Overview

In Section 18 of Jami's Silsilat al-Dhahab (from the Haft Awrang), Jami retells the famous spiritual encounter between Shams-e Tabrizi and Awhad al-Din Kirmani. This encounter employs the metaphor of viewing the sun's reflection in a basin of water to illustrate different levels of mystical perception.

Spiritual Significance

• The Sun in the Basin (Reflected Beauty): Awhad al-Din Kirmani's practice of contemplating the Divine through the beauty of earthly forms is represented by looking at the sun's reflection in a basin of water. He seeks the Absolute manifested in creation.
• The Sun in the Sky (Direct Contemplation): Shams-e Tabrizi challenges this method by asking why he does not look directly at the sun in the sky. This represents direct, unmediated contemplation of the Divine Essence (Zat), transcending the need for physical forms or sensory intermediaries.
• The Neck Boil Metaphor: Shams's remark about a boil on the neck symbolizes spiritual ...