[salok] Bhagat Kabeer Jeo Kae

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਚੇਤਾਵਨੀ ਮਤ ਸਹਸਾ ਰਹਿ ਜਾਇ ॥

kabeer ih chaytaavnee mat sahsaa reh jaa-ay.

Kabeer, let me remind you of this. Do not be skeptical or cynical.

ਪਾਛੈ ਭੋਗ ਜੁ ਭੋਗਵੇ ਤਿਨ ਕੋ ਗੁੜੁ ਲੈ ਖਾਹਿ ॥੪੪॥

paachhai bhog jo bhogvay tin ko gurh lai khaahi.

Those pleasures which you enjoyed so much in the past - now you must eat their fruits.

ਚੇਤਾਵਨੀ = remind; ਸਹਸਾ = doubt; ਰਹਿ - remain; ਭੋਗ = pleasures; ਭੋਗਵੇ = enjoyed; ਗੁੜੁ = sweet, fruit; ਖਾਹਿ = eat.

Bhagat Kabeer Ji is reinforcing the fact which we forget almost every second of our lives - that the so-called pleasures of this world are temporary and can have disastrous consquences for us later on.

I think the part in the translation above which says "Do not be sceptical or cynical" means "do not doubt the truth" in relation to the following line. Although it's nice not to be sceptical (of Maharaj's power) and cynical about life in general. We forget that Akaal Purakh is capable of turning ants into kings and kings into ants - and doubt Him constantly. (I suppose this makes it nicer when He proves us wrong, as He always does in the end, but still we don't get the hint.)

The above is what you get if you type 'ant king' into Google.

Anywhoo, we should remember that Google is also temporary and will not amuse us forever.

Apparently in the olden days when you shopped at a store, the shopkeeper would sometimes throw in an extra sweet or two for good will (or to manipulate your tastebuds into revisiting that particular shop). The sweets were of little value to the shopkeeper, but were taken readily by the customer.

Bhagat Kabeer Ji says that we shouldn't be fooled by Maya trying to trick us into fulfilling our useless desires. It will only make us want more and more, and ultimately bears no true fruit. This doesn't mean we should live our lives as hermits - but to live simply and use the little knowledge given to us by Maharaj to meet our needs adequately. We need to realise that eventually we have to pay for the bad things we knowingly do, even if it feels good at the time we do them. Random examples - flirting, chugali, vandalism.

They key is to acknowledge this and take positive action. We need to believe that Maharaj is the only one who can save us and ask Him sincerely for help. Alternatively, we can take the glum outlook on things and accept that eventually we will be 'punished' or 'beaten up by the jamdoots', whilst continuing to act like idiots.

'Those pleasures which you enjoyed so much in the past - now you must eat their fruits.' And they don't taste good people.

These posts are getting sillier by the day.

~l~

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh