WITHERING GRASS

How useless I am, thought the yellowing blades of grass!

Abundant in form and fully grown!

Yet, I do not bear any tasty fruit

My seeds are gritty, and not fit to eat

Oh how worthless I am as a crop!

 Growing without being tended to; but trampled upon by every feet!

Today, I am left with only some aging greenery!

But tomorrow, that too shall wither away!

And once I dry, I’m but a useless stack of hay!

Worthy of only feeding the mules!

So fretted and thought the aging grass!

Before it became the holy hay on which baby Jesus was born!

So friend! Don’t you worry when you wither today!

For the petals of God’s plan will soon blossom before you! 

OASIS OF LOVE

In this life of wilderness, lurking with concealed predators  

Oh! Beloved Lord! How wonderful is the comfort of your love!

Lost and wandering, in this desert of pointlessness

In your mighty presence; I have finally found the oasis of my life!

In this magnificent oasis; the spring of love is overflowing

The fruits of joy are all around; and happiness surrounds me

In this oasis, of your glorious presence

My thirst and hunger for life has been finally quenched

Oh! Beloved Lord! As I finally rest in this oasis; let me sleep tonight! 

PEBBLE IN THE RIVER

Oh shinning pebble in the river bed

Who is it who shapes thee?  

Who is it who polishes your rounded curves!

A silent observer!  So still you seem!

But to the flowing water you smoothly yield

Does the vastness of the river still hold traces of your colour?

Does the freshness of the water still hold the taste of your mineral breath?

Shaped by the eddies of adversity; but not carried away by the currents of passion

Still yet changing; silent yet yielding!

Holding on to nothing; but letting all things flow

Oh mighty pebble, shining in the river bed!

Yielding in form; but unyielding in principle!

How mighty is thy endurance! 

KENSHO

Smiling softly, I walk this garden path today!

As the flower withers; and the weed grows!

Blissful it is, to humbly know

When this moment ceases

I too will lie beneath the grass!

GOD IS LOVE

Listen friend! What are you fighting about!

In this day of enlightenment

Why do you still crouch in medieval darkness!

Take away your blindfold of hatred

And see the world with eyes of love!

Throw away your divisive thoughts

And embrace the truth of love and compassion!

For God is all around you; god is all within you;

For God is manifested! God is Love!  

In the mystical dervishes of the Sufi

In the lotus position of the yogi

In the cross and the Calvary

In the holy ashes, and the flowing Ganges

God is all around you!

In Mecca or Jerusalem; Kasi or Gaya

Every man has a heart; and every heart has a spark of it!  

The  flame of everlasting love!

As the same sun shines high; in both the wilderness and in the green pastures

Jehovah and Allah; Hari and Shiva

Aren’t they but different fingers pointing to the same sun?

As the sunshine of love fills the heart of a true lover

What else is God but Love! 

KOAN NOT TO

 

In this cloudy world of distractions

To see is not to see

To do is not to do

To understand is not to

And to know is but mere delusion

Yet, when the morning sun shines in silence

To let go, is true enlightenment!

PASSING CLOUDS

Sitting by the window, on a cold winter night  

As the open curtains greet the serene moonlight

Passing clouds of thought come and go

Some are good and friendly

Some are riotous till they go

Some tent in my garden

And some just refuse to go

Some make me smile when they come in

But rip my home when they go

Some keep evading as I chase them

And some just make a mess and go  

Some brighten the home with their presence

But they too drizzle and go

For all these thoughts, just come visiting

And, sooner or later, they all must go

For when the new sun rises in the morning, the morning mist must go!

IN THEE

Oh Lord! Benevolent and merciful!

Maker of the thinker and his thought!

In thy boundless mercy; I surrender myself!

As the world of thy making stands still

And the sunshine spreads between the trees

My sentience is filled with thy magnificence!

All my pointless worries and fears!

All my pride; and all my anger!

Vanish as evanescent mist in thy brilliance!

Oh Lord!  I humbly surrender to thee; all that I call myself!

For, in thee, I have lost my miseries!

In thee, I have become one!

In thee, I have tasted the sweetness of eternal bliss!

Oh lord! Savior of my unworthy soul!

I humbly surrender myself to thee!

FROST BITE

The winter morning is cold

My hands are weeping numb

No sunshine to warm

No gloves to protect

As the frost bites into my frozen heart! 

CAUSERIE

Sitting blindfolded on the other side of the stone wall!

Can you see me walking beneath the moonlight?

Can you see the secrets hidden in my heart!

Yet; beyond opaque walls; you claim to see with clarity!

Speculation and conjecture! Illusion and delusion! 

Fanciful intentions and controversial deeds! You claim you see me do!

But tell me dear friend! Why must there be all this chaffer!

Can mere speculation reveal the face of truth?

Can mere conjecture, lead you to another man’s heart!

While blindfolded from reality; living in an ivory tower of your pointless ego!

What else will be left for you; but loneliness!

When love breaks the wall; and compassion reveals its inner soul

You too will see the garden of wisdom!

You too will walk in the blissful moonlight! 

Till then friend! Be mindful of your causerie!

BAKER'S PRIDE

The aroma of freshly baked cake fills the evening air

The crispy smell of caramel as it forms the crust!

The rising dough! The mystical flavors!

The softness! The sweetness!

The tantalizing taste!

Oh! How dainty is my cake!

How dainty is the cake of my very own making!

As the softness melts in my mouth and the ecstasy overflows

As the wonderful taste seeps in; and invokes a feeling of pride

I pause a moment, and gently wonder

Did I strive in the vast fields of wheat, where once mighty forests stood?

Did I pollinate the vanilla flowers; and harvest its sapid pods

Did I churn the creamy butter, from the deprived milk of some miserable calf?

Did I lay the eggs, of those unborn chicks that ended up in the bowl?

Did I make the motherly oven!  Did I mastermind the canonical recipe?

Yet, having done none of these; I proudly call it my cake!

What of mine did I bake; to take all this credit?

Except for time and intention, what more did I contribute?

 Now as the exalted taste of cake merges with my new found insight

Humility is born and pride melts away; as I finally see , the whole universe, hidden within this cake!

THE STEERING COMMITTEE

I am your leader, the big black one says

Armored with knowledge and wisdom

I have mastered the ultimate skill, and mentored all you weaker ones

And I am still in command !

I am the one, solely capable of steering!

So this committee is nothing without me!

Listen to me you fools; and keep going straight!

Why must we fall into your treacherous trap again; says the red one!

You are too selfish and narrow minded, to lead us!

While your myopic vision cannot see beyond the shadow of the chin

My vision extends to even where your dreams cannot reach

Unlike you, I am a creature who practises what I preach

So senile friend, there are no takers for the follies you teach

The path ahead to me is crystal clear

A turn to the left here, and a right down the corner

The future my way is a lot more greener!

But, captain failure!  Look where your wretched egoism has lead

You kept going when we pleaded you to stop

And now the oasis of opportunity has gone away

You did not heed to the needs, and climbed up he wrong dunes

And here we are now stranded, and lost under the hot desert sun!

It’s high time now for you to step down, and let me save all of us!

So forth, the two ants of the steering committee argue!

Sitting on top of the hairy hump of an dromedary camel, as they discuss, plan and think they control

As the oblivious camel strolls across the vast desert on its way home!

GARDEN OF TODAY

The garden is fresh with nascent blossoms

As the rays of the sun embrace me with warmth

The sky has cleared, and thunderclouds have retreated

The rainbow smiles in splendid colors of joy

Fluttering birds hum a happy tune

As they shake away the last of the raindrops in bliss

Yet, I sit here and worry of hypothetical storms!

SEARCHING FOR THE LAMP

The crickets’ creek in the moonless night

As the air is filled with arrant darkness

A lamp, lost to the emptiness

I search here in silent desperation!

Morning will be too late, I know

But what else can a lost soul do; but search in darkness

Through grasses and burrows; trees and mounds

Lamp- less and helpless

I feel and tap at every accessible terrain

Yet no glorious lamp I can find!

The terrain is too vast and my senses are too numb

I lament to myself!

What soul can I find in this darkness?

What light-less lamp can I find?

But when morning comes, and finds me searching

My time will be gone, and my show will be over!

As the sunlight of life finally engulfs my darkened soul!

Will I ever realize!  The lamp that I was searching for, was the one I had put out in my heart!

LEAF IN THE MONSOON

The lashing rain is pouring

Transient streams are flowing

Drawn by the wavy currents

A leaf lost in the monsoons

Floating along in peace

Nothing to watch for; nothing to wish for

No preferred time; no desired destination

Floating in ecstasy; taking the course of destiny

With every sudden change of course

How limitless is the bliss!

THE FIRST DIP IS THE COLDEST

The cold breeze blows over the murky greenness of the salacious pond

My knuckled hands of fear clutch desperately to my shrunken soul

My heart is racing and my mind is numb in horrid anticipation

The brackish green water is filthy and the pond is deep

My knees are shaky and my steps shuffle with hesitation

As time has come for me to dip into this squalid pond

I have sailed across mighty oceans, swam across the bluest of seas

I have bathed in the warm clear waters of the sacrosanct springs hidden in the highest mountains

But the turning wheel of fortune has now left me to the mercy of this smutty pond

As my feet wade into the chillness of the foul water, my worried mind wonders

Isn't the first dip, the coldest!

And after that, all the filth is but a wonted home

As the coldness is accustomed to and filth becomes a habit

Will I lose myself to the pleasures of filth?

Will I wade in the dirty pond with new found happiness?

Lost in the murkiness of the pond and comforted by the ease of swimming in it

Will I not let filth seep into my heart?

Will I not let the filth dilute the values of my soul?

Will I let empathy drown and let the blossom of concern rot away?

As I step into this water, and take my first dip

I gently remind my self

Only the first dip is the coldest!

So don’t let filth become a wonted home

Don’t lose yourself to the valueless currents of pleasure and the weeds of greed  

Remember your root, and remember the lotus blossom on the surface

 Remember the times spent in the warmth wisdom of the sacrosanct springs

As the coldness and fear plead with you one last time; it is but a desperate reminder

Telling you, don’t lose yourself to the filth!

But this coldness is loudest the first time; and then wanes away forever!

So friend, wading in chillness of the filthy pond!

The first dip is the coldest! The rest is a battle on your own! 

HIDING FROM

Smile; a veil that hides your heart

Eyes; a shield that hides your soul

Pride; a wall, you hide your wounds

Pomp; the fort, you hide your ignorance

Pleasure; the fruit that hides your delusion

Hope; the cloud that hides your fears

Self; the lie that hides the truth

Oh! Tell me dear friend!

What is that, you are hiding from? 

PAIN

Pain is the truth and painful is the way

Man may struggle forever

But can the curse of pain go away?

Protector of the body, they often say

But, is not pain, the furnace that burns the soul away

Unfathomable in severity, and variegate in form

Each painful one, scorching the mind in a different way

The writhing pain of birth, the gnawing pain of disease

 

The stabbing pain of injury; the choking pain of death rattle

How merciless is the heinous power of pain

In this ever-changing interwoven web of reality

Where life is a game of survival and preference

The truth of pain may be inevitable

Its flagitious sword may be invincible

But still; letting go of self pity, and letting go of the self

The weed of suffering withers; and the blossom of serenity flourishes

As the truth of pain is here to stay!

BLACK SWAN

Oh black swan sailing the still murky waters

What flows through the blankness of your tacit mind?

What do you think of, as you elegantly pedal your webbed feet

Do you ever wonder why the water is still, when the shore is windy? 

Whether it’s the water or the mind that makes it murky

Do you ever wonder; where did I come from; where will I go

Who is the mighty one that made me?

Do you ever wonder; why is it me; why is it them?

If , all this life is a pointless swim?

If you ever wonder so; Oh little black swan floating in the river of time  

How is it that, you still remain, so ceraceously calm? 

THE MAST OF PRIDE

The mast of pride; now lies scattered on the ocean floor

His bloating corpse; now washed ashore

The headless captain; his brains soaked in gin

Sailing his ship of ego; riding the winds of sin

Seeking the land of glory; in his voyage of self conceit

 It  all seems hunky dory

But until the rock of truth strikes in

Now, as the  water fills his empty deck

And truth makes his ego crack

His self made crown, comes tumbling down

As he struggles to breathe, while his soul does drown

Now lost in the depths of emptiness

With no life left, even to feel his own loneliness

Rotting by the eddies in the ocean floor

His ego and soul lost to nothingness

What more use, can his life be  

Than to feed the hunger of some poor osedax worm!

SEE YOU

I can see the glow of the heavenly light even in the darkness of the worldly night

I can see the everlasting sunshine, even in the hidden dark depths of my soul

I can see the causal webs connecting all things existent

I can see the rise and demise of all composite things 

I can even see the shadow of my own conscious mind

Oh master of mystery! Can I ever see you? 

TURTLE TRAINER

Oh mighty turtle trainer!  How patient thou art!

TURTLE TRAINER- by Osman Hamdi -1906-Turkey

Five Little monsters with minds of their own

How hard you try to train them!

Their ultimate master you may be

But with minds and shells frozen in time

How can you ever control them?

The   turtle of vision, chewing on hedonic cabbage and the lettuce of lust

Can you make him sip the still waters of your mind?

The turtle of hearing, wandering in the waters of rumour and gossip

Can you make him listen to the music of love?

The turtle of smell, judging and dividing the world into shades of good and bad

Can you make him smell the tolerant fragrance of compassion?

The turtle of taste, always seeking solace in greed and gluttony

Can you make him eat the dried up leaves of altruism

The turtle of touch, always seeking comfort and pleasure

Can you make him obey the cane of self discipline?

Oh Mighty turtle trainer of the monstrous mind! How great thou art!

Five little sense monsters you seek to tame!

How great is thy patience! How great is thy perseverance! 

MILLION SPRINGS TO BREAK FREE

A million springs under the sun have passed

Yet my feet are frozen in the morgue of  the past

A thousand moons have arced across the nightly sky

Yet my lonesome sky is never clear

A hundred monsoons have showered and gone

Yet my minds garden is still barren

Oh! How much more must my lost soul wait!

Until its time to break free! 

CALM GLOW

The glow in the horizon grows with morning

The greenness of the grass bows to the rising sun

In the freshness in the cold morning air

And the music of the chirping birds

With silent awareness of every breath

Oh! How much calmer can my mind get!  

BICYCLE RIDE

Every step on the pedal takes you forward 

Every turn of the wheel rolls on newer ground

The rugged path ahead may be hazy

And the road ahead may let me down

But with resilient air in the tyres, to cushion me

And the power of hope to thrust ahead

With handles of wisdom to steer around steep corners

And the cool breeze of love gently caressing my face

How pleasant is it to bicycle!

How pleasant is this bicycle ride of life!

THE HEART OF EMPTINESS

The heart of all is emptiness

The soul of all is emptiness

Essence of all things is emptiness

Emptiness! Emptiness!

Everything is emptiness!

The body you and I reside, is emptiness

The mind you fathom with, is emptiness

Sensation and feeling; thought and intent

Urge and action; perception and consciousness

All of these are nothing but emptiness!

All phenomena are emptiness

All objects are but emptiness

Dependent rising is emptiness

Causality is emptiness 

So in emptiness

Nothing is born and nothing dies

Nothing is pure, nothing is defiled

Nothing rises and nothing falls

Nothing exists without the all

So also in emptiness

There are no eyes and there are no ears  

No act of seeing; no act of hearing

No thought; no feeling

No desire; no craving

No free will; No consciousness

No perception; no knowledge

No ignorance; no suffering

No birth and no death

Thus is the truth of emptiness! The wisdom of emptiness!

The heart of all things! Emptiness!

Emptiness!! Emptiness!

LIFE'S TROPHY

Another long tiring day has come to an end

 

Another sultry night has crept in

I still strive with the same old trivial grievances

I still trip over the same stones of prejudice

And still slip on the slopes of my own obstinacy

When will you and I learn the rules of this never ending game of life?

However you toss and play, and however you ascend

However you trick and however much you win

Life always remains a level playing field

When you, me and everyone, all shall conquer the trophy of death!

FACE OF WISDOM

Oh wise one! Master of the self and sentience   

                                

The brilliant volcano of your intelligence

Cannot be hidden under the ocean of your humility

As pearls of your wisdom overflow to the surface

A kind heart and a soft smile, adorns your serene face

A poor wandering raft such as me, wallowing with clumsy oars

How can I not but tremble in awe of you!

FISH ASHORE

The time has come and the tide has receded

The baren rocks are all exposed

A fish caught between rocks and sand

Where can I swim today?

My gills are dry and muddy

My heart is clogged with purple blood

My my scales are peeling

 And my fins flutter in the cold empty air

How long will this agnoy last

How long will the celestial fisherman play?

SHALLOW WISDOM

Shallow waters no longer  wet your feet

No more hollow glances pretending to greet

No empty tears to flowing down the drain

No moonlit skies beclouded with pain

No more monstrous feelings  to be slain

Yet ultimate wisdom! Can it ever be gained!