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

by Eknath Easwaran

MEERA Even with Your Last Breath Even with your last breath Repeat the name of the Lord, Whose abode stands high like a date palm, Loaded with luscious fruits. Do not depend on your own Skill and strength to reach the top. Let the Holy Name be your ladder and your rope. Thus supported you can neither Fall nor fail to reach the top. Make this house of flesh and blood A temple of the Lord. This is Meera’s secret to share with you.

MEERA Singing Your Name Singing your name day and night, It echoes in my mind all the time. O Krishna, I am the dust of your feet; How can I lift my voice in your praise? Singing your name heals all wounds, And guards the mind against selfish thoughts. I am armed with the arrow of your name Fixed on the bow-string of my heart; I wear the armor of your glory As I sing of your life and divine deeds. My body is a musical instrument On which my mind plays songs of love. To awaken my soul from sleep, I sing and dance before the Lord Waiting for the door to open.

SRI CHAITANYA O Name, Stream Down in Moonlight Chant the Name of the Lord and his glory unceasingly, That the mirror of the heart may be wiped clean And quenched that mighty forest fire, Worldly lust, raging furiously within. O Name, stream down in moonlight on the lotus heart, Opening its cup to knowledge of thyself. O self, drown deep in the waves of his bliss, Chanting his Name continually, Tasting his nectar at every step, Bathing in his Name, that bath for weary souls. In each and every Name thy power resides. No times are set, no rites are needful, For chanting of thy Name, So vast is thy mercy.

KABIR Weaving Your Name I weave your name on the loom of my mind, To make my garment when you come to me. My loom has ten thousand threads To make my garment when you come to me. The sun and moon watch while I weave your name; The sun and moon hear while I count your name. These are the wages I get by day and night To deposit in the lotus bank of my heart. I weave your name on the loom of my mind To clean and soften ten thousand threads And to comb the twists and knots of my thoughts. No more shall I weave a garment of pain. For you have come to me, drawn by my weaving – My ceaselessly weaving your name on the loom of my mind.

THE CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD You Are That This is the teaching of Uddalaka to Shvetaketu, his son: As by knowing one lump of clay, dear one, We come to know all things made out of clay – That they differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is clay; As by knowing one gold nugget, dear one, We come to know all things made out of gold – That they differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is gold; As by knowing one tool of iron, dear one, We come to know all things made out of iron – That they differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is iron – So through spiritual wisdom, dear one, We come to know that all of life is one. In the beginning was only Being, One without a second. Out of himself he brought forth the cosmos And entered into everything in it. There is nothing that does not come from him.

Of everything he is the inmost Self. He is the truth; he is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. When a person is absorbed in dreamless sleep He is one with the Self, though he knows it not. We say he sleeps, but he sleeps in the Self. As a tethered bird grows tired of flying About in vain to find a place of rest And settles down at last on its own perch, So the mind, tired of wandering about Hither and thither, settles down at last In the Self, dear one, to whom it is bound. All creatures, dear one, have their source in him. He is their home; he is their strength. There is nothing that does not come from him. Of everything he is the inmost Self. He is the truth; he is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. As bees suck nectar from many a flower And make their honey one, so that no drop Can say, “I am from this flower or that,” All creatures, though one, know not they are that One. There is nothing that does not come from him. Of everything he is the inmost Self. He is the truth; he is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that.

As the rivers flowing east and west Merge in the sea and become one with it, Forgetting they were ever separate streams, So do all creatures lose their separateness When they merge at last into pure Being. There is nothing that does not come from him. Of everything he is the inmost Self. He ...

SAINT CATHERINE OF GENOA A Sea of Peace When the good God calls us in this world, he finds us full of vices and sins, and his first work is to give us the instinct to practice virtue; then he incites us to desire perfection, and afterwards, by infused grace, he conducts us to the true self-naughting, and finally to the true transformation. This is the extraordinary road along which God conducts the soul. But when the soul is thus naughted and transformed, it no longer works, or speaks, or wills, or feels, or understands, nor has it in itself any knowledge, either of that which is internal or external, which could possibly affect it; and, in all these things God is its director and guide without the help of any creature. In this state, the soul is in such peace and tranquility that it seems to her that both soul and body are immersed in a sea of the profoundest peace, from which she would not issue for anything that could happen in this life. She remains immovable, imperturbable, and neither her humanity nor her spirit feels anything except the sweetest peace, of which she is so full that if her flesh, her bones, her nerves were pressed, nothing would issue from them but peace. And all day long she sings softly to herself for joy, saying: “Shall I show thee what God is? No one finds peace apart from him.”

THE SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD Love the Lord & Be Free To know the unity of all life leads To deathlessness; to know not leads to death. Both are hidden in the infinity Of Brahman, who is beyond both. He is the One who presides over all And rules over everyone from within. He sows the golden seed of life when time begins And helps us know its unity. He is the Lord who casts the net of birth And death and withdraws it again, The supreme Self who governs the forces of life. Even as the sun shines and fills all space With light, above, below, across, so shines the Lord Of Love and fills the hearts of all created beings. From him the cosmos comes, who teaches Each living creature to attain perfection According to its own nature. He is The Lord of Love who reigns over all life. He is the supreme creator, hidden

Deep in the mystery of the scriptures. By realizing him the gods and sages Attained immortality. Under the hypnotic spell of pleasure And pain, we live for ourselves and are bound. Though master of ourselves, we roam about From birth to birth, driven by our own deeds. The Self, small as the thumb, dwelling in the heart, Is like the sun shining in the sky. But when identified with the ego, The Self appears other than what it is. It may appear smaller than a hair’s breadth, But know the Self to be infinite. Not female, male, nor neuter is the Self. As is the body, so is the gender. The Self takes on a body, with desires, Attachments, and delusions. The Self Is born again and again in new bodies To work out the karma of former lives. The embodied self assumes many forms, Heavy or light, according to its needs For growth and the deeds of previous lives. This evolution is a divine law. Love the Lord and be free. He is the One

Who appears as many, enveloping The cosmos, without beginning or end. None but the pure in heart can realize him. May Lord Shiva, creator, destroyer, The abode of all beauty and w...

KABIR The Fruit of the Tree No longer am I The man I used to be; For I have plucked the fruit Of this precious tree of life. As the river flows down the hills And becomes one with the sea, So has this weaver’s love flowed To become one with the Lord of Love. Go deeper and deeper in meditation To reach the seabed of consciousness. Through the blessing of my teacher I have passed beyond the land of death. Says Kabir: Listen to me, friends, And cast away all your doubts. Make your faith unshakable in the Lord, And pass beyond the land of death.

THE DHAMMAPADA Cross the River Bravely Cross the river bravely; conquer all your passions. Go beyond the world of fragments and know the deathless ground of life. Cross the river bravely; conquer all your passions. Go beyond your likes and dislikes and all fetters will fall away. Who is a true brahmin? That one I call a brahmin who has neither likes nor dislikes and is free from the chains of fear. Who is a true brahmin? That one I call a brahmin who has trained the mind to be still and reached the supreme goal of life. The sun shines in the day; the moon shines in the night. The warrior shines in battle, the brahmin in meditation. But day and night the Buddha shines in radiance of love for all. That one I call a brahmin who has shed all evil. I call that one a recluse whose mind is serene; a wanderer, whose heart is pure.

That one I call a brahmin who is never angry, never causes harm to others even when harmed by them. That one I call a brahmin who clings not to pleasure. Do not cause sorrow to others; no more sorrow will come to you. That one I call a brahmin who does not hurt others with unkind acts, words, or thoughts. Both body and mind obey him. That one I call a brahmin who walks in the footsteps of the Buddha. Light your torch from the fire of his sacrifice. It is not matted hair nor birth that makes a brahmin, but truth and the love for all of life with which one’s heart is full. What use is matted hair? What use is a deerskin on which to sit for meditation if your mind still seethes with lust? Saffron robe and outward show do not make a brahmin, but training of the mind and senses through practice of meditation. Neither riches nor high caste makes a brahmin. Free yourself from selfish desires and you will become a brahmin. The brahmin has thrown off all chains and trembles not

in fear. No selfish bonds can ensnare such a one, no impure thought pollute the mind. That one I call a brahmin who has cut through the strap and thong and chain of karma. Such a one has got up from sleep, fully awake. That one I call a brahmin who fears neither prison nor death. Such a one has the power of love no army can defeat. That one I call a brahmin who is never angry, never goes astray from the path, who is pure and self-controlled. This body is the last. That one I call a brahmin who clings not to pleasure, no more than water to a lotus leaf or mustard seed to the tip of a needle. For such a one no more sorrow will come, no more burden will fall. That one I call a brahmin whose wisdom is profound and whose understanding deep, who by following the right path and avoiding the ...

renounced violence toward all creatures. Such a one neither kills nor helps others to kill. That one I call a brahmin who is never hostile to those who are hostile toward him, who is detached among those who are selfish and at peace among those at war. That one I call a brahmin from whom passion and hatred, arrogance and deceit, have fallen away like mustard seed from the point of a needle. That one I call a brahmin who is ever true, ever kind. Such a one never asks what life can give, only ‘What can I give life?’ That one I call a brahmin who has found his heaven, free from every selfish desire, free from every impurity. Wanting nothing at all, doubting nothing at all, master of both body and mind, such a one has gone beyond time and death. That one I call a brahmin who has gone beyond good and evil and is free from sorrow, passion, and impurity. Tha...

difficult and dangerous to cross, and safely reached the other shore. That one I call a brahmin who has turned his back upon himself. Homeless, such a one is ever at home; egoless, he is ever full. Self-will has left his mind; it will never return. Sorrow has left his life; it will never return. That one I call a brahmin who has overcome the urge to possess even heavenly things and is free from all selfish attachments. That one I call a brahmin who is free from bondage to human beings and to nature alike, the hero who has conquered the world. That one I call a brahmin who is free from I, me, and mine, who knows the rise and fall of life. Such a one is awake and will not fall asleep again. That one I call a brahmin whose way no one can know. Such a one lives fr...

That one I call a brahmin who is fearless, heroic, unshakable, a great sage who has conquered death and attained life’s goal. Brahmins have reached the end of the way; they have crossed the river of life. All that t...

THE BHAGAVAD GITA Be Aware of Me Always SRI KRISHNA: Those who are free from selfish attachments, Who have mastered the senses and passions, Act not, but are acted through by the Lord. Listen to me now, O son of Kunti, How one who has become an instrument In the hands of the Lord attains Brahman, The supreme consummation of wisdom. Unerring in discrimination, Sovereign of the senses and passions, Free from the clamor of likes and dislikes, They lead a simple, self-reliant life Based on meditation, using speech, Body, and mind to serve the Lord of Love. Free from self-will, aggressiveness, arrogance, From the lust to possess people or things, They are at peace with themselves and others And enter into the unitive state. United with the Lord, ever joyful, Beyond the reach of self-will and sorrow, They serve me in every living creature

And attain supreme devotion to me. By loving me they share in my glory And enter into my boundless being. All their acts are performed in my service, And through my grace they win eternal life. Make every act an offering to me; Regard me as your only protector. Make every thought an offering to me; Meditate on me always. Drawing upon your deepest resources, You shall overcome all difficulties Through my grace. But if you will not heed me In your self-will, nothing will avail you. If you say, “I will not fight this battle,” Your own nature will drive you into it. If you will not fight the battle of life, Your own karma will drive you into it. The Lord dwells in the hearts of all creatures, And he whirls them round on the wheel of time. Run to him for refuge with all your strength And peace profound will be yours through his grace. I give you these precious words of wisdom; Reflect on them and then choose what is best. These are the last words I shall speak to you,

Dear one, for your spiritual fulfillment. Be aware of me always, adore me, Make every act an offering to me, And you shall come to me; This I promise, for you are dear to me. Leave all other support, and look to me For protection. I shall purify you From the sins of the past. Do not grieve. Do not share this wisdom with anyone Who lacks in devotion or self-control, Lacks the desire to learn, or who scoffs at me. Those who teach this supreme mystery Of the Gita to all those who love me Will come to me without doubt. No one Can render me more devoted service; No one on earth can be more dear to me. Those who meditate on these holy words Worship me with wisdom and devotion. Ev...

You have dispelled my doubts and delusions And made me ready to fight this battle. My faith is firm ...

JALALUDDIN RUMI A Garden beyond Paradise Everything you see has its roots in the Unseen world. The forms may change, yet the essence remains the same. Every wondrous sight will vanish, Every sweet word will fade. But do not be disheartened, The Source they come from is eternal – Growing, branching out, giving new life and new joy. Why do you weep? – That Source is within you, And this whole world is springing up from it. The Source is full, Its waters are ever-flowing; Do not grieve, drink your fill! Don’t think it will ever run dry – This is the endless Ocean!

From the moment you came into this world A ladder was placed in front of you that you might escape. From earth you became plant, From plant you became animal. Afterwards you became a human being, Endowed with knowledge, intellect, and faith. Behold the body, born of dust – how perfect it has become! Why should you fear its end? When were you ever made less by dying? When you pass beyond this human form, No doubt you will become an angel And soar through the heavens! But don’t stop there. Even heavenly bodies grow old. Pass again from the heavenly realm and plunge into the vast ocean of Consciousness. Let the drop of water that is you become a hundred mighty seas. But do not think that the drop alone Becomes the Ocean – the Ocean, too, becomes the drop!

EKNATH EASWARAN Setu Prayer Dear Lord, please fill my heart with love and devotion for you and burn out all seeds of selfish desire and sense craving in my mind. Grant that I may be carried by you from this life to the next without suffering and be born in a holy family with my heart overflowing with love and devotion for you from earliest childhood onwards.

Tukaram In Me Thou Livest When I Lose Myself in Thee The One Thing Needed Think on His Name A Hindu mystic of seventeenth-century India, Tukaram (c. 1598–1650) started out in life as a prosperous peasant farmer and grain seller. A series of devastating personal losses plunged him into a despair so deep it completely purged his worldly aspirations. Turning all his thoughts to God, he began to express his longings in devotional songs of compelling simplicity and beauty – songs that became lyrics of joy when he reached illumination and dedicated his life to teaching the common people to aspire to God-realization. His thousands of compositions in the vernacular are considered the foundation of Marathi literature. He is regarded as an important representative of the Bhakti school of Hindu mysticism, the way of devotion. From John S. Hoyland, An Indian Peasant Mystic: Translations from Tukaram (Allenson & Co., 1932).