Sikhism·Raag Goojaree·Shabad 29
Verse 2 of 3

You Can't Out-Think an Illusion From Inside It

ਬਲਵੰਤਿ ਬਿਆਪਿ ਰਹੀ ਸਭ ਮਹੀ ॥
balvant bi-aap rahee sabh mahee.
The power of Maya is pervading everywhere.
ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਸਿ ਕੋਊ ਮਰਮਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਲਹੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
avar na jaanas ko-oo marmaa gur kirpaa tay lahee. ||1|| rahaa-o.
Her secret is known only by Guru's Grace - no one else knows it. ||1||Pause||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The power of the glitter reaches into every corner.

Its secret is known only by grace — no one figures it out on their own.

You can't out-think the illusion when the mind doing the thinking is inside it — seeing through it is a gift.
The deeper layer

The Pause line states both the scope and the escape. The scope: Maya "is pervading everywhere" — there is no zone of life it doesn't touch. The escape: "her secret is known only by Guru's Grace." You cannot out-think the illusion, because the very mind doing the thinking is inside it; only grace, from beyond it, reveals the trick. This is why P0's clever sages and scholars fell — cleverness is Maya's home turf. Seeing through it is a gift, not an achievement.

A Question to Sit With

When has a truth arrived that you couldn't have reasoned your way to on your own?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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