M6:1798 — جزو ماند و آن خوشی از یاد رفت / بل نرفت آن خفیه شد از پنج و هفت

Translation: The part remained, and that joy departed from memory; / Nay, it did not depart, it became hidden from the five and seven (senses/heavens). Meaning: Every existing component in the world is the result of an initial pleasure or joy; this originating delight is later forgotten or hidden from ordinary perception, yet the component itself persists as a testament to that concealed joy.

Mowlana, in this beyt, posits a profound ontological and epistemological point that, in my view, is rooted in his overarching vision of creation. He previously stated that 'no part grows without pleasure,' meaning the growth and even the genesis of every organ in a human or any living being is the fruit of a pleasure and joy. This pleasure is not merely sensory; it signifies the function and dynamism that contributes to the survival and growth of that part. If an organ remains idle or lacks function, it atrophies; but if it is used, this use itself is the 'pleasure' of that organ and leads to its growth. This reflection by Mowlana, though not from the perspective of modern empirical sciences, astonishingly points to the hidden wisdom in creation. He asserts that this pleasure, which caused the genesis and growth of a part, is forgotten once that part has come into being and endured.

However, this 'forgetting' does not mean annihilation. Mowlana immediately corrects: 'Nay, it did not depart, it became hidden from the five and seven.' This implies that the initial joy has not truly vanished, but has become concealed from the realm of our outward perceptions—our five senses and perhaps seven spheres of intuition. We are 'story-seekers' (افسانه‌جویان), constantly in pursuit of untold narratives. We must look to the 'history of the matter' (سابقهٔ امر) to see how it came into being. The current organ itself does not speak to reveal from which pleasure and wisdom it was born; it is the seeker's task, through contemplation and insight (بصیرت), to uncover this hidden history.

Mowlana provides tangible examples to clarify this point: 'Like summer, from which cotton was born; the cotton remained, summer went from memory.' Cotton is a product of summer. Summer passes and fades from our memory, but the cotton remains. Or, 'the example of ice, born from winter; winter became hidden, and that ice is before us.' Ice comes into existence from winter, and winter departs, but the ice remains before us. This ice is a memento of that 'difficulty' (harsh cold) that led to its existence. Similarly, fruits available to us in December are mementos of summer. All these bear witness that everything we possess today originates from a wise past, whose joys and wisdom have become hidden.

Ultimately, Mowlana declares: 'Thus, every single part of you, O young man, in your body narrates a bounty.' Every atom and every organ of our being tells the story of a hidden bounty and pleasure. They have not grown without purpose or reason. Behind every phenomenon, there has been a wisdom, a cause, and an ultimate goal that brought them into existence. Mowlana, with his unique astuteness and insight, understood this truth without being a physiologist or an embryologist. This perspective sees all existence as teeming with purpose and meaning, leaving no room for accident. Everything that is, is a testament and a sign of a sublime and intelligent origin that remains veiled from us.

Key takeaways

• Every part in existence is the product of an initial pleasure and function.
• This initial joy, once the part has come into being, is forgotten but not destroyed.
• The originating pleasure is hidden from our sensory perceptions, requiring insight to discover.
• Every phenomenon in the world is a 'narrator' of a hidden wisdom and purpose.
• Mowlana views the world as replete with meaning and purpose, not accident.