M6:453 — کودکان گرچه که در بازی خوشند / شب کشانشان سوی خانه می‌کشند

Translation: Though children find joy in their play, Night inexorably draws them home. Meaning: This verse metaphorically portrays human heedlessness, likening us to children engrossed in worldly games, oblivious to the inevitable pull of death and the destined return to our true home.

This verse, in my estimation, opens a profound window onto one of Rumi's most fundamental concerns: human heedlessness, or ghaflat. Here, he employs the simple yet poignant allegory of children engrossed in street games to depict the predicament of most human beings. Children become so absorbed in their play that they lose all sense of time, even forgetting or losing their clothes and shoes. Then, when night falls, an irresistible force draws them home, yet they return ashamed and empty-handed.

This 'night' (shab) in the Masnavi is, beyond any doubt, a metaphor for death (ajal) and the end of life's journey—a twilight that concludes the day's game. We, too, from the learned to the ignorant, are so deeply immersed in life's games that we remain oblivious to their eventual end. Rumi states with certainty that this ghaflat is not merely an individual failing but one of the governing secrets of the cosmos. It is as if the very order of the world necessitates that human eyes remain, to some extent, veiled from absolute truths; for if the curtain of heedlessness were suddenly lifted, and everyone awakened, "the order of the world would collapse." This is a state from which few can truly escape.

Rumi further elaborates on the human condition within this game. We spend half our lives consumed by the "desire for the heart-stealers" (ārezu-ye del-estān)—those beloveds or alluring worldly pursuits that steal our hearts and our time. The other half of our lives is spent battling "the sorrows of enemies" (ghosse-hā-ye doshmanān). In either case, we find ourselves depleted and intellectually barren. This implies that "one takes my hat, another my robe, another my shoes"—in other words, our time, our money, our energy, and even our "minds" are plundered in these worldly interactions and preoccupations. In truth, people lie in wait to steal something from us, and this theft, more than being material, is the plundering of our existential resources.

The hunter, who appears later in the narrative, justifies his chosen solitude by saying, "I have seen people as thieves of garments." He casts this accusation upon others, observing how they consume our time, lives, and energy by involving us in their affairs. Thus, he chooses seclusion and detachment from people to remain safe from this plunder. It is here that Rumi, using Arabic, exclaims: "Khall hādhā al-laʿb, bas-ka, lā taʿud!"—Leave this play, enough, do not return! This is a command, an invitation to awakening. It is an invitation to a "second-order perspective," a form of mindfulness that allows us to observe our games from a higher vantage point. This is the gateway out of heedlessness. Although emerging from one form of heedlessness might lead us into another, this awakening is the beginning of the path. Complete eradication of ghaflat only occurs when we enter another world and another life, but until then, with the help of great masters and such reminders, we can tear through some of these intricate veils of heedlessness.

Key takeaways

• Life in this world is an engrossing game in which most humans, both wise and ignorant, are deeply immersed.
• "Night" symbolizes death and the end of life, inevitably drawing humanity towards its true home.
• Heedlessness (ghaflat) is not merely a personal flaw but a divine secret and expediency upon which the cosmic order is built.
• In the heat of life's game, humans lose their time and existential resources, ultimately finding themselves empty-handed.
• The call to a "second-order perspective" and mindfulness offers a path to emerge from this heedlessness and observe oneself from an external vantage point.
• Complete liberation from ghaflat is not possible in this world and can only fully occur in another life.