Challenging day,

Mind on an overload,

I reach for Rumi.

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He captures me:

“The grapes of my body can only become wine

After the winemaker tramples me.

I surrender my spirit like grapes to his trampling

So my inmost heart can blaze and dance with joy.

Although the grapes go on weeping blood and sobbing

“I cannot bear any more anguish, any more cruelty”

The trampler stuffs cotton in his ears: “I am not working in ignorance

You can deny me if you want, you have every excuse,

But it is I who am the Master of this Work.

And when through my Passion you reach Perfection,

You will never be done praising my name.” – Rumi

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Mind drifts…

I recall my trampling,

The dark night of my soul.

A painful, violent process totally committed

to challenging and eliminating my every thought.

My world turned upside down—

The agony continued for years.

Silently, I bore it.

Revealed nothing,

For there was nothing to reveal.

Then one afternoon, unbeknown to me,

my consciousness surrendered—

A glorious occurrence,

Darkness lifted.

Heart blazed and danced with joy,

Awareness became alive.

Prayer, meditation changed into conversation,

Journey with Sabad (Infinite-Wisdom) began.

Glorification arose.

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You are:

The Breath of breath, the Life of life,

The Essence within the essence,

The Sound within the sound,

The Joy within the joy,

The Fragrance within the fragrance,

The Silence within the silence.

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Perfection is impossible. For in Sikh thought, Guru is Perfection. And I am a work in progress.

The secret of divine knowledge lies within each of us. Each moment is an unfolding invitation to celebrate and contemplate the vast field of love. If you keep your heart in awe, reverence and devotion, you will immersed in Divine glory.

I share this with love. For I know there are many out there who are going through this terrifying process. Know that there are no coincidences. It is through pain that we grow the most. Embrace the process of the dark night. Consider it a tremendous blessing.

May the Sacred Flame of Passion ignite within.

May the Voice of Wisdom resound within.