This week, we turn to the words of Bhagat Kabir, one of the fifteen revered Bhagats whose writings are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. His composition, Thiti, draws on the lunar calendar, from the new moon to the full moon, and back again. Indic spiritual tradition emphasizes the auspiciousness of certain days within this cycle, systematizing certain rituals to be practiced on certain days.

It is in these entrenched systems that the words of Bhagat Kabir cut through the noise with clarity and precision. A radical saint of medieval South Asia, he was unconcerned with reforming traditions and operating within existing paradigms. In his utterances, we find an urgent turn toward radical solutions, as he challenges existing philosophies and practices and refocuses us on devotion to IkOankar (the One).

Through the composition of 16 stanzas, the rahau line resounds:

The being whose love is attached with the lotus-feet of Gobind,
through the grace of Saint-Guru, the mind of that being becomes filth-free; that being stays awake in the kirtan of Hari, every day.

In a world engrossed in prescription, ritual, auspiciousness, and systems of religious transaction, Bhagat Kabir emphasizes the transformative power of loving devotion. This is not a devotion expressed through rigid systems or middlemen. This is a devotion of genuine humility, praise, and guidance in attachment to the One.

What happens when we are in love? We need not find the perfect time or place or deed to express that love. That love is all-consuming. It blooms within us. It animates every thought. It cascades out of us in every word and action.

What happens when we are in love? We come to know the Beloved intimately, in many ways, through many attributes. Bhagat Kabir refers to the One as Gobind, (Creation-Force), and Hari (the all-pervasive One).

What happens when we are in love? We lovingly surrender the ego. We come to attach ourselves to the Beloved. We do this through the Grace of the Wisdom. We immerse ourselves in the culture of Nam (Identification with IkOankar).

It is not through rituals or prescriptions that we can ultimately become filth-free. It is not through pilgrimages or cleanses or particular times. It is through the grace of the Saint-Guru.

Who is the Saint-Guru?

The Saint-Guru is the Wisdom and the company of virtuous beings. These are our guides on the path toward the One—exemplifying the teachings of the Wisdom. Graced with this guidance, we learn to walk firmly in Nam, in Identification. We come to lovingly Identify with the One, and our minds become free from vices and distractions.

In love with the Beloved, we remain awake and aware of the all-pervasive One in every moment, with every breath. This awareness inspires natural praise and admiration, flowing effortlessly. Just as the full moon fully reflects the sun’s light, so too, in loving devotion, does the darkness of the mind fade and we come to fully reflect the light of the One.

Bhagat Kabir’s guidance for us in a world of prescriptions and ritual deeds is to let go of our desires, expectations, and attachments within. Instead of feeding a relationship of transaction through religious deeds and rituals, let us remember the supremely beautiful One within, who knows our hearts and minds intimately.

There is no allotted time to practice this kind of devotion. Now is the time. Let us journey toward Identification, toward becoming filth-free, toward freedom.

May we fall in love with the One.
May we surrender our egos in love.
May we love without expectation.
May we become free—not in death, but here and now.

May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!