One should not seek honor and seek primacy. Everyone should prefer everyone to himself. He should not be disobedient.

He who is able to work should not eat bread in idleness, but when he is engaged in doing something for the glory of Christ, he should force himself to zeal in the work to the best of his ability. Everyone should do everything with the approval of the superiors, with reason and conviction, not excluding the partaking of food and drink, as if this were done for the glory of God. One should not pass from one task to another without the approval of those who are appointed to dispose of it, unless an imminent need suddenly calls someone to help the weakened. Everyone is obliged to abide in what he is assigned to, and must not, transgressing the measure of his own duty, take up what is not entrusted to him, unless those who have the power to dispose of it recognize someone in need of his help. None of the other workers need to be in one worker. One should not do anything out of rivalry or quarrel with anyone.

One should not envy the good reputation of another and rejoice at someone's shortcomings. In the love of Christ, one must grieve and lament over the shortcomings of one's brother, and rejoice at his exaltation. One should not look indifferently at sinners or keep silent about them. He who rebukes must rebuke with all compassion, in the fear of God and in the intention to convert the sinner. The one who is rebuked or reprimanded must accept this willingly, recognizing that his own benefit consists in the correction. When someone is accused, no one else in front of the accused or in the presence of others should make objections to the accuser. And if the accusation seems unfounded to anyone, then he must speak with the accuser in private and convince him or convince him himself. Everyone, as far as he can, should heal those who have something against him. One should not remember evil against the one who has sinned and repented, but must forgive him from the heart.

Whoever says that he has repented of sin must not only be grieved for what he has sinned, but also bring forth worthy fruits of repentance. Whoever has been enlightened concerning his former sins and has been vouchsafed to receive remission of them, if he sins again, prepares for himself a judgment of wrath stricter than the former. Whoever remains in his sin after the first and second admonitions must be declared to the superior, and then, having received a reprimand in the presence of many, he will perhaps come to shame. And if in this case he does not improve, it is necessary to cut him off as a temptation and look upon him as a pagan and a publican, in order to bring to safety those who zealously labor in the course of obedience, according to what has been said, when the wicked fall, the righteous come into fear. But we must also weep for him as for a member cut off from the body.

We must not allow the sun to set in the anger of a brother, otherwise the night may separate both and leave us with the inevitable judgment on the day of judgment. We must not postpone the time of our correction, because the morning day is not true for us: many, having planned many things, did not live to see the morning day.

One should not be deceived by the satiated belly, from which there are night dreams. One should not be entertained by excessive work and overstep the bounds of moderation, according to the words of the Apostle: "And having food and raiment, by this we shall be satisfied" (1 Tim. 6:8), because abundance beyond necessity shows covetousness, and covetousness is condemned as idolatry (Col. 3:5). One should not be covetous and should not accumulate treasures for unnecessary things, which are not necessary. He who comes to God must love poverty in all things and be nailed to the fear of God, just as it is said: "Nail my flesh to Thy fear: for I fear Thy destinies" (Psalm 118:120).

May the Lord, having accepted what has been said with all conviction, grant you to the glory of God to manifest fruits worthy of the Spirit, according to the good pleasure of God and the cooperation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

39 (42)[83]. To the disciple Chilon

(He admonishes him that in a virtuous life one good beginning is not enough, but constant and uninterrupted progress is needed, offers many rules for a solitary life, advises not to suddenly strive to the height of perfection, but to observe gradualness in asceticism, and warns not to leave the wilderness under the plausible pretext of a virtuous life in the world and attendance at spiritual gatherings)

I will be the author of the salvific work for you, my sincere brother, if you willingly accept my advice on what you should do, especially in such cases as you yourself have asked for advice. Many may have had the courage to begin a solitary life, but few probably took the trouble to complete it properly. And, without a doubt, the end of the matter is not in one intention, but in the end – the fruit of labor. Therefore, it is of no use if one does not hasten to the end of the intention, but limits the monastic life to only the beginning, and, what is most ridiculous, still abandons his own intention, for which outsiders accuse him of a lack of courage and prudence. Of such the Lord also says: "Whosoever desires to build a house, shall not he first count his possessions, if he has, if he has done so, but when he has laid the foundation and is not able to do it, those who pass by will begin to reproach him," "saying, 'As this man,' lay the foundation, "and he is not able to do it" (cf. Luke 14:28-30). Therefore, let zeal for success in a good deed follow the beginning. For the most courageous ascetic Paul, desiring that we should not provide ourselves with our former good works, but that we should daily prosper more and more, says: "Forgetting what is behind, but stretching out before us, to deliberate persecution, to the honor of the highest calling" (cf. Phil. 3:13-14). Such is the whole of human life: it is not satisfied with the preceding, but is nourished not so much by the past as by the future. What is the use of yesterday's satiety of the belly, if now, with a revived hunger, food does not find the proper consolation? In the same way, the soul does not benefit from yesterday's good deed, if on this day the fulfillment of righteousness is abandoned. For it is said, "As I find you, so will I acknowledge you."

Wherefore the labor of the righteous is in vain, and the temper of the sinner is irreproachable after the change that has taken place in him, when one of the best passes to the worse, and the other from the worse to the better. This can also be heard in Ezekiel, who teaches as from the presence of the Lord. For he says: "If a righteous man who has gone astray sins will not remember the righteousness which he has done before him, but he will die in his sin" (cf. Ezekiel 18:24). And the same says of the sinner: if he is converted "he creates... Truth... he will live" in it (cf. Ezek. 18:21, 27, 28).

In order to bring the one who lives according to God to safety, it is enough to see the descent from the best to the worst of Judas, who for so long was a disciple of Christ, and then, having sold the Teacher for a small reward, thereby acquired a noose for himself. Therefore, let it be known to you that he is not perfect who has begun well, but he who is good in the sight of God who gives a good account of the matter. Therefore, brother, do not let your eyes sleep and your house slumber (cf. Ps. 131:4; Prov. 6:4) until you are saved like a chamois from a snare, and like a bird from a snare! For behold, thou walkest among the nets, and walkest over a high wall, from whence it is not safe to fall.

Therefore, do not suddenly reach out to the very summit of asceticism, especially do not rely on yourself, so that you do not fall from the height of the ascetic life through inexperience. For it is better to gradually mature. Gradually deprive yourself of the pleasures of life, destroying all your habits, so that by counteracting your desires, suddenly irritating every desire for pleasure, you will not set up a crowd of temptations against you. When you have gained the upper hand over the addiction to one pleasure, then enter into a struggle with the addiction to another, and in this way you will overcome all inclination to pleasure. For the naming of pleasure is one, but the kinds of pleasures are different. Therefore, brother, first of all, be patient in every temptation. And how many different temptations the faithful are tested by: now worldly losses, now accusations, slander, disobedience, slander, persecution! All this and the like serves to test the faithful.