God Makes the Rivers to Flow: An Anthology of the World's Sacred Poetry and Prose (Essential Easwaran Library Book 4)

by Eknath Easwaran

THE SUTTA NIPATA Discourse on Good Will May all beings be filled with joy and peace. May all beings everywhere, The strong and the weak, The great and the small, The mean and the powerful, The short and the long, The subtle and the gross: May all beings everywhere, Seen and unseen, Dwelling far off or nearby, Being or waiting to become: May all be filled with lasting joy. Let no one deceive another, Let no one anywhere despise another, Let no one out of anger or resentment Wish suffering on anyone at all. Just as a mother with her own life Protects her child, her only child, from harm, So within yourself let grow A boundless love for all creatures. Let your love flow outward through the universe, To its height, its depth, its broad extent,

A limitless love, without hatred or enmity. Then, as you stand or walk, Sit or lie down, As long as you are awake, Strive for this with a one-pointed mind; Your life will bring heaven to earth.

A SONG OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA I Have Joined My Heart to Thee I have joined my heart to Thee: all that exists art Thou; Thee only have I found, for Thou art all that exists. O Lord, Beloved of my heart! Thou art the Home of all; Where indeed is the heart in which Thou dost not dwell? Thou hast entered every heart: all that exists art Thou. Whether sage or fool, whether Hindu or Mussalman, Thou makest them as Thou wilt: all that exists art Thou. Thy presence is everywhere, whether in heaven or in Kaaba; Before Thee all must bow, for Thou art all that exists. From earth below to the highest heaven, from heaven to deepest earth, I see Thee wherever I look: all that exists art Thou. Pondering, I have understood; I have seen it beyond a doubt;

I find not a single thing that may be compared to Thee. To Jafar it has been revealed that Thou art all that exists.

MEERA The Path to Your Dwelling How am I to come to you When I stand outside a locked gate? The path to your dwelling Runs steep and dangerous. In fear I climb, step by step, The path to your dwelling, So steep and dangerous. O Lord, you seem so far away That my mind goes up and down. As I climb, the sentinels watch And the robbers wait to waylay me. Though the path to your dwelling Is steep and dangerous, You have called me home. Meera’s wanderings are ended. She has found her way to your feet.

MEERA Come, Beloved As the lotus dies without water, As the night is blind without the moon, So is my heart without you, Beloved. I wander alone at night, Driven by my longing for you. I hunger for you all the day, I thirst for you all the night. My grief is beyond words; My mind is beyond rest. Come and end my grief, Beloved. Come and bring joy to my heart. You know my inmost secret; Then look at me with eyes of love, Your slave for countless lives since the dawn of time. So says Meera at your feet.

MEERA Life of My Life You are the life of my life, O Krishna, the heart of my heart. There is none in all the three worlds Whom I call my own but you. You are the peace of my mind; You are the joy of my heart; You are my beauty and my wealth. You are my wisdom and my strength; I call you my home, my friend, my kin. My present and future are in your hands; My scriptures and commands come from you. Supreme teacher, fountain of wisdom, You are the path and the goal, Tender mother and stern father too. You are the creator and protector, And the pilot who takes me across The stormy ocean of life.

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES I Am Thine, Lord I am thine, Lord, and am to belong to none but to thee. My soul is thine, and ought not to live but by thee; my will is thine, and ought not to love but for thee; my love is thine, and is only to tend to thee. I am to love thee as my First Cause, since I have my being from thee. I am to love thee as my end and center, since I am for thee. I am to love thee more than my own being, since even my being does subsist by thee. I am to love thee more than myself, since I am wholly thine and in thee.

RABBI ELEAZAR AZIKRI Beloved of the Soul Beloved of the soul, source of compassion, Shape your servant to your will. Then your servant will run like a deer to bow before you. Your love will be sweeter than a honeycomb. Majestic, beautiful, light of the universe, My soul is lovesick for you; I implore you, God, heal her By revealing to her your pleasant radiance; Then she will be strengthened and healed And will have eternal joy. Timeless One, be compassionate And have mercy on the one you love, For this is my deepest desire: To see your magnificent splendor. This is what my heart longs for; Have mercy and do not conceal yourself. Reveal yourself, my Beloved, And spread the shelter of your peace over me; Light up the world with your glory; We will celebrate you in joy. Hurry, Beloved, the time has come, And grant us grace, as in days of old.

