623 – Translations from Kabir’s couplets

When I started to look for evil, I could not find any. When I started to look inside my heart, I found no one worse than me.

The couplet says that when we find something wrong is being done, we start to point a finger and blame others for it. However, when we seek someone who is bad, we will not find anyone, but when we look in ourselves, we will find the kernel of evil.

Is it not always like this? One day Rishi Sukhdev and I were speaking about good and evil. He said that no one was inherently evil and that even a criminal had a pure soul. I agreed with him but I said that someone who has committed a murder is wicked. And then what my Guru had said about evil came to my mind, that even a criminal loves someone. It is therefore important for us to keep our heart cleansed.

In Hanuman Chalisa, the first Doha is,

After cleansing the mirror of my mind with dust of the Sri Guru’s lotus feet, I describe the glory of Rama and the rewards received.

It is essential for us to make our reflection free of the cobwebs from our mind before we pray to Rama. We also ask to purge our heart.

There is no harsher and sharper weapon than words. Words are the most devastating weapons that are used today.

He says use words that give you peace and not anger. Do not show your ego, do not brag, do not gloat and do not attach anything with it to harm anyone. Using words which are compassionate, empathetic and balanced, you lose your anger, ego and hatred. You then envelope your listener in harmony.

Practice breath awareness. Breathe in, pause, breathe out pause. Be conscious of the pause between your breaths. Your thoughts will not crowd you and your words will not be weapons of hurt, anger or disgust.

Aim Hrim Klim

 

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