In Gurbani, the word “Saint” has been used for a True Guru, The Creator and a divine person who becomes one with the Creator.
I have recently visited India and I am totally stunned how people judge others by looking at outer appearance. Why Fake Saints are mushrooming is no surprise for me anymore. Here in India, people listen to your spiritual views only if you wear certain kind of garb; otherwise, whatever virtue you have within or how much you are changed within is of no significance. Unfortunately, most of the people are bearing with the deep rooted corruption smoothly and trying to assimilate the filthy environments of corruption instead of revolting against it. Whoever is living in such filthy atmosphere has to put up with its dominion. Being well aware of such pitiable plight of the people, fake Babas or Saints are giving bad names to those who are really true divine persons. Gurbani defines who is really a Saint or a Prabh’s devotee; it is on180 – 181 SGGS, Fifth Nanak:
ਗਉੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਗੁਆਰੇਰੀ ॥ ਰੈਣਿ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰਹੈ ਇਕ ਰੰਗਾ ॥
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਉ ਜਾਣੈ ਸਦ ਹੀ ਸੰਗਾ ॥ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਨਾਮੁ ਕੀਓ ਉਨਿ ਵਰਤਨਿ ॥
ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਿ ਅਘਾਵਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਦਰਸਨਿ ॥੧॥
Ga▫oṛī mėhlā 5 gu▫ārerī. Raiṇ ḏinas rahai ik rangā.
Parabẖ ka▫o jāṇai saḏ hī sangā. Ŧẖākur nām kī▫o un varṯan.
Ŧaripaṯ agẖāvan har kai ḏarsan. ||1||
In Essence: The devotee of Prabh remains always drenched in His love, and feels Prabh to be along with. Thus, Master Prabh’s Name becomes his or her way of life, and he or she remains satiated with His vision.
When only the love of the Creator dominates the mind, no temptation or desire has any chance to mislead the soul. There is nothing that interests or attracts the soul then. Very rare persons reach to that kind of state of mind. If we see some people claiming that they have found the Creator, this example of true devotee is enough to analyze their claim. It is a measure to test them if really they have reached a sublime state of mind. Those who keep uttering His Name, and ask others to do so, but still involve in worldly temptations, they are not even close to become His real devotees because to His devotees nothing attracts but Him:
ਹਰਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਰਾਤੇ ਮਨ ਤਨ ਹਰੇ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੂਰੇ ਕੀ ਸਰਨੀ ਪਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Har sang rāṯe man ṯan hare.
Gur pūre kī sarnī pare. ||1|| rahā▫o.
In Essence: They take refuge of the perfect Guru; their minds and bodies get drenched in Prabh’s love, and their hearts are filled with bliss. [Pause]
Another symptom of being in His love is expressed in the following. Through the Guru, they surrender their minds to Akalpurakh. They live according to Guru – teachings. It is the Guru – teachings that make their souls blossom in His manifestation.
ਚਰਣ ਕਮਲ ਆਤਮ ਆਧਾਰ ॥ ਏਕੁ ਨਿਹਾਰਹਿ ਆਗਿਆਕਾਰ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਬਨਜੁ ਏਕੋ ਬਿਉਹਾਰੀ ॥ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਹਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ ॥੨॥
Cẖaraṇ kamal āṯam āḏẖār. Ėk nihārahi āgi▫ākār.
Ėko banaj eko bi▫uhārī. Avar na jānėh bin nirankārī. ||2||
In Essence: Their support of life is to remain in Prabh’s refuge in utter humbleness, and they behold none but one Prabh. They are obedient to Him. Only Name of Prabh is what they trade in, and His Name is their occupation. They don’t believe in anyone but Formless Prabh.
We involve in Maya temptations in different situations; therefore, our love always remains divided. Sikhi is to become His devotees. To become His devotees is to abandon bowing and praying to others and seeking things from others. By remaining imbued with Him, His mercy is sought. When we seek from others, we betray Him. When we pray to others, we deceive Him and ourselves. Our mind belongs to the Eternal Prabh only who is above birth and death. Guru becomes His form because through the Guru He leads us toward Himself. Guru doesn’t promote himself but the Creator in all aspects. Guru’s service is to keep the Guru -instructions in the mind: to keep memory of Akalpurakh in the hearts, to pray only to Him, and to obey His Ordinance without any complain. That is what Guru Ji stresses here. And, His real devotees are those who are devoted and belonged only to Him.
ਹਰਖ ਸੋਗ ਦੁਹਹੂੰ ਤੇ ਮੁਕਤੇ ॥ ਸਦਾ ਅਲਿਪਤੁ ਜੋਗ ਅਰੁ ਜੁਗਤੇ ॥
ਦੀਸਹਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਸਭ ਤੇ ਰਹਤੇ ॥ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕਾ ਓਇ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਧਰਤੇ ॥੩॥
Harakẖ sog ḏuhhūʼn ṯe mukṯe. Saḏā alipaṯ jog ar jugṯe.
Ḏīsėh sabẖ mėh sabẖ ṯe rahṯe. Pārbarahm kā o▫e ḏẖi▫ān ḏẖarṯe. ||3||
In Essence: They remain above a merry and sadness -state (means they don’t get amused by getting something and turn sad by losing something). They remain detached from Maya, and fix their attention on Prabh. This way they learn the right way of life. They are seen loving all, but still they are detached from all as well. Their attention is fixed on Prabh.
In the above Guru Vaakas, how to remain detached is defined. This is also a definition of a Sadh/Saint. They love all but still remain detached because their attention is fixed on the Creator not on others. This is very subtle understanding we hardly comprehend because of our duality.
It is not hard to differentiate between the person who is drenched in His love and the one who is not, because being in His love, a person rises above group-mentality, animosity and weaknesses for group inclination. Such a person doesn’t react in a mercurial way. The spiritual progress is openly seen in a Saint. No wonder, as we see the History, the enlightened ones never bore revenge or animosity against anyone even after receiving unthinkable treatment at the hands of brutal and conceited people. That is why Gurbani promotes (1299,SGGS):
”ਨਾ ਕੋ ਬੈਰੀ ਨਹੀ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ ਸਗਲ ਸੰਗਿ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਬਨਿ ਆਈ ॥੧॥
Nā ko bairī nahī bigānā sagal sang ham ka▫o ban ā▫ī. ||1||
In Essence: Because I have become a friend of all, now there is no one enemy and no one is a stranger.
It is just not a mere statement; it has been a living truth for Guru sahiban and their followers. We have a problem to understand this immaculate behavior because we are divided into many folds. The state of mind of such devotees is inexpressible:
ਸੰਤਨ ਕੀ ਮਹਿਮਾ ਕਵਨ ਵਖਾਨਉ ॥
ਅਗਾਧਿ ਬੋਧਿ ਕਿਛੁ ਮਿਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਉ ॥
ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਮੋਹਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕੀਜੈ ॥
ਧੂਰਿ ਸੰਤਨ ਕੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੀਜੈ ॥੪॥੧੭॥੮੬॥
Sanṯan kī mahimā kavan vakẖāna▫o.
Agāḏẖ boḏẖ kicẖẖ miṯ nahī jān▫o.
Pārbarahm mohi kirpā kījai.
Ḏẖūr sanṯan kī Nānak ḏījai. ||4||17||86||
In Essence: What greatness and glory of His Saints can I express? Their state of mind is beyond human understanding, and it is not possible to express it. Oh Prabh! Be merciful and bless Nanak to be with Saints in utter humility.
The lovers of Prabh are beyond description, their behavior doesn’t fit in our worldly behavior, their virtues are beyond count, and indeed, they are unique. Doubtless, their company is priceless. Guru ji prays for his followers to have the company of such devotees. Guru Ji also states that they are the ones we should look for to keep our love for Him intact. I must add here that we as Sikhs must be aware of those so called Saints and Babas who are into show off because they are as behind in spiritual progress as we are. On 585 SGGS Third Nanak talks about them; he gives an example of falling innocently in the company of hypocrites:
ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਮੈ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਵਡ ਹੰਸੁ ਹੈ ਤਾ ਮੈ ਕੀਆ ਸੰਗੁ ॥
ਜੇ ਜਾਣਾ ਬਗੁ ਬਪੁੜਾ ਤ ਜਨਮਿ ਨ ਦੇਦੀ ਅੰਗੁ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 3. Mai jāni▫ā vad hans hai ṯā mai kī▫ā sang.
Je jāṇā bag bapuṛā ṯa janam na ḏeḏī ang. ||2||
Bani of Third Nanak,
In Essence: I thought he was a great soul (Saint) that was the reason I got associated with him. Had I known he was just into a show off [fake one], I wouldn’t have associated with him from the very beginning.
What happens to such so called Saints? They pose to be Saints. They cannot be better than the ones who seek their help. Those who follow such fake Saints are weak – minded. Guru ji gives the reason of their limits:
ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਹੰਸਾ ਵੇਖਿ ਤਰੰਦਿਆ ਬਗਾਂ ਭਿ ਆਯਾ ਚਾਉ ॥
ਡੁਬਿ ਮੁਏ ਬਗ ਬਪੁੜੇ ਸਿਰੁ ਤਲਿ ਉਪਰਿ ਪਾਉ ॥੩॥
Mėhlā 3 Hansā vekẖ ṯaranḏi▫ā bagāʼn bẖė ā▫yā cẖā▫o.
Dub mu▫e bag bapuṛe sir ṯal upar pā▫o. ||3||
In Essence: (The reason behind their such plight is expressed) seeing the Swans swimming, the herons got excited to swim; however, they got drowned since they didn’t know how to swim like swans. (They have no spiritual experience; if they did, they wouldn’t behave as they did)
They have not obtained the art of loving the Creator from anyone, they just feel they have found Him, and they think that they can lead others as well. Internally they remain sitting on burning fire of desires. To find this, try to get close to such saints and babas to measure their spiritual success by keeping Guru ji’s measure of a Saint in the mind.
On 1275, SGGS, Guru Nanak Dev Ji points exactly at pseudo Saints:
ਮਲਾਰ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਮਰਣ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਗਤਿ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਕੰਠੇ ਬੈਠੀ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਪਛਾਨੈ ॥੧॥
Malār mėhlā 1. Maraṇ mukaṯ gaṯ sār na jānai.
Kanṯẖe baiṯẖī gur sabaḏ pacẖẖānai. ||1||
In Essence: Some people have absolutely no knowledge of death and the emancipation, they do not progress (spiritually) after reading Guru – Shabada, and they just claim they understand the Guru Shabada but they don’t move. (They just talk and discuss the Guru Shabada but they are stagnant spiritually, and thus they obtain nothing)
At the end of this Shabada Guru Ji concludes:
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸਾਚੀ ਸਬਦੁ ਹੈ ਸਾਰੁ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਖੈ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰਿ ॥੭॥
Gurmaṯ sācẖī sabaḏ hai sār.
Har kā nām rakẖai ur ḏẖār. ||7||
In Essence: The essence of true Guru – Shabad is to keep Akalpurakh’s name in the heart (always, live in His memory).
A real Saint becomes like the Creator, which means such a Saint becomes immaculate like Him, on 397, SGGS
ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਨ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੇ ਕਿਨੇਹਿਆ ॥
ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਹੁ ਮੂਲਿ ਸਾਂਈ ਜੇਹਿਆ ॥੧॥
Āsā mėhlā 5. Jinĥā na visrai nām se kinehi▫ā.
Bẖeḏ na jāṇhu mūl sāʼn▫ī jehi▫ā. ||1||
In Essence: (Question) who never forget the Name of Akalpurakh, what kind of people are those? (Answer) Do not see the slightest difference between them and the Master [Akalpurakh].
They rise above Maya influences and remain beyond enmity, fear and attachment like Akalpurakh. Thus, being detached to all kinds of Maya, they become like Him. This doesn’t mean that “beyond birth Creator” takes birth by being such enlightened ones; it means He apparently appears manifested in them.
On 938, First Nanak promotes utter respect toward a real Saint because it is the Saint that helps the seekers to attain the Eternal Creator:
ਮਸਤਕੁ ਕਾਟਿ ਧਰੀ ਤਿਸੁ ਆਗੈ ਤਨੁ ਮਨੁ ਆਗੈ ਦੇਉ ॥
Masṯak kāt ḏẖarī ṯis āgai ṯan man āgai ḏe▫o.
In Essence: I shall completely surrender to that person and humbly serve him (to a Saint)
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਚੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਸਹਜ ਭਾਇ ਜਸੁ ਲੇਉ ॥੧॥
Nānak sanṯ milai sacẖ pā▫ī▫ai sahj bẖā▫e jas le▫o. ||1||
In Essence: (because) meeting a Saint ( or a Guru because the Guru is also a Saint), Akalpurakh is attained intuitively, and thus one is honored (by Him)
Even if it is hard to find a true Saint, it doesn’t mean that out there no Saint exists; I once was blessed to see one Saint but my conceit wouldn’t give in. Indeed, he was the real one who was seen absorbed in the Creator all the time and was indifferent to worldly praise. Just because of the fake Babas and Saints, we should never indulge in criticism of Saints because that behavior can blind us in case we encounter a real Saint. Just be careful while selecting a Seer and avoid bad mouthing. Rise above the garb because garb can be deceiving. If still the luck is not bright to have a real Saint, seek refuge in Gurbani and try to clean the soul through it because Gurbani has come from the Creator through the Guru (308 SGGS).
Humbly
G Singh
