Dervishes

Why does the melody of the reed flute move us? Because holes have been cut in its heart, permitting it to cry. Only when a human heart has been emptied of false apprehensions and made hollow like the reed, can one play one's own melody.

These photos were meant to accompany this post. This ceremony is normally a very intimate, a spiritual observance sometimes performed in the presence of few invited guests. This particular observance was performed in a fairly large auditorium, and thus lost the intimacy it would otherwise convey. That said, sorry for the poor quality photos, they were taken in a bit of a rush with a camera I wouldn't recommend.

All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.
Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273)