All Else Is Bondage

The Doctrine is the doctrine of non-doctrine,
The Practice is the practice of non-practice,
The Method is meditation by non-meditation,
And Cultivation which is cultivation by non-cultivation.

This is the Mind of non-mind, which is wu hsin,
The Thought of non-thought, which is wu nien,
The Action of non-action, which is wu wei,
The Presence of the absence of volition,
Which is Tao.

---  From "All Else Is Bondage" by Wei Wu Wei (1895-1986).

Gayatri Hridayam

From Devi Bhagavatam

bhagavan devadevesha bhUtabhavya jagatprabho |
kavacham cha shrutam divyam gAyatrI mantra vigraham ||1||
adhunA shrotumicChAmi gAyatrIhrudayam param |
yaddhAraNAd-bhavet-puNyam gAyatrIjapato akhilam ||2||
shrI nArAyaNa uvAcha
devyAshcha hrudayam proktam nAradAtharvaNe sphuTam |
tadevAham pravakshyAmi rahasyAti-rahasyakam ||3||
virADrUpAm mahAdevIm gAyatrIm vedamAtaram |
dhyAtvA tasyAst-vathAmgeshu dhyAyedetAshcha devatAh ||4||
pinDa-brahmAnDayoraikyAd-bhAvayet-svanou tathA |
devIrUpe nije dehe tanmayatvAya sAdhakah ||5||
nAdevo abhyarcha-yeddevamiti vedavido viduh |
tato abhedAya kAye sve bhAvayed-devatA imAh ||6||
atha tatsampravakshyAmi tanmayatvamayo bhavet |
gAyatrIhrudayasyA-syApyahameva rushih smrutah ||7||
gAyatrIcChanda uddishTam devatA parameshvarI |
pUrvoktena prakAreNa kuryAdamgAni paT kramAt ||
Asane vijane deshe dhyAyed-ekAgra-mAnasah ||8||

athArtha-nyAsah || dyourmUrdhni daivatam ||
dantapanktAvashvinou || ubhe sandhye choshThou ||
mukhamagnih || jihvA sarasvatI || grIvAyAm tu bruhaspatih
|| stanayorvasavo ashTou || bAhnormarutah || hrudaye parjanyah ||AkAshamudaram || nAbhAvantariksham || kaTyorindrAgnI ||jaghane vigyAnadhanah prajApatih || kailAsamalaye Uru ||vishvedevA jAnvoh || janghAyAm koushikah || guhyamayane ||Uru pitarah || pAdou pruthivI || vanaspatayongulIshu ||rushayo romANi || nakhAni muhUrtAni || asthishu grahAh ||asrunmAmsamrutavah || samvatsarA vai nimisham || ahorAtrAvAdityash-chandramAh || pravarAm divyAm gAyatrIm sahasranetrAm sharaNamaham prapadye || om tatsaviturvareNyAya namah || om tatpUrvAjayAya namah || tatprAtar-AdityAya namah || tatprAtar-Aditya-pratishThAyai namah ||prAtaradhIyAno rAtrikrutam pApam nAshayati || sAyamadhIyAno divasakrutam pApam nAshayati || sAyamprAtaradhIyAnah apApo bhavati || sarva-tIrtheshu snAto bhavati || sarvairdevairgyAto bhavati || avAchya-vachanAt-pUto bhavati || abhakshya-bhakshaNAt-pUto bhavati || abhojya-bhojanAt-pUto bhavati || achoshya-choshaNAt-pUto bhavati || asAdhyasAdhanAt-pUto bhavati || dushpatigraha-shatasahasrAt-pUto bhavati || sarva-pratigrahAt-pUto bhavati || pamnktidUshaNAt-pUto bhavati || amruta-vachanAt-pUto bhavati ||athAbrahmachArI brahmachArI bhavati || anena hrudayenAdhItena kratu-sahasreNeshTam bhavati || shashTishatasahasra-gAyatryA japyAni phalAni bhavanti || ashTou brAhmaNAn-samyaggrAhayet || tasya siddhirbhavati || ya idam nityamadhIyAno brAhmaNah prAtah shuchih sarvapApaih pramuchyatra iti || brahmaloke mahIyate || ityAha bhagavAn shrInArAyaNah ||

iti shrIdevIbhAgavate mahApurANe dvAdasha-skandhe gAyatrIhrudayam nAma chaturtho adhyAyah ||

Siddhalakshmi Stotram

From Shri Siddhalakshmi Stotram (Lakshmi of Spiritual Power).

The syllable OM is Lakshmi,
Embodiment of the imperishable heart of Vishnu.
The syllable HRIM is Lakshmi,
Embodiment of the unfathomable bliss of Vishnu.

