Letter 227: The wise person keeps his head during prosperity and prepares for adversity while things are going well.

To Thomas the Monk. On the necessity of constant vigilance. The philosophical life recoils from tumult, and monastic discipline is properly achieved outside of confusion, so that the monk may use this as the foundation for the heights of humility — namely, solitary leisure, earnestly and completely forgetting burdensome affairs and unseemly words. But if we think that a rough cloak, a beard, and a staff suffice for the attainment of the angelic life, and yet mingle in the midst of crowds, spectacles, and the sounds of city life, priding ourselves only on the instruments of victory while avoiding the actual wrestling and combat from which victory comes — or rather, kindling within ourselves the causes of the struggle — we fail to notice that we have become dogs returning to our own vomit, or swine wallowing in the mire of old habit. To the same Thomas. Everyone who has a share in nobility of character will rejoice when virtue is honored. For just as no one would suppose that a lawgiver who appoints the greatest punishments for transgressions is himself preparing to break the law, so too when someone is delighted to hear of the surpassing rewards of virtue, he will be deemed ready for every virtue — full of all good things, and possessed of no evil. For it is fitting that virtue be both admired and loved by those who are earnest. To Herminos the Count. On the text, "Take heed that you do not perform your almsgiving before men to be seen by them." Since you have written asking how it is possible for the merciful man not to be noticed, I say that what is being examined here is the intention of the one who shows mercy. For since a person seeks praise from those whom he wishes to please, and the one who desires to please God wishes to receive his praise from God, this is what the text means. For it is not the one who happens to be seen who acts in order to be seen, but rather the one who desires to be observed and for this reason publicizes the sacred act. For even if the deed itself cannot endure being hidden, the one who shows mercy ought not to make a display of it; for the person who does so both parades the recipients and proclaims his own reward and praise. To Ouranios the Deacon. Why do you flee to many for help, when you could flee to One? Why do you flatter many, when you could supplicate One? Why do you call upon the weak for alliance, when you ought to take refuge in the invincible right hand and be delivered from every trial? For a trial is not the falling into temptation, as you suppose, but being defeated by it. That this is true, even if it seems incredible to many, I shall make clear by adducing a few passages from the Sacred Scriptures. Now the saying of Paul, "No one is crowned unless he competes lawfully," I shall pass over, since some think it refers only to the labors of virtue, and I shall come to another text. The most courageous Job said: "The life of man upon earth is a testing ground." If then life itself is a testing ground, how is it possible for one who is in the midst of trial not to encounter trial? For the saying of the Truth, "Pray that you enter not into temptation," means this: pray that you may not be defeated by temptation. For He did not say "not to fall into," but "not to enter into," that is, not to be swallowed up by it. Not to fall into it is impossible; but having fallen in, to rise again and be crowned is indeed possible. And if you wish, I shall make this clear through the briefest of examples. It is possible for one who has fallen among lions to be saved, either by strength or by skill — and why do I say "saved"? For some have even subdued such beasts. But the one who has been devoured and has entered into the belly of the beast — how can he escape? This, then, is what Christ meant: it is impossible not to encounter temptation, but it is possible to overcome it. And of both these truths, all the saints are both guarantors and witnesses, whom so many storms of temptations assailed that they struggled through nearly their entire life here. Has none of them, then, been heard? someone might ask. Indeed they were heard; but what being heard meant was not the avoidance of falling into temptation — for that is impossible — but rather, having fallen in, to emerge from the stadium not only unharmed but also crowned. Let us therefore not seek to avoid falling into temptations, but rather, having fallen, to be shown forth more resplendent. To Herminos the Count. On the text, "Take heed that you do not perform your almsgiving before men." Since you have written asking how the merciful man can remain unseen, I say that what the Lord now examines is the intention of the one giving alms. For since one seeks praise from those he wishes to please, and the one desiring to please God wishes to receive praise from Him — this is what the saying means. It is not the one who is seen that necessarily acts for the purpose of being seen, but the one who desires spectators, and for this reason publicizes the sacred deed. Even if the deed itself resists concealment, the merciful one ought not to make a display; for the one who does so both parades the recipients and trumpets his own reward.

