Skip to main content

'I' in the city that never sleeps

Nine poem garland for Swamini Svatmavidyanandaji for Navratri.


7. 'I' in the city that never sleeps



 

The city with nine gates goes to sleep 

Closed eyes forget to weep 

Open ears ignore the beep

Senses rest after prolonged sweep

 

Nostrils no longer know to smell

Tongue no longer dwells in taste 

Breathing continues to happen

Digestion continues to happen 

 

Prana never stops moving 

Body learns to stop moving  

Mind is still wandering here and there

Memory is recollecting far and near

 

Things that are seen are combined

Desires and fears are combined

Forms and stories are described 

Comic dreams are transcribed 

 

The four stages of NREM blear                             

The REM stage where dreams appear

The alpha, the beta and the delta wave

The Rishis know them while in the cave

 

There is no dream without sleep

Dream slowly ends in deep sleep

The mind follows and goes to sleep

The city where I live goes to sleep

 

I in the city that never sleeps 

I in the city that never dreams 

I in the city that witnesses the sleep 

I in the city that witnesses the dream 

 

(Swamini Svatmavidyananda Class on Chandogya Upanishad Chapter 6 Sep 12 2021)  Chandogya six 34

 

Comments

  1. This is a great poem. One of my favorites, although it is hard to choose. Om and love - Swaminiji

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Tale of Two birds

  A   Tale of two birds Old Īśvara had a farm, And on this farm He had a tree, And on this tree there sat a bird, With a  coo coo  here, and a  coo coo  there, Here a  coo , there a  coo , Everywhere  coo coo ! This bird eats the berries, Some are bitter, some are sweet. Fluttering here, fluttering there, Restless in its endless search. Old Īśvara had a farm, And on this farm He had a tree, And on this tree there sat a jīva, With a  glub glub  here,  and a  glub glub  there , Here a  glub,  there a  glub   , Everywhere  glub glub   ! The jīva whines in sorrow, The jīva whines in fear. Forgetting its true nature,  It suffers birth after birth. Old Īśvara had a farm, And on this farm He had a tree, And on this tree the jīva met the Guru, And the jīva turned into a bhakta. She asks, “Give me this, give me that,” She prays in sorrow and distress. She makes her bargains and deals Slowly c...

Opening the Inner Temple of Knowledge

Opening the Inner Temple of Knowledge The rain falls at the Bay, yet no single drop claims authorship. Clouds gather -dense and dark, but none declares, “I give.” Oceans rise as vapor, trees breathe out their offering, sunlight fuels the cycle— and yet none stands apart as the doer Where does money truly flow from? From the labor of the body? From the power of thought? From the ego that claims ownership? Who is the giver? Who is the receiver? The body moves, the mind conceives, the ego asserts— while I simply witness. Everything resolves in Me- There is no separate giver, no separate receiver all arise as one, within one,  from one. When everything arises from one indivisible source, the giver and receiver dissolve; Action happens, without an actor Aim for Seva continues , the window of opportunity lights up from within, the door of the inner temple opens to the truth of knowledge.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery Hike — An Adventurous Awakening Journey Within

Tiger’s Nest Monastery Hike — An Adventurous Awakening Journey Within Paro Taktsang , famously known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery , is one of Bhutan’s most sacred and breathtaking places — perched on a cliffside at an altitude of around 3,100 meters (10,200 feet) in Paro, Bhutan.  It’s not just a hike; it’s a pilgrimage.  We began our hike from the base around 7 AM. Wooden walking sticks rented from locals in hand, Strava app turned on, and spirits eager, we followed our guide, Kinzan, who kindly guided us along. We took a “before hike” photo — smiling, unaware of the lessons waiting ahead. The winding path stretched ahead, shaded by tall trees, strings of prayer flags, with hundreds of steps ascending through the forest.  Around us, travelers from all over the world climbing along—each group led by its own local guide. Step by step, one foot before the other, the hike began.  With every upward step, doubts crept in —  Will I make it?   The walking stick ...