Chapter 1: On Obedience #

¹ First of all, we are taught to love God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Next, at the first word of the elder, all who are listening must rise promptly to obey, for obedience is rendered to God, as our Lord Jesus Christ says: “He who hears you, hears me.”

² If, therefore, someone hears the word and does not immediately rise, they are to be judged as disobedient. Whoever contradicts it incurs the charge of obstinacy; thus, they are guilty not only of disobedience but also of opening the door to contradiction for others and must be considered a destroyer of many.

³ Moreover, if someone murmurs, they too must be regarded as disobedient, as their obedience is not given wholeheartedly. Therefore, their work should be rejected until their good will becomes evident.

⁴ To what extent is obedience defined? Certainly, it is commanded even unto death, for Christ obeyed the Father even unto death on our behalf. This is conveyed to us by the Apostle, who says: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Instead, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant and being found in human likeness. He humbled himself and became obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross.”

⁵ Therefore, nothing should be refused by those who are obedient, true disciples of Christ, no matter how harsh or difficult it may be; rather, it must be accepted with fervor and joy. For if such obedience is lacking, it will not be acceptable to God, who says: “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

⁶ Accordingly, He speaks of the worthy disciple: “Where I am, there also my servant will be with me.”

Chapter 2: On Silence #

¹ The rule of silence must be carefully observed, for it is written: “The practice of justice is silence and peace”. Therefore, to avoid the guilt of excessive speech, it is necessary to remain silent except for matters of utility and necessity. For, according to Scripture: “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking”.

² Thus, the Savior says: “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned”. Rightly will those be condemned who, though able, refuse to speak what is just. Instead, they prefer to speak evil, unjust, impious, empty, injurious, uncertain, false, contentious, insulting, shameful, frivolous, blasphemous, harsh, and twisted words in excessive talkativeness.

³ Therefore, monks must remain silent concerning such things and speak with caution and reason, lest slander or arrogant contradictions erupt into sinful loquacity.

Chapter 3: On Food and Drink #

¹ The food of monks should be simple and taken in the evening, avoiding both excess and drunkenness. It should sustain the body without causing harm. Vegetables, legumes, flour mixed with water, and a small piece of coarse bread should suffice, so that the stomach is not burdened, nor the mind stifled.

² Indeed, those who desire eternal rewards should consult only what is useful and beneficial, tempering consumption as labor is tempered. For true discretion lies in maintaining the capacity for spiritual growth while subduing the flesh through abstinence.

³ If abstinence exceeds proper limits, it will become a vice, not a virtue. Virtue, after all, endures and encompasses many good things. Therefore, monks must fast daily, just as they must pray daily, labor daily, and read daily.

Chapter 4 On Poverty and the Need to Trample on Greed #

¹ Monks, for whom the world is crucified through Christ, and they to the world, must trample on greed. For it is not only damnable for them to possess superfluities, but even to desire them. What is examined in them is not their possessions but their will. Having abandoned everything and following Christ the Lord daily with the cross of fear, they have treasures in heaven.

² Therefore, since they are to have great treasures in heaven, they should be content with minimal and extreme necessities on earth, knowing that greed is a plague for monks. It is like the betrayal and perdition of Christ by His disciples, the death of uncertain followers of the apostles, and the ruin of the imitators of the sons of the prophets.

³ Hence, the first perfection of monks is nudity and contempt for possessions; the second is the purification of vices; the third and most perfect is continual love for God and constant affection for divine things, which follows forgetfulness of earthly matters. Given this, we need little, as the Lord said, or even just one thing. For few things are truly necessary, without which life cannot proceed—or even just one thing, such as literal food. However, we need purity of mind, granted by God’s grace, to understand spiritually what those few things of charity are that the Lord recommended to Martha.

Chapter 5: On Trampling on Vanity #

¹ Vanity is shown to be dangerous by the brief words of the Savior, who, addressing His disciples rejoicing in vanity, said: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”. And to the Jews who at times justified themselves, He said: “What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God”.

² From these words and from the example of the famous Pharisee who justified himself, it is clear that vanity and boastful pride are the destroyers of all good things. The Pharisee’s deeds, vainly praised, perished, while the sins of the publican, humbly confessed, were forgiven.

³ Let no boastful word escape the mouth of a monk, lest their great labor be lost.

Chapter 6: On Chastity #

¹ The chastity of a monk is judged by their thoughts. To them, as to His disciples who came to hear Him, the Lord says: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. For if the monk, who is consecrated to the Lord, turns their gaze to something they should not, it is to be feared that the Lord might find something detestable in their soul.

² Thus, as Saint Peter warns, they may have “eyes full of adultery and insatiable for sin”. What good is bodily virginity if one’s mind is not also chaste? For God is spirit, and He dwells in the spirit and mind that He finds pure, where no adulterous thought, no stain of a corrupted spirit, and no blemish of sin reside.

