[salok] Bhagat Kabeer Jeo Kae

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

ਕਬੀਰ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਖੀ ਭਇਓ ਉਡਿ ਉਡਿ ਦਹ ਦਿਸ ਜਾਇ ॥

Kabīr man pankẖī bẖa▫i▫o ud ud ḏah ḏis jā▫e.

Kabeer, the mind has become a bird; it soars and flies in the ten directions.

ਜੋ ਜੈਸੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਸੋ ਤੈਸੋ ਫਲੁ ਖਾਇ ॥੮੬॥

Jo jaisī sangaṯ milai so ṯaiso fal kẖā▫e.

According to the company it keeps, so are the fruits it eats.

ਮਨੁ = mind; ਪੰਖੀ = birds; ਭਇਓ = happened, become; ਉਡਿ = fly; ਦਹ = 10; ਜਾਇ = goes, ਜੈਸੀ = that; ਸੰਗਤਿ = company; ਮਿਲੈ = meets, keeps; ਫਲੁ = flowers/fruits; ਖਾਇ = eats.

On a daily basis our minds are distracted and entranced by the people around us and the situations we’re in. Our minds control us, control the way we think and as a result control our actions. Just like a bird flies, our mind flies around. And for some reason this usually happens most at the times when we sit down to do Nitnem or Simran. Our mind doesn’t recognise that this is the one thing which will liberate it. Instead it regards what is truly sweet as something bitter and punishing. In the opposite way, it regards things like the TeeVee and the Wii and the Iphone and the stockmarket as the sweetest things in the world, and so our time passes being entertained by them.

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥

Kiv sacẖi▫ārā ho▫ī▫ai kiv kūrhai ṯutai pāl.

So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?

The lines which follow this in Japji Sahib give the answer in the simplest but deepest way. In the second line of this Salok Bhagat Kabeer Ji gives us a hint as to how to solve this problem. In other Saloks he talks about going into a room full of soot and trying to remain spotless. Unless you have some sort of advanced repellent shielding technology your clothes will undoubtedly become black. In the same way it’s extremely difficult to become pure when those you spend your time with are impure.

Of course we’re all climbing this mountain of love at different rates and very few people in this world are completely imbued with Guru Ji’s truth and love. So it’s really difficult to ensure that we keep the company of ‘Brahmgyanis’ : ) but there are little steps we can take to make sure that we aren’t influenced by people who are convinced life is all about being carried out of a club by a bouncer at 3am covered in your own alcohol-induced vomit. Even though we might go to work with such people and we might have to study alongside them, there is no rule saying we have to socialise with them in the same way they enjoy socialising. These rules which are governed by peer pressure only exist in our heads. And all we need is the strength to resist. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we ignore those people or that we look down upon them. It’s perfectly possible to remain civil and nice to people who have a different outlook on life than we do. If a time comes where you are asked to go out drinking or to a pub etc there is nothing embarrassing or wrong with politely declining. In fact it’s a good opportunity to tell them why you’re refusing and raise a bit more awareness about this beautiful path we’re all on.

Make friends with people you admire and respect. Make an effort to emulate the good qualities that they exhibit, and help each other learn more about our King of Kings. And most of all we should try and remember that Guru Ji is watching us lovingly in every thought, word and action. We must always try to honour the love-filled brotherhood we’ve been placed in.

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

[Papi]

Make friends with people you admire and respect.

WAH !!!

[Jap Har Har]

help each other learn more about our King of Kings. And most of all we should try and remember that Guru Ji is watching us lovingly in every thought, word and action. We must always try to honour the love-filled brotherhood we’ve been placed in.

Nicely put, Bhenji.

Vaheguru, do not let us get lost in this world again, not after showing us the truth of your Naam.

Keep us attached to your feet and grace us with your Naam, and we shall not drown.

[Papi]

While reading through the response, the word ਮਿਲੈ stood out for me. I'll put down what came to my mind while reading.

Bhagat Kabeer Ji is talking about how this mind goes into every direction while the physical body does not. Generally, when we think of sangat we only think of physical sangat. There is another type of sangat that we usually do not think about. It's sangat of the sub-consious (the mind). This type of sangat is equally destructive as physical sangat but is much much more subtle.

The word ਮਿਲੈ would mean to receive without [much] effort (I think). If we extend this to the tuk, the meaning "According to the company it keeps, so are the fruits it eats." does not really work because "to receive" and "to keep" have different meanings.

Going back to the mind, lets look at a few examples.

- if mind goes towards someone it finds beautiful, then you may get kaami thoughts

- if mind goes towards someone it despises, then you may get angry thoughts

- if mind goes towards material things, then you may get greedy or experience attachment

- if mind goes towards it's own "virtues" then you may get egotistical

Sangat of the mind is stressed by bhagat jee. He is saying that look this mind goes to so many places which is in effect doing sangat of whoever is at that place. As the saying goes:

"Watch your thoughts: They become your words.

Watch your words: They become your actions.

Watch your actions: They become your habits.

Watch your habits: They become your character.

Watch your character: It becomes your destiny."

Physical sangat will impact us only if our mind gets involved. After all, it was always about the mind and never about the body. Just as a lotus flower, physically it lives in the dirt but it still manage to spread its fragrance around:

khY nwnku gur prswdI ijnw ilv lwgI iqnI ivcy mwieAw pwieAw ]29]

kehai naanak gur parasaadhee jinaa liv laagee thinee vichae maaeiaa paaeiaa ||29||

Says Nanak, by Guru's Grace, those who enshrine love for the Lord find Him, in the midst of Maya. ||29||