Real Impurity Is Greed, Lying, Envy, and Gossip
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Here's what real impurity actually is: greed in the mind, lies on the tongue,
wanting what belongs to others with your eyes, and listening to gossip with your ears. Those are the things that truly stain a person.
After setting aside the idea of ritual dirtiness, Guru Nanak names what real impurity is. It is all about how we use ourselves.
Man kaa sootak lobh hai — the impurity of the mind is greed. Jihvaa sootak koorh — the impurity of the tongue is lying. The impurity of the eyes is staring with longing at what belongs to others. The impurity of the ears is listening to gossip about people.
Notice how everyday these are. Greed, lying, envy, gossip. These are the things that really make a heart grubby. The verse ends by warning that a soul caught in them goes away bound.
Think of your body as a house with four doors: mind, tongue, eyes and ears. What comes in, and what goes out, matters most.
So do not worry about touching the "wrong" thing. Watch what you let into your mind, say with your tongue, want with your eyes and listen to with your ears. Keep those clean, and you are clean where it counts.
Which of these — greed, lies, envy, or gossip — is the one you'd most like to keep out of your days?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI