Reasons of the Monastic Life
Rerum monachalium rationes
Renouncing worldly cares for stillness§1
1The Reasons for Monastic Life by Evagrius the Monk, the causes of things according to the monk, and the presentation of this life according to stillness. In Jeremiah it is said, 'And you do not take to yourself a wife in this place; for thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place: In a sickly death they shall die' (Jeremiah 16:2). This word shows that according to the Apostle, 'the married man cares for the things of the world, how he might please the wife, and is divided; and the married woman cares for the things of the world, how she might please the husband' (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).
And it is clear that not only concerning the sons and daughters who will be in the marital life is it said in the prophet, 'In a sickly death they shall die,' but also concerning the sons and daughters being born in their heart, that is, fleshly thoughts and desires, as they shall die in the sickly, weak, and dissolute mindset of this world, and these shall not attain the heavenly and eternal life. 'But the unmarried,' he says, 'cares for the things of the Lord, how he might please the Lord,' and he will make the ever-green and immortal fruits of the heavenly life.
Such is the monk, and thus the monk must be, abstaining from woman, not making a son or a daughter in the aforementioned place; but not only that, but to be an incorporeal soldier of Christ, unconcerned, being outside of every worldly notion and practice, just as the Apostle says: 'No one having been enrolled for service entangles himself in the affairs of life, so that he may please him who enrolled him' (2 Timothy 2:4). In these things let the monk be, especially he who having left behind all the matter of this world, flees toward the beautiful and good trophies of stillness. For the asceticism is beautiful and good to stillness, how truly beautiful and good it is! For the yoke is good, and the burden is light; the life is sweet, the practice is straight.
Now, my beloved, you wish, then, for the solitary life...
As if one were to take up trophies and flee toward the things of stillness? Leave there the cares of the world, and the beginnings and powers over these things; that is to say, you shall become incorporeal, dispassionate, and outside of every desire; so that, having become a stranger to the commotion of these things, you may be able to be still well. For if no one spares himself from these, he would not be able to accomplish this same way of life.
Hold to the food of the few and the easily-provided-for, not of many and distracting things. And if even for the sake of hospitality a calculation concerning expensive things arises, leave this there, do not add to it at all; for through this the adversary lurks in you, he lurks to turn you away from stillness. You have the Lord Jesus rebuking the soul striving for such things like Martha (Luke 10:41-42), and saying: 'Why are you anxious about many things and troubled? One thing is necessary,' to hear the divine Word, and after this, to be sharp in all that is found. Therefore he also immediately brings forth saying: 'Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her' (Luke 10:42).
You also have the example of the widow in Sarepta (1 Kings 17:10-16), in what way she honored the prophet. Even if you have only bread, even if water, you are able to perform the reward of hospitality in these things; and if you do not have these, but only receive the stranger with a good intention and give him a useful word, just so you are able to provide the reward of hospitality; for a good word has been said instead of a house.
IV. Such things you must consider regarding almsgiving. Now, lest you desire to have wealth for the distribution of the poor—for this too is a deception of the evil one, often approaching toward vainglory and plunging the mind into the cause of busyness. You have in the Gospel testified by the Lord Jesus the widow (Luke 21:1-4), whose choice and power surpassed that of the rich through only two small coins. 'For they indeed,' he says, 'from their abundance cast in...'
Greek · §1
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Avoiding Distractions and Seeking Solitude§2
2In the treasury, and this is all of its own existence. Concerning clothing, do not desire to have extra clothing, providing only what is sufficient for the necessity of the body. Rather cast your care upon the Lord, and He will provide for you. For He, he says, cares about us.
If food or clothing is needed, do not be ashamed to receive those things offered to you by others. For this is a form of pride. But if you yourself abound in these things, give to the one lacking. In this way God wants to manage His own children. For this reason also the Apostle, writing to the Corinthians, was saying concerning the lacking ones: 'That your abundance may be for their lack, so that their abundance may also be for your lack, so that equality may occur, just as it has been written: He who has much, did not increase, and he who has little, did not diminish' (2 Cor 8:14-15).
Having the necessary things for the present time, do not worry about the time to come; for example, a day, or a week, or a year, or months. For when the time of tomorrow has arrived, the time itself will provide the necessary things, as you seek above all the kingdom of the heavens and the righteousness of God. 'Seek,' says the Lord, 'the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you' (Matt 6:33).
