [accompanieth] this work, bring down 44 thy mind by degrees from the thought which is about God, 44 and from prayer, and fetter it with the thought which is 44 lower than this, and meditate on the promises of God, 44 and think upon His commandments and the correftionof 44 thyself. And set not free thy mind from spiritual care, and do 4 4 not make it wander and think the thought of passibility, but 44 fetter thy mind to some thought of excellence, which will 44 make it gain profit. And when it hath rested somewhat, then 44 raise it up on high, and make it to labour in the thought 44 which is of God, and in pure prayer which hath no wander- 44 ing therein. For as the growth of the capacity of those who 44 are as yet in the grade of bodily prayer and the reading [of 44 the Scriptures] still existeth, even when they are exhausted 44 by standing up, and by the singing of the Psalms, and they 4 4 rest their bodies for a little by sitting down and by medita- 44 tion upon the reading, and when they have rested their 44 bodies and their mind hath become enlightened through the 44 reading, they stand up for service and prayer, so also it is 44 right for those who have arrived at a corredt conduft of the 44 mind, and who think continually about God, and who pray 44 to Him without wandering, when they are exhausted by this 44 severe labour, to bring down their minds from time to time, i4 and to relieve it by means of thought concerning some pro-!4 Stable subje<5l which is less exalted than the thought about 14 God. And this thought must take the place to them of read- 4 ing, and they must meditate upon God's promises and com- 4 mandments, and upon their straightness which is in God; 4 and if some abominable thought knock [at the door of their 4 minds] they must quickly make their minds to enter into 4 prayer and into the thought which is upon God. And if there 4 stir in their heart a thought of passion, as soon as they have 4 refreshed themselves by means of thinking about some pro- 4 Stable subjeA, they must make their mind to enter into the 4 height of prayer, and they must pray without ceasing, and 4 meditate upon God. And from this we know that when the 4 soul meditateth with understanding upon some profitable
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"subject, or upon some profitable adlion, its mind is with " God, even as the blessed man Diocles said. Similarly, when- " soever a monk thinketh about the passions of sin, or about " deeds connected with the world, his mind is with Satan."
616. The brethren said, " Why is it that the Divine Light " did not shine in the hearts of all the monks until a long time " after they had been cleansed by labours and contests? And " why is it that the light of grace did shine upon some men " before they went forth from the world and came to the " ascetic life, as it did in the heart of Abraham Kinddn&yd " through the Divine revelation on the day of his feast, and * i straightway he left his feast, and went forth from the world?" The old man said, " Whensoever this light riseth in its order " in the hearts of men, according to what the fathers say, it " cometh in this wise. First of all Divine Grace maketh a man "hot with the love of God, and he hateth all the glories and "honours of this world; and next he cometh in a state of "poverty to this rule of life, and Divine Grace itself first giv- " eth him the love of labours, and it maketh the things which " are hard easy to him. And it protedteth him from the fierce " attacks of the war of devils, so that they may not, whenso- " ever they wish and will, assault him, but only according to " his strength, and his capacity, and as is convenient for his " growth* And thus after many labours and contests, his "heart is purified with abundant humility, and he shineth " with the light of grace, and he is held to be worthy to see "Christ in a revelation of light. And the fathers also said, " that in proportion as the monk himself travelleth along the "path of ascetic excellences to meet our Lord by means of " labours and contests, so doth our Lord advance to meet him " with light until they meet each other, and then the monk "remaineth in our Lord by means of labours, and our Lord " remaineth in him by means of his light, even as Abba Isaiah " said in his interpretation of that which our Lord said, ' Re- " ' main in Me and I in you.' Thus thou seest, O my brother, " that He wisheth us to remain in him first of all by the la- " bours of righteousness, and then He will remain Himself in " us in purity and in light. And the words, ' The monk travelleth "' along the path of ascetic excellences until he seeth Him " 1 and is illumined by Him,' explain the verse, ' My soul " * thirsteth for Thee, the Living God,'" et cetera,
617. The brethren said, "Why is it that though the holy fathers * * incite us continually to the labours of excellence, and to the "contending against passions and devils, Abba Isidore restrained Abba Moses the Ethiopian from works, and from " contests with devils, saying, ' Rest thee, Moses, and quarrel
"'not with the devils, and seek not to make attacks upon "'them, for there is a measure [i.e., moderation] in every- " ' thing'; doth this apply also to works and to the labours of "the ascetic life?"
The old man said, " Because at the beginning Abba Moses " was ignorant of the rule of the ascetic life, and because he " was healthy of body, he worked overmuch, and he thought " that he would be able to prevail mightily against devils by " the multitude of his works alone, and that he would be able " to vanquish them. Therefore, because the devils perceived "his object, they attacked him more severely with frequent "wars, both secretly and openly, but Abba Isidore, wishing " to teach him the truth, and to make him to acquire humility, " said unto him, 'Without the power of the Spirit which our " ' Lord gave us in baptism for the fulfilling of His command- " ' ments, the which is confirmed in us each day by the taking " 'of His Body and Blood, we cannot be purified from the " 'passions, and we cannot vanquish devils, and we cannot " ' perform the works of spiritual excellence'; thereupon Abba " Moses learned these things, and his thoughts were humbled, " and he partook of the Holy Mysteries, and the devils were " conquered, and they reduced their war against him, and from " that time forward he lived in rest, and knowledge, and peace. "Many monks have imagined that their passions would be " healed, and that they would acquire soundness of soul merely " by their labours ana strenuousness, and therefore they were " abandoned by grace, and fell from the truth. For as he who "is sick in his body cannot be healed without the physician " and medicines, however much he may watch and fast during " the time he is taking the medicine, so he who is sick in his "soul through the passions of sin, without Christ, the Phy- " sician of souls, and without the partaking of His Body and " Blood, and the power which is hidden in His commandments, " and the humility which is like unto His, cannot be healed ol "his passions, and cannot receive a perfect cure. Therefore, " whosoever fighteth against the passions and the devils by " the commandments of our Lord is healed of the sickness of " the passions, and acquireth health of soul, and is delivered " from the crafts of the devils."
