Quietude

 

“Higher than quietude there is no achievement; higher than quietude there is no effort; higher than quietude there is no tapas; higher than quietude there is no deathless life.” Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi

My Guru told me : be quiet.

I get quieter and quieter.

I go deeper and deeper into the silence.

The deeper I go, the more I disappear.

What is left of me surrenders in humble devotion:

 A benediction of grace falls like a gentle rain.

In the tiny heart in the center of my chest, a lotus blossoms.

All the galaxies are but grains of dust in its vastness.

Perfect bliss reigns in that infinite ocean of peace.

“Except by the Lord’s grace, which begins to function when one surrenders oneself completely at His feet with sincere devotion, the truth cannot be cognised merely by the skill of the mind of the jiva- so subtle is the reality.

When the tricky senses are controlled, when mental conceptions are removed, and when one is unshakably established as Self in the Heart, then the knowledge which shines in that state of firm Self-abidance is the real God. Such a true seeing, which is devoid of illusion and deception, is the state in which one shines as the ocean of bliss. Only in the supreme silence, which is thus achieved in Self-abidance, will the soul never again have a downfall.”Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi

The Perennial Wisdom

 

(Painting by Meena Subramaniam- acryllic on canvas)

“They alone see truly who see the Lord the same in every creature, who see the Deathless in the hearts of all that  die.” The Bhagavad Gita 13:27

"The eye wherein I see God is the same eye wherein God sees me; my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one vision, one knowing, one love.” Meister Eckhart

In plant and animal, fish and bug and reptile, in man and bird and tree, in mountain and meadow, in forest and sea, the miracle of life shines forth with a trillion faces, awesome in its glory. Can you not see? 

This is the true test of evolution, of spiritual wisdom, of enlightenment: do you look upon every living being with deep love and respect, seeing only the Divine shining in each one?

“ There is no joy in the finite -true joy can only be found in the infinite.” The Upanishads

The wise man soon learns that all the pleasures and objects of this world cannot bring him the true happiness that his heart yearns for. Embedded deep in his DNA is a memory of unlimited contentment and everlasting peace. Once he remembers this, nothing else can ever satisfy him.

So he dives into himself and seeks the source of his own existence. Stilling his tumultuous mind, he turns all his attention towards understanding his own true nature. With one-pointed faith and devotion, he surrenders to the divine within.

 Deep in consciousness, at the very core of being,  he discovers the gate-less gate, the doorway through the unknown into the unknowable.

“The Self that is subtler than the subtle and greater than the great is seated in the heart of every creature. One who is free from desire sees the glory of the Self through the tranquility of the mind and senses and becomes absolved from grief.”Katha Upanishad

Thus begins the journey of spiritual evolution, the quantum leap in consciousness that is the true purpose of life as a human being. At last he knows, beyond all shadow of doubt, that it is possible to obtain a permanent and joyous state of mind in which all fears are banished, all conflicts are resolved and all desires fulfilled.

“To the seer, all things have verily become the Self: what delusion, what sorrow, can there be for him who beholds that oneness?” – Isa Upanishad

 Now he dwells in splendour, in union with the vast and perfect whole, immeasurably blessed and at peace. Wherever he looks, all he sees is Light.

“ Hear , O children of immortal biss! You are born to be united with the Lord. Follow the path of the illumined ones and be forever united with the Lord of Life.” The Shvetashvatara Upanishad.

Supreme Virtue - the Art of the Warrior

 

Painting by Tarini Dhar Prabhu

“Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original Oneness? 

Can you let your body become supple as a new-born child's? 

Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the Light?”

Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will? 

Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course? 

Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things? 

Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, 

acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: 

this is the supreme virtue.” Lao Tsu, Tao te Ching.

Every baby is born enlightened.

But then, the process of thinking develops - the brainwashing begins.

As the personality grows, thick layers of mindstuff envelop you in a cocoon of ignorance.

Unnecessary thoughts flow faster and faster, like whitewater rapids in a river.

Increasingly, you dwell on the dead past or the unborn future, while completely missing out on the actual present moment.

The illusion of individuality fills you with the terror of being alone and helpless in an uncaring world.

The shadow of death looms over you like an executioner’s sword.

Soon you are lost and suffering in the desert of space-time and the delusion of separation.

This is the adventure and the nightmare of being mortal.

You can wake up and end the suffering if you discover your true immortal nature.

Learn to be still; turn all your attention inwards.

Return to the original thought-free innocence of pure being.

Know the magic of direct experience without the filter of mind.

Feel the infinite, perfect wholeness that pervades and underlies everything.

Claim your divine inheritance and enjoy the bliss of heaven on earth.

“The art of a warrior is to balance the terror of being human with the wonder of being human.” Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan

Celebrating Light

 
“ What a mystery is Light!
Awareness in form, burning fog and mist and darkness away,turning all it touches into radiance.
See the Light within.
Let it shine into all the dark, hidden corners of your being.
This is enough.
Observation, without judgement, is transformation.”
Lightsongs -the book.

When darkness gathers, do not despair.

All that is needed to dispel it is the mere presence of Light.

Light is sun and moon and stars, fire and lightning, spark and flame.

Both particle and wave, it is the quantum expression of  eternal, absolute truth.

Light is indestructible, perfect, whole; it is the intelligent, living consciousness that is the substratum of all that exists.

Light pervades every atom and cell, forming the very fabric of creation.

Light is the fire of faith in the heart proclaiming the joy of devotion.

Light is Brahman , the infinite Self, the One, the Tao.

Light is unconditional love and compassion, radiant grace aflame at the innermost core of being.

In every living eye, this sacred Light shines through.

Be sure! There is nothing that this glorious Light cannot do.

“Singularly illuminating is the bright awareness,
Full of wonder is the pure illumination.
The moon’s appearance, a river of stars,
Snow-clad pines, clouds hovering on mountain peaks.
In darkness, they glow with brightness.
In shadows, they shine with a splendid light.”
Hongzhi Zhengjue, Zen Master, 11th Century

 

A Prayer for COP26

 (World leaders are meeting at Glasgow to try and save the planet.)

It is indeed the mind that is the cause of men’s bondage and liberation. the mind that is attached to sense-objects leads to bondage, while dissociated from sense-objects it tends to lead to liberation.”Amrita-bindu Upanishad

There is a race of beings who have God in their blood, their cells, their bones.

Divinity shines in every strand of their DNA.

Their home is a wondrous planet filled with beauty and life.

Immortal, infinite peace is theirs by birthright and ecstatic bliss is their natural state of being.

How fortunate, how blessed they should be!

Alas -this entire race has been driven insane by a sinister illusion, so they have forgotten who they really are. This has resulted in limitless selfishness and greed becoming the core of their world-view.

Brainwashed by this unreal, yet deadly, virus, filled with fear and insecurity and rage, they are destroying themselves and their home planet, creating self-inflicted suffering like dreamers trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

If only some miracle could jolt them awake!

What is required is an evolutionary quantum leap that results in a transformation of racial consciousness.

In the long history of this race, several individual beings across time and geography and cultures have achieved such transformation. This proves it is possible..

These beings, the mystics and sages and messiahs, have preached this possibility and exhorted their fellow beings to awaken too.

If enough individuals could achieve this, a critical mass would be created that could trigger a rapid, species-wide wave of transformation.

May every individual awaken!

May the intelligent power that pervades all creation make this happen!

May the blessings of the great enlightened beings shower down upon this race!

Om shanti, shanti, shanti .

“The Self that is subtler than the subtle and greater than the great is seated in the heart of every creature. One who is free from desire sees the glory of the self through the tranquility of the mind and senses and becomes absolved from grief”. – Katha Upanishad