Mouse-Trap There are lots of

Mouse-Trap

• There are lots of pitfalls for the Naam-Traveller, sharper than a sword and finer than a hair is the path the Saints follow says Guru Amar Das ji (Khannee-o tikhee Valo nikee Anand Sahib). • Like an acrobat we walk across the tightrope, wobbling side to side over the ocean of fire, the flames of hell leaping up to grab us at every moment. • This Narak (hell) is in our mind. • But like the acrobat holding on to the 20 foot pole to keep his balance, we hold onto Naam with undivided attention 'Ek Man Ek Dhi-a-a' -with one mind focus on the ONE.

Mind is like a mouse in a trap • Like a mouse in a laboratory maze, we follow our mind's desire looking for our piece of cheese that will give us happiness' fast car, a big salary, a luxurious house, a beautiful spouse • Day and night we cant sleep. the beautiful spouse, big businesses, fast cars lead to worry and anxiety, our unhealthy lifestyle leads to alcohol addiction and problem after problem. • We spent all our life running around the mind maze for happiness. . . and seeing the glowing piece of cheese we leaped with all our heart at it. . . took a juicy bite but before we even had time to enjoy it the wire trap came crashing down on our head!!!!!

We never stop! We want more, more… IT NEVER ENDS!!!!! AND HERE’S WHAT GURBANI SAYS…

Who is LUCKY? • Well, with nowhere else to turn, no friends, no family to support us in our hour of need we run through the mind maze until we fall at the feet of the Shabad Guru. . . • He was waiting for us all the time, watching our foolishly reap the rewards of our past actions, tapping us every now and again like the driver goads the elephant with the iron rod to make him go in the right direction. • Eventually we fell at the feet of Shabad Guru. • Stung once by the Maya bee we keep our eyes open incase she buzzes by again with her swarm of friends: The 5 enemies are her invisible friends, lies, slander, gossip, jealousy are her unsmellable friends, but a less obvious friend is hate.