SPOILT CHILD
When we visit a friend or relatives house, where they have a child who is over active and excitable, we start to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. We often come away thinking maybe they don’t discipline the child enough or don’t they see how bad the behaviour of the child is.
The reality is that we all have a spoilt child within us at all times, in the form of our minds. Just like the insolent child, the mind also is over active and running in all directions at all times and giving its attention to things that it shouldn’t.
Central to our spiritual discipline is the effort that we need to make to bring this spoilt child under our control. We need to anchor the mind in the Shabad (word) of the Guru and stop it into whichever direction if finds pleasing.
This spoilt child is really the offspring of our egos. It is the ego and the desires of our base animal nature that cause it to run in all directions. It will only learn to sit quietly when we centre it in our meditation practice. Through Naam meditation, all the distractions that feed the ego and our base instincts will start to diminish.
Guru Ram Daas Jee puts this beautifully in the following lines.
Kaaneiaa Nagar Eik Baalak Vasiaa Khin Pal Thhir N Rehaaee ||
Within the body-village there lives a child who cannot hold still, even for an instant.
Anik Oupaav Jathan Kar Thhaakae Baaran Baar Bharamaaee ||1||
It makes so many efforts, and grows weary, but still, it wanders restlessly again and again. ||1||
Maerae Thaakur Baalak Eikath Ghar Aan ||
O my Lord and Master, Your child has come home, to be one with You.
Sathigur Milai Th Pooraa Paaeeai Bhaj Raam Naam Neesaan ||1|| Rehaao ||
Meeting the True Guru, he finds the Perfect Lord. Meditating and vibrating on the Name of the Lord, he receives the Insignia of the Lord. ||1||Pause||
Vaheguroo!
