song of pure life #2

how Ribhu sings
what a sage is he
when his words come
there is no thinker there
sweet and perfect,
flowing like a clear river
when he was a boy
he was living with Shiva
Shiva was his mentor
holy was this time
when the meeting of two
became one
timeless and forever one
Rhibu listened with rapture to Shiva
who told him
young soul,
i love you well and dear
and want to speak of the one
to you
listen well dear boy
and he listened intently
with love and openness
to what Shiva gave him
and
he became the absolute
and spoke to Nidagha on the mountain
of this beauty so full
so filled with life and love
when he spoke to his
disciple Nidagha
he spoke words like this;
child, you are the absolute (brahman)
and you must know this for certain
without a drop of doubt
as told to me by Shiva,
it is not until the nescience or darkness is
removed that only then the supreme consciousness
can shine
in it's beautiful radiance in which there exists no other
it is only the agitated mind that covers this perfection
this is what must be cast out my child
and with love and courage
one is to abide in pure consciousness
or (the SELF) without waver
there is no other way to be in this beauty
my child, the world is nothing but one, non-dual
and without any stains of mental play
or affliction
all is pure consciousness now and always
listen dear soul,
the wise know that there is nothing different than Brahman
he spoke words like this (Rhibu)
not a single breath, word, deed, body, mind,
branch, tree, root, flower, berry, blossom
ant, beetle, spider or anything that crawls, flies or
moves about are anything but Brahman
all bodies, living and dead
all wondrous and majestic mountain ranges, all the phases of the
moon and the appearing
and disappearing of the seasons
the sky with it's various shades
the oceans with their movement of waves and creatures of all sizes and
shapes
all Brahman and nothing else…
the light, the dark is Brahman
the night and day
the ignorance, the liberation
all Brahman and nothing else
he sang like this (Rhibu did) of the glory of one
that is not separate
the heavens, the hell realms (what are they when all conceptual
thinking falls away?)… non-existent and nothing more
so Rhibu is a sage that sings of pure life that is woven into
everything seen and unseen
and nothing can damage this purity that is of Shiva nature
the seeker that hears the wisdom (of the sages) and drinks
it in lovingly
he will be blessed with Shiva nature
he will be like Shiva himself with no ego nature anywhere
he will be still and filled with love
he will be as all the sages
one
always and forever ….


more writing on Rhibu -- as all the writing, it just flows
and takes on it's own style...
please know that the main message is within the writing...
may it be enjoyed for what it is….




shanti om

More on Ramana

this sage
when he was young
played a lot with other boys
he loved the games of athletics
he loved the joy of running through the open
spaces
he one day did not take to his studies so well
he all of the sudden showed little interest in worldly
matters
he would sit in the temples surrounded by the saints pictures
with the lingam in the cool dark inner cave of the temple
sitting still and silent
deeply absorbed in the energies of light and love
it shook him fiercely to imagine lives spent
in such an immaculate way
and within such deep surrender, love and devotion to God
he would be alone a lot this child
but never lonely for he was always inside himself in
peace
one day he walked away from his family and home
he walked to the trains in india and bought a ticket
and never returned
he went to the mountain to be as a renunciate
this mountain was of the purest form
it was like heaven itself and it drew him in like a magnet
he wandered before getting to this great mountain
and slept on the streets
he tore a bit of material to make a loin cloth
and then it rained fresh and pure on his skin
which he considered the standard bathing ritual for sadhus
and he tossed his few coins in the gutter
walked into the temple of saints
and never returned to the world
he lived as a chaste being
and had no desire for worldly pleasure, wealth or anything else
he wanted nothing from any soul
he simply lived in pure beingness and this was enough
to aide others to freedom

when he came to the mountain
there was a bright light that shone
on the top of it
it guided him inward to the Self
he did not stop at the entrance
he went into the heart of the rock
where there was a vacuous force
a pulling that
stripped the mind bare of it's
varnish of the world
he sat down like a man that was
reborn
in him
there was not any more pridely airs
not any more to be known or seen
or heard or touched or tasted
not any more to be searched for
he had found that which is in all
the stillness that is of it's own light
the stillness that is of it's own presence
that is not of the identity
and with this said
he was now to be called a sage
though there was no one to claim
this name
in him it mattered not
what he was called
what was the absolute that
was nothing and all
to be called?
he was that timeless beauty always
and had he walked away from the
entrance to the heart
his life would have taken
a very different turn indeed
not one that was the deathless
as the Buddha
as the Guru
as Christ
something else entirely
like the man of the world
who is not awake
and not ever could he
be away from this heaven
that is of the earth
not distinct
not filled with thoughts and concepts
empty
eternally resting in
sat chit ananda

life breathes...

