Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
becomes strong, when it cannot be kept under control, when sight cannot be kept under control and when mind cannot be kept under control, different medicines shall have to be taken. In order to remove them from mind, it shall have to be kept engaged in Zikr, Fikr and good deeds. There are three modes. (1) Firstly, if it rises out of delicious and excessive food, it should be brought undeT control by fasting and by breaking it with little food without meat and other exciting foods. (2) Secondly, the basic causes shall have to be cut off, namely sight of eye, as it enkindles passion in mind. The remedy is to live in loneliness and to be careful in seeing beautiful things. The Holy Prophet said: Sight is a poisonous arrow out of the arrows of the devil. The devil throws it with such force that no shield can protect it. The sure remedy is to flee away from it or to shut up the eyes. (3) To satisfy passion in a lawful manner by marriage. This is most useful in case of many persons. The Prophet said: You should marry, if you are unable, keep fast which cuts the sexual passion. These are the three modes for giving up food to cut off the basic causes of passion.
MODES OF INCREASING RELIGIOUS IMPULSE: There are two modes to make strong religious impulses.
^Firstly, to give to the mind the sweet taste jof rewards and merits of temporal and spiritual matters as ^result of efforts against passion and to think of the traditions that promised temporal and spiritual rewards of patience. The merits that are gained in having patience in dangers and difficulties cannot be gained otherwise. This should be realised in full. Mind should be given the lesson that satisfaction of carnal desires is short lived but one can gain everlasting supremacy by patience in dangers and difficulties, that dangers and difficulties are short and remain during life time but their rewards will retnajn for ever.
This sure belief is termed Eqin or certain faith and this in turn produces firm determination for patience.
2. Secondly, to make religious, feeling habituated to fight passions so that it may have pleasure of victory. In this way, religious impulse is made strong. For this reason the strength of the peasants and soldiers increases as they acquire it by habits.
The second medicine is that one should be habituated from childhoo'd to fight against low desires and passions, as a boy, if trained in physical exercises from boyhood becomes an athlete. If
74 PATIENCE AND GRATEFULNESS Vol-IV