“Conference of the Birds” - Persian miniature art by farkhondehatharmony. In the poem by Attar of Nishapur, the birds of the world gather to decide who is to be their leader, as they have none. The hoopoe bird, the wisest of them all, suggests that they should find the legendary Simorgh. The hoopoe leads the birds, each of whom represents a human fault which prevents humanity from attaining enlightenment. The hoopoe tells the birds that they have to cross seven valleys in order to reach the abode of Simorgh. These valleys are: 1. Valley of the Quest, where the Wayfarer begins by casting aside all dogma, belief, and unbelief. 2. Valley of Love, where reason is abandoned for the sake of love. 3. Valley of Knowledge, where worldly knowledge becomes utterly useless. 4. Valley of Detachment, where all desires and attachments to the world are given up. Here, what is assumed to be “reality” vanishes. 5. Valley of Unity, where the Wayfarer realised that everything is connected and that the...