M6:3705 — زین قدح‌های صور کم‌باش مست / تا نگردی بت‌تراش و بت‌پرست

Translation: Be less intoxicated by these goblets of forms, Lest you become an idol-maker and an idol-worshipper. Meaning: Do not become excessively captivated by the outward forms and appearances of the world, for such obsession will distract you from deeper truths and lead you to idolatrous worship of mere phenomena.

This verse presents one of Rumi's most profound teachings, indeed a cornerstone of mysticism: the distinction between form (ṣūrat) and meaning (ma'nā), and the imperative to transcend the former to reach the latter. The world, as we perceive it, is brimming with 'forms'—everything our eyes see, our ears hear, and our senses grasp. Yet, Rumi asserts, these are but forms of a formless reality. Here, he employs an exquisite metaphor, likening these forms to 'goblets' (qadaḥ) in which a 'wine' has been poured. This wine is the formless truth, the essence or meaning that manifests itself through these outward forms.

I strongly hold that Rumi is telling us that the beauty within a flower does not originate from the flower itself, but rather has manifested in it. Knowledge resides in books and schools, yet it does not come from them. The soul inhabits the body, but it is not of the body. All these are but trustees of an eternal, formless treasury where meanings are held. Our task is to recognize these goblets but not become so intoxicated by them that we lose sight of the 'wine-giver' (bādeh-bakhsh), the ultimate source who poured the wine into these vessels.

This is, in essence, a poetic and mystical rendition of a profound Platonic insight. Plato spoke of 'Forms' or 'Ideas' (Muthūl)—universal, formless realities that exist beyond space and time, of which our perceived world is merely a shadow or a manifestation. Rumi, similarly, argues that the truth of beauty is a formless, absolute meaning that occasionally manifests in a flower, a human being, or a beautiful design. If we remain captivated by these particular forms, we will be deprived of the original, absolute, and formless Beauty. The mystic's quest is to transcend particular and circumscribed beauties to attain Absolute Beauty, which is liberated from all specific forms and limitations.

The core danger Rumi warns against is 'idol-making and idol-worshipping' (bot-tarāshī va bot-parastī). If we remain fixated on forms, mistaking appearance for reality, then these forms become idols, usurping the place of true meaning. This is akin to 'subtle polytheism' (shirk-e khafī), where instead of worshipping the 'Absolute Formless,' we worship its manifestations and expressions. This principle applies not only to spiritual and epistemic matters but to every aspect of our lives; when we become attached to a tool meant to achieve a goal, mistaking it for the goal itself, we fall into the trap of idolatry. The school building and its instruments are forms; formless knowledge is the true meaning. Every form exists to connect us to the formless, and once that formless is attained, the form's role is 'passed over' (gasht tayy)—it has served its purpose and recedes.

Key takeaways

• The appearances of the world (forms) are merely goblets containing formless meanings.
• Excessive captivation with forms prevents one from perceiving deeper truths and leads to idolatry.
• Beauty, knowledge, and soul are formless realities that manifest through physical and apparent forms.
• One must transcend particular and circumscribed beauties to reach absolute, formless Beauty.
• The mystic's aim is to gaze upon the 'wine-giver' (the source of meanings), not merely the goblet (the appearance).
• The order of creation is the manifestation of the formless in forms; forms serve as guides to the formless.