JEWISH LITURGY Evening Prayer for the Sabbath In this moment of silent communion with Thee, O Lord, a still small voice speaks in the depth of my spirit. It speaks to me of the things I must do to attain holy kinship with Thee and to grow in the likeness of Thee. I must do my allotted task with unflagging faithfulness even though the eye of no taskmaster is on me. I must be gentle in the face of ingratitude or when slander distorts my noblest motives. I must come to the end of each day with a feeling that I have used its gifts gratefully and faced its trials bravely. O Lord, help me to be ever more like Thee, holy for Thou art holy, loving for Thou art love. Speak to me, then, Lord, as I seek Thee again and again in the stillness of meditation, until Thy bidding shall at last become for me a hallowed discipline, a familiar way of life.

SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Just Because You Are My God Oh, my God, I want to love you Not that I might gain eternal heaven Nor escape eternal hell But, Lord, to love you just because you are my God. Grant me to give to you And not to count the cost, To fight for you And not to mind the wounds, To labor and to ask for no reward except the knowledge that I serve my God.

Let us preach you without preaching, not by words but by our example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you. ANSARI OF HERAT Invocations In the name of God, Most gracious, Most merciful. O thou munificent one Who art the bestower of all bounties, O thou wise one Who overlookest our faults, O self-existent one Who art beyond our comprehension, O thou omnipotent one Who hast no equal in power and greatness, Who art without a second: O thou merciful one Who guidest stray souls to the right path, Thou art truly our God. Give purity to our minds, Aspiration to our hearts, Light to our eyes. Out of thy grace and bounty Give us that which thou deemest best. O Lord, out of thy grace Give faith and light to our hearts, And with the medicine of truth and steadfastness Cure the ills of this life. I know not what to ask of thee. Thou art the knower; Give what thou deemest best. O God, may my brain reel with thoughts of thee, May my heart thrill with the mysteries of thy grace, May my tongue move only to utter thy praise. I live only to do thy will; My lips move only in praise of thee. O Lord, whoever becometh aware of thee, Casteth out all else other than thee. O Lord, give me a heart That I may pour it out in thanksgiving. Give me life That I may spend it in working For the salvation of the world. O Lord, give me that right discrimination That the lure of the world may cheat me no more. Give me strength...

O Lord, give me a heart Free from the flames of desire. Give me a mind Free from the waves of egoism. O Lord, give me eyes Which see nothing but thy glory. Give me a mind That finds delight in thy service. Give me a soul Drunk in the wine of thy wisdom. O Lord, to find thee is my desire, But to comprehend thee is beyond my strength. Remembering thee is solace to my sorrowing heart; Thoughts of thee are my constant companions. I call upon thee night and day. The flame of thy love glows In the darkness of my night. Life in my body pulsates only for thee, My heart beats in resignation to thy will. If on my dust a tuft of grass were to grow, Every blade would tremble with my devotion for thee. O Lord, everyone desires to behold thee. I desire that thou mayest cast a glance at me. Let me not disgrace myself. If thy forgiveness awaits me in the end, Lower not the standard of forgiveness Which thou hast unfurled. O Lord, prayer at thy gate

Is a mere formality: Thou knowest what thy slave desires. O Lord, better for me to be dust And my name effaced From the records of the world Than that thou forget me. He knoweth all our good and evil. Nothing is hidden from him. He knoweth what is the best medicine To cure the pain and to rescue the fallen. Be humble, for he exalteth the humble. I am intoxicated with love for thee And need no fermented wine. I am thy bird, free from need of seed And safe from the snare of the fowler. In the Kaaba and in the temple, Thou art the object of my search, Else I am freed From both these places of worship. Lord, when thou wert hidden from me The fever of life possessed me. When thou revealest thyself This fever of life departeth. O Lor...

O Lord, if thou holdest me responsible for my sins I shall cling to thee for thy grace. I with my sin am an insignificant atom. Thy grace is resplendent as the sun. O Lord, out of regard for thy name, The qualities which are thine, Out of regard for thy greatness, Listen to my cry, For thou alone canst redeem me. O Lord, intoxicate me with the wine of thy love. Place the chains of thy slavery on my feet; Make me empty of all but thy love, And in it destroy me and bring me back to life. The hunger thou hast awakened Culminates in fulfillment. Make my body impervious to the fires of hell; Vouchsafe to me a vision of thee in heaven. The spark thou hast kindled, make it everlasting. I think of no other, And in thy love care for none else. None has a place in my h...

O Lord, I, a beggar, ask of thee More than what a thousand kings may ask of thee. Each one has something he needs to ask of thee; I have come to ask thee to give me thyself. If words can establish a claim, I claim a crown. But if deeds are wanted, I am as helpless as the ant. Urged by desire, I wandered In the streets of good and evil. I gained nothing except feeding the fire of desire. As long as in me remains the breath of life, Help me, for thou alone canst hear my prayer. Watch vigilantly the state of thine own mind. Love of God begins in harmlessness. Know that the prophet built an external Kaaba Of clay and water And an inner Kaaba in life and heart. The outer Kaaba was built by Abraham, the holy; The inner is sanctified by the glory of God hims...

With a heart full of compassion. Engage not in vain doing; Make not thy home in the street of lust and desire. If thou wouldst become a pilgrim on the path of love, The first condition is that thou become As humble as dust and ashes. Know that when thou learnest to lose thy self Thou wilt reach the Beloved. There is no other secret to be revealed, And more than this is not known to me. Be humble and cultivate silence. If thou hast received, rejoice, And fill thyself with ecstasy. And if not, continue the demand. What is worship? To realize reality. What is the sacred law? To do no evil. What is reality? Selflessness. The heart inquired of the soul, What is the beginning of this business? What its end, and what its fruit? The soul answered: The beginning of it is...

annihilation. Faithfulness is fulfillment of love. Immortality is the union of immortal with mortal. In this path the eye must cease to see And the ear to hear, Save unto him and about him. Be as dust on his path; Even the kings o...

SWAMI OMKAR Prayer for Peace Adorable presence, Thou who art within and without, above and below and all around, Thou who art interpenetrating every cell of my being, Thou who art the eye of my eyes, the ear of my ears, the heart of my heart, the mind of my mind, the breath of my breath, the life of my life, the soul of my soul, Bless us, dear God, to be aware of thy presence now and here. May we all be aware of thy presence in the East and the West, in the North and the South. May peace and goodwill abide among individuals, communities, and nations. This is my earnest prayer. May peace be unto all!

HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN Prayer for Peace Send us Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting, that our souls may radiate peace. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act, and speak harmoniously. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife we may enjoy Thy bliss. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all in the thought of Thy grace and mercy. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that our lives may become a divine vision, and in Thy light all darkness may vanish. Send us Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we, Thy children on earth, may all unite in one family.

THE DHAMMAPADA Give Up Anger Give up anger, give up pride, and free yourself from worldly bondage. No sorrow can befall those who never try to possess people and things as their own. Those who hold back rising anger like a rolling chariot are real charioteers. Others merely hold the reins. Conquer anger through gentleness, unkindness through kindness, greed through generosity, and falsehood by truth. Be truthful; do not yield to anger. Give freely, even if you have but little. The gods will bless you. Injuring no one, self-controlled, the wise enter the state of peace beyond all sorrow. Those who are vigilant, who train their minds day and night and strive continually for nirvana, enter the state of peace beyond all selfish passions. There is an old saying: “People will blame you if you say too much; they will blame you if you say too little; they will blame you if you say just enough.” No one in this world escapes blame. There never was and never will be anyone who

receives all praise or all blame. But who can blame those who are pure, wise, good, and meditative? They shine like a coin of pure gold. Even the gods praise them, even Brahma the Creator. Use your body for doing good, not for harm. Train it to follow the dharma. Use your tongue for doing good, not for harm. Train it to speak kindly. Use your mind for doing good, not for harm. Train your mind in love. The wise are disciplined in body, speech, and mind. They are well controlled indeed.

LAO TZU Finding Unity Those who know do not speak; Those who speak do not know. Stop up the openings, Close down the doors, Rub off the sharp edges. Unravel all confusion. Harmonize the light, Give up contention: This is called finding the unity of life. When love and hatred cannot affect you, Profit and loss cannot touch you, Praise and blame cannot ruffle you, You are honored by all the world.

SRI SARADA DEVI The Whole World Is Your Own I tell you one thing – If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather learn to see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; this whole world is your own.

THE ORTHA NAN GAIDHEAL This Morning I Pray This morning, as I kindle the fire on my hearth, I pray that the flame of God’s love may burn in my heart and in the hearts of all I meet today. I pray that no envy or malice, no hatred or fear, may smother the flame. I pray that indifference and apathy, contempt and pride, may not pour like cold water on the fire. Instead, may the spark of God’s love light the love in my heart, that it may burn brightly through the day. And may I warm those who are lonely, whose hearts are cold and lifeless, so that all may know the comfort of God’s love.

