Kabir-Part VI

Following are a few of his selected teachings:

On God:

'O God, I am your child and you are my Mother. Won't you pardon me my errors? The child may commit numberless blunders; would the Mother ever mind them? If the baby pulls the Mother's braids, wouldn't the Mother remain unruffled? Kabir is convinced that the child's sorrow is also the mother's, nay, the mother's is still more!'4

On External observances:

Why do you bathe and wash,without feeling the God Indwelling? You wash the vessel outside,while within it's foul-smelling. Wash you may a hundred times well; Without the Name, you can't avoid the hell!5

On Guru:

'Kabir says that those who think lightly of their Guru are blind, indeed. When God frowns upon you, the Guru is your refuge; but when the Guru frowns, you have no refuge anywhere!'6
If body is a venomous creeper Guru is a tank full-o' -nectar.
Should you give for Guru your head Still the price is far less paid.7

On Remembrance of God:

Merged in the joy of God-remembrance, Remain with your mouth closed in silence.
Shut out the senses from the world outside, Open the mind and see Him inside.8
Ages passed telling your beads,
Yet the mind's crookedness mending needs; Leave aside then telling beads by hand.
Tell, instead, your beads by mind.9
'O Lord, immersed unceasingly in Thy consciousness, I verily became Thyself; nothing now remains of mine to say I. I swear by Thy Name, O Lord, wherever I turn I behold only Thyself!'10

On Duty:

'Kabir says that this body is sure to go away; before it does, apply it to some good purpose. [Ask yourself:] How many holy men have you served? How much of God's glory have you sung?'11

On Egotism:

He -who says always 'my' and I His ego does everything destroy.
It binds the feet tight as a chain, It acts like a noose of death and pain.12

On Death:

'Whoever is born must depart some day, be he a king or a slave or a saint. [The only difference perhaps is that] the king departs after sitting on throne, while the servant has to go after suffering much pain.'13
In this body-cage with ten doors open
Is lodged the bird of Life; It's wonder if it stays even for second's time,
Nothing to wonder if it leaves anytime!14

On Maya:

'Very few are aware that both Maya and a shadow behave alike. Run away from them and they chase you; face them boldly and see them both run away from you!'15
On Practice: 'There are many to preach; alas, so few to practise. It is better that empty precepts are dumped in streams, for preaching without practice is nothing but senseless screams.'16

On Adultery:

The neighbour's wife is a deadly knife.
Bring her never into your life. Ravana, though ten-headed, lost his life,
Because of his desire for Rama's wife.17
On Truthfulness:
Dressed in love's attire
Kabir would dance in mirth, And would sacrifice his all
on one who spoke only truth.18

On Holy Men:

To become a holy man esteemed by all is like climbing a palm tree tall; Succeed, you enjoy the delicious juice; Fall, you're a heap of broken bones!19
He who's above the greed for gold and who's free from woman's hold,
On such a holy man's feet I'll lie like dust, says Kabir.20
Real Heroism: 'He is no hero who fights with bow and arrow. True heroism consists in overcoming Maya and attaining Divine Love for God.'

To be continued