Honestly, if you've ever felt like your life is just a series of repetitive loops, you need to know about a 12th-century pharmacist named Farid al Din Attar. Most people today obsess over Rumi, but Rumi himself basically said he was just following in Attar’s footsteps. There’s this famous quote attributed to Rumi where he says, "Attar has traversed the seven cities of love, and we are still at the turn of one street." That’s a massive endorsement.
Attar wasn't just some guy writing pretty verses in a vacuum. He lived in Nishapur, which is in modern-day Iran. Back then, it was a bustling hub of culture and trade, but it was also a place on the edge of total annihilation. He worked as an apothecary. He literally spent his days mixing herbs, oils, and perfumes for sick people. Imagine a guy behind a counter, smelling like sandalwood and rosewater, listening to the deepest secrets of hundreds of customers every single day. That kind of life gives you a very specific perspective on human suffering.
Eventually, the "perfumer" (which is what Attar means) walked away from the shop. Legend says a Sufi dervish walked into his store one day and challenged him. The dervish asked how Attar planned to die, given how attached he was to his goods. Attar snapped back, "The same way you will!" The dervish then lay down, said "Allah," and died right there. Talk about a wake-up call.
Why The Conference of the Birds Is Still Relevant
If you want to understand Farid al Din Attar, you have to look at his masterpiece, Mantiq al-Tayr, or The Conference of the Birds. It’s not just a story; it’s a psychological map.
Basically, all the birds of the world get together because they realize they don’t have a king. They decide to go find the legendary Simurgh. But here’s the thing: most of them are full of excuses. The Nightingale is too in love with the rose. The Parrot is obsessed with immortality. The Duck doesn't want to leave the water. It’s hilarious because they sound exactly like us making excuses for why we can't start a new project or change our lives.
The hoopoe, who acts as their guide, tells them they have to cross seven valleys. These aren't just physical places. They are states of being:
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- The Valley of Quest: Where you drop your ego and start asking what actually matters.
- The Valley of Love: Where logic goes out the window.
- The Valley of Knowledge: Not the textbook kind, but the "aha!" kind.
- The Valley of Detachment: Realizing you don't own anything anyway.
- The Valley of Unity: Seeing that everything is connected.
- The Valley of Bewilderment: When you’re so overwhelmed by the truth you just stand there stunned.
- The Valley of Poverty and Annihilation: Letting the "self" die so the truth can live.
Out of thousands of birds, only thirty make it to the end. And when they finally reach the Simurgh’s palace, they look into a mirror—or rather, the Simurgh itself—and realize they are the Simurgh. In Persian, si means thirty and murgh means bird. They were looking for themselves the whole time.
The Brutal Death of a Mystic
History isn't always kind. In 1221, the Mongols swept through Nishapur. It was a bloodbath. Historians like Juvayni claim the death toll was staggering, and Farid al Din Attar was right in the middle of it.
There's a story about his death that sounds almost too poetic to be true, but it fits his philosophy perfectly. A Mongol soldier captured him. Someone offered a thousand pieces of silver for the old man's life. Attar told the soldier, "Don't sell me for that; you'll get more later." Then someone offered a bag of straw. Attar said, "Sell me now, because that's all I'm worth." The soldier got so mad he killed him.
Whether it happened exactly like that or not, it highlights Attar's core belief: the ego is worthless. He spent his whole life teaching people how to peel back the layers of "I" and "me."
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Common Misconceptions About Attar
People often lump all Sufi poets together. They think it's all about wine and roses and "universal love." But Attar was actually kind of dark. Or maybe "realistic" is a better word. His other books, like the Mosibat-nama (Book of Affliction), focus heavily on the pain required for spiritual growth. He didn't think enlightenment was a walk in the park. He thought it was a grueling, terrifying journey that most people would fail.
Also, people often forget he was a serious historian. His work Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Memorial of the Saints) is one of the most important records we have of early Sufis. Without him, we’d have lost the stories of people like Rabia Basri or Mansur al-Hallaj. He was obsessed with preserving the "madness" of those who truly loved God.
How to Apply Attar's Wisdom Today
You don't have to be a 13th-century mystic to get something out of this. Farid al Din Attar was basically the original "inner work" specialist.
- Identify your "Bird": Are you the hawk, obsessed with status? The owl, hiding in the dark? Identifying your specific ego-trap is the first step in the "Quest."
- Embrace the "Bewilderment": In our culture, we hate not knowing. We want answers immediately. Attar suggests that being totally lost is actually a sign of progress.
- The Power of Thirty: The realization that the community (the 30 birds) is the divine presence is a huge lesson for our individualistic age.
Attar’s tomb still stands in Nishapur today. It's a quiet place, surrounded by gardens. If you ever find yourself there, remember the pharmacist who stopped selling perfumes to become the scent itself.
To really dive into his world, start by reading a modern translation of The Conference of the Birds (the Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis version is generally considered the gold standard). Pay attention to the excuses the birds make—you’ll probably see yourself in at least three of them. Once you recognize your own "inner duck" or "inner parrot," you can actually start the journey instead of just talking about it.
Key Takeaways for the Modern Seeker
- The Mirror Effect: What you seek is usually what is doing the seeking.
- Ego as an Obstacle: Your personal baggage (the "I") is the only thing standing between you and a deeper reality.
- Persistence: Thousands started the journey, but only thirty finished. Spiritual or personal growth isn't about the start; it's about the refusal to turn back during the "Valley of Bewilderment."