Letter 25: To know the heart, watch what thoughts arise during prayer.

Through the Lord I had chosen that you should live the solitary life, pulling down thoughts and every high thing raised against the knowledge of Christ. But you, having turned away from official life, if indeed you have truly turned away, act as though you had already completed righteousness in deed, and as though you had gone even beyond that, able to say, "Accept, Lord, the free offerings of my mouth," as if you had fulfilled everything in the law. You do not consider the other thoughts that come out of the heart and stain the mind. If the mind consents to them in thought, they bend it toward sin. Against this there is a spiritual reply, meant to obstruct sin both in intention and in action. Consent to sin, even in thought, is counted as sin. Moses teaches you this when he says, "Do not agree with them," and the Lord in the Gospel condemns as an adulterer the one who looks at a woman with passion, and condemns the one who is angry at his brother even in thought. These commandments uproot lawless consent from the heart and prepare the Lord's road in the mind. Foolish people treat walking this road as something laughable. They think they have immediately completed the apostolic way, as though keeping the law were hindered only by bodily passions. But thoughts that arise from bodily passions last only a short time; envy and resentment can stretch on into old age. Perhaps the thoughts that come from public office do not drown me. But is it impossible for me to be drowned in thoughts of vainglory? Take care that while your body is staying in Jerusalem, your mind is not beyond Bethany, bound and fed by thoughts of money-making and clever talk, by calculations about buying and selling salt, vinegar, oil, and bread, while thousands are hungry and need the daily bread. Forgive me, I beg you. I am answering your letter, because you wrote that you live as a stranger in a place receptive to God, the maker of heaven and earth. Know that he stands in your midst, as John the Baptist bears witness, waiting for you until by your works you become Bethlehem, by the spiritual vision of your purified nature you become Resurrection, by your knowledge of the divine words you become Ascension, and you are called Mount of Olives. If you want to know the condition of your heart, whether it is earnest or careless, look at yourself at the time of prayer. See what thoughts impress themselves on your mind, and whether it is being pulled apart by passionate thoughts or stands in freedom from passion. If passions are fighting it, it is clear that the divine commandments are being treated as nothing and that the passions rising within it stir up anger and desire with many evils and pains. If it is troubled by smoky thoughts, it is known that it is neglecting reading and prayer, and that its meditation is in empty talk, choosing to say or hear something new. Fight the good fight, then, so that you may be crowned with the crown of righteousness and see Christ the bridegroom, whom you now seek through good works. This is the true seeking of the Lord.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): εγω μεν δια του κυριου προειλομην ζωην μονηρη διαγειν σε τους λογισμους καθελοντα τε και παν υψωμα επαιρομενον κατα της γνωσεως Χ. συ δε των πραιτωριανων αποτρεψαμενος — ει δη αληθως αποτετραψαι — ως την δικαιοσυνην εργωι τετελειωκας ουει και παλιν ως και υπερεκεινα τουτου κατηντησας ωστε δυνασθαι λεγειν τα εκουσια του στοματος μου ευδοκησον κυριε ως παντα τα εν γομωι επιτελεσαντα. τους γαρ αλλους ουκ εννοεις λογισμους της καρδιας εκπορευομενους τε και τον νουν σπιλουντας οι ει συγκατατιθεται εν τηι διανοιαι μετακλινουσιν αυτον προς την αμαρτιαν· περι δε τουτου πνευματικη αντιρρησις κειται ως εις εμποδισμον της αμαρτιας της τε κατα προαιρεσιν και της δι' εργου· συμφωνειν δε τηι αμαρτιαι καν εν λογισμωι αμαρτια λογιζεται επει μωυσης σε διδασκει λεγων μη συμφωνει αυτοις και ο κυριος εν τωι ευαγγελιωι ως μοιχου καταδικαζει του εμπαθως εις γυναικα βλεποντος και του εις τον αδελφον αυτου καν εν διαλογισμωι οργιζοντος. αυται αι εντολαι την ανομιαι συγκαταθεσιν της καρδιας εκριζουσι τε και την του κυριου οδον εν τωι νοι ευτρεπιζουσιν· οι δε ανοητοι ως γελοιον τι φροντιζουσιν το ταυτην την οδον πορευεσθαι και οιονται οτι παραυτικα την αποστολικην οδον εξετελεσαν ως της νομου τηρησεως δια των του σωματος μονον παθων κωλυομενης· οι δε εκ τουτων λογισμοι ολιγοχρονιοι εισι ο δε φθονος και η μνησιχακια και εως της πολιας συμπαρεκτεινονται. ισως οι απο πραιτωριανων λογισμοι ου με καταποντιζουσι· μη ποτε εν λογισμοις κενοδοξιας καταποντιζεσθαι με ου δυνατον; προσεχε μη ποτε σωματικως εν ιερουσαλημ παροικουντος σου ο νους υπερεκεινα βηθανιας ηι λογισμοις φιλαργυριας και ευτραπελιας δεδεμενος και τεθραμμενος λογοις αγορασεως τε και πρασεως αλος και οξους και ελαιου και αρτου μυριων ποσων πεινωντων του επιουσιου αρτου χρηιζοντων. αλλ' αφες μοι δεομαι σου, προς γαρ την επιστολην σου αποκεκριμαι σοι οτι γεγραφας ως παροικεις εν τοπωι θεου δεκτικωι του ουρανον τε και γην ποιησαντος· γιγνωσκε οτι μεοος σου στηκει κατα ιωαννουυ του βαπτιστου τεκμηριον προσμενων σε εστε δια των εργων σου βηθλεεμ εσηι και δια της πνευματικης οψεως της καθαρας φυσεως σου αναστασις*) εσηι και δια της επιστημης σου των θειων λογων αναληψις και κληθησηι ορος ελαιων. ει δε βουλει γιγνωσκειν την της καρδιας σου καταστασιν τις εστιν ει σπουδαια εστιν η αμελουσα βλεψον εις σαυτον κατα καιρον προσευχης τισι λογισμοις εντυπουται ο νους σου και ει διασπαται λογισμοις εμπαθεσιν η απαθειαι· και εαν παθη αυτωι πολεμωσι δηλον εστιν οτι αι θειαι εντολαι αυτωι εξουδενουμεναι και τα παθη υπανατελλοντα εν αυτωι θυμον τε και επιθυμιαν κινουσι μετα πληθους κακων και οδυνων· εαν δε δν ταραχηι ηι λογισμων καπνωδων (?) γνωστον οτι της τε αναγνωσεως και της προσευχης ουκ επιμελειται, αλλ' εν πραγματειαις ματαιολογιων η μελετη αυτου, και τουτο αυτωι αιρετον λεγειν και ακουεν τι καινον. αλλα αγωνιζου τον αγαθον αγωνα ινα στεφανωι δικαιοσυνης στεφανωθηις τε και τον νυμφιον Χ. ιδηις ον τανυν δια καλων εργων ζητεις· εστι δε τουτο αληθινη του κυριου ζητησις Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.