As oil is in the oil seed,
And fire is in the flint,
So is the Lord within thee, unrevealed.
Follow thy Master’s simple and true instructions,
Keep vigil strict at midnight and so find Him.
As fragrance is within the flower’s blossom,
So is the Lord within thee, unrevealed.
But as the musk-deer searches for musk in forest grass,
So does man search for Him outside
And finds Him not.
As the pupil is within the eye itself,
So is the Lord within thy body;
But fools know not this simple fact,
And search for Him elsewhere.
As air pervades all space,
But none can see it,
So does the Lord pervade the body;
But He remains to each one unrevealed,
Since the lodestone of the heart is not attached to Him.
O man, the object of supremest value,
For which you search throughout the world,
Is here within you,
But the veil of Illusion ever separates you from Him.
Tear the veil boldly asunder and you will find Him.
My Lord is living in each human being;
There is no bridal bed without the Bridegroom.
But blessed is the body
In which He reveals Himself.
As fragrance is in the flower,
So is the Lord within thee.
But He reveals Himself in His beloved Saints;
That is all you need to know. Go forth and meet them.
Kabir (1440-1518) is one of the greatest mystic poets of India, claimed by both Sufi Muslims and Hindus and revered by Sikhs. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.” The audio recording is by Eknath Easwaran’s wife, Christine Easwaran.