On the Commanding Self

Any heart that follows its own base cravings is exiled from the lands of true knowledge. Wherever the fire of the greedy self flares up, it burns the whole harvest of the soul, wet and dry alike. Though its traits cannot be listed in full, still a few of them must be named. Conceit, stinginess, greed, love of rank and wealth, mockery, slander, backbiting, tattling, and idle chatter. Overeating, too much sleep, doubt, arrogance, and spite, and denial of the ways of God's true men. Lust for boys, lust for women, foolishness and ignorance, stupidity, forgetfulness, hatred, disobedience, sloth, and laziness. Also envy, play, frivolity, and hypocrisy, and a self forever girded up for petty quarrels. Also giddy excess, idleness, and insolence, false hopes, pretense, the very mother of all danger. I will explain a few of these traits, so you can recognize them, if your heart still has the sight. For if I were to describe them all, the tale would grow as long as my own pain.