The
saloks of Sheikh Farid
Ji guide the seeker towards life’s true purpose, the devotion to the one absolute Divine, IkOankar. In these saloks, he reminds us that our time in this world is finite; therefore, one must turn to IkOankar without delay. Yet, attachment to transient possessions and relationships causes many to forget this truth, becoming entangled in vices that lead to restlessness and inner turmoil. In contrast, those who cultivate virtues such as love, humility, patience, contentment, selfless service, and righteousness experience the bliss of connection with IkOankar even while living a householder’s life. Their life becomes serene and suffused with inner joy.
In the one hundred and sixth stanza, Sheikh Farid addresses himself and says,
O Farid! Their faces are frightening, those who have forgotten the Nam. They undergo many sufferings here; they find neither a place of rest nor support ahead. Those of us who have forgotten
Nam (Identification with
IkOankar, One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), who do not pursue connection with IkOankar, who do not live in devotion to IkOankar, our faces become frightening. What does this mean? We sometimes see this—our inner conditions become reflected on our faces! When we live beautifully, when our internal world is beautiful, we radiate that beauty outwardly. The intentions and virtues within us become apparent to all who meet us. In a state of forgetfulness, we are unable to Identify with IkOankar, and so we are unable to perceive IkOankar in all things. In that forgetfulness, we live steeped in dichotomies and binaries. We live steeped in dreadfulness, in negativity, and in malice. These things begin to show on our faces. When we are in this state of forgetfulness, when we are unable to Identify with IkOankar in every thought, word, and action, we suffer greatly. The pain is dense and intense. And when we leave this place for the hereafter, we still do not find a place of rest or support ahead.
Sheikh Farid is asking us to reflect on whether we are living in a culture of Identification with IkOankar. Most of us spend all our time living in a culture of dissatisfaction, greed, and accumulation. This is the ecosystem that surrounds us, sustains us, and entangles us. To live in a culture of Identification requires real discipline, real devotion, real
effort. Will we pursue that connection? Will we cultivate devotion and effort? Are we ready to rid ourselves of the deep pain of forgetfulness and separation?
