M6:3835 — سر موتوا قبل موت این بود / کز پس مردن غنیمت‌ها رسد

Translation: The secret of 'Die before you die' was this: / That after such a death, spiritual gains and blessings arrive. Meaning: This verse clarifies the meaning of the prophetic tradition 'Die before you die' (Mūtū qabla an tamūtū), teaching that the voluntary death of the ego and pride is the prerequisite for receiving divine treasures and spiritual blessings.

This verse follows Rumi's vital teaching: 'Until you die, you will not conquer.' That is, until you extinguish your ego, you cannot truly master the self or the world. Here, Mawlana alludes to the noble prophetic tradition: 'Die before you die' (Mūtū qabla an tamūtū). This profound utterance is also attributed to Jesus, and it holds a deep secret. I, too, am unequivocally of the view that these teachings spring from humanity's most profound spiritual insights.

The 'death' referred to first is not physical suicide, but a voluntary and self-chosen death, distinct from the second death, which is the compulsory and natural end of life. This elective death signifies letting go of delusions, shedding the false personalities we construct for ourselves, and abandoning states of self-alienation. It is the death of the 'false I.' We must put this illusory 'I' to death so that our 'true self' can come alive, and we can attain the reality of our being. Only through such a death does true life truly begin.

It is after such a death that 'spoils and gains arrive' (ghanīmathā rasad). These are not worldly gains, but spiritual and divine graces and gifts. This point is emphatically reinforced in the very next couplet: 'No other stratagem but death / Will work with God, O trickster.' Here, farhang means 'trick' or 'stratagem.' Mawlana admonishes us, the self-satisfied tricksters perpetually devising schemes and solutions, that the only 'trick' that succeeds with God is to abandon all tricks and to die. This is precisely the subtle Sufi point: 'The trick is to abandon all tricks' (al-ḥīla tark al-ḥīla). For every trick is a sign of the presence of an 'I' that wishes to make decisions, create roles, and assert itself. But in the spiritual path, this 'I' must die for the Divine Presence to manifest.

Key takeaways

• The voluntary death of the ego and pride (the 'false self') is the essential prerequisite for attaining spiritual treasures.
• The tradition 'Die before you die' signifies awakening the 'true self' by extinguishing the 'false I'.
• Access to divine blessings is through relinquishing false notions, illusory personalities, and self-alienation.
• The only 'stratagem' effective in the spiritual journey with God is the abandonment of all tricks and ego-driven machinations; it is absolute surrender.