11. Piety

man, such as negativity, false issues rose by non-serious people, the lure of worldly things. Besides these, there are many unpleasant occurrences which disturb people’s minds and lead them away from the path of virtue. All these things are like thorny shrubs lining both sides of the path of life. At any moment, it is feared that man may embroil himself in these thorns and then, instead of going forward, remain entrapped in these snares of life. In such a state of affairs, the wise man travels the paths of life by gathering up his clothes to avoid becoming entangled in these unpleasant snares. In this way, he is able to continue his journey unhampered. Yet, at all times, he must remain conscious of the fact that he must protect himself. He has to adopt the path of avoidance, not of entanglement. Man has been created with an upright nature. If no hindrance comes in the way, then every man will, on his own, take the right course. That is why the utmost precaution must be taken against allowing unnatural obstacles to come in the way. Then, guided by this upright nature, man will continue to walk along the right path until he meets his Lord.