As much as the Word of God is in the mind, so much is Your melody; as much as the form of the universe is, so much is Your body, Lord. You Yourself are the tongue, and You Yourself are the nose. Do not speak of any other, O my mother.   My Lord and Master is One (GOD).  He is the One and Only; He is the One alone, proclaims Nanak.[pg.350]

The various gods and goddesses, in various religions and cultures are, in reality, only mere manifestations of the One and ONLY God. He Himself is the Doer of deeds.[pg.908]

The One and Only Creator of the Universe is All-pervading. All shall once again merge into the One. His One Form has one, and many colors; He leads all according to His One Word.[pg.1310]

 Describe the Lord as the One, the One and Only. How rare are those who know the taste of this essence. The Glories of the Lord of the Universe cannot be known, proclaims Nanak, He is totally amazing and wonderful! [pg.299]

The emphasis is on the message of One GOD.  Hence,  the various manifestations of the Powers of GOD cannot be misconstrued as being God. They only represent certain attributes of GOD, which emanate from Him, and could never be an independent ‘persona’ or entity.

 

All instructions and understandings are Yours; the mansions and sanctuaries are Yours as well. Without You, I know no other, O my Lord and Master; I continually sing Your Glorious Praises.  All beings and creatures seek the Protection of Your Sanctuary; all thought of their care rests with You. That which pleases Your Will is good; this alone is Nanak’s prayer.[pg.795]

You are my Father, and You are my Mother. You are my Relative, and You are my Brother. You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety?  By Your Grace, I recognize You. You are my Shelter, and You are my Honour. Without You, there is no other; the entire Universe is the Arena of Your Play.  You have created all beings and creatures. As it pleases You, You assign tasks to one and all. All Actions are Your Handiwork; we can do nothing, by ourselves.     Meditating on Your Name, I have rediscovered (after experiencing the  phase of being separated, from You) GREAT PEACE & SOLACE. Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, my mind is cooled and soothed. Through the Perfect Guru, congratulations are pouring in—Nanak is victorious on the arduous battlefield of life!  [pg.103]

God is the Paramount Power, the Insurmountable.  He is beyond the experiences of Life & Death, of Joy & Sorrow, of Victory & Defeat.  And, God is beyond the realms of Human Knowledge and Comprehension.  He is attainable by Virtue of His Own Grace (if that is forthcoming from Him) being bestowed on a devotee.  He cannot be reached by persistence & penance.  Meditation is the Sunlit-Path to the Glorious Destination.

God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent & Omniscient.  He is all-pervasive, in creations and creatures, in all the mass and matter, in space and in water, on land and in the air.  He is, in essence, in each particle, and in each atom. Therefore, the inference is that God is Transcendental & Immanent, both, at once, simultaneously.  

Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity—these, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.  Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind, cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within.  All virtues  are Yours, Lord, I have none at all. He is Beautiful, True and Eternally Joyful. What was that time, and what was that moment when the Universe was created? The Pundits, the religious scholars, cannot find that time, even if it is written in the scriptures, for none has the ability to decipher the Lord’s coded limits.  That time is not known to the Qazis, who study the Koran. The day and the date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the month or the season.    Whatever happens is according to His Will.  One who claims to know everything shall not be decorated in the world hereafter. [pg.4]

Now, to realize and to know Truth, the exact nature of Falsehood needs to be understood, in the correct perspective.

False are body, wealth, and all relations. False are ego, possessiveness and Maya (Illusion).  False are power, youth, wealth and property.  False are sexual desire and wild anger. False are chariots, elephants, horses and expensive clothes. False are deception, emotional attachment and egotistical pride. False is self-conceit. Only devotional worship is Permanent, Constant and it is the TRUTH.  Nanak lives by meditating,  on the Lotus Feet of the Lord.  False are the ears which listen to the slander of others. False are the hands which steal the wealth of others. False are the eyes which gaze, stealthily, upon the beauty of another’s wife. False is the tongue which enjoys delicacies and external tastes.  False are the feet which run to do evil to others.  False is the mind which covets the wealth of others. False is the body which does not do good to others. False is the nose that inhales polluted oxygen. Without understanding, everything is false.  Blessed is that body, says Nanak,  that remembers the Lord’s Name.[pg.268]  The Supreme One is a Reality. Truth, Fact or Reality exists at two planes: Mental and Material. Mind observes the Universe through the medium of the Senses, and all that is observed is a Reality.  Furthermore, Matter, too, is a Realistic-Entity. And, Human-beings are a combination of Mind, Matter, Spirit & Intelligence.  All of these,

together, constitute Truth.  God, alone, is the undisputed, unchallenged Truth.

 

By His Nature we see, by His Nature we hear; by His Nature we have fear, and the essence of happiness. By His Nature the nether worlds exist, and the ethereal ones; by His Nature the entire creation exists. By His Nature the Holy Scriptures of the Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions are compiled.  By His Nature all deliberations are held. By His Nature we eat, drink and dress; by His Nature all love exists. By His Nature come the species of all kinds and colors; by His Nature the living beings of the world exist. By His Nature virtues exist, and by His Nature vices exist. By His Nature come honour and dishonour. By His Nature wind, water and fire exist; by His Nature earth and dust exist. Everything is in Your Nature, Lord; You are the All-Powerful Creator. Your Name is the Holiest of the Holy. Says Nanak, through the Command of His Will, He beholds and pervades the creation; He is absolutely unrivalled. Pg.464

He Himself created Himself; He Himself assumed His Name. Secondly, He fashioned the creation; seated within the creation, He beholds it with delight. You Yourself are the Giver and the Creator; by Your Pleasure, You bestow Your Mercy. You are the Knower of all; You give life, and take it away, again with a Single-Word (Command). Seated within the creation, You behold it with delight. [pg.463]

You Yourself are the Creator. Everything that happens is Your Doing. There is none except You. You created the creation; You behold it and understand it. Says servant Nanak, the Lord is revealed to the aspirirant-soul, who is God-loving, the Living Expression of the Guru’s Word. [pg.12

 

 True is the Master, True is His Name—speak it with infinite love. People beg and pray, and the Great Giver distributes His Gifts, so very magnanimously, and in abundance. So, what offering can we place before Him, by which we might have an Exclusive Audience, with HIM?   What words can we speak to evoke His Love? In the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate upon His Glorious Greatness. By the karma of past actions, the magnificently exquisite robe (this physical body) is obtained. By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found.  Know this well: the True One Himself is All. [pg.2]

His Blessings are so abundant that there can be no written account of them. The Great Giver does not hold back anything. There are so many great, heroic warriors begging at the Door of the Infinite Lord. So many contemplate and dwell upon Him, that they cannot be counted. So many perish, engaged in corruption. So many enjoy HIS Bounties, and then deny receiving.  So many foolish consumers keep on consuming. So many endure distress, deprivation and constant abuse. Even these are Your Gifts, O Great Giver!  Liberation from bondage comes only by Your Will. No one else has any say. If some fool should presume  that he does, he shall learn, and feel the effects of his folly. He Himself knows, He Himself gives. Few, and rarest of the rare are those who acknowledge this.[pg.5

 

All happiness comes, when God is pleased. The Feet of the Perfect Guru dwell in my mind. I am intuitively absorbed in introspective meditation.   My Lord and Master is Inaccessible and Unfathomable. Deep within each and every heart, He dwells near and close at hand. He is always detached;  How rare is that person who understands his own self. This is the sign of Communion with God: in the mind, the Command of the True Lord is recognized.  Intuitive peace and poise, contentment, enduring satisfaction and bliss come through the Pleasure of the Master’s Will. God, the Great Giver, has given me His Hand. He has eliminated all sickness and misery, all doubt and penury, all pain and fear, of birth and death.  Says Nanak, those whom God has made His Chosen-ones, rejoice in the pleasure of singing the Hymns of the Lord’s Praises.[pg.106]

This, then, is the Life-Divine.  And, it is made available, to only a select and chosen few, by the Lord, who showers all the bounties at His disposal, on his devotees.

 

 

 

 Do not blame the Sovereign Lord; when someone grows old, his intellect leaves him. The blind man talks and babbles, and then falls into the ditch.  All that the Perfect Lord does is perfect; there is not too little, or too much. Says Nanak, the God-loving Person merges into the Perfect Lord. [1412]

(Do not become like the infirm or the blind, while you have all faculties, intact, to reason out issues)

This Unison & Harmonious Blend, between God & Man, is termed 'communion'.  In such a state, one does not criticize God's decisions and refrains from denying His existence.

The Supreme Lord, the Transcendent Lord, the True Guru, saves all. Hence, it is unbecoming to criticize God's decisions, his ways and his works. Says Nanak, without the Guru, no one crosses over the turbulent life-ocean; this is the perfect essence of all contemplation.[611]

 

All are within Your mind; You see and move them under Your Glance of Grace, O Lord. You Yourself grant them glory, and You Yourself cause them to act. The Lord is the greatest of the great; great is His world. He assigns them their tasks. If he should cast an angry glance, He can transform Kings into gardeners.  Even though they may beg from door to door, no one will give them charity.[472]

On the contrary, God, during His pleasure, may grant the boon of a Kingdom, to a penniless devotee, who is Truth-Incarnate.

I cannot comprehend the confines of Your Royal-Abode, neither do I have the requisite faculties to understand Your Powers.  I am the humble slave of Your Saints.  One who goes laughing, returns crying, and the one who goes crying returns laughing. What is inhabited becomes deserted, and what is deserted becomes inhabited.  And, all of it happens by Your Orders.  The rivers dry out, into a desert, the desert turns into a well, and the well turns into a mountain, and mountains crumble under their own weight. From the earth, the mortal is exalted to the Ethereal-Worlds (realms); and from the ethers on high, he plunges down.  The beggar is transformed into a king, and the king into a pauper. The idiotic fool is transformed into a Pandit, a religious scholar, and the Pandit into a fool.  The woman is transformed into a man, and the man into woman.  Says Kabeer : God is the Beloved of the Holy Saints. I am a sacrifice to His image. [1252]

Tigers, hawks, falcons and eagles—the Lord could make them eat grass. And those animals which eat grass—He could make them eat meat. He could radically alter anyone's life. He could raise dry land from the rivers, and turn the deserts into bottomless oceans. He could annoint a measly worm as a king, and reduce an army to ashes. All beings and creatures live by breathing, but He could keep us alive,even without the breath. Says Nanak : As it pleases the True Lord, He sustains all. [144]

 

 

 

Those who take pleasure in God’s Will, doubt shall be eliminated from within them.   Know Him as the True Guru, who unites all with the Lord.   Meeting with the True Guru, they receive the fruits of their destiny, and egotism is driven out from within. The pain of evil-mindedness is eliminated; good fortune radiates on their foreheads.[72]

Sayeth Sheikh Farid, a Muslim Seer:-

Treat Sorrow and Happiness, as the same par value, and conquer the vices, and banish them from your heart and soul, forever.  Allah (GOD) appreciates such people and they are honoured in HIS court.[1383]

He alone obeys Your Will, O Lord, on whom You decide to bestow Your Gracious Vision. That alone is devotional worship, which is pleasing to Your Will. You are the Nourisher of all beings. O my Sovereign Lord, You are the Support of the Saints. Whatever pleases You, they accept. You are the sustenance of their minds and bodies.[747]

Naked we come, and naked we go. This is by the Lord’s Command; what else can we do? All objects belongs to Him; He shall take them away (life and death are under His Will).  One who loves Him, accepts God’s Will; he intuitively drinks in the Lord’s sublime-essence. Says Nanak :  Praise the Giver of peace, forever; with your tongue, savor the Lord's Name, always.[1246]

Meditate, continually and constantly, on the Name of the Lord within your heart. Thus you shall save all your companions and associates, alongwith yourself.  My Guru is always with me, near at hand. Meditating, and reminiscing about Him, I cherish Him forever.  Your actions seem so sweet to me. Nanak begs for the treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. [394]

 

 

Change Your Life

 

GuruNanak (Prophet from the Eastern Sikh Faith) says : The  Merciful Creator grabs hold of the mortal’s arm, and pulls him up and out of the disease.  Joining the Holy Congregation, the mortal’s bonds are broken, and the Guru cures him of the disease” [1141].

The 3 pillars of the Rock-like steadfast "Monument of Prayer" are: Service, Meditation, and Total Surrender of one's Ego. 

God confers solace and fearlessness. Prayer is an essential ingredient of the "Faith-in-God" Doctrine, which emphasizes that God is, always, right.  Doubt should not be permitted to creep in, on this count.  Hence, one must pray to God, the Source and the Light, at all times, day or night, in joy or sorrow, and on all significant occasions, like birth, naming-ceremony, wedding, death, commencement of educational or business ventures. PRAY to God, at all times, in prosperity or adversity.  The concept of Prayer is engrained in the Sikh Psyche and Belief-Structure.  It says that God is not a Law of Nature, alone, nor of Karma, or of Pre-Determination, alone.  It is, in essence, all of these, together, and even much more.  HIS Grace can modify/amend the Negative-Writ, to rescue the bereaved one, who is, now, praying and wailing, in agony, for help. The Savior is Omnipresent and All-Pervasive. Hence, we see that God is Transcendental and Immanent, both, at once. After crossing the Barriers, Hindrances and Obstacles of Physical Desires, Material Gains and Mental Traumas, one is forced to (there's no alternative available, there's no other strategy to be employed) pray to the Lord, for express grant of Sublime and Pristine Grace. This, then, is the finality of spiritual elevation. Prayer, when coupled with sincere Meditative-Contemplation, becomes an extremely potent force, that could radically alter the prevailing scenario, thereby bringing about a  positive transformation, in the life of the devotee.  The deity is in the heart and soul, and is not to be searched, anywhere else.  One needs to remind oneself, constantly, not to let fear and failure creep in, after praying for strength, otherwise the entire purpose Prayer shall stand defeated. While offering prayers, one must experience Celestial-Bliss, forgetting about all the mundane affairs of life. One must visualize oneself as begging before the Munificent-Power, seated on the Eternal-Throne, in Paradise.  Each day must begin with a Prayer for strength (moral and physical) to wade through the rough tides of life, and one must retire, at night, after an exercise in self-analysis.   

Without the Grace of God, and meditation upon His Name, the Wild Horses, of this Mind, shall never rest in tranquility and peace.

If I were to become a Siddha, and work miracles, summon wealth and become invisible and visible at will, so that people would hold me in awe and esteem, I might go astray and forget You, and Your Name would not reside in my mind. [14]

All miracles are the maids of Noumenon. Having the ability to succeed in performing miracles, on a superficial-plane, does not have any linkages with being a spiritually-inclined and/or a religiously-oriented individual. 

Impure souls have, often, resorted to adopting mean and cheap techniques, for mastering the arts and crafts of performing miracles, with a view to gaining wealth, power, women (forcibly overpowering the thought-processes of others' wives, for fulfillment of lust), or to subjugate or kill someone.  Some of these miracle-masters would produce ash out of the palm of their hand, or present fruits, out of thin air.  The recitation of Vedas and Mantras (Hymns & Verses from the ancient Scriptures, from the earliest human civilizations, including India) have been used as a means to invoke the innumerable and myriad so-called Gods & Goddesses, according to the references from the mythological folk-lore, of yore, from the nation of India, on the Continent of Asia. Walking the surface of water, swallowing fire, enhancing one's own life-span or increasing one's youthful vigor and vitality are some of the instances for which miracles have been deployed and employed.  On the positive side, the usage of  the Adept-Art of Miracle-Performance, has been in the sphere of curing patients, ailing from a variety of diseases, and problems.  Also, significantly, miracles have been known to wash-out the effects of poison, on the body, whether by eating something or as a result of snake-bites etc.  The Spiritual-Power of performing miracles, has been used by the Great Masters, over the ages, all over the world, for the spread of the Gospel and the Word of God, and the Universal Message of Love & Compassion, Peace & harmony.  Healing of the tormented Mind and the haunted Soul, too, has been an important field, where the Real Godheads and pious Ones have worked wonders, without expecting recognition or reward, power or position for themselves.  It was meant to be selfless-service, commanded by their Creator & Mentor, Philosopher & Guide, the ALL-IN-ONE, GOD (the ONE-in-all). This classification of Miracles is, therefore, the one required by humanity, in this, the Age of Struggle and Hatred, infested and ridden with Violence and Greed.*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

*All the Sikh-Gurus, Hindu Saints and Muslim Pirs, whose verses have been included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, as also other mystical-spiritual leaders were vociferously against the negative forms of miracles.  They did not subscribe to the school of thought that someone possessing miraculous powers would, necessarily, be an enlightened soul.  

Primarily, its an admittance and acceptance of the fact that the Universe and the Creator were, are, and, always, shall be, a mystery "par excellence", that shall never be completely solved by the limited range/domain of the human intellect, whose advances in science and technology have crossed innumerable landmarks.

Sayeth Guru Nanak, about the complexity of the Universe :

Endless are His Praises, endless are those who speak them. Endless are His Actions, endless are His Gifts. Endless is His Vision, endless is His Hearing.  What is the Mystery of His Mind? Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. HE is incomprehensible. The more you say about HIS limits, infinitely more there still remains to be said. Great is the Master, High is His Heavenly Home. Highest of the High, above all is His Name. Only one as Great and as High as God can know His Lofty and Exalted State. Only He Himself is that Great. He Himself knows Himself. Reassures Nanak : by His Gracious Glance, He bestows His Benediction.[5]

The negative feeling of Life-Negation should not, and must not, be given any leverage, whatsoever.  One must strive to lead a worthy life in all respects : Work for subsistence & sustenance, pray and meditate for spiritual-elevation, bear an exemplary moral character, abiding by the Code of Ethics (relating to adultery, fraudulent practices, oppression & tyranny, helping the deserving and needy), and never to renounce the world to become a reclusive-entity (thereby becoming a burden on the society).

Great emphasis has been laid on virtue & morality, as against the hitherto prevalent stress on The Law of KARMA, alone, according to which : " Worthy deeds shall bear good and tasty fruits (respect, glory, health & prosperity), while evil deeds shall bring forth or reap misery/pain, in the form and shape of disease, poverty, and the Victory-of-Vice, in general.

An amalgamation of VIRTUE and KARMA (Deed /Action) is advocated.   

The world is not an illusionary concept: It is a reality.

True are Your worlds, True are Your solar Systems. True are Your realms, True is Your creation. True are Your actions, and all Your deliberations. True is Your Command, and True is Your Court. True is the Command of Your Will, True is Your Order. True is Your Mercy, True is Your Insignia. Hundreds of thousands and millions call You True. In the True Lord is all the power vested, and so is all the Might. True is Your Praise, True is Your Adoration. True is Your almighty creative power, O’ True King. Says Nanak, true are those who meditate on the True One.[463]

The goal should be to live life, in an exemplary fashion, and not to resort to escapism, or not to shun struggle, by adoptin g short cuts to success, thereby harming the interests of others. Simultaneous with living a good life, one must strive towards perfection, in order to achieve the Ultimate Goal of attaining Emancipation, during this very lifetime, itself, here and now.

In the Primal Void, the Infinite Lord assumed His Power. He Himself is unattached, infinite and incomparable. He created the universe, and the fortress-like body. Your Light pervades fire, water and souls; Your Power rests in the Primal Void From this Primal Void, came the moon, the sun and the earth. His Light pervades all the three worlds. The Lord of this Primal Void is unseen, infinite and immaculate; He is absorbed in the Primal Trance of Deep Meditation.  From this Primal Void, the earth and the Ethers were created. He made both night and day; creation and destruction, pleasure and pain. The God-loving person is immortal, untouched by pleasure and pain.  None of the Scriptures can describe His worth. We speak as He inspires us to speak.   From the Primal Void, He created the seven nether regions. From the Primal Void, He established this world to lovingly dwell upon Him. The Infinite Lord Himself created the creation. Everyone acts as You make them act, Lord.  Your Power is diffused through the deficiencies and vices, or the positive qualities. Through egotism, they suffer the pains of birth and death. Those blessed by His Grace become God-loving people; they attain the fourth state of Redemption. From the Primal Void, all the incarnations welled up. He made the expanse. He fashioned the demi-gods and demons, the heavenly heralds and celestial musicians; everyone acts according to their past karma. The True Guru, like the Primal Being, is sublime and detached. Attuned to the Word of the Holy hymns, he is intoxicated with the sublime essence of the Lord.  Riches, intellect, miraculous spiritual powers and spiritual wisdom are obtained from the Guru; through perfect destiny, they are received.  This mind is madly obsessed with Illusion.  Only a few are spiritually wise enough to understand and know this. Says Nanak : the immaculate resonance of the Celestial music, and the Music of the Holy hymns resound; one merges into the True Name of the Lord.[1037]

Void, or 'nothingness' is the sum-total of two opposite and equal forces.  Now, considering, and accepting the fact, that Virtue & Sin act on a Human-being, with equal, but opposing, impact, if the subject of focus (HUMAN) remains in a state of equipoise, he is said to be in a state of Void. This, then, is a uniquely ideal state of dispassion, of detachment.

 

With whom do I share this ecstatic feeling of peace and bliss, while I gaze upon the Blessed Vision of God’s Audience. My mind sings His Songs of Joy and His Glories. I am wonderstruck, gazing upon the Wondrous Lord.  The Merciful Lord is All-pervading everywhere. I drink in the Invaluable Nectar of the Naam, the Name of the Lord.  Like the mute, I can only smile — I cannot speak of its flavour.  As the breath is held in bondage, no one can understand its coming in and going out. So is that person, whose heart is enlightened by the Lord — his story cannot be told.     As many other efforts as you can think of — I have seen them and studied them all. My Beloved, Carefree Lord has revealed Himself within the home of my own heart; thus I have realized the Inaccessible Lord.     The Absolute, Formless, Eternally Unchanging, Immeasurable Lord cannot be measured. Says Nanak, whoever endures the unendurable — this state belongs to him alone.[1205]

Baygumpura, ‘the city without sorrow’, is the name of the town. There is no suffering or anxiety there. There are no troubles or taxes on commodities there. There is no fear, blemish or downfall there.   Now, I have discovered this excellent city. There is ever-lasting peace and safety there, O Siblings of Destiny.  God’s Kingdom is steady, stable and eternal. There is no second or third status; all are equal there. That city is populous and eternally famous. Those who live there are wealthy and contented.  They stroll about freely, just as they please. They know the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence, and no one blocks their path, or creates impediments.  Says Ravi Daas, the emancipated shoe-maker: whoever is a citizen of that region, is a friend of mine. [345]

An overwhelming feeling of joy and contentment, when one wakes up, in the wee hours of the morning, to indulge in an exercise of self-analysis, is the first step towards attaining Inner-Peace, because that is the best time when one can experience a serene tranquility, all around, as everyone is in a deep-slumber, and all activity is at a standstill.  

 

The ideals or purposes, of life, undergo a rapid transformation, in consonance with the change and variance in socio-economic and polito- religious environment & conditions, cultural background, levels of education /literacy, God-gifted talents & intelligence, and of course, with advancing age.  Hence, it can be safely inferred and assumed that the purpose-of-life, for an infant, would be surely different from that of an adult, or of an aged-person.  Priorities shift, automatically, in accordance with the change in scenario.

Also, another significant determining factor is that the human-species has come of age, after millions of years of evolvement, commencing the journey from the most primitive of the creations of the Lord-Almighty.  The advances achieved by humans are really commendable, but, in the process, God and spirituality have been relegated to the back-seat, with an increasing interest in materialistic values, and pleasures of the senses, which are momentary (sexual-promiscuity, addictions, an insatiable lust and appetite for wealth and power, even at the cost of the annihilating life, on earth, with a single press of a Red - Button).

Sayeth Guru Nanak :

First, the baby loves mother’s milk; second, he learns of his mother and father; third, his brothers, sisters and aunts; fourth, the love of play awakens. Fifth, he runs after food and drink; sixth, in his sexual desire, he does not respect social customs. Seventh, he gathers wealth and dwells in his house; eighth, he becomes angry, and his body is consumed. Ninth, he turns grey, and his breathing becomes labored; tenth, he is cremated, and turns to ashes. His companions send him off, crying out and lamenting. The swan of the soul takes flight, and asks which way to go.  He came and he went, and now, even his name has died. After he left, food was offered on leaves, and the birds were called to come and eat. O Nanak, the self-willed egoistic persons love the darkness. Without the Guru, the world is drowning. 137]

Senses, Soul, Mind & Intellect constitute a human being.  Soul is the Real Self, and the remaining three comprise the Unreal Self.  The Soul is eternally awakened, is Free & Pure, whilst  the Life of the Senses is Finite & Trivial.

 

Sikhism                                                        VIII : SALVATION

 

Great emphasis has been laid upon the Doctrine of "Attunement-with-God" (entering into the realm of God-consciousness).  This belief relates to the Transmigration of the Soul, and Salvation, thence, would mean Total Release from the vicious cycle of birth and death.  Salvation could be attained, even in the present lifetime, here and now, on our very own planet, instead of the imaginary Heavens, after death.  It is very much possible that such an ecstatic level or plane is arrived at, but the only condition is that utmost restraint is required to be exercised, over the reins of the wild -horses of the senses.  "PARAMPAD" (the 4th and highest state of the mind) is, in effect, the quintessential "SALVATION". The lower three states are : the Waking-state, the Dream-state, and the Dreamless-sleeping-state. Salvation could, also, mean Loving God, with all the intensity & faith, at one’s disposal, so as to arrive in the fragrantly wonderful zone of "Communion with God".  Grace & Benediction & Benevolence play a far significant role, than Karma alone, towards the realization of this objective.  Emancipation is very much possible right here, provided the pleader is sincere in his prayer and approach, and inclination and motives.

One who, in his soul, loves the Will of God, is said to be liberated while yet alive. As is joy, so is sorrow to him. He experiences eternal bliss, and is not separated from God. As is gold, so is dust to him. As is ambrosial nectar, so is bitter poison to him. As is honor, so is dishonor.  Such a one treats a pauper and  a king alike. Whatever God ordains, is acceptable to such a person.[275]

The soul-bride is in love with her Husband Lord; she focuses her consciousness on the Word of the Guru’s Holy hymns. The soul-bride is joyously embellished with the gift of intuition; her hunger and thirst are taken away.[993]

 

When the hands and the feet and the body are dirty, water can wash away the dirt. When the clothes are soiled and stained, soap can wash them clean. But when the intellect is stained and polluted by sin, it can only be cleansed by the Love of the Name. Virtue and vice do not come by mere words; actions repeated, over and over again, are engraved on the soul. You shall harvest what you plant. Says Nanak, by God’s Command, we come and go in reincarnation.[4]

When the mind is filthy, everything is filthy; by washing the body, the mind is not cleansed. This world is deluded by doubt; hardly anyone understands this.  My mind, chant the One Name. The True Guru has given me this treasure. Even if one learns the Yogic postures of the Siddhas, and holds his sexual energy in check, still, the filth of the mind is not removed, and the filth of egotism is not eliminated.  This mind is not controlled by any other discipline, except the Sanctuary of the True Guru. Meeting the True Guru, one is transformed beyond description.  Prays Nanak, one who dies upon meeting the True Guru, shall be rejuvenated through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. The filth of attachment and possessiveness shall depart, and the mind shall become pure. [558]

Like nobody prefers to sit in close proximity to a person wearing unwashed clothes, similarly a person with a 'sullied' thought-process is shunned by all and sundry, for he would only be spreading vitriolic words around, thereby vitiating the environment.

God has blessed me in every sphere of life, and by meditating upon HIS NAME, my sagging spirits have been rejuvenated, and I've been saved.  In the Saadh-Sangat (the Company of the Holy), filth is washed away.  The Supreme Lord has become my companion and benefactor.  Continue to meditate, and the Primal-Being is sure to become the Protector, everywhere and for all times to come.

The effects of the past-life deeds, coupled with the devastating impact of the vices, in the present life, have made the mind corrupt and polluted.  Just as the rain-drop starts its downward journey, in pure form and colour, the soul, too, is pure in the beginning.  But when the rain-drop is passing through atmospheric-layers, it is adulterated by the dust-particles in the air.  And, finally, on falling to the earth, the mud would sully it, completely.

 

Do not blame anyone else; blame instead your own actions. Whatever I did, for that I have suffered; I do not blame anyone else. [433]

All intuitive understanding, all Yoga, all the Scriptures, all actions, all penances, all hymns and spiritual wisdom, all intellect, all enlightenment, all sacred shrines of pilgrimage, all kingdoms, all royal commands, all joys and all delicacies, all mankind, all divinities, all  meditation, all worlds, all celestial realms; all the beings of the universe, in ssence ALL creations and ALL creatures are under the Supreme Command.  According to His Will, He commands them. His Pen writes out the account of their actions. Says Nanak, True is the Lord, and True is His Name. True is His Congregation and His Court.[1241]

God driveth according to His Will; The present-life circumstances/conditions, that one finds oneself embroiled in, may be attributable to, and traceable to, the innumerable acts of commission and omission, during the past life/lives.  These may be construed to be in the form and shape of rewards, or penalties, as the case may be.  Virtuous deeds, in this lifetime, have the potential of presenting a human-being with the invaluably cherished gift, of being spared the agony and ignominy of undergoing Transmigration.

They have forsaken God the Primal Being, the Life of the World, and they have come to rely upon mere mortals. In the love of duality, the soul-bride is ruined; around her neck she wears the noose of Death. As you plant, so shall you harvest; your destiny is recorded on your forehead.[134]

Fareed, the farmer plants acacia trees, and wishes for grapes. He is spinning wool, but he wishes to wear silk.[1379]

Worthy Deeds (performed on the physical-plane) that are visible to the human-eye, are appreciated and recognized by God, in the form of worldly prestige and honour, that is, also apparent and obvious, to everyone.  And, honourable Deeds, on the spiritual-plane (that cannot be viewed, even under the most advanced microscope, shall be credited to the account of the pious soul, who shall become the deserving recipient of magnificent accolades and encomiums, in the world, hereafter.

Sikhism                                             XI :SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS SERVICE TO GOD

 

You, Yourself inspire the aspirant to serve You (by believing in Your Existence). No one else can do it. He alone is Your devotee, who is pleasing to You. You bless him with Your Love.  You are the Great Giver; You are so very Wise. There is no other like You. You are my All-powerful Lord and Master; I do not know how to worship You. Your Mansion is imperceptible, O my Beloved; it is so difficult to accept Your Will. Says Nanak : I have collapsed at Your Door, Lord. I am foolish and ignorant — please save me! [1185]

Brahma and Vishnu, the Rishis and the silent sages, Shiva and Indra, anyone high or low, whoever obeys the Lord’s Command, looks beautiful in the Court of the True Lord, while the stubborn rebels die. The wandering beggars, warriors, celibates and hermit, through the Perfect Guru, consider this: without selfless service, no one ever receives the  rewards. Serving the Lord is the excellent action.[992]

That selfless servant, who lives in the Guru’s household, is to obey the Guru’s Commands.  He is not to call attention to himself in any way. He is to meditate constantly within his heart on the Name of the Lord. One who sells his mind to the True Guru — that humble servant’s affairs are resolved. One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, shall attain his Lord and Master.  He Himself grants His Grace; Says Nanak : that selfless servant practices the Guru’s Teachings & Preachings.[286]

This body is softened with the Guru's Word; you shall find peace, doing seva (selfless service). All the world continues to be affected by the force of reincarnation.  Perform selfless-service, and you shall be given a place of honor in the Court of the Lord.  Says Nanak: swing your arms in joy! [25]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              If the noose of emotional attachment binds me, then I shall bind You, Lord, with the bonds of my devotion and love. Go ahead and try to escape, Lord; As for me, I have escaped by worshipping and adoring You.  O' Lord, You know my love for You. [658]

The Power of Love has the potential of significantly changing one's overall perspective, for the betterment of self, and others.  This new outlook could achieve wonders in all spheres of human-endeavour.  Of all the Godly- attributes, LOVE is the chieftain.  All religious and spiritual deeds, sans Love, shall be rendered tasteless, directionless and purposeless, in fact they shall be said to be exercises-in-futility . Love develops gradually, over a period of time, in everybody's life, as per varying circumstances, experiences and conducive-environment. Various instances of Love can be cited, in the Natural-realms.  The blossoming of flowers, and the buzzing around of the bumblebee, are two examples.  The peacock-dance is famous, at the sighting of rain-clouds. The love-pangs emanating from the heart of the timid partridge, pining for the Full Moon, are all manifestations of the hidden love, that is sublime and pristine, elevated and selfless, true and sacred. Love is such a magnetic- force, which attracts and influences everyone. Love is a state-of-the-mind. Its born inside the human heart, grows and develops, and on attaining maturity, assumes the form of affection, and the whole personality undergoes a metamorphic sea-change. The body and the mind, the heart and the soul, all, start reverberating with spiritually gifted strains-of-mellifluous-music.

An unparalleled and inexplicable feeling of exhilaration engulfs the person.  Anyone, who has never had this experience, this BOON, is really an unfortunate and condemned mortal.  But, one must remain wary of all such people, who have a negative influence on one's life, even if those people are the closest relations or friends.  One must learn to love oneself, instead of depending on a supplementary-diet of receiving  regular love from others, for sustenance and happiness.  Loving humanity is loving God.

This, hitherto, unknown feeling of Love brings radiance and fragrance into the life.  When Love remains confined within the domains of the home, it is called Attachment.  But when love's horizons get expanded, and it acquires wings, it takes the whole universe into its embrace.   Now, whosoever comes within range is captured, for a lifetime, and merges into the unfathomable Ocean-of-Love.  And the all-embracing and overwhelming feeling of loving-all, is equivalent to loving God, who created those "ALL".  Just this, very experience, transforms the latent and dormant feeling of Love (inside) into a powerful force.                                                                                                                       

Woman and Man are complements, as well as supplements, to each other.  The mutual attraction between the two magnetic fields is, but, natural, because man has certain female hormones/genes in him, and vice -versa.

The female is in the male, and the male is in the female. Understand this, O God-realized being! The meditation is in the music, and knowledge is in meditation. [879]

Some of the characteristics of the female are : Devotion, Faith & Trust, Hesitation, Charm, Tolerance.   And the male traits may be summarized as : Physical strength, Multi-faceted - thought- processes, Courage-of-conviction, Fearlessness.  (This is a generalized statement, with the obvious  possibility of exceptions).  While jealousy is the "forte" of a woman, the equivalent, in a male, is "egocentricism", which are, both, immensely, negative aspects of the human-personality.  Serious conflicts and clashes are a natural consequence of such a scenario.  When such a discord acquires fatal-proportions, relationships get torn, asunder, thereby leading to misery and self-inflicted psychological, emotional, mental, and physical problems. 

The insatiable appetite for power and authority has led man to assume the leadership-roles in a variety of spheres of endeavor, namely politics, religion, business, warfare, and the larger society, in general.  With the passage of time, most of the major religious-scriptures came to be authored by men,  the major political-leaders were men, the world's most popular and populous religions came to be founded by men, not to mention the innumerable power-hungry invaders and tyrant rulers, all of whom happened to be men.  All this had a direct, adverse bearing on the position of the female.  Some thinkers and philosophers, naturally men, had the courage to classify women as "Insignificant, irrelevant  ones".  Women were castigated, oppressed, subjugated, tortured, exploited in all manners, possible, and were relegated to the background, in all matters.

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. So why call her low? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. Only the True Lord is without a woman.[473]  

 

Nobody is my enemy, and I am no one’s enemy. God, who expanded His expanse, is within all; I learned this from the True Guru.  I am a friend to all; I am everyone’s friend. When the sense of separation was removed from my mind, then I was united with the Lord, my King.     My stubbornness is gone, Ambrosial Nectar rains down, and the Word of the Guru’s Holy hymns seems so sweet to me. He is pervading everywhere, in the water, on the land and in the sky; Nanak beholds the all-pervading Lord.[671]

 

He is your friend, your companion, your very best friend, who imparts the Teachings of the Lord. Nanak is a sacrifice to one who chants the Name of the Lord.[298]

 

If you make friends with the self-willed ones, O friend, how can you expect peace? Make friends with the evolved souls, and focus your consciousness on the True Guru. The root of birth and death will be cut away, and then, you shall find peace, O friend.   The Lord Himself instructs those who are misguided, when He casts His Glance of Grace. Those who are not blessed by His Glance of Grace, cry and weep and wail.[1421]

Do not delay in practicing righteousness; delay in committing sins. Implant the Name of the Lord, within yourself, and abandon greed. In the Sanctuary of the Saints, the sinful residues of past mistakes are erased. Meditating on the Lord you shall become steady and stable. Nanak meditates on the Lord, for nothing and none else is Constant, everything being variable, fluctuating, oscillating and temporary.[1354]

There is none who could lay claim to acieving perfection, for GOD is the ONLY Perfect One.Blessed is the company of an emancipated soul.  His mere glance has the potential of awarding peace and solace to a tormented being. Touching His Feet, one’s conduct and lifestyle become pure. Abiding in his company, one chants the Lord’s Praise, and reaches the Court of the Supreme Lord.  Adhering to his teachings, one’s thinking becomes revolutionized. The heart is contented, and the soul's aspirations are fulfilled. Such a Guru is perfect; his Teachings are everlasting. Beholding his Ambrosial Glance, one becomes saintly. Endless are his virtuous qualities, and his worth cannot be appraised. One who pleases him is united with Him. The tongue is one, but His Praises are countless. The True Lord of perfection is Inaccessible, Incomprehensible, balanced in the state of Nirvaana. He is not sustained by food; He has no hatred or vengeance; He is the Giver of peace. Countless devotees continually bow in reverence to Him. In their hearts, they meditate on His Lotus Feet.  One must always strive to enshrine His Pure Thoughts in one's mind, to attain a blessed life.. 

Only GOD, does not contract or expand, HE does not become small or big, and, hence, is COMPLETE, TOTAL, and the ONLY PERFECT ONE.

Anything incomplete becomes an eyesore, whether it’s a statue, machinery, or furniture, because in that state it is of no consequence, and of no avail, for it cannot be put to any usage.  An incomplete work of music, dance, prose or poetry is futile, as it cannot be enjoyed by anybody.  A musical instrument would not render the notes. if the strings and chords are not attached to the main-frame. Likewise, an imperfect human-being is disliked by all and sundry, and by GOD Himself, who seems to like those who have adopted His Attributes, into their lifestyles.  Humans think they would become perfect, accumulating wealth-property, with the acquisition of power-prestige, by looking youthful & energetic, by procreating several offsprings, and by gaining knowledge and education and skills.

These eyes have seen a great many leave.  All are worried about themselves, and so am I bothered at my own plight, laments Fareed.  If you reform yourself, you shall meet Me, and meeting Me, you shall be at peace.  When you become Mine, the whole world will be yours.[1382]

(The "ME" & "MINE", hereinabove, refer to GOD, and not to the composer of the Verse : SHEIKH FAREED, a mystic and thinker).

Just as man likes to have decorated, organized and beautiful objects and people, so does God want to adopt only such humans, who are disciplined, in all senses of the word.  Only spiritually-inclined, truthful, just, compassionate, morally and ethically-clear people get the privilege of attaining Communion-with-GOD.

The entire Universe is functioning in consonance with the Laws & Discipline, enshrined in the Unwritten Constitution of the Nature, authored by GOD.

Bricks must be laid out, in a certain mode or array, in order that a straight wall be raised.  And, all mechanisms must function in accordance with a planned structure or design, involving operations and optimum utilization and desired results.

Similarly, the human body is a very complicated example of a machine, so intricately designed and organized.  Some functions are automatic, and remote-controlled (saliva-formation, perspiration, blood-circulation, urine and foecus-discharge, hormones, semen and sperm, the process of ovulation and child-birth etc.: the list is endless).  Other movements of the body are controlled by the nervous-system (brain) whose co-ordinated commands are received and implemented by the various sensory  and motor organs.

Words, when organized in a certain fashion, yield the effect of poetry or prose. The disciplining of instruments and vocal-chords result in music. And the co-ordinated movements of the limbs and gesticulations (involving facial expressions) produce the beautiful art-form of dance.  All this is a direct consequence of the DISCIPLINE that GOD adhered to, while carving out this super-structure, comprising a brain, a heart, the senses, bones, flesh and blood, with air and water, as significant ingredients. Discipline gives peace, joy and happiness, to self and others.  Otherwise, its bound to be all misery, pain and jeopardy.

 

To practice forgiveness is the true form of fasting, good conduct and contentment. Disease does not afflict me, nor does the pain of death. I am liberated, and absorbed into God, who has no form or feature. [223]

Searching, endlessly, I drink in the Ambrosial Nectar. I have adopted the way of tolerance, and surrendered my mind to the True Guru.[932]

Abide in truth and contentment, O humble Siblings of Destiny. Hold tight to compassion and the Sanctuary of the True Guru. Know your soul, and know the Supreme Soul; associating with the Guru, you shall be emancipated.[1030]

If the soul-bride adorns herself with compassion and forgiveness, God is pleased, and her mind is illumined with the lamp of the Guru’s wisdom. With happiness and ecstasy, my God enjoys her; I offer each and every bit of my soul to Him.[836]

Those who have truth as their fast, contentment as their sacred shrine of pilgrimage, spiritual wisdom and meditation as their cleansing bath, kindness as their deity, and forgiveness as their chanting beads, are the really emancipated souls. Those who adopt the Way of the Lord, as their loin-cloth, and intuitive awareness as their ritualistically purified enclosure, and good deeds as their ceremonial fore-head mark, and love their food, such souls, says Nanak, are very rare. [1245]

Without patience and forgiveness, countless hundreds of thousands have perished. Their numbers cannot be counted; how could I count them? Tormented and bewildered, an infinite number have died. One who realizes his Lord and Master is set free, and not bound. By the blessing of the Lord’s Word, enter the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence; you shall be blessed with patience, forgiveness, truth and peace. And you shall be unfettered.  Partake of the true wealth of meditation, and the Lord Himself shall abide within your body. Chant His Glorious Virtues forever; courage and composure shall enter deep within your mind. Through egotism, one is distracted and ruined; other than the Lord, all things are corrupt.  Forming His creatures, He placed Himself within them; the Creator is unattached and infinite.[937]

 

Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot and truth the twist. This is the sacred thread of the soul; if you have it, then go ahead and put it on me. It does not break, it cannot be soiled by filth, it cannot be burnt, or lost. Blessed are those mortal beings, says Nanak, who wear such a thread around their necks. You buy the thread for a few shells, and seated in your enclosure, you put it on. Whispering instructions into others’ ears, the Brahmin becomes a guru. But the recipient dies, and the sacred thread falls away, and the soul departs without it. [471]

One who works for what he eats, and gives some of what he has, Says Nanak, he knows the Path.[1245]

Compassion and contentment are intertwined-entities.  Both lend discipline to Life.  Only a compassionate person would be of service to others, and only a contented person could meditate, in tranquility and serenity.  An uncontented person shall always be complaining of the lack of everything, in life (wealth, children, comforts, status), or about everything that went wrong (losses, ill-health, etc.). God likes contented people, and answers their prayers.  HE grants them certain special powers of healing others, and bestows, upon them, certain skills and talents, which even some learned and experienced persons might lack, and envy.

While performing selfless-service, a person must strive to continue meditation, thus lending a unique radiance and vibrance to the already bejeweled Mind-with-a-religious-temper. It’s then that the ornamentation of the 'Bride' becomes complete, replete with God's Name.   Religion, sans compassion and meditation and service, is like a 'corpse', rotten in substance, and releasing odours, despised by all.  The sight of a compassionate person is equivalent to bathing at the places of pilgrimage, in the holy-waters.   Without compassion, all service is a hoax. This, then, cannot be termed as an exemplary service to humankind.  There would be eternal bliss in any selfless service performed with compassion. Without contentment, meditation becomes another ordinary ritual done according to a routine schedule, and ritual gives birth to egocentrism of the worst kind.  Where there is meditation, the Primal Power resides there.

 

Says Sheikh Fareed : become the grass on the path, if you long for the Lord of all. One will cut you down, and another will trample you underfoot; then, you shall enter the Court of the Lord (once you become a humble person).[1378]

The simmal tree is straight as an arrow; it is very tall, and very thick. But those birds which visit it hopefully, depart disappointed. Its fruits are tasteless, its flowers are nauseating, and its leaves are useless. Sweetness and humility, Says Nanak, are the essence of virtue and goodness. Nobody likes to prostrate bows down to another. When something is placed on the balancing scale and weighed, the side which descends is heavier. The sinner, like the deer hunter, bows down twice as much. But what can be achieved by bowing the head, when the heart is impure? [470]

Among all persons, the supreme person is the one who gives up his egotistical pride in the Company of the Holy. One who sees himself as lowly, shall be accounted as the highest of all. One whose mind is the dust of all, recognizes the Name of the Lord,, in each and every heart. One who eradicates cruelty from within his own mind, looks upon all the world as his friend. One who looks upon pleasure and pain as one and the same, Affirms Nanak, is not affected by sin or virtue.  [266]

If one becomes the slave of the Lord’s slaves, then he finds the Lord, and eradicates ego from within. The Lord of bliss is his object of devotion; night and day, he sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord. Attuned to the Word of the Holy hymns, the Lord’s devotees remain ever absorbed in the Lord.  Dear Lord, Your Glance of Grace is True. Be merciful to Your slave, O Beloved Lord, and preserve my honour. [600]   Humility must not be misconstrued to imply timidity and weakness.  It is, on the contrary, a powerful characteristic, that speaks volumes about the humble one's personality.  The humble person is bestowed fame and fortune, even without asking (praying) for it.  On the other hand, someone who seeks recognition, on account of one's wealth, status or knowledge, is not a humble person.  Occasionally, one needs to remind oneself, of the destructibility of the human-body (by looking downwards, towards the earth, and at the dust and ashes, unto which this body shall merge).

 

 

One who has faith in the Guru comes to dwell upon God. He is acclaimed as a devotee, a humble devotee throughout the three worlds. The Lord resides in his heart. True are his actions; true are his ways. True is his heart; Truth is what he utters. True is his vision; true is his form. He distributes Truth and he spreads Truth. One who recognizes the Supreme Lord as The True ONE, that humble being immerses himself, in meditation, and merges his identity with THE  SOLE ENTITY. [283]

And, this trust prods one onto realization of the self, and one's roots, which ultimately results in God-realization.

One must try, always, to remain in a state of equilibrium and stability, and never to let dilemma invade the mind.  That's possible only when one tends to have an abiding faith in the Guru's sayings (Word / Command / Advice).  On that foundation is the marvellous palace, having bejewelled walls, raised.  Such a devotee is entitled to be the recipient of lavish eulogies and encomiums, all over, on the surface of earth, and has a rare and unique glow and radiance, on his face.[678]

Like, faith in Water leads one to the ultimate hope of thirst being quenched on drinking it.  And, like faith in Sun reassures the needy, that its warmth shall prove to be comforting, on a cold, chilly-night, in the winters, Faith in the Supreme-Reality would lead one to the fulfillment of all worldly desires.  And, finally, this faith and trust would assist the bearer, to be ferried across the Ocean-of-Fire (Life), in a befitting and honourable fashion.  This would be Salvation, for an aspiring Soul. 

 

God’s Kingdom is steady, stable and eternal. There is no second or third status; all are equal there. That city is populous and eternally famous. Those who live there are wealthy and contented.  They stroll about freely, just as they please, and no one blocks their way. [345]

The Twin-Concepts are based on the express premise that an ideal society can thrive and survive only when the individuals, who constitute it, are contented, prosperous and happy.  Only then could higher attainments be probable, in other fields like religion and spirituality.  Without the basic requirements being fulfilled, one can never have the peace-of-mind, a pre-requisite for Sincere Devotion & Meditation, which frame-of-mind would, then, prod one onto the path of expanding one's horizons, to think of the humanity, at large. The Ruler, King or the Establishment/Government should be endowed with such qualities, that the subjects could repose their trust and confidence, in that authority, without any fear or doubt, whatsoever. The Keyword, here, must be "SERVICE", and NOT "TYRANNY".  Only if the reign is democratic and secular and tolerant and just shall it survive long enough.

The 4 basic Postulates for a Contented Life thus formulated are :

Piety, Wealth, Desire-Fulfillment, & Final-Emancipation.

All of these can be accomplished, and enjoyed, even while leading the regular life of a householder.The position and relevance of womenfolk, in the body-politik and social-structure is of paramount import and significance.  Being the one who bears and rears the future-leaders, in the fields of religion, politics, business, and all other important spheres of endeavor, a woman deserves the honor and esteem, that has been denied to her, for a long time, only until recently, when the winds of change brought about a "Renaissance & Revolution", for the betterment of humanity.  The reverential treatment, given to women, now, is the ideal that the THIRD NANAK, Guru Amar Das had propounded forcefully, centuries ago. An individual must be strong, in all respects: spiritual, moral, religious, social, mental, psychological, emotional, financial.  Its only then that one could discharge the obligations towards one's own soul and God, humankind and family, and to be so humble as to remain, always, accountable to the CREATOR.

 

Make your deals, O' traders, and take care of your merchandise. Buy that object which will go along with you. In the next world, the All-knowing Merchant will take this object and shall reward you Take the Merchandise of the Lord’s Praises with you. Your Lord shall see this and approve.   Those who do not have the Assets of Truth—how can they find peace? Like the deer caught in the trap, they suffer in terrible agony; they continually cry out in pain.  The counterfeit coins are not put into the Treasury; they do not obtain the Blessed Vision of the Lord-Guru. Practicing falsehood again and again, people come and go in reincarnation, and forfeit their honor. Advises Nanak : instruct your mind through the Word of the Guru’s Word, and praise the Lord.  Those who are imbued with the love of the Name of the Lord are not burdened by doubt. Those who chant the Name of the Lord earn great profits.[22]

Praise the Formless Lord in your mind. O my mind, make this your true occupation. Let your tongue become pure, to taste the Ambrosial Nectar. Your soul shall be, forever, peaceful. With your eyes, see the wondrous play of your Lord and Master. The Company of the Holy is the all-important one. With your feet, walk in the Way of the Lord. Sins are washed away, chanting the Lord’s Name, even for a moment. Hence, perform the tasks assigned, to you, by the Lord, and listen to the Lord’s Sermon. In the Lord’s Court, your face shall be radiant, so Promises Nanak.[81]

With greed within them, their minds are filthy, and they spread filth around. They indulge in filthy deeds, and suffer in pain. They deal in falsehood, and nothing but falsehood; telling lies, they suffer in pain.  Rare is that person who enshrines the Immaculate Guru’s Word within his mind. By Guru’s Grace, his skepticism is removed. He walks in harmony with the Guru’s Will, day and night; remembering the Name of the Lord, he attains peace. [1062]

An ideal business is one from whose profits, society benefits.  Such a businessperson is God's chosen one.  His service to humanity, and his humanism shall be the cause of receiving rewards, forever, financially, and spiritually.

From the One Light, the entire universe welled up. So who is good, and who is bad? :  First, Allah created the Light; then, by His Creative Power, He made all mortal beings. O' Siblings of Destiny, do not wander deluded by doubt. The Creation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in the Creation, totally pervading and permeating all places.  The clay is the same, but the Potter has fashioned it in various ways. There is nothing wrong with the pot of clay — there is nothing wrong with the Potter.  The One True Lord abides in all; Says Kabeer, my anxiety and fear have been taken away; I see the Immaculate Lord pervading everywhere. Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.[1349]

Tell me: who should we call good or bad? I  join  the Guru’s Congregation, and I find God’s limits.  The Shaastras, the Vedas, the Simritees and all their many secrets; bathing at the sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage — all this is found by enshrining the sublime essence of the Lord in the heart. The ones with Godly-attributes are immaculately pure; no filth sticks to them. Says Nanak : the Name of the Lord, abides in the heart, by the greatest pre-ordained destiny. [353]

In the dwelling of the womb, there is no ancestry or social status. All have originated from the Seed of God.  Tell me, O' religious scholar: since when have you been a preacher?  Don’t waste your life by continually claiming to be a preacher.  If you are indeed a Brahmin (considered to be one of the highest castes in Hindu society), born of a Brahmin mother, then why didn’t you come by some other way? How is it that you are a Brahmin, and I am of a low social status? How is it that I am formed of blood, and you are made of milk?  Says Kabeer : one who contemplates God, is said to be a Brahmin (the learned and the wise, on account of merit, and not due to caste or class) among us. [324]

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib emphasizes, categorically, that ALL religions and faiths propagate the exemplary virtues and guidelines, so very essential for leading a purposeful and fulfilled life.  And the various Prophets and Seers, belonging to diverse schools-of-thought, were unanimous in their spiritual-beliefs.  It is the devilish tendency of the human mind that  'conceives and delivers the deformed baby' of rift and conflict, of mistrust and discord.

 

She should make the Lord, the Slayer of demons, her ring, and take the Transcendent Lord as her silken clothes. The soul-bride should weave patience into the braids of her hair, and apply the lotion of the Lord, the Great Lover. If she lights the lamp in the mansion of her mind, and makes her body the nuptial-bed of the Lord, then, when the King of spiritual wisdom comes to her bed, He shall accept her, and she shall experience an ecstatic bliss.[359]

Patience, glory and honor are bestowed upon those who listen to the Name of the Lord. That yearning soul, whose heart remains merged with the Lord, says Nanak, obtains glorious greatness. [257]

Says Sheikh Fareed : work for your Lord and Master; dispel the doubts of your heart. The humble devotees, have the strength and endurance of trees.[1381]

The God-conscious being has a steady patience, like the earth, which bears the ignominy and cruelty of being dug up by one, but is later anointed with sandal paste by another (the soil is worshipped in some cultures and religions).[272]

Section 3

 

  The Tug Of War

 

As per Sikh Marriage-Rites, the bride and the groom go round  the Holy Scripture (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) four times, while the relevent Hymns are being recited by the Priest , and the appointed minstrels. The four rounds represent the Progression of Love, between spouses, and, also, the Spiritual Attachment, between God and Human-Soul.

In the first round of the marriage ceremony, the Lord sets out His Instructions for performing the daily duties of married life. Embrace the Conduct of Righteousness, and renounce sinful actions. Enshrine the contemplative remembrance of the Lord, in your hearts.  Celibacy has been repudiated and denounced, in the strongest terms. 

In the second round of the marriage ceremony, the Lord leads you to meet the True Guru, the Primal Being. With the Fear of the Fearless Lord in the mind, the filth of egotism is eradicated. The bride prepares to start a new life, in a new home, on leaving her parental abode. In the third round of the marriage ceremony, the mind is filled with Divine Love. In the fourth and final round, the emphasis is on Unison, between the spouses, as also Communion between God and Human-Soul. I lovingly focus my consciousness on the Lord. I have obtained my Lord and Master, the cherished fruit of my mind’s desires. [773]

As per Sikh customs and traditions (and as governed by the religious-spiritual Diktat of the Gurus) woman and man undertake to tie the nuptial-knot, in accordance with the prescribed code-of-conduct. The couple must reciprocate love and understanding, while taking due care of recognizing each other’s individuality and uniqueness, thereby ensuring equality (as a human-being, and as a life-partner).  This shall eliminate any occurrence of conflict on the basis of a perceived threat to either’s identity. 

Harmony shall prevail, and all crisis situations shall be dealt with, in a spirit of compromise and adjustment, coupled with commitment shall keep divorce at bay. The ascending divorce-rate, in the Western Society & Culture, is attributable to the fact that the institution of marriage is considered to be no more than a Legal-Contract, that can be nullified, with the stroke of the pens of the two parties and a Judge.  When a minor irritant develops in a marital relationship, the weapon-of-divorce is readily, and easily, available.  And it is resorted to, at the slightest pretext.  Marriage is a social, moral, religious and spiritual contract that is sacred, and is not, merely, a legal-instrument, nor only a means of fulfilling the carnal-instincts.   The two must strive to achieve a state of unison and camaraderie, at all planes: emotional, physical, financial, intellectual, and spiritual. 

 

Only this is your chance, a golden one at that.  Just ponder, and analyze, hypothetically, this very moment, for later you might lose this opportunity, and then, nothing more than a sordid feeling of remorse and repentance shall remain, in your heart.[1159]

(This 'CHANCE' pertains to the optimum and best utilization of this lifetime, for meditation, and for doing good to others. One's own welfare would be a natural consequence, and a foregone conclusion).

First conquer the fear of death, learn to accept/embrace death; only then would you become worthy of living a pristinely sublime and selfless life.  Humility and faith in God would result in fortitude.

First, accept death, and give up any hope of life. Become the dust of the feet of all, and then, you may come to ME (GOD).  Accept that only one who has died, truly lives, and one who is alive, consider him dead. Those who are in love with the One Lord, are the blessed ones.  Pain does not even approach that person, within whose mind God resides. Hunger and thirst do not affect him, and the Messenger of Death does not terrorize him. [1102]

The amalgamation of the elements, the flow of blood, and the rhythm of the heart-beat, all together, constitute a living person.  And all such life-forms live in constant and perennial fear of death, like the proverbial "Damocles' Sword" dangling over one's head.  Whomsoever discovered this treasure-chest of Noumenon, his treasury shall, always, be overflowing with piety, humility, prosperity and service. 

During one's lifetime, one remains attached to blood-relations, friends, material-wealth and power, food and clothing, for enjoyment and satisfaction.  When one experiences and realizes God, one finds solace and serenity and joy, in lieu of all the aforementioned, so-called 'facets and commodities yielding happiness'. Now, one's fear of death is vanquished, instantaneously.  Sleep and death have been the subjects of comparison.  Just as a proverb goes: " A sleeping person is no better than a dead one", thereby implying that, most often, one is unaware of the 'goings-on' around oneself, during one's sleep.  So much so that, one, no longer, remains entangled with the bonds of relationships and materials.  But, prior to dosing off, one reassures oneself, that the "contact" shall be re-established, upon waking up.

 

Wherever the saints reside, such a place reverberates with the ambience of heaven.  They enshrine the Lotus Feet of God within their hearts.  Listen, O my mind and body, and let me show you the way to find peace, so that you may eat and enjoy the various delicacies of the Lord.     Taste the Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, within your mind. Its taste is wondrous — it cannot be described.     Your greed shall die, and your thirst shall be quenched. The humble beings seek the Sanctuary of the Supreme Lord God.     The Lord dispels the fears and attachments of countless incarnations. God has showered His Mercy and Grace upon slave Nanak. [1142]

Creating the Universe, God remains diffused throughout it. In the wind, water and fire, the Supreme is all-pervasive.  The waving mind seeks indulgence in evil passions and vices, forgetting its primal obligation towards the Creator. Forgetting God, one must be prepared to bear innumerable miseries.  Consequently, such a misguided one suffers the ignominy of having to undergo 8.4 million reincarnations.  This viscious cycle of death and rebirth has been termed as hell.  Due to the present life misdeeds, one may be reborn as a four-legged animal, as a crawling serpent, as a flying bird, as a small insect or as a creature in water.  In such dire straits, none from one's kith and kin shall be the savior; only God is empowered to rescue and redeem.  Discard falsehood and attain the truth, and thus become the recipient of the rewards you desire.  This, then, is the ideal and profitable bartering practice.[1028]

 

 

One who forgets the Primal Lord, the Architect of karma, wanders around, tormented by the raging fires of desires. No one can save such an ungrateful person; he must suffer the terrors of the horrendous chambers of hell.  He blessed you with your soul, the breath of life, your body and wealth; He preserved and nurtured you in your mother’s womb. Forsaking His Love, you are entangled with another; you shall never achieve your goals (of being happy).[1086]

Forgetting Him, one’s body turns to dust, and everyone calls him a ghost. And those, with whom he was deeply attached— they do not let him stay in their home, even for an instant. Practicing exploitation, he gathers wealth, but to what avail? As one sows, so does one reap; the body is the field of actions (karma). The ungrateful wretches forget the Lord, and wander in reincarnation. [706]

They wear and eat the gifts from the Lord; how can they be so lazy and complacent, as to forget Him, O' mother?  Forgetting her Husband Lord, and attaching herself to other affairs, the soul-bride foolishly discards the precious jewel in exchange for a mere shell.  Forsaking God, she is attached to other desires. They consume food and drink, delicious and sublime as ambrosial nectar. But the dog does not know the One who has bestowed these.  Says Nanak : I have been unfaithful to my own nature. Please forgive me, O God, O Searcher of hearts. You are aware of my sincere desire of being pardoned. [195]

The sinner is unfaithful to himself; he is ignorant, with shallow understanding. He does not know the essence of all, the One who gave him body, soul and peace. In the illusionary lure of temptation, he goes out, searching in the ten directions. He does not enshrine the Generous Lord, the Great Giver, in his mind, even for an instant. Greed, falsehood, corruption and emotional attachment — these are what he stores, within his mind. The worst perverts, thieves and slanderers are his constant companions.  But if it pleases You, Lord, then You forgive the counterfeit along with the genuine. Prays Nanak: if it pleases the Supreme, then even a stone (a person burdened with Sins) will float on water.[261]

 

Burning and burning, writhing in pain, I wring my hands. I have gone insane, seeking my Husband Lord. O my Husband Lord, You are angry. The fault is with me, and not with my Husband Lord.  O my Lord and Master, I do not know Your excellence and worth. Having wasted my youth, now I come to regret and repent.  [794]

When the people of the world are suffering in pain, they call upon the Lord in loving prayer. The True Lord naturally listens and hears and gives comfort.  He commands the God of rain, and the rain pours down

in torrents. Corn and wealth are produced in great abundance and prosperity; their value cannot be estimated. Sayeth Nanak : praise the  Name of the Lord; He reaches out and gives sustains all beings. The mortal, never again, suffers in pain. [1281

In scientific-parlance, the 'Rotations & Revolutions', pertaining to the Earth and the Sun, bring about the change-of-seasons.  It is a routine that is pre-programmed (in computer-jargon) in the characteristics of 'NATURE'. 

During scorching summers, the flow of rivers gets bogged down, while the same rivers get inundated, during rainy season.  They dry out in summers, and submerge the entire region, when they are flooded.  Vegetation cries out and birds and animals wail for a dew-drop and a rain-drop, to quench their thirst. 

On hearing the pleas of the tormented souls, rains pour down, and flowers blossom, once again, and earth is rejuvenated. Similarly, 'HEAT' is generated on the plane of the Mind & Soul, when desire, lust, anger, greed, attachment and other vices take their toll by vibrations and reverberations, attacking the human psyche.

All the 'POSITIVES' have a cooling-effect on the human mind and body.  Compassion and contentment, forgiveness and morality, alongwith other qualities of the head and the heart, forge a powerful alliance to counter the armies of aggressive elements (vices).  Soothing signals emanate from such calm souls, and both, the sender and the receiver, experience 'BLISS'.

 

 

Renounce both praise and criticism; seek, instead, the state of Nirvaana (Salvation).  Says Nanak: this is such a difficult game; only those with faith in God understand it!  [219

I have been burnt by the fires of the world.  Some speak well of me, and some speak ill of me, but I have surrendered my body to You.     Whoever comes to Your Sanctuary, O God, Lord and Master, You save by Your Merciful Grace.  Humble Nanak has entered Your Sanctuary, Dear Lord,  please protect his honour!  [528]

Even if you could live throughout the four ages, or even ten times more, and even if you were known throughout the nine continents and followed by all, with a good name and reputation, with praise and fame throughout the world—still, if the Lord does not bless you with His Glance of Grace, then who cares? What is the use? Among worms, you would be considered a lowly worm, and even contemptible sinners would hold you in contempt. [2]

It is not good to slander anyone, but the foolish, self-willed  still do it. The faces of the slanderers are blackened, and they fall into the most horrible hell. [755]

Praise is an intoxicant, but self-aggrandisement is a Vice.  When one is praised, by another, the former is, naturally, on cloud-nine.  Ironically, one does not like some one else being praised.  This is the characteristic of a jealous mind.  Criticism hurts, and it hurts all the more when someone, having the ulterior motive of defaming another, criticises a noble and praise-worthy person.  On the contrary, a sycophant (again, someone with a vested interest) would leave no stone unturned, to heap accolades and eulogies, on an undeserving person.

 

I bow down, and fall to the ground in humble prostration and adoration, countless times, before the All-powerful Lord. Please protect me, and save me from wandering, God. Reach out and give Nanak Your Hand.[256]

By Guru’s Grace, one understands himself; know that, then, his negative desires are mollified/pacified ( and his spiritual and wordly aspirations are fulfilled ).  In the Company of the Holy, one chants the Praises of the Lord.  Such a devotee of the Lord is free of all disease. Night and day, sing the Holy hymns, the Praises of the One Lord. In the midst of your household, remain balanced and unattached. One who places his hopes in the One Lord — the noose of Death is cut away from his neck. One whose mind hungers for the Supreme Lord, Says Nanak, shall not suffer pain.  One who focuses his conscious mind on the Lord — that Saint is at peace; he does not waver. Those unto whom God has granted His Grace — who do those servants need to fear? As God is, so does He appear; in His Own creation, He Himself is pervading. Searching, tirelessly, the devotee achieves success, finally.  By Guru’s Grace, the essence of all reality is understood.  Wherever I look, there I see Him, at the root of all things. Observes Nanak : He is the subtle, and He is also the manifest. 281]

O my soul, grasp the Support of the One Lord; give up your hopes in others, meditating on the Name of the Lord, your affairs shall be resolved.  The mind’s wanderings cease, when one comes to dwell in the Society of the Saints. If the Lord is Merciful from the very beginning, then one’s mind is enlightened. Those who have the true wealth are the true bankers. The Lord, is their wealth, and they trade in His Name. Patience, glory and honour come to those who listen to the Name of the Lord. That God-loving person whose heart remains merged with the Lord, obtains glorious greatness. [257]

They alone are beautiful and attractive, who abide in the Company of the Holy. Those who have accumulated  the wealth of the Lord’s Name—they alone are wise and serious investors, and are praised by all and sundry. [132]

Power is fraudulent, beauty is fraudulent, and wealth is fraudulent, as is pride of ancestry. One may gather poison through deception and fraud, Says Nanak, but without the Lord, nothing shall go along with him in the end.  Beholding the bitter melon, he is deceived, since it appears so pretty.  But it is not worth even a shell ; the illusionary riches will not go along with anyone.[708]

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" is a realistically pertinent statement. And, equally true is the fact that Beauty, besides being external and physical, is, also, internal, intellectual and spiritual. For the admiration of the latter, the observor must be endowed with the 'THIRD EYE' that would have the potential of penetrating through bone and flesh, to have the heavenly-view of the inner-beauty of someone's heart and soul. Human faces are beautiful and very much lovable. But LUST vitiates the environment. A living personification of this statement is the CRANE, exquisitely adorable, but so deceitful, inside.  The antonym is the ugly-looking Nightingale, which has been blessed with the most meluflous voice, churning out  soothing music (even while it may be the regular language of the species). Similarly, some beautiful people are treacherous and wicked and cunning, while the so-described ugly ones could be pious, learned and compassionate.  A child is showered with love and affection by all and sundry, owing to its qualities of beauty and innocence.  It is free of the vices of greed, lust, malice, anger and ego.  It is more carefree than the birds that fly in gay-abandon. The child-like traits are visible in God's chosen few, who continue to retain the charm and innocence, in word and spirit, until their last day. 

