UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

FACULDADE DE EDUCAÇÃO

Dispõe
e diz, poesia

Reginaldo Jurandyr de Matos

Proposta de Ação apresentada à

Profª Drª Maurilane de Souza Biccas,
para fins de Aproveitamento da Disciplina
Introdução aos Estudos da Educação: Enfoque Histórico.

Junho de 2015
 ὅτι ποιητής
o poeta
ὁπόταν
mesmo que inadvertidamente,
ἐν τῷ τρίποδι τῆς Μούσης καθίζηται
em cima do altar das Musas fique sentado
τότε οὐκ ἔμφρων ἐστίν
ali fica, não o estando de sua própria vontade,
οἷον δὲ κρήνη τις τὸ ἐπιὸν ῥεῖν ἑτοίμως ἐᾷ...
é como o Ir do rio, sempre indo e rindo...

Platão, Leis, 719ξ. Tradução minha.

If a poet is anybody, he is somebody to whom things made matter very

little - somebody who is obsessed by Making.
(…) Fortunately, however, I should prefer to make almost anything else,
including locomotives and roses.(...)
Ineluctable preoccupation with the Verb gives a poet one priceless
advantage: whereas nonmakers must content themselves with the
merely undeniable fact that two times two is four,
he rejoices in a purely irresistible truth…

e. e. cummings, Foreword (to IS 5)

A linguagem do dizer poético

Pignatari (2006: 9-12) vê o poeta como alguém que faz a linguagem, onde este “não
trabalha com o signo verbal, mas trabalha o signo verbal” (Pignatari, op. cit., grifos
originais). Pois enquanto “ser de linguagem”, “o poeta faz linguagem, fazendo poema”, um
resultado do dizer da sua linguagem. “É por isso que um (bom) poema não se esgota: ele
cria modelos de sensibilidade (Pignatari, 2006: 12, grifos meus.)”. Penso estes
modelos de sensibilidade emergidos naturalmente a partir dos níveis de competência e
desempenho (segundo a teoria da função neurolinguística da criatividade de Noam
Chomsky) dos alunos, desenvolvidos pela prática pedagógica. Criar é natural, mas envolve
certas condições, assim como o germinar de uma semente, exige, no mínimo, condições e
às vezes, dependendo do que se cultiva, uma gama enorme de cuidados.
Acostumado com a épica clássica, de tanto ler e traduzir poesia grega clássica, e
escrevente de poesia autoral desde minha escola primária, tentei entender o conceito do
poético através do épico. Tadié (1994) lembra que o poema diz/recita prescindindo de ser
épico: qual rapsodo lendo para sua audiência seu “ épos” (recitação, em grego antigo)
rigorosamente afeito a seu ato oral de prender o ouvinte pela beleza da sua enunciação.
No grego antigo há muitos verbos de dizer; dois deles, diretamente ligados à
enunciação ou comunicação do falante pessoal, sinônimos na prática, embora geradores de
conceitos diversos, pela pragmática: mythos e épos. O mythos – μῦθος – é a fala
desinteressada, o dizer sem comprometer-se, como jogar conversa fora... já o épos – ἔπος
– é o pronunciamento da palavra-dada, a promessa, o Verbo.
Tanto a mitologia (fruto da memória emotiva ou pessoal) quanto a epopeia
(resultado da memória social) trazem, por etimologia e tradição, o processo de dizer: o
enunciador-Mito contém os dizeres de conhecimento, os quais transmite com sua fala a
ouvintes, que criam dentro de si a Epopeia: a Audição de resposta ao mito, que remete à
nova audição, que tece novo mythos, fazendo o movimento do círculo do discurso.
Quando Demódoco, aedo dos feáceos, abre a boca e canta, Odisseu deleita-se de tal
maneira que não aguenta, e “declama” este verso:

ὥς τέ που ἢ αὐτὸς παρεὼν ἢ ἄλλου ἀκούσας

(é) como se lá junto deles (dos deuses) eu estivesse, ao ter te escutado
(Odisseia 8.491, tradução minha)

É o primeiro elogio da audição no Ocidente, dentro de uma epopeia, enquanto valor

emotivo e de transformação interna. Ouvir épos desencadearia o mythos. Esse épos é um
tipo de práxis do saber poético, como afirma Tadié (1994), e associando-a à função poética
(Jakobson, 1975), veremos que a mensagem latente ali dentro do poema ou narração épica,
no momento da enunciação, sempre provocará uma memória; provando que todo dito/lido
tem sua referência no mundo real, histórico e diário (Tadié: 1994: 194).
O épos trafega via ποιητικός. "Poietikós”, a capacidade criativa, é um conceito
aristotélico, explicado na Poética (cf. 1447α; 8), que foi trabalhada em seu aspecto estético
por Jauss (1997), e estudada por Tadié (1994: 194) na história das estéticas narrativas
permeadas pelo saber poético. Parece que essa capacidade irrompe acima das variações
temporais; ela não recria a vida nem a história, mas fica registrada em nosso repertório
verbal e memória discursiva, permitindo que a partir de todo o conteúdo ouvido criemos
nossa narrativa e história de vida, como se cada instante de nossa pequena história
pessoal, quando despertada pelo dizer poético, se transmutasse numa epopeia.
Tudo é para dizer que o professor de Português, pode, com sua voz e fala, como a
um rapsodo, seduzir (Barthes) e desencadear o épos latente. Assim como a aranha já nasce
sabendo cuspir sua teia de prata, também nós, ao ouvirmos o épos da narrativa que reflete
nossa vida, não apenas evoluímos a cognição pelo processo auditivo, mas principalmente,
aprendemos a enunciar nosso dizer poético natural.
Nas aulas de Língua Portuguesa, lê-se muita poesia. Talvez se precisasse ouvir
poesia também, e não apenas lê-la; ir além da mera “interpretação textual” do poético e
viver a experiência rapsódica.
Precisamos saber, se faz diferença ou não, apenas ler poesia em sala de aula, de
maneira passiva, ou principalmente, ouvir poesia narrada por um declamador, e se
esse fato, por si só, melhora o aprendizado e vivência dos alunos. E se o contato com textos
escritos com conteúdo poético consegue aproximá-los mais intimamente da sua
capacidade criativa pessoal, a sua poesia, a textual e da vida, presentes na linguagem.

Objetivo
Despertar a ποίησις1 (poíesis) enquanto “modelo de sensibilidade” da linguagem enquanto

1 A ποίησις (poíesis) já foi definida por Jauss como o prazer sentido diante de uma obra que nos enleva; o que nos leva, tornados
coautores do escrito à nossa frente, à consciência de construir (o verbo ποιέω, em grego, traz exatamente essa ideia) um “mundo como
sua própria obra”; mundo nunca acabado, mas modelo. Este é um processo natural, espontâneo do humano. Jauss faz uma retrospectiva
da história do prazer estético a partir do deleite ao qual ele chama de “primitivo” (Aristóteles: a origem do prazer na imitação vem do
domínio perfeito da técnica de imitar aliada ao regozijo do reconhecimento da imagem “original” no imitado); esse prazer primevo,
ordenado estética, não historicamente, remete a “ter o uso ou proveito de uma coisa”, a fim de obter o poder de criar: ser criador qual

Criador, ou, como Jauss escreveu, “tomar parte em Deus” . JAUSS, Hans Robert et al., O prazer estético e as experiências fundamentais

da poíesis, aisthesis e katharsis. In A literatura e o leitor – textos de estética da recepção ; da COSTA LIMA, Luiz, org. e trad. Rio de
Janeiro: Paz e Terra, 1997, p. 63-82.
mythos e épos, pelo contato com poesia, não fixada em nenhum tipo textual 2específico.

Público-alvo
Alunos do Ensino Fundamental II e Médio de Escola Pública na Zona Leste de São Paulo.

Estratégias

Etapa I. Apresentar o seguinte roteiro de aulas/atividades para três professores:

- Aula inicial apresentando o mote da linguagem poética, mostrando certa estética musical
e um pouco da profundidade metafórica, uso de poesia concreta e poemas curtos.
(Primeiro despertar)
- Mostrar uma seleção de poemas famosa declamada por artistas no YouTube, por
exemplo, Maria Bethânia declamando “Cântico Negro”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XpQ_UGGt2o
e Dulce Pontes cantando Fernando Pessoa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP3CCh09dVk
- Empréstimo de livros de crônicas e contos com conteúdo ou motivação lírica para lerem
em casa (Guimarães Rosa, Clarice Lispector, Rubem Braga).
- Ler poesia sentado do lado deles, se possível, ou em roda, sentados no chão.
- Dividir a sala em grupos com poucos membros. Em cada roda, leitura partilhada trecho a
trecho com mediador comentando.
- Organizar um dia para um sarau de recitação na escola ou na praça em frente à escola,
convidando pais e amigos. Permitir desenhos, música, encenação.
- Propor um livro de poemas da classe ilustrado com fotos do Dia do Sarau, escrito por eles
mesmos.

Etapa II. Envio de duas questões a estes 3 professores para uma possível aplicação deste
roteiro. [questionário com respostas anexo]

2 Por opção teórica, não adoto o termo “gênero”, polissêmico e impreciso (usado em gramáticas para determinar sexo nos nomes, em
discurso político para militância feminista, só para um começo de exemplo...), embora teóricos como Marcuschi enxerguem diferença
entre a tipologia textual e gênero textual; mesmo porque o que foi trabalhado foi o mote poético – não a forma em versos – presente
também em textos e escritores exclusivamente da prosa, como Guimarães Rosa, Clarice Lispector e Rubem Braga.
 Nesse sentido, minha proposta de ação é, sobretudo, uma proposta metodológica,
com toda a implicação filológico-filosófico semântica e política (por que não?) que cabe
nesta palavra. Método, em grego μέτι + ὁδός, é a via que segue, a continuidade do caminho.
O conceito de λόγος acoplado ao método sinaliza o discurso enquanto possibilidade
patente da permanência do fluir: então, a metodologia pode ser concebida como seguir
sempre em frente por meio do discurso.
Pensando nisso, tentei aplicar uma metodologia que oferecesse “o prazer de ler e
“viver”o texto” que “não está incluso” (RAMOS; ZANOLLA, 2009: 67) nos livros didáticos.
Ramos e Zanolla consultaram boa gama de livros didáticos de literatura usados nas escolas
pelos alunos de Ensino Médio, e criticaram a apresentação em ordem cronológica das
Estéticas Literárias, constatando que a mera cronologia histórica não é a melhor
abordagem para aproximar os alunos aos textos literários. “ Já que não inclui o prazer
da leitura” (RAMOS; ZANOLLA, 2009: 68, grifos meus).
Seguindo o raciocínio das autoras, vê-se que a leitura literária permite aos alunos
ampliarem seu conhecimento do mundo e de si mesmos. Lembram Morin (2002): a arte
da literatura ajuda a formar os educandos, Cosson (2006): a literatura tem um papel
humanizador por tratar da experiência humana, sendo uma oportunidade para aqueles que
lê tornar-se mais humano, e portanto, mais consciente de si e do mundo: e... “ melhor
preparados para agir!” (RAMOS; ZANOLLA, 2009: 70, grifos meus), que considero
essencial, já que estamos discorrendo a respeito de prática.
A prática depende dos níveis de competência e desempenho (Chomsky). A mente,
desde seu primeiro desenvolvimento, já traz sua gramática universal, que só é acessada
espontaneamente até um período da vida, conforme atestada por tantos neurocientistas;
quanto mais o tempo passa, mais deverá se esforçar e estudar quem quiser memorizar, dirá
um gerativista. A competência gramatical, que é o saber linguístico abstrato que
processamos dentro de nossa mente, é acessado por nós toda vez que falamos. Discernir o
contexto certo de falar reflete desempenho. Quando um rapaz escreve uma ótima redação
mas foge do tema, demonstra competência, mas não desempenho. Se competência é saber,
desempenho é um fazer. E o fazer é a grande diferença.
A linguagem parece formatar a conduta. Daí conceber uma sequência de aulas como
um intensivo concentrado saturado do tema poético: mostrando poesia boa de maneira
agradável, permitir aos alunos escolher suas leituras de poesia, apresentar poemas que os
instigue, deixá-los ser conduzidos pela literatura. Não apenas ler para ter nota, ler para
aprender o sabor da vida. Aprenderão que podem estudar estética sendo artistas, e que é
possível não emburrecer, sem precisar se aborrecer.
Conclusão

É imprescindível trazer poesia para a escola, mas nem sempre as condições da

realidade da escola corroboram para sua efetivação plena, embora o dizer poético faça
parte do dia a dia, seja usado em publicidade, música, estando muito presente no modo de
escrever nas redes socais da internet, e mesmo nas prosódias das tribos, na cadência da
fala... O que falta é consciência de que tudo isso, do viver diário, têm seu épos poético. Os
pouquíssimos professores ouvidos, por unanimidade, aprovam o saber (competência), de
que a poesia faz parte da escola. Mas só um se dispõe a fazer isso acontecer, traduzindo
essa competência em desempenho.
O poeta e. e. cummings sanciona que o poeta, (que é alguém, uma pessoa, e pessoas
agem), nesse seu fazer coisas (e isso envolve uma Prática social), ele simplesmente cria
por criar, pois para ele, importa muito pouco as coisas por si, ele faz e pronto – como sua
etimologia professa: ποιητά (poeta) significa justamente: maker: o ποιητά é um obcecado
pelo Fazer. E e. e. cummings vai chamar de “nonmakers” aqueles que não conseguem
fazer, ao mesmo tempo, locomotivas e rosas. Sua “Inelutável preocupação com o Verbo”
permite PROFESSAR, DIZER, PREDIZER, PROFETIZAR, REALIZAR.
O tamanho de nosso resultado também depende do nosso olhar autoavaliativo.
Coragem de arriscar, como o último entrevistado. Se dei meu melhor, não deve estar tão
ruim. O tamanho do desempenho também se harmoniza com o tamanho da competência.
O editor de Mario Quintana cumprimenta-o no elevador:
– Gostei muito dos seus versinhos que saíram no jornal, hoje...
– E eu adorei saber a sua opiniãozinha...

Final de conferência
O Doutor Dogmático ajeitou os nasócolus. E decretou: “Meus senhores e minhas
senhoras, ilustres agentes da Censura e demais entidades aqui representadas -, como
acabei de vos provar, a fantasia está morta.”
E fez um gesto definitivo.
Porém com tanta infelicidade o fez que, da ponta de cada dedo espetado no silêncio
do ar poluído, brotaram-lhe inesperadamente flores súbitas. E nenhuma parecia deste
mundo.
(Faltam pormenores.)
(Quintana: 2007: 294)
Consultados

ARISTOTLE. Aristotle's Ars Poetica. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966.

AGAMBEN, Giorgio. The End of the Poem: Studies in Poetics . New York: Stanford
University Press, 1999.
CHOMSKY, Noam. Language and mind. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968.
CORRÊA, Manoel Luiz Gonçalves. Uma noção de acontecimento discursivo para o ensino
da escrita, p. 99-105. O texto: tempo linguístico e temporalidade, p. 121-122. Linguagem e
história, p. 122-124. Onde buscar o sentido do texto, p. 124-126. Histórias na escrita:
ruínas e temporalidades em textos de universitários e pré-universitários . Trabalho para
Livre-Docência apresentado à Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da
Universidade de São Paulo em 2011.
JAKOBSON, Roman. Huit questions de poétique. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1974.
JAKOBSON, Roman. Linguistique et communication. Paris: Laffont, 1975.
LAMARTINE, Alphonse. Os destinos da poesia (Excertos) In LOBO, Luiza. Teorias
poéticas do romantismo. Porto Alegre: Mercado Aberto, 1987.
PIGNATARI, Décio. A ilusão da contiguidade. In Semiótica & Literatura. Cotia: Ateliê
editorial, 2004, p. 164-185.
PIGNATARI, Décio. O que é comunicação poética. Cotia: Ateliê editorial, 2006.
PLATO. Platonis Opera. Oxford University Press, 1903.
QUINTANA, Mario. Apontamentos de história sobrenatural. São Paulo: Globo, 2002.
QUINTANA, Mario. Caderno H. 2ª ed. São Paulo: Globo, 2007.
RAMOS, F.B; ZANOLLA, T. Repensando o ensino de literatura no Ensino Médio: a
interação texto-leitor como centro. Contrapontos – Volume 9 nº 1 – pp. 65-80 – Itajaí,
jan/abr de 2009.
TADIÉ, Jean-Yves. Le récit poétique. Saint-Amand: Gallimard, 1994.
Web:
http://genius.com/E-e-cummings-foreword-to-is-5-annotated
Anexo
Questão 1. Você acha importante trabalhar poesia na escola? Sim ou não?
Justifique.
Questão 2. A proposta apresentada é viável? Sim ou não? Justifique.

Entrevistada 1 e suas respostas

Nome: Agostinha Moreira da Silva
Idade: 51 anos
Sexo: Feminino
Escolaridade: Graduação em Português-Inglês
Profissão: Professora de Língua Portuguesa e de Inglês
Quanto tempo trabalha: 19 anos
Como respondeu à questão 1: Sim. Deixa eles menos “animais”, desperta alguma
sensibilidade.
Como respondeu à questão 2: Não, é muita longa e precisarei de muitas aulas só dando
esse conteúdo. É obrigatório o uso das apostilas que o governo manda, lá já tem poesia
para eles lerem, no nível que eles entendem. Outro problema é que para falar desse
assunto a gente tem que saber, ler bastante coisa, e ler poesia mesmo, coisa a que a gente
não está acostumada. Aquela aula inicial é impossível, só se fosse coisa de faculdade.

Entrevistada 2 e suas respostas

Nome: Mariana Pietrich
Idade: 26 anos
Sexo: Feminino
Escolaridade: Licenciada em Português
Profissão: Professora de Língua Portuguesa
Quanto tempo trabalha: 10 meses (na Educação)
Como respondeu à questão 1: Sim. Eu até hoje gosto de ler poesia. E os menores,
principalmente, têm o direito de conhecer coisas bonitas. Quando ouvi a professora recitar
o “Trem de Ferro” [poema de Manuel Bandeira] era bem pequena, na segunda série, mas
fiquei imaginado tudo aquilo, a velocidade, senti minha cabecinha ir longe, muito longe...
Como respondeu à questão 2: Não. Não há tempo para se dedicar só a isso. Exige muitas
aulas e há um programa geral mínimo, somos obrigados a cumprir. Daria certo para uma
quinta série, como projeto. Conforme vi ali, tudo precisa vir na sequência: envolve
organizar tarefas, tudo muito bonito que dá vontade de fazer, não sei se a gente consegue.
Entrevistado 3 e suas respostas
Nome: Jorge
Idade: 39 anos
Sexo: Masculino
Escolaridade: Mestrado em Linguística
Profissão: Professor de Língua Portuguesa
Quanto tempo trabalha: 6 anos (na Educação)
Como respondeu à questão 1: Sim. Sempre trabalho poesia e o resultado é ótimo,
principalmente na formação dos menores. Na verdade, ousei e desafiei até preconceitos e
teve muita relutância, de alguns pais, principalmente, quando usei uns poemas do Mário
de Sá-Carneiro nas oitavas séries (a escola ainda usa essa denominação) e melhorou muito
como me tratavam, consegui “curar” um pouco o preconceito.
Como respondeu à questão 2: Sim. Aplicaria, e como tenho liberdade junto à coordenação
e respeitam muito meu trabalho, seria perfeitamente possível.
"Just like a child yearns for its mother's bosom; a lost calf for its mother in a herd; and a widow cries for her lost husband in a corner, you too must aspire

for the proximity of Sai and reap joy therefrom."

"A root pest would eat away the roots of a tree and a white ant would eat away the tree itself. Similarly, a man of evil nature would bring about the ruin of a

virtuous one. Listen! O son of Bharat."

The power of spirituality is inexplicable and infinite. The institute or individual that cannot obtain this becomes virile. The power of spirituality can

transform an animal into man and man to a divine being. The paths of spirituality have sprung up to lead man from human state to that of divine. Man tries

to understand everything. He has been trying to acquire many types of learning. However, he has not yet made an effort to find out his real nature. All

learning is naught if it can not help one to realise one's own nature. Knowledge without practical aspect is akin to a lamp in a blind man's hand.

Just as, Narada had skill in 64 types of learning/sciences - 4 Vedas, 6 Sastras, 20 Upangas, Painting, Sculpture, Dance, Music, Literature etc. None could

surpass Narada in singing. In spite of such accomplishments Narada could not overcome restlessness. Narada had mastered Gaja Karna and Gokarna which

could not be mastered by anyone in the world. Seeking a solution for his restlessness, Narada came to Sanat Kumara. He expressed his restlessness. Sanat

Kumara asked Narada about his qualifications. Narada explained that he had learnt everything. Sanat Kumara asked Narada if he had known about his own

self. "That alone I have not learnt" said Narada. Sanat Kumara then pointed out that to be the reason for his restlessness.

Today man desires to know about everything that goes on in the world. From the moment he gets up, he desires to know the news from all quarters of the

world and does not pay heed to the nuisance coming from within. If he were to understand the principle within him, he could understand the world better.

In Andhra region, there is a proverb, "win over the self and win over the village." Unless one saves oneself, one cannot save others. Philosophy and learning

can get you food but not liberation. "Therefore, Narada, when you desire to know yourself, you have to awaken a dormant factor within you" said Sanat

Kumara. Narasimha Murthy stated that sleep played a chief role in Ramayana. Even in the Ramayana of life, sleep is very important.

Every person has to awaken the Kundalini that is asleep within one. Kundalini, Sanat Kumara taught, should be led in a proper path towards the goal to

fulfil one's life. In the Bharat's Yoga Shastras, it has been mentioned that there are 7 types of lotuses in the spinal column helping people to take to right

path. They are known as Naadi Mandalas/Chakras. (Nerve centres / disks) Kundalini power starts at Muladhara disk at the beginning of the spinal column.

This nerve centre is situated at the place of excretion of faecal matter. It has 4 petals.

Swadhishtana is situated in the urinary excretory point. It has 6 petals. Manipuraka - Naabhi/Navel point has 6 petals. From there to Anahata near heart

with 16 petals. Thence to Visuddha the power travels near throat - From there it comes to Agneya situated between the brows. It has two petals. From there

it goes to Sahasrara which is situated on the crown of the head. It has 1000 petals.

Muladhara, Swadhishtana, Manipurakam, Anahata, Agneya, Visuddha and Sahasrara are the seven Chakras. Each is at a higher plane than the other.

Behind these chakras, on either side of spinal column Ida and Pingala nerves keep throbbing. In the centre of spinal column there is a nerve by the name

Sushumna. All these perform their duties in the prescribed manner.

How does one awaken the Kundalini power? All have believed it to be in the form of a dormant serpent near the Muladhara Chakra. Snakes of the world are

considered poisonous. The serpent (Kundalini) dormant in man is that of worldly desires. These desires become poison. Worldly snakes eat frogs, rats etc.

Kundalini serpent consumes only the life principle of man. To awaken this serpent, one has to control the intake of this life principle. When we hold breath

through Yogic practices, the Kundalini power does not get food near Muladhara Chakra. In search of food, it becomes active and continues to come up.

During meditation when we deny the food, it travels upwards from Muladhara to Manipuraka, Swadhishtana and comes to throat. Even near the throat food

is not available for it. Then it reaches Agneya. Unable to find food even from there, it merges into Sahasrara. Therefore, to awaken the life principle or

consciousness from Muladhara and let it merge in Sahasrara has been described as 'liberation' by Vedanta. Dhyana, now-a-days, both in India and abroad

has taken various forms. They believe it to be concentration. But both are different. Right from dawn to dusk whatever activities we perform, they are done

with concentration. To walk, to eat, to read a book, to write a letter - all need concentration. Concentration is natural for man. Why should are spend/waste

time for such concentration by sitting separately. But one has to question the source from which one derives concentration. We have held a book in hand.

We can see with our eyes. What has been seen is sent for enquiry to the intelligence/Buddhi. After the enquiry, mind begins to recollect/reflect upon it. It is

an 'Indriya' (instrument/sense) that held a book. Again it is another indriya that saw the matter. It is yet again another indriya that reflected over the

matter. It is due to the collective effort of all the indriyas that we are able to perceive the matter. Therefore, concentration is below senses. It is meaningless

to call concentration which is below senses as meditation. Meditation is beyond senses. There is a border between concentration which is below senses and

meditation which is beyond senses known as contemplation. Contemplation is said to be the second stage of intelligence. Intelligence is said to be the

essence of Satwa. It can be best illustrated with an example to make it clear to you.

There is a rose plant. It has leaves, thorns and rose flowers. Concentration helps you to identify as to where the thorns are and where the rose flower is. In

concentration, we have only rose as the objective, without touching the thorns we have to pluck the flower. "Love is flower; lust is thorn." There is no rose

without thorns but we have to pluck the flower without touching the thorns. For what purpose is this cutting of rose? To cut the love (flower) away from

worldly desires (thorns) is contemplation. Concentration is identifying the various locations of the thorns and flowers by looking at the tree/plant. To offer

the flower so cut, to the Lord is meditation. In our body likened to that of a rose plant, we have pure love in the form of rose. It is permeated with

fragrance/good smell of virtues. But right under this are the thorns of worldly desires. True meditation is to identify the thorns of worldly desires from

selfless love and offer that selfless love to the Lord. From ancient days, meditation has been considered as the highest goal in Bharat. Today meditation is

done as though it were a panacea akin to saridon which removes headache. Meditation that comes so easily cannot be termed as such. People such as

Narada, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat Kumara and Tumbura considered meditation to be the process of sending the Kundalini from Muladhara to Sahasrara.

During meditation, one should not join worldly desires and must reach only selfless love as the goal. The method/posture of meditation is also very

important.

In the beginning, we must sit in Padmasana. Spinal column should not bend to any side. Some people bend the neck and sit. This is very dangerous. If

Kundalini power were to get locked there, where many nerves are present, it would damage the person and cause paralysis. There are many who have

damaged their heads/senses by wrongly adhering to Kundalini. One should not bend backwards either. One should be so straight that if a nail were to be

driven down from Sahasrara, it should appear as though the whole body were wrapped around the nail. Not only that, one should loosen the garment that is

around the waist prior to sitting for meditation. If the garment is tightly wound round the waist, it might, to an extent, obstruct the Kundalini. Usually
people who practise Kundalini yoga are single garmented. So, waist should not be tightly bound. Vision should be centred at the tip of the nose. If one were

to sit for meditation with open eyes, all those who pass by would cause disturbance to the mind. If eyes are totally closed, the goddess of sleep would envelop

us. Therefore, we should have half closed eyes posture. Some believe the tip of the nose to be between the eye brows. No! It is forehead; It is the end of nose.

i.e., Tip of the nose that has to be concentrated upon. Lord Krishna has also described the same.

"Kasturi Tilakam Lalaata(1) Phalake Vaksha(2) Sthale Kausthubam

Naasagre(3) Navamouktikam..."

1) Refers to the eye of wisdom. 2) Lord Krishna adorned his chest with the plaque of happiness 3) He kept his vision fixed on the tip of his nose. Such a

Krishna had two bracelets on His hand. One bracelet signifies -

"Save the righteous and punish the wicked"

The second bracelet signifies -

"One who constantly relies on me, I shall take care of all his needs".

God wears bracelets for fulfilling vows. So, Lord Krishna's vision was on the tip of His nose i.e., always meditative. We may have to observe certain physical

activities. Mind is very much wavering. Knowing fully well that something is wrong, it would like to do it. We know well that to hear bad things is not good

and yet we do it. We should teach it a lesson.

"O ears! Why do you go after listening to the tales of all and sundry? When the Lord's name is chanted, why don't you pay heed?"

You should teach the ears to listen to tales that would give happiness to all and such facts that would gloria the Lord.

"You go and see films, which do you no good, again and again. But you do not wish to contemplate on the Lord even for a moment. O eyes! Pay heed."

In this manner, you must teach senses lessons and control them. When mind begins to wander hither and thither, one must engage it. If mind does not have

anything to do, it would roam the whole world. "By the time truth begins to wear sandals, untruth would go around the world and come." Similarly mind, if

no work is assigned, would go round the world. So, before sitting for meditation, one must assign some work to the mind. What type of work? It has been a

known fact that mind is a mad monkey. To make a monkey busy while he performs other feats, the street performer would plant a stick in the ground and

ask the monkey to repeatedly go up and down the stick. Similarly we must assign the job of a watchman to the mind near that part of forehead where

eyebrows join. By constant practice, we can make the mind stay in one place. As one constantly breaths 'Soham', the breath gets controlled. This is the great

power of Yoga. There is no separate effort that one needs to make to arouse Kundalini. When all the vital air remains outside, in search of food, Kundalini

would rise. Some base 'lamp' as the point of concentration. This elucidates the principle of 'Unity in diversity' and 'Many in One'. This cannot be understood
by all very easily and does not confer bliss very easily. We should construe three types of pictures - imaginary, mental or one based on feeling and

actualisation.

Example for the first one - you have seen Swami. If you close your eyes and begin to visualise Swami's hair and robe, then you would have picture created by

imagination or 'Uha'. This picture goes away in a moment. It appears as though it has been seen but goes away the moment you begin to visualise further.

The second type of picturisation - 'Bhava' is not like this. It takes some time. You can picturise Swami from feet upwards - feet, gown, inside robe, hands,

neck, eyes, nose, mouth, ears and crown of hair. Like this by the time you picturise, half-an-hour would have elapsed.

If you continuously go about doing this - picturising Swami from foot to head and vice versa - it would lead to Sakshatkara i.e. actual manifestation. Upon

practising in this manner you would realise that you are able to see the form for a fraction at least before it fades away. So, this is not the goal. One should

not go by imagination. One should go by feeling. One should go on painting each limb. One eye on one side and another eye on the other side-You should not

think thus. Is this eye parallel to the other? - In this fashion, one must minutely paint the picture. In the process, mind would become totally engaged.

"Knower of the Brahman becomes Brahman". If you were to melt silver and pour it into the mould of Lord Krishna, the feet, hands, eyes, mouth and even

hair would be that of silver. Similarly, when one concentrates and paints the mind with the form, the mind would also be transformed into the form. When

you question as to where the mind is, you would get the answer - in Swami's feet, in Swami's hair, in Swami's eyes etc. i.e., mind is totally immersed in

Swami's form. Therefore, meditation is that which would transform mind into the form and not vice versa.

When we sit for Meditation our body should not be in contact with anyone else's body. When one works with electricity, one would done some sort of

insulation (wood/cloth) to insure against shock. Similarly, meditation also is a kind of power. It also would give a shock if two bodies touch. In every body,

there is current. The current goes/gets lost through nails, hair, eyes and speech. In the olden days people allowed nails and hair to grow because they did not

want the current to be wasted. It is due to that current that hair and nails grow and eyes and other organs function. What is the reason for Munis to observe

silence? They realised that current gets wasted through words and hence observed silence. Not understanding this we begin to conclude that in the forest

the saints did not have any facilities to trim their hair and nails and hence they were unkempt. They were making efforts to convert the current in the body

into Divine Power and hence their appearance. One should not have contact with another in more than necessary manner. Attachment with an object or a

person might grow into a deeper relationship. They lead to certain desires. As the desires get fulfilled, ego would begin to sprout. If the desires do not find

fruition, anger would develop. Therefore desires have ill-effects, either way. When the desires become many, man's sense of intelligence dwindles. This

causes loss of control over the speech and unwarranted words would emanate from the person, criticising and hurting others. That would lead to abusing

others. The act of abusing is a fuel to the fire of sin. Therefore, the root cause for sin is relationship. So, excess of contact should not be had in the first place.

In Rishikesh there was a choultry by the name 'Kali Kamliwala'. It was a tradition in those days to feed all those who came there. One Sannyasi got a wheat

bread and since he could not find any place, went to the river Ganga and sitting on a rock, began to partake of the same. In this manner, he spent some years

using the rock as his dining place. As it happened, a relation developed between him and the rock. On a particular day by the time he could procure alms, it

became later than usual. Meanwhile some other Sannyasi got his alms and sat at that rock to have his meal. The older Sannyasi got his wheat bread and

came to the rock. He began to have an argument - "Ai! This is my rock; you go somewhere else." They both began to have a duel. At that place, there was a
saint by the name Satchidanandam. He came and enquired of the quarrelling Sannyasins as to the reason for their fight. When he became aware of the

reason, he admonished them saying - "You have left behind your wives, children, parents, relatives and shaved your head and swore to lead a life of

mendicancy. Now due to your attachment, you have developed anger between yourselves." Similarly, you have all come here leaving behind many things for

education and Swami. Why develop unnecessary contacts? Maintain a relation akin to "Hello! Hello; How are you? Good-bye! Good-bye."

There is another incident that took place at Rishikesh. One person went from Mysore state and became a Sannyasin at Rishikesh. About 6 kms from

Rishikesh is a famous cave known as 'Vasishta's cave'. Purushottamananda used to do penance there. It was near Ganges and the air was cool and serene

and the area was dense with shade bestowing trees. That Sannyasi (one who came from Mysore) used to meditate under the tree and live by eating whatever

bread was given to him. One day, a tourist bus came from Karnataka state. They also came to see 'Vasishta cave' and later were sitting under a tree talking.

The Sannyasin who was meditating, heard them speak in Kannada. A little attachment towards the language sprouted in him. He left meditation and began

to converse with them in Kannada. They told him that they came from Bangalore District. "Which village do you come from?" asked the Sannyasin who was

influenced by the attachment to his own street. They said that they were in the street of Rama's temple. Affected by the attachment to his house, he asked

them as to what was their house number. They said that their house number was 11. He asked the troupe if they knew his father who was in the house

numbered 12. Body attachment prevailed. They said that his father passed away 3 months previously. The Sannyasin began to weep.

Why should the Sannyasin leave his meditation in the first place and enquire of the tourists various details? This attachment caused all the sorrow. It is only

when you leave all responsibilities can your meditation progress. Sometimes the varied nature of Nature attracts. One should never succumb to the

temptations.

To arouse Kundalini and sit in meditation is very difficult. The easiest path is pure love. No meditation can surpass/equal this.

We want to prepare Sambar. We got fresh vegetables from Bangalore in the morning. We got fresh tamarind, white, spotless salt and impeccable Dal also

was procured. The cook is an exceptionally skilled one. We have made Sambar. But when it was served, it turned out to be poison. Reason? None of the

ingredients were faulty nor was the cook. The vessel in which it was cooked was not clean!

Similarly, we do meditation, Bhajans - in fact we even swing during Bhajans but we are far away from obtaining peace. This is because we do not have the

unsullied love in our hearts. Many wonder as to why they have not obtained peace in spite of doing meditation and Bhajans etc. It is because they have not

cleaned their hearts with pure love.

Another example. There is a mango tree. Hundreds of ripe and unripe mangos are present. You water it and put manure also. All of a sudden, one fine

morning, the tree looks dried-up, what is the reason? Have you not given water and manure? What is the reason for a tree which was resplendently green

the previous day to look lack-lustre the very next day? The roots have been eaten away by the pests! Similarly, we may be doing meditation, chanting rosary

and attending Bhajans externally; but wicked qualities might be gnawing at the heart.

Therefore, send away wicked qualities; fill yourself with virtues; and develop love. Meditation is not something of a pose given for a photographer. It is not

for others. It is for one's own self. There are certain cautions that are to be observed in this regard.
One should be seated on a plank at least 1/2 inch above the ground. On top of this, skin of an animal - preferably a docile and pure - satvic animal - deer is to

be spread. In order to prevent the deer hair causing irritation, a thin cloth is advised to be spread over it. All these to be done so as not to cause any

disturbance to our meditation. If kundalini were to really begin rising, the earth would pull it downward. To avoid this and to avoid any shock, this plank is

put. In this manner the ancients have experienced and expressed it to us.

Instead of going for meditation and spoiling your mind, it is better you create the form you are interested in, put that picture in front of you and observe

carefully. While observing deeply, close your eyes. Now, begin to paint the form that you have seen, in your mind's eye. Then your mind would be totally

enveloped in the form. Gradually even when you open your eyes, you begin to see the form everywhere. That is manifestation - Sakshatkara. This does not

happen if you were to do it once in a while. You should daily do this both morning, evening and at all other times also. Then you begin to see the form

spreading itself in all limbs and all bodies.

Most importantly, youth's mind is most wavering. During the day the youth must spend time reading class books and assimilating them. The reason being

that mind will not enter unnecessary avenues when it has a lot of work to do. We must attach ourselves to work so as to deprive mind from associating itself

with outside world. Both morning and evening let the mind be immersed in Dhyana/Meditation in the aforesaid manner. Meditation is a path of obtaining

sanctity. It is a process of obtaining unity; a path of experiencing divinity. Your mind must merge in the Lord just as a river merges into the ocean. Then

mind as such does not exist. Then you become beyond mind. The river has a form, name and taste before merging into the ocean. After merging, it loses all

such identities. This has been conveyed by Ramadas in a song form:

"There is a fortress of seven boundaries. In the fort there is a garden - one of worldly desires. If you want to find the path through the garden, sing the name

of the Lord Rama. The whole Kingdom will be filled with light."

The boundaries referred to are the seven nerve-centres/chakras. This song was heard by Lord Rama. He replied:

"The essence is like oil. The Truth is like wick. When the light fades away, neither the oil nor the wick follow it. They stay there itself."

Then Ramadas got a doubt "The support is the tree and the grip is another branch of the tree. If the basis/support is left in the hope of relying on the

strength of the branch and the branch also breaks then salvation is imminent."

Here, the basis is the worldly desires and the branch which would break is the society in which you live. If you leave the desires and if the world/society

shuns you, you are bound to attain salvation. You need the society as long as you have not understood the true reality. Therefore, one needs firewood only as

long as the cooking is being done. One does not need firewood after the food has been cooked.

Veda, Shastra, Purana, Itihasa etc. are essential only as long as one has not understood oneself. After one has realised oneself, all these become

unnecessary. Hence, it is not possible to renounce/detach oneself from the society unless one has realised oneself. You have to realise yourself by living in

the world. Some creatures like caterpillar, crawling from one leaf to another. In the process, it catches the leaf it would like to go to and then release the leaf
it has been on. It does not leave the base before catching/obtaining the support. Similarly, we should leave world after obtaining divinity and not before.

Otherwise, we would have lost both the worlds.

Do not be carried away by the term Meditation. It is not something that one does by sitting for a couple minutes or hours. It should be always at all places

(the contemplation on the Lord). It should not pertain only to Mandir/meditation room. Wherever one goes, be it market or classes, one should be totally

absorbed. We should be totally sacred in our feelings. This is possible only through the path of love. Speak lovingly to all people. Even such a speech should

be in moderation. This is because mind begins to change as words become many.

One sage came from the Himalayas and declared that he had conquered anger. He met his friends and told them that he was totally at peace and that he had

no anger in him at all. One came and asked him - "Sir! Have you conquered anger?" "Yes! I have controlled" came the guarded reply. That person reiterated,

"Sir! You of all the people! Have you really conquered anger?" "Yes, it is true" came the gruff reply. "What sir! It is really impossible to believe. How could

you conquer anger?" Asked the man for the third time. "Ai! Can't you understand when I have said so?" Came the hot reply. "Sir! When this is the case, how

could you have conquered anger?", asked the man for the fourth time. "Are you out of your senses? I told you that I have conquered". So, while saying that

he had conquered anger, due to repetition of words, he lost control over anger. If words were not expressed, anger might cooled down. But as he expressed

them, anger grew. Due to lack of patience, anger emanates. There is no other remedy for anger. Only cultivation of patience is the answer.

Today man is bent upon conquering/vanquishing/controlling anger. This is wrong. He must inculcate patience. Then anger will automatically subside. If

darkness has to be expelled, light has to be brought. Similarly, to expel anger, patience has to be fostered. So, make efforts to develop patience. Patience or

sanctity can be attained only through love. There is nothing that cannot be attained with love. One can attain all with love. Everything is

dedicated/subordinate to love. Hence it is said LOVE IS GOD; LIVE IN LOVE. If the concept of love is perfectly understood, it in itself becomes Meditation.

Meditate on love. But the love should be selfless. It should be dedicated to the Lord. Any kind of love once offered to Lord becomes sanctified.

We have made sweet pongal at home. We call it sweet pongal and eat it. The same sweet pongal once it is offered to the Lord in a temple, we call it

'prasadam' / blessed food. The moment you offer it to the Lord, it becomes prasadam. All defects - defects of the ingredients, cooking and the vessel would

get removed after such an offering. For the sweet pongal made at home, there may not be cleanliness of the vessel, ingredients or the cooking process itself.

In order to remove all defects from the food cooked - we do not know wherefrom the vegetables have come; may be they were stolen; may be the intention of

the seller was not good. We assemble all food items and pray to Lord that everything be blessed. Then it all becomes prasadam and all defects run away from

the same.

There is a small clause in meditation. All cannot do the same type of meditation. Meditation changes from person to person depending on their state of

evolution/capacity. All doing one type of meditation is not proper. Each has his own form to worship and the way he goes about it may also differ. Some

worship God as Mother of the Universe; some consider Him as Father of the Universe while others consider God to be their friend. There are those who

worship God as Master/husband. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Gauranga are examples of this nature. Jayadeva and Gauranga had not done any meditation.

They felt no need for meditation as they could see God everywhere.

There is a small anecdote. This happened to many great men in all the yugas. Gaurangada entered a small village called Nava Dweepa. He could not find a
place to live. If he were to go the streets to do bhajan, mischievous boys would throw stones at him. They troubled him in numerous ways. To avoid all this,

he entered the temple of Lord Eshwara. Keeping his legs on top of the Lingam - image of Lord Shiva, he lay down to sleep. In the morning the chief priest

arrived. Considering him to be a mad man, the priest beat him. "O fool! How dare you put your feet on top of the Lord's image? Could you not find any other

place to keep your feet?", asked the priest. Then Chaitanya replied - "Sir! Please show me the place where Eshwara does not exist and I shall gladly place my

feet on that spot." Saying that he would show him, the priest dragged Chaitanya by the feet and dropped him aside. Due to his merit, even there the image of

the Lord appeared. The pujari dragged him all over the mandir, wherever Chaitanya's feet fell, Eshwara's image was seen to emerge. Then the pujari

realised his folly. God pervades the universe. How then can anyone define a place to be devoid or filled with God? For a true aspirant God's insignia are seen

everywhere. Since God pervades the creation, there is nothing that is unsacred. But there is bound to be a change in the way we utilise the same. Therefore,

we can make some changes in the society, house and people with whom we deal. Then alone can we obtain peace of mind. It is not meditation if one were to

close one's eyes/sit in lotus posture/sit without movements. The most important factor for meditation is to fill the heart with love. That love is verily God

Himself. Along with this love you must also sit in the lotus posture and in the manner described earlier to awaken the kundalini power and thus give more

meaning to your lives.

You may go anywhere and do anything. But your heart must be filled with pure love. Gaurangada, Tukaram, Nammalwar etc., have lived in this manner. If

purity of heart is one's property, one can question the Lord's ways as a rightful gesture. After a lot of merit, we have acquired the birth of a human being. If

we do not make good use of it, it would be a sheer waste.

Gems in the ocean are not easily available. With a great difficulty if one were to dive deep and brave the attack of sharks, one could manage to obtain rare

pearls hidden in the womb of the ocean. The pearl that is got after such a strenuous effort, if one were to lose it, one would not get it back however much one

may pine.

"Sway! Lord Krishna! I have obtained with great difficulty the pearl of Krishna from the deep ocean of samsara. Please shower your grace that I may not

lose it", prayed Meera. Since her prayer was such, Lord Krishna also granted her that wish. She loved and pined for Krishna so much that her anguish at the

separation from the Lord turned into penance and she merged into the Lord. Every human who would like to turn the energy in him to divinity must

participate in prayers. Prayer for mind is as essential as food is for body. Good food strengthens the body. Stale food brings about ill-health. Similarly, if we

participate in prayers, our heart becomes pure. If, on the other hand, one were to participate with pomposity, ego and show, it would be like the bad food

harming the mind. Therefore youth must travel from slumber and inactivity to penance. Whatever we may do, we must do with determination. One should

not stop meditation after having begun, in a span of 2 days. Whole life should be transformed into meditation. We have come essentially for that purpose.

We must discharge our duties. Along with this knowledge we must seek worldly education also. One must accept the basis of the worldly education. I have

told many a time. I am repeating, observe the message carefully.

There are many metals in the earth - Iron, steel etc. As they are deep inside earth, due to heat, they are available in the form of liquid. Due to this heat even

iron would be in a liquid state. This we call as Chemistry. As we gradually come to the surface, the materials solidify as the temperature decreases and we

call it as Physics. As dust and other particles join this, plants begin to sprout in it. The study of these plants is called Botany. Insects and birds come from

everywhere to these plants. The study of these birds and insects is called Zoology.
What is the basis for Zoology? Botany? The foundation of Botany is Physics which in turn is based on Chemistry. So, for Chemistry also there must be some

foundation. Isn't it? There is water in this tumbler. For the water to stay, there must be a container in the first place. If there is no vessel, how can liquid stay

put? Therefore the source of sciences - Chemistry has its foundation in divinity. Therefore, all the sciences have stemmed from the root of Divinity. So, for

all subjects Divinity is the primal basis. If we were to catch the vessel, Divinity, all the contents, subjects, would easily become ours. Today we are ready to

catch the creation and investigate but have not ever thought of investigating the nature of the creator. Even those that harm us become friendly in the

presence of the Lord.

Serpent adorns the neck of Lord Shiva. Since it is around the neck of the Lord, we bow down to it also. Same serpent if seen in the bazaar would die due to

the blows received from us. Though it is a poisonous snake, since it adorns the neck of the Lord, it becomes worthy of worship.

Once Lord Vishnu sent Garuda to Eshwara with a message. Eshwara's body is very peculiar. His body is smeared with vibhuti/ash. He has moon as his

crown jewel and serpents as his other ornaments. To such Shiva when Garuda flew and landed, the breeze created by his wings disturbed the sacred ash of

the Lord which fell into the eyes of the snake adorning His neck. The serpent, in anger, hissed at Garuda. Garuda replied, "O snake! Since you adorn the

Lord's neck you are saved. Had you been in the bazaar/market place, I would have snatched you with my feet and torn you to shreds. Since you are in the

proximity of the Lord you have earned the right to be forgiven."

Similarly, since you are enjoying Swami's proximity, people praise you. The moment you leave Swami and go, people do not care a fig for you. Wherever you

go, you must absorb whatever has been taught here and keeping the discipline as your shadow and Swami in your heart must create peace around you. Once

in a while to recharge your batteries, you can come to Swami. In this way, you can enjoy Swami's Love and Grace.