Guest guest Posted June 25, 2000 Report Share Posted June 25, 2000 Here are some poems of James Dillet Freeman. One of his poems (not reproduced here) was left on the moon by Apollo XV Astronauts. ______ No.1: I have thought I was an island, a rocky shelf Of separateness, but the eternal deep Forever breaks across my reefs of self. In me and over me and through me sweep The seas of God, and often now I sense That I am one with love's omnipotence. Comment: Is this the sweeping wave of Brahma-Ananda? _____________ No.2: NOT LESS BUT MORE I have resisted change with all my will. Cried out to life, "Pass by and leave me still". But I have found as I have trudged time's track That all my wishing will not hold life back. All finite things must go their finite way; I cannot bid the merest moment, "Stay." So finding that I have no power to change Change, I have changed myself. And this is strange, I have found out when I have let change come, The very change that I was fleeing from Has often held the good I had prayed for, And I was not the less for change, but more. Once I accepted life and was not loath To change, I found change was the seed of growth. Comment: Recall Krishna's Declaration: They have already been slain by Me, Arjuna, be you merely an instrument. : mayaivete nihatAH pUrvameva nimittamAtraM bhave savya-sAcin. (B.G. 11 - 33 2nd part). ______________ No.3: LOVESONG "Love one another". People tell us that till we get tired of hearing it. But there is a way of saying it No one gets tired of hearing. For the best way to say, "Love one another" Is to say, "I love you". No matter how often we hear that, We want to hear it again. It is the way we are all going To have to learn to say it, Not, "You - love one another," But "I love - you!". Then the words become, not a sermon nobody listens to, But a lovesong everyone strains to her, And once he hears it cannot keep >From joining in the chorus. ______ No.4: AT THE HEART OF THINGS There is a silence at the heart of things. You may not sense it through the world's lound sound That echoes in the mind and roars around Our life with its incessant clamorings. But it is there, if you but have the will To turn within yourself in selfless prayer And listen quietly for what is there, When you ask nothing, but are only still. For you may find it when you do not seek But stand and wait, and like a hill or tree Are for a little while content to be - Then you may even hear the silence speak. Comment: "mauna-vyAkhyA-prakaTita-para-brahma-tattvaM … ", meaning, the Transcendental Absolute, declared by an eloquence called Silence …. " Also: hRdA hRdisthaM manasA ya enamevaM vidur-amRtAs-te bhavanti - Svestasvatara Upanishad., meaning: Those who through the heart and the mind know Him who is abiding in the heart become immortal. Also: hRdA manIshA manasA-bhikLpto … (Katha Upanishad): He is to be apprehended by the heart, by thought, by mind … __________ No.5: IN ME THE LIGHT I went about looking everywhere for the light, I pored over books, thinking there I would find it; I sat at the feet of teachers, thinking they would show me where it is, I followed scientific methods, I practised mystic rites, thinking surely It would shine forth somewhere. And at last, it did. I quit seeking, And there in me the light began to shine. Since then, how many light-filled books I have opened And how many shining persons I have met. Comment: Katha-Upanishad II - 33: The Self cannot be known through study Of the scriptures, nor through the intellect, Nor through hearing learned discourses. The Self can be attained only by those Whom the Self chooses. Verily unto them Does the Self reveal himself. (Translation byEknath Easwaran) "nAyam-AtmA pravacanena labhyo na medhayA, na bahunA Srutena; yamevaisha vRNute tena labhyaH tasyaisha AtmA vivRuNute tanUM svAM." Here Sankara interprets "Whom the Self chooses' as 'The Self reveals its true character to one that seeks it exclusively" _________ My thanks to Mr. Shambudoss of Pilani who drew my attention to these poems of Freeman. praNAms to all advaitins profvk Prof.V. Krishnamurthy My two books, one on Science and Spirituality and the other on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought, Vision and Practice, can both be accessed at the address: http://www.geocities.com/profvk/ Talk to your friends online with Messenger. http://im. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2000 Report Share Posted June 25, 2000 Here is one more gem! http://members.tripod.com/~uniticsonline/popl.html Prayer of Protection James Dillet Freeman The Light of God surrounds Us The Love of God enfolds Us The Power of God protects Us and the Presence of God watches over Us Where ever we are God is! And all is well! Amen. (rest coming soon!) Regards, s. >"profvk" <profvk >advaitin >advaitin > Some poetic gems from James Dillet Freeman >Sun, 25 Jun 2000 16:13:32 +0530 > >Here are some poems of James Dillet Freeman. One of his poems (not >reproduced here) was left on the moon by Apollo XV Astronauts. >______ >No.1: >I have thought I was an island, a rocky shelf >Of separateness, but the eternal deep >Forever breaks across my reefs of self. >In me and over me and through me sweep >The seas of God, and often now I sense >That I am one with love's omnipotence. > >Comment: Is this the sweeping wave of Brahma-Ananda? >_____________ > No.2: NOT LESS BUT MORE > >I have resisted change with all my will. >Cried out to life, "Pass by and leave me still". >But I have found as I have trudged time's track >That all my wishing will not hold life back. >All finite things must go their finite way; >I cannot bid the merest moment, "Stay." >So finding that I have no power to change >Change, I have changed myself. And this is strange, >I have found out when I have let change come, >The very change that I was fleeing from >Has often held the good I had prayed for, >And I was not the less for change, but more. >Once I accepted life and was not loath >To change, I found change was the seed of growth. > >Comment: Recall Krishna's Declaration: They have already been slain by >Me, Arjuna, be you merely an instrument. : >mayaivete nihatAH pUrvameva >nimittamAtraM bhave savya-sAcin. (B.G. 11 - 33 2nd part). >______________ >No.3: LOVESONG > >"Love one another". >People tell us that till we get tired of hearing it. >But there is a way of saying it >No one gets tired of hearing. >For the best way to say, "Love one another" >Is to say, "I love you". >No matter how often we hear that, >We want to hear it again. >It is the way we are all going >To have to learn to say it, >Not, "You - love one another," >But "I love - you!". >Then the words become, not a sermon nobody listens to, >But a lovesong everyone strains to her, >And once he hears it cannot keep >From joining in the chorus. >______ >No.4: AT THE HEART OF THINGS > >There is a silence at the heart of things. >You may not sense it through the world's lound sound >That echoes in the mind and roars around >Our life with its incessant clamorings. >But it is there, if you but have the will >To turn within yourself in selfless prayer >And listen quietly for what is there, >When you ask nothing, but are only still. >For you may find it when you do not seek >But stand and wait, and like a hill or tree >Are for a little while content to be - >Then you may even hear the silence speak. > >Comment: "mauna-vyAkhyA-prakaTita-para-brahma-tattvaM … ", >meaning, the Transcendental Absolute, declared by an eloquence called >Silence …. " >Also: hRdA hRdisthaM manasA ya enamevaM vidur-amRtAs-te >bhavanti - Svestasvatara Upanishad., meaning: Those who through the >heart and the mind know Him who is abiding in the heart become >immortal. >Also: hRdA manIshA manasA-bhikLpto … (Katha Upanishad): He is to >be apprehended by the heart, by thought, by mind … >__________ >No.5: IN ME THE LIGHT > >I went about looking everywhere for the light, >I pored over books, thinking there I would find it; >I sat at the feet of teachers, thinking they would show me where it is, >I followed scientific methods, I practised mystic rites, thinking surely >It would shine forth somewhere. >And at last, it did. >I quit seeking, >And there in me the light began to shine. >Since then, how many light-filled books I have opened >And how many shining persons I have met. > >Comment: Katha-Upanishad II - 33: >The Self cannot be known through study >Of the scriptures, nor through the intellect, >Nor through hearing learned discourses. >The Self can be attained only by those >Whom the Self chooses. Verily unto them >Does the Self reveal himself. (Translation byEknath Easwaran) > >"nAyam-AtmA pravacanena labhyo na medhayA, na bahunA Srutena; >yamevaisha vRNute tena labhyaH tasyaisha AtmA vivRuNute tanUM >svAM." > >Here Sankara interprets "Whom the Self chooses' as 'The Self reveals its >true character to one that seeks it exclusively" >_________ >My thanks to Mr. Shambudoss of Pilani who drew my attention to these >poems of Freeman. > >praNAms to all advaitins >profvk > > >Prof.V. Krishnamurthy >My two books, one on Science and Spirituality >and the other on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought, Vision and Practice, >can both be accessed at the address: >http://www.geocities.com/profvk/ > > > >Talk to your friends online with Messenger. >http://im. ______________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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