The first duty incumbent upon a Seeker is the practice of Tajrîd and Tafrîd. The one is to quit present possessions; the other, to cease to care for the morrow. The second duty is seclusion, outer and inner. Outer seclusion consists in flying from the world and turning thy face to the wall, in order that thou mayest give up thy life on the Divine threshold; inner seclusion consists in cleansing the heart of all thoughts connected with the non-God, whether the non-God be earth or heaven.

The third duty is at-onement in speech and thought, which consists in ceasing to speak and think of the non-God. The fourth duty is the practice of moderation in speech, food and sleep, since this triad supports the desire-nature. Too much speaking is a bar to holy recitations; too much sleep interferes with meditation; too much food brings on inertia and checks the preformance of duties.

Purity of body as well as of mind is necessary at all times—purity of body alone is not sufficient— in order that the Divine Attraction may uplift thee to a stage unattainable by all the efforts and ascetic practices of all genii and men put together. Very easy to speak of this, but very hard the practice— since this practice does not lie with the bodily organs or elements, but with the Heart and the Soul which are beyond our control. The gate to the Path is Knowledge and Wisdom. He who avoids this gate has to plod on his way through an endless forest infested by demons, and ends by losing his life and faith. . . .

Eternal Life is the life in Spirit without a body. It is attained by Love, not by obedience. Servants wait for an order and seek remedies for their ail­ments; Lovers are impelled by Love and invite ail­ments without asking for a remedy. The Beloved ever cries, “Stay at a distance lest thou shouldst perish.” The Lover answers, “I am prepared from the very beginning to give up my life. Death is better than a life without Thee.” The life of the body has no value on the Path. Whoso cares for the one has no business with the other. Love says to thee: “Give up a life which must turn into dust, and I shall instal thee on the throne of Glorious At-onement. Now the choice is thine.”

Although there is no heart without love, yet the priceless treasure of Divine Love does not fall to the lot of greedy and mean fellows, who are content with prayers and fasts, and have but given up their earthly claims for higher honours.

Be cheerful and hopeful, for the Door of Com­passion is open.

God has created doubt interfering with convic­tion, the lower nature veiling the face of Truth, duality warring with monotheism, the alloy claim­ing the place of the genuine coin, a thousand foes arrayed against each friend, a temple of idols facing every mosque, a suffering balancing each blessing. “He does all this; but man, awe-stricken, cannot breathe a sigh: for His Face is like a mirror, and a mirror is clouded by breathing.”—Letter 61.