會規 第 1 章

I. Therefore the soldiers of Christ ought thus to order their steps, keeping within themselves the most perfect charity, "to love God with their whole soul, and with their whole heart, and with their whole strength." [Mark 12:30] II. Pursuing among themselves a most perfect mutual obedience: peaceful, gentle, moderate, not proud, not injurious, not whisperers, not mockers, not given to many words, not presumptuous, not pleasing themselves, but pleasing God whom they serve, Christ; not pursuing blasphemy, nor saying anything except what is good; not slothful for service, ready for prayer, perfect in humility, girded with obedience, persevering in vigils, cheerful in fasting. III. Let no one judge himself more righteous than another;

but let each one consider himself lower than all: "For whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." [Luke 14:11] IV. The command of an elder you are to receive as your salvation: do no work murmuringly; do not usurp any answering-back against a command. V. Do not exalt yourself or boast of having done some useful work; do not rejoice together in gaining any profit, nor be saddened at a loss. VI. Let no worldly familiarity draw you away; but let all your delight dwell in your little cell. Have your cell as a paradise; be confident that you have your spiritual brothers as eternal kindred. VII. Fear the prior of the monastery as a lord, love him as a parent.

Likewise also it behooves you to love all the brothers, with whom you trust also to behold the glory of Christ. VIII. "Do not hate laborious work;" [Sir. 7:16] do not pursue idleness either. Worn out in vigils, devoted to just labor, walking as one drowsy with weariness, come to your bed, and believe that you rest together with Christ. IX. And love the course of the monastery above all things. But whoever shall more often wish to pray will find the more abundant mercy of Christ. X. And when the morning office has been said, let the brothers thus engage in meditation until the second hour: provided that no cause arise by which it is necessary, even with meditation set aside, that something be done in common. XI.

But after the second hour let each one be ready for his work until the ninth hour, so that whatever has been enjoined he may "accomplish without murmuring," [Phil. 2:14] as the holy Apostle says. XII. But if anyone shall have murmured, or proved contentious, or shown in any matter a will contrary to the commands, being worthily rebuked according to the judgment of the elder or the measure of the fault, let him abstain for as long as either the nature of the fault shall demand, or until he humbles himself by repenting, or has amended; in such a way that, once rebuked, he dare not anywhere fall back into it. XIII. If any brother—whether of those who are in the oratory, or of those who dwell throughout the cells—whoever consents to his error, shall be culpable. XIV.

But at the hour of prayer, when the signal has been given, if he be not at once ready, setting aside every work that he is doing—since nothing is to be preferred to prayer—let him be shut out of doors, that he may be put to shame. XV. The individual brothers shall give their attention to God at the time when the offices in the vigils to be observed are held, when all assemble, lest they grow faint. Whoever is weighed down with sleep, let him go outside: let him not occupy himself with idle talk, but return at once to the work for which the assembly is gathered. But in the assembly itself, where there is reading, let them always keep their ears to the Scriptures, and observe silence. XVI. This too had to be attended to: that a brother who is rebuked or reproved for any fault should have patience and not answer back the one rebuking him;

but let him humble himself in all things according to the precept of the Lord who says: "For God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud." [James 4:6] And, "He who humbles himself shall be exalted." [Matt. 23:12] XVII. But whoever is more often corrected and does not amend himself, let him be ordered to stand last in rank. And if not even thus he amends himself, let him be regarded as an outsider, as the Lord said: "Let him be to you as a heathen and a publican." [Matt. 18:17] XVIII. At table, however, let no one speak in particular, except the one who presides, or the one who has been questioned. XIX. Let no one exalt himself in his own skill, nor in his voice, but through humility and obedience let him rejoice in the Lord. XX. "Pursuing hospitality" [Rom.

12:13] in all things, and do not turn away your eye, or dismiss the poor man empty; lest perchance the Lord come to you in the guest or in the poor man, and see you hesitating, and you be despised; but show yourself cheerful to all, and act faithfully. XXI. Having suffered injury, be silent. To know not how to do injury, and to be able to bear injury when it is done. Let no empty counsels seduce you, but rather establish yourself especially in Christ. Do not reckon any kindred nearer to you than the brothers who are with you in the cell. XXII. If two or three brothers go out from the monastery to seek necessary things, let them be such as can be trusted, who are seen to have the fear of God in themselves, not such as pursue much talking or gluttony. XXIII.

Therefore, if anyone from the world wishes to be converted to the monastery, let the Rule be read to him as he enters, and let all the practices of the monastery be made plain to him. And if he fittingly endures all things, then let him be worthily received by the brothers into the monastery. XXIV. For if he wishes to bring any substance into the cell, let it be placed at the table in the presence of all the brothers, as the Rule contains. He who has been received shall, from that hour, have judgment not only over the substance which he brought in, but not even over himself. For if he has previously distributed anything to the poor, or, on coming into the cell, brought in anything for the brothers, it is nevertheless not lawful for him to have anything in his own power. XXV.

And if for any cause of offense he should wish to depart from there after the third day, let him receive absolutely nothing except the garment in which he came. But if by chance he passes away, let none of his heirs presume to approach. But if he wishes to make a claim, let the Rule be read to him, and let him be shamefully put to confusion, and let him depart confounded; for it had also been recited to the one from whom he demands it back. XXVI. Therefore, if for any cause a brother has sinned, let him be suspended from prayer and bound under fasts. But if, prostrate before all the brethren, he asks for pardon, let it be granted to him. XXVII. For if he should wish to persevere in his wickedness and pride, and say:

"Here I cannot endure, but I will take my cloak and go wherever the Lord wills:" whoever among the brethren first hears him say this, let him report it to the prior, and the prior to the abbot. Let the abbot sit before all the brethren, and order him to be brought forward, and let him be chastened with rods, and let prayer be made, and so let him be received back into communion. So that if anyone is plainly not corrected by teaching, let him be chastened with rods. XXVIII. But if by chance a brother should wish to leave the monastery, let him receive absolutely nothing except in the most marked garment, and let him depart as an unbeliever, outside of communion. For the gentle and the peaceful seize the kingdom on high, and are counted sons of the Most High, [Matt. 5:4 & 9] and shall receive precious and splendid crowns;

but the sons of darkness shall go into the outer torments. "Upon whom shall I rest, says the Lord, but upon him who is humble and quiet and trembles at my words?" [Isa. 66:2] XXIX. Those who break the fast on the fourth and sixth days of the week are reckoned partakers with Judas, who betrayed Christ. XXX. This too must be observed, that within the monastery let no one practice a craft except him whose faith has been proven, who may do what he can for the benefit and need of the monastery. Abundance of wood kindles a vast flame; but a multitude of foods sends forth lust. Most evil is the craving for foods, and disobedience begets death.

A needy stomach grants watchfulness in prayers, and acquires a crown for the soul; but a full one induces the heaviest sleep. The eye of the glutton scans banquets, but the eye of the wise meditates on self-control. The fearful soldier shudders at the trumpet that signals war; and the glutton, if he hears anyone preaching abstinence, does not gladly listen. When a flame withers, it blazes again if it receives wood; and a quenched lust grows once more in satiety. Have no pity on the body if it fails from weariness: a horse that goes along with the needy body never throws its rider. The craving of the belly is the mother of lust. Oil nourishes the lamp's flame, and a woman's chatter rekindles the fire.

A woman's face is a savage arrow; it fixes a wound in the soul. Flee a woman's chatter as you would poison, if you wish to be chaste; for hidden in them is the most deadly venom of beasts. Draw nearer to a burning fire than to a young woman. While you are a young man, flee the assault of lust and the chatter of a woman. Those who have filled their belly and have promised chastity lie to themselves. The shape of beauty drowns a man worse than a tempest. If a woman's appearance has once crushed the mind, it persuades a man even to despise the mind itself. For just as if fire lingers among chaff it stirs up a flame, so the lingering memory of a woman kindles lust.

For just as a laden ship is overwhelmed by the blow of the waves, so a monk who possesses much shall not be saved. A monk who possesses nothing is an unconquerable athlete; a monk who possesses nothing is a swift runner, reaching speedily the prize of his calling. The covetous monk neglects to work; the monk who possesses nothing, after moderate labor, has leisure for prayers and readings. The covetous monk stores up for himself wrath on the day of vengeance; the monk who possesses nothing stores up in heaven, and shall give praise to God together with the angels. The monk's boast is patience in his tribulations. The monk's boast is long-suffering joined with charity. The monk's boast is to possess nothing of the present life. The monk's boast is vigils and weeping in prayers.

The monk's boast is meekness and silence of heart. The monk's boast is when he has loved the Lord with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself. The monk's boast is abstinence from foods and from the much-speaking of the tongue. The monk's boast is when he bears with his neighbor as with himself. The monk's boast is when his words accord with his works. The monk's boast is when he remains in his own place and does not wander here and there. The monk's boast is long-suffering. As a lamp in a dark place, as a radiant sun, so is the monk with sober mind and ever-watchful heart in the time of his salvation. As a weight of salt presses down a feeble man, so does sleep the monk.

As thorns and thistles are to a rich field, so are foul and most evil thoughts in the heart of a monk. As a moth destroys a garment, so do distractions the soul of a monk. Do not give yourself to conversation with women, lest you be separated from the kingdom of God; and do not be willing to say: I will speak with a woman, and I am pure. The wise monk works with his own hands and acquires his daily sustenance, and he profits by his prayers and his fasts; but if he receives his sustenance from another, what does it profit that he prays and keeps vigil? Like a bad hireling, he goes out naked, for it is written: "It is better to give than to receive." [Acts 20:35] You who read, understand always in the Lord.