Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Just going through the outward religious motions won't carry you to God on its own.
The holy place you're seeking is actually hidden within your own heart, if only you knew it.
Kabir speaks to a fellow Muslim about Islamic practices — fasting, prayers, reciting the creed — and says, lovingly but firmly, that going through these outward motions alone won't take you to paradise. It's the same thing he says to Hindus about their rituals; no tradition gets a pass on empty form. And then the beautiful, inward turn: the Temple of Mecca is hidden within your mind, if only you knew it. The holiest place — the one people journey across the world to reach — is within your own heart. This is Kabir at his most characteristic: not attacking anyone's faith, but calling every faith inward, from the outer form to the living heart. The pilgrimage that matters is the journey inside.
If the most sacred place is inside your own heart, how would you 'visit' it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI