46 Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 



These qualities, whether animal, or ferocious or demo- 

 niacal have been bestowed upon man, that by their means 

 the body might be adapted to be a vehicle for the spirit, and 

 that the spirit, by means of the body which is its vehicle, 

 while herein this temporary home of earth, might seek after 

 the knowledge and love of God, as the huntsman would seek 

 to make the phoenix and the griffin his prey. Then, when it 

 leaves this strange land for the region of spiritual friend- 

 ship, it shall be worthy to partake of the mystery contained 

 in the invitation, " enter in peace, O believers!" 1 and 

 which is in the homage, " Peace is the word they shall 

 hear from the merciful Lord." 2 People in general suppose 

 that this refers to Paradise. Woe to him who has no por- 

 tion in this knowledge ! There is great danger in his path. 

 The way of faith is veiled from his eyes. 



If you wish, seeker of the way ! to know your own 

 soul, know that the blessed and glorious God created you 

 of two thiugs : the one is a visible body, and the other is a 

 something internal, that is called spirit and heart, which 

 can ouly be perceived by the mind. But when we speak 

 of heart, we do not mean the piece of flesh which is in the 

 left side of the breast of a man, for that is found in a dead 

 body and in animals: it may be seen with the eyes, and 

 belongs to the visible world. That heart, which is em- 

 phatically called spirit, does not belong to this world, and 

 although it has come to this world, it has only come to leave 

 it. It is the sovereign of the body, which is its vehicle, 

 and all the external and internal organs of the body are its 

 subjects. Its especial attribute is to know God and to 

 enjoy the vision of the beauty of the Lord God. The in- 

 vitation to salvation is addressed to the spirit. The com- 

 mandment is also addressed to it, for it is capable of 

 happiness or misery. The knowledge of what it is in 



1 S. 50 : 33. 



2 S. 36 : 58. 



