Do we come and go, with empty hands?

Reference verses:

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 ਅਬ ਕਲੂ ਆਇਓ ਰੇ ॥
ਇਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਬੋਵਹੁ ਬੋਵਹੁ ॥
ਅਨ ਰੂਤਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
ਮਤੁ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੂਲਹੁ ਭੂਲਹੁ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲੇ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਏ ॥
ਜਿਸੁ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਹੈ ਲੇਖਾ ॥
ਮਨ ਰੁਤਿ ਨਾਮ ਰੇ ॥
ਗੁਨ ਕਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਹਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰੇ ॥੨॥੧੮॥

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Translation:

Now Kaliyug has come,
Plant, plant one Name,
No, no other season,
Wander not, don't wander in doubt,
Meet Guru, find God,
On whose forehead is such destiny,
O mind, this is the season for Name,
Nanak speaks praise, O God, O God.||2||18||

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1185:17-24]

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ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਅੰਤਿ ਸਖਾਈ ਗੁਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ॥

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Translation:

God, Name of God is my companion in the end,
Guru, True Guru helped me believe in the Name.

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 573:30]

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ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਚਾਲੈ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਕਲਤ੍ਰ ਮਾਇਆ ਧੋਹਿਆ ॥

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Translation:

Without Name, no one accompanies,
Sons, wife, nor maya tricks.

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 690:25]

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ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਬੀਜਿ ਮਨ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਭਾਏ ॥੨॥

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Translation:

O Nanak, plant The Name in mind, True word is pleasing.||2||

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 568:29]

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ਨਾਮੋ ਬੀਜੇ ਨਾਮੋ ਜੰਮੈ ਨਾਮੋ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਏ ॥

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Translation:

Sow Name, Name germinates, establish Name in mind.

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 246:24]

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ਜਿਨੀ ਐਸਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਿਓ ਸੇ ਕਾਹੇ ਜਗਿ ਆਏ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਜੇ ॥
ਇਹੁ ਮਾਣਸ ਜਨਮੁ ਦੁਲੰਭੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਸਭੁ ਜਾਏ ॥
ਹੁਣਿ ਵਤੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਬੀਜਿਓ ਅਗੈ ਭੁਖਾ ਕਿਆ ਖਾਏ ॥
ਮਨਮੁਖਾ ਨੋ ਫਿਰਿ ਜਨਮੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਏ ॥੨॥

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Translation:

They who do not remember such Name, why did they come to this world,
This human life is hard to obtain, without Name it all goes waste,
One who does not plant Name in this season, hereafter what will the hungry eat,
The wilful will be born again, O Nanak, such is God's wish.||2||

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 450:15-18]

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ਜਹ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਮੀਤ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥
ਮਨ ਊਹਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਤੇਰੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਹਾਈ ॥
ਜਹ ਮਹਾ ਭਇਆਨ ਦੂਤ ਜਮ ਦਲੈ ॥
ਤਹ ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਤੇਰੈ ਚਲੈ ॥
ਜਹ ਮੁਸਕਲ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਤਿ ਭਾਰੀ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਖਿਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥
ਅਨਿਕ ਪੁਨਹਚਰਨ ਕਰਤ ਨਹੀ ਤਰੈ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਕੋਟਿ ਪਾਪ ਪਰਹਰੈ ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਪਾਵਹੁ ਸੂਖ ਘਨੇਰੇ ॥੧॥

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Translation:

Where there is no mother, father, son, friend, nor brother,
My mind, there The Name will be your help.
When the great terrible messenger of death will crush,
There only The Name will walk with you.
Where difficulties are very heavy,
Name of God will save in an instant.
Many devout actions may not liberate,
Name of God will annul countless sins.
My devout mind chant The Name of God,
O Nanak, you will get many joys.||1||

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 264:2-11]

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 ਤੇਰੈ ਕਾਜਿ ਨ ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਰਾਜੁ ਮਾਲੁ ॥
ਤੇਰੈ ਕਾਜਿ ਨ ਬਿਖੈ ਜੰਜਾਲੁ ॥
ਇਸਟ ਮੀਤ ਜਾਣੁ ਸਭ ਛਲੈ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਤੇਰੈ ਚਲੈ ॥੧॥

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Translation:

House, power and wealth will not cover you,
Sinful entanglements will not cover you,
Know all dear friends as an illusion,
God, Name of God will go with you.||1||

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 889:30-33]

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ਕਬੀਰ ਲੂਟਨਾ ਹੈ ਤ ਲੂਟਿ ਲੈ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਹੈ ਲੂਟਿ ॥
ਫਿਰਿ ਪਾਛੈ ਪਛੁਤਾਹੁਗੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਜਾਹਿੰਗੇ ਛੂਟਿ ॥੪੧॥

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Translation:

Kabir, if you have to steal, steal the Name of God,
Otherwise you will regret later, when the life is lost.

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1366:24-25]

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Commentary:

In this verse stealing has another non-literal meaning, as per my understanding. In this life a person earns and accumulates many things, family, friends, wealth, knowledge, and all of it is lost when a person dies, lost to the dying person. Death in a way is the ultimate robber, which takes a life's earning, including material and non-material wealth, from a person. So a person cannot really take anything from this world, except the Name of God. Name of God embedded in our consciousness and memory. In this sense, when we become aware of the Name of God, its power and are devoted to the Name, we take it from this world, in a way robbing the ultimate robber, death.  

