At The Edge Of The Witching Woods

I hear the call to enter
But my fear keeps me at bay
The beauty I see wants me closer
It does though belie the chill in my bones
So I walk forth
Beyond the edge of the witching woods
To find the sirens of the trees 
And to look upon their beauty
If not for that first step beyond fear
I would be as rooted as those around me
And life would just pass me by.

My Secret Place

When life's pressures invade my space, 
I escape to my secret place.
No one knows where that might be, 
it's not on land, nor air or sea.

My secret place is a wonderland, 
it holds no fears I understand, 
that nothing in the world can find me, 
here with my thoughts and dreams beside me.

I wonder in a field of dreams, 
that feed my open mind it seems, 
with all the riches of success, 
the answers to questions I must address.

Then swimming in a pool of thoughts, 
understanding past lost battles fought, 
I realize the strength in me, 
the courage, honour and dignity.

I can reach most any goal, 
if I put in my heart and soul.
Stand up against any man, 
this is who I really am.

All this I have found in my secret place, 
where I am given so much space, 
when I am searching I might find, 
the rhyme and reason of any kind.

My secret place, no one can find.
That secret place lays in my mind. 

✿The Concept of Leshya (Mental Attitude)✿

Once there were six friends, who were going on a trip. Along the way, they got lost in a forest. After a while they were hungry and thirsty. They searched for the food for some time, and finally found a fruit tree.

As they ran to the tree, the first man said, "Let’s cut the tree down and get the fruit." The second one said, "Don’t cut the whole tree down, cut off a big branch instead." The third friend said, "Why do we need a big branch? A small branch has enough fruit." The fourth one said, "We do not need to cut the branches, let us just climb up and get the bunches of the fruit." The fifth man said, "Why pick those many fruit and waste them, instead just pick the fruit that we need to eat." The sixth friend said quietly, "There are plenty of good fruit on the ground, so let’s just eat them first."

You can see that the states of minds of these six friends caused a range of thoughts that begin with the destruction of the entire tree and ended with the picking up of the fruits on the ground. The six friends’ minds represent six types of leshyas.

The first friend’s state of mind represents krishna (black) leshya.

The second friend’s state of mind represents neel (blue) leshya.

The third friend’s state of mind represents kapot (brown) leshya.

The fourth friend’s state of mind represents tejo/peet (red) leshya.

The fifth friend’s state of mind represents padma (yellow) leshya.

The sixth friend’s state of mind represents shukla (white) leshya.

The first leshya is the worst and the sixth leshya is the best. The 
first three leshyas lead the soul to ruin, and the last three lead the soul to the spiritual prosperity. We know that our minds run into different states all the times for the better or for the worst. Therefore, we should strive for the white leshya, and not the red leshya. 

Let us understand how a person with the different leshyas behaves and what are the outcome of such leshyas.

1. Krishna (Black) Leshya: The people in this state of mind do not show any compassion or mercy. Everyone is afraid of them as their anger turns into the violence. They always burn with jealousy and have ill-will for everyone. They are filled with animosity and malice. This state of mind is the worst and most dangerous. If anyone dies in this state of mind, he will go to hell.

2. Neel (Blue) Leshya: The people in this state of mind are proud, haughty, and lazy. They are unreliable and other people avoid their company. They are cheaters, cowards, and hypocrites. Such people also avoid the spiritual/philosophical discourses. If anyone dies in this state of mind, he gets reborn as a plant.

3. Kapot (Brown) Leshya: The people in this state of mind always remain sad and gloomy. They find faults in others and are vindictive. They boast about themselves, become excited over small matters, and lack mental balance. If anyone dies in this state of mind, he gets reborn as a bird or an animal.

4. Tejo/Peet (Red) Leshya: People in this state of mind are very careful about their actions and discriminate between good and evil. They know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. They are kind, benevolent, spiritual, and lead a harmonious life. If anyone dies in this state of mind, may get reborn as a human being.

5. Padma (Yellow) Leshya: People in this state of mind are kind and benevolent and forgive everyone, even their enemies. They observe some austerities and are vigilant in keeping their vows till their last breath. They remain unaffected by joys and sorrows. If anyone dies in this leshya, he gets reborn in heaven as a celestial being.

6. Shukla (White) Leshya: There are two levels of this leshyas. The People in this state of mind strictly observe the principles of non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-attachment. They are trustworthy, treat every soul as if it was their own soul, and do not have any ill feelings even for their enemies. They remain calm even if someone abuses them. If anyone dies in this state of mind, he gets reborn as a human being or an angel. The people who have perfected this state of mind where there is no more attachment or hatred and treat everyone alike. They do not become happy or sad. Their state of mind is the purest. If anyone dies in this perfected state of mind, he or she will be liberated from the cycle of birth and death.