The sea will be the sea, whatever the drop's philosophy...
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Chuck Surface - Drowning in Wonder
art Martin Stranka
Forgive me if I stop here…
Here where I cannot find "myself" as an object,
And have discovered, with a shock…
That “i” am just a thought, a feeling.
Let me just rest here awhile,
Reveling in this Unimaginable Freedom,
Before we go on to think “about” it all.
To come up with words like Consciousness,
Or Brahman,
Or Emptiness...
Or… whatever.
Words to describe what remains,
In that placeless place where I find myself,
Not a thing alive, but only...
The Event of Existence.
Words to explain the unexplainable,
To speak of that which cannot be spoken of,
To describe this Great Mystery...
Within which all descriptions arise.
It's enough for me to simply sit here,
Drowning in Wonder, that "i" do not exist,
And yet… Existence, Consciousness, Bliss…
Is.
On second thought…
You know what?
You go on ahead.
I'll catch up with you later,
And you can tell me all that you've come up with,
In the way of concepts, theories, and conjecture "about"…
This Unfathomable Mystery.
Just please forgive me if I appear uninterested.
For in the Immediacy of Experience,
In this Fullness, Completion, and Bliss...
I've lost all interest in Aboutism.
Philip Jacobs - The Philosophy of the Cosmic Dance
The Journey of Life. An introductory talk on Non Dualism by Philip Jacobs for the Whirling Dervishes of West London.
Please visit Philip's YouTube channel for the following 9 videos
Philip on facebook
Also on this blog: Pathless path
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Saint Jnaneshwar - Self is self-evident
A flower fades
After it gives birth to the fruit;
The fruit is gone
After it gives up its juice;
And the juice is gone
After it gives satisfaction.
A hand is often drawn back
After the offering of oblations;
A melody ends after giving enjoyment.
A mirror is put aside
After showing to a face its reflection;
And a person goes away
After having awakened one who is asleep.
Similarly, these three,
Chit, Sat, and Ananda,
After awaking the seer to his Self,
Disappear into silence.
If one strikes one's shadow,
One strikes only the ground.
Nothing is damaged by slapping empty space --
Except one's own arm.
One may eagerly seek
To drink the water of a mirage,
Or to embrace the sky,
Or to kiss one's own reflection;
But all these efforts will be in vain.
The logic that tries to destroy ignorance
Is in the same category.
Since ignorance is non-existent,
There can be no question of destroying it.
And since the Self is self-evident,
What is there to be proved at all?
After it gives birth to the fruit;
The fruit is gone
After it gives up its juice;
And the juice is gone
After it gives satisfaction.
A hand is often drawn back
After the offering of oblations;
A melody ends after giving enjoyment.
A mirror is put aside
After showing to a face its reflection;
And a person goes away
After having awakened one who is asleep.
Similarly, these three,
Chit, Sat, and Ananda,
After awaking the seer to his Self,
Disappear into silence.
If one strikes one's shadow,
One strikes only the ground.
Nothing is damaged by slapping empty space --
Except one's own arm.
One may eagerly seek
To drink the water of a mirage,
Or to embrace the sky,
Or to kiss one's own reflection;
But all these efforts will be in vain.
The logic that tries to destroy ignorance
Is in the same category.
Since ignorance is non-existent,
There can be no question of destroying it.
And since the Self is self-evident,
What is there to be proved at all?
Søren Kierkegaard - Prayer
As my prayer become more attentive and inward
I had less and less to say.
I finally became completely silent.
I started to listen
– which is even further removed from speaking.
I first thought that praying entailed speaking.
I then learnt that praying is hearing,
not merely being silent.
This is how it is.
To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking,
Prayer involves becoming silent,
And being silent,
And waiting until God is heard.
I had less and less to say.
I finally became completely silent.
I started to listen
– which is even further removed from speaking.
I first thought that praying entailed speaking.
I then learnt that praying is hearing,
not merely being silent.
This is how it is.
To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking,
Prayer involves becoming silent,
And being silent,
And waiting until God is heard.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Khalil Gibran - A Tear And A Smile
art Mikael Aldo
I would not exchange the sorrows of my heart
For the joys of the multitude.
And I would not have the tears that sadness makes
To flow from my every part turn into laughter.
I would that my life remain a tear and a smile.
A tear to purify my heart and give me understanding
Of life's secrets and hidden things.
A smile to draw me nigh to the sons of my kind and
To be a symbol of my glorification of the gods.
A tear to unite me with those of broken heart;
A smile to be a sign of my joy in existence.
I would rather that I died in yearning and longing than that I live Weary and despairing.
