This composition by Bhagat Kabir
Ji is based on fifteen lunar dates. It consists of one
salok and sixteen
pauris. In it, Bhagat Kabir Ji conveys that IkOankar (the Divine) is the Creator of all. When one develops love for the
Nam of IkOankar, their mind is cleansed of the filth of vices. By singing IkOankar’s praises, one remains alert to the temptations of vices. Those who remain absorbed in IkOankar’s love become free of suffering. Additionally, the pauris of the composition inspire the being to accept the teachings of the Wisdom (
Guru), contemplate Nam, renounce desires, master the mind, and free oneself from the influence of transient things and relationships.
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 seventh day after the new moon, Bhagat Kabir urges us to embrace the Truthful, eternal utterances of the Wisdom-
Guru. Through accepting the essential Truth of the Wisdom-Guru,
Ram is realized within. Ram is a name used for
IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) that highlights the utter beauty of IkOankar. Here, Bhagat Kabir explains that by accepting the beautiful One within, seekers become accepted in this world, in IkOankar’s creation. When we accept IkOankar within and are accepted by IkOankar, the waters within us become still. The emphasis here on becoming accepted by IkOankar overturns the spiritual culture wherein people are seeking to become accepted by a certain teacher or preacher or devotees of a certain discipline. Acceptance by IkOankar and lovingly accepting IkOankar is where crashing waves of fear, anxiety, and sufferings of all kinds slow. Internally, the being is absorbed in a state of intuitive repose and connection with IkOankar; the inner ocean of the mind becomes as smooth as glass.
Through Bhagat Kabir’s writing on the seventh day after the new moon, we are prompted to consider: what have we taken to be True? Is it what we learned from culture, society, school, or a spiritual guide? How do we know what is genuinely True? In the Sikh paradigm, Truth is recognized as that which is ever-stable. It is rooted in the eternal and isn’t subject to change based on circumstances. We are guided to let the Truth of the Wisdom-Guru enter our minds—to realize the eternality within the utterances of the Wisdom-Guru. There are all kinds of people teaching and preaching, but Bhagat Kabir reminds us that the Wisdom-Guru is above all. Following the Wisdom-Guru, we realize the beautiful One, IkOankar, pervading within, without, and all around. By accepting the beautiful One, allowing the beautiful One to dwell within us, we too become accepted as well, in the greatest sense of the word. We no longer seek acceptance in spiritual hierarchies, among social groups, or by followers of certain disciplines. Accepting the beautiful One within, the essence of the Wisdom-Guru shines through us; we are filled with love for IkOankar, we long for IkOankar, and are humbled by this beauty. Doubts, suffering, and anxiety dissolve in the experiential essence of the Wisdom-Guru. Within, we experience lasting stillness. In the tumult of the world, we come to experience the only steadiness there is, which is union with IkOankar. Will we move beyond our doubts and lovingly accept IkOankar? Will we discover the one true source of steadiness in the otherwise tumultuous world?
