{"id":881,"date":"2026-09-29T18:11:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T23:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/?p=881"},"modified":"2026-09-29T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T23:11:59","slug":"will-my-words-survive-contact-with-my-calendar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/will-my-words-survive-contact-with-my-calendar\/","title":{"rendered":"Will my words survive contact with my calendar?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

\u201cYou do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.\u201d
\u2014 James Clear, Atomic Habits<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Kabir \u2013 The couplet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0915\u0925\u0923\u0940\u0902 \u0915\u0925\u0940 \u0924\u094b \u0915\u094d\u092f\u093e \u092d\u092f\u093e, \u091c\u0947 \u0915\u0930\u0923\u0940 \u0928\u093e\u0901 \u0920\u0939\u0930\u093e\u0907\u0964
\u0915\u093e\u0932\u092c\u0942\u0924 \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u094b\u091f \u091c\u094d\u092f\u0942\u0901, \u0926\u0947\u0916\u0924 \u0939\u0940 \u0922\u0939\u093f \u091c\u093e\u0907\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transliterated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kath\u1e47\u012b kath\u012b to ky\u0101 bhay\u0101, je kar\u1e47\u012b n\u0101\u0303 \u1e6dhahar\u0101i |
K\u0101lab\u016bt ke ko\u1e6d jy\u016b\u0303, dekhat h\u012b \u1e0dhahi j\u0101i ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What comes of speaking and speaking, if conduct does not stand behind it?
Like a fortress made only upon a temporary frame, it collapses before our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kabir places two words before us: kath\u1e47\u012b<\/em>\u2014what I say\u2014and kar\u1e47\u012b<\/em>\u2014what I actually do. Between them lies the measure of integrity. The couplet\u2019s image is wonderfully physical. A k\u0101lab\u016bt<\/em> is a mould, frame or temporary support used while constructing something. It can provide an impressive shape, but it is not the finished structure. A fortress made only of such framing may look convincing from a distance. The moment its strength is tested, it collapses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words can build the same kind of fortress. I can speak beautifully about compassion, discipline, devotion and truth. I can give excellent advice about patience. I can explain exactly how institutions, families and other people should change. But will my words bear the weight of my conduct?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Clear approaches the question through habits. A goal names the result I desire; a system is what I repeatedly do. Kabir\u2019s concern is more explicitly moral and spiritual. He is not merely asking whether my routine will produce success. He is asking whether my life gives substance to what my mouth proclaims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two insights are not identical\u2014but they meet in practice. I may say that family matters while giving every uninterrupted moment to my phone. I may praise kindness and then humiliate someone during a disagreement. I may speak about protecting my health while treating rest as laziness. I may discuss spiritual awareness for an hour and carry impatience into the very next conversation! The fortress looks impressive. Then an ordinary Tuesday tests it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean that I must become perfect before I speak. If only flawless people could offer guidance, humanity would become very quiet! Words can be promises, maps and reminders of the person I am trying to become. The danger begins when I use noble language as a substitute for movement\u2014or when I become so pleased with describing the destination that I forget to walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps I can take one sentence I frequently say and place it beside my calendar. \u201cI value this relationship.\u201d Where is the time I give it? \u201cI believe in service.\u201d Whom did my hands actually help? \u201cI want inner peace.\u201d What habit am I feeding each day\u2014quiet attention or constant agitation? \u201cI respect the truth.\u201d What happens when the truth threatens my image?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not need to rebuild my whole life today. One honest action is enough to begin laying stone beneath the beautiful outline. A sincere apology, ten minutes of undistracted listening, one promise kept, or one harmful habit interrupted can give the structure substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My words reveal the fortress I wish to build. My repeated actions reveal whether there is anything standing behind the walls.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4,9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kabir","category-philosophy","category-philosophy-and-religion","category-religion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.akella.org\/mani\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}