Why does Kabir cry for us? || Acharya Prashant, on Saint Kabir (2017)

Kabir has woken up to the suffering. He has awakened and he is crying. Only the awakened ones cry.

~ Kabir

Questioner (Q): What does Kabir mean by crying here?

Acharya Prashant (AP): Crying means crying. Crying means not feeling good, not feeling agreeable to the state of affairs. It is just that when Kabir cries, it’s not a personal tear that he sheds; he cries for you. Personally, he has arrived. Personally, he is home. Personally, there remains nothing for him to achieve. But having come home and having seen how obviously easy it is, he cries for you. This is not a self-centered sadness.

When you laugh, when you enjoy, it is because of self-centered pleasure. And when you cry, it is again because of self-centered hurt or loss. The actions that you see taking place in the world of every common man might take place in the world of Kabir as well, but they are rooted very differently, they come from some other origin. A shopkeeper would be crying for his personal loss, and Kabir would be crying at the shopkeeper’s stupidity. That is the difference. You would be crying thinking that you have not been able to achieve, and Kabir would be crying at your thought.

If you are not careful, you will take the two actions as one. They are seemingly one, not actually one. Do not expect the saint to behave differently. He behaves the same, but from a different origin. That is why the Zen story says that there might as well be zero change on the outside. Have you heard that one?

So, there was a practitioner who got enlightened. Somebody asked him, “Sir, what did you use to do before enlightenment?”

He said, “I would get up in the morning, go to the jungle, collect some wood, come back, cook my meals, go to the market, return, and sleep.”

The questioner said, “Oh, such an ordinary life! Now, please tell us what do you do after enlightenment.”

He said, “I get up in the morning, go to the jungle, collect some wood, come back, cook my meals, go to the market, come back, and sleep.”

Absolutely nothing might change at the level of actions; that is not mandatory. A lot might change even at the level of actions. It is not as if you have to forcefully maintain your actions the same. The actions too might change, but that is not necessary. What definitely changes is the actor.

Q: If I don’t bother about someone trying to hurt me, he might think that I am too scared to respond. Are you saying that one should just ignore him? What if he would come after the ones behind me afterwards? Shouldn’t I shield them from him?

AP: Why not? But you shield them just as you shield someone against a madman. Your basic understanding still remains the same. It might be needed to shield them. Go ahead and shield them, fine.

Spirituality, wisdom, do not bar you from doing anything. You go ahead and do whatever is appropriate. The emphasis is not on not doing; the emphasis is on appropriateness. If X is appropriate, go ahead with X, and if Y is appropriate, go ahead with Y. You have complete freedom, A to Z. All actions are permissible, but you must know the right action. That is being wise.

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