Monday, December 8, 2008

Divine Light is the First Realization

Saint Kabir illuminated Earth with His physical presence from the period of 1398 to 1518 A.D. This pada is related to the light form of Omkar. It is linked with the eternal light. Kabir Sahib calls it as 'Noor.'
Just in the beginning he states -

"Aval Allah Noor Upaiya, Kudrat ke sab bande.
Ek Noor te sab jag upajiya kaun bhale ko mande."

Initially the divinity expressed itself in the form of Light. Rishis of the Upanishads state- "Eko Hum Bahutasyat." And that light multiplied to form the universe. But just in the beginning it manifested it in illuminated form.
And with this light, God created this entire Existence: Animals, birds, plants, insects, humans and various other forms of this Existence.
"Ek Noor te sab jag upajiya kaun bale ko mande."
And he asks a wonderful question to all - If we all had common ancestors or parents, which were in the form of Light, then whom shall I call good and whom bad? All the divisions based on religions, castes stand no-where. Whom will you call as superior and whom as inferior? Besides, with this statement of Saint Kabir, the scientists also agree that before life came into being, there was light. For an example: when there was no life on Earth initially, Sun originated in this solar system. The scientists say - 10,000 million years ago Sun came into existence. And the Earth is like a small baby, which came just 4,000 million years ago. Millions of years ago, there was no life on Earth. Only 600 Million years ago the first life form was born on Earth. Water beings, trees were formed initially and gradually the life forms developed. Humans are the most recent creation on Earth. It is just 1 lakh year old creature.
I had read a story. Once, a lover and his beloved were seating at the seashore. They were talking to each other. The girl asked to her lover - For who is this sea? The boy replied: For you my darling, who other than you. The girl further inquired - This Sky, this moon is for whom? The lover replied - O my love, all this for you. And the writer further writes - seeing this, I went to them and said - my friends, when you both were not born even then there was this Earth, this sky, the moon and everything was still there. But it is the tendency of human mind to consider everything for him, which is nothing but just ego. The human race has arrived just 1 lakh year ago only, but this earth existed even before that. And at that time it was for whom?
The modern scientists are also agreeing on the fact stated earlier by Kabir Sahib - first there was light and from that light the life was formed. Even today, somehow the entire life is connected to the light source. Imagine if the sun gets cold today then for how long with the life on earth sustain.
Kabir Das rightly says -

"Loga baram na bulyo bhai.
Khalik Khalak Khalak me Khalik,
Pur rahiyo sab thai."
All the dualities are our illusions. All the dualities of form and the formless are just created by us, but they actually do not exist. In actuality, there is only oneness.

"Anahalak Hoon Har Jism me Ruh-sa Hoon.
Meri Jaan Tujme bhi me hi basa hoon.
Suraj, ye Chanda, Ye tare, ye panchi.
Hanse koi samjo ki me hi hasa hoon.
Kahi koi aangan kisi jal se bheege.
Samjo ke badal ban me hi barsa hoon.
muje chahe kuch bhi ab kahe le jamana.
Samundar hoon dikhata bale katra-sa hoon.
Muji se hai roshan ye sari khudai.
Bale deh me hoon par aakash-sa hoon.
Kabi apne murshid me bola tha me hi.
Magar aaj dikhata Siddhartha sa hoon."

This means:
"I am the Truth. I live as soul in everyone. O my beloved, I dwell in you also. Sun, moon, stars, and birds: whenever they smile I smile in them. When a courtyard of any house receives water, in fact I rain over there. Let the world say as it likes, but I am the sea, although I look like a drop. The whole creation is illuminated by me. Although I am in a body, I am like sky. Some time ago I had spoken through
my Master, but now I have found expression in Siddhartha."
Where is the difference? Guru Nanak says - "Guru Guru Eko Bekh Anek", which means, the masters come in many forms but the essence within them is one and the same. The Godliness in them is the same. Sometimes it speaks in the form of Mahavir, Buddha, sometimes as Dadu and sometimes as Osho. All the Masters are medium of the Divine to reach us.
"Khalik- Khalak khalak me Khalik"
Khalik is the term used for God and Khalak stands for His creation - the world. In the Khalik is Khalak. In the God is the world and vice versa too. The divine is in world and the entire world is in divine. There exists the formless in the form and in the formless are various forms existing. The sun is one of the biggest forms but it is also surrounded by the formless space on all sides. And so is true about mankind which is also engulfed by space. And do not consider it that this space is filled with air only. It is filled with Divine sound and Divine light also. We are protected by the Divine from all sides. And not does it only exist around us, it is also in us. We are made of it. Inside our form is the formless being of God in the way of light, sound.
Kabir thus continues to say-

"Khalik khalak Khalak me khalik pur rahiyo sab thai."
Once a Sufi saint said to me - What does Pak-Kalama means?
I replied - "What I have read is very simple and clear enough. "Lailla-Illallah" There is nobody to be worshipped except the Divine. The saint said - If for a while I agree to what you say, just tell me, if there is nobody except the divine that can be worshipped, but then there has to be something besides the divine, which in not supposed to be worshipped. So, just tell me one such thing. On listening this, I said this is very difficult as there is nothing besides the divine. On hearing my reply the saint laughed aloud and said - This is not the
true meaning of Pak-kalama. And on my insistence he stated its true meaning - There is not a creature which is not divinely. "Illah" also means a creature.

"Mohammadur Rasul Allah." What does Mohammed stands for? Mohammed means the one in whom the light of divine has descended. Initially, Mohammed sahib's name was Hazrat Aslam, as was Gautama Buddha's name Gautama Siddhartha. But when He became enlightened He was renamed as Buddha. Similarly after attaining to enlightenment Hazrat Aslam became Mohammed. "Mohammadur Rasul Allah" And the one in whom His illumination descends becomes His mirror. The term "Rasul" does not only stand for a Paigambar, but also for a Mirror. And in such a person for the first time you see the glimpse of God.
"Khalik khalak Khalak me khalik pur rahiyo sab thai."
Once Guru Nanak went to Makka and kept His legs facing towards the Kabba. The people around were astonished by this act. In shock, they asked Him what He was trying to do. You are placing your feet towards the God. Guru Nanak said in amazement: Just move my legs in that direction where there is no God. The story says that in whatever direction His feet were moved, the Kabba too moved in the same direction. This is a symbolic story. But what it points is very true that even in the smallest atom is God.

"Mati Ek Anek Bhant Kar Saji Sajanhare.
Na Kuch Poch Mati ke bhande na kuch poch kumbare."

There are five elements which constitute towards the formation of humans. Tulsidas says -
"Kshiti jal, pavk, gagan, sameera,
Panch rachit ye adhama sharira."

It means that the five basic elements - earth, water, fire, sky and air combine together to form the body. The entire world is made up of these constituents.
Similarly, Saint Namdev says -

"Ekal Mati kunjar chiti banjan hai bahunana re"
Like a potter makes a variety of articles or utensils from the same mud, God has created this entire world or nature out of the same five elements.
Saint Kabir further elaborates -
"Na Kuch Poch Mati ke bande na kuch poch kumbare."
Remember it clearly there is no lacking in the clay, or in the potter. You may have heard of Malik Mohammed Jaisi who has written Padmavat. He was disabled and used to walk in a crooked manner. When he entered the court of the King, all the ministers seeing his walking style started laughing. At this, Jaisi asked them - Whom are you all laughing at - me or the Divine who has made me?
From His experience says saint Kabir -
"Na Kuch Poch Mati ke bande na kuch poch kumbare.
Sab me sacha eko soi, tis ka kia sab kuch hoi."
There is one Ultimate truth that resides in each of us. You may name it Ram, Govind, Krishna or as you like. And through Its will only are all things possible.
From His exploration and insight Kabir guides us by stating -
"Humkum Pachane so eko jane banda kahiye soi."
The one, who knows the Ultimate Law, knows the oneness of all beings and only he is a human being. We are born as men and women, but we have to evolve as human being. One who knows the Divine hyme, is a human.
"Alakh Alakh na jai lakhia Guru Gud deena meetha.
Kahe kabir mere sankha nasi sarab niranjan deetha."

He is saying a wonderful thing - that it is not possible to see God. "Alakh Alakh na jai lakhia Guru Gud deena meetha." But my Master has revealed to me that secret. What is that hidden mystery? It is of Omkar -- the soundless sound. It is the Divine light. And on being blessed with this secret, Meera bai rejoices with joy and says:

"Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo."
I am blessed with the wealth of Omkar - the Divine Name.
And Sunderdas being in gratefulness to His master sings:
"Humare Guru Deeni ek jari."
My Master gave me a secret root.
Kabir says that my Master has given me a Gur- a secret. And once the secret is revealed what happens?
"Gunga keri sarkara, khaye aur muskaye."
The seeker becomes like a dumb who can enjoy the taste of delicious sweet but cannot explain it what is it like.
Kahe kabir mere sankha nasi sarab niranjan deetha."
And since now I have known the sound and light form of divine, I am able to see it around my all sides.

See the two contradictions-
On the one hand he says - it is not possible to see the divine. But it is only till the time when the secret is not opened by the Master. And once the Master opens it up it is seen everywhere. Whatever is, is just the divine. Once you see the Divine Light within, you can see it everywhere. Divine Light is the First Realization.

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