62. A brother asked Abba Pimen, "What should I do with this burden that oppresses me?" The elder said to him: both small and large ships have twine, and if there is no fair wind, then they take a rope and twine on their shoulders, and little by little they drag the vessel until God sends a favorable, favorable wind; and when they see that darkness is coming, then they land on the shore, drive a stake, and tie the ship to it, so that it does not wander on the waters. This stake is self-abasement.

63. Abba Pimen also said, "Do not live in a place where you see that you are envied; otherwise you will not be successful.

64. A brother came to Abba Pimen, and said to him, "I sow my field, and I establish alms from it." The elder answered him, 'You think it is a good deed.' "The brother returned with encouragement, and multiplied the alms. Abba Anubius heard about this, and said to Abba Pimen: Do you not fear God that you gave such an answer to your brother? The elder remained silent. Two days later, Abba Pimen sent for his brother, sent him to himself, and said to him in the presence of Abba Anubius: "What did you say to me that time?" my mind was then occupied with something else. I said, answered his brother, that I was sowing a field for myself and establishing alms from it. Abba Pimen said to him, 'I thought you were talking about your brother, a layman.' If you do it yourself, you are not doing it well; for such a thing is unbecoming for a monk. "Hearing this, the brother was grieved and said, 'Apart from this matter, I have no other business, and I do not even know of it; and therefore I cannot help sowing my field. "When the brother left, Abba Anubius bowed to the elder, saying: Forgive me! Abba Pimen said to him: "I knew before that this was not a monastic work; but he said so according to his thoughts, and thus encouraged him to increase almsgiving. Now he left us in disappointment, and he will do the same again.

65. The brother asked Abba Pimen, "What does it mean to be angry with one's brother in vain" (cf. Matthew 5:22)? "You are angry in vain," the elder answers, "if you are angry for all the covetousness that you endure from your brother, even if he put out your right eye." But if anyone tries to distance himself from God, be angry with him.

66. Abba Pimen said, "If a man sins and denies it, saying, 'I am not a sinner,' do not rebuke him; otherwise you will take away from him the disposition for good. But if you say to him, "Do not lose heart, brother, do not despair, but beware ahead," you will stir up his soul to repentance.

67. A brother said to Abba Pimen, "I wish to enter the coenobia." The elder answered: if you wish to enter the coenobia, and do not cease to care about every occasion and about every thing, then you cannot fulfill the rules of communal life; for there you cannot even dispose of the jar at will.

68. The brother asked him, "My thoughts represent to me that which is higher than me, and compel me to despise my younger brother." The elder answered him: The Apostle says that in the great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also wood and clay... For whosoever shall cleanse himself from all these things, he shall be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and of use to his Lord, prepared for every good work (2 Tim. 2:20, 21). "What does that mean?" asked the brother. The elder answered him: the house means the world, the vessels mean people: the golden vessels mean perfect people, the silver vessels that follow them, the wooden and clay vessels that have a small spiritual age in them. Whoever cleanses himself from all these, that is, without condemning anyone, will be a pure vessel, sanctified, useful to the Lord, and prepared for every good work.

69. He also said, "Good experience is above words: it makes a man more skilful."

70. He also said: A man who teaches others, but does not do what he teaches, is like a spring that gives everyone water and washes, but cannot cleanse himself, so that all dirt and impurity remain in him.

71. Abba Serin once went with his disciple Isaac to Abba Pimen, and said to him, "What shall I do with this Isaac, although he listens to my words with pleasure?" Abba Pimen answered him: if you want to benefit him, then show virtue by your very deeds. For he, even heeding thy word, remains idle; but if you show your words in deed, it will remain in him.

72. Abba Pimen said: The coenobia requires three virtues: first, humility, second, obedience, and third, aroused habit and zeal for coenobitic work, so that he may not remain in contempt.

73. He also said, "A man seems to be silent, but his heart condemns others, and he speaks constantly; but the other speaks from morning to evening, and remains silent, that is, he says nothing uselessly.

74. And he said, "If three live together, and one of them is well silent, another is sick and gives thanks to God, and a third serves them with a pure disposition, then all three do the same work."

75. And he said, "Evil in no way destroys evil; wherefore if any man shall do thee evil, thou shalt do good unto him, that with good thou mayest destroy the evil.