The traveler is constantly on the way to perfection, that is, so long as he is progressing in the Way, he is in hope of perfection. There is the traveler, the standstill, and the retreater. The traveler is the one who treads the Path; the standstill is the one who stops along the Way. Every time the traveler lapses in his obedience, he becomes stationary. If he quickly resumes his work and repents, then he may again become a traveler. If, God forbid, he remains at a standstill, then he may become a retreater or backslider.
First there is thought, that is, it is the first thing to enter the heart. After that comes resolve, that is, a person fixes his heart on that thought. Finally, there is action, that is, a person implements that resolve. For ordinary people as long as they do nothing, they obtain no result, but for the elect, even to consider doing something is to be held accountable for it. A member of the elect should flee to God every moment of his life: since thought, resolve, and action are all the Creation of God, he should seek refuge in God under all circumstances.
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