Do not acquire a child; lest an opponent should ever move you through this into some scandal, and disturb your mind regarding the care of most expensive foods. For you will not be able to care for yourself alone anymore; even if the thought comes as if for bodily rest, but consider the better thing; I mean the spiritual rest; for truly the spiritual rest is better than the bodily rest. Even if the mind proposes this for the sake of the child's benefit, do not be persuaded by it; for this is not our work; it belongs to others, to the holy fathers who are in community. Care for your own benefit alone, and the way of preserving stillness. Do not love to live with material and crowded people; either dwell alone, or with brothers who are simple and of the same mind. For he who lives with material and crowded people will certainly participate himself in their turbulence, and will become a slave...
You will be led away by human commands, by vain talk, and by all other evils: by anger, by sadness, by the madness of the flesh, by fear, and by scandal. Do not be swept away by parental cares or by kindred friendships; for you must decline even continuous associations with these very people, lest they rob you of the stillness in the cell and draw you into their own circumstances. 'Let the dead bury their own dead,' says the Lord, 'but you, come here and follow me' (Matt 8:22). If even the cell in which you sit is very busy, flee, and do not show mercy to it; do not be overcome by love for it. Do everything, do all things, however you may be able to be quiet and at leisure, and to strive to become active in the wills of God and in the struggle of the invisibles.
6. If you are not able to be easily quiet in your own places, set your intention upon exile, and upon this very thing direct your thought. Become as if you were an excellent negotiator, testing all things for stillness, and holding fast to all things that are quiet and useful for this purpose. But I say to you, love exile; for it delivers you from the circumstances of your own land, and makes you enjoy only the benefit according to stillness. Flee the activities in the city, and endure those in the desert. 'Behold,' says the saint, 'I fled and wandered in the desert' (Psalm 55:7). If possible, do not encounter the city at all; for nothing is useful, nothing is helpful, nothing is beneficial to your way of life seeing it there. 'I saw,' says the saint again, 'iniquity and contention in the city.' Therefore, pursue places that are private and undistracted; do not fear having nothing of theirs. And if you see there the phantasms of demons, should you not be terrified? Yet do not flee the station of our benefit; remain without fear, and you will see the greatness of God, the understanding, the care, and all other full assurance regarding salvation. 'I was waiting,' says the blessed man, 'for him who saves me from faint-heartedness and from the storm.' Let not wavering desire conquer your choice; for 'wavering with desire corrupts a good mind.' Many trials come because of this. Fear the slip, and remain settled in your cell.
Greek · §2
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The Remedy for Acedia through Labor§3
3If you have friends, avoid their continuous associations, for by meeting them from a distance you will be useful. But if you perceive through them that harm is happening to you, do not approach them at all. For you must have friends who are useful and compatible with your way of life. Avoid also the associations of wicked and quarrelsome men; do not live with any of them, but rather decline even their bad intentions, for they neither stand toward God, nor do they remain. Let men of peace be your friends, spiritual brothers, and holy Fathers. For the Lord called these such, saying: 'My mother and my brothers and my fathers are these, who do the will of my Father in the heavens' (Matt 12:48-50).
Do not feast with those who are distracted, nor walk with them to a banquet; let them never pull you toward their own affairs or lead you away from the knowledge according to stillness, for this passion is in them; do not turn your ear to their words, and do not receive the thoughts of their hearts. For they are truly harmful. Let your longing be toward the faithful of the earth, and let the toil of your heart be toward a zeal for their mourning. For 'my eyes' are 'upon the faithful of the earth, to sit with them with me' (Psalm 101:6). If even one of those walking according to the love of God comes to you to eat and invites you, and you wish to go, go indeed, but return quickly to your cell. If possible, do not sleep at all besides this, so that the grace of stillness may remain with you always, and you may have unhindered worship in its intention.
Do not become a desirer of good foods and of those things that deceive according to extravagance. 'For she who spends extravagantly has died while living,' as the Apostle says (1 Tim 5:6). Do not glut your belly with the food of others, so that a longing for these things does not arise in you, and the outward tables may instill in you longing. For it has been said: 'Do not be deceived by the glutting of the belly.' If you see yourself continually being invited outside your cell, decline. For the continuous staying outside your cell is harmful; it removes grace and darkens the understanding.
It quenches the desire. Look at me, a wine jar placed more abundantly in its place, and lying undisturbed, how it prepares the wine to be bright, settling, and fragrant; but if it is carried around here and there, it becomes agitated, murky, showing the listlessness of all the evils of the harvest. By approaching this very thing, I test the benefit, cutting off the connections of many, so that your mind does not become distracted and disturb the way of stillness.
Attend to the work of the hands, and this very thing, if possible, night and day, so as not to be burdened by anything, but rather even to the point of sharing, just as the holy apostle Paul advises, so that indeed in this you may strike down the demon of listlessness and tear away all the other desires of the enemy. For the demon of listlessness lies upon idleness, and is in desires, as he says. You will not escape sin from giving and receiving.
