“Be careful of living your life based only on faith and signs, or you might find yourself standing in a South American jungle holding a glass of Kool-aid. Commonsense is the foundation of any good testimony.” – Shannon L. Alder Kabir – The couplet पाथर पूजे हरि मिले , तो मैं पूजू पहाड़ | घर…
Arrogance is the surest path to a definite fall!
“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.” – Saint Augustine Kabir – The couplet भक्ति द्वार अति संकरा, राई दसवें भाग । मन तो मैंगल है रहा, कैसे आवे जाय॥ transliterated: Bhakti dwar ati sankara, rai dasavein…
God teaches us to give love, we teach ourselves to get love. Give, and be rewarded. Get, and find yourself discontent.
“Those contented souls who meditate on the Lord with single-minded love, meet the True Lord.“ – Guru Granth Sahib Kabir – The couplet इस तन का दिया करौ, बाती मेल्यु जिव । लोही सींचो तेल ज्यों, कब मुख देखू पिव॥ transliterated: Is tan ka diya karau, bati melyu jeev| Lohi seencho tel jyon,…
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” —J.K. Rowling
“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy. “ – John Mason Kabir – The couplet आया था किस काम को, तू सोया चादर तान । सूरत संभाल ऐ ग़ाफ़िल, अपना आप पेहचान॥ transliterated: Aaya tha kis kaam ko, tu soya chaadar taan| Surat sambhaal ai gaafil, apna aap pehchaan|| Translation:…
Wisdom dawns only when we apply experience to age
“Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy person has no time to form. “ – Andre Maurois Kabir – The couplet पहले यह मन कग था, करता जीवन घात । अब तो मन हंस भया, मोती चुन चुन खात ॥ transliterated: Pehle yeh man kag tha, karta jeevan…
Service is the ultimate God I can present to others
“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt. “ – Frederick Buechner Kabir – The couplet चली जो पुतली लाउनु कि, थाह सिंधु का लेन । आपहु गली…
Service can happen when there is no price tag attached.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi Kabir – The couplet फल कारण सेवा करे, करे न मन से काम । कहे कबीर सेवक नहीं, चहै चौगुना दाम ॥ transliterated: Phal kaaran seva kare, kare na man se kaam| Kahe Kabir sevak…
One can find God and love, only if one completely surrenders’s the self
“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” – Julia Cameron Kabir – The couplet राम रसायन प्रेम रास, पीवत अधिक रसाल । कबीर पीवण दुर्लभ है, मांगे सीस कलाल ॥ पिया चाहे प्रेम आस, रखा छाहे मन । दो खड्ग एक मयान में, देखा सुना न कान॥ transliterated: Ram rasain…
God in the faces of men and women all around
“Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.” ― Mother Teresa, In…
Teachers are always teaching – but are we really ready to learn?
“Bad teachers distance themselves from the subject they are teaching—and, in the process, from their students. Good teachers join self, subject, and students in the fabric of life because they teach from an integral and undivided self; they manifest in their own lives, and evoke in their students, a “capacity for connectedness.” -Parker J Palmer…
Words are a poor substitute for experience.
“You’re in love when nobody can understand the way you feel.” -Unknown Kabir – The couplet अकथ कहानी प्रेम की, कहत कही न जाए । गूंगे केरी सरकार, खाए और मुस्काए ॥ transliterated: Akath kahani prem ki, kahat kahi na jaye| Goonge keri sarkara, khaye aur muskaye|| Translation: The story of God’s…
True bliss comes from resolving ignorance, not by indulging in it!
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” -Daniel J. Boorstin Kabir – The couplet बूँद समाई समुन्द में, जानत है सब कोई । समुन्द समाये बूँद में, जाने बिराला कोई ॥ transliterated: boond samai samund mein, jaanat hai sab koi| samund samaye boond mein, jaane birala…
All the time in the world is ours – to use, or lose!
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of. – Benjamin Franklin “I have only just a minute, only sixty seconds in it Forced upon me, can’t refuse it Did not seek it, did not choose it, But it is up to me to use it,…
Evil works to beget evil and multiply. The best response is a smile and a blessing!
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. – 1 Peter 3:9 (New Testament) “Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.” -Fyodor Dostoyevski Kabir –…
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
The metaphoric mind is a maverick. It is as wild and unruly as a child. It follows us doggedly and plagues us with its presence as we wander the contrived corridors of rationality. It is a metaphoric link with the unknown called religion that causes us to build cathedrals — and the very cathedrals are…
One dark thought does not remove another darkness – but a sliver of light DESTROYS it!
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato Kabir – The couplet तिमिर गया रवि देखते, कुमति गयी गुरु ज्ञान । सुमति गयी अति लोभति, भक्ति गयी अभिमान ॥ transliterated: timir gaya ravi dekhate, kumati gayi guru…
Appearances are not just deceptive – they can distract us from the true value the contents offer.
Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances. – Wayne Dyer Kabir – The couplet जाति न पूछो साधु का, पूछ लीजिये ज्ञान । मोल करो तलवार का, पड़ा रहन दो म्यान ॥ transliterated: Jati na pooch sadhu ka, pooch lijiye gyan | Mol karo talwar ka, pada rahan do mayan…
Everything in moderation, nothing in excess
“Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.” ― William Blake Kabir – The couplet अति का भला ना बोलना, अति की भली ना चूप | अति का भला ना बरसना, अति की भली ना धूप || transliterated: Ati ka bhala naa bolna, ati ki bhali na choop | Ati ka bhala naa barasna, ati ki bhali na…
Overcome the mind, and you will end all misery
Misery is not absence of happiness, but limited happiness. For as happiness recedes misery pours in. – Swami Sri Ramananda Saraswati Kabir – The couplet कबीर सोई सूर्मा, मन सून मांधे झूझ । पंच प्यादा पारि ले, दूर करे सब दूज ।। transliterated: Kabir soyee soorma, man soon maande jhoojh | Panch pyaada paari le,…
Act with purpose, else waste not time!
Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference. – Joel Barker Kabir – The couplet कबीर माला काठ की, कही समझावे तोहि । मन न फिरावे आपना, काहे फिरावे मोहि ।। transliterated: Kabir maala kaath ki, kahi samjhaave tohi | Man na…
Slowly but surely, change your attachment into compassion, and realize the true beauty all around you!
Remember that daya, compassion, and Maya attachment, are two different things. Attachment means the feeling of ‘my-ness’ toward one’s relatives…Compassion is the love one feels for all beings of the world. It is an attitude of equality…But one thing should be remembered: Maya keeps us in ignorance (of our divine nature) and entangles us in…
Infuse your sense of religion with an extreme dose of rationality, and you WILL find God!
“The point is, I see no contradiction between my faith and science. Why did God use the Big Bang to create the universe? I don’t know, can you think of a better way? Why did God use evolution to create humans (and dogs, and dolphins and whales, and cats, and rhinos, and dinosaurs)? Maybe it…
God is but a stepping stone to the Ultimate Existence
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” ― C.S. Lewis Kabir – The couplet अच्छाई पुरुष एक पेड़ है, निरंजन वाकी दार | तिर्देवा शाखा भये, पात भये संसार || transliterated: Acchai purush ek ped hai,…
I have found my Teacher – and I am assimilated in Him
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward (1921–March 30, 1994), author of “Fountains of Faith” Kabir – The couplet अब गुरु दिल में देखिया, गावन को कछु नाही | कबिरा जब हम गावते, तब जाना गुरु नाही || transliterated: Ab Guru dil mein dekhiyaa, gaavan ko…
Equanimity is a difficult skill
“Happy the man who can endure the highest and the lowest fortune. He, who has endured such vicissitudes with equanimity, has deprived misfortune of its power.” – Seneca (Roman philosopher from mid 1st century AD) Kabir – The couplet ????? ??? ???? ????, ???? ??? ?? ??? | ???? ?????? ?? ??, ??? ???? ???????…
What is this music around me?
“There’s music in the sighing of a reed; There’s music in the gushing of a rill; There’s music in all things, if men had ears: Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.” – Lord Byron Kabir – The couplet ?? ??? ???? ???? ??, ???? ????? ????? | ?? ? ??? ??? ???,…
What is the true meaning of freedom? Who is really free?
“Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.” – V.S. Naipal (Trinidadian writer of Indian descent, awarded the Nobel Literature Prize in 2001) Kabir – The couplet ?? ??? ??…
Focus and concentration are key ingredients to find the path to success
” One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Anthony Robbins Kabir – The couplet ?? ?? ???? ????? ??, ??? ??? ???? ??? |…
Another like me cannot help me resolve my issue
“Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself. “ – Antoine de Saint-Exupery Kabir – The couplet ???? ?? ???? ????, ???? ??? ???? | ?? ???? ??????? ??, ?? ??? ?? ?????? || transliterated: Bandhe ko bandhe mile, choota kaun upaay | Jo mile nirbandhko, pal…
A poor righteous person is richer than the richest corrupt person in all existence
“..for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” – The New Testament – Proverbs 24:16 Kabir – The couplet ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??, ???? ??? ??? | ??? ???? ????? ???, ?????? ?? ?? ? ??? |||| transliterated: Jo koi ninde sadhu ko,…
Service is the vehicle that drives us to the destination of true satisfaction
“Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Kabir – The couplet ???? ?? ??? ??????, ???????? ?? ??? | ?? ??? ???? ???, ?????…
Morality is the strength that guides and nourishes
Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value. – Bertrand Russell Kabir – The couplet ??? ????? ?? ????, ??? ???????? ?? ??? | ??? ??? ?????? ????, ??? ??? ?? ??? || transliterated: Sheel, kshama jab upaje, alag dhristi tab hoye | Bin sheel pahunche nahi, lakh kahe jo…
Simple living, simple thinking, and the mysteries of the world are solved!
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible. – Oscar Wilde Kabir – The couplet ????? ????? ????? ???, ??? ???? ? ?? ??? | ?? ??? ??????? ???, ?? ?? ???? ???? || transliterated: Kabira gyan vichar bin, Hari dhoondan ko jaaye| Tan mein Tirloki base, ab tak parkha naahi…
Better a moment of silence than a lifetime of regret
“In history as in human life, regret does not bring back a lost moment and a thousand years will not recover something lost in a single hour.” – Stefan Zweig Kabir – The couplet ?? ?????? ? ??????, ???? ?? ??? ? ??? | ???? ??? ? ?????, ?? ???? ??? || transliterated: Man unmana…
Understanding stems from listening to that which is not being said
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou Kabir – The couplet ????? ???? ????????, ???? ???? ??? | ???? ??? ??? ??, ???? ?? ??? ? ??? || transliterated: Pehele shabd pehchaaniye, peeche…
True selfless service is the real path to unlimited satisfaction
“Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness – great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy.” – Jim Rohn Kabir – The couplet ????? ???? ????? ???, ??? ????? ??????? | ???? ???? ?? ????, ?????? ??? ????? || transliterated: Gyan samagan prem sukh, daya bhakti biswas |…
If you judge people, you have no time to love them
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” – Leo Tolstoy Kabir – The couplet ????? ?????? ????? ??, ???? ??? ???? | ??? ??? ??? ?? ???, ?? ??? ???? ??? || transliterated: Kabira pyala prem ka, antar liye lagaay | Rom rom mein ram rahe, aura amal kya khay ?…
The village achieves that which a single man could not
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” – Aristotle Kabir – The couplet ???? ???? ??? ??, ?? ??? ???? ??? | ?? ???? ???? ???, ?? ??? ??? ? ??? || transliterated: Kala nala heen jal, so phir paani hoye| Jo paani moti bane, so phir neer na hoye|| Translation: Even…
Infinite Patience Brings Immediate Results
“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 ??? ????? ?? ????, ??? ?????? ?? ??? | ??? ??? ?????? ????, ??? ??? ??…
We learn from and mirror the environment that holds our fancy
“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 ||…
True strength stems from acceptance and forbearance
“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:…
Service to others is the thanks we offer for our existence
“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 ???? ???? ??? ???, ???? ????? ??? | ??? ????? ?????, ???? ??? ? ??? || transliterated: Sevak seva…
A rolling stone gathers no moss
“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…
Illusion is not reality – and yet greater significance is attached to illusions
” 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 ???? ???? ?? ???, ???? ???? ? ??? | ?? ???? ? ?????, ???? ????…
Happiness is not pleasure – but is the best path to true pleasure !
“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…
The true virtue of forgiveness
“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…
Patience leads to acceptance, and thence, satisfaction.
“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 ????? ???? ?? ???, ???? ?? ?? ????…
Labor is the path to satisfaction and hence happiness
“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 ???? ?? ?? ?? ???…
Self conceit is the very daughter of self will – Charles Kingsley
“If one regards himself superior or equal or inferior by reason of the body that is impermanent, painful and subject to change, what else is it than not seeing reality? Or if one regards himself superior or equal or inferior by reason of feelings, perceptions, volitions or consciousness, what else is it than not seeing…
Pride leads to loneliness
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.” – C.S.Lewis Kabir – The couplet ??? ?????? ? ??????, ??? ???? ????? | ?? ??? ??? ?? ??????, ???? ??????? ??? || transliterated: Kade abhimaan na kijiye, kaha Kabir samjhaye| Ja seer aha jo sanchare,…