[He refers to the middle way between pure exotericism and pure esotericism. The ‘fishes’ are its perils and obstacles.]
“Do not voyage on the Sea, lest I cause thee to be veiled by the vehicle.”
[The ‘vehicle’ signifies the ‘ship,’ i.e. reliance on something other than God.]
“And do not cast thyself into the Sea, lest I cause thee to be veiled by thy casting thyself.”
[Whoever regards any act as his own act and attributes it to himself is far from God.]
“And He said to me, ‘In the Sea are boundaries: which of them will bear thee on?’”
[The ‘boundaries’ are the various degrees of spiritual experience. The mystic ought not to rely on any of these, for they are all imperfect.]
“And He said to me, ‘If thou givest thyself to the Sea and sinkest therein, thou wilt fall a prey to one of its beasts.’”
[If the mystic either relies on secondary causes or abandons them by his own act, he will go astray.]
“And He said to me, ‘I deceive thee if I direct thee to aught save Myself.’”