SHRIM is the bright and auspicious one
Who bestows immortal bliss.
KLIM is the demon-destroying Shakti,
Garlanded with enemies she has slain.

That goddess who is divine resplendence,
Bestower of boons,
Source of auspiciousness,
And the feminine aspect of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva,
Embodies herself as the beautiful Kalika.

The primordial sound of the goddess is enunciated
In the syllable a, embodiment of Lakshmi,
In the syllable u, embodiment of the imperishable Vishnu,
And in the syllable m, embodiment of the unfathomable Purusha.

(The primordial sound)
Resembles the disc of the sun
And the crescent moon,
And radiates the same exquisite luster.
In between (the sun and moon) is embedded
The hidden treasure,
The essence of Brahman.

The syllable OM,
Greatest bliss of all,
Is none other than the lovely goddess,
Essence of happiness and well-being.
O Siddhalakshmi, Mokshalakshmi, Adyalakshmi,
Salutations to you!

Om Varalakshmiyai Namah

No More Thirst

Those unable to grieve,

or to speak of their love,

or to be grateful, those

who can't remember God

as the source of everything,

might be described as a vacant wind,

or a cold anvil, or a group

of frightened old people.

Say the Name. Moisten your tongue

with praise, and be the spring ground,

waking. Let your mouth be given

its gold-yellow stamen like the wild rose's.

As you fill with wisdom,

and your heart with love,

there's no more thirst.

There's only unselfed patience

waiting on the doorsill, a silence

which doesn't listen to advice

from people passing in the street.

---By Sanai

Jesus Sutras

The Jesus Sutras are a set of eight Chinese scrolls date from between 635 AD. They are connected with the 7th century mission of Alopen, a Church of the East bishop from Persia. It's a very interesting combination of the teachings of Jesus with the principles of Eastern thought. It is a fragment called "The Nature of the One Spirit".
***
Heaven stands without supporting beams or posts. But heaven does not stand on its own. It does so through the power of the One Spirit, without supporting beams or posts and free of walls and fences. It is like when an archer shoots an arrow. We see only the arrow, not the archer. We see no archer, but the arrow could not have appeared on its own. There must be an archer. This is how we can understand that heaven and
earth, with the sustaining powers of the One Spirit, neither crumble nor collapse, but endure because of the power of the One. We do not see this force, but we know it sustains heaven and earth. Once the arrow's force is spent it falls to earth. Similarly, if heaven and earth were not sustained by the one spirit, they would crumble. Because of the power of the One, heaven and earth do not collapse. So the existence of heaven and earth affirm the power of the One Spirit.

Since heaven does not collapse, we know this supernatural power is something we cannot fathom. For it appears that the One Spirit created itself. Pondering this we realize there is no left and no right, no before or after, no above or below. It is a single thing, the sustaining power of the One. There is no second or third, and it cannot be made. We see the One Spirit dwelling in heaven and earth without teacher or maker. We see this force as one who invisibly sustains heaven and earth and nourishes all living things.

The One Spirit cannot be seen in heaven and earth just as the human soul cannot be seen in the body. The One Spirit alone resides everywhere just as the soul permeates every place in our body.

There is the One Spirit under heaven who lives in the divine palace of the intangible realm. This Spirit is never in just one place and is not attached to any one place. In fact, in the intangible realm one place is actually two places, and the first is the second in time. Time in the intangible realm is always seen as present, like the Holy
Lord's transforming influence. It follows from this that the intangible realm has not been produced nor made. Words such as first and second do not apply. The One Spirit, therefore, is intangible, not created and not made.

Do not ask whether everything that exists under heaven also resides in the intangible realm; or how it is that what we see is not created, not located anywhere and without time. Not by questions will you understand where the One Spirit is, or that the One, located in the intangible realm, has been neither produced nor made. Do not ask when the One Spirit was made or produced. This also will not be understood through questions. Not by questions will you understand.

Permanent, inexhaustible; exhaustible, impermanent. The One Spirit resides within all the myriad thing. The One has been neither produced nor made, and permanently resides without end. Among the things existing under heaven, there are those that can be seen and those that cannot be seen. For example, the soul cannot be seen by human beings. Our desire to see the soul indicates a spiritual consciousness in human beings.

Just as two kinds of sprouts can share one root, human sight is of two kinds and both share one root. We have both a soul and a spiritual consciousness. Just as a person without a body is not complete and a person without a soul is not complete, so is someone without a spiritual consciousness also incomplete. Anything seen under heaven, it is of two kinds, from one root.

If someone asks in what way the myriad of things are made by the One Spirit, or if they ask where the unseen things reside, you should answer in this way: They reside under heaven and are what the One Spirit sent. If someone asks how many things there are or how many people have been made, say to them: The myriad things under heaven all consist of the four elements.

