Life Divine

“ O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, let me sow faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, let me sow light; where there is sadness,  joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I  may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And, it is in dying that we are born into Eternal Life.” St. Francis of Assissi

There is a divine power deep in the heart of every being: formless, nameless, unique and incomparable.
It is the invisible source and substance of all that exists, it is immortal, conscious, intelligent perfection that is the ultimate goal, the only true and ever-present friend, the fountain of love and life and peace.
Something deep in every one of us senses this power: it is the one thing we instinctively know is good, the one thing we love and long for, from the very depths of our souls.
To this power, we pray, to  this power, we surrender in humility, in this power, we seek refuge, from this power, we derive our strength and our courage.
When all seems lost, this power will always lend succour; when all seems dark, this power will blaze its Light.
As our faith and devotion in this power deepens, we surrender all our selfishness and individuality at its feet.
We die before we die.
And then the revelation! the joy and the glory!
We find
 this power
 is who we really are.

Jai Bhagavan!

“Peace is our swabhava (nature). Just as a person who keeps a number of things in a room and then complains that there is no space in the room, we say there is no peace. Is not the space obtained automatically when the things are removed?”
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi

O Master of Silence, ocean of compassionate bliss, all Gurus, all Gods are in you.

You are the indwelling Self of everyone, the infinite, unchanging Brahman,
the Jewel shining always in the lotus of the Heart.

The very thought of you calms the raging storms of desire and fear; effortlessly, the restless mind is stilled.

Sinking deep within, the world disappears: there is only the boundless space that is you.

With endless compassion, you wipe away my tears and my suffering.
With infinite tenderness, you embrace me and enfold me in Love.

Like blazing sunlight, you dispel all ignorance and illusion.
Like soft moonlight, you clothe me in radiance and peace.

How can I even begin to thank you for the blessings you shower upon me, without measure or end?
Shine forever in my heart, sweet Lord of Grace: this is my only prayer!
May I forever know the ecstatic bliss and unshakable serenity of your Being!

O Bhagavan, may I forever be the dust beneath your feet!

The Mystery of History: The Froth and the Depths

                         ( Photo of Tirruvannamalai Lake courtesy Aaron Sapru)

( Recorded human history is merely 5000 years old: this is like the wink of an eye compared to the age of the planet. The story of the human race itself is so tiny….how much more petty is the story of any one individual lifetime!)
“ I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:14

Over thousands of years, see how the mighty have fallen!
Kings and heroes , fabled cities and empires, all vanished in time.
How many tales of glory lie forgotten in the ocean depths?
How many great monuments lie buried beneath the desert sands?

Our vaunted civilisations, our revered intellects, our science and technology, our philosophies and religions ….where have they brought us now?
Socio-economic systems based on madness and greed and war have led to tremendous disparities in the distribution of resources, unprecedented human suffering and environmental degradation.
Unbiased observers from another planet would be justified in concluding that this race is definitely insane- rabidly destroying its own home and all the species who share it.

Unless there is a quantum leap in the evolution of human consciousness, will there be any meaningful change ? Every human being must first transform his or her own state of being. Like ripples in a lake, this will lead to a “critical mass” of evolved consciousness that can trigger an avalanche of transformation that sweeps through the whole race. Will this happen in time?
Fortunately ,Nature is still whole. Nature is far more intelligent and powerful than the human race.
She will handle the crisis in her own way and in her own time.

Of course , all this is still just froth on the surface of the ocean of the Real. Will you identify yourself with the froth or will you claim the infinite depths?

Life shines on, in serene tranquillity: white herons flashing over jewel-green rice fields ,a still mountain reflected in a lotus-filled lake at dawn…can anyone deny such sacred beauty?
The Divine is the unchanging source and substance of all things-
Impeccable, immortal, invulnerable and limitless Perfection
This is who you really are: you are part of the Divine, like all that exists.

Somewhere along the way, you forgot your source, wandered along the path of delusion, identified with a ghost called the ego that robbed you of your infinite and immortal Self.
Like body and mind, the ego is a good servant…but a terrible master.
The servants have usurped the throne!
Drop your intellect, your habits, your story!
Return to the Self . Dive deep into the still source of Being.

Let the Self take its rightful place as the true monarch.
Then you will once more know the perfection of Sat-Chit-Ananda, Being-Consciousness-Bliss.
You will be- and whatever needs to be done will get done, effortlessly and perfectly.
Thus all will be whole and all will be well.

The Great Devourer

" Arunachala destroys attachment to worldly things."
"Until the mind has totally and permanently merged in its source, the less you use it, the better! "
Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi

O Lord of Mountains, your stillness is an infinite chasm that devours everything.
Devour my so-called knowledge, my stubborn opinions, my pride in my learning.
Destroy my boastful intellect and all its smug concepts.
Incinerate my ancient vasanas, my habits, my form, my story.

O Arunachala, swallow my ego, my mind, my attachments, my sense of individuality.
Rescue me from the illusion of time that traps me in the past and robs me of the eternal present.
Grant me the grace of being still in the thought-free peace and perfection that is you.
In the blaze of your compassion , melt me like steel in your forge.

Embrace me in your infinite Silence and let me be one with you.
Be merciful, great fire-linga, and clothe me with your Light.

O fiery Pillar of Brahman, sacred Arunachala, shine forever in my Heart!

Longing

"Devotees by their power of concentration, by their purity of life, and by their divine love become wonderful healers. Their every tear and sigh become a source of healing for themselves and those around them. Devotion is the fire in which all infirmities are consumed." Hazrat Inayat Khan

Deep in my soul, a primordial longing awakens:

Faint memories of a thousand lifetimes reminding me of my true home.

Turning away from the outer, I dive deep into myself to find that forgotten peace,

To once more embrace that infinite Self who is all love and wisdom and truth.

Sweet Lord of my Heart, your grace is the source of this blessing:

How amazing and marvellous !

The source of my longing for you is your longing for me!

Now, like babe in mother’s lap, I rest in the bliss of your Silence.

In the perfection of this meeting and merging,
there is only One.