M6:3425 — هم ز لطف و عکس آب با شرف / پرده شد بر روی آب اجزای کف

Translation: From the grace and reflection of the noble water, The parts of foam became a veil upon the water.

Meaning: This verse likens the body to foam appearing on water, and the soul to the noble water itself. It suggests that the apparent duality of body and soul is merely a single manifestation, where the body is but a foamed-up expression of the soul.

In this verse, and the one immediately following it (M6:3426), Mawlana offers a profound image of the relationship between soul and body. He posits that soul and body should not be considered as two distinct and alien entities, but rather that the body is a manifestation and expression of the soul. Just as foam appears on the surface of water, yet in essence is nothing but the water itself, so too is the body to the soul. Foam consists of air bubbles trapped within a thin layer of water; thus, foam is verily water, merely in a different guise.

I find this analogy exceptionally precise and brilliant. This body of ours, as Mawlana describes it, is the very soul that has 'foamed up' and taken the shape of a body. Thus, our entire existence is spirit, and these hands, feet, brain, and heart, which appear material, are all manifestations of that singular soul. This resonates with the concept of bi-surati (formlessness), for which water is a prime symbol, capable of adopting and creating forms. The formless soul, in the world of forms, manifests as the body. Therefore, the soul is the origin (asl), and the body its derivative (farʿ); it is not that the soul is imprisoned within the body, but rather that the body expresses the soul.

However, this 'foam' and this body have two essential functions in relation to the soul: first, it is a 'veil' (hijab), an impediment to the direct perception of the soul; and second, it is an 'instrument' (abzar) in its hand. Just as my hand is an instrument for my will, and my brain an instrument for my soul's thought, and my eye an instrument for seeing, the soul operates through these tools. Yet, the soul itself transcends these instruments and perceives and expresses itself through them. So the body is not a prison for the soul, but its manifestation, its veil, and its tool.

Through this metaphor, Mawlana establishes an intrinsic unity between the outer and inner worlds. The discussion of spatially locating the soul within the body becomes meaningless, for the relationship between soul and body is not a spatial one; rather, the soul pervades the entire realm of the body. This perspective on existence aligns with certain contemporary philosophical theories that posit a form of panpsychism, or animism, in the universe—seeing all of existence as possessing some form of consciousness. Mawlana, centuries ago, articulated the essence of the cosmos, viewing outward forms as merely foam on the sea of the soul.

Key takeaways

• The body is a foamed-up manifestation of the soul, not an independent or alien entity.
• The relationship between soul and body is one of origin (asl) and derivative (farʿ); the soul is the origin, and the body its derivative, not that the soul is imprisoned within the body.
• The metaphor of water and foam clearly illustrates the essential unity of soul and body; foam is nothing other than water.
• The body serves both as a veil for the soul, making direct perception challenging, and as an instrument for the soul to manifest and act in the visible world.
• This insight points to the formlessness of the soul, which takes on various forms, including the body, in the world of phenomena.