M6:2271 — چشمهٔ راحت بریشان شد حرام / می‌خورند از زهر قاتل جام‌جام

Translation: The spring of comfort became forbidden to them; / They drink from deadly poison, cup after cup.

Meaning: This verse speaks of those who have lost sight of the true spring of life and comfort, unknowingly living in suffering and perdition, mistaking deadly poison for the elixir of life.

This couplet from Rumi presents a striking and profound image of human beings who have deprived themselves of the essence of true life. I have often said that Rumi divides life into two categories: one is suffering without discovery, and the other is the treasure found within purposeful struggles. Those of whom Rumi speaks here fall precisely into the first category. The clear spring of divine mercy, the source of true solace and life, has become forbidden to them. Not because God has prohibited it, but because they themselves have turned away.

This is precisely what Rumi states elsewhere: “To desire aught but God from God, / Seems increase, but is absolute decrease.” In their pursuit of worldly desires and things other than the Truth, people imagine they are adding to their lives, to their possessions and status. Yet, in reality, they are diminishing the very essence of their being, becoming lean, worn out, and consumed. True life is not spent in these fruitless toils, but in the presence of the Beloved, living with love and purpose. One who is oblivious to the true treasure spends their entire life in futile suffering, mistaking this constant struggle for actual living.

This heedlessness progresses to such an extent that they are not only deprived of the spring of mercy, but actively endeavor to fill these springs with “dirt” and make them forbidden to others as well. But Rumi subsequently clarifies that this “spring aided by the sea” will never be choked or muddied by these handfuls of dirt. This boundless mercy is eternal and ever-flowing, whether people turn towards it or not.

This verse also points to the inversion of people’s nature and taste. People whose discernment has been altered due to heedlessness and enslavement to worldly attachments; they perceive delicious things as foul and drink deadly poison instead of the water of life. This “dirt-eating” in contrast to “water-drinking” is precisely the deviation of human nature from the disposition of the prophets. Indeed, these people “take the dragon as their pillow,” meaning instead of relying on truth and the path to salvation, they gravitate towards the most destructive things. This departure from the prophetic disposition is a sign of a deep spiritual illness, in which intimacy with God, detachment from worldly concerns, patience, and forbearance are lost, giving way to strife, heedlessness, and abasement before creation.

Key takeaways

• Many humans mistake futile suffering for true life, spending their existence in it.
• Desiring anything but God from God is an illusion of gain, but in reality, it's a diminishment of one's essence.
• The spring of divine mercy, even if humans turn away or try to block it, will never dry up and remains eternally flowing.
• The nature and taste of the heedless are inverted; they abandon the water of life and drink deadly poison.