M6:3669 — در مجاعت پس تو احول دیده‌ای / که یکی را صد هزاران دیده‌ای

Translation: In hunger, you have then become cross-eyed, / That you have seen one thing as hundreds of thousands. Meaning: This verse, using the analogy of hunger and satiety, implies that if one perceives multiplicity, it is due to one's own distorted (cross-eyed) perception; otherwise, reality is singular.

In this and preceding verses, Rumi employs the keen analogy of food and satiety to elucidate the concept of Oneness (Waḥdat). He poses the question: “In hunger, you have then become cross-eyed, / That you have seen one thing as hundreds of thousands.” Prior to this verse, Rumi states, “A hundred thousand varieties of foods, / All are one thing in consideration.” His argument is strikingly simple and profound: all comestibles, despite their diverse appearances, serve a singular purpose—to assuage hunger and bring satiety. If one becomes entirely satiated by even a single one of these foods, their desire for hundreds of other dishes vanishes; they become “cold” towards them in their heart. This satiety from one food testifies that, in essence, all of them were the very same in their function and effect.

Therefore, if someone perceives “one thing” as “hundreds of thousands,” it is not because reality is fundamentally pluralistic, but because that person has become “aḥwal” (cross-eyed or amblyopic). Just as a cross-eyed person sees one object as two, distorting reality, the “aḥwal” soul fails to perceive the underlying unity amidst the world’s multiplicities, thus viewing the cosmos as fragmented and diverse. This “amblyopia” is not a flaw in the world, but a distortion in the beholder’s own perception. The perception of multiplicity is, in fact, an error in the viewer’s apprehension, not a defect in the singular essence of existence.

This profound analogy resonates deeply with Rumi’s core epistemology in the Masnavi: an emphasis on unifying perception and transcending multiplicities. The tranquil souls (nufūs-i muṭmaʾinna), as discussed by Rumi, are those who have traversed the battlefield of inner conflict and multiplicity, achieving inner peace and unity—a peace that mirrors the unity of the Necessary Existent (Wājib al-Wujūd). Such souls are no longer “aḥwal”; rather, they gaze upon the world with a unified vision, seeing but “one door” even when “a hundred books” lie before them. This is the ultimate aim of the spiritual journey: to be freed from the illusion of multiplicity and to arrive at the singular “miḥrāb” (altar/niche) of the Beloved, for all “spikes” of grain arise from “one seed.” This monotheistic vision, expressed here through a tangible analogy from daily life, is the essence of Rumi's perspective on existence and the ultimate goal of the Sufi path.

Key takeaways

• All multiplicities in the world are fundamentally one in their ultimate purpose; only our 'cross-eyed' (amblyopic) vision perceives them as many.
• Spiritual hunger and thirst lead us to see multiplicity instead of unity, causing us to seek numerous superficial satisfactions.
• Seeing unity is a result of inner satiety and contentment; when one is spiritually full, they no longer pursue apparent multiplicities.
• The flaw lies in our perception, not in the world itself. The world is unified, but our distorted gaze fragments it.