Maya's Gallery: An Exhibition of Waking

Maya's Gallery: An Exhibition of Waking

I open my eyes from sleep,

the so-called waking state begins.

Marvelous manifestation blossoms,

and the so-called universe appears.

From within, I witness

the world arise,

family and friends come to life.

homes, streets, markets, parks

fill with events,

emotions, and commotions.

Maya, the artist,

paints with three colors.

Some live softly in sattva,

some move restlessly in rajas,

some remain deluded in tamas.

I witness the tapestry

and refuse to be trapped in it.

I witness each scene as it arrives,

each moment as it dissolves.

I play the roles and move along,

I remain untouched as the lotus.

As the ego falls away,

the nameless, formless

Self is evident,

as whole, needing nothing.

I take on many names and forms,

yet all swirls merge into One.

I uphold all as their very base,

immanent, and transcendent.

Self-sufficient,

roots below, branches above,

I cannot be bound or entangled.

I shine as the Self in all.

Stepping back, I see it all

as Maya’s gallery of paintings,

projected by the mind.

I paint my own world.

I am free, now and here.

I stand erect, strong,

witnessing even freedom.

I am That.

Inspiration - Shazia Sikander- Collective Behavior

Painting Exhibition

at Cantor Art center, Stanford University

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