Letter 8: Praise and blame both feed the passions; ascetics should avoid needless journeys.

I cannot be crowned by praise, and I do not want to be struck by blame. Praise produces vainglory, and blame produces sorrow. Where vainglory and sorrow are present, all the desires are there as well. A person deprived of his desires is distressed, while the person who fulfills his own purpose acquires vainglory. It belongs to Paul to conquer by the weapons of the right hand and of the left. It belongs to me to say, "My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness," and again, "Have mercy on my sin, for it is great." Let this be my answer to your holy letters. Teach your sisters and your sons not to travel a long road or go off unexamined into deserted places. Such conduct is foreign to any soul that has withdrawn from the world. Everyone who chooses to travel the road of virtue hurries not only to abstain from sin in action but also not to go wrong even in thought. The command to turn away from sin in action belongs to Moses; the command concerning sin in thought belongs to our Savior. I would be surprised if a woman who is led around and meets countless people could fulfill that way of life.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): ου δι' ευφημιων δυναμαι στεφανουσθαι ουδε δυσφημιαις θελω βαλλεσθαι αι γαρ ευφημιαι κενοδοξιαν παριστασι αι δε δυσφημιαι παλιν λυπην κατεργαζονται, ου δε κενοδοξια και λυπη αυτου και πισαι αι επιθυμιαι· θλιβεται γαρ ο των αυτου επιθυμιων αποστερουμενος, ο δε την αυτου προαιρεσιν επιτελεσας κενοδοξιαν κταται. Παυλου μεν εστι το δια των οπλων των δεξιων και των αριστερων νικησαι εμου δε εστι λεγειν· προσωζεσαν και εσαπησαν οι μωλωπες μου απο προσωπου της αφρυσυνης μου και παλιν· ιλασηι τηι αμαρτιαι μου πολλη γαρ εστι . ταυτα ειρησθω μοι προς τα αγια σου γραμματα. διδαξον δε τας αδελφας σου και του υιους σου μακραν οδον μη πορευεσθαι εις τε ερημους τοπους ανεξεταστως μη οιχεσθαι· απηλλοτριωμενον γαρ εστι τουτο πασης ψυχης του γε κοσμου αποχωρησασης· σπευδει γαρ πας ταυτην την της αρετης οδον μετιεναι ελομενος μη μονον της δι' εργου αμαρτιας απεχεσθαι αλλα μηδε δια λογισμου πλημμελειν· οτι η της δι' εργου αμαρτιας αποτροπη Μωυσεως εστιν η δε της δια λογισμου εντολη του σωτηρος ημων. και θαυμαζω ει γυνη περιαγομενη τε και μυριοις προσωποις συντυγχανουσα ταυτην την πολιτειαν επιτελεσαι δυναται Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.