Dharma || A Reflection of the Ramayana

A Reflection of the Ramayana by R.R. Shakti, PhD

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Incarnate to serve the dharma,
here I am again. 
As the monkey god serves Rama
as a confidant, a friend. 

He, the base of Cosmic Order; 
the mysterious of deep.
I am only Nature’s daughter:
grain, leaf, droplet, particle, sheep.

He is Infinite Potential, 
and his favor is my boon. 
He’s the ever resting, always hidden, light of the new moon. 

With his love I can move mountains, 
and heal the ails of Earth. 
I can leap across the ocean, 
sing the beauty of my birth. 

Infinite is my true nature
and sweet victory, my right. 
My body: the bridge of Union. 
My eyes reflect the Light. 

By grace, dharma embraces me. 
By grace, I tame the beast.
I can slay a slew of demons, 
and the dragon lay to waste.

And I AM the dragon. 
CRASH, CLASH, CLAMOR, STAGGER, STRUT
rape and pillage
slave to anger
blind with longing 
stagnant, stuck
Gross, Unfeeling
Blind with Longing
LUST, RAGE, DENIAL, HOPELESS, GRAVE
CLINGING, CRUEL, LOST, FEARED AND FEARFUL.
DREADED, WICKED, NEEDY SLAVE.
Slave to Anger
denies dharma,
I steal away the Joy
SPLURGE, PURGE, GIMME, GIMME, GRIP!
SELFISH, STICKY, TRICKY, DEATH. 
WICKED, LONELY, ROTTEN, WASTED. 
I cultivate misfortune
and sew seeds of seething pain. 
All I know is Separation.
I AM VAIN.
I AM VAIN.
I AM VAIN.

And then:
I seek the silence. 
With the truth of Love eclipsed. 
I take the true king’s shelter;
bare my chest, release my grip. 

The life, it courses through me. 
And I also AM that Light. 
Grace lies within the balance
of surrender and the fight. 

So’Ham Nama Shivaya;
sacred dance and cosmic play.
The hide and seek continues through the night and every day. 

Purpose lies in imperfection:
mantra, meter, rhythm, rhyme. 
I am nothing ever, always. 
I am everything, in time. 

And so from this fertile soil, 
with no beginning and no end. 
I am formed to serve the dharma. 
and yes, here I am again. 

With the twisted wrath of Ravana,
and Hanuman’s pure heart;
I am destined to rejoin lovers.
And I am the demon who keeps them apart. ​||​

Dharma: A Reflection of the Ramayana 
R.R. Shakti, Oct. 1, 2010 

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I found the poetry, above, in some old files.
I wrote it almost a decade ago, and I am amazed at how far I've traveled just to realize where I am. WHO I am.
As I continue to realize that all archetypes–all God Image AND all shadow reside within me,
I discover a whole new level of "free."
I decide, every moment, HOW I want to be who I want to be.
In the words of Joni Mitchell, "I've looked at Love from both sides now,"
​–and no matter how the story goes, Love ultimately wins. ​

ONE LOVE,
R.R. Shakti, PhD