Kala Ramesh
Maya, the Thug
A man walks down a path at night. He sees a poisonous snake and runs for his life. The next morning, he returns along the same path, cautiously looking for the snake, but all he finds is a coiled rope.
snake — the illusion
a make-believe world
separates
what is
and what is not . . .
the disturbed night
lurking
in every corner
a mirage
the stumbling happens
through a semi-dark mind
knocking
on doors
hemmed in
by non-existing walls
the phantasm
rope — also an illusion
dingy corners
of an interior world
now lit
shows what it holds …
ah, the fresh air
oh deceiver —
who is the ‘one’
stepping out?
is there any
stepping out at all …?
the rising sun
sends beams of light
across the field of oneness —
ego becomes a burnt rope
that can no longer bind
Notes:
With a deep bow of gratitude to Ramana Maharshi for the burnt rope metaphor.
If only it were this easy to realise the truth that even the self is an illusion.
The title is an allusion to the bhajan (devotional song) by Sant Kabir, immortalised by the singer, Pandit Kumar Gandharva. Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_A0TALJsxE
About the Author
Kala Ramesh is a renowned pioneer in the field of haikai literature in India. Her 2017 book Beyond the Horizon Beyond was awarded a Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize Certificate.