Meera's temple dance
Devotion is a way of merging and melting into existence. It is not a pilgrimage; it is simply losing all the boundaries that divide you from existence--it is a love affair. Love is a merger with an individual, a deep intimacy of two hearts--so deep that the two hearts start dancing in the same harmony. Although the hearts are two, the harmony is one, the music is one, the dance is one.
What love is between individuals, devotion is between one individual and the whole existence. He dances in the waves of the ocean, he dances in the dancing trees in the sun, he dances with the stars. His heart responds to the fragrance of the flowers, to the song of the birds, to the silences of the night.
Devotion is the death of the personality. That which is mortal in you, you drop of your own accord; only the immortal remains, the eternal remains, the deathless remains. And naturally the deathless cannot be separate from existence--which is deathless, which is always ongoing, knows no beginning, no end. Devotion is the highest form of love.
What love is between individuals, devotion is between one individual and the whole existence. He dances in the waves of the ocean, he dances in the dancing trees in the sun, he dances with the stars. His heart responds to the fragrance of the flowers, to the song of the birds, to the silences of the night.
Devotion is the death of the personality. That which is mortal in you, you drop of your own accord; only the immortal remains, the eternal remains, the deathless remains. And naturally the deathless cannot be separate from existence--which is deathless, which is always ongoing, knows no beginning, no end. Devotion is the highest form of love.
You know Jesus said, "God is love." If it had been written by a woman she would have written, "Love is God." God must be secondary; it is a mental hypothesis. But love is a reality throbbing in every heart. We have seen people like Meera.... But only very courageous women could manage to come out of the repressive social system. She could manage because she was a queen, although her own family tried to kill her because she was dancing on the streets, singing songs. The family could not tolerate it.
Particularly in India, and in Rajasthan, the woman is very much repressed. And a woman of the beauty of Meera, dancing in the streets, singing songs of joy... There was a temple in Vrindavan, where Krishna had resided. In his memory a great temple was made, and in that temple, no woman was allowed to enter. Women were allowed only on the outside, to touch the steps of the temple. They never saw the statue of Krishna inside, because the priest was very adamant.
When Meera came the priest was afraid that she would enter the temple. Two men with swords, naked swords, were placed before the gate to prevent Meera from coming in. But when she came--and such people are so rare, such a fragrant breeze, such a beautiful dance, such a song that brings into words that which cannot be brought into words--those two swordsmen forgot why they were standing there and Meera danced into the temple.
It was the time for the priest to worship Krishna. His plate, full of flowers, fell onto the ground as he saw Meera. He was utterly angry and he said to Meera, "You have broken a rule of hundreds of years."
She said, "What rule?"
The priest said, "No woman can enter here." And can you believe the answer? This is courage... Meera said, "Then how have you entered here? Except one, the ultimate, the beloved, everybody is a woman. Do you think there are two men in the world--you and the ultimate? Forget all this nonsense."
Certainly she was right. A woman full of heart looks at existence as a beloved. And existence is one
Particularly in India, and in Rajasthan, the woman is very much repressed. And a woman of the beauty of Meera, dancing in the streets, singing songs of joy... There was a temple in Vrindavan, where Krishna had resided. In his memory a great temple was made, and in that temple, no woman was allowed to enter. Women were allowed only on the outside, to touch the steps of the temple. They never saw the statue of Krishna inside, because the priest was very adamant.
When Meera came the priest was afraid that she would enter the temple. Two men with swords, naked swords, were placed before the gate to prevent Meera from coming in. But when she came--and such people are so rare, such a fragrant breeze, such a beautiful dance, such a song that brings into words that which cannot be brought into words--those two swordsmen forgot why they were standing there and Meera danced into the temple.
It was the time for the priest to worship Krishna. His plate, full of flowers, fell onto the ground as he saw Meera. He was utterly angry and he said to Meera, "You have broken a rule of hundreds of years."
She said, "What rule?"
The priest said, "No woman can enter here." And can you believe the answer? This is courage... Meera said, "Then how have you entered here? Except one, the ultimate, the beloved, everybody is a woman. Do you think there are two men in the world--you and the ultimate? Forget all this nonsense."
Certainly she was right. A woman full of heart looks at existence as a beloved. And existence is one
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