Chapter 7: On the Order of Psalms #

¹ Concerning the synaxis, that is, the course of psalms and prayers in the canonical manner, certain distinctions must be made, as various traditions have been handed down on the matter. Therefore, I will outline this same practice in writing according to the quality of life and the progression of seasons, for it ought not to be uniform but should correspond to the alternation of times. The course should be longer during long nights and shorter during brief ones.

² Thus, among our elders, beginning on the eighth day before the Kalends of July [June 24], as the nights gradually lengthen, the course begins to expand from twelve short choirs on the Sabbath or Lord’s night to twenty-five antiphons of psalms by the beginning of winter, that is, the Kalends of November [November 1]. During these, three psalms are always sung in place of two psalters, so that the entire psalter is sung in the twelve choirs of the nights between the two aforementioned dates. Throughout the rest of winter, the remaining nights are proportioned accordingly. After winter, during spring, three psalms are gradually reduced each week until only twelve antiphons remain per night, that is, the thirty-six psalms of the winter’s daily course. From spring through summer and up to the autumnal equinox, twenty-four psalms are sung, extending to the eighth day before the Kalends of October [September 24]. At this point, the practice resembles that of the vernal equinox, the eighth day before the Kalends of April [March 25], as it alternately increases and decreases with the rhythm of the seasons.

³ A vigil, therefore, should be arranged with consideration for one’s strength, especially since our Savior commands us to “watch and pray at all times”, and Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing”. However, the canonical mode of prayer must be understood, wherein all gather at appointed hours to pray together, after which each should pray in his own cell. At the daytime hours, three psalms are appointed, interspersed with versicles, first for our sins, then for the entire Christian people, for priests and others consecrated to God, for those who give alms, for peace among kings, and finally we pray for our enemies, that God may not count it as sin against them that they persecute and slander us, for they know not what they do.

⁴ At the beginning of the night, twelve psalms are sung; the same number is repeated at midnight. For matins, the number is doubled, adjusted to the brevity of the night as stated earlier. However, on the Sabbath and the Lord’s night, seventy-five psalms are sung in a single course. These practices represent the communal synaxis.

⁵ As for the true tradition of prayer, it should be such that the commitment to it can prevail without weariness, in accordance with the capability and fervor of the individual, whether alone or in a community. Factors such as the capacity of the mind, the demands of necessity, the quality of life, the leisure available, or the extent of one’s studies and works must all be taken into account. While the duration of standing or singing may vary, the perfection of prayer lies in the constancy of the heart and the soul’s continuous focus on God.

⁶ There are Catholics who maintain the canonical number of twelve psalms, whether in short or long nights, divided into four vigils: at the beginning, the middle, at cockcrow, and at matins. This course, while appearing brief in winter, becomes burdensome in summer due to the frequent intervals, causing more fatigue than weariness due to the shortness of the nights.

⁷ On the most reverent nights of the Lord’s Day and Sabbath, the number of psalms at matins is tripled, that is, thirty-six in total. This abundance of psalms has brought much sweetness to the holy life, making this canonical number a source of joy rather than weariness, even as it imposes discipline. Indeed, under this rule, no one is found weary, and the unity is such that among a thousand abbots under a single archimandrite, no quarrel has ever been reported between two monks. This harmony is evident proof of God’s dwelling among them, as He said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people”.

⁸ For this reason, their numbers have grown and, by God’s grace, continue to grow daily. May we, through their merits, be deemed worthy of salvation by our Savior. Amen.

Chapter 8: On Discretion #

¹ The necessity of discretion for monks is demonstrated by the errors of many and the downfall of some: those who began without discretion and lived without guiding wisdom were unable to end their lives commendably. Just as error occurs to those who travel without a path, so too excess is readily present for those living without discretion, which is always opposed to virtue, positioned as it is in the middle between two extremes. The danger of its absence arises because, along the straight path of discretion, the enemy lays stumbling blocks of depravity and snares of various errors.

² Therefore, God must be prayed to, that He may grant the light of true discretion for the illumination of this life, surrounded as it is by the dense darkness of the world, so that true worshipers of His may escape these shadows without error and draw near to Him. Discretion, then, takes its name from discerning, because it discerns in us between good and evil, and between what is intermediate and what is perfect. From the beginning, these have been divided, like light and darkness, both good and evil, after evil began to exist through the corruption of good by the devil—but first illuminated and later divided by God.

