A more complete version

[Guest guest]

The Bhakti Synthesis: A Poem by Kabir (1440-1518)

 

O servant, where dost thou seek me? Lo, I am beside thee.

I am neither in the temple nor in the mosque,

Not in rites and ceremonies nor in yoga and renunciation.

If thou art a true seeker thou shalt at once see Me;

Thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.

It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs

For the priest, the warrior, the tradesman and all the other castes

Are all alike seeking God. The barber has sought God,

The washerwoman, and the carpenter.

Hindus and Muslims alike have achieved that end,

Where there remains no mark of distinction.

O Lord, who will serve Thee?

Every supplicant offers his worship to the God of his own creation;

None seek Him, the perfect, the Indivisible Lord.

Kabir says, "O brother, he who has seen the radiance of love, he is saved."

When I was forgetful, my true guru showed me the way.

Then I left off all rites and ceremonies, I bathed no more in the holy water.

I do not ring the temple bell, I do not set the idol on its throne

Or worship the image with flowers.

The man who is kind and who practices righteousness, who remains passive

Amidst the affairs of the world, who considers all creatures on earth

As his own self, he attains the Immortal Being;

The true God is ever with him; he attains the true Name whose words are pure,

And who is free from pride and conceit.

Look within your heart, for there you will find the true God of all.

 

Amen,

 

Jyotsna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dearest Jyotsna,

 

On an older Krishna Das/Ram Dass CD that I have, Ram Dass reads a

paraphrased version that goes like this:

 

Are you looking for Me?

I am in the next seat, My shoulder is against yours.

You will not find Me in Stupas, nor in Indian shrine rooms, nor in

synagogues, nor in cathedrals.

Not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck,

Nor in eating nothing but vegetables.

When you really look for Me, you will see Me instantly.

You will find Me in the tiniest house of time.

Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?

He is the breath inside the breath.

 

Jai Ma!

 

With love,

Niseema

 

Ammachi, "E. Lamb" <jyotsna2> wrote:

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> The Bhakti Synthesis: A Poem by Kabir (1440-1518)