This Godly-attribute cannot be replenished and substituted by donning expensive ornaments and using cosmetics, to look beautiful. Saints, Seers, Saviours and Prophets, have a radiant gleam and glow on their faces, and a magnetic field and halo, around them, that would, instataneously captivate anyone in range.  Such vibrant personalities owe their charismatic-influence to the great meditation performed by them.  They surrender, unconditionally, before GOD, and, in lieu, are granted the everlasting Peace.  Their word is honoured as God's OWN Command.  None has the tenacity to challenge them. 

The Guru has provided the healing ointment of spiritual wisdom, and dispelled the darkness of ignorance.  By the lord’s Grace, I have met the Saint; sayeth Nanak : “My mind has been enlightened”. [293]

If a hundred moons were to rise, and a thousand suns appeared, even with such light, there would still be terrifying darkness (in the mind), without the Guru's guidance. Says Nanak : those who do not think of the Guru, and who think of themselves as clever, shall be left abandoned in the field, like the scattered sesame.[463]

I seek my Friend the Lord. In each and every home, sing the sublime songs of rejoicing; He abides in each and every heart.   In good times, worship and adore Him; in bad times, worship and adore Him; do not ever forget Him. Chanting the Name of the Lord, the light of millions of suns shines forth, and the terrifying darkness of doubt is dispelled, forever, from the mind of a devotee.   In all the spaces and interspaces, everywhere, whatever we see is Yours. One who joins the Society of the Saints, says Nanak, is not consigned to reincarnation again. [700]

Darkness is to be found all over, and in great measure, within man's mind, and without. The earth's crust is dark, towards the interior.  The deeper levels of the oceans are dark, the sun's light being unable                                                      to permeate, beyond a specified range (fathoms). Due to the increased effect of the vices of Lust, Greed, Egocentricism, Hatred, Jealosy, Violence and Addictions, even more darkness can be found within the hearts and minds and souls of the modern human.

The germs of disease originate in dark regions.  Snakes and scorpions are often found in dark areas.  Dacoits and marauders wait for their preys, in dark and nether confines.  AND, so do the LOWLY VICES wait for the opportune moment to launch a vicious attack targeted towards persons with a  weak power of resilience. 'Darkness' is a synonym for 'sorrow', 'grief' and 'penury'.  And ostentatious illuminations and fireworks are on display, during festivities and rejoicing.  Due to the darkness of ignorance, coupled with a lack of will and interest, to search and pray for the True Light, today's man is lost and frightened.  Finding oneself in deep peril, there seems to be no happiness, notwithstanding the rapid strides towards the destinations of acquiring material-wealth and accruing knowledge. 

Says Saint Kabir Das:  A person performing a misdeed, fully well aware and conscious of the repercussions, thereof, and realizing the fallout, is deemed to be the greatest fool.  Instead of feeling guilt or remorse, he becomes arrogant and egocentric, and takes pride in his actions, is like one who falls into a well, despite carrying a glowing lamp, with him. [1376]

The same person is foolish and wise; the same light within has two names. Utterly foolish are those who do not believe in the Name.  In power, pleasures, beauty, wealth and youth, one gambles his life away. Bound by the Command of God, the dice is cast; he is just a piece on the chess-board.  The world is clever and wise, but it is deluded by doubt, and forgets the Name; the religious scholar, studies the scriptures, but he is still a fool.  Forgetting the Name, he dwells upon the Scriptures; he writes, but he is confused  by his vitriolic-corruption, of his ego-centric mind. [1015]

GOD gave man the unique gift of the power of analysis and hypothesis, and by the optimum utilization of the nervous system (the brain), one could achieve wonders.  But, rarely, does that happen. A child's thinking faculties are not fully developed, hence it cannot be called a fool.  But, such an adult is a fool, who does not think and act rationally. A person lacking in wisdom, does not act in consonance with certain universally acclaimed and socially acceptable norms.

A literate or educated person may not, necessarily, be a wise one, too.  But, God may gift an illiterate person with the blessing of wisdom.  And, there's no guarantee that an educated person would realize God, while there have been great devotees, who never learnt the Three "Rs" in school, but mastered the highest techniques of Communion with God. Another MYTH and ill-conceived notion pertains to the prevalent practice of linking intelligence and wisdom with wealth and prestige. A person who is sucessful in a given vocation/profession might not, necessarily, be considered wise, in other spheres, too.  But, generally, there is a tendency to become dependant, upon such people, in various matters, including Spiritual-Religious and Socio-economic, even though the concerned person might not be, remotely, having an affinity with the said issues.

Many speak and talk about God. But one who understands the essence of a ‘Life-Divine’, such a humble one (ever in God’s servitude) is very rare.  He has, not even, an iota of pain, and is, totally, at peace. With his eyes, he sees only the One Lord. No one seems evil to him — all are good. There is no defeat — he is totally victorious.  He is never in sorrow — he is happy, always.   Says Nanak: the humble servant of the Lord is himself the Lord (becomes identical; resembles Godly-Attributes); he does not come and go in reincarnation.[1302]

Sorrow and pain is like an epidemic, the only cure for it being the regular administering of dosages of Noumenon of God.  None has escaped the octopus-like tentacles of sorrow.  Since the desires are innumerable, the causes of sorrow are countless, too.  When desires are not fulfilled, pain is born, therefrom.  A perennial river of sorrow is constantly flowing in the lifetime of a human-being, because of the desires increasing, rapidly and rampantly, in volume and content.

In hope, there is very great pain; the self-willed focuses his consciousness on it. The God-loving become desireless, and attain supreme peace. In the midst of their household, they remain detached; they are lovingly attuned to the Detached Lord. Sorrow and separation do not cling to them at all. They are pleased with the Lord’s Will.  Says Nanak, they remain forever immersed in the Primal Lord, who blends them with Himself. [1249]

Its human-nature to be jealous of another's happiness, and to cry hoarse at one's own sorrow.  But, in reality, NONE is actually happy, in this world. The nodal-point and focus of all happiness (the reservoir of Joy and Bliss) is GOD and meditation on His Name.

Every laughter is attached with the apprehension of a wail looming large.  And behind the curtain of all praise and accolades, lurks the dangerous snake of exposure, insult and defamation. Profits are, naturally, made, at great stakes and risks. All life-forms must culminate in death.  Hence, all efforts should be made to decorate this life with all worthy attributes and ornamentation, so as to be received by God, in His Magnificent Kingdom, with Honor and Praise.  At that moment, disgrace and rebuke can be avoided, if one had the wisdom, of doing so, during the time that was available, for meditation, during the life-time.

 

What good is food, and what good are attires & adornments, if the True Lord does not abide within the mind? What good are fruits, what good is butter, what good is sweet molasses, and what good is flour? What good are clothes, and what good is a soft bed, to enjoy pleasures and sensual delights? What good is an army, and what good are soldiers, servants and mansions to live in? Says Nanak : without the True Name, all this paraphernalia is perishable.[142]

Nanak wonders : what has happened to the world? There is no guide or friend. There is no love, even among brothers and relatives. For the sake of worldly riches, people have lost their faith. They  weep and wail. They slap their faces and pull their hair out. But if they chant  the Name of the Lord, they shall be absorbed into it.[1410]

GREED is considered to be a major vice that leads one onto other dangerous vices like violence and deceit.  It assumes the proportions of a mental disease, when in reaches the saturation point.

The natural equilibrium is disturbed, when a greedy person accumulates immense wealth, while another person has to shiver in the cold, shelterless, sans clothing.  

To remain happy with whatsoever one has, is True Contentment.  This should not be misconstrued to imply that being ambitious is negative, provided the rapid strides towards success DO NOT, in any way, impinge upon another's interests.

Abundance of wealth and materials does not guarantee happiness.  Peace is the direct consequence of Contentment.  Being progressive is welcome, without usurping another's rights and privileges.

 

 

Where is that door, where You live, O Lord? What is that door called? Among all doors, who can find that door? For the sake of that door, I wander around sadly, detached from the world;While I am living, I cannot be dead. [877]

I have no anxiety about dying, and no hope of living. You are the Cherisher of all beings.[20]

One observes no difference between Optimism & Pessimism, in a state of Real Detachment. The literal meaning (of detachment) would be, being in a state of utter despair, sadness, even to the extreme of becoming a recluse.  But, the deeper, philosophic implication, in the context of spiritual -realms, would be : Being with oneself, in solitude, with courage-of-conviction, and fortitude, in a contemplative and meditative state .  Now, this frame-of- mind, and unique level could be attained even while one is sitting in a vast multitude of people, and yet calm and composed, within.. Talking, working, eating or whatever, but the thought is concentrated on the "ONLY ONE".                                                                                                                                                  

Under varying circumstances, the individual would, obviously react differently. In the event of the loss of a dear one, the bereaved relations of the deceased are naturally saddened. Similarly, a person afflicted with physical-ailments, financial-losses, emotional/psychological traumas, might, even, start thinking in terms of committing self-immolation/suicide. This, then, could be described as a FATAL -DETACHMENT, born out of disenchantment/disillusionment with life.  This would be the direct consequence of a lack or absence of spiritual temper, and faith in God.  It is developed, gradually, depending upon the intensity of the distinctly varied experiences one has had. On the contrary, on attaining pristine knowledge, one becomes desirous of detachment, even while not foregoing worldly -existence and life.  Life, now, seems as if it were a bubble of air, on the surface of water, waiting to burst any moment.  All pleasures, of the senses, seem momentary.  This is REJUVENATING DETACHMENT.

Treading, further ahead, on the sunlit path of detachment, one begins to be encouraged and tempted to seek "Communion with God". Now, one does not look for, or expect, rewards.  There is no fear of death, now, and there exists (remains) no magnetic charm and attraction, for life, and the pleasures it has to offer (because the momentary-nature of these joys has been comprehended, with God's Divine Grace, and the Final Truth has dawned upon the devoted Soul).

A condition where one prefers to remain in solitude, with a positive attitude, and with a positive aim, of meditating upon God's Name, and not to be in a pensive and regretful frame-of-mind.                                     

 

Now, the Merciful Lord hath decreed that nobody shall persecute and torture another, and that all may reside in peace and harmony, under His Benevolent Rule. [74]

Fareed implores the Lord, not  to let him live on alms, and on another's mercy.  Instead, he would prefer death, to slavery.[1380]

The battle-drums and conch-shells signal the commencement of the battle. The spiritual warriors enter the battle-field, in all their paraphernilia and regalia.  He alone is known as a spiritual hero, who fights in defense of religion ( NOT the religions or faiths that we have founded, BUT the religion of the Lord : that wants us to sacrifice our lives for peace and justice, and to never let cowardice devour us). He may be cut apart, limb by limb, but he never withdraws from the war-zone. [1105]

The God-loving and the God-fearing warriors would never subjugate another, but would use their power to protect the weak and the downtrodden, the oppressed and the suppressed.  Freedom is the birth-right of every human, while slavery is a curse. 

 

  Section 4

 

Beware

 

 

The egg of doubt has burst; my mind has been enlightened. The Guru has shattered the shackles on my feet, and has set me free.  I have been released from the bondage, and from the vicious cycle of reincarnation. The boiling cauldron has cooled down; the Guru has blessed me with the cooling, soothing Name of the Lord. The burdensome load of my Karma has been removed, and I am now free.  the Guru has blessed me with this Dharma. I have made Truth my life’s purpose. True is my capital, and True is the merchandise, which Nanak has placed into the home of the heart. The Pandit, the Hindu scholar-priest, proclaims the Vedas, but he is slow to act on them. Another person on silence sits alone, but his heart is tied in knots of desire. Another becomes a renunciate; he abandons his home and walks out on his family, but his wandering impulses do not leave him.  Where can I find such a person who is liberated, and who can unite me with my God? One may practice intensive meditation, and discipline his body, but his mind still runs around in ten directions. The celibate practices celibacy, but his heart is filled with pride. The renunciate wanders around at sacred shrines of pilgrimage, but his mindless anger is still within him.  Others go on fasts, take vows, perform the six rituals and wear religious robes, to brag about. Some sing songs and melodies and hymns, but their minds do not sing the praise of the Lord.   The Lord’s Saints are immaculately pure; they are beyond pleasure and pain, beyond greed and attachment. Says Nanak, I met the Perfect Guru, and then the anxiety of my mind was removed. The Beloved of my soul knows everything; all trivial talk is forgotten. . [1002]

 

 

The self-willed egoistic persons read and study, but they do not know the way. They do not understand the Name of the Lord; they wander, deluded and deluged by doubt. They take bribes, and give false testimony; the noose of evil-mindedness is around their necks, and they shall hang themselves. They read the Scriptures; they argue and debate, but do not know the essence of reality; they indulge in rituals and ceremonial practices.  Without the Perfect Guru, the essence of reality is not obtained. The true and pure beings walk the Path of Truth. He Himself is wise, and He Himself judges the Truth. Those whom God blesses with His Glance of Grace become God-loving, and praise the Word of the Holy hymns. [1032]

Such behaviour is severely deplorable, and tantamount to a grave SIN.

Feeding one's children, from the money gotten through corrupt means, is just like poisoning their food, with the venom of a snake.  A person whose intake is such, shall have vitriolic speech and a foul tongue, never pleasant in conversation and in his dealings with others 

Such misdemeanors of the corrupt do not go unpunished.  They shall be penalized, on earth, and in God's Supreme Court.  

 

You have not forsaken sexual desire, and you have not forgotten anger; greed has not left you either. You have not stopped slandering and gossiping about others. Your service is useless and fruitless. By breaking into the houses of others and robbing them, you fill your belly, you sinner. But when you go to the world beyond, you shall be notorious, for your acts of ommission and commission, that you hath committed, due to your ignorance.  Cruelty has not left your mind; you have not cherished kindness for other living beings.[1253]

When oppression and tyranny are on the ascendant, a myriad array of vices controls the human-frame (body and mind). The bondage of self-aggrandizement can be gotten rid of by meditating upon God's Name.  That's the only remedy for the tormented oppressor as well as the weak and cowardly oppressed.[255]

The emperor who struck down the poor, has been burnt in the fire by the Supreme Lord God.  The Creator administers true justice. He is the Saving Grace of His slaves. [199]

Sayeth Saint Kabir: It is tyranny to use force; the Lord shall call you to account. And then yo shall be tortured and humiliated, in the Lord’s Court. Keep the slate of your conscience clean and clear, to become the recipient of God’s Grace. In the True Court of the Lord, you shall not be captured or put in shackles. [1375]

 

 

The man of false mind practices falsehood. He runs after illusion, and yet pretends to be a man of disciplined meditation. Deluded by doubt, he visits all the sacred shrines of pilgrimage. How can such a man of disciplined meditation attain the supreme status? By Guru’s Grace, one lives the Truth. Nanak declares that such a man of disciplined meditation attains liberation. He alone is a man of disciplined meditation, who practices this self-discipline. Meeting with the True Guru, he contemplates the Word of the Holy hymns. Such a man of disciplined meditation is honoured in the Court of the Lord. [948]

Service to the Guru is the greatest sublime penance. The Dear Lord dwells in the mind, and all suffering departs. Then, at the Gate of the True Lord, one appears truthful. Serving the Guru, one comes to know the three worlds. Understanding his own self, he obtains the Lord. Through His True Word, we enter the Mansion of His Presence.     Serving the Guru, all of one’s generations are saved. Keep the Immaculate Name of the Lord enshrined within your heart. In the Court of the True Lord, you shall be adorned with True Glory. How very fortunate are they, who are committed to the Guru’s service. Night and day, they are engaged in devotional worship; the True Name is implanted within them. Nanak chants the true thought. Keep the Name of the Lord enshrined within your heart. Imbued with devotion to the Lord, the gate of salvation is found.[423]

Do not heat your body like a furnace, or burn your bones like firewood.  What wrong have your head and feet done to deserve such a punitive action? See your Husband Lord within yourself. God, the Cosmic Husband dwells within all hearts; without Him, there is no heart at all. Says Nanak : Such Devotees are the happy, virtuous soul-brides; the Lord is close to them.[1411]

'PENANCE' & 'REPENTANCE' have been listed under the NEGATIVE-INFLUENCES, because they arise out of another negative feeling : GUILT. 

 

 

Twelve years pass in childhood, and for another twenty years, he does not practice self-discipline and austerity. For another thirty years, he does not worship God in any way, and then, when he is old, he repents and regrets. His life is wasted, in greed and egoistic pride. He is powerless. He makes a dam around the dried-up pool (of his power), and he makes a fence around the harvested field, but when the thief of Death comes, he quickly carries away what the fool had tried to preserve as his own. His feet and head and hands begin to tremble, and the tears flow copiously from his eyes. His tongue has not spoken the correct words, but now, he hopes to practice religion! If the Dear Lord shows His Mercy, even a sinner would earn the Profit of the Lord’s Name. By Guru’s Grace, he receives the wealth of the Lord’s Name, which alone shall go with him, when he departs.  Says Kabeer : listen, O Saints — he shall not take any other wealth with him. When the summons comes from the King, the Lord of the Universe, the mortal departs, leaving behind his wealth and mansions.479]

Now, how do I tackle this situation and find appropriate remedies? What efforts should I make? How can I dispel the anxieties of my mind? How can I be ferried across these turbulent seas?  Obtaining this human incarnation, I have done no good deeds; this makes me very afraid! In thought, word and deed, I have not sung the Lord’s Praises; this thought worries my mind.  I listened to the Guru’s Teachings, but spiritual wisdom did not well up within me; like a beast, I fill my belly. Says Nanak : O God, please confirm Your Law of Grace; for only then can I, the sinner, be saved.[685]

                                               

Do not harbour hatred against anyone. In each and every heart, God is contained. The All-pervading Lord is permeating and pervading the oceans and the land. How rare are those who, by Guru’s Grace, sing of Him. Hatred and alienation depart from those who, as devotees, listen to the Hymns of the Lord’s Praises. Says Nanak : one who becomes a devotee chants the Name of the Lord, and rises above all social classes and status symbols. Acting in egotism, selfishness and conceit, the foolish, ignorant, faithless cynic wastes his life. He dies in agony, like one dying of thirst.[259]

To some, the Lord has given silks and satins, and to some, beds decorated with cotton ribbons. Some do not even have a poor patched coat, and some live in thatched huts. Do not indulge in envy and bickering, O my mind. By continually performing good deeds, O my mind, you may have the luxuries, but not through jealosy. The potter works with the same clay, and colours the pots in different ways. Into some, he sets pearls (of contentment and compassion), while to others, he attaches filth (of  hatred, and an envious nature).[479]

Harbouring animosity towards our fellow human beings is tantamount to perpetrating violence on our own soul.  It’s like raising a banner of revolt against God and his offspring.  And, as all of us are HIS children, it is inferred that its equivalent to fighting with our own siblings, rebelling against our own kith and kin.

The mortal does not remember the Lord; he wanders around, engrossed in greed. Committing sins, he dies, and his life ends in an instant.  His body is like a clay vessel or a brittle metal pot. If you wish to keep it safe and sound, then meditate on the Lord; Chant the Name of the Lord. Chanting His Name night and day, the Lord will eventually hear your call.  Says Kabeer : the body is a banana forest, and the mind is an intoxicated elephant. The jewel of spiritual wisdom is the prod, and the rare Saint is the rider. [1376]

He commits innumerable robberies, countless acts of adultery, millions of falsehoods and thousands of abuses. He practices infinite number of deceptions and secret deeds, night and day, against his fellow beings.[471]

When man tries to, or thinks of fooling others, by being a master-trickster, he, too, shall, someday, become an unsuspecting victim of his own game plan, developed so very painstakingly, by him.  He is sure to have a taste of his own bitter medicine/potion.

 

Sayeth Sheikh Farid:

Answer evil with goodness; do not fill your mind with anger, thus your body shall not suffer from any disease, and you shall obtain everything.  Says Fareed, the bird (human-being)is a guest in this beautiful world-garden. The morning drums are beating, indicating it is, now, time for departure ( moment of death ).  Musk is distributed during the night ; those in deep slumber shall never become the recipients of their share of this Blessed commodity ( hence do not harbour any ill-will towards another, during this short span of a ‘night’, that is this lifetime ).[1381]

Says Sheikh Fareed : do not turn around and strike those who strike you with their fists. Kiss their feet, and return to your own home (DO NOT GENERATE A FEELING OF REMORSEFUL REVENGE, as it is harmful for your progress). When there was time for you to earn name and fame, by performing worthy deeds, you were in love with the world, instead.  [1378]

Do not harbor evil intentions against others in your mind, and you shall not be troubled, my friends. The Name of the Lord, as preached by the True Guru, is the effective mendicant, and not the Tantric-rituals or the Mantra-recitations or the Yogic-postures.  Nanak experiences this peace night and day. [386]

The sinners act, and perform nefarious acts (misdeeds), and then they weep and wail, when such acts misfire and backfire. Says Nanak: just as the churning stick churns the butter, so does the Judge of Righteousness torture them. Says Nanak : speaking in Righteousness, one’s world (home) becomes sanctified.[1425]

I am a sacrifice to that one who binds in bondage his evil and corrupted gaze. One who does not know the difference between vice and virtue wanders around uselessly, and aimlessly. [1329]

Due to ignorance, egotism, and lust for power, sex and wealth, man has sacrificed man, at the altar, of his multifarious cravings.  The height of inhumanism was when man did not think twice, before sacrificing fellow-beings, to appease "GOD" ( A very common ritual prevelent in India and some other nations, until as late as the last century ).  NOW, this is an absurd and ridiculous level, to which man stooped.  How could GOD, the FATHER & MOTHER, be asking for the sacrifice of one child, to be perpetrated by another.  The same feeble argument (Appeasement of God ) has been, repeatedly, advanced, regarding man enslaving man, over the centuries, and for retaining extra-judicial control over others' land, life and family-members.  Bonded labor meant that children of slaves would, automatically, taken to be slaves.  Inhuman and undignified behavior was evident when man forced women to marry several husbands, at any given point in time, and when man had a 'Harem' comprising of hundreds of ladies, for the satisfaction of his carnal-instincts.  And the irony of the whole scenario is that he was eulogized and respected as : KING IS GOD.  Religious intolerance was at its pinnacle, but the fanatic was considered to be the most pious one.  Untouchability, and discrimination, on account of race, sex, color, creed, status, caste, religion have been the other indelible black-spots, on the canvas.

All such thoughts, words and deeds, that are detrimental or prejudicial, to the interests of another, are tantamount to being a "SIN".  Quite often, a SIN may be an act of omission, rather than that of commission, and might not, even, be deliberate, but a SIN is a SIN is a SIN, planned or otherwise, intended or unintentional.

It is futile to pin hopes on a human-being (mortal).  One must, instead, dwell upon the Giver, the Provider, God, the Only One.

Reliance on mortals is in vain — know this well. The Great Giver is the One Lord God. By His gifts, we are contented, and we suffer from thirst no longer. The One Lord ( Himself, the Creator ) destroys, and also preserves and sustains.  Human-beings exercise no control, whatsoever, over any incident in life. Understanding His Order, there is peace. So take His Name, and wear it as your necklace. Remember God, and meditate.  Guarantees NANAK : “ NO obstacle shall deter you, during your victorious march, towards self-reliance”. [281]

The Lord is the Fulfiller of desires, the Giver of total peace; the Kaamadhaynaa (the mythological wish-fulfilling cow), is His slave. So meditate on such a Lord, O my soul. Then, you shall obtain total peace, O my mind,    Chant the True Name (Sat Naam). In this world, and in the world beyond, your face shall be radiant, by meditating continually on the Immaculate Lord. [669]

One person brings a full bottle, and another comes to fill his cup. Drinking it, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind. He cannot distinguish between his own and others’ — he is struck down by his Lord and Master. Drinking it, he forgets his Lord and Master, and he is punished in the Court of the Lord. Don’t drink the false wine at all, if it is in your power.  Says Nanak :  by His Grace, one obtains the true wine (of the ADDICTION OF GOD’S NATURE AND NAME), when the True Guru comes and meets him. [554]

Those who eat betel nuts and betel leaf and indulge in any kind of intoxicants; such as smoking and drugs etc., and do not contemplate the Lord, — the Messenger of Death will seize them and take them away.[726]

The Messenger of Death could arrive in the guise of any deadly disease, such as cancer or emphysema.  Addiction of any kind is a vice that shall ruin the body and the mind.  The ramifications of such deeds shall be far-reaching and horrific, at times.  Gambling is another cruel vice that shatters the peace of households, and results in penury and hunger.

My Lord and Master is the Provider of the choicest  fruits ( those that the mind desires). He knows all the useless vanities and pains of the soul. Meditating on the Protector of weak souls, the Companion of all, your life shall not be lost in the GAMBLE (either the games of chance, or the self-deceptive pleasures) . Nanak offers this prayer to God: Please shower me with Your Mercy, and carry me across the terrifying world-ocean.[80]

On being possessed by the addictive substances, one fails to comprehend the distinction between right and wrong, between life and death, and between Sin and Virtue. When one is under these influences it is impossible to draw the line of demarcation, and one loses the faculty of thought, and all the acquired knowledge and intelligence is relegated to the back-benches. NOW, the DEVIL is in 'Total-Command', thereby awarding a Free-Reign to the addictive substances, who indulge in their passionate-play, designed to wreaking havoc, and reducing the consumer to a physical and mental wreck.  One does not retain any control over the functions of the brain, and over the movements of the limbs. On a different and more significant plane, of Morality, one loses the power to differentiate between 'Love & Lust', between one's own spouse, and that of another.  Under  the demonish influences, one cannot realize whether one is acting sinfully and disgracefully, with one's daughter, sister or mother.  Already, man and woman are infested with the menace of Lust, day in and day out, and when attacked by the additional forces of addictions, they succumb to the temptation of sexual indulgence and promiscuity.  Incest, no longer, remains an improbability, and that is the most horrendous of all known SINS.

 

Those who meditate on You, Lord, those who meditate on You—those humble beings dwell in peace in this world. They are liberated, they are liberated—those who meditate on the Lord. For them, the noose of death is cut away. Those who meditate on the Fearless One, on the Fearless Lord—all their fears are dispelled. Those who serve, those who serve my Dear Lord, are absorbed into the Being of the Lord. Blessed are they, blessed are they, who meditate on their Dear Lord.  Nanak is a sacrifice unto them.[11]

 The wicked and the faithless cynics, do not know the Taste of the Lord’s Sublime Essence. The thorn of egotism is embedded deep within them. The more they walk away, the deeper it pierces them, and the more they suffer in pain, until finally, the Messenger of Death smashes his club against their heads.  The humble servants of the Lord are absorbed in the Name of the Lord.   The pain of birth and the fear of death are eradicated. They have found the Imperishable Supreme Being, the Transcendent Lord, and they receive great honour, throughout, and in all the worlds and realms.[13]

The Gurus and Seers have equated the World and Life, with an "Ocean-of-Fire", and a "Turbulent-Sea", to be ferried across which, one is advised to dwell upon God's Name and Attributes.  Humans fear one another, but do NOT fear God, while committing SINS.  Only if we start loving Him, by shunning SIN, shall we become liberated forever.  Radical reforms and discoveries and inventions have been possible, in human history, only by overcoming fears of all kinds.  Lives have been staked for the espousal of cherished causes, for the sake of common human-welfare, dignity.  The fortified citadels of democracy have been erected by fearless, courageous ones. Fear is an obstacle in the route to the attainment of self-confidence. Imaginary fears or apprehensions could be devastatingly dangerous, for humanity.  Wars have been thrust upon a nation, by another, that imagined a threat-perception.  Cult-suicides (en masse) are the result of an imaginary thought of an imbalanced mind.  Huge nuclear arsenals might be deployed for self-annihilation, some day, by an error, although they were meant to destroy others.  This is FEAR at its peak.

 

The fickle consciousness does not remain stable. One who enshrines the Lord’s lotus feet in his heart and consciousness lives long, always remembering the Lord. Everyone has worries and cares.[932]  My mind is filled with bliss, since I heard of  God's arrival. I am filled, to the brim. All my sorrows have  departed, and my body, mind and soul are all rejuvenated. Prays Nanak : when I met the Lord of excellence, I came to experience all pleasure and bliss.[459]

Amongst the diseases, 'Worry' is a very dreaded one, when it is in it's worst manifestations.  The ramifications arising out of extreme worry are really serious. An extremely worried and tormented person could commit suicide, or could go insane.  Worry is such a raging fire that destroys the mental-equilibrium and the physical-capabilities. Worry pertains to past events, having possible repercussions, in the future. Very seldom does one, realistically, want to live in the present. And, NOT living in the present is a serious 'disease'.  But, this style and art of living cannot be mastered without serious inclination, tempered with meditation.  Hence the vast multitudes continue to grope in the dark corridors, worrying about imaginary hallucinations.  Furthermore, superstition and 'fear of the unknown' have an additional deliterious effect on the faculties of the mind.  NOW, all of this seems and sounds to be ( and rather,  IT, ACTUALLY, IS ) really absurd, considering the time-tested fact that man exercizes, absolutely, NO control over results.  Otherwise, if man had control over situations and results, or could rectify/remedy a situation, by worrying, nothing would ever go wrong, after one would implement a particular plan-of-action.Happiness, joy, and the ULTIMATE CELESTIAL BLISS can be attained, only, by living in the present.Pious thinking and Meditation upon God's Name are intertwined.  Meditation and prayer could be performed in solitary confinement, or even in Congregations. Attending spiritual-discourses and sermons, delivered by the pious whose vision and verbosity is capable of relieving the worried mind, and of providing it with the much-needed solace and stability. In times of depression and distress, one must turn towards the Sanctuary of God's Name, and it's in HIS refuge that one would find peace and tranquility.  HIS Name yields Knowledge and Power, Peace and Joy.

 When someone’s household has no glory, the guests who come there depart still hungry. Deep within, there is no contentment, and  he suffers     and writhes, in pain.  The ‘bride’ called Illusion has the tenacity to corrupt the consciousness of even the most dedicated ascetics and sages.  This ‘bride’ is the daughter of a wretched miser. Abandoning the Lord’s servant, she sleeps with the world (the wretched ones).  Standing at the door of the holy man, she says, “I have come to your sanctuary; now save me!”[872]

Largesse of the heart is a great boon granted by God, to man.  To talk to everyone with an open and clean heart, to donate magnanimously to charitable-causes, and to receive guests with a welcome smile are some of the noble attributes that a miser lacks, so very miserably and unfortunately.

Since God is gracious, Himself, His devotees, too, shall become like Him. Such people deal politely, always, with everyone. They have no enemies, no rivals.  They consider others' problems and tears as being their very own. They would not shirk, while going out of their way, to resolve others' crisis, even at at the price of financial-loss, loss of prestige, or even at the cost of their lives.

On the contrary, a miser prefers to remain elusive and evasive, so very indifferent to the pain and misery of others.  Such miserable beings do not wish to share their knowledge and skills with others, and would rather die, without imparting these talents to another.

Misers do not have any friends and admirers and confidantes.  Because what one sows, does one reap.  In such hearts there's no place and feeling for friendship and love, compassion and humility.

A miser would be a rude and crude person, with no sense of etiquette and hospitality.  He loves isolation, so that none would get a chance to bother him with any request for monetary or other assistance.

The pain of separation is as unbearable as the pain of extreme hunger. The greatest, and unendurable, pain is the attack of the Messenger of Death. Another pain is the disease consuming my body. O doctor, don’t administer me medicine.   The pain persists, and the body continues to suffer. Your medicine has no effect on me.  Forgetting his Lord and Master, the mortal enjoys sensual pleasures; then, disease wells up in his body. The blind (ignorant/foolish) mortal receives his punishment. The value of sandalwood lies in its fragrance. The value of a human lasts only as long as the breath in the body. When the breath is taken away, the body crumbles into dust.  The mortal’s body emanates a golden-aura, and the soul-swan is immaculate and pure, if even  a tiny particle of the Immaculate Name resides within.  Only then shall all pain and disease be eradicated.  Says Nanak : the mortal is saved through the True Name.[1256]

Worldly possessions are obtained by pain and suffering; when they are gone, they leave pain and suffering.  Says Nanak : without the True Name, hunger is never satisfied. Beauty does not satisfy hunger; when the man sees beauty, he hungers even more. As many as are the pleasures of the body, so many are the pains, which afflict it.[1287]

Millions of obstacles (innumerable problems) infest and afflict such a person, who forgets (rather, does NOT WANT TO remember) to meditate on God's Name and Grace.  A state of ingratitude, thanklessness and shame.. Such a one shall live and die in pain and misery, like a crow trapped in a barren isolated house. [522]

The TRUE GURU (Teacher, Guide, Philosopher) would help a serious and worthy disciple, who is spiritually inclined, to master the techniques required for remembering God, under all circumstances. In adversity, it is the natural tendency of human-beings, to pray, for help.  But, one who retains the essence of the Lord’s Sacred Name, in his soul, even in the season of prosperity, is the Redeemed one. And this would have the somber effect of destroying all obstacles and pain, miseries and tormentations, in the life of the devotee.[622]

The herons in their white feathers dwell in the sacred shrines of pilgrimage. They tear apart and eat the living beings, and so they are not called white. My body is like the simmal tree; seeing me, other people are fooled. Its fruits are useless — just like the qualities of my body. The blind man is carrying such a heavy load, and his journey through the mountains is so long and treacherous. My eyes can see, but I cannot find the Way. How can I climb up and cross over the mountain?  What good does it do to serve, and be good, and be clever? Says Nanak : contemplate the Name of the Lord, and you shall be released from bondage. [729]

Oh my deceived Mind! Why did you not adhere to the teachings of the learned and accomplished GURU?  What good is it that you shaved off your head, and donned an orange-colored attire, with the intention of conning people, into believing your word, and treating you as a pious soul. Is it a worthy and justifiable deed, to be masquerading in a disguise?  Bidding adieu to Truth, you've been wasting your life by letting yourself be influenced by Falsehood.  All you've done, so far, is to eat, sleep, and make merry, in gay- abandon, like a carefree-animal (your instincts are identical to those of animals).  Remember that this form of life is lived at a baser-level, and not when one is granted the Great Human-Birth. [633]

Your hypocricy shall be exposed, sooner or later.  Therefore, pay heed, and listen to the beneficial advice of your Master, and take pre-emptive action, before falling deep into the darkest dungeons of death.  Realization of your judgmental-errors and fallibilities and fallacies, should  dawn upon you, while you are alive.  Only then is there any probability of being rescued.  

Egotism is opposed to the Name of the Lord; the two do not dwell in the same place. In egotism, selfless service cannot be performed, and so the mind goes unfulfilled.  If you submit to the Lord’s Command, you shall meet with the Lord, and then egotism will depart from within.  Egotism is within all bodies; through egotism, we come to be born. Egotism is utter darkness; In egotism, devotional worship cannot be performed, and the Lord’s Command cannot be understood.  In egotism, the soul is in bondage, and the Name of the Lord does not come to abide in the mind.  Says Nanak, meeting with the True Guru, egotism is eliminated.[560]

"Egocentric-nature and God's Name (meditation) are opposing thoughts, extremely contradictory, to one another, and, hence, CAN'T, ever remain (stay) together, at one place (can never reside in one human-being).

The GURUS made it amply, emphatically, and abundantly clear that an egoistic person can never be an ideal devotee, or believer, because he lacks the Nectar of HUMILITY,  a prerequisite for, and an essential ingredient of the Twin Paths of Meditation and Devotion.`

Guru Nanak laments : In ego they come, and in ego they go. In ego they are born, and in ego they die. In ego they give, and in ego they take. In ego they earn, and in ego they lose. In ego they become truthful or false. In ego they go to heaven or hell. In ego they laugh, and in ego they weep. In ego they become dirty, and in ego they are washed clean. In ego they lose social status and class. In ego they are ignorant, and in ego they are wise. They do not know the value of salvation and liberation. In ego they love Illusion, and in ego they are kept in darkness by it. Living in ego, mortal beings are created. Without spiritual wisdom, they babble and argue.  Says Nanak : by the Lord’s Command, destiny is pre-ordained. [466]

Elucidates the Second Nanak, Guru Angad Dev  : 

This is the nature of ego, that people perform their actions in ego. This is the bondage of ego, that time and time again, they are reborn. Where does ego come from? How can it be removed? This ego exists by the Lord’s Order; people wander according to their past actions.[466]  

 

Beauty and sexual desire are friends; hunger and tasty food are tied together. Greed is bound up in its search for wealth, and sleep will use even a tiny space as a bed. Anger barks and brings ruin on itself, blindly pursuing useless conflicts. It is good to be silent, because without the Name of the Lord, one’s mouth spews forth only filth.  Royal power, wealth, beauty, social status and youth are the five thieves. These thieves have plundered the world; no one’s honour has been spared. But these thieves themselves are robbed, by those who fall at the Guru’s Feet.[1288]

You are overflowing with sexual desire, and your intellect is stained with darkness; In the heat of youthful passion, you look with desire upon the faces of other men’s wives; you do not distinguish between good and evil. Drunk with sexual desire and other great sins, you go astray, and do not distinguish between vice and virtue.[93]

O my Lord and Master, I know nothing, in my ignorance and indifference.  My mind is sold out, and is, now, in Illusion’s hands.     You are called the Lord and Master, the Guru of the World. I am called a lustful being of the Dark Iron-Age ( Kali-Yuga ).  The five vices have corrupted my mind.   Moment by moment, they lead me further away from the Lord.  Wherever I look, I see loads of pain and suffering.[710]

Others’ spouses, others’ wealth, greed, egotism, corruption, evil passions, slander of others, sexual desire and anger — all of these are like venom; give up all these.[1255]

Unbridled sexual indulgence and promiscuity have been the sole cause of the spread of the deadly epidemic called AIDS, along with several other life-endangering diseases. 

Sheikh Fareed advises: answer evil with goodness; do not fill your mind with anger. Your body shall not suffer from any disease, and you shall obtain everything. [1381]

One who has an abiding faith in the Holy-Word, God resides within him (body and soul).   He does not come or go in reincarnation, and he is rescued.  Through the Word of the Guru, his heart-lotus blossoms forth.  Whoever is seen, is driven by hope and despair, by sexual desire, anger, corruption, hunger and thirst. Says Nanak: those detached recluses who meet the Lord are so very rare.[224]

The meek and humble beggars stand begging at Your Door. Please be generous and give to those who are yearning.   Save me, O God — I have come to Your Sanctuary. Please implant the Guru’s Teachings, and Your Name, within me.   Sexual desire and anger are very powerful in the body;  Bless me with courage and fortitude that I may rise to wage war against them, and that I may emerge victorious.  Please treat  me as Your Own and save me; through the Perfect Guru, I drive them out.   The powerful fire of corruption is raging violently within; the Word of the Immaculate Guru is the icy-water which soothes my body, and provides solace to my mind.   My mind  and body are calm and tranquil; the disease has been cured, and now I sleep in peace.   As the rays of the sun spread out everywhere, the Lord pervades each and every heart. Meeting the Holy Saint, one drinks in the Sublime Essence of the Lord; sitting in the home of your own inner being, drink in the essence.[1325]

Anger could be the consequence of a array of feelings and emotions, including victimization and betrayal, powerlessness, insecurity, failure in communication, and a host of related causes.  To keep the demonic-force of Anger, at bay, one could deploy the technique of ' stepping-back ', or even think in terms of adopting a novel-method of self-imposition of a penal-action, for each defeat at the hands of Anger. 

The penalty could be having to set aside a substantial amount of monetary-donation to a non-profit organization (you may include "DIVINE POWER, Inc., in your list; just kidding).