M6:641 — نیست این و نیست آن هین واگذار / آنک آن هستست آن را پیش آر

Translation: This is not, nor is that; come, let go of them. That which truly is, bring that forth. Meaning: This verse calls us to transcend negations and uncertainties, moving beyond what is not towards what is, for negation serves as a path to ultimate affirmation.

This beyt, beyond any doubt, encapsulates Rumi's core message regarding spiritual and existential journeying. I have stated before that initial intoxication is the beginning of the path, but not its end. The seeker must "ascend higher" even from that initial state of ecstasy, for "God's earth is vast" (arz-allah vāsiʿ) and the horizon of spiritual experience is boundless. It is here that Rumi urges you to become like Esrafil (the Archangel Israfil); that is, not only be intoxicated yourself, but also be a "giver of spirit" and a "maker of ecstasy." This is a station beyond mere reception; it is a maqām where the seeker himself becomes a source of grace, just as Esrafil returns souls to their bodies.

However, to reach this station, one must pass through the valley of "I know not this, I know not that." Indeed, at the beginning of the journey, encountering unknowns leaves one bewildered, but this "unknowing" is not the goal; it is a means. Rumi explicitly states: "What is this 'I know not this and I know not that' for? So that you may say 'who is the One you know'?'" In other words, initial negation is a path to affirmation. It is like a step necessary for ascending, but one cannot stand on it indefinitely and consider it the destination.

It is in this vein that this pivotal verse is introduced: "Neither this nor that, now let go / That which truly is, bring that forth." The seeker must constantly relinquish "this" and "that"—all limited and relative things, all temporary knowledge and unknowing, all that smacks of limitation and transience. This "negation" of all that is other-than-God, this letting go of everything that "is not," is the prerequisite for reaching the "absolute Is." This "relinquishing" is not born of despair, but of a resolve and insight that knows one must break the shell to reach the pearl. Absolute existence and singular truth manifest not in the multiplicity of 'this' and 'that,' but in the unity beyond them. This is the secret of the "intoxicated Turk" (Turk-e Mast), which I shall elaborate upon in forthcoming sessions—that ecstasy born not of wine, but of direct confrontation with "That which truly is."

Key takeaways

• Initial ecstasy marks the beginning, not the end, of the spiritual journey; the seeker must transcend it.
• The ultimate goal is to become a 'giver of spirit' and 'maker of ecstasy,' akin to Archangel Israfil.
• Initial uncertainties ('I know not this, I know not that') are means, not ends, for reaching affirmation.
• One must relinquish limited and relative 'this' and 'that' to arrive at absolute existence.
• The negation of all that is other-than-God is a prerequisite for attaining the 'absolute Is'.
• This 'relinquishing' stems not from despair, but from an insight that requires breaking the shell to find the pearl.