Wisdoms and Warnings
He who walks
in the way of God
is distinguished by five things:
1) He is free from anxiety
about his daily needs.
2) Everything he does is done for the glory of God.
3) He struggles constantly
with his weaknesses
and negative feelings.
4) He strives to remember
himself always
and in everything.
5) He remembers that he is
mortal and may die
at any moment.
How many
have been lured
into destruction
by being well treated,
have been misled
by being protected,
have been seduced
by being well spoken of!
God the glorified
tries no one
with a trial like
fulfillment.
REB MENDEL
SAID ONCE
TO HIS FOLLOWERS:
I WANT YOU TO ABSTAIN FROM SIN,
NOT BECAUSE IT IS FORBIDDEN TO SIN, BUT SIMPLY
FOR LACK OF TIME.
Concentrate
upon spirituality
as you will.
It will shun you
if you are unworthy.
Write about it, comment
upon it. It will decline to
benefit you; it will flee.
But, if it sees your
concentration,
it may come to your hand
like a trained bird.
Like a peacock,
it will not sit in an
unworthy place.
MESSAGE TO THE DEVIL:
You’re very clever you weak little devil.
You grab at anything that will
help you make an impression,
so you tried to grab the Work.
Power over others is really what
you wanted in order to maintain
your as if existence.
Frightened little devil you must
continually try to fool them all.
Tell them they don't remember,
tell them they have no respect,
tell them they lie, make them
guilty guilty guilty,
crush them, yell at them,
show them how to be ruthless -
just like you.
You are an evil little devil.
But now the Work
has stuck in your throat and
you can no longer spit it out.
The Work caught you
at your own game.
‘WE SOUGHT SOLOMON’S RING
IN ALL THINGS...
WE FOUND IT
IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY, AND THERE
WE FOUND REPOSE. NOTHING WAS SO PLEASING AS THIS.’
The devil keeps hammering
his subtle persuasion until
the learned man becomes
convinced that he should
set about teaching people.
Then the devil intimates
to the scholar,
“you should embellish your
thoughts with pretty language
and impressive conceits.
Also play up your
qualifications.
Otherwise your words won’t
have much effect; they
won’t reach people’s hearts
and they will not succeed
in attaining the truth.”
GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
CANNOT BE ATTAINED
BY A MIND THAT IS
HESITANT,
HYPOCRITICAL,
EVASIVE,
CALCULATING,
REACTIONARY,
ARGUMENTATIVE,
PARTIAL,
TRICKY OR TWISTED
IN ANY WAY.
ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN SAID:
HE WHO
HAS BEEN ABLE
TO SEE HIMSELF
AS HE IS
IS BETTER
THAN HE
WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE ANGELS