Barah Maha (Mahala 5)

Guru Arjan Sahib

Delivering the message through the month of Bhadon (mid-August to mid-September), Guru Arjan encourages us to observe our doubts. Message through the month of Bhadon: The seeker-bride, whom delusion has cause to forget her love, is attached to the other love. In this season, the air is thick with humidity, and as nature awakens with new life, doubts begin to rise within us, much like the insects that swarm after the rain. The heat and restlessness of this month mirror the doubts that arise in the heart of the seeker. These doubts become the greatest hindrance, clouding the path and making it difficult to stay steady. How does one overcome them? How does one remain grounded when negativity creeps in and shakes our belief? In moments of uncertainty, when we have caught only a fleeting glimpse of the beloved One, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force), we often lose focus, succumbing to misplaced doubts. The external world always seems to demand our attention, pulling us away from the internal work we want to do. Culturally, this season is known for fostering superstitions and fears, drawing us away from a deeper understanding of life. We are tempted by the notion that performing good deeds, like acts of charity or austerity, will bring us freedom. Yet, Guru Arjan reminds us that mere actions—no matter how many—will not liberate us. The key is not in the deeds themselves but in love: love for the One, with the One, and of the One. Doubt is like a heavy darkness that clouds the mind, casting shadows over our perception. In this darkness, we lose clarity and often misinterpret the simplest things. Just as one might mistake a rope for a snake when one cannot see clearly, so too do we, in the grip of doubt, misjudge situations, people, and even our own thoughts. Just as adornment and beauty are not inherently misplaced, they lose their significance when the beloved One seems absent. Again, culturally, no matter how beautifully a bride adorns herself or how richly she dresses in the finest clothes and jewels, if her husband does not arrive, all her preparations are in vain. The vibrant colors, the intricate adornments, the care taken in every detail—none of it holds meaning without the presence of the one she longs for. Similarly, no matter how many deeds we perform or how much we strive to show our devotion, if our hearts do not hold the true love of the One, it becomes nothing more than an empty display. Just as a bride’s beauty is deemed incomplete without the arrival of her groom, our acts of devotion are hollow unless they are filled with true, heartfelt love for the beloved One. The secret of which acts will bring us goodwill, and which will not remain hidden beyond our understanding. The inner workings of our actions, the weight of our deeds, are not within our grasp to fully comprehend. When the messengers of death arrive, we find we have no choice; no amount of calculation or anticipation can alter their arrival. It is futile to measure or guess what score we have earned for each action as if our lives could be tallied like points on a scorecard. These calculations, these judgments, are beyond our purview—they lie in a realm we could never access or control. In truth, we are not meant to weigh our every deed, for the value of our actions is not determined by our limited vision but by the divine and all-encompassing Wisdom (Guru) that transcends time, space, and reason. Instead of focusing on tallying marks, the heart surrenders, trusting that the path we walk, when aligned with the One, will lead us to the grace we seek. When we focus only on this world’s fleeting relationships and recognition, we forget that all external ties are temporary. At the moment of death, no matter how much love or praise we may have received in life, we stand alone. In fact, if we were to ever come alive again after our death, then all our loved ones would prefer to run away from us, calling us ghosts. Our relationships dissolve, and the world we once knew fades away. The body’s color changes, and the breath leaves us. What we sow, we reap—just as in farming, we may only harvest what we planted. Yet, if we seek refuge in the protective One, we are given the feet of Prabhu, the sovereign One, which becomes our boat to cross the turbulent waters of life. We may only board this boat through humility and surrender. We learn that when the Wisdom guides us, both internal and external doubts and restlessness dissolve. In the presence of the Wisdom, we find the solace that helps us navigate through the stormy sea of doubt and confusion. In Bhadon, the infernal state of existence—filled with uncertainty and suffering—becomes bearable and, eventually, transcends for the ones who surrender to eternal love with the eternal one and aboard the ship of Nam (Identification with IkOankar). Through the Wisdom, we find the One refuge that leads us to liberation, helping us cross the ocean of worldly existence.

The only way to be free is to board the ship, for endless calculations of deeds and karmic theories only create a hellish experience. Reflecting on the ships we ride on in this world, we must ask ourselves: What may we do to shift our focus and discover the true ship, one that can carry us across the turbulent seas of life and lead us to eternal waters?