**BT Song 1526**
God is both provider and spoiler, acting according to His will. When we ask for more, He may refuse, showing that His provision aligns with our everyday needs. However, He often provides not only our daily bread but also extra treats like sweet halva. Expecting this every time, He would smile and say, “That is a treat, not a regular requirement.” Our mind resists, our intellect argues, and our soul feels trapped, yet He leaves us to handle our internal conflicts without intervening.
**BT Song 1526 What to Do**
Simple English:
Thinking you gave
More than needed,
I too said,
“Enough.” 1
But knowing
My needs,
You provided
Accordingly. 2
Afterwards, I said
What you gave
Was not enough
For my needs. 3
You said,
“I know all your needs,”
And refused
To give more. 4
Grace increased,
Sin abounded,
Sin increased,
Grace abounded. 5
Even knowing this argument,
For some reason,
You refused
To do it. 6
When I said,
“Enough,”
You refused
And gave more. 7
When I said
I needed more,
You refused
To give even that. 8
Even when
Your argument
Was not accepted by reason,
You refused. 9
Only the soul
Agreed to it,
Reason opposed it,
When reason opposed it. 10
In between,
Only the mind
Said both were right. 11
Caught in this dispute,
Thinking of you,
I too got angry. 12
“Enough, is enough,”
You said,
Retreating
And letting go. 13
In the end,
I stand alone,
Not knowing
What to do. 14
Gurukulam, 1-12-2023, 5.00 pm.
**BT Song 1526 What to Do**
Classical English:
Considering thou gavest
More than required,
I too declared,
“It sufficeth.” 1
Yet discerning
My needs,
Thou didst provide
Accordingly. 2
Thereafter, I proclaimed
What thou gavest
Was insufficient
For my needs. 3
Thou saidst,
“I know all thy needs,”
And didst refuse
To bestow more. 4
Grace did increase,
Sin did abound,
Sin did increase,
Grace did abound. 5
Though aware of this argument,
For some reason,
Thou didst refuse
To act. 6
When I declared,
“It sufficeth,”
Thou didst refuse
And gavest more. 7
When I proclaimed
I needed more,
Thou didst refuse
Even that. 8
Even when
Thy argument
Was not accepted by reason,
Thou didst refuse. 9
Only the soul
Did assent,
Reason opposed it,
When reason opposed it. 10
In the midst,
Only the mind
Declared both were right. 11
Caught in this contention,
Thinking of thee,
I too became wroth. 12
“Sufficeth, is it,”
Thou saidst,
Withdrawing
And letting go. 13
In the end,
I stand alone,
Knowing not
What to do. 14
Gurukulam, 1-12-2023, 5.00 pm.
**BT Song 1527**
Life on earth is like a guest visit that cannot last more than a few days (according to Indian tradition, as the proverb says: “guest and medicine are only for three days. Dava aur davit teen din ke liye”). Once it’s time for us to leave, there’s no point in God retaining us for company. We are here not to entertain Him or alleviate His loneliness, even if He finds our company joyful. When a guest becomes a permanent resident, only then does the host realize the mistake. God, like any host, should understand the danger of keeping a guest like me beyond the allowed time on earth.
**BT Song 1527 Unwanted Guest**
Simple English
Many times
I spoke and saw,
And many times
I begged and asked. 1
If your heart
Does not relent,
How else
Can I tell you? 2
Competing with books,
With thoughts
To win,
You wasted yourself. 3
If you stand
In competition with me,
I have no
Answer for this. 4
Even if you
Have your own will,
You must
Come down for me. 5
You surely know
Why,
Why must I
Tell you again? 6
After the task is done,
Like unwanted guests,
Do not stay
Back. 7
My life too
Has passed away,
You too
Were the cause of it. 8
To dispel
Your loneliness,
You kept me
With you. 9
After that,
You forgot
That I too
Was with you. 10
Is this new to you?
You have done this
Many times,
Haven’t you? 11
When asked, you say
“It’s my will,”
If not asked,
You forget. 12
Showing a thousand tricks
In words,
There is no point
In arguing. 13
I too know
How to speak,
If you stand and listen,
You will understand. 14
So finally,
I asked for a decision,
If you give an answer,
I will let you go. 15
Gurukulam, 2-12-23, 11.45 pm
**BT Song 1527 Unwanted Guest**
Classical English:
Many a time
Have I spoken and seen,
And many times
Begged and asked. 1
If thy heart
Doth not relent,
How else
Shall I tell thee? 2
Competing with books,
With thoughts
To win,
Thou didst waste thyself. 3
If thou standest
In competition with me,
I have no
Answer for this. 4
Even if thou
Hast thine own will,
Thou must
Descend for me. 5
Thou surely knowest
Why,
Why must I
Tell thee again? 6
After the task is done,
Like unwanted guests,
Do not stay
Back. 7
My life too
Hath passed away,
Thou too
Wert the cause of it. 8
To dispel
Thy loneliness,
Thou kept me
With thee. 9
After that,
Thou didst forget
That I too
Was with thee. 10
Is this new to thee?
Thou hast done this
Many times,
Hast thou not? 11
When asked, thou sayest
“It is my will,”
If not asked,
Thou dost forget. 12
Showing a thousand tricks
In words,
There is no point
In arguing. 13
I too know
How to speak,
If thou standest and listenest,
Thou shalt understand. 14
So finally,
I asked for a decision,
If thou givest an answer,
I shall let thee go. 15
Gurukulam, 2-12-23, 11.45 pm
**BT Song 1528**
This song plays with the word ‘Karuthu’ in Tamil, which can mean meaning, attention, or concern. As the first line came to me, with ‘Karuthu’ standing for subject, the thoughts and words continued to flow, and I wrote this song in a few minutes. Such songs, where a single word is used with various meanings according to context, are common in many Indian languages.
**BT Song 1528 The Thoughtful God**
Simple English
To sing, there are
Thousands of thoughts,
I too need
To sing. 1
You became the tool
Of thought,
And told me
The story as a thought. 2
I too carefully
Heard it,
And placed it
Within a thought. 3
Then to sing it
As a poem,
As a thought, I too
Searched for words. 4
Saying, “No need, it’s enough,”
He tried
To hide
Within the thought. 5
To escape
So easily,
I asked, “Oh Lord,
Is this a boon?” 6
If caught in
The web of devotion,
There is no way to escape,
Understand this, I said. 7
“Place this
Within your thought,”
I advised him. 8
He too heard it
Carefully
And placed it
Within his thought. 9
Again, I sang it
With much care,
The thoughtful God
Become the thought of the song
**BT Song 1528 The Thoughtful God**
Classical English
To sing, there are
Thousands of thoughts,
I too need
To sing. 1
Thou becamest the tool
Of thought,
And told me
The story as a thought. 2
I too heard it
Carefully,
And placed it
Within a thought. 3
Then to sing it
As a poem,
As a thought, I too
Searched for words. 4
Saying, “No need, it sufficeth,”
He tried
To hide
Within the thought. 5
Can thou escape
So easily,
I asked, “Oh Lord,
Is this a boon?” 6
If caught in
The web of devotion,
There is no way to escape,
Understand this, I said. 7
“Place this
Within thy thought,”
I advised him. 8
He too heard it
Carefully ,
And placed it
Within his thought. 9
Again, I sang it
With much care,
The thoughtful God
Become the thought of the song
Gurukulam, 3-12-23, Evening, 4.00
**BT Song 1529**
Another song pleading with God to take me back as I find my purpose meaningless. This is not pessimism but realism in my present context.
