Women’s Voices I: Lal Ded

Lal Ded was one of the great Indian mystics. She was born in 14th century Kashmir during a time of social, economic and religious turmoil. Political dominance was shifting among three great religions: Hinduism, Sufism and Buddhism. With direct, ordinary language, Lal Ded wrote teaching songs, or Vakhs, that spoke to adherents of all three religions. She had many names - demonstrating her appeal across religions. In Hindi, she is Lal Ded (grandmother Lal); in Sanskrit, Lalleshwari (Lalla the yogini); to Muslims, Lal Arifa. Her sayings are still in common use in Kashmir.

Her story: Lal Ded was married at twelve to a neglectful husband. At twenty-six, she left her husband and her abusive mother-in-law to follow Shiva. She took to wandering the country naked - singing, dancing and teaching. Not even remotely a physical beauty, Lal Ded was known for a big, floppy stomach hanging down as in this picture.

Like many women mystics, Lal Ded had a personal, love-devotion relationship with the divine. Yet at the same time, her words reference an experience of enlightenment or unitive dissolution/loss of self such as is common in Buddhist texts. Also in common with other mystics, her writing demonstrates a universalist outlook (although without using that label, of course). In the embrace of divine love, all is one, and none condemned - which naturally leads to tolerance of religious differences. Finally, Lal Ded talks of the struggles of the spiritual path, as well as the rewards - both describing her experience and admonishing students.

Here are a few of Lal Ded's poems. Links to 138 more, as well as other material, can be found at Kashmiri Saints and Sages.

I searched for my Self
Until I grew weary,

But no one, I know now,
Reaches the hidden knowledge
By means of effort.

Then, absorbed in “Thou art This,”
I found the place of Wine.

There all the jars are filled,
But no one is left to drink.

* * * * * * * * *

To learn the scriptures is easy,
To live them, hard.
The search for the Real
Is no simple matter.

Deep in my looking,
The last words vanished.
Joyous and silent,
The waking that met me there.

(These two: Coleman Barks, tr. in Jane Hirshfield, Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women)

* * * * * * * * *

Laughing sneezing, coughing, yawning,
Bathing in sacred pools,
Going about unclothed throughout the year,
He is about you all the time-
In all these forms recognize Him.

* * * * * * * * *

A wooden bow and rush grass for an arrow:
A carpenter unskilled and a palace to build:
A shop unlocked in a busy bazaar:
A body uncleansed by waters holy-
Oh dear ! who knows what hath befallen me ?

(These two Jayalal Kaul, tr. in Jayalal Kaul Lal Ded)

* * * * * * * * *

Let them jeer or cheer me
Let them say what they like
Let good people worship me with flowers
What can any one of them gain I being pure?

* * * * * * * * *

When my mind was cleansed of impurities,
Like a mirror of its dust and dirt,
I recognized the Self in me:
When I saw Him dwelling in me,
I realized that He was the Everything
And I was nothing.

(These two: B. N. Paramoo, tr., in B. N. Paramoo The Ascent of Self: A Reinterpretation of the Mystical Poetry of Lalla-Ded)