M6:227 — می‌گریزند از خودی در بیخودی / یا به مستی یا به شغل ای مهتدی

Translation: They flee from selfhood into self-forgetfulness; Either through intoxication or through occupation, O guided one.

Meaning: Mowlana asserts that humans, seeking escape from the heavy burden of their conscious, choosing selves, resort to two main strategies: either they immerse themselves in states of intoxication and heedlessness, or they lose themselves in constant work and occupation.

This couplet, without a doubt, offers a profoundly psychological insight into the human condition. Mowlana here states a fundamental fact about humanity: we flee from our own free will and being; a conscious escape from the responsibility of self-awareness. This is a question prominently explored in modern psychoanalysis, notably by figures such as Irvin Yalom, concerning the roots of human anxieties and discontents, and how they might be cured. Yet, Mowlana's answers are, in many respects, deeper and more original. While mystics like Ibn al-Arabi delved primarily into the five divine presences (ḥaḍarāt al-khams) and the realm of the unseen, Mowlana fearlessly steps into the dark chambers of the human psyche, exploring the intricate corners of the soul. It is here that we find superior remedies for these predicaments.

According to Mowlana, "The entire world, from its free will and selfhood, / Flees into its own intoxicated head." Humans do not wish to be conscious, aware, and endowed with free will; rather, they seek intoxication, unawareness, and lack of choice. To escape self-awareness, "They inflict upon themselves the stigma of wine and music (khamr o zomr)." That is, they turn to intoxicating drinks and various forms of distracting music that induce heedlessness, not the sama' or ney that guides one back to their true origin. Why? Because, "All have understood that this existence is a trap (fakh), / And conscious, willed thought and remembrance is hell." They have experienced that this self-reliant existence, this life, is nothing but a prison; a snare that entraps them. And as long as one remains conscious, pondering and planning, one finds oneself in hell. Thus, the solution they have found is to forget they are in prison; to not see this prison, and to do so, they must not see themselves.

To be explicit: "They flee from selfhood into self-forgetfulness; / Either through intoxication or through occupation, O guided one." This flight takes two primary forms: either through intoxication and unawareness, or through 'occupation'—that is, busying oneself. Mowlana elsewhere equates 'being' (hastī) with 'intoxication' (mastī): "For self-existence brings deep intoxication, / It casts intellect from the head, and shame from the heart." This intoxication is the boasting of existence, the claim of independence that removes intellect. Many of us become, in modern parlance, 'workaholics'; we immerse ourselves so deeply in work that we forget ourselves. This forgetting of self, this avoidance of looking within, is a behavior that, in Mowlana's view, everyone engages in, albeit in different ways.

This flight is a response to four fundamental human anxieties: the anxiety of death, of loneliness, of life's meaninglessness and futility, and of freedom and responsibility. Although Mowlana does not explicitly state these four, his discourse is deeply intertwined with these dilemmas. Especially, the issue of free will and responsibility, arising from human freedom, is anxiety-inducing. A coerced person is not responsible, but a free one is. Many, to escape this anxiety, resort to determinism or succumb to intoxication and unconsciousness. However, Mowlana does not consider these solutions. These 'occupations,' in his view, are 'mere idleness (bīkārī)'; humans invent tasks to lose themselves and remain oblivious to a truly beneficial life. The path to salvation, instead of flight, is surrender to reality: acceptance of death, suffering, and life's impermanence. And regarding free will and responsibility, he offers a unique counsel: reduce your power. The true meaning of contentment (qanāʿat) and simple living (sādeh-zīstī) is precisely this; to live in such a way that one does not need abundant resources and options. By making life small and light, the anxiety arising from freedom and responsibility diminishes. This is a path towards reconciliation with oneself and the world, not an escape from it.

Key takeaways

• Humans inherently flee the burden of free will and self-awareness.
• This escape primarily manifests as either intoxication (inducing heedlessness) or immersion in ceaseless work.
• Mowlana views self-centered 'existence' (hastī) as a trap that turns conscious thought into hell.
• Constant occupation (workaholism) is a form of 'idleness' (bīkārī), designed to forget oneself.
• Mowlana connects this flight to universal anxieties of death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and responsibility.
• The true remedy is not escape, but rather reducing one's power and options through contentment (qanāʿat) and simple living (sādeh-zīstī), thereby lessening the burden of responsibility.