Excerpt from a talk by Biji Surinder Kaur at St. Gilgen, 12 July, 1998
(Published in “Sayings of Sant Kirpal Singh” edition 1998-2)
We all have just heard the voice of the Khuda, the voice that comes from the inner throne (Khuda is another name for God which means that He is the Power that comes by Himself). Sant Kirpal Singh used to say, “If anybody could make His voice (the voice of His Master) audible to me, I would sacrifice my life to him.”
When Bhaji used to go to hold Satsang, we saw how He bowed down His head before this holy inner throne and then went for Satsang. (There is a festival called Holi, where people colour each other.) And we have also experienced the “Holi” with Him, how He gave the (inner) colour, the grace to everybody. When one gets the Holi, the colour inside, one wins everything.
When Master comes into the physical world, He sees the difficulties (of the human beings). For those who lived with Him and heard His voice it is something else to be strong, but still it is hard to live in separation from Him; one can slip into sadness. (When the soul goes inside and sees His beauty and then comes back, it feels sad, and Master is also sad that the soul is going again.) We always see His shining image before us when He was physically with us – how wonderfully we were playing with Him! But if we see our condition now – only with His voice we are going everywhere to give His message.
Whenever Master was talking to us in such a powerful, radiant, and charming way, He was giving the inner “bani”, the water of life. One time, on the birthday of Baba Sawan Singh, Master bowed down His head before Him and said, “I am also one flower of Your garden, and I will plant one tree which will give cool shade, but I will not enjoy this shade, nor those who love You, but others will enjoy its shade, they will get the Grace.”
Once a fakir (here fakir means someone who lives together with the Almighty Power, one of His staff) was told, “Go and give water to the tree, give coolness to the physical world.” But even this fakir answered, “It is very hard to go into the physical world.” Then it was said, “Only He who created this world can do it.”
So, before the Kali Yuga started, Kabir with seventy Bhagats was sent into the world to complete this work. But before Kabir went into the world, He demanded (assurance from) inside, “I want to fulfill everything – while living a family life I will get Him (God).” And He lived like that; He was complete and competent from all sides.
Master said, “Even before Kabir came into the physical world, He gave light to the world.” Before they come into this world, these Powers already start to show their light and vibration and bring some change (into the world) even before they are born. When they come into the world they are like us – first a child that is growing up, but they work already before they come here.
Many things have been told about the childhood of such personalities. In the books it is written that Kabir was not born, but was floating on the water (on the leaf of a lotus, and in this way his mother found Him). But the inner story which the Mahapurusha (the Highest Lord) tells about Kabir is another one. Kabir Himself has given the inner experience about His life that He was not born in a normal way like others, but that He (manifested and lay) at the feet of His mother and said, “I have not come only to take you back (to the eternal home), but I have come for hundred thousands of people.”
Even the rays of the sun were seen shining on that village where Kabir came, and people all around could see that something special was happening there, that some Power was coming (into the world), so much vibration could be felt radiating from that village.
It is very long what Master told about all this, and I am telling only in short what we need today. Because in this world all live for the family, for the partner. (If someone has no partner yet), he is searching everywhere, but we are not only looking (for a partner), we are playing (with the other) in this physical world (without deciding for a certain partner).
At that time people used to come to see Kabir Sahib, and He started to tell His mother which type of people they were, He knew about the inner things of everybody.
Kabir started to meditate, first He was sitting in “Samadhi” and afterwards He sat in this hard meditation, which is called “Tapassia”. He was working inside and outside at the same time. There were many incidences in His life. He was given many punishments, but nothing could affect Him, the hand of Khuda was above Him. He Himself was Khuda, the Creator of all, and He came into the world to develop the human beings.
Master said, at the age of seventeen Kabir asked His mother, “O mother, how can light be absorbed in the light?” His mother replied, “O son, you came to this world, and only through You our light can be absorbed in the light (of God), otherwise we are all blind.”
