{"id":372,"date":"2012-12-08T11:38:06","date_gmt":"2012-12-08T19:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/aidankelly\/?p=372"},"modified":"2012-12-10T05:25:02","modified_gmt":"2012-12-10T13:25:02","slug":"six-songs-after-lalla-yogishwari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/aidankelly\/2012\/12\/six-songs-after-lalla-yogishwari\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Songs After Lalla Yogishwari"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Perception<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/em>When Sun was unperceived,<\/p>\n

Then moonlight came.<\/p>\n

When Moon was unperceived,<\/p>\n

Then thought remained.<\/p>\n

When thought was unperceived,<\/p>\n

The wind blew round<\/p>\n

And, nothing undeceived,<\/p>\n

Made not a sound.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sound<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Restless mind, be unafraid.<\/p>\n

The one with no beginning meditates on you,<\/p>\n

On how your hunger may fall away from you.<\/p>\n

Chant the unobstructed sound to Him alone.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ever-unobstructed sound<\/p>\n

Has neither name nor shape nor hue.<\/p>\n

His home is in the homeless void;<\/p>\n

He is Himself the empty blue.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lalla begins to know this truth<\/p>\n

When glimpses of her Self begin:<\/p>\n

The rings of sound that grow around<\/p>\n

The dot of light within.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

They know this surely who have found,<\/p>\n

If the shout from His place be heard,<\/p>\n

The Lord is unified with sound<\/p>\n

As sound is unified with word.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

III.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Lefthand Path<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Bind your hatred round me; shout my shame.<\/p>\n

Say what you please, or offer me your soul<\/p>\n

Like flowers; they neither help nor harm.<\/p>\n

So who gets what from it?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Say a thousand lies about me.<\/p>\n

If I am devoted to my God, I remain serene.<\/p>\n

Do ashes spoil a mirror?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lady, rise: with cakes and wine and flesh in hand,<\/p>\n

Go sacrifice. If you know the sound and place,<\/p>\n

Violating custom cannot harm you.<\/p>\n

What are a few customs among friends?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hasty woman, feed your fatted rams<\/p>\n

On the grain that makes them real; then slay them.<\/p>\n

Only when you hear the ending verse<\/p>\n

Will you know you have nothing to lose.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

My teacher told me just one rule:<\/p>\n

\u201cTurn from the outer; look within.\u201d<\/p>\n

That became my word, my sentence;<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I began my skyclad dance.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0IV.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Shiva<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>God of the dark blue throat,<\/p>\n

We both have six attributes.<\/p>\n

We are identical, yet different:<\/p>\n

You rule your six, but mine rule me.<\/p>\n

Far from you, I fall into misery.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lord, I\u2019ve known nothing of my Self or yours.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve cherished my body by mortifying it so much.<\/p>\n

I did not know that You are I, that I am You,<\/p>\n

That we are One. I doubt by asking, \u201cWho am I?\u201d<\/p>\n

And even more by asking \u201cWho are You?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You alone are Heaven and the Earth,<\/p>\n

You alone are day and night and air,<\/p>\n

The grain, the oil, the flowers, water,<\/p>\n

All: it is all You! What can I give?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0V.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Meditation<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>I concentrate my breath to bring<\/p>\n

Om and breath to my control:<\/p>\n

My mind is caught in holy fire;<\/p>\n

My body is a blazing coal.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Transcending all of action\u2019s seats,<\/p>\n

I overcome each source of heat<\/p>\n

Until I reach the chilly room<\/p>\n

That is the dwelling of the Moon,<\/p>\n

Where timeless moonlight, silvery peace,<\/p>\n

And insight flood out in a stream of release<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

VI.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reputation<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Ride a bubble on the wind<\/p>\n

To find the wind\u2019s plantation.<\/p>\n

Gather windroots in your hands,<\/p>\n

Spin them into a single hair<\/p>\n

And leash an elephant with it<\/p>\n

To guard your reputation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Sun was unperceived,
\nThen moonlight came.
\nWhen Moon was unperceived,
\nThen thought remained.
\nWhen thought was unperceived,
\nThe wind blew round
\nAnd, nothing undeceived,
\nMade not a sound.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1098,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nSix Songs After Lalla Yogishwari<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When Sun was unperceived, Then moonlight came. When Moon was unperceived, Then thought remained. 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