I want the hunger for love and beauty to be in the
Depths of my spirit,for I have seen those who are
Satisfied the most wretched of people.
I have heard the sigh of those in yearning and Longing, and it is sweeter than the sweetest melody.
With evening's coming the flower folds her petals
And sleeps, embracingher longing.
At morning's approach she opens her lips to meet
The sun's kiss.
The life of a flower is longing and fulfilment.
A tear and a smile.
The waters of the sea become vapor and rise and come
Together and area cloud.
And the cloud floats above the hills and valleys
Until it meets the gentle breeze, then falls weeping
To the fields and joins with brooks and rivers to Return to the sea, its home.
The life of clouds is a parting and a meeting.
A tear and a smile.
And so does the spirit become separated from
The greater spirit to move in the world of matter
And pass as a cloud over the mountain of sorrow
And the plains of joy to meet the breeze of death
And return whence it came.
To the ocean of Love and Beauty----to God.
For the joys of the multitude.
And I would not have the tears that sadness makes
To flow from my every part turn into laughter.
I would that my life remain a tear and a smile.
A tear to purify my heart and give me understanding
Of life's secrets and hidden things.
A smile to draw me nigh to the sons of my kind and
To be a symbol of my glorification of the gods.
A tear to unite me with those of broken heart;
A smile to be a sign of my joy in existence.
I would rather that I died in yearning and longing than that I live Weary and despairing.
I want the hunger for love and beauty to be in the
Depths of my spirit,for I have seen those who are
Satisfied the most wretched of people.
I have heard the sigh of those in yearning and Longing, and it is sweeter than the sweetest melody.
With evening's coming the flower folds her petals
And sleeps, embracingher longing.
At morning's approach she opens her lips to meet
The sun's kiss.
The life of a flower is longing and fulfilment.
A tear and a smile.
The waters of the sea become vapor and rise and come
Together and area cloud.
And the cloud floats above the hills and valleys
Until it meets the gentle breeze, then falls weeping
To the fields and joins with brooks and rivers to Return to the sea, its home.
The life of clouds is a parting and a meeting.
A tear and a smile.
And so does the spirit become separated from
The greater spirit to move in the world of matter
And pass as a cloud over the mountain of sorrow
And the plains of joy to meet the breeze of death
And return whence it came.
To the ocean of Love and Beauty----to God.
Thomas Traherne - Spirit
"The Kingdom of God" by Thomas Traherne
O Joy! O wonder and delight!
O sacred mystery!
My Soul a Spirit infinite!
An image of the Deity!
A pure substantial light!
That Being greatest which doth nothing seem!
Why, 'twas my all, I nothing did esteem
But that alone. A strange mysterious sphere!
A deep abyss
That sees and is
The only proper place of Heavenly Bliss.
To its Creator 'tis so near
In love and excellence,
In life and sense,
In greatness, worth, and nature; and so dear,
In it, without hyperbole,
The Son and friend of God we see.
A strange extended orb of Joy,
Proceeding from within,
Which did on every side, convey
Itself, and being nigh of kin
To God did every way
Dilate itself even in an instant, and
Like an indivisible centre stand,
At once surrounding all eternity.
O sacred mystery!
My Soul a Spirit infinite!
An image of the Deity!
A pure substantial light!
That Being greatest which doth nothing seem!
Why, 'twas my all, I nothing did esteem
But that alone. A strange mysterious sphere!
A deep abyss
That sees and is
The only proper place of Heavenly Bliss.
To its Creator 'tis so near
In love and excellence,
In life and sense,
In greatness, worth, and nature; and so dear,
In it, without hyperbole,
The Son and friend of God we see.
A strange extended orb of Joy,
Proceeding from within,
Which did on every side, convey
Itself, and being nigh of kin
To God did every way
Dilate itself even in an instant, and
Like an indivisible centre stand,
At once surrounding all eternity.
Thomas Traherne
From : My Spirit
AND...
"Centuries of Meditations"
Kabir - I sing the glory of forms
There is a strange tree which stands without roots
and bears fruits without blossoming;
it has no branches and no leaves,
it is lotus all over.
Two birds sing there; one is the guru,
and the other the disciple:
the disciple chooses the
manifold fruits of life
and tastes them,
and the guru beholds him in joy
What Kabir says is hard to understand:
the bird is beyond seeking.
yet it is most clearly visible.
The formless is in the midst of all forms.
I sing the glory of forms.
and bears fruits without blossoming;
it has no branches and no leaves,
it is lotus all over.
Two birds sing there; one is the guru,
and the other the disciple:
the disciple chooses the
manifold fruits of life
and tastes them,
and the guru beholds him in joy
What Kabir says is hard to understand:
the bird is beyond seeking.
yet it is most clearly visible.
The formless is in the midst of all forms.
I sing the glory of forms.
Kabir-From The Path of love
Jiddu Krishnamurti - What beauty is...
"Have you ever sat very quietly with closed eyes
and watched the movement of your own thinking?
You try this - not someday in the faraway future, but tomorrow or this afternoon.
If there are too many people in your room, if your home is crowded,
then go away by yourself, sit under a tree
or on the river bank and quietly observe how your mind works.
Don’t correct it, don’t say, “This is right, that is wrong”,
but just watch it as you would a film.
When you go to the cinema you are not taking part in the film;
the actors and actresses are taking part, but you are only watching.
In the same way, watch how your mind works.
It is really very interesting, far more interesting than any film,
because your mind is the residue of the whole world
and it contains all that human beings have experienced.
Do you understand? Your mind is humanity, and when you perceive this,
you will have immense compassion.
Out of this understanding comes great love;
and then you will know, when you see lovely things,
what beauty is."
and watched the movement of your own thinking?
You try this - not someday in the faraway future, but tomorrow or this afternoon.
If there are too many people in your room, if your home is crowded,
then go away by yourself, sit under a tree
or on the river bank and quietly observe how your mind works.
Don’t correct it, don’t say, “This is right, that is wrong”,
but just watch it as you would a film.
When you go to the cinema you are not taking part in the film;
the actors and actresses are taking part, but you are only watching.
In the same way, watch how your mind works.
It is really very interesting, far more interesting than any film,
because your mind is the residue of the whole world
and it contains all that human beings have experienced.
Do you understand? Your mind is humanity, and when you perceive this,
you will have immense compassion.
Out of this understanding comes great love;
and then you will know, when you see lovely things,
what beauty is."
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Juan Ramón Jiménez - I am not I
I am not I.
I am this one
walking beside me whom I do not see,
whom at times I manage to visit,
and whom at other times I forget;
who remains calm and silent while I talk,
and forgives, gently, when I hate,
who walks where I am not,
who will remain standing when I die.
I am this one
walking beside me whom I do not see,
whom at times I manage to visit,
and whom at other times I forget;
who remains calm and silent while I talk,
and forgives, gently, when I hate,
who walks where I am not,
who will remain standing when I die.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Bulleh Shah - Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not a believer inside the mosque, am I
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites
Not the pure amongst the impure
Neither Moses, nor the Pharaoh
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites
Not the pure amongst the impure
Neither Moses, nor the Pharaoh
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not in the holy Vedas, am I
Nor in opium, neither in wine
Not in the drunkard`s intoxicated craze
Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze
Nor in opium, neither in wine
Not in the drunkard`s intoxicated craze
Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
In happiness nor in sorrow, am I
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire
Not from water, nor from earth
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire
Not from water, nor from earth
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not an Arab, nor Lahori
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri
Hindu, Turk, nor Peshawari
Nor do I live in Nadaun
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri
Hindu, Turk, nor Peshawari
Nor do I live in Nadaun
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Secrets of religion, I have not known
From Adam and Eve, I am not born
I am not the name I assume
Not in stillness, nor on the move
From Adam and Eve, I am not born
I am not the name I assume
Not in stillness, nor on the move
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
I am the first, I am the last
None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all
Bulleh! do I stand alone?
None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all
Bulleh! do I stand alone?
Bulleh! to me, I am not known.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Rumi - What Love does...
Love has robbed me of sleep; that is what Love does
Love doesn’t give a fig for soul or reason
Love is like a black Lion, famished & ferocious
Love doesn’t give a fig for soul or reason
Love is like a black Lion, famished & ferocious
Who only drinks the blood of the heart of lovers.
Love seizes you tenderly and drags you towards the trap:
When you fall in, he watches you from afar.
Love’s a tyrannical prince, a pitiless judge:
When you fall in, he watches you from afar.
Love’s a tyrannical prince, a pitiless judge:
He tortures and oppresses the innocents.
Fall into his hands and you’ll weep like clouds.
Run from him, and you will freeze like snow.
Fall into his hands and you’ll weep like clouds.
Run from him, and you will freeze like snow.
Each second he shatters a thousand cups in pieces;
In one moment he sews & tears apart a hundred robes.
He makes thousands of eyes weep & that makes him laugh.
In one moment he sews & tears apart a hundred robes.
He makes thousands of eyes weep & that makes him laugh.
He slaughters a thousand beings and thinks of them as one.
No one can escape his chains by trickery or madness;
No sage can wriggle out of his nets by wisdom.
No one can escape his chains by trickery or madness;
No sage can wriggle out of his nets by wisdom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
