Part 7

=Abul Abbâs= saw it in the form of a yellowish dog. When he attempted to turn it out, it came underneath the skirts of his garment, and disappeared.

=Abul Qâsim= saw it in the form of a serpent.

Another Dervesh saw it in the form of a mouse, and asked who it was. It said, "I am the death of the heedless and the salvation of the Divine Friends. If I were not, they would turn proud of their purity and noble deeds."

These stories go to show that the desire-nature is a corporeal being--not a quality--albeit it is endowed with qualities. It should be subdued by ascetic practices, but it cannot be completely destroyed in its essential nature. There need not be any fear from its existence, when it has been subdued by the disciple.... This dreary forest cannot be crossed save with the help of the Divine Grace and under the protection of a Master of Compassion.--_Letter 81._

DESIRE.

'Desire' is a term covering all the qualities of =Nafs=. It prevents union, tortures the disciple, and stands against the seeker. It is to be opposed and not to be gratified. "He who follows it is ruined; he who opposes it attains his object."

Desires are twofold: (_a_) those connected with the senses and sex; (_b_) ambition of power and fame. The victims of the former resort to brothels without seriously affecting the well-being of others. The victims of the latter resort to holy places, and become the pests of the world. They isolate themselves from society and mislead others. He who seeks the allegiance of his desires is far away from God, be he above the sky; he who renounces his desires is in close touch with God, be he in a heathen temple.

Master =Ibrâhîm= says: "I went to see a Jewish monk in Turkey, who had confined himself in a temple for seventy years. He opened a window and said he had not shut himself up there to secure the position of an ascetic, but to break the dog within him and restrain it from harming the world at large. I praised God for showing the right path to his misguided devotee. He went on, '=Ibrâhîm=, how long will you seek men?--Seek the self, and watch it when found. The desire-nature constantly puts on many a semblance of divinity, and invites man to his ruin.'"....

It is said of Master =Abû Alî= that he wished to cut off his genital organ, as the root of lust, when his eyes fell on it while bathing. A Voice whispered to his soul, "By My honour, no organ is better or worse than another in My eyes. If you lop it off, I can put in each hair of your body the whole lust of your genital organ." It is no use destroying the organ: it is a vehicle for carrying the divine command. But a man can transmute its quality, God helping.--_Letter 82._

DISCIPLINE OF THE DESIRE-NATURE.

The desire-nature is the worst foe. It is very difficult to be armed against it, since, firstly, it is an _internal_ foe, and it is almost impossible to guard the house against a thief co-tenant; and, secondly, it is a _lovely_ foe, and a man is blind to the defects of his beloved, whose shortcomings take on the appearance of merits. Such being the case, the desire-nature may ere long hurl a man unawares to the lowest depth of degradation. If you ponder well, you will find it at the root of all the troubles that beset man in the past or may beset him in the future. This being the foe, one should intelligently strive to overcome it. It is improper to overcome it _all at once_, as it is a vehicle and instrument of the Soul; nor is it proper to let it go wholly unbridled, in view of the probable dangers. So the disciple needs a middle course, and it is this: You should strengthen it to the extent of enabling it to perform its duties; you should weaken it to the measure of preventing the chance of its leading you astray. Anything besides this rule is objectionable. It is reported in sacred tradition that on seeing =Abdullâh Masûd=, who had by ascetic practices weakened his body, his feet having become incapable of motion, his eyes having sunk in their sockets, =Mohammad= said, "O =Abdullâh=, be warned! Thy desire-nature has claims on thee." So the conclusion is that the desire-nature should be disciplined by knowledge, so that it may neither overcome (nor disobey) thee, nor be itself destroyed.

The middle course consists in restraining the desire-nature by temperance. There are three ways of thus subduing it: (_a_) withholding gratification; ... (_b_) imposing religious observances; (_c_) invoking the Divine help for mastery over it. If you follow this threefold method, the desire-nature will be amenable to discipline.--_Letter 83._

DISCIPLINE OF THE DESIRE-NATURE. (_Continued._)

The discipline of the desire-nature is recommended by all creeds and nations, and is known by Sages as a means of developing the supersensuous faculties.... But thy business lies with the discipline only, it is God's to grant supersensuous faculties. Thy labours cannot bear fruit without His Grace. Avoid as much as possible the thought of personality and its activities, and never follow the promptings of the desire-nature. It is thy existence that veils Thee. Had there been the veil of a single activity, it could be uplifted by another opposite activity. But _the whole_ of thyself being a veil, thou canst not be fit for the Divine Vision, unless and until _thou_ vanish completely. It should not be forgotten in this connection that the discipline of the desire-nature means the transmutation of its qualities, not the destruction of its essential nature--for _that_ is impossible. But its existence need not be regarded as dangerous after it has been subdued by the inner Ruler.

Fasting is recommended by all nations and creeds. It helps the receptivity of the heart, the purity of the intellect, and the health of the body. Regulation of food is an important work. It is food that imparts strength and weakness, purity and foulness to all the organs of the body. It must be pure in quality and moderate in quantity.--_Letter 84._

ALIENATION FROM THE DESIRE-NATURE.

Alienation from the personality is the first step to acquaintance with God. The one is a necessary condition for the other. All aspirants find fault with, and impose tasks on, the desire-nature, so that this wall of separation be pulled down, and a way be found to the Divine Sanctuary.

So long as thou lookest down upon a single soul as inferior to thee, thou art self-conceited, and blind to the Divine Presence. "If thou hast knowledge, put that knowledge into practice; solve thy difficulties by knowledge and practice (combined)." ...

The knowledge of all the Sages culminates in the realisation that they do not know.

There has been a single Master of Woe in each cycle, protecting others under his charge. On the path of asceticism, a considerable amount of prolonged exercises is a necessary preliminary to initial success, which, too, is doubtful. On the other hand, he who is trained on the Path of Woe has for his first stage the Purity of Devotion....

Be of good cheer, in spite of thy lack of devotion and the heavy weight of thy sins. "Never despair of the Divine Grace"--it affords protection to all sinners. Poor as thou art at present, do not be dejected: "The Lord has created a beautiful form for thee," and "made Man after His image."--_Letter 85._

SELF-TOLERATION.

He who is on good terms with the self is dead, though apparently living; he whose life is in God is really living, though apparently dead. Death is not of the body alone: the _inner_ man may die in the same way as the _outer_. Men are perishing in the sea of desires. Their Saviours are the Prophets who help them to cross the sea of desires and merge in the Divine Unity.... The ungodly live in the form only and are dead in the _spirit_, since true life consists in human nature responding to the Divine Life. On the other hand, "Those who have sacrificed themselves on the Path of God are not to be considered as dead, but as living with their Lord." ...

"The Divine treasury is too full of prayers already. Put in a grain of humble devotion if you can."--_Letter 86._

HIDDEN DIFFERENCES OF STAGES.

Men differ, in the gradations of their progress, as heaven from hell, though they are so similar in their outer forms. All men--whether in the past, the present or the future--are the centres of mysteries. Each body treasures a Divine Secret; each Heart feels impelled to the Path; each Soul radiates a glory unfathomable by human and angelic intelligences.... The best and holiest men had an obscure life.

* * * * *

Once upon a time =Zunnoon= sent a disciple of his, to enquire about =Bâyazîd=. When the disciple reached the latter's house at Bustâm, he found him seated on the floor of his cottage. But he did not know that he was =Bâyazîd=. =Bâyazîd= asked the disciple what he wanted. He said he wanted to see =Bâyazîd=. =Bâyazîd= replied: "Which =Bâyazîd= do you want, and whence? Now I am =Bâyazîd=, yet I have been in search of =Bâyazîd= for several years, and to no effect." The disciple took him for a madcap, and, returning, reported the matter to =Zunnoon=. =Zunnoon= with tears in his eyes exclaimed: "Our brother =Bâyazîd= has gone forth into God with the true Devotees." ...

There was one =Helâl=, a slave to =Mogîra=. On his death the Prophet with his companions went to the house of =Mogîra=. The latter was not even aware of the death of =Helâl=, for none took care of him, alive or dead, as he was the lowliest in the household. =Mogîra= came to receive the party and kissed the blessed feet of the Prophet. The Prophet asked =Mogîra= what had happened in the household. He said that all was well. The Prophet went on: "=Mogîra=, the worthiest of your household has departed, and you do not know of it." =Mogîra=, astonished, remarked "I never supposed =Helâl= to have been so advanced." ... The Prophet was then (at His request) taken to the place where the dead body was. He found it in a stable at the feet of the beasts, clasped the head and said with tears in His eyes: "=Helâl=, thy body lies on this earth, but thy Soul is with the Lord." All the saints and chiefs then wished in earnest devotion to have been the dust of =Helâl's= feet. The Prophet continued: "There are seven men in each cycle who support the world by their blessings and lead the faithful to victory by their magnanimity. =Helâl= was the Head of these."--_Letter 87._

HEEDLESSNESS.

Heedlessness is blamed by all creeds and sects. It is heedlessness that lies at the root of all failures.

It has been said. When a man heedlessly approaches the Path, the Devil warns him, saying: "I was the Teacher of the celestial Hosts, but I lost that post. Now I guard the Gate of the Path. You may enter with the pass of Devotion only--else will you have to share my fate, being unfit for the Path." ...

Everlasting purity is the character of the angel; lifelong transgression is the character of the devil; turning with sorrow from sin to purity is the character of man. Lifelong purity is impossible for man. He is born imperfect, void of reason, with desires (the agents of the Devil) in full sway. Reason (the curb of desires and the light of the angelic essence) develops later--_i. e._, after the capture of the heart by desires. Hence the necessity of Turning and self-discipline, _pari-passu_ with the development of reason, for the recovery of the heart from desires and the Devil.--_Letter 88._

SORROW.

No reading is so useful as that of the diary of sorrows.... The Goal is unattainable save through the destruction of the desire-nature. Either be ready to kill it out and tread the Path, or withdraw yourself from the rank of the seekers--so that others may pass on (unimpeded by your presence).

_A Story._--David, when about to pray, saw an ant, and wished to remove it from the place. The ant appealed to David against his cruelty. David said: "God, how am I to deal with Thy creatures?" God replied, "Behave with self-restraint, lest thou shouldst harm any; do not look to the outer body of a creature, but to the Spirit underlying. An ant, if permitted, may rend asunder the dark Veil, radiate the Light of Divine Unity from its bosom, and put to shame many a monotheist."

_Another Story._--Once upon a time, Moses prayed so warmly that the stimulating effect was felt by him till the succeeding day. He wondered whether any one could be so blessed as he was the night before. The angel Gabriel presently came with this message from God: "There is One, in this forest, who can cure the ills of My devotees." Moses hastened to the spot, and found a frog croaking in a pool. The frog said: "Moses, I have long been waiting to uproot pride from your heart. The Divine influence you felt last night passed through me. I received it first and then passed it on to you. Be warned against the repetition of the boast!"--_Letter 89._

CONDUCT.

An act not permitted by the =Qurân= is fruitless; a desire not sanctioned by the Prophet is vain. To wish for any help on the Path save that from the Path is forbidden. The =Qurân= permits nothing save sincere conduct, and sincerity springs from the heart that has tasted pain....

The Masters of the Path are spiritual beings. Their word is life; the purity of Their sorrow vitalises the world; Their character is spotless....

So long as thou dost not unlearn all thy previous notions, habits and defects, thou canst not unfold the Eye of Wisdom in the Heart, and feel the relish of the Science of Truth.... He who is destitute of Divine Wisdom to-day (_i. e._, on earth) will not have the Divine Wisdom to-morrow (_i. e._, after death).

Acts not based on Knowledge are futile; ascetic practices not countenanced by religion are misleading and devilish. It is Knowledge that unfastens the gate of good luck. It is Knowledge that can comprehend the greatness of =Islâm=, the mysteries thereof, the glorious character of the Prophets, the sublimity of Their mission, the different stages of the advanced souls, the secret of the human constitution, the evil in the wicked, the respect due to Faith and the faithful, the injunctions and prohibitions of religions. Tread zealously the Path of Knowledge till you get rid of ignorance. Knowledge is the shortest way to God; and ignorance is the densest veil between thee and Him. As Knowledge is productive of Good, so is ignorance productive of evil. It is ignorance which brings in faithlessness, neglect of religious duties, affinity to the devil, alienation from the Prophets and the Pure Souls, and other innumerable evils.

Seek no connexion with the self, lest thou shouldst be affected with pride.... "Thou canst not reach Me, so long as 'thy-ness' inheres in thee: thou shalt reach Me only when thou quittest thy self." O brother, subdue thy desires with asceticism tempered by knowledge; cut off the head of the desire-nature with the sword of self-discipline, as advised by the Scriptures ... and (then) put on the robe of =Islâm=. If thou art really in earnest, tread upon thy life--so dear to thee--and do not fear death; what follows is Life, through and through. "If thou dependest upon (bodily) life, thou wilt lag behind. Thou art Life in the world of Life alone. Grasp well the subtile fact--thou _art_ That which thou seekest." The foremost duty of the seeker lies in seeing the Beloved as the only Life, and in eliminating the evil of his own separated existence.--_Letter 90._

SECLUSION.

A man not wanted by the world for its intellectual or theological education, may isolate himself from others, and avoid company save on necessary occasions, such as those of the Friday and the =Îd= prayers, a pilgrimage to =Meccâ=, and other useful meetings. The man who wishes to avoid company altogether, had better live far away from human habitation (in a mountain or on a desert island). Else [let him not isolate himself altogether] unless he knows for certain that his gains from attendance at the Friday prayer or other social gatherings are really outweighed by the losses he incurs from coming into contact with human Society....

But there may be a different sort of man, a Master of Knowledge, needed by others for their religious enlightenment, the exposition of truths, the setting aside of heretical arguments, and for stirring them to live out the teachings of religion. It is hardly lawful for such a man to absolutely avoid human society. It is narrated of a Sage named =Abû Bakar= that, as he wandered about the hills with the object of leading a life of prayer and worship in seclusion, he heard a voice saying, "=Abû Bakar=, why dost thou desert the creatures of the Lord when thou hast attained the position of a Divine Light?" So he returned to the society of men.

Such a man, though living corporeally in the world and doing his duties to it, has to work for his own salvation as well. =Omar= (peace on him!) said of himself, "should I sleep at night I would ruin myself, should I sleep during the day, I would ruin my subjects." It is exceedingly hard to be corporeally in the world and to be at the same time mentally away from it.

=Imâm Gazâlî= opines that a learned man may be excused for isolating himself and burying his knowledge in days of trouble and degeneration, when a man may send for a religious teacher, but declines to learn anything of him--when no man appreciates the importance of religious duties....

An extremely weak man should not resort to seclusion....

The real object of seclusion is mental isolation, not bodily separation.--_Letter 95._

DEATH.

There are three classes of men: (1) The man of desires. (2) The beginner who is just turning back. (3) The advanced Knower of God.

The _first_ does not recollect death; or if he ever does so, he does it in a spirit of sorrow for the loss of worldly objects, and begins to murmur at it. Recollection of death throws him the further from God.

The _second_ is given to the practice of recollecting death, so that he may live fear-stricken, and accomplish his Turning the more successfully....

The _third_ never forgets death, as it is the guarantee of his union with the Beloved.

But the highest stage of development is shewn in the soul that completely surrenders itself to the Lord, and foregoes all choice of life or death....

The frequent recollection of death is recommended, as it is calculated to disturb physical enjoyment, and thereby lead to salvation....

Death is welcome to the faithful, as it sets him free from the prison of earth-life and its tortures....

As remarked by an esteemed friend, earth-life is a state of slumber, the after-death life is a state of waking, and death is an intermediate state....

Death (to an ordinary mortal) is more painful than a cut with the sword or the axe, or the extraction of flesh from his body....

A calm look, and the repetition of the Holy Formula, these are becoming on the part of the dying man.--_Letter 97._

HELL.

Every man is liable to suffer in hell, and it is difficult to be certain of exemption therefrom. According to the Prophet, there are 70,000 apartments in hell, each apartment containing 70,000 doors, each door having 70,000 serpents and 70,000 scorpions; and the unbelievers and the evil-minded cannot help passing through each of them....

Such is the description of hell, and of its subdivisions which correspond to the number of earthly desires. The factor seven in the subdivisions corresponds to the seven organs used in the commission of sins.

