This world is blinded by Maya and considers Maya to be the most valuable possession. A foolish person who has wealth is considered to be wise and an evil person with wealth is considered to be a Saint. There is a Punjabi saying:
ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਕੋਠੀ ਵਿਚ ਦਾਣੇ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਕਮਲੇ ਵੀ ਸਿਆਣੇ।(One whose house has wealth, the foolish of that house too are considered to be wise)
Gurbani contains several such references to the foolish world that judges a person by not his virtues or spirituality but by how much wealth he has:
ਨਿਰਧਨ ਆਦਰੁ ਕੋਈ ਨ ਦੇਇ ॥
ਲਾਖ ਜਤਨ ਕਰੈ ਓਹੁ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਧਰੇਇ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਉ ਨਿਰਧਨੁ ਸਰਧਨ ਕੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਆਗੇ ਬੈਠਾ ਪੀਠਿ ਫਿਰਾਇ ॥1॥
ਜਉ ਸਰਧਨੁ ਨਿਰਧਨ ਕੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਦੀਆ ਆਦਰੁ ਲੀਆ ਬੁਲਾਇ ॥2॥
ਨਿਰਧਨੁ ਸਰਧਨੁ ਦੋਨਉ ਭਾਈ ॥
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੀ ਕਲਾ ਨ ਮੇਟੀ ਜਾਈ ॥3॥
ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਧਨੁ ਹੈ ਸੋਈ ॥
ਜਾ ਕੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥4॥8॥1) No gives respect to the poor. A poor person may make countless efforts but the rich one does not consider them.
2) When the poor goes to the house of the rich, the rich person turns his back.
3) When the rich goes to the house of poor, he is well respected.
4) The poor and the rich in fact are brothers (because their father is one). The doing of Vaheguru (due to which they are rich or poor) cannot be deleted.
5) Siri Kabir jee is saying that in reality such person is poor who does not have Naam in his heart.
The above Shabad has sketched the reality of the world so meticulously.
Please ponder upon this Mahavaak of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee:
ਆਥਿ ਸੈਲ ਨੀਚ ਘਰਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਆਥਿ ਦੇਖਿ ਨਿਵੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਦੋਇ ॥
ਆਥਿ ਹੋਇ ਤਾ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਸਿਆਨਾ ॥
ਭਗਤਿ ਬਿਹੂਨਾ ਜਗੁ ਬਉਰਾਨਾ ॥1) If there is great wealth in a lowly person’s house.
2) Because of this wealth, both rich and poor bow to him (the lowly person).
3) If a foolish person possesses wealth, he is considered to be wise.
4) Devoid of Bhagti, the whole world is mad (crazy).
Such are the effects of Maya. The curtain of Maya is drawn on the intelligence of the world in such a way that it sees everything in the opposite way. A Bhagat on the other hand has totally different outlook of the world. For a Bhagat, it has no meaning whether a person is rich or poor, big or small, great or lowly, man or woman, White or Black, Indian or Chinese etc. The only thing that matters is if Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee's hand is on the head of that person; if that person has been blessed with Naam; if that person is following Rehit. Nothing else matters.
Great changes happen in the life of a person when he meets to true Guru. He sleeps at the time when the whole world is awake and he wakes up at the time when the whole world is sleeping. The whole world appreciates wealth but a Bhagat cares not about it. Vaheguru blesses him with the wealth required for him to get by and fulfill he daily needs. More wealth, he wishes not. A flashy luxury car does not excite him. A gold necklace with diamonds ingrained in it does not even cause him to glance at it. He knows it is nothing but matter.
We need to stop and look within. Has our life changed after Amrit-chhak? If we are still running after wealth, a luxury car, a luxurious house, and other such worldly substances, then we have not read Gurbani with love and have not chanted the true Naam at Amritvela. The focus of a Gursikh changes from Maya to Vaheguru.
Sikhi does not promote renouncing the world and going to the jungles but it does promote renouncing the world by heart. A Gursikh lives in the world like the lotus flower lives in muddy water. Just as the lotus flower does not get dirty with muddy water, a Gursikh too does not get his heart dirty with Maya.
Bhul chuk dee Maafi jee
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