470

When the contingent wipes off the dust of contingency,
Nothing remains save Necessary Being.

471

The existence of the two worlds is as a dream,
In the moment of eternity they become naught.

472

He who is ' united ' is not a creature, ⁴

If your soul were cognizant of this mystery,

You would straightway say " God pardon my error. ⁵ "

476

You are non-existent, 6 and not being is ever immovable,

How can this non-existent contingent move to the necessary ?

477

No substance possesses objectivity ⁷ without accidents,

And what is an accident ? what "endures not two moments."

478

Philosophers, who have written on natural science,
Define bodies by length, breadth and depth. ⁸

479

What then is matter but an absolute nonentity

Wherein is demonstrated form ?

As then form without matter is not self existent, ⁹

So too matter without a form is naught but not being.

481
All the bodies in the universe consist of these two nonentities,
Whereof nothing is known, but their non-existence.

482

Consider then their whole essence without more or less, ¹⁰

In itself it is neither existent nor non-existent. ¹¹

483

Look upon contingent being in spirit and in truth,
For apart from necessary being it is naught.

484

Absolute Being by its own perfection is pervading all, ¹²

Phenomenal objects are mere imaginary things ; ¹³

Imaginary things are not really existent,

Though the numbers are many, only One is counted.

486

The world has only a simulated existence,
Its state is but an insubstantial pageant and a farce. ¹⁴

ILLUSTRATION.

OF MODES OF BEING. ¹⁵

487

The mist is raised up out of the sea,

By command of " The Truth " it rains down on the desert.

488

The sun's rays are shed down from the fourth heaven,
And are mingled with the water.

489

Then the heat strives to ascend on high,
And the water of the sea clings to it.

And when with these are joined earth and air,
There comes forth the green and pleasant plant. ¹⁶

491

This becomes the food of and is transformed into animals,
Which are eaten by and transmuted into man.

492

It becomes seed, and passes through divers states,
And then there is born of it another man.

493

Then when the reasonable soul as a light enters the body, ¹⁷

There is produced a fair and brilliant form ;

494

It becomes child, youth, adult and then aged man,
It knows wisdom, knowledge, reason, counsel.

Then comes his appointed time from the pure presence,
Pure spirit returns to spirit, dust to dust. ¹⁸

496

All the parts of the world are like plants,
They are single drops from the ocean of life. ¹⁹

497

When the set times of their manifestations pass by,
Their end becomes again their beginning. ²⁰

498

Every one of them tends towards its Centre,
For its nature forsakes not its centripetal character.

499

Unity is like a sea, albeit a sea of blood, ²¹

Whereout rise thousands of mad waves.

Behold how this drop of water from that sea,

Has assumed so many names and forms !

501

Mist, cloud, rain, dew, clay,
Plant and animal, and perfect man.

502

In fine it was one drop of water at the first,
Wherefrom all these things were fashioned. ²²

503

This universe of reason, soul, heavens and bodies, ²³

Is as a drop of water in its beginning and ending.

504

When their appointed time comes to heaven and stars,
Their being is lost in not being. ²⁴

When a wave strikes it, the world vanishes away,
Then is fulfilled the text "It abounded not yesterday." ²⁵

506

In a moment this world passes away,
None remains in the house save " The Truth."

507

At that moment you attain proximity,
You stripped of ' self are ' united ' to " The Beloved."

508

Union here means the cessation of this dream,
When this dream passes away, it is union.

509

Say not ' the contingent outsteps its limits,' ²⁶
Contingent becomes not necessary, nor necessary contingent.
510