روش برخورد با دنیا Now, the example of the world is like that of a snake which is soft in touch but whose posion is fatal. Therefore, keep yourself aloof from…
و من كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلي سلمان الفارسي رحمه الله قبل أيام خلافته
أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الدُّنْيَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَّةِ لَيِّنٌ مَسُّهَا قَاتِلٌ سَمُّهَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَمَّا يُعْجِبُكَ فِيهَا لِقِلَّةِ مَا يَصْحَبُكَ مِنْهَا وَ ضَعْ عَنْكَ هُمُومَهَا لِمَا أَيْقَنْتَ بِهِ مِنْ فِرَاقِهَا وَ تَصَرُّفِ حَالَاتِهَا وَ كُنْ آنَسَ مَا تَكُونُ بِهَا أَحْذَرَ مَا تَكُونُ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّ صَاحِبَهَا كُلَّمَا اطْمَأَنَّ فِيهَا إِلَي سُرُورٍ أَشْخَصَتْهُ عَنْهُ إِلَي مَحْذُورٍ أَوْ إِلَي إِينَاسٍ أَزَالَتْهُ عَنْهُ إِلَي إِيحَاشٍ وَ السَّلَامُ.
Now, the example of the world is like that of a snake which is soft in touch but whose posion is fatal. Therefore, keep yourself aloof from whatever appears good because of its short stay with you. Do not worry for it because of your conviction that it will leave you and that its circumstances are vicissitudes. When you feel most attracted towards it, shun it most because whenever someone is assured of happiness in it, it throws him into danger; or when he feels secure in it, the world alters his security into fear; and that is an end to the matter.
Source: Nahj al-Balagha, compiled by al-Sharif al-Radi. Persian: ترجمه محمد دشتی (Mohammad Dashti). English: Translation by Sayed Ali Reza (letters, sayings and sermons 1–16). Text from github.com/WWGTX/NahjulBalaghah. · Free for non-commercial religious use, with attribution