M6:3157 — آن ستارهٔ نحس هست اندر سما / هم بدان سو بایدش کردن دوا

Translation: That ill-omened star is still in the sky; / Its remedy, too, must be directed towards that (original) realm. Meaning: The ill-omened star whose reflection we see in the water is actually in the sky. To remedy its ill-omen, one must direct attention to its true source in the heavens, not to its mere reflection in the terrestrial world.

This verse emerges from the famous tale of the lion and the rabbit, where the deceived lion sees its own reflection in the well, mistakes it for another lion, and attacks it. Rumi utilizes this narrative as a profound lesson in the psychology of projection and the metaphysics of form and meaning.

I contend that Rumi, here, is telling us that many of the flaws and imperfections we perceive in the world or in others are, in fact, reflections of our own inner state. Just as the lion saw its own image in the water and believed it to be another, we often project our own blemishes onto others. This world of forms serves as a mirror, showing us what resides within ourselves. Rumi explicitly states: “Your ugly character appeared to you in him / For he was the polished surface of your mirror.”

The verse in question extends this point through the metaphor of an ill-omened star. If we perceive an “ill-omened star” in the water and are disturbed by its misfortune, the solution is not to cast dirt upon the water to obscure the image. Such an act is futile and unproductive. Why? Because “That ill-omened star is still in the sky.” Meaning, the star itself, which is the source of the ill-omen (if one believes in such a thing), is in the celestial realm, not merely in its reflection in the water. The remedy (davā) must be directed towards its origin and source. This material world of forms is but a shadow of the truth; attacking the shadow will never alter the original.

Rumi goes even further, advising us to turn our gaze from the “su” (direction, location) to the “bī-su” (the placeless beyond). That is, even if we grant the existence of an ill-omened star deriving its misfortune from the celestial realm, one must still bind the heart to the ultimate source of all fortune and misfortune, to that placeless realm. Every phenomenon in this world, be it good or evil, beauty or wrath, is a manifestation and a reflection of Divine Attributes. The wrath and animosity we witness in this world are a reflection of Divine Attributes of Might (qahr), while generosity and grace are a reflection of His Attributes of Beauty (jamāl). Therefore, for genuine healing, one must refer back to the origin and source of all things, to that transcendent placelessness. This is not merely a moral lesson on projection, but a deep metaphysical instruction on the nature of existence and the path to rectifying its perceived distortions. One must, as Rumi implores, “cultivate the practice of seeing the origin, O distorted perceiver.”

Key takeaways

• Our perception of the world is a reflection of our inner state; many perceived flaws stem from self-projection.
• True remedy lies in confronting the origin of phenomena, not in manipulating or obscuring their shadows and reflections.
• The world of forms acts as a mirror, revealing what lies within us; therefore, instead of blaming the mirror, one must mend oneself.
• To address misfortune (or any flaw), one must connect the heart to the “Bī-su” (the placeless realm) and seek remedy from the ultimate source, beyond the world of forms.