The Awakening of the Soul

Part 1

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The Wisdom of the East Series

EDITED BY

L. CRANMER-BYNG

Dr. S. A. KAPADIA

THE AWAKENING OF THE SOUL

Motto--

"'Twas what it was, 'tis not to be expressed. Enquire no further, but conceive the best."

GHAZALI.

WISDOM OF THE EAST

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

CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION, 9

Different Accounts of the Birth of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, 29

Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, son of a Princess, 30

Hayy is exposed by his Mother, 30

Hayy is driven by the tide to another Island, 31

Hayy is found by a Roe, which takes care of him, 31

Part 2

Spontaneous Generation, 32

Hayy grows up nursed by the Roe, 33

Hayy learns to imitate animals' voices, 34

Hayy begins to take a careful view of things, 34

Hayy observes the difference between the animals and himself, 35

Hayy as a boy of seven. He covers himself with leaves, 36

Hayy becomes aggressive, and attacks wild beasts, 36

Hayy covers himself with the skin of an Eagle, 37

Hayy spreads terror among the beasts, 37

Hayy is grief-stricken at the death of the Roe, 38

Hayy takes an aversion to the dead body, 38

Hayy buries the body of the Roe, 39

Hayy observes divers kinds of living creatures and plants, 39

Hayy discovers Fire kindled by the friction of reeds, 40

THE THIRD SEPTENARY

Hayy makes himself clothes and shoes of the skins of animals, 42

Hayy learns to ride, 43

Hayy examines the nature of bodies, 44

Hayy transfers his thoughts to the heavenly bodies, 46

THE FOURTH SEPTENARY

Hayy ponders over heaven and stars, 47

Hayy finds that the body of heaven is finite, 47

Hayy contemplates sun, moon, and stars, 48

Hayy concludes that the heaven is of a spherical figure, 48

Hayy ponders over the creation of the world, 50

Hayy concludes that the world must have a Creator without bodily substance, 51

Hayy admires the work of the Creator, 56

FIFTH SEPTENARY

Part 3

Hayy is completely taken up with the contemplation of the superior intellectual world, 58

Hayy examines all his senses and faculties, 58

HAYY RETURNS TO THE SENSIBLE WORLD 63

SEVENTH SEPTENARY

Asal and Salaman appear on the scene, 65

Nature and character of Asal and Salaman, 66

Further differences of Asal and Salaman, 66

Asal repairs to Hayy's Island, 67

Hayy and Asal meet, 69

Hayy catches hold of Asal, 70

Hayy and Asal stroke one another, 71

Hayy and Asal try to understand each other, 71

Asal makes Hayy eat of his food, 72

Hayy Ibn Yokdhan at last joins Asal at dinner, but repents afterwards, 72

Asal becomes Hayy's companion and teacher, 73

Hayy enlightens Asal on his inner life, 74

Asal tells Hayy of the Island from whence he had come, 75

Hayy observes that men are dull, stupid, and brutish, 78

Asal persuades Hayy to follow him to his Island, 79

Hayy and Asal return together to Asal's Island, 79

Hayy begins to teach and instruct Salaman's subjects, 80

Hayy despairs of being able to reform the vulgar crowd, 81

Hayy's philosophical views on the value of this world, 81

Hayy gives up his preachings and teachings, 84

Asal and Hayy return to their Island, 85

Epilogue of the Author, 86

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 spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour.

Part 4

L. CRANMER-BYNG. S. A. KAPADIA.

THE NORTHBROOK SOCIETY, 21, CROMWELL ROAD, KENSINGTON, S.W.

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 undeserved neglect.

Yet I cannot imagine a better and more eloquent refutation of this erroneous view than a rendering, in fresh garb, of this romance of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, simple and ingenuous, yet fragrant with poetry and withal fraught with deep philosophical problems the interest in which I wish to revive.

It was in the year 1671 that there was published by the Oxford University Press, as one of its first issues of Arabic texts, a book called, "Philosophus autodidactus," edited by Edward Pococke the son, together with a Latin translation. It had a preface that bore the signature of Edward Pococke, the father, and this fact alone was sufficient to stamp it at once as a work in which vast erudition and thoroughness of investigation had joined hands--for both these savants were men of wide reputation and brilliant attainments.

England, that has put students of Oriental lore under such large obligations, has never given to the world a greater Arabic scholar than Edward Pococke, "the Glory and Ornament of his Age and Nation," the famous author of the "Specimen historiæ Arabum"; a veritable store-house of historical, scientific, literary, and religious information, and the equally famous editor of the annals of Eutychius and of the history of Dynasties by Abul faradj.

This book, by the way, was the first book in Arabic type which issued from the Oxford University Press, just as his "Porta Mosis," containing the six Prefatory Discourses of Maimonides on the Mishna, was the first Hebrew text (in fact Arabic with Hebrew characters) printed at Oxford.

In the splendid array of famous Arabic scholars the last century has produced there are only two in England that rank with Edward Pococke on the same level--two men whose names stand out in bold relief, namely, Edward William Lane, prince among lexicographers, and William Wright, the brilliant exponent of the theories of the native Arabic grammarians.

The co-operation of Edward Pococke, the father, in the edition of this book, "Philosophus autodidactus," was indeed the best recommendation. To Edward Pococke, the father, is due the honour of having discovered and unearthed this priceless gem of Arabic philosophical literature, whilst the son, "the worthy son of so great a father," undertook the task, by no means an easy one, of editing the Arabic text and furnishing it with a Latin translation. This Latin translation was undoubtedly for that time a praiseworthy performance; yet, considering the enormous strides Oriental science has made during the last centuries, and with all the new material at hand, we are to-day able to put the philological groundwork on a more solid basis.

The value of the book was quickly recognised. In a comparatively short time it quite caught the fancy of the public--in fact it took the world by storm, and for a long time it remained greatly in vogue.

In casting about for the work of an Arabian philosopher for the "Wisdom of the East" Series, I could not think of anything more engaging, more captivating, than this simple romance.

Unfortunately, for reasons of space, I could not give a translation in full, but I have given the most interesting parts. On the passages, however, which I had to leave out, I have dwelt at greater length in this Introduction. In the translation I have tried to preserve the cachet, the archaic flavour and spirit of the book.

The idea underlying the story is, as Ockley puts it, to show how human capacity may, unassisted by any external help, attain to the knowledge of the higher world, and so by degrees find out its dependence upon a superior Being, the immortality of the soul, and other questions of the highest importance. In short, it describes the gradual awakening of the soul, the evolution of an original mind from its first groping in the dark to the most dazzling heights of philosophical speculation.

The great charm of the book lies in its simplicity and ingenuousness; in its entire freedom from affectation of style; in the transparent lucidity of its exposition, which is in pleasant contrast with the ponderous works of other philosophical writers amongst the Arabs.

Yet with all its ingenuousness, what sustained power of thought, what depth of philosophical penetration!

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