| Kabir [1398-1488] Kabir was a weaver and mystic poet from northern India and lived in Hindu holy city of Benares. He was an important influence on the Hindus and Muslims of his time and also a profound influence on Guru Nanak, the first guru of the Sikh religion. Many poems of Kabir can be found in the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scriptures that form the Guru of Sikhism. Kabir was born in a weaver's family and later adopted by childless Muslim weavers named Niru and Nimma, who found him near Lahara Tara lake, adjacent to the holy city of Varanasi. [3] But his birth is surrounded by legends. Some say he was really the son of a Brahmin widow, adopted by the Muslim couple. [4] Early in his life Kabir became a disciple of the Hindu bhakti saint Ramananda. It was unusual for a Hindu teacher to accept a Muslim student, but legend has it the young Kabir found a creative way to overcome all objections. Kabir knew which temple Ramananda meditated in each day before dawn, and Kabir lay down on the steps outside. Ramananda walked out in the dark and stepped on the boy's body. Astonished, he leaped up, and cried, "Rama!" Kabir then jumped up and said, "You spoke the name of God in my presence. You initiated me. I'm your student!"[5] A Bhakti saint, who sang the ideals of seeing all of humanity as one, his name, Kabir, is often interpreted as Guru's Grace. A weaver by profession, Kabir ranks among the world's greatest poets. In India, he is perhaps the most quoted author. The Holy ... |
