Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
It is easy to get so wrapped up in looking sharp and important — the perfect outfit, the confident strut, the busy schedule.
And in all that fuss, we can decide we simply have no time for the quiet things of the heart, sure that our important business matters more.
But image and busyness make a thin meal for the soul.
Someone can be so busy looking important that there is no time left for love of the One.
Kabir paints a vain courtier, a man who works at the king's court. Taydhee paag taydhay chalay: his turban is tilted, and his walk is a swagger. He chews betel leaves, which was stylish then. He says devotion is not for him: mayro kaam deevaan, I have business at court.
Think of someone checking their phone all through a family dinner, sure their messages matter more. The picture is not aimed at any one person. It is a trap anyone can fall into. Looking good feeds our pride, but it leaves the heart hungry.
When have you been so busy or so focused on how you look that you forgot what really matters?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI