I. A Word on Spiritual Work, or Monk

The work “The Word on Spiritual Work, or the Monk” is the first part of the trilogy of Evagrius of Pontus, which he dedicated to his friend Anatoly, a monk of the monastery of St. Melania and Rufina on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The treatise was written in Egypt, probably in 383-393, addressed to anchorite monks and consists of 100 chapters (“hundreds”) devoted to the initial stage of ascetic life - doing, namely the achievement of dispassion. The prologue gives the symbolic meaning of the monastic robe. Chapters 6-33 talk about the 8 main sinful thoughts and the fight against them. Chapters 34-39, 57-70 are about passions and dispassion. Chapters 81-90 are about virtues. Chapters 91-100 are brief sayings of the Church Fathers (St. Anthony the Great, Macarius the Great, etc.). The author distinguishes 3 parts in the human soul: rational, violent and desirable (lusting) (chap. 22, 54, 63, 86, 89). The violent and desirable parts of the soul are subordinate to the rational one and help it in the fight against vices and in acquiring virtues (chap. 86, 89). According to Evagrius, dispassion is achieved only when “the rational soul acts in accordance with nature, when the desirable part of it strives towards virtue, the violent part fights for this virtue, and the rational part turns to the contemplation of created things” (chapter 86). One of the basic principles of the ascetic theology of Evagrius of Pontus, dating back to Origen, is the idea that Christian spiritual life consists of two stages: doing and contemplation (chap. 32, 66, 84), between which there is subordination (chap. 90). The purpose of doing is the knowledge of God (ch. 32, 79). The author states that Christianity is the teaching of Christ, consisting of work, natural contemplation and theology (chapter 1). According to Evagrius, the beginning of action is faith, and the final goal is dispassion, which gives birth to perfect love (chap. 81, 84). Ascetic work is divided into 2 parts: “negative” (consists of cleansing from passions) and “positive” (acquiring Christian virtues). Evagrius of Pontus was the first to define in ascetic writing 8 “generic” bad thoughts that encompass all other thoughts: gluttony, fornication, love of money, sadness, anger, despondency, vanity and pride (chap. 6-14, 54). In Evagrius’s teaching on ascetic work there is a deep sense of trust in God in the struggle against thoughts and demons (chap. 14, 27, 33, 43, 66). The essay names the degrees and signs of dispassion (chap. 54-58, 60, 63-67), with the achievement of which the 2nd stage of spiritual life begins - “natural contemplation”, i.e. knowledge of God from His creations (chap. 56, 76, 79, 84). The 3rd stage of spiritual improvement is direct mystical knowledge of God (theology) (chapter 1, 84). The purified mind, by the grace of God, acquires “pure prayer” (chap. 23, 41). *The title of the work in Greek is Λόϒος πρακτικὸς ἢ Μοναχός. *The title of the work in Latin is Liber practicus. Contents Prologue. Message to Anatoly. A Word on Spiritual Work Epilogue Prologue. Message to Anatoly. You, beloved brother Anatoly, recently wrote from the Holy Mountain to me, who was in the Skete, and asked me to explain to you the symbolic meaning of the vestments of the Egyptian monks, believing that it is not by chance and not without reason that it is so different from the attire of other people. And we willingly informed you [everything] regarding this, [passing on] what we learned from the holy fathers. The doll is a symbol of the grace of our Savior and our God, cherishing their infancy in Christ and protecting the sovereignty of the [souls] of the monks [from demons], always trying to inflict blows and wounds [on them]. Those who wear a doll on their heads sing with all the strength they can: “Unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain; If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps 126.1). Such voices [psalmody] inspire humility and eradicate pride, that is, the ancient evil that cast down to the earth the morning star (Is. 14:12). The nakedness of hands reveals the impersonality of life. For vanity is terrible; it hides and covers with a shadow the virtues, always pursuing human glory and driving out faith. “How can you believe,” says [the Evangelist], “when you receive glory from each other, but do not seek the glory that is from the One God?” (John 5:44). After all, the Good must be chosen for its own sake, and not for the sake of anything else, for if this is not allowed, then what motivates us to do good will appear more valuable than the [good] done - a statement as absurd as the statement (or thought) that there can be something better than God. Again, the Analav intertwining their shoulders in a cross shape is a symbol of faith in Christ, supporting the meek, always restraining what hinders them, and allowing them to act unhindered. The belt constricting their loins reflects all uncleanness, which is what [the Apostle] proclaims: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman” (1 Cor. 7:1). They also have mantle, since they always carry “in the body the death of the Lord Jesus” (2 Cor. 4:10), silencing all the unreasonable passions of the body and stopping [all] vices of the soul from participating in good. And, having loved poverty, they avoid covetousness as the mother of idolatry. The rod is “the tree of life for those who acquire it [wisdom] - and blessed are those who keep it!” ( Proverbs 3:18 ). The symbol of these things, in [our] concise presentation, is the [monastic] vestment. The sayings constantly repeated by the [holy] fathers correspond to them: “Children! Faith is strengthened by the fear of God, and it is abstinence. Temperance is made unshakable by patience and hope, from which dispassion is born; the offspring of dispassion is love, and it is the door to natural knowledge, the heirs of which are theology and ultimate beatitude.” So, for now, enough has been said about the sacred vestment and the teaching of the elders. Let us now begin to narrate a life devoted to spiritual work and a life devoted to knowledge, [stating] not everything that we saw and heard [from the elders], but what, according to their teaching, can be said to others. Therefore, we have summarized what relates to [spiritual] work [in a work] divided into one hundred chapters, and what relates to knowledge - [in two others, consisting of] fifty and six hundred chapters. At the same time, we hid something, and spoke about something in secret, so as not to “give what is holy to dogs and not to cast pearls... before swine” (Matthew 7:6). But this will be clear to those who follow in the footsteps of the elders. 1. Christianity is the teaching of our Savior Jesus Christ, consisting of active, natural and theological [philosophy]. 2. The Kingdom of Heaven is the dispassion of the soul, combined with the true knowledge of beings. 3. The Kingdom of God is the knowledge of the Holy Trinity, coexisting and spreading along with the [internal] structure of the mind, and also going beyond its incorruptibility. 4. If someone loves something, then of course he strives for it and fights to get it. All pleasure begins with desire, and desire is generated by feeling, for those deprived of feeling are free from passion. 5. The demons themselves fight against hermits, and against those who strive for virtue in monies and brotherhoods, they arm the most careless of the brethren. But the second battle is much easier than the first, because it is impossible to find people on earth who would be more cruel than demons, or those who can perceive [all] their cunning at once. 6. There are eight basic thoughts that encompass all [other] thoughts. The first thought is gluttony, and after it [follows] the thought of fornication; the third - love of money; fourth - sadness; fifth - anger; sixth - despondency; the seventh is vanity, and the eighth is pride. It does not depend on us whether all these thoughts annoy us or, on the contrary, do not bother us; however, it depends on us whether they linger or, on the contrary, do not linger in us, so that they lead or do not set passions in motion. 7. The thought of gluttony inspires the monk to quickly retreat from asceticism: he imagines [to the monk his sick] stomach, liver, spleen, or [describes] dropsy, as well as [other] long-term illnesses, [pointing to] a lack of necessary [things] and the absence of doctors. Often it evokes memories of those brothers who underwent similar suffering. It also happens that he encourages the victims to approach the fasters and talk about their misfortunes, which allegedly happened as a result of [excessive] asceticism. 8. The demon of fornication forces one to be inflamed with lust for various [bodies] and most strongly attacks those who live a chaste life, so that they, [thinking that] they have achieved nothing by this, cease abstinence. And, desecrating the soul, this demon inclines it to shameful deeds, forces it to say certain [shameful] words and, as it were, listen to [the same] in response, as if everything is happening in reality and in a visible way. 9. The love of money inspires [the thought] of long old age, weakness of hands no longer able to work, future hunger and illness, the sorrowful hardships of poverty and how shameful it is to accept from others [everything] necessary. 10. Sadness sometimes arises when one is deprived of what one desires, and sometimes follows anger. In the first case, it happens like this: first, the soul is taken over by certain thoughts that force it to remember home, parents and former life. When they see that the soul does not resist them, but follows them and relaxes with mental pleasures, then they grab it and plunge it into sadness [caused by the consciousness that] the former does not and cannot exist in real life. And the unfortunate soul, as much as it is relaxed by the first thoughts, is just as suppressed and humbled by the second. 11. Anger is the most impetuous passion. It is said that it is the boiling or movement of the violent principle [of the soul] against the offender or the one who appears to be such. It irritates the soul throughout the day, but especially captures the mind during prayer, imagining the face of the saddened. It happens that when anger lingers for a long time and turns into anger, it even at night causes unrest, exhaustion and pallor of the body, as well as attacks from poisonous reptiles. These four [phenomena], arising from malice, are accompanied, as [easily] can be discovered, by numerous thoughts. 12. The demon of despondency, which is also called “midday” (Ps. 90:6), is the most severe of all demons. It approaches the monk around the fourth hour and besieges him until the eighth hour. First of all, this demon makes the monk notice that the sun moves very slowly or remains completely motionless, and the day seems to be fifty hours long. Then the demon [of despondency] forces the monk to constantly look out the windows and jump out of cell in order to look at the sun and find out how much time is left until nine o’clock, or in order to see if any of the brethren are nearby. This demon also instills in the monk hatred of his [chosen] place, kind of life and manual labor, as well as [the thought] that love has dried up and there is no one [who could] console him. And if someone on such days saddens the monk, then this is also the demon of [dejection]. adds to increase hatred. Further, [this] demon leads the monk to desire other places in which it is easy to find [everything] he needs and where he can practice a craft that is less difficult, but more profitable. To this the demon adds that pleasing the Lord does not depend on the place, saying that one can worship Him everywhere (John 4:21-24). Adds to this the memory of relatives and former life; depicts how long the time of life [is], presenting before the eyes the labors of asceticism. And, as they say, he resorts to every trick to make the monk leave his cell and flee [his] career. This demon is no longer immediately followed by another demon, and therefore, after fighting [with it], the soul is seized with inexpressible joy, and it [enjoys] a peaceful state. 13. The thought of vanity is the most subtle, and it accompanies those who easily succeed [in spiritual work], wanting to make their exploits a common property and seeking “the glory of man” (1 Thess. 2:6). He [makes the monk] imagine how demons scream [as being driven out of the possessed], how women are healed and how the crowd touches [his] clothes; then he prophesies to him the priesthood and [the mass of people] standing at the door and eager to [see] him. And having thus aroused [the monk] with empty hopes, [the thought of vanity] flies away, leaving him to be tempted either by the demon of pride or by the demon of sadness, which instills in the monk thoughts contrary to [former] hopes. It happens that he transfers to the demon fornication even a holy priest [who has fallen] into bonds [of sin]. 14. The demon of pride is the one who plunges the soul into the most severe fall. He convinces her not to recognize God as an Intercessor, but to consider herself the cause of success, exalting herself over her brethren as senseless, since they do not know this. Pride is followed by anger, sadness and, as the ultimate evil, frenzy of the mind, madness and the vision of many demons in the air. 15. When the mind begins to wander, it is stopped by reading [the Holy Scriptures], vigil and prayer; when the desired principle of the soul is ignited, it is extinguished by hunger, labor and hermitage; and when the furious beginning of the soul is agitated, it is calmed by psalmody, long-suffering and mercy. But [all] this must happen at the appropriate time and in the proper measure, for what happens without observing the measure and at the wrong time does not last, and what does not last is harmful and unhelpful. 16. When our soul desires various dishes, then we need to limit it to bread and water, so that it can be grateful for one [small] slice [of bread]. For satiety craves various types of food, but hunger and being satisfied with bread counts as bliss. 17. Lack of water greatly contributes to chastity. And let the three hundred Israelites, who defeated the Midianites together with Gideon, convince you of this (Judges 7:5-7). 18. Just as it is impossible to assume that life and death simultaneously appear in the same person, so it is impossible to [assume] that love and wealth coexist in someone. For love casts into dust not only wealth, but also our very transitory life. 19. He who avoids worldly pleasures is an impregnable stronghold for the demon of sadness. For sadness is the deprivation of pleasure, real or expected. Therefore, we will not be able to repel this enemy if we are addicted to anything earthly. After all, he sets [his] traps and causes [us] sadness where he sees us most inclined [to something]. 20. Anger and hatred contribute to the growth of the violent principle [in the Soul], and compassion and meekness reduce it. 21. “Let not the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26), lest the demons approaching at night frighten the soul and make the mind more timid in the [spiritual] battle [that lies ahead] the next day. After all, from the confusion of the furious principle [of the soul] terrible night visions arise, and nothing makes the mind [such a cowardly] deserter as rage brought into confusion. 22. When, having seized on some reason, the furious part of our soul becomes confused, then the demons begin to inspire us that hermitage is a good thing, so that we, without eliminating the cause of sadness, will not get rid of confusion. When the desirable [part of the soul] is aroused, then [the demons try] to make us humane, calling us cruel and wild, so that we, having a desire for bodies, communicate with bodies. However, one should not succumb to the beliefs of demons, but should do the opposite [of what they suggest]. 23. Do not give yourself over to the thought of anger, mentally fighting with the one who offended you. Also, [do not give yourself over to the thoughts of] fornication, constantly dreaming of pleasure. The first thought darkens the soul, and the second calls it to inflame passion, but both defile your mind. And therefore, if during prayer you draw ghostly images in your imagination, and do not offer pure prayer to God, you will immediately fall under the [power] of the demon of despondency, which, precisely in such conditions, pounces [on us] like a dog, stealing the soul like a fawn. 24. By its nature, the furious principle [of the soul] tends to fight with demons and fight for some kind of pleasure. Therefore, the Angels instill in us spiritual pleasure and the bliss [arising] from it, calling us to turn [our] rage against demons. On the contrary, demons attract us to “worldly lusts” (Titus 2:12), forcing the fierce spirit, contrary to nature, to fight with people, so that the mind, darkened and falling away from knowledge, becomes a traitor to virtues. 25. Be careful so that, if you are angry with any brother, you do not drive him away. Otherwise, in your [here] life you will not escape from the demon of sadness, which will always be a stumbling block for you during prayer. 26. Gifts extinguish memory malice. And let Jacob convince you of this, having tamed Esau with gifts, who was coming to meet him with four hundred [men] (Gen. 32:3–21, 33:1–16). But we, the poor, can fulfill our needs by eating. 27. When we fall into the hands of the demon of despondency, then, dividing our soul with tears into [two parts] - the comforting and the consoled, we will sow good hopes in ourselves and, together with Saint David, we will sing: “Why are you despondent, my soul, and why are you embarrassed? Trust in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Ps. 41:6). 28. During temptations, one must not leave the cell, inventing plausible excuses, but one should remain inside [it], patiently and courageously enduring all attackers, especially the demon of despondency, which, being the heaviest of all [demons], makes the soul very tested. For to avoid such struggles is to teach the mind to be unskillful, timid and prone to flight. 29. Our teacher, holy and successful in spiritual work, said: “A monk should always be in the mood as if he were going to die tomorrow, and he should use his body as if it would live with him for many years.” This, according to him, on the one hand, suppresses thoughts of despondency and makes the monk more zealous, and on the other, keeps the body healthy and allows him to remain in constant abstinence. 30. It is difficult to avoid thoughts of vanity. For what you do to destroy it becomes for you the beginning of other [outbursts of] vanity. After all, not every right thought is opposed by [only] demons, but some are also opposed by [our] vices, in which we are already accustomed. 31. I noticed that the demon of vanity is driven out by almost all other demons, and when they fail, he shamelessly approaches the monk, showing him the greatness of [his] virtues. 32. He who has achieved knowledge and experienced the pleasure of its fruits will no longer succumb to the convictions of the demon of vanity, which offers him all the pleasures of the world. For what can he promise greater than spiritual contemplation? But since we have not yet tasted knowledge, let us carry out [spiritual] work with all zeal, showing God that the purpose of our actions is His knowledge. 33. Remember your previous life, your old sins and how, being passionate, by the grace of Christ you passed on to dispassion and how the world from which you came humbled you many times and with many [sorrows]. Consider also the following: Who is keeping you in the wilderness? Who drives away the demons who gnash their teeth at you? Such thoughts inspire humility and prevent the demon of pride. 34. If we have passionate memories of some things, this means that we previously perceived these things with passion. And vice versa, we will have passionate memories of what we perceived with passion. Therefore, he who has conquered the demons that set [the passions] into action despises what they produce. For immaterial warfare is heavier than material warfare. 35. The passions of the soul have their origins in people, while the passions of the body have their origins in the body. And bodily passions are suppressed by abstinence, and spiritual passions are suppressed by spiritual love. 36. [Demons], standing at the head of spiritual passions, stubbornly wage [battle] until death; [the demons, standing at the head] of bodily [passions], retreat more quickly. And some demons, like the rising or setting sun, touch [only any] one part of the soul; The midday demon usually covers the entire soul and suffocates the mind. Therefore, hermitage is sweet after the eruption of passions: then only pure memories remain and [spiritual] warfare prepares the monk no longer for asceticism, but for contemplation. 37. The question requires consideration: does thought set passions in motion, or passions - thought? Some are inclined to the first opinion, and some to the second. 