5. Whoever eats a little food in the evening, unless under compulsion, will not be frightened by thoughts of faint-heartedness and gluttony, which compel him to eat before the appointed time. Whoever is satisfied with dry food will never want abundant food. Whoever does not even look at himself will not be carried away by the beauty of another.

6. This is the art of discernment, which makes it possible to resist the attacks of the enemy. Those who are experienced in it do not plunge themselves into struggle and great battles, but in small battles show their patience. In this way, they take care of themselves and do not have to go to great labors. And whoever despises small battles and sometimes suffers defeats in them, himself yields the dominant height and facilitates the attack of his troops. The devil first of all tries to destroy unceasing prayer in the heart, and then he persuades us to omit prayer during the statutory hours, and then the canon and other prayers.

Then he tries to instill the thought that a person eats food before the appointed hour and thereby renounces abstinence, so as not to weaken. After that, the devil immediately begins to inspire a person with intemperance and extravagance. It also tempts you to look at your naked body at least once, to admire the splendor of your arms and legs when a person changes clothes, bends over the water or sits and relieves himself. The devil wants a person not to be ashamed to put his hand under his clothes and touch his secret rod.

If a person gives in at least something, evil will begin to grow and intensify. The ascetic, who had previously preserved strictness of mind and considered even a small soaring to be a loss to himself, now himself opens sorrowful and painful windows for sin. Thoughts are like water in a water pipe: as long as the pipe is intact on all sides, the water flows without disturbance, and if the pipe leaks, it will burst, and the water will flood and destroy the whole house.

The enemy is always watching us, looking for which door of our senses is open through our negligence, and immediately penetrates into us through it. After all, he sees that there is no guard, and drags all the evil with him. But let us prefer small labors to great ones, and then we will easily cope with the enemy.

Chapter 12: That Monks and Pious Laity Who Have Received Divine Guidance Are Subjected to Grievous Punishments Even for Minor Transgressions

1. From the story of the wanderings (of John) the Theologian

After the Ascension of the Lord, the apostles gathered in Gethsemane and, at His command, began to disperse throughout the world in order to convert the pagans. They divided the ecumene by lot, and Asia fell to John.

John took this hard, considering what had happened to be a misfortune, more by human providence than by faith. He thought that he would have to walk far from his native places in lands filled with idols. Therefore, his soul experienced strong doubts.

But soon he realized that because of the weakness of his thoughts he was sinning against the Lord and fell into the abyss of doubt. He began to weep, knelt down and began to beseech God's apostles to forgive him. He spoke with tears and groans:

"I have sinned, fathers and brothers, in being offended by Asia, which has fallen to me by lot. I was weak in faith, I did not remember the words of the Lord, who said: "All things are possible to him that believeth (Mk 9:23). That is why the Lord pointed out to me that I was very guilty before Him, and exposed me to the dangers of the sea. Let us first pray well and go where the Lord commands.

After praying, the twelve apostles went to their appointed places. And each of them took one of the seventy apostles as a servant. John chose Prochorus. They came to Joppa, and embarked on a ship, and sailed for Asia.

John began to weep and said to Prokhor (they were sitting together in the stern, and no one heard them):