Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi Yoga / Hindu 15th Century	About Kabir Timeline (15th Century)
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English version by Rabindranath Tagore Original Language Hindi	(8) Within this earthen vessel
Commentary by Ivan M. Granger Themes   Lover and Beloved   Sound   Spring Blossom   Water     Recommended Books The Bijak of Kabir, Translated by Linda Hess / Translated by Shukdeo Singh The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell Kabir: The Weaver's Songs, by Kabir / Translated by Vinay Dharwadker Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West, Translated by Daniel Ladinsky One Hundred Poems of Kabir: Translated by Rabindranath Tagore, by Kabir / Translated by Rabindranath Tagore More >>	Within this earthen vessel are bowers and groves, and within it is the Creator: Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars. The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within; And within this vessel the Eternal soundeth, and the spring wells up. Kabir says: "Listen to me, my Friend! My beloved Lord is within."     -- from One Hundred Poems of Kabir: Translated by Rabindranath Tagore, by Kabir / Translated by Rabindranath Tagore Amazon.com
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

With this verse, Kabir is reminding us of the miracle that this "earthen vessel" -- the seemingly limited and problematic physical body -- can contain all the "bowers and groves" of creation. And at the center of that garden rests the Creator.

Within are the "seven oceans," the seven chakras that must be traversed by the rising Kundalini energy.

Within is found the "touchstone," that which proves the value of the earthen vessel. And within is found the "jewel-appraiser," the One Who Knows the value of the vessel. The body is a holy object, a priceless treasure, so long as it has been alchemically transmuted by the jewel-appraiser's touch.

Within is the eternal sound that hums in silence beneath the noise of the mind. Within is the life-giving spring.

It is a puzzle the logical mind cannot resolve: the Eternal One, who encompasses all things, is found within the limited compass of the body. Kabir is shouting in ecstasy, "Look within! Look within!"

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
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