“Compassion in times and places of confusion is usually a good idea. Frequently, new dervishes will become upset by what they see happening in the apparent world. For example, if their tesbih (Sufi prayer beads) breaks, they take this as a sign that Allah is angry with them. There is no evil that their tesbih broke. What is important is how the dervish mends it or replaces it. Just as that in life, when other "things" break, what is important is our reaction and how we mend or replace them. In addition, assuming that Allah is angry with them, is typical for the new dervish in that new dervishes tend to react in extreme ways. Everything becomes a matter of blown out of proportion. As one matures on the Path, one develops a sense of proportion and perspective, and does not run off as a chicken with its head cut off, when an inconvenience occurs in life.” CompassionPathProportionPrayer BeadsDervishesTesbih Author:Laurence Galian