О печали

A saddened monk does not know spiritual pleasure, but sadness is despondency of the soul and is the result of angry thoughts. Irritability is a desire for revenge, and failure to take revenge gives rise to sadness. Sadness is a lion's mouth and easily consumes the saddened. Sadness is a worm in the heart and devours the mother who gave birth to it. A mother suffers when giving birth to a child, and when she gives birth, she is freed from pain; but sadness, when born, causes great pain and, remaining after the birth pains, causes considerable illness. A saddened monk does not know spiritual joy, like the taste of honey - one suffering from a strong fever. A saddened monk will not move his mind to contemplation and will never send up 2 pure prayers, because sadness is an obstacle to everything good. Fetters on the legs are an obstacle to a quick procession, and sadness is an obstacle to contemplation. The barbarians bind the prisoner with iron, and the prisoner of passions binds with sorrow. Sadness does not increase when there are no other passions, just as ties do not knit when there are no binders. He who is bound by sadness is overcome by passions, and wears bonds to expose his defeat, because sadness is a consequence of failure in carnal desire, and desire is associated with every passion. He who has conquered desire has conquered passion, and he who has conquered passion will not be overcome by sadness. The abstinent one does not grieve that the food was not successful, and the chaste one did not have time in his foolishly conceived lewdness, and the non-angry one, that he was unable to take revenge, and the humble one, that he was deprived of human honor, and the non-lover of money, that he suffered a loss. They forcibly rejected the desire of all this, because just as an arrow does not pierce one dressed in armor, so sorrow does not sting the dispassionate one. A shield brings security to a warrior, and a wall to a city, but dispassion brings security to a monk more than a shield or a wall. For the shield is pierced by a swiftly flying arrow, and the wall is destroyed by many warriors, but dispassion will not overcome sorrow. He who has mastered passions has also mastered sadness, and he who has been conquered by voluptuousness will not escape its bonds. He who often grieves and ascribes to himself dispassion is like a sick man pretending to be healthy. Just as a sick person is visible by his complexion, so a passionate person is revealed by sadness. He who loves the world will grieve much. And whoever does not care about what is in the world will always have fun. The lover of money, having suffered a loss, will grieve bitterly; but he who neglects money will be careless. The glory-loving will be saddened when he suffers dishonor, but the humble will accept him as a fellow pupil. The melting furnace purifies bad silver, and sorrow for God is a heart mired in sins. Frequent melting diminishes the lead, and worldly sorrow diminishes the mind. Darkness reduces the active power of the eyes, and sadness weakens the contemplative mind. The sunlight does not penetrate into the depths of the water, and the contemplation of light does not illuminate the sad heart. Every person enjoys the sunrise, but even a sad soul does not enjoy it. The disease jaundice takes away the sense of taste, and sadness takes away the feeling from the soul. But he who neglects worldly pleasures is not disturbed by sad thoughts. Instead of: άναπέμπει according to the manuscript it reads: άναπέμψει ποτέ. You might be interested in: