by it his soul ascended to what is above it and his wish became attached to what is higher than it so he became independent and despised his current state which had previously been his goal and hope and he became between worry and fear as for the fear it is from descending from the level he had attained and obtained and as for the worry it is for what he is destined to reach. so he continues to be hopeful for it annoyed by it and slandering it tiring his mind and body in using tricks to move from it and advance from it to what is other than it. then his state will be the same in the second and in the third if he attains it and in everything he has attained and reached from it. if the matter is thus then it is right for the wise person to envy someone for the superiority of the worldly life he has attained which he can do without in establishing a life and not to think that those who have the superiority in it and the abundance of it have the superiority of comfort and pleasure according to what they have of the superiority of the worldly goods. this is because these people due to the prolongation and continuity of this state
بها سمت نفسه إلى ما هو فوقها وتعلقت أمنيته بما هو أعلى منها، فاستقل واسترذل حالته التي هو فيها التي قد كانت من قبل غايته وأمله، وصار بين هم وخوف أما الخوف فمن النزول عن الدرجة التي نالها وحصلها، وأما الهم فبالتي يقدر بلوغها. فلا يزال متقنطا لها متنغصا بها زاريا عليها، متعب الفكر والجسد في إعمال الحيلة للتنقل عنها والترقي منها إلى ما سواها، ثم تكون حالته في الثانية كذلك وفي الثالثة إن بلغها وفي كل ما نال ووصل إليه منها. وإذا كان الأمر كذلك فيحق على العاقل أن يحسد أحدا على فضل من دنيا ناله مما يستغنى عنه في إقامة العيش، وأن لا يظن أن أصحاب الفضل فيها والإكثار منها لهم من فضل الراحة واللذة بحسب ما عندهم من فضل عروض الدنيا. وذلك أن هؤلاء لمطاولة هذه الحال ودوامها