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468 K Kabir Panth The Kabir Panth (School of Kabir) comprises all those who honor Kabir and his teachings, whether or not they belong to a formal organization. As such, the Kabir Panth continues to enjoy widespread recognition and practice in northern India, particularly in the regions between western Bihar and the Punjab. The exact number of adherents is difficult to determine , since Kabir Panthis (adherents of the Kabir Panth) are not enumerated separately from adherents of other Hindu schools or traditions. Many people who might be called Kabir Panthis may simultaneously practice some other religious traditions of northern India. Kabir was a poet-saint who lived in northern India during the fifteenth century. His historical origins are debated within contemporary scholarship. Many Kabir Panthis, however , accept 1398 as his birth year. It is believed that Kabir was born to a brahmin widow who abandoned him. A poor Muslim couple who belonged to the weaver caste found him resting on a lotus flower in a tank near Varanasi and took him home to raise as their own. It is also believed that he was born on the night of the full moon in late May or early June, and so the anniversary of his birth ( jayanti, as it is called in the Caribbean) is always celebrated at this time. Although Kabir’s origins remain debated, what is certain is that he rose to become a key figure in the Sant tradition, and his guru (teacher) was Ramananda, the founder of this tradition . The Sant tradition blended elements of Vaishnava Hinduism with Sufi Islam to produce a faith-based tradition that focused on pure love and personal devotion to God. (The English term “God” is commonly used by Kabir Panthis in Trinidad. They also use terms from other traditions, including Ram, Allah, Sat-Guru, Sab-Bidhi, Guru Brahma, and Mudhmangal Aagaar.) The Sant tradition was thus part and parcel of a larger religious reformation known as the bhakti movement that flourished during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Other famous religious leaders who were active during this period include Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh Tradition, and Caitanya, founder of the Hare Krishna movement (see International Society for Krishna Consciousness). Kabir vehemently opposed the caste system, and he was an advocate for the poor. He taught that temple rituals, the worship of murtis (statues or icons), almsgiving, pilgrimage (whether to Mecca or Varanasi), fasting, and ascetic practices are all useless activities. Rather, personal expressions of love and devotion to God are all that matter in the devotee’s spiritual development. Since God’s presence is found within each and every one of us, it is unnecessary to seek God in temples. Taking proper care of one’s body and intellect is thus essential to the cultivation of religious virtue. During his lifetime Kabir transmitted his teachings orally, and he preached against sectarianism. After his death, however, his disciples committed his teachings to writing, and they formed several groups based on these texts. Kabir’s legacy, then, has thus come to include some elements that he did not himself endorse . Kabir was most famous for his poetry, some of which was mystical or transcendent but much of which was earthly in that it dealt with human needs. His poems not only illustrated his own personal devotion to God but also acted as a vehicle for his teachings. He was particularly known for his couplets, for example: All who meditate on the Lord Are equal in my vision. It is the thing contained that matters Not the pot that did contain. (Das 1911, 11) Three primary compilations of Kabir’s poetry and teachings were committed to writing in the seventeenth century. The Kabirvani, one of the earliest compilations of all, was assembled by the Dadu Panthis (adherents of the Dadu Panth) of Rajasthan. The Guru Granth Sahib or the Adi Granth, another early compilation, is also considered the primary scriptural text of the Sikhs. The Bijak, a later compilation, was assembled by Kabir Panthis in Bihar. It is impossible to determine the actual number of Kabir Panthis in the Caribbean or to outline the historical development of the Kabir Panthi community there with any accuracy, since as in India, Kabir Panthis are not enumerated separately from adherents of other Hindu religious traditions . It is clear, however, that most Kabir Panthis in the Caribbean reside in those areas that received the highest numbers of Indian indentured laborers during the colonial period, namely Trinidad, Guyana, and...
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