Thiti (Kabir Ji)

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. On the eleventh day after the new moon, Bhagat Kabir encourages us to set the mind in one direction—the direction of the One, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). This contrasts with the wandering mind, swayed by temptation and impulse, constantly pulled in many directions. Walking this distinct path, the path of the Wisdom-Guru, the path of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), the being is no longer swept up in further incarnations, further deaths and births, as the eternal Self, IkOankar, has been met. This is when the heat of pain and separation within the body and mind comes to a comfortable coolness. The disquieting excess of lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego have lost their grip on the seeker’s consciousness, and the seeker walks the path of IkOankar with conviction and love. On this path, the seeker comes to understand in an experiential way that IkOankar, once thought far off, is actually near, present, and immanent.

When our relentless wandering stops, we realize there is only one path to walk. Through the eleventh day, Bhagat Kabir helps us deepen our conviction on this path and recognize that it is where we are meant to be. He tells us this is the path on which our comings and goings, our separation from IkOankar, ends. This path is where our mind becomes unidirectional, whereas for so many of us, for so much of our life, our mind is multi-directional. Our mind runs in ten different directions within the span of a minute, out of fear: fear of loss, pain, scarcity, abandonment, or death. We constantly experience ups and downs because of this, attaching and clinging to our body and the world. Even the joys of life are shadowed by the dread of their passing. When we walk the path of IkOankar, these fears begin to fade. The unshakeable separation loses its impenetrability just a bit. We have a little more faith, a little more courage—softened by growing conviction and trust in IkOankar. Hardships that once seemed like realities become things of the past. Eventually, feeling the Grace, the comings last longer than the goings. The facade of separation mostly crumbles. We develop an intimate relationship with IkOankar, one nearer and dearer than any of our closest human bonds. We experience the One in an immense, undeniable capacity we never imagined before and enter a new way of being. Praise and love for the One flow from us day and night. What directions are our minds running in, other than toward the One? What will we let go of so we can deepen our stride on this path?