Who am I, but a decaying remnant and a garment destined to be consumed by moths? Just as moths devour a garment, stripping it of its substance, so too does a man who harbors decay within himself slowly erode from the inside, both in identity and in what he should never be. This can also be interpreted differently; for instance, when a person facing temptation reflects, "Who am I, as the rottenness of decay, and as a garment that will be eaten away by moths?" To be as the rottenness of decay means to diminish in the corruption of the flesh. The uncleanness associated with temptation arises from within, much like the moth that feasts on a garment, consuming the very flesh it clings to. For within each person lies the very source that gives rise to temptation.
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Thus, the moth continues to gnaw at the garment for as long as it remains worn. Moreover, we should recognize that the moth silently creates its pathways through the garment, and often a thought infiltrates the mind so subtly that one is unaware of its presence until the harm it causes has taken root. It is aptly stated that man is "like a garment that will be eaten away by moths," for there are times when we are blind to the wounds of temptation, only to become aware of them after they have deeply affected our souls. Reflecting on this frailty, the holy man wisely continues:
THEOSIS