Sentences on Obedience and Discipline
A wicked steward will crush the souls of brothers, and a slanderer will not show them mercy. He who scatters the monastery's existing possessions wrongs God, and he who neglects them will not go unpunished. An unjust steward divides the resources poorly, but the just one will give according to worth. 77 He who slanders his brother will be destroyed, and he who neglects the weak will not see light. 78 A worldly man, better at serving his own weakness, is worse than a recluse who does not pity his neighbor. 79 A foolish monk will neglect the tools of his craft, but the wise one will take care of them.
80 Do not say: 'I will stay today and leave tomorrow,' for you have not reasoned wisely about this. 81 A wandering monk will meditate on false sayings, and he will contradict his own father. 82 He who beautifies his clothes and fills his belly pastures shameful thoughts and does not sit with the temperate. 83 If you enter a village, do not approach women and do not engage in talk with them. For as one casts a hook, so your soul will be drawn. 84 A long-suffering monk will be loved, but he who provokes his brothers will be hated. 85 A gentle monk is loved by the Lord, but he will cast away the bold. 86 A lazy monk will grumble much, and a sleepy one will pretend to have a headache.
87 If your brother is grieved, comfort him, and if he suffers, suffer with him. For by doing this you gladden his heart, and you will store up a great treasure in heaven. 88 A monk who leaves his father's words unguarded will blaspheme him for having fathered many, and will slander the lives of his children, but the Lord will make him nothing. 89 He who seeks praise is separated from brothers, and he blames his own father. 90 Do not give ear to...
Speak according to your father and do not stir up the soul by dishonoring him, so that the Lord may not be angry at your works and erase your name from the book of the living (Ps 69:6).
91 He who obeys his father loves himself, but he who argues against him will fall into evils.
92 Blessed is the monk who guards the commandments of the Lord, and holy is the one who maintains the words of his fathers.
93 A lazy monk will suffer much loss, but if he is courageous and adds to his form.
94 He who guards his tongue straightens his paths (Prov 4:25), and he who keeps his heart will be filled with knowledge.
95 A double-tongued monk disturbs brothers, but the faithful one brings stillness.
96 He who trusts in his own self-control will fall, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.
97 Do not give yourself to the gluttony of the belly, and do not be filled with nocturnal sleep. For by this way you will become pure and the spirit of the Lord will come upon you.
98 While singing, the mind becomes still, and while being long-suffering, it will be unshakeable.
99 From gentleness knowledge is born, and from audacity ignorance.
100 Just as water increases a plant, so the humbling of the mind exalts the heart.
101 While searching for banquets, the lamp will be extinguished, and his soul will see darkness.
102 Bind your bread with a yoke and drink your water in measure, and the spirit of fornication will flee from you.
103 Give wine to those becoming old and offer food to those growing weak, because they have worn out the flesh of their youth.
104 Do not look down upon your brother and do not rejoice in his fall. For the Lord knows your heart and will deliver you in the day of death.
105 A wise monk will be impassive, but the fool will exhaust himself with evils.
106 The Lord blinds an evil eye, but he rescues the simple from darkness.
107 Just as the Morning Star is in heaven and just as the phoenix is in paradise, so in a gentle soul is a pure mind.
Greek
αὐτό. 74 Πονηρὸς οἰκονόμος ἐκθλίψει ψυχὰς ἀδελφῶν, καὶ μνησίκακος οὐκ ἐλεήσει αὐτάς. 75 Ὁ διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα τῆς μονῆς ἀδικεῖ θεόν, καὶ ὁ ἀμελῶν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται. 76 Ἄδικος οἰκονόμος διαμεριεῖ κακῶς, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος πρὸς ἀξίαν δώσει. 77 Ὁ κακολογῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐξολοθρευθήσεται, ἀμελῶν δὲ ἀσθενοῦντος οὐκ ὄψεται φῶς. 78 Κρείσσων κοσμικὸς ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ δουλεύων ἀδελφῷ ὑπὲρ ἀναχωρητὴν μὴ οἰκτείροντα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ. 79 Ἄφρων μοναχὸς ἀμελήσει ὀργάνων τέχνης αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ φρόνιμος ἐπιμελήσεται αὐτῶν. 3 80 Μὴ εἴπῃς· σήμερον μενῶ καὶ αὔριον ἐξελεύσομαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν φρονήσει λελόγισαι περὶ τούτου. 81 Κυκλευτὴς μοναχὸς μελετήσει ῥήσεις ψευδεῖς, τὸν δὲ ἑαυτοῦ παραλογίσεται πατέρα. 82 Ὁ καλλωπίζων τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ πληρῶν γαστέρα αὐτοῦ ποιμαίνει λογισμοὺς αἰσχροὺς καὶ μετὰ σωφρόνων οὐ συνεδριάζει. 83 Ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κώμην, μὴ προσεγγίσῃς γυναιξὶ καὶ μὴ χρονίσῃς ἐν λόγοις πρὸς αὐτάς. ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις ἄγκιστρον καταπίοι, οὕτως ἑλκυσθήσεται ἡ ψυχή σου. 84 Μακρόθυμος μοναχὸς ἀγαπηθήσεται, ὁ δὲ παροξύνων τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται. 85 Πραῢν μοναχὸν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ κύριος, τὸν δὲ θρασὺν ἀπώσεται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. 86 Ὀκνηρὸς μοναχὸς γογγύσει πολλά, καὶ ὑπνώδης προφασίσεται κεφαλαλγίαν αὐτοῦ. 87 Ἐὰν λυπῆται ὁ ἀδελφός σου, παρακάλεσον αὐτόν, καὶ ἐὰν ἀλγῇ, συνάλγησον αὐτῷ. τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν εὐφραίνεις καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ θησαυρὸν μέγαν σωρεύσεις ἐν οὐρανῷ. 88 Μοναχὸς ἀπολειπόμενος φυλάξαι λόγους πατρὸς βλασφημήσει πολιὰν γεννήσαντος αὐτὸν καὶ κακολογήσει βίους τέκνων αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ κύριος ἐξουδενώσει αὐτόν. 89 Ο πρόφασιν ζητῶν χωρίζεται ἀδελφῶν, τὸν δὲ ἑαυτοῦ αἰτιάσεται πατέρα. 90 Μὴ δῷς ἀκοὴν λόγοις κατὰ πατρός σου καὶ μὴ διεγείρῃς ψυχὴν ἀτιμάζοντος αὐτόν, ἵνα μὴ κύριος ὀργισθῇ ἐπὶ ποιήμασι σου καὶ ἐξαλείψῃ σου τὸ ὄνομα ἐκ βίβλου ζώντων. 91 Ὁ ὑπακούων πατρὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαπᾷ ἑαυτόν, ὁ δὲ ἀντιλέγων αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά. 92 Μακάριος μοναχὸς ὁ φυλάσσων ἐντολὰς κυρίου καὶ ὅσιος ὁ διατηρῶν λόγους πατέρων αὐτοῦ. 93 Ὀκνηρὸς μοναχὸς πολλὰ ζημιωθήσεται, ἐὰν δὲ θαρσύνηται καὶ τὸ σχῆμα αὐτοῦ προσθήσει. 94 Ὁ φυλάσσων γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ ὀρθοτομεῖ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ τηρῶν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ πλησθήσεται γνώσεως. 95 Μοναχὸς δίγλωσσος ταράσσει ἀδελφούς, ὁ δὲ πιστὸς ἡσυχίαν ἄγει. 96 Ὁ πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ ἐγκρατείᾳ αὑτοῦ πεσεῖται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. 97 Μὴ δῷς σεαυτὸν χορτασίᾳ κοιλίας, καὶ μὴ πλησθῇς ὕπνου νυκτερινοῦ. τούτῳ γὰρ τῷ τρόπῳ γενήσῃ καθαρὸς καὶ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπελεύσεται ἐπί σε. 98 Ψάλλοντος ἡσυχάζει θυμὸς καὶ μακροθυμοῦντος ἀπτόητος ἔσται. 99 Ἐκ πραΰτητος τίκτεται γνῶσις, ἐκ δὲ θρασύτητος ἀγνωσία. 100 Ὥσπερ ὕδωρ αὔξει φυτόν, οὕτως ταπείνωσις θυμοῦ καρδίαν ὑψοῖ. 101 Ἰχνεύοντος συμπόσια σβεσθήσεται λαμπτήρ, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ὄψεται σκότος. 102 Στῆσον ζυγῷ τὸν ἄρτον σου καὶ πίε μέτρῳ τὸ ὕδωρ σου καὶ πνεῦμα πορνείας φεύξεται ἀπό σου. 103 ∆ὸς γέρουσιν οἶνον καὶ ἀσθενοῦσι πρόσφερε τροφάς, διότι κατέτριψαν σάρκας νεότητος αὐτῶν. 104 Μὴ ὑποσκελίσῃς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου καὶ πτώματι αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπιχαρῇς. ὁ γὰρ κύριος γινώσκει σὴν καρδίαν καὶ παραδώσει σε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θανάτου. 105 Μοναχὸς φρόνιμος ἀπαθὴς ἔσται, ὁ δὲ ἄφρων ἐξαντλήσει κακά. 4 106 Ὀφθαλμὸν πονηρὸν ἐκτυφλοῖ κύριος, τὸν δὲ ἁπλοῦν ῥύσεται ἀπὸ σκότους. 107 Ὥσπερ ἑωσφόρος ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ὥσπερ φοίνιξ ἐν παραδείσῳ, οὕτως ἐν ψυχῇ πραείᾳ νοῦς καθαρός.
About this text
A monk's guide to spiritual discipline and the dangers of pride, with sharp insights on faith and self-control.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 40 (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.