M6:228 — نفس را زان نیستی وا می‌کشی / زانک بی‌فرمان شد اندر بیهشی

Translation: You draw your self back to that oblivion, For in unconsciousness, it is free from command. Meaning: This verse states that humans willingly lead their ego or conscious self into a state of unconsciousness and intoxication to escape the burdens of responsibility and the imperatives that come with awareness.

This verse, I maintain, is addressed to the human self, not to God, as some have mistakenly interpreted. Here, Mawlana articulates one of his most profound psychoanalytic observations on the nature of humanity: our relentless flight from free will, awareness, and self-consciousness. The question of why humanity flees its own agency and seeks refuge in intoxication or oblivion is, in essence, the foundation of many existential anxieties and psychological malaise, a topic explored by contemporary psychoanalysts like Irvin Yalom. However, the true roots and more authentic remedies for this predicament, in my view, are to be found in the works of a mystic such as Mawlana, rather than in schools of thought that, while seemingly subtle, never truly reach the depths of the human soul.

Man flees from his own existence, from his conscious and volitional being, and seeks refuge in nīstī (oblivion) – that is, in unawareness, heedlessness, and unconsciousness. To accomplish this escape from alertness, one turns to khamr va zumar (wine and distracting music), or plunges into shoghl (work and worldly engagements). This tendency to become a 'workaholic,' this endless occupation with oneself, is nothing but a desperate attempt to avoid seeing oneself, to stop contemplating oneself, and to escape the fundamental anxieties of existence. Mawlana explicitly states: "Everyone knows this existence is a trap / And conscious thought and remembrance are hell.". Our existence, this 'self' that boasts of independence, is like a snare that ensnares us, and our conscious thought and remembrance, as long as it returns to the self, casts us into its hell.

This 'existence' that Mawlana seeks to flee is not merely being in a simple ontological sense, but rather that 'selfhood' which induces intoxication and boasting, stripping away reason and shame. This flight from the 'self' is an attempt to forget our imprisonment within existence. If we draw a comparison with contemporary thought, we can identify four fundamental anxieties that accompany humanity from birth: the anxiety of death, the anxiety of loneliness, the anxiety of life's meaninglessness (nihilism), and finally, the anxiety of free will and responsibility. This last anxiety is what Mawlana alludes to in this verse and the preceding ones. Free will places the burden of responsibility upon human shoulders, and to escape this burden, one desires determinism and casts oneself into the abyss of unconsciousness. This nīstī (oblivion) to which we draw our self is precisely the state of being bī-farmān (without command), which lifts the obligation from our shoulders. Man wishes to be in an unthinking and irresponsible state, for in that condition, he is not subject to judgment or accountability.

Yet, Mawlana considers these solutions fundamentally flawed. These intoxications and preoccupations are nothing but idleness. "Work belongs to one who has become a devotee of God / He cut off from all work for the sake of God's work.". Fleeing from oneself is fleeing from reality and refusing to submit to the truth of death, suffering, and the impermanence of life. This nīstī discussed in the verse is not mystical annihilation; rather, it is an escape from obligation and an immersion in unawareness, so that humanity may be freed from the heavy burden of its own conscious 'command' and responsibility. This approach to anxiety is not only no solution but is the very problem itself, preventing one from discovering life's true meaning.

Key takeaways

• The verse addresses humanity, not God, highlighting man's flight from awareness and agency.
• Humans draw their ego towards oblivion (nīstī) to escape the burden of responsibility and the imperatives of conscious life.
• According to Mawlana, conscious existence and volitional thought are like a hell from which man flees.
• Intoxication, distracting music, and immersion in work are false paths to hide from existential anxieties.
• This 'oblivion' (nīstī) does not signify mystical annihilation, but rather a state of being free from command and obligation through unconsciousness.
• Mawlana considers these 'solutions' not only ineffective but as forms of idleness and a refusal to confront reality.