62 GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness. 



a hindrance in the journey to the truth. Take care and do 

 not deny that they are correct in what they say. For, ex- 

 ternal knowledge is derived from the sensuous world, and 

 all objects of sense are a hindrance to him who is occupied 

 with spiritual truth ; for whoever is attending to sensual 

 objects, indicates that his mind is preoccupied with exter- 

 nal properties. And it is impossible that he who would 

 walk in the way of truth, should be for a moment unem- 

 ployed in meditation, upon obtaining spiritual union and 

 the vision of Beauty. 



Know, student of the divine mysteries, that the heart is 

 like a reservoir into which five streams flow : these streams 

 at one time run clear, and at another, turbid, and hence the 

 bottom of the reservoir contains much mud. If a person 

 wish to cleanse the reservoir and to get rid of the mud in 

 the bottom, he must first dam up the course of the running 

 streams, and then stir up and put in motion the mud, and 

 until the muddy water has been carried off by the pure 

 water that gushes up at the bottom of the reservoir, he 

 will not allow any other water to run in. Now the exter- 

 nal senses resemble those running streams, from which 

 various kinds of knowledge, notions and prejudices pro- 

 ceed to the heart, of which some are pure and purifying, 

 and some are corrupt and corrupting, and until these have 

 been dammed up, the windows of the heart cannot be un- 

 covered so that the illuminating knowledge from God can 

 be revealed to it. 



If a person possessing great knowledge of the outward 

 world, should use his knowledge as a means of progress in 

 the way of truth, instead of being satisfied with such dis- 

 putes as of buying and selling, marrying and divorcing, 

 and should be assiduous in gaining divine knowledge, 

 which is the end of all other knowledge, it is all well and 

 good. His knowledge of the outward world will give him 

 strength in his course, and will serve as a guide to him in 



