In Book 3 of the Masnavi, Rumi uses the tale of a Sufi dancing ecstatically before an empty tablecloth to illustrate the core Sufi concept of spiritual poverty (faqr) and transcendent love. While a materialistic observer sees only a lack of physical bread, the Sufi explains that 'love of bread without bread' is the true food of the sincere seeker. This metaphor highlights that true spiritual lovers are liberated from the bounds of material existence; they draw their nourishment directly from the unseen and the divine essence, rather than relying on tangible, worldly forms.