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(peaceful music)
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- [Man] I am Cyrus, king of kings.
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Powerful king.
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King of Babylon.
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King of Sumer and Akkad.
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King of four countries.
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I command all people be free
in worshiping their own god,
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and atheists not harm them.
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- [Narrator] Iran.
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A land known for thousands of
years as the Persian Empire.
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A land where 2500 years
ago, and under the reign
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of Cyrus the Great the first declaration
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of human rights and
freedom faith was born.
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Carved on a simple
cylinder, it was discovered
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in the city of Babylon
many centuries later.
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From the ancient rites of Zarathustra
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to the pre-years of Islam
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and the realm of mystic dervishes
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it's a land rich in spirit.
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Through invasion of people and tyranny,
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the culture and the
spirit survives because
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at the heart of its nation
lies a central belief.
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A belief in spiritual
transformation and freedom of faith.
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The legacy of Cyrus the Great passed down
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for hundreds of years.
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(cars honking)
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I am a woman of two
cultures, East and West.
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For more than two decades
I have lived in the West.
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My pilgrimage today takes me east.
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Back to Iran.
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Land of my birth and back to Persia,
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land of many beliefs.
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(gentle music)
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In quest of the spiritual
roots and rituals of this
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ancient land that have
survived the centuries.
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My journey begins in Tehran.
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Tehran the capital of Iran
is a city like any modern
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city the world over.
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(light music)
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A city with ancient
roots, Tehran has adopted
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a cosmopolitan way of life.
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But like many other
cities in the Middle East,
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Tehran has developed its
own unique public laws.
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In response to one of the
more controversial laws,
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a dress code requiring
women be covered head to toe
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in public, I saw the younger
generation adopting a new
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East West fashion statement.
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Despite numerous public
and private restrictions,
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many Iranians have reached
new heights of achievement.
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And women as well as men have found a path
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to creative expression.
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As filmmakers,
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poets, and writers.
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From the hidden cafes and
galleries where artists
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and intellectuals gather,
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to open air parks filled
with the vibrant energy
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of the younger generation.
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I saw people redefining their
role in the modern world.
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From the children of comfort
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to children who work and never play,
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I found Tehran a city of paradox.
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A place where lives are
lived in a constant struggle
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between Western taste and desires
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and Eastern rules and laws.
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But my journey was to take me far beyond,
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away from the city.
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Away from the familiar.
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Into the heart of an ancient land.
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(peaceful music)
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As we rode into the Dasht-e Kavir Desert,
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we passed by abandoned and crumbling walls
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that once gave shelter
from the sun and sand
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to caravans that carried
the gifts of the Orient
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along the Silk Road.
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Connecting East and West.
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Now I traveled that same route in search
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of people, places, and
the spiritual traditions
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long hidden in remote regions.
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Echoes from a distant past.
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A golden dome and turquoise
minarets shone from
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the distant horizon inviting us toward
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the Shrine of Hazrat
Masoumeh, a Muslim saint
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in the city of Qom.
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(chanting)
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When the teachings of
Islam reached this region
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in the late 13th century,
Persia was monotheistic,
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inhabited by the followers of
Zarathustra, Moses, and Jesus.
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And like his predecessors,
Prophet Mohammad believed
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in one supreme god.
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Allah.
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(water trickling)
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At the shrine we joined
thousands of pilgrims
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from across Islamic world who
had come to ask forgiveness
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and receive a blessing from
the spirit of the young
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female saint buried in
the inner sanctuary.
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For centuries people have
believed in the healing power
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of the saints to cure the sick
in body, mind, and spirit.
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Along with my male crew
I waited for days under
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the burning sun for
permission to film the shrine.
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I was not allowed to
enter the men's chamber,
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segregated from women under Islamic law.
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Unexpectedly we were given
five minutes to film inside
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the women's chamber.
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To my knowledge, we were
the first film crew allowed
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into the sanctuary.
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(singing in foreign language)
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Outside the women kiss and
touch the gilded doorways,
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a sign of respect offered
to the spirit of the saint.
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Inside, a pavilion of light explodes
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into a seemingly infinite array of images
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as colorful tiles dance
off a multitude of mirrors.
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Wall to wall hundreds of women
wrapped in the black chador
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gather to pray.
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Some read from the Quran,
seeking wisdom from the words.
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Some whisper the name of god.
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Others sit in silent meditation.
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Surprisingly no one pays
attention or objects
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to the presence of
camera or the male crew.
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Most quietly cover their faces
and continue their prayers.
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Deep within the shrine is
the gold and silver case
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enclosing the body of Hazrat Masoumeh.
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The young woman saint who
died here of an illness
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in the late 8th century.
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We are caught in the crowd
as hundreds of women press
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forward to kiss and touch her mausoleum.
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Some make offerings to the saint,
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hoping to find relief from sufferings,
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illness, and misfortune.
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Others lift their children high to contact
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the healing energy of the
spirit within the chamber.
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Believing the saint's power
transcends even death.
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But most have come simply
for comfort, strength,
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and the hope to carry on.
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(gentle music)
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In search of rites and rituals
dating to an earlier time,
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we travel deeper into central Iran.
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As we journeyed, I saw
layers of past civilizations
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long-hidden within the desert cities.
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In an earlier time Islam
forbade representation
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of deities and living beings
in paintings and sculptures.
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Artists were compelled to
express their creativity
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in other ways and an
architectural Renaissance arose.
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(singing in foreign language)
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The city of Kashan, jewel of the desert,
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bears witness to this artistic awakening.
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From the narrow alleys and shapely domes
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to ceilings filled with rays of light.
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Even in the arched bazaars.
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Everywhere I saw signs
of a higher creativity
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and boundless beauty.
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Like many seekers who had come before us,
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we entered the land of the
ancient messenger, Zarathustra.
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(dramatic music)
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4,000 years ago, Zarathustra
was born in the northernmost
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area of Persia.
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In an epoch of darkness
and nonbelief, he spoke
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of an intelligent force.
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An unseen energy.
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The god of light.
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Deep in the womb of the Karkas Mountains
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we reached the sanctuary of
(speaking foreign language).
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Hidden for centuries.
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A holy place for Zoroastrians,
it is another shrine
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dedicated to a female saint.
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It is believed that she
escaped to the high mountains
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to preserve the esoteric
teachings of Zarathustra
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during a time of religious persecution.
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(peaceful music)
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According to legend, an
actual miracle took place
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when the walls of the
cave literally opened,
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giving her protection from her enemies.
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Every day women, men, and
children colorfully dressed
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in traditional clothing gather
in the hidden sanctuary.
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(singing in foreign language)
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They come to read songs
from the holy book Avesta
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and to celebrate their lives on earth.
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An ancient layer beneath the Islam,
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the teachings of Zarathustra
predates Jesus and even Moses.
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(singing in foreign language)
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(peaceful music)
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Zarathustra proclaimed god
the omnipotent Ahura Mazda
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the creator of the universe
and that the human soul
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was created in the image of god.
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Through his discoveries of the human soul
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and mysteries of the
universe, he came to believe
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that two forces controlled the world.
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Spenta Mainyu, the
positive force of goodness
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manifesting in the world as light
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and Ahriman, the negative
destructive force of evil
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manifesting as darkness.
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The dark force he believed
was not an independent entity
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but existed solely within the human mind.
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Zarathustra proclaimed
the only path to happiness
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was to purify one's own thoughts
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so that from the seeds of good thoughts
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good words and good deeds would bloom.
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As followers of this ancient
messenger offer their prayers
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to Ahura Mazda, they burn incense
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and light candles to purify their spirits.
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Zoroastrians built temples
in the high mountains
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where they still come to
perform rituals around the fire.
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This fire has been kept
alive for thousands of years,
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a symbolic reminder of
the divine illumination
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within the human soul.
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The legacy of this most
ancient messenger remains
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one of joy and love.
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(upbeat music)
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I've heard the stories
of the incredible men
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known as dervishes living in
the rugged distant mountains
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of Kordestan.
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We came at last to the
remote village of Najjar
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inhabited by farmers
living a simple lifestyle.
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Throughout history, the
Kurdish people have practiced
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mysticism as a way of
life, even while continuing
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their long fight for independence.
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(singing in foreign language)
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Inside the Sufi center we
were welcomed by Sheik Nadur,
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one of the spiritual leaders of the
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(speaking foreign language) path.
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The dervishes come from many
different walks of life.
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Young or old, educated or simple farmers,
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they share a common belief.
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All are equal here as
they come before God.
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(percussive music)
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(singing in foreign language)
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The Western world knows
about the dervishes and
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their whirling dance of Sama
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through the 13th century Persian mystic
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Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi.
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Rumi, a poet and a scholar,
reached a state of enlightenment
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under the guidance of a wandering dervish
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and practicing Sufi
known as Shams-e Tabrizi.
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00:22:11,594 --> 00:22:14,757
Rumi expressed his
enlightened state in his poems
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and through them has
been a messenger of love
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00:22:17,511 --> 00:22:20,594
and consciousness for over 700 years.
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Though it is believed to
have branched out of Islam,
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the mystical apparition of dervishes
238
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also has roots in the older
Christian and Zoroastrian
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teachings and rituals.
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Dervishes are often depicted as wanderers,
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pilgrims on a spiritual
quest in search of mysteries
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of the universe.
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00:22:50,357 --> 00:22:53,178
In their long journey in
search of esoteric knowledge,
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00:22:53,178 --> 00:22:55,955
they carry a ball
symbolizing their willingness
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to receive that which comes from God.
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00:23:05,658 --> 00:23:10,431
Dervishes believe in the
existence of two worlds.
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The physical and the virtual.
248
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The seen and the unseen.
249
00:23:20,242 --> 00:23:23,122
In order to travel to the unseen world,
250
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they believe it necessary
251
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to reach the state of enlightenment
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and from that state the chosen ones
253
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will hear the voice of the universe.
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Throughout history, many
dervishes have been persecuted,
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accused of blasphemy, and
even killed for openly
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revealing esoteric knowledge.
257
00:23:55,817 --> 00:23:59,922
Forced underground, they kept
a path open to devoted seekers
258
00:23:59,922 --> 00:24:03,505
in order to hand down
the mystic knowledge.
259
00:24:05,661 --> 00:24:08,365
Their secret meetings take
place in centers known
260
00:24:08,365 --> 00:24:09,198
as Hanaga.
261
00:24:10,082 --> 00:24:13,325
Many are still closed every day.
262
00:24:13,325 --> 00:24:15,817
As Rumi said, Jesus
reached the crucifixion
263
00:24:15,817 --> 00:24:18,184
because of his message of love.
264
00:24:18,184 --> 00:24:20,678
(percussive music)
265
00:24:20,678 --> 00:24:24,511
(singing in foreign language)
266
00:24:28,744 --> 00:24:31,965
Men from areas throughout
Kordestan gather to perform
267
00:24:31,965 --> 00:24:34,798
their sacred ritual known as Sama.
268
00:24:40,137 --> 00:24:42,798
Sama means to hear or to listen
269
00:24:42,798 --> 00:24:45,683
and it is during the ritual
of Sama that the dervish
270
00:24:45,683 --> 00:24:48,100
opens himself to hearing God.
271
00:24:52,883 --> 00:24:54,925
It is traditionally
taboo for women to enter
272
00:24:54,925 --> 00:24:59,085
the men's circle, but out of
respect for our long pilgrimage
273
00:24:59,085 --> 00:25:02,918
Sheik Nadur allowed me
to watch from a window.
274
00:25:11,283 --> 00:25:14,237
Islam forbids music and
dance in secular life,
275
00:25:14,237 --> 00:25:18,024
but inside the Hanaga,
the ritual of Sama begins
276
00:25:18,024 --> 00:25:20,274
with the rhythm of the daf,
277
00:25:21,165 --> 00:25:24,301
an ancient instrument
like the shaman's drum,
278
00:25:24,301 --> 00:25:27,468
the daf is sacred to these mystic men.
