Why is Sant Kab ī r one of Indias most quoted mystic.doc © 2012 indiasutra.co.nz. All Rights Reserved indiasutra.co.nz ~ A blog by Ram Lingam Page 1 of 2 Why is Sant Kabir one of Indias most quoted mystic ? By R ā m Lingam 26th June is Sant Kabir’s birth anniversary. Why is Sant Kabir so significant to seekers of truth? What is his message? Why were the great lear ned pundits of his times baffled by Kabir though he was unschooled? Why he is one of In dia’s most quoted mystic? What is his contribution to Sikhism? In India, anybody can be a saint despite their cast e, upbringing, social class, literacy, knowledge or otherwise. A Saint in India is called ‘Sant”. Th e term “Sant” is derived from the Sanskrit “sat” referring to truth or reality. Sant is “one who kno ws the truth” or “one who has experienced the Ultimate Reality”. Says the great mystic Osho, “In the East, one cannot conceive that a ‘Sant’ needs anybodys certificate... Sainthood is, in itsel f, self evident. The moment you see it, you know it. The moment you feel it, you know it. It ne eds no other approval”. India has seen quite a few saints of both genders who were uneducated, ill iterate or even utterly below the poverty line by any standard. From our deep cultural heritage, we have inherited one such Sant in Sant Kabir. Sant Kabir is considered to be one of the greatest mystic ever bo rn in India and one of the most loved saints revered by many enlightened masters. He is undoubte dly one of Indias most quoted poets and mystics because it is filled with such deep spiritu al insights that baffled even the great learned pundits of his time. In his own time, Guru Nanak an d several other spiritual leaders acknowledged Kabirs greatness and in later times, Rabindranath Tagore is among the literary giants who have spread Kabirs message. Over 500 ve rses by Sant Kabir finds place in the holy Granth Sahib -sacred text of Sikhs. Kabir’s works h ave been sung and recited by millions throughout North India for half a millennium. Sant Kabir who lived during the fifteenth century w as a mystic poet and saint of India, whose sayings and poems have greatly influenced the Bhakt i movement. He was a weaver by profession, a simple and unlettered man, who earned his living at the loom. He was never formally educated and was almost completely illiter ate. According to legend, the only word that he ever learned how to write was R ā m. There are many legends abound about the birth, life and death of Kabir. What is known though is that he was brought up in a family of Muslim wea vers. Early in his life Kabir became a disciple of the Hindu bhakti saint Ramananda. Not much is kn own about what sort of spiritual training Kabir may have received. He did not become a renunc iate. Kabir never abandoned worldly life and chose to live the balanced life of a householde r and mystic, tradesman and contemplative instead. Kabir was married, had children, and lived the simple life of a weaver. What’s unique about Sant Kabir is that he is spirit ually significant to Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims alike. Kabir was an unschooled saint who preached t hat Ram or Rahim, Krishna or Karim were merely the different names of the Supreme One. The beauty of Kabirs poetry and two line couplets (dohas) is that he picks up situations that surround our daily lives and the market place. Kabi r had created nearly 3000 original Dohas. They possess great wisdom and give practical moral guidelines in common peoples dialect. His greatest work is the Bijak (means ‘Seedling) expoun ds Kabirs universal view of spirituality. His sayings teach us that human beings are equal and be ing one with God is our ultimate aim. His love and devotion towards the Supreme One clearly r eflects in his poetry.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 06:45:32 +0000
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