The making of a Sarvodaya Sannyasin

Poem title: The Song of Life

Human mind is like a horse,
that carries on our life’s course.
The horse unreined is quite wild.
It soon becomes doom’s child.
It leads the rider to a quick downfall.
Bringing in its wake only pain and gall.
So, hearken, O Rider! Put in the rein.
Then, your ride will not go in vain.

The rein for mind is righteous discrimination,
which fills our life with a great illumination.
This rein makes the mind very mature.
It fills us with joy and makes us pure.
Listen, O friend! Unreined mind is a beast.
It should be considered a burden at least.
Before mighty opponents, it shamelessly cringes.
But, before weaker ones, its pitiless rage unhinges.

It continuously flits from one gratification to another.
What peace can one have then? Think, O Brother!
Such a mind is selfish and cunning to the core.
It behaves so foolishly, so rely on it no more.
Though it wants only joy, the way it knows not.
Treading the path of selfishness, misery is its lot.
It is quite myopic, it lacks clear vision.
Being very narrow, it fails to see any reason.

It cries over the past, dead and long gone.
And misses the joy of life over things bygone.
It worries about the future, which is fear’s mine.
For things non-existing, friends! Is it wise to pine?
Life is now and here, life is this moment.
Forgetting this is how our troubles foment.
Mind may become our worst enemy or our best friend.
Says Sri Krishna in Gita, what matters is how we amend.

Rein the mind with wisdom and soak the heart in love.
Serving the world as your own Self, enjoy the bliss above.
(Note: One can change Self to family here. Also, above here means high consciousness and not any heavens up in clouds.)
Learn from the past, but forgive the erring friends.
Ignorance is a universal enemy, so make inner amends.
Hate none, O friend! For all are victims and no one a devil.
Wise ones forgive the ignorant, as this is what makes soul revel.
Friends! Strange and bitter are sometimes the lessons of life.
Truth sometimes hurts and our best motives may bring strife.

Just before the sunrise, the night is darkest.
So, keep faith in truth and move on with zest.
Love is a greater truth than truth itself – so say our sages.
Love heals and love blesses all. Thus, love is its own wages.
The more ignorant a person, the more our love should flow.
Do not our mothers care more for us, when in life we lie low?
Friends! Thus, wisely treat the lessons of life from the past.
Be positive about the future, and enjoy this present so vast.

Take care of present and future will be taken care on its own.
Take care of effort, and glorious success will be your crown.
So, worry not over the rewards, and always give your best.
True wisdom is living in the moment with supreme level of zest.
Everyone is special. Everyone has great worth.
We all are different flowers in this garden of Earth.
This diversity is a beauty – when we understand this.
From this springs the oneness which is life’s real bliss.

Written on: Sunday, 28 March, 2010 in Massachusetts, USA.

Please let me know whether the poem is well-written and uplifting. If yes, then here is the secret of my success – I had some clear, inspiring feelings on the date of writing this poem. Riding on a huge wave of intense inspiration, I poetically expressed those feelings and vision in words by assiduously digging into my own vocabulary and also by taking help of an online “Thesaurus” (list of synonyms) and thyme dictionary to use words with same rhyme (rein/vain). “It took me around 4-5 hours to write this poem. I am not a natural poet. Though definitely the inspiration came from beyond, I had to find out suitable words to give a good expression to that inspiration. This poem conveys the vision of life espoused by Sarvodaya Mission much better than all poems I have read so far. This poem will definitely go into Mission’s upcoming “magnum opus” (a self-help book giving exceptionally uplifting and precise guidance on time-management, yoga, study skills, family life and social and political duties).

Regards,

Gopal

ps: A special thanks to my friend, Jitendra, who strongly provoked me to write meaningful poems with good rhymes rather than rhyme-less poems.