Contemplations from Baba Fareed - Day One - 2nd August 2024

If something is uncomfortable contemplating death, don't switch out to another topic or just do something else. It's very important to deal with this, to meet this inevitability. There's another—I was contemplating sharing this in Satsang today and another video came my way which is so beautiful. The grace of Atma, the discipleship of the Atma; it sends so many things about the same theme. Let me play that for all of you.

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. A thief sneaks in that night when no one expects. So too will the day of the Lord. Share my screen. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. A thief sneaks in that night when no one expects him, so too will the day of the Lord come when it is least expected. He who does not expect the coming one does not prepare for his arrival. Lest we make such a mistake, the Lord commanded: Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming. Yet what do we do? Are we watching? Are we waiting? We should be aware of it, but we are not.

Some may still expect death, but the day of the Lord almost no one. And it seems they are right, for our fathers and forefathers expected him and he did not come. Since we do not see anything that might suggest his coming in our days, we do not think about him either. We do not think and we do not wait. Then will it be strange if the day of the Lord catches us like a thief? We will then be like the inhabitants of a city to whom the governor of the region announced the visit today or tomorrow. They waited for him for an hour, then two. They waited all day and then they said, 'He surely will not come' and went home. But as soon as they dispersed and went to rest, there he was. So it will be with us. Whether we wait or not, the day of the Lord will come and it will come without warning. For the Lord said: Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Is it not better to wait so that we are not caught unprepared? For then even the gifts will not pass us by.

Also, when we accept the inevitability of death, then we start to let go of the clinging to our belief that 'I don't believe something like this can happen' or 'I don't believe in what the sages are telling us.' And the sages are clearly telling us across religions, across cultures about these things. Firstly, they have no reason to lie, and secondly, nobody can say that they are mistaken or not. But what is the higher likelihood: that we are mistaken or they are mistaken? If we can meet it like that objectively, then you will find that the higher likelihood by far is that we are mistaken.

Ananta P. Ji said the other day that what are you doing? One day you have to give your report to God. What are you going to say? So in Hinduism they're saying the same thing, in Sufism they're saying the same thing, Islam they're saying the same thing that has been incorporated in Sikhism, they're saying the same thing, in Christianity they're saying the same thing. But if we doubt and we say, 'But I don't think,' what is the value of 'I don't think' or 'I think'? And I'm again saying we don't know, but what is the greater light here? It's best not to be in denial of any sort.

So yesterday I saw a video which was posted that why is the day of death so important. So Krishna is explaining to Arjun, 'Because on that day you're going to meet God. You don't realize, but on that day you will meet God.' And on that day if your whole life is spent on thinking of something else, you will miss that meeting. And missing that meeting is like—what we say 'aparaadh' in English—that it's so... yeah, it's a sin because you're ignoring your own Creator and running after some thing which you've been doing your whole life and you will continue. At that moment you won't—you'll not meet the Lord. It's that opportunity to meet him which you're going to lose. I never heard it like that. Very good.

Now thank you, thank you for confirming that, that Lord Krishna also told Arjun the same thing: that you will meet the Lord. And what a grace, what a blessing that is. But in that meeting, in whichever framework you put it, there is some sort of account taking, as much as we hate that notion, but it is quite prevalent in all religion. So how do we meet this possibility? Even if you don't consider it to be an inevitability, that this is what will happen, how do we meet this possibility? Even if you look at it as life insurance: 'Oh, maybe I don't have a car accident or I won't have this medical emergency,' but all of us prepare for the possibility that it could happen.

Is it? Now so many sages across the world, across timelines have told us that this may happen upon death. How do we meet that possibility? Are we prepared for it? And if by mistake or aparaadh or sin or whatever word you want to use—it is a word that signifies the times that we chose separation instead of unity, where we chose individuality of will and choice and doership instead of following God's will—and if our entire life is going to be lived that way, then is that in our heart? Are we being guided that that is the right way to be? Maya plays on us—I read a quote somewhere—Maya plays on us 168 hours a week. 168 hours a week. And we feel like 10 minutes, 20 minutes of praying or reading scripture or coming to Satsang is enough to counter that. Do we really know that it is?

Father, in 2019 September I had an almost death experience. That's like, I think I was 99% gone. So it was like, you know, everything was all good that time, you know, the money and I was well-heeled and all that, like whatever the worldly pleasure thing was. And I always thought, 'What will happen to me?' And then I started getting fever. I lost like 20 kgs in 20 days and it felt like tap water running from there. And then luckily I was in the hospital and then I got admitted to the hospital and then I started bleeding. This actually, it's like a miracle what happened to me and even it's a miracle that I survived.

So that process of survival was like, I know I'm going to die and then from there I come back. So that process itself—maybe it's a matter of a week or 10 days—I would not call that as suffering though, but that process itself was like Satsang. Like you're just with yourself, no matter doctors came in, went in, came out, whatever medication. That experience by itself, like that entire one week, 10 days, it just showed that you're just a second away from, you know, being here. And you know, we all take things for granted and everybody is doing all that chit-chat all the time around you and you know, you fall for it all the time. I think, you know, that really changed the way, the perception of thinking towards life. And it has changed. Like, you know, sometimes when people ask me why you don't get tensed in a tense situation, I said, 'No, I won't.' That's because I think it's changed in me. But yeah, this is the experience what happened to me. I just wanted to share with you.

I can share a little bit of my contemplation about this as well. Like, I'm hitting 50 now, so it's possible that the range of this life could be from 50 to 80. After 80 it may be precarious, so we can't really say. So let's say 50 to 80 or 90; it can be any time in that range. It may happen before 50 also, but most likely in that range. So I just feel that—oh, actually there's a beautiful verse about this coming, so let me not preempt it. I want to read that out.

So Farid Ji says: The bridge to hell is narrower than a hair; haven't you heard of it with your ears? Farid, the call has come; be careful now, don't let yourself be robbed. Farid, it is so difficult to become a humble saint at the Lord's door. I'm so accustomed to walking in the ways of the world. I have tied and picked up the bundle; where can I go to throw it away?

Okay, so he's telling us about the construct of a life which is then worthy enough to meet at death, is it? He's telling us what would that life have looked like if we were to be prepared for death to come. So he said that from his own experience, he said it's so difficult to be humble, to become a humble saint at the Lord's door. And he said—talking about himself, and he's a great, great sage—'I'm so accustomed to walking in the ways of the world,' that means that Maya is so strongly held on to. 'I have tied and picked up the bundle'—which bundle is this? Worldly attachments, worldly concerns, doership, duality, desire. 'So I've tied and picked up the bundle; where can I go to throw it away?' Because I know nothing, I understand nothing. This world is a smoldering fire.

So he's talking about the importance of humility. He's talking about the temptation of Maya and how we all get pulled into these so-called ways of the world where everyone is doing this or behaving in this way, so we feel like that is the right way to do it. And like he is lamenting about the human condition, saying that we have picked up this burden, this bundle, and we don't know how to be free from it.

I go to throw it away because I know nothing, I understand nothing. This world is a smoldering fire. So he's talking about the importance of humility. He's talking about the temptation of Maya and how we all get pulled into these so-called ways of the world where everyone is doing this or behaving in this way, so we feel like that is the right way to do it. And he is lamenting about the human condition, saying that we have picked up this burden, this bundle, and we don't know how to be free from it. And then he also says, 'How do I throw it away? I know nothing, I understand nothing.' And in a way, accept that the world is a smoldering fire, which means that it is a hellish place that we try to make palatable or bearable. He says, 'My Lord did well to warn me about it, otherwise I would have been burned as well.' So in this Maya, I would have got deeply trapped into it. And we can contemplate what he means when he says 'my Lord,' whether he's talking about his teacher or he's talking about the presence of the Atma within. But God, in some way or the other, has warned us about it. And here he's saying that he paid some heed, otherwise he would have been fully caught up in this hellish fire called the world. And anything that grabs you, you can make a note of it and contemplate it in the next few minutes. We'll see.

Then he says a very powerful line which really got me. He said, 'Fareed, if I had known that I had so few sesame seeds, if I had known that I have so few sesame seeds'—and sesame seeds you all know are very tiny—'I would have been more careful with them in my hands.' What is the sesame seeds? Time. The seeds of time. How little time we have. That is his point also, that we don't know this time is so fleeting. Fifty years have passed by like an instant dream. Don't presume that the future will be any different. So he's telling us that if I only realized that I have such little of this precious time left, then I would have lived differently. So let's contemplate these words.

Then he says, 'If I had known that my husband Lord was so young and innocent, I would not have been so arrogant.' What does this imply? In the whole tradition of Bhakti, Krishna Bhakti, and a lot of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and a lot of Sufism of course, the Lord is considered the husband, the partner, the Beloved. And it's a beautiful way to look at it because if you offered your heart to God, then your heart belongs to Him. And it doesn't matter if you say husband or wife, that is not the key thing. But there are a lot of beautiful sages who have referred to God in this way. So whether you look at all the great Sufi ones, St. Teresa as well, many, many, and all the Krishna Bhaktas in very, very clear ways. In fact, there was a time where in India it became a big controversy because one of the top policemen in the country, one of the heads of police, he started wearing a sari and said, 'I'm going to live in Vrindavan because Krishna is my husband.' So that caused a huge furor and everybody was like, 'What's happening here?' And at that time, I was too foolish to understand what is happening with him. And these kind of things are very scary to the mind, but it's a beautiful expression of Bhakti. It's a beautiful expression of devotion to God to consider Him your beloved, your husband.

So in that spirit, he has written that in front of Him, what am I that I took myself to be something? 'If I had known that my husband Lord was so young and innocent, I would not have been so arrogant. If I had known that my robe would come loose, I would have tied a tighter knot.' Which means that if I had known that this robe—at least that's the way I'm reading it—that this robe is going to be dropped soon, this body's robe, then I would have made better plans which were about eternity rather than worldly ones. And all of you can read it in your own way; that's the way it appeals to me. 'I have found none as great as You, Lord. I have looked and searched throughout the world.' So again, in comparison to God—His love, His mercy, His kindness, His compassion, the intelligence of God, the power of God—we have nothing ever to be proud about. What can we consider ourselves to be in front of such a One?

Can I follow? While contemplating about that and the fear of that, so it's very clear that it will take away everything which is related to 'I,' the small 'i.' And then when Jyoti Ma mentioned that we will meet Lord, the 'I,' whatever could be taken away is already there. Then I'm stuck that then who is meeting the Lord? And the one who is meeting the Lord is already free from 'I.' And with all the sin already here in this world which is washed away with the small 'i,' then who is meeting Lord? So do we know that in our death is the end of the Bheda-Abheda?

You would like it to be that way, and that's a very convenient escape. I don't feel like it's that straightforward. It's worth contemplating whether we actually know, because we can never fathom the cause of Bheda-Abheda, what makes it seem this way. We can just—because we can't fathom it—we have to say it is God's will. And in a way, everything that is God's will is His grace. But do we know that in the death of this body is the end of the Achintya, which is the unfathomable non-distinction distinction, or distinction non-distinction? We don't know. And that is why I said that we may like to latch on to a particular belief, but what I've learned as my beard is turning gray—has turned fully gray like Fareed Ji is saying—that what I have learned the hard way in my life is that I can rest on my beliefs and conclusions, but more often than not, in fact most of the time, it is the words of the sages which are truer than any conclusion that I have made.

So I feel now that maturity is to do not be so conclusive about what we believe, especially when on the other side there are great sages, and in this case Jyoti Ma saying the Avatar Himself, the Lord Himself. And also that Lord Jesus has spoken about it, Lord Krishna has spoken about it. So what our belief system can sometimes be up against is worth contemplating. What is the basis of my knowledge? Bheda-Abheda, all distinction then vanishes, but what is the basis of that? It's a hopeful mind at times. It's good contemplation at least, that when we contemplate these things, then you can examine the structure of the belief system in our mind, and a lot of that may have got created in the spiritual encyclopedia of 'I am.' Is it so? But it's good to go through all of that finally and see what is really here. And at least if you're going to hold on very strongly to something that contradicts the words of great sages, then we better do it very carefully.

Okay, this part may seem a little more practical to all of us. So he says—Fareed, so remember what he's trying to say—trying to say death is coming, this Maya is too much, it's a smoldering fire like hell, and without the wise words of the sages and the Guru and the Atma within (I'm paraphrasing for him), then I would have been burnt and fully lost in this fire. So he said that, then he's talking about what are the possible antidotes, what are the possible solutions to this situation that humanity finds itself in. It's so difficult to be humble. It's so difficult to be humble. So here he talks more about that. He says, 'If you have a keen understanding, then do not write black marks against anyone else.' What does this mean? Don't judge. Leave justice to God. It is not our place. It is just not our place.

So Kabir Ji said, and I saw myself and I looked into my own mind, I saw that there is no one that's worse than me. I went looking for sinners, I went looking for bad guys, bad ones, and I looked and looked, but when I looked into my own mind or when I looked into my own life, I didn't find anyone worse than me. Why are these sages saying these things? Do they have like deep inferiority complex? If you sent Kabir to counseling, what would be the prognosis, diagnosis? You can't look at it in these ways. If you meet a sage like Kabir, you have to accept that the insight is far beyond our capacity. That is the first step of humility, that their insight is so far beyond what we have seen. Therefore, then why would they be saying these things? So Fareed Ji is saying the same thing, that don't write black marks against anyone else. Look underneath your own collar instead. These references make more sense in the local Indian languages, but you get the idea, whatever language you understand, that look at yourself instead of becoming a judge of others. Leave justice to God.

This part is very powerful. He said, 'Fareed, do not turn around and strike those who have stricken you with their fists.' Don't turn around and strike those who strike you with their fist. Then what should we do instead? He says, 'Kiss their feet and return to your own home.' Not yet? But the sage is telling us to do it. Would the sage tell us something which is not possible? Is he just showing off? 'I just turn around, I don't turn around and fight back, I kiss their feet and go home. You guys, you can never do it.' Is that the intention of their saying? All have said it. Gandhi has said the same thing. So one of the main tricks that the mind has is what? 'It's not for me.' Exactly. 'This is too far-fetched. It is not applicable to me or it can't happen.' And then we are countering the wisdom of the sages to tell this to us openly because they clearly see the potential for us to lead a life like this.

And if you look at life in its entirety, then it seems impossible to live like this. But in this moment, is it possible? Can I expand on that a little bit? Look at the grievances that we hold today. Is it not possible to forgive? Is it not possible to let go of them? So it's not just about a boxing match. He's not saying it's about this. It is said in A Course in Miracles: 'Love holds no grievances.' So all of us claim to be great at love. You claim to be great at love, you see? But then if you're so great at love, and we prefer to hear things about love—and we'd rather not hear about death, we would rather hear about love and things like that—but then can there be love and grudges, grievances, taking justice in our own hands? Can these coexist, or are we just fooling ourselves? So let's contemplate whether this kind of forgiveness is possible. Yes, my dear.

Sorry, you put your hand up earlier as well. A story from the early days of Ramana Ashram when Bhagavan was there with a few followers and burglar broke in. They went and searched around the ashram and they found nothing. And then Bhagavan, you know, he recognized they were there, but in a very unworldly way he said, 'I have nothing, but let me offer you some food' to the burglars. And that enraged them, and they had metal rods. They beat Bhagavan and some of his attendants. And then his attendants said, 'You know, let's—I mean, you know, they're—let's fight back. We have to fight back.' And he said no. Even though he was, you know, it's just—he offered a gift to people who were out to burgle and assault him, suffered the assaults, and he said, 'You know, don't—exactly, don't raise your hand.' Exactly. It just—I mean, this—it's so unworldly.

Absolutely. And there are other examples as well where there was a time that some disciples of Bhagavan became disgruntled and upset and, you know, they would actively stop people from going to his ashram. So anybody would ask them, 'What is the way to Ramana Ashram?' and that time it wasn't so well known, so they would say, 'Don't go over there. I spent many years with that man, he gave me nothing, I got nothing.' And apparently some of them printed pamphlets as well. So when Bhagavan came to know about this, they came and said, 'See what lies they've written about you.' Then he said, 'Okay, let's go find them and give them some more money to print some more pamphlets.' I may be paraphrasing a bit, but he said that this way then we can ensure that only those who are truly sincere come here. He said like that. And there's a story of...

I spent many years with that man; he gave me nothing. I got nothing. And apparently, some of them printed pamphlets as well. So when Bhagavan came to know about this, they came and said, 'See what lies they've written about you.' Then he said, 'Okay, let's go find them and give them some more money to print some more pamphlets.' I may be paraphrasing a bit, but he said it this way. Then he said, 'This way we can ensure that only those who are truly sincere come here,' you see? He said it like that.

And there's a story of Yogi Ramsuratkumar also, where at one time Ma Devaki said that in The Illustrated Weekly they published an article which was quite demeaning about him. So she brought him The Illustrated Weekly—it was like a tabloid newspaper at that time. So he's going through the article and he says, 'My Father is... Father blesses you, Father blesses you,' you see? So we must not get into this trap that all this doesn't apply to us because we are Vedantins. We should not get into that trap at all because when true insight, true spirituality, true recognition of Oneness meets this apparent world of Maya, it has to be met. It has to express itself in the form of compassion, kindness, love, forgiveness.

So don't divide yourself mentally in this way just because some things may seem uncomfortable—that 'How can I forgive? How can I let go of all my grievances? This one did something so bad, so strong to me, how can I just let it go?' It can seem like that. And the same thing Jesus reminded us of often in the Sermon on the Mount as well: that before you go bow down in the temple, go mend things with your brother and come. So then Matthew resolved his antagonism with his father and mother and then came back to him. So do not turn and strike those who strike you with their fists.

