Group None

And there is one whose desire is so limited that everything is enough for him even in the smallest quantity and he does not seek to obtain all his needs. And there are times when he afflicts himself with hunger and gathers each morsel and does not eat a penny's worth that belongs to him except with great anguish, and there are times when he throws away his money with his own hands knowingly. And in this vein there are the rest of the Characteristics. For example, one glad, one sorrowful, one miserly, one liberal, one cruel, one merciful, one tender of heart and one brave of heart, and all similar traits. And of all of these characteristics there are some which a man has from the moment of his creation according to his physical nature. And there are also characteristics which the nature of this particular man is more prepared and more ready to receive quickly in the future than other characteristics And there are those qualities that do not belong to a man from the beginning of his creation but he learns them from others or he turns to them himself according to an inclination that occurs to his mind. There is a certain trait that one must use in many places and there is a trait which one should use only a little. And all of this is like one preparing a dish for which he needs vegetables, meat, water and salt and pepper. Now of all of these ingredients he must take from each one a certain measure, from this ingredient a little and from this ingredient much. If he puts in too little meat the dish will be meager and if he puts in too much salt then the dish cannot be eaten because it is too salty. And thus it is with all traits; if he puts in too little of what he requires much, and puts in too much of what he requires but little, then the food will be spoiled. And the expert is the one who can take of every ingredient the proper measure. Then the food will be pleasant and sweet to those who eat of it. In a similar manner are the qualities of a man. There are qualities of which he ought to take much, for example, modesty, embarrassment, and their like. And there are qualities of which he must take only a little, for example, pride, impudence, and cruelty. Therefore, when a man weighs his qualities in the balance of the scales, let him take from every quality its proper measure. He should not take less and he should not add. In this way he will reach the ultimate goodness.