³ Thus, Abel first chose good, while the impious Cain fell into evil. God made all things good which He created, but the devil, with deceptive cunning and insidious persuasion of perilous ambition, sowed evil over them. What then are these goods? Namely, those that remain whole and uncorrupted, as they were created: those which God alone made and prepared, according to the Apostle, “to walk in them,” namely good works in which we were created in Christ Jesus. These include goodness, integrity, piety, justice, truth, mercy, charity, saving peace, spiritual joy, and the fruits of the Spirit. All these, along with their fruits, are good; their opposites, however, are evil: malice, corruption, impiety, injustice, falsehood, greed, hatred, discord, bitterness, and their many offspring.

⁴ Countless things arise from both these opposites, good and evil. That which deviates from created goodness and integrity is the first evil, such as pride, the first malice. Opposing it is the humble regard of holy goodness, recognizing and glorifying its Creator, which is the first good of rational creatures. In the same way, all other things have gradually grown into a vast forest of names through their dual aspects.

⁵ Since this is so, goods must be firmly held onto, with God’s help, which must always be prayed for in both prosperity and adversity: so that we neither be puffed up in prosperity into vanity nor cast down in adversity into despair. Therefore, one must abstain from both dangers, that is, from all extremes, through glorious temperance and true discretion, which clings to Christian humility and opens the way of perfection to true soldiers of Christ and those who fear God.

⁶ One must always rightly discern in doubts, and everywhere justly divide between good and evil, whether externally or internally, between body and soul, works and morals, activity and rest, or public and private matters. Evils to be similarly avoided include pride, envy, falsehood, corruption, impiety, immoral behaviors, transgression, gluttony, fornication, greed, wrath, sorrow, instability, vainglory, arrogance, and detraction. Virtues to be pursued include humility, kindness, purity, obedience, abstinence, chastity, generosity, patience, joy, stability, fervor, diligence, vigilance, and silence. These must be established in action by the strength that endures and the temperance that moderates, as though balanced on the scales of discretion. These should align with the capacity of our efforts, seeking sufficiency everywhere.

⁷ For if what is sufficient is not sufficient for someone, it is beyond doubt that they have exceeded the bounds of discretion. Whatever exceeds these bounds is manifestly a vice. Thus, between too little and too much, the rational measure lies in the middle, always calling one back from all excess in every matter, ensuring what is necessary and avoiding the irrational desires of excess.

⁸ This measure of true discretion weighs all our actions with a just balance, allowing us to deviate in no way from what is right, nor to suffer error if we always follow it as a guide along the direct path. For while one must always refrain on both sides, as it is said: “Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left”, one must always proceed straight through discretion, that is, through the light of God. As it is often said, and as the Psalmist sings in the victor’s verse: “My God, enlighten my darkness, for through You I will be delivered from temptation”. For “the life of man on earth is a temptation”.

Chapter 9: On Mortification #

¹ The principal part of a monk’s rule is mortification. This is enjoined upon them through Sacred Scripture: “Do nothing without counsel”. Therefore, if nothing is to be done without counsel, everything must be approached by seeking counsel. Thus, it is also commanded through Moses: “Ask your father, and he will declare it to you; your elders, and they will tell you”.

² Although to the hard-hearted this discipline may seem harsh—namely, that a person must always depend on the word of another—it will be found sweet and secure by those who fear God, provided it is kept wholly and not partially. Nothing is sweeter than the security of a clear conscience, and nothing is safer than the peace of mind that comes from being unpunished—something no one can grant themselves, as it properly belongs to the judgment of others.

³ This system protects against the fear of judgment because it submits everything to the scrutiny of one who judges, placing the burden of responsibility on them. They bear the full weight of the risk they accept. Indeed, as it is written, “The danger of the judge is greater than that of the one judged.” Whoever always seeks counsel and follows it will never go astray, for even if the response given is mistaken, the faith of the believer and the obedience of their labor will not be in error, nor will the one who sought counsel lose their reward.

⁴ However, if someone judges a matter themselves when they should have sought counsel, they are already condemned for presuming to judge when their duty was to inquire. Even if their judgment is correct, it will be reckoned as wrong, since by acting independently they have deviated from the proper path. This is because one whose role is to obey dares not presume to judge.

⁵ Given these principles, monks must avoid the prideful liberty that resists counsel and instead learn true humility, obeying without murmuring or hesitation. By doing so, in accordance with the Lord’s word, they will experience “the yoke of Christ as sweet and His burden as light”. Otherwise, until they learn Christ’s humility, they will not perceive the sweetness of His yoke or the lightness of His burden.

⁶ The humility of the heart is a rest for the soul, weary from vices and labors, and the only true refreshment amidst many evils. To the extent that the soul is drawn away from wandering amid external vanities and distractions, it finds rest and refreshment within. So much so that what once seemed bitter becomes sweet, and what appeared difficult or arduous becomes plain and easy.

⁷ Mortification, which is unbearable to the proud and hard-hearted, becomes a consolation to the one who delights only in what is humble and gentle. It must also be understood that no one can perfectly accomplish this happiness of martyrdom or any other useful undertaking unless they devote themselves singularly to this effort, ensuring they are never unprepared. If someone seeks to follow or nurture their own personal inclinations, they will immediately be distracted by intervening matters, becoming so disturbed that they cannot gratefully follow where obedience leads them. Neither can one who is troubled and ungrateful fulfill their duties properly.

⁸ The practice of mortification consists of three principles: to avoid discord in the mind, to refrain from speaking idle or inappropriate words, and to abstain from going anywhere without permission. It is always the monk’s duty to say to their elder, even when commanded contrary to their will: “Not as I will, but as you will,” in accordance with the example of the Savior, who said: “I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me, the Father”.

Chapter 10: On the Perfection of a Monk #

¹ A monk should live in the monastery under the discipline of one Father and in the fellowship of many, so that he may learn humility from one and patience from another. One may teach him silence, another gentleness. He should not do what he wishes but eat what is commanded, have only what he is given, and fulfill the measure of work assigned to him. He must submit to those he does not wish to obey, come to his bed weary, and even walk while half-asleep. He may not rise until his allotted rest is completed. If he suffers an injury, he must remain silent.

² The monk should fear the head of the monastery as a lord and love him as a parent. He must believe that whatever the superior commands is for his salvation and not pass judgment on the decisions of his superiors, as his duty is to obey and carry out what is just. As Moses said: “Hear, O Israel,” and so forth.

Chapter 11: On the Diversity of Sins #

¹ The diversity of sins ought to be healed by a corresponding diversity of penitential remedies. Therefore, brothers, it has been decreed by the holy Fathers that we should confess all sins, not only mortal crimes but also more serious negligences, because confession and penance deliver us from death. Hence, even small sins should not be neglected in confession, for, as it is written, “He who disregards small things will fall little by little”. Confession should be made before meals, before retiring to bed, or whenever it is convenient to do so.

² Thus, whoever fails to observe the blessing at meals and does not respond with “Amen” is to be corrected with six strokes. If one speaks while eating, without the necessity of addressing another brother, six strokes. If someone mentions something personal of his own, six strokes. If one does not make the sign of the cross over the spoon he is using, six strokes. If someone speaks loudly or claps in a manner louder than usual, six strokes. If the lamp is not signed—that is, if it is lit by a younger brother and not offered to the senior to sign—six strokes. If someone engages in some vain work, he is to be corrected with six strokes.

³ Any brother to whom the duty of cooking or serving has been entrusted, if he spills even a little of something, must perform penance in the church by saying a prayer after the canonical office is completed, so that the brothers may pray for him. If someone forgets the act of humility during the liturgy—that is, bowing at the end of any psalm—he is likewise to do penance. Similarly, if one loses crumbs of bread, he must make amends with prayer in the church. However, if the amount spilled is small, a light penance may be imposed. If due to negligence, forgetfulness, or carelessness regarding proper caution, he spills more than usual, whether liquids or solids, he is to do long penance in the church by lying prostrate without moving any limb while twelve psalms are sung at the twelfth hour.

⁴ If the amount spilled is considerable—such as a substantial quantity of beer or other provisions lost due to negligence—he should know that the equivalent of the number of days’ worth of sustenance he has lost for himself must be accounted as forfeited, so that he may drink water instead of beer as his penance. If something is spilled on the table or falls beyond it, the customary act of penance suffices while seated.

⁵ Whoever, upon leaving the house to seek a blessing through prayer, does not humble himself, does not sign himself with the cross after receiving the blessing, or does not approach the cross, is to be corrected with twelve strokes. Similarly, whoever forgets to pray before or after work, twelve strokes. Whoever eats without a blessing, twelve strokes. Whoever, upon returning to the house and seeking prayer, does not bow within the house, is also to be corrected with twelve strokes. Any brother who confesses all these faults and others up to the point of receiving half-penance (that is, moderate penance) may be treated with leniency for such matters.

⁶ If someone coughs improperly at the start of a psalm, six strokes are prescribed. Likewise, whoever strikes a cup of salvation with their teeth, six strokes. Failing to follow the order of offering a sacrifice, six strokes. A priest offering the sacrifice who does not trim his nails, or a deacon whose beard is unshaven, or anyone receiving the sacrifice with dirty hands and approaching the chalice, six strokes. If someone smiles during the liturgy (that is, during the prayer cycle), six strokes; if the smile turns into laughter, additional penance is required unless the cause was excusable. A priest offering the sacrifice and a deacon safeguarding it must avoid letting their eyes wander; if they fail to do so, six strokes.

