A Guard Of Knowledge

Ὁ γνώσεως ἐφαψάμενος και τὴν ἀπ' αὐτης καρπούμενος ἡδονὴν οὐκέτι τῷ τῆς κενοδοξίας πεισθήσεται δαίμονι, πάσας αὐτῷ τὰς ἡδονὰς τοῦ κόσμου προσάγοντι· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ ὑπόσχοιτο μεῖζον πνευματικῆς θεωρίας; Ἐν ὅσῳ δέ ἐσμεν γνώσεως ἄγευστοι, τὴν πρακτικὴν προθύμως κατεργαζώμεθα, τὸν σκοπὸν ἡμῶν δεικνύντες Θεῷ ὅτι πάντα πράττομεν τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως ἕνεκεν. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός Source: Migne PG 40.1228a

He who has seized on knowledge and harvested the delight it brings will no longer be persuaded by the demon of vainglory which sets before him all the pleasures of the world. For what could it offer to him which is greater than spiritual contemplation? But inasmuch as we have not tasted knowledge, we should eagerly attend to ascetic deeds, showing our intent to God, that everything we do is for the knowledge of Him. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos

Considering Rewards

Ἀδύνατον δέ τινα τῶν παθῶν τούτων περιγενέσθαι, μὴ παντελῶς βρωμάτων καὶ χρημάτων, καὶ δόξης ὑπεριδόντα, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος διὰ τοὺς ῥαπίζειν αὐτὸ πολλάκις ἐπιχειροῦντας· Πᾶσα οὖν ἀνάγκη μιμεῖσθαι τοὺς κινδυνεύοτας εν θαλάττη, καὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἐκβολὴν ποιουμένους διὰ τὴν βίαν τῶν ἀνεμων καὶ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων κυμάτων. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα προσεκτέον ἀκριβῶς, μή πως ἐκβολὴν ποιούμενοι τῶν σκευῶν, πρὸς τὸ θεαθεῖναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ποίσωμεν· ἐπεὶ ἀπέχομεν τὸν μισθὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἄλλο τοῦ προτέρου χαλεπώτερον διδέξεται ἡμᾶς ναυάγιον, τοῦ τῆς κενοδοξίας ἡμῖν ἀντιπνεύσαντος δαίμονος. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, τὸν κυβερνήτην νοῦν παιδεύων, προσέχετε, φασὶν, τὴν ἐλημοσύνην ἡμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθεῖναι αὐτοῖς, εἰ δὲ μήγε μισθ̀ον οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοὶς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὅταν προσεύχησθε, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ, ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς, καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι, ὅπως φανῶσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ὅταν νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποὶ· ἀφανίζουσι γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν, ὅπως φανῶσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. Ἀλλὰ προσεκτέον ἐνταῦθα τῷ ἰατρῷ τῶν ψυχῶν, πῶς διὰ μὲν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸν θυμὸν θεραπεύει, διὰ δὲ τῆς προσευχῆς τὸν νοῦν καθαρίζει, καὶ πάλιν διὰ τῆς νηστείας τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν καταμαραίνει, ἐξ ὧν συνίσταται ὁ νέος ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ἀνακαινούμενος κατ̓ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτὸν, ἐν ᾧ οὐκ ἔστι διὰ τὴν ἀγίαν ἀπάθειαν ἄρσεν, καὶ θῆλυ, οὐδὲ διὰ τὴν μίαν πίστιν, καὶ ἀγάπην, Ἕλλην, καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ, καὶ ἀκροβυστία, Βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, καὶ ἐλεύθερος, ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι Χριστός. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, Κεφαλ Γ' Source: Migne PG 79 1224d-1225a

It is impossible to overcome the passions unless we can rise above attachment to food and possessions and honour, and even to our own body, by which the demons often assault us. There is every need, then, to imitate people who are in danger at sea and who throw things overboard because of the violence of the winds and the height of the waves. But here we must be very careful lest we throw things away that we may be seen to be doing so by men, since we shall receive our reward for that, but then we shall suffer another shipwreck, worse than the first, blown off our course by the demon of vainglory. That is why our Lord in the Gospels, teaching the helmsman's mind, says, 'Take care that you do not give alms in front of others that you be seen by them, lest you  have no reward from your Father in heaven.' Again He says: 'When you pray, you must not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in synagogues and at street corners, so they be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. Moreover when you fast, do not put on a gloomy face, like the hypocrites; for they disfigure their faces so that they may be seen by men to be  fasting. Truly I say to you, they receive their reward.' 1 But observe the physician of souls here, how by mercy He treats our irascibility; how by prayer He purges the mind, and again how by fasting He causes desire to wither, and by this the new man is fashioned, renewed according to the image of his Creator, in whom, on account of holy apatheia, there is neither male nor female, nor is there, by one faith and love, Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all in all. Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Wicked Thoughts, Chapter 3 1 Mt 6.1-5

Questioning Security

Ὅταν τινὲς τῶν ἀκαθαρτων λογισμῶν ταχέως φυγαδευθῶσιν, ζητήσωμεν τὴν αἰτίαν πόθεν τοῦτο συμβέβηκε· πότερον διὰ τὴν σπάνιν τοῦ πράγματος, τοῦ δυσπόριστον εἰναι τὴν προσοῦσαν ἡμῖν ἀπάθειαν οὐκ ἰσχυσαν καθ' ἡμῶν οἱ ἐχθροί; Οἷον, εἴ τις τῶν ἀναχωρούντων ἐνθυμηθείη ὑπὸ δαίμονος, τῆς πρώτης πόλεως πνευματικὴν κυβέρνησιν πιστευθῆναι, οὗτος δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ χρονίσει λογισμὸν τοῦτον φανταζόμενος, καὶ ἡ αἰτία ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων γίνεται γνώριμος· εἰ δέ τις πόλεως, καὶ τῆς τυχούσης γίνεται, καὶ ὁμοίως λογίζεται, οὗτος μακάριος τῆς ἀπαθείας ἐστίν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων λογισμῶν εὑρωθήσεται ὁ τοιοῦτός τρόπος ἐξεταζόμενος. Ταῦτα δὲ ἀναγκαῖον εἰδέναι πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν προθυμίαν, καὶ δύναμιν, ἵνα εἴδωμεν, πότερον ῆ̀ τὸν Ἰορδάνην παρήλθομεν, καὶ ἐγγύς ἐσμεν τῆς πόλεως τῶν Φοινίκων, ἢ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διάγομεν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τυπτόμεθα.  Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, Κεφαλ Κβ' Source: Migne PG 79 1224d-1225a

When unclean thoughts have been driven away quickly, we should seek the cause of how this has happened. Was it because of the impossibility of the thought as action or because of our state of dispassion, that enemies failed to overcome us? For example, if a solitary, by the prompting of demons, imagines himself entrusted with the spiritual rule of a great city, he will not dwell on this thought for long because he knows the cause of why it has come to him. But if a man does become the spiritual guide of a city and he thinks in the same manner, he is blessed with dispassion. A similar measure shall be found applicable to other thoughts. And we should be aware of these things in order to estimate our commitment and strength, that we know whether we have crossed the Jordan and are near the palm trees, or are still in the wilderness and are assaulted by the enemy. Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Wicked Thoughts, Chap 22

Angels And Demons And Virtue

Ἄγγελοι μὲν χαίρουσι μειουμένης κακίας, δαίμονες δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς· οἱ μὲν γάρ εἰσιν ἐλέους καὶ ἀγάπης θεράποντες, οἱ δὲ ὀργῆς καὶ μίσους ὑπήκοοι· καὶ οἱ μὲν πρότεροι πλησιάζοντες πνευματικῆς θεωρίας ἡμᾶς πληροῦσιν, οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι προσεγγίζοντες εἰς αἰσχρὰς τὴν ψυχὴν φαντασίας ἐμβάλλουσιν.  Αἱ ἀρεταὶ οὐ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ὁρμὰς ἀνακόπτουσιν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς ἀθῴους διαφυλάττουσιν. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός Source: Migne PG 40 1234a

Angels rejoice when vice decreases but demons rejoice when virtue decreases; the one are servants of mercy and charity, the others are subjects of anger and hatred; the first draw near to fill us with spiritual contemplation, the latter to draw the soul into disgraceful fantasies. The virtues do not prevent the assault of demons, but they do preserve us from harm. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos

Guarding Thoughts

Τὰ νοήματα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ὁ Κύριος καθάπερ πρόβατά τινα τῷ ἀγαθῷ ποιμένι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ παρέδωκε· ̧ Κὰι γὰρ, φησί, σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀυτοῦ,  συζεύξας αὐτῷ θυμὸν κὰι επιθυμίαν πρὸς βοήθειαν, ἵνα, διὰ μὲν τοῦ θυμου, φευγαδεύῃ τὰ τῶν λύκων νοήματα, διὰ δε τῆς ἐπιθυμίας στέργῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὑετῶν καὶ ἀνέμων πολλάκις βαλλόμενος· ἔδωκε πρὸς τούτοις καὶ νομὸν, ὅπως ποιμαίνῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ τόπον χλόης, καὶ ὕδωρ ἀναπαύσεως καὶ ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν καὶ ῥάβδον καὶ βακτηρίαν, ἵν' ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ποίμνης καὶ τραφῇ καὶ ἐνδύσηται καὶ χόρτον ὀρεινὸν συναγάγῃ· Τίς γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιμαίνει ποίμνην, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίεις; Δεῖ 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.  Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν Source: Migne PG 79 1220

The thoughts of this world the Lord gave to man as sheep to a good shepherd, for it is written, 'He has placed the world in his heart;' 1 yoking to him indignation and desire for aid, so that with the first he may drive away the thoughts of the wolves, and with desire he may care for the sheep, even though he is often buffeted by rain and winds. God also gave him pasture so that he may shepherd the sheep, as well as a verdant place and refreshing water, 2 and a harp and a lyre, and a rod and a staff, so that from these sheep he is fed and clothed and supplied with food on the mountain. For it is written, 'Does anyone feed a flock and not drink its milk?' 3 It is therefore necessary for the one who has withdrawn that he be on his guard night and day over his flock so that thoughts are neither caught by wild beasts nor fall to thieves; and if such a thing happen, in the wooded valley he must immediately snatch them from the mouth of the lion or the bear. 4 So it is that the thought of a brother becomes of the beast if it pastures what is within us in hatred; as regards a woman, if we turn away from ourselves to shameful desire; and as regards gold and silver, if we take up our dwelling with avarice. And the thoughts of the holy gifts are likewise seized if we mentally graze on vainglory, and the same happens in the case of other thoughts if they are stolen away by the passions. Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Evil Thoughts 1 Eccl. 3.11 2 Ps 23. 2  3 1 Cor. 9.7  4 1 Kings 7.35

Deeds And The Virtuous Man

Ὁ τὰς ἀρετας ἐν ἑαυτῷ καθιδρύσας, καὶ ταύταις ὅλος ἀνακραθείς, οὐκ ἔτι μέμνηται νόμου ἢ ἐντολῶν ἢ κολάσεως, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγει καὶ πράττει ὁπόσα ἡ ἀρίστη ἕχις ὑπαγορεύει. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός Source: Migne PG 40 1232

One who has established the virtues in himself and is entirely permeated with them no longer tries to be mindful of the law or the commandments, or punishment. Rather, he says and does what his excellent condition suggests. Evagrius Ponticus, from The Praktikos

Vainglory and Pride

Μόνος τῶν λογισμῶν ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας ἐστὶ πολύυλος, καὶ ὅλον σχεδὸν περιλαμβάνων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς δαίμοσιν ὑπανοίγων τὰς θύρας, ὥσπερ τις προδότης πονηρὸς ἀγαθῆς γενόμενος πόλεως.  Διὸ καὶ πάνυ ταπεινοῖ τοῦ ἀναχωροῦντος τὸν νοῦν, πολλῶν λόγων αὐτὸν καὶ πραγμάτων πληρῶν, καὶ τὰς προσευχὰς αὐτοῦ λυμαινόμενος δι' ὧν πάντα τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τραύματα θεραπεύειν σπουδάζει.  Τοῦτον τὸν λογισμὸν συναύξουσι πάντες ἡττηθέντες οἱ δαίμονες, καὶ πάλιν δι' αὐτοῦ πάντες εἰς τὰς ψυχὰς λαμβάνουσιν εἴσοδον, ποιοῦντες ὄντῶς τὰ ἔσχατα, χείρονα τῶν πρώτων.  Εκ τούτου δὲ γεννᾶται τοῦ λογισμοῦ, καὶ ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τὸ ἀποσφράγισμα τῆς ὁμοιώσεως, καὶ τὸν στέφανον τοῦ κάλλους ἀπ' οὐρανῶν εἰς γῆν κατασείσας.  Ἀλλ' ἀποπήδησον τούτου, καὶ μὴ χρονίσῃς, ἵνα μὴ προδῶμεν ἄλλοις τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον βίον ἀνελεήμοσι.  Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν δαίμονα φυγαδεύει ἐκτενὴς προσευχὴ,  καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἑκόντα ποιεῖν, τῶν συνελούντων πρὸς τὴν ἐπάρατον δόξαν.  Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν

Of evil thoughts none is richer in resources than vainglory, and it is to be encountered almost everywhere in the world, and secretly it opens the gates to all the demons, like some wicked traitor in a city of the good. Thus it gravely debases the mind of the man withdrawn, filling it with many words and ideas and defiling the prayers through which he is eager to heal all the wounds of his soul. All the other demons defeated gather together to augment the strength of this evil thought and by it again receive entry into the soul, thus making the last state worse than the first 1. And from it rises pride, that which cast down from heaven to earth the impression of God's likeness and the crown of beauty. So leaping away from it, staying not for a moment, let us not give up our life to these and our years to the merciless one 2. And this demon is driven out by intense prayer and by not doing anything that would add to the sense of one's own woeful importance.   Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Evil Thoughts 1 cf. Mt 12:45  2 cf. Pr 5:9

The Perils of Avarice

Πάνυ γὰρ ποικίλος μοι φαίνεται τῆς φιλαργυρίας ὁ δαίμων, καὶ πρὸς ἀπάτην εὐμήχανος, ὃς πολλάκις στενωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἄκρας ἀποταγῆς, τὸν οἰκονόμον εὐθὺς, καὶ φιλόπτωχον ὑποκρίνεται, καὶ τοὺς μηδέπω παρόντας ὑποδέχεται ξένους γνησιώτερον, καὶ ἄλλοις λειπομένοις ἀποστέλλει διακονίαν, καὶ δεσμωτήρια πόλεως ἐπισκέπτεται, καὶ τοὺς πιπασκομένους δῆθεν ἐξαγοράζει, γυναιξί τε κολλᾶται πλουσίαις, καὶ ἄλλους πάλιν ἀποτάξασθαι νουθετεῖ βαλάντιον ἀδρὸν κεκτημένους, καὶ οὕτως ἐξαπατήσας κατὰ μικρὸν τὴν ψυχὴν, τῆς φιλαργυρίας αὐτὴν λογισμοῖς ὑποβάλλει, καὶ τῷ τῆς κενοδοξίας παραδίδωσι δαίμονι. Ὡς πλῆθος εἰσάγει τῶν δοξαζόντων ἐπὶ ταῖς οἰκονομίαις ταύταις τὸν Κύριον, καί τινας κατ' ὀλίγον περὶ ἱερωσύνης συλλαλοῦντας προβάλλων λοιπὸν προμαντεύεται ταχὴν θάνατον τοῦ ὄντος ἱερέως, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἃν ἐκφύγῃ μυρία ποιήσας προστίθησι, καὶ οὕτως ὁ παλαίπωρος νοῦς ἐνδεθεὶς τούτοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς, τοῖς μὲν μὴ κατεξαμένοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαμάχεται, τοῖς δὲ τοῦτο καταδεξαμὲνοις, ἑτοίμως δῶρα χαρίζεται, καὶ τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης αὐτοὺς ἀποδέχεται· τινὰς δὲ διστασιάζοντας, τοῖς δικαστασαῖς παραδίδωσι, καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐξορίζεσθαι παραγγέλλει·   τούτων δὲ λοιπὸν ἔνδον ὄντων, καὶ στρεφομένων τῶν λογισμῶν, εὐθὺς καὶ ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐφίσταται δαίμων, ἀστραπὰς συνεχεῖς κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα τῆς κέλλης τυπῶν, καὶ δράκοντας πτερωτοὺς ἐπιπέμπων, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον κακὸν, στέρησιν φρενῶν ἐργαζόμενον, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τούτοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς  ἀπώλειαν ἐπευξάμενοι, μετ' εὐχαριστίας τῇ πενίᾳ συζήσωμεν, ̧ Οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δῆλον ὅτι δυνάμεθα· ἔχοντες δὲ τροφὰς, καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα, μεμνημένοι καὶ Παύλου, ῥίζαν πάντων τῶν κακῶν τὴν φιλαργυρίαν εἰπόντος. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν

For indeed it seems to me that the demon of avarice is exceedingly complex and most capable in his deceits, he who often when we are bemoaning the strictness of our renunciation, feigns to be a carer and a lover of the poor, and he would have us prepare a welcome for guests who have not yet arrived, or send supplies to those who are far away. He makes us consider those in the city prisons and the ransoming of those long enslaved, and that we should ingratiate ourselves with wealthy women, and again he inclines us to be obsequious to others who have a heavy purse, and thus, little by little, deceiving the soul, he casts it into avaricious thoughts and hands it over to the demon of vainglory. He then brings forth a crowd praising the Lord on account of our works, and in a little while has us talking to others about our ordination, and he prophesisies  that the present priest will soon die, and our long degenerate minds entangled in these thoughts, attacks any man who does not support us, while to those who do support it is ready to give gifts and judge them upstanding fellows, and some of those who doubt us we would have hauled before the judges and demand their expulsion from the city. And with these things within us and thoughts on them circling in our mind, the demon of pride is beside us, filling the room of our cell with lightning and winged dragons, trying to work that final evil, the utter loss of reason. But on all such thoughts let destruction come and with thanks let us live in poverty. 'For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain that we can take nothing out of it. Having food and clothing, let us be content with them', 1 And remembering that St Paul said, 'Avarice is the root of all evil.' 2   Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Evil Thoughts 1 1 Tim 6.7-8 2 1 Tim 6.10

Caught Up On High

Νοῦς σὺν Θεῷ πρακτικὴν κατορθώσας καὶ προσπελάσας τῇ γνώσει ὀλίγον ἢ οὐδ' ὅλως τοῦ ἀλόγου μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπαισθάνεται, τῆς γνώσεως αὐτὸν ἁρπαζούσης μετάρσιον καὶ χωριζούσης τῶν αἰσθητῶν. Ἀπάθειαν ἔχει ψυχή, οὐχ ἡ μὴ πάσχουσα πρὸς τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλ' ἡ καὶ πρὸς τὰς μνήμας αὐτῶν ἀτάραχος διαμένουσα.  Ὁ τέλειος οὐκ ἐγκρατεύεται, καὶ ὁ ἀπαθὴς οὐχ ὑπομένει, ἔπερ τοῦ πάσχοντος ἡ ὑπομονή, καὶ τοῦ ὀχλουμένου ἡ ἐγκράτεια.  Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός

A mind that has, with God’s help, been successful in the ascetic life and come near to knowledge, hardly, if at all, perceives the irrational part of the soul, because knowledge catches it up on high and separates it from sensible things. The soul is passionless not when it is unmoved by things, but when it remains undisturbed even by the memory of them. The perfect man does not practice self control, and the passionless man does not endure, for endurance is for passions and self control for tribulation. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos

Knowledge and Goodness

μὴ ἔλεγχε κακούς, ἵνα μὴ μισῶσίν σε    Οὐ δεῖ ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐλέγχειν τοὺς κακούς, μᾶλλον δὲ περὶ φόβου θεοῦ αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι, ὅστις πείθει αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆναι κακίας.   τὸ δὲ γνῶναι νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς   Εἰ «τὸ γνῶναι τὸν νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς», καὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐντολὴν διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς. Πλὴν πρότερον τὸ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν νόμον, εἴπερ ἡ γνῶσις μετὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν προσγίνεσθαι πέφυκεν.   ὃς ἐρείδεται ἐπὶ ψεύδεσιν, οὗτος ποιμανεῖ ἀνέμους· ὁ δ' αὐτὸς διώξεται ὄρνεα πετόμενα   Παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας περιφερόμενος καὶ ναυαγήσας περὶ τὴν πίστιν.   ἀπέλιπεν γὰρ ὁδοὺς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ἀμπελῶνος· τοὺς δὲ ἄξονας τοῦ ἰδίου γεωργίου πεπλάνηται   Ἀπέλιπεν γὰρ τὴν ἄμπελον τὴν εἰποῦσαν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα», καί· «ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.»   συνάγει δὲ χερσὶν ἀκαρπίαν  Ἀκαρπία ἐστὶ κακία καὶ ἄγνοια. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Σχολια Εἰς Τας Παροιμιας

Do not despise the wicked lest they hate you. 1 It is not necessary to despise the evil of the sinner, rather speak to them of the fear of God which will persuade them to refrain from evil. To have knowledge of the law is good discernment. 2 If to have knowledge of the law is good discernment, then to perform the commandments is good discernment. But before one can perform the commandments is knowledge of the law, and knowledge comes after the work of purification has been done. He who fixes himself on deceit, is like one who herds the winds. This one pursues birds in flight 3 And by every wind of teaching they are carried off and their faith is shipwrecked. 4   For he has abandoned the paths of his vineyard and the axles of his fields have wandered. 3   For he has abandoned the vineyard of which it is said, I am the vine and you are the branches, 5 and My father is the farmer. 6 And the gathering of the hand is fruitless 3 Fruitless is evil and ignorance.   Evagrius Ponticus, Scholia on Proverbs 1 Prov 9.8 2 Prov 9.10 3 Prov 9.12 LXX 4 cf Ephes 4.14 5 Jn 15.5  6. Jn 15.1

Virtue and Knowledge

Εἶδον σὺν τὸν περισπασμόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ. Σὺν τὰ πάντα ἐποίησεν καλὰ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ καί γε σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους. Ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ· καί γε πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.   Εἶδον, φησί, τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα περισπῶντα, τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἅπερ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῆς καθάρσεως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἵν᾿ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπῶνται. Πρόσκαιρον δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν καλλονὴν λέγει καὶ οὐκ ἀΐδιον· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν κάθαρσιν οὐκ ἔτι ὡς περισπῶντα τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ μόνον ὁ καθαρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα καθορᾷ, ἀλλ᾿ὡς ἐγκείμενα αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν. Ἀλλως γὰρ τυποῦται ὁ νοῦς τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐπιβάλλων αἰσθητῶς, καὶ ἄλλως διατίθεται τοὺς λόγους τοὺς ἐναποκειμένους τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς θεωρῶν· ἀλλ᾿ αὕτη μὲν ἡ γνῶσις καθαροῖς μόνον ἐπισυμβαίνει, ἡ δὲ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων κατανόησις τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ καθαροῖς καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις. Διὸ καὶ περισπασμὸν πρόσκαιρον εἶπεν αὐτὴν θεοῦ δεδομένην· προνοούμενος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς ψυχῆς ἔδωκεν αὐτῇ αἰσθήσεις καὶ πράγματα αἰστητά, ὅπως ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπωμένη καὶ νοηματιζομένη ἐκφεύγῃ τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτῇ παρὰ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐμβάλλεσθαι λογισμούς. Ἔδωκε δὲ αὐτοῖς, φησί, καὶ τὸν αἰῶνα, τουτέστι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ αἰῶνος· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἣν ἐντὸς ἔχειν ἡμᾶς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος, ἥτις καλυπτομένη ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν οὐχ εὐρίσκεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἔγνων οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τὰ πράγματα ἀγαθά ἀλλ᾿ οἱ λόγοι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐφ᾿ οἷς καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι πέφυκεν ἡ φύσις ἡ λογικὴ καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν· οὐδὲν τρέφει καὶ ποτίζει τὸν νοῦν ὡς ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Εἰς Τον Ἐκκλησιασην

I have seen the occupation that God has given to the sons of men by which they are occupied. All the things he has made are beautiful in his time and he has also set the ages in their heart, that man may not discover the work that God has performed from the beginning even until the end. I know that there is no good in them, except to rejoice and to do good in his life.  And every man who eats and drinks  and sees good in all his work, it is a gift of God. 1   I have seen, he says, sensible objects  that occupy the thoughts of men, which God gave to men before their purification in order that they might be occupied by them. He says their beauty is temporal and not eternal, for after purification the mind of the purified is no more distracted by sensible objects, but he is absorbed in spiritual contemplation. It is one thing for the mind to be stamped in a sensible way when intent on the perception of sensible things, and it is a different thing to contemplate by means of sensed things the inner meanings they contain, but this latter knowledge is attained only by the pure, while understanding by sensible objects is of both the pure and the impure. This is why he speaks of this temporal occupation as being given by God, God in his providence towards the sensing soul having given it senses and sensible objects so that occupied by these and thinking upon them, it may escape the thoughts thrown at it by adversaries. It says He has given them even the ages, that is, the meanings of the ages, because it is there that we have the kingdom of heaven within us, as the Lord has said; 2 but being obscured beneath passions it is not found by men. I have seen, he says, that it is not things that are good, but rather the meaning of them, on account of which rational nature has grown to rejoice and to do good. Nothing so feeds and waters the mind as virtue and the knowledge of God.   Evagrius Ponticus, On Ecclesiastes  1 Eccl 3.10-13 2 Lk 17.21

Seeking in Prayer

Μόνην ζήτει ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου τὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, τουτέστι τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα προστεθήσεταί σοι. Δίκαιον, μὴ μόνον περὶ οἰκείας καθάρσεως προσεύχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ παντὸς τοῦ ὁμοφύλου, ἵνα ἀγγελικὸν μιμήσῃ τρόπον.  ̔́Ορα ἐὰν ὰληθῶς Θεῷ̈ παρέστηκας ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου, ἢ ἐπαίνῳ ἀνθρώπων ἡττᾶσαι, καὶ τούτων θηρᾷν ἐπείγῃ, ὥσπερ ἐπικαλύμματι κεκρημένος τῇ παρατάσει τῆς προσευχῃς.  Εἴτε μετὰ ἀδελφῶν προσεύχῃ, εἴτε κατὰ μόνας, ἀγώνισαι, μὴ ἔθει, ἀλλὰ αἰσθήσει προσεύχεσθαι. Αἴσθησις ἐστὶ προσευχῆς σύννοια μετ' εὐλαβείας, καὶ κατανύξεως, καὶ ὀδύνης ψυχῆς ἐν εξαγορεύσει πταισμάτων μετὰ στεναγμῶν ἀφώνων.   ̓Εὰν περιβλέπηται ὁ νοῦς σου ἀκμὴν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς προσευχῆς, οὐδέπω ὡς μοναχὸς προσεύχεται, ἀλλ' ἔτι κοσμικός ἐστι, τὴν ἔξωθεν σκηνὴν καλλωπίζων. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περι Προσευχῆς

In your prayer seek only righteousness and the kingdom, that is, virtue and knowledge, and everything else will be given to you. 1 It is right to pray not only for your own purification, but also for all your own kin, so as to imitate the angelic way. See if you truly stand before God in your prayer, or whether you have lost yourself to human praise and eagerly hunt for it, hiding behind the veil of prayer 2. Whether you pray with  brothers or alone, struggle to pray not in the customary way, but with perception. Perception in prayer is concentration, with reverence and compunction and distress of soul, in admission of  faults amid silent groans. If the mind is  looking around during the time of prayer, it is not yet praying as a monk, but it is still worldly, decorating the exterior tabernacle 3. Evagrius Ponticus, On Prayer 1 Mt 6:33 2 cf. Mt 23:5  3 cf. Mt 23:27

Thoughts Coming and Going

Τῶν λογισμῶν οἱ τέμνουσιν, οἱ δὲ τέμνονται· καὶ τέμνουσι μὲν οἱ πονηροὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς, τέμνονται δὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν οἱ πονηροὶ, τὸ τοίνυν Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον πρώτως τεθέντι προσέχει λογισμῷ, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον κρίνει ἡμᾶς, ἢ ἀποδέχεται.  Ὃ δὲ λέγω τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν.  Ἔχω τινὰ φιλοξενίας λογισμὸν, καὶ τοῦτον ἔχω διὰ τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλ' οὑτος  ἐπελθόντος τοῦ πειράζοντος τέμνεται καὶ δόξης χάριν φιλοξενεῖν ὑποβάλλοντος.  Πάλιν· ἔχω φιλοξενίας λογισμὸν πρὸς τὸ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φανῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος ἐπελθοντος κρείττονος λογισμοῦ διατέμνεται, τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον μᾶλλον ῾ῶν τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀπευθύνοντος.    Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν

Sometimes thoughts cut off and sometimes they are cut off. Evil thoughts cut off good thoughts, and again evil thoughts are cut off by good thoughts. The Holy Spirit therefore notes to which thought we give priority and for that condemns or approves us. What I mean is something like this: I have a thought of hospitality and it is for the Lord’s sake, but this is cut off when the tempter comes to me and in its place he suggests giving hospitality for the sake of glory. Again, I have the thought of hospitality in order to appear hospitable to men, but this is cut off when a better thought comes to me, which leads me to practice this virtue for the Lord’s sake. Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Evil Thoughts

Obstacles to Prayer

Επιθυμῶν προσεύξασθι ὡς δεῖ, μὴ λυπήσῃς ψυχὴν, ει δὲ μήγε, εἰς μάτην τρέχεις. Ἄφες σου τὸ δῶρον φησὶν ἐμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ἀπελθὼν πρότερον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε προσεύξῃ ἀτάράχως. Ἡ γὰρ μνησικακία ἀμαυροῖ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν τοῦ προσευχομένου καὶ σκοτίζει τούτου τὰς προσευχάς. Οἱ λύπας καὶ μνησικακίας ἑαυτοῖς σωρεύοντες, καὶ προσεύχεσθαι δοκοῦντες, ὅμοιοί εἰσι τοῖς ὕδωρ ἀντλοῦσι, καὶ εἰς τετρημένον πίθον βάλλουσιν. Ἐὰν ὑπομονητικὸς ᾖς, ἀεὶ μετἀ χαρᾶς προσεύξῃ. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περι προσευχῆς

Desiring to pray as you should, do not grieve any soul lest you run in vain.  Leave your gift, it says, before the altar, and first go away and be reconciled to your brother, and then pray without disturbance. For the memory of evil blinds the leading faculty of him who prays, and darkens his prayers. Those who heap up sorrow and memory of evil within themselves, and expect to pray, are like people who draw water and pour it into a wine jar that has holes in it. If you are able to endure, you will always pray with joy. Evagrius Ponticus, On Prayer

The Noonday Demon

Ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας δαίμων͵ ὃς καὶ μεσημβρινὸς καλεῖται͵ πάντων τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστὶ βαρύτατος· καὶ ἐφίσταται μὲν τῷ μοναχῷ περὶ ὥραν τετάρτην͵ κυκλοῖ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ μέχρις ὥρας ὀγδόης. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἥλιον καθορᾶσθαι ποιεῖ δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον͵ πεντηκοντάωρον τὴν ἡμέραν δεικνύς. Ἔπειτα δὲ συνεχῶς ἀφορᾶν πρὸς τὰς θυρίδας καὶ τῆς κέλλης ἐκπηδᾶν ἐκβιάζεται͵ τῷ τε ἡλίῳ ἐνατενίζειν πόσον τῆς ἐνάτης ἀφέστηκε͵ καὶ περιβλέπεσθαι τῇδε κἀκεῖσε μή τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν.  Ἔτι δὲ μῖσος πρὸς τὸν τόπον ἐμβάλλει καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον αὐτόν͵ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τὸ τῶν χειρῶν· καὶ ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπε παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἡ ἀγάπη καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν· εἰ δὲ καί τις κατ΄ἐκείνας τὰς ἡμέρας εἴη λυπήσας τὸν μοναχόν͵ καὶ τοῦτο εἰς αὔξησιν τοῦ μίσους ὁ δαίμων προστίθησιν. Ἄγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν τόπων ἑτέρων ἐν οἷς ῥᾳδίως τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν καὶ τέχνην μετελθεῖν εὐκοπωτέραν μᾶλλον καὶ προχωροῦσαν· καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τόπῳ τὸ εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ προστίθησιν· πανταχοῦ γάρ͵ φησί͵ τὸ θεῖον προσκυνητόν.  Συνάπτει δὲ τούτοις καὶ μνήμην τῶν οἰκείων καὶ τῆς προτέρας διαγωγῆς· καὶ χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ὑπογράφει μακρόν͵ τοὺς τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνους φέρων πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν· καὶ πᾶσαν τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον κινεῖ μηχανὴν ἵνα καταλελοιπὼς ὁ μοναχὸς τὴν κέλλαν φύγῃ τὸ στάδιον.  Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός

The demon of acedia, who is also called the 'noonday', is the most burdensome of all the demons. He imposes itself on the monk at about the fourth hour, 1 encircling his soul until about the eighth hour. 2 First he makes it seem that the sun has slowed down, or stopped moving, so that the day appears to be fifty hours long, then it continually makes the monk look out of his window and impels him to rush out of his cell to study the sun to see how much longer it is to the ninth hour, and to look round to see if any of the brothers are abroad. Then it places in him a hatred for the place he is in and his life and his manual labour, for it seems there is no love left among the brothers, since there is no one there to comfort him. And if anyone has grieved the monk recently, the demon also adds this to increase his hatred. He inclines the monk to desire other places where he can easily find what he needs and practice a craft more suitable to him, and that will profit him more. 'For truly, pleasing the Lord is not dependent on place,' says the demon, 'God can be worshiped everywhere.' It joins to this the memory of family and the monk's former way of life, and explains to him that he still has a long time to live, while bringing before his eyes the toils of the ascetic. And so, as is said, he uses every device to persuade the monk to abandon his cell and flee the arena. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos 1 10 a.m 2 2 p.m.

The Thorns Of Our Cares

Kαὶ ἄκαρπος γένηται ὁ λόγος ὑπὸ τῆς μερίμνης πνιγόμενος τῶν ἀκανθῶν. Οὐκοῦν τοὺς ἐκ μερίμνης ἀποθέμενοι λογισμοὺς, ἐπιῤῥίψωμεν ἐπὶ Κύριον τὴν μέριμναν ἡμῶν τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀρκούμενοι, καὶ πενιχρᾷ ζωῇ χρησάμενοι, καὶ στολῇ τῆς κενοδοξόας μεθ' ἡμέραν ἀποδυσώμεθα. Εἰ δέ τις ἀσχημονεῖν ἐπὶ πενιχρᾷ νομίζει στολῇ, βλεπέτω τὸν ἅγιον Παῦλον ἐν ψύχει, καὶ γυμνότητι, τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης προσδοκήσαντα στέφανον. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ θέατρον, καὶ στάδιον ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ὠνόμασεν, ἴδωμεν, εἰ ἔστι δυνατὸν, μερίμνης ἐνδυσάμενον λογισμοὺς, δραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τἠς ἄνω κλήσεως, ἢ παλαῖσαι πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς αἰσθητῆς παιδευόμενος ἱστορίας. Ἐμποδισθήσεται γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀθλῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ χιτῶνος δηλονότι, καὶ εὐκόλως περιελκυσθήσεται, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ νοῦς ὑπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν τῆς μερίμνης, εἴπερ ἀληθινὸς ὁ λέγων τῷ ἰδίῳ τὸν νοῦν προσκαρτερεῖν θησαυρῷ, Ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρός σου, φησὶν, ἐκεῖ ἔσται, καὶ ἡ καρδία σου.   Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περὶ διαφόρων πονηρῶν λογισμῶν

The word is fruitless being choked by the thorns of our cares. So being done with troublesome thoughts, let us cast our cares down before the Lord, content with things present; and living in poverty and want, let us day by day strip ourselves of the garments of vainglory. And if anyone thinks it shameful to live in poor clothes, let him look to Saint Paul in cold and nakedness awaiting the crown of righteousness. To an arena and a stadium the Apostle likened the world; and so how is he able who is clothed with fretful thoughts to run for the prize of high calling, or wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age? I do not see how this is possible, and by this sensible insight let us be educated, for just as an athlete is weighed down by clothing and relieved when it is removed, so it is with the mind and anxious thoughts, if indeed the saying is true that the mind cleaves to its own treasure; for 'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.' Evagrius Ponticus, On Various Evil Thoughts

Tears And Prayer

Πρότερον περὶ λήψεως δακρύων προσεύχου, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ πένθους μαλάξῃς τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου ἀγριότητα, καὶ ἐξαγορεύσας κατὰ σου τὴν ἀνομίαν σοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ, παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀφέσεως τεύξῃ. Κέχρησο τοῖς δάκρυσι πρὸς παντὸς αἰτήματος κατόρθωσιν· λίαν γὰρ χαίρει σου ὁ Δεσπότες ἐν δάκρυσι προσευχὴν δεχόμενος. ̓Εὰν πηγὰς δακρύων ἐκχέῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου, μηδαμῶς ἐπαίρου ἐν σεαυτῷ ὡς ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς ὤν· βοήθειαν γὰρ προσείληφεν ἡ προσευχή σου, ἵνα δυνηθῇς προθύμως ἐξαγορεύειν σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἐξευμενίσασθαι τὸν Δεσπότην διὰ τῶν δακρύων.  Μὴ οῦ̓ν εἰς πάθος τρέψῃ τὸ τῶν παθῶν ἀλέξημα, ἵνα μὴ πλέον παροργίσῃς τὸν δεδωκότα τὴν χάριν· πολλοὶ δακρύοντες ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν, επιλαθόμενοι τοῦ τῶν δακρύων σκοποῦ, μανέντες ἐξεπλάγησαν. Στῆθι ἐμπόνως, καὶ προσεύχου εὐτόνως, καὶ ἀποστρέφου τὰς τῶν φροντίδων καὶ διαλογισμῶν ἐπιτεύξεις· ταράττουσι γὰρ καὶ θορυβοῦσί σε, ἵνα ἐκλύσως τοῦ τόνου.   Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περι προσευχῆς

First pray that you may receive tears, so that by means of sorrow you may be able to calm the state of your soul, and by confessing your lawlessness to the Lord, you may obtain forgiveness from him. With tears make every request effective, for it greatly delights your Master to receive prayer with tears. But even if you let flow fountains of tears in your prayer, never be exalted in yourself, as if you were superior to many, for your prayer has received aid so that you may be able to confess your sins easily and propitiate the Lord through tears. Do not, then, turn into a passion this guard against passions, lest you anger all the more He who gave you this grace. Many indeed who weep over their sins have forgotten why they are weeping; gazing elsewhere, they have madly wandered away. Stand fast in your labour and pray with strength, and repulse the schemes of cares and thoughts: they trouble and shout at you in order to undo your strength. Evagrius Ponticus, On Prayer

