Brief Introduction of Lord Kabir

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In an era when rogues, thugs, con and superstitions ruled. humanity was in apparent danger of being engulfed by the dominance of the priest and the clergy. The flames of communalism threatened to raze the structure of social equilibrium. It was during such a historic period when Lord Kabir was born. He not only played the essential role of spreading awareness but also sowed seeds of revolution for bringing about change in the society.

Lord Kabir was born on 1398 AD. On the same day, Niru left with his wife from Mandur (presently Manduadih) and was on his way back to Narharpura (now, Manduadih) through the north-end of Lahartara.

Manduadih is situated in the southern part in the city of Varanasi.

It was the last month of summer and the setting sun cast its severe heat. Niru and Nima were in the palanquin. Tortured by the heat Nima was very thirsty. When they halted near a Lahartara pond in the evening, she went to the Lahartara pond to quench her thirst. She was just about to drink water when she heard the wails of an infant child from the bushes nearby. She was frightened as she reached the bushes from where the sound was heard. She mercifully lifted the child as she was carried away by the emotions of motherhood. She mopped the infant with a piece of cloth worn by her and provide few drops of water to the child from the point. Niru and Nima squabbled over the child quite some time. Emotions of motherhood overpowered the deliberations and they finally agreed to take the child to their house. The news of Niru and Nima's reaching Naraharpura spread like the wild fire. Niru and Nima were engulfed by several kinds of rumours as it generally happens.

Inspite of facing many problems, Niru and Nima decided to raise the child. They accepted the child with great courage. Niru and Nima were Muslim weavers. Hence, they approached Muslim priest for naming the child. Despite to the disagreement of the priest the child was named Kabir. Kabir means the great one or 'saint-God'. How could the name of a weaver's son be that of God, claimed the priests and cleric. But, in the eyes of God, no one is rich or poor. Work is the grinding wheel that moves ins and out.

Niru and Nima also spun clothes. Lord Kabir too joined in the work of weaving after growing up. As questions of spirituality grew in him, he discussed religion over the looms. When the learned ones and the clerics came to know of it, they claimed his as 'Nirgura' meaning, 'the one without a Master', that is to say Lord Kabir was not initiated by any Master. Lord Kabir was disappointed due to this and when he set on search of one, he was disappointed once again. In his search he approached a few chosen ones among the masters. There was no way open to him. When one is disturbed from within, the search for Truth begins.

All that time Swami Ramanand was a renowned saint in Kashi. Lord Kabir approached to see him but the Ashramites did not allow him to meet the saint. But he come to know that Swami used to go for bathing in river Ganga everyday at 4.00 am On the banks of Panchaganga Ghat, Lord Kabir adopted the mantra of 'Ramanama'. Swami Ramanand had 1484 disciples. Lord Kabir was the most acclaimed amongst them. He was a firm disciple as Prahlad and a devoted and solitary as Sankatik and Sukhdev. He had great faith in the Master.

After attaining the mercy of the Master, he had made great efforts in initiating the 'Bhakti' - Dedication Movement in the medieval age. He was devoted to the formless Almighty. Truth is the same for religion and spirituality. Circumstantial situations then too pointed to this. The poor, exploited, downtrodden, Dalits and innocent people were being dominated by the priests and clerics. The Indian religion and culture strayed. The commoners were pathless. Traditionally driven forces and episodes were used to spread fraud. The Hindu pundits and Muslim clerics dominated and exploited the poor. Lord Kabir discriminated both and freed the common masses from them.

The teachings of Lord Kabir are lessons in Truth for humanity. The words spoken by Lord Kabir are regarded as testimony. The teachings of Lord Kabir provide the eyes to our lives. There is darkness in life without the eyes. Similarly, without guidance we remain drowned in the darkness of ignorance. The testimonies play an important role in piercing through the darkness of ignorance and transforming it into the enlightenment of knowledge. They always stand as witness and are a pointer to Truth. They are only an account of what has been realized. Truth is not exposed without realization. Teachings of Lord Kabir enables one get rid of the veil of illusion and reveals the path to Truth.

Lord Kabir has pointed the path of knowledge in order to know and understand the universe. The whole world is a home of conflicts and the testimonial is the only saviour. It frees us from the world-wide conflicts. They are the eyes as knowledge that ever cleanses us of ignorance from deep within. Ignorance is the prime cause of our conflicts. Lord Kabir has devised these couplets for the attainment of freedom from conflicts.

Sakhi Aakhi Gyan Ki, Samujh Dekh Man Mahi Binu Sakhi Sansarka, Jhagda Chintan Nahi.

Lord Kabir was a well-informed saint and a devotee. He has shown the path to Truth only through knowledge. Being entangled in worldly affairs, mankind has realized Truth through these. Lord Kabir's teachings stand as proof against the human illusion and bondage to worldly affairs. Couplets of Lord Kabir open-up eyes of the mind eliminating ignorance and enabling revelation of the Truth. The Truth of Lord Kabir is our path of life. The goal that Lord Kabir desired is our destiny. It is necessary to know Truth as perceived by Lord Kabir to arrive at this destiny. Knowledge is a prime necessity in the attainment of Truth. The knowledge of Lord Kabir is beyond the horizons of the mind, intellect, body and the ego. This knowledge is an aggregate for attainment of worldly peace. Lord Kabir speaks of peace beyond worldly affairs.

Jab Lag Tara Jagmage, Tab Lag Use Na Sur Jab Lag Jeev Karam Vas Dole, Tab Lag Gyan Na Pur

One can attain freedom only on attainment of complete knowledge. If the couplets of Lord Kabir are imbibed in life, our lives could become peaceful eternally. Each couplet of Lord Kabir is a devise to virtue. A single couplet of Lord Kabir could be the sum total of our lives. They could raise us up to the peaks of the Everest as well as make us calm and composed as the ocean. Lord Kabir's anguish was not based on any class, it was the universal misery of humanity. They are essentially thoughtful, moral and not societal. Lord Kabir was principally a saint in practice. He not only considered material affluence, social competition and profanity as trivial to him but for all humanity. Lord Kabir preached the values for the spiritual upliftment of human life. Welfare of the society is embedded in it. Lord Kabir was a saint and devotee with a meditative soul. He conveys themes message of love, devotion, love, knowledge and conduct to the people as means to attain and become as the Almighty. The Hindus-Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Brahmins and Shudras are all equal for adopting this message. Lord Kabir has himself named his compositions 'Brahma-Vichar' that is explained lucidly.

Tumh Jini Jano Geet Hai, Yeh Nij Brahma Vichar Kewal Kahi Samjhaiya Artan Sadhan Saar

The essence of the teachings of Lord Kabir is not in the flight of prosperity, they are rather the bliss of pondering within, weighing and experiencing.

Lord Kabir has asserted birth and death to be the greatest sorrow. He has taken efforts to explain this very well. His teachings hover around experiences of spirituality. The beauty of the eternal, its love, the moments of detachment and re-union form the thought content of this testimony. The collection is a beautiful compilation of his knowledge, devotion, yogic and mystical experiences for all beings.