Concept

In the Second Discourse of Attar's Elahi Nameh, the father responds to his son's defense of earthly procreation by asserting the superiority of spiritual solitude (khalwat) over carnal lust (shahwat).

Key Arguments

• Eternity over Transience: The father argues that the physical pleasures of lust are momentary and fleeting, whereas the spiritual peace found in divine solitude is everlasting.
• Divine Intimacy: Using the metaphor of conversing intimately with Jesus, the father emphasizes that a spiritual seeker capable of elevated divine intimacy should not degrade themselves with animalistic desires. He frames the singular focus on physical lust as an ignorance of the 'hundred worlds of secrets' available to the spiritually awakened soul.