Story 203 - Saint Kabir and one of his disciples

One day, a young man, named Ram Das, bowed before the saint Kabir and, with tears in his eyes, requested him, "You can perform miracles. Kindly help me to see God." The saint Kabir could not refuse the sincere request of Ram Das and, after some hesitation, he promised to show him God after two days. He also gave certain instructions to Ram Das for arranging the necessary preparations. The next day, Ram Das sold away all his property etc. and purchased rice, sugar, butter, flour, milk etc. Saints from far and near were also invited to participate in this feast on the fixed day. Delicious varieties of food were prepared. While the invitees were engaged in their usual prayers, Ram Das was deeply absorbed in meditation in the hope that he would soon have the blessed opportunity to see God. All the invitees were told that good food would be served to them only after God had appeared before Ram Das. They were, therefore, waiting accordingly. Noon passed away but God did not appear. Afternoon also passed away but God did not show His face. Some of the invitees, who felt very hungry, were very much disappointed. Some were blaming Saint Kabir; some considered

Ram Das to be a fool to be hoping against hopes. Some were happy with the idea that, when God will appear before Ram Das, they would also be blessed to get a glimpse of Him. Everybody was however anxiously waiting for God to appear.

In the mean time, they all saw some commotion and heard hullabaloo in the kitchen. Every man was agitated. They could not know from where a buffalo had entered the kitchen and knocked down everything topsy-turvy. The big pots of pudding were turned upside down. He put his mouth in 'halva'. All the mal-puvas were either eaten or made dirty. He had damaged the oven and pulled down the fire places with his horns. The entire place was made dirty by his hoofs and dung. After destroying everything, he started making loud noises. The invitees were already feeling very hungry. Seeing all this havoc in the kitchen, they lost their patience and were excited with anger. Ram Das was also very much enraged. He ran with a stout staff in his hand to beat the buffalo. The invitees had already surrounded the animal to prevent him from doing further damage. Ram Das then started beating him mercilessly with his staff and wounded him badly. They were all cursing the saint, Kabir, for fooling them in this way. They were badly agitated with anger, excitement and hunger.

The wounded buffalo, bleeding and crying with pain, ran limping for his life towards the corner of the garden where the saint Kabir was staying. Ram Das and other invitees were also running after him to punish him further and to express their anger against Kabir as well.

On reaching there, they were taken aback. They were surprised to see Kabir hugging the buffalo and weeping bitterly. 'O my Lord, you have received injuries which you did not have, even when you were fighting against the demon Ravana, or against Kansa. O my Lord, I am very much pained to see all this...' Seeing Kabir weeping in this way, the hearts of the invitees and the viewers were altogether changed. If any inflammable article is touched by fire, it also becomes fire. So, too, the hearts of all those who were present there were filled with godliness. Nothing remained except God. Dualism was gone. They were all experiencing God everywhere. All their sorrows, desires, expectations etc., vanished and instead of regarding their individual bodies as their own, they also realised all the other bodies also to be their own. Not only this, they also realized their own Self to be the all-pervading Universal Self. It was a strange sight to see that the viewers and the viewed were no more different. They were all one.

To realise God in everything in this way, is the real Darshan (sight) of God.

Vol. 5 (245-246)