Ang-301 — Chapter 68
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Fourth Mehl, Raag Aasaa, 3 Of Sixth House :
You may pluck the strings with your hand, O Yogi, but your playing of the harp is in vain.
Under Guru's Instruction, chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord, O Yogi, and this mind of yours shall be imbued with the Lord's Love. ||1||
O Yogi, give your intellect the Teachings of the Lord.
The Lord, the One Lord, is pervading throughout all the ages; I humbly bow down to Him. ||1||Pause||
You sing in so many Ragas and harmonies, and you talk so much, but this mind of yours is only playing a game.
You work the well and irrigate the fields, but the oxen have already left to graze in the jungle. ||2||
In the field of the body, plant the Lord's Name, and the Lord will sprout there, like a lush green field.
O mortal, hook up your unstable mind like an ox, and irrigate your fields with the Lord's Name, through the Guru's Teachings. ||3||
The Yogis, the wandering Jangams, and all the world is Yours, O Lord. According to the wisdom which You give them, so do they follow their ways.
O Lord God of servant Nanak, O Inner-knower, Searcher of hearts, please link my mind to You. ||4||9||61||
Aasaa, Fourth Mehl:
How long must one search for angle bells and cymbals, and how long must one play the guitar?
In the brief instant between coming and going, I meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||1||
Such is the devotional love which has been produced in my mind.
Without the Lord, I cannot live even for an instant, like the fish which dies without water. ||1||Pause||
How long must one tune the five strings, and assemble the seven singers, and how long will they raise their voices in song?
In the time it takes to select and assemble these musicians, a moment elapses, and my mind sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||2||
How long must one dance and stretch out one's feet, and how long must one reach out with one's hands?
Stretching out one's hands and feet, there is a moment's delay; and then, my mind meditates on the Lord. ||3||
How long must one satisfy the people, in order to obtain honor?
O servant Nanak, meditate forever in your heart on the Lord, and then everyone will congratulate you. ||4||10||62||
Aasaa, Fourth Mehl:
Join the Sat Sangat, the Lord's True Congregation; joining the Company of the Holy, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord.
With the sparkling jewel of spiritual wisdom, the heart is illumined, and ignorance is dispelled. ||1||
O humble servant of the Lord, let your dancing be meditation on the Lord, Har, Har.
If only I cold meet such Saints, O my Siblings of Destiny; I would wash the feet of such servants. ||1||Pause||
Meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, O my mind; night and day, center your consciousness on the Lord.
You shall have the fruits of your desires, and you shall never feel hunger again. ||2||
The Infinite Lord Himself is the Creator; the Lord Himself speaks, and causes us to speak.
The Saints are good, who are pleasing to Your Will; their honor is approved by You. ||3||
Nanak is not satisfied by chanting the Lord's Glorious Praises; the more he chants them, the more he is at peace.
The Lord Himself has bestowed the treasure of devotional love; His customers purchase virtues, and carry them home. ||4||11||63||
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Leviticus 19:18
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
The Path to Wisdom
Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
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.”