Rerum monachalium rationes

Evagrius the Monk, The Causes of the Monastic Practices and Their Presentation in Hesychia, 1. In Jeremiah it is said, “And you shall not take a wife for yourself in this place; for thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place: They will die a sickly death.” This shows, according to the Apostle, that “the married man cares for worldly things, how to please his wife, and is divided; and the married woman cares for worldly things, how to please her husband.” And it is clear that not only concerning the sons and daughters who will be in the married life is it said in the prophet, “They will die a sickly death,” but also concerning the sons and daughters born in their heart, that is, fleshly thoughts and desires, that they too will die in the sickly and weak and enervated mind of this world, and will not attain the heavenly and eternal life. “But the unmarried man,” it says, “cares for the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord,” and will produce the ever-blooming and immortal fruits of the heavenly life.

2. Such is the monk, and thus must the monk be, refraining from woman, not begetting a son or daughter in the aforesaid place. Moreover, he must be an immaterial soldier of Christ, free from care, outside every commercial thought and action, as the Apostle says: “No one serving as a soldier becomes entangled in the business affairs of life, so as to please the one who enlisted him.” In these things let the monk walk, especially the one who has abandoned all the matter of this world and runs to the beautiful and fair trophies of hesychia. For how beautiful and fair is the practice of hesychia, truly beautiful and fair! For its yoke is gentle and its burden light; its life is sweet, its practice steadfast. 3. Do you therefore wish, beloved, to take up the solitary life as it is and run to the trophies of hesychia? Leave behind there the cares of the world, and the offices and authorities over them; that is, be immaterial, dispassionate, outside every desire, so that, having become alien to the distraction arising from these, you may be able to practice hesychia well. For unless one removes oneself from these, one could not accomplish this way of life. Hold to few and easily despised foods, not many and distracting ones. And if a thought arises concerning costly things for the sake of hospitality, dismiss it there, do not give in to it at all; for through this the adversary lies in wait for you, lies in wait to lead you away from hesychia. You have the Lord Jesus reproaching in some way the soul that busies itself with such things, Martha, and saying: Why are you “about many things” and “disturbed”?

One thing is necessary, he says, to hear the divine word, and after this to be unwearied in everything that is found. Therefore he immediately adds, saying: "For Mary chose the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." You have also the example of the widow of Sarepta, in what she entertained the prophet. Even if you have only bread, even if only water, you can in these things earn the reward of hospitality; and if you do not have these, but receive the stranger with good intention and give him a useful word, you can likewise procure the reward of hospitality; for it has been said that a word is better than a gift. 4. Such things you must think concerning almsgiving. Therefore do not desire to have wealth for distribution to the poor. For this too is a deception of the evil one, often approaching for vainglory and casting the mind into causes of meddlesomeness. You have in the Gospel a widow witnessed by the Lord Jesus, who through only two small coins surpassed the intention and power of the rich. "For those," he says, "threw from their surplus into the treasury, but she gave her entire substance." Concerning garments, do not desire to have superfluous garments; provide for those sufficient for the need of the body. Cast your care rather upon the Lord, and he will provide for you. For he, it is said, cares for us. If there is need of food or garments, do not be ashamed to take what is offered to you by others. For this is a form of pride. And if you yourself have a surplus in these things, give to the one in need. Thus God wishes his own children to be managed.

For this reason also the Apostle, writing to the Corinthians, said concerning those who are in need: "Your abundance for their deficiency, so that their abundance may become for your deficiency, in order that equality may come about, as it is written: 'He who has much did not have more, and he who has little did not have less.'" Therefore, having the necessities of the present time, do not be anxious about the future time—for example, of one day, or a week, or a year, or months. For when the time of tomorrow arrives, that time itself will supply the necessities, especially if you are seeking the kingdom of heaven and the justice of God. "Seek," says the Lord, "the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things will be added to you." 5. Do not acquire a slave; lest the adversary ever through this stir up some scandal for you, and disturb your mind to be concerned about the most costly foods. For you will no longer be able to care for yourself alone; and even if the thought comes to you for bodily rest, yet consider the better—I mean spiritual rest; for spiritual rest is truly better than bodily rest. And even if it attacks your mind for the sake of the slave's benefit, do not be persuaded by it; for this is not our work; it belongs to others, to the holy fathers in the cenobium. Care only for your own benefit, and cultivate the way of hesychia. Do not love to dwell with material and distracted men; either dwell alone, or with brothers who are immaterial and of one mind with you.

For the one who lives among material and worldly people will certainly share in their condition and will serve human commands, empty talk, and all other dreadful things—anger, grief, the madness of material things, fear, and scandal. Do not be carried away by parental cares or family affections; indeed, even avoid constant meetings with these very people, lest they ever rob you of the stillness of your cell and draw you into their own circumstances. "Let," says the Lord, "the dead bury their own dead; but you, come, follow me." And if the cell in which you sit is in a troubled place, flee, and do not spare even it, lest you become weak through attachment to it. Do everything, act in every way, so that you may be able to be still and at leisure, and to strive to be in the will of God and in the struggle against the unseen. 5. If you cannot easily be still in your own region, set your intention on exile, and hasten your thought toward this very thing. Become like an excellent merchant, testing everything for stillness, and through all things holding fast to what is calm and useful for it. Yet I tell you, love exile; for it frees you from the circumstances of your own country and allows you to enjoy only the benefit of stillness. Flee from sojourns in the city, and endure those in the desert. "Behold," says the holy one, "I have gone far away in flight, and I have lodged in the desert." If possible, do not go into the city at all; for nothing

useful, nothing useful, nothing beneficial for your way of life will you see there. "I saw," the saint says again, "lawlessness and dissension in the city." Therefore, pursue places that are your own and free from distraction; do not shrink from possessing them. But even if you see apparitions of demons there, do not be terrified, nor flee the arena of our benefit; endure fearlessly, and you will see the greatness of God—his assistance, his care, and all other assurance for salvation. "For I was awaiting," says the blessed man, "the one who saves me from faintheartedness and from the storm." Do not let the desire for wandering overcome your resolve; "For wandering with desire transmutes an innocent mind." Many temptations arise from this. Fear the misstep, and be steadfast in your cell. 7. If you have friends, flee from constant meetings with them; for by meeting them only after long intervals you will be useful. But if you perceive that harm comes to you through these very meetings, do not approach them at all. For you must have friends who are beneficial and contribute to your way of life. Flee also from meetings with wicked and contentious men; do not live with any of them; indeed, also renounce their base intentions; for they neither cleave to God nor do they persevere. Let peaceful men be your friends, spiritual brothers, holy fathers. For these the Lord himself called thus, saying: "My mother and my brothers and my fathers are these, who do the will of my Father in heaven." Do not lodge with those who are distracted, nor go with them to a banquet;

lest they draw you into their deceptions and lead you away from the science of hesychia; for this passion is in them. Do not incline your ear to their words, and do not admit the thoughts of their heart. For they are truly harmful. Let your desire be for the faithful of the earth, and the labor of your heart for the zeal of their mourning. For "my eyes are upon the faithful of the earth, that they may sit with me." But if someone who walks in the love of God comes to you and invites you to eat, and you wish to go, go, but quickly return to your cell. If possible, never sleep outside of it, so that the grace of hesychia may always remain with you, and you will have the worship of its purpose unimpeded. 8. Do not become a desirer of fine foods and of the deceptions of gluttony. "For the one who lives in gluttony, though living, is dead," as the Apostle also says. Do not fill your belly with the foods of others, lest a desire for them arise in you, and it instills in you a longing for tables outside. For it is said: "Do not be deceived by the filling of the belly." But if you see yourself continually invited outside your cell, decline. For constant tarrying outside your cell is harmful; it removes grace, darkens the mind, withers desire. See how a jar of wine that has remained for a very long time in the same place, lying undisturbed, makes the wine clear, settled, fragrant.

If it is carried here and there, disturbed, sullen, displaying the whole unpleasantness of the dregs of vice. Therefore, having brought yourself near to this, strive for benefit, cut off your relationships with the many, lest your mind become distracted and disturb the way of hesychia. Take care of manual labor, and this very thing, if possible, night and day, so as not to burden anyone, but rather also to give, just as the holy apostle Paul exhorts, saying: so that in this you may wrestle down the demon of acedia, and break up all the other desires of the enemy. For the demon of acedia lies in wait for idleness, and is in desires, as he says. You will not escape the sin of selling and buying. Whether you sell or buy, then, cause yourself a small loss from the equal; do not, carried away by precise or profit-loving ways concerning the price, fall into the harmful causes of the soul—contentiousness, perjury, changes of your words—and in such things dishonor and disgrace the honorable dignity of our profession. Thus, considering this, guard yourself in your selling and your buying. But if you choose the better, and this is possible for you, cast your care upon some other faithful man, so that, becoming cheerful in this way, you will have good and joyful hopes.

9. The way of hesychia knows how to counsel you in these useful matters. Come, I will also set before you the meaning of the things that follow in it. Listen to me, and do what I command you. Sitting in your cell, gather your mind. Remember the day of death. Behold then the mortification of the body. Consider the calamity. Take hold of the pain. Condemn the vanity in this world. Practice both gentleness and diligence, so that you may be able to remain always in the same purpose of hesychia, and not grow weak. Remember also the present state in Hades. Consider how the souls are there, in what most bitter silence, or in what most terrible groaning, in what great fear or anguish, or in what expectation: the unceasing pain, the psychic and endless tear. But also remember the day of resurrection and of standing before God. Picture that fearful and dreadful judgment. Bring to mind what is laid up for sinners: shame before God and his Christ, angels, archangels, authorities, and all people; and all the punishments: the eternal fire, the unending worm, Tartarus, the darkness, the gnashing of teeth over all these, the fears and torments. Bring also the goods laid up for the righteous: freedom of speech with God the Father and his Christ, angels, archangels, authorities, and the whole assembly; the kingdom and its gifts, joy and enjoyment. Bring the memory of both of these to yourself.

and at the judgment of sinners groan, weep, put on the appearance of mourning, fearing lest you yourself be among them; and at the goods laid up for the righteous rejoice and exult and be glad; and strive to enjoy these, and to be alienated from those; see that you never forget these things, whether you happen to be within your cell or outside somewhere, and do not cast away your thought from the memory of these things; so that through these you may escape the foul and harmful thoughts. 10. Let fasting be for you as much as is possible before the Lord. This will cleanse your lawlessnesses and sins, will make your soul dignified, will sanctify your thought, will drive away demons, and will prepare God to be near. Having eaten once a day, do not desire a second, so that you may not become extravagant and disturb your thought. From this you will be able to provide for the works of beneficence, and also to mortify the passions of the body itself. But if a gathering of brothers occurs, and there is need for you to eat a second and third time, do not be sullen or downcast; rather rejoice, being obedient to the need; and having eaten the second or third time, give thanks to God, that you have fulfilled the law of love, and that you will have God himself as the steward of our life. There is also when bodily illness occurs, and there is need to eat a second and third and many times; let your thought be thus loosened. For it is not necessary to maintain the bodily labors of the ascetic life even in illnesses.

but to yield in some things, so that, having more quickly returned to good health, he may again exercise himself in the same labors of the discipline. Concerning abstinence from foods, the divine word did not forbid anyone to eat, but said: "Behold, I have given you all things as herbs of the field. Eat, making no distinction;" and, "It is not what enters the mouth that defiles a man." Therefore, to abstain from foods would be a matter of our own choice and a labor of the soul. 11. Bear sleeping on the ground, wakefulness, and all other hardships gladly, looking toward the glory that will be revealed to you together with all the saints. For "the sufferings of the present time are not worthy," he says, "compared to the future glory that will be revealed in us." If you are despondent, pray, as it is written; but pray with fear, with trembling, with effort, soberly and vigilantly. Thus one must pray, especially on account of the ill-tempered and ill-intentioned, who wish to harass us in this, our invisible enemies. When they see us standing at prayer, then indeed they also eagerly beset us, suggesting to our mind those things which ought not to be thought of or conceived in the time of prayer, so that they may carry off our mind captive, and render the petition and supplication from prayer idle, vain, and useless. For prayer and petition and supplication are truly vain and useless when they are not, as was said, performed in fear and trembling, soberly and vigilantly. Then, when someone approaches a human king, he completes his petition with fear and trembling and sobriety;

Must one not stand before God, the Master of all, and before Christ, the King of kings and Ruler of rulers, in like manner, and likewise make supplication and entreaty? Glory to God for all eternity. Amen.