The Sword of Discernment and the Deception of Gold
They fall into it, especially those easily ignited by the passions, which are far from pure prayer and the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Chapter 17. The Lord handed over the thoughts of this age to the human, the good shepherd, just like some sheep; for he says he has given the age into his heart, joining to him a spirit and a desire for helpp, so that through the spirit he might flee the thoughts of wolves, and through desire he might care for the sheep, being often struck by rains and winds. He also gave to him a law, so that he might shepherd the sheep, and a place of pasture, and water of refreshment, and a psaltery, and a lyre, and a rod, and a staff, so that from this flock he might both be fed, and clothe himself, and gather mountain grass. For who, he says, shepherds a flock and does not eat from the milk of the flock? Therefore, the one withdrawing must guard by night and by day this little flock, lest it become beast-like through thoughts, or fall into robbers; but if such a thing should happen by chance, to snatch it immediately from the mouth of the lion or the bear. And the thought concerning the brother becomes beast-like if the one in us shepherds with hatred, and the thought concerning the woman, if it turns toward us with shameful desire, and the thought of silver and of gold, if it is enticed by greed. And the thoughts of holy gifts, if they were to be grazed by intellect with vainglory; and regarding other thoughts, it will happen likewise, being stolen by the passions.
Chapter 18. It is necessary not only to keep these things in the day, but also to guard by staying awake at night. For it happens that through appearing shameful or evil, one might lose his own; and this is what is said by the holy Jacob: 'Did I not have a sheep that became beast-like? I was tearing away from myself thefts of the day and thefts of the night, and I became joined to the burning of the day and the frost of the night, and sleep stood away from my eyes.' If any weariness or listlessness should come to us, let us run back a little to the rock of knowledge, let us commune with the psaltery, striking the strings of knowledge through virtues, and let us graze...
Again, the sheep are under Mount Sinai, so that the God of our fathers may call us out of the bush, and grant us the words of the signs and the wonders. Christ raises up the rational nature having been killed by malice through the contemplation of all the ages; and his Father raises up this dying soul, the death of Christ, through the knowledge of himself.
And this is what is said by Paul: 'If we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him' (Rom 6:4). When the mind, having stripped off the old man, puts on the one from grace, then it will see its own state at a time of prayer, appearing similar in sapphire or heavenly color, which Scripture also names a place of God, having been seen by the elders under Mount Sinai. Chapter 19.
When one of the enemies strikes you by trespassing, and you wish to turn his sword, according to what is written (Ps 38:2), do thus to his heart, as we say. Analyze for yourself the thought cast against you by him, whatever it may be, and from how many things it was composed, and what this is most of all that afflicts the mind.
But what I say is this: Let the thought of love of money be sent by him; analyze this for the mind receiving it, and into the concept of gold, and into the gold itself, and into the passion of love of money; and furthermore ask, which of these is sin, whether the mind, and how? It is the image of God. But the concept of gold? And what could anyone with a mind say about this? But is the gold itself sin? And for whose sake has it become so? It follows, therefore, that it is neither a thing subsisting in essence, nor a concept of a thing, nor again an incorporeal mind, but a certain misanthropic pleasure, being produced from the will and being used badly, forcing the mind—which is a creation of God—into this, which the law of God is believed to circumcise. And while you are investigating these things, the thought will be destroyed by being analyzed into its own contemplation, and the demon will flee from you, your intellect being lifted to a height by this knowledge. Chapter 20.
But if you wish to use that sword, first aim to wound him with your own sling. You also cast out a stone from the...
Greek
περιπίπτουσι, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τὰς ὀργὰς ἐξαπτόμενοι, οἵτινες μακράν εἰσι καθαρᾶς προσευχῆς, καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΖʹ. Τὰ νοήματα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ὁ Κύριος καθάπερ πρόβατά τινα τῷ ἀγαθῷ ποιμένι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ παρέδωκε· καὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, τὸν αἰῶνα δέδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· συζεύξας αὐτῷ θυμὸν, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν πρὸς βοήθειαν, ἵνα, διὰ μὲν τοῦ θυμοῦ, φυγαδεύῃ τὰ τῶν λύκων νοήματα, διὰ δὲ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας στέργῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὑετῶν, καὶ ἀνέμων πολλάκις βαλλόμενος. ∆έδωκε δὲ αὐτῷ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ νομὸν, ὅπως ποιμαίνῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ τόπον χλόης, καὶ ὕδωρ ἀναπαύσεως, καὶ ψαλτήριον, καὶ κιθάραν, καὶ ῥάβδον, καὶ βακτηρίαν, ἵνα ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ποίμνης, καὶ τραφῇ, καὶ ἐνδύσηται, καὶ χόρτον ὀρεινὸν συναγάγῃ. «Τίς γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιμαίνει ποίμνην, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει;» ∆εῖ οὖν τὸν ἀναχωροῦντα φυλάττειν νύκτωρ, καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τοῦτο τὸ ποίμνιον, μήτι τῶν νοημάτων γένηται θηριάλωτον, ἢ λῃσταῖς περιπέσῃ, εἰ δὲ ἄρα τι τοιοῦτο συμβαίη κατὰ τὴν νάπην, εὐθέως ἐξαρπάζειν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ λέοντος ἢ τῆς ἄρκτου. Γίνεται δὲ τὸ νόημα τὸ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ θηριάλωτον, εἰ μετὰ μίσους νέμοι τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς, εἰ μετ' αἰσχρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας στρέφοιτο παρ' ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀργυρίου, καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου, εἰ μετὰ πλεονεξίας αὐλίζοιτο. Καὶ τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἁγίων χαρισμάτων, εἰ μετὰ κενοδοξίας κατὰ διάνοιαν βόσκοιτο· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ νοημάτων ὡσαύτως συμβήσεται, κλεπτομένων τοῖς πάθεσιν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΗʹ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ δεῖ ταῦτα τηρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νύκτωρ ἀγρυπνοῦντας φυλάττειν. Συμβαίνει γὰρ καὶ φανταζόμενον αἰσχρῶς, καὶ πονηρῶς, ἀπολέσαι τὸ ἴδιον· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου λεγόμενον Ἰακώβ· «Οὐκ ἐνήνοχά σοι πρόβατον θηριάλωτον, ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπετίννυον κλέμματα ἡμέρας, καὶ κλέμ79.1221 ματα νυκτὸς, καὶ ἐγενόμην συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύσωνι τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἀφίστατο ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου;» Εἰ δέ τις ἐκ τοῦ καμάτου καὶ ἀκηδία ἡμῖν προσγένηται, μικρὸν ἀναδραμόντες ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς γνώσεως πέτραν τῷ ψαλτηρίῳ προσομιλήσωμεν, πλήσσοντες διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν τῆς γνώσεως τὰς χορδὰς, βοσκήσωμεν δὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τὸ Σιναῖον ὄρος τὰ πρόβατα, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς βάτου καλέσῃ, καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν σημείων, καὶ τῶν τεράτων καὶ ἡμῖν χαρίσηται. Φύσιν μὲν λογικὴν ὑπὸ κακίας θανατωθεῖσαν ἐγείρει Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς θεωρίας πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· ὁ δὲ τούτου πατὴρ τὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν ταύτης ψυχὴν, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐγείρει διὰ γνώσεως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου λεγόμενον, τὸ, «Εἰ συναπεθάνομεν τῷ Χριστῷ, πιστεύομεν, ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ.» Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποδυσάμενος τὸν ἐκ χάριτος ἐνδύσηται, τότε καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ κατάστασιν ὄψεται κατὰ καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, σαπφείρῳ ἢ οὐρανίῳ χρώματι παρεμφερῆ, ἥντινα καὶ τόπον Θεοῦ Γραφὴ ὀνομάζει ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ὀφθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄρους Σινᾶ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΘʹ. Ὅταν τῶν ἐχθρῶν τρώσῃ σέ τις παραβαλὼν, καὶ βούλει τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ στρέψαι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ποίησον οὕτως, ὡς λέγομεν. ∆ίελε κατὰ σαυτὸν τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βληθέντα λογισμὸν, ὅστις ποτέ ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ πόσων πραγμάτων συνέστηκε, καὶ ποῖον τοῦτό ἐστι μάλιστα τὸ θλίβον τὸν νοῦν. Ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἔστω πεμφθεὶς ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας ὑπ' αὐτοῦ 8 λογισμὸς, τοῦτον δίελε εἴς τε τὸν ὑποδεξάμενον αὐτὸν νοῦν, καὶ εἰς τὸ νόημα τοῦ χρυσίου, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν χρυσὸν, καὶ εἰς τὸ φιλάργυρον πάθος· καὶ λοιπὸν ἐρώτα τί τούτων ἐστὶν ἁμαρτία, πότερον ὁ νοῦς; καὶ πῶς; ἔστιν εἰκὼν Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ τὸ νόημα τοῦ χρυσοῦ; καὶ τοῦτο τίς ἂν εἴποι νοῦν ἔχων ποτέ; ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ χρυσός ἐστιν ἁμαρτία; καὶ τίνος χάριν γεγένηται; ἕπεται τοίνυν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι μὲν πρᾶγμα ὑφεστὼς κατ' οὐσίαν, οὐδὲ νόημα πράγματος, οὐδὲ νοῦς πάλιν ἀσώματος, ἀλλ' ἡδονή τις μισάνθρωπος, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου τικτομένη, καὶ κακῶς κεχρῆσθαι, τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ κτίσμασι τὸν νοῦν ἀναγκάζουσα, ἣν καὶ περιτέμνειν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος πεπίστευται. Καὶ ταῦτά σου διερευνωμένου, φθαρήσεται μὲν ὁ λογισμὸς εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀναλυόμενος θεωρίαν, φεύξεται δὲ ἀπὸ σοῦ τὸ δαιμόνιον, τῆς διανοίας σου ὑπὸ ταύτης τῆς γνώσεως εἰς ὕψος ἀρθείσης. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κʹ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει χρήσασθαι μὲν τῇ ἐκείνου ῥομφαίᾳ, ἐπιποθεῖς δὲ πρῶτον διὰ τῆς σῆς σφενδόνης τοῦτον χειρώσασθαι. Ἔκβαλλε καὶ σὺ λίθον ἐκ τοῦ
About this text
A deep look at how harmful thoughts like greed and pride lead to spiritual downfall, with Bible quotes to guide self-reflection.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.