Ang-601 — Chapter 33
When I came to the Sanctuary of the Holy Saints, all my evil-mindedness was dispelled.
Then, O Nanak, I remembered the Chintaamani, the jewel which fulfills all desires, and the noose of Death was snapped. ||3||7||
Sorat'h, Ninth Mehl:
O man, grasp this Truth firmly in your soul.
The whole world is just like a dream; it will pass away in an instant. ||1||Pause||
Like a wall of sand, built up and plastered with great care, which does not last even a few days,
just so are the pleasures of Maya. Why are you entangled in them, you ignorant fool? ||1||
Understand this today - it is not yet too late! Chant and vibrate the Name of the Lord.
Says Nanak, this is the subtle wisdom of the Holy Saints, which I proclaim out loud to you. ||2||8||
Sorat'h, Ninth Mehl:
In this world, I have not found any true friend.
The whole world is attached to its own pleasures, and when trouble comes, no one is with you. ||1||Pause||
Wives, friends, children and relatives - all are attached to wealth.
When they see a poor man, they all forsake his company and run away. ||1||
So what should I say to this crazy mind, which is affectionately attached to them?
The Lord is the Master of the meek, the Destroyer of all fears, and I have forgotten to praise Him. ||2||
Like a dog's tail, which will never straighten out, the mind will not change, no matter how many things are tried.
Says Nanak, please, Lord, uphold the honor of Your innate nature; I chant Your Name. ||3||9||
Sorat'h, Ninth Mehl:
O mind, you have not accepted the Guru's Teachings.
What is the use of shaving your head, and wearing saffron robes? ||1||Pause||
Abandoning Truth, you cling to falsehood; your life is uselessly wasting away.
Practicing hypocrisy, you fill your belly, and then sleep like an animal. ||1||
You do not know the Way of the Lord's meditation; you have sold yourself into Maya's hands.
The madman remains entangled in vice and corruption; he has forgotten the jewel of the Naam. ||2||
He remains thoughtless, not thinking of the Lord of the Universe; his life is uselessly passing away.
Says Nanak, O Lord, please, confirm your innate nature; this mortal is continually making mistakes. ||3||10||
Sorat'h, Ninth Mehl:
That man, who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain,
who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust;||1||Pause||
Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride;
who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor;||1||
who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;
who is not touched by sexual desire or anger - within his heart, God dwells. ||2||
That man, blessed by Guru's Grace, understands this way.
O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water. ||3||11||
✦ 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.”
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.”