Ruby Heart

If you want to come to the palace of light

there will be a breathless chase

If you want to remove the  veil

that covers your ruby heart

you may get twigs in your hair

If you want to to fly in the inner realms

there are thorns and pebbles along the path

 the journey is sometimes difficult

But I promise you this, dear one,

after you enter the Tree house

The Beloved One will gently

wash your tear stained face

and clean all your wounds with a gentle touch

She'll place you on a

 soft bed of blue effulgence,

and wrap you in  sheets of cool moonlight

She'll  cover your soul from head to toe in open wet kisses

and feed you divine nectar that will fill you with rapture

She will untangle the leaves

still caught in your hair....

and leave you  melting in  Divine Love...

Narayan

The Gardener

The gardener has beautiful hands

and a ruby heart

Hands that smell of the earth and rocks

and weeds

Her eyes are gentle and soft

If you are fortunate enough to be planted in her Garden

Stay awhile

and Grow

She'll be sure to pick off your dead leaves

and water you every evening

If you are very fortunate

you'll even get to see her dancing

under the stars

in the Moonlight.

NARAYAN

Make time for the Moonlight

So you took care of your clients

you took care of your friends

you took care of the laundry

and you fed the rabbit in the yard

Now Dear One,

make time for the Moonlight

make time for the Beloved

She is waiting at your doorstep

Welcome her in and
Drink her sweet wine

I promise

you won't be hung over in the morning...


Narayan

OLD SWEET BEGGAR

                                                            Ramakrishna Paramahansa

This Path to God Made me such an old sweet beggar

I was starving until one night

My Love tricked God Himself

To fall into my bowl

Now Hafiz is infinitely rich

But all I ever want to do

Is keep emptying out

My emerald-filled

pockets

Upon

This tear-stained

World.

Hafiz- The Subject Tonight is Love

Have you heard the sound of Thunder?

                                   Ananda Mayi Ma 

Have you Heard the Sound of Thunder?

Your picture on the wall

I gazed within your eyes

all throughout the night

And felt you look right back
into Narayan's soul...

This was the best seva

a devotee could ask for...
Switchboard, all night long!

No one awake except you and me

I can chant and read and meditate

This is the best! For sure!

You opened a secret door that night

and try as I might, It would not shut again

Why torment me so with that sparkle in your eyes

and the beauty of your smile

from which the highest teachings flow?

Oh Dear One, Let all the worlds

Dissolve, I am here with you

and that is all that matters…

Go! Go! Be gone, Oh playful heart

This is Madness!!!

Do not get drunk on this wine

It becomes a real addiction

that tears away at your being...

All night I looked into your eyes

into an Ocean of Love

All night I secretly called out your name..

Then, As I wondered, off to bed

Drunk within your Heart of Heart's

There you were,

Giving Blessings in the Namaste room...

A Beautiful Goddess on her throne

I sat at a distance…

just close enough to see,

and watch your beauty

as you showered love
on those fortunate devotees...
sitting blissfully at your feet.

The crystal mala in your hand

slowly flowing like drops of water
from your finger tips

as you gently counted beads with OM

Ahhhh, What blessings!! First I sat with you all night

And then you appeared again!
What good fortune!! What a holy day!

It's time for sleep I know,but who can sleep!!!

When the Goddess is right there before me...
slowly counting her crystal beads?
You laughed, then sat in silence, gazing from afar,
Have I entered heaven? It must be so.

I felt your gentle blessing, roll across the room

Like a warm breeze, on a chilly day.

As I gazed at your form,
continuing my sweet Meditation,

Nothing else remained,
No room, no thoughts, no sound

nothing but that burning fire
deep within my soul of souls...

You gazed with love and kindness
at the devotees sitting at your feet

and often looked up to see
just how I was doing...
there across that room.
Oh Sweet and Holy Mother,
Narayan is just great! Narayan is just fine!

I could feel you calmly turning up the heat,

slowly, gently, the flames began to rise,

Like the holy sound of "Om " building
its drum beat getting Louder,

each round intensifying
the power of your Loves Embrace…

from across the room you counted crystal beads
gently leaving your fingertips
like silver drops of water...

my breath became a billow

that fanned the flames within

How could Narayan contain

this Divine gift
you showered so generously on my being?

My heart was overflowing and

I could not stop the waves of joy

washing over my soul...

As you left the Darshan

I bowed in gratitude for your Sweet Blessings
By far the greatest gift
that life could ever have to offer

Then danced off to my bed for rest

my heart still full of wonder
at this, the best of fortune

As soon as I fell asleep

I fell into a vivid dream

Not just a dream, I know

for I was still wide awake within

and Aware that I lay there breathing...

not far from where we sat.

