M6:126 — هر جمادی که کند رو در نبات / از درخت بخت او روید حیات

Translation: Any jamād (inanimate object) that turns its face towards nabāt (vegetation), From the tree of its baḵht (fortune) ḥayāt (life) sprouts forth. Meaning: This verse speaks to the miracle of connection and vivification: how any inanimate matter, by becoming part of a plant, takes on life and undergoes a profound transformation.

This verse emerges from the profound idea that 'bad' can become 'good' if it seeks goodness and joins with it. As Rumi articulates: 'Whatever is bad, if it is placed in the right direction, then it becomes good.' This means that even something seemingly undesirable or inanimate, when set on a path or in service of a superior spirit or life, undergoes transformation and its essence becomes virtuous.

I have emphasized repeatedly that this 'joining' is the miracle of the human world. Separation is the worst catastrophe, but joining is the origin of life. It is precisely like the human sperm, which, though perhaps initially 'foul' or 'malodorous,' gains 'brightness' and life when it joins the soul. This principle applies at every level of existence.

The verse states that any jamād (inanimate object) that turns its face towards nabāt (vegetation), meaning it enters the plant's structure, will find life sprouting from the tree of its fortune. This is a scientific-mystical truth beautifully expressed by Rumi. Atoms and molecules that are inert in the soil – for instance, nitrogen or calcium – when absorbed by plant roots and incorporated into the living body of the vegetation, suddenly become alive. The shadow of the plant's life falls upon them, transforming them from an inanimate to a living state. Conversely, the carbon dioxide released by a plant at night, once separated from the living body, becomes inert again; 'this separation is death.' But joining the plant is life.

This is merely the beginning. When we consume the fruit of that plant, the nabātī (plant) life within it now joins our soul and becomes 'human life.' This hierarchy of life continues to its highest stage: 'Then when the soul turns towards the Beloved, it lays its baggage in endless life.' That is, when the human soul joins the Eternal Beloved or the higher souls of divine saints, it attains eternity, and this is the meaning of resurrection (ma'ād). This joining with the good, with higher ranks, is the eternal spring of life and transformation.

Rumi's perspective here also forms the foundation of his approach to carnal and bodily faculties. Consider the story of the 'stubborn horse' that always moved backward. The king told its owner: 'Wherever you wish to go, just turn the horse's back in that direction. Use its backward movement; you will advance.' This is a key piece of Rumi's advice: do not destroy anything within yourself, but reform it and place it in the correct alignment. Appetitive or irascible faculties should not be eradicated; rather, they must be controlled and put to the service of the spirit and love. The late Allameh Ja'fari often quoted Victor Hugo, saying, 'Do not deprive the spirit of anything; reform it.' This is precisely what must be done with every jamād in relation to nabāt, and with every apparent faculty in relation to the soul and the Beloved.

Key takeaways

• A foundational principle of the Masnavi: anything 'bad' can become 'good' by joining with 'good' and aligning itself with the right path.
• This 'joining' is the miracle of existence and the source of life; conversely, separation is tantamount to death.
• The transformation of inanimate matter into vegetation, and vegetation into human life, exemplifies the various stages of life's evolution through connection with higher, living entities.
• Bodily and carnal faculties should not be eradicated, but rather reformed and placed in the service of the spirit and love, much like using a stubborn horse to reach one's destination.
• Resurrection (ma'ād) and the soul's eternity result from the human soul's joining with the Beloved (Jānān) and higher divine orders.