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 6th 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.
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.