38. Passions can be set in motion by feelings, and if there is love and abstinence, then they are not set in motion, but if not, then they are set in motion. And [to cure] the violent principle [of the soul] more medicine is required than [to cure] the desirable principle. That is why love is called greater (1 Cor. 13:13), because it is a bridle of wrath. And Saint Moses, in his essay on natural contemplation, symbolically calls love “ophiomah om” (Lev. 11:22). 39. In response to the stench that prevails among demons, the soul, perceiving their approach, usually becomes inflamed with thoughts, having become accustomed to the passion that bothers it. 40. It is not possible to fulfill the usual rule at all times, but one should pay attention to the circumstances and try to implement the commandments that can be fulfilled in the best possible way. [However, you should know that] these circumstances do not remain unknown to demons. Therefore, being opposed to us, they prevent us from doing what is possible, and force us to do what is impossible. Thus, they prevent the sick from thanking [God] for their suffering and being patient with those caring for them; the weakened are urged to strict fasting, and those burdened [by years] are encouraged to sing psalmody while standing. 41. When we are forced to stay in cities and villages for a short time, then, communicating with worldly [people], we must more diligently indulge in abstinence, so that our mind, having become dull and deprived of its usual zeal due to the prevailing circumstances, does not do something unwanted and does not become a fugitive under the blows of demons. 42. When tempted, do not begin prayer without saying a few angry words to the oppressive [demon]. For your soul, having become accustomed to [evil] thoughts, cannot devote itself to pure prayer. But if you say something to the demons in anger, you will destroy and blot out the thoughts [instilled by your] opponents. After all, anger is capable of producing similar destruction [when it turns] to good thoughts. 43. One should know the differences between demons and note the times [of their appearance]. From thoughts we learn which of the demons are rare and most painful, which are constant and lighter, which swoop in at once and steal the mind, [causing it] to blaspheme, and thoughts [become known to us] from deeds. This should be known, so that when thoughts begin to set their own substances in motion and before we are ejected from our characteristic state, we could utter certain [words] and designate the demon standing before us at that moment. For in this way we ourselves will easily, with God’s help, succeed [in spiritual work], and we will amaze the demons, causing them, dejected, to fly away from us. 44. When the demons fighting with the monks weaken, then, retreating a little, they begin to track down which of the virtues remains neglected for a while, and, taking advantage of this, they suddenly attack [the monk], tearing apart the unfortunate soul. 45. Crafty demons attract to their aid demons more crafty than themselves. And although [different] demons often oppose each other in their moods, they are consonant in one thing - [in the desire to] destroy the soul. 46. ​​Let not the demon lead us into confusion, inciting the mind to blasphemy and to those forbidden dreams that I do not even dare to write about; and let us not allow him to destroy our zeal. For the Lord is the “Knower of the Heart” (Acts 1:24) and knows that even while we are in this world, we cannot fall into such madness. After all, the goal of this demon is to stop our prayer, so that we would not stand before the Lord our God and would not dare, thinking about such [things], to stretch out our hands [to Him]. 47. A sign of spiritual passions becomes either a spoken word or a movement of the body, thanks to which [our] enemies find out whether we have their thoughts within ourselves and are tormented by them, or, having cast out these thoughts, we care about our salvation. For God alone, who created us, knows our mind, and He does not need [external] signs in order to know what is hidden in [our] heart. 48. Demons fight with worldly people mainly through things, but with monks - mainly through thoughts, for in the desert [ascetics] are deprived of things. And how much easier it is to sin in thought than in deed, so much more difficult is the mental warfare of the warfare that arises through things. For the mind is easily mobile and uncontrollable [in its desire] for lawless dreams. 49. We were not commanded to constantly work, watch and fast, but were commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), because those [actions] heal the passionate part of the soul, although work requires a body, which, due to its weakness, is [not always] capable of work; prayer makes the mind pure and strong for the fight and it is inherent in it [to turn to God] even without this body, and also to fight with demons for all the strength of the soul. 50. If any of the monks wants to experience the fierce demons and comprehend the skill of their craft, let him observe his thoughts, notice their tension and weakening, their tangles and their times. [Let him watch] which demons do this, which demon follows which and which does not follow in the footsteps of the other. And let him seek from Christ the logoi of these [things]. For [demons] are very indignant at those who indulge in [spiritual] work in a leading way, wanting to “shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart” (Ps. 10:2). 