~May I Be the Being I Know I Am~

Monday, January 03, 2000

Sadu on the Sidewalk~

old, aging, ancient-
the sadu on the sidewalk trains patient-
the vedic equation maintains pain-
as latent statements of ego placement-

always jumping-
tree, tree; branch, branch; vine, vine-
I, I; me, me; mine, mine-
this the mind monkey made-
untamed and untrained and going grey with old age-

Shiva! he shouts under his breath-
in a whisper that only I can hear-
literally-
this beggar in raggedy robes-
blessing the droves of drop dead souls-
a silent hero-

the city lights-
the worldly sights-
he passes by-
he steps aside-
no pride to hide-
for all the world to see-
that yogi; that sadu; that baba; that sage-
I and I praise that truth seeker-
go deeper, go deeper-
don't hesitate-
fly higher, burn brighter-
this our shared sacred fate!-
as I sit on the sidewalk and slowly go sane-

made sane by way of knowledge-
knowledge of the soul-
soul the stage-
stage the place-
which plays the living show-

so on the street are people walking and smoking and shopping-
cows grazing trash-
cars honking-
I try open-eyed to gaze unmoving-
so much variety flying by-
dogs, cows, bums, rickshaws and slackjaws-
all bumping and grooving-

they flow in-
they mingle and mix-
they pass out of sight in their own time-
some slowly, some quick-
some healthy, some sick-
but always moving, ever moving-

this is the trick!-
this is the game-
all thoughts the same-
all feelings the same-
in that they continue on-
varied in expression-
still they sing the same song-
impermanent-
unsatisfying-
not self-

the problem is that we make mistakes-
and take those dogs and cows and passing people as equal-
equal to I, me, mine-
we forget that we are the sadu on the street-
smiling through rotting teeth-
serenely watching the scene-
'This Show is Dream!' he says-
'a gentle mental stream of word-thought and sun-beam'-

the sadu knows this and suffers no pain-
it is we that choose to stay in the deep drama rain-
complaining insane thinking we're on the stage-
thinking actor and witness are one in the same-

Hey Man...
they are one-
we are the same-
but you can't think this-
it's intrinsic-
non-dualistic-

the sadu gets high on this-
from his eyes stream bliss-
cause the dream is seen for what it is-

in breath-
out breath-
come to rest-
feel fresh-
abide residing deep in the chest-
the heart beat pressed against the breast-
and the man wrapped in robes is the first to attest to the true gain-
release from the cycle-
release from pain-
release from endless wandering in vain-
as I sit on the sidewalk and slowly go sane...

~India, 2006

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