50 Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 



of happiness for eternity and prepare for its journey to its 

 native country. So long as the various forces of the body are 

 obedient to the dictates of the heart, in like manner as the 

 angels obey in the presence of God, no contrariety of action 

 can arise among them. 



Know, O student of wisdom ! that the body, which is the 

 kingdom of the heart, resembles a great city. The hand, 

 the foot, the mouth and the other members resemble 

 the people of the various trades. Desire is a standard 

 bearer; anger is a superintendent of the city, the heart is 

 its sovereign, and reason is the vizier. The sovereign 

 needs the service of all the inhabitants. But desire, the 

 standard bearer, is a liar, vain and ambitious. He is always 

 ready to do the contrary of what reason, the vizier, com- 

 mands. He strives to appropriate to himself whatever he 

 sees in the city, which is the body. Anger, the superin- 

 tendent, is rebellious and corrupt, quick and passionate. 

 He is always ready to be enraged, to spill blood, and to 

 blast one's reputation. If the sovereign, the heart, should 

 invariably consult with reason, his vizier, and, when desire 

 was transgressing, should give to wrath to have power 

 over him (yet, without giving him full liberty, should make 

 him angry in subjection to reason, the vizier, so that pass- 

 ing all bounds he should not stretch out his hand upon the 

 kingdom), there would then be an equilibrium in the con- 

 dition of the kingdom, and all the members would perform 

 the functions for which they were created, their service 

 would be accepted at the mercy seat, and they would ob- 

 tain eternal felicity. . . 



If you desire, inquirer for the way, with thankfulness 

 for these mercies, to obtain eternal happiness in the future 

 mansions, the heart must enthrone itself like a sovereign 

 in its capital, the body, must stand at the door of service 

 and direct its prayers to the gate of eternal truth, seeking 

 for the beauty of the divinity. It must take reason for its 



