Kabir Becomes Ramanandas Disciple

Dadi: "Guddu, what would you do if the teacher you desperately wanted to learn from wouldn't accept you?"

Guddu: "I'd be really sad. Maybe find another teacher?"

Dadi: "Kabir did something cleverer. He MADE the teacher accept him - without the teacher even realizing it!"

Guddu: "How's that possible?"

Dadi: "Kabir was born into a Muslim weaver family. His heart longed for spiritual wisdom, and the greatest teacher of that time was Swami Ramananda - a Hindu saint."

Guddu: "Could Kabir just ask to be his student?"

Dadi: "That's the problem, beta. In those days, society was strictly divided. A Hindu guru accepting a Muslim student? Unthinkable! Kabir knew Ramananda would likely refuse."

Guddu: "So what did he do?"

Dadi: "He observed. He noticed that Ramananda bathed in the Ganges every morning before dawn, when it was still dark. All alone. No one around."

Guddu: "I think I see where this is going..."

Dadi: "One night, Kabir crept down to the riverbank steps - the ghat. He lay down right across the stairs, stretched out, blocking the path. Then he waited in the darkness."

Guddu: "He became a human speed bump?!"

Dadi: "*(laughing)* Exactly! When Ramananda came in the dark for his bath, he stepped on something - or rather, someone! In shock, he exclaimed: "Ram! Ram!" - calling out God's name in surprise."

Guddu: "And Kabir was lying right there!"

Dadi: "Kabir jumped up instantly, touched Ramananda's feet, and declared: "You have initiated me, Guru ji! You gave me the sacred mantra 'Ram' through your touch and your words!""

Guddu: "*(laughing)* That's so clever!"

Dadi: "Ramananda was stunned. But Kabir was serious. He said, "The touch of a guru's feet and the sound of God's name from his lips - what more does a disciple need?""

Guddu: "Did Ramananda accept him?"

Dadi: "Not immediately! Word spread that a Muslim weaver was claiming a famous Hindu swami as his guru. People were outraged. Ramananda called Kabir for a meeting."

Guddu: "Was he angry?"

Dadi: "From behind a curtain, Ramananda demanded: "Why are you spreading lies? I never initiated you! I never gave you any mantra!""

Guddu: "What did Kabir say?"

Dadi: ""Guru ji, a mere touch from you was enough for me. The word 'Ram' from your lips was my initiation. I need nothing more.""

Guddu: "And then?"

Dadi: "Ramananda stepped out from behind the curtain, embraced Kabir, and called him a worthy disciple! He said, "If this is how desperately you sought initiation, you are truly ready. Your determination shows your sincerity.""

Guddu: "The trick worked!"

Dadi: "It wasn't just a trick, beta. It showed Ramananda that Kabir's longing was genuine. A person who would lie on cold stone steps in the dark, just for a chance at spiritual knowledge - that person was serious."

Guddu: "What's the lesson here?"

Dadi: "Several! First: obstacles can be overcome with creativity. Kabir couldn't go through the front door, so he found another way. Second: sincerity matters more than formality. A mantra spoken accidentally was enough because Kabir's heart was ready."

Guddu: "And third?"

Dadi: "The best teachers recognize true seekers. Ramananda could have stayed angry, but he was wise enough to see Kabir's devotion beneath the unusual approach."

Guddu: "Kabir broke all the rules to learn!"

Dadi: "Sometimes rules are barriers that protect nothing important. Kabir's "breaking in" didn't hurt anyone - it just opened a door that society had wrongly closed."

Guddu: "I want to be that determined about things I want to learn."

Dadi: "Be like Kabir, beta. When you truly want something, find a way. Lie on the stairs if you have to! True seekers don't let barriers stop them."