In these lines Kabir is asking, “To whom should I complain? Who is being deceptive? What is the deceit?” Had this disease been contracted from another the responsibility would be his, but you yourself are the cause of this disease; you yourself are the cause of this deception. The drama of your life is such that you first set up the situation yourself and then try to unravel it. First you create a problem, a puzzle, and then begin looking for ways to solve it; first you close your eyes and then grope about in the darkness. If someone is sleeping it is easy to awaken him, but if someone is lying awake and feigning sleep then how is he to be awakened? And so Kabir asks:

Sadhu, who’s kidding who?

Kabir is asking, “What is the deception? Who is the author of this deception? Who should I name? Who should be held responsible for this?” If it were a thief and he were stealing your property, he could be caught – but you are the thief and you are the property owner too.

As the quintessence of life, bear this in mind: you will never be able to solve the complexities of your life until you realize that you yourself are the basis and the cause of your own deception. How can you solve it? On one hand you try to unravel your life and on the other hand you make it more complicated. And so the whole thing remains virtually as it was in the beginning; there is no progress at all. On one hand you construct a building and on the other you knock it down, and so the building is never built; it always remains incomplete. Throughout all your lives you have not made one iota of progress. You are still wandering in the same valley in which you have always wandered.

I have heard that Mulla Nasruddin was once living in a village in the hills. One evening while he was sitting on his verandah, a car drove up and stopped. The driver asked, “Which is the way to Manali? I have missed the road.”

Nasruddin explained the way in great detail; he also drew him a map. The driver thanked him and proceeded on his way. After three hours the driver arrived at Nasruddin’s door once again, a very harassed man. “You are a terrible man!” he said. “I followed your map explicitly, and after three hours’ driving I am back at the very same place!”

Nasruddin replied, “Yes, I know. Now I shall show you the right way. First of all I wanted to know whether or not you could follow instructions. This was your test. Now I’ll show you the right way.”

Even after so many births you always find yourself back where you started. Have you progressed as much as an inch since your childhood? It is a possibility you have lost something, but it is a certainty you have gained nothing; you may even have regressed a few steps. You have not progressed at all. If someone had been pushing you backwards it might be excusable, but no one else is responsible for the condition you are in. And remember, no one but you can reach there either. No one can push you ahead; no one can push you back. No one can mislead you; no one can lead you. Satan does not have the power to mislead you, nor does God have the power to lead you.