51. Observing demons, you will find among them two of the most rapid ones, which outstrip the movement of our mind: the demon of fornication and the demon that traps us in blasphemy. However, the second demon is short-lived, and the first, if the thoughts it sets in motion are not accompanied by passion, does not interfere with our knowledge of God. 52. Only the One who combined them can separate the body from the soul, and the one who strives for virtue can also separate the soul from the body. For our fathers call hermitage care for death and flight from the body. 53. Those who abuse the feeding of the flesh and turn care for it into lust (Rom. 13:14), let them reproach themselves, and not it. And those who, through this body, acquire dispassion and strive, to one degree or another, to contemplate beings, know the grace of the Creator. 54. When in night dreams demons wage war against the desired beginning [of the soul], then they show us (and we perceive) meetings with [our former] acquaintances, feasts with relatives, round dances of women and other similar [things] that bring pleasure. Then this part of our [soul] becomes ill, and passion begins to dominate in it. When [the demons] confuse the furious nature of [the soul], they force [us] to march along [hard-to-reach] mountain paths, and bring [us] armed men, poisonous [snakes] and carnivorous animals. We, frightened by [these] paths, having taken flight from fear of beasts and [armed] men, must take care of the furious part of [the soul] and, calling on Christ in vigils, use [all those] medicines discussed above. 55. Natural movements of the body during sleep, not accompanied by visions, indicate that the soul is to some extent healthy, and if the images take a clear form, then this is a sign of illness of the soul. Consider vague faces as a sign of old passion, and those that have acquired clear features as a sign of being wounded [by passion] in the present. 56. Signs of dispassion are thoughts during the day, and dreams at night. And we say that dispassion is the health of the soul, and its nourishment is knowledge, which alone has the habit of uniting us with the holy Powers, since the union of incorporeal [beings] occurs as a result of a similar internal disposition [of them]. 57. There are two peaceful states of the soul: one comes from natural seeds, the other when demons are removed. The first is followed by humility along with contrition, tears, boundless languid love for the Divine and immeasurable zeal for work; behind the second is vanity together with pride, which drags the monk into the harmful [traps] of other demons. Therefore, the one who vigilantly guards the borders of the first state quickly learns about the attacks of demons. 58. The demon of vanity is opposed to the demon of fornication, and it is impossible to allow both of them to simultaneously attack the soul, for one promises honor, while the other brings dishonor. Therefore, when one of them, approaching, begins to crowd you, imagine the thoughts of the opposite demon, and if you can, as the saying goes, knock out a wedge with a wedge, then know that you are already close to the boundaries of dispassion. For the mind is capable of destroying the thoughts of demons with human forces. But when, through humility, the thought of vanity is driven away, and through chastity, the thought of fornication, then this already serves as a sign of the deepest dispassion. Try to do this in relation to all the demons opposing each other, and at the same time you will find out in which passion you are more accustomed. However, ask God, as much as you can, [to give you the strength] to repel your enemies in the second way. 59. As the soul progresses, more and more powerful opponents come against it. For I do not believe that the same demons always remain around her. Those who [with their spiritual eye] quickly perceive [occurring] temptations and see how the dispassion that belongs to them is subjected to powerful blows of successive [demons] know this better. 60. Perfect dispassion is born [in the soul] after victory over all demons that oppose spiritual work; imperfect dispassion, as they say, is commensurate with the strength of the demon fighting it. 61. The mind cannot go on its beautiful journey and reach the realm of non-corporeal [entities] if it has not brought order within [itself]. For domestic troubles usually force him to return to where he came from. 62. Both virtues and vices make the mind blind: the first, so that it does not see vices, and the second, so that it does not see virtues. 63. When the mind begins to pray undistractedly, then all [spiritual] warfare, night and day, centers around the furious part of the soul. 64. The sign of dispassion is that the mind begins to see its own radiance, remains silent in relation to the phantoms of dreams and looks serenely at [all] things. 65. The mind becomes strong when, during prayer, it does not imagine anything that belongs to this world. 66. The mind, with the help of God, successfully carrying out [spiritual] work and approaching knowledge, feels little or not at all what belongs to the unreasonable part of the soul, for knowledge delights and lifts its grief, separating it from everything sensible. 