M6:1587 — بازگونه نعل در ره تا رباط / چشمها را چار کن در احتیاط

Translation: Reverse the horseshoe on the path to the caravanserai; / Make your eyes four in utmost caution. Meaning: This couplet advises extreme caution and a form of spiritual stealth on the mystical path, suggesting one should mislead superficial followers by leaving false tracks, while maintaining intense vigilance oneself.

Mowlana, that grand master of spiritual joy and fervor, here unveils a profound secret of the mystical journey. He has previously stated that 'Laughter lies concealed within tears, / Seek the treasure, O gentle one, in ruins,' and also, 'The taste of joy is in sorrows, but they have lost the track; / They have carried the Water of Life into darkness.' This truth—that the real savor of life is found in sorrow, and treasure in ruins—is not something everyone can grasp. The path to these hidden realities is intricate, demanding both cunning and extreme caution.

The advice to 'reverse the horseshoe on the path to the caravanserai' is precisely this spiritual stratagem. To reverse the shoe means that anyone following your tracks will assume you're headed in one direction, while you are, in fact, moving in the opposite. This is an ingenious device for safeguarding the 'secret' (rāz). Gnosis, as I have often emphasized, is 'secret-knowing' (rāz-shenāsī); it is not merely about solving a mystery. A secret is a hidden reality one must enter into, not just intellectually resolve. Deep spiritual truths, by virtue of 'divine jealousy' (ghayrat-i ilāhī), are not revealed to all. These are rare commodities that should not fall easily into the hands of the unworthy.

Travelers on this 'bloody path' (rāh-i purkhūn)—a path of profound love, not the superficial 'bezm-love'—must mislead spiritual bandits. These bandits might be the heedless, the imitators, or even ignorant pretenders to gnosis, who by following mere appearances, not only fail to reach their destination but may also harm others. This is why the mystic must leave misleading signs, ensuring that only those with inner vision, who have 'made their eyes four,' can discern the true path. 'Making one's eyes four' signifies the utmost alertness, wakefulness, and inner acuity. This is the profound insight that, transcending ordinary senses and discursive reason, perceives realities and is not deceived by appearances.

Thus, this couplet not only speaks of a mystical ploy to mislead the unqualified but also underscores the necessity for the seeker's boundless vigilance on the path. The mystic must be like water, taking the shape of any vessel yet formless in essence; like the wind, which has no form, yet from which all melodies arise. This formlessness and spiritual cunning are requisites of the lover's journey, where appearance is but a veil over essence, and 'narrations' (ḥekāyat) are a cover for 'complaints' (shekāyat), and all this is revealed only to eyes that have 'made themselves four.'

Key takeaways

• Truth often lies beyond appearances and is found where least expected.
• The spiritual path demands extreme caution and vigilance to avoid deception by outward forms.
• The mystic sometimes must deliberately mislead the unworthy to protect spiritual secrets.
• 'Making one's eyes four' symbolizes deep inner insight and acuity, transcending superficial vision.
• The path of love is a perilous one, requiring both wisdom and spiritual cunning.