The Book of the Dove

cism. It is worth while to quote the following passage from Isaac of Ninive, one of Bar Hebraeus’ spiritual authorities:

This referring to the preceding passage on mystical experience I have written, to the profit of myself and of every one who comes across this book, as something which I have grasped from the contemplative mysticism to be found in books and from the mouth of veracious men; but a small part of it is the fruit of personal experience 1) Ed. Bedjan, p. 127: "These things I have written in the book for my own examination, and for anyone who encounters this book, as something I have grasped from the theory of spirituality found in books, and from the mouth of truthful men; and a small part of it is from experience.".

And Porphyry in his Life of Plotinus says that this great master has only four times reached the aim of all mystics, the union with God, as long as he has known him; he himself only one time 2) § 23.. This scarcity of mystical experience even extends to whole generations. In the Introduction to the Book of the Dove Bar Hebraeus complains of the fact that the Syriac world in his time is without a mystic leader. Ghazālī says that the mystics of his time do not know how to be familiar with God 3) II, p. 204: "And familiarity with God did not come to them." and that the countries are devoid of a shaikh whose knowledge and works are to be taken as an example 4) ibid.: "...a sheikh to be followed in his knowledge and his conduct, and the lands are now devoid of such.". Ḳushairī 5) p. 3. and Abū Ṭālib al-Makkī 6) I, 161. speak in the same way; Isaac of Ninive says that the entrance into the divine mystery is scarcely accessible to one man in each generation 7) p. 167: "Not that the divine mysteries are not real; rather, because kings are praised for their own kind, there are times when even a king is praised by the descent of one of his servants."; and Johannes Climacus thinks that the divine gifts which were imparted to the ancients do not occur in his time 1) p. 338: "But they are not considered worthy of those same gifts.".