Prayer

Om!

That (Brahman) is infinite,

and this (universe) is infinite.

The infinite proceeds from the infinite.

(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),

It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.

Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

~~Shanti Mantra~~

The Cosmic Dance

(Dance of Krishna, Dance of Kali)

Two measures are there of the cosmic dance.

Always we hear the tread of Kali’s feet
Measuring in rhythms of pain and grief and chance
Life’s game of hazard terrible and sweet,

The ordeal of the veiled Initiate,
The hero soul at play with Death’s embrace,
Wrestler in the dread gymnasium of Fate -
And sacrifice a lonely path to Grace.

Man’s sorrows made a key to the Mysteries,
Truth’s narrow road out of Time’s wastes of dream,
The soul’s seven doors from Matter’s tomb to rise,
Are the common motives of her tragic theme.

But when shall Krishna’s dance through Nature move,
His mask of sweetness, laughter, rapture, love?

~~Sri Aurobindo~~

Prayer (from the Prophet)

Then a priestess said, Speak to us of Prayer.

And he answered, saying:

You pray in your distress and in your need;

would that you might pray also in the fullness

of your joy and in your days of abundance.

For what is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living ether?

And if it is your comfort to pour your darkness into space,

it is for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.

And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer,

she should spur you again and yet again, though weeping,

until you shall come laughing.

~~Kahlil Gibran~~