BROTHER LAWRENCE The Practice of the Presence of God 1 O my God, since thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, I beseech thee to grant me the grace to continue in thy presence; and to this end do thou prosper me with thy assistance, receive all my works, and possess all my affections. 2 God knoweth best what is needful for us, and all that he does is for our good. If we knew how much he loves us, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from his hand the sweet and the bitter. All would please that came from him. The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable, except when we see them in the wrong light. When we see them as dispensed by the hand of God, when we know that it is our loving Father who abases and distresses us, our sufferings will lose their bitterness and become even matter of consolation. Let all our employment be to know God; the more one knows him, the more one desires to know him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will be our love; and if our love of God were great, we should love him equally in pains and pleasures. Let us not content ourselves with loving God for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which he has done

may do us. Such favors, though never so great, cannot bring us so near to him as faith does in one simple act. Let us seek him often by faith. He is within us; seek him not elsewhere. If we do love him alone, are we not rude, and do we not deserve blame, if we busy ourselves about trifles which do not please and perhaps offend him? It is to be feared these trifles will one day cost us dear. Let us begin to be devoted to him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts. He would possess them alone. Beg this favor of him. If we do what we can on our part, we shall soon see that change wrought in us which we aspire after.

RABBI BAHYA IBN PAKUDA Duties of the Heart What is meant by wholehearted devotion to God alone? It means that in every act, public and private, the aim and purpose should be purely work for God’s sake, to please him only, without winning the approval of other people. How achieve wholehearted devotion to God alone? In ten ways. If these are firmly set in your heart and you clearly make them the basis of your actions, then your devotion to God will be complete. Then you will turn to no one else, set your hope on nothing else, and mold your will to none other than God’s. First is wholehearted acceptance that only God fills the universe; Second, that God is the source of all reality and is endlessly good; Third, that your goal is to work for God; Fourth, that you should rely on God alone and not physical beings; Fifth, that you get no ultimate gain or loss from physical beings, but only from the Creator; Sixth, that you should maintain evenness of mind regardless of whether people praise you or blame you; Seventh, that you should not make a show of spiritual

activities to impress other people; Eighth, that you should not be caught up in personal gain when you are working for eternal life; Ninth, that you should hold God in reverence and be humble before him; Tenth, that you should use your mind to master your senses and use them with care and discrimination.

SAINT TERESA OF AVILA You Are Christ’s Hands Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Christ’s compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.

SWAMI RAMDAS Unshakable Faith Unshakable faith in God and His will: Nothing short of this. Take thorough refuge in Him. Give up all fears, all anxieties, all doubts, all thoughts of weakness. You have put yourself under the guidance and control of an all-powerful being. Let Him do what He pleases with you. Give up I and mine. Make no plans. Let nothing of the past or future disturb you. God is the sole doer and you are His child, His servant. Your I and mine has no existence. It is all He, He alone. Submit, resign, surrender yourself to Him. Be always cheerful, peaceful, and blissful. In this state you will always remain. This is your goal. God is always in you and you are always in Him. He and you are one. This is the truth.

HASAN KAIMI BABA The Path of Love O seeker of truth, it is your heart’s eye you must open. Know the Divine Unity today, through the path of love for Him. If you object: “I am waiting for my mind to grasp His nature,” Know the Divine Unity today, through the path of love for Him. Should you wish to behold the face of God, Surrender to Him, and invoke His names. When your soul is clear, a light of true joy shall shine. Know the Divine Unity today, through the path of love for Him.

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN In Your Midst I, God, am in your midst. Whoever knows me can never fall, Not in the heights, Not in the depths, Nor in the breadths, For I am love, Which the vast expanses of evil Can never still.

THE BHAGAVAD GITA Whatever You Do A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even Water, offered to me in devotion, I will accept as the loving gift Of a dedicated heart. Whatever you do, Make it an offering to me – The food you eat or worship you perform, The help you give, even your suffering. Thus will you be free from karma’s bondage, From the results of action, good and bad. I am the same to all beings. My love Is the same always. Nevertheless, those Who meditate on me with devotion, They dwell in me, and I shine forth in them. Even the worst sinner becomes a saint When he loves me with all his heart. This love Will soon transform his personality And fill his heart with peace profound. O son of Kunti, this is my promise: Those who love me, they shall never perish. Even those who are handicapped by birth Have reached the supreme goal in life By taking refuge in me. How much more The pure brahmins and royal sages who love me! Give not your love to this transient world Of suffering, but give all your love to me. Give me your mind, your heart, all your worship. Long for me always, live for me always,

And you shall be united with me.

KABIR Simple Union O seeker, the simple union is the best. Since the day when I met with my Lord, There has been no end to the sport of our love. I shut not my eyes, I close not my ears, I do not mortify my body; I see with eyes open And smile and behold his beauty everywhere: I utter his name, and whatever I see, It reminds me of him; whatever I do, It becomes his worship. The rising and the setting are one to me: All contradictions are solved. Wherever I go, I move round him. All I achieve is his service: when I lie down, I lie prostrate at his feet. He is the only adorable one to me: I have none other. My tongue has left off impure words; It sings his glory, day and night. Whether I rise or sit down, I can never forget him, For the rhythm of his music beats in my ears. Kabir says: My heart is frenzied And I disclose in my soul what is hidden. I am immersed in that great bliss Which transcends all pleasure and pain.

SWAMI RAMDAS He Is Omnipresent In my heart I found my Beloved. Now wherever I turn, His face I see In all beings and things – great and small. His light illumines all space. He is there in nature’s beauty. He is present in men, birds, and beasts – His power pervades all the worlds. He is Love, Peace, and Joy.

THE RIG VEDA God Makes the Rivers to Flow God makes the rivers to flow. They tire not, nor do they cease from flowing. May the river of my life flow into the sea of love that is the Lord. May I overcome all the impediments in my course. May the thread of my song be not cut before my life merges in the sea of love. Guard me against all danger, O Lord. Accept me graciously, O King of kings. Release me from my sorrows, which hold me as ropes hold a calf. I cannot even open my eyes without the power of your love. Guard us against the grief that haunts the life of the selfish. Lead us from darkness into light. We will sing of your love as it was sung of old. Your laws change not, but stand like the mountains. Forgive me all the mistakes I have committed. Many mornings will dawn upon us again. Guide us through them all, O Lord of Love.

THE MISHKAT AL-MASABIH I Come to Him Running The Prophet said, God Most High has said: When my worshipper’s thoughts turn to Me, there am I with him. And when he makes mention of Me within himself, I make mention of him within Myself: and when he makes mention of Me in company, I make mention of him in a better company. If he draw near to Me a hand’s breadth, I draw near to him an arm’s length; and if he draw near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him the length of both arms wide outstretched; and if he come to Me walking, I come to him running. And if he meet Me with sins equivalent to the whole world, I will greet him with forgiveness equal to it.

THE BHAGAVAD GITA All Paths Lead to Me He who knows me as his own divine Self, As the Operator in him, breaks through The belief he is the body, and is Not born separate again. Such a one Is united with me, O Arjuna. Delivered from selfish attachment, fear, And anger, filled with Me, surrendering Themselves to me, purified in the fire Of my Being, many have reached the State of Unity in me. As people approach me, so I receive Them. All paths lead to me, O Arjuna.

THE DHAMMAPADA The Blessing of a Well-Trained Mind As an archer aims his arrow, the wise aim their restless thoughts, hard to aim, hard to restrain. As a fish hooked and left on the sand thrashes about in agony, the mind being trained in meditation trembles all over, desperate to escape the hand of Mara the Tempter. Hard it is to train the mind, which goes where it likes and does what it wants. But a trained mind brings health and happiness. The wise can direct their thoughts, subtle and elusive, wherever they choose: a trained mind brings health and happiness. Those who can direct thoughts, which are unsubstantial and wander so aimlessly, are freed from the bonds of Mara. They are not wise whose thoughts are not steady and minds not serene, who do not know dharma, the law of life. They are wise whose thoughts are steady and minds serene, unaffected by good and bad. They are awake and free from fear. Remember, this body is like a fragile clay pot. Make your mind a fortress and conquer Mara with the weapon of wisdom. Guard your conquest always. More than those who hate you, more than all your enemies, an untrained mind does greater harm. More than your mother, more than your father, more than all your family, a well-trained mind does greater good.

CHIEF YELLOW LARK Let Me Walk in Beauty O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and let my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears grow sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength not to be greater than my brother or sister but to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes So when life fades as the fading sunset my spirit may come to you without shame.

THE SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD The One Appearing as Many May the Lord of Love, who projects himself Into the universe of myriad forms Through maya, from whom all beings come, To whom all beings finally return, May he grant us the grace of wisdom. He is the fire and the sun, and the moon And the stars. He is the air and the sea, And the creator Prajapati. He is this boy, he is that girl; he is This man, he is that woman, and he is This old man, too, tottering on his staff. His face is seen everywhere. He is the blue bird, he is the green bird With red eyes; he is the thundercloud, and He is the seasons and the seas; he has No beginning, he has no end. He is The source from whom all the worlds evolve. From his divine power of maya comes Forth this magical show of name and form, Of you and me, which casts the spell of pain And pleasure. When we pierce through the magic, We see the One who appears as many. Two birds of beautiful plumage, comrades Inseparable, live on the same tree. One bird eats the fruit of pleasure and pain; The other looks on without eating.

Forgetting our divine origin, we Become ensnared in the world of maya And bewail our helplessness. But when we See the Lord of Love in all his glory, Adored by all, we go beyond sorrow. What use are the scriptures to anyone Who knows not the one source from whom they come, In whom all gods and worlds abide? Only Those who realize him as ever present In their hearts attain abiding joy. The Lord, who is the supreme magician, Brings forth out of himself all the scriptures, Oblations, sacrifices, spiritual Disciplines, past and present, and the whole Universe. Though he is not visible, He remains hidden in the hearts of all. Know him to be the supreme magician Who has brought all the worlds out of himself. Know that all beings in the universe Partake of his divine splendor. Know him to be the supreme magician Who has become boy and girl, bird and beast. He is the bestower of all blessings, And his grace fills the heart with peace profound. Know him to be the supreme source of all The gods, support of the universe, And sower of the golden seed of life. May he grant us the grace of wisdom. Know him to be the supreme God of gods, From whom all the worlds draw their breath of life. He rules every creature from within. May he be worshipped by everyone.

Know him to be the supreme pervader, In whom the whole universe is smaller Than the smallest atom. May he, Shiva, Fill our heart with infinite peace. Know him to be the supreme guardian Of the cosmos, protecting all creatures From within. May he, Shiva, in whom all Are one, free us from the bonds of death. Know him to be the Supreme One, hidden In the hearts of all as cream is in milk And yet encompassing the universe. May he, Shiva, free us from all bondage. Know him to be the supreme architect Who is enshrined in the hearts of all. Know him in the depths of meditation. May he grant us immortality. Know him to be the supreme source of all Religions, ruler of the world of light, Where there is neither day nor night, neither What is nor what is not, but only Shiva. He is beyond the reach of the mind. He alone is. His glory fills all worlds. He is beyond the reach of the eye. He alone is. May he, Shiva, reveal Himself in the d...

MAHATMA GANDHI The Path I know the path: it is strait and narrow. It is like the edge of a sword. I rejoice to walk on it. I weep when I slip. God’s word is: “He who strives never perishes.” I have implicit faith in that promise. Though, therefore, from my weakness I fail a thousand times, I shall not lose faith.

SAINT TERESA OF AVILA Let Nothing Upset You Let nothing upset you; Let nothing frighten you. Everything is changing; God alone is changeless. Patience attains the goal. Who has God lacks nothing; God alone fills every need.

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES Do Not Look with Fear Do not look with fear on the changes and chances of this life; rather look to them with full faith that as they arise, God – whose you are – will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto. Do not but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms. Do not anticipate what will happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

TUKARAM The One Thing Needed Of what avail this restless, hurrying activity? This heavy weight of earthly duties? God’s purposes stand firm, And thou, His little one, Needest one thing alone: Trust in His power, and will, to meet thy need. Thy burden resteth safe on Him, And thou, His little one, Mayst play securely at His side. This is the sum and substance of it all: God is, God loveth thee, God beareth all thy care.

SHANKARA Soul of My Soul You are the soul of my soul, your energy my wisdom and mind; my body is your abode, my sensory enjoyment an oblation to you. My powers and desires join with your will; my life an instrument of your purpose. My every word joins hymns to you. I walk each step as pilgrimage to your shrine. Errors by my hand or foot, by my speech, or body, by my ears, eyes, or thought; whether by what I’ve done or failed to do, dear Lord, forgive all these. O ocean of mercy, God of gods, bestower of blissful peace, victory unto you!