M1:1335 — پیش چشمت داشتی شیشهٔ کبود / زان سبب عالم کبودت می‌نمود

Translation: Before your eyes you held a blue-tinted glass; / For that reason, the world appeared blue to you. Meaning: This verse warns that one's preconceptions, biases, or inner intentions act like colored spectacles, distorting or concealing the true nature of the world and preventing the individual from seeing reality as it is.

This verse stands as one of Rumi's most profound epistemological warnings. He states unequivocally that if you hold a blue-tinted glass before your eyes, the entire world will appear blue to you. This analogy extends far beyond a simple visual observation; with it, Rumi establishes an astonishing equivalence between our perception of the world and our internal disposition. I have frequently argued that our will and inner desires exert a tremendous influence, even over our knowledge and understanding. Our research, discoveries, and even the very direction of our scientific endeavors are often shaped by pre-determined intentions and goals that we harbor within ourselves. If we desire to create or achieve something, we seek out information that will lead us to that objective. In essence, our desire and will precede our knowledge. At times, this will is tinged with hatred. The Holy Quran states: "And when God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter recoil with aversion." This aversion prevents true understanding. Whatever reasons you might present to them will be futile; for they do not wish to understand. It is these inner "I don't wants" and "I wants" that shape the course of our lives and even our pursuit of truth. Thus, that blue-tinted glass can sometimes be biases, sometimes self-conceit, sometimes unconscious desires and aversions. Rumi delivers this warning both in the realm of epistemology and ethics. In ethics, many of our judgments about others are nothing but projections of our own flaws. We attribute our own deficiencies to others, and this is the product of the blue glass we wear over our eyes. The remedy is to remove this lens. We must first accuse ourselves, not others. We must cleanse the mind and soul of these superfluities. Self-purification (tahdhīb) and piety (taqwā) are vital not only in religious and ethical sciences but also in natural sciences and in one's relationship with God. For this reason, mystics advised seekers to purify themselves before seeking knowledge. For knowledge built upon an impure self is not truth-revealing; rather, it is a delusion (talbīs), substituting one's own imaginings for reality. Indeed, in Sufism, the seeker is called a 'murīd' – meaning one who works on their own will, purifying, sharpening, and strengthening it. It is this refined will that subsequently guides the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. This cultivation of will is a prerequisite for any genuine cognition.

Key takeaways

• Our perception of the world is a reflection of our inner and mental disposition, not pure reality.
• Inner will and desires (the 'blue glass') directly influence our knowledge and understanding.
• Self-purification and cleansing the mind of superfluities are prerequisites for any true cognition.
• Many of our judgments about others are projections of our own flaws.
• Our inner 'I don't wants' and 'I wants' shape the course of our lives and pursuit of truth.
• Before criticizing the world or others, one must first accuse oneself and remove the inner 'colored spectacles'.