To Sing, Prays

[Guest guest]

Even in the dark of night...

The light of All That Is shines Bright

What is wrong with pure devotion?

Borne of love, a pure emotion

Feed my head

or feed my heart...

 

Tuesday afternoon...I'm just beginning to see...Now I'm on my way...It

doesn't matter to me...Chasing the clouds away ( Moody Blues, I love you :-)

So...I had a choice today. To go to the mind lessons at the Temple studying

the Thousand Ways to the Transcendental, Vishnu Sahasranaama, with

commentary by Swami Chinmayananda, taught by a Swami sage, in knowledge and

enlightenment, a trillion times my age. Or...to go to devotion lessons at

another Temple, taught by a family, in knowledge and enlightenment, a

trillion times my age. Ah, the still hearted puppy chooses to sing today. Be

dead, my head. All you do is get in the way, anyway.

 

I drive in my car to their home about 15 minutes away from where I live. God

is everywhere I go tonight. In everything, the Light shines bright. I am

late, having stopped at the local Indian shopping market to buy some food.

The food goes with the recipe book I bought last week! At least now I have

some idea what the staples are. Already, I have been offered private lessons

in Indian cooking, from another one of the Lights that shines so bright in

devotion borne of emotion. Where does that start? In the Heart.

 

Even though I don't need to, I stop into the clothing shop in the market to

visit with another new friend, another Light shining bright in her pure

devotion to All That Is, no strings attached, no dissertations on the

meaning of Anything but the pretty royal blue Sohini I will buy before I get

out the door. Woman, thy name is vanity. (Hi, Grady...LOL) I won't tell her

that you can dress me up but you can't take me out. Leave that for another

day. As I leave the market, I peek over the sweets counter to call "Hello,"

to the man who sold me sweets last week. He smiles another Light shining

bright, and asks me, "Aren't you going to come and see me tonight?.Next

time," I promise. I still have not finished what I bought last week. Eek,

as in the weight is eeking away./ Hooray!!!

 

Out I go into the dark of night, All those lights still shining bright, in

my Heart. After the usual wrong turn (I always seem to make wrong turns the

first time I go somewhere! Especially when Sister #1 gives me the wrong turn

:-) It always helps when the directions are clear. But, once I work my way

through the way, I will know better next time. Must tell you something about

my learning curve.)

 

Finally, I arrive at the apartment complex where my new friends live. Who

are my new friends? Precious names and privacy which I will protect of an

Indian family, whose mother and two daughters I had the pleasure of meeting

earlier in the week at the home of yet another Light, shining so very

bright, in my Dark Night, only they don't know it because I try not to show

it.

 

The door opens. I am almost an hour late. Is it because I got lost on the

road or at the market, or both? They don't care. They are just happy I am

there. So am I. I meet their father, a gentleman with kind eyes, a ready

smile, and the boundless Love of devotion to All That Is, wherever It Is. It

is not long before we get right down to the business at hand...prayer to All

That Is. Not the prayer of the jhani or the swami (sorry Swamiji!), but the

prayer of devotion borne of the Heart's emotion. Not the prayer that asks

for something, the prayer that gives something. To All That Is...the prayer

of praise. In songs of praise to All That Is.

 

I have not come empty handed or empty Hearted. I am excited. Someone else to

sing with, someone who can sing, much better than I could ever hope to in

this lifetime, and probably any others which have been or are to come. Two

beautiful young ladies, ages 18 (Sister #1) and 16 (Sister #2), with voices

of angels, who sang for us the other night at the home of the other Light,

she who also shines so bright. Not chanting, not rote recitation of Sanskrit

words, but singing, beautiful singing, their voices soaring together in

their devotion borne of the Heart's emotion.

 

Tonight we listen and talk more than we sing as we plan our attack, upon the

others of the Temple, and anyone else who will listen. I am the one who

started All this, so I pull out my bag of sticks. Klave, guave (just

kidding) tambourine (glows in the dark from my days in the rock band...hope

you don't mind, Lord Shiva...just want to make sure you can see where we are

when we sing to you), shakers, and a few other items to keep the beat as we

pay homage to the Holy Feet.

 

They laugh as I introduce them to the Chants of India of Ravi Shankar and

devotional songs of Amazing Grace. They wonder how I can pronounce the words

so well and tell me that I seem to have all this music they never heard of.

They are impressed with my repertoire of Indian music. I laugh and tell them

these are the only two tapes I have, and that this is where I am learning

how to pronounce. Oh, and I try to listen. I really do.

We sit and listen to Prahbujee, surely one of the most beautiful songs of

devotion I have ever heard. Dear Anouschka Shankar...I know that you have

come into your own and I bow to you for your accomplishments. I have not

heard you yet, but all I can say is "Ravi Rules." I have also picked out

Mangalam, my favorite happy walking song. Oh, and from Amazing Grace, OM

Namah Shivaya, guaranteed to bring Lord Shiva to your place.

 

The time passes so quickly and before I know it I need to go home. We set up

another meeting for a few days from now so they can work on the music. Mom

can sing too, and I noticed her fingers dancing quite expertly on the head

of a small hand held drum. I leave full with the wonder of love. Thank you

sweet Lights, All of You, for helping me See the Joy in my name again.

 

Now does this mean that I will stop exploring Awareness and Understanding

through practice of other paths, paths of the mind, etcetera, etcetera? No,

says the King and I, I mean the Queen and I, or is it Me, Myself and I, or

is it That? Yes...yes...yes...I Am That!!! Got That? And I am Perfect. Sri

Ramana Maharshi says so. (Sorry, Harshaji, I don't have the cite for that

quote...Row row row your boat) Thank you, God, for everything. I have no

complaints. Except one, #1...please try to be more careful with your words

next time so I get the directions clear. Do you hear, my dear?

 

OM Poornamadah Poornamidam

Poornaat Poornamudachyate

Poornasya Poornamaadaaya

Poornamevaavashishyate

OM shaantiH shaantiH shaantiH

 

That is perfect-this is perfect.

What comes from such perfection truly is Perfect.

What remains after perfection from perfection is yet perfect

May there be peace peace and perfect peace.

 

With Joy in my Heart,

 

Joyce