Ang-401 — Chapter 21
Whatever service the Lord causes us to do, that is just what we do.
He Himself acts; who else should be mentioned? He beholds His own greatness. ||7||
He alone serves the Guru, whom the Lord Himself inspires to do so.
O Nanak, offering his head, one is emancipated, and honored in the Court of the Lord. ||8||18||
Aasaa, First Mehl:
Beautiful is the Supreme Lord and Master, and beautiful is the Word of the Guru's Bani.
By great good fortune, one meets the True Guru, and the supreme status of Nirvaanaa is obtained. ||1||
I am the lowest slave of Your slaves; I am Your most humble servant.
As You keep me, I live. Your Name is in my mouth. ||1||Pause||
I have such a great thirst for the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan; my mind accepts Your Will, and so You are pleased with me.
Greatness is in the Hands of my Lord and Master; by His Will, honor is obtained. ||2||
Do not think that the True Lord is far away; He is deep within.
Wherever I look, there I find Him pervading; how can I estimate His value? ||3||
He Himself does, and He Himself undoes. He Himself beholds His glorious greatness.
Becoming Gurmukh, one beholds Him, and so, His value is appraised. ||4||
So earn your profits while you are alive, by serving the Guru.
If it is so pre-ordained, then one finds the True Guru. ||5||
The self-willed manmukhs continually lose, and wander around, deluded by doubt.
The blind manmukhs do not remember the Lord; how can they obtain the Blessed Vision of His Darshan? ||6||
One's coming into the world is judged worthwhile only if one lovingly attunes oneself to the True Lord.
Meeting the Guru, one becomes invaluable; his light merges into the Light. ||7||
Day and night, he remains detached, and serves the Primal Lord.
O Nanak, those who are imbued with the Lord's Lotus Feet, are content with the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||8||19||
Aasaa, First Mehl:
No matter how much one may describe the Lord, His limits still cannot be known.
I am without any support; You, O Lord, are my only Support; You are my almighty power. ||1||
This is Nanak's prayer, that he may be adorned with the True Name.
When self-conceit is eradicated, and understanding is obtained, one meets the Lord, through the Word of the Guru's Shabad. ||1||Pause||
Abandoning egotism and pride, one obtains contemplative understanding.
When the mind surrenders to the Lord Master, He bestows the support of the Truth. ||2||
Day and night, remain content with the Naam, the Name of the Lord; that is the true service.
No misfortune troubles one who follows the Command of the Lord's Will. ||3||
One who follows the Command of the Lord's Will is taken into the Lord's Treasury.
The counterfeit find no place there; they are mixed with the false ones. ||4||
Forever and ever, the genuine coins are treasured; with them, the true merchandise is purchased.
The false ones are not seen in the Lord's Treasury; they are seized and cast into the fire again. ||5||
Those who understand their own souls, are themselves the Supreme Soul.
The One Lord is the tree of ambrosial nectar, which bears the ambrosial fruit. ||6||
Those who taste the ambrosial fruit remain satisfied with Truth.
They have no doubt or sense of separation - their tongues taste the divine taste. ||7||
By His Command, and through your past actions, you came into the world; walk forever according to His Will.
Please, grant virtue to Nanak, the virtueless one; bless him with the glorious greatness of the Truth. ||8||20||
Aasaa, First Mehl:
One whose mind is attuned to the Lord's Name speaks the truth.
What would the people lose, if I became pleasing to You, O Lord? ||1||
✦ Connected Across Traditions
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.”