Jap Sahib: An Interpretation

living.

STANZA ONE

Sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar

Chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar

Bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar

Sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ik na chalai naal

Kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal

Hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal

Walk the Way of His Will

1. Sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar

External cleansing does not really purify us even if we try to do it a hundred thousand times.

The word ‘sochai’ is interpreted in two ways by scholars: first soch, as in thinking. The most profound intellectual thinking cannot lead us to the realisation of God. Secondly, ‘sochai’ is also interpreted as the Sanskrit term ‘shaucha’, meaning cleansing or purification. Hundreds of thousands of ritual baths and holy dips may cleanse the physical body that we wear, but God-realisation is not possible if the mind and heart are not pure.

Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani tells us that he once attended the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, and attempted to take a ritual dip in the holy waters of the Ganga. Before he could enter the sacred river, he was encircled by a crowd of pandits, who demanded money from him. Deeply distressed, he begged them to let him move forward. "Give us money! Give us dakshina!" they chanted incessantly. Deeply saddened, Gurudev saw that standing in the sacred waters, their minds were far from pure and holy; they were still in the thraldom of greed and desire, tightly in the grip of worldly maya. Eventually, they let him move forward and take his sacred dip. But others started a chorus, Speak a few words to us before you go! Little did they realise that the occasion was not meant for discourses or lectures, but for deep spiritual contemplation and focus on God, for while the physical form was being cleansed in the pure waters of the Ganga, the mind also had to have its purification through silent concentration on the atman and the divine that dwells within. Gurudev had his ritual bath that day, but he decided that henceforth he would not go out on pilgrimages.

There was a time, he mused, when pilgrimages were indeed sacred; what made them worthwhile and holy was the attitude of the devotees, the true intent with which they undertook suchyatras. The great ancient pilgrimage centres like Badrinath and Naimisharanya, Gaya and Kashi had been sanctified by the visits of the great rishis who lived and meditated and taught their disciples in those sacred spots. People who went there in later times upheld this sanctity. They braved dangers, difficulties and trekked hundreds of miles to reach the great centres and offer their devotion to God. Their intention was pure, their effort steadfast, they were truly pious and they attained the purity of body, mind and soul.

I had the privilege of going to Banaras with my Gurudev. This joy and excitement was doubled by the thought of being able to take a dip in the waters of the holy Ganga. The few days that we were there, sped by swiftly, with nary a moment to spare.

On the last day, before it was time to board the train, I grabbed my towel to proceed towards the holy waters, when I heard Gurudev’s sweet voice calling out my name. I put aside the towel and went to do his bidding. While in the train on the return journey, filled with disappointment, I dozed off. In the ensuing dream, I saw Lord Shiva, but the Ganga was missing from the crown of His head. In astonishment, when I asked Him about her whereabouts, He smiled and replied, She flows at the feet of the Guru!

I woke up with a start and rushed to be near my Guru. I had already been sanctified by the ‘holy waters’.

But what Sadhu Vaswani saw before him was saddening. The pandits lived and moved on the banks of the sacred river, they took their ritual baths in the holy waters day after day, but they could not free themselves from the greed of gold! Of what use was the ritual dip in the Ganga?

Therefore, the Guru tells us: Empty rituals and hollow practices are of no avail when your aim is to attain God- realisation. Of course, this body, the temple of the atman must be kept clean and pure, but the temple of the heart and mind must be pure, so that the Lord may dwell therein.

Once a man came to me filled with pride and joy, having accomplished the mammoth task of visiting sixty-six places of pilgrimage. Now, the final one, Pandharpur, was left which he wished to visit along with me. I could see that for him, visiting each of these places was more of an accomplishment.

With a smile, I commended his endeavour and then said, "When you decide to go to Andarpur, then I will surely accompany you." Yes, a true pilgrimage is one when we enter within.

2. Chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar.

Observing outer silence does not pacify the mind even when it is done with focused concentration, and one-pointedness.

Many people practise maun vrat, which is indeed a good practice. But as Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani tells us, of what use is silent ‘meditation’ when the mind wanders endlessly from one worldly concern to another. Guru Nanak tells us in these lines, When you do not open your lips to speak, you observe outer silence, but that does not mean you are silent, calm and peaceful within! You may keep silent outwardly, but where is the inner silence, tranquillity and peace?

There were many seekers in those days, who moved away from worldly life and sought the silence and isolation of mountain caves or forests to be able to concentrate on the atman within. There are still many of them to be found even today. Silence and withdrawal from the world are good too, but what if the mind keeps on wandering? Does it serve any purpose to live a life of seclusion and maintain silence outwardly? No! The mind wanders ceaselessly, and there is no inner peace. The wandering mind keeps moving in all directions. So, Guru Nanak tells us that just by observing external silence, one will not attain God even though one may remain in constant meditation.

A seeker on the spiritual path desired to attain a state of peace and calm. But he felt he was being hindered in this by being in the midst of people, who made him get irritated easily. He attributed the cause of this irritation to external situations. He decided to leave the world and move to the forest; where unperturbed he would attain peace.

He took with himself his kamandal filled with water, climbed a small hill and proceeded to sit under the shade of the trees. He turned to place his kamandal beside him, but did not notice that he had placed it on a rock. The kamandal tilted over and the water spilt on the ground. Seeing this, his rage was so intense that he smashed the rock. It is not the outer solitude that brings us peace, but the inner silence which pervades our entire being.

Therefore does the Guru urge us to enter the inner silence.

When the mind is dragged down by ego or trapped by desires of the senses, silence is of no avail. The tapasya of the tongue (maun or silence) must go hand in hand with the tapasya of the mind and heart (tyag or renunciation) if we are to obtain God-realisation.

3. Bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar.

The hunger of some cannot be satisfied even when they have amassed all the wealth of this world.

We can interpret this at two levels: the greed and endless desire of some people can never fully be appeased even if they attain all the wealth of this world. As Guru Arjan tells us, the thirst and yearning of the soul cannot be satisfied by all the wealth of this world. Acquiring hundreds of thousands and millions, your desires shall not be contained, the Sukhmani Sahib tells us. "By the countless pleasures of maya, your thirst shall not be quenched."

Har kaa naam japat aaghaavai.

Chanting the Name of the Lord, you shall be satisfied.

And again:

Har jan kai har naam nidhaan.

The Lord’s Name is the treasure of the Lord’s servant.

Guru Angad too, speaks to us of the intense desire of the greedy men to accumulate worldly wealth. He tells us in his bani:

They know that they will have to depart, so why do they make such ostentatious displays? Those who do not know that they will have to depart, continue to arrange their affairs. He accumulates wealth during the night of his life, but in the morning, he must depart. O Nanak, it shall not go along with him, and so he regrets.

Guru Nanak was visiting a town, when he passed by a most inspiring mansion which had several flags flying from its rooftop. On inquiring, Guru Nanak found out that it belonged to a very wealthy man named Dhunichand.

When Dhunichand became aware of Guru Nanak’s presence, he rushed to get his blessings. With pride, he informed the Guru that each of the flags on top of his house represented a lakh of rupees, which he had accumulated. With a smile, Guru Nanak asked him for a small favour, which Dhunichand was eager to comply.

The Guru gave him a needle and asked him to keep it safe and return it to him in the next world. Willingly, Dhunichand gave the needle to his wife, as instructed by Guru Nanak. His wife was astounded. Don’t you know, she said, that we cannot take anything with ourselves to the other world. Not even a needle!

These words struck Dhunichand’s heart. He rushed to Guru Nanak and pleaded with him to extricate him from the quicksand of wealth.

And again, the Second Guru tells us: The mouth is not satisfied by speaking, and the ears are not satisfied by hearing. The eyes are not satisfied by seeing — each organ seeks out one sensory quality. The hunger of the hungry is not appeased; by mere words, hunger is not relieved. O Nanak, hunger is relieved only when one utters the glorious praises of the praiseworthy Lord.

4. Sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ikna chalai naal

Hundreds of thousands of all our clever tricks, not even one can go with us beyond the hereafter.

The power of the human intellect, the magical siddhis acquired by intense study and effort, are of no avail when it comes to realising God. Nahi nahi rakshati dukring karane sang Adi Shankara. Barren intellect and soulless knowledge is futile! As Guru Angad says, physical austerity is not necessary and spiritual development is not dependent on ritual and external wanderings. Austerity and everything come through immersing oneself in the meditation of the Lord’s Name. All other actions are useless. O Nanak, believe in the One who is worth believing in. By Guru’s grace, he is realised.

The Gurbani tells us:

Manmukh andh karay chaturaa-ee,

Bhaanaa na mannay bahut dukh paa-ee

In other words, the blind, self-willed manmukhs practise cleverness. But, alas, they do not surrender to the Lord’s Will, and suffer terrible pain. Deluded by doubt, they come and go in reincarnation; they never find the mansion of the Lord’s presence. (S.G.G.S. p. 1064)

5. Kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal

How then can you become true? How can you rent asunder the veil of falsehood and illusion?

As we have seen in the Mool Mantar, God is Truth. He is eternal, immutable, self-created; He ever was, ever is and ever will be! How can we comprehend this truth that He alone is true, eternal and unchanging, and all the rest is passing, transient, maya, illusion, falsehood?

The Guru tells us in his Asa di Vaar:

False is the king, false are the subjects; false is the whole world.

False is the mansion, false are the tall buildings; false are those who live in them.

False is gold, and false is silver; false are those who wear them.

False is the body, false are the clothes; false is incomparable beauty…

The false ones love falsehood, and forget their Creator…

Nanak speaks this prayer: without You, Lord, everything is totally false…

One knows the Truth only when the Truth is in his heart.

One knows the Truth only when he bears love to the True Lord.

6. Hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal

Obey His Will, O Nanak; walk in the way of His Will, even as it is writ in your destiny.

The term Hukam is very special. It is used in the Gurbani to mean Divine Will, Divine Command, the eternal all-pervading law of the universe.

Hukmai andar sabh ko baahar hukam na ko-ay

Naanak hukmai jay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay

Everyone is subject to Hukam, no one is beyond (exempt or outside of) Hukam. O Nanak, one who understands Hukam, does not speak in ego.

Walking in the way of His Will implies acceptance of Divine Will. Elsewhere in his bani, Guru Nanak says:

Ayko naam hukam hai naanak satgur dee-aa bujhaa-ay jee-o

Devotion to the Name is the sole commandment that we must all obey, and it is the Guru who grants us this realisation.

It is said that among the many questions that the siddhas posed before Guru Nanak was: Who are you?

His answer was, I came from the Celestial Lord; I go wherever He orders me to go. I am Nanak, forever under His Will.

Closing Comments:

During his voluntary exile from Amritsar, Guru Arjan travelled to many places far and wide, to meet his followers and spread the word of the Guru. In the course of this tour, he laid the foundation stone of Kartarpur (City of God), a new township near Jalandhar. He also had a well called Ganga Sagar, dug in the town. During his stay in the town, a man called Baisakhi came to see the Guru and pay his respects. At that time, Baisakhi was on his annual pilgrimage to Haridwar, which he had been visiting every year for the past several years. The Guru told him that taking a bath at the Ganga Sagar well would purify him just as much as a dip in the River Ganga, for did not all water come from the same source?

But Baisakhi declined the request politely. He certainly did not want to miss his annual pilgrimage to Haridwar. He told the Guru that he would bring back the sacred Gangajal for the Guru on his way back. The Guru smiled in reply.

