The Journey

In this journey, the sadhana (prayer-meditation) is giving experiences that are hard to explain or describe. The best one can do is, express it through art – as gratitude to that Universal Energy that binds everything. For the first time today, I have written a poem in my mother-tongue Punjabi and put it down in Gurmukhi script, language created by the Sikh Gurus.

English translation is at the end, which may not make much sense at the moment. The fault lies entirely on my limited understanding, so as to not be able to explain them clearly. If the Captain wishes, his graces will allow the Sailor to share the learnings more elegantly in the future.

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ਤੀਨ ਗੁਨ ਰੰਗ ਇਸ ਤਨ ਪੇ ਘੂਮੈ।
ਉਪਰ ਨੀਚੇ ਮਨ ਪੀੜਿਤ ਹੋਵੇ।।

ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗ ਤਨ ਅੱਗ ਲਗਾਵੇ।
ਗੁਰ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਸੁਣੀਏ ਚਿੱਤ ਸ਼ੀਤਲ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇ।।

ਮੂਰਖ ਮਨ ਪਿੱਠ ਛੁਰਾ ਚੁਭਾਵੇ।
ਹਰ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਚਿੱਤ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਜਾਵੇ।।

ਪੰਜ ਤੂਫਾਨ ਤੋਂ ਮੱਲਾਹ ਘਬਰਾਵੇ।
ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮ ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਚੜ੍ਹਾਵੇ।
ਹਰ ਜਪੀਆਂ ਸਨਮੁੱਖ ਤੱਟ ਤਰ ਜਾਵੇ।।

Teen guna rang is tan pe ghoome,
Upar neeche man peedit hove.

Haume rog tan agg lagave,
Guru Shabad suniye chit sheetal ho jaave.

Moorakh man pith chura chubhave,
Har nam simrae chit-guru mil jaave.

Panj toofan to Mallah ghabrave,
Guru Nanak Nam jahaj chadhave,
Har japea sanmukh tat tar jaave.

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Three human qualities, like colors on my body roam,
From top to bottom on the body-axis the troubled mind travels.

Ego-mind lights the Body on fire,
But learning Guru’s teachings the Self cools.

Mind’s foolish actions make a dagger poke the back,
But meditating on the Universal Energy melds the Self with Guru.

Five Storms rage on terrifying the Sailor,
But Guru Nanak’s teachings are the boat he rides,
Turning towards the Guru, he meditates on the Universal Energy,
That takes him to safer shores.