Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
No one is set free by wandering around in saffron robes.
No one finds peace by being very strict and hard on themselves.
Following the Guru's teaching, a person is given the Naam.
By great good fortune, they find the One.
Changing your clothes is a different thing from changing your heart.
Bhagvai vays means saffron robes, the orange clothes worn by people who leave home to seek the One. Baho sanjam means being very strict and hard on yourself. Guru Amar Das says neither of these, by itself, brings freedom or peace.
Think of putting on a football jersey. Practice and love for the game make you a good player, whatever you wear. What matters is what is happening in the heart. This is true for the outward habits of every tradition, including our own.
What does bring peace? Following the Guru's teaching, receiving the Naam as a gift, and by great good fortune, finding the One.
Why do you think being harsh with yourself does not bring peace?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI