ਚੰਚਲੁ ਚੀਤੁ ਨ ਰਹਈ ਠਾਇ ॥ ਚੋਰੀ ਮਿਰਗੁ ਅੰਗੂਰੀ ਖਾਇ ॥

This cheet (mann) is so chanchal that it does not stay focused for one moment. Like a wild deer that looks for soft leaves to eat, this mann hunts for the pleasures of this world.

The reason this mann hunts for pleasures of the world is because our mann is programmed to look for Anand. It has a thirst, a hunger for bliss but what it does not know is that these worldly pleasures cannot satisfy its thirst for Anand. Anand is found only inside the body and not outside.

It is said that the deer has a kastoori in its navel. This kastoori gives out a very pleasant odour. The deer wanders around looking for the source of this smell but what it does not know is that this smell is right inside him. Same way this mann of ours does not know that the Anand that it is seeking is nowhere outside to be found. It is only inside. We will have to go inside ourselves to find the Anand. This is where the shabad of Guru comes in handy. The shabad enables us to go inside ourselves and find Anand.

But how to go inside when our mann does not stay stable or focussed for one second. Gurbani says that “Mann Vass Avay Nanaka, pooran kirpa hoye”. Mann comes under control only if one has full kirpa. Mann will come under control with heavy paath of Gurbani and crazy Naam Abhyaas. Along with this we will have to keep full rehit and obey all hukams of Guru Sahib. There is no other way of getting out of this quagmire we are stuck in.

Kulbir Singh