In this poem from Chapter 7 of Mokhtar Nameh, Attar explores the transition from selfhood to selflessness and the ultimate realization of non-existence.

Key Concepts

• Transition to Selflessness: The poet explains that occupying the 'seat of selfhood' immediately leads to joining 'selflessness' (fana/annihilation), as individual ego cannot persist in the face of spiritual awareness.
• The Ocean of Non-Existence: The individual self is depicted as a transient drop of dew (representing temporal, insubstantial existence) surrounded by the infinite ocean of non-existence (representing the divine reality/non-being).
• Denial of Individual Ego: Given the overwhelming presence of the divine ocean, the dewdrop cannot claim individual existence ('I exist'), illustrating the complete obliteration of the ego.