Devi Stotra by Abhinavagupta

tava ca kaacana na stutir-ambike
sakala-shabda-mayii kila te tanuh/ 
nikhila-murtishu me bhavad-anvayo 
manasijaasu bahish-prasaraasu ca //
 O Divine Mother Ambika! There is nothing whatsoever in the form of the spoken word, which is not a hymn, or which does not constitute praise to Thee. Whether one prays reverently in church, in the mosque or the temple, or whether engaged in a worldly talk, in reality, it is all praise of you, because all words and all sounds are made up of letters which pervade your body. By virtue of this, whatever forms appears in this universe, or whatever ideas or thoughts arise in my mind, be they good or bad, they invariably afford me the opportunity to perceive You and embrace You.
 iti vicintya Shive ShamitaaShive
jagati jaatamayatnavaShaad idam/
stuti japaar canacintana varjitaa na
khalu kaacana kaala kalaapi me//
 Thus, O Mother, as the consort of supreme Bhairava you are ever intent on removing all afflictions and sufferings, without any effort on my part. Therefore there is neither any action, like meditation, or puja, nor are there any words, like singing praise or uttering mantrás, which do not constitute my worship of You.

I Long for my Beloved

I long for my beloved.

One speaks, laughing in delight,
Another weeps, sobs, dies.
Tell the beautiful, blossoming springtime,
I long for my beloved.

My ablutions have gone to waste,
His heart is hard.
Might as well burn my jewels and adornments!
I long for my beloved.

I have driven messengers crazy,
Encased myself in sorrow.
Come home, dear one, let me see you.
I long for my beloved.

Says Bulla, when my lord comes home.
I will clasp him, my Ranjha, in a tight embrace!
All sorrows flown across the ocean.
I long for my beloved.

--- by Bulleh Shah (1680 - 1758)

Shiva - Jiva - Dasaka

It is a good example of the state described in the previous post. Sāhib Kaul (alias Ānandanātha), who was a great Shaiva philosopher and an experienced practitioner of Kaulism, who got a sudden and spontaneous flash of the direct realisation when he was a boy of about eight years. He expressed his divine realisation through the  poetry in Sanskrit, given below:

"I, Sahib Kaul or Sahibram, am that blissful Shambhu (Lord Shiva the absolute God) who inscribed the figure of the whole universe on the wall of his own self, who made it wonderful by means of various hues with a devout attention; and who finally performs the Tandav dance after absorbing it into his own self".
"What is and where is the body, and who has it? (Body also is, in fact, the Lord Himself). A soul, being bound by a body, is not (really) bound (because there is no body but the Lord Himself). As for me, I am myself Shambhu, Vishnu, Surya, Ganesha, Brahma, Sakti and (even) the Almighty God. Let all prostrations be therefore to me."
"I neither know nor do desire anything different from me; nor do I appear myself as an object of any (senses which are themselves) objects. But, through my own will, I know and do my own self, and know and do everything other than me as my own self. Prostrations to me who is the very existence of every existent entity"
"I (as the transcendental reality) stay beyond even that pure consciousness of the fourth state (of revelation) which continues to shine in the (three) states of waking, dreaming and sleeping. Prostrations to me who is everything and through whose lustre everything shines."
"Death is death for such people who undergo it. It is not so for them who realise its essence; because such people are never really born. As for me, I, transcending (the relative conceptions of) both death and immortality, shine (always) through my own lustre. Prostrations to me who is the absorber of even the god of death."
"The way of knowing in this world is this that anything cognized by one's mind is known and that not cognized is not known. What and how can then be death for people who do not at all feel the reality of their birth? Where has the death of such people been seen or heard?"
"If, however, the theory (regarding death) is put forth like this, 'union of a soul with a body is birth and its separation from it is death'; then (the answer is), 'what pleasure or sorrow can befall wise persons knowing all well, on the occasions of visits or departures of their near and dear?"'
"I was all along that very absolute reality even while thinking (repeatedly and inquisitively), 'Who am I"? I am and I can be only the Supreme. Not recollecting any of the relative conceptions like - you, this, (limited) I, he, who, etc., I alone remain myself in my own self (an an undiversifiable entity)"'.
"The appearance of (diversity as) "you-ness and "I-ness" is manifested by me. This (presently appearing) unity in this diversity also is manifested by me. Prakasa (the light of consciousness) is both, pure Nirvikalpa and mixed Savikalpa, and I am thus shining unitarily in all diversity".
"If Prakasa (light of consciousness) were devoid of Vimarsa (awareness), it would not have been Prakasa. When awareness is its essential nature, then this apparent phenomenal diversity is nothing. Prostrations to me with Prakasa as my form and Vimarsa are my nature, appearing myself as soul or God."
"When the body (of the poet) had reached a state ]ike that of death, the (first five Slokas were aroused by someone - (that is, Lord Siva) in His memory. The other five were composed by Sahibram Kaul after coming back again to his normal health."
"A (blessed) person, having learnt well the (above) 10 Slokas from an experienced preceptor, and, having himself contemplated on them again and again, may merge into his eternal and blissful lustre of pure consciousness after having attained self- realisation and consequent liberation (from all bondage)."