67. Dispassionateness is not possessed by the soul that does not experience any passion in relation to things, but by the one that remains imperturbable even in relation to the memories of them. 68. A perfect [husband] does not abstain, and a dispassionate one does not suffer, for patience belongs to the one who suffers, and abstinence belongs to the one who is bothered [by thoughts]. 69. It is a great thing to pray without distraction, but even greater is to sing psalms without distraction. 70. Having firmly strengthened the virtues in himself and merged with them, he no longer remembers the law, commandments and punishment, but speaks and acts as the best skill [acquired by him] suggests. 71. Demonic songs set our lust in motion and plunge the soul into shameful dreams. Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19) call the mind to always remember virtue, cooling boiling rage and quenching desires. 72. Just as those who fight squeeze [their rivals] in a vice and are themselves squeezed by them, so the demons who enter into combat with us also squeeze us, but at the same time they themselves are squeezed by us. For [the Psalmist] says: “I strike them, and they cannot rise” (Ps. 17:39). And again: “the evildoers, my opponents and my enemies... will themselves stumble and fall” (Ps. 26:2). 73. Rest is associated with wisdom, and [ascetic] work with prudence. For it is impossible to acquire wisdom without [spiritual] warfare, and it is impossible to successfully overcome this warfare without prudence. For prudence is entrusted with resisting the fury of demons, it forces the powers of the soul to act in accordance with nature and prepares the way for wisdom. 74. The temptation of a monk is a thought that, rising through the passionate part of the soul, darkens the mind. 75. The sin of a monk is consent to the pleasure justified [by the mind], [which is offered by] thought. 76. Angels rejoice when vice decreases, demons when virtue [decreases]. For the former are servants of compassion and love, and the latter are obedient slaves of anger and hatred. The first, approaching, fill us with spiritual contemplation, and the second, approaching, plunge the soul into shameful dreams. 77. Virtues do not stop the attacks of demons, but keep us unharmed from them. 78. Doing is a spiritual method that purifies the passionate part of the soul. 79. For the complete healing of the powers of the soul, the implementation of the commandments is not enough if the mind does not also inherit contemplations corresponding to them and to each other. 80. It is impossible to resist all the thoughts that the Angels inspire in us, but it is possible to reject all the thoughts inspired by the demons. For the first thoughts are followed by a peaceful state [of the soul], and the second are followed by a [state of] confusion. 81. Love is a product of dispassion; dispassion is the color of [spiritual] activity; spiritual [work] is created by observing the commandments; The guardian of the commandments is the fear of God, born of right faith. Faith is an internal good, which is inherent in existing in those [people] who have not yet believed in God. 82. Just as the soul, acting through the body, feels weak members, so the mind, carrying out its characteristic activities, recognizes its own strengths and, through what hinders it, finds a commandment that heals the soul. 83. The mind leading a passionate battle does not comprehend the logoi of this battle through contemplation and is like one fighting in the night. He who has acquired dispassion easily recognizes the machinations of his enemies. 84. The limit of [spiritual] work is love, and the limit of knowledge is theology; the beginning of the first is faith, and [the beginning of the second] is natural contemplation. And those of the demons who come into contact with the passionate part of the soul are, as they say, opponents of [spiritual] activity, and those who bother the rational [part of the soul] are called the enemies of all truth and the enemies of [all true] contemplation. 85. Nothing that purifies the body remains after that with the purified, but the virtues, having purified the soul, remain after that with it, purified. 86. The rational soul acts in accordance with nature, when the desirable part of it strives towards virtue, the fierce part fights for this virtue, and the rational part turns to the contemplation of created things. 87. He who succeeds in spiritual activity diminishes passions, and he who succeeds in contemplation [decreases] ignorance. As for passions, their complete destruction will one day occur, and as for ignorance, some say that there is a limit to it, while others say that there is no such limit. 88. Things that, depending on their use, are good or bad, produce either virtues or vices. And it is a matter of prudence to direct such use towards the acquisition of either virtues or vices. 