42 (1). To Chilo, His Pupil
SAINT BASIL
42. To Chilo, His Pupill I shall become responsible for your salvation, my true brother, if you willingly accept our counsels as to your line of conduct, especially in those matters wherein you yourself have urged us to advise you. For, many have dared to begin the solitary life, but few, perhaps, have labored to bring it to a worthy end. By no means is the fulfillment in the mere intention, but in the fulfilling we have the fruit of our labors. For those, therefore, who do not hasten toward the accomplishment of their aim and who undertake the life of the monk only as far as the beginning, there is no profit; nevertheless, they abandon their purpose, a ridiculous act, for which they are accused by those on the outside of cowardice and indecision.
Concerning such people the Lord says: 'For who, wishing to build a house, does not sit down first and calculate the outlays that are necessary, whether he has the means to complete it? Lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, ... they begin to mock him saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish!"'2 Therefore, let the beginning contain the germ of zealous progress toward virtue.
For, the most noble athlete, Paul, desiring that we should not be careless because of our previous good deeds, but should go forward day by day, says: 'Forgetting what is behind, I strain forward to what is before, I press on towards the goal, to the prize of God's heavenly call.'3 Such is the whole life
1 No ancient manuscripts of the letters of St. Basil contain Letter 42.
Moreover, a note found beside the letter in the Codex Regius 2895 reads: 'Some attribute this letter to the holy Nilus: Cf. Bessieres, op. cit. 344. Furthermore, it appears in several manuscripts of the homilies, and should properly be considered among homilies rather than among letters. It is supposed to have been written before the time of S1. Basil's episcopate.
2 Cf. Luke 14.28·30. The quotation is given almost verbatim, but 'oekon' replaces 'purgon' of the Septuagint.
3 Phil. 3.13·14.
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of man. Not content with the things that have gone before, he is supported not by things past, but rather by the things to come. Why, what does it profit a man to have dined well yesterday, if today his natural hunger does not find food for its proper satisfaction? Likewise, there is no gain for the soul from yesterday's virtue, if that virtue is deprived of today's just actions. 'For, as I find you,' He says, 'so shall I judge yoU.'4
Therefore, the labor of the just is fruitless, and even the way of the sinner is blameless, if followed by change, in the one from better to worse, and, in the other, from worse to better.
This can also be understood from Ezechiel5 as from the Lord teaching in person. 'For if,' he says, 'the just man, turning himself away from his justice, do iniquity, I shall not remember his justices which he formerly did, but he shall die in his sin.' And he also says this about the sinner: 'If turning away from his sin he shall do justice, he shall surely live.'6
For, where were the great labors of His servant Moses, since the contradiction of a moment cancelled his entrance to the land of promise? And where was the close association of Giezi with Eliseus, since the former brought leprosy1 on himself by his love of money. Also, what profit to Solomon were his vast store of wisdom and his great devotion toward
God in his previous life, since later, because of his infatuation for women, he fell into idolatry? And not even his lofty position left the blessed David blameless for his sin against the wife of Uriah.s Sufficient also was the example of the fall of Judas from better to worse for the salvation of him
4 Cf. Ezech. 7.3.
1) Cf. Ezech. 18.24.
6 Cf. Ezech. 18.27.28.
7 Cf. 4 Kings 5.
8 Bathsheba.
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who lives his life according to God. Judas, though he was a disciple of Christ for such a long time, later sold his
Teacher for a little gain and by his labors prepared a rope for himself.
Therefore, be this known to you, brother, that not he who begins well is perfect, but he who ends well is approved by God.
Do not, then, give sleep to your eyes, brother, nor slumber to your eyelids,9 that you may be saved as the doe from the noose and as the bird from the snare.10 For, behold, you are going through the midst of the snares and walking about a lofty wall from which a misstep is not without danger for one who falls. Therefore, do not strive to reach immediately the highest perfection of the ascetic life; especially, do not be self-confident, lest, through inexperience, you fall from the heights of asceticism; it is better to advance little by little.
Therefore, gradually steal away from the pleasures of life, utterly destroying every worldly habit of yours, lest, having aroused all your sensual desires at once, you should bring upon yourself a multitude of temptations. But, when with all your might you have prevailed over one passion of pleasure, gird yourself against another, and thus you will prevail in good time over all such pleasures. For, indeed, the name of pleasure is one, but the accompanying circumstances are various.
Therefore, brother, be first of all patient in the face of every trial. But, by what sort of temptation is the faithful man proved? By losses of worldly possessions, by accusations, by false representations, by disobediences, by evil reports, by persecutions. By these and similar tests is the faithful man proved.
Secondly, be also quiet, not precipitate in speech, not 9 Cf. Ps. 132.4.
10 Cf. Ps. 124.7.
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quarrelsome, not contentious, not conceited, not desirous to explain but to believe; be not talkative, but be ever ready to learn rather than to teach. Do not busy yourself about worldly affairs, from which no profit accrues to you. For, it is said:
'That my mouth may not speak the works of men.'ll He who willingly talks of the deeds of sinners readily arouses desires of pleasure in himself. Rather, be occupied about the life of the just, for thus you will find profit for yourself. Do not be ostentatious, visiting houses in the villages, but flee these as snares of the soul. And if anyone through his great piety invites you to his house on various pretexts, let such a one learn to be guided by the faith of the centurion, who, when Jesus was hastening to him in order to work a cure, besought Him not to come, saying: 'Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.'12 And when Jesus answered him: 'Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee,'13 the servant was cured from that hour. Be this known to you, therefore, brother, that not the presence of Christ, but the faith of him who asked, freed the sick man. So it is also now; if you pray in whatever place you are, and the sick person believes that he will be aided by your prayers, all things will result according to his will.
Furthermore, you shall not love your relatives more than the Lord. 'For he who loves,' He says, 'father or mother or brothers more than me is not worthy of me.'14 What does this precept of the Lord mean? 'If anyone,' He says, 'does not carry his cross, and follow me, he cannot be my disciple.'15
If you would die with Christ to your relatives according to II Ps. 16.4.
12 Matt. 8.8.
13 Matt. 8.13.
14 Cf. Matt. 10.37.
15 Cf. Luke 14.27.
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the flesh, why do you wish to be among them again? And if what you have destroyed for Christ you build up again for your relatives, you make yourself an apostate. Therefore, you should not withdraw from your dwelling place because of the need of your relatives, for, in departing from your place of living, you will perhaps depart from your way of life.1s
Do not be a lover of the crowd, nor of your country, nor of your fellow citizens, but of solitude, remaining in it always unwaveringly, believing that prayer and the singing of psalms are your work. And do not neglect reading, especially of the New Testament, because harm often arises from reading the Old Testament, not because harmful things were written, but because the minds of those who are harmed are weak. All bread is nourishing, but to the sick it may be hurtful. So, also, all Scripture is divinely inspired and useful, and there is nothing unclean17 in it, except it be unclean to him who thinks it is unclean. 'But test all things; hold fast that which is good. Keep yourself from every kind of evil,'18 for 'all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient.H '
Therefore, be not a stumbling-block20 in any way to those with whom you meet; be cheerful, a lover of the brethren,21 gentle, humble; do not forfeit the aim of hospitality22 by seeking extravagant foods, but be content with what is at hand, and take nothing more from anyone than what the daily needs of the solitary life require. And, especially, shun gold
16 The play upon tapas (place) and tr6pas (character) cannot be exactly reproduced in English.
17 Cf. 2 Tim. 3.16.
18 I Thess. 5.21.22. The quotation is in the exact words of the Scripture. but the verbs have been made singular.
19 Cf. I Cor. 6.12.
20 Cf. I Cor. 10.32.
21 Cf. I Peter 3.8.
22 The free offerings of the pious •. on which the monks depended. Their gluttony would discourage entertainment.
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as an enemy of the soul, the father of sin, and the servant of the Devil. Do not make yourself liable to the charge of avarice 23 under the pretext of serving the poor. If anyone brings you money for the needy, and you know that there are some in want, advise him to whom the money belongs to carry it himself to his needy brothers, lest at some time the acceptance of money should sully your conscience.
Flee pleasures; seek to attain self-control; train the body indeed by labor; and accustom the soul to trials. Regarding the separation of body and soul as deliverance from all evil, await eternal blessings for the enjoyment of which all the saints have been made partakers. Unceasingly set against the suggestions of the Devil your pious reasoning, balancing it as on a pair of scales, and continuing with your reasoning until the fall of the pan; especially whenever the evil thought arises and says: 'What is the advantage to you of living in this place? What profit is it to you to retire from the society of men? Do you not know that those appointed by God as bishops of the churches of God live customarily among men, and without intermission they hold the spiritual assemblies which greatly benefit those who attend? For there the difficult sayings of the Proverbs are laid open, the teachings of the Apostles are unfolded, the thoughts contained in the Gospels expounded, discourses on God are heard, and there are held conferences of spiritual brothers, who by the mere sight of their person occasion great profit to those meeting them. But, you have made yourself a stranger to such good influences, and sit here becoming like the wild beasts. For, you see here a vast solitude, entire absence of social intercourse, a lack of instruction, an estrangement from brethren, and great idleness of spirit in regard to the precept of God.'
When, therefore, the evil thought rises up and wishes to 23 I.e .. by collecting alms ·for the poor· too diligently.
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break your determination by such numerous and specious pretexts of this kind, set against it, by pious reflections, your experience of the matter in hand, saying : 'You tell me that the things of the world are good. It is on that account that I have moved here, since I judge myself unworthy of the good things of this world. For, evils have been mingled with the good things of the world-the evils preponderating. Once, indeed, when I was attending the spiritual assemblies, I met at length with great difficulty one brother who, it seemed, feared the Lord, but who was prevailed upon by the Devil.
I heard from him clever speeches and fictitious tales told for the deception of those conversing with him. And, after him, I ran into many thieves, robbers, and oppressors. I saw the shameful sight of drunkards, and the blood of the oppressed. I looked upon the beauty of women, which tortured my self-control. And, though I fled the act of fornication, I sullied my virginity through the thought of my heart. I also heard many words profitable to my soul, but in none of the teachers did I find virtue worthy of his words. And, after this, I heard innumerable tragedies, which insinuated themselves into the mind by corrupt songs. Again, I heard the lyre sweetly sounding, the beat of the dancers' feet, the voice of the buffoons, much folly and ribald wit, and the outcry of an unspeakably large crowd. I saw the tears of the robbed, the distress of those led away by tyranny, the shrieks of the tortured. And I looked, and, lo! it was not a spiritual assembly, but a wind-swept and storm-tossed sea, striving to cover all alike with its waves. 24
'Tell me, 0 evil thought, demon both of transient sensual 24 St. Gregory of Nyssa describes a similar scene of the vices in Palestine in his letter on Pilgrimages. Because of the similarity of the descriptions and because St. Basil is known to have visited Palestine (d.
Letter 223.2) '.faran, at). cif .. suggests that St. Basil is describing conditions in the Holy Land.
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pleasures and of vanities, what profit is it to me to see and hear these things, since I have not strength to aid the wronged, nor am I allowed either to succor the weak or to correct the erring; nay, perhaps I am destined to destroy myself as well? For, as a little pool of clear water is blotted out by a great storm of wind and dust, so the good deeds which we are accustomed to do in life are covered over by the mass of evils. Indeed, the tragedies recounting pleasures and joys are like stakes set up by worldlings in their hearts, so that the purity of their psalmody may be dimmed. And the wailings and lamentations of men wronged by their fellow men are introduced to show the endurance of the poor. What profit, therefore, is this for me, or is it manifestly harmful to my soul?
'So, for this reason I flee to the mountains "as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers."25 For, I have been delivered as a sparrow. And I pass my life, 0 evil thought, in this solitude in which the Lord dwelt. Here is the oak of Mambre; 26 here is the ladder leading to heaven and the companies of angels which Jacob saw; here is the desert in which the people, having been purified, were given the laws, and, thus entering the land of promise, saw God. Here is Mount Carmel on which Elias, taking up his abode, was well-pleasing to God. Here is the plain into which Esdras withdrew and at the command of God produced his divinely inspired books.
Here is the desert in which the blessed John ate locusts and preached penance to men. Here is the Mount of Olives
.which Christ ascended to pray, teaching us how to pray.
Here is Christ, the lover of solitude. For, He says: "Where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there am I 25 Cf. Ps. 124.7.
26 Cf. Gen. 13.18; IS.I.
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in the midst of them."27 Here is the narrow and close way that leads to life. 28 Here are the teachers and prophets,
"wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the carth."29 Here are apostles and evangelists, and monks living as citizens of the desert.
'Now, I have willingly accepted these things that I may receive the rewards which were promised to the martyrs of Christ and to all the other saints, and that I may truly say:
"For the sake of the words of thy lips I have kept hard ways."30 For, I know that Abraham, the beloved of God, obeyed the voice of God and settled in the solitude; that Isaac was oppressed; that Jacob, the patriarch, lived in a foreign land; the chaste Joseph was sold; the three steadfast youths resisted fire; Daniel twice was thrown into the den of lions; the outspoken Jeremias was condemned to a dungeon of filth; Isaias, the beholder of hidden things, was sawed in pieces; Israel was taken captive; John denounced adultery and was beheaded; and the martyrs of Christ were destroyed. Indeed, why do I speak at length when even the Saviour Himself was crucified for us, in order that by His death He might make us live and might anoint and draw us all to endurance. To Him and to the Father and to the Holy Spirit I press on. I strive to be found a true son, having judged myself unworthy of the good things of the world, indeed unworthy not on account of the world, but the world made unworthy on account of me.'
Therefore, considering these things within yourself, and zealously bringing them to fulfillment, as has been said to you, struggle until death for the sake of truth. For, even Christ
27 Matt. 18.20.
28 Cf. Matt. 7.14.
29 Heb. 11.38.
30 Ps. 16.4.