গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা

বুদ্ধের করুণা ধারায় সিক্ত হয়েছ তুমি
জ্ঞানের সাধনাও করেছ,
প্রজ্ঞার আলোয় উদ্ভাসিত তুমি
অনাথের আশ্রয়ও দিয়েছ

গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা

সকল আবদার রেখেছ তুমি
প্রয়োজনে শাসনও করেছ
মাতা-পিতার স্নেহ দিয়েছ তুমি
আরো কত যন্ত্রণা সয়েছ ।
কখনো কি শুধানো যাবে এই ঋণ
সকল স্তুতি মনে হয় যে মলিন ।

গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা

জনমে জনমে কৃত পুন্যরাশি
তোমারই চরণে আজ পূজা করেছি
মোদের মাঝেই তুমি থেকো চিরকাল
তুমি যে করুণাময় আশার সকাল
তুমি যে করুণাময় আশার সকাল
তুমি যে করুণাময় আশার সকাল

গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তে, তোমায় বন্দনা
গুরু ভান্তেকে জানাই বন্দনা ।

How many times you looked up into the sky

How many times you looked up into the sky
And you thought it was a full moon night
How many times you released a deep sigh
And you kept walking without any light

No one else will know

All the drops of sweat lost into the dust
All the tears hidden in the midnight darkness
All the time you thought “this step is the last”
And all the longing for just a little kindness

No one else will know

Yet when you breathe, know you are alive
You look into the mirror with eager eyes
Your hair is long, your beard needs shaving
You come out and wait for the sunrise

This, everyone else will know

The bell in the temple of my heart rings,

(Here is another translation of a Bengali poem/song written by me. The Bengali version is available here)

The bell in the temple my heart rings, the bell rings incessantly.
Do you hear this desperation? My heart’s lord, do you hear?
The more I call you, why do you move farther away?
Look at me with your eyes smeared in kindness.
My heart is desperate for your gentle touch? My heart is so desperate.
Do you hear this desperation? My heart’s lord, do you hear?

I am an unfortunate one, sinful, my body is tired
In every step, I fall down in this world of illusion, a terrible illusion
You, dwelling in the chamber of my heart, give me the air of breath.
Show me the path to freedom from this illusion.
Drench with the shade of your compassion, this restless heart.
Do you hear this desperation? My heart’s lord, do you hear?

keep walking

When the evening comes
you know there will be some fireflies
when the night gets darker
you know the waning moon will still shine.

keep walking

insects of the night will accompany you
dust on the path will massage your feet
the fallen dry leaves will sing for you
dewdrops will quench your thirst

still keep walking

the night will feel long and cold
the path will feel dark and painful
and you will want to stop
you will feel everything is futile

remember to keep walking

an imagined melancholy

(Here I share some translations of some short Bengali reflections written by me – for passing the time and thinking about life. The actual Bengali versions can be found here.)

an imagined melancholy

1) Body is empty, mind is empty
Feelings are empty too.
Union is empty, separation is empty
Affection and attachment are empty also.

2) In whose eyes, do you see yourself?
In whose thoughts, do you think about you?
Whose poems do you write on an empty paper?
In whose affection are you attached always?

3) Every day I come to you in a new guise,
Yet, your clever eyes recognize me.
Not the length of my hair or mustache,
You, the one with eyes, see my heart, the inner world.

4) In a world full of suffering
I write poems of an imagined melancholy
Freedom is to be achieved, the world is foul!
Is there a dearth of suffering? of illusion?

5) This youth and this excitement of life
All will be lost one day.
All the hopes of future, touching the sky
And all the story telling
Will become quiet one day.

Befriending Mindfulness

(With Covid-19 fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about our life are felt globally and in our own homes. This is a difficult situation when mindfulness and care for each other are important more than ever. Let us join for some mindful reflection at this critical time, being distant yet together. Here I have a few excerpts on practicing mindfulness from Bhikkhu Anālayo’s book Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation: A Practice Guide. I will keep adding more excerpts as I keep reading this and other books.)

“My suggestion would be to relate to sati, to mindfulness, as a feminine quality. In this way, sati can be understood as receptively assimilating with the potential of giving birth to new perspectives.”

“Right away from the moment of waking up in the morning our good friend sati can already be there, as if waiting for us. She is ready to accompany us throughout the rest of the day, encouraging us to stay receptive and open, soft and understanding. She never gets upset when we happen to forget about her. As soon as we remember her, she is right there to be with us again.” (p.7)

“In the early discourses, tranquillity and insight are not distinguished according to whether our meditation object is a concept or (what is considered to be) an ultimate reality. In fact tranquillity and insight are not even set apart as separate meditation practices. Instead, they are complementary qualities of meditative cultivation.” (p.8)

“Another significant aspect of mindfulness is what I like to refer to as breadth of mind. With breadth of mind I mean an open-minded and broadly receptive attitude”. (p.9)

“With a bit of mindful observation, we can in fact easily notice how spacious and allowing the mind can be when we are open to differences and variety, and how narrow and cramped the mind can become when we are self-righteous and judgemental. Becoming aware of this difference can serve as a good signpost for noticing when the mind shifts from open-mindedness to closing down.” (p.11)