SACRIFICE

Put ego-mind to the fiery flame of sacrifice,
In your spiritual heart abiding on the right.
The fool’s heart’s on the left as wisely bright
Ecclesiastes sagely stated, to be precise.
Bhagavan affirmed that Truth too, clearly and concise.
‘There dwells the Sun of Self, its shining blazing light,
Is darkly veiled by vasanas, black as night.
Remove them by surrender and enquiry, that my Sage advice!

God told Abrahman to sacrifice his only son
Isaac, a deed of devotion and surrender,
But compassionately, the Lord said “ none
Of thy kith and kin do thou need to render,
Just circumcise your righteous heart instead,
Then demon ego will surely drop down dead”!

DEEP HEART DIVING

Dive into the heart with great tenacity,
With great love, patience and alacrity;
Such practice must surely end in Jnana,
So said great Guru Sage, Lord Ramana.
He gave the Eki Sloka* to the Muni
The Kavankanti who was like Ganapati,
Brother to God Skanda, the son of Shiva,
Who was reborn on earth as Sage Ramana
To bring us the blessing of atma vichara.
Such is the power of this great sadhana
That egotism is removed and the Sun of Jnana
Shines forth to enlighten the sad ignorant jiva,
That’s the great gift from Sri Bhagavan Ramana,
Who came on Eath to guide mankind to Jnana!

• THE EKI SLOKA
• “IN THE INMOST CORE, THE HEART
• SHINES AS BRAHMAN ALONE,
• AS I-I, THE SELF AWARE.
• ENTER DEEP INTO THE HEART
• BY SEARCH FOR SELF, OR DIVING DEEP,
• WITH BREATH UNDER CHECK.
• THUS ABIDE EVER IN ATMAN.”
This verse hangs above Bhagavan’s couch in the New Hall engraved in gold on black basalt..

I AM THAT I AM

God spoke to Moses from thorns of crackling fire,
He told him “I AM THAT I AM, that’s my sacred name.
King David sang his psalms and strummed upon his lyre,
He said “Be still and know that I am God, they’re just the same”.
I AM THAT is stated by the great Advaita Sages,
Who’ve recognized the Truth throughout the many ages.
Consciousness- Awareness, free from dark vasanas and pure,
Is that ‘I AM’, the key to Jnana which always must endure.
So Hebrew prophets and Hindu Sagesall both agree,
To rest in one’s I AMNESS is the right way to be free!

Mohammad, great prophet of Allah, wisely said,
“God is closer than one’s breathing, hands and feet”.
If one remembers ‘THAT I AM’, then one is quickly led,
To a life of wholeness, fulfilled and quite complete;
One with God and ever dwelling in most blessed peace,
A blissful state of paradise that shall never cease!

CRIME PREVENTION

Ego dresses up as a policeman to catch a thief,
To trap the crook red handed will give us great relief;
That’s achieved by plunging deep into the heart,
The wicked scoundrel falls when his base we start
To touch, and Realisation comes to all who dive;
Then from spiritual death we rise again alive!
So Self Enquiry will destroy the criminal mind,
So our Sat-Guru taught and that is what we find!

An evil burglar broke into a sadhak’s house,
To rob his essential substance like a hungry mouse
Steals the larder cheese. It needs some watchful cats,
To put a final end to thieving mice and rats.
The cat is ever alert and constantly aware;
Awareness guards the heart from all that steals in there!

SUNLIGHT

From darkness God spoke; “let there be light”! and there was light!
To Earth he gave his white hot mighty fire named Sun,
A mass of vast atomic power that’s second to none,
Warming his planets by day and cooling them by night,
All moving round His mammoth majestic sight.
A Gir-pradakshina around their Guru done,
They then finish their annual Sadhak’s run,
As that gigantic Shivaic force blazes on and on!

That Sun is the macrocosm of our Real Self unborn,
Which shines as microcosm in every human heart,
Alas it is obscured by darkest vasanas forlorn,
It’s blazing light fails to reach the blinkered soul,
But by Enquiry and Surrender, ‘That’ will make one whole!
Dark ego causes our Solar Eclipse,
Insightful wisdom pours from our Guru’s lips.

*An extended sonnet

EQUANIMITY

Why worry about anything in life,
Thinking it be either pleasure or pain?
Where’s the need ever to moan or complain,
Where’s anything now like wrongful strife?
Guru does all for us like a kind loving wife.
He knows what is best, there’s no need to explain.
Leave it to him, keep calm, all anxiety is vain.
He’ll cut that binding knot* with Enquiry’s knife!

Pilgrim went by train on the railroad track,
The fool was bearing his baggage on his head,
Instead of loading it on the luggage rack.
Se when we climb the mountain path, we’re led
To give all our burden into good Guru’s care,
And trust Him more than this world would ever dare!

*The binding knot (granthi) which connects mind to body making it believe that is who I am.

WALK ON THE WATER

Walk calmly on stormy world’s restless waves,
Tossing and turbulent in a violent ocean.
Be free of the ‘I am the body’ notion;
In this way our Great Sage’s teaching shall soon save
Us from that treacherous egotistic knave,
Who stole God’s role in soul’s endless motion,
With worthless desires and pleasures set to crave.
Dwelling in blissful Self is the supreme emotion!

Bold swimmer saw a tidal wave ahead,
Fearless he thought it prudent just to float,
Rather than brave tempest waves instead.
He survived like a strong well crafted boat,
And soon reached that heavenly other shore,
Where he dwelt blissfully, ever, ever more!

.

BEAUTY POINTS TO FREEDOM

Golden sunflowers prank the river bank,
Deep blue waters flow briskly, like the dream
Of life, for which the grateful heart will thank
Heaven, for the stunning beauty of her scene.

As Beauty is the stepping stone to God;
The restless mind will pause in silent awe,
Held in thrall by lush deep green, growing from the clod
Of Earth, that opens up for soul a door,
To enter into union with all ‘That’ sees,
Straight away to Being’s innermost core.

Bowing, the body bends in motion with the trees,
Soul prays for breeze to waft her to Nirvana’s shore;
Metalic mind’s no longer imprisoned by its iron bars!

FIRM FAITH

Find firmest Faith in one’s Sat-Guru deep inside the heart,
His force of Self will quieten down the meandering mind;
Peaceful joy, and his paternal love, we’ll quickly find.
That’s all one needs and has to try, in order to impart
Self Knowledge, most miraculous, majestic art,
Which will set alight a magic life, set to unwind.
Gracious virtues shall unfold, most merciful and kind;
Mind’s struck down by Realisation’s sudden lightning dart!

Sadhak struggled hard to climb the upward mountain way,
To the peak of Arunachala’s state for which he yearned.
Through grace he came upon a wise and humble Sage one day,
Who said “by persistence and effort you have justly earned,
The right to Liberation and eternal peace,
From Self Enquiry and Surrender you never once did cease”!

DEVOTION

THE SELF is very dear to all: from dearest love,
Unbroken Bhakti flows, like stream of golden oil.
Guru knows Self within, as his dear God above.
His child, after determined and persistent toil,

May see his Guru apart from Self, yet melts
Mind's strained logic, to find Faith in Him alone.
That blesed ever flowing fire of love, smelts
Soul's dross. His heart's desire, becomes his own.

The one who attaches mere form to Holy Name,
With Bhakti ripe, and knowing Truth complete,
In time transcends that image just the same.
The blossom on the bough flowers Self replete!

The fool who prays for selfish ends desired,
Fulfilment never finds; then he soon begins,
To love for sake of happiness, by God inspired.
This prayer, being granted, he conquers and wins.

In love with that One, the golden flow unceasing,
Soul grows a white lotus of purest devotion,
In calm stillness, its root in depth increasing,
Within heart's vessel to lead us o’er the ocean

Of strife, letting soul unfold, as Self of sky,
The One all wise, unlidded, and all seeing Eye!

EGOMANIA

It would be good if one could write a perfect verse
Of Truth; a poem which expresses the reverse
Of falsity and delusion. Man is trapped in illusion,
Vast populations dwell in chronic confusion,
Because of a dire disease called egomania,
Stretching from Greenland right down to Australia.

Symptoms of egomania obscure Real Being,
The Knowledge of True Self without really feeling,
The pure bliss of consciousness awareness grace;
Realising 'That' as ones own original face,
Not the one we see in the silvered looking glass,
That idolatry is one through which we must pass.

The way to achieve this more blessed sacred state,
Is by Self Enquiry, before it is too late.
We enquire within through attention 'Who Am I?',
And persist resolutely before we die.
Then the perfect Poem is unveiled, to be you,
Ones own pure loving Self.'That' alone is really True!

PHOENIX ARISE!

Enrobed in scarlet, a brilliant blazing bird,
With eagle’s strength, the child of sacred fire,
She sounds a cry, that’s forever heard
When consumed in Self-lit flames, she does aspire
From the funeral pyre, to show the world
Herself, reborn from death! Mankind she shall inspire.

In ancient time this wonder did inspire
Heliopolis, where flew this fabled bird,
To reach the Sun, lamp light of our shadow world,
And immolating in his mystic fire,
Her Being rose from ashes to aspire
To know New Life, such tales we've heard.

When this Egyptian legend was first heard,
The daring thought was one that did inspire
Each soul, that now had right to so aspire,
And follow the lead set by this courageous bird.
If self dares to die upon the sacrificial fire,
Pure Self will emerge as victor of this world.

This paragon is an emblem for our world,
Proclaiming news, that everywhere is heard,
Setting the wooden minds of men on fire,
The deathless spirit mocks at death to inspire!
Thanks to the valour of this wondrous bird,
The Soul of man, can to an after-life aspire.

So people of all lands can after all aspire
To reach the peak of hope in a worried world,
And pursue the flight of virtue like this bird.
So sound the golden bugle and be heard!
Men should know such transformation can inspire
To be born again in sacred sacramental fire.


The petty self is scorched in conscious fire,
And from ashes, the Self does once again aspire,
To such new birth, and the hearts of men inspire,
And transform their dismal dreary world.
Joy again, can everywhere be heard,
All thanks to thee, oh most excelling bird!

By wondrous art she does inspire our world,
It’s vital we aspire to what’s been heard,
Arise from sacred fire, dear Phoenix bird!

A SESTINA

DEVILISH TALK

Why are we devotees of a devil?
Why do we relish his talk and revel
In wild imagination and chatter,
Natter, natter,oh dear what's the matter?
He's the wretched slayer of all that's Real,
Full of stale garbage, planting a great deal
Of rubbish in poor worried anxious mind,
So our shining True Self's so hard to find.

It's time this rogue imposter was expelled,
Burnt to ashes, or on a stake impaled;
Then the soul can enjoy deep peace and love,
And all the blessings poured down from above.
He's egotistic and arrogantly vain,
To have him in our home is such a shame.

FIRE

1

THERE’S FIRE in ruby red, and fire at heart,

In hearth’s glowing grate, in passion’s flower,

In the night watchman’s light house tower.

Flame is sacrifice in the goldsmith’s art,

In forked lightning’s flash of thunderous power,

In rosey blushing dawn’s awakening start;

In red hot lava, with its flowing molten part,

In scarlet sunset’s radiant dusky hour.

Fire scatters galaxies like seeds of grain,

Stars are diamonds in God’s eternal crown,

Comets dance as planets watch, peering down.

The milky way’s a lustral bridal train,

Waltzing, whirling, walking on an astral plain,

Suns light up streets in this celestial town.

2

THERE’S FIERCE fire in germ of golden grain,

In heart of kindly King who sports a crown,

In neck of swan that’s gliding river down,

In monstrous belch of engine hauling train.

In glowing windows in everybodies’ town,

In fireflies flickering by night in verdant plain,

In stormy clouds proudly pregnant before the rain,

In angry rage of a self-righteous frown.

Fire dwells in stems of roses, red at heart,

In bees that drink from pollen’s virgin flower,

In the war torn ravage of a blazing tower,

In autumn leaves gilded by nature’s art,

In magic moments of the witching hour,

In such wonders, fire plays the most potent part!



3



FIRE flares golden in fine flaxen flowers,

Like the divine spark shining in every heart:

The flame of genius fans the painter’s art,

Fire hides in God who wields such powers.

In pent up horses before the races start,

In swift descent of angels at a blessed hour,

In a volcanic burst, viewed from a lofty tower.

In each life spirit, fire plays an essential part.

Fire acts when an evil house burns down,

Fire’s wild with wrath and wastes a wicked town;

Fire burns useless stubble from the harvest plain,

Fire bakes the bread, worked from winnowed grain,

Fire inspires the Sage, his votaries to train,

In the Kingdom of Creation, sacred fire’s the crown!


{A Triadic Sonnet Cylcle using the same rhyme endings in each poem]

THE FLOOD OF RAMANA'S GRACE 8

Oh Great Sri Ramana, Lord of many Souls,
As one thinks nacre looks like silver in a shell,
Or water mixed with flour, looks like milk as well,
A glass bead bauble appears as a crystal bowl,
A mirage we think is just a watering hole;
So the fool, destined for yet another hell,
Worships other than what is Thee; the spell
Of Maya that deceives. Oh Lord of the Whole!
The rope we perceive is a venomous snake,
And the stone dog we imagine to be real.
We mistake a man for a scarecrow’s stake,
And what we touch seems solid when we feel.
Mind's under constant illusion, Lord Aruna,
Save us from this dire delusion, Great Ramana!

FLOOD OF RAMANA BLISS 4

Let me rest at your feet, Guru Supreme,
Soft as the beautiful blue lotus flower.
Let my speech, with all its might and power,
Be prayer to awaken from life’s sad dream,
And constantly illuminate my inner scene.
Then uttering your praise, I’ll never cower
With fear, or lose faith, by which Thou endower
My soul with light from Thine effulgent gleam.
Let my palms be clasped, in praise of Thee,
My hearing tuned to the words of Thy story,
My mind in Self Enquiry and ever free,
My eyes resting on Thy formless glory.
So through which other senses, will I learn
To be worthy, and Thy boundless grace to earn?

RAMANA'S GRACE 3

Whether it be a pot or heavy lump of clay,
Or the microcosmic atom in my breath,
Whether it be smoke, fire or mountain way,
Will any serve as a cure for painful death?
I‘m only blocking love by logic chopping,
I must bow to praise great Bhagavan's feet,
But monkey mind keeps dropping off and hopping,
Instead of abiding in His bliss replete.
The heavy weight of reason and causation,
Will never take me to Self Realisation,
Instead they lead to endless frustration,
A kind of morbid mental masturbation.
I must take refuge in Ramana's grace,
Inside my heart; True Saviour of the race!

CLEAVE WITHIN THE HEART

Let's cleave to the Sat-Guru within our heart,
With all soul's love, praise, worship, main and might.
You're there ready and waiting for us. You impart
Knowledge, take us to bathe in Your ocean of Light,
And win blessed freedom from demon egotistic elf.
Let us forever hold You always in our sight,
Lead us on to that Great Realisation of the Self,
Remove dark clouds that hide our Light like night!

Even our bodily pains remind us of Your grace,
Our love remains for your teaching and Your Name,
Help us to see once again Your real original face,
And realise the one true Self that's just the same!
Oh Sat-Guru lead us from the darkness into light,
Make us whole, in Your all embracing loving sight.

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE

Doyen of English Poets, past master of prosody,
Who understood the meaning of soul in sense and sense in soul,
Whose magnificent oeuvre of drama, prose and poesy,
Knew every aspect of passionate life as a whole.

Modern poetry should have followed his fineness of line,
Instead 'twas waylaid by facile free verse that often strayed,
But once again he shall regain immortal fame in time,
Musical Swinburne, poet of fair meter and of rhyme.

BLESSED NEW DAY

"Can anything He does be other than happiness for you"? Sadhu Om

-oOo-

Greeted by fiery splendour of the golden dawn,
A bright new day begins, each fine auspicious morn.

We welcome all that happens, both inside and out,
For all's His Grace without a hint of doubt.

What ever God sends us, is always for the best,
As children on His path we're very, very blest.

All are predestined to perform His mighty will,
Whether one likes it or not for good or for ill.

He knows what's most needed to heal each soul,
To wake and shake us up, and so make us whole.

With Faith, we hand him all our worldly cares,
Such trust's a quantum leap for the one who dares.

We free the mind from foolish thoughts that run to fear,
And save errant soul from drowning in sadness drear.

Vain ego says 'I'm the doer, the one who knows',
But the Lord makes us see by shocks and blows,

All is for our good, to make us search within,
And end all sad sinful woes, and freedom win!

AUBURN AUTUMN

An awesome auburn dawn stripes billowing clouds,
Pebbling, piebalding them in piecemeal array,
Like grace removes our puzzled mind's grey shrouds,
We're set to welcome yet one more auspicious day.

Are we like the Egyptian scarab beetle's state,
Shovelling our own dung before us 'til wings sprout,
And we learn to speed away to freedom, and there wait
A transformed life, in purer peaceful calm no doubt?

Autumn comes and auburn leaves fall from weeping trees,
According to Thy predestined heavenly will;
Their radiant tones remind us that we please
Thee most, when we engage enquiry, up to our fill.

Fiery red and gold make autumn's burnished tones,
Our scarab shell falls dead, our soul now flies back home!

BEWARE!

.The egotistic mind boasts peacock's pride,
Strutting and cavorting with arrogant stride,
It shows off its plumes for all to see,
This marvelous person that he calls me.

All such vanity leads to insanity
Egotism is first step to inanity,
If we wish instead to be truly wise,
Then consult Sages and their works surmise.

This is the path of disaster dear friends,
For peacockism soon leads to fatal ends.
Be self effacing and Realise the Self,
Rather than prey to the play of demon elf.

BIRTHDAY REFLECTION

The golden Sun shines in a Sapphire sky,
Proclaiming that greatest question 'who am I?'

To day's my calendar birthday, so they say,
But perhaps it's 'death day' in another way?

To be reborn is not the greatest worth,
The value of a so called human birth,

Is to awaken from the sleep of dreams,
Realise the Self! For that's how it seems,

To this soul reborn many years ago.
More than that I really do not know.

MORNING STARDUST

A beryl blue cup of Morning Glory bloom,
Sips freshly sunkissed dew, beckoning the morn;
Rosey red cheeked blushing hue of aureate dawn,
Awakens dozey souls, dissolving doomlike gloom.
Today is close woven on times ever shuttling loom;
A trudge in fields of blood red poppies, midst golden corn,
Wakens poet, from hypnotic sleep to new life, reborn.
He dwells in Self, contented, in his cloistered room,
Meditating on profound Indian Sage wisdom; so
Giving thanks to God for blessed bounteous gifts,
Bringing Him closer and closer, now to know
Intense awareness: soul's misty veil soon lifts.
The brilliance of sunlight is God's highest wonder,
Shattering soul's frosty window panes asunder.

THE BURNING BUSH

Sage Moses, desert wandering, spied a fearsome fire,
A bush of prickly gorse crackling, hissed with ire,
'Twas being eaten by sheets of white raging flame ,
When from that effulgence, there spoke The Holy Name!
Fearless Moses enquired, as 'twas his right to do,
"Voice speaking from the fire, tell me, who are you?"
A loud voice thundered, listen child, "I AM THAT I AM!"
Such was the revelation, uttered by that Sacred Name.

King David sang a psalm for his lyric harp to play,
One inspired and most auspicious summer day;
He raised his voice and sang "Commune with your heart
Upon your bed, be still." Such wisdom he did impart:
When joined with words, `I AM THAT I AM' as one's aim,
That's the same truth Sage Ramana did once proclaim.

DAWN ROSE

I caught the wonder of a radiant dawn,
Reflected in an august summer rose;
Gold, yellow, orange, ravishing red,
Blended to form the blazing flame of morn.
I held the fiery flower up to my nose,
To sense the fragrance of its perfumed head,
Bewitched by all the colours of that form.
Then I deeply turned my gaze inside,
To see what dwelt there, in my inner soul;
What impression had that rose made on me?
I waited some while, at heart I did abide.
That rose was a pointer to make me whole,
Reflecting that great dawn when I'd be free
And ego, in sadhana's bright fire, he died .

FRIENDS ON THE MOUNTAIN PATH

1. MOTHER DIVINE

Our Mother Divine lifts her sacred cup,
She pours pellucid, precious, potent balm,
Curing, healing, lifting pilgrim’s spirit up.

With power of Love, perfect, peaceful, calm,
She holds poor palsied pilgrim in her palm,
And plies him with pure nectar, honey sweet,

So pouring from her silver grail a potion warm,
To soothe all cares and salve his blistered feet,
With Love’s ointment: oh, perfect Paraclete!

2. WHITE KNIGHT

Feeling his fiery steed between his knees,
He watches restless spirit’s breathing flow;
The stallion settles and he reins with ease.

Now tamed, he canters where he wants to go,
To Himalayan summits crowned with snow,
A pure white splendour glowing bright in light,

Above dark turmoil of dormant worlds below.
He arrives at awesome Selfhood, blazing bright,
Sun burst of splendour, ends soul’s dark night.

Now, White Knight hoists on high his pointed lance,
To joust with Death, a fierce Titanic tilt.
As he mounts his steed in martial prance

He strikes hard at dragon, up to the hilt,
To end all dark sorrow, fear and guilt.
Free from sense of doership, an act replete

With holy knowledge, a temple truly built
To worship God, he kneels to kiss the feet
Of Death’s slayer; such a sacred blessed feat.

3. GOD LOVE SOLDIER

Wielding his spear of sharpest concentration,
The God-love soldier plunges its silver blade,
With mighty force of lucid sheer attention,

Deep into the dragon’s heart. Unafraid,
Delivering the coup de grace, vile ego’s laid!
Well honed with dispassionate discrimination,

Whetted with ardent zeal, no wavering shade
Of cowardice, his steel, with keen anticipation,
Slays his wayward mind of Self alienation.

4. ARCHER

He twangs the bow of Self-Enquiry, to enter
A sharp arrow of clearly aimed insight,
Zinging to the bull’s eye of Truth at centre.

Dispelling all doubts in error free flight,
He finds Love, a beckoning beacon light,
Glowing within his inner cave of heart.

Such marksmanship is God-Warriors right,
To win this vision, the true martial art,
Holy war, waged ‘til soul and body part.

5. AQUARIUS

Water bearer draws deep from Rachel’s well,
A jar of truth for pilgrim’s thirst to slake.
Raising the cup he hears the temple bell

Which calls him home to pray and penance make
To God, whom he adores for His own dear sake
Alone, and free from lust for selfish boon.

His love showers rain of grace, and fills the lake
Where sails the white swan of devotion, soon
To glow beneath the golden harvest Moon.

6. PRIMORDIAL SAGE

Primordial Sage, in silence, takes his seat,
Emitting waves of God-like love to those
Who sit surrendered at his lotus feet.

His mystic vision’s sure, and truly knows
The sure destruction of all disciples’ woes,
That halt the climb to Self’s most blissful place.

His merciful love abundantly flows,
Ever granting pilgrim power to trace
His own Self ablaze, in a sea of grace.

7. BOLD PILGRIM

So bold pilgrim ascends the mountain path,
His friends are unconditional faith and trust.
Gentle compassion rains, a healing bath

Of grace, cleansing his feet of mundane dust,
Freeing him from greed, ego, anger, lust.
Fearless he walks, awakened, to his goal,

Unattached, discriminating, and so just,
‘Til attaining consummation with the Whole,
He finds, hidden deep at heart, Eternal Soul!



__._,_.___

MYSTIC MUSINGS

We're enmeshed in multitudinous unity,
A brief breath of life, sensed in brevity,
Interspersed with pangs of joy and levity,
Rewarded by love or punished with severity.

Such is the mysterious game of life,
Death is her enigmatic truly wedded wife;
Together they play the fiddle on fields of grey,
While little me knows not what will come or may.

I rambled in the greenly grassy wooded grove,
A sunfilled public park in which I often rove,
The welcoming warmth from this tiny midget star,
Set on the cusp of the great milky way afar,

Is a molten mass of atomic exploding flame,
Fed from the Great Sun Absolute without a Name.
A black cloud arose and obscured the lovely light,
Those glorious gleams were no more in my sight.

It's almost the same as with our Inner Sun,
The microcosm of that vast Almighty One.
Dark clouds of vasansas cloak the Self like night,
But Self Enquiry restores the light so bright!

REFLECTIONS

Ego's driven by crude desire for pleasure,
Pleasure without graded guage or measure,
It views sex, money, and goods as treasure;
Unrestrained it rushes after aimless leisure.

'Twould be wiser to be much more profound,
Reflect on wisdom that Great Sages found;
Exercise control, bury ego in the ground,
Build the shrine of Self Realisation on its mound.

Let life glow golden, not grimly greyer,
That must be our fervent earnest prayer,
Surrender to God's will as a brave yea-sayer,
Love our dear own Self and our near close neighbour.

ARUNACHALA

Oh blazing mountain of light shedding red rays,
Formless God in the form of a massive Hill
Save me from suffering samsara's ill,
Be my guide and guardian the rest of my days.
I love Thee, pinnacle of spiritual health,
Healer of souls suffering from birth and death,
Remain with me as I take each precious breath,
To be One with Thee is truly the greatest wealth!

You stole my Heart in a miraculous way,
What have I done to deserve such grace?
Grant me the glance of Thy radiant face,
That I may stay Thy faithful slave, I pray.
We thank You, oh sacred mount Arunachala,
For being the home of our Great Lord Ramana!

MARITAL GARDEN OF LETTERS BY SRI BHAGAVAN RAMANA MAHARSHI

Marital Garland Of Letters
Gracious Ganapati! with Thy hand bless me, that I may make this marital garland of letters worthy of Sri Arunachala, the Bridegroom!

REFRAIN

Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala!
Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala Shiva! Arunachala!

1.

Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala!

Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who dwell on their identity with Thee, Oh Arunachala!

2.

May Thou and I be one and inseparable like Alagu and Sundara, Oh Arunachala!

3.

Entering my home and luring me to Thine, why didst Thou keep me prisoner in Thy heart’s cavern, Oh Arunachala?

4.

Was it for Thy pleasure or for my sake Thou didst win me? If now Thou turn me away, the world will blame Thee, Oh Arunachala!

5.

Escape this blame! Why didst Thou then recall Thyself to me? How can I leave Thee now, Oh Arunachala?

6.

Kinder far art Thou than one’s own mother. Is this then Thy all-kindness, Oh Arunachala?

Kinder indeed art Thou than one’s own mother, such is Thy Love, Oh Arunachala!

7.

Sit firmly in my mind lest it elude Thee, Oh Arunachala!

Change not Thy nature and flee, but hold fast in my mind, Oh Arunachala!
Be watchful in my mind, lest it change even Thee into me and rush away, Oh Arunachala!

8.
Display Thy beauty, for the fickle mind to see Thee for ever and to rest, Oh Arunachala!
The strumpet mind will cease to walk the streets if only she find Thee. Disclose Thy Beauty then and hold her bound, Oh Arunachala!
The mind by her unsteadiness prevents my seeking Thee and finding peace; grant me the vision of Thy Beauty, Oh Arunachala!

9.
After abducting me if now Thou dost not embrace me, where is Thy chivalry, Oh Arunachala?

10.
Does it become Thee thus to sleep when I am outraged by others, Oh Arunachala?

11.
Even when the thieves of the five senses break in upon me, art Thou not still in my heart, Oh Arunachala!

12.
One art Thou without a second; who then could dare elude Thee and come in? This is only Thy jugglery, Oh Arunachala!

13.
Significance of OM unrivaled — unsurpassed! Who can comprehend Thee, Oh Arunachala?

14.
As Universal Mother, it is Thy duty to dispense Thy Grace and save me, Oh Arunachala!

15.
Who can ever find Thee? The Eye of the eye art Thou, and without eyes Thou seest, Oh Arunachala!
Being the sight of the eye, even without eyes find me out Thyself. Who but Thyself can find out Thee, Oh Arunachala?

16.
As a lode-stone attracts iron, magnetizing it and holding it fast, so do Thou to me, Oh Arunachala!

17.
Unmoving Hill, melting into a Sea of Grace, have mercy I pray, Oh Arunachala!

18.
Fiery Gem, shining in all directions, do Thou burn up my dross, Oh Arunachala!

19.
Shine as my Guru, making me free from faults and worthy of Thy Grace, Oh Arunachala!

20.
Save me from the cruel snares of fascinating women and honour me with union with Thyself, Oh Arunachala!

21.
Though I beg, Thou art callous and dost not condescend. I pray Thee! say to me ‘Fear not!’ Oh Arunachala!

22.
Unasked Thou givest; this is Thy imperishable fame. Do not belie Thy name, Oh Arunachala!

23.
Sweet fruit within my hands, let me be mad with ecstasy, drunk with the Bliss of Thy Essence, Oh Arunachala!

24.
Blazoned as the Devourer of Thy votaries, how can I survive who have embraced Thee, Oh Arunachala?

25.
Thou, unruffled by anger! What crime has marked me off for Thy wrath, Oh Arunachala?
Thou, unruffled by anger! What austerities left incomplete have won me Thy special favour, Oh Arunachala?

26.
Glorious Mountain of Love, celebrated by Gautama, rule me with Thy gracious glance, Oh Arunachala!

27.
Dazzling Sun that swallowest up all the universe in Thy rays, in Thy Light open the lotus of my heart I pray, Oh Arunachala!

28.
Let me, Thy prey, surrender unto Thee and be consumed, and so have Peace, Oh Arunachala!
I came to feed on Thee, but Thou has fed on me; now there is Peace, Oh Arunachala!

29.
O Moon of Grace, with Thy cool rays as hands, open within me the ambrosial orifice and let my heart rejoice, Arunachala!

30.
Tear off these robes, expose me naked, then robe me with Thy Love, Oh Arunachala!

31.
There in the heart rest quiet! Let the sea of joy surge, speech and feeling cease, Oh Arunachala!

32.
Do not continue to deceive and prove me; disclose instead Thy Transcendental Self, Oh Arunachala!

33.
Vouchsafe the knowledge of Eternal Life that I may learn the glorious Primal Wisdom, and shun the delusion of this world, Oh Arunachala!

34.
Unless Thou embrace me, I shall melt away in tears of anguish, Oh Arunachala!

35.
If spurned by Thee, alas! what rests for me but the torment of my prarabdha? What hope is left for me, Arunachala?

36.
In silence Thou saidst, ‘Stay silent!’ and Thyself stood silent, Oh Arunachala!

37.
Happiness lies in peaceful repose enjoyed when resting in the Self. Beyond speech indeed is This my State, Oh Arunachala!

38.
Thou didst display Thy prowess once, and, the perils ended, return to Thy repose, Oh Arunachala!
Sun! Thou didst sally forth and illusion was ended. Then didst Thou shine motionless, Oh Arunachala!

39.
A dog can scent out its master; am I then worse than a dog? Steadfastly will I seek Thee and regain Thee, Oh Arunachala!
Worse than a dog for want of a scent, how can I track Thee, Oh Arunachala?

40.
Grant me wisdom, I beseech Thee, so that I may not pine for love of Thee in ignorance, Oh Arunachala!

41.
Not finding the flower open, Thou didst stay, no better than a bee trapped in the bud of my mind, Oh Arunachala!
In sunlight the lotus blossoms, how then couldst Thou, the Sun of suns, hover before me like a flower bee, saying ‘Thou art not yet in blossom,’ Oh Arunachala?

42.
‘Thou hast realized the Self even without knowing that it was the Truth. It is the Truth Itself!’ Speak thus if it be so, Oh Arunachala!
Thou art the subject of most diverse views yet art Thou not this only, Oh Arunachala?
Not known to the tattvas, though Thou art their being! What does this mean, Oh Arunachala?

43.
That each one is Reality Itself, Thou wilt of Thy Nature show, Oh Arunachala!
Reveal Thyself! Thou only art Reality, Oh Arunachala!
‘Reality is nothing but the Self;’ is this not all Thy message, Oh Arunachala?

44.
‘Look within, ever seeking the Self with the inner eye, then will It be found.’ Thus didst Thou direct me, beloved Arunachala!

45.
Seeking Thee within but weakly, I came back unrewarded. Aid me, Oh Arunachala!
Weak though my effort was, by Thy Grace I gained the Self, Oh Arunachala!
Seeking Thee in the Infinite Self, I regained my own Self, Oh Arunachala!

46.
What value has the birth without Knowledge born of realization? It is not even worth speaking about, Oh Arunachala!

47.
Let me dive into the true Self, wherein merge only the pure in mind and speech, Oh Arunachala!
I, by Thy Grace, am sunk in Thy Self, wherein merge only those divested of their minds and thus made pure, Oh Arunachala!

48.
When I took shelter under Thee as my One God, Thou didst destroy me altogether, Oh Arunachala!

49.
Treasure of benign and holy Grace, found without seeking, steady my wandering mind, Oh Arunachala!

50.
On seeking Thy Real Self with courage, my raft capsized and the waters came over me. Have mercy on me Arunachala!

51.
Unless Thou extend Thy hand of Grace in mercy and embrace me, I am lost, Oh Arunachala!
Enfold me body to body, limb to limb, or I am lost, Oh Arunachala!

52.
O Undefiled, abide Thou in my heart so that there may be everlasting joy, Arunachala!

53.
Mock me not, who seek Thy protection! Adorn me with Thy Grace and then regard me, Oh Arunachala!
Smile with Grace and not with scorn on me, who come Thee, Oh Arunachala!

54.
When I approached, Thou didst not bend; Thou stoodst unmoved, at one with me, Oh Arunachala!
Does it not shame Thee to stand there like a post, leaving me to find Thee by myself, Oh Arunachala?

55.
Rain Thy Mercy on me ere Thy Knowledge burn me to ashes, Oh Arunachala!

56.
Unite with me to destroy Thou and me, and bless me with the state of ever-vibrant joy, Oh Arunachala!

57.
When shall I become like the ether and reach Thee, subtle of being, that the tempest of thoughts may end, Oh Arunachala?
When will waves of thought cease to rise? When shall I reach Thee, subtler than the subtlest ether, Oh Arunachala!

58.
I am a simpleton devoid of learning. Do Thou dispel illusion, Oh Arunachala!
Destroy Thou my wrong knowledge, I beseech Thee, for I lack the knowledge which the Scriptures lead to, Oh Arunachala!

59.
When I melted away and entered Thee, my Refuge, I found Thee standing naked, Oh Arunachala!

60.
In my unloving self Thou didst create a passion for Thee, therefore forsake me not, Oh Arunachala!

61.
Fruit shriveled and spoilt is worthless; take and enjoy it ripe, Oh Arunachala!
I am not a fruit which is overripe and spoilt; draw me, then, into the inmost recess and fix me in Eternity, Oh Arunachala!

62.
Hast Thou not bartered cunningly Thyself for me? Oh, Thou art death to me, Arunachala!
Hast Thou not bartered happily Thyself for me, giving all and taking nothing? Art Thou not blind, Oh Arunachala?

63.
Regard me! Take thought of me! Touch me! Mature me! Make me one with Thee, Oh Arunachala!

64.
Grant me Thy Grace ere the poison of delusion grips me and, rising to my head, kills me, Oh Arunachala!

65.
Thyself regard me and dispel illusion! Unless Thou do so who can intercede with Grace Itself made manifest, Oh Arunachala?

66.
With madness for Thee hast Thou freed me of madness; grant me now the cure of all madness, Oh Arunachala!

67.
Fearless I seek Thee, Fearlessness Itself! How canst Thou fear to take me, Oh Arunachala?

68.
Where is ignorance or Wisdom, if I am blessed with union to Thee, Oh Arunachala?

69.
My mind has blossomed, scent it with Thy fragrance and perfect it. Oh Arunachala!
Espouse me, I beseech Thee, and let this mind, now wedded to the world, be wedded to Perfection, Oh Arunachala!

70.
Mere thought of Thee has drawn me to Thee, and who can gauge Thy Glory, Oh Arunachala?

71.
Thou hast possessed me, unexorcizable Spirit! and made me mad for Thee, that I may cease to be a ghost wandering the world, Oh Arunachala!

72.
Be Thou my stay and my support lest I droop helpless like a tender creeper, Oh Arunachala!

73.
Thou didst benumb my faculties with stupefying powder, then rob me of my understanding and reveal the Knowledge of Thy Self, Oh Arunachala!

74.
Show me the warfare of Thy Grace, in the Open Field where there is no coming and going. Oh Arunachala!

75.
Unattached to the physical frame composed of the elements, let me for ever repose happy in the sight of Thy Splendour, Oh Arunachala!

76.
Thou hast administered the medicine of confusion to me, so must I be confounded! Shine Thou as Grace, the cure of all confusion, Oh Arunachala!

77.
Shine Thou selfless, sapping the pride of those who boast of their free will, Oh Arunachala!

78.
I am a fool who prays only when overwhelmed, yet disappoint me not, Oh Arunachala!

79. Guard me lest I flounder storm-tossed like a ship without a helmsman, Oh Arunachala!

80.
Thou hast cut the knot which hid the vision of Thy Head and Foot. Motherlike, shouldst Thou not complete Thy task, Oh Arunachala?

81.
Be not like a mirror held up to a noseless man, but raise me and embrace me, Oh Arunachala!

82.
Let us embrace upon the bed of tender flowers, which is the mind, within the room of the body, Oh Arunachala!

83.
How is it that Thou hast become famous from Thy constant union with the poor and humble, Oh Arunachala?

84.
Thou hast removed the blindness of ignorance with the unguent of Thy Grace, and made me truly Thine, Oh Arunachala!

85.
Thou didst shave clean my head; then Thou didst show Thyself dancing in Transcendent Space, Oh Arunachala!

86.
Though Thou hast loosed me from the mists of error and made me mad for Thee, why hast Thou not yet freed me from illusion, Oh Arunachala?
Though Thou hast detached me from the world and made me cleave to Thee, Thy passion for me has not cooled, Oh Arunachala!

87.
Is it true Silence to rest like a stone, inert and unexpansive, Oh Arunachala?

88.
Who was it that threw mud to me for food and robbed me of my livelihood, Oh Arunachala?

89.
Unknown to all, stupefying me, Who was it that ravished my soul, Oh Arunachala?

90.
I spoke thus to Thee, because Thou art my Lord; be not offended but come and give me happiness, Oh Arunachala!

91.
Let us enjoy one another in the House of Open Space, where there is neither night nor day, Oh Arunachala!

92.
Thou didst take aim at me with darts of Love and then devoured me alive, Oh Arunachala!

93.
Thou art the Primal Being, whereas I count not in this nor in the other world. What didst Thou gain then by my worthless self, Oh Arunachala?

94.
Didst Thou not call me in? I have come in. Now measure out for me, my maintenance is now Thy burden. Hard is Thy lot, Oh Arunachala!

95.
The moment Thou didst welcome me, didst enter into me and grant me Thy divine life, I lost my individuality, Oh Arunachala!

96.
Bless me that I may die without losing hold of Thee, or miserable is my fate, Oh Arunachala!

97.
From my home Thou didst entice me, then stealing into my heart didst draw me gently into Thine, such is Thy Grace, Oh Arunachala!

98.
I have betrayed Thy secret workings. Be not offended! Show me Thy Grace now openly and save me, Oh Arunachala!

99.
Grant me the essence of the Vedas, which shine in the Vedanta, One without a second, Oh Arunachala!

100.
Even my slanders, treat as praise and guard me for ever as Thine own, I pray, Oh Arunachala!
Let even slander be as praise to me, and guard me for ever as Thine own, I pray, Oh Arunachala!
Place Thy hand upon my head! make me partaker of Thy Grace! do not abandon me, I pray, Oh Arunachala!

101.
As snow in water, let me melt as Love in Thee, who art Love itself, Oh Arunachala!

102.
I had but thought of Thee as Aruna, and lo! I was caught in the trap of Thy Grace! Can the net of Thy Grace ever fail, Oh Arunachala?

103.
Watching like a spider to trap me in the web of Thy Grace, Thou didst entwine me and when imprisoned feed upon me, Oh Arunachala!

104.
Let me be the votary of the votaries of those who hear Thy name with love, Oh Arunachala!

105.
Shine Thou for ever as the loving Saviour of helpless suppliants like myself, Oh Arunachala!

106.
Familiar to Thine ears are the sweet songs of votaries who melt to the very bones with love for Thee, yet let my poor strains also be acceptable, Oh Arunachala!

107.
Hill of Patience, bear with my foolish words, as hymns of joy or as Thou please, Oh Arunachala!

108.
Oh Arunachala! my Loving Lord! Throw Thy garland about my shoulders, wearing Thyself this one strung by me, Arunachala!

Blessed be Arunachala! blessed be His devotees!
Blessed be this Marital Garland of Letters!

GRATITUDE FOR RAIN

Thank God for morning's dew-drenched emerald lawn,
And the gentle rain that waters harvest fields,
That fills the mountain's sacred rivers so forlorn,
And aids all gardeners to gain rich floral yields.

The fresh spring water quenches dry thirst of man,
It cleanses all it reaches with its firm wet hand,
This heavenly element upholds our days for a span
Of time. For your gift of rain our gratitude is grand.

In the desert of life treading on dry sands of time,
Dwell your oases of Truth to feed our soul's dire need;
We bathe in temple waters, a sacred rite divine,
To purify. Our quest for Truth you'll always feed.

Welcome the rain by singing hymns of holy joy,
The flood of God-Love which will never ever cloy.

SHIVA'S DANCE

"This soul's to be reborn, his mind is hard;
On his egotism I have need to dance,
On his vasanas I shall stamp and prance"!
Thinking how to protect me and safeguard,
You trampled on my ego's house of cards,
As inside your house divine where chances
Are secure, you blest me with your glances,
Oh Great Lord Shiva you're Great King of Bards!

Shiva chose a mountain high in the sky,
So his soft lotus feet could harden well.
Then his dance on the minds of those who lie
Prostrate at his feet, shall be saved from hell.
That's his promise and ever boundless grace,
To all who yearn to glimpse his sacred face.

PHOENIX SESTINA

Enrobed in scarlet, a brilliant blazing bird,
With eagle’s strength, the child of sacred fire,
She sounds a cry, that’s forever heard
When consumed in Self-lit flames, she does aspire
From funeral pyre, to show the sad world
Herself, reborn from death! Mankind she does inspire.

In ancient time this wonder did inspire
Heliopolis, where flew this fabled bird,
To reach the Sun, lamp light of the shadow world,
And immolating in her mystic fire,
Her Being rose from ashes, to aspire
To know New Life, such tales we've heard.

When this Egyptian legend was first heard,
The daring thought was one that did inspire
Each soul, that now had the right to so aspire,
And follow the lead set by this courageous bird.
If self dares to die upon the sacrificial fire,
Pure Self will emerge as the victor of this world.

This paragon is an emblem for our world,
Proclaiming news, that everywhere is heard,
Setting the wooden minds of men on fire,
The deathless spirit mocks at death to inspire!
Thanks to the valour of this wondrous bird,
The Soul of man, can to an after-life aspire.

So people of all lands can after all aspire
To reach the peak of hope in a troubled world,
And pursue the flight of virtue like this bird.
So sound the golden bugle and be heard!
Men should know such transformation can inspire
To be reborn again in sacred sacramental fire.


The petty self is scorched in conscious fire,
And from ashes, the Self does once again aspire,
To such new birth, and hearts of men inspire,
To transform their dismal dreary world.
Joy again, can everywhere be heard,
All thanks to thee, oh most excelling bird!

By wondrous art she does inspire our world,
It’s vital we aspire to what’s been heard,
Arise from sacred fire, dear Phoenix bird!

HALLELUJAH!

Let's all sing in joyful, jubilant celebration,
The hour's already written, for our Realisation
Of Self! reality, awareness, bliss, sat chit ananda,
Thanks to the boundless grace of Sri Bhagvan Ramana.

All we need do is to follow his guidance and teaching,
Practice Atma Vichara and Surrender, so far reaching
The Spiritual Heart where dwell his soft lotus Feet,
Egotistic mind will perish, all shall be complete.

All's unfolding as it must, so trust that Great Power,
Which knows the predestined way for each day and hour1

THE GURU SPEAKS

"There are no mistakes" the Great Guru said,
"All that happens has been ordained by God,
For your spiritual growth! This may seem odd,
But to wake you up from your dreaming bed,
You shall by me, be very wisely led,
To Eternal Being from earthly clod.
So pray don't ever live in fear and dread,
I'll redeem you from the spirtual dead!"

Poor pilgrim plodding on the mountain way,
Became distressed because he felt no gain
Of understanding, although he tried each day,
To practice as the sacred books explain.
Then his Guru said "surrender!" my dear boy,
With Enquiry, your Real Self, you'll soon enjoy!"

UNSEEN WEAVER

There’s a huge loom of Time, in duration;
Born of Infinity, from a consummation
With Life, which has never been void of time,
While Sun and Moon as shuttle upward climb.

By weaving to and fro as night and day,
A splendid pageant of coloured display,
Strung on the warp and weft of cosmic unity.
The back of this embroidered tapestry

Is monochrome, derived from that formless One.
It’s face is multihued, radiant as the Sun,
Its tones reflected from archetypal light,
All magically absorbed, an equalled sight.

Only what’s permitted by an unseen hand,
Appears as this moving panoramic band;
A rainbow painting of the whole wide world,
Brushed vertically: each single thread is whirled

Without the dimmest dint of dull duality;
Bright Light, unique to Self, sheer Reality!
Coated with golden fleece and angel wool,
Dyed in the deepest vat of Destiny’s pool.

So does this sacred cloth, woven in Love,
Quarrel with its weaver who reigns above?
Wrapped in his Joseph cloak at rainbows’s end,
Eternal pilgrim ever loves his Mighty Friend!

MAN CANNOT DO!

You can't stop iron gates from banging,
Or express railway trains from clanging,
Nor men or women from acting as they do;
Because they've never posed the question 'Who
Does every action which they perform,
And why does there arise a mental storm'?
It's all ego, dear friend, that's the cause,
Man cannot do! so take a long hard pause.

A perplexed pilgrim plodded on the mountain way,
Disturbed about how to spend his 'pilgrim day',
Then Grace, an inner voice, cried from deep inside,
"Enquire into Real Self and there abide"!
He practiced what his Inner Guru preached,
Soon enlightened, Eternal Self he reached .

PINK LOTUS

Pink lotus, emblem of Hindu wisdom sage,
Greatest aid to spiritual growth for man.
If one learns their teachings and carefully scan
The practise needed in this Kali Yuga age,
An inner struggle the aspirant must wage.
Pink lotus is rooted in muddy mire, but can
Still open as a bloom of beauty better than
Known by those who're blind to God's Almighty plan.

A soul lived a life of gross indulgence,
But tired of pleasure she turned to learn
Truth necessary for her repentance,
Self Realisation to surely earn.
Her ignorance and sin were fertile ground
To turn within. True wisdom she quickly found.



__._,_.___

PINK ALMOND BLOSSOMS GRACE GREEN TREES

We're pink almond blossoms on the green tree of life,
We've entered a dream world of both pleasure and strife.
The Divine Sun shines on each pretty bloom as grace,
The rains of pain also shower, upon that place,
Ripening us in good time to become mature,
Then we're both strong and brave enough to endure,
The full power of Self Realisation,
Freed from fool ego's phantom imagination.

But for that graceful blessed ripening to come,
A certain sadhana needs to be done.
From blossom we transform into worth while nuts,
Freed from doubting problems, quandries, ifs and buts.
In every nut there dwells a tasty kernel,
Pure Essence of Self, blissful Life Eternal!

RUMI ON LOVE

Love’s way is humility and intoxication,
The torrent floods down. How can it run up?
You’ll be a cabuchon in the ring of lovers,
If you’re a red ruby’s slave, dear friend ;
Even as Earth is a serf of sapphire sky
And your monkey body’s a slave to your spirit.

What did Earth ever lose by this relationship ?
What mercy has the Self showed to weary limbs ?
One shouldn’t beat the snare drum of awakening
Beneath a cosy sofa’s, comfy counterpane.

Hoist, like a hero, your flag in the desert.
Listen with your soul’s ear to the song,
In that hollow of the vast turquoise dome,
Rising from the lover's passionate moan .

When your tight gown-strings are loosened
By the tipsy inebriation of perfect love,
The victorious heavens shout, triumphantly !
And the constellations gaze down ashamed.

This world is in deep trouble, from top to bottom,
But it can be swiftly healed by the balm of love.

A free versification I have made from Rumi's Divan based on the Nicholson Literal Translation

SINCE THE ROSE HAS WITHERED

Since the rose has withered and the garden lies forlorn
From whom shall we breathe the fragrance of the rose?
When God is out of sight, Prophets are his Vicars,
Yet the Prophet and God are one without a second,
They are two only if you worship the bodily form
They are one for all who have passed beyond this perception.
When you look at the form your eye has double vision
Look at the eye’s light which grew single from the Self.
If ten lamps are lit in one hall each differs in form,
To see the light of each is well nigh impossible
When you stare at the fully blazing candelabra.
If you count a hundred freshly picked, ripe red apples,
They become as one when crushed in the cider press.
In spiritual matters there are no numbers or parts,
There is no false division nor any individuals.
Sweet is the oneness of the Friend with his friends ,
Clutch and cling to the naked feet of this spirit,
Forms are opposed to realisation of spiritual unity .
Make headstrong form waste away with trial and tribulation,
So beneath it you may discover unity like buried treasure,
And if you fail His bountiful grace will surely conquer.
My heart is His slave, He shows himself to our hearts,
He mends the torn and tattered robe of the Dervish.
We were single, and all from one substance without heads,
We were one substance like the Sun, knotless like water.
When that light took form it multiplied like shadows off a wall.
Smash the wall with a catapault that the shadows will crash.
I would have made these points with greater vigour
But feared weaker minds may stumble from my rigour.
The points are sharp as a razor’s edge,if you catch the sense,
So turn within and flee from this dream of a world.
Do not come without a strong shield against this keen blade,
The warrior’s sword is never afraid of execution ,
I place my scmitar in its sheath so none may mistake
The true meaning of my metaphors and discourse .

My Versification of a Rumi Poem in the Mathnawi From The Tale of the Jewish King
...........................

RAMANA CORONA

All beings yearn to be happy, always;
Happiness without a tinge of sorrow,
To enjoy a life of carefree days,
Taking no burden of thought for tomorrow.
When restless mind’s at peace in deep sleep,
What glimpse of worry, grief or despair?
So happiness lies therein, buried down deep.
How to find this treasure, awake, aware?
Ask the question, who am I, and from where?
That’s the essential means of the holy task,
Ending ego’s ‘me’ and ‘my’, that’s there.
No pleasure endures in things of this Earth,
Enquire within, who basks behind our mask?
To regain that Selfhood we lost at birth.

To regain that Selfhood we lost at birth,
First consider well the cinema screen,
To understand that, gains merit and worth.
On the screen there appears a tense drama,
The film begins and we enjoy the show.
Fire, flood, sex, death, a vast panorama;
The screen’s unchanging, but the film’s a shadow.
The simile teaches, strange as it may be,
That both seer and seen make up the mind.
On Consciousness as screen, all action’s based.
To know that is true, is the clue to be free,
A guiding beacon that’s so rare to find.
That’s the Sage wisdom by which we are graced.

That’s the Sage wisdom by which we are graced,
We’re taught the silver screen as a metaphor.
Seated in theatre stalls, now we are placed,
To proceed with clarity and enquire some more.
The bright theatre lamp is the light supreme,
Illuminating both actors and the scene.
We see stage and the play only by light,
Yet when action ends, the lamp remains bright.
Just as woven cloth and its colour white
Are never, ever perceived as apart,
So when mind and light both unite,
They form ego, knotted and bound in the heart.
Of all that we’ve ever learned since birth,
That’s the high wisdom proclaimed on Earth.

That’s the high wisdom proclaimed on Earth,
How to make mind to merge in its source?
Only by enquiring with all of one’s force,
The central question regarding its birth,
The ultimate scrutiny of “Who Am I”?
As thoughts froth forth like waves on the ocean,
They’ll all be slain by such introspection,
Unveiling the Self, the lost inward eye.
Pearls lay buried on the deep ocean floor,
Attracting divers to search for this goal.
Holding their breath they plunge to the core
Of the ocean bed, for the pearl oyster’s soul.
To gain this gem in the heart’s sacred place,
Just seek for the source where mind is based.

Just seek for the source where mind is based.
You travel alone on a mystery train;
By this metaphor we’re comfortably placed,
To travel by providence free from pain.
So put all your heavy luggage on the rack,
Only a fool carries it on his head!
Be glad, accept the predestined track,
Rest quietly, safe at home on your bed!
Surrender in joyful jubilation!
Surrender utterly to God’s almighty will,
Surrender with total resignation,
Surrender knowing all will be well,
Surrender whole heartedly with one accord,
Take safe refuge in the all loving Lord!

Take safe refuge in the all loving Lord!
For life’s a dream and sleeping dreams are short,
The waking dream is long; both stem from thought.
The Real is beyond both this waking and sleep.
The sword of enquiry slays dream states deep,
So reaching their substratum, numinous,
The state of pure consciousness, Self luminous!
Blissfully aware, yet awake in sleep.
As the cockerel crows ready to sup,
At the roseate dawn of first morning light,
Awareness pours into the near empty cup,
Granting a moment’s taste of Self insight.
This light is the eye that forever sees,
Who can be known by enquiring “who frees?”

Who can be known by enquiring “who frees?”
The Master who lives in the cave of the heart,
Not separate from one’s Self, being the start,
Of the final search from bond to release.
The Sage appears when the soul is ready,
With strong gaze of grace he says “be aware
That God and his wisdom are already there!”
He acts as a brake to make the mind steady,
While mercy flows freely in sunshine and air,
Hindered only by our being unready.
If you come to him, meekly with an empty cup,
His grace is then bound to fill it up.
The Master’s glance is the grace of the Lord,
He cuts you free with his mighty sword.

