Barlaam and Ioasaph 1 part 9/18

For the fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth; and do not any longer let the new man put on you today be corrupted by the former oldness;

but be renewed each day in righteousness, and holiness, and truth;

for this is possible for everyone who wills it, just as you hear that authority—

he has given, to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, so that we can no longer say that the acquisition of the virtues is impossible for us;

for the way is easy and light;

for even if it is somehow called narrow and afflicted, on account of the mortification of the body, still it is desirable and divine, on account of the hope of the good things to come, for those who walk not unwisely, but who understand precisely what the will of God is, and who put on his full armor for the array of battle against the schemes of the adversary, and who for this very purpose keep watch in prayer and supplication with all patience and hope.

You therefore, just as you have heard from me and have been taught, and have laid down a firm foundation, abound in it, growing and advancing, and waging the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience attested by good works, and pursuing righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, meekness, laying hold of the eternal life to which you were called.

And every pleasure and desire of the passions, put far from yourself not only by the activity in deed, but also by the thoughts in your mind, so that you may show your soul unstained to God.

For not only our deeds, but also our thoughts, being recorded, become the procurers of crowns or of punishments;

and we know that Christ dwells in pure hearts together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

And just as, again, smoke drives bees away, so we have learned that evil thoughts drive the grace of the divine Spirit away from us.

Therefore, being diligently attentive to this, having wiped away every reasoning of passion from your soul, implant the best conceptions, making yourself a temple of the Holy Spirit.

For from our reasonings we also come to deeds performed in actuality;

and every deed, proceeding from a conception and a thought, takes hold of a small beginning, then by gradual increase ends in great things.

For this reason do not at all allow an evil habit to gain mastery over you, but while it is still young, pluck out from your heart its wicked root, lest, having taken root and fixed its roots even into the depth, it require time and toil to be uprooted.

For this very reason the greater sins always come in upon us and tyrannize over our souls: because the lesser things—such as evil thoughts, unseemly words, evil conversations—which seem to be lesser, do not obtain the correction that is fitting.

For just as in bodies those who despise small wounds have often procured for themselves festering sores and death, so also with souls, those who overlook small passions and sins bring in the greater ones;

and to the degree that the greater ones come in upon them, the soul, coming to be in a settled habit, grows more contemptuous.

For the ungodly man, it says, having come into the depth of evils, despises; and thereafter, just as a pig delights in wallowing in mud, so also that soul, buried in evil habits, does not even perceive the stench of its sins, but rather is delighted and gratified by them, clinging to wickedness as to some good;

and even if, late at some point, it comes back to awareness, it is set free with much toil and sweat, by which it had willingly enslaved itself to the evil habit.

For this reason, with all your strength keep yourself far from every evil conception and thought, and from every passionate habit;

but rather accustom yourself to the virtues, and become habituated to the practice of them.

For if you labor a little in them and are able to become habituated, then henceforth you will progress without toil, by the cooperation of God.

For the habit of virtue, once it has taken form in the soul, since it has a natural kinship with it and has acquired God as its fellow-worker, becomes hard to change and exceedingly most secure—just as you see that courage and prudence, temperance and justice, are hard to change, being habits and qualities and activities of the soul that have penetrated through to its depth.

For if the passions of wickedness, which are not natural to us but from outside—

having come in upon us, are hard to change once they become a habit, how much more will virtue—being naturally implanted in us by the Creator, and having him as helper—if, when we have struggled but a little, it takes root in the soul as a habit, be hard to change? Whence a certain laborer in this related to me, saying: 'After I had received divine contemplation in a most firm habit, and my soul had been given form by the practice of it, wishing once to make trial of it, I restrained my mind, not allowing it to apply itself to its accustomed meditation;

and I perceived it grieving and chafing, and pressing toward that meditation with unrestrainable longing, and altogether unable to incline toward any contrary thought;

but when I relaxed the reins a little, it at once ran swiftly back to its own work, as the Prophet says:

'As the deer longs for the springs of waters, so my soul longs for God, the mighty, the living God.'

It has been demonstrated, then, from all these things, that the acquisition of virtue is in our own power, and that we ourselves are constituted lords over it, whether we shall choose to hold fast to it, or to prefer sin.

Those, then, who have been enslaved to wickedness hold to it with difficulty of separation, just as indeed I said before.

But you, having now been freed from this through the compassion of the mercy of our God, and having put on Christ by the grace of the divine Spirit, transfer your whole self to the Lord, and open the door to the passions no longer at all;

but, having adorned your soul with the fragrance and brightness of the virtues, make it a temple of the Holy Trinity, occupying all the powers of your mind with contemplation of it.

For if someone who spends time with and converses with an earthly king is shown by all to be blessed, of what blessedness will he partake who has been deemed worthy to converse with God and to be with him in mind? Therefore always behold him as in a mirror, and converse with him.

And how will you converse with God? By nearness to him through prayer and supplication.

For he who prays with most fervent longing and a purified heart, having removed his mind far from all material and earth-loving things, and standing before God as face to face, bringing his supplications to him with fear and trembling—such a one converses with him and speaks with him face to face.

For our good Master is present everywhere, hearkening to those who approach him sincerely and purely, just as the Prophet says:

'The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are unto their supplication.'

And for this reason the Fathers define prayer as a union of man with God, and call it the work of angels, and a prelude of the gladness to come.

For since they set the kingdom of heaven—that is, nearness to and contemplation of the Holy Trinity—above all things, and since the diligent practice of prayer also leads the mind toward this, this prayer has fittingly been called a prelude, and as it were a pre-figuration, of that blessedness.

But not every prayer is thus, but only that which is truly worthy of this name—that which has God as its teacher, who gives prayer to the one who prays, that which is exalted above all things on earth and meets with the Master God without intermediary.

Acquire this for yourself, and strive for advancement in it;

for it is sufficient to raise you up from earth to the heavens.

But you will not advance in it unprepared and at random;

but, having first purified your soul from all the passions, and having wiped it clean of every evil thought as a pure and newly-polished mirror, and having removed yourself far from every remembrance of wrongs and from wrath—which, above all things, hinders our prayers from being brought up to God—and having forgiven from the heart the offenses of all who have sinned against you, and having winged your prayer with alms and compassion for the poor, bring it to God with warm tears.

Praying in this way, you will be able to say, as did he—

for this one, being a king and being drawn by countless cares, having purified his soul of all the passions, said to God:

'I have hated and abhorred iniquity, but your law I have loved;

seven times a day I have praised you for the judgments of your righteousness;

my soul has kept your testimonies, and has loved them exceedingly;

let my supplication draw near before you, O Lord;

give me understanding according to your word.'

As you cry out thus, God will hearken;

if, then, you acquire such prayer, you will be blessed;

for it is impossible that a man who prays and entreats God with such eagerness should not advance daily in the good and fly above all the snares of the enemy.

For he who has kindled his understanding, as one of the saints said, and has raised up his soul, and has transported himself to heaven, and has thus called upon his own Master, and has remembered his own sins, and has spoken concerning the forgiveness of them, and has, with most fervent tears, besought the lover of mankind to be gracious to him—such a one, from occupying himself in these words and reasonings, lays aside all worldly care, and becomes higher than human passions, and is deemed worthy to be called a companion in converse with God.

than which what could be more blessed or more exalted? May the Lord, then, deem you worthy to attain such blessedness.

For behold, I have shown you the way of the commandments of the Lord, and I have held back nothing from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

And I for my part have now completed my ministry toward you;

henceforth do you yourself, girding up the loins of your mind, become holy in all your conduct, according to him who called you, who is holy;

For be holy, because I am holy, says the Lord.

And the chief of the apostles also writes:

He says: if you call upon as Father him who judges without respect of persons according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourning, knowing that you were redeemed from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers not with perishable things, silver or gold, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, of Christ.

Placing all these things in your heart, therefore, remember them unceasingly, having always before your eyes the fear of God and his fearsome judgment, the brightness of the righteous which they are to receive in that age to come, and the downcast gloom of sinners in the deepest darkness, the weakness and vanity of things present and the endlessness of things to come, because 'All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass;'

the grass withers and its flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides forever.

And may the peace of God be with you, enlightening you and giving you understanding, and leading you into the way of salvation, and driving every evil will far from your mind, and sealing your soul with the sign of the cross, so that none of the snares of the evil one may draw near to you, but that you may be deemed worthy, in all perfection of the virtues, to attain the endless and unsucceeded kingdom that is to come, and to be illumined by the light of the blessed and life-originating Trinity, glorified in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Having thus admonished the king's son with such moral words, the most honored elder departed to his own lodging.

And the young man's servants and tutors, seeing his frequent entrance into the palace, marveled.

And one of those preeminent among them, whom the king, as most faithful and right-minded, had appointed over the palace of his son, called Zardan, said to the king's son:

You surely know, O master, how great is my fear of your father, and how great my faithfulness toward him;

he charged me, as a most faithful servant, to attend upon you.

But now, seeing this stranger frequently conversing with you, I fear lest he be of the religion of the Christians, toward which your father is exceedingly hostile;

and I shall be found liable to the death-bearing sentence.

Therefore, either make known to the king the matters concerning him, or else cease henceforth conversing with him;

and if not, cast me out from your presence, so that I may not be blameworthy, and ask your father to bring another here.

And the king's son said to him:

Do this before all else, O Zardan:

sit yourself within the curtain, and listen to his conversation with me;

and then I will tell you what must be done.

And when Barlaam was about to come in to him, he brought Zardan inside the curtain, and says to the elder:

Recapitulate for me the points of your God-inspired teaching, so that it may be more firmly implanted in my heart.

And Barlaam, taking up the discourse, spoke much concerning God and piety toward him, and how one must love him alone with all one's heart, and with all one's soul, and with all one's mind, and keep his commandments with both fear and longing.

and that he is the maker of all things visible and invisible.

After this he also recalled the formation of the first man, and the commandment given to him and its transgression, and the condemnation by the one who fashioned him for that transgression.

Then in order he enumerated the good things from which, by setting aside the commandment, we shut ourselves out;

and again he recalled the sorrowful things which, after that failure, wretchedly overtook us.

After these he added the matters of his love for mankind, how the Creator, caring for our salvation, sent teachers and prophets proclaiming the incarnation of the Only-begotten;

then also his descent, the becoming man, the benefactions, the miracles, and the sufferings on behalf of us the ungrateful, the cross, the lance, the voluntary death;

and finally, our restoration, the recalling, the return to the original good.

After these, the kingdom of the heavens awaiting those who are worthy, the torment laid up for the wicked, the unquenched fire, the unceasing darkness, the undying worm, and whatever other punishment the slaves of sin have treasured up for themselves.

Having gone through these things and brought his discourse to a close in moral teaching, and having discoursed much concerning purity of life, and having condemned the vanity of things present, and having exposed the wretchedness of those who cling to them, he concluded with a prayer.

And having prayed for him an unshakeable and unswerving confession of the orthodox faith, and a blameless life and a most pure conduct, he, having put an end to the prayer, departed again to his lodging.

And the king's son, calling Zardan to himself and testing his disposition, said:

Did you hear what sort of things this babbler discourses to me, trying to deceive me with his empty plausibilities and to deprive me of this pleasant delight and enjoyment, and to make me serve a strange god? And Zardan said:

Why did it seem good to you, he said, O king, to test me, your servant? I know that the man's words have penetrated deeply into your heart;

for if this were not so, you would not have conversed with him so gladly and unceasingly.

And indeed we ourselves are not ignorant of this preaching;

but from the time your father raised up an implacable persecution against the Christians, they were driven away from these parts, and their preaching fell silent.

But if now this doctrine has appeared pleasing to you, and you are able to undertake its harshness and hardship, may your wishes be directed toward the good.

But what shall I do, being unable even to withstand such harshness, yet dividing my soul between pains and anguish through fear of the king? What defense shall I make to him, having dealt negligently with his commands, and having yielded to this man the

access to you? And the king's son said to him:

As for me, knowing no other worthy recompense for your great goodwill toward me, having found this one even more than worthy as a benefit to you, I have made known to you this good work that is above nature, so that you might recognize that for which you have been made, and come to know the Creator, and, leaving darkness behind, run to the light;

and I hoped that, as soon as you heard, you would follow this with irrepressible longing.

But I have been disappointed, as I see, in my hope, seeing you lukewarmly disposed toward the things spoken.

And if you disclose these things to the king, my father, you will do nothing else than distress his soul with cares and griefs.

But, if indeed you are grateful to him, do not by any means announce anything about these matters until the fitting time.

Having spoken these things to him, he seemed to be sowing upon the waters;

for wisdom will not enter into an unintelligent soul.

And on the next day Barlaam came and spoke of his departure;

and he, unable to bear separation from him, was grieved in soul and his eyes were filled with tears.

And the elder, having spoken much with him, and having adjured him to remain unshaken in the good, and having strengthened his heart with words of consolation, asked to be sent forth by him cheerfully;

and at the same time he foretold that before long they would be united with an indivisible union.

And the king's son, being unable to cause further trouble to the elder and to hinder him from the journey he longed for, and at the same time suspecting that that Zardan might make the matters concerning him known to the king and subject him to punishments, says to him:

Since this has seemed good to you, O spiritual father and best of teachers and author to me of every good thing, to leave me behind to consort with the vanity of the world, while you go to the place of spiritual rest, I no longer dare to detain you and hinder you.

Go, then, guarded by the peace of God, and always remember my wretchedness in your precious prayers, for the Lord's sake, that I may be able to overtake you and always behold your precious face.

But grant me one request:

and, since you were unwilling to take anything on behalf of your fellow ascetics, accept at least for yourself some small sum for sustenance and a garment for clothing.

And he answered him:

If for my brothers I did not accept anything from you (for neither do they need to take hold again of the material things of the world from which they willingly distanced themselves), how shall I procure for myself what I forbade to them? For if the possession of money were a good thing, I would have imparted it to them before myself;

but since I know their possession to be ruinous, I will subject neither them nor indeed myself to such snares.

But since he was unable to persuade him even in this, a second entreaty began, and he makes a second request again: not to disregard his petitions entirely, nor to pour out upon him utter despondency, but to leave with him that shriveled garment and rough cloak, both as a remembrance of the teacher's ascetic discipline, and as a protective charm for him against every satanic working, and to take from him another in place of it;

So that, he said, seeing what is given by me, you may bear my lowliness in remembrance.

To give you the old and torn garment and to receive a new garment is not right, lest I be condemned to receive here the recompense of my small labor;

but so that I may not thwart your eagerness, let what is given to me by you be old and no different from my own things.

And the king's son, having sought out old hair-cloth rags, and given these to the elder, took the elder's garment and rejoiced, considering it incomparably more precious than all purple and royal purple robes.

And the most divine Barlaam, being minded to depart as soon as possible, the matters of his departure...

...he was conversing with him, and delivered to him his final teaching:

"Brother," he said, "beloved and sweetest child, whom I begot through the Gospel, you know to what King you have been enlisted as a soldier, and to whom you have made your confessions,"

"therefore you must keep these firm, and eagerly fulfill the duties of the campaign, all that you promised in the document of confession to the Master of all, while the whole heavenly host was present bearing witness, and at the same time recording what was confessed—keeping which you shall be blessed."

"therefore prefer nothing of present things to God and His good things."

"For what among present things could be so fearful as the eternal fire of gehenna, whose burning has no light at all, and whose torment never ceases? And again what among the good things of the world could delight so greatly, as God Himself, granting Himself to those who have loved Him? His beauty is ineffable, His dominion unconquerable, and His glory everlasting;"

"whose good things, laid up for His friends, incomparably surpass all things visible—things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man;"

"of which may you be shown to be an heir, guarded by the most mighty hand of God."

But the king's son, dissolved in tears, was grieved and distressed, unable to bear being left behind by his affectionate father and excellent teacher;

"And who," he said, "O father, will fulfill your place for me? Under what such shepherd and guide of the soul's salvation shall I come to be? What comfort shall I make for my longing for you? For behold, you brought me, the wicked servant and apostate, to God, and established me in the rank of son and heir, and you sought out the one who was lost and captured by the mountains, ready prey for every wild beast, and mingled him with God's unerring sheep;"

"and you showed me the short path of truth, leading me out of darkness and the shadow of death, and, transferring my feet from the slippery and death-bearing and most crooked and winding path, you became for me the procurer of great and wondrous goods, whose surpassing excellence no word could suffice to relate."

"May you yourself also, for my sake, though I am small, partake of great gifts of God;"

"and may the Lord fill up what is lacking in my thanksgiving, He who alone surpasses, by His recompense of gifts, those who love Him."

But Barlaam, cutting short his lamentation, rose and stood for prayer, and, stretching out his two hands to heaven, said:

"O God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who illumined what was formerly darkened, and brought this visible and invisible creation into being out of that which was not, who turned back Your creature and did not allow us to walk after our own folly, we give thanks to You, and to Your wisdom and power, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom You also made the ages; You raised us up when we had fallen, and forgave the sins to us who had transgressed, brought back those who had gone astray, redeemed those who had been taken captive, and gave life to the dead by the precious and Master's blood of Your Son;"

"therefore I call upon You, and Your only-begotten Son, and Your all-holy Spirit;"

"look upon this rational sheep of Yours, which has come through me, unworthy as I am, as a sacrifice to You, and sanctify its soul by Your power and grace;"

"visit this vine that has been planted through Your Holy Spirit, and grant it to bear the fruit of righteousness;"

"strengthen him, confirming Your covenant in him, and deliver him from the deceit of the devil."

"By the wisdom of Your good Spirit teach him to do Your will, and do not withdraw Your help from him, deeming him worthy, together with me Your unprofitable servant, to become an heir of Your unending good things, for You are blessed and glorified unto the ages."

And when he had finished the prayer and turned, he embraced the child, now a child of the heavenly Father,

and having wished him peace and eternal salvation, he went out of the palace, and

he departed rejoicing and giving thanks to God, who had prospered his way unto good.

XXII. After Barlaam had gone out, Ioasaph gave himself to prayer and most fervent tears, and said:

"O God, attend unto my help."

"O Lord, make haste to help me, for the poor is left to You; You have been a helper of the orphan;"

"look upon me and have mercy on me, You who desire all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; save me and strengthen me, unworthy as I am, to walk in the way of Your holy commandments, for I am weak and wretched, and not able to do good;"

"but You are able to save me, You who hold together and sustain all things visible and invisible."

"Do not allow me to walk after the evil desires of the flesh;"

"but teach me to do Your will, and preserve me unto Your eternal and blessed life;"

"O Father, and Son, and divine Spirit, consubstantial and undivided Godhead, I call upon You and I glorify You;"

"for all creation hymns You, and the noetic powers of the bodiless ones glorify You unto the ages."

From then on, therefore, he kept himself with all watchfulness, procuring for himself purity of both soul and body, living together with self-control, and with all-night prayers and supplications.

For since by day he was often cut short by the company of those living with him, and sometimes also by the king's visits to him or his own summons to the king, the night made up for him the deficiencies of the day, as he stood in prayers and tears until daybreak, calling upon God;

whence that prophetic word was fulfilled in him:

"In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless the Lord."

But that Zardan, perceiving his manner of life, and being filled with grief, and struck in his soul with terrible anxieties, did not know what to do;

finally, overcome by distress, he withdrew to his own house, pretending to be ill.

And when this had come to the king's knowledge, he sent another of his most trusted men in his place to attend upon his son;

and he himself, caring for Zardan's health, sent to him a most approved physician, and deemed it fit that he be treated with much attention.

And the physician, since this man was dear to the king, examined him carefully, and, having most excellently diagnosed his condition, quickly reported to the king, saying, "I have not been able to find in the man the cause of any disease;"

"hence indeed I suspect that, his soul having been struck by some despondency, this is why he has become weak."

And the king, hearing these words, supposed that his son had been harshly disposed toward him, and that on account of this he had withdrawn, grieved.

And wishing consequently to learn the matter, he sent word to Zardan, saying, "Tomorrow I shall come to see you, and to ascertain the nature of the illness that has befallen you."

And Zardan, hearing this message, at once in the morning put on his cloak, and went to the king.

And entering, he bowed down to him upon the ground.

And the king said, "Why did you force yourself to come? For I myself wished to visit you, and to make known to all my friendship toward you."

"My illness, O king, is not among the diseases customary to men;"