M6:143 — بگذری زان نقش‌های هم‌چو حور / جلوه آری با عجوز نیم‌کور

Translation: You pass by those figures like houris, / And display yourself to a half-blind old woman. Meaning: Humans do not compare themselves to inanimate beauty or the vast cosmos; rather, they engage in comparison with another human, however frail or old, because of the shared essence of 'soul' (jān) and consciousness.

Mowlana, in these verses, imparts one of his most profound lessons on the dignity and station of humanity. He asserts that we, as human beings, never compare ourselves to the vast heavens, the stars and planets, or even those enchanting, beautiful figures painted on bathhouse walls, which resemble peerless houris. The idea of equating ourselves with these inanimate glories or lifeless enchantments never crosses our minds. These all belong to one category: they are beautiful, grand, astonishing, but they are devoid of jān (soul/life/consciousness). As Mowlana asks elsewhere, "Did these heavens ever hear, 'We have honored you,' as this sorrow-laden human did?" The honor and dignity bestowed upon humanity was not granted to them.

However, the situation is entirely different when facing an "ajūz-i nīm-kūr" (a half-blind old woman). Mowlana questions: "You pass by those figures like houris, / And display yourself to a half-blind old woman?" Yes, you pass by the painted houris, but in the presence of a very old and frail woman, who lacks even full sight, you do present yourself. There, you feel a basis for comparison. You might say: I am younger than you, I am more capable, I am more beautiful. Why? What secret resides in this old woman that is absent in those beautiful paintings and that boundless cosmos?

Mowlana himself answers this pivotal question: "What is in the old woman that was not in those [figures], / That she drew you away from those paintings? / You will not say, but I will declare: / It is intellect, sense, perception, deliberation, and soul (jān).". Indeed, within this frail old woman, "intellect, sense, perception, deliberation," and most importantly, jān (soul) are present. It is this jān that creates the grounds for comparison and kinship. Spirit speaks only to spirit; "King speaks only to the king." The soul compares itself only to other souls. If that painted houri were one day to "stir" and "gain life," then you would indeed turn away from the old woman and be drawn to her.

From Mowlana's perspective, jān is synonymous with "awareness." He states: "The soul is nothing but news in trial; / Whoever has more news, their soul is greater.". This is a unique definition. The soul is not a static or uniform quality; rather, it exists in degrees. The more aware one is, the more soul one possesses. Our jān can strengthen or weaken, grow robust or become frail, and this depends directly on our levels of awareness and self-awareness. This is precisely the point I have emphasized for years in my own works, particularly in my book Nahād-e Nā-ārām-e Jahān (The Restless Foundation of the World). This insight elevates us beyond a superficial view of existence, demonstrating that the authentic criterion of human worth is not the external "form" (sūrat) but the inner "secret" (sirr) and the conscious jān.

Key takeaways

• True human worth lies in one's "soul" (jān) and awareness, not in outward form or physical beauty.
• The soul (rūḥ) only compares itself to other souls; criteria of superiority are meaningless in the realm of the inanimate.
• Mowlana equates jān (soul) with awareness; the more aware one is, the more soul one possesses.
• Jān is not a static quality but exists in degrees, growing or diminishing with one's level of awareness.
• The presence of "intellect, sense, perception, and deliberation" in a frail old human makes them our equal, unlike inanimate beauties.