In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the tale of Jesus and the foolish companion concludes with a violent yet profound spiritual lesson. At the fool's insistence, Jesus prays for the scattered bones to be resurrected. The bones miraculously transform into a ferocious black lion that immediately attacks and kills the foolish man. When Jesus questions the lion, it explains that it struck the man because he had troubled the prophet, though it did not consume his body as it was not its allotted sustenance. Rumi uses this shocking conclusion to deliver a powerful allegory about the *nafs* (the carnal soul or ego). He warns seekers not to pray for the revival of their base, worldly desires, comparing the *nafs* to a deadly beast. Indulging or resurrecting these carnal appetites, Rumi cautions, is akin to unleashing a predator that will ultimately turn on and destroy one's own spiritual life.

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گشت با عیسی یکی ابله رفیق 
استخوانها دید در حفرهٔ عمیق
گفت ای همراه آن نام سنی 
که بدان مرده تو زنده می‌کنی
مر مرا آموز تا احسان کنم 
استخوانها را بدان با جان کنم
گفت خامش کن که آن کار تو نیست 
لایق انفاس و گفتار تو نیست
کان نفس خواهد ز باران پاک‌تر 
وز فرشته در روش دراک‌تر
عمرها بایست تا دم پاک شد 
تا امین مخزن افلاک شد
خود گرفتی این عصا در دست راست 
دست را دستان موسی از کجاست
گفت اگر من نیستم اسرارخوان 
هم تو بر خوان نام را بر استخوان
گفت عیسی یا رب این اسرار چیست 
میل این ابله درین بیگار چیست
چون غم خود نیست این بیمار را 
چون غم جان نیست این مردار را
مردهٔ خود را رها کردست او 
مردهٔ بیگانه را جوید رفو
گفت حق ادبار اگر ادبارجوست 
خار روییده جزای کشت اوست
آنک تخم خار کارد در جهان 
هان و هان او را مجو در گلستان
گر گلی گیرد به کف خاری شود 
ور سوی یاری رود ماری شود
کیمیای زهر و مارست آن شقی 
بر خلاف کیمیای متقی

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## English translation
A fool became a companion of Jesus and saw bones in a deep pit. He said, “O companion, teach me that exalted Name by which you make the dead live, so that I may do good and by it make these bones alive with soul.” He said, “Be silent, for that is not your work; it is not fit for your breaths and speech. That breath must be purer than rain and, in its way, more penetrating than an angel. Lifetimes are needed until the breath becomes pure, until it becomes trustee of the treasury of the heavens. Suppose you have taken this staff in your right hand: where would your hand get the art of Moses’ hand?” He said, “If I am not a reader of secrets, then you yourself recite the Name over the bones.” Jesus said, “O Lord, what is this mystery? What is this fool’s inclination toward this useless toil? Why has this sick one no grief for himself? Why has this carrion no grief for the soul? He has abandoned his own dead self and seeks to mend a stranger’s dead.” God said, “If one ill-fated seeks ill-fortune, the thorn that has grown is the recompense of what he sowed. He who plants thorn-seed in the world, beware, beware: do not seek him in the rose garden. If he takes a rose in his hand, it becomes a thorn; if he goes toward a friend, it becomes a serpent. That wretch is an alchemy of poison and serpent, contrary to the alchemy of the God-fearing.”

دفتر دوم - بخش ۴ - التماس کردن همراه عیسی علیه السلام زنده کردن استخوانها از عیسی علیه السلام / Book Two - Section 4 - The Companion of Jesus, Peace Be Upon Him, Begging Jesus, Peace Be Upon Him, to Resurrect the Bones

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خواند عیسی نام حق بر استخوان 
از برای التماس آن جوان
حکم یزدان از پی آن خام مرد 
صورت آن استخوان را زنده کرد
از میان بر جست یک شیر سیاه 
پنجه‌ای زد کرد نقشش را تباه
کله‌اش بر کند مغزش ریخت زود 
مغز جوزی کاندرو مغزی نبود
گر ورا مغزی بدی اشکستنش 
خود نبودی نقص الا بر تنش
گفت عیسی چون شتابش کوفتی 
گفت زان رو که تو زو آشوفتی
گفت عیسی چون نخوردی خون مرد 
گفت در قسمت نبودم رزق خورد
ای بسا کس همچو آن شیر ژیان 
صید خود ناخورده رفته از جهان
قسمتش کاهی نه و حرصش چو کوه 
وجه نه و کرده تحصیل وجوه
ای میسر کرده بر ما در جهان 
سخره و بیگار ما را وا رهان
طعمه بنموده بما وان بوده شست 
آنچنان بنما بما آن را که هست
گفت آن شیر ای مسیحا این شکار 
بود خالص از برای اعتبار
گر مرا روزی بدی اندر جهان 
خود چه کارستی مرا با مردگان
این سزای آنک یابد آب صاف 
همچو خر در جو بمیزد از گزاف
گر بداند قیمت آن جوی خر 
او به جای پا نهد در جوی سر
او بیابد آنچنان پیغامبری 
میر آبی زندگانی‌پروری
چون نمیرد پیش او کز امر کن 
ای امیر آب ما را زنده کن
هین سگ نفس ترا زنده مخواه 
کو عدو جان تست از دیرگاه
خاک بر سر استخوانی را که آن 
مانع این سگ بود از صید جان
سگ نه‌ای بر استخوان چون عاشقی 
دیوچه‌وار از چه بر خون عاشقی
آن چه چشمست آن که بیناییش نیست 
ز امتحانها جز که رسواییش نیست
سهو باشد ظنها را گاه گاه 
این چه ظنست این که کور آمد ز راه
دیده آ بر دیگران نوحه‌گری 
مدتی بنشین و بر خود می‌گری
ز ابر گریان شاخ سبز و تر شود 
زانک شمع از گریه روشن‌تر شود
هر کجا نوحه کنند آنجا نشین 
زانک تو اولیتری اندر حنین
زانک ایشان در فراق فانی‌اند 
غافل از لعل بقای کانی‌اند
زانک بر دل نقش تقلیدست بند 
رو به آب چشم بندش را برند
زانک تقلید آفت هر نیکویست 
که بود تقلید اگر کوه قویست
گر ضریری لمترست و تیز خشم 
گوشت‌پاره‌ش دان چو او را نیست چشم
گر سخن گوید ز مو باریکتر 
آن سرش را زان سخن نبود خبر
مستیی دارد ز گفت خود ولیک 
از بر وی تا بمی راهیست نیک
همچو جویست او نه او آبی خورد 
آب ازو بر آب‌خوران بگذرد
آب در جو زان نمی‌گیرد قرار 
زانک آن جو نیست تشنه و آب‌خوار
همچو نایی نالهٔ زاری کند 
لیک بیگار خریداری کند
نوحه‌گر باشد مقلد در حدیث 
جز طمع نبود مراد آن خبیث
نوحه‌گر گوید حدیث سوزناک 
لیک کو سوز دل و دامان چاک
از محقق تا مقلد فرقهاست 
کین چو داوودست و آن دیگر صداست
منبع گفتار این سوزی بود 
وان مقلد کهنه‌آموزی بود
هین مشو غره بدان گفت حزین 
بار بر گاوست و بر گردون حنین
هم مقلد نیست محروم از ثواب 
نوحه‌گر را مزد باشد در حساب
کافر و مؤمن خدا گویند لیک 
درمیان هر دو فرقی هست نیک
آن گدا گوید خدا از بهر نان 
متقی گوید خدا از عین جان
گر بدانستی گدا از گفت خویش 
پیش چشم او نه کم ماندی نه بیش
سالها گوید خدا آن نان‌خواه 
همچو خر مصحف کشد از بهر کاه
گر بدل در تافتی گفت لبش 
ذره ذره گشته بودی قالبش
نام دیوی ره برد در ساحری 
تو بنام حق پشیزی می‌بری

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## English translation
Jesus recited God's name over the bones,
At the entreaty of that young man.
God's command, for the sake of that raw man,
Gave living form to those bones.
From their midst a black lion leaped forth;
It struck one paw-blow and destroyed his form.
It tore off his head and quickly spilled his brain,
The brain of a walnut in which there was no kernel.
Had he possessed a kernel, its breaking
Would have been no loss except to his body.
Jesus said, "Why did you strike him so hastily?"
It said, "Because you were troubled by him."
Jesus said, "Why did you not drink the man's blood?"
It said, "It was not allotted to me as food."
How many a person, like that fierce lion,
Has gone from the world without eating his own prey.
His portion is not even a straw, yet his greed is like a mountain;
He has no resources, yet he has been seeking resources.
O You who have made things easy for us in the world,
Free us from our forced service and unpaid toil.
You showed us bait, but that bait was a hook;
Show it to us as it truly is.
That lion said, "O Messiah, this prey
Was purely for instruction.
If I had sustenance in the world,
What business would I have with the dead?"
This is the reward of one who finds clear water
And, like a donkey, urinates wantonly in the stream.
If the donkey knew the worth of that stream,
It would place its head, not its foot, in the stream.
It would find such a prophet,
A prince of water, a nurturer of life.
How would it not die before him, saying, by the command 'Be,'
"O prince of water, make us live"?
Take heed: do not ask that the dog of your nafs be made alive,
For it has long been the enemy of your soul.
Dust on the head of any bone that
Would keep this dog from hunting the soul.
You are not a dog: why are you in love with a bone?
Like a little demon, why are you in love with blood?
What kind of eye is one that has no sight?
From trials it gains nothing but disgrace.
Conjectures may sometimes be mistaken;
But what sort of conjecture is this, blind from the road?
You have come as a mourner for others;
Sit a while and weep for yourself.
From the weeping cloud the branch grows green and fresh,
For the candle becomes brighter through weeping.
Wherever they lament, sit there,
For you are more entitled to lamentation.
For they are in separation from the perishing,
Heedless of the ruby of abidingness in the mine.
For the imprint of imitation is a fetter on the heart;
Go, with the water of the eye, carry away its fetter.
For imitation is the bane of every excellence;
What is imitation, even if it is a mighty mountain?
If a blind man is stubborn and quick-tempered,
Regard him as a piece of flesh, since he has no eye.
Even if he speaks more finely than a hair,
His head has no knowledge of that speech.
He is intoxicated by his own speech, yet
From him to the wine there is a long road indeed.
He is like a stream: he himself drinks no water;
The water passes through him to those who drink.
Water does not remain in the stream
Because that stream is not thirsty or a water-drinker.
Like a reed-flute he makes a plaintive moan,
But he toils as hired labor for a buyer.
The imitator is a mourner in discourse;
That wretch's aim is nothing but greed.
The mourner tells a burning tale,
But where are the heart's burning and the torn garment?
There are many differences between the realized one and the imitator:
This one is like David, and the other is only an echo.
The source of this one's speech is burning;
That imitator is merely schooled in old learning.
Take heed: do not be deluded by that sorrowful speech;
The load is on the ox, and the groaning is from the cart.
Still, the imitator is not deprived of reward;
The mourner has wages in the reckoning.
Unbeliever and believer both say 'God,'
But between the two there is a great difference.
That beggar says 'God' for the sake of bread;
The God-fearing one says 'God' from the very soul.
If the beggar knew what his own saying meant,
Before his eyes neither less nor more would remain.
For years that bread-seeker says 'God,'
Like a donkey carrying a Qur'an for the sake of straw.
If the utterance of his lips shone into his heart,
His body would have become particle by particle.
A demon's name opens a path in sorcery;
You, with the name of God, gain not a penny.

دفتر دوم - بخش ۱۳ - تمامی قصهٔ زنده شدن استخوانها به دعای عیسی علیه السلام / Book Two - Section 13 - The Complete Story of the Resurrection of the Bones by the Prayer of Jesus, Peace Be Upon Him

### Overview
In Book One, Section 37 of the *Masnavi*, Rumi introduces a central spiritual and psychological doctrine: the ego (*nafs*) as the 'mother of all idols' (*madar-e botha bot-e nafs-e shomast*).

### The Metaphor of the Snake and the Dragon
Rumi distinguishes between outer and inner idolatry using vivid animal metaphors:
1. **The Outer Idol (The Snake):** Physical idols made of stone or wood are visible obstacles. Rumi compares them to a snake, which can be crushed or avoided relatively easily.
2. **The Inner Ego (The Dragon):** The ego (*nafs*) is the source from which all external idols and desires spring. Rumi compares the ego to a massive dragon, representing an insatiable, multi-headed force of desire and self-worship.

### Spiritual Imperative
According to Rumi, physical iconoclasm is meaningless without inner spiritual warfare (*jihad al-nafs*). Breaking an outer idol is simple, but subduing the inner dragon of self-will requires divine grace, spiritual guidance, an...

The Ego (Nafs) as the Mother of All Idols in the Masnavi

https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers/model_summary

Huggingface Model Summary

The Lion's Resurrection and the Metaphor of the Nafs in the Masnavi

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زاهدی را گفت یاری در عمل 
کم گری تا چشم را ناید خلل
گفت زاهد از دو بیرون نیست حال 
چشم بیند یا نبیند آن جمال
گر ببیند نور حق خود چه غمست 
در وصال حق دو دیده چه کمست
ور نخواهد دید حق را گو برو 
این چنین چشم شقی گو کور شو
غم مخور از دیده کان عیسی تراست 
چپ مرو تا بخشدت دو چشم راست
عیسی روح تو با تو حاضرست 
نصرت از وی خواه کو خوش ناصرست
لیک بیگار تن پر استخوان 
بر دل عیسی منه تو هر زمان
همچو آن ابله که اندر داستان 
ذکر او کردیم بهر راستان
زندگی تن مجو از عیسی‌ات 
کام فرعونی مخواه از موسی‌ات
بر دل خود کم نه اندیشهٔ معاش 
عیش کم ناید تو بر درگاه باش
این بدن خرگاه آمد روح را 
یا مثال کشتیی مر نوح را
ترک چون باشد بیابد خرگهی 
خاصه چون باشد عزیز درگهی

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## English translation
A companion said to an ascetic in practice:
"Weep less, lest your eyes be harmed."
The ascetic said, "The situation is not outside these two:
Either the eye sees that Beauty, or it does not.
If it sees the light of God, what sorrow is there?
In union with God, what are two eyes worth?
And if it will not see God, let it go—
Let such a wretched eye go blind.
Do not grieve for the eye, for Jesus is yours;
Do not go astray, so He may grant you two true eyes.
The Jesus of your spirit is present with you;
Seek his aid, for he is a goodly helper.
But do not lay the burden of the bone-filled body
Upon the heart of Jesus at every moment,
Like that fool of whom, in the story,
We made mention for the righteous.
Do not seek bodily life from your Jesus;
Do not seek Pharaoh's desire from your Moses.
Place less thought of livelihood upon your heart;
Sustenance will not fail—be at the threshold.
This body is a tent for the spirit,
Or like a ship for Noah.
When a Turk moves on, he finds a new tent;
Especially when he is a beloved of the threshold.

دفتر دوم - بخش ۱۲ - ترسانیدن شخصی زاهدی را کی کم گری تا کور نشوی / Book Two - Section 12 - A Person Frightening an Ascetic That He Should Weep Less Lest He Become Blind

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the struggle against the internal ego (*nafs*) is explicitly characterized as the "greater jihad" (*jihad al-akbar*). Following a victory over external foes (the "lesser jihad"), Rumi warns that a far more dangerous adversary remains within. He metaphorically describes the *nafs* as a "dragon" and a manifestation of "hell"—an insatiable force that swallows entire worlds and constantly demands more, undiminished even by oceans. Rumi emphasizes that conquering this inward enemy cannot be achieved through mere intellect or human cunning. Instead, it requires divine intervention and profound spiritual discipline, as only God can truly "draw its bow." Thus, the ultimate spiritual battle for a seeker is not fought on physical battlefields, but in the arduous, continuous effort to overcome one's own carnal soul.

The Concept of the Greater Jihad and the Nafs in the Masnavi

In Section 69 of Book Two of the Masnavi, during his prolonged debate with Mu'awiya, Iblis defends his actions by arguing that humans unfairly scapegoat him for their own moral failings. He asserts that the true source of sin and spiritual sickness is the individual's own base ego (*nafs*). 

Iblis uses the metaphor of a glutton eating sweetmeats (*halva*) who subsequently develops boils, emphasizing that negative consequences arise from one's own unchecked desires and internal flaws rather than solely from external demonic influence. This passage reflects a core Sufi teaching in Rumi's work: the external devil is secondary to the internal devil (the *nafs*), which must be the primary focus of the spiritual seeker's struggle and self-accountability.

