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.

A BLESSED NEW DAY

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!

DIVE DEEP

There's a vast ocean of blueish green beauty,
Reminding us it's our paramount duty,
To plunge into the Heart, and seek the source
Of vile ego with all our might and force.

That ocean's the symbol of the spiritual heart,
Which we must probe until one day that part
Of malign vasanas leaves the monkey mind,
And then Enlightenment is there we find.

So suggested our great Sage Ramana,
The Blessed Lord of Mount Arunachala.
He brought Atma Vichara right to the fore,
To help suffering devotees for ever more,
And save them from dreaded dire samsara;
Such was the greatness of dear Sage Ramana!