Death's Proud Messenger
In the cycle of life everything that has ever been born will eventually die. When human beings die our spirits go to a spiritual realm. That is very joyful for some people. Other people might think of their lives with sadness or regret. There are so many realms the spirit can visit and in one there is a being call Yam Raj. Yam Raj sends messengers to collect a person when it is time for them to leave their earthly body. Yam Raj sends the Angels of Death to help the soul of the person connect to their Higher Self.
An Angel of Death is a messenger who comes to take a person when their prana or life energy has run out. When the time comes a loving and kind person who feels good about their life might say to Death's Angel,
"I'm ready, I have no regrets in life. I just want to meet the Loving Creator." A person who didn't listen to their heart and has regrets might say, "I have to die!!? I don't want to die, I'm just getting started. Plus there are a lot of people I hurt that I want to make up to. I can't die now, I don't want to!!!" The messenger might say, "There is no cheating death, your prana is finished, now is the time you must travel to the other world."
One of Yam Raj's Messengers started getting too proud of how afraid people were of him. Before taking a person from their life, he would tell them, "Come with me, your life is finished!" and they would be terrified, "Oh no, I haven't done anything good. Where will I go? Just let me stay here and I'll listen to my heart, I swear. I won't do anything bad any more. Don't hurt me, have mercy!!" This Messenger even beat people, telling them, "Shame on you. You deserve to be beaten, I'm here to punish you mortal!!" He would scare everyone and he thought he was the most terrifying Angel of Death. He became too proud, thinking "These puny mortals. They think they are so great their whole lives. Then they have to face me! They are all pathetic compared to me; I am awesome and terrifying!"
There is balance in the universe, that is why there are consequences for every action people make. This balance is what makes harmony. Harmony is why this universe has beauty. There are consequences even for Death's Angels. So Yam Raj decided to teach this one a lesson. He told the messenger, "I want to to take this person's life. His name is Kabir. Go get him." Kabir was a Bhagat, a man who meditated on God all the time. He chanted, "Ram, Ram, Ram, I'm merged with you Lord, Ram, Ram, I know Death's secret, Ram, Ram..." The Messenger went to fetch Kabir. In his mind he thought, "This puny mortal thinks he knows Death's secrets, hahaha. I'll teach him a lesson to make him regret his words. These mortals are all the same". And he laughed.
The Messenger went to Bhagat Kabir and got ready to beat him. But Kabir wasn't afraid like other people. He was so fearless that he took off his own chappal, his sandal, and started beating the Messenger!!
The Messenger cried out: "What are you doing, you can't beat me, I'm the most terrifying Messenger for Yam Raj! Ow, that hurts, stop it!" Kabir replied, "I am the Lord's servant and so you have no power over me. Who do you think you are? I know it's not my time yet. Only Ram will tell me when it's my time to merge in the heavenly light. Go back to where you came from!" And the Messenger had no choice but to leave while Kabir continued chanting, "Ram, Ram, Ram..."
It was the proud Messenger that learned a lesson. He thought, "I can't believe this. This one mortal scared me. I never knew the power of saints." He realized that Saints are special, because they know the real Truth. They know that life doesn't really end when we die. They live their lives like they have already passed to the spiritual world and so have no fear of Death. They do not fear anything! They are always ready to die and they live joyful lives of service to the Creator. In life, there is never anything for us to fear ever. And God is always with us, all we need to do is remember it.