M6:1466 — چونک اصل کارگاه آن نیستیست / که خلا و بی‌نشانست و تهیست

Translation: For the root of the workshop is that nothingness, Which is void and without mark and empty. Meaning: This verse posits that the fundamental ground of all creation and significant work emerges from a space of emptiness, free from pre-existing forms or conditions; where the self is dissolved, the path for the manifestation of truth opens.

This beyt ushers us into one of the deepest insights of the Masnavi: the fundamental workshop of existence is "nothingness" (niyasti). This is akin to what Rumi elsewhere refers to as "formlessness" (bi-surati), which he deems one of the most pivotal insights in the Masnavi. God's workshop, the locus where divine creation and action unfold, resides in this "nothingness" – in the void, the unmarked, the empty.

I have often stressed that this truth applies not only to cosmic creation but also to human endeavors. Every master, to manifest their work, first seeks "nothingness": the painter desires a blank canvas, the architect an unbuilt plot of land, the farmer an unplanted field. This is the self-evident principle that "existence emerges from non-existence." Therefore, you too, O seeker, must become that blank canvas.

This "nothingness" that Rumi speaks of is equivalent to "an'kesār," meaning humility, the breaking of the ego, true subservience, and genuine, not feigned, modesty. It is this humility that shatters the self-regarding and narcissistic ego, making space for the manifestation of truth. As Sa'di, the sweet-tongued poet, put it: "Make the dust a philosopher's stone with your gaze / So that by your reflection, stone turns to gold."

Rumi continues that "the Master of masters, the Self-Sufficient (Ṣamad)" – God – has "nothingness and non-being (lā)" as His workshop. "Wherever this nothingness is greater, there is the work of God and His workshop's pinnacle." This means that the emptier the ground, the more liberated the heart from fixations and attachments, the greater the manifestation and presence of God within it. Hearts emptied of ulterior motives, prejudices, preconceptions, and worldly desires – these become the true workshops of the Divine. Of course, this emptying of the heart is an arduous task, truly the greater jihad (jihād al-akbar). For this struggle, one requires a guide and commander, and must seek aid from God.

This "nothingness," in the stages of spiritual ascent, represents the highest rank. Hence, dervishes surpass all others and lead the way, for they are the ones journeying towards this station of nothingness. This niyasti encompasses broad meanings, from asceticism and detachment from worldly gains to the abandonment of the false self, the attainment of the true self, adornment with divine virtues, remembrance of God, and ultimately, the complete forgetting of everything but God. Just as the reed is an empty vessel ready to receive the breath of the flutist, the seeker too must empty their being for the breath of the Merciful to infuse them, producing a new melody. This formless, unconditioned existence is capable of being the vessel for any form of divine manifestation, much like water taking any shape, or light, colorless in itself, revealing all colors.

Key takeaways

• All creation and significant work originate from "nothingness" (niyasti) and a space devoid of pre-existing forms.
• Emptying the heart of ulterior motives, prejudices, and egoistic attachments is a prerequisite for divine manifestation.
• True humility and the breaking of the ego (an'kesār) are the spiritual equivalents of "nothingness," preparing the ground for God's work.
• The greater the "nothingness" within an individual, the greater their capacity to receive and manifest divine grace and action.
• Dervishes, by virtue of their journey towards the station of "nothingness," are considered pioneers in spiritual ranks.
• This "nothingness" encompasses asceticism and the abandonment of the false self to attain the true, divine self.