October 24, 2026

Into The Snake Pit

Whoever wants a treasure will not hesitate to crawl into a snake pit to find it.

In The Conference of the Birds, the hoopoe—wisest of the birds—tries to persuade a flock of reluctant travelers to cross seven dangerous valleys in search of their true king, the Simorgh. Many birds make excuses, citing comfort, fear, and the safety of their familiar nests. The hoopoe answers them with this teaching: nothing of real value comes without risk, and the search for truth is no exception. Attar, a twelfth-century Persian poet who left behind a prosperous life as a pharmacist to write this allegory of the soul's journey toward God, understood that trust is tested precisely where comfort ends.