M6:1879 — که استخوان و اجزاء سرگین هم‌چو نان / نقل زاغان آمدست اندر جهان

Translation: That bones and fragments of dung, like bread, Have become the sustenance of crows in the world.

Meaning: This verse illustrates that crows, by their nature, consume bones and excrement as their food. Rumi uses this metaphor to convey that every being, including humans, gravitates towards that which is commensurate with its inner essence and disposition.

In this verse, Rumi points to a profound mystical and ethical truth: that every creature finds and seeks sustenance appropriate to its own nature. This statement follows a Quranic verse and one of Rumi's own couplets that speaks of "the prey is near, and you have shot far." This signifies that the prey of truth, ever-present within you and not outside, is often overlooked as you cast the arrow of knowledge into distant realms.

I have often emphasized that the entire issue, throughout the Masnavi and indeed all of Sufism and mysticism, is precisely what Hafez articulates: "You are your own veil, Hafez, rise from the midst." The veil is internal, not external. This verse, then, illuminates the nature of this inner veil. Rumi uses the crow as an analogy to clarify this meaning. He says that in this world, the crow finds dung to be its food. It does not seek out exquisite and delightful sustenance; it has no inclination for such. Its nature draws it towards impurity, and for it, "dung is like bread" — meaning what is repugnant to others is desirable food for the crow.

This is a universal principle: every creature finds its appropriate provision (rizq). Rumi further elaborates on this concept in another couplet: "Even if I fill the world with hidden pearls, / What can I do if they are not your share?" This means that even if the finest gems of wisdom and spirituality abound in the world, if one's inner disposition (ṭīnat) is not prepared to receive them, those gems will be of no use. Just as "where is the sugar of wisdom, and where is the crow?" The crow lacks the capacity to comprehend and taste the sugar of wisdom, for its inner palate has grown accustomed to the "worm of dung."

This analogy is not merely about physical sustenance; it points to the nourishment of the soul. Individuals whose inner being inclines towards baseness will seek out trivial and contemptible matters even amidst the loftiest knowledge and truths. Just as a "worthless man" (mard-e ghor) is unfit for the "struggle against the self" (ghazv-e nafs), so too are "incense and musk," symbols of purity and spirituality, incompatible with the "donkey's ass," a symbol of defilement. Our choices and inclinations reflect the quality of our inner being and our primordial nature. The path to truth is near, yet our own internal veil prevents us from seeing it, drawing us towards metaphorical "dung" while true "bread" is within our reach. This is a statement on "spiritual economics"; that everyone harvests their sustenance from their own kind.

Key takeaways

• One's spiritual sustenance aligns with their inner disposition and essential nature.
• What a person seeks and gravitates towards reveals their innermost truth.
• Just as crows feed on dung, base hearts incline toward trivialities instead of wisdom.
• Rumi utilizes animal metaphors to elucidate profound psychological and mystical truths.
• Our internal veil (the baseness of our nature) prevents us from perceiving and absorbing higher wisdom, even when truth is near.