The Paradise of the Holy Fathers, Volume 2 (chapters 16. Questions by the Pupils and the Answers [to the same] by the holy Fathers and Monks–18. Questions and Answers on the Vision of the Mind)

The Paradise of the Holy Fathers, Volume 2

continued

Chapter 16. Questions by the Pupils and the Answers [to the same] by the holy Fathers and Monks

Brother. How is love (or charity) acquired by men of understanding? 541. Old Man. True and pure love is the way of life, and the haven of promises, and the treasure of faith, and the interpreter of the kingdom, and the herald of that which is hidden. 542. B. I do not know the power of the word. O.M. If a man loveth not God, he cannot believe in Him, and His promises are not true [to him], and he feareth not His judgement, and he followeth Him not. Now because love is not in him [he cannot] be free from iniquity, and await the life which is promised, but he performeth at all times the plans of sin; and this [happeneth] because the judgement of God is [too] exalted in his sight. Therefore let us run after love, wherewith the holy fathers have enriched themselves, for it is able to pay back [what is due] to its nature and its God. This then is praise.

543. B. How doth wisdom dwell in man? O.M. Now when a man hath gone forth to follow after God with a lowly mind, grace bestoweth itself upon him, and his conduct becometh strengthened in the spirit, and when he hateth the world he becometh sensible of the new conduct of the new man, which is more exalted than the impurity of the human abode; and he meditateth in his mind the humility of the rule of the life which is to come, and he becometh a man of greater spiritual excellence. 544. B. How is love made known? O.M. By the fulfilment of works, and by spiritual care, and by the knowledge of faith. 545. B. What are the works? O.M. The keeping of the commandments of the Lord with the purity of the inner man, together with the labour of the outer man. 546. B. Is he who is destitute of work also destitute of love?

O.M. It is impossible that he who is of God should not love, and it is impossible for him that loveth not to work, and it is impossible to believe that he who teacheth but worketh not is a true believer, for his tongue is the enemy of his action, and though he speaketh life he is in subjection unto death. 547. B. And is he who is in this state free from retribution? O.M. Such a man who speaketh the things of the spirit, and performeth the things of the body, and supplieth his own wants, is not deprived of reward, but he is deprived of the crown of light, because the guidance of the spirit refuseth to rule him. 548. What are fasting and prayer? O.M. Fasting is the subjugation of the body, prayer is converse with God, vigil is a war against Satan, abstinence is the being weaned from meats, humility is the state of the first man, kneeling is the inclining of the body before the Judge, tears are the remembrance of sins, nakedness is our captivity which is caused by the transgression of the command, and service is constant supplication to and praise of God.

549. B. Are these able to redeem the soul? O.M. When internal things agree with external, and manifest humility appeareth in the hidden works which are from within, verily, a man shall be redeemed from the weight of the body. 550. B. And what is internal humility? O.M. The humility of love, peace, friendship, purity, restfulness, tranquillity, subjection, faith, remoteness from envy, and a soul which is free from the heat of anger, and is far from the grade of arrogance, and is redeemed from the love of vainglory, and is full of patient endurance like the great deep, and whose motion is drawn after the knowledge of the spirit, and before whose eyes are depicted the fall of the body, and the greatness of the marvel of the Resurrection, and the demand for judgement which shall come after the revivification, and its standing before the awful throne of God. [If the soul hath these things] redemption shall be unto it.

551. B. Is there any man who fasteth that shall not be redeemed? O.M. There is one [kind of] fasting which is from habit, and another from desire, and another from compulsion, and another from sight, and another from the love of vainglory, and another from affliction, and another from repentance, and another from spiritual affection; for although each of these seems to be the same as the other in the mind externally, yet in the word of knowledge they are distinct. Now the way in which each is performed by the body is the same, and the way in which each is to be undertaken is wholly the same by him who travelleth straightly on the path of love, and who beareth his burden with patient endurance spiritually, and who doth not rejoice in his honour. 552. B. Who is the true [monk]? O.M. He who maketh his word manifest in deeds, and beareth his passion with patient endurance; with such a man life is found, and the knowledge of the spirit dwelleth in him.

553. B. Who is the pure habitation? O.M. He who is destitute of the good things of the body, and who rejoiceth in the love of his neighbours in the love of God; for spiritual relaxation is produced in proportion as need ruleth over the soul. 554. B. With what is a man able to overcome lust? O.M. With spiritual remembrance. If the desire for the delights which are to come doth not obliterate that of the things which are here, a man cannot conquer; for if the ship of the merchant did not arrive over and over again by means of hope, he could not endure the storms, and he would go on his way of tribulation. 555. B. How doth a man go forth from the world? O.M. By forsaking entirely the gratification of desire, and by running to the utmost of his power in the fulfilment of the commandments; for he who doth not act in this way falleth.

556. B. Behold, through what have the men of old triumphed? O.M. Through the fervour of their supernatural love, and through the death of the corruptible man, and through the contempt for pride, and through the abatement of the belly, and through the fear of the judgement, and through the promise of certainty; through the desire for these glorious things the fathers have acquired in the soul the spiritual body. 557. B. How can I conquer the passions which trouble me when they are fixed in me by nature? O.M. By thy death to this world; for if thou dost not bury thy soul in the grave of persistent endurance the spiritual Adam can never be quickened in thee. When a dying man hath departed from this temporary life he hath no consciousness of this world, and all his perceptions are at rest and are abated. Now if thou forsakest that which is of nature naturally, and thou dost not perform it voluntarily in thy person, thou art dead; but if thy desire dieth in repentance, the whole of [thy] nature ceaseth from this temporary life by the death of the spirit just as do the motions of the body at the natural end of time.

558. B. To what extent is a man held capable of revelation? O.M. To the same extent as a man is capable of stripping off sin, both internally and externally. For when a man dieth by spiritual sacrifice, [he dieth] to all the words and deeds of this habitation of time, and when he hath committed his life to the life which is after the revivification, Divine grace bestoweth itself upon him, and he becometh capable of divine revelations. For the impurity of the world is a dark covering before the face of the soul, and it preventeth it from discerning spiritual wisdom. 559. B. Is he who loveth money able to believe the promises? O.M. No. If he believeth, wherefore doth he possess [riches]? Perhaps our hope is [set] upon gold, or perhaps the hand of the Lord is too small to redeem [us]? The body of our Lord is given unto us for [our] happiness, and His blood is the drink of our redemption, and He withholdeth from us the loaves of bread and the apparel which groweth old. He who loveth money is divided in his mind concerning God, and he prepareth for himself pleasures before God giveth them unto him; and though he rejoiceth in the promises in [his] word, he maketh them to be a lie by his deed. True indeed is the word of our Lord which He spake, "It is as difficult for the rich man" to enter the kingdom of heaven as it is for a camel to go "through the hole of the needle"; it is impossible to possess in one dwelling both God and mammon. Monks should, then, not belong unto the things which are seen.

560. B. Who is indeed the man of excellence? O.M. He who crieth out always that he is a sinner, and asketh mercy from on high, whose word is laden with the feeling of discernment, and his senses with the watchfulness of deeds, and who, being silent, yet speaketh, and who, though speaking, holdeth his peace, and whose actions are wholly good fruits for the life of time, and the revelation of Christ. 561. B. What is the way of life? O.M. The going forth of a man from this world on his entrance into another. But if a man forsaketh his childhood of humility and cometh to the old age of this world in his love, he revealeth the way of life. To go forth truly from this world is to be remote from it. 562. B. And what shall I do in respect of the world which troubleth me?

O.M. This world troubleth thee because its care is in thy mind, and the love of it is in thy body, and its pleasures are in thy heart; forsake the world and it will depart from thee, and root up from thyself all its branches, and behold, the war thereof will die down in thee. For as long as thy body seeketh its gratifications, and its lust is of this world, thou art not capable of life. 563. B. What is pure prayer? O.M. Pure prayer is little in speech and great in deeds, for if it were not so work would be more excellent than supplication. . . . For if it be not so why do we ask and yet not receive, seeing that the mercy of God aboundeth? The method of penitents is, however, something different, as is also the labour of the humble, for the penitents are hirelings, and the humble are sons.

564. B. From what is the love of money produced? O.M. From desire, for unless a man desireth he doth not possess. When a man desireth he possesseth, and when he possesseth he hath fulfilled his desire; and when he hath fulfilled his desire, he becometh greedy; and when he hath become greedy he committeth fraud, and when he hath committed fraud his possessions have become many. When his possessions are many his love diminisheth, and when his love hath diminished the remembrance of God is removed from his heart. And when the remembrance of God hath been removed from his heart, the mind becometh darkened, and his understanding is blinded; and when his understanding hath become blinded the power of discernment is darkened, and when the power of discernment hath become dark, the soul loseth its sight. And when the soul hath lost its sight good is rooted out therefrom, and wickedness entereth in, and sin taketh up its rule; and when sin hath taken up its rule the thought of God is blotted out, and the passions of the body are stirred up, and they seek to satisfy their needs. And having taken that which they sought for, it is necessary for much money to be collected, and when money is multiplied, the gratification of the body is fulfilled, and it eateth and drinketh, and committeth adultery and fornication, and it lieth and worketh fraud and oppression, and it transgresseth the covenant, and destroyeth the Law, and treateth the promises with contempt, and the lust for the things which are seen is fulfilled. Let money be an abominable thing in our sight, and let us not love it; but if we perform the lust of the flesh it is an absolute necessity to love money; for money belongeth to the flesh and not to the spirit, even as saith the Apostle, "The flesh hurteth the spirit, and the spirit the flesh, and both are opponents each of the other" (Galatians v, 17).

565. B. What is the kind of prayer which is not acceptable before God? O.M. The destruction of enemies, and asking for evil things [to come upon] those who do harm to us, and the health of the body, and a multitude of possessions, and abundance of offspring—prayers for these things are not acceptable before God. But if God beareth with us whilst we are sinners and commit offences against Him, how much more is it right that we should bear with each other? It is not right for us to ask for the things which belong to the body, for the wisdom of God provideth all things. 566. B. What is purity of soul? O.M. Remoteness from anger and from the error of the remembrance of evil things, and being weaned from the bitter nature, and reconciliation with our enemies, and peace which is beyond troubling, and simplicity of love which is above this world; with these things is the inner man cleansed, and he putteth on Christ and is redeemed.

567. B. What is envy? O.M. Hatred towards the virtues of other folk, and wickedness towards the good, and a bitter mind towards the innocent, and anger against those who are prosperous in this world, and the cloaking of the upright conduct of those who repent, and vexation with the peace of the lovers of God. 568. B. How ought we to pray before God? O.M. For the return of sinners, and the finding of the lost, and the bringing near of those who are afar off, and friendliness towards those who wrong us, and love towards those who persecute us, and a sorrowful care for those who provoke to wrath; if a man doeth these things verily there is repentance in his mind, and sinners will often live, and their soul[s] be redeemed in life. For the prayer which our Lord delivered unto us for the need of the body is a word which covereth the whole community, and was not uttered solely for those who are strangers to the world, and who hold in contempt the pleasures of the body. For he in whose dwelling the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof are found lacketh nothing, even when he asketh [not].

