Mystic Treatises
Mystic Treatises
continued
Chapter XXXVI
On The Various Ways In Which Satan Wars Against Those Who Tread The Narrow Way Which Is Above The World Our enemy Satan has also other methods, when he cunningly proposes to attack those who engage themselves in this strife. His way of warfare varies according to their character and in relation to their personal tendencies. 1) See p. 31, 9 7 181 As to those whom he sees to be of a weak will and of feeble thought he combats them vehemently from the beginning by submitting them to heavy and terrible temptations, in order to make them taste the nature of his evil from the very beginning of the way. In this way he intends to instill into them a horror of the first battle so that this way shall appear to them difficult to walk. And if the beginning is very 270 difficult, who could endure to the end, facing all the battles which are ranged in the middle? Thus they will not again venture to withstand him or to look for other help, on account of their being totally occupied with the thought of his attacks. And when he has pressed them a little vehemently they take to flight. Or better: God lets him oppress them, without helping them in any way because they have engaged in the battle of the Lord, with a cold heart and hesitatingly. Cursed is every one who performs the work of the Lord without diligence, retaining his hand from bloodshed. But also: His help is near those who fear Him 1); and He commands that we should not meet the foe with a cold and fearful heart. Begin to destroy him and to wage war with him and I will begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven 2).
If thou doest not voluntarily die to the senses for the sake of the love of God, thou wilt die intellectually away from God, against thy will. That which belongs to thy lot thou shalt not refuse to take upon thee willingly, though it is connected with temporary suffering; afterwards thou shalt enter the glory of God. If thou perishest bodily in the strife of the Lord, the Lord will even crown thee; and to thy triumphant limbs He will attribute the honour of the martyrs. So, as I have said above, if they have not girded themselves up from the beginning and strengthened themselves and vowed themselves to death, then they will appear to be inferior in all battles, especially because God overlooks their relaxation 3) in that they try to accomplish the work of the Lord in 271 a frivolous and tentative way. And even Satan knows them from the beginning, examining what their thoughts are: pusillanimous, loving themselves, even sparing their body. So he persecutes them like a hurricane, because he does not find in
182 them the intelligible power which he usually finds in the triumphant. As a man's will tends towards God, for whose sake he loves labours, so God will send him His help and show him His care. For it is not possible for Satan to approach unto anyone or to bring forward his temptations, except by permission of the godhead; or else that his will has become relaxed and he has given himself to impure thoughts and to distraction; or because doubt has taken hold of him. Concerning such persons Satan does not ask [permission] to try them as in the case of those who are perfect and great; as to the latter he knows that they are not given over into his hand. For he knows that it is not possible that the power of God's care be withdrawn from them. Except because of one of the causes mentioned. This is one way in which the foe makes war. As to those whose · will he sees to be vigorous and who reckon death as nothing and who have begun with keen zeal giving themselves over to every temptation and to dea.th, and who trample upon life and the world and the body with its temptations - thees 272 he does not meet at the outset, nor does he usually show himself to them. But he withdraws himself and gives way to them. He neither encounters them with his principal force nor does he enter into battle with them.
For he knows that the beginning of battles is usually hot and the antagonist is zealous and zealous champions are seldom vanquished. This method he follows, not because he is afraid of them, but of that divine power which sets them ablaze through the forces working in them till they begin to emit it through their own will in full confidence. But he leaves them for some time till their zeal is abating and their attention is withdrawn from the exercise of the weapon for which they had trained themselves and with which they had armed their mind, viz. different divine words and profitable and strengthening recollections; and thus awaits the time of negligence. And when the first thoughts have abated somewhat, how often will they find within themselves occasions of defeat on account of allurements that have their origin in the mind. They dig a ditch in themselves through the distraction of thoughts that arise in their mind through tediousness, through which a chill overpowers them. It is not spontaneous when Satan acts thus, delaying the time of battle; for neither when he spares them nor when he
183 withdraws himself from them, does he account them nothing. But I think that a certain power surrounds those who are blazing with fervour unto God and who have begun in a youthful way, without forethought, confiding in Him on account 273 of their faith, without knowing however against whom they have to fight. Therefore he conceals his evil nature from them, approaching not near. For his nature is checked by the guardian which he sees with them continually. Now if they do not cast away the causes of profit: beseeching, labours and humbleness, the helper will never withdraw Himself from them. The love of comfort is a cause of [God's] withdrawal. But if they adhere to these [works] sedulously, they will never be destitute of help and the foe will not be allowed to approach them. And if [God] witdraws himself from time to time, this is for the sake of training. For while the holy force governs and accompanies them, they do not fear seducers; the mind is full of courage and therefore it despises them. But He trains them as a man who teaches swimming to a little boy; as soon as he begins to sink, the teacher lifts him up, for the boy swims upon the hands of his teacher. And when the courage of the boy begins to diminish, from fear that he will be drowned, the man who supports him with his hands, cries: be not afraid, I support thee.
Or, as a mother who teaches her little child to walk, places him at a distance from her and calls him; but when the boy will go to his mother on those little tottering feet of his, they tremble on account of their weakness. Then when the boy is about to fall, the mother will run and take him 274 in her arms. So God's grace will bear up and train the children of man, namely those who trust themselves clearly and simply to the hands of Him that created them and who with their whole heart turn from the world and follow Him. And thou, 0 man, who hast begun to follow God, recollect perpetually during thy whole struggle the beginning and that first zeal at the outset of the way and the fervent thoughts with which thou didst leave thy former life and range thyself in the order of battle. And examine thyself every day [in order to state] whether the fervour of thy soul has abated in comparison with the zeal with which thou wert blazing. Or whether thou lackest any weapon with which thou wert girded at the beginning of thy struggle. And elevate constantly thy voice in the camp and encourage those of the right hand with familiar
184 thoughts. And show the opposite party that thou art awake. And if thou meetest impetuosity in the beginning, because the temptator will frighten thee, do not then relax. Perhaps this will be profitable to thee. It is not without reason that thy saviour permits anything unto thee but only when He has foreseen it and ordered it to thy profit. Show thou no relaxation from the beginning; for if thou shouldst show relaxation here, thou wouldst not be able to withstand what follows: hunger, sickness, fearful sights and soon. Do not turn into its opposite the intention of Him that commands thee to fight, which serves to thy profit, lest 275 thy foe find thee as he hopes to find thee. But cry unto God unceasingly and weep before His grace and weary thyself out with beseeching, till He sends thee a helper. And if thou onc.e seest the saviour who is with thee, thou wilt no more be vanquished by thy foe who is standing before thee. Thus far these two kinds of strife. A no t he r way in which Satan makes war again st t h o s e w h o a r e g i r d e d. When after all this Satan is still opposed by a man without being able to overpower him in battle, or rather his helper, for whose sake man resists him;
and who helps and strengthens him to such an extent that he who is compact flesh and body vanquishes him that is spiritual and unbodily - when Satan sees all the help which that man receives from God so that his outward senses are not vanquished by sights and sounds nor his thoughts weakened by excitations and allurements, nay he even despises the blows they give him, then he seeks for a means to separate that man from the angel that helps him, or rather he purposes to blind the mind of him that is helped so that he is left without support. So he stirs that man's thoughts of presumption namely those of [imaginary] strength, so that he thinks his mind the cause of all this vigour and of the glorious wealth which he possesses in his soul. His preservation from all these obstacles, sad, un-276 speakable, and bloodthirsty, he sometimes ascribes to accident, sometimes to their being weak. I do not mention other things the bare recollection of which makes the soul shiver on account of their blasphemous nature. It also happens that he advances his betrayal insidiously under the appearance of divine revelations. During sleep he
185 imparts information and in the state of waking he assumes the likeness of an angel of light. And all this [is of such a nature] that, should a man surrender to it even to a small extent, he will become its victim. But if a man be wise and keep his thoughts under control, or rather if God helps him and he fixes the gaze of his heart on heaven in order to turn away from incantators, then the foe plans an o t he r k in d of w a r. This is the only one left to him now; and because it has some affinity to nature he expects the more that man will be entangled in it. \What is it? He contrives in all manner of ways to set man in contact with those things through which he usually becomes guilty on account of his nature. The mind of the warrior namely becomes blinded by sight of and contact with [worldly] things, and it is easily vanquished in battle when it is near them, especially when they are ranged before his eyes. The clever one knows this cunning thoroughly on account of his experience with many valiant champions who were van-277 quished through it. Therefore he prepares this means cunningly. And when it is not of a nature to be practised because of the [warrior's] utter solitude and his dwelling far from things that cause [sin], then he contrives to bring it near him through phantasy.
So he shows him fallacious images in the habit of reality, in order that by these visions he be rendered desirous and incited to conceive impure thoughts and become guilty and to alienate Him that helps him. For Satan knows that the solitary's victory and defeat, his treasure and his help and all that belongs to him, depends upon deliberation, and that, if deliberation be moved from its place, one short moment is able to throw him down from the nest of life on to the earth, if his will be pointed in this direction for even a moment only. Thus it has happened to many of the saints that he showed them the image of a beautiful woman. Those who dwelt at a distance of one or two or even ten parasangs from the inhabited world he did indeed contrive to bring in contact with a woman. But to those, to whom he could not do this on account of their distant dwellingplace being too far off, he showed the images of womanly beauty by appearing to them, now in splendid dress and finery and in a seducing aspect, now even in the form of a naked woman. Some of the solitaries he overpowered by these means and the like, some by real seduction, some by things of the ima·
186 gination which brought about their fall 1) through the relaxation of their deliberations; so they fell down into the abyss of despondency and turned unto the world, cutting themselves off from heavenly hope. Others however who were steadfast and illuminated by grace, 278 have vanquished him and his fantastic representations and trampled upon bodily pleasures; and they have been found to be elected by the lo\'e of God. Often also he represents to them images of gold and precious things as treasures that were hidden somewhere. It even happens that he shows them these things in reality, expecting that by one of these various [artifices] it will be possible to impede some one of the solitaries so as to bar his course through his being entangled in one of the snares of his nets. Lead me not, o Lord, into these temptations; for even the strong and the elect scarcely pass this gate victorious. The seducer is allowed to make war upon the saints in all these ways of temptation, in order that the love of God which is in them may be proved under these circumstances; namely, whether they are friends of God and whether they adhere to His love because [worldly] things are at a distance, far off and absent; or whether they love God really, so as to make war on and to despise these things even when present, without being vanquished and without giving up their love of God through the allurements of those temptations.
This does not happen that they may be known to God through these [temptations], but to the Devil, who is very desirous of recognizing them, if possible. As he also said concerning Job, asking God about him: Doth Job fear God for nought 2)? If then a little negligence creeps in, the temptator approaches with authority in accordance with the power he has over them. Then the unjust appears in the, desire which these things excite in him. 2 79 And through these things those are proved who are strong in their love of Him, those who despise all these things, which in their eyes are counted as nothing in comparison with the love of God. In this they are humble, ascribing merits only to Him who strengthens all and who is the cause of their victory and into His hands they entrust the battle. For Thou art the 187 powerful, and the battle is Thine. Fight, o Lord, and be VICtorious on our behalf. Then they are tested by these things as gold in the furnace. But those who are untrustworthy are recognized there through those trials, and thrown out as refuse. They give way to their foe and have to leave the battle, defeated through the relaxation of their mind, or perhaps through their haughtiness which has made them unworthy of that strong power which is always ready to help the saints. For never to be defeated is the power of Him that helps us, the omnipotent, the almighty, the victorious at all times whenever He descends into the body of mortals to fight for them. But it is manifest that '·those who are defeated, are defeated without Him. They are those whose will is stripped of Him because of their injustrice, who are not worthy of that power which is the support of the victorious. They also perceive at the time of battle that they lack the usual strength, which they found in themselves in all hot and difficult battles. How do they perceive this? They see in themselves that their defeat gives them comfort and that the hardships of strife are zSo difficult for them to bear, hardships under which at all times they were wonted to win a clear victory. And the emotions of zeal which at such times used to stir nature vigorously and which were strengthened by a f.ery heat - they do not find them in themselves.
Now those who are shaken from their foundation are terrified not only by these and the like struggles, but even by the sound of the leaves of the trees 1), and give way and renounce and turn their back under light trouble, for hunger or slight illness. The true and elect, however, do not even satisfy their hunger with herbs and vegetables. But, feeding upon drugs and dry stubble, even then they are not to be persuaded to open their mouth for food, before the fixed time. Lying on the earth, with an emaciated body and eyes blinded 2) on account of bodily weakness, their soul near their mouth 3) through tribulation, even then they do not give way so as to be vanquished and give up their firm will. For it is more delightful for them to be troubled for the sake of love, with
Chapter XXXVII
On The Things The Exact Use Of Which I Have Learned By The Knowledge Of Discernment Having been tested many times by things of the right and by things of the left, and examined myself in these two states many times, and received innumerable blows from the opposition, and been deemed worthy of important, hidden support, and having continued the examination of myself during a range of years, I have learnt by experience that the principles of all good things and the regaining of the soul from the captivity of the enemies, and the way towards life and light, consist in two things: abiding in one and the same place, and constant fasting. This means: that a man, being wise, shall lay down a fair law for his belly, by untroubled, constant sitting [alone). Proceeding from here he will reach the subduing of the senses; further: watchfulness of mind; further: tranquillizing of brutish passions stirring in the body. Further: quiet thoughts. Further: enlightened impulses of the spirit. Further: application to excellent works. Further: high and subtle insights. Further: immeasurable tears at all times. Further: watchful chastity, without any connection with the experience of the image in the spirit. 282 Further: a quick and far gaze. Further: a deep intelligence, penetrating and attaining to the hidden things in all depths, the power of words and the hidden motions in the soul; and the distinctions of spirits and holy powers; of true sight and deceitful images. Further: fear of the [many) ways and tracks in the sea of the spirit - fear that cuts off negligence; and blazing zeal which tramples upon all dangers and sets its foot upon all things feared; and fervour despising all desires and effacing from the mind the recollection of all transitory things;
189 and many other things. In brief: the liberation of true man and the renewal of the soul and the resurrection with Christ in the kingdom, away from here. He that neglects these two 1), should know that he not only bereaves himself of these, but that he shakes the foundation of all virtues by despising these two. And as the beginning of all other virtues in the soul is formed by these principles of all divine se-rvice, which are the gate and the way unto Christ, for him that takes hold of them and sticks to them, so the deviation and the departure from them towards those which are their opposite, I mean distraction of the body and a lawless belly, constitute in the soul a place for the beginning of all things contrary to those mentioned above. And also this attitude takes its source in one action, viz. in the fact that the submissive senses are first freed from the bonds of lonely dwelling. And what are the consequences? Unexpected, impure 283 contact; threatening danger of falling; agitation and. heavy billows stirred by sensible sight; almighty flames kindled in the body; small spiritual shortcomings; uncontrollable deliberations, prone to falling; lack of love of service; gradual forgetting of the distinctions of solitude; complete negligence of the canons of behaviour;
renewal of former things which had become effaced, and instruction concerning other new things, unknown before and caused by audition on various and perpetually recurring occasions and by a multitude of unintentional cases of sight, presenting themselves on account of perpetual travelling from country to country and from place to place. All this has the effect that those affections which by God's grace were already slumbering in the soul on account of the oblivion into which obliterated recollections had passed, begin to be stirred into motion anew, forcing the soul to work. And there are yet other [injuries] which I will not mention all of them; taking their origin in that first one, they are let loose against the miserable one, and he has to bear them. And what is the second fault? This, that he begins to resemble the swines in his deeds. What is it that the swines do? They do not check their belly, filling it at all times without having an hour fi x ed for food, as rational beings have. And what further? From this comes heavy sleep, great
I) solitude and fasting 190 284 bodily heaviness and a slackening of the shoulders; the compulsion to desist from services, aversion to the inclinations 1) connected with them; contempt of the usual prostrations, darkness and coldness of spirit; a dull mind that does not distinguish, confusedness and great darkness of deliberations; thick clouds and obscurity spread over the whole soul; great dejection concerning every godly work, also concerning recitation [of the scriptures], originating therein that the sweetness of the sense of the words is not tasted; frequent neglect of necessary things; an uncontrolled mind, made blunt by wandering through the whole world, many humours gathered in the limbs; impure phantasies during the whole night, consisting in sordid representations and unclean voluptuous images, which cling to the soul and act in it according to their impure pleasure; and a cover and a body wholly defiled by the large stream of shameful things flowing from [the body] as from a fountain. And this does not happen at night only, but also by day the body sends forth [this stream constantly], defiling the mind thereby. And on account of these things, [the solitary] disavows his chastity. Sweet allurements working in the whole body with unbearable and incessant heat; exciting deliberations full of beautiful faces representing them before him lasciviously and perpetually and thereby seducing him; a mind delivering itself unhesitatingly to intercourse with them, joining itself with them in longing and meditation, because its distinctive faculty has 2 8 5 been blinded; all this is what has been said by one of the great philosophers:
he that provides his body with many things, exposes his soul to penury. And though he recollects his soul now and then, trying to compel himself, yet it is impossible for him to keep his soul under control because of the hot emotions in the body which by the power of their allurements, forcibly captivate the soul, according to their pleasure. As the clever and acute Mar Diodorus of Tarsus says: to support the body in softness and luxury, quickly imparts to the soul a sensation of suffering, so that death becomes to it something deplorable and God's judgment is thought of with fear. The soul, however, that constantly thinks of becoming things, is quiet in its being; it has small solicitude, as it feels no grief. Care for excellence is the driver of the affections, the guardian I) � 191 of excellence, a secure education, joy without solicitude, a good life and a safe port. Bodily luxury strengthens the affections and makes them dominant upon the soul, nay they even totally eradicate it. And apart from all this, it inflames the belly on account of wantonness and lack of rules as to hours. Yet [the solitary] does not wish that gradually the passion of hunger should gain power over his soul which in a compulsory way could be brought by it under the dominion of the affections. These are the fruits that come forth from the shameful [passions] of the belly; and these are the fruits produced by 2 8 6 the lack of power to cling to one spot in peace. As now our foe, who follows us constantly, knows that on these two occasions nature is usually capable of being troubled and affected with passion to a higher degree and also the mind easier to be perflexed through sensible vision and· the comfort of the belly, therefore he contrives to surpass nature, and at these times casts into the mind different haughty deliberations in order to strengthen the power of passion over nature, if possible, by a more intense flame, and so ruin a man utterly.
