Prabuddha XXII*

A red T-shirt

un-tucked into new white pants

polished shoes

and combed hair

thus did he step out

‘on a day next week’

one evening

to meet her

filled with thought numerous

feelings are vivid

and as he reached the bus stand

a woman with a child

extended a hand

in impoverished request.

‘Who are you sister?

Whose child is this?

Leave you, did your husband?

Sought other men did you

as did Yashoda?’

Right or not right

is this journey of mine?

So he waited

and waited long

at the bus stand

oblivious to the passing hours

and arrival of night

in the indecision,

‘should I or should I not?’

And then a hand

a friendly hand on shoulder

and thus from reverie

he awoke.

It was her husband,

drunk was he.

‘Machang!

what are you doing here?

I am drunk, you see?

I am drunk

we drink, so what?

We don’t harm anyone now

do we?

The woman will scream

but scream though she will

she’s my woman

still,

right?

A good woman too!

She spoke of you

even yesterday

spoke well of you.

Come with me tonight,

you must.

A small drink

at my place.

Oh I know:

you are a good man

quite unlike any other.

Come, let’s go,

let’s go with a bottle

come, friend

let’s go home!’

Greatly perturbed was Prabuddha.

‘Samsom!

You are divine,

an intoxicated god

come to deliver me from evil! 

So he took his arm,

helped him onto a bus

with much affection,

sat him down

and told the conductor

‘Drop him off at the 6^th mile post.’

I came back Niranjala

I battled as the Ascetic Siddhartha

battled Mara

for a week I fought Niranjala

for a week a daughter

of Mara

danced in my head

Niranjala.

Yes I suffered for a week this                  is true

Yes I sinned for a week this also             is true

But in the end I triumphed

I won

I won.

A sharp sword is the mind

but it cannot cut itself;

an eye that sees is the mind

but one that will not look upon itself.

A man reached out

asked for Prabuddha’s cigarette

he lit his own.

A ‘Thank you,’

did Prabuddha expect

but there was none

not even a faint smile,

stuck the fag

at the corner

of his mouth

left like a Lord.

Prabuddha was displeased.

Is it necessary to thank?

Must he offer a glance of gratitude?

“Do your duty

do not reflect

on consequence.’[i]

He remembered

and silently thanked

recipient:

‘Thank you sir!’

And he that took

was not him

but a deity

larger than himself,

Prabuddha felt.

When picking up the small change

in post-tea, post-payment moment

noticed he an extra rupee.

A new, shiny rupee!

‘Should I take it

should I give it back?’

Once again indecision.  

‘Take it man!

A toy for your son

you could with it buy.’

So he clutched tight the coins

the new shiny rupee included

and left

in a brisk walk.

He was not at peace though

for the theft

a god within had witnessed

and admonished with disappointment:

‘A lowly thief

who even a rupee would rob

that’s what you are

and what I did not think

you could become.’

When he could not flee

From admonishment and charge

returned he to the canteen

several hours later,

kept coin on counter

and explained thus

to the cashier:

‘This was a mistake

you’ve miscalculated.’

And the cashier looked back

eyes keen with suspicion:

‘He is a fool

or else a trickster.’

He turned and left

as though from a serpent fleeing

but with a mind uncluttered

calm and feeling good.

‘That’s better,’ the god then said. 

The easy path to godliness

is to think

‘I myself am a god.’

The path to enlightenment

‘A Buddha am I.’

To think thus

and live.

And then the gods of the mind

come forth when called

the gods without

come to one’s aid,

they walk unnoticed

the paths to be walked

waylay evil

move obstacle

show correct path

if lost or led astray,

as would a fellow traveler

point out error

and show direction

to a pilgrim that erred. 

Life is a pilgrimage

where pilgrims come

from all corners

but seek same destination.

*This is the twenty second part of the translation of Mahagama Sekera's classic narrative poem 'Prabuddha', an exercise that has the permission and blessings of the immediate family of Mahagama Sekera.
Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI , VII, VIII, IX, X , XI, XII, XIII,XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX and XXI can be found in www.malindapoetry.blogspot.com.

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[i] Bhagavad Gita