Everyone says the One is near — but only when the shutters open do we see how near it always was.
The Arc
Feel how close the One is, and doing harm stops making sense. Holding on to harmful things keeps you worried. The One is right here, and still easy to miss. Everyone says the One is near. Few people feel it. Missing it, you go wanting what belongs to others. It is like a spell that hides what is right beside you. Little lies come easily, and wanting robs you. What you are looking for is already inside you. With the Guru, the heavy doors of your mind swing open. You see the One near, inside you and all around. You can rest from running back and forth. At the centre, the Rahao: everyone says the One is near, and only a few, turned toward the Guru, come to know it.
Key Vocabulary
nikat / nayrhai — near, near at hand; the shabad's keyword
bhaid — the mystery of that nearness, grasped only by the Gurmukh
thag-uree — the spell of illusion that hides the obvious
antar vasat disantar jaa-ay — the thing is within, yet one searches outside
khulhay kapaat — the shutters swing open; sudden clear seeing
karam likhiaa lilaat — karam written on the forehead; karam can mean both what you have done and grace, a gift
Themes and Cross-Connections
The nearness of the One, seeking within, and the sudden opening of clear sight recur across Guru Arjan's Bhairao shabads.
For Raag Bhairao
The shutters-open image belongs to the morning: Bhairao is the dawn raag, and this shabad is about light suddenly pouring into a room that only felt dark because the shutters were closed.
Hukumnama
Subject: Everyone says the One is near; few feel it Preview: a pile of poison, a stranger's house, a trickster's spell, treasure at home, heavy doors swinging open.
Today: Feel how close the One is, and doing harm stops making sense. Holding on to harmful things keeps you worried. The One is right here, and still easy to miss. Everyone says the One is near. Few people feel it. Missing it, you go wanting what belongs to others. It is like a spell that hides what is right beside you. Little lies come easily, and wanting robs you. What you are looking for is already inside you. With the Guru, the heavy doors of your mind swing open. You see the One near, inside you and all around. You can rest from running back and forth.
Everyone says the One is near, and only a few, turned toward the Guru, come to know it.
For today: Pause once today, take a slow breath, and feel how near the One is right now.
Everyone says the One is near — but only when the shutters open do we see how near it always was.
The Arc
Feel how close the One is, and doing harm stops making sense. Holding on to harmful things keeps you worried. The One is right here, and still easy to miss. Everyone says the One is near. Few people feel it. Missing it, you go wanting what belongs to others. It is like a spell that hides what is right beside you. Little lies come easily, and wanting robs you. What you are looking for is already inside you. With the Guru, the heavy doors of your mind swing open. You see the One near, inside you and all around. You can rest from running back and forth. At the centre, the Rahao: everyone says the One is near, and only a few, turned toward the Guru, come to know it.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The nearness of the One, seeking within, and the sudden opening of clear sight recur across Guru Arjan's Bhairao shabads.
For Raag Bhairao
The shutters-open image belongs to the morning: Bhairao is the dawn raag, and this shabad is about light suddenly pouring into a room that only felt dark because the shutters were closed.
Hukumnama
Subject: Everyone says the One is near; few feel it Preview: a pile of poison, a stranger's house, a trickster's spell, treasure at home, heavy doors swinging open.
Today: Feel how close the One is, and doing harm stops making sense. Holding on to harmful things keeps you worried. The One is right here, and still easy to miss. Everyone says the One is near. Few people feel it. Missing it, you go wanting what belongs to others. It is like a spell that hides what is right beside you. Little lies come easily, and wanting robs you. What you are looking for is already inside you. With the Guru, the heavy doors of your mind swing open. You see the One near, inside you and all around. You can rest from running back and forth.
Everyone says the One is near, and only a few, turned toward the Guru, come to know it.
For today: Pause once today, take a slow breath, and feel how near the One is right now.