M6:1369 — جست بنا موضعی ناساخته / گشته ویران سقفها انداخته

Translation: The builder sought a plot unbuilt, Its roofs ruined, thrown down. Meaning: This verse illustrates that all acts of creation and enterprise arise from a state of "absence" or lack; a builder, for instance, requires an untouched or ruined plot of land to begin construction.

This verse, which I consider truly pivotal, serves to elucidate one of the Masnavi's most profound concepts: the nature of "absence" (نیستی) and its function in existence and creation. Here, Rumi employs a remarkably subtle stratagem, aiming to familiarize us with "absence" itself. He posits that every artisan, every entrepreneur, anyone intending to create something, is in fact engaged in a quest for "non-being" or "lack."

Observe what a builder does to construct a building. He seeks an "unbuilt plot"; land where nothing has yet been erected. Or perhaps a land that "has become ruined, its roofs thrown down"; meaning, a place where what once was has vanished, yielding to non-existence so that space for a new existence can be made available. This is precisely the same logic that leads a water-carrier to seek a pitcher "that has no water" or a carpenter to a house "that has no door." All these endeavors are a pursuit of an "absence" (عدم) to transform it into "presence" (وجود).

Rumi here employs a "subtle trick" (حیلت لطیف). He knows that we humans naturally recoil from "absence" and "non-being," especially the kind of non-being associated with Sufi poverty (فقر صوفیانه) or gnostic annihilation (فنای عارفانه). But by presenting these tangible examples from daily life, in which we all unconsciously seek "absence" to gain profit or create something, he seeks to soften this aversion. He intends to make us realize how familiar we actually are with "nothingness." He, in essence, builds a bridge from "the absence of potential" (like an unbuilt plot) to "mystical absence" (annihilation), demonstrating how our beings, our capabilities, and our capacities are initially empty and like "beggars," and it is divine generosity (جود الهی) that fills them. This verse ultimately serves as a prelude to accepting that the capital and genesis of every existence lie within the heart of nothingness, and for any creativity and growth, an empty or ruined place must first be found.

Key takeaways

• Creation and innovation invariably begin from a state of "absence" or lack.
• A builder requires unbuilt or ruined land for construction; this is a cosmic principle.
• Rumi uses everyday examples to draw the audience towards the deeper concepts of "absence" and "Sufi annihilation."
• This verse illustrates that the pursuit of "nothingness" is not only inevitable but a prerequisite for any new "being."
• Rumi employs a "subtle trick" to familiarize us with the dual nature of absence and existence.