Thou and I

Painting by Odano Naotake

Happy the moment when we are seated in the Palace,
Thou and I,
With two forms and with two figures but with one soul,
Thou and I.
The colours of the grove and the voice of the birds
Will bestow immortality
At the time when we come into the garden,
Thou and I.
The stars of heaven will come to gaze upon us;
We shall show them the Moon itself,
Thou and I.
Thou and I, individuals no more, shall be mingled in ecstasy,
Joyful and secure from foolish babble,
Thou and I.
All the bright-plumed birds of heaven will devour
Their hearts with envy
In the place where we shall laugh in such a fashion,
Thou and I.
This is the greatest wonder, that Thou and I,
Sitting here in the same nook,
Are at this moment both in ‘Iraq and Khorasan,
Thou and I.

--- By Jelaluddin Rumi,

translated by Reynold A Nicholson

Njoktje - the Swan

The Norwegian Sami song: Njoktje
Singers: CANTUS and Frode Fjellheim
From the album "Spes".

Glimpse of the Invisible

Lightning flashed in my eye, O friend,
And brightly did shine the light of the moon.
I got a glimpse of the Invisible within,
And thirst and longing for the Lord were aroused.
My ears received the boon of Unstruck Music,
And Knowledge came like the explosion of light, O Friend.
Dark clouds began to scatter and the sight
Of the Divine Mansion was revealed unto me.
Beyond the sun, the moon and the tunnel,
Tulsi beheld the abode of the Lord Almighty.

---By Tulsidas (1497or1532-1623) 

Translation by S. L. Sondhi

Sunflower Sutra

I walked on the banks of the tincan banana dock and sat down under the huge shade of a Southern Pacific locomotive to look at the sunset over the box house hills and cry.
Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pole, companion, we thought the same thoughts of the soul, bleak and blue and sad-eyed, surrounded by the gnarled steel roots of trees of machinery.
...Look at the Sunflower, he said, there was a dead gray shadow against the sky, big as a man, sitting dry on top of a pile of ancient sawdust—I rushed up enchanted—it was my first sunflower[...]gray Sunflower poised against the sunset, crackly bleak and dusty with the smut and smog and smoke of olden locomotives in its eye—
corolla of bleary spikes pushed down and broken like a battered crown, seeds fallen out of its face, soon-to-be-toothless mouth of sunny air, sunrays obliterated on its hairy head like a dried wire spiderweb,
leaves stuck out like arms out of the stem, gestures from the sawdust root, broke pieces of plaster fallen out of the black twigs, a dead fly in its ear,
Unholy battered old thing you were, my sunflower O my soul, I loved you then!
The grime was no man's grime but death and human locomotives, all that dress of dust, that veil of darkened railroad skin, that smog of cheek, that eyelid of black misery, that sooty hand or phallus or protuberance of artificial worse-than-dirt—industrial—modern—all that civilization spotting your crazy golden crown—and those blear thoughts of death and dusty loveless eyes and ends and withered roots below, in the home-pile of sand and sawdust, rubber dollar bills, skin of machinery, the guts and innards of the weeping coughing car, the empty lonely tincans with their rusty tongues alack, what more could I name, the smoked ashes of some cock cigar, the cunts of wheelbarrows and the milky breasts of cars, wornout asses out of chairs & sphincters of dynamos—all these entangled in your mummied roots—and you there standing before me in the sunset, all your glory in your form!
A perfect beauty of a sunflower! a perfect excellent lovely sunflower existence! a sweet natural eye to the new hip moon, woke up alive and excited grasping in the sunset shadow sunrise golden monthly breeze!
How many flies buzzed round you innocent of your grime, while you cursed the heavens of the railroad and your flower soul?
Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive?
You were never no locomotive, Sunflower, you were a sunflower!
And you Locomotive, you are a locomotive, forget me not!
So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter,
and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack's soul too, and anyone who’ll listen,
—We're not our skin of grime, we're not dread bleak dusty imageless locomotives, we're golden sunflowers inside, blessed by our own seed & hairy naked accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sunflowers in the sunset, spied on by our own eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank sunset Frisco hilly tincan evening sitdown vision.

---By Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997)

Kalki Stotram

padmovaacha
yogena siddha vibudhaih paribhaavyamaanam
lakshmyaalayam tulai kaanchita bhakta bhrungam |
prottunga rakta nakharaanguli patra chitram
gangaarasam hari paadaambujam aashraye aham || 1 ||
gumphanmaNi prachaya ghaTita raajahamsa
sinchit sunoopurayutam padapadmavrundam |
peetaambaraanchala vilolavalata pataakam
svarna trivakra valayancha hareh smaraami || 2 ||
janghe suparNa gala neela maNi pravruddhe
shobhaah paadaa aruNa maNidyuti chanchumadhye |
aarakta paadatala lambana shobhamaane
lokekshanotsava kare cha hareh smaaami || 3 ||
te jaanunee makhapateh bhuja moolasanga
rangotsavaavruta taDit vasane vichitre |
chanchat patrata mukha nirgata saamageeta
vistaarititaatma yashasee cha hareh smaraami || 4 ||
vishNoh kaTim vidhi krutaanta manoja bhoomim
jeevaa anDakosha gaNasanga dukoola madhyaam |
naanaaguNa prakruti peeta vichitra vastraam
dhyaayen nibaddha vasanaam khaga prushTha samsthaam || 5 ||
shaatodaram bhagavatah trivali prakaasham
aavarta naabhi vikasad vidhi janma padmam |
naaDee nadeegaNa rasottha sitaantra sindhum
dhyaaye anDakosha nilayam tanuloma rekham || 6 ||
vakshah payodhi tanayaa kucha kunkumena
haareNa koustubha maNi prabhayaa vibhaatam |
shreevatsa lakshma harichandanaja prasoonam
aalaachitam bhagavatah subhagam smaraami || 7 ||
baahu suvesha sadanou valayaangadaadi
shobhaah padou durita daitya vinaasha dakshou |
tou dakshiNo bhagavatashcha gadaa sunaabha
tejorchito sulalitou manasaa smaraami || 8 ||
vaamou bhujou sura ripordhruta padma shankhou
shyaamou kareendra karavan maNi bhooshaNaaDhyou |
raktaanguli prachaya chumbita jaanu madhyou
padmaalayaa priyakaro ruchirou smaraami || 9 ||
kanThaM mruNaalam amalam mukha pankajasya
lekhaa trayeNa vanamaalikayaa niveetam |
kim vaa vimukti vashamantraka satphalasya
vruntam chiram bhagavatah subhagam smaraami || 10 ||
vaktraambujam dashanahaasa vikaasaramyam
raktaadharoushTha varakomala vaak sudhaaDhyam
sanmaanasodbhava chalekshaNa patrachitram
lokaabhiraamam amalancha hareh smaraami || 11 ||
sooraatmajaa vasatha gandhavidam sunaasam
bhroopallavam sthiti layodaya karmadaksham |
kaamotsavam cha kamalaahrudya prakaasham
sanchitayaami harivaktra vilaasa daksham || 12 ||
karNoulasan makara kumDala gamDa lolou
naanaadishaancha nabhasah cha vikaasa gehou |
lolaalaka prachaya chumbana kunchitaagrou
lagnou hareh maNi kireeTa taTe smaraami || 13 ||
bhaalam vichitra tilakam priya chaaru gandha
gorochanaa rachanayaa lalanaakshi sakhyam |
brahmaikadhaama maNikaanta kireeTa jushTam
dhyaayet manonayana haraakam eeshvarasya || 14 ||
shree vaasudeva chikuram kuTilam nibaddham
naanaa sugandhi kusumaih svajanaadareNa |
deergham ramaa hrudayagaashamanam dhunantam
dhyaayet ambuvaaha ruchiram hrudayaabja madhye || 15 ||
meghaakaram soma soorya prakaasham
subhroonnasam chakra chaapaikamaanam |
lokaateetam punDareekaayataaksham
vidyunchailancha aashraye aham tvapoorvam || 16 ||
deenam heenam sevayaa vedavatyaa
paapaih taapaih pooritam me shareeram |
lobhaakraantam shoka mohaadi viddham
krupaat drushTyaa paahi maam vaasudeva || 17 ||

phalashrutihi
ye bhaktyaadyaa dhyaamaanaam manogyaam
vyaktim vishNoh shoDasha shloka pushpaihi |
stutvaa natvaa poojayitvaa vidhigyaah
shuddhaa muktaa brahma soukhyam prayaanti || 18 ||
padmeritamidam puNyam shivena paribhaashitam |
dhanyam yashasyam aayushyam svargya svastyayanam param ||
paThanti ye mahaabhaagah te muchyantehaso akhilaat |
dharmaartha kaama mokshaaNaam paratreha phalapradam ||

|| iti kalki puraaNe saptama adhyaaye shree kalki stotram sampoorNam ||

Nava Naaga Stotra

Anantam Vasukim Shesham

Padmanabham cha Kambalam

Shankhapalam Dhartarashtram

Taxakam Kaliyam Tatha

Etani Nava Navaami Naganancha Mahatmana
Sayam Patenityam Prathahkaale Visheshita
Tasya Vishabhayam Naasti Sarvatra Vijayaa Bhaveth

