Monday, November 28, 2005

The calling - Darasuram Shiva temple

Its a bright sunny morning,the smoke rises out of the kitchen as she gets the aroma of a delicious brahmin meal in the making. Her father heads to the temple next door, to do the routine abhishekam for the day, while her mother gets ready to weave the next silk saree.
She hums a little tune to herself as she freshens up and looks out at the trees dreamily as the shimering leaves sway in the gentle breeze. She watches the birds with colorful feathers sing to each other as they make home. Dressed and ready for the day, she pins up the jasmine flowers onto her head and tucks the davani onto her waist and walks out of the house to head to the temple next door.

Its an old temple, not too big, not small either but simply beautiful. She rings the big brass bell hanging down at the hall, its ring reverberating through the walls. Its a calling, to the Lord that she has arrived to serve him again. She sings a melodious tune to herself as she sweeps through the hall while her father offers abhishekam to the deity within. She advances near the main shrine, the most beautiful shrine she has seen and been close to all her life.




She walks through the silence as the cool breeze shuffles her hair. She watches the fire dancing gentle as it clings to the wicks of the oil lamps. She observes the dancers all along the walls as they perform for the Lord, movement that she had wished she could grasp, movement that she saw even through stone. They danced and played the drum, they went in rhythmic motion, she could swing with them and bring it all back alive, she could hear the music in her ears as she swayed with the wind following the poses on the wall.



True beauty, pure love, that no one could touch, pure music in her heart as she danced her way through the pillars, pure rhythm in the feet as she felt each sculptural pose in her fingers as she bent backwards feeling them on the wall. The wind rang the bells in gentle motion, the fires seems to join the dance flow, as the idols in the niches watched on to see her, the performer on the floor.

She walked into the darkness, closer to the lord, through the dark passage occasionally lit by patterns of sunlight. Her anklets made the only sound she could hear as she stepped closer to the Lord's chamber. She was now as close as she could get, in front of the dark room, where he stood. She looked at his stony self, a silent Linga, draped beatifully in the lamp light. The intoxication rising as she felt it right through her skin, rhythm still in her mind, she swayed with the beat as the Lord danced in her mind. The madness ever rising, the darkness giving way to the eternal light, she watched the the fire flicker into haze as she swooned to the floor.

She had looked out of the grilled windows all these days, longing for her prince, wanting to know which land he would come from. He had been here, right by her side, always there, watching her every step in pure bliss as He took her in His arms, every day as she swooned listening to the rhythmic beat in his feet.

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P.S. Darasuram hosts a shiva temple surrounding which live a lot of weavers who make our most famous silk sarees. This just brings alive the feelings of one such innocent life.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Thanksgiving
Crafted with Love for me to behold
This vastness of Creation, to hold,
As my own

Have not hands that can hold
Have not eyes that suffice
To witness this grandeur
The Infinite splendor
Just gratitude for being
Just here and now
A part of Existence
As a part of Existence
Not apart
Just One

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Quest??
Searched for the Truth
For Silence
For Love

Searched for that which already is
Realization dawns
All I have to do
Is to simply be
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do
Simply throw open the doors of this mind
And simply watch being enveloped
Both from within and around

From directions known and beyond
Silence descends
Ever so beautifully
Wiping out every thought and word firmly
Yet caresses even more gently
That the petals of a rose
No more thoughts, nor words

Laugh at the simplicity of this
Of the Truth that is

Now the laughter too fades from whence it came
Into the all encompassing Silence

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Within

The god that resides in the temple
Resides within
Amidst all the noise, and clamor
Clanging of temple bells,
Prayers said aloud,
Sits in blissful Silence

This body is a temple too
All forms around are containers too
Of the eternal divine
Look within
And amidst the sound around
There is Silence
Within the temple
Within this body
Just One

Agasthyam

Agasthiar cult is an integral part of Shaivism. The Rishi Agasthiar is considered, the leader of the rishis and the siddhars.

Legend has it, when the divine parents Shiva and Parvati were getting married at Mt.Kailas, the worlds inhabitants gathered to witness the Holy wedding. Due to this, the earth orb swerved from its epicenter. Shiva ordered Agasthiar to travel to the south with His disciples and restore the balance.

Agasthiar settled down in PotiHills (courtallam) with HIS disciples.


நடுவுநில் லாதிவ் வுலகஞ் சரிந்து
கெடுகின்ற தெம்பெரு மானென்ன ஈசன்
நடுவுள அங்கி அகத்திய நீபோய்
முடுகிய வையத்து முன்னிரென் றானே.


The inhabitants of the world pray to Shiva, saying the earth-orb has swerved from its epicenter and HE should restore it, so that HIS children can continue to live peacefully.
Shiva spoke saying "Agastya!, You that sit in tapas, hasten to the globe's swerving side and restore the balance".


This is in Praise of the great Rishi:

அங்கி உதயம் வளர்க்கும் அகத்தியன்
அங்கி உதயஞ்செய் மேல்பா லவனொடு
மங்கி உதயஞ்செய் வடபால் தவமுனி
எங்கும் வளங்கொள் இலங்கொளி தானே

Unfailing at dawn
With the sun that doth in high heavens
Agastya light the fire divine;
He is the Holy Muni of North
Whence the Primal Fire was born;
And the radiant light, pervasive all

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Friday, November 04, 2005

Mind your own sexuality

I recently had a uncomfartable conversion with a particular individual about my post "Have you seen GOD? _ Narendra Asked."

His first response after reading the second paragarph was. "Are you gay?". Since I thought this was an open minded spiritual blog post I honestly answered "Yes". This lead to the usual uncomfortable questions like "why you dont like women etc..."

Being gay is very difficult. It gets even worse in religious/spiritual circles. I was faced with extreme homophobia from a member of this blog-group today. I thought this group was to help each other in growing in spiritual life rather than being a begot.

Are people in this blog-group just pretending to be a open minded spiritual folks. It was my understanding that homosexuality or heterosexuality has to do with the body and not the soul. How can we talk about Zen-Buddha, Bhakti-Meera, Sages, Nayanmars, Rumi, Alvars all these people who had an underlying compassion to every one. And we cannot even show the same to each other.

What if I, being born in a brahmin family call my best friend who happens to be born in a lower class as lesser human. My Supreme Lord Krishna will be extremely hurt buy this. Didn't Krishna talk in the Geeta that one has to be SAMA-DARSHINAHA, see every one equal. How can we talk about Sankara who was talk by Shiva by example how to be equal. When we are ready to judge, call names and be phobic just because the person in front of you is different.

We are unfit to talk about spirituality if we are so closed minded.

Have you seen GOD? - Narendra Asked.

This blog-post is in response to the "Karma" posting.

As you will see this is my first attempt to write a poem. So all the English majors please forgive me.

Part 1:

I went to the people of David,
Saved where they from the arid.
A good servant I became,
to master with no name.

I went to the man with a cross,
Savior's way is one with out loss.
Shun the men with whom I play
can't forget that I am gay.

I went to priest who prayed to the avatar,
He pointed to the altar from the far.
I prayed to the stone and He spoke,
or was it my mind playing a bad joke.

I went to Jain,
She said there is nothing to gain,
Watch my doings day to day,
To wash my sin from yesterday.

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Thursday, November 03, 2005

In the name of God?


Walls with a strange graffiti
With the blood of innocents
Limbs strewn all around
Its not just playing spoilsport
Its plain savagery of the worst

What kind of madness is this?
To kill in the name of God!
Is to Kill God himself

Destruction is just that
Whatever be the goal
Spiritual or worldly

God does not require any pleasing
Nor propagation, nor protectors
On His behalf

If this is religion
Then let religion be damned!

Religion is just a means to unite
Not with anything outside
But deep within
To light a spark of Eternal Luminosity

Of wisdom
Of Love
That all that is
Is just me

An extension of me
Each is precious
As I am

Nothing ‘greater’ nothing ‘smaller’
In the world of the Infinite
The One Divine