Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Even good deeds can tie us up if we do them with a puffed-up "look at me" heart. When pride is holding the rope, the very deeds become knots.
Even a good deed can become a trap if we do it to show off.
Aha-buDh such karam kar — doing good, holy deeds with a proud, me-first mind. Ih banDhan banDhaanee — these very deeds become ropes that tie us up.
Picture a kid who helps clean up only when the teacher is watching. The helping is good. But if the real goal is praise, the kid gets tied to needing praise. The good deed becomes a new knot.
The Guru is not against goodness. He is aiming at pride, which can hide inside anything, even goodness. It is a humility test anyone can use, inside their own faith.
Have you ever done a good thing mostly so people would notice? How did it feel?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI