II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कहै कबीर यहु कहिए काहि I
साध संगत बैकुंठहि आहि II

Man is known by the company (or sangat) that he keeps. Man is the result of his environment. Association with the Wise awakens and nurtures the unfolding of our own untapped spiritual potential, for that is truly 'Vaikunth' or Supreme Abode. The Saintly Beings or Realised Soul live the very essence of the Spiritual Texts, thus enlightening those who keep their company just like lowly trees in the vicinity of Sandalwood emanate fragrance. On a much deeper level, Sadh-Sangat means to be with or remain associated with the inner quality of Sattva or Purity. The quality of Sattva manifests in human beings as knowledge, peacefulness, contemplativeness and thoughtfulness. 
The influence of Sadh-Sangat is such that the person eventually breaks away from shallow worldly affairs and material pleasures which could only bring disappointments sooner or later in life. The illusion free mind can thereafter sift good from the bad easily striving towards perfection for leading a fulfilling and contented life.
Kabir says, God is beyond our comprehension, unseen and unfelt. Nothing can be said before His Realisation comes true. So what should we do? How should we realise Him? Can it be through Spiritual Texts? No, we cannot. Can it be by constantly uttering Ram-Ram? No, because it will be nothing more than parroting. And neither he can be sought by reasoning. On the other hand if we do good deeds, it is not devoid of pride. Austerities and penance swell ego. Temples and places of worship are all man-made. So what should we do? How should we realise Him?
There is a way says Kabir. Through good association-attaching your self to others who believe that awakening is possible-your awakening will be possible. 
No human being is infallible and hence it is in the very nature of man to commit errors time and again. Sadh-Sangat doesn’t promise any instant change in one’s innermost self yet it offers a holistic change which is slow yet progressive and irreversible in nature.
On a final note, as the saying goes– “As is the company, so is the color” fits quite well while defining the importance of Sadh-Sangat in life. As to attain God is the sole motive of each and every being on earth, but attaining such goal is not possible without the company of Realised Soul who can bring optimism and hope for attaining such Eternal Bliss."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जब लगि है बैकुंठ की आसा, तब लगि नहिं हरि चरण निवासा II

Desire itself is a bondage no matter even if it is of 'Vaikunth' or Supreme Abode. You seek 'Vaikunth," you push yourself away from God Realization. Desire of Lord Hari is one thing while desire of 'Vaikunth' is yet another thing. It is the ceaseless wanting that keeps Lord Hari beyond reach. God Realisation comes true for he who says, O'Lord Hari, I want You and You only and nothing else, come what may.
And therefore Kabir says, we don't want 'Vaikunth', and if 'Vaikunth' is Liberation then we don't want Liberation. All we eagerly seek is the dust of His Feet, the True Liberation. Liberation will not come true if you desire it because Liberation itself is Desirelessness. Desire of Liberation is also a desire. Desire is a trap. Absolute Desirelessness is the True Liberation."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

चलन चलन सबको कहत है, ना जानै बैकुंठ कहां है I
जोजन परमिति परमनु जानै, बातनि ही बैकुंठ बखानै II

The self serving religious scholars have been defrauding people for long by plundering them, selling them the fake or counterfeit Dharma and God for the sake their personal gains. They want people to remain ignorant, fearful and ritualistic.
Kabir says, these so-called scholars even go to the extent of pinpointing the exact location of 'Vaikunth', the Supreme Abode on a map and give the detailed itinerary. They show where the heaven is, and where is hell. They talk about seven heavens and seven hells. They present Liberation as a package set between defined boundaries. Though experienced nothing, yet it doesn't deter them from talking about it as if they know every nook and cranny of it.
Kabir says, 'Vaikunth' or Supreme Abode is beyond the realm of geography. It is not a place that can be pinpointed on a map. It is a journey within.
The Liberation is not sought outside. It is the state of mind. It is living in the world but not of the world. It simply calls an end to the enslavement of the false ego-sense and Mayaic intellect. In other words, bondage is the conditioned mind attached to craving for enjoying the sense objects, and its abandonment is liberation. In essence, liberation is the total abandonment of all mental conditionings, without the least reserve."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

नर के संग सुवा हरि बोलै, हरि परताप न जानै I
जो कबहुं उडि जाए जंगल में, बहुरि न सुरतैं आनै II

Parrots are vocal learners. They grasp sounds by hearing and then imitating them. When a parrot says “Hello; how are you?” when its owner enters the room, for example, it’s “not necessarily interested in your well being” but is mimicking what it hears the owner saying when he or she comes in. In fact, a parrot’s understanding of “how are you,” is probably “Oh look, someone has come into the room.” 
Parrots are known to mimic what their owners say. If the owner says 'Hari Hari', the parrot mimics it not necessarily understanding the glory surrounding Hari Naam. A parrot revered as a Saintly Being only because it constantly utters 'Hari Hari' is unheard of.
Kabir says, those who robotically read, memorize the spiritual texts without understanding it's essence are no more than a parrot.
While the caged parrot mimics 'Hari Hari' like that of his owner, as soon as the door to cage opens and it tastes freedom, the parrot's uttering 'Hari Hari' is a bygone era.
The parrot uttering 'Hari Hari' is no different from the so-called wise uttering the same, for both do it under captivity. While the parrot is forced to live in the cage, the so-called wise is in the captivity of his ego.
By learning as much as you can, analyzing your experiences and putting your knowledge to the test, you can become a wiser person. We may get influenced by what we read, but unless we let it churn and sink within the Wisdom won't dawn. The Wisdom so dawned doesn't remain hidden. It reflects in every aspect of the person. It enlightens him thus opening the gateway to Liberation."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

राम कह्या दुनिया गति पावे
खांड कह्या मुख मीठा 
भोजन कह्या भूख जे भाजै 
पावक कह्या पांव ते दाझै
जल कहि तृषा बुझाई II

"Kabir says, if the liberation from mundane existence was to come true simply by repeating 'Ram Ram,' then uttering 'sugar' would sweeten the tongue, one would feel full merely by talking about food, saying 'fire' would burn the feet and thirst would quench by uttering 'water.'

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

पंडित वाद बदन्ते झूठा I

Humans have been debating, discussing, and arguing since the beginning of time. But debates are seldom conclusive as the debaters aren’t there to be open, they are there to win. Kabir says, one must refrain from arguments. Blind and ignorant people indulge in unnecessary debates. Unless supported by experience, mere logical play of words will not be enough to reach the conclusion. Coherent series of reasons, statements, or facts can establish a point of view but not the Truth. The Truth is a Realization. It is not something that can be decoded mathematically. Truth like Love is a Realization.
Kabir says, Wise never argue. You need no bookish knowledge but a prayer from within for the Realisation of the Supreme Truth, the crowning fruition of all endeavors."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

रामैया तेरी दुलाहिनी लुटल बाजार

That the world is not as it appears is an ancient realization. Indian philosophy has captured this understanding in one simple, but nevertheless beguiling, word, Maya. That which is not. It is the imagination of the deluded mind which never ends and never exists. Thus, it continually baffles humanity, and poses the greatest roadblock in the path to Spiritual Enlightenment by making the mirage-like attractions of the enchanting world appear as real (permanent, everlasting etc.)
The senses have the limited ability to perceive and discern truth, although we take them from granted and rely more on the appearances of things rather than the truth underlying them. Illusion is appearance of things differently from what they are actually. Everything in the universe is in a constant motion, but we think as if we live in a stable world because we do not perceive the motion.  
The world is not what it appears to be and what we perceive through our senses is just a superficial reality. The world we live in is an illusion because it conceals truth and reveal itself differently each time we perceive it. The world is an illusion not because it does not exist, but because it is not what it appears to be all the time.This is Maya.

"Kabir says, be aware of deceiving Maya. We must be on guard to save ourselves from the traps of this illusory world, else there is all possibility we forget the true purpose of this rare human birth, God Realisation."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कस्तुरी कुंडली बसै, मृग ढुंढे बन माहि I
ऐसे घट घट राम है, दुनिया देखै नाहि II

Musk is a kind of valuable, extremely fragrant salve found in the navel of the musk deer, a habitant of the highest Himalayan Hills of India. At a certain age, the ravishing odor of musk secretly oozes out of the navel of the musk deer. The deer becomes excited at the attractive odor of musk and frisks about, sniffing under trees, and searching everywhere for many weeks to find the source of the fragrance. Finally he grows angry and very restless when he is unable to find the source of the musk perfume, and jumps from the high cliffs into the valley, trying to reach the source of the rare fragrance, and thus plunges to death. It is then that the hunters get hold of him and tear out the pouch of musk.
Don’t you think that most people act like the musk deer? As they grow, they seek the ever-fragrant happiness everywhere outside of themselves – in play, temptation, human love, and on the slippery path of wealth, until finally they jump from the cliff of high hope onto the rocks of disillusionment when they cannot find the real happiness which lies hidden within the secret recesses of their own Souls.
If only you would turn your mind inward, in deep daily meditation, you would find the source of all true, lasting happiness existing right within the innermost silence of your own Soul. Don’t be like the musk deer and perish seeking false happiness in the wrong place. Beloved seekers of happiness, awake and try to find your happiness within the cave of deep contemplation.

"Kabir says, the musk deer after vain search for the cause of the scent of the musk at last will have to find it in himself.
The musk is within the deer, but he searches for it outside in the grass
instead of searching within himself.
He runs back and forth,
wondering where the fragrance comes from.
The fragrance is nearby,
But he knows it not. Caught by delusion, he roams about. So do all people wander in pilgrimages and outer observances. If you wish to realize God then find Him by looking within yourself, for He dwells therein, in every heart. Recognize Him through the manifestation of true love."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जिहिं हिरदै हरि आइया, सो क्यूँ छानाँ होइ I
जतन-जतन करि दाबिये, तऊ उजाला सोइ II

"Kabir says, virtuousness reflects in everything the Saintly Being does just like however we may try to hide the lamp, it's light does not fail to dispel the darkness."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कबीर माया रुखडी, दो फल की दातार I
खावत खरचत मुक्ति भय, संचत नरक दुआर II

"Kabir says, Karma moves in two directions.  If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non virtuously, suffering results. A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his Karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or to heaven. Problems or successes, they are all the results of our own actions, our Karma. The philosophy of action is that no one else is the giver of peace or happiness. One's own Karma, one's own actions are only responsible for happiness or sorrow or whatever. Karma is intertwined in the very fabric of our life, and training ourselves to be aware of this can transform how we live. We become more mindful and thoughtful, making choices we care,  understanding that our past actions, present experiences, and future circumstances originate in our minds. Karma is justice. It does not reward or punish. It shows no favouritism because we all have to earn all that we receive. Karma doesn't predestine anything. We create our own causes and Karma adjusts the effects with perfect balance. Kabir says, be wealthy but be wise, for it is entirely in our hands what we do with our material riches. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

रोडा है रहा बाट का, तजि पाखंड अभिमान I

ऐसा जे जन है रहै, ताहि मिलै भगवान II

Humility is the absence of pride, freedom from arrogance, being down to earth, or not exaggerating one’s own sense of self-worth. It is a trait where a person has an accurate perception of oneself characterized by modesty. A humble attitude involves not taking our successes, failures or desires too seriously. It is about accepting and making the effort to overcome one’s shortcomings gracefully. Whether humility is related to one’s beliefs, values, opinions, or judgments about ourselves or others, it is a character strength rooted in an understanding of our place in the larger scheme of things in the universe. It is not about thinking of yourself as less or inadequate but thinking less or infrequently about yourself. We are not as important as we make ourselves out to be. That's the way to practice humility. The humbleness is the internal awareness of our own insufficiency and inadequacy in doing anything when compared to the vast and magnificent elements of creation. Each of us as individuals is but an insignificant particle of dust. Humility is the first step toward developing a loving relationship with God.  God is not impressed by the display of theoretical knowledge nor material accomplishments; His heart melts for a humble soul. It is our ego that distorts reality where the pride of doership pushes God out of the mind and heart.

"Kabir says, Be Humbler than a blade of grass. Everything we have (e.g., knowledge, skills, physical attributes, wealth, spiritual assets, etc.) are gifts of God given to us purely due to His causeless Grace. If we are constantly aware of this knowledge, it will become easier to let go of the pride and fill our hearts with gratitude and humility which purifies the heart, for it is God Realisation in the truer sense."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जो ऊग्या सो आँथवै, फूल्या सो कुमिलाइ I
जो चिणियाँ सो ढहि पडै, जो आया सो जाइ II

"Kabir says, everything in life has its polar opposite. It is not possible to have a day without night. There is no right without wrong, no light without dark, no down without up and, no success without failure. The world seems incomplete without the opposites. All existence is about contrasts, is about duality.
Life is a balance of pair of opposites. Happy and sad, cold and hot, rich and poor—our world consists of pairs of opposites.The pair of opposites such as life and death, blossoming and withering, love and hatred, joy and grief, pleasure and pain, honour and disgrace reflect the ups and downs that inevitably form part of our experience in the world. Everything has a pair, an opposite, a contrast. The negative and positive. The yin and yang. Male and female. They are life's opposites. They attract. They harmonize life. They keep life's equilibrium. Like fire and water, like silence and noise, like laughter and tears, like sadness and joy, like black and white everything works in pair to keep the flow of life.
Anything that appears will soon disappear. What rises must set. Anything born must finish one day for birth is the proof of impending death.Our challenge is how we may maintain a tranquil and balanced mind in the midst of these so-called pairs of opposites. What comes and goes is time-bound, thus unreal or temporary. So, we are urged by Kabir not to get attached to anything fleeting."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

पानी फेरा बुदबुदा, अस मानस की जात I
देखत ही छिप जाएगा, ज्यों सारा परभात II

You do not know what tomorrow will bring, for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. The magic fades too fast, the scent of a summer never lasts, for nothing remains...nothing lasts. A moment is not complete until you realise it is fleeting.

"Kabir says, just as when rain falls from the sky in thick drops, a bubble appearing on the water will quickly vanish and will not last long, so is human life like a water bubble. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, for they suddenly become invisible as soon as the sun rises. Just like the night sky is truly the life of stars, so is man's life, his time is a mere instant, his existence a flux."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

राजा की चोरी करे, रहै रंक की ओट I
कहैं कबीर क्यों उबरै, काल कठिन की चोट II

Ignorance is the greatest evil in the world. If we live ignorantly, we must suffer. We depend upon people, things, etc., in life and we think we can’t live without these. We struggle to enjoy something that we think gives us satisfaction. But ultimately all worldly pleasures leave us more dissatisfied because of their impermanent nature. This dependence is born and sustained in our imagination and as long as we hold on to it we will continue to live in ignorance. Ignorance is compared to darkness and darkness (say, in a room) is removed only when a lamp is lit and not by other means such as sweeping with a broom. Our ignorance too can be removed only by the light of awareness of truth and not by any other means. It is the Guru who, by the collyrium-rod of Knowledge, opens the eyes of those who are rendered blind by the darkness of ignorance. Just as a man cannot see his back, so also he cannot see his own errors. He must live under a Guru for the eradication of his evil qualities and defects. The aspirant who is under the guidance of a Guru is safe from being led astray.

"Kabir says, just like it is impossible for the theft in King's palace to remain undiscovered for too long, the liberation from the mundane existence of endless death and rebirth, an otherwise impossible task, becomes not so impossible by the guiding light of the Guru."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

पूरपाटण सुवस बसा, आनन्द ठाँयें ठाँइ I
राम सनेही बाहिरा, उलजेड मेरे भाइ II

"Kabir says, a beautiful and prosperous city bleaks emptiness if there dwell no devotees of Lord Ram."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

झिरमिर झिरमिर बरसिया, पाहन ऊपर मेह I
माटी गलि पानी भई, पाहन वाही नेह II

An ignorant mind is unreceptive, unwise, inflated with false ego-sense. It is always restless and obstinate. The wisdom falls to deaf ears for a stubborn mind who is determined to do what they want and is very unwilling to change their mind. 

"Kabir says, stubborn mind is like stone. While the soil gets easily moistened by the drizzle, water hardly sinks in the stone."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

धीरे धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होय I
माली सींचे सौ घडा, ऋतू आए फल होय II

"Kabir says, nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished. A tiny seed grows into a tree. But it doesn't happen overnight. No matter how many buckets of water the gardener empties, the nature takes it's own course for the trees to bear fruits. In other words Patience is a noble virtue, and when rightly exercised does not fail of its reward. Timing is everything. If it is meant to happen, it will, at the right time, for the right reasons. Eventually all things fall into place."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कबीर कमाई आपनी, कबहुं न निष्फल जाय I
सात समुद्र आडा पडे, मिलै अगाडी आय II

"Kabir says, hard work pays off. When you work really hard you get to reap great benefits from your efforts. There is not a thing more fulfilling than reaping fruits of your labor. It takes many years to become an overnight success. As it is said, man is born to work. Just like steel, he shines in use and rusts in rest. What we earn by sweating our brow gives us greater happiness than something we get by a stroke of luck. Fruits of hard work are always sweet."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

दुख लेने जावै नहीं, आवै आचा बूच I
सुख का पहरा होएगा, दुख करेगा कूच II

"Kabir says, life is a fusion of sorrow and happiness. The balance of the twain makes the human life meaningful and worth living, for he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose. Our life is a mix of opposites and contraries. It is a combination of such opposing entities as happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain, enjoyment and stress. To enjoy happiness, you must learn to accept the tragedies of life. Tragic and happy moments combine together to make human life meaningful. What will happen if you get everything in life just by putting a finger on the thing you like? Sorry to say but you won't realise the importance of struggle and hard work if life is all cakes and ale. The crux of the matter is that it is the fusion of pleasure and pain which makes one's life meaningful. It shows that bliss is valued by those who have witnessed failures and disappointments in life. Life becomes meaningful and worth living if we accept the harsh realities of life with the evenness of the mind. It is an apt saying that fortune favours the brave. The brave people are not affected by the misfortune striking them adversely. They regard disappointments and frustrations of life as stepping stones to success. Life is a cycle of happiness and sadness, a fusion of trials and tribulations; but just as night evolves unto day, so too does the wheel turn your way."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कबीर यहू जग अंधला, जैसी अंधी गाइ I
बछा था सो मरि गया, ऊभी चाम चटाई II

Life once asked death "why do people love me and fear you?"
Death replied "Because you are a beautiful lie, and I am the harsh truth."
Lies can be far more comforting to accept for some. There is much truth to the saying "ignorance is bliss" There is a feeling of security and happiness in not accepting things for how they really, truly are, for the truth can hurt.
The greatest wonder of the world is that though death is the ultimate reality and it spares no one, everyone supposes that it's about others not about him. Under Maya's influence the illusioned soul identifies with the temporary body and everything connected to it. Under the sense of this false identity it aspires to control and enjoy matter serving lust, greed and anger and in doing so only falls deeper into illusion.
The fatal attraction that makes the illusioned soul mistakenly identify with the temporary body is so overwhelming that man prefers ignorance as bliss than accepting the truth that no matter how much he may care, he can't do anything about the gradual yet unstoppable withering of his body as time goes by.

"Kabir says, a world blinded by ignorance is like a blind cow licking the skin of her dead calf. Every being in this world has an irresistible attraction to the things that are perishable, for Lies attract more than the Uncomfortable Truths."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कहत-सुनत जग जात है, विषय न सूझे काल I
कहैं कबीर सुन प्रानिया, साहिब नाम सम्हाल II

Everybody is going to pass through gates of death someday. If only we can remember that we are only pure consciousness - not the body, not the mind, not the heart, not our money, not our prestige, not our power, not our house, but just pure consciousness - then we can pass through the barrier of death unscratched. Then death cannot make even a dent in us. Death has power over us only if we are attached. We are not afraid of death, but of losing attachments. Basically what makes us afraid of death is that it will take us away from all our attachments. If it were possible that you could take your wife, your children and your house and your money and your power and everything that you think belongs to you, with yourself, when you are dying, you may not be afraid so much. You would rejoice; a great adventure - going with the whole caravan. But death cuts everything away from you, leaves you utterly naked - only as a consciousness. The form in which you came in the world, depart no different.

"Kabir says, an ignorant man entangled in worldly attachments (i.e. hunger of Maya), spends his lifetime accumulating material wealth and forgets that life is fragile and can end at any moment. No matter how long we live, our time on earth will eventually come to an end. And yet for some reason, many of us choose to live our lives as if we have all the time in the world. We procrastinate, put off our dreams and take our loved ones for granted. It's high time we appreciate the time we have, grateful for its every moment and remain absorbed in chanting "Hari Naam", for His Realisation is the true purpose of this rare human birth, the crowning fruition of all endeavors."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

"जब मै भूला रे भाई"

One day a man went to a Guru and asked him to show him the way to greatness. The Guru told him to meet him at the beach the next day. Bright and early the next morning the Guru was there meditating in front of the rising sun. The man went up to the Guru and said: ‘Show me the way to greatness. I want to achieve my goals and dreams. For my life is unbearable as I remain mediocre.’ The Guru looked at him and smiled, and he whispered: ‘Step into the water, my son’.
The man, confused but willing, started to walk into the water. When he was knee deep in the ocean he turned around and looked at the Guru. ‘Further’, said the Guru unflinchingly. The man walked into the water until it rose above his chest. He began to notice the violence of the waves. He looked at the Guru on the shore, who had since risen from his meditative trance.
‘Further’, the Guru yelled, this time more forcefully. The man walked until he could walk no more. His feet left the soggy sand beneath and he started to tread water. The Guru swam out to meet him and asked: ‘Do you really want me to show you how to become great?’ The man was now uneasy and nervous, but his eye towards greatness would not let him back down. ‘Of course’, the man nervously replied to the Guru. The Guru took his hand and put it on the man’s head, and with extreme force, pushed him down, beneath the surface.
Instantaneously a thought flashed before the man’s eyes; the Guru was nothing but a madman. He had tricked him, and now he was going to kill him. Believing the end was near, he let go, and accepted the end. But just before the lights went out he felt himself rise above the surface.
The next thing he knew he had been helped by the Guru to the safety of the sand. In shock, the man could not control his rage. He raged at the Guru; and felt the strangely repulsive but attractive urge to attack him. Eventually, however, the seriousness of the situation overwhelmed his faculties, and the man collapsed in state of utter exhaustion. At the moment the Guru stood over him with calm and knowing-eyes. ‘When you were underwater’, the Guru spoke, ‘your desire for air was agonizing and all-embracing’. ‘If you desire greatness’, he continued, ‘that same excessive and intense desire must be a frequent visitor in your being. You must want greatness as intensely as you just wanted another breath. Without this intensity of desire, you are nothing. With it, your potential is limited only by the length of your life.’
Everyone has greatness in them, just not everyone has the key to unlock it. Desire is that key.

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

सुमरण की सुबयों करो, ज्यों गागर परिहार I
होले-होले सुरत में, कहैं कबीर विचार II

Everyone in the world is constantly dwelling on one thing or another. In fact none can do without it. This close association leaves an imprint in the human mind which in course of time becomes indelible enough and leads to complete identification of the subject with the object - and hence it is said, "As you think so you become," or "Where the mind is there you are also," no matter where the physical self is. This being the case, the Saintly Beings take hold of a person from the line of least resistance.
The Saintly Beings try to set one type of Sumiran for another type. They substitute for Sumiran of the world and worldly relations and objects, a Sumiran of God's Name. As the former leads to distraction of the mind, the latter pulls within, leading to peace of mind and liberation of the soul. As it is altogether a mental process (for it is to be done by the tongue of thought), no amount of physical and manual labor can interfere with it. In course of time, like the tick of a clock, it becomes automatic and ceaseless for all the twenty-four hours. While the hands are engaged in work, the mind rests in the Lord.

"Kabir says, the daily routine of life doesn't interfere with the sweet remembrance of God. The attention to it should be like that of the village maids who move talking with attention always fixed on pitchers overhead. The village maids as they go to fetch water carry pitchers of water one above the other on their heads and in spite of an unseen path, they keep jesting and talking among themselves while the pitchers remain steady on their heads, as their attention is pertinently fixed on them. Similarly one need not forget the sweet remembrance of God even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life and worldly obligations."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम  II

काल फिरै सिर उपरे, हाथों धरी कमान I
कहैं कबीर गहु नाम को, छोड सकल अभिमान II

"Kabir says, we are born without bringing anything. We die without taking anything. Absolutely nothing! 
And the sad thing is that in the interval between life and death, we fight for what we did not bring and what we will not take. Not a moment goes without death hovering over our heads and therefore it's time we renounce the ego of individuality and immerse ourself in chanting God's name before it is too late. When we truly surrender our ego self, we find the beauty of our inner peace, within which dwells the bliss of infinity, the liberation in the truer sense."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जा कारण घट ढूंढिया, सो तो घट ही माहिं I
परदा किया भरम का, ताते सूझे नाहिं II

"Kabir says, since time immemorial man's quest of God is going on here, there, and everywhere, within this, that, and everything. Yet the truth is that God dwells deep within each and every heart. This may lead to the question: " if that's the case, then why He is not seen or experienced by majority of us?" It is because the mind of majority of us or rather almost all of us is not inside. It's extroverted: unceasingly wandering outside. Here the mind is referred to false ego sense or delusion, "I-ness. "We unavialingly look for God in external images, pictures, religious books, demigods, goddess, tangible and physical things, habitual reading, or hearing of scriptures, music and so on. He is however very Subtle, Pure and Sublime; hence cannot be caught by such mental circus of ours. Only those rare ones who have attained God Realisation can realise God inside. For the rest of us, although God is said to be within, yet He remains unseen and unrealised. 
Why the mind of majority of us is not inside? This is because the veil of ignorance under the influence of our false ego sense that intervenes. Unless this curtain goes up, it is impossible for the mind to go within and look inside. It is not that God is only inside, He is also outside-equally. All-knowing and All-powerful, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. But to realise Him as such, He first need to be realised within. From there the search can expand without. For seeing God in all things (including within) and knowing all beings as one's own Self is truly the God Realisation. As God is beyond the words and beyond the mind, without realising Him inside, He cannot be realised outside. This requires conquering of one's own mind."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

सुमिरन सोंमन लाइये, जैसे दीप पतंग I
प्राण तजे छिन एक रात में, जरत न मोरै अंग II

Don't look for water, be thirsty. Your thirst attracts God because your longing for God is God's longing for you. Like a moth drawn to the flame, a devotee is drawn to God by the fire of longing. The brighter is the fire, stronger is the longing. And this longing purifies. It burns him until nothing is left within the heart but God.

"Kabir says, devotion is love for the sake of love. The devotee wants God and God alone. There is neither selfish expectation nor fear. It is a sacred love, a higher emotion, with sublime sentiment, that unites the devotee with the Lord. Have ceaseless devotion to Truth. Be ready to sacrifice all just like moth's longing to the flame. The moth jumps into the flame, unafraid of getting burnt or death."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

को छूटौ इहिं जाल परि, कत फुरंग अकुलाय I
ज्यों ज्यों सुरभि भजौ चहै, त्यों त्यों उरझत जाय II

"Kabir says, we all are in the tight grip of Maya. It is the imagination of the deluded mind which never ends and never exists. Thus, it continually baffles humanity, and poses the greatest roadblock in the path to Spiritual Enlightenment by making the mirage-like attractions of the enchanting world appear as real (permanent, everlasting etc.) Hardly anyone knows how to escape from these traps of the enchanting world — how to stay free of its entanglements. Maya has spread it's net and in it has placed the bet (sense gratification, desires etc) The bird of desire is caught and cannot find any escape. The more it tries to free itself, the more it gets entangled in it.
A narrow-necked pot, filled with grains and other eatables that monkeys love, is placed on the ground as a bait to trap them. As a monkey comes to take the grains, he puts his hand into the narrow-necked pot and grab hold of the grains. Now, since his hand is full of grains, he cannot take his hand out of the narrow-necked pot and escape. He can, but, in greed, he does not let grains go and escape (even he knows he is trapped!)
Thus, in greed, the foolish monkey does not open his hand and let go of the grains so that he can escape. As he will not let go of the grabbed grains because of greed, he gets trapped and caught. Stupid monkey, by holding on to a few grains, loses his freedom to roam around the forest where he can find abundance of grains and fresh fruits of his liking. In other words, for a few grains he loses his entire world! Now caught and bound, he cannot freely play and enjoy life to his heart’s liking. Instead, he is made to dance door to door by his captive.
Kabir compares our greed-stricken minds with the Monkey. That is, “all the deeds committed in greed ultimately become a noose around one’s neck”.

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

"दरिया की लहर दरिया है जी"

"Kabir says, there is but One Absolute Reality. This one Supreme Essence is the support or "Aadhar" or basis of all. It is this Infinite Reality, the Homogeneous Oneness,  which runs in and through all. This is the Supreme Truth. Behind all multiplicity of this manifold universe, the One Unconditioned support persists in all its splendor. That One Homogeneous whole is the Changeless in changing phenomena. All forms emerge out of this One Reality, remain sustained by this Reality, and ultimately merge back into this Reality. It is subtler than the subtle, smaller than the smallest and also the most vast.
Just as the ocean is one; however, it is the basis for countless waves, wave-lets, foam, ripples and bubbles. These waves and wave-lets, ripples, foam and bubbles have no existence apart from the ocean. They all merge out of the ocean, exist in the ocean and ultimately sink themselves back into the ocean. So too is life. The matter ripples out of the Supreme Consciousness, and ultimately we all merge back into the Homogeneous Oneness.
Gold is the basis for all ornaments made of the gold. As all ornaments are expression of the one gold, upon melting of all ornaments, the gold still remains as gold; nothing happens to it. Ornaments have no existence independent of the gold. Similarly, the Eternal Essence expressing through matter is the manifested entity in each one of us. All forms emerge out of it, sustain by it, and ultimately merge back into it having no existence separate from this Essence.
Clay or mud is the cause of all clay-pots. These clay-pots of countless shapes, colors, efficiencies, names, etc., are possible only when their basis, the clay, exists. So too is the same Divine Consciousness; which is cause and support of individuality in all of us.
In the night, one may see countless moons reflected in as many pitchers of water. However, the truth is there is only one moon reflecting through all of them. Similarly, the One Timeless Principle, reflects through all.
Beads or pearls of a rosary are fashioned in many shapes and sizes. However, they are strung on one thread common to all. Similarly, the One Supreme Essence is woven into His creation, by His many forms.
The life-giving Spirit is only One, and everything is filled with His glory. All permeating Supreme Lord is One without-a-second. His Reflection is hidden in all objects just as the butter is hidden in the milk, and the fire is hidden in the wood."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

