Ramblings of another geek

On tools and weapons..

Wandering around the web in an absolutely aimless search, I came across a blog post with a photo of a hammer under the caption..” Thoughts on thoughts…. tools and weapons” [ http://bearbicycle.blogspot.com/2008/12/thoughts-on-thoughts-tools-and-weapons.html ] – and a respondent made a telling comment –

Actually a tool is just a tool. IT’S THE MIND THAT IS THE “WEAPON”.
– Frank W. James

And now, Kabir Day 25: 

The couplet transliterated:

Kabira loha ek hai, gadhne mein hai fair |
Tahika bakhtar bana, taahika samsher     || 

Translation:

Says Kabir, the same iron is used to make many things |
Armor to protect, and the sword to smash the armor and wearer || 

My understanding:
Think about it for a while – the only weapons around are the minds milling around. What we refer to as weapons are truly only tools the brain creates to facilitate the mind’s demands.

As Kabir points out, it is not the iron that is to be faulted for the destruction around us – nor the weapons forged from it. It is not the iron-smith either – he is performing his job and trade. It is the person directing the wielder of the weaponry that is the true perpetrator of the crime – and all around who condone it or support it share the blame equally.

Yet, at some point in the entire cycle of crime and punishment, we have to also accommodate self-preservation and protection of the weak and innocent – and this by definition means taking up arms for a righteous cause. So it requires a proper understanding of the cause, the drive and the purpose. In anything as relative as human life, there can be no absolutes (to paraphrase something I read written by Hugh Prather). As in everything else, understanding and moderation are the key to a successful and meaningful life.

Today’s quotes: 

Money sometimes makes fools of important persons, but it may also make important persons of fools.
– Walter Winchell

To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.
– Bette Davis

The chief value of money lies in the fact that one lives in a world in which it is overestimated.
-H. L. Mencken

..and now, Kabir Day 24

The couplet , transliterated
Sabad barabar dhan nahin, jo koi janai bol |
Heere to daamai milai, sabad hi mol naa tol || 

Translation:
Speech is beyond price, if used sensibly |
Diamonds can be bought, speech cannot    || 

My understanding:
Here, Kabir places money in perspective when compared to the value of speech (expression, the true reflection of a man’s core).

In very simple words, Kabir is telling us that honest speech is priced beyond all tender. Even the most expensive diamond has a price, for the real value of the diamond lies in the desire it arouses in the buyer. Desire demands satisfaction, which limits the value it generates (for if it is beyond reach, over a point of time it loses its value since the target will shift attention to something more attainable).

Speech, on the other hand, when reflecting the core values and beliefs of a person, is valueless since it is not being used to attract but rather as a statement for a purpose. History stands witness to the fact that it has always been the leader’s speech, not weapons or technology, that eventually won undying loyalty and the world’s various lands and riches.

So Kabir is exhorting us to nurture and build that treasure that can never be torn away from us!

Today’s quote:

Pride is seldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the misery of others.
– Samuel Johnson

..and now, Kabir on pride (day 23)

Couplet, transliterated:
Kabira soi surma, mansun maon jujha |
Punch payada pahilai, door karai sub dooja ||

Translation:
Says Kabir – he is the real hero, who has freed his mind of pride |
Gained control of the senses five, and has ridden all negativity from within ||

My understanding:
Here, Kabir is looking at the contribution of pride in the mental makeup of a man. Samuel Jackson expressed the same thought in his quote above.

As Kabir says, pride tends to blind us the reality and distances us from understanding and compassion. Without understanding and compassion, one cannot be of service to anyone – not even oneself (since pride prevents us from accepting even our own errors / mistakes). Humility, then, is a core fundamental treasure that one should covet and retain.

The five senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – can all be blinded by the mind as we often experience. Kabir is asking us to rid ourselves of these blinders since we need these senses to report reality back to us in order to be correct in our resultant action. Unsaid here is the blinding of hidden senses of understanding and compassion – pride can completely block out these finer feelings, and needs to be banished for man to flower into his true complete self.

Today’s thought:

Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won’t make people enjoy life more, and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa – and it’s about getting a balance.

–Richard Branson 

Kabir Day 22: 

The couplet transliterated:

Kabir vyas katha karai, bheethar bhedai naahi |

Auron ko paramodhata, gaye mohar kamahi       || 

Translation:

(Says Kabir) Learned in philosophy, (some) learned men do not internalize their learning|

They teach and preach to others, but only for commercial considerations ||

My understanding: 

In today’s world, as in all times past and in the distant future, there will be attractions in the world that will incite desires for possession and jealousy. At the same time, there will also be books and teachings on the value of moderation in all things and the benefits of abstinence.

Some intelligent persons will always be able to take the value from the learning and translate it to commercial gain as they add their understanding and perception to the learning and share it with others in their times. If this is necessary for their livelihood, then it is just and there is no issue to be taken with the teacher looking to sustain himself even as he teaches.

However, if the teacher is not able to imbibe the core philosophy he preaches into his own life, and instead uses it as a tool to satisfy his “lust-for-lucre”, Kabir is warning us here to identify such persons for what they are and stay away since such a person is teaching not to improve us but to say whatever will get him what he wants (not what we need).

Today’s thought:

The world is not moved only by the mighty shoves of the heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.

–Helen Keller 

And now, Kabir, day 21:

The couplet, transliterated: 

Kabira jogi manhi ke, tan jogi kou aur,  |

Man ke jog lagawat, dasa bhai kachoo aur || 

Translation: 

Kabir is an ascetic of the mind, not of the body |

If all did the same, their lot would be so much better || 

My understanding:

Kabir here is speaking of the relation between mind and body. Most philosophies and thinkers seem to point to the mind as a guest of the body, or as a dress to be worn at birth and discarded at death.

The average human gets so caught up in taking care of the body that the entire mind’s energies are devoted to the one task. If instead of the mind taking care of the body, the body were put to the task of serving the mind in it’s true endeavor of completing life’s tasks, humanity would be better served – both the individual and all society would be the benefactors.

Today’s thought –

“Each morning the alarm goes off, and a new day begins.”

– Carl D. Windsor

Kabir, day 20:

The couplet, transliterated:

Ghar rakhwara bahera chidiya khai khet |

Adha pardha ubarai, chet sake to chet  ||

Translation:

The house guard is hard of hearing, so birds are damaging the crop |

Prevent further loss by waking up and scaring the birds away      ||

My understanding:

Here, once again, we are visited Kabir, the mystic. His intended audience being the average human of the time, his explanations use examples the average citizen of the time could easily relate to, and yet have powerful messages for those willing to pay attention.

Here, he is talking of the havoc we invite on our life (our house, of which we are the sole guard) when we do not pay attention to the external factors that influence our daily existence. The deaf guard is us when we get so involved in mundane work or distracted by desire that we ignore all the warning signals around us. The birds are desire, jealousy, greed, and all other negative influences we harbor in the chase of material pleasure.

Kabir is not asking us to abstain – nay – he, in other teaching, has clearly indicated that love and experience, not distance, is what helps us achieve our purpose in life. However, he is asking us to live life in moderation, and to stay alert to the warnings of excess. Just as the greatest medicine can become poison when consumed in excess, he is warning us to wake up before distractions lull us into a false sense of well-being when all is not truly well.

So, in the immortal words of other saints, ‘Awake, arise, and be well!’

Thought for today – 

Acknowledge Your Creativity and Genius

The qualities of creativity and genius are within you, awaiting your decision to match up with the power of intention. Genius is a characteristic of the creative force that allows all of material creation to come into form. It is an expression of the divine.

-Dr Wayne W. Dyer

..and now for Kabir day 19..

The couplet transliterated:

Tel tilli soun upaje, sada tel ko tel   |

Sangati ko bero bhayo, tate naam phulel ||

Translation:

Extracted from the oil seed, oil stays oil to the very end   |

The moment it is touched by essence, fragrant oil it becomes ||

My understanding:

Once again, Kabir, in his familiar style, is explaining the mystic with simple examples from daily life. 

Oil, extracted from the oil seed, by its nature, is fairly stable and stays oil for as long as one keeps it in appropriate containers, waiting for the day it is used. 

The moment it is blended with the essence of any fragrance, it picks up the fragrance, and never loses the fragrance. 

Similarly, a soul, coming into the world, is a plain soul unattached to any worldly experiences or desires. The company of the wise and saintly will make the person what the world calls a “good and nice-to-be-with” person. Unsightly company will have the exact opposite result. We become the image of those we associate with, different from any individual since we are the sum of our experiences. The core of our being never changes, but the entire being begins to reflect the light of those that shine on it. And soon enough, the rainbow of light becomes the pleasure of companionship.

On this windy, sunny morning, all I can think of is :

“Remember that life’s most treasured moments often come unannounced.”
-unknown

..and now, Kabir Day 17:

The couplet, transliterated:

Nau man dudh batori kai, tipaka diya binas |
Dudh fati kanji bhaya, hua dhiyu ka naas||

Translation:

Nine maunds (a measure) of pure milk, a drop of acid can spoil |
The milk splits and its essence is lost no matter how much you toil ||

My understanding:

A large quantity of good milk can be spoilt by just a single drop of acid. Allegorically, Kabir is telling us here that a single bad moment can destroy a lifelong record of good deeds and noble behavior.

Through this little couplet, Kabir is warning us to be ever-watchful for those tiny moments that can prove to be our undoing.

Today’s thought – as 2008 winds down:

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

– Ellen Goodman

And now, Kabir day 16:

The couplet, transliterated:

Kabira lahari samad ka, moti bikhare aayi

Bagula sama na janaye, hans chune chuni khaie ||

Translation:

Many pearls are cast ashore by the waves of the ocean |

The swan relishes them, while the crane ignores them ||

My understanding:

Here, the teacher Kabir is once again appealing to the greater intellect of man – asking us to properly use the reasoning and wisdom we have been endowed with as a race. The crane here is a reference to the animal kingdom

– without an understanding of value, the crane is interested only in the fish available for food, ignoring the pearls.

The swan (here representing the human race) understands the value the gems represent, and enjoys them in peace while the crane ignores them.

Man has been rewarded with the ability to reason, and the wisdom to recognize true value. Every day we are presented with the opportunity to better our lives and the lives of those around us, if only we paid attention. Instead of focusing only on our base needs, we need to expand our cognizance to include the minds and souls around us, and we can then get a better understanding of what we need to do to make both our immediate environment as well as the world a better place for everyone.

The simple animal is self centered not because of ego or short-sightedness, but because it knows no better than what its own senses tell it (here we are not speaking of the ESP of animals which is a proven fact, but rather the behavior of the simpler members of animal world). Man, on the other hand, is self-centered because of ego and the focus on the self. This is what Kabir is asking us to grow beyond, and feast on the manna of true knowledge that is all around us.

First, today’s thoughts :

Words Of Wisdom 

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched…but are felt in the heart.”
– Helen Keller

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The most important thing to do in solving a problem is to begin.”
– Frank Tyge

And now Kabir Day 15:

First, the couplet, transliterated:

Bhes dekh jani bhuliye, boojh lijiye gyan|

Bin kasauti hoth nahi, kanchan ki pehchan ||

Translation:

Judge not a man by the clothes, judge him by his knowledge |

Without the testing stone, even gold’s purity cannot be determined ||

My understanding:

The saying “clothes do not the man make” is old and true. Wearing a suit does not make a man a successful businessman, nor does wearing a saffron robe make a man a saint. The true MAN is the one with true vision, an understanding of reality and knowledge of truth.

Just as everything that shines is not gold, but one needs the testing stone to differentiate between the real deal and ‘fool’s gold’, so also while the outer appearance of a man may lead you to believe what might not be, a test of the person’s knowledge will bring reality to the forefront.

Today’s thought

“Love is often nothing but a favorable exchange between two people who get the most of what they can expect, considering their value on the personality market.”

– Erich Fromm

Kabir Day 14

..the couplet transliterated:

Dukh Mein Sumiran Sab Kare, Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye |
Jo Sukh Mein Sumiran Kare, To Dukh Kahe Ko Hoye    ||

Translation

When in trouble, everyone finds prayer, but nary a one in peace If only we would pray when in peace, would trouble ever find us?

My Understanding

When any material or mental event troubles a person, prayer is almost an involuntary reaction – prayer seems to offer the moment that one needs to recover from each missed step. How often have our thoughts and eyes turned skywards in involuntary prayer when we are overwhelmed?

But true peace is found when we use our calm moments to prepare ourselves for the tough times that will invariably come, as surely as night follows day. However, as surely as night follows day, he who has spent a part of the day collecting firewood will lack for neither light nor warmth at night. This is what the gentle teacher Kabir is preaching – use the time offered when the mind is at peace to store up and fortify the mind for the more trying times ahead, and the trying time will not be any challenge at all!

Today’s thought –

A poem of prayer and wishes on this Christmas day:

Understanding the world – bit by bit! 

The year is gone, another cycle of seasons done
Snow on the ground, and another lot of bills undone
Do we look forward to the coming year, another glorious unknown,
Or cower – driven by thoughts of more work into the corner, woebegone?

Many cycles gone, some of the lessons I have learnt,
Teach me to put this into the frame of experience current
This world, this life, is not a power spent,
But a surging wave, resurgent from each pushback, a new agent!

So as we start this holiday season, I wish all a time wonderful,
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Grand New Year, of cheer so full,
A time with hearts filled with pleasure and love blissful
Young and old, all with hands and minds joined in prayer of thanks soulful !!

 – Mani , Dec 24 2008

…and now, Kabir, Day 13 (an old favorite for those of you familiar with Kabir’s writings):

The couplet transliterated:

Pothi Padh Padh Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye |
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka, Padhe so Pandit Hoye     ||

Translation

Reading all the written wisdom of the world made no one man wise
He who learnt to read a phrase with love, became the truly wise man.

My Understanding

Here is another allegorical couplet – and today, on this birthday of Christ, it is particularly important to understand this universal message.

Today’s world, with the Internet, modern communication and the importance of media, is FULL of information that most everyone has access to if they choose to. However, without appropriate background, even the most trivial of information can be misread as a world-altering news, and the most critical of news can be written off as trivial.

Awareness and compassion are what are missing in this flood of knowledge – without that, even the most critical book has no value to impart. Talk of Love is of no use coming from a person with selfish intent. Declaration of Independence is meaningless for a people bound by the silken ropes of Desire. Even the sweetest Manna (Divine Food) has no taste to offer a world driven by the dark nature of consumerism.

Here, in this couplet, Kabir the ever-compassionate teacher, shows us the simple solution. He tells us that the way to wisdom is not ‘more’ but ‘enough’. Only when we practice and imbibe the true meaning of the words Love and Compassion will we become truly wise. That is when we will begin to live life the way it is meant to be lived.

How many of you agree with this (both the explanation as well as the thought)?

Another break in the flow happened yesterday – schedules meant I had absolutely no time to think – is that really possible? My apologies anyways.

So , first, today’s thought – and a lesson for myself –

“Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness.”

– Betrand Russell

Russell , despite the description of being a dour person, had many gems he contributed to the global body of knowledge , and this one is of particular relevance for me today ?

.. and now Kabir day 12:

First , the couplet , transliterated:

Kabira Man Nirmal Bhaya, Jaise Ganga Neer |

Pache Pache Har Phire, Kahat Kabir Kabir ||

Translation

(at some point of time) Kabir’s mind got cleansed, clear as the water of the (river) Ganges

(when that happened) everyone followed Kabir (in all his wanderings) chanting “Kabir, Kabir”!

My Understanding

All humans desire, at some level , fame and popularity. Everyone wants to be known as someone, to belong to an entity that is larger than life. However, in our chase of the daily chaos that life is, we are unable to focus on what is necessary and important. Small babies and animals are the best sensors of this chaos – they get closest to the one with the most peaceful mind and aura.

In this couplet, Kabir addresses this dilemma – we are able to scale those peaks of fame and popularity only after we release ourselves from the shackles that the desire for fame bind us in. Here the Saint is teaching us that we first need to be free of the binds of passion, desire, complicity and ego before we can admit others into our existence.

Once we are free, we become the compassionate, caring and loving being that we love to associate with. Others pick on this change, and flock to the unencumbered individual as moths to a lamp or sheep to the shepherd. Only the truly unencumbered individual will be in harmony with nature and existence.

“Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.”

– Leo Tolstoy

..and now Kabir day 11

First, the couplet transliterated:

Kabira Khara Bazaar Mein, Mange Sabki Khair

Na Kahu Se Dosti, Na Kahu Se Bair ||

Translation

Standing in the bazaar, Kabir wishes for all to be satisfied.

He has no special friendship with anyone, nor enmity towards anybody.

My Understanding

There are two levels to look at this couplet.

At the simpler lever, Kabir, the professional weaver, is talking of the best practice for a businessman in the marketplace. He is asking the businessman to conduct business impartially and without any low or underhand strategy. Selling is a competitive affair – Kabir asks to nor use dirty tricks to make the extra buck, but to stay calm and courteous to all potential customers, and stay balanced in the entire approach.

At the spiritual level, this couplet likens life to the noise and confusion of the traditional bazaar. Continuing from yesterday’s discussion on ‘Maya’, the bazaar has more distractions and disturbances than the average human can ignore. Kabir, the teacher, in this couplet, is presenting the listener with the option of the more balanced approach to life. By not succumbing to the overages of emotion, one can maintain equanimity in their daily dealings both within and without. Kabir is presenting us here with an idea of how our mental and physical attachment to material things and emotions can create/change/alter our experience of life – attachment both to and against various aspects and things.

Here, he offers us a way out of the quandary – by staying calm and detached, we can balance out the extremes of emotion and passion. Difficult – yes, but not impossible, and it does become easier with practice. After all, no one ever said life was easy!

Today’s Quote

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”

-Ernest Hemingway

Some responses to reactions from yesterday’s couplet, first (and yes, please feel free to correct me when I miss steps – it is these missed steps that tell me I am human, and am but a student, thirsting for more knowledge):

A dear friend wrote:

“- a thought occurred to me when I read your interpretation. 

In Tamil Nadu and perhaps other southern states, I have known people beg as an act of atonement to the Lord – for e.g., perfectly middle class people may beg to raise the money to go to Tirupathi or somewhere else to offer prayers. I guess they are putting themselves to so much humiliation as an act of atonement?”

In my own understanding, this is not begging in the traditional semantic sense of the word, but rather an act of humiliation to put perspective around a specific occurrence – similar in some ways to the confessions practiced by some religions. Here, the begging is not a source of daily life support, but rather a way of apologizing – and hence different from begging for a livelihood (as confession is different from using inability as an excuse to take the easier path).

..and now, Kabir Day 10 (special? Three couplets that are related, for today!)

1)

..the couplet, transliterated…

Maya Mari Na Man Mara, Mar Mar Gayee Shareer Asha Trishna Na Mari, Keh Gaye Das Kabir

Translation

Neither illusion nor the soul ever die, death cometh only to the gross body Hope and desire do not die, so sayeth Kabir

My Understanding

Here, Kabir takes on the great ‘illusion’ or maya – defined as the source of all suffering and pain. This takes me back to a conversation from yesterday night with another friend. Allow me to elaborate:

In the Hindu faith, there is emphasis on the cycle of rebirth till the ultimate emancipation of the soul from the binding of this world. Looked at in light of that thought, this life is a preparation for the next, not a life meant to entertain or gorge ourselves with pleasures of the ‘now’. Simplicity, satisfaction and satiety (The condition of being full or gratified beyond the point of satisfaction; surfeit) are what will help in such a quest – for the chasing of material pleasures is a thirst that can never be quenched. This then is the beginning of the understanding of the concept of ‘MAYA’ Kabir speaks of.

Even the 13th century Persian poet Rumi reflects similar thinking in the poem below – this is a universal thought and not limited to a specific culture or time:

“

Our death is our wedding with eternity.

What is the secret? “God is One.”

The sunlight splits when entering the windows of the house.

This multiplicity exists in the cluster of grapes; It is not in the juice made from the grapes.

For he who is living in the Light of God, The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.

Regarding him, say neither bad nor good, For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.

Fix your eyes on God and do not talk about what is invisible, So that he may place another look in your eyes.

It is in the vision of the physical eyes That no invisible or secret thing exists.

But when the eye is turned toward the Light of God What thing could remain hidden under such a Light?

Although all lights emanate from the Divine Light Don’t call all these lights “the Light of God”; It is the eternal light which is the Light of God, The ephemeral light is an attribute of the body and the flesh.

…Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

The bird of vision is flying towards You with the wings of desire.

“

So in the above couplet, Kabir emphasizes that neither illusion nor the soul ever die – death is a state for only the gross physical body. The average human, even on the death bed, clings to this material world, relations, possessions and yearnings for those desires not fulfilled (trishna) – the very desire and illusion Kabir wants us to shed. The purpose of the repeated life is to help gradually lose interest in materialism (from surfeit?) and ultimately focus on the true meaning and purpose of Life.

Two more couplets that explain the same thought in different ways:

a) the couplet transliterated:

Maya dolai mohini, bolai madhur bain

Koi ghayal na milai, Sain hirdai sain||

Translation:

Maya is like a beauteous woman, bewitching with her art, But he in whom the Lord is Manifest (realized) – she cannot effect or hurt.

Here , Kabir likens Maya to a beautiful woman trying to ensnare man in the bonds of the material world. Most every religion and fable have used the common understanding of the concept of the female as the lure and man as the fish – this is not a reflection on the gender, but rather a simple way to explain a deeper concept to the unrealized person.

b) the couplet transliterated:

Deepak paavak aaniya, tel bhi aaniya sang Teenoo mil kar joiya, udi udi padey patang||

Translation:

The lamp, finding the wick, and the oil, lights up (as desire) The three (oil, wick and lamp) attract men like flies, save the soul with Realization.

Here the meaning is more hidden – Kabir used more allegorical expression here. As flies are attracted to the light of the lamp, Kabir says that man is attracted to desire – but just as the flies get burnt, Kabir is warning man to keep a distance and protect the soul.

Today’s thought – as I look out at a snow-covered vista from my window…

“

I can’t pray beside my little peace tree without thinking about the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace . . .

I can’t pray beside my little peace tree without considering how I can be that instrument. What can I do to make a difference, when the need is so great?

I can’t pray beside my little peace tree without thinking about the over-the-top consumerism in our culture: false values that fly at us like reindeer on speed, without thinking about how I get caught up in the “wants” versus “needs,” and too often coming down on the side of “wants.” It’s too easy. Yet when I think about the heartbreaking conditions of the poor around the world, I want to weep because of my own insensitivity. 

A few days ago I put out my creche, which besides my peace tree, is the only other Christmas “decoration” in our home. My mother handpainted the nativity figures when I was a child, and it’s been a special treasure through the years. I hid a tiny cross in the manger, a tradition begun by St. Fransis of Assisi.  Such a simple tradition, yet to me this year, it’s one of the most precious reminders of why this Child came into this war torn, troubled world: not as a King, but as a Savior.

Sacrifice. Not a word we associate with Christmas in this season of giving and receiving. Yet, when I think about it, isn’t that what the heart of Christ’s message was all about? I have to ask myself what will I sacrifice this year, this week before Christmas, this day, that will bring peace to one child or one family. Mother Teresa was once asked how she could go on with her work when the need was so great. “One child at a time,” she replied.

Peace comes with a price. What will I give of myself that just might make a difference in one life this week, in one life this new year?

 “

– Diane Noble – Inspirational Thoughts on Writing and Life (http://dianenoble.wordpress.com/ )

..and now, Kabir Day 9

First, the couplet, transliterated:

Mangan Maran Saman Hai, Mat Koi Mango Beekh Mangan Se Marna Bhala, Yeh Satguru Ki Seekh

Translation

Begging is akin to dying – do not beg, O Human To die is preferable to begging, this is what the Guru taught!

My Understanding

This couplet is not about the simple act of begging – it hides in its simplicity the huge psychological and mental anguish created by the simple act.

Across the world, millions survive by begging. In this simple act, they hurt and sometimes kill their inner self and put themselves up to enormous shame, self-pity and humiliation. In the third-world this takes the form of the scantily clad beggar found on streets everywhere; in the more affluent nations, think of those who live on unemployment and welfare.

The Guru, in his infinite compassion, understands this pain, and teaches the value of self-reliance over humiliation: for while self-reliance involves initial pain, the rewards and pleasure lead to a much better life and comfort for the individual. Begging, while initially comfortable, leads to a life of imprisonment for the soul.

In this simple couplet, Kabir is awakening the conscience of people through a stiff reminder for those willing to listen.

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”

– George Bernard Shaw

“Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility.”

– James Thurber

..and now, Kabir day 8:

First, the couplet, transliterated:

Jaise Til Mein Tel Hai, Jyon Chakmak Mein Aag Tera Sayeen Tujh Mein Hai, Tu Jaag Sake To Jaag

Translation

Just as oil is inside the seed, and the spark hidden inside the flint God resides inside you, awake to this realization if you can!

My Understanding

A very simple unfolding of a huge mystery – where is God? Kabir has simplified the answer for all in the clearest of expression. Just as when we see the seed, we do not realize the hidden oil inside the hard shell, or the potential for fire in the rough flint stone, simply looking at man does not give a true reflection of the hidden potential and glory inside.

To expand the thought a bit more, it is not enough to know what is inside – it needs effort. The mill needs energy to turn the grindstones which then work to extract the oil from seeds – and even the flint stone needs to be struck just right if sparks are required. Similarly, it is not enough to say that God resides inside me – that realization needs to be nurtured, and grown from a small spark into a raging flame that can then provide light, warmth and fuel for true realization. This is the fire Kabir is attempting to light in all who pass by this couplet.

This couplet also reminds of Swami Vivekananda, who said, “Man is potentially divine and the sole purpose of this life is to discover that divinity. The time to do is here and now”.

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.

Today’s thought – Everything you have

There is so very much available to you. In reaching for your dreams, make use of everything you have.

Don’t be dismayed or embarrassed by what you have to work with. Instead, work with whatever you have and it will grow more useful and effective with each effort.

Don’t place a judgment on your abilities before you even put them to use. Go ahead, get to work, and see how quickly your skills increase.

Look back at the good things you’ve accomplished in the past. That power of accomplishment is still with you, so choose now to put it to use again for even more exciting and compelling purposes.

Think of all the great ideas you’ve had but have never followed through on.

Now is when you can make the best of them come to life.

The challenges are great and yet the value that flows through your life is far greater. Use everything you can, and you can accomplish anything you choose.”

– Ralph Marston

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Kabir – day 6

The couplet – transliterated

Sayeen Itna Deejiye, Ja Mein Kutumb Samaye Main Bhi Bhookha Na Rahun, Sadhu Na Bhookha Jaye

Translation

Give me enough, O Lord, that it be suffice to envelop my family Enough so I should not suffer cravings, nor the visitor goes unfed

My Understanding

This couplet deals with the concept of contentment, compassion and a very clear attitude of service. It is not greed when Kabir asks God for abundance. He prays to God to give him enough that would be suffice to take care of his needs.

The next lines add another dimension.  It reveals the compassion Kabir has for others.  In India it is a tradition that if an ascetic visits, the household will make sure that they feed him.  Sadhu literally means a monk, who has renounced the “world of desire”. However, in this couplet, the word “Sadhu” expands to accommodate the visitor, the guest, the one who comes in search of care, comfort, solace or even just companionship.

Enough for me, and enough for the world – a lofty thought, indeed, but simple – and Kabir epitomized simplicity in all aspects of life.

Here, he seems to have expanded the thought of the animal kingdom to humans

– no animal ever takes more than its needs – but modern man seems to have forgotten that simple basic rule 🙂

If we all learnt to be content, the world will indeed become the utopia we all search for – for true contentment and bliss lie in satisfaction, not accumulation. If we do not have more than we need individually, the world has a lot more than humanity could ever need!

Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire.

– Jorge Luis Borges

Kabir – Day 5

The couplet, transliterated:

Dheere Dheere Re Mana, Dheere Sub Kutch Hoye Mali Seenche So Ghara, Ritu Aaye Phal Hoye

Translation

Process slowly, o mind, for everything happens at its own pace The gardener may water the plant with a hundred buckets, but fruit arrives only in its season

My understanding

Nature never works in haste. Picking up from this eternal law of Mother Nature, Kabir brings forward the state of our daily hurried lives. 

We are always in a rush to achieve, acquire and be victorious.  It is like a mad race.  This brings us under pressure causing ill-health, fatigue and frustration.  More than that it breeds ill-discipline.  We get forced into a habit pattern whereby we find ourselves either negligent or indulgent.

Kabir, addressing the couplet to the mind which is fickle, highlights the importance of a relaxed mind, a quiet mind. A very active mind can also be very relaxed.  Relaxation comes through awareness and acceptance.

It is a known fact that a seed sprouts into a sapling only after some time and the sapling grows into a tree gradually.  And the fruit arrives only in its own season.  The gardener pouring “a hundred buckets of water”

(extensive irrigation) will not hasten the arrival of the fruit, but on the contrary may ruin the process.

Kabir thus makes us realize that one must do one’s best and yet should have the patience for the results to manifest in their own appropriate time. For Nature does not work in haste.

First – an apology – but my weekends have become so crowded that I am not finding the time to think – hence the hiatus in this 45-day journey.

Now, for today’s thoughts (and I have to confess – my time crunch over the weekend prompted my search for these…) –

1) It’s how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. If you are fed up with the way you have come to interact with time, change it. – Marcia Wieder

2) Today, be aware of how you are spending your 1,440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely. – Unknown Author

3) Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. – M. Scott Peck

Now for day 4:

First , the couplet, transliterated:

Aisee Vani Boliye, Mun Ka Aapa Khoye

Apna Tan Sheetal Kare, Auran Ko Sukh Hoye

Now, the translation

Speak such words, minus ego’s interplay

That the body remains calm & composed, and gives joy to the listener.

An explanation:

This couplet is a gem.  It deals with human psychology, metaphysics and a basic tenet of Vedic philosophy. The ancients of the Vedic literature have laid tremendous emphasis on speech. They have mentioned in innumerable sayings, poetry and stories that our speech has a direct connection with our bodily functions. They declared that sound and sight are the underlying source of all vibration. This has been scientifically proven beyond all doubt.

We know that all sounds create vibrations.  And these vibrations affect both the speaker and the listener. Soothing, compassionate and loving words breed togetherness, while harsh speech breeds hatred. And, we also know that human speech is one of the main ingredients that differentiates mankind from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Saint Kabir, in this couplet, crystallizes the power of the spoken word. He is teaching us to speak in such a manner that we stay harmonious and composed thereby making the listener feel a sense of joy in the communication.

Try it for yourself and feel the joyous change both within and without!

An intriguing thought – “The speed of anything depends on the flow of everything.”

Kabir – day 3:

Transliteration:

Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ub

Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kub

Translation

Tomorrows work do today, today’s work now if the moment is lost, the work be done how

An explanation:

This couplet is a little difficult to translate, particularly when the words “Pal mein Pralaya Hoyegi”, have been translated by many scholars as “doomsday may come at any moment” or something to that effect.  Kabir, the teacher and kindly philosopher, would not have implied this – he epitomized the being of goodness and righteousness.  He knew more than anyone else that if God is eternal, his creation is also eternal.  Also being a Guru, Kabir would not like to talk about doomsday, as he himself was full of life.

In this Doha, Kabir has clearly tried to explain the human tendency of laziness and procrastination.  It is a known fact that we all tend to postpone matters, we are indecisive and given a choice we would like others to be doing work and we simply enjoying a cool time.  When it comes to us, we try to get away by saying, “Very busy, no time.” (Sound familiar?)

This lethargy is what Kabir is condemning.  Besides, according to me, his emphasis is on NOW, the present, the moment as it is.  Now, that is Life, the moment.  It is in the NOW that one gets energized to do, to achieve, to realize.  As they say, it is NOW or NEVER.

Keeping this context in mind, this Kabir couplet clearly teaches us to shed all procrastination and lethargy.  It motivates us to do whatever we have to do, and do it now.  If we will keep postponing it, then the work will never be done.

Today’s quote:

I gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which I must stop and look fear in the face…I say to myself, I’ve lived through this and can take the next thing that comes along.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Day 2 from Sant Kabir:

Bura Jo Dekhan Main Chala, Bura Naa Milya Koye Jo Mann Khoja Apnaa, To Mujhse Bura Naa Koye

Translation

I searched for the crooked, met not a single one When I searched within myself, “I” found the crooked one

An explanation

This couplet deals with our perception, behavior and tendencies. It has been invariably noticed that we tend to find fault with someone else for our

situations and circumstances.   Our “I”, the ego, always tries to put blame

on others.   Non-awareness of our own self is the cause of this attitude.

Resultantly, we find ourselves being busy in criticizing and condemning others and conveniently term them as crooked or evil.

So Kabir says that instead of finding fault and maligning others, dive deep into your own-self.  Amazingly, an honest introspection will reveal that all fault lies with “me” and “my” own perceptions and attitudes. If there is any evil or crookedness, it is in “me”.  Correcting this and opting for a loving and compassionate attitude will change one’s perceptions and the world will appear wonderful all over again.

First, today’s thought:

“The world steps aside to let any man pass if he knows where he is going.”

-David S. Jordan

Sant Kabir – day 1:

original couplet, transliterated –

“Chalti Chakki Dekh Kar, Diya Kabira Roye Dui Paatan Ke Beech Mein,Sabut Bacha Na Koye”

Translation

Looking at the grinding stones, Kabir laments In the duel of wheels, nothing stays intact.

My understanding

This doha picks up a situation from our daily life. Kabir watches the woman grinding wheat on the flour mill. I have used the word woman here as generally it is the woman who does this work even today in the rural Indian society. The wheels are made of stone.  One is stationary while the other on top is made to rotate by turning it with the help of a handle attached to it. The grain that is put into it gets crushed and the crushed flour comes out.  Thus the literal translation given above conveys that.

(Diya Kabira Roye) Kabir cries out, however,  is what makes the reader to contemplate on this Doha and realize for oneself the hidden meaning behind this metaphor. Dui Patan here signifies earth (Prithvi) and sky (Akash) and within the ambit of these is all creation and life as also the manifestation of all natural phenomenon of dualities – day and night, life and death, joys and sorrows, thereby making life forever in motion (Chalti Chakki) and an ever changing process. Trapped in this duality, whatever we see is perishable. Nothing that we comprehend is eternal.