Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The clay is one, though it's shaped into countless different forms — and I see the same One living in every one of them.
Kabir says: I've let go of even wanting heaven, and lost my fear of hell — I just love the One, for its own sake.
Kabir seals the shabad with two profound notes. First, unity: the clay is one, though it takes many forms; I recognize the One within them all. Every person, every creature, however different-looking, is the same One underneath — so seeing others as yourself (the last verse) isn't just kindness, it's accuracy: they really are, at the deepest level, the same as you. Second, the astonishing line: I have abandoned paradise, and reconciled my mind to hell. Kabir means he no longer does good to earn heaven or avoid hell — he has let go of the whole reward-and-punishment bargain. He loves the One purely, for its own sake, wanting nothing in return. That's the highest love there is: not 'I'll be good so I get a prize,' but 'I love you, and that's enough.' For a child, gently: do good because it's good and because you love — not to get a reward.
What's the difference between being good to get a prize and being good because you truly care?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI