In Chapter 12, Poem 4 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet illustrates the arduous prerequisites of the mystical journey. The metaphor of 'breaking the shell before reaching the kernel' conveys that a seeker must destroy the outward, physical ego to access the inward, divine truth. The poem further contrasts physical suffering with spiritual suffering, asserting that physical torments—such as having one's limbs severed—are easy to bear. The only true affliction is detachment and separation from the Divine Beloved.