The Mystery of Past Deeds

Guru:

How can past deeds from births long gone be known,
When I struggle to recall even what was just shown?
Who holds the power to record every act,
And ensure that each soul faces outcomes intact?

These were last questions from your end!
Let me help to further comprehend!

It’s a mystery profound, woven in time’s thread,
A cosmic balance, where all actions are spread.
Though memory may falter, the universe keeps,
A ledger of actions, in its depths it sleeps.

The law of cause and effect, a sacred design,
Ensures that all actions align and entwine.
While we not remember each step that we’ve trod,
The echoes of Karma resonate deep with the God.

So trust in the process, in the wisdom of fate,
For each choice we make shapes the path we create.
Though difficult to grasp, let your heart find its peace,
The embodied existence is for us to learn and release.

Sishya:

Sir, were we not speaking of the purity of mind?
Then why are we talking of actions many kind?
Karma may be the true cause of all things
Yet how are those relate to the state of my mind?

Guru:

Life is the chain, never breaking, it seems,
A cloth woven from our hopes and our dreams.
Each thread an experience, both virtuous and vice,
Shaping the moments, our choices, our price.

From past actions rise triggers that guide,
In words, deeds and thoughts, we ebb with the tide.
Endless reflections, a whirlwind of mind,
In this embodied journey, true growth we must find.

That’s the reason we focus on our mind
The place where ‘vrittis’, the thoughts unwind.

The Thoughts

Sishya:
While concurring with you, I do wonder

What weaves the chain of thoughts in the mind?
Who plants the creeper, in shadows entwined?
With whispers of longing, of fear and of grace,
It stretches and spirals, an unending embrace.

Guru:

Do you command the mind, saying, “Think this way”?
No, thoughts rise like weeds in the ground, I may say!
They sprout into focus, gain strength in the light,
And in that awareness, we claim them as right.

But we’re not the thinkers; they come as they will,
Like shadows that dance, or a sudden thrill.
We grasp at the whispers, declare, “I think,”
Yet thoughts are the tide, and we’re but the link.

Let’s pause this deep discourse for just a short while,
For in owning our thoughts, we get into the whole trial!

With actions come rights, and their outcomes we bear,
A weight of responsibility, both light and unfair.

The ego, the culprit, whispers “I am,”
Claiming each thought, each deed, as part of the plan.
Yet in this pursuit, we must learn to discern,
That through every action, it’s wisdom we earn.

The notion of Self

Sishya:

What is this ego, this shadowy guise?
Who planted the seeds of our vanity’s rise?
So what if I wear this ego’s disguise?
What path leads to freedom, where true wisdom lies?

Guru:

To untangle its grip, we must look within,
Embrace our own stillness, to let the journey begin.
With kindness and courage, let awareness take flight,
In the heart’s gentle whisper, we’ll find our true light.

Sishya:

I know pride and ego can lead us astray,
Yet without the sense of I, how do I navigate the day?
How can I not be this skin, this form I embrace?
Without such identification, how do I find my place?

I grasp at my self, seeking purpose and ground,
But is this attachment where my Karmas are found?
How can I not own,doing actions yet free
To honor my spirit while still just being me?

Guru:

For now, lets leave the truth of our nature!

Sishya:

When will I realize my true posture?

Guru:

A time will arrive when your heart seeks the light,
Yearning to uncover its true nature’s sight.
In the glow of your awareness, shadows will fade,
As the essence of self in stillness is laid.

So be patient, dear seeker, let the journey unfold,
For within you lies wisdom, a truth to behold.
In the quiet of longing, let your spirit take flight,
Embrace the unfolding, and trust in the light.

Actions as Karma

Sishya:

I will wait to unveil my true nature’s grace,
For now, I seek wisdom in this earthly space.
How do my actions shape the life that I lead,
Creating the conditions for each thought and deed?

Guru:

Only through actions we do results take their form,
For action is the script of our life’s unfolding storm.

Sishya:

I grasp this truth, that effort shapes the way,
Determining accomplishments with each passing day.

Guru:

Driven by desires, we act with certain intent,
Rare is the one whose actions are pure, unbent.
Desire fuels the fire that drives us to act,
It’s the spark of our journey, a vital pact.

Yet in the seeking, can we learn to discern,
The balance of longing, the lessons we earn?
While desire can guide, it can also confine,
In the life of action, let the wisdom refine!

Desire to achieve and the action to do are good,
Yet clinging to outcomes leads us astray, understood.
When we claim the rights over results that we seek,
The ego steps in, and our spirit feels weak.

This mistake, though it feels like a natural plight,
Roots us in vanity, obscuring our light.
We tend to think that we have all the control,
Placing our ego as the pride owner of the whole.

Sishya:

What should I do, when there are actions to do?
Are there methods to select what we have to do!

Dharma

Guru:

Learn what is rightful, what actions to take,
And discern what to shun for your own spirit’s sake.
This deliberation must come before the deed,
Guiding your journey, planting the seed.

Sishya:

Oh! When should this wisdom begin to unfold?

Guru:

From the tender young age, let the lessons be told.

Learn from the Learned, from scriptures that guide,
What righteous actions to honor with pride.

From parents and sages, and scriptures we learn,
What is Dharma, the path for which we all yearn.
Dharma guides life in its natural flow,
Aligning our actions with what’s right, as we grow.

Two types of Dharma the scriptures bestow,
One being Sāmānya, the common code we know.
Such as; Do not lie, don’t steal, let kindness prevail,
Even a thief seeks truth in a partnership’s tale!

Nurturing such discipline, the first step we take,
To honor our world, for our own and its sake.
In harmony with Dharma, let our actions align,
Creating a fabric of ethics, pure and divine.

Sishya:

Is there a special code of conduct we find?

Guru:

Yes, it’s called Visesha Dharma, uniquely designed.

These codes guide us based on where we stand,
In life’s journey unfolding, and our role in our land!

Life’s stages are four: the learner’s embrace,
The family-dweller, then retirement’s grace,
And finally, renunciation, a path to the sage,
For each stage, there is Visesha Dharma page!

Roles in society, too, divide into four,
The administrator protects, guarding the door.
The trader creates wealth, transacting with care,
The teacher guides all, spreading knowledge to share.

And those without labels, they work hand in hand,
Supporting the fabric of a harmonious land.
In each role and stage, let dharma be our guide,
As we navigate life with purpose and pride.

(To be continued….)

Mee. Ra