On Skiing: the Metaphysics

By Marilynn Lea Stark

DEDICATION: 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.

तत्त्व हिमसंसर्पम्

tattva himasaṁsarpaṇam

The Truth of Skiing

ॐ हिम हय स्वेत ब्रह्मने लोके तु नमस्ते ।१।
om hima haya sveta brahmane loke tu namaste |1|
VERSE 1
Om. Salutations unto Thee, the conveyance as white snow which is the Supreme Spirit, Brahman, in this world. (1)

भूम्यै गगनाय च समं ग समयेन स्थानेन च स्वाहा।२।
bhūmyai gaganāya ca samaṁ ga samayena sthānena ca svāhā |2|

VERSE 2

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

ॐ सरस्वत्यै नमः।
om sarasvatyai namaḥ|
VERSE 3
Om. Salutations unto Goddess Sarasvati.
ॐ शक्त्यै स्वाहा।
om śaktyai svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee power.
ॐ बलाय स्वाहा।
om balāya svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee strength.
ॐ मापनाय स्वाहा।
om māpanāya svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee balance.
ॐ नियतत्वाय स्वाहा।
om niyatatvāya svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee precision.
ॐ रयाय स्वाहा।
om rayāya svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee speed.
ॐ पंचभूतेभ्यः स्वाहा
om rayāya svāhā|
Om. Offering unto Thee the five elements. (3)

हिमसंसर्पणारित्रे चलेयं कालाकाशे।
स्वरैक्येनाशेषेन पंचभूतैश्चलनस्य
शोभायाम्
स्वरूपस्य शैले हिमागमस्य॥४॥
himasaṁsarpaṇāritre caleyaṁ kālākāśe|
svaraikyenāśeṣena paṇcabhūtaiścalanasya
śobhāyām
svarūpasya śaile himāgamasya||4||
VERSE 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)

एवं अकसद्भवं पञ्चभुतनि चलनस्य
evaṁ akaśadbhavaṁ paṇcabhūtani calanasya
आशिषाणि दातुं नित्यसातत्याय क्शराय
āśiṣāṇi datuṁ nityasātatyāya kśarāya
कालाय कर्मसमुद्भवं इति।
kālāya karmasamudbhavaṁ iti
tasmādbrahmodbhavam akśarātkarma yajñe||5||
VERSE 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)

अहं वेद क्शरभवं हिमसंसर्पणाभ्यां अक्शरात्कर्म
यज्ञाद्नित्यात्परं ब्रह्म॥६॥

ahaṁ veda ksarabhavaṁ himasaṁsarpaṇābhyaṁ akśarātkarma
yajñādnityātparaṁ brahma||6||

VERSE 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)