To the monks living in cinemas and communities

The work of Evagrius of Pontus “To the monks living in the monks and communities” (137 chapters, 383-393, Egypt) is written in the form of couplets in imitation of the Book of Proverbs. It contains practical advice for new monks living in communal monasteries. The treatise represents one of the parts of the work known as “The Mirror of Monks and Nuns.” The author writes that demons wage a constant struggle with people, trying in every possible way to persuade them to sin and distract them from the knowledge of God: “The souls of righteous people are guided by Angels, but the souls of unrighteous people are kidnapped by demons” (chapter 23). In his work, Evagrius of Pontus points out the stages of spiritual life (work, contemplation and theology), and says that for the perfection of the soul, only fulfilling the commandments is not enough. The mind must achieve appropriate contemplations, since the purpose of actions is the knowledge of God (chapter 3). Dispassion gives rise to perfect love: “He who acquired love acquired treasure, for he received grace from the Lord” (chapter 122). *The title of the work in Greek is Πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς κοινοβίοις ἢ ἐν συνοδίαις μοναχούς. *The title of the work in Latin is Sententiae ad monachos. 1. Let the heirs of God hear the words of God, let the joint heirs of Christ receive the sayings of Christ, so that they may be given in the hearts of your children, and let the words of the wise teach them. 2. A good father raises his children, but an evil father destroys them. 3. Faith is the beginning of love, and the end of love is the knowledge of God. 4. The fear of the Lord will preserve the soul, but good abstinence will strengthen it. 5. A husband's patience gives rise to hope, and good hope will glorify him. 6. He who enslaves his flesh will become dispassionate, but he who carefully nourishes it will endure torment because of it. 7. The spirit of fornication is in the bodies of immoderate people, but the spirit of chastity is in the souls of abstinent people. 8. Hermitage, proportionate to love, cleanses the heart, but hermitage, accompanied by hatred, leads it into confusion. 9 . It is better to live in love among thousands of people than, filled with hatred, to spend your life alone in forbidden caves. 10. He who conceals the memory of malice in his soul is like one who hides fire in straw. 11. Do not give your body plenty of food and you will not see bad dreams. For just as fire destroys a forest, so hunger dries up shameful visions. 12. A brave man will be afraid, and a meek man will become fearless. 13. A strong wind disperses the clouds, and malice in memory drives the mind away from knowledge. 14. He who prays for his enemies will become unforgiving, but he who holds his tongue will not grieve his neighbor. 15. If your brother annoys you, bring him into your home and do not hesitate to go in to him and eat your morsel with him. This will be deliverance for your soul, and it will no longer be tempted during prayer. 16. Just as love rejoices in poverty, so hatred delights in wealth. 17. The rich will not reach knowledge, and the camel will not pass through the hole of the needle; before the face of the Lord it will not be possible to do either one or the other. 18. He who loves silver will not see knowledge, and he who gathers it will be covered in darkness. 19. In the poor dwellings of the humble the Lord will find lodging for the night, but in the dwellings of the proud misfortunes will multiply. 20. He who transgresses His law dishonors God, but he who keeps this law glorifies his Creator. 21. If you diligently imitate Christ, you will become blessed; your soul will die by His death and will not be carried away by the depravity of your flesh; your death will be like the sunset of a star, and your resurrection will be like the rising of the sun. 22. Woe to the wicked in the day of death, and the unjust will perish in the time of evil. For just as a raven flies away from its nest, so the soul of an unclean man leaves his body. 23. The souls of righteous people are guided by Angels, while the souls of unrighteous people are kidnapped by demons. 24. Where vice has entered, ignorance also appears; the hearts of the saints are filled with knowledge. 25. An unmerciful monk will be in need, and one who feeds the poor will inherit treasure in heaven. 26. Better is poverty with knowledge than wealth with ignorance. 27. The decoration of the head is a wreath, but the decoration of the heart is the knowledge of God. 28. Acquire knowledge, not silver; strive for wisdom more than much wealth. 29. The righteous will become heirs of the Lord, and the saints will be nourished by Him. 30. He who sympathizes with the poor destroys the anger within himself, and he who nourishes them will be filled with spiritual blessings. 31. In a meek heart wisdom will find peace; the soul laboring in spiritual work will become a throne of dispassion. 32. Those who do evil deeds will receive a wicked reward, but those who do good deeds will be given a good reward. 33. He who sets a trap for another will fall into it himself, and he who hides the trap will himself be caught by it. 34. A meek layman is better than a hot-tempered and angry monk. 35. Anger scatters knowledge, but patience gathers it. 36. Just as the south wind is strong on the open sea, so is anger in the heart of a husband. 37. One who constantly prays avoids temptations, but the heart of one who neglects prayer is always agitated by thoughts. 38. Do not amuse yourself with wine and do not delight yourself with meat, otherwise the fleshiness of your body will be satisfied and shameful thoughts will not leave you. 39. Don’t say: today is a holiday and I drink wine, and tomorrow is Pentecost and I will eat meat. There are no holidays for a monk, and in general a person should not fill his belly. 40. The Lord's Passover is the exodus from vice, and His Pentecost is the resurrection of the soul. 41. The holiday of God is the forgiveness of mutual offenses; the vindictive person finds grief. 42. Pentecost of the Lord is the resurrection of love, but he who hates his brother falls into a terrible sin. 43. The Feast of God is true knowledge, but he who devotes himself to false knowledge will end his life in a shameful manner. 44. It is better to fast in a purity of heart than to celebrate in an unclean soul. 45. He who destroys evil thoughts in his heart is like one who smashes his babies against a stone (Ps. 136:9). 46. A sleepy monk will fall into vices, but a awake monk will be like a bird. 47. During your vigil, do not indulge in empty reasoning and do not put spiritual words away from yourself, because the Lord watches over your soul, and if it is lazy in spiritual things, he will not deliver you from all evil. 48. Many sleep whitens a thought, but good vigil refines it. 49. Many sleep brings temptations, but a waking monk will avoid them. 50. Just as fire melts wax, so good vigil melts evil thoughts. 51. A sleeping husband is better than a monk who is awake but filled with empty thoughts. 52. An angelic dream pleases the heart, but a demonic dream leads it into confusion. 53. Repentance and humility correct the soul, mercy and meekness strengthen it. 54. Always remember about your departure from the body, do not forget about the eternal Judgment, and then there will be no sin in your soul. 55. If the spirit of despondency attacks you, do not leave your home and do not shy away from temptation, for it brings benefits over time. After all, just as silver is purified from impurities, so your soul will shine like silver. 56. The spirit of despondency drives away blessed tears, and the spirit of sadness crushes prayer. 57. He who hungers for material wealth is consumed by many worries, and he who clings to them falls into bitter sorrows. 58. Do not keep a scorpio on your chest, or an evil thought in your heart. 59. Do not feel pity when killing the offspring of snakes, and you will not give birth to evil thoughts in your heart in torment. 60. Just as fire tests gold and silver, so temptation tests the heart of a monk. 61. Drive away pride from yourself and remove vanity. For he who has not achieved worldly glory is plunged into sorrow, and he who has achieved it becomes proud. 62. Do not give your heart to pride and do not say before the face of God: I am strong, so that the Lord does not leave your soul and the crafty demons do not humble it. For then the enemies through the air will terrify you, showing you terrible nights. 63. Knowledge protects the life of a monk, but he who falls away from knowledge will fall into the hands of robbers. 64. A stream flows from the spiritual Stone, and the soul, striving in spiritual work, drinks from it. 65. The chosen vessel (Acts 9:15) is a pure soul, but an unclean soul will be filled with bitterness. 66. Without milk a child cannot be nourished, and without dispassion the heart cannot rise. 67. Dispassion precedes love, and love precedes knowledge. 68. Wisdom is added to knowledge, but prudence gives rise to dispassion. 69. The fear of God gives rise to prudence, but faith in Christ gives the fear of God. 70. A red-hot arrow catches the soul, and a husband who devotes himself to spiritual work extinguishes it. 71. Knowledge turns away shouting and blasphemy, but wisdom avoids deceitful speech. 72. Honey is pleasant and the honeycomb is sweet, but the knowledge of God is sweeter than them. 73. Listen, monk, to the words of your spiritual father and do not consider his instructions inappropriate. When he sends you somewhere, always call on him for help in prayers, and always travel with him in thought. For in this way you will avoid evil thoughts, and crafty demons will not overcome you. If he entrusts you with silver, do not waste it, and if you earn anything, give it to him. 74. A bad steward oppresses the souls of his brothers, but a vindictive one has no pity for them. 75. He who wastes monastic property commits a crime against God, and he who neglects it will not go unpunished. 76. An unjust economy distributes badly, but a fair economy gives everyone their due. 77. He who curses his brother will perish, and he who does not care for the weak will not see the light. 78. A layman who ministers to his sick brother is better than a hermit who does not spare his neighbor. 79. A stupid monk does not care about the tools of his craft, but a wise monk takes care of them. 80. Don’t say: today I remain in the monastery, and tomorrow I will leave it, because you judged this without thinking properly. 81. A monk in seclusion who will diligently think about false speeches will mislead his spiritual father. 82. He who adorns his garments and fills his belly feeds evil thoughts—such a person cannot sit with men of understanding. 83. If you come to a village, do not approach women and do not linger in long conversations with them. For just as a fish swallows a hook, so the soul, having swallowed the bait of fornication, will be drawn to hell. 84. A long-suffering monk will be loved by the Lord, but a monk who is irritated with his brethren will become hated by Him. 85. The Lord loves a meek monk, but a daring monk will be rejected by Him. 86. A timid monk grumbles a lot, and a sleepy monk justifies his sleepiness with a headache. 87. If your brother is sad, comfort him, and if he suffers, have compassion with him. By doing this, you will gladden his heart and you will accumulate great treasure for yourself in heaven. 88. A monk who does not keep the commandments of his spiritual father will blaspheme the gray hairs of the one who gave birth to him in God, and slander the life of his children, and the Lord will grieve for him. 89. He who seeks justification for his separation from the brethren will blame his spiritual father for this. 90. Do not listen to speeches against your father and do not stir up the soul of someone who does not honor him, lest the Lord be angry with your deeds and blot out your name from the book of the living. 91. He who obeys his spiritual father loves himself, but he who contradicts him will fall into evil. 92. Blessed is the monk who keeps the commandments of the Lord; holy is a monk who keeps the words of his spiritual fathers. 93. A lazy monk will be severely punished by God, and if he still falls into insolence, he will also lose his monastic robe. 94. He who watches his tongue paves a straight and sure path to salvation, and he who guards his heart will be filled with knowledge. 95. A bilingual monk confuses the brethren, but a faithful monk reigns spiritual peace among them. 96. He who trusts in his self-control will fall, but he who humbles himself will exalt. 97. Do not indulge yourself in the satiation of your belly - and you will not be overcome by sleep at night. In like manner you will become pure and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you. 98. He who sings psalms calms the furious beginning of the soul, and he who is long-suffering will become ignorant of fear of demons. 99. From meekness comes knowledge, and from boldness comes ignorance. 100. Just as water nourishes a plant and allows it to grow, so humility allows the heart to rise above anger. 101. He who seeks a feast will extinguish his lamp, and his soul will see darkness. 102. Eat your bread, measuring it on the scales, and drink your water by measure - then the spirit of fornication will flee from you. 103. Give wine to the old and bring it also to the weak, because the flesh of their youth is worn out. 104. Do not expose your brother’s feet and do not rejoice at his fall. For the Lord knows your heart and will betray you on the day of death. 105. A reasonable monk will be fearless, but an unreasonable monk will endure many troubles. 106. The Lord will blind the evil eye, but He will free the simple-hearted from darkness. 107. Like the morning star in the sky and like the palm tree in paradise, so a pure mind is in a meek soul. 108. A wise man will seek the logos of God, but an unwise man will subject them to ridicule. 109. He who hates the knowledge of God and rejects the contemplation of Him is like a man piercing his heart with a spear. 110. Knowledge of the Holy Trinity is better than knowledge of incorporeal entities, and contemplation of It is superior to the logoi of all ages. 111. The gray hairs of the elders are meekness, and their life is the knowledge of truth. 112. A meek young man can endure a lot, but who will support a cowardly old man? I saw an angry old man sitting proudly in his seat, but I pinned more hopes on the one who was younger than him, but more meek. 113. He who seduces the laity will not go unpunished, but he who incites them will discredit his title. 114. The one who throws the Church of the Lord into confusion will be destroyed by fire, and the one who opposes the priest will be swallowed up by the earth. 115. He who loves bees eats honeycombs from them, and he who gathers these bees into hives will be filled with the Spirit. 116. Honor the Lord and you will know the logoi of incorporeal things; Serve Him - and He will show you the logoi of the ages. 117. Without knowledge the heart will not rise without knowledge, and the tree will not blossom without moisture. 118. The flesh of Christ is active virtues, and whoever eats it will become dispassionate. 119. The Blood of Christ is the contemplation of created things, and he who drinks it will become wise by It. 120. The breast of the Lord is the knowledge of God, and the one who falls to it will become a Theologian. 121. The speculative and the one devoting himself to spiritual work met each other, for the Lord stood in the middle of them. 122. He who has acquired love has acquired treasure, for he has received grace from the Lord. 123. Wisdom knows the dogmas of demons, but prudence reveals their deceit. 124. Do not reject the holy dogmas that your fathers established, do not abandon the faith of your baptism and do not destroy the spiritual seal, so that the Lord always dwells in your soul and preserves you on the cruel day. 125. The words of heretics are harbingers of death, and whoever receives them destroys his soul. 126. Now, son, listen to me: do not approach the doors of wicked men and do not wander around their traps, lest you be caught by them. Remove your soul from false knowledge. After all, I often spoke with them, finding out their gloomy speeches, and I found the poison of asps (Ps. 139.3) in them. There is no prudence and no wisdom in their words. All who accept them will perish, and those who love them will be filled with all kinds of evil. But I know the fathers of your dogmas, and I have met them more than once in the desert. The enemies of the Lord came towards me, demons fought with me with charming speeches, and I did not see the true light in their words. 127. A liar will fall away from God, and he who deceives his neighbor will fall into misfortune. 128. The Paradise of God is better than the green helicity, and the River of the Lord is better than the great river that darkens the earth. 129. The water of heaven is more reliable than the water of the Egyptian sages, drawing from the earth. 130. Just as lifting wheels end up at the bottom, so those who lift up their words are diminished by them. 131. The wisdom of the Lord elevates the heart, and the prudence of the Lord purifies it. 132. The logoi of providence are covered in darkness, and the contemplation of the Judgment is difficult to comprehend, but a man who has succeeded in spiritual work knows them. 133. He who purifies himself will see the intelligent natures, while the meek monk will recognize the logoi of incorporeal things. 134. He who says that the Holy Trinity is a creature blasphemes God, and he who rejects His Christ does not know Him. 135. Contemplation of the worlds expands the heart, while the logoi of Providence and Judgment elevate it. 136. The knowledge of incorporeal things lifts up the mind and presents it to the Holy Trinity. 137. Remember who gave you clear parables in the Lord and do not forget during prayer about my humble soul.