⁷ Whoever forgets the chrismal and goes far to perform some task shall receive twenty-five strokes. If it is left on the ground in a field and immediately recovered, fifty strokes. If it is lifted onto wood and left overnight, penance is required. Anyone unclean who receives blessed bread, twelve strokes. Forgetting to make an offering until approaching the altar, one hundred strokes. Whoever engages in idle talk with another and does not immediately reproach himself requires only forgiveness; but if he does not reproach himself and instead delays or excuses his behavior, a silent penance or fifty strokes are prescribed.

⁸ Whoever, when under examination, responds with excuses instead of immediately asking pardon with the words, “It is my fault; I repent,” fifty strokes. Whoever rashly offers advice contrary to another’s counsel, even with simplicity, fifty strokes. Striking the altar, fifty strokes. Speaking loudly without restraint, unless required by necessity, merits either silent penance or fifty strokes. Offering excuses to avoid penance, fifty strokes.

⁹ Whoever responds to a brother making a statement with, “It is not as you say,” except for seniors who may address juniors simply, is subject to silent penance or fifty strokes. This exception applies only when the statement is directed to an equal brother, and if the matter is remembered more clearly, he may say, “If you recall rightly, brother.” The other, hearing this, should not insist on his own words but humbly reply, “I hope you remember it better; I erred in my words due to forgetfulness, and I am sorry for speaking poorly.” These are the words of the children of God: “Do nothing out of contentiousness,” as the Apostle says, “or out of vain glory, but in humility, let each regard the other as superior to himself”. On the other hand, anyone who excuses himself is to be judged not as a spiritual son of God but as a carnal Adam. If he does not quickly flee to the harbor of the Lord’s humility for rest, but instead persists in pride and opens the door to excessive contradictions for others, he should be separated from the freedom of the holy Church to a cell for penance. There he will remain until his goodwill is evident, and through humility, he may be reintegrated into the holy congregation.

¹⁰ Anyone who speaks even slightly to criticize the porter’s work, or if the porter fails to keep the hours well, is subject to silent penance or fifty strokes.

¹¹ If someone corrects another’s correction—meaning he reproaches the one correcting him—he incurs three silent penances. Similarly, if someone hides a sin he has seen in his brother until the brother is corrected for another fault or for that same sin, and then reveals it against him, he incurs three silent penances. Reproaching the works of other brothers or speaking ill of them also incurs three silent penances. Whoever detracts from a brother or hears someone else doing so without immediately correcting him likewise incurs three silent penances. If someone speaks in anger or contention accompanied by sadness, he must also do penance three times in this way.

¹² If anyone reproaches a superior but refuses to report the issue to the abbot until compelled, he incurs three silent penances unless this is done with a modest confession. If a brother is saddened, he should, if possible, receive consolation; if he can bear it, he may delay his confession until he can express it more humbly. When his sadness has passed, the brothers should pray for him.

¹³ If someone says to a relative living elsewhere, trying to persuade him, “It would be better for you to live with us or with others,” he incurs three silent penances. Anyone who criticizes a brother for rendering service likewise incurs three silent penances. Whoever teaches a relative anything—be it a craft, another task, or something the seniors have ordered, so that he might learn better—also incurs three silent penances.

¹⁴ Whoever dares to say to the superior: “You will not judge my case, but our abbot or the other brothers will,” or: “We will all go to the abbot,” must be punished with forty days of penance, subsisting on bread and water—unless he says, while prostrate before the brothers: “I repent, for I spoke wrongly.” Any brother engaged in some work, even if fatigued, should say to the steward in his own matter: “If it pleases you, I will speak to the abbot; otherwise, I will not speak.” In the matter of another: “If you repeat this, do not think it difficult for me to speak to the abbot, so that obedience may be preserved.”

¹⁵ Whoever does not return a borrowed item by the next day, if he remembers and returns it himself, shall receive six blows. If he forgets until he is asked, he shall receive twelve blows. Whoever forgets to ask about the penance owed until the next day shall receive six blows. Whoever murmurs or says, “I will not do it unless the abbot or the second in command says so,” shall be punished with three submissions. Unnecessary running or jumping shall be punished with twelve strokes. It is forbidden for anyone to hold another’s hand.

¹⁶ The steward must ensure hospitality is shown to those who come, whether pilgrims or other brothers, and all the brothers must be ready to serve with all humility for the sake of God. Even if the steward does not issue orders or is not present, the others must diligently do what is necessary and guard the tools until they assign them to the proper keeper. If, however, they neglect this, penance should be imposed for these matters as deemed appropriate in the judgment of the priest.

¹⁷ Whoever, having been corrected, does not ask for pardon, shall be punished with submission. Whoever visits other brothers in their cells privately without permission shall do penance in the same way; likewise, if anyone goes to the kitchen after None without authorization or instruction, or goes outside the monastery enclosure (i.e., beyond the monastery wall) without permission, they shall be punished with submission.

¹⁸ Young men who are instructed not to address one another, if they violate this rule, shall be punished with three submissions. They are to say only this: “You know we are not allowed to speak with you.” If someone orders them to do what is forbidden, they must reply: “You know we are not allowed.” If the person persists in giving such orders, they shall be punished with three submissions, but the young men should still say: “We will do as you say,” so that the virtue of obedience is preserved. Special care must be taken that, just as they do not speak to each other directly, so too they must not communicate indirectly through another. If they knowingly violate this rule, they shall do penance as if they had spoken to each other directly.

¹⁹ If someone drops a chrismal (a sacred vessel) without breaking it, they shall receive twelve blows. Whoever speaks idle words shall be condemned to silence for the following two hours or receive twelve blows. Brothers doing penance, even if they undertake difficult and dirty tasks, may not wash their heads except on Sunday, the eighth day. Otherwise, they may wash on the fifteenth day, or earlier if necessary due to the growth of their hair, as determined by the senior’s judgment. Leaving the path without permission or a blessing shall be punished with six blows.

²⁰ If the superior imposes minor penances during meals, these penances shall be carried out at the table, but no more than twenty-five blows shall be given at one time.

²¹ Brothers in penance, and those in need of penitential psalmody—that is, those required to chant additional psalms due to a nocturnal vision, a diabolical illusion, or the nature of the vision—must chant additional psalms according to their need: some twenty-four, others fifteen, and others twelve. Even so, during Sunday night and the time of Lent, penitents should bend their knees.

²² If the abbot or a superior commands a brother to undertake a journey, it must be observed that the younger obeys the elder; however, if what the elder commands is right, the younger should strive to follow it. If the abbot or a higher steward gives an order and a lower-ranking steward repeats it, the lower-ranking one must obey, though he may quietly indicate that the command came from a higher authority. Within the monastery, however, no one may issue commands contrary to the superior’s orders, except the one in charge.

²³ From morning until evening, clothing changes should be permitted, and another inquiry should be made separately during the night. Whoever serves on a Sunday or another solemn occasion and needs to go to the washroom or elsewhere must say one prayer before leaving and upon returning; however, if the place is nearby, a sign of the cross suffices. While walking, it is customary to make the sign of the cross; [but it is not strictly necessary] to turn toward the east. When hurrying out of the house and making the sign of the cross, there is no need to turn eastward. Similarly, while walking, if something must be done urgently, one should ask for prayer and show humility in the house, and where genuflection is not fitting, a bow should suffice.

²⁴ If anyone wishes, on the Sabbath day, to prepare the offering for the Lord’s Day, it is appropriate after washing for priests to change their garments, if it is convenient; deacons, however, shall perform their duties either before or after being commanded, as is most suitable.

²⁵ If anyone has had an unclean dream or been defiled, or is performing penance, they must stand when the command is given. On major solemnities, when the signal is heard, they should sit; for the daily command, sitting is permitted about halfway through. Then, when all hear the signal for the day’s assembly at the synaxis, they must wash before entering the oratory, unless they have already washed beforehand.

²⁶ The first in rank shall sing first, followed by the second; they shall not kneel but only bow. The orders that are first shall be in the middle of the oratory; the others shall stand on the right and left, except for the one offering and the one assisting him. On every Sunday solemnity, the hymn for the Lord’s Day shall be sung, as well as on the day when Easter begins. Whoever begins at the altar to receive during the sacrifice shall humble himself three times.

²⁷ The unlearned and all such individuals shall not approach the chalice. Furthermore, when the offering is made, no one shall be compelled to receive the sacrifice unless there is a necessity. On every Sunday and solemnity, anyone not present in the assembly of brethren offering prayers to the Lord should pray on their own if compelled by some necessity. During the offering, there shall not be excessive movement.

²⁸ A penitent, preoccupied with the necessity of travel and walking with others consuming lawful food, if the third hour arrives and they must continue their journey, may also take a small amount of food proportionately, and whatever they lack may be taken when they rest.

²⁹ Communal Practices at Night

³⁰ All brothers together shall, on all nights during prayer times, at the end of every psalm, kneel in prayer with an even mind, unless bodily infirmity prevents them. While doing so, they shall silently say, “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me”. After this verse has been recited silently three times in prayer, they shall rise together from their kneeling, except on Sundays and from the first day of Holy Easter to the fiftieth day. During this period, humbling themselves moderately during the psalmody but without kneeling, they shall pray diligently to God.

³¹ Penances for Offenses

³² * If a brother is disobedient, he shall eat one piece of bread and drink water for two days.

