The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn Tufayl

Author:Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn Tufayl [Tufayl, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Islamic philosophy -- Early works to 1800
Published: 2005-10-07T18:30:00+00:00

§ 72. Having apprehended the manner by which the being like the Heavenly Bodies, was peculiar to him above all other kinds of Animals whatever; he perceiv'd that it was a Duty necessarily incumbent upon him to resemble them, and imitate their Actions, and endeavour to the utmost to become like them: He perceiv'd also that in respect: of his nobler Part, by which he had attain'd the Knowledge of that necessarily self existent Being, he did in some measure resemble it, because he was separated from the Attributes of Bodies, as the necessarily self-existent Being is separated from them. He saw also that it was his Duty to endeavour to make himself Master of the Properties of that Being by all possible means, and put on his Qualities, and imitate his Actions, and labour in the doing his Will, and resign himself wholly to him, and submit to his Dispensations heartily and unfeignedly, so as to rejoice in him, tho' he should lay Afflictions upon his Body, and hurt, or totally destroy it.

§ 73. He also perceiv'd that he resembled the Beasts in his viler part, which belong'd to this Generable and Corruptible World, viz. this dark, gross Body, which sollicited him with the Desire of Variety of sensible Objects, and excited him to eating, drinking, and Copulation; and he knew that his Body was not created and join'd to him in vain, but that he was oblig'd to preserve it and take care of it, which he saw could not be done without some of those Actions which are common to the rest of the Animals. Thus it was plain to him, that there were three sorts of Actions which he was obliged to, viz. 1. Either those by which he resembled the Irrational Animals. Or, 2. Those by which he resembled the Heavenly Bodies. Or, 3. Those by which he resembled the necessarily self-existent Being: And that he was oblig'd to the first, as having a gross Body, consisting of several Parts, and different Faculties, and variety of Motions. To the second, as having an Animal Spirit, which had its Seat in the Heart, and was the first beginning of the Body and all its Faculties. To the third, as he was what he was, viz. as he was that Being, by which he knew the necessarily self-existent Being. And he was very well assur'd before, that his Happiness and Freedom from Misery, consisted in the perpetual Vision of that necessarily self-existent Being, without being averted from it so much as the twinkling of an Eye.

§ 74. Then he weigh'd with himself, by what means a Continuation of this Vision might be attain'd, and the Result of his Contemplation was this, viz. That he was obliged to keep himself constantly exercis'd in these three kinds of Resemblance. Not that the first of them did any way contribute to the helping him to the Vision(but was rather an Impediment and Hindrance, because it was concern'd only in sensible

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