Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi 4 Sabad 5 / ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ੪ ਸਬਦ ੫

[Ambarsaria]

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Salok.
Salok

ਨਿਰਗੁਨੀਆਰ ਇਆਨਿਆ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸਦਾ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਆ ਤਿਸੁ ਚੀਤਿ ਰਖੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਬਹੀ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
Nirgunī▫ār i▫āni▫ā so parabẖ saḏā samāl. Jin kī▫ā ṯis cẖīṯ rakẖ Nānak nibhī nāl. ||1||
The virtue-less and not knowing one, remember the creator always. Remember the one who created, Guru Nanak, as such will sustain throughout.

ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ॥
Asatpaḏī.
Eight stanzas hymn

ਕਰਤੂਤਿ ਪਸੂ ਕੀ ਮਾਨਸ ਜਾਤਿ ॥ ਲੋਕ ਪਚਾਰਾ ਕਰੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥
Karṯūṯ pasū kī mānas jāṯ. Lok pacẖārā karai ḏin rāṯ.
Species of humans acting like animals. Day and night it is a show off for the people.

ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੇਖ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮਲੁ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਛਪਸਿ ਨਾਹਿ ਕਛੁ ਕਰੈ ਛਪਾਇਆ ॥
Bāhar bẖekẖ anṯar mal mā▫i▫ā. Cẖẖapas nāhi kacẖẖ karai cẖẖapā▫i▫ā.
Outside is religious garb, inside is dirt of worldly possessions. Cannot be hidden, no matter how hard it is tried to hide.

ਬਾਹਰਿ ਗਿਆਨ ਧਿਆਨ ਇਸਨਾਨ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਿਆਪੈ ਲੋਭੁ ਸੁਆਨੁ ॥
Bāhar gi▫ān ḏẖi▫ān isnān. Anṯar bi▫āpai lobẖ su▫ān.
Outwardly there is bathing, intelligence and thoughtfulness. Inside the dog of attachment is tugging.

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਅਗਨਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਤਨੁ ਸੁਆਹ ॥ ਗਲਿ ਪਾਥਰ ਕੈਸੇ ਤਰੈ ਅਥਾਹ ॥
Anṯar agan bāhar ṯan su▫āh. Gal pāthar kaise ṯarai athāh.
Inside there are fires of lust, outside the body is covered with ashes. With stone around the neck how would one swim in the deep

ਜਾ ਕੈ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਸੈ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਆਪਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਤੇ ਜਨ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਤਿ ॥੫॥
Jā kai anṯar basai parabẖ āp. Nānak ṯe jan sahj samāṯ. ||5||
In whose heart the creator resides. Guru Nanak, such humble stay unperturbed and absorbed.

ESSENCE: In the salok, Guru ji describe ourselves as spoiled children of the creator. Guru ji say that instead one needs to always remember the creator that sustains in all phases of our lives.

Guru Arjan Dev ji in Astpadi 4, 5th describe the impact of acting in duality that is different inside versus outside. Acting like animals to impress people, pious outside but corrupt inside, engrossed in rituals of baths and study while attachment to worldly entanglements, putting ashes outside while inside is a raging fire. All this duality takes a toll and is a weight around the neck.

Guru ji conclude that those with understanding of creator inside are least bit perturbed by such practices.

Please note all errors are mine and I stand corrected.

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Harry Haller]

All this duality takes a toll and is a weight around the neck.

and how!

this I embrace fully, and is my current state of which I am nearly coming to the end of. In modern terms we call it sincerity, to be honest, and to be true, whenever you read something that validates what you are trying to be, it gladdens the heart, as it gladdened mine to read this, this morning.

The dog of attachment, I love it, treat the thieves like dogs? Brilliant, as anyone with a dog knows, dogs need to know how to behave, they need validation and direction, Dogs get stressed if they do not know what you want them to do, Dogs are happier with guidelines and boundaries, firmness and love, I think there is a post in this!, 'treat your thieves like the dogs they are'

 

[Searching]

Harry ji

this I embrace fully, and is my current state of which I am nearly coming to the end of.

What do you mean by "coming to the end of? You are coming to the end of duality or you have given up trying, letting the thieves take control?

 

[Harry Haller]

There is 1 thief, a particularly nasty thief, I have tried everything to tame it, but it is clever, I have had to make a deal with it, it leaves me alone in the week, I allow it to run wild at the weekend, in the meantime, all 7 days, I am honest about who I am, and what I am about, 5 of those days my mind is a peaceful garden, 2 days it is not, but if I can get 5 good days out of 7, I will go with that, with the intention of every weekend, every other weekend etc.

The thieves are there for a reason, we just give them too much power and control, we worship them, when we should be worshipping Creator, We seek pleasure from them, validation, when such is also available from Creator, the difference????

With the thieves the pleasure is immediate, no patience needed,
With Creator, the pleasures come later, patience, intelligence and understanding needed

Its almost like a game show, you can have $10,000 dollars right now, or find understanding and knowledge and enlightenment and you can have the star prize