On the Eight Thoughts, to Anatolius
The whole work on one page. Select a passage number to open that passage with its notes, Scripture references, and citation.
Chapter 1
1PG 40
εἶ, εἶσι πάντες οἱ γενικώτατοι λογισμοὶ, ἐν οἷς περιέχεται πᾶς λογισμός. Πρῶτος, ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας, καὶ μετ᾽ αὑτὸν ὁ τῆς πορνείας τρίτος ὃ τῆς φιλαργυρίας τέταρτος ὁ τῆς λύπης πέμπτος ὁ τῆς ὀῤγῆς᾿ ἕκτος ὁ τῆς ἀχηδίας ἕβδομος ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας ὄγδοος ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας. Τούτους πάντας παρενοχλεῖν μὲν τῇ ψυχῇ, μὴ παρενοχλεῖν, τῶν οὐχ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐστι τὸ δὲ χρονίζειν αὐτοὺς, ἢ μὴ χρονίζειν, πάθη κινεῖν, ἢ μὴ κινεῖν, τῶν ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἔστιν: Ὁ μὲν τῆς γαστριμαργίας λογισμὸς ἔχπτωσιν τῷ μοναχῷ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ὑποδάλλει᾽ στόμαἢ ἧπαρ, σπλῆνα, καὶ ὕδροπα διαγράφων, καὶ νόσον μακρὰν, καὶ σπάνιν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων, καὶ ἰατρῶν ἀπορίαν. Φέρει δὲ αὐτοὺς πολλάκις καὶ εἰς μνήμην ἀδελφῶν τινῶν, τούτοις περιπεσόντων τοῖς πάθεσιν. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους τοὺς πεπονθότας παραβάλλειν. ἀναπείθει τοῖς ἐγκρατευομένοις, καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐχδιηγεῖσθαι συμφορὰς, καὶ ὡς τῆς ἀσκήσεως τοιοῦτο γεγόνασιν. Ὁ τῆς πορνείας δαίμων, σωμάτων χαταναγχάζει διαφόρων ἐπιθυμεῖν, καὶ σφοδρότερος τοῖς ἐγχρατευομένοις ἐφίσταται, ἵν᾽ ὡς μηδὲν ἀνύοντες παύσωνται καὶ τὴν. ψυχὴν μιαίνων, περὶ ἐκείνας κατακάμπτει τὰς ἐργασίας, λέγειν τε αὐτήν τινα ῥήματα, καὶ πάλιν ἀκούειν ποιεῖ, ὡς ὁρωμένου δῆθεν καὶ παρόντος τοῦ πράγματος. Ἡ φιλαργυρία, γῆρας μακρὸν ὑποβάλλει, καὶ πρὸς ἐργασίαν ἀδυναμίαν χειρῶν, λιμούς τε ἐσομένους, καὶ νόσους συμβησομένας, καὶ τὰ τῆς πενίας πικρὰ, καὶ ὡς ἐπονείδιστον τὸ παρ᾽ ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. Ε΄,
ei, eisi pantes hoi genikōtatoi logismoi, en hois periechetai pas logismos. Prōtos, ho tēs gastrimargias, kai met᾽ hauton ho tēs porneias tritos ho tēs philargyrias tetartos ho tēs lypēs pemptos ho tēs orgēs᾿ hektos ho tēs achēdias hebdomos ho tēs kenodoxias ogdoos ho tēs hyperēphanias. Toutous pantas parenochlein men tę̄ psychę̄, mē parenochlein, tōn ouch eph᾽ hēmin esti to de chronizein autous, ē mē chronizein, pathē kinein, ē mē kinein, tōn eph᾽ hēmin estin: Ho men tēs gastrimargias logismos echptōsin tǭ monachǭ tēs askēseōs hypodallei᾽ stomaē hēpar, splēna, kai hydropa diagraphōn, kai noson makran, kai spanin tōn epitēdeiōn, kai iatrōn aporian. Pherei de autous pollakis kai eis mnēmēn adelphōn tinōn, toutois peripesontōn tois pathesin. Esti de hote kai autous ekeinous tous peponthotas paraballein. anapeithei tois enkrateuomenois, kai tas heautōn echdiēgeisthai symphoras, kai hōs tēs askēseōs toiouto gegonasin. Ho tēs porneias daimōn, sōmatōn chatananchazei diaphorōn epithymein, kai sphodroteros tois enchrateuomenois ephistatai, hin᾽ hōs mēden anyontes pausōntai kai tēn. psychēn miainōn, peri ekeinas katakamptei tas ergasias, legein te autēn tina rhēmata, kai palin akouein poiei, hōs horōmenou dēthen kai parontos tou pragmatos. Hē philargyria, gēras makron hypoballei, kai pros ergasian adynamian cheirōn, limous te esomenous, kai nosous symbēsomenas, kai ta tēs penias pikra, kai hōs eponeidiston to par᾽ heterōn lambanein ta pros tēn chreian. E΄,
[Eight] are all the most general thoughts, in which every thought is contained. First, that of gluttony, and after it that of sexual immorality; third, that of avarice; fourth, that of sadness; fifth, that of anger; sixth, that of listlessness; seventh, that of vainglory; eighth, that of pride. Whether all these trouble the soul or not is not in our power; but whether they linger or not, and whether they stir up passions or not, is in our power. The thought of gluttony suggests to the monk a falling away from his ascetic practice, depicting the stomach, liver, spleen and dropsy, long illness, scarcity of necessities and lack of physicians. Often it also brings to his memory certain brothers who have fallen into these sufferings. Sometimes it even persuades the very people who have suffered them to visit those who practise self-control and recount their misfortunes, and how they came to be so through asceticism. The demon of sexual immorality compels desire for various bodies, and attacks more violently those who practise self-control, so that they may give up as achieving nothing; and, defiling the soul, it bends it down to those acts, and makes it say certain words and hear them in turn, as though the thing were actually visible and present. Avarice suggests a long old age, the inability of the hands to work, famines to come and illnesses that will befall, the bitterness of poverty, and how disgraceful it is to receive one's needs from others.
Chapter 2
2PG 40
Ἡ λύπη ποτὲ μὲν ἐπισυμβαίνει κατὰ στέρησιν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, ποτὲ δὲ. καὶ παρέπεται τῇ ὀργῇ. Κατὰ στέρησιν οὖν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν οὕτως ἐπισυμβαίνει Λογισμοί τινες προλαβόντες μνήμην ἄγουσι τὴν ψυχὴν οἴκου τε καὶ γονέων καὶ τῆς προτέρας διαγωγῆς. Καὶ ὅταν αὐτὴν μὴ ἀνθισταμένην, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπακολουθοῦσαν θεάσωνται καὶ διαχεομένην ἐν ταῖς κατὰ διάνοιαν ἡδοναῖς, τότε λαμβάνοντες αὐτὴν, ἐν τῇ λύπῃ βαπτίζουσιν, καὶ οὐχ ὑπαρχόντων τῶν προτέρων πραγμάτων, οὐδὲ δυναμένων λοιπὸν διὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ὑπάρξαι· καὶ ἡ ταλαίπωρος ψυχή, ὅσον διεχύθη ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις λογισμοῖς, τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ τοῖς δευτέροις συνεστάλη ταπεινωθεῖσα. Γ
Hē lypē pote men episymbainei kata sterēsin tōn epithymiōn, pote de. kai parepetai tę̄ orgę̄. Kata sterēsin oun tōn epithymiōn houtōs episymbainei Logismoi tines prolabontes mnēmēn agousi tēn psychēn oikou te kai goneōn kai tēs proteras diagōgēs. Kai hotan autēn mē anthistamenēn, all᾽ epakolouthousan theasōntai kai diacheomenēn en tais kata dianoian hēdonais, tote lambanontes autēn, en tę̄ lypę̄ baptizousin, kai ouch hyparchontōn tōn proterōn pragmatōn, oude dynamenōn loipon dia ton paronta bion hyparxai; kai hē talaipōros psychē, hoson diechythē epi tois proterois logismois, tosouton epi tois deuterois synestalē tapeinōtheisa. G
Sadness sometimes comes upon us through the deprivation of what we desire, and sometimes it also follows upon anger. Through the deprivation of what we desire it comes about thus: certain thoughts get in first and bring the soul to the memory of home and parents and its former way of life. When they see that it does not resist but follows along and pours itself out in the pleasures of the mind, then they seize it and plunge it into sadness, since the former things no longer exist and cannot exist again because of its present life; and the wretched soul is contracted and humbled by the second thoughts as much as it was poured out by the first.
Chapter 3
3PG 40
Ἡ ὀργὴ πάθος ἐστὶν ὀξύτατον. Θυμοῦ γὰρ λέγεται ζέσις καὶ κίνησις κατὰ ἠδικηκότος ἢ δοκοῦντος ἠδικηκέναι. Ἥτις πανημέριον ἐξαγριοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, μάλιστα δὲ ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς συναρπάζει τὸν νοῦν, τὸ τοῦ λελυπηκότος πρόσωπον ἐπισείουσα. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ χρονίζουσα, καὶ μεταβαλλομένη εἰς μῆνιν, ταραχὰς νύκτωρ παρέχει, τῆξίν τε τοῦ σώματος καὶ ὠχριότητα, καὶ θηρίων ἰοβόλων ἐπιδρομάς. Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα, τὰ μετὰ τὴν μῆνιν συμβαίνοντα, εὑροίη ἄν τις παρακολουθοῦντα πλείοσι λογισμοῖς. Ζ
Hē orgē pathos estin oxytaton. Thymou gar legetai zesis kai kinēsis kata ēdikēkotos ē dokountos ēdikēkenai. Hētis panēmerion exagrioi tēn psychēn, malista de en tais proseuchais synarpazei ton noun, to tou lelypēkotos prosōpon episeiousa. Esti de hote kai chronizousa, kai metaballomenē eis mēnin, tarachas nyktōr parechei, tēxin te tou sōmatos kai ōchriotēta, kai thēriōn iobolōn epidromas. Tauta de ta tessara, ta meta tēn mēnin symbainonta, heuroiē an tis parakolouthounta pleiosi logismois. Z
Anger is a very sharp passion. For it is called a boiling and movement of the irascible part against one who has done wrong, or seems to have done wrong. All day long it makes the soul savage, and especially in prayers it seizes the mind, holding up before it the face of the one who caused grief. Sometimes, when it lingers and changes into resentment, it causes disturbances at night, a wasting of the body and pallor, and attacks of venomous beasts. These four things that follow upon resentment one would find accompanying many thoughts.
Chapter 7
7PG 40
Ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας δαίμων, ὃς καὶ μεσημβρινός καλεῖται, πάντων τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστὶ βαρύτερος καὶ ἐφίσταται μὲν τῷ μοναχῷ περὶ ὥραν τετάρτην, κυκλοῖ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ μέχρις ὥρας ὀγδόης. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἥλιον καθορᾶσθαι ποιεῖ δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον, πεντηκοντάωρον τὴν ἡμέραν δεικνύς. Ἔπειτα δὲ συνεχῶς ἀφορᾶν πρὸς τὰς θυρίδας, καὶ τῆς κέλλης ἐκπηδᾷν ἐκβιάζεται, τῷ τε ἡλίῳ ἐνατενίζειν, πόσον τῆς ἐννάτης ἀφέστηκε, καὶ περιβλέπεσθαι τῇδε κἀκεῖσε, μή τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν... Ἔτι δὲ μῖσος πρὸς τὸν τόπον ἐκβάλλει καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τὸ τῶν χειρῶν· καὶ ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπε παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἡ ἀγάπη, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν. Εἰ δὲ καί τις κατ ἐκείνας τὰς ἡμέρας εἴη λυπήσας τὸν μοναχὸν, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς αὔξησιν τοῦ μίσους ὁ δαίμων προστίθησιν. ῎Αγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν τόπων ἑτέρων, ἐν οἷς ῥᾳδίως τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν, καὶ τέχνην μετελθεῖν εὐκοπωτέραν μᾶλλον καὶ προχωροῦσαν. Καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τόπῳ τὸ εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ προστίθησιν. Πανταχῆ γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ θεῖον προσκυνητόν. Συνάπτει δὲ τούτοις καὶ μνήμην τῶν οἰκείων καὶ τῆς προτέρας διαγωγῆς· χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ὑπογράφει μακρὸν, τοὺς τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνους φέρων πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ πᾶσαν, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, κινεῖ μηχανὴν, ἵνα καταλελοιπὼς ὁ μοναχὸς τὴν κέλλαν, φύγῃ τὸ στάδιον. Τούτῳ δὲ τῷ δαίμονι ἄλλος μὲν εὐθὺς δαίμων οὐχ ἔπεται· ἐρημικὴ δέ τις κατάστασις, καὶ χαρὰ ἀνεκλάλητος μετὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὴν ψυχὴν διαδέχεται. Η
Ho tēs akēdias daimōn, hos kai mesēmbrinos kaleitai, pantōn tōn daimonōn esti baryteros kai ephistatai men tǭ monachǭ peri hōran tetartēn, kykloi de tēn psychēn autou mechris hōras ogdoēs. Kai prōton men ton hēlion kathorasthai poiei dyskinēton ē akinēton, pentēkontaōron tēn hēmeran deiknys. Epeita de synechōs aphoran pros tas thyridas, kai tēs kellēs ekpēdąn ekbiazetai, tǭ te hēliǭ enatenizein, poson tēs ennatēs aphestēke, kai periblepesthai tę̄de kakeise, mē tis tōn adelphōn... Eti de misos pros ton topon ekballei kai pros ton bion auton kai pros to ergon to tōn cheirōn; kai hoti ekleloipe para tois adelphois hē agapē, kai ouk estin ho parakalōn. Ei de kai tis kat ekeinas tas hēmeras eiē lypēsas ton monachon, kai touto eis auxēsin tou misous ho daimōn prostithēsin. ᾿Agei de auton kai eis epithymian topōn heterōn, en hois rhądiōs ta pros tēn chreian estin heurein, kai technēn metelthein eukopōteran mallon kai prochōrousan. Kai hōs ouk estin en topǭ to euarestein tǭ Kyriǭ prostithēsin. Pantachē gar, phēsi, to theion proskynēton. Synaptei de toutois kai mnēmēn tōn oikeiōn kai tēs proteras diagōgēs; chronon tēs zōēs hypographei makron, tous tēs askēseōs ponous pherōn pro ophthalmōn, kai pasan, to dē legomenon, kinei mēchanēn, hina kataleloipōs ho monachos tēn kellan, phygę̄ to stadion. Toutǭ de tǭ daimoni allos men euthys daimōn ouch epetai; erēmikē de tis katastasis, kai chara aneklalētos meta ton agōna tēn psychēn diadechetai. Ē
The demon of listlessness, which is also called the noonday demon, is the heaviest of all the demons. It besets the monk about the fourth hour and encircles his soul until the eighth hour. First it makes the sun seem slow-moving or motionless, showing the day to be fifty hours long. Then it compels him to look continually at the windows, to jump out of the cell, to gaze at the sun to see how far it is from the ninth hour, and to look about this way and that, lest any of the brothers … Further, it casts hatred on the place, on his very way of life and on the work of his hands, and suggests that love has failed among the brothers and there is no one to comfort him. And if anyone during those days has grieved the monk, the demon adds this too to increase his hatred. It leads him also to desire other places, where necessities are easily found, and to take up a craft that is easier and more profitable. And it adds that pleasing the Lord is not tied to a place: “For everywhere,” it says, “the divine may be worshipped.” It joins to these the memory of his family and of his former way of life; it depicts a long span of life, setting the labours of asceticism before his eyes; and, as the saying goes, it moves every device, so that the monk may abandon his cell and flee the stadium. No other demon follows immediately on this one; but a [peaceful] state and inexpressible joy succeed in the soul after the contest.
Chapter 8
8PG 40
Ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας λογισμὸς, λεπτότατός τίς ἐστι, καὶ παρυφίσταται τοῖς κατορθοῦσι ῥᾳδίως, δήμοσιεύειν αὐτῶν τοὺς ἀγῶνας βουλόμενος, καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξας θηρώμενος, δαίμονάς τε κράζοντας ἀναπλάττων, καὶ θεραπευόμενα γύναια, καὶ ὄχλον τινὰ τῶν ἱματίων ἐφαπτόμενον· μαντεύεται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἱεροσύνην λοιπὸν, καὶ τοὺς ζητοῦντας αὐτὸν ταῖς θύραις ἐφίστησι· καὶ ὃς εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο, δέσμιος ἀπαχθήσεται· καὶ οὕτως αὐτὸν μετέωρον ταῖς κεναῖς ἐλπίσι ποιήσας, ἀφίσταται καταλιπών, ἢ τῷ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας δαίμονι πειράζειν αὐτὸν, ἢ τῷ τῆς λύπης· ὅστις ἐπάγει καὶ λογισμοὺς αὐτῷ, ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐναντιουμένους. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ τῷ τῆς πορνείας δαίμονι παραδίδωσι τὸν πρὸ ὀλίγου αἰδέσιμον καὶ ἅγιον ἱερέα. Θ
Ho tēs kenodoxias logismos, leptotatos tis esti, kai paryphistatai tois katorthousi rhądiōs, dēmosieuein autōn tous agōnas boulomenos, kai tas para tōn anthrōpōn doxas thērōmenos, daimonas te krazontas anaplattōn, kai therapeuomena gynaia, kai ochlon tina tōn himatiōn ephaptomenon; manteuetai de autǭ kai hierosynēn loipon, kai tous zētountas auton tais thyrais ephistēsi; kai hos ei mē bouloito, desmios apachthēsetai; kai houtōs auton meteōron tais kenais elpisi poiēsas, aphistatai katalipōn, ē tǭ tēs hyperēphanias daimoni peirazein auton, ē tǭ tēs lypēs; hostis epagei kai logismous autǭ, tais elpisin enantioumenous. Esti de hote kai tǭ tēs porneias daimoni paradidōsi ton pro oligou aidesimon kai hagion hierea. Th
The thought of vainglory is a most subtle one, and it readily slips in alongside those who are succeeding, wishing to make their contests public and hunting for glory from men. It fashions demons crying out, women being healed, and a crowd touching his garments. It foretells the priesthood for him as well, and sets at his doors those who seek him, so that he will be led off in bonds if he is unwilling. And so, having lifted him up with empty hopes, it departs and leaves him to be tempted either by the demon of pride or by that of sadness, which brings him thoughts opposed to his hopes. Sometimes it even hands over to the demon of sexual immorality the man who a little before was a revered and holy priest.
Chapter 9
9PG 40
Ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας δαίμων, χαλεπωτάτης πτώσεως τῇ ψυχῇ πρόξενος γίνεται. Αναπείθει γὰρ αὐτὴν, Θεὸν μὲν μὴ ὁμολογεῖν βοηθὸν, ἑαυτὴν δὲ τὴν κατορθούμενον ΄ εἶναι καὶ νομίζειν, καὶ φυσιοῦσθαι κατὰ τῶν͵ ἀδελφῶν ὡς ἀνοήτων, διότι μὴ τοῦτο περὶ αὐτῆς πάντες ἐπίστανται. Παρακολουθεῖ δὲ ταύτῃ ὀργὴ καὶ λύπη, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον κακὸν ἔκστασις φρενῶν, καὶ μανία, καὶ δαιμόνιον ἐν τῷ ἀέρι πλῆθος ὁρώμενον.
Ho tēs hyperēphanias daimōn, chalepōtatēs ptōseōs tę̄ psychę̄ proxenos ginetai. Anapeithei gar autēn, Theon men mē homologein boēthon, heautēn de tēn katorthoumenon ΄ einai kai nomizein, kai physiousthai kata tōn͵ adelphōn hōs anoētōn, dioti mē touto peri autēs pantes epistantai. Parakolouthei de tautę̄ orgē kai lypē, kai to teleutaion kakon ekstasis phrenōn, kai mania, kai daimonion en tǭ aeri plēthos horōmenon.
The demon of pride brings about the most grievous fall of the soul. For it persuades it not to acknowledge God as its helper, but to think itself the cause of its successes, and to be puffed up against the brothers as fools, because they do not all know this about it. Anger and sadness follow on it, and the last evil: derangement of mind, madness, and a multitude of demons seen in the air.