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.