All Is Well

" 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 no beginning and there is no end.

Beyond knowing and unknowing, beyond emptiness and fullness, that which always is needs no names.

All the drama of this world is but a projection of the fevered human psyche on the screen of God.

The Real is the very source and  substance of all things.

Let the heart-lotus blossom - escape the prison of space and time and be free.

Stop trying to figure it all out ; mind cannot fathom the depths of soul.

Innocence plays there, naturally, without fanfare or fuss.

This is why little children own the kingdom of heaven; it was ever thus.

There is nothing to achieve, nowhere to go, no one to become.

All your learning is but a burden, all your doing, but a dream – just be.

Switch off the ceaseless chatter of  mind and live directly, joyously in the here and now.

Discover the real, at last! Taste the divine ecstasy!

Inside you, the Self shines with the glory of a million suns.

The entire universe chants a chorus of praise while love dances in waves on an endless sea.

This is your true home where perfect peace can dwell.

Be sure!

All is magic, all is always well.

"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

 

The Gift of The Masters

 

“The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive.

The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable.
Because it is unfathomable,
All we can do is describe their appearance.
Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream.
Alert, like men aware of danger.
Courteous, like visiting guests.
Yielding, like ice about to melt.
Simple, like un-carved blocks of wood.
Hollow, like caves.
Opaque, like muddy pools.
Who can wait quietly while the mud settles?
Who can remain still until the moment of action?
Observers of the Tao do not seek fulfillment.
Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change.” Lao Tse, Tao Te Ching

The ancient masters of humanity discovered life’s greatest secret.

Beyond concepts and language, the truth they experienced was indescribable.

So, they embodied this truth and shared it as flowers share their fragrance.

Breathe deep  of such sweet wisdom! 

In the center of your chest there is a place of peace.

A secret flame shines there like a jewel in the moonlight.

It is a feeling place, a healing place.

It is a place of loving grace, of deep contentment and ecstatic bliss.

Every night you rest there, like  babe in mother’s lap, as your spirit suckles on the nectar of infinity.

In sleep,  you fall into its depths unaware and unconscious.

If you can be there in full awareness, you will truly inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Find this place – it is your greatest treasure, the birthright of every living being.

It is the key to experiencing your true immortality. 

The doorway to this heart-cave is silence and stillness.

Learn to still the restless mind, while you focus on pure existence, on your deepest sense of being.

Be alertly aware, totally present in each moment.

See clearly that you are not this limited body-mind complex.

Experience freedom from fear and delusion.

Rejoice in the glory of being one with everything.

Allow your consciousness to expand like the infinite blue sky.

This is the greatest good that you can ever do, the greatest gift you can give to those you love, the greatest blessing you can bestow upon humanity.

Be the divine perfection that you truly are!

Do It Now

 

The sun rises, the sun sets,  days drift by like dreams before your eyes. 

Sometimes things are up, sometimes, down; the face in the mirror gets older and older

As the years disappear like water down a drain.

Change fills you with doubt, with increasing uncertainty and fear.

Have you learned how to live in a world that is going insane?

People go away, people die : no  one stays forever.

Sooner or later,  everything will pass.

Snow melts, water flows, all  rivers end up in the sea.

Have you found your stance, have you learned the steps of this strange dance?

Tomorrow is not guaranteed – have you discovered how to truly be?

Listen , my friend…do not wait any longer, transformation is knocking at your door.

Fortunately, you are never alone- the divine shines always in your heart.

Turn your attention inwards, dive deep into the very core of your being.

Silence the endless cacophony of your flibbertigibbet mind.

Be still.

Surrender gladly and bathe in the light of that grace.

Place your feet firmly upon that earth, lift your head up into that wide blue sky.

Stand like a mountain, rooted in God.

Fear nothing anymore!

Discover the fountain of infinite bliss, the ocean of unshakable peace.

Do it now – there is no other time.

Do it now.

The Art of Waking Sleep

 

Deep sleep, an essential part of human existence, is a great mystery.

Here everything disappears-  the world, the body, the mind, the senses, the person – but some secret power remains, a power that grants happiness, rest and restoration to the weary spirit.

Every night you gladly lose yourself to taste infinity, to recharge your batteries for the effort of living your life. In that state of deep sleep, all attributes are lost..only a spark of pure being remains alive. This is what experiences the rejuvenation that you appreciate, so that you awaken feeling rested and refreshed.

Sleep conceals your greatest treasure: this divine spark  that is the very core of your being.

The process of falling asleep involves dropping all attributes, stilling mind and body, losing oneself in unconsciousness.

Learning how to achieve this same level of stillness, while maintaining an alert awareness of one’s own core, is meditation, the art of waking sleep.

Love, devotion, surrender – these are the keys to this art.

Grace is the blessing that shows you the way.

Turning all one’s attention inwards with loving devotion is the method…this is the warm sunlight that makes the heart-lotus blossom, revealing the perfection shining within.

This is how you touch God.

Once you have discovered this inner treasure, you need to practice paying all your attention to it.

Love is the motive and grace is the light that helps you be still enough to  touch the Self who dwells so radiant in your heart.

Throughout your day, whether walking or sitting, working or resting, speaking or silent, eating or sleeping, learn to hold onto  the divine within.

Every time you are distracted by some outer thought or feeling, observe your distraction and just return to the center.

Even in the midst of everyday activity, learn to return to deep stillness within.

Develop the habit of clinging to God – all the time, with every breath, with every beat of your heart. Not because you have to, but because you want to.

Become addicted to God.

This is the easiest and the greatest practice, to achieve the miracle of waking sleep.

This is the way.

Once you find that Light within, you will see it everywhere.

Nothing More

 “Out beyond all ideas of right and wrong there is a field.
Beyond that field, there is a secret harbour.
Pack your bags! I’ll meet you there -
We’ll sail out together into the vastness, with only the breeze to guide us.”
Jalaluddin Rumi

The world of death and the world of immortality are separated by the thinnest of veils.

In every moment, you chose where you wish to dwell.

O child of immortal bliss, see clearly and choose carefully;

One choice leads to heaven and the other, to hell.

Lost in the fog of samsara, have you overcome all sorrow and grief?

Have you found  your innermost core that is a treasure beyond all price?

Listen, this human birth is a precious gift – do not waste it!

Dive  deep within your own being and find that unchanging bliss.

Tossed on this turbulent sea, can constancy ever be found?

Is there, somewhere, something to hold on to, some anchor that stays forever firm?

Like a child clinging to his mother, cling to the Jnani’s blessed feet.

Sinking deep in the Heart cave where only He shines,  just melt in the glow of that peace.

In the end, all the sacred books are only words – truth lies immeasurably beyond.

Stop doing, stop striving, be thoughtless, be silent, be still.

When your mind is a perfect mirror that reflects faithfully with no judgement,

The infinite divine will blossom  in all its glory .

Nothing more can be said.

That Silence

 

“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

Who can speak of that silence that is the source of all language and all wisdom?

Who can begin to describe its secret ways, its magical power of  transformation ?

In the light of that grace, the divine shines in effortless splendour.

One sip  from that fountain bestows eternal, immortal bliss.

 Like a still lake reveals its translucent depths, the still mind reveals the shining Self.

This is the Heart, the divine silence that is the source of all that exists.

Turn within and surrender to this source that is the very core of being.

Dissolving in that silence, rest unshaken in deep and perfect peace.

He who stays forever anchored in that Self is a sage who has no wants.

Though he appears to inhabit a body, he is formless, boundless space.

Though he appears to speak, it is the Self alone that speaks:

The only words that transmit timeless truth are those that arise from that silence.

I am what I am

 (dedicated to Tarini, my dearest daughter, who lights up my life.)

You cannot begin to understand me, to capture me with your definitions, your classifications and projections; do not seek to mold me or groom me or change me – I will always be what I am.

I am as solid as a mountain yet as ethereal as air,  I am boundless space and fathomless ocean, I am thunder and lightning and storm.

I am the source and the goal, the beginning and end of everything, I am forest and fire and sky.

I am body and spirit, musician and instrument, artist and canvas, I am the writing on the wall that foretells all fates.

More beauteous than the dawn, I am invisible yet omnipresent, I am a secret power, take me lightly at your peril!

I am whole and I am strong, I am singer and song, I am the light in every living eye.

I can soak up my sadness, flow through my madness, dance like Shiva in my joy!

Softer than a mother’s kiss, yet sharper than a scimitar, I cut through all attributes, all limitations and bindings, to be forever free.

I am more than me.

Some  may praise me, some, condemn me: I do not give a damn!

Beyond rhythm and rhyme, beyond space and time,

I am what I am!