Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I listened carefully to all the old teachings. For a while I wanted to perform every ceremony just right.
But I saw that even the wisest, most careful people were carried off by time. Something settled in me. I stood up and walked away from the pressure to get every ritual perfect, and the restless wanting grew quiet.
This one is Kabir telling his own story.
He listened to all the old teachings, the bayd puraan. Those are the Vedas and Puranas, ancient holy books of India. They made him want to do karam, religious ceremonies, exactly right.
Then he noticed something. Even the wisest, most careful people were carried off by time. So he stood up and moved on, and the restless wanting went quiet.
Think of someone who learns every step of a dance but has not yet felt the music. Kabir went looking for the music. This is his own choice, not a put-down of anyone. The wise teachers are still honored. He simply moved from ceremony for its own sake toward love on the inside.
Have you ever done something so carefully to get it 'right' that you lost the point of doing it at all?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI