“God dwells in the stone, breathes in the plant, dreams in the animal, awakens in Man.”
the quote's conceptual origin traces back to the 13th-century Sufi philosopher and mystic Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165–1240 CE), whose writings on wahdat al-wujud (the unity of being) explore similar ideas of divine presence evolving through natural hierarchies.
Variation | Attributed Author/Source | Key Differences from Original | Contextual Notes |
“God sleeps in the rock, dreams in the plant, stirs in the animal, and awakens in man.” | Ibn Arabi (13th century, Sufi mysticism) | "Sleeps" instead of "dwells"; "stirs" instead of "breathes"; "rock" instead of "stone." | The most widely cited version; reflects Ibn Arabi's idea of divine latency unfolding through creation. Popularized in modern Sufi anthologies. |
“In Creation it appears that God sleeps in the minerals, dreams in the flowers, awakens in the animals, and in man knows that He is awake.” | Paramhansa Yogananda (20th century, Kriya Yoga tradition) | "Sleeps" for "dwells"; "minerals" and "flowers" for "stone" and "plant"; "awakens" shifted to animals, with full realization in man; added "knows that He is awake." | From Yogananda's teachings on cosmic evolution; emphasizes self-realization in humanity. Appears in Autobiography of a Yogi and related works. |
“Consciousness sleeps in the stone, dreams in the plant, awakes in the animal and slowly becomes aware of itself in man.” | Attributed to Pythagoras (6th century BCE, via modern interpretations) or anonymous Neoplatonic sources | "Consciousness" for "God"; "awakes" for "breathes"; "becomes aware" for "awakens"; added "slowly." | Circulates in New Age and psychedelic literature; unverified Pythagorean link, but echoes ancient Greek ideas of nous (mind) in matter. Often debated for scientific accuracy regarding plant sentience. |