And the most important way by which we seek out what duty obliges us to do is the study of the inspired Scriptures; for in them we find rules of action, and in them the lives of blessed men, presented in writing, like some animated pictures of life according to God, are offered to us for imitation of good works. Therefore, in whatever way someone feels insufficient, studying the Scriptures, in him, as in a general hospital, he finds a medicine suitable for his illness. And the lover of chastity often rereads the story of Joseph, learns from him chaste actions, finding him not only abstaining from pleasures, but by habit disposed to virtue. And he learns courage from Job, who, at the unfortunate upheaval of his life, having in an instant turned from the rich to the poor and from the pious to childless, not only did not change in himself, preserving in everything an exalted way of thinking, but even without grief endured the fact that his friends, who came to console him, mocked him and aggravated his sorrow. Again, whoever has in mind how to be at the same time meek and magnanimous, in order to act against sin with anger, and against people with meekness, will find David courageous in his military exploits, but meek and unshakable in recompense for his enemies. Such is Moses, who with great anger rises up against those who have sinned before God, but with a meek heart endures slander against him. And just as painters, when they paint a picture from a painting, often peering into the original, try to transfer its features into their work, so he who is zealous to be made perfect in all parts of virtue must at all occasions look at the lives of the saints, as if at moving and acting statues, and through imitation make what is good in them his own.

Again, if the readings are followed by prayers, then the soul, moved by love for God, approaches them more vigorously and maturely. Beautiful is prayer that clarifies the thought of God in the soul. And by means of remembrance, the thought of God implanted in us is the indwelling of God Himself in us. In this way we become the temple of God, when unceasing remembrance is not interrupted by earthly cares, and the mind is not disturbed by sudden passionate movements, but the God-lover who avoids everything secludes himself in God, repelling from himself the passions that lure him to abstinence, and spends his time in occupations that lead to virtue.

In the tension of the voice, the middle should be preferred, so that with a small tension it does not remain meaningless, and with a greater intensification it does not become unbearable. You must think with yourself what you will say, and only then let the word go to the people. At meetings he should be affable, in pleasant conversations, not sweetening the speech with jokingness, but imparting to it the sweetness of the cordiality of advice. In any case, even if a reprimand should be made, cruelty should be avoided; for if you humble yourself out of humility, you will find convenient access to that which is in need of healing. And often the method of reprimanding is also useful to us, which is used by the Prophet, who pronounced the definition of condemnation to the sinning David, not on his own behalf, but using an introductory person, making David himself the judge of his own sin; so, having pronounced condemnation on himself, he no longer complained about the accuser.

A humble and contrite way of thinking is befitting a sad and downcast gaze to the ground, carelessness about appearance, uncombed hair, unwashed clothes. What those who mourn do with intent should not be manifested with us intentionally. It is necessary that the tunic be gathered on the body with a belt, however, the girdle should not lie higher than the loins (this would be effeminate), and not so loosely tightened that the chiton could flutter (this would be pampered). The gait should not be slow, which would reveal spiritual weakness, and again not quick and hurried, which would reveal the ecstatic movements of the soul. The purpose of clothing is one – to serve as a covering for the flesh, sufficient in winter and summer. But do not chase after pleasantness in color, after delicacy and softness in decoration, for to distinguish the good color of clothes is the same panache that women are occupied with, who dye their cheeks and hair in a foreign color. On the contrary, it is useful if the chiton is so thick that the wearer can warm himself without needing anything else. Shoes should be cheap, but sufficiently satisfying the needs. In a word, just as in clothing one should prefer what is necessary; Thus, bread will satisfy the need for food, water will quench the thirst of a healthy person, and even jams from seeds can maintain strength in the body for the necessary needs. And food should be eaten, not showing frenzied greed, but in all things observing firmness, meekness, and abstinence from pleasures, even at this very time having a mind not idle from the thought of God; on the contrary, the very quality of the food and the structure of the body that receives it must be turned into a pretext for the glorification of the Steward of the universe, by Whom various kinds of food adapted to the properties of the body are produced. Let the prayers after partaking of food contain both thanksgiving for what has been given and the petition of the promised. For the intake of food one definite hour should be appointed, and the same one and the same for a certain period of time, so that out of twenty-four hours in a day only one is used for the body, while all the other hours are spent by the ascetic in mental activity.

Sleep should be light, from which one can easily awaken, and which naturally follows after a small tasting of food, it should be interrupted with the intention of taking care of important matters. And immersion in deep sleep until the limbs are weakened, which gives time to irrational dreams, thus gives the sleeper a daily death. On the contrary, what others use the morning for, midnight serves the ascetics of piety for; for the silence of the night gives freedom to the soul most of all, when neither the eyes nor the ears convey to the heart harmful sights or rumors, but the mind is alone with God, and just as it corrects itself by remembering the sins it has committed, so it prescribes for itself rules for avoiding evil, and for committing deliberate things, it asks for God's help.

Such is my tale of brotherly love to you, O dear head! And Thou mayest be pleased to reward me with thy holy prayers, that I may be saved from this present evil age, and from foolish men, and having been freed from all sin, or rather, separated from the enemy himself, and the slander of our life, with a pure heart, to behold in the knowledge of God of all, according to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

10. To the mother of Dionysius

(He sent his son to her with the intention of attracting her to the wilderness life; he describes a way to catch pigeons, smearing the wings of a tame pigeon with myrrh and luring other pigeons to him with incense. (Written from solitude))

There is one way to catch pigeons. When the one who is engaged in this trade gets one pigeon in his hands, he makes it tame and teaches it to eat with him, and then, having smeared its wings with myrrh, he lets it fly in the wild with strange pigeons. And the incense of this world makes the whole free flock the property of the one to whom the tame pigeon belongs, because the other pigeons are attracted by the fragrance and settle in the house.

But what is my intention to begin this letter? That I, too, having taken from you the son of Dionysius, the former Diomede, and anointed the wings of his soul with divine myrrh, I send to your sedateness, so that he may tempt you to fly with him and occupy the nest that I have built with me. If, therefore, I were to see this during my lifetime, that thy sedateness also chose for itself an exalted life, it would require me many persons worthy of God to render Him due honor.

18. To Macarius and John

(He exhorts them to continue in piety in the unfalse hope of receiving the Heavenly Kingdom, not heeding either the threats of the strong or the reproaches of false friends. (Apparently written during the reign of Julian)

Farmers do not consider agricultural labors to be news; swimmers are not surprised by a storm at sea; nor is summer sweat strange to day-laborers: so sorrows in the present world do not constitute something unexpected for those who have chosen a pious life. On the contrary, each of these works is associated with this certain work for those who undertake it, chosen not for its own sake, but for the sake of enjoying the expected blessings, because the difficulties of each such work are alleviated by hopes, which support and encourage people throughout their whole lives. But of those who labor for earthly fruits, or for anything earthly in general, they are completely deceived in their hopes and enjoy only the idea of what is expected; others, if they succeed in reaching the end at will, are again in need of a new hope, because the old hope has soon passed away and faded. In some of those who labor for the sake of piety, neither falsehood has destroyed hope, nor has the end weakened podvigs, because they are accepted by the unshakable and eternally abiding Heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, as long as the teaching of the truth helps, let you not be troubled by false slander, let not be frightened by the threats of those who prevail, let not be offended by the ridicule and insults of acquaintances, the condemnation of people who seem to care about you and hide under the guise of advice the strongest bait to be drawn into deception. Let sound reason oppose all this, calling upon the Teacher of piety, our Lord Jesus Christ, as its champion and helper, for Whom it is pleasant to suffer evil, and to die is gain (see Phil. 1:21).

22. On Perfection in the Monastic Life