What is a grievance? It's holding on to an attack thought because we feel attacked, isn't it? That's a grievance. It's not a loving presence, but an attacking response to an idea of attack. So when Farid is saying that do not turn around and strike those who strike you with their fist, he's not just talking about a fistfight. He's talking about every grievance that we can have. Is it now everyone with everyone? Of course not, of course not. It is constant work in progress, constant work in progress. But we must accept that this is our project.

Remember what he's telling us: death is coming. What is the right way to live? So don't take these words lightly—'Ah, maybe one day we can do this.' He's saying it's coming. We don't know when it is coming. What is the right way to live is to become a humble saint at the Lord's door. And he is teaching us the path of humility, you see? What is he saying? 'If you have a keen understanding, then do not write black marks against anyone else. Look underneath your own collar instead. Do not turn around and strike those who strike you with their fist. Kiss their feet and return to your own home.'

So this striking with the fist is an attack which our mind takes to be an attack, and then we respond with an attack or hold on to attack thoughts. We have to learn how to let go. Farid, when there was time for you to earn good karma, you were in love with this world instead. Remember, the project is very clear: death is coming. I have to lead the good life because one day I have to meet the Lord and give my report. And in the report, he's saying that this is the time. Every moment, he talked about the sesame seeds—that there are so few, and if I realized that there are so few, I would have used them better, you see?

So now he's completing his point, saying that realizing that there were so few, I should have used that time better. But when it was time to use them better, I was involved with the world instead. When I should have earned my spiritual wealth, I could have built my heart temple, I could have constructed the altar to God in my heart; instead of that, I was involved with worldly things. Now death has a strong foothold and the load is full; it is taken away. Which means that my life has been so full of foolishness, of worldly attachment, that it has become so full that this life is going to get taken away because death is coming.

And this part, this page ends with this, but it continues in the video. See, Farid, what has happened? Your beard has turned gray. So he's really feeling the fire of it and trying to light that fire in all of us as well, you see? The time is running out. We have to build spiritual wealth, focus on that, because everything else is a passing appearance. It will come and go. Let's contemplate these words for a few minutes. I hope all could hear me well.

A very, very beautiful section just read. So he said that your beard is turning gray, that which is coming is near, and the past is left far behind. What is coming? Death. See, Farid, what has happened? Sugar has become poison. Without my Lord, who can I tell of my sorrow? For my eyes have become weak and my ears have become hard of hearing. The body's crop has become ripe and turned color. Farid, those who did not enjoy their spouse when their hair was black, hardly any of them enjoy him when their hair turns gray. So be in love with the Lord so that your color may ever be new.

So what is he talking about? He is reminding us again that time is running out, death is coming. In various ways, he is reinforcing that point so it sticks. Then he's saying that don't wait till you're old like me, because he's again using the reference of the Lord as the Beloved, the husband. And he's saying those who cannot find love for their spouse, the holy husband God, in their youth, hardly ever find it in their old age. So don't postpone, don't leave it for tomorrow. It is now, because soon this life will be over. So be in love with the Lord so that your color may ever be new.

So possibly the first hopeful statement to come in this whole pointing is that if you're in love with God, then all these things don't happen to us because we discover eternal life. We realize that the death of the body is not the death of us. We find that holiness within ourselves which never ages, which is beyond birth and death. So what has he told us so far? To avoid the hellish life and then meeting death with nothing to show for it, because the day of account will come. The day of account will come.

So he said, first he talked about humility, holding no grievances, kiss the feet of those who attack you, you see? Worthy contemplation really is that: whose feet would I never kiss? That means that is the one that you're holding the strongest grievance with. And the sages have clearly told us that we have to leave justice to God. So is it going to be easy? Is it easy for any of us? But we have to try. We have to try with the right perspective that the matter is important and it is urgent. Because the sage is telling us that for this life to not be in that smoldering fire of hell, and for us to give a worthy account of using time well in this life, we have to do these things. We have to first be humble, and secondly, we have to love God with all our heart, with all our might. Make Him the center of your life and don't postpone, because those who did not enjoy their spouse when their hair was black, hardly any of them enjoy Him when their hair turns gray. So be in love with the Lord so that your color may ever be new. Okay, let's go through a little bit more.

So you notice that some of the things are not there in the YouTube, but we'll read them out anyway. He says whether one's hair is black or gray, our Lord and Master is always here if one remembers Him. So another clue: humility, love God deeply. And how to love God deeply? By remembering Him. You can't say I love someone and not remember them. Is it possible? You say, 'I love someone so much,' but I never remember them? It cannot happen, isn't it? So that Simran, that Dhyan, whichever word we want to use for it—this unceasing prayer to make God central, the main focus of our lives—is the clue here, you see?

