A personal account by Malook

I was visiting my parents in India on vacation. One of Kabir’s songs was playing in the background on the portable boom box. I walked into the kitchen and noticed that the middle-aged maid, who was cleaning the utensils, was using her saree to wipe her tears. I could not understand why she was crying and I did not feel it appropriate for me to ask her. After a few minutes she herself spoke softly in her village Hindi dialect – “Bhaia, yeh theek hi toh bolta hai. Bhagwan ka kare jab hum hi bhul gai usko?” [Brother, he (referring to Kabir’s words) is speaking the truth. What can God do if I myself have forgotten him?]. Intrigued by her comment, I asked her if she understood the meaning of what he was saying. She simply replied, “Haan bhaiya, theek bolta hai” [Yes brother, he speaks the truth]. Her simple reply instantaneously threw my intellectual understanding into insignificance. The words of Kabir became less important than the truth of her realization. Kabir had manifested himself through her. In that moment Kabir Das taught me Truth through that divine lady. I got a true introduction and initiation to the experience of Kabir.


May 20, 2002