Samsara conjures, weaves its ancient spells,
Plunging stray souls into a frantic stream:
Now into blind greed, then into the flames of attachment and strife,
Where envy and anger reap their bitter toll.
But we, the sadhus, will endure and keep equanimity,
Praising the sacred Dharma and following it in silence,
Preaching love, compassion, and clarity to the world,
Dissolving minds in meditation, in the luminous depth.
Treacherous Maya, as before, brings forth the mists,
Misleading souls, stealing away their peace,
She sows discord, divides, and seeks out foes,
For such is her craft beneath the moon and star.
And we shall do our sacred, secret work:
Help hearts realize their holy source,
Awaken to the Dharma, know their highest essence,
And step upon the path where the torrent of Liberation flows.
Billows of emotion and cascades of dual thoughts
Cover the mind not yet ripened for the truth,
But we will teach them how to curb these waves,
Turning destructive noise into tranquility.
By the power of contemplation and total self-surrender,
With a devoted heart and the knowledge of "who I am,"
We will teach them to ride the waves playfully,
Casting aside doubts, fears, and false flattery.
And no matter how many snares Samsara sets upon the way,
No matter how much she lies, spewing mantras of wrathful speech,
No matter how many of her false darshans she reveals
In the long twilights and the smoke of smoldering candles —
We will teach purification and the wisdom of God,
The art of contemplating, empathizing, and forgiving,
As the saints taught in gray ages and epochs,
Continuing to pour their invisible light upon the earth.
And then, clashing with our great patience,
With equanimity as firm as mountain granite,
She will suddenly lose the gift of speech and the power of influence,
And her temptation will no longer disturb anyone's peace.
Humbled, she will fall silent, look down timidly
And say, finally recognizing our solemn order:
"Forgive me, at times I was unwise and cruel to you,
But it is merely my duty — to test your earthly path.
Now I shall not touch you, for I have clearly seen:
You are one with the One whom I eternally serve."
And having spoken these lines, she will transform in an instant,
Leaving forever beyond the sacred boundary of life.
She will become a mandala of pure, clear vision,
A spontaneous play — the Lila of radiant, bright deities,
Empty in essence and blinding with their light,
In a dance of blessings, ecstasies, and divine gestures.
She will become what she was originally and eternally:
A divine play, the Absolute's beautiful dream,
The radiance of the spirit, flowing easily and lightheartedly,
Filling the space with its ringing purity.
