The Sculptor - A Poem

 

 

The Sculptor

A sigh of grief slipped out

As he got the blow;

The Sculptor too was moved

And tears began to flow.

But, tenderness was to be checked

For, the piece He was to create

Would otherwise remain incomplete;

So, he went on, contained and sedate.

Don’t you lament, oh statue !

For, the hard blows you are getting

Are to teach you to endure

And to carve your being.

Pleasing hue to be loved by all

Is the gift of these hardships.

So, try to bear the woe

With a smile on your lips.

- Vanita Thakkar (23.07.1988)

This is one of my old poems, written in school days. I had written this poem when my English class was going on. My friend sitting next to me was anxious that I would get caught. Fortunately, I wrote it without getting caught and both - my friend and I, were happy.

 

© 1988Vanita Thakkar

The Mirror - A Parable On Human Ignorance ....

 

Life is a continuous process of regaining lost faith and maintaining it ....

THE MIRROR ....

Once, along with many other gifts,

Life placed a lovely mirror in my hands.

It was beautiful and reflective.

I held it before myself

And gazed at the reflection in it.

I liked it so much

That I started examining minutely

Every curve of the beautiful image it reflected.

While doing so,

I came across an ugly, undesirable curve.

There were some more such curves.

There was also

A thin layer of dust on the mirror.

I did not like their presence

And in order to remove them,

I scratched the mirror’s surface.

One scratch, two scratches ....

The curves did not vanish,

Nor was I able to

Wipe out the layer of dust completely,

But my dear mirror’s beauty,

Its reflectiveness was marred.

And suddenly,

I realized how delicate it was !

“Oh my dear mirror !

My dearest, delicate mirror !

I don’t want to loose you !”

My heart gave an anxious cry.

I clasped it – my dearest, delicate mirror !

I held it tight against myself.

CRASH !!

Alas !

My grip broke my mirror !

Tearfully, I saw its broken pieces

Lying on the floor

In a pool of my heart’s blood.

- Vanita Thakkar (from my old diary - written some time in 1992)

Life is a continuous process of regaining lost faith and maintaining it ....

- Vanita Thakkar

“A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

– Sydney J. Harris

From HubPages .... Published on 27th July, 2020

Quotes And Parables of Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa

Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa had a light, witty, subtle, catchy and convincing way of imparting knowledge. His Parables are a source of inspiration, insight, realization and knowledge to millions of devotees, aspirants and readers. Here are some sparkles of that profound knowledge ....

 Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa ....

Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886) was the great Indian mystic of the nineteenth century.

He was popularly and fondly known as Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Deva, having been established as divine incarnation and worshipped across the world.

He is the Guru of the great Swami Vivekananda and the divine inspiration and energy that brought The Ramakrishna Math, The Ramakrishana Mission and allied organizations / institutions of the Ramakrishna Order into existence.

Thakur Shree Ramakrishna had a light, witty, subtle, catchy and convincing way of imparting knowledge to spiritual aspirants and devotees.

Shree Mahendranath Gupta, also known as Shree M. and Master Mahashay, was an ardent devotee of Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa. He had noted down the accounts of his visits to see his Guru, Thakur Shree Ramakrishna, including, the interactions, experiences and reflections, in a personal diary, which later got published as Shree Ramakrishna Kathamrita (translated to English as The Gospel of Shree Ramakrishna).

The Parables that Shree Ramakrishna used to narrate are a source of inspiration, insight, realization and knowledge to millions of devotees, aspirants and readers.

These parables highlighted messages, visions, insights and knowledge from very simple everyday life situations / incidents, which Thakur narrated in his witty, humour-flavoured style. He conveyed with spontaneous ease, in the lightness of laughter and the joy of pure intelligence, much awed and too-difficult-to-understand Spirituality / Religion, covering its fundamentals, conceptual elaborations and subtleness of applicability in everyday life.

Here are some parables that Thakur Shree Ramakrishna narrated and were recorded by Shree Mahendranath Gupta ....

 

The Story of "Elephant Naaraayan"

The Story of "Elephant Naaraayan" - One Who Sees Naaraayan In Elephant Should Also Listen To "Mahaavat Naaraayan" ....

God dwells in every form of life. But, being in good company helps and is advisable, whereas one should stay away from bad company.

As such, Naaraayan (The Omnipresent God) dwells in a tiger. But does that mean one can go and greet the tiger with a hug ??!! If someone says, "There is Naaraayan in the tiger, so, why run away from the tiger ?", the reply is that the one who says, "Run away from the tiger" - is also Naaraayan. Why not listen to him ?

Here is a story -

There was a Sage living in a forest. He had many disciples. One day, he preached his disciples on the omnipresence of the Almighty saying, "Naaraayan is omnipresent, in every particle of existence. Knowing this, offer Namaskaar (respect / salutation) to everyone."

One day, a disciple went deep into the forest to collect firewood for worship. As he was collecting the wood logs, he heard someone calling out, "Please make way !! Vacate the pathway !! Run, Run for life !! A mad elephant is on his way ...."

Everyone around fled for life, except this disciple. He thought, "The elephant is Naaraayan. Why run away ?" Thinking thus, he stood where he was, folded his hands to offer Namaskaar and started praying.

Not far away, the Mahaavat (caretaker) of the elephant kept shouting, "Run away, run away !!" Still the disciple did not move. Finally, the mad elephant seized him in his trunk, threw him away towards one side and moved ahead. The disciple lay there, injured, bleeding and unconscious.

Upon hearing this news, the Guru and his other disciples brought him to the Aashram (Hermitage) and started his treatment immediately.

After some time, when he came back to senses, one of his friends asked him, "Why did you not run away for life when you heard about the elephant coming your way ?"

He replied, "Gurudev had told us that Naaraayan only is dwelling in every man, animal, creature .... everywhere in the creation. So, seeing the Elephant-Naaraayan approach, I did not move from there."

The Guru said, "It is true that Elephant-Naaraayan was coming, but had the Mahaavat Naaraayan not asked to flee ? When all are Naaraayan, why did you not listen to Mahaavat Naaraayan ? Should you not listen to him ?"

 

 

Speaking About Brahma - The Ultimate Reality Of Existence .... The Parable of Salt Doll

In the Vedas, the Almighty is described as Blissful - embodiment of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. Shukadev and others like Him had reached and just beheld and touched the shores of That Infinite Ocean of Bliss. There is a prevalent view that they had not immersed themselves in that Ocean of Bliss. One who gets in cannot come out.

In the highest, deepest state of meditation - Samaadhi - one attains the knowledge of, the vision of Brahma. It is a state beyond the domain of thoughts. There are no thoughts anywhere in that state. Man becomes quiet .... What is Brahma - is beyond thoughts and beyond the words a mouth can utter - it is beyond the capacity of spoken words ....

Here is a parable ....

A salt doll went to find out the depth of the sea. She wanted to know how deep was the water in the sea. But, there were no news about her. The moment she went in, she dissolved. Then, who would come to the shore to tell what she found out ??!!

So it is with the knowledge of Brahma ....

Infinite "I" Or No "I"

Shankaraachaarya had a disciple who was serving him without gaining any knowledge from his master.

One day, Shankaraachaarya heard footsteps behind him and asked, "Who is there ?"

The disciple replied, "I am here ...."

The master said, "If this 'I' is so dear to you, then either stretch it infinite or get rid of it."

Unprecedented Faith ....

A milkmaid used to cross a river to deliver milk to a Brahmin who was staying there. She used to often get late, as getting a boat to reach the other bank was very difficult. On hearing complains about delays, one day she said, "What can I do ? I start in time, but on the river bank, the boatman has to wait for his other passengers and I have to keep waiting ...."

The Brahmin said, "Lady, people cross oceans chanting God's name and you are unable to cross this little river ?"

The simple milkmaid was overjoyed to hear that crossing a river can be so easy !! From the next day onwards, the Brahmin started getting milk early in the morning and in time.

One day he asked the milkmaid, "How is it that you don't get late now ?"

She replied, "As per what you told the other day, I no more wait for the boatman. I chant God's name and cross the river." The Brahmin found it difficult to believe and puzzled, he asked the milkmaid to show him how she crossed the river.

The milkmaid took him to the river bank and started walking on the river water. After walking a little way, she looked behind to see the sorry Brahmin struggling behind.

She called out, "Maharaj, how is it that you chant the name of God from your mouth and bother about your clothes getting wet ? Don't you have faith in God ?"

Complete surrender and immense faith in God are at the root of all miraculous deeds and happenings. 

 

Further reading .... Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna : Sri Ramakrishna : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Int

A collection of tales and parables told by Sri Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshnishwar, Kolkota, India.

From HubPages ... Published on 03rd May, 2022 

How Did Squirrels Get Stripes On Their Back? : A Poem

Sincere efforts never go in vain. This is a poem which reaffirms this conviction, narrating a myth from the Raamaayana, in which the sincere, but trivial-looking efforts of a little squirrel are appreciated by Shree Raama during the construction of the bridge - Raama-Setu - to Lanka.

How Did Squirrels Get Stripes On Their Back?

The vast, roaring ocean

Posed an incredible task on

Sugreeva’s army, toiling, tenacious;

Huge, heavy rocks, mountainous,

Inscribed with “Raama”, the holy name, redeemer,

On the dancing waves, lay together,

Forming the bridge, unbelievable,

Across the ocean, unfathomable,

Beyond the cape of Indian peninsula,

To Raavana’s golden kingdom, Lanka ….

Time was too less,

The task, enormous,

Hurrying past the trail,

Someone spotted a squirrel,

Rolling vigorously on the sand,

Gathering sand on its fluffy back,

Filling hands with a pebble or two,

As much as could be carried through,

And then racing to the bridge,

To empty the carried loads on it.

“What’s going on, little one ?

Why are you pacing along ?”

“Trying to lend a helping hand,

In this titanic task, my friend !!”

“Oh really ??!!” Jested the soldier,

And the ensuing wave of laughter,

Caught Shree Raama’s caring ears.

He came to see the tiniest of troopers.

He lifted the tiny critter, tenderly,

The little soldier said, shyly,

“I too, wanted to contribute ….”

“Oh, why not ? I do truly value

Your piety, sincerity and effort !”

Full of love, said the Lord,

The earth and sky and world yonder,

Echoed with immense joy and cheer.

Shree Raama ran His fingers, gently,

On the fluffy back of his little devotee,

As stripes, marks of love, appear,

To be on squirrel’s back, then on, forever.

Vanita Thakkar (10-06-2023)

This poem narrates a very famous story from the Raamaayana, which has always inspired me. I narrate it during my teaching sessions or talks and on relevant occasions.

In the modern fast world of competitions and acquisitions, it is easy to underestimate the value of true, but seemingly trivial individual efforts. This story shows that each individual effort is important in team work. A true leader, like Lord Raama, accepts and appreciates every contributor.

One gets reminded of this incident even as a lone, significant contributor in thankless working conditions, which may be due to working under substandard leadership / administration.