'Attar began The Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-tair) with an invocation praising the holy Creator in which he suggested that one must live a hundred lives to know oneself; but you must know God by the deity, not by yourself, for God opens the way, not human wisdom. 'Attar believed that God is beyond all human knowledge. The soul will manifest itself when the body is laid aside. One cannot gain spiritual knowledge without dying to all things. When the birds assemble, they wonder why they have no king. The Hoopoe presents herself as a messenger from the invisible world with knowledge of God and the secrets of creation. She recommends Simurgh as their true king, saying that one of his feathers fell on China.
The Nightingale says that the love of the Rose satisfies him, and the journey is beyond his strength; but the Hoopoe warns against being a slave of passing love that interferes with seeking self-perfection. The Parrot longs for immortality, and the Hoopoe encourages the Peacock to choose the whole. The Duck is too content with water to seek the Simurgh. The Hoopoe advises the Partridge that gems are just colored stones and that love of them hardens the heart; she should seek the real jewel of sound quality. The Humay is distracted by ambition, and the Owl loves only the treasure he has found. The Hoopoe reprimands the Sparrow for taking pride in humility and recommends struggling bravely with oneself. She states that the different birds are just shadows of the Simurgh. If they succeed, they will not be God; but they will be immersed in God. If they look in their hearts, they will see the divine image. All appearances are just the shadow of the Simurgh. Those loving truly do not think about their own lives and sacrifice their desires. Those grounded in love renounce faith and religion as well as unbelief. One must hear with the ear of the mind and the heart.
A total of 22 birds speak to the Hoopoe or ask questions about the journey. Short anecdotes are told to illustrate the Hoopoe's points. The Hoopoe says that it is better to lose your life than to languish miserably. The Hoopoe says,
So long as we do not die to ourselves,
and so long as we identify with someone or something,
we shall never be free.
The spiritual way is not for those wrapped up in exterior life.5
You will enjoy happiness if you succeed in withdrawing from attachment to the world. Whoever is merciful even to the merciless is favored by the compassionate. It is better to agree to differ than to quarrel. The Hoopoe warns the sixth bird against the dog of desire that runs ahead. Each vain desire becomes a demon, and yielding to each one begets a hundred others. The world is a prison under the devil, and one should have no truck with its master. The Hoopoe also says that if you let no one benefit from your gold, you will not profit either; but by the smallest gift to the poor you both benefit. She says,
Good fortune will come to you only as you give.
If you cannot renounce life completely,
you can at least free yourself
from the love of riches and honors.6
A pupil becomes afraid in facing a choice between two roads, but a shaikh advises getting rid of fear so that either road will be good. The Hoopoe tells the eighth bird that only if death ceases to exercise power over creatures would it be wise to remain content in a golden palace. The ninth bird is told that sensual love is a game inspired by passing beauty that is fleeting. The Hoopoe asks what is uglier than a body made of flesh and bones. It is better to seek the hidden beauty of the invisible world. An anecdote about Jesus yields the following lesson:
Strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you.
If while living you fail to find yourself, to know yourself,
how will you be able to understand
the secret of your existence when you die?7
The Hoopoe advises the eleventh bird that giving yourself over to pride or self-pity will disturb you. Since the world passes, pass it by, for whoever becomes identified with transient things has no part in the lasting things. The suffering endured is made glorious and is a treasure for the seer, for blessings will come if you make efforts on the path. The fifteenth bird is told that justice is salvation, and the just are saved from errors. Being just is better than a life of worship. Justice exercised in secret is even better than liberality; but justice professed openly may lead to hypocrisy. A story of two drunks teaches that we see faults because we do not love. When we understand real love, the faults of those near us appear as good qualities. When you see the ugliness of your own faults, you will not bother so much with the faults of others.
The journey of the birds takes them through the seven valleys of the quest, love, understanding, independence and detachment, unity, astonishment, and finally poverty and nothingness. In the valley of the quest one undergoes a hundred difficulties and trials. After one has been tested and become free, one learns in the valley of love that love has nothing to do with reason. The valley of understanding teaches that knowledge is temporary, but understanding endures. Overcoming faults and weaknesses brings the seeker closer to the goal. In the valley of independence and detachment one has no desire to possess nor any wish to discover. To cross this difficult valley one must be roused from apathy to renounce inner and outer attachments so that one can become self-sufficient. In the valley of unity the Hoopoe announces that although you may see many beings, in reality there is only one, which is complete in its unity. As long as you are separate, good and evil will arise; but when you lose yourself in the divine essence, they will be transcended by love. When unity is achieved, one forgets all and forgets oneself in the valley of astonishment and bewilderment.
The Hoopoe declares that the last valley of deprivation and death is almost impossible to describe. In the immensity of the divine ocean the pattern of the present world and the future world dissolves. As you realize that the individual self does not really exist, the drop becomes part of the great ocean forever in peace. The analogy of moths seeking the flame is used. Out of thousands of birds only thirty reach the end of the journey. When the light of lights is manifested and they are in peace, they become aware that the Simurgh is them. They begin a new life in the Simurgh and contemplate the inner world. Simurgh, it turns out, means thirty birds; but if forty or fifty had arrived, it would be the same. By annihilating themselves gloriously in the Simurgh they find themselves in joy, learn the secrets, and receive immortality. So long as you do not realize your nothingness and do not renounce your self-pride, vanity, and self-love, you will not reach the heights of immortality. 'Attar concluded the epilog with the admonition that if you wish to find the ocean of your soul, then die to all your old life and then keep silent.
Notes
The Allegorical 'Conference of the birds' is Attars most famous work.
tr. Garcin de Tassy and C. S. Nott, p. 50.
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Until and unless we will not discover THE actual king and remain toady of material kings, we shall have to observe process of incarnation.
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echoes
From guest Claudia (contact)
Borges summarizes this poem in the epilog of his short story "The Approach to Almotásim". There is also the famous Oscar Wilde tale "The Nightingale and the Rose"; I wonder if it was inspired in this Conference of Birds. -
feathers ..
From guest bryan (contact)
feathers peace in the garden, no one there some birds surf in safer air branches shake, soft song around suddenly a robin risks the ground a little birdseed draws him out nervous steps, no need to shout never sure where dangers at swooping kestrel or pouncing cat gentle shivers among the leaf darting blue-tit becomes the thief a lightning raid with dazzling speed boldly robbing the robins’ seed sparrows emerge, a family of nine hungry chirps, its dinnertime forty pidgeons from the gutter quickly descend in noisy flutter three more blue-tits, two red finches the fighting robin in furious clinches young squirrels play, doves kiss their darlings loudly joined by squabbling starlings two brown blackbirds, black crows, white gulls five brave pidgeons on the window sill magpies, woodpidgeons and finches green fill the prettiest garden ever seen . . -
Book in Urdu
I have purchased book in Urdu, "Hakayat-e-Fareed-u-ddin Attar, translated by "Hakeem Mutee Al-Rehman Naqashbandi, published by "Zia Al-quran Bublisher Lahore", At Karachi avaiable at Al-Bilal Book centre, Near Urdu Bazar. "Barkat Ali" -
This is a book about the spiritual quest for completion. It is powerful and beautiful. In our society, there are many false Simurgh's yet, we need a guide in our quest. There is such a guide, we must have the courage to take the journey.
From guest Martha (contact)
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making a presentation
From guest sunil (contact)
i read the subject and i decided that i will make a presentation on this topic so if any one have any material then help me send material on my email address
(sunilshoukatali@yahoo.co.in) -
All souls are part of GOD like a drop of rain, seperated from of Ocean.
I am just like a glacier of the ocean of Noor. Some day I will melt in the ocean. In the processes, I shall have to endure heat (oppress mundane). Eventually I will be one of THE thirty , seeking to merge in THE Noor. barkat50@yahoo.com -
Hi Jedah,
I liked Grimus a lot, too. ( more than Midnights Children) -
Simurg, and the outlying theme thereof is used in Salman Rushdie's novel Grimus (an anagram of Simurg). Grimus himself is a man who's given up everything to achieve semi-godliness. Very excellent book that wasn't well-received.
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i wish i could say i was entranced however it seems common sense to me.
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i like to read the poems of attar ,sanai n jami in original persian in the prsian script.translation takes away the fraxcarance of the words. only part of the meaning is available to the reader;can u help me with kind regards armannajmi
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Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote a book that is based on 'The Conference of the Birds': 'The Seven Valleys', which is great as well.
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Hi everyone! I'm translating a website about Attar's biography and works, but I faced difficulties translating few bayts (verses) of his book "Mossibat Nameh" (book of afflictions)as a refrence in the website. I would be grateful If anybody could help me translating them from Farsi into English. Thank you in advance,bye. My e-mail: hessnej@gmail.com
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the reading was good. i have a midterm coming up in this book if anyone can help me with at least some of the chapter summaries just to better understand the book that would be lovely thank u good bye
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Rumi said beautifully. Give up your drop and become part of the ocean.I lost everything I had, but in the process I found myself, when I found myself, I found God, when I found God,I did not need anything else - even in the loosing of everything, there was something deeper I gained.
I Say:- I am like a glassier in the ocean, I am from noor of GOD, big glassier means taken more water from ocean, intelligent means more knowledge bestowed by the GOD. Pretension is equal to shirk, since all credits goes to GOD. To be a corrupt person means he/she does not believe in God.
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Saying of Hazarat Ali " A person who knows himself, he knows the GOD. Barkat Ali (barkat50@yahoo.com)
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Attar is one such philosopher whose flight of thought was borrowed by early sindhi saints like Shah Latif, Sachal Sarmat and Qalandar Shahbaz. His vision of describing how to achieve immortality has been helpful to the wise. To grasp what exactly is the method to achieve immortality requires practice with patience. Not many of us are endowed with this blessing to learn eternal ways of becoming immortal. I wish I was the one!
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had a strange dream about two years ago, it was quite magical. It was about giant birds landing in a beautiful green clearing - their mantels were magnificant, it was still and enchanting but I didn't know what it meant. I was looking for my lost ring. Back to reality. Went to a fare and met a man who was reading cards and reading people. He told me I would write a book, one of the books I'm putting together is based on the dream. I mentioned this dream and he pointed me in the direction of Conference of Birds. Coincidence or not? I think it is strange and am going to orde the Conference of Birds myself.
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i have never read such an enchanting and true piece. i get rejoiced at hearing such beautiful words said about God and the reality spoken about this world. thankyou!
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I could not tell you how I ended up on this piece this morning, but I must say"I am in awe" I will bookmark this and I am sure will have to go over it again to really absorb it alland understand every single line of this enlightening write(being a bird owner/lover this is definitely of very much interest to me. Thank you,
Reenie
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Thank you for sharing this enlightening and profound write up on Mantiq Al-Attar. I wept when I read those deep words, digesting every word. The more I read, the more I realize I still have a long way to go when it comes to finding myself.
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Loved the writing, am looking for Kate Veihl, please pass on my email addy if you know her . Thank you ~ Mary Shine
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I have read the book, read it two years ago, and today, I just felt like going through it again... and the journey begins anew...
All lies within then, doesn't it? -
thanks
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I have had the great fortune to direct this play 3 time. I am always looking for another opportunity to journey with a new group of birds.
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This was a most inspiring, enlightening write of spiritual quest, and I can already identify with many of the statements made, as they are profound, and known even, to those who are truly seeking the spiritual way. Admitting our limitations as humans is one thing we must learn, always compassionate to all, clearing the way, once we have walked and I could go on and on. Love how this was written, seemed so ancient and with so much wisdom, that I can't help but wonder if it is not a story passed down, such as one might find here, which I have, among the historic folds of ancient Native-Americans. I absolutely love the wisdom and clarity within this write, conversing with birds--nature--one with nature, at ease, at peace, unified, on a spiritual quest. Well done! --Kel
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Wisdom for all
This was a wonderful experience of self discovery. Thank you for sharing! Interesting how every reader may relate to different phrases. Mine is
" ... getting rid of fear so that either road will be good ..."
How true this is! Fear may block one from creative thinking; and may also may diminish the opportunity to grow within acceptance, and within pro-active actions.
Thank you for directing me here - I love birds and always think of them as feathered souls. They are my good companions and chatmates
Kindest regards,
Myra
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rose patrick said this is so very very wonderful . I really love this i think that this is one of the fines piece i have read. I really really like this so very very much. i thank you so much for shareing this piece
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These words are beautiful, to do them justice i will come back and read them again for i think each and every time that i read this i will find something else to ponder.
"if you wish to find the ocean of your soul, then die to all your old life and then keep silent"
Wonderful..
~LadyStarlight~ -
"When you see the ugliness of your own faults, you will not bother so much with the faults of others." this phrase struck me deeply. I've heard of conversations with birds before; it seems diety takes many forms and birds are one of their favorites. I wonder who put this wonderful expression up here..., but I'm sure glad someone did.
Rage of Reason
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