Who am I ?

I went in search of my Master one day
To know from him the ultimate say
To seek an answer to my eternal quest
WHO AM I AND HOW DO I REALISE THE SAME?

To this my Master answered thus
This cannot be taught by anyone yet
One can know this only thro' Self
Can at best help me find my way.

As I seeked his help to guide me thro'
He prepared the base by Saying Thus
What you are does not change
And what changes is not you.

With this as base He further said
He would query me to which I reply
One reply leading to another query
Would help me address my unanswered quest.

The process appeared simple and plain
Readily agreed to what He said
To the maiden Query my Master put,who
I think I am, I mentioned my name.

On my so saying my Master countered
Were you not christened after you were born?
Being so you were present before you were named
How then you say you are your name?

I then realised His logical thought
Besides being christened days after birth
Name can still change without me changing
This being so how can I be my name?

Realising this I asked my Master
To proceed further querying me
He said He has the only same query
Who I now think I am?

Chastened from my earlier lapse
I answered with caution,am my Father's son
To which my Master retorted thus
Are you not also Father to your Son,
Husband to your wife, Brother to your sister,
Student to your teacher and many such Roles,
All capped in one ?

This being true, how can I be what I said
which is different at different times
I so said meekly to my Master
I realise, I realise what I am not.

You are then in the right track, my Master said
To know what you are,must know what you are not
I hence ask you once over again
Who you now think you are ?

Prompt came my reply now
Feeling certain I was right
My body,this body,tis'what I am
Being with me from cradle to my grave.

My Master smiled,a mischievous smile twas'
Noting my confidence born out of ignorence
Are you certain your body does not change,
As only then you can be your body as you say.

Knowing my Master and His wisdom well
I paused and pondered at His say
Tis the body that changes as a person grows
From Infant to Youth ,to Old Age onto Grave

Besides the body further changes thro'
Health,to Sickness and to Decay on days
If these be the changes the body goes thro'
How can I being changeless be my body as I say?

Knowing my Master would tell me the same
I ventured to correct without waiting for His say
Tis not my body Oh Master,I realise,tis' my mind
Which is me,am sure of what I say.

My Master to this paused to respond,For
A moment I thought I was in the right
Little did I realise then,His pause arose
To my failing to see the Light.

With a deep breath my Master said
Think before giving tongue to your thought
If the body you realise changes fast
Do you think your mind ,if any,is lagging behind?

I felt small, crestfallen on my face
Slowly but steadily recouped myself
Realised the mind is ever so fickle
Changes its state every moment of day.

Mind is cheerful at a point of time
Moments later is sad and morone
Besides with body changing as it does
Tis' but well known,Mind does not lag behind.

Realising this I felt small and shaken
In casting my views with undue haste
Surrendered to my Master in all humility
Prayed He showed me the Light on the Way.

My Master patted at my back and said
No cause to feel any sorry or shame
This is the path one has to tread
You are treading it fast and in right way.

When to my Master I now cried in full
Unable to look any further beyond
My Master in His Infinite mercy
Chose to change the pathway for me.

He now ventured to address me thus
What you are is not just merely the same
Tis' also blissful at all times ever,Knowledge
Of this leaves all other happiness behind.

Sensing perhaps I was still not vlear
My Master chose not to await my response
Instead said to remember this
Material happiness is but transitory
The state of what you are is the
State of Bliss At All Times.

He now asked me pointed and blunt
How I felt after a deep sound sleep
And whether this feeling remained the same
Without any change in measure every time?

Startled at this query put with a Razor Edge
Unrelated I thought to what was so far said
My response to Him was instant and clear
A Blissful Joy I cannot explain.

You are right,said my Master,patting me again
This is the State of your Inner Self
This is where the Self in you,remains
Undisturbed by your body and mind
This is the state of Eternal Bliss
Beyond all Realms of Human Mind.

Seeing me shaken with a face that was blank
My Master ventured to throw further light
Without my asking He proceeded thus
This state of yours is the same for all
Is neither born nor does It die
Remains unaffected by emotions within
Also unaffected by the external world
Is the state you realise your True Inner Self
Knowledge of this makes worldly life futile and naive.

Although I felt what told was clear
Creeping doubts surfaced in my mind
What my Master said I still found Vague
I was not clear of what to say.

Reading well my thoughts as only He can
My Master chose to address the same
Spoke to me in a clear gentle tone
That did well in keeping my concerns away.

Now that you have heard the state of your Self
Know it the same as the Self or the Soul
Housed in the mortal body and mind
It acts only as a witness to their actions galore.

Slowly but surely I felt my doubts declined
Ventured to ask my Master how to realise the Self
Finding my request sincere in purpose,
He hastened to tell me further on the same.

To realise the Self,Learn to look Within
Mind as the carrier bring under control
This can be done by cleansing off its dust settled
Over it for years thro'your acts and failures.

Cleansing is done thro'a detached outlook
To all worldly affairs your Body plays
Hasten the process by providing support thro'
Scriptures and prayers and following the saintly says.

Do not forget,Never ever forget
All that you see in the material world
With all its actions,dramas and scenes
Is but an illusion as is a Dream.

You realise this illusion once the mind is cleaned
You then wake up from the sleep of Wordly Hounds
You then see and realise your true inner Self
A merger with this frees you from all wordly bounds.

Hearing this I felt a chill running thro'my veins
As I got up to thank and take leave of my Master
I knew the seed to realise my Self has been sown
Tis'now for me to nurture it and grow
Which I pledge I will try to do without fail.

But when I say this,I also realise
If what my Master told me of Self
I found it so difficult to absorb in me
How much more difficult I will find it to be
As I go thro' the process to realise the same.

COMPOSED BY BAIYU LONDON MAY 2004
@all rights reserved.do not copy.