Word Of The Day: sareer Sarovar

ਸਰੀਰ ਸਰੋਵਰ (sareer sarovar)
Meaning: The pool of the body.

Quote:
ਸਰੀਰ ਸਰੋਵਰ ਭੀਤਰੇ   ਆਛੈ ਕਮਲ ਅਨੂਪ॥ ਪਰਮ ਜੋਤਿ ਪੁਰਖੋਤਮੋ   ਜਾ ਕੈ ਰੇਖ ਨ ਰੂਪ॥
sareer sarovar bheetre   aachhai kamal anoop. param jot purkhotmo   jaa kai rekh na roop.
Within the pool of the body, there is an incomparably beautiful lotus – the embodiment of supreme light, the Supreme Being, who has no feature or form.
– Bhagat Kabeer, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 857

Message: Finally from the Divine, the Guru, and the company of the devout, we come to the individual person. The world is not merely a place of suffering. The human body is also sacred as the ‘Beautiful’ resides in it.

Here the body is compared to a pool where the Light dwells. Our suffering is due to our misperceptions of the world and the delusion that our success lies outside of us. But the Guru reminds us that since the Beautiful resides within the body, all divine virtues and beauty are within us.

Instead of searching outside and trying to seek purity and peace from external sources – through ritual bathing or other such means – one needs to dive and search within; by so doing, discover one’s strengths and positive potential. For, Gurbani says:

ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ   ਆਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ॥
O mind! You are the embodiment of the Divine Light, recognize your Origin.
– Guru Amar Das, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 441

Etymology: Blend of sareer from Sanskrit shareer → Pali sareer → Prakrit sareer (body) + sarovar (pool).

Summary of the Week:
Gurbani constantly reminds us that external search and external means for peace are useless. By engaging in both of these, we create more delusions in our life. In the search for the shiny object, the peace and tranquillity becomes even more impossible to achieve.

The true pools of spirituality are the teachings of Gurbani that lead us to Divinity, or the wise and decent people, who entertain the right beliefs and are able to guide us to the right path. The company of such people is beneficial in our journey to know the truth.

However, the most important fact is that we need to know and understand who we are and what is our infinite potential since the Divine Force that creates everything is within us. We need to abandon the beastliness of our lower emotions and thoughts. We need to rediscover the spiritual and divine virtues within us.

ਏਹੁ ਸਰੀਰੁ ਸਰਵਰੁ ਹੈ ਸੰਤਹੁ   ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਕਰੇ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਈ॥
O saintly people! This body is a pool; bathe in it by attuning yourself to Divinity.
– Guru Amar Das Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 909