M6:224 — جمله عالم ز اختیار و هست خود / می‌گریزد در سر سرمست خود

Translation: All the world, from its own choice and being, Flees into its intoxicated self.

Meaning: Humanity seeks escape from its conscious awareness, freedom, and the inherent responsibility of existence by retreating into states of heedlessness, intoxication, or busyness.

Mawlana, in this profound couplet and its surrounding verses, presents a deeply psychological and remarkably contemporary observation. He states, "All the world, from its own choice and being, / Flees into its intoxicated self." This is not merely a poetic flourish but a foundational truth about human existence: we all, in various ways, flee from our ikhtiyār (free will, conscious choice), our hastī (conscious being, self-awareness), and our general state of wakefulness.

Why do humans engage in such a flight? Mawlana provides the answer: "All have come to know that this being is a trap; / Optional thought and remembrance are hell." That is, humanity has intuitively grasped that this conscious, self-aware existence, this hastī, is nothing short of a snare. Furthermore, to engage in conscious, volitional thought and contemplation – fekr-o-zekr-e ekhtiyāri – is perceived as a torment, a veritable hell for the human spirit. This realization forms the deepest root of our existential anxieties.

Mawlana identifies two primary methods by which humans attempt to escape this "voluntary hell": "Either through intoxication or through occupation, O discerning one."

1. Flight into Intoxication (Masti): Individuals seek various forms of euphoria and intoxication to temporarily relieve themselves of the burden of conscious awareness. Mawlana notes, "They bear the shame of wine and music," meaning that to escape self-consciousness, they resort to khamr (wine) or zumar (distracting, heedlessness-inducing music). It's crucial to distinguish this from the samaʿ and the reed's lament that Mawlana himself cherished, which elevate the soul; the music he refers to here is that which promotes oblivion and estrangement from the self.

2. Flight into Occupation (Shoghl): The other path is to immerse oneself in incessant work and activity, becoming, as we might say today, a "workaholic." This constant preoccupation serves as a means to forget oneself and to avoid reflecting on one's hastī and ikhtiyār.

I believe Mawlana here touches upon subtle points that resonate powerfully with modern psychoanalysis. Prominent psychoanalysts like Irvin Yalom have explored the four fundamental human anxieties: death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and freedom/responsibility. Mawlana, I contend, not only recognizes these anxieties but offers unique and often superior remedies. For instance, the anxiety of death is mitigated by surrendering to mortality; loneliness is assuaged by perceiving the Beloved's constant presence (we experience separation, but not existential solitude); meaninglessness is cured by the discovery—not fabrication—of life's true purpose; and the anxiety stemming from ikhtiyār and responsibility, the direct subject of this beyt, is alleviated by a deliberate reduction of "power" and the adoption of a simpler lifestyle. This last point is a particularly original insight from Mawlana, rarely found in other philosophical traditions: "Lessen your power," meaning to choose fewer options and a life that does not demand excessive resources or dominance, thereby lightening the burden of responsibility.

Mawlana's discourse on hastī and ikhtiyār is not merely descriptive; it is an invitation to profound introspection. He asks us to pause in this universal flight and, instead of seeking refuge in oblivion, to confront the realities of our existence with open eyes. This is something an experienced and skillful master like Mawlana can unveil better than anyone else, precisely because he delves not into the "Divine Presences" and higher realms, but into the "dark chamber of the human psyche" to illuminate its secrets for us.

Key takeaways

• Humans consciously flee from the burden of their free will and responsibility, perceiving conscious existence as a painful trap.
• This escape from awareness and self-consciousness manifests through intoxication (wine and distracting music) and incessant occupation (workaholism).
• Mawlana's analysis of this flight aligns with modern psychoanalytic discussions on fundamental human anxieties (death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and responsibility), yet offers deeper remedies.
• Unlike mystics who focus on higher realms, Mawlana delves into the 'dark chamber of the human psyche' to elucidate existential human suffering.
• The path to liberation from the anxiety of free will and responsibility involves accepting reality, discovering life's true meaning, and deliberately reducing one's 'power' and options through simple living.