[5] He joined the monastery Abba Serid near Gaza through the influence of elders Barsanuphius and John.

It was to the monks of this monastery that he addressed his instructions/teaching (ἀσκητικά, "ascetics") of which a considerable number have survived and have been compiled into Directions on Spiritual Training, originally composed in Greek and translated in medieval Syriac, Arabic, Georgian, and Church Slavonic.

Only after the demise of one and the decision of the other not to speak did he decide to record his ascetic experiences, in order to edify the monks at the new monastery.

A careful study of the teachings of Abba Dorotheus shows a strict logical structure in an intelligible and analytic manner.

The matters are not approached in a theoretical way, but on the basis of everyday reality and on his monastic experience.

He primarily links his teaching with the Holy Scripture and often introduces the subjects by starting from a biblical quote or passage, mainly from the Old Testament.

Thus, every passion has an opposing virtue: pride — humility, stinginess — charity, lust — chastity, faintheartedness — patience, anger — meekness, hatred — love.

He who opposes passions is like a person that is showered with his enemy's arrows, but remains untouched because he is dressed in steel.

When God created man, He planted something divine into him — a certain conception — a spark that has both light and warmth.

Living in times before any written law, patriarchs and saints pleased God by following the voice of their conscience.

Sometimes it happens that after praying or completing a benevolent exercise, the person finds himself in a kind spiritual disposition and therefore, is amenable to his brother and doesn't get annoyed over his words.

May the good Lord grant us the same kind disposition, so that we too may receive benefits from everyone and so that we never notice the failings of others.

The story is that as a young man Dositheus, an army page,[12] lead a wild and dissolute life.

It was at Golgotha that an unknown woman who turned out to be Virgin Mary struck up a conversation with him about eternal torments in hell,[14] [15] which led to his converting from paganism to Christianity.

He became a monk at Gaza under the supervision of Dorotheus, who had a long and steady struggle to teach Dositheus discipline.

[18] After his death, Dorotheus declared that Dositheus had surpassed the rest (of his disciples) in virtue without the practice of any extraordinary austerity.

Dositheus was Canonized, he is the patron saint of respiratory diseases and his Feast day is February 23.