Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
So much of what we chase in the world is like a dream — vivid while it lasts, then gone.
Mistaking the dream for the real thing, I grabbed at it and let the true treasure slip away.
So much of what we chase is like a dream.
Kabir begins with a big idea. Jag jeevan aisaa supnay jaisaa — life in the world is like a dream. He does not mean the world is not there. He means many things we chase are dream-like. They feel so real while they last. Then we wake up, and they are gone.
Then he is honest about himself. Saach kar ham gaath deenee — thinking it was real, I held on tight. Chhod param nidhaanan — and I let go of the greatest treasure, the One.
Think of a dream where you win a giant prize. You wake up with empty hands. Enjoy the good things in life. Just do not give your whole heart to the dream-things as if they were everything, or you may miss the one thing that is truly real.
What are some 'dream-like' things people chase that feel huge in the moment but fade fast?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI