M6:226 — جمله دانسته که این هستی فخ است / فکر و ذکر اختیاری دوزخ است

Translation: Everyone knows this existence is a snare; / Voluntary thought and remembrance are hell. Meaning: This couplet asserts that humans, having experienced life, perceive conscious, willful existence as fraught with traps and anxieties, thus they flee from deliberate thought and awareness because they find it to be a hellish experience.

Undoubtedly, in these verses, Mowlana touches upon one of the deepest truths of the human psyche—a reality that modern psychoanalysts, such as Yalom, have also addressed. However, it is my conviction that the roots, and indeed superior remedies, for this condition are to be found in Mowlana’s thought. Unlike grand mystics such as Ibn Arabi, who were immersed in the 'Five Presences' and cosmic revelations, exploring the heavens, Mowlana delves into the 'dark room' of the human soul, illuminating its hidden corners.

Here, Mowlana states a 'fact' about the human condition and then proceeds to explain it. What is this reality? It is that "all the world, from its own free will and being, / Flees into its own state of intoxication." That is, all human beings flee from their own free will (ikhtiyār) and their 'being' (hasti), taking refuge in intoxication, heedlessness, and negligence. They do not wish to be aware, conscious, or free; rather, they yearn for unconsciousness and lack of choice. Why? "So that for a moment they may escape from awareness, / They accept the disgrace of wine and music." To escape self-awareness and consciousness, they turn to intoxicating wine and distracting music.

Our couplet under discussion dissects the root of this flight: "Everyone knows this existence is a snare." By experience, everyone has realized that this life, this conscious existence, is nothing but a dangerous trap and a heavy prison. When this reality becomes clear to a person, the logical consequence is that: "Voluntary thought and remembrance are hell." Whenever a person comes to their senses, thinks, plans, and pays attention to their own self (i.e., engages in 'voluntary thought and remembrance'), they find themselves in a hell of anxieties and worries.

Humans, in Mowlana's words, "Flee from selfhood into selflessness / Either through intoxication or through occupation, O seeker." This flight from awareness into unawareness occurs either through material or spiritual intoxications, or through relentless 'occupation' and busy-ness. This is what is termed 'workaholism' today; people immerse themselves in work so deeply that they do not remember themselves. This 'not remembering oneself' and 'not looking into oneself' is an act that, according to Mowlana, everyone performs in various ways.

It is crucial to understand that 'hasti' (being/existence) in Mowlana's discourse does not merely signify existence, but rather refers to that 'selfhood' (khodi) which boasts of independence and autonomy, leading to false pride and intoxication. It is from this vantage point that humans, to forget this prison of existence, also forget themselves. They are fleeing from the four fundamental anxieties of human life: the anxiety of death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and 'choice' (ikhtiyār) or responsibility. This couplet specifically addresses the anxiety arising from ikhtiyār. Free will brings responsibility, and responsibility is anxiety-inducing. To escape this anxiety, some seek determinism (jabr) and to achieve it, they surrender to intoxication and unconsciousness.

However, Mowlana also offers a unique solution, rarely seen among contemporary thinkers: "Diminish your power." Reducing one's options, living simply, and practicing contentment (qanāʿat) means living in such a way that one does not need abundant resources or great power. In this way, the anxiety of freedom and responsibility will also be lessened. In Mowlana's view, these occupations and intoxications are not solutions; rather, they are precisely 'idleness' (bī-kārī) and a waste of time, for they plunge the human soul into heedlessness up to its throat. The very act of paying attention to this problem and understanding its roots is itself a great step towards consciousness.

Key takeaways

• Humans have learned through experience that conscious, willful existence in this world is a trap.
• Voluntary thought, remembrance, and awareness plunge one into a hell of anxieties.
• To escape these anxieties, humans take refuge in intoxication and excessive occupation (workaholism).
• Unlike Ibn Arabi, Mowlana delicately psychoanalyzes the human psyche.
• Mowlana's radical advice: reducing one's power and options through contentment (qanāʿat) lessens the anxiety of free will.