The Great King Janaka

in this life you are to make efforts 

if you are in true love 

with yourself 

for when you love yourself 

there is nothing that can

stop you from being as a light 

as a sage like the one 

named King Janaka who

lived in the world 

surrounded by wealth

and all types of mentalities 

yet he did not get soiled by any of it 

he was taught by Ashtavakra

who led him to the waters of the SELF

where he drank as a man 

that finally found the purest source 

and indeed it quenched him well

for when he came forward to be a king 

after this truth was in him burning bright 

he ruled as a detached saintly being 

with no sides that were favored
and no self interest

with a still mind
cleared of obstructions
he gave the best possible
to those under his care
he had great responsibilites, yet did not 

let them *rule* him

how very unbalanced this would be 

he was a king of himself 

which means his consciousness was 

within God always 

he was a swami (lord of himself)

yet he did not wear the ochre robes 

he wore kingly attire which did 

not subtract or add to his purity within

this would be very absurd indeed 

for truth has nothing to do with outer 

trappings 

it has to do with that which is beyond all of it
as a metal refined and restored
to it's natural beauty
which lay eternally under the dross
such is the way of a man
within truth

King Janaka said words like this 

now i have found the thieves that have 

been stealing the treasure within

i have put them to rest 

and they (thoughts) will not destroy

my kingdom of heaven

which is life pure 

how glorious and majestic

a king was this one 

like no other that is written 

he was not a saint that went about 

feeding the hungry or living on alms 

as the wandering sadhus 

he was a man of stature that lived 

in a palace 

yet he was abiding in stillness

and if a man be a sadhu

with the wrong intention and focus

he is not a sadhu at all

and if a king be still inside
and lit up with God essence  

this man is indeed a true sadhu

this was King Janaka

Kabir (a hard hitting saint)

a long time ago there lived a saint named

Kabir 

he was a man that would weave cloth

he would weave and weave and 

when he did so 

bright words of truth sprang forth

that were like the tapestry that 

he created 

woven with love, care 

and joy

he was a man that spoke only 

to bring those minds that 

were in confusion to awaken

as he spoke and wove his cloth

some would come sit near him

and enjoy basking in his light 

that was like love itself 

but there were also many

that became inflamed by his 

strong forthright wisdom

that would come out 

raw and pure 

to singe the mind and 

make it become alert 

to life as it is 

there were many that spoke 

against him

as being a one that was 

of dark ways 

but this did not stop Kabir 

from speaking up and 

bringing fresh light to the 

stale mentalities that lurked 

about 

he spoke up against the caste system

and the warring of man against man

that was based on the color of 

skin and belief systems 

he spoke up against false spiritual

persons that were out to 

make money off of vulnerable 

souls that did not 

know better 

he spoke up about God 

and what God was and was not 

he did not wear special clothing 

he did not bring special 

magic acts (siddhis) with him

he only spoke truth 

and was simple in his life 

and his way of being 

and though this was not taken in 

well by most while he was alive

his message and beautiful poetry

ring bright 

and are enjoyed by many

how funny that now that he 

is gone 

there is so much devotion 

towards him

but this is the way of minds 

that look to be in love *with*

something 

and do not want the hard hitting 

truths 

Shankara (bestower of happiness)

shankara was born in kerala 

to a couple that were not able to 

bear children easily 

one night Shiva appeared to the couple 

in a dream and gave them a choice

they could have a child that was 

of regular development and mind 

that would live a long life 

or an extraordinary child that 

would live a short life

the couple chose the latter and to them

a bright child was born in which they 

named shankara (bestower of happiness)

this child was bursting with knowledge of 

the scriptures from an early age 

as well as possessed a quick intellect  

the boys father did not live long and soon after 

he died, Shankara went to the river Poorna to bathe 

prior to this he had been asking his mother to take 

the vows of sannyas and she had said no 

worried that her son would be taken up into this life 

too early and she would lose him there ..

when he went to bathe in the river 

a crocodile appeared and took hold of his leg

his mother happened to come by at this time 

and was very distressed at this scene

she told her son immediately that he could be 

a renunciate in order for the crocodile to let go 

of his leg ..

(it is said that a crocodile has not been seen in the 

river again...)

so shankara after taking the vows of a renunciate 

began to roam the plains of india

he carried with him a mat to sleep on and a 

gourd for drinking and eating and this was all..

he slept in the forests and on the hard earth

in which he did not dream or suffer...

he woke refreshed and within great peace 

always

one day he was wandering and a man that 

was an untouchable  came towards him

with a pack of four dogs with him

shankara gestured to him to move aside as this 

was the custom in those days 

and the man said, "do you mean for my body that is 

made of skin and bones to give way or my pure soul that is atman?"

shankara was so very taken aback by this 

he realized right away that this man was shiva embodied and the four 

dogs were the four vedas and he prostrated 

deeply at this mans feet and said, sir i am in great gratitude 

for your presence today and thank you so much 

for your words that are like gems 

and he went on to write about this encounter speaking to the idea 

that once a man has realized the truth there is no caste that can 

bind him nor are these rules suiting any more for such a man 

that is free

shankara went on to strip advaita vedanta clean of it's false coverings 

and bring back the original teachings to shine 

he did so with grace and a stunningly quick mind that was settled 

in the beauty of the non-dual reality..

he set up monasteries along the way that were to be havens that hold 

the pure teachings and went on to 

challenge the norms of the day that were very 

much layered over with false ways and ideas...

though it is unknown where his final resting place is 

one can be sure he was not attached to the body and left 

in the same pure state that he lived in while in body ..

he was a mighty presence on this earth and accomplished 

great feats in such a short period of time 

another great soul that walked the earth 

*in the world, but not of it*

and by doing so lit the way for those sincere ones 

seeking to enter the knowing beyond all knowledge..