Naam Jor

Bana

2008-10-20T04:45:00.009+12:00

Daas has been told to write an article about bana and Fashion.

Daas doesn’t need to say much about this because one who is internally pure will want to be outwardly pure. To be internally pure one has to do:

- Naam Abhiyaas
- Gurbani Abhiyaas
- Keertan
- Seva

jo loVIdy rwm syvk syeI kWiFAw ]
jo lorreedhae raam saevak saeee kaatiaa
Those who long for the Lord, are said to be His servants.

Those that are servants will not care about fashion and have interest in this world. They will remain detached in the midst of maya.

If anyone longs for Vaheguru then it is the life of the saints that we should imitate, they alone know the way to Saach khand.

mÚ 1 ]

AMdrhu JUTy pYj bwhir dunIAw AMdir PYlu ]
a(n)dharahu jhoot(h)ae paij baahar dhuneeaa a(n)dhar fail ||
Those who are false within, and honorable on the outside, are very common in this world.

ATsiT qIrQ jy nwvih auqrY nwhI mYlu ]
at(h)asat(h) theerathh jae naavehi outharai naahee mail ||
Even though they may bathe at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage, still, their filth does not depart.

ijn@ ptu AMdir bwhir gudVu qy Bly sMswir ]
jinh patt a(n)dhar baahar gudharr thae bhalae sa(n)saar ||
Those who have silk on the inside and rags on the outside, are the good ones in this world.

iqn@ nyhu lgw rb syqI dyKn@y vIcwir ]
thinh naehu lagaa rab saethee dhaekhanhae veechaar ||
They embrace love for the Lord, and contemplate beholding Him.

rMig hsih rMig rovih cup BI kir jwih ]
ra(n)g hasehi ra(n)g rovehi chup bhee kar jaahi ||
In the Lord's Love, they laugh, and in the Lord's Love, they weep, and also keep silent.

prvwh nwhI iksY kyrI bwJu scy nwh ]
paravaah naahee kisai kaeree baajh sachae naah ||
They do not care for anything else, except their True Husband Lord.

dir vwt aupir Krcu mMgw jbY dyie q Kwih ]
dhar vaatt oupar kharach ma(n)gaa jabai dhaee th khaahi ||
Sitting, waiting at the Lord's Door, they beg for food, and when He gives to them, they eat.

dIbwnu eyko klm eykw hmw qum@w mylu ]
dheebaan eaeko kalam eaekaa hamaa thumhaa mael ||
There is only One Court of the Lord, and He has only one pen; there, you and I shall meet.

dir ley lyKw pIiV CutY nwnkw ijau qylu ]2]
dhar leae laekhaa peerr shhuttai naanakaa jio thael ||2||
In the Court of the Lord, the accounts are examined; O Nanak, the sinners are crushed, like oil seeds in the press. ||2||

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Someone who wears bana (chola) and doesn’t have strict amritvela, doesn’t practice Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s teachings (rehit), doesn’t do a lot of naam/gurbani abhiyaas, will disgrace and disrespect Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s roop e.g. using foul words, using insipid words i.e. speaking harshly, flirting, starting unrighteous fights i.e. intolerant, etc.

That person who wears bana is giving himself the image that he is a Khalsa. When describing the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh Ji says that the Khalsa is pure, without any flaw. He has both the saintly and soldier side. If one desires to become a Khalsa, they have to have the internal purity so they won’t make any mistakes. To other beings we represent our Guru.

Someone who is internally pure and externally pure (wears bana) will in thought, word and deed do gurmat. This person has similar qualities to Guru Gobind Singh Ji. To attain union with God, one has to be like God. This person is truly in love with Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

hir jnu AYsw cwhIAY jYsw hir hI hoie ]149]
har jan aisaa chaaheeai jaisaa har hee hoe ||149||
The humble servant of the Lord should be just like the Lord. ||149||

Slandering

2008-10-12T00:05:00.002+12:00

Slandering is said to be the greatest sin. No other sin is greater than slandering.

“Gurbani says all other sins can be forgiven by God but not nindah...They carry heavy loads of sin by slandering others. In comparison to the sin of slander, the transgression of stealing, killing sentient beings, cheating and lying are not so great.”
Quoted by Sant Narajan Singh Ji

Bhai sahib Randhir Singh said that when one slanders all their merits, good deeds they gained turns to 0.

AvKD sBy kIiqAnu inMdk kw dwrU nwih ]
avakhadhh sabhae keethian ni(n)dhak kaa dhaaroo naahi ||
All kinds of medicines may be prepared, but there is no cure for the slanderer.
Ang: 315

“A nindek is like a thorn amidst the roses. Its objects is to prick. Just so, a Nindek pricks. This “thorn” when brought before Guru Ji will still be able to prick. Despite constant washing and sterilising, it will still prick. A Nindek may do numerous “paaths” and “puja”; regrettably they will all be wasted.”
Quoted by Sant Narajan Singh Ji

Although the Slanderer only gains bad, the one they slandered gains fruit since the filth of theirs goes onto the slanderer.

gauVI ]
gourree ||
Gauree:

inMdau inMdau mo kau logu inMdau ]
ni(n)dho ni(n)dho mo ko log ni(n)dho ||
Slander me, slander me - go ahead, people, and slander me.

inMdw jn kau KrI ipAwrI ]
ni(n)dhaa jan ko kharee piaaree ||
Slander is pleasing to the Lord's humble servant.

inMdw bwpu inMdw mhqwrI ]1] rhwau ]
ni(n)dhaa baap ni(n)dhaa mehathaaree ||1|| rehaao ||
Slander is my father, slander is my mother. ||1||Pause||

inMdw hoie q bYkuMiT jweIAY ]
ni(n)dhaa hoe th baiku(n)t(h) jaaeeai ||
If I am slandered, I go to heaven;

nwmu pdwrQu mnih bsweIAY ]
naam padhaarathh manehi basaaeeai ||
the wealth of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, abides within my mind.

irdY suD jau inMdw hoie ]
ridhai sudhh jo ni(n)dhaa hoe ||
If my heart is pure, and I am slandered,

hmry kpry inMdku Doie ]1]
hamarae kaparae ni(n)dhak dhhoe ||1||
then the slanderer washes my clothes. ||1||

inMdw krY su hmrw mIqu ]
ni(n)dhaa karai s hamaraa meeth ||
One who slanders me is my friend;

inMdk mwih hmwrw cIqu ]
ni(n)dhak maahi hamaaraa cheeth ||
the slanderer is in my thoughts.

inMdku so jo inMdw horY ]
ni(n)dhak so jo ni(n)dhaa horai ||
The slanderer is the one who prevents me from being slandered.

hmrw jIvnu inMdku lorY ]2]
hamaraa jeevan ni(n)dhak lorai ||2||
The slanderer wishes me long life. ||2||

inMdw hmrI pRym ipAwru ]
ni(n)dhaa hamaree praem piaar ||
I have love and affection for the slanderer.

inMdw hmrw krY auDwru ]
ni(n)dhaa hamaraa karai oudhhaar ||
Slander is my salvation.

jn kbIr kau inMdw swru ]
jan kabeer ko ni(n)dhaa saar ||
Slander is the best thing for servant Kabeer.

inMdku fUbw hm auqry pwir ]3]20]71]
ni(n)dhak ddoobaa ham outharae paar ||3||20||71||
The slanderer is drowned, while I am carried across. ||3||20||71||
Ang: 339

Bhagat Kabir Ji has shown that the slanderer has only done well for the one they slandered. Although the slanderer has put their reputation low, their spirituality has increased. The slanderer only helps us but they curse their own life.

pr inMdw pr mlu muK suDI Agin k®oDu cMfwlu ]
par ni(n)dhaa par mal mukh sudhhee agan krodhh cha(n)ddaal ||
Slandering others is putting the filth of others into your own mouth. The fire of anger is the outcaste who burns dead bodies at the crematorium.
Ang: 15

And

inMdw kir kir bhu Bwru auTwvY ibnu mjUrI Bwru phucwvixAw ]4]
ni(n)dhaa kar kar bahu bhaar out(h)aavai bin majooree bhaar pahuchaavaniaa ||4||
By continually slandering others, they carry a terrible load, and they carry the loads of others for nothing. ||4||
Ang: 118

The slanderer can only be saved if Guru Sahib wishes. Any work that the slanderer does will bare no fruit.

Here is an incident during Baba Harnaam singh’s time of a sikh who slandered Guru sahib:
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CURING S. AVTAR SINGH DALER WITH GURBANI

During these days Sardar Avtar Singh Daler, who was Baba Ji's nephew, fell ill in the prime of his youth with incurable arthritis. His whole body became stiff and immobile. Day and night he would groan in excruciating pain. He had a constant burning sensation in his body all the time.

His parents had grown weary of his constant groaning and crying so, his in-laws took him to their home to look after him. He was treated with ayurvedic and allopathic medicines but to no effect. On the contrary, his health and woes increased. Finally, he was admitted to Mayo hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. After six months of treatment, there was no improvement in his health. His strength and body deteriorated. As Guru Ji says…

When adversity surrounds you
All the associates and friends depart
And no one comes near you to help
(Sorath 9th Guru, page 634)

On his return from Anandpur Sahib to Sargodha, Baba Ji' s mother told him of S. Avtar Singh's illness. He went over to see S. Avtar Singh at his house and enquire about his health. Baba Ji entered the room where S. Avtar Singh lay groaning in pain. No sooner had Baba Ji entered the room than S. Avtar Singh felt some relief from his pain. He immediately felt some peace and calmness in the presence of Baba Ji, as well as a slight improvement in his pains. Baba Ji returned home a short while after visiting S. Avtar Singh. A few days later, Baba Ji went to visit S. Avtar Singh again. Once more, he felt some relief in his pain and felt mentally uplifted in the presence of Baba Ji, so much so that he even talked a little to Baba Ji.

As he was getting ready to leave S. Avtar Singh requested, "Baba Ji, please bless me with your grace." Baba Ji replied spontaneously, "Say Waheguru, Waheguru instead of crying and groaning." Avtar Singh replied, "It is beyond me Baba Ji, even to say Waheguru."

Baba Ji returned to his home and S. Avtar Singh confessed to his mother, "If you want me to be cured then please request chacha2 Ji to bless me." S. Avtar Singh's mother asked Baba Ji's mother to ask him, if he could do something to cure S. Avtar Singh, as all other hopes, remedies and treatments had failed to cure him. Baba Ji's mother requested him to help S. Avtar Singh, pleading, that he was the only son and heir in the family. At his mother's request Baba Ji agreed to help S. Avtar Singh, replying, "I cannot return your plea unfulfilled mother. Though my heart doesn't wish to get involved, I am ready to help S. Avtar Singh but only at your request." As Guru Ji says in Sukhmani Sahib:

The God-conscious being is steeped in humility.
The God-conscious being delights in doing good to others.
(Gauri Sukhmani 5th Guru, page 273)

He does good to others
Even at detriment to himself
(Gond Bhagat Namdev, page 875)

Now Baba Ji would go to see S. Avtar Singh daily, after completing his own Nitnem. He would put a clean cloth on the floor, lay S. Avtar Singh beside him and would then recite aloud, 32 rosaries of the prayer below, so that S. Avtar Singh could hear it:

The Supreme Lord God has protected my head and forehead;
The Transcendent Lord has protected my hands and body.
God, my Lord and Master, has saved my soul;
The Lord of the Universe has saved my wealth and feet.
The Merciful Guru has protected everything,
And destroyed my fear and suffering.
God is the Lover of His devotees,
The Master of the master less.
Nanak has entered the Sanctuary
Of the Imperishable Primal Lord God.
(Salok Sahaskriti 5th Guru, page 1358)

Baba Ji recalled that, it was only a few days since he had started the above routine of reciting the prayer. On this particular day, he had just recited two rosaries when suddenly a Shaheed Singh appeared and grabbed Baba Ji with one hand behind his neck and placing his other hand at the bottom of Baba Ji's spine, trying to bend him forward. He tried a second time to push Baba Ji. When the Shaheed Singh tried to kneel Baba Ji over the third time Baba Ji said, "Come in front of me and tell me who you are, what do you want?" A second Shaheed Singh was standing beside Baba Ji, who replied, "This atheist you are trying to save through prayer, doesn't deserve to be helped. This man stood on stage and publicly denounced, maligned and insulted Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in words that cannot be mentioned. We would have killed him there and then, instead we decided to kill him slowly and make him suffer as much as possible. Now you are praying on his behalf for him to be forgiven."

Baba Ji asked the Shaheed Singhs, "If you order it, I will get him to beg pardon of you." The Shaheed Singhs replied, "Bhai Harnam Singh what use is his pardon now? We only troubled him in order to make him suffer for his mistake. We will release him now but he does not deserve to be pardoned." After saying these words, both Singhs disappeared. Baba Ji told us that for three days following the visit of the Shaheed Singhs, there remained fingerprints on his neck where the Shaheed Singhs had grabbed him. The hand marks remained sore to touch and his neck was stiff for the following three days.

After this incident, S. Avtar Singh's health improved with everyday that passed. After forty days a bhog ceremony to thank Almighty God was performed. Now the same S. Avtar Singh, who could not even get up from his bed without help, began to walk about himself, unaided. In a few weeks, he was stout and healthy. Baba Ji questioned S. Avtar Singh about the incident narrated to him by the Shaheed Singhs. He disclosed to S. Avtar Singh, how he hadcome to know of S. Avtar Singh Ji's indiscretion. Baba Ji later came to know that S. Avtar Singh had become a communist, as in those days there was a wave of Marxist thinking amongst the youth. He was even a congress party worker and in his college days was a Marxist supporter.

He advised S. Avtar Singh, to follow the footsteps of the great Guru in future, with reverence, awe, respect and affection. As long as S. Avtar Singh remembered his agonizing ordeal, he continued to remember God, by reciting Gurbani. After a while, he let slip his routine of reciting Gurbani and remembering God Almighty. After his encounter with death and despair from the world, he ought to have forsaken his worldly attachment and tied a firm knot of attachment to the Guru's feet alas…

Without good destiny
One cannot serve the Lord
(Maru 3rd Guru, page 1064)

Even so, Baba Ji repeatedly appealed to S. Avtar Singh to adopt a gursikh way of life, devoted to the faith and Guru. When S. Avtar Singh was working as a block development officer in Bhunga, district Hoshiarpur, he was finally inspired by Baba Ji to be baptised. Due to the karma of past destiny, he eventually faltered in his vows and fell from grace of the Guru. These days he is living in Livingston California, USA, serving as president of the Gurdwara. Through service, he is trying to atone for his previous misdeeds.
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Sant Narajan singh Ji describes what a manmukh is. The trait of a manmukh includes speaking ill of others, jealously, etc. Here is an incident taken from Sant Narajan singh’s book:

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There were two Sikhs; Jaku and Bhagta who went to see Sri Guru Nanak sahib ji in kartapur. They asked guru ji what would be the distinguishing signs of a manmukh - person who is a slave to the mind.

Guru ji replied the first sign of a manmukh is jealousy. It is however wrong to assume jealously is less conspicuous in educated people. In fact, it can become a predominant in educated people. A manmukh craves for all happiness in this world which he has conceived in his mind, such as wealth, property, etc. If he sees somebody’s beautiful house, he suffers pang in his heart, becomes distressful and fills himself with sorrow.

Next he thinks everyone is his enemy for no logical reason. He never thinks of doing good deed at anytime. Then he becomes egotistic has no feeling of sympathy or mercy for anyone in distress.

Then they ask how does this ego originate?

Guru ji says that when such a person observes somebody with less wealth or property or who is materially in poor state, the egotistic person laughs and ridicules the poor person instead of helping him. Then he may assume that he is intellectually a superior person and that others are way below him in intelligence.

Then again, such a person may make it a habit of making derogatory remarks about others and listen to gossip about others.

A manmukh likes to praise someone who is above him in material wealth but talks bad about someone poor and hold them in low esteem. When he hears somebody getting praised, he gets jealous. Guru says, this attitude is not good: getting jealous and creating enmity with a person of equal standing and talking ill of him; telling another that he is nobody and that you are everything; well educated and very wealthy.
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jau dyKY iCdRü qau inMdku aumwhY Blo dyiK duK BrIAY ]
jo dhaekhai shhidhra tho ni(n)dhak oumaahai bhalo dhaekh dhukh bhareeai ||
When the slanderer sees a fault in someone else, he is pleased. Seeing goodness, he is depressed.
Ang: 823

In conclusion, Guru Sahib has shown us that slandering is the worst of all sins. It is far worse when someone slanders a saint since they are equal to God. The slanderer ruins their life and carries a load of sin that can only be washed away by Guru Sahib. The root cause of slander is ego, so we must become the dust of everyone’s feet in order avoid sinful actions.

How to overcome Lust

2008-09-22T06:43:00.003+12:00

Lust exists in all of us as well as the other thieves; ego, greed, attachment, anger. Maya acts through these thieves leading us away from virtue but to sin. Therefore, it is important we avoid activities that will feed on our lust e.g. lustful movies/series, talking uselessly to the opposite gender via msn, in person, etc. A Sikh of the guru is tested daily. Daily, we receive Guru Sahib’s message through our nitnem. However do we act upon his message? If we do the opposite of what we read in our nitnem, we obtain Guru’s displeasure. Before taking out any act, we should think before we act. Ask ourselves questions: will it benefit me? Will I regret in the end?

However, it isn’t easy to construct this mind to perform good deeds since this mind is lead by the 5 thieves and thus feeds upon that which is why we always take enjoyment out of maya, and never or hardly experience the pleasure of Gurbani. For this reason Bhagat Kabir Ji has said:

kUtnu soie ju mn kau kUtY ]
koottan soe j man ko koottai ||
He alone is a pimp, who pounds down his mind.

mn kUtY qau jm qy CUtY ]
man koottai tho jam thae shhoottai ||
Pounding down his mind, he escapes from the Messenger of Death.

kuit kuit mnu ksvtI lwvY ]
kutt kutt man kasavattee laavai ||
Pounding and beating his mind, he puts it to the test;

so kUtnu mukiq bhu pwvY ]1]
so koottan mukath bahu paavai ||1||
such a pimp attains total liberation. ||1||
Ang: 872

Even though we are aware of what is right and wrong, our mind is easily weakened and is persuaded towards evil. We all are aware that stealing, cheating, lying are wrong deeds but still the mind is persuaded into committing these wrong acts.

kbIr mnu jwnY sB bwq jwnq hI Aaugnu krY ]
kabeer man jaanai sabh baath jaanath hee aougan karai ||
Kabeer, the mortal knows everything, and knowing, he still makes mistakes.

kwhy kI kuslwq hwiQ dIpu kUey prY ]216]
kaahae kee kusalaath haathh dheep kooeae parai ||216||
What good is a lamp in one's hand, if he falls into the well? ||216||
Ang: 1376

We should avoid listening to our mind; instead we should do the opposite when it comes to performing evil acts. If we act on our evil desires, then we will only borne punishment in this human life and the life afterwards. Maya doesn’t leave any happiness for us in the end. Although she is pleasurable just for that time, afterwards she only leaves pain.

soie rhI pRB Kbir n jwnI ]
soe rehee prabh khabar n jaanee ||
She remains asleep, and does not know the news of God.

Boru BieAw bhuir pCuqwnI ]1]
bhor bhaeiaa bahur pashhuthaanee ||1||
The day dawns, and then, she regrets. ||1||
Ang: 389

When we are overwhelmed with Lust, we do not know what is right and wrong.

mnmuK boil n jwxn@I Enw AMdir kwmu k®oDu AhMkwru ]
manamukh bol n jaananhee ounaa a(n)dhar kaam krodhh aha(n)kaar ||
The self-willed manmukhs do not even know how to speak. They are filled with sexual desire, anger and egotism.

Qwau kuQwau n jwxnI sdw icqvih ibkwr ]
thhaao kuthhaao n jaananee sadhaa chithavehi bikaar ||
They do not know the difference between good and bad; they constantly think of corruption.

drgh lyKw mMgIAY EQY hoih kUiVAwr ]
dharageh laekhaa ma(n)geeai outhhai hohi koorriaar ||
In the Lord's Court, they are called to account, and they are judged to be false.
Ang: 1248

In order to take lust away from the mind, we have to use Gurbani and Naam. Only abiding by Guru’s word, we are saved. If we follow this wavering mind, then we fall into the grip of maya.

mwieAw mmqw mohxI ijin ivxu dMqw jgu KwieAw ]
maaeiaa mamathaa mohanee jin vin dha(n)thaa jag khaaeiaa ||
The love of Maya is enticing; without teeth, it has eaten up the world.

mnmuK KwDy gurmuiK aubry ijnI sic nwim icqu lwieAw ]
manamukh khaadhhae guramukh oubarae jinee sach naam chith laaeiaa ||
The self-willed manmukhs are eaten away, while the Gurmukhs are saved; they focus their consciousness on the True Name.
Ang: 643

Lust loots our naam, it enters the body like a thief by diverting out attention through sensual pleasures. Therefore, the mind chases after outward pleasures and cannot concentrate on Naam, so we are unable to experience the pleasure of Vaheguru. Guru Sahib warns us to guard against our thieves. We must not entertain our lust. Watching tv, wasting time in useless activities, etc doesn’t do any good for us. We are told to live dead to maya, so we must not entertain our thieves through our senses since this will only churn our lust more.

hy kwmM nrk ibsRwmM bhu jonI BRmwvxh ]
hae kaama(n) narak bisraama(n) bahu jonee bhramaavaneh ||
O sexual desire, you lead the mortals to hell; you make them wander in reincarnation through countless species.

icq hrxM qRY lok gMm´M jp qp sIl ibdwrxh ]
chith harana(n) thrai lok ga(n)mya(n) jap thap seel bidhaaraneh ||
You cheat the consciousness, and pervade the three worlds. You destroy meditation, penance and virtue.

Alp suK Aivq cMcl aUc nIc smwvxh ]
alap sukh avith cha(n)chal ooch neech samaavaneh ||
But you give only shallow pleasure, while you make the mortals weak and unsteady; you pervade the high and the low.
Ang: 1358

Guru Sahib has told us to engage ourselves in Gurbani and naam since this is what will save us.

nh iblµb DrmM iblµb pwpM ]
neh bila(n)b dhharama(n) bila(n)b paapa(n) ||
Do not delay in practicing righteousness; delay in committing sins.
Ang: 1354

It may be difficult at first to move away from sin and engage ourselves in naam and gurbani but the effort must be made if we wish to succeed in the end. From coming and going in reincarnation, we have gathered more filth, thus the separation between us and vaheguru keeps on building. It will only become worse if we keep on indulging in lustful thoughts/activities. It may seem alright to have lustful thoughts but soon these will turn to actions and in our next life we will become rapists, prostitutes.

Vaheguru has given us free will but we should ponder over the fruit of our actions. We should see what would benefit us more; weigh up the costs and benefits before taking our actions. Only naam and Gurbani can help us!

Gor duK´M Aink hq´M jnm dwirdRM mhw ibK´wdM ]
ghor dhukhya(n) anik hathya(n) janam dhaaridhra(n) mehaa bikhyaadha(n) ||
Excruciating pain, countless killings, reincarnation, poverty and terrible misery

imtMq sgl ismrMq hir nwm nwnk jYsy pwvk kwst BsmM kroiq ]18]
mitta(n)th sagal simara(n)th har naam naanak jaisae paavak kaasatt bhasama(n) karoth ||18||
are all destroyed by meditating in remembrance on the Lord's Name, O Nanak, just as fire reduces piles of wood to ashes. ||18||
Ang: 1355

And

mnu mY mqu mYgl imkdwrw ]
man mai math maigal mikadhaaraa ||
The mind is like an elephant, drunk with wine.

guru AMksu mwir jIvwlxhwrw ]2]
gur a(n)kas maar jeevaalanehaaraa ||2||
The Guru is the rod which controls it, and shows it the way. ||2||
Ang: 159

If we committed a wrong act, then do ardaas! Ask for forgiveness and to still this wavering mind. Also thank Guru Sahib for what he has given us since we should always be grateful for what we have.

Here is a list to help stop our lustful urges:

-Sing praises of God (kirtan)
-Read bani. Bavaan Akhri should be read since this will detach us from the world and attach us to Guru sahib’s lotus feet; naam and gurbani. Make sure you contemplate the meanings.
-Do Naam Abhiyaas because:

nwnk BIjY swcY nwie ]2]
naanak bheejai saachai naae ||2||
O Nanak, the Lord is won over only by His Name. ||2||
Ang: 1237

-Stay in good company, join the sat sangat. This will help us distinguish between vice and virtue.
-Avoid wasting time through talk, tv, games, etc. Realize what we came here for!
-Most importantly, do ardaas, nothing can be achieved alone; all power is in Guru’s hands.
-Remember Death! What will happen if we die tomorrow, or right now? We will be treated as fools, dishonored, etc. What support will we have then if we didn’t take the support of naam while alive! Lust doesn’t go with us when we die, Vaheguru does.
-Remember that Guru sahib is watching our every action. Don’t put shame to Guru sahib since you are his sikh. Act how Guru Sahib’s son/daughter would. Make Guru sahib proud of having a child like you.
-If possible listen to keertan all the time via mp3, ipod, and keep japing naam.

jh muskl hovY Aiq BwrI ]
jeh musakal hovai ath bhaaree ||
Where the obstacles are so very heavy,

hir ko nwmu iKn mwih auDwrI ]
har ko naam khin maahi oudhhaaree ||
the Name of the Lord shall rescue you in an instant.
Ang: 264

Purpose of Life

2008-07-17T02:16:00.003+12:00

Black text taken from Se kineya
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There is an incident with Baba Harnaam singh and Master Puran Singh Ji. Master Puran singh Ji was learning Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from Baba Harnaam singh daily after finishing his worldly duty. However one day he became ill. MasterJi told Baba Ji how he was ill with a fever and if they could continue Santhiya tomorrow. Baba Ji replied, “Do as your body permits but if your health allows it, try to take a little tuition so that we do not miss a day." Master Puran Singh Ji declined to stay again. Baba Ji asked when did his fever start. MasterJi replied, “Since yesterday night.” “How did you go to school?” asked Baba Ji. “By resting twice on the way to school,” replied MasterJi. “Did you teach the children?” asked Baba Ji. “Yes, I took all the lessons. I took some medicine before I left and felt a little better.” answered master Puran Singh Ji Baba Ji spoke, “MasterJi you have managed to take all your lessons despite your fever. You have done it with the fear that if you take a day off, you will lose your newly appointed job. Now when the time to earn the real treasure of life has arrived the mind is wavering and losing hope. All day you continued regardless of your fever. Now, despite you admitting yourself that you feel a little better, you are ready to abandon the true gift of knowledge that will only take half an hour. MasterJi please search within you. Look deep into your mind. Is this the correct thing to do? In your own words, you have admitted that you feel better now than you did earlier today.” MasterJi remained quiet for a while and replied, “Baba Ji you are right indeed. Despite my feverish condition this morning I went to work all day. Now when I feel less feverish, maybe a little tired, my mind is becoming lazy at the time of reciting just half an hour’s tuition in Gurbani.” Saying this MasterJi arose at once denouncing the mind as idle…

The human is indolent to do good
But becomes a tiger to do evil

chaNgi-aa-eeN aalak karay buri-aa-eeN ho-ay sayr.
(Salok 5th Guru, page 518)

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People often make an excuse to avoid doing naam abhiyaas and gurbani abhiyaas or even doing their nitnem. Although work may be taking too much of our time away but there is no excuse if we have given our head to Guru Sahib. From that day our mind, body, wealth became Guru sahibs so we have to follow his rehat no matter what.
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MasterJi washed his hands, face, and feet and completed an hour or so of tuition as he normally would have done. Though Baba Ji asked MasterJi twice during Santhiya if he wanted to stop, MasterJi carried on regardless, saying, “This mind can run about in worldly affairs even in adversity but a little effort to gain real spiritual benefit and it will make excuses even if the body is slightly ill.” At the end of tuition, Baba Ji explained using Gurbani that one should work within the capacity of the body. One should not overwork obstinately. But if the mind gets worldly work carried out easily but makes excuses for spiritual effort, which is much less taxing then, remember what Bhagat Kabir Ji has said…

O steed left me drive you to the Lord’s mansion
If you hesitate then I will strike you
With the whip of the Lord’s love.

chal ray baikunth tujheh lay taara-o.
hicheh ta paraym kai chaabuk maara-o. ||2||
(Salok Bhagat Kabir, page 329)

The Great Guru has tried to mould the mind in numerous ways to encourage the mind from dithering and wandering…

O vicious mind no faith can be placed in you
You are exceedingly inebriated with sin
The chain of the donkey is removed only
When a load is first put on his back.

man khuthar tayraa nahee bisaas too mahaa udmaadaa.
khar kaa paikhar ta-o chhutai ja-o oopar laadaa. ||1|| rahaa-o.
(Bilawal 5th Guru, page 815)

“So MasterJi, had your mind convinced you otherwise we would have been deprived of an hour of the company of great SatGuru. Sometimes the mind shirks away from real work. If we remain vigilant against its wily ways, it will not dither or wander. If we do not rein it in and let it run amok, it will end up taking us into spiritual loss. As Guru Arjun Dev, Ji has warned us about the mind…

O fool you are very slow realise your real profit
But in regard to your loss you hastily run to it
O sinner you take not the merchandise of God’s name
But are tied to the debt of vice.

ray moorhay laahay ka-o tooN dheelaa dheelaa
totay ka-o bayg Dhaa-i-aa.
sasat vakhar tooN ghinneh naahee
paapee baaDhaa raynaa-i-aa. ||1||
(Asa 5th Guru, page 402)

Baba Harnaam singh Ji would discuss with the sangat the true reason for our human existence and why we are here…

This human body has come to hand
This is your chance to meet
The Lord of the world
Other affairs are of no avail
Joining the society of Saints
Contemplate over the name alone.

bha-ee par gobind milan kee ih tayree baree-aa.
aapat maanukh dayhuree-aa.
avar kaaj tayrai kitai na kaam.
mil saaDhsangat bhaj kayval naam. ||1||
(Asa 5th Guru, page 378)

This can be realised only by taking shelter of the Great Guru. One who has not taken refuge of the true Guru has a meaningless life…

They who have neither seen nor adopted their Guru
Vain are they in this world

jin guroo na daykhi-a-o nahu kee-a-o tay akyath sansaar meh.
||4||8||
(Swaiyas 4th Guru, page 1399)

He told them that such events are useful only, if we take full advantage of the opportunity to meditate on naam. If we simply come to the gurdwara for such assemblies, bow to the Guru, offer money for parshad, have langar and slip off back to our homes, then we will gain very little. We have come to the house of the Guru, leaving our jobs behind. Therefore, it would be better if we took some spiritual guidance, reflect upon it and put these teachings into practice in our daily lives. Only then can these assemblies be beneficial to us. The Almighty Lord has blessed human beings with the supreme position in the whole of the animal kingdom such that…

Out of all the eighty-four lakh species
The Lord has blessed man with glory

lakh cha-oraaseeh jon sabaa-ee.
maanas ka-o parabh dee-ee vadi-aa-ee.
(Maru 5th Guru, page 1075)

We have been bestowed this life to serve the Guru and meditate upon the Lord’s name. Those who use this life to meditate on the Lord’s name and serve their Guru can be considered to have succeeded in their life mission. Even the angels and lesser God’s yearn to be born as human beings. So with this human body serve God, meditating on his name and do not lose sight of your aim to derive maximum benefit from this precious life…

The fifth Guru reminds us in our evening prayer of Rehras, as to why we have been given this human life and how can this life be made fruitful…

This human body has come to your hand
This is your chance to meet the Lord of the universe
Other affairs are of no avail to you
Joining the society of Saints
Contemplate on the Lord’s name only. Pause.

bha-ee paraapat maanukh dayhuree-aa.
gobind milan kee ih tayree baree-aa.
avar kaaj tayrai kitai na kaam.
mil saaDhsangat bhaj kayval naam. ||1||
(Asa 5th Guru, page 378)

The fifth Guru cautions us that, we have obtained this life as a human being after wandering many lifetimes as other species. So, with this body meditate, recite, contemplate the Lord’s name and merge with the Almighty of whom you are a part…

For several past lives you were a worm and a moth
In several, you were an elephant, a fish and a deer.
In several lives, you became a bird and a snake.
In several lives, you were yoked as a horse and an ox.
Meet the Lord of the universe; this is the only time,
After a long time this being has been fashioned into a
human. Pause.

ka-ee janam bha-ay keet patangaa.
ka-ee janam gaj meen kurangaa.
ka-ee janam pankhee sarap ho-i-o.
ka-ee janam haivar barikh jo-i-o. ||1||
mil jagdees milan kee baree-aa.
chirankaal ih dayh sanjaree-aa. ||1|| rahaa-o.
(Gauri Guareri 5th Guru, page 176)

Bhagat Kabir Ji tells us not to waste this golden opportunity in which we have obtained a human life…

Kabir, difficult is it to obtain the human life.
This chance comes not again and again.
Just as the ripe fruit falls to the forest floor
It attaches not again to the branch.

kabeer maanas janam dulambh hai ho-ay na baarai baar.
ji-o ban fal paakay bhu-ay gireh bahur na laageh daar. ||30||
(Salok Bhagat Kabir, page 1366)

And

The leaf (soul) separated from the tree (body)
Unites not with it again and all alone,
It proceeds on its way to death

tarvar vichhunay nah paat jurh-tay jam mag ga-un ikaylee.
binvant naanak bin naam har kay sadaa firat duhaylee. ||1||
(Bihagra 5th Guru, page 546)

How can this precious human life be utilised fully? Guru Arjan dev Ji tell us…

Forever and ever should you
Remember your luminous Lord
Never forget him in your mind. Pause.
Attain to the society of the Saints,
By which you shall not go down
The way of death.
Have the viaticum of God’s name,
Thus, no blemish shall attach to your lineage.
They who meditate on the master,
Are not thrown into hell.
Even the hot wind touches them not
Within whose mind the Lord has come
And acquired an abode.
Beauteous and good looking are they
Who dwell amongst the society of the Saints.
Who have amassed the wealth of God’s name
They are sagacious and extremely exquisite
Drink thou the name nectar
The home of happiness and live thou
By viewing the face of the Lord’s slave
Have all your affairs of set aright
By ever worshipping the feet of the Guru
He alone reflects on the Lord
Whom God has made his own
He is the warrior and the chosen one
On whose forehead good fortune is recorded
Within my mind I have meditated on the master
For me this is like enjoying
The revetments of sovereignty
Evil never originates in me
Being dedicated I am saved
To the righteous action
The creator I have ensrined in my mind
And I have obtained the fruit of my life
O bride! If God the spouse becomes
Pleasing to your mind
Then shall your married life become ever stable
By seeking the shelter of the dispeller of fear
I have obtained the eternal wealth of the name
Attaching to his robe the Lord has saved Nanak
And he has won for himself the peerless life

nit nit da-yu samaalee-ai. mool na manhu visaaree-ai. rahaa.
santaa sangat paa-ee-ai.
jit jam kai panth na jaa-ee-ai.
tosaa har kaa naam lai tayray kuleh na laagai gaal jee-o. ||1||
jo simranday saaN-ee-ai. narak na say-ee paa-ee-ai.
tatee vaa-o na lag-ee jin man vuthaa aa-ay jee-o. ||2||
say-ee sundar sohnay. saaDhsang jin baihnay.
har Dhan jinee sanji-aa say-ee gambheer apaar jee-o. ||3||
har ami-o rasaa-in peevee-ai. muhi dithai jan kai jeevee-ai.
kaaraj sabh savaar lai nit poojahu gur kay paav jee-o. ||4||
jo har keetaa aapnaa. tineh gusaa-ee jaapnaa.
so sooraa parDhaan so mastak jis dai bhaag jee-o. ||5||
man manDhay parabh avgaahee-aa.
ayhi ras bhogan paatisaahee-aa.
mandaa mool na upji-o taray sachee kaarai laag jee-o. ||6||
kartaa man vasaa-i-aa. janmai kaa fal paa-i-aa.
man bhaavandaa kant har tayraa thir ho-aa sohaag jee-o. ||7||
atal padaarath paa-i-aa. bhai bhanjan kee sarnaa-i-aa.
laa-ay anchal naanak taari-an jitaa janam apaar jee-o.||8||4||38||
(Maajh 5th Guru, page 132)

The great Guru has taught us the method by which we can make sure we use our body for spiritual gain…

Supremely fruitful are the feet
If these feet walk on the way of Guru Amar das
Supremely fruitful are the hands
If these hands touch the feet of Guru Amar das
Supremely fruitful is this tongue
If this tongue utters the praise of Guru Amar das
Supremely fruitful are these eyes
If these eyes behold the vision of Guru Amar das
Supremely fruitful are these ears
If they hear the praise of Guru Amar das
Fruitful is the mind, in which Guru Amar das
The father of the world, himself abides
Fruitful is that head, says “jalap” which
Ever bows before Guru Amar das

charan ta par sakyath charan gur amar paval ra-y.
hath ta par sakyath hath lageh gur amar pa-y.
jeeh ta par sakyath jeeh gur amar bhanijai.
nain ta par sakyath na-yan gur amar pikhijai.
sarvan ta par sakyath sarvan gur amar sunijai.
sakyath so hee-o jit hee-a basai gur amardaas nij jagat pit.
sakyath so sir jaalap bhanai jo sir nivai gur amar nit. ||1||10||
(Swaiyas 3rd Guru, page 1394)

In the prayer of Anand Sahib, Guru Ji tells us to question every sense organ of ours to account for its use. All our senses are guided towards spiritual betterment. What is to be avoided in our daily life and how we should use our senses dutifully is ordained in this prayer…

O, My tongue you are engrossed in other relishes
Your thirst departs not
Your thirst shall not depart by any means
Until you attain the Lord’s elixir
If you obtain the Lord’s elixir
And drink the Lord’s elixir
Thirst shall not again affect you

saa rasnaa Dhan Dhan hai mayree jindurhee-ay
gun gaavai har parabh kayray raam.
tay sarvan bhalay sobhneek heh mayree jindurhee-ay
har keertan suneh har tayray raam.
so sees bhalaa pavitar paavan hai mayree jindurhee-ay
jo jaa-ay lagai gur pairay raam.
gur vitahu naanak vaari-aa mayree jindurhee-ay
jin har har naam chitayray raam. ||2||
tay naytar bhalay parvaan heh mayree jindurhee-ay
jo saaDhoo satgur daykheh raam.
tay hasat puneet pavitar heh mayree jindurhee-ay
jo har jas har har laykheh raam.
tis jan kay pag nit poojee-ah mayree jindurhee-ay
jo maarag Dharam chalayseh raam.
naanak tin vitahu vaari-aa mayree jindurhee-ay
har sun har naam manayseh raam. ||3||
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 922)

Guru is addressing the mind behind the sense of taste i.e. the tongue. Your thirst for all relishes and tastes will not be quenched until one tastes the nectar of Lord’s name. Similarly the eyes are addressed in Anand Sahib, ” My eyes your task is to see the Lord of the world in every thing that you see.”

O my eyes God has infused light in thee
Without the Lord see not another
Save the Lord see not any other
The merciful master alone is worthy of
Beholding this entire world
The entire world you behold
Is the Lord’s manifestation
See God’s image alone in it.

ay rasnaa too an ras raach rahee tayree pi-aas na jaa-ay.
pi-aas na jaa-ay horat kitai jichar har ras palai na paa-ay.
har ras paa-ay palai pee-ai har ras
bahurh na tarisnaa laagai aa-ay.
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 922)

One must warn the mind to use these ears to listen to the praises of the Lord so that your soul can hear the name of the Lord only…

O ears of mine you were sent to hear the Lord’s name
You were sent and attached to the body
To hear the true name. Hear ye the true word
Hearing which the soul and the body
Are revived and the tongue is
Absorbed in the name nectar

ay naytarahu mayriho har tum meh jot Dharee
har bin avar na daykhhu ko-ee.
har bin avar na daykhhu ko-ee nadree har nihaali-aa.
ayhu vis sansaar tum daykh-day ayhu har kaa roop hai
har roop nadree aa-i-aa.
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 922)

One must take an account from the whole body and remind our mind that the light of the Almighty that he has placed in us is responsible for allowing one to live. The Lord has given us sensory organs, limbs to walk, intelligence and beauty and then placed us at the top of all living creation. However, the one who made and fashioned us, has been forgotten. Remember the Lord creator affectionately then your life will be fruitful…

O, my body what deeds have you done since
Your advent into this world?
What deeds have you done O body of mine?
Since you came into this world?
He the Lord, who created and fashioned you
That Lord you have not ensrined in your mind
By the Guru’s grace the Lord abides within my mind
And I obtain what is predestined for me
Says Nanak this body of his
Who attaches his mind to the true Guru
Becomes acceptable

ay sareeraa mayri-aa is jag meh aa-ay kai
ki-aa tuDh karam kamaa-i-aa.
ke karam kamaa-i-aa tuDh sareeraa jaa too jag meh aa-i-aa.
jin har tayraa rachan rachi-aa so har man na vasaa-i-aa.
gur parsaadee har man vasi-aa poorab likhi-aa paa-i-aa.
kahai naanak ayhu sareer parvaan ho-aa
jin satgur si-o chit laa-i-aa. ||35||
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 922)

ay sarvanhu mayriho saachai sunnai no pathaa-ay.
saachai sunnai no pathaa-ay sareer laa-ay sunhu sat banee.
jit sunee man tan hari-aa ho-aa rasnaa ras samaanee.

O ears of mine yewere sent to hear the true Name.
Ye were sent and attaché to the body
To hear true Name. Hear ye the true word.
Hearing which the soul and the body
Are revived and the tongue is, Absorbed in the Name Nector
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 922)

We must address our own mind and tell it that, “The Lord is not obtained through cunningness, so leave all your guile and treachery aside. Adopt the path shown by the Guru. Walk on the principles of Gurbani and practice them. Do not lead your body into sinful acts, committing which you will repent later.” Bhai Gurdas Ji too, scolds each of his sense organs, which lead the body astray and compel it towards evil actions…

Cursed is the head that does not bow or touch the Guru’s feet
Cursed are the eyes that behold another than the Guru
Those ears are cursed that do not listen to the Guru’s word
And do not meditate upon the word
Cursed is the tongue, which recites other mantras
|And not the Guru’s mantar
Without service to the Guru
These hands and feet are cursed
(Bhai Gurdas ji, Vaar 27, Pauri 10)

No doubt, these organs are to be used in the pursuit of good actions but Guru Ji has told us of the most supremely pious action for which we must all endeavour. By taking this action, our life’s mission is realised, obtaining honour and praise in this world and in the Lord’s court hereafter.
This action is to meditate on the Lord’s name. In so doing, the noose of the angel of death becomes ineffective and enemies turn to friends…

Make thou your human body fruitful
Thus, you shall not go defeated to the Lord’s court
And in this world and the next one
You shall obtain honour
The Lord shall deliver you at the last moment
Sing the praises of the all-pervading God
Man contemplating the wondrous Lord
You shall be embellished thus
Here and in the here after. Pause.
Sitting and when standing reflects thou on God
Thus all your afflictions shall pass
All your enemies shall become your friends
And your soul shall be rendered immaculate
This is the most majestic deed
Of all the faiths, this is the most sublime faith
By God’s meditation you shall be emancipated
And you shall be rid
Of the burden of sins of man past births
Your hope shall then be fulfilled
And the noose of death shall be shorn
Hear thou the Guru’s instruction and
O Nanak thou shall merge in celestial bliss

dulabh dayh savaar. jaahi na dargeh haar.
halat palat tuDh ho-ay vadi-aa-ee.
ant kee baylaa la-ay chhadaa-ee. ||1||
raam kay gun gaa-o.
halat palat hohi dovai suhaylay
achraj purakh Dhi-aa-o. ||1|| rahaa-o.
oothat baithat har jaap. binsai sagal santaap.
bairee sabh hoveh meet. nirmal tayraa hovai cheet. ||2||
sabh tay ootam ih karam. sagal Dharam meh saraysat Dharam.
har simran tayraa ho-ay uDhaar.
janam janam kaa utrai bhaar. ||3||
pooran tayree hovai aas. jam kee katee-ai tayree faas.
gur kaa updays suneejai. naanak sukh sahj sameejai. ||4||30||41||
(Ramkali 5th Guru, page 895)

Guru Nanak Dev Ji states that…

Contemplate thou the one name
Unfruitful are all other affairs

japahu ta ayko naamaa. avar niraafal kaamaa. ||1|| rahaa-o.
(Suhi 1st Guru, page 728)

In this dark age. Guru Ji has recommended the most sublime deed is to sow the seed of naam (meditating the name of God). All other acts of worship especially ceremonial rituals and rites are useless in this age. He has warned us not to fool ourselves in the pursuit of such false practice…

O the Dark Age has come arrived
Sow, sow thou the seed of the one Lord’s name
Now it is not the season for other planting
Wander and stray not in doubt

ab kaloo aa-i-o ray. ik naam bovhu bovhu.
an root naahee naahee. mat bharam bhoolahu bhoolahu.
(Basant 5th Guru, page 1185)

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji tells us as well that, in this age of darkness meditate on the name of the benevolent Lord, doing which this mortal can obtain salvation. Even the Vedas (Hindu scriptures) say that no amount of rituals can measure up to the meditation of the Lord’s name.

kal mai ayk naam kirpaa niDh jaahi japai gat paavai.
a-or Dharam taa kai sam naahan ih biDh bayd bataavai. ||2||
(Sorath 9th Guru, page 632)

The third Guru, Guru Amar Das Ji, tells us that uttering the Lord’s name and singing his praises are paramount. It was in the past that pilgrimages, austerities and sacrifices were the way to salvation but in this age, the ultimate method to obtain salvation is to meditate on the
Lord’s name:

Celibacy, self discipline and pilgrimages
Are the faiths of past ages
In the dark age, glorification of
Lord’s name is the only righteous deed

jat sanjam tirath onaa jugaa kaa Dharam hai
kal meh keerat har naamaa. ||2||
(Bilawal 3rd Guru, page 797)

Guru Ram Das Ji clearly gives his verdict that, one who does not sow the seed of naam in kalyug, and simply dabbles in rituals, looses everything including the priceless breath that the Lord has given him to recite the name of God.

In the Dark Age
If a man sows any other seed apart from the name,
He looses all his profit and capital.

kalijug beej beejay bin naavai sabh laahaa mool gavaa-i-aa.
(Asa 4th Guru, page 446)

The above-mentioned edicts of our Guru show, that in the age of darkness, naam is given the utmost importance and is the supreme method of obtaining salvation. Gurbani guides and directs only to contemplate, meditate and recite the name of the Lord. It would not be an exaggeration to say that God has given us this human life to meditate on his name and escape the cycle of rebirth, ultimately merging into the Almighty Lord. The mortal who confines his life to working, worldly affairs and blind rituals is shunned by Guru Amar Das Ji.

Accursed is the mortal
Along with his family and friends
When one attains not his master now
The opportunity lost comes not to hand again
And such a man looses his life in vain

Dharig sareer kutamb sahit si-o jit hun khasam na paa-i-aa.
pa-orhee chhurhkee fir haath na aavai ahilaa janam gavaa-iaa.
(Bilawal 3rd Guru, page 796)

Now the question arises how and where can naam be obtained? Naam, which allows one to enter the Lord’s kingdom, brings bliss and peace. All Gurbani resoundingly declares repeatedly it to be the only way to salvation. Guru Ram Das Ji tells us that the great Guru himself bestows the gift of naam on the mortal. Those, who are blessed, meet the Guru, who then bestows the gift of naam upon them. The Guru has already known the Lord Almighty. God has empowered the Guru to bestow naam upon the mortal…

The true Guru is the giver of God’s name
Himself he causes me to meet the Lord
The true Guru has understood the Lord God
None else is as great as the Guru
I go and fall under the Guru’s protection
By his grace he unites me with the Lord

satgur daataa har naam kaa parabh aap milaavai so-ay.
satgur har parabh bujhi-aa gur jayvad avar na ko-ay.
(Sri Raag 4th Guru, page 39)

Guru Amar Das Ji tells us that only the true Guru can bless us with naam. Who gets to meet the true Guru? The one who is showered with the blessings of the supreme Lord:

From the true Guru, the name is obtained
By the Guru’s grace the Lord is obtained

ssatgur tay naam paa-ee-ai karam milai parabh so-ay. ||4||
(Gauri Bairagan 3rd Guru, page 233)

Once the true Guru establishes resolutely, the name of the Lord within our hearts, then our destiny awakens. When does the Guru awaken and change our destiny? Answer - when we submit our selves unconditionally to him so that…

For the sake of the Lord master
I have sold off my body to the perfect Guru
The beneficent true Guru has implanted
God’s name within me
On my face and forehead
Very auspicious destiny is inscribed

har har arath sareer ham baychi-aa pooray gur kai aagay.
satgur daatai naam dirhaa-i-aa mukh mastak bhaag
sabhaagay.
(Gauri Purbi 4th Guru, page 171)

So dear friends, meditate on the Lord’s name, as this is what appeases the Lord. This blessing of remembrance is obtained from the true Guru…

O knowledgeable seeker without the Guru
Lord’s devotional service cannot be performed
As the bleached cloth cannot assume colour of dye
However much we may desire it. Pause.

gi-aanee gur bin bhagat na ho-ee.
korai rang kaday na charhai jay lochai sabh ko-ee. ||1|| rahaao.
(Suhi 4th Guru, page 732)

As starched cloth will not pick up the colour of a dye until it is washed of its starch and bleached, similarly to cleanse the mind, so that it may become imbued with the colour of the Lord’s name, it is important to be in awe (reverential fear) of the Guru…

Without the Lord’s awe
His devotional service cannot be performed ever
Loving worship enters on the wings of reverential awe

bhai bin bhagat na ho-ee kab hee
bhai bhaa-ay bhagat savaaree. ||6||
(Ramkali 3rd Guru, page 911)

Guru Amar Das Ji tells us that, they who worship without the guidance of a Guru, waste their effort and become weary. They, who follow their mind and meditate without the Guru, find that their effort is not accepted in the Lord’s court. As they are unable to wash the dirt of ego themselves…

The perverse worship the Lord
Without the Guru
But how can devotional service be
Performed without the Guru

manmukh bhagat karahi bin satgur
vin satgur bhagat na ho-ee raam.
(Raag Suhi 3rd Guru, page 768)

So, my mind, the mortal is only cleansed when he enters the refuge of the Guru and pleads…

O my mind! If you seek the shelter of the Guru
Then you shall become filth less
The perverse have grown weary of repeating God’s name
But their dirt of ego could not be cleansed

man mayray gur saran aavai taa nirmal ho-ay.
manmukh har har kar thakay mail na sakee Dho-ay. ||1|| rahaao.
(Sri Raag 3rd Guru, page 39)

Everyone is uttering the name of the Lord with his or her tongue. Just the mere recital of his name will not lead to our salvation. Through Guru’s grace, when God’s name awakens and imbues our complete being then, our effort bears fruit…

All men utter God’s name
But such utterances does not unite one with the Lord
If by the Guru’s grace, the Lord abides in the mind
Then alone does one gather the fruit.

raam raam sabh ko kahai kahi-ai raam na ho-ay.
gur parsaadee raam man vasai taa fal paavai ko-ay. ||1||
(Gujri 3rd Guru, page 491)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just merely reciting naam but not from the heart will not help us progress. We have to recite God’s name as if Guru Sahib is standing before us. The only thing that can get us to God is love. Love will break all barriers.

swcu khoN sun lyhu sBY ijn pRym kIE iqn hI pRB pwieE ]9] 29 ]
saach keho(n) sun laehu sabhai jin praem keeou thin hee prabh paaeiou ||9|| 29 ||
(Sri Dasam Granth Sahib)

And

Aihinis bnI pRym ilv lwgI sbdu Anwhd gihAw ]1] rhwau ]
ahinis banee praem liv laagee sabadh anaahadh gehiaa ||1|| rehaao ||
Night and day, remaining attached to the Love of the Lord, the celestial music of the Shabad resounds. ||1||Pause|
Page 360

Therefore, those who truly love God shall succeed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So, it is clear that without the Guru’s grace, naam cannot abide in the heart. Now the question arises, how do we obtain the Guru’s grace? It would be appropriate to give a worldly example. In order to obtain a favour from our parents, friends or relatives, one would have to appease them by doing what they ask us to do. We would follow their every command or wish in order to appease them first. In the same way, if we wish to gain the Guru’s grace then we need to appease him…

O sister you who walk on this path
Do the work that the Guru bids you to do
Abandon thou your minds intellect
And give up the love of another
Thus, you shall have the Lord’s vision
Even the hot winds shall not touch you
By myself I know not how to speak
I utter all that is the command of the Lord

it maarag chalay bhaa-ee-arhay
gur kahai so kaar kamaa-ay jee-o.
ti-aagayN man kee mat-rhee visaarayN doojaa bhaa-o jee-o.
i-o paavahi har darsaavarhaa nah lagai tatee vaa-o jee-o.
ha-o aaphu bol na jaandaa mai kahi-aa sabh hukmaa-o jee-o.
(Suhi 3rd Guru, page-763)

Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji orders

He who abides by Guru’s order,
Gets pleasure of Guru.

hukam mani-ai hovai parvaan taa khasmai kaa mahal paaisee.
(Aasa Di Var, page-471)

So, by obeying his command, man becomes acceptable and obtains a place in the Lord’s mansion. He who accepts his masters bidding obtains all that his heart desires.

In a nutshell, we must completely surrender our whole being, mind, body and soul to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, in the presence of the five beloved one’s. One must follow the Guru’s orders with faith. The code of conduct and living imparted to us by the five beloved ones, in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, must be followed without fail. Our inner and outer code of conduct is to read Gurbani, recite Gur-mantar and Mool mantar, Nitnem and live according to the principles laid down by the Guru. Only then, can one be a claimant to the Guru’s grace..:

Surrender all your body soul and wealth
Unto the Guru and submit to his will
Thus shall you obtain the Lord

tan man Dhan sabh sa-up gur ka-o hukam mani-ai paa-ee
(Ramkali Anand 3rd Guru, page 918)

The Guru too, donates his all to the devotee who surrenders completely to him. As the five beloved ones gave their heads when asked, the Guru gave himself for baptism at the hands of the Khalsa. So much so, the Guru gave his son’s to maintain the prestige of the panth. To such a devotee, the Guru gives everything and hides nothing from him.

The Guru’s edict received through the five beloved one’s, once put into practice, slowly starts to wash away the dirt of ego and vanity…

The soul defiled with sins
Is cleaned with the love of God’s name.

bharee-ai mat paapaa kai sang.
oh Dhopai naavai kai rang.
(JapJi 1st Guru, page 4)

Slowly, after repeated trying, the mind becomes pure. Affection and liking for Gurbani arises in the mind. A taste then develops for uttering Waheguru. These are symptoms of a mind beginning to purify. A mind such as this is attracted to Gurbani and itself appeases the Guru. The purified mind will concentrate on Gurbani and it will enshrine the words of the Lord or naam. This becomes the stage of unity with the Almighty. The code of conduct given by the five beloved one’s helps to stabilise naam in our hearts. The length of time it takes naam to enshrine in our hearts depends on how promptly one abides by the Guru’s order and practices the Guru’s instructions with faith and devotion…

He who heartily realizes this Gurbani
Within his mind abides the Lord’s name

ih banee jo jee-ahu jaanai tis antar ravai har naamaa. ||1||
(Bilawal 3rd Guru, page 797)

And by the Guru’s grace God’s fear is obtained
And by great good fortune God comes
And abides in the mind

gur parsaadee bha-o pa-i-aa vadbhaag vasi-aa man aa-ay.
bhai pa-i-ai man vas ho-aa ha-umai sabad jalaa-ay.
(Sorath 3rd Guru, page 645)

When fear of the Lord arises, the mind is restrained and through naam ego is burnt up. Ego is burned through Gur-mantar and Gurbani…

If she effaces her ego
Then she merges in her spouse

ha-umai jaa-ee taa kant samaa-ee.
(Suhi Astpadian 1st Guru, page 750)

Then Guru Nanak Dev Ji tells us that, when the ego is burned, one obtains salvation…

When self-conceit departs
The highest rank is obtained

ha-umai jaa-ay param pad paa-ee-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o.
(Guru 1st Guru, page 226)

When ego dies, the ultimate spiritual position (param padh) is obtained. Then the human life of the mortal becomes successful and he merges with the Almighty…

So in order to attain this blissful state of union, it is in our benefit that we do not waste anymore time. By taking the Guru’s shelter, we must seek his blessings. Guru Arjun Dev Ji orders that we should delay actions that are sinful and promptly take those actions that are pious and good. So…

Delay not in practicing righteousness
Delay only in committing sin

nah bilamb DharmaN bilamb paapaN.
(Salok Sahaskriti 5th Guru, page 1354)

Dear friends, to perfect this human life, take the amrit of khanda and batta (Iron double edged sword and bowl). In this manner, attain the blessing of the great Guru, otherwise…

You shall be born repeatedly
And die and be born again
You shall suffer much punishment
On the way to the distant country of the Lord

jam jam marai marai fir jammai.
bahut sajaa-ay pa-i-aa days lammai.
(Maru 5th Guru, page 1020)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips

- Apart from our nitnem and amrivela we should spend our free time in naam and Gurbani. During the day away from worldly duties we should do Gurbani abhiyaas. When we cannot do anymore. We should do naam abhiyaas and vice versa. By continuously doing this our mind will slowly become attuned with God. The reason why we should read as much Bani as we can is because bani will help our naam flourish more. Naam is like the seed. We need bani to continuously water it, so that when we do naam abhiyaas it will take full effect.

- Mayas pleasures are instant but in the end it is poisonous. It takes time to experience the enjoyment of reciting naam and Gurbani which is why we should continuously train our mind and stay away from useless activities. Once we have control over our nine holes, we will experience the pleasure of our tenth hole; dasam dhaur. The pleasure is experienced in the state of samadhi where the naam reaches the Dasam dhaur. The pleasures of naam cannot be compared to any pleasure of this world, not even lust.

- Naam and Gurbani should go along side each other. There is no specific bani which will do more good for us. Different ones may give different qualities but at the end of the day Bani is Bani. Reading any bani will bring us closer to God.

- To sing praises of God is one of the most noblest deed:

gopwl gux inq gwau nwnk Bey pRB ikrpwl ]8]3]
gopaal gun nith gaao naanak bheae prabh kirapaal ||8||3||
Constantly singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the World, O Nanak, God becomes merciful to us. ||8||3||
Page 1018

Just as shiva became merciful to Raavan when Raavan began to sing praises of shiva, so will God be merciful to us if we continuously sing his praises.

It is said in sukhmani sahib that the wish-fulfilling cow is singing praises of God’s name:

kwmDyn hir hir gux gwm ]
The Khaamadhayn, the cow of miraculous powers, is the singing of the Glory of the Lord's Name, Har, Har.
Page: 265

This shows that God will fulfill our desires by singing praises of his Name.

pwrjwqu iehu hir ko nwm ]
paarajaath eihu har ko naam ||
This Elysian Tree of miraculous powers is the Name of the Lord.
Page: 265

It is also said that reciting naam is the wishing-fulling tree. As Bhai sahib Randhir Singh said, darshan of the elysian tree (not actual tree) in the mind is the first vision of God. He describes the elysian tree to be very beautiful which has flowers of gems and looks like countless moons. Once the individual develops the elysian tree inside them, they become Gurmukh. Doing service of such Gurmukh will be fruitful.

- However without doing ardaas we cannot succeed since everything comes to us only by Guru's grace.

Heaven and Hell

2008-06-20T05:38:00.003+12:00

By Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji
(Parts taken from chapter; heaven and hell from Undithi Duniya)

Forsaking Gurmat and fallen from sikh faith they delve in doubt. When they are completely devoid of spirituality, how does it matter if they entertain doubt about existence of heaven and hell? Gurbani has time and again confirmed the reality of heaven and hell. These are separate regions in the unseen invisible world. There are many spheres that can be envisioned only by supernatural eyesight. The Gurmukhs, ardent followers of faith are not affected by heaven and hell. They have no desire for heavenly abode and their spiritualism dispels all fear of hell. They are spared from thought of heaven and hell by love-divine and yearning vision of the Lord. It is absolute truth that those not imbued with love divine and devoid of Naam mediation shall have to suffer in hell:

rMgu n lgI pwrbRhm qw srpr nrky jwie ]5]
ra(n)g n lagee paarabreham thaa sarapar narakae jaae ||5||
Even so, if they have not embraced love for the Supreme Lord God, then they shall surely go to hell. ||5||
Page 70

No matter how scholarly they are in Holy Scriptures and how much they recite from memory of the four Vedas they have no escape from hell. The essence is Love divine, true spirituality.

Many non believers are known for mouthing, “This world is the end and there is no hereafter. Those who enjoy worldly comforts here are indeed enjoying heaven. Those who live a life of poverty and suffering here are verily undergoing hell”.

This kind of make-believe does not hold. It is very much a wrong belief. Here is what Satguru Nanak Dev Ji says:

bhuqu DnwiF AcwrvMqu soBw inrml rIiq ]
bahuth dhhanaadt achaarava(n)th sobhaa niramal reeth ||
You may possess vast riches, maintain virtuous conduct, have a spotless reputation and observe religious customs;

mwq ipqw suq BweIAw swjn sMig prIiq ]
maath pithaa suth bhaaeeaa saajan sa(n)g pareeth ||
you may have the loving affections of mother, father, children, siblings and friends;

lskr qrksbMd bMd jIau jIau sglI kIq ]
lasakar tharakasaba(n)dh ba(n)dh jeeo jeeo sagalee keeth ||
you may have armies well-equipped with weapons, and all may salute you with respect;

iciq n AwieE pwrbRhmu qw KiV rswqil dIq ]7]
chith n aaeiou paarabreham thaa kharr rasaathal dheeth ||7||
But still, if you do not come to remember the Supreme Lord God, then you shall be taken and consigned to the most hideous hell! ||7||
Page 70

A person with all luxurious living and riches escapes not hell if he contemplates not the supreme Lord. If such living is indeed heavenly then why should they have to go to hell in the hereafter? The joys and suffering result from personal deeds is a truth. This deed-based Justice divine is administered both here and in the hereafter. No matter how comfortable is the worldly life here, yet without love for Naam divine and Naam contemplation one has to suffer from hell in the hereafter. The worms of worldliness, bereft of Naam, lost in worldly attachment deserve hell and are certainly thrown to hell.

Reciting Naam-divine Naam with tongue in a moment great afflictions are banished. Naam engrossed are always under divine protection enjoying coolness, peace and bliss of Naam. The raging fire of evil passions of many previous births is quenched by Naam; saves from future fire in mother’s womb by ending transmigration and drowning in hell. Naam is the saviour.

The non- believers who love not Naam in thought, word and deed, many perform countless rituals, unapproved in Gurmat yet he proceeds to hell:

nwm sMig min pRIiq n lwvY ]
naam sa(n)g man preeth n laavai ||
One whose mind does not embrace love for the Naam

koit krm krqo nrik jwvY ]5]
kott karam karatho narak jaavai ||5||
shall go to hell, even though he may perform millions of ceremonial rituals. ||5||

hir kw nwmu ijin min n AwrwDw ]
har kaa naam jin man n aaraadhhaa ||
One whose mind does not contemplate the Name of the Lord

cor kI inAweI jm puir bwDw ]6]
chor kee niaaee jam pur baadhhaa ||6||
is bound like a thief, in the City of Death. ||6||
Page 240

Complete engrossment with Naam all the time, both body and mind imbued with Love-divine in holy company of the house of the Guru bestows mark of divine acceptance. This one proceeds with splendorous face to the hereafter, rid of all fear of hell, banished by devotional life all long. They proceed not hell. Blest with Gurmantar graced by Guru comes to possess all virtues-divine. There is not to hinder them in the hereafter. Saved are Gurmukhs from heaven and hell. Destroyed are all their sins, even most serious ones, piled up over the past.

The next Gurbani quote describes how the mortals come to deserve that thus proceed in hell:

ijs kY AMqir rwj AiBmwnu ]
jis kai a(n)thar raaj abhimaan ||
One who has the pride of power within,

so nrkpwqI hovq suAwnu ]
so narakapaathee hovath suaan ||
shall dwell in hell, and become a dog.

iksY n bdY Awip AhMkwrI ]
kisai n badhai aap aha(n)kaaree ||
One who thinks of no one else except his own prideful self

Drm rwie iqsu kry KuAwrI ]
dhharam raae this karae khuaaree ||
the Righteous Judge of Dharma shall expose his disgrace.

gur pRswid jw kw imtY AiBmwnu ]
gur prasaadh jaa kaa mittai abhimaan ||
One who, by Guru's Grace, eliminates his ego,

so jnu nwnk drgh prvwnu ]2]
so jan naanak dharageh paravaan ||2||
O Nanak, becomes acceptable in the Court of the Lord. ||2||

Aink qpisAw kry AhMkwr ]
anik thapasiaa karae aha(n)kaar ||
If someone performs great penance, while acting in selfishness and conceit,

nrk surg iPir iPir Avqwr ]
narak surag fir fir avathaar ||
he shall be reincarnated into heaven and hell, over and over again.

Aink jqn kir Awqm nhI dRvY ]
anik jathan kar aatham nehee dhravai ||
He makes all sorts of efforts, but his soul is still not softened

hir drgh khu kYsy gvY ]
har dharageh kahu kaisae gavai ||
how can he go to the Court of the Lord?

jb lgu moh mgn sMig mwie ]
jab lag moh magan sa(n)g maae ||
As long as he is intoxicated with attachment to Maya,

qb lgu Drm rwie dyie sjwie ]
thab lag dhharam raae dhaee sajaae ||
the Righteous Judge shall punish him.
Page 278

Generally mortals engage in worshipful activities to meet worldly desires that further enhance worldly attachment. These worldly engrossed mortals suffer punishment in the hereafter.

Gurbani not only confirms the reality of hell in the hereafter but also of the most severe punishments, being ground like oil-seeds and getting yoked like ox of an oilman. There are terrible wells in hell where sinners are thrown in. None is there to listen to their wails of these sufferers getting roasted in heat.

Holy scriptures of Hindus delve only in deeds and misdeeds of spiritual merit or sin. These lead not to practice of Naam meditation. They repeatedly go to heaven and hell through repeated births. The contemplation of shaastars and Vedas alone certainly results in making rounds of heaven and hell. Even originator of the four Vedas, Bharma, delving in these are alone has similar fate, Bharma too comprehends not true will of the Lord that ordains Naam-devotion. Such a wisdom dawns only when one seeks shelter of Satguru.

The devotees contemplating Naam Divine never experience hell. Even Dharamrai bows to them and applauds them in welcome. The Yamas, carriers of death just disappears. Ceaseless meditation in life accompanies one in the hereafter as saviour. The false ones devoid of Naam devotion find no place to take shelter. They get thrown into hell with blackened faces. Naam is as virtuous as the Lord. That is why Naam-devotees proceed not to hell.

Those who are destined to follow Satguru come under protection of the lord-divine and suffer no affliction nor sin, nor the fate of suffering in hell. Those unmindful of the lord-creator are utterly miserable. Caught in the web of worldly attachment who remain engrossed in worldliness go about in cycles of heaven and hell.

The unmindful of Naam indulge in false utterance. They are under the control of five demons. All their talk is evil, under the influence of evil. Like breaking in a house, their bloated ego has blasted their inner being and they blab boastfully.

In pursuit of worldly greed, those who forsake Naam, suffer all their lives. At the time of death yamas pull them by their hair and give blows. Pushed into death they are severely punished by Yamas. There no one provides any solace, neither a close relative or friend nor a sibling, not even mother or father. They have to pass through the narrowest passage, narrow like a sharp edge of a sword. Accounting before DharamRai one goes through grinding mill like oil seeds for oil extraction. Sinners have to suffer not only one type of hell but countless ones to account for all their sins. Besides, there are also hells of births in countless species of life. Transmigration cycle is verily undergoing yet another hell of births and deaths. The hells regions in the hereafter are additional to undergoing punishments adjudicated by Dharam Rai. The non-believer is disgraced in utter darkness of the region of yamas. This is paying back for delving in sinful life.

The mortal going to the sadh sangat of house of the Guru, truly seeking in humility path of spirituality and naam divined gets the rejuvenating gift of Guru Mantar of Naam divine. If he then proceeds to meditate ceaselessly on Naam he is redeemed and saved from hell. Efforts to meditate on naam through mere hear-say are not fruitful and are unable to engage at all in Naam meditation. His pretensions are a mere show. A Gurmukh becomes a successful Naam devotee. Envisaging Satguru and reciting Naam divine for spiritual uplift-ment, joins sadh sangat to listen to divine praises with loving mind. Such a devotee is rid of all afflictions by Satguru Nanak – Dashmesh. He is further bestowed with honour of welcome in court divine by grace of satguru; the true king. If a mortal being dies yearning in love-divine for a glimpse of the lord he is saved from hell by Satguru pulling him away.

Of the five demons, responsible for sending one to hell, the demon of lust is the worst. Just by being under the influence of lust a person goes to reside in hell. Transmigration is the “gift” of lustfulness. A lustful being is taken-in very soon by a beautiful woman. All acts of piety and good conduct are nullified by the powerful lust. Harassed by lust, the lustful being is disgraced all over. He is born and dies repeatedly delving in lustfulness. Lastly he comes to reside in hell. To escape hell, it is essential to control lustful feelings. This can be achieved only in sadh sangat and remaining engrossed in Naam-divine.

________________

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh has clearly stated the key to save one from hell and heaven is love for Vaheguru. Doing our paath, simran, etc is not a duty; it has to be done sincerely and lovingly from the heart. By worshipping God in heart-felt devotion they reach the highest state – Gurmukh. Only by being Gurmukh one can enter saachkhand. Even if that Gurmukh does not reach saach khand whilst alive as a human but by placing their desires solely on Vaheguru, Guru Sahib will take the Gurmukh to Saach khand when they leave the human realm.

jw kY ihrdY visAw hir soeI ]
jaa kai hiradhai vasiaa har soee ||
Those, within whose hearts the Lord dwells,

gurmuiK Bgiq prwpiq hoeI ]
guramukh bhagath paraapath hoee ||
become Gurmukh; they receive the blessings of devotional worship.

hir kI Bgiq mukiq Awnµdu ]
har kee bhagath mukath aana(n)dh ||
Through devotional worship of the Lord, liberation and bliss are obtained.

gurmiq pwey prmwnµdu ]3]
guramath paaeae paramaana(n)dh ||3||
Through the Guru's Teachings, supreme ecstasy is obtained. ||3||
Page 154

Bhai sahib has said that Hindus and others from another faith cannot be saved from hell without taking the shelter of Guru Sahib. This is because they lack naam-contemplation. Only by reciting Naam one can be saved from hell. The Vedas only explains the 3 qualities and thus hindus as well as other followers from different faith are unaware of how to reach the fourth state. They remain in the three qualities (maya). However, only Satguru brings us above the 3 qualities; the fourth state where we achieve union with God. Union with God is only known through Satguru. This is why other faiths undergo heaven and hell. They haven’t destroyed their ego which is why there is separation from God since they are still distinguishing what are theirs and Gods. They haven’t realised that God is the director, directing us through our actions 24/7.

hau ivic nrik surig Avqwru ]
ho vich narak surag avathaar ||
In ego they go to heaven or hell.
Page 466

The only beings that are saved from hell are those that take Shelter of Satguru, becoming amritdhari. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh has mentioned that Naam-devotees experience bliss, coolness and peace. This must be taken literally. Doing Naam contemplation removes all the maladies and holds the mind still from wavering which will bring the mind in bliss and peace. From roaming around in this world our mind is never held still; thus it is not at peace. From constant Naam abhiyaas the individual will experience an ice-cool feeling from the third eye, to the senses and the rest of the body. This coolness will in return give the devotee a lot of energy. There will be a lot of coolness felt in the eyes which will help the devotee to have little or no sleep.

mnu qnu sIqlu crx hir rwqy ]1]
man than seethal charan har raathae ||1||
Your mind and body shall become cool and peaceful, imbued with the Feet of the Lord. ||1||
Page 197

Bhai Sahib has said that others enjoying their life in maya in this world are in reality miserable. This is because:

ijs ky jIA prwx hY min visAY suKu hoie ]2]
jis kae jeea paraan hai man vasiai sukh hoe ||2||
He is the Giver of the soul, and the praanaa, the breath of life; when He dwells within the mind, there is peace. ||2||
Page 18

By not giving the true gift to the soul and living under control of the 5 thieves within us we are led astray and the soul shall never find happiness. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji explains the fate of the being who does not contemplate on God:

gauVI cyqI mhlw 1 ]
gourree chaethee mehalaa 1 ||
Gauree Chaytee, First Mehla:

Avir pMc hm eyk jnw ikau rwKau Gr bwru mnw ]
avar pa(n)ch ham eaek janaa kio raakho ghar baar manaa ||
There are five of them, but I am all alone. How can I protect my hearth and home, O my mind?

mwrih lUtih nIq nIq iksu AwgY krI pukwr jnw ]1]
maarehi loottehi neeth neeth kis aagai karee pukaar janaa ||1||
They are beating and plundering me over and over again; unto whom can I complain? ||1||

sRI rwm nwmw aucru mnw ]
sree raam naamaa ouchar manaa ||
Chant the Name of the Supreme Lord, O my mind.

AwgY jm dlu ibKmu Gnw ]1] rhwau ]
aagai jam dhal bikham ghanaa ||1|| rehaao ||
Otherwise, in the world hereafter, you will have to face the awesome and cruel army of Death. ||1||Pause||

auswir mVolI rwKY duAwrw BIqir bYTI sw Dnw ]
ousaar marrolee raakhai dhuaaraa bheethar bait(h)ee saa dhhanaa ||
God has erected the temple of the body; He has placed the nine doors, and the soul-bride sits within.

AMimRq kyl kry inq kwmix Avir lutyin su pMc jnw ]2]
a(n)mrith kael karae nith kaaman avar luttaen s pa(n)ch janaa ||2||
She enjoys the sweet play again and again, while the five demons are plundering her. ||2||

Fwih mVolI lUitAw dyhurw sw Dn pkVI eyk jnw ]
dtaahi marrolee loottiaa dhaehuraa saa dhhan pakarree eaek janaa ||
In this way, the temple is being demolished; the body is being plundered, and the soul-bride, left all alone, is captured.

jm fMfw gil sMglu piVAw Bwig gey sy pMc jnw ]3]
jam dda(n)ddaa gal sa(n)gal parriaa bhaag geae sae pa(n)ch janaa ||3||
Death strikes her down with his rod, the shackles are placed around her neck, and now the five have left. ||3||

kwmix loVY suienw rupw imqR luVyin su KwDwqw ]
kaaman lorrai sueinaa rupaa mithr lurraen s khaadhhaathaa ||
The wife yearns for gold and silver, and her friends, the senses, yearn for good food.

nwnk pwp kry iqn kwrix jwsI jmpuir bwDwqw ]4]2]14]
naanak paap karae thin kaaran jaasee jamapur baadhhaathaa ||4||2||14||
O Nanak, she commits sins for their sake; she shall go, bound and gagged, to the City of Death. ||4||2||14||
Page 155

Everything in the world is utter pain because even though maya appears sweet she is just poison. Therefore by engaging more in worldly activities, the more we take enjoyment out of this world – the more we are ruining and inflicting millions of diseases to our inner being. This is why Bhai Sahib has mentioned only those that LOVE God and engage in CEASELESS Naam contemplation are saved. This is because those that love God, how can they take love in anything else in this world. Naam contemplation becomes their true occupation and that is all they take enjoyment out of. Everything else in the world they see both pleasure and pain alike. As a result, by attaching ourselves to God, we will be saved from the torments of hell and will not go to heaven but where God resides; Saach khand.

How they have faith

2008-06-13T05:40:00.004+12:00

Continued from previous article…

The reason why those devotees had so much faith in Guru Sahib is because they followed his teachings which bring our mind to a higher level of thinking. Gurmat teaches us to refrain from evil deeds/thoughts and to train our mind through naam simran. Those devotees attached themselves Guru Ji’s lotus feet (gurbani and naam) and nothing else in this world.

In Japji Sahib it explains what the faithful one achieves by putting faith in Guru Sahib:

mMnY suriq hovY min buiD ]
ma(n)nai surath hovai man budhh ||
The faithful have intuitive awareness and intelligence.

mMnY sgl Bvx kI suiD ]
ma(n)nai sagal bhavan kee sudhh ||
The faithful know about all worlds and realms.

mMnY muih cotw nw Kwie ]
ma(n)nai muhi chottaa naa khaae ||
The faithful shall never be struck across the face.

mMnY jm kY swiQ n jwie ]
ma(n)nai jam kai saathh n jaae ||
The faithful do not have to go with the Messenger of Death.

AYsw nwmu inrMjnu hoie ]
aisaa naam nira(n)jan hoe ||
Such is the Name of the Immaculate Lord.

jy ko mMin jwxY min koie ]13]
jae ko ma(n)n jaanai man koe ||13||
Only one who has faith comes to know such a state of mind. ||13||
Page 3

The faithful one always has faith in Gurmat since they know what the Guru does is perfect. The faith between the Guru and Sikh creates a strong loving relationship between each other:

rUpY kwmY dosqI jg AMdir jwxI]
roopai kaamai dhosathee jag andhar jaanee|
Friendship of beauty and lust is known all over the world.

BuKY swdY gMFu hY Ehu ivrqI hwxI]
bhukhai saadhai gant hai ouhu virathee haanee|
And this is very practical that hunger and taste are complementary.

Guil imil imcil lib mwil iequ Brm BulwxI]
ghul mil michal lab maal eith bharam bhulaanee|
Greed and wealth also mix up with each other and remain deluded.

aUGY sauiV plµG ijau siB rYix ivhwxI]
ooghai sourr palangh jio sabh rain vihaanee|
For a dozing person, even a small cot is a pleasure to pass the night.

suhxy sB rMg mwxIAin kir coj ivfwxI]
suhanae sabh rang maaneean kar choj viddaanee|
In the dream, one enjoys every colour of events.

pIr murIdW iprhVI Ehu AkQ khwxI ]5]
peer mureedhaa pireharree ouhu akath kehaanee |5|
Likewise, indescribable is the story of the Love of the Sikh and the Guru.(5)

mwn srovr hMslw Kwie mwxk moqI]
maan sarovar hansalaa khaae maanak mothee|
The swan of Mansarovar picks up only pearls and jewels.

koiel AMb prIiq hY iml bol sroqI]
koeil anb pareeth hai mil bol sarothee|
The nightingale and mango tree bear Love for each other, and hence it sings thereupon.

cMdn vwsu vxwsupiq hoie pws KloqI]
chandhan vaas vanaasupath hoe paas khalothee|
The sandal Loves whole vegetation, and whosoever is near it, becomes fragrant.

lohw pwris ByitAY hoie kMcn joqI]
lohaa paaras bhaettiai hoe kanchan jothee|
Touching the philosopher’s stone the iron brightens like gold.

ndIAw nwly gMg imil hoin Coq ACoqI]
nadheeaa naalae gang mil hon shoth ashothee|
Even the defiled streams, meeting the Ganges, becomes sacred.

pIr murIdW iprhVI ieh Kyp sEqI ]6]
peer mureedhaa pireharree eih khaep southee |6|
Such is also the Love between the Sikh and the Guru, and to a Sikh, this is most priceless commodity.(6)
(bhai Gurdaas Ji vaar - 27)

Bhai Gurdaas Ji has explained how strong the love is between the Sikh and the Guru. It shows how closely connected the Sikh and Guru becomes. This is because the Sikh is faithful to their Guru that they become in harmony with his message. The more they listen to his instructions the more the Sikh becomes connected with Guru Sahib. They lead a disciplined life, do not waste precious time but instead serve God continually through abhiyaas to remove the impurity of the mind and to bring it towards God.

By continuously doing naam abhiyaas they cure the root cause of evil which lies in the mind. The mind can have negative and positive thoughts. However, they eliminated all the negative thoughts through naam simran so they accepted God’s will as the right way in both pleasure and pain. From having countless previous lives, our mind is stained with impurity and needs to be cleaned with naam. This is what those devotees of Guru Sahib did. By continuously focusing the mind in naam simran it gets more absorbed and attuned to the mind. Therefore, during hardships, tortures, unhappiness, difficulties, the mind is held still and remains unaffected.

ijau jl mih kmlu Ailpqo vrqY iqau ivcy igrh audwsu ]
jio jal mehi kamal alipatho varathai thio vichae gireh oudhaas ||
As the lotus flower floats unaffected in the water, so does he remain detached in his own household.
Page 949

And

jYsy jl mih kmlu inrwlmu murgweI nY swxy ]
jaisae jal mehi kamal niraalam muragaaee nai saanae ||
The lotus flower floats untouched upon the surface of the water, and the duck swims through the stream;

suriq sbid Bv swgru qrIAY nwnk nwmu vKwxy ]
surath sabadh bhav saagar thareeai naanak naam vakhaanae ||
with one's consciousness focused on the Word of the Shabad, one crosses over the terrifying world-ocean. O Nanak, chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Page 938

Humans in Kalyug believe themselves to be superior to everybody else. They enjoy slandering, hearing bad of others and gossiping just to please their pride. This is the trait that manmukhs follow. Such beings are far away from truth and do not practice a disciplined life. However those Gurmukhs refrain from such sin and remain humble. They do not act like kings following their ego. They have become a true slave of Guru Sahib, who cares less to please their 5 vices but makes their entire life a sacrifice to Guru Sahib that no time will be wasted away in vain.

idsit drs ilv swvDwnu sbd suriq cyqMnu isAwxw]
dhisatt dharas liv saavadhhaan sabadh surath chaetha(n)n siaanaa||
The vision of a Gurmukh remains seated in his desire for the glimpse of the Lord, and by virtue of his watchful realisation of the Shabad, he acquires wisdom.

nwmu dwnu iesnwnu idVu mn bc krm krY mylwxw]
naam dhaan eisanaan dhirr man bach karam karai maelaanaa||
Being steadfast in the meditation upon name, charity and ablution, he maintains co-ordination in his mind, speech and actions.

gurisK QoVw bolxw QoVw sauxw QoVw Kwxw]
gurasikh thhorraa bolanaa thhorraa sounaa thhorraa khaanaa||
The Sikh of the Guru speaks less, sleeps less and eats little.

pr qn pr Dn prhrY pr inµdw suix min srmwxw]
par than par dhhan pareharai par ni(n)dhaa sun man saramaanaa||
Repudiating other’s body (woman) and other’s wealth he avoids listening to the slander of others.

gur mUriq siqgur sbdu swDsMgiq smsir prvwxw]
gur moorath sathigur sabadh saadhhasa(n)gath samasar paravaanaa||
He accepts the presence of Guru equally in the Shabad (Word) and the Holy Congregation.

iek min ieku ArwDxw duqIAw nwsiq BwvY Bwxw]
eik man eik araadhhanaa dhutheeaa naasath bhaavai bhaanaa||
With single-mindedness he adores the one Lord, and having no sense of duality, he rejoices in the will of the Lord.

gurmuiK hodY qwix inqwxw ]2]
guramukh hodhai thaan nithaanaa ||2||
Despite his all powers the Gurmukh considers himself meek and humble.(2)
(Bhai Gurdaas Ji’s Vaar – 32)

Such Gurmukhs keep everything under the control of their mind. They don’t live as a slave to the mind but instead leads the mind through Gurmat. Bhai Fauja singh ji is a great example of a slave of Guru Sahib He dedicated his whole life to Guru Sahib by serving God and the panth. He made his whole life a constant struggle for Guru Sahib and cared less for his rest. This is how a slave devotes themselves to Guru Sahib. They care nothing for their pleasure but always try to please Guru Sahib.

“One day Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale got all the Singh’s together at the Dera and said to them that they needed a Singh for some seva. One Singh got up and said that they wanted to do the seva, Sant Ji said to the Singh that he wouldn’t be able to do the seva, so then Sant Ji chose Baba Thakur Singh Ji to do the seva. When Baba Ji started doing Sant Ji’s seva, Sant Ji didn’t let Baba Ji go to sleep properly. Infact whenever Sant Ji used to send Baba Ji to go and rest, a few minutes after Sant Ji used to send a Singh to go and wake Baba Ji up. Whenever Baba Ji used to come back to Sant Ji, Sant Ji used to say angrily to Baba Ji that “Have you come here to sleep? that if you have then to go back home. After a year of seva, Sant Ji said to Baba Ji that they thought that Baba Ji would run away from this seva, but they didn’t. After this period Baba Ji got a lot of Bakshish from Sant Ji.”

The incident shows how a true slave of Guru Sahib should be. They will keep tolerance and will never act in anger with what Guru Sahib does. Guru Sahib will always test the faith and love of the sikh. That is how the relationship between each other becomes stronger because no matter how much Guru Sahib tests his sikh, the sikh accepts it and walks in harmony with him.

“A sikh is he who loves his Guru. Sikhi means: to lose your haumai (ego) and ultimately become the form of the Guru or Gurbani.”
Quoted by sant narajan singh ji

This shows that the true servant of God is one that follows Guru Sahib through deeds and appearance. That servant does not care about public opinion or follows their way of living since they know that will lead to ones own destruction. Following others is leading a life of impurity since their mind hasn’t been purified through Gurmat which is a higher level thinking.

mnmuK buiD kwcI mnUAw folY AkQu n kQY khwnI ]
manamukh budhh kaachee manooaa ddolai akathh n kathhai kehaanee ||
The intellect of the self-willed manmukh is false; his mind wavers and wobbles, and he cannot speak the Unspoken Speech.

gurmiq inhclu hir min visAw AMimRq swcI bwnI ]3]
guramath nihachal har man vasiaa a(n)mrith saachee baanee ||3||
Following the Guru's Teachings, the Eternal Unchanging Lord abides within the mind; the True Word of His Bani is Ambrosial Nectar. ||3||

mn ky qrMg sbid invwry rsnw shij suBweI ]
man kae thara(n)g sabadh nivaarae rasanaa sehaj subhaaee ||
The Shabad calms the turbulent waves of the mind; the tongue is intuively imbued with peace.

siqgur imil rhIAY sd Apuny ijin hir syqI ilv lweI ]4]
sathigur mil reheeai sadh apunae jin har saethee liv laaee ||4||
So remain united forever with your True Guru, who is lovingly attuned to the Lord. ||4||
Page 1233

And

<> siqgurpRswid]
ik oa(n)kaar sathiguraprasaadhi||
One Oankar, the primal energy, realised through the grace of the divine master.

siqgur scw pwiqswhu gurmuiK scw pMQu suhylw]
sathigur sachaa paathisaahu guramukh sachaa pa(n)thh suhaelaa||
The True Guru is the True emperor and the way of Gurmukhs is the way of happiness.

mnmuK krm kmWvdy durmiq dUjw Bwau duhylw]
manamukh karam kamaa(n)vadhae dhuramath dhoojaa bhaao dhuhaelaa||
Mind-oriented, Manmukhs, act controlled by ill intellect and tread on painful path of duality.

gurmuiK suK Plu swDsMgu Bwie Bgiq kir gurmuiK mylw]
guramukh sukh fal saadhhasa(n)g bhaae bhagath kar guramukh maelaa||
Gurmukhs attain the fruit of delight in the Holy Congregation and with loving Devotion meet the Gurmukhs.

kUVu kusqu AswD sMgu mnmuK duK Plu hY ivhu vylw]
koorr kusath asaadhh sa(n)g manamukh dhukh fal hai vihu vaelaa||
In the company of falsehood and the wicket, the fruit of sufferings of the Manmukhs grows like a poisonous creeper.

gurmuiK Awpu gvwvxw pYrI pauxw nyhu nvylw]
guramukh aap gavaavanaa pairee pounaa naehu navaelaa||
Losing the ego and falling on the feet is a new path of Love followed by Gurmukhs.

mnsuK Awpu gvwvxw gurmiq gur qy aukVu cylw]
manasukh aap gavaavanaa guramath gur thae oukarr chaelaa||
The Manmukh makes himself noticed and moves away from the Guru and the wisdom of the Guru.

kUVu scu sIh bkr Kylw ]1]
koorr sach seeh bakar khaelaa ||1||
The game of Truth and falsehood is similar to (impossible) meeting of the lion and the goat.(1)
(Bhai Gurdaas ji vaar – 30)

Therefore, those saintly beings that followed Gurmat brought their consciousness much higher since they were listening to the words of God. Therefore, by listening to the words of God, they too become godly and are able to do things which are out of this world.

Relationship between the Guru and his Sikh

2008-05-31T22:58:00.014+12:00

When the sikh takes amrit, Guru sahib is always with his sikh. No matter what, Guru Sahib will make the sikh reach their goal even if it may take many lives, eventually, sooner or later, the sikh will reach saach khand; become liberated from cycle of birth and death. For example, Bhai Rama Singh had four lives as a sikh and in his fourth life he reached Saach Khand.

The relationship between the sikh and the Guru is so strong that Guru sahib is always there with the sikh in every step they take, that Guru sahib will always guide the sikh on the right path no matter how many times they will go astray. In Se Kineya by Baba Harnaam Singh (ramkur khera wala), there is a chapter on ardaas, where he himself does ardaas to find out whether Guru Sahib hears the ardaas of all his rehatvan Sikhs or his saints:

“At this moment, the tenth Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji appeared behind the palanquin where the priest stands and the whole room was flooded with light. Around the room there were Singh’s of all ages, their faces were radiant and beside each gursikh was standing the physical form of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The form of Guru Ji who was standing behind Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji spoke, ”Bhai Harnam Singh! These gursikhs here have reached the highest spiritual state of param padh. Some of the others are rehatwan Sikhs.” Baba Ji replied, ”You alone know this my Lord.” The emperor of emperor’s replied, ”all of them who have not obtained param padh but are stalwart in their code of conduct I am with them too, as you can see. I hear the Ardas of everyone but give only that boon which is beneficial to the devotee. There is no difference between a rehatwan Sikh and a Sikh who has achieved param padh to me.”

When the devotee becomes completely attached to Guru Sahib and does on waste their time, realizing Guru Ji to be close and always seeing what we are doing not just when we are praying but also when we are not praying. There comes a stage when there is an inner voice of Guru Sahib that will unfold upon his devotee guiding his sikh on their journey towards God. This inner voice will guide the sikh of what they are doing right or wrong. The voice will point out what the sikh is lacking so that they can make improvements to their spiritual being to get more closer to God.

jYsw bwlku Bwie suBweI lK AprwD kmwvY ]
jaisaa baalak bhaae subhaaee lakh aparaadhh kamaavai ||
Like the child, innocently making thousands of mistakes

kir aupdysu iJVky bhu BwqI bhuiV ipqw gil lwvY ]
kar oupadhaes jhirrakae bahu bhaathee bahurr pithaa gal laavai ||
his father teaches him, and scolds him so many times, but still, he hugs him close in his embrace.
Page 624

Guru Sahib has so much love for his sikh that if the sikh has a downfall Guru Sahib always takes the sikh out the pit. But when Guru Sahib brings his sikh back on the right path, not only do they obtain what they had lost spiritually but Guru Sahib gives them much more.

There is a story from Rangle Sajjjan by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji:

"Bhai Sarwan Singh was at a high spiritual state. However due to his ego he had a downfall. Close associates of him witnessed many supernatural happenings but despite of his spiritual state there appeared to be some defects; excessive pride lead to his hidden malady to gradually bring a change in him. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh used to warn his admirers not to praise him in his face. According to Gurmat it is strictly forbidden to praise in the face and to slander in the absence. As a result Bhai Sarwan Singh suffered from suppressed ego that kept building up and one day it exploded onto the surface. One day, the Jatha was performing Akhand Kirtan of asa di var. Bhai Sarwan Singh was missing. He kept lying on the roof with some of his companions. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh started to miss the loved kirtania and finally requested his friend babu Mal Singh Ji to go and call Bhai Sarwan Singh. Babu Ji went and shook him and said "the entire congregation is missing you in the kirtan". With his eyes closed and still lying down he replied "the asa di var kirtan is going on in my mind." Stunned with the show of arrogance Babu Mal Singh left and repeated the words to Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib requested Bhai Piara Singh and Babu Mal Singh to persuade him once again. Bhai Sarwan Singh was known to have respect for Bhai Piara Singh yet he still repeated the same words; "I am enjoying the asa di var kirtan program in my mind". Then Babu Mal Singh Ji replied "what is this assembly in your mind without the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji". Both reminded him that with SGGS in your house, you call the cottage a Gurdwara and not a mere cottage. This lead to further insolent talk: "For me a mandir, masjid and Gurdwara are all the same, I will destroy the cottage and get rid of your Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji." Hearing this tasteless talk, they both returned to the Gurdwara. At the end his words were brought to the notice of the entire assembly. All confirmed that his words amounted to Blasphemy. His ego had finished him. The only way to save him was to boycott him from the jatha completely. Bhai Sarwan thus fell down from his spirituality. After this his ego suffered a severe blow after left all alone. The realisation dawned on him and he sought the shelter of the sangat. Short after, he realised he wasn't noticed by anyone and dropped to his knees and cried for help saying "let the congregation prescribe any punishment to me but kindly grant me pardon". It was decided that he should ride a donkey with a blackened face and a necklace of shoes around his neck to ride around five villages while stating his act of blasphemy. He gladly accepted his punishment. After taking this punishment Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh was asked to clean his face and seat him in the congregation. It took an hour to clean his face and his clean face acquired the glowing cleanliness. The new sight of splendor on his face was difficult to bear. He looked like a picture of humility. He spent the rest of his days in high spiritual state - he was elevated back to his spiritual level. He served the congregation with more enthusiasm. He was now respected a hundred times more and yet he remained humble without any show of his supernatural divine powers. He remained imbued in divine love. "

Guru Sahib saved him through the Sangat because Guru Sahib resides in the saadh (saintly) sangat. Guru Sahib is so compassionate that he gave the sikh much more than he had before. The downfall he experienced helped him go further to God since he destroyed his ego, thus it made his spirituality much stronger. Also, it was as if the sikh never had a downfall from the beginning because what he achieved afterwards was much greater. This shows that Guru Sahib does everything for the right reason that will only be beneficial to the sikh.

guir pUrY sBu pUrw kIAw ]
gur poorai sabh pooraa keeaa ||
The Perfect Guru makes everything perfect.

AMimRq nwmu ird mih dIAw ]1] rhwau ]
a(n)mrith naam ridh mehi dheeaa ||1|| rehaao ||
He implants the Amrosial Naam, the Name of the Lord, in the heart. ||1||Pause||

krmu Drmu myrw kCu n bIcwirE ]
karam dhharam maeraa kashh n beechaariou ||
He does not consider the karma of my actions, or my Dharma, my spiritual practice.

bwh pkir Bvjlu insqwirE ]2]
baah pakar bhavajal nisathaariou ||2||
Taking me by the arm, He saves me and carries me across the terrifying world-ocean. ||2||

pRiB kwit mYlu inrml kry ]
prabh kaatt mail niramal karae ||
God has rid me of my filth, and made me stainless and pure.

gur pUry kI srxI pry ]3]
gur poorae kee saranee parae ||3||
I have sought the Sanctuary of the Perfect Guru. ||3||
Page 1184

Guru Sahib the true savior

Gautama Buddha used to put reliance on God so that he can get saved. However, no matter how many times he asked for help to God his wish wasn’t fulfilled. Therefore, he took all reliance away from God and taught his followers that God cannot help people but you have to help yourself. Therefore, Buddhists are unable to reach God’s realm and only achieve self-realisation but not the true realisation of God within us.

ibnu pauVI giV ikau cVau gur hir iDAwn inhwl ]2]
bin pourree garr kio charro gur har dhhiaan nihaal ||2||
How can I climb up to the Fortress without a ladder? By meditating on the Lord, through the Guru, I am blessed and exalted. ||2||
Page 17

This is because he was without a Guru. Having the true Guru creates a strong connection with the Sikh and God, that in the end the Guru will take the sikh to God. For someone who is without a Guru, it will take a long time to reach the state of Samadhi. But for one who is amritdhari, if Guru Sahib is pleased with his sikh, the sikh can reach the state of Samadhi within a week.

srIrwgu mhlw 3 ]
sireeraag mehalaa 3 ||
Siree Raag, Third Mehla:

bhu ByK kir BrmweIAY min ihrdY kptu kmwie ]
bahu bhaekh kar bharamaaeeai man hiradhai kapatt kamaae ||
People wear all sorts of costumes and wander all around, but in their hearts and minds, they practice deception.

hir kw mhlu n pwveI mir ivstw mwih smwie ]1]
har kaa mehal n paavee mar visattaa maahi samaae ||1||
They do not attain the Mansion of the Lord's Presence, and after death, they sink into manure. ||1||

mn ry igRh hI mwih audwsu ]
man rae grih hee maahi oudhaas ||
O mind, remain detached in the midst of your household.

scu sMjmu krxI so kry gurmuiK hoie prgwsu ]1] rhwau ]
sach sa(n)jam karanee so karae guramukh hoe paragaas ||1|| rehaao ||
Practicing truth, self-discipline and good deeds, the Gurmukh is enlightened. ||1||Pause||

gur kY sbid mnu jIiqAw giq mukiq GrY mih pwie ]
gur kai sabadh man jeethiaa gath mukath gharai mehi paae ||
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, the mind is conquered, and one attains the State of Liberation in one's own home.

hir kw nwmu iDAweIAY sqsMgiq myil imlwie ]2]
har kaa naam dhhiaaeeai sathasa(n)gath mael milaae ||2||
So meditate on the Name of the Lord; join and merge with the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation. ||2||

jy lK iesqrIAw Bog krih nv KMf rwju kmwih ]
jae lakh eisathareeaa bhog karehi nav kha(n)dd raaj kamaahi ||
You may enjoy the pleasures of hundreds of thousands of women, and rule the nine continents of the world.

ibnu siqgur suKu n pwveI iPir iPir jonI pwih ]3]
bin sathigur sukh n paavee fir fir jonee paahi ||3||
But without the True Guru, you will not find peace; you will be reincarnated over and over again. ||3||
Page 26

It is only by the Grace of Guru sahib that we can go further much towards God (Guru’s kirpa). The Guru hastens the spiritual progress of the sikh. Since Guru Sahib is always guiding the sikh in hidden ways, the sikh has to be in return faithful to Guru sahib.

“Guru stays in constant prayer for his disciple”
Quoted by sant narajan singh

“A mortal who receives the amrit of khanda and batta, does Nitnem of seven prayers, refrains from the four bad sins (kurehat literally means misdemeanours) and adopts the five rehats, is then never taken by the angels of death (yamraj). His soul reaches the feet of the Guru straight after death and his consciousness. Then, the great Guru merges that soul with himself and if need be, that devotee is given rebirth in the house of a devout Sikh family, in order to further rejoice in meditation. We can say that whosoever comes to the Guru’s refuge seeking shelter is totally disconnected from dharamraj.”
Quoted by Baba Harnaam Singh Ji from ‘se Kinehiya’

There was a ghost during Sant Ishers Singh’s (rara sahib) time that possessed a being. The ghost explained the uniqueness of the relationship between the sikh and the Guru. During that time when he was a Ghost he witnessed prophets like Buddha and he also saw Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. However, he only went to seek help from Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji because it is only he who can liberate someone from the cycle of birth and death. He stated:

“The sikh is very fortunate because they cannot go to hell. If by any chance by committing a wrong act, they do go to hell for a bad deed Guru Sahib will take the sikh out of hell. The jamdoot cannot come near a Sikh. Guru Ji is always guiding the sikh, teaches his sikh and puts the sikh on the right path if the sikh does wrong. The sikh will eventually reach saach khand, even if it may take many births. If they did not complete their bhagti in their life, Guru Ji will give the sikh another life to complete their bhagti and again until the sikh reaches their destination. Guru ji is always there with the sikh helping them. If someone may perform good deeds without the Guru, you cannot get much; they can get fruits but not mukti. Guru Sahib is the one who showed the true way of life. They can do as much bhagti as one likes but they cannot reach the highest goal. People without Guru Sahib have no peace in their mind; they are always after money; they are after maya. Ego exists in everyone but only through Guru Sahib it can get destroyed and they can finally get released.”

Every religion believes in Dharam Raj but they all have different names for him which was also mentioned by the Ghost. Dharam Raj could have sent the ghost to Buddha to be liberated as he had witnessed Gautama become a Buddha as a ghost. This ghost was a Muslim as a human before becoming a ghost. People respected him highly because he reached a high spiritual stage and was a big preacher but it still didn’t save him from hell. He himself said that he doesn’t want to follow Prophet Muhammad anymore and he wants to follow Guru Sahib as only through him he can find God.

Here is a quote from Prophet Muhammad himself when he gave Baba Harnaam Singh his darshan:

‘‘You are blessed and truly fortunate to whom Guru Nanak Dev Ji has shown the direct and easy method to attain enlightenment of Almighty God especially in this age of kalyug. The followers of the Great Guru Nanak Dev are not deriving the full benefit of his teachings.”

Guru Sahib the giver of strength

In Bhai Rama Singh's book:

"As Guru Gobind Singh Ji provided divine power to Banda Singh Bahadur and instructed to avenge death of the younger sahibzaday that no one could withstand him. In Guru ji's own words "I shall give a single khalsa the strength and courage to fight sava lakh, only then shall I be called Gobind Singh". Banda Singh Bahadur did avenge martyrdom of the younger sahibzaday. Guru Ji gave one Banda Singh Bahadur so much power that no one could stop him. The muslims ruled the whole of india at that time."

Baba Deep singh Ji was also given the same strength that when his head was severed nothing could still overpower him, not even death itself. When a rehatvan sikh asks for strength, Guru sahib always provides strength as a father always cares for his sons needs.

Guru Sahib the protector

The protection that Guru Sahib provides is profound that Guru Sahib protects his rehatvan Sikh from pain of torture. That is how all the Sikhs from the past could put up with so much torture. When the sikh has faith in the word of Guru Sahib the impossible becomes possible, that when the sikh gets loads of blows with heavy rods the sikh will not feel any pain because their consciousness is always focused on God and does not focus on the pain that they are experiencing.

Through Naam we come to accept God’s will in both pleasure and pain. Meaning: we see both the same as being God’s will. When we become a Khalsa, we become more than the walls of this human body. So, if we were to bear tortures we will not experience any pain as a normal human would. Through Guru Sahib we become a slave to God and not a slave to our mind which distinguishes between pain and pleasure. When we mediate on God, what power do we not achieve that is above this world? This is the blessing that is given to us by Guru Sahib which no other follower from other faiths can achieve.

