....We have therefore to establish a school of the Lord’s service, in the institution of which we hope we are going to establish nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. But if, prompted by the desire to attain to equity, anything be set forth somewhat strictly for the correction of vice or the preservation of charity, do not therefore in fear and terror flee back from the way of salvation of which the beginning cannot but be a [6] narrow entrance. For it is by progressing in the life of conversion and faith that, with heart enlarged and in ineffable sweetness of love, one runs in the way of God’s commandments, so that never deserting His discipleship but persevering until death in His doctrine within the monastery, we may partake by patience in the suffering of Christ and become worthy inheritors of His kingdom. Amen.
5. Concerning Obedience
The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This is becoming to those who value nothing as more dear to them than Christ, on account of the holy servitude they have professed, whether through fear of hell or on account of the glory of life eternal. As soon as any order has been given by a superior, as being the same as if the order were divinely given, they can brook no delay in carrying it out. Concerning these the Lord says: “As the ear heard, he obeyed Me.” And again He says to teachers: “He who hears you, hears Me...”
6. Concerning Silence
Let
us do what the prophet says: “I said, I will watch my ways, that I
transgress not with my tongue. I set a watch upon my mouth, I became
dumb and humbled and silent from good.” Here the prophet shows, if one
ought sometimes to abstain from speaking good for the sake of keeping
silence, how much more ought one to be deterred from evil words on
account of the penalty of sin. Wherefore, even though it is always for
good and holy converse that tends to edification, let but rare leave to
talk be granted to fully trained disciples, on account of the
importance of silence; because it is written: “In much speaking thou
wilt not escape sin.” And elsewhere: “Death and life are in the power
of the tongue.” For to speak and to teach becomes the master, to be
silent and to listen beseems the disciple. And so if anything has to be
asked of the superior let it be asked with all humility and with
reverent subjection.
But all manner of buffoonery and idle,
mirth-provoking words we adjudge should be perpetually restrained in
every place; and for such discourse we permit not the disciple to open
his mouth.
Brethren,
the sacred Scriptures cry out to us and say: “Every one who exalts
himself will be humbled, and every one who humbles himself will be
exalted.”
In saying this it reveals that all exalting is a form
of pride, against which the prophet shows that he is on his guard by
saying: “Lord, my heart is not exalted nor mine eyes uplifted; and I
have not concerned myself with great things nor with wonderful things
above my reach.”
***
The second step in humility is, if
anyone, loving not his own self-will, delight not to fulfil his natural
desires, but in his deeds reproduce that word of the Lord Who says: “I
did not come to do My will, but His Who sent Me.” Again the Scripture
says: “Self-will has punishment, but necessity acquires a crown.”
The
third step in humility is that one for love of God subject himself in
all obedience to his superior, imitating the Lord, of Whom the Apostle
says: “Made obedient even unto death.”
The fourth step in
humility is if in that same [26] obedience, though things hard and
contrary and even injuries, no matter of what kind, have been
inflicted, he keep patience with a quiet conscience and enduring grows
not weary nor gives in, for Scripture says: “He who perseveres to the
end, the same shall be saved.” And again: “Let thy heart be comforted
and wait for the Lord.” And showing that the faithful man ought for the
Lord’s sake to wait patiently, seem all things never so contrary, it
says in the name of the suffering: “For Thy sake we are afflicted all
the day; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
***
The sixth step in humility is if a
monk be content with the meanest and worst of everything and with
respect to everything enjoined him adjudge himself a profitless workman
and unworthy, saying to himself with the prophet: “I was brought to
nothing and was ignorant: I became as a beast of burden before Thee and
I am always with Thee.”
The seventh step in humility is if he
not only with his mouth denounce himself as inferior to all and more
worthless, but also believe it in his inner consciousness, humbling
himself and saying with the prophet: “But I am a worm and not [28] a
man, a shame of men and an outcast of the people: I was exalted and
humbled and confounded.” And again: “It is good for me that Thou didst
humble me, that I may learn Thy commandments.”
***
The ninth step
in humility is if a monk restrain his tongue from speaking so as to
keep silence and not speak till questioned, the Scripture showing that:
“In much speaking sin may not be avoided”; and that “the talkative man
will not be guided aright in the world.”
The tenth step in
humility is if he be not easily and quickly moved to laughter, because
it is written: “The fool lifts up his voice in laughter.”
The
eleventh step in humility is if when a monk speaks he speak few and
reasonable words, calmly and without laughter, humbly and with gravity;
and be not noisy in speech, as it is written: “A wise man is known by
the fewness of his words.”
The twelfth step in humility is if a
monk not only be humble in heart, but also always in his very body
evince humility to those who see him, [29] that is, that in the Work of
God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in
the field or elsewhere, sitting, walking, or standing, his head be
always bent, his eyes cast down, accounting himself at all times as one
convicted of his sins; and likewise accounting himself to be already
presented before God’s awe-inspiring judgment, always in his heart
saying to himself what that publican in the Gospel said with eyes fixed
upon the ground: “Lord, I, the sinner, am not worthy to lift up mine
eyes to heaven.” And again with the prophet: “Bowed and humbled am I on
every side.”
In winter time, that is from the first of November until Easter as found by computation, let rising be at the eighth hour of the night, as seems reasonable, that there may be a moderately increased length of rest after midnight and that all may rise fully rested; and let what time remains after night office be devoted to thoughtful study by brethren who at all need it for the psalter or lections. But from Easter till the above-named first of November, let the time of night office be so arranged that after a very short interval during which the brethren can go out for the necessities of nature, the morning office, which is to be said at day-break, may at once follow.
Let them sleep singly in separate beds. Let them receive bedding suitable to their manner of life, at the discretion of the abbot. If it can be done, let all sleep in one room: but if their number does not allow of this, let them repose by tens or by twenties with their seniors who have charge of them. Let a candle burn continually in the dormitory until morning. Let them sleep clothed and girded with girdles or cords, but let them not have knives at their sides while they sleep, lest by chance while dreaming they wound a sleeper; and let them be monks always ready; and upon the signal being given let them rise without delay and hasten one after the other, yet with all gravity and decorum, to be ready in good time for the Work of God. Let not the younger brethren have their beds by themselves, but among those of the seniors: and let them [45] be allowed gently to encourage one another as they rise for the Work of God, because some may feel drowsy and listless.
Very specially is this vice of private ownership to be cut off from the monastery by the roots; and let not anyone presume to give or accept [54] anything without the abbot’s orders, nor to have anything as his own, not anything whatsoever, neither book, nor writing-tablet, nor pen; no, nothing at all, since indeed it is not allowed them to keep either body or will in their own power, but to look to receive everything necessary from their monastic father; and let not any be allowed to have what the abbot has not either given or permitted. And let all things be common to all, as it is written: “Neither did any one of them say or presume that anything was his own.” But if anyone shall have been caught indulging in this most baneful vice, let him be admonished once and again: if then he shall not have amended, let him be subjected to correction.
We believe that for the daily refection in all the months of the year, alike when it is at the sixth hour of the day as when it is at the ninth, two cooked dishes will avail, in consideration of the weakness of different individuals, that he who perchance cannot eat of one may be sufficiently catered for by the other; so for all the brethren let two cooked dishes suffice; and if there be fruit in addition or young vegetables let there be added a third dish also. Of bread let one pound by weight suffice, whether there be but one meal, or both dinner and supper, though if they are going to sup let a third part from that same pound be kept back by the cellarer and served when they sup. But if by chance any hard work shall have been done, it shall be within the discretion and power of the abbot to make some addition, if it be expedient, so long as all surfeiting be avoided and he take care that indigestion never overcome the monks; for nothing is so adverse to any Christian as surfeiting, as says our Lord: “See to it that your hearts be not weighed down with surfeiting.” And let not the same quantity be served to boys of tender age, but less than to their elders, moderation being observed in all cases. And let all abstain entirely from the eating of the flesh of quadrupeds, altogether excepting from this rule the weak and the sick.
Everyone has his own proper gift from God, one after this manner and another after that; and so it is with some misgiving we appoint the measure of other men’s living: however, duly considering the infirmity of the weak we believe that half a pint of wine per head per day suffices; but let those to whom God gives the power of the endurance of abstinence know that they shall have their due reward. But if the necessities of the place, or the work, or the heat of the summer should call for more, let it stand within the discretion of the superior to grant more, he taking [62] all care that neither surfeiting nor drunkenness creep in. Although we read that wine is by no means for monks, yet because in our time monks cannot be persuaded to see this, at all events let us agree as to this, that we will not drink to satiety, but somewhat sparingly; because: “Wine makes even the wise to fall away.” But where the necessities of the place make it clear that not even the above mentioned measure can be found necessary, but less by far, or even none at all, let those who live there bless God and not murmur; for this especially is what we are admonishing, that they be free from murmuring.
Idleness
is inimical to the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be
occupied, at fixed seasons, with manual work and again at fixed seasons
with spiritual reading: and so we think the hours for each should be
arranged on this plan: that is to say that from Easter to the first of
October they go out in the morning from Prime and work at whatever has
to be done until nearly the fourth hour: and from the fourth hour have
time for reading until about the sixth hour. And when they rise from
table after the sixth hour let them rest upon their beds in complete
silence; or if by chance anyone should wish to read, let him so
read as that he may not disturb anyone else. Let None be said in good
time, about the middle of the eighth hour, and then again let them work
at whatever has to be done, until Vespers. And let them not be
distressed if poverty or the needs of the place should require that
they busy themselves about gathering in the crops with their own hands;
for then are they truly monks, when they live by the work of their own
hands, as did our fathers and the apostles. Let everything be done in
moderation however on account of the faint-hearted.
And from the
first of October until the beginning of Lent let them have reading time
until the end of the second hour; and at the second hour let Terce be
said and then all go to work until None at whatever is assigned them.
But as soon as the first signal for None is made, let each and all
break off from their work and be ready by the time the second signal
has sounded. And after dinner let them have time for their studies and
for learning the psalms. But in Lent let them have time for their
studies from morning until the end of the third hour; and let them go
to work at whatever is assigned them until the end of the tenth hour.
In Lent moreover let them each have a book from the library and read it
straight through: and these books are to be given out at the beginning
of Lent. And above all let one or two seniors be deputed to go round
the monastery and keep observation during reading hours lest by chance
any brother be found morose and idle, or chatting instead of intent
upon his reading; and therefore be not only useless to himself but also
a distraction to others. And if, which be far from us, such an one be
found, let him be corrected once and yet again; and if then he be not
amended let him be subjected to correction according to rule in such
wise that others be put in fear. And let not brother associate with
brother at times not appointed for that purpose.
Further on the
Lord’s day let all have time for reading, except those who have been
deputed for various duties; but if there shall be anyone so
uninterested or so inert that through lack of will-power or of ability
he can neither study nor read let there be some work assigned him that
he may not be idle. To weak and delicate brethren let there be assigned
such suitable occupation and duties that they be neither overcome of
idleness nor so oppressed by exhaustion through work that they be
driven to flight. Their weakness is to be taken into consideration by
the abbot.