The body is a village with five unruly farm-hands; settle the account here in the field, in this life.
The Arc
Your body is like a small village. You are the farmer, and five helpers live with you: your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch. They do not always listen. The eyes want one more video. The tongue wants one more snack. Every moment you spend is counted, like steps on a fitness tracker. One day the account is asked for, and those five helpers will not be there to speak for you. So settle your account now, in this field, in this life. Ask the One for forgiveness today. Then you do not have to cross the wide, rough sea of the world again. At the centre, the Rahao: an account is asked for every single moment.
Key Vocabulary
Dayhee gaavaa / panch kirsaanaa the body as village, the five senses as unruly farm-hands
Gharee gharee kaa laykhaa an account asked for every passing moment
Khayt hee karahu nibayraa settle your accounts right here in the field, now
Ab kee baar bakhas the plea for forgiveness in this very life
Bahur na bha-ojal fayraa no return to the frightening world-ocean
Themes and Cross-Connections
Kabir's farm allegory runs from start to finish: the body a village, the senses five farm-hands, life a field where the account is kept. When the Judge of Dharma asks for the account, the senses that ran the farm run away. The answer is to settle the account in the field itself, in this life, and to ask for forgiveness now.
For Raag Maaroo
Maaroo's theme of accounting and reckoning is met here head on, and turned toward action: settle it now, in this life, and ask for grace.
Hukumnama
Subject: Every moment of your life is counted Preview: a body like a village, five farm-hands who won't listen, a scribe's ledger and a field to settle up in.
Today: Your body is like a small village. You are the farmer, and five helpers live with you: your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch. They do not always listen. The eyes want one more video. The tongue wants one more snack. Every moment you spend is counted, like steps on a fitness tracker. One day the account is asked for, and those five helpers will not be there to speak for you. So settle your account now, in this field, in this life. Ask the One for forgiveness today. Then you do not have to cross the wide, rough sea of the world again.
Every moment counts, so settle your account today.
For today: Tonight, think back over your day and set one thing right with someone.
The body is a village with five unruly farm-hands; settle the account here in the field, in this life.
The Arc
Your body is like a small village. You are the farmer, and five helpers live with you: your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch. They do not always listen. The eyes want one more video. The tongue wants one more snack. Every moment you spend is counted, like steps on a fitness tracker. One day the account is asked for, and those five helpers will not be there to speak for you. So settle your account now, in this field, in this life. Ask the One for forgiveness today. Then you do not have to cross the wide, rough sea of the world again. At the centre, the Rahao: an account is asked for every single moment.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
Kabir's farm allegory runs from start to finish: the body a village, the senses five farm-hands, life a field where the account is kept. When the Judge of Dharma asks for the account, the senses that ran the farm run away. The answer is to settle the account in the field itself, in this life, and to ask for forgiveness now.
For Raag Maaroo
Maaroo's theme of accounting and reckoning is met here head on, and turned toward action: settle it now, in this life, and ask for grace.
Hukumnama
Subject: Every moment of your life is counted Preview: a body like a village, five farm-hands who won't listen, a scribe's ledger and a field to settle up in.
Today: Your body is like a small village. You are the farmer, and five helpers live with you: your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch. They do not always listen. The eyes want one more video. The tongue wants one more snack. Every moment you spend is counted, like steps on a fitness tracker. One day the account is asked for, and those five helpers will not be there to speak for you. So settle your account now, in this field, in this life. Ask the One for forgiveness today. Then you do not have to cross the wide, rough sea of the world again.
Every moment counts, so settle your account today.
For today: Tonight, think back over your day and set one thing right with someone.