Guru Nanak2

Thinking does not comprehend Him,
if one thinks a million times [*]
Prolonged silence and meditation
does not tranquil the mind
The hunger of the soul stops not
with loads of bread to appease
In (search of eternal truth) the end
intellectual smartness also stays behind
How can then we realize the Truth
and destroy the veils of illusion
Says Nanak
It is so written: to live in obedience
of His Divine Will~Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak explains that God cannot be thought. Thoughts work on concepts, debates and arguments in the world of mind. God cannot be seen through thoughts even one was to think a million times. One thought will lead to another and another creating a large web comprising of several superfluous ideas, arguments, debates – each one riding the crutches of its own ego to somehow win over the other − but not towards God. Similarly forced extended silence and meditation does not tranquil the mind in absolute sense as once the “exercise” is over, the mind starts wandering around, all over again. When satiety, alas, remains a theorized sojourn − greed keeps driving the mind regardless of the amount of wealth one may amass − how can the hunger of soul be appeased with mere loads of bread. All arguments, tricks, cleverness and intellectual smartness stay behind at the time of death.

The end, besides physical death, is the eternal search of truth. This search is possible by conforming to the teachings of the preceptor, the Guru. In our work-a-day mundane life, we observe that we all claim to believe in our holy book(s) but when it comes to our actions, they are not necessarily in conformation of the book. We claim to believe “the book” but never follow it. Verily, because of our attachment and influences of the sensory perceptions, our ego − in the garb of “individuality” – tempts and misguides us. Resultantly we ignorantly violate the tenets given to us, thereby leading a life of conflict, confusion, chaos and disharmony. by Rajender Krishan