Sri Guru Nanak Ji makes our meeting with the Creator very easy, but we need to follow the Guru very seriously. For that, we must take a very important step, and according to the Guru, it is to get rid our duality. The duality is considering ourselves’ existence separate from the Creator; in other words, according to the enlightened ones, what we are taught so far about having our separate existences is actually misplaced information that has been evolved into “dual love”. He is not separate from His Creation, but we strongly feel separate from Him and His creation. Our total involvement in our bodies starts generating in us the duality that becomes a wall between our Creator and us. Living as successful people with many establishments doesn’t make us enlightened about Him and us being one, and walking away from that context may help us if we want to realize Him, and for that, we need to stop thinking that we have separate existences from Him, because we are part of Him. Yes it is social and religious programming that has engraved the fundamental idea of duality in our conscious and subconscious minds. The Guru advises us how to replace the old programming with the new one that brings feelings of oneness with Him. Once it is done, we will feel Him within and out all over. Merely saying the Creator is one and in all will not lead us to envisioning Him. The bottom line is that our recognition of having our separate existences from Him needs to be ended to meet Him. The Guru also says repeatedly that rare people will tread on the Guru path hundred percent to eliminate the duality complex, because most of the seekers feel comfortable where they are and their urge to envision Him remains buried under their attachments; however, the Guru wants all to envision Him:
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥
ਹਉ ਮੈ ਕਰੀ ਤਾਂ ਤੂ ਨਾਹੀ ਤੂ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਹਉ ਨਾਹਿ ॥
ਬੂਝਹੁ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਬੂਝਣਾ ਏਹ ਅਕਥ ਕਥਾ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਤਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਅਲਖੁ ਵਸੈ ਸਭ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜਾਂ ਸਬਦੁ ਵਸੈ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਆਪੁ ਗਇਆ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਭਉ ਗਇਆ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਹਿ ॥
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਅਲਖੁ ਲਖਾਈਐ ਊਤਮ ਮਤਿ ਤਰਾਹਿ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੋਹੰ ਹੰਸਾ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪਹੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਤਿਸੈ ਸਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Salok mėhlā 1.
Ha-o mai karī ṯāʼn ṯū nāhī ṯū hovėh ha-o nāhi.
Būjẖhu gi-ānī būjẖ-ṇā eh akath kathā man māhi.
Bin gur ṯaṯ na pā-ī-ai alakẖ vasai sabẖ māhi.
Saṯgur milai ṯa jāṇī-ai jāʼn sabaḏ vasai man māhi.
Āp ga-i-ā bẖaram bẖa-o ga-i-ā janam maran ḏukẖ jāhi.
Gurmaṯ alakẖ lakẖā-ī-ai ūṯam maṯ ṯarāhi.
Nānak sohaʼn hansā jap jāpahu ṯaribẖavaṇ ṯisai samāhi. ||1||
(1092 to 1093, SGGS)
Slok of First Nanak
In essence: Oh Prabh! When I display my conceit, you do not become manifest in me and when you are in me, my conceit (feeling of existence) doesn’t exist. Oh knowledgeable and wise ones! Find out about this secret of the inexpressible of inexpressible Creator in your minds. Without the Guru, the inexpressible Creator, who abides in all, cannot be obtained. Through the Satiguru, one can know Him when in one’s mind the shabda stays (To replace the old programming with the new one) Then one’s awareness of one’s own “self” goes away, and one’s fear and doubt, pain of birth and death also go away. Through the Guru, the Invisible (Prabh) is seen, and with the sublime intellect, the people ferry across the worldly ocean. Oh Nanak! Contemplate Prabh saying,” He is me and I am Him (become one with Him by eradicating the duality)”. All the residents of the three worlds are in Him (are at His support being His part).
The second step is easier, because being in love with Him and having no feeling of separate existences from Him, our all relationships will indicate us that nothing is apart from Him; therefore, our loving someone and hating other one will never conceive, because we realize that people take different stances on certain issues or incline toward selfishness, greed and other negative urges just because their belief of being separate from Him is in force. If we don’t take the first step as stated above, we are doomed to drown in the duality.
As we start dealing with world, millions urges start enveloping us and numerous relations will pressure us to keep developing the duality we don’t need to have to realize Him. In the following, the Guru gives examples how our urges and love for our relationships spiral and throw us in a quagmire of vices; consequently, our coming close to Him goes far away. There are major factors like our inclinations, habits and urges that become hindrances for us to take the first step discussed in the beginning above. The Guru takes us through that path, which is full of hindrances:
ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਮਲਾਰ ॥
ਪਰ ਦਾਰਾ ਪਰ ਧਨੁ ਪਰ ਲੋਭਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੈ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥
ਦੁਸਟ ਭਾਉ ਤਜਿ ਨਿੰਦ ਪਰਾਈ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਚੰਡਾਰ ॥੧॥
Mėhlā 1 malār.
Par ḏārā par ḏẖan par lobẖā ha-umai bikẖai bikār.
Ḏusat bẖā-o ṯaj ninḏ parā-ī kām kroḏẖ cẖandār. ||1||
In essence: (to be worthy of Ekankar) A person who lives according to the Guru’s guidance gives up bad intentions like taking interests in others wives, wealth, avarice, self-conceit, bad inclinations (vices), slandering of others, lust and anger.
A Gurmukh abandons all negative habits and inclinations stated above, because he or she realizes that the duality needs to be eliminated. Interestingly, when mind falls in love with Ekankar, His name rules the mind; consequently, it (the mind) doesn’t embrace negative urges. Please ponder over what the Guru says in the following verses in this context:
ਮਹਲ ਮਹਿ ਬੈਠੇ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰ ॥
ਭੀਤਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸੋਈ ਜਨੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਰਤਨੁ ਆਚਾਰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Mahal mėh baiṯẖe agam apār.
Bẖīṯar amriṯ so-ī jan pāvai jis gur kā sabaḏ raṯan ācẖār. ||1|| rahā-o.
(1255, SGGS)
Within resides the inaccessible and infinite Creator. Only that person who is holding to the Guru’s shabad-jewel and lives according to it obtains the Creator’s nectarous presence within. Pause
As advised in previous verses above, we should replace our old programming with the Guru’s programming. If we do it with sincerity, within we can envision Ekankar, who is inaccessible and infinite. How we must behave, the answers are:
ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਦੋਊ ਸਮ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਨੈ ਬੁਰਾ ਭਲਾ ਸੰਸਾਰ ॥
ਸੁਧਿ ਬੁਧਿ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਈਐ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਗੁਰ ਪਿਆਰ ॥੨॥
Ḏukẖ sukẖ ḏo-ū sam kar jānai burā bẖalā sansār.
Suḏẖ buḏẖ suraṯ nām har pā-ī-ai saṯsangaṯ gur pi-ār. ||2||
(1256, SGGS)
When a person gets imbued with Har’s name, he or she accepts all pains and comforts alike as Har’s given gifts and takes good or bad behavior of the world equally (It is about accepting His Ordinance with no bickering). This wisdom comes through the Guru. With grace, His name is attained through the Guru’s love in the Sants’ company.
Please bear in mind that as long as our conceit steers our actions, it is not possible to put the Guru’s advice in practice; therefore, getting rid of our conceit is very important. It helps us also to eradicate our duality as we embrace His ordinance, which may be favorable to us or not.
ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਲਾਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਗੁਰੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਦੇਵਣਹਾਰੁ ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਿਖ ਸੋਈ ਜਨੁ ਪਾਏ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
Ahinis lāhā har nām parāpaṯ gur ḏāṯā ḏevaṇhār.
Gurmukẖ sikẖ so-ī jan pā-e jis no naḏar kare karṯār. ||3||
Those Guru’s followers to whom Har blesses take the Guru’s teachings seriously. The Guru gives “Har’s name” to them, because he is capable of gifting it. After having His profitable name gift, they remain imbued it day and night.
As we tread on the Guru’s path with utter sincerity, we live the Guru’s teachings with Har’s blessings, and we realize that only Har’s name is profitable in this life. We start urging to become one with Him by eliminating our duality.
ਕਾਇਆ ਮਹਲੁ ਮੰਦਰੁ ਘਰੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਮਹਿ ਰਾਖੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਅਪਾਰ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਮਹਲਿ ਬੁਲਾਈਐ ਹਰਿ ਮੇਲੇ ਮੇਲਣਹਾਰ ॥੪॥੫॥
Kā-i-ā mahal manḏar gẖar har kā ṯis mėh rākẖī joṯ apār.
Nānak gurmukẖ mahal bulā-ī-ai har mele melaṇhār. ||4||5||
This body is Ekankar’s home; within it, the infinite Ekankar has installed His jyot (His Divine light that connects to Him and all). Oh Nanak! Through the Guru’s guidance, the mind is stilled within. If the Creator, the real connector, wills so, He unites us with Him.
Those persons who envision Har’s divine Light become enlightened ones, and then for them, no difference is remained between Har and them. The Guru calls this body Har’s abode in which Har keeps His Jyot (light) present. As one progresses spiritually through the Guru’s guidance, Har’s grace occurs and one feels Him manifested within.
In the following shabda, the Guru actually takes us to that point where His presence is illumining, but he also makes us aware that before we reach to that point, there are hindrances, which keep us locked out:
ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
ਜਿਤੁ ਦਰਿ ਵਸਹਿ ਕਵਨੁ ਦਰੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਦਰਾ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਦਰੁ ਕਵਨੁ ਲਹੈ ॥
ਜਿਸੁ ਦਰ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਫਿਰਾ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਸੋ ਦਰੁ ਕੋਈ ਆਇ ਕਹੈ ॥੧॥
Raamakalee Mehalaa 1 ||
Jit dar vaseh kavan dar kahee-ai daraa bheetar dar kavan lahai.
Jis dar kaaran firaa udaasee so dar ko-ee aa-ay kahai. ||1||
Raag Ramkali, the bani of First Nanak
In essence: Where is the place Akalpurakh lives at and who can find that place? Is there anyone, who can tell me about His place for which I have turned sadly (in a feeling of His separation).
Now look at the goal? The mind is sad for Akalpurakh’s union, and in that state of mind, longing to meet Akalpurakh is at its peak. Above stated questions are answered, just stay with the process of the idea the Guru expresses:
ਕਿਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰੀਐ ॥
ਜੀਵਤਿਆ ਨਹ ਮਰੀਐ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Kin bidh saagar taree-ai.
Jeevti-aa nah maree-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o.
How this worldly Ocean can be swum across? While being alive, one cannot die. Pause.
Being alive, we cannot die literally; however, the Guru explains it. Here, to die doesn’t mean to pass away; instead it means to become “detached”; this expression is repeatedly used in Sri Guru Granth Sahib; therefore, it must be understood. First, the Guru explains the cause of our failure in envisioning Akalpurakh; then in the verses number 4 below, he defines how we can die while alive. Remember once one becomes detached, one rises above rituals as well.
We live in this world totally affected with the three modes of Maya; becoming detached (devoid of the duality) is not that easy; however, the Guru guides us through that path. He defines why we remain separate from the Creator (why do we remain in the duality); please follow the idea:
ਦੁਖੁ ਦਰਵਾਜਾ ਰੋਹੁ ਰਖਵਾਲਾ ਆਸਾ ਅੰਦੇਸਾ ਦੁਇ ਪਟ ਜੜੇ ॥
ਮਾਇਆ ਜਲੁ ਖਾਈ ਪਾਣੀ ਘਰੁ ਬਾਧਿਆ ਸਤ ਕੈ ਆਸਣਿ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਰਹੈ ॥੨॥
Dukh darvaajaa rohu rakhvaalaa aasaa andaysaa du-ay pat jarhay.
Maa-i-aa jal khaa-ee paanee ghar baadhi-aa sat kai aasan purakh rahai. ||2||
Pain is the door and wrath is that which guards it; two shutters of that door are made of hope and anxiety. Close by it is the moat of the Maya-water (the worldly materialistic attachments that keep the duality alive), which has seized the house; in there between Akalpurakh abides.
To cross the above stated blockage, first we need to overcome pain and wrath by accepting Akalpurakh’s ordinance (Hukam; in Jap Ji the Guru says: ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥ Naanak hukmai jay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay. ||2|| In essence: Nanak says if Akalpurakh’s ordinance (understanding how He plays His show through natural laws and beyond) is understood (realized), there will be no conceit.
Unfortunately, pains come to us when we remain enveloped in conceit, and we take Prabh’s ordinance as our own convenience; therefore, we must get rid of our conceit that boosts the idea of our being separated from Him.
ਕਿੰਤੇ ਨਾਮਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਿਆ ਤੁਮ ਸਰਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਹਰੇ ॥
ਊਚਾ ਨਹੀ ਕਹਣਾ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਣਾ ਆਪੇ ਜਾਣੈ ਆਪਿ ਕਰੇ ॥੩॥
Kintay naamaa ant na jaani-aa tum sar naahee avar haray.
Oochaa nahee kahnaa man meh rahnaa aapay jaanai aap karay. ||3||
Oh Ekankar! You have numerous names, but none of them explains you fully, and none is equal to you. There is no need to say loudly (about what we go through), because Ekankar knows all and He does everything.
We, the Guru’s followers, should take whatever comes to us without any complain. Ekankar’s laws are already there and everything is subject to those laws; therefore, bewailing or bickering leads us to self-torturing.
Understanding Ekankar’s infinity and ordinance is another technique that goes along with the efforts we talked about earlier regarding overcoming all obstacles responