О гневе

Anger is a frantic passion that easily enrages even those with knowledge, makes the soul brutal, and forces one to shirk all communication. A strong wind does not shake a pillar, and a non-angry soul will not be carried away by irritation. Water is set in motion by the swiftness of the winds, and the irritable is indignant at reckless thoughts. An angry monk is a desert boar 1: he saw someone and sharpens his teeth. The spreading fog thickens the air, excited irritability roughens the mind of the angry. A passing cloud darkens the sun, and a thought of memory of malice darkens the mind. The lion, locked in the menagerie, does not leave the door hooks alone for a minute, and the irritable one in the cell does not leave his angry thoughts alone. A calm sea is a pleasant sight, but not as pleasant as a peaceful state of mind. Dolphins swim in a calm sea, and in a peaceful state of mind, godly thoughts arise. A long-suffering monk is a quiet spring, providing pleasant drink to everyone, but the mind of an angry one is always indignant and does not give water to the thirsty; if it does, it is muddy and unusable. The irritable one's eyes are cloudy and bloodshot, revealing an indignant heart, but the long-suffering face is calm, the eyes are pleasant and look straight. The meekness of a husband is remembered by God (see Ps. 131:1), and a non-wrathful soul becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. Christ bows his head in a long-suffering spirit, and the humble mind becomes the abode of the Holy Trinity. Foxes live in a vindictive soul, and the lair of animals is a troubled heart. An honest man avoids a vile haven, and God avoids a vindictive heart. A fallen stone troubles the waters, and a bad word troubles the heart of a husband. Remove angry thoughts from your soul and let irritation not settle in your heart, so as not to be indignant during prayer. Just as the smoke from smoldering straw bothers the eyes, so does memory bother the mind during prayer. The thoughts of the irritated are the offspring of vipers, devouring the heart that gave birth to them. The prayer of the irritated is an abominable incense, the psalmody of the angry is an unpleasant sound, the gift of the vindictive is a worm-eaten sacrifice, and let him not approach the altars of purification. The irritated one sees disturbing dreams, and the angry one dreams of animal attacks. The long-suffering man sees in a vision the councils of the holy angels, and the unforgettable man practices spiritual words, and at night receives the resolution of the mysteries. The words σύαγρος έρημικός were supplemented according to the manuscript. You might be interested in: