Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Garden: There is no water...


There is no water; no boat, no boatman, is there; there is not so much as a rope to tow the boat, nor a man to draw it. No earth, no sky, no time, no thing, is there: no shore, no ford!

Next: This is the end of a path, but not the end of the garden. Return to the beginning: would you like to follow the FLUTE, or answer the call of the VEENA?


[Source: RT 20 (partial); 2.22. man tu pâr utar kânh jaiho]

Here is the full poem:

XX

II. 22. man tu pâr utar kânh jaiho

  To what shore would you cross, O my heart? there is no traveller
    before you, there is no road:
  Where is the movement, where is the rest, on that shore?
  There is no water; no boat, no boatman, is there;
  There is not so much as a rope to tow the boat, nor a man to draw
    it.
  No earth, no sky, no time, no thing, is there: no shore, no ford!
  There, there is neither body nor mind: and where is the place
    that shall still the thirst of the soul? You shall find naught
    in that emptiness.
  Be strong, and enter into your own body: for there your foothold
    is firm. Consider it well, O my heart! go not elsewhere,
  Kabîr says: "Put all imaginations away, and stand fast in that
    which you are."



No comments:

Post a Comment