Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You cannot simply throw the world away; pushing it off does not free you.
Pile things up, and the mind starts to fear losing them.
I bow with wonder to the one whose heart stays whole right in the middle of it all.
You cannot become free by throwing the world away, or by piling it up. You become free by staying steady right in the middle.
Maya is the shiny world of things and how things look. Chhod bahai ta-o chhootai naahee — you may try to push it off, but you are not free. Ja-o sanchai ta-o bha-o man maahee — if you pile things up, the mind fears losing them.
Think of a kid who quits every game so they never lose, and another who plays only for trophies. Both are still ruled by the game.
The one honored here is kept steady while fully living. Tis saadhoo cha-ur dhaalee-ai — I wave the fly-whisk over that holy person. Waving a fly-whisk over someone is an old way to show deep honor. It is like bowing with wonder.
How can you enjoy good things without being owned by them?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI