: Arranged by the name of the "Abba" (father) or "Amma" (mother) who spoke the words, such as Anthony the Great, Moses the Black, or Syncletica.
The text is composed of spiritual advice, parables, and anecdotes that were originally passed down orally before being written down in Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and Latin. The Wortley translation at Barnes & Noble and other editions like the Alphabetical Collection at Target are typically organized into two formats:
: Monks combined manual labor, like weaving baskets or mats, with constant short prayers like "Lord, have mercy" to keep their minds focused on the divine throughout the day.