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Devotee: “How long is the practice to continue?”
The Maharshi replied: “Till success is achieved and until yoga - liberation becomes permanent. Success begets success.
If one distraction is conquered the next is conquered and so on, until all are finally conquered.
The process is like reducing an enemy’s fort by slaying its manpower - one by one, as each issues out.” (Talks #28)
Trapping the Thief
from I, Lalla - Poems of Lal Ded translated from the Kashmiri by Ranjit Hoskote
I locked the doors of my body,
trapping the thief of life and held my breath.
Chaining him in my heart's dark cave,
I stripped off his skin with the whip of Om.
A thousand times at least I asked my Guru
to give Nothingness a name.
Then I gave up. What name can you give
to the source from which all names have sprung?
Whoever chants Shiva's name as he walks the Swan's Way,
planting trees with no thought of the fruit,
he's won the grace of the Teacher
who is first among the Gods.
I can't believe this happened to me!
I made a mess of everything, no shore in sight.
A klutz of a mason plastered my ceiling to the floor.
Serves me right: it's time I got to know myself.
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"Perform good deeds and observe spiritual discipline. Fool, listen with gratitude.
Lovers fasten your sandals. The fool's youth slipped away unnoticed."