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#2160 -
This issue features a book review by Jerry
Katz of Divine Governance of the
Divine Governance of the Human
Kingdom by Ibn ‘Arabi
Including What the Seeker Needs
and The One Alone
Interpreted by Tosun Bayrak
Fons Vitae (1997) ISBN 1887752056 paperback - Index 302 pp.
$19.95
Further information: http://www.fonsvitae.com/divine.html
Reviewed by Jerry Katz
~ ~ ~
I was glad to discover the publisher of this
book, Fons Vitae. I recommend visiting their website and
catalogue: http://www.fonsvitae.com/MG1.html.
The following, from
the website, is an introduction to this publisher:
FONS VITAE (Al-Kauthar), a
non-profit, charitable foundation, and refereed press, is devoted
to making available works from the world's great spiritual
traditions which could be of true use to a person of any faith
seeking Wholeness or Holiness. Literally translated from Latin as
"the fountain of life," fons vitae refers to the
Knowledge which flows out to humanity from the Divine Source.
Although Fons Vitae was established in 1997, its efforts are a
continuation of publishing begun in
Fons Vitae is a refereed publishing house, which ensures the
highest academic standards for its publications. Members of its
editorial advisory board include such scholars as Robert Thurman,
Huston Smith, Ewert Cousins, Seyyed Hussein Nasr, Anne Feldhaus,
William Chittick, and William Graham. See full list of editorial
advisors with biographies. Fons Vitae is a non-profit, tax-exempt
corporation, having 501c3 status. As such, all donations and
contributions are eligible for 100% tax deductions.
Sincerely,
Gray Henry (fonsvitaeky@aol.com)
~ ~ ~
Now, to the review...
I bought this book for the 20 page
section entitled The One Alone, which is
very nondual. I also read the 18 page Translator's
Introduction, which tells about the life of Ibn 'Arabi.
These two sections alone make the book an important
addition to a library of nonduality books. The bulk of the
volume, a book of wisdom on governing oneself, I have only
so far scanned and therefore have not included any
other mention of it in this review.
Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi lived from 1165 to
1240. He "has become one of the most important expounders of
Sufi wisdom." "Ibn 'Arabi all his life felt the pain of
not being understood. Yet the breadth and depth of his wisdom,
insight, vision, and knowledge was and is awesome to whomever
catches a glimpse of it. Many of his expressions of divine
mysteries have never been improved upon. Many important affairs,
which he foretold centuries ago, have taken place and continue to
take place."
This introduction is brief, a
distillate of the life of Ibn 'Arabi. It covers his life from
birth to death, describes his physical appearance, reveals
extreme controversy surrounding Ibn 'Arabi, demonstrates
his wisdom, tells about a meeting with an adolescent Rumi,
and more. Throughout this distillate is communicated the
author/translator's love and understanding of Ibn 'Arabi,
the person and his works; clearly, it must be the case,
otherwise how could Ibn 'Arabi's words set forth in this book cut
so cleanly?
The One Alone is a work of
pure nonduality. To demonstrate that, here are a few quotations,
a few fragments which do not do justice to this entire work:
"Therefore, if you know yourself
without being, not trying to become nothing, you will know your
Lord. If you think that to know Allah depends on your ridding
yourself of yourself, then you are guilty of attributing partners
to Him -- the only unforgivable sin -- because you are claiming
that there is another existence besides Him, the All-Existent:
that there is a you and a He."
"You presume others to be other than
Allah. There is nothing other than He, but you do not know this.
While you are looking at Him you do not recognize Him. When the
secret opens to you, you will know that you are none other than
He."
"...do not think that you need to
become nothing, that you need to annihilate yourself in Him.
If you thought so, then you would be His veil, while a veil over
Allah is other than He. How could you be a veil that
hides Him? What hides Him is His being the One Alone."
"When the secret of a single atom out
of all the atoms from which the elements are made becomes known,
the secrets of the whole universe visible and invisible will be
revealed. Then you will not see anything but Allah either in this
world and in the Hereafter."
"Thus when you know yourself, your self
and selfishness will leave you, and you will know that there is
nothing in existence but Allah."
"...the meaning of 'The eyes
cannot see Him...' is that there is no existence other than His.
The Truth can only be conceived of by Itself, which has no other
identity except the Truth: Allah sees Himself by Himself and by
none other than Himself. His Essence sees His Essence."
I am not aware of The One Alone being
available on the internet. If it is, it could easily be
incomplete, inaccurate, or intentionally modified. There is an
excerpt on my website at http://www.nonduality.com/ibn.htm,
but I haven't checked it for accuracy, and it is only a very
brief portion of the entire work. The One Alone may be
the most nondual writing in Sufi literature. It may also be
called nondual Islam. Look how (and how could it be surprising?)
close it is to nondual Judaism:
Islam (via Ibn 'Arabi): "If you think
that to know Allah depends on your ridding yourself of yourself,
then you are guilty of attributing partners to Him -- the only
unforgivable sin -- because you are claiming that there is
another existence besides Him, the All-Existent: that there is a
you and a He."
Judaism (via Kabbalah): "If you suppose
that Ein Sof emanantes until a certain point, and that from that
point on is outside of it, you have dualized. God forbid!
realize, rather, that Ein Sof exists in each existent. Do not
say, 'This is a stone and not God.' God forbid! Rather, all
existence is God, and the stone is a thing pervaded by
divinity."
Islam and Judaism is the vast ocean of
nonduality. In the name of understanding and peace, The One
Alone, along with The Essential Kabbalah, by Daniel C. Matt,
should sit together on a book shelf.
--Jerry Katz
Divine Governance of the Human
Kingdom by Ibn ‘Arabi
Including What the Seeker Needs
and The One Alone
Interpreted by Tosun Bayrak
Fons Vitae (1997) ISBN 1887752056 paperback - Index 302 pp.
$19.95
Further information: http://www.fonsvitae.com/divine.html