she said,
the mind is like a wave that goes outward and attaches
to objects
but objects are not made of anything but consciousness
so why to attach to them
and make them into something they are not?
such as the body
why is it attached to any more than any other object?
why to confine oneself to this alone
at the exclusion of all else?
it is simply thoughts that attach to the body
it is not anything else
and thoughts are impermanent and shaky
they are not what remains as constant
they have no knowledge of anything
but are simply a playing out of shakti

she said,
the body is like anything else material
which is not within pure intelligence
it moves according to energies of mind
which come from nowhere and go nowhere
it moves in accordance with intentions
which again are only energies
the mind does not have power unless
the soul is identified with it
and gives it attention and focus
then it becomes alive and moves
in accordance
with the mind-set of the individual
the mind is like a race horse
that is running at full speed
to stop it is not easy in the least
but the brakes can be put on it
with imbibing in practices infused
with pure consciousness that comes
directly from Guru/Master/Sage
this, as well as a strong
desire for liberation
all of this will work within to destroy
the delusive energies of maya which have
captured the soul
and made the soul believe in something that
is entirely false and
imaginary
the soul, when taking in the love and light
of the Guru that gives grace of practices
and mantras and transmission
falls into a steadier way of being
grounded in the moment
and taking in life with a different mind
and heart
one that is more open, attentive and awake
but yet the mind will continue until
the breaking point comes
and all is washed away into the ocean
of reality
then that which has always been is
revealed as one

she said,
the Guru is the most highest blessing
of this lifetime
there is not anything other that will
break the spell of maya
the Guru is inside also, but is not
to be what the sadhaka is to rely on
for if mind is running, there can be
delusion and deceptive understanding
that is not to be trusted
so the outer Guru comes to show the way
inward to the heart
where life breathes as the source of all

this is the writing that has flowed this evening..
the first part of the writing seems similar
to the tripura rahasya
the rest just flows freely and spontaneously ....

om shanti

When Buddha walked the earth….

when buddha walked the earth

he put his baggage by the roadside 

and did not return there to pick it up

he walked thru the dark forest
of sensual experience

and sat by the wild animals 

and drank from the rivers 

and ate of the earth and shrubs 

and bruised his body on the rocks 

and forgot his past 

and forgot the world that spoke of attachments 

and dreams of this and that 

had he not walked into this jungle 

to find his pure soul

where would he be?

a king for awhile that had all the things 

that money could by 

and all the luxuries and all at hand that 

was beautiful to touch and taste and experience 

but instead he chose the hard road of the mystic 

because in him blazed the fire of a seeker that 

was burning to know the truth 

when he was a boy he would sit by the trees 

and sit in meditation 

he would wonder about what the world was 

composed of 

what it was made of 

was it a solid thing?

was it something that could be held tightly to

or was it as a dream that faded in the mist? 

how he wondered so many things like this

and felt his heart's desire becoming stronger 

to seek out the source of all

then when all were asleep in their dreams 

and he was old enough 

he stole out into the night with his horse and companion

he did not look back or bemoan what he left 

he was as a mystic that would not be turned 

on the wrong roads 

what is this like my friends?

it is like a man that has in him what it takes to persevere 

and to not be persuaded to follow shadows and dark alleys 

that lead to perishable understanding 

for the heart is like the fire that consumes all other

and it is where the mind is to be focused 

when he sat under the bodhi tree

his mind was not looking back or forward 

but inward 

and he became the self of all

he was like the truth 

he was non-dual in nature 

and preserved eternally as this 

what has this to do with you dear souls? 

but to know he found the light unto himself 

that is the same within all

and this is where one is to sit and breathe and be 

like buddha all are awake inside eternally 

and to discover it

one must let go of the false shades of mind 

like this one that sat under the tree of knowledge 

how it is like this 

when one allows the tree of knowledge
to give cooling peace
to a mind that has been in the heat of the search so very long

and my friends 

did buddha worry about his comforts or what was to give him

pleasure or pain or make his life just right? 

he did not 

he lived in the open with no walls to hide behind or doors to lock

as the consciousness is vast like this without end 

without borders 

he lived in the open like being transparent and not seeking private space 

inside yourself to hide away in

and when he walked, he was barefoot on the earth with nothing separating 

his soul from the universe 

and when he ate, he ate what came to him no matter what it was 

he did not think about what he wanted or turn away what he didn't want 

this is a mind that is within equanimity always

not saying all the time within; this is good and that is bad

and this is right and that is wrong 

and when he spoke, his words flowed out spontaneously without thought 

like the river of grace that flows without obstructions 

and when he bathed, he bathed in the rivers or the rain washed his form

of dirt and mud 

as this is what came as grace from the universal mother to wash away the dross

with this blessing of being fully without covers and concealments 

he sat under the bodhi tree or the tree of great knowledge 

and sat and sat and sat 

and what he found there, was his mind that was cast in shadows 

of this and that 

separated out like rays of concepts and thoughts and all the rest 

but he did not look to the thoughts that chanted and tempted 

he looked to his own soul that was pure 

and with this seeing directly experienced the source 

and when he got up to move into the world

he was not in it like before

but purified as God is within light, love and quietude 

as this was what was always present, and not found like something new 

purity of consciousness forever lives here

never will it go away

how glorious is this 

and this time now, stillness is
be within it 

heart of all 

be here 

striking the heart

a beautiful woman is one that is pure inside

she is the sun in the darkest night 

and the undying love 

in the merciless world of change

she shows the door to truth

and lets the non-dual vision
come forward to be known

as she moves, 

she creates a path of perfection

for all that are in the way of seeing clearly

she spends no time in mind 

and does not dwell on 

what just took place 

or what may happen 

how can this matter

when the heart is all that shines 

still and quiet?

when she takes the seeker in 

she is not different than him

she is not separate from his heart 

and this pure heart 

is what will be revealed 

as the seeker
lets go of his false ways 

when she loves, 

she loves not to possess or own 

but simply *is* love in it's raw way

which is unconditioned 

not as two 

not as two

as she speaks

her words are empty and filled with light 

as the first awakening 

of the dawn

lit with awe and striking the heart 

as om 

as kali strikes 

so does she in life's perfection 

this perfection is not to take away anything 

of value 

it comes back to itself 

as full completion 

in which nothing is lost 

but struggle

she comes like fresh rains 

and sprouting green growth

and the warm sun of spring 

that takes away the sting of winter

she stays well inside always
free and whole

she stays mindless of thought 

yet strong in intelligence 

how young she is in spirit 

how very pure 

in this light,

she is your true nature 

she lives in you 

as timeless reality 

she lives in you as the bright dawn of om

and the treasure of the uncreated 

she lives within you, my dear heart

as one
she lives within you
as the SELF

Buddha spoke of detachment..

when Buddha sat under the bodhi tree

he was filled with overwhelming emotions 

and movement of mind 

he saw many visions including mara the goddess

of deception dancing before him

he was not to be swayed by this 

but continued steadfast in his meditation

he sat and sat and sat some more 

all came forward from his consciousness 

of other worlds and other lifetimes 

images of fire burning and hell realms 

and desires that took on forms of lust 

and envy and pride 

and all the things that haunt the soul so 

much when in mind 

he did not move, but continued to look deeply

at his mind that put out these images 

and questioned what is true 

are these images true that come and go 

and play about?

or are they made up as fiction and have 

no substance in themselves except for 

what the mind attaches to?

he looked at this and saw that this movement 

was not real in it's essence 

for it did not remain and died away when looked at 

he continued to question his mind 

and penetrated it's layers with awareness 

and eventually the mind stilled 

as what was seen as false was not given 

any more attention

and it withered and died away

leaving the beauty of the absolute alone

Buddha spoke always to the middle way
and detachment being primary
for without detachment the mind
was not to find freedom
this is why those on the path are to
*witness* what is here which creates a buffer
to the experience
and then one is not so lost in the mix of it all..
with this, the mind
begins to get some distance and clarity
on what is taking place
then from here
one can continue to go forward
into deeper waters..

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..

Buddha means *awake*

Buddha sat under the bodhi tree to clear
his mind of the false
why did he come to sit and how
did he find himself under the tree?

