Egyptian-Hebrew stream·Jabirian Corpus·Selections from the Book of Comprehension·Selections from the Book of Comprehension

p. 549 (leaf n554)

He said: Becoming is indispensable, and the cycle is indispensable, and one single cycle-and-return is indispensable, because the first death is indispensable. And for the individuals traversing through becoming and corruption there is no escape from the pleasure which is rest from pain on account of the body and the attachment of the particular soul to the mixture; therefore the return and the copy [metempsychosis] occur to them only on account of the mixture. And for this pleasure there are individuals, and they are the first gates of the stations. And the high stations are those to which there is no return, nor becoming, nor corruption; and the high stations follow one single method, which is increase and ascent in the individuals. As for the second stations, they have two examples: praiseworthy and blameworthy. The praiseworthy is toward copy and ascent in the possessors of particularity and toward stillness in the first; and the blameworthy is copy and descent. And that [manuscript note B 116b] is not in the first stations except in the first stillness at the time of the body; as for what is after the first in that relation, it does not depart from it save if God wills. And he said concerning it: Insight through knowledge is the encompassing of perfection, and the knowledge of perfection occurs only on account of the first gift, and the first gift occurs only through excellence.

p. 550 (leaf n555)

the Balance. And the place of insight through knowledge is toward three desired things, and they are: encompassing the permutations of the mixtures, and attaining knowledge of the most excellent mixture, and the knowledge of the scholars from ٣ the first cause of the most excellent mixture, how it is and how great its measure. So when the knowledge of man encompasses [them], it is proper after his encompassing knowledge of these things that he look into the divine sciences.

٦The cycle is a cycling, and this is speech that must be known that he teach it, because with its people it is exceedingly precious. As for the first cycle, it is the complete one that attains [its end] and returns to its first state. So a group said: the cycle is that man returns, for example, or any person whatever from among the persons of the animals, to any ٩ person whatever from among the persons of men or others. The example of that is that a man upon whom it is obligatory [to become] an animal by karraw, then the cycle for him is that the man emerges either in the form of a man or in another form, whatever form it may be. And a group of the people of merit said: the cycle is that ١٢ every person returns to the first form from which it descended in the transmigration and the descent, and the cycle of each one of these things, its measure is according to its transformation,

p. 551 (leaf n556)

And this comes to be in the vicinity of a year up to ten years today. As for the statement of the people of entitlement, it is in every complete cycle, and this complete cycle comes to be only according to purity and turbidity. The cycle is the time resulting in the vicinity of a motion belonging to a certain thing ٣ specifically determined, and time is only the number of moving things. The cycle therefore comprises the world of the spheres and the world of generation and corruption and the things that have the cycle. Time is of two kinds: one is fixed in a single state ٦ which is the spheres, and the other is continually changing which is the world of generation and corruption, and for each one of the two worlds there are times in their motions. Among these motions are the motions of the spheres of the wandering planets, which are the seven, the longest of them being Saturn then ٩ they continually shorten in their times down to the Moon and their affair is evident and well-known. As for the motions of the world of generation and corruption, if you follow that you will know the measures of the times of its becomings; you have encompassed the cycle when you know how great is the measure of the entitlement of its station in ١٢ every kind. This is a mighty unveiling; if you are mindful of it and persist in looking into it, the matter will be sound for you. These five-and-fifty persons are one from the aspect of the essence and from the aspect of the persons in the stations they are many and different. Not every one ١٥ of them knows that it is the other on account of the station, not on account of the essence, and that is because the essence

p. 552 (leaf n557)

In truth one because it possesses discernment, while the stations of the theological teachings are differentiated by persons and ranks. Thus the person of the Bab does not occupy the rank of the Imam. Thus the first degree is the degree of reception and refinement and standing upon that matter in which the form of the desired object is realized, like the kneading in which the form of bread is realized and the spinning in which the form of the garment is realized. The form of the fifty-five lights was in the form of man in particular only because he is the most complete of animal individuals as an instrument, since he is receptive of intellect, thought and reflection, while that does not belong to any other species. Then he said in a chapter in which he mentions sincerity: All temples arise only from two mixtures, either body or soul, and the true statement is only toward the soul, not toward the body. It is only the purity and purification of the particular soul from the impurities of becoming and ignorance and passage among particular things and pouring toward universal things. It has branches which the one who arrives at this science needs to know entirely. That the first purity which occurs toward the fifty-five persons occurs only in fifty-five ways, because purity does not cease...

p. 553 (leaf n558)

increases in every stage to the stage above it. The proof of that is that the whole in these individuals tends toward one thing, which is the subsistent. Sincerity is the singling out of the matter and its being free of the attributes sharing with it in any of the states ٣ Indication: Look at this world, how it toys with people and brings forth this noble Work in various ambiguous expressions while its intent is one, and how it alludes at one time and declares openly at another. He has already clarified these meanings—meaning that it is an indication to ٦ his being accused of ignorance by his saying: the master of the exterior cannot be a mujtahid nor inclined to one saying over another or one opinion over another, because exertion and inclination come only from knowledge and insight, and that is impossible for the master of the exterior. ٩ If this knowledge and this sincerity are of no benefit and do not convey man to a lofty degree, then the opinion is to cast the world away from himself with the casting of one capable of what he casts of it, relying on the fact that God Most High will question him and that he stands before Him to be requited by Him. ١٢ So when he turns to Him, nothing occurs to his thought other than God, Mighty and Majestic, of the affairs of this world and the next. For the answer is established just as it is for the first, but in part * not in whole. The knowledge of the people is only that which, when you take it from the master, the stages ١٥

p. 554 (leaf n559)

attainable for you, and you have ascended the degrees of knowledge, standing upon its path, gazing upon its persons, and addressing them ٣ [p. 118], even if they are absent from you. If the matter were not thus, the similitudes would be of no benefit in it. So be patient in adducing testimony until the symbol becomes clear, which is like the testimony of the master of the matter, even if that is preferable and the time therein is nearer. The stations of becoming are upon these aforementioned numbers, ٦ namely seventy, as if each station among them were like a time from among the times and opposite a position from among the positions for an exemplar, an exemplar from among the masters and the fifty-five emblems, that the attainment of that should be, and it is one of the sciences needed for it; by it the learner grasps a canon of knowledge which he reaches. For if he does not know that, he cannot determine to what ٩ goal he aims and to what station he ends, and whether it is obligatory upon him to pass thus, seeking forever, or to stop at a goal and an end. There is no escape from acknowledging that knowledge of the outcomes of affairs is among what must be known, and that is because the goal and the conclusion are the form of completion. ١٢ I say: Even if these principles have repugnant outward forms, suggesting that he indicates by them the adoption of a corrupt doctrine and a corrupt teaching, yet in this Work they indicate noble meanings among the repetitions and the measures of the motions together with ١٥

p. 555 (leaf n560)

What is repeated from the principles and commentaries. For the one sharp of mind, perfect in knowledge, if he is able to transfer these meanings to the regimens and the Balances, he has indeed attained abundant knowledge. Let this amount suffice for explanation, since there is no way to expound the purposes from all aspects. And in that lies the uncovering of the veil forbidden to be uncovered. So know that, and be content with much study and repetition of reflection; you will be among the successful, if God Most High wills.

p. 556 (leaf n561)

Corrections In the zodiacal signs: 3 19 in it, perhaps the correct reading is: in him 4 22 what was hinted at: 4 26 perhaps the correct reading is: by its essence 8 30 perhaps it is necessary to delete the word “from” 11 31 and because the two of them: 11 32 perhaps the correct reading is: its descent > after < the sign of Aries 8 35 perhaps the correct reading is: that it proceeds > after < its rising 11 35 perhaps the correct reading is: rather 7 36 and a tablet: 13 36 the things: 13 42 perhaps the correct reading is: for a form from which is derived the etc. 14 58 it whitens: 9 70 was extracted: 12 71 for the selling: 7 89 and it outweighs: 14 92 he imitates it: 14 93 perhaps the correct reading is: he directed them toward it 6 97 6–8: the science of letters alone is the science etc. (nothing is missing from the original) 103 alone > the science < of the meanings (variant: meanings) [of the letters] that it is etc. — 10 103 it is necessary to delete the square brackets in lines 10 and 12 instrument: 3 113 perhaps the correct reading is: and the manifest solution 13 124

p. 557 (leaf n562)

page line

13410: and it is desirable

1401: and one

143201: they sink, they glitter

1446: his intention

1447: he seeks

14412: perhaps the correct reading: from the precision

1479: perhaps the correct reading: vaporous (see p. 14)

1679: one (f.)

17115: perhaps the correct reading: that which is in it

1876: that which

19410: the overstepping

2079: from > section < of heat

2084: attached to one of the ...

2086: perhaps the correct reading: because of its multiplicity from it

2089: perhaps the correct reading: what was taken in the first

20916: perhaps the correct reading: or upon itself

2113: to the present (see p. 431 and 7 l. 430 and 6 l. 434 and 1 l. 901)

21115: to taking .... what it takes

2125: and he took > from it < by measure (see p. 213 l. 3)

2128: perhaps the correct reading: from that it

2134: perhaps the correct reading: then if < soul > like all does not cease the ...

2173: and > that < the relation of

22117: removal:

2227: that > you inform him < about that

2236: he rejoices

2616: that

2796: so you possess

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