The Incompatibility Between Thought and Being
In one of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s works, a critique is directed at an astrologer questioning existence beyond the sky, strikingly revealing the limits of thought. Thought, being more than just a mental activity, resides far from an internal place; just as objection isn’t bound to concrete points like language, mouth or chest. This indicates that both thought and even the creator of thought do not possess an absolute position, signaling the necessity of seeking a greater truth within the depths of existence. The fact that humans themselves don’t fully know the location of their own thoughts concretely demonstrates how difficult it is to comprehend the secret of the universe.
The Joy of Existence and the Value of Ignorance
Mawlana’s teaching asserts that existence cannot be thought of separately from ignorance. If there were no ignorance, humans would remain foreign to existence, they would cease to exist. This paradoxical situation expresses a balance where knowledge and ignorance are intertwined and complement each other. Ignorance is a starting point on the path to knowing God; it’s the spark of a search, a curiosity. Similarly, opposites like night and day are actually interconnected; night provides rest while daytime symbolizes rebirth. With this understanding, the ups and downs of life, moments of darkness and light, are inextricably linked.
Love, Grace, and the Human-God Relationship
In Mawlana’s work, love forms the foundation of everything. It is emphasized that Abu Bakr’s superiority does not stem from external behaviors like prayer, fasting or charity, but from the love attained through God’s grace. This love is so vast it cannot be weighed on a scale and draws humans into the depths of existence. What is truly important is not that sustenance comes from heaven, but that humans seek truth by working and striving. Mawlana sees this effort as a deed; it’s a person dedicating themselves to God beyond brain and heart. In this context, the human-God relationship forms a unique synthesis of love and grace.