Guest guest Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 A Kabir poem from Ivan for us all. Best wishes for an auspicious week end to all . Yours in Bhagavan, Alan --- On Fri, 15/5/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Hey brother, why do you want me to talk? By Kabir(15th Century) English version by John Stratton Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer Hey brother, why do you want me to talk?Talk and talk and the real things get lost.Talk and talk and things get out of hand.Why not stop talking and think?If you meet someone good, listen a little, speak;If you meet someone bad, clench up like a fist.Talking with a wise man is a great reward.Talking with a fool? A waste.Kabir says: A pot makes noise if it's half full,But fill it to the brim -- no sound. -- from Songs of the Saints of India, Translated by John Stratton Hawley / Translated by Mark Juergensmeyer Amazon.com / Photo by acidcookie / ============ Thought for the Day: Dive deep into the present. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Global Village Global Village Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Kabir is not easily categorized as a Sufi or a Yogi -- he is all of these. He is revered by Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. He stands as a unique, saintly, yet very human, bridge between the great traditions that live in India. Kabir says of himself that he is, "at once the child of Allah and Ram."He was born in Varanasi (Benares), India, probably around the year 1440 (though other accounts place his birth as early as 1398), to Muslim parents. But early in his life Kabir became a disciple of the Hindu bhakti saint Ramananda. It was unusual for a Hindu teacher to accept a Muslim student, but tradition says the young Kabir found a creative way to overcome all objections.The story is told that on one particular day of the year, anyone can become a disciple by having a master speak the name of God over him. It is common for those who live near the Ganges to take their morning bath there in the sacred waters. The bhakti saint Ramananda took his bath as he did every day, by arising before dawn. On this special day, Ramananda awoke before dawn and found his customary way down to the steps of the Ganges. As he was walking down the steps to the waters, a little hand reached out in the predawn morning and grabbed the saint's big toe. Ramananda was taken by surprise and he expressed his shock by calling out the name of God. Looking down he saw in the early morning light the hand of the young Kabir. After his bath in the early light he noticed that on the back of the little one's hand was written in Arabic the name Kabir. He adopted him as son and disciple and brought him back to his ashrama, much to the disturbance of his Hindu students, some of whom left in righteous protest.It is said that what really made this meeting the most special is that in this case it, was only after Kabir's enlightenment that Ramananda, his teacher, became enlightened.Not much is known about what sort of spiritual training Kabir may have received. He did not become a sadhu or rununciate. Kabir never abandoned worldly life, choosing instead to live the balanced life of a householder and mystic, tradesman and contemplative. Kabir was married, had children, and lived the simple life of a weaver.Although Kabir labored to bring the often clashing religious cultures of Islam and Hinduism together, he was equally disdainful of professional piety in any form. This earned him the hatred and persecution of the religious authorities in Varanasi. Nearing age 60, he was denounced before the king but, because of his Muslim birth, he was spared execution and, instead, banished from the region.He subsequently lived a life of exile, traveling through northern India with a group of disciples. In 1518, he died at Maghar near Gorakhpur.One of the most loved legends associated with Kabir is told of his funeral. Kabir's disciples disputed over his body, the Muslims wanting to claim the body for burial, the Hindus wanting to cremate the body. Kabir appeared to the arguing disciples and told them to lift the burial shroud. When they did so, they found fragrant flowers where the body had rested. The flowers were divided, and the Muslims buried the flowers while the Hindus reverently committed them to fire.==Talk and talk and the real things get lost.I guess I should take my cue from that opening line and, well, not say much. :-)Kabir says: A pot makes noise if it's half full,But fill it to the brim -- no sound.Have a wonderful weekend!Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Story: The Story of Fire - Comments (1) A delightful Sufi story about the light of truth, the heat of human passions, while exploring questions of cultural memory, religious institutions, and how to pass on knowledge More Video: Do Re Mi in Antwerp's Central Station - Comments (3) My friend Sandeep introduced me to this video: Central Station of Antwerp, more than 200 dancers, Do Re Mi This'll put a smile on your face! More Website Updates - Comments (1) You can now search for anything anywhere on the Poetry Chaikhana site, from any page! Search for poets, words, phrases, themes, spiritual traditions... More Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana- No new donations this week.A special thank you to the many people who contribute a regular amount each month through PayPal. Your collective monthly donations keep Poetry Chaikhana finances stable. They really do make a difference!---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... A monthly donation with PayPal is easy -- just set it up once and then the work is done for you. The Poetry Chaikhana opens pathways for interfaith dialog and exploration. Even a small donation helps -- when many people contribute. The daily poem can bring fresh perspectives to your contemplation or prayer practice. When you donate I send a really cool thank you ecard. Make a donation and see for yourself! Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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