Shiva Shakti Stotram

ṣaṇmukha uvāca

namo namaste giriśāya tubhyaṃ
namo namaste girikanyakāyai |
namo namaste vṛṣabhadhvajāya
siṃhadhvajāyai ca namo namaste || 1 ||

namo namo bhūtivibhūṣaṇāya
namo namaścandanabhūṣitāyai |
namo namaḥ phālavilocanāya
namo namaḥ padmavilocanāyai || 2 ||

triśūlahastāya namo namaste
namo namaḥ padmalasatkarāyai |
namo namo digvasanāya tubhyaṃ
citrāmbarayai ca namo namaste || 3 ||

candrāvataṃsāya namo namaste
namo.astu candrābharaṇāncitāyai |
namaḥ suvarṇāṅkitakuṇḍalāya
namo.astu ratnojjvalakuṇḍalāyai || 4 ||

namo.astu tārāgrahamālikāya
namo.astu hārānvitakandharāyai |
suvarṇavarṇāya namo namaste
namaḥ suvarṇādhikasundarāyai || 5 ||

namo namaste tripurāntakāya
namo namaste madhunāśanāyai |
namo namastvandhakasūdanāya
namo namaḥ kaiṭabhasūdanāyai || 6 ||

namo namo jnānamayāya nityaṃ
namaścidānandaghanapradāyai |
namo jaṭājūṭavirājitāya
namo.astu veṇīphaṇimaṇḍitāyai || 7 ||

namo.astu karpūrarasākarāya
namo lasatkuṅkumamaṇḍitāyai |
namo.astu bilvāmraphalārcitāya
namo.astu kundaprasavārcitāyai || 8 ||

namo jaganmaṇḍalamaṇḍanāya
nano maṇibhrājitamaṇḍanāyai |
namo.astu vedāntagaṇastutaya
namo.astu viśveśvarasaṃstutāyai || 9 ||

namo.astu sarvāmarapūjitāya
namo.astu padmārcitapādukāyai |
namaḥ śivāliṅgitavigrahāya
namaḥ śivāliṅgitavigrahāyai || 10 ||

namo namaste janakāya nityaṃ
namo namaste girije jananyai |
namo namo.anaṅgaharāya nityaṃ
namo namo.anaṅgavivardhanāyai || 11 ||

namo namaste.astu viṣāśanāya
namo namaste.astu sudhāśanāyai |
namo namaste.astu maheśvarāya
śrīcaṇḍike devi namo namaste || 12 ||

|| iti śivarahasye śivaśakti stotram ||

Andal's Dream

Andal is the only woman among the 12 Alwar saints of South India. The Tamil word, Alwar, means one who has drowned, lost himself in the sea of the divine being.
We know few real facts about Andal but very symbolic legends can tell even more. Andal's life as well as her poetry is entirely occupied with her passion for the divine Being. The 10th Century poetess Andal was the foster-daughter of Vishnuchitta, found by him, it is said, a new-born child under the sacred tulsi-plant. It is said that she went through a symbolic marriage with Sri Ranganatha, Vishnu in his temple at Srirangam, and disappeared into the image of her Lord. So beautiful isn't it?
Here is one of her poems translated by Sri Aurobindo.

I dreamed a dream, O friend.

The wedding was fixed for the morrow. And He, the Lion, 

Madhava, the young Bull whom they call

The master of radiances, 

He came into the hall of wedding

Decorated with luxuriant palms.

I dreamed a dream, O friend.

And the throng of the Gods was there with Indra,

the Mind Divine, at their head. 

And in the shrine they declared me bride and clad me

In a new robe of affirmation. 

And Inner Force is the name of the goddess who adorned me

With the garland of the wedding.

I dreamed a dream, O friend.

There were beatings of the drum and blowing of the conch; 

And under the canopy hung heavily with strings of pearls 

He came, my lover and my Lord, the vanquisher of the demon Madhu

And grasped me by the hand.

I dreamed a dream, O friend.

Those whose voices are blessed, they sang the Vedic songs. 

The holy grass was laid. The sun was established.

And He who was puissant like a war-elephant in its rage,

He seized my hand and we paced round the Flame.

Thou art Light

Thou art Fire:
enkindle in me Thy love.
Thou art Light:
enlighten my mind with the knowledge of eternal things.
Thou art the Dove:
give me innocence of life.
Thou art the gentle Breeze:
disperse the storms of my passions.
Thou art the Tongue:
teach me how to bless Thee always.
Thou art the Cloud:
shelter me under the shadow of Thy protection.
And lastly, Thou art the Giver of all heavenly gifts:
animate me, I beseech Thee, with Thy grace;
sanctify me with Thy charity;
enlighten me with Thy wisdom;
adopt me by Thy goodness as Thy son,
and save me in Thy infinite mercy;
so that I may ever bless Thee, praise Thee, and love Thee;
first during this life on earth,
and then in heaven for all eternity. Amen.

