(331) If an occasion arises, friends are pleasant; enjoyment is pleasant, whatever be the cause; a good work is pleasant in the hour of death; the giving up of all grief is pleasant.

(333) Pleasant is virtue lasting to old age, pleasant is a faith firmly rooted; pleasant is attainment of intelligence, pleasant is avoiding of sins.

(332) Pleasant in the world is the state of a mother, pleasant the state of a father, pleasant the state of a Samana, pleasant the state of a Brâhmana.

(7) And sweet to us is such a deprivation, Because our good in this good is made perfect, That whatsoe'er God wills, we also will." After this manner by that shape divine, To make clear in me my short-sightedness, Was given to me a pleasant medicine; And as good singer a good lutanist Accompanies with vibrations of the chords, Whereby more pleasantness the song acquires, So, while it spake, do I remember me That I beheld both of those blessed lights, Even as the winking of the eyes concords, Moving unto the words their little flames.

(74) But here thou must know that this quality penetrateth very gently and pleasantly with its touching or stirring, through all the spirits, in such a way and manner as when a pleasant and meek fire of joy riseth up in the heart of a man, in which fire of joy the animated or soulish spirit triumpheth, as if it were in heaven.

(39) For the sweet water, and the light in the sweet water, rise up continually in the astringent quality, and the bitter quality triumpheth continually therein, and so there is nothing else but mere laughing and joy, and mere existing in love.

(38) What manner of joy this must be, let every soul consider: I, in my corrupted nature, cannot apprehend it, much less can I write it.

(121) Therefore when they are guests feasting at the sweet and light quality, then are they affected, and pleasant, very joyful and triumphing in the creature.

(10) With their thought fixed on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, enlightening one another about Me, and always conversing about Me, they derive satisfaction and delight.

(23) And this stirring in the hardness is the tone, so that [there is a] sound; and the light or flash makes the ringing, and the sweet water makes the ringing soft: so that a man can use the sound to the distinction of speech, or articulation of syllables. Here observe yet more plainly the Nativity or Birth of the bitter Quality.

(14) Music is then to be handled for the sake of the embellishment and composure of manners. For instance, at a banquet we pledge each other while the music is playing; soothing by song the eagerness of our desires, and glorifying God for the copious gift of human enjoyments, for His perpetual supply of the food necessary for the growth of the body and of the soul. But we must reject superfluous music, which enervates men's souls, and leads to variety, - now mournful, and then licentious and voluptuous, and then frenzied and frantic.

(18) Now the tone in all the five spirits riseth up like a melodious pleasant music, and remaineth so standing; for the astringent quality exsiccateth it or drieth it up.

(159) That friendly courteous lovelightfire goeth along in the sweet quality, and riseth up into the bitter and astringent qualities, and so kindleth the bitter and astringent qualities, feeding them with its sweet lovesap, refreshing, quickening and enlightening them, and making them living or lively, cheerful and friendly.

(1) When we heard this, we were delighted. We had become gloomy because of what we said earlier. But when he saw us happy, he said,

(290) If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.

(29) Now if the bitter quality dwelleth meekly and gently in any creature, then is it the heart or joy therein; for it dissipateth all other evil influences, and is the beginning or cause of joy or of laughing.

(210) Let no man ever look for what is pleasant, or what is unpleasant. Not to see what is pleasant is pain, and it is pain to see what is unpleasant.

(119) For the light of nature, which is the spirit of life, shineth more in them than in the lean: For in that light in the sweet quality stands the triumphing or the joy, for the astringent or harsh and bitter qualities triumph therein, for they rejoice that they are refreshed, fed, given to drink and enlightened from the sweet and light quality.

(100) Even though a speech be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of sense is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet.

(2) and so I know not whether theirs is veritable goodness or not. If the former, it does not enable them to enjoy life; if the latter, it at any rate enables them to cause others to enjoy theirs. It has been said, "If your loyal counsels are not attended to, depart quietly without resistance." Thus, when Tzŭ Hsü resisted, his physical frame perished; yet had he not resisted, he would not have made his name. Is there then really such a thing as this goodness, or not? As to what the world does and the way in which people are happy now, I know not whether such happiness be real happiness or not. The happiness of ordinary persons seems to me to consist in slavishly following the majority, as if they could not help it. Yet they all say they are happy. But I cannot say that this is happiness or that it is not happiness. Is there then, after all, such a thing as happiness? I make true pleasure to consist in inaction, which the world regards as great pain. Thus it has been said, "Perfect happiness is the absence of happiness; perfect renown is the absence of renown." Now in this sublunary world of ours it is impossible to assign positive and negative absolutely. Nevertheless, in inaction they can be so assigned. Perfect happiness and preservation of life are to be sought for only in inaction.