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.
pharīdā bure dā bhalā kari gusā mani na haḍhāi.
dehī rogu na lagaī palai sabhu kichu pāi.78.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381-1382
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the seventy-eight stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O Farid, do good to the bad; do not harbor anger in the mind. Disease does not afflict the body; everything falls into the hem of the garment. As we go through life, we might think that we ought to treat people we understand to be bad or negative in a bad or negative way. We might think that this is some kind of justice we are doling out. Why should we be nice to people who do not return that kindness? Why be forgiving to those who are vengeful? Why be compassionate to those who lack compassion? Sheikh Farid gently and lovingly guides us out of this way of thinking. We ought to be good even to the bad. We ought to be kind even to the unkind. We ought to be gracious even to the most harsh. We ought to rid ourselves of this picking and choosing, this thinking about who deserves our compassion and who does not. If we are truly compassionate, let us be compassionate to all, in every moment.
Sheikh Farid asks us to avoid harboring anger within the mind. Anger is a disease of its own kind. It can feel addicting to hold onto, and when we hold onto it, we might feel it growing and growing. Let us rid ourselves of that toxic emotion. Let us let go of the destructiveness that anger can lead us to. If we can do this, disease will not afflict us. Everything will come into the hem of our garments. All divine virtues and blessings will ‘fall into our lap.’ We will get all that we hope for. If we do not work to rid ourselves of anger, there is no room to have everything in us—even when we are enjoying a particular comfort or blissful moment, we cannot enjoy it fully because that anger we have harbored is sitting at the back of our mind! How can we be in peace and comfort and true joy without forgiveness? Without letting go? Sheikh Farid asks us to make room for these emotions that make us infinitely vast, rather than the negative emotions that feed on themselves and become bigger than we can manage. Will we learn to practice this task that is at once simple and difficult? Will we become vast in our compassion and in our forgiveness?
