Spiritual Spending, Miserliness, and the Divine Marketplace Explained | Chapter 12 of The Masnavi
True Generosity, Ego-Death, and the Divine Economics of the Soul | Chapter 12 of The Masnavi (Book One) Chapter 12 of The Masnavi draws Book One toward its spiritual crescendo through a profound exploration of generosity, surrender, divine guidance, and the inner “commerce” between the soul and God. Rumi opens with a soaring metaphor of the sun and the falcon—symbols of courage, spiritual altitude, and readiness. These images invite seekers to risk everything for divine truth, reminding us that the soul, like a flowing spring, is continually replenished when it gives freely in God’s name. At the heart of this chapter lies a hadith that echoes through the “marketplace” of human life: two angels call out each day, “O God, bless the spender and destroy the miser!” Rumi unpacks these words with exquisite nuance, revealing that true spending—and true miserliness—have little to do with money and everything to do with the state of one’s heart. For a full guided explanation of the im...