Ang-11, Chapter 275
This is Ang-11, chapter 275, a sacred text in the Sikhism tradition. You can read it here verse by verse for free, listen to it read aloud, and follow cross-references that connect its themes to other traditions.
He is the Creator Lord of His world.
No one else understands Him, although they may try.
The created cannot know the extent of the Creator.
O Nanak, whatever pleases Him comes to pass. ||7||
Gazing upon His wondrous wonder, I am wonder-struck and amazed!
One who realizes this, comes to taste this state of joy.
God's humble servants remain absorbed in His Love.
Following the Guru's Teachings, they receive the four cardinal blessings.
They are the givers, the dispellers of pain.
In their company, the world is saved.
The slave of the Lord's servant is so very blessed.
In the company of His servant, one becomes attached to the Love of the One.
His humble servant sings the Kirtan, the songs of the glory of God.
By Guru's Grace, O Nanak, he receives the fruits of his rewards. ||8||16||
Salok:
True in the beginning, True throughout the ages,
True here and now. O Nanak, He shall forever be True. ||1||
Ashtapadee:
His Lotus Feet are True, and True are those who touch Them.
His devotional worship is True, and True are those who worship Him.
The Blessing of His Vision is True, and True are those who behold it.
His Naam is True, and True are those who meditate on it.
He Himself is True, and True is all that He sustains.
He Himself is virtuous goodness, and He Himself is the Bestower of virtue.
The Word of His Shabad is True, and True are those who speak of God.
Those ears are True, and True are those who listen to His Praises.
All is True to one who understands.
O Nanak, True, True is He, the Lord God. ||1||
One who believes in the Embodiment of Truth with all his heart
recognizes the Cause of causes as the Root of all.
One whose heart is filled with faith in God
the essence of spiritual wisdom is revealed to his mind.
Coming out of fear, he comes to live without fear.
He is absorbed into the One, from whom he originated.
When something blends with its own,
it cannot be said to be separate from it.
This is understood only by one of discerning understanding.
Meeting with the Lord, O Nanak, he becomes one with Him. ||2||
The servant is obedient to his Lord and Master.
The servant worships his Lord and Master forever.
The servant of the Lord Master has faith in his mind.
The servant of the Lord Master lives a pure lifestyle.
The servant of the Lord Master knows that the Lord is with him.
God's servant is attuned to the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
God is the Cherisher of His servant.
The Formless Lord preserves His servant.
Unto His servant, God bestows His Mercy.
O Nanak, that servant remembers Him with each and every breath. ||3||
He covers the faults of His servant.
He surely preserves the honor of His servant.
He blesses His slave with greatness.
He inspires His servant to chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
He Himself preserves the honor of His servant.
No one knows His state and extent.
No one is equal to the servant of God.
The servant of God is the highest of the high.
One whom God applies to His own service, O Nanak
- that servant is famous in the ten directions. ||4||
He infuses His Power into the tiny ant;
it can then reduce the armies of millions to ashes
Those whose breath of life He Himself does not take away
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Leviticus 19:18
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
Psalm 23:1
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Luke 6:36
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Snp 1.8
“As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.”
The Path to Wisdom
Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
Humility & Surrender
Bhagavad Gita 18:66
“Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.”
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Tao Te Ching 22
“If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”
Quran 2:45
“Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Genesis 1:3
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”