Kabir – Excerpts from His Life

1398–1518

 

Kabir Sahib

 

According to the Anurag Sagar1 Kabir was the first Saint who embodied Himself in all four yugas to lead the souls back to God.

During this time, He revitalised Sant Mat or the Path of the Masters, which shows us a direct path to God – free from all artificial and strenuous exercises. He rejected all distinctions of caste and religion and taught only the belief in the One God, Whose Light shines equally in all.

He was born into this world as a Muslim of a low caste. He was only a poor weaver, but He questioned the knowledge and position of the high-born Brahmins:

O Brahmin, you too were born of a woman! How can you call yourself a Brahmin when you came into the world in the same way as we outcasts? There is only blood in our veins – is there then milk in yours?

And elsewhere He wrote:

In my house, I constantly weave the thread, while you wear the thread2 around your neck, O Brahmin.

You read the Vedas and sacred hymns, while I have enshrined the Lord of the Universe in my heart.

Upon my tongue, within my eyes, and within my heart, abides the Lord, the Lord of the Universe.

When you are interrogated at Death's door, o mad-man, what will you say then?

I am a cow, and You are the herdsman, the Sustainer of the World. You are my Saving Grace, lifetime after lifetime.

You have never taken me across to graze there – what sort of a herdsman are you?

You are a Brahmin, and I am a weaver of Benares; can you understand my wisdom?

You beg from emperors and kings, while I meditate on the Lord.

Guru Granth Sahib, 482-11 – 482-15

He also firmly rejected idolatry, pilgrimages and all other ritual means for finding God, declaring that He had explored all these paths Himself and that they did not bring Him closer to God.

The idols are all lifeless. I know this because I have begged them aloud.

When He set out on the pilgrimage to Mecca, God stopped Him on the way and rebuked Him:

Who told you that I am there? I am within you!

He never hesitated to speak the Truth – even though He thereby caused unrest in the temples and mosques. Kabir, in turn, became the target of the displeasure of both Hindu and Muslim priests. He was accused and His case was brought to the attention of the ruler, and Kabir was sentenced to death. But all attempts failed – the sea did not want to drown Him and the wild elephant did not want to trample Him to death – and finally He was set free.

Kabir was already spiritually perfect at the time of His birth into this world; but for the sake of form, He accepted Ramanand as His guru. Ultimately, however, it was Kabir who gave enlightenment to Ramanand. The disciple showed His gratitude to the master.

He dispelled the dark shadows of dogma and rituals and revived the Yoga of the Sound Current, which becomes audible through the Guru. Kabir emphasised that if we are fortunate enough to have found a True Spiritual Guide, we should lead a pure life full of Love and devotion – which is only possible if we sacrifice everything.

Love grows not in the field and is sold not in the market, whoso would have, whether king or beggar, must pay with his life. Carry your head upon your palm as offering, if you would step into the Wonderland of Love.3

When the time of departing came, He packed his few possessions with great equanimity and left the holy city of Kashi (Benares), where He had spent His entire life, and went to Maghar. – It was believed at that time that if one died in Kashi, one would go directly to heaven, but in Maghar one would incur the curse of the gods and have to return to earth as a donkey. Some of His followers begged Him not to do so, but He pursued His plan without fear.

People say that Kabir has gone mad; only a few know the Truth – people see a rope and think it is a snake. The Lord sustains them all, just as water gives life to fish. The world will die, but I will not perish, for I have found the Giver of Life. Will God forget the love of His devotee when he leaves the world in Maghar? Or will the Lord of the Court forgive the sins of a man if he dies in Kashi? Certainly not!

At the age of 120, Kabir left the world. And Hindus and Muslims both wept for the Saint Who had taught them that Allah and Ram are just different names for the same God.

Kabir’s recognised successor was a certain Dharam Das – once a wealthy businessman who had squandered all his wealth in search of a Saint who had appeared to him on various occasions, given him advice and then mysteriously disappeared.

It was only when Dharam Das was completely destitute and close to suicide that Kabir appeared to him and initiated him into the mysteries of Surat Shabd Yoga.

Many others also attained Spiritual Perfection with His help, but the noblest of all disciples was Guru Nanak, Who, together with Kabir, revived the forgotten science of True Spirituality.

In these modern times, these two Saints have revealed the Truth of Kabir’s words:

In this world, there is no one who gives us more than the Guru.

And they gave to the common man, with complete frankness, just that which was once revealed to only a few.

Of all the hymns of the Bhaktas in the Guru Granth Sahib, those of Kabir are the most numerous.

How can the Love between You and me ever end? As the lotus leaf rests in the water, so do You rest in your servant. As the chakor, the night bird, worships the moon all night, so do I do it with You, my Lord, Your servant. From the beginning to the end of all time, the Love between You and me exists – how could it ever end? Kabir therefore says: As the river flows into the sea, so my heart plunges into You.

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Explanation: 1) For further information, see the Anurag Sagar. 2) At the Hindu initiation ceremony, a sacred thread is placed around the neck of men of the higher castes. This is the ritual remnant of the once mystical experience. 3) See ‘The Crown of Life’ by Kirpal Singh, Part II: Chapter I / IV – The Master.