M6:161 — از خر عیسی دریغش نیست قند / لیک خر آمد به خلقت که پسند

Translation: For Jesus's donkey, sugar is not withheld; / But it was created as a donkey, to dislike it. Meaning: The generous giver would not deny sugar to even Jesus's donkey, but the donkey's very nature is such that it neither understands nor desires sugar; it seeks straw. The verse points to the inherent incapacity of the recipient to appreciate a valuable gift.

This couplet beautifully illustrates Rumi's profound insight into the distinction between "form" (صورت) and "meaning" (معنا), and the crucial concept of "receptivity" (استعداد دریافت). I have often stressed in my lectures that Rumi, not only in his poetry but in his entire worldview, distinguishes between the shell and the kernel, the outward and the inward.

Prior to this verse, Rumi speaks of "special parrots" and "deep sugar," asking, "How would the dervish of form taste of that charity? It is meaning, not fa'ulun fa'ilat!" (M6:160). His reference is to those who are preoccupied solely with superficialities, whether in life or in understanding texts. Just as a prosodist might only see the meter and rhythm of a poem, missing its profound meaning, some individuals are tethered to forms and structures in life. The "charity" (zakat) of gnosis is the sustenance of meaning, not the mere morsel sought by the dervish of form. This phrase, fa'ulun fa'ilat, alludes to any knowledge or pursuit that remains confined to its external shape, failing to reach its essence and truth.

Rumi then extends this idea with the metaphor of "Jesus's donkey." A generous individual would not withhold sugar from any creature, even a donkey associated with Jesus. The grace and generosity of God are limitless; the sugar of gnosis and guidance is available to all. Yet, the problem lies with the recipient: "But it was created as a donkey, to dislike it." This means the donkey, by its very creation and nature, does not appreciate, recognize, or desire sugar. It seeks straw, not sugar. This is an existential limitation stemming from the recipient's constitution, not from the giver's stinginess. This verse offers a vital lesson on creation and diverse capacities. Every being has its specific capacity and desire. Pure divine gnosis is for those whose "sugar-eating parrot" of the soul has awakened.

Indeed, as I have mentioned before, Rumi applies a similar principle even to Iblis. Iblis's refusal to prostrate before Adam was not merely due to an eternal destiny or a pre-arranged play, but can be understood within the framework of the "cosmic order" (نظام عالم). This "other secret" that Rumi hints at here, unable to fully articulate it, might be precisely this point: that Iblis's creation and disobedience were themselves necessary components of the grand design of existence for the emergence of humanity, the unfolding of divine command and prohibition on earth, and the establishment of good and evil. These religious myths are like dreams reported to us to facilitate deeper self-knowledge. In this view, Iblis's "donkey-ness" – his dislike for the sugar of guidance and gnosis – is not a flaw in divine generosity, but part of the fabric of existence serving greater purposes. The crucial point for us is not to place ourselves in the position of the "donkey" but to awaken the sugar-eating capacities of our souls.

Key takeaways

• The distinction between "form" (صورت) and "meaning" (معنا): Rumi emphasizes the kernel over the shell, the inward over the outward.
• The metaphor of "Jesus's donkey" symbolizes the limitation of "receptivity" (استعداد دریافت), the recipient's inability to appreciate a valuable gift.
• Divine generosity is boundless, but the recipient must possess the capacity and desire to comprehend deep gnosis.
• This verse implicitly refers to Iblis's role in the grand design of creation: his rejection of the sugar of guidance is part of the cosmic order.
• Instead of complaining about worldly imperfections, Rumi invites us to discover the hidden capacities within the human soul.