Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
How can a stone be made pure by bathing at a holy place?
The dirt of ego clings to the mind.
Millions of rituals and deeds are the root of more tangles.
Without remembering the One, a person gathers only useless bundles of straw.
The dirt that needs washing is ego, and it clings to the mind, out of reach of any outer bath.
Tirath naa-ay kahaa such sail: how does a stone become pure by bathing at a pilgrimage place? A stone dipped in holy water comes out a stone. Ha-umai mail: the dirt of ego (haumai — the feeling of being a separate self). Kot karam: millions of rituals, done with the heart left out, only tie more knots. That holds for empty ritual in any place and any practice. Birthaa pool: a useless bundle of straw.
When have you done the outward thing right but known your heart was somewhere else?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI