We are often faced with challenges to pick the real from the unreal. Mystically speaking, the whole world is illusory. However, because we get involved in what we have to do, we tend to get drawn towards the unreal and get caught in illusion. We forget that all that we get into contact with, all our relationships are not real. We just need them to pursue our journey in life. If we think about it, how many people have come and gone in our life since we were born. Many of them came in contact with us just for a purpose, and then left. We have to remind ourselves that we live in this world, but we are not of this world.
Our connection is not with this physical plane of existence. Based on our previous life, we have had to come in this world to pursue a goal. But if we take this world as our ultimate destination, get attracted to all its temptations, then we would be deviating from our true purpose. Satguru Kabir Saheb says:
“Bhoole The Sansaar Men, Maayaa Ke Sang Aay;
Satguru Raah Bataaiyaa, Pheree Mile Tihi Jaay.”
(see transliteration and pronunciation guide here)
In other words, only if we have a Satguru who can teach us and show us the right path shall we embark on the road to our destination. When we give in to the world’s material traps, we isolate ourselves from God. When people feel lonely or feel a lack of relationship, in fact they are feeling isolation experienced by their imaginary sense of personal ego. The ego is the barrier which prevents us from seeing our true Self. The ego makes us feel that we have lost our connection with the other ‘ego’ identities. Whereas our connection has to be with God. Forming a relationship between our true Self and the Supreme Self is what our goal has to be. And this can be achieved if we go beyond the ‘ego’ barrier.
We feel safe when we are supported by friends, family, and relatives. What about being supported by God? Although it is great to have the support of friends, family, relatives so that we can pursue our journey of life in a pleasant way, we should not consider these relationships to lead us to our destination. We need to discriminate between what we see as real and what is actually real. By so doing, we can see the divinity in the other person in our relationships; otherwise we will be living like in a dream. Satguru Kabir Saheb says:
(see transliteration and pronunciation guide here)
All the joy we experience in nurturing and fulfilling our relationships are ephemeral. Thus, pursuing them and searching for everlasting joy in these relationships is futile. Just like in a dream where we are the king, enjoying riches and abundance. As soon as we wake up, the experience of joy is gone and we realise it was all unreal. We have to look where we need to instead of getting trapped in illusions.
There once was a king who loved his daughter very much. The princess wanted to have a pearl necklace, which the king gave her right away. The princess loved the necklace so much that she would carry it everywhere she would go. She would never stay away from it. One day, as she was playing with her necklace in the garden a big bird came and snatched it and flew away with it. The princess was very upset and kept crying. The king ordered all his men to go and look for the necklace. His men searched everywhere where the bird could go, but could not find the necklace. The king announced that he will give a big reward to the person who will find the necklace. One day, a person was walking by a lake and he saw a glitter in the water. Thinking of the reward, he went to see and found that it was a necklace. He tried to get it, but he could not grab it. He walked in the lake, which was muddy, searched, but still could not get the necklace. He informed the king, thinking that since he spotted the necklace, the king will reward him. The king called upon divers, swimmers to get the necklace from the lake, but they all failed. A saint was passing by the lake and he was a big gathering there. When he inquired what they were all looking for, they told him the story about the necklace. The saint asked them to move aside, and he looked in the water. He immediately knew that what was shimmering in the lake was only a reflection of the necklace. The necklace itself was hanging on the branch of a tree. He told them all that they were searching in the wrong place, and told them to look up. They found the necklace hanging on the tree and were able to get it.
If we are not able to see the real, we will be driven into the unreal and follow the wrong path. We have to emerge from illusion and pursue the right path.
