Extirpating the Darkness: In Search of the Light
As the radiant sun
struggles to peep through
the fissures in
the fringe of the crests
that stand idyllically
like a pantheon of sentinels
guarding the distant mountain
Awakened by the canorous chirping
of the tiny birdies
I open my window
early in the morning
which gives me a perfect view
of the monastery
located in the vicinity
Every day at this time
I see her
immersed in a deep meditation
while strolling barefoot
in the sandy compound
The intense composure of her gestures
reminding me of the Bhikkunis
depicted in Buddhist scriptures
I know well
It was the saffron robe
that once saved her
from her gloomy past
when she used to be
the wife of a man
A merciless drunkard
who battered her
every evening
I can still remember
how she fell on the ground
and wailed miserably
like a vixen
Nevertheless,
no longer is she drowned
in the dreadful darkness
Instead she is surrounded
with the gleaming sunlight
Having chosen the righteous path,
the ideal path that leads to the light
Glossary
Bhikkunis – Fully ordained female monastics or nuns in Buddhism
Previously published in the Vol. 7, Issue. I (February 2016) of the journal, The Criterion: An International Journal in English
http://www.the-criterion.com/V7/n1/Indunil.pdf
The Land of Serenity
There are moments in life
when my mind hurls me into a
whirlpool of frantic thoughts
Having lost control of my faculties
I would rush to the temple premises
The cooling sands at the end of
the gravel path
The perfect soothing balm
The yellowish bo leaves lay still
and calm on the yard
though fallen
The sizzling yet charming dance
of the leaves in the canopy
teaches me alesson
about the nature of the mind
thus breaking the tranquility
for a moment
Under the shade of the giant tree
I would lose myself
in a meditation
The cozy breeze
sweeping the dreaded contemplation
away from me
Then I would walk towards
the statue of the Buddha
that stands still
spreading myriads of compassion
towards mankind
Oh, the enlightened one
An innate grace
so enormous to illuminate
a whole world
While putting my hands together
I would go under the knees
and recite the Gathas
Finally I would leave
the land of serenity
And I would feel myself
as a newborn
with wings to fly hither and thither
Thus I would attain the relief,
the freedom of mind
Oh, may the pristine Dharma bless the entire world!
Glossary
Bo A tree which is a species of fig and is considered sacred by the followers of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism
Gathas Verses or hymns in Buddhism
Previously published in the Vol. 6, Issue. V (October 2015) of the journal, The Criterion: An International Journal in English
http://www.the-criterion.com/V6/n5/Indunil.pdf
Build a Cozy Little Room of Mutuality
The flourishing of technological wonders
reaching the burning zenith,
at which
everything is reduced to ashes
Bullets, shells, guns, cannons, bombs, missiles
The worst,
the nuclear and the atomic
Roasted flesh and ashes of bodies
Total annihilation
The creator being destroyed by the creation
The crime of self-deception
and that of shameless vanity
Making war is not what we are born for,
but making love is!
So why,
at this full summer and
the flowering season of his cultivation,
still lost in a wrench?
Let it not be true
that man’s greatest enemy is man
Use your sciences
to abate and avoid
all these battles
Let the cool of the moon
reign in magnificence,
not the piercing sunbeams
Easy, yes, it is to break a stick,
but not a stock of sticks,
for the latter is much stronger
Let it be a metaphor of human strength
Living in a small “global village”
why such a delay
to build a cozy little room of mutuality
with modern miracles, mushrooming
Previously published in the Vol. 6, Issue. VI (December 2015) of the journal, The Criterion: An International Journal in English
http://www.the-criterion.com/V6/n6/Indunil.pdf
Indunil Madhusankha is currently an Instructor in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Even though he is academically involved with the subjects of Mathematics and Statistics, he also pursues a successful career in the field of English language and literature as a budding young researcher, reviewer, poet, editor, content writer and proofreader. His creative works have been featured in several international anthologies, magazines and journals. Moreover, Indunil was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2016 by the Scarlet Leaf Publishing House based in Toronto, Canada.
