Saint Kabir’s Philosophy and Poetry
Kabir’s philosophical tenets were extremely simple. He was known as the guiding spirit of the Bhakti Movement. He preached Bhakti or ‘Devotion’ through the medium of his ‘Dohas’. Kabir’s Dohas touched everybody’s heart and he was endeared by all. Following are the aspects on which Kabir has expressed his ideas.
Love for all was Kabir’s principal tenet. He emphasized that love was the only medium that could bind the entire humankind in an unbreakable bond of fraternity. Kabir detested the frivolities and rituals in Hinduism and Islam for, these could never bind together mankind. Hence he advised all to give up hatred and perpetuate love for one and all.
God was the focal point of Kabir’s religion and Kabir addressed him in different names. In his opinion, God alone was Ram, Rahim, Govind, Allah, Khuda, Hari, etc. But for Kabir, ‘Saheb’ was his favorite name. He said god was everywhere and His domain is unlimited. God was pure, sacred, existing, without form, light, endless, and inseparable. Hence God was all-powerful and he could only be worshipped through love and devotion. In whatever name one addresses Him, God is one and has no second. Hence Kabir preached Monotheism.
When it comes to poetry writing, Kabir is a poet who truly deserves a special mention. He was a great mystic poet, whose poetry touched many hearts. Kabir’s poetry had the knack to raise the conscience level of people and make them walk on the path of spirituality.
Kabir Das
Kabir Das was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced Hinduism’s Bhakti movement and his verses are found in Sikhism’s scripture Guru Granth Sahib. His early life was in a Muslim family, but he was strongly influenced by his teacher, the Hindu bhakti leader Ramananda.
Kabir is known for being critical of both organized religion and religion. He questioned meaningless and unethical practices of all religions primarily the wrong practices in Hindu and Muslim religions. During his lifetime, he was threatened by both Hindus and Muslims for his views. When he died, both Hindus and Muslims he had inspired claimed him as theirs. Kabir means Famous Poet/Saint
Kabir suggested that Truth is with the person who is on the path of righteousness, considered everything, living and non-living, as divine, and is passively detached from the affairs of the world. To know the Truth, suggested Kabir, drop the “I” or the ego. Kabir’s legacy survives and continues through the Kabir Panth, a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects.