The world is facing its greatest challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic; yet what is to come may be more challenging. What are you more scared of : losing your job or being without food? You falling sick or your family members being infected by you? Crash of the markets or no money in your bank account? Global economic depression or your own business failing? Shortage of food supplies or contaminated food supplies? There are so many reasons for us to worry….but should we really worry about these? The answers to these questions depend on how much laden your boat with stones.
“Kuch lena na dena, magan rehnaa”
Satguru Kabir Saheb advises us to forget about the ‘give and take’, ‘mine and thine’ lessons we have been taught in academia. Just be. Just be that real you.
The planet has pushed the pause button for all of us, and it is rebooting itself. Just like we need to recharge ourselves, the planet also needs a vacation. When you come back from vacation do you have to worry how to go about things to go back to your day-to-day life? Of course there will be changes. Of course we may have to re-adapt ourselves to new things. So what? This has always been the case. Life is such that we have to adapt to new changes, learn new things and move on. How do we just be? Satguru Kabir Saheb tells us to ignore the cage and focus on the bird. Because the bird needs to be freed. If we focus on the outer, we will miss the core. And the core is who we are.
“Panch tatwa kaa aavna pinjraa, jamein bole hai meri maynaa”
The cage is made of the five elements, but the bird is not. The bird is above those elements. Just be is actually knowing the bird, acknowledging the bird as our real Self. The bird is carefree. None of the economic downturn, job losses, food shortages, market crashes affect the bird.
“Gahri nadiyaa naav pooraani, khevatiyaa se mile rehnaa”
Satguru Kabir Saheb is clearly giving us the advice who we should remain connected with. We have gone through so many different lives, our boat is not a new one. And the river to cross is very deep – the slightest faux-pas we make, we will get drowned. Here we have to do a reflection : how much have we kept our boat free of burdens? Because the more our boat is loaded with unnecessary things, the easier it will be to sink. The boatman can only sail you to the right destination if your boat is sailworthy. Now is the time for us to get rid of burdens which will prevent us from getting to our destination.
“Guru ke charan mein lipat rehnaa”
Be with your Guru always; do not leave him for a single second. If you have entrusted yourself to Him, worry not. You have nothing to worry about. If you want to lead your life according to the world’s standards, then you will always be fearful of the unknown, be apprehended by uncertainties. The Guru knows it all; therefore, surrender yourself fully to Him, and….just be.
Mahant Jay Jaggessur, Kabir Association of Toronto
