Kabir

Indian mystic poet

Medieval influential 210 sayings

Sayings by Kabir

The cow eats grass, but gives milk. The human eats food, but gives words.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The blind man sees, and the deaf man hears. The dumb man speaks, and the lame man walks.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The night is dark, but the stars are bright. The world is dark, but the truth is bright.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The snake has poison, but it does not bite itself. The human has anger, but it bites himself.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The bird sings, but it does not know why. The human speaks, but he does not know why.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The sun rises, and the moon sets. The day ends, and the night begins. But the truth remains.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The wise man is a child, and the child is a wise man. The fool is a king, and the king is a fool.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The water is clear, but the fish are muddy. The sky is clear, but the clouds are muddy.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The drum beats, but the dancer sleeps. The world dances, but the truth sleeps.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The potter makes pots, but the pots break. The weaver weaves cloth, but the cloth tears.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The elephant walks, but the ant carries the burden. The powerful are weak, and the weak are powerful.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The mind is a monkey, and the heart is a bird. The monkey jumps, and the bird flies.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The flame burns, but the wick is consumed. The life lives, but the body dies.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The tree gives fruit, but it does not eat it. The river gives water, but it does not drink it.

c. 15th century — Songs of Kabir (Tagore translation)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If you want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth: Listen to the secret sound, the real sound, which is inside you.

15th century — From his poetry, emphasizing inner spiritual experience over external rituals
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The river that flows in you also flows in me.

15th century — Teaching on universal spirituality
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

When the Guest is being searched for, it is the intensity of the search for Him that does all the work.

15th century — Poem about divine realization
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

What is found now is found then.

15th century — Mystical verse on timeless truth
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The moon shines in my body, but my blind eyes cannot see it.

15th century — On inner illumination
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.

15th century — Teaching on truth and faith
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable