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 tenth stanza, Guru Arjan continues to expand on stanza one hundred and seven by Sheikh Farid. Guru Arjan says,
O Farid! the world resounds as it is played by Maya. You, too, resound along with it. Here, Guru Arjan says that
Maya (attachment to transient things and relationships) is playing the world. We are all caught up in the impulses that our attachment brings. It drives us and informs our decisions, it takes over most aspects of our lives, thoughts, words, and actions. This attachment echoes within us. It is the beat to which we all dance. When we exist without devotion to
IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), we remain stuck in a deep forgetfulness. We lose sight of the eternal One and instead fixate on the temporary. The One is the Puppeteer, and we become like puppets on a string, moving to the motions of attachment to the transient. We are caught in the grip of this temporariness.
Who has escaped the grip of this attachment? Sheikh Farid says
, That being alone does not resound, of whom Allah takes care. Union with the One is not a transactional process, governed by fixed rules or spiritual points. One can wake up early and engage in devotion, but this is not the thing that will automatically free us from dancing to the beat of attachment. Any freedom we experience from this attachment comes only when the One wills it, when the One graces us, when the One takes care of us. Effort is important, and we ought to make an effort to practice remembrance. Will we do this without expectation? Will we continue to work toward devotion and seek to feel the grace of the One?
