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 sixty-second stanza, Sheikh Farid says,
the crop burned out in water does not flourish, even if one immerses it in water. O Farid! The one who is a duhagan of the Divine verily pines and pines. Sheikh Farid compares the crop to the
duhagan—the unfortunate bride or the separated seeker who has lost connection with
IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). The crop that is decayed in water cannot miraculously become green again, no matter how long it is submerged in water, as its roots have rotted away. What about those seekers who are in this state of separation? When we are not in remembrance and connection with IkOankar, we suffer through the pain of separation—it feels like that separation burns us from the inside out. We pine and pine. We become rootless and adrift. In this separation, it is as if we are decaying.
Sheikh Farid is urging us into reflection on our own relationship with IkOankar—what are the ways in which we are disconnected? We cannot just submerge ourselves in the same environment over and over again, expecting a different result. We cannot continue to surround ourselves with those people, things, or environments that cause forgetfulness. What are the things that are killing our roots, causing us to become unsteady? How can we be made green again? How can we be brought back to life?