He was born in a family of wealth
that were focused on externals
clothes, royal trappings and games of love, war, sex
and worldly pleasures were their mind sets
this was very superficial in nature
and did not hold any substance
or find its way into the heart of the young
seeker
he was looking for something other than
what came like this and gave no lasting return
he was wanting to be free of all attachments
of form and desire
to rid his mind of the false energies that rose
to haunt his soul in the morning, day and evening
he was not wanting to live like a king
for it held no lasting value

Once his longing for freedom fully blossomed
and he knew for certain he was not a man of
the world
and did not want to delve further into the life
that was handed so easily to him
(like a plate filled with wonderful
foods and pleasures right at hand)
When he knew for certain
he had enough of all of this
and that his desire was firing elsewhere
in the heart to seek
this is the evening when
he took to his horse and went out with the help of his long
time companion
and then journeyed forth alone
he did not bring with him heavy trappings of the past
as this would be very cumbersome and daunting
for he was to journey through mountain passes and
into lands that were very rigorous
so why then would he bring the heaviness of his
past with him
he left the wealth
he left his family
he left his child (in good hands with those in the
community to care for)

So he moved forward
what he found in the beginning was suffering
suffering that he had been shielded from before
and he was shocked
he saw people starving and gaunt
like skeletons
pain wracking their eyes and heart
he saw souls lost and left to waste away like shadows
he saw old age and decreptitude
he saw poverty
he saw struggle and deep despair in the eyes
of those sitting by the roadside
what a shock this was indeed
as nothing like this had ever been revealed
before

He did not go to feed these souls food
or find them water
he did not bless them or help them to stand
he did not call them to come near or even pray for them
instead, he resigned himself to find freedom so that all of
humanity would have a map out
to be free of suffering eternally

So he wandered through the forest
barefoot and clothed only in a bit of cloth
with the elements coming in fully as there was no door
to shut or any locks in this open land
he carried no money
he begged for food and alms
he ate what he found
shrubs and berries
seeds and even earth when there was nothing
he slept on the dirt under the full moon
with the wild animals of nature's creation
and listened to their call in his ear
he encountered dangers
snakes, leopards, tigers and all the
wild things that people shun
and he sat shaking and petrified
but stayed, sat, walked
and continued

If he were to go back to where he came from
he would not be the Buddha
or the example of glory
that he is
or the one that showed the way out
of suffering
he would be another creature
that sank into worldly desire and was lost
to their own nature
like so many others
he would not have awakened
to the truth

So he wandered and sank into himself
in loneliness and dark places
but moved forward
he brought a lamp and this is the lamp
that lit his soul up
(not an external light)

he had no guide

**(Though this is not what is spoken
in the scriptures as the way that all can take
without a guide.
The majority need a true sturdy guide.
He is a rare example)**

Onward he went into the shadow land of mind
and its dark hauntings
the desire for flesh
the desires of food for the beast of ego
the desires for finding something for yourself
and holding it away as being yours only
all of the desires that haunts souls of those
in the shadows

He went into these dark energies
and did not run
and yes he was afraid and burned with the
desire to run
but he did not

He found himself in many rough waters
in which he did not know what to feel or think
but he called inwards always
to be present and steady

He almost wasted away to nothing
skin stretched across bone
and barely breathing
when a small girl
gave him some milk
he drank from it
because he finally understood
the body needed nourishment
and the soul needed the body for a time
to discover the truth
if the body died now
he would have lost his chance

The bodhi tree is a symbol
of his time spent in awakening
to his true nature
it is not a symbol that fits into your
picture of what it is
it is a shining example
of the forthright and steady efforts
of a soul to sit and discover himself
in nature with its spreading mystery
and open elements
the bodhi trees roots are so broad and flow
underground so deep that there is no way
that tree is to be shaken
this is like the spirit that is steady
through the winds of change and testing
waters
this is why the ones that do enter reality are the ones
that continue in spite of obstacles

The bodhi tree is where Buddha sat
for many a day
and many an hour
he did not wander around and talk
or ruminate about what he left behind
he just sat
and the demons came
and the desires rose up
this is where he continued to penetrate
the nature of mind and its false ramblings
he shook them clean
and tore away the covers of the false
he wrenched the mind clean of its wanderings
and personal stains
he wiped the mind of its outer layers that
blocked the light of truth
he did not reflect on what this or that meant
or hold his knowledge against the scriptures
or the lights of others
he was looking to find out for himself
so he could be a lamp to humanity
this is when he awakened
when all the false nature of impurities
burnt away
and the beauty of truth lit up

