It’s worth to pursue the ultimate aim of the human life as mentioned in the Gurbani – become the Gurmukh (spiritual being, follower of the Truth and truthful living, etc.). Otherwise, says the Gurbani, it will be really unfortunate if we were to die false.
- ਮਾਤਾ ਜੂਠੀ ਪਿਤਾ ਭੀ ਜੂਠਾ ਜੂਠੇ ਹੀ ਫਲ ਲਾਗੇ ॥ ਆਵਹਿ ਜੂਠੇ ਜਾਹਿ ਭੀ ਜੂਠੇ ਜੂਠੇ ਮਰਹਿ ਅਭਾਗੇ ॥੧॥: Maataa joothee pitaa bhee joothaa…: (sggs 1195).
Dukha and Sukha (happiness and sorrow, joy and suffering, ups and downs of life, etc.) are the inseparable part of life. The Gurbani tirelessly labors to help us awaken evenness of the mind (equanimity) to cope with these life’s vagaries properly. When we identify with the gross body rather than our Originality (Jot Saroop, Unconditioned Consciousness, ਮੂਲ, etc.), that leads us to what the Gurbani calls Haume (“ਮੈ ਮੈ”, “I, I” or “I-ness”, “mine, mine”, ਆਪਾ-ਭਾਵ, the feeling of possessiveness, Mool, etc.). Then we consider the worldly gross objects as a source of joy, or get attached to everything (ਮੋਹ).
Accordingly, the Gurbani urges us recognize the difference between the body-mind-intellect personality and the Originality (Jot Saroop, Unconditioned Consciousness, etc.).
- ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਅਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥੫॥: Iou kahai Nanaku man toon joti saroopu hai apanaa moolu pashaanu ||5||: (sggs 441).
Thus, once the dichotomy between the gross body and the Originality is understood, then there is a gradual shift in our vision from the fleeting or false (ਅਸੱਤ) to the permanent and True (ਸੱਤ). This shift or change in the vision will bring about the real understanding of this material world (ਜਗਤ) and our place in it from a detached perspective. This understanding of the subject-object relationship will free us from the torture of fears and the worldly sorrows.
The Gurbani advises us not to wait and realize the urgency to seek the ultimate goal, one beyond which there could be nothing higher.