Know yourself : an explanation of the oneness of being

92 Pages·2011·7.039 MB·English

by  Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi, Awḥad Al-dīn Balyānī, Cecilia Twinch

Know'\
Knovv Yourself Thi::l is :111 .. w11.111•.. i.111"" '" 11.~
iirs1 CtH1q1l1·11· wi11k .1111il••1!• 1i i11
Ml1hyiddi1l lh11 '/\1.il1i ''' ·'i'I'' "
in a Wcs1l·111 l:111);11,11i' l;li1
An explanation of the oneness of being earli..:r 1r:111:ll:11it111 (l1y l'H,'\X11:lf
in 1901) h:1s lw('.11 l11:111111111·1-,1~il
in n1aking lhn '/\r:ilil'H1 1:111H'
known i11 rhc Wc:sr nv(:r ill\' 1:1·11
en.wry, even though Lhl.! :1111 hn1
of the book is now consic.kri:d hy
many scholars to be Awhad :ii
din Balyani, a near contcrnpor.11 y,
who may well have been
influenced by lbn 'Arabi's
thought.
Cecilia T winch's translation
is based on a representative
selection of Arabic manuscripts
held in several national libraries,
some attributed to lbn 'Arabi
and some to Balyani. The sheer
quantity of manuscripts available
demonstrates the enduring
popularity of this book over the
last seven centuries.
lbn <Arabi/ Balyani
nslated from the Arabic by Cecilia Twinch H .Beshara
Publications
Know'\
Knovv Yourself Thi::l is :111 .. w11.111•.. i.111"" '" 11.~
iirs1 CtH1q1l1·11· wi11k .1111il••1!• 1i i11
Ml1hyiddi1l lh11 '/\1.il1i ''' ·'i'I'' "
in a Wcs1l·111 l:111);11,11i' l;li1
An explanation of the oneness of being earli..:r 1r:111:ll:11it111 (l1y l'H,'\X11:lf
in 1901) h:1s lw('.11 l11:111111111·1-,1~il
in n1aking lhn '/\r:ilil'H1 1:111H'
known i11 rhc Wc:sr nv(:r ill\' 1:1·11
en.wry, even though Lhl.! :1111 hn1
of the book is now consic.kri:d hy
many scholars to be Awhad :ii
din Balyani, a near contcrnpor.11 y,
who may well have been
influenced by lbn 'Arabi's
thought.
Cecilia T winch's translation
is based on a representative
selection of Arabic manuscripts
held in several national libraries,
some attributed to lbn 'Arabi
and some to Balyani. The sheer
quantity of manuscripts available
demonstrates the enduring
popularity of this book over the
last seven centuries.
lbn <Arabi/ Balyani
nslated from the Arabic by Cecilia Twinch H .Beshara
Publications
BESHARA PUBLICATIONS
MUHYIDDIN IBN 'ARABI
This short text on the unity of existence explains that
(born in Andalusia 1165, died
to realize your essential oneness with reality it is not
in Damascus 1240) is one of the
necessary to eliminate your 'separate' self or ego because
most influential figures in the
that illusory· self never existed. Rather, it is necessary to
Islamic world. The universality of
his thought, which is making him know your true self to realize your oneness with all being.
increasingly well known in the Nothing essentially changes. When you know yourself
West, is as powerfully relevant in 'ignorance simpl)' disappears' and how things
today's world as it ever has been. really are becomes clear.
AWHAD AL-DIN BALYANI
(died 1287) was a Persian Sufi
When the secret of an atom is discovered,
master of Shiraz. He is thought
the secret of all created things
to have been a student of 1 he
Andalusian poet ShusbJ;:1ri, is made clear
who in turn was an outstanding
student of Ibn Sab' in, a close
contemporary of lbn 'Arabi :111d,
like lbn 'Arabi, from Murcie1 in
Spain.
CECILIA TWINCLl
is a Senior Research Fellow of rhe
Muhyiddin lbn 'Arabi Society,
Oxford, UK, and has lectured
on lbn 'Arabi worldwi.de. l~Ler
published works include an
English translation, with Pablo
Beneito, of one of Ibn 'Arabi's
•
earliest works, Contemplation of
Beshara
the Holy Mysteries.
Publications
BESHARA PUBLICATIONS
MUHYIDDIN IBN 'ARABI
This short text on the unity of existence explains that
(born in Andalusia 1165, died
to realize your essential oneness with reality it is not
in Damascus 1240) is one of the
necessary to eliminate your 'separate' self or ego because
most influential figures in the
that illusory· self never existed. Rather, it is necessary to
Islamic world. The universality of
his thought, which is making him know your true self to realize your oneness with all being.
increasingly well known in the Nothing essentially changes. When you know yourself
West, is as powerfully relevant in 'ignorance simpl)' disappears' and how things
today's world as it ever has been. really are becomes clear.
AWHAD AL-DIN BALYANI
(died 1287) was a Persian Sufi
When the secret of an atom is discovered,
master of Shiraz. He is thought
the secret of all created things
to have been a student of 1 he
Andalusian poet ShusbJ;:1ri, is made clear
who in turn was an outstanding
student of Ibn Sab' in, a close
contemporary of lbn 'Arabi :111d,
like lbn 'Arabi, from Murcie1 in
Spain.
CECILIA TWINCLl
is a Senior Research Fellow of rhe
Muhyiddin lbn 'Arabi Society,
Oxford, UK, and has lectured
on lbn 'Arabi worldwi.de. l~Ler
published works include an
English translation, with Pablo
Beneito, of one of Ibn 'Arabi's
•
earliest works, Contemplation of
Beshara
the Holy Mysteries.
Publications
Know Yourself
An explanation of the oneness of being
From Arabic manuscripts attributed to
Muhyiddin Ibn <Arabi
and also to
Awhad al~din Balyani
Translation and introduction by
CECILIA TWINCH
•
Beshara Publications
1\ ~!i\IEPs!TV nF \t1;:r :tf.li:~-1 cp
IJl.!v 11v11 1 V, •~ti~,J1IL..,V L.1
LIBRARY
Know Yourself
An explanation of the oneness of being
From Arabic manuscripts attributed to
Muhyiddin Ibn <Arabi
and also to
Awhad al~din Balyani
Translation and introduction by
CECILIA TWINCH
•
Beshara Publications
1\ ~!i\IEPs!TV nF \t1;:r :tf.li:~-1 cp
IJl.!v 11v11 1 V, •~ti~,J1IL..,V L.1
LIBRARY
l'uhlished by Beshara Publications
PO Box 33, Northlcach
Cheltenham GL54 3WU, UK
www.besharapublications.org.uk We are speaking with those who have
determination and energy in seeking knowledge
([)English translation, Cecilia Twinch 2011
First published 2011 of their self in order to know God, and who keep
Reprinted 2014
fresh in their heart the image of their seeking and
longing for union with God.
Cecilia Twinch has asserted her moral right under
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this puhlication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or hy any means,
without the prior permission in writing of the puhlisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this hook is available from
the British Library.
ISBN: 978 0 904975 65 9
Cover design hy Marijke van Basten Batcnburg
Cover image© Hiroko Nagato-Apthorp, 2011
Printed and bound in the UK by
Windrush Group, Witney, Oxford
~~--·'·;··~?'::~:~(~~~-~~=
r-t-::;
" --- -, l \(
·~/ .. . I . - --· .
I - ...
-·-----
~--~----
l'uhlished by Beshara Publications
PO Box 33, Northlcach
Cheltenham GL54 3WU, UK
www.besharapublications.org.uk We are speaking with those who have
determination and energy in seeking knowledge
([)English translation, Cecilia Twinch 2011
First published 2011 of their self in order to know God, and who keep
Reprinted 2014
fresh in their heart the image of their seeking and
longing for union with God.
Cecilia Twinch has asserted her moral right under
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this puhlication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or hy any means,
without the prior permission in writing of the puhlisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this hook is available from
the British Library.
ISBN: 978 0 904975 65 9
Cover design hy Marijke van Basten Batcnburg
Cover image© Hiroko Nagato-Apthorp, 2011
Printed and bound in the UK by
Windrush Group, Witney, Oxford
~~--·'·;··~?'::~:~(~~~-~~=
r-t-::;
" --- -, l \(
·~/ .. . I . - --· .
I - ...
-·-----
~--~----
Contents
Introduction 1
Ibn 'Arabi 4
Awhad al-din Balyani 8
Know Yourself 15
Translator's notes on the text 5 5
The self or soul ( nafs) 5 5
Notes on gender - He 57
Passing away (fana ') and remaining (baqa ') 60
Divine Names 63
The Letters 65
History of the translations 69
Manuscripts consulted 72
Quotations from the Quran, hadith
and other sayings 7 5
Bibliography 77
vii
Contents
Introduction 1
Ibn 'Arabi 4
Awhad al-din Balyani 8
Know Yourself 15
Translator's notes on the text 5 5
The self or soul ( nafs) 5 5
Notes on gender - He 57
Passing away (fana ') and remaining (baqa ') 60
Divine Names 63
The Letters 65
History of the translations 69
Manuscripts consulted 72
Quotations from the Quran, hadith
and other sayings 7 5
Bibliography 77
vii