Now my son, may G-d place you among those that will hear and listen, and that listen and think, and that think and know and do, and not among the people who drown in error, who are drunk with the wine of foolishness, which the evil inclination has enslaved them, and ruled this world over them, and which the lusts have overpowered them, and swayed them towards the pleasures, and enticed them to the desires, and drawn them to coveting. And they, in their darkness are smitten, and swiftly move dazzled in their error, they hear but don't lend ear, they say but don't do . They sought the pleasures but fell in the frustrations, endeavored to reach the pleasing, but reached instead the hard suffering, their soul is tired, and their body is weary. Their minds are empty, and their understanding is shattered. They hoard gold to be lost and fleeting silver, which becomes an inheritance to their enemies or to their traitorous wives. They erect mansions and lie down in graves. They build and don't dwell, they amass and don't spend, each man among them buries his father and his son (i.e. someone older and someone younger than himself but does not put to heart the day of his own death ), yet still does not do religious deeds which endure forever. He forgets his end, but remembers his desires, what will you say of a middle piece, which lost both end pieces, and of a child whose parents abandoned him?
Look my son, at whose heart the Creator has broadened, and who G-d has helped him to rule over his thoughts, opened his eyes for what is good for him, showed him the straight path, and drew him close to it. People are assured of him, and he is assured of them, he is at peace with them, and saved from them. People serve their evil inclination, but he serves the G-d of heaven and earth, who grants life, who brings death, the Creator, who is gracious, and there is no god besides him.
Look at the difference between them (the men who serve their evil inclination ) and the men with pure interiors (who serve G-d) - their eyes are at rest (unlike the desirers whose eyes are always scanning to spot desirous things they enjoy and to afterwards strive to attain them ), their hearts are secure (they are not worried or pained by anything ), and in their solitude, they delight in remembering G-d, thank Him for His goodness in all their situations, who quickly grasp all forms of deep wisdom, who ripped off the veil from their eyes (the [inner] eyes of the intellect ) which prevents seeing the interior ways, and reached the true tranquility through their toil(to conquer their lusts ), their tranquility led them to delight, their desire does not distract them, nor does their long life make them procrastinate. They are zealous to prepare for the day of death, and from what is after it, they prepare, call to G-d, seek Him, hope to Him, and serve Him, They speak truth, converse righteousness, without fear of the Sultan, and without being ruled by the Satan. They are more precious (to G-d) than any man, and more guarded than any nation, their splendor and grandeur is greater than all of them, honored in the houses of G-d, and great in the eyes of men, nothing distracts them away from remembering G-d, and nothing prevents them from thanking Him, their tongue is habituated in praises and thanksgivings, and their hearts are full of purity and unity.
This world disguised itself but they recognized it, and they tread it and told of it, its deception was not hidden from their eyes, neither was its fraud concealed. This world adorned itself to them with beautiful garments (enticed them to pursue the enchantments of this world), but they considered it naked and empty, it deprived them (of livelihood to), but it was forced (to provide for them their basic need in its proper time since they trusted in G-d ), it tried to befriend them (with wealth), but they scolded it, it tried to sway them, but they distanced from it, they gazed at its evil deeds, and understood its disgraceful acts, and it has no dominion over them, and nothing with which to approach them. They are the choicest of G-d, the pure ones, and the treasured of the pious, possessors of discerning eyes, noble desires, favored deeds, who dug after G-d and became rich, did business with Him, and profited, purified their hearts and became pure, who equipped themselves with fear of G-d in the path of evil and were saved, they rode the wagon of piety and arrived, met with the eternal joy, and the delight which never erodes, were spared from the assembly of judgment, and were saved from the punishments .
And you, my son, choose the good for your soul, before the regret which will not avail, and the worry which will never end.
-->
Look my son, at whose heart the Creator has broadened, and who G-d has helped him to rule over his thoughts, opened his eyes for what is good for him, showed him the straight path, and drew him close to it. People are assured of him, and he is assured of them, he is at peace with them, and saved from them. People serve their evil inclination, but he serves the G-d of heaven and earth, who grants life, who brings death, the Creator, who is gracious, and there is no god besides him.
Look at the difference between them (the men who serve their evil inclination ) and the men with pure interiors (who serve G-d) - their eyes are at rest (unlike the desirers whose eyes are always scanning to spot desirous things they enjoy and to afterwards strive to attain them ), their hearts are secure (they are not worried or pained by anything ), and in their solitude, they delight in remembering G-d, thank Him for His goodness in all their situations, who quickly grasp all forms of deep wisdom, who ripped off the veil from their eyes (the [inner] eyes of the intellect ) which prevents seeing the interior ways, and reached the true tranquility through their toil(to conquer their lusts ), their tranquility led them to delight, their desire does not distract them, nor does their long life make them procrastinate. They are zealous to prepare for the day of death, and from what is after it, they prepare, call to G-d, seek Him, hope to Him, and serve Him, They speak truth, converse righteousness, without fear of the Sultan, and without being ruled by the Satan. They are more precious (to G-d) than any man, and more guarded than any nation, their splendor and grandeur is greater than all of them, honored in the houses of G-d, and great in the eyes of men, nothing distracts them away from remembering G-d, and nothing prevents them from thanking Him, their tongue is habituated in praises and thanksgivings, and their hearts are full of purity and unity.
This world disguised itself but they recognized it, and they tread it and told of it, its deception was not hidden from their eyes, neither was its fraud concealed. This world adorned itself to them with beautiful garments (enticed them to pursue the enchantments of this world), but they considered it naked and empty, it deprived them (of livelihood to), but it was forced (to provide for them their basic need in its proper time since they trusted in G-d ), it tried to befriend them (with wealth), but they scolded it, it tried to sway them, but they distanced from it, they gazed at its evil deeds, and understood its disgraceful acts, and it has no dominion over them, and nothing with which to approach them. They are the choicest of G-d, the pure ones, and the treasured of the pious, possessors of discerning eyes, noble desires, favored deeds, who dug after G-d and became rich, did business with Him, and profited, purified their hearts and became pure, who equipped themselves with fear of G-d in the path of evil and were saved, they rode the wagon of piety and arrived, met with the eternal joy, and the delight which never erodes, were spared from the assembly of judgment, and were saved from the punishments .
And you, my son, choose the good for your soul, before the regret which will not avail, and the worry which will never end.
-->
Ibn Pakudah
