M1:2482 — یا نه اینست و نه آن حیرانیست / گنج باید جست این ویرانیست

Translation: Or it is neither this nor that, it is sheer bewilderment; One must seek the treasure, for this [apparent world] is desolation.

Meaning: This verse suggests that ultimate truth often transcends our dualistic conceptions, leading to a state of profound bewilderment. It urges us not to be content with the apparent desolation of the world but to seek the hidden treasure of reality.

This verse is one of the pivotal couplets in the Mathnavi, lifting the veil from the enigmatic nature of truth and delineating the human quest. Here, Rumi adamantly declares that truth is sometimes 'neither this nor that,' meaning it transcends the dualistic and logical frameworks of our minds. This is the 'bewilderment' (ḥeyrat) where reason halts, and language fails. This bewilderment is not ignorance but the zenith of gnosis, where the hidden treasure eludes any conceptual formulation.

I have often stated that religions and mysticism are fundamentally built upon 'secrets' (rāz). If we strip them of their secrets, only dry, exoteric rituals remain. These secrets are not merely unknowns; they are truths that stand beyond definition and concept. Recall the biblical and Quranic narrative where Moses asks God, 'Who are You who speaks to me?' and the answer comes, 'I am who I am' (ʾehye ʾašer ʾehye). This is the height of mystery; no description, no form, no concept can contain it. It is this formless truth that evokes bewilderment within us—a bewilderment stemming not from weakness but from existential spaciousness. This verse of Rumi also points to this formlessness of truth, which is free from the constraints of 'this' and 'that.'

Yet, Rumi does not abandon humanity in this state of bewilderment. Immediately, he says: 'One must seek the treasure, for this is desolation.' The apparent world, with all its contradictions and limitations, is nothing more than desolation. This desolation can refer to the material world, ephemeral attachments, or even our limited minds incapable of grasping the secret. This desolation is precisely where the treasure is hidden, and one must actively seek it. The treasure is the unveiled knowledge, the 'arrival and certainty' (wuṣūl wa yaqīn) that the Mathnavi promises. 'Knowing secrets' (rāzdānī), in my interpretation, is an 'existential openness' (goshūdegī-ye wujūdī); one expands, gaining new eyes and new ears to hear these secrets and find the treasure within this desolation.

This emphasis on the hidden nature of the treasure and the necessity of seeking it carries a profound implication: sometimes, secrets must remain hidden. Their premature revelation, or their revelation to the unworthy, can be devastating. As Rumi himself states: 'The secret is hidden in the highs and lows; if I reveal it, I will shatter the world.' This desolation we observe in the world might be due to the very hiding of these secrets, and if revealed, the order governing the world would collapse. This does not mean we should not seek it; rather, we must approach it with capacity and existential openness, recognizing that this world persists precisely through the 'distance' and 'absence' of certain secrets. For this reason, one must not settle for desolation; one must seek the treasure, a treasure embedded within these very appearances, accessible only with new eyes and vigilant ears.

Key takeaways

• Ultimate truth often transcends our dualistic rationalities, evoking bewilderment rather than definition.
• The apparent world, with all its imperfections and chaos, is a desolation where one must not linger.
• The true treasure is unveiled knowledge and certainty, hidden within this very desolation, and must be actively sought.
• Knowing secrets requires 'existential openness'; an inner capacity that allows one to grasp truth beyond limited concepts.
• Some secrets must remain hidden to preserve cosmic order, but this concealment does not negate their existence or the necessity of seeking them.
• Rumi encourages humanity to transcend appearances and attain inner reality, where the formlessness of truth is manifested.