Just as our foe knows these times, it is, therefore, necessary for us to know them also as well as our own weakness and the [want of] strength of our nature which is not able to withstand the vehement emotions of those times nor the deliberations subtle as the dust of the earth which are before our eyes so that we cannot see ourselves nor remain upright before fate. By such experiences on many occasions we have miserably learnt from our foe to be prudent henceforth and not to allow ourselves to relax so that we indulge in the desire of consolation or to be defeated by hunger however we may be incited by it; or to be removed from the place of our solitude unto a place safe against such accidents, thinking out reasons and devising means for turning our back to the desert. Such thoughts are manifest machinations of Satan. But if thou remainest in the desert, thou wilt not be tested. For thou seest no woman 287 in the desert nor anything that does harm to thy behaviour, nor [doest thou hear] evil sounds. What hast thou to do with the ways of Egypt and with drinking water from the Nile? Understand what I say. Show thy foe thy training by enduring small things; then he will not demand great things from thee. Constantly thou shalt have to keep the laws of these small things, thereby throwing before his feet a bait, namely, in the
192 struggle concerning them. So he will not have rest from them, so as to have occasion to set up dangerous snares for thee in secret. How is it possible that he should persuade a man, who is not to be persuaded to go five steps outside the door of his hut, to leave the desert or to approach unto the town? And he that cannot be induced to look through his window from the place of his reclusion, how should he persuade him to leave it? He who is not to be persuaded to take food in the late evening being desirous of vigils, how is it possible that his deliberations should be excited so as to begin [his meals before the appointed time? And how is it possible that he should induce as to important matters him who was even ashamed to satisfy [his hunger] by contemptible food? And how can he allure towards foreign beauty him, that even refused to look at his own body? First man is vanquished by small things when he despises them and then he causes himself to be driven towards serious ones. But how can he deter from troubles that lead to death him who loves [death], and does not care in the least to continue temporary life? Thus is the war carried on with understanding: the wise do not allow 288 their foe to invite them to great struggles. But the endurance which they show in small things, preserves them from falling while they perform large works.
First the [solitary] desists from constant prayer consisting in beseechings of the spirit, and then he persuades him to despise canonical prayer [performed] by the body at fixed times. Firstly deliberation is relaxed, so that, within a short time, it gives way in insignificant and small things. And when it has given up its endurance, it will trespass in a wanton way. Firstly the solitary will be vanquished, or rather: it will be a trifling thing in his eyes to look at his naked body or to contemplate the beauty of each of his limbs, without clothes; or he will loose control over his senses in a vile way when he goes to fulfill a bodily want; or he will daringly and unblushingly introduce his hand within his clothes and touch his body; and then one thing and another will happen to him. As soon as the watchfulness of his spirit relaxes, showing negligence in any of these things, the gate towards serious offences will be open for him. Our deliberations are as water, as is well known. As long
193 as they are confined on all sides, they proceed in their [right] order. If they once find a small outlet, however, they escape through it, causing breaches and ruins. For the subtle one who is spying us and waiting, sitting night and day before our z89 nostrils and looking which gate will be opened for him in any of our senses or in which of the things enumerated there will appear any foulness - he will of a sudden direct against us his weapons. Sometimes it will be our own nature which loves consolation and evil intercourse, and frivolity and pleasure and relaxation, which is a fountain of affections and a sea of agitation. Sometimes it will be our foe. Let us therefore vary great labours and circumstances perilous with ruin, with slight labours, that we may show in these small ones which are nothing, that they may give rise to important struggles if they are neglected, and to labours whose accomplishment is difficult, and to intricate battles and to large ulcers. Who would not like to have a quiet sleep at a small expense? 0 wisdom, how admirable art thou! And how thou doest foresee all things from afar! Blessed is every one who has found thee, who has been liberated from the torpidity of youth that buys great detriment with a slight negligence.
One of the sages says beautifully, that once he was suddenly struck by emotion so that thereupon he straightway sat down, for a mere fortuitous thing, which was not of a nature to cause fear. For this, some one in a light mood laughed at him. He answered and said: Not of this am I afraid. I, am afraid of the expe-z9o fienced fact that often negligence as to small things causes danger of great ones. So, by my emotion and my sitting straightway down, I have proved concerning myself that I am awake; and also that further on I will not neglect those things which are not to be feared. For philosophy is this that a man gather great consolation for his soul by the attention he bestows on trifling things; that he will not slumber ere fate come and reach him; but that he will take in hand the previous things and will buy that · which is of importance, in exchange for a thing which will cause injury, a little before [this happens]. Fools attach a greater value to a little consolation which is near, than to a kingdom which is far. It is better to bear tortures in probity, than to relax on a comfortable royal bed in shameful baseness. For the sages prefer death to disdain on account. of neglect m
194 affairs. Wake for thy life, says a philosopher; for drowsiness of mind is cognate to real death. The divine philosopher Basilius says: he that is weak in small things, do not believe that he will be trustworthy in great ones. Do not shrink from dying for the sake of those things for which thou wilt live.
Chapter XXXVIII
Short Sentences Concerning The Distinction Of The Mind'S Impulses Pusillanimity is a sign of despondency; the mother of both is negligence. A timorous man shows that he suffers from two illnesses: from love of the body and from want of faith. Love of the body is a sign of unbelief. But he that despises it, shows concerning himself that he trusts God and expects the future things. If there is anyone who has approached God without being troubled, try then on thy part to resemble him. Courage of the heart and contempt for danger arise from one of two causes: either from hardness of heart, or from a deep belief in God. The former is accompanied by haughtiness, the latter by humbleness of heart. It is impossible for a man to acquire confidence in God, if he has not before fulfilled His will in part. Confidence in God and manliness of heart rise from the testimony of conscience. For on account of the true testimony of our mind we acquire confidence in God. The testimony of the mind has its origin therein that a man is not despised by his soul for neglect of his duty, as far as this is possible. If our heart does not despise us, then we are frank with God. Frankness has its origin in a firm behaviour and in an unstained mind. It is hard to serve as a slave to the body. He that is aware of his hope, though to a small extent, will refuse to 292 serve again the stern will of this hard master. Endurance in perfect silence and preservation of solitude arise from on1e of three causes: from the [love of] glory among fellow-men; or the fervent zeal for excellence; or a certain
195 inward working of God towards which the mind is attracted. He that is destitute of the two latter causes, will suffer from the first as it were by necessity. Excellence does not consist in many manifest distinctions of bodily performances, but in a heart prudent in its hope, accompanying the works with a right intention. For often these performances do not favour service, and the mind will be able to gain profit even without them. But without the prudence of the heart the body cannot profit even when it performs service. For if there is an opportunity to perform beautiful works, a godly man cannot refrain from showing his love, in the performance of manifest deeds. The former kind is always succesful; the latter sometimes, and sometimes not. Do not reckon it a small thing when the causes of the affections are afar off and removed from a man. The stirring of the inferior limbs which comes quickly into existence, without deliberations, that is to say impure pleasure which springs from under a wall with fervour and captivates the soul with madness, 293 the will being of no use - undoubtedly arises in the body from a repleted belly. As a strong weapon in this strife reckon this, that a man be far from seeing women. What nature works by its power, even the foe cannot work it.
Do not think that nature will forget till death that which God has sown and hidden in its roots, serving for the carrying on of our race and for testing us by strife. So every desire, whatever it be, is lulled to sleep in our limbs by keeping things at a distance; and its memory is given over to absorption and oblivion. Thoughts of far off things which make a simple passage through the mind, are different from the dark and cold impulses that arise from the soul itself. Those thoughts also which arise from living contact which immerses the mind in a sight not to be forgotten and which excites passion near-at-hand, feeding it as oil feeds the flame of the lamp which was already flickering and nearly extinguished, are different from the stirring of the sea of the body through the impulses which agitate it against the ship of the mind. The emotionability which exclusively rises from nature and which by God the creator has been deposited in us in order to educate the world of the body, is not able, without an increase from without, to bereave the will of its clearness, to
196 confuse it so that it lose its chastity. For God does not impart strength to nature so that it overcome the virtuous will. 294 But when a man is defeated by anger and by desire, it is not that which lies in nature which compels him to leave nature's domain and to cut the bonds of duty, but it is something which we add to nature by the intermediary of the will. All that God has made, He has made beautiful and in due proportions. And as long as the measure of natural things is rightly preserved in us they do not cause us to be swept from the way of God's law as it were by a deluge; only peaceful impulses stir in a body provided with the faculty of emotions, so long as we only know that passion exists, but not so when we also experience that it allures, or that it troubles the course of chastity and that it causes confusion or that it changes the state of peace into anger.
If, however, we sometimes crave for things of the senses which are usually the source of unnatural anger, or for copious food and drink, or for constantly having the opportunity of seeing a woman near us, or of hearing tales about her which use to enflame in the body the fire of desires - then we cause the natural state of peace to be changed into that of bestiality, be it on account of the many humours in the arteries, or by various sights of [worldly] things. It occurs also on account of that abandonment that arises from presumption. But this does not really belong to this category. The former cases we call strife for freedom and they belong to the common way of nature. Strife through abandon ment arising from presumption we experience when we are occupied by labours and watchfulness for a long time and 295 then, in spite of them, the force of desire rushes in upon us with unnatural vehemence. But in other cases such events take place on account of our relaxation. When nature is augmented in force by the senses or by the belly, it is not to be persuaded to keep henceforth the original measure of its stamp. He that rejects troubles and loneliness is involuntarily compelled to love sins. Without these we are not able to remain far from spiritual allurements. The latter diminish in accordance with the growth of the former. For troubles dissipate the pleasure of the affections; consolation, on the other hand, strengthens and induces them.
So it is clear that God and His angels rejoice at troubles; 197 Satan and his servants, however, at consolation. For if God's commandments are performed under bodily tortures and we reject these, it is clear that we contrive to reject Him that is the giver of the commandments. As by the affections, which are the offspring of consolation, we annihilate that which is the cause of excellence, namely hardship, so we make room for the affections to the same extent as we admit consolation. For in a tortured body deliberations cannot be distracted by idle things. When a man bears tortures with gladness, he has also strength enough to check the deliberations; because even the deliberations do not abhor labours. Thus, when a man flogs himself with troubles, on account of the recollection of his previous sins, God, on His side, will 296 care for his peace; because He rejoices when He sees that the sinner himself has executed a judgment against himself because of his deviation from His way - a sign of repentance. And as he greatly troubles himself, so to the same extent the signs of honour granted to him by God, will increase. Every joy which is not caused by excellence will at once stir emotions of desire in him that has found it. This is to be understood of all desires connected with the affections, not of the natural ones only.
Chapter XXXIX
Helpful Advice Based On Love Hardships for.the sake of the good are loved as the good itself. Nobody can acquire real renunciation save him that is determined in his mind to bear troubles with pleasure. Nobody can bear trouble save him that believes that there is something more excellent than bodily consolation which he shall acquire in reward for trouble. Every one that has devoted himself to renunciation, will first perceive the love of trouble stir within himself; thereupon the thought of renunciating all worldly things will take shape in him. Every one who comes near unto trouble will at first be confirmed in faith; then he will come near unto trouble. He that renunciates [worldly] things without renunciating the senses, sight and hearing, he prepares twofold trouble for himself and he will find tribulation " 198 ina twofold measure. Or rather: while he refrains from the use of things, he delights in them through the senses; and by the affections which they cause he experiences the same from 29 7 them that he had to endure in reality before; because the recollection of their customs is not effaced from the mind. If then imaginary representations existing in the mind alone can torture man, apart from the things corresponding to them in reality, what shall we say when the real things are close at hand? Beautiful therefore is solitary life and very helpful, because it silences the deliberations with force and gives us strength to train ourselves in endurance; and teaches a man patience by the exercise given by cruel troubles, which accompany the life of the solitary necessarily. Do not seek the advice of him that is not thy fellow in behaviour, though he be very prudent. A layman who has experienced things is more to be trusted than a sage who speaks on the basis of theoretical knowledge but without expenence. What is experience? Experience is not this that a man goes and touches things, without acquiring knowledge concerning their advantages and their defects and without remaining with them during a certain time. How often the faces of things give the impression of defect, whereas within them is found matter full of advantages. In the same way are to be judged things of the opposite aspect. Many are those who from profitable things gather defects.
Neither is the testimony of these concerning their knowledge to be trusted. This is only the case with him that has learned to examine things with patient distinction. Not all man's advice, therefore, is to be trusted; but [only] that of him who has behaved well before, who has knowledge founded upon experience in all things, who does not love himself, or who does not shun disdain. 2 98 As often as thou findest thy course in peace, without varia-tions, then be suspicious. For thou art deviating from the divine ways trodden by the weary footsteps of the saints. The more thou proceedest on the way towards the city of the kingdom and approachest its neighbourhood, this will be the sign: that thou meetest hard temptations. And the more thou approachest, the more thou wilt find difficulties. 199 So, as often as thy soul on its way perceives varying states which cause difficulty thou must know that thy soul has secretly been advanced to a higher state and that it has acquired a gift of increase in comparison with the degree it occupied before. The hard temptations into which God brings the soul are in accordance with the greatness of His gifts. If there is a weak soul which is not able to bear a very hard temptation and God deals meakly with it, then know with certainty that, as it is not capable of bearing a hard temptation, so it is not worthy of a large gift. As great temptations have been withdrawn from it, so large gifts are also withdrawn from it. God never gives a large gift and small temptations. So temptations are to be classed in accordance with gifts. Thus from the hardships to which thou hast been subjected thou mayest understand the measure of the greatness which thy soul has reached. In accordance with affection is consolation. What then? Temptation, then gifts; or gifts and afterwards temptation? Temptation does not come if the soul has not received secretly greatness above its previous rank, as well as 299 the spirit of adoption as sons 1). We have a proof of it in the temptation of our Lord and of the Apostles; for they were not allowed to be tempted before they had received the Comforter. Those who partake of good have also to bear temptations.
