The Study of Container Schema of " Temple" and " Light" in Mathnavi

Container schema is one of the main image schemas which can be used for explaining mystical attitude to Existence. By such schema، abstract concepts and mystical experiences which signify the presence of something inside something else can be studied in terms of cognitive metaphor. The basis of container schema is that، by the aid of experience of being in something or has something inside himself، man can attribute volume to abstract concepts. The aim of this research is to explain several examples in Mathnavi. A number of abstract experiences and mystical concepts have been stated in terms of container schema in this work. In many verses، Molana has used container schema for explaining mystical concepts. When he likens love to a haven and place of seclusion which is full of lover’s light، by the aid of container schema، he indeed considers container and volume for love which is an abstract entity. What trigger the creation of such metaphorical expressions are conceptual structures and image schemas which help the poet to make a correspondence between source domain (concrete and experiential) and target domain (metaphysical and spiritual) for explaining the abstract concept of love. According to Molavi، language itself is a container which has the contained. Letters and words form the container whereas meaning and truth are the contained which descent into the container.