If you wish to know your destiny, you should look at your character, since your natural inclinations presage your destiny. If they tend to good, you are not intended for hell; if they tend to evil, you are destined therefor. As the =Qurân= says, "The virtuous are to be blessed in heaven, the vicious are to suffer in hell."

Here is a secret. When death takes away the earthly veil (the body), the desire-nature is yet more or less tainted with earthly impurities. In some cases the mirror of the soul may be too darkened to admit of any cleansing. Such a soul is eternally barred from the Divine Presence. In other cases, (_i. e._ unrighteous believers), the rust is capable of being cleansed, and so the desire-nature is exposed to hell-fire to the extent of the purification needed. The time varies from a brief moment to 7,000 years. No man quits this earth without some impurity, however slight, in him.--_Letter 99._

HEAVEN.

Heaven contains apartments made of various gems, the outside of which is visible from the inside, and the inside from the outside. They abound with pleasures and comforts not tasted or conceived by men (on earth).... Heaven is a vast palace made of a single pearl. It contains seven apartments of red ruby. Each apartment contains seven rooms of green emerald. Each room is provided with a gorgeous seat, 70 trays and 70 maid-servants. Each seat has 70 beddings of different colours, and a Houri as the bed-maker. Each tray is furnished with 70 dishes.

Heaven is intended for those who salute and feed others, fast and pray....

When the dwellers of heaven wish to communicate with their brothers, their seats move the one towards the other. Thus they meet and talk of their past relationship on earth. There is procreation in heaven if so desired: conception, birth, and maturity all taking place instantaneously.

The dwellers of heaven are beautiful as =Joseph=, and well-behaved as =Mohammad=.

The duration of the lowest heavenly life is 500 years.

Such is the heaven of the ordinary soul.

Now as to the destiny of the Prophets, the purest Devotees, and the Saints. Theirs is the vision of the Divine Face, in the supreme relish of which the grosser enjoyments of heaven are forgotten. Orthodox =Islâm= does not regard the Divine Vision as the fruit of human works, but as the result of Divine Grace. It holds a similar doctrine as to the Faith in the Lord of human beings upon earth.--_Letter 100._

[The following brief Note is added from the _Series of 28 Letters_.--_Trs._]

=Imâm Qasherî=, explaining the Secrets of the =Qurân=, says:

"What the faithful will manifestly enjoy after death in heaven, is inwardly experienced by the Saints on earth."--_Loc. cit., 28_.

THE END.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES.

Unusual and archaic spellings have been maintained. Obvious printing and spelling errors have been fixed. In the original text, Persian and Arabic transliterations, some proper names and locations were printed in gesperrt (g e s p e r r t). Such words have been rendered surrounded by == (=gesperrt=).

The abbreviation "Trs." used throughout the text stands for "Translator," not "Transcriber."

Details of the changes:

ToC Page 1: Title "Introduction" removed.

ToC Page 1: On Discipleship (Continued) Originally: Discipleship (continued)

ToC Page 1: The Outer and Inner Ailments Originally: The outer and the inner Ailments

ToC Page 3: The Desire-Nature (=Nafs=) 110 Originally: The Desire-Nature (=Nafs=) 130

ToC Page 3: Discipline of the Desire-Nature (Continued) Originally: The same (Continued)

Page 2: There must be a difference between Originally: There must be difference between

Page 2 footnote 3: Weak souls.--_Trs._ Originally: Weak souls.--_Trans._

Page 6: =Zunnoon= of Egypt observes that the =Taubâh= Originally: =Zoonoon= of Egypt observes that the =Taubâh=

Page 6: On the other hand, =Khwâjâ Junnaid= Originally: On the other hand, =Khwâja Junnaid=

Page 8: can neither be seen nor grasped. Originally: can neither be seen not grasped.

Page 9 footnote 6: The Sacred Shrine at =Meccâ=. Originally: The Sacred Shrine at =Mecca=.

Page 9: and lose the fruit of one's labour. Originally: and lose the fruit of one's labor.

Page 16: discipleship and the subtleties of Seeking, Originally: discipleship and the subleties of Seeking,