WHY SPEAK TRUTH ?

Kabir, the poet - saint was humming a doha (a couplet) as he sat weaving in his hut. It is natural for saints to revel in divine thoughts, even while engaged in work.

Suddenly, the front door of his hut was thrown open and there stood a ruffian, “Quick, show me a place to hide, the policeman is after me!” demanded the intruder rather rudely.

Kabir calmly pointed to bales of cotton huddled together and said, “There! There you will be safe!”

“I am trying to nab a thief, I saw him running in this direction. Did you see him?”

Kabir, in his unique style, casually pointed to the bales of cotton. The policeman looked at Kabir’s face and thought that Kabir was lost in his own world, like saints are. So he did not take him seriously and left hurriedly.

After sometime, the thief emerged safely from the bales of cotton and confronted Kabir, “You are a saint. You are supposed to protect anyone who takes refuge in you, even if he be a sinner. Why did you reveal my hiding place to the police? What if I had been exposed?”

“My dear friend, “Kabir spoke to the robber affectionately. “I spoke the truth since I was sure that only truth was capable of protecting you. If I had uttered a lie, it would have landed both of us in trouble. Truth alone saves us in the long run. Falsehood leads to ruin and sorrow.”

The thief gave up his wrong ways and became Kabir’s disciple.