144 



Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 



What shall I do with the heart that is not the home of thy love ? 

 What shall I do with the soul that does not make itself a sacrifice 

 in thy Way ? 



inquirer after the love of God ! The love of God ex- 

 ists in every heart, though it lies concealed, just as fire 

 exists in the Hint stone, until it is drawn out. If you take 

 the steel of desire and affection into your hands, and with 

 it strike the heart, you obtain fire by the means, and your 

 soul will be filled with light. The malice, deceitfulness, 

 hatred, vileness, envy and strife that are in the heart will 

 be burned up, and it will be freed and purified from sen- 

 sual perturbations. But if you are careless and do nothing 

 and pass several days without seeking, the heart will again 

 become like fire covered over with ashes, which by remain- 

 ing a long time unused, will finally be extinguished. So 

 at last the heart, becomes encased with sensual impurities 

 and with the blackness of the passions, and is no longer 

 capable of being enlightened with the light of truth. Our 

 refuge is in God ! 



0, faithful friend, who art worthy to be loved ! know, 

 that the love of God is a standard that leads to victory. 

 Whoever seeks refuge under it, will be a sovereign in two 

 worlds, and lord of a throne at the king's court. This love 

 is a universal solvent to secure happiness. Whoever se- 

 cures it, is richer than in the possession of both worlds. 

 God is always rich, notwithstanding all the world is pro- 

 vided for through him. The heart which bears no traces 

 of the love of God, is like a dead corpse, which knows 

 nothing of its own spirit. Still there is no person among 

 reasonable beings who will say that he does not love God, 

 or who will not make pretensions to possessing a love for 

 him. But it is like an empty claim, upon which no deci- 

 sion can be based and, unless the witness is a faithful one, 

 no conclusion can be formed. If you should be asked, do 

 you love God, beware and give no answer. For if you say 



