54
Aptavani-2
here?” The Brahmins told Kabir, “What are you doing here? Go
away from here. This is none of your business.” Kabir
understood immediately and spoke, “This goat is alive. He is
healthy. Why are you sacrificing him in the fire? How much pain
he will feel and suffer if you throw him in the fire.” The Brahmins
said, “If we sacrifice him in the fire, he will go to heaven.” Kabir
immediately responded, “Why are you making this goat go to
heaven? Why not sacrifice your father in the fire, he is growing
old, why not secure a life in heaven for him instead?” What a
sentence to utter! It is enough to make anyone’s head spin, is it
not? So the Brahmins beat him up badly. Kabir used to get
beaten wherever he went. To speak a word without understanding
the Lord’s principle of anekant (to accept all viewpoints and
remain in the center. Ekant means to have just one viewpoint),
will beget you a beating! Otherwise, there has never been a
devotee such as Kabir. He was wonderful; he had no worldly
desire. No worldly passion could tempt him; he had become
desire less (nispruhi). However, he had taken a lot of beating
wherever he went because he did not understand the Lord’s
anekant.
It is correct for the Christian to stand quietly in a church.
It is also correct for the Muslim to sing aloud their bangh prayer.
If a Hindu is reciting his prayers quietly in the mind, that too is
correct. He may say his prayers out aloud too. If he does not
say his prayer at all, if he is a little thick, tell him to speak aloud.
Or if he is like the Jain who hardly vocalizes, one can tell him,
“Why are you reciting the Navkar mantra in your mind, say it
out loud so it can be heard.” Say it loud enough to ring the bells
within. There is different medicine for everyone. Every human
being has a different disease and therefore there are different
medicines. What would happen if you to tell me to give
everyone the medicine to throw up? So this is what the world
is like; that is why the Lord has given anekant. He has
established syadvad (principle whereby you hurt no one’s