Along with good are the oppressions [in behalf of it]. So it has pleased God, who is wise in all things. Thus is the state of things; and accordingly, the apperception of temptations is anterior to the apperception of gifts, in order to test freedom. Grace never reaches a man before he has tasted temptations. In reality it is anterior; to the apperception it is posterior. It is true therefore, that there are with thee at those times two opposite feelings, not resembling one another. What are they? Joy and fear. Joy, because thou findest thyself as appears from the sign of the temptations going the way that has been trodden by the saints, nay even by the saviour of the world. Fear, lest thou be tempted by these temptations through haughtiness. But the humble are gifted with prudence by grace, so as to be able to recognize the distinctions of these things, namely [to distinguish] between the temptations that arise from "
regarding His boons - are the following: the manifest temptations of demons which lie without the domain of the psychic forces, so that [those who are tempted] are destitute of the force which imparts to them prudence; a vivid sensation of the impulses of fornication which are let loose in order to suppress their presumption; a being led easily to anger; the setting up of the will; love of victory in dispute; rashness; a heart inclir.ed towards contempt; complete aberration of the mind; abuse of Him whose honour be blessed; foolish thoughts full of jest, or rather weeping; contempt as to men; [endangering] personal honour by impudence; ridiculousness through many contrivances of the demons, secretly and manifestly; love of mingling and intercourse with the world; frequent evasions 301 of foolish words; novel individual inventions and false pro· phecies; frequent promises above one's power; in the bodily sphere a continually hard involved fate most difficult of solution; perpetual meetings with evil and ungodly persons; falling into the hands of evil persons; perpetual emotions of the heart, caused by sudden fear without reason; repeated heavy falls
201 from rocks and high places and the like, such as destroys the body; the inability of the heart to lean on God's care and to confide as is becoming to faith; in short: all unbearable forces which it is above one's power to withstand, such as are let loose against the solitary and his surroundings. All that I have expounded belongs to the temptations of haughtiness; the beginning of them shows itself in a man as soon as he becomes wise in his own eyes. He gets into all these evils according as he gives way to this deliberation 1). So by distinguishing between thy temptations thou wilt gain insight into the narrow paths of thy mind. If thou lookest on and observest some [of these temptations] on thy mind's paths, thou must know that the quantity of temptation is in accordance with the defiling working of presumption. Hear also another consideration. All hardships and troubles which are not borne with patience, cause twofold torture. A man's patience throws off his distress. Want of courage is the source of tortures. Patience is the source of consolations, a 302 certain strength born from courage of the heart. It is difficult for a man to find in his own soul in troubles, if it be not given him by God, that which is found through supplication and the pouring out of tears. If God decrees that a man shall be troubled in a larger measure, He gives him into the hand of faintheartedness.
And this will give birth to great despondency which gives the feeling of psychic suffocation; all these things taste after Hell. Thereupon the spirit of confusion is let loose against [the solitary], and from it rise innumerable temptations: perturbance, anger, abuse, vituperation, oscillating deliberations, moving from place to place, and the like. If thou sayest: Who is the cause of all these? I say: thou; because thou didst not care to find out the means to heal them. There is one remedy for all these and by it a man will at once find consolation within himself. What is this then? Humility of heart. Without it, it is not possible for a man to demolish the fence of these evil things, for he would find them far too strong. Be not angry with me for telling thee the truth: thou never hast sought this within thy soul. If thou wilt, follow it, then thou shalt see how it causes the destruction of thy evils. "
Chapter XL
Exposition Concerning The Degrees Of The Path, Namely Concerning The Power Of Ministration Of Each Of Them Bodily discipline in solitude purifies the body from the material elements in it. Mental discipline makes the soul humble and purifies it from the material impulses that tend towards decaying things, by changing their affectible nature into motions of contemplation. And this will bring the soul near to the nakedness of the mind that is called immaterial contemplation; this is spiritual discipline. It elevates the intellect above earthly things and brings it near to primordial spiritual contemplation; it directs the intellect towards God by the sight of unspeakable glory and it delights spiritually in the hope of future things, [thinking of] what and how each of them will be 1). Bodily labours are called bodily discipline unto God. For 304 they serve for the purification of the body through the service of excellence which is manifest personal works, by which man is purified from the pus of the flesh. Mental discipline is labour of the heart. It is the thinking, without cessation, of the great coming judgment, in constant prayer of the heart, and of God's providence and care for this world in its individuals and in its
I) The Greek translation has the right division of the text here 203 species. This is also the regarding of the domain of the inner affections, lest any of them pass into the hidden and spiritual place. This is the labour of the heart which is called mental discipline. By this labour of discipline, which is called psychic service, the heart is subtilized and torn away from participation in decay, viz. in the praeternatural affections; from here onwards the heart begins to be often set in emotion by insight into the things of the senses which were created to the purpose of the education of the body and which administer strength to the four elements which are in the body. Spiritual discipline is service without the senses; this is what has been written by the Fathers, that when the mind of the saints was gifted with personal contemplation, then the heaviness of body was taken away. And further on sight will be spiritual sight. Personal contemplation he uses in the sense of contemplation concerning the primordial creation of nature. From there one is easily moved onwards toward what is called solitary knowledge which is, according to a clear interpretation, ecstasy in God, this is the order of that high future state which will be given in freedom that lives in immortality, in that way of life 305 which will be after the resurrection. It will consist therein, that from that point onwards human nature will not be cut off from constant ecstasy in God, to mingle itself with any created being.
If there were any other thing equal to Him, nature would sometimes follow Him, sometimes His equals. When, however, the beauty of all which exists in that future order of things, is inferior to His beauties, how should it be possible for the mind not to fix its gaze exclusively on Him? What then? Should mortality trouble it, or the heaviness of the flesh, or the remembrance of kindred, or natural wants, or the adversities which overtake it; or the distraction of ignorance, or the deficiency of nature, or the distraction caused by the elements, or intercourse with one another, or the influence of dejection, or the weariness of the flesh? If now in this world - while all these things are thus - the veil of the affections is sometimes withdrawn from before the eyes of the spirit so that it gazes at the glory, and the mind is drawn away in ecstasy - then, without doubt, if God had not limited the duration of these moments in this life, man would not COme back from that
204 state 1) his whole life, if he were allowed. Now when all these [earthly] things exist no longer and that endless order [has been established], and when we personally and practically abide in the habitations of the kingdom - if our behaviour be worthy how then should the spirit find a way to remove itself from the wondrous sight of God and to dwell with any other? Woe 306 to us, who do not know for what state we are destined, reckoning as something this life of sickness and this animal state, and the world with its troubles and evils and pleasures. 0 Christ, who art the only strong one, blessed is the man whom thou supportest and in whose heart are the steps towards thee. Turn thou, o Lord, our face away from the world by desire of Thee, so that we see it as it is, without taking shadows for truth. Throw, o Lord, zeal into our heart before death comes, that at the time of our departure we may know for what purpose our entrance in and our departure from this world have served. Then, fulfilling the work to which we were called in accordance with thy aim in placing us in this life first, we shall hope, with a mind full of confidence, to receive the great things which, according to the promises of the scriptures, in the second creation are prepared by Thy love, things the recollection of which we preserve with mystic faith. Bodily purity is to be clean from filth.
Psychic purity is to be free from hidden affections in the spirit. Purity of mind is to be purified by revelations from any emotion unto things which, in view of their material nature, lie in the domain of the senses. Children are pure in body and as to their soul they can be without affections. Yet no one will call them pure in mind. Purity of mind is perfection through training in 3 07 heavenly contemplation, so that the mind without the senses receives impulses from the spiritual powers of those worlds above, powers which are amazing, surpassing number, distinguished in demeanour, mingled in invisible service, subject to many variations at all times, on account of the motion of the divine revelations.
Chapter XLI
A Letter Which He Wrote To One Of The Brethren Who Loved Solitude Concerning How Satan Contrives To Divert The Zealous From Constant Solitude Under The Pretext Of The Love Of Relatives And Honoured Men, And That It Is Becoming That All Should Be Despised In The Eyes [Of The Solitary] Compared With The Knowledge Of God Which Is Found In Solitude As May Be Seen In The Example Of Our Ancestors Because I know that thou lovest solitude and that Satan, knowing the intention of thy mind, impedes thee in many respects under the pretext of excellence, in order to divert thee from this comprehensive and manifold excellence, o virtuous brother, I was anxious to help thy good will as one limb helps its partner, with an excellent word, which I have received from prudent men and from the writings of the Fathers and from experience. For if a man does not despise honour and dishonour and bear for the sake of solitude abuse and derision and loss, nay even blows, and become an object of laughter and be reckoned mad and foolish by those who see him, he 3os cannot master the advantages of solitude. For if a man once open the door to [worldly] things, Satan will not cease to bring unto him men under every pretext, a continual, innumerable series of associations. Therefore, my brother, if thou lovest the veracious discipline of solitude without distraction and shocks and sudden pauses, as it has been eminently practised by the ancients, thou wilt be able to carry out this laudable desire by trying to resemble thy Fathers and by retaining in thy mind, as if it were written down, the memory of their histories [ascertaining] that those of them who loved complete solitude, did not care to practise love of their fellows at the cost of distracting themselves, neither were they ashamed of avoiding such persons as were reputed to be in honour. J\nd though they were thus, devoted to complete solitude, yet they were not deemed by those who know and are wise,
206 to despise their brethren, nor were they thought of as scorners or destitute of distinctions, as it was pretended by some in the way of apology against those who honour quiet and reclusion more than meeting their fellows. For the man that has experienced the quiet of his cell does not avoid meetings because he despises his fellow, but because of the fruits he gathers from solitude. How did they practise reclusion? Aba Arsenius would not meet with any one. Aba Theodore, when meeting anyone, was like a sharp sword; he did not greet anyone when he happened 309 to be outside his cell. But the holy Arsenius did not even greet him that came to greet him. Once one of the Fathers went to see Aba Arsenius who opened, thinking that it was his servant. When, however, he saw who it was he prostrated himself. And when the visitor sought to persuade him, saying: Rise, o father, that I may greet thee, were it only in the doorway, then I will go, the saint protested saying: I will not rise until thou goest; and he did not rise until the other had left him and was gone. Thus the blessed one acted, lest they should come again if he once gave way to them.,One of the Fathers' - pay careful attention to this phrase lest thou think perhaps that Aba Arsenius despised his visitor on account of his mean estate; but it was one of the Fathers who spoke to him. But we have also a strong proof from another side, lest thou say that he despised one, but received another favourably on account of his high position and conv<'<rsed with him. No, in his reclusion he avoided alike all kinds of association; and in his eyes to despise the association with high or low for the sake of solitude, and to bear the reproaches of all in view of the honour of solitude and silence, was one and the same thing. We know namely that once the blessed Theophilus, the archbishop of Alexandria, visited him accompanied by the judge of that place, because they longed for the honour of seeing the saints.
