In Section 35 of Mahmud Shabestari's Golshan-e Raz, the poet outlines the Sufi cosmological concept of the cycle of existence, heavily reflecting the philosophical themes of the arcs of descent and ascent (qaws-e nuzul and qaws-e su'ud). The parable traces the evolutionary journey of matter and spirit: starting from inanimate elements (water evaporating from the sea, mixing with earth and solar heat), progressing into the vegetative state (plants), which are then consumed and transformed into the animal and human states. Ultimately, the human being develops through stages of life (childhood, youth, old age) until death, when the physical body returns to dust and the pure spirit returns to its divine source. This illustrates both the interconnectedness of the cosmos and the transient, cyclical nature of worldly existence.