The Improvement of Human Reason - Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan by Ibn Tufail
page 82 of 141 (58%)
page 82 of 141 (58%)
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Generation and Corruption, and free from all accidents that cause any
Defect, Change or Alteration: And that his noble Part, _viz._, that by which he attain'd the Knowledge of the _necessarily self-existent Being_, was something Heroical and Divine, not subject to Change or Dissolution, nor capable of being describ'd by any of the Properties or Attributes of Bodies: Not to be apprehended by any of the Senses, or by the Imagination; nor to be known by the means of any other Instrument but it self alone, and that it attains the Knowledge of it self by it self, and was at once the Knower the Knowledge, and the Thing known, the Faculty and the Object. Neither was there any difference between any of these because _Diversity_ and _Separation_ are Properties and Adjuncts of Bodies; but _Body_ was no way concern'd here, nor any Property or Adjunct of _Body_. ยง 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. |
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