Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Medicine Persian 980 – 1037 391 quotes

Canon of Medicine was standard text for centuries

Quotes by Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

The human body is a complex and intricate machine, and the physician must understand its workings.

The Canon of Medicine

The physician should be able to communicate effectively with his patients and their families.

The Canon of Medicine

The physician should be a lifelong learner, for medicine is constantly evolving.

The Canon of Medicine

The physician should always act in the best interests of his patients.

The Canon of Medicine

The physician should be a source of hope and comfort to his patients.

The Canon of Medicine

The physician should be a role model for his community.

The Canon of Medicine

The knowledge of the physician is the knowledge of the body, its states, and its diseases.

Letter to a student

Truth is that which is in conformity with reality.

Philosophical correspondence

The soul is not a body, nor is it an accident in a body, but it is a substance.

Letter to a colleague

I have sought knowledge from my youth, and I have found it to be the best companion.

Autobiographical notes

The best way to learn is to teach.

Advice to a student

Medicine is a science by which we learn the states of the human body in health and disease.

Letter to a patron

Do not despair, for despair is the companion of the ignorant.

Letter to a friend in distress

Sleep is a natural state of the body, necessary for its restoration.

Medical observations (private)

The more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know.

Diary entry

Love is the cause of the existence of the world.

Poetic musings (private)

The physician must be a philosopher, for without philosophy, he cannot understand the nature of man.

Letter to a medical student

Seek knowledge, even if it be in China.

Advice to a young scholar

The soul is simple and indivisible.

Metaphysical reflections (private)

Patience is the key to success.

Letter to a struggling student