As he sat with them he did not comfort them even with a single word such as would have been fitting their high position, although they were very eager to hear his speech. 310 And when the archbishop tried to bring him to speech, the solitary was silent for a short time, and answered, saying: If I speak to you, will you remember what I say? They promised to do so. Then the solitary said to them: Wherever you hear that Arsenius is, do not come near to that place. 207 Doest thou see the wonderful way of the man? Doest thou see how he despised the honour of men? The blessed. one knew how to gather the fruits of solitude without a thought to the fact that he was in the presence of the katholikos, the head of the whole church. But he thought thus: I am now dead to the world; what profit will a dead man give the living? He was vituperated for this in a loving way by the blessed Macarius who said to him: Why doest thou flee from us? The holy solitary made a wonderful praiseworthy apology: God knows that I love you; but I cannot be with God and with men. Another time the archbishop sent him a message concerning this subject. The solitary answered, saying:,If thou comest I shall open the door to thee. But if I open to thee, I shall open to every one. And if I open to every one, I shall not remain here'. This wonderful doctrine he had heard from none other than from a divine voice, saying:, Arsenius, flee from men and thou shalt live'. None of the idle men who seek an occupation, will venture to refute this message by his objections or to speak against it, as if to seek peace proceeded 3 1 1 from human invention. For this is a doctrine from heaven.
The opinion that this was said to him with a view to reclusion and retreat from the world only, not with the intention that he should also avoid the brethren, is refuted thereby that, when he had retreated from the world and was abiding in the monastery, he again prayed to our Lord in order that he should know to live well.,0 Lord', he said,,teach me to live', thinking that now he would hear another message. The divine voice proclaimed the same words again, adding as in explanation:,Flee and be silent and keep in solitude. Though the sight of and intercourse with the brethren be very profitable to thee, still intercourse with them is not as profitable as with drawal from them'. When the blessed Arsenius, while he was still in the world, had heard by divine revelation the order to withdraw from it, and when the same had been said to him while he was with the brethren, he knew certainly that in order to acquire a steadfast life, not only withdrawal from lay people was necessary but from every human being. Lest any one should venture to speak against the divine voice, it was also said to A ha Antonius in a revelation:,If thou desirest to be in solitude,
208 do not only go to the Theba"is, but to the heart of the desert. If now God in this way commands us to witdraw from all, and wishes that His friends dwell in solitude, who should then, for other reasons, cling to intercourse and the vicinity of men? 3 1 2 If watchfulness was profitable and withdrawal helpful to Antonius and Arsenius, how much more then to the weak? And if the solitude of those whose words and the help that is inspired by the sight of them the whole world needs, is estimated by God higher than their useft1lness to mankind in its entirety, how much more will this be the case with him that is not able to guard even his own person properly. We know another of the saints whose natural brother was ill. He lived as a recluse in a different cell. During the whole period of his brother's sickness he restrained his mercy, so that he did not go out to visit him. When the sick man was on the point of departing from this world, he sent his brother a message to this effect: Come that I may see thee before I depart the world, even if it be in the night. Then I will take leave from thee and go to rest.
The blessed one, however, was not to be persuaded even at this time, when natural mercy usually is stirred, to transgress the voluntary borders, saying:,If I go out, my heart will not be pure before God, for I despise visiting spiritual brethren, should I then honour nature above Christ? So his brother died without his having seen him. No one, therefore, should consider the weakness of feelings as an insuperable and invincible reason, nor as a providential institution, implying the denial of solitude. If the saints subdue nature which is so strong, and Christ, though despised in His children, loves to be where solitude is honoured, what other necessity should then exist which could not de despised when it presents itself? The commandment: Love the Lord thy God 3 1 3 with thy whole soul and with thy whole heart 1) and more than the whole world and nature and what belongs to nature - is accomplished when thou abidest in solitude. And also the commandment ordering the love of our fellow men, is included in it. Wilt thou acquire the love of thy fellow-man, according to the commandment of the Gospel, within thyself, then withdraw from him. Then the flame of his love will burn in thee and
Chapter XLII
The Answer He Sent His Natural And Spiritual Brother Who Had Tried To Persuade Him In Letters That He Should Visit Him In The Inhabited World Because He Longed To See Him We are not strong, as thou supposest, o blessed one. Perhaps thou art acquainted with my weakness, but thou makest not much of my destruction. Constantly thou askest me this, placing nature above the thought which once burned in thee, showing thereby that thou doest not consider it even as a matter to be treated carefully, though to us it seems to be a matter of care. Do not ask from me, o my brother, what gives consolation to body and mind, but let me seek the salvation of my soul. Yet a short time and we shall have passed away from this world. It is not unknown to thee how many persons I should meet, if I went to thy dwelling-place; how many sorts of people and of places, before I should have 314 returned unto my place; and by meeting them, what cause for thought my soul would receive - my soul, that would be disturbed by the affections which would be awakened in it, after it has been left in peace by them a little. That the sight of lay people injures the solitary, is a fact with which thou art acquainted; not just the sight of women, but also of men. Behold how many varying states pass through the mind of him that has for a long time been alone with his soul and then suddenly comes in contact with these things, hearing and seeing what he is not wont to see and to hear. If meeting his fellow brethren injures him that is engaged in the struggle and still wrestles with his foe, if the brethren are not in concorclance with his aim, into what pit would we fall, that have to be freed from the sting of our foe? Especially those [among
210 us] that know these things by long experience. Therefore I am not to be persuaded to do this without necessity. Our heart does not err after those who say that hearing and seeing will not harm us and that, in the desert or in the inhabited world, within our cell or without it, we are alike in our deliberations on account of our being at rest against perturbation as long as we do not experience evil varying states and as long as we do not perceive the meeting with persons and things by the shock of affections. Those who say this, do not even know it when they receive a blow. But as to us, we have not yet reached this psychic health. We suffer from rotting abscesses; which, if they be left without bandages but for one day, so that they appeared from under the plasters and the bonds, would abound with worms.
