In God Makes the Rivers to Flow; An Anthology of the World’s Sacred Poetry & Prose, Eknath Easwaran includes a selection from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad entitled “Hidden in the Heart.”  I’ve written the following poem-like reflections inspired by this selection.

Hidden in the Heart

The Lord of Love is hidden in the heart

Of every creature, subtler than the subtlest,

Greater than the greatest. Through his grace

One sheds all selfish desires and sorrow

And becomes united with the Self.

—The Shvetashvatara Upanishad

O Lord, you are the object of my desire,

the subject of my longing. You are

my everything. You are all that is.

I seek you in my heart. I seek you

in nature. I seek you in the highest heaven.

I seek you in my neighbor. You alone

dwell in every heart, in every cell,

in every atom. You are my master,

our master, master of the universe.

You are the cosmos, its beginning

and its end, you who have no beginning

and no end. You are infinite and eternal.

I find you in my breath. I find you

in the prayer of my heart. It is my deepest

desire to know you, to experience

our oneness, to unite with you in perfect

union, communion. You know all

but few know you. You inhabit all

but few experience you. You are all

love, all joy, all grace, all mercy,

all glory. You are pure presence.

In you I find the only peace there is.

You are calling us all to know you,

to delight in you. You invite us all

to feel your presence. You invite

us all to realize the Self, this Self

that is immortal as you, infinite as you,

eternal as you, this Self that dwells

within us as you. Set me free from

selfishness and sorrow. Set me free

from fear. Shine on my darkness,

fill me with your light. There is

nothing as great and grand as you.

There is nothing as subtle, nothing

as pure. I am dying in the illusion

of separation. Without you, I cannot

see the real.  Without you, I cannot

transcend death. But with you,

everything is possible, anything

is possible. O how I love you!

You are my best friend, you are

my true protector, you are my all.

Guide me to quiet my mind and

meet you in the stillness. Teach me

to purify my heart and find you

on the throne. You are the master

of my heart. I will not cease seeking

until I realize our perfect union.