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THE AWAKENING OF THE SOUL
THE AWAKENING OF THE SOUL
RENDERED FROM THE ARABIC WITH INTRODUCTION BY DR. PAUL BRÖNNLE F.R.G.S., F.R.HIST.S., M.R.A.S., ETC. FOURTH IMPRESSION LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1910 PRINTED BY HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., LONDON AND AYLESBURY. To Her Excellency THE COUNTESS OLGA ÜXKÜLL-GYLLENBAND Lady-in-Waiting to Her Majesty The Queen of Wurtemberg Respectfully dedicated by PAUL BRÖNNLE Page...
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EDITORIAL NOTE
EDITORIAL NOTE
The object of the Editors of this series is a very definite one. They desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West—the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
It is to two English scholars, father and son, Edward Pococke, senior and junior, that the world is indebted for the knowledge of one of the most charming productions Arabian philosophy can boast of. Generally looked upon as a subject of repulsive aridity, in its strange combination of the most heterogeneous philosophical systems, devoid of the grace and charm of attractive style, unbrightened by brilliancy of wit or spirit, Arabian philosophy has, for centuries past, been subject to sad and und
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Different Accounts of the Birth of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan.
Different Accounts of the Birth of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan.
Our good Forbears—may God be gracious unto them—report: there is an Island amongst the Indian Islands (in the Indian Ocean), situated under the Equinoctial, where men spring into being without father or mother. There is also planted a tree that produces women, and they are those whom al-Masʿudi calleth the Wakwak Damsels. The Island is so blessed with the influence of light and sun as to be the most temperate and perfect of places; an opinion, however, that does not agree with that of the greate
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Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, son of a Princess.
Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, son of a Princess.
Not far from this Island there lay another Island of great tract and large compass, abounding in fruits and well peopled. It was then governed by a Prince of haughty, fierce, and jealous disposition: he had a sister, graced with matchless beauty. He kept her in close custody and would not permit her to marry; for among her suitors there was not one he declared worthy of her. Yet in spite of his watchfulness, his near kinsman, named Yokdhan , succeeded in winning her affections, and married her c
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Hayy is exposed by his Mother.
Hayy is exposed by his Mother.
Being in fear lest the matter should be discovered and her secret disclosed, she put him into a little ark and closed it firmly after having suckled the babe. Accompanied by her most trusted servants, she carried it to the seashore early in the night, her heart burning and distracted with love and fear, and then (tenderly kissing him with tearful eyes) she took her last leave of him, sending up this prayer to God:— “O God! thou didst create this little child, when as yet it was nothing; thou did
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Hayy is driven by the tide to another Island.
Hayy is driven by the tide to another Island.
With these words she committed the little ark with the child into the sea, and the waters swelling with the tide carried it in the same night to the shore of another Island whereof we have just made mention. It so happened that there was such a powerful current of the high water—as it does happen there once a year—that the ark was carried right to the shore, and by its force cast into a shady grove, thick set with trees,—a very pleasant place, well sheltered from wind and rain, and secured from
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Hayy is found by a Roe, which takes care of him.
Hayy is found by a Roe, which takes care of him.
Now it came to pass that the nails of the ark and its joints became loosened by the violence of the waves. The child, feeling hungry, began to cry bitterly, seeking relief and moving about in the ark. Fortunately it so happened that its cry was heard by a roe that was wandering about in search of her fawn, which, having ventured out of its den, had been carried off by an eagle. When she heard the cry, she at first took it to be the cry of her fawn; so she followed it quickly up, until she came t
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Spontaneous Generation.
Spontaneous Generation.
Those, however, who think he was born out of the earth, without father or mother, say that, in a low piece of ground in that Island, it happened that in the course of years a certain mass of clay so fermented that the four qualities heat and cold, moisture and dryness, agreed in equal mixture and in equal strength; and there was a great bulk of this clay in which some parts excelled the others, being more equally tempered and therefore fitter for the generation (of a mixed body); the middle port
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Hayy grows up nursed by the Roe.
Hayy grows up nursed by the Roe.
According to the other account (which we follow) the infant developed and grew, being nourished with the roe’s milk, until he was two years old. By this time he began to walk by degrees and grow his foreteeth. He always followed the roe, who guarded him with most tender affection, and led him into places where there grew trees full of fruit, and fed him with ripe and sweet fruits that fell from the tree, breaking those that had a hard shell with her teeth. She suckled the babe whenever he please
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Hayy learns to imitate animals’ voices.
Hayy learns to imitate animals’ voices.
In this way the boy keeping company with them also learned their voice, which he imitated so exactly that scarcely any difference could be perceived between them. In like manner, whatever other voice he heard, whether of bird or beast, he came very near it by virtue of a very apprehensive faculty wherewith he was endowed. But of all the voices he imitated, he made most use of the deer’s when they cried out for help or called their fellow-deer, when they wanted them nearer by or farther off. For
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Hayy begins to take a careful view of things.
Hayy begins to take a careful view of things.
Now when the images of things, after being removed out of sight, became fixed in his mind, it affected him so that he took a fancy to some things, whilst he had a distaste for others. In the meanwhile he took a careful view of all the beasts. He saw them covered with wool, hair, and different kinds of plumes; he beheld their great swiftness and strength and the weapons they were armed with for protection and defence, viz. horns, teeth, hoofs, spurs, nails, and the like. Then he viewed himself an
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Hayy observes the difference between the animals and himself.
Hayy observes the difference between the animals and himself.
Moreover, he observed that his fellow-fawns began to have little horns which they had not had at first; and while they were at first weak, and unable to run far, yet in progress of time grew to be very vigorous and nimble, and active in their movements. But none of all this he perceived to befall himself, and as often as he pondered over the matter, he could not make out what should be the reason thereof. Also, when he beheld the creatures such as had any fault or defect of limbs, he could not f
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Hayy as a boy of seven. He covers himself with leaves.
Hayy as a boy of seven. He covers himself with leaves.
Thereupon he, having by this time grown to be a boy of seven, decided to put forth his own efforts and to help himself. He took some broad leaves of trees (wherewith to cover his nakedness) and put some on the fore-part of his body, covering the hinder parts with the others; and having thus made a girdle of palm-leaves and rushes together, he girded his waist therewith. But it was not long before the leaves, growing dry, withered and fell off from him. Hayy, by no means discouraged, at once took
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Hayy becomes aggressive, and attacks wild beasts.
Hayy becomes aggressive, and attacks wild beasts.
Thus armed, he began to attack and affright such of the wild beasts as ventured to oppose him, assaulting the weaker and defending himself against the stronger. In this way he came to understand to some degree his own strength, and found out that his head by far excelled theirs, as he had been enabled therewith to cover his own nakedness and to provide himself with a weapon wherewith to defend himself. So that now he had no need of those natural weapons which he had formerly so much desired....
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Hayy covers himself with the skin of an Eagle.
Hayy covers himself with the skin of an Eagle.
By this time he had grown up and was now past seven years of age; and as he found the frequent repairing of the leaves wherewith he covered himself very troublesome to him, it entered his mind to take unto him the tail of some dead beast, and gird it about him. But when he noticed that all the beasts shunned the dead bodies of those that were of the same kind, and saw them flee from them, he began to feel doubtful whether it was safe for him to do so, until at length he lighted one day on a dead
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Hayy spreads terror among the beasts.
Hayy spreads terror among the beasts.
Moreover, he spread such terror among the beasts that they did not venture to resist or oppose him, and none dared to come near him except his roe which had suckled him and brought him up; and he never separated from her nor she from him. And when she became old and weakly, he led her to those places where there was the best food to be found, gathering the sweetest fruits and giving them to her to eat....
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Hayy is grief-stricken at the death of the Roe.
Hayy is grief-stricken at the death of the Roe.
Yet in spite of all the care he bestowed upon her, she grew more lean and feeble every day, and in the end death overtook her, when all her motions stopped and her actions ceased. When the boy noticed this, sad grief overcame him, and he was stricken with the greatest sorrow. He called her with the same voice she used to answer; and though he shouted at the top of his voice, he could not perceive any movement or alteration in her. Thereupon he began to look closer into her eyes and ears, but cou
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Hayy takes an aversion to the dead Body.
Hayy takes an aversion to the dead Body.
In the meantime the dead body of the roe began to putrefy and to exhale noisome vapours, which tended to increase his aversion to it and made him unwilling to look upon it. Not long after this he chanced to see two ravens fighting together, and one of them struck the other down dead. After that it began to scrape the earth with its claws, till it had dug up a pit wherein it buried the carcase of its adversary. When Hayy observed this, he said to himself: “How well has this raven done in covering
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Hayy buries the body of the Roe.
Hayy buries the body of the Roe.
Thereupon he digged a grave, in which he laid his mother’s body, throwing earth upon it. Then he went on meditating on the thing which had governed the body, but could not apprehend what sort of thing it was. But when he looked on the rest of the roes, and saw that they all had the same figure and form as his mother had had, he gathered there was in every one of them something that governed and actuated them, like that which had actuated and governed his mother. And on account of that likeness h
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Hayy observes divers kinds of Living Creatures and Plants.
Hayy observes divers kinds of Living Creatures and Plants.
In this condition he remained some time, contemplating divers kinds of living creatures and plants, and walking about the shore of that Island to see whether he could find anything like himself, as he observed many of the other animals and plants had many resembling one another. But as much as he looked about, he could not find one like himself. And when, on walking round, he perceived that the Island was everywhere compassed with the sea, he fancied there was no other Island besides....
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Hayy discovers Fire kindled by the friction of Reeds.
Hayy discovers Fire kindled by the friction of Reeds.
But once it so happened that fire was kindled by friction among a parcel of reeds, which at first greatly frightened him, being a thing he had never seen before, so that he stood at a distance a good while, greatly wondering at it. Yet at last he ventured to draw nearer and nearer to it by degrees; in amazement he observed the brightness of its light, and that wondrous force in consuming everything it seized, converting it into its own nature, till in the end, full of wonder and incited by that
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Hayy makes himself Clothes and Shoes of the Skins of Animals.
Hayy makes himself Clothes and Shoes of the Skins of Animals.
By the time he had attained to the end of his third septenary , viz. to the twenty-first year of his age, he had found out many things which were of great use to him for the conveniences of life. He made himself clothes and shoes of the skins of wild beasts after he had dissected them for use. He made himself thread of their hair, as also of the rind of the stalks of althea mallows, and other plants that could be easily parted asunder and drawn into threads. And he learned the making of these th
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Hayy learns to ride.
Hayy learns to ride.
When he saw that his hand supplied all those defects quite well, and that none of the various kinds of wild beasts ventured to stand up against him, but fled away from him and only excelled him in their swiftness, he bethought himself of contriving some art how to be even with them, and finally decided there would be nothing so convenient as to chase some of the strongest and swiftest beasts of the Island, nourishing them with food until they might let him get on the back of them, so that he mig
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Hayy examines the Nature of Bodies.
Hayy examines the Nature of Bodies.
After this he proceeded further to examine the nature of bodies that were subject to generation and corruption, as the different kinds of animals, plants, minerals and different sorts of stones, earth, water, exhalations and vapours, ice, snow, hail, smoke, fire, and hoar-frost. In all these he observed different qualities and a diversity of actions and motions, agreeing in some respects and differing in others. He found that, so far as they agreed, they were one ; where they disagreed, a great
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Hayy transfers his thoughts to the Heavenly Bodies.
Hayy transfers his thoughts to the Heavenly Bodies.
Now after he had attained thus far, so as to have a general and indistinct notion of an Agent , a vehement desire seized him to get a more distinct knowledge of him. But since he had not yet withdrawn himself from the sensible world, he began to look for this voluntary Agent among things sensible; nor did he know, as yet, whether it were one Agent or many. Therefore he took a view of all the bodies that were near him, viz. which his thoughts had been continually fixed upon; which he found all su
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Hayy ponders over Heaven and Stars.
Hayy ponders over Heaven and Stars.
Thus far had he arrived with his reflections about the fourth septenary of his age. He recognised that the heavens and all the stars contained therein were bodies, because they are extended according to the three dimensions: length, breadth, and thickness. Then he began to ask himself whether their extension was infinite, whether they extended to an endless length and breadth, or whether they were circumscribed by any bounds and terminated by certain limits....
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Hayy finds that the Body of Heaven is finite.
Hayy finds that the Body of Heaven is finite.
This problem continually occupied his mind. But soon, owing to the power of his reflection and the penetration of his thought, he perceived that the idea of an infinite body was an absurdity, an impossibility, a notion quite unintelligible. And he confirmed himself in this way of thinking by numerous arguments that presented themselves to his mind. And when, by the singular sharpness of his wit, he had satisfied himself that the body of heaven was finite, he wanted to find out, in the next place
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Hayy contemplates Sun, Moon, and Stars.
Hayy contemplates Sun, Moon, and Stars.
First of all he contemplated the sun, moon, and stars, and saw that they all rose in the East, and set in the West; and those lights which went right over his head described a greater circle, whilst those at a greater distance from the vertical point towards the North or South described the lesser circle. So that the least circles which were described by any of the stars were those two which went round the two poles, the one North, the other South, the last of which is the circle of the star Suh
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Hayy concludes that the Heaven is of a spherical Figure.
Hayy concludes that the Heaven is of a spherical Figure.
Therefore, it was evident to him that the heaven was of a spherical figure. In this he was further confirmed by observing the return of the sun, moon, and the other stars to the East after their setting; and also because they always appeared to him of the same proportion of magnitude when they arose, when they were in the midst of heaven, and when they set; for if their motions had not been circular, they must have been nearer to sight at some time than at others; and then their dimensions would
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Hayy ponders over the Creation of the World.
Hayy ponders over the Creation of the World.
Now, whereas it appeared to him that the whole world was only one Substance which stood in need of a voluntary Agent, and that its various parts seemed to him but one thing, in like manner as the bodies of the lower world which is subject to generation and corruption, he took a broad view of the whole world, and debated within himself whether it existed in time after it had been, and came to be out of nothing; or whether it was a thing that had existed from eternity and never wanted a beginning.
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Hayy concludes that the world must have a Creator without bodily Substance.
Hayy concludes that the world must have a Creator without bodily Substance.
Since it seemed difficult to him to make a definite decision on this question, he began to consider within himself what would be the necessary consequence which did follow from either of those opinions, and that they might both be alike. And he perceived that, if he supposed the world to be created in time, and to have had an existence after non-existence, it would necessarily follow therefrom that the world could not come forth into existence by its own power, but required some agent to produce
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Hayy admires the work of the Creator.
Hayy admires the work of the Creator.
Now, when he saw that all things existing were the work of the Creator, he again considered the power of the same, greatly admiring so rare a workmanship, such accurate wisdom and profound knowledge. There appeared to him in the most minute creatures (much more in the greater) such signs of wisdom and marvels of the work of creation that his mind was filled with the greatest admiration. Then he became assured that all these things must proceed from a voluntary Agent of infinite perfection, even
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Hayy is completely taken up with the Contemplation of the Superior Intellectual World.
Hayy is completely taken up with the Contemplation of the Superior Intellectual World.
Thus far he had advanced in his knowledge by the end of the fifth septenary from his birth, that is when he was thirty-five years old. And the consideration of this supreme being was then so fixed in his mind that it hindered him to think of any other thing, so that he forgot altogether the consideration of their existence and of their nature, until in the end it came to this, that as soon as he cast his eyes upon any thing of any kind whatsoever, he at once saw in it the prints of this Agent, a
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Hayy examines all his Senses and Faculties.
Hayy examines all his Senses and Faculties.
Having now attained the knowledge of this supreme being of permanent existence, which has no cause of its own existence, but itself is the cause of the existence of all other things, he was next desirous to know by what means he came to this knowledge and by what faculty he had apprehended this being. Therefore he first examined all his senses, viz. his hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling, and saw that all these apprehended nothing but what was bodily or what is in the body. For the
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HAYY RETURNS TO THE SENSIBLE WORLD.
HAYY RETURNS TO THE SENSIBLE WORLD.
As to the end of his story, I will tell you all about it, with the help of God. When Hayy returned to the Sensible World, after his digression into the Divine World, he began to loathe the burden and troubles of this mortal life on earth, and to be filled with a most earnest and passionate desire of the life to come; and he strove to return to the same state in the same way as at first, until he attained thereto with less labour than he had done formerly. And he continued in it the second time l
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Asal and Salaman appear on the Scene.
Asal and Salaman appear on the Scene.
Thus he continued in this state until he had passed the seventh septenary of his age, that is, until he was fifty years of age. Then it happened that he made the acquaintance of Asal . And the account of this meeting with him we shall now relate, with the help of God. They report that there is an Island near unto that where Hayy Ibn Yokdhan was born—according to one of those two different accounts as to the manner of his birth—unto which had retired one of those pious sects that had for its foun
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Nature and Character of Asal and Salaman.
Nature and Character of Asal and Salaman.
Now, of the two Asal was the one who made a deeper search into the inside of things, was more given to studying mystical meanings and senses of words, and diligently endeavoured to interpret them. Salaman , on the other hand, his fellow student, mostly observed the outward things, never troubling himself about such interpretations, and abstained from a curious search and speculation of things. Apart from this difference, however, both were constant in performing those ceremonies prescribed, and
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Further Differences of Asal and Salaman.
Further Differences of Asal and Salaman.
Now, in this law there were contained some sayings which seemed to exhort and encourage men to affect retirement and a solitary life, and to intimate that salvation and happiness were to be attained thereby; other sayings, again, seemed to encourage men unto conversation and fellowship and applying themselves to embrace human society. Asal addicted himself wholly to retirement, and he preferred those sayings which tended thereunto, seeing that he was by nature inclined to perpetual contemplation
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Asal repairs to Hayy’s Island.
Asal repairs to Hayy’s Island.
Now Asal had heard of that Island wherein it is reported that Hayy grew up. He knew the fruitfulness and conveniences thereof and the health-giving temper of its air, so that it would afford him such a resting-place as he wished to find. He decided, therefore, to go thither and to withdraw himself from company and society for the remainder of his days. Therefore, gathering all his goods together, with a part thereof he hired a ship to convey him to that Island, whilst the rest he distributed amo
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Hayy and Asal meet.
Hayy and Asal meet.
At last it came to pass at a certain time that, Hayy Ibn Yokdhan stepping out of his cell to look out for some food in the same place to which Asal had retired, they spied one another. Asal , for his part, had no doubt but that the man he saw was some religious person given to solitude who had retired into that Island as he had done himself. He was afraid, therefore, lest if he should come up to him and make himself known, it might spoil his meditation, and thus become an impediment to him in ac
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Hayy catches hold of Asal.
Hayy catches hold of Asal.
In the meantime Hayy drew near little by little, while Asal did not perceive him at all, until at length he came so near as to hear his reading and the prayers he uttered. He also took notice of his humble gesture and his weeping, whence he heard a pleasant voice, consisting of words quite distinct, such as he had never observed before in any kind of animals. Then, beholding his shape and lineaments, he observed that he was of the same form with himself. He was satisfied that the coat with which
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Hayy and Asal stroke one another.
Hayy and Asal stroke one another.
Thereupon, when Asal looked upon him and beheld him clothed with the skins of wild beasts with the hair on, and his own hair so long that it covered part of his body, and observed his great swiftness and strength, he was greatly afraid of him and began to pacify him by stroking him, and to entertain him in words. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan did not understand a word of what he said nor knew any of his meaning, only he perceived the tokens of his fear and endeavoured to allay his fear with such voices a
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Hayy and Asal try to understand each other.
Hayy and Asal try to understand each other.
Now Asal , in his earnest desire to obtain the knowledge of things, had studied most languages and was skilful of them. So he began to speak to Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , and to interrogate him concerning his condition in every tongue he knew, and asked him questions concerning his doings and ways of life, and took pains to make himself understood by him. But it was all in vain: for Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , taking notice of all this, stood all the time wondering at what he heard, being quite at a loss to know
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Asal makes Hayy eat of his food.
Asal makes Hayy eat of his food.
Now Asal had by him some of the remainder of the food which he had brought along with him, from the inhabited Island from whence he came. This he offered now to Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , but he did not know what it was; for he had never seen anything of that kind before. Then Asal , eating some of it himself, invited Hayy Ibn Yokdhan to take some of it with him. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan bethought himself of those laws which he had prescribed to himself concerning the taking of his food, and seeing he knew
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Hayy Ibn Yokdhan at last joins Asal at dinner, but repents afterwards.
Hayy Ibn Yokdhan at last joins Asal at dinner, but repents afterwards.
At last Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , being desirous and very anxious to get acquainted with him, and, besides, being afraid that in continuing to insist on his refusal, he might alienate his affections from him, ventured to partake of that meat and to eat thereof. But as soon as he had tasted it and found it very pleasant to his taste, he recognised that he had done amiss by breaking his contract and the resolution and promises he had made to himself concerning his diet. Thus he became greatly repentant o
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Asal becomes Hayy’s Companion and Teacher.
Asal becomes Hayy’s Companion and Teacher.
When he found that this intellectual vision did not immediately return to him, he thought it best to remain with Asal in the sensible world, until he had thoroughly satisfied himself as to his condition, so that afterwards there might remain no further inclination towards him, and then he might return to his former state and apply himself to his former contemplation without any interruption. So he joined himself to the company and fellowship of Asal : and when Asal saw that he could not speak, h
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Hayy enlightens Asal on his Inner Life.
Hayy enlightens Asal on his Inner Life.
Then Asal began to interrogate him concerning his condition, and from whence he had come into that Island. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , in his reply, told him that he knew nothing of his own origin, nor of any father or mother that he had, but only that Roe that brought him up. Then he described to him his whole state and manner of living, from beginning to end, and what progress he had made in knowledge, until he had attained to that degree of conjunction with God. Then Asal heard from him the declar
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Asal tells Hayy of the Island from whence he had come.
Asal tells Hayy of the Island from whence he had come.
Then Hayy Ibn Yokdhan began to enquire of him concerning his condition and his manner of living, and Asal gave him an account of the state of that Island from whence he had come—what kind of people inhabited it, and what sort of life they led before that religious sect which we mentioned came among them, and how it was now, since his coming thereinto. He also gave him an account of all those things that were delivered in the law, concerning the description of the divine world, of Paradise and th
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Hayy observes that men are dull, stupid and brutish.
Hayy observes that men are dull, stupid and brutish.
This was what he thought; and that which put this opinion into his mind was that he thought that all men were imbued with an ingenuous temper, a penetrating understanding, and a mind constant unto themselves. Nor did he know how stupid and dull they were, how ill advised and how inconstant in their resolutions; so much so that they were entirely like brutes, even more apt than they to wander out of the way. Therefore, since he was greatly affected with pity towards mankind, and anxiously desired
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Asal persuades Hayy to follow him to his Island.
Asal persuades Hayy to follow him to his Island.
Asal , on the other hand, told him what sort of people they were—how much lacking in ingenuousness, and how averse from obeying the commandments of God. But Hayy could not understand this; and his mind was intent upon that which he hoped to compass. Asal also greatly desired that it would please God, by his means, to direct some of his acquaintances which were of a more pliable temper and more easily to be guided than the rest, and not so far distant from sincerity as the others, into the right
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Hayy and Asal return together to Asal’s Island.
Hayy and Asal return together to Asal’s Island.
Thereupon they resolved to betake themselves unto the seashore, nor to depart thence either by day or night till God should please to afford them an opportunity of crossing the sea. And always they were intent upon this thing, and continued with their prayers and supplications to God to direct them in this work and bring it to a successful issue. At last it came to pass, by the commandment of God, the Almighty and Glorious, that the winds and waves drove a ship that had lost its course to the sh
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Hayy begins to teach and instruct Salaman’s subjects.
Hayy begins to teach and instruct Salaman’s subjects.
Now the Sovereign and Prince of that Island was Salaman the friend of Asal , of whom we have given an account above. He was the one who thought it best to join and apply himself to human society, and considered it unlawful to give himself over to solitude. Therefore Hayy Ibn Yokdhan began to instruct them and to explain the mysteries of wisdom unto them. But when he began, and had proceeded a little beyond that which was plain and obvious to them, and began to inculcate that which was quite cont
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Hayy despairs of being able to reform the vulgar crowd.
Hayy despairs of being able to reform the vulgar crowd.
Hayy Ibn Yokdhan , however, continued day and night to deal gently with them and manifest the truth both in private and public, which only increased their hatred towards him and made them avoid his company; though otherwise they were lovers of that which is good, and desirous of the truth. But from that defect in their nature, they did not search for it in the right manner nor apprehend it as they should do: but sought the knowledge of it after the common way, like the rest of the world, after t
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Hayy’s philosophical views on the value of this world.
Hayy’s philosophical views on the value of this world.
And afterwards looking round about him and reviewing the several ranks and orders, degrees and conditions of men, he found that every sect and company of them rejoiced in those things which they had and possessed at present, and that their lusts and appetites were their God, and that they destroyed and lost themselves by gathering together the trifles and vanities of the world, the eager desire of getting them into their hands still captivating and blinding them until they tottered to their grav
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Hayy gives up his Preachings and Teachings.
Hayy gives up his Preachings and Teachings.
Whereupon, returning to Salaman and his companions, he craved pardon for those things that he had spoken amongst them and desired to be excused, and told them that he was of the same opinion with them, and went on in the same way and persuaded them to stick firmly to their resolution of respecting and following the customs of the law and the performance of the external rites without intruding themselves upon things that did not concern them or intermeddling therewith, that in doubtful things the
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Asal and Hayy return to their Island.
Asal and Hayy return to their Island.
Thus Asal and Hayy , after this admonitory talk, having bid farewell to Prince Salaman and his people, took leave of them and waited for an opportunity of returning to their own Island, till at length it pleased God, the Almighty and Glorious, to afford them a commodious passage thither. And Hayy Ibn Yokdhan endeavoured to attain to his lofty state of speculation in the same manner as formerly, until he attained thereto: and Asal followed his steps till he came near him or was not far therefrom.
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Epilogue of the Author.
Epilogue of the Author.
And this is that—God help thee and us by his spirit—which we have received of the history of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan and Asal and Salaman . In its setting down we have made such choice of words as are not found in any other book nor accustomed to be heard in common and vulgar speech. And it is part of that hidden knowledge which no man receives but he who has the knowledge of God; nor is any man ignorant of it, but those that have not the right knowledge of God. We have indeed followed a method quite c
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THE WISDOM OF THE EAST SERIES
THE WISDOM OF THE EAST SERIES
Edited by L. CRANMER-BYNG and Dr. S. A. KAPADIA THE SERIES AND ITS PURPOSE The object of the Editors of this Series is a very definite one. They desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West—the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals
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