[salok] Bhagat Kabeer Jeeo Kae

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

ਕਬੀਰ ਮਾਨਸ ਜਨਮੁ ਦੁਲੰਭੁ ਹੈ ਹੋਇ ਨ ਬਾਰੈ ਬਾਰ ॥

kabeer maanas janam dulambh hai ho-ay na baarai baar

Kabeer, it is so difficult to obtain this human body; it does not just come over and over again.

ਜਿਉ ਬਨ ਫਲ ਪਾਕੇ ਭੁਇ ਗਿਰਹਿ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਨ ਲਾਗਹਿ ਡਾਰ ॥੩੦॥

ji-o ban fal paakay bhu-ay gireh bahur na laageh daar

It is like the ripe fruit on the tree; when it falls to the ground, it cannot be re-attached to the branch.

“manas” = human

“janam” = life

“dulamb” = difficult

“barai” = again

“ban” = forest

“fal” = fruit

“bhu-ay” = earth

“gireh” = fall

“bahur” = again (as in re-attached)

“laageh” = attached

“daar” = branch

In this Salok, Bhagat Kabeer Ji stresses the importance of human life. Imagine a forest with dense foliage and undergrowth, with a tree bearing fruit. The fruit is valuable – the main point of the tree. But when it is ripe, it falls to the ground and cannot be re-attached to the branch it came from. Either it will be lost in the undergrowth, will be eaten by passing animals or will simply disintegrate and be lost forever.

In the same way, our life is steadily ripening in that we are growing older each second, and time is running out. We have travelled through millions of life-forms to reach this one – human life is the highest life form possible. And we’re ultra-blessed to know what Sikhi is, and ultra-fortunate to have had such good karams. Yet we’re wasting our time away. We know that one day our life will run out – the fruit will ripen and fall of the tree eventually – yet we try to avoid thinking about it. It’s only by remembering death, and remembering Maharaj that we can remove the attachment we have for this world.

If we don’t utilise this chance and make a sincere effort to follow Gursikhi and Satguru Ji, then essentially no-one is to blame but ourselves. In everyday situations we find ourselves failing tiny battles which we don’t even notice – things like laughing at people or talking about them behind their backs. We’re too weak to stand up and tell our supposed friends or those around us that we want no part in anti-gurmat thinking. We get sucked into it without realising it. If we tried to remember Maharaj at every opportunity, and prayed to Him in *full* faith, this wouldn’t happen.

Unfortunately for many of us, it’s only when we snuff it that we’ll realise how important this is.

:D:

~l~

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh