StormRider's musings

They had come from far and wide to marry the fair maiden, Crossing many a mountain, river, valley and ocean But she would marry only the man, who was the best, And to choose him, she had arranged a daunting test On the top of a high wooden pole, in the centre of the courtroom, Was a wooden fish, rotating around the pole on a mechanism The suitor had to hit an arrow in the eye of the fish, By looking at its reflection in water kept below in a dish Many brave warriors tried to lift the heavy steel bow, but failed, They now had fallen silent, all pride gone, hanging their head Just then, there was a sudden flutter in the crowd, like a breeze of hope, As a handsome man stepped forward, dressed in an ascetic’s robe His skin was a golden tan, strength rippled in his arms, His sharp eyes exuding an alert and wakeful calm He bowed before the mighty bow, as it lay still on its stand, Touched his fingers, clutching it, and suddenly lifted it clear in his hand He looked up at the fish, rotating h...

Asked a student one day to his Guru, “Master, I have a question for you” Said the Guru, “Ask, and I shall tell, For the well of life is as deep as you dwell” The student asked, “Why do we worship idols of stone, Why does logic sometimes leave faith alone? Why do some worship the Sun, why some the moon, Why do some build temples in the sea, others in sandy dunes? Why do some light lamps, some light candles, Why do some burn the dead in white, others bury in black cradles?” To this the Guru said, “See a banana, and what have ye, The peel is religion, the core is spirituality Not many see the fruit, and instead fight over the skin, And thus does mankind commit a deadly sin Blinded by faith are they, for they do not realise, That all skins have the same fruit inside”