He cuts you free with his mighty sword,
To guide you surely, on the upward way
To Self Realisation, your real birthday!
Consummation of “That” the Sage’s word,
Is “rest in the Self,” which is always heard.
In him, place great trust and affirm, say yea
As certainty! Our Real Self blazes away,
Ever surrendered to the almighty Lord,
Revealing great peace for Realisation’s sake,
Renouncing belief that a rope is a snake.
The seeker surely becomes “the great find”,
His own blissful being, the summit in kind,
This great Teaching eternally frees,
One with the Self, as the Absolute sees.

One with the Self, as the Absolute sees,
He answers all our prayers and our pleas;
We must first enter that dear sacred part,
Not the fleshy pump that throbs on the left,
But the sacred core: by being skilful and deft,
We find that on the right; is the real Heart!
By harnessing breath, being adept and bright,
We dive with great skill and all of our might,.
There dwelling in depths of our true Heart’s cave,
Lives the shining ”Unity” blazing as Self,
Pulsation of I-I, where all shadows cease.
So fixing gaze there, finally, off we stave,
Perverted, wandering, demonic mind elf,
Returning to “Self”, our birthright of peace.

Returning to “Self”, our birthright of peace,
Is knowing that all this vile body performs
Was predestined before it ever took form.
So from stress, despair and fretting, pray cease!
Our freedom dwells in our natural State,
Renouncing the “ Am The Doer” notion,
Detached from fruit of form’s puppet motion,
Yet grace can avert even predestined fate!
Be like a skilled actor on this stage of strife!
Play with goodwill the part you’ve been given,
No matter how strangely you find you are driven,
Knowing who, truly you are, in this life.
Until fate pulls down the final curtain,
Know you’re Self not body, know that is certain!

Know you’re Self not body, know that is certain!
In this Realisation, there’s no cause to leave home,
You can strive in the city, there’s no need to roam.
To change style of life would all be in vain,
For mind remains with you, until it is slain.
Demonic ghost ego, source and fabric of thought
Create body and world, whereby we are caught.
Change of place, never changed the way we behave,
Whether living at home, in a forest or cave.
There are two ways by which our bonds may be freed:
Either ask “to whom is this strange fate decreed?”
Or surrender false ‘me’ to be then stricken down,
So praying intensely for ‘my will’ to cease,
We leave it to grace, to grant us release.

We leave it to grace, to grant us release.
God will do this through the gaze of his Sage,
He sends down His messenger for every age,
To those who yearn and pray for great peace.
The Realised Sage lives on here and now,
Without confusing the Self with the mind.
Humble, compassionate, loving and kind,
Wisely profound, as his way clearly shows.
He steers the vessel of firm devotees,
Fulfilling everyone’s spiritual need.
In deep silence, he sits, with perfect ease,
To awaken those, whom his teaching well heed.
Graciously, his great glance of initiation,
Drives the mind inwards, to Self Realisation!

Driving the mind inwards, to Self Realisation,
He grants safe passage through life’s stormy ocean;
What frail soul will ever be excluded
From the presence of the holy Supreme?
No matter how depraved or deluded,
His mercy never ends, and will always redeem,
Raising the soul from the depth of depression,
To free one from the ‘I am this body’ obsession.
From passions that churn desire and aversion,
His fair breeze wafts clear equanimity;
Enmeshed no more in worldly adversity,
Never perturbed by praise nor foul enmity,
We learn that there’s the greatest giving
In knowing all are Self, and so truly living.

In knowing all are Self, and so truly living,
We thank the great Sage who is ever giving.
We praise the Lord, who leads us to his feet,
His gracious gaze is eternally sweet,
Without ceasing, he’s forever reviving,
He grants that freedom, our real surviving.
He severs the grip of bondage’s chains,
He frees the soul, where confusion reigns,
He bestows both compassion and deep peace,
He sends out his grace to grant us release.
He teaches the truth that Consciousness is all,
And Self Enquiry to raise us up from our fall.
We praise God Almighty whom is ever living,
This crown of my verses is our thanksgiving!

To regain that Selfhood we lost from birth,
That’s the Sage wisdom by which we are graced,
This is the high wisdom proclaimed on Earth.
Just seek for the source where mind is based.
Take refuge in the all loving Lord,
Who can be known by enquiring ‘who frees?’
He cuts you loose with his mighty sword,
One with the Self, as the Absolute sees.
Returning to Self, our birthright of peace,
Know you’re Self, not body, know that is certain!
We leave it to grace, to grant us release.
He drives the mind inwards, to Self Realisation,
In knowing all are Self, and so truly living,
This crown of my verses is our thanksgiving!

END OF VERBIAGE

Am I a piano virtuoso of words,
Tinkling verbs, adjectives and nouns for all I'm worth,
Strumming a sonata of nonsensical sound?
Or is there in me a nest of pretty parrot birds,
Squawking day and night ever since my awkward birth?
But there's a secret to end this disease I've found.

All that's mischievous monkey mind my close friend,
It clouds the shining Sun of Self, my Real Being;
By diving into the Heart with all of my might,
I slay mad egotism and pronounce its timely end,
Questioning where's its source? I put it to fright,
Then arises the bliss of freedom and clear seeing!

AJ

SURRENDER

"Always let what comes come, and what goes go",
Said Ramana for those that strive to know

Their True Selves, the very best way they may,
Never wilt, rely on grace, pray don't stray.

To climb the mountain path is hard and long,
It's for heroes who're both bold and strong.

Self Enquiry is the great golden key,
To remove all that hides one's Self from thee.

The Guru guides and sets the sadhana,
So best surrender to Bhagavan Ramana!

SOUND ADVICE

Remove that dark black cloud hiding the Sun
Of Self, shining there, the everlasting One.
Best done by following our Master's teaching
Which is practice, not mere verbal preaching,

Self Enquire! Pose the question who am I?
With persistence and make proud ego die,
To reveal the Self in all its glory,
And end another dream, another story.

Surrender is the devotional way,
It entails yearning for a greater day.
Lay foul ego at the Sat Guru's feet,
Abiding in the Heart, rest there replete,

Then all, my friend, will fare so very well,
To spare one from another life aproaching hell.

JOY RIDE

Joyous jubilation is the jester's song,
Sweet tonic to right all doleful wrong.
From the heart it rings a happy chime,
And rescues mind from dull despondent time.

So roar from the roof tops with all ones might,
God's shines from His heaven and all is right!
Bury mad melancholy in a deep black hole,
And much sooner we'll save our wretched soul.

Laughter makes us loose our worry and care,
So unbutton our coats and let down our hair!
The world's not a place for shame or for woe,
That's the quick route to hell that we know.

'Row row row the boat gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily for life is but a dream'!
So the message for each golden girl and boy,
Is find true love and laughter, in warm hearts of joy'!

SAVE ME!

As for myself, my poor body's now so weak
It shakes while walking; my mind will speak,
But grown very dull; while all Vedic Mantras
Forgotten. Age has overtaken shastras,
My eyes are dim, although clear in yoga,
I remain ignorant. O Sad-Guru Ramana
Save me!,

Wantonly inflated by pride of being
Lord of all the senses, the mind fails in seeing
Its true Lord seated in the spiritual heart.
Looking on life as the ultimate part,
I have not achieved the Goal. Alas! then
Sad-Guru Ramana, shall Self be Realised when?
Save me!

The world which was so pleasing always
Perished. Yet the miserable mind stays
And runs after sense-pleasures alone.
O Ramana Bhagavan, I haven't yet known
Or realized the Supreme Brahman adored
By the few. Life is lived in vain, I'm floored.
Save me!

Saints are sustainers of society's hands.
Philo says 'Households, cities, countries, lands,
Have enjoyed greatest happiness and peace,
When an enlightened Sage has taken lease
Of the good and beautiful. Such great men
Not only free themselves, but all, so then
Save me!

The true sages possess the inner joy,
Peace, free of circumstance cannot cloy.
Happiness independent of outer things,
Beyond forms of social life, their heart sings.
They strive for fulfilling the Divine in the world
For the good of all, God's aim they've unfurled!
Save me!

A free versification of a Sanskrit Poem by Ganapati Muni

PEARL FISHING

After many years of diving and plunging
Into innermost being, the spiritual Heart,
Holding breath with attention, and lunging
Deep down into one’s dear sacred part,
There’s accumulation of nadi churning,
Leading to discomfort and a certain pain.
The price to be paid for inward turning,
Probing for Ego's source again and again.
To sever well, the aweful granthi knot,
One must dive and plunge an awesome lot!

As he stands in his skiff and his body hurls,
The fisher boy holds breath and dives down deep,
Such is the effort he makes to earn his keep,
In order to gain the precious oyster pearl.
This is a great secret of Atma Vichara
As taught by Lord Bhagavan Sri Ramana.

EGOMANIA

It would be good if one could write a perfect verse
Of Truth; a poem which expresses the reverse
Of falsity and delusion. Man is trapped in illusion,
Vast populations dwell in massive confusion,
Because of a dire disease called egomania,
Stretching from the Arctic down to Australia.

Symptoms of egomania obsure Real Being,
The Knowledge of True Self without realy feeling,
The pure bliss of consciousness awareness grace,
Realising 'That' as one's own original face,
Not the one we see in the silvered mirror glass,
That idolatry is one through which we must pass.

The way to achieve this more blessed sacred state,
Is by Self Enquiry, before it is too late.
We enquire within through attention 'Who Am I?',
And persist resolutely before we die.
Then the perfect Poem is unveiled to be you,
One's own pure loving Self. 'That' is really true!

BUMBLE BEES ALL BUZZ AUM

The buzzing of the bumble bees hums Aum,
They sport among red roses sipping bliss.
Nectar likened by the mystics to the kiss
Of bridal marriage, when bold souls come home,
To wed their beloved; never again to roam,
In the gloom of samsara where they'll miss,
The pain of life's dream in which snakes do hiss.
Better to taste God's honey beneath His azure dome.

A wise bee keeper rambled out one day,
His bees swarmed, and he was badly stung;
Yet he welcomed all that happened on his way,
Giving thanks for the pain which they had wrung,
It gave him greater inner strength and joy,
A blessing which nothing more could ever cloy.

GOOD HORSEMANSHIP

Tame the wld horse stallion of the racing mind,
Break him in with the reins of mantra japa,
'Whip with rigourous vigour' said Lord Krishna.
Such words in Sages writings we often find,
Blinker the colt so he doesn't look behind.
Mind control was taught by Sri Lord Ramana,
Essential part of his great teaching sadhana.
Mind will lead you astray like blind lead blind,
He'll gallop madly, so tie him down, and bind.

A gallant rider went on his pilgrim way,
The stubborn horse bolted and down he fell,
He knew he must train the nag that very day,
Or else riding him would always be sheer hell.
So we control the errant mind as best we may,
And enjoy a safe ride as with life we play.

OH FICKLE MIND!

Oh wearisome monkey mind ever so fickle,
Always chattering, urging senses to tickle
Fancy. and lure one away from one's sacred task,
Of keeping quiet and silent, ready to ask,
The most profound essential question 'who am I'?
To reach the root of vile ego before we die.
Then released from bondage captive soul can fly
To freedom, released from samsara's evil eye!

