M6:981 — هر که قلبی را کند انباز کان / وا رود زر تا بکان لامکان

Translation: Whoever takes a plated coin (qalbī) as a partner to the mine (kān), / The gold will return to the mine of placelessness (kān-e lāmakan). Meaning: This verse addresses the ephemerality of counterfeit love and all that lacks true essence, stating that anyone who becomes attached to such phenomena will ultimately regret it, for truth invariably returns to its original, placeless source.

This verse presents one of the most profound teachings of the Masnavi, articulating with consummate eloquence the distinction between truth and illusion, between the genuine and the counterfeit. Mowlana here draws a precise analogy between qalbī (a counterfeit, gold-plated coin) and kān (an authentic, flawless gold mine). The grand error, he suggests, is to equate the superficial, incidental gold of the plated coin with the pure essence of the flawless mine, and to invest one's heart in it.

I am firmly convinced that this metaphor extends beyond finance to encompass love and ontology. The qalbī here symbolizes illusory love, fleeting beauties, and any existence that is borrowed. In contrast, the kān represents the True Beloved, the Divine Origin, and the absolute reality whose existence is unparalleled and infinite. The gold plating of the counterfeit coin is borrowed; it has come from elsewhere. And it is a law of the universe that all borrowed things eventually return to their source.

The phrase kān-e lāmakan (the mine of placelessness) marks the pinnacle of Mowlana's philosophical depth here. Lāmakan, meaning 'placeless,' directly refers to God; to that ultimate Source of being which transcends time and space. True gold originates from this kān-e lāmakan and will ultimately return to it. Consequently, any attachment to that which has fallen away from the kān-e lāmakan and possesses only a gold-plated appearance will lead to nothing but regret and sorrow. This is the fate of the zar (gold) that separates from the qalbī and returns to the kān-e lāmakan, whereupon the copper of ignominy (or the now un-gilded qalbī) stands exposed and hollow.

Mowlana has subtly introduced this point before, in verses such as That beauty returns to its origin and The moon's light too returns to the moon. The ḥusn (beauty) seen in a worldly beloved is like moonlight on a wall: it is borrowed, and will ultimately return to its source, that flawless and placeless mine. The wall without moonlight becomes monstrous (dīv-vār), and the copper without its gold, ignominious. This teaching guides the proper orientation of our hearts and gazes; that we should not be deceived by gilded appearances, but rather fix our eyes on the unrivaled mine of truth. Mowlana ultimately confirms this discussion with a verse attributed to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq: Divine love is the sun of perfection / The command of His light, and creatures are but shadows. Truth is the absolute light, and we are all but shadows; therefore, attaching our hearts to shadows is a grave error.

Key takeaways

• Distinguishing truth from illusion in love and existence is a key to gnosis in the Masnavi.
• The qalbī (plated coin) symbolizes illusory love and borrowed beauties, contrasted with the kān (gold mine) representing pure reality.
• The kān-e lāmakan refers to the divine, placeless origin of all being, to which all truths ultimately return.
• Investing in impermanent and borrowed phenomena inevitably leads to regret and sorrow.
• It is a cosmic law that all borrowed phenomena return to their source; we must fix our gaze on the origin, not the derivative.