Chapter II: Discipline of the Soul
HABITS OF GOOD DEEDS: Similarly, one should grow habits of doing good deeds. If they are done for long and are not given up, pleasure will come as a ma'tter of course like that of the above persons. If a mar. forms the habit of eating earth, he will find pleasure in eating it. So soul will find pleasure in doing good deeds if one sticks to them for a pretty long time.
He who wishes to be a good scribe, he must stick to writing for long. Similarly if one if wishes to acquire the qualities of patience, generosity, modesty etc. he must stick to these habits in actions and behaviours. There is no other means to acquire them except this method. Acquisition of learning is not the result of one day, but of endless days and nights in studies. The natural food of soul is knowledge, divine knowledge and love.
Us taste might be changed for some illness of soul, as owing to disease of stomach, there is no taste in food. So diseases of soul must be removed by efforts to acquire divine love and knowledge.
CAUSES OF MISFORTUNE: Only one sin does not bring misfortune. It is the cause of committing sins after sins and disobeying the commands and prohibitions of God. This is also the condition of minor sins. Repetition of a minor sin amounts to a great sin. One black spot falls in soul if a sin is committed and repetition of sins causes repetition of spots in soul. Thereafter the sou] becomes completely dark and black. When death suddenly comes to such a man, he dies upon that condition. God says: I have placed screen in their front and screen in their back. Hazrat Ali said: Faith puts a white spot in soul. The more faith increases, the more the white spot increases. When the faith of a man become perfect, his soul is filled up with that light. A black spot falls in the soul of a hypocrite. The more hypocrisy increase, the more the black spot increases. When hypocrisy is disclosed in full, his soul becomes completely dark.
Now you have understood that sometimes good conduct comes with birth, sometimes it is acquired by good deeds and sometimes by following the actions of good and religious people..
God does not oppress any man but man himself oppresses his soul and becomes unfortunate. God says: He who does an atom of good will see it, and he who does an atom of evil will see it. 99 :
8. God does not oppress them, but they themselves oppress their souls.
Vol-IH The Book of Destructive evils 55
METHODS OF EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CONDUCT: You