Therefore, whether you sell or buy, lose a little of the equivalent to yourself; do not, through ways of being drawn into exactness or the love of profit regarding price, fall upon the harmful causes of the soul, such as contention or perjury, through the shifts of your words, and in such things dishonor and shame the worthy intention of our purpose. Thus, you yourself, being mindful, guard your giving and your receiving. But if you choose the better, and this is possible for you, cast your care upon some other faithful man, so that, becoming thus of good mind, you may have good and joyful hopes.
Thus I know how to advise you these useful things, the way of stillness. Now, I will present to you the mind of the things that follow, which are coming upon it; so listen to me, and do what I command you. Sitting in your cell: gather your mind; remember the days of death; see then the death of the body; understand the misery; take up the toil; recognize the vanity of this world; take care of both moderation and diligence, so that you may be able to remain always in the same intention of stillness, and not grow weak. And remember also that in Hades now...
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Management of Life and Prayer§4
4Consider the state of the souls there: in what most bitter silence, or in what most terrible groan, what fear or agony, or what expectation they are in; the unceasing pain, the psychic and endless weeping. But also remember the days of resurrection and of standing before God; imagine that fearful and dread judgment. Bring to mind the things set aside for those committing sins: the shame before God and His Christ, angels, archangels, powers, and all men; all the tortures, the eternal fire, the unceasing worm, the Tartarus, the darkness, the gnashing of teeth over all these things, the terrors and the torments.
Now bring to mind also the good things set aside for the righteous: the boldness with God the Father and His Christ, angels, archangels, powers, and all the people, the kingdom and its gifts, the joy and the enjoyment. Bring the memory of both of these to yourself; and regarding the judgment of the sinners, groan, weep, clothe the idea in mourning, fearing that you yourself might also come into these things; but regarding the good things set aside for the righteous, rejoice and exult and be glad. Strive to enjoy the one and to be a stranger to the other. See that you never forget these, whether you happen to be inside your cell or somewhere outside, that your mind may not cast aside the memory of these things, so that through these you might drive away filthy and harmful thoughts.
40.1264. Let fasting be to you as much as you have strength before the Lord. This will cleanse your lawlessness and your sins, dignify the soul, sanctify the mind, drive out demons, and prepare for God to be near. But having eaten once for the day, do not long for a second, so that you do not become costly and your mind be thrown into turmoil. From this you will be able to proceed easily toward the works of goodness, and to deaden the passions of the body itself. But if an encounter with brothers occurs, and there is a need, such that you eat a second or a third time, do not be disgusted or depressed; rather rejoice, becoming obedient to the need; and having eaten a second or third time, give thanks to God, because you have fulfilled the law of love...
That you will have God himself as the steward of our life. And when sickness of the body occurs, and there is a need so that you may eat a second, a third, and many times, let your reasoning be loosened in this way. For you must not prevail even in the bodily labors of the lifestyle during sicknesses; but rather yield to some, so that having returned more quickly to health, you may again exercise the labors of the lifestyle with the same.
Regarding the abstaining from foods, the divine word did not forbid eating anything, but said: 'Behold, I have given you everything like herbs of the field (Genesis 9:3). Eat nothing with discerning (Matt 15:11);' and, 'Not what enters into the mouth makes the man common (Matt 15:11).' Therefore, this abstaining from foods would be a labor of our choice and of the soul.
14. Endure the exhaustion and the sleeplessness and all the other miseries with pleasure, looking toward the glory that is to be revealed to you along with all the saints. For 'the sufferings are not worthy' (Rom 8:18) of the present time in view of the glory that is to be revealed to us, it says. If you become despondent, pray, as it has been written: pray indeed without fear, with modesty, with sobriety and with alertness. Thus it is necessary to pray, especially because the wicked and the troublesome ones, our invisible enemies who wish to affect us in this, want to see us standing by in prayer; only then do they themselves stand against us earnestly, casting upon us in our mind those things which it is not right to be mindful of or to think of during the time of praying, so that they may lead our mind captive, and make our petition and our entreaty from prayer slow, vain, and unprofitable. For truly the prayer and the petition and the entreaty turn out vain and unprofitable when they do not, as previously stated, continue in fear and in trembling, soberly and alertly.
Just as one approaching a human king, with fear and trembling and sobriety, thus composes a petition; should one not similarly stand before God, the Master of all, and Christ, King of those reigning and Ruler of those ruling, and similarly perform the petition and the entreaty? To God be the glory for the ages. Amen.
Greek · §4
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