ΛΙ΄. – ΘΩΜΑ ΜΟΝΑΧΩ. Περὶ τοῦ δεῖν πάντοτε νήφειν. Φιλοσοφία ἀποστρέφεται θόρυβον, καὶ γυμνασια μοναχική έξω κατορθοῦται συγχύσεως, ἵνα ταύτῃ χρήσηται ὑποβάθρᾳ τοῦ ὕψους τῆς ταπεινώσεως, τῇ κατὰ μόνας σχολῇ καὶ πραγμάτων ὀχληρῶν, καὶ ῥημάτων ἀπρεπῶν, * (90) σπουδαίως καὶ τελείως ἐκλαθόμενος. Εἰ δὲ τρίβωνα καὶ ὑπήνην, καὶ βάκτρον ἀρκεῖν ἡμῖν πρὸς ἐξάνυσιν τῆς ἀγγελικῆς πολιτείας οἰόμεθα, καὶ μέσοι δήμων, καὶ θεαμάτων καὶ ἀκου- σμάτων ἀστικῶν συμφυρόμεθα, τοῖς ὀργάνοις τῆς νἱ- κης μόνοις ἐναβρυνόμενοι, τὴν δὲ πάλην καὶ μάχην ἐκκλίνοντες, ἐξῆς ἡ νίκη προσγίνεται, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰς αἰτίας τῆς πάλης ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀνακαίοντες, λανθάνομεν κύνες τυγχάνοντες, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἔμετον ὑποστρέφον- τες, ἢ ἧς τῷ βορβόρῳ τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας ἐγκα- λινδούμενοι. ΣΚΖ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Πᾶς ὅτῳ μέτεστι καλοκαγαθίας, ἀσμενίσει τῆς ἀρετῆς τιμωμένης. Ωσπερ γὰρ εἴ τις νομοθέτης με- γίστας κολάσεις τῶν παρανομιῶν τάττοι, οὐκ ἂν αὐ- τός γε παρασκευάζεσθαι παρανομεῖν νομισθείη οὕτως ὅταν τις ὑπερφυεῖς τὰς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀμοιβὰς ἀκούων ἡσθείη, πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν ἕτοιμος εἶναι δόξει· καὶ ἀγαθῶν μὲν πάντων ἔμπλεως, κακοῦ δὲ οὐδενός. Καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι γὰρ καὶ φιλεῖσθαι τὴν ἀρετὴν παρὰ τῶν σπουδαίων οὐκ ἀπεικός. ΣΚΖ΄. – ΕΡΜΙΝΟ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ (18). Εἰς τὸ, « Προσέχετε τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς τὸ θεαθῆ- ναι (19). Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας, Πῶς οἷόν τε μὴ φανῆναι τὸν ἐλεήμονα; φημὶ, ὅτι τὴν γνώμην νυνὶ ἐξετάζει τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἷς τις ἀρέσκειν θέλει, παρὰ τούτων θηρᾶται τὸν ἔπαινον· ὁ δὲ Θεῷ ἀρέσαι βου- λόμενος, παρ' αὐτοῦ κομίσασθαι βούλεται τὸν ἔπαι-- νον, τοῦτ' ἔφη. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ θεαθεὶς πάντως πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ποιεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ θεωρεῖσθαι βουλόμενος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δημοσιεύων τὸ μυστήριον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐκ ἀνέχεται κρύπτεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἐλεῶν οὐκ ὀφείλει ἐπιδείκνυσθαι· ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο δρῶν, καὶ τοὺς λαμβάνοντας ἐκπομπεύει, καὶ ἑαὐτοῦ τὸν μισθὸν καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον κηρύττει. - ΟΥΡΑΝΙΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ Τι εἰς πολλοὺς καταφεύγεις, ἐξὸν εἰς ἕνα; τι πολ- λοὺς κολακεύεις, παρὸν ἕνα ἀντιβολεῖν; Τι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν καλεῖς, δέον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀήτ- τητον δεξιὰν καταφεύγειν, καὶ παντὸς ἀπηλλάχθαι πειρασμοῦ; Πειρασμὸς γὰρ ἐστιν, οὐ τὸ περιπεσεῖν πειρασμῷ, ὡς ἡγῇ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡττηθῆναι αὐτῷ· ὅτι δὲ τοῦτο, εἰ καὶ δοκεῖ πολλοῖς ἄπιστον εἶναι, ἀληθές ἐστιν, ὀλίγα τινὰ ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν μεταχειρισάμενος Γραφῶν, δῆλον ποιήσω. Τὸ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου ῥηθὲν, • Οὐδεὶς στεφανοῦται, εἰ μὴ νομίμως ἀλήθσῃ,» ἐπειδήπέερ τισὶ δοκεῖ μόνους τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς αἰνίτ- τεσθαι πόνους, παραλείψω, ἐφ᾽ ἑτέραν δὲ ἥξω βῆ- σιν. Εἶπεν ὁ ἀνδρειότατος – Πώβ· « Πρατήριόν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. » Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτὸς ὁ βίος πειρατήριόν ἐστι, πῶς οἷόν τε τὸν ἐν τῷ πειρασμῷ ὄντα, πειρασμῷ μὴ περιπεσεῖν; Τὸ γὰρ παρὰ τῆς ᾿Αληθείας λεχθέν, « Προσεύχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, » τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Προσ- εύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ ἡττηθῆτε τῷ πειρασμῷ. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν, τουτέστι, μὴ καταποθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν μὲν γὰρ, οὐχ οἷόν τε, ἐμπεσόντα δὲ ἀνευρίσασθαι (54) καὶ στεφανωθῆναι οἷόν τε. Καὶ εἰ βούλει, διὰ παραδεί- γματος συντομωτάτου τοῦτο ποιήσω σαφές. Δυνατὸν μὲν γὰρ ἐμπεσόντα · τινὰ εἰς λέοντα διασωθῆναι ἢ ῥώμῃ, ἢ τέχνῃ· καὶ τὸ λέγω διασωθῆναι; Τινές γὰρ καὶ ἐχειρώσαντο τοιούτους θῆρας. Τὸν δὲ καταβρω- θέντα καὶ εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τοῦ θηρὸς γεγενημένον, πῶς ἔνεστι διαφυγεῖν; Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐστὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ῥηθέν · ὅτι ἀδύνατον μὲν ἐστι μὴ περιπε- σεῖν πειρασμῷ, δυνατὸν δὲ περιγενέσθαι· καὶ έκα- τέρου σούτων καὶ ἐγγυηταὶ καὶ μάρτυρες οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες, οὓς τοσαῦται νιφάδες πειρασμῶν κατετό- ξευσαν, ὡς ὅλον σχεδὸν τὸν τῇδε βίον διαθλῆσαι. Οὐδεὶς οὖν αὐτῶν εἰσηκούσθη, φαίη τις ἄν· Εἰσ- ·ηκούσθησαν μὲν οὖν · τὸ δὲ εἰσακουσθῆναι τοῦτο ἦν, οὐ τὸ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· ἀδύνατον γάρ· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐμπεσόντα, μὴ μόνον ἀβλαβῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ στεφάνων ἐκ τοῦ σταδίου ἐξελθεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ζητῶμεν, τὸ μὴ πειρασμοῖς περιπίπτειν, ἀλλά τὸ περιπεσόντες λαμπρότεροι ἀποφανθῆναι.