On Skiing

On Skiing: The Metaphysics by Stark

May God Bless America

This metaphysics is drawn from the discipline of skiing, and was written by me as an offering unto the Lord and unto the ski world. To me skiing is a yoga, a practice in the physical whose design and whose beauteous surround in nature work to synergize the realization of truth and of self in a learning mode of great worth. May I dedicate this Web page to Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, whose mastery in the martial arts as he taught me worked so vitally to teach me the fuller dimensions of skiing.

On the steep (pron. bhrigow/roll the r once)

Please note: I am pleased to present the addition of the Devanagari script for the direct reading of the Sanskrit for this work, as well as the traditional transliterated text for you. This writing will be redacted line-by-line as time allows. MLS March 31, 2005

तत्त्व हिमसंसर्पम्

tattva himasaṁsarpaṇam

ॐ हिम हय स्वेत ब्रह्मने लोके तु नमस्ते।१।

om hima haya sveta brahmane loke tu namaste|1|

भूम्यै गगनाय च समं ग समयेन स्थानेन च स्वाहा।२।

bhūmyai gaganāya ca samaṁ ga samayena sthānena ca svāhā|2|

ॐ सरस्वत्यै नमः।

ॐ शक्त्यै स्वाहा।

ॐ बलाय स्वाहा।

ॐ मापनाय स्वाहा।

ॐ नियतत्वाय स्वाहा।

ॐ रयाय स्वाहा।

ॐ पंचभूतेभ्यः स्वाहा

om sarasvatyai namaḥ|

om śaktyai svāhā|

om balāya svāhā|

om māpanāya svāhā|

om niyatatvāya svāhā|

om rayāya svāhā|

om paṇcabhūtebhyaḥ svāhā|3|

हिमसंसर्पणारित्रे चलेयं कालाकाशे।

स्वरैक्येनाशेषेन पंचभूतैश्चलनस्य

शोभायाम्

स्वरूपस्य शैले हिमागमस्य॥४॥

himasaṁsarpaṇāritre caleyaṁ kālākāśe|

svaraikyenāśeṣena paṇcabhūtaiścalanasya

śobhāyām

svarūpasya śaile himāgamasya||4||

एवं अकसद्भवं पञ्चभुतनि चलनस्य

आशिषाणि दातुं नित्यसातत्याय क्शराय

कालाय कर्मसमुद्भवं इति।

तस्माद्ब्रह्मोद्भवम् अक्शरात्कर्म यज्ञे॥।५॥

evaṁ ākāśadbhavaṁ paṇcabhūtāni calanasya

āśiṣāṇi dātuṁ nityasātatyāya kśarāya

kālāya karmasamudbhavaṁ iti|

tasmādbrahmodbhavam akśarātkarma yajñe||5||

अहं वेद क्शरभवं हिमसंसर्पणाभ्यां अक्शरात्कर्म

यज्ञाद्नित्यात्परं ब्रह्म॥६॥

ahaṁ veda kśarabhavaṁ himasaṁsarpaṇābhyāṁ akśarātkarma

yajñādnityātparaṁ brahma||6||

हे शादि मां महाप्रमणैकाग्रं जवं हिमसंसर्पणारित्रे मे पंचभूतचलनजम्।

तथाप्यकैकेऽनुरूपतयां सत्यतायां सत्यभवं स्थानवर्णाकारेऽग्रे स्थूललोकस्य॥७॥

he śādi māṁ mahāpramaṇaikāgraṁ javaṁ himasaṁsarpaṇāritre me paṇcabhūtacalanajam|

tathāpyakaike'nurūpatayāṁ satyatāyāṁ satyabhavaṁ sthānavarṇākāre'gre sthūlalokasya||7||

विसृत्वरतरैकतात्वं ज्ञेयं

शरीरेन मनसात्मा च यथा चलेयं हिमं सुगिरौ।

सहचारहृदिभूमिगगन प्रकीर्तनकर्मकृद्योग्यविवरनकृदाकारस्थाने॥ ८॥

visṛtvarataraikatātvaṁ jñeyaṁ śarīrena manasātmā ca yathā caleyaṁ himaṁ sugirau|

sahacārahṛdibhūmigaganaprakīrtanakarmakṛdyogya-vivaranakṛt ākārasthāne|| 8||

आश्चर्यं आकाशस्य दिव्यस्य विशालस्य च दृष्टिं शृंगशैल्स्यैतस्यैव हि तेजस्विनः।

तोलेयंप्रवनस्थाने नित्योदज्भक्त्या पादसाधनपानिदृढग्रहयष्टिवरदैष्वर॥९॥

āścaryaṁ ākāśasya divyasya viśālasya ca dṛṣṭiṁ śṛṁgaśailsyaitasyaiva hi tejasvinaḥ |

toleyaṁpravanasthāne nityodajbhaktyā pādasādh- anapānidṛḍhagrahayaṣṭivaradaiṣvara ||9||

आश्चर्यायेष्वरस्यैवं गते सृष्टेर्हैमंतायाः संपूर्नेन समर्पणेन तत्सत्या कूर्याम्।

अतिसूक्ष्माद्भूतहिमसंसर्पनारित्त्रचलने

संपन्नतां स्वभावजां एवमेव नु।

आत्मानं आनन्दं येषां मनानि जाताकाषेन

दीननी मे हे आदौवुदयोत्तंगशैल।

यस्य रक्शितृशृंग जीवति परिषादि परस्य

च धर्मस्य कालस्य अनन्तकाले तु॥१०॥

āścaryāyeṣvarasyaivaṁ gate sṛṣṭerhaimaṁtāyāḥ saṁpūrnena samarpaṇena tatsatyā kūryām|

atisūkṣmādbhūtahimasaṁsarpanārittracalane

saṁpannatāṁ svabhāvajāṁ evameva nu|

ātmānaṁ ānandaṁ yeṣāṁ manāni jātākāṣena

dīnanī me he ādauvudayottaṁgaśaila|

yasya rakśitṛśṛṁga jīvati pariṣādi parasya

ca dharmasya kālasya anantakāle tu||10||

तथैव गुरुत्वं शदेद्मां कथं

पाणिपादसमानी यथैव

हिमरित्रसंसर्पनेयम्।

यथैव स्वरैक्यंम्ज संपन्नतायाः पंचभूतचलनस्योत्पते लाभयंत्रं

परिवृत्त्याः॥

यत्सत्यं परिवृत्तिं कार्यक्शमतायाः

गुरिष्ठायाः पुन नेत्रे

आकारगंदस्य प्रत्यक्शम्।

एवं जवेन कालं जयेयं

ततस्त्योत्संगधरनं

एकैकशधर्मेन कृत्स्नं जानीयाम्॥

यतः शैल पारे सर्वं सत्कृत्परमेश्वरेन

यद्वद्नाकं मेघेश्वेव

नाकं करे शून्ये॥११॥

tathaiva gurutvaṁ śadedmāṁ kathaṁ

pāṇipādasamānī yathaiva

himaritrasaṁsarpaneyam|

yathaiva svaraikyaṁmja saṁpannatāyāḥ paṇcabhūtacalanasyotpate lābhayaṁtraṁ

parivṛttyāḥ||

yatsatyaṁ parivṛttiṁ kāryakśamatāyāḥ

guriṣṭhāyāḥ puna netre

ākāragaṁdasya pratyakśam|

evaṁ javena kālaṁ jayeyaṁ

tatastyotsaṁgadharanaṁ

ekaikaśadharmena kṛtsnaṁ jānīyām||

yataḥ śaila pāre sarvaṁ satkṛtparameśvarena

yadvadnākaṁ megheśveva

nākaṁ kare śūnye||11||

paripuuryeyaM pratiShThaaM avashyakaaM

ganaM saadhyaM bahutamaM

parivRRittiinaaM gurutva bhuumau./

yaasaaM trijyaaH kshudraa javaM uttamaM

saMharanti kendraM j~naanaM kaalamaanaM

antarena kShiprena./

परिपूर्येयं प्रतिष्ठां अवश्यकां

गनं साध्यं बहुतमं

परिवृत्तीनां गुरुत्व भूमौ।

paripüryeyaà pratiñöhäm avaçyakäà

ganaà sädhyaà bahutamaà

parivåtténäà gurutva bhümau.

anena parivRRittirutsaMgaM mahaantaM

nayanakRRitsthaane sa.nyasakRRitparyete

parivRRitteH../

kshudravaarakRRidbhraMsharekhaayaaM javaM naipunyaadbahutamanekatvabhavaM vaaraanaaM niShkarShet./

aahnaanajiidbhrigoH saadhanena ruupasya viviktasyaiva kshudratamaduuravidvaarena iti../

java bhRRiigau tena maapane prativashaM kshudratrijyaavaaraabhavaM yathaakramaM

bhraMsharekhaayaam./

paripuuryeyaM pratiShThaaM avashyakaaM

aashubhatamaaH parivRRittiinaaM

apica gurutvabhuumau../

yaasaaM trijyaaH kendrakRRidmadhye bhraMsharekhaayaa madhyaatshariirasya hi paramasaMkhyaalaabhayaMtraat./

yasya javajaakaaNDaashusaMpadanaujasaMkRRityaa tu ca guriShThalaabhayaMtrapaadakaabhavam./

syaaM ekakendraM paNcabhuutacalanabhavastatratya bhRRigau tathaapi karmaakarmaj~na tiShThati../12../

shriishvara varavarada suruupaadrilokaaya svacchashvetaarthasvargamatimokshapradapradaH./

himaM bhaavanaM sarvagataM yasminnetraani

puuraNaM niyogaM ca vishvavRRittada sthaapayanti../

shuunyottaptashaucam himacarutasya mukuTaM maMdaM shRRiMgaMshailaanaaM mRRiduH kaMbala taletra./

hi himaM samaaharetsaMraMbhaatloke praharShaM svasthaM tathyatejasvi ratnavatsukRRitsthaapayet../

hRRidyadrau haimanaMdanavanasya himena shabdaarcchadyate maunam eva samaashcaryavishaalam./

shrii yasyaashcitraM nityasmRRiteshca yasyaaH kRRipaa haritadevadaarudiTapapuurNadaa himena../

muukasthitivRRikshaaH pratiniilanaakasaMj~naaMdaa dRRiSThahimasaMsarpakaaya sarvadaamadhyega./

sarvadaamadhye samaniruuptavadbhirvaarairvaa sravatsadhyasarpanena sarvaM aatmaikiikRRittu../

yaddyapyapagamakRRityatsatyaM gahanahimaanyupadhaanaM tatraiva idaM aashrayaadripaaram./

puuranaM iva pradaanena samamaatrabalasthalasya puurNayaa saMbhaavyatayaa bhaayaaM aatmanaH../

evaM hime ahaM nakaartaahaM shekSheyaM himasaMsarpakaiva saadhaka iishvarasyottamasya./

sarvadaamadhye himaloke kutra himasaMsarpaNaM margaNaM svadharmaantarashaa.ntiM madbhaktyaa../

svadharmaantarashaa.ntiH suuryavishvasya bhaaM anumanyataaM yaa ci.ntaa sarvaM

svaadbhutashryaaM sarvatra./

tattvaM asi vidyaikaj~na parata dashalakShakaNamaMda bhaayaastasya ratnavat.hhimayiti../

tathaapi tadbrahmaNi samastaM idaM j~naatavyaM tadbrahma tadj~na cainaM vilakshaNaM satyaatekam./

ci.ntaayaa asya sarvacittasmintattvamasiiti jaaniiyaaM tattvamasyadvaitakRRitsarvavitshaile../13../

shriishvara varavarada balavadvyavasaayalokaaya lokaantaraliilaahaimashriimatpradaH./

himasaMsarpaNaaritracalanaM yogikaaraM karmapratibhayaa viShTitayaa ca liilaabhishca../

shiShTiiyaM shryaa shaanta pariveShTanena saMpuurnena caashvaseshvarasya bhaktajanaM saMskarotu./

anubhaveyaM pratyaksha pradeshaM prakrtyaa mokshapradaM puurNaikyaM ca himasaMsaarpaNashaile../14../

N.B.: The utility of the language software coupled with the authoring facilities of the Web host here have presented a problem in transferring the Devanagari script and the transliterated script. Therefore, in the interests of efficiency and completing this work for readers, the decision is to move this content to Starkliteraria.com. There the authoring tool is more user-friendly, and should allow a faster completion of the work. It will also include a commentary. This project will be underway forthwith. Please bear with the situation, and accept my apologies for this upset in progress. Thank you.

Marilynn Stark June 2, 2005

Please click here for On Skiing at Starkliteraria.com, which includes commentary.

tattva himasamsarpanam is being written over time, and the last two sections which comprise the beginning of Verse 14 are very recent.

On the mountain

shaile (pron. "shylay")

the trees standing still (vs.13;sect.4)

muukasthitivRRikshaaH

he aadauvudayottaMgashailaH (vs.10)

Oh! first for the ascent of the towering mountain

Please do not use these photos for commercial purposes.

shr^mga

peak

The Truth of Skiing

tattva himasaṁsarpanam

VERSE 1

om hima haya sveta brahmane loke tu namaste |1|

Om. Salutations unto Thee, the conveyance as white snow which is the Supreme Spirit, Brahman, in this world.

(1)

VERSE 2

bhumyai gaganāya ca samaṁ ga samayena sthānena ca svāhā|2|

Offerings unto the Earth and sky, going together through time and place. (2)

VERSE 3

om sarasvatyai namaḥ|

om śaktyai svāhā|

om balāya svāhā|

om māpanāya svahā|

om niyatatvāya svāhā|

om rayāya svāha|

om paṇcabhūtebhyaḥ svāhā |3|

Om. Salutations unto Goddess Sarasvati.

Om. Offering unto Thee power.

Om. Offering unto Thee strength.

Om. Offering unto Thee balance.

Om. Offering unto Thee precision.

Om. Offering unto Thee speed.

Om. Offering unto Thee the five elements.

(3)

VERSE 4

himasaṁsarpaṇāritre caleyaṁ kālākāśe|

svaraikyenāśeṣena paṇcabhūtaiścalanasya

śobhāyāṁ

svarūpasya śaile himāgamasya||4||

May I ski through time and space in perfect harmony with the five elements of motion in the splendor of nature on the mountain of winter.

(4)

VERSE 5

evaṁ akaśadbhavaṁ paṇcabhūtani calanasya

āśiṣāṇi datuṁ nityasātatyāya kśarāya

kālāya karmasamudbhavaṁ iti

tasmādbrahmodbhavam akśarātkarma yajñe||5||

So the five elements of motion arise from space blessed with the continuum of the perishable, time; thus action arises, and therefore action arises from the imperishable Brahman through sacrifice.

(5)

VERSE 6

ahaṁ veda ksarabhavaṁ himasaṁsarpaṇābhyaṁ akśarātkarma

yajñādnityātparaṁ brahma||6||

May I know the perishable as born of the imperishable through my skis, the action as born of sacrifice eternal, which is limitless Brahman.

(6)

VERSE 7

he śādi māṁ

mahāpramāṇaikāgraṁjavaṁ himasaṁsarpaṇāritre me paṇcabhūtacalanajam|

tathāpyakaikenūrupatayaṁ satyatayaṁ satyabhavaṁ sthānavarṇākāregre sthūlalokasya||7||

Oh, teach me my skis, great and closely attentive speed born of the five elements of motion, yet in one-to-one correspondence with the reality derived from satyam, which is the topographical contour in

the physical realm before me.

(7)

VERSE 8

visṛtvarataraikatatvaṁ jñeyaṁ sarīrena manasātmā ca yathā caleyaṁ himaṁ sugirau|

sahacārahṛdi bhūmigaganaprakīrtanakarmakṛdyogyavivaranakṛt ākārasthāne||8||

May I know an ever more expanding unity of body, mind and spirit, so that I can know how to ski the snow in loving harmony with the mountain beautiful in the synergy of ground and sky, in such technique accomplished as fitting to the topographical contour before me.

(8)

VERSE 9

āścarya ākāśasya divyasya viśālasya ca dṛṣṭiṁ śṛṁgaśailasyaitasyaiva hi tejasvinaḥ |

toleyaṁ pravanasthāne nityodajbhaktyā

pādasādhanapānidṛḍhagrahayaṣṭhivaradaiśvara ||9||

Indeed may I match only through the Lord, who is the giver of the gift of the tools beneath my feet and the poles in the grip of my hands, in the descent with an ever-ascending devotion, the wonder of the vast and Heavenly space which is in the view of this glorious mountain peak.

(9)

VERSE 10

äscaryayeçvarasyaivaà gate såñöherhaimantäyäù sampürëena samarpaëena tatsatyäkuryäm|

atisuçkmädbhutahimasaàsarpanäritracalane

ätmänam änandaà yeñaà manani jatakaçena

dénané me he ädauvudayottaìgaçaila|

yasya rakçitåçåìga jévati pariñädi parasya

ca dharmasya kälasya anantakale tu||10||

May I realize in full surrender to the wonder of God's wintry creation, and in these (prevailing ) conditions, in miraculous, yea, subtle motion on skis, that: the total bliss which is the self, the innate perfection which is indeed the self, and whose reflections are inspired by the space at my humble command; oh, first for the ascent of the towering mountain, whose guardian peak lives in the assembly of the Supreme Spirit and the soulful nature of time, which is timelessness.

(10)

VERSE 11

tathaiva gurutvaà çädedmaà kathaà

paëipädasamäné yathaiva

himaritrasaàsarpaneyam|

yathaiva svaraikyaïja sampannatäyäù païcabhütacalanasyotpatetlläbhayantraà

parivåttyäù||

So may gravity teach me how to unify the hands and feet as I ski, that the harmony born of the five elements of motion gives rise exactly to the leverage of the turn; in truth, to the turn of the maximum efficiency, yet in the vigil of the contour of the trail immediately before me; thus may I conquer time with speed; may I know from that the pull of the slope in its particulate nature as the pull of the entire mountain; for the mountain greets in universal reach all in it sprovidence, just as (it greets) the sky for its very clouds, the sky for its wond'rous space.

(11)

VERSE 12

May I realize the proficiency requisite to the greatest number of turns possible in the field of gravity; (turns) whose short radii modify maximum speed, (whose) focus in quick interval becomes knowledge of time dimension.

(Verse 12/Sec i)

Thus does the turn reduce the great slope into the place circumscribed by the reach of the turn. The short turn accomplished in the fall line may derive its speed from the efficiency arising out of the greatest number of turns.

(Verse 12/Sec.ii)

Thus the challenge of the steep may be conquered by the realization of its contour discrete only unto the shortest distance knowable by turn. Speed on the steep is thereby balanced against control arising out of short radius turns in succession down the fall line.

(Verse 12/Sec.iii)

May I also realize the proficiency requisite to the fastest turns in the field of gravity; (turns) whose radii are indeed set by the focus into the fall line from the center of the body for maximum leverage;

(Verse 12/Sec.iv)

(turns) whose speed is born of the synergy of divine energy, the sudden acceleration and indeed the maximum leverage which arise out of the boot; may I become one with the focus which arises out of the five elements of motion, belonging to that place on the steep, yet knowing that action subtends inaction.

(Verse 12/Sec.v)

VERSE 13

May the Holy Lord, the all-provider, bestow upon the beautiful mountain world, the crystalline, white fruit of Heaven, which is so beatific to the mind; the snow becomes an ever-present meditation upon which all eyes settle for inspiration and direction, a universal timer of events.

(Verse 13/Sec.i)

The space-incandesced purity of the most beauteous snow, the glimmering crown of mountain peaks, is a soft blanket hereunder; for the snow may gather from the storm upon the world its peaceful bliss as a veritable shining jewel once it does settle.

(Verse 13/Sec.ii)

In the heart of the winter paradise on the mountain, all sound is muffled by the snow; silence only can match the vast wonder, whose beauty is a picture for eternity's memory, and whose grace is depicted by the green pine boughs laden with snow.

(Verse 13/Sec.iii)

The trees standing still against the blue sky, beckon the ski yogi ever in; ever in to match with carved turns or shuss, all but what the soul can muster.

(Verse 13/Sec.iv)

For even if one would in truth fly across this mountain's hold, the deep snows are there as cushion, as inspiration for the surrender to match the sheer might of the place with full potential in light of the self.

(Verse 13/Sec.v)

Thus may I learn on the snow that I am not the doer; I am as skier only an instrument of the supreme Lord, ever in this snow world, where I ski to find my own innate inner peace in true devotion.

(Verse 13/Sec.vi)

Innate inner peace allows the sun of the universe to give light, which is the light of self, and whose reflection is all that there is in this astounding natural beauty all around.'You are that' (tattvamasi) is knowledge of the one awareness of that, verily thus beyond the light of the millions of facets glimmering in the jeweled snow.

(Verse 13/Sec.vii)

Then all this is to be known as that, in and through Brahman. That is Brahman, and knowing that as different from the reflection of this in that, as one from satyam, this one self is all-perceiving, thus, 'you are that'; may I know 'tattvamasi' through regard of the non-dual, which becomes knowledge of everything, on the mountain.

(Verse 13/Sec.viii)

VERSE 14

May the Holy Lord, the all-provider, bestow upon the world of athletic endeavors, the most glorious other-worldly winter sport, skiing, which creates yogis through its sublime presence of action and graceful movements.

(Verse 14/Sec.1)

May this discipline enlighten through its utter surround and quiet beauty the devotee of God thus consoled; may I realize the beatific realm of nature, which is replete with harmony, on the ski mountain.

(Verse 14/Sec.2)

yasya rakshitr^shr^mga jiivati pariShaadi parasya

whose guardian peak lives in the assembly of God (vs 10)

yaa cintaa sarvaM svaadbhuutashryaaM sarvatra

whose reflection is all that there is in this astounding natural beauty all around

Do you want to learn Sanskrit or test your wings to see what it is ? Explore further at the link below, please.

Mount Blanc from plus2sport.com

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