M1:301 — وانگه این هر دو ز یک اصلی روان / بر گذر زین هر دو رو تا اصلِ آن

Translation: And know that these two [the bitter and sweet seas, or good and evil] flow from a single origin; So pass beyond these two, and proceed towards that very origin. Meaning: This verse conveys that despite the dualities and mixtures found in the world—such as bitter and sweet, truth and falsehood—all ultimately spring from one singular source. The spiritual seeker's task is to transcend these apparent distinctions and journey back to that undifferentiated, primordial origin.

We live in a world of admixtures. This is a central point in Rumi's understanding of the cosmos; a world where sweetness and bitterness, truth and falsehood, good and evil, are intertwined. In the preceding verse (M1:300), Rumi spoke of "bitter and sweet seas" and immediately alludes to the Quranic verse, «maraja al-baḥrayni yaltaqiyāni baynahumā barzakhun lā yabghiyān» (Ar-Rahman: 19-20). This verse paints a picture of two seas, sweet and salty, flowing side-by-side yet separated by an invisible barrier, never mingling. Both ancient and modern commentators have interpreted these two seas in various ways, from actual geographical phenomena to symbols like Ali and Fatimah from whom Hasan and Husayn emerge. However, for Rumi, this is merely a rhetorical borrowing from the Quran to illuminate a deeper concept: the admixture of reality and illusion, truth and falsehood, in our existence and experience.

As Imam Ali states in the Nahj al-Balagha, if falsehood were presented purely, without any mixture with truth, no one would accept it; and if truth appeared purely, without any blemish, no one would reject it. But alas, our world is neither pure falsehood nor pure truth. Always, «yu’khadhu min hādhā dhightun wa min hādhā dhightun fa-yumzajān»; a handful from one and a handful from the other are mixed, and this is what makes discernment difficult. These admixtures have found their way even into religion, into the history of prophets, and into the interpretation of revelation, where narratives were forged and various interpretations, sometimes sincere and sometimes hypocritical, mingled with the truth.

However, this verse offers a philosophical and mystical solution: "And know that these two flow from a single origin / So pass beyond these two, and proceed towards that very origin." Rumi emphasizes that both of these—good and bad, sweetness and bitterness—ultimately originate from a single «aṣl» (origin). This «aṣl» is the formless, undifferentiated source I discussed in previous sessions; the sea of meaning, which «‘indahu Umm al-Kitāb» (with Him is the Mother of the Book). "Umm al-Kitāb", in Quranic terminology, is the mother and root of the Book, where the fundamental and core truths of the Quran are gathered. Rumi uses this term to refer to the source of all truths and meanings; that place where names and signs are merely indicators of that grand reality.

In this mixed and mingled world, we encounter "genuine gold" and "counterfeit gold", or "fake coin" and "pure coin". The maḥak (touchstone) is the only instrument that can distinguish between the two. Just as impure metals blacken upon the touchstone while gold does not, in the realm of meaning there are inner and epistemological touchstones that can separate truth from falsehood. Yet, this separation is never complete or absolute in this world. Rumi himself states, "These sweet and salty waters are in veins / Flowing through creatures until the trumpet's blast." Meaning, until the Day of Resurrection, these impurities and admixtures will persist. Even the presence of Satan guarantees this lack of purity, for God has given him free rein to deceive. Therefore, expecting "pure truth" or "absolute purity" in this world is impossible and an "unordained provision" (rūzī-yi nanehāde). We can only seek what is "purer" and "less contaminated."

But the ultimate goal is to transcend these dualities. "Pass beyond these two, go to their origin" is an invitation to a gnostic and experiential journey in which the seeker crosses the boundaries of bitterness and sweetness, of apparent good and evil, and of everything that manifests in this world in opposing forms, returning to the one, singular «aṣl». This origin is the root of existence and the source of all being, residing beyond any contradiction or distinction. This means passing from the world of forms to the world of meaning; liberation from the shackles of this and that, and connection to the absolute "He."

Key takeaways

• Our world is an admixture of truth and falsehood, bitterness and sweetness; absolute purity is not found here, and this is part of the divine plan.
• The seeker's goal is to transcend the apparent dualities and contradictions of the world, as both ultimately originate from a single «aṣl» (origin).
• The foundation of being and creation is that undifferentiated «aṣl» and source, which Rumi calls the "sea of meaning, with Him is the Mother of the Book."
• Discerning truth from falsehood requires a spiritual "touchstone" (maḥak) and inner insight, not mere reliance on outward appearances.
• As Satan remains active until the Day of Judgment, impurity and admixture will persist in the world, and one cannot expect "pure truth."
• Our task is to seek what is "purer" and to reach the single root of existence, rather than despairing over the world's admixtures.