The Laughable Stories Collected by Mar Gregory John

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE ARAB ASCETICS. 7 I
CCLXXVII. To another ascetic it was said, "Hast
•thou ever done anything whatsoever whereat God
"hath been pleased?" And he replied, "I do not know
"of a certainty whether I have or not, but I do know
"that in the matter of what I have done I have always
"been afraid lest it should displease God, and lest He
"should turn Himself against me."
CCLXXVIII. When another ascetic saw a certain man
giving alms in the sight of men, he said unto him, "If
"thou wishest to lay up treasure for thyself carry it
"secretly, lest when men see it they plunder it."
CCLXXIX. Another ascetic admonished a king, say-
ing, "Know well, [O king,] that if these treasures which
"are laid up in thy treasury had remained in the hands
"of those who were before thee they would never have
"come to thee. Traffic thou, then, for thyself in that
"merchandise which thou hast not, for this will not re-
"main with thee although it belongeth unto thee."
CCLXXX. Unto another ascetic it was said by the
king, "Ask of me whatsoever thou needest, and I will
"give it unto thee.*' And he replied, "If it be that [I
"know] that thou wilt give when I ask, and that thou
"wilt open when I knock unto thee,- this [knowledge]
"is to me one half of the gift."
CCLXXXI. Another ascetic said, "Death is the Divine i^
"Passover and the universal festival of this world."
CCLXXXII. Another ascetic was asked, "How was
"it thus easy for thee to dismiss the desirable things
"of this world?" And he replied, "Because I knew that^^
"death would pluck them away from me by force,
"therefore I renounced them of mine own free-will."
CCLXXXIII. Another ascetic heard a poor beggar ^
saying, "Where are those who hate this transient world