LOOK IN -YOURSELF
ABSTRACT
The answers to our personal questions can most often be found by looking within. When you realize that you always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need and are meant to act as your inner compass, you can stop searching outside of yourself. Look within, which is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.
ਪੰਡਿਤ ਪਾਧੇ ਜੋਇਸੀ ਨਿਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਹਿ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਘਟਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਲੁਕਾਣਾ ॥
Pandiṯ pāḏẖe jo▫isī niṯ paṛėh purāṇā. Anṯar vasaṯ na jāṇanĥī gẖat barahm lukāṇā.
The Pundits, the religious scholars, the teachers and astrologers, and those who endlessly read the Puraanas, do not know what is within; God is hidden deep within them.
-----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 419-2
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Trusting your inner wisdom may be awkward at first, particularly if you grew up around people who taught you to look to others for answers. When you second guess yourself and go against what you know to be your truth, you can easily go off course because you are no longer following your inner compass. By looking inside yourself for the answers to your life's questions, you are consulting your best guide; the secret, says Guru Nanak in Raag Asa;
ਪੰਡਿਤ ਪੜਹਿ ਵਖਾਣਹਿ ਵੇਦੁ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਭੇਦੁ ॥
Pandiṯ paṛėh vakāṇėh veḏ. Anṯar vasaṯ na jāṇėh bẖeḏ.
The Pundit reads and expounds on the Vedas, but he does not know the secret of the thing within himself. -----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 355-14
Gurus Amardas, Ramdas, and Arjan ponder on the subject;
ਇਸੁ ਤਨ ਮਹਿ ਮਨੁ ਕੋ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਦੇਖੈ ॥ ਭਾਇ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਸੋਖੈ ॥ ਸਿਧ ਸਾਧਿਕ ਮੋਨਿਧਾਰੀ ਰਹੇ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ਤਿਨ ਭੀ ਤਨ ਮਹਿ ਮਨੁ ਨ ਦਿਖਾਵਣਿਆ ॥
Is ṯan mėh man ko gurmukẖ ḏekẖai. Bẖā▫e bẖagaṯ jā ha▫umai sokẖai. Siḏẖ sāḏẖik moniḏẖārī rahe liv lā▫e ṯin bẖī ṯan mėh man na ḏikẖāvaṇi▫ā.
How rare are those who, as Guru willed, look within their bodies, into their minds. Through loving devotion, their ego evaporates. The Seers, the seekers and the silent sages continually, lovingly focus their consciousness, but they have not seen the mind within the body. -----Guru Amardas, Raag Majh, AGGS, Page, 124-2
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਅਨੇਕ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈਐ ॥ ਹਉਮੈ ਗਰਬੈ ਗਰਬੁ ਆਪਿ ਖੁਆਈਐ ॥
Anṯar vasaṯ anek manmukẖ nahī pā▫ī▫ai. Ha▫umai garbai garab āp kẖu▫ā▫ī▫ai.
Deep within are infinite substances, but the self-willed does not find them. In egotism and pride, the mortal's proud self consumes him.-----Guru Ramdas, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 369-8
ਨਉ ਖੰਡ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੀ ਇਸੁ ਤਨ ਮਹਿ ਰਵਿਆ ਨਿਮਖ ਨਿਮਖ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਾ ॥ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਮੁੰਦ੍ਰਾ ਕਾਨੀ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਿਓ ਏਕੁ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰਾ ॥
Na▫o kẖand parithmī is ṯan mėh ravi▫ā nimakẖ nimakẖ namaskārā. Ḏīkẖi▫ā gur kī munḏrā kānī ḏariṛi▫o ek nirankārā.
Akal Purkh is contained in the nine continents of the world, and within this body; each and every moment, I humbly bow to It. I have made the Guru's Teachings my ear-rings, and I have enshrined the One Formless Akal Purkh within my being. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Gauri, AGGS, Page, 208-2
Many of us seek the answers to life's questions by looking outside of ourselves and trying to glean advice from the people around us. But as each of us is unique, with our own personal histories, our own sense of right and wrong, and our own way of experiencing the world that defines our realities, looking to others for our answers is only partially helpful. When you realize that you always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need and are meant to act as your inner compass, you can stop searching outside of yourself. If you can learn to hear, trust, and embrace the wisdom that lives within you, with the help of true Guru, you will be able to confidently navigate your life as Guru Nanak points in Raag Maru;
ਘਰੁ ਦਰੁ ਮੰਦਰੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਸੋਈ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਸੋਝੀ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਕਾਇਆ ਗੜ ਮਹਲ ਮਹਲੀ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਸਚੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਤਖਤੁ ਰਚਾਇਆ ॥ -----ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਅਨੂਪ ਨਿਰਮੋਲਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਹਰਿ ਧਨੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
Gẖar ḏar manḏar jāṇai so▫ī. Jis pūre gur ṯe sojẖī ho▫ī. Kā▫i▫ā gaṛ mahal mahlī parabẖ sācẖā sacẖ sācẖā ṯakẖaṯ racẖā▫i▫ā.-----Anṯar vasaṯ anūp nirmolak gur mili▫ai har ḏẖan pā▫i▫ā.
He alone knows the home of his own heart, and the door to the temple, who obtains perfect understanding from the Guru. In the body-fortress is the palace; God is the True Master of this Palace. The True Akal Purkh established Its True Throne there.-----Deep within, is the priceless, incomparable commodity; meeting with the Guru, the wealth of the Akal Purkh is obtained. -----Guru Nanak, Raag Maru, AGGS, Page, 1039
We each have exclusive access to our inner knowing. All we have to do is remember how to listen. Remember to be patient as you relearn how to hear, receive, and follow your own guidance. If you are unsure about whether following your inner wisdom will prove reliable, you may want to think of a time when you did trust your own knowing and everything worked out. Recall how the answers came to you, how they felt in your body as you considered them, and what happened when you acted upon this guidance. Now, recall a time when you didn't trust yourself and the results didn't work out as you had hoped. Trusting your own guidance can help you avoid going against what you instinctively know is right for you.
Conclusion:
Only you can know the how's and why's of your life. The answers that you seek can be found when you start looking with in your self as Gurmukh, but the Manmukh deluded by doubt and duality is confused and fails to get the answers to his questions says Gurus Amardas and Arjan in Ragas Majh and Bhairo;
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਮੂੜਾ ਬਾਹਰੁ ਭਾਲੇ ॥ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਅੰਧੇ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਬੇਤਾਲੇ ॥ ਜਿਥੈ ਵਥੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਤਿਥਹੁ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਵਣਿਆ ॥
Anṯar vasaṯ mūṛā bāhar bẖāle. Manmukẖ anḏẖe firėh beṯāle. Jithai vath hovai ṯithhu ko▫e na pāvai manmukẖ bẖaram bẖulāvaṇi▫ā.
Deep within the self is the secret, but the fool looks for it outside. The blind self-willed manmukhs wander around like demons; deluded by doubt they do not find the secret. -----Guru Amardas, Raag Majh, AGGS, Page, 117-17
ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਮੂਠਾ ਹੈ ਮੂੜੁ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਦਿਸੰਤਰਿ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਬਾਝੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਇ ॥
Mā▫i▫ā mohi mūṯẖā hai mūṛ. Anṯar vasaṯ disanṯar jā▫e. Bājẖ gurū hai bẖaram bẖulā▫e.
In love and attachment to Maya, the fool is plundered. That which he seeks is within his own self, but he looks for it outside. Without the Guru, he is confused and deluded by doubt. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Bhairo, AGGS, Page, 1139-13
Virinder S. Grewal
Williamston, MI
