"Ἠρωτήθη ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀγάθων, τί μεῖζον, ὁ σω ματικὸς κόπος, ἢ ἡ φυλακὴ τῶν ἔνδον. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ γέ ρων· Ἔοικε δένδρῳ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ τοίνυν σωματι κὸς κόπος φύλλα ἐστίν· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἔνδον φυλακὴ ὁ καρπός ἐστιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, Πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτε ται, καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται, φανερόν ἐστιν ὅτι διὰ τὸν καρπόν ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἡ σπουδὴ πᾶσα, τουτέστι τὴν τοῦ νοὸς φυλακήν. Χρεία δέ ἐστι καὶ τῆς ἐκ τῶν φύλ λων σκέπης καὶ εὐκοσμίας, ἅτινά ἐστιν ὁ σωματικὸς κόπος"

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
Unverified quote
0 likes
ProverbsChristian textsMonasticismDesert Fathers
Original Language: English

Sources

Someone asked Abba Agathon, "Which is better, bodily asceticism or interior vigilance?" The old man replied, "Man is like a tree, bodily asceticism is the foliage, interior vigilance the fruit. According to that which is written, 'Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire' (Matt 3:10) it is clear that all our care should be directed towards the fruit, that is to say, guarding of the spirit; but it needs the protection and the embellishment of the foli