Ang-1301 — Chapter 128
There is no difference between the Lord and the humble servant of the Lord; O Nanak, know this as true. ||29||
The mortal is entangled in Maya; he has forgotten the Name of the Lord of the Universe.
Says Nanak, without meditating on the Lord, what is the use of this human life? ||30||
The mortal does not think of the Lord; he is blinded by the wine of Maya.
Says Nanak, without meditating on the Lord, he is caught in the noose of Death. ||31||
In good times, there are many companions around, but in bad times, there is no one at all.
Says Nanak, vibrate, and meditate on the Lord; He shall be your only Help and Support in the end. ||32||
Mortals wander lost and confused through countless lifetimes; their fear of death is never removed.
Says Nanak, vibrate and meditate on the Lord, and you shall dwell in the Fearless Lord. ||33||
I have tried so many things, but the pride of my mind has not been dispelled.
I am engrossed in evil-mindedness, Nanak. O God, please save me! ||34||
Childhood, youth and old age - know these as the three stages of life.
Says Nanak, without meditating on the Lord, everything is useless; you must appreciate this. ||35||
You have not done what you should have done; you are entangled in the web of greed.
Nanak, your time is past and gone; why are you crying now, you blind fool? ||36||
The mind is absorbed in Maya - it cannot escape it, my friend.
Nanak, it is like a picture painted on the wall - it cannot leave it. ||37||
The man wishes for something, but something different happens.
He plots to deceive others, O Nanak, but he places the noose around his own neck instead. ||38||
People make all sorts of efforts to find peace and pleasure, but no one tries to earn pain.
Says Nanak, listen, mind: whatever pleases God comes to pass. ||39||
The world wanders around begging, but the Lord is the Giver of all.
Says Nanak, meditate in remembrance on Him, and all your works will be successful. ||40||
Why do you take such false pride in yourself? You must know that the world is just a dream.
None of this is yours; Nanak proclaims this truth. ||41||
You are so proud of your body; it shall perish in an instant, my friend.
That mortal who chants the Praises of the Lord, O Nanak, conquers the world. ||42||
That person, who meditates in remembrance on the Lord in his heart, is liberated - know this well.
There is no difference between that person and the Lord: O Nanak, accept this as the Truth. ||43||
That person, who does not feel devotion to God in his mind
- O Nanak, know that his body is like that of a pig, or a dog. ||44||
A dog never abandons the home of his master.
O Nanak, in just the same way, vibrate, and meditate on the Lord, single-mindedly, with one-pointed consciousness. ||45||
Those who make pilgrimages to sacred shrines, observe ritualistic fasts and make donations to charity while still taking pride in their minds
- O Nanak, their actions are useless, like the elephant, who takes a bath, and then rolls in the dust. ||46||
The head shakes, the feet stagger, and the eyes become dull and weak.
Says Nanak, this is your condition. And even now, you have not savored the sublime essence of the Lord. ||47||
✦ Connected Across Traditions
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
Tao Te Ching 76
“A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff. The soft and yielding is the disciple of life.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
Bhagavad Gita 2:22
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
Humility & Surrender
Bhagavad Gita 18:66
“Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.”
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Tao Te Ching 22
“If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”
Quran 2:45
“Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Genesis 1:3
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”