Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The mud puddle of the body — when it's filled with the defects that lead to harm — is home to the frog-mind. And the frog-mind does not appreciate the lotus flower growing right beside it.
The bumble bee is the teacher who keeps teaching — hovering, circling, showing. But how can you understand unless you are helped to understand?
This one paints a picture: a frog sitting in mud, right next to a beautiful lotus, and never noticing it.
Aib tan chikrho: the body, full of faults, is a mud puddle. Ih man meedko: this mind is the frog. Kamal kee saar nahee mool paa-ee: it has no idea how precious the lotus is. The lotus is right there. But the frog is knee-deep in its muddy habits and doesn't see it. It's like scrolling on a phone while a rainbow fills the sky outside the window.
Bha-ur ustaad nit bhaakhi-aa bolay: the bumblebee is the teacher, always teaching. The bee circles the lotus. It teaches just by being what it is. It shows the beauty the frog keeps missing. But unless understanding is opened, the lesson falls on closed eyes.
Ki-o boojhai jaa nah bujhaa-ee: how can anyone understand, unless they are helped to understand? That is the puzzle of teaching. The truth is always there. The learner has to be ready to take it in. And that readiness itself is a gift.
Has something been right in front of you — an answer, a person, an opportunity — that you didn't see until later? What opened your eyes?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI