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 eighty-second stanza, Guru Arjan says,
O Farid! The earth is colorful; within it is a poisonous garden. The message of the previous stanza is continued here, as Guru Arjan reminds us that the whole earth is not homogeneous—it has multiple forms, everyone experiences various pains, and the full experience of existence encompasses both comfort and pain, joy and suffering. Within the world and all its beauty is a garden of vices, where the fires of suffering continue to burn. This garden is in the world, and it is also within these bodies as a microcosm of the macrocosm. These bodies, too, are joyous and beautiful, but within them, we wrestle with vices. We navigate ego, anger, lust, greed, and attachment.
But, Guru Arjan continues,
The beings whom the Pir has blessed, the heat does not afflict them. We all have to live in this world with all its highs and lows, all its joy and sorrow, all its colors. Who can survive that garden of vices? The ones who have been graced by the Wisdom-
Guru. If we are graced, if our honor is protected, if we make an effort to become Wisdom-Guru-oriented, we can remain untouched by the heat of that fire. We can remain in the world without being
of the world. We can rise above the vices and entanglements that cause us so much pain. The world is beautiful with all its ecosystems. The body is beautiful with all its elements. These ecosystems and elements have a role to play, but this does not mean we ought to be utterly immersed in one or the other. We can be like the birds who know what to take and what to leave—who always remember that they are temporary guests here. Will we seek the guidance of the Wisdom-Guru? Will we remain untouched by the heat of vices?