6l8. The brethren said, "With what object did those two " monks say to Abba Macarius, 'If thou art not able to be- ' ' come a monk like us, sit in thy cell, and weep for thy sins, ' and thus thou shalt be like us?" The old man said, "Because ' they knew that, if a man was able to be a solitary in his ' body, and a dweller in silent contemplation, and a worker ' both in his soul and in his body, who made himself humble
"and who wept each day for his sins, and who cut off from 44 himself all memories of every kind of passion and anxious 44 thought, and who meditated only upon God and upon his 44 own correct behaviour, such a man was a monk (or solitary) 44 in very truth, even as the blessed Evagrius said, 4 The monk 44 'who is remote from the world is he who hath cut off from 44 * himself all the motions of his passions, and hath fastened 44 4 unto God all the mind of his soul.'"
619. The brethren said, 4 4 Why is it that certain ot the 44 Fathers were called Meshannay&n6 [i.e., men who trans- 44 ferred themselves from one place to another], since they were 44 recluses, and never departed from their cells?" The old man said, 4 4 Because after much silent contemplation, and unceasing 44 prayer, and watching of the mind, they were worthy to de- 44 part from the earth in their minds, and to ascend unto heaven 4 4 to Christ the King. And they did not do this on occasions 44 only, but continually, for whensoever they wished, or when- 44 soever they sang the Psalms, or prayed, or meditated upon 44 God, straightway their mind was exalted to heaven, and 44 stood before our Lord. But there were other [kinds of] 4 MS- 4 4 4 shannaydneV that is to say, those who lived with wild 44 beasts in the deserts, such as Abba Bessarion, and others 44 who were like unto him."
620. The brethren said, 4 4 What is [the meaning] of the fact 4 that when one of the monks saw a brother in the mountain 4 he fled from him, and was unable to bear the smell of the 4 children of men?" The old man said, 44 The monk fled be- 4 cause he saw that the brother was carrying silver. And when 4 the brother saw that the monk fled, he cast off his garments 4 and pursued him. And when the monk saw that he had cast 4 off his garments, he waited for him, and welcomed him 4 gladly, saying, 4 Since thou hast cast off the matter which is 4 4 of this world I have waited for thee. I was not able to bear 4 4 [the sight thereof] because I myself am naked.' I looked be- 4 yond my rule of life and saw that he was carrying a burden 4 upon his shoulder like a man who was in the world."
621. The brethren said, 44 Why did the monk not permit that 4 brother who came to him to dwell in the cave by his side, 4 but did say unto him, 4 Thou art not able to bear up against 4 4 the attack of devils?'" The old man said, 44 Because he knew 4 his manner of life and works, and also that he possessed not 4 the labours and the strenuousness which were sufficient to 4 make him strong to resist the fierce assault of the savage 4 nature of the devils which make war against the monks. For 4 according to the labour of every man, and according to his 4 striving, and his rule of life and strenuousness, and accord-
14 ing as he is able to bear, so much the greater are the fero- 4 4 city, and the wickedness, and the bitterness, and the craftiness "of the devils who make war against him. Similarly, when 44 one of the brethren entreated Abba Apellen to allow him to 44 live with him in the desert, he said unto him, 4 Thou art not 44 'able to bear the temptation of the devils.' Finally, when 44 the brother urged him [to let him do so], he commanded him 44 to dwell in a cave by his side. And the devils came against 44 him in the night and sought to strangle him, until Abba 44 Apellen came, and surrounded the cave with the sign of the 44 Cross, after which the brother was able to live in the cave. 44 For not all monks are able to fight against the devils, but 44 only such as are perfect and humble."
622. Why is it that the two Romans who went to Abba Macarius, did not, during the whole period of three years which they lived [near him] come to him and ask him, or any other aged man, questions about the thoughts? The old man said, 4 4 Because the elder brother was exceedingly wise, and 44 perfect and humble. Had he gone to Abba Macarius, or to 4 4 one of the other old men, his perfedlion would have been 44 revealed, and he would have [received] praise throughout 44 Scete from the Fathers, who would have wondered, saying, 44 4 How is it that a young man hath become perfect in three 44 4 years'? It is, however, not right for us to make ourselves 44 like unto these two brethren, and to negleil the do&rine of 44 the old men. As for the two brethren, the elder was perfeit, 44 and the younger was humble, and learned from him."
623. The brethren said, 4 4 The history of the triumphs of 44 Bessarion saith that during all the days of his life he dwelt in 44 waste places, and in the desert and in the mountains, and 44 among the rocks. Once having come to a certain monastery, 44 he stood up by the door like a wandering beggar, and then 44 sat down weeping and crying out, even as one who had been 44 rescued from a storm. And when the brethren entreated him 44 to go in and rest with them, he said, 4 Before I find the posses- 4 4 4 sions of my house which I have lost I cannot endure being 4 4 4 under a roof; for thieves fell upon me on the sea, and a 4 4 4 storm reared itself up against me, and I have been robbed 4 4 4 of the riches which I once possessed, and from being a man 4 4 4 of high estate I am become of no account/ Now what were 44 the riches which [he inherited] from his parents and lost? 44 And what does this [story] mean? Who are parents? What 44 does he refer to by the words 4 sea, and storms, and waves'? 44 Who were the thieves? Are these words spoken of himself or 44 of the other persons? The old man said, 4 4 These things are 44 said of all the monks who are still striving and contending
" against passions and devils, and who are lacking at the pre- " sent time purity of heart, and fruits of the spirit, and visions " of our Lord, and they are not spoken of men who are perfeft " as he was. The word 'sea* he applieth to the sea of the mind " whereon the monk saileth with works of spiritual excellence, " wherefrom he entereth the haven of impassibility, even as "the blessed Macarius saith, 'He who wisheth to cleave the "'sea of the mind, maketh himself longsurTering.' And he "calleth temptations 'storms,' and the passions 'waves,' and " the 'thieves' are devils, and his 'parents' are the Father, and " the Son, and the Holy Ghost, One God, in Whose image and "likeness we are made, even as our Creator said, 'Come, let "'us make man in our image and likeness,' and also as " 'our Lord said, 'Be ye like unto your Father, Who is in "'heaven.' And He calleth the spiritual excellences, which "contain likenesses of the similitude of our Father, Who is " in heaven, and which make us heirs of God, and sons of " the inheritance of Jesus Christ, by the name of ' riches and " 'possessions of his parents,' and these are faith, and hope, " and the love of God and man, and joy, and rest, and peace, " and graciousness, and pleasantness, and lowliness, and hu- " mility, and longsufFering, and patient endurance, and in- " tegrity, and simplicity, and purity, and mercy, and cleanness "of heart, and the holy light of the mind, and pure prayer, " and the divine light which riseth on the heart at the hour " of prayer, and spiritual prayer, and Divine knowledge, and " the visions and revelations of our Lord. These are the " possessions of the soul, some of which it acquireth naturally, " and some by Divine Grace; now those which it acquireth " naturally are they which the Creator sowed in its nature at " the beginning of its creation, and those which it acquireth " by Divine Grace are they which are bestowed upon it by the " baptism in Christ. And these possessions are lost to a man " through pleasures, and honours, and lusts, and benefits, but " they are found and acquired, and the soul waxeth rich in " them, through tribulations, and revilings, and oppression, " and hardships. Now although Abba Bessarion, and men who "were as perfect as he was, possessed these things, other " men lack them and are strangers unto them. [And as re- "gards the words] ' He once came to a certain monastery, " 'and sat down outside the door like a wandering beggar,' " [they mean that] he saw clearly with the secret eye of the mind " that the greater number of the monks were destitute of this " spiritual possession, and of the spiritual excellences and gifts " which have been already mentioned. And being incited there, " to by the law of affection and of brotherly love, he cried out
' * and wept on their behalf, as if it had been on his own, and " he made supplication to the lovingkindness of God that He " would make them worthy of the riches of His love, and of " the possession of His Grace."
624. The brethren said, " What are the nine spiritual excellences which that holy man possessed, and what did he " lack?" The old man said, " Although they are not written " down I think that they were as follows: 1. Voluntary poverty. " 2. Abstinence, 3. Constant evening fasting. 4. Vigil. 5. The * * recital of the whole Book of the Psalms seven times during " the night and day. 6. The reading of the Holy Books be- 1 'tween times. 7. Lowliness. 8. Humility. 9. Love of man. " These are the nine spiritual excellences which he possessed, ' 1 and by means of them he vanquished all passions. By poverty "he overcame the love of money. By abstinence he conquered " unbridled appetite and gluttony. By fasting he overcame the ' ' passion of the love of the belly. By vigil he vanquished " sleep. By the recital of the Psalms he did away idleness. By ' ' reading he kept away the converse of evil. By lowliness he ' ' dispelled wrath and anger. By humility he overcame vain- ' ' glory and pride. By love of man he conquered hatred, and " spite, and enmity. Now the spiritual excellence which he " lacked, and which is the tenth, was the constant fervour of " the love of God, which is in our Lord Jesus Christ, and this "can [only] be gathered together, and stablished and ac- 4 ' quired by the secret prayer of the mind, which is unceasing 1 ' and wandereth not, and by the strict and constant suppres- * * sion of the thoughts of the passions, and the incitements of "devils, when they first begin to bestir themselves in the " heart. And because among all the works of ascetic excellence " there is none more difficult [to do] than this, for, even as " the blessed Macarius said, * All the fightings and fierce, and " ' crafty, and evil temptations of the devils are set in array " * against it,' the holy man is not able easily to become per- "fe£l in the love of Christ, which is acquired by the concen- " tration of the mind and by deep thought about God. There- " fore the blessed Evagrius said, 'If thou canst overcome the " 'wandering of the thoughts, it is the end of all ends; and if " 'thou canst make deep thought about God have dominion " 'in thee, thou canst overcome all passions, and thou shalt " 'be worthy of the perfection of the love of Christ.' By the * ' love of man and by the other virtues a monk may, by the " help of God, vanquish all the passions; but by the love of " Christ he shall conquer the evil passion of the love of the " soul, which is the first of all the passions, and which em- " braceth them all, even as Saint Evagrius said, 'The first of
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" 'all the passions is the thought of the love of the soul, and " 'after it come the following eight. ' And again he said, 'Con- " 'quer the strife of the love of the soul which is in thy bosom, " 'by that which is towards God.' For until the monk is "worthy of this love, he is unable to acquire exact consola- " tion from the remainder of the labours of the other spiritual "excellences, even though it be that he obtaineth assistance "from them, as Abba Isaiah said, 'Although the children of " ' Leah were a help to Jacob, yet he loved Joseph most of all, " 'and when Joseph was born, he wished to leave Laban and " 'go to his parents,' that is to say, When a monk hath be- " come worthy, and hath acquired the perfect love of Christ, "which is stablished by silent contemplation, and the power " to pray without ceasing, and his soul is at all times rejoicing ' ' and exulting with gladness, he will not be content to remain "in this life; but each and every day he will be desiring " eagerly and longing to depart from the body, and to be with " our Lord in Paradise, which is the habitation of the spirits " of just men who have become perfect, and the holy country "which is exalted above the passions, and devils, and the " striving of those who cultivate the virtues until the revela- " tion of our Lord Jesus, Who loveth to make perfect a man " with the never-ending happiness of His love in a glorious " kingdom."
625. The brethren said, "Explain to us the course of life " and labour of the old man [who made] baskets, [and dropped] "small stones in them." The old man said, "The course of " life of that old man was one which was of the mind, and it "was stern, and excellent, and it swiftly brought the monk " unto purity of heart. And as concerning that which he said, " 'I set two baskets, one on my right hand and one on my " 'left,' etc. it doth not [mean] that he sat the whole day with " his baskets round him, but that his two baskets were set in ' ' two places. And he himself was occupied with service and " prayer, and with his toil, and for every thought, good or " bad, which entered his mind he cast a pebble [into the " baskets], that is to say, the labour is very severe for the " man for a certain time at the beginning, because the devils " are envious at the purity of heart which is acquired by him, " and therefore they afflicted this old man also for a long time "with the multitude of evil thoughts which were stirring in " him, even as he said, 'Many days I have eaten nothing, be- " 'cause the good thoughts did not outnumber the bad ones.' "Now he used to afflict his body with the labour of much " fasting, so that he might do away the evil thoughts, because " it is not the soul only which feeleth the labours of the body,
" its counterpart through its union with it, but also those " devils which wage war against the soul, and they feel the " labours of the body more than doth the soul. For immediately "the devils see the monk afflicting- his body with labours, "they become afraid, and stagger about, because they are "more tormented by the labours than is the man who is " engaged in them. Therefore the blessed Evagrius, when the " demon of fornication assailed him, stripped off his tunic and 11 stood the whole night long, in the season of winter, under "the open sky, and by these means he made the demon to "suffer pain, and he fled from him. And again, when the " demon of blasphemy attacked him, he stood naked under "the open sky, in the season of winter, for forty days. And " because the thought of gluttony stirred in the heart of Abba " Zeno, and made him to eat a cucumber by stealth, hecruci- " fied his soul in the sun, during the season of summer for five "days. In this wise the holy men were affli&ing themselves "with labours and tribulations, and when the devils were " stirring up in them the thoughts of sin, the demons were " afflicted and tortured far more than they thereby. Now the " demons were afHi&ed and tormented by the labours of the " patient endurance of the monks not only in their minds but " in their persons, through the operation of the holy angels, " and by the command of God, even as, on one occasion, one " of the devils was tortured the whole night in the cell of those " two brethren who were brothers naturally, when he wished "to separate them from each other. For when the younger " brother lighted a lamp the devil threw down the candlestick, 14 and extinguished the light, whereupon the [elder] brother " smote him [on] the cheek; and the other brother expressed "his contrition, and said, 'My brother, have patience, and I 14 ' will light the lamp [again].' And when God saw the patient " endurance and humility of the young man, He commanded " His angel, and he fettered the devil the whole night long in " their cell; and the devil was tormented therein until the " morning because of that [blow on] the cheek which he made " the one brother to suffer from the other through his wicked " agency; and that wicked devil was fettered and tortured the " whole night long. And the devils are tortured not only when " we affli<St our bodies with labours, in order that we may not " consent to the will of devils, but also when they stir up in " us evil thoughts; if we constrain ourselves a little, and cast " them from us, at the same time calling our Lord to our "assistance, straightway the holy angels which cleave unto " us will constrain the demons, and will drive them away from " us, and we shall be full of light, and of fervour, and of glad-
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ness. Even as one of the demons said to Abba Pachomius, * A certain monk, against whom I wage war, is very strenu- 'ous, and whensoever I draw nigh unto him to sow evil 'thoughts in him, he betaketh himself to prayer, and I, 'though burning with fire, have to depart from his presence ' blazing (?) even like iron which hath been thoroughly well
"their career] afflicted for a long time, not only by the stirring up of the evil thoughts themselves, but also by their " tarrying in the heart; but after a known time a man receiveth "strength from our Lord, through their tarrying, and also " after a known time their motion is restrained, and then the "monk also hath rest from strivings, and he is held to be " worthy of purity of heart. For at the beginning of the striv- " ings the devils stir up evil thoughts in the heart mightily; "sometimes, however, these are destroyed through prayer at 4 4 the very beginning of their movement, and sometimes they "remain. And afterwards the mind becometh strong against "them, and doth not permit them to tarry altogether in the " heart, but it is as yet unable to restrain their violent move- " ment, and the [tribulation which they cause], even as one of " the old men said, 'I carried on a strife for twenty years in " 'order that an evil thought might not enter my heart, and " 'until the ninth hour I used to see Satan with his bow drawn " 'to shoot an arrow into my heart. And when he found no " 'opportunity of doing this, he would become deje6led and go " 'away ashamed each day.' Now the old man [of whom we " first spake] held fast to his rule in respedl of the baskets, and " though he was affli<5led for a long time by the motion of evil " thoughts, and sometimes even by their tarrying in his heart, " finally he received power over their tarrying only, for their "rising up remained for a considerable time. And having " laboured in striving for twenty years against the motion of "the thoughts, finally he became strong [enough to resist " them], and he overcame them. And the devils fled from him, " and he arrived at a state of purity, and at the haven of impassibility, and he was held to be worthy of revelations."
626. The brethren said, "If the holy men themselves affli£t ' ' themselves with labours of tribulation because of the tarrying " of the evil thoughts which bestir themselves in them, and if "they sin against God though not consenting to them, why " should we toil against the motion of the devils? For behold, "even as the blessed Evagrius said, 'Whether they fight " 'against us or not the matter is not in our hands.'" The old man said, "The perfection of the monks ariseth from a spiritual " rule of life, and a spiritual rule of life cometh from purity of
monks are, at the beginning (of
4 * heart, and purity of heart from divine vision; 'Blessed are <' 'those who are pure in heart, for they shall see God.' When, 4< therefore, a monk laboureth, and afflicteth himself because 44 of the motion of evil thoughts, in order to prevent their re- 44 maining for a long time in his heart, and when after a considerable time his heart becometh pure, there remaineth 44 disgust only therein, and it vexeth the mind of the monk, 4 « and preventeth his ascent to God, and cutteth off his journey- 4< ing to Him, and doth not allow him to enjoy the vision of 44 glory. Now when a monk worketh for a considerable time 4 'because of the motion of evil thoughts [in him], God hath 4 4 compassion upon his trouble, and not only doth his heart 44 become cleansed, and his soul pure from every thought of 44 evil, but he is also held to be worthy of the sight of our Lord 4 4 in a revelation of light, and henceforth, the devils never 4< again dare to stir up evil thoughts in the heart of him that 44 hath been esteemed worthy of this great thing. And should 4 4 it happen that they dare so to do, they suffer pain and burn 4 4 even as he suffereth who is hot, and who kicketh away with 44 his feet the piercing goads of iron which glow with heat in 4 4 the fire. During the interval between the beginning of the 44 strife against evil thoughts and [the attainment of] purity of 44 heart, the devils sometimes vex the monk, and sometimes 4 4 are vexed by him, even as the blessed Evagrius said, 'If 44 'those who go down to the conflict afflict [others], they are 44 'themselves afflicted'; so the devils afflict us, and they are 4 4 also afflicted by us. They afflict us when we receive their evil 44 thoughts, and they are afflicted by us when we, by means of 44 prayer and wrath, hide (i.e., suppress) their thoughts. When, 4 4 then, we labour and afflict ourselves for a considerable time 44 in order that their thoughts may not tarry in us, we also 4 4 afflict ourselves with labours and prayer so that they may not 44 vex and hinder us by [their] violent motion, and afterwards 4 4 power is given unto us by our Lord to lift ourselves up upon 4 4 the necks of our enemies, and thenceforward our heart 4 4 resteth and is at peace, not only from the perception of their 44 thoughts, but from all the violence of their motion. And the 4 4 peace and rest of God rule over our souls, and we see that 44 there remaineth only the war which is manifest of the visions 4< of devils until the time of death merely to terrify us, so that 4 4 we may not be exalted [unduly] and destroy ourselves. And 44 should it happen that the devils stir up thoughts in the heart 44 of him that hath been made perfect, straightway they be- 44 come extinguished, even as fire is extinguished when water 44 falleth thereon." 627. The brethren said, " Why do the devils fear the labours
" of the monks, even as the Fathers say, ' If thou wishest the " 'devils to be afraid of thee, despise lusts'?" The old man said, " They are afraid because of three things, i. First. Be- " cause our Lord treated with contempt three kinds of passions, wherein are included and contained all the various " classes of passions, and these are they: The love of the belly, "the love of money, and vainglory. By means of these the " Calumniator fought against our Redeemer, and through His ' ' constancy in the wilderness, and silent contemplation, andfast- " ing, and prayer, He overcame Satan; therefore all the monks " who travel in His footsteps, and who by means of fasting, and " prayer, and silent contemplation, hideaway all the thoughts of " sin, and who perform their labours in righteousness, our Lord " maketh to conquer by His strength, and He vanquisheth the " devils who are their enemies. And as the demons fear and " tremble, not only by reason of the Crucifixion of Christ, but " even at the sign of the Cross, wheresoever it be made ap- " parent, whether it be depicted upon a garment, or whether " it be made in the air, so also do the devils fear and tremble, " not only by reason of the labours of our Lord and His constancy in the wilderness, but also at the existence of the " monks in the wilderness, and at their silent contemplation, "and their fasting, and their prayers, and their patient per- <(sistence in the performance of difficult labours, which take " place for Christ's sake. Therefore on one occasion Abba "Macarius said unto Palladius, 'Speak to the devils which " 'war against thee with disgust, and sluggishness, and " ' despair: if I had no labours of spiritual excellence, neverthe- " ' less for the sake of Christ I would guard these walls and " ' His Name would be sufficient for the redemption of my life. ' "2. Secondly. The war and contest which the devils [wage] "against the monks possess both rule and system, and they " are neither irregular nor unsystematic. And as when the " devils stir up the monks by means of evil thoughts of sin, " and the monks accept them, and consent to them, and let " themselves be incited to commit sin thereby, straightway " their souls become dark, and remote from God, and sorely " afflicted, and ashamed, and guilty, and weak and miserable, " so when their souls accept not these thoughts, and they do " not consent to them, and do not allow themselves to be in- " cited to sin thereby, but drive them away and cast them out " as soon as ever they begin to have motion [in them], and "call upon our Lord to help them, straightway all the former " things which come against the monks, inasmuch as they do " not acquiesce in their inci tings, are hurled upon the demons " with greatly intensified force, and they become ashamed,
" and tremble, and are destroyed, even as the blessed Mark " said, 'As he who breaketh into a house which is not his " 'own taketh to flight with fear and trembling as soon as he " ' heareth the voice of the master of the house, so also doth 11 ' Satan,' etc. 3. Thirdly. Because without labours and hu- " mility we who are rational beings are unable to please God, " and because without them neither men nor angels can en- " joy His love and His blessings, therefore also the demons and " devils, which live wholly in a state of pride and laxity, [can- " not enjoy them]."
628. The brethren said, "Why is it that although the "Fathers gave the admonition, 'Whensoever a demon ap- " 'peareth unto a man in any form whatsoever, let that man " 'make the sign of the Cross, and pray, and that similitude " 'will disappear,' we see that on several occasions the devils " still remain, and not in appearance only, but also in terrors, "which remain for a long time, and in many cases in blows " and stripes?" The old man said, "The holy Fathers gave the " admonition because it would apply in the majority of cases. " For since our Redeemer was crucified for us, and since He " exposed to disgrace the Rulers and Dominions, which are " evil demons, and put them to shame openly by His Person, "even as it is written, from that time onwards, whensoever " they have made themselves visible to the adorers of Christ " in divers form [to do them] harm, as soon as a man hath " made mention of the Name of Christ, and hath signed "himself with the sign of the Cross, the devils have fled "straightway, and their forms have disappeared. And this " happeneth not only in the case of holy men, and perfedt men, " but also in respedl of ordinary men who possess short- 4 'comings."
629. The brothers said, " Why was the blessed Martinydnd, " after all the great ascetic practices which he had acquired, " and the gifts of the spirit which he had received, and after "he had burned his fingers for the sake of the harlot, still " afraid of the war of fornication, and why, having gone and ' ' dwelt in the island in the sea for thirty years, did he not " stay [for] a season with that woman whom he had brought " up from the sea, but cast himself in the sea being afraid of ' ' the contest? " The old man said, ' ' Because the whole strength " of the demon of fornication was discharged upon him, and " he was, therefore, properly afraid. For those who have not " with them this war in all its fierceness imagine that they "have overcome it, but let them not boast themselves, and " let them know the truth, that is to say, they have not van- " quished the demon of fornication, and it is only that he hath
44 not waged war against them with all his strength, because 44 he hath not been permitted so to do, and he hath not been "permitted to do so because of their feebleness and laxity. 44 For the war of fornication which cometh upon a man only "attacketh him in the degree which he is able to bear. For, 44 behold, the great and famous fathers who endured this war 4 4 in all its severity for a long time were always in a state of 44 fear and trepidation, as was also Abba Arsenius, who was a 44 man eighty years old; and when the noble lady came to him 44 and said, * Remember me in thy prayers,' he did not hesitate 44 to say, 4 I will pray to God that He may blot the remembrance 44 * of thee out of my heart.' And by means of this which he 44 spake, he put to shame the demon of fornication, and shewed 44 how great was the hatred for this unclean passion that war- 44 reth against the holy men which he possessed."
[The story of Martinydnd and the harlot is as follows: — There was a certain monk who dwelt in the desert, and whose name was Martinydni, and he laboured in great works, and God wrought by his hands many mighty deeds, and he was applauded by all men. Now when Satan, the Evil One, saw that he was greatly applauded he became bitterly angry, and he wished to distract and to withdraw him from his rule of life and ascetic labours. One day Satan saw that many folk were glorifying him, and he went and dwelt in a certain harlot, and he sent her to the blessed man in order to make him fall. So the harlot took her attire, and placed it in a bag, and went to the holy man, and when she arrived at his abode it was evening; and she knocked at the door and said, 44 O Saint Mar- 44 tmy&ni, open the door to me, so that the wild beasts may not eat me." Now the holy man thought that she was a phantom, and he rose up and prayed, and since meanwhile she ceased not to cry out, he rose up from his prayer, and opened the door to her, and said to her, 4 4 Whence comest thou to 44 me, O devil?" And she said, 44 [My] companions have for- 44 saken me on the road, and I wandered about in the desert, 4 4 and have arrived hither"; and he left her [there], and went into the inner cell, and shut the door thereof between himself and her. And after the old man had laid down to sleep the harlot arrayed herself in her attire, and put on her ornaments, and then sat down; and when the morning had come, the old man went forth from his cell, and seeing her dressed he said to her, 44 Whence art thou? What is thy business?" And she said, 44 I am a daughter of people of high degree, and my parents 4 4 are dead, and they have left me great wealth. I heard that thou 44 wast a great man, and 1 have come to thee, and I beg thee 44 to come to my house and take me to wife, and we will live
" on thy excellence." Then the old man said unto her, "How "can I forsake my labour and my rule of life, and take thee to " wife, and fall from my covenant?" And she said unto him, ' ' What sin is there in it? Did not Adam and all the Fathers take " wives, and Noah, and Abraham, from whose seed Christ hath " risen?" Now by repeating these and suchlike things, she well-nigh succeeded in leading the holy man away captive, and he said unto her, "O woman, tarry a little so that I may see, lest " peradventure some one may come and see us." And having gone up to the roof to look, he woke up in his mind, and he made a flame of fire and stood up in it, and stayed in the fire until he burnt his toes; and when the harlot saw this, she fell down at his feet and wept, saying, " I have sinned against God " and thee,"and she revealed unto him the whole truth, [saying], "I repent." And the holy man sent her to a nunnery, and he remained in his cell until his feet were healed of the burning of the fire. And after he was healed of his sickness, he rose up and went and dwelt in an island in the sea, where there were neither women nor men.]
630. The brethren said, "What is the meaning of that "which one of the old men said, * If thou seest the wings of ' ' ' ravens flying about thou wilt also see the prayer of him " * that is oppressed in mind being exalted?'" The old man said, "As the ravens do not in the course of their flight mount " upwards to the height of heaven like the eagle, but fly close " to the surface of the ground and wheel about [seeking] for " their unclean food, so is the mind of the man who is not fer- " vent in the love of God, and who is continually in a state ot "sluggishness and dejedfcion, for when he standeth up for " service or for prayer, his thought will not be exalted to the "height of the love of Christ, but his mind will wander after "evil passions."
631. The brethren said, "An old man said, 'If thou seest a " 'young man who, in his desire, ascendeth unto heaven, take " 'hold of his foot and sweep him hence, for in this way thou " 'wilt help him'; what is the meaning of the words, 'Who in " 'his desire ascendeth unto heaven?*" The old man said, " This resembleth that which Isaiah spake, ' If the mind seeketh " ' to ascend to the Cross before the feelings cease from feeble- " 'ness, the wrath of God shall come upon him because he hath " 'begun to do something which is beyond his capacity, with- " 'out having first of all cured his feelings.' Now certain of the " beginners in the ascetic life are so silly and bold as to dare "to undertake things which are far above their capacity and "their strength; they do not wish to learn, and they will not " be persuaded by the commands of their Fathers, but, without
"having lived the proper period of time in the coenobium, "they dare to enter the cell, even as it is written concerning ' * one of the brethren in the Book of Paradise, for immediately " he had received the garb of the monk, he went and shut him- "self up as a solitary recluse, saying, 'I am a monk of the " 'desert'; and the Fathers went and brought him out into the "monastery [again]. There are others, too, who seek to shut " themselves up for a week at a time, and it in no wise helpeth "them; and there are others, the children of this world, who • ' at the beginning of their careers imitate the exalted rule of life "of the Fathers, and who imagine that they can imitate the " rule of the mind, that is to say, of the spirit, when as yet " they have not fulfilled the rule of the body. Therefore their " lives and works are not open to the Fathers, and they will " not receive correction, but they live according to their own "desire, and they are delivered over into the hands of the " devils who make a mock of them."
632. The brethren said, "One of the brethren asked Abba " Poemen, saying, ' My body is feeble, and I cannot lead an " ' ascetic life. ' Abba Poemen said unto him, 'Canst thou lead " ' the ascetic life in thy thought, and not permit it to go with " ' deceit to thy neighbour?' Tell us how the feeble man was " able to lead the ascetic life in his thoughts." The old man said, "This question belongeth closely, both in order and " meaning, to that which a certain brother asked Abba Poe- " men, saying, ' My body is feeble, but my thoughts are not.' " Now in the former case he spake having regard to those " who were afraid that through pains and sickness they would " become negligent of the labours of spiritual excellence, and, " in a different manner, that they might fall into pains and " sickness by way of punishment; in the latter case he spake " having regard to those who had toiled for a very long time " in the labours of self-denial, and who had finally become en- " feebled, either through old age, or through pains and sick- ' ' nesses, and who were ceasing from ascetic labours. Now " this is what Abba Poemen [meant] when he said, ' If thou art " ' not now able, by reason of thy weakness, to toil in the la- " 4 bours of the body as thou didst formerly, toil in the labours " 'of the soul, that is to say, the ruling of the thoughts, " ' which is the ruling of the mind; if thou art unable to fast " 'from meats, fast from evil thoughts; and if thou art no " ' longer able, through the weakness of the body, to stand up " ' and to recite as many Psalms as formerly, make thy mmd " ' to stand up before our Lord, and pray before Him vigi- " ' lantly with the prayer which is secret and pure, and be " 'tranquil, and humble, and pleasant, and good, and forgiv-
" 4 ing, and merciful; and endure thy sickness and weakness 44 4 with praise, and make no man to be sorry by thy tongue; "'and judge not, and blame not, and condemn not thy 44 * brother in thy heart. Now these excellences may be culti- 44 4 vated in the soul with the labours of the mind, and not 44 4 those of the body, and they are not impeded by the weak- 4 4 4 ness of the body.'"
633. The brethren said, 4 Why is it that the monks are 44 obliged to go round about begging for the meat and rai- "ment of which they have need, like those who are in the 44 world, although our Lord promised them, saying, 4 Seek ye 44 'first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and that 44 of which ye have need shall be given to you? 1 " (St. Matthew vi, 33). The old man said, 44 This [saying] is a proof of the "wisdom and grace of God towards those who are in the 44 world, for, in the majority of cases, the righteousness of the "children of this world consisteth of alms and compassion; 44 but the children of light are righteous men and monks who, 14 in their persons, and in their members, and in their thoughts, 44 serve our Lord. And God hath made the monks to have 11 need of the children of this world because of His love, so that 44 they may care each for the other, and may pray each for the 44 other, that is to say, the children of the world must care for 4 4 the monks, and the monks must pray in love for them. And 44 as the children of the world make the monks associates with 44 them in the corporeal things of the world, the monks must 4 make the children of the world to be associates with them 4 in the things of heaven, for our Lord spake to the children 4 of the world, saying, 4 Make ye to yourselves friends of this 4 4 mammon of iniquity, so that when they have become per- 4 4 feet they may receive you into their tabernacles which are * 4 for ever ' " (St. Luke xvi, 9).
634, The brethren said, 44 What is the difference between 4 [the words], 4 I will dwell in you,' and 4 I will walk in you/ 4 which God spake concerning the righteous? And what is the 4 meaning of 4 dwelling,' and 4 walking?" The old man said, 4 God dwelleth in the saints through the constant remembrance 4 with which they remember Him, as they marvel at Him, and 4 His works; but He walketh in them by means of His visions 4 and revelations [which He sendeth] upon them as they mar- 4 vel at His majesty, and rejoice continually in His love."
635. The brethren said, 4 4 With how many, and with what 4 names is the meditation upon God called?" The old man said, Its names are six, and they are as follows: — 1. Hope in God. 2. The state of being bound to our Lord. 3. Continuance with God. 4. Persistence in all the good works of God.
" £ Holding fast to God. 6. Dependence upon God. Hope in God " [meaneth], fix ye your gaze upon Him, and hope in Him, that "is to say, meditate ye upon Him. Being tied to our Lord " [meaneth] that we should be bound to our Lord, and should "fast and pray, until the old man cometh to an end, both "without and within. Continuance with God is the state of "being gratified through Him. Persistence [meaneth] that "we should possess persistence in the Lord in all the good " works of God. Holding fast to God [meaneth], 'Cut off from " 'thyself all cares which are not of Him, and let thy mind 1 1 1 fasten its gaze upon God only. ' Dependence upon God [mean- " eth], 'Hang thyself upon God,' to Whom be glory (or praise)! "Amen."
636. The brethren said, ' ' An old man was asked a question by " one of the brethren, who spake thus: — 'If I am in a state of " 'admiration of God, and in purity of soul, and the time of " 'prayer arriveth, ought I to come to prayer or not?'" And the old man said, "'What man who possesseth riches will make " 'himself poor? 1 Explain to us the meaning of the words of "the holy man." The old man said, "The holy man calleth " 'admiration of God and purity [of soul]' that to which the "blessed Mark gave the name 'meditation upon God* and " 'atmosphere of freedom. ' There are some brethren whose " hearts become pure after labours and great strivings, and " they become worthy of pure prayer, and their hearts also be- " come illumined from time to time by the light of Divine Grace, "and they attain to the meditation which is on God, and to "the spiritual understandings which are superior to custom. " The Fathers would not permit the men who attained to this "capacity, when they were standing in the purity of soul "of this nature, and in the atmosphere which was free from " trouble, and when the beater struck the board, and the season " for prayer arrived, to leave this enjoyable meditation, and to " stand upandsingthePsalms, but they [allowed] them to remain " therein until it had come to an end. Foraman to sing the Psalms ' and to perform the service could always be found, but such "meditation and such purity of the understanding, and the "atmosphere of freedom could not at all times be acquired, " and a man is neither able nor hath the power to attain to this " state whensoever he pleaseth,for it is a gift from heaven which " is given by our Lord from time to time to him that is worthy " thereof. For this reason one of the Fathers gave the follow- "ing commandment: — If a man enjoyeth such meditation " whilst he be standing up at the service, let him not interrupt "it until it cometh to an end, for such meditation filleth the " place of the service of the Psalms. See then that thou drivest
" not away from thee the gift of God, and let thy subservience " (or submission) to the same stand firm; but it is right to know " that certain brethren have not as yet attained to meditation "of this kind. They have thought that these words were " spoken for every man and for men of every kind of capacity, " and although their minds have been illumined somewhat by " the Psalms and prayers, they have relaxed the fulfilment of " the canon of their service, wherein are placed their consolation, and their wages, and their profit, and have occupied " themselves [with the meditation], but on several occasions "they have been interrupted in the meditation which hath i i come to them by the devils. It is, therefore, not right for the "brethren who are beginners in the ascetic life to do this, but i ' they should commit their life and works and meditation wholly " to God, and if it should happen that this meditation cometh to " them, let them reveal the matter to one of the old men who " is acquainted with such things, so that the demons may not ' * lead them astray and work their destruction. "
637. The brethren said, "By what means did the Fathers "sing the Psalms of the Holy Spirit without wandering [of "mind]?,, The old man said, "First of all they accustomed " themselves whensoever they stood up to sing the service in " their cells to labour with great care to collecT; their minds "from wandering, and to understand the meaning of the " Psalms, and they took care never to let one word (or verse) ' ' escape them without their knowing the meaning thereof, not " as a mere matter of history, like the interpreters, and not after ' * the manner of the translator, like Basil and John [Chrysos- " torn], but spiritually, according to the interpretation of the " Fathers, that is to say, they applied all the Psalms to their " own lives and works, and to their passions, and to their " spiritual life, and to the wars which the devils waged against " them. Each man did thus according to his capacity, whether " he was engaged in a rule of life for the training of the body, " or of the soul, or of the spirit, even as it is written, 'Blessed " ' are the people who know Thy praises, O Lord,' that is to "say, blessed is the monk who, whilst glorifying Thee with ' ' praise, colledleth his mind from wandering, and understand- ' ' eth clearly the knowledge and meaning of the Psalms of "the spirit, even as it is written, 'Sing ye unto God with " ' praise, sing ye unto our King.' When then a man singeth ' ' the service in this manner, and payeth attention to the mean- ' ' ing of the verse, he acquireth daily the faculty of singing a ' ' song mingled with the meditation of God and with the gaze " [which is fixed] upon Him. And after the time in which he " hath arrived at the spiritual rule of life, immediately a monk
" hath begun to sing the Psalms, though one or two sedtions "of them become too great for him, he is permitted to sing "them with understanding and with the meditation which is " on God, and he refraineth from the customary Psalms, and "he singeth a song which is superior [to that of] body and "flesh, and which is like unto that of angels, even as the " Fathers say."