Today, it is a delight to present selections from the book “The Hadîqatu’-l-Haqîqat (The Enclosed Garden of the Truth)” by Hakîm Abû'l-Majd Majdûd Sanâ'î of Ghazna (vegetarian), edited and translated by Major J. Stephenson. The selections teach how to realize the truth and become closer to God.
OF THOSE WHO HEED NOT
“A discerning man questioned one of the indifferent, whom he saw to be very foolish and thoughtless, saying, ‘Have thou ever seen saffron, or have thou only heard the name?’ He said, ‘I have it by me, and have eaten a good deal of it, not once only, but a hundred times and more.’ Said the wise and discerning man to him, ‘Bravo, wretch! Well done, my friend! Thou know not that there is a bulb as well! How long will thou wag thy beard in thy folly?’ He who knows not his own soul, how shall he know the soul of another? And he who only knows hand and foot, how shall he know the Godhead? The prophets are unequal to understanding this matter; why do thou foolishly claim to do so? When thou have brought forward a demonstration of this subject, then thou will know the pure essence of the faith; otherwise what have faith and thou in common? Thou had best be silent, and speak not folly. The learned talk nonsense all; for true religion is not woven about the feet of everyone.”
THE PARABLE OF THOSE WHO GIVE ALMS
“A certain wise and liberal man gave away so many bags of gold before his son’s eyes that when he saw his father's munificence, he broke forth into censure and remonstrance, saying, ‘Father, where is my share of this?’ He said, ‘O son, in the treasury of God; I have given to God thy portion, leaving no executor and none to divide it with thee, and He will give it thee again.’ He is Himself our Provider and our Master; shall He not suffice us, both for faith and worldly goods? He is no other than the disposer of our lives; He will not oppress thee, He is not of those. To everyone He gives back seventy-fold; and if He closes one door against thee, He opens ten.”
ON THE CAUSE OF OUR MAINTENANCE
“See thou not that before the beginning of thy existence God the All-wise, the Ineffable, when He had created thee in the womb gave thee of blood thy sustenance for nine months? Thy mother nourished thee in her womb, then after nine months brought thee forth; that door of support He quickly closed on thee, and bestowed on thee […] better doors […]. When, after two years, she weaned thee, all became changed for thee; He gave thee thy sustenance by means of thy two hands and feet, ‘Take it by means of these, and by those go where thou will!’ If He closed the two doors against thee, it is but Light, for instead of two, four doors have appeared, ‘Take by means of these, by those go on to victory; go seek thy daily bread throughout the world!’ When suddenly there comes on thee thy appointed time, and the things of the world all pass away, and the two hands and feet fail in their office, to thee in thy helpless state, He gives an exchange for these four. Hands and feet are shut up in the tomb, and eight heavens become thy fortune; eight doors are opened to thee, the […] youths of Paradise come before thee, that going joyfully to any door thou will thou may lose remembrance of this world.
O youth, hear this saying, and despair not of God’s bounty. If God has given thee knowledge of Himself and put belief within thy heart, the robe of honor which is to thee like thy wedding-garment He will not take from thee on the day of resurrection. If thou have neither learning nor gold, yet have this, thou will not be destitute. He will bring thee to glory, thou shall not be disgraced; He will set thee in honor, thou shall not be despised. Thy possessions, give not thy soul to their keeping; what He has given thee, hold thou fast to that. Thou lay up treasure, thou shall not see it again; if thou gave it to Him, He would give it thee again. Thou put gold in the fire, it burns up the dross, so He burns thy pure gold; when He has burnt out the bad, the good He gives to thee; fortune bends down her head to thee from the skies. The more enduring the benefit afforded by the fire, the kinder on that account is He who kindles the fire; thou know not what is good nor what bad; He is a better treasurer for thee than thou for thyself. A friend is a serpent; why seek thou his door? The serpent is thy friend; why fly thou from it in terror? O seeker of the shell of the pearl of ‘Unless,’ lay down clothing and life on the shore of ‘Not’; God’s existence inclines only towards him who has ceased to exist; non-existence is the necessary provision for the journey. Till in annihilation thou lay aside thy cap thou will not set thy face on the road to eternal life; when thou become nothing, thou run towards God; the path of mendicancy leads up to Him. If fortune crushes thee down, the most excellent of Creators will restore thee. Rise, and have done with false fables; forsake thy ignoble passions, and come hither.”
