Amarjit Kaur
by Bhau Ji
SIMRAN – PART 13
If we can have faith on these lines from Gurbani, that we reap what we sow, then through the contemplation of the discerning mind, we can protect ourselves from the bad influence of this evil company especially when we are about to do some deed under the influence of degrading thoughts.
According to Gurbani, for a ‘being’ to become mind orientated (manmukh) or Guru orientated (gurmukh) depends on ones bad or good ‘company’ or relationship.
- As is the company it associates with, so is the fruit it eats. 1369
- In the company of the holy and the unholy the fruits of evil and virtuous behaviour are experienced as pain and comfort. VBG 31/13
- Just as copper immersed in quicklime turns into bronze. The same copper when mixed again turns into brass, Mixed with lead it becomes an alloy called ‘bhart’, Copper when it rubs against the philosopher’s stone turns into gold, The same copper when thoroughly burnt is used as medicine, In the same way The Lord resides in all but the difference in quality depends on the company (one keeps). VBG 2/6
In other words to travel on the ‘spiritual path’ the truthful, lofty, divine company, is the most effective and fulfilling preliminary step.
The negative external effect of personal, bookish and mental company, although it is its exact opposite, its effect can reduce through associating with divine company, but the ever so powerful poisonous effect (of the negative company) overwhelms our external deeds, worship, knowledge-contemplation and religious activity.
For this reason it has been observed that many a time, the virtuous, good and religious people, under the influence of the accumulated baser instincts in their subconscious minds end up doing unjustifiable corrupt deeds.
To cleanse this invisible filth from the subconscious mind, the Guru’s have given a fantastic prescription to the worldly people –
- The mind is defiled with sins, Which (can be) cleaned with the beauty of (God’s) Name. 4
And this ‘beauty of the Naam’ – ‘the shop of the Lord’s elixir’, the Guru’s have again and again put forward and impressed upon us
- The value of Lord’s elixir cannot be told. The Lord’s elixir is contained in the saint’s shop…. 377
- The remembrance of the Lord comes about in the company of the saints. All the treasures says Nanak are in the love of the Lord. 262
In the company of saints or in the gathering of the Guru’s beloved traders through simran, this transaction of truth or the trade of ‘Naam’ has to be carried out.
Me – Mine
Out of ignorance, man gets consumed in useless personnel routines of the me mine state and burdens himself with unnecessary worry and anxiety. We are so much involved in the physical and mental materialistic encumbrances of ‘mine’ or ‘ours’, that all our time is used up in tackling them, and even then these worldly entanglements cannot be settled – because when one problem is solved more new ones pop up.
- Running after worldly affairs, man passes his day and the night he loses in sleep. Uttering untruth, he eats poison. Like this the egocentric departs bewailing. 949
- Doing worldly affairs, man wastes his life in vain. He does not enshrine the Bliss -giving Lord in his mind. 644
- This mind wanders about in greed and to greed it gets attached. In false pursuits he is engrossed. He will suffer blows in the presence of Yama. 994
- Abandoning the Lord’s meditation, you have brought up a large family. You continue to be absorbed in worldly affairs though none of your brothers and kinsmen will remain forever. 1370
Together with this we unjustifiably interfere in the affairs of others and getting involved in disputes we continue to pollute our mind.
But Gurbani gives us the sublime advice of ‘remaining detached’ while living the honest, truthful and simple life of a house-holder.
With the True Name my mind is attached.
With people I have but superficial dealings. 1.
My ties are but external . I appear happy with all.
Like lotus in water I live detached from them. rahao.1.
By word of mouth I talk to all.
But in my heart I keep my Lord close to my heart.2. 384
Frivolous Talk:-
Like making a mountain of a mole hill, we take a small thing and exaggerate it and we waste our precious time in continuously doing this. Even in a satsang it can be noticed that the seekers instead of benefiting from Naam and Bani, they form groups, play politics, create disputes and keep on wrangling. Like lawyers and judges, they hold their court, even in the Guru’s presence.
On the other side the lady folks too continue to cook porridge with their relations and friends with talk of their diseases, clothes, ornaments, house-hold routines, slander and back – biting.
Through unnecessary disputes we unjustifiably slander others and keep polluting our mind. Gurbani advises us:
- It is not good to talk ill of any one. The foolish manmukhs (who believes not in the Guru) alone do it. 755
- By talking and speaking (with those who follow not the Guru’s teachings) the sins in one increases. If I do not speak , what can the poor fellow do to me. 870
- To talk incessantly (talk too much) is all in vain. Without our saying, every is known to the Lord. 661
In this mental state of materialism, the mind finds it impossible to develop a desire to do simran. To do simran, one needs to talk only when it is necessary or justifiable.
One needs to abstain from such irrelevant and wasteful ‘busy-body’ kind of talk. Gurbani advises
Without the Name all other things are false and worthless. 761
Mental and Physical Diseases:-
Our mental and physical diseases too is a major cause for hindrances in simran. ….. to be continued
Gur Vichar 