15. Guru’s touch

On burning coal,
if a blade of grass is placed,
the grass will be consumed by the burning coal.
On the Guru’s feet,
if the grass called one’s body is placed,
the whole body is
charged with Linga, the Shiva Consciousness,
Ramanatha, Shiva.

— Jedara Dasimayya (http://shivasark.in/gurus-touch/ )

Dasimayya is on the mark when he talks about the grass and the burning goal.  What about his observation about the seeker and the Guru?

In contact with the Guru, if the seeker becomes grass like ie with no individuality and  no opinions, only then  can the Guru reach him to the core of his being and the two become one.

So, as Jean Klein says listen, just listen.

Don’t even try to understand or remember, just listen.

When I read the Vachanas with this attitude,  as Basavanna says, the Sharana who speaks to me through the Vachana opens up to me, For the moment I become one with Vachana, one with Sharana and one with Shiva.

That’s why Jedara Dasimayya says:

You offer me —
an elephant, no, I won’t have it.
wealth, no, I won’t have it.
a huge kingdom, no, I won’t have it.
Give me the wise sayings of your Sharanas.
If you grant me even for a moment their words,
Ramanatha,  Shiva, you have given Yourself.
(http://shivasark.in/give-me-what-i-want/ )

Shiva has given me his Sharanas’ words –the Vachanas.
Only, I’ve to listen, only listen.

As the complete fruit is coming off the plant,
wanting the fruit for himself,
Kudala-sangama-deva, Shiva,
gathers it in his hands.

— Basavanna

Do I become one  with Shiva or does He merge with me? Of course this is an academic question rising out of the present thinking – I worship Shiva, I want to become one with Shiva. Basavanna says when I am ready, Shiva himself will gather me in his arms.

Am I ready for Shiva? Now?

Although it sounds nice to hear that Self-realization is effortless, I know how my mood fluctuates tossing me up in the clouds one moment, only to push me down to the very depth of earth in the next moment. This swing in mood is an indication that I’m still clueless about Shiva.

In the Vachana, Bhaktiemba prithviya meale (Bhakti or devotion is the earth …, Reaching Shiva,)Basavanna has given a road map to Shiva. My yearning for Shiva or Bhakti is the starting point.  Bhakti is the very earth which is waiting for the seed to fall on it. Why is it eagerly waiting for the seed? The seed draws a little lump of earth tosprouts into leaves; leaf turns into a flower and the flower into a fruit.  This is the moment of fulfillment for earth which now has realized its purpose – to become a fruit. Who is waiting for the fruit?  Earth, who gathers the fruit to her bosom, as the ripened fruit comes off the plant.  Thus, the earth becomes a fruit of fulfillment only to merge with earth again.

Basavanna describes the stages of growth of a Bhakta, taking note of how one stage leads to the next.

Shiva is separated from Shiva is like a lump of earth which is separated from earth. The separated one is called as jeeva; Sharanas call it Anga which is silently waiting for the Guru, just like the earth is waiting for the seed. At Guru’s touch, his love for Shiva has been lying dormant bursts forth like the seed breaking out of the womb of earth as a seedling. Right thinking follows which is backed by the right action, just like the seedling growing into a sapling, putting out leaves and flowers and flowers turning into fruits.  Jeeva or Anga, with love for Shiva, right thought and action becomes whole; that’s the moment when he is gathered by Shiva ie he finds himself, as Shiva. Earth which becomes a fruit meets earth. Shiva who is separated from Shiva, becomes Shiva to meet Shiva.

Bhakti, Jnaana or Shiva consciousness,  Vichaara and Achaara – all contribute to the making  of a Sharana or the Shiva who walks amongst us.A Sharana is a Bhakta, he is a Shiva-Jnani with right thought and matching action.He is truthful, kind, compassionate, full of love. Shiva is love.

In this Vachana, Basavanna shows us Shiva in all his glory, simplicity and love.