The version of the poem ‘O Friend, Hope for Him‘ by Kabir Das, published here, gives a clear warning to us, urging us to arise from our slumbers and make what we can of this life on earth. We cannot hope, the poem tells us, to find Him in the hereafter if we have not found Him here. This comes as a startling contradiction to the practically universal religious assurance that if we just follow the prescribed rules, we will find our reward in heaven. Don’t rely on empty dreams, Kabir says–for we know that dreams vanish in the morning.
In addition to warning us, though, Kabir also gives us hope, telling us in the last couplet that it is the Spirit of the quest that helps. And what is that? To quest for something is to search, to seek, but usually it is associated with something high or noble; medieval European romances tell stories of the quest for the holy Grail, the symbolic cup or bowl that Jesus used in the last supper with his disciples. Kabir’s phrase ‘the Spirit of the quest’ seems to suggest that when we seek for our ideal, it is not only we ourselves who seek, but also that there is a Spirit that seeks through us, and if we heed it, it will help us to find what we are looking for.
This sounds very similar to the Spirit of Guidance, mentioned in the Invocation and the principal focus of the prayer Salat. All life is guided, and when we sincerely begin to look for whatever will fulfil our longing, that goal, being living, begins to look for us. In other words, the bow and arrow of Cupid are not separate from the heart which is the target. But we cannot be complacent about the search, for that is to fall back into slumber. As Kabir says, we must devote ourselves to the service of the Spirit of the quest. Indeed, he puts it more strongly: we must be enslaved to it, which means surrendering to it. We must stir ourselves, and like a medieval knight, prepare ourselves for the battles of life and ride forth. In this connection, we may think of this beautiful image from Vadan, Alankaras:
Riding on the horse of hope,
Holding in my hand the rein of courage,
Clad in the armor of patience,
And the helmet of endurance on my head, I started on my journey to the land of love.
Somewhere Murshid also talks about how our being alive is a sign of that hope .He is gently waking us up,perhaps as in his own words ,when we change sides during sleep.Even in the lines quoted the poetry is the poetry of the wine.He wants us to savour the freshness we feel at the beginning of any journey,that quiet exictement.He is creating a taste for the divine,perhaps?
In Kabir there is such an urgency,even impatience with the “slumberous mass “of humanity.It is as if his words are meant to shake us up into wakefulness.
To feel their spirit is inspiring yet a life time’s enterprise.And Nawab your explanation saves the day when you say ,what we search for ,at a certain point, seeks us.Meanwhile the task is to keep ,try to,keep awake.