M6:2187 — آن حکیمی را که جان از بند تن / باز رست و شد روان اندر چمن

Translation: That wise one whose soul from body's bind / Escaped, and flowed as spirit in the mead. Meaning: This verse describes a sage whose spirit has broken free from the shackles of the physical body, attaining such a degree of liberation and vitality that it roams like a free-flowing river in the garden of spiritual existence.

This verse follows Mowlana's invitations to 'deep contemplation' (em'ān-e nazar) and 'making the spring flow' (cheshme-rā kardan ravān), delving into one of the most crucial distinctions in Mowlana's psychology and ontology: the difference between jān (life-force) and ravān (spirit). I have consistently emphasized in my lectures that Mowlana employs these two terms with precise deliberation.

Jān, in Persian literature, refers to the animating life-force and the animal soul. All living beings, from ants and flies to wild animals and humans, possess this jān. It is what imparts life and movement to a creature, making it a jāndār (one possessing jān). As Sa'di reminds us, "Harm not an ant that carries grain / For it has a sweet soul (jān) and life is its gain." However, ravān is a term Mowlana reserves for a specific kind of life—a life that is no longer bound by instinct and bodily desires, but has transcended and been liberated from them. Ravān here signifies the exalted human spirit, that which we explore in the modern science of ravānshenāsi (psychology).

Mowlana, in this verse, attributes this profound distinction to an unknown ḥakīm (wise person or sage), whom he praises, saying, "Blessings upon his soul (jān)!" This ḥakīm defines ravān as that jān which has "escaped from the bondage of the body" (az band-e tan bāz rast). This is not merely a jān that has died and separated from the body, but rather a jān that, while still inhabiting the body, has liberated itself from its constraints and is no longer absolutely subservient to its physical demands. Such a liberated jān then "became a spirit (ravān) in the mead (andar chaman)"—this 'mead' is not a literal garden but a metaphor for the vast and endless expanse of spiritual existence, where the free spirit wanders and soars, unconstrained by physical boundaries.

This ḥakīm himself held such a station, meaning his jān had escaped the body's bonds and attained the rank of ravān and spirituality. Some have identified this ḥakīm as Ibn Sina, citing a treatise attributed to him. However, I maintain that it is unlikely Mowlana, who generally did not hold philosophers in high regard, would have used such praise for Ibn Sina. Regardless, the precise identity of the ḥakīm is secondary; what matters is the sublime concept Mowlana learns from him and elevates. This liberation of the jān from the body's bond is, in essence, the very act of 'making the spring flow' that I discussed previously: a departure from stagnation and depression, and an entry into the fluid and vibrant current of spiritual life. A spirit that has broken free from the body's confines becomes a current that sweeps away sorrow and ennui, dancing in the 'mead' of spiritual joy and freshness.

Key takeaways

• For Mowlana, jān and ravān have distinct meanings: jān is the animal soul; ravān is the transcendent human spirit.
• Ravān refers to a jān that, while still embodied, has achieved liberation and elevation from the body's constraints.
• This liberation signifies a departure from stagnation and ennui, entering the fluid and vibrant current of spiritual life.
• The wise person (ḥakīm) who established this distinction is praised by Mowlana; this station is a stage of mystical journey, not merely philosophical insight.
• The 'mead' (chaman) symbolizes the vast, boundless realm of spiritual existence where the liberated spirit freely roams.