Kabir

Kabir lived in North India.

He was a weaver of cotton cloth.

He loved God and believed that all religions taught the same truth.

The teachings common to all religions are that, everyone needs to be loving, helpful and honest.

Kabir lived a simple and truthful life. He became famous, and rich people came to meet and hear him. Yet he did not change his simple lifestyle.

One does not have to own fancy clothes and flashy cars to be liked and loved and become popular.

Once a young student called Harish came to meet Kabir. The student knew a lot and so was obnoxiously proud of the knowledge that he possessed. Everyone praised him for his learning, and so he acted like he knew it all, and there was nothing left for him to know.

This student was sent to Kabir, because Harish’s teacher felt that Harish required a balance in his life.

Kabir tried to teach him, but to no avail.

One day Kabir asked his wife Lohi to bring something to drink for the young student.

Kabir’s wife Lohi brought some buttermilk.

Kabir picked up the pitcher and started to pour the buttermilk into a glass.

Kabir continued to pour until the buttermilk began to overflow and spill on to the floor.

Harish could not contain himself any longer, and he asked Kabir why he was wasting and spilling the buttermilk?

Kabir smiled and said that just like the glass was full, so was the mind of Harish, with false pride, and the idea that there was nothing left for him, to learn.

Kabir lovingly told Harish that the latter was a brilliant student, and that he was loved dearly, but he had to empty his mind of unnecessary and wrong ideas before, his mind could be filled with the right kind of knowledge.

You know children, we Indians are taught to take a clean vessel to God,

so that He can fill it up with the things that He would like us to have, and so that whatever is poured in it does not get polluted.

Do you know what I mean by a clean vessel? You guessed right. A clean and honest mind ready to learn, what God is wanting to teach us.

Read about Saaeen Kanwar Ram