Iblis's Defense: Blaming the Nafs over Iblis in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the narrative of Moses being cast into the Nile transitions into a profound psychological warning about the human ego (nafs). Rumi describes Pharaoh's futile stratagems to kill the infant Moses as a terrifying dragon, which is ultimately devoured by the divine counterpart of Moses's miraculous staff. However, Rumi quickly pivots from the historical narrative to address the reader directly, asserting that the same tyrannical qualities that consumed Pharaoh exist within every individual. He uses the metaphor of a dragon trapped in a pit to describe the latent potential for arrogance and evil in the human soul. The only difference between an ordinary person and the tyrant is circumstance: the ordinary person's inner fire simply lacks Pharaoh's 'firewood' (power, wealth, and opportunity). This powerful allegory illustrates the fundamental Sufi teaching that the carnal soul is inherently destructive and requires constant spiritual vigilance, lest it flare up when given the means.

The Metaphor of the Inner Pharaoh and the Dragon of the Nafs in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the story of the people of Saba illustrates the profound ingratitude and destructive tendencies of the human lower self (*nafs*). Despite being blessed with immense wealth, beautiful gardens, and security, the people of Saba actively reject these divine gifts. They foolishly pray for their own ruin, asking God to replace their comfort with hardship and their flourishing cities with perilous wilderness. Rumi parallels this absurd rejection of blessings with human nature, observing that humanity often complains regardless of its circumstances, metaphorically seeking winter during summer and denying guidance when it arrives. Ultimately, Rumi equates the people of Saba with the *nafs*, stating that this base aspect of the self is 'fit to be killed' through spiritual discipline. Just as the people of Saba violently rejected the wisdom of their counselors and embraced vice until divine decree blinded them, the undisciplined *nafs* persistently chooses suffering over divine grace, necessitating its total subjugation.

The Tale of the People of Saba and the Ingratitude of the Nafs in the Masnavi

In Book Two, Section 30 of the Masnavi, Rumi uses the interaction between Luqman and his master to illustrate the Sufi concept of true spiritual freedom. Despite his worldly status as a slave, Luqman asserts his inner nobility by revealing that he is the master of two 'slaves'—anger and lust—while his master is enslaved by these very passions. This highlights a central theme in Rumi's teachings: true kingship and freedom stem from overcoming the lower self (nafs), whereas worldly power without self-mastery is merely a deeper form of bondage.

Spiritual Freedom and Mastery of the Lower Self in Luqman's Tale

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, as Dhu al-Nun's friends visit him in prison, the narrative introduces a profound spiritual metaphor based on the Quranic story of Moses' cow. In this traditional narrative, a murdered man is momentarily resurrected to name his killers after being struck with a piece of a sacrificed cow. Rumi reinterprets this miracle as an allegory for spiritual awakening, equating the sacrificed "cow" with the *nafs* (the carnal soul, or fleshly ego). Rumi asserts that "killing the cow" is an essential condition of the Sufi path. By mortifying base earthly desires and sacrificing the ego, the hidden, divine spirit is brought back to life. Just as the resurrected man in the story exposed his murderers, the spiritually awakened soul is freed from the "heavy body" and gains the clairvoyance to recognize divine secrets, perceive ultimate realities, and expose the deceptive traps of the ego and the physical world.

The Metaphor of Killing the Cow of the Nafs in the Masnavi

In Rumi's Masnavi, the tale of the snake-catcher and the frozen dragon serves as a profound allegory for the human ego (nafs) and the deceptive nature of dormant desires. The narrative follows a snake-catcher who discovers a massive, frozen dragon in the mountains. Mistaking its immobility for death, he binds it and brings it to Baghdad to display for profit. However, when the dragon is exposed to the warm Iraqi sun, it thaws, revives, and wreaks havoc. This story illustrates the philosophical teaching that the lower self or ego is never truly eradicated; it merely becomes dormant when deprived of worldly temptations or power. When placed in a favorable environment that feeds its desires, the ego can quickly awaken and become destructive, warning spiritual seekers against underestimating their own latent vulnerabilities.

The Tale of the Snake-Catcher and the Frozen Dragon in the Masnavi

In Book Three of the *Masnavi*, Rumi provides a psychological commentary on the Quranic verse 'And rally against them with your cavalry and your infantry' (17:64). He portrays the 'demon' (representing the carnal soul or Satan) as an internal voice that assaults the spiritual seeker with fears of poverty, misery, and isolation. Rumi uses this allegory to illustrate how the ego wages psychological warfare to deter individuals from earnestly committing to the path of faith, testing their spiritual resolve and courage before they can achieve true awakening.

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