Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• shokouh zarei
• Ehsan Reisi

Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan. Isfahan. Iran.

Abstract

An important part of Mowlavi's teachings are expressed using natural elements and components of the environment, these teachings can be called nature-based teachings. Although researches have been conducted on the natural elements in the Mowlavi's language and the characteristics of Mowlavi's teachings, but this issue has been neglected that on the one hand, the majority of Mowlavi's teachings are nature-based, and on the other hand, he mainly serves to express the topics related to nature and the environment teachings have benefited. Based on this, the analysis of Mowlavi's nature-based teachings and the role of nature in his educational system can reveal the neglected aspects of Mowlavi's educational system, as well as his way of dealing with nature and the environment.This research has tried to analyze and explain the mentioned topics with the analytical historical method and library tools. The findings indicate that nature in the Masnavi and the Divan-e Shams is not merely symbolic but constitutes an integral part of an educational system. In this regard, the study demonstrates that Mowlavi, by employing elements such as the sea, the sun, the earth, and fire, outlines the seeker’s spiritual path in the form of a five-stage model. This model comprises returning to the original homeland, purification of the self, traversing the stages of the spiritual journey, the relationship between the seeker and the guide, and ultimately annihilation and subsistence (fana and baqa). Thus, natural elements in the Masnavi and the Divan-e Shams function as pedagogical tools and hold a central position in explicating Mowlavi’s mystical and educational teachings.