The Guest at the Door: Principles of the Dergah
Not Me, But You What matters is not me, but the one who steps into the dergah (the spiritual lodge). In our tradition that stretches back over a thousand years, the essential condition is readiness. Ready for what? Ready to listen, to see, to share. Only then does the visitor cross the threshold and become present as a subject. Until that moment, patience is required: "We forgive the created for the sake of the Creator." Be Respectful No words of judgment — “you are this, you are that” — should ever be spoken to one who has come to the dergah , whether in need, in curiosity, or for reasons known only to the heart. "Do good, and cast it into the sea; if the fish do not know, the Creator knows." Do Not Ask About Their State The visitor’s state is not questioned. Just as a physician lets patients sit in the waiting room, so too the visitor arrives, is welcomed, and waits until the right time comes. "Come, whoever you are; this is not a lodge of des...