Kirtana
I used to like to read the poems of Rumi
but I did not have a clue
what he meant when he said “Beloved friend” until I met you
Now I know why the Sufis whirl
it’s awfully hard to rest with all this love and power inside my chest
And I never understood that Last Supper
I did not know what to think
when Jesus said my body is this bread and my blood this drink
had he merged with all of creation,
or found some fountain of youth
now I see what I thought was alchemy, is just the literal truth
And you don’t need to be a Christian Mystic
or be born under a lucky star
you only need to be still and ask who you are
be still and know who you are
And to know the sound of one hand clapping
you don’t need to read Lao Tsu
just look around look around, this is the sound
do you hear it too
one hand clapping one heart singing,
one Being being me and you
only one unmoving ocean where many waves pass through
and you don’t need to be a Zen Buddhist
to pierce the heart of this Mystery
you only need to be willing to stop and see
see what is still and free
and you don’t need to be whirling dervish,
or study scripture or travel far
you only need to be still and know who you are
be still and know who you are
I used to like to read the poems of Rumi
but I did not have a clue
what he meant when he said “Beloved friend” until I met you
Now I know why the Sufis whirl
it’s awfully hard to rest with all this love and power inside my chest
And I never understood that Last Supper
I did not know what to think
when Jesus said my body is this bread and my blood this drink
had he merged with all of creation,
or found some fountain of youth
now I see what I thought was alchemy, is just the literal truth
And you don’t need to be a Christian Mystic
or be born under a lucky star
you only need to be still and ask who you are
be still and know who you are
And to know the sound of one hand clapping
you don’t need to read Lao Tsu
just look around look around, this is the sound
do you hear it too
one hand clapping one heart singing,
one Being being me and you
only one unmoving ocean where many waves pass through
and you don’t need to be a Zen Buddhist
to pierce the heart of this Mystery
you only need to be willing to stop and see
see what is still and free
and you don’t need to be whirling dervish,
or study scripture or travel far
you only need to be still and know who you are
be still and know who you are