The remembrance of God, and the states of the soul

1 Praise be to God! This whole world is His sign. Its further explanation is: the past, the present, the future, everything is in His knowledge. And whatever else transcends threefold time, that too is His.

2 For truly, everything here is His creation. The soul too is His creation. The soul has four conditions.

3 The waking state, outwardly cognitive, enjoying the gross things of this world, common to all men, is the first.

4 The dreaming state, inwardly cognitive, enjoying the subtle, is the second.

5 If one asleep desires no desire whatsoever, sees no dream whatsoever, that is deep sleep. The deep-sleep state, unified, a mass of consciousness, enjoying rest, is the third.

6 In all these states the soul is wholly in the hand of God. He alone is Lord of all. He alone is the All-knowing. He is the Controller within. He is the Source of all, for He is the beginning and the end of beings.

7 Beyond these three is the fourth: God, who is not known inwardly, not known outwardly, not known in both ways; unseen, with whom there can be no dealing as with creatures, ungraspable, without likeness, unthinkable, that cannot be designated; the essence of the assurance of whom is that He is One; the cessation of all vain doubt, tranquil, benign, without a second. He is God. He should be known.

12 He who knows this, with his soul returns to his Lord, yea, he who knows this!