Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
and then come to me. He said : I can't do it. Jesus Christ said : It is a wonder for a rich man to enter Paradise. A certain sage said : At the time of sun-rise four angels, two in the east and two in the west, proclaim every day by four different proclamations. One angel in the west proclaims : O seeker of God, go forward. O seeker of evil, stop. Another angle says : O God, give good rewards to the charitable man and destroy the miser. One angel in the east says : Birth is for death and building is for destruction.
Another angel says : Eat with satisfaction for heavy account and enjoy.
SIGNS OF RENUNCIATION: There are three internal signs of renunciation — (1) Not to be delighted for the things in present possession and not to be sorry for what is not in possession. God says : In order that you may not be grieved for what missed you and not be joyful for what you have got.' Rather you should do the opposite. Be sorry for having possessed wealth and be delightful for not having possessed it. (2) The second sign of renunciation is that to him, his praiser and defamer are equal. He does not feel delighted if he hears his praise, and sorry if he is defamed. (3) The third sign of renunciation is to establish love with God and make divine worship predominant in mind. The love for this world and love for God are two things which are like water and air in a pot. When there is water in a pot, air goes out as these can not remain together, He who establishes love with God remains engaged in that and turns away from other works. For this reason, some sage was asked : How far has renunciation taken you ? He said : Up to the love of God. Love of God and love of the world can not remain together. A person of Marfat said :
When faith has connection with the outer surface of mind he loves both this world and the world next and works for both.
When faith stays within the innermost heart, he hates the world and does not work for the world. For this reason, Hazrat Adam prayed : O God, I seek from you such faith as remains in the innermost recess of my heart. The saint Abu Solaiman ^aid : He who is busy with himself, keeps away from human society. This is the stage of Arefin. Ibn Hawari said : I asked Ibn Solaiman :
Was Daud Tai a worldly renounced man ? He said : Yes, he was I said : I heard that he inherited from his a father twenty dinars which he spent during 20 years. When he hoarded the dinars how was he a worldly renounced man ? He said : You think that he reached the limit of perfect renunciation, but there is no limit to
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1 94 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES VoI-IV