THE IDOL WORSHIP

The idol

Does not become sacred

Even if I pour the choicest of the milk –

And barrels of it -

Yes, even if I do it
From dawn to dusk...

And, for years.

Nor will my mantras,

Even if I chant them
Without taking a solitary breath,

Make me a holy man...
Yes, even for a solitary moment.

Last night, I suddenly realized

That I was telling someone –

“I love you, I love you”,

For too long a time

Without even breathing…

And suddenly,

I felt I must stop chanting my mantras,

I must stop pouring the milk…

I must breathe!

And when I did,

The idol looked so majestic, so sacred…

Yes, for the first time -

After a million desperate attempts

To express my reverence to it.

I gathered my courage and told the idol:

“I have no milk to pour on you, today…

I have no mantras to chant for you…

I want to breathe…

After a long, long time.”

“Fool,” I heard the voice behind the idol:

“Pouring milk was your idea

Of making me sacred;

I am sacred, any way,

Even without your barrels of milk.”

Before I could allow that to soak me,

I heard the voice telling me more:

“Chanting mantras was your belief

That you would turn holy;

I can see your holiness

Only when your heart is still…

No, not when you are lost in a daze.”

“I love you” -

Are not just three words…

They are three ‘Worlds’ –

Mine, Yours and God’s!

I can feel my heart beating…

Beating as I breathe…

As your image fades…

As the ‘Idol Worship’ ends…

And , as I really learn to love you.

GERALD D’CUNHA

THANKS:

The image used in this Post is by Ashok Ahuja. He is a professional Photographer and a very dear friend of mine. He is also one of the founder members of The Dawn Club, and, along with his gifted-artist wife, Sudha, has been helping me, and the Club, right from its inception.