So we have to learn to listen very closely, because otherwise these seem very fleeting sort of statements which seem generic or diffuse. Really look at it: he is providing us the whole spiritual framework in his Slokas. And that's why Nanak or whoever was responsible for these verses to be included in the sharing of the Sikh religion, they would have included these Slokas because the entire spiritual framework of how to lead a true life is contained in them. So whether one's hair is black or gray, our Lord and Master is always here if one remembers Him. He says He is always here if one remembers Him; otherwise, we'll be caught in Maya and it'll seem like He's not here.

And this loving devotion of the Lord does not come by one's own efforts, even though all may long for it. The cup of loving devotion belongs to our Lord and Master; He gives it to whomsoever He likes. And we've talked about this often enough: we must not misunderstand these words. It is God's grace by which we love God. It is God's grace, but that cannot be an excuse for us not to pay the cost of discipleship, not to make our entire effort to love God. Because if the great Sheikh Farid felt like that is how it is and there was no reason for him to say any of this, he would not make this imploration so heartfelt and true if he felt like, 'Oh, only God has to do it.' That's not what he's saying.

He's saying that even this will be a gift from God to us. In fact, that we are hearing these words is also God's gift to us, you see? That we've come to this place in our heart that we can be open to hearing words like this is also that openness is given by God, because most of the world doesn't like to hear these words, you see? So that openness is also a gift from God. But we have to still try. Whatever capacity we think we have that we exert towards attachments to the world anyway, so that has to be shifted towards a love for God instead.

This is very beautiful, very, very touching. He says for those eyes which have enticed the world, I have seen those eyes once; they could not even endure a bit of mascara, now the birds hatch their young in them. So he's talking about the ephemeral nature of the temptations of this world. He's saying that I have seen so many times, so many beautiful ones—and he's not just talking about people, but also people where you notice that there are some so beautiful they can't even handle a bit of mascara, and now those eyes are dead and gone and their bones are being used by birds to make their nest. What is this bundle of flesh that we chase?

You must really meet these words deeply: that the world of Maya offers us these temptations; they mean nothing at all. What is it like? Buddha said that if you're too attracted to worldly temptation, just—and we heard this in the Art of Living also—that just see it without the outer layer of skin, then would you run after it? So there's no reason to chase, to become feverish about these things, because those beautiful ones, once they could not even endure a bit of mascara, now the birds hatch their young in them. Very, very important line.

Then he's saying something very strong. He said that Farid, they shouted and yelled and constantly gave good advice. They shouted and yelled and constantly gave good advice, but those whom the devil has spoiled, how can they turn their consciousness towards God? What is he saying? That the sages have told us, they've shouted and shouted. Kabir said, 'Beloved, please hear me, otherwise go fall in a ditch.' He's clearly said that if you don't hear his words, then only this hellish Hellfire is awaiting us, you see? And he actually said that, by the way, I'm not making it up. So this—they have shouted and yelled and told us, constantly given us good advice. Who? The sages, the teachers, the scriptures, the holy voice, the Antahkarana, the voice of the Atma within, the Holy Spirit within, has constantly told us, given us good advice. But when Maya has us...

Kabir said, 'Beloved, please hear me, otherwise go fall in a ditch.' He's clearly said that if you don't hear his words, then only this hellish Hellfire is in us, you see? And he actually said that, by the way; I'm not making it up. So, they have shouted and yelled and told us constantly, given us good advice. Who? These sages, the teachers, the scriptures, the holy voice, the Atma. The voice of the Atma within, the Holy Spirit within, has constantly told us, given us good advice. But when Maya has us in its claws, then we find it so difficult. That's what he implies by this, at least that's the way I'm reading it, and I'm not any expert on Baba Fareed, but this is how it occurs to me.

Fareed shouted and yelled and constantly gave good advice, but those whom the devil has foiled, how can they turn their consciousness towards God? Become the grass on the path if you long for the Lord of all. One will cut you down, the other will trample you underfoot. Become the grass on the path. So, he's talked about humility, talked about love for God, remembering Him constantly. Treat Him like your beloved spouse, your beloved partner. Give your heart to God. And then he's returning back to the essence of what he's pointing, which is: don't take yourself to be special. Be like the grass on the path if you long for the Lord of all. You can't be proud and say, 'I'm seeking God.' We can't go our own way and seek God. The grass on the path is humble; it allows us to cut it down, it allows us to trample it under our feet. And then he makes a promise. He says, 'Then you shall enter the court of the Lord.' If we can have that kind of humility.

Fareed, do not slander the dust; nothing is as great as the dust. That means we are worse off than even the dust, because while we are alive, it is under our feet, but when we are dead, it is above us. Is that till where we heard in the YouTube? Let's sit for a few minutes in silence and we can go over our notes. Contemplate.

Can we take this mic around and ask everyone what are your favorite verses so far in our notes? You can see, just like a recap, just one or two favorite things that you heard. Yeah, okay.

If someone strikes you, don't strike back. Kiss their feet and return home. Become like the grass. If you have a keen understanding, don't find fault in others; look under your own collar. Leave all justice to God. Is there a wealth which is beyond life and death? And love holds no grievances. Love holds no grievances.

A reminder that the dust which is under your feet today will be over you sometime soon. Dust which is under our feet today will cover us in whatever way, even if you call it a funeral pyre. Um, love the heart-mind so much that I can remember it at all times. Accept the inevitability, yes, good, inevitability of death.

And you can all type also if you want to mention what you really were touched by. Importance of humility, Father. So when death is coming anyway, how should we live? Will wealth, relationship, money, intellectual understanding, health—will any of this accompany us after death? I didn't hear the full thing, but you said that the sesame seeds are few, and when the time is there to value them, they're busy with the material world, and then when the time passes away, the seeds are scattered or few. And there was another one: that if you didn't spend time loving your beloved or house when your hair was black, then when your hair has turned white, there may not be that same opportunity. And also that God's presence is felt if we remember Him, and all we need to do is remember Him. Is that okay? Yes, thank you.

I have such little precious time left. It is not time is taking away, but the life is taking away. And how much time we gave to pray or to stay with you. If death is coming, what is the right way to live? And if you have keen understanding, don't write black marks against others. Death is inevitable, no choice.

I noted a few words that I was contemplating on. These are some notes when we contemplated at the beginning. It's inevitable, there's no choice. I have no choice, I can't keep anything. So I was contemplating: what am I writing to keep? Being right about things? So, what is beyond life and death? What have the sages told us what that is? Then the other notes are: don't judge, let justice be, leave justice to God, don't postpone. So it was looking at the inevitability of death, the inevitability of death, and how one has wasted so much time on that.

This, you know, the seeds she's talking about, the seeds of time, the mustard seeds which are just there, so few. But you didn't realize there were so few, otherwise you would have used it much more wisely. And then also, he said that one of the things which I feel pulls us back again is that we feel this need for justice, but we don't know what justice is. And I refuse to leave it to God; rather, you know, I want the justice now according to how I think I want justice. And the sages continuously, everyone has said that you leave it to Him; you don't know any better than that. And every day you see that you don't know better, actually. He shows you again, 'You don't know this,' yet I'm not listening and again being a fool again and again. That reminded me when he said that the sages keep yelling, but if you're caught in that grip of Maya, you're not going to hear. You can go on shouting, but you won't hear.

But the redemption was that if I remember God, He is here. If I remember Him, I only have to remember and He's here already. So that's—it's not as if everything is hopeless. I can try even if now I can hear. And I love what he said, that if I think I have to do this forgiveness thing of forgiving everybody for my whole life, it seems impossible. But if I do it moment by moment, there's a possibility. It is true, otherwise it's not. It feels like I'm going back in that grip, this need, nonsense. Thank you.

How to love God by remembering Him, and spiritual wealth, building spiritual wealth. And death is coming, time is passing. Thank you. How will we live if we know the inevitability of death? Time is like a few sesame seeds in the hand. Turning towards God, don't look down upon dust, because while alive it is under us and after death it is above us. He is always here if you remember Him. And become the grass on the path. Make God the center of your life, love Him with all your heart, be in His unceasing presence. And with prayer, shift your attachments from worldly things to this love of God in your heart.

Right, it really, really resonated. And it resonates very much with what another great saint, Bulleh Shah Ji, said: 'Uproot from here and plant there. Uproot from here and plant there.' So all the sages, like he said, are constantly yelling and telling us, just repeating over and over again. Even one thing like this, if we take to heart: that our job is to uproot from here, not get attached to things here, and to plant there, which is to build our spiritual wealth, which is to not waste the mustard seeds, the sesame seeds which are so few, and use every moment to add a brick to our heart temple, to bow down in prayer to God, to inquire into our reality.

Baba Fareed says that the Lord warned him about this hell, otherwise he too would be on fire. Yes, he speaks of the epitome of selflessness. It tells us that all these worldly things, turn away, you will burn. It's nothing. Save yourself for your beloved, for the truth, for your true lover, the true state. Moment to moment, there is very little time and we are nothing. Even dust is better. Be like grass which is happy to allow you to be trampled upon, to be cut, yet it is ever fresh. Yet a fresh green blade of grass, even cut, has a fragrance. Humility, gratitude. One that kisses the feet of the one that has cut it, trampled upon it. Be like that, yet be in love with your beloved. You're the greatest lover because only in being absolutely, completely selfless each moment will the lover's love fragrance emanate from your own being. Very beautiful.

Death, love God when you are young and you have all the time. Little death. After hearing Baba Fareed, my hearing is also going, so yeah. Death, love God when you are young, you know, like you have black hair. What you were saying really inspired by this death. Death is all I got. Love God when you're young, don't leave it to old age, like the black hair and the white thing. And another thing is build spiritual wealth, you know, just running around material things. These are two things I wrote, just two lines: construct your heart temple, and eternal life is on offer. Eternal life is on offer, and construct your heart temple.

The very beautiful first verse about the death, the bride and being united with one's beloved. And yeah, you have very little time. And then it says that, you know, the few grains that you had, you would have lived it better off. Like, I feel that each moment from now on, to live better, it's a great learning lesson. The way it was put across was very beautiful and that really struck a lot. To put yourself into it, and we keep slipping away from it all the time, but being able to sense it. I think pretty much everything is covered with it. And being humble is difficult; yes, it is very true. And it's a day-to-day process that you're doing it, that's work.

I can read some from the chat as well. Did I miss anyone? Yes, yes.

The one he's talking about, about the gentle eyes which cannot take even mascara today, and tomorrow the birds will be hatching their hatchlings there. So, it all talks about the attractions; all for the worldly things will be gone in dust. It's very powerful. That was very strong, very strong.

Okay, so I'm just going to read through. 'One day you have to report to God, so how should you live?' That's good, my dear; you won't be here for a month. One day you have to report to God, so how should you live? Next one says, 'Don't belittle the dust under your feet; very soon it'll be above you.' Love holds no grievances; you have to learn to let go. I also like something about this feet and collar sentence. 'Don't blacken another's name; look under your own collar. Be in love with the Lord so that your color may ever be new.' You have to build spiritual wealth; focus on that because everything else is passing. The matter is important and it is urgent. 'Do not turn around and strike those who strike you with their fists; kiss their feet and return to your own home.'

Next one: death is inevitable. Am I spending this time with God? Are we prepared to die? Whatever is the highest, have we focused our lives on that? Then the pathway is humility, love. Love God deeply and remember Him. Remember Him by unceasing prayer. Before you go and bow down to the temple, go and make peace with your brother. Do not strike back; kiss their feet and return home. For me, it means let the grievance go and return to the sense of presence. Come home. It's beautiful, very good.

I just kissed the feet of my parents but noticed I felt some pride in this. Then I went back to holding the grudge soon after. Yet this might be the last sesame seed in my hand. That's a very urgent thing to say: 'This might be the last sesame seed in my hand.' And next one says, 'Father, similar to the verse regarding look for your hairs have turned gray, some words keep coming to me which are: you've always been mad and now you've grown old.' Also another phrase that often comes is: 'You did not let it die, and in return it did not let you live.' And next one: 'You said something like the one you feel you can't kiss their feet is the one that you're holding a grievance against. Grievances keep us from loving God. Please help us see the grievances, Father, and please help us forgive so we can love God fully.' Very important point, that many times we don't even...

In gray, some words keep coming to me which are: 'You've always been mad and now you've grown old also.' Another phrase that often comes is: 'You did not let it die and in return it did not let you live.' And the next one, you said something like: 'The one you feel you can't kiss their feet is the one that you're holding a grievance against.' Grievances keep us from loving God. Please help us see the grievances, Father, and please help us forgive so we can love God fully.

Very important point, that many times we don't even recognize the grievances that we are holding. So, may God's grace show us all our blind spots. Very good.

Next one says: 'Seeing through God's eyes is to see the ever new and colorful.' Paraphrasing, it's: 'Let's go, the dust under our feet will be over our body.' It is the God's grace to love God, but we have to pay the cost of discipleship, the price of discipleship. Be humble and love God with all our heart and all our mind. Make Him the focus of your life.

Very good. Thank you, God. Thank you for this grace that we gather here together to immerse ourselves in this beautiful sharing by Sheikh Fareed. May these contemplations deepen in our heart so deeply that our life is transformed into such a deep love and gratitude and humility. We are so grateful for this blessing. We pray that Your presence is always with us.