Saturday, April 08, 2006
Ivan Granger on Celestial Drink
Once again, I could not resist reprinting Ivan Granger's daily poems and commentary, this time a brilliant exposition on "celestial drink." This is the "amrita" we so often hear about from the saints and other realized souls (and Ivan, in a published statement, confessed that he too had tasted the divine honey.) I think I am particularly fascinated by this phenomenon, since it is outside my exxperience. When I was in the beginning stages of awakening, I often experienced ecstasy by pressing or running the tongue across the palate, but I did not taste the divine nectar.
What follows is Ivan's selection of poetry which touches on this subject, and his highly illuminating commentary. Thank you again, Ivan, for sharing your valuable research and insightful interpretations with us. (I have included the additonal information at the bottom to encourage you to explore his www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com in case you have not yet done so.)
We're back! During this past week's hiatus, I realized that there is an important element of the Celestial Drink that we haven't properly explored yet: Taste.
***
Honey
Bliss is sweet -- literally. When you relax deeply into it, it becomes physical as well as transcendental. Not only is bliss an internal realization of wholeness and at-one-ness, it is also perceived through the external senses as the purest delight each sense can comprehend.
For many mystics, the sense of taste is the most pronounced, and bliss is experienced as a sublime, fulfilling sweetness resting upon the tongue as it warms the heart. Often accompanying the sweetness is an awareness of an all-pervading white or golden light. The sweetness, the warming of the body, the golden-white color naturally inspire descriptions of the Celestial Drink as honey.
***
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.
Last night, as I slept,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.
- Antonio Machado (1875 - 1939)
Times Alone: Selected Poems of Antonio Machado, translations by Robert Bly
***
Amrita and Yoga
Poets and saints of the Hindu/Yogic traditions most often refer to the Celestial Drink as “amrita,” usually emphasizing its perfect, nectar-like sweetness.
***
The sweetness of his lips is a pot of nectar,
That's the only curd for which I crave;
Mira's Lord is Giridhar Naagar.
He will feed me nectar again and again.
- Mirabai (1498 - 1565?)
Women Writing in India: 600BC to the Present, edited by Susie Tharu and K. Lalita
***
This sweetness creates a sort of spiritual riddle that the intellect can't quite resolve: In the vast and formless awareness of spiritual ecstasy, there appears to be no separate identity. There is no “you” in the mundane sense. There is not even a sense of “God” in the external sense. There is no inside you for there to be a sense of God or some “Other” outside of you. All that can be truthfully said is that there is unbounded divine awareness that fills you and all the universe. You are a living part of That, individualized but not separate. Instead of countless beings, there is conscious Being.
So the question becomes, how can there be such sweetness upon the tongue when there is no one there to taste? There is sweetness, but who is doing the tasting?
***
What could be the Other when First is naught?
What is to dwell when nothing is born?
Viewers none, who can bear witness?
Untouched by tongue, taste the nectar blessed.
Akha, you will understand if you view this sensibly,
It's the possessed who grieve for father's father.
- Akha (1600? - 1650?)
Wings of the Soul: Poems of Akha, the Spiritual Poet of India, translated by Krishnaditya
***
As Thayumanavar exhorts us below, let us seek that Substance…
***
from The Prayer to Being - Let us Contemplate
The Life of Life of this world and that;
The kindred of them
That have lost the sense of I and mine;
The unattached perception
That is the Eternal Perfect Bliss.
The life that is void,
The matter that flows within the heart,
The triple-fruit delicious,
The candy sweet,
The ambrosia divine.
Let us seek that Substance
And with eyes streaming pearls of tears
And hands clasped in adoration
Let us contemplate.
- Thayumanavar (1706 - 1744)
translation by the Himalayan Academy
***
The Nectar of the Buddha
Of course, Buddhist yogis and meditators also speak of the Celestial Drink...
***
from the Song on Reaching the Mountain Peak
Come, you gifted men and women,
Drink the brew of Experience!
Come "inside" to enjoy the scene --
See it and enjoy it to the full!
The Incapable remain outside;
Those who cannot drink pure
Beer may quaff small beer.
He who cannot strive for Bodhi,
Should strive for superior birth.
- Milarepa (1052 - 1135)
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, translated by Garma C. C. Chang
***
Here, the great Tibetan Buddhist yogi Milarepa compares the Celestial Drink to beer rather than wine.
I love the _expression “small beer” to refer to mundane alcohol which gives only mundane intoxication, while “pure beer” is associated with the giddiness of Bodhi, or awakened awareness.
***
In the following poem, Saraha, an early Buddhist from India, sings the praises of “honey” and “sky-nectar” while, at the same time, taunting both mundane sensualists who can't imagine a spiritual reality and also criticizing mystical-sensualists who seek the “experience” of the Celestial Drink's sweetness without really diving into the deeper reality it signifies.
***
from The Royal Song of Saraha (Dohakosa)
Forsaking bliss the fool roams abroad,
Hoping for mundane pleasure;
Your mouth is full of honey now,
Swallow it while you may!
Fools attempt to avoid their suffering,
The wise enact their pain.
Drink the cup of sky-nectar
While others hunger for outward appearances.
…
Salt sea water absorbed by clouds turns sweet;
The venom of passionate reaction
In a strong and selfless mind becomes elixir.
The unutterable is free of pain;
Non-meditation gives true pleasure.
Though we fear the dragon's roar
Rain falls from the clouds to ripen the harvest.
…
Like a brahmin taking rice and butter
Offering sacrifice to the flame,
He who visualises material things as celestial ambrosia
Deludes himself that a dream is ultimate reality.
Enlightening the House of Brahma in the fontanelle
Stroking the uvala in wanton delight,
Confused, believing binding pleasure to be spiritual release,
The vain fools calls himself a yogin.
- Saraha (8th century)
translated by Kunzang Tenzin
***
There is an interesting reference at the last part of this selection. When Saraha refers to Brahmins and yogis “stroking the uvula in wanton delight,” he is talking about a yogic technique often practice with the specific intention of receiving amrita or the Celestial Drink. Certain yogic practices involve rolling the tongue back so the tip of the tongue can gently press against the upper palate and the uvula which hangs down at the back of the throat. Of course, most people don't have a tongue long enough or limber enough to do that, so the process of “milking” the tongue is used, a regular massaging of the tongue to lengthen it. Some teachers who take this practice this practice to the extreme initiate their students by having them cut the membrane beneath the tongue. All that to give the tongue greater mobility so it can reach back to more quickly awaken the awareness of the the Celestial Drink's sweetness experienced there.
I hope it is obvious that those techniques are dangerous and can result in choking, so never attempt such a practice without proper guidance. And, though some yogis find such practices helpful, they are definitely not essential. The Celestial Drink can be tasted without such extreme measures, as mystics all over the world will testify. Most importantly, as Saraha rightly points out, the goal is not the taste or “experience” of amrita; the goal is to consciously merge into the blissful Reality. The honeyed Drink is simply one of the more lovely _expression of That.
The goal is not to taste honey, but to dive into the comb.
Blessings,
Ivan
Poetry Chaikhana Home
New | Music | Teahouse | About | Contact | Links
Poets by: Name| Tradition | Century | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | Commentary
Forum | Poetry Chaikhana Radio | Catalog
www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com
Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!
If you wish to further support the work of the Poetry Chaikhana, donations are always welcome in any amount. Just click the button to the right.
Again, thank you!
Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2006 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.
What follows is Ivan's selection of poetry which touches on this subject, and his highly illuminating commentary. Thank you again, Ivan, for sharing your valuable research and insightful interpretations with us. (I have included the additonal information at the bottom to encourage you to explore his www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com in case you have not yet done so.)
We're back! During this past week's hiatus, I realized that there is an important element of the Celestial Drink that we haven't properly explored yet: Taste.
***
Honey
Bliss is sweet -- literally. When you relax deeply into it, it becomes physical as well as transcendental. Not only is bliss an internal realization of wholeness and at-one-ness, it is also perceived through the external senses as the purest delight each sense can comprehend.
For many mystics, the sense of taste is the most pronounced, and bliss is experienced as a sublime, fulfilling sweetness resting upon the tongue as it warms the heart. Often accompanying the sweetness is an awareness of an all-pervading white or golden light. The sweetness, the warming of the body, the golden-white color naturally inspire descriptions of the Celestial Drink as honey.
***
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.
Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.
Last night, as I slept,
I dreamt -- marvelous error!-
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.
- Antonio Machado (1875 - 1939)
Times Alone: Selected Poems of Antonio Machado, translations by Robert Bly
***
Amrita and Yoga
Poets and saints of the Hindu/Yogic traditions most often refer to the Celestial Drink as “amrita,” usually emphasizing its perfect, nectar-like sweetness.
***
The sweetness of his lips is a pot of nectar,
That's the only curd for which I crave;
Mira's Lord is Giridhar Naagar.
He will feed me nectar again and again.
- Mirabai (1498 - 1565?)
Women Writing in India: 600BC to the Present, edited by Susie Tharu and K. Lalita
***
This sweetness creates a sort of spiritual riddle that the intellect can't quite resolve: In the vast and formless awareness of spiritual ecstasy, there appears to be no separate identity. There is no “you” in the mundane sense. There is not even a sense of “God” in the external sense. There is no inside you for there to be a sense of God or some “Other” outside of you. All that can be truthfully said is that there is unbounded divine awareness that fills you and all the universe. You are a living part of That, individualized but not separate. Instead of countless beings, there is conscious Being.
So the question becomes, how can there be such sweetness upon the tongue when there is no one there to taste? There is sweetness, but who is doing the tasting?
***
What could be the Other when First is naught?
What is to dwell when nothing is born?
Viewers none, who can bear witness?
Untouched by tongue, taste the nectar blessed.
Akha, you will understand if you view this sensibly,
It's the possessed who grieve for father's father.
- Akha (1600? - 1650?)
Wings of the Soul: Poems of Akha, the Spiritual Poet of India, translated by Krishnaditya
***
As Thayumanavar exhorts us below, let us seek that Substance…
***
from The Prayer to Being - Let us Contemplate
The Life of Life of this world and that;
The kindred of them
That have lost the sense of I and mine;
The unattached perception
That is the Eternal Perfect Bliss.
The life that is void,
The matter that flows within the heart,
The triple-fruit delicious,
The candy sweet,
The ambrosia divine.
Let us seek that Substance
And with eyes streaming pearls of tears
And hands clasped in adoration
Let us contemplate.
- Thayumanavar (1706 - 1744)
translation by the Himalayan Academy
***
The Nectar of the Buddha
Of course, Buddhist yogis and meditators also speak of the Celestial Drink...
***
from the Song on Reaching the Mountain Peak
Come, you gifted men and women,
Drink the brew of Experience!
Come "inside" to enjoy the scene --
See it and enjoy it to the full!
The Incapable remain outside;
Those who cannot drink pure
Beer may quaff small beer.
He who cannot strive for Bodhi,
Should strive for superior birth.
- Milarepa (1052 - 1135)
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, translated by Garma C. C. Chang
***
Here, the great Tibetan Buddhist yogi Milarepa compares the Celestial Drink to beer rather than wine.
I love the _expression “small beer” to refer to mundane alcohol which gives only mundane intoxication, while “pure beer” is associated with the giddiness of Bodhi, or awakened awareness.
***
In the following poem, Saraha, an early Buddhist from India, sings the praises of “honey” and “sky-nectar” while, at the same time, taunting both mundane sensualists who can't imagine a spiritual reality and also criticizing mystical-sensualists who seek the “experience” of the Celestial Drink's sweetness without really diving into the deeper reality it signifies.
***
from The Royal Song of Saraha (Dohakosa)
Forsaking bliss the fool roams abroad,
Hoping for mundane pleasure;
Your mouth is full of honey now,
Swallow it while you may!
Fools attempt to avoid their suffering,
The wise enact their pain.
Drink the cup of sky-nectar
While others hunger for outward appearances.
…
Salt sea water absorbed by clouds turns sweet;
The venom of passionate reaction
In a strong and selfless mind becomes elixir.
The unutterable is free of pain;
Non-meditation gives true pleasure.
Though we fear the dragon's roar
Rain falls from the clouds to ripen the harvest.
…
Like a brahmin taking rice and butter
Offering sacrifice to the flame,
He who visualises material things as celestial ambrosia
Deludes himself that a dream is ultimate reality.
Enlightening the House of Brahma in the fontanelle
Stroking the uvala in wanton delight,
Confused, believing binding pleasure to be spiritual release,
The vain fools calls himself a yogin.
- Saraha (8th century)
translated by Kunzang Tenzin
***
There is an interesting reference at the last part of this selection. When Saraha refers to Brahmins and yogis “stroking the uvula in wanton delight,” he is talking about a yogic technique often practice with the specific intention of receiving amrita or the Celestial Drink. Certain yogic practices involve rolling the tongue back so the tip of the tongue can gently press against the upper palate and the uvula which hangs down at the back of the throat. Of course, most people don't have a tongue long enough or limber enough to do that, so the process of “milking” the tongue is used, a regular massaging of the tongue to lengthen it. Some teachers who take this practice this practice to the extreme initiate their students by having them cut the membrane beneath the tongue. All that to give the tongue greater mobility so it can reach back to more quickly awaken the awareness of the the Celestial Drink's sweetness experienced there.
I hope it is obvious that those techniques are dangerous and can result in choking, so never attempt such a practice without proper guidance. And, though some yogis find such practices helpful, they are definitely not essential. The Celestial Drink can be tasted without such extreme measures, as mystics all over the world will testify. Most importantly, as Saraha rightly points out, the goal is not the taste or “experience” of amrita; the goal is to consciously merge into the blissful Reality. The honeyed Drink is simply one of the more lovely _expression of That.
The goal is not to taste honey, but to dive into the comb.
Blessings,
Ivan
Poetry Chaikhana Home
New | Music | Teahouse | About | Contact | Links
Poets by: Name| Tradition | Century | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | Commentary
Forum | Poetry Chaikhana Radio | Catalog
www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com
Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!
If you wish to further support the work of the Poetry Chaikhana, donations are always welcome in any amount. Just click the button to the right.
Again, thank you!
Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2006 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.