Chapter XLIII
Profitable Words Full Of Spiritual Wisdom Faith is the gate of the mysteries. What the bodily eye is for the things of the senses, the same is faith in connection with the treasures hidden to the eyes of the mind. We possess two psychic eyes, as the Fathers say, just as we possess two bodily eyes. But both have not the same purpose as to sight. With one we see the hidden glory of God which is concealed in the things of nature, His power and His wisdom, and His eternal care for us which by His peculiar providence is directed unto us. With the same eye we also see the spiritual classes of our fellow-beings. With the other we see the glory of His holy nature. When our Lord desires to give us initiation to the spiritual mysteries, He opens in our mind the ocean of faith. As a grace beyond a grace has repentance been given to man. Repentance is being born anew in God. That of which we have received the pledge by baptism, we receive as a gift by repentance. Repentance is the gate of mercy which is opened to all who seek it. Through. this gate we go in to divine mercy. Apart from this entrance it is not possible to find
211 mercy. Because all have sinned, according to the words of scripture, and are justified freely by grace 1). Repentance is a second grace; it is born in the heart from faith and fear. Fear is the paternal rod which guides us up to the spiritual Eden. 3 1 6 When we have arrived there, it leaves us and returns. Eden is the divine love wherein is the paradise of all goods, where the blessed Paul was sustained by supernatural food. When he had eaten from the tree of life which is there, he exclaimed: eye has not seen, nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 2). Adam was bereft of this tree by the promise of the Devil. The tree of life is the divine love which Adam lost by his fall, after which he worked and wearied himself. Those who are bereft of divine love are still eating the bread that is won by the sweat of their labour, even though they work righteousness, as was commanded to the head of our race when he lost it by his fall. Until we find love, we work in the earth with her thorns. Among thorns we sow and reap, even if we sow the seed of righteousness. Perpetually we are pricked by them, even if we are justified, and live with sweat on our faces.
When, however, we have found love, we eat the heavenly bread and we are sustained without labour and without weariness. Heavenly bread is that which has descended from heaven and which gives the world life; this is the food of angels. He that has found love eats Christ at all times and becomes immortal from thence onwards. For whoever eats of this bread sl;tall not taste death in eternity. Blessed is he that 3 1 7 has eaten from the bread of love which is Jesus. Whoever is fed with love is fed with Christ, who is the allgoverning God. Witness is John who says: God is Love 3). Thus he smells life from God, that lives with love in this creation. He breathes here of the air of resurrection. In this air the righteous will delight at resurrection. Love is the kingdom of which our Lord spoke when He symbolically promised the disciples that they would eat in His kingdom:,you shall eat and drink at the table of my kingdom'. What should they eat, if not love? Love is sufficient to feed man instead of food and drink. This Is "the wine that gladdens the heart of man. Blessed is he
Fear places us in the ship of repentance and makes us cross the foetid sea of the world and brings us in the divine port which is love, towards which look all those who are weary and crushed by repentance. When we have reached love, we have reached God and our way is ended and we have passed unto the island which lieth beyond the world, where is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; to whom be glory and dominion. That He make us worthy to fear Him and to love Him. Amen.
Chapter XLIV
Concerning How Many Degrees Knowledge Has And Concerning The Degrees Of Faith There is a knowledge which is anterior to faith and there is a knowledge which is born from faith. The knowledge anterior to faith, is natural knowledge; that which is born from faith, is spiritual knowledge. What is natural knowledge? Knowledge which distinguisheth good from evil and which is also called natural distinction. God has implanted in rational nature to know good from evil, naturally, without instruction, yet this knowledge increases through instruction. There is no one in whom this [knowledge] is not active; and this is the force of the knowledge of the rational 213 soul by nature, namely the distinction between good and evil is stirring in it naturally, without ceasing. Those who are defective in this respect are beneath the rank of reason. Those in whom this is found, stand upright in psychic nature, and 319 there has not been destroyed in them that which was given by God unto psychic nature, to the honour of His reason. Those who have destroyed this knowledge which distinguishes between good and evil, are scorned by the prophet: man · has no insight in his own honour 1). The honour of rational nature is the faculty to distinguish between good and evil. Rightly the prophet compares those who have destroyed this faculty with the brutes who possess no distinguishing and rational soul. On account of this faculty we are naturally able to find the way of God, and this is the natural knowledge which is anterior to faith and this is the way unto God. On account of the fact that a man knows how to distinguish between good and evil, he receives faith. Witness is the force of nature to the fact that it is beautiful for a man to believe in Him that has created all these things and that he acknowledge the words of His commandments and performs them. From the fact that he believes this, is born the fear of God. When man clings to the service of the fear of God, and by service proceeds to some extent in it, the spiritual knowledge ·
is born of which we have said that it is born from faith. Not that it is simply born from faith. From simple faith only spiritual knowledge is not born, but from faith fear of God is born. And when we begin with the service of the fear of God, from the service of the fear of God spiritual knowledge is born, according to the word of the blessed commentator 2): When a man possesses the will to cling to the fear of God and an upright mind he will easily receive the revelation of hidden 320 things. The revelation of hidden things he calls spiritual knowledge. Not that the fear of God brings this forth, it is not possible to bring forth that which is not implied in nature. But knowledge is to given gratuitously for the service of the fear of God. When 3) thou inquirest well thou wilt find that the service of the fear of God is repentance. And spiritual knowledge is, as we have said, that of which we have received the pledge
214 in baptism and which we receive really by repentance. The gift of which we have said 1) that we receive it by repentance, is spiritual knowledge, which is given gratuitously for the service of the fear of God. Spiritual knowledge is apperception of the things which are hidden. When a man perceives the things which are unseen but most profitable, after which spiritual knowledge is called, by this apperception is born a different faith. Not that it is contrary to the old faith, nay it even corroborates it. It is called the faith of sight. Hitherto there was hearing; now there is sight. Sight is more true than hearing. All these things are born from that knowledge which distinguishes between good and evil and which is stirring in nature. And this · is the seed of excellence, as it has been called. But when we conceal this by our will which loves desire, we lose all this good. With this knowledge are connected a perpetual stabbing of the heart; distress and grief; fear of God; shame before nature; grief at the transitory things which [occupied the mind] before; 321 zeal for that which is becoming; perpetual remembrance of death, torturing thoughts of that transition and care for its provisions; passionate beseeching of God that we enter well that gate through which all nature has to pass; contempt of the world and noble strife for the sake of excellence. All these things are found in this natural knowledge.
Man has to examine his discipline in view of these and when he is in accord with them, he goes in the way of nature. When he climbs higher and reaches love, he leaves the domain of nature and strife, fear and fatigue leave him alone. In accordance with what has been said man has to measure his things [in order to know] in which way he is walking; in that which is beneath nature, in nature, or above nature. Through these distinctions which have been clearly expounded, a man may easily understand what the discipline of his whole life has to be. When thou art not in the things of nature which have been described here, nor in the things above nature it is clear that thou dwellest beneath nature.
Chapter XLV
Profitable Advice There is no good impulse which does not fall in the heart as a gift from on high. There is no evil deliberation which does not approach the heart in the way of a temptation. A man that has attained the knowledge of his weakness has attained the summit of humility. The conductor of the signs of God's goodness unto man is 322 a heart which is moved by perpetual gratefulness. The conductor of temptations unto the soul is the impulse of rebellion which is constantly stirring in the heart. God suffers every weakness of man; but He does not suffer a man who is constantly murmuring, without chastising him. The soul which is far from any splendour of knowledge, finds itself in these impulses. The mouth which constantly praises, receives a blessing from God; the heart which is constantly grateful, is inhabited by grace. Grace is preceded by humility; chastisement is preceded by presumption. He that is uplifted in his heart on account of knowledge, is tempted by abuse; he that is uplifted on account of his excellent service, is surrounded by fornication. And he that extols himself on account of wisdom becomes entangled in dark traps. The man that is far from any remembrance of God, yet bears in his heart care for his fellow, will be of evil remembrance. He that honours all men by his remembrance of God will find all men his helpers by the hidden decree of God.
