M6:1416 — چون ز بی‌صبری قرین غیر شد / در فراقش پر غم و بی‌خیر شد

Translation: When, due to impatience, the companion became a stranger, In separation from it, [the self] became full of grief and devoid of good. Meaning: This verse describes how a lack of patience and proper understanding of one's physical body can turn it into an alien companion, leading the soul to be filled with sorrow and deprived of spiritual blessing.

Here, I point to a crucial insight Mowlana expresses in this verse and the preceding discussion. Our life is a journey in which, willingly or unwillingly, we are accompanied by various companions. Some are good companions, and some are bad. Patience and forbearance in the face of a bad companion are not merely moral virtues, but a path to the refinement and training of the soul. This world does not always turn as we wish, and we will inevitably encounter undesirable travel companions.

However, the point Mowlana delves into more profoundly here is our inner bad companion: the "body" (badan). This very earthly vessel of ours is a difficult companion allotted to us on the journey of life. We cannot discard it, nor can we treat it harshly, even if it sometimes obstructs the path and desires of the soul. Impatience and a lack of forbearance towards the body's demands and limitations cause this "companion to become an other" (qarīn ghayr shud); that is, the body ceases to be a companion and a means, transforming instead into an alien, an obstacle, and a rival to the soul.

The consequence of this impatience and hostile view of the body is to become "filled with grief and devoid of good" (pur gham-o bī-khayr shud). This means that when the soul cannot achieve peace and harmony with its own body and patiently endure it, it is in fact deprived of the blessings and goodness inherent even in this difficult relationship, and a deep sorrow overtakes it. This separation is not of the existentialist "loneliness" (tanhāʾī) type, which stems from the absence of an other; rather, it is a separation resulting from our own mismanagement and lack of wisdom in dealing with this ever-present companion. For the soul to achieve refinement, it must tolerate this difficult companion, seeing it as an opportunity to test its own good temper and forbearance. The failure to do so not only blocks the path to goodness but plunges the soul into a deep grief from which there is no escape, except by returning to patience and wisdom.

Here, Mowlana teaches us that complaining about the body is meaningless; one must accept it and utilize it within the sphere of one's own spiritual discipline. The grief spoken of in this verse is of the kind that arises from misunderstanding and misguided action, not the noble "sorrow" (ḥuzn) that stems from separation from one's origin. This grief is the product of ignorance regarding the body's role and place in the soul's journey.

Key takeaways

• The body is our companion on this journey of life, and it must be endured with patience.
• Impatience with the body transforms it from a companion into an alien and an obstacle.
• Restlessness and intolerance towards the body plunge the soul into grief and deprive it of blessing.
• This grief is a product of misunderstanding and mismanagement, not an authentic spiritual sorrow.
• Patience with the body's limitations is an opportunity for the soul's refinement and cultivation of good temper.