prose

Golden Fruit

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There was an enormous tree
In the middle of a field
Bearing a single fruit
Glowing like precious gold

Word spread and people came
They jumped all day
Exhausted
They decided to return home

But since that day
They couldn’t forget
The beauty of the glowing fruit
And all else just seemed crude

And so they gathered again
And decided to build a ladder
But every time they climbed
The tree simply grew higher and higher

In frustration they exclaimed
That this fruit
This spell-binding precious fruit
Was impossible for any man to attain

But one man
Sat under the tree
Continuously muttering
‘Good things come to those who wait..Good things…’

Lo and behold
When the time was right
The golden fruit fell from the tree
And disappeared into the man’s heart

Be patient for not all things can be plucked

……

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Naught But a Seeker

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I wandered for many years
A thousand rising suns
A thousand silent nights
I journeyed like the ocean
Moving from shore to shore

Every now and then
I would come across some people

With my unshaven beard
and worn out sandals
They would beg the question
I would answer proudly

‘I am naught but a seeker!’

And they would always be impressed

One day
As I continued to travel
(without a compass)
I met a man with a musky scent
Clean cut and brand new clothes
He sat on a meadow green bed
Watching the sky sail by

As I approached him
He turned to me and asked…

Judgingly
I replied proudly

‘You wouldn’t understand’

Yet, he insisted and argued

‘What harm could an answer cause?’

And so I said,
without thinking
For my tongue had
Memorized the words

‘I am naught but a seeker!’

He asked gently

‘What is it that you seek?’

I hesitated
Thought for a while
And in a half life
I said

‘I seek a treasure buried so deep
The world calls it an ancient myth

I seek the rays of the sun
That will bring life to my soul

I seek self knowledge
That is, knowledge of the Self

I seek real love
That is, love of the Real

I seek the universe in a grain
And a grain that’s the universe!’

With a great smile
The man unwrapped his hand
And presented a golden key

Pointing to a mountain
He said to me

‘There is a door up there
It will give you everything you seek’

I replied indignant,

‘Please keep your key
I already told you once
I am naught but a seeker!’

The Hermit

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I once came upon a hermit
Sitting beneath a shadeless tree
There ensued a quiet moment
Wherein he listened to my heart
And learned of its secret affairs
Or at least,
such was how it seemed

Then he spoke unto me and said

Do not worry about the hereafter
For he who finds heaven in this life
Will surely find it in the next

In my ignorance, my eyes wandered about
And the wise man exclaimed in laughter

If you are searching for the Garden
It’s best you turn your eyes inside out!

With one deep breath I dove within
Finding nothing, I came up gasping for air
The man, who was not so old,
As is assumed with the word ‘wise’,
said to me,

Tell me of a garden
Which requires no preparation
nor patience in waiting
For the season of growth to come?

Remove your rock-heart
Carved of
Arrogance, disbelief and greed

Replace it with a soil-heart
Fashioned with
Sincerity, surrender and faith
It is these that beget growth

Then the Hermit, whose voice was coarse,
Offered an invitation to me

When you are prepared
Come unto this tree
In quiet patience we will wait
For the rain and sun to descend
It will bring a beautiful growth
And teach us the meaning of Grace

For without its descending
No Garden, however well prepared
Will have cause to grow