---by Sri Sahib Kaul, alias Anandanatha.

Samavesha

"A special and very important characteristic of Trika yoga, which is not found in other systems, is its doctrine of “possession” (samavesa). In samavesa practitioners are suddenly infused and possessed with Shivahood, and feel themselves to be omniscient and omnipotent. This is not the kind of possession or haunting that occurs when the power that haunts and the person who is haunted are different. Rather, yogins in samavesa enter a state of unity, and their limited individual personalities get expanded into universal I-consciousness which they feel to be divinely potent in all respects. Samavesa has been defined as the immersion of the dependence of a dependent consciousness into the independence of the Independent Consciousness (Tantraloka, I.73). It is actually the sudden and direct intuitional realization of one’s Divine Essence, called Isvarapratyabhijna.

Sufficient practice in samavesa results in a state of jivanmukti (liberation in this very life) in which a yogin develops supernatural divine powers (siddhis). A jivanmukta can use these divine powers simply by willing them to be (Isvarapratyabhijnavimarsini, IV.i.15), though such a refined individual would most probably avoid meddling with the natural order, or in matters of divine administration, which are the province of a long hierarchy of male and female deities at different levels of authority. This kind of yogic attainment is not considered to be an obstacle on the path of final liberation. Rather, it is said to be helpful, as it removes any lingering doubt about the divine nature of the Self, and develops a firm faith in the eventual attainment of absolute unity with Paramasiva when the individual dies (Tantraloka, XII, 183–85). Further, these abilities help create faith and confidence in the mind of worthy disciples who feel that the preceptor, being liberated, can liberate others as well."

― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism

"Bismillah" by Salim - Sulaiman

Composed by Salim -- Sulaiman
Singers: Kailash Kher and Munnawar Masoom
Lyrics: Irfan Siddiqui

A Man and His Four Wives

In one of the Agama sutras, the Buddha's early sermons, there is a interesting story:

Once there was a man who had four wives. The Indian had become very ill and was about to die. At the end of his life, he felt very lonely and so asked the first wife to accompany him to the other world.

'My dear wife,' he said, 'I loved you day and night, I took care of you throughout my whole life. Now I am about to die. Will you please go with me wherever I go after my death?'

He expected her to answer yes. But she answered, 'My dear husband, I know you always loved me. And you are going to die. Now it is time to separate from you. Goodbye, my dear.'

He called his second wife to his sickbed and begged her to follow him in death. He said, 'My dear second wife, you know how I loved you. Sometimes I was afraid you might leave me, but I held on to you strongly. My dear, please come with me.'

The second wife expressed herself rather coldly. 'Dear husband, your first wife refused to accompany you after your death. How can I follow you? You loved me only for your own selfish sake.'

Lying in his deathbed, he called his third wife and asked her to follow him. The third wife replied, with tears in her eyes, 'My dear, I pity you and I feel sad for myself. Therefore I shall accompany you to the graveyard. This is my last duty to you.' The third wife thus also refused to follow him to death.

Three wives had refused to follow him after his death. Now he recalled that there was another wife, his fourth wife, for whom he didn't care very much. He had treated her like a slave and had always showed much displeasure with her. He now thought that if he asked her to follow him to death, she certainly would say no.

But his loneliness and fear were so severe that he made the effort to ask her to accompany him to the other world. The fourth wife gladly accepted her husband's request.

'My dear husband,' she said; 'I will go with you. Whatever happens, I am determined to be with you forever. I cannot be separated from you.'

This is the story of 'A Man and His Four Wives.'

Gautama Buddha concluded the story as follows:

'Every man and woman has four wives or husbands. What do these wives signify?

THE FIRST WIFE

The first 'wife' is our body. We love our body day and night. In the morning, we wash our face, put on clothing and shoes. We give food to our body. We take care of our body like the first wife in this story. But unfortunately, at the end of our life, the body, the first 'wife' cannot follow us to the next world. As it is stated in a commentary, 'When the last breath leaves our body, the healthy color of the face is transformed, and we lose the appearance of radiant life. Our loved ones may gather around and lament, but to no avail. When such an event occurs, the body is sent into an open field and cremated, leaving only the white ashes.' This is the destination of our body.

THE SECOND WIFE

What is the meaning of the second wife? The second 'wife' stands for our fortune, our material things, money, property, fame, position, and job that we worked hard to attain. We are attached to these material possessions. We are afraid to lose these material things and wish to possess much more. There is no limit. At the end of our life these things cannot follow us to death. Whatever fortune we have piled up, we must leave it. We came into this world with empty hands. During our life in this world, we have the illusion that we obtained a fortune. At death, our hands are empty. We can't hold our fortune after our death, just as the second wife told her husband: 'You hold me with your ego-centered selfishness. Now it is time to say goodbye.'

THE THIRD WIFE

What is meant by the third wife? Everyone has a third 'wife.' This is the relationship of our parents, sister and brother, all relatives, friends, and society. They will go as far as the graveyard, with tears in their eyes. They are sympathetic and saddened...

Thus, we cannot depend on our physical body, our fortune, and our society. We are born alone and we die alone. No one will accompany us after our death.

THE FOURTH WIFE

Sakyamuni Buddha mentioned the fourth wife, who would accompany her husband after his death. What does that mean? The fourth 'wife' is our mind [or Alaya consciousness].When we deeply observe and recognize that our minds are filled with anger, greed, and dissatisfaction, we are having a good look at our lives. The anger, greed, and dissatisfaction are karma, the law of causation. We cannot be separated from our own karma. As the fourth wife told her dying husband, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'

Enter the Door - 11

We
Are not
In pursuit of formalities
Or fake religious
Laws,

For through the stairway of existence
We have come to God’s
Door.

We are
People who need to love, because
Love is the soul’s life,

Love is simply creation’s greatest joy.

Through
The stairway of existence,
O, through the stairway of existence, Hafiz

Have
You now come,
Have we all now come to
The Beloved’s
Door.

---by Daniel Ladinsky inspired by Hafiz.

Surya Kavacha from Padma Purana

om asya shree soorya kavacha mahaa mantrasya agastyo bhagavaana rushihi |
anushTup Chandaha | sooryo devataa | shreem beejam | Neem shaktihi | soom keelakam | soorya prasaada siddhyarthe jape viniyogaha ||

karanyaasaha - sooryaaya angushTaabhyaam namaha |
tejomoortaye tarjaneebhyaam namaha |
varadaaya madhyamaabhyaam namaa |
hamsaaya anaamikaabhyaam namaha |
shaantaaya kanishThikaabhyaam namaha |
karmasaakshiNe karatala karaprushThaabhyaam namaha ||

anganyaasaha - sooryaaya hrudayaaya namaha |
tejomoortaye shirase svaahaa |
aradaaya shikhaayai vashaT |
hamsaaya kavachaaya hum |
shaantaaya netratrayaaya voushaT |
karmasaakshiNe astraaya phaT |
bhoorbhuvassuvaromiti digbandhaha ||

dhyaanam - japaakusuma sankaasham dvibhujam padmahastakam |
sindoora ambara maalyam cha rakta gandha anulepanam
maaNikya ratna khachita sarvaabharaNa bhooshitam |
sapta ashva ratha vaaham cha merum yaatam pradakshiNam |
deva asura varairvadyam rashmibhih pariveshTitam |
soorya dhyaatvaa suvarNaabha paTheshcha kavacham mudaa ||

atha kavacham - ghruNih paatu shirodesham sooryah paatu lalaaTakam |
aadityo lochane paatu shrutee paatu divaakaraha |
ghraaNam paatu sadaa bhaanuh mukham paatu sadaa ravihi |
jihvaam paatu jagannetrah kanTham paatu vibhaavasuhu |
skandhou grahapatih paatu bhujou paatu prabhaakaraha |
karaavabjakarah paatu hrudayam paatu bhaanumaan |
madhyam paatu susaptaashvo naabhim paatu nabhomaNihi |
dvaadashaatmaa kaTim paatu savitaa paatu sakthinee |
ooru paatu sura shreshTho jaanunee paatu bhaaskaraha |
janghe me paatu maartaanDo gulphou paatu tvishaampatihi |
paadou dinamaNih paatu paatu mitrokhilam vapuhu |
aaditya kavacham puNyam abhedyam vajrasannibham |
yo dhaarayati puNyaatmaa bhaktimaan sa tu maanavaha |
sarvaroga bhayaadibhyo muchyate naatra samshayaha |
samvatsaram upaasitvaa saamraajya padaveem labhet ||

aneka ratna samyuktam svarNa maaNikya vibhooshaNam |
kalpa vruksha samaakeerNam kadamba kusuma prabham |
ashesha roga shaantyartham sooryam dhyaayet manDale |
sindhoora varNaaya sumanDalaaya suvarNa ratna aabharaNaaya tubhyam |
padmaabhi netraaya supankajaaya brahmendra naaraayaNa shankaraaya |
samrakta choorNa sasuvarNa toyam sakumkuma aabham sakusham sapushpam |
pradattam aadaaya cha hemapaatre sahasrabhaano bhagavaan praseeda ||

 || iti shree padmapuraaNe soorya kavacham sampoorNam ||

Om Suryaaya namaha

It Cannot Be Stolen

na chorahaaryaM 
It cannot be stolen by thieves,
na cha raajahaaryaM 
Nor can it be taken away by kings.
na bhraatR^ibhaajyaM 
It cannot be divided among brothers
na cha bhaarakaari | 
It does not cause a load on your shoulders.
vyaye kR^ite 
If spent..
vardhata eva nityam
It indeed always keeps growing.
vidyaadhanaM 
The wealth of knowledge..
sarvadhanapradhaanaM || 
Is the most superior wealth of all!

Bridge over Troubled Water

Composed by Paul Simon.
Singer: Elvis Presley

When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I'm on your side. When times get rough
And friends just can't be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

When you're down and out,
When you're on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I'll take your part.
When darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

Sail on silvergirl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

You Turned My Wailing into Dancing

Psalm 30 - a song of David for the dedication of the temple.

I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Isha GirIsha Naresha Paresha Mahesha

Swarnamala Stuti composed by Adi Shankara.

Isha girIsha naresha paresha mahesha
bileshaya bhUShaNa bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

umayA divya suma~Ngala vigraha
 yAli~Ngita vAmA~Nga vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
 sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

UrI kuru mAmaGYamanAthaM dUrI kuru me duritaM bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

R^iShivara mAnasa haMsa charAchara
janana sthiti laya kAraNa bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

antaHkaraNa vishuddiM bhaktim cha tvayi satIM pradehi vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
 sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

karuNA varuNAlaya mayidAsa
udAsastavochito na hi bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

jaya kailAsha nivAsa pramatha
gaNAdhIsha bhU surArchita bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

jhanutaka ja~NkiNu jhanutatkiTa taka shabdairnaTasi mahAnaTa bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
 sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

dharmasthApana daxa tryaxa guro daxa yaGYashixaka bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

balamArogyaM chAyustvadguNa ruchitAm
chiraM pradehi vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

bhagavan bharga bhayApaha bhUta
pate bhUtibhUShitA~Nga vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

sharva deva sarvottama sarvada
durvR^itta garvaharaNa vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

ShaDripu ShaDUrmi ShaDvikAra hara
sanmukha ShaNmukha janaka vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

satyam GYAnamanantaM brahme
tyetallaxaNa laxita bho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

hA.ahA.ahU.ahU mukha suragAyaka
gItA padAna padya vibho |
sAmba sadAshiva shambho sha~Nkara
sharaNam me tava charaNayugam ||

  || iti shrI sha~NkarAchArya kR^ita suvarNamAlAstutiH ||

I Drink No Ordinary Wine

I drink no ordinary wine, but
Wine of Everlasting Bliss,
As I repeat my Mother Kali's name;
It so intoxicates my mind that people take me to be drunk!
First my guru gives molasses for the making of the Wine;
My longing is the ferment to transform it.
Knowledge, the maker of the Wine, prepares it for me then;
And when it is done,
My mind imbibes it from the bottle of the mantra,
Taking the Mother's name to make it pure.
Drink of this Wine, says Ramprasad, and the four fruits of life are yours.

---by Ramprasad (1718 - 1775)

You Are One with Clouds

Whereever you are,
You are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.
That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

---By Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971)