Eighth Note

O idle man who is unaware of the pleasure of effort and happiness of work! Know that out of His perfect munificence, Almighty God placed the reward for work within it. He included the wage for work within the work itself. It is for this reason that in their particular  duties, which are called creative commands, animate beings, and  even from one  point  of  view  inanimate  creatures, conform  to  the dominical commands with complete eagerness  and  a sort of pleasure. Everything from bees, flies,  and  chickens  to  the  sun  and  the  moon  carry out  their  duties  with  perfect pleasure. This means there is an enjoyment in  their work so that they perform it perfectly,  although  they  do  not  think  of  the  results  since  they  do  not  possess intelligence.

I f  y o u  a s k : “Living creatures have the ability to receive pleasure, but how can inanimate beings experience eagerness and enjoyment?”

T h e  A n s w e r : Inanimate beings desire and seek a position, a rank, perfection, beauty,  and order, not on their own accounts but on account of the divine names manifested on them. They become illumined and progress because in performing their natural duties, they become like mirrors and places of reflection of the names of the Light of Lights.

For example, if, although they are unimportant and of themselves without light, a droplet of water or fragment of glass are turned with their pure hearts to the sun, they become thrones to the sun and smile at you. Similarly, by being mirrors in respect of their  duties  towards  the  names  of  the  All-Glorious  One,  who  possesses  absolute beauty and perfection, particles and beings rise from a very lowly position to a most elevated degree of manifestation and  illumination like the droplet and fragment of glass. Since they rise to a luminous and exalted rank by virtue of their duties, it may be said that if it is possible and they have the capacity to receive pleasure, that is, if they receive a share of general life, they perform their duties with perfect pleasure.

For  clear evidence of the pleasure to be found in the  performance of duties consider  your  own  members  and  emotions.  Each  receives  different  pleasures  in performing the  duties connected to your personal survival and the survival of the human race. The duties themselves are a means of enjoyment for them, and to give up a duty is a sort of torment for a member.