27 Ramadan 1431

Some of my students brought me a book of hymns from the Granth Sahib, when they returned from India.
Here are a couple samples.

O saints, such is the creation of God,
Some regard life as transient; others deem it permanent.
How mysterious is the human world!
Man is gripped by lust, anger, attachment.
He has forgotten the Divine Presence.
He believes the mortal body to be lasting,
though it is illusory like a dream during the night.
All that you see will vanish
Like the shadow of moving clouds.
Nanak, the devotee, says,
Know the world as insubstantial
and find refuge in the presence of God.
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One practices deceit and loots the riches of others,
And spends them on his wife and sons.
O my foolish mind, do not engage in fraud,
for ultimately, it is your soul which has to account for your actions.
The body wears off every minute, and in the end old age fails you.
Then no one will offer you even a palmful of water.
Kabir says, "Listen, O man, no one belongs to you,
So why not recite the Lord's Name early in the morning?"
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In these days we should remember those who are suffering from the flooding in Pakistan and India. It was reported today:

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the worst flood of country’s history has caused large-scale devastation which is beyond imagination.

The idea that the world is temporary is held in common between Muslims, Sikhs, and many others.
We should not refuse to read the hymns of those of other faiths, nor should we fail to help them when they are in need.
There are many reactions to the recognition that the world is fleeting.
Some say, "Enjoy it while you can!"
It seems more reasonable to be virtuous while you can.
If we are just here for a short time,
would it not be better to let some virtue shine,
and, in so doing, to find refuge in the presence of God?