M1:1752 — زیر دریا خوشتر آید یا زبر / تیر او دلکش‌تر آید یا سپر

Translation: Is it sweeter to be beneath the sea or upon it? Is His arrow more alluring or a shield? Meaning: This verse speaks to the insatiability of the lover on the path of the Beloved; one who is drowned in God no longer differentiates between states, preferring even the pain and suffering from the Beloved over comfort and protection.

This beyt, a profound utterance from Rumi, speaks to the insatiable nature of the mystic and lover on the path of Truth. I have always maintained that Rumi's ethics are not Aristotelian. The Aristotelian ethics, which advocates the golden mean and moderation, is indeed suitable for human interactions, but in the realm of love and gnosis, this rule holds no sway. Here, contentment is reproached; as Rumi himself says, "Contentment is good everywhere save in love." This is the arena of "Say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge" (Quran 20:114), a perpetual quest for growth and advancement.

The true lover, one who is drowned in the sea of divine gnosis and proximity, no longer cares whether they are "beneath the sea" or "upon it." For them, both states are desirable and alluring. Like a wave in the ocean of existence that is constantly rising and falling, this ebb and flow is the very essence of their life and yearning. This is the insatiability that, even when seated amidst the surging sea of Truth, still "covets a jar of water," meaning they leave no atom of gnosis or love untouched, constantly desiring more.

It goes even further. The lover prefers the Beloved's "arrow" over a "shield." This means that the blows and pains arising from the union and manifestation of Truth are more alluring to them than any form of protection or comfort. This is not out of masochism, but from the intensity of love and the yearning for proximity. In the fire of love, the lover finds pain to be the cure and suffering to be delight. They desire to be in this relationship without mediation, even if the price is injury. This is the station of annihilation in love; a place where the seeker's ego dissolves, and absolute contentment with the Beloved makes them joyful in whatever state they find themselves. This is the pinnacle of courage and fearlessness on the path of spiritual journey, transcending the dualities of pain and comfort, and filling the mystic with all that the Beloved is, in the deep ocean of love.

Key takeaways

• Contentment has no place in the realm of love and gnosis; as Rumi states, "Contentment is good everywhere save in love."
• Rumi's ethics in love differ fundamentally from Aristotelian ethics of the golden mean, rejecting its application.
• The true lover, at any spiritual rank, possesses an insatiable thirst for increasing knowledge and divine proximity.
• For those drowned in Truth, being submerged or upon the sea of existence is equally desirable and preferred.
• The lover even prefers the pain and suffering (His arrow) that comes from the Beloved over comfort and protection (a shield).
• This verse signifies the station of annihilation in love, where the seeker achieves absolute contentment with the Beloved and surrenders completely.