You were there right before me

Smiling, Ear to Ear

It's time now...

It's Your time now

I heard you speak without words,

Now, there was nothing between us

No one, no place, no time

Could stop your Gift of Love

It was as if you hadn't finished cooking

This meal was just half baked...

The Chef still had some work to do

Let's finish off this boy right now,

Let's finish what we started!!!

I looked down at your feet that were

practically in my lap

"Massage my feet Narayan!!!"

"Go ahead..Narayan,
Massage my feet right now!!!"...

You gazed into my eyes

as I gently held your blessed feet

and then ...The Rapture began!!!...

Lightning struck without warning

with waves of Ecstasy descending

all throughout my being,

I couldn't stop the laughing...

I couldn't stop the laughing...

I couldn't hold the Shakti...

Much too much to bear…

You gazed into my eyes,

"What's wrong Narayan?!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Can't take it?!
Then came more laughing…

Keep going, Narayan, MORE!!!

Again, I tried to massage,
those blessed Feet once more

But NO! This is just too much wine

And this wine is far too strong!

Then, I fell into a profound state

Serene and very clear...

Narayan was no more..
Narayan was no more.

Just Love and Waves of Joy...
That, and Nothing More

Stillness, only stillness,
That and nothing more...

What seemed like hours passed

and then I heard a strong voice...

He appeared within soft light and shouted

"Narayan!!! You haven't surrendered enough!"

His words were like a bolt of thunder,
Every cell in my body shook...

Again he said”, Narayan, You haven't surrendered enough...

His voice like a clap of thunder!!!"

"You have to surrender everything, another clap of thunder!!"

"Nothing can remain. Nothing can remain!!! Boom!!!"Another clap of thunder!

Then His form changed to Bhagawan
who also shouted loud,

"You have to surrender everything!!!”
Boom!! The clap of thunder!

"You have to surrender everything!!!”
Boom! A clap of Thunder!

I woke up with my Guru's voice
still ringing in my ears

My bed shaking with the Sound of Thunder

Then, Flashes filled my room, Bright Flashes...
What is going on?!

I walked carefully down the stairs,

Trying to understand,
how a dream could fill my room,

What is going on?! Am I dreaming or awake?!

Then, as I gazed out into the field
Lightning filled the sky.

The rain came down in buckets.

As I held out my hand,

I felt the cool drops of rain
gently leave my fingertips
like those soft crystal beads and
a profound sense of awe and wonder
filled me with Respect
for this Precious Gift
that I had just received

My Guru's voice still echoing in the thunder

My beloved Guru's voice still echoing in the thunder...

Have you heard the sound of thunder?
Have you heard the sound of thunder?

Oh What Prasad you gave to me,
on that Sacred day...

When you gave the Sound of Thunder
when you gave sweet drops of Love..


OM!!! OM!!! OM!!!

Narayan

Meher Baba

My Friend has Fled

My friend has fled! alas, my friend has fled,

And left me nought but tears and pain behind!

Like smoke above a flame caught by the wind,

So rose she from my breast and forth she sped.

Drunk with desire, I seized Love's cup divine,

But she that held it poured the bitter wine

Of Separation into it and fled.

The hunter she, and I the helpless prey;

Wounded and sick, round me her toils she drew,

My heart into a sea of sorrow threw,

Bound up her camel loads and fled away.

Fain had I laid an ambush for her soul,

She saw and vanished, and the timid foal,

Good Fortune, slipped the rein and would not stay.

My heart was all too narrow for my woe,

And tears of blood my weeping eyes have shed,

A crimson stream across the desert sped,

Rising from out my sad heart's overflow.

She knew not what Love's meanest slave can tell:

"'Tis sweet to serve!" but threw me a Farewell,

Kissing my threshold, turned, and cried "I go!"

In the clear dawn, before the east was red,

Before the rose had torn her veil in two,

A nightingale through Hafiz' garden flew,

Stayed but to fill its song with tears, and fled.

- Hafiz

Night Swim

Last night in the evening

I dove into the Ocean

and swam out to a boat

anchored in the bay

A voice said from within

"It's too dark stay close to shore"

but, inspired, I didn't listen

and dashed out for my goal,

diving off the boat

I swam back to the shore

a troubled voice called out again

"Be careful, you can't see what's below!"

then kicking hard

I hit the reef

and bloodied more than a toe

Two lessons learned, Narayan,

stay close to shore

when swimming

in the moonlight.

and when the inner friend speaks...

Listen...

Narayan