M1:157 — خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد / جُفته می‌انداخت، صد جا زخم کرد

Translation: The donkey, to remove the thorn from burning and pain, Was kicking, and wounded itself in a hundred places. Meaning: Rumi here illustrates how a donkey, in its pain to dislodge a thorn, kicks out and inadvertently inflicts a hundred more wounds upon itself, symbolizing humanity's often misguided attempts to deal with inner suffering.

This verse, a true gem from the Masnavi, delves deeply into the human psyche and serves as an allegory for our often misguided responses to inner suffering. Rumi, having first described the difficulty of finding a thorn in one's foot, then introduces the image of the donkey which, for the sake of dislodging a thorn embedded under its tail, kicks out in sheer ignorance and from burning pain. But what is the result? Not only does the thorn remain, it penetrates deeper, and the animal, by kicking, wounds itself in a hundred other places. This seemingly simple image contains a profound allusion to the complexity of the human soul.

I am absolutely convinced that Rumi is here imparting a lesson that we encounter repeatedly in our daily lives. When we carry a spiritual pain, a deep sorrow, or as Rumi puts it, a "thorn in the heart," we often, out of unawareness and ignorance, resort to actions that not only fail to soothe the pain but actually intensify it and inflict fresh wounds upon our soul and spirit. Just like this poor donkey who doesn't know how to extract the thorn and only instinctively reacts to the pain.

In the continuation of this story, Rumi highlights the need for a "thorn-extracting physician" (حکیم خارچین); someone who not only diagnoses the pain but knows how to skillfully and delicately remove it. This physician is the same divine healer who seeks to uncover the secret of the ailing slave girl. He must feel her pulse and, by inquiring about her cities and friends, locate the root of her affliction. This sage is, in essence, a profound psychologist and mystic who can connect the apparent pain to its hidden cause.

This allegory tells us that the thorn of the heart cannot be removed with anger, harshness, or ill-considered actions. Such attempts only push the thorn deeper and create new wounds on the body and soul. This is precisely what happens in confronting psychological or spiritual distress; if we lack proper knowledge and insight, we might, through emotional and unreflective reactions, worsen the situation. Rumi asks us to seek the inner and outer "thorn-extractor," someone who, by "touching here and there, kept testing" (دست می‌زد جابجا می‌آزمود), diligently and sensitively searches for the root of the pain. This verse offers a practical lesson in self-knowledge and the correct way to approach human suffering.

Key takeaways

• Unconscious reactions to pain often exacerbate it.
• Inner suffering, if mishandled, inflicts more wounds.
• The need for a 'thorn-extracting physician' (a guide or insight) to locate and remove the root of pain.
• Anger and harshness only drive the thorn of the heart deeper.
• True self-knowledge requires recognizing our misguided responses to suffering.