The Bowl of Saki Commentary

The real secret of virtue is strength, is life. Vice is weakness; vice shows the absence of strength and of life. Virtue is born of the true self, vice is the offspring of nufs; this is the only standard for measuring vice and virtue. Although humankind often selects particular moral and legislative codes, these are only scientific and sure insofar as they harmonize with those highly spiritual codes given by Moses, Rama, and the other great lawgivers. There is no great virtue in praising law and there is no great sin in breaking law; the merit comes from understanding law, while lack of understanding keeps one back on one's journey.