as for what the one who has an influence holds fast to in order to follow what his mind calls him to and avoid what his desires call him to the one who is perfect in his ability and who controls himself from grief then there is only one thing which is that the complete rational person does not choose to remain in a state that harms him and for that reason he hastens to consider the cause of the grief that has befallen him. if it is something that can be repelled and removed he makes instead of taking advantage of it thinking about a trick to repel that cause and remove it. if that is possible he takes the place in distraction from it and forgetting it and works to erase it from his mind and remove it from himself. that is because what calls him to remain in taking advantage of it in this state is desire not reason since reason only calls to what brings immediate and deferred benefit and taking advantage of it is something in which there is no attainment at all and no return but rather it contains immediate harm that leads to deferred harm let alone being beneficial. he i mean the complete rational man follows only what reason calls him to do and does not abide except in what he is permitted to abide in for a clear reason and excuse. he does not follow desires nor does he submit to them nor does he approach them in any way that is contrary to that.
فأما ما يعتصم به المؤثر لاتباع ما يدعوه إليه عقله وتجنب ما يدعوه إليه هواه، التام الملكة والضابط لنفسه من الغم فواحدة، وهي أن العاقل الكامل لا يختار المقام على حالة تضره، ومن أجل ذلك يبادر إلى النظر في سبب الغم الوارد عليه. فإن كان مما يمكن دفعه وإزالته جعل بدل الاغتنام فكرا في الحيلة لدفع ذلك السبب وإزالته، وإن كان ذلك فيه أخذ على المكان في التلهي عنه والتناسي له وعمل في محوه عن فكره وإخراجه عن نفسه. وذلك أن الذي يدعوه إلى المقام على الاغتنام في هذه الحالة الهوى لا العقل، إذ العقل لا يدعو إلا إلى ما جلب نفعا عاجلا وآجلا، وكان الاغتنام مما لا درك فيه بتة ولا عائدة منه بل فيه ضرر عاجل يؤدي إلى ضرر آجل فضلا عن أن يكون نافعا. وهو أعني الرجل العاقل الكامل لا يتبع إلا ما دعاه إليه العقل ولا يقيم إلا على ما أطلق له المقام عليه لسبب وعذر واضح، ولا يتبع الهوى ولا ينقاد له ولا يقاربه على خلاف ذلك