INNER SEARCH: EVERYTHING IS INSIDE THE BODY
The human body is a great fortress; in it are its shops (senses).
By becoming the
Gurmukh (Spiritual Being) who comes to trade (Truth)
gathers the cargo of
the Divine Name. He deals (while living in this body-fortress)
in the treasure
of the Divine Name the True (eternal) Jewels and Diamonds.
Those who search
for this Wealth outside of the body, in other places, are
foolish demoniac
(in the human body). They wander around in the wilderness
of doubt, like the deer who
(not knowing that the musk is ever present in
his own body) searches
for the musk in the bushes (sggs 309).
<><><><>
Truth is Nirmal ever exclusive of any flaw.
If it has any flaw in it, then it cannot be called Truth. The Divine Substance
is that eternal Truth which resides inside the body as our Pure Aatmaan
( also called Self, Pure Consciousness, Truth, etc.). Hence we are as Divine as
we can get at this very moment (NOW). Even so, due to our ignorance of this True
Nature (which is "Joti-Svaroopa") of ours, the majority of us
are in forgetfulness of this subtle Truth. Therefore, as indicated in the Gurbani
and by the Mahaatamaas, man's urgent task in life is to give birth to his
new himself realize his True Being inside his own body while still alive
(Jeevanmukti)! For the Gurbani indicates "everything" to be inside
the body! Accordingly, the Gurbani recommends inner search and says "Bande
Khoj" ("O human being, search"); "Mann Khoj Maarag"
("O mind, seek out the way").
- bMdy
Koju idl hr roj nw iPru pryswnI mwih: O human being, search your own heart
every day, and do not wander around in confusion (sggs 727).
- mn
Koij mwrgu: Mann khoj maarag: mwrgu: O mind, seek out the way! (sggs 71).
- iehu srIru sBu Drmu hY ijsu AMdir
scy kI ivic joiq]guhj rqn...: This body is the home of Dharma; the Divine
Light of the True God is Within it. Hidden Within it are the jewels of mystery;
how rare is that Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), that selfless servant, who digs them
out. When someone realizes the All-pervading Soul, then he sees the Only One God
permeating, through and through. He sees the One, he believes in the One, and
with his ears, he listens only to the One (sggs 309).
- sB
ikCu Gr mih bwhir nwhI]bwhir tolY so Brim BulwhI: Sabh kish ghar mahi baahari
naahee. Baahari tolai so bharam bhulaahee: Everything is within the home of the
self; there is nothing beyond. One who searches outside is deluded by doubt (sggs
102).
- ivic kwieAw ngr lDw hir BwlI:
Vichi kaaiaa nagar ladhaa har bhaalee: Searching within the body-village, I have
found the Lord (sggs 1134).
- pRIqm bsq
ird mih Kor: Pritam basat rid mahi khor: My Beloved lives in the cave of
my heart (sggs 1121).
- sd hjUir hwjru hY
nwjru kqih n BieE dUrweI: Sad hajoore haajar hai naajar katahi na bhaio
dooraaee: He is always ever-present, here and now, watching over me; He is never
far away (sggs 1000).
- vrnw ichnw bwihrw
sBnw AMdr hY srbMgI: Varanaa chihanaa baahiraa sabhanaa andar hai sarabangee:
(God) is beyond social class and symbols; He pervades one and all (Vaar Bhaai
Gurdaas, Vaar 18, Pauri 10).
- Gt hI mwih
inrMjnu qyrY qY Kojq auidAwnw: Ghat hee maahi niranjan terai tai khojat
udiaanaa: The Immaculate Lord is within your heart, and yet you search for Him
in the wilderness (sggs 632).
Thus, "Bande Khoj"
or "Mann Khoj Maarag" is the journey within. To link with God,
this inner searching is needed. All major systems of Indian philosophy accept
Freedom (Mukti, Mokh) from bondage while still alive in the body as the
goal of human birth. Such state is indicated as an eternal Blissful (Anand)
state attaining which there is no more worldly sorrows, distress or unhappiness
(Dukha). Realization of this state (Unconditioned Self) is said to be the
end of all searching, hence needs to be pursued. The Gurbani indicates that man's
real enemy is ignorance ignorance of his Spiritual Nature ("Joti-Svaroopa").
By identifying with his body-mind-intellect apparatus instead of with his True
Self ("Joti-Svaroopa"), man attributes its limitations to himself
and thereby plunges into worldly sorrows . Thereby the Gurbani highlights
that unless man increases in Spiritual Wisdom all his knowledge will be of no
avail in rooting out his worldly Dukha. It is often repeated in the Gurbani
that the journey to the "Joti-Svaroopa" (Real Self) is anything
but smooth and it is the innermost. Therefore, a seeker of Truth must direct his
search (Khoj) within by restraining his senses. However, the Gurbani reiterates
that a great soul (Gurmukh) of that type is rare to find in this world.
- srIrhu Bwlix ko bwhir jwey]nwmu n lhY bhuqu
vygwir duKu pwey: Sareerahu bhaalan ko baahar jaaye. Naam na lahai bahut
vegaar dukh paaye: Those who search for the Divine out side the body will not
receive the Name; consequently, they will suffer the terrible pains of sense-slavery
(sggs 124).
- ivxu kweAw ij hor QY Dnu Kojdy
sy mUV byqwly ] sy auJiV Brim BvweIAih ijau
JwV imrgu Bwly: Vin kaaiaa je hor thai dhan khojday say moorh baytaalay.
Say ujharh bharam bhavaaeeah jiou jhaarh mirag bhaalay: Those who search for this
treasure outside of the body, in other places, are foolish demons. They wander
around in the wilderness of doubt, like the deer who searches for the musk in
the bushes (sggs 309).
- mn myirAw AMqir
qyrY inDwnu hY bwhir vsqu n Bwil: Mann mayriaa antar tayrai nidhaan hai
baahar vasat na bhaal: O my mind, the Treasure is within you; do not search for
it on the outside (sggs 569).
- bwhir FUFq
bhuqu duKu pwvih Gir AMimRqu Gt mwhI jIau: Baahari dhoondat bahut dukh
paavahi ghari amrit ghat mahee jeeu: By searching around on the outside, you will
only suffer great pain; Amrit (Immortality) is found within the Home of your own
Being (sggs 598).
- Awpu Koij Koij imly
kbIrw: Aapu khoji khoji mile Kabeeraa: Searching, searching within the
self, Kabeer has met the Lord (sggs 1159).
- qnu
mnu Koij GrY mih pwieAw: Tanu manu khoj gharai mahi paaiaa: Searching my
body and mind, I found Divine within the Home of my own Heart (sggs 1129).
- ivic
kwieAw ngr lDw hir BwlI: Vichi kaaiaa nagar ladhaa har bhaalee: Searching
within the body-village, I have found the Lord (sggs 1134).
- hau
FUMFyNdI sjxw sjxu mYfY nwil: Haou dhoondhenadhee sajanaa sajan maidai
naal: I was seeking and searching for my Friend-God, but my Friend-God is right
here with me (sggs 1318).
- mY Kojq Kojq
jI hir inhclu su Gru pwieAw: Mai khojat khojat jee har nihachal su ghar
paaiaa: I searched and searched, and found the Immovable and Unchanging Reality
within my body (sggs 785).
- ijsu kwrix
hMau FUMiF FUFydI so sjxu hir Gir pwieAw: Jis kaaran hanou dhoond dhoodedee
so sajan har ghar paaiaa: That God I was seeking and searching without, I have
found Him within my body (sggs 572).
- Ab
FUFn kqhu n jweI: Ab dhoodan katahu na jaaee: Now, I do not go searching
anywhere else (sggs 621).
- Kojq Kojq inj
Gru pwieAw: Khojat khojat nij ghar paaiaa: Seeking and searching, I have
found (God) deep within the Home of my own Being (sggs 181).
- ds
ids Kojq mY iPirE jq dyKau qq soie: Das dis khojat mai firio jat dekhaou
tat soi: I have wandered, searching in the ten directions - wherever I look, there
I see God (sggs 298).
- mY mnu qnu Koij
KojyidAw so pRBu lDw loiV: Mai manu tunu khoji khojediaa so prabh ladhaa
lorri: Searching and examining my mind and body, I have found that God within,
whom I longed for (sggs 313).
- dh ids Kojq
hm iPry myry lwl jIau hir pwieAVw Gir Awey rwm: Dah dis khojat ham fire
mere laal jeeou har paaiarraa ghar aaye raam: I wandered around, searching in
the ten directions, O my dear beloveds, but I came to find the Lord within my
own body (sggs 542).
- sBo scu scu scu vrqY
gurmuiK koeI jwxY: Sabho sach sach sach vartai gurmukh koee jaanai: All
is Truth; Truth, and Truth alone is pervading; how rare is the Gurmukh, spiritual
being, who knows this (sggs 754).
Therefore, the Gurbani time
and again tells us to look inwards to know the Reality. But because the consciousness
of most people is attuned to the physical aspect of life, it's hard to believe
or accept the simple Truth that everything is within the body. Consequently, most
of us don't take our senses and parts of our body (hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue
act.) as that of God and use them in godly way.
- kwieAw
AMdir Awip vis rihAw Awpy rs BogI: Kaaiaa andar aap vas rahiaa aape ras
bhogee: The Lord Himself dwells within the body; He Himself is the Enjoyer of
pleasures (sggs 514).
- sB ikCu Gr mih bwhir
nwhI]bwhir tolY so Brim BulwhI: Sabh kish ghar mahi baahari naahee. Baahari
tolai so bharam bhulaahee: Everything is within, the home of the Self; there is
nothing beyond. One who searches outside is deluded by doubts (sggs 102).
- AMqir
vsqu mUVw bwhru Bwly]mnmuK AMDy iPrih byqwly]ijQY vQu hovY iqQhu koie n pwvY mnmuK
Brim BulwvixAw: Antar vasat mooraa baahur bhaale.
Manmukh andhe phire betaale...: Deep Within the Self is the secret, but the fool
looks for it outside. The blind Manmukhs (one in material consciousness) wander
around like demons; but where the secret is, there, they do not find it. The Manmukhs
are deluded by doubt (sggs 117).
- bwhru
Bwly su ikAw lhY vQu GrY AMdir BweI: Baahar bhaale su kiaa lahai vathu
gharai andar bhaaee: Searching outwardly, what can anyone find? O brother, the
Commodity is deep within the body (sggs 425).
- dh
ids FUiF GrY mih pwieAw: Deh dis dhoodh gharai mahi paaiaa: I Searched
God in the ten directions, but found Him within my body (sggs 932).
- mnmuKu
mugDu bUJY nwhI bwhir Bwlix jweI: Manmukh mugadh boojhai naahee baahar
bhaalan jaaee: The foolish Manmukh (material being) does not understand; he goes
out searching for the Divine externally (sggs 754).
- FFw
FUFq kh iPrhu FUFnu ieAw mn mwih: Dhadhaa dhoodhat kah firahu dhoodhan
iaa mann maahi: Dhadhaa: DHADHA: Where are you going, wandering and searching?
Search instead within your own mind. God is with you, so why do you wander around
from forest to forest? (sggs 256).
- AwieE
lwBu lwBn kY qweI mohin TwgaurI isau auliJ phw: Aaiou laabh laabhan kai
taaee mohan t(h)aagouree siou oulajh pahaa : He comes in search of profits, but
he is entangled in the enticing illusion of Maya (sggs 1203).
In
fact, as time and again stated in the Gurbani, man's searching outside of this
body becomes the cause of his worldly sorrows. Those who search (God, Peaceful
and contended mind, Bliss and so on) outside, the Gurbani calls them "foolish"
and "Manmukhs" (person in worldly consciousness). The Gurbani
reminds us that the consciousness of the "foolish" and "Manmukhs",
distracted and unstable, wanders around in search of transitory things ("Chalanhaar").
- mnmuK AMdru n BwlnI muTy AhMmqy:
Manmukh andar na bhaalnee muthay ahamtay: The Manmukhs do not search within their
own selves; they are deluded by heir egotistical pride (sggs 1093).
- pr
Gr johih Gru nhI Bwlih: Par ghar johahi ghar nahee bhaalahi: It looks into
the homes of others, but does not search its own home. (sggs 1021).
- shu
nyVY Dn kMmlIey bwhru ikAw FUFyih: Saho nerhai dhan kammleeay baahar kiaa
dhoodhayhi: Your Husband Lord is so very near, O foolish (soul-bride); why do
you search for Him outside? (sggs 722).
- FFw
FUFq kh iPrhu FUFnu ieAw mn mwih: Dhadhaa dhoodhat kah firahu dhoodhan
iaa mann maahi: DHADHA: Where are you going, wandering and searching? Search instead
within your own mind (sggs 256).
- FFw iFg
FUFih kq Awnw: Dhadhaa dhig dhoodhahi kat aanaa: DHADHA: Why do you search
in other directions? (sggs 341).
- icqu clY
ivqu jwvxo swkq foil folwie: Chit chalai vit jaavno saakat dol dolaai:
Unstable and distracted, the consciousness of the wicked, faithless cynics wanders
around in search of transitory wealth (sggs 63).
- iqs
sau nyhu n kIceI ij idsY clxhwru: Tis saou nehu na keechayee ji disai chalanhaar:
Don't fall in love with one destined to leave (sggs 1410).
The
Gurbani shows us the way to realize the state of "everything" within.
We need to become the Gurmukhs (Spiritual Beings with Spiritual qualities)
adopt Spiritual or Aatamic- Jeevan, hang out with the Saadh-Sangat
(Holy or Spiritual Company of the Gurmukhs), Naam-Simran, and reflect
(Vichaar) on the Guru's Shabad. These Spiritual practices will
help our minds to get established in "Sahaj" and look inwards
to know Truth. If followed with sincerity and dedication, the Guru's Shabad
helps Free us from negation.
- krhu ibbyku
sMq jn BweI Koij ihrdY dyiK FMFolI: Karahu bibek sant jan bhaaee khoj hirdai
dekh dhandholee: Consider this well, O Saints, O Siblings of Destiny - search
your own earts, seek and find Him there (sggs 168).
- qnu
mnu Kojy qw nwau pwey]Dwvqu rwKY Twik rhwey: Tan manu khojay taa naaou
paaye. Dhaavat raakhe thaak rahaaye: Search your body and mind, and find the Name.
Restrain your wandering mind, and keep it in check (sggs 110).
- ijn
gurmuiK Koij FMFoilAw iqn AMdrhu hI scu lwiDAw: Jin gurmukh khoj dhandholiaa
tin andrahu hee sach laadhiaa: Those Gurmukhs who search and seek, find the True
One within hemselves (sggs 313).
- gur kY
sbid iehu guPw vIcwry ]nwmu inrMjnu AMqir vsY murwry: Gur kai sabad ih
gufaa veechaaray. Naam niranjan antar vasai muraare: Through the Word of the Gur-Shabad,
search this cave of the Heart. The Immaculate Naam abides deep within the Self
(sggs 127).
- AMdru Kojy sbdu swlwhy
bwhir kwhy jwhw hy: Andar khojay sabad saalaahay baahar kaahay jaahaa hay:
So search within yourself, and praise the Shabad. Why run around outside our self?
(sggs 1056).
- ijnI AMdru BwilAw gur sbid
suhwvY: Jinee andar bhaaliaa gur sabad suhaavai: Those who search their
inner beings, through the Gur-Shabad, are exalted and adorned (sggs 1091).
- scVw
dUir n BwlIAY Git Git sbdu pCwxovw: Sachrhaa door na bhaaleeai ghat ghat
sabad pachhaanovaa: Do not search for the True Lord far away; recognize the Word
of the Shabad in each and every heart (sggs 581).
- gurmuiK
Koij lhih jn pUry ieau smdrsI cInw hy: Gurmukh khoj lahahi jan pooray iou
samadrasee cheenaa hay: The Gurmukhs search for Him and find Him; they are the
perfect humble beings. In this way, they see Him, who looks upon all alike (sggs
1028).
- gur syvw qy suKu pweIAY hor QY suKu
n Bwil: Gur sevaa tay sukh paaeeai hor thai sukh na bhaal: Serving the
Guru, peace is obtained; do not search for peace anywhere else( sggs 548).
- Koj
AsMKw Aink qpMQw ibnu gur nhI phUcw: Khoj asankhaa anik tapanthaa bin gur
nahee pahoochaa: Millions search for Him, on various paths, but without the Guru,
none find Him (sggs 534).
- mn krhlw myry
pRIqmw hir irdY Bwil Bwlwie: Man karhalaa maere pareetamaa har ridai bhaal
bhaalaai: O my beloved camel-like mind, search for the Lord within your own heart
(sggs 234).
- nwnk Koij lhhu Gru Apnw
hir Awqm rwm nwmu pwieAw: Naanak khoj lahhu ghar apnaa har aatam raam naam
paaiaa: O Nanak, search and examine your own inner being, and you will find the
Supreme Soul, and the Name of the Lord (sggs 1039-40).
- idl
mih Koij idlY idil Kojhu eyhI Taur mukwmw: Dil mahi khoj dilai dil khojahu
ayhee thaur mukaamaa: So search in your heart - look deep into your heart of hearts;
this is the home and the place where God lives (sggs 1349).
- FUMF
v\weI QIAw iQqw: Dhoondh vanjaaee theeaa thitaa: (Now) My search has ended,
(for my mind ) has become stable (sggs 964).
- imit
geI Bwl mnu shij smwnw: Mit gaee bhaal man sahj samaanaa: My search has
ended, and my mind is absorbed in celestial bliss (389).
- iesu
mn kau koeI Kojhu BweI: Is mann kaou koee khojahu bhaaee: Anyone can search
for this mind, O Siblings of Destiny (330).
Knowledge of the Self
(Aatam-Giaan) is to be aware of the Soul's immortal nature. Although the
nature of the body is mortal, but it's very much a part of the Infinite and the
Absolute for one can realize Greater Reality within the body while living
in it. To tread this path of adhering to truthful living one needs to exercise
one's unshakable determination and the sense of discrimination (Viveka-Budhi).
In spite of of all our efforts, if we are still unable to realize "everything"
within the body, then, as the Gurbani tells us, we must have some fault (self-created)
in our body. The mirror of the mind is dirty.
- FUFydIey
suhwg kU qau qin kweI kor: Dhoodhaydeeay suhaag koo taou tan kaaee kor:
You search for your Husband Lord (but still no avail in spite of all the efforts);
(it means) you must have some fault in your body (sggs 1384).
- bwhir
FUMiF ivgucIAY Gr mih vsqu suQwie]mnmuiK haumY kir musI gurmuiK plY pwie:
Baahar dhoondh vigucheeai ghar mahi vasat suthaai...: Searching outside of themselves,
people are ruined; the object of their search is in that sacred place within the
Home of the Heart. The Manmukhs (material beings), in their ego, miss it; the
Gurmukhs (Spiritual Beings) Realize it (sggs 63).
- mnmuK
AMdru n BwlnI muTy AhMmqy]cwry kuMfW Biv Qky AMdir iqK qqy: Manmukh andar
na bhaalnee muthe aham-mate. Chaare kundaa bhavi thakke andari tikh tatte: The
egoistic beings (Manmukhs) do not search within their own selves; they
are deluded by their egotistical pride. Wandering in the four directions, they
grow weary, tormented by burning desire within (sggs 1093).
- nau
iniD AMimRqu pRB kw nwmu]dyhI mih ies kw ibsRwmu: The nine treasures and
Amrit is the Lord's Name. Within the human body is its place of rest (sggs 293).
- cwvl iekqy s`t n dUjI vwhIAY: Husk
in the form of maya should be separated from the rice of life with strokes of
discipline during this very life (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas).
— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org
To read Gurbani verses in Gurmukhi, click here to download Gurmukhi font.
Updated on
Friday, August 1, 2008 10:29 PM
(PST)
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