Muscles straining
Breathing diligently
Mind focused
Within
The Infinity
Of the eternal moment

At Peace

Thoughts melting
Exposing tranquility
Body relaxed
Within  
The Balance
Of the effortless effort.

I am in a boat, watching the waves
When I learn the ways of the ocean,
I shall become one with it
And go to the depth of it,
In the stillness
And vastness
The boat isn't really there,
neither am "I"
The waves are only on the surface...
There's only depth...
And silence


तथाता tathātā

Walking with colorful butterflies
around
within
Dissolving into bubbles of joy

Nothing lasts
Nothing is lost.

To live life in its fullest
To taste the grapes of joy
To drink their wine in glasses
To feel the sweet drops,
And enjoy.

To be enchanted,
Drunken with delight,
To see the brightness of the stars,
During the dark, mysterious, cold night…

I dream of happiness and laughter,
Of rainbows shining in the sky
I dream my tears are turning into roses.
They're dropping on my pillow as I cry.

I dream of green fields, and I'm running
I feel the wind stroking my cheeks.
It dries my tears and softly whispers:
"You must break free of all your fears".

I close my eyes and I am swallowed.
Consumed,
By a gigantic salty wave
And I am floating, not resisting,
I'm only trying to be brave…

Inside the sea, deep in the darkness
I see my past, my present and my dreams,
And there's a voice, floating beside me,
It tells me: "nothing's as it seems".

At times I'm chocking, and I'm drowning
I'm praying for the coziness of death,
But when it doesn't come, I realize that
All I need,
Is a deep breath.

Every element of nature speaks,
Singing a song of silence.
The heart
hears.

The tree next to the bust stop
Has been stripped by the winds
Almost completely,
But I can feel it smiling.

It communicates without sounds,
Words or concepts,
That which is most real.

And my heart is stripped
Naked
From all its layers,
As I listen.

It feels like a warm and loving hug
And I stand mesmerized,
Tearful eyes, smiling...

Riding the bus,
observing
the people,
the same song plays.

Without being aware
They too sing,
The song of silence.

The surface is filled
With different emotions,
Thoughts,
Experiences.

Yet I am diving deeper into the ocean and
My heart smiles again,
Recognizing the familiar music.

Walking down the street,
Hundreds of ants
Running
On the pavement.

The rain has destroyed their home
And now they must
Rebuild.

Walking carefully so no life is harmed,
Again I hear the melody.
It is sung by the ants and the earth
As one.

By now, my heart is laughing.
Dancing completely naked
In no space or place
To a soundless tune
Of an eternal rhythm.

Something is dying
Something is
being born

The shedding of
the old skin
is but the birth
of a new one

The void
is
the falling
and flying
simultaneously

But we can only
grasp
one
side of the coin
at a time.

The silence
in between
breaths

Whispers
the ephemeral nature
of all.

Peace is in the eye of the storm.

Illusions of permanence are cutting the very
Depth of this mind while it
Overflows with thoughts and
Never-ending clouds bring
'
Tears to remind how
Knowledge is the whirlwind while
Not-knowing is the silent center; still the
Ongoing winds keep tearing down every
Withered leaf from the tree of my heart.

It begins with just a whisper,
A hint of murmur,
Some quiet tremor
Of warmth.

Growing stronger each moment,
The flutter turns into
A familiar song
Of tenderness.

The sound flows clearly now,
Gushing like waves on
A distant shore
Of silence.

An ethereal orchestra is already
Masterfully performing,
The rhythmic tune
Of affection.

And soon, the unbroken melody
Softly transforms into
The ageless symphony
That is a cat's purr.

Looking out
        Eyes
sunbathing.
       Skin
caressed
by the breeze.
        Air
enters
the lungs
       Fresh
Clear
       Warm exhale
Follows.
       Trees dance
To the heartbeat
       Of life
       Within.

Last Night...
Cars driving by, flashing lights,
Digging holes in the indigo gown of the evening.
Yet the darkness is still and serene amidst it all.
People look at each other, trying to taste a life with a quick  glance.

Thoughts...
Crossing the mind, electric impulses,
Puncturing the emptiness.
Yet the ocean of consciousness stays tranquil amongst the fluctuations.
Perceptions reflect one upon the other,
Attempting to catch the moon in the puddle.

Now...
Leaves are descending, surrendering to the wind.
Their absence reveals fragile branches...
Yet the core of the tree remains unmoved.

Rays of sunlight appear through the clouded sky.

A silent smile in my heart.

These are not
raindrops
      these are my
Tears
      falling
      moist and heavy
this is not
the wind
     this is the
sound of
     my Heart
     ripped open
or is it
     ripe and open
     like a bright red
ripened pomegranate
on a tree branch
     burst open
     nothing to hold in
the little crimson drops
     falling
     one
  by
one
  by
one
    death
  by
birth
  by
life

Look at this  * * *
... star, space, star, space, star, space....

The space between my fingers
the space between the inhale and exhale
the space between the waves, the ocean and the shore
The space between notes in the music
the space between all and nothing
everything comes from nothing
Nothing-at-All...

* * *

Such a miracle...such a miracle...all is...

Snow melts

Water flows

Making waves on the pavement

Wet legs.

When you look deep within                     Set your tears free now
And see clearly through                                Let them go running
Eyes of love                                                             Like wild horses

Only then can the blessing                      By singing all the secrets
Of the broken heart                                      Of the open meadows
Be recognized as                                            And catching fireflies
Each piece is                                                               ­      One by one

A doorway                                                          ­                  They will
To your                                                             ­                    Bring you  
Self.                                                      ­                                         Light.

Water

First come the small waves
Light turquoise color
So pure
She can see right through them
As they are washing over her
She

Forgets

words, herself, the ocean,
The waves

Grow

Now being carried by them
She laughs
The laughter is heard only

Within

The silence of the waves is
The sound of her

Heart

She breathes in
The fresh
Water
So pure
Light turquoise color
Then comes a light breeze

Air

This morning is a poem-
In between the drifting clouds
Amidst the silent trees
Plays
The eternal song
Of the ephemeral.

Now
It is time
To give yourself up.

Surrender,
Abandon all struggle,
Thoughts, worries and hopes.

Now
It is time
To be Silent.

Be as heavy and still
As the highest mountain.

Be as light and serene
As the delicate flower.

Now
It is time
To listen.

Listen in pure silence
As if trying to hear the voice of the sun
Rising at dawn.

Listen to the one who hears
And rest in this
Timeless equanimity.

Here, at this very moment
There is no belonging,
and neither non-belonging.

The reflection of sunlight in a water bottle,
the tree outside the window
the sound of wind mixed with the ticking of a clock
the feeling of a warm sweater upon my skin

The essence of all embraces me,
All the while nothing is embracing
and no one is embraced.