---By Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), an Italian Catholic saint.

Agni Sooktam

Agni suktam from Rig Veda Samhita (Mandalam 10, Suktam 80)

agnih saptim vaajambharam dadaatyagnir
veeram shrutyam karma nishThaam |
agnee rodasee vi charat samanjan agnir
naareem veera kukshim purandhim || 1 ||
anger apnasah samidastu bhadraa~gnirmahee
rodasee aa vivesha |
agnirekam chodayat sama-tsvagnir
vrutraaNi dayate purooNi || 2 ||
agnirha tyam jaratah karNamaavaa~gni -
radbhayo niradahajjarootham |
agniratrim gharma urushyadanta – ragnir
nrumedham prajayaa srujat sam || 3 ||
agnirdaad - draviNam veerapeshaa
agnirrushim yah sahasraa sanoti |
agnirdivi havyamaa tataana agnerdhaamaani
vibhrutaa purutraa || 4 ||
agni mukthair rushayo vi hvayante~gnim
naro yaamani baadhitaasaha |
agnim vayo antarikshe patanto~gnih
sahasraa pari yaati gonaam || 5 ||
agnim visha eeLate maanusheeryaa agnim
manusho nahusho vi jaataaha |
agnir gaandharveem pathyaam rutasyaa~gner
gavyootirghruta aa nishattaa || 6 ||
agnaye brahma rubhavastatakshu - ragnim
mahaamavochaamaa suvruktim |
agne praava jaritaaram yavishThaa~gne
mahi draviNamaa yajasva || 7 ||
om shaantih shaantih shaantihi ||

Wave and Reflection

Who is man?
The reflection of the Eternal Light.

What is the world?
A wave on the Everlasting Sea.

How could the reflection be cut off from the Light?

How could the wave be separate from the Sea?

Know that this reflection and this wave are that

Light and Sea.

---By Jami (1414 - 1492)

Krishna's Hymn to Shiva

From Harivamsha Maha Puranam - Part 3 - Bhavishya Parva

atha saptAshItitamo.adhyAyaH
shrIviShNukR^itA shivastutiH

vaishampAyana uvAcha

evaM bahuvidhairbhUtaiH pishAchairuragaiH saha |
Agatya bhagavAnrudraH sha~Nkaro vR^ishavAhanaH ||3-87-1
dadarsha viShNuM deveshaM tapantaM tapa uttamam |
juhvAnamagniM vidhivaddravyairmedhyairjagatpatim ||2
garuDAhR^itakAShThaM tu jaTilaM chIravAsasam |
chakreNAnItakusumaM khaDgANItakushaM tathA ||3
gadAkR^itasamAchAraM devadevaM janArdanam |
indrAdyairdevasa~Nghaishcha vR^itaM munigaNaiH saha ||4
achintyaM sarvabhUtAnAM dhyAyantaM kimapi prabhum |
avaruhya vR^iShAchCharvo bhagavAnbhUtabhAvanaH ||5
tataH prItaH prasannAtmA lalATAkSha umApatiH |
tato bhUtapishAchAshcha rAkShasA guhyakAstathA ||6
munayo vipravaryAshcha jayashabdaM prachakrire |
jaya deva jagannAtha jaya rudra janArdana ||7
jaya viShNo hR^iShIkesha nArAyaNa parAyaNa |
jaya rudra purANAtma~njaya deva hareshvara ||8
Adideva jagannAtha jaya sha~Nkara bhAvana |
jaya kaustubhadIptA~Nga jaya bhasmavirAjita ||9
jaya chakragadApANe jaya shUliMstrilochana |
jaya mauktikadIptA~Nga jaya nAgavibhUShaNa ||10
iti te munayaH sarve praNAmaM chakrire harim |
tata utthAya bhagavAndR^iShTvA devamavasthitam ||11
vR^iShadvajaM virUpAkShaM sha~NkaraM nIlalohitam |
tato hR^iShTamanA viShNustuShTAva haramIshvaram ||12

