The Value Of Every Breath

You declare to the loud beat of drum:
With every breath that passes
In forgetting the Name of the Lord
You are loosing the chance to reach the spiritual height.||

If lose a single one of these invaluable breaths
Your loss is the greatest than the loss of the world.
Why do you throw away such precious breaths?||

What guarantee have you of life?
Your body may be destroyed in a single moment.
With every breath, therefore,
Remember the Name of the Lord –
Forget all other callings.||

Even a short life has immense value
If spent remembering the Lord’s true Name.
But useless is the life of million years
In which the Lord’s Name is forgotten.||

Remember, only those breaths truly beat fruits
That you spend in remembrance of the Name.
All other breaths you spend scheming and planning –
All are totally useless.

A pauper who lives beneath a broken roof
And repeats the Name of the Lord
Is richer far than one who lives in a house of gold
But does not remember his creator. ||

Kabir, as long as there is life
Fearlessly continue repeating the Lord’s Name.
When the oil of the lamp extinguished,
There will then be quite enough time
To sleep both day and night.  ||

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The verses below use the term "hira" (diamond). It should be noted that during the time of Kabir, diamonds were very rare. At that time, diamonds were found only in India and nowhere else.

Bijak/Sakhi 168:

hIrA soi srAhiye
sahai ghanan kI choT
kapaT kurangI mAnavA
parakhat nikrA khot||

Admire the diamond that can bear the hits of a hammer. Many deceptive preachers, when critically examined, turn out to be false.

[Here diamond is siddhanta (the basic principles or doctrine).An experienced diamond cutter can hit the diamond using a chisel so that the chips will break off as expected. A diamond because if its crystalline structure tends to break off at specific angles. Similarly the true doctrine would come out shining when it is critically examined].

Bijak/Sakhi 170:

hIrA tahaN na kholiye
jahaN kunjroN kI hAT
sahajai gaNthI bANdhike
lagiye apni bAT||

Don't open your diamonds in a vegetable market. Tie them in bundle and keep them in your heart, and go your own way.

[Don't discuss gyan (knowledge) with those who can not understand it].

Bijak/Sakhi 171:

hIrA parA bajAr maiN
rahA chhAr lapaTAy
ketihe murakh pachi mUye
koi pArakhi liyA uThAy||

A diamond was laying in the street covered with dirt. Many fools passed by. Someone who knew diamonds picked it up.

[Those who understand gyan-siddhanta (true knowledge/principles), pause to acquire it].

Kabir Mystic Philosopher