Sample PDF of “The Evergetinos,” Volume III of the First Book

Religion/Theology ISBN 0-911165-26-6 THE EVERGETINOS Chrysostomos, Patapios, & Auxentios •

THE EVERGETINOS: A COMPLETE TEXT Volume III of The First Book A Complete Text

Volume III of One of the classic collections of Orthodox spiritual writings, the Evergetinos is a source of inspiration, spiritual guid- The First Book ance, and insight into the lives of men and women who, dur- ing the first few centuries of Christianity, attained to the higest ideals of the spiritual life. In the spiritual laboratory of the Egyptian deserts, these seekers after salvation, enlight- enment, and union with Christ brought into sharp focus the teachings of the Apostles and the message of Holy Writ in their daily lives and activities. The stern, the loving, “fools THE EVERGETINOS for Christ”—all of the exemplars of Christian sainthood, the many inhabitants of the many mansions above, are to be found in the rich and profitable lives portrayed in this collection. Also to be found are perfect models for every modern Christian who wishes sincerely to imitate those who have walked the path towards moral and spiritual perfection. Translated and Edited by

• (2) III • C.T.O.S. Hieromonk Patapios This is the third volume of Book One of the Evergetinos and one of many forthcoming volumes in what will eventually and constitute the only English-language text of the complete col- Archbishop Chrysostomos lection. with Bishop Auxentios

CENTER FOR TRADITIONALIST ORTHODOX STUDIES THE EVERGETINOS A Complete Text

Volume III of The First Book

Translated and Edited by Hieromonk Patapios and Archbishop Chrysostomos with Bishop Auxentios

CENTER FOR TRADITIONALIST ORTHODOX STUDIES Etna, California 96027 1998 A NOTE ON THE TEXT AND TRANSLATION

In our English translation of the EÈergetinÒw, we have used the 1977 edition of Archimandrite Matthew Langes’ four-volume Greek text. This text has long been used by Greek readers and scholars, and is particularly helpful since it contains not only St. Nicodemos’ edited version of the original eleventh-cen- tury manuscript of the EÈergetinÒw but a careful rendering of these collected writings from and about the Desert Fathers into the modern Greek dialect. Indeed, we have worked with both the older and modern Greek texts. In some instances, loyalty to the older text has made the English translation clearer, since the modern Greek text often employs contemporary idioms, in expressing the complex Greek of the original text, that have no counterpart in English. In other places, the modern Greek text, which sometimes uses explanatory phrases to expand on the laconic original, has provided a better model for a clear English translation. Decisions in this regard have been the prerogative of the various translators, resulting in a text which nonetheless expresses a certain editorial consistency. The reader will note, too, that we have followed loyally the often idiosyncratic system by which passages are labeled in the Greek text of the EÈergetinÒw—a weakness with which he will simply have to deal. We have also avoided editorial addenda and any scholarly treatment of the manuscript tradi- tion of the EÈergetinÒw. Our purpose in this translation is to provide a readable text of the standard collection of the say- ings and aphorisms of the Desert Fathers as they are available today to the average Greek reader. Those seeking scholarly apparatus or material for a pedantic exercise in philological criticism would do well to look elsewhere. What we have done here addresses the priorities of the soul, not the vagaries of academic whim and desires for scholarly recognition. Of what profit, indeed, a satisfied mind, but an empty heart? Hypothesis XXX

We should not regard the demons as causes of all the sins we commit, but rather ourselves; for the demons are unable to harm those who are attentive, since the help that comes from God is great; and that God allows wars in proportion to the strength of men.

A. From the Gerontikon

1. Abba Anthony said that God does not unleash wars on this generation with the same vehemence as He did for the ancients; for He knows that the men of today are weak and lack stamina.

2. Abraham, a disciple of Abba Agathon, asked Abba Poimen: “What should I do when the demons war against me fiercely?” “Are the demons making war on you?” replied the Elder. “They do not make war on us, as long as we are doing our own wills; for our wills have become demons, and it is these that afflict us, in order that we may satisfy them. If you want to learn whom the demons warred against, know that it was against Moses and those like him.”

3. A brother asked Abba Pambo: “Why do the demons prevent me from doing good to my neighbor?” The Elder replied: “Do not say this; otherwise you are making God a liar. You should say rather: ‘I have no desire at all to do good to another person.’ For God, knowing our wicked- ness in advance, said in Holy Scripture: ‘I gave unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy’ (St. Luke 10:19).”

4. A brother asked Abba Sisoes: “What should I do about my passions and demons?” The Elder replied: “Every man is tempted by his ow “lust” (St. James 1:14). Evergetinos 97

5. St. Synkletike said: “The better athletes become, the stronger are the adversaries against whom they contend.”

6. Once, Abba Moses was severely beset by thoughts of fornication and, unable to sit any longer in his cell, he departed and confessed his thoughts to Abba Isidore. The Elder asked him to return to his cell. However, not wishing at all to listen to this advice, he replied to Abba Isidore: “I can no longer hold out, Abba.” The Elder then took Abba Moses with him and, after climbing onto the roof of the cell, said: “Look towards the west.” So he looked carefully in that direction and saw a host of demons provoking confusion and causing disturbance with their warmongering. Then Abba Isidore said again: “Now look towards the east.” When he turned to the east, Abba Moses saw countless hosts of Holy Angels surrounded in glory. The Elder then said to Moses: “There! These that you see are the ones the Lord sends to help the Saints who struggle. But the ones that you saw previously in the west are those who make war on them; our allies, therefore, are greater in number. This is why you should have courage and not be afraid.” After this Abba Moses gave thanks to God, took courage and returned to his cell.

7. An Elder said: “When a monk first renounces the world, the demons are not permitted to harass him vio- lently, lest he be startled and frightened and thus return quickly to the world. However, when, with the passing of time, he makes progress in ascetical labors, then bat- tles involving carnal desires and pleasures are unleashed against him. Whereupon the monk is distressed and feels the need to be humbled and to mourn, and to condemn and accuse himself for all the sins that he has committed and does commit. Stripped in this way by temptations, he learns patience, acquires experience and discernment, and takes refuge in God, thereafter, with tears. Then God 98 Evergetinos dispels the machinations of the enemy and little by little brings the monk to respite. Some, who have been remiss in their effort, have either killed themselves, out of their great distress, or have returned to the world, defeated by great grief.”

B. From St. John Cassian

Abba Serinos said that the demons do not in consort, at the same time, stir up all the passions in men, but each passion has its special and appointed evil spirit, which inspires the respective passion in men. Some evil spirits, that is, are delighted by the impu- rity, filth, and stench of pleasures, others, again, by blas- phemies; others rejoice in anger and rage, others in grief, others in vainglory, and others in arrogance. Each of these evil spirits prefers to incite incessantly that passion which he sees the soul gladly entertain. Likewise, they do not vex all men in the same way; nor do they sow their evil in all in a similar fashion, but variously and in proportion to the specific conditions presented by circumstances, persons, and places. Among themselves, the evil spirits either work together or, often, the one yields his place to the other, maintaining, for all that, neither conformity nor order, as such, in their rela- tions with each other. For, as Scripture says: “Thou wilt seek understanding from evil men, and wilt not find it; and our enemies are void of understanding” (Isaiah 56:11; Deuteronomy 32:31). In spite of this, the demons somehow achieve unanimity among themselves, in con- ducting their warfare against us, when they cede to each other, as we said, opportunities and places for arousing the passions. For nobody can be deluded by vainglory and inflamed by a desire for fornication at the same moment; nor, again, can he be inflated with arrogance and degraded by gluttony, nor laugh and guffaw like a foolish child and at the same time be provoked by the Evergetinos 99 goads of anger. But each one of the evil spirits must attack a man in the appointed order and make war on him in this way; and when it turns out that he is defeated and withdraws from the embattled man, then he transfers the fight to another, more aggressive evil spirit. We should be aware of this as well: not all of the demons have the same ferocity or the same power; rather, there is a difference among them, with regard to the power, and also the energy, with which they fight and the character of the desire that they instigate. That is to say, when the athletes of Christ begin the struggle for virtue, and while they are still weak, they fight against weaker spirits; but when these weaker spirits are defeated, they are always succeeded by more aggressive oppo- nents. For if the arduous struggle were not waged in proportion to human capacity, then none of the strugglers would be able to endure the terrible savagery of such dreadful and innumerable enemies. Nor could a man completely stand up against their hostile rage, unless he were shielded in this struggle by Christ, Who loves mankind, as the Mediator, the President of the contest and the Judge, leveling out the struggle against the adversary according to our strength, impeding and removing from us the excessive onsets of the foes and not allowing us, as Scripture says, to experience temptations greater than our strength (I Corinthians 10:13), but contriving that the conduct of the struggle cor- respond to our stamina, that we might be able to endure it. We believe, likewise, that the demons wage this war with weariness and toil; for they, too, have worry and distress, above all when they clash in combat with patient and strong men, who do not give way. The Apostle confirms this when he tells us: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers” (Ephesians 6:12), and so on. And again, when he tells us elsewhere: “So fight I, not as one that 100 Evergetinos beateth the air” (I Corinthians 9:26); and in another place, where he writes: “I have fought the good fight” (II St. Timothy 4:7). Where struggle, wrestling, and combat are waged, of necessity desperate efforts, toil, and pain are observed in the opposing side; and just as we rejoice when we are vic- torious, whereas we are saddened when we are defeated, so it is with the demons; and as long as they overcome us, they are delighted. But whenever they achieve no success against us and are conquered, though they may have labored mightily, then the shame of defeat which might have been ours passes over to them, and the saying of Scripture is fulfilled: “His toil shall return upon his own head” (Psalm 7:16, Septuaginta), or the other: “Let the trap, which he hath hidden, catch him” (Psalm 34:8, ibid.). The Prophet David was fully aware of all of these things, and he saw with the eyes of his soul this invisible warfare; and since he well knew how much our enemies rejoice when we fall, he said to God: “Enlighten mine eyes, lest at any time I sleep unto death. Lest at any time mine enemy say: I have prevailed against him. They that afflict me will rejoice if I am shaken” (Psalm 12:3-4, Septuaginta). And again: “Let not them rejoice against me that unjustly are mine enemies.... Let them not say in their hearts: Well done, well done, our soul. Let them not say: We have swallowed him up” (Psalm 34:19, 25, Septuaginta). He also sang of the shame which the demons feel when they are overcome, whenever he prayed before God against them: “Let them be shamed and confounded that seek evils for me” (Psalm 34:4, Septuaginta). And the Prophet Jeremiah says: “Let mine enemies be ashamed, but let me not be ashamed; bring upon them the wrath of Thine anger, and crush them with double destruction” (Jeremiah 17:18). The demons are, indeed, crushed twofold, when they are vanquished by us. The first crushing occurs when men attain to that sanctity which, although they once possessed it, they Evergetinos 101 lost; the second stems from the fact that, although the demons are spirits, they are defeated by earthly and fleshly men.

C. From St. Maximos

Some say that there would not be evil in men, unless some other power enticed us towards it; but this power is nothing other than the neglect of the natural energies of the spiritual mind. For this reason, all who are attentive to them constantly perform good deeds, and never bad ones. If you are willing, then, drive negligence far away from yourself, and with it you will expel evil, which is mistaken judgment in thoughts, accompanied by the mis- use of things. The natural order of the rational part of the soul consists in our being made subject to the Divine Logos and in ruling over the irrational part of ourselves (namely the passions). Let this order, then, be preserved in all cases, and then evil will not exist in men; and neither will the power that lures us towards evil ever mani- fest itself.

D. From the Gerontikon

1. About Abba Isaiah the following is told: One time he took a wicker-basket, went to the threshing floor, and said to the farmer: “Give me some wheat.” “Have you reaped, Abba?” asked the farmer. “No,” the Elder an- swered. “How is it that you want to take wheat without having reaped?” said the farmer again. The Elder responded: “So if a man does not reap, he does not receive pay?” “Certainly not,” replied the farmer. After this reply the Elder departed. When the broth- ers saw what he had done, they made a prostration and begged him to tell them the meaning of this action of his. The Elder replied: “I did it as an example, so that you 102 Evergetinos might understand that if a man does not work, he does not receive his wages from God.” 2. An Elder was sitting in the desert. His cell was about twelve miles from water. One time, as he was going to fetch water from the spring, he became resent- ful and said to himself: “Why should I toil in this way? I will come and settle near the spring.” Scarcely had he thought this, than he sensed that someone was following him. He turned around and saw that the one who was following him was measuring his paces. The Elder then asked him: “Who are you?” “I am an Angel of the Lord,” he replied, “and God sent me to measure your paces and give you the corresponding wages.” When the Elder heard this, he took courage, became more eager, and withdrew deeper into the desert by another five miles; that is, after he settled in his new abode, he was now seventeen miles away from the spring.

3. It is said of Abba Chæremon of Sketis that his cave was forty miles from the church, and from the spring and the marsh from which he gathered rushes, twelve miles; and yet, the Elder never grumbled at the great toil entailed in getting what he needed for his handiwork, in getting necessary water, and in going to church every Sunday, as he was accustomed. Religion/Theology ISBN 0-911165-26-6 THE EVERGETINOS Chrysostomos, Patapios,&Auxentios •

THE EVERGETINOS: A COMPLETE TEXT Volume III of The First Book A Complete Text

• (2)IIIC.T.O.S. Hieromonk Patapios This is the third volume of Book One of the Evergetinos and one of many forthcoming volumes in what will eventually and constitute the only English-language text of the complete col- Archbishop Chrysostomos lection. with Bishop Auxentios

CENTER FOR TRADITIONALIST ORTHODOX STUDIES