Tukaram (c.1608-1649).

I could not lie anymore so I started to call my dog “God.”

First he looked

confused,

then he started smiling, then he even

danced.

I kept at it: now he doesn’t even

bite.

I am wondering if this

might work on

people?

P.333.

I assaulted the Holy One

when he left the Tavern last night.

Boy, was he soused.

Lucky He wasn’t

driving.

P.335.

(…)

Keeping our word is the alchemy to become free

and whole.

(…) P.337.

I was meditating with my cat the other day

and all of a sudden she shouted,

“What happened?”

I knew exactly what she meant, but encouraged

her to say more-feeling that if she got it all out on the table

she would sleep better that night.

So I responded, “Tell me more, dear,”

and she soulfully meowed,

“Well, I was mingled with the sky. I was comets

whizzling here and there. I was suns in the heat, hell-I was

galaxies. But now look-I am

landlocked in fur.”

To this I said, “I know exactly what

you mean.”

What to say about conversation

between

mystics?

P.346.

I

said to Love,

“I want to pull your pants down.”

And She said,

“Fine! Don’t bother to even ask.”

Though now Tukaram is wondering

why there are so many sexually frustrated people

in

our

universe???

P.347-8.

(…)

Dears, there is nothing in your life that will not

change-especially all your ideas of God.

Look what the insanity of righteous knowledge can do:

crusade and maim thousands

in wanting to convert that which

is already gold

into gold.

(…)

God once said to Tuka,

“Even I am ever changing-

I am ever beyond

Myself,

what I may have once put my seal upon,

may no longer be

the greatest

Truth.”

P.350.

What part of heaven did she come from?

That angel talked like a sailor

and she was dressed

enchantingly

scant.

I can’t even repeat the things she said,

of picture once more the shape of her breasts.

Though I know one thing:

My fear of dying has

vanished.

P.351.

It’s the old shell trick with a twist:

I saw God put Himself in one

of your pockets.

You are bound

to find

Him.

P.352.

If God would stop telling jokes,

I might act

serious.

P.353.

Birds don’t brag about flying

the way we

do.

They don’t write books about it and then give

workshops,

they don’t take on disciples and spoil

their own air

time.

Who could dance and achieve

liftoff with a bunch of

whackos tugging

on you?

P.354.

Some

planets rolled in

those openings on the side of my head.

I haven’t heard anything for years.

Whenever I see a mouth moving in front of me

I just assume someone is saying

something brilliant

and then go on about my day

feeling very

secure.

P.356.

“We should rumble,” God said.

“I don’t want to. I am too tired,” I replied.

“Come on-give me your best shot,”

He persisted.

“Okay,” I thought. So I hit Him with 8000

poems,

little jabs that they are;

I didn’t want

to hurt

the

Old

Guy.

P.357.

A

delirious gang

of club-bearing ants surrounded an elephant’s house

and started shouting,

“You better watch out!”

I understood exactly what the elephant then thought:

Scholars, you are lucky

I am always

in a good

mood.

P.358.

I

was invited

to a fancy event and when

I got there one of the guests said,

“Tukaram, your shirt is on backwards and so are

your pants,

and it looks like your hair never heard the word comb,

and your shoes don’t

match.”

I replied,

“Thanks, I noticed all that before leaving,

but why to try to fool

anyone.”

P.359.

(…) “where the heart is the chancellor because it knows, only that which can touch us is true.” P.361.

All the above quotes from: