A Sikh must use Bibek Budh in all matters of life. Bibek Budh is such Budh (intelligence) that recognizes and differentiates goodness and evil. So what is good and what is bad? Such action, thought or speech is good that brings us closer to Vaheguru and such action, thought or speech that takes us away from Vaheguru is bad. In simpler words, Bibek Budh is Gurmat which is opposite of Manmat.
One of the important part of Gurmat Bibek is to not have friendship with such persons who are Bemukh from Guru Sahib because friendship with them is detrimental to our spiritual health. In this Pauri below, Bhai Sahib Gurdaas jee has given several examples and metaphors to prove this point. Please ponder upon the following Pauri of Bhai Gurdaas jee:
ਭੇਡੈ ਪੂਛਲਿ ਲਗਿਆਂ ਕਿਉ ਪਾਰਿ ਲੰਘੀਐ॥
ਭੂਤੈ ਕੇਰੀ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਨਿਤ ਸਹਸਾ ਜੀਐ॥
ਨਦੀ ਕਿਨਾਰੈ ਰੁਖੜਾ ਵੇਸਾਹੁ ਨ ਕੀਐ॥
ਮਿਰਤਕ ਨਾਲਿ ਵੀਆਹੀਐ ਸੋਹਾਗੁ ਨ ਥੀਐ॥
ਵਿਸੁ ਹਲਾਹਲ ਬੀਜਿ ਕੈ ਕਿਉ ਅਮਿਉ ਲਹੀਐ॥
ਬੇਮੁਖ ਸੇਤੀ ਪਿਰਹੜੀ ਜਮ ਡੰਡੁ ਸਹੀਐ ॥7॥1. How can one swim across by holding the tail of a lamb? Those who have had the good fortune of doing the duty of grazing cows and buffaloes know what Bhai Sahib is talking about. After grazing buffaloes for sometime, it’s common practice in India to take them to canals or creeks for bathing. While buffaloes enjoy swimming in a stream or canal, the Maahee (one who grazes buffaloes) too enjoys swimming in water. Most village folks learn swimming holding tails of buffaloes. This Daas too learned swimming this way. Buffalo is strong and can still swim if you hold her tail but can a lamb continue to swim when you hold its tail? The answer is no. Same way, by holding the arm of a Bemukh, one can never swim across this terrible ocean of world.
2. Ones who deal with ghosts and other such occult powers, many times die at their hands. Bhai Sahib is saying in this second Pankiti that if you make friends with a ghost, you can never get peace of mind. The mind will always be under stress. An interesting story comes to mind. Once a farmer unwittingly freed a genie and now the genie became indebted to the farmer and asked him for any work to do. The farmer asked the genie to plough his fields, get grass for the cattle etc. The genie completed these works in very little time and came back to the farmer for more work. The farmer gave some more tasks that the genie completed in no time. The genie threatened that if it does not get any task to do, it will kill the farmer. Now the farmer was very scared. This is the result of having friendship with ghosts and bhoots. Finally, the farmer’s wife came up with an idea. The farmer asked the genie to establish a pole in the front yard of the house. Then the farmer instructed the genie to keep climbing the pole over and over again. This way, he kept the genie busy and used it only when required. Rest of the time, he let the genie climb up and down the pole over and over again. The moral of the story is that the friendship of ghosts is never comfort giving.
3. A tree on the bank of a river cannot expect to live long and is under constant danger of getting uprooted by the current of the river.
4. If a woman gets married to a corpse, she cannot be called a Sohagan i.e. she cannot enjoy marital bliss.
5. If a person sows Halahal (a kind of poison), he should not expect to reap Amrit.
6. In the end, Bhai Sahib jee gives a very great Gurmat Updesh – by having loving relation (Pirhari) with a Bemukh (one who has turned his face away from the Guru) results in getting punished by Jammdoot.
May Guru Sahib give us the wisdom and chance to make friends with Gurmukhs and never give us company of such people who are outside of Guru Sahib’s Prema Bhagti.
Bhul Chuk di Maafi jee.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