279
00:25:33,965 --> 00:25:36,445
Like yogis, dervishes
keep their hair long,
280
00:25:36,445 --> 00:25:39,843
wrapping it beneath the turban.
281
00:25:39,843 --> 00:25:43,421
As they start the ritual, the
men let their long hair flow,
282
00:25:43,421 --> 00:25:48,061
whipping back and forth with
the rhythm of the dance.
283
00:25:48,061 --> 00:25:52,228
(percussive music)
(singing in foreign language)
284
00:26:48,483 --> 00:26:51,043
As the beat of the drum speeds up,
285
00:26:51,043 --> 00:26:53,460
they enter a state of trance.
286
00:26:55,805 --> 00:26:59,972
Some meditate, some levitate,
some whirl, some chant.
287
00:27:09,341 --> 00:27:11,508
All in a state of ecstasy.
288
00:27:22,744 --> 00:27:26,327
As the mystic poet Rumi
described the Sama,
289
00:27:28,621 --> 00:27:31,861
"Dancing is not rising
to your feet painlessly
290
00:27:31,861 --> 00:27:35,194
"like a speck of dust blown in the wind.
291
00:27:37,544 --> 00:27:41,211
"Dancing is when you
rise above both worlds,
292
00:27:42,362 --> 00:27:44,779
"tearing your heart to pieces
293
00:27:46,323 --> 00:27:48,490
"and giving up your soul."
294
00:27:49,843 --> 00:27:54,010
(singing and chanting in foreign language)
295
00:28:08,323 --> 00:28:10,656
The ritual lasted for hours.
296
00:28:17,068 --> 00:28:21,235
But at last they returned to
a normal state of awareness.
297
00:28:22,465 --> 00:28:25,691
I saw men leave with a look of inner peace
298
00:28:25,691 --> 00:28:28,524
and a certain smile on their face.
299
00:28:39,893 --> 00:28:42,476
(upbeat music)
300
00:28:55,189 --> 00:28:57,093
(percussive music)
301
00:28:57,093 --> 00:29:00,926
(singing in foreign language)
302
00:29:11,509 --> 00:29:13,552
While in the village
of Najjar I discovered
303
00:29:13,552 --> 00:29:16,219
the presence of women dervishes.
304
00:29:17,347 --> 00:29:19,472
They'd gather to offer
prayers to the spirit
305
00:29:19,472 --> 00:29:23,639
of dervish saint Vaisa Kharan,
buried within the mausoleum.
306
00:29:26,831 --> 00:29:29,825
Khalifa Saneh, the spiritual
leader of the group, is a woman
307
00:29:29,825 --> 00:29:33,410
of modern wisdom and gave us
permission to film the Sama
308
00:29:33,410 --> 00:29:37,446
during their pilgrimage
through this remote region.
309
00:29:37,446 --> 00:29:41,613
(percussive music)
(singing in foreign language)
310
00:29:50,770 --> 00:29:52,888
Though women have been
practicing the mystic knowledge
311
00:29:52,888 --> 00:29:55,864
for centuries, their
existence has been hidden
312
00:29:55,864 --> 00:29:57,281
from public view.
313
00:30:06,648 --> 00:30:10,189
It is forbidden for women
to dance and sing in public,
314
00:30:10,189 --> 00:30:12,704
but once again, the ritual of Sama begins
315
00:30:12,704 --> 00:30:15,346
with the sound of the
daf as the women whirl
316
00:30:15,346 --> 00:30:17,400
and chant the name of Allah.
317
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,650
(chanting)
318
00:30:56,839 --> 00:31:00,173
Dervishes practice Sama
as a way to see further
319
00:31:00,173 --> 00:31:02,090
beyond ordinary senses.
320
00:31:05,009 --> 00:31:07,176
Beyond the material world.
321
00:31:10,588 --> 00:31:14,005
To reach a higher state of consciousness.
322
00:31:14,949 --> 00:31:16,449
Some have visions,
323
00:31:18,348 --> 00:31:20,765
other chase away bad spirits.
324
00:31:23,148 --> 00:31:26,933
But all experience the presence
of God within their heart.
325
00:31:26,933 --> 00:31:29,850
(percussive music)
326
00:32:02,133 --> 00:32:04,469
The role of a spiritual
leader guiding the Sama
327
00:32:04,469 --> 00:32:08,636
is to watch over the dervishes
while in the mystical realm.
328
00:32:11,733 --> 00:32:14,049
Induced by the movement and sound,
329
00:32:14,049 --> 00:32:16,351
their hypnotic trance state deepens,
330
00:32:16,351 --> 00:32:18,770
and Khalifa Saneh helps the women back
331
00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:22,234
to a normal state of consciousness.
332
00:32:22,234 --> 00:32:26,401
(singing and chanting in foreign language)
333
00:32:58,778 --> 00:33:02,945
Inside the mausoleum, all sit
for a moment of joyful tears.
334
00:33:04,255 --> 00:33:07,655
Whispering the name of the beloved god.
335
00:33:07,655 --> 00:33:11,322
(speaking foreign language)
336
00:33:18,335 --> 00:33:22,168
(singing in foreign language)
337
00:33:25,172 --> 00:33:26,850
(peaceful music)
338
00:33:26,850 --> 00:33:29,316
- [Narrator] A dervish gives
the secret of the universe
339
00:33:29,316 --> 00:33:31,399
in every breath for free.
340
00:33:34,835 --> 00:33:38,356
Not the one who begs his daily bread,
341
00:33:38,356 --> 00:33:41,939
but the one who flows
with life as charity.
342
00:33:49,716 --> 00:33:52,154
At lunch we join the women dervishes
343
00:33:52,154 --> 00:33:54,916
as they sat beneath walnut
trees to sup in the sun
344
00:33:54,916 --> 00:33:58,583
and enjoy the company
of family and friends.
345
00:34:03,754 --> 00:34:06,154
Khalifa Saneh explained
that to be a dervish
346
00:34:06,154 --> 00:34:08,487
means to live a simple life.
347
00:34:09,715 --> 00:34:12,298
Away from material attachments,
348
00:34:14,575 --> 00:34:18,356
away from worldly desires
and in the presence of god
349
00:34:18,356 --> 00:34:19,439
at all times.
350
00:34:26,036 --> 00:34:29,674
Fascinated by these dervish
women, their spiritual state,
351
00:34:29,674 --> 00:34:33,674
and their simple lifestyle,
mountain to mountain
352
00:34:35,455 --> 00:34:38,916
and village to village we followed them,
353
00:34:38,916 --> 00:34:42,166
becoming wandering dervishes ourselves.
354
00:34:46,554 --> 00:34:50,011
In the next village, we saw
women dervishes preparing food
355
00:34:50,011 --> 00:34:53,754
for the traveling pilgrims
and the day's rituals.
356
00:34:53,754 --> 00:34:57,252
(fire crackling)
357
00:34:57,252 --> 00:34:59,502
(pounding)
358
00:35:00,930 --> 00:35:03,354
We found Dervish Mehru
among the group of women
359
00:35:03,354 --> 00:35:06,271
baking bread in a primitive cavern.
360
00:35:09,772 --> 00:35:12,474
Like many others, Mahru
refuses to communicate
361
00:35:12,474 --> 00:35:14,391
in front of the camera.
362
00:35:19,243 --> 00:35:21,993
(women laughing)
363
00:35:26,058 --> 00:35:28,859
(singing in foreign language)
364
00:35:28,859 --> 00:35:31,899
When a woman begins to
sing, this every day scene
365
00:35:31,899 --> 00:35:35,399
suddenly transforms into a surreal moment.
366
00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:59,656
As her companions keep
working, Mahru begins to chant,
367
00:35:59,656 --> 00:36:00,989
lament, and cry.
368
00:36:04,816 --> 00:36:06,816
She is in another world.
369
00:36:09,019 --> 00:36:12,539
In a personal trance state,
she begins to rub her hand
370
00:36:12,539 --> 00:36:15,521
on a burning piece of wood.
371
00:36:15,521 --> 00:36:17,771
(chanting)
372
00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:25,840
It is believed that in a state of trance
373
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,048
dervishes can transcend
the physical senses,
374
00:36:28,048 --> 00:36:31,179
achieving control of mind over the body.
375
00:36:31,179 --> 00:36:33,429
(chanting)
376
00:36:56,714 --> 00:36:59,776
As her trance intensifies,
Dervish Mahru grabs a piece
377
00:36:59,776 --> 00:37:02,357
of wood from the stove
and swallows the fire
378
00:37:02,357 --> 00:37:06,858
just as a woman crosses
in front of the camera.
379
00:37:06,858 --> 00:37:08,635
With every utterance of Allah and
380
00:37:08,635 --> 00:37:12,802
(speaking foreign language),
smoke comes out of her mouth.
381
00:37:19,419 --> 00:37:21,435
According to the dervish women,
382
00:37:21,435 --> 00:37:23,536
the fire eating was not
something we were meant
383
00:37:23,536 --> 00:37:24,786
to see or film.
384
00:37:27,835 --> 00:37:30,859
Some believe the inner fire
experienced during trance
385
00:37:30,859 --> 00:37:35,443
is so intense it drives mystic
to reach for the outer fire
386
00:37:35,443 --> 00:37:37,860
to quench the burning within.
387
00:37:47,904 --> 00:37:49,001
(drumming)
388
00:37:49,001 --> 00:37:52,834
(singing in foreign language)
389
00:38:02,117 --> 00:38:05,044
As Mahru moves deeper
into a state of ecstasy,
390
00:38:05,044 --> 00:38:08,201
she approaches the fire once more.
391
00:38:08,201 --> 00:38:13,161
This time she begins to
dance on the burning embers.
392
00:38:13,161 --> 00:38:17,328
The women try to stop her, but
only because of the camera.
393
00:38:20,185 --> 00:38:22,880
Mahru told us later that
it is customary for both
394
00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:27,047
male and female dervishes,
like yogis, to eat fire,
395
00:38:27,902 --> 00:38:31,069
or cut their body and remain unharmed.
396
00:38:36,804 --> 00:38:40,503
While it may appear to the
outside viewer as a spectacle,
397
00:38:40,503 --> 00:38:43,877
the goal of this practice is
to weigh their mystic power
398
00:38:43,877 --> 00:38:47,127
and will and to strengthen their faith.
399
00:38:54,648 --> 00:38:57,742
The situation is getting out
of hand and Dervish Mehru
400
00:38:57,742 --> 00:38:59,950
is helped out of the cavern by her friends
401
00:38:59,950 --> 00:39:04,117
and carried away to finish
the cycle of Sama in privacy.
402
00:39:17,549 --> 00:39:20,299
(birds chirping)
403
00:39:25,107 --> 00:39:28,024
Everywhere the murmur of departure.
404
00:39:30,026 --> 00:39:31,859
The stars like candles
405
00:39:35,048 --> 00:39:37,965
thrust at us from behind blue veils
406
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,330
and, as if to make the invisible plain,
407
00:39:44,387 --> 00:39:47,790
a wondrous people have come forth.
408
00:39:47,790 --> 00:39:50,168
(drumming)
409
00:39:50,168 --> 00:39:54,001
(singing in foreign language)
410
00:40:05,507 --> 00:40:07,806
Back in their home in
the city of Sanandaj,
411
00:40:07,806 --> 00:40:09,950
the women gather with Khalifa Saneh
412
00:40:09,950 --> 00:40:11,950
for their weekly ritual.
