"Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ματόην, λέγων· Τί ποιήσω; ὅτι ἡ γλῶσσά μου θλίβει με· καὶ ὅταν ἔρχωμαι ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ δύναμαι κατα σχεῖν αὐτήν· ἀλλὰ κατακρίνω αὐτοὺς ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ ἐλέγχω αὐτούς. Τί οὖν ποιήσω; Καὶ ἀπο κριθεὶς ὁ γέρων εἶπεν· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι κατέχειν ἑαυ τὸν, φύγε καταμόνας. Ἀσθένεια γάρ ἐστιν. Ὁ δὲ καθ ήμενος μετὰ ἀδελφῶν, οὐκ ὀφείλει εἶναι τετραγω νιαῖος, ἀλλὰ στρογγύλος, ἵνα πρὸς πάντας κυλίηται. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων Οὐ κατὰ ἀρετὴν κάθημαι κατα μόνας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀσθένειαν· δυνατοὶ γάρ εἰσιν, οἱ ἐρχόμενοι εἰς τὸ μέσον τῶν ἀνθρώπων."
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A brother questioned Abba Matoes saying, "What am I to do? My tongue makes me suffer, and every time I go among men, I cannot control it, but I condemn them in all the good they are doing and reproach them with it. What am I to do?" The old man replied, "If you cannot contain yourself, flee into solitude. For this is a sickness. He who dwells with brethren must not be square, but round, so as to turn himself towards all." He went on, "It is not through virtue that I live in solitude, but through
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