M6:1459 — چون غبار نقش دیدی باد بین / کف چو دیدی قلزم ایجاد بین

Translation: When you saw the dust of forms, also see the wind; When you saw the foam, see the ocean of creation. Meaning: The verse invites us to transcend the fleeting appearances of the world and to behold the hidden origin and meaning-giving truth of existence, which is the very ocean of creation.

This verse encapsulates the core of Rumi's mystical gnosis and, indeed, the very essence of the Masnavi: never linger on the mere appearance or form of phenomena. When you perceive a 'form' (naqsh), which is but dust, know that a hidden 'wind' (bād) has stirred it. And when you observe 'foam' (kaf), which is only a superficial manifestation, grasp that the 'Ocean of Creation' (qulzum-e ījād) surges beneath it.

This profound way of seeing is fundamental to Khurasani Sufism and, at the same time, Rumi's answer to humanity's greatest regret. The regret of the deceased, as alluded to by a prophetic tradition Rumi references, is not 'the grief of death' (hamm-e mawt), but 'the regret of lost opportunities' (hasrat-e fawt). Their sorrow is not for having died, but for having squandered opportunities in life. And in what pursuit were these opportunities wasted? In pausing at 'forms' and failing to see the hidden 'meaning' (ma'nā) beneath them. Humanity, in its lifespan, becomes preoccupied with fantasies and illusions, lingering on the 'foam' of existence rather than swimming in the 'ocean' of meaning.

Rumi calls this state 'doubled vision' (do-bīnī or ahwalī) — seeing multiplicity instead of unity, when in reality, existence is singular, and it is we who project multiplicity onto it. Like the student who saw one glass as two until his master commanded him to pick up a stone and break one, and upon doing so, he saw there was no second glass. This doubled vision causes us to cling to 'forms' and neglect the 'Ocean of Creation'. All 'forms' and 'foam,' however manifold their appearances, arise from a single 'ocean' and return to it. Dust does not rise without wind, and foam cannot stir without the sea.

The path to salvation from this regret, and to the attainment of truth, lies in 'insight' (nazar). Rumi emphasizes: "We are all eyes; the rest is mere skin." The very essence of our being is this 'gazing,' a penetrating and profound vision. This is akin to 'contemplation,' the gaze that leads one to the depths of the cosmos and of oneself. This is not merely seeing with the outer eye, but with the inner eye; when gnostics apply kohl to their eyes so that their narrow stream-like vision transforms into an ocean. This vision, much like the Quranic command to 'look at one's food,' must transcend mere pleasure to penetrate the depths of its being, its origin, and its function. It is this 'insight' that shapes the human being and serves him, whereas the rest of his body is merely inert 'fat and flesh' (shahm o lahm).

In a similar vein, 'death' in Rumi's view is not merely physical demise, but the 'abandonment of attachments' (tark-e ta'alluqāt) and the 'letting go of superfluities' (rahā kardan-e zavā'ed). This is a death that is the 'treasury of all fortune,' for it frees one from clinging to 'forms' and 'foam,' leading them towards the 'Ocean of Creation.' In this perspective, 'separation' is never 'loneliness,' for the 'Ocean of Creation' is ever-present, and "every day He is in a new state" (kullu yawmin huwa fī sha'n). It is we who are heedless and distant from its ceaseless presence, not that the truth has hidden itself. It is our duty, through penetrating insight, to pass from the foam to the ocean, and from the dust to the wind, and thus rediscover our connection with that formless, boundless principle of being.

Key takeaways

• Look beyond the fleeting appearances of the world to behold the inner reality of existence.
• Every form and superficial manifestation has a hidden cause and a deeper meaning.
• The 'Ocean of Creation' is the underlying, boundless truth of all phenomena.
• Humanity's deepest regret stems from neglecting true meaning and lingering on appearances.
• True vision transcends 'doubled vision' (ahwalī) which perceives multiplicity instead of unity.
• Attaining the 'authentic self' and freedom from the 'false self' depends on shedding attachments and reaching this Ocean of meaning.