413
00:40:21,310 --> 00:40:25,731
Dervishes believe the heart is
the seat of cosmic knowledge
414
00:40:25,731 --> 00:40:30,326
and the meditation,
chanting, prayers, and Sama
415
00:40:30,326 --> 00:40:32,993
are the means to open the heart.
416
00:40:43,980 --> 00:40:46,230
(chanting)
417
00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:53,247
All through meditation they
chant a mystical mantra.
418
00:40:55,218 --> 00:40:57,160
It is believed that the
chanting of the words
419
00:40:57,160 --> 00:40:58,493
clears the mind.
420
00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:03,377
The sound of the music purifies the soul.
421
00:41:04,255 --> 00:41:08,422
And the motion of the body
ignites the state of bliss.
422
00:41:09,938 --> 00:41:14,358
In the mystical world,
this brings forth love.
423
00:41:14,358 --> 00:41:18,525
(percussive music)
(singing in foreign language)
424
00:41:29,437 --> 00:41:31,517
It is common for dervish
women to grow their hair
425
00:41:31,517 --> 00:41:33,753
down to their knees.
426
00:41:33,753 --> 00:41:37,920
Like the men, it flows freely
during the ritual of Sama.
427
00:41:39,594 --> 00:41:43,761
But because of the filming
they covered themselves.
428
00:42:16,898 --> 00:42:19,357
Though the mature women are
restricted by their efforts
429
00:42:19,357 --> 00:42:22,680
to keep their scarves on,
with the rhythm of the music
430
00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,698
they begin to forget our
presence as they immerse
431
00:42:25,698 --> 00:42:27,698
themselves in the dance.
432
00:42:38,755 --> 00:42:40,919
A young dervish loses her scarf.
433
00:42:40,919 --> 00:42:43,837
Freed in her movements, she
enters fully into the trance
434
00:42:43,837 --> 00:42:45,170
state with ease.
435
00:43:04,031 --> 00:43:07,032
The cycle of Sama allows
the dervish to transcend
436
00:43:07,032 --> 00:43:10,830
the everyday self by transforming
her state of awareness
437
00:43:10,830 --> 00:43:13,497
through the power of the ritual.
438
00:43:17,388 --> 00:43:19,388
Again the words of Rumi.
439
00:43:22,131 --> 00:43:25,381
"If you could get rid of yourself once,
440
00:43:26,552 --> 00:43:29,969
"the secret of secrets would open to you.
441
00:43:30,931 --> 00:43:35,790
"The face of the unknown,
hidden beyond the universe,
442
00:43:35,790 --> 00:43:39,790
"would appear in the
mirror of your perception."
443
00:44:05,854 --> 00:44:10,030
They say love is the end of
silence, the beginning is chaos,
444
00:44:10,030 --> 00:44:12,414
but the end is tranquility.
445
00:44:12,414 --> 00:44:16,081
(speaking foreign language)
446
00:44:42,590 --> 00:44:45,340
(peaceful music)
447
00:44:56,507 --> 00:44:58,371
- [Narrator] Modern man
explores the universe
448
00:44:58,371 --> 00:44:59,788
from the outside.
449
00:45:01,128 --> 00:45:04,878
The mystic explores the
universe from inside.
450
00:45:06,430 --> 00:45:08,263
Both in search of God.
451
00:45:16,189 --> 00:45:17,688
Nearing the end of our journey,
452
00:45:17,688 --> 00:45:20,646
we join hundreds of women
in the remote desert village
453
00:45:20,646 --> 00:45:21,646
of Varsaneh.
454
00:45:24,334 --> 00:45:27,967
Side by side, echoing a
tradition of years of discipline,
455
00:45:27,967 --> 00:45:28,800
they pray.
456
00:45:31,432 --> 00:45:33,850
They pray with the belief that
the sound of their prayers
457
00:45:33,850 --> 00:45:38,691
offered with one voice
transcends the material world
458
00:45:38,691 --> 00:45:40,691
and moves onward to God.
459
00:45:45,950 --> 00:45:49,200
And then they sit in silent meditation,
460
00:45:50,190 --> 00:45:54,357
listening, waiting, knowing
that God will answer in time.
461
00:46:04,910 --> 00:46:08,414
A mystic's way to converse with God.
462
00:46:08,414 --> 00:46:10,997
(gentle music)
463
00:46:31,190 --> 00:46:34,690
Later we follow the women to the cemetery.
464
00:46:40,390 --> 00:46:43,192
Every Friday the holy day
of the week they gather
465
00:46:43,192 --> 00:46:46,525
to pray the spirits of their loved ones.
466
00:46:49,352 --> 00:46:52,910
Dressed in ghostly white
chadors, they adorn the graves
467
00:46:52,910 --> 00:46:54,493
with joyful colors,
468
00:46:57,832 --> 00:47:01,999
offering rosewater, flowers,
and sweets to the spirits.
469
00:47:06,910 --> 00:47:11,271
These women view life
on Earth as a caravan.
470
00:47:11,271 --> 00:47:14,271
Moving across the celestial horizon,
471
00:47:16,152 --> 00:47:20,319
passing through life, the soul
settles briefly for the night
472
00:47:24,494 --> 00:47:28,661
and at dawn it disappears into
the infinite distance beyond.
473
00:47:31,971 --> 00:47:36,825
Made of the earth, the
human body returns to earth,
474
00:47:36,825 --> 00:47:40,492
but the soul rises above
the material world,
475
00:47:41,870 --> 00:47:43,287
transcending all.
476
00:47:45,630 --> 00:47:48,989
In the end, the soul is married
once more to the beloved
477
00:47:48,989 --> 00:47:50,989
God from whence it came.
478
00:47:55,705 --> 00:47:59,872
Only love and freedom, the
gifts of the spirit, remain.
479
00:48:01,694 --> 00:48:04,527
(uplifting music)
480
00:48:15,832 --> 00:48:18,392
My spiritual journey had
taken me from the land
481
00:48:18,392 --> 00:48:21,475
of Ahura Mazda to the realm of Allah.
482
00:48:24,094 --> 00:48:27,427
I came to believe there is only one god.
483
00:48:28,489 --> 00:48:31,656
The god of light and goodness and joy.
484
00:48:34,691 --> 00:48:38,858
A god who abides not on the
mountains or in the oceans,
485
00:48:41,672 --> 00:48:44,505
nor the cities or the sanctuaries,
486
00:48:46,750 --> 00:48:50,083
but in the human souls who worship them.
487
00:48:55,934 --> 00:49:00,072
From the heart of the desert
to the distant mountains
488
00:49:00,072 --> 00:49:02,665
I searched for the
incredible men and women
489
00:49:02,665 --> 00:49:04,248
of legend and lore.
490
00:49:07,171 --> 00:49:11,950
They showed me the secret
of life that is goodness
491
00:49:11,950 --> 00:49:14,349
radiating from the human heart
492
00:49:14,349 --> 00:49:17,266
that holds the universe in harmony.
493
00:49:20,588 --> 00:49:24,028
From the teachings of sages and wise men,
494
00:49:24,028 --> 00:49:27,934
I discovered that the roots
of hatred and destruction
495
00:49:27,934 --> 00:49:31,684
emanate from the human
mind and not from God.
496
00:49:33,614 --> 00:49:37,390
Looking back on the long history
of the people of this land,
497
00:49:37,390 --> 00:49:41,669
I understood now that
with the power of faith,
498
00:49:41,669 --> 00:49:45,432
no force or tyrant can
stop people from claiming
499
00:49:45,432 --> 00:49:48,712
the freedom to follow their own hearts.
500
00:49:48,712 --> 00:49:51,462
(peaceful music)
501
00:49:55,891 --> 00:49:58,334
The legacy of Cyrus
the Great will continue
502
00:49:58,334 --> 00:50:01,751
to resonate here for generations to come.
503
00:50:05,326 --> 00:50:08,611
Echoes from the past will live on.
504
00:50:08,611 --> 00:50:12,444
(singing in foreign language)
37581
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