He that gives an apology in behalf of the oppressed will find an advocate in his creator. He that gives his arm to the help of his fellow, will receive God's arm instead of it. He that accuses his brother on account of his evil deep.s will find God as his accuser. He that directs his brother in his inner apartment, cures his evil; he that accuses him before an assembly makes worse his wounds. He that cures his brother privately gives a proof of the strength of his love, but he who 216 exposes him in the presence of his comrades betrays the force of his envy. A friend that vituperates in secret is a wise physician; but 3 23 he that cures in the presence of the public, is really a derider. The token of compassion is forgiveness regarding all sins. The token of an evil mind are varying utterances unto the sinner. He that combines with healing chastisement, chastises with love. He whose demand bears the character of revenge, is destitute of love. God chastises with love, not for the sake of revenge, this is far from Him. He demand,s that His image 1) be healed; His anger does not endure until guidance is no longer possible; for He does not seek personal revenge. This is the intention of love; the chastisement of love aims at guidance; it does not aim at retribution. The righteous who is wise resembles God. He never chastises man in retaliation for his sin, but either in order that he may be guided aright, or that others may be deterred. Other than this is no chastisement. But this 2) is regarded as its image by the Spirit, the thought that was with God from eternity. He that is pleased to think of God as the revenger, thinking that he acknowledges His justice, denounces Him as destitute of bounty. It is far from the fountain of love, the ocean full of bounty, that the idea of retribution should be found with Him. His aim is the guidance of men;
and if it were not that we wou1d be bereft of the honour of freedom, perhaps He would even not heal us by vituperation 3). The domain of freedom regarding our deeds is the power with which frankness supplies reason. And also the latter adores the greatness of His bounty, because it is not His will that we rejoice at what is His, but as it were at the merits of our own deeds. And 3 24 though all is His, it is not His pleasure that we should think that we delight in what is His, but rather in what is ours. In accordance with a man's goodness is he illuminated concerning God. According as he stretches himself towards the knowledge of God, does he approach unto freedom of soul. He that tries to excel in beautiful things with a view to future reward, will be easily led to deviation. He that admires
217 the power of his knowledge, when looking at the love which is in God will not be puffed up in mind even if his flesh should be cut off, nor will he deviate from excellence. He whose mind is illuminated concerning the rents for which we are indebted to God, descends unto the depth of humility, body and soul. Before a man approaches unto knowledge, he will go up and down in his discipline. When, however, he has come near to knowledge he will wholly be raised up. Yet, however he be raised up, his advance in knowledge will not be complete, until the world of glory has come and he has received the whole of his treasure. According as a man becomes perfect in his relation to God, will he follow Him closely. In the world of truth, He will show him His face, not however the face of His essence. The more the righteous advance to the vision of Him, the more they see an enigmatic sight, as an image shown in a mirror. There, however, they will see the revelation of truth. Fire feeding upon dead wood is not easily extinguished. If the divine blaze falls in a heart cut off from the world, its flame is not to be extinguished and it will be even quicker than fire. When the power of the wine penetrates into the veins, the mind forgets the particulars of all things;
when the 325 remembrance of God has taken hold of the soul, the recollection of visible things vanishes from the heart. The mind that has found spiritual wisdom is like a man that has found on the ocean an equipped ship which, when he has got aboard, brings him from the ocean of this world to the island of the world to be. Just so the apperception of the future things in this world, is like a small island in the ocean. And he that has approached unto it, he will no more be vexed by the storms of temporal phantasies. When the merchant has accomplished his business, he hastens to reach his home. As long as the monk still lives in the period of his service, he has anguish [by the thought] that he shall have to depart the body. As soon however as he is aware that he has redeemed his time l) and that he has taken his pledge, he longs for the world to be. As long as the merchant is on the sea, motion dominates his limbs; a storm may 1\rise and the hope of his labour may sink. As long as the
218 monk is in this world, fear dominates his service, lest a hurricane be stirred against him destroying the labour which he has wrought from his youth till his old age. The merchant looks towards land, the monk towards the time of his death. The sailor gazes at the stars as long as he is sailing on the ocean, and he directs his ship by them, that they may show him the harbour. The monk gazes at prayer, which directs his way [showing him] towards which harbour he has to direct his course. At prayer the monk gazes at all times, that it may show him the island where he may anchor his ship free from fear and where he may take on board provisions in order to 326 direct himself towards another island. Such is the course of the solitary as long as he is in this life. He departs from island to island, and from knowledge to knowledge. And as various islands he meets the various [kinds of] knowledge, till he goes ashore and directs his course towards the city of truth the inhabitants of which do no longer traffic, but every one is content with his goods. Blessed he whose course is not disturbed, on this wide ocean. Blessed is whose ship is not wrecked and who reaches that harbour with joy. Naked the swimmer dives into the sea in order to find a pearl. Naked the wise monk will go through the creation in order to find the pearl Jesus Christ Himself.
When he has found it, he will not seek to acquire any other thing. A pearl is preserved in a treasury; the solitary's delight is in solitude. A virgin is robbed in a crowd; the mind of a monk in intercourse. The bird fl i es to her nest from any place in order to produce young ones, and the discerning monk hastens to his cell in order to produce in it the fruits of life. When the body of the serpent is crushed, it guards its head cautiously; the wise solitary guards his faith amidst all evils, cautiously, because it is the head of his life. A cloud covers the sun: so much talk covers the soul which has begun to be illuminated by contemplative prayer. The bird which is called l;urba 1) is glad and delights - so 327 the sages say - when she leaves the inhabited places and takes up her abode in the desert. And the soul of the solitary receives heavenly joy when it removes itself from men and takes up its abode in quiet places where it awaits the time
I) In Syriac l)ureba means at the same time desert and stork 219 of departure. It is told concerning the bird which is called the siren that whosoever hears her singing is allured by her in his course in the desert, and that by the sweetness of her melodies he forgets his life and falls down dead. This resembles what happens with the soul; when that heavenly sweetness falls into it which comes from the melodies of the words of God [and which is transmitted] by mental apperception, it follows [these sounds] so that it forgets its bodily life and leaves the body on account of its delight and is lifted up from this life unto God. The life of this world is sweet to him that lives in a material way; not, however, so sweet as is departure 'from life unto him that departs from it by perception in God. A tree will not produce new buds until it has put off the old leaves; and the solitary will not produce new buds, through Jesus Christ, until he has shaken from his heart the memory of his past. The wind makes the fruits ripe; and the spirit 1) of God makes ripe the fruits in the soul. The shell in which the pearl is formed receives its full form from the air, as then saying has it still then, it is only mere flesh. And until the heart of the monk receives its heavenly fullness by understanding, its 3zs service is still simple and it has no consolation.within its shell.
The fruits of the trees are sour and disagreeable to the taste and are not apt to be eaten till they have become sweet by the sun; and the first labours of repentance are bitter and very unpleasant and without consolation to the solitary, until they are made sweet by the contemplation which withdraws the heart from earthly things so that it forgets itself. The dog which licks the file drinks from his own blood; he does not recognize his hurt on account of the sweet taste; and the solitary who condescends to drink vain glory, sucks from his own life without being aware of his hurt, because of the momentary sweetness. Glory on the part of worldly folk is like a rock hidden in the sea; it is not known to the sailor before his ship is split on it so that its bottom is pierced and it is filled with water. It is said therefore by the Fathers, that by glory all the affections return unto the soul, that once had been vanquished and had departed from it. A" small cloud covers the sphere; but the sun which is
220 behind it, is nevertheless real; and a little dejection covers the soul; yet the gladness which follows it is the more exhilarating. The musician who plays the flute is not fed by the sound of its melodies. And when he ceases his music his stomach is the more hungry. And the sweetness of words without ritual performances does not satisfy; when a man no longer hears them he is the more confused. As it is not possible for a man to drink wine without breathing forth its odour from his mouth, so it is not possible 3 2 9 that a man becomes worthy of spiritual rest in his discipline without the sage's perceiving a change in his state. The heart that has received the heavenly seed is changed in its speech, changed in its mind, changed in its discipline, changed in its senses; and in all that belongs to it, it is different from the other simple men, as a man that was asleep and has awakened from his sleep. Do not approach the mysterious words in the scriptures without prayer and without asking help from God, saying: Lord, grant me to perceive t)le power that is in them. Deem prayer as the key to the insight of truth in scripture. When thou desirest to approach unto God in thy heart, first show Him love in bodily things. Here is the beginning of discipline. For the heart greatly draws near to God by renunciating some special necessary thing and by application to labours.
Even our Lord has laid here the foundation of perfection. Account idleness the beginning of psychic darkness; oral intercourse as darkness beyond darkness; and the latter as the cause of the former. Even profitable words without measure cause darkness. The soul is shaken by frequent intercourse even if it is inclined and in a way near to the fear of God. Deem darkness of the soul as being an agent unto confusion. Darkness in the soul comes from disordered behaviour. 3 3o Measure and time in discipline illuminate the mind and keep confusion afar. When the mind is upset by disorder, it becomes dark. And when it has become dark, the soul is troubled. Peace comes from order; light is born from peace in the soul; from peace, joyous air in the mind. According as the.heart approaches to wisdom, it receives the gladness which is in God. The difference between spiritual wisdom and worldly
221 wisdom thou perceivest in thy soul. In the former, silence reigns over thy soul; in the latter, it will be a fountain of distraction. When the former is present, thou wilt be greatly filled with humility, and quiet and peace will reign over all thy deliberations, thy limbs being quiet and at peace from turbulence and trouble. When the latter is present, thou wilt possess presumption in thy mind and varying unspeakable thoughts and mental bluntness and thy senses will be turbulent and impudent.