M6:654 — دیدهٔ تن دایما تن‌بین بود / دیدهٔ جان جان پر فن بین بود

Translation: The eye of the body perpetually sees only the body; the eye of the soul sees the soul, full of guile/craft. Meaning: The physical eye is fixated on outward forms and superficial appearances, while the inner vision of the soul penetrates to discern the intricate essence and profound complexities of being, moving beyond external deceptions.

This couplet encapsulates Rumi’s profound discourse on the duality of appearance and essence, following his discussion on ishtirāk-i lafẓī (homonymy) and the ensuing fallacies. I have consistently stressed Rumi’s vigilant warning against the deceptive nature of outward forms—forms that, due to linguistic or superficial resemblances, often lead us astray. Just as bodies may appear identical while their interiors are vastly different, so too are our perceptions.

Rumi employs a celebrated analogy: “Bodies are like sealed jars; look to see what each jar contains.” Jars look alike from the outside, but one might hold āb-e ḥayāt (the water of life) while another is filled with zahr-e mamāt (the poison of death). If you merely observe the vessel, you will be misled; but if you focus on its contents, you grasp the truth. This couplet, “The eye of the body perpetually sees only the body,” points precisely to this: the physical eye is enslaved by appearances, perceiving only the tan (body) and becoming infatuated with superficial beauty. It sees the beauty of a face but remains oblivious to the soul’s inner state, be it ugly or beautiful, and thus falls prey to illusion. This is what I refer to as ‘superficial vision’.

However, “the eye of the soul sees the soul, full of guile/craft.” The eye of the soul is a discernment that penetrates beyond these veils. This eye perceives not merely the body, but the very jān (soul), and specifically the jān-e por-fann (the soul replete with craft, subtlety, or even virtues and vices). In other words, this inner eye is capable of comprehending the depths of the human essence, with all its intricacies and hidden dimensions, and thus remains unfooled by mere appearances.

As I have noted before, this distinction applies directly to Rumi’s own words and the Masnavi. Rumi himself declares: “So, from the figures of the Masnavi’s words, an image arises that misleads, yet its spiritual essence guides.” This means the outward form of the Masnavi’s words can be deceptive (misleading or muḍill), but its spiritual core is truly guiding. This mirrors the Holy Quran, which “misleads many thereby and guides many thereby.” Here, the significance of the ‘eye of the soul’ for a genuine comprehension of the Masnavi and the truth of existence becomes evident. Someone who approaches the Masnavi with the ‘eye of the body’ might dismiss it due to seemingly crude or simplistic narratives. Yet, one who possesses the ‘eye of the soul’ will attain its profound and guiding meanings.

Key takeaways

• The physical eye perceives only outward forms; the eye of the soul grasps the intricate and subtle essence of the spirit.
• The appearance of something (like a jar) does not reveal its true content (whether water of life or poison of death).
• One must move beyond the deception of homonymy and superficial resemblances to seek the hidden meaning.
• The Masnavi itself, like all profound speech, has an outward form (words and images) that can be misleading, but its spiritual core is guiding and healing.