• If someone says, “I will not do it,” they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If someone murmurs, they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If someone does not ask for pardon or gives an excuse, they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If two brothers quarrel and come to anger, they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If someone quarrels, insists on falsehood, and confirms it with distinction, they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If someone opposes a brother and does not seek pardon, they shall have one piece of bread and water for two days.
• If someone contradicts, breaks a command or rule, they shall have one piece of bread for two days.
• If someone is assigned a task and performs it negligently, they shall have one piece of bread for two days.
• If someone speaks ill of the abbot, they shall eat one piece of bread for seven days.
• If someone speaks ill of a brother, they shall recite twenty-four psalms.
• If someone speaks ill of a secular person, they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone forgets something outside, they shall recite twelve psalms for a minor item and thirty psalms for a major item.
• If someone loses or drops something, their penance shall correspond to its value.
• If someone converses with a secular person without permission, they shall recite twenty-four psalms.
• If someone completes their task and, without seeking another, performs something unbidden, they shall recite twenty-four psalms.
• If someone is double-tongued and disturbs the brothers, they shall eat one piece of bread for two days.
• If someone eats in another house without permission and then returns to their own, they shall eat one piece of bread for a day.
• If someone reveals a past sin, they shall eat one piece of bread for a day.
• If someone walks in the world and speaks of worldly sin, they shall fast for one day on bread and water.
• If someone hears murmuring, slander, or an action against the rule and lazily consents without confession, they shall eat one piece of bread for a day.
• If someone stirs anger in a brother but later makes amends, and the offended brother does not forgive but instead appeals to a senior, the offender shall recite twenty-four psalms and fast for one day on bread and water.
• If someone desires something and the steward denies it, but the abbot commands it, they shall fast for five days.
• If someone does not attend prayer before or after the meal, they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone falls asleep during prayer, they shall recite twelve psalms if this is habitual; if occasional, they shall recite six psalms.
• If someone does not say “Amen,” they shall receive thirty lashes.
• If someone is late for the appointed hour, they shall recite twelve psalms; if they miss a Gradual Psalm (except in wintry mornings), they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone does not hear the call to prayer, they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone comes to the sacrifice wearing a night belt or garment, they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone eats before the ninth hour on Wednesday or Friday, unless they are ill, they shall live for two days on bread and water.
• If someone unknowingly tells a lie, they shall receive fifty lashes; if knowingly and boldly, they shall live on bread and water.
• If their lie is denied and they persist in contention, they shall live seven days on bread and water.
• If a monk sleeps in the same house as a woman, they shall live three days on bread and water; if unaware that they should not, they shall fast for one day.
• If someone fails to close the church, they shall recite twelve psalms.
• If someone spits and it touches the altar, they shall recite twenty-four psalms; if it touches the wall, six psalms.
• If someone forgets a psalm or reading, they shall recite four psalms.
• If someone comes late to prayer, they shall receive fifty lashes, or recite fifty psalms.
• If they carry out a command sluggishly, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they cause a disturbance after the “peace” signal, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they respond insolently, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If someone enters a house with their head covered, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they fail to offer a prayer upon entering a house, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they eat without praying, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they speak while eating, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If they make noise during prayer, they shall receive fifty lashes.
• If someone harbors anger, sadness, or envy against a brother, their penance on bread and water shall correspond to the length of time they held the grievance. However, if they confess on the first day, they shall recite twenty-four psalms.

³³ Whoever loses a sacrificial offering and does not know where it is, shall do penance for a year. Whoever has been negligent with regard to a sacrificial offering so that it dries out and is consumed by worms, to the point of being rendered worthless, shall do penance for half a year. Whoever incurs negligence regarding a sacrificial offering so that a worm is found in it, yet it remains intact, shall burn it with fire near the altar, hide its ashes beneath the altar, and do penance for forty days. Whoever neglects a sacrificial offering so that it changes and the bread loses its taste shall do penance for twenty days if it turns red, for fifteen days if it turns blue. However, if it has not changed color but has become sticky, he shall do penance for seven days.

³⁴ Whoever submerges a sacrificial offering shall immediately drink water. Whoever pours sacrificial wine into the chrismal shall consume it. If it falls from a boat, a bridge, or a piece of wood, and this happens not through negligence but by some accident, he shall do penance for one day.

³⁵ Whoever knows his brother is committing a sin unto death and does not rebuke him shall be marked as a transgressor of the law of the Gospel until he rebukes him whose sin he has concealed and confesses it to the priest. For as long as he hides the evil in his conscience, he shall do penance in affliction. Whoever conceals a minor sin shall undergo a similar correction but not the same affliction: he shall either receive thirty lashes or recite fifteen psalms. If, in other matters, someone despises minor offenses and neglects them, he shall do penance on bread and water so that the sinner may be corrected according to the command of the Lord.

