GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness, 



97 



capable of reaching perfection and attaining felicity, so 

 that while in a material world he could look forward to a 

 spiritual world, understand whence he came, what are his du- 

 ties, that he is soon to depart, and might be always ready. 

 Man's felicity, which consists in the contemplation of the 

 beauty of God, cannot be vouchsafed to him, until the eye 

 of his judgment is opened. But the eye of judgment is 

 opened by the contemplation of the works of God, and by 

 understanding his almighty power. The contemplation of* 

 the works of God is by means of the senses, which become 

 the key to all knowledge of God. The senses subsist by 

 means of the body, and the body is composed of four dif- 

 ferent elements. Those therefore who are endowed with 

 understanding, conscious of the frailty of their bodies 

 should make all diligence to quit this kingdom of corruption 

 and to enter permanently into the unchanging kingdom. 



Know, O inquirer after the divine secrets, that there are 

 two things needful to man in this world ; first of all, he 

 needs to acquire spiritual food to preserve his heart from 

 perishing. The aliment of the heart consists in the love 

 and knowledge of God ; for whatever is a necessity of the 

 nature of any one, that he loves, as we have before men- 

 tioned. The ruin of the soul consists in the predominance 

 of some other love over the love of God, which veils the 

 divine love. Our refuge is in God ! 



The second thing needful for a man is, that the body 

 should be preserved and tended with care, since it is 

 the frame of the heart. As a camel is to a pilgrim, 

 so the body is like an animal upon which the heart rides. 

 The pilgrim is obliged to give food and water to his camel, 

 and to treat it with attention, that he may reach the end of 

 his journey in safety, and by its means be successful in the 

 object for which he travels. But the attention bestowed by 



Trans. viii.~\ 13 