There is an incident of a bibi who was protected by Guru Sahib:

During the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji when the mogul forces were going to do battle Bibi Basant Lata went away with Mata Gujjer Kaur at that critical time to be safe. However Bibi Basant Lata Ji got swept away by the cold but rapidly flowing river water. As the river carried her for some distance, she fell unconscious due to the horrendously cold water. Finally her body was washed up on the side of the riverbank. A Mughal soldier, Samund Khan, seeing Bibi Basant Lata unconscious, took advantage of her vulnerability and took her to his house. When she regained her consciousness, he asked her to accept Islam and become his wife. He said if she accepted his wishes, she would have all the material pleasures that she could ever dream of. Bibi Jee replied: “I could have left my Guru months ago and not had to endure such hardships at Anandpur Sahib. I will never leave my Guru.” Samund Khan was taken aback by Bibi Jee’s response, but thought leaving her locked up and hungry in a cell for eight days would easily break her resolve. Bibi Basant Lata’s health was already in a bad state, but throughout her stay in the cell, she resolved to make Gurbani her Aasra. She sat cross-legged in one spot, but with deep concentration and faith in Vaheguroo, she did Sukhmani Sahib da Paath for those eight days. No fears about the future could remove her concentration from Guru Jee and Gurbani. When Samund Khan came to Bibi Jee after eight days, her resolve was nowhere near broken. This left Samund Khan seething with anger. Evil thoughts crossed his mind. He started to move towards Bibi Jee. Bibi Jee realised the situation, and started praying to Kalgidhaar Dasmesh Pita. Samund Khan was saying in an antagonizing and sarcastic manner “what’s your Guru going to do for you now? Are you ready to accept Islam now?” Bibi Jee responded “My Guru is always with me. You cannot do anything to me.” “Don’t lie … your Guru is nowhere to be seen,” he said in a taunting manner, as he moved further towards Bibi Jee. Bibi Jee started to do Ardaas to Guru Sahib with even greater pyaar and faith. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Bibi Jee said “My Guru is here.” He was now within touching distance of Bibi Jee. He said, “I cannot see him … you’re imagining things.” Bibi Jee said, “you will not be able to see him … you’re a Paapi person, full of the 5 vices. Only those with high Kamayee can see him. My Guru Jee is here with me.” At this instance, Samund Khan tried to move further towards Bibi Jee, yet his body had now frozen. Although he could see with his eyes and speak with his mouth, all his body’s muscle had frozen, as if he was a statue. After a few moments, he was getting freaked out. Bibi Jee had realised what her Guru Jee had done. She asked, “I thought you said my Guru would not save me? I thought you said he was not here?”…

Bhai Avtar Singh Bharma had many encounters with the police and here is one of the most famous ones:

“He was surrounded on many occasions but would escape every time, bellowing insults and challenges at the enemy. One of Bhai Brahma’s most famous encounters occurred in village Manakpur. Bhai Avtar Singh and his fellow Singhs were in the area when the CRPF were tipped off. A total of 20 000 CRPF men flooded the Patti area and began closing in on Manakpur. The Singhs were surrounded and decided the only way out was through the ranks of the CRPF. The battle began and so many bullets were cutting through the air that it looked and sounded like a strong rain was falling. A bullet cut through Bhai Avtar Singh’s right hand and severed his right finger. Bhai Brahma was a Singh of the Bhai Bidhi Chand Dal and he called upon Guru Hargobind Sahib to save him like had once saved Bhai Bidhi Chand. It was as though Guru Sahib was himself protecting his Singh. Bhai Avtar Singh’s clothes and dastaar were marked by many bullet holes but his body was not being touched. Although some of the Singhs with him were martyred, Bhai Avtar Singh managed to break the cordon and escaped into the dark of the night.Bhai Avtar Singh would show people his dastaar and clothes from that night and point out the countless bullet marks. People would be amazed and remark that Guru Sahib Keeps his Singh today, just like he did in the past.”

To be continued…

(In the next article Daas will discuss how they have such faith in Guru Sahib)

Who is a sikh? Who is a Khalsa?

2008-05-25T05:53:00.004+12:00

Guru Sahib has clearly defined what a sikh is:

mÚ 4 ]
ma 4 ||
Fourth Mehla:

gur siqgur kw jo isKu AKwey su Blky auiT hir nwmu iDAwvY ]
gur sathigur kaa jo sikh akhaaeae s bhalakae out(h) har naam dhhiaavai ||
One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name.

audmu kry Blky prBwqI iesnwnu kry AMimRq sir nwvY ]
oudham karae bhalakae parabhaathee eisanaan karae a(n)mrith sar naavai ||
Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar.

aupdyis gurU hir hir jpu jwpY siB iklivK pwp doK lih jwvY ]
oupadhaes guroo har har jap jaapai sabh kilavikh paap dhokh lehi jaavai ||
Following the Instructions of the Guru, he is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased.

iPir cVY idvsu gurbwxI gwvY bhidAw auTidAw hir nwmu iDAwvY ]
fir charrai dhivas gurabaanee gaavai behadhiaa out(h)adhiaa har naam dhhiaavai ||
Then, at the rising of the sun, he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, he is to meditate on the Lord's Name.

jo swis igrwis iDAwey myrw hir hir so gurisKu gurU min BwvY ]
jo saas giraas dhhiaaeae maeraa har har so gurasikh guroo man bhaavai ||
One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food - that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru's Mind.

ijs no dieAwlu hovY myrw suAwmI iqsu gurisK gurU aupdysu suxwvY ]
jis no dhaeiaal hovai maeraa suaamee this gurasikh guroo oupadhaes sunaavai ||
That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate - upon that GurSikh, the Guru's Teachings are bestowed.

jnu nwnku DUiV mMgY iqsu gurisK kI jo Awip jpY Avrh nwmu jpwvY ]2]
jan naanak dhhoorr ma(n)gai this gurasikh kee jo aap japai avareh naam japaavai ||2||
Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. ||2||
Page 305

A sikh is someone who has become Guru-wala and follows the instructions of Guru sahib. Just as someone does not become a student until they apply for their school same way we cannot become a sikh of the Guru without taking amrit.

In the first line Guru Sahib has stressed on the importance of rising for amritvela. If one fails to get up for amritvela they cannot be considered a sikh of the Guru because a student (sikh) should always be punctual, ready, dedicated when arriving to their lessons for their teacher (Guru). If one fails to get up for amritvela their day will also be fruitless since japing naam at amritvela helps keep our naam going throughout the day. It has been said that Amritvela is like winding a clock which will keep it ticking throughout the day. If we fail to get up for amritvela this would make our Guru disappointed with our actions since we gave our head to him so our whole life should be devoted to him.

Similarly, amritvela is our lesson where we get registered daily for our attendance or absence. If the student does not arrive to their lessons they will be considered a lazy, careless student and soon if the student fails to attend all lessons it will be the choice of the teacher whether to expel the student from the school since you cannot be a student if you don’t attend the school. The student will not be progressing within their education and will not be learning anything which is the purpose of being a student. Just as a sikh who does not follow the basic instructions of our Guru is not making any progression or learning anything.

As a sikh our goal is to seek and desire to meet God. If that is not what we want to achieve then we are not fulfilling the purpose of being a sikh. When we became initiated our panj pyare gave us naam and bestowed the teachings of Guru Sahib upon us. From that day our whole life has to be only in service to God. If we fail to keep our basic rehit given to us by our panj pyare in order to keep our amrit alive, we will eventually break our bondages with Guru Sahib since we will be loosing our amrit day after day.

Guru sahib has stated: jo swis igrwis iDAwey myrw hir hir so gurisKu gurU min BwvY ]

When we recite Naam with each and every breath and morsel of food, that Gursikh is pleasing to Guru Sahib. Therefore every other action where we are not capable of remembering God should be avoided:

kauqk kof qmwisAw iciq n Awvsu nwau ]
kouthak kodd thamaasiaa chith n aavas naao ||
In the midst of millions of games and entertainments, the Lord's Name does not come to their minds.
Page 707

This has proven that those activities which have no purpose and only bring pleasure to our mind will not be pleasing to our Guru e.g. tv, games, etc. Baba Harnaam singh has stated: “Sikhs do not watch tv, Guru Ji gets annoyed if you do.” He had stated that watching tv has a bad influence on the individuals concentration.

There was an incident during the time of Baba Harnaam singh about someone called Sadhu Singh. He would hear celestial music (anhad shabad) and would recite naam 24 hours of the day. However, once he watched tv he lost all his spirituality. He could no longer hear celestial music and could not recite naam 24/7. During that time there was no sound available from tv however even that had a large effect on his concentration. He became so addicted to tv that he could never leave it, he would watch it all day. All he would talk about was what he watched. He would forget about God and no longer followed the instructions of Guru Sahib.

“kalyug (master of darkness) have placed TV in all homes and turned them into cinema halls; Well done! You have stealthily absorbed the time of Rehras and now people watch TV instead. Whatever we watch at night now roams freely in our imaginations. Sleeping late at night after watching TV, you have stolen the ambrosial hours of dawn from people. It is your age and your rule. Only a fortunate few ones have escaped your influence.”
From Sei Kineya

mÚ 2 ]
ma 2 ||
Second Mehla:

AwKxu AwiK n rijAw sunix n rjy kMn ]
aakhan aakh n rajiaa sunan n rajae ka(n)n ||
The mouth is not satisfied by speaking, and the ears are not satisfied by hearing.

AKI dyiK n rjIAw gux gwhk iek vMn ]
akhee dhaekh n rajeeaa gun gaahak eik va(n)n ||
The eyes are not satisfied by seeing-each organ seeks out one sensory quality.

BuiKAw BuK n auqrY glI BuK n jwie ]
bhukhiaa bhukh n outharai galee bhukh n jaae ||
The hunger of the hungry is not appeased; by mere words, hunger is not relieved.

nwnk BuKw qw rjY jw gux kih guxI smwie ]2]
naanak bhukhaa thaa rajai jaa gun kehi gunee samaae ||2||
O Nanak, hunger is relieved only when one utters the Glorious Praises of the Praiseworthy Lord. ||2||
Page 147

All these forms of maya that become a large distraction to us have become our drug. Just as a smoker cannot give up smoking, those that watch tv cannot live a day without it. They have become attached to Maya and broken their bondage with Guru Sahib. We have forgotten where true love comes from and what the real true drug is – Naam. Ultimately, tv destroys our concentration, discourages us to jap naam, so it takes us further away from God and Guru sahib. Guru Sahib has given his Sikhs the instructions to jap naam to achieve their goal. Therefore, as Sikhs we are supposed to spend as much time in devotion to God because this life is given to us to complete our bhagti.

Nowadays, people refrain from righteous deeds as if it is a sin and carelessly commit sin or wrong actions. Since maya is always increasing there are many forms of distraction where we engage in many useless activities e.g. on the internet, games, etc. Those Sikhs that remain awake and aware are the swans that take what’s good from this human birth whilst others waste it away.

horqu rMig n rcIAY sBu kUVu idsMdw]
horath rang n racheeai sabh koorr dhisandhaa|
Love none but the Guru, all other Love is false.

horqu swid n lgIAY hoie ivsu lgMdw]
horath saadh n lageeai hoe vis lagandhaa|
Enjoy no other relish than his, for it would be poisonous.

horqu rwg n rIJIAY suix suK n lhMdw]
horath raag n reejheeai sun sukh n lehandhaa|
Be not pleased with any one else’s singing, for listening to it would bring no happiness.

horu burI krqUiq hY lgY Plu mMdw]
hor buree karathooth hai lagai fal mandhaa|
All acts not in conformity with the Guru’s teaching, are evil, and bear evil fruit.

horqu pMiQ n clIAY Tgu coru muhMdw]
horath panth n chaleeai thag chor muhandhaa|
Walk only in the way of the True Guru, because in all other ways, there are thieves who cheat and rob.

pIr murIdW iprhVI scu sic imlµdw ]11]
peer mureedhaa pireharree sach sach milandhaa |11|
The Love of the Guru’s Sikhs for the Guru causes their soul to blend their Truth
with the Truth.(11)

dUjI Aws ivxwsu hY pUrI ikau hovY]
dhoojee aas vinaas hai pooree kio hovai|
Other hopes (excepts Lord’s) are ruination, how could they be accomplished.

dUjw moh su DRoh sBu Ehu AMiq ivgovY]
dhoojaa moh s dhroh sabh ouhu anth vigovai|
Other infatuations are delusion which ultimately lead (man) astray.

dUjw krmu suBrm hY kir Avgux rovY]
dhoojaa karam subharam hai kar avagun rovai|
Other actions are deceits by which man cultivates demerits and suffers.

dUjw sMgu kuFMgu hY ikau BirAw DovY]
dhoojaa sang kutang hai kio bhariaa dhovai|
The company of the sense of otherness is perfidious way of living, and how it could wash away the sinful life.

dUjw Bwau kudwau hY hwir jnmu KlovY]
dhoojaa bhaao kudhaao hai haar janam khalovai|
The otherness is a wrong stake which ultimately makes one lose the (battle of) life.

pIr murIdW iprhVI gux guxI provY ]12]
peer mureedhaa pireharree gun gunee parovai |12|
The Love between the Sikhs and the Guru, bring the meritorious people closer and makes them one (sangat).(12)
Bhai Gurdaas ji’s vaara (27)

From following the instructions of Guru Sahib the sikh will eventually become purified.

siqgur ipCY Bij pvih eyhw krxI swru ]
sathigur pishai bhaj pavehi eaehaa karanee saar |
They should worship and follow the True Guru-this is the lifestyle of excellence.

siqguru KoitAhu Kry kry sbid svwrxhwru ]
sathigur khottiahu kharae karae sabadh savaaranehaar |
The True Guru converts the counterfeit into genuine; through the Word of the Shabad, He embellishes and exalts us.

scI drgh mMnIAin gur kY pRym ipAwir ]
sachee dharageh manneean gur kai praem piaar |
Those who have enshrined love and affection for the Guru, are honored in the True Court.

gxq iqnw dI ko ikAw kry jo Awip bKsy krqwir ]12]
ganath thinaa dhee ko kiaa karae jo aap bakhasae karathaar |12|
Who can estimate the value of those who have been forgiven by the Creator Lord Himself? ||12||
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On purifying the sikh, they become a Khalsa. We do not become a Khalsa when we take amrit because Guru sahib has said:

"Khalsa mero roop hai khaas.
The Khalsa is my complete image

Khalse maih hau karo nivaas.
I dwell in the khalsa

Khalsa mero mukh hai ang-aa.
Khalsa is my chief organ

Khalse ke hau sadh sadh sang-aa.
I am always with the khalsa

Khalsa mero mitr sakhaa-ee
Khalsa is my closest friend

Khalsa maat pitaa sukhdaa-ee
Khalsa is my mother, father & source of all comforts.

Khalsa meri jaat ar pat.
Khalsa is my caste & creed.

Khalsa sau maa kau utapat.
My creation is through the khalsa

Khalsa mero bhavan bhand-aa-raa.
I dwell in the khalsa who is a storehouse of all my requirements.

Khalse kar mero satk-aa-raa.
I am honoured because of the khalsa.

Khalsa mero pind par-aan.
Khalsa is my body & breath.

Khalsa meri jaan ki jaan.
Khalsa is my life & soul

Khalsa mera satgur poor-aa
Khalsa is my full-fledged Guru.

Khalsa mera sajan soor-aa.
Khalsa is my brave friend.

Khalsa mero budh ar giaan.
Khalsa is my wisdom & knowledge.

As a sikh we are still able to make mistakes e.g. slander, cheat, thus having the qualities which are the opposite of Guru sahib. Khalsa is a pure being who is a Gurmukh. We only become pure once we erase sins and negativity of our inner being.

^wlsw soie nwm riq lwgy ]
khhaalasaa soe naam rath laagae ||
He is the Khalsa who remains imbued in the True Name of the Lord.
Thankhaanama Bhai Nand Laal Jee

jnu nwnku DUiV mMgY iqsu gurisK kI jo Awip jpY Avrh nwmu jpwvY ]2]

Guru Sahib is ever pleased with that Khalsa who upon japing naam inspires others to jap naam. The reason for this being is because not only did they carve truth in their minds because they are carving truth wherever they go. They don’t live to please themselves but makes their whole life as a sacrifice to Guru Sahib and to the panth. Their lives from then has already become a sacrifice to Guru Sahib and to the panth that if they had to do shaheedi it would come naturally. These Sikhs are extremely thirsty for the blessed vision of God that they will do anything for it.

hau GolI jIau Goil GumweI gur drsn sMq ipAwry jIau ]1] rhwau ]
ho gholee jeeo ghol ghumaaee gur dharasan sa(n)th piaarae jeeo ||1|| rehaao ||
I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice, to the Blessed Vision of the Beloved Saint Guru. ||1||Pause||
Page 96

Sukhmani Sahib

2008-05-18T01:44:00.005+12:00

Sukhmani sahib was given to us by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. It has been said that Guru Arjan Dev ji was sitting near Ramsar Sarowar at an isolated place and peaceful place at Amritsar. He was reflecting on the spiritual destruction caused by Kalyug on the people in this world. The sangat requested Guru Arjan Dev Ji for a way to escape the fearful effect of Kalyug on humanity. At their request, one morning, Guru ji wrote Sukhmani sahib near the Sarowar Ramsar.

Therefore, the main purpose of why Sukhmani sahib was composed by Guru Arjan Dev Ji was to bring fearless ness to his Sikhs and to free them away from spiritual destruction. Many Sikhs cannot keep a steady path to God since the five evils (lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment and ego) and maya are always plotting ways to cause a downfall in to the sikh on their journey to God. The reason for this is because it is either they or our soul that will govern this body, each and every second there is a constant battle with them through the mind. Our spiritual destruction is ultimately caused when we forget God because that is when evil has lurked in our mind. God is all love and truth and any other thought or action that was not done in the remembrance of God was evil which disconnected us from God.

The reason why at all times when we read sukhmani sahib just once we are free from spiritual destruction is because it has been quoted by sant narajan singh:

“Sukhmani sahib has 24 astpadis. Ever astpadi has eight pauris and a salok. Each Pauri has ten hymns. This bani has twenty four thousand words. A human being takes about 24 thousand breaths in 24 hours of the day. Sukhmani recited once in a day with love and faith, is “safal” for the 24 thousand breaths taken in the day”

Therefore since sukhmani sahib contains the same amount of words human breaths our mind will be always connected with God. Our mind will never forget God and our day will be fruitful. If recited daily in the morning before performing a daily tasks, never will we make any mistake which will take us further away from God. The reason for this is because the anti-forces (5 evils) existing in us will never have a chance to attack us through our mind because our mind is always attuned to God. There will be not any negative forces; instead we will only receive good forces. Thus, it will make us long for the desire to meet God and spend more time in meditation so that we can attain him.

ATy phr iekqY ilvY mMnyin hukmu Apwru ]
at(h)ae pehar eikathai livai ma(n)naen hukam apaar ||
Twenty-four hours a day, they are lovingly absorbed in the One Lord; they surrender and accept the Will of the Infinite Lord.
959

Sukhmani sahib was composed to help us escape the fearful effect of Kalyug, therefore it will give us fearlessness. Since it will keep us fearless 24 hours of the day, we will become more connected with God because the cause of fear is when we are separated from God who is the source of all power and fearlessness. Thus, sukhmani sahib helps us keep one with the energy of fearlessness (God). We shall always walk on Guru ji’s path and will not move the wrong way. There will be no obstacles blocking our spirituality for development.

"Sukhmani" actually means some thing which gives peace of mind or happiness. Therefore, one that reads it, it will give them tranquility of mind and a sense of inner bliss. Therefore, we will be always walking in God’s will in harmony since we will always be happy with whatever occurs to us in our daily lives. If we are always happy in the will of God, how can we be affected by the 5 evils? When people feel upset is only caused by our greed. We don’t feel satisfied with how much God has given us now but still expect more from God. Therefore, automatically this makes us go against God! What God does is perfect, but we put God down by feeling that what happened is the imperfection of God. How can we not be happy with what God is pleased with? Accepting his will is a very big act and Guru Sahib has said:

mwin AwigAw srb suK pwey dUKh Twau gvwieE ]
maan aagiaa sarab sukh paaeae dhookheh t(h)aao gavaaeiou ||
Accepting the Command of the Lord's Will, I have found total peace; the home of suffering has been destroyed.
209

And

hukim mMinAY hovY prvwxu qw KsmY kw mhlu pwiesI ]
hukam ma(n)niai hovai paravaan thaa khasamai kaa mehal paaeisee ||
Obeying the Order of His Will, he becomes acceptable, and then, he obtains the Mansion of the Lord's Presence.
471

The reason why such a being who accepts his will shall obtain God is because they have completely surrendered to God; to his will.

AMgIkwru Ehu kry qyrw kwrj siB svwrxw ]
a(n)geekaar ouhu karae thaeraa kaaraj sabh savaaranaa ||
He will accept You as His own, and all your affairs will be perfectly arranged.
917

The reason why our worldly affairs are arranged is because we freed ourselves from difficulties. We always remained under the command of God, put all our faith on God; therefore we truly offered our mind to God so all our affairs are resolved. By daily reciting Sukhmani sahib ultimately peace shall abide within us and all difficulties will vanish in our life. Therefore the mysteries of God will be shown to us.

nwnk hir kw Bwxw mMny so Bgqu hoie ivxu mMny kcu inkcu ]1]
naanak har kaa bhaanaa ma(n)nae so bhagath hoe vin ma(n)nae kach nikach ||1||
O Nanak, one who accepts the Will of the Lord is His devotee. Without accepting it, he is the falsest of the false. ||1||
950

There are many sants that read sukhmani sahib but often more than one:

Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Bhindrawale used to read a minimum of 2 Sukhmani Sahib Paath.
Baba Nand Singh Nanaksar-wale used to read a minimum of 5 Sukhmani Sahib Paath.
Bhai Gurbachan singh manochahal would do 5 sukhmani sahib paath.
Bhai Sahib Randhir singh used to do almost non-stop sukhmani sahib.
Etc.

Giani Thakur Singh ji of Damdami Taksal said that Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji Maharaj used to tell his Sikhs to do Sukhmani Sahib in the morning. He also said that Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj in writing Sukhmani Sahib told Bhai Gurdass Ji that in this dark age of kaliyug he wants to give his Sikhs to read Bani that if recited once a day can make their 24000 swaas (breaths) worthy and successful. Therefore, this shows that reading Sukhmani sahib with one mind will bless their devotee with ath pehar naam abhiyaas. During our daily tasks we often forget God, especially during work. However if before doing our daily tasks; in the morning we recite the whole of sukhmani sahib our day will be fruitful, all happiness will come to abide in our mind, we will always remember God 24/7 and in the end we will reach God.

A companion of Bhai sahib Randhir singh; Bhai Atma Singh Panjokhra used to tell sikhs that if a Singh wants to be a laadla Singh of Guru Sahib, he should do paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib without fail. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee said that those that desire Vaheguru, want to attain naam should to do as many paaths of Siri Sukhmani Sahib as possible. Therefore, Sukhmani sahib gives all the qualities of a sikh, so they will move away from manmukh and becoming a Gurmukh. Only those that are Gurmukh can be accepted in saach-khand. Those that are manmukhs are ones that do not remain under Guru ji’s order; his will. They follow the desires of the mind, and thus they will always be unhappy, whereas the Gurmukh stays under the order of Guru Ji and maintains inner peace.

As a result, anyone who desires to be a true devotee of Guru Sahib; who is unaffected by the anti-forces of the 5 evils should no matter what do sukhmani sahib without fail mainly in the morning before starting daily tasks. There are so many distractions; evil in this world but by reciting sukhmani sahib at least once will make all actions worldly and spiritually fruitful. No second will be wasted in vain. Since sukhmani sahib is the jewel of happiness, it will most defiantly be guaranteed in this world and the next world. True happiness can only be found from God, therefore it leads us towards the source of all happiness; God.

Attachment and reliance on Mortals

2008-05-11T03:44:00.002+12:00

In this age and time, people prefer the friendship and love to humans than God. The reason for this is because they see God to be far away, when he is really close at hand. No one in this world knows us better than God since God is the knower of all hearts. He is the one that knows us well since he created us. He made us into the person we stand today. He knows our strengths and weaknesses.

hir AMqrjwmI sB ibiD jwxY qw iksu pih AwiK suxweIAY ]
har a(n)tharajaamee sabh bidhh jaanai thaa kis pehi aakh sunaaeeai ||
The Lord, the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts, knows all about my state of mind; so who else should I go to and speak to?

Why attach ourselves to mortals when they cannot give anything for our soul. They are all in the same place as us – the worldly ocean. Will they help ferry us across? If they cannot save us, what use is their association then? Who did we originate from; the creation or creator? Who gave us this human life? Mortals don't have the power to do anything. They are under the power of God. What point is it attaching ourselves to humans when they can’t stay with us till the very end? There is no other except God, so who else is there?

God created us and he alone shall go with us. He is the one that personified us, so he knows us well than anybody else. From the beginning God has cherished us and taken care of our well being. He is the one who keeps on giving us everything, who has given us life, who preserved from the fire of the womb, who fed us as a child, who gave us shelter, who gave us pleasure, etc. No mortal has the power to do this.

AwKix joru cupY nh joru ]
aakhan jor chupai neh jor ||
No power to speak, no power to keep silent.

joru n mMgix dyix n joru ]
jor n ma(n)gan dhaen n jor ||
No power to beg, no power to give.

joru n jIvix mrix nh joru ]
jor n jeevan maran neh jor ||
No power to live, no power to die.

joru n rwij mwil min soru ]
jor n raaj maal man sor ||
No power to rule, with wealth and occult mental powers.

joru n surqI igAwin vIcwir ]
jor n surathee giaan veechaar ||
No power to gain intuitive understanding, spiritual wisdom and meditation.

joru n jugqI CutY sMswru ]
jor n jugathee shhuttai sa(n)saar ||
No power to find the way to escape from the world.

ijsu hiQ joru kir vyKY soie ]
jis hathh jor kar vaekhai soe ||
He alone has the Power in His Hands. He watches over all.

nwnk auqmu nIcu n koie ]33]
naanak outham neech n koe ||33||
O Nanak, no one is high or low. ||33||

If we didn’t seek the protection and love of God while on earth, why would God care to hear our wailing when we die? Instead we will be seen as cheaters. We didn’t think of the creator who personified us and took care of us while alive but when we die without our companions that is when we seek his help. God does everything for our well being. There was nothing he has ever done in hatred to us because God is without hate. It is only us who fails to show love. After all that God has done for us, what more could we want.

AstpdI ]
asattapadhee ||
Ashtapadee:

ds bsqU ly pwCY pwvY ]
dhas basathoo lae paashhai paavai ||
He obtains ten things, and puts them behind him;

eyk bsqu kwrin ibKoit gvwvY ]
eaek basath kaaran bikhott gavaavai ||
for the sake of one thing withheld, he forfeits his faith.

eyk BI n dyie ds BI ihir lyie ]
eaek bhee n dhaee dhas bhee hir laee ||
But what if that one thing were not given, and the ten were taken away?

qau mUVw khu khw kryie ]
tho moorraa kahu kehaa karaee ||
Then, what could the fool say or do?

ijsu Twkur isau nwhI cwrw ]
jis t(h)aakur sio naahee chaaraa ||
Our Lord and Master cannot be moved by force.

qw kau kIjY sd nmskwrw ]
thaa ko keejai sadh namasakaaraa ||
Unto Him, bow forever in adoration.

jw kY min lwgw pRBu mITw ]
jaa kai man laagaa prabh meet(h)aa ||
That one, unto whose mind God seems sweet

srb sUK qwhU min vUTw ]
sarab sookh thaahoo man voot(h)aa ||
all pleasures come to abide in his mind.

ijsu jn Apnw hukmu mnwieAw ]
jis jan apanaa hukam manaaeiaa ||
One who abides by the Lord's Will,

srb Qok nwnk iqin pwieAw ]1]
sarab thhok naanak thin paaeiaa ||1||
O Nanak, obtains all things. ||1||

If we give our mind to Guru ji, all our desires/hopes will be fulfilled. If we put our entire reliance and faith in Guru ji, all actions will come to avail. We cannot put our legs in two boats. Seeking others help shows our lack of faith in Guru Ji. It shows our lack of believe that God is all power the fulfiller of everyone’s desires. By attaching ourselves to this world, only leaves pain in the end because it is like the shadow of a tree that passes by. Once it passes by, what do we have now? The reason why manmukhs are banished to hell is because in the afterlife everything is truth and love. Since they didn’t attach themselves to this, there is no place for them to go except hell. They go to where they attached their mind to. If we attach ourselves to God, we will go to where he originates. If there was still double-mindedness; duality, we have to return to this world because of our attachment to Maya.

rwmklI mhlw 5 ]
raamakalee mehalaa 5 ||
Raamkalee, Fifth Mehla:

ibrQw Brvwsw lok ]
birathhaa bharavaasaa lok ||
Reliance on mortal man is useless.

Twkur pRB qyrI tyk ]
t(h)aakur prabh thaeree ttaek ||
O God, my Lord and Master, You are my only Support.

Avr CUtI sB Aws ]
avar shhoottee sabh aas ||
I have discarded all other hopes.

AicMq Twkur Byty guxqws ]1]
achi(n)th t(h)aakur bhaettae gunathaas ||1||
I have met with my carefree Lord and Master, the treasure of virtue. ||1||

eyko nwmu iDAwie mn myry ]
eaeko naam dhhiaae man maerae ||
Meditate on the Name of the Lord alone, O my mind.

kwrju qyrw hovY pUrw hir hir hir gux gwie mn myry ]1] rhwau ]
kaaraj thaeraa hovai pooraa har har har gun gaae man maerae ||1|| rehaao ||
Your affairs shall be perfectly resolved; sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, Har, O my mind. ||1||Pause||

qum hI kwrn krn ]
thum hee kaaran karan ||
You are the Doer, the Cause of causes.

crn kml hir srn ]
charan kamal har saran ||
Your lotus feet, Lord, are my Sanctuary.

min qin hir EhI iDAwieAw ]
man than har ouhee dhhiaaeiaa ||
I meditate on the Lord in my mind and body.

Awnµd hir rUp idKwieAw ]2]
aana(n)dh har roop dhikhaaeiaa ||2||
The blissful Lord has revealed His form to me. ||2||

iqs hI kI Et sdIv ]
this hee kee outt sadheev ||
I seek His eternal support;

jw ky kIny hY jIv ]
jaa kae keenae hai jeev ||
He is the Creator of all beings.

ismrq hir krq inDwn ]
simarath har karath nidhhaan ||
Remembering the Lord in meditation, the treasure is obtained.

rwKnhwr indwn ]3]
raakhanehaar nidhaan ||3||
At the very last instant, He shall be your Savior. ||3||

srb kI ryx hovIjY ]
sarab kee raen hoveejai ||
Be the dust of all men's feet.

Awpu imtwie imlIjY ]
aap mittaae mileejai ||
Eradicate self-conceit, and merge in the Lord.

Anidnu iDAweIAY nwmu ]
anadhin dhhiaaeeai naam ||
Night and day, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

sPl nwnk iehu kwmu ]4]33]44]
safal naanak eihu kaam ||4||33||44||
O Nanak, this is the most rewarding activity. ||4||33||44||

All attachment and reliance should be on Guru Sahib. Our Guru is always there with open arms ready to embrace us with love but we always lack the love to show it in return. When we become amritdhari’s our Guru is literally always with us. He sees how much love we show back to him but we carelessly waste our time forgetting about the promise we made to him the day we gave our head.

If we were able to see Guru Sahib standing with us, how would we act? What will we do differently? Would we be more careful about the wrong actions we take in our day-to-day lives? Surely if everyone could see Guru Sahib with them, they will never waste any second of theirs. All their time away from work would be spent on naam and Gurbani abhiyaas.

Useless talking with mortals

kbIr jI Gru 1
kabeer jee ghar 1
Kabeer Jee, First House:

<> siqgur pRswid ]
ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh ||
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

sMqu imlY ikCu sunIAY khIAY ]
sa(n)th milai kishh suneeai keheeai ||
When you meet a Saint, talk to him and listen.

imlY AsMqu msit kir rhIAY ]1]
milai asa(n)th masatt kar reheeai ||1||
Meeting with an unsaintly person, just remain silent. ||1||

bwbw bolnw ikAw khIAY ]
baabaa bolanaa kiaa keheeai ||
O father, if I speak, what words should I utter?

jYsy rwm nwm riv rhIAY ]1] rhwau ]
jaisae raam naam rav reheeai ||1|| rehaao ||
Speak such words, by which you may remain absorbed in the Name of the Lord. ||1||Pause||

sMqn isau boly aupkwrI ]
sa(n)than sio bolae oupakaaree ||
Speaking with the Saints, one becomes generous.

mUrK isau boly JK mwrI ]2]
moorakh sio bolae jhakh maaree ||2||
To speak with a fool is to babble uselessly. ||2||

bolq bolq bFih ibkwrw ]
bolath bolath badtehi bikaaraa ||
By speaking and only speaking, corruption only increases.

ibnu boly ikAw krih bIcwrw ]3]
bin bolae kiaa karehi beechaaraa ||3||
If I do not speak, what can the poor wretch do? ||3||

khu kbIr CUCw Gtu bolY ]
kahu kabeer shhooshhaa ghatt bolai ||
Says Kabeer, the empty pitcher makes noise,

BirAw hoie su kbhu n folY ]4]1]
bhariaa hoe s kabahu n ddolai ||4||1||
but that which is full makes no sound. ||4||1||

The shabad above clearly sums up how useless talk increases corruption and thus takes us further away from God. However for those that spend their time on naam and Gurbani abhiyaas automatically don’t talk because their mind is always attuned to God. The need of talking will no longer exist. Corruption only increases since we are not staying on guard, watchful of our actions, therefore the 5 evils can easily loot our virtue away. Gurbani and naam is what satisfies us which is why Guru ji said those who talk a lot are like an empty pitcher. They are empty inside because maya doesn’t give anything to our soul but just creates more separation from God.

swcI pRIiq hm qum isau jorI ]
saachee preeth ham thum sio joree ||
I am joined in true love with You, Lord.

qum isau joir Avr sMig qorI ]3]
thum sio jor avar sa(n)g thoree ||3||
I am joined with You, and I have broken with all others. ||3||

jh jh jwau qhw qyrI syvw ]
jeh jeh jaao thehaa thaeree saevaa ||
Wherever I go, there I serve You.

qum so Twkuru Aauru n dyvw ]4]
thum so t(h)aakur aour n dhaevaa ||4||
There is no other Lord Master than You, O Divine Lord. ||4||

Wherever we go there is only God. We should be ready to serve God all the time. By attaching yourself to Gurbani and naam, you will break the bonds with mortals.

When people go to the Gurdwara it often becomes a social place for them to meet with their friends. We take our mind away from Guru Sahib and focus our mind on our friends. We forget the purpose of coming to the Gurdwara which is to the meet our Guru. When we see Sri Guru Granth sahib ji, what do we see; a book or our living Guru? The form of Sri Guru Granth sahib doesn’t determine whether it is living or non-living. Sri Guru Granth sahib ji has the same light that existed in our human form Guru’s. Therefore it should be treated exactly the same.

Loving attachment to spouse or before marriage

If you found out you were going to die in a few seconds, how would you react? Will you suddenly then realize that all loving attachment we created was false because we are going to die soon. If we are not married and we found out we are not going to get married will be stop thinking about the opposite gender. We should avoid attaching ourselves to the opposite gender because there is a chance we could never get married. From what Daas has learnt from this world is that attachment to maya only leaves pain and exhaustion in the end.

Ab hm clI Twkur pih hwir ]
ab ham chalee t(h)aakur pehi haar ||
Now, I have come, exhausted, to my Lord and Master.

jb hm srix pRBU kI AweI rwKu pRBU BwvY mwir ]1] rhwau ]
jab ham saran prabhoo kee aaee raakh prabhoo bhaavai maar ||1|| rehaao ||
Now that I have come seeking Your Sanctuary, God, please, either save me, or kill me. ||1||Pause||

We should all prepare ourselves for death so that we may not have to die again. Even though we are not dead but if we are in love with maya mentally we are dead. Love with our spouse in this world is totally false. As Sikhs we do not believe in soul mates which is why our Guru encouraged widows to re-marry. The purpose of marriage is solely to bring us closer to God. If love with our spouse is not false then why does Guru Sahib countless times say:

mwq ipqw klqR suq bylI nwhI ibnu hir rs mukiq n kInw hy ]10]
maath pithaa kalathr suth baelee naahee bin har ras mukath n keenaa hae ||10||
Mother, father, spouse and child - none is anyone's friend in the end. Without the Lord's Love, no one is liberated. ||10||

puqR klqRü mohu hyqu hY sBu duKu sbwieAw ]
puthr kalathra mohu haeth hai sabh dhukh sabaaeiaa ||
Love and attachment to children and spouse is total misery and pain.

mwq ipqw BweI suq binqw ihqu lwgo sB Pn kw ]1] rhwau ]
maath pithaa bhaaee suth banithaa hith laago sabh fan kaa ||1|| rehaao ||
Love and attachment to mother, father, sibling, child and spouse, is all just an illusion. ||1||Pause||

mwq ipqw binqw suq bMDp iest mIq Aru BweI ] pUrb jnm ky imly sMjogI AMqih ko n shweI ]1]
maath pithaa banithaa suth ba(n)dhhap eisatt meeth ar bhaaee || poorab janam kae milae sa(n)jogee a(n)thehi ko n sehaaee ||1||
Mother, father, spouse, children, relatives, lovers, friends and siblings meet, having been associated in previous lives; but none of them will be your companion and support in the end. ||1||

If marriage was true then what happened to our spouse from previous lives? Where have they gone now? In this life they might have married some one else. When our spouse dies, we are no longer married to them which is why Guru sahib has said:

puqR klqR n sMig Dnw hir AivnwsI Ehu ]
puthr kalathr n sa(n)g dhhanaa har avinaasee ouhu ||
Neither son, nor spouse, nor wealth shall go along with you-only the Eternal Lord.

suq binqw Awpn nhI BweI ]
suth banithaa aapan nehee bhaaee ||
Children, spouse and siblings are not yours.

Marriage in this world is temporal but marriage with God is permanent and true. Every thing in this world is complete false. Daas has never found ever-lasting happiness from this world. No matter how times Daas has searched for it has only made Daas feel upset and weary. When we search for love from the world, we are actually searching for God but God cannot be found outwardly but inwardly by attuning ourselves with naam.

When we see the opposite gender that we may admire we enjoy seeing their sight, being in their presence. It makes us feel happy. It increases our love for the mortal. But we are forgetting that this is only the creation, the creator is LIMITLESS!! Just like we are departed from our spouse for a long time we begin to miss them. But then how long have we not seen our Husband lord? How long have we been separated from God? For how long will we delay more time? Now is the chance to meet God so make most of it now. Mortals in this world are in love in maya and the pleasures of it but none have found the love of God. This is only the creation we feel in love with but imagine how great the vision, love, pleasure of God is. God is the creator he has made all we feel attached to.

swcy swihbw ikAw nwhI Gir qyrY ]
saachae saahibaa kiaa naahee ghar thaerai ||
O my True Lord and Master, what is there which is not in Your celestial home?

Gir q qyrY sBu ikCu hY ijsu dyih su pwvey ]
ghar th thaerai sabh kishh hai jis dhaehi s paaveae ||
Everything is in Your home; they receive, unto whom You give.

Everything in this world can be found in naam. But the only difference is the pleasure, love; experience received from naam is limitless and far better. It is only the creation where we get enjoyment out of, so there must be something magnificent from the creator who created this. There must be something amazing from the creator. So, let us not get entangled in this false world but experience the love and pleasure of naam. Even those in Saach-khand are experiencing more and more enjoyment. Their pleasure never ends.

Awsw Gru 3 mhlw 5
aasaa ghar 3 mehalaa 5
Aasaa, Third House, Fifth Mehla:

<> siqgur pRswid ]
ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh ||
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

rwj imlk jobn igRh soBw rUpvMqu juoAwnI ]
raaj milak joban grih sobhaa roopava(n)th juoaanee ||
Power, property, youth, household, fame and the beauty of youth;

bhuqu drbu hsqI Aru GoVy lwl lwK bY AwnI ]
bahuth dharab hasathee ar ghorrae laal laakh bai aanee ||
great wealth, elephants, horses and jewels, purchased with tens of thousands of dollars;

AwgY drgih kwim n AwvY Coif clY AiBmwnI ]1]
aagai dharagehi kaam n aavai shhodd chalai abhimaanee ||1||
hereafter, these shall be of no avail in the Court of the Lord; the proud must depart, leaving them behind. ||1||

kwhy eyk ibnw icqu lweIAY ]
kaahae eaek binaa chith laaeeai ||
Why center your consciousness on any other than the Lord?

aUTq bYTq sovq jwgq sdw sdw hir iDAweIAY ]1] rhwau ]
oot(h)ath bait(h)ath sovath jaagath sadhaa sadhaa har dhhiaaeeai ||1|| rehaao ||
Sitting down, standing up, sleeping and waking, forever and ever, meditate on the Lord. ||1||Pause||

mhw bicqR suMdr AwKwVy rx mih ijqy pvwVy ]
mehaa bachithr su(n)dhar aakhaarrae ran mehi jithae pavaarrae ||
He may have the most wondrous and beautiful arenas, and be victorious on the field of battle.

hau mwrau hau bMDau Cofau muK qy eyv bbwVy ]
ho maaro ho ba(n)dhho shhoddo mukh thae eaev babaarrae ||
He may proclaim, ""I can kill anyone, I can capture anyone, and I can release anyone.""

AwieAw hukmu pwrbRhm kw Coif cilAw eyk idhwVy ]2]
aaeiaa hukam paarabreham kaa shhodd chaliaa eaek dhihaarrae ||2||
But when the Order comes from the Supreme Lord God, he departs and leaves in a day. ||2||

krm Drm jugiq bhu krqw krxYhwru n jwnY ]
karam dhharam jugath bahu karathaa karanaihaar n jaanai ||
He may perform all sorts of religious rituals and good actions, but he does not know the Creator Lord, the Doer of all.

aupdysu krY Awip n kmwvY qqu sbdu n pCwnY ]
oupadhaes karai aap n kamaavai thath sabadh n pashhaanai ||
He teaches, but does not practice what he preaches; he does not realize the essential reality of the Word of the Shabad.

nWgw AwieAw nWgo jwsI ijau hsqI Kwku CwnY ]3]
naa(n)gaa aaeiaa naa(n)go jaasee jio hasathee khaak shhaanai ||3||
Naked he came, and naked he shall depart; he is like an elephant, throwing dust on himself. ||3||

sMq sjn sunhu siB mIqw JUTw eyhu pswrw ]
sa(n)th sajan sunahu sabh meethaa jhoot(h)aa eaehu pasaaraa ||
O Saints, and friends, listen to me: all this world is false.

myrI myrI kir kir fUby Kip Kip muey gvwrw ]
maeree maeree kar kar ddoobae khap khap mueae gavaaraa ||
Continually claiming, ""Mine, mine"", the mortals are drowned; the fools waste away and die.

gur imil nwnk nwmu iDAwieAw swic nwim insqwrw ]4]1]38]
gur mil naanak naam dhhiaaeiaa saach naam nisathaaraa ||4||1||38||
Meeting the Guru, O Nanak, I meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; through the True Name, I am emancipated. ||4||1||38||

In conclusion, we should attach ourselves to the love of God so that we can free ourselves from bondage. Recognising this world to be a dream we detach ourselves from the illusion. If we really think like this, would be distinguish between happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain, gold and dust? The only thing that one achieves from maya is pain. Don’t regret the time wasted later; make the change in your life now.

Falsehood + Truth

2008-05-04T04:20:00.007+12:00

In this article I also discussed the issue of make-up and bibia towards the end.

Many people who take amrit don’t realise the burden and commitment they have put on themselves. When we take amrit, we have sold our mind to Guru ji, so we can no longer follow our mind (manmat) but have to follow our Guru’s teachings (Gurmat). Therefore, it is the ‘I’ ness that we have to destroy which is rooted from ego. Ego is what separates us from God.

rsu suienw rsu rupw kwmix rsu prml kI vwsu ]
ras sueinaa ras rupaa kaaman ras paramal kee vaas ||
The pleasures of gold and silver, the pleasures of women, the pleasure of the fragrance of sandalwood,

rsu GoVy rsu syjw mMdr rsu mITw rsu mwsu ]
ras ghorrae ras saejaa ma(n)dhar ras meet(h)aa ras maas ||
the pleasure of horses, the pleasure of a soft bed in a palace, the pleasure of sweet treats and the pleasure of hearty meals

eyqy rs srIr ky kY Git nwm invwsu ]2]
eaethae ras sareer kae kai ghatt naam nivaas ||2||
-these pleasures of the human body are so numerous; how can the Naam, the Name of the Lord, find its dwelling in the heart? ||2||

Many people after long practice of sikhi in their life wander where they went wrong. Why haven’t they progressed in their spirituality towards God? Why can’t they rise for amritvela? The reason is because they have not made a place for God to reside in their heart. They have attached themselves to maya, and therefore the mind cannot find the love of God inside of them. When these enjoyments of ours decrease we will begin to experience the enjoyment of naam. Before Guru Nanak Dev Ji reached Saach Khand he slept on stones and ate sand but what sacrifice has his Sikhs today made? We should remain dead while yet alive, conquering this mind in the midst of maya where sin and corruption is.

gur kY sbid jIvqu mrY hir nwmu vsY min Awie ]1]
gur kai sabadh jeevath marai har naam vasai man aae ||1||
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, remain dead while yet alive, and the Name of the Lord shall come to dwell within the mind. ||1||

By doing this everyday of our live will be like a new step towards God, we will experience the love and pleasure of God and meet those in saach khand with love everyday. Everyday will be true happiness. Yet we still ask for happiness in this world when it has been clearly stated:

JUTw iehu sMswru ikin smJweIAY ]
jhoot(h)aa eihu sa(n)saar kin samajhaaeeai ||
This world is false, but only a few understand this.

We still engage in false enjoyments and believe we are benefiting from all this laughter. However we don’t realise our days are diminishing and death shall soon come. If we knew that we shall die the following day, will we suddenly do non-stop sukhmani sahib? We should be mentally prepared for death everyday. When we become amritdhari our Guru is forever with us, he is watching every action, how much we are devoted and committed to Guru ji which is why Guru ji has said:

mn myry Anidnu jwgu hir cyiq ]
man maerae anadhin jaag har chaeth ||
O my mind, remain awake and aware night and day, and think of the Lord.

If that is how we lived would one breath of ours be wasted? Our actions determine what we are worthy of achieving. More falsehood we engage is more burden of karam we put on us taking us further away from truth (God). We reap what we sow! Many of us just think it’s about looking like a sikh rather than moulding truth into our daily lives. The world is just a manifestation of the mind which is why Guru ji has mentioned numerous times that this world is utter false. When there is no mind, where is this world? When our mind is only focused on God and none other, what else is there? Everything comes down to the mind, which is why:

ijn gur prswdI mnu jIiqAw jgu iqnih ijqwnw ]8]
jin gur parasaadhee man jeethiaa jag thinehi jithaanaa ||8||
Those who conquer their own minds, by Guru's Grace, conquer the world. ||8||

The entire world comes in our control when we conquer the mind. When we first make an action, our mind first decides to take it. Our mind is first instructed to take out any task. Therefore by contemplating on naam, we gain the qualities of naam (God) and thus have control over our surroundings. The fire of our desires is held still and we no longer feel weakened from maya. We instead gain control over maya.

AMimRq nwmu irdy mih dIno jnm jnm kI mYlu geI ]1] rhwau ]
a(n)mrith naam ridhae mehi dheeno janam janam kee mail gee ||1|| rehaao ||
He has enshrined the Ambrosial Name of the Lord within my heart, and the filth of countless incarnations has been washed away. ||1||Pause||

invry dUq dust bYrweI gur pUry kw jipAw jwpu ]
nivarae dhooth dhusatt bairaaee gur poorae kaa japiaa jaap ||
The demons and wicked enemies are driven out, by meditating, and chanting the Chant of the Perfect Guru.

khw krY koeI bycwrw pRB myry kw bf prqwpu ]1]
kehaa karai koee baechaaraa prabh maerae kaa badd parathaap ||1||
What can any wretched creature do to me? The radiance of my God is gloriously great. ||1||

If what we experience in this world is joy and “fun”, why do we still experience sorrow? When there is happiness, why do we have to go through that same amount of sorrow afterwards? Because MAYA IS PAIN!!! Maya fools around with our mind every second yet we still play along with her, thinking she is satisfying our desires. When we die why doesn’t that happiness go with us then? Why can’t we look back at our life and laugh about the good times we had? If this world is true, why can’t we take our happiness, worldly possessions with us till the end?

nwim suinAY mnu iqRpqY myry BweI ]1]
naam suniai man thripathai maerae bhaaee ||1||
Hearing the Naam, my mind is satisfied, O my Siblings of Destiny. ||1||

How many times do we come across to similar lines shown above? How many times do we have to be reminded naam is what satisfies our mind. When we die, naam is what makes us happy and live in peace. Through Maya the mind never feels satisfied, no matter how many times you do something it is never satisfied which is why our mind runs after the same thing over and over again.

Meditation alone reduces thought and tranquilises the inner body but meditation on naam reduces the thought to God and pervades the light of God in our inner being of truth and burns away the corruption of falsehood. In order to live a life of truth, we have to follow Guru’s teachings. This alone will bring avail. We should only attach ourselves to Guru Ji’s lotus feet which is Gurbani and Naam. If a sikh hasn’t attached themselves to any of these, they are drowning in this worldly ocean just like every other Manmukh because that is what the sikh (student of truth) has to achieve.

jyqw mohu prIiq suAwd ]
jaethaa mohu pareeth suaadh ||
These worldly attachments, loves and pleasurable tastes,

sBw kwlK dwgw dwg ]
sabhaa kaalakh dhaagaa dhaag ||
all are just black stains.

dwg dos muih cilAw lwie ]
dhaag dhos muhi chaliaa laae ||
One who departs, with these black stains of sin on his face

drgh bYsx nwhI jwie ]3]
dharageh baisan naahee jaae ||3||
shall find no place to sit in the Court of the Lord. ||3||

Make-up and Bibia

There are only two reasons why someone would want to wear make-up

-Satisfaction to others
-Satisfaction to themselves

No where is there any satisfaction to Guru Ji. Our Guru is forever with us, so do you think Guru Ji wants to see us apply make-up onto our faces. These false actions are not pleasing to our Guru; they provide no benefit and have no purpose to it. Guru Ji does not care about our beauty or ugliness, he cares about our discipline

By still following the desires of the mind, how can we follow the command of our Guru? How can we walk in harmony in God’s will? The body is temporary. Again: nothing remains with us. Most people who apply make-up to their faces and commit sin daily are the ones that often say: “beauty comes from the inside”. They do not understand the meaning of beauty. Beauty is virtue. Sin causes ugliness to the spirit of the soul and they truly see how they look like when they die. Instead of decorating ourselves, why not decorate our soul with colour of naam.

If we had to do shaheedi would we care about decorating our body that would soon turn to ashes? More attachment we have to materialistic objects will take us further away from truth. Attachment only increases corruption. It increases our ego because we still believe this body belongs to us. We are not accepting God’s will because we believe God have made a mistake to our natural being. Therefore, we think we need to make “improvements” to make it “perfect” when it already is. There is no honestly in those who change their physical form, they look no better than clowns.

If we cannot take seeing the state of our face without make-up, then control the mind through naam and Gurbani. It is our mind that believes we need things to make us "beautiful" so it’s that what we have to cure; the mind. If we give into our desires; this will make us weaker and ultimately make us loose our sikhi if we give into our mind all the time.

Does it matter if we don’t get others approval. None is going with us till the end. They all leave us behind. A true friend is with us till the end but mortals fail to do that. Only God, Guru and saint can come with us to the end. So why focus our consciousness on other things except God.

In conclusion, anything that we practice that is not based on our teachings of Guru ji takes us away from God and we will eventually loose track and wander away on the wrong path. We should remain awake and aware of our actions daily so that we become pleasing to Guru ji, who will then take us to the formless God in the end where true happiness and enjoyment is.

The Golden Rules of Sikhi

2007-08-11T04:29:00.000+12:00

(Said in Gurbani, Guru Ji’s rehit and by Saints)

No rituals such as pilgrimages, fasting will do any good for us in the end since it does not stabilize the mind and focus it only on God, but leaves one only self-centered. These rituals were only approved of during the previous ages, however in this age praises of God is most divine. Our life span has been shortening since the beginning of the age Satiyug where people used to live to 100,000 years. Kalyug and Satiyug are also as a state in our mind where we can either live a life of falsehood; Kalyug or the life of truth; Satiyug. Our aim of life is to merge with the truth. Throughout all ages, doing bhagti was always significant to do in order to reach high spirits, however in this age Sikhs have been blessed with satnaam; the true name which can lead us to union with God.

• The true life of a Sikh is to have a desire, a thirst to meet God. To meet God we have to surrender our mind and follow the path of Guru Ji and to walk in the will of God. God should be our only support; we cannot put our reliance on any other being. There is no other being that can help us except Guru Ji, God or a brahmgiani. No human can embellish us except Guru Ji since we are all worthless without God. “In both times of happiness and difficultly one should always look for the support of God. In happiness and sorrow, poverty or richness, to remember the lord always and learn to live in his divine will” Quoted by Sant Narajan Singh Ji

Here is a story:

During the time of the Pandava brothers a Kurukshetra war was going to be held against the Kaurava brothers. Before waging war Arjuna from the pandava brothers and Duryodhana from the Kaurava brothers traveled to Krishna to get something which will help them in the war. Duryodhana arrived to Krishna first, however Krishna was asleep. Therefore, Duryodhana began to wake him up. Just when Krishna opened his eyes, Arjuna came into his presence and Krishna set eyes on him first. Therefore, Krishna questioned him what he needs. Duryodhana rudely interrupted, “I came here first”. Krishan politely replied, “But I saw Arjuna first”. Arjuna through humility allowed Duryodhana to ask first. Duryodhana asked Krishna if he could have weaponry and his army. When it is time for Arjuna to ask for what he wants, Arjuna only asked for Krishna. This shows a large difference between the lord’s devotee and a manmukh. Duryodhana was spiritually blind since he put all his support on humans, whereas Arjuna only took God as his support since he knows that God alone is the savoir in life. He put all faith in him only. Arjuna never asked for Krishna to fight in the battle but to be the charioteer because just by having God in their presence and as their support they will succeed and be successful in the war. This shows the faith, love he had. He could distinguish between reality and illusion.

There is also another story of Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji. Guru Ji was warned by Sikhs that Suli Khan was bringing a large army to capture him and also to destroy Sri Harmandir Sahib; Guru Ji went into deep thought.

1. He thought he could write a letter to Suli Khan advising him not to attack Sri Harmandir Sahib but he realised that egotistic Suli Khand will ignore the letter and take the message as a sign of weakness.
2. He then thought that he will send two brahmgianis; Bhai Gurdas ji and Baba Buddha Ji to reason with Suli Khan. Guru Ji immediately abandoned this thought as he realised that Suli Khan will ignore them both and instead humiliate them.
3. He then thought that he should defend the city against the attack of Suli Khan’s imperial forces.

But then he decided against all the three ways and prayed. He left everything into the mercy of God; he placed all faith in the hands of God to help him in his distress. Shortly, Guru Ji received news that Suli Khan and his horse had fallen into a brick kiln and had been burnt to ashes. Sri Guru Arjan Sahib thanked Vaheguru Ji for coming to his aid.

Awsw mhlw 5 ]
aasaa mehalaa 5
Aasaa, Fifth Mehla:

pRQmy mqw ij pqRI clwvau ]
prathhamae mathaa j pathree chalaavo
First, they advised me to send a letter.

duqIey mqw duie mwnuK phucwvau ]
dhutheeeae mathaa dhue maanukh pahuchaavo
Second, they advised me to send two men.

iqRqIey mqw ikCu krau aupwieAw ]
thritheeeae mathaa kishh karo oupaaeiaa
Third, they advised me to make the effort and do something.

mY sBu ikCu Coif pRB quhI iDAwieAw ]1]
mai sabh kishh shhodd prabh thuhee dhhiaaeiaa 1
But I have renounced everything, and I meditate only on You, God. 1

mhw Anµd AicMq shjwieAw ]
mehaa ana(n)dh achi(n)th sehajaaeiaa
Now, I am totally blissful, carefree and at ease.

dusmn dUq muey suKu pwieAw ]1] rhwau ]
dhusaman dhooth mueae sukh paaeiaa 1 rehaao
The enemies and evil-doers have perished, and I have obtained peace. 1Pause

siqguir mo kau dIAw aupdysu ]
sathigur mo ko dheeaa oupadhaes
The True Guru has imparted the Teachings to me.

jIau ipMfu sBu hir kw dysu ]
jeeo pi(n)dd sabh har kaa dhaes
My soul, body and everything belong to the Lord.

jo ikCu krI su qyrw qwxu ]
jo kishh karee s thaeraa thaan
Whatever I do, is by Your Almighty Power.

qUM myrI Et qUMhY dIbwxu ]2]
thoo(n) maeree outt thoo(n)hai dheebaan 2
You are my only Support, You are my only Court. 2

quDno Coif jweIAY pRB kYN Dir ]
thudhhano shhodd jaaeeai prabh kai(n) dhhar
If I were to renounce You, God, unto whom could I turn?

Awn n bIAw qyrI smsir ]
aan n beeaa thaeree samasar
There is no other, comparable to You.

qyry syvk kau iks kI kwix ]
thaerae saevak ko kis kee kaan
Who else is Your servant to serve?

swkqu BUlw iPrY bybwix ]3]
saakath bhoolaa firai baebaan 3
The faithless cynics are deluded; they wander around in the wilderness. 3

qyrI vifAweI khI n jwie ]
thaeree vaddiaaee kehee n jaae
Your Glorious Greatness cannot be described.

jh kh rwiK lYih gil lwie ]
jeh keh raakh laihi gal laae
Wherever I am, you save me, hugging me close in Your embrace.

nwnk dws qyrI srxweI ]
naanak dhaas thaeree saranaaee
Nanak, Your slave, has entered Your Sanctuary.

pRiB rwKI pYj vjI vwDweI ]4]5]
prabh raakhee paij vajee vaadhhaaee 45
God has preserved his honor, and congratulations are pouring in. 45

• In order to walk on the path of Guru ji we have to firstly take amrit from the panj pyare and become a Guruwala. Without the amrit one is without a Guru. In Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s words: Drink amrit of the double-edged sword and become immortal. From Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji, the baptism used to be charan pahul. Water touched by Guru Ji’s toe was considered holy water and drunk by those who wanted to join the Sikh Panth. Guru Gobind Singh Ji changed it to Khanda-di-Pahul.

From the beginning of time everyone knew that to get higher in ones spirituality one had to seek a Guru. For instance Bhagat Dhru was clueless about Bhagti, however soon Narad Muni came to him and guided him how to do bhagti and therefore Naran Muni was his Guru. Bhagat Kabeer was going to start his spiritual path and recite naam without a Guru; however an elderly wise man told him that he needs to seek a Guru in order to recite naam. Therefore, he found naam from Ramanand. Without a Guru one cannot seek refuge.

gur ibnu Goru AMDwru gurU ibnu smJ n AwvY ]
gur bin ghor a(n)dhhaar guroo bin samajh n aavai
Without the Guru, there is utter darkness; without the Guru, understanding does not come.

gur ibnu suriq n isiD gurU ibnu mukiq n pwvY ]
gur bin surath n sidhh guroo bin mukath n paavai
Without the Guru, there is no intuitive awareness or success; without the Guru, there is no liberation.

guru kru scu bIcwru gurU kru ry mn myry ]
gur kar sach beechaar guroo kar rae man maerae
So make Him your Guru, and contemplate the Truth; make Him your Guru, O my mind.

guru kru sbd spuMn AGn ktih sB qyry ]
gur kar sabadh sapu(n)n aghan kattehi sabh thaerae
Make Him your Guru, who is embellished and exalted in the Word of the Shabad; all your sins shall be washed away.

guru nXix bXix guru guru krhu gurU siq kiv nl´ kih ]
gur nayan bayan gur gur karahu guroo sath kav naly kehi
So speaks NALL the poet: with your eyes, make Him your Guru; with the words you speak, make Him your Guru, your True Guru.

ijin gurU n dyiKAau nhu kIAau qy AkXQ sMswr mih ]4]8]
jin guroo n dhaekhiao nahu keeao thae akayathh sa(n)saar mehi 48
Those who have not seen the Guru, who have not made Him their Guru, are useless in this world. 48

• Upon receiving amrit, it is vital to follow the instructions given to us from Guru Sahib which is to get up during the ambrosial hours of the morning, which is the last pahar of the night, between 3am-6am. To take a bath, Jap Naam, nitnem and singing God’s praises. In the evening one must do Rehras Sahib and before sleep do kirtan sohila. One will also bare fruit if they sing God praises in the evening and morning. It will also be fruitful is one does naam abhiyaas during the evening.

“Carrying the load of Naam-wealth, the successful traders are welcomed with honor…This is why Guru Sahib advises lovingly to collect load of Naam-wealth in human life”. Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji

• Regular abhiyaas should be done so that we are able to train our mind to become one-pointed and so that our super thought will travel inward and will as a result soon reach union with God.

“There are some fortunate ones, who engage in Divine devotion all their lives. Saved are they from all afflictions. Satguru redeems them in court divine. They are even honored therein.” Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh

ry mn loBI suix mn myry ]
rae man lobhee sun man maerae
O greedy mind - listen, O my mind!

siqguru syiv idnu rwiq sdyry ]
sathigur saev dhin raath sadhaerae
Serve the True Guru day and night forever.

ibnu siqgur pic mUey swkq ingury gil jm Pwsw hy ]11]
bin sathigur pach mooeae saakath nigurae gal jam faasaa hae 11
Without the True Guru, the faithless cynics rot away and die. The noose of Death is around the necks of those who have no guru. 11

mnmuiK AwvY mnmuiK jwvY ]
manamukh aavai manamukh jaavai
The self-willed manmukh comes, and the self-willed manmukh goes.

mnmuiK iPir iPir cotw KwvY ]
manamukh fir fir chottaa khaavai
The manmukh suffers beatings again and again.

ijqny nrk sy mnmuiK BogY gurmuiK lypu n mwsw hy ]12]
jithanae narak sae manamukh bhogai guramukh laep n maasaa hae 12
The manmukh endures as many hells as there are; the Gurmukh is not even touched by them. 12

“First one has to accept initiation in the house of Guru Nanak and get initiated by the five beloved ones. Having receiving Gur-Mantar, one has to practice this to become Gurmukh, the one belonging to Guru, Gursikh. Failing this one is forsaken, without being attached to House of the Guru. Such a one dies rotten death”. Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh

REHAT
rhq ibnw jg mo BrmweI ] rhq ibnw nr nrky jweI ]88]
rehath binaa jag mo bharamaaee rehath binaa nar narakae jaaee 88
Without discipline the whole world remains deluded. Without discipline they will go to hell.
Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh

Without achieving the state where our mind becomes totally attached to Naam that we can keep it on our tongue 24/7, then one does not undergo peace in the hereafter. Only those who become Gurmukh, a true devotee does not go through the torments in hell.

nµnw nrik prih qy nwhI ] jw kY min qin nwmu bswhI ]
na(n)naa narak parehi thae naahee jaa kai man than naam basaahee
NANNA: Those whose minds and bodies are filled with the Naam, the Name of the Lord, shall not fall into hell.

And

nwnk nwim ibswirAY nrk surg Avqwr ]9]
naanak naam bisaariai narak surag avathaar 9
O Nanak, forgetting the Naam, he is reincarnated into heaven and hell. 9

In order to get union with God we have to give up our ego since God is utterly humble. There is only separation with God due to our ego as we still distinguish between what are mine and yours. Forgetful of Naam they are bound to heaven and hell countless times. Forgetful of naam is only due to our ego which is what separates us from God. Without Naam every deed is done through our ego.

Here is a story during the time of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib:

Ekadasi Fast was being observed by one and all in a kingdom whose Raja was a devoted person. Soon the Raja heard that there was someone who was not fasting, he was furious on hearing this as this was a sacred day of Ekadasi. He summoned him to his presense since he wanted to know the reason for this.

The Sanmukh replied humbly, ““Rajan, I have found the true Guru. On His holy instructions, I have reduced my human wants of eating, sleeping to the minimum. I eat very little every day only to sustain my body, otherwise wholly immersed in devotion to the Holy Nam all the time. With regard to observance of fast, my Lord Guru has instructed me to keep a perpetual fast from all the evils. So esteemed Rajan, as far as fasting is concerned, I am with the Grace of my Lord Guru, observing a life-long fast, from all evils, from all sins. This life-long fast has rendered my whole life sacred. Every day of my life is sanctified and I observe a sacred fast every day.”

When the Raja had heard this from him, the Raja was very impressed and touched and wanted to have Darshan of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib. The Sanmukh replied that Guru Ji is the knower of all hearts that if he would pray to Guru Ji, his yearning will be granted.

After some time there were three saints that had settled nearby of the habitation. The Raja wanted to test the genuineness of these saints, therefore, he sent attractive beautiful dancers to entice and charm them into submission. However, the moment they reached the divine presence of the saints, Sri Guru Nanak Sahib set his glance at them and the women fell ill-intent and felt holy bliss from within. These women then turned into goddesses of purity and truth. The women then reported back to the Raja only to submit their resignation from their ill- reputed profession. The Raja became shocked of this magnificent transformation of these women; therefore he felt ashamed of his pride and immediately went for apologies to the saints. He carried befitting and dignified offerings.

He then placed all these offerings to the Sri Guru Nanak Sahib. The Raja pleaded for acceptance. However, Guru Ji declined this offer. The Raja then requested if Guru Ji could visit his palace and accept meals there. The Great Guru enquired as to what special Dakshina would be offered there.

The Raja: "This whole kingdom is an offering unto your holy feet."
Guru Ji: "Rajan, offer something which is your own."
The Raja: "Sir, this whole kingdom is mine."
Guru Ji: "No Rajan, offer something which is your own."
The Raja: "Sir, I am the ruler and Raja of this whole kingdom of mine."
Guru Ji: "No Rajan, your father, grand fater, great grand father also claimed his kingdom as their Nanak Sahibown. Similarly, whatever you have been claiming as your’s in previous births is not your’s. Offer something which is your own."
Perplexed, the Raja then offered his body at the service of the Great Guru.
Guru Ji: "Rajan, offer something which is your own."
The Raja: "Sir, this body is mine."
Guru Ji: "For all your previous births, you committed the same blunder. Your considered and said identified yourself with the body but had to part without that. What use is the heap of dust? This is not yours. Can you offer something which is your own?"
The Raja: "Sir, if this kingdom, wealth and possessions are not mine, then I offer my mind at your holy feet."
Guru Ji: "Rajan, offer something which is your own."
The Raja: "Sir, this mind is mine."
Guru Ji: "Your mind controls you, it leads you astray, it makes you wander in all directions. It has completely overpowered you. You are a slave of your uncontrolled mind. Something which is beyond your control, you cannot call it your’s. Offer something which is your’s."

The Raja realised that this perishable body does not belong to him as do not his kingdom and worldly possessions. If the body itself does not belong to him, how can material possessions and worldly things be called his own. His mind was not under his control, rather it ruled over him.

The Raja pleaded: "Sir, if this body is not mine, if this kingdom and all other possessions are not mine, if the mind does not belong to me, what can ‘I’ offer at your lotus feet?"

Guru Ji: "Offer this ‘I’ of your’s."

The Raja fell at his holy feet and went into a rapturous trance. Afterwards, Guru ji asked him to rule his kingdom. The Raja pleaded “O dispeller of ignorance and darkness, o my great guru, light of all lights, how can I rule now? O bestower of illumination, grant mercy and illumine further". Guru Ji then replied, “Previously you ruled the kingdom always with the notion, 'my kingdom', 'my palace', 'my army', 'my treasure', 'my family' and so on. Since you have now offered and surrendered your 'I', all these bonds of 'I'ness and `My'ness stand snapped. Now you cannot claim anything as yours. Now you rule the kingdom as an instrument of Guru and God. Everything belongs to God. Look after and rule the kingdom as a sacred trust of the Lord. Only the sense of 'I'ness and 'My'ness binds a soul. All the worldly links with the false 'I' ego are binding; as now all these links with 'I' ego stand delinked and snapped, you are free”

In His characteristic simplicity, Sri Guru Nanak Sahib advises the Raja how to remain uncontaminated in the midst of all worldly contamination, how to remain detached in the midst of all worldly attachments, and how to remain totally free in the midst of all worldly bondages. Having surrendered the 'I'ness and 'My'ness at the lotus feet of Satguru, the Satguru is the Sole doer, the Karta. All worries and burdens connected with the Self are passed on to the holy feet of Satguru. Consequently one travels lightly and without any burden through the journey of life. One belongs to the supreme care taker. What a singular relief for a spiritual aspirant?

Having rid the Raja of his 'I' ego, Sri Guru Nanak Sahib bestowed freedom on him from all bonds which can bind, which cause the continuity of the cycle of transmigration.

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥
Salok mehlā 1.
Shalok, First Mehl:

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਆਇਆ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਗਇਆ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ ā¬i¬ā ha¬o vicẖ ga¬i¬ā.
In ego they come, and in ego they go.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੰਮਿਆ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਮੁਆ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ jammi¬ā ha¬o vicẖ mu¬ā.
In ego they are born, and in ego they die.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਦਿਤਾ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਲਇਆ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ ḏiṯā ha¬o vicẖ la¬i¬ā.
In ego they give, and in ego they take.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਖਟਿਆ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਗਇਆ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ kẖati¬ā ha¬o vicẖ ga¬i¬ā.
In ego they earn, and in ego they lose.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਚਿਆਰੁ ਕੂੜਿਆਰੁ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ sacẖiār kūṛi¬ār.
In ego they become truthful or false.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਪਾਪ ਪੁੰਨ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ pāp punn vīcẖār.
In ego they reflect on virtue and sin.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਨਰਕਿ ਸੁਰਗਿ ਅਵਤਾਰੁ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ narak surag avṯār.
In ego they go to heaven or hell.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਹਸੈ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਰੋਵੈ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ hasai ha¬o vicẖ rovai.
In ego they laugh, and in ego they weep.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਭਰੀਐ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਧੋਵੈ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ bẖarī¬ai ha¬o vicẖ ḏẖovai.
In ego they become dirty, and in ego they are washed clean.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿਨਸੀ ਖੋਵੈ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ jāṯī jinsī kẖovai.
In ego they lose social status and class.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਮੂਰਖੁ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਿਆਣਾ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ mūrakẖ ha¬o vicẖ si¬āṇā.
In ego they are ignorant, and in ego they are wise.

ਮੋਖ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਕੀ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ॥
Mokẖ mukaṯ kī sār na jāṇā.
They do not know the value of salvation and liberation.

ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਛਾਇਆ ॥
Ha¬o vicẖ mā¬i¬ā ha¬o vicẖ cẖẖā¬i¬ā.
In ego they love Maya, and in ego they are kept in darkness by it.

ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਜੰਤ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥
Ha¬umai kar kar janṯ upā¬i¬ā.
Living in ego, mortal beings are created.

ਹਉਮੈ ਬੂਝੈ ਤਾ ਦਰੁ ਸੂਝੈ ॥
Ha¬umai būjẖai ṯā ḏar sūjẖai.
When one understands ego, then the Lord's gate is known.

ਗਿਆਨ ਵਿਹੂਣਾ ਕਥਿ ਕਥਿ ਲੂਝੈ ॥
Gi¬ān vihūṇā kath kath lūjẖai.
Without spiritual wisdom, they babble and argue.

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਲਿਖੀਐ ਲੇਖੁ ॥
Nānak hukmī likī¬ai lėkẖ.
O Nanak, by the Lord's Command, destiny is recorded.

ਜੇਹਾ ਵੇਖਹਿ ਤੇਹਾ ਵੇਖੁ ॥੧॥
Jėhā vėkẖeh ṯėhā vėkẖ. 1
As the Lord sees us, so are we seen. 1

ਮਹਲਾ ੨ ॥
Mehlā 2.
Second Mehl:

ਹਉਮੈ ਏਹਾ ਜਾਤਿ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
Ha¬umai ėhā jāṯ hai ha¬umai karam kamāhi.
This is the nature of ego, that people perform their actions in ego.

ਹਉਮੈ ਏਈ ਬੰਧਨਾ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
Ha¬umai ė¬ī banḏẖnā fir fir jonī pāhi.
This is the bondage of ego, that time and time again, they are reborn.

ਹਉਮੈ ਕਿਥਹੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਕਿਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਇਹ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ha¬umai kithhu ūpjai kiṯ sanjam ih jā¬ė.
Where does ego come from? How can it be removed?

ਹਉਮੈ ਏਹੋ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਹੈ ਪਇਐ ਕਿਰਤਿ ਫਿਰਾਹਿ ॥
Ha¬umai ėho hukam hai pa¬i¬ai kiraṯ firāhi.
This ego exists by the Lord's Order; people wander according to their past actions.

ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
Ha¬umai ḏīragẖ rog hai ḏārū bẖī is māhi.
Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well.

ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਜੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਤਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
Kirpā karė jė āpṇī ṯā gur kā sabaḏ kamāhi.
If the Lord grants His Grace, one acts according to the Teachings of the Guru's Shabad.

ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਸੁਣਹੁ ਜਨਹੁ ਇਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨॥
Nānak kahai suṇhu janhu iṯ sanjam ḏukẖ jāhi. 2
Nanak says, listen, people: in this way, troubles depart. 2

• We should be pure inwardly and outwardly. If we are only pure outwardly, then we have wasted our life in gamble so we have to bare punishments in the end. Don’t show how inwardly pure we are by showing others how much charitable deeds, naam jap, seva, etc we do because we will lose the fruit of such deeds. By boasting about what we have done is only done through ego and our services are not approved of and our spirituality decreases.

Here is a story:

Saint Beni, a gurmukh, used to sit in solitude and would enter a meditative trance. He would perform spiritual activities and in humbleness would never tell anyone. Reaching back home when asked, he would tell people that he had gone to the door of his king (the Supreme Lord). When his wife asked for some household material he would avoid her and thus spend his time performing spiritual activities. One day while concentrating on the Lord with single-minded devotion, a strange miracle happened. To keep the glory of the devotee, God Himself in the form of King went to his house. In great joy, He consoled everyone and made available profuse money for expenditure. From there He came to His devotee Beni and compassionately loved him. This way He arranges applause for His devotees.
Vaar 10 Pauri 14 Beni Vaaran Bhai Gurdas

This story shows that since he was humble and kept all experiences to himself, God himself came to him in the form of a King and applauded him of his great loving devotion and arranged all his worldly affairs.

• To become pure inwardly we have to make every effort to overcome lust, anger, greed, ego and attachment to worldly things. In order to accomplish that we have to control the senses. We have to control the mind by stopping our mind from going towards evil thoughts and desires.

REHAT
Kwlsw soie pMc ko mwrY ] Kwlsw soie Brm kau swVY ]27]
khaalasaa soe pa(n)ch ko maarai khaalasaa soe bharam ko saarrai 27
They are the Khalsa who destroy the five evils. They are the Khalsa who burn away delusion.
Thankhaanama Bhai Nand Laal Jee

REHAT
surmwidk iSMgwr nihN nihN pr qrunI sMig
suramaadhik shi(n)gaar nehi(n) nehi(n) par tharunee sa(n)gi
Do not wear make-up or jewellery. Do not commit adultery.
Rehatnama Bhai Daya Singh Jee

• Sins: Keep away from drugs, intoxicants, meat, cutting hair, theft, gambling, murder and adultery. Speak truth always and keep away from bad qualities of lying, cheating, fraud, greed, jealousy, slandering, gossiping and thinking and wanting bad of others.

imTqu nIvI nwnkw gux cMigAweIAw qqu ]
mit(h)ath neevee naanakaa gun cha(n)giaaeeaa thath
Sweetness and humility, O Nanak, are the essence of virtue and goodness.

And

JUT n bolih n suxih JUT n krih pRIiq ] sc kmwvih sMgqI s~cI pwlih rIiq ]3]
jhoot(h) n bolehi n sunehi jhoot(h) n karehi preeth sach kamaavehi sa(n)gathee saachee paalehi reeth 3
Never tell lies and never listen to lies. Never get attached to that habit. Earn the truth in the company of the holy and live a life on honesty.

• See God in everyone. Therefore see goodness in everybody and do not hurt anyone by thoughts, words and deeds. If we see evil in others, then we still have evil in ourselves. We should pray for the happiness and general well-being for all living beings.

ਇਕੁ ਫਿਕਾ ਨ ਗਾਲਾਇ ਸਭਨਾ ਮੈ ਸਚਾ ਧਣੀ ॥
Ik fikā na gālā¬ė sabẖnā mai sacẖā ḏẖaṇī.
Do not utter even a single harsh word; your True Lord and Master abides in all.

ਹਿਆਉ ਨ ਕੈਹੀ ਠਾਹਿ ਮਾਣਕ ਸਭ ਅਮੋਲਵੇ ॥੧੨੯॥
Hi¬ā¬o na kaihī ṯẖāhi māṇak sabẖ amolvė. 129
Do not break anyone's heart; these are all priceless jewels. 129

ਸਭਨਾ ਮਨ ਮਾਣਿਕ ਠਾਹਣੁ ਮੂਲਿ ਮਚਾਂਗਵਾ ॥
Sabẖnā man māṇik ṯẖāhaṇ mūl macẖāŉgvā.
The minds of all are like precious jewels; to harm them is not good at all.

ਜੇ ਤਉ ਪਿਰੀਆ ਦੀ ਸਿਕ ਹਿਆਉ ਨ ਠਾਹੇ ਕਹੀ ਦਾ ॥੧੩੦॥
Jė ṯa¬o pirī¬ā ḏī sik hi¬ā¬o na ṯẖāhė kahī ḏā. 130
If you desire your Beloved, then do not break anyone's heart. 130

And

REHAT
^lk ^wilk kI jwn kY ^lk duKwvY nwih ^lk duKY jo nMd jI ^wilk kopY qwih ]
khhalak khhaalik kee jaan kai khhalak dhukhaavai naahi khhalak dhukhai jo na(n)dh jee khhaalik kopai thaahi
Recognising the world as the Creator's he does not hurt another soul. Those who give pain the creation receive pain from the Creator.
Rehatnama Bhai Nand Laal Jee

• We should not get angry listening to slander regarding ones-self and not to be affected by praise, dispraise, honour and dishonour. We should always maintain a forgiving attitude and should have tolerance.

nwnk iPkY boilAY qnu mnu iPkw hoie ]
naanak fikai boliai than man fikaa hoe
O Nanak, speaking insipid words, the body and mind become insipid.

bkY n bolY iKmw Dnu sMgRhY qwmsu nwim jlwey ]
bakai n bolai khimaa dhhan sa(n)grehai thaamas naam jalaaeae
He does not speak empty words; he gathers in the wealth of tolerance, and burns away his anger with the Naam.

• We should live to dead to Maya by remaining detached and uninterested in her. Consider the material and worldly things as temporal and destructible. Give up those activities that are not part of our worldly duty and spiritual duty and not to support irreligious activities. We should always follow the religious path and not to put our desires, pleasures and evil mindedness before it.

“Here is a clarification in Gurbani. Its states that the fortunate mortals who abandon attachment for worldliness and yearn for love-divine are saved from hell in the hereafter by Grace of Satguru.” Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji

drs ipAws myrw mnu moihE kwFI nrk qy DUh ]1]
dharas piaas maeraa man mohiou kaadtee narak thae dhhooh 1
My mind is enticed, thirsty for the Blessed Vision of His Darshan. He has lifted me up and out of hell. 1

It has been made crystal clear that only those true devotees who abandons their love for the world and instead shows love and hope for God are SAVED FROM HELL. Only those that are thirsty for God are lifted up from hell.

rMgu n lgI pwrbRhm qw srpr nrky jwie ]5]
ra(n)g n lagee paarabreham thaa sarapar narakae jaae 5
Even so, if they have not embraced love for the Supreme Lord God, then they shall surely go to hell. 5

• Stay away from dramas, cinemas, songs, dancing, clubs, etc In Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s words; pleasure giving performances are bad deeds. God fearing people are ashamed of such acts. Quoted by Sant Narajan Singh Ji.

REHAT
iqRXw rwg sunih icq lwie ] sunhu lwl so jmpuir jwie ]17]
thriyaa raag sunehi chith laae sunahu laal so jamapur jaae 17
Those who listen to dirty lyrics and lustful tunes with attention, listen Nand Lal Jee, they will be punished by the angel of death.;
Rehatnama Bhai Nand Laal Jee

And

myry mohn sRvnI ieh n sunwey ] swkq gIq nwd Duin gwvq bolq bol Ajwey ]1] rhwau ]
maerae mohan sravanee eih n sunaaeae saakath geeth naadh dhhun gaavath bolath bol ajaaeae 1 rehaao
O my fascinating Lord, may I never listen to the faithless cynic, singing his songs and tunes, and chanting his useless words. 1Pause

“Other than Naam-devotion, all other activity is egotistic, guided by egoism, such activity is conductive to punishment through yamas. Guru Sahib reveals the truth that godly devotees remain in a spirit of detachment from all worldly activity”. Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji

This shows that if someone who doesn’t have true naam devotion and engage in other activities are all done through ego. It shows that they are more involved in worldly activities than spiritual activities. Only those that have truly devoted themselves in Naam are recognized true devotees.

• The essence of wisdom is to eat less, talk less, and sleep less.

Kwq pIvq hsq sovq AauD ibqI Aswr ]
khaath peevath hasath sovath aoudhh bithee asaar
Eating, drinking, laughing and sleeping, life passes uselessly.

• It is vital to live a life of humility by being the dust of everyone’s feet, to live a humble and simple life by giving up ego. We have to show love amongst everyone, no matter how much they hurt or show cruelty to us. However, love has to come within our family first. There is a say; “Charity begins at home”. Meaning: we have to be generous and affectionate to our family FIRST and then outside. When we give up our ego and become completely humble we shall attain union with God. To Get to Saach Khand we need SEVA, SIMRAN, and HUMILITY. Sri Guru Nanak Sahib gave us two gifts which are NAAM and HUMILTY. Without these we cannot attain union with God. For instance, to find sugar (the essence of naam) an elephant cannot find it but if we become the lowest of all just as an ant, we will find sugar. Guru Ji says that the door of salvation is as small as a black mustard seed. The mind has become likened to an elephant (ego). How can an elephant pass through such a minuet door?

Bwau Bgiq kir nIcu sdwey ] qau nwnk moKMqru pwey ]2]
bhaao bhagath kar neech sadhaaeae tho naanak mokha(n)thar paaeae 2
With loving devotional worship, abiding in humility, O Nanak, salvation is attained. 2

Here is a story:

Sudama, a poor brahman, was known to be a friend of Krishna from childhood. His brahmin wife always pestered him as to why he did not go to Lord Krishna to alleviate his poverty. He was perplexed and pondered over how he could get re-introduced to Krishna, who could help him meet the Lord. He reached the town of Duaraka and stood before the main gate (of the palace of Krishna). Seeing him from a distance, Krishna, the Lord, bowed and leaving his throne came to Sudama. First he circumambulated around Sudama and then touching his feet he embraced him. Washing his feet he took that water and made Sudama sit on the throne. Then Krishna lovingly enquired about his welfare and talked about the time when they were together in the service of the guru (Sandipani). Krishna asked for the rice sent by Sudama’s wife and after eating, came out to see off his friend Sudama. Though all the four boons (righteousness,wealth,fulfillment of desire and libereation) were given to Sudama by Krishna, Krishna's humbleness still made him feel totally helpless.
Vaar 10 Pauri 9 Sudama Vaaran Bhai Gurdas

Therefore, this story shows that sudama unlike other human beings who would seek help from humans went to god instead. He took help from Krishna due to his poverty. Due to Sudama’s devotional worship to god, Krishna showed utter humility to him and served him. Although, he is god, the almighty, he still showed so much humbleness and LOVE which us humans don’t have and believe we are superior to others. This is the amount of humbleness one has to have to merge with God. This is also shows how humble Sudhama is because he gave up his ego and put all his reliance on God.

• Do not become egoistic regarding one’s strength, worldly knowledge, wealth, cleverness, human body (beauty) which we can loose anytime.

“Worldly elite highly recognized and wealthy people are headed for hell. All the worldly recognition and social acceptance come to naught in the hereafter. They are surely hell bound. Here they pay no heed to spiritual instructions by the Guru. They are only outwardly Sikhs, following their OWN WISHES AND DESIRES. They CARE THE LEAST FOR GURU –ORDAINED INSTRUCTIONS. Such min-ward beings forsaking Guru are counted as non-believers. They find no shelter anywhere. All they enjoy is fleeting glitter of worldliness briefly that is fake and mere show. In fact in their hearts they are miserable, though they disclose their misery. However omniscient Lord knows all such secrets.” Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji

Here Bhai Sahib strictly explained that one that who is a Sikh but does not practice Guru Ji’s teachings i.e. taking amrit, rising for amritvela and any other of the rehits are considered as non-believers. Anybody can say ‘I am a believer of God’, however they are only a Sikh by form and word. One is who is a believer of God has complete fear and love for the one Lord, that they do not heed any time in worldly pursuits but totally devote themselves to Guru Ji. Anything we do for God is never enough.

• We have to perform labour by honest means and take our daswand for the Sikh panth and charity from one’s honest earnings.

• Keep the company of holy people and attend sat sangat regularly.

Here is a story:

Hearing of glory of Kabir, Sain also turned to be a disciple. In the night he would immerse in loving devotion and in the morning he would serve at the door of the king. On one night some sadhus came to him and the whole night was spent in singing the Lord's praises Sain could not leave company of the saints and consequently did not perform the king’s service the following morning. God himself took the form of Sain. He served the king in such a way that the king was overjoyed. Bidding fairwell to the saints, Sain hesitantly arrived at the palace of the king. The king From a distance the king called him nearby. He took off his own robes and offered them to Bhagat Sain. ‘You have overpowered me’, said the king and his words were heard by one and all. God himself manifests the grandeur of the devotee.
Vaar 10 Pauri 16 Sain, The barber Vaaran Bhai Gurdas

Therefore, to preserve his honor God came in the form of Sain to save him. This shows the faith and love a devotee has for God. This also shows the fruit of joining the congregation and singing praises of God (Sat Sangat).

“The mortals that live in evil company and get polluted in mind surely come under the control of Yamas and suffer their crushing blows. In this view of truth one must not waste any time to engage in naam recitation.” Quoted by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji

The quote clearly shows that in the company of the Manmukhs, God cannot save them. They are emotionally attached to others. They seek not the company of the holy but the company which can lead them to evil doings. Only by ceaseless practice of naam-recitation one is saved.

mnmuK sau kir dosqI suK ik puCih imq ]
manamukh so kar dhosathee sukh k pushhehi mith
If you make friends with the self-willed manmukhs, O friend, who can you ask for peace?

Therefore we should keep the company of God fearing people/Gursikhs and stay away from Manmukhs. A manmukh is someone who cares less about religion and more about worldly pleasures. That can be a so called sikh who doesn’t practice sikhi, cuts hair, eats meat, etc and lives to feed his mind with pleasure.

Don’t consume food made by these Manmukhs, because they curse the food that they touch with their fifth. This does not make them bad people but God has created two sects; manmukh and Gurmukh. Gurbani says no one is bad and no one is good but only the Gurmukh is rewarded and manmukh looses his/her chance and goes to hell.

kbIr swkq sMgu n kIjIAY dUrih jweIAY Bwig ]
kabeer saakath sa(n)g n keejeeai dhoorehi jaaeeai bhaag
Kabeer, do not associate with the faithless cynics; run far away from them.

bwsnu kwro prsIAY qau kCu lwgY dwgu ]131]
baasan kaaro paraseeai tho kashh laagai dhaag 131
If you touch a vessel stained with soot, some of the soot will stick to you. 131

And

REHAT
mIxw AOr msMdIAw monw kuVI jo mwr hoie isK vrqn krih AMq krygw KuAwr ]6]
meenaa aar masa(n)dheeaa monaa kurree jo maar hoe sikh varathan karehi a(n)th karaegaa khuaar 6
Meenaas, Masandhs, those with haircuts and those who kill their daughters; If a Sikh associates with them, he will not be united with the Lord and will suffer at the time of death.
Thankhaanama Bhai Nand Laal Jee

• Always remember death and the vicious cycle of birth and death always in the mind. Feel the presence of the lord 24 hours of the day. Consider one’s self as only a traveller/guest in this illusionary world. Nothing is ours in this world, nothing belongs to us; everything is yours (God’s).

• Do ardaas before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji regularly from the heart to bless us with such power so that we follow Guru Ji’s way of discipline life, the right way of life, the life of being a Sikh. The mind will never find peace until we seek the sanctuary of the true Guru and follow the Guru’s orders since this is our sole purpose of the human life. Our mind from countless lives would want to roam in all directions but after doing so it is never satisfied and instead goes through so much distress.

nwnk ibnu nwvY sBu duKu suKu ivswirAw ]1]
naanak bin naavai sabh dhukh sukh visaariaa 1
O Nanak, without the Name, everything is painful, and happiness is forgotten. 1

The only resting place there is for the mind is at the tenth door; dhasam dhuar. It is only through abhiyaas we will find God; there is no other way.

To conclude, the only purpose of this life is to unite with God, otherwise we have to continuously go through severe pain. We are not complete with God since this soul is a part of the supreme light (God). In order to meet Vaheguru, we must discard all sensual desires of the body and mind. As long as we cling to our physical and mental cravings, we cannot bring ourselves across to the other side since we are still doing what ‘I’ want. We cannot take the support of two; Maya and God; we can only take one. One will lead to destruction; the other will lead to salvation.

"First their souls are purified through meditation. Then they begin to develop bairag - the soul begins to overcome sad and longs union with the universal soul. Due to this bairag the sins of many previous life cycles are washed away. Salvation is achieved due to this bairag and God absorbs the God-centred soul." Quoted By Bhai Sahib Rama Singh Ji

The court of Dharam Raj

2007-07-30T02:33:00.000+12:00

Quotes taken from ‘Undithi Duniya’, by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

“Lack of Naam devotion leads to births and deaths over and over again while accounting for misdeeds to the angel of death, Dharam Rai. All are therefore accountable to him in the hereafter, except for those redeemed Gurmukhs who are blessed by Satguru Nanak in the ten forms.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

If we fully attach ourselves with naam, then we do not have to come back to this world again. Meaning, if we cannot live only on naam, then there is something we are attached to in this illusionary, transitory world. A true Sikh is only the one that is saved and honoured in the end. A true Sikh is someone who is pure within and outwardly, who has discarded the world and only live for one thing; Naam. They only have one desire; to meet God. Sant Niranjan Singh Ji said “Our desire is to enjoy worldly pleasures and also obtain Naam. This is not possible. Here, on earth, there is need for sacrifice to follow the teachings if Guru Ji; lead a moral life following a code of conduct and living in the will of God”.

swcY nwie rqy bYrwgI pwiein moK duAwrw ]4]
saachai naae rathae bairaagee paaein mokh dhuaaraa 4The detached renunciates are imbued with the True Name; they attain the gate of salvation. 4

And

gurmuiK inbhY sprvwir ]
guramukh nibehai saparavaar
In the midst of his family, the Gurmukh lives a spiritual life.

“Gurmukhs devoted to the essence of Naam-meditation are the ones honoured in the court of the Lord. They enjoy the eternal spiritual bliss and are glorified. The realization of True Lord alone wins recognition in his court. One enjoys the bliss of naam-amrit after ceaseless meditation of the word, naam, bestowed by the Guru. Imbued with Naam within are redeemed in the hereafter and the ones with false pretensions. It is the self-seeking ritualists that are held back in selfishness. There is never any hindrance for the Guru-oriented ascetics.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Whatever you are attached to that’s where you will originally go. For instance, if you are attached to naam, then you shall go to the abode where it originated from. If you are attached to lust, then you shall go to the realm for hell where punishments of Lust is endured. We may not all enshrine the love for Guru ji’s words in our hearts and practice his teachings. One who attached themselves to the world will never come to know the mystery of naam. However if they attached themselves to God’s lotus feet which is bani and naam then they would never want to engage in any activity that will waste their time away. Those who love God do not tarry day or night as they cannot live without their beloved. Baba Nand Singh Ji renounced every worldly activity from his life since he was fully in loving devotion with God. Therefore, a true Sikh would truly surrender themselves to Guru Sahib through body and mind. They would treat themselves as a guest in this world and not consider anything theirs.

“Unguided by the Guru, not enshrining Naam in the hearts is always full of lust, anger and self-conceit. They speak unsavoury words of anger and pride. They have no sense of self-control nor for the ignorant-drunks know what words to use. Their unsavoury words are most out of place. Engrossed with evil and greed, their words reflect their real-thinking and selfishness. Thus is wasted their entire life. They depart from the world receiving punishments from couriers of death. They are held accountable for their misdeeds in the court divine and are disgraced for inability to account credibility. The falsehood loses ultimately and is held accountable.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Therefore, one does not only endure punishments from the 4 cardinal sins but they still have to face punishments from ego, anger and lust. It is not easily recognised when our 5 passions are playing a role in us, so for this reason we should be careful of every move we take and question what we have done, otherwise they will continue looting us day and night. The 5 demons are always dragging this body with them, we are the servants of the chief and master. There is only one of us but five of them. Therefore, we should put control over our mind by lowering the eyes. Let us become imbued in Naam, so that they may become our slaves and under our power. If we wish to be victorious in the end, a true Sikh would give up those deeds that are not part of our worldly and spiritual duty and fully devote themselves to God so that we experience the pleasure from naam, and that we will not be losers here and the hereafter.

“Awareness can come only through listening to the Guru’s teachings and living by his wisdom. Fear of court-divine in the hereafter can only restrain from wrong, sinful deeds under the compulsion of greed under pretensions of falsehood. Without baptism of the Guru, not accepting discipleship and not meditating on Gurmat Naam, the mind-oriented waste away this golden opportunity offered by human life. Misery awaits them in the hereafter, where there is no other well-wisher except Naam-Divine. Without Naam-meditation, there is no help. Naam is the only saviour.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

ਕਰਰੋ ਧ੍ਰਮਰਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
Karro ḏẖaramrāiā. 2
that the Righteous Judge of Dharma is so strict and stern. 2

Without naam-meditation or very little, we will not be saved from the hereafter. We should spend our time gathering as much naam that we will overflow with so much wealth that it would be too much for the 5 evils to plunder. Let us not receive the biggest disgrace after death where we will receive great humiliation in front of everyone from Dharam Raj. Wasting our life away what is there to say then, even our cries of regret will be too late to be heard.

“Thus abiding by will-divine, naam meditation, alone gains acceptance in Court-Divine. Following desires of mind, one runs amok. Punishment is faced in retribution. The Gurmukhs have conquered their minds and exercised to control their mind inwards. They are true ascetics and renouncers even as householders, maintaining purity of heart. They are truly beloveds of the Lord and requite themselves at his door.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Only they are a true Sikh who refrains from worldly enjoyments, only rare ones such as them exist who surrender their mind, body and soul to God. The meaning of surrender is meant that we are supposed to give our mind, body, wealth, free will and ego. This is the purpose of the Sikh life, to be a disciple by practicing our Guru’s teachings. Following the rehit is one of the significant aspects which make up a true Sikh as the first main rehit is to take amrit. This is when we begin our path to God where we have to offer our head to Guru Ji. However, this is only the beginning; there is a whole journey to take aboard and within that journey there are rules and obstacles that may come our way.

“Those ones, who have thoroughly practiced precious-Naam under guidance of the Guru after initiation at his door, know the worldly expanse with all its glitter to be false. Greedy ones are tied up in attachment. These ensnared ones in worldliness, forsakers of naam, are bound to be punished in the hereafter. Engaged in gathering naam-wealth, meditating on Gurmat Naam with each breath ceaselessly, erases the past evil-doings, and there is a restraint in the future. Hence there is no new record of wrong-doing is committed and there is no hindrance for personal accounting. In fact they are secured.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Ones that have not kept the mind attuned to God and their tongue chanting Naam enough to erase all those countless sins from countless previous lives will have to still endure those punishments in the hereafter. Otherwise, if we have not japped enough naam, then we still have to face those punishments when we die. It is only those true Sikh, pure inwardly are saved and protected by Satguru. They receive honour and warmth when they die. It is only through our Guru we can get to God, there is no other quicker way, so seek all help from Guru Ji and share all distress only with him. No mortal has the answers to help give us peace and satisfaction as they are undergoing the same influence of the mind and are being tested as us all. It is the duty of Guru Ji, our teacher to constantly test us to see if we are ready to reach our destination. Therefore, we should have faith in our Guru that whatever he does was only for our good. We have to fight for our Guru’s blessings by following the rehits as it is the discipline of the Sikh that Guru Ji loves, not the Sikh itself. So, we should observe the rehit and follow it sincerely. Our Love in return can have no limits; it has to be unconditional where we would take insults, opposition, misery because the will of God has to be sweet to us.

“The ones burdened with lust, anger and self-conceit cannot help foolish utterance. Their thoughts are always polluted. They know not the right thoughts not sweet words of wisdom. These indiscreet ones are disgraced in the hereafter. The true saviour is for those seeking his protection after getting initiated in his teachings and wisdom. Hence those alone, who are graced by Guru Nanak with true Naam and initiated to become Gurmukhs, imbibe Naam. The rest are all false pretenders and severe hardship with arduous obstacles awaits them in the hereafter. These belaboured ones shall have to pass through narrow passages that have obstacles throughout. They shall find it extremely difficult. The Lord meets the Naam-satiated ones alone. What care has the care free Lord to meet the false holies?” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

God is carefree, he does not care for the pain people undergo day and night. God only becomes merciful to us through our Guru. Only be seeking the sanctuary of our Guru, by living under his teachings, can we find the path to God. Similarly, when we wed someone we have to arrange this marriage by our parents and to have our parent’s approval. We attain this is by living under their roof and living by their rules. Just as our spiritual parents Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, we have to abide by their rules and live in our true home by searching deep within ourselves to obtain God. Therefore, become the beloved children of our true parents and do not pay any attention to public opinion. Even if our lives may be a constant struggle, in the end we will obtain a home, not any home but a kingdom where our faces will be bright and radiant. We either win or lose but the main thought is to be victorious, to consume a righteous end by living by our Guru’s teachings where we face no death but live eternally.

“Devoid of Naam-Amrit, those not bestowed with gift of Gurmat-naam, are the evil ones, who waste away their lives eating vitiated food, speaking spiteful words and indulging in malicious acts. They are punished at the door of death-courier without any let-up. Imbued with Naam alone escapes this fate. The self-ward shall have to have to account for personal deeds, because they have wasted their entire life, engrossed in worldly attachment of family love of wife and children. What good can devotion to duality do?” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Every moment spent, is every moment gone, so we are all moving closer to the end. We all know that life has an end to it, whether it’s far or near. But it is how we die. Did we engrave truth on the footpath of sikhi? Did we achieve our true destination? Therefore, we should realise time and not delay in it as we always come to repent and regret the slackness and duality we lived in, so we should sacrifice ourselves now because there may not be a later.

byVw bMiD n sikE bMDn kI vylw ]
baerraa ba(n)dhh n sakiou ba(n)dhhan kee vaelaa
You were not able to make yourself a raft when you should have.

Bir srvru jb aUClY qb qrxu duhylw ]1]
bhar saravar jab ooshhalai thab tharan dhuhaelaa 1
When the ocean is churning and over-flowing, then it is very difficult to cross over it. 1

hQu n lwie ksuMBVY jil jwsI Folw ]1] rhwau ]
hathh n laae kasu(n)bharrai jal jaasee dtolaa 1 rehaao
Do not touch the safflower with your hands; its color will fade away, my dear. 1Pause

iek AwpIn@Y pqlI sh kyry bolw ]
eik aapeenhai pathalee seh kaerae bolaa
First, the bride herself is weak, and then, her Husband Lord's Order is hard to bear.

duDw QxI n AwveI iPir hoie n mylw ]2]
dhudhhaa thhanee n aavee fir hoe n maelaa 2
Milk does not return to the breast; it will not be collected again. 2

khY PrIdu shylIho shu AlweysI ]
kehai fareedh sehaeleeho sahu alaaeaesee
Says Fareed, O my companions, when our Husband Lord calls,

hMsu clsI fuMmxw Aih qnu FyrI QIsI ]3]2]
ha(n)s chalasee ddu(n)manaa ahi than dtaeree thheesee 32
the soul departs, sad at heart, and this body returns to dust. 32

The shabad above clearly shows when our youth has been passed away, God can longer help us since it was too late to make Guru Ji our support. We have destroyed our whole temple of the body where God resides, so how can we ever fully immerse with the word. Our mind will careless to follow the path of Sikh because although our senses will be weakening our 5 evils will still be churning on. We have made them rule over the body, therefore, countless anti-forces have been created which prevents the mind to perform good deeds. These anti-forces are what prevent people from getting up for amritvela, having lack of concentration and love for Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and naam. We are all slaves, some to the mind, some to the creation but the true Sikh is a slave to the Guru Ji, the truth. To enter God’s sanctuary you have to:

slok mÚ 5 ]
salok ma 5
Salok, Fifth Mehla:

pihlw mrxu kbUil jIvx kI Cif Aws ]
pehilaa maran kabool jeevan kee shhadd aas
First, accept death, and give up any hope of life.

hohu sBnw kI ryxukw qau Awau hmwrY pwis ]1]
hohu sabhanaa kee raenukaa tho aao hamaarai paas 1
Become the dust of the feet of all, and then, you may come to me. 1

There was a story about Raja Janak. There was once a sage and a disciple, the sage sent the disciple to Raja Janak to learn how to meditate. This disciple was a Brahmin who left the society as a hermit. When he went to the king, he was disgusted how he led a luxurious life. Raja Janak saw his mental state, so he said he can go the very next day, thus the Brahmin agreed to stay the night. The Brahmin was soon guided to his bedroom, which was also very luxurious and beautiful. The Brahmin therefore, got into bed and began to sleep, just then above him he saw a sword hanging above him, hanging above with a very thin thread which could easily fall and kill him. The Brahmin spent his night in fear and extreme watchfulness since he could easily loose his life. The following day, Raja janak asked him how he spent his comfortable night. The Brahmin furiously asked for what reason he had to sleep there under a naked sword which did not allow him to sleep throughout the entire night. Raja Janak replied and said that was exactly the lesson of how to meditate. The Brahmin had to be alert throughout the whole night since death could come to him any instant. Raja Janak said despite living in a luxurious place, he had death in his mind throughout and was unaffected by the luxuriousness. Since he kept death in his mind he was thus detached from that rich lifestyle. He knew that all that rich could end any moment since death would have come. Therefore, he lived in the house, yet still as a hermit. No one can live forever; otherwise it would not be called life if there was no death. Therefore, we should always be aware of death 24/7.

