Discourse 79

On the fact that as the change of hidden movements, so also the change of external conduct. And as for the human being who is in a state of negligence: the departure from life is far from his thought, and in the life that is after death he does not constantly meditate, nor does he prepare what is necessary for the end, being occupied at every moment. And the contempt for all honor and glory of the body is sown in his thought, and the idea of the baseness of the world is cast aside in his mind at all times. And the heart is in his contemplation, and a courageous heart stands firm at every moment against every fear and every kind of death. He is not afraid of death, because at every moment he looks upon its approach and endures it. And he casts his hope upon God with all his undivided trust. And if afflictions befall him, like a wise and discerning physician who knows that complete remedies are prepared for him, with all joy he endures them, while he rejoices and delights himself in their reception, because he knows that God is the one who administers them to him on account of the benefits of the causes, which are not known through manifest means.

What then happens? From whatever cause it may be, something from these passing things falls into his hand and stands in his action, that wise one to all evils. At that hour, the love of the body begins to be stirred in his soul, and life is prolonged, and thoughts like those of the body’s pleasure arise in him at every moment. And he seizes the body, so that if possible, it might not be diminished in anything. And every distraction, these pleasures of the body, he is able to establish. And from that freedom, which is not enslaved to any thought of fear, he is born. And from there, in all of them, the movements that are the doers of sin and the causes of fear arise and are reckoned. Because the boldness of the heart has been taken from him, which, when he was raised from the world by his renunciation, stood in himself. And because he was an heir to the world, thus in the humility of his standing, which he held, he also received fear as a law and a boundary ordained by God. For which side, then, that prepares our members for his service, they will be servants in the servitude of all fear, as the word of the Apostle says: Before pains, love is born. And before all the superfluities, that man should be flesh over pleasures, that his body might be nourished by pleasures in the place where the devil is pressed, that he might be caught in his youth, a servant he becomes. And at his end, he is tormented.

Just as one cannot draw out a person whose head is stuck in a deep pit of water, to breathe the pure air that is poured into that empty pit, so too one cannot draw out a person whose mind is immersed in the love of the world, to receive the ascent of his sensible self to that pure air of the new world. Just as the poison of death mixed with the taste of the body confuses the sense of taste, so too a beautiful sight corrupts the faculty of reason. Just as health and sickness cannot exist together in the body without one harming the other, so too shame and love cannot exist together in one soul without one harming the other. Just as a boat cannot be safe in the vicinity of a rock and remain in good condition, so too a saint cannot be safe when associating with the sight and speech of a woman and remain in his purity without stain. Just as trees are uprooted from the banks by the constant flow of water, so too love of the world is uprooted from the heart by the constant flow of tears that pass over the body. Just as medicines cleanse the body of black, evil humors, so too the force of afflictions cleanses the heart of evil passions.

Just as a dead person cannot perceive the desires of life, so too the solitary one who is buried in silence as in a tomb, his soul is withheld from the resurrection that passes by, because it is cut off from the sensation of the desires that are overturned in the midst of the affairs of the world. Just as a general who has no mercy cannot spare his opponent in the line of battle, so too the ascetic cannot have mercy on his body and save his soul from destruction. Just as when childhood is stripped away from the visions that order it, the running and the leaps of its parents are changed, so too the soul, as much as it is weaned from the intoxication of the passions, hastens toward God to be changed by the humility of its prayer. And the more the passions are subdued, the more prayer increases. And when it is at rest, it is strengthened in its mouth. Just as those who are handed over to the hands of judges to be punished for their evils, if they approach the lashes immediately, they are humbled and confess their faults at the beginning of their lashes, and are released from their lashes, and through small torments they are saved quickly. But if there are those who are foolish and hardened, more lashes are added to them, and at the end, against their will, they confess after many lashes, when their sides are torn, and they gain nothing.

Thus also sin: when, because of the errors of the flesh, it is delivered from the hands of divine mercy into the hands of the bitterness of the judge of all, and he commands concerning them that they be stretched out before the rod of the passions, as if the threads of that place were not stretched; if at that very hour, when the rod of the judge is brought near to them, they are humbled and remember their transgressions, and confess before the accuser, by means of small passions they are saved easily. But if they are hardened in their afflictions and do not confess that they themselves were the cause of these things, and they become equal to them and even more than them, and are not afflicted by the evil deeds, and there are times when by demons and by chance also by the bitterness of God, and the victorious souls are raised up; and those who are not like them, if their deeds are pleasing to them, they say, and they are not pleased that God is more than them, and knows us, and that the whole earth is the property of the Lord, and no one apart from his commandments is cast down, however it comes: sorrows, afflictions pass away, and from one to another, as if by a rope they deliver us, until we know ourselves and are humbled, and perceive our sins. For without perception, one cannot even attain to correction that is to come. And at the end, by means of many afflictions they are pressed, then they confess their sins, a confession that is without profit.

Thus also sin: when, because of the errors of the flesh, it is delivered from the hands of divine mercy into the hands of the bitterness of the judge of all, and he commands concerning them that they be stretched out before the tribunal, and that they be cast into the fire of Gehenna, and that they be tormented with many kinds of tortures, as if they had not gone through all these afflictions and torments without profit from this world. And they do not depart from harshness, but from ignorance they do not become discerning. There are those who even in these things are tormented from this world, and do not confess that they are guilty, but are delayed and hindered. But God, the merciful, sees that if they humble themselves, he will forgive and have mercy on them. And not only does he make their torments cease, but he also covers their sins, through the small confession of their heart. Just as a person who offers a great gift to a king and approaches him with a joyful face, so too when he has tears in prayer before God, the great king of all worlds, he passes over all the stains of his sins, and also approaches him with a joyful face. For like a sheep that goes out from the flock, and at the time of its shepherd goes and stands at the mouth of the den of wolves, so too the solitary one who separates from the communion of his companions in the name of the solitary life, and is appointed among the visions, and at the time of the reading.

like a man who carries a heavy load of water-skins on his shoulder and goes along a path that has a steep incline, and at every moment he is near to falling. Thus also when he carries the heavy load of fasting and drives along the path of the world of enemies, until he enters the cave of the grave, which is a place of despair; there is no hope for him to be delivered from the robbers and brigands. Perhaps it is possible that he does not fall; thus also this one does not know in which place and from where and at what time the snares and nets are spread for him, and he is stripped of his hope. There is: that at the door of his house he is plundered. That is: the old age of the sacrifice. Like a man who drinks wine at a time of mourning and becomes drunk, and forgets all the pain of his grief. Thus also one who becomes drunk with the love of God in this world, which is a house of weeping, forgets his pain and all his distress, and he does not feel it because of his intoxication with all the pains of sin. His heart is set on hope in God; his life is a small stone of his own self. At every moment he lifts his mind from the earth, and above the heavens he flies in the air of his thoughts, for he has a constant prayer, like a man who gives wind to his chariot, so that his enemy does not overtake him. Whenever he wishes, he flies away from his pursuers.

like a man who carries a heavy load of water-skins on his shoulder and goes along a path that has a steep incline, and at every moment he is near to falling. Thus also when he carries the heavy load of fasting and drives himself into the midst of the sea of thoughts, and casts his garments from the ship: thus also when he preaches concerning the virtues on this path of the house of God, in this world which is a deep sea. The virtues are not diminished. What do you do in a house that is not yours? The vision of death: let it be your teacher concerning your departure from here. Why do you multiply bonds for yourself? Your life is short: while your darkness is still bright, and you seek help and do not find it. These days: they are given to you as an opportunity for repentance; do not waste time with excuses. The cross: it is the door of mysteries; through this door the entry of the spirit to the knowledge of heavenly mysteries occurs. The knowledge of the cross: is hidden in the sufferings of the cross. And just as the participation in them, so also the perception of it occurs: as the word of the Apostle. For the more one is enriched by the sufferings of Christ, the more one increases in joy in Christ. Joy calls to theory, which is interpreted as the vision of the self. Vision: gives birth to joy. It is not possible for the fruits of the spirit to be placed aside, except when our heart is dead to the world.

He forces the soul to die the death of the Messiah: he raises it in the contemplation of all the worlds. And the other. But if you die to the world, you will not be changed. In you, O spiritual man, there is no change. For when a man dies in his spiritual sacrifice, the whole course of this life is overturned, and his days are hastened to the life after the grave; grace prevails over him. And his conduct is changed in spirit. And when he has labored for the world, then he perceives that new conduct of man, which rises from the noise of the sensible life and is equal to divine revelations. It is not possible that there be existence within the world of the dead to the world, as the thought desires in the senses. And the world is placed before their perceptions by its desires, and it renews remembrance by sensation, and it awakens the body towards its time, by the proximity of its senses, by sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. And the death of the soul from the world is: emptiness of heart from the thought of its remembrances, and restraint of the soul from thoughts of its desires, and cessation of will from love of the thought of them.

It is not possible for the heart to be in the state of elevation from the world, and in the simplicity of the love of the Most High, while it is occupied within itself with renewed memories from the encounters of the passions through the senses that receive them. The death of the soul from the world is not accomplished, except when the body also becomes free from the sensation and vision of the passions.