Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Don't spend your life chasing after some faraway reward, and don't live afraid of some faraway punishment.
What is meant to happen will unfold in its own time — so let your heart rest, instead of clutching at hopes and fears.
Love the One because you love, not to win a prize or dodge a punishment.
Kabir starts with a very calm teaching. Surag baas na baachhee-ai — do not long for a home in surag, heaven. Daree-ai na narak nivaas — do not be afraid of living in narak, hell. In other words, do not build your whole inner life around bargaining for one or dreading the other.
He is not saying nothing matters. He is saying love for the One should come from love. Think of the difference between helping at home for pocket money and helping because you love your family.
Honaa hai so ho-ee hai — whatever is going to happen will happen. That is trust in Hukam, the flow of existence. It lets go of the worried grabbing that treats the sacred like a shop. This is deep peace, not "I don't care."
Do you do good things to get a prize, or because they feel right? What's the difference?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI