Monthly Archives: April 2011

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
– Aristotle

Kabir – The couplet
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?? ???? ???? ???, ?? ??? ??? ? ??? ||

transliterated:
Kala nala heen jal, so phir paani hoye|
Jo paani moti bane, so phir neer na hoye||

Translation:
Even the dark waters of a dirty drain, filtered by nature, become the clear waters of a river |
But that water which has been absorbed to become a pearl, does not go back to being water ever again||

My thoughts:
Life is the filter, cleanser, and the mirror, which helps us wash of the grime of each day to emerge as a new person at each dawn. Having been put through the furnace of my experiences yesterday, I have emerged today as a little less carbon and a little more diamond. Each day, while I am still human, I need to use this furnace to cleanse myself of deadweight and better expose the light inside me that is bursting to see daylight.

Experience is the process that makes us a pearl – and once made, we cannot go back to being the inexperienced person we were before!

“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is “timing”
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.”
– Fulton J. Sheen

Kabir – The couplet
??? ????? ?? ????, ??? ?????? ?? ??? |
??? ??? ?????? ????, ??? ??? ?? ??? ||

transliterated:
Sheel, kshama jab upaje, alag dhristi tab hoye|
Bin sheel pahoonche nahi, lakh kahe jo koye||

Translation:
When patience, forgiveness and determination surface, one’s vision and perception becomes true |
Without patience and determination, the truth will never become visible||

My thoughts:
Nature is our best teacher of the virtue of patience. Look all around you. Tempests, hurricanes, drought, blinding sunlight and long frosts all beat up and even destroy all of man’s creations. Nature, however, always comes back with a smile and a bright new green to welcome the new dawn. It is implacable in its pursuit of the morn, despite all obstacles in its path.

Patience, of necessity, fosters the company of forgiveness and determination. We need determination to wait out the storms of life, and forgiveness to give up temporary losses, for the morning will surely always come, and it will surely bring new bounties!

This, then, is our true strength – to be patient, and do the right thing at the right time!

“He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Kabir – The couplet
????? ?? ???? ???, ???? ??? ?? ????? |
?? ???? ????? ???, ?? ???? ?? ???? |

transliterated:
Kabira man pancchi bhaye, bhaave taha te aajaye |
Jo jaisa sangat kare, to taisa phal paaye ||

Translation:
The bird, free in flight, alights where it’s fancy leads it|
Our choice of company, defines who we are and become||

My thoughts:
I have often misread this and related quotes. As parents, as teachers, as guides, we look to present the “correct” and “proper” environment for our wards to grow and foster in. However, the mind, unbound by the body, but a slave to the vagaries of desire (maya), picks that which best suits its fancy.

We can but guide, teach and hope the right choices are made. Even if the right ones are made, there is no guarantee that they will be the ones that are kept. As the world changes, choice needs to change to adapt – and the change needs to be picked with great caution – for all that glitters is not gold ?

So our duty is to show the right path – by speech, thought and living example. Each individual is free to make their own choice – even if we disagree. Our responsibility ends at the completion of the example – and theirs begins after the choice is made. Each of us have to carry the burden of our choices by our own selves – and that is what the world will judge us by.

“It takes quite a spine to turn the other cheek. It takes phenomenal fortitude to love your enemy. It takes firm resolve to pray for those who persecute you.”
– Rob Bell

Kabir – The couplet
??? ??? ???? ???, ??? ??? ????? |
????? ??? ???? ???, ?? ?? ??? ? ??? ||

transliterated:
Khod khaad dharti sahe, kaat koon vanraay |
Kutil vachan sadhu sahe, aur se saha na jaay ||

Translation:
The earth sustains the blows of a hammer, the tree of an axe – without retaliation|
Only the learned can accept slander without effect, lesser mortals can only react||

My thoughts:
The Bible (Matthew 5), Mahatma Gandhi, and every wise person and book before, between and since, have always urged us to turn the other cheek, and even demonstrated by example. Sant Eknath (1533 – 1599, a great devotee of Lord Vitthala) demonstrated forbearance most famously by his taking bath 108 times in the river Godavari to wash off the spit of persons who were convinced that they had to insult him. After 108 times, after their mouths had run dry, and he still came back with a smile, they asked him why he was not mad at them. To which his famous response came – it is thanks to your act that I was able to achieve 108 baths in one day in these holy waters. Thank you for the opportunity!

If we were to think back, each and every day, nigh every moment, we are presented with opportunities to be humble and receive of this world’s and God’s bounty. However, our ego, our own personal opinion of how the world is all about us, gets in the way and prevents us from lighting that wonderful internal light that can light up our countenance and the world brighter than a thousand suns.

True strength comes not from mighty physical deeds, but form simple acceptance. When we accept and bow our head, even the mightiest arm stays, stops and waits for the next moment. When there is no reaction, action stops and understanding floods the space, washing out all confusion.

Let us teach patience, acceptance and forbearance to the world, one person at a time. Reach into yourself, and allow the world to see, feel and benefit from the real you. That is the real purpose of our existence in this moment!

“When you least feel like it, do something for someone else. You forget about your own situation. It gives you a purpose, as opposed being sorrowful and lonely.”
– Dana Reeve

Kabir – The couplet
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??? ????? ?????, ???? ??? ? ??? ||

transliterated:
Sevak seva mein rahe, sevak kahiye soy |
Kahe kabira bavla, sevak kabhi na hoy ||

Translation:
The disciple offers service always, and stays a student always|
The (senseless) egotist, with falsified pretenses, can never be a disciple||

My thoughts:
Our days fold into each other, as we focus on using our own abilities to our individual (perceived) betterment. However, history is proof to the fact that the only way to becoming happy, satisfied and truly complete is by using our knowledge and ability to help all those we can.

When we take, we deplete some of our own collected savings and goodwill to pay for that which we take. When we give without thought of recompense, however, we receive manifold in return, and the world stops to take care of our deepest wants without our asking.

Give freely, for that is the only way to receive!

“I had looked for happiness in fast living, but it was not there. I tried to find it in money, but it was not there either. But when I placed myself in tune with what I believe to be the fundamental truths of life, when I began to develop my limited ability, to rid my mind of all kinds of tangled thoughts, and fill it with zeal and courage and love, when I gave myself a chance by treating myself decently and sensibly, I began to feel the stimulating, warm glow of happiness.”
– Edward Young

Kabir – The couplet
????? ?? ??? ?????, ????? ???? ? ??? |
?? ?? ?? ???? ????, ??? ??? ????? ||

transliterated:
Kabira yeh gati atpati, chatpati laakhi na jaaye |
Jo man ki khatpat mite, uddhar bhaya thehraaye||

Translation:
(Kabir says) this pace of life is fast but aimless, and hence the mind is frustrated|
Once the mind finds a quiet moment, it finds both rest and true purpose||

My thoughts:
We often measure our day, our moment, our availability and our worth in terms of physical time. We then match up this time to our desires, and panic that there is not time enough in a lifetime to satisfy even a small percentage of desire.

However, if we stop for a moment, put aside all concern for the ticking of the clock, and focus on what the end goal of the fulfillment of desire is, we will realize that even desire aims to fill us with happiness.

So instead of chasing desire, and subjecting ourselves to the momentary pleasure at the end followed by the empty feeling that it is done and now we need to look for more, we need to teach ourselves to practice satisfaction, and enjoy the eternal happiness that results.

” A mirage is not real, but yet we see it. A dream taking place while sleeping is not real, yet we experience it during the time of the dream as a reality.”
– Remez Sasson

Kabir – The couplet
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?? ???? ? ?????, ???? ???? ??? ||

transliterated:
Maya maya sab kahe, maya laakhe na koi |
Jo manase na utaare, maya kahaaye soi ||

Translation:
References to illusions are all around, yet the illusion in front of us is not recognized|
That which seems like reality, is the true illusion that engulfs us||

My thoughts:
How often have we been caught up in the entirety of a moment and made rushed decisions, only to later reflect on the real insignificance of what seemed to be the most important act in the world?

We learn in early biology class that what we perceive as sight is only the brain’s interpretation of what the eyes signal as received input – yet we take that to be the true sight of what is in front of us. Psychologists have proved beyond doubt that the mind can coerce the brain to perceive what the mind prefers – and the brain does succumb to the coercion.

The human being is permanently engaged in a struggle with making reality what is truly but a convenient truth – and yet, we have, throughout history, gone to war and even our graves with that perceived conviction.

This is the true strength of illusion – to make us believe that it is the true reality. That is the maya that Kabir wants us to conquer. When we can get past our own vulnerability to illusion, we can become the true powerhouse that we are destined to be.

“Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.”
– Mildred Barthel

Kabir – The couplet
???? ??? ?? ??? ???, ???? ?? ?? ??? |
?? ????? ??? ??, ??? ??? ???, ??? ???? ||

transliterated:
Jhute sukh ko sukh kahe, maanat hai man mauj |
Jag chabena kaal ka, kuch mukh mein, kuch gaud ||

Translation:
We often mistake sensual pleasure for satisfaction, and the mind is led astray|
The world (us) is chewing time, some in the mouth, the rest in food displays||

My thoughts:
When I want to be happy, I search for things that will satisfy me. Around me, everyone resorts to food as the first step in this path. Inevitably, my search unearths more than I need to satiate my body’s hunger. So now I have to find a way to preserve it to savor later when I will be hungry again, and the cycle repeats.

Meanwhile, I have lost track of the original purpose – to be happy. And it keeps digging itself further into the background till it is almost completely forgotten. All this while, on the other hand, I have been nurturing the opposites – desire (for taste), frustration (not finding what my mind wants but brain cannot define in the form of readily available food), jealousy (for those who seem to be able to enjoy the food on their plate) and heartache (from all the indigestion I bring on myself from the food I eat).

Others try to find happiness in their soul mate. The first struggle is to find the one that will be the soul mate. Then we spend a large portion of our life shaping and re-molding the person to be the perfect fit – only to realize we have changed ourselves during all this time, and so we need to re-mold, all over again, from the beginning. If only we can realize that our real mate is not the one we love, but the one that loves us. And if we can learn to love that person, without doubt or question, the perfect marriage has once again happened. The rest that remains is to stay true to purpose. Happiness comes when we accept without question, and spread sunshine when we can, and step away when we cannot.

The pursuit of sensual pleasures takes us away from the path to true happiness and satisfaction. Food, craving, desire for love, earthly possessions, even the wish to see the sun rise a specific way in a specific place are all sensual cravings. The satisfaction they give is very momentary, and it always leaves us feeling a little emptier and craving a lot more – until we realize that the desire is an endless pit that will never fill.

True happiness, realized from simple events (I can breathe, I can smile, my heart still beats, I can still think) always stays a brimming cup, and spreads sunshine into the darkest places. One happy person can light up a roomful of people lost under craving.

Be happy – do not chase after desire!

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
– Lewis B. Smedes

Kabir – The couplet
????? ???? ?? ???? ??, ???? ?? ????? |
?? ?????? ?? ?? ???, ?? ???????? ???? ??? ||

transliterated:
Kshama bade ko ucchit hai, chhotan ko utpat |
Kaa Vishnu ka ghat gaya, jo Bhrighu maari laat ||

Translation:
Forgiveness is a fitting virtue of the truly great, others get flustered by it|
Why should God (Vishnu) be botheres, even when a mortal sage (Bhrighu) kicked him||

My thoughts:
Lewis B Smedes found the sweet spot in his quote above.

As a mortal, I tend to put me (I, me, mine) before everything else. I am the center of the universe, and nothing else matters ? Hence, it is up to the other to forgive and forget – not me!

However, if I can find the wherewithal to think my actions through, forgiveness buys me the peace, acceptance and tranquility that no wealth of this world can pay for. When I find tranquility, I find the ability to transcend both the problem and its cause.

This is what Kabir is referring to. Greatness is not achieved by doing great or grand things – it is achieved when one simplifies life and does all the little things right!

“Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated that that.
It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.”
– Sylvia Boorstein

Kabir – The couplet
????? ???? ?? ???, ???? ?? ?? ???? |
??? ??? ????? ???, ????? ?? ?? ???? ||

transliterated:
Kabira dheeraj ke dhare, haathi man bha khaaye |
Tuk tuk bekar mein, svan ghar ghar jaaye ||

Translation:
Mindful of its needs, an elephant eats well enough to satisfy its hunger|
A dog, however, impatiently wanders everywhere for food, hungry or not||

My thoughts:

We humans tend to be reactive rather than receptive. We react first, and judge afterwards.

If we could instead learn patience, we would slowly but surely learn to be receptive, both to the world outside and the soul and body inside. This would allow us to accept happenings with a calmer approach. This calmer approach will help us satiate the need, rather than attempt to satiate desire. That is the real difference Kabir is talking of between the elephant and the dog. The elephant satiates its hunger with available food and then proceeds to the next moment, while the dog searches to satisfy the demands of its nose, and often stays unsatisfied.

We as humans hunger for love, food, rest, satisfaction, peace and gratification in all we do. However, all of this is desire, especially when combined with the ubiquitous “I” or “me”. When we can still our mind, if only for a moment, and be dispassionate about our surroundings and ourselves, we can differentiate between need and desire.

When we learn this art, we can distinguish effectively between requirement and craving. That will be our first step on the path to eternal bliss!

“Trying to make a single momentous change is often not only not successful, but often does not result in the desired effect. In fact, it is far better to make small habitual positive life changes that will catapult you to success. “ – Lighthouse Marketing Blog

Kabir – The couplet
???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ???, ??? ???? ???? ? ???? |
???? ????? ?? ???, ????? ????? ???? ||

transliterated:
Shram se hi sab kuch bane, bin shram mile na kaahi |
Sidhi ungli ghee jame, kabashu nikase naahi ||

Translation:
Only by working (laboring) can something be achieved, not any other way |
Once butter as been processed into ghee, it will not come our (of the cup) with a straight finger (needs a spoon or curved surface)||

My thoughts:

We always desire success. Our definition of success is the end goal. But more often than not, we completely and blissfully ignore the reality that there are multiple small steps between our current state and the moment when we achieve the desired goal. The ONLY way to achieve that goal is to spend the time and work our way through each individual step/task, no matter how small or insignificant or even undesirable it seems.

Once the goal is achieved, we then need to understand the goal in its entirety. Up close, it may seem different than what we surmised at the beginning of the journey. This should not be taken to mean the goal has changed – it only means our initial understanding was flawed.

If we then develop the discipline of finding satisfaction in doing each task on this path and slowing down to enjoy each moment of satisfaction, our path will be the desirable path and the goal will shower us with much more benefits than we can hope for!