II. The speculative, or to the one who has been awarded knowledge

The work “The Speculative, or to the One Who Was worthy of Knowledge” is the second 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, consists of 50 chapters (“half hundred”), is dedicated to the 2nd stage of spiritual life (spiritual knowledge or contemplation) and contains a number of tips for an experienced monk who has reached a state of dispassion and knowledge, who can act as a spiritual mentor for novice monks and laymen. The author distinguishes 3 parts in the human soul: rational, violent and desirable (lusting) (chap. 2-3, 47). One of the basic principles of the ascetic theology of Evagrius of Pontus, dating back to Origen, is the idea that the Christian spiritual life consists of two stages: doing and contemplating (chap. 1-3). In the treatise, this scheme unfolds into a 3-part one: doing - natural contemplation - theological contemplation (theology) (chap. 12-13). Sinful passions and vices are aroused in the soul by unclean thoughts. It is necessary that she be healed and instead of passions acquire virtues corresponding to her (chapter 2, 47). As the soul is cleansed of passions, it reaches a state of dispassion (chap. 47, 49). The 2nd stage of spiritual life begins - natural contemplation (chap. 4, 13, 18, 49), which leads a person to the last stage of spiritual improvement - direct mystical knowledge of God (theology or theological contemplation) (chap. 12-13, 18, 20, 49): “The purpose of spiritual work is to cleanse the mind and bring it into a state dispassion; the purpose of natural contemplation is to reveal the truth hidden in all things; but the withdrawal of the mind from material things and its turning to the First Cause is the gift of theology” (ch. 49). At the end of the work (chap. 44-48), Evagrius of Pontus cites the sayings of 5 authoritative fathers - Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Athanasius the Great, Serapion of Thmuis and Didymus the Blind. *The title of the work in Greek is Γνωστικὸς ἢ πρὸς τὸν καταξιωθέντα ϒνώσεως. *The title of the work in Latin is Gnosticus. 1. Those who devote themselves to spiritual work comprehend with their mind the logoi of this work, and speculators [with their spiritual eye] see what relates to knowledge. 2. One who devotes himself to spiritual work is one who has acquired only the dispassion of the passionate part of [his] soul. 3. The speculative is “salt” for the unclean and “light” for the clean (Matthew 5.13–14). 4. The knowledge that comes to us from without tries to represent material [things] through logoi [them]; knowledge, born of the grace of God, presents things to the immediate vision of thought, and the mind, looking at them, perceives their logoi. The first [knowledge] is opposed by delusion, and the second by anger, rage and what follows them. 5. All virtues pave the way for the speculative, but most of all - non-anger. For one who comes into contact with knowledge and is easily moved to anger is like that [man] who burns out his own eyes with a red-hot iron. 6. When showing leniency, the speculative must be firm, so that this leniency does not become a skill unnoticed by him. He must equally always try to successfully implement all the [other] virtues, so that they follow each other in him, for usually the mind surrenders itself [to the enemy of that virtue] that is weakening. 7. A speculative person should always give alms and be ready for charity. And if he has no money, he must use the instrument of his soul. For the speculative at all times is by nature merciful, [that is, he possesses that] which the five virgins were deprived of, whose lamps were extinguished (Matthew 25.1-13). 8. It is shameful for a speculator to litigate, both by becoming a victim of an insult and by inflicting it: in the first case, because he could not bear the insult, and in the second, because he himself inflicted it. 9. Knowledge, when it is preserved, teaches the one who participates in it how it can be preserved and increased. 10. Let the speculative, when he teaches, be free from anger, remembrance, sadness, [vain] suffering and bodily worries. 11. Before you become perfect, avoid meeting many people and communicating with them out of fear, lest your mind be filled with dreams. 12. That which belongs to the active, natural and theological [wisdom] and that is useful for our salvation should be spoken and done until death. However, what among these things belongs to the indifferent, one should neither speak nor do them, for the sake of those [people] who are easily tempted by them. 13. It is appropriate to talk with both monks and lay people about right living, partially explaining to them the teachings related to [the area of] natural or theological [wisdom], without which “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12.14). 14. Only to priests, and indeed to the best of them, when they question you, answer [and speak] regarding the symbolic meaning of the sacraments they perform, which purify the inner man. [According to this symbolic meaning], the sacred vessels that receive these [sacraments] mean the passionate and rational parts of the soul, their inseparable mixture - the strength of each part and their action directed towards a single goal. Tell them also about Him, whose image is the one who performs the sacraments, and about those [heavenly Powers] who, together with Him, throw away [demons] that hinder pure living. [Instruct them also regarding the fact that among living beings, some have memory, while others do not. 15. Learn the meanings and laws of the circumstances, lifestyles and activities [of people who come to you], so that you can easily tell each of them what is useful [for him]. 16. You must [always] have material to explain what is said [in the Holy Scriptures], and also comprehend with your mind all things, even if they partially elude you. For only an Angel is capable of [such knowledge], when nothing that is on earth escapes him. 17. It is also necessary to know the definitions of things, first of all, the definitions of virtues and vices. For this is the source of knowledge and ignorance, the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of [eternal] torment. 18. Concerning the allegorical and literal passages [of Holy Scripture], an investigation should be made in order to know whether they belong to [the realm of spiritual] work, natural [contemplation] or theology. If they relate to [spiritual] work, then one should examine whether they are talking about the violent beginning [of the soul] and its creations, about the desirable beginning and its consequences, or about the mind and its movements. If they relate to natural contemplation, then we should consider whether they allow us to know any of the teachings concerning nature, and which one. And if the allegorical passage concerns theology, then we must examine whether it speaks of the [Holy] Trinity and whether She is considered as a Trinity or as a Unit. However, if there is none of this, then [we have] either simple contemplation, or we need to understand it as a prophecy. 19. It is also good to know the characteristic expressions inherent in the Holy Scriptures, and, as far as possible, to represent them by means of examples. 20. It should also be known that [any] phrase [of Holy Scripture] relating to moral [chastity] does not necessarily presuppose moral contemplation, just as a phrase relating to nature does not necessarily presuppose contemplation of nature. On the contrary, [passages of Holy Scripture] related to moral wisdom [sometimes] contain natural contemplation and even theology. For example, what is said about the fornications and adulteries of Jerusalem (Ezek 16.15–34); about animals living on land and in water, and about birds, clean and unclean (Lev.11.2–19); about the sun, which rises and sets, and hastens to its place (Eccl. 1.5) - all this relates, firstly, to theology, secondly, to moral teaching, and thirdly, to natural [wisdom]. Or: the first place corresponds to moral teaching, and the other two – to natural [philosophy]. 21. Do not make reproachable words [of people] the subject of allegorical interpretation and do not look for a spiritual [meaning] in them, except in those cases when God acted for the sake of the Economy, as was the case with Balaam (Num. 22.17-19) and Caiaphas (John 11.49-51), so that one [prophetically] predicted the birth of our Savior, and the other about His death. 22. A speculative person should not be gloomy and unapproachable to people, for the first is characteristic of a person who does not know the logoi of created things, and the second is characteristic of a person who does not want “all people to be saved and to attain the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2.4). 23. It is often necessary to feign ignorance, because the questioners are not able to perceive [what you could tell them]. And you will be truthful, since you are connected with the body and do not have complete knowledge of [all] things. 24. Be attentive to yourself, so that for the sake of gain, [empty] pleasure or passing glory, you do not speak about anything unspeakable and do not be thrown out of the sacred vestibules (2 Mac 6.4), becoming like those who sell chicks of doves in the church (Matt 21.12-13). 25. Those who enter into disputes of words without knowledge should be led to the truth, starting from the beginning, and not from the end; and beginners should not be told anything about speculative things, and they should also not be allowed to touch books interpreting speculative things, since they cannot withstand the falls that occur as a consequence of such contemplation. Therefore, those with whom passions are [still] fighting should not speak words of peace, but should speak about how they [can] overcome their opponents, for, as Ecclesiastes says, “there is no ambassador on the day of battle” (Eccl. 8.8). After all, people overcome by passions and [striving] to explore the logoi of corporeal and incorporeal [things] are like sick people who talk about health. On the contrary, when the soul is heavily shaken [under the blows] of passions, it should taste the sweet honeycomb. 26. There is a time for instruction and a time for research. Therefore, a [strict] reprimand should be given to those [newcomers] who ask questions prematurely. For [such a passion for questions] is usually characteristic of heretics and lovers of word debate. 27. Do not theologize thoughtlessly and never define the Divine, for definitions are applicable [only to things] created and complex. 28. Remember the five reasons for being abandoned by God, so that you can recover from cowardice, which is a consequence of sadness. First of all, God-forsakenness reveals hidden virtue. When this virtue is not taken care of, it is restored through punishment and becomes the reason for the salvation of others. And when virtue becomes too outstanding, then abandonment of God teaches humility to those who possess it. Finally, someone who has experienced evil [begins] to hate it, and therefore experience is the offspring of God-forsakenness, and God-forsakenness itself is the daughter of dispassion. 29. Those being taught will always say to you: “Friend, rise higher” (Luke 14.10). But it will be a shame for you, who have ascended [in your speculations], to be brought down by your listeners. 30. A lover of money is not the one who has money, but the one who seeks it. For they say that an economist is a purse endowed with intelligence. 31. Exhort the old to have dominion over the violent nature of the soul, and the young to rule over the belly. For the former wage war against spiritual demons, and the latter – against physical demons. 32. Shut the mouth of those who slander in your ears and do not be surprised when many reproach you, for this is a temptation that comes from demons. After all, the speculative must be free from hatred and memory of malice, and not indulge [demons]. 33. He who heals people with the help of the Lord quietly heals himself. For the medicine that a speculative person uses heals his neighbor only insofar as he can take this medicine, but it necessarily heals the speculative person himself. 34. Subject to spiritual interpretation not that which is suitable for allegorical interpretation, but only that which corresponds to the subject. If you do not do this, you will spend most of your time on Jonah's ship (Jonah 1.5), explaining every detail of its rigging. And you will become [as a result] an object of ridicule for the listeners: they, laughing, will remind you of one or another detail of the rigging that you will forget about. 35. Advise the monks who come to you to talk about morality, and not about [more sublime] teachings, so that there may not be anyone among them who might become addicted to such things. 36. For worldly people and for young men, let the sublime teaching about the [Last] Judgment be hidden, since it easily gives rise to contempt. For they do not know about the torment of a rational soul condemned to ignorance. 37. Saint Paul, humbling his body, made it a slave (1 Cor 9.27). And in your life, do not neglect fasting and do not become arrogant because you have pacified [your] plump body with dispassion. 38. Do not worry about food and clothing (Mt 6.25; Lk 12.22), but remember the Levite Abner (2 Samuel 6.10–11), who, having received the ark of the Lord, became rich from poor and famous from despised. 39. The conscience of a speculator is a severe accuser of him, and nothing can be hidden from it, for it knows [all] the secrets of the heart. 40. Beware [of thinking] that there is only one logos for each creature; There are many such logoi and they correspond to the [state of] each creature. The Holy Powers comprehend the true logoi of things, but they do not comprehend the first Logos, which is known only to Christ. 41. Every premise has as a predicate either genus, or difference, or species, or property, or accident, or something that consists of them. But any statement about the Holy Trinity is unacceptable. The ineffable must be worshiped in silence. 42. The temptation of a speculator is a false opinion formed in the mind regarding existing things, as if they were non-existent; or about non-existent, as if existing; or about an existing thing that [is] not as it [really] is. 43. The sin of a speculator is false knowledge either about the things themselves or about their contemplations. It is generated either by some kind of passion, or by the lack of vision of the good that is usually sought. 44. Righteous Gregory taught us that for contemplation itself four virtues are also [necessary]: prudence and courage, chastity and justice. The matter of prudence, he said, is the contemplation of intelligent and holy Powers, regardless of their logoi, for these logoi, as conveyed [to us], are revealed thanks only to wisdom. The matter of courage is firmness in the truths [of Christian doctrine], even when heretics are fighting [against them], and not entering into [the realm of] non-existent [things]. The property of chastity is the acceptance of [good] seeds from the first Farmer and the rejection of tares [sown by the enemy] (Matthew 13.25). It is a matter of justice to present teachings according to the dignity of each [listener]: some teachings should be stated vaguely, others should be indicated through allegories, and others should be explained clearly for the benefit of simple people. 45. The pillar of truth, Basil of Cappadocia, says: knowledge that comes from people is strengthened by exercise and zeal for attention, and knowledge born of the grace of God is strengthened by righteousness, gentleness and mercy. The first knowledge can also be perceived by passionate [people], but the second is accessible only to the perception of dispassionate [people] - those who, during prayer, contemplate their own radiance of their mind, illuminating them. 46. ​​The holy torch of the Egyptians, Athanasius, says: Moses received orders to place the table on the north side [of the tabernacle] (Exodus 26.35). And speculators must know which [of the demons] is blowing on them; and let them courageously endure every temptation and zealously feed those who come [to them]. 47. The angel of the Tmuite Church Serapion said: the mind that quenches its thirst with spiritual knowledge is purified; love heals the inflamed parts of the violent principle [of the soul]; abstinence stops the evil outflow of the desired beginning [of it]. 48. The great speculative and teacher Didymus says: always practice [in reflection] on the logoi of Providence and Judgment, trying to [constantly] remember these subjects, for almost everyone stumbles about them. You will find the logoi of Judgment in the differences between bodies and worlds, and the logoi of Providence in those ways [of righteous living] that lead us from vice and ignorance to virtue and knowledge. 49. The purpose of spiritual activity is to purify the mind and bring it to a state of dispassion; the purpose of natural contemplation is to reveal the truth hidden in all things; but the withdrawal of the mind from material things and its turning to the First Cause is the gift of theology. 50. Always try to depict images, looking at the prototype, and not miss anything that helps to find a soul that has fallen [from the truth]. You might be interested in: