FAKIRS AT TEA /COFFEE

FAKIRS AT TEA /COFFEE
Fakirs,jugglers, sufis,pilgrims,etc.

Friday, January 29, 2010

THE WAY OF THE DERVISH

Dervishes are considered to be fakirs/magicians/ wonderworkers/ fanatics/ ascetics/ mystics and even yogis. Yogis are said to keep an eye on them, whatever that means, possibly to either exploit them, benefit from them or to study and analyze their practices, rites, rituals, sacrifices, and suffering(s) or to assist them towards a 'higher development' or possible 'evolution'. KMany of these groups seem more like 'entertainers' and sometimes 'fortune tellers' or 'soothsayers' and naturally some are out- and- out chalatans posings as 'holy men' and the like. As performers in public or open areas, they have an appeal to the curious and the ones who are looking for 'miracles' or 'powers' or 'wonders' and the like. If you look at the early collectors of such things, like Ripley, then you can see how there is a fascination for such in the 'civilized', 'educated', 'cultured' world. I began my interest in such from not only BELIEVE IT OR NOT in the papers,etc. but from reading Paul Brunton's A SEARCH IN SECRET EGYPT which is still a great read and has some photos on the things he saw and did. His other book, A SEARCH IN SECRET INDIA, I did not read until many,many years later. I also have read a few others of his books. BRUNTON, like so many others, ended up at the feet of HIS GURU, RAMANA MAHARISHI, of whom I shall have more to say along with Brunton and others in THE WAY OF THE YOGI.