Poetic RenderingO warrior in the battlefield,Why cling with greed to your arrows?O servant of the Divine,Why yearn so much for your life?O true devotee,Why desire the wealth of body, mind,…

Poetic RenderingWhat use is a tree thick with leavesyet bearing no fruit?What use is wealthwhen devotion is absent?What use is fruitguarded and poisoned by serpents?What use is lineagewhen virtue does…

Poetic RenderingCan a pot once shatteredbe made whole for sacred use?Can a vow once brokenturn its keeper into a devotee?The banana plant yields fruit but once;the scorpion brings forth its…

Poetic RenderingA worship offered without loveis mere performancea ritual painted on the surface.Look closely: it is only an act,like a picture of sugarcane.Hold it closeno fragrance.Taste itno sweetness rises.Such is…

Poetic RenderingLike the Mailara warrior’s figureglittering in armor,yet stuffed within with nothing but strawso too is the state of this body.And like a dog stretched out in sleep,mimicking meditation without…

Poetic RenderingLike a lizard upon a garden wall,my mind keeps changing its colorsshifting and turning without rest.Like a blind bat wandering through the night,it stirs with ceaseless thoughtsin darkness and…

Poetic RenderingOne who bows to the feet of devotees is the true bhakta.Gentle speech is the highest of mantras,gentle speech is the greatest of penances.And a humble heart is the…

Poetic RenderingLike a frog stunned beneath the serpent’s shadow,so has my mind fallen stillcaught in fear,entangled in the illusions that coil around me.O Lord…before this helpless life of mine is…

Poetic RenderingThe elephant fears the ankusha's sharp point.The mountain fears the thunderbolt's shattering strike.The darkness fears the sun's conquering light.The forest fears the wildfire's raging might.And the five great sins,…

Poetic RenderingLike an idol of butter placed near the firehow long will it last? Tell me, O mind!So too, this tongue, these teeth, this smilewhat worth are they if used…