Sometimes, we are advised to “leave” this materialistic life, and retreat to the jungles, caves, and mountains. It is said that this will help in “finding” the truth, because daily life is full of sham and drudgery. But the Guru Granth Sahib says He can be found right here:
Deep within my heart, the Guru has shown me the home of my being;
My mind is imbued with peace and poise, O my fellow travelers.
A town has two parallel streets. One day, a man comes from one street, and passes by the other street. His eyes are flowing with tears, and the residents of the second street presume that a death has occurred in the first, thus the tears. However, they do not ask for the real reason. Word soon spreads of the assumed death, and now the conversation turns to what could be the reason. Rumours spread of the cause of death, and many people say it could be the plague. People stop going between the two streets now, and the residents decide to leave the “stricken” city. The residents of each of the two streets leave in separate directions.
The town soon becomes a ruin. Now, there are two towns on either sides of the ruin, and they talk of their “great escape” from the plague. If only they had interacted with each other, they would have learned that the man had been crying from having peeled a large number of onions! Guru Granth Sahib tells us not to run away. It encourages us to explore ourselves, and guides us to face our demons — anger, lust, and jealousy. As we understand them, and the weaknesses that they cause, we will find the tool of His Word to defeat and master them. There is no need to retreat to caves, forests, and mountains, it is all right here:
The villains have been mastered, and goodness prevails,
I am now Your Own Mansion and Temple, O Lord.
This first appeared on 15 March, 2015. The writer is not writing due to unavoidable circumstances.