Some Features of the Philosophical Thoughts of Kabir the Poet
1996 Volume 51 Issue 1 Pages 45-69
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1996 Volume 51 Issue 1 Pages 45-69
It has been the topic of debate among scholars and thinkers whether modern thoughts as can be noticed in the West did exist in India before Western thoughts were introduced into India.
When scholars and thinkers take up Indian philosophy, they discuss the thoughts in philosophical texts which are relevant to darsanas; such as the Nyaya-Vaiseshika or Vedanta schools. They tend to disregard philosophical thoughts as were expressed and represented by poets or religious leaders in the modern period.
However, in my eyes modern thoughts which are occasionally more radical than those expressed by modern thinkers of the West are noticed in the poems of some Indian thinkers of the same period.
One of the most noteworthy thinkers was Kabir the poet (1440-1518 A. D.). His thoughts are not set forth, nor discussed by authors of ordinary“History of Indian philosophy”and so on. They discuss chiefly darsanas.
However, as the remarkable thinker of India at the dawn of modern age, I am going to discuss the philosophical thought of Kabir.
I. To our astonishment, he was an explicit egalitarian. He denied all the distinctions and discriminations among various classes or castes.
II. He was thoroughgoing in the respect of iconoclasm. He denied the significance of all idols.
III. The significance of religion can be noticed in the internal character. The significance of all the holy scriptures was denied.
IV. God resides only within one's mind. The difference among various religions was denied. Practice of all traditional rituals is useless.
V. Erudition about religious scriptures is useless. He encouraged pratical and realistic scholarship.
VI. We should rely upon experiences alone. He expressed pragmatic views.
VII. To be a human being should be placed in viewing things. Human body should be taken care of.
VIII. The spirit of love should be extended beyond human beings. This worldly, secular attitude concerning daily life should be emphasized. Family life is most important.
IX. The yawning for God can be compared to sexual love. Otherworldly religious practice was denied.
