Kabir – Day 7

First – today’s thought :

 

“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that’s the essence of inhumanity.”

– George Bernard Shaw

 

 

..and now, Kabir – day 7:

 

The couplet, transliterated:

 

Bada Hua To Kya Hua, Jaise Ped Khajoor

Panthi Ko Chaya Nahin, Phal Laage Atidoor

 

Translation

How so very pointless is haughtiness, just like a date tree Offering no shade to travelers, and its fruit hard to reach

 

My Understanding

 

The date tree, following Darwin’s laws of evolution, has become what it is – but in that process, does not offer what most have come to expect from a tree – shelter, shade and if possible, some easy-to-get nutrition.

 

It stands tall and lofty – projecting a haughtiness that is of no use to the weary traveler. The same traveler is too tired to try to pluck its difficult-to-reach fruit, and often elects other easier nutrition, or even just plain water in place of the fruit.

 

Using this simile, Kabir in this couplet highlights our (futile) sense of vanity and snobbishness. To what purpose is our so called eminence, if it is neither compassionate nor helpful to others? Kabir emphasizes that we should shed our greed, selfishness and insecure tendencies and establish ourselves in such a way that we should be willing to give and share. Only then we will be blessed and become a blessing to others.