M6:2256 — نک خیال آن فقیرم بی‌ریا / عاجز آورد از بیا و از بیا

Translation: Behold the thought of that sincere dervish, It has rendered helpless all calls of "Come, come!" Meaning: Mowlana states that the pure and unadulterated imagination or sincere desire of the treasure-seeking dervish is so potent that it transcends the need for any external invitations to "come," rendering them impotent.

This couplet is situated within the story of the "Dome and the Treasure," speaking of a guileless dervish who, without taking a single step, traverses the path of arrival merely through the power of his imagination and sincere longing. Mowlana clearly states that the "thought of that sincere dervish" is so unadulterated and penetrating that it renders any repeated calls of "Come, come!" superfluous; it is as if the very act of seeking is the arrival itself. Here, we encounter the apex of the will's power and creative imagination, which removes all intermediaries.

I have frequently emphasized in my lectures that our ideals and aspirations define the ceiling of our personality. That which a human being seeks above all else is a full-fledged mirror of their own existence. If one seeks a treasure of gold and silver, their ultimate being is confined to that; but whoever longs for a spiritual treasure, transforms into that very treasure. The subsequent verse confirms this meaning: "Do not see him as a seeker of treasure; he is the treasure himself." This is a fundamental truth in mysticism: what you sincerely seek, you yourself are. You are a mirror in which the Beloved is reflected, and ultimately, you become one with it.

This longing, itself, is a sign and a ladder for ascent. Just as there is no thirsty person without water, thirst itself is proof of water's existence. The awakening of the thirst of seeking is a testament that a path to union has opened, and a destination awaits. This poverty is not material poverty, but poverty of self, poverty of all save God. This dervish, in the sense of "I am nothing" and "emptiness," has made himself an empty vessel for the divine breath, and through this very emptiness, renders all external invitations unnecessary. This stands in stark contrast to the insincerity of existentialist thought which perceives separation as loneliness; however, in Mowlana's worldview, separation is always accompanied by the memory of the "Uniter," and longing opens the path to union. His poverty is his richness.

Key takeaways

• Sincere imagination (or desire) is itself arrival, transcending external invitations.
• What you sincerely seek, you will ultimately become.
• Our aspirations and ideals serve as the ceiling and measure of our inner personality.
• The awakening of spiritual longing and thirst is a sign that the path to the destination has opened.
• True poverty is not material, but poverty of self and all save God, leading to inner richness.