kabir das

The social and practical manifestation of Kabirs philosophy has rung through the ages. It represented a synthesis of Hindu, and Muslim concepts. From Hinduism he accepts the concept of reincarnation and the law of Karma. From Islam he takes the affirmation of the single god and the rejection of caste system and idolatry. The basic religious principles he espouses are simple. According to Kabir, all life is an interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God (Paramatma). It is Kabirs view that salvation is the process of bringing into union these two divine principles.

Kabir is a very important figure in Indian history. He is unusual in that he is spiritually significant to Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims alike. Kabir openly criticized all sects and gave a new direction to the Indian philosophy. Kabir touches the soul, the conscience, the sense of awareness and the vitality of existence in a manner that is unequalled in both simplicity and style.

Kabir always wanted to become a disciple of Ramanand. However, since he was a Muslim, it was next to impossible for him to get initiation from a Hindu. So, he took recourse to a trick. Ramanand daily went to the bathing ghat for his pre dawn ritual ablutions. Kabir lay on the steps of the ghat in such a way that Ramanand stepped on him. Shocked at this incident, he chanted Rama! Rama!. Kabir said that since he had received teachings from him, in the form of the words Rama! Rama!, he was Ramanands disciple. Impressed with the intelligence of Kabir, Ramanand took him as his disciple.

The hallmark of Kabirs works consists of his two line couplets, known as the Kabir ke Dohe. The Dohas reflect the deep philosophical thinking of the poet saint.

Kabir Das, a Sufi poet of 15th century, it is believed that he had chosen his own place of death, Magahar, which is located about 240 km away from Lucknow. He has chosen this place to die in order to remove the fairy tale (myth) from the people mind. Those days, it was considered that the one who takes his last breathes and die in the region of Magahar, would never get place in heaven as well as take birth of donkey in the next life.Kabir Das died in Magahar instead of Kashi just because of breaking the myths and superstitions of people. According to Hindu calendar in Vikram Samvat 1575, he left the world in the Maghar in the month of Januanry in the year 1518 at Magh Shukl Ekadashi. It is also believed that the one who die in Kashi, go to the heaven directly thats why Hindu people go to the Kashi during their last time and wait for death in order to attain the salvation. Kabir Das died out of the Kashi to demolish the myth. His one of the famous saying related to this is jo kabira Kashi mue to rame kaun nihora means if there is a simple way to go to heaven just by dying in Kashi then what is the necessity of worshipping God.

The teachings of the Kabir Das are universal and equal to all as he never differentiate among Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and others of different religions. There is a mazar and samadhi of the Kabir Das in the Magahar. After his death his followers of Hindu and Muslim religion fight for the funeral of his body. But when they remove out the sheet from the dead body they only found some flowers taking which they completed the funeral according to their own customs and traditions.There is cave few meters away from the Samadhi indicates his meditation place before death. There is running trust named Kabir Shodh Sansthan which works as a research foundation in order to promote the research on Kabir Das works. There are running educational institutions as well which includes the teachings of Kabir Das.