A Gradual Advance

Μὴ οὖν εὐθέως εἰς ἀκρότητα ἀσκήσεως ἐκτείνῃς σεαυτόν: μάλιστα μηδὲ θαῤῥήσῃς σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐξ ἀπειρίας ἀφ̓ ὕψους τῆς ἀσκήσεως πέσῃς. κρεῖσσον γὰρ ἡ κατ̓ ὀλίγον προκοπή. κατὰ μικρὸν οὖν κλέπτε τὰς ἡδονὰς τοῦ βίου, ἐξαφανίζων σεαυτοῦ πᾶσαν συνήθειαν, μήποτε ἀθρόως πάσας ὁμοῦ ἐρεθίσας τὰς ἡδονὰς ὄχλον πειρασμῶν σεαυτῷ ἐπαγάγῃς. ἡνίκα δ̓ ἂν τοῦ ἑνὸς πάθους τῆς ἡδονῆς κατὰ κράτος περιγένῃ, πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν ἡδονὴν παράταξαι, καὶ οὕτω πασῶν τῶν ἡδονῶν εὐκαίρως περιγενήσῃ. ἡδονῆς γὰρ ὄνομα μὲν ἕν, πράγματα δὲ διάφορα. τοίνυν, ἀδελφέ, ἔσο πρῶτον μὲν ὑπομονητικὸς πρὸς πάντα πειρασμόν. πειρασμοῖς δὲ ποταποῖς δοκιμάζεται ὁ πιστός; ζημίαις κοσμικαῖς, ἐγκλήμασι, καταψεύσμασιν, ἀπειθείαις, καταλαλιαῖς, διωγμοῖς. εἰς ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δοκιμάζεται ὁ πιστός. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἡσύχιος ἔσο, μὴ προπετὴς ἐν λόγῳ, μὴ ἐριστικός, μὴ φιλόνεικος, μὴ κενόδοξος, μὴ ἐξηγητικός, ἀλλὰ φιλόπιστος, μὴ ἐν λόγῳ πολύς, ἕτοιμος δὲ ἴσθι ἀεί, μὴ πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς μάθησιν. μὴ περιεργάζου βίους κοσμικούς, ὅθεν οὐδέν σοι προσγένηται ὄφελος. φησὶ γάρ: Ὅπως ἂν μὴ λαλήσῃ τὸ στόμα μου τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ὁ γὰρ ἡδέως λαλῶν τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἑτοίμως καθ̓ ἑαυτοῦ ἐξυπνίζει τὰς ἡδονάς. μᾶλλον δὲ πολυπραγμόνει τὸν τῶν δικαίων βίον: οὕτω γὰρ ἂν εὑρήσεις ἑαυτῷ ὄφελος. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολή πρὸς Χίλωνα τὸν αὐτοῦ μαθητήν

Do not begin by holding yourself to some summit of asceticism and above all beware of self confidence lest by inexperience you fall from a height. It is better to advance a little at a time. Withdraw then step by step from the pleasures of life and gradually draw out all your habits lest all at once you incite against yourself a mob of temptations by provoking all your passions at the same time. Having conquered the indulgence of one passion, then prepare to take the fight to another, and so in good time you will prevail over all. Indulgence is one by name but diverse in its activities. First, brother, you must endure every trial. And by what temptations the faithful man is proved: by worldly losses, by accusations, by lies, by hostility, by slander, by persecution. By these and their like the faithful man is tested. But you must be quiet, not rash in speech, not quarrelsome, not obstinate, not glorying in vanities, not an interpreter of difficulties, but faithful, not a chatterer, not one ever eager to teach but rather one keen to learn. Do not worry about worldly life, for from there no benefit can come to you. Thus it is said, 'May my mouth not speak the works of men.' 1The man who takes pleasure talking about sinners very soon stirs up indulgence.  Better that he were busy with the life of the righteous, for thus he would acquire some profit for himself. Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 42, to Chilo his Pupil 1 Ps 16.4