**BT Song 1529 Our Mind**
Simple English:
It’s not that
I call it illusion,
But there’s no need
To live on. 1
After living
So fully,
There’s no reason
To continue living. 2
This life created for you,
In the body given
To live it,
Is enough. 3
After the thought
That it’s enough
Came to me,
Why keep trying? 4
What need is there
To continue,
Tell me
What it is. 5
Whatever reason
You have,
Even if you refuse
To tell me, 6
Listen to my reasoning,
And decide
Like your mind,
What to do. 7
Even if I
Say so,
Think of my reasoning
Too. 8
In an unstable mind,
A stable thought
Is never
With me. 9
If I think
This too is your thought,
You won’t
Deny it. 10
So understand
What my thought is,
And change
A little accordingly. 11
You’ve done this
Many times before,
Keep that
In mind. 12
Quickly take me,
And help fulfill
Our minds’
Desires. 13
Gurukulam, 6-12-23, Evening 6.15
**BT Song 1529 Our Mind**
Classical English:
‘Tis not that
I call it illusion,
But there’s no need
To live on. 1
After living
So fully,
There’s no reason
To continue living. 2
This life created for thee,
In the body given
To live it,
Is enough. 3
After the thought
That ’tis enough
Came to me,
Why keep trying? 4
What need is there
To continue,
Tell me
What it is. 5
Whatever reason
Thou hast,
Even if thou refuseth
To tell me, 6
Listen to my reasoning,
And decide
Like thy mind,
What to do. 7
Even if I
Say so,
Think of my reasoning
Too. 8
In an unstable mind,
A stable thought
Is never
With me. 9
If I think
This too is thy thought,
Thou wilt not
Deny it. 10
So understand
What my thought is,
And change
A little accordingly. 11
Thou hast done this
Many times before,
Keep that
In mind. 12
Quickly take me,
And help fulfill
Our minds’
Desires. 13
Gurukulam, 6-12-23, Evening 6.15
**BT Song 1530**
“When you are with everyone but me,
You’re with no one.
When you are with no one but me,
You’re with everyone.
Instead of being so bound up with everyone,
be everyone.
When you become that many, you’re nothing.
Empty.”
—Rumi, *Emptiness*, Coleman Barks, *The Essential Rumi*, trans. New York, HarperCollins Publishers, New Expanded Edition, 2004 [1995], p. 28
“No more I, but the Lord lives in me; the life that now I live, He lives in and through me.”
—Sevanand
If salt or sugar is put in water, it dissolves and becomes one with the water. My question is: is it the salt that dissolves, or the water that absorbs it?
It happens both ways. Once both water and salt work together and become one, though the salt loses its form, it retains its nature (both chemically and in taste). Similarly, the water, though it gains a new quality, retains its nature and form. When a devotee becomes one with the Divine, it is a two-way process: the Divine dwells within her, and she allows the Divine to abide in her. Once they become ONE, they retain their individuality but forget their separation of YOU and ME.
Never read Rumi if you don’t want to become lazy, for you will turn into a mystic, not a theologian or philosopher. According to Rumi:
“Mystics are experts in laziness. They rely on it,
Because they continuously see God working all around them.
The harvest keeps coming in, yet they
Never even did the plowing!”
—Rumi, *The Night Air*, Barks, op. cit., p. 30
**BT Song 1530 We Don’t Know Separation**
Simple English:
Not abiding within me
If you go everywhere
Not a single place
Will become your own. 1
If you abide only within me
Not wandering everywhere
Then every place
Would become your own. 2
The secret in this is
Indeed, a great wonder
It is important for you
To understand this. 3
Not going to other places
If you abide in me
Then we both can become
Complete in each other. 4
Leaving me alone
If you go to other places
Then that also might become
An empty place for you. 5
Do you want emptiness
Or do you want to become complete?
First of all
You better decide this. 6
Coming and
Abiding within me
Along with you
You make me also complete. 7
If the question
Ever comes
In others’ mind
Who is telling this. 8
As He abides in me
And as I live in Him
We both tell this
Joining together. 9
Both of us joining together
And becoming complete
We never know the separation of
You and Me. 10
Gurukulam, 7-12-23, 11:45 pm.
**BT Song 1530 We Know Not Separation**
Classical English
Not abiding within me
If thou goest everywhere
Not a single place
Shall become thine own. 1
If thou abidest only within me
Not wandering everywhere
Then every place
Would become thine own. 2
The secret in this is
Indeed, a great wonder
It is important for thee
To understand this. 3
Not going to other places
If thou abidest in me
Then we both can become
Complete in each other. 4
Leaving me alone
If thou goest to other places
Then that too might become
An empty place for thee. 5
Dost thou want emptiness
Or dost thou want to become complete?
First of all
Thou shouldst decide this. 6
Coming and
Abiding within me
Along with thee
Thou makest me also complete. 7
If the question
E’er comes
In others’ mind
Who is telling this. 8
As He abideth in me
And as I live in Him
We both tell this
Joining together. 9
Both of us joining together
And becoming complete
We know not the separation of
Thee and Me. 10
Gurukulam, 7-12-23, 11:45 pm.
BT Song 1526 என்ன செய்ய
தேவைக்கு அதிகம்
தந்ததை எண்ணி
போதும் என்று
நானும் சொன்னேன் 1
ஆயினும் என்
தேவை அறிந்து
அதற்கு ஏற்ப
நீயும் அளித்தாய் 2
அதன்பின் எனது
தேவை பெறுக
தந்தது சற்றும்
போதலை என்றேன் 3
எனக்குத் தெரியும்
உன்தேவை அனைத்தும்
என்று கூறி
தந்திட மறுத்தாய் 4
கிருபை பெறுக
பாவம் பெருகும்
பாவம் பெறுக
கிருபை பெருகும் 5
இந்த வாதம்
அறிந்த போதும்
அதனைச் செய்ய
ஏனோ மறுத்தாய் 6
போதும் என்று
சொன்ன போதே
அதனை மறுத்து
அதிகம் தந்தாய் 7
தேவை இன்னும்
என்று சொல்ல
அதையும் மறுத்தது
தரவோ மறுத்தாய் 8
உனது இந்த
வாதம் அதனை
அறிவு ஏற்க
மறுத்த போதும் 9
ஆன்மா மட்டும்
அதற்கு இசைந்து
அறிவு அதனை
எதிர்த்த போது 10
இடையில் புகுந்த
மனது மட்டும்
இரண்டும் சரி
என்று சொல்ல 11
இந்த வம்பில்
மாட்டி விட்ட
உன்னை எண்ணி
நானும் வெகுள 12
போதும் சாமி
ஆளை விட்டு
என்று நீயும்
ஒதுங்கிக் கொள்ள 13
இறுதியில் நான்
தனித்து நிற்க
என்ன செய்ய
புரிய வில்லை 14
குருகுலம், 1-12-2023, மாலை 5.00
**BT Song 1527 வேண்டா விருந்தாளி**
எத்தனையோ முறை
பேசியும் பார்த்தேன்
அத்துடன் பலமுறை
யாசித்தும் கேட்டேன் 1
சித்தம் சற்றும்
இரங்காதிருந்தால்
இன்னும் உனக்கு
எப்படி சொல்வேன் 2
ஏட்டிக்குப் போட்டி
போட வென்று
எண்ணம் கொண்டு
நீயும் வீணாய் 3
என்னுடன் போட்டிக்கு
இப்படி நின்றால்
இதற்கு பதிலோ
என்னிடம் இல்லை 4
உனக்கெனச் சித்தம்
ஒன்றிருந்தாலும்
எனக்கென நீயும்
இறங்கித்தான் வரணும் 5
ஏனென்று உனக்கு
நிச்சயம் தெரியும்
உனக்கேன் நானதை
மீண்டும் சொல்லணும் 6
வந்த வேலை
முடிந்த பின்னாலே
தங்கும் வேண்டா
விருந்தினர் போல 7
எனது வாழ்வும்
ஆகியே போச்சு
அதற்கு காரணம்
நீயும் ஆச்சு 8
உனது தனிமை
போக்கிக் கொள்ள
என்னை நீயும்
இருத்தி வைத்தாய் 9
அதன்பின் நானும்
உன்னுடன் இருப்பதை
அடியோடேனோ
நீயும் மறந்தாய் 10
இதுவும் உனக்கு
புதிதா என்ன
எத்தனையோ முறை
செய்ததுதானே 11
கேட்டால் சித்தம்
என்று சொல்வாய்
கேளாதிருந்தால்
மறந்தே போவாய் 12
வார்த்தையில் ஆயிரம்
ஜாலங்கள் காட்டி
வாதம் செய்வதில்
பயனே இல்லை 13
உன்னிலும் எனக்கு
பேசத் தெரியும்
நின்று கேட்டால்
அதுவும் புரியும் 14
ஆகவே இறுதியாய்
முடிவைக் கேட்டேன்
பதிலைத் தந்தால்
உன்னை விடுவேன் 15
குருகுலம், 2-12-23, 11.45 pm
**BT Song 1528 கருத்தான கடவுள்**
பாடிடக் கருத்துக்கள்
ஆயிரம் உண்டு
பாடிடத் தேவை
எனக்கும் உண்டு 1
கருத்தின் கருவாய்
நீயே ஆனாய்
கருத்தாய் எனக்கதை
நீயும் சொன்னாய் 2
கருத்தாய் நானும்
அதனைக் கேட்டு
கருத்தாய் கருத்துள்
அதனை வைத்தேன் 3
அதன்பின் அதனை
கவிதையில் பாட
கருத்தாய் நானும்
சொற்களைத் தேட 4
வேண்டாம் போதும்
என்றே சொல்லி
கருத்தினுள் இருந்து
மறைய முயன்றான் 5
அத்தனை எளிதாக
தப்பித்தது செல்ல
ஐயனே இதுவென்ன
வரமா என்றேன் 6
பக்தியின் வலையில்
அகப்பட்டுக் கொண்டால்
தப்பிக்க வழியில்லை
புரிந்திடு என்றேன் 7
இதனை உனது
கருத்துள் வைத்திடு
என்று அவனுக்கு
அறிவுரை தந்தேன் 8
அதனை அவனும்
கருத்தாய்க் கேட்டு
கருத்தாய் தனது
கருத்துள் வைத்து 9
மீண்டும் அதனைக்
கருத்தாய்ப் பாட
கருத்துள்ள கடவுள்
கவிதையாய் நின்றான் 10
குருகுலம், 3-12-23, மாலை, 4.00
**BT Song 1529 நம் சித்தம்**
மாயை என்று
சொல்லவும் இல்லை
ஆயினும் வாழ்ந்திடத்
தேவையும் இல்லை 1
இத்தனை நிறைவாய்
வாழ்ந்த பின்னாலே
இன்னும் வாழ்ந்திடத்
காரணம் இல்லை 2
உனக்கென படைத்த
இந்த உயிரும்
அதற்கென வாழ
தந்த உடலில் 3
இதுவரை இருந்தது
போதும் என்ற
எண்ணம் என்னுள்
வந்ததின் பின்னே 4
இன்னும் வைத்துப்
பார்த்திடத் தேவை
என்ன உள்ளது
என்பதைச் சொல்லு 5
என்ன காரணம்
உனக்கிருந்தாலும்
என்னிடம் சொல்ல
நீ மறுத்தாலும் 6
என்பக்க நியாயம்
அதனைக் கேட்டு
உன்சித்தம் போல
முடிவு செய்திடு 7
என்று நானும்
சொல்லிய போதும்
என்பக்க நியாயம்
அதையும் நினைந்திடு 8
நிலையில்லா மனதில்
நிலையான சித்தம்
என்பது என்றும்
என்னிடம் இல்லை 9
இதுவும் உன்சித்தம்
என்று நானும்
எண்ணினால் நீயதை
மறுப்பதற்கில்லை 10
ஆகவே என்சித்தம்
எதுவென அறிந்து
அதன்படி நீயும்
சற்றே மாறிடு 11
இதுவரை பலமுறை
இதையே செய்தாய்
என்பதை நீயும்
மனதிலே கொண்டு 12
சீக்கிரம் என்னை
அழைத்துக் கொள்ளு
நம்சித்தம் நிறைவேற
உதவியும் செய்திடு 13
குருகுலம், 6-12-23, மாலை 6.15
Leave a Reply