Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When I do not really understand what matters, even my hard work can just pile up more trouble. It is like digging in the wrong place.
And underneath a lot of that trouble is one thing: the feeling of being a separate, on-my-own self (ego — haumai). Caught in it, I keep coming and going, lost and unsure.
This one means that without understanding, all our effort just piles up more trouble.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad.
bin boojhay sabh dukh dukh kamaavanaa — without understanding, everything earns only more dukh, sorrow. It is like digging hard in the wrong spot of the garden. The more you dig, the bigger the hole, and still no treasure.
ha-umai aavai jaa-ay — in ha-umai a person comes and goes, lost in doubt. Ha-umai means ego, the feeling of being a separate self, all on my own. That is the root of the ache. When we look at it honestly, it begins to loosen.
When has me-first thinking made a problem bigger instead of smaller?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI