Through The Nine Gates - A Poem On The Nine Obstacles

Inspired by Patanjali's teaching on the nine obstacles of the mind (antarāyāḥ), this reflective poem is an invitation to pause, breathe, and remember that every challenge on the path can become a doorway to wisdom.

Through gentle imagery and contemplative verse, the poem explores illness, doubt, distraction, attachment, and the other inner obstacles—not as enemies to be conquered, but as companions that reveal the way back to our deepest self. Each stanza offers a quiet reminder that growth is rarely linear, and that every step, even the difficult ones, is part of the journey home.

May these words inspire courage, compassion, and the confidence to continue walking your path with an open heart.

Transcript

The short poem on the nine obstacles. Poem is titled, The Path Within. I set my foot upon the path, A whisper in the soul's deep breath. Yet shadows stirred along the way, Not enemies, But silent guests. Illness came first. In aching form. A tired body asking rest. Not now, I thought, Yet still it thought. That stillness too is sacred flesh. Then dullness wrapped my mind in mist, A heavy sky with no clear dawn. But deep within, A spark still lit. The sun returns, Though clouds hang on. Doubt approached with quiet steps. A question curled behind the eyes. Are you the one to walk this way? The heart replied, I have walked through time. Carelessness in Hadeed Pace. A garden passed without a glance. But slowing down, I met the breeze and learned to bow with every stance. Laziness, A velvet voice said, Sleep a while, You've done enough. Yet I rose, Not with a shove, But one soft breath, And that was love. Desire called in sweet disguise With songs of gold and honeyed wine. But joy I learnt is not what's held, It's what remains when I release. Illusion came, A broken mirror that showed me who I wish to be. But truth was quite plain and bare. It waited where I dared to see. I climbed, Yet could not reach the ledge. Frustration hissed, You'll never rise. But roots grow slow beneath the earth. And flowers bloom in their own time. And once I rose, The winds returned, Instability, A restless tide. But still I stood, And still I breathed, And found the calm that lives inside. Nine veils, Nine doors, Nine turning keys, Not blocks but bridges of the soul, And every step I feared to take was part of making myself whole. So walk the path through storm and flame. Through thorn and stream, Through doubt and grace, Each obstacle you meet with love will show you your own sacred face. Thank you for listening. Namaste.