A dervish was sitting in meditation, right in the middle of the road along which the Maharaja's procession was due to pass. Crowds of people were running in all directions to have a glimpse of the royal carriage, pushing against the dervish in their rough movements. The dervish sat impassively in their midst, saying only, "That is why". Then came the bodyguards, shouting loudly at the dervish, who showed no other reaction than to repeat the words "That is why".

When the courtiers approached the dervish, they moved their horses so as to avoid causing him any harm, and the dervish again said "That is why".

Finally, when the royal carriage reached the spot where the dervish was still sitting, the Maharajah got down and bowed to the dervish, who once again said "That is why".

When asked what was meant by those words, the dervish replied, "In life one is only that which one truthfully is, and one becomes that which one truthfully deserves to be. Destiny is neither planned nor created, it is reached, because one's behavior is a mirror which faithfully reflects the innermost image of mind heart and soul".

For information on the International Sufi Movement, or to order books, lectures or the Biography of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, check out the Sufi Bookstore website, http://guess.worldweb.net/sufi/