M6:344 — صورتی را چون بدل ره می‌دهند / از ندامت آخرش ده می‌دهند

Translation: When they give way to a form in the heart, From regret, in the end, they push it away (give it ten). Meaning: This verse describes the common human experience of becoming attached to transient worldly forms and pleasures, which ultimately leads to disillusionment, regret, and the forceful rejection of those very attachments.

This profound verse from the Masnavi offers one of Mevlana's keen insights into the ephemeral nature of human attachments to the 'forms' (صور) and 'appearances' of the world. He states that any form, any shape, any attachment, any pleasure or sweetness that a person, driven by desire, allows into their heart and becomes deeply connected to, will ultimately, after its bitterness and failures become apparent, be met with 'giving it ten' (ده می‌دهند). This phrase, which Mevlana uses repeatedly in the Masnavi, signifies a complete rejection, pushing something away with all ten fingers, dismissing it, ridiculing it, and finally deeming it worthless. The deluded heart ultimately laments: 'I wish I had never pursued this alluring sweetness, so that I would not now be tasting this unfulfilled bitterness.'

This narrative describes the plight of those who are still in the middle of their spiritual journey, lacking firm resolve and genuine sincerity. They are constantly vacillating, making and breaking vows of repentance, taking one step forward and one step back. In Mevlana's view, such individuals are essentially 'treading water' and making no real progress. Mevlana illustrates this condition with the timeless metaphor of the moth and the flame. The moth, from a distance, mistakes the burning fire for 'light' (نور), and driven by the lure of gain and the oblivion of forgetfulness, throws itself into it. Its wings burn, and it retreats, injured and weeping. However, due to its supposed lack of memory—as believed by ancients—it forgets that this was not light, but fire. Again, greed and forgetfulness draw it back to the same fire, and this vicious cycle continues until, if by good fortune the moth escapes complete immolation, it then, with a newly awakened intellect, 'gives ten' to the fire, declaring: 'You are a burner, and you do not illuminate me.'

This verse underscores the pivotal Masnavi concept of 'formlessness' (بی‌صورتی). The human predicament lies in cleaving to 'forms' (صور); forms that are transient and ephemeral, distant from the formless essence of Truth. Every attachment to these forms inevitably leads to suffering and regret, because what is truly essential and the source of all being is liberated from the constraints of forms. This experience of regret and rejection stands in stark contrast to the 'prayer of the self-oblivious' (دعای بی‌خودان) that Mevlana describes elsewhere; a state where the seeker has become annihilated from his self and has transcended even the act of asking or desiring, let alone regretting what was desired.

It is worth noting that biologists and evolutionary theorists have raised questions regarding the moth's behavior and its tendency towards self-immolation in fire, as this behavior is distinctly 'anti-survival' and 'non-evolutionary,' contradicting the principle of 'survival of the fittest.' Such scientific discussions also have their place in understanding the astonishing dimensions of creation and demonstrate how even mystical metaphors can open doors to profound ontological and scientific inquiries.

Key takeaways

• Attachment to worldly pleasures and appearances inevitably leads to regret and rejection.
• The phrase 'giving ten' symbolizes a definitive repudiation of something once eagerly embraced.
• The cycle of repentance and relapse stems from a lack of sincerity and steadfastness on the spiritual path.
• The moth and flame allegory illustrates human susceptibility to deceptive appearances and forgetfulness of their consequences.
• The root of this regret lies in clinging to 'forms' (ṣūrat); whereas liberation is found in connection to the 'formless' (bī-ṣūratī).