³⁶ Whoever rebukes harshly shall be marked until he seeks pardon from the brother he corrected, receiving either thirty lashes or reciting fifteen psalms. Whoever reproaches another with a shameful sin before first admonishing him privately, as the Lord commands, shall be corrected until he satisfies the one reproached and shall do penance for three days on bread and water.

³⁷ Whoever transgresses the rule of obedience or general discipline shall remain expelled without food until he is received back the next day. Whoever speaks familiarly with a woman alone, without certain witnesses present, shall remain without food or shall do penance for two days on bread and water or with two hundred lashes. Whoever presumes to act on a mission without permission from the one in charge, undertaking a free and unrestrained journey without necessity, shall be restrained with fifty lashes. Whoever presumes to do personal work without authorization shall be punished with one hundred lashes. Possessing anything that general necessity has not granted to the brethren shall result in the loss of the object and one hundred lashes.

³⁸ However, if someone does something necessary and licit—whether giving or receiving—without permission, he shall receive twelve lashes, unless some reasonable defense excuses him and a humble satisfaction remits the punishment.

³⁹ One who speaks while eating shall receive six lashes. And whoever’s voice is heard from table to table shall receive six lashes. If a sound is made from outside to inside the house or from inside to outside, twelve lashes shall be given. To leave or enter the house, or to perform any work without prayer and the sign of the cross, twelve lashes shall be given. If done otherwise, five lashes. Saying “mine” or “yours” shall incur six lashes. If a word is spoken against another word in a repeated manner, six strokes shall be given; if out of contention, a hundred lashes or the penalty of silence. If one fails to observe the order of psalmody, six strokes. If one presumptuously speaks without necessity during the appointed time of silence, seventeen lashes.

⁴⁰ If anyone, through contempt, loses or damages any item of the monastery’s property, they must restore it through their own labor and effort, or make restitution according to its value at the discretion of the priest, or do penance by fasting on bread and water for one day. If the loss or damage occurred by accident and not by contempt, their negligence shall be atoned for by public penance; they shall prostrate themselves on the ground before all the brothers assembled for the synaxis and remain so until the prayers are completed, only rising when commanded by the abbot’s judgment. The same satisfaction shall be made by anyone who, when summoned to prayer or any task, arrives late.

⁴¹ If one stumbles while chanting a psalm; if they are excessively harsh; if they respond stubbornly, they shall undergo penance. If they perform their assigned duties negligently, they shall undergo penance. If they murmur even lightly, they shall undergo penance. If they prioritize reading over work or obedience, they shall undergo penance. If they carry out the appointed duties sluggishly, they shall undergo penance. If, after leaving the synaxis, they do not return to their cell immediately, they shall undergo penance. If they linger with someone even briefly, they shall undergo penance. If they withdraw anywhere for even a short time, they shall undergo penance. If they presume to converse even briefly with anyone who is not their cellmate, they shall undergo penance. If they hold another’s hand, they shall undergo penance. If they pray with someone who is suspended from prayer, they shall undergo penance.

⁴² If anyone meets or speaks with any of their secular relatives or friends without permission; if they receive a letter from anyone; if they presume to give something without their abbot’s consent, they shall undergo penance. If they hinder someone from completing a necessary task, they shall undergo penance. If they exceed the proper bounds of religious life due to an excess of zeal, they shall undergo penance. If they presume to hinder another who is fervent in performing a lawful duty for their own convenience, they shall undergo penance.

⁴³ Up to this point, and in similar offenses, spiritual correction proceeds in such a way that the rebuke given by many may contribute to the sinner’s salvation, so that, having been saved by God’s mercy, they may become more cautious and diligent in the amendment of their conduct.

⁴⁴ Whoever starts a quarrel shall do penance for seven days. But whoever shows contempt for their superior or blasphemes against the rule must be cast out unless they say, “I repent of what I said.” If they do not humble themselves, they shall do penance for forty days, for they are afflicted with the disease of pride. The talkative must be condemned to silence, the restless to gentleness, the gluttonous to fasting, the drowsy to vigilance, the proud to imprisonment, and the negligent to rejection. Each one should experience what they deserve in equal measure so that the just may live justly. Amen.

⁴⁵ In every place and task, the rule of silence must be diligently observed so that, as far as human frailty allows—since it is prone to vices from which it is accustomed to fall—we may be cleansed from sin and promote the edification of our neighbors, for whom our Savior Jesus shed His holy blood. We should not, instead, foster the tearing down of others conceived in our hearts, nor utter idle words, for which we shall give an account to the just Judge.

⁴⁶ Aiming at the highest peaks of heaven, leaving behind earthly things and vices that cling to us, we have determined to cleave entirely to God, who was sent to this earth. Indeed, those who do so shall receive immortal rewards with the highest and never-ending joy for eternity.