Swan, I would like you to tell me your whole story!

The original has some beauty in it:

Hansa karo puratan bat –
Let us talk of the old days, swan.
Let us remember the old days, the ancient days.
Let us remember the beginnings.
Let us talk again about the source.

And Kabir is talking to his disciples, remember. He is calling his disciples swans – hansa.

Where you first appeared, and what dark sand
you are going toward…

“From where do you come, and to where are you going? Let us be very particular about it.” That is the work of a master: to remind the disciple from where he comes and to where he is going. Otherwise, people go on moving with the crowd, wherever others are going. People remain imitators; people remain just followers, followers of the blind – the blind following the blind.

Your parents were following their parents, you are following your parents, your children will follow you – and nobody knows from where you come and where you are going. And everybody is trying…not at all aware of what your need really is, what is going to fulfill you. More money? More houses? More power? Are these things going to help? Have they helped others?

Just be a little more observant. There is an ancient story:

The last initiation was going to be given to the disciple. The master said, “Your last initiation will be given in a very indirect way.” The disciple had passed all the hurdles that the master had put in his way; he had proved his mettle. Now the last initiation…and once he has passed the last initiation, he will be declared enlightened. The disciple touched the feet of the master and said, “I am ready. Just order me and I will do whatsoever needs to be done.”

The master said, “You will have to go to the King, and go early in the morning; be the first visitor to the King. Because the King has a habit: whosoever comes to him first, whatsoever he asks, the King gives. But the country is so rich that it is very rare that anybody goes. Years pass and nobody goes to ask for anything. But don’t take any chances – be there very early. The King comes in the morning into his garden, as the sun rises the King enters the garden – be there. And he will ask you, ‘What do you want?’ And whatsoever you want, ask him.”