Take me up higher and higher

Every wave of the sea, as it rises, seems to be stretching its hands upwards, as if to say, "Take me up higher and higher."

-Hazrat Inayat Khan

Know the Knower

With utmost devotion,
center on the two junctions of breath
and know the knower.

-Shiva Sutra

Renunciation

Cling to the One who clings to nothing;
And so clinging, cease to cling.

-from the poem 'Renunciation' by Tiruvalluvar
(a 7th century mystic from Southern India)

Sita Ram

There are some things I may not know
There are some places, dear Lord, I may not go.
But there's one thing of which I'm sure
My God is real for I can feel him in my soul.

And I have found a way to live in the presence of the Lord
And so in the Name...
Hare Ram, Ram, Ram, Sita Ram, Ram, Ram
Hare Ram, Ram, Ram, Sita Ram, Ram, Ram

--Krishna Das

In one salutation to thee, my God

In one salutation to thee, my God,
let all my senses spread out and touch this world at thy feet.
Like a rain-cloud of July hung low with its burden of unshed showers
let all my mind bend down at thy door in one salutation to thee.
Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current
and flow to a sea of silence in one salutation to thee.
Like a flock of homesick cranes flying night and day back to their mountain nests
let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home in one salutation to thee.

--From Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

Unlimited Self

Once you have given up your limited self willingly to the Unlimited,
you will rejoice so much in that consciousness that you will not care to be small again.

--Hazrat Inayat Khan

Silent River

O my Beloved,

You are still the same

a dewdrop at dawn

a sweet zephyr at noon

and a silent river in lonely nights!

Light

I look behind and after

And find that all is right,

In my deepest sorrows

There is a soul of light.

--Swami Vivekananda (From a letter to Miss MacLeod, 26th December 1900)

Same Moon

Where are you hurrying to?

You will see

the same moon tonight

Wherever you go!

--Izumi Shikibu

True Aim of Life

The true aim of life is to find the Divine's Presence
deep inside oneself and to surrender to It so that It
takes the lead of the life, all the feelings and all the
actions of the body. This gives a true and lu-minous aim to existence.

-The Mother

Arunachala

I sought to devour Thee:
Come now and devour me,
Then there will be peace, Arunachala.

You bade me give all for you --
Take now the giver too,
Survive alone, Arunachala!

Let now the deception end.
There was no lover or friend
Apart from Thyself, Arunachala!

Now that at last I know
All this a magic show,
Let it dissolve in Thee, Arunachala!

--Arthur Osborne

This Dream

At the gates of my heart
I stand—a beggar
In the howling wind
Clad in rags of thought

Open my love, my King
Open the golden gate
Let Thy splendour stream forth
And flood with light

This shadow-world of sorrow
This face bereft of sight
These shadows of tomorrow
This dream

Mad dogs are at my throat
Shall I perish
A beggar at the gate
Of the King of Grace and Mercy
Is this to be my fate
This dream?

--Arthur Osborne

The Friend Beside Me

O God
You know why I am happy:
It is because I seek Your company,
not through my own efforts.

O God
You decided and I did not.
I found the Friend beside me
when I woke up!

-Sheikh Ansari
(A Sufi Poet)

Tree

A tree beside the sandy
River-beach
Holds up its topmost boughs
Like fingers towards the skies
They cannot reach,Earth-bound, heaven-amorous.

This is the soul of man.
Body and brain
Hungry for earth
our heavenly flight detain.

-Sri Aurobindo

Morning Glory

A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.

~Walt Whitman

Prayer on the eve of Deepavali

O Lord
bless us all
and make us aware of
LIGHT within!

*Deepavali is a Hindu Festival, a festival of Lights!

Father, Forgive Them

--this one is from a very old church in Cologne, Germany.

Flowers

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul.
-- The Koran

Dive deep o mind

Dive deep O mind,
dive deep in the ocean of God's Beauty
if you descend to the uttermost depths
there you will find the gem of Love

--Sri Ramakrishna

Mahalaya

Durgapuja is a big festival in India specially in the state of WestBengal.This year it will be celebrated from 29th Sep to 2nd Oct. Tomorrow is Mahalaya. Mahalaya is an auspicious occasion observed seven days before the Durga Puja.It is a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess Durga, goddess of supreme power to descend on earth.This is done through the chanting of mantras and singing devotional songs early in the morning.

Kirtan

All glories to the holy name of the Lord

which cleanses the heart of all

the dust accumulated for millions of years

Credit: www.kirtan.org

Oneness

Seek truth in meditation, not in moldy books. Look in the sky to find the moon, not in the pond.

--Persian proverb.

Always remember that you belong to no one, and no one belongs to you. Reflect that some day you will suddenly have to leave everything in this world-so make the acquaintanceship of God now.

--Lahiri Mahasaya

a bright sunny day

thank god, its friday

and a zephyr

brings fragrance of Her!

we salute you

Stand up and be counted
For what you are about to receive
We are the dealers
We'll give you everything you need
Hail hail to the good times
'Cause rock has got the right of way
We ain't no legend, ain't no cause
We're just livin' for today

For those about to rock, we salute you
For those about to rock, we salute you

--ACDC

simple man

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.
Take your time... don’t live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you’ll find love,
And don’t forget son,
There is someone up above.

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Won’t you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

Boy, don’t you worry... you’ll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

--Lynyrd Skynyrd

hidden in the bush

look brother

there it is

hidden in the bush!

I am He

Mind, nor intellect, nor ego, feeling;
Sky nor earth nor metals am I.
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!
No birth, no death, no caste have I;
Father, mother, have I none.
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!
Beyond the flights of fancy, formless am I,
Permeating the limbs of all life;
Bondage I do not fear; I am free, ever free,
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!"

-from sanskrit chant of Lord Shankara

summer guest

If you don't invite God to be your summer Guest, He won't come in the winter of your life

- Lahiri Mahasaya

river flows

river flows
wind blows
when mind slows

strange flower

how does it look like
what is its color
how does it smell like
the strange flower!

foreign land

loneliness
in a foreign land
begining of our journey

lonely road

lonely road invites me
to the journey
of eternity!

Haikus

the day i met you
everything changed
but you remain the same

a silent day
brings you back to me
and i am no more

oh i miss you so much
like a desert misses rain
and a dark valley cries in pain

i can see you smile
i can see your eyes
i remember your smell
you are so close to me
so far away

Haikus

the yellow man
the yellow bus
here we go Berlin!


there is a Beck's factory
within each of us
but we don't know!


lonliness, my only friend
sometimes behaves well
and sometimes tears me apart

kill me, my faithful friends

kill me, my faithful friends,
for in my being killed is my life.

love is that you remain standing
in front of your Beloved
when you are stripped of all your attributes;
then His attributes become your qualities.

between me and You, there is only me.
take away the me, so only You remain

-Hallaj

if i adore you

if i adore you out of fear of hell, burn me in hell
if i adore you out of desire for paradise, lock me out of paradise
but if i adore you for Yourself alone
do not deny to me Your eternal beauty

-Rabia

longing

long for no sand
long for no wave
long for the ocean

long for no color
long for no cloud
long for the Sky

Haiku by Dogen

Midnight. No waves,
no wind, the empty boat
is flooded with moonlight.

-Dogen

three wild and strange flowers

there is too much chaos here
the city never rests
so oneday i just run to a faraway forest
deep and dark
don't know what to do
suddenly i revealed three wild and strange flowers
are looking at me and they spoke
flower first spoke about simplicity
told me to be simple in actions and thoughts
flower second spoke about patience
told me to be patient with both friends and enemies
and the last flower uttered compassion
told me to be compassionate towards my own self
and all beings in the world
slowly i became silent as they are
rain started in the forest
i felt cold
and then they told me to go back

The water is silent

The fish in the water is silent,
the animals on the earth is noisy,
the bird in the air is singing.

But man has in him the silence of the sea,
the noise of the earth
and the music of the air.

-Tagore

The Song Remains The Same

California sunlight, sweet calcutta rain
Honolulu starbright--the song remains the same.
ooh! ooh!Here we go!

-Led Zeppelin

HERE I AM

here i am
will you send me an angel?
here i am
in the land of the morning star

the wise man said
just raise your hand
and reach out for the spell
find the door to the promised land
just believe in yourself
hear this voice from deep inside
it's the call of your heart
close your eyes and you will find
the way out of the dark

-Scorpions

dance

you were dancing
and i was on my high
moment intensify!

rain

slow rain
non stop
mind

It is raining outside
drip drap drip
inside i feel cool

Series of Haikus (3)

a call from Home
couple of minutes
and i got strength

Series of Haikus (1 & 2)

Friday post lunch
waiting
watching my breath

Friday
We will go & have beer
a different state

Rain

o my beloved
i came to you
and love flourished
then i left oneday..

today its raining
and i am all alone
looking at the rain
i think of you
where are you

Learn to be Still

You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will- Learn to be still
---

We are like sheep without a shepherd
We don't know how to be alone
So we wander 'round this desert
And wind up following the wrong gods home
---

Now the flowers in your garden
They don't smell so sweet
Maybe you've forgotte
The heaven lying at your feet
---

Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin'
It's waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will
Learn to be still
Learn to be still

-EAGLES

Self is Supreme!

That which is the source of the sun
And of every power in the cosmos
Beyond which there is neither going nor coming
Is the Self indeed
For this Self is Supreme!

-Upanishad

Its Such Fun!!

Ain't it fun when you're always on the run
Ain't it fun when you're friends despise what you become
Ain't it fun when you get so high, well that you, you just can't come
Ain't it fun when you know that you gonna die young

It's such fun

-GNR.

Children of immortal bliss

Children of immortal bliss: -what a sweet, what a hopeful name! Allow me to call you, brethren, by that sweet name-heirs of immortal bliss- yea, the Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth -sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest, and eternal; Ye are not matter, ye are not bodies. Matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.

-Swami Vivekananda

I Don't Care

I don’t really care if my glass is half full or half empty — I’m just happy to have a glass.

—Joe Farrell

Send your mind out on vacation

Last night I came upon a stranger
He smiled at me and this is what he said
If you're troubled send your mind out on vacation
Let it wonder like the wild geese in the west

-Robert Plant And The Strange Sensation

How is this equation

happiness = 1/expectations-reality

I and HE !!

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.

-William Blake

What is Meditation?

Meditation is simply a courage to be alone.

-OSHO

This is a DREAM!!

Just realise you are dreaming a dream you call the world and stop looking for ways out.The dream is not your problem. Your problem is that you like one part of your dream and not another. Love all or none of it, and stop complaining.When you have seen the dream as a dream, you have done all that needs to be done.

-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

So how much does a miracle cost?

Sally was only eight years old when she heard Mommy and Daddy talking about her little brother, Georgi. He was very sick and they had done everything they could afford to save his life. Only a very expensive surgery could help him now . . . and that was out of the financial question. She heard Daddy say it with a whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now."
Sally went to her bedroom and pulled her piggy bank from its hiding place in the closet. She shook all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Tying the coins up in a cold-weather-kerchief, she slipped out of the apartment and made her way to the corner drug store.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her attention. . . but he was too busy talking to another man to be bothered by an eight-year-old. Sally twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. She cleared her throat. No good. Finally she took a quarter from its hiding place and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Sally answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's sick . . . and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon," said the pharmacist.

"My Daddy says only a miracle can save him now . . . so how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I can't help you."

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. Just tell me how much it costs."

The well-dressed man stooped down and asked, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"

"I don't know," Sally answered. A tear started down her cheek. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my folks can't pay for it . . . so I have my money.

"How much do you have?" asked the well-dressed man.

"A dollar and eleven cents," Sally answered proudly. "And it's all the money I have in the world."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the well-dressed man. A dollar and eleven cents . . . the exact price of a miracle to save a little brother. He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents."

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, renowned surgeon, specializing in solving Georgi's malady. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Georgi was home again and doing well. Mommy and Daddy were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

"That surgery," Mommy whispered. "It's like a miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?

Sally smiled to herself. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child.