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The Life of Ibn Sina: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation
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December 27, 2013
I won't talk a lot about Ibn Sina, I would just let him tell you about himself:
"I devoted myself to studying the texts – the original and commentaries –
in the natural sciences and metaphysics, and the gates of knowledge began
opening for me. Next I sought to know medicine, and so I read the books
written on it. Medicine is not one of the difficult sciences, and therefore I
excelled in it in a very short time, to the point that distinguished physicians
began to read the science of medicine under me. I cared for the sick and
there opened to me some of the doors of medical treatment that are
indescribable and can be learned only from practice. In addition I devoted
myself to jurisprudence and used to engage in legal disputations, at that
time being sixteen years old. Then, for the next year and a half, I dedicated
myself to learning and reading; I returned to reading logic and all the parts
of philosophy. During this time I didn’t sleep completely through a single
night nor devote myself to anything else by day.”
“At night I would return home, set out a lamp before me, and devote myself
to reading and writing. Whenever sleep overcame me or I became conscious
of weakening, I would turn aside to drink a cup of wine, so that my strength
would return to me. Then I would return to reading. And whenever sleep
seized me I would see those very problems in my dream; and many
questions became clear to me in my sleep. I continued in this until all of the
sciences were deeply rooted within me and I understood them as far as
humanly possible. Everything which I knew at that time is just as I know it
now; I have not added anything to it to this day.
Thus I mastered the logical, natural, and mathematical sciences, and I had
now reached the science of metaphysics. I read the Metaphysics of
“Aristotle”, but I could not comprehend its contents and its author’s object
remained obscure to me, even when I had gone back and read it forty times
and had got to the point where I had memorized it. In spite of this I
couldn’t understand it nor its object, and I despaired of myself and said,
“This is a book which there is no way of understanding.” But one day in the
afternoon when I was at the booksellers’ quarter a salesman approached
with a book in his hand which he was calling out for sale. He offered it to
me, but I refused it with disgust, believing that there was no merit in this
science. But he said to me, “Buy it, because its owner needs the money and
so it is cheap. I’ll sell it to you for three dirham's.”So I bought it and, lo and
behold, it was Abu Nasr al-Farabi’s book on the objects of the Metaphysics.
I returned home and was quick to read it, and in no time the objects of that
book became clear to me because I had to the point of having memorized it
by heart. I rejoiced at this and the next day gave much in alms to the poor
in gratitude to God, who is exalted.”
Avicenna.
"I devoted myself to studying the texts – the original and commentaries –
in the natural sciences and metaphysics, and the gates of knowledge began
opening for me. Next I sought to know medicine, and so I read the books
written on it. Medicine is not one of the difficult sciences, and therefore I
excelled in it in a very short time, to the point that distinguished physicians
began to read the science of medicine under me. I cared for the sick and
there opened to me some of the doors of medical treatment that are
indescribable and can be learned only from practice. In addition I devoted
myself to jurisprudence and used to engage in legal disputations, at that
time being sixteen years old. Then, for the next year and a half, I dedicated
myself to learning and reading; I returned to reading logic and all the parts
of philosophy. During this time I didn’t sleep completely through a single
night nor devote myself to anything else by day.”
“At night I would return home, set out a lamp before me, and devote myself
to reading and writing. Whenever sleep overcame me or I became conscious
of weakening, I would turn aside to drink a cup of wine, so that my strength
would return to me. Then I would return to reading. And whenever sleep
seized me I would see those very problems in my dream; and many
questions became clear to me in my sleep. I continued in this until all of the
sciences were deeply rooted within me and I understood them as far as
humanly possible. Everything which I knew at that time is just as I know it
now; I have not added anything to it to this day.
Thus I mastered the logical, natural, and mathematical sciences, and I had
now reached the science of metaphysics. I read the Metaphysics of
“Aristotle”, but I could not comprehend its contents and its author’s object
remained obscure to me, even when I had gone back and read it forty times
and had got to the point where I had memorized it. In spite of this I
couldn’t understand it nor its object, and I despaired of myself and said,
“This is a book which there is no way of understanding.” But one day in the
afternoon when I was at the booksellers’ quarter a salesman approached
with a book in his hand which he was calling out for sale. He offered it to
me, but I refused it with disgust, believing that there was no merit in this
science. But he said to me, “Buy it, because its owner needs the money and
so it is cheap. I’ll sell it to you for three dirham's.”So I bought it and, lo and
behold, it was Abu Nasr al-Farabi’s book on the objects of the Metaphysics.
I returned home and was quick to read it, and in no time the objects of that
book became clear to me because I had to the point of having memorized it
by heart. I rejoiced at this and the next day gave much in alms to the poor
in gratitude to God, who is exalted.”
Avicenna.
Displaying 1 of 1 review