Santh Kabir navigating the waters.

The mystic poet Kabir (15th Century) navigates the waters that flow between different Faith traditions. He is neither a Muslim, nor a Hindu; and yet he draws insights from both these great spiritual ways. His vessel is like a seed, which goes between the different worlds or religious language.

The Soul carrier

The Hamsa carries the soul across the waters. The bird is itself like a seed, in which the human being is enclosed, ready to be born into another world.

The Call of the Bird

The Bird of the Spirit is also the Word. It is like the letter AUM. The call of the bird is the cosmic cry which echoes through the whole of creation.

Bird crossing boundaries

Kabir often speaks of the migrant bird which crosses all earthly boundaries. This is the Hamsa, the mythical bird that flieis over the Himalayas, to visit the plains of India.  But this white bird calls all creatures to another land where there are no divisions, no light as opposed to darkness.

THE COSMIC TREE

The Bird represents an aspect of the migrant self. In the Upanishads we hear of two birds that are found in the tree: one bird is active, feeding on the fruit of the tree, while the other bird is contemplative, remaining as a witness of what is happening in the world of phenomena. 

The Bird of the Spirit

Mythical birds are an important aspect of folk mythology. The bird is related to the vegetation, and is found in the tree of life.

THE HAMSA

The Hamsa is a mythical bird which is supposed to cry "Ham-sa-ham-sa" as it crosses the high peaks of the Himalayas. This cry of the migrant swan is an affirmation "I am that", and is a manifestation of the Word, which is also the mystic sound AUM, that echoes in the heart of the cave which is within the mountain.