Letter 931

To His Own Disciple. Behold, after the preceding letters we are writing these also to you, since we know that you seek words of exhortation from our lowliness, desiring otherwise to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Do not give yourself over to the distractions, the cares of our lowliness, and the anxieties of this soul-destroying life, brother. What do you expect? Does the appointed time wait for you? The days pass away like a shadow and like a dream. And you are without care, and you adorn lifeless walls. The Lord made you free from care, and you fill yourself with care. He took away your worry, and you yourself have plunged yourself into brushwood. Not one part of the things you hope for profits the soul. See, child, that in seeking the glory of men you are not deprived of the glory of God. For there is no other way to attain glory than by fleeing glory; for so long as we pursue it, it flees from us. If you wish to be glorious, do not desire glory; if you wish to be exalted, do not become exalted. Attend to yourself, child, and let not your mind hold as hostage the rank of the priesthood and of the office of abbot. I fear, I am afraid, lest in seeking to save others you destroy your own soul. Holy and honored is he who saves his own soul. Therefore listen to me, child, to your lowly father, who loves you in Christ and has mercy on you. Leave behind, child, your groveling counsels, and going away, be still in a cell, having barred yourself on every side, so as not to meet with anyone at all, except on the Sabbath and the Lord's Day, for one space of time. And then you will be able to know what is profitable for the soul, and other things besides these, namely that you must endure many afflictions, and many temptations, and many infirmities. But blessed are you, if you endure. But if you do not even do this, move away from there to another place; and if you wish to come to compunction, do not read Greek books, nor historical or allegorical writings, and do not touch the Old [Testament] at all. But read the New Testament, and the accounts of the martyrs, and the lives of the Fathers together with the sayings of the elders, and you will reap much benefit. I say this not as though the books of the Old [Testament] are to be cast out, in telling you not to read them. For since they are accepted, and were spoken by the Holy Spirit, and without them the Church does not stand firm; but [I say it because] for hesychasts and for solitaries they do not give birth to compunction. Attend to yourself, brother. The harvest is great: do not neglect it and gather stubble instead of ears of grain. The vintage is great. Do not give up the plucking of spiritual fruits and begin to glean dried grapes behind the vintagers. But for your part, leave behind earthly things, and devote your leisure to heavenly things. Reap and gather in the fruits of righteousness; and if you wish to find rest, gain the Lord as your friend, and become dead to every man. Become the slave of one master, since you are bound to be enslaved to many. For he who reveres the One will not fear the many; rather, the many will fear the one. Child, why do you turn aside from the road that says, "Who am I? Earth and ashes." And you wish to walk on the crooked road, the one full of afflictions and dangers. Where have you set my words, which were hidden away for you night and day? Where were you, and where do you see yourself prevailing? Where were you, and where do I wish you to be? And where are you? Because you love love of rule, and because you keep your tongue unruly and let it loose, unrestrained. Where are my commandments to you, that they shall weep. Mourn, lament; do not seek tribal rule, and in nothing measure yourself. Draw your love onto another road; remove yourself from the world. Henceforth, mount upon the cross; be lifted up from the earth. "Shake off the dust from your feet." Despise shame; hold every man as your superior; weep for your dead. "Cast out the beam that is in your eye"; rebuild your crooked house. Cry out: "Have mercy on me, Son of David, have mercy on me, that I may receive my sight." Learn that every mouth shall be stopped, and do not be slow to give thanks at every season. Shut your door to the enemy; set your words upon the balance, and bolt your door fast. Do not fall asleep in listlessness, lest suddenly it come to your ears: "Behold, the bridegroom; go out to meet him." And what will you say then? "I am occupied; it is not the time." He gave you rest, and you wish to toil. The time of flowering does not wait for you, nor of lamenting and weeping for your sins. Remember that he said concerning the door that "It shall be shut." Be vigilant, lest you remain outside with the foolish virgins. Transfer your reasoning from this vain life to another age. Leave behind earthly things, and seek heavenly things. Forsake the corruptible things, and you will find the incorruptible. Flee in your mind from the things of the moment, and you will meet with things eternal. Mortify the members of the flesh, that you may seek perfectly. You know how I speak. Understand the things said; labor in examining them precisely, and you will find the treasures hidden in accordance with God; and do not put my gray hairs to shame before God, since I pray on your behalf day and night. Do not say, brother, that "As all the monks are, so am I also." I tell you, child, there are many plants on the mountains and hills, in the thickets and the plains, but only the fruit-bearing ones are worthy of paradise; the unfruitful ones are kindling for the fire. "For everyone," it says, "who commits sin is a slave of sin," even if he is a priest, even if a king, even if a monk, even if he wears upon his head ten thousand jewel-studded crowns. "For there is no respect of persons with God." For he who has been counted worthy to put on the holy habit, and does not do the works of the habit, is a tree having many leaves but no fruit at all. Therefore, by saying, "As all the monks are, so am I also," such utterances will profit you nothing in the hour when your soul is separated from the body, but they will become for you cause of much condemnation, and provision for punishment. For the rest, brother, do not exalt yourself, "because the Lord sets himself against the proud, but to the humble he gives grace." See, brother, that you do not, in hope of repentance, gather a multitude of evils to yourself and reap sin, but fail of forgiveness. "God is not mocked." The things done involuntarily are wiped away by genuine repentance; but the things done voluntarily are deprived of all defense. Child, flee pleasure; understand that repentance is its fruit, and it will be to you more bitter than gall and "sharper than a two-edged sword"; for by whatever a man is overcome, by this also he is enslaved. There are torments and judgments for an idle word; how much more, then, for the one who wallows in pleasure? For it is written: "If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him." Will you then make the members of Christ the members of a harlot? May it not be, and especially in a temple consecrated [to God]. Flee pleasure, O child, the mother of destruction and death. Do not heed her words, since like a wolf she fawns upon lambs; flee every distraction, and every luxury, idleness; the seductive beauty of a face is a stumbling block of the eyes; a sweet word is an arrow of hearing, which surrenders the members to sensual pleasure. The soul of such a man is air for the wicked spirits, and is a counselor unto evil, and the body is a prison of unclean thoughts, which they hide within themselves, and they will be able [to make it] even such a thing as this. Brother, show reverence to the angel who guards you; and do not grieve the holy angels and gladden the demons. Remember the foul stench of women, and what benefit comes from this, except unquenchable fire, and the undying worm, "and the gnashing of teeth." For pleasure is enmity toward God. Brother, set in your mind the sleepless eye, that it watches over your deeds, and enters into your heart, searches the thoughts, makes manifest the intentions, "being able to destroy both soul and body in the gehenna of fire." Examine yourself, who you are; know your own nature, that your body is mortal, but the soul immortal. Despise the flesh, for it passes away. Take care of the virtue of the immortal spirit. Great and grievous is the sin. Great is your need of confession, of bitter tears, of intense prayer, of unceasing vigilance, of unbroken fasting. Attend to yourself, child. You are passing through the midst of snares; for hidden are the nooses set by the enemy. Guard therefore, lest you ever hide in your heart a lust; for he who looked at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. For the deeds of the body are interrupted by many things, but he who sins by intention has his sin completed together with the swiftness of his thoughts. Remember that this present pleasure is yours for the moment, but it will arrive at a bitter end. The titillation now arising in the body from pleasure, this will give birth to the venomous, immortal worm that punishes you in gehenna, and the burning of the flesh will become mother of the eternal fire. A dog bitten by a wild beast was the more maddened against it by the pain of the wound, becoming unappeasable toward it. Take into your mind, child, the affliction and the cutting short of prayer; take into your mind the one seated upon the Cherubim, and looking upon the abysses. For my part, child, what was in me, I have done, according to the prophet who says that "If you see your brother walking in a way that is not good, and do not signify it to him, from your hand I will require his blood." And through the earlier letters I told you, and behold, again I say the same to you: the rank of the priesthood does not profit you, nor to lead and to rule over any; for many of the monks in the desert, who lived devoutly and distinguished themselves with fasting and self-control, and shone like a luminary and became renowned, having been led both willingly and unwillingly into the priesthood, and having drawn near to the world, destroyed the virtues which they had still acquired through much struggle and toil and sweat. For having gone away to others to heal them, they themselves fell, given over to the passion of gluttony and love of money, and they fell into fornication. And at the last they died, cutting off their members with knives, a double death-I mean of the soul, and of the body. For this reason the Apostle also exhorts us, saying: "Let each one remain in that calling in which he was called." Brother, you know how I speak, discerning the things said, being quick of understanding. For the Lord will grant you intelligence to understand and to do the things that are profitable. For I think that you have not so much become an image lacking in love of labor, but [rather] an example of benefit, and that you will become so. See, brother, that the good name of God not be blasphemed because of you. Do not become for those who wish to be saved a cause of scandal, but rather become a sheep, and not a wolf, that you may not become a destroyer and not life, an unripe grape and not [ripe fruit], a tare and not wheat, stubble and not gold, turmoil and not calm. See, beloved, that you do not bring to completion that which is being noised abroad because of you, that you not become a laughingstock over worldly matters. But if you have laid hold of these things, you will make a mockery of word and of prudence. Then: turn away from evil, and do good. For indeed we believe that you will not disregard our nothingness; only let the grace of God be, and it is, with those who keep the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory and the dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Ἰδοὺ μετὰ τὰς προλαβούσας ἐπιστολὰς καὶ ταύτας γράφομεν πρὸς σὲ, γινώσκοντες, ὅτι ἐπιζητεῖς ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας χαμαλότητος λόγους παραινέσεως, ἄλλως θέλων σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Οὐκ ἐνδίδους ἑαυτὸν εἰς τοὺς περισπασμοὺς τῆς ἡμετέρας χαμαλότητος φροντίδας, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ μερίμνας τοῦ ψυχοφθόρου βίου τούτου. Τί προσδοκᾷς; Μένει σε ὁ καιρός; Αἱ ἡμέραι παρέρχονται ὡς σκιὰ, καὶ ὡς ὄναρ. Καὶ σὺ ἀμεριμνᾷς, καὶ κοσμίζεις τείχους ἀφύχους. Ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησέ σε ἀμέριμνον, καὶ σὺ μεριμνᾷς. Ἦρέν σου τὴν φροντίδα, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς κληματίδας ἑαυτὸν ἐπόντισας. Οὐδὲ ἓν μέρος, ὧν παραδοκεῖς, λυσιτελεῖ τῇ ψυχῇ. Ὅρα, τέκνον, μὴ ζητῶν τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ στερηθῇς τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Δόξης γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐν τῷ δόξαν φεύγειν· ἕως γὰρ διώκομεν, φεύγει ἡμᾶς. Εἰ βούλει ἔνδοξος εἶναι, μὴ ἐπιθυμήσῃς δόξαν· εἰ βούλει ὑψηλὸς εἶναι, μὴ γίνου ὑψηλός. Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, τέκνον, καὶ μὴ ὀμηρευέτω σου ἡ διάνοια βαθμὸν ἱερωσύνης, καὶ ἡγουμενείας. Φοβοῦμαι, δέδοικα, μὴ ζητῶν ἄλλους σῶσαι, ἀπολέσῃς τὴν σεαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ἅγιος καὶ τίμιός ἐστιν ὁ σώζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Οὐκοῦν ἄκουσόν μου, τέκνον, τοῦ χαμαλοῦ πατρός σου, τοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγαπῶντος, καὶ ἐλεοῦντός σε. Κατάλειπε, τέκνον, τὰς χαμερπεῖς βουλάς, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἡσύχαζε ἐν κελλίῳ, φράξας πάντοθεν, μὴ συντυγχάνειν τινὶ τὸ παράπαν, ἐκτὸς τε Σαββάτου, καὶ Κυριακῆς, χρόνον ἕνα. Καὶ τότε ἔχεις γνῶναι τὸ συντελὲς τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις, ὅτι πολλάς θλίψεις, καὶ πολλοὺς πειρασμοὺς, καὶ πολλὰς ἀσθενείας ὑπομεῖναι ἔχεις. Ἀλλὰ μακάριος σὺ, ἐὰν ὑπομείνῃς. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο οὐ ποιεῖς, μετάθητι ἐκεῖθεν εἰς ἄλλον τόπον, καὶ εἰ βούλει εἰς κατάνυξιν ἐλθεῖν, μὴ ἀναγίνωσκε Ἑλληνικὰς βίβλους, μήτε ἱστορικὰ, ἢ τροπολογικὰ, παλαιὰν τε μὴ προσψαύῃς τὸ σύνολον. Ἀναγίνωσκε δὲ τὴν Νέαν Διαθήκην. μαρτυρικὰ δὲ, καὶ τοὺς βίους τῶν Πατέρων σὺν τὰ γεροντικὰ, καὶ πολλὴν ὠφέλειαν καρπώσῃ. Οὐχ ὡς ἀπόβλητα τὰ τῆς Παλαιᾶς βιβλία, ταύτην φημὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀναγινώσκειν σε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δεκτά εἰσιν, καὶ ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου ῥηθεῖσαι, καὶ ἄνευ αὐτῶν ἡ Ἐκκλησία οὐ συνίσταται· ἀλλ᾿ Ἡσυχασταῖς, καὶ Μονάζουσι κατάνυξιν μὴ τίκτοντα· Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, ἀδελφέ. Πολύς ἐστιν ὁ θερισμὸς, μὴ ἀφείσης αὐτὸν, καὶ βάλης καλάμας ἀντὶ στάχυας. Πολύς ἐστιν ὁ τρυγητός. Μὴ ἀφείσης τοῦ δρέπειν καρποὺς πνευματικοὺς, καὶ ἄρξη καλαμᾶσθαι ῥόγας ὀπίσω τῶν τρυγητῶν. Σὺ δὲ ἄφες τὰ γήϊνα, καὶ σχόλασον τὰ οὐράνια. Θέρισε, καὶ τρύγησε καρποὺς δικαιοσύνης· καὶ ἐὰν θέλῃς ἀναπαῆναι, κτῆσαι φίλον τὸν Κύριον, καὶ γίνου νεκρὸς ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου. Γίνου δοῦλος ἑνὸς δεσπότου, ἐπεὶ δουλωθῆναι ἔχεις πολλούς. Ὁ γὰρ ἕνα εὐλαβοῦμενος, τοὺς πολλοὺς οὐ δειλιάσει· μᾶλλον δὲ οἱ πολλοὶ τὸν ἕνα δειλιάσουσιν. Τέκνον, διατί πλαγιάζεις ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς λεγούσης· «Ἐγώ τίς εἰμι; γῆ καὶ σποδός.» Καὶ θέλεις βαδίζειν εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐστραμμένην, τὴν γέμουσαν θλίψεων, καὶ κινδύνους. Ποῦ ἐϊσάς μου τοὺς λόγους, τοὺς πρὸς σὲ κεκρυμμένους νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν; Ποῦ ἥσου, καὶ ποῦ βλέπεις ἑαυτὸν κρατοῦντα; Ποῦ ἦσθα, καὶ ποῦ σε θέλω εἶναι; καὶ ποῦ εἶ; διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν σε τὴν φιλαρχίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἔχειν τὴν γλῶττάν σου ἀκατάστατον, καὶ ἀπόλυειν αὐτὴν ἀπαγῆ. Ποῦ εἰσιν αἱ ἐντολαί μου αἱ πρὸς σὲ, ὅτι κλαύσονται. Πένθησον, θρήνησον· μὴ ζητήσῃς φυλαρχίαν, καὶ ἐν μηδενὶ μέτρει σεαυτόν. Εἰς ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἕλκυσόν σου τὴν ἀγάπην· μετάθητι ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου. Λοιπὸν ἀνάδηθι ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν· κουφίσθητι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, «Ἐκτίναξον τὸν κονιορτὸν ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου.» Καταφρόνησον αἰσχύνην· ὑπέρχονταί σε ἔχε πάντα ἄνθρωπον· κλαῦσον τὸν νεκρόν σου· «Ἔκβαλον τὴν δοκόν σου, τὴν ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ σου· οἰκοδόμησόν σου τὴν διεστραμμένην οἶκον. Κράζον· «Ἐλέησόν με, υἱὲ Δαυΐδ, ἐλέησόν με, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω.» Μάθε, ὅτι πᾶν στόμα φραγήσεται, καὶ μὴ ὄκνῃς τῷ εὐχαριστεῖν ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ. Ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν σου τῇ ἐχθρῷ· στῆσον ἐν τῷ ζυγῷ τοὺς λόγους σου, καὶ τὴν θύραν σοῦ μοχλοποίησον. Μὴ ὑπνώσῃς ἀκηδίᾳ, μήποτε ἐξαίφνης ἔλθῃ εἰς τὰ ὦτά σου. «Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος, ἐξέλθετε εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ τὲ ἐρεῖς τότε; «Ἀσχολοῦμαι οὐ καιρῷ. Ἐκεῖνος ἀνέπαυσεν σε, καὶ σὺ θέλεις μοχθεῖν. Οὐ μένει σε ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ ἄνθησαι, καὶ θρηνῆσαι, καὶ κλαῦσαί σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας. Μεμνήσκου, ὅτι εἶπεν ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας, ὅτι «Κλείσεται.» Γοργόνευσον, ἵνα μὴ ἔξω μείνῃς μετὰ τῶν μωρῶν παρθένων. Μετάθητι τῷ λογισμῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ματαίου βίου τούτου εἰς ἄλλον αἰῶνα. Ἄφες τὰ γήϊνα, καὶ ζήτησον τὰ οὐράνια. Ἐγκατάλειπε τὰ φθαρτὰ, καὶ εὑρήσεις τὰ ἄφθαρτα. Φεῦγε τῇ διανοίᾳ ἀπὸ τῶν προσκαίρων, καὶ ἀπαντήσεις αἰώνια. Νέκρωσον τὰ μέλη τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα ζητήσῃς τελείως. Σὺ οἶδας πῶς λαλῶ. Νόησον τὰ λεγόμενα· πόνῃσον ἀκριβαζόμενος εἰς αὐτὰ, καὶ εὑρήσεις τοὺς κατὰ Ἀ Θεὸν κεκρυμμένους θησαυρούς· καὶ μὴ καταισχύνης μου τὰς πολιὰς ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ, ὑπερευχομένου σου ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός. Μὴ εἴπης, ἀδελφὲ, ὅτι Ὡς ὅλοι οἱ μονάζοντες, κἀγὼ. Λέγω σοι, τέκνον, πολλὰ φυτά εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ βουνοῖς, λόχμαις τε καὶ πεδιάσιν, ἀλλὰ μόνα τὰ κάρπιμα παραδείσου εἰσὶν ἄξια· τὰ δὲ ἄκαρπα πυρὸς ὑπεκαύματα. « Πᾶς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, κἂν ὁ ἱερεὺς, κἂν βασιλεὺς, κἂν μονάζων, ἢ μυρίους στεφάνους λιθοκολλήτους ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς περίκειται. « Οὐ γάρ ἐστι προσωποληψία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. « Ὁ γὰρ ἀξιωθεὶς ἐνδύσασθαι τὸ ἅγιον σχῆμα, καὶ μὴ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σχήματος, δένδρον ἐστὶν ἔχον φύλλα πολλὰ, καρποὺς δὲ οὐδὲλως. Τῷ οὖν λέγειν, Ὡς ὅλοι οἱ μονάζοντες, κἀγὼ, τὰ τοιαῦτα βήματα οὐδὲν σε ὀνήσουσιν ἐν ὥρᾳ, ὅτε ἡ ψυχή σου τοῦ σώματος χωρίζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῆς κατακρίσεως, καὶ ἐφόδιον κολάσεως γενήσονταί σοι. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ἀδελφὲ, μὴ ὕψου ἑαυτόν· « Διότι Κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν. « Ὅρα, ἀδελφὲ, μὴ ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι τῆς μετανοίας πλῆθος κακῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν συλλεξάμενος τὴν ἁμαρτίαν θερήσης, τῆς δὲ συγχωρήσεως ἀποτύχῃς. « Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. « Τὰ ἀκουσίως γινόμενα ὑπὸ γνησίας μετανοίας ἐξαλείφονται· τὰ δὲ ἑκουσίως πραττόμενα πάσης ἀπολογίας ἐστέρηται. Τέκνον, φεῦγε ἡδονήν· νόησον, ὅτι μετάνοια ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς, καὶ πικρότερον χολῆς ἔσται σοι καὶ « Ὑπὲρ μάχαιραν δίστομον· « ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττηται, τούτῳ καὶ δελούλωται. Βάσανα καὶ κρίσεις ὑπὲρ λόγου ἀργοῦ, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον ὁ συνκυλινδούμενος τῇ ἡδονῇ; Γέγραπται γάρ· « Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθείρει τοῦτον ὁ Θεός. « Ἄρα τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιήσεις, πόρνης μέλη; Μὴ γένοιτο, καὶ μάλιστα δὲ ἐν ναῷ ἀφιερωμένῃ. Φεῦγε ἡδονὴν, ὦ τέκνον, ἀπωλείας καὶ θανάτου μητέρα. Μὴ ὑπακούσης τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῆς, ἐπεὶ ὡς λύκος προσαίνει ἄρνας· φεῦγε πάντα περισπασμὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν τρυφὴν, ἀργείαν· σέρινος κάλλος προσώπου, δλισθος ὀφθαλμῶν· ῥῆμα γλυκὺ βέλος ἀκοῆς, ἥτις τῇ ἡδυπαθείᾳ παρέχει τὰ μέλη. Τοῦ τοιούτου ἀνθρώπου ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχὴ ἀὴρ τοῖς πονηροῖς πνεύμασιν, καὶ σύμβουλός ἐστιν εἰς τὸ κακὸν, καὶ τὸ σῶμα φυλακὴ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λογισμῶν, ὃν ἑαυτῷ κρύπτουσιν, καὶ δυνήσονται κἂν τοῦτο τοιοῦτον. Ἀδελφὲ, αἰδέσθητι τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν φυλάσσοντά σε· καὶ μὴ λυπήσης τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους, καὶ χαροποιήσης τοὺς δαίμονας. Μνήσθητι τῆς δυσωδίας τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ τὶς ἐκ τούτου ὄνησις, ἢ μὴ πῦρ ἄσβεστον, καὶ σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος, « καὶ βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων. « Ἡδονὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν. Ἀδελφὲ, εἰς νοῦν βάλε τὸν ἀκοίμητον δῖμμα, ὅτι ἐφορᾷ σου τὰς πράξεις, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἐμβατεύει, ἐρευνᾷ τοὺς λογισμοὺς, φανεροῖ τὰς ἐννοίας, « δυνάμενος ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ πυρός. « Ἐξέτασον σεαυτὸν, τίς εἶ· γνῶθι σεαυτοῦ τὴν φύσιν, ὅτι θνητὸν μέν σου τὸ σῶμα, ἀθάνατος δὲ ἡ ψυχή. Ὑπερόρα σαρκὸς, παρέρχεται γάρ. Ἐπιμελοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς πνεύματος. ἀθανάτου. Μέγα καὶ χαλεπὸν τὸ ἁμάρτημα. Πολλή σου ἡ χρεία τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως, δακρύων πικρῶν, συντόνου προσευχῆς, ἀγρυπνίας διηνεκοῦς, ἀδιαλείπτου νηστείας. Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, τέκνον. Ἐν μέσῳ παγίδων διαβαίνεις· κεκρυμμένοι γὰρ βρόχοι παρὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Φύλαξον οὖν μήποτε ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου κρύπτῃ ἀκόμημα, οὗ γὰρ ἐμβλέψας γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτήν, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Διότι αἱ μὲν τοῦ σώματος πράξεις ὑπὸ πολλῶν διακόπτονται, ὁ δὲ κατὰ πρόθεσιν ἁμαρτάνων τῷ τάχει τῶν νοημάτων συνεπαρτιζομένην ἔχει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Μνήσθητι, ὅτι τοῦτό μοι σοι τὸ παρὸν, ἡ δὲ εἰς πικρὸν καταντήσει πέρας. Καλὸ νῦν ἐκ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐγγινόμενος τῷ σώματι γαργαλισμός, οὗτος γεννήσει τὸν ἰοβόλον σκώληκα ἀθάνατον κολάζοντα ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ, καὶ πύρωσις τῆς σαρκὸς μήτηρ γενήσεται τοῦ αἰωνίου πυρός. Ὑπὸ θηρὸς δαχθεὶς χύων, πλέον ἐλουμώθη κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ τῷ πάνῳ τῆς πληγῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀσυγχώρητος γενόμενος. Εἰς νοῦν λάβε, τέκνον, τὴν θλίψιν καὶ τὴν ἐκκοπὴν τῆς προσευχῆς· λάβε κατὰ νοῦν τὸν καθήμενον ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶν, καὶ βλέποντα ἀβύσσους. Ἐγὼ μὲν, τέκνον, ὃ ἦν ἐν ἐμοὶ, πεποίηκα κατὰ τὸν προφήτην τὸν λέγοντα, ὅτι «Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου πορευόμενον ἐν ὁδῷ οὐκ ἀγαθῇ, καὶ μὴ σημάνῃς αὐτῷ, ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου ἀπαιτήσω αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα.» Καὶ διὰ τῶν πρῴην ἐπιστολῶν εἶπόν σοι, καὶ ἰδοὺ πάλιν τὸ σὐτὸ λέγω σοί· οὐ συμφέρει σοι βαθμὸς ἱερωσύνης, οὔτε τὸ καθηγεῖσθαι, καὶ ἄρχειν τινῶν· πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν μοναχῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ νηστείας, καὶ ἐγκρατείας εὐσεβῶς διεπρέψαντες, καὶ δίκην φωστῆρος ἐκλάμψαντες περιβόητοι γεγόνασι καὶ ἑκουσίως καὶ ἀκουσίως εἰς ἱερωσύνην ἀχθέντες, καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ πλησιάσαντες τὰς μὲν ἀρετὰς ἔτι διὰ πολλοῦ μόθου, καὶ κόπου, καὶ ἱδρώτων κτησάμενοι ἀπώλεσαν. Ἀπελθόντες γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους θεραπεῦσαι, αὐτοὶ μὲν πεπτώκασι, τῷ τῆς γαστριμαργίας καὶ φιλαργυρίας πάθει ἐνειμένοι καὶ τῇ πορνείᾳ πεπτώκασιν. Ἔσχατον δὲ καὶ τὰ μέλη αὐτῶν μαχαίραις ἀπεμόντες τεθνήκασι διπλοῦν θάνατον, τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς λέγω, καὶ τοῦ σώματος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀπόστολος παραινεῖ ἡμῖν λέγων· «Ἕκαστος ἐν ᾗ ἐκλήθη, ἐν ταύτῃ καὶ μενέτω.» Ἀδελφὲ, σὺ οἶδας, πῶς λαλῶ διακρίνων τὰ λεγόμενα ἀγχίνους ὑπάρχων. Διῶσι γάρ σοι ὁ Κύριος σύνεσιν τοῦ νοῆσαι καὶ ποιῆσαι τὰ λυσιτελῆ. Οἶμαι γὰρ, ὅτι οὐ τοσοῦτον ἀπέφιλόπονος τύπος ὠφελείας γέγονας, καὶ γενήσῃ. Ὅρα, ἀδελφὲ, μὴ βλασφημῇσθῇ τὸ καλὸν ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ διδ σέ. Μὴ γενοῦ τοῖς βουλομένοις σωθῆναι αἴτιος σκανδάλου, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον γίνου πρόβατον, καὶ οὐ λύκος, ἵνα μὴ γενήσῃ ὀλετήρ, καὶ οὐ ζωή, δμφαξ, καὶ οὐ πύπυρος, ζήζανιον, καὶ οὐ σῖτος, καλάμη, καὶ οὐ χρυσὸς, ἐκτάραγμα, καὶ οὐ γαλήνη. Ὅρα, ἀγαπητὲ, μὴ εἰς πέρας ἄξης τὸ περιφημούμενον διὰ σὲ, μὴ γέλως ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τοῖς βιωτικοῖς. Εἰ δὲ τούτεις ἐφήψω, ἐμπαροιστήσῃς λόγου ἢ φρονήσεως. Τίγος· ἔκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν. καὶ γὰρ πιστεύομεν, ὅτι οὐ παρακούσῃ τῆς ἡμῶν οὐδενίας· πλὴν ἔστω καὶ ἐστὶν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ χάρις μετὰ τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὗ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.