In order to give your ego is to give up our ‘I’ mentally by surrendering our ego to Guru Ji. By doing so, we abandon all that is temporary in the form of Maya; to do only those deeds that Guru Ji is pleased with. By abandoning the world mentally by being uninterested in Maya, distinguishing reality within illusion, seeing one’s own body to be temporary as a guest in this world, not taking part in activities that are not part of the worldly and spiritual duty and to live as a hermit in our own household. This is what Gurbani means when it says to be dead whilst yet alive in the midst of Maya.

gux kI mwrI hau mueI sbid rqI min cot ]43]
gun kee maaree ho muee sabadh rathee man chott 43
Conquered by virtue, egotism is killed; imbued with the Word of the Shabad, the mind rejects the world. 43

“Straying from Gurmat and devoid of naam wealth, the mind-ward worldly mortals, who have wasted human life in falsehood of worldly attachment instead of tasting Naam-amrit, are denied the Grace divine. They can never realise Lord because they lack faith in him. The devotees renounce all worldly evil, greed, desires and evil doing. They ceaselessly devote to Naam-devotion. The devotees enshrine only Godly devotion that forms their only interest. They remain ever do humble and totally efface their ego. In accordance with Gurbani, their faces have glorious shine at the door of Lord that evinces true state of contemplating Naam by divinely accepted Gursikhs. True devotion through God meditation alone brings peace here and even after death.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

If we want eternal happiness here and the hereafter, if we want to live in truth and not be blinded by falsehood, we have to merge with God once again. By good deeds we finally obtain this human life where we have a chance to meet our beloved God. The purpose of this human life is to unite with God. If we lost the chance, we may never get this opportunity again.

Eh vylw hiQ n AwveI iPir siqgur lgih pwie ]
ouh vaelaa hathh n aavee fir sathigur lagehi paae
This opportunity to bow at the Feet of the True Guru shall never come again.

We have been given so much in our lives to give us support on the journey to God across the worldly ocean but we doubtfully ignore our Guru’s teachings and try to enjoy the fake pleasures in this world that will merely pass by as a shadow and ruin us in the end as worldly pleasures only give us diseases. As a Sikh, we have to meditate on God’s name through intense love 24/7 and to make our path firm towards the journey to God; we have to maintain our Guru’s blessings by becoming disciplined. Our body is full of darkness and needs to be enlightened from the light of God. This light is the light of good thoughts which is the purity of the Khalsa. This light is the beginning of our journey to the Infinite. So always keep this light going till the end and never let the light weaken.

“Those who become initiated Sikhs of the Satguru and get blessed with dust of the feet of Satguru and the holy ones in satsang, remain imbued with love-divine and renounce falsehood of worldliness. They are truly glorified in Court-Divine. This is a direction to become an ardent follower of Satguru and abide by his wisdom, Gurmat. Contemplator of Gurmat Naam, selflessly with complete self effacement, is the only recognised and divinely accepted devotee. Those who have devoted to Naam contemplation throughout while in human body, have Naam Divine as their reliable, friendly companion that helps and guides in the fearsome, horrid and mind-perturbing journey. The journey in the hereafter is torturously long. The being suffers agonizing thirst and hunger during the terrible journey. Those who have collected Naam wealth here find naam sprouting in the hereafter too. Every time and everywhere the true Naam-refreshment is available to them. The succour of Naam, both here and in the hereafter, abides by them as essence of all enjoyment that keeps their inner being refreshed and blissful always. Satiated with Naam, they suffer not pangs of hunger. The commodity pf joyful sustenance that accompanies in the hereafter is Naam divine. Nothing else endures.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

The progress of the spirit is regular naam abhiyaas. Naam is what feeds the soul since it is the breath of our soul. If one has not japped immense Naam, what shall be their saviour in the end. Guru Ji stressed on how as a Sikh we have to do intense naam abhiyaas to focus one pointedly on God. If this is not our Goal then how can we be the beloved of God?

ieku iqlu ipAwrw ivsrY Bgiq iknyhI hoie ]
eik thil piaaraa visarai bhagath kinaehee hoe
If someone forgets the Beloved Lord, even for an instant, what sort of devotion is that?

And

gur sbdI mnu rMigAw rsnw pRym ipAwir ]
gur sabadhee man ra(n)giaa rasanaa praem piaar
Their minds are imbued with the Word of the Guru's Shabad; the Love of their Beloved is on their tongues.

“Truly there are passages shrouded with haze and darkness, where nothing can be envisioned or seen. There Naam-divine is only beckoning-light to take one across. The possessors of Naam wealth have illuminated Naam with them always, to guide their path. Abandoning the human body the being passes through regions, here he is unknown and with any identity.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

There is truly utter darkness without our Guru. Naam only can shed us light as guidance for us when we die, otherwise we walk in blindness. Maya brings nothing but pitch darkness; she deceives us in the end. This is what our worldly pleasures/Maya do to us in the end. What good are all those worldly possessions, worldly enjoyments now? What have they done for our soul? Only the true soul-brides who devoted their life to God are distinguished heroes in the end. The rest of the self-willed Manmukhs may have gain superiority, they may have become famous across the world, but if God doesn’t know them, then nobody knows them. This is why when they die, no one notices them. They are not known amongst any soul. They are merely a transitory beast, whereas the saintly beings have an angelic distinguished appearance.

“There is no friend or close relative but only dreadful loneliness. However Naam devotees, passing through lonely ways, are met with true friend, Naam divine that abides with them throughout, eternally. The being passes through furnace life places where it is terribly hot and burning sun. Again Naam divine provides the protective shade overhead to the devotees. The abyssal zones are also met, where there is no drinking water and one suffers extreme thirst of great fury. The efficacious Naam divine provides for the devout Nectarian rain that quenches all thirst, like drinking from fountains.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Naam is our only support in the afterlife. What good is it when we attach ourselves to others? They will bring no support for us in the end. They do not care for our life after death, they only care for themselves. When we make companionship with a manmukh the love of God goes away from us and whatever fruitful action we perform becomes fruitless. If you stay in bad company that is what you get; bad, if your stay in good company, you get good out of it. Therefore, it is ideal to join the Sat Sangat as we possibly can to rid the evilness from our mind. Only a saint is our true friend, since that saint does not care for him/herself but provides care for everyone. That saint is the only one that can help us in the end. Only Naam alone can be with us till the end. If we haven’t made Naam our everlasting friend by keeping him on our breath 24/7, then death has become our friend. Naam is our only support that can satisfy all needs for our soul.

“Gathering Naam wealth, living in the company of Gursikhs, and saintly devotees, one goes with radiant face to court-divine.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

kUVu kptu kmwvdVy jnmih sMswrw ]
koorr kapatt kamaavadharrae janamehi sa(n)saaraa
Those who practice falsehood and deceit are reincarnated in the world.

“The Gurmukhs practicing Naam Divine so as to remain imbued with Naam life-long are freed from strife of rebirth. They realise abode divine effortlessly. Pursuit of Naam wealth is the only worthy pursuit, that one must devote to, whole heartedly all the time.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

We should regularly practice naam abhiyaas in order to train our mind to focus it on Naam.

xwm ivhUxy AwdmI klr kMD igrMiq ]
naam vihoonae aadhamee kalar ka(n)dhh gira(n)th
Those beings who lack the Naam, the Name of the Lord, collapse like pillars of salt.

From coming back birth after birth, we need to Jap immense naam to erase our sins and to reach our sole purpose of life; unite with God. Naam is the only saviour in court divine.

“Full of anger and lust, here in ignorance, they wail in agony in the hereafter. Even here fires of lust and anger scorch them. Sikhs of the Guru are householders and are devote to practice of Gurmat Naam, the only true service of Guru. But rare are the ones so blessed as to be renouncers in reality even as householders. These Gurmukhs abide by the tenets of Naam, Daan and ishnaan. They are the beloveds of the lord. Faithful devotees forget not Naam devotion. True Sikhs are divinely accepted at the Door of Lord True. Gursikhs are clearly refrained from indulging in a life that may bring disgrace to them in court divine.” by Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh

Such a Gursikh who understands the ultimate truth is a Khalsa. A Khalsa is someone who has the pure light shining forth from them. There is no difference between God, Guru Ji and the Khalsa as stated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The Khalsa lives in pure loving devotion and always lives in humility. This Khalsa can spread its fragrance everywhere, which will attract others along with it to, forming a Khalsa panth. Wherever this Khalsa steps they would engrave a mark of truth and purity that will inspire and save others too. But how many are there of this Khalsa. How much are we going to dedicate our lives to Guru Ji? For how long are we going to follow our own mind and not awaken ourselves by our Guru’s teachings? When will we maintain the path of our Guru’s footsteps of truth between insincerity and fanaticism?

To conclude, let us not be like lambs where we all follow each other but keep our distinctiveness of the Khalsa that will blossom forth in bliss. The lamb will die but the spirit of the Khalsa lives forever; a Khalsa never perishes but lives as a pure soul. So practice the teachings of Guru Sahib to survive in this world and the world after. Live beyond the weaknesses of this world, only through long practice we become a Khalsa. We need to become a true spirit by remaining dead whilst yet alive. Guru Sahib will give vast support when we live a life of a Khalsa, that we can face loneliness, separation, hunger, tiredness, piercing sun or cold. There are no limits once we become a Khalsa, the Khalsa can break through all barriers since they have naam, their everlasting support.

Guru Ji’s True Sikh

2007-07-06T23:37:00.000+12:00

From all religions, Sikhi is the strictest. This is why from all religions sikhi was finalised last. Islam is also strict to certain amount but they are still fascinated by lust and their goal is to reach heavens. However, in sikhi we are more fortunate because we have the true name. Compared to every other religion, we are told to be above the heavens. In sikhi Heavens are the same as hell. Guru Ji told us to be above the 3 qualities, to be on the fourth state and we can thus achieve oneness with God. However, in order to achieve oneness with God, we have to be like him who is unattached to everything, the humblest and the great giver. Therefore, this makes sikhi the hardest to practice.

rwm jpau jIA AYsy AYsy ] DR¨ pRihlwd jipE hir jYsy ]1]
raam japo jeea aisae aisae dhhroo prehilaadh japiou har jaisae 1
Just as Dhroo and Prahlaad meditated on the Lord, so should you meditate on the Lord, O my soul. 1

Bhagat Dhru represented love for Vaheguru and Bhagat Prahlaad showed the faith he had for Vaheguru. Therefore, just as they lived there life so should we. Both Bhagats restrained from worldly pleasures, they cared less for themselves and only wanted one thing; God’s love. They achieved this because of their faith and love they had for God. This is one main thing we are lacking, love for God. Many of us probably practice sikhi for a higher status and to achieve liberation.

rwju n cwhau mukiq n cwhau min pRIiq crn kmlwry ]
raaj n chaaho mukath n chaaho man preeth charan kamalaarae
I do not seek power, and I do not seek liberation. My mind is in love with Your Lotus Feet.

In sikhi we are supposed to surrender our self to Guru Ji. When we seek liberation or power then every deed is done through ego. Through ego we cannot reach our goal because our ego separates us from our origin (God). If we did something good and we feel good about it and if we did something bad and we feel bad about it, then we cannot be called the true lover of God. We are only a trader involved in our own calculations. If God’s divine order is not accepted, then we do not know what love is because we should be in harmony with God. The three things that can help us progress is to be content with everything, to always live in truth and contemplate on naam.

ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਸਚਿ ਰਹੈ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
Jog jugaṯ sacẖ rahai samā¬ė.
The Way of Yoga is to remain absorbed in Truth.

And

haumY mwir eyk ilv lwgI AMqir nwmu vswieAw ]
houmai maar eaek liv laagee a(n)thar naam vasaaeiaa
Conquering my ego, I am lovingly focused on the One Lord; the Naam has come to dwell within me.

When we control our nine holes, then our tenth hole will be revealed to us. The Gurmukh has a constant struggle and battle with the mind. This is what Sikhs are supposed to do but many of us give in to our mind and live a slave to the world. Although Buddhists do not believe in God, they control their evils and senses. They sleep little, eat little and talk little. They eat simple foods from Sarbloh utensils. The only khand they are able to reach to is Gyan Khand. However, how many of us have even reached the first Khand; Dharam Khand. We only come to experience the pleasure of naam when we give up our worldly bonds by living on little water, little food and staying away from pleasures of the world.

nwnk dunIAw Bsu rMgu BsU hU Bsu Kyh ]
naanak dhuneeaa bhas ra(n)g bhasoo hoo bhas khaeh
O Nanak, worldly pleasures are nothing more than dust. They are the dust of the dust of ashes.

And

ਖੰਡਿਤ ਨਿਦ੍ਰਾ ਅਲਪ ਅਹਾਰੰ ਨਾਨਕ ਤਤੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੋ ॥੮॥
Kẖandiṯ niḏrā alap ahāraŉ Nānak ṯaṯ bīcẖāro. 8
Sleep little, and eat little; O Nanak, this is the essence of wisdom". 8

However, how many of us are willing to control our senses. How many of us are able to give up our pleasures in life. Where there is worldly pleasure, there is no love for God. We as Sikhs are supposed to aim for that pure life of Khalsa. We as Sikhs should imitate those that stand at the Lord’s door, who constantly serve him. Bhai Rama Singh was concerned after the 1984 massacre, why Khalistan Raj still hasn’t occurred. A Saint later told him because there is no Khalsa. This is because although there may be a few Khalsa existing, overall there is none.

dunIAw rMg n AwvY nyVY ijau kusm pwtu iGau pwku hrw ]13]
dhuneeaa ra(n)g n aavai naerrai jio kusam paatt ghio paak haraa 13
He does not even approach worldly pleasures; he is pure, like flowers, silk, ghee and the deer-skin. 13

And

mnsw mwir mnY isau lUJY ]
manasaa maar manai sio loojhai
He subdues his desires, and struggles with his mind.

The more we train to control our mind, the more and more we become attuned to naam Simran because the quality of that will soon enter our mind. Guru Ji said to only commit those deeds that will help us in the end because this human life is precious. Many beings yearn for this human life but us humans take this life for granted and waste it away in vain. We waste our time watching TV, playing games, socialising especially with Manmukhs, listening to music, internet and other worldly pleasures, when instead that time could have been sent on japping naam, reading bani, etc. Instead we could be doing something that will benefit us spiritually and physically as well as others.

ਕਿਸੁ ਵਖਰ ਕੇ ਤੁਮ ਵਣਜਾਰੇ ॥
Kis vakẖar kė ṯum vaṇjārė.
What merchandise do you trade?

ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਥੁ ਲੰਘਾਵਹੁ ਪਾਰੇ ॥੧੭॥
Ki¬o kar sāth langẖāvahu pārė. 17
How will you carry others across with you?" 17

We take sikhi for granted because there is no other religion that can lead us to union with God. When Baba Harnam Singh did Darshan of Prophet Muhammad, this was his response "Guru Nanak has achieved what no one else could achieve in this world, but the Sikhs are not taking advantage of this great achievement.” Here is also another quote from a Rishi when Baba Harnam Singh did darshan of him “Our Panth is wrapped up in Jap Thap and continues to attain spiritual powers but we have never attained Amrit Ras which is what Guru Nanak gave to the Sikhs”. Here is the response of what Jesus said when Baba Harnam Singh did Darshan of him, “My only wish is that all my Panth go and follow Guru Nanak's teachings.” For Most Sikhs, we do not practice sikhi to the fullest and do not take advantage of this blessing. We are able to obtain the truth but we care less about it. If we had Guru Ji as in a human form, we would be putting so much faith in him and practice sikhi to the fullest. Bhai Rama Singh, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh, Baba Harnam Singh, Bhai Fauja Singh were all searching for truth in the childhood. However, unlike us we think we know everything through our ego and still want to remain attached to the world. If we do not practice hardly any sikhi, have not taken amrit, then sadly we are just Hindus.

nIcy loien kir rhau ly swjn Gt mwih ]
neechae loein kar reho lae saajan ghatt maahi
Kabeer, I keep my eyes lowered, and enshrine my Friend within my heart.

sB rs Kylau pIA sau iksI lKwvau nwih ]234]
sabh ras khaelo peea so kisee lakhaavo naahi 234
I enjoy all pleasures with my Beloved, but I do not let anyone else know. 234

In the shabad above, Bhagat Kabeer Ji has revealed how to control the mind and focus on God. Therefore, to keep our mind away from Maya we should lower our eyes because we are doing the opposite of what our ego wants. If we let our eyes wander we will experience some sort of downfall. Whatever you see during the day will affect your mind and may run after. If we lower our eyes we remain humble and control our mind from wandering. It is essential to do this because, as time went on from Satjug Maya had been increasing and now compared to everything we can do in this world; religion has become such a small part. During the time of Guru Ji, many people were not known of how much naam abhiyaas they did because there wasn’t much Maya. However, as time went on the amount of naam abhiyaas saints did became known. For instance in order for Bhai Rama Singh to reach Saach Khand he was told by a saint to do about 13 hour’s naam abhiyaas a day. We should all be trying to aim for that amount of hours or even better would be more.

ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਕਰੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਉ ਰਾਵਹ ਰਾਮ ॥
Man ṯan parėm karė ṯis parabẖ ka¬o rāvah rām.
Loving our God with mind and body, let's ravish and enjoy Him.

ਕਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਰਾਵਹ ਤਿਸੈ ਭਾਵਹ ਇਕ ਨਿਮਖ ਪਲਕ ਨ ਤਿਆਗੀਐ ॥
Kar parėm rāvah ṯisai bẖāvah ik nimakẖ palak na ṯi¬āgī¬ai.
Lovingly enjoying Him, we become pleasing to Him; let's not reject Him, for a moment, even for an instant.

ਗਹਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਲਾਈਐ ਨਹ ਲਜਾਈਐ ਚਰਨ ਰਜ ਮਨੁ ਪਾਗੀਐ ॥
Geh kanṯẖ lā¬ī¬ai nah lajā¬ī¬ai cẖaran raj man pāgī¬ai.
Let's hug Him close in our embrace, and not feel shy; let's bathe our minds in the dust of His feet.

ਭਗਤਿ ਠਗਉਰੀ ਪਾਇ ਮੋਹਹ ਅਨਤ ਕਤਹੂ ਨ ਧਾਵਹ ॥
Bẖagaṯ ṯẖag¬urī pā¬ė mohah anaṯ kaṯhū na ḏẖāvah.
With the intoxicating drug of devotional worship, let's entice Him, and not wander anywhere else.

To entice God, we have to do something that no Sant has done before. In our Youth Vaheguru notices us more, but it is most of our Youth that is wasting it away and when they become old, they care less to practice sikhi. Some of us when we are older we complain that we do not have any time to practice sikhi due to worldly duties but how did we use our time when we were in our youth. If we showed Guru Sahib in our Youth, that naam is all we lived for, then why would worldly duties begin to take over our life. Kaljug will get worse since this is only the beginning, so how will our sikhi stay strong then. Our sikhi won’t even last for long.

gurmuiK inbhY sprvwir ]
guramukh nibehai saparavaar
In the midst of his family, the Gurmukh lives a spiritual life.

And

kuit kuit mnu ksvtI lwvY ]
kutt kutt man kasavattee laavai
Pounding and beating his mind, he puts it to the test;

Therefore, we should throw our dice in such as way that we will never loose the game of love with God.

The Biggest deed in this age which will help us in the end is to:

- Sing Praises of God
- Sing Praises of His Name
- Jap Naam
- Read OTHER Banis
- Refrain from what your mind wants
- Follow Guru Ji's Teachings (Rehit)

kwmix qau sIgwru kir jw pihlW kMqu mnwie ]
kaaman tho seegaar kar jaa pehilaa(n) ka(n)th manaae
O bride, decorate yourself, after you surrender and accept your Husband Lord.

mqu syjY kMqu n AwveI eyvY ibrQw jwie ]
math saejai ka(n)th n aavee eaevai birathhaa jaae
Otherwise, your Husband Lord will not come to your bed, and your ornaments will be useless.

kwmix ipr mnu mwinAw qau bixAw sIgwru ]
kaaman pir man maaniaa tho baniaa seegaar
O bride, your decorations will adorn you, only when your Husband Lord's Mind is pleased.

kIAw qau prvwxu hY jw shu Dry ipAwru ]
keeaa tho paravaan hai jaa sahu dhharae piaar
Your ornaments will be acceptable and approved, only when your Husband Lord loves you.

Bau sIgwru qbol rsu Bojnu Bwau kryie ]
bho seegaar thabol ras bhojan bhaao karaee
So make the Fear of God your ornaments, joy your betel nuts to chew, and love your food.

qnu mnu saupy kMq kau qau nwnk Bogu kryie ]1]
than man soupae ka(n)th ko tho naanak bhog karaee 1
Surrender your body and mind to your Husband Lord, and then, O Nanak, He will enjoy you. 1

The destruction of Sin

2007-06-17T23:38:00.000+12:00

Announcement

After long and hard thought, I have decided to carry on with my blog because a dear friend said to me, ‘In this age, where missionaries and bad people corrupt and teach and cleverly debate using every advanced technology, you would be silent?’. I kept a promise that I shall carry on with this seva to help each other cross the worldly ocean, and so I shall stay true to my word. However, this blog will not be up-dated weekly since I still have a worldly commitment and spiritual commitment.

The article I have written is called ‘the destruction of sin’ which is about sin and the outcome. Please read the whole shabad because that is the main part of the article. Please do not skip the shabads.

Here is the article:

The destruction of Sin

eyku suAwnu duie suAwnI nwil ]
eaek suaan dhue suaanee naal ||
The dogs of greed are with me.

Blky Baukih sdw bieAwil ]
bhalakae bhoukehi sadhaa baeiaal ||
In the early morning, they continually bark at the wind.

kUVu Curw muTw murdwru ]
koorr shhuraa mut(h)aa muradhaar ||
Falsehood is my dagger; through deception, I eat the carcasses of the dead.

Dwxk rUip rhw krqwr ]1]
dhhaanak roop rehaa karathaar ||1||
I live as a wild hunter, O Creator! ||1||

mY piq kI pMid n krxI kI kwr ]
mai path kee pa(n)dh n karanee kee kaar ||
I have not followed good advice, nor have I done good deeds.

hau ibgVY rUip rhw ibkrwl ]
ho bigarrai roop rehaa bikaraal ||
I am deformed and horribly disfigured.

We come into this world again to purify ourselves but because of our selfish acts, on top of our previous sins from past lives, we continuously add even more. If we ever saw how deformed, hideous and how much pain we get from committing those sins we would not even dare to do any wrong deed. For instance, Indra was enticed by Gautam’s wife, Ahalyaa who practiced intense meditation and was extremely beautiful. In order to seduce her, Indra decided to shape-shift as Gautam. When Gautam had witnessed Indra seducing his wife, Indra received a thousand marks of female organs on his body. Only then when Indra saw the disgrace of his sin engraved on him, he was in shame, regret and misery.

shMsr dwn dy ieMdRü roAwieAw ]
seha(n)sar dhaan dhae ei(n)dhra roaaeiaa ||
Branded with a thousand marks of disgrace, Indra cried in shame.

prs rwmu rovY Gir AwieAw ]
paras raam rovai ghar aaeiaa ||
Paras Raam returned home crying.

AjY su rovY BIiKAw Kwie ]
ajai s rovai bheekhiaa khaae ||
Ajai cried and wept, when he was made to eat the manure he had given, pretending it was charity.

AYsI drgh imlY sjwie ]
aisee dharageh milai sajaae ||
Such is the punishment received in the Court of the Lord.

We only receive the result of our wrong doings when we die. Since this human body which Gurbani states as a false cover, we cannot see the result of sin and live a slave to the five demons within; consequently we commit sins to attain pleasure from Maya. We believe it is normal, humans’ nature to enjoy life by committing sins, which is really Maya’s great illusion. This is what makes this game of life difficult.

hir kw mhlu n pwveI mir ivstw mwih smwie ]1]
har kaa mehal n paavee mar visattaa maahi samaae ||1||
They do not attain the Mansion of the Lord's Presence, and after death, they sink into manure.

Unknowingly, we do not know that Maya is the just the shadow of God. Therefore, even though we may find Maya so fascinating she is only the shadow of God; the illusion which just passes by. Whereas, God is the actual beauty and far more fascinating since it is not the shadow but the reality. But we cowardly run from door to door, when everything can be obtained within from our true home. From running door to door we become exhausted, and thus we do not have the energy, enthusiasm and one pointed concentration to Jap naam.

puMnI pwpI AwKxu nwih ]
pu(n)nee paapee aakhan naahi ||
Virtue and vice do not come by mere words;

kir kir krxw iliK lY jwhu ]
kar kar karanaa likh lai jaahu ||
actions repeated, over and over again, are engraved on the soul.

Only the spirit/ghost/mind can see the result of sin. The mind is the spirit of the being, and we deform and destroy the spirit by following the minds needs. Sin completely changes the true appearance, health and strength of the being. Spirits/ghosts take different or similar deformed and disfigured bodies from sins. Here is a list that they may have:

• bad smell
• animal-like appearance
• pale appearance
• crispy black appearance
• mud-like appearance
• features fallen out of place
• sharp needle-like mouth
• goblin form

And so forth…

They are never at peace since they are constantly ill, are in complete regret, and they are always in misery. They always feel the fire of Kalyug burning inside of them which causes severe pain. The countless sins they committed in actual fact makes them insane here and the hereafter.

pwpo pwpu kmwvdy pwpy pcih pcwie ]
paapo paap kamaavadhae paapae pachehi pachaae ||
Those who sin again and again, shall rot and die in sin.

This concludes that Sin is an ocean of fire and everlasting pain, killing the true-self of the being again and again. Committing cardinal sins; meat, adultery, intoxicants, life after life has such an immense effect that it can lead to one’s destruction. Just because we are Sikhs does not mean we don’t have to suffer by becoming ghosts/spirits as well. I have witnessed Sikhs in the spirit world who have suffered in the same way and are still under the power of Maya.

jl mih mIn mwieAw ky byDy ]
jal mehi meen maaeiaa kae baedhhae ||
The fish in the water is attached to Maya.

dIpk pqMg mwieAw ky Cydy ]
dheepak patha(n)g maaeiaa kae shhaedhae ||
The moth fluttering around the lamp is pierced through by Maya.

kwm mwieAw kuMcr kau ibAwpY ]
kaam maaeiaa ku(n)char ko biaapai ||
The sexual desire of Maya afflicts the elephant.

BuieAMgm iBRMg mwieAw mih Kwpy ]1]
bhueia(n)gam bhri(n)g maaeiaa mehi khaapae ||1||
The snakes and bumble bees are destroyed through Maya. ||1||

mwieAw AYsI mohnI BweI ]
maaeiaa aisee mohanee bhaaee ||
Such are the enticements of Maya, O Siblings of Destiny.

jyqy jIA qyqy fhkweI ]1] rhwau ]
jaethae jeea thaethae ddehakaaee ||1|| rehaao ||
As many living beings are there are, have been deceived. ||1||Pause||

pMKI imRg mwieAw mih rwqy ]
pa(n)khee mrig maaeiaa mehi raathae ||
The birds and the deer are imbued with Maya.

swkr mwKI AiDk sMqwpy ]
saakar maakhee adhhik sa(n)thaapae ||
Sugar is a deadly trap for the flies.

qury aust mwieAw mih Bylw ]
thurae ousatt maaeiaa mehi bhaelaa ||
Horses and camels are absorbed in Maya.

isD caurwsIh mwieAw mih Kylw ]2]
sidhh chouraaseeh maaeiaa mehi khaelaa ||2||
The eighty-four Siddhas, the beings of miraculous spiritual powers, play in Maya. ||2||

iCA jqI mwieAw ky bMdw ]
shhia jathee maaeiaa kae ba(n)dhaa ||
The six celibates are slaves of Maya.

nvY nwQ sUrj Aru cMdw ]
navai naathh sooraj ar cha(n)dhaa ||
So are the nine masters of Yoga, and the sun and the moon.

qpy rKIsr mwieAw mih sUqw ]
thapae rakheesar maaeiaa mehi soothaa ||
The austere disciplinarians and the Rishis are asleep in Maya.

mwieAw mih kwlu Aru pMc dUqw ]3]
maaeiaa mehi kaal ar pa(n)ch dhoothaa ||3||
Death and the five demons are in Maya. ||3||

suAwn isAwl mwieAw mih rwqw ]
suaan siaal maaeiaa mehi raathaa ||
Dogs and jackals are imbued with Maya.

bMqr cIqy Aru isMGwqw ]
ba(n)thar cheethae ar si(n)ghaathaa ||
Monkeys, leopards and lions,

mWjwr gwfr Aru lUbrw ]
maa(n)jaar gaaddar ar loobaraa ||
cats, sheep, foxes,

ibrK mUl mwieAw mih prw ]4]
birakh mool maaeiaa mehi paraa ||4||
trees and roots are planted in Maya. ||4||

mwieAw AMqir BIny dyv ]
maaeiaa a(n)thar bheenae dhaev ||
Even the gods are drenched with Maya,

swgr ieMdRw Aru Drqyv ]
saagar ei(n)dhraa ar dhharathaev ||
as are the oceans, the sky and the earth.

kih kbIr ijsu audru iqsu mwieAw ]
kehi kabeer jis oudhar this maaeiaa ||
Says Kabeer, whoever has a belly to fill, is under the spell of Maya.

qb CUty jb swDU pwieAw ]5]5]13]
thab shhoottae jab saadhhoo paaeiaa ||5||5||13||
The mortal is emancipated only when he meets the Holy Saint. ||5||5||13||

This shabad above clearly states by the attachment to Maya we kill ourselves as a result at the end. For example, the fish is attached to the water, so when it is separated from it, it dies. Therefore, if we are not attached to anything in this world, we can live without it even though our body survives upon it. For instance, When Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh was jailed, he never ate for numerous days which were about 40 days, but he stilled lived. Although his bones became exceedingly visible, he could still survive, and was hunger-free. He cared less for his well-being, than to go against his Guru.

The shabad also shows the lowest of the unintelligent creatures are caught up in Maya but we the superior, intellectual beings behave in the opposite way of what we are and what we have, which makes us low and dumb just as animals are. To fight and disobey our mind, we have to change the nature of it to make it understand the ultimate truth and reality through bani, kirtan, katha and naam. The devotee has to first completely vanquish all sins in order to move up to the khands.

so frY ij pwp kmwvdw DrmI ivgsyqu ]
so ddarai j paap kamaavadhaa dhharamee vigasaeth ||
The one who commits sins lives in fear, while the one who lives righteously rejoices.

Human beings are only fearful, also weak in strength due to sin. They would most defiantly have fear of death. They desire to live forever because they deeply know they will not have a life, a home when they die. A true devotee of Guru Sahib will not have fear of death because they are beyond death, they live forever. They are fearless on earth and in the hereafter. The strength becomes an equal to the messenger of deaths, but much stronger so death has no power over them.

nIlI isAwhI kdw krxI pihrxu pYr iDAwnu ]
neelee siaahee kadhaa karanee pehiran pair dhhiaan ||
The blackness of sin is erased by my wearing of blue clothes, and meditation on the Lord's Lotus Feet is my robe of honor.

Only our Guru can lift us up from the terrifying worldly ocean and carry us across. Only the gift of Naam can erase all sins. We should remain pure as a virgin before marriage and not look at any other when we are married. We should not degrade ourselves as a beast by consuming meat and intoxicants. We should not violate our natural form by removing any pore of our hair off our body in any way whether it is removing the hair inwardly or outwardly. By committing sins we alter this precious human life to a life of a beast, a demon. This body does not belong to us; we would not have been here without our Guru because this human life is only obtained by serving the Guru.

siqguru gihr gBIru hY suK swgru AGKMfu ]
sathigur gehir gabheer hai sukh saagar aghakha(n)dd ||
The True Guru is the Deep and Profound Ocean of Peace, the Destroyer of sin.

Forgive me if I have made any mistakes or offended anyone.

Shabad - Loving our God with mind and body

2007-05-31T04:15:00.000+12:00

ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
बिलावलु महला ५ ॥
Bilāval mehlā 5.
Bilaaval, Fifth Mehl:

ਭਾਗ ਸੁਲਖਣਾ ਹਰਿ ਕੰਤੁ ਹਮਾਰਾ ਰਾਮ ॥
भाग सुलखणा हरि कंतु हमारा राम ॥
Bẖāg sulakẖ¬ṇā har kanṯ hamārā rām.
By blessed destiny, I have found my Husband Lord.

ਅਨਹਦ ਬਾਜਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਧੁਨਿ ਦਰਬਾਰਾ ਰਾਮ ॥
अनहद बाजित्रा तिसु धुनि दरबारा राम ॥
Anhaḏ bājiṯrā ṯis ḏẖun ḏarbārā rām.
The unstruck sound current vibrates and resounds in the Court of the Lord.

ਆਨੰਦ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਵਜਹਿ ਵਾਜੇ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰੈਣਿ ਉਮਾਹਾ ॥
आनंद अनदिनु वजहि वाजे दिनसु रैणि उमाहा ॥
Ānanḏ an¬ḏin vajeh vājė ḏinas raiṇ omāhā.
Night and day, the sounds of ecstasy resound and resonate; day and night, I am enraptured.

ਤਹ ਰੋਗ ਸੋਗ ਨ ਦੂਖੁ ਬਿਆਪੈ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣੁ ਨ ਤਾਹਾ ॥
तह रोग सोग न दूखु बिआपै जनम मरणु न ताहा ॥
Ŧah rog sog na ḏūkẖ bi¬āpai janam maraṇ na ṯāhā.
Disease, sorrow and suffering do not afflict anyone there; there is no birth or death there.

ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਸੁਧਾ ਰਸੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਭਰੇ ਭੰਡਾਰਾ ॥
रिधि सिधि सुधा रसु अम्रितु भगति भरे भंडारा ॥
Riḏẖ siḏẖ suḏẖā ras amriṯ bẖagaṯ bẖarė bẖandārā.
There are treasures overflowing there - wealth, miraculous powers, ambrosial nectar and devotional worship.

ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਿ ਵੰਞਾ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਅਧਾਰਾ ॥੧॥
बिनवंति नानक बलिहारि वंञा पारब्रहम प्रान अधारा ॥१॥
Binvanṯ Nānak balihār vañā pārbarahm parān aḏẖārā. ||1||
Prays Nanak, I am a sacrifice, devoted to the Supreme Lord God, the Support of the breath of life. ||1||

ਸੁਣਿ ਸਖੀਅ ਸਹੇਲੜੀਹੋ ਮਿਲਿ ਮੰਗਲੁ ਗਾਵਹ ਰਾਮ ॥
सुणि सखीअ सहेलड़ीहो मिलि मंगलु गावह राम ॥
Suṇ sakẖī¬a sahėlṛīho mil mangal gāvah rām.
Listen, O my companions, and sister soul-brides, let's join together and sing the songs of joy.

ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਕਰੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਉ ਰਾਵਹ ਰਾਮ ॥
मनि तनि प्रेमु करे तिसु प्रभ कउ रावह राम ॥
Man ṯan parėm karė ṯis parabẖ ka¬o rāvah rām.
Loving our God with mind and body, let's ravish and enjoy Him.

ਕਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਰਾਵਹ ਤਿਸੈ ਭਾਵਹ ਇਕ ਨਿਮਖ ਪਲਕ ਨ ਤਿਆਗੀਐ ॥
करि प्रेमु रावह तिसै भावह इक निमख पलक न तिआगीऐ ॥
Kar parėm rāvah ṯisai bẖāvah ik nimakẖ palak na ṯi¬āgī¬ai.
Lovingly enjoying Him, we become pleasing to Him; let's not reject Him, for a moment, even for an instant.

ਗਹਿ ਕੰਠਿ ਲਾਈਐ ਨਹ ਲਜਾਈਐ ਚਰਨ ਰਜ ਮਨੁ ਪਾਗੀਐ ॥
गहि कंठि लाईऐ नह लजाईऐ चरन रज मनु पागीऐ ॥
Geh kanṯẖ lā¬ī¬ai nah lajā¬ī¬ai cẖaran raj man pāgī¬ai.
Let's hug Him close in our embrace, and not feel shy; let's bathe our minds in the dust of His feet.

ਭਗਤਿ ਠਗਉਰੀ ਪਾਇ ਮੋਹਹ ਅਨਤ ਕਤਹੂ ਨ ਧਾਵਹ ॥
भगति ठगउरी पाइ मोहह अनत कतहू न धावह ॥
Bẖagaṯ ṯẖag¬urī pā¬ė mohah anaṯ kaṯhū na ḏẖāvah.
With the intoxicating drug of devotional worship, let's entice Him, and not wander anywhere else.

ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਾਜਨ ਅਮਰ ਪਦਵੀ ਪਾਵਹ ॥੨॥
बिनवंति नानक मिलि संगि साजन अमर पदवी पावह ॥२॥
Binvanṯ Nānak mil sang sājan amar paḏvī pāvah. ||2||
Prays Nanak, meeting with our True Friend, we attain the immortal status. ||2||

ਬਿਸਮਨ ਬਿਸਮ ਭਈ ਪੇਖਿ ਗੁਣ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਰਾਮ ॥
बिसमन बिसम भई पेखि गुण अबिनासी राम ॥
Bisman bisam bẖa¬ī pėkẖ guṇ abẖināsī rām.
I am wonder-struck and amazed, gazing upon the Glories of my Imperishable Lord.

ਕਰੁ ਗਹਿ ਭੁਜਾ ਗਹੀ ਕਟਿ ਜਮ ਕੀ ਫਾਸੀ ਰਾਮ ॥
करु गहि भुजा गही कटि जम की फासी राम ॥
Kar geh bẖujā gahī kat jam kī fāsī rām.
He took my hand, and held my arm, and cut away the noose of Death.

ਗਹਿ ਭੁਜਾ ਲੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਦਾਸਿ ਕੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਅੰਕੁਰਿ ਉਦੋਤੁ ਜਣਾਇਆ ॥
गहि भुजा लीन्ही दासि कीन्ही अंकुरि उदोतु जणाइआ ॥
Geh bẖujā līnĥī ḏās kīnĥī ankur uḏoṯ jaṇā¬i¬ā.
Holding me by the arm, He made me His slave; the branch has sprouted in abundance.

ਮਲਨ ਮੋਹ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਨਾਠੇ ਦਿਵਸ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਆਇਆ ॥
मलन मोह बिकार नाठे दिवस निरमल आइआ ॥
Malan moh bikār nāṯẖė ḏivas nirmal ā¬i¬ā.
Pollution, attachment and corruption have run away; the immaculate day has dawned.

ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਧਾਰੀ ਮਨਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ਮਹਾ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਨਾਸੀ ॥
द्रिसटि धारी मनि पिआरी महा दुरमति नासी ॥
Ḏarisat ḏẖārī man pi¬ārī mahā ḏurmaṯ nāsī.
Casting His Glance of Grace, the Lord loves me with His Mind; my immense evil-mindedness is dispelled.

ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਈ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਮਿਲੇ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
बिनवंति नानक भई निरमल प्रभ मिले अबिनासी ॥३॥
Binvanṯ Nānak bẖa¬ī nirmal parabẖ milė abẖināsī. ||3||
Prays Nanak, I have become immaculate and pure; I have met the Imperishable Lord God. ||3||

ਸੂਰਜ ਕਿਰਣਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜਲ ਕਾ ਜਲੁ ਹੂਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
सूरज किरणि मिले जल का जलु हूआ राम ॥
Sūraj kiraṇ milė jal kā jal hū¬ā rām.
The rays of light merge with the sun, and water merges with water.

ਜੋਤੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਲੀ ਸੰਪੂਰਨੁ ਥੀਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
जोती जोति रली स्मपूरनु थीआ राम ॥
Joṯī joṯ ralī sampūran thī¬ā rām.
One's light blends with the Light, and one becomes totally perfect.

ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਦੀਸੈ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਏਕੁ ਏਕੁ ਵਖਾਣੀਐ ॥
ब्रहमु दीसै ब्रहमु सुणीऐ एकु एकु वखाणीऐ ॥
Barahm ḏīsai barahm suṇī¬ai ėk ėk vakẖāṇī¬ai.
I see God, hear God, and speak of the One and only God.

ਆਤਮ ਪਸਾਰਾ ਕਰਣਹਾਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਬਿਨਾ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਣੀਐ ॥
आतम पसारा करणहारा प्रभ बिना नही जाणीऐ ॥
Āṯam pasārā karaṇhārā parabẖ binā nahī jāṇī¬ai.
The soul is the Creator of the expanse of creation. Without God, I know no other at all.

ਆਪਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਆਪਿ ਭੁਗਤਾ ਆਪਿ ਕਾਰਣੁ ਕੀਆ ॥
आपि करता आपि भुगता आपि कारणु कीआ ॥
Āp karṯā āp bẖugṯā āp kāraṇ kī¬ā.
He Himself is the Creator, and He Himself is the Enjoyer. He created the Creation.

ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਈ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਪੀਆ ॥੪॥੨॥
बिनवंति नानक सेई जाणहि जिन्ही हरि रसु पीआ ॥४॥२॥
Binvanṯ Nānak sė¬ī jāṇeh jinĥī har ras pī¬ā. ||4||2||
Prays Nanak, they alone know this, who drink in the subtle essence of the Lord. ||4||2||

Shabad

2007-04-12T19:27:00.000+12:00

sUhI mhlw 1 kwPI Gru 10
soohee mehalaa 1 kaafee ghar 10
Soohee, First Mehla, Kaafee, Tenth House:

<> siqgur pRswid ]
ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

mwxs jnmu dulµBu gurmuiK pwieAw ]
maanas janam dhula(n)bh guramukh paaeiaa
For if you depart with virtue, then pain shall never afflict you. 5

mnu qnu hoie culµBu jy siqgur BwieAw ]1]
man than hoe chula(n)bh jae sathigur bhaaeiaa 1
The mind and body are dyed in the deep red color of devotional love, if it pleases the True Guru. 1

clY jnmu svwir vKru scu lY ]
chalai janam savaar vakhar sach lai
He departs with his life embellished and successful, taking the merchandise of the True Name.

piq pwey drbwir siqgur sbid BY ]1] rhwau ]
path paaeae dharabaar sathigur sabadh bhai 1 rehaao
He is honored in the Darbaar, the Royal Court, of the Lord, through the Shabad, the Word of the True Guru, and the Fear of God. 1Pause

min qin scu slwih swcy min BwieAw ]
man than sach salaahi saachae man bhaaeiaa
One who praises the True Lord with his mind and body, pleases the Mind of the True Lord.

lwil rqw mnu mwinAw guru pUrw pwieAw ]2]
laal rathaa man maaniaa gur pooraa paaeiaa 2
Attuned to the Beloved Lord, the mind is appeased, and finds the Perfect Guru. 2

hau jIvw gux swir AMqir qU vsY ]
ho jeevaa gun saar a(n)thar thoo vasai
I live, by cherishing Your Glorious Virtues; You dwell deep within me.

qUM vsih mn mwih shjy ris rsY ]3]
thoo(n) vasehi man maahi sehajae ras rasai 3
You dwell within my mind, and so it naturally celebrates in joyful delight. 3

mUrK mn smJwie AwKau kyqVw ]
moorakh man samajhaae aakho kaetharraa
O my foolish mind, how can I teach and instruct you?

gurmuiK hir gux gwie rMig rMgyqVw ]4]
guramukh har gun gaae ra(n)g ra(n)gaetharraa 4
As Gurmukh, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and so become attuned to His Love. 4

inq inq irdY smwil pRIqmu Awpxw ]
nith nith ridhai samaal preetham aapanaa
Continually, continuously, remember and cherish your Beloved Lord in your heart.

jy clih gux nwil nwhI duKu sMqwpxw ]5]
jae chalehi gun naal naahee dhukh sa(n)thaapanaa 5
For if you depart with virtue, then pain shall never afflict you. 5

mnmuK Brim Bulwxw nw iqsu rMgu hY ]
manamukh bharam bhulaanaa naa this ra(n)g hai
The self-willed manmukh wanders around, deluded by doubt; he does not enshrine love for the Lord.

mrsI hoie ivfwxw min qin BMgu hY ]6]
marasee hoe viddaanaa man than bha(n)g hai 6
He dies as a stranger to his own self, and his mind and body are spoiled. 6

gur kI kwr kmwie lwhw Gir AwixAw ]
gur kee kaar kamaae laahaa ghar aaniaa
Performing service to the Guru, you shall go home with the profit.

gurbwxI inrbwxu sbid pCwixAw ]7]
gurabaanee nirabaan sabadh pashhaaniaa 7
Through the Word of the Guru's Bani, and the Shabad, the Word of God, the state of Nirvaanaa is attained. 7

iek nwnk kI Ardwis jy quDu BwvsI ]
eik naanak kee aradhaas jae thudhh bhaavasee
Nanak makes this one prayer: if it pleases Your Will,

mY dIjY nwm invwsu hir gux gwvsI ]8]1]3]
mai dheejai naam nivaas har gun gaavasee 813
bless me with a home in Your Name, Lord, that I may sing Your Glorious Praises. 813

Shabad - Desires and Naam

2007-04-06T00:53:00.000+12:00

DnwsrI mhlw 5 ]
dhhanaasaree mehalaa 5
Dhanaasaree, Fifth Mehla:

vfy vfy rwjn Aru BUmn qw kI iqRsn n bUJI ]
vaddae vaddae raajan ar bhooman thaa kee thrisan n boojhee
The desires of the greatest of the great kings and landlords cannot be satisfied.

lpit rhy mwieAw rMg mwqy locn kCU n sUJI ]1]
lapatt rehae maaeiaa ra(n)g maathae lochan kashhoo n soojhee 1
They remain engrossed in Maya, intoxicated with the pleasures of their wealth; their eyes see nothing else at all. 1

ibiKAw mih ikn hI iqRpiq n pweI ]
bikhiaa mehi kin hee thripath n paaee
No one has ever found satisfaction in sin and corruption.

ijau pwvku eIDin nhI DRwpY ibnu hir khw AGweI ] rhwau ]
jio paavak eedhhan nehee dhhraapai bin har kehaa aghaaee rehaao
The flame is not satisfied by more fuel; how can one be satisfied without the Lord? Pause

idnu idnu krq Bojn bhu ibMjn qw kI imtY n BUKw ]
dhin dhin karath bhojan bahu bi(n)jan thaa kee mittai n bhookhaa
Day after day, he eats his meals with many different foods, but his hunger is not eradicated.

audmu krY suAwn kI inAweI cwry kuMtw GoKw ]2]
oudham karai suaan kee niaaee chaarae ku(n)ttaa ghokhaa 2
He runs around like a dog, searching in the four directions. 2

kwmvMq kwmI bhu nwrI pr igRh joh n cUkY ]
kaamava(n)th kaamee bahu naaree par grih joh n chookai
The lustful, lecherous man desires many women, and he never stops peeking into the homes of others.

idn pRiq krY krY pCuqwpY sog loB mih sUkY ]3]
dhin prath karai karai pashhuthaapai sog lobh mehi sookai 3
Day after day, he commits adultery again and again, and then he regrets his actions; he wastes away in misery and greed. 3

hir hir nwmu Apwr Amolw AMimRqu eyku inDwnw ]
har har naam apaar amolaa a(n)mrith eaek nidhhaanaa
The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is incomparable and priceless; it is the treasure of Ambrosial Nectar.

sUKu shju Awnµdu sMqn kY nwnk gur qy jwnw ]4]6]
sookh sehaj aana(n)dh sa(n)than kai naanak gur thae jaanaa 46
The Saints abide in peace, poise and bliss; O Nanak, through the Guru, this is known. 46

Announcement and Final article: Humility

2007-03-21T20:08:00.000+12:00

Daas is aware that Daas has said in the previous announcement that Daas will carry on with this seva as long as Daas lives but Daas doesn’t feel it is right for Daas to carry on doing this seva since Daas has not merged with God. Daas only believes someone perfect should impart teachings to others and we only become perfect when we obtain God by japping his perfect name. When Daas merges with God Daas will inspire people to Jap naam and by then this blog will not be needed. It is truth we are searching for and truth only can be obtained from God and the saints from Saach Khand so we should all be looking and reaching towards there where we seek help from them daily. We should not be dependent on mortals. If we are then Guru Ji does not listen to us because we should only seek the help and support from God. So Daas can only preach the truth when Daas reaches the true realm. Seeking mortals for help is not the way of the Khalsa.

Sorry if Daas has offended anyone is anyway.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Below is the final article

Humility

ਕਬੀਰ ਰੋੜਾ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੁ ਬਾਟ ਕਾ ਤਜਿ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥
kabeer rorhaa ho-ay rahu baat kaa taj man kaa abhimaan.
Kabeer, let yourself be a pebble on the path; abandon your egotistical pride.

ਐਸਾ ਕੋਈ ਦਾਸੁ ਹੋਇ ਤਾਹਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਭਗਵਾਨੁ ॥੧੪੬॥
aisaa ko-ee daas ho-ay taahi milai bhagvaan. 146
Such a humble slave shall meet the Lord God. 146

ਕਬੀਰ ਰੋੜਾ ਹੂਆ ਤ ਕਿਆ ਭਇਆ ਪੰਥੀ ਕਉ ਦੁਖੁ ਦੇਇ ॥
kabeer rorhaa hoo-aa ta ki-aa bha-i-aa panthee ka-o dukh day-ay.
Kabeer, what good would it be, to be a pebble? It would only hurt the traveller on the path.

ਐਸਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਦਾਸੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਉ ਧਰਨੀ ਮਹਿ ਖੇਹ ॥੧੪੭॥
aisaa tayraa daas hai ji-o Dharnee meh khayh. 147
Your slave, O Lord, is like the dust of the earth. 147

ਕਬੀਰ ਖੇਹ ਹੂਈ ਤਉ ਕਿਆ ਭਇਆ ਜਉ ਉਡਿ ਲਾਗੈ ਅੰਗ ॥
kabeer khayh hoo-ee ta-o ki-aa bha-i-aa ja-o ud laagai ang.
Kabeer, what then, if one could become dust? It is blown up by the wind, and sticks to the body.

ਹਰਿ ਜਨੁ ਐਸਾ ਚਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਉ ਪਾਨੀ ਸਰਬੰਗ ॥੧੪੮॥
har jan aisaa chaahee-ai ji-o paanee sarbang. 148
The humble servant of the Lord should be like water, which cleans everything. 148

ਕਬੀਰ ਪਾਨੀ ਹੂਆ ਤ ਕਿਆ ਭਇਆ ਸੀਰਾ ਤਾਤਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
kabeer paanee hoo-aa ta ki-aa bha-i-aa seeraa taataa ho-ay.
Kabeer, what then, if one could become water? It becomes cold, then hot.

ਹਰਿ ਜਨੁ ਐਸਾ ਚਾਹੀਐ ਜੈਸਾ ਹਰਿ ਹੀ ਹੋਇ ॥੧੪੯॥
har jan aisaa chaahee-ai jaisaa har hee ho-ay. 149
The humble servant of the Lord should be just like the Lord. 149

The humble devotee should be as God since God himself is free from ego. He is generous to the good and bad. He is the great giver and never asks for anything. God has no hate as he loves every human being and takes care of them. God is the saviour of everyone and always shows mercy upon them as he pours the rain equally on both good and bad. God is always aware of our needs. Therefore, God alone is the humblest who is distinct from all.

so jnu rlwieAw nw rlY ijsu AMqir ibbyk bIcwru ]2]
so jan ralaaeiaa naa ralai jis a(n)thar bibaek beechaar 2
Those humble beings who are filled with keen understanding and meditative contemplation-even though they intermingle with others, they remain distinct. 2

Only through humility we can progress in naam tremendously. Without humility everything is done through ego and will only lead us to hell. Only naam alone can make one humble otherwise there is no selfless service (seva) if we do not Jap naam. Only through naam can be become humble and only through humility one can be carried across the worldly ocean.

dir syvin sMq jn KVy pwiein guxI inDwnu ]1]
dhar saevan sa(n)th jan kharrae paaein gunee nidhhaan 1
Standing at the Lord's Door, the humble Saints serve Him; they find the Treasure of Excellence. 1

Through modesty we become the slaves of the slaves because we do not consider anything ours since nothing belongs to us. We remain dead whilst yet alive. They do not run to Maya but always remain in their true home having faith in their friend to give them support and protection. Just as if we take the support of another is like putting each leg in a different boat where we would not be able to remain stable and will eventually fall and thus drown in the ocean. Just as if we cling on some many things in this world, we would eventually fall apart. The humble devotee doesn’t hold onto Mayas support on one hand and God’s support on the other hand because they both pull in different directions.

iDAwie iDAwie jIvih jn qyry scu sbdu min mwxo jIau ]2]
dhhiaae dhhiaae jeevehi jan thaerae sach sabadh man maano jeeo 2
Your humble servants live by meditating, meditating on You. Their minds treasure the True Word of the Shabad. 2

The humble being doesn’t ask for anything but takes whatever is given though gratitude. Through modesty we do not consider ourselves worth anything, we think of ourselves as the lowest of the low. But someone who considers their mind lowest of all is actually the highest of all. Through modesty we accept God’s will; we look above everyone’s bad qualities and never do anything wrong. They see every happening in the world sweet to them; they see every place as heaven because they see God present everywhere. The meek being cannot let go of God from their mind, they remember God and cherish him in their heart. They remain untouched by fifth just like water which cleans everything.

pwxI DrqI ivc Driq ivc pwxIAY]
paanee dhharathee vich dhharath vich paaneeai
The water is in the earth and the earth in the water.

nIchuM nIc nihc inrml jwxIAY]
neechahu(n) neech nehich niramal jaaneeai
Water has no hesitation in going low and lower; it is rather considered more pure.

sihMdw bwhlI iKc invY nvwxIAY]
sehi(n)dhaa baahalee khich nivai navaaneeai
To flow down, water bears the concussion of the gravitational force but still likes to go lower.

mnmylI GuliGc sB rMg mwxIAY]
manamaelee ghulaghich sabh ra(n)g maaneeai
It absorbs in everybody and enjoys with one and all.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was humble himself as he considered the Sadh Sangat greater than him. When someone would reject him he will still not forget that person and will rebuild the bonds for that person again. When he shot an arrow at his victim, there was gold mounted on the arrow to support the family. This shows the love Guru Ji had for everyone.

nwnk gurmuiK pweIAY dieAw kry hir hIru ]4]21]
naanak guramukh paaeeai dhaeiaa karae har heer 421
O Nanak, the Gurmukh finds the Diamond of the Lord, by His Kindness and Compassion. 421

Kindness is such a great quality that everyone needs. When the panj piare had to be formed, Bhai Daya (kindness) Singh came before Bhai Dharam (faith, righteousness) Singh showing that Kindness comes before faith. To help others we are benefiting them and are not thinking about ourselves but everyone else. If we do not do anything for others it is only through our own personal needs which will only ruin us. God exists in everyone, so we help and serve everyone as well as Guru Ji. By helping others, people will see the true beauty and charm of the spiritualism in sikhi which will inspire others as well. To find God we have to become the lowest as it is just like finding sugar. An elephant would not be able to find sugar but if we become just as an ant we will find sugar. Just as when we consider ourselves to have no power, power comes to us since God does all the work through us.

sB eyk idRsit smqu kir dyKY sBu Awqm rwmu pCwn jIau ]
sabh eaek dhrisatt samath kar dhaekhai sabh aatham raam pashhaan jeeo
They look upon all with equality, and recognize the Supreme Soul, the Lord, pervading among all.

By humility no one is distinguished by caste, race or gender, they are all seen alike since God’s light is pervading in all. Just how in marriages there is union with the soul; both should be treated the same way. Similar to when we merge with God, we are one and alike as God. Thus, the saint and God are the same and should be treated as such. The Khalsa is beyond the bodily form since the soul is only the mind, eyes and ears which lives forever. The Khalsa therefore does not distinguish others by bodily form but treats everyone alike as God’s light pervades in all.

To conclude to become a Khalsa we have to be humble and see every being the same by looking above their bad qualities. We should be just as God who looks above everyone’s merits and demerits, who is compassionate to all, who gives and helps everyone regardless of what they have done in return. The objective in life is to Jap naam through sincere love, this way be become the slave of the slaves and will finally reach our final destination; Saach Khand.

Maya and Vaheguru

2007-03-15T20:49:00.000+12:00

ibnu gur ibsIAru fsY mir vwt ]
bin gur biseear ddasai mar vaatt
Without the Guru, one is stung by the poisonous snake of Maya, and dies.

Maya is a treacherous snake which can leave one poisoned resulting to a painful death which catches someone out of a sudden. She maybe fun on this world but the happiness only lasts for a while, only leaving one confused about their true self. One does not know themselves if they are in love with Maya. On the other hand, Vaheguru doesn’t betray anything because he is all love as he sustains and takes care of his creation. Vaheguru is our true friend eternally with us and who can be with us to protect us from great punishments when we die. Vaheguru is always beside us so when we run to Maya we turn our back on our true friend who has never forgotten us but we unknowingly forget him.

mwieAw moih ivswirAw jgq ipqw pRiqpwil ]
maaeiaa mohi visaariaa jagath pithaa prathipaal
In attachment to Maya, they have forgotten the Father, the Cherisher of the World.

Maya cannot leave us satisfied which are why we roam and wander for more excitement from her. Whilst Vaheguru leaves our soul satisfied as we fulfil our needs, giving our soul peace and consolation. Maya cannot even give us eternal happiness on earth. Maya makes people blind and makes them believe God is just an imaginative believe just because it cannot be seen. But actually although Maya is the visible existence it is really an illusion and false while God has been made invisible which is really reality and the truth in life. The reason for the attraction of Maya which people have now is because in Satiyug there used to be 4 legs of Dharma and now when Kalyug came there is only one leg of Dharma and Maya increased tremendously.

mwieAw jyvfu duKu nhI siB Biv Qky sMswru ]
maaeiaa jaevadd dhukh nehee sabh bhav thhakae sa(n)saar
There is no pain as great as the pain of Maya; it drives people to wander all around the world, until they become exhausted.

Maya’s pleasures cannot remain with you wherever we go which causes us to run after her and kiss her feet. Whereas God’s true pleasures are eternally with us because he exists everywhere and can be part of our breath. Therefore, God cannot make one lonely as he becomes our lifetime companion including after death if we enshrine him in our heart forever. The breath of naam cannot be stolen or taken away. Spiritual experiences can leave one wonderstruck and truly amazed without any boredom which is harder to obtain. Maya is the other hand is much easier to obtain since she is the one that begs at our feet to praise her.

bwbw mwieAw rcnw Dohu ]
baabaa maaeiaa rachanaa dhhohu
O Baba, the splendor of Maya is deceptive.

Although it gives us false happiness she only satisfies our 5 inner demons and increases their control over our body. Every action done is becomes through ego and we waste our lives in vain. Maya causes us to forget our beloved God the one which truly cares for our well-being. Naam can rid of our ego as we can only achieve salvation by becoming humble. Therefore, Vaheguru gives one honour and does not let them endure any suffering when they die. While Maya is easily obtained in the outside world, naam can be found in the inner world. This is why Maya does not depart with us when we die because she remains in this world as she is only materialistic that can cause one to endure great punishments when they die because we beg from door to door for Maya when everything can be obtain in our true home within from God. We only get lack of faith and become doubtful through Maya.

ibKu mwieAw sMic bhu icqY ibkwr suKu pweIAY hir Bju sMq sMq sMgqI imil siqgurU guru swDo ]
bikh maaeiaa sa(n)ch bahu chithai bikaar sukh paaeeai har bhaj sa(n)th sa(n)th sa(n)gathee mil sathiguroo gur saadhho
Collecting the poison of Maya, people think of all sorts of evil. But peace is found only by vibrating and meditating on the Lord; with the Saints, in the Sangat, the Society of the Saints, meet the True Guru, the Holy Guru.

And

qnu jil bil mwtI BieAw mnu mwieAw moih mnUru ]
than jal bal maattee bhaeiaa man maaeiaa mohi manoor
The body is burnt to ashes; by its love of Maya, the mind is rusted through.

Maya can only leave our soul hideous being covered with a wall of mud. However, naam can give our soul pure beauty that glows tremendously. Maya can even make clowns known to people across the world. But if God doesn’t know them then nobody knows them. Only Naam can make one truly known to each soul across all three worlds and the others regions and realms.

kaulw bpurI sMqI ClI ]3]
koulaa bapuree sa(n)thee shhalee 3
The Saints have enticed Maya herself. 3

Maya may fascinate numerous people but the saints cut her into pieces as she is only the enemy of God which causes us to live in duality. We cannot have Maya and God. Only through naam we can subdue Maya and destroy her before she destroys us.

pUrn pUir rihAw ibKu mwir ]
pooran poor rehiaa bikh maar
The Perfect Lord is All-pervading everywhere; He destroys the poison of Maya.

God can only show pity on us and pleased with us when we destroy these bonds by becoming dead whilst yet alive, remaining unattached in the midst of Maya.

mwieAw BuieAMg gRisE hY pRwxI gur bcnI ibsu hir kwiFbw ]1]
maaeiaa bhueia(n)g grasiou hai praanee gur bachanee bis har kaadtibaa 1
Maya, the snake, has seized the mortal; through the Word of the Guru, the Lord neutralizes the venom. 1

Race against time

2007-03-07T20:25:00.000+12:00

jobnu GtY jrUAw ijxY vxjwirAw imqRw Awv GtY idnu jwie ]
joban ghattai jarooaa jinai vanajaariaa mithraa aav ghattai dhin jaae
Youth wears itself out, and old age triumphs, O my merchant friend; as time passes, your days diminish.

To a Manmukh they would see death to be far away; it becomes an invisible existence to them. But in actual fact, life is passing by like a dream. Everything may be happening slowly here on in the other upper and lower regions of this world everything happens much faster. When a Gursikh japs naam they see how life just passes by them and feels like they haven’t got much time in their life to be wasted. However, they are not frightened of death because there are no punishments for them to heed. Whereas, a manmukh would have fear of death since no righteousness act was performed.

ibnu pRB syv krq An syvw ibrQw kwtY kwl ]
bin prabh saev karath an saevaa birathhaa kaattai kaal
Without serving God, one who serves another wastes his time uselessly.

We need to wake ourselves up and realise death can come any minute whether we are a sleep or awake. Only God decides when we come and go as he alone sustains the creation. This is the reason why one should not waste time as we should believe death can come any minute and anything that we do that does not do any good for the soul only causes suffering to us in the end. But if naam becomes our breath of life, our companion, our friend 24/7, death cannot harm us. If we do not Jap naam now; we come to regret the time wasted when we grow old. Do not leave something till the next day because there may not be a next day.

ibnu siqgur syvy suKu n pwey duKo duKu kmwvixAw ]7]
bin sathigur saevae sukh n paaeae dhukho dhukh kamaavaniaa 7
Without serving the True Guru, they find no peace; they earn only pain and misery. 7

It is Maya that makes us blind in the world, where we believe she will be with us forever when she only deceives us in the end. Only fake love exists with Maya. When we beg from door to door for pleasures from Maya when all that can be obtained from the true home within from Naam this causes severe punishments because we never made God our sole hope and support in life. Without naam, everything is utter false; an illusion that can turn to ashes before our eyes. The fate of a Manmukh in the end would be either going through hell or to become a ghost or other forms.

Though the difference of the soul that stays in this world because the attachment they had to worldly possessions and the one who endures punishments in hell is that God shows pity amongst the ghost as this is actually another chance for them to become united with God. There can be various forms such as Ghosts, goblins, witches etc. Their life is very much the same as a human; they eat, sleep etc just as we do. Also just as we can move objects they too can but we cannot see that object moved for example, there may be cup on a table, they can move this cup in their world but in our world the cup remains where it is. The difference is that humans are made out of clay whilst they are made up of fire. They can see us along with demons etc but we can’t see that. Their life is long whilst our life is short. Their form is hideous which can transform beautiful through naam and they endure pain from worldly attachments while a human remains either beautiful or ugly and can’t feel the pain caused to the soul.

jy vylw vKqu vIcwrIAY qw ikqu vylw Bgiq hoie ]
jae vaelaa vakhath veechaareeai thaa kith vaelaa bhagath hoe
Consider the time and the moment-when should we worship the Lord?

Anidnu nwmy riqAw scy scI soie ]
anadhin naamae rathiaa sachae sachee soe
Night and day, one who is attuned to the Name of the True Lord is true.

ieku iqlu ipAwrw ivsrY Bgiq iknyhI hoie ]
eik thil piaaraa visarai bhagath kinaehee hoe
If someone forgets the Beloved Lord, even for an instant, what sort of devotion is that?

mnu qnu sIqlu swc isau swsu n ibrQw koie ]1]
man than seethal saach sio saas n birathhaa koe 1
One whose mind and body are cooled and soothed by the True Lord-no breath of his is wasted. 1

myry mn hir kw nwmu iDAwie ]
maerae man har kaa naam dhhiaae
O my mind, meditate on the Name of the Lord.

swcI Bgiq qw QIAY jw hir vsY min Awie ]1] rhwau ]
saachee bhagath thaa thheeai jaa har vasai man aae 1 rehaao
True devotional worship is performed when the Lord comes to dwell in the mind. 1Pause

Therefore, let us wake up now not when death strikes with us with his club. Devotional worship to God isn’t left to the evening, amritvela etc. Devotional worship is 24/7. If our mind ponders off in useless thoughts we bring it back to naam. We enshrine God, our friend in our heart 24/7 so that he will be with us till the end. God is our true friend since he will be with us forever. By bearing God in our heart, no hindrance can pull us behind. By bearing God in the mind, God would too reside there and can reach states of absorption of God. Don’t forget that the unseen God is always beside us so when we turn to Maya we turn our back against our friend. God never forgets his creation as he sustains and takes care of them all but we with a doubtful mind forget God and run to Maya like a shameful deluded dog.

mudiq peI icrwxIAw iPir kfU AwvY ruiq ]3]
mudhath pee chiraaneeaa fir kaddoo aavai ruth 3
Such a long time has passed. When will this opportunity come again? 3

People believe they may have another chance again; that they may have another human life to Jap naam but that is not true. One has to endure so many punishments when they die; the human life may not ever come again if no virtuous act was performed. It is up to the creator if we deserve to have another chance again due to our Karam.

ਏਹ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਰਾਣੇ ਰੰਗ ਦਿਨ ਚਾਰਿ ਸੁਹਾਵਣਾ ॥
ayh bhoopat raanay rang din chaar suhaavanaa.
The pleasures of kings and emperors are pleasing, but they last for only a few days.

ਏਹੁ ਮਾਇਆ ਰੰਗੁ ਕਸੁੰਭ ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵਣਾ ॥
ayhu maa-i-aa rang kasumbh khin meh leh jaavnaa.
These pleasures of Maya are like the color of the safflower, which wears off in a moment.

ਚਲਦਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਸਿਰਿ ਪਾਪ ਲੈ ਜਾਵਣਾ ॥
chaldi-aa naal na chalai sir paap lai jaavnaa.
They do not go with him when he departs; instead, he carries the load of sins upon his head.

ਜਾਂ ਪਕੜਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ਕਾਲਿ ਤਾਂ ਖਰਾ ਡਰਾਵਣਾ ॥
jaaN pakarh chalaa-i-aa kaal taaN kharaa daraavanaa.
When death seizes him, and marches him away, then he looks absolutely hideous.

ਓਹ ਵੇਲਾ ਹਥਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਪਛੁਤਾਵਣਾ ॥੬॥
oh vaylaa hath na aavai fir pachhutaavnaa. 6
That lost opportunity will not come into his hands again, and in the end, he regrets and repents. 6

This life is like hell but by the acceptance of God’s will everywhere that God takes us will seem like heaven where we neither experience pain or pleasure. Living as a slave to Maya in this world we are actually asleep as we have not come to realise the truth. There is no real love for Maya. One cannot understand the condition of true love if they haven’t experienced it with God. God is all love; so he loves everyone equally but is only pleased with the ones that show true devotion. God only comes compassionate and merciful to those that only live for naam. Those who keep clever tricks have never come to know the true essence of God and thus cannot become liberated.

In conclusion, let us not live in Kalyug; the Dark Age where everything we see is merely a mirage that we run to day after day. Let us dwell within our true home where we are dead whilst yet alive living in the true age; Satiyug. We only run to Maya when we are doubtful but when we have faith in God we do not care for the pleasures and desires in this world but make our sole hope and desire to merge with God. Understand ourselves, what our soul is craving for. We are only applying ashes upon our face when we run to Maya which will cause great regret in the end. Only Naam alone can satisfy us and leave us at peace here and the hereafter. Maya only brings utter darkness.