The Weaver Saint: The Story of the Enlightened Master Kabir (Part 2 of 2)

The Light and Compassion of Master Kabir

Enlightened Master Kabir (1398–1518) was a great Indian poet and spiritual Master, revered as one of India's most admired Saints and also honored as a Prophet in the Islamic world. It is said He lived for 120 years, His life a long-burning sacred flame.

Master Kabir is hailed as the father of Hindi poetry. Throughout His life, He left behind more than 2000 poems and 1500 couplets, works that have traversed the centuries to shine with the light of the soul to this day. Many of His poems were translated from Bengali by the poet-philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, allowing Kabir's wisdom to transcend regional and linguistic boundaries and be celebrated worldwide.

Through Kabir's verses, we are able to touch a presence that is sincere, steadfast, and compassionate. His words express profound Truth and love, and are still recited by generations.

Enlightened Master Kabir advocated a path based on love and inner awakening. The Master once said, "A religion without love is heresy."

An Encounter on the Road: The Destitute Monk and a Gentle Miracle

On a bitterly cold morning, Master Kabir was walking to the market, carrying bolts of cloth He had woven Himself. Along the way, He met an ascetic in tattered rags, shivering violently. His body was covered only with worn pieces of cloth, offering almost no protection from the cold wind.

Without saying anything, Kabir silently draped the bolts of cloth, one by one, onto the monk. The cloth that was meant to be traded for food became a warm shelter enveloping a soul. The monk looked at Him gratefully, his eyes filled with tears.

Kabir's spirit of gentle compassion is also expressed in His poetry:

What use is a fully laden boat,
If it does not unload at the dock?
Kabir says, “Listen, O holy brother,
Give in charity, day and night."

A Fabric Woven with Love as Warp and Weft

Kabir was an artisan who made His living by weaving. With His hands, He wove simple yet durable cloth. But for Him, weaving was not for gold or profit; it was to warm people's hearts and to practice love and devotion. 

When someone asked Him why He did not sell His cloth for a high price, Kabir simply smiled gently and replied, "These hands are not for earning gold, but for covering a trembling body."

It is said that He often gave His newly woven cloth freely to the poor, the beggars, or the frail on the streets. Even when His own clothes were tattered, His heart thought first of the needs of others.

The Profound Meaning of the Empty Bowl

One day, an old man, so hungry he was about to faint, came to Kabir's door. He was too weak to speak. Kabir immediately brought out His only bowl of rice, His entire daily ration. 

His disciples asked in astonishment, "Master, that is Your food for the whole day!" 

Kabir replied softly, "He ate my rice, and I ate the love brought by his hunger. Who says I am hungry? I am very full."

From then on, a trend of practicing kindness and charity began to flourish in the village, with many following Kabir's example, weaving a network of compassion through their actions.

Master Kabir: Actions of Compassion and Wisdom

Enlightened Master Kabir lived a simple, humble, but sacred life, making His living by weaving.

On another severely cold day, an ascetic approached Kabir, who was tending His shop. Without hesitation, Kabir gave away all the cloth He had painstakingly woven.

When He returned home, His mother saw Him empty-handed and asked doubtfully, "How much did you sell the cloth for today?" 

Kabir smiled gently and said, "I sold it for a high price, but the money was too heavy to carry back." 

So as not to worry His parents, Kabir chose to go into the forest to meditate, entrusting everything to God. 

Miraculously, while He was in retreat, an unknown merchant quietly delivered a large amount of food and supplies to His home. Upon His return, Kabir joined His hands in deep prayer, "Thank You, most high God. You know our needs, and with infinite compassion, You have fulfilled my parents' wants."

However, after giving thanks, Kabir distributed the surplus supplies to those in the village who were still suffering.

Someone asked Him, puzzled, "Master, why do You give away everything You receive to others?" 

Kabir answered gently, "Wealth is not diminished by giving, just as a river never runs dry from flowing. What you have stored, you must give; the true mission of this body you have received is to give, give, and give again."

In Kabir's heart, true abundance was not in accumulation but in flow, not in possession but in sharing; like a river of the soul, it grows ever fuller by continuously giving.

Conclusion: Love God, Weave a Soul's Robe of Love and Devotion

The revelation from Master Kabir is this: The truest cloth is woven from the clarity, softness, and love within the mind. 

He sang with deep affection:

"Twist the threads of the mind with care,
and divide them with intention.
Weave day and night, threading with love
into the fabric of devotion."

References
• Songs of Kabir, translated by Rabindranath Tagore, published 1915.
• The Bijak of Kabir, translated by Linda Hess and Shukdev Singh, published 1983.
• Kabir's hymns as included in the “Guru Granth Sahib”, the holy scripture of Sikhism.
• https://suprememastertv.com/en1/v/62831327426.html 
  “Satguru Kabir the Weaver Saint: Interview with Dr. Jagessar Das, Part 1 of 3”
• https://suprememastertv.com/en1/v/127453869680.html
  “The Songs of Kabir (vegetarian): Songs 31 – 50, Part 1 of 2”
• Kabir Ke Dohe