That which was not, came

by Swami Muktananda




That which was not, came.
That which came must go.
Muktananda, remain calm and steady
in the midst of all that comes and goes.

What is inevitable must happen.
You cannot prevent it.
Muktananda, recognize the inevitable.
Remain tranquil in yourself.

This brief life passes quickly
and in the end one dies.
Now is the time, Muktananda,
to meditate on the Self.

-- from Resonate with Stillness: Daily Contemplations from the Words of Swami Muktananda and Swami Chidvilasananda, by Swami Chidvilasananda

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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

This simple poem is a reminder to himself -- and to us -- to continually return to that state of deep stillness, meditating upon the true center of our being, and to not be distracted by the constant shifting about of phenomenal experience. Everything that has a beginning has an end. Everything experienced by the senses appears, changes, and eventually disappears. Instead, we must recognize our true home in That which is eternal, That which is unchanging, That which was not born and will not pass away -- the Self.

This poem sounds like a meditation on the line from the Bhagavad Gita in which Krishna says:

Arjuna, you must learn to endure
fleeting things -- they come and go!



Recommended Books: Swami Muktananda

Resonate with Stillness: Daily Contemplations from the Words of Swami Muktananda and Swami Chidvilasananda



That which was not