 "सद्गुरु अलख लखाया"

"Kabir says, when the Supreme Lord reveals Himself, Brahma brings into manifestation. Brahma is said to be the Ultimate Reality - the unchanging truth behind ever changing phenomenal world. He is the blissful divine energy behind all creation. He is the creator of the universe who includes the universe within His own being. He is the indivisible pure consciousness, which is all-pervading. Nothing can be without Him and nothing can be beyond Him. He is unattached and yet He is supporting all. In short, Brahma is the only subject and everything else is an object of His experience. As the seed is in the plant, as the shade is in the tree, as the void is in the sky, as infinite forms are in the void - so from beyond the Infinite, the Infinite comes; and from the Infinite the finite extends.
The Being is in Brahma and Brahma is in the Being. They are ever distinct, yet ever homogeneous one. 
He Himself is the tree, the seed, and the germ.
He Himself is the flower, the fruit, and the shade.
He Himself is the sun, the light, and the lighted.
He Himself is Brahma, the Being, and Maya, That Which is Not, yet not unfelt.
He Himself is the manifold form, the infinite space;
He is the breath, the word, and the meaning.
He Himself is the limit and the limitless, and beyond both the limited and the limitless is He, the Pure Being, the Supreme Soul.
He is the Immanent mind in Brahma and in all the Beings. No arguments can prove or disprove the reality of the Supreme. It is only through one’s own spiritual experience that he can himself realise the Eternal Truth."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

गुरू नाम है गम्य का, शीष सीदा ले सोय I

बिनु पद बिनु मरजाद नर, गुरू शीष नहिं कोय II

"Kabir says, the essence of the Guru is to remove the ignorance that is the cause of bondage, sorrow and suffering. And the essence of the disciple is a keen eagerness, a great desire to be free from ignorance- the essential nature of which is ego- and attain illumination. Unless there is this willingness, this deep eagerness to attain illumination, then the disciple is no disciple. A hundred Gurus cannot help unless the disciple has a great desire for liberation and is seeking to get rid of that which stands in the way.

Whether it is selfless service, devotion or prayer, concentration and meditation, inner discipline in the form of japa and kirtan, the spiritual presence of Guru draws us from all sides towards our highest blessedness, our greatest good, the supreme and successful fulfilment of our earthly life. His presence also prompts us from within to a life of goodness, prompts us, urges us, inspires us towards a life of truthfulness, purity of conduct and character, and of compassion and kindness. And by the power of His own lofty and inspiring example as well as His dynamic, awakening teachings, to be saintly, to be holy in our thought, word and deed.

The essence of discipleship, the essence of being a true follower of any great teacher, is, therefore, the awareness of the presence of that teacher- both as an ideal as well as a teaching, both as a light upon the path as well as the path.

The Guru is never absent. He is never remote. He is always immediate, both in space as well as in time. He is even more immediate in consciousness that does not relate either to space or to time. He is always there. You are always in it and it is always within you. It is something that does not need support of space or time. And therefore cultivate the consciousness of the permanent and perennial presence of the Guru: "He pervades all my life. He prevails throughout my being and throughout the being of my life. He always prevails. He is with me morning, afternoon, evening and night. He is with me wherever I go, not merely when I go to His temple or His Samadhi. I am myself a living temple of His presence, and in and through me He continues to live and to shine. He draws me in the right direction from without, and he urges me in the right direction from within." This indeed is the key to true discipleship and to a successful spiritual life.This is the inner spiritual truth about the subtle and unparalleled relationship of a sincere seeking soul and the Guru that is sent in order to put the individual soul into contact with the Great, Eternal, Infinite, and all perfect Universal Soul that is at once our origin, our destination, and our destiny as well."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II

 II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

बूँद पडी जो समुद्र में, ताहि जाने सब कोय I
समुद्र समाना बूँद में, बूझै बिरला कोय II

From the One Pure Bliss, The Supreme Consciousness, we have come. In that Pure Bliss we evolve. In the end, in that Pure Bliss we melt again. Whether we fully know it or not, Pure Bliss is the nature of Real Self within. Realizing this, while living in this body, is Self-realization and except a Self Realized Soul no one knows this secret.

"Kabir says, the rain drop that falls in the ocean becomes one with it.  Only a God Realised Soul knows that an individual soul returns to the Universal Soul whose part it is."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II