By Dr. Ramdesh, as originally posted on Spirit Voyage.
According to Yogi Bhajan, “when you suffer from greed, madness for power, overbearing expansion and the need to control, when you become trapped in your territoriality, the Seventh Pauree [of Japjee Sahib] will heal you.”
Greed is a funny thing. It goes without saying that it’s an illusion that money will make you happy (although it is also an illusion that the absence of money will make you happy), and yet it is an utterly beguiling illusion for some. Being rich doesn’t make you greedy, but being obsessed with the endless accumulation of things (money, fame, material possessions) can almost get a hold on you like a drug. If you forget that the source of your joy is inside of you, it can be easy to be trapped into pursuing a source of happiness outside of you.
In the 7th Pauree of Japji Sahib, the words speak of how you could achieve eternal youth, endless fame and fortune and you would still be miserable without Grace. As I understand it, Grace is like a divine injection of sweetness and bliss. It’s the happy juice, and it comes from a limitless flow of well-being.
Imagine there is a waterfall that never stops flowing. The water is full of blessings, riches, health, joy and love. We’re all standing with our backs to the waterfall and in front of us is a cup of water and further beyond it is a pitcher full of water. If we are silent and go inside, we can hear the music of the cascading waterfall behind us. We turn and marvel at its beauty. We thank it for being. And so a cup appears in front of us, for us to use and fill up in the waterfall whenever we choose.
If we do not meditate and go within, we stare endlessly at the cup in front of us and play a game of “Simon Says” with the world, advancing two steps forward, one step back until some of us reach the cup and some of us reach the pitcher. If you’ve gotten to the pitcher and you decide you want the waterfall, the 7th Pauree can help you turn back to the Divine Source and begin your humble walk of gratitude. No one will be turned away for a drink.
The Seventh Pauree of Japji Sahib
Jay jug chaaray aarjaa hor dasoonnee ho-ei.
Navaa khanddaa vich jaannee-ai naal chalai sabh ko-ei.
Changaa naa-o rakhaa-ei kai jas keerat jag layeh.
Jay tis nadar na aava-ee ta vaat na poochh-ai kay.
Keettaa andar keett kar dosee dos dharay.
Naanak nirgunn gunn karay gunnvanti-aa gunn day.
Tayhaa ko-ei na sujha-ee ji tis gunn ko-ei karay. II 7 II
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