Anand Sahib - Pauri 31

Amarpal · #1 (**permalink**) 21-Mar-2005, 16:30 PM

Dear Khalsa Ji,

This post is the medium through which I share my understanding of 31st Pauri of Anand Sahib with you

1. hir rwis myrI mnu vxjwrw ] har raas mayree man vanjaaraa.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/anand-sahib/2467-anand-sahib-pauri-31-a.html

Being imbued with ‘The Sat’ is the capital (treasure) and mind is the seeker.

My understanding:

Guru Sahib tells me that the ultimate wealth that one can have is the state of being with ‘The Sat’ and it is through the faculties of the brain that one has to seek it.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2467

For better understanding, I analyse the role that mind has to play.

I know that (i) mind is the basis of existence; if mind is changed, correspondingly the existence too changes; and (ii) physically, the functioning brain i.e. mind is always within the body. It means that all the seeking of the mind has to be within the person and not out side her or him.

With this paradigm, I proceed with my analysis.

Now I study as to what changes will make the mind more effective in seeking ‘The Sat’?

Looking for the answer to this question, it dawns on me that if the individual wants to merge with ‘The Sat’ then, to the extent her or his Akaar (body) permits, this individual should acquire ‘The Sat’ like attributes which aligns the individual to ‘The Sat’.

This leads to another question. What are these attributes?

I know, I am finite and definable entity; I cannot be infinite, which ‘The Sat’ is. I have Akaar, which limits me. Guru Sahib has again and again said in Gurbani that ‘The Sat’ is ‘Niranjan’. This word means immaculate, spotless. This gives me the clue to my question. I must live my life with pure mind and try to become spotless.

This conclusion leads to another question. How to I create this pure mind. Gurbani is loud and clear on it. ‘Naam’ is the way. How ‘Naam’ achieves this is elaborated in my understanding of the third sentence of this Pauri.

Yet, this learning does not satisfy me. How of the process is understood (refer 3rd sentence of this Pauri), but what part is still eluding me. What is meant by pure mind needs to be understood.

As I deliberate over this aspect, I realise that pure being is one who does not commit sins. This leads me to the answer. The pure mind is one that is free from the attributes, which induce the individual to commit sins. I read from my past learning and conclude that the attributes that induce the person to commit sins are: Ahamkara (ego), attachment, delusion, lust, anger, greed, envy, fear, hatred etc.

Still there is a question. How does one know that her or his mind has become pure?

Guru Sahib has asked we Khalsas to live the life of the householder as per Gurbani. As I see it, I find that such living is a test for one’s purity of mind. It is in this living where the residual impurity of mind, if any, will manifest in one’s actions and get detected helping the individual to correct and evolve. The person with pure mind, which is the seeker, lives a life of the householder for the common good of all, which includes her or his family also.

How this helps in becomming pure needs to be understood.

Life of the householder brings the person within ‘Saiyam’ (self control), which enables her or him to get over the lust. This leads to purity of mind.

Gurbani tells us to live our lives within the ‘Hukam’. This understanding it gives us the understanding to get over envy, as Hukam is different for different individuals based on her or his Karmas.

Guru Sahib has made it clear that we all have come from a single source. This understanding helps us to get over hatred. It also helps to get over the selective emotional preferences and consequent attachments. We learn to see the same ‘Sat” in all.

Guru Sahib has asked we Khalsas to live our life based on honest work – Kirt. This helps in acquiring the purity of mind. Greed will not induce the person who is committed to lives on Kirt.

Guru Sahib has ordained that we Khalsas share with others what we earn from our honest work - Wand Shakkna. This inculcates the sense of non-attachment with the fruits of Kirt. This helps in acquiring purity of mind by getting over attachments.

Guru Sahib has given us the slogan ‘Sri Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Sri Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh’. What does this slogan mean? In this slogan the Khalsa says that his being belongs to Waheguru and the achievements coming in its way (fruits of action) also belong to Waheguru. In other words this slogan says the Individual in this Khalsa owns nothing – the detachment is complete – all belongs to Waheguru. If understood properly it is to dissolve Ahamkara. When nothing is ‘mine’ then where from this ‘I’ will come from?

Guru sahib has asked we Khalsas to do Jaap. This helps organise the brain and it’s functioning for spiritual and worldly living with purity. (Please refer to the third sentence of this Pauri for the reasoning behind this statement).

Now, I understand why Guru Sahib had asked we Khalsas to live the life, which they have prescribed. For we Khalsas, it is the ‘Sadhana’ i.e. – mental and physical training to attain purity of mind.

All this, when lived properly, leads to the purity of mind.

Guru Sahib has not only given us a complete and developed blue print as to how the life should be lived but also demonstrated it by the exemplary life they lived. It is possible; in its feasibility Guru Sahib has left no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. Not one but ten of our Gurus have demonstrated it to us.

Wah-e-Guru.

As the individual makes progress in her or his spirituality, the mental space gradually gets filled with ‘The Sat’. This is the stage when the ‘mayree of har raas’ as said by Guru Sahib in this sentence is realised by the ‘vanjaaraa’ – the seeker i.e. the mind.

2. hir rwis myrI mnu vxjwrw siqgur qy rwis jwxI ] har raas mayree man vanjaaraa satgur tay raas jaanee.

Being imbued with ‘The Sat’ is the capital (treasure) and mind is the seeker. How to seek the sought is known from ‘Satguru’.

My understanding:

Guru Sahib says that the blessings of ‘The Sat’ are necessary for the seeker (mind) to know how to reach and merge with the sought (‘The Sat').

3. hir hir inq jiphu jIAhu lwhw Kithu idhwVI ] har har nit japihu jee-ahu laahaa khatihu dihaarhee.

Doing Jaap of Naam every day, the being will earn the profit for the day.

My understanding:

Guru Sahib tells me that through Jaap of Naam, I will gain every day. I know it is true.

I understand what I do, each time I utter the word for Naam, with full involvement of my mental faculties.

The repeatedly uttering Naam (Jaap) I create a mental environment for spirituality. This way I tell my being the direction in which I want to go. This repeated instruction (each utterance of Naam is instruction for the brain) progressively permeates through all my conscious and subconscious and organises all my mental faculties for the intended purpose. The thoughts that arise in my mind progressively become purer and purer. Object wise, over the period of time, all my mental faculties get aligned. The senses move away from their objects of gratification. My actions, as they always follow the thoughts, become benign and honest. My attachments loose their hold on me. My vices get dissolve and virtues bloom. Each of my mental faculties function in a harmonious way that support and supplement the function of the other faculties. My conscious and subconscious both work together. Synergy enters my being. This is what Jaap can do. The great clue ‘Jaap’ Guru Sahib has given to me for my spiritual evolution.

Wah-e-Guru.

4. eyhu Dnu iqnw imilAw ijn hir Awpy Bwxw ] ayhu Dhan tinaa mili-aa jin har aapay bhaanaa.

This wealth comes to those who are graced by ‘The Sat’

My understanding:

Guru Sahib tells me that this wealth of being with ‘The Sat’ comes only to those individuals whom ‘The Sat’ ordains through Gurparsadi.

5. khY nwnku hir rwis myrI mnu hoAw vxjwrw ]31] kahai naanak har raas mayree man ho-aa vanjaaraa. ||31||

Says Nanak, being imbued with ‘The Sat’ is capital and my mind has become the seeker.

My understanding:

Guru Sahib has again repeated for me what he had stated in the first sentence of the Pauri.

With this I close the post
With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh