M6:2223 — بل ز کشتیهاش کان پند دلست / گویم از کل جزو در کل داخلست

Translation: Nay, rather from His ships, for that is counsel for the heart; I speak of the Whole, wherein the part is contained.

Meaning: Mowlana explicitly states his preference to speak of God's divine guidance and grace, which offers true counsel to the heart, over superficial philosophical discourse. He then articulates the principle that the individual (the part) finds its truth and place by being integrated within the greater Divine reality (the Whole).

In this couplet, Mowlana pointedly shifts his discourse away from mere theological or philosophical debates towards a deeper, more heart-centered inquiry. Earlier, he had delved into the profound nature of illusion (vahm) and fear, staunchly opposing those 'philosophasters' who dismissed all such experiences as baseless figments of imagination. I have consistently stressed that Mowlana, unlike many analytic philosophers of our age, firmly believed that 'no illusion is without reality' (hīch vahmī bī-ḥaqīqat kay būd?) and 'no lie ever gained value without truth' (hīch durōghī qīmat ārad bī-z rāst?). This means that every phantom and falsehood inherently points to a hidden truth or reality, much like a counterfeit coin implicitly affirms the existence of a genuine one.

But Mowlana, with his characteristic dexterity, abruptly changes the subject. He asks: 'Shall I speak of the philosophaster and his idle thoughts? Or of His (God's) ships and oceans?' And immediately answers: 'Nay, rather from His ships, for that is counsel for the heart.' This 'nay' (bal) is, for me, tremendously significant. Mowlana explicitly declares that he has no truck with the 'idle thoughts of the philosophaster,' meaning the sterile and fruitless cogitations of philosophers. He prefers to speak of 'His ships and oceans,' referring to God and His boundless graces. Why? Because this discourse is 'counsel for the heart' (pand-i dil); it offers guidance and admonition to the heart, not just a mere play of words and concepts for the intellect alone.

These 'ships,' in Mowlana's lexicon, are metaphors for the means of divine salvation and guidance in the 'ocean' of life. As he himself explains in the immediate subsequent verses: 'Recognize every saint (walī) as Noah, the shipman / And the company of these people as a storm.' Thus, these ships are the divine saints and men of truth (awliyāʾ) who, like Noah, guide humanity through the storms of existence. Mowlana likens this storm to 'the company of these people' (ṣuḥbat-i īn khalq), meaning the futile and destructive interactions with common folk. He advises us to flee from 'lions and fierce dragons' but to 'beware of your acquaintances and kin,' because they often 'consume your days in encounters' (dar talāqī rōzgārat mī-barand), dragging us into idleness and futility. This perspective of Mowlana on the necessity of choosing companions and guides pervades the entire Mathnawi.

The second hemistich, 'I speak of the Whole, wherein the part is contained,' completes this meaning. The implication is that the human being (the part), in order to find salvation and perfection, must integrate itself into the 'Whole' (the absolute divine reality, or the perfect attributes of the saints who are manifestations of that Whole). This is the very essence of spiritual connection and unity that holds a special place in mysticism. Mowlana himself states elsewhere: 'We are like a reed, and the melody within us is from You / We are like a mountain, and the echo within us is from You.' This signifies that the part derives its existence and actuality from the Whole, and it is only in connection with that Whole that it finds meaning and is saved from wandering and drowning in the 'ocean of its own illusions.' In other words, individual salvation hinges on submitting to the collective guidance of the Divine Whole.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana critiques philosophers for focusing solely on rational matters, neglecting the 'counsel for the heart'.
• Even illusion and falsehood possess roots in a hidden truth; thus, nothing is utterly baseless.
• The 'Divine Ships' in the Mathnawi are a metaphor for the divine saints and spiritual guides who save humanity from the storms of ignorance and delusion.
• Aimless association with common folk and 'acquaintances and kin' constitutes a storm that wastes one's life.
• For salvation and perfection, the individual (the part) must integrate itself into the Divine totality or the guidance of the saints (the Whole).
• Escape from the 'sea of personal illusions' is impossible without relying on a divine 'shipman'.