Buddha is awakened
and this is what it means
to be **awake**

seeking freedom

master, i have been away in the world

and found it wanting of peace 

what am i to do now as i cannot be content with 

the waves of mind and desires that are so all consuming in their way

i desire to shed this covering of the false 

and enter into liberation

how am i to do it? 

i am not anything special in my way, nor have i great strength 

nor do i possess perfect qualities...
i am not a renunciate...

what am i to do? --

can i know God even though so very basic in my ways i am?

the master said, sir yes you can know God in your heart 

if you are truly desiring to be set free
and devote your energies towards the good

which means towards honest living and pure intention

this flame will be lit and will grow to consume the separation in time..

if you are devoted inside to purity and truth -- and these are watered 

as one waters seeds in a garden...

this will grow in the being and eventually bear fruit...

do not trouble yourself with when or how or who...

simply stay in the heart, focused on the present without going about 

putting barriers up for yourself ...

if energy is placed towards this end of liberation, 

there will be a time when the right conditions will manifest
*if one remains surrendered and sincere*
and critical mass will be reached 

and the whole structure of mind will topple...

whether now or in the next life -- it matters not ...

the timing is up to grace ...

what matters is that energy and focus is placed in the right direction now..

this is all one is to do --

the seeker said, my master i feel so unequipped to be a student at times 

my heart is torn in many directions --

though i seek to be free, i am divided in my way and caught up in the world 

and it's pursuits 

please tell me how to let go of this, so my mind is focused entirely on God 

the master said, you are not divided truly, this is mere imagination...

like a mirage ... 

if you can let go of this thought that you are this way or that way...

then there is an opportunity to go deep within and see what else lies 

under these identifications...

but if you get lost in the thoughts, then this will not aide your journey...

you can be focused one-pointed -- in one direction ....

this will take time, keep making efforts...

the seeker said, you make it sound possible, like it is a choice that can be made...

the master said, it is a choice in one way -- and choiceless in another when one is  

surrendered within... 

but there is no need to worry about anything else, but being present and keeping focused 

on the experience that is now...

soon enough mind will become more centered and then one continues to look at mind ...

and confront it directly with self-inquiry...

it will be seen that ego is no-thing -- it is not to remain, but will dissolve when 

it's identity is sought out...

like seeing a mirage of a tree with roots and getting up close to it

to examine it directly and it dissappears...

what reality does it have truly, if it dies away upon clear seeing?..

the seeker said, master thank you very much for your wisdom

i am to go now and be off to my life, yet i will take with me what you said

and make efforts to keep the mind focused and not put on my self troubles and 

questions that lead to no good end... 

i will do this with my heart and if i forget, will go back at it again

for there is nothing more to be done, but to let go it seems...

the master said, yes, let go and do not bring back what has been discarded...

do not try to understand experience, simply live it -- not analyze and all of that ...

thank you master for this blessing said the seeker and he bowed deeply

and touched his master's feet 

and his mind quieted and he breathed easier in this moment .,..

and then he got up and went his way in the world...

beyond appearances

a man came today

he carried with him a book

that was dusty and old 

it read on the cover 

the non-dual scriptures

he set it down on a rock 

and the wind came up strongly

and blew the pages 

away 

leaving very little left of the book

the man said he had no need for reading anymore 

as his mind was sunk in the light of brahman

he *was* a living light 

absorbed always in brahman

what is the need for books then?

a man came today

he wore old clothes and seemed decrepit

hunched over 

with smiling eyes,

he said, all is o ne and cannot be otherwise 

this body is not who and what i am

it is now wasting away

and will be gone soon

but this pure consciousness that 

i truly am lives on forever 

i have no fear about anything 

in this moment, 

or the next, may this body fall

i am undivided always 

and can never perish

a man came today

radiant in face and form

he wore on his head the marks of Shiva

he donned the robes of saffron

and wore the rudraksha beads around his neck

he walked barefoot 

behaving rather odd 

singing and dancing 

without self-consciousness

and then falling silent 

he said he was forever still within

and cared not what he wore 

tomorrow, he said 

i may be in a business suit or naked

it matters not 

for i am not this form that you see

i live forever beyond appearances 

free as the open sky

and glorious full moon

i live eternally

within peace
as Shiva

a man came today

he looked troubled 

as his friend had just died 

he wept and wept 

with his face in his hands

he said he was an enlightened master 

and though he looked sorrowful on the outside 

he was at perfect peace within

not troubled at all

he said the exterior play is not real

only the beauty of truth 

is what is real 

though emotions still flow

this pristine essence 

remains forever untouched
without a drop of sorrow 

never to die away...

man of truth

if you are a man of truth

you will walk in the land of shadow

but not be touched by it

your eyes will be always on brahman

whether in the city or towns or 

home or out in the world 

this will be no different

whether sitting, walking, 

eating, drinking, 

speaking 

or being silent

if you are a man of truth

you will not go to the well of unrest

and be tempted there 

as desires will no longer rise to push

the soul about 

what will be your name

shiva

what will be your mark

detachment

what will be your family

none

what will be your home

absolute

what will be your joy

this moment

what will be your work

pointing the way to truth

what will be your rest

unbroken quietude

where do you reside

kevala or absolute aloneness 

the sage

the sage 

is free of unrest 

he is unburdened like shiva

he is identical to the absolute

he is free of pride and lust 

he bears no mark of ignorance 

such as attachment to form and

intellect

he is rinsed clean of sin

he is a light unto himself

he is a prince of peace 

he is a bright glow
for humanity

he may sit on a tiger skin

or a throne 

or live in the streets 

as a homeless one

and remains unblemished

as his consciousness 

is changeless

and not affected by externals

he sees the world of many

but still his consciousness

is single 

always within shiva 

he has no relationship 

to any 

as he is completely alone

within himself

he is in stillness always

without ups 

and downs of the world

steady as the mountain range

fresh as the rains that come 

to a parched land 

swept clean of stories

of me and mine

shorn of coverings of identifications

he may seat himself in the lotus 

position on the earth 

or walk in the crowded cities

he may wear ordinary clothes 

or nothing at all

he may speak eloquent words 

or be in silence

he may sit by the waters 

and sleep in the deep forests 

with the creatures 

or live in an ordinary home 

he may be outgoing 

or quiet in nature

he may be uncomely

or wear a beautiful face 

he may embody a fine form

or be bent with age
and decrepitude

he remains unattached

and eternally free

of these appearances

he will not be comprehended

by those in mundane mind 

his divine state will be 

recognized only by those that 

are liberated 

as this is the same 

consciousness always 

o ne 

not high

not low 

not anything 

in between

zero

without qualities

what remains when 

the mind falls away

this is the sage  

ordinary consciousness

for the ones that rest within
non-dual consciousness

the light is what is normal

not anything extraordinary

not anything different than anything else 

or separate from anything 

how high up 

or low down can this be

it cannot 

for there is nothing else but this o ne 

bird of paradise...

the peacock struts his bright plumage 

like a one that is set apart from other creatures

of God's creation

he does not want to see the perishing ways of the world

and the suffering it brings..

he cares not about this for he is so fine now 

and nothing can touch that 

he is the center of all 

riding high on the waves 

the parrot laughs at this 

what a silly joke on him

he knows not that his bright feathers are to blow 

with the wind 

and be nothing but earth and soot on the boot of 

some passerby one day...

but the parrot sighed as this was said

as he was not certain

he liked this idea of perishing

for what will remain when this way i know so well

is to go? 

the trees i rest on are my home 

and are very dear to me and my chattering flock

how can i let go of that? 

i cannot approach such a possibility at all

i will fix my sight on this home of mine only 

and tend to it well 

as this is what is real 

but his heart was still quite a bit in doubt 

as he watched the birds fly back and forth

for food and search for rest

he slept uneasily 

his soul felt like a ship lost to sea

alone and forsaken 

set apart from what he knew most
and a welling within him came to know
of something beyond this world
that wastes away....
what to do?, he said within

i shall ask the 

falcon 

he is the wisest

and he flew there with his bright feathers

shining in the heat of the day

to the falcons home 

on the high branches of the 

hearty tree 

and asked 

dear falcon i am in great distress

for i know not what is happening 

the soul is stirring to find the way 

that speaks of other lands in which there 

are no tears or unrest

and one can be made into a being that 

is real

but dear falcon does this mean i need to

leave my home in search of such a place 

of splendor?

the falcon sat awhile in silence 

and then said  -

your heart speaks rightly to you that there 

is another land that is lacking in shadow

and haunting ways 

and will uncover a rich peace that 

is not of your world that you know

oh my said the parrot

now this is good and bad to hear of at the same time

as now that i know of it 

how can i ever put it out of my heart

i cannot be easy in my world as a parrot
for to feel that i am just this little creature that
flits around seeking companions and food,
set to sleep and rise with the dawn only to  be
on the search out of hunger again
and not only that, i cannot deny now that this is all
to go some day...
and to hear of something much greater beyond..
oh how hard and how joyous at the same time
are your words dear falcon

could i find this beauty and still keep my tree and 

clan so familiar?

or must i really give up and take the journey over moors

mountains, valleys, seas 

pushing thru all climes and weather of great turbulence?

look at me 

i am only a parrot --

what say of you falcon?

well friend, said the falcon

if you are a wanderer and have faith in the search
then you do not worry of how --

you just begin..
here is the road out there 

and here is a little bit of bread and a 

song to sing when you become entranced again

with the world you left

hold tight to all of it as it will aide you in your search

the parrot took what was given

and said thank you falcon for your time and flew back to his

home where he pondered deeply what to do...

when he fell asleep he dreamed that there was a water

well in which he perched on the edge 

and looked down

it seemed so very deep and dark in there

as to swallow him up

and he screeched oh no this is so very big to me 

and i am not sure 

but as he screeched his reflection screeched too at the same  time

and it made him laugh a bit 

and feel that there was a joke somewhere that maybe he was missing

in the morning he flitted about a bit anxious 

he found his flock and said 

i am journeying away friends in search of beautiful clear waters

and light 

his friends snickered 

you are what?

how very disoyal of you 

are you not our kind?

you must think you are greater than the rest 

and what about your mother?

she will not be happy

no she will not, the parrot knew that but that was not to dissuade him

he was going 

even though he ached inside and was not sure where it would all lead

so he went back and set out to begin

off he went thru the clouds

over hills, valleys, seas and mountains

and as he flew all kinds of emotions and shades of thinking 

came up to haunt and taunt him...

what ifs and all sorts of heaven and hell gates opened

as they came up he remembered the song 

and he sang it with great devotion of mind and soul

he sang it as he passed over the great ocean 

with rising swells ...

and the mighty mountains  

and storms of thunder

he ate the bread with gratitude that he was alive and 

able to go on towards the pure lands that he sought

so earnestly

finally after such a long spread of time 

he came to a different land

a country that appeared as a distinctly different presence 

oh joy he said 

maybe this is it 

and as he said that this light eluded him like a dream

that was cast over in shadow and mist

but he continued forward until again the clouds dissapeared

and this presence arose within his gaze as a distinctly different

reality

this time he did not move within and set himself down

like a drop of rain in a great body of water

downward without looking forward or back

as if he had no choice what an odd thing indeed 

he was slipping away this little thing he thought he was 

and his entire life too

oh no, he said

oh yes, said the ocean of the real ...

(the land of pure waters that is)

and his bit of clinging was swept away as if it 

never was...
he felt as if he had been held in a long stagnant dream
that he finally awoke from..

a stilled beauty penetrated within 

and he screeched in laughter at what was such a silly joke

played on him..

it was right here all the time ...
he is now a sage somewhere and lives in the forests free 

a light to those hearts that are willing to listen

and are ready to take the great walk

to the heartland of *IS*...

dear wanderers continue forward on your journeys..

there will be a day

when you too will laugh

maha shanti om

unchanging o ne

people of all walks of life
seek shelter from the way of suffering
even the creatures are not settled within
when night comes
they stay watchful of prowlers and
ones that are a danger
the sea too is in turbulence
when the wind is strong
and mighty
the grasses blow
and the small things run for cover...
even with this play in the heart of all
there is an undying stillness that lives
beyond form and
the passing phases of the world
that appear this way or that to the eye
the one that lives within this pure light..
*the peace that passes understanding*
does not sit as within the usual earthly
condition of woes...
but lives always as brahman
unchanging and free
within all conditions
there is no other to this o ne
and though the activities of the world go on..
as always ...
and the eyes of the o ne register this reality
there is no attachment to it..
or any movement within
to create a world ...
of birth and death
shadow and light...
all of it goes as a dream
like mist on the water..
what remains is a deep well of compassion
mercy
and unobstructive clarity
that is brought to humanity
as an offering of pure love
and light
such a blessing...

0

prior to the story...

it was told to you that you are so
much like a beautiful bird
or like a swan
a paramahansa
a sage or a brilliant light
or like a one that is completely out of suffering
and forever unburdened by body and mind..
it was told to you rightly
by the means of crystal clear stillness
prior to the story...
do you remember?