The love of IkOankar (the Divine) cannot be inculcated through wealth, pilgrimages, recitations, austerities, or disciplines. The being who connects with IkOankar consciously becomes worthy of IkOankar’s love. Their mind remains immersed in the
Nam of IkOankar in every moment; they do not go anywhere else in search of bliss. They remain in a constant state of joy due to their humility. Worldly comforts and praise received because of various practices like recitations and austerities are worthless before the love of IkOankar. On the other hand, a being entangled in attachment to the material world and relationships remains miserable despite having attained worldly comforts.
In the third
salok, Guru Arjan addresses Musan, and says,
Roaming of the nine corners of the world, oceans, mountains, forests, jungles. O Musan! On the path of love of the Beloved, I count these as only one step. Through this address to Musan, another Sikh of the Guru and a lover of the Beloved,
IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), we are reminded that we can wander the expanses of this earth — all of its known and unknown parts, its seas and oceans, and hills and mountains, and gardens and orchards, and jungles and forests — we can wander forever. Still, all that wandering equals walking only a few strides toward our Beloved. In this age, we may have bucket lists — places we want to go and things we want to do while we are here on Earth and capable. But all that accomplishment, all the sights we could see, all the things we could experience, the posts we make, cannot measure up to even two strides on the path to the Beloved, on the path of love. Instead, we are urged to invest in love, to practice love, to take a step on
that path so that we may experience the excitement of incredible devotion. In the love of the Beloved, the one deed is to walk on that path to the One. The lovers who seek this love travel toward the One they love. Which path will we walk? What steps will we take?
