Seeking good company and spending all available time in that comradeship called Satsang (holy company), will help the aspirant a great deal. You are shaped by the company you keep; a piece of iron turns into rust if it seeks the company of the soil. It glows, softens and takes on useful shapes if it enjoys the company of fire. Dust can fly if it chooses the wind as its friend; it has to end as slime in a pit if it prefers water. It has neither wing nor foot, yet it can either fly or walk, rise or fall, according to the friend it selects.
Knowing this truth, Kabir, the great mystic-poet, sang, “Here are my prostrations to the bad. Here are my prostrations to the good.” When asked why he offered prostrations to the bad along with the good, he replied, “I prostrate before the bad so that they might leave me alone; I do the same before the good, so that they might remain near me always”.
- “Global Bhajan”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 13, November 14, 1976, Prasanthi Nilayam
Kabir's wife was highly devoted and faithful, totally dedicated to serving the husband and obeying him implicitly. One day Kabir was plying his handloom, chanting, as usual, the name of ‘Ram’ all the time. Suddenly he called his wife and saying that one thread has snapped, he asked her to bring a lamp. It was noon, and when she brought the lighted lamp, Kabir asked her to take it back as it was not necessary (because of daylight). Any other wife in her position would have retorted, saying, “Have you no eyes to see the daylight? Why did you waste my time and effort by unnecessarily asking me to bring a lighted lamp and to take it back? Do you think I have no other work?” etc. But Kabir’s wife was made of a different stuff. She silently took back the lamp, without a murmur or uttering even a single word of resentment. Hence, with such a dutiful and obedient wife, Kabir was able to develop his devotion unhampered, and expressed his gratitude to God for His Grace in giving him such a good partner in life.
...Kabir was always engaged in remembrance of God, so his wife’s behaviour was harmonious and conducive to his spiritual advancement… From all these instances, it is evident that what you need to do is to harmonise your own thoughts and feelings through proper Sadhana (spiritual discipline), rather than blame the environment or other persons for your shortcomings.
- “Mastery of the Senses”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1990, Brindavan
On one occasion, Kabir has said that we should keep the company of those who abuse us. The reason for this is that although we may commit several sins, the people who point out our sins are going to remove our sins by their abuse. It is in this context that we say that if someone ridicules us, then this will result in the removal of our sin.
- “Man Becomes Blind by His Ego”,
Summer Roses in Blue Mountains 1976, Ooty
Kabir looked at good company as well as bad company and said that both of them should be respected. At this, the disciples questioned him how it is that both good company and bad company deserve to be respected. To this, Kabir replied that there is some trouble to the world from the bad people and there is trouble to the world also from the good people. In order that there is no trouble from either quarter, he is paying respects to both of them. The disciples then asked how any harm can result from good people.
Kabir smiled and said that association with bad people causes great discomfort. On the contrary, separation from good people also causes great discomfort, and therefore, he was praying to both. There should not be separation from good people and there should not be association with bad people. You must always be praying that both these things may come your way.
- “Seek the Company of Good People”,
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1973, Brindavan
You must bear in mind the company you keep. Kabir said, “I salute the bad and also the good!” Kabir was asked, “We can understand your offering salutations to the good, but what is the point in offering salutations to the bad?” He replied, “When I salute the bad, I am saluting them, saying, please remove yourself from my presence. I salute the good, saying, please come to me!” You must avoid the company of the bad and cultivate the company of the good. Association with the good is pure Yoga! I desire that you should pursue this kind of Yoga and confer happiness on all people with whom you are associated!
- “Students and Satwic Purity”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 18, December 29, 1985, Brindavan
Kabir asked, “How is it possible to perceive you, Oh Krishna, when you are all-pervading and are present in the minutest particle and in the mightiest object in the cosmos?” Hence, everyone should have the conviction that wherever he may render service and whomsoever he may serve, he is rendering service to God because God is omnipresent. Such service alone is true Sadhana. Kabir declared, “Oh Rama! I am not qualified to perform sacrifices or penances. I can attempt to realise you only through love. Please enable me to attain you through love.” Therefore, through love, you must seek to serve all and enjoy Divine bliss. When you embark on service in this spirit, the whole world becomes one single home.
- “Share in Bhagavan’s Love”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 23, November 24, 1990, Prasanthi Nilayam
Kabir was a poor weaver who eked out his livelihood by weaving clothes. Though he was poor, he was always blissful. Mistaking him to be an Anatha, the king of the land sent him wealth, through his servants. Kabir, who had just returned from a bath in the river, noticed the wealth in front of his house. He asked the servants, “Who has sent this wealth?” “The king has sent this wealth,” the servants replied. “To whom has he sent this wealth and why?” queried Kabir. “The king has sent this wealth because Kabir is Anatha,” said the servants. “Who is Anatha? I am not Anatha since my ‘Natha’ (Master) is Sri Ramachandra. Since I have a master I am not Anatha. As Lord Rama has no master, He is Anatha and all this wealth should be truly offered to Him”.
- “The Quest for Divinity”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993, Brindavan
Mysterious are the ways of the Divine. It is difficult to comprehend how the Divine grace works. There are innumerable instances of God coming to the rescue of His devotees in times of need. Sant Kabir was a weaver by profession. One day he fell seriously ill and was unable to attend to his duties. The all-merciful Lord, in the form of Kabir, wove yarn and thus came to his rescue.
- “Develop Intense Devotion”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 32 Part II, September 3, 1999, Prasanthi Nilayam
Teachers who wish that their students should go on the right path should themselves practise what they preach to the students. Today, in my assessment, the students are faulty to some extent, but the teachers and the parents are largely responsible for this pitiable situation in which the students are. It is in this context that Kabir in one of his famous songs advised ‘Dil Me Ram, Hath Me Kam’. Here the Dil or the mind is like the tank, and out of the tank will come good water; and devotion is like the pipe and out of the pipe will come good water if the tank of the mind is filled with good water. The teachers and the parents are like the tank and it is only when the teachers and the parents have good ideas and adopt good conduct; out of them will flow good ideas to the students.
- “Education Should Not Make One Neglect One’s Parents”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974, Brindavan
About Sant Kabir
Born at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Kabir was a mystic poet and a saint equally revered by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. His year of birth is highly contested and is estimated to be between 1398 and 1440. He was a disciple of Saint Ramananda. He expressed his poems called Padas and Dohas (rhymed couplets) primarily in Hindi. Kabir’s legacy is carried forward by the Kabir Panth, a sect whose followers number nearly 10 million and regard him as a Divine Guru. He left for his heavenly abode in 1518 at Maghar, Uttar Pradesh.
No comments:
Post a Comment