“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It’s very important to be aware…
Category: Philosophy
We cannot control time – we only have the privilege of using it.
“Time and tide wait for no man.” – Geoffrey Chaucer Kabir – The couplet पाँव पालक की सुधि नाही, करे कल की साज । कल अचानक मारसि, ज्यों तीतर को बाज || transliterated: Paav palak ki sudhi naahi, kare kal ki saaj| Kal achaanak marasi, jyon teetar ko baaj || Translation: We have…
Effective conversation stands on the bedrock of politeness.
“Politeness is the flower of humanity.” – Joseph Joubert Kabir – The couplet सुख सागर का शील है, कोई न पावे थाह । शब्द बिना साधु नहीं, द्रव्य बिना नहीं शाह || transliterated: Sukh Saagar Ka Sheel Hai, Koi Na Paave Thaah | Shabd Bina Sadhu Nahi, Dravya Bina Nahi Shah || Translation:…
Action tainted by expectation rapidly degenerates into desire
“If my love is without sacrifice, it is selfish. Such a love is barter, for there is exchange of love and devotion in return for something. It is conditional love.“ – Sadhu Vaswani Kabir – The couplet कामी क्रोधी लालची, इनसे भक्ति क्या होए । भक्ति करे कोई सूरमा, जाती वर्ण कुल खोए…
Chanting is not meditation – lack of understanding is not an excuse.
“What is important in meditation is the quality of the mind and the heart. It is not what you achieve, or what you say you attain, but rather the quality of a mind that is innocent and vulnerable. Through negation there is the positive state. Merely to gather, or to live in, experience, denies the…
The company we choose shapes our life and achievements
“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.” – Izaak Walton Kabir – The couplet ऋद्धि सिद्धि मांगो नहीं, मांगो तुम पाई ये । निसदिन दर्शन साधु को, प्रभु कबीर कहु दे || transliterated:Riddhi Siddhi Mangou Nahi, Mangou Tum Pai Yeh |Nishidin Darshan Sadhu Ko, Prabhu Kabir Kahu Deh || Translation:Wealth or fame…
God did not choose names – we choose them instead – and then bind to the name instead of the God they are meant to represent!
“How strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!” – Emily Dickinson Kabir – The couplet दास बनना कठिन है, मैं दासों का दास । अब तो ऐसा होए रहूँ, पाँव तले की घास || transliterated: Pakhaa pakhi ke kaarane, sab jag rahaa bhulaan | Nirpakh hoi ke hari bhaje,…
Only complete surrender leads to true independence
“You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. ” – Rick Warren Kabir – The couplet दास बनना कठिन है, मैं दासों का दास । अब तो ऐसा होए रहूँ, पाँव तले की घास || transliterated: Daas bananna kathin hai, main daason ka daas | Ab to…
In anything as relative as human life, how can there be absolutes?
Virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do. – Plato Kabir – The couplet सोना सज्जन साधु जान, टूट जुड़े सौ बार । दुर्जन कुम्भ कुम्हार के, एके धक्का दरार|| transliterated: Sona sajjan sadhu jan, toot jude sau baar | Durjan kumbh kumhaar ke,…
The body is the perfect prison – for it limits us while making us believe we are free
Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold. – Bob Marley Kabir – The couplet अटकी भाल शरीर में, तीर रहा है टूट । चुम्बक बिना निकले नहीं, कोटि जातां को फूट || transliterated: Atki bhãl sharir mein, teer raha hai toot | Chumbak bina nikle…
To light the fire is not enough. Light it, and then find the silence inside.
Guru is like an axe who cuts the attachments deep within one’s heart. Real diksha means that he has no attachment to anything of this material world. – Subhag Swami Kabir – The couplet पावक रूपी साइयां, सब घाट रहा समाई । चित चकमक लागे नहीं, ताते बुझि बुझि जाइ || transliterated: Pãwak…
Forced change does not always provide desired results
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln Kabir – The couplet बहुत दिवस ते हिंदिया, सुनिए समाधि लागै । करहा पारा गढ़ में, दुरी पारा पछताए || transliterated: Bahut diwas te hindiya, suniye Samadhi laagai| Karha paara gadh mein,…
Our habits and instincts are the cause for our success or failure
“Having a low opinion of yourself is not ‘modesty.’ It’s self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not ‘egotism.’ It’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success.” – Bobbe Sommer Kabir – The couplet बन ते भागा बिहड़े परा, करहा अपनी बन । बेदन करहा कसो कहै, को करहा को जान || transliterated:…
Blind faith is an ironic gift to return to the Creator of human intelligence.
“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 ?…