|
Truth-Spirit
of Enquiry Transformation Sri
Aurobindo My
breath runs in a subtle rhythmic stream; It
fills my members with a might divine: I
have drunk the Infinite like a giant's wine. Time
is my drama or my pageant dream. Now
are my illumined cells joy's flaming scheme And
changed my thrilled and branching nerves to fine Channels
of rapture opal and hyaline For
the influx of the Unknown and the Supreme. I
am no more a vassal of the flesh, A
slave to Nature and her leaden rule; I
am caught no more in the senses' narrow mesh. My
soul unhorizoned widens to measureless sight, My
body is God's happy living tool, My
spirit a vast sun of deathless light. Truth-Discrimination The
Song of India What
song shall I sing of you, my Mother? I
asked. 'Shall
I sing Of
the Himalayas with their snow-born peaks, Of
the three seas that wash your palm? Shall
I sing Of
your clear dawn with its pure gold-streaks?' Said
the Mother imperturbable, calm; 'Sing
of the beggar and the leper That
swarm my streets. Sing
of the filth and the dirt That
foul my sylvan retreats.' 'What
song shall I sing of you, my Mother?' I
asked. 'Shall
I sing Of
your rock-cut temples, epics in stone, Of
your children that died to call you their own, Their
very own? Of
the seers and prophets that hewed the straight path For
the man that pilgrims alone? Said
the Mother in indignant words That
beat into my ears like gong, That
flew about me, a pitiful thing, Like
great white birds: 'Sing
of the millions that toil. Sing
of the wrinkled face Indexing
ignorance. 'Sing
of the helpless child Born
in a bleak, dark home. Nervous,
I yet would ask, Deeming
it my task: 'What
song shall I sing of you, my Mother? What
song? Shall
I sing of the dam and the lake? Of
steel mills, the ship-building yard? Of
the men that work hard To
technologiese, to put you on the page Of
the Atomic Age? Said
the Mother: '0f these you may sing. But
sing also of the strikes, early and
late, Of
iron men that come in their wake, Of
class-war and its correlate.' Querulous,
I said: 'Is
there no song that I can sing of you, Heart-whole,
unalloyed'? A
song bathed in the stainless blue Unvapouring
in the void?' At
that the Mother rose, draped in blue sky. Milk-white
oceans heaved round her. Their waves Were
the entrancing and enthroning light On
which she sat and wrote the Book of the Morrow. Her
forehead opened like earth's destiny Yielding
the sun-god, cancelling all sorrow. It
was clear dawn. Like a nightmare fled the night And
the sun-beam was as the Hand that saves. Truth-Discrimination Blow
the garden of my life into bloom Sane
Guruji Lord,
blow the garden of my life into bloom A
skilled gardener that you are. keep
the garden Propitiate
in it the celestial grace The
bother of the past abounds here Set
the bird free to fly Spite
and malice are the stones Break
them and make the tree of love bloom Sexual
passion and carnal desire are
sure to eat away this garden With
the baton of renunciation, banish
them away Raise
here a beautiful temple of
dauntless faith and the worship of the virtue Spatter
here the jigging fountains of
ardour and joy Bring
into being the cool and serene arbour of
rectitude and sanctity Blowing
the garden into bloom. Lord. dwell there. and
blow then your sweet flute. Translated
from Marathi by Pradeep Gopal Deshpande Truth-Respect
for All Religions The
Only True Religion Sane
Guruji To
offer love to the world is
the only true religion The
mean and the extremely base in this world, the
meek and the downtrodden in this world should
be sought and uplifted Give
love to the world Those
that are forever miserable and most helpless Those
that are oppressed by all should
be sought and lit by laughter Give
love to the world. Do
not rack anyone for no reason Do
not slight anyone for no reason Regard
all as your brothers Give
love to the world All
are children of God All
are dear to him Do
not look down upon anyone Give
love to the world This
is the essence of religion This
is the essence of truth Die
for the weal of others Give
love to the world Translated
from Marathi by Pradeep Gopal Deshpande. Truth-Service
to others The
Voice of Man Munib-ur-Rahman Today
I have heard the voice of man. Filled
with life's passion, Vibrant,
flushed with emotions, Surging
forward like a wave of molten steel. The
voice of man, not a few howling madmen, Grim,
violent, terrifying, Hissing
like venomous snakes Swirling
on the shoulder of death. Today
I have heard the voice of man In
burgeoning fields, in fat pastures, In
the perpetual pulse of factories, In
long veins of mines underground, Ploughs
scoring the earth's bosom, Crackling
limbs of giant machines, Vast
ships cleaving the surging seas, Song,
dance, books, buildings, statues, Countless
lips, innumerable eyes, All
crying out for justice now. Today
I have heard the voice of man. My
desires, my heart, Every
fibre of my being Longs
to dissolve in this voice. 0
watchdogs of religion, 0
flag-bearers of cruel politics, You
tremble when you hear the voice. But
I - I weave my song From
the strands of the voice of man. Translated
from Urdu by Baidar Bakht and Kathleen Grant Jaegar. Truth-Respect
for All Religions Dream
of Dawn (Khwab-e-Sehar) Asrar-ul-Haq
Majaz For
ages has the radiant sun been shining in the skies, But
human mind has always struggled in the shade of night. Darkness
has held its sway since the world began, Not
a ray was allowed to light the head or heart of man. Religion
too from time to time has made her vain forays, The
rain of revelation too has purified this place. Angels
too from time to time have descended on this earth, Noble
souls have also been displaying their precious worth. Moses,
Umraan, Mary's Jesus-all showed their spiritual might, Ram,
Gautam, Faroun, Haaman, all have their hands tried. Wielders
of the pen and sword have also walked this globe, The
world has been graced by unnumbered reverend folk. For
centuries has the human heart to idols been a prey, Islam
too, like vernal cloud, has fertilised this clay. Mullahs
have been sermonising in the holy mosques, Brahamins
have been chanting hymns in their synagogues. Man
has been supplicating saints and sages wise, Human
misery, all the same, has all recipes defied. Human
brow has always bent at this or that threshold, Humanity
has always suffered inequities untold. There
has been no dearth of leaders, or of prophets wise, Greed
for gold has plied its trade wearing religious guise. Feeling
hearts have tried to leaven knowledge with the light of love, The
clouds of darkness, nevertheless, have always hung over this earth, Such
struggle, such suffering, such heinous carnage! How
long has man been to superstition a slave! Human
mind has at last awakened from its heavy sleep, In
the stormy night of life, in the superstitious deep, Has
at least dreamt a dream of the golden dawn, Looked
at last towards the East, where none before glanced. Translated
from Urdu by K.C. Kanda Truth-
Spirit of Enquiry Words,
and Words Nirmalaprabha
Bordoloi I
am in the midst of words In
the midst of words I The
words are in my midst. With
words I see I
recognise I
introduce myself I
smell I
touch Each
tremble I
perceive closeness. Words
make me stand On
many levels At
the same moment I
become he He
becomes myself Just
in a moment The
fragrance of sky Gives
me wings I
enter into the depths of the perfume With
a tree I become tree With
a river, river. The
sound make me sicken Distressed,
stunned They
make me excited They
arose the thousand 'I's in me Like
a murmuring breeze Like
a thing seen in flash Like
a sound faintly heard. I
become agitated I
run to touch me To
turn my face away I
search for 'Amitabha' I
search for 'Adityabarna' I
search for 'Nilanjana' Where
are you all? I
want to become blue I
want to be of the colour of gold I
want to burn my body to ashes So
much blood in words So
much fire in words. Translated
from Assamese by Ajit Barua. Truth-
Discrimination The
Guru Tayumanavaswamy True
of tongue are the truly holy; Truth
never from their speech is far; Truly
within their heart, Thou dwellest Truth
that is true, all things that are Truth,
unto them Thou truly teachest, Truth
this is true without a doubt. Falsehood
never have I abandoned: False
one am I,within, without, Falsehood
not knowing as but falsehood, Falsely
that I should say and do Falsehood
of all falsehoods the falsest Falsehood
not seen to be untrue, Thy
doing all who in me being My
mind at Thy behest and beck Movest,
What can I do all helpless? Thou
art the Guru round whose neck Dark
blue the ring of drunken poison For
ever burns, Siva. Thou art The
Guru who as Vishnu camest To
men Thy wisdom to impart. Thou
sittest on Thy seat of lotus Expounder
of the Vedas four, Brahma,
whose head the four-ways faceth. Four
-faced who is from ever more. In
all the creeds to calling voices The
gracious Guru comest Thou; And
to Thy saints whose cry Thou hearest, Foresake
us not,O, succour now, Thou
Love, to loving ones, becomest, Wise
Counsellor in doings all, O
Source of Grace, in joy past thinking, That
dancest in high Wisdom's Hall. Translated
from Tamil by T.Isaac Tambyah. Truth-Spirit
of Enquiry If
Your Steps Slacken Kulo
Thungan My
dear heart: you keep rolling in dust and reveling in
fifth like a worm ; do not seem to aspire
for anything of value. You
do not aim to soar and swim in the
sky and fly in space---- You
are cuddled in the prison--house
of your flesh and blood: The
one that moves on the stomach can
never attain any great height. I
see no urge, no throbbing, no energized
endeavor on your part: You
do not seem to seek the light
of learning ,yearn for goals
that transcend human bounds. You
have no pride--- Cannot
shun the petty, nor Entertain
any longing for a surging life and
glory You
seem to be happy living in dizzy darkness. The
grass, the shrub, the worm and
lifeless stone---all have a story of their own: To
be born, to grow, to procreate. To
wither with age and die, is
common to every life: Endowed
with a boundless mind, able to dream and
imagine you
are the peak of all creations. You
are the perennial spring of ambitions
and emotions that break all chains
and continue the onward march.. Yours
is the scripture that proclaims that
the inaccessible and the impossible have
no place in your faith. You
are like a poet who wanders singing in the sky and
in space ;who moves in the world
of the moon and beyond. You
are as free and exuberant as the
lark in a wooded forest. You
mix the golden rays of the sun,
enjoy the company of the clouds with the
flash of lightning and there
you sing your songs of liberty
and liberation. Yours
is a mind that has the majesty
of logic and reason; What
has so far been impossible for you, has
not been found possible for anyone else. From
the beginning of life, the journey that you
undertook ,you continue tirelessly. You
are he creator of all the angels, god and Other
heavenly beings that the world talks about; You
are also the father of the sciences that
destroyed many myths. We
do not know till today whether
it is for good or bad, with
a purpose or without one, why
this world came into existence. But
from all the we know of, it
is humanity that devised the means , the method and
form for growth , and you continue to grow: In
the path of progress you used the tools of logic, inquiry,
endeavor and courage as your companions. |