Chapter II: Discipline of the Soul
Jesus Christ said: O my disciples, keep your belly hungry that you may see your Lord. Sahal Tastari said: Abdals cannot be raised to their rank without four qualities keeping the belly empty, sleeplessness, silence and solitude from the turmoils of society. It is an open truth that heart becomes bright owing to hunger. This is the fruit of experience. Sleeplessness makes the heart bright pure and radiant. It increases the brightness gained by hunger and makes it bright like a bright star or a clear mirror and then truth sparkles therein. Sleeplessness is the fruit of hunger and it is impossible to "expect sleeplessness with a full belly. Too much sleep makes the heart dead and hard. Sleep to the extent of necessity becomes^ means of seeing unseen things.
The Abdals eat when pressed by extreme hunger and sleep in case of extreme slumber and talk at the time of extreme necessity.
Hazrat Ibrahim Khawas said: It is the unanimous opinion of seventy truthful men that there is too much sleep in case of too much drink.
Silence makes lonely habitation easy, but a man of silence is not free from those who are ready to serve him. As a result, he
46 Good Conduct Vol-IH
speaks withoutjjnecessity and feels joy in greed. Silence increases 'JjpdWer of intellect and encourages God fear. Loneliness saves a *n\an from work, brings ear and eye under control and opens the gates of heart. Knowledge gained through the five senses shall have to be closed first and then the knowledge from the bottom of heart will arise. This knowledge is clear and pure as is the was with the water which comes out of the bottom of a well as a result of excavation. It is not necessary to gain knowledge through the five senses except when required.
CONTROL OF EVIL PROPENSITLES: A sojourner in the path of religion will then advance towards the straight path after the obstructions are removed, propensities of heart are the causes of worldly attachment and obstructions of which one is greater than the other. In other to cut them off, the following rules shall have to be observed. At first, the most easy obstruction shall have to be removed. In other words, love for wealth, name and fame, attachment for the world, inclination towards commission of sins etc. shall have to be given up from the heart which requires sustained, long and continued efforts.