The Dead-end Up Here: June 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

SURRENDER TO THE GURU

On the eve of Guru Purnima, an ancient celebration of the guiding light also called the guru that leads one out of suffering. How to celebrate? There is only one action required; SURRENDER! Do you really know what that means and entails? Surrender means to give up the desire to win. You may even feel that you have lost. That is okay. Giving up the desire to win is absolutely the most difficult thing you would ever do. EVERYTHING in the physical universe is and continues to be wired to win. You won't be here trying to surrender if this was not so. That is the paradox. WINNING TAKES YOU TO A PLACE WHERE YOU MUST SURRENDER AND LOSE. May the guiding light make you lose and surrender.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

My Long Trek

Happy birthday to me, you and you
For we were all born the same instant
Some fourteen billion years ago
In a sky entirely nonexistent.

Like you, I was but a tiny string
Of energy, oscillating, resonating.
Pushed by a colossal force
Of unimaginable strength
Forever outward bound into oblivion
Into a destiny unknown
With but just one instruction
Love!

Love I did, love I do
Finding kindred sizes and shapes.
I hugged you hard, squishing your bones
Until we turned into one.
One body, one soul.
Body I know, soul I do not.

Incarnated into rocks and energy
Water and gases filling the universe
Still following my only directive
Go, keep going, go with love.

Oops, I said
Accidentally spilling some carbon into water
Nitrogen into hydrogen and to amino acid.
Totally unintentional
Creating the building block
Of a true change to creation.

Sorry I said to whomever
Intended me to do nothing
Or do something else
Sorry, I gave life to life.

My present body still
Nothing but strings, albeit trillions
Squished into shapes many
Types diverse, colors exquisite
My art has no limits
Design ultimate.

I am one with you
The rock, the tree, bird and the sea
You the cement tower and the train.
We just look different
Pay no attention

Still are all strings of love.

You say rocks have no senses
Stars are dead gases unable to speak
Or is it that we can't understand
We don't care to understand.

Only difference I can find
Is that I can and do ask why?
Rivers and the trees do not.
May be they are right
I am wrong for asking
Why love?

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Lineage

I am a descendant of the great sage Kashyap.

Here is one of his poems.

Undisturbed am I, undisturbed is my soul,
undisturbed mine eye, undisturbed mine ear,
undisturbed is mine in-breathing, undisturbed mine out-breathing,
undisturbed my diffusive breath, undisturbed the whole of me.

Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire the primal seed and germ of Spirit,
O Kama dwelling with the lofty Kama, give growth of riches to the sacrificer, (...)
Prolific, thousand eyed, and undecaying, a horse with seven reins Time bears us onward,
Sages inspired with holy knowledge mount him, his chariot wheels are all the worlds of creatures.

Kala [Time] created yonder heaven, and Kala made these realms of earth,
By Kala, stirred to motion, both what is and what shall be, expand, (...)
Kala created living things and first of all Prajapati,
From Kala self-made Kasyapa, from Kala Holy Fire was born.

— Atharvaveda, Book XIX, Hymns L51-53^[7]^[20]

Special Needs Meditation

"My son is a young man diagnosed with Aspergers. Two professionals in his life, a psychologist he had been seeing for many years and a holistic practitioner both suggested that he start meditation training. The goal was to help him learn to practice mindfulness and breath control to learn how to calm down his active mind and body. Once a week yoga meditation practice with Sunil has lowered my son's anxiety. He has an increased sense of calmness and the tools to practice relaxation techniques in different environments outside of the yoga studio. He has also started working out in the gym and trying other new activities (roller blading outside). His overall mood is more positive and he is gaining strength and flexibility. Most importantly, he now feels included; a part of something. This weekly yoga meditation routine has enhanced his self esteem and he feels accepted and comfortable in this training environment provided by Sunil and Be Yoga & Wellness."

"The Dead-end(Up) Here" is a book of Celestial Songs of Love...

Round and round I go

Looking for you

All I find are

Dead-ends here.

My chakras dancing

My breathing fierce

My heart is leaping

Spine trembling.

This is something to expect

Guides had said

Know it

Death ends here.

There is no death, I sort of get it

It’s faith, not realization.

More semantics than truth

Clever dialogue, not deep insight.

Not body nor mind am I

How could I die

It is the body that perishes

I dwell in continuous freedom.

I love the idea

Of living forever

That too without

The source of all pain.

Body was great once

Pleasures abound

Love was grand

Ecstasy divine.

Mostly aches and groans now

Unfulfilled desires

Of a mind

That never ages.

“Beyond mind beyond death”

A cry that launched my search

Years have gone by

I find only dead-ends here.

I am over the hump

Unfulfilled ambitions sting no more.

No cold sweaty nights

Heart breaks are rare as aspirations

diminish.

They call it maturity

Spirituality or awakening

Still, thy screams I do not hear

Shiva I do not see.

I call it the end

End of Buddha’s suffering

End of useless search

The dead end up here.

Resonate with the author as he takes you on life journey which is full at times and empty at other, always seeking “happiness” that will last, a bliss that endures and a love that is unconditional. But as most seekers, he too reaches a dead-end. Then you realise what Shiva said in one of his soma rush laden moments, the dead end up here.

We all have such moments but some have the inspiration and skills to put them down as poetry. As one reader put it, “…and I found myself getting lost between the lines and imagining this little fantasy tale. It seemed to hold many truths within it and I think this is a piece many will enjoy and relate to.”

This book is a story disguised as poetry.

First a journey of spiritual seeking, a popular reaction to those days with no hope, no love, no life satisfaction. On this journey he does find some divine, blissful love in the form of beautiful, compassionate and loving people. Oh, how fireworks ensue in climactic poetry, describing the heartache that simply is. Lessons learned from the other side of pleasure are priceless but bliss endures.

As the book unfolds, we quickly realize there is no elegant conclusion to this poem-filled love story of divine intervention, just as there is none to life. You will either fall in love, fall in desire, or achieve some temporary yearning to feel what the author once felt. It is better to have loved like this; that which truly transforms human experience forever.

Why the blog title?

Patanjali, well known seminal author of yoga guide for all practitioners, defines yoga as "chitta vritti nirodhuh" meaning "cessation of mental formations."

This could also be expressed as the dead (one who has ceased mental formations) end up, here (now).

Bhagwat Gita, is a satsang between an undefeated warrior, Arjuna with his charioteer, friend and teacher, Krishna in the middle of an epic battle. Gita's lessons of how to conduct oneself while arrows and spears fly past you and still maintain a meditative calm are as good today as thousands of years ago.

Krishna could have taught his long time friend much earlier but chose to do so only when Arjun came to a "dead end" at the battle front (up here and now). Teachings work only when the student reaches the dead-end.

The Dead-end Up Here

Friday, June 29, 2012

SURRENDER TO THE GURU

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

My Long Trek

NIRVANA

Why the blog title?

RAW AND VULNERABLE