89. According to our wise teacher, the rational soul is tripartite. Being in the rational part of the soul, virtue is called prudence, understanding and wisdom; in the desirable part - chastity, love and abstinence; in the furious part - with courage and patience; in the whole soul - righteousness. The business of prudence is to wage war against opposing forces, to defend virtue, to resist vices and to manage average things in accordance with circumstances; it is a matter of understanding to properly manage everything that helps us achieve the [higher] goal; the work of wisdom is to contemplate the logoi of corporeal and incorporeal [things]; The task of chastity is to dispassionately contemplate things that arouse unreasonable dreams in us. The work of love is to present oneself to every image of God almost in the same way as to the Prototype, even if demons try to desecrate these images; the matter of abstinence is to joyfully reject all pleasure brought by eating food; a matter of patience and courage - not to be afraid of enemies, to zealously and steadfastly resist dangers; the work of righteousness is to achieve consonance and harmony between the parts of the soul. 90. The fruit of seeds is harvest, and of virtues is knowledge. And just as the sowing of seeds is accompanied by tears, so the harvest is accompanied by joy. 91. It is necessary to inquire about the paths that the monks before us walked correctly, and to be guided along them ourselves. For there is much good to be found in what they said and did. Among other things, one of them says: “Strict and uniform fasting, coupled with love, quickly brings the monk to the haven of dispassion.” He also delivered one of the brethren from the nightmares that led [his soul] into confusion, ordering him to add to his fast the care of the weak [monks]. The elder who was questioned [on this subject] said: “Nothing extinguishes such passions more than mercy.” 92. One of the wise men of that time came to righteous Anthony and said: “How can you stand, father, deprived of the consolation [received] from books?” He answered: “My book, philosopher, is the nature of created [things], and it is always at hand when I want to read the words of God.” 93. “The chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15), the Egyptian elder Macarius asked me: “Why, by holding a grudge against people, do we diminish the power of remembrance of the soul, but by bearing a grudge against demons, do we not suffer any damage?” And I, finding it difficult to answer, asked him to explain the reason for this. Then he said: “Because the first [memory] is contrary to the nature of the furious [principle of the soul], and the second corresponds to it.” 94. One day, on the hottest afternoon, when the sun was at its zenith, I came to Holy Father Macarius and, tormented by thirst, asked him for water to drink. He said: “Shadow is enough for you, for many traveling and sailing at this moment are deprived of it.” Then, when I started talking about abstinence, he said: “Be courageous, my son: for twenty whole years I have not eaten bread, water, or sleep to the point of satiety. For I ate bread, weighing out [a small piece]; he drank water, measuring it in [small] measure; and snatched a little sleep, leaning against the wall.” 95. One monk received news of his father’s death. But he said to the one who brought it: “Stop blaspheming, for my Father is immortal.” 96. A certain brother asked one elder: does he allow him, when he comes home, to eat with his mother and sisters? [To this the elder] replied: “Do not eat food with a woman.” 97. One of the brethren had only the Gospel, but he sold that too, giving [the money] to feed the hungry. At the same time, he uttered a memorable saying: “I sold the book that says to me: “Sell what you have and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21). 98. Near Alexandria there is an island located in the northern part of the lake called Mareot. On it lived [one] monk, the most experienced of [the entire] Gnostic army. He said that everything done by monks is done for five reasons: for the sake of God, for the sake of nature, according to custom, out of necessity and for the sake of [the need] to work with hands. He also said: by nature, virtue is one; it takes on different forms in the powers of the soul, just as sunlight, being formless, usually takes the form of those openings through which it penetrates [indoors]. 99. Another monk said: “I therefore deprive myself of pleasures in order to suppress [all] motives for anger. For I know that the fierce principle [of the soul] always fights for pleasures, confuses my mind and drives away knowledge.” And one of the elders said: “Love does not know how to take care of food and money entrusted to storage.” He said: “I don’t know [a case] where demons deceived me twice about the same thing.” 100. It is impossible to love all the brethren equally, but it is possible to treat everyone dispassionately, being free from resentment and hatred. After the Lord [most of all] we should love the priests who cleanse us with the holy Sacraments and pray for us; We must honor our elders as Angels, for they anoint us with oil for [spiritual] struggles and heal us from the bites of wild animals. Here, beloved brother Anatoly, what can I say now about spiritual work. This is all that we, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, found on the branches of our vineyard, collecting the ripening harvest from it. If the “Sun of righteousness” (Mal. 4:2), standing at its zenith, illuminates us and the grape bunches become completely ripe, then we will drink the wine made from these grapes, gladdening the “heart of man” (Ps. 103:15), thanks to the prayers and intercession of the righteous Gregory, who planted me, and the holy fathers, now watering me (1 Cor. 3:6-7), and also through the power of Christ Jesus our Lord who raised me, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: