25 Oct 2022

The Trials Of Pleasure

Ὡς ἐπὶ ζυγοῦ ἀστατεῖ τοῦ ἡδυπαθοὺντος ὁ λογισμὸς, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν κλαίει καὶ ἀποδύρεται δι' ἁμαρτίας· ποτὲ δὲ πολεμεῖ καὶ ἀντιλέγει τῷ πλησίον, ἐκδικῶν τὰς ἡδονᾶς.

Ὁ πάντα δοκιμάζων καὶ τὸ καλὸν κατέχων, ἀκολούθως ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ ἀφέξεται.

Ἅγιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἐρημίτης, Περὶ Νόμου Πνευματικοῦ

Source: Migne PG 65.924a-b
As a balance wavering is a mind beset by pleasure. Sometimes it bewails and laments its sins and other times it fights and denounces a neighbour, avenging itself for the sake of pleasure.

Testing everything and holding to what is good, 1 so it follows that you will withdraw from every evil.

Saint Mark The Ascetic, On The Spiritual Law.

1 1 Thes 5.21

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