Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
As long as your mind is fixed on getting to some distant heaven, you keep missing the nearness that's already here. Reaching for a far-off reward can be the very thing that keeps you from resting at the One's feet right now.
Wanting a far-off reward can keep you from the nearness that is already here.
Jab lag man baikunth kee aas — as long as the mind hopes for heaven, tab lag ho-ay nahee charan nivaas — it does not come to live at the One's feet. Charan nivaas, living at the feet, is a picture of resting close to the One.
This is Kabir's surprise. The craving for a future reward blocks the very closeness it is looking for. Think of a kid so busy counting down to the holidays that they miss a great day with friends today. Living for a distant payoff keeps you from the nearness that is here now.
It is the same lesson as chasing outer forms. The treasure is here. It is not somewhere else, and it is not later.
Have you ever wanted a future prize so much that you couldn't enjoy the good thing right in front of you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI