Category Archive: Kabir

“Modesty is the foundation of all virtues.”

– Confucius

“Modesty is the highest elegance.”

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 
Kabir – The couplet
शीलवन्त सबसे बड़ा, सब रतनन की खान ।

तीन लोक की सम्पदा, रही शील में आन ॥||
 
Transliterated:
Sheelvanth sabse bada, sab ratnan ki khaan |

Teen lok ki Sampada, rahi sheel mein aan ||
 
Translation:
Modesty is the greatest of virtues, the kind of all jewels|
The true wealth of all the worlds is found embedded in this virtue ||
 
My understanding:
Goethe and Confucius both have identified the princely position of modesty in the regime of virtues. Kabir has placed it even higher. What does modesty really do for us?

Modesty is a virtue that can shower many blessings on us. By promoting humility, modesty can help individuals develop healthier relationships with others, reduce conflicts, and promote a sense of mutual respect. Modesty can also help individuals develop a strong sense of self-awareness and avoid the pitfalls of arrogance and entitlement. This can lead to greater personal growth, as individuals are more willing to learn from others and recognize their own limitations. Additionally, modesty can promote a sense of inner peace and contentment, as individuals are less concerned with status and external validation and more focused on personal values and relationships. In short, modesty can bring many blessings to humans, both in terms of personal growth and in fostering healthier relationships with others.

Practicing modesty involves being humble, respectful, and aware of one’s limitations. It’s important to recognize the contributions of others, listen actively, and avoid seeking attention or validation from others. Practicing gratitude and focusing on personal values can also help promote a humble and respectful attitude. Ultimately, the key to practicing modesty is cultivating a mindset of humility and respect for others while avoiding the pitfalls of arrogance and self-centeredness. By doing so, individuals can develop healthier relationships with others, promote personal growth, and find a sense of inner peace and contentment. This is what Kabir is exhorting us all to do!

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

– Aristotle

 
Kabir – The couplet
जाती न पूछो साधू की, पूछ लीजिये ज्ञान |

मोल करो तलवार का, पड़ा रहने दो म्यान ||
 
Transliterated:
Jati na poochho sadhu ki, pooch lijiye gyan |

Mol karo talwar ki, pada rehne do mayaan ||
 
Translation:
Ask not of the wise their background, rather feast on their wisdom|
Focus on the strength of the sword, ignoring the distractions of the scabbard ||
 
My understanding:
The base human mind is forever trying to establish its own identity and greatness over all else. This petty one-upmanship leaves us much the poorer, for it leaves us unable to take advantage of opportunities that continue to present themselves to us all the time. 

This is what Kabir is advising in this beautiful couplet – to take the wisdom from the wise, ignoring the rest of the persona. The beauty of the scabbard can distract us – but the scabbard by itself is of little value – it’s true value is the power of the sword it holds. So we should focus first on the sword – only if it is of the right value does the scabbard become relevant.

Even Aristotle is telling the same thing – albeit differently. His quote emphasizes the importance of being open to different perspectives and viewpoints, even if they conflict with our own beliefs. By considering different viewpoints, we can gain wisdom and insight that we might not have otherwise been able to obtain. Rather than picking sides or adhering strictly to our own beliefs, we can learn from others and broaden our understanding of the world.

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” 

– Paulo Coelho

 
Kabir – The couplet
जल में बसे कमोदनी, चंदा बसे आकाश |

जो है जा को भावना सो ताहि के पास ||

 
Transliterated:
Jal mein base kumudini, aur chaand base aakaash |

Jo ja ke hirday base, vo va hi ke paas ||

 
Translation:
The water-lily nestles in water, the moon graces the night sky |
But like the reflection of the moon in water brings the two seemingly together, so also does pure devotion bring the heavenly Lord right down to the devotee’s space ||
 
My understanding:

Pure love and devotion are the best paths to getting closer to God. They bring the devotee closer to the divine. The more one empties oneself of everything, the more one is filled with divine love!

So, what exactly is God? To me, God, or Divinity, is that spark inside me that continuously nudges me in the “right” direction, asking me to serve, to help, and to spread peace and joy wherever I can. And when I cannot, it asks me to walk away calmly rather than interfere. And herein lies the heart of the matter – such equanimity can be expressed only when there is no desire to benefit from participation – which means the self is divested of all desire!

When we achieve that state, we are able to appreciate the joy in simplicity and every moment around us. We have achieved the divine at that moment!

"To be content with what we possess is the greatest and most secure of riches." 
- Marcus Tullius Cicero
 
Kabir - The couplet
चाह मिटी, चिंता मिटी मनवा बेपरवाह ।
जिसको कुछ नहीं चाहिए वह शहनशाह॥
 
Transliterated:
Chaah miti, chinta miti, manwa beparwaah |
Jisko kuch nahi chahiye, wah Shahenshah ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – when desire vanishes, so does worry |
He who desires nothing, is the true lord of all ||
 
My understanding:
It is easy to say – and so many say it – conquer desire, and you will find true satisfaction. But how does one go about it?
Conquering desire is not an easy task, as it involves a fundamental shift in how we think and approach life. However, there are several steps one must take to conquer desire:
•	Recognize the root of desire: Understand that desire is often driven by a sense of lack or dissatisfaction and recognize that this sense of lack is often rooted in our thoughts and beliefs.
•	Practice mindfulness: Develop a regular mindfulness practice, such as meditation or yoga, to help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions.
•	Cultivate contentment: Learn to appreciate what you already have, and find contentment in simple pleasures.
•	Focus on gratitude: Focus on the good things in your life, and practice gratitude regularly.
•	Set realistic goals: Instead of focusing on material possessions or achievements, set realistic goals that align with your values and contribute to your personal growth.
•	Limit exposure to media: Limit your exposure to media that promotes materialism and consumerism, as this can fuel desire and create a sense of lack.
•	Practice self-control: Develop self-control by learning to delay gratification and resisting impulsive urges.
•	Seek support: Seek support from friends, family, or a therapist to help you stay on track and navigate any challenges that arise.
•	Engage in meaningful activities: Engage in activities that bring you fulfillment and meaning, such as volunteering or pursuing a passion.
•	Embrace impermanence: Recognize that everything is impermanent and focus on living in the present moment, rather than clinging to desires or attachments.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Kabir – The couplet
रात गंवाई सोय के, दिवस गंवाया खाय |
हीरा जन्म अमोल सा, कोड़ी बदले जाय ||
 
Transliterated:
Raat gawai soye ke, diwas gawaya khaay  |
Heera janam Anmol saa, koi badale jai ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – you spend your nights asleep, your days in pursuit of food |
This life is a precious gift; awake and change – make your life useful ||
 
My understanding:
Our daily life, focused on ourselves, makes daily living seem like a routine drudgery – we do the same things day in and day out but expect various different results and improvements daily. 

So – how do we get something different? By changing – by doing, by being different. Kabir exhorts all to understand and appreciate the priceless gift that human life truly is – and to take advantage of the gift rather than fritter it away on the mundane. Emerson also picks up on this – we want to be happy when we need to be much more. Life is not about me or for me – I am for life – to help, serve, and leave the world a better place every single moment I take a breath.

So try, strive, and be that continuously better human being – every moment of life!

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
-Dale Carnegie
 
Kabir – The couplet
चिंता ऐसी डाकिनी, काट कलेजा खाए ।
वैद बेचारा क्या करे, कहा तक दवा लगाए ॥
 
Transliterated:
Chinta aisi dakini, kaat kaleja khaye |
Vaidh Bechara kya kare, kahan tak dava lagaye ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – worry is such an insidious disease, eats away at the mind |
What medicine can the poor physician prescribe or apply, to an entity that is not corporeal ||
 
My understanding:
On a daily basis, we tend to worry – about everything. We start with worry  getting out of bed – what does the day hold for us? From there it is the rest of everything that the day can put in front of us – from the mundane to the very complex. We worry about ourselves, our partner, our friends, our family, our children, our job, our live and everything else around and more.

This worry blinds us to the reality around us, replacing it with its own painted view of everything – blinding us to the simple joys that abound every moment and every space we come in contact with. And this takes away the ability to love, learn and enjoy – replacing them with dread, ignorance and a constant heavy feeling in the pit of the stomach. None of which are treatable by any medicine for the body – for malaise is not with the body, but rather the non-corporeal mind…

The only way to kill this dreadful malaise is to learn to accept, center ourselves and teach ourselves to be always calm – for then we see everything in its true self and not through the tinted glasses of worry! And just this little effort will energize our entire journey through life and make life a fulfilling saga – rather than a drudgery!

“nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti, na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya, jāgrato naiva cārjuna”

There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.
– Bhagavad Gita 6.16
 
Kabir – The couplet
कामी लज्या न कराइ, मन माहे अहिलाद ।
नींद न मंगरी संतरा, भूखी न मांगे स्वाद ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kaami Lajja Na Karai, Man Mohe Ahilaad |
Neend Na Maangri Santara, Bhookhi Na Maange Swaad ||
 
Translation:
A person in the grips of passion has no shame, his mind is busy elsewhere|
The sleepy one is not looking for a feather bed, the hungry one cares little for taste ||
 
My understanding:
Moderation. What a beautiful concept – and so very easily forgotten. The enemy of relentless desire, the closest ally of the determined, moderation is one tool that can help us rapidly work our way closer to perfection.

Suppressing desire only makes it stronger. Denying ourselves of simple satisfaction or starving ourselves of anything only teaches us to wait for the opportune moment, and overindulge at the first presented opportunity.

In this way, we seem to expend a lot of the precious resource of time vacillating between two extremes, unable to stop or maintain steady state in the middle, even when we recognize it.  One of the more subtle teachings of discipline and the art of control is to have just enough to stave of the need for more, without allowing it to develop into want or lust.

When we start listening to the subtle messages from the body and mind that help generate control, instead of the desire-driven senses that always end up pushing us over the cliff, we are no longer scrambling to find ways to break falls or clamber back to the place we had already arrived at earlier before the fall. Our energies can then be more calmly and purposefully used to help us climb higher always rather than running at full speed to just stay where we are.

“Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it’s safe or certain.”
-Anonymous
 
Kabir – The couplet
जो तू चाहे मुक्ति को, छोड़ दे सबकी आस ।
मुक्त ही जैसा हो रहे, सब कुछ तेरे पास ॥
 
Transliterated:
Jo Tu Chaahe Mukti Ko, Chhod De Sabki Aas |
Mukt Hi Jaisa Ho Rahe, Sab Kuchh Tere Paas ||
 
Translation:
It you are desirous of deliverance (moksha), give up hanging on to life’s attractions |
As you find the ultimate freedom, you will find you possess everything!  ||
 
My understanding:
Desire and possession are the two biggest bottomless pits we trap ourselves in – and then we complain that freedom is eluding us!

I have heard many say they desire moksha – freedom from the cycle of life and death – but in the very next breath, they are already contemplating on what they need to do to make their life more interesting/better/more livable.

Those desirous of moksha have to first understand what they are asking for – for being trapped in the encumbrances of life is the very thing moksha is the opposite of – and yet, they seem to ask for both. The subsequent complaint, that both are elusive, is a never-to-be-solved vicious circle – if you want the one, the other cannot exist.

Now here is the hidden secret – as soon as we give up falling prey to the mirage of life’s physical promises, we find that life becomes truly pleasurable, fun and truly livable. And then, at the end of this physical life, we can joyfully step into true deliverance.

However, we fear that which we do not know – and that fear makes us reject it even if it presents itself in its true glory in front of us, unasked. So we have to:

• Give up this irrational fear of the unknown
• Understand the falsities that are the mirage of life’s promises
• Recognize that only me, and no one else, can truly put me on the path to moksha

Then we will have fond the true joy of life and living and learning!

“But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.”
– Edmund Burke
 
Kabir – The couplet
आवत गाली एक है, उल्टन होए अनेक ।
कहे कबीर नहीं उलटिए, वही एक की एक ॥
 
Transliterated:
Awat Gari Ek Hai, Ultan Hoye Anek |
Kah Kabeer Nahi Ultiye, Wahi Ek Kee Ek ||
 
Translation:
The incoming insult is one, but the response is manifold|
Says Kabir, withhold the response, limit the insult to the one||
 
My understanding:
To respond is an instinct that has been woven deep into our genes – and not just ours. Every living being responds to stimulus. However, as humans, we have learnt to use wisdom to temper our response. We have used our learning ability to teach our domesticated animals to temper their response too!

However, this tempering, for the larger part, has stayed based in knowledge rather than wisdom. We respond as we deem appropriate based on our understanding of the input, rather than thinking forward to the result of what our response may cause. And that is where wisdom steps in to play that all-important role. When wisdom is awakened, we are filled with the realization of two things –

• Any response to negativity will only foster more of what we do not want / are trying to avoid
• Such input rarely if ever deserves/merits a response.

When we hold back the response, we also have to learn to dissolve it in the fire of wisdom – for if not, it adds to a store of perceived insults in the self that at some point will burst out in a flood of negativity on an unsuspecting victim.

So we have to learn to use wisdom to not respond, and to melt the memory in the ocean of universal love. When we do that, we are ready to start our next stage of learning!

“Whenever the cloud of ego threatens to engulf me, I remind myself of my roots. It helps keeping my feet on the ground.”
– Faraaz Kazi
 
Kabir – The couplet
ऊंचे पानी न टिके, नीचे ही ठहराय ।
नीचे हो सो भरी पिए, ऊंचे प्यास जाय ॥
 
Transliterated:
Oonche Paani Naa Tike, Neeche Hi Thahraay |
Neeche Ho So Bhari Piye, Unchhe Pyaasa Jaay ||
 
Translation:
Water never floats, but rather flow to the lowest space|
He who is on the ground can slake his thirst fully, he who flies stays thirsty||
 
My understanding:
Be grounded in a stable understanding of self and circumstance, and stress will not be able to faze or change you. Develop this understanding in moments of calm so that you can change even troubled times into peaceful moments, rather than let the trouble change you into its nature.

When we are calm, we can channel our energies to modify our environment to match our demeanor – when agitated, we absorb the energy of the environment, meaning we transform to reflect the environment.

The choice is always ours to make – mold the world to reflect us, or mold our self to be a slave to the whims of the moment.

The grounded one can drink from the fountain of peace, and enjoy all the presented bounty in peace. The agitated one, though seemingly in glorious flight, is not able to spend more than a fleeting moment to perceive each presented gift – far less truly explore and enjoy its full potential. Because of this, the one in flight will forever be chasing what seems like an ephemeral dream of peace and bliss. To receive, we have to be ready to receive. Which means to allow the gift to reveal itself to us, rather than being in a rush to get it all and then move on. For once we truly receive this gift, we will need nothing else and no more!

“In our stillness, we acknowledge God’s greatness and we are at peace in our life. Stillness saturates us in the Presence of God.”
– E’yen A. Gardner, Humbly Submitting to Change – The Wilderness Experience
 
Kabir – The couplet
हरि संगत शीतल भया, मिटी मोह की ताप।
निशिवसर सुख निधि, लहा अन्न प्रगत आप॥
 
Transliterated:
Hari Sangat Sheetal Bhaya, Miti Moh Ki Aag |
Nishiwasar Sukh Nidhi, Laha Ann Pragata Aap ||
 
Translation:
The company of God is calming, it frees you from the flames of desire|
Eternal bliss will surround you, all you need will be made available||
 
My understanding:
So here is a different way to look at life. When we submit to the presence man commonly refers to as God, truly submit, we give up our tenuous hold on ego, desire, craving and the like. For in the presence of the One everything is already there – and there can be no want.

Only after arriving in a room with no light, where even the deepest peering provides no input to the eyes, do we really learn to use our other sensory organs, and then we discover the magic we always had access to but chose to blithely ignore. Similarly, when we finally relax enough to allow God to take our hand, we suddenly realize that all the effort we had been putting out to do/be/think was for naught – in this space, everything happens without effort.

Having realized that, we then become aware of the true bounty that life really is – the gift that continues to teach and reward without end. This gift in reality has no peer, for it teaches us positively even through failure and absence of our response or our lack of knowledge and understanding!

And all this while taking care of our every need!

“Don’t let your ego consumes you so that in the race of getting ahead from every one you don’t lose those who truly cared for you.”
– Unknown
 
“…the human being to lack that second skin we call egoism has not yet been born, it lasts much longer than the other one, that bleeds so readily.”
– José Saramago, Blindness
 
Kabir – The couplet
मै मै बड़ी बलै है, सकै तो निक्सो भाजी ।
कब लग राखौ हे सखि, रुई लपेटी आगि ॥
 
Transliterated:
Mai Mai Badi Balai Hai, Sakai To Nikso Bhaji |
Kab Lag Rakhau He Sakhi, Rui Lapeti Aagi ||
 
Translation:
“I“ is an overpowering word (thought) – though entrancing, get rid of it if possible|
As cotton wrapped around a fire cannot contain it (it succumbs), so also ego will consume you||
 
My understanding:
Ego – everything seems to be visible only through this lens, and all input seems to end up at the table that ego serves itself.

So then, all action finds direction from the ephemeral construct that we call ego, instead of from the true self. Hence, nothing we do seems to be able to satisfy us or satiate a need – for how can something done under the direction of an opinioned entity that is not me truly help, satisfy or serve me?

When we understand this, we can begin the battle that starts with identifying ego through its various manifestations, and whose end goal needs to be understanding and learning to ignore ego – for we can never truly destroy or overpower it. Ego never dies – it only re-manifests itself under a new cloak!

“Physical pleasure is a sensual experience no different from pure seeing or the pure sensation with which a fine fruit fills the tongue; it is a great unending experience, which is given us, a knowing of the world, the fullness and the glory of all knowing. And not our acceptance of it is bad; the bad thing is that most people misuse and squander this experience and apply it as a stimulant at the tired spots of their lives and as distraction instead of a rallying toward exalted moments.”
-Ranier Maria Rilke 

Kabir – The couplet
माशी गूढ़ में गाड़ी रही, पंख रही लिपटाय ।
ताली पीते सीरी धुनै, मीठे बोई माई ॥
 
Transliterated:
Maashi Gudh Mein Gadi Rahi, Pankh Rahi Laptaay |
Taali Peetai Siri Dhunai, Meetha Boi Mai ||
 
Translation:
Attracted to the sweet jaggery, the fly sits on it and gets its wings stuck|
Similarly, men, giving in to sensual pleasures, waste their life away in distractedness ||
 
My understanding:
Just about every teacher of religion and philosophy seems to say that one needs to stay away from the pleasures of the senses, and practice discipline to avoid giving in to the weakness such pleasure induces.

However, there is a fine distinction to be made here. We have been gifted with the senses, and taught the art of discrimination. We need to teach ourselves to apply discrimination to sip slowly and in appropriate limited spaces from the cup of sensual pleasure – then, instead of becoming a prison, they become the gentle spice that elevates the drinking at the cup of life from mere slaking of a thirst to the relishing of divine grace. For the controlled and ever reverential enjoyment of sensual pleasure is the fragrant gentle wind that will correct the little course deviations suffered by the boat that ferries us through life, and will smoothly but surely deliver us to the proper next state at the end of this physical life.

Where we falter is that we get so lost in a small deviation that we fight the course connection and even ignore it’s dire warnings, only to find too late that we are caught in a whirlpool of uncontrolled emotional instability or a maelstrom of negativity that we cannot escape despite our greatest efforts. Even if we do successfully fight our way out of the difficulty, the energy spent is so great that we no longer have the ability to truly enjoy the constant flow of small graces that continually surround us, and limp through the rest of life listlessly.

So enjoy, but with grace and control, and find sustainable joy and bliss in every moment in life!

“In a deep metaphysical sense, all that is conditioned is illusory. All phenomena are literally ‘appearances,’ the outer masks in which the One Reality shows itself forth in our changing universe. The more ‘material’ and solid the appearance, the further is it from reality, and therefore the more illusory it is.”
-Annie Besant
 
Kabir – The couplet
उज्जवल देखि न दीजिये, बग ज्यों मंडई ध्यान ।
धौरे बैठी चाप्टेसि, यूं ले बुड़इ ज्ञान ॥
 
Transliterated:
Ujjwal Dekhi Na Dijiye, Bag Jyu Maandai Dhyaan |
Dhoure Baithi Chaptesi, Yoo Le Budai Gyaan ||
 
Translation:
Do not see white and presume pure, even the heron is white|
The heron fools fish into becoming food, the mind can fool the unwary ||
 
My understanding:
We think we observe and see things, people, the world and our environment as it is. What we always ignore is that all of our sight and other sensory input is filtered through the layers of our experience, learning and understanding.

For example, when we see a flower, even before we have really seen it, we are already labeling it in our mind, comparing it to our database of other information, and trying to find descriptions and tags to best catalog it in our mental spaces.

Since we depend so very much on our past learning to help us parse, understand and use the input we receive from the senses, we have left little room to allow the full nature of the input to impinge on us. Our conditioning forces us to give up innocence in favor of experience, and the joy of receiving in favor of utility value and perceived benefits.

When all input is thus filtered through these multifarious lenses, we seem jaded, unable to truly experience the continuous flow of bliss and contentment that creation is bequeathing us. And then we complain that there is no joy left to experience.

So stop trying to label and identify, re-awaken your true innocence, and see the bounty you receive for what it truly is, not what you perceive it to be.

” “Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him,” he was fond of repeating. “That is the true dialogue. Man questions God and God answers. But we don’t understand His answers. We can’t understand them. Because they come from the depths of the soul, and they stay there until death. You will find the true answers, Eliezer, only within yourself!” ”
-Elie Wiesel
 
Kabir – The couplet
करता दीसै कीर्तन, उञ्छा करी-करी तुण्ड ।
जाने बुझाई कुछ नाही, यूँही आधा रुंड ॥
 
Transliterated:
Karta Deesai Kirtan, Unchha Kari-Kari Tund |
Jane Bujhai Kuch Naahi, Younhi Aaadhaa Roond ||
 
Translation:
He is dancing and singing in praise of The Lord, raising his head higher each time|
But he seems not to understand what he praises, seeming more like a headless ghost ||
 
My understanding:
When we begin praying, we stumble over words, meanings, expression and tone. When we finally find the right cadence, we immediately turn around to demonstrate our new learning and mastery to the world; blithely ignoring the reality that prayer is a conversation with The Almighty, not a show to put on for humanity.

By the time we recognize the error and turn back to God, the ego has bolstered itself to the extent that it gets in the way of our conversation, playing out the role of Nero on the self, luring us away from our conversation by inserting self-admiration and pride into our presentation.

God’s infinite wisdom gives us responses to our prayers that we do not understand or do not find convenient. So our first prayer needs to be to ask for the strength to ask the right questions. And then we need the strength to hear and accept the responses we get. But then begins our true battle with the self – we will need to now digest the response and implement the suggestions – something the ego absolutely does not want us to do. For the first part of those suggestions will completely strip ego of all existential pretenses, baring our true soul to the world. Which is really the right way to be. But, as most argue, right is never convenient or seemingly fit!

Fight on!!

“Real kindness seeks no return – what return can the world make to rain clouds?”
-Tiruvalluvar, Tamil Sage and Poet
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर मन फुल्या फिरे, करता हूँ मैं धम्म ।
कोटि क्रम सीरी ले चल्या, चेट न देखै भ्रम ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Man Phulya Phire, Karta Hoon Main Dhamm |
Koti Kram Siri Le Chalya, Chet Na Dekhai Bhram ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – our mind swells with pride, about the good deeds we have done |
It is in ignorance of all the karma, the doing of the deeds has accumulated ||
 
My understanding:
The human mind is an interesting animal. It creates an image of the self it feels will show itself in the best light, and then puts every resource available to strive to that single goal. However, it rapidly runs into an interesting cul-de-sac – for every one who praises a specific view, there are more than a few detractors. So it soon lands itself in the state of dejection where it finds that it cannot create a single view that earns accolades from “everyone”.

In this state, it then pushes the self close to the cliff-edge of despair – but then finds a backbone in arrogance, and demands that the world be told the righteousness of its stance, and acknowledgement of the true grandeur of itself.

Pretty soon, the mind finds itself rapidly vacillating between elation and depression – finding vicarious pleasure in perceived praises and dejection in assumed insult/hurt. In this state, the constant change of focus and attention disallows the practice of disciplined thought or attention to detail – leading to a superficial, empty life-experience.

We need to work to correct this natural tendency of the mind to seek praise for all presented acts. Our focus needs to be changed to point at the action, rather than perceiving and expecting result. When we do that, we will find ourselves naturally drawn to what is right, rather than what promises the most glamour. In that space, we will see our environment slowly light up in welcome light, and become the place that is the best suited for us to be in at that time!

“The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.”
-Voltaire
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर इस संसार का, झूठा माया मोह ।
जिहि घरी जीता बढ़ावना, तिहि घर तीता अन्दोह ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Is Sansar Mein, Jhootha Maya Moh |
Jihi Ghari Jiti Badhaavana, Tihi Ghar Tita Aandoh ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – delusion fills this world, fills it with false attraction |
In the house where births increase in number, so naturally do the number of deaths ||
 
My understanding:
Very simply put, every birth we ask for brings with it an associated death. At a more subtle level, every desire we give birth to have an accompanying death of the same desire that has to be tolerated/dealt with. This extends to thought, speech and action.

At the time of its rise, desire never presents the full or the real picture or the underlying ugliness/darkness that accompanies it. All we perceive is the golden glow of anticipation of all the promised pleasures. However, each pleasure comes at a price, every moment spent in these pursuits takes away from time we could otherwise fruitfully use to extend our state of calm and control, and energy spent in these (ultimately frivolous – because they bring no lasting satisfaction or joy) pursuits take away resources that we have had to work very hard to accumulate.

This is the awakening we need to train our mind toward, so that each desire is seen in its true total form instead of the pleasant façade it wants to present. Then, the decision we make on how to deal with it will be grounded in reality, and we will be able to live with the true consequences of our decision since we are fully aware of ALL impacts of the same.

“The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion.”
-Bodhidharma
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर माया पापिनी,फंध ले बैठी हाटी ।
सब जग तो फंदे पद्य, गया कबीरा काटी ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Maaya Papini, Phandh Le Baithi Haati |
Sab Jag Tou Phandhe Padya, Gaya Kabeera Kaati  ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – delusion is the origin of all sin, it has its noose at the ready in the marketplace (social meeting ground)|
All are caught in the noose, no exception – but Kabir himself has cut the noose (and found true freedom) ||
 
My understanding:
We usually associate delusion with our perception of life and its situations. We then proceed to measure everything through the scale of good and bad, label it and then pat ourselves on the back for having completed another task.

But life is not so very black and white. What is good for one is not right or sufficient for another. So karmas actually work to erase other karmas, while others pile onto the accumulation without end. For those who presume that the religious work/sacrifices they practice are the highest good, they fail to realize that this only effectively traps the being into an endless cycle of life and death, as expatiated in the Mundaka Upanishad:

tasmāc ca devā _bhaudhā _samprasūtāḥ _sādhyā _manuṣyāḥ _paśavo vayāṁsi,
prāṇāpānau vrīhi-yavau tapaś _ca śraddhā _satyam brahma-caryaṁ _vidhiś _ca | (1:2:7)
 
All the sacrifices performed by the eighteen people connected with them are transient and unsafe boats in crossing this Samsara. These actions are inferior. Those ignorant ones who glorify and consider as good these actions go to birth and death again and again.

Religion is not always spiritual. Material possession and temporal happiness are the most sought-after objectives of the majority of the world’s populace – and this is what most religious offering and training seems to cater – nay, pander – to. As a result, most religious acts culminate in more mental and psychological involvement, not freedom. Most of our “religious”activity takes us to “heaven” as a pat on our back for our good karma, and then dumps us back on earth when the bank account is exhausted.

Just because a religious act is directed towards God, or done as an offering to God does not guarantee that it will lead to God. More often than not, since the offering is done to God with a stated intent of finding some more mundane worldly objective, it actually leads us AWAY from God and deeper into the labyrinthine overly complicated and never truly resolved physical worldly existence.

Remaining within the folds of ignorance, convinced of the solidity of our learning and treating it as the ultimate armor, we think of ourselves as “wise and learned” and blithely ignore the true reality of our folly, So says the next verse in the same Manduka Upanishad:

avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ svayaṁ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitam manyamānāḥ,
janghanyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhāḥ, andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ | 1:2:8

Drowned in the midst of ignorance, but thinking themselves great and learned, the deluded ones, attacked from all sides by decay, disease and death and several other miseries, turn round and round in the wheel of Samsara like blind men guided by blind men.

Delusion is indeed the most potent form of Vishnu maaya – the delusion and misdirection of nature and creation. Stay always wary of its traps, pitfalls and cunning misleading endeavors. Understand that if it is complicated, it is a fruit of this tree of delusion. Walk away, give it up. Opt for the simple explanation, and stay attached to simplicity and reality – always!

“Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर इस संसार को, समझौ कई बार ।
पूँछ जो पकड़े भेड़ की, उत्र्य चाहे पार ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Is Sansaar Ko, Samjhau Kai Baar |
Poonch Jo Pakdai Bhed Ka, Utrya Chahai Paar  ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir to the world, explaining over and over again|
You cannot cross the ocean of life by holding onto a sheep’s tail ||
 
My understanding:
I have talked for a while about the self, overcoming desire, staying focused and working hard to realize the self. Here then, is another very important guideline to achieving Purushartha – the object of human life.

Our ancient texts and teachers have told us of the four purusharthas – Dharma (righteousness), Artha (prosperity), Kama (pleasure) and Moksha (liberation). Consider any one of the four – to truly achieve it, we have to both stay focused and work towards the goal by ourselves, alone. What will work for me is unique to me, just sufficiently different from everyone else that I need to walk my own path, even as I study the path and methods of others so as not to repeat their mistakes.

We have to participate in society so that we can both provide to the pool of accumulated knowledge and draw from that well as per our need. But we then need to take that learning, view it through the lens our Guru has shaped for us (that is unique again to each of us – so the lens, when shared, will misguide everyone else other than the one it is shaped for), and then follow the path that reveals itself to us without allowing distractions to lead us astray.

When we develop that discipline, success is assured.

“O my wealth-coveting and foolish soul, when will you succeed in emancipating yourself from the desire for wealth? Shame on my foolishness! I have been your toy! It is thus that one becomes a slave of others. No one born on earth did ever attain to the end of desire…. Without doubt, O Desire, your heart is as hard as adamant, since though affected by a hundred distresses, you do not break into pieces! I know you, O Desire, and all those things that are dear to you! The desire for wealth can never bring happiness.”
 
– Mahabharata – Santi Parva 177
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर जग की को कहै, भौजलि बुडे दास ।
परब्रह्म पति छड़ी करी, कराइ मान की आस ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Jag Ki Ko Kahai, Bhoujli Bude Daas |
Parabrahm Pati Chhadi Kari, Karaai Maan Ki Aas  ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir, why complain about the ordinary man, even devotees succumb|
Forgetting the true aim of their devotion, they go chasing after fame and praise ||
 
My understanding:
Desire is the one weapon that destroys all in its path, before turning on the wielder, destroying him and then and only then, does it self-destruct.

Desire drives us to lengths we would not even believe possible or acknowledge the existence of – it pushes us into dark corridors and forces us to squirm our way into untenable situations. In the early stages, it gives us a false sense of prosperity and well being, allowing us to believe that the others who warned of the impending dangers are wrong – this is in our best interest. It is only when we are so invested in it that there is no turning back, that it reveals its true dark side – but by then, two things have already happened.

1. Lenses that warp all true representations of reality have been immovably attached to our senses, so we will not be able to perceive reality, as we should.
2. Our belief structure has been changed to believe in the genuineness of the desire, so that even the best-intentioned of people can no longer change our view

So now it is too late to turn back – and hope has to move on to the next person, abandoning me to the eons of lost souls.

How do we turn back here? Only one way – listen to your own conscience. To the very end, it is diligently at work, trying to redeem us and lead us into the true light. So, before all is lost, give conscience its true worth, and its rightful place in the court of the self. And pay attention – for desire can reduce the voice of conscience to a silent whisper, even if it cannot completely silence it!

“nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti, na caikāntam anaśnataḥ

na cāti-svapna-śīlasya, jāgrato naiva cārjuna”

There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.
– Bhagavad Gita 6.16
 
Kabir – The couplet
कामी लज्या न कराइ, मन माहे अहिलाद ।
नींद न मंगरी संतरा, भूखी न मांगे स्वाद ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kaami Lajja Na Karai, Man Mohe Ahilaad |
Neend Na Maangri Santara, Bhookhi Na Maange Swaad ||
 
Translation:
A person in the grips of passion has no shame, his mind is busy elsewhere|
The sleepy one is not looking for a feather bed, the hungry one cares little for taste ||
 
My understanding:
Moderation. What a beautiful concept – and so very easily forgotten. The enemy of relentless desire, the closest ally of the determined, moderation is one tool that can help us rapidly work our way closer to perfection.

Suppressing desire only makes it stronger. Denying ourselves of simple satisfaction or starving ourselves of anything only teaches us to wait for the opportune moment, and overindulge at the first presented opportunity.

In this way, we seem to expend a lot of the precious resource of time vacillating between two extremes, unable to stop or maintain steady state in the middle, even when we recognize it.  One of the more subtle teachings of discipline and the art of control is to have just enough to stave of the need for more, without allowing it to develop into want or lust.

When we start listening to the subtle messages from the body and mind that help generate control, instead of the desire-driven senses that always end up pushing us over the cliff, we are no longer scrambling to find ways to break falls or clamber back to the place we had already arrived at earlier before the fall. Our energies can then be more calmly and purposefully used to help us climb higher always rather than running at full speed to just stay where we are.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”   – Siddartha Guatama Buddha
 
Kabir – The couplet
देह धरे का दंड, सब कहु को होइ ।
ज्ञानी भोगै ज्ञान से, मूरख भोगै रोइ ॥
 
Transliterated:
Deh Dhare Ka Dand, Sab Kahu Ko Hoi |
Gyani Bhogai Gyan Se, Murakh Bhogai Roi ||
 
Translation:
As long as we have the body, its suffering comes as part of the deal – for everyone|
The learned one deals with it with acceptance, the ignorant cries out in complaint ||
 
My understanding:
As long as we want, the satisfaction of the demand brings with it a price. If I want joy, there is a payload of sorrow attached. The sorrow may not directly be for me, but then it will show up in someone close to me, and their sorrow will give me grief as a result. Pleasure is always attached to pain. Calmness stays connected to agitation. Orthodoxy is closely related to unorthodoxy. Right is born from wrong, and stays as a conjoined twin.

As a wise man said, the golden deer attracts, but its possession brings with it the inherent possession of its not-so-golden baggage of negativity and bad karma. As long as I crave for anything, the satisfaction of the craving still leaves me the loser ultimately.

So the goals of becoming calm, peaceful, understanding, stable, physically satisfied and finding centered-ness are all but intermediate goals, steps to help us move closer to an understanding of the true self, and not an end unto themselves. Each is a step in the right direction – not the final step into bliss. The closer we get, the stronger are the distractions and the drag of attractions striving to get us off the path to bliss. Each step of progress is meant to give us greater strength to stave off the distraction and overcome temptation.

Hence, it is truly critical to learn to focus on learning the lessons at each stage and simultaneously learn to conserve power and build stamina. From the physical aspect, this means to build the ability to ignore the claims of the body demanding food (initially just food, but then quickly followed by specific taste demands), sleep (and then laziness), comfort, pleasant sounds and praise of the physical self. At a mental level, these translate to increasing focus on the understanding of the self, ignoring all other input.  For once the self is truly understood, we learn to become the observer and stop being a participant. That is when action happens because it is needed, not because we want it or will it. And so that is the next stage to aim for!

“Freedom is to stand alone, unattached and unafraid, free in the understanding of desire which breeds illusion.”
J.Krishnamurthi
 
Kabir – The couplet
पुत्र पियारो पितः को, गोहाटी लागि ढाई ।
लोभ मिठाई हाथी दे, अपन गया भुलाई॥
 
Transliterated:
Putr Piyaari Pitah Ko, Gohari Lagi Dhai |
Lobh Mithai Haathi De, Apan Gaya Bhulai ||
 
Translation:
The son (soul) with love calls for the father (God), wants to race to embrace Him|
The Father, playing on the son’s desire, places some sweets in his hands, and hides Himself  ||
 
My understanding:
So here we are, back in the world of trying to come to terms with understanding the real self. When born, still not caught up in the attractions of the world, we are deeply focused on being one with The One. However, God, in His infinite wisdom, wants us to pass through the fire of desire and emerge victorious before allowing us back into the warmth of His Embrace.

So this is the test in front of us – and the only way through to the next stage. We do not have an option – we have to succeed – even if it takes many tries and multiple lifetimes. God is merciful – there are no limits on tries or an expiration timer in play. But we do not get through without passing through the door at the end of this tunnel.

Here then, is an interesting thought – if this is preparation for the next stage, what distractions has that stage got to offer? If the attractions of this world are so debilitating as to consume whole lifetimes without us noticing the passage of time, what are the next set going to do to us if we are not prepared?

Before we run away there though, how do we pass muster here? How do we make it past the current obstacle course? Here, it is not just the hurdles – the entire floor is strewn with debris that we have to learn to avoid landing on even as we race though, jumping over hurdles that pop up in our path when we are least prepared for them. To succeed, we need focus – we need to keep only our goal in sight, and not allow our senses to look at and get distracted by the flashy signs that keep trying to force their way into our face and being.

Focus, stay undeterred, and God will help us win!

Warm regards,
Mani
[this thread of Kabir is archived at https://www.akella.org/mani/?cat=5]

“Laziness erodes a person of his enthusiasm and energy. As a result the person loses all opportunities and finally becomes dejected and frustrated. The worst thing is that he stops believing in himself.”
The Sama Veda
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर सोता क्या करे, सोते जोई अकाज ।
ब्रह्म को आसन त्यागा, सोयत काल की आज॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Sotaa Kya Kare, Sote Joi Akaaj |
Brahm Ko Aasan Tyaaga, Soyat Kaal Ki Aaj ||
 
Translation:
Asks Kabir, why are you asleep? –  asleep, you can resolve nothing (no karma)|
When Brahma (The Creator) slept, even he lost his seat of prominence at the hands of Time ||
 
My understanding:
Sleep is a basic requirement of the body. Just like any machine, appropriate cycles of rest are required to recharge, reenergize and repair the physical stresses that the body puts up with in all the waking moments. However, sleep for rest is different from sleep due to laziness. When you are truly tired, it is not laziness that makes you sleep – there is no physically possible way to stay awake at that moment. But when you can, but want to “relax” a little more because, well, the moment can be made to allow for it – well, that is grade A laziness.

Life may seem long, but we are given only enough time in this life to figure out, learn how to and then accomplishing the tasks set out for us. However, on discovering the “right” of independent decision making and finding that we could choose to be masters of our destiny, we promptly learn to succumb to desire, the guidance of the society around us and the habit of keeping up with the neighbor. We chart out complex courses for the journey of life, and try to find land where none really exists.

After the effort, when we do not find the promised land (conveniently forgetting that it was really us and no one else who did the promising) we claim tiredness, misdirection of others, fate and the vagaries of time, and give up. All this really does is reset the clock for us. For until we get from where we are to the next stage, there is no way to commence the next phase of the journey. So we, and no one else, is responsible for us not being able to get to that phase.

As wise men said, those who do not learn from history are forced to repeat it. And if we do not give up this laziness and stay focused instead of succumbing to desire and misdirection, that is the ‘fate’ we are condemning ourselves to!

“The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg,
and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs.”
James Allen
 
Kabir – The couplet
तन को जोगी सब करे, मन को बिरला कोई ।
सहजै सब बिधि पाइए, जो मन जोगी होइ ॥
 
Transliterated:
Tan Ko Jogi Sab Kare, Man Ko Birla Koi |
Sahajai Sab Bidhi Paiye, Jo Man Jogi Hoi ||
 
Translation:
Everyone puts on an external show of being faithful, but few let faith penetrate into the heart |
He will find all within easy grasp, who becomes a saint at heart ||
 
My understanding:
The cycle of seasons teaches us its own lessons, with Mother Nature as the teacher. After the cold of winter, the heady rush of spring pushes through new growth, awakening and releasing all the stored energy from the long rest. Fresh air blows through, blowing away the dust that has gathered, and the sun warms and awakens the slumber of even the one in the darkest of recesses.  As spring turns to summer, growth matures, and lessons firm up. Autumn brings with it nurturing rain, bathing us with invigorating showers, before preparing us for the slumber that will allow tired bodies to take a well-deserved rest, before stepping into the next cycle of growth, learning and fresh activity.

But all of this happens only when the energies of the cycle touch and work on the inside, the core, the soul. If it is only the outside that is painted to look clean, the inside slowly rots and wastes away, till it can no longer support the external façade. At that point, the entire edifice crumples and comes down into another sorry heap.

So let life warm us up from the inside, and let us allow the warmth penetrate to the deepest recesses of our being – then we can truly understand and enjoy being alive!

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Abraham Lincoln
 
Kabir – The couplet
जिन जिन संभल न कियो, अस पुर पतन पाई ।
झाली पड़े दिन अथये, संभल कियो न जाई ||
 
Transliterated:
Jin Jin Sambhal Na Kiyo, As Pur Patan Paai |
Jhaali Pade Din Athaye, Sambhal Kiyo Na Jaai ||
 
Translation:
Even if visiting the big city, if one journeys without packing food (without preparation) |
Come night, in a strange place, the unprepared has to suffer from lack of provisions ||
 
My understanding:
The grand city with all its bright lights, loud noises and grand mysterious attractions is the physical world. The vehicle we have to make this journey is the physical body. Daytime is when we seem to be in control and have comprehension of the world and our environment. Dusk and dawn are those hazy times when, either under the influence of external stimulants or because of the confusion generated by conflicting thoughts and emotions, all our senses are only partially aware of the world and environment, and the brain has to work to fill it the gaps in any way it feels appropriate to create a picture of the world as it perceives it (since the senses at that moment will paint an incomplete picture).

Darkness is when we are completely at a loss to understand either input or emotion – when desire is in conflict with reality, and we have no way to step through or break the impasse in our mind.

Preparedness for this – the food we need to pack – is to learn the art of meditation. When we meditate, truly meditate, the input of the physical senses as well as the cacophony of the confused mind is tuned out almost completely, allowing us to remain calm – and there lies the solution to the presented problem. This is the only way to quieten the crazed motion of the confused self, and arrive at the optimal solution to the situation.

But we cannot learn to be calm while in the middle of a storm – that is what we have to prepare for much ahead of the eventual moment. The learning, in addition to preparing us for then, will also give us insight into the other graces of the world, and perhaps show us paths and methods we were completely unaware of. So even the training is full of great gifts – why not start on the path today?

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached.”
Simone Weil
 
Kabir – The couplet
जब लग भक्ति सकामता, तब लग निर्फळ सेव ।
कहै कबीर वह क्यों मिलै, निष्कामी निज देव ||
 
Transliterated:
Jab Lag Bhakthi Sakaamta, Tab Lag Nirphal Sev |
Kahai Kabir Vah Kyon Milai, Nishkaami Nij Dev ||
 
Translation:
When devotion is born from desire, the results do not bear fruit|
While bound by attachment, how can one get (realize) that which is always detached? ||
 
My understanding:
Once we have imbibed the teachings of the physical world around us and accepted our place in society, we have firmly become prisoners of our mind. Being prisoners, we do not turn around to question the mind that is the master, or inspect what drives the mind. But, if we take a step back, we see that this mind is driven by the input received from the physical senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. What pre-shapes the input received from the senses and conditions the way the input is perceived? A close inspection says that this is the work of desire.

All of this line of thinking helps us begin to grasp an understanding of how our desires color our perception and alter our view of the reality around us. Which is why we often are faced with statements or thoughts like “But I did not say that” or “You cannot be meaning that!”

To close the door on desire, we have to comprehend that what we get is often not what we want or expect. Every package, no matter how it is perceived, brings with it its own unwanted baggage. For example, I may want all the gold in the world, but I do not want the weight, volume or the heartache of storage and safekeeping.  Reality is, I want the value of the gold, not the gold itself. But this clarity of thought is often missing when thinking happens clouded in the haze of desire. Absent the cloud, I perceive that the want does not match my real need.  To get that value, there is a cost I have to pay – and that cost is in reality more than I can afford (time, energy, motivation, and the results do not allow me to realize the value I expected).

Once I develop this clarity of thought and vision, I can practice devotion in the only way that gives satisfaction – being devoted because I can, not because I want something in return. Then devotion will figure out exactly what I need and give it to me, and there will be no bargaining or horse-trading involved. That is the ideal to strive for!

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a little want of knowledge is also a dangerous thing.”
Samuel Butler

Kabir – The couplet
ग्यानी मूल गवैय्या, आपन भये कर्ता ।
ता ते संसारी भला, मन में रहे डरता||

Transliterated:
Gyaani Mool Gavaiyya, Aapan Bhaye Karta |
Taa Te Sansari Bhala, Man Mein Rahe Darta ||

Translation:
Am man under the illusion of being knowledgeable has lost his roots, presumes he is God |
The householder is better than him, he at least fears God ||

My understanding:
Very often, I have found myself begin to fuel my ride on the pride speed wagon as soon as I acquire some titbit of knowledge that seems special and wondrous to me. I do not stop to inspect its true value to the world outside of me or how it can actually enhance my existence. Possession is enough – the flame of pride is already fanned and roaring!

I have used these little events – the glow of pride; the desire to go rushing out to tell someone, anyone, about this new add to me; the speeding up of breath; the desperate need to find someone to talk to – as indicators that pride/ego/the ephemeral self is awakening into dangerous spaces. That, then, is my cue to actually take a deep breath, sit down, shut out the external world and physical senses, and meditate on my Guru and the Divine Mother. In fact, anything that moves out of a serene, quiet, contemplative, attentive state is reason to go back to the fountain of quietude that Guru and Amma (Mother) and fortify the self.

Once I regain the centered self, I then look back and am able to laugh at the illusion of grandeur that simple vanity so rapidly generates, only to tear down quicker that it takes time to find the pin to prick it.

And the repeat of that review over a few occurrences starts fortifying the mind against repeating the mistake over and over again. As with everything else, it is practice and only practice that can help us become better and hence take us closer to Our True Self – one step at a time.

“Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither,
Can in a moment travel thither,
And see the Children sport upon the shore,
And hear the mighty waters rolling evermore.”
– William Wordsworth (Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood)

Kabir – The couplet
तन बोहित मन काग है, लाख जोजन उड़ जाइ ।
कबहु दरिया अगम बहे, हकबहु गगन समाइ ||

Transliterated:
Tan Bohit Man Kaag Hai, Lakh Jojan Ud Jaai |
Kabahu Dariya Agam Bahe, Kabahu Gagan Samai ||

Translation:
The body is a ship, the mind a bird, flying away a thousand miles |
Sometimes far away in the ocean, sometimes into the blue sky it flies ||

My understanding:
We are limited only by our senses failing to help us fully grasp our true potential. The same creative/evolutionary energy that shaped our body to what we are today also housed the mind and all associated faculties in this body. Rather than feel limited by our physical body, why not explore and see what our true potential can really be?

To better understand this, permit me to use an analogy. When separated from the vehicle, the engine is capable of generating enormous power – enough even to self-destruct. But that great energy, in the vehicle, provides valuable use. The vehicle does limit the engine, but provides a space for both to together provide lasting value. Separate, they cannot do much by themselves – the engine generates power but there is no consumption mechanism, and the moment one is harnessed to it, it gets limited by the ability of the harness. Similarly, the body has its own limitations – it can do only so much irrespective the power the engine can generate. If the engine generates more than the body can handle, both will self-destruct! Harnessing a rocket engine to a car is a recipe for disaster – and harnessing a car to a rocket is a waste of fuel – the rocket cannot even expect to budge.

So, to make the most efficient use of the soul and the body, we have to learn to read, control and use the soul optimally within the capability and capacity of the body. Rather than fret at lack of usability and appropriateness, why not tune the body’s sensor, feedback, monitoring and physical abilities to best use available resources and pair them to the energy source optimally? As the pairing improves, the soul will enhance, and if the right amount of growth is achieved, man will become superman, and from there even perhaps God! For each transition however, just the same way as with the vehicle, each major enhancement and upgrade needs a visit to the appropriate workshop, and the work of qualified technicians and engineers. So also, for each major growth step, we need both to be able to slow down completely, shut down the external senses, and under the guidance of the right Teacher, step into the next phase of life.

Change and growth are not magical automatic transitions – sometimes (actually very often) the change is accompanied by physical pain and stress. The Teacher (like a surgeon with the use of appropriate medicines) can help ease the transition, but there will be some pain, and some relearning to use the new you appropriately. And each of these requires us to stop completely what we are doing so we can take the next step in our evolution. And after the transition, we have to learn to live and accept our new life and new space in Life – we cannot expect to return to the old life and still hold our new station.

So learn to embrace change – for it is as inevitable as time and the cycle of seasons. Grow, and watch the world evolve with you. As we evolve, we will see that which remained hidden from us till we became ready, and developed the faculties to grasp, understand and use all that this world has for us.

Until then, the mind will keep wandering far away from the body – on what seem like flights of fancy. It is really giving us a glimpse into possibility. If it is to us to take the leap of faith to make that possibility reality!

“Your life quality is affected by the quality of your thoughts.”
– MARCUS AURELIUS

Kabir – The couplet
बाहर कहाँ देखि ऐ, अंतर कहिये राम ।
कहो माहौल खलक सो, पर धनीसे काम ||

Transliterated:
Baahar Kahan Dehi Ai, Antar Kahiye Ram |
Kaho Maahaul Khalak So, Para Dhanise Kaam ||

Translation:
Why do you look outside, pray inside your heart|
The world does not need to know your prayer, their approval means nothing ||

My understanding:
In the early stages of learning any new skill, we are anxious to seek approval of our new learning from the society immediately around us. So we parade our new learning and wear it on our sleeve for all to see, hoping they appreciate and praise our displayed skill.

Prayer and meditation, however, is not for the external world. As long as we depend on finding satisfaction through the feedback received from our physical senses, we are limiting our growth and consigning ourselves to that space of opposites (joy and sorrow, passion and dispassion, love and hate, enthusiasm and apathy), for the brain vacillates between these extremes as a pendulum, unable to find emotional stability or centered peace, as long as it depends on finding approval externally.

This inability to center and stay rooted in quietude is because the search for external approval is driven by desire – and the ego always wants more, not satisfied by any level of acceptance or approval. If one likes me, why not two? If the whole world approves, are they all secretly making fun of me? If they really liked this this much, what else can I do to make them like me more? How can I please all at once?

This rapidly draws me into the whirlpool of sycophancy, which will at the end dump me into the deep ocean of desolation and despondence, for ultimately, even the greatest sycophant tires and moves on to other pastures.

Do pray for you need it, not because someone else must approve. Find satisfaction within in the resulting calmness and peace. There is no need to look for external approval – the ability to pray is reward enough!

“The battle you are going through is not fueled by the words or actions of others; it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance.”
– Shannon L. Alder

Kabir – The couplet
सकलो दुर्मति दूर करू, अच्छा जनम बनाव ।
काग गवन गति छांडि के, हंस गवन चलि आव ||

Transliterated:
Sakalo Durmati Door Karoo, Acchha Janam Banaav |
Kaag Gavan Gati Chaandi Ke, Hans Gavan Chali Aav||

Translation:
Dear all, give up negative thoughts, brighten you life |
Give up your crow-like nature, come to me as the resplendent swan ||

My understanding:
The extreme cold weather around me gave me an opportunity to see myself in a different perspective. The sense on cold on the skin automatically propels the mind to find warmth somewhere. This attracted me to the fireplace and the comfort it promised. As I got to contemplate the fire there, I soon got lost in the haze and the apparent dance of air that the heat generated, distorting the view of the space around the fire. And I was presented with the thought that negativity, like the fire, was capable of distorting my perception of the space around me, making me see things very differently from reality.

Until I step away from the generator of the distortion, I will have no conscious perception of reality. My perceived reality will have no basis in truth, and all thought and action taken from that viewpoint will brand me outside of the space I need to be.

So then the next thought – how do I gain that control to be able to quench that fire? If I am generating the fire and become the fire, I cannot quench it. To be able to step away, I have to differentiate myself from the mirage that is the anguished ego. This separation can only occur when I have seen it melt away and disappear in a prior calmer moment. So, as with everything else, practice prepares and helps make perfect. Deep breaths can only calm the external self – gaining control over a tumultuous mind that is in the firm grip of ego is a whole different level of control.

To find that calm space, one has to establish the ability to identify the first disturbance and squash it, for, if left unchecked, it will grow into the storm that cannot be abated easily. The unprepared self for sure will not be able to even begin establishing control – which is where I, the average human, will despair, give up, and explain it away as inevitability and fate. But, the reality is, I can – if I put my mind to it, AND work to affect that control.

So here is to new exercises for the mind and learning control.

“What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough; for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.”
– Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Kabir – The couplet
माया छाया एक सी, बिरला जाने कोई ।
भागात के पीछे लगे, सन्मुख भागे सोई||
Transliterated:
Maya Chhaya Ek Si, Birla Jaane Koi |
Bhaagat Ke Peeche Lage, Sanmukh Bhaage Soi||
Translation:
Shadow and delusion are alike, one cannot differentiate their behavior |
They chase those who chase them, but vanish once one stands up to face them ||
My understanding:
This is in continuance from yesterday.

Until we have trained and tuned our senses, they will continue to flood us with unfiltered data that will continually make us behave like a wisp of cotton in the wind – driven in whichever direction the wind decides, with no sense of purpose or destination, absolutely immobile without the wind, and very mobile but with no purpose but rather at the wind’s whim when the wind is active.

In this state of extreme activity while immersed in ignorance (for we have yet to gain control of our senses) we believe the perceived world as presented to us by our senses to be real, and convince ourselves that we are in control and enjoying the ride – all the while riding a rudderless ship whose engines are out of all control.

We first understand our predicament when we try to stop for a moment to take a breath, our figure out our location – but by then the vehicle of life has picked up too much speed and refuses to relinquish control of any sort in even the slightest measure to us. After struggling for some time to regain control, we give up that effort and then try to extract what enjoyment we can from the unpredictability of the ride, giving it fanciful names such as fate, circumstance and the belief that someone else is controlling the reins of the horses that are driving this vehicle.

In this state, we define life as our senses allow us to perceive it – and hence are convinced that life begins at physical birth (when the senses started their control mania) and ends with death (which is where the input from the physical senses finally vanishes). In the interim between those two bookends, we vacillate between pairs of emotions – love and hate, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, possession and loss. Joy seems to constantly alternate with suffering in our life experience. Focusing only on the presented apparent div3ersity and changing circumstance and external phenomena of the physical world (as represented to us by the physical senses), we remain immersed in a peculiar duality, with our physical selves experienced by us as the subject, and everything else outside of us perceived as the object or our experience.

It is this mislaid sense of duality of subject and object that makes us perceive God as external to us, separate and different in all aspects to our own self. However, one we start to train our senses to feed us regulated input, and then train our perception to read the input properly, instead of haphazardly and without any sense of organization, the apparent duality melts away like the delusion it really is. Once the rush and craze driven by that delusion vanishes, we finally begin to see and hear our true self – which is when we will begin to understand, simultaneously, both the finiteness of the existence and utility of the physical and the infiniteness and immortality of our true Self.

And that will mark the beginning of the next stage of the journey, of which this human life is but a small part!

“Please give me the light of your wisdom
To dispel the darkness of my mind
And to heal my mental continuum.”
– from a prayer to Buddha
 
Kabir – The couplet
पांच पहर धंधा किया, तीन पहर गया सोय ।
एक पहर भी नाम बिन, मुक्ति कैसे होय ||
 
Transliterated:
Paanch Pahar Dhandha Kiya, Teen Pahar Gaya Soy |
Ek Pahar Bhi Naam Bin, Mukti Kaise Hoy||
 
Translation:
I worked for twelve hours in the day, slept for eight |
Without even an hour spent in understanding the Self, how will I find liberation? ||
 
My understanding:
 
When born, our world revolves around eating, playing, sleeping and enjoying the company of ourselves and our parents. As we grow, friends begin to claim more of our time. Then it is classes and teachers, then games and more friends, then career, family and the woes of the external world.

We continually slip deeper into the grips of external situations in the hope of finding firmer footing for ourselves, but only succeed in stepping into the midst of hurricanes we cannot control. Pretty soon, the best we can hope for is to be able to stick our head up once in a while to take a long breath, only to be sucked back into a breathless vacuum that we cannot steer, control or stop from sucking us in. When others warn us o the danger we are stepping into, we ignore them, giving into the fancy that “they are enjoying, but do not want to share the fun”.

We love to play with the toy where, at the press of a button, the cover opens, music starts and a dancing couple pirouette in graceful movements, but have we ever thought about how we would feel if the roles were reversed?  Would we enjoy having to do the same routine at a moment’s notice on someone else’s whim? And yet we willingly accept that as the norm for our professional lives, and wonder why we never find satisfaction. Even when we are doing exactly what we want, we find that we are doing it to pay the bills, not for the sheer joy of being able to do it. And therein lies another crux – does the end justify the means?

When we find the right answer to this question, and the follow up train of thought, we will find the way to find time for ourselves, and learn to stop and smell the roses and listen to the birds. For that is our true bounty and our rightful inheritance – the ability to play in the sun with the sand under our feet, to swim in clear rivers and sing ourselves to sleep at night under the stars.

“My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.” – Any Rand (Anthem)
 
Kabir – The couplet
भक्ति निसैनी मुक्ति की, संत चढे सब ढाई ।
जिन जिन मन आलस किया, जनम जनम पछिताई||
Transliterated:
Bhakti Nisaini Mukti Ki, Sant Charhe Sab Dhai |
Jin Jin Man Aalas Kiya, Janam Janam Pachitaayi ||
Translation:
Devotion is the ladder to liberation, all saints climb this with eagerness |
Those who got lazy, spent many lifetimes regretting their wasted opportunity||
My understanding:
Can love free me? Yes – but only when I understand and then practice love properly. Love does not bind – it liberates. Love liberates me from ego, for love drives me to do that which will make the other happy, regardless of self.

When I learn to serve in that fashion, I have crossed two bridges, conquered two peaks. I have overcome the infatuation of the self, and I have learned selfless service. These two lead me inwards to the true self within, where bliss abounds.

This love, when expressed of God, is true devotion. When the purpose of my existence is transformed to serve humanity (for that is what is to serve God), I will find the divine in every soul. That service will keep me forever joined to Self (which is another name for God) for those who have drunk at that fountain will not be able to step away for even a moment. And life will become peaceful, content and satisfied all at once.

“Self-realization is the knowing – in body, mind, and soul – that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing.”
– Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda
 
Kabir – The couplet
जप तप समझन साधन, सुमिरन को माहि ।
कहे कबीर बिचार कोई सुमिरन सैम कुछ नाहि ||

Transliterated:
Jap Tap Samjan Sadhan, Sab Sumiran Ko Maahi |
Kahe Kabir Bichar Koi Sumiran Sam Kuchh Nahi ||

Translation:
Chanting, austerities, restraint, all are ways to pray |
Says Kabir, realize the Self, and the object of all prayer is realized||

My understanding:
When I was first introduced to prayer, I understood God as that invisible all-powerful sky dweller who could see all I did, hear my thoughts and read my mind, granting me the wishes I deserved and punishing me with pain for my wrongs.

As I got further along my musings and interactions with prayer, I found chanting. Chanting seemed to initially put me to sleep real well – within the first few minutes of beginning chanting any time. Better than even my most difficult text books. From there I moved to meditation, austerities and the practice of restraint. All of these seemed to raise questions galore, but provided no real answers. The more I tried, the deeper in confusion I found myself.

At some point it felt pointless enough that I decided to step away from it all. And that was when I had my “eureka” moment. All the while, my questions had been directed to the world outside of me, based on the input received from my external senses. But without really understanding myself, I had neither properly tuned my senses nor taught myself to truly read the real meaning of their input. Once I understood this, I then trained myself to stop the questions so that I could really hear myself speak, perhaps for the first time. Once I heard that, it became evident that the external senses, without tuning, are slaves to the enemies of the Self, intent on misusing and destroying everything useful this body is capable of.

And there is the real heart of it all. Find the Self, recognize its voice, and prayer will be both natural and true. And you will have realized the true meaning of existence.

“There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
 
Kabir – The couplet
आपा तजे और हरि भजे, नख सीख ताजे विकार ।
सब जीवन से निरबैर रहे, साधु मति है सार ||

Transliterated:
Apa Taje Aur Hari Bhaje, Nakh Seekh Taje Vikaar |
Sab Jeevan Se Nirbair Rahe, Sadhu Mata Hai Saar||

Translation:
Give up pride, learn to pray, learn peace and give up all faults |
Be not an enemy to anyone, this is the way of saints||

My understanding:
Any path we embark on presents its destination as the ultimate goal. Our inherent sense of inertia forces us to believe that the destination of the path we step on has to be the ultimate goal. So we press through, gather our entire energies and put up what amounts to the ultimate effort. Then, on arriving at the goal, we realize there are more paths to take. At some point, the same sense of inertia dumps a sense of despondence on us, tells us that the paths will never end, and envelop us in all forms of negativity.

Rather than allow that sinking feeling to settle in, we need to shrug this off, and understand that the ability to walk each path is us satisfying the need of that moment. The goal is there to ensure we walk the path in the right direction. The destination is not the end – it is just the next beginning.

When we understand this, we can walk without being weighed down by our unreasonable expectations. Without that crushing weight on our backs, all paths become easy strolls in pleasant gardens on sunny paths filled with birdsong and pleasant scents. When that becomes our experience, life becomes unending bliss. And that is the best way to find our self. For we are bliss incarnate – it is not something external to us!