M1:273 — هر دو نی خوردند از یک آب‌ْخَور / این یکی خالی و آن پر از شکر

Translation: Both reeds drank from the same water-source; This one remained empty, and that one became full of sugar.

Meaning: This verse clearly demonstrates the profound difference in inner natures despite outward similarities. Two reeds, fed by an identical source, yield entirely different results: one remains barren, while the other becomes sweet and full of blessings.

I firmly believe this verse encapsulates Rumi's central message regarding the distinction between inner realities and outward forms. Rumi has previously used the examples of bees (yielding sting or honey from the same flower) and gazelles (producing dung or pure musk from the same grass and water) to demonstrate how a singular source can produce radically divergent outcomes. Here, he employs the image of two 'reeds' drinking from 'one water-source,' yet one remains 'empty' while the other becomes 'full of sugar.' This, precisely, is the wisdom of discerning inner differences.

This is the mistake many fall into: measuring the deeds of the pure by one's own limited self. Common folk assume that 'we are human, they are human,' and since the outward appearance of eating, sleeping, and living is the same, then the inner realities must also be identical. But this is 'ʿamā,' blindness. Prophets and saints also eat, walk in the marketplaces, but their inner being is a different 'factory'; a factory that transmutes every input into a distinct output.

Just as the Quran states: 'And We send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.' It is one Quran, one word, but for the believer, it is healing and mercy, while for the wrongdoer, it only adds to their ruin. This is akin to a kabob that gives strength to a healthy person but can be deadly for the ill. The water is the same for the two reeds, but the existential capacity and the inner 'factory' of each yield a completely different product. One produces bitterness and emptiness, the other sweetness and blessing.

This is where the importance of 'changing one's nature' becomes clear. As Rumi says elsewhere, if the dung-eating crow desires a long life, it is merely to continue its dung-eating. What is the use of living a thousand years if your nature remains set on consuming impurities? It is better to shorten your life but purify your nature. Imam Sajjad's prayer in the Sahifeh Sajjadieh echoes this sentiment: 'My God, grant me life as long as my life is spent in Your obedience; but if my life becomes a pasture for Satan, then take my soul before Your wrath overtakes me.'

Thus, this verse is not merely a simple analogy, but a profound invitation to self-knowledge and the transformation of one's inner being. What you consume—what you see, hear, and experience—will, depending on the 'factory' of your existence, either turn into avarice and envy or into the love of the One. Appearances can be deceiving; only one with a healthy 'taste' can distinguish sweet water from salty. What does your 'reed' drink in this world, and what product does it yield? Does it turn to sugar, or does it remain empty and barren? This is the infinite difference Rumi emphasizes.

Key takeaways

• The difference in inner natures despite outward similarity: Two beings drawing from the same source yield entirely different results.
• Misjudgment by superficial comparison: The outward sameness of humans should not deceive us into equating their inner realities; prophets and saints possess a different 'factory.'
• The role of the inner 'factory': What you consume or hear is transmuted into virtue or vice depending on your existential capacity and inherent nature.
• The Quran as healing for believers and loss for wrongdoers: Rumi's Quranic example illustrates the disparate outcomes of a singular source.
• The importance of transforming one's nature: A long life with an impure nature is futile; one must purify the inner self to produce sweet results from inputs.
• Self-knowledge and sound discernment: One must know oneself and possess a healthy 'taste' to discern truth behind appearances.