WORLDLY OCEAN
Generally, the world is addressed as a house of sorrows. According to Saints, it is a terrible ocean. If we ponder over the condition of ordinary worldly people, we see the scenes of sorrow, imagination, unrest, and tribulation.
It looks like the waves of tribulation, imagination, and unrest are rising in the ocean-like world and a majority of the souls are drowning in it.
There is joy at one moment and sorrow at the other, gain at one moment and loss at the other, peace at one moment and unrest at the other, and respect at one moment and disrespect at the other.
Generally, this is the condition of the world. It is what is known as the terrible ocean. There is an expansion of the devil and illusion all around in which worldly people are wandering. This is a dynamic cycle of the devil, which is trapping worldly people.
Human beings are bound to live only in this world; leaving it, where would they go? However, the terrible ocean of worldly existence seems to produce intense waves of tribulation, unrest, and sorrow.
Also, in this ocean, malice, anger, greed, attachment, ego, expectations, craving, jealousy, and many more monsters are roaming with their mouths open to swallow human beings.
In this condition, human beings will have to carefully and cautiously save themselves. How can worldly people save themselves from being drowned in this ocean and becoming prey to the monsters?
This is an extraordinary and important question which is present before each and every human being.
Learned Saints have enlightened us that for the souls to save themselves from being drowned in this ocean of worldly existence, they should take the refuge of the Holy Feet of the Lord. Apart from this, there is no other means to save.
Divine Saints enlighten us:
11 Doha 11
सत्तनाम की नाव है, सतगुरु खेवनहार ।
चप्पू
प्रेमाभक्ति का, खेहि लगावैं पार ।।
(Sant-Vaani)
Meaning: If you desire to cross the ocean of worldly existence, you should board the boat of the Scared Name whose oarsman is the True Master. By nature, He rows the boat with the oars of heartfelt devotion and takes the souls to their destination.
Great Saint Shri Kabir Sahib Ji has enlightened:
गुरु से कर मेल गँवारा, का सोचत बारम्बारा ।।
जब पार उतरना चहिये, तब केवट से मिलि रहिये ।।
जब उतर जाय भव पारा, तब छूटै यह संसारा ।।
जब दरसन देखा चहिये, तब दर्पन माँजत रहिये ।।
जब दर्पन लागत काई, तब दरसन कहँ ते पाई ।।
Meaning: O soul! Make an effort to find the True Master if you want to get rid of worldly imagination, unrest, and strife. What is the need to think again and again about this?
This is a simple fact: one who wants to cross the ocean should find an oarsman. When you cross the worldly ocean by meeting the oarsman the True Master – all troubles of the world will automatically leave you.
If you are desirous of looking at your face in a mirror, first you should clean the mirror. Similarly, you cannot see your own true form (the soul) unless you clean the filth of worldly illusive impressions from the mirror of your mind.
Therefore, there is a need of the Sacred Word of the True Master with which you will have to rub the mirror of the mind and make it pure. Then, you will see yourself in that mirror without any difficulty.
This is a fact which everyone should understand. The teachings of the Learned Saints alone can enlighten the truth to human beings who are drowning in the worldly ocean by coming under the effect of their own thoughts.
How can they save themselves from sorrows and unrest by attaching their minds to the creation of the devil and worldly illusion!
They cannot find a place to peace and joy apart from the sanctuary and Holy Company of the True Master.
Therefore, by going to the sanctuary of the Divine Master and by gaining true knowledge from Him and implementing it, we should gain benefit from our human lives.
We pray at the Holy Feet of our True Master to bless us with the power to meditate on the Sacred Name all the time so that no distracting thought could come to our minds and we cross this worldly ocean.