M6:244 — سلسلهٔ زرین بدید و غره گشت / ماند در سوراخ چاهی جان ز دشت

Translation: The soul saw a golden chain and became deceived; it remained in a pit's hole, estranged from the plain (of openness). Meaning: This verse warns against the deceptive allure of worldly appearances, which can trap the soul in narrow confines, preventing it from reaching its inherent spaciousness and freedom.

In this verse from the sixth book of the Mathnawi, Rumi unveils a profound psychological truth about humanity's escape from selfhood and free will. Humans, in their flight from the four fundamental anxieties of existence—death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and the responsibility that comes with choice—resort to various forms of self-forgetfulness. This can range from the intoxication of alcohol and distracting music to the immersion in ceaseless activities and tasks designed merely to escape oneself. Rumi calls this apparent existence and its attachments a 'fakh' or 'snare' that turns conscious thought and free will into a 'hell.' The 'golden chain' in this verse is a symbol of these alluring and outwardly ornate snares of the world, which keep humans distant from the vast 'plain' of true awareness and genuine freedom.

I firmly believe that this verse is an excellent example of this escape mechanism. Upon seeing the 'golden chain' (worldly attractions, social prestige, or even superficial relationships), the soul 'became deceived' (غره گشت), meaning it became proud and deluded. This pride and delusion are themselves forms of heedlessness and self-forgetfulness. What is the result of this deception? 'It remained in a pit's hole, estranged from the plain.' The soul, which inherently belongs to the boundless plain of truth, instead of returning to its origin and soaring in the vastness of being, becomes confined in the narrow 'pit's hole.' This pit is a metaphor for the prison or snare that Rumi refers to in other verses; a prison that humans build for themselves by being deceived by the golden appearances.

Rumi vehemently condemns this choice to flee. He states that these preoccupations and intoxications are nothing but idleness. One who thinks they are busy and complains that others prevent them from their work is, in reality, drowned in idleness, wasting their time fruitlessly. This verse follows Rumi's ethical warnings against being fooled by appearances. As he says, 'A rose-faced person can be a serpent. Be careful. Don't be fooled by superficial smiles, and don't be captivated by the 'green garden' they show you.' This 'golden chain' is that deceptive green garden, concealing its serpentine inner nature, ultimately separating the soul in a tight, dark pit from the boundless plain of truth and freedom. The Mathnawi teaches us that true 'self-forgetfulness' (بی‌خودی) lies in 'formlessness' (بی‌صورتی) and annihilation in God, not in these superficial escapes.

Key takeaways

• Humans seek 'self-forgetfulness' (bi-khodi) and heedlessness to escape existential anxieties (death, loneliness, meaninglessness, responsibility).
• The 'golden chain' symbolizes the deceptive allure of worldly attractions that distract the soul from truth.
• To be 'deceived' (ghorreh gashtan) means to be deluded and proud, which is itself a form of self-forgetfulness and a snare for the soul.
• The 'pit's hole' represents the narrowness and limitations of the material world and its attachments, preventing the soul from the vast 'plain' of freedom and truth.
• Apparent busyness and worldly intoxications are, in fact, idleness, wasting one's life unproductively.
• Rumi warns that beautiful appearances can conceal deceptive interiors, trapping the soul.