The writer of our destiny is our mind; to change our destiny to be with Creator, we must counsel our mind. This is what Guru Nanak sahib tells us in the following shabda which is on SGGS, 662
ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ 1 ॥
ਕਾਇਆ ਕਾਗਦੁ ਮਨੁ ਪਰਵਾਣਾ ॥ ਸਿਰ ਕੇ ਲੇਖ ਨ ਪੜੈ ਇਆਣਾ ॥
ਦਰਗਹ ਘੜੀਅਹਿ ਤੀਨੇ ਲੇਖ ॥ ਖੋਟਾ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਵੇਖੁ ॥1॥
Ḏẖanāsrī mėhlā 1.
Kā-i-ā kāgaḏ man parvāṇā . Sir ke lekẖ na paṛai i-āṇā.
Ḏargėh gẖaṛī-ahi ṯīne lekẖ . Kẖotā kām na āvai vekẖ. ||1||
Raag Dhanasri, the bani of First Nanak.
In essence: The body is like a paper and the mind is a written ordinance on it, but the ignorant mortal doesn’t study the mind. In Har’s court, three kinds (the good, mediocre and low) of writs are scribed. You see that the wrong deed is of no avail.
The verses above are very subtle; just going after the words, we get nothing; the metaphor and analogies need to decipher to reach to the point. The Gurbani suggests us studying our minds to find what is important for us. Our minds create our destiny which thus becomes preordained; it is repeatedly said that it cannot be erased (because the mind is not counselled) Question: if it is inerasable destiny, what can we do? The Guru suggests that we are given all tools to become better; therefore, just don’t give up by saying it is inerasable and let it go as it is going. The Guru suggests by studying one’ mind and its inclinations, one should try to turn it toward Akalpurakh, who keeps His presence in all. In other words, we should search Akalpurakh’s presence within. If we don’t do it, our preordained inclinations will doom us.
ਨਾਨਕ ਜੇ ਵਿਚਿ ਰੁਪਾ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਖਰਾ ਖਰਾ ਆਖੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Nānak je vicẖ rupā ho-e . Kẖarā kẖarā ākẖai sabẖ ko-e. ||1|| Rahā-o.
Oh Nanak! If a person has purity, he/she acts piously, and all people applaud him/her in praise. Pause.
Now, the Guru gives example of the people filled with wrong inclinations as per their preordained writ; they don’t study the mind to change their inclinations; such kind of behavior leads the mind to filth.
ਕਾਦੀ ਕੂੜੁ ਬੋਲਿ ਮਲੁ ਖਾਇ ॥ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਜੀਆ ਘਾਇ ॥
ਜੋਗੀ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਅੰਧੁ ॥ ਤੀਨੇ ਓਜਾੜੇ ਕਾ ਬੰਧੁ ॥2॥
Kāḏī kūṛ bol al kẖā-e . Barāhmaṇ nāvai jī-ā gẖā-e.
Jogī jugaṯ na jāṇai anḏẖ . Ŧīne ojāṛe kā banḏẖ. ||2||
The Qazi lies and lives on it. The Brahmin does ablution, but keeps ruining the beings. In ignorance of the divine knowledge, the Yogi doesn’t know the right way of living. All three of these kinds of people lack virtuous way of living and they head toward destruction.
Now the Guru expresses how they actually should live to be worthy of Har’s union: when one starts reading one’s mind and a writ written on the paper body, then one changes the destiny:
ਸੋ ਜੋਗੀ ਜੋ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਪਛਾਣੈ ॥ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ॥
ਕਾਜੀ ਸੋ ਜੋ ਉਲਟੀ ਕਰੈ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਜੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੈ ॥ ਆਪਿ ਤਰੈ ਸਗਲੇ ਕੁਲ ਤਾਰੈ ॥3॥
So jogī jo jugaṯ pacẖẖāṇai . Gur parsādī eko jāṇai.
Kājī so jo ultī karai . Gur parsādī jīvaṯ marai.
So barāhmaṇ jo barahm bīcẖārai . Āp ṯarai sagle kul ṯārai. ||3||
That person is a Yogi, who understands the right way of living. With the Guru’s blessings (following the Guru), he deems Har’s creation and Har as the same one. That person is real Qazi, who turns away from Maya (bad inclinations) and with the Guru’s blessings, becomes detached while alive. That person is Brahmin, who reflects on Har and after realizing Har, gets liberated and helps others to be liberated.
ਦਾਨਸਬੰਦੁ ਸੋਈ ਦਿਲਿ ਧੋਵੈ ॥ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਸੋਈ ਮਲੁ ਖੋਵੈ ॥
ਪੜਿਆ ਬੂਝੈ ਸੋ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਰਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਕਾ ਨੀਸਾਣੁ ॥4॥5॥7॥
Ḏānasbanḏ so-ī ḏil ḏẖovai . Musalmāṇ so-ī mal kẖovai.
Paṛi-ā būjẖai so parvāṇ . Jis sir ḏargėh kā nīsāṇ. ||4||5||7||
If one is wise, one will certainly clean one’s mind (by analyzing one’s inclinations). A Muslim who cleans the filth of his mind is a real Muslim in real sense. That person is educated and accepted one (Brahmin), who has a pass to enter Har’s court.
Thus, counselling the mind to become the love of the Creator is a tool to change our destiny if it is drowning us in the Maya pursuits, which eventually separates us from our Creator.
Wishes
G. Singh
www.gursoch.com
