Gurbani Vichaar - Life's a roller coaster

Gurbani (scripture) tells us that ‘Dukh’ (suffering) and ‘Sukh’ (happiness) are a part of life. Good and bad things are going to happen; life is full of ups and downs. In short, life’s a roller-coaster! Gurbani (scripture) says:

ਸੁਖੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਦੁਇ ਦਰਿ ਕਪੜੇ ਪਹਿਰਹਿ ਜਾਇ ਮਨੁਖ ॥ 

sukh dukh du-e dar kaprre, pehi-rehi jaa-e maanukh. 

“Pleasure and pain are two garments received from the Court of the Lord that humans wear when they are born.” 

(Guru Nanak jee, SGGS – Ang 149) 

So while we chase after things that we expect will make us happy, what occurs is according to His ‘Hukam’ or Divine Will: good fortune, bad fortune, ups and downs.

ਜਤਨ ਬਹੁਤ ਸੁਖ ਕੇ ਕੀਏ ਦੁਖ ਕੋ ਕੀਓ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥ 

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੁਨਿ ਰੇ ਮਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਹੋਇ ॥੩੯॥ 

jatan bahut sukh ke kee-e, dukh ko kee-o na ko-e. 

kahu naanak sun re manaa, har bhaav-ai so ho-e. ||39|| 

“People make all sorts of efforts to find peace and pleasure, but no one tries to earn pain. Says (Guru) Nanak, listen, O my mind: whatever pleases God comes to pass. ||39|| 

(Guru Teg Bahadur jee, SGGS – Ang 1428) 

Our emotional state bounces around with the ups and downs that life hands us. One moment you are promoted at work, and you are all excited and on top of the world. Then, you go home and have a fight with your wife, and you feel terrible. 

ਕਬਹੂ ਜੀਅੜਾ ਊਭਿ ਚੜਤੁ ਹੈ ਕਬਹੂ ਜਾਇ ਪਇਆਲੇ ॥ 

kab-hoo jee-arraa oobh charrat hai, kab-hoo jaa-e peyaale. 

“Sometimes, the soul soars high up in the skies, and sometimes it falls to the pit bottom.” 

(Guru Nanak, SGGS - Ang 876) 

That is life – we are constantly tossed about on the stormy ocean of life that Gurbani (scripture) calls “bhav-jal”, an ocean full of the waves of “Maya” (material existence). We think our happiness or suffering is caused by external events or situations, and that is what we try to control. But in reality, it is how we react and handle these situations that determine our emotional state, much more than what happens to us. 

Now is the time to equip ourselves to handle life in such a way that we don’t drown in a life’s situation, but learn to swim and rise up so that we come out as a more beautiful soul. This is only possible through reaching out to the only true stability and constant in life – that is God! Through the wisdom of the Guru enshrined with the holy words of Gurbani (scripture), meditation, prayer, and living life as instructed by God we can begin that journey and ensure that life’s roller coaster ends with us having a smile on our face and successfully reaching our final destination.