M6:3591 — عاریه‌ست این کم همی‌باید فشارد / کانچ بگرفتی همی‌باید گزارد

Translation: This being is a loan; you must lean on it less, For what you took, you must return. Meaning: All that we possess in this world, especially our physical body, is a temporary trust that must eventually be returned; therefore, one should not become overly attached to it.

This pivotal verse is one of many in which Mawlana alludes to the transient, borrowed nature of our existence, particularly our physical body and its attachments. I have often emphasized that, in Mawlana’s view, we own nothing in this world; everything is simply "lent" to us. His phrase, "kam hamī bāyad feshārad" (you must lean on it less), is remarkably precise; it means you should rely less on it, become less attached to it, and not consider it your ultimate support. For, "ān-ch be-gereftī hamī bāyad gozārad" (what you took, you must return); everything you have received in this feast of existence must one day be given back.

At times, Mawlana employs an even sharper metaphor, speaking of "stolen goods" (kāle-ye dozdīde), which, he warns, come to a bad end and can lead one to the gallows. This imagery serves to jolt us out of our heedlessness regarding the true Owner of all being. We have not acquired this body gratuitously; every atom of it, drawn from the sky and earth, from elements and energies that have been in play for millions of years, has converged to form us. How then can we presume to own it and imagine we can depart without accountability? No, accountability and reckoning are certain; every particle of our existence will be called to account.

Yet, alongside this admonition, Mawlana provides a crucial clarification. Elsewhere, he states: "bī-hude nesbat be jān mī-gūyamash / nā be nesbat bā sanīʿ-e mohkamash" (I call them useless in relation to the soul / not in relation to their firm, divine craftsmanship). This means that when I speak of these possessions and this body as "useless," I am measuring their futility against the enduring soul and spirit, not against their inherent functionality or the wisdom of their creation. Our body, though borrowed, is not worthless. It is an instrument in the hand of the soul, a weapon for battling evils and catching goodness. Undeniably, it is a ladder for the soul’s ascent to the heights of perfection. How can we disparage a ladder that carries us to the peak?

Thus, our body is like a vehicle that carries the soul on its journey toward perfection. This vehicle must be maintained so that it does not break down, allowing the soul to fulfill its duties. However, we must not forget that this vehicle is a tool, a ladder, not the ultimate destination or an enduring possession. Among all these borrowed goods, only one thing is truly ours and remains: that divine "nafkh" (breath), the spirit, which comes from the Absolute Giver. It is this spirit that we must cherish and cling to, not to what is temporary and must be returned. The gnostic seeks the "spring of eternal life" (cheshme-ye hayāt-e abadī), not the unfaithful waters of this world, which themselves draw from that primordial spring. We must seek a wellspring of water from within our own home, rather than rely on external streams.

Key takeaways

• Everything we possess in this world, including our body, is a trust that must be returned to its true Owner.
• One should not become overly attached to or rely heavily on worldly possessions, however beautiful or necessary, as they are impermanent.
• Even the smallest elements of our being are the result of cosmic collaboration, and we are accountable for them.
• Despite its borrowed nature, our body is a valuable instrument for the soul's progress and ascent, and thus must be cared for.
• The only true and lasting possession is the divine "nafkh" or spirit; it is this which deserves our primary attention.
• To find permanence, one must connect to the inner, eternal springs of life, not the unfaithful streams of the external world.