Happy MahaShivaratri To All!
Friday, February 24, 2017
Great Night to Pray
And every shrine on earth where abides in joy
The Lord who enacts the insatiable, and nectarean dance
In Tiruvambalam wrought of beauteous gold,
Ruled his realm to the delight of the celestial beings,
And reached the feet of Uma's Consort.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Dhyaye Nityam Mahesham
rajatagirinibham charuchandraavatamsam
ratnakalpa jwaalaangam parasu mriga
vara bheetihastam prasannam
padmaasinam samantat smritammaraganyar
vyaghrakrittim vaasanam vishwaadyam vishwabeejam
nikhilabhayaharam panchavakram trinetram
Let us meditate on Lord Shiva Who is eternal, Who is the cause of this universe, Who is adored by the whole cosmos, Who is like silver Himalayas, Whose forehead is adorned by the moon, Whose adiance is like the jewel studded ornaments, Who holds parshu and damru, also making varad and abhaya mudras with his hands. Let us meditate on the Panchvaktra Shiva, Who is happily sitting on the lion's skin being adored by the devaganas and Who is the remover of all our fears.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Shivena vachasa
Yatha nah sarvam ijjaga dayakshmam sumana asatthu ||
Lord of Mount Kailash of the Vedas! We pray to attract your attention by our auspicious words. We ask that for all our days, this entire world will be free from ills and discord, and that we may live in unending friendship and peace.
- Yajur Veda, Sri Rudram.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Self Without Characteristics
21. Devoid of all bodies am I. Bereft of all actions, am I. I am the peaceful Self of all mantras, beyond all the inner faculties.
22. I am devoid of all invocations. I am the illuminator of all the gods. I am the Self devoid of all ablutions. I am the one, the foremost and without a second.
23. In the sacred center of the Self, in the sacred waters of the Self, in the mind overcome by the bliss of the Self, realizing that I am the Self alone, I repose and revel
in the Self.
24. The Self alone is the enjoyment for the Self, the contented Self, the happy Self.
The Self alone is the Self of the Self. The Self alone am I, the supreme.
25. I am the Self, I am the Self that I am. I am the Self not of the world. I am the Self of all. I am the perpetual Self. I am the eternal Self different from qualities.
26. Meditate thus regularly. Meditate always thus for accomplishment. The goal is ever attained as simply awareness. That is just certitude. Even that certainty shall subside. Be happy by yourself.
27. O Lord! The innumerable Vedas with their diverse branches proclaim you alone, the only one, variously as Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Yama the god of Death, Agni the fire god, Vayu the god of air, the Lord of beings and the Lord of the hosts.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
His Foot
He. . .revealed His foot which is like a tender flower,
caused me to dance
entered my innermost part (akam)
became my Lord.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
My Heart Can Think of Nothing
My heart can think of nothing
other than the brahmin who is the Veda
Hewho bears the white moon
on his pure, matted red hair,
God Who is both man and woman,
the Supreme Lord,
Who dwells in the beautiful shrine
of holi Ekampam in Kacci.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Saturday, February 11, 2017
When will I adorn Him?
Painting by Manikandan Punnakkal
Ah, When will I get to gaze upon the uniqueOne to whom no other compares
Him who is fire, water, wind, earth and ether,
Him whom others cannot understand. . .
With voice stammering,
a cataract of tears gushing forth,
hands joined in worship
When will I adorn Him with fragrant flowers?
When will I be united with my uncut Gem?
--- by Manikkavachakar
Monday, February 6, 2017
Love Your Difficulties
"Ladder to Heaven" Icon of 13th century
From the book "Unseen Warfare" originally written by Lorenzo Scupoli in 1589, but adapted and translated by Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, and Saint Theophan the Recluse.
Chapter "One should love those opportunities of practising virtue which are particularly difficult"
On no account, beloved, must you flee from what may he a chance for acquiring virtue. On the contrary, whenever such a chance offers itself, you should accept it with joy, regarding as best and most welcome such things as are unpleasant to your heart and evoke no sympathy in you. I predict that, with God’s help, you will actually do so, if you engrave deeply in your mind the following thoughts.
First, you should realise that the opportunities for virtue you meet with are the best means you can have for acquiring it, given you by God in answer to your prayer. Having formed a desire to gain virtue, you have, of course, prayed God to grant it to you; and in praying for it, you could not avoid praying also for the methods and means of acquiring this gift. But God does not give, for instance, the virtue of patience without afflictions, nor the virtue of humility without humbling occasions of degradation and dishonour. So, after your prayer about these virtues, He sends you corresponding opportunities. What are you doing, then, in running away and avoiding them ? You reject God’s help for which you prayed, and mock the gift of God.
So decide to welcome gladly the chances you meet for virtue, and the more gladly, the more difficulties they offer. For in such cases our virtuous actions evoke great courage and reveal great moral strength; and through this we make each time a considerable step forward on the path of virtue, which alone should be our constant aim.[...]
Secondly, make firm in yourself the conviction and faith, that all things happening to us happen according to God’s will and for our profit, so that we may gain thereby a certain spiritual fruit. Although we cannot suppose that some things, such as our sins and those of other people, are a direct result of a willed action of God’s, yet even they do not happen without God’s leave, as means of admonishing and humbling us. As regards sufferings and afflictions, which are our own fault or due to the malice of others—God Himself sends them, desiring us to suffer and be tormented by then), in order to gain the blessing of virtue, which we are bound to earn if we endure as we should the trial He has sent us. The same applies to other judgments of His, hidden from us, but doubtless right and blessed. Thus, convinced that God Himself wishes you to endure the hardship and grief, which assails you, either arising from the evil nature of other people, or invited by your own wrong actions, you will cease to think and say as some others do: no, this does not come from God, it is unjust and criminal, and God does not want crime and turns away with loathing from it and from those who commit it. By this they want to justify their lack of patience and the gusts of anger and feelings of revenge they feel at the sight of injustice; but in actual fact the only thing they achieve is to rebel against God’s ordinance and to attempt to cast off the life-saving cross, imposed on them by God for their own good, instead of shouldering it with a good heart, which would undoubtedly be pleasing to
Him. ... So make it a rule for yourself:— when you meet with injustices, injuries and attacks, pay no attention to them, however wrong your offenders may be, but keep your attention firmly on one thing alone—that God let this happen for your good and that you will deprive yourself of this good if you admit impatience, irritation or contention in connection with it. And do not try to analyse the exact reason why God has allowed this. Do you believe that God is always right and merciful? Then believe that on this occasion too He shows you justice and mercy, although you do not see how. ...
The Lord has laid it on your shoulders in the present grievous case. Do not say, it is too heavy; God knows better the measure of your strength. To some God sends trials and sorrows, brought about by circumstances and in no way dependent on people; these are more easily borne. To others He sends those causes by people, and they are harder, especially when we cannot take the grief caused to us as unintentional, and still harder when we have done some good to those people. The last case is the hardest to bear. If God sends you this, know that it is precisely what is most useful for you, and to this realisation add the inspiring thought: God sees that you are strong enough to bear it and expects you actually to bear it with a good heart, without complaining. So do not disappoint God’s expectation.
I must add that God prefers us to endure afflictions coming from the evil nature of people, especially from those to whom we have done some good, rather than those which are the accidental result of unfavourable circumstances. Why? Because our native pride is more easily subdued and exterminated by the former than by the latter. And also because, if obedience to God’s will is the chief thing in our spiritual doing, there is no better way of provoking and manifesting it to a greater degree than in such cases, if we bear them with a good heart, giving warm thanks to God for sending them, since they are truly a great blessing, thus testifying to our complete obedience to the Divine will, and to an ardent zeal in conforming ourselves in everything to this will.
This disposition precedes the visitation of rigorous trials. Seeing the birth of such a disposition and wishing to make it stronger and more deeply rooted, God sends us a cup of the strongest temptations, which, when borne with willingness, good heart and gladness, always brings this blessed spiritual fruit. Therefore, knowing this, wishing and seeking it, we must accept this cup from the hands of God, shutting the eyes of inquisitiveness, and, with complete faith, clearly see in it the great love of God for us and the assurance of our spiritual progress. Thus we must drain it with joy, the more willingly the more bitter is its taste.
Friday, February 3, 2017
THOU hast made me endless
Art installation by Anila Quayyum Agha during India Art Fair 2017
This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and hast breathed through it melodies eternally new.
At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable.
Thy infinite gifts come to me only on these very small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still thou pourest, and still there is room to fill.
---from "Gitanjali" by Rabindranath Tagore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
