[Advaita-l] SAINT KABIR

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Friends,                   Kabirwas a great propagandist in his own way. He tried his level best to bring aboutconcord and harmony among the diversity existing around him. His poetry is fullof criticism of the Mullahs and the priests. Kabir not only preached, but livedthe life of unity of men and creeds. He used his songs as weapons against theMullahs and the priests. He did not spare words in the wars he waged againstMuslim and Hindu orthodoxy. Kabir was a powerful saint with Self-realizationwhich lent him the authority to live and preach the Truth without fear orrestraint.                                                      Thename of Kabir's wife was Loi. Kamal was his son. Dharam Das was his chiefdisciple. Jhali, queen of Chitore, was his royal disciple. Kabir used to livewith his wife in a hut in a solitary place outside the city. He used to feedthe Sadhus or ascetics who went to his place. One day he had nothing. Manyhungry ascetics came to his hut. Kabir was in an agitated condition. His wifesaid, "O Lord, if you permit me, I can get some money from the banker'sson." Kabir said, "How can you get the money from him? He is a verygreat miser." His wife said, "He is very much enamoured of me. Hesaid the other day that he would give me money. Let us take the money and teachhim a very good lesson." Kabir replied, "That is good. Go to himimmediately and bring some money. The ascetics are very hungry. They have nottaken any food for the last three days." Loiwent to the house of the banker and saw his young son. She promised to meet himat night. He at once gave her the money she needed. Loi came back to her hutand handed over the money to her husband. All the Sadhus were fed sumptiously. Therewas a great downpour of rain that night. There was a big storm also. Kabircovered his wife with a blanket and took her on his shoulder, in storm andrain, to the house of the banker. Loi entered the compartment of the banker'sson. Kabir waited outside to take her back home. The young man rejoiced at thesight of Loi. He was quite astonished to see her in his room on such a stormyand rainy night. He said to her, "My dear, how have you managed to come tomy house? You are not drenched. Your feet are quite clean. There is no mud onyour feet. It is a great wonder!" Loi replied, "My husband hascarried me here on his shoulder." The young man was struck with amazementand awe. He became a changed man at once. He wept bitterly and said, "Loi,has your husband brought you to me?" He regarded Loi as his mother and atonce prostrated at her feet. He said to her, "Thou art my mother. Forgiveme for my evil intention." He ran to the place where Kabir was standing.He fell at his feet and cried, "O venerable Guru! I am a great sinner.Purify me. Elevate me. Bless me. I take refuge in thy lotus feet. I am asuppliant before thee. I am thy humble devotee." From that day thebanker's son became one of the faithful devotees of Kabir. Mysteriousare the ways of saints and prophets, by their simple touch and Darshana, theworst sinners and scoundrels become transmuted into great saints. Extreme Rajastakes a Sattvic turn. The passionate young man, the banker's son whose mind wasfilled with Rajas, became a pious and Sattvic man. Oneday, Jahangast, a Mohammedan Fakir who heard of the great fame of Kabir, wentto see him. He was jealous of Kabir. Kabir quickly tied a fat pig at his door.The Fakir saw the pig and did not enter the compound of Kabir's hut. Kabircalled him back and said, "O great Fakir! Why are you running now? I havetied up the unclean pig at my door. But you have tied what is unclean—anger,pride, greed and jealousy—in your heart. The Fakir bent his head down in shame.He asked Kabir's pardon and immediately became his disciple.
DEATH: WhenKabir died, his body was claimed by both the Hindus and the Mohammedans. TheKing of Kashi, with thousands of Hindus, wanted to cremate the body. The Hindusclaimed that Kabir was a Hindu and that therefore his body should be burnt.Bizli Khan, with thousands of Mohammedans, wanted to bury it. TheMohammedans said that Kabir was a Muslim and therefore his body ought to beburied under Mohammedan rites. Whilethey were quarrelling, Kabir's apparition appeared and said, "I wasneither a Hindu nor a Mohammedan. I was both. I was nothing. I was all. Idiscern God in both. There is no Hindu and no Mussalman. To him who is freefrom delusion, Hindu and Mussalman are the same. One voice came in to "Remove the shroud and beholdthe miracle!" Theshroud was removed. A large quantity of flowers was seen under it. Half of theflowers was taken by the king of Kashi and burnt on the bank of holy Ganga.The ashes were then buried and a temple was built. This temple is known by thename of Kabir Chaura—a great place of pilgrimage for the followers of Kabir.The other half of the flowers was taken by the Mohammedans and buried at Mogharwhere Kabir died. A mosque was built over the grave. This is a place ofpilgrimage for the Mohammedans.
Sri Guru Padaravindarpana Mastu    Kameswra


    On Wednesday, 21 March 2018 9:38 AM, KAMESWARARAO MULA via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
 

 Dear Friends,                          It is my childhood's thrust to inquire, know about different people and their realization stories,  the same activity was maintained out of my inner research activity. Although information may be available in books, web sites, my objective of giving the details of the self-realized souls is to know about their works and how they have reached that enlightenment so that we can become a drop in the ocean at least.
KABIR: From the lotus mouth of swami sri sivanandaji maharajKabir was born in varansi (1440-1519). asmentioned in Kabir Ka Santi & died at Maghar near Gorakhpur. He was found lying as a child in the lake calledLahar Talao near Kashi on a leaf of lotus. Here he was found by Niru, achildless Mohammedan weaver who was going with his wife Nima to attend afunction in a neighbouring village. They took compassion on the forsaken baby.They took him to their home and there they brought him up as their own child. AKazi was called in to give the child a name. The Kazi told Niru that the childwas a demon and should be killed immediately. A miracle happened. The knife wasplunged into the heart of the child. No drop of blood came out. Kabir uttered averse which made them understand that he was not ordinary flesh and blood. Thenthe name 'Kabir' was given to the child. The word 'Kabir' means 'great' in theArabic language. Also some of the people interprets like 'Ka' means Water & Vir means a hero or simply a person who has crossed the jalatatwa as he was found floating on the water.
 Kabirseems to have been of Hindu parentage, though adopted and brought up as aMohammedan. It is said that he was born of a Brahmin girl-widow, who, to hideher shame, left the child in the lake. But in a stanza, Kabir denies his ownconception in a womb. He says that he was grew up withoutfood. His adopted parents became very anxious about him. Then he began to drinkthe milk of a calf which yielded milk daily in a miraculous manner. Thelife of Kabir is shrouded in mystery and it is beyond the facts that he was a weaver, born of poverty-strickenparents, that he lived at Kashi during the reign of Sikander Lodi, that he was thedisciple of the great religious reformer, Vaishnava Saint, Ramananda, and that he himself was theGuru of a number of distinguished disciples.Kabir was very much religiously inclined. He was of areflective disposition. He had very often his mystic moods. Even in hischildhood he engaged himself in discussions about God with Sadhus. He receivedand served Sadhus and Sannyasins with intense devotion and faith. Though hisfoster father got him married, Kabir was not attached to home and family. Heused to roam about the holy city of Kashi.He earned his livelihood from the loom.Kabir'sinitiation:Kabirremained for a long time without a Guru. He wanted to become the disciple ofRamananda. As he was a Mohammedan, he doubted whether Ramananda would accepthim as his disciple. One day, he went and hid himself on the steps of the Ghatof the Ganga to which Ramananda used to come every morning totake his bath. That day, the great preacher, Ramananda came to bathe as usual.It was dark. Ramananda did not see the sleeping Kabir. He placed his feet uponKabir's chest. As soon as he found out that he had trodden upon a human body,he cried out 'Ram...Ram...' Kabir started up and said, "I have found himat last." He fell at the feet of Ramananda and said, "Thou thy has givenme the word of initiation and I am thy disciple now." Ramananda was struckwith the sincerity and devotion of Kabir and accepted him as his disciple.Kabir was formally initiated by the great teacher. Kabirjoined in the theological and philosophical disputes which his master held withall the great Mullahs and Brahmins of his day. A famous Brahmin named Sarvajit,who was well versed in logic, came to Kashi. The Pundits of Kashi informedRamananda of the arrival of the learned Brahmin and told him that no one coulddefeat the erudite logician. Ramananda sent Kabir to argue with him. Theorthodox Pundit asked: "O Kabir! What is your caste?" Kabir replied,"I am a weaver." and they made his life miserable to his abnormal intelligence and not being a member of their group.Kabirbegan to attract a large number of people. Many became his disciples. They allgathered round him-at the loom or in the marketplace to listen to his sweet,soul-stirring and sublime songs and inspiring discourses. Mysterious are theways of prophets and saints! They preach silently. Wise men only are profitedby their teachings. They only can really understand them. Kabir preached theunity of men and creeds. The orthodox Brahmins of Kashi tried their level bestto pull him down. They sent a young and beautiful courtesan to tempt Kabir, butlike the Magdalene of Biblical story, she was converted by the spiritual powerof Kabir. 
Kabirwas an exponent of Nirguna Bhakti.Hehad supreme love for all. He was exceedingly kind and compassionate. He wasfearless. He never asked anybody to follow him. He roamed about the countrysinging his songs. He condemned all formalities and ritualism. He made avehement criticism of conventions. He was a social revolutionary. He also endeavouredstrenuously for the social, moral and spiritual uplift of the people. That isthe reason why he still lives in the heart of all people..............Continued next 

Sri Guru Padaravindarpana MastuKameswara


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