Punya-bhumi Christmas, by Larry Morris (2004)

Punya-bhumi,

the

pious

land,

land

of

the

pious--Hasidism

the

pious

ones--

different worlds

same state.

How

holy

art

thou

this Holy Night?

lots of holy

cows

in

India

Finally here again

after all this time

Tiruvannamalai

the

chaos again

seekers

searching

for

the

One

thing

to

make

it

all

work

new

faces,

same

search.

What didn't

happen

then

won't

now--

go

back

home

get

the

degree

marry

have

kids

pursue

the

American

Dream

get

in

debt

up

to

your

eyebrows.

lots

and

lots

of

cows

in

India

Bangalore

Bangalore retirement

Everywhere I Go

People are ready to retire

find the place

of

no

struggle

not to fight

any more

release the need

to be right

to get

it

whatever

it is

Why go home anywhere?

who knows if lighting

won't strike

again,

look

at

Ramana Maharshi

he made it.

I said

to the

sales lady

in a Bangalor

sari shop,

"Ramana

asked

'who am I'

and

I

showed my credit card."

cows

all over the place

too much chaos

in India

Can enlightenment

come

from chaos?

We who

have been on the spiritual path so long

what have we found Peace?

surrender?

release?

or

are

we

still

fighting

the good fight

making the

world safe?

The way

of the sage

or

the way of the Hero?

Inner

or outer?

Where

do

they meet?

Perhaps

here

now.

Silent Night

"You

protect

against

life's

pain"

echoes

here

in

my

heart

where

my

path

is.

Can

we

see

the

other

in ourselves?

Yet

all

roads

lead

to

the

same place

either

here,

or

in

India,

or

the

next

place

for

us

to go.

Does

it

matter

that much

between

the inner--the outer?

Does traveling help?

Is

time

still a commodity?

Are we still using time

or

are we letting time heal.

Time is really the issue.

Is it holy time

like the cows in India

without use or value

that

makes them Holy?

Have we

let go to the way without effort

that makes it

Holy for us?

So you stop it

right here now

and

I will too.

Holy Night

Christmas Season

in India

This time no need for enlightenment

no depression either.

Blending with the

cars, cows, goats,

people

ox carts on the freeway

trucks getting blessed for the New Year

children shaking

our hands

"Hello Uncle/Hello Auntie"

sipping sweet coconut juice

by the Banyan tree

the tall clock

that strikes

OM

on the hour

the people

friendly

and I'm not

sick or worried

this time

the Bull Temple

in Bangalore

the Cave Temple

the streets

filled morning and night with people and

cars and cows.

Why is there so much inner peace

this time?

Does the outer life

really change,

and we can't go

back

to Who we were

then, and we aren't

going beyond this

moment

because to go beyond

we would cease

to be ourselves?

All is Calm

So relaxed

we

relax out

of ourselves

into a new found peace.

It's not me any more

I just can't find

myself,

Thank God.

What a gift

to leave behind

the nothingness

we

no longer need.

Where are you

between the two thoughts?

Can't find yourself

like you were.

Ah,

take a deep breath.

Thanks for the

great release,

the-not-being-ourselves any longer

like the child who has

yet to be

Tabla Rosa

Giant Eraser

release us from ourselves

not to be is happiness...

All is Bright

I'm happy

with this Christmas

because you

let me

come to India

again

and this

time I could let go.

Thank you

for this time.

What thought had

thought completed

has

finished itself.

Awake

in

Heavenly Peace.