The Lotus and the Bird
In Chambers Grand, where silks and laughter played,
A voice within, a question soft and low,
"Tell me, dear Yashodhara, what ails your heart?
Your eyes, once radiant, now seem weighted by sorrow's dart.”
"My burden is great indeed," the answer bittersweet,
"For my husband, Siddhartha, has forsaken me in his spiritual need.
But is he not the prince of this prosperous land?
With wealth and comfort at his every command?”
"Ah, you speak true of his worldly station,"
Yashodhara replies, "Yet his soul yearned for a deeper liberation.
Foolishness! To abandon such privilege and power!" a voice critiques,
"Surely, this 'enlightenment' he seeks is but a fleeting flower.”
"Nay, though harsh your words may ring,
" Yashodhara argues, "I fear his quest holds merit, like a bird longing to sing.
Can you not see? We are all prisoners, bound by desire's chain,
Seeking refuge in the shadows, while truth remains unstained.”
"An intriguing allegory," a voice ponders,
"let it enlighten us further on this path which he sought."
Yashodhara explains, "'Tis a journey of the mind, a shedding of illusion's veil,
Where one transcends the cycle of suffering, without fail.
Like a lotus, unsoiled by the muddy waters of earthly strife,
He seeks the pure, unblemished petals of an awakened life.”
"But is such a state truly attainable, or mere fancy's dream?" a voice doubts,
"For the world is rife with anguish, or so it may seem."
"A fair query," Yashodhara concedes, "yet I sense you understand,
That truth oft lies beneath the surface, like a grain of golden sand.
Though I grieve his absence, my love remains true and wise,
For in his noble quest, the spark of hope eternally lies.”
With a gentle smile, Yashodhara concludes,
"So you see, my friends, though the way seems shrouded in mystery,
My Siddhartha walks the path of the Buddha, towards ultimate clarity."
Copyright ©
Dr. Padmashree R P
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