Another way to understand this verse would be to consider Death as a gatekeeper. The eternal gatekeeper, who ensures that a person leaves everything behind when a person dies. Except the Name of God, hidden deep in one's consciousness because a person cherishes and respects the Name of God. In this sense, the Name of God is the only thing that is can be robbed and is worth robbing in this life, and the eternal gatekeeper will not be able to take it away from us.

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ਜਿਹ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਇਹੁ ਜਾਤ ਇਕੇਲਾ ॥
ਤਹ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਹੋਤ ਸੁਹੇਲਾ ॥

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Translation:

That path where you will go alone,
There God's Name will be your friend.

[Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 264:18-19]

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Commentary:

This might probably be a controversial topic, but an important one. It is widely believed in popular culture, and it is also scientifically acceptable, that we come to this world without anything, and leave without anything. "Empty handed we come, and empty handed we go", is the popular saying in Hindi to convey this (i.e. "Kahli haath ayae hain, khali haath jana hai"). I believe this is correct in some aspects, but not completely accurate. 

As per my understanding, the corrected saying should be, "Whatever materialistic things we are born with, or earn during this lifetime, we leave it all behind". Basically, we are born with a body which is left behind on deathbed. We earn degrees, money, inheritance, knowledge, friends, family, big and small pleasures, and many other things during our life, and almost everything we lose after death. 

Philosophically speaking we could say, that death robs us of everything we have gained during this lifetime. Almost everything we lose, but whatever we take from this life is the topic of this article. More specifically, what is the minimum possible useful asset that we can take from this life, that will be useful and helpful to each of us. 

Not everybody starts life on equal footing. Some are born rich and healthy, others may not be born with such privileges. There is apparently some difference while being born, but this essay is not to ponder on what we brought into this world, that is already done. At the minimum we come with a life, a body, and remain here until our life is spent.

Spiritually speaking few of the intangible things that we earn during this life are knowledge and the load of unbalanced account of our actions (thoughts are actions too). Knowledge could itself be of the material world, or could be of spiritual matters. Not all action is equal, nor all knowledge is equal, and some may be useful or helpful.

While there is no limit to actions one can do, and no limit to all the knowledge one can gain. There is little knowing what action or what knowledge will have eternal value. I believe the only possible and helpful asset that one can take from this world and life is the "Name of God". 

Scriptures tell us that after death when a person moves on from this life all alone, with "nothing", no friends, helpers, family, then the Name of God would be an eternal friend, family and a helper. Afterlife would be easier if we have the Name of God as a friend, an asset. In fact, one of the purposes of human life is that we get a chance to understand this and act on this knowledge.

Following are a few questions that might come to mind:

>>How do we know that the Name of God would be helpful? I don't know. Scriptures claim this fact, and I share my understanding of scriptures, and I believe my understanding is correct. Each person has to decide for oneself.

>>Does any other scripture specify greatness of the Name of God? Yes. The Holy Bible has a verse, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." [Romans 10:13]. Do not forget that the verse states "everyone" without any other qualification.

>>How do we know what is the right Name of God? As per my understanding, any Name which refers to The Supreme being is precious, and an asset. Many monotheistic religions use many different Names to refer to The Supreme Being, and the Name that one is most comfortable is OK.

>>How do we know we will remember the Name of God when it is time? This is the hard part. The hardest, maybe. There are many prerequisites, and then too it is difficult to be sure. Please note that scriptures tell us that if a person is able to remember the Name of God, even without meeting the prerequisites the person is still saved.Why?

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The power resides in the Name of God,
Not in the human discipline or actions.

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The remembrance is easier if we fulfill the prerequisites. First prerequisite is that a person has to believe, without a doubt, in an All Powerful, Supreme Creator of the world who has no equal. A belief in a limited deity is not prescribed as per my understanding. A believer needs to believe that God is able and willing to save a person. This prerequisite alone could be a labor of a lifetime for a thinking and logical person, because there is no acceptable proof of God's existence.

Second prerequisite is that the person should believe in the power of the Name of God. The difficulty here is in the simplicity of the belief. How could something be so simple? How could a word, a Name be so powerful? How could a Name save? How could something as simple as a name be so powerful? I don't know. But that is how it is. And I have my reasons to believe. I hope you find your reasons to believe. Maybe pray, think, experiment, and pray some more!

There are many reasons, and many aspects to the power of the Name of God. One of my personal reasons is, that I personally believe, that power of God manifests wherever God is remembered, whenever we call out to God. I mean we cannot force it to happen, but generally this should be the case. And easiest way to remember someone is speak the name of a person earnestly, verbally or mentally. In fact, one of the things that happens when we remember someone is that we automatically think of the name of the person. And if we hear a name, we automatically remember the person being named. So the Name of God helps us remember God.

Third and final prerequisite is that during this lifetime one plants the Name of God in one's own consciousness (or mind, or whatever we like to call it). This is done by listening, speaking, thinking and/or remembering. Listening, speaking, thinking and/or remembering can include specific tasks like reading, discussing, chanting, and doing other activities related to God and Name of God. It is difficult to fake it, and if we do not believe or respect God we will have difficultly in giving space in our mind to God's remembrance. This is the reason why we say that monotheistic spirituality is more about working with the mind and beliefs rather than rituals, i.e. accepting the truth about God enough so that we open ourselves to take help from God.

>>Is there anything more to the Name of God, or this is all? Yes, a lot more. Hopefully other articles may cover some aspects of the Name of God.

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