Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Through offerings into sacred fires, big feasts, chants, hard practices, every kind of self-control, and trips to holy rivers and shrines, they do not find the One.
The hard shell of me-and-mine melts away only when you take shelter with the One and turn toward the Guru. Nanak says: such a one crosses over the ocean of the world.
The One is found when the "me, me, me" melts away in the One's shelter.
The Guru lists many practices. Hom is making offerings into a sacred fire. Jag is a big feast or ceremony. Jap is chanting, tap is hard self-discipline, and teerath means trips to holy rivers and shrines. On their own, from the outside only, they do not find the One.
The trouble is doing things on the outside while the inside stays the same. Think of wearing a team jersey but never going to practice. What works is miti-aa aap, when the "me, me, me" melts away. That happens when you take shelter with the One. A Gurmukh, one who faces the Guru, crosses the world-ocean.
When has going through the motions felt empty compared to meaning it with your whole heart?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI