M6:1464 — در میان این دو فرقی بی‌شمار / سرمه جو والله اعلم بالسرار

Translation: Between these two modes of vision, there are countless differences; So, seek the collyrium, for God knows best the secrets of the dark night.

Meaning: This verse distinguishes between superficial perception and profound insight, urging the seeker to acquire spiritual discernment. It suggests that true understanding lies hidden in the deepest, most obscure realities, known fully only to God.

We are called to gaze deeply into our own being and the cosmos. As Mowlana profoundly states, "We are all eyes; the rest is mere skin." This implies that the very essence of our existence lies in this act of seeing and contemplating. This seeing is what philosophy and mysticism term 'contemplation' — a precise and penetrating gaze into the depths of creation and the human spirit. A person who lives with open eyes scrutinizes even their 'sustenance,' not just its immediate pleasure, but its origins, its lawfulness, and its effect on both body and soul. Beyond that, one must also examine the intellectual and spiritual nourishment they consume.

Mowlana, in Book Six, beautifully says: "Mystics possess a collyrium; seek it, / So this river-like eye may become a sea." This means our limited, river-like eyes must transform into an ocean of insight, capable of embracing the vastness of truth. Sohrab Sepehri, with a similar profound understanding, declares: "We are nothing, we are gaze." This gaze, whether through outward senses or inner intuition, shapes and enriches our very being.

Returning to the current couplet, Mowlana explains that visions differ: "One gaze sees two cubits of the path; / Another gaze saw both worlds and the King's face." Some perceive only the most superficial matters, perhaps just two steps ahead. Yet, there are eyes that see beyond the visible, discerning both worlds and even the "face of the King," the divine countenance. "Between these two, there are countless differences"; these two modes of vision are worlds apart. The secret to attaining that profound insight lies in seeking the "collyrium"—the spiritual kohl that mystics apply to their eyes, transforming their narrow stream of perception into a vast ocean.

The verse concludes with "And God knows best the secrets of the dark night (sarār)." The term "sarār" here refers to the last night of the month, a time of absolute darkness. This darkness symbolizes the deep hiddenness and obscurity of existence's most profound secrets and of ignorance itself. Thus, the meaning is: O seeker, seek this collyrium of insight, and know that God is most aware of the most profound darknesses and the most hidden secrets. This phrase is an acknowledgment of human inability to fully grasp truths without divine aid, and it points to the existence of realities known only to God.

But from where does this collyrium of insight and this penetrating gaze originate? Immediately following this verse, Mowlana refers to the "sea of non-being" (bahr-i niyastī). He states: "Since you heard the explanation of the sea of non-being, / Strive always to stand upon this sea." This 'non-being' is the emptiness, the void, the namelessness that constitutes the "original workshop" of truth. Just as a painter works on a blank canvas, or a farmer sows seeds in unplowed land, "All masters, to manifest their work, / Seek non-being and a place of humility (inkisār)." For true creation and action, the ground must be empty, and that space is 'non-being' and 'humility'—the breaking of the ego.

"The Master of masters, the Self-Sufficient (Samad)," God Himself, "His workshop is non-being and nothingness." This is a profound mystical point: wherever this non-being and emptiness are greater, there is the workshop of God and the place of divine manifestation. This non-being does not signify absolute void, but rather liberation from the false self, from preconceptions, from pride, and from worldly attachments. This is why, "Since non-being is the highest rank, / The dervishes have surpassed everyone." Dervishes, who tread the path toward this non-being and emptying themselves of all but God, take precedence over all others, for this is the highest station one can attain, preparing oneself to receive divine grace. The collyrium of insight, in truth, is the collyrium of non-being.

Key takeaways

• True seeing, or 'contemplation' (naẓar), is the essence of human existence, transcending superficial pleasures.
• There are countless differences between superficial vision that sees only appearances and profound vision that perceives the 'face of the King' and both worlds.
• To achieve deep insight, one must seek the 'collyrium of insight,' which transforms a narrow, river-like eye into a vast ocean of perception.
• The term 'sarār' symbolizes absolute darkness and the most hidden secrets of existence, known only to God.
• The origin of insight and the workshop of truth's creation lie in 'non-being' (niyastī) and emptying oneself of the false ego and worldly attachments.
• Dervishes, by treading the path of non-being, prepare themselves for the manifestation of divine grace, thereby surpassing others in this spiritual journey.