All images - courtesy: NASA
Poetry
The Celestial Drama
by TEJPREET KAUR
Behind grey clouds of dusk, ribbons of purple and orange stream from a setting sun. A curtain of darkness gently falls over the Earth, and the horizon merges into shades of black. The celestial sphere of the night sky slowly surfaces. Whispers eventually settle into fervent silence, as the audience greets the twinkling heavens with intrigue and awe.
The final act is about to begin.
Ethereal dust swirls together and collapses into a confluent mass. Its outer layers ripple out into the vastness of space. Energy that cannot be harnessed is reflected back, as it becomes brighter and brighter. After the passing of billions of years, it displays its beauty and radiance by declaring itself as a seasoned figure of the universe.
In the realm of Truth, the Formless Lord abides.
Having created the creation, He watches over it.
By His Glance of Grace, He bestows happiness.
There are planets, solar systems and galaxies;
If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end.
There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation -
As He commands, so they exist.
He watches over all and, contemplating the creation, He rejoices.
O Nanak, to describe this is an impossibility!
[Guru Nanak, Japji, Pauri 37]
Upon entering this transient world, we are embedded with a spiritual core that shines just as intensely. After countless life cycles, we have emerged in the human form and been given an opportunity to direct our eventual fate. The distinct paths we carve and follow challenge and nurture our internal light. With spiritual maturity, we begin to remember, translate, and practice our faith and share our experience with others. With the blessing and grace of Waheguru, we become the wondrous, luminous and indescribable stars we see above.
What will be our individual and collective destinies? Will we gradually dim and fade away or brightly shine and evolve into the next generation of truthful forms? Will we be gravitationally bound to a central force or the navigational source that guides others through their own spiritual path?
Or, is it possible to be both?
Curtains of night studded with glimmering stars will fall and the play will be repeated once again.
May we always be a part of the audience.
May the many forms of the universe and the great force behind them be the inspiration behind each of our final acts.
March 14, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Satvir Kaur (Boston, U.S.A.), March 17, 2008, 2:46 PM.
I don't think we need to worry about our individual destinies as long as we keep our faith in that guiding force. Good Read, Tejpreet!
2: Jatinder (Australia), March 18, 2008, 7:55 PM.
Please read www.sikhshelpingsikhs.com
3: Gursevak (Canada), March 25, 2008, 11:01 PM.
An excellently written article that exposes us to limitlessness of the Almighty. So long as there is Truth, there is Light indeed.