[salok] Bhagat Kabeer Jeo Kae

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

ਕਬੀਰ ਮਾਰੀ ਮਰਉ ਕੁਸੰਗ ਕੀ ਕੇਲੇ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਜੁ ਬੇਰਿ ॥

Kabīr mārī mara▫o kusang kī kele nikat jo ber.

Kabeer, I have been ruined and destroyed by bad company, like the banana plant near the thorn bush.

ਉਹ ਝੂਲੈ ਉਹ ਚੀਰੀਐ ਸਾਕਤ ਸੰਗੁ ਨ ਹੇਰਿ ॥੮੮॥

Uh jẖūlai uh cẖīrī▫ai sākaṯ sang na her.

The thorn bush waves in the wind, and pierces the banana plant; see this, and do not associate with the faithless cynics.

ਮਾਰੀ = hit, ruin; ਮਰਉ = kill, destroy; ਕੁਸੰਗ = bad company; ਕੇਲੇ = banana; ਨਿਕਟਿ = near; ਬੇਰਿ = Bayree tree; ਝੂਲੈ = swing near; ਚੀਰੀਐ = pierce, cut; ਸਾਕਤ = faithless ones; ਸੰਗੁ = in association with; ਹੇਰਿ = others.

In this Salok Bhagat Kabeer Ji warns us how easy it is to be drawn in by factors which ensure that we stumble spiritually. He uses the description of two trees; the first is the banana plant and the second the Ber tree. Although the Ber tree produces nice fruit, it's branches have many spines and thorns on them. Bhagat Ji says that we can get poked by the thorns of other people's bad influence, just as a banana tree is spiked by a nearby Ber tree as it blows in the wind. As a result the banana tree gradually is injured more and more, and it can no longer properly function to provide decent fruit.

It is important we realise this as soon as possible as it'll save us a great deal of time in the long run. Although Guru Saheb resides within everyone, each person has their own choices to make in life - spiritual and otherwise. Depending on these choices we need to evaluate who we spend our time with. Many other analogies in Gurbani also refer to this matter - e.g. walking into a room full of ash and expecting to come out with your pristine white clothes untouched. In this walk of life it's very easy to meet all types of people, many of whom will be friendly and fun-loving but have no regard or interest in Akaal Purakh's way of life. It's also easy to ignore this fact so that working alongside them doesn't result in a tense relationship. The problem arises when we socialise with these people so much that our own principles begin to seem unimportant. If we hear them slandering others unecessarily it's so easy to join in or laugh with them without even feeling guilty.

It might not seem like a huge deal at the time but little things like this can chip away at our own integrity, and affect our jeevan without us even realising. The key point Bhagat Ji is making here is that we need to be aware of such issues, and take the necessary steps to ensure we still regain the honour that lies within us, being sons and daughters of Satguru Ji. We do need to work and live alongside all sorts of people, but there's always a line to be drawn in terms of how much spare time we devote to them and how much time we devote to Guru Ji.

:upid:

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

[Akaali]

I'm gonna remove that 'I'm stupid' emoticon so you don't use it

[lowest of the low singhni]

^Tis censorship.

[malkeet]

very nice thankyou

[JustME]

ah why does sometimes the most sensible of things become so difficult in life?