“Babu Moshai…Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi,” – this line has been more than a mere Bollywood dialogue, with thousands of noble souls making it their life’s motto. Jay Kabir, the former monk and the two times TEDx speaker is one of them. Jay Kabir stands out as an inspiration to all those whose misery prevents them from seeing a better tomorrow.
In the past 3 years of work, Kabir has trained and transformed over 100,000 people from around the world, helping them create balanced lives of excellence, prosperity, and inner peace. He had not only met and shared the stage with many distinguished and influential figures such as Sadhguru but had also been appreciated and recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Today, he has his own spiritual retreat in Mumbai, where people from all over come to seek deep inner transformation and transcendence.
In his interview with Storiyaan, Kabir recounts the highs and lows of his journey and enlightens us with some of the most amazing ways to live a calm existence. Read on to know more.
Jay Kabir: The Mystic Guide
Interview
Questions and answers
What made you realize your inclination in becoming a spiritual guide?
While I was healing from a traumatic childhood and overcoming social and economic challenges, I committed to myself that if I was able to overcome these challenges, I would make sure no one else had to face the same and that if they did, their journey would not be as lonely and arduous as mine, but rather one of guidance, care, and support. As I realized that I had begun to transcend my troubles and enter deep inner states of meditation, I began sharing the systems and tools I used and invented to heal myself and create communities of care and compassion for those seeking healing, growth, and transformation.
What are your takeaways in your journey of being a monk?
You train as a monk at the monastery as you train in the nets for a cricket match to make sure you play well, and no matter what the situations, challenges, and obstacles come your way, you go through them with a state of harmony and not with a disturbed mind. So, it’s a training ground for you to nurture and establish your being into values of love, compassion, and selfless service, and train your mind, body, and emotions so that you can play the bigger game of life well.
Share with us some of the difficulties that you had to go through on this path.
The first challenge was persuading my parents to let me follow this path when I was 23 and in my third year of law school at National Law University. Our conversations were initially tense, but as I developed confidence in my path and strengthened my communication and influence skills, I was able to persuade them with love and grace. Since then, I’ve had their unwavering support and they are now the proudest parents I’ve ever seen. The second was dealing with society’s judgments on how the lack of formal schooling equalled disaster. However, the spiritual masters who surrounded me gave me enough wisdom to overcome them.
What are some of the strategies that you have followed to overcome social disempowerment?
People, I feel, treat you according to your state rather than your status. I felt highly insecure and awkward as a result of my negative conditioning arising from a socially not-so-well-to-do background and views, which resulted in emotional conflicts. The first thing I did was work on my communication and English skills which helped me be confident enough to communicate with people. Second, I travelled and met individuals from various walks of life, both affluent and poor, and gained an understanding of their journeys and the infinite possibilities of life. Furthermore, meeting and being recognised for my work by luminaries such as The Dalai Lama and Sadhguru boosted my power and belief in myself, surpassing any obstacles.
Do you think the practices of ancient Indian Spirituality are effective enough for the present-day world?
The ancient practices are about human beings taking their minds, bodies emotions, and energies to their pinnacle and exploring the grandest possibilities, so they are needed in modern times more than ever. This is the time when people are most stressed, anxious, and frustrated because they have forgotten or never learned how to use and enhance their minds and emotions to create what they want within themselves and in the outside world. Every human being wants peace and joy within themselves and succeed in the world, but unfortunately, only a few people take responsibility for making it happen consciously with the right support.
What is the one thing that you love the most in your profession?
It’s not a profession for me, it’s my life and therefore there is nothing I dislike about it, I do everything which is needed in my work with utmost intensity, fire, and passion.
Can you throw us some information about the existence of past life and if it has any thread connected to our present?
In short, everything in the past, even this life, has brought you to the present moment and where you are now. What makes your journey so different from everyone else’s? The reason is your karmic structure, the accumulation of the content of your actions and consciousness over many lifetimes. When you are on the spiritual path, your job is to break the patterns of your past lives instead of investigating them so that you can create a life that is totally free from the past and completely new for which you need to go deep into meditative practices.
What are some of the expectations a client can have if they seek help under your service?
They must not have any expectations at all, what they should have is openness and willingness to transcend all baggage and blocks of their past, overcome their present obstacles and take their lives to their fullest potential and possibilities.
Throw some light on the incident when you met the eminent Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and what was your initial reaction?
I heard Sadhguru first time on YouTube where he was talking about success and how to achieve it. His words, his clear perception of life and spiritual wisdom expressed in a pragmatic yet profound way, and his energies that penetrated my being connected me with him more, enhancing me to reach my highest potential. This longing took me to his ashram, stay there for 3 years and evolve myself in his guidance and presence. Success happened beyond my imagination, but beyond success, I have explored my inner and outer dimensions.
Quick 5
1. Your greatest idol – The best version of myself
2.A place/activity to unwind – Making sketches of spiritual giants.
3. Your mantra in life – Live to Give and you’ll live a miraculous life.
4. Your favourite book – Monk wisdom for the modern mind by Jay Kabir and Love Lifestyle and Liberation by Lifestyle coach Priyancka
If you want to learn more about spirituality and living a transcendental life, get in touch with Jay Kabir on the Instagram linked to this feature to learn about his profound experiences.