Audio: Hamaraa Man Mohiou – shabad written by Guru Ram Das

Lekh 113 (page 4-6) – Simran Part 15 by Bhau Ji
Meditate, meditate, meditate and find Peace

To escape from the negative influence of worldly company one needs to know the know-how of ‘detached living’.

A deeper and more serious discussion on this subject is needed.

1 Individual Negative Company

It is generally believed/ accepted that we acquire the traits of the company that we keep.

In the company of two companions (people) invariably, the one with the dominant mind is bound to influence and colour the other with the weaker mind. The mind and the mental vibrations are bound to affect one another. Because the people with hue of materialism are in a majority, it is necessary for a seeker while living in this world to minimize his involvement with people in other words remain detached.

Kabir associate not with the infidel. Flee away from him. If you touch a black vessel, then some blackness must attach to you. 1371

In this way, to a large extent we can remain detached from negative personal company. But the truth is, that knowingly in this world we are increasing our worldly chores and involvement within the sphere of society. In this way we are wasting away our precious life through our entanglement with this world’s redundant chores.

It is essential for the seeker then to limit his mind’s worldly involvement with his relatives, friends, kins, and the sphere is his acquaintance. (He must) loosen these strings of worldly attachment, with relatives and friends and learn the method of remaining detached from them otherwise the mind will become their target and will continue to remain restless.

All these kinsmen are like bonds for the soul, O brother. The world is going astray in doubt. 602

‘Kabir no one is mine, and I am no one’ is the lesson we must learn to remain detached from this world or else ‘we will face the unpleasant condition of being ‘grossly entangled in false deeds and attachment, every perishes’.

2 Negative company of Books .

There is a saying if you wish to know a person’s character, there is no need to ask anyone. Just look at the books at his bedside. His inclinations and the nature of his mind will be apparent (clear) from those books.

If a book is read the second time, this is definite proof that his character is influenced by the ideas and emotions expressed in the book – no matter what he superficially pretends to be.

In this way the character and morality of races, countries and world can be evaluated. Whatever literature a race or country reads, or whatever literature is in vogue (demand, circulation, fashion) – character and overall morality of that country and race is indeed similar to that.

In this period of kaljug, enormous amount literature is printed with a materialistic hue that appeals to the baser emotions. By reading this, man is automatically swept away into the stream of baser emotions of materialism. They forget the ‘divine’ and do not realize the need for simran.

1 Throughout the three worlds, the one mammon holds its sway. The fool reads much and holds fast to duality 424

The ‘company’ of these writings can be experienced even at home and its influence too remains for a long time. For this reason, the seekers should stay clear of books, which pander to the baser emotions/tendencies. He must remain detached.

2 False is all other study, false all other speech and false the love with wealth. Nanak, without God’s Name nothing is permanent. Through extensive worldly reading, the mortal is ruined. 84

3 The fools read for the sake of secular gain and realise not Primal Lord. So they waste away their life in vain. 1133

On the other hand one must contemplate books with a divine hue dealing with

• God’s virtues,
• God’s narration and
• gurbani.

4 Recite God’s glories and reflect on God’s glories. Daily listen O man, to the discourse of the Lord Master’s Name. 95

5 Read of God, write of God, repeat God’s Name, sing God’s praise and your God shall ferry you across the terrible world ocean. 669

3 Negative Company of the senses

In the Gurbani it is written :-

1 I cannot leave the desire to commit the mortal sins. Though I make many efforts to hold back my mind, yet it clings to them again again. 855-56

The behavior of water is to be influenced by its ‘company’ and flow downwards. In the same way the behavior of the mind too is influenced by negative company and drifts toward lower (baser) tendencies. In Kaljug, the vigorous waves of passion and vices are in continuous motion. For this reason our weak mind cannot avoid or remain detached from these waves of baser passion. There is only one way to avoid or remain detached from them.

2 Attach me to the robe of the saints’ society, that I may cross the formidable stream. 702

4 The negative company of the dead.

In every person’s life death of close relatives like mother, father, sister, wife, children, friend’s etc. continues to take place. Among these deaths, there are some deaths that cause enormous amount of grief to the mind. By regularly thinking about these painful deaths, man continues to experience enormous grief because of his attachment to them.

Remembrances of thoughts of such worldly attachments with the dead are found tucked in some corner of our sub-conscious mind. Because of our emotional attachments with the dead we continue to refresh our minds with their thoughts and through the negative company of such remembrances we experience misery and pain.

By remembering the dead we keep harping on their shortcomings as well. In this way we not only keep the negative company of the dead but also pollute our minds by ‘acquiring’ their vices.

For this reason, it is important that we forget the dead. Only then can we remain detached from the negative company of the dead.

1 You weep for the dead, but who hears your weeping? The dead one has fallen to the crocodile in the terrible ocean. 906

To be continued

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https://gurvicharcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/lekh-113-simran-part-4.pdf

Try reading each line or paragraph of the Punjabi version and then read its translation. You will be able to improve your Punjabi understanding significantly.