Thereafter Kabir could work more and more. People used to come to see Him and to get their problems solved. Sitting in Samadhi He opened His eyes for a very short time and gave colour to everybody. Then all went again. From His early childhood already, till His old age He was called a Sant. “A Sant had taken birth in the weaver’s family.”
He used to give lessons also to His parents. Once He told them that this body is like a spinning-wheel, and He asked His mother, “Mother, make a thread of love and weave a cloth with this thread and make a dress out of it which I can put on everybody. Such a thread I need.”
From morning till evening people came to Him and He solved their problems. Once a newly married couple came to Kabir Sahib. They told that in their family there had been a little problem which now had become like a mountain. And Kabir replied, “Well, after two days come to my house.” At that time Kabir was already living a family life. He was married to Mata Loi and had two children.
One time Mata Loi had to undergo a test. Kabir came and said to her, “I tell you what happened on my journey. When I was going back I found some gold coins on the way.” This was a test for her. She asked, “What did you do with them?” Kabir answered, “I just covered them with dust.” Full of respect she touched His feet and said, “It was a mistake because then still ego can come up. God will see that you only covered these gold coins and (it looks as if) we might come later on to get them.” The next day Mata Loi again stood before Kabir with folded hands and asked Him, “Have You already met Your Pir (Your Lord), Your God, inside and could You clear the matter about the gold coins? Did God think that greediness has overcome Kabir?” He replied, “No, it was only your test to see what you would say. I only wanted to see if you have some greediness for gold in you.”
When at the given time the young couple came to Kabir’s house, Kabir started to mix earth instead of wheat flour to make chapatis (flat bread). Then He called Mata Loi, “Bring also some butter, please!” She said, “Yes”, and brought the butter, and Kabir mixed it with the earth. After some time He said, “It is ready.” Then He called His son Kamal, “Kamal, come and bring some wood to make a fire.” The son also obeyed and brought the wood. Then Kabir called His daughter to light the fire for the chapatis. She also did what He had told her. At last, He again called Mata Loi, “I covered this mixture of earth and butter with some cloth, now this dough is ready for making chapatis. Make very fine chapatis for this couple.” She touched his feet (as a sign of respect), obeyed and started to make chapatis. When she took off the cover, there was a dough of very white flour like fine wheat flour. The couple touched the feet of Kabir Sahib and being astonished they asked, “What is that?” And He replied, “This is the fruit of unity.” It means, when you are living a family life, then you should do all to take back home all who are living in your family. When all are in the remembrance of God, they will obey, whatever it may be.
As He had taken the promise (before He came into the world), so Kabir said, “To live in a family and to take them back (to God), that is the true family life. And the Master is with such a family.” He called His mother and His wife Mata Loi and said, “In this way the light can be absorbed in the light.” To the couple He said, “I have not gone to the forest (to solitude), nor did I leave my house, I did not go anywhere to do Hatha Yoga.” (With Hatha Yoga all outer practices are meant.)
While living in the family He could do the work of God as it was His wish, and He (God) Himself was guiding Him (Kabir). These were some incidences from His childhood and His family life.
By His Grace one can know
Who is sent and who is developed.
But no one knows where Kabir meditated.
Only the blessed one knows
That the Master of great Guru Nanak
And Guru Gobind Singh was one and the same:
Thanks and thousand times obeisance to that Master!
My heartfelt desire is to be with Him
And serve Him forever.
Sant Kabir, Guru Nanak, and Guru Gobind,
People say They live beyond Sat Lok.
Omnipresent, and renouncers of the world, and life of all –
I sacrifice unto all the Gracious Three,
As They blessed us, the Saviour,
Beliefholder and Gracious Master.
By seeing and seeing I sacrifice unto Them,
The removers of miseries and the Masters of Masters.
And by seeing and seeing my belief dances
To the tunes of His commandments.
The Soami (highest Lord) of Guru Nanak and Kabir
Is the God Himself.
He is a Soami who knew the God Himself.
Guru Gobind resides in Agam.
Gobind and Soami are one and the same.
Through the Grace of the Master got I the understanding,
Only through His Grace one recognizes the Soami.
— Dr Harbhajan Singh