Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/444

348 When doubts and fears have fled, impurity shall not cling to the true heart. A frail cord will soon snap: Know that the world is as the cord. Fix thy mind firmly on the True One and thou shalt be happy.

In his devotional enthusiasm the Guru indulges in self-depreciation:—

Some read the Veds, some the Purans: Some repeat names on their rosaries and meditate on them. I know not and never knew anything; I recognize only Thy name. I know not, O God, what my lot shall be. I am ignorant and devoid of divine knowledge; O Lord, I seek Thy protection, mercifully preserve my self-respect and honour. The mind sometimes riseth and sometimes falleth to the nether regions. The greedy mind remaineth not still; it searcheth for mammon in all directions. Man entered the world doomed to die; yet he amasseth wealth for long life. While others depart, O Lord, we see the burning fire approaching us also. No one hath a friend, no one hath a brother, no one hath a father or mother. Nanak representeth, if Thou give Thy name, it will assist me at the last hour.

After the death of a Hindu a lamp is kept burning for several days to light the soul of the departed to the next world. It is then floated on water. Guru Nanak indites the following homily on the custom:—