RABINDRANATH TAGORE (Nobel prize winner for literature) knew well what was the feeling to be gained by meditation, taking into account the 5 aspects mentioned above and also the concepts of ota and prota yoga (ie direct connection with each and collective connection with all). This he expressed in his classic work called 'GITANJALI' or 'Song Offerings'. The great spiritual teacher Anandamurti spoke highly of Tagore and indeed there was an early connection between them. As one continues one's meditation, you begin to feel and know what is behind this Ota and Prota Yoga. This is evidenced in Tagore's work which is reproduced below for your benefit. These feelings are aroused in meditation and as a result of meditation. Collective meditation and retreats are a useful aid also. Gitanjali is a short work, but well worth a read. The first few verses are included below. GITANJALI 1 Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life. This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and hast breathed through it melodies eternally new. At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable. Thy infinite gifts come to me only on these very small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still thou pourest, and still there is room to fill. 2 When thou commandest me to sing it seems that my heart would break with pride; and I look to thy face, and tears come to my eyes. All that is harsh and dissonant in my life melts into one sweet harmony---and my adoration spreads wings like a glad bird on its flight across the sea. I know thou takest pleasure in my singing. I know that only as a singer I come before thy presence. I touch by the edge of the far-spreading wing of my song thy feet which I could never aspire to reach. Drunk with the joy of singing I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord. 3 I know not how thou singest, my master! I ever listen in silent amazement. The light of thy music illumines the world. The life breath of thy music runs from sky to sky. The holy stream of thy music breaks through all stony obstacles and rushes on. My heart longs to join in thy song, but vainly struggles for a voice. I would speak, but speech breaks not into song, and I cry out baffled. Ah, thou hast made my heart captive in the endless meshes of thy music, my master! 4 Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing that thy living touch is upon all my limbs. I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing that thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind. I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the inmost shrine of my heart. And it shall be my endeavour to reveal thee in my actions, knowing it is thy power gives me strength to act. 5 I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by thy side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards. Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil. Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove. Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of live in this silent and overflowing leisure. --- This work, GITANJALI (Song Offerings) is a collection of prose translations made by the author from the original Bengali. The text contains an introduction by W. B. YEATS to WILLIAM ROTHENSTEIN. The Gitanjali or 'song offerings' by Rabindranath Tagore (1861--1941) won the Nobel prize for literature 1913. The introduction by William B. Yeats (1865--1939) who also won the Nobel prize for literature 1923, is quite admirable. Gitanjali was first published in 1913. This work is in public domain according to the Berne convention since 1st January 1992. See attachment for full text. --- Meditation is based on Intuitional Science. Many 'yoga' groups talk about the mental / emotional element of life. More emphasis needs to be put directly into the spiritual aspect. What is the result of learning Intuitional Science or Spiritual Practices, ie Meditation, from a competent preceptor? By dint of this Intuitional Science a person learns to understand thoroughly what is temporal and what is eternal. This is the eterno-temporal discrimination. The spiritualist accepts the eternal and not the temporal. What is the innate characteristic of the human beings? The endeavour to achieve happiness. Why does a living being crave for happiness? For self-preservation. Why do you eat and drink? To keep yourself alive - to achieve happiness. From this you understand that to love whatever little is lasting within your present entity - whatever is its essence, is your inner self. This innate characteristic teaches people to guide one's subtlest dimension - soul - towards spiritual longing and spiritual attainment. What is material and what is innate? Basic observation dictates that the transitory body is not the supreme entity. The materialists are reluctant to give any importance to the mind in their philosophy. They very often even hesitate to clearly admit mind's apperception or self-consciousness. Yet these materialists sometimes want to publicize themselves as pragmatists or behaviourists. They want to 'make a day of night and a night of day'. However, all created objects that exist in this universe are under the sway of the Supreme Entity - the rhythm of the Cosmos. The Cosmic Consciousness is controlling everything of this world, whether crude, subtle of causal. Intuitional Science enables this understanding and leads to the path of good. What is truth? That which comes within the orbit of the mind is but a relative truth, not an eternal truth, and so it will come and go. How to explain that Ultimate Entity, which is beyond the scope of mental faculty? How can this Intuitional Science be interpreted which is beyond the compass of body, words and mind? By the development of the subtler layers of the mind and ultimately through a psycho-spiritual approach where the spiritual practices act on the silver lining between the I-feeling of the mind and unit soul (but affecting all aspects of life), so as to recognise and realise that one's self equates with the Supreme Self - the Infinite Transcendental Cognition. -- The Ananda Marga Web page has a new page entitled "How to Learn Meditation". It has several articles written by Ananda Marga meditation teachers and covers a number of aspects of meditation. In addition there is even on-line instruction in the beginning techniques of meditation. You can get to it by going to: http://www.anandamarga.org/ and then clicking on the "Learn to Meditate" link near the top of the page. Of course, ultimately, it is necessary to learn your own meditation technique personally, but the universal meditation technique using the Baba Nam Kevalam mantra is fine for all. --- In spiritual practices, social service and mental elevation is vital. So check out: http://www.gurukul.edu - where you will find information about Ananda Marga's Neo-Humanist method of education. http://www.ru.org - coinciding with the publication of the latest issue of New Renaissance, there has been a major update of the Renaissance Universal site. Articles cover the fields of ecology, consciousness, and communication. There are also several book and music reviews. As usual, many of the articles from the print edition of the journal are on-line. --- Tagore's spiritual poetry pieces are often inspiring - best to carry a few pieces of his work in your pocket, for spiritual upliftment. Where The Mind is Without Fear Rabindranath Tagore Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake -- FIREFLIES Rabindranath Tagore I touch God in my song as the hill touches the far-away sea with its waterfall. The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. Let my love, like sunlight, surround you and yet give you illumined freedom. Love remains a secret even when spoken, for only a lover truly knows that he is loved. Emancipation from the bondage of the soil is no freedom for the tree. In love I pay my endless debt to thee for what thou art. - Rabindranath Tagore --- Here are some later poems of Tagore. They are a different style - perhaps merely simple reflections. In his last years of life, the quest for absolute meaning and the search of God has given rise to more questions in the mind of the poet. That disturbs the poet but that does not derail his faith in the supreme purpose of life. The poems of this period open a new Tagore for the reader: a "rishi" who does not preach but asks the most poignant questions. Even in the form, the poet resorted mostly to free verse, free from set rules, from the tyranny of rhyme. The poems went back to the original definition of Indian poetry: "Every sentence with feeling is a poetry." He did not even bother to christen each piece of verse. The reader chooses the name as s/he pleases. The first day's sun asked at the new manifestation of being - Who are you? No answer came. Year after year went by, the last sun of the day the last question utters on the western sea-shore, in the silent evening - Who are you? He gets no answer. (From Rogashajjai, translation: Amiya Chakravarty) Soon, I feel the time comes near to leave. With sunset shadings screen the parting day. Let the hour be silent; let it be peaceful. Let not any pompous memories or meetings create a sorrow's stance. May the trees at the gate raise the earth's chant of peace in a cluster of green leaves. May the night's blessings be in the light of the seven stars. (From Arogya, translation: Amiya Chakravarty) Here lies the ocean of peace, Helmsman, launch the boat. You will always be the comrade. Take, O take him to your heart. In the path of the Infinite will shine the "Dhruba-tara". (North Star) Giver of freedom, your forgiveness, your mercy will be wealth inexhaustible in the eternal journey. May the mortal bonds perish, May the vast universe take him in its arms, And may he know in his fearless heart The great unknown. (From Sesh Lekha, translation: Amiya Chakravarty) You have covered the path of your creation in a mesh of varied wiles, Guileful One. Deftly you have set a snare of false beliefs in artless lives. With your deception you have set the great man on trial taking from him the secrecy of night. Your star lights for him the truculent path of his heart, illuminated by a simple faith. Through tortuous outside it is straight within, and there in his pride. Though men call him futile, in the depth of his heart he finds truth washed clean by the inner light. Nothing can deprive him; he carries to his treasure-house his last reward. He who could easily bear your wile, receives from you the right to everlasting peace. (From Sesh Lekha, translation: Amiya Chakravarty) On that birthday morning, With deference I lifted my eyes to the sunrise. I saw the dawn Consecrate The white forehead of mountain ranges. I beheld The great distance In creation's heart On the throne of the lord of mountains. From ages, majestic, He has preserved the unknown In the trackless forest; The sky-cleaving, far-away, Encircled In sunrise and sunset. On this birthday, The great distance grows in my heart. The starry path is nebular, Mysterious; And my own remoteness Impenetrable. The pilgrim moves, his path unseen, The consequence unknown. Today I hear the traveller's footsteps From my lonely seashore. (From Janmadiney, translation: Amiya Chakravarty) -- "The only creed of a spiritual aspirant is to love the Universal Consciousness and the creation. One must not be guided by any national, caste, linguistic or religious sentiment and must not tolerate any fissiparous tendency." Shrii Shrii Anandamurti Ananda Purnima 1962 --