Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Everything we chase is like the shadow of a tree. It seems solid, but it shifts and slips away. When a life ends, whose are all the things a person gathered? They belong to no one anymore.
The things we chase are like a tree's shadow: they look real, but they keep slipping away.
Jas daykhee-ai tarvar kee chhaa-i-aa — it is like the shadow of a tree. This is Kabir's picture of maya, the world of things that look solid but keep passing.
Try to pick up a shadow. You can see it clearly, but your hand closes on nothing. And as the sun moves, the shadow moves too.
Paraan ga-ay kaho kaa kee maa-i-aa — when life's breath leaves, whose is the wealth then? The things a person gathered belong to no one.
This is not meant to be gloomy or scary. It is clear seeing. When you know what passes, you are free to rest your heart in sach, what is real and lasts.
What is something you really wanted that turned out to matter much less once you had it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI