M6:1123 — چون ببندی شهوتش را از رغیف / سر کند آن شهوت از عقل شریف

Translation: When you restrain its desire from bread (raghīf), That desire will then emerge from the noble intellect. Meaning: Desire, when prevented from fulfilling itself through a lower channel like gluttony, will then express itself through a higher, more refined faculty, such as the intellect.

This verse presents one of Mowlana's most subtle and profound insights regarding the refinement of the self (nafs) and the taming of desires. It is, in essence, his core teaching on the subject. Mowlana here refers to the parable of the backward-moving horse – a horse that moves in reverse rather than forward. Many Sufis and ethical schools of thought held that passions, anger, and other carnal desires must be uprooted and annihilated. However, Mowlana fundamentally disagrees with this perspective, and I, too, share this view. I believe that the soul should not be subjected to cruel surgery, but rather it should be reformed and treated, it should be gardened; as Victor Hugo says in Les Misérables: 'Do not take anything from the soul; reform it.'

A backward-moving horse should not be killed; it must be tamed and utilized for its intended purpose. We merely need to know how. This verse precisely elucidates this point. 'Ragīf' here means a loaf of bread, symbolizing gluttony and physical desires. Mowlana states that when 'you restrain its desire from bread' – meaning, you curb the physical excesses and gluttony – this desire does not vanish. Instead, it resurfaces from another place: 'that desire will then emerge from the noble intellect.'

This is precisely what Western psychoanalysts, notably Freud, term 'sublimation.' It means directing the energy of a desire, which has been relatively suppressed, towards a higher impulse or a more transcendent goal. Mowlana put forward this concept centuries ago with poetic and mystical eloquence. Desire and inclination are forces that can be transferred from one domain to another, thereby changing their quality. The energy previously expended on filling the stomach is now channeled into intellectual contemplation and the pursuit of noble truths.

To further clarify, Mowlana provides the analogy of pruning a tree: 'Like a branch you cut from a tree, strength will then emerge from the fortunate branch.' When you prune away superfluous branches, the tree's energy is redirected to the fruitful branches, strengthening them. These analogies collectively convey a fundamental point: the faculties of the self should not be destroyed, but rather guided and cultivated. One must change the object of desire.

It is here that Mowlana's distinction from certain other schools, including Buddhism, becomes apparent. Buddhism, and even some Sufis (as Sa'di narrates in the Gulistan about a dervish: 'They asked a dervish what his heart desired? He said, that it should desire nothing'), emphasize the negation of desire and longing, viewing desire as the root of suffering. However, Mowlana deems the complete negation of desire impossible and impractical. He says that desire cannot be eliminated, but its direction can be altered. You can turn the 'horse of desire' from the path of the worldly to the 'Uqbā (the afterlife/eternity): 'O Transformer, make its desire for the afterlife.' This means an inclination towards the infinite, towards eternity, and towards all that is permanent. For 'whatever is impermanent is unworthy of attachment.' This perspective of Mowlana offers a realistic yet transcendental approach to self-cultivation.

Key takeaways

• Instincts and psychic forces should not be eradicated; rather, they must be tamed, cultivated, and guided.
• Desire is a psychological energy capable of sublimation and elevation from lower to higher levels.
• Restraining desire from a worldly path (e.g., gluttony) causes this same energy to manifest through a nobler path (e.g., the noble intellect).
• Mowlana, unlike some schools, does not recommend the complete negation of desire; he advocates changing the 'object' of desire.
• Every 'pruning' and adjustment of the self, like cutting superfluous branches, redirects vital energy towards the soul's fortunate and fruitful branches.