In this poem from Attar's The Conference of the Birds, a pious man explains the vulnerability of a novice on the Sufi path. He argues that it is safer for a beginner to remain in 'darkness' and completely lose themselves in divine bounty rather than experience spiritual manifestations too early. The novice still harbors egoic traits like envy and anger, which are compared to a 'furnace full of dragons'. If spiritual realities are revealed before these inner impurities are cleansed, the beginner will become arrogant, ultimately leading to spiritual ruin. Thus, true safety and progress lie in the complete effacement of the novice's ego prior to receiving divine visions.