Verse 159 of 450
Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 101 — shave the mind, not the head
ਕਬੀਰ ਮਨੁ ਮੂੰਡਿਆ ਨਹੀ ਕੇਸ ਮੁੰਡਾਏ ਕਾਂਇ ॥
kabeer man mooNdi-aa nahee kays mundaa-ay kaaN-ay.
Kabir, you have not shaved your mind, so why do you shave your head?
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮਨ ਕੀਆ ਮੂੰਡਾ ਮੂੰਡੁ ਅਜਾਂਇ ॥੧੦੧॥
jo kichh kee-aa so man kee-aa mooNdaa moond ajaaN-ay. ||101||
Whatever is done, is done by the mind; it is useless to shave your head. ||101||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: you have not shaved your mind, so why shave your head?
Whatever is done, the mind does it. Shaving the head is of no use.
The change that counts happens in the mind.
Change happens in the mind; changing the outside alone does nothing.
In Kabir's time, some people shaved their heads, kays mundaa-ay, to show they had left the world behind. Kabir asks why, if the mind itself has not been cleaned of its pride and wanting.
Jo kichh kee-aa so man kee-aa: whatever is done, the mind does it. So the mind is what needs to change. Kabir aims at hollow show, in any tradition, never at a faith.
A Question to Sit With
What is one change you want to make on the inside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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