OS (Text) -- 20

102 Insensibility (lethe) knows to extinguish the guard of the mind (nous) just as water extinguishes fire. The continual prayer (euche) of Jesus with intense sobriety, however, consumes it completely from the heart. For the prayer (euche) has need of sobriety, just as a small torch has need of the light of a lamp.

103 It is necessary to toil over the guard of the things which are honourable. Honourable, of a truth, are the things which guard us from every vice both sensible and intelligible. These things, then, are the guard of the mind (nous) together with the invocation of Jesus Christ; and ever to look into the depth of the heart and everlastingly to keep stillness in the intellect (dianoia), even, if I may put it thus, from thoughts (logismoi) which appear to be good; and to be diligent that [the heart] be found empty of thoughts (logismoi), so that the thieves do not hide. And even if we toil staying beside the heart, yet consolation is near.

104 It is the nature of the heart unceasingly kept and not permitted to accept the forms and images and imaginations of the dark and wicked spirits to bring forth out of itself thoughts (logismoi) in the form of light. For just as the coal gives birth to flame, thus, much more the God who dwells in the heart from Holy Baptism, if indeed he will find the air of the intellect (dianoia) pure of the winds of wickedness and kept by the guard of the mind (nous), sets our intellectual part on fire towards contemplations as a flame, wax.

105 It is necessary ever to turn round in the space of our heart the name of Jesus Christ just as a bolt of lightning turns round in the air of the firmament when rain is going to fall. For those also exactly know this who have experience of the mind (nous) and of the war within. As also in order let us thus conduct the intelligible war: first, attention; then, knowing the hostile thought (logismos) to be approaching, with anger let us strike it in [our] heart with the words of a curse; third order, directly to pray against the thought (logismos), collecting the heart with the invocation of Jesus Christ, so that directly the demonic appearance be dissolved in order for the mind (nous) not to follow behind the appearance as an infant deceived by a certain conjuror.

106 Let us toil as David, crying the ‘Lord Jesus Christ’. Our throat will grow hoarse and our intelligible eyes will fail from our hoping on the Lord our God. [Cf. Ps. 68, 4.]

107 Ever remembering the parable of the judge of injustice that the Lord spoke towards its being necessary for us always to pray and not to be faint-hearted [cf. Luke 18, 1–8], we will find both the profit and the revenge.

108 Just as it is impossible for him who gazes at the sun not to have his face richly shone upon, thus it is not possible for him who ever stoops down and peeps into the air of his heart not to be illumined.

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