“Genuine people are rare, and that's what makes them valuable.”
— Unknown
Kabir – The couplet
सब बन तो चंदन नहीं, सूरन के दल नाहीं।
सब समुंदर मोती नहीं, यों साधु जग माहीं॥
Transliterated:
Sab ban to chandan nahi, shooran ke dal nahi |
Sab samundra moti nahi, yun sadhu jag mahi ||
Translation:
“Not every forest is made of sandalwood, nor is every group full of heroes.
Not every ocean holds pearls — likewise, true saints are rare in the world.”
My understanding:
Kabir reminds us: True wisdom is rare. Not everyone who speaks well is a guide. Not everyone who shines is gold. And often, the most convincing voices — the best-dressed, smoothest-talking, most persuasive — are the most dangerous.
They promise everything for nothing.
They offer shortcuts, sell instant truth, or guarantee salvation without effort.
But what they really sell is illusion — and when it shatters, all that remains is grief.
True Gurus don’t promise the world —
They guide you to see it clearly.
True Sadhus don’t dazzle —
They dissolve the ego and walk with silence and substance.
Discernment is the armor of the seeker.
Not every speaker is a statesman.
Not every robe hides a saint.
Look deeper. Choose wisely.
Because the cost of following the false is your very self.