A holy sage and his holy wife lived on Mount Mahendra

They lived there with their loving sons, Punya and Pavana

Of all cravings the couple was free, as they grew old they reached a state of purity

Time passed and as a bird flies from its cage,

They left their bodies and attained samadhi

 

Pavana was sunk in woe and grief, he wailed & cried to death, the thief

Punya performed the funeral rite, he was unmoved, he was a steady light

He said, Brother, why bring this sorrow down? These tears come from ignorance alone

Our parents have returned to their true nature

Would you hold them here for just your favor?

 

They were not your father and mother and you were not their son

Countless lifetimes of relations, why fix your mind on this incarnation?

You were a prince, a fish and a donkey, you were a swan, an ant and a tree

You were a fly, a mosquito, and a bee

Once a lion, now a brother to me

 

You’ve had so many friends and relations why not weep for them all?

Drop the ideas, she’s gone, he’s dead, forget these notions, abide in truth instead

What’s the “I” in this body of bones? Oh Brother, enquire within yourself

You had no birth, no mother, no father

You are the Self and nothing else

 

Let your mind become no-mind, remain at peace

Release desire and hope . . . . . . . just don’t think! 

Copyright © Mary Scott 2005-2008

Desert Light Studio, Arivaca, Arizona