Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

Our minds are constantly in turmoil. We are swept away by the currents of daily life, caught up in material desires, attachments, and distractions. But have we paused long enough to engage in a genuine conversation with our minds? Have we questioned the endless cycles of worry, craving, and attachment that dominate our thoughts?

Guru Teghbahadar Sahib, in the third composition of Rag Jaijavanti, speaks directly to the mind, asking it to reflect on its state. The Guru says, O mind! What will be your state? In this world, there is the Nam (Identification with the 1) of Ram, the Beautiful, that you did not listen to with your ears. You are so enticed by poison that you did not turn your intellect away.

We are invited to pause. To reflect. To confront the truth that we are living in a world where we’ve ignored the voice of the 1, where the noise of our own desires has drowned out the wisdom and beauty of the 1. We have wandered away from the true path, lured by the intoxicating pull of Maya. Maya symbolizes the alluring yet temporary nature of the material world, distracting us from our true purpose—connecting with IkOankar (the 1, the Eternal). Whether it takes the form of relationships, wealth, or sentimental objects, Maya becomes a source of separation from the Eternal when one mistakenly perceives these transient things as eternal.

What is it that entices us? Why do we so easily succumb to distractions that pull us away from our essence?

The Guru reminds us that human life is an opportunity—a precious gift uniquely designed for simran (remembrance) and Nam. In this life, we are called to fulfill our inherent purpose: the continual remembrance of IkOankar. Yet, we squander this opportunity, entangling ourselves in fleeting comforts and material gains that offer no true fulfillment.

In its vastness and complexity, we are told that the entire world is like a dream—impermanent, illusory, and passing. Knowing this, the Guru asks us: why do we not remember the 1? Why do we not anchor ourselves in the Eternal when we know everything around us is temporary? This profound question shakes us from our slumber, urging us to recognize the futility of our worldly attachments and to turn inward, seeking the 1 who transcends all.

The Guru’s words call us to deeply consider how we are living our lives—disconnected from the remembrance of IkOankar. We haven’t listened. We haven’t absorbed. We haven’t remembered. Instead, we’ve allowed ourselves to be drawn in by the poison of worldly desires, forgetting that our genuine connection lies with the 1, the Eternal.

It is not too late. The Guru provides a powerful reflection on the nature of human life and the precious opportunity it holds for spiritual awakening. Will we continue to serve our fleeting comforts, or will we align ourselves with something far greater—something eternal?

May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!