Course XXV - Teaching 5: Aristotelian Revival of Avicenna and Averroes

Greek culture and wisdom with all their purity and clarity disappeared, if one may say like that (for Christian Neoplatonism weakened it a lot), after the definite suppression of paganism and banishment of its sages, decreed by Justinian in the 500.
This Emperor affirms the political right of Roman and gives it as heritage to the Christian peoples in his Digest, but he nullifies the mental culture through the only assertion of the Dogma. Greek culture passes to Persia through exiled sages, and the Islam preserves it.
In the golden Arabian times, the Greek culture was born again in the Moslem Spain, through Avicenna and Averroes that translate, study and comment the Stagirite into Arabian language.
Avicenna, whose true name is Abu Ali Husein, is born in Persia near Chiraz in 980, and died in Hemadan in 1087. He was son of Sena, a Patriarch of Bochara Valley.
In his childhood, Avicenna was so precocious that at the age of 7 was already admired by the clarity of his concepts and his amazing ease to understand everything he was taught. At the age of 8 he had already performed great services to Humanity as a physician and Initiate.
He dealt with all fields of science and philosophy through a more extended and complete systematization. In medicine he opens new course and condenses his ideas in “Cannon of Medicine”, written at the age of 21, which for centuries was in force at schools of Asia and Europe.
Besides many other works, especially on mathematics, it is fundamental his Mystical treatise, a true esoteric teaching.
Called by the Sultan Cabans, he cured him of a very serious disease. The grateful Sultan, admired his high gifts and named him Great Vizier.
Averroes continued his work and as his Master Avicenna led him from the Astral World, one century later in the golden age that the Almoravid princes had brought to the Arabian Spain. Cruel wars had finished; the powerless Christians only made hear their complaints and curses.
All the domain of the Crescent Moon, seemingly all-powerful in those days, flourished from Mediterranean Sea to Indian Sea.
In these stages of peace and prosperity, great masters of sciences and teachings appear in nations. Arabs were outstanding in philosophy, right, physics, astrology, medicine, and first of all, in mathematics.
Avicenna, the great, had already given lectures on experimental philosophy, of Aristotelian kind, which transformed the philosophical view all over the world. In those days the Islam was owner not only of almost all countries of Orient, but also of the intellectual thought of the time. Then in Cordoba, in 1126, Abul Uelit Ibn Rachid was born, known to posterity by the name of Averroes.
His father was not only Cadi in Cordoba, but also a lover of letters and arts. From his youth, this predestined being, at the feet of this father, beside his grandfather, or surrounded by old men, usually would hear their discussions about immortality of the soul and their remarks about new discoveries.
It was a morning of spring in 1138. Averroes was near a wide window to a garden, where flowers and birds had not another frame than infinite space. Who shall be the hidden force giving life to a flower, animating birds, coloring the sky in blue?, the teenager would think. An invisible hand has to be behind all this; some powerful and irresistible being. How I would wish to know all this! How I would wish to see and arrive beyond the heart of things! But, where will I find that master who can teach me the total science of the universe? Seemingly that book is non-existent.
A voice that seemed a sigh or rather a breeze stirring the trees replied: “Yes, such book exists; you have it”.
The young man was startled. Rapidly he got up from his seat and looked back, but he only saw a white cloak disappearing in the penumbra of the room.
He kept his secret. His instinct said to him he should not reveal these inner visionary perceptions. After a long period of time his astral instructor came back. His visits were more frequent; the Master in white had taught to the Arabian young man how to read the book of all sciences in his own heart. So Averroes was famous in any art and science.
In those days Yusuf, a prince somewhat melancholic and artist who loved to be surrounded not only by a luxurious court and beautiful dancers, but also by wise and chosen men, caught an incurable disease. Then they recommended him a young physician that would make true miracles and whom Christian inhabitants of Cordoba accused of witchcraft. He sent for Averroes to his palace and while Averroes cured his body, also healed his mind. He was so fond of his physician that appointed him his official physician in the court.
From then on, Averroes’ fame was extraordinary. His answers to enquiries from the prince appeared in booklets, some of which, though deteriorated, have survived.
Averroes explained the Avicenna’ mental system in a wonderful way. Also he divided into sections the intuitive, rational and instinctive mind, and called them superior mind, middle mind and lower mind. But so much wisdom and clarity created enemies and adversaries. By hatred, bitterness and inferiority, some people became a true gang of enemies.
Almanzor, who succeeded Yusuf in the Caliphate of Cordoba, got carried away by his detractors. He banned the study of philosophy and Averroes was exiled in Lucena.
Lonely and tranquil in his new retirement, Averroes channeled all his efforts toward the achievement of a perfect life and with many disciples that had followed him established a community of Sufis led by Initiates of Fire, which was the seed of a very powerful mystical sect that later included all Mahommedan peoples.
He would sit in meditation at sunset and the sun illuminated his back at dawn.
It was then when he had the beatific vision of the Only Truth and understood that all religions were a facet of the same Truth as he attests in his book entitled “Three Higher Worlds”. Also in those days he wrote the commentary on Galenus’ “Essay on the Fever”. Almanzor remained just a while in the mistake because he thought carefully; then condemned the enemies of this saint, sent for him in his exile, and appointed him Cadi of Seville.
Averroes spent the last years of his life in the study of his favorite sciences, in the practice of medicine and in the fulfillment of his duty.
In the way to Marrakesh in 1198, being sick, His beloved master again appeared to him, this time not to give instructions but to lend a hand and accompany him in the great step.
While Averroes was dying, the fiery lights of twilight drove terrestrial sufferings away with the last radiance of the Supreme Initiation.