GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness. 



47 



reality, is the key to the knowledge of God. Beloved, 

 strive to obtain this knowledge, for there is no more pre- 

 cious jewel. In its origin it comes from God, and again 

 returns to him. It has come hither but for a time for in- 

 tercourse and action. 



Be sure, seeker after knowledge ! that it is impossible 

 to obtain a knowledge of the heart, until you know its 

 essence and its true nature, its faculties, and its relations 

 with its faculties, — nor until you know its attributes, and 

 how through them the knowledge of God is obtained, and 

 what happiness is, and how happiness is to be secured. 

 Know then, that the existence of the spirit is evident and 

 is not involved in doubt. Still, it is not body, which is 

 found in corpses and in animals generally. If a person 

 with his eyes wide open should look upon the world and 

 upon his own body, and then shut his eyes, everything 

 would be veiled from his view, so that he could not see 

 even his own body. But the existence of his spirit would 

 not be at the same time shut out from his view. Again, 

 at death, the body turns to earth, but the spirit undergoes 

 no corruption. Still it is not permitted to us to know 

 what the spirit is in its real nature and in its essence, as God 

 says in his Holy Word : " They will ask you about the 

 spirit. Answer, the spirit is a creation by decree of the 

 Lord." 1 The spirit belongs to the world of decrees. 



All existence is of two kinds, one is of the world of de- 

 crees, and the other is of the world of creation. " To him 

 belongs creation and decree." 2 The matters which belong 

 to the world of decrees are those which have not superficies, 

 quantity, or form : to the world of creation belong those 

 which do have both quantity and form. The creation 

 spoken of in the verse is in the sense of foreordination and 

 not of actual formation. Hence those who say that the 



1 S. 17 : 87. 



5 S. 7 : 52. 



