Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The dhuni

The dhuni        

In the queue snaking to the fire pit's roar,
permanently blackened by sacred ash and soot;

the rhythm of handclaps and the mounting litany
of Baba Hu, the sun descending and a murmured prayer,

everyone clutching their latest, most prominent distractions . . . .
Pilgrim!  Don’t leave the dhuni in Meherabad! 

Carry it with you everywhere you go,
smoldering, heart-hungry for the sandalwood

of your hewn desires as you turn the mind away
continually from its habitual ego-nurturing

and toss the gathered parings
onto the flames of holy remembrance.  O pilgrim!
 
Every thought not about Him or the task at hand
is an encumbering desire – fuel for the fire.

O child of God, do not abandon the dhuni to its extinction,
eight thousand miles away from your heart.


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