M6:3703 — پنج از آن چون حس به سوی رنگ و بو / پنج از آن چون حس باطن رازجو

Translation: Five of its doors, like the outer senses, lead towards color and scent; And five others, like the inner senses, are seekers of secrets.

Meaning: Mowlana describes a fantastical castle with ten gates: half opening to the sensory world of material forms, and half to the inner, secret-seeking spiritual realm.

Here, Mowlana delves into the description of the "Castle of Forms" (Qalʿa-ye Dhāt al-Ṣuwar), a structure he had previously alluded to, brimming with images and patterns. This castle, as he elucidates, possesses ten gates: five opening onto the world of senses, "color and scent," which is the material realm perceptible by our outer faculties. The other five, however, open to the "secret-seeking inner sense" (ḥiss-i bāṭin-i rāz-jū). This inner sense, as its name suggests, pertains to the supra-natural world and concealed meanings. Mowlana is undoubtedly referring to both the ḥawāss-i khamsa-ye zāhira (the five outer senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) and the ḥawāss-i khamsa-ye bāṭina (the five inner senses recognized by ancient philosophers, such as memory, imagination, and common sense), all of which constitute our instruments of perception.

I contend that this castle is not merely an allegory but an ontological landscape. It is, in essence, an intermediate realm, situated between pure nature and pure supra-nature. In the philosophy of Shaykh Shihāb ad-Dīn Suhrawardī, this is precisely what is termed the ʿālam al-khiyāl al-munfaṣil, or the separate imaginal world. In this realm, forms exist, and even possess magnitude, yet they are devoid of matter. It is as though we have entered a space where all conventional material laws are transmuted, and our perception operates by different means.

This allusion to Dhāt al-Ṣuwar and the "secret-seeking" nature of the inner sense guides us to one of Mowlana's most pivotal insights: the narrative of form and formlessness. As I have repeatedly stated, "Form emerged from formlessness / And returned as: 'Verily, to Him we return'." The cosmos was not initially a world of forms, but a world of formless meanings. Forms are, in reality, the manifestations of meaning, much like a word is the form for a meaning. This castle, replete with forms, ultimately becomes the locus of that very formlessness and absolute meaning, which our inner senses strive to uncover. Entering this castle and becoming captivated by its forms represents a stage that can either trap one in superficial appearances or guide one towards the secret-seeking truth.

Key takeaways

• The "Castle of Forms" represents an intermediate, imaginal realm between the material and the supra-natural worlds.
• Our outer senses perceive the world of color and scent (matter), while inner senses seek spiritual secrets (meaning).
• This verse hints at Mowlana's core theme: all forms emerge from and return to formlessness.
• Mowlana presents the imaginal world as a bridge for perceiving transcendent realities.
• The captivating power of the castle's forms highlights how outward appearances can enthrall our perception.