Peter Malakoff
"Let me tell you a Story"
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There are two versions to many of the stories and poems below The first version is text only The second version includes voice and music.
(Use the (audio) buttons to LISTEN)
You can use the search box above to find any word or topic on this site
Stories In the Jewish tradition, a person who tells stories about stories in the Bible is called a darshanim and his story is called a midrash. I saw myself as a darsanim since the first time I heard the word and I intend my stories to be a midrash.The great tradition of religion and spirituality is my Bible. I spin like a wheel around it's hub. These are some of the stories that I remember. . . Give people a fact or an idea and you enlighten their minds. Give them a story and you awaken their soul. -Hasidic saying Throw in some music and you can dance. . . |
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| Why We Tell Stories (audio) |
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A Thousand and One Arabian Nights (audio) |
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Three Non-Existent Princes (audio) |
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| God Willing | (audio) |
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The Gift of a Cow -India 2004 (pics) |
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| The Nadi Readers - India 2004 | (pics) | |
The Bear, The Rabbit and The Man (audio) |
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Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby(audio) The Water of Life (audio) A Thorn, a Gold Coin and The Law of Karma Who Bears the Burdens of Life-a short story of Ramana Maharshi (audio) |
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Poetry
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"There was a myth before the myth began, From this the poem springs: ." -Wallace Stevens
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| What I Call My Heart (audio) |
| A Poets Hope is in Dying| (audio) |
| Sometimes You Need a Miracle(audio) |
| The River of Drowning |
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Gravity's Easy Way (audio) What it is I am Practicing For (audio) The Law of Karma and The Rainbow Grocery Reggae (audio) Big Doggy an Da Wabo (audio) Now That You Have Left (audio) Lost Face (audio)
This conditional world passes This ‘everything’ always dies Even this can be tacitly merely observed By always prior standing as mere witness here.
Therefore fall awake in me! No “thing” continues Everything thing in this world changes moment by moment These conditional forms all die Then Gone.
I stand in the “Place” Where these forms here are not. This stand Is My Divine and inherently egoless State- A “Place” the ego fears to go, for fear its death there ceases all.
Give the ego gone to Me Find out my Self-of-Radiance Which is All-Love-As-Bliss Let the ego be Un-Happened- now
Where are you? Do you not watch this “world”? Do you not see it passing before your eyes, before your heart? Then That is the end of it.
-Adi Da Samraj
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One finger pointing up and one finger pointing down
"There is neither one God nor many Gods.
There is Only God:
-Adida Samraj
That is what I am miming in this picture.
(Standing by a roadside sign in Northern India)
I am
on a road that follows the Ganges
into the Himalayan Mountains
about 15 miles up river
from Rishikesh
I have just bathed in the beautiful, clear sacred river
and sat in the
thunderously silent and ancient cave
used by the Rishi Vasishta
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I have moved to Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India as of April 2011
I will continue to study and write and will be working on
a book on Ghee as well as several other topics of interest.
You can read my BLOG here
It could be said that most of India does not exist
in the world of science and technology,
it exists in the world of 'God'
a world in which the Mystery of all life
is still felt to be breathing.
India is a land of colorful paradoxes
of Divine ideas and representations,
of temples, saints and sadhus,
sacred rivers and holy mountains
and even road signs devoted to the Supreme.
I have only 'ideas and stories' about what is going on
or who or what 'God' is
The journey where I have placed my feet seems blessed
and the mystery in which we live
grows deeper
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" All doubt, despair, and fear become insignificant
once the intention of life becomes love,
rather than dependence on love."
-Adi Da Samraj
Vasishta Gufa (cave)
Here are some stories
and ideas
about
'What Is'
or what has been called-
Vidya or knowledge:
Since ancient times, mankind has sought for knowledge.
But, all 'knowledge' is not the same.
My teacher,
Adida, spoke of what is meant by knowledge:
"I find people’s losses and sorrows to be heartbreaking and terrible,
an immense burden.
And, I am inevitably sympathetic and bless people in their trouble.
However, you must understand; That is the nature of this place.
It is not utopia. It is not paradise.
It is a place of death, of endings, of suffering.
Brief amusements.
It is not enough.
One day, it will be your death.
All will pass. Everything will pass.
Everything will be lost. Everything will change.
Every conceivable separation will occur.
You must know the place you are in
and live according to that knowledge."
-AdiDa
All of these stories are what I have
heard and experienced about that 'knowledge'
They are a 'Consideration' of life
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It cannot be stolen by thieves
Nor taken away by kings
It cannot be divided among brothers
It is not a load on your shoulders
If spent . . . It always increases
The wealth of knowledge
Is the most superior wealth of all
- Vidyaprashna
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or
The Blind Man and the Elephant
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