Like a Lamp

Painting by Georges de La Tour

Incited by something external
Is like a small lamp
Whose flame is fed with oil,
Or like a stream fed by rains,
Where flows stop when the rains cease.
But love whose object is God is like
A fountain gushing forth
From the earth.
Its flow never ceases,
For He Himself is the source of this love
And also its food,
Which never grows scarce.

---by Isaac of Stella (1100 - 1169)

Scourge of Love

El Greco self-portrait (detail)

I also maintain that those who are punished in Gehenna are scourged by the scourge of love.
Nay, what is so bitter and vehement as the torment of love?
I mean that those who have become conscious that they have sinned against love suffer greater torment from this than from any fear of punishment.
For the sorrow caused in the heart by sin against love is more poignant than any torment.
It would be improper for a man to think that sinners in Gehenna are deprived of the love of God.
Love is the offspring of knowledge of the truth which, as is commonly confessed, is given to all.
The power of love works in two ways. It torments sinners, even as happens here when a friend suffers from a friend.
But it becomes a source of joy for those who have observed its duties.
Thus I say that this is the torment of Gehenna: bitter regret.
But love inebriates the souls of the sons of Heaven by its delectability.

---by St. Isaac the Syrian (640-700 AD), from "Homily 72"

1-2-3

Wonderful Shakti atmosphere during the concert of Andre Rieu.
Music: Shostakovich 'Second Waltz
It's so true. Dao De Jing, Chapter 42:

Dao gives birth to One. 

One gives birth to Two. 

Two give birth to Three. 

Three give birth to ten-thousand things.

1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3...

How to Love God?

"How then should one love God? You should love God mindlessly, this is, so that your soul is without mind and free from all mental activities, for as long as your soul is operating like a mind, so long does it have images and representations. But as long as it has images, it has intermediaries, and as long as it has intermediaries, it has neither oneness nor simplicity. And therefore your soul should be bare of all mind and should stay there without mind. For if you love God as he is God or mind or person or picture, all that must be dropped. How then shall you love him? You should love him as he is, a not-God, not-mind, not-person, not-image – even more, as he is a pure, clear One, separate from all twoness. And we should sink eternally from something to nothing into this One. May God help us to do this. Amen."

---by Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Loving

My heart had various longings,
    but since seeing you, they’ve all become one
My envied mine envier became, and
    I became the lord of mankind, since my lord you became
I left everyone to their world and their religion
    busy with my love for you, oh my world and my religion
You lit two fires in my liver:
    one between my ribs and the other between my guts.

---by Mansur Al-Hallaj

Who Was Great In The World

Photo from here

"...No one who was great in the world will be forgotten, but everyone was great in his own way, and everyone in proportion to the greatness of that which he loved. He who loved himself became great by virtue of himself, and he who loved other men became great by his devotedness, but he who loved God became the greatest of all. Everyone shall be remembered, but everyone became great in proportion to his expectancy. One became great by expecting the possible, another by expecting the eternal; but he who expected the impossible became the greatest of all. Everyone shall be remembered, but everyone was great wholly in proportion to the magnitude of that with which he struggled. For he who struggled with the world became great by conquering the world, and he who struggled with himself became great by conquering himself, but he who struggled with God became the greatest of all. Thus did they struggle in the world, man against man, one against thousands, but he who struggled with God was the greatest of all. Thus did they struggle on earth: there was one who conquered everything by his power, and there was one who conquered God by his powerlessness. There was one who relied upon himself and gained everything; there was one who in the security of his own strength sacrificed everything; but the one who believed God was the greatest of all. There was one who was great by virtue of his power, and one who was great by virtue of his hope, and one who was great by virtue of his love, but Abraham was the greatest of all, great by that power whose strength is powerlessness, great by that wisdom which is foolishness, great by that hope whose form is madness, great by the love that is hatred to oneself.”

--- by Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

The Rose

"The Rose"sung by Bette Midler and written by Amanda McBroom in 1979.

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose

Vakratunda Ganesha Stavaraja

vakratunDa gaNesha stavarAja:

|| asya gAyatrI mantrah ||
om tatpuruShAya vidmahe vakratunDAya dhImahi |
tanno dantih prachodayAt||

om kAramAdyam pravadanti santo vAchah shrutInAmapi yam gRuNanti |
gajAnanam devagaNAnatAnghrim bhaje~ham ardhaidu-krutAvatamsam || 1||
pAdAravindArcchana tatparANAm samsAra dAvAnala bhangadakSham |
nirantaraM nirgata-dAna-toyaistam naumi vighneshvaram-ambudAbham || 2 ||
krutAngarAgam navakumkumena mattAlijAlam madapanka-magnam |
nivArayantam nijakarNatAlaih ko
vismaret putramananga-shatroh || 3 ||
shambhor-jaTAjUTa-nivAsi gangAjalam samAnIya karAmbujena |
lIlAbhirArAcChivam-archayam-tam
gajAnanam bhaktiyutA bhajanti || 4 ||
kumAramuktou punarAtma-hetoh payodharou
parvata rAjaputryAh |
prakShAlayantam karashIkareNa mougdhyena tam
nAgamukham bhajAmi || 5 ||
tayA samadbhUta gajAsya hastAdye
shIkarAh puShkara-randhra-muktAh |
vyomAngaNe te vicharanti tArAh kAlAtmanA
mouktika-tulyabhAsah || 6 ||
krIDArate vArinidhou gajAsye
velAmatikrAmati vAripUre |
kalpAvasAnam parichintya devAh kailAsanAtham
shrutibhih stuvanti || 7 ||
nAnAgane nAgakRutottarIye krIDArate devakumAra-sanghaih |
tvayi kShaNam kAla gatim vihAya tou
prApatuh kandukatAminendU || 8 ||
madollasat panchamukhair-ajastra-madhyApayantam sakalAgamArtham |
devAn-RuShIn bhakta-janaika-mitram hairambam
markkAruNam-AshrayAmi || 9 ||
pAdAmbujAbhyAm ati vAmanAbhyAm kRutArtha-yantam
kRupayA dharitrIm |
akAraNam kAraNam-AptavAchAm tannAga-vaktram na
jahAti chetah || 10 ||
yenArpitam satyavatI-sutAya purANamAlikhya viShANakoTyA |
tam chandramoules-tanayam tapobhir-ArAdhyam
Anandaghanam bhajAmi || 11 ||
padam shrutInAma-padam stutInAm lIlAvatAram
paramAtma-mUrteh |
nAgAtmakam vA puruShAtmakam vA tvabhedamAdyam
bhaja vighnarAjam || 12 ||
pAshAnkusho bhagnaradam tvabhIshTam karairdadhAnam
kararandhra-muktaih |
muktAphalAbhaih pRuthu-shIkaroghaih sinchantamangam
shivayor-bhajAmi || 13 ||
anekamekam gajam-ekadantam chaitanya rUpam
jagadAdi-bIjam |
brahmeti yam vedavito vadanti tam shambhusUnum
satatam bhajAmi || 14 ||
svAnkasthitAyA nijavallabhAyA mukhAmbujAlokana lolanetram |
smerAnanAbjam madavaibhavena ruddham bhaje vishvavimohanam tam || 15 ||
ye pUrvam-ArAdhya gajAnanam tvAm sarvANi
shAstrANi paThanti teShAm |
tvatto na chAnyat pratipAdyam-etaistadAsti
chetsarvam asatyakalpam || 16 ||
hiraNyavarNam jagadIshitAram kavim purANam ravimanDalastham |
gajAnanam yam pravishanti santas-tatkAla-yogais-tamaham prapadye || 17 ||
vedAntagItam puruSham bhaje~ham
AtmAnamAnanda-ghanam hrudistham |
gajAnanam yanmahasA janAnAm vighnAndhakAro
vilayam prayAti || 18 ||
shambhoh samAlokya jaTAkalApe shashAnka-khanDam nijapuShkareNa |
svabhagna-dantam pravichintya mougdhyAd-AkraShTu-kAmah shriyam-Atanotu || 19 ||
vighnArgalAnAm vinipAtanArtham yam
nArikelaih kadalIphalAdyaih |
prasAdayante madavAraNAsyam prabhum sadA~bhIShTam-aham bhajeyam || 20 ||
yagyairanekaih bahubhis-tapobhir-ArAdhyam-Adyam
gajarAja-vaktram |
stutyA~nayA ye vidhivat stuvanti te
sarva-lakShmI-nilayA bhavanti || 21 ||

|| iti gaNesha stavarAjah samAptah ||

Why Do You Sleep?

O FRIEND, dear heart of mine, think well! if you love indeed, then why do you sleep?
If you have found Him, then give yourself utterly, and take Him to you.
Why do you loose Him again and again?
If the deep sleep of rest has come to your eyes, why waste your time making the bed and arranging the pillows?
Kabîr says: "I tell you the ways of love! Even though the head itself must be given, why should you weep over it?"

--- by Kabirdas

God of Force, God of Love

Immortal, moveless, calm, alone, august,
A silence throned, to just and to unjust
One Lord of still unutterable love,
I saw Him, Shiva, like a brooding dove
Close-winged upon her nest. The outcasts came,
The sinners gathered to that quiet flame,
The demons by the other sterner gods
Rejected from their luminous abodes
Gathered around the Refuge of the lost
Soft-smiling on that wild and grisly host.
All who were refugeless, wretched, unloved,
The wicked and the good together moved
Naturally to Him, the shelterer sweet,
And found their heaven at their Master’s feet.
The vision changed and in its place there stood
A Terror red as lightning or as blood.
His strong right hand a javelin advanced
And as He shook it, earthquake stumbling danced
Across the hemisphere, ruin and plague
Rained out of heaven, disasters swift and vague
Neighboured, a marching multitude of ills.
His foot strode forward to oppress the hills,
And at the vision of His burning eyes
The hearts of men grew faint with dread surmise
Of sin and punishment. Their cry was loud,
“O master of the stormwind and the cloud,
Spare, Rudra, spare! Show us that other form
Auspicious, not incarnate wrath and storm.”
The God of Force, the God of Love are one;
Not least He loves whom most He smites. Alone
Who towers above fear and plays with grief,
Defeat and death, inherits full relief
From blindness and beholds the single Form,
Love masking Terror, Peace supporting Storm.
The Friend of Man helps him with life and death
Until he knows. Then, freed from mortal breath,
Grief, pain, resentment, terror pass away.
He feels the joy of the immortal play;
He has the silence and the unflinching force,
He knows the oneness and the eternal course.
He too is Rudra and thunder and the Fire,
He Shiva and the white Light no shadows tire,
The Strength that rides abroad on Time’s wide wings,
The Calm in the heart of all immortal things.

---by Sri Aurobindo

My Soul Thirsteth for You

Psalm 42 from the Book of Psalms.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
[...]
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Born to Sing

WHEN THOU commandest me to sing it seems that my heart would break with pride; and I look to thy face, and tears come to my eyes.
All that is harsh and dissonant in my life melts into one sweet harmony-and my adoration spreads wings like a glad bird on its flight across the sea.
I know thou takest pleasure in my singing. I know that only as a singer I come before thy presence.
I touch by the edge of the far spreading wing of my song thy feet which I could never aspire to reach.
Drunk with the joy of singing I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord.

---by Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941)

Peonies

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.

--- by Mary Oliver

Taal Se Taal Mila - Match Your Rhythm to Mine

 Beautiful song "Taal se taal mila" based on the Raga Bhairavi.
From the movie "Taal"(1999).
Music by A. R. Rahman
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan

In Front of Mirror

"If you prostrate youself a hundred times in front of a mirror, it never moves from its place. If any ugliness has appeared in the mirror, know that it is your own; do not despise the mirror. Hide the fault that you see on his face from him, because he is my friend. With the tongue of the heart, he says, “Surely, this is not possible.”

Now, O friend, you say, “Place the mirror into my hand so that I may look at it!” Yet I cannot find a pretext for this, nor can I deny your request; but i say in my own heart, “Let me find some pretext not to give you the mirror, because if I say that there is something wrong with your face, perhaps you will not accept it; and if you say that the mirror is defective, this will be worse for you.” Yet love does not allow me to find a pretext. Now I say, “Let me give you the mirror, but if you see some fault on its face, do not blame the mirror, but something reflected onto the mirror. Know that it is your own image; find the fault in yourself! At least don’t look into the mirror while you are near me. The only condition is that you do not find fault with the mirror. If you are unable to find the fault in yourself, at least find fault with me, as i am the owner of the mirror. Don’t say the mirror is defective.”

“I accept the condition. I promise, I cannot wait any longer!” And yet his heart does not accept it....
But finally, after all these words, when he ws given the mirror, he, himself, just ran away. ...
the mirror was rebuking him with the tongue of its own heart: You see? What did I tell you? And what are you doing to me? You love yourself and find fault with the mirror. Because the one who loves his or her own ego respects only the ego, while the one who loves the mirror, gives up both ego and mirror.

The mirror is the Truth, Itself. He thinks the mirror is someone other than himself. The mirror answers anyone who addresses It. Due to the inclination of the mirror, he also has an inclination toward the mirror. If he, on the other hand, had broken the mirror, he would have broken me too. Hasn’t it been said, “I am near to those whose hearts have been broken”? In short, it is impossible for the mirror to bow down and honor itself. It is like a touchstone or a balance; it always inclines toward the Truth."

---from "The Conversations" (Maqalat) of Shams of Tabriz

Love of a Lifetime

Song: Love In A Life Time
Composed by Lowell Lo
Lyrics by Tang Shu Chen
Clip from the movie "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons"(2013) 

Substance of My Complaint

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure
Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word
My choicest hours
Are the hours I spend with You —

O God, I can't live in this world
Without remembering You–
How can I endure the next world
Without seeing Your face?

I am a stranger in Your country
And lonely among Your worshippers:
This is the substance of my complaint.

--- by Rabi'a al-Adawiyya

Surrender to Сhanges

"Instead of resisting to changes, surrender. Let life be with you, not against you. If you think ‘My life will be upside down’ don’t worry. How do you know down is not better than upside? A good man complains of no one; he does not look to faults. A life without love is of no account. Don't ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, eastern or western…divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water. The universe is a complete unique entity. Everything and everyone is bound together with some invisible strings. Do not break anyone’s heart; do not look down on weaker than you. One’s sorrow at the other side of the world can make the entire world suffer; one’s happiness can make the entire world smile. Most of conflicts and tensions are due to language. Don't pay so much attention to the words. In love’s country, language doesn't have its place. Love's mute."

---by Shams Tabrizi (1185–1248)

Great Night to Pray

He caused the performance of great Pooja in each
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.

---From "Tevaram"

Basic Shiva puja is here

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

His Foot

By Manikkavachakar (Yocum 1983: 30) 

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