since we have mentioned some of its sentences that are sufficient to achieve the intended meaning of this book i say the mind sees chooses and prefers the best most likely and most suitable thing in the end even if it is burdensome difficult and harsh for the soul at the beginning. as for passion it is the opposite of this meaning for it always chooses and prefers what repels the harmful thing that is in contact with it and is attached to it at that time even if it results in harm without considering what will come after or deliberating about it. an example of that is what we mentioned before when discussing the persistence of passion regarding the case of the boy with conjunctivitis who prefers eating dates and playing in the sun to taking myrobalan cupping and eye medicine. the mind sees its owners pros and cons but passion always sees what he has and is blind to what he is against. an example of that is what a person is blind to of his own faults and sees his few virtues more than they are. therefore the wise person should always suspect his opinion in things that are for him and not against him and think that it is passion and not reason and he should examine it thoroughly before implementing it. the mind sees what is clear with a clear argument and excuse but passion is only convinced and sees with inclination and agreement not with an argument that can be uttered and expressed. it may become attached to something from that point on if it begins to resemble reason but it is a stammering disconnected argument and an excuse that is not clear or obvious. an example of that is the case of lovers and those who have been tempted by drunkenness or bad harmful food and those who follow a doctrine and those who constantly pluck their beards and play around and are infatuated with something on their body. some of these if asked about their excuse for that would not utter anything at all and would not have anything in themselves that could be used as an argument more than an inclination toward that thing and its agreement and a natural illogical love. some of them take and argue and say
ولأنا ذاكرون جملا منه مجزئة كافية لما يراد منه في بلوغ مغزى هذا الكتاب، فأقول إن العقل يرى ويختار ويؤثر الشيء الأفضل الأرجح الأصلح عند العواقب وإن كان على النفس منه في أوائله مؤنه وشدة وصعوبة. وأما الهوى فأنه بالضد من هذا المعنى، وذلك أنه يختار أبدا ويؤثر ما يدفع به الشيء المؤذي المماس الملازق له في وقته ذلك وإن كان يعقب مضرة، من غير نظر فيما يأتي من بعد ولا روية فيه. مثال ذلك ما ذكرنا قبل عند الكلام في زم الهوى من أمر الصبي الرمد المؤثر لأكل التمر واللعب في الشمس على أخذ الهليلج والحجامة ودواء العين. والعقل يرى صاحبه ما له وعليه، فأما الهوى فإنه يرى أبدا ما له ويعمى عما عليه. ومثال ذلك ما يعمى عنه الإنسان من عيوب نفسه ويبصر قليل محاسنه أكثر مما هي. ولذلك ينبغي للعاقل أن يتهم رأيه أبدا في الأشياء التي هي له لا عليه ويظن به أنه هوى لا عقل ويستقصي النظر فيه قبل إمضائه. والعقل يرى ما برى بحجة وعذر واضح، وأما الهوى فإنه إنما يقنع ويرى بالميل والموافقة لا بحجة يمكن أن ينطق بها ويعبر عنها وربما تعلق بشيء منذ ذلك إذا أخذ يتشبه بالعقل، غير أنه حجاج ملجلج منقطع وعذر غير بين ولا واضح. ومثال ذلك حالة العشاق والذين قد أغروا بالسكر أو بطعام رديء ضار وأصحاب المذهب ومن ينتف لحيته دائبا ويعبث ويولع بشيء من بدنه، فإن بعض هؤلاء إذا سئل عن عذره في ذلك لم ينطق بشيء بتة ولا كان عنده في نفسه شيء يمكن أن يحتج به أكثر من ميل إلى ذلك الشيء وموافقته ومحبة طبيعية غير منطقية. وبعضهم يأخذ ويحتج ويقول