loose, both animals will go to destruction. And thus is it in the matter of the monk. If the body remain continually in its cell, the mind thereof will certainly come back to it after all its wanderings, for many reasons which will come upon it, but if the body as well as the soul wander outside the cell, both will become a prey and a thing of joy to the enemy.”
39. A certain brother belonging to a habitation of brethren said to Abbâ Bessarion, “What shall I do?” The old man said unto him, “Keep silence, and consider thyself to be nothing.”
40. Abbâ Moses besought Abbâ Zechariah, saying, “Speak a word of consolation to the brethren”; and Zechariah took his cloak, and placed it under his feet, saying, “Except a man die thus he cannot be a monk.”
41. Abbâ Poemen said, “The rule of the monk is this—to bear at all times his own blame.”
42. Abbâ Poemen said, “If thou holdest thyself in thine own sight to be of no account, thou mayest dwell where thou pleasest, and find rest.”
43. The same old man used to say, “A man will be always tripped up by that thing which he will not cut off from himself.”
44. Abbâ Alônîs said, “If a man will only remember that which is written, ‘Thou shalt be justified by thy words, and shalt be condemned by thy words’ (St. Matthew 12:37), he would know that it is right to hold his peace.”
45. Abbâ Poemen said, “If thou wishest to acquire the power to keep silence, think not and say not within thyself that thou art doing the works of spiritual excellence, but say, ‘I am not even worthy to speak.’ ”
46. Abbâ Anthony said, “He who liveth in the desert is free from three kinds of spiritual attacks, that is to say, those which arise through the ears, speech, and sight; he hath only one kind to fight, namely, that of the heart.”
47. Abbâ Alônîs said, “Unless a man saith in his heart, ‘Only God and myself exist in this world,’ he will not find rest.”
48. Abbâ Sisoes used to say, “It is well for a man to dwell in his cell, and if he suffer with patient endurance he will find blessings of every kind.”
49. A certain brother asked Abbâ Panbô (Pambo), “Is it a good thing for a man to praise his neighbour?” Saith the old man, “It is a much better thing for a man tohold his peace.”
50. Abbâ Poemen said, “In all the labour which cometh upon a man, his victory is only assured when he holdeth his peace.”
