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Suppose you cut a tall bamboo by Devara Dasimayya (10th Century) Timeline Original Language Kannada Yoga / Hindu : Shaivite (Shiva) 10th Century Suppose you cut a tall bamboo in two; make the bottom piece a woman, the headpiece a man; rub them together till they kindle:                tell me now, the fire that's born, is it male or female,                O Ramanatha?     -- from Speaking of Siva, by A K Ramanujan Amazon.com	Themes   Birth, Rebirth   Fire   Womb     Recommended Books Speaking of Siva, by A K Ramanujan
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

I really love the poetry of the great Virasaiva saints of India but, on the surface, this particular poem by Devara Dasimayya doesn't seem to have much to do with spirituality. Why is he talking about bamboo? And what does he mean when he speaks about making a piece of the bamboo "a woman" and a piece of it "a man"? Let's unfold the poem a bit and see if the meaning becomes more clear...

The "tall bamboo" is the shushumna, or the subtle spinal column that is the primary energetic pathway of awakened spiritual energies. The practitioner of Yoga strives to awaken the Kundalini energy that normally sits dormant at the base of the spine. It rises along the spine through the shushumna, which is often compared to a hollow reed or stalk of bamboo. When the fiery Kundalini reaches the crown, the individual awareness merges with cosmic consciousness -- the sacred marriage -- and the new life of enlightenment is entered into.

Returning to Disimayya's poem, if you divide the bamboo "in two," and view it as two poles, the "bottom piece" is the seat of the feminine Kundalini energy -- thus you make it "a woman." The "headpiece" is associated with the masculine transcendent form of the divine, often personalized as the God Shiva -- making it "a man." So we have have magnetized and purified the poles of this spiritual circuit.

We then "rub them together / till they kindle." That is, if we continuously work to bring the energies of the feminine and masculine poles together, an electrical charge is built up, and eventually that spark gives birth to a "fire" -- the awakened Kundalini that runs up the spine with a rush of heat. When the female and the male poles merge, the bliss of union is exquisite, and a new radiant life is formed.

The question arises: Is this divine child of enlightenment, this living fire born of the union of male and female, is it male or female? Can one truly say that enlightenment belongs to one gender, one end of the pole? No, the fire consumes everything, including the feminine and masculine ends of the pole. There is no male and female left, no duality, no separation. All that remains is the formless living fire of awakened awareness.

Try rereading the poem now and watch the sparks fly!

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2009 by Ivan M. Granger.
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