kata tjuta

The words of a beautiful song wafted into my mind today, and I wanted to share it with you. I learned it one day at meditation class.

Usha Bala Elo by Sri Chinmoy

“Usha bala elo
Dhire aji dhire
Hridaya gabhire”

The translation is this:
“Slowly, very slowly,
The virgin dawn appears
In the very depths of my aspiration-heart.”

We sang it over and over again, until the words became chants,
and the sounds lilted in our heart caves and the room resonated with song.

Our meditation teacher explained the song to us like this:

Imagine that you woke up to find yourself in the darkest night. You can’t remember who you were or where you are, or why on earth you are here. All around you is darkness and unknowing.
In all the despair and longing to know, you called out in the darkness, you cried into the darkness, asking for light and knowing.

And then…
you imagine that you see on the horizon the first glint of sunlight,
and slowly experience the beauty of the first dawn.
The luminous streaks of awakening gleaming across the sky,
filling you with hope and awe and knowing…

It is the first dawn of your heart.