There once was a sadhak who tried very hard,
To control monkey mind from wandering away;
He decided to play his Sat- Guru's trump card,
To repeat his favourite mantra most of the day.
The monkey mind was now chained to a stake,
He was now relieved for sweet peace of mind's sake.

TIGER'S JAWS

Lie quietly in the tiger guru's jaws,
He'll never ever let us leave from there.
Give all weighty burdens into his care,
Great bliss, grace and mercy rest in his paws.

His teaching opens wide salvation's doors,
He rules with perfect justice wise and fair,
He loves all sadhaks who will risk and dare,
Surrender ego minds into his loving claws.

Suffering pilgrim wept in dire dispair,
'Pray Guru save me from my wretched fate',
The Tiger Guru roared within his lair,
'Give me your mind before it is too late'!

Pilgrim was saved, he knew his own Real Self,
Freed from evil egotistic demon elf.
.

NADIS CHURN

Diving into the Heart the nadis churn,
Creating tension body wise to burn
Vasanas up. Best bear with it and yearn;
The work is done for you to moksha earn,
Through diving into heart, so suffer well and learn.

To switch off the wandering monkey mind,
A device in Hatha Yoga we do find.
Place the tongue in roof of mouth;'twill unwind
It's constant chattering, it's so refined;
Then one's quiet and still, all mumbling's left behind.

SONNETS FROM MY HEART

1

THRESHOLD OF BEAUTY

Deep down in my Spiritual Heart,
Dwells my gracious inner Sat-Guru,
Bhagavan Ramana, for God are You.
You came in bodily form to start
My journey back to Self, and did impart
Sage Non-Dual Teaching, simple, clear and true;
Self Enquiry once more You proclaimed anew.

Red roses grow in garden emerald green,
Shining 'neath a sapphire sky of blue,
Show Beauty is a Threshold for my love for You,
She invokes grateful feelings of praise serene,
Towards You as my Teacher who's Supreme,
And comes to wake me up, now that time is due.

2

ALMOND BLOSSOM

Bhagavan told us in his sage words,
"All the buds on the almond tree, one day
Will wake up from sleep". We gratefully say
Thank God, now I'm unlike the cattle herd,
A dumb beast, prey to every outward
Pull of thought and whim which comes my way.
I know my Self, and understand the play
Of life is to make one whole, in Thy regard.

At the point of Death, God our Mighty Lord
Preordains the next life for the very best,
To spiritually grow, unlike the rest,
Who suffer 'til they comprehend His word,
And obey His Teachings which they've heard
From Him, whether they be from East or West.

3

BEAUTY'S AMELIORATION

Beauty's an amiable amelioration
From vain vicissitudes of life,
Problems are ever ruthlessly rife,
The soul needs peace and relaxation,
She gazes at gardens that grace our nation,
He perhaps finds comfort from his cosy wife.
We walk on the edge of a well sharpened knife,
We bow to our Master in supreme oblation.

The good wife will share his pilgrimage
And her soul is the Beauty that he seeks,
Like Dante's Beatrice, she grants him peace.
This is the dawning of the Aquarian Age,
Advaita Vedanta is now all of the rage,
Which takes you to weary soul's blest release.

3

GOD'S WORD

Bhagavan delivers the word of God to man,
"Self Enquiry and Surrender is my way,
Ask yourself 'Who Am I? each time of day!
Don't forget your inner Self to hold and scan,
That, my children, is God's almighty plan,
This way to Liberation is what I say,
Will bring you freedom from suffering fray
With foolish ones; away from Self they ran".

Everything is perfect so it seems,
Preordained in the only way it can,
Whether it be joyful, mad or wan,
The many worlds are sham and only dreams,
Yet through the dark and gloom we glimpse some gleams,
I followed His Truth, and a new life began.

4

PEACOCK BLUE

The colour of Lord Shiva's throat is blue,
As he swallowed planet Earth's poisoned sin,
To save mankind from damnation. Therein
Lies the reason it looks peacock blue to you.
Our duty is to pay Lord Shiva fullest due,
Surrender at his lotus feet wherein,
Salvation follows for our kith and kin,
If we worship Him as truly true.

Skanda,Shiva's son road a peacock too
To slay the demon ego Taraka,
By the weapon of Advaita Vedanta
Now at hand for all earnest sadhaks, who
Follow his teachings through and through,
To end the dreaded dream of dire samsara.

5

DIVINE MERCY

God in His mercy sent us Ramana,
To redeem fallen souls on planet Earth,
Such a One was granted bodily birth,
As Sri Bhagavan of Arunachala,
To save us from dreaded dire samsara.
Make us Oh Lord to be of righteous worth,
To receive his guidance and then obey
His Surrender and Self Enquiry Sadhana.

Then in due course we shall reach Moksha,
Be free of suffering from this earthly fray,
To be born again on the brighter new day
Of glorious, blessed Sat Chit Ananda.
He'll evolve humanity in his unique way,
Such is the role of Sri Bhagavan Ramana!

6.

GURU OF GURUS

Supreme Guru of Guru's, he's well named,
Dwelling on sacred Arunanchala,
Lived Sri Bhagavan Maharshi Ramana.
As a Great World Teacher he's duly famed
Recalcitrant egos he quickly tamed,
To free Devotees from dread samsara,
By teaching them his Atma Vichara.
If we ignore him, then 'who' is blamed?

A man came to his Ashram one fine day,
And asked the question 'what to do'?
An answer came 'enquire who are you?'
The fool ignored the Sage and walked away.
He spent many more life times on this Earth,
Before awakening to his souls rebirth.

7

ARUNACHALA

Arunachala is a sacred mount,
Rosy red, colour of the rising dawn
Emblem of awakening on the morn
Of Self Realisation, the fount
Of Bhagavan's wisdom that we count
As wisest among all Gurus born.
He destroys man's sleep like a thunder storm,
And his latent habits, apart are torn.

Those tendencies obscure the Sacred Self,
Like dark rain clouds hide the blazing Sun.
His Self Enquiry slays this demon elf
Of ego, and restores sad soul back to the One.
Let us give thanks to Mount Arunachala,
For sheltering the life of great Sage Ramana.


































































.

THIS ABOVE ALL

"This above all to thine own Self be true!"
So wrote the immortal Shakespearean Bard;
This must be the chief aim for me and you,
Effort and study are needed sharp and hard.

The first step is to find a Guru's teaching,
Which suits one's own distinct disposition,
One who explains clearly without preaching,
That is life's most adored acquisition.

A pilgrim spent much time in seeking
To find Truth. He was forever reading;
Then he found the book he was most needing,
Like a Sage's voice that he heard speaking.
"Self Enguire and Surrender, my dearest son,
Then you shall Realise Self! and all is One".

LOVE LILTS A LULLABY

LOVE crossed my threshold in bridal white,
A diadem of stars adorned her hair,
She chanted in cadenced accents fair,
“For man I make division, wretched plight,
The notion of another is constant in his sight,
It’s more than he dares, it’s extremely rare
To transcend the thought ‘I demand a pair’,
Don’t love others, be others, such is truly right.”

A mother wraps warm arms around her son,
To breast she holds him firmly, close up tight;
A smile slips across her lips, sunkissed bright,
United to her child, now the two are one.
In the quest to find Divine Mother’s Grace,
Hold Her in your heart with firm embrace.

THE GOLDEN ROAD TO SAMARKAND

PROEM

Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells
When shadows pass gigantic on the sand,
And softly through the silence beat the bells
Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.


We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known,
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand.

James Elroy Flecker

I

We're carted in a cosy caravan of dreams,
Driving fast across vast desert waste.
Nothing we see is exactly as it seems,
From mirage to death we race in reckless haste.
The Master Sheikh cries "wake up you sleepy one,
Within you shines the Great Almighty Sun!".

A boy had cause to cross that golden sand,
To find his fond father in Samarkand.
His journey was beset by many trials,
The brave lad trekked for miles and miles.
He trudged on when all seemed sadly lost,
He persisted regardless of all human cost.

God's grace came in camel shape, a beast had strayed,
So back to his father, his way was safely made!

II

The fierce blazing heat of noon-day Sun,
Afflicts each caravan on its lonely way.
The camels yearn for water, but there is none,
Until they reach some oasis, one blessed day.

The Sheikh cries "The Sun is like God's will,
Driving your caravan across the golden sand;
Water's like Real Truth, which you need to fill
Your heart, and cut your knot of bondage band!"

A traveller traversed across that desert plane,
Soon he became thirsty from the blazing heat,
He prayed for water from a shower of rain,
To save his life, his journey then complete.
He glimpsed an oasis, 'twas a mirage it seems,
Such is our wasted life, a caravan of dreams!

III

The Sheikh calls "come to my tavern and drink
The ecstatic ruby wine of love divine!
Enquire into who's that one who thinks;
Soon you'll find your inner Sun sublime,
That lights your mind of wandering dreams,
And makes you see a world that only seems
As Real, when its all a false delusion.
That's the very root of mind's illusion!"

A pilgrim knocked hard at the tavern door,
Alas he found it shut and firmly closed.
No answer came although he did implore
The Sheikh to help in what he had proposed.
Then he heard a voice within the tavern cry,
"My son to ego mind, you first must die!"

IV

The One Eternal Sheikh is our blessed Self,
Not treacherous, perverted monkey mind,
Like some diabolic demonic elf,
It flits from each tree to tree it finds.

So hearken to the wisdom of ones Master Sheikh,
As he teaches freedom and the way to wake.
The Sheikh in the desert on the golden way
Frees us from the bleak jail of every day.

A man met his Master one blessed day,
And enquired, "how free myself from 'mind'?"
The Master said "if you turn within my way,
In search of your own false self you'll surely find,
The real freedom you so urgently desire,
And be born again in God's great sacred fire!"

ALL IS WELL

All is well unfolding as it should,
How can it be otherwise than good?
That's the Enlightened Sage's wake up call,
His mantric message transmitted to us all.

We only see the surface of a dream,
On our consciousness-awareness screen,
Then by grace comes the teaching of a Sage,
To free us from the bondage of our prison cage.

He tells us "Simply, just Self Enquire;
Surrender to 'That' spiritual fire,
Of your Sat-Guru dwelling in your Heart,
Then some fine day, from ego you shall surely part"!

DEEP HEART DIVING

If constant, persistent deep heart diving
Is consistent, and truly thriving,
Ego has no more hope of ever surviving.

Nerves continually turning and churning,
Vasanas on fire and briskly burning;
The Jiva prays, desperately yearning.

Such is deft deep diving within, to reach
The root of ego, my Guru does teach,
A way of Self Enquiry for one and each.

With strong energetic plunge and lusty surge,
Malign tendencies we purge and then emerge;
Again we dive within when there's the urge.

Our aim's to find the precious lustrous pearl,
Of Self's brilliant splendour. 'Twill unfurl,
Letting Sat-Chit-Anand curl,in wondrous whirl.

The sacred task is to waken soul from sleep,
For that, dive in the Heart's a quantum leap,
The way to Liberation, evermore to keep.

DEEP SEA DIVING

When constant, persistent deep sea diving
Is continued, and is really thriving,
Ego has no hope of ever surviving.

Nerves are constantly turning and churning,
Brain box on fire, and is briskly burning,
Heart cave pines, desperately yearning.

Such is deft diving deep within, to reach
The root of ego, my Guru so did teach,
A way of Self Enquiry for one and each.

With strong energetic plunge and lusty surge,
The vile vasanas will one by one emerge,
Once more we dive within when comes the urge.

One aim is to fetch the precious magic pearl,
That Self's special splendour shall unfurl,
And Sat-chit-ananda uncurl, in wondrous whirl.

BALLAD OF MARY PEARL FISHER

Surrender and Self Enquiry are the Golden Keys of Sri Ramana's teaching,
So start to serious practise, call off the seeking and cease endless preaching,
Like those deluded ones who say, 'You're perfect as you are now, just remain in a blissful state!'
And then all those others who profess, 'Why bother,it's all ordained by fate?'

Beyond a shadow of doubt Advaitic Non-Dualism is very far reaching,
If we assert we are the 'doers of action ', then God's Will we are breaching,
But in meeting this teaching we are quickly brought to knock at Heaven's Pearly Gate
Where intellectual games and metaphysical conundrums all end in checkmate.

Let's rejoice in gladness in whatever God sends us in our pilgrimage on Earth.
This miraculous, melodramatic adventure, starting from the day of our birth,
Passing through our childhood years when rebellious ego started to raise its brazen head
Shouting, screaming,compulsiv e daily demands loudly, feet kicking wildly spread.

Then on to passionate adolescence, loving experience for all one is worth.
But tiring of riotous pleasure, the soul feel empty and loathes such a
meaningless dearth.
And so into this wilderness poor Mary wanders, feeling barren,lost and wretched,
Struggling to find an oasis, festooned with apple blossom and a pink orchid.

She yearns for help and prays hard with faith to her childhood God with a
passionate cry,
"Oh please give me some meaning to my sordid discordant life or I feel
I will die!"
And then, a vision appears before her – is it reality or illusion?
Shimmering and shining with radiance – is it just another trick of delusion?

A firm voice spoke from inside the light with awesome power and might,
but very clear,
"Know your Self, my child, and ask the question 'Who Am I?', banish all
your doubt and fear."
"But I can't know who I am," she moaned, "nor how to know myself or the
meaning of life!"
And with downcast eyes, she wept inconsolably pouring forth her woes and strife.

The next day in a Mind-Body-Spirit Book Shop where she went to browse and look,
She came across the title "Who Am I?", a force impelled her to buy this book .
And turning the front cover quivering with wonder and awe she discovered therein
A photo of an Indian Sage with a face of great peace, emanating within.

It struck a resounding chord deep in her innermost heart with immediate force
She proceeded to peruse the pages with the uttermost attention, of course.
‘Self Enquiry’, ‘Mind control’, ‘Peace and Happiness, ‘Self and Individuality’
‘The Jnani and the World’, ‘Sadhana and Grace’, and ‘Aham - all is Unity.

She knew the greatest spiritual adventure of her life was about to begin,
A journey deep into her Self that with this Great Guru's help she was
certain to win.
So she read Chapter One, ‘Self Enquiry’ which told her to ask herself, 'Who am I?’,
Which she did with zeal and earnestness but there was no answer that came in reply.

She begged the Sage for guidance to aid her in this pondersome, perplexing plight,
A serene voice within aroused her and answered in the middle of the night
"Listen to me, my sweet child, for fate has decreed that it is time for you to die,
But it’s not a death to be afraid of, just the end of your individual ‘I’.

The mighty sword of Self Enquiry will surely bring about this mystic death,
Do not expect answers! Questioning, alone is the way to stifle ego's breath."
Just focus your undivided attention through the right hand side of your chest,
Be brave, be resolute, be patient – all will be revealed in this source
of greatest rest.

Hold your breath if you wish, it keeps the mind quiet, then dive deeply
into your Heart
To find the source of the 'I'. This is a method that I wish, my child ,to impart.
And so, inhaling deeply, she followed the advice of her innermost guide,
Putting all her concentration where she knew her immortal soul does reside.

"That is correct," her inner voice replied, "keep on trying just a little
each day
And in time, where your tendencies are tied, you will cut that ganglion knot away."
"But those tendencies are who I am,’ sh said starting to feel bewildered and sad,
I’m not sure that I want to lose my quirks and foibles for I think it’ might drive me mad."

"Foolish child,' the voice replied, "those form the walls that stop you
knowing ‘who you are'
I am teaching you how to know your Self, your True Nature, and remove that prison bar!"
"Please don’t be angry with me," she said forlornly, "I promise
that I shall try my best."
And knocking on the door of the Heart a voice replied, "Come in,most honoured guest!"

After that Mary, for that was her name, persevered daily, as she had been told
Deeper and deeper inside she dived like a pearl fisher girl, and ever so bold.
And lo, amazing trinkets of thoughts, feelings and emotions Mary found within,
But midst rusty concepts and broken dreams, were precious gems of wisdom strewn therein.

One morning Mary vowed not to be distracted by these soap bubbles of thought,
But to plunge below those baubles as deep as she ought, 'twas the Source of I' she sought.
She did not know what to expect - overwhelming joy, satchitananda, bliss.
But instead she felt as if she were falling down into a deep, dark,abyss.

It was as if a loving power had grasped her mind and then held it firm
and still,
All chattering ceased and a tranquil peace invaded and seized her selfish will .
Like a newly born babe, she opened up her eyes and looking all around in awe
Mary viewed the magnificence of God's creation hardly believing what she
saw!

Her ego had fled,it was as if someone had removed a badly aching tooth,
She realised all was One ,she saw without separation, an Immortal Truth
"I am limitless, unbounded, free!" she cried, not knowing if she should
laugh or weep.
"I am God, the Absolute, the Self. No longer hypnotised by the painful veil of sleep!"

Alan Jacobs and Paula Marvelly

A poetic cooperation

SWEET LOTUS FEET

Oh dearest Guru-ji, Great Sri Bhagavan Ramana,
Famous Sage of holy Mountain Arunachala:
To whom your Devotees with reverent obeisance greet,
I place this verse, an offering, at your sweet lotus feet.

I pray that I may come close to your sweet lotus feet,
There waiting for me to hold, deep in my heart replete.
Then I might better follow your sacred teachings true,
And again feel united: my own Self, to be One with you.

If I take firm refuge in your sweet lotus feet so soft,
You're sure to raise my hard pressed errant soul aloft,
Then I feel immense gratitude with deepest love for you,
Oh Guru, you teach soul how to reach its Self so true.

I surrender dark ego mind at your sweet lotus feet,
Whole heartedly, unconditionally, totally complete.
I pray that you will accept this simple gift of mine,
And take my soul to wed with you, oh gracious Self Divine.

-oOo-

*Note


THE SWEET LOTUS FEET OF THE GURU IN THE HEART

The sweet Lotus feet of the Sat-Guru is the point where we can touch his Grace and SURRENDER THE EGOISTIC MIND. It is a beautiful expression echoed by the prostration of the Devotee to touch the soft sweet feet of the Master.

These lotus feet are touched by diving into the spiritual heart through the door way found on the
Rt. Side of chest.

THE SAT GURU NEVER DIES

As absolute pure consciousness –Awareness he is ever present in the heart of his devotees.By Surrendering the mind to his lotus feet we invoke his Grace .

Read the wonderful book Padamalai- ‘The Feet’ by The great Tamil Poet Murugana’s poem recording the advanced teaching of Sri Bhagavan before and after his Self Realisation. Translated into aphorisms with a commentary by Robert Butler and David Godman.

*THE LOTUS FEET

In this world, Sri Guru is the only beauty or asset, wealth. There is nothing else. Carana means feet. Sri-guru-carana-padma the feet of Sri Guru are compared to the lotus. This is also very significant.

Why are his feet compared to the lotus and not to anything else? The lotus flower looks very nice and beautiful, and it also provides very sweet honey, madhu. The bumblebee collects honey from different flowers, but especially from the lotus flower. So what sort of special quality is there in the honey collected from the lotus flower that is not present in the honey collected from other flowers? It is a special type of honey known as padma-madhu. The disciple who is like a bumblebee, who is very hungry and greedy for that honey, relishes it.

Similarly, the jiva who is wandering and wandering through the innumerable universes and through the innumerable species of life of this material world — brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva — gets only more and more suffering, misery, and torture. There is no cooling effect in the material world, which is like a blazing forest fire — samsara-davanala. Nobody starts the forest fire, but automatically by the rubbing of two pieces of wood, the whole forest is burned and the animals that live in the forest are burned to ashes. They feel the burning heat, which is very painful. Similarly, the conditioned souls in this material world feel the burning sensation coming from the three tapas: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. After wandering through innumerable universes and innumerable species of life, at last the fortunate soul, bhagyavan jiva, comes to the lotus feet of Sri Guru and takes shelter in the cooling shade there.

As the bumblebee sucks honey from the lotus flower, similarly, the guru-pada-padma, the lotus feet of Sri Guru, allow that jiva, who is compared to the bumblebee, to suck the nice honey whereby he gets real nourishment and also premananda, loving happiness.

Similarly, when one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Guru and gets the guru's mercy, the guru allows the surrendered disciple to taste that sweet honey emanating from the guru's lotus feet. That is the medicine whereby his material eyes will be cleansed of all material contamination. He develops transcendental vision.

He may have been blinded by the dense darkness of ignorance, ajnana-andhakara, but that will all be gone now. The darkness is dispelled and he receives the eyes of knowledge— divya-jnana-caksu. Sri Guru imparts tattva-jnana, and by his mercy the disciple develops transcendental vision. With that vision he will be able to see the beautiful form of the Supreme Lord, Syamasundar. This is the honey, or madhu, emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru; it acts in such a wonderful way. Therefore the phrase, "sri-guru-carana-padma" is very significant — the lotus feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus. Why is this comparison made and how to explain it?

Wandering Hopeless! If such persons are fortunate, they will come to the lotus feet of Sri Guru. That guru is like a physician, sadhu-vaidya. He knows the perfect and unfailing medicine to cure the material disease, bhava-roga. He knows the cause of the jiva's suffering. There is only one medicine, the honey emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru — guru-pada-padma-madhu. So, as the lotus allows the bumblebee whose wings are torn by the thorns of the ketaki flower to take shelter inside the flower, similarly, the guru allows the disciple to take shelter at his lotus feet.
The guru-pada-padma, the lotus feet of Sri Guru, gives such hopeless wandering souls shelter and allows them to suck honey, whereby they regain their vitality. The suffering jiva gets nourishment and life there. That is why we say, "sri-guru-carana-padma." The lotus feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus, and not to anything else. This phrase has very great significance.