What sleep are you in?
Sleep a condition of body and mind, a state when the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, postural muscles relaxed, and the consciousness practically suspended. Understanding sleep from a spiritual perspective there is more that surrounds the word and meets our eyes in a humanly experience.
‘Sleep’ refers to the act of going to sleep, while the word ‘Asleep’ refers to the state of already being in a sleep. Both these words have a strong presence as analogy in many Holy Scriptures. Bringing together a few thought provoking sleep behaviour should some consider an awakening. Not getting enough sleep is a problem and excessive sleep has it owns risk, indeed a sleep Jhamela with some souls.
Gurbani tells us the ‘first watch of the night passes away in worthless affairs, and the second passes in deep sleep. In the third, they babble nonsense, and when the fourth watch comes, the day of death has arrived. The thought of the One who bestows body and soul never enters the mind.’
The Shabad Guru also illustrates how the body & mind takes to sleep with some.
The eyes are asleep in corruption, gazing upon the beauty of another.
The ears are asleep, listening to slanderous stories.
The tongue is asleep, in its desire for sweet flavours.
The mind is asleep, fascinated by Maya.
Those who remain awake in this house are very rare; by doing so, they receive the whole thing. SGGS Ang182
Kabir ji too gives a mindful ‘that there is darkness but no one can sleep in peace. The king and the pauper both weep and cry, simply because their tongue does not chant the name of the Hukum.’ SGGS Ang325
Other Gurus caution the many are unable to sleep as duality and evil-mindedness is active in their mind. Only if they give it up they are blessed to sleep in intuitive peace and poise. ‘When the Lord puts him to sleep, he remains asleep; when He wakes him up, he regains consciousness. When the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, He causes him to meet the True Guru. By Guru's Grace some souls remain dead while yet alive, and who do not have to die again.’ SGGS Ang554
It’s time the world understands; to remain dead while yet alive is not same as joining our playful friends gone to sleep in the graveyard. Many a souls have been asleep for so many incarnations all because of distancing from the Naam staying in doubts and not accepting His Hukum.
Pray the Hukum giver of all corrects those who make mistakes and puts them to Sleep and Awake in His union.
Comments