Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
As long as there's oil and a wick, the lamp burns bright and lights up the whole house.
But when the oil runs out, the flame goes dark, and the house falls quiet and empty.
Kabir opens with a beautiful, gentle image for the preciousness of a life: the body is like a lamp. As long as there's oil and a wick — as long as life fills it — the lamp burns bright and lights up everything around it. But when the oil burns out, the flame goes out, and the house goes dark and still. It's his tender way of saying that a life, like a lamp's flame, is bright and warm but not endless — the oil is finite. This isn't meant to frighten a child but to make each lit hour feel precious. While your lamp is burning, let it give real light — warmth and love to everyone around you — because the flame is a gift, and gifts are meant to be used well while they last.
If your life is like a lamp's flame, what kind of light would you most want to give while it burns?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI