Karnamrita Das: Saved From Karmic Cosmic Crud\u2014one of my favorite poems from my book, “My Yoga of Expression”
\n(I do like to explore problems and difficulties, but I never want to just leave it at that, as do some stories or poems, which are full of negativity and sorrow with a tragic ending that leaves me cold, both sad and unfulfilled\u2014I hate sad stories that offer no hope or solutions, likely because my story growing up was sad on its face, until it culminated in coming to Krishna. Thus I always want to give\/find the solution to whatever dilemma I explore\/experience \u2014after-all, that has been my life so far as there is always a positive outcome, even in disease, old age, and change of body commonly called “death.” The idea that everything is meant for our highest good, is a philosophy and way of life for my wife and I, and we share it often. This perspective is part of the solution for many problems.) :<\/p>\n
Remembering my material sojourn:
\nI\u2019m caught up in the waves of a cosmic storm
\nof ever-increasing change and uncertainty\u2014
\nswirling, frightening energy moving @ mind speed,
\nlightning and wind amidst thunderous explosions.
\nBewildered, pulled in all directions at once, but move nowhere.
\nI\u2019m desperate for stability, fulfillment, truth, and peace\u2014
\na lasting resting place with loving feelings.
\nI want to understand who I really am, through and through,
\nto know my relationship to life and the universe.
\nI\u2019m searching to find meaning in chaos and misery.<\/p>\n
But, as soon as I get comfortable and settled,
\nI morph into a karmic soccer ball, mercilessly kicked
\nup and down the universal field into the goalposts of duality.
\nI\u2019m spun in a misery-go-round at warp speed
\nand repeatedly cast out into an endless sea,
\nthen I\u2019m washed up on the shore of mediocrity.
\nGrabbed, I\u2019m kneaded into gooey cosmic dough,
\ningredients for someone else\u2019s manna.
\nI\u2019m fried on an open fire and the leftovers become my body.
\nEmerging, exhausted, into an edible landscape,
\nhungry beings pursue me with dripping lips and angry eyes.<\/p>\n
With bleeding wounds, I barely avoid being eaten.
\nFrom one calamity to another, How can I continue?
\nThen, out of nowhere comes a helping hand.
\nThe light of truth beckons me forward.
\nAmong nature\u2019s rhythm in celestial forests,
\nthe red sky trees call me to learn by opening my heart.
\nEverything vibrates to divine musical scores.
\nThe hidden Composer gives clues, prompts his seers.
\nHe sends his secret agents who joyfully embody mercy.
\nKrishna\u2019s flute song is music\u2019s source and purpose,
\nmade available through his penetrating holy names.<\/p>\n
Hearing the transcendental sound
\nvibrated by pure, dancing devotees with loving eyes,
\nmy past rolls up in the palm of my hand. The meaninglessness
\nof vain people and their confusing, sticky matrix falls away.
\nMy old karmic residue gradually disintegrates.
\nThe veneer of youthful beauty smells repulsive,
\nbut old habits die hard; they fight to endure.
\nSo, I still have to choose at every moment
\nwhether to serve illusion or the real Lord of my heart.
\nI choose Krishna by serving with taste, loving him
\nby the mercy of Sri Guru, Gauranga, and the Vaishnavas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Karnamrita Das: Saved From Karmic Cosmic Crud\u2014one of my favorite poems from my book, “My Yoga of Expression”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-thoughts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49750"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49752,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49750\/revisions\/49752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}