M6:1322 — گفت هر چت دل بخواهد آن بکن / تا رود از جسمت این رنج کهن

Translation: The physician said: "Do whatever your heart desires, So this ancient suffering may leave your body."

Meaning: In the story of the ailing patient and the physician, when no cure remains, the compassionate physician advises the patient to abandon all restrictions and abstinences, to do whatever their heart wishes, so that at least the burden of futile struggle might lift from them.

This verse, arising from the compelling story of the ailing patient and the physician in Book Six of the Masnavi, contains a profound psychological and ontological insight. Rumi speaks through the voice of a physician who, despite all his knowledge and skill, reaches an impasse in treatment; he takes the patient's pulse and realizes that "the hope of his recovery was futile." In such a moment, neither conventional treatments nor advice and abstinence are of any avail. This is where compassion takes on a radical, unexpected form.

The physician, with a unique wisdom, frees the patient from the constraints of "patience and abstinence," advising: "Do whatever your heart desires, so this ancient suffering may leave your body." This counsel, seemingly a surrender and abandonment of the patient, is in reality a cure for a different kind of suffering: the liberation from the bonds of fruitless striving. Rumi employs the term zehir (زهیر), stating: "Lest patience and abstinence become a zehir for you." As Dr. Soroush rightly explains, zehir here does not refer specifically to shortness of breath, but rather to any secondary ailment arising from futile and unproductive efforts to cure what is incurable. Pointless abstinence and patience themselves become an added affliction.

This injunction, of course, is not a general license for everyone in every situation. Rumi parallels this advice with a verse from the Holy Quran: "God Almighty says 'Do what you wish' (اعملوا ما شئتم)." This divine address, as Dr. Soroush emphasizes, is also directed at those "whose water has passed over their heads"; that is, they are in a situation where there is no turning back, or simply, they have no choice but to surrender. In this exceptional circumstance, liberation from futile constraints is not indifference, but the height of compassion. This freedom relieves the burden of futility and offers an opportunity for a different experience of life, even at the brink of the end. It's not a descent into despair, but a dignified surrender.

This wisdom from the Masnavi calls us to a deep understanding of confronting intractable problems. Sometimes, the greatest peace lies not in endless struggle, but in acceptance and the relinquishing of control. The ancient suffering (ranj-i kohan), which can be not only a physical illness but also a psychological burden or an irreparable situation, is somewhat alleviated through this radical acceptance and freedom from external constraints. This move is not despair, but a particular kind of hope: hope for inner peace and living in the moment, free from the pressure of expectations that are no longer feasible. Following this advice, the patient goes "to watch by the riverside" (تماشای لب جو), an image that itself symbolizes finding peace in the simple pleasures of existence when the grander hopes of recovery have faded.

Key takeaways

• Facing incurable suffering, true compassion lies in liberating oneself from futile constraints.
• Sometimes, unproductive efforts for a cure themselves become a 'zehir' (secondary ailment).
• The advice to 'do whatever your heart desires' is not a general license, but a specific decree for those 'whose water has passed over their heads.'
• Peace resides in accepting fate and letting go of endless struggle, not necessarily in overcoming the illness.
• This approach is not despair, but a radical form of hope for inner tranquility and living in the present moment.
• The Masnavi offers a way to confront suffering that extends beyond the reach of conventional treatments.