Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Yoga / Hindu : Advaita / Non-Dualist Secular or Eclectic Contemporary	About Ram Tzu (Wayne Liquorman) Timeline (1950 - )
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Original Language English	You think of the Path
Commentary by Ivan M. Granger Themes   Mountain   Water         Recommended Books No Way: For the Spiritually ³Advanced², by Wayne Liquorman	You think of the Path As a long arduous climb Up the mountain. You concede there may be Many paths But you're sure All have the same Exalted goal. Ram Tzu knows this... There ARE many Paths. Like streams They flow effortlessly (though not necessarily painlessly) Down the mountain. All disappear Into the desert sands below     -- from No Way: For the Spiritually ³Advanced², by Wayne Liquorman Amazon.com
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

Wayne Liquorman (who writes poetry under the pen name Ram Tzu) is an American teacher in the nondualist tradition and a student of the Indian teacher Ramesh Balsekar. Ram Tzu's poetry has some of the same teasing irony expressed by many Zen and Taoist poets, a playful and startling determination to turn our expectations of what enlightenment is upside down in order to free is into full awareness of the present moment. It expresses the prankster's urge to pull away our crutches so we can finally recognize that we've been able to stand without them all along.

In this poem, why do you suppose Ram Tzu has reversed the traditional image of the spiritual journey, transforming it from a path (or many paths) that go up a mountain into many streams that flow down a mountain... and disappear into sands? What is he saying about effort and non-effort? What does the image of the streams disappearing into the sands say about his nondualist perspective?

A few questions to contemplate...

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.