Desert Wisdom 
Abba Helenus and the Crocodile(0)
Abba Helenus visited a certain monastery on a Sunday and found that they were not observing the solemnity of the day. Upon asking why, he was told that the priest who lived on the other side of the river had not come. No one indeed was willing to cross the river for fear of the [...]
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Origins of Evil Come from Within
The main sources of the Enemy from which every evil springs are threefold: desire, pleasure, and sadness. These are connected one from another, and one follows another. It is possible to control pleasure to some extent, but impossible to control desire; for the end of pleasure is achieved through the body, but that (of desire) [...]
Leave Vengeance to God
One of the brethren, that had been insulted by another, came to Abbot Sisois and told him the scorn that had been put upon him, and said, “I am set to revenge myself, Father.” And the old man began to entreat him to stay and leave vengeance to God. “I am determined and shall not [...]
Charity above all
There came three old men to the abbot Achilles and one of them was ill spoken of by the other two. One of the three said to the abbot, “Father, make me a fishing-net”; but he refused. And the second said, “Make it for us, so that we may have something to remember you by [...]