The Utility of Prayer

Τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα συμπάσχον τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἀσθενίᾳ καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις οὖσιν ἐπιφοιτᾷ ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐὰν εὕροι τὸν νοῦν μόνον φιλαλήθως αὐτῷ προσευχόμενον ἐπιβαίνει αὐτῷ, καὶ ἅπασαν τὴν κυκλοῦσαν αὐτὸν τῷν λογισμῶν ἢ νοημάτων φάλαγγα, ἐξαφανίζει, προτρεπόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς ἔρωτα πνευματικῆς προσευχῆς. Οἱ μὲν λοιποὶ διὰ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως τοῦ σώματος ἐμποιοῦσι τῷ νῷ λογισμοὺς ἢ νοήματα ἢ θεωρήματα. ̔Ο δὲ γε θεὸς τοὺναντίον δρᾳ· αὐτῷ τῷ νῷ ἐπιβαίνων, ἐντίθησιν αὐτῷ γνῶσιν ὧν βούλεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ σώματος κατευνάζει.   Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περι προσευχῆς

The Holy Spirit, sympathizing with our weakness, regularly visits us even in our uncleanliness, and if he only finds the mind loving truth and praying to it, He enters into it and destroys the whole battle array of thoughts and ideas circling around it, urging it onward to the love of spiritual prayer. Other things produce thoughts or ideas or contemplations in the mind by affecting the body, but God does the opposite: entering into the mind, He places within it knowledge as He wishes and through the mind He lulls the weakness of the body. Evagrius Ponticus, On Prayer

The Problem Of The Mind

Τοῖς μὲν κοσμικοῖς οἱ δαίμονες διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον παλαίουσι͵ τοῖς δὲ μοναχοῖς ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν· πραγμάτων γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν ἐστέρηνται· καὶ ὅσον εὐκολώτερον τὸ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἁμαρτάνειν τοῦ κατ΄ἐνέργειαν͵ τοσοῦτον χαλεπώτερος καὶ ὁ κατὰ διάνοιαν πόλεμος τοῦ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων συνισταμένου· εὐκίνητον γάρ τι πρᾶγμα ὁ νοῦς καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀνόμους φαντασίας δυσκάθεκτον. Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Ὁ Πρακτικός

The demons prefer to wrestle with the worldly by means of the things of the world, but with monks for the most part by means of thoughts, because those in the desert are deprived of the world. And in as much as it is easier to sin in the mind than to go to the deed, so more difficult is the war of the mind than that which comes about because of worldly things; for the mind is a thing easily moved and hard to rein in when confronted with impious ideas. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos

Advice On Prayer

Μὴ προσεύχου τὰ σὰ θελήματα γενέσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ πάντως συμωνοῦσι τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καθὼς ἐδιδάχθης, προσεύχου λέγων· Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ἐν ἐμοί· καὶ ἐπὶ παντὶ δὲ πράγματι οὕτως αὐτὸν αἴτει ἵνα τὸ αὐτοῦ γένηται θέλημα. θέλει γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ συμφέρον τῇ ψυχῇ, σὺ δὲ οὐ πάντως τοῦτο ζητεῖς. Πολλάκις προσευχόμενος ᾐτησάμην γεγέσθαι μοι ὃ ἔδοξα καλὸν εἶναί μοι, καὶ ἐπέμενον τῶ αἰτήματι, ἀλόγως βιαζόμενος τὀ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀποσισοὺς αὐτῷ, ἵνα ὃ οἶδε συμφέρον αὐτὸς μᾶλλον οἰκονομήσῃ, καὶ μέντοι λαβὼν, ὔστερον ἠχθέσθην λίαν, διότι μᾶλλον τὸ βούλημα ἑαυτοῦ ᾐτησάμην γενέσθαι· οὐ γαρ τοιοῦτόν μοι ἀπηντησε τὸ πρᾶγμα, οἷον ἐνόμιζον. Τί ἄλλο ἀγαθὸν ἀλλ' ἢ Θεός; Οὐκοῦν αὐτῷ ἀποδῶμεν πάντα τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ εὖ ἡμῖν ἔσται· ὁ γὰρ ἀγαθὸς πάντως, καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐστι παροχεὺς δωρεῶν. Μὴ ὡς ἐν δυνάμει κομιζόμενος, εὐθέως παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ αἴτημα αἴτει. Βούλεται γὰρ σε ἐπιπλέον εὐεργετῆσαι προσκαρτεροῦντα αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ. Τί γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἀνώτερον τοῦ τῷ θεῷ προσομιλεῖν καὶ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν συνουσίᾳ περισπᾶσθαι;   Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Περι προσευχῆς

Do not pray that your will be done, for it is not fully in harmony with the will of God. Rather pray as you were taught, saying in prayer, 'Let your will be done in me.' And in all matters so ask Him that his will be done. For He wills the good and that which profits the soul, but that is not always what you seek. In prayer I have asked for something I thought was good be done for me, insistent in my request, and irrationally forcing God’s will, and so I did not leave it to him who better knows what is profitable, and when later I received, I would have rather asked for his will to be done, for the matter did not turn out as I had thought. What other good is there but God?  So let us hand over to Him everything which concerns us, and it will be well with us; for He is wholly good and the provider of good gifts. Do not turn to your own means if you do not swiftly receive from God your request. For He wishes to benefit you even more by your perseverance in prayer. What is superior to intercourse with God and to be absorbed with being with him? Evagrius Ponticus, On Prayer