Ginan, which literally translates to gnosis, refers to a collection of literature that is respected by the Ismailis. The Ismaili Pīr Ḥasan Kabīr al-Dīn writes that the gnostic can be compared to the lotus flower ("kamal"), a delicate flower with white petals that blooms in dirty swamps, and is commonly associated with beauty and purity. The flower is above the polluted swamps, rather than feeding from it, it waits for the clean, pure rain. Similarly, the gnostic lives in the physical world, but is not of this world. He is not interested in the material pleasures of the world, and is unaffected by its glamour. The gnostic awaits the "ginān" from the heavens, the life-giving water that the True Guide brings. Just like how the lotus flower would prefer death over drinking from the dirty swamp, the pure soul is unable to survive without the "ginān" from the True Guide. The gnostic too, would prefer death if it cannot obtain this precious nourishment.  