A man under the control of the outward motion of his mind becomes an animal if he thinks the demands of his bodily senses are supreme. Four things are said to be common in animals and a sense-blind person: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Due to the identification with the body-mind, the majority of us essentially conduct ourselves in these four animal propensities. Having the belly filled and empty mind is nothing but the animal nature. The effects of such conditioned consciousness are so overwhelming that we remain in body-consciousness till the death of the physical body. As a result, we never get to take off from the levels of falsehood and selfishness into the heights of spontaneity and perfection in life (Jeevan Padavee).

• ਖਾਤ ਪੀਤ ਖੇਲਤ ਹਸਤ ਬਿਸਥਾਰ ॥ ਕਵਨ ਅਰਥ ਮਿਰਤਕ ਸੀਗਾਰ ॥੨॥ ਜੋ ਨ ਸੁਨਹਿ ਜਸੁ ਪਰਮਾਨੰਦਾ ॥ ਪਸੁ ਪੰਖੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਗਦ ਜੋਨਿ ਤੇ ਮੰਦਾ ॥: Khaat peet khelat hasat bisathaar. Kavan arath miratak seegaar. ||2|| Jo na sunahi jas paramaanandaa. Pasu pankhee trigad joni te mandaa: (People devoid of the Naam) make ostentaion of eating, drinking, playing, and laughing. (But it's as) useless as decorations on a dead body ||2|| Those who do not listen to the Praises (ਸਿਫ਼ਤ-ਸਾਲਾਹ) of the Supreme Bliss, are worse off than beasts, birds or creeping creatures (sggs 188).
• ਮਾਣਸ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ॥ ਕਰਣੀ ਕੁਤਾ ਦਰਿ ਫੁਰਮਾਨੁ ॥: Maanas moorati Nanak naam. Karanee kuttaa dari phurmaan: O Nanak, man looks human beings in form and name only; but in his deeds or conduct he behaves like a dog - who sits at (his master's) door and follows his commands for food only (sggs 350).
• ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਅੰਧੁਲੇ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਪਸੂ ਭਏ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥: Manmukh andhule gurmati na bhaaee. Pasoo bhaye abhimaan na jaaee: The Manmukh (material being) is blind; he does not like the Divine Teachings (Gurmati). He has become a beast; he cannot get rid of his egoistic pride (sggs 1190).
• ਕਰਤੂਤਿ ਪਸੂ ਕੀ ਮਾਨਸ ਜਾਤਿ ॥ ਲੋਕ ਪਚਾਰਾ ਕਰੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੇਖ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮਲੁ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਛਪਸਿ ਨਾਹਿ ਕਛੁ ਕਰੈ ਛਪਾਇਆ ॥: kartoot pasoo kee maanas jaat. Lok pachaaraa karai din raat. Bahri bhekh antar mal Maya. Shapasi naahi kashu karai shapaaiaa: They (ਮਾਇਆ-ਧਾਰੀ ਜੀਵ - those in love with Maya, etc.) belong to the human species, but they act like animals. Day and night, they make show (ਲੋਕ ਦਿਖਾਵੇ ਦੇ ਕੰਮ). Outwardly, they (those who act like animals) wear religious robes, but within is the filth of Maya. They cannot conceal (their inner filth with outwardly wearing religious robes) (sggs 267).
• ਮੂਲੁ ਨ ਬੂਝਹਿ ਆਪਣਾ ਸੇ ਪਸੂਆ ਸੇ ਢੋਰ ਜੀਉ ॥: Moolu na boojhahi aapanaa se pasooaa se dhor jeeou: Those who do not understand their own Mool (Source, Origin, Jot...); they are beasts and they are cattle (i.e., great fools of animal intellect-ਡੰਗਰ ਬੁਧੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਮਹਾਂ ਮੂਰਖ)! (sggs 751).

A weak body has weak faculties. For a man to progress spiritually and otherwise, both the healthy body and mind are necessary. For one to meditate or perform other functions with an unhealthy body is a uphill struggle. To the contrary, if the body is healthy but the mind is weak, then both will be unable to function equally well. Hence a healthy body is not sufficient, healthy mind is also must. A healthy body without a strong mind is like a ship without a captain. A healthy mind is wise, thoughtful, purposeful, intuitively balanced, unselfish, desireless and focused. To prosper properly, a healthy body needs to be guided by such a wise mind. If the body is full but the mind is empty, then regardless how healthy the body may be, it is useless. Since the body is an instrument in the hands of the mind, it can serve its purpose well only if it is guided by a wise mind. If a body has a mind that is weak, sense-blind, selfish, corrupt, deceptive, unrighteous, untruthful, fearful, lacking understanding, poisoned by ill thoughts-stuff, etc., that body is a total wrack or a disaster waiting to happen.

• ਵਲਵੰਚ ਕਰਿ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰਹਿ ਮੂਰਖ ਗਾਵਾਰਾ ॥: Valvanch kar udar bharahi moorakh gaavaaraa: Practicing deceit, you fill your belly, you ignorant fool! (sggs 461).
• ਕਰਿ ਪਰਪੰਚੁ ਜਗਤ ਕਉ ਡਹਕੈ ਅਪਨੋ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰੈ ॥: Kar parpanch jagat kaou dahkai apno udar bharai: Practicing deception, you try to cheat the world, and so you fill your belly (sggs 536).
• ਕਰਿ ਪਰਪੰਚ ਉਦਰ ਨਿਜ ਪੋਖਿਓ ਪਸੁ ਕੀ ਨਿਆਈ ਸੋਇਓ ॥: Kar parpanch udar nij pokhio pasu kee niaaee soio: Practicing hypocrisy, man fills his belly, and then sleep like an animal (sggs 633).
  

The Gurbani ndicates that the man is "Joti-Svaroopa", made in the true image of the Divine Light. What it means is that the Absolute Spirit has endowed the man with Divine Qualities such as truth, even-mindedness, contentment, knowledge, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, humility, goodwill, love for all, and so on. However the wall of falsehood (false ego-sense or Haume) has veiled these fine Qualities. The purpose of body-mind is to awaken these Divine Qualities within so that we all may know and understand our godly status. If we do not strive to reach that highest level of moral excellence, than there is no difference between us and the animal.

• ਗੁਣ ਵਿਹੂਣ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਲੁ ਧਾਰੀ ॥ : Gun bihoon Maya mall dhaaree: Those without Virtue (ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤਿ-ਸਾਲਾਹ, Truth, etc.) are stained by the filth of Maya (sggs 367).
• ਫਿਟੁ ਇਵੇਹਾ ਜੀਵਿਆ ਜਿਤੁ ਖਾਇ ਵਧਾਇਆ ਪੇਟੁ ॥: Fit ivayhaa jeeviaa jit khaai vadhaaiaa pett: Cursed is that life, in which one only eats to fill his belly (sggs 790).
• ਮਾਰੂ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਦੀਨੁ ਬਿਸਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ਦਿਵਾਨੇ ਦੀਨੁ ਬਿਸਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਪੇਟੁ ਭਰਿਓ ਪਸੂਆ ਜਿਉ ਸੋਇਓ ਮਨੁਖੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਹੈ ਹਾਰਿਓ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਕਬਹੂ ਨਹੀ ਕੀਨੀ ਰਚਿਓ ਧੰਧੈ ਝੂਠ ॥ ਸੁਆਨ ਸੂਕਰ ਬਾਇਸ ਜਿਵੈ ਭਟਕਤੁ ਚਾਲਿਓ ਊਠਿ ॥੧॥ ਆਪਸ ਕਉ ਦੀਰਘੁ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਨੈ ਅਉਰਨ ਕਉ ਲਗ ਮਾਤ ॥ ਮਨਸਾ ਬਾਚਾ ਕਰਮਨਾ ਮੈ ਦੇਖੇ ਦੋਜਕ ਜਾਤ ॥੨॥ ਕਾਮੀ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੀ ਚਾਤੁਰੀ ਬਾਜੀਗਰ ਬੇਕਾਮ ॥ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰਤੇ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਰਾਨੋ ਕਬਹੂ ਨ ਸਿਮਰਿਓ ਰਾਮੁ ॥੩॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਚੇਤੈ ਨਹੀ ਮੂਰਖੁ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਗਵਾਰੁ ॥ ਰਾਮੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਾਨਿਓ ਨਹੀ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰਿ ॥੪॥੧॥: Maaroo Kabeer jeeou || Deen bisaariyo re divaane deen bisaariyo re ...:  Maaroo Kabeer jeeou. O madman, You have forgotten your Dharma; you have forgotten your Dharma. Like animals, you fill your belly and sleep; you have wasted and lost this human life. ||1||Pause|| You never joined the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. You are engrossed in false pursuits. Wandering like a dog, a pig, a crow you will depart (from this world). ||1|| Those who in thought, word and deed consider themself to be great and others lowly; I have seen such people going to hell (i.e., such egoistic people live their lives in hellish existence).  ||2|| The lustful, the angry, the clever, the deceitful and the lazy waste their lives in slander, and never remember their Lord in meditation. ||3|| Says Kabeer, the fools, the idiots and the brutes do not remember the Lord. They do not know the Lord’s Name; how can they be carried across (from this dreadful ocean of the worldliness)? ||4||1|| (sggs 1105).
• ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸੁਨਿ ਕਛੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਨ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਪਸੁ ਜਿਉ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰਉ ॥: Gurmati suni kashu giaan n upjio pasu jiou udar bharaou: Despite listening to the Gurmati (Shabad-Giaan, Divine Teaching of the Gur-Shabad, etc.), (if) no spiritual wisdom (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੀ ਕੁਝ ਭੀ ਸੂਝ) wells up within (me); (then it would be) like a beast (routinely) filling its belly (sggs 685).
• ਸੁਆਨ ਪੂਛ ਜਿਉ ਹੋਇ ਨ ਸੂਧੋ ਕਹਿਓ ਨ ਕਾਨ ਧਰੈ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਜੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਨਿਤ ਜਾ ਤੇ ਕਾਜੁ ਸਰੈ ॥੨॥੧॥: Suaan poosh jiyu hoi na soodho kahio na kaan dharai. Kahu Nanak bhaj Raam naam nit jaa te kaaj sarai ||2||1||: Like a dog’s tail, this (mind) cannot be straightened; it will not listen to what (anybody) says (any Advice, Instructions,Teaching, etc. - ਕਿਸੇ ਦੀ ਭੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੋਈ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ). Says Nanak, forever meditate on the Lord's Name and your affairs (the ultimate purpose life, etc.) will get resolved (i.e., ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਬਰਕਤਿ ਨਾਲ ਤੇਰਾ ਜਨਮ-ਮਨੋਰਥ ਹੱਲ ਹੋ ਜਾਏ) ||2||1|| (sggs 536).

The history reports many people have reached the level marked by God. The case in point is Baabaa Nanak, Kabeer, Ravi Daas, Naam Dev, and many more throughout the world.

They added to the glory of the mankind. They were unselfish people, above others in terms of Divine Qualities. If they can reach the highest level of moral excellence, we can do it too. Nobody can stop us but ourselves. Any unselfish person is an asset to human society. Call such a person by whatever name you like, he pursues unselfishness and truthful life without worrying about the consequences. Today the world is full of danger, threat, conflicts and weapons of mass destruction. Because the mind of the world leaders (religious, political and otherwise) are full of selfishness, corruption, frauds, deception, hatred, animosity, greed, anger and fanaticism. Their bellies are full but the minds are vacant. If these leaders have the mind of Nanak, Buddha, Christ, etc., there would be love, generosity, goodwill, kindness and peace in the world.

• ਖਿੰਚੋਤਾਣਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਬੇਤਾਲੇ ॥: Khinchotaan karahi betaale: The demons stir up conflict and strife (sggs 1031).
• ਅੰਧਾ ਝਖਿ ਝਖਿ ਪਇਆ ਝੇਰਿ ॥: Andhaa jhakh jhakh paiaa jheri: The blind fool is caught in conflict, bothered and bewildered (sggs 1287).
• ਥਾਨਸਟ ਜਗ ਭਰਿਸਟ ਹੋਏ ਡੂਬਤਾ ਇਵ ਜਗੁ ॥: Thaansatt jag bhrishat hoye doobtaa iv jag: The holy places of worship in the world are polluted, and so the world is drowning (sggs 662).
• ਮੈਲੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੰਡਾਇ ਕੈ ਈਸ ॥: Mailae brahamandaae kai ees: The rulers of kingdoms are corrupt (sggs 1158).

Man has come a long way. Science has made tremendous progress to make people's life comfortable, at least physically or materially. Food production is on the rise. The countries that did not have enough food are self-sufficient now. Many are doing much better than before. As a result, less and less people are dying of starvation. The bellies are getting filled like never before. Now is the time to fill the mind.

• ਅੰਦਰੁ ਖਾਲੀ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਢਹਿ ਢੇਰੀ ਤਨੁ ਛਾਰੁ ॥: Andar khaalee parem bin dhahi dheree tan chhaar: If the inner being is empty without love, the body is wasted (sggs 62).
• ਨਾਮ ਬਿਹੂਨਾ ਤਨੁ ਮਨੁ ਹੀਨਾ ਜਲ ਬਿਨੁ ਮਛੁਲੀ ਜਿਉ ਮਰੈ ॥: Naam bihoonaa tan man heenaa jal bin machhulee jiou marai: Without the Divine Naam, the body-mind are empty; like fish out of water, they die (sggs 80).
• ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਮਨ ਹੀਨਾ ॥: Raam naam bin jeevan man heenaa: Without the Lord's Name, life is mindless (858).
• ਕਾਚੀ ਪਿੰਡੀ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਚੀਨੈ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰੈ ਜੈਸੇ ਢੋਰੈ ॥: Kaachee pindee sabad na cheenai udar bharai jaisay dhorai: One's perishable body does not remember the Word of the Shabad; like a beast, he fills his belly (sggs 1012).
• ਉਦਰੁ ਨੈ ਸਾਣੁ ਨ ਭਰੀਐ ਕਬਹੂ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਪਚਾਏ ॥: Udar nai saan na bhareeai kabhoo tarisnaa agan pachaaye: Man's belly is like a river - it is never filled up. For he is consumed by the fire of desire (sggs 1131).
• ਬਿਨੁ ਵਖਰ ਸੂਨੋ ਘਰੁ ਹਾਟੁ ॥: Bin vakhar soono ghar haat: Without the Divine Name, the store of the mind is empty (sggs 153).

What is filled mind? The filled mind is heightened awareness and wisdom (the Gurmukh) — to become Nanak-like, Buddha-like, Raam-like, Christ-like, and so on. Such mind leads us to dwell deeply in the eternity of the "now", and brings about a true shift in our awareness from being infatuated by egoistic postures and constant obsession with objects of desire and material pleasures. Also, true and constant mindfulness makes us aware of what is going on within and around us; it makes us see the same Paramaatam in all beings; it enables us to handle daily unforeseeable or unpredictable eventualities of a conditional and impermanent world; and it develops undivided remembrance of the Universal Truth.

With truly filled mind if we investigate ourselves, we will discover bitter truths in ourselves — we are selfish, resentful, egocentric, stubborn, opinionated, prejudiced, biased, fanatic, wicked, unstable, distracted, illusioned, crooked, foolish, untruthful, materialist (Manmukhs), greedy, unwilling to change, unloving to our Mool (Source...), thinking ourselves to be always right and everybody else to be wrong, and so on. The discovery of these truths is the most rewarding experience. In the absence of genuine mindfulness, these truths about ourselves remain unexposed. However, without learning these truths, though bitter, we cannot expect to be delivered from deeply rooted psychological and spiritual pain and suffering. As we can see, it is of no use to have the bellies filled if our minds are empty!

• ਸੋ ਜਨੁ ਰਲਾਇਆ ਨਾ ਰਲੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਿਬੇਕ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥: So jan ralaaiaa naa ralai jis antar bibayk beechaar: Those humble beings who are filled with keen understanding and meditative contemplation—even though they intermingle with others, they remain distinct (sggs 28).
• ਸੋ ਜੀਵਿਆ ਜਿਸੁ ਮਨਿ ਵਸਿਆ ਸੋਇ ॥: So jeeviaa jis mani vasiaa soi: They alone are truly alive, whose minds are filled with the Supreme Truth (sggs 142).
• ਮੇਰੈ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਲਗਾ ਹਰਿ ਢੋਲੇ ਜੀਉ ॥: Mayrai man tan paraym lagaa har dholay jeeou: My mind and body are filled with the Divine Love (sggs 173).

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Page modified: Saturday, May 12, 2012 12:18 PM (PST)

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