A few months later, Baisakhi returned to Kartarpur. He met the Guru and regretfully informed him that he had indeed collected Gangajal in his kamandal to bring back for the Guru as promised. But on the day he left Haridwar, the kamandal was lost in the flowing waters of the River Ganga.

Hearing this, the Guru took Baisakhi to the well and pulled out the very same kamandal which had slipped from Baisakhi’s hands and had been lost in the Ganga. Imagine Baisakhi’s astonishment when he saw his old vessel with his name inscribed on it! That day, he learnt the real meaning of the word, pilgrimage.

Let us reflect:

Kabeer man nirmal bha-i-aa jaisaa gangaa neer

Paachhai laago har firai kahat kabeer kabeer

When Kabir’s heart became as pure as the waters of the Ganga (by chanting the

Name Divine), the Lord now keeps following him, chanting Kabir, Kabir!

- Sant Kabir

We would do well to remember, that we don’t have to go out in quest of God, when the heart has become pure. It was Jesus who said: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. In fact, God is in search of clean hearts and pure souls!

STANZA TWO

Hukmee hovan aakaar hukam na kahi-aa jaa-ee

Hukmee hovan jee-a hukam milai vadi-aa-ee

Hukmee utam neech hukam likh dukh sukh paa-ee-ah

Iknaa hukmee bakhsees ik hukmee sadaa bhavaa-ee-ah

Hukmai andar sabh ko baahar hukam na ko-ay

Naanak hukmai jay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay

His Divine Will

1. Hukmee hovan aakaar hukam na kahi-aa jaa-ee

By His Divine Will, all forms became manifest, though His Divine Will is unfathomable and indescribable.

The word Hukam is very special, very profound in the sacred Gurbani. It is at once the divine law that determines actions and consequences, the cosmic law which pervades nature, the celestial order that controls and operates this universe, the divine power that animates all creation, the divine design by which we live and move, and the Divine Will that all creation must obey.

Elsewhere in the Adi Granth, Guru Nanak tells us:

By the Hukam of His Command, all are created.

By His Command, actions are performed.

By His Command, all are subject to death; by His Command, they merge in Truth.

O Nanak, whatever pleases His Will comes to pass. Nothing is in the hands of these beings.

(S.G.G.S. p. 55)

And again:

By His Order, He established the earth, and He maintains it unsupported.

By His Order, the world was created; by His Order, it shall merge again into Him. (S.G.G.S. p. 277)

It was a hot day. Naseeruddin Hodja sat under a walnut tree, looking at his pumpkin vines.

He said to himself, God is indeed foolish! Here He puts the heavy, large pumpkin on this delicate creeper which can only lie on the ground. And he puts these tiny walnuts on a big tree whose branches can easily hold the weight of a man! Now, if I were God, I’m sure I can do better than that!

Just then a gust of wind blew; it dislodged a walnut which fell on the head of Hodja.

Ouch! exclaimed Hodja, rubbing his head, a sadder and wiser man. God is right after all! Now, if it had been a pumpkin up there, instead of a tiny walnut, what would have become of me! Never again will I try to plan the world for God, but I shall thank God that He has planned the world so well!

2. Hukmee hovan jee-a hukam milai vadi-aa-ee

By His Divine Will, all souls came into being; at His Divine Will, some are exalted and some, lowly.

"By the Hukam of His Will, He created the entire universe, Guru Arjan reiterates. Out of all the 8.4 million species of beings, God blessed humankind with glory." (S.G.G.S. p. 1075)

The glorious gift of this human birth was granted to us by His Divine Will.

People often propound a creation theory which says that an individual soul has to take the form of every species till it ultimately reaches the coveted form of mankind. I beg to differ. There is the other theory, closer to the heart of Indian belief, the creationist theory that states that every life, every being, every aspect of this universe was brought into being by the Divine Will, the Divine Act of God. But our difficulty is that we are trying to understand the plan of God with our mind, our reason, which is such a small little thing. And grappling with these theories at the rational level is like trying to empty an ocean with a teaspoon. How long can you go on with the teaspoon? Therefore, the very first thing that man needs to do, if he has to understand these things is that he must realise God, become aware of the truth of God’s presence. Then everything will be clear. Even as eyes cannot see ears, even so the mind cannot understand the magnitude of the Divine Will! We can only attempt to grasp it intuitively.

According to the Indian philosophy, this human birth is bestowed on us so that we may seek Liberation, break away from the bonds of worldliness and escape from the wheel of fire that is the circle of birth-life-death-rebirth.

Let us thank the Lord for being born as human beings; let us seek the greatest good, the greatest gift that is available to us as human beings - not to be born again!

You see, the human form is the sole means of salvation for us; the human life is the bridge we must cross to reach deathlessness; it is the ocean - the sansar sagar - which we must swim across to get to our home on the other shore.

At this point we have to face the query raised by cynics: if indeed God created the universe and everything in it, who created God? Where is the beginning, the cause that resulted in God?

The answer is that since God created time and space and matter, He must be, by definition, beyond them. God, as Creator of time, has no beginning in time, He has always existed.

3. Hukmee utam neech hukam likh dukh sukh paa-ee-ah

By His Divine Will, some are placed high and some are placed low; by His writ they attain sorrow or joy.

Why are some people happy and others unhappy?

If we want to be happy then we must be like children. Do children ever worry? They are sure that their father, mother will take care of them. God is willing to bear our burden. But we are not willing to pass on our mundane worries to Him. We cling to our problems and worries. Cast them aside. Trust the Almighty, who is the Creator and Sustainer of this universe.

Benjamin Franklin was an American philosopher. Once, a woman asked him, Man has everything, yet he is unhappy. What is the cause of man’s sorrow?

In reply, Franklin offered her a practical demonstration. Calling his little son to his side, he gave the boy an apple. The child was very happy to receive the apple. His eyes sparkled with joy. Benjamin gave him another apple, and the boy took it in his other hand. Now, both his little hands were full with the juicy red apples. Benjamin gave him a third apple. The child was overwhelmed with joy, but as he tried to hold the third apple, all three apples fell to the ground. The child began to cry!

Benjamin said to the woman, Can you see the cause of man’s sorrow? He tends to be unhappy in spite of having everything.

Man is unhappy because he always desires to have more, much more than he needs. The child was perfectly happy when he received one apple. He was thrilled when he received two apples. But when he got the third apple, he began to cry. We are like the child. We want more and more. We are overcome by excessive desire. We become greedy. Greed is the cause of unhappiness. Our desires multiply and keep us bound to material possessions. We are never content. It is only contentment that brings joy and peace within.

Therefore, Gautama Buddha urged his followers, Give up your desires and you shall find peace within.

I am amazed at how people are led by their desires. I was once invited to a house-warming gathering. The owner of the house showed me the expensive fitted furniture that he had specially ordered for the new house. But, it seemed to me that his happiness was tinged with anxiety and fear for the future. I am afraid I have exceeded the budget that I set for myself, he said to me in private. It will be a tough job to repay the mortgage on this house. I shall not be in peace till I have paid off the housing loan.

Furniture, curtains, modular kitchens, fitted bathrooms and expensive carpets are not enough to make a man happy. Happiness comes from within and not from external expensive things or possessions. If we want to be happy, we should opt out of this mad race for material possessions. We should reduce our wants and control our desires. Therefore, Sadhu Vaswani said to us, again and again: Follow the little way, the humble way, the way of service. Live for others and not for self.

When you look for happiness, you are not likely to find it. When you lose yourself, you find the Beloved, you find the Lord Himself. You realise then, that true happiness is in selfrealisation.

This miracle will happen in your life too, when you accept the will of God. Whatever you do, whatever you aspire, should be in tune with the Divine Will. Therefore, make this the mantra of your life. ‘Not my will but Thy Will be done, Lord’. In every circumstance, in every situation, during every crisis, every trauma, accept the Will of God!

4. Iknaa hukmee bakhsees ik hukmee sadaa bhavaa-ee-ah Some, by His Divine Will, receive grace and are blessed; others, by His Divine Will, wander forever (in the cycle of birth and death).

We live in an age of haste and speed. People have neither the time nor the patience to listen, wait, reflect or sit still. Modern man is basically a restless creature. His mind knows no peace; his thoughts run with the speed of lightning.

A wanderer can never be happy. A vagabond can never experience stillness.

Are we not, all of us, vagabonds and wanderers?

Birth after birth have we wandered. Lifetime after lifetime, one janma after another have we inhabited this world of illusion, as vagabonds from one incarnation to another. And the wandering still continues.

Some of you might say, I do not wander! I stay put at my work. I follow a rigid daily routine that does not permit straying from the daily grind.

Once I was invited to visit a great scholar, who was a professor at a university. He had a magnificent house. He took me to his study which was well furnished. The cupboards were stacked with books of every kind. On the wall of the study hung a painting which caught my attention. It was the picture of a yoked bullock, with blinkers on its eyes, drawing a heavily laden cart.

That is an unusual painting, I observed.

My host replied, "This painting was gifted to my father by his Gurudev. He was asked by his Gurudev to meditate on this picture, for this picture symbolises the human condition."

True, man is like the bullock in the picture, his eyes behind blinkers, bearing the yoke of life. The grinding routine of his life continues ceaselessly. Just as a bullock trudges and trudges mile after mile and is unaware of where he is going, man wanders through this life. He struggles through this life, he puts in a lot of effort to earn his livelihood and a little more; he follows his desires and passions; he indulges his likes and dislikes; he chases his dreams, pursues his interests; he wanders from one desire to another, from one short-lived fulfilment to another. At the end of it all he finds that he is neither happy, nor contented with all his achievements. All that effort has got him nowhere.

What is the root cause of this wandering of the mind and soul? It is alienation from the Divine Will, separateness from the source of all life. We keep ourselves apart from God, the Creator of this universe. How can the lotus bloom without water? How can the rajanigandha spread its fragrance without moonlight? How can man ever be happy without God?

Let me share with you, a beautiful prayer in the words of my Gurudev, Sadhu Vaswani:

Far away from you, I have wandered.

Show me the way, shower your grace on me.

Wherever I am, wherever I may be, whatever I may do,

In every thought, in every word, keep me close to your heart!

5. Hukmaiandarsabh ko baaharhukam na ko-ay

His Divine Will encompasses all, all of creation; there’s nothing, no one who is beyond the power of His Divine Will.

In God’s Providence, everything comes to pass at the right time.

The sun rises at the right time: the stars appear at the right time: the seasons change at the right time.

Many people tell me: we work so hard, we work so strenuously, and yet we achieve nothing. We work for the good of the community, society, nation and humanity. We sacrifice our health, wealth, rest and leisure, yet our work produces no effect, it gives us no satisfaction. The world speeds on, from danger to destruction and our life is reduced to a never ending cycle of work, tension and frustration!

The reason for this is, that our work is not in tune with the Divine Will. Our work is tainted with the self - desire for prominence, desire for recognition, or even the thought of reward in the life beyond. We have not relinquished control to God!

Put forth the best that you are capable of. Leave the results in the safe hands of the Lord. He will never fail you!

Leave it to God - and He will take care of everything!

Sadhu Vaswani used to tell us, God upsets our plans to set up His own. And His plans are always perfect.

If I have the faith that whatever has happened to me is according to the plan of the Highest, that there is some hidden good in it for me, I will not be upset!

Yes Father, Yes and always Yes!

When things are not going as we wish, we tend to develop ‘tunnel vision’ - that is, focus on the dark, negative side of life. However, we will do well to remember that it is always darkest before dawn and trial and adversity can be powerful agents of change that help us grow, evolve to become better human beings, and eventually make a success of our lives.

There are several things in our lives about which we are not happy. Our ‘wish list’ for something different, something more, something other than what we possess extends to several aspects of our daily life.

A psychiatrist has described depression as anger turned inward. We are angry with so many things and so many people; we are discontented with the way we live our lives - and we are angry with ourselves.

If we persist with depression, discontent and anger, it will not be long before we start blaming God for all the ills that beset us!

God could have made me taller, slimmer, more beautiful. God could have given me more money, a richer husband, a more understanding wife, kinder parents, better friends.

God could have made my children more intelligent, more accomplished, more obedient, more appreciative.

The list is endless!

So the blame shifts to God! Are we not accusing Him of being unfair, unjust, and unkind when we perceive our life to be all wrong? In the end it all turns out to be His fault!

Patience and acceptance are difficult to cultivate. Without them, there can be no inner development, no spiritual growth.

That is not at all! When we lack the wisdom to accept God’s Will, we cause ourselves a lot of unnecessary grief; grief that arises because reality differs from our wishes and our plans.

It was St. Francis who prayed, Lord give me the strength to change the things I can change, patience to accept the things I cannot change, and wisdom to know the difference.

6. Naanak hukmaijay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay

Nanak says, if only we are attuned to His Divine Will, we can rid ourselves of the disease of ego.

Wisdom consists in accepting what you cannot change. What cannot be cured must be endured. This is not passive resignation or pessimistic self-denial. It is the way of wisdom which leads to peace.

We need to grow in the spirit of acceptance, for life is full of unexpected events. A dear one is snatched away from us suddenly. Initially, we are devastated; we weep, shed bitter tears; refuse to eat and cannot sleep.

That is but natural, you might say. But how long can you go on? Will weeping, fasting and vigil bring back your loved one to life?

And then again, aren’t we all mortal? Can we determine the length and duration of our own life - or anyone else’s life?

Wisdom consists in accepting God’s Will - not with despair or resignation, but in peace and faith, knowing that our journey through life has been perfectly planned by infinite love and infinite wisdom. There can be no mistake in God’s plan for us!

Again and again, we try to run away from difficult situations; again and again we rebel, react with anger and bitterness. How can we ever be at peace?

The answer is simple: grow in the spirit of surrender to God; develop the spirit of acceptance. Not my will, but Thy Will be done, O Lord! This must be the constant utterance on your lips.

To seek refuge is to trust the Lord - fully, completely, entirely. It is to know that He is the one light that we need in the darkest hours of our life. He is the all-loving One whose ears are ever attentive to the prayers of His wayward children. He is the allknowing One who does the very best for us. With Him, all things are possible: and if He chooses not to do certain things for us which we want Him to do, it is not because He cannot do them, but because He knows better - He knows we require something else for our own good.

So it is that he who has taken refuge in the Lord is ever at peace. Not my will, but Thy Will be done, O Lord, he prays. Whatever happens, I accept! I accept! I accept! is his mantra. Yes Father, Yes and always Yes! is his response to all incidents and all accidents of life. Nothing - no accident, no loss, no tragedy - can disturb his equanimity.

Guru Angad tells us:

This is the nature of ego, that people perform their actions in ego.

This is the bondage of ego, that time and time again, they are reborn.

Where does ego come from? How can it be removed?

This ego exists by the Lord’s Order; people wander according to their past actions.

Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well.

If the Lord grants His grace, one acts according to the teachings of the Guru’s Shabad.

Nanak says, listen, people: in this way, troubles depart. (S.G.G.S. p. 466)

The great wall of the ego stands between us and the Divine - and we cannot see the Light Divine. It is the Guru who can destroy the great wall of the ego, and lead us from darkness to light.

The Third Eye, the inner eye of the spirit remains closed for most of us, its vision impaired by our bad karma. The cataract of the ego, the veils of arrogance and pride, have covered this inner eye completely. The Guru is the ‘eye’ surgeon, who can restore our inner vision.