Kabirdas: Where to find God
In a poem1 from the Sabad, the Bhakti Saint Kabirdas says, “Only God knows about the origin of creation, which resembles a forest. All I know is that without the name of God, our life is in vain.” He continues to say that the blossoming flowers of spring (metaphor for materialism) look very attractive to the jiva. But the jiva forgets that just like scent, which resides in flowers, it is the Divine who pervades every object and being. Then Kabir concludes, “My mind is feeling blissful, for I have found the giver of life — the Supreme Bliss.”
Omnipresence of the Divine and his easy accessibility to every soul that wishes to search for him has been a major theme in Kabir’s poetry. In a few poems, his words even seem to criticize our search for God in places of worship. Though Kabir’s tone may not always appear pleasurable to a devotee who prefers the vicinity of a murti or a symbol of God to connect to him, we cannot really blame a devotee-saint who sees God in every flower, not only in the Lord’s statue decorated with flowers.
[1] Poem: Banamali jane ban ke adi, Rama nama bin janam badi
Edited on 31 March, 2019
