M6:1799 — هم‌چو تابستان که از وی پنبه‌زاد / ماند پنبه رفت تابستان ز یاد

Translation: Just as summer from which cotton is born, Cotton remains, but summer is forgotten from memory. Meaning: This verse illustrates how a product that originates from a specific process or a generative, pleasant condition persists, while the original cause and the joy associated with its emergence gradually fade from memory.

This verse emerges within Mawlana's broader assertion that "no part grows without pleasure" (zan-ke bī lazzat narūyad hīch juzw). This is a profound philosophical and biological insight within the Masnavi, indicating that every genesis, every evolution, and every creation in existence springs from an initial joy, vivacity, and pleasure. This particular verse then offers a tangible example to elaborate on this crucial point.

I read this with particular emphasis: The cotton that grows in summer is a product of that summer, born of its light, warmth, and vibrancy. Yet, when summer departs and the cotton remains, few recall its origin or the pleasure from which it emerged. The 'part' remains, but that 'joy' is forgotten. Mawlana, however, immediately adds that "it did not depart, rather it became hidden from the five and seven" (bal na-raft ān, khufiya shod az panj o haft). This means that original joy, that pleasure, that prime source, has not vanished; it has merely become obscured from the five senses and the seven heavens (symbolizing the perceptible world and what is outwardly visible). This is a key insight; it calls upon us to consider the 'antecedent of the matter' (sābeqe-ye amr). We are urged to return to the roots, to discern how this organ, this part, this being, this present existence came into being, and what joys and pleasures accompanied its emergence.

Mawlana does not stop at this single example; he immediately presents others: the ice born of winter (shitā) that persists after winter's departure, or the fruits available in December (dey-māh) that are remnants of summer (seyf dar dey īn samār). All these examples testify that every part of our bodies and every phenomenon in the world is a narrator of a hidden blessing and a forgotten joy. Mawlana's insight here, without access to modern sciences like embryology or physiology, demonstrates his keen, intuitive gaze into the depths of existence, allowing him to grasp the origins and ultimate purposes of phenomena.

This perspective aligns perfectly with Mawlana's overall approach in the Masnavi; he consistently invites us to look beyond mere appearances. The separation spoken of in the Ney-nameh (Reed's Song) is a separation from one's 'origin' (asl-e khwīsh), not merely a geographical location. This 'origin' is something forgotten, yet its hidden presence endures within the existing entity. The task of the mystic and seeker is to rediscover these hidden joys and forgotten beginnings. Thus, the Masnavi is not merely a book of narratives but a guide to uncovering the hidden; much like the reed itself, whose sound is a wail of separation, yet a narrative of the era of reunion.

Key takeaways

• Every entity, every part, and every phenomenon originates and grows from an initial pleasure and joy.
• The joyful sources and primary causes of phenomena are often forgotten over time, even as their products remain.
• What is forgotten is not truly lost; rather, it becomes hidden from outward senses and superficial perceptions.
• Mawlana, with profound and intuitive insight, seeks the roots of phenomena in joy and pleasure, not in determinism or accident.
• The discovery and recognition of the hidden origins and antecedents of beings is a core aim of the spiritual journey.