The Still Mind Sees the Real!

The moon is seen in a thousand ponds,

Yet, only the one in the sky is real!

The reflecting mind sees only a thousand reflections,

While the still mind sees the real!

Digital painting courtesy: Achintya Giridhar Kini

Look to the Changeless!

The Wise One broke the silence.
With infinite love, said he,
“People come and they go,
Attitudes, relationships, outlooks,
All are subject to change.
So look not to mere personalities,
But to that which animates them all!”

You can’t have your cake and eat it too!

Where the heart works,
The brain does not!
And where the brain is present,
The heart is not!

Make Space for Wisdom!

A vessel already full,

Can take in no more!

 

A dictionary can’t be wise

Any more than a library, enlightened!

 

Only a famished stomach,

Can be satiated with food!

 

Water collects in hollows,

Not on top of hills!

 

Erudition enlightens not,

Direct experience does!

 

A humble, sincere heart,

Can find its core of gold!

 

To empty oneself of learning,

Is to make space for wisdom!

They hold no honey, my own!

Plastic flowers on the highway,

So striking to the eye,

In every hue of the rainbow,

In myriad colours galore!

Soon cars pull up,

People tumble out,

Amidst many Oohs and Aahs,

Little haggling and bickering,

Bouquets adorn dashboards,

And on rear decks, sit many more!

The bright blooms nod their heads,

As the cars speed away!

A mother and son walk by,

The boy tugging at her hand,

“Mommy, mommy, where are the bees?

I don’t see any!”

With a smile, the mother replies,

“These flowers, so bright and beckoning,

They hold no honey, my own!”

Ever In Your Heart!

Ever in your heart,
In every cell of your being,
He plays hide and seek!
Keep on calling,
Patience your name,
End the play he will,
And reveal Himself to you,
Reveal Himself as you!

A Misty Dawn

Waking to a misty dawn,

In thrilling stillness, I hear,

Dewdrops dripping off trees,

Bulbuls calling, ‘Wake up!

Enjoy the moment',

While the Wagtail sings,

Sweetly, ‘All is well!

Good morning to you!’

What Happens?

The disciple asked his preceptor, “Sir, when the times comes for the realized one to drop his body, what happens?”

The wise one replied, “Nothing happens. The realized one, devoid of all desires and fancies, just lets go. For him, the world no longer exists. He exists as Awareness alone.”

The disciple thought, “What then happens to everyone else in the world?”

The preceptor smiled at him, and said, “The world remains the same for everyone else. So long as even a single unfulfilled desire to enjoy the world remains in one’s heart, the world keeps on existing in one’s consciousness. Though it may fade with death, it surely reappears with birth!”

The Heart Says, Good Morning to You!

It’s past noon,
And when I greet a friend,
My tongue says,
‘Good Afternoon!’,
While my heart whispers,
‘Good morning to you!’

Afternoon, evening or midnight,
My heart says,
‘Good morning, dear one!’

Finding Oneself Through Grace!

Many want to climb by themselves,

Little do they know,

The stairs keep moving,

Hallways and dead ends,

Keep on appearing,

Often one enters a maze,

An endless roundabout, a labyrinth,

At times, the path disappears,

Yet, trying, trying, the seeker presses on,

A sole candle of hope,

His or her light!

Finally, when all strength has ebbed,

Resolutions blown away,

Despair in the air,

The seeker just stops,

Does nothing!

Now miracle of miracles, there happens,

In response to the sincere heart, perhaps,

A surprising downpour of grace!

A husband and his wife,

Long before their marriage had they sought,

To know the truth, to realize their self!

Faith, prayer, yoga,

Pranayama⁽¹⁾ and pooja⁽²⁾,

Mananam⁽³⁾ and dharana⁽⁴⁾,

Austerities and japa⁽⁵⁾,

Blessings of saints and seekers alike,

Sleepless nights of sadhana⁽⁶⁾,

And days of selfless sacrifice,

Nothing seemed to bring them,

What they yearned so much for,

Though wondrous spiritual visions,

Luminescent astral lights,

Magical astral sounds,

They came and they went,

Contentment, still so far!

Realization, still beyond reach!

Earthly difficulties and trials,

Nightmares and storms of pain,

Tossed seemingly forever on the waves,

And alternatively trapped in a furnace,

While facing merciless tests of life,

Within a Pandora’s box,

They felt like ending all!

Then one day, a journey took place,

To an ashram⁽⁷⁾ in the hills,

At the door, a hoary personage,

Love oozing from every pore,

Evidently, long expecting them,

Seeing the visitors from afar,

Laughed he, and asked, “Ahoy there!

Do you guys really need to hold your nose⁽⁸⁾,

And struggle your way up with such difficulty?

Won’t it be enough,

For you to come down from the top,

If so you wish?”

Hearing these words of nectar,

They bowed down in gratitude.

Instantly the husband’s tongue,

Spoke for both of them,

“Yes, Paramatma⁽⁹⁾, yes!

Enough, Paramatma, enough!”

And He looked upon them with power,

The Grace that descended at that moment,

Filled their hearts, overflowed,

The haze of ignorance lifted,

And contentment became their name!

When yearning reaches its zenith,

When incessant striving has vanquished effort,

When experience weakened ego,

Dominates you, no more,

When your mind, an empty vessel,

Stands open, ready to be filled,

Grace takes over, inundates your being,

You are blessed, you just found yourself!

Meanings:

1. Pranayama – Control of breath
2. Pooja – Ritual deity worship
3. Mananam – Constant guided exercise of the mind,
4. Dharana – Concentration on an object
5. Japa – Continuous repetition of the Name or of primordial root sounds
6. Sadhana – Spiritual practice
7. Ashram – Hermitage
8. Hold your nose – Control of breath through the practice of Pranayama
9. Paramatma – Supreme soul, God

The Good Lord Made It All!

Have you noticed,

How in this world,

Everything resembles,

Quite something else?

This little birdie,

A cherry tomato,

Reminds me strongly,

Of the one great dreamer,

Who created the universe,

Who made us all!

Pepper!

Many beautiful varieties of pepper are grown in Wayanad. Here are three remarkable ones.

Panniyur-1

Panniyur-1 is the most popular pepper in Wayanad, today. Developed in 1966 at the Pepper Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Panniyur, it is the world’s first hybrid pepper, and in our farmers’ opinion, still the best! Panniyur-1 is priced for its high yield, the long spike being full of large, round pepper corns. It is easy to pluck as the corns do not get dislodged easily and saves on labor.

Wayanadan Chetty Mulake / Bolt Pepper

Wayanadan Chetty Mulake or Bolt Pepper as it is often named, has perhaps some of the biggest and heaviest pepper corns of any variety. The vine has large leaves, and climbs quickly to the top of the tallest trees. This vine is famed for its longevity, but with the coming of Panniyur-1, cultivation of this ancient variety is now on the decline.

Eyeveeran

One of the older varieties of pepper now facing extinction is the Eyeveeran. A vine with small leaves and smaller spikes of pepper, thickly set with heavy, tiny pepper corns, it is a riveting sight to see nearly a fourth of the crop with multiple offshoots from the main spike, all full of pepper corns. Eyeveeran, however, takes a month longer to mature, and is more labor-intensive to pick, because of the large number of short, thin pepper spikes on the vine.

The Goal of Life!

We hasten, we hasten,
To eat, to play games,
To make money,
to make a name,
Often, one gets,
As playmates, as friends,
Lust and greed,
Anger and jealousy,
Malice and cunning,
A hundred selfish interests,
With a constant companion,
Fear of death!

Is this the goal of life?
Is this why thine divine soul,
Was put in the garb of flesh,
And left to fend,
On this ball called Earth,
In emptiness of space?

No, surely not!
The goal of life,
Is to know thyself,
Before thy sunset doth arrive,
As inevitably it must,
That thou art not this body,
Nor art thee this mind,
That thou art spirit,
Deathless, unbound, eternal!
Free, blissful, content!

So make not life too serious,
Only a passing show it is,
And if hasten thee must,
Do so to know the truth!

Awareness is Bliss!

Do you remember standing,
On the beautiful seashore,
Facing the sea,
Waves rushing over your feet,
Bubbles in the surf, aburst,
Only to rush back again?

Remember the receding waves,
Pull the grains of sand,
From under your souls,
Making your feet sink,
Deeper in the sands?

As you stand there free,
Naked of thoughts,
On the shore of infinity,
Can you feel the pull,
of awareness pure,
Sweeping the grains of sand,
Impressions of this world,
From under your feet of memories?

Powerless you remain,
A mere spectator mute,
As the dream world fades,
And pure awareness reigns,
Wanting not to return,
To worldly limitations,
To the bodily cage,
Ever ready to let go,
For awareness is bliss! ❤

Dust to Divinity

Energy condenses into matter,

And matter transforms into energy.

Spirit becomes nature,

And nature melts back to spirit.

The dream drama in between,

We know as earthly life!

Points of consciousness in nature,

Dust animated to life,

As soon as their dreams end,

Retire back home to divinity.

Yet a rare, fortunate few,

Amongst the human race,

Ever aware of the Self,

Seem to act in worldly drama,

Though anchored in divinity!

To such is this blog dedicated,

To those rare philosopher’s stones,

Who uplift all humanity!

Again and again I bow,

To those precious gems of spirit,

Who by the mere grace of their presence,

Transform dust to divinity!

Enlightenment!

Born as bubbles on the ocean,

Little airy nothings encased,
In shiny ego bodies of brine,
In magic veil of ignorance cloaked,
Nursing endless rows of desires,
To experience, to enjoy,
An engrossing new world,
The thick grease of passions,
The annoying flotsam of trials,
Gaudy promises of happiness,
Commingling with fleeting joys,
Fears, hurts; likes and dislikes,
Complexes, distinctions,
Of seeming good and evil,
An entrancing golden net,
Of memories nostalgic,
All woven by a mind,
A trap of sticky thoughts,
We, the bubbles, ride,
The frothy breast of the ocean,
Tossed by storms,
Divided by time, by space,
Of night and of day,
Of here and there,
Of past, present, future,
Of me and the other!
A life so hectic,
Pursuing allurements irresistible,
Gaudy treasures false,
Scrambling up the billows,
Sliding, slipping, screaming,
Down the crests of waves,
Blown by wings of desire,
Hurricanes of destiny,
Fed up with fate,
We yearn for rest,
Our lot perhaps,
To dry up, to pop,
On sandy shores foreign,
Or to dash, to break,
On the jagged rocks,
Of disappointments, of disenchantments,
Or perchance, be carried back,
To the sea, by wave next,
Resting awhile, in fleeting peace,
In joy, in the quietude,
In the valley 'twixt the swells,
The thralldom has stopped,
Relaxing in silence,
Desires gone, fancies vanished,
The relief inconceivable!
Wants be there none,
Suddenly doth realize,
Not this bubble be I,
Infinite! Eternal! Content!
Free, free and free am I!
The veil is torn,
awareness awake!
Verily, 'tis the oceanic me,
That took form of the bubble,
To play, to act,
To dream awhile!

Jeevan Mukti – Liberated While Living

The wise call him Jeevan Mukta
Liberated while living
He knows he has no name
The awakened one
The one who is aware
Yet anchored to his body
Ever the silent witness.

Doing, does naught
Speaking, laughing, working,
Divinely loving, he is
More sincere than any
Yet ever standing apart
He sees the body, mind, ego
The dream drama world
For him, days and nights
Months and years
Pass as single day
No yesterday, nor morrow
All eternal now!

He journeys, yet travels not
Ever still in stillness
Amidst the raucous crowds
Or in busy traffic roar
Aware of living silence
Home, eternal home!

A mind with no scrap of desire
A will, one with the universe
An enjoyer, no more
Evaluating, judging none
He sees no right nor wrong
Ever peaceful and content
Harmless to everyone
No lust, greed or avarice
No need of name or fame
Neither attachment nor aversion
Nor expectation nor complaint
Ever mars his inner peace.

No distinction of high and low
No ego, no shame
Neither happy, nor sad
But a blissful fountain deep
Living totally on grace
Effortlessly, everything gets done
His very living presence
Silently reminding one
All is well, and peace to all
Know this world be not your home!

For him all food is bland
Tasting more like ash
In the absence of mind
The prompting of hunger alone
Puts morsels in his mouth.

A rare miracle of nature
This one has escaped the wheel
Fully liberated while living
The one who merely sees
A blessing to everyone
He prefers to live unknown
Should you chance to stumble upon him
Bask in the glance of this philosopher’s stone
A blessing compared to none!

Fear of all fears – of death
Banished once and forever
Knowing directly for sure
When time doth strike the body
And his desireless mind
Perish not, shall he
Cherishing no thought nor desire
No more shall he dream
Of the jar, awash in the sea
Never ever to return
The laughter of silence
The deathless essence
Sacred awareness pure
The eternal truth
Ever to endure!

Touch me not!

The leaf says
Touch me not!
I am bashful, so shy
Cringing from your touch
Frightened, I shrink
Let me fold my fingers
Pretend I am dead
Close my eyes
I'd rather not see
I am the head
The rational mind
My world, my home
Touch me not, please!

The flower says
Come touch me!
Come love me!
Afraid? not I
For I am the heart
Daring, full of love
Treasure of beauty
Peace profound
Come melt in me
Drink my nectar of bliss
I am the mirror
Come see your real self
Plumb my silent depths
And live, live forever!

Starburst!

With the onset of spring comes a burst of jasmine, a bewitching fragrance fills the air, raising your spirits and bringing a smile to your lips!

Contentment!

When acceptance is complete,
Your life balances itself!
When surrender is complete,
You don't plan anymore!
When awareness is present,
Knowledge is superfluous!
And when you live in peace,
Contentment is your name! ❤

Enjoy a rose!

We do not analyse a rose
We enjoy it! ❤

Entranced!

The guava tree is in bloom
For us bees, maddening it is.
In fact, it is stark, raving insane!
Good morning, everyone! ❤

It's never too late...

It is never too late,
For there is always a new dawn!

Black Gold!

Wayanad pepper - the famous black gold of India. The most fragrant, flavoursome black pepper comes from the Wayanad District of Kerala. Just plucked, it needs to be threshed and sun dried. This year, the pepper crop is poor because of a failed monsoon and the subsequent drought. The smell of green pepper, when it is trampled and rubbed between the soles of your feet, to separate the corns, is quite enjoyable.

Fulfilment!

Five monsoons ago,
I was a tiny branch
Just a green twig
Of a mango tree.
My father cut me out,
Whittled my base
Made a slit upon the stem
Of a fresh mango plant,
Inserted me therein,
Tied me secure
Covered me with polythene.

At first, I fought
My only thought
To escape the strange sion
And the seedling fought back,
Trying to push me out
All to no avail
We were too solidly tied.
Soon we realized
One cannot live
Without the other
A marriage of convenience
Grafted by our maker!

The sion spread out the roots
Gathered water and nourishment
While I sprouted new leaves
Cooked food in sunlight
And both of us,
Soon grew as one!
We worked as one,
We were one!

And as I grew,
My father re - potted me
In ever larger poly bags
Year after year.
I grew up, healthy and strong
Brought forth many mangoes
Sweet and juicy
A gift for my maker,
A labour of love
I was so happy,
My father watered me daily
He picked off the caterpillars
Which strove to feast on my leaves
Manure, he did give
And he uprooted the weeds.

I was so happy
Yet a strange longing
Took possession of my heart.
If only I could move,
Run down to the earth would I
Push my roots in deep
And my leaves up into the sky!
As my papa came to me,
Watering can in hand,
I opened up my heart,
He only smiled.

Two days passed
I could hear him digging,
Striking the hard earth
With spade again and again.
The third morn came
And with it, five hefty men.
They put me on a rug,
Hauled me down the stairs.
With my father in the lead,
Gently, ever so gently,
He cut off the poly bag,
They lowered me into the sod
And laughing, just marched away!

My papa filled the hole
With manure and with earth
Pressing it down gently
He showered me with water cool!
Full of joy and gratitude
My world has turned to heaven!

A strange bliss fills my being
I can realize my dreams
Anchor myself deep and wide,
Spread my branches afar.
Birds will come to nest on me,
Kids to pluck my fruit.
Many a luscious fruit shall I bear
Many a joyous smile shall I gather,
And fulfill my destiny! ❤

Poocha Pazham in bloom!

Poocha Pazham (botanical name, English name, unknown) in bloom. Soon, little pearl like white berries will appear. A century ago, this was quite common and adorned the hedges all over Kerala. Now, it is a rare sight and is mostly unknown to the new generation.

Cherry tomatoes!

Cherry tomatoes, freshly picked. Plants are quite easy to grow on organic manure and require no care except for watering. Fleshy, tangy and sweet, they are excellent for salads. The seeds from ripe tomatoes can be sown fresh in moist soil to obtain plants.

Let's walk on!

One walks on,
And the mist clears
Revealing Light! ❤

Peace!

Suffering lasts not forever
Nor does fleeting joy
It had a beginning,
It certainly has an end.
Peace grows in acceptance,
Peace lasts for ever,
We have our being in peace.
From peace were we born
And in peace shall we rest!
If the mind must think,
Let it meditate on peace.
Like a raindrop upon the ocean,
Let the mind dissolve in peace! ❤

A Festival of Seeds!

A change is underway. People are opting more and more for traditionally grown organic produce. On a visit to Swaminathan Research Foundation, Puthurvayal, Kalpetta, I saw a ‘festival of seeds’ in full swing. Traditional farmers who have protected age old crops from extinction, exhibiting roots, tubers, fruits, grains, cereals, seeds, organic pesticides, and ancient fertilizers – a wealth of knowledge. The festival concludes tomorrow evening. Seeing the amount of conservation these traditional, marginal (some of them illiterate in the modern sense) farmers have done, craving neither award nor reward, I am humbled and awed. Every word of practical knowledge, a treasure emerging from their lips! Patiently, without ego or expectation, they share the vanishing knowledge with us. In them, one can feel the love of Nature for all humanity.

Jackfruit Leaf Papads!

Yesterday, I spotted some farmers selling rice papads made by smearing batter on the face of green jackfruit leaves and then drying them in the sun. I bought some and we deep-fried them at home. Crisp and delicious with a hint of jackfruit leaf flavor. As I thought about it, the reason for the jackfruit leaf became clear. Jack leaves have great curative properties. Traditionally, the leaves are boiled in water and arthritis patients are regularly made to have their daily bath when the water is still warm. It relieves the ailment to a large measure. Perhaps, the same thing happens when you dry the papads on the jackfruit leaves!

A fig tree with fruit!

Baraba Fruit!

Baraba Fruit ( Local name. Scientific name unknown. If you do, please comment.)

The first Baraba fruits of the season ripening on the tree. The fruits are tangy and sweet with a seed or two inside. The pulp is delicious and the peel is edible too. The tree is coniferous, ever green, and looks like a smaller mangosteen tree, and is probably from the garcinia family. Children love this fruit. Definitely, a must for your garden, if not for its fruit, then as an ornamental tree.

Beans!

Tender organic pod beans just coming out of their blooms. Sweet and soft, their stir-fry is absolutely delicious. You can plant just 10 vines and have more than enough beans for a family or four. In the mountains, they grow all through the year. On the coast, during the cooler months. Just use the fresh seeds from the mature pods you get in the market and plant some. Enjoy a beautiful day! ❤

A daydream!

Tiny green baby mangoes emerging from fragrant blossoms.... I daydream.....

Many will drop off in the midday heat. Some will grow. Tender mangoes will be plucked long before their prime, to tickle your taste buds with fine tender mango pickle, manga chammandi and maambazha pulissery to make you smack your lips and bite your fingers. Children will ask you to cut the tender mangoes, sprinkle salt and chili powder, and together you'll drool.

A few will grow to ripen, some claimed by the birds and the bats. Children, nay, humans young and old, will suck on them, smiling ear to ear, the sweet yellow juice running down their chins, and flinging the stones away.

Have a great day!

Togetherness!

Beans, Amaranthus, Cowpea,
Spinach are called we!
On this crowded little patch
Where we find ourselves planted,
Patiently, silently, happily,
In serving you, find us,
The fulfilment of our lives!
We may have our differences
But enjoy we our togetherness!
Do ye?

Pepino!

One more easy-to-grow plant in cool climes (15°C – 30 °C) is pepino melon, also called pepino dulce, melon pear, or Solanum muricatum. A native of Peru, South America, pepino is known for its ability to help the body fight against all sorts of infections and cancer. Containing vitamins C, K, A, as well as minerals and antioxidants, pepino helps lower cholesterol levels, keeps your skin smooth and is excellent for your bones.

Though a trailing vine-like plant, it can be grown as a bush too, with some supports. Once established, it starts to yield in 3 to 4 months, and lives for a few years. The unripe fruits are crisp and watery like cucumber. They look like tomatoes, but when cooked, taste like potatoes.
Ripe fruits turn a golden yellow, and are sweet, flavorsome and fragrant like musk melons. Some fruits develop purple streaks on them as they mature. Diabetic persons can safely enjoy the delicious unripe fruits as they contain no sugar.

Sweet Passion!

Passion fruit is sour, they say
Not these, dear friends, not these!
I cut one open and found
Sweet as sugar, honeyed nectar!
Just got them from a friend dear
Handpicked, each one, with love
Sucking on the precious gift,
I wonder…
Did the vine make them sweet?
Or was it the loving gardener,
My precious friend so dear!
Either ways, Salute doth I
The divine alchemist called love!

Collard Greens!

An easy to grow plant which gives you fresh green leaves throughout the year. It grows well in partial shade to full sunlight on organic fertilizer and loves moist, well drained soils. You can make delicious fried rice, stir fry, lentil curry and pakodas,using the tender leaves. The plant has few enemies and requires no pesticides. Propagation is through stem cuttings or off shoots. Plants live for up to 2 years and grow best in the cooler climate of the mountains. A must for your kitchen garden!