De solitudine et silentio
The Protection of the Cell
Solitude and silence are essential for the monk, acting as a protective garden that preserves the heart's devotion from the distractions of the world.
Look, I have moved far away, fleeing, and have remained in solitude. Why? Because of the many benefits it brings, and to avoid the distractions of my heart caused by so many things seen and heard; for what the eye doesn't see and the ear doesn't hear, the heart doesn't grieve over, nor is it quickly troubled. Therefore, hiding away and keeping silent is good for the peace of the heart and for the sake of devoted prayer. A secret place and a retreat from the crowds where there is no noise help with this. For just as a fish quickly dies out of water, so a monk is easily distracted and defiled outside his cell. For a prudent bee, gathering honey from flowers, immediately flies away and happily returns to its secret place; it carefully hides this in the hive so that it may have something to live on secretly during the winter. It hides the sweetness of its scent for this reason: so that by wandering outside, it doesn't lose the fruit of its labor again. Precious spices smell stronger when kept in a closed box; once they're opened and exposed, they lose their scent more quickly. Flowers are also damaged when handled; they stay safe within the walls of a closed garden, protected and held firm by high walls. Roses grow securely in closed gardens, but they wither and are trampled underfoot when cast out onto the road. In the same way, a monk who is restless and unstable often loses his value when seen out in the world, but one who flees the crowds and remains within is considered holy. A burning candle is quickly extinguished by the wind, but it stays safe when hidden inside a lantern. Likewise, the fervor of devotion is kept more safely in the secret of one's own room, while it is more easily dissipated by external business. Therefore, love your cell and silence if you wish to remain devout and at peace within. One must be very strong and guarded to walk among people outside and yet not be hindered by harmful things within.
The Wisdom of Silence
By imitating the Virgin Mary's quietude and heeding the counsel of the elders, the monk learns that silence is the primary safeguard against malice and vanity.
Stay willingly, then, in solitude and in your cell for the sake of devotion, just as the blessed Virgin Mary remained alone, enclosed in her room, speaking with the holy angel sent to her by God from heaven, so that the holy angel of the Lord—that heavenly messenger and faithful guardian of your soul—may also come to you, and the evil spirit may retreat far from you with all his illusions. A certain devout lover of silence said: “I rarely speak at length with people without some injury to my inner conscience.” And another said: “A word must be very edifying if it is to improve upon silence.” And a third said: “A word spoken in its proper time is noble.” And a fourth added: “Whoever keeps his mouth firmly shut doesn't slander or lie.” Oh, how praiseworthy and pleasant is the speech of one who speaks without any mixture of malice, vanity, deceit, or falsehood. Many people talk a lot, but it's not without danger for a tongue prone to evil. There is great peace, therefore, for the person who guards their mouth, stays in their cell, and prays often. Praise the quiet, virtuous person; rebuke the restless, talkative one; beware of the deceitful; flee from tumult; love solitude; follow the humble and devout; and patiently endure whatever is troublesome to you for the sake of Christ, who was crucified for you. A brother asked an elder: What is most profitable for peace and devotion as established in the rule? He gave a notable answer: To keep the silence established by the fathers, and to avoid the tumults of men and idleness.
The Three Pillars of Religious Life
Work, study, and prayer form the triad of monastic life, while humility and moderation in speech serve as the salt that preserves the soul.
These three things are very necessary in the religious life and are pleasing to God and the angels: namely, to work with your hands against idleness; to love the study of reading against the weariness of the heart; and to continue the practice of prayer against the devil's deceit. The holy fathers, both ancient and modern, praise these habits, because the brother who remains silent and keeps himself for God is blessed by Him from heaven, and he is found more fit to contemplate divine secrets and is enlightened more deeply. But the wanderer and the gossip who goes about idly is made unworthy of heavenly gifts and becomes a nuisance to others. The proud person doesn't know how to be silent for long, because he wants to appear learned and to be praised above others. Whoever speaks presumptuously is criticized by many, but whoever remains silent with modesty earns grace from those around him. It is a sign of great humility of heart to think poorly of yourself and always to think better of others. It is a sign of great pride to be full of your own opinion and to insist on your own will, contrary to God and the community of brothers. This is the worst leprosy, which God hates and often strikes down with sudden death. Be simple and innocent, humbly obedient, and you'll be happy and secure everywhere. It's a praiseworthy reputation to have few words, to avoid speaking about trivial things, to speak only what's useful, and to do everything with modesty. Add moderation to everything, for moderation is the most beautiful virtue. And this is what Christ says. “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace among yourselves.”✦ The Apostle Paul says the same. “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt.”✦ And holy Job.
Christ as the True Comfort
True peace is found not in worldly rumors but in the presence of the crucified Christ, who alone heals the heart and provides lasting consolation.
How can anything be eaten if it isn't seasoned with salt? A chaste and modest person guards their heart, their mouth, and all their senses—which are always prone to evil—so that they don't sin and offend God and their neighbor. You aren't truly compunctious in your heart if you willingly listen to and repeat empty things in front of others. Anyone who doesn't guard the door of their heart and mouth quickly loses the grace of compunction. A monk who is prone to talking easily exceeds the measure of speech. If you had Jesus crucified fixed in your heart, a vain and idle word wouldn't escape your mouth so quickly. But because you don't have Jesus firmly locked within your heart, you often seek weak and frivolous comfort outside—which does little to help you inwardly against the sorrows pressing upon your heart. For Jesus alone provides true comfort to the soul and heals all the sicknesses of our vices. In a brief moment and with a single word, He can free the suffering soul from every evil. For the grace of God in what is good is greater than any guilt in what is evil. Why do you listen to the empty rumors of the world, which so often disturb you and distract your heart? And why do you neglect the sweet words of Christ, which can comfort and strengthen you in every tribulation, day and night?
Read the original Latin
Ecce elongavi fugiens: et mansi in solitudine. Quare? Propter multa bona inde provenientia: et ad cavendum distractiones cordis mei in multis rebus visis et auditis; quia quae oculus non videt nec auris audit cor non dolet nec cito turbatur. Igitur latere et tacere bonum est pro pace cordis: et optentu devotae orationis. Ad haec iuvant locus secretus: et recessus a turbis ubi non est strepitus. Sicut enim piscis extra aquam cito moriotur: ita monachus extra cellam leviter distrahitur et inquinatur. Nam prudens apes mel ex floribus colligens statim inde evolat et secretum gaudens repetit; et hoc in alveario caute abscondit: ut habeat unde in hieme latenter vivat. Ideo enim suavitatem odoris abscondit: ne foris vagando fructum laboris sui iterum perdat.
Nam pretiosa aromata: in pyxide clausa fortius flagrant: aperta et ostensa virtutem odoris citius amittunt. Flores quoque manibus attacti laeduntur; intra saepta pomerii clausi servantur: et muris altis firmati tutantur. Crescunt rosae in hortis clausae secure: arescunt et calcantur pedibus in viis proiectae. Sic vagus et instabilis monachus vilescit saepe foris visus: fugiens autem turbas et manens intus reputatur sanctus. Candela ardens a vento cito extinguitur in lucerna latens custoditur. Sic fervor devotionis in secretario cubiculi tutius servatur: et CNC CNP OAT fexsress rese res in negotiis externis facilius dissipatur. Igitur cellam et silentium dilige: si vis devotus et pacificus intus permanere. Oportet quod valde fortis sit et custoditus: qui foris inter homines ambulat ets interius non impeditur nocivis.
Maneas ergo libenter in solitudine et in cella devotionis causa; sicut beata virgo Maria mansit sola in cubiculo clausa: loquens cum sancto angelo sibi misso a Deo de caelo; ut etiam ad te veniat sanctus angelus Domini nuntius caelestis et custos animae tuae fidelis: et recedat a te longius spiritus malignus cum omnibus phantasiis suis. Dixit quidam devotus silentii amator. Raro loquor diu hominibus: sine aliqua laesione conscientiae intus. Et alius quidam. Oportet, quod sit valde aedificabile verbum: quod emendet silentium. Et tertius ait: Nobile est verbum in suo tempore dictum. Et quartus adiecit. Qui os suum firmiter claudit: non detrahit nec mentitur.
O quam laudabile et iucundum loquentis verbum: nil mali, nil vani, nil doli, nil falsi habens admixtum. Multi multa loquuntur: sed non sine periculo linguae pronae ad malum. Pax igitur multa custodienti os suum: et manenti in cella, et saepe oranti. Lauda quoque taciturnum virtuosum increpa vagum verbosum; cave dolosum, fuge tumultum: dilige secretum, sequere humilem et devotum; sustine patienter tibi molestum: propter Christum pro te crucifixum. Frater interrogavit senem. Quod est statutum in ordine pro pace et devotione magis proficuum? Respondit notabile verbum. Servare a patribus silentium statutum: vitare tumultus hominum et otium.
Haec tria in ordine valde necessaria: Deo et angelis accepta; scilicet laborare manu contra otium; amare lectionis studium contra cordis taedium: et continuare orationis usum contra diaboli dolum. Haec laudant sancti patres antiqui et novi; quia frater tacens et Deo vacans ab ipso caelitus benedicitur: et ad contemplanda divina secreta aptior invenitur et altius illustratur. Vagus vero et fabulosus qui otiose circuit donis caelestibus indignus efficitur: et aliis est molestus. Nescit superbus diu tacere: quia cupit doctus videri et prae aliis laudari. Qui praesumptuose loquitur a multis vituperatur; qui autem verecunde tacuerit gratiam ab astantibus meretur. Magna humilitas cordis sentire de se ipso vilia: et de aliis semper meliora. Grandis superbia abundare in sensu suo: et stare in propria voluntate Deo et communitati a fratrum contraria. Haec est lepra pessima quam odit Deus: et percutit saepe subitanea morte.
Simplex et innocens humiliter oboediens: ubique laetus et securus. Laudabilis fama habere pauca verba; cavere levia loqui utilia: et omnia agere cum modestia. Omnibus adde modum modus est pulcherrima virtus. Et hoc est quod ait Christus. Habete sal in vobis: et pacem habete inter vos. Et Paulus apostolus. Omnis sermo vester sale conditus sit. Et sanctus Iob.
Quomodo potest comedi; quod non est sale conditum? Castus et pudicus custodit cor suum, os suum et omnes sensus suos pronos semper in malum: ut non peccet et Deum ac proximum offendat. Non estis corde compunctus: qui vana libenter audit et recitat coram aliis. Perdit cito compunctionis gratiam: qui non custodit cordis et oris ianuam. Monachus pronus ad loquendum: facile excedit loquendi mensuram. Si haberes Iesum crucifixum in corde tuo fixum: non exiret tam cito de ore tuo verbum vanum et otiosum. Sed quia non habes Iesum firmiter in corde tuo clausum; ideo saepe quaeris solacium forinsecum debile et frivolum: parum iuvans intus a doloribus prementibus cor tuum. Solus enim Iesus praestat verum animae solacium: et sanat omnes languores vitiorum.
In brevi momento et unico verbo: potest liberare dolentem ab omni malo. Nam amplior est gratia Dei in bono: quam culpa in malo. Cur audis vanos rumores saeculi; qui saepe te conturbant et distrahunt in scorde? Quare neglegis dulces sermones Christi; qui te consolari possunt et confortare in omni tribulatione tua die ac nocte?
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