569. B. What is remoteness from the world? O.M. The thought (or mind) which overcometh the love of the body; for if the body be not trampled upon by the feeling of patient endurance a man cannot conquer in his strife. 570. B. Is the soul of a man, which is held fast in the lust of the things which are seen, fair in the sight of God? O.M. Who is able to live chastely when the body is making demands upon him? Or, in what soul is found the love of our Lord which bestoweth itself upon the things which are seen and which are corruptible? A servant cannot serve two masters, and the soul cannot please God with spiritual excellence so long as the memories of the things which are corruptible are in its mind, for the mind of the flesh cannot please our Lord; and except the world die in the heart humility cannot dwell therein, and except the body be deprived of its lusts, the soul cannot be cleansed from thoughts.

571. B. Why is the mind disturbed at meeting women? O.M. Because they make use of the lust of nature. For, when the sight hath fallen upon the construction for the production of children and the gratification of the body, that old poison layeth hold upon it, and the law of the desire is confounded; now desire conquereth nature, not by the stirring up of the passions, but by the will, [and] by the fulfilling of works of humility, which, by the might of our Lord, conquer everything by their love, and by the patient endurance of the merit of Christ. 572. B. Who is the mighty man, he who is remote from the world, or he who dwelleth therein? O.M. The mighty man conquereth in every place, whether he be in the world or without. Nevertheless, the fathers departed to the wilderness, the place which is preserved from the uproar of those who are afraid that as long as they dwell in the body the passions which give trouble will cleave to them. Now, for those who have ended the great strife of their conflict in the world Divine grace hath worked with its power, and it still worketh for the remembrance and benefit of the community, and truly great is the crown of those whose spiritual ship hath not sunk to the bottom of the tossed and troubled sea of this world, and hath not ceased its course heavenwards by the straight road which is full of fear.

573. B. Is it helpful to the soul to make oneself a stranger? O.M. With perfect thanksgiving it doth help, provided that the soul beareth chastely afflictions, and rejoiceth in our Lord who giveth pleasure; but if it doth not, its good seed is made of no effect because it doth not give fruit beloved of God, and if it endureth and uttereth blessing it hath a reward, but if it lack these things it becometh a mere wandering of the mind, and a sight which is without profit. The best thing of all is the quietness of the mind which is akin to God. 574. B. Since all the creatures of God are holy, why do the fathers make the sign of the blessed Cross over the things which they eat? O.M. It is true that all the creatures of God were pure [when they came from] Him that created them, but because sin gained dominion everything became polluted; but the advent of our Lord came, and sin was abrogated and righteousness had its rule, and everything was made holy, whether it was in the heavens or on the earth. But because the blessed fathers knew the wiles of Satan, and that they would certainly bring upon them that which would do them harm by means of such things as are employed as food, they signed what they ate with the holy sign of the Great Cross so that they might slay all the craftiness of the Calumniator.

575. One of the fathers said, "On one occasion I was lying down at night, and I thirsted for water to drink; now there was near me one of the holy men who lived in a holy manner, and he saw that I took up the vessel to drink without having made over it the [sign of] the Cross. And he said unto me, 'Wait, master, wait'; and he made the sign of the Cross over it, and straightway the Calumniator fell from the vessel in the form of a flash of fire, and both he and I saw it. And we wondered at the great might of our Redeemer, and at the marvellous symbol of His merit." A variant [reads]:—One of the fathers said, "I was lying down one night, and I thirsted for water to drink. And there was with me a certain widow who lived a chaste life, both when she was with her husband, and afterwards, and she said unto me, 'Wait, master, wait,' and she made the sign of the holy Cross over the vessel of water, and straightway there fell from it the Calumniator in the form of a flash of fire, and both she and I saw him. And we wondered at the might of the Redeemer, and at the marvellous symbol of His merit."

These things were indeed told to us by the blessed mouth which is remote from falsehood; therefore it is required of us necessarily to do this [i.e., make the sign of the Cross] for the protection of our life. Now the Enemy used to wage war openly against that widow who did these things, even as I have learned from the chosen ones of our Lord, and one of the holy men who heard [this] from her own mouth spake thus:—The blessed woman said as follows:—One day I went to the house of God, and Satan drew nigh, and said unto me, "Why dost thou pray like a man, and say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost?" And I said unto him, "How then shall I pray?" Then Satan said unto me, "Thou shouldst pray in this wise, and say, Glory be to thee, Mary, mother of Christ." Then I answered and said unto him, "There is dust in thine eyes, Satan. Why should I forsake the Lord and worship a handmaiden?" And he disappeared from me.

576. And the blessed man said unto me also:—The same old woman said in my presence:—And again I went to the church according to [my] custom, and I entered in and prayed, and then the Enemy came and made blind my eyes, and I could not see, and I called one of the women, and she carried me to my house. And after three days he departed from before my eyes, and he began to go in front of me; then I said unto him, "There is a thing which thou must do for me. Go thou to where thou didst first seize upon me." And we went to the church, I and he. And I left him where he had seized me, and went away a short distance, and turning round I looked for him, and I saw him standing like a shadow; then I went a little further, and I turned round again, and I [still] saw him. And I shut the door of the church and went out, and then I opened it again and went in, and I saw him still standing there, and he ceased to practise his wiles upon me. Such were the great things which happened to the blessed old woman. For the monk must not boast himself over the man who is in the world, for in it are mighty men; and if such things as these are to be found in Eve, how much more ought they to be found in the Adam which hath been redeemed by [the second] Adam?

577. One of the fathers said, "Whilst I was sleeping one night, the Enemy came and smote me, and said unto me, 'Go to the world and work righteousness; why dost thou shut thyself up like a beast in a cave?' And knowing the wickedness of the Enemy, who regarded me with an evil eye, I made the sign of the Cross, and he fled from me. Then, having waited a few days, he came and smote me on the neck in a bantering fashion, saying, 'Now that thou hast become a righteous man, go to the world that I may not destroy thee'; and when I prayed and made the sign of the Cross over my face he departed from me. And after a short time he came again, and he took up a seat upon my neck, and then I bade my soul to be of good cheer, and stood up, and made the sign of the Cross, the symbol of merit, before him, and he disappeared again, for he was not able to stand before me." Now these things took place and happened in this wise in very truth, and we may therefore know and understand the conduct wherein God rejoiceth, and there is, even as this [story sheweth], no reason for fearing the devils and all the evil spirits. Whosoever holdeth in contempt humility, and penitence of the mind, and the subjugation of the body, and remoteness from the care for the things which are seen, falleth into the inclination of the world, and despiseth the good riches of the fear of God, and his hope for the inheritance of holy men is cut off, and for the delights of heaven which neither pass away nor are dissolved. May we, through the grace and mercy of Christ, be held to be worthy of these things! Amen.

Chapter 18. Questions and Answers on the Vision of the Mind

578. A brother asked an old man, saying, In what manner ought a monk to dwell in silent contemplation in his cell? The old man said, He should have no remembrane of man whatsoever whilst he is dwelling in the cell. 579. B. What kind of labour should the heart perform? O.M. The perfect labour of monks is for a man to have his gaze directed towards God firmly and continually. 580. B. In what way should the mind persecute abominable thoughts? O.M. The mind is unable to do this of itself, and it hath not the power [to do it], nevertheless whensoever a thought [of evil] cometh against the soul, it is required of it to flee immediately from the performance thereof, and to take refuge in supplication [to God], and that shall dissolve the thoughts even as wax [is dissolved] before the fire, for our God is a consuming fire.

581. B. How did the fathers who dwelt in Scete give answers to their enemies? O.M. That service also was great and excellent, but there was labour therein, and not every man was able to stand firm therein, and there was in it, moreover, wandering of the understanding. 582. B. How? O.M. When a thought hath come against the soul, and the soul hath, with great difficulty, been able to drive it out, another thought maketh ready to come, and in this manner the soul is occupied the whole day long in a war against the thoughts, and it is unable to occupy itself with the sight of God, and [to enjoy it] continually. 583. B. With what intent, then, should the mind flee towards God? O.M. If the thought of fornication rush upon thee, seize thy mind and carry it to God immediately, and raise it upwards with strenuousness, and delay not, for to delay is to be on the limit of being brought low.

584. B. If a thought of vainglory rise up in my mind, and it maketh me think that I can be free from the evil passions, is it not necessary that I should contend against it? O.M. Whensoever thou contendest against it, it will become exceedingly strong against thee, and will act cruelly and sharply, and thou wilt not, as thou imaginest, become strengthened by the Spirit of God; for it is better able to contend against thee than thou art able to contend against it, and thou wilt [not] find thyself, apparently, sufficient of thyself to resist the passions of the thoughts. For as it is with the man who hath a spiritual father, that giveth to him his every desire, and who is without any care whatsoever, and who hath, therefore, no judgement with God, so also is it with him that hath committed his soul to God, for it is, henceforward, unnecessary for him in any way whatsoever to fall into care concerning the thoughts, or to allow a thought to enter into his heart. But if it should happen that a thought hath entered, lift it up strenuously towards thy Father, and say, "I myself know nothing; behold, my Father knoweth." And whilst thou art raising up thy mind, the thought itself will leave it and take to flight half way, for it cannot ascend upwards with thee, and it dare not stand with thee there. There is no service which is superior to this, for it belongeth to confidence, and it hath no care in all the Church.

585. B. How is it that the fathers who dwelt in Scete made use of answers against their enemies, and pleased God thereby? O.M. Because they worked in simplicity and in the fear of God, and because of this God helped them, and afterwards the service of the vision of God rose upon them, with His help, because of their works of excellence, and because of the mercy of God, and that old man who taught in this wise said, "Once 'I went to Scete to visit an old man there who had become aged in ascetic labours. And having saluted each other we sat down in silence, and that old man made [me] no answer whatsoever. Then, whilst I was sitting down, my mind became occupied with a vision of God, and that old man continued to sit there and to make baskets of palm leaves, and he neither lifted up his gaze to me, nor did he tell me to eat, and for six whole days I ate nothing whatsoever. Now that old man was occupied with his work of basket-making the whole day long, and when the evening came he soaked some palm leaves in water, and worked the whole night through. And on the following day, after the ninth hour, he answered and said unto me, Brother, when hast thou the power to perform this work of the spiritual vision?' And I answered and said unto him, 'Yea, father, and whence hast thou the power ' [to work thus]? We have accustomed ourselves to learn this from our youth.' And the old man said unto me, 'I have never received teaching of this kind from my fathers.

But as thou seest me now, even so have I been all [my] days. A little work and a little meditation, and a little singing of the Psalms, and a little prayer; I have cleansed my thoughts according to my power, and I resist [as far as I can] the thoughts which rush upon me. And in this manner, afterwards, there dawned upon me the spirit of visions, as I learned this [faculty], and I knew not that any man possessed this gift.' Then I answered and said unto him, 'I have learned this from my youth up.'" 586. B. How ought a man to see the order of the divine vision? O.M. The Scriptures have shown [him how]. 587. B. How? O.M. Daniel saw Him as the Ancient of Days. And Ezekiel saw Him on the chariot of the Cherubim. And Isaiah saw Him upon a lofty and glorious throne. And Moses persisted in being with Him Who cannot be seen, as if he saw Him. 588. B. And how can the mind see that which cannot be seen? O.M. A king cannot be seen, as far as his exact image is concerned, when he is sitting on the throne. 589. B. And is it right for a man to depict God in this manner? O.M. And what is the better for a man to depict God in his mind in this manner, or to bow himself down to many abominable thoughts? 590. B. Peradventure this is accounted as sin?

O.M. No. Only thou must hold according to what the Scriptures have shown [thee], and the fulfilment of the matter will come of itself, even as the Apostle said, "Now, as in a miracle, we see in parable, but then face to face," the meaning of which is as if a man were to say, "When the mind hath been made perfect, then it will be able to see with ease and freedom." 591. B. And is there no confusion in the mind in respect of this? 273 O. M. If a man performeth his strife in truth there will be no confusion in the mind, "For," said the old man, "I have passed a whole week of days without a remembrance of any human thing having entered my heart." And another old man said, "I was once journeying along the road, and behold, I saw two angels close to me, one on this side, and one on the other, and they walked along with me, and I did not look at them."

592. B. Why? O. M. Because it is written, "Neither angels nor powers shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans viii, 39). 593. B. Can the mind be occupied with, and stay with the divine vision continually? O. M. Although the mind cannot be occupied with and stay with the divine vision continually, still when it is pressed by the thoughts it can fly to God, and it shall not be deprived of the divine vision. But I say unto thee that if the mind be made perfect in this respect, it shall be easier for thee to move mountains than to bring it down from above. For as the blind man who is shut up in darkness, if his eyes be opened and he go forth into the light, will be unwilling for the darkness to overtake him again, so the mind having begun to see the light of its own person, hateth the darkness, and is unwilling to remember it again. And one of the fathers also said, "I wished to look upon my mind, saying, Perhaps if I allow my mind to do so it will go and wander about in the world; but when I set it free it stood still, and was silent, and did not know where to go. And again, I lifted it up on high, for it knew that if it departed and wandered about I had to admonish it; quietness and prayer make strong this class of service." And the same old man said, "If a man prayeth continually it will bring correction to the mind immediately."

594. B. How is it possible for a man to pray continually? For the body becometh ill through constant prayer. O. M. The standing up of a man in his prayer [once] is not said to be prayer, but [he must do so] continually. 595. B. How is [prayer to be made] continually? O. M. Whether thou art eating, or drinking, or even travelling on the road, or if thou art doing some piece of work, thou shalt not let prayer be remote from thy heart. 596. B. But suppose I be talking with some one, how is it possible for me to fulfil the command, "Be ye praying continually"? O. M. Now concerning this the Apostle spake, "In [all your] prayers, and in [all your] supplications, pray ye at all times in the spirit; and when it would be unseemly for thee to pray, because thou art speaking with another man, pray thou through supplication."

597. What manner of prayer is it necessary for a man to pray? O. M. The prayer in the Gospel which our Lord taught His disciples. 598. B. What limit ought there to be to prayer? O. M. No measure hath been laid down to prayer; because He said, "Pray ye at all times, and continually," He did not lay down any measure to prayer. For if the monk only really prayeth when he standeth up in prayer, he who is thus doth not pray with the heart but with the mouth only. Now the old man said, "It is necessary for the man who is thus to look upon all [men] in the same way, and he must be remote from all calumny for the love of Christ; to Whom be glory for ever! Amen." 599. In another manuscript I have found the following:—A certain monk who was a foreigner, and was chaste in his conduct, and who came from the city of Antioch, from the monastery which is called Kawsyān, went once to pray in Jerusalem, and to see the holy places wherein our Lord Jesus Christ went about, and after he had lived there for a long time, and had worked a way which was full of every excellence, he wished to return to his country in peace. Now he lacked food for the journey and the money which was necessary for his wants, and he knew not what to do; and when he had gone in to pray in the great temple of the Resurrection of our Lord, he prayed, and sat down in sorrow, and he was troubled about his departure, and the lack of that which he needed.

And having sat down, he dropped into slumber, and slept, and he saw in his dream our Lord Jesus Christ, Who bade him be of good cheer, saying, "Arise, be not sorrowful, but go in to the steward of My house of the Resurrection, and say unto him, 'Jesus hath sent me unto thee so that thou mayest give me the one dīnār of which I am in need, and when He cometh He will give it [back] to thee for me.'" Now when the monk had awoke from his sleep, he arose, and prayed first and believed the vision which had appeared to him, and he rose up and went to the steward [of the Church] of the Resurrection, as he had been commanded to do, and he spake to the steward, as he had been told in the vision. Then the steward said unto him, "When will Jesus come and repay me? And the monk said unto him, "I have told thee what I have heard from Him, and as for thee, thou must do what thou wishest. And the steward said unto the monk, "Give me a paper in thine own

275 II-18a handwriting for the dînâr, and take [it] and go"; and the monk sat down and wrote thus: "I, John the monk, the stranger, from Antioch, a city of Syria, and from the holy monastery of Kâwsyân hereby testify that I have received from the steward one dînâr for food by the way, and I have, of mine own free will, set my handwriting thereto saying that when Jesus cometh He will pay him for me." And after the monk had taken the dînâr and departed, the steward saw that same night in a vision of the night, that a man of splendid appearance came and said unto him, "Take the dînâr which thou gavest to that monk, and give me the written paper which he gave thee." And the steward said in the vision, "My Lord, the monk said unto me, 'Jesus will come and repay me, and will take from thee the paper which I have written.'" And the man said to the steward, "I, even I, am Jesus; take thy dînâr, and give Me the writing which the monk gave thee. Or, wouldst thou take anything more from him?" Then the steward took the dînâr from Him, and he laid it in his hand, and gave Him the written paper, and He tore it up.

Now when the steward awoke from his slumber he found the dînâr in his hand, but the written paper had disappeared; and he marvelled and wondered, and praised God. Then he sent some of his people to bring back the monk wheresoever he might be found, and having gone they found him praying, and they said unto him, "Come with us; behold, the steward of the Church of the Resurrection seeketh thee. And when the monk heard [this], he feared greatly, and said in his heart, "Peradventure he wisheth to take back the dînâr"; and he went with them being troubled and sorrowful. Now when the steward saw him, he said unto him, "For the love of Christ I entreat thee to eat with me this day," and whilst they were eating, the steward said unto him, "What hast thou done with the dînâr? and the monk said, "Behold, it is still with me. The steward said unto him, "Mâr Abbâ, take thou as many dînârs as thou wishest, only give me the paper which thou didst write [saying] that Jesus would come and repay me. And the monk said unto him, "My lord, forgive me, but I have received nothing else from thee, for that which I did take was sufficient for me. Then the steward related unto him that which had appeared unto him, saying, "The dînâr hath been paid back to me, and the paper which thou didst write hath been taken by our Lord Jesus Christ from me";

and the steward entreated the monk, saying, "Take from me, if thou wishest, ten pounds of gold, only write me [a paper, saying], 'Jesus will come and pay thee for me,' and do thou, my lord, depart in peace. And the monk said unto him, "Master, verily I say unto thee, thou shalt not receive from me another jot, and I will not take anything else from thee. And all those who heard [this story] praised God Who neglected not those who call upon Him in truth. 600. An admonition of the holy fathers. Be thou an enemy unto all folly and sin. Dejection driveth away the fear of God, captivity [to sin] driveth away the virtues from the soul. There are three excellences which illumine the mind always; a man must not see the vices of his neighbours, and he must do good unto those who do evil to him, and he must bear with gladness all the trials which come upon him. And these produce three (sic) other excellences, namely, a man must not look upon the vices of his brother, and this excellence produceth love; and he must bear the trials that come upon him, and this excellence produceth self-denial. There are three excellences of which the mind hath need, and a man should observe them always: He should lean away from follies, and he should not be lax in his service, and he should make strong his heart. There are three excellences, the which if a man see them with him he knoweth within himself that he is delivered from devils, namely, knowledge whereby he will be able to understand and to discern between thoughts, and the sight of everything before it cometh to pass, and the power of not becoming entangled with evil thoughts of any kind. There are three things which gain dominion over the soul until it arriveth at great weakness, captivity [to sin], and dejection, and sickness, and these contend against every man's soul, and from them are produced evil thoughts, and when a man buildeth up they overthrow [what he hath built]. There are three excellences which benefit and strengthen the soul: mercy, the absence of lust and long-suffering, and besides these three excellences the mind hath need to pray without ceasing continually, and a man must fall down and cry out before God, and hate all evil passions.

601. And he also said:—The fear of God driveth away all evil things, but dejection (or lowness) driveth away the fear of God from a man; the wandering of the thoughts driveth away good works from the soul. There are four things which are good:—Silence, the keeping of the commandments, humility, and tribulations. There are four good things which protect the soul:—Love towards every man, absence of lust, long-suffering, and a man severing from himself wickedness. And the soul hath need of the four following virtues at all seasons:—A man must pray without ceasing, and he should pour himself out before God continually, and he should declare his own defects in his heart, and he should judge no man, and his own mind should be tranquil. The four following things help a young monk:—Doctrine, the repetition of the Psalms at every moment, and he should not be lax in obedience to fasting, and he should esteem himself to be of no account whatsoever. Through four things the soul is corrupted:—For a man to walk about through the city without guarding his eyes, for a man to have anything to do with women, for a man to have friendship with the rich men of the world, and for a man to love empty talk. Of four things fornication is begotten, namely, by eating and by drinking overmuch, by sleeping overmuch and by idleness, by laughter and by silly words, and by the arrangement of the apparel. By four things the mind is darkened:

by a man hating his neighbour, by hating his brother, by crying out evil things, and by uttering them. By four things is the soul laid waste: by a man not keeping silent (or tranquil), by loving the works of the world, by trafficking in material things, and by the evilness of the eye. Through four things anger cometh: By a man giving and taking (i.e., buying and selling) in the world, by doing his own will, by loving to teach, and by thinking in himself that he is a wise man. There are three virtues which a man acquireth by weariness (or exhaustion): by mourning always, by observing his sins, and by having his death before his eyes every day. He who taketh care to keep these virtues shall be able to be saved by the mercy of God and, to speak briefly, these are necessary for the man who seeketh to live: Faith, and hope, and love, and love of God, and obedience, and humility, and patient endurance, and self-denial, and fasting, and constant prayer, and vigil, and service, and going into exile, and voluntary poverty, and absence of evil passions, and the silence of discretion, and deprivation of various meats. For if a man doth not believe, he can neither hope nor love, nor have affection, nor be obedient; and if he be not obedient, he cannot either be humble, or endure patiently; and if he cannot endure patiently, he cannot practise self-denial, and if he cannot practise self-denial, he cannot draw nigh to fasting.

And if he cannot fast, he cannot pray continually, and if he hath no prayer, he cannot keep vigils; and if he keepeth not vigil, service will not be found in him, for he will say and sing the service in a hurried manner. And he who possesseth these things only in a little degree cannot go into exile and become voluntarily poor, and without the love of these things he cannot deprive himself of meats; and a man cannot acquire the silence of discretion when all these things are remote from him. Let us, then, take care to perfect all these things in ourselves with all our might, through the help of God, to Whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen. 602. An Exhortation. Now therefore I have written down for thee all these things so that thy soul may not become sluggish, and so that thou mayest not become the cause of [others] being like unto thee. And because of this I counsel thee to take the yoke of pleasantness upon thy neck, for it will help thee to sit by thyself in silence, and to withdraw thyself from human intercourse, and from cares about the things of this world which will hinder thee. And make thyself as the dust in [thy] humility towards every man, knowing [at the same time] that there is hope [for thee]. And let not weeping cease from thine eyes, for there is the occasion of tears. And make thy cell a hall of judgement of thyself, and a place for striving against devils and evil passions, and let there be depicted therein the kingdom [of heaven], and Gehenna, and death and life, and sinners and the righteous, and the fire which never is quenched, and the glory of the righteous, and the outer darkness, and the gnashing of the teeth, and the light of the righteous, and their joy in the Holy Spirit, and the Passion of our Lord, and the memorial of His Resurrection, and the redemption of creation. And let thy habitation be free from superfluous things, for one of two things will happen unto thee; either through thinking of them thou wilt suffer injury, or in withdrawing thyself from them thy war will be added to and become fiercer.

And take heed lest, through [holding in] honour and sparing other folk, thou bring thyself to evil case in the war; whatsoever belongeth to lust and is of the eyes thou shalt not possess, for the wars of thy passions are sufficient for thee. Heal thou and make whole in thy habitation those in whom God hath pleasure; it is He Who knoweth thy sitting down, and thy coming in, and thy going forth. And in all thy conduct be constant in prayer, especially in the night seasons, for [night] is the acceptable time for prayer, as it is written, "Be thou like unto thy Lord, Who prayed to God continually throughout the night until the rising up of the Sun. When all voices are quiet do thou fill thy mouth with praise, and thy tongue with glorifying, and whilst others are lying like dead men on their biers do thou depict in thyself the waking of the Resurrection. The night which is darkness unto other folk shall be to thee bright as the day, and instead of filling thyself with wine as other men do, fill thou thyself with the love of God; and in the night season, when silver and gold are stolen, do thou steal the kingdom [of heaven] like a thief. In the night season, when sinners perform their evil deeds to their own injury, do thou labour for the benefit of thine own soul, and take care, continually of all excellences.

Then He Who is merciful in His gifts, and rich unto every one who calleth upon Him, will come unto thee quickly and will help thee, and thou shalt smite the Evil One, and shalt bring to naught his crafty acts. And thou shalt make thy mind to shine, and the Lord of All shall place in thee the innocent thoughts of uprightness, and He shall comfort thy mind; then shall the rugged ground become smooth before thee, and the difficult ground shall be as a plain, and thy ship shall anchor in [its] haven. And thou shalt lead beforehand the life which is to come, and thou shalt fulfil the Will of God, according to His Will, both in heaven and on earth; and thy knowledge shall grow and thy joy increase in proportion to thy spiritual conduct, and thou shalt be held to be worthy of the sight of the righteous by the grace and mercy of Christ our Lord, to Whom, with His Father, and the Holy Ghost, be glory now, and always, and for ever and ever! Amen.

603. An admonition of abbâ mâr john. Now thou wilt not be able to find a more excellent way than this: He who would repent to Christ of his sins and follies must fall on his face many, many times, [and be sorry for] the sins which he hath committed, and he must make supplication and entreaty to the mercy of God. Moreover, our other fathers have incited [us] to kneel down, and he who continually kneeleth down and prayeth rejoiceth in God. Woe is me, me the man of negligence! Now he who sigheth, and weepeth, and sheddeth tears in prayer, possesseth all excellences together; for if we do not keep watch on and remember always our feebleness, whilst despising ourselves, and holding ourselves in contempt, the devils will lead us astray. Wake thyself up, O my beloved one, and keep in thy remembrance always three moments, and forget them not; the first is the moment of death, with its sorrow, and grief, and trouble, which is immeasurable, that overtaketh every man, when [a man shall stand] before the awful throne of Christ; the second moment is the moment of fear and quaking when men and angels shall rise up, when a man doth not know what command shall come forth concerning him, whether it shall be for life everlasting or for torment everlasting; and the third moment is that when the penalty (or decree of doom) shall come forth upon us, with its repentance of soul which shall last for ever, and shall be with us afterwards in the years which shall have no end. At the [remembrance of] these three moments all men fear and quake; may God in His compassion save us from Gehenna and its endless torments! Amen.

I am an apostle, and I cast out devils, and I perform mighty deeds, but how am I to know that the end of Judas may not be mine, and how am I to know that I shall [not] inherit hanging, and be called by our Lord "Satan" and "son of perdition"? If thou seest, moreover, a man who is a murderer, and a thief, and an adulterer, and a shedder of blood, thou mayest think whence I shall know [this]; for if this murderer at the end confesseth Christ, he will precede me in the kingdom of heaven, and thou shalt think thus concerning every man. If thou, O man of God, whithersoever thou goest, thinkest these and suchlike things continually, and if thy humility be in proportion to the greatness of thy power, thou shalt never fall. But if a man be neglectful, even for the twinkling of an eye, of his humility, and if pride be mingled in his negligence, he shall be cut off quickly from the height of the love of God, and he shall fall, even as quickly as a glass vessel full of water, which is suspended by a thread of a spider's web, would fall if that thread were to be severed. Now the conduct of humility is thus.

If at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end, or wheresoever it may be, a man first of all layeth hold upon perfect humility, and upon complete contempt of himself, the devils will be unable to approach him, on the contrary, they will flee before him, like flies before smoke, both they and their thoughts; but if a man [doth not] acquire humility, either at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end of his career, there is nothing which [can stand up] against the strife and contest. As the holy man Evagrius said, "After the vanquishing of [all] the other passions, there still remain two which will wage war against the perfect man until death, namely, vainglory and pride. And John, the seer of Thebaïs, used to say, "He against whom the devil of vainglory still fighteth, wandereth without measure, and is divided [in his mind] to a boundless degree. The Teacher used to say, "Humility possesseth two characteristics which are superior to the other excellences of the spirit, for it seeth to what degree it can abase itself to the lowest depth, and grace also exalteth humility to God, [and] to the height which is above; and because grace exalteth it continually towards God, it acquireth faith at all times, and strengtheneth confidence.

And the second characteristic of humility is that it feareth not that which opposeth it, that is to say, it feareth neither devils, nor wild animals, nor evil men, even as the holy man Evagrius said, 'The man who is proud and wrathful is a timid man, but the humble man is without fear.' And he said, 'Humility by itself vanquisheth both passions and devils, and the labours of the body, and the contests of the mind only serve to strengthen humility the more. Therefore there is never a time when the monk hath not need of humility. Now it is right for him that dwelleth in silence wishing to arrive speedily at purity of heart, and to take care of [his spiritual] splendour, to guard the three following things:—he must guard his hearing against listening to any word which may strike him and may rouse him up to anger; and he must guard his tongue, not only against rebuking and chiding any man, even though he be a man of no account whatsoever and a man of ignorance, and he must not [attempt] to teach or to admonish. But if a man ask him for a prayer, he must esteem himself to be the servant of him that asketh him, and he must kneel down before the cross and say, "O Lord, provide for my brethren according to Thy Will, and according to Thy design, and according as it may be beneficial for them before Thee, and make me, a sinner, worthy of Thy mercy through my prayers";

let him pray after this example, and it shall suffice. Do not think in thy mind, which may lead thee astray, that thou wilt be able to acquire even one spiritual excellence, no matter which it may be, without afflictions and troubles, whether with or without the desire; for no man who feedeth his body daintily on lusts is able to enter through the door, even as the camel cannot go through the narrow hole of the needle. Now the pleasures of the body come into being because of unbelief, because the wretched body doth not believe in those good things which are promised unto the hungry, and in the woes which are prepared for those who are filled with food and who live delicately. Therefore he, who believeth in the promises and threats, goeth hungry, and he denieth himself, and he watcheth in prayer, and he humbleth himself, and he layeth hold upon abstinence, and restraineth himself from the gratification of his pleasures, and he inheriteth the purity which is promised to those who are blessed. But if he leadeth a life of sluggishness and pleasure, from it he shall inherit the impurities and the punishments which are prepared for him in Gehenna. Now the desire of the Holy Spirit is thus:—Remoteness from the habitation of men, continual quiet, weeping and sorrowful cries, joyful hymns, the singing of the Psalms, and praises, fasting, and abstinence, and vigil, poor apparel, a humble gait, the cloaking of the thoughts of the passions, the hidden prayer of the mind; know ye that such are the things in which those who are in the desire of the spirit wish to walk, and they never wish to perform the lusts of the flesh. And to speak briefly unto you, O my brethren, fasting, and service, and standing up, and vigil, and abstinence from meats, are the constituent parts of a fair rule of life and conduct, and those who perform them will receive a reward from the true God if they perform them in truth, and if there be no alien pretence in their service. But hearken, O my brethren, for this is the true work of the monastic life, the binding of the understanding which is in God, and the suppression of the alien thoughts which enter his heart; and whosoever hath his heart [set] upon God acquireth for his soul pleasure, and the life which is everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Here end the Histories & the Narratives of the Triumphant Acts of the Holy Fathers and Monks which were composed by the holy and excellent Palladius, Bishop of the City of Belenopolis, & which he wrote to Lausus the Prefect. To God be glory, and honour, and adoration, and worship, and exaltation, for ever and ever! Vya and Amen.