Wednesday 16 January 2013

The Lousy Accountant


One of the most famous Shakta saints of recent was Ramprasad Sen, who lived in Bengal in the eighteenth century. He was passion for the goddess Kali and neglected his work as an accountant so badly his boss fired him! But when his boss read the beautiful lines of poetry Ramprasad had scribbled in the account books, the businessman was astute enough to realize his clerk was a burgeoning saint. He encouraged Ramprasad to give up accounting and devote his life to spiritual practice. And he sent a generous stipend home to Ramprasad every month so that his employee could actually afford to do so!



Ramprasad is famous for poems in which he approaches the Mother of the Universe like an innocent child. Or like a petulant child at times! Speaking of his meditation practice he writes.

Mother Kali, you dwell in cremation grounds
so I've made my heart a burning pit


where you can dance.
One desire burns in the conflagration of my life:
To watch your blazing dance!

I sit here still as death in my funeral pyre,
looking for You with eyes closed.

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