JEEVAN JAACH

Veechar by Gyani Sant Singh Ji Maskeen

The entire universe is under the control of time (kaal) in which everyone is
allotted a predetermined time to perform their tasks. All living forms have been
given plenty of opportunities to eat, drink, sleep and reproduce, but only
human body has been given the ability to merge with the Supreme Being. That
is why, Satguru Ji’s Bani calls it a wonderful chance to be one with the Creator;
one has enjoyed His creations in animal life forms too, but now is the chance to
meet the Creator of these creations:

ਭਈ ॥
ਇ ॥
This human body has come to thy hand.
This is thy chance to meet the Lord of the world.

(Sri Ang 378, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

And:
ਇ ਉ ਇ ॥
ਘਟ ਭ ॥
This is thine opportunity and this thy time.
Look thou into thy mind and reflect on this.

(Sri Ang 1159, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

On the ladder of existence, we have crawled and climbed many a rungs in the
form of previous lives, and we now stand on the golden rung, this human body,
that can lead us straight to Sachkhand. Sadly, man often falters and slips from
this rung and loses his balance:

ਇ ਉ ਇ ਇ ਇ ॥੨॥
The man who misses this opportunity, He suffers sorrow of coming and going.

(Sri Ang 1074, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

Life is a path, and human body is the traveller; Childhood, Adolescence, and Old
age are its three stages. Each stage is crowded with materials, friends and
relatives. Seeing the hustle and bustle of these stages, one’s consciousness
wavers and derails from the true path. There are dark clouds of five vices
along the way too, but Guru’s word and guidance prevents them from flooding
the path. In the end, only a few fortunate souls are able to cross the
meandering valleys and reach the final destination.

ਏ ॥
ਇ ਵਘਟ ਘ ਟ ॥੧੬੫॥
Kabir, crowds follow the path, the Pandits have traversed.
There is an arduous cliff on the way to the Lord, Kabir is scaling that cliff.

(Sri Ang 1373, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

The pleasures enjoyed by humans are absorbed via senses from external
sources. However, the real happiness within cannot be savoured with any sense
of sight, touch or smell. Enjoying the smaller, insignificant worldly pleasures,
one remains deprived of the incomparable, eternal blissful state:

ਉ ਭ ॥
ਇ ॥
The nine treasures and the Nectar are Lord's Name.
Within the Human body itself is its seat.

(Sri Ang 293, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

These nine treasures of His Name are beautifully laid on the platter of life, but
on their death, careless human beings end up mixing them in dirt:

ਇ ਵ ॥
The ignorant man loses the invaluable commodity of human life.

(Sri Ang 676, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

Life is like a dream; it lasts for a very short time and has no element of reality
in it. And anything that is not real is just a play; some are made kings in this
play while others play the part of beggars; some are sad and some are happy.
Those who understand the rules of this show will set off on a journey to find
the Truth, the Absolute Truth.

ਵ ਵ ॥
The worldly life is such that it is like a dream. The life is equal to a dream.

(Sri Ang 482, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

And:

ਉ ਉ ॥
ਇ ਭ ਵ ॥੨੩॥
As is a dream and a show, so know thou this world to be.
 Nanak, without the Lord, nothing is true in these.

(Sri Ang 1427, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

Life is like a stringed instrument, the breath and senses being its strings.
However, not everyone knows the art for creating beautiful music with this
instrument. It is easy to break its strings, but incredibly difficult to produce
divine sounds out of it. Broken breaths and displaced senses are witness to the
fact that we have ended up breaking the string instrument of life; that is why
there is no music in our bland lives.

ਵ ਟਟ ਈ ਭ ॥
ਵ ॥੧੦੩॥
Kabir, all the strings of the instrument, which I played upon, are broken.
What can the poor instrument do, when the player has departed?

(Sri Ang 1427, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj)

A musician is one who can tune his instrument and produce wonderful music;
and a Gursikh is one whose every action is in tune with Waheguru Ji’s own
voice.

Waheguru Ji, let us all pray in the lotus feet of Sri Guruji Maharaj that He
blesses us with the consciousness and wisdom with which we can concentrate
our senses on the One so that we can also produce this divine music.