Guru
Kabir - synopsis
People all over the world celebrate events
which are religious, cultural,
social or political, but to celebrate the coming into the world
of one of the
great spiritual masters is indeed an event that should bring joy
to all. Guru
Kabir was one such Master whose teaching and influence continue
to reverberate
through time, and in the hearts of all who are exposed to his
philosophy. Guru
Kabir's coming into the world. and imparting his teachings,
should bring a
sense of spiritual upliftment to all devotees.
Guru Kabir was a bold and fearless Master who dared to be
different. He was
not merely a saint to be adored. He was the spokes-person of God,
thus he did
not keep praying to God for any benediction. Instead, he always
addressed the
people, exhorting them to realize the Divinity that dwelt in
their own hearts.
His famous refrain "kahat kabir suno bhai sadho" is
well known. He vehemently
spoke out against religious hypocrisy, false piety, religious
commercialism,
empty ritualism, and all superficiality and pretensions practiced
in the name
of God. He decried all caste distinctions, religious dogmas,
widow burning,
religious divisions, and external search for God, such as
pilgrimages etc. He
taught that the Omnipresent Lord is ever present in everyone. His
famous
bhajan "moko kahan dhundhe bande." (O devotee! Where
are you searching for me?
I am already with you). He was, of course, speaking on behalf of
God.
Among spiritual masters, Guru Kabir is hailed as the first on
many fronts. He
was the first to introduce nirgun bhakti (loving devotion to
Formless God Who
dwelt in the heart of all). He introduced surat shabd yog
(meditation on the
Divine Melody which resounds within). He was the father of Hindi
poetry.
Before him religious teachings were in Sanskrit and beyond the
reach of the
average person. Guru Kabir was the founder of Sant Mat as he
continuously
taught everyone to keep the company of saintly people. He thus
sang "sant
milan ko jayiye." He taught sahaj yoga to attain sahaj
samadhi (easy or
natural realization of union with God). This is explicit in his
bhajan "santo!
sahaj samadhi bhali."
Guru Kabir was famous for his forceful language not caring about
the rank of
anyone. He did not follow grammatical rules, but forced language
to express
his mystical ideas as no other saint before him did. I can
truthfully state
that Guru Kabir was a mystical genius among the saints of the
world.
J. Das M.D.
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