Hum Avgun Bhare Ek Gun Nahi

I saw a part of Giani Sant Singh Ji Maskeen’s katha written out on facebook today and it remind me of a section of the book “Laavan”. In the post (forgive me for any translation errors- it was written in Punjabi), it said that a spiritually awakened mind has compassion over someone’s demerits (avgun). He gives the example of the body. When someone falls due to body’s weakness, we have so much compassion for them. We run to help. When someone falls due to their mind, we hate them. In the English translated book laavan, he writes “On seeing a Gyani, a spiritually evolved soul, who is ahead in this inner journey of the ‘self’, he gets feelings of reverence and devotion. On the other hand on seeing an ignorant being, he gets feelings of compassion that this person has no understanding of the truth and so has not even started the true inner journey. These are the symptoms of a spiritual being, that he has devotion towards the highly evolved saintly souls and compassion towards the ignorant.” Giani Ji also gives the example of Sheikh Sajjan, the man who was murdering all the people who were coming to seek shelter in his home, and how Guru Nanak had compassion and showed him how to change his mind. Sajjan changed and stopped murdering people, becoming a follower of the Guru.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji writes, on Ang 1357

“Through the Mantra of the Name of the Lord, Raam, Raam, one meditates on the All-pervading Lord. Those who have the wisdom to look alike upon pleasure and pain, live the immaculate lifestyle, free of vengeance. They are kind to all beings; they have overpowered the five thieves. They take the Kirtan of the Lord’s praise as their food; they remain untouched by Maya, like the lotus in the water. They share the Teachings with friend and enemy alike; they love the devotional worship of God. They do not listen to slander; renouncing self-conceit, they become the dust of all. Whoever has these six qualities, O Nanak, is called a Holy Friend.”

I think it is really important for each of us to reflect on these teachings because it gives us a sense of whether we are growing in the right direction. It gives us a goal and inspiration. I am continually reminded of how much work needs to be done on the mind. When I find myself bothered by external situations, I am reminded that I am the one who needs to find peace in my mind. Bhatt Kirat writes on Ang 1406, Hum Avgun Bhare Ek Gun Nahi. “I am overflowing with sins and demerits, I have no merits or virtues at all.” We are quick to look at other people in a bad light. We apply different standards to ourselves and even our loved ones. It’s important to remember Gurbani, and get rid of ego through all of our methods: naam japna, sewa, simran, sangat, kirtan, etc. Giani Sant Singh Ji Maskeen’s wise words explain to us how we must have compassion and understanding for other people’s mind journeys.