Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O mind, stay detached, right in the middle of your home.
Live by truth, self-control and good deeds. The one who follows the Guru is filled with light.
This one says you do not have to leave home to find the One.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line. It is the center of the shabad, the line to stop and think about. Man ray garih hee maahi udaas: "O mind, stay detached right in the middle of your home." Detached means you love your family and do your work, but you are not held tight by it.
Guru Amar Das knew this life well. He was a family man for most of his years. He came to the Guru when he was 62, after decades of family life.
This way of living is called grihast, the path of the householder. In some older traditions, family life was seen as lower than leaving the world behind. Guru Amar Das says no. The deepest freedom can be found at home, among the dishes and the homework. Truth, self-control and good deeds are the practice. Live them, and the one who follows the Guru is filled with light.
What in your current daily life could become a spiritual practice if you brought full awareness to it? What would that look like?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI