The Whirling Dance Of Dervishes Poem by Dr. Madan Gandhi

The ritual dance of dervishes
is the way to understand the Totality of life
to unite with the cosmic powers
and also with eternity

The whirling dance represents
three movements within the body:
of the electrons, of the cells
and the movement of the molecules

All these different movements
rhyme with spiritual approaches of the self:
electrons to emotions, molecules to intelligence
cells to physicality and thus to the earth.

In the dance
the movement with changes in velocity
creates a harmony among different essences of self
and evokes a profound consciousness

The dance is a special way to train
the dervish's perception and awareness; a kind of meditation
where consciousness can penetrate the metaphysical world
striking a relation between human and the divine

All higher knowledge is metaphysical
attained through practice
not through thinking
therefore the practice of dance is worship

As in the dance
they are with the world but also away from it;
live concentrated on the essence
of what they search for

All their work is through dance
to discipline the body
to bear its material burden and weight
and thus be able to go beyond it

In their electronic structure
dervishes partake of the sun and of light;
in their molecular structure relate to them like the planets;
in cellular structure like the earth relate to them and the earth

As in the way all these move with different speeds
but stay ever in harmony
they too harmonize in the sacred ritual dance;
extending themselves from the earth to the cosmos

They become aware of absolute time
by concentrating their movements
on all different velocities

By moving in space from the center out,
they also unite space and time in their consciousness
and in a way join the eternal Unity of existence.
(Yayati)