vfhMsu mhlw 3 Gru 1
                   <> siqgur pRswid ]
min mYlY sBu ikCu mYlw qin DoqY mnu hCw n hoie ]
ieh jgqu Brim BulwieAw ivrlw bUJY koie ]1]
jip mn myry qU eyko nwmu ]
siqguir dIAw mo kau eyhu inDwnu ]1] rhwau ]
isDw ky Awsx jy isKY ieMdRI vis kir kmwie ]
mn kI mYlu n auqrY haumY mYlu n jwie ]2]
iesu mn kau horu sMjmu ko nwhI ivxu siqgur kI srxwie ]
sqguir imilAY aultI BeI khxw ikCU n jwie ]3]
Bxiq nwnku siqgur kau imldo mrY gur kY sbid iPir jIvY koie ]
mmqw kI mlu auqrY iehu mnu hCw hoie ]4]1]

            In this Shabad (hymn), Satguru Ji is talking about the cleaning of the mind. They start off by saying:

  min mYlY sBu ikCu mYlw qin DoqY mnu hCw n hoie ]

  Translation:

            If the mind is filthy then everything is filthy. By washing the body the mind cannot become clean.

  Guru Ji is saying that what is the use of washing the body if your mind is still dirty. Just like if I had mud on my hand I was to touch you, the mud would go onto you or if I was to touch the wall I would make the wall dirty. The same way if your mind is dirty then everything you do will also be dirty. You will look at others with a dirty eye, you will speak filth, and you will hurt others.

There is a constant battle going on inside of our bodies. As we know, there are always two sides to a battle. There are also two sides to this battle inside of us. On one side is the soul (inner self) and on the other side is the body (outer world). These two are constantly fighting with one another.

Then during the battle both sides are fighting over something to control. In this battle, the body and soul are fighting over the mind. They both wish to control the mind. Day and night this battle goes on. When one of the two sides gets a little bit stronger then the mind goes towards that direction. When the outer body/world gets stronger then the mind goes towards the body. When this happens it commits sins and finds falsenesses because everything we see on the outside is false:

           sloku mÚ 1 ]
kUVu rwjw kUVu prjw kUVu sBu sMswru ]
kUVu mMfp kUVu mwVI kUVu bYsxhwru ]
kUVu suienw kUVu rupw kUVu pYn@xhwru ]
kUVu kwieAw kUVu kpVu kUVu rUpu Apwru ]
kUVu mIAw kUVu bIbI Kip hoey Kwru ]
kUiV kUVY nyhu lgw ivsirAw krqwru ]
iksu nwil kIcY dosqI sBu jgu clxhwru ]
kUVu imTw kUVu mwiKau kUVu foby pUru ]
nwnku vKwxY bynqI quDu bwJu kUVo kUVu ]1]

Translation:

            False is the king, false are the subjects; false is the whole world.
False is the mansion, false are the skyscrapers; false are those who live in them.
False is gold, and false is silver; false are those who wear them.
False is the body, false are the clothes; false is incomparable beauty.
False is the husband, false is the wife; they mourn and waste away.
The false ones love falsehood, and forget their Creator.
With whom should I become friends, if all the world shall pass away?
False is sweetness, false is honey; through falsehood, boat-loads of men have drowned.
Nanak speaks this prayer: without You, Lord, everything is totally false.

So we can see that everything around us is false even this body is false:

iehu srIru kUiV kusiq BirAw gl qweI pwp kmwey ]

Translation:

            This body is filled with falsehood, deception and the commission of sins.

kwhy ry nr grbu krq hhu ibnis jwie JUTI dyhI ]1]

Translation:

            O man, why are you so proud? This body is only temporary - it shall pass away.

This body is just a sack of dirt:

kbIr mwtI ky hm pUqry mwnsu rwiKEu nwau ]

However, when the mind goes towards the soul it finds truth, inner peace, and happiness. This battle is constantly taking place inside of all of us. There are many examples from everyday life:

a)      We go to the Gurudwara and listen to the importance of getting up at amrit vela. When we are at the Gurudwara our mind is towards the soul so we tell ourselves that tomorrow I am going to get up at amrit vela no matter what. Then when the alarm goes off in the morning our minds have shifted back towards the body. We say, “I’m too tired to get up and my body needs the rest.”  We turn the alarm off and go back to sleep.

b)      When the mind is towards the soul an individual makes a promise that he is not going to drink alcohol because it is bad. Then a group of friends come over and start to drink around the person. The mind shifts back towards the body and the individual decides to take a drink.

These are just a couple of examples, I am sure that we all can think of various examples of the battle between the body and soul. These simple enough to understand, but Guru Ji says that throughout life only a very few number of people even realize that this battle is taking place:  

ieh jgqu Brim BulwieAw ivrlw bUJY koie ]1]  

Translation:

            This world is deluded by doubt; only a rare few understand this.

To make the mind clean, our goal should be to make the mind always focused on the soul. But now how do you do this?

You have to speak to your mind and remind it to remember God:

jip mn myry qU eyko nwmu ]

Translation:

            O my mind, chant the One Name.

You have to explain to the mind:

suix mn BUly bwvry gur kI crxI lwgu ]

Translation:

            Listen, O deluded and demented mind: hold tight to the Guru's Feet.

Tell the mind that if you remember the Guru and God then:

hir jip nwmu iDAwie qU jmu frpY duK Bwgu ]

Translation:

            Chant and meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; death will be afraid of you, and suffering shall depart.

You will also need to explain to the mind what will happen if it does not remember God:

dUKu Gxo dohwgxI ikau iQru rhY suhwgu ]1]

Translation:

            The deserted wife suffers terrible pain. How can her Husband Lord remain with her forever?

You must explain to the mind that it will feel the pain of separation from God the same way when a husband and wife are separated.

siqguir dIAw mo kau eyhu inDwnu ]1] rhwau ]

Translation:

            The True Guru has given me this treasure.

The Guru is the one who gives us the gift of God’s Name and the Guru is the one who can help us in this battle. The Guru gives us the guidance required to make the mind always turn towards the soul.

isDw ky Awsx jy isKY ieMdRI vis kir kmwie ] mn kI mYlu n auqrY haumY mYlu n jwie ]2]

Translation:

            Even if one learns the Yogic postures of the Siddhas, and holds his sexual energy in check, still, the filth of the mind is not removed, and the filth of egotism is not eliminated.

Satguru Ji explains that all of these outer practices such as practicing yoga, vows of silence, hunger strikes, and bathing at sacred shrines will not clean your mind. This mind can only be cleaned through the guidance of the true Guru:

iesu mn kau horu sMjmu ko nwhI ivxu siqgur kI srxwie ]

Translation:

            This mind is not controlled by any other discipline, except the Sanctuary of the True Guru.

sqguir imilAY aultI BeI khxw ikCU n jwie ]3]

Translation:

            Meeting the True Guru, one is transformed beyond description.

Once you meet the true Guru you will be transformed. Your mind will no longer go towards the outside, instead it will always stay towards the soul.

Bxiq nwnku siqgur kau imldo mrY gur kY sbid iPir jIvY koie ]

Translation:

            Prays Nanak, one who dies upon meeting the True Guru, shall be rejuvenated through the Word of the Guru's Shabad.

However, your mind will only change if after meeting the true Guru kill all of your own ego.

mmqw kI mlu auqrY iehu mnu hCw hoie ]4]1]

Translation:

            The filth of his attachment and possessiveness shall depart, and his mind shall become pure.

Article from Gurmat Studies Newsletter 

July 2003