Bees in the Garden: Poems by the Masala Mystic

BEES IN THE GARDEN POEMS BY THE MASALA MYSTIC

Edited by Henry Rasof

View of Varanasi (at one time called Benares or Banaras), the holiest Indian city, from the Ganges, the holiest Indian river. The cloudy air probably includes smoke from the many cremations that take place along the banks of the river. I say "probably," because it also is possible that the hazy air is a kind of physical metaphor for maya, the veil of illusion that the Masala Mystic writes about in many of his poems. If you are cremated in Varanasi, it is said that you will not be reincarnated on Earth.

I give my poetry away, and give myself along with it But first I look for people who can value what I give. —Mirza Ghalib

Mirza Ghalib

Edited by Henry Rasof

TEMESCAL CANYON PRESS Louisville, CO 2019

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 3 Books of Original Poetry by the Editor Souls in the Garden: Poems About Jewish Spain (2019) Here I Seek You: Jewish Poems for Shabbat, Holy Days, and Everydays (2016) Chance Music: Prose Poems 1974 to 1982 (2012) The House (2009)

No photograph, regardless of the source, may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or linked to in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage or retrieval system.

Except for brief excerpts used in reviews, no text in this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the editor or his representative. To obtain such permission, please write or email:

Henry Rasof Temescal Canyon Press 116 Monarch Street Louisville, CO USA 80027 [email protected]

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 4 Dedicated to seekers, mystics, and poets of all faiths and of no faiths; men, women, and children; young and old; of all gender and sexual orientations; in all places and worlds; of all nationalities or no nationality; dead or alive; in the past, present, and future

Who Was, Is, or Will Be the Masala Mystic?...... 9

Beyond the Unknown...... 13 A Gathering of Bees...... 16 What Is Maya?...... 17 Questions for the Road...... 20 The Doors of Perception...... 21 Hungry, Noisy Birds Revisit the Big Questions...... 24 Maya and Morning Glory...... 28 Praying for Rain...... 32 Jagadanandakaraka 1...... 33 Jagadanandakaraka 2...... 37 Mari Mari Ninne Moralida Nee...... 39 Three Nirguni Bhajans...... 41 The Salt Doll of Sri Ramakrishna...... 46 The Death of Swami Vivekananda...... 47

Notes...... 50 Sources of Quotations...... 52 Sources of Photographs...... 54 Names and Terms...... 57 Poets and Spiritual Teachers...... 57 Names of God, Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Figures...... 57 Terms...... 58 Further Reading...... 60 About the Editor...... 63

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 7 Eventually one realizes that one cannot depend on anyone. . . . One has to "go it alone." . . . One sees that one has to make the journey of understanding by oneself. . . ." —Jiddu Krishnamurti

The poet calling himself the Masala Mystic is somewhat of an enigma. From his preoccupations with the kinds of concepts associated with Hinduism—like maya—and with Indian philosophers and mystics, one would assume that he himself was or is Indian, specifically a Hindu. However, the impressive breadth of his vocabulary and knowledge of different religious traditions leads one to wonder if indeed this is the case. The references to Taoism, Buddhism, and Islam; to Greek, Egyptian, and other ancient gods and goddesses; to Jesus; and to medieval Jewish philosophers may seem out of place in the work of a poet focused mainly on Indian ideas. However, Jews have lived in India since at least about the sixth century B.C.E., Buddhism originated in India in the fifth or sixth century B.C.E., Christians may have lived in India for about two thousand years, Zoroastrians and Muslims have lived there since the seventh century, commerce existed between India and other countries, the British landed in India in the seventeenth century India and ruled much of it until the mid-twentieth century, and ideas have no geographic boundaries. That said, the Mystic seems closely related in worldview to spiritual teachers like Sri Ramakrishna, an Indian Hindu whose teachings have a universalist ring to them.

When did the Masala Mystic himself live, or is he still living? Although he is mentioned in The Persian Letters, another work compiled by this editor and dated to the eleventh century, the many references in his poems to nineteenth- and twentieth-century spiritual teachers suggest he lived no farther back than the nineteenth century. Nothing eliminates the possibility that he is still alive in 2019, when this book was edited. His age, gender, birth name, religion, caste (if he was or is Hindu and alive before the caste system was banned in 1950), and any other personal information are unknown.

Of course, the Mystic may have lived much longer ago and his original poems rewritten or embellished by other people along the way. The Mystic could be one man, or even many poets adopting his name. He even may be of the future. Since there's no way to support any of these notions, the editor has decided to assume that one man wrote the poems. As a contemporary poet writes, about a magical house:

No one knows how old the house is, when it was built, or where. The house is like a house without a history; when you are in it the past doesn't exist. . . . But the house has a history; it is just not in the books. . . . But the house is real. The house exists-- wherever you are, whoever you are, have been, or want to be. The house, which is always on tour and has been everywhere, which never really goes anywhere, exists in every place on earth, in every time in history.

This could apply to the Masala Mystic.

The editor came across a large collection of the Mystic's unpublished poems in a library in Chennai, India, during one of the editor's three trips to India in search of poetry, music, spirituality, and, curiously, masala dosas, the heavenly Indian crepes.

The original poems are in Tamil and in English. The editor organized and edited fourteen of the English poems for this volume. He added the epigraphs and other quotations, based on references in the poems.

May your own spiritual path be enriched by these poems!

(below) Masala dosa referred to in text. Yum!

. . . sometimes truth flashes out to us so that we think that it is day, and then matter and habit in their various forms conceal it so that we find ourselves again in an obscure night, almost as we were at first. We are like someone in a very dark night over whom lightning flashes time and time again. —Rabbi Moses Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed

Statue of Rabbi Moses Maimonides in Córdoba, Spain.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 12 Beyond the Unknown is there a God and if so does this God have form and what is its nature and if not what else is there? some say that God exists and has both form and no form or even that God sometimes has form and sometimes does not these questions are of interest and the questioners as well but what if anything does any of this mean and does anyone care even if God does exist which i think is the case? does any of it matter when the music is strong when the music is beautiful when the music is ecstatic and ethereal? walter pater said that all art aspires to the condition of music, namely, pure form yet compared with the music itself, so what? i have seen this God on a jeweled throne in a hypnagogic vision but does this compare with a Bach suite? people make statues of gods and Buddhas and these are often extraordinarily beautiful but can anyone say as beautiful as the buzzing of a beehive? in Japan a temple hall with 1001 statues of the goddess of mercy concentrates their compassion in a way that cannot be described yet compared with a Bach violin sonata . . . the jade Buddha in Bangkok spoke to me and I didn't even have to give an offering but the formlessness of a musical composition speaks even more mysteriously and what about the little black statue of the goddess Kali that almost comes alive in the Ramakrishna temple at Dakhineswar, India, where Sri Ramakrishna and his wife Sarada Devi lived yet Dr Balamuralikrishna singing the Jagadanandakaraka krithi of Saint Thyagaraja* makes this saint come alive and takes us higher still beyond the unknown

______Two versions of this composition can be found on pages 33 to 35 and on pages 37 to 38 of this book.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 13 The Sanjusangendo Temple, near the city of Kyoto in Japan, houses 1001 statues of the Kannon Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy. To the right and in front of these images are their guardians, strongmen formerly bad guys but converted to protecting the other images. This remarkable temple is a vortex of compassion.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 15 A Gathering of Bees does God exist? bees gathering nectar in the garden. if there is no God, how explain anything? bees gathering pollen in the garden. if there is a God, did this God create the world from nothing? bees gathering pollen in the garden. if there is a God who didn't create the world from nothing, then what was the something? bees gathering nectar in the garden. if there is no God, where did the universe come from? bees gathering pollen in the garden. what is the meaning of life? bees gathering pollen in the garden. is there life after death? bees gathering nectar in the garden. bees gathering pollen in the garden is all there is bees gathering nectar in the garden is all there is

A divine life upon earth . . . can only come about by a spiritual change of our being and a radical and fundamental change, an evolution or revolution of our nature. The embodied being . . would have to rise out of the domination over it of its veils of mind, life and body into the full consciousness and possession of its spiritual reality. . . . —Sri Aurobindo When the mind, the cause of all cognitions and actions, becomes quiescent, the world will disappear.—Ramana Maharshi is everything really an illusion? i do not think sri aurobindo knows his arguments reveal the web of maya ramana maharshi says there is no world while krishnamurti says we are the world swami vivekananda says maya is the illusion that we are separate from God bees know there's a world as they seek the last pollen of the season on the mint flowers in my garden and the flowers themselves know. . . . it's their last chance to spread their fragrance until next year the tree squirrels know searching my porch for the magical peanuts to get them through the winter the Indian roller birds know too they are all over the place collecting nuts to squirrel away chuang tzu asked whether we dream of butterflies or whether butterflies dream us but is there really no world beyond our perception no perception beyond the world? is everything just one? sounds good i'm just not sure

(left) Butterflies. Are we dreaming the butterfies, (below) Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 18 The symbol of Sri Aurobindo: the lotus The symbol of The Mother incorporates an original flower floating on water in a six-pointed mandala in the form of a flower color wheel. star. Curiously, his consort, The Mother, had a Sephardic-Jewish father.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 19 Questions for the Road will i ever understand South Indian music? i don't think so what about the mystery of sexual attraction? probably not does Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed have a secret message? i wish i knew what about Neoplatonic emanations? the professor wouldn't let me ask more questions why couldn't my mathematician father act rationally? several score years says i haven't a clue why does an old sweetheart say "i don't want to talk about it" so often? beats me why do some busy people never answer letters while others always do? your guess is as good as mine where do people go when they die? if i knew, i'd be famous is there such a thing as reincarnation? whatever people say, it's hard to believe if one soul ascends and another descends on the Jewish sabbath, how can Jews gain an extral soul? only God knows why do i think i will never love again while other people say i'm such a catch? a feeling, just a feeling

Performance space in Chennai, South India, during Margazhi, Music Month.

He sat in a particular style. His left foot was on the ground, But his right leg was put on the knee of his left leg. There was a heavenly smile on his face. —Description of Shirdi Sai Baba.

If the doors of perception were cleansed Every thing would appear . . . as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, Till he sees all things thro' the narrow chinks of his cavern. —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

Shirdi Sai Baba as described above.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 21 is there more to life than meets the eye? can clouds blown by the wind mean something special? do zen buddhists have a corner on truth? does kabir have the answers? after all, no one even knows if he was hindu or muslim

Cloudy skies in Puducherry, formerly Pondicherry, in southeastern India, where Sri Aurobindo and The Mother lived. like shirdi sai baba whose face graces my wallet calendar life seems full of questions and contradictions i would like to think i know at least some of the answers by now

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 22 and how to resolve some of the contradictions saying, like kabir, the Mystic says this, the Mystic says that but in our world so brutal and complex where daily tragedies of spilled blood make both seekers and nonseekers alike sick to their well-fed stomachs the meaning some of us so desire seems to drains from those well-meant clouds only to fall to earth and create more havoc. . . . once many years ago the whole universe became crystal clear to me as if blake's doors of perception had been cleansed with beautiful old poems soaked in supernatural solvent everything appeared infinite and for a few moments i actually knew that meaning of life that i and everyone else is so keen to find

According to a dialogue between Zenmaster Hui Hai—the "Great Pearl"—and a pupil:

Q: When we are looking at something, does the thing looked at exist objectively within the sphere of perception or not? A: It does not. Q: When we (look around and) do not see anything, is there an absence of something objective within the sphere of perception? A: No, there is not.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 23 Hungry, Noisy Birds Revisit the Big Questions . . . the God whom I love is inside.—Kabir I am dyed in the love of . . . /My Beloved.—Mirabai An individual should hold an awareness of God and His love all the time. He should not separate his consciousness form the Divine. . . .—Rabbi Moses Nachmanides. Our Krishna . . . is a thief! . . . He has stolen my heart, taken away my everything!—Surdas

Hungry, noisy birds. In this case, Patagonian penguins! What would the Mystic think? nobody really knows if the world exists nobody knows nobody really knows if we are the world nobody knows not krishnamurti vivekananda or ramana maharshi

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 24 Ramana Maharshi, with someone's reflection. nobody really knows if there is a God or gods nobody knows if we and God are one and the same nobody knows not adi shankara or this guru or that nobody really knows if there is a God, and if so, whether God has qualities not maimonides or nachmanides or any other rabbi nobody really knows if there's a heaven or hell nobody knows or if there is reincarnation or if whether karma determines anything or even if there's such a thing as karma nobody really knows if the soul is immortal or even if there is such a thing as a soul nobody really knows if life has a purpose whether good and evil are real

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 25 although rabbi nachmanides says our purpose is to know God and praise his name nobody really knows if emptiness is the ultimate neither kabir nor bulleh shah nobody really knows whether there is or was a krishna not mirabai or any of the other Indian saint poets nobody really knows why our minds work as they do what and why projection is if all paths to realization are the same as ramakrishna says or whether there is even such a thing as realization and if there is, what or why it is there are a thousand ways to fool ourselves whether with a koan like joshu or a mantra like maharishi staring at a mandala like the dalai lama sitting quietly and doing nothing like the zen masters

Mandala

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 26 or following the ramana who says when we ask who am I and eliminate the body and senses, what is left is awareness and the nature of Awareness is existence-consciousness-bliss. and so i sit at my desk my back killing me silence around me indian roller birds chortle in the yard a flock of black birds is looking for worms i will not ask their purpose or say they have a message for me i will not interpret their sounds and songs nor attribute meaning to their movements there is no conference of the birds they are just a bunch of hungry, noisy birds going about their business i notice the tangle of wires on my desk hear a car go by twitch my head and remember to get my tea

Maya is the magical power in creation by which limitations and divisions are apparently present in the Immeasurable and Inseparable.—Paramahansa Yogananda

The anklet of delusion jingles and produces the sound of spicy scandal. . . . Illusion was bound as waistband on the waist—Surdas

The Matrimandir at Auroville.

Signs in Auroville, near Puducherry, Southeast India, the utopian community founded by The Mother, Sri Aurobindo's consort. She loved flowers and used them as symbols of human qualities. If you visit just one utopian community in your lifetime, this is the one.

You have tricked me again Into thinking everything is illusion That the world is unreal

You also have tricked the great rishis And philosophers, and the yogis too Like Yogananda, and poets like Surdas

You say the gods are unreal That formlessness is the only reality The not-this, not-that paradigm

You say my soul is the same as the Brahman That everything is one That you are only the mistaken perception of separateness

That something exists Beyond what I see before me That a greater reality exists beyond that of my senses

All these years you have fooled me Into sometimes thinking I am in my head too much And other times in my body too much

You say God sometimes has form And sometimes doesn't And sometimes doesn't exist

You want me to think either God is everything, or everything is God Or nothing is God, or God is nothing

That all of my thoughts and conceptions Of God and existence are wrong Or that there is no God, so what's the problem?

You even want to trap me Into saying the only reality is watching the bees in my garden Capture the last mint-flower pollen of the season

You even want to trap me into thinking you Do not exist, that the idea the world is illusion Is illusion itself . . .

. . . Or into thinking the one I am now addressing Is real and that life indeed is but a dream And my dreams the only reality

But you know something, Ms Maya? You do not trick me; I now know your tricks. Everything is not illusion.

Everything is not you And you are not everything I am not the victim of wrong thinking

My life is not a dream I have awakened to see that The only reality is what is under my nose

The whole world's my morning glory Convolvulaceae

Heavenly blue, Milky Way, All the varieties of whorl

I bury my nose in your pollen And lick your stamens

Your ovaries mesmerize me And their fallopian tubes

Your spiral folds hypnotize me There is no other reality

Maya cannot penetrate My oneness with your colors

Nothing is illusory When I am with you

I may think there's more to life Than your delicate whirling petals

But there isn't. I can't be fooled Can't be fooled ever again.

*******

The Vedic scriptures declare that the physical world operates under one fundamental law of maya, the principle of relativity and duality. God, the Sole Life, is Absolute Unity; to appear as the separate and diverse manifestations of a creation He wears a false or unreal veil. That illusory dualistic veil is maya...... —Paramahansa Yogananda.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 31 Praying for Rain this time of year rabbis pray for rain christian ministers preach the sin of birth control muslim imams call for the death of jews buddhists hack muslims to pieces indian hindus force-convert christians muslims kill christians, and jews target one another job asks why there is evil all I can say is that believers in god have a problem with this question yes there is more to life than meets the idea some clouds do have special meaning not everyone is intolerant, and each day brings good news too all i can do is play or listen to some music to keep myself afloat through another day

The famous and angelic South Indian vocalist Sudha Ragunathan and her accompanists performing in India.

Refrain: Are you man or god? Rama or Vishnu? Once born or incarnation? Whatever you are Whoever you are: Eager to give You bring bliss

Do you have form? Are you perfect white flower Or eternal white moon? Whatever you are Whoever you are: Your sweetness is transcendent Language of compassion.

How digest the hive’s hidden honey? The Moon. How live in both the poet’s heart And the mute’s? Whatever you are Whoever you are: You create weather in poets’ hearts, Shatter ignorance with hurricane force.

Hurricane.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 33 Are you the great sapphire of Indra Whose net holds sun and moon Within absolute, beautiful oneness? Whatever you are Whoever you are: As death’s enemy You light up life’s mystery web.

Can one being guard holy sacrifices And bring a shine to corroded beauty With a touch of his feet? Whatever you are Whoever you are: Peaceful, soft, mantra-adept, Your joy envelops the world.

Do you follow us from birth to death In the same peerless form? Do you really answer all prayers? Whatever you are Whoever you are: As essence of love and desire, the Ramayana story itself, You help us conquer our pride.

Are you the moon that lights pure hearts, Flying charioteer Whose feet the monkey god Hanuman rubbed with his lotus hands? Whoever you are Whatever you are: Brahma, the Creator, worships The slayer of demons: pride and arrogance

Are you Shiva, primal energy of Creation residing in the divine Om, source of everything; Brahma and Vishnu; form of forms–who killed the foe of Indra, the sky god, And now provides compassion to shelter the innocent? Whoever you are Whatever you are: Beyond description, you control time by creating and destroying. You love the arts, spreading joy among the righteous You are the essential eternal Vedic wisdom of unknown origin

What arrows did you use To break the demons’ egos And protect holy men and gods? Whoever you are Whatever you are: Valmiki, most radiant of poets, spread your fame in the Ramayana While your servant Thyagaraja sings your praises.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 34 Are you the eternal consciousness of the universe Solar son, slave of your devotees Who turns demons to angels? Whoever you are Whatever you are: You are unchanging, pure beloved Of Thyagaraja, humble author of these songs, who worships you.

Do you, draped in golden silks, have countless virtues, An arrow able to pierce seven hardwood trees Feet splendid as the rising sun? Whoever you are Whatever you are: Your fame is infinite You dwell in the heart of poets.

Whoever you are Whatever you are: Your brother Lakshmi’s beloved You are generous with both gods and saints Whoever you are Whatever you are: Your glance, like that of the lion-faced incarnation of Vishnu the preserver, Frightens elephants and drives off the sinful. Great devotees like Thyagaraja praise you.

Hanuman, the monkey god.

I salute you, Rama, Consort of Sita, For bringing us bliss As you, descended from the sun of suns, Worshipped by the lesser gods, Descend to earth, eager to give.

You are moon in eternal galaxy, Most perfect white flower In a field of transcendence, Thief of form and formlessness, Agelessly beautiful, sweet-tongued, Benevolent to the receptive.

Bees. Snake in raspberry bushes.

You show us an unknown hive And how to digest its honey; Destroy the dark clouds of ignorance Like a hurricane Live in the hearts of poets,

You are the great sapphire of Indra, Father to the creator, whose net holds The moon and sun within an absolute, beautiful oneness Lighting the web of life beyond understanding. You sleep with the purest of snakes, worshipped By destruction, though enemy of death.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 37 With a mere touch of your feet you restore life To a perfect beauty hardened by lust and jealousy, Defend the sacrifices of the wise, Learned the mantras for strength and endurance. Your mind at peace, you tame your softer side, grant favors To Brahma your son, let your joy envelop the world.

You are beginnings, middles, and ends In one incomparable form Who answers all prayers While conquering our pride, Essence of love and desire, The Ramayana story itself.

You ride the flying chariot, A moon lighting pious hearts. The monkey god Hanuman, who proved his mettle in your service, Rubs your feet with his lotus hands. You conquered the demons of arrogance, pride, and other character flaws. Even Brahma worships you, who are immortal.

You are the elemental energy of Creation Residing in the elemental sound Om You are Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. You killed the enemy of the sky god. You are abode of compassion Who shelters the innocent. You are the essence of the eternal Vedas.

Mercy does not enter your thoughts Even when I entreat you again and again

O Ceres who is everywhere in the world You were not in a hurry when your garden needed you You did not ignore messages from strangers Or neglect to ask them how they were after their long journey

I have heard you tell of your mercy with your potatoes You who swim in the river of life Who is one with the oceans though the currents are strong Please—why do you ignore me while you help Indra, the sky god, who needs no help

Mercy does not come to your thoughts Even when I entreat you again and again

O Great Cere-ji who listens to the flowers and herbs Who asks how they are each morning

Who inquires into their deepest emotions Who is curious about the aphids that crawl among the petals What have I done that you drink deeply from every flower Except those in my garden, to which you flit only briefly

That you tell the world of your exploits But only cursorily inquire of mine, or not at all

Mercy does not come to your thoughts Even when I entreat you again and again O Ceres of the sun and stars Of the clods of earth, the shallots and zucchini

I do not think you really want to know Anything about me or to understand who I am

My other friends praise my poems They tell me something in them has changed their life They ask if they can share one with a friend People I hardly know or do not care about provide the sweet nothings you do not

Mercy does not seem to be coming into your mind Even when again and again I entreat you

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 39 You think nothing to avoid hurting the feelings of the monkey god Hanuman To assuage the loneliness of Shiva's and Parvati's son Ganesh To defer to the wishes of Rama's brother Lakshmana Yet when I cry out for just a sideways glance, your head remains turned away

And so please understand that it is not good for you Not to be pleased with Saint Thyagaraja and his servant Masala Mystic

Ganesh(a), the son of the god Shiva and his consort Parvati, brings success and removes obstacles..

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 40 Three Nirguni Bhajans The pilgrims go to Mecca./My Mecca is my lover Ranjha./I am crazy indeed.—Bulleh Shah. He is the immortal Lord, Eternal, all powerful Giver of joy and salvation Bountiful and merciful. —Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru

The Sikh Golden Temple, Amritsar, India.

One your god is an idol mine has no form your god has no form mine is an idol your god is zeus mine is watching storm clouds forming your god is the sun god ra mine is feeling the sun warm my body on a winter day your god is el mine doesn't have even two letters your goddess is astarte mine is my lover's perfect body your god is the unpronounceable name of god mine cannot even be spelled

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 41 your goddess is shekhinah the jewish divine feminine mine is seeing the divine in all women your god is the zoroastrian wise lord ahura mazda mine is all light, all the time, everywhere

The farvahar, one of the Zoroastrian symbols. your god is brahma the creator mine is creation itself your god is vishnu the preserver mine is things as they are your god is shiva, the destroyer mine is watching beetles eat my raspberries your god is the brahman, the deep down of existence mine is the deep down of existence, nameless your god is buddha, the enlightened one mine is a full belly your god is tao, the way mine is another way your god is jesus the son of god mine has no name and is no one's son your god is a heavenly father mine is watching my father praying to go to heaven your god is the mother of jesus mine is the memory of my mother your god is allah the merciful and compassionate mine is treating everyone with mercy and compassion

Two your god is one mine is infinite your god is three mine is without number your god created the world mine is the mystery of creation your god emanated the world mine is the mystery of each particle of the world your god has books written about it mine is illiterate yours is a god of love mine is the act of love yours can be described by works mine just is your god is male or female or both mine has no gender your god has preachers and gurus mine has just me you pray to your god i do not know how to pray, to what, to whom, or why nor do i understand prayer or prayers whatever the language all i know is unseasonably hot days pleasantly cool nights and bees praying to the mint flowers in my garden

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 43 Three i am not into priests or rabbis imams or ministers, spiritual leaders or guides not into pundits, preachers, experts, or gurus enlightened beings, people with special names indicating some level of "spiritual" attainment not into systems, categories or levels steps or rungs, heavens or worlds anything multilayered i am not into any divisions in the world between peoples or in consciousness the world is my place all people my people all definitions yours not mine all groups yours not mine i both belong and do not belong to any religion belong and don't belong to no religion i belong to them all finding ecstasy in synagogues and mosques zen gardens, basilicas, sikh, and hindu temples as well as in gardens, at the seashore, on mountain peaks, taking a nap during the day, sitting quietly, doing nothing, and watching the bees in my garden do not make me a bhakti or shaivite neoplatonist or negative theologian ecstatic or vipassynist i sense the something other the something else that has neither name nor color neither sound nor dimensions that is neither infinite nor finite colored nor colorless formed nor formless now nor then temporal nor timeless describable nor indescribable

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 44 mostly it is the inexpressible the bees in the garden immersing themselves in the last of the pale pink and white flowers on the slowly browning wild mint leaves in the heat of the day it is the bees and watching them and watching them

Mint in the garden, but the bees are in hiding.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 45 The Salt Doll of Sri Ramakrishna The bliss of God-Consciousness always exists in you. It is only hidden by the veiling and projecting power of maya.—Sri Ramakrishna

By day I merge with the homeless, unseen By night I am a salt doll, Reading stories Of a salt doll immersed in the ocean, Slowly dissolving, wanting Only to save the world. Breath goes in One side, out another. Amazing how the ancient sages catalogued Different forms of consciousness. Yet Is there a world, Or is there not? Brahman is not this, Not that, but if so . . . I am a swimmer in all worlds, dark and light, lover Of the in between, a vast ocean And its vastness, the idea of vastness, What it’s not, Salt, the doll, and its dipping, Dissolving, water and fish, Light shining through, and blood, Forests, trees, now See it, now . . .

(above) Cartoon in Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore. (right above) Ramakrishna Math.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 46 The Death of Swami Vivekananda everything was unexpected: the shutters closed the three-hour meditation the three-mile walk before the breakfast taken with relish everything was unexpected: the shutters closed the three-hour meditation the three-mile walk before the breakfast taken with relish boiled seeds of the jack-fruit boiled potatoes plain rice and ice-cold milk— (“spiritual men are fat”) everything was deliberate and full of meaning; “he had arisen rather early “the solitary meditation . . . was the most striking; “he entered quiet conversation; “he had closed all the windows and bolted the doors; “he broke forth in a touching song; “never before had he . . . “most singular of all . . . “this remark startled him . . . “another unusual incident . . . “still another strange occurrence . . .” ‘“whenever death approaches me "all weakness vanishes’” having fulfilled the prediction (of his Master) and finished his public work in every action his inexhaustible energy was turned to his disciples embodied the realization of brotherhood on the day he himself had chosen six years before from the Bengali Almanac July 4, 1902 all weakness vanished at eight pm Friday evening he asked someone to fan him then he lay down on his bed

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 47 in the room a couch, a five-foot-high mirror spring mattress (never used) canvas cot, table and tea set At 9 he trembled a little and breathed deeply his eyes were still lit by the fire kindled years before by Ramakrishna, his Master

“then all was quiet for a minute or two— he breathed deeply once again . . . and all was over” his eyes his whole countenance the manner in which he spoke and walked were enthralling it was apoplexy but none of the doctors could agree “he looked so fresh and healthy” “he changed sides once “and shortly after “cried out as babies cry out as if dreaming” he touched all who would touch him the simple sight of him caused them ecstasy in the afternoon he gave a long Sanskrit lesson “the grandeur of flight into Reality the choicest mango of Realization the thin veil of maya was broken; the ‘I’ expanded the Book of Experience forever closed”: and what is maya? he asked except the illusion of separateness and distinctions in all aspects of life from the smallest grain of sand to its Creator he also said that "maya . . . is simply a statement . . . that the very basis of our being is contradiction. . . ." the body was left upstairs until the next day his “sleep was a meditation on God”

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 48 there was a little bleeding on Saturday (which proved that the aperture of Brahma had been pierced when he left the body) and entered samadhi after so many years thinking he could put it off until he had saved the rest of humanity beginning with the realization at the southern tip of India that a navel-gazing monastic life was not for him their bonds with him had been slowly dissolving they were pained they were his slaves in love finally there was no doubt no distinction between sexes or castes between his perfect Hindi and his flings at the Christians when smoking or passing out sweets when breathing the balmy autumn air walking through the green fields the meadows with the paddies or in the South; in Chicago; in California: “Come to hear me. I shall do a little bomb throwing.” the body lay in the monastery “he chose to die; “he was never healthier in his life” the weary, tortured body of the father the devil, the patriot the bowl of ashes “whose spirit has set their souls aflame” the news spread like wildfire all were paralyzed with grief a bad dream finally there was no doubt the flames leapt across the Ganges flowers shot into the air the businessman the punster “to free India from the developing poison of Hinduism” the tired child slept on its left side

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 50 NOTES pages 33‒35 and 37‒38. Two English versions—by the Masala Mystic himself—are given here. of Jagadanandakaraka, the first of the pancharatna krithis, five devotional songs (the "five Jewels") composed by Saint Thyagaraja (1767–1847), a South Indian composer and the most famous Indian composer of devotional songs. This krithi was written in Sanskrit, the others in Telugu, one of the vernaculars of the region. The first version avoids too many references to Indian mythology, in particular the Ramayana, the main inspiration for the song, which praises Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana. The second version has more mythological references and attempts to stick more closely to the original. Two excellent renditions of this song can be found on the Internet by clicking the names of two famous performers of South Indian (Carnatic) devotional music: M. Balamuralikrishna and M. S. Subbulakshmi. If you like this kind of composition, you can search for other recordings on the Internet or at the library or in a music store selling recordings of Indian music. Pages 38‒39. This seems a free, personal adaptation of a song written in Telugu by Saint Thyagaraja (1767‒1847). You can find many recordings of the original song on the Internet, including by M. Balamuralikrishna, T. M. Krishna, K. J. Yesudas, and other luminaries.

Title page Russell, Ralph, ed. The Oxford India Ghalib: Life, Letters and Ghazals. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 346.

Epigraph Krishnamurti, J. You Are the World. New York: Harper & Row, 1972, p. 11.

Epigraph The Bijak of Kabir. Trans. Linda Hess and Shukdeo Singh. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 95.

Epigraph Maimonides, Moses. The Guide of the Perplexed. Vol. 1. Trans. Shlomo Pines. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1963, p. 7.

Who Was, Is, or Will Be the Masala Mystic? Rasof, Henry. The House. Louisville, CO: Temescal Canyon Press, 2008, last page.

What Is Maya? Sri Aurobindo. The Mind of Light. New York: Dutton, 1953, p. 65. The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Boston and Shaftesbury: Shambhala, 1988, p. 4.

The Doors of Perception Ganguly, H. S. Saibaba of Shirdi. New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books, no date, p. 15. The Zen Teaching of Hui Hai: On Sudden Illumination. Being the Teaching of the Zen Master Hui Hai, Known as the Great Pearl. Translated by John Blofeld. London: Rider & Company, 1962, pp. 48‒49.

Hungry, Noisy Birds Revisit the Big Questions Kabir: Ecstatic Poems. Versions by Robert Bly. Boston: Beacon Press, 2002, p. 63. Alston, A. J., ed. The Devotional Poems of Mirabai. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2008, p. 42. Nachmanides quote. https://www.azquotes.com/author/48810-Nahmanides. Nachmanides also spelled Nahmanides. Subramanian, V. K. Sacred Songs of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publication, 1996, p. 243. Embree, Ainsle T., ed. The Hindu Tradition. New York: Vintage Books, 1972, p. 198. Nachmanides quote. https://www.azquotes.com/author/48810-Nahmanides. Nachmanides also spelled Nahmanides. The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Boston and Shaftesbury: Shambhala, 1988, p. 3.

Maya and Morning Glory Hess, Linda. Singing Emptiness: Kumar Gandharva Performs the Poetry of Kabir. London: Seagull Books, 2009, p. 82. Paramahansa Yogananda. Autobiography of a Yogi. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1959, pp. 44 and 273.

Three Nirguni Bhajans Sain Bulleh Shah: The Mystic Muse. Transcreated by Kartar Singh Duggal. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1996, p. 49. Guru Gobind Singh. Zafarnama. Translated and introduced by Navtej Sarna. Haryana, India: Penguin, 2011, p. 3.

The Salt Doll of Sri Ramakrishna The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Translated by Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna- Vivekananda Center, 1977, p. 277.

The Death of Swami Vivekananda Photograph by Henry Rasof. All quotations except one are taken from The Life of the Swami Vivekananda: The Semi-Centenary Birthday Memorial Edition. Vol. IV. Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas: Prabuddha Bharata Office Advaita Ashrama, 1918. This quotation—"maya . . . is simply a statement . . . that the very basis of our being is contradiction. . . ."—is taken from Selections from Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1975, p. 109.

Further Reading Iggeret HaRamban. https://www.sefaria.org/Iggeret_HaRamban.1?lang=bi. From the letter of Nachmanides to one his sons. Ramban is an acronym for Nachmanides.

Note: HR= the editor. p 1 Mint in the editor's garden. HR photo. p 2 Varanasi, India. HR photo taken in India. p 3 title page Mirza Ghalib. HR photo taken in India. p 6 Mint in the editor's garden. HR photo. p 10 Music Academy in Chennai, India, and dosa. HR photos taken in India. p 12 Rabbi Moses Maimonides. HR photo taken in Córdoba, Spain. p 14 Booklet describing Sanjusangen-dō, the Japanese temple with the 1001 Kannon Bodhisattvas. p 15 Kali statue in Ramakrishna Temple in Dakshineswar, India. Found on Pinterest and posted by CuteSasha. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/1e/7f/f41e7fae8cfdd98f39801452eedfed67.jpg. p 18 Butterflies. Cindy Gutafson, https://www.pexels.com/search/butterfly/. Swami Vivekananda. HR photo taken in India. p 19 Gate with symbol of Sri Aurobindo in Puducherry (formerly called Pondicherry), India. HR photo taken in India. Color Wheel of the Mother at Auroville, India. HR photo taken in India. p 20 Performance space in Chennai, India. HR photo taken in India. p 21 Shirdi Sai Baba. HR photo taken in India.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 54 p 22 Esplanade in Puducherry (formerly called Pondicherry), India. HR photo taken in India. p 24 Penguins. HR photo taken in Patagonia, Argentina. p 25 Ramana Maharshi. HR photo of a photo of the Ramana in Tiruvannamai, India. p 26 Mandala at Auroville, India. HR photo taken in India. p 28 Signs and Matrimandir at Auroville, India. HR photos taken in India. p 30 Sun or moon. HR photo. p 32 Sudha Ragunathan concert in Chennai, India. HR photo taken at the concert. p 33 Moon. HR photo. Hurricane Dorian. Courtesy NOAA. p 36 Hanuman. HR photo taken in India. p 37 Bees. https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/04/17/09/33/honey-bees-326334_960_720.jpg. Snake in raspberries. HR photo. p 40 Ganesh. HR photo taken in India. p 41 Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. HR photo taken in India. p 42 The faravahar, one of the Zoroastrian symbols. https://www.freeimages.com/premium/faravahar-iran- zoroastrian-symbol-2138985. p 45 Mint flowers. HR photo.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 55 p 46 Cartoon. HR photo taken in India. Ramakrishna Math. HR photo taken in India. p 50 Ganges river in Varanasi, India. HR photo taken in India. Acre, Israel, Nahmanides, also known as the Ramban. (Wikimedia Commons) wall painting in Acre, Israel, honoring Nahmanides, also wn p 63 The editor or possibly the Masala Mystic at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Unknown photographer. p 64 The editor or possibly the Masala Mystic. Selfie or unknown photographer.

POETS AND SPIRITUAL TEACHERS

Adi Shankara (8th c.)—Seminal Indian philosopher who believed that the individual and divine souls are one and the same. Also known as Adi Shankaracharya. Buddha (6th‒5th c. B.C.E.)—the historic Buddha was Indian. Buddhism is a path built around the concept that the cause of psychological suffering is attachments. Bulleh Shah (1680‒1757)—Indian Sufi poet. Chuang Tzu (369 B.C.E.‒360 B.C.E.)—Chinese Taoist philosopher. See Tao. Dalai Lama—title of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. Kabir (14th‒15th c. or 15th‒16th c.)—Indian poet who wrote about the formless God and urged people to find God within themselves. Krishnamurti (1895‒1986)—South Indian philosopher who lived in India and in Ojai, California, one of whose principal teachings was to follow our own wisdom rather than that of gurus. Maharishi (1918‒2008)—yogi who founded the popular Transcendental Meditation movement. Mirabai (1498‒ca.1546)—Indian poet who, when she married, married Krishna first and then her human husband. Early Indian feminist, if not the first. Also called Meera. Maimonides (ca. 1135‒1204)—rabbi and most important Jewish philosopher. See Judaism. Mirza Ghalib (1797‒1869)—famous Indian poet who wrote primarily about love. Moses ben Nachman (Nachmanides). Nachmanides (Moses ben Nachman) (1194‒1270)—rabbi, mystic, and biblical commentator. Ramana Maharshi (1879‒1950)—Indian spiritual teacher one of whose main teachings was asking "who am I?" Saint Thyagaraja (1767‒1847)—most famous Indian composer of devotional music. Shirdi Sai Baba (19th‒20th c.)—beloved Indian spiritual teacher. Sri Aurobindo (1872‒1950)—Indian spiritual teacher known for his Integral Yoga. Sri Ramakrishna (1836‒1886)—most important Indian spiritual teacher, one of whose main teachings was the unity of all religions. Surdas (1478-1573)--blind Indian poet. Swami Vivekananda (1863‒1902)—chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Vivekananda. See Swami Vivekananda just above. Walter Pater (1839‒1894)—famous English art, literary, and cultural critic. Yogananda (1893‒1952)—Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian spiritual teacher who founded the Self-Realization Fellowship, with headquarters in Southern California.

NAMES OF GOD, GODS, GODDESSES, AND LEGENDARY FIGURES

Ahura Mazda—the good Zoroastrian god, meaning "wise lord." Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion from Persia, but today there are many Zoroastrians in india, where they are called Parsis (or Parsees). Allah—term for the Islamic God. Astarte—ancient near-Eastern goddess. Bodhisattva—a being whose sole purpose is to guide others toward enlightenment. Brahma—creator god in the Indian trinity.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 57 Buddhas—enlightened beings in the Buddhist tradition. See Buddha. El—another name for the Jewish God but also of other near-Eastern cultures. See Judaism. Ganesh (also Ganesha)—Indian elephant god, a son of the god Shiva, and the god of success, wisdom, and good luck. Indra—the Indian sky god and king of the gods. Jesus—son of God in Christianity. Job—in the Hebrew Bible the personage whose personal struggles lead to the concept of theodicy—the problem of evil: how can a good God create suffering and evil? Joshu (b. 778)—Chinese Zen master. Krishna—one of the most popular of the Indian deities, who comes to earth in human form as an earthly incarnation of the god Vishnu. Lakshmana—younger brother of Rama in the Ramayana. Lakshmi—consort of the god Vishnu. Rama—hero of the Ramayana and an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Shekhinah—in Judaism, the feminine presence of God. Shiva—the destroyer in the trinity of Indian gods. Sita—consort of Rama in the Ramayana. Sun God Ra—ancient Egyptian god. Vishnu—the preserver in the trinity of Hindu gods. The Unpronounceable Name of God—reference to the four-letter Hebrew name of the Jewish God: Yod Hey Vav Hey, abbreviated in English YHVH. See Judaism. Zeus—Greek king of the gods.

TERMS

Aperture of Brahma—trapdoor in our skull through which our soul leaves our body when we die. Avatar—earthly reincarnation of a god. Bhakti—devotional worship. Blake's Doors of Perception—In his poem "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" the English poet William Blake (1757-1827) says: "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear . . . as it is: Infinite." Brahman—underlying substance—reality—of the universe and all beings. Universal self, as opposed to individual self. Carnatic Music—South Indian music. Ceres—dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. Conference of the Birds—a famous work by 'Attar, a medieval Persian Sufi. Convulvulaceae—plant family to which the morning glory and related flowers belong. Ganges—Indian holy river. Guide of the Perplexed—famous philosophy book by Rabbi Moses Maimonides. Hindu--follower of Hinduism, an old Indian religion. Hypnagogic--vivid visual images sometimes seen when falling asleep. Imams—Muslim religious leaders. Islam—monotheistic religion founded in the seventh century by Mohammad and one of the Abrahamic religions, the other two being Judaism and Christianity. Judaism—Near-Eastern religion originating about four thousand years ago and "founded" by Abraham. Thus the term "Abrahamic religion" applied to Islam and Christianity, which share a

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 58 common belief in one God. Members of "the tribe" are Jewish, and "Jewish" describes everything from beliefs to food. Karma—actions in a past life or lives that affect us in this life. Krithi—South Indian devotional song. Koan—question in Zen Buddhism meant to take us out of our conceptual mind and into a place of enlightenment, e.g., What is your face before you were born? Mandala—geometric or artistic design with spiritual significance. Masala—Indian spice mixture. Maya—illusion. Muslim—adherent of Islam. Negative Theologian—someone who uses negative statements to demonstrate something, e.g., this is not God, that is not God, etc., to show that God cannot be named or described. Neoplatonic Emanations—term has something to do with Neoplatonism, though what, isn't clear. See next entry. Neoplatonist—adherent of Neoplatonism, a philosophic school founded by the Greek philosopher Plotinus (ca. 204‒270 C.E.). See https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plotinus/#LifeWrit. Om—the sacred sound of the universe, often chanted. Nirguni Bhajans—Indian devotional songs praising the formless God. Rabbis—Jewish religious teachers. See Judaism. Ramayana—one of the two great Indian literary epics. Rishis--Indian saints. Salt Doll—image from the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna to explain that God with form and God without form are one and the same; just different states. Samadhi—spiritual/religious enlightenment. Shaivite—follower of the Indian god Shiva, the destroyer. Sikh--follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in north India. Sufi--one type of Islamic mystic. See Islam. Tao—in the Taoist "religion," most easily but vastly too simply translated as "way." Vedic Wisdom—wisdom from the Vedas, the main Hindu scriptures. Vipassynist—practitioner of Vipassyna, a meditation practice originating in Southeast Asia. Zen—Japanese word meaning, approximately, "meditation." Zen Buddhists—practitioners of Zen Buddhism, a Japanese form of Buddhism with an emphasis on sudden enlightenment.

Alston, A. J., ed. The Devotional Poems of Mirabai. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2008. The Bijak of Kabir. Translated by Linda Hess and Shukdeo Singh. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Dalai Lama. https://www.dalailama.com. Drazin, Israel. Nachmanides: An Unusual Thinker. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen, 2018. Embree, Ainsle T., ed. The Hindu Tradition. New York. Vintage Books, 1972. Ganguly, H. S. Saibaba of Shirdi. New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books, No date. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Translated by Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna- Vivekananda Center, 1977. Heehs, Peter, ed. The Essential Writings of Sri Aurobindo. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1998. Hess, Linda. Singing Emptiness: Kumar Gandharva Performs the Poetry of Kabir. London: Seagull Books, 2009. Kabir: Ecstatic Poems. Versions by Robert Bly. Boston: Beacon Press, 2002. Kornfield, Jack. Teachings of the Buddha. Boston: Shambhala, 2007. Krishnamurti, J. You Are the World. New York: Harper & Row, 1972. Lao Tzu. The Way of Life: A New Translation of the Tao Tse Ching. Translated by R.B. Blakney. New York and Toronto: New American Library, 1955. Lorenzen, David N. Praises to a Formless God: Nirguni Texts from North India. State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, 1996. Lutyens, Mary. Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening. New York: Avon, 1975. The first volume of her three-volume biography of Jiddu Krishnamurti. Maimonides, Moses. The Guide of the Perplexed. Vol. 1. Translated by Shlomo Pines. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1963. Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems. Versions by Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. Narayan, R. K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. New York: Penguin, 2006. Many translations and retellings. Osborne, Arthur, ed. The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi. Samuel Weiser: York Beach, ME, 1970. Palmer, Charles, trans. The Book of Chuang Tzu. New York: Penguin, 2007. Many other books on him. Paramahansa Yogananda. Autobiography of a Yogi. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1959. Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli, and Charles A. Moore, eds. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1957. Russell, Gerard. Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into Disappearing Religions of the Middle East. New York: Basic Books, 2014. Chapter 3 is on Zoroastrianism. Russell. Ralph.The Oxford India Ghalib: Life, Letters and Ghazals. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003. Sain Bulleh Shah: The Mystic Muse. Transcreated by Kartar Singh Duggal. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1996. Selections from Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1975. The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. Carl W. Ernst. Boston and London: Shambhala, 1997. The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Boston and Shaftesbury: Shambhala, 1988. Sri Aurobindo. The Mind of Light. New York: Dutton, 1953. Subramanian, V. K., ed. Mystic Songs of Meera [Mirabai]. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 2005.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 60 Subramanian, V. K. Sacred Songs of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1996. Chapter 7 has songs by Surdas, and chapter 10 has songs by Thyagaraja. Also included in this book are poems and songs by Kabir, Mirabai, and other of the saint poets. This author also has published, in this series, nine other volumes of "sacred songs." Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1970. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo. Translated by Francesca Fremantle and Chogyam Trungpa. Berkeley and London: Shambhala, 1975. Varma, Pavan K. Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker. Chennai, India: Tranquebar/Westland/Amazon, 2018. Watts, Alan W. The Way of Zen. New York: Vintage, 1999. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings. Compiled by Paul Reps. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, no date. The Zen Teaching of Hui Hai: On Sudden Illumination. Translated by John Blofeld. London: Rider & Company, 1962.

Poems by the Masala Mystic © 2019 by Henry Rasof 61 ______When you arise from your learning, reflect carefully on what you have studied, to see what in it you can put into practice. —Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Nachmanides) ______

The editor or possibly the Masala Mystic in front of the Sikh Golden Temple, in Amritsar, India. Although he looks angry at something, maybe you are projecting, since looks deceive.

Henry Rasof has degrees in music, creative writing, and Jewish studies and has been writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction since 1964. After a long career in book publishing, he taught creative writing at the University of Denver. He now gives occasional poetry readings and writing workshops. His work has appeared in Beatitude, Jewish Currents, the Boulder Jewish News, Kansas Quarterly, Midstream, Numinous, Partisan Review, and X-Peri, among other print and online publications. He has published four books of his own poetry—Souls in the Garden: Poems About Jewish Spain (2019); Here I Seek You: Jewish Poems for Shabbat, Holy Days, and Everydays (2016); Chance Music: Prose Poems 1974 to 1982 (2012); and The House (2008)—and hosts two web sites: henryrasof.com and www.medievalhebrewpoetry.org. His newest edited collection, available in 2019 only as a .pdf document on henryrasof.com, is The Persian Letters: A Medieval Persian General's Wartime Letters to His Wife. On his next trip to India he hopes to visit, among other places, Pandarpuhr, Shirdi, Chettinadu, Auroville, and the tomb of the Persian‒Indian Jewish/Muslim poet Sarmad.