shrIbhagavAnuvAcha

namaste shitikaNThAya nIlagrIvAya vedhase |
namaste shochiShe astu namaste upavAsine ||13
namaste mIDhuShe astu namaste gadine hara |
namaste vishvatanave vR^iShAya vR^iSharUpiNe ||14
amUrtAya cha devAya namaste.astu pinAkine |
namaH kubjAya kUpAya shivAya shivarUpiNe ||15
namastuShTAya tuNDAya namastuTituTAya cha |
namaH shivAya shAntAya girishAya cha te namaH ||16
namo harAya hiprAya namo hariharAya cha |
namo.aghorAya ghorAya ghoraghorapriyAya cha ||17
namo.aghaNTAya ghaNTAya namo ghaTighaTAya cha |
namaH shivAya shAntAya girishAya cha te namaH ||18
namo virUparUpAya purAya purahAriNe |
nama AdyAya bIjAya shuchaye.aShTasvarUpiNe ||19
namaH pinAkahastAya namaH shUlAsidhAriNe |
namaH khaTvA~NgahastAya namaste kR^ittivAsase ||20
namaste devadevAya nama AkAshamUrtaye |
harAya harirUpAya namaste tigmatejase ||21
bhaktapriyAya bhaktAya bhaktAnAM varadAyine |
namo.abhramUrtaye deva jaganmUrtidharAya cha ||22
namashchandrAya devAya sUryAya cha namo namaH |
namaH pradhAnadevAya bhUtAnAM pataye namaH ||23
karAlAya cha muNDAya vikR^itAya kapardine |
ajAya cha namastubhyaM bhUtabhAvanabhAvana ||24
namo.astu harikeshAya pi~NgalAya namo namaH |
namaste.abhIShuhastAya bhIrubhIruharAya cha ||25
harAya bhItirUpAya ghorANAM bhItidAyine |
namo dakShamakhaghnAya bhaganetrApahAriNe ||26
umApate namastubhyaM kailAsanilayAya cha |
AdidevAya devAya bhavAya bhavarUpiNe ||327
namaH kapAlahastAya namo.ajamathanAya cha |
tryambakAya namastubhyaM tryakShAya cha shivAya cha ||28
varadAya vareNyAya namaste chandrashekhara |
nama idhmAya haviShe dhruvAya cha kR^ishAya cha ||29
namaste shaktiyuktAya nAgapAshapriyAya cha |
virUpAya surUpAya madyapAnapriyAya cha ||30
shmashAnarataye nityaM jayashabdapriyAya cha |
kharapriyAya kharvAya kharAya khararUpiNe ||31
bhadrapriyAya bhadrAya bhadrarUpadharAya cha |
virUpAya surUpAya mahAghorAya te namaH ||32
ghaNTAya ghaNTabhUShAya ghaNTabhUShaNabhUShiNe |
tIvrAya tIvrarUpAya tIvrarUpapriyAya cha ||33
nagnAya nagnarUpAya nagnarUpapriyAya cha |
bhUtAvAsa namastubhyaM sarvAvAsa namo namaH ||34
namaH sarvAtmane tubhyam namaste bhUtidAyaka |
namaste vAmadevAya mahAdevAya te namaH ||35
kA nu vAkstutirUpA te ko nu stotuM prashaknuyAt |
kasya vA sphurate jihvA stutau stutimatAM vara ||36
kShamasva bhagavandeva bhakto.ahaM trAhi mAM hara |
sarvAtmansarvabhUtesha trAhi mAM satatam hara||37
rakSha deva jagannAtha lokAnsarvAtmanA hara |
trAhi bhaktAnsadA deva bhaktapriya sadA hara ||38

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi kailAsayAtrAyAM viShNukR^iteshvarastutau saptAshItitamo.adhyAyaH

Silent Illumination

"Mozhao ming" - Silent Illumination, Serene Reflection or Stillness and Brightness by Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157), a Chinese Chan Buddhist monk.

In stillness and serenity words are forgotten,
What is before me appears in bright clarity.
Looking closely things become spacious,
Feeling deeply life becomes vibrant.

Life's vibrancy is bright of itself,
This brightness reveals the wonder:
Moonlight in the dew, stars in a river,
Snow on the pines, clouds on a peak.

Through darkness things are bright and
Through concealment they are ever more manifest -
A crane dreaming in the winter mist,
Autumnal waters, sounding from afar.

Endless kalpas are utterly empty
And all is totally the same.
When wonder dwells within the stillness,
Striving is forgotten within the brightness.

What is this wonder?
Seeing through confusion, awake and with clarity.
The practice of stillness and bright awareness
Is the foundation for setting the subtlest appearance free.

Truly seeing the subtlest thing, it is set free.
Like a golden shuttle through a loom of dark jade
The true and the partial yield to one another,
Light and darkness bring each other forth.

When neither subject nor object is relied upon,
At such basic time, they merge and
We drink the medicine of right views,
And beat the poison-clearing drum.

That time when subject and object are merged,
Activity and passivity are present in me.
Going through the gate, the true body emerges
And there is fruit at the end of the branch.

Stillness alone is the supreme word,
Brightness alone, the universal response.
Responding without meritorious purpose,
Speaking whether heard or not.

All things throughout the universe
Shine with majesty and speak the Dharma.
Every one of them is proving the true,
Each of them asks and answers.

Proving the true in communication
They respond to each other just right.
When the insight lacks in stillness,
Harshness appears.

In communication, proving the true,
The response is just right, accordingly.
When the stillness lacks in brightness,
Dullness results in a waste of Dharma.

When you have perfected stillness and brightness,
The lotus blossoms and the dreamer wakes up;
All the streams flow into the ocean
Every mountain faces the highest peak.

You're like the goose that goes straight for the milk, not for water,
And like the bee that picks out the choicest flowers for nectar.
When you have perfected stillness and brightness,
I offer the seal of our lineage.

This practice of bright stillness
Pervades from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet:
The body expresses emptiness,
The arms and hands form mudras.

From beginning to end there is one task,
Though it is expressed in a myriad forms:
One man offers a treasure to someone
Who does not recognize it,
Another tricks the treasure back from a beneficiary who does.

Within life's motion there is a regulating principle,
This great function involves no effort:
While the emperor stays within his realm,
The generals go beyond the borders.

The basic matter of our school
Is to be straight and true.
Pass this on in all directions
Without a wish for gain.

Translated by Hakuun Barnhard

One Hour of Meditation

"One hour of meditation is sometimes better that one year of praying"

--- Suyuti, al-Jami' al-Saghir, 2/127; Ajluni, I/310.

Sarveshtapradam Gajanana Stotram

From Mudgala Purana
shrIgaNeshAya namaH |
kapila uvAcha |
namaste vighnarAjAya bhaktAnAM vighnahAriNe |
abhaktAnAM visheSheNa vighnakartre namo namaH || 1||
AkAshAya cha bhUtAnAM manase chAmareShu te |
buddhyairindriyavargeShu trividhAya namo namaH || 2||
dehAnAM bindurUpAya moharUpAya dehinAm |
tayorabhedabhAveShu bodhAya te namo namaH || 3||
sA~NkhyAya vai videhAnAM saMyogAnAM nijAtmane |
chaturNAM pa~ncha mAyaiva sarvatra te namo namaH || 4||
nAmarUpAtmakAnAM vai shaktirUpAya te namaH |
AtmanAM ravaye tubhyaM herambAya namo namaH || 5||
AnandAnAM mahAviShNurUpAya neti dhAriNAm |
sha~NkarAya cha sarveShAM saMyoge gaNapAya te || 6||
karmaNAM karmayogAya GYAnayogAya jAnatAm|
sameShu samarUpAya lambodara namo.astu te || 7||
svAdhInAnAM gaNAdhyaxa sahajAya namo namaH |
teShAmabhedabhAveShu svAnandAya cha te namaH || 8||
nirmAyikasvarUpANAmayogAya namo namaH |
yogAnAM yogarUpAya gaNeshAya namo namaH || 9||
shAntiyogapradAtre te shAntiyogamayAya cha |
kiM staumi tatra devesha atastvAM praNamAmyaham || 10||
tatastaM gaNanAtho vai jagAda bhaktamuttamam |
harSheNa mahatA yukto harShayanmunisattama || 11||
shrIgaNesha uvAcha |
tvayA kR^itaM madIyaM yatstotraM yogapradaM bhavet |
dharmArthakAmamoxANAM dAyakaM prabhaviShyati || 12||
varaM varaya mattastvaM dAsyAmi bhaktiyantritaH |
tvatsamo na bhavettAta tattvaGYAnaprakAshakaH || 13||
tasya tadvachanaM shrutvA kapilastamuvAcha ha |
tvadIyAmachalAM bhaktiM dehi vighnesha me parAm || 14||
tvadIyabhUShaNaM daityo hR^itvA sadyo jagAma ha |
tatashchintAmaNiM nAtha taM jitvA maNimAnaya || 15||
yadAhaM tvAM smariShyAmi tadAtmAnaM pradarshaya |
etadeva varaM pUrNaM dehi nAtha namo.astu te || 16||
gR^itsamada uvAcha | tasya tadvachanaM shrutvA harShayukto gajAnanaH |
uvAcha taM mahAbhaktaM premayuktaM visheShataH || 17||
tvayA yatprArthitaM viShNo tatsarvaM prabhaviShyati |
tava putro bhaviShyAmi gaNAsuravadhAya cha || 18||

iti shrImudgalapurANe gajAnanastotraM samAptam |

The musk is within the deer

Poem by Sant Dariya (1634 - 1780), a poet-saint who is revered by Sikhs, as well as Hindus and Muslims.

The musk is within the deer,
But he searches for it outside in the grass
instead of searching within himself.
He runs back and forth,
Wondering where the fragrance comes from.
The fragrance is nearby,
But he knows it not.

Caught by delusion, he roams about.
So do all people wander in pilgrimages
and outer observances.
If you wish to obtain your own true Home,
Then find it by looking within yourself
and dwell therein.

The true Lord resides within this body,
Recognize Him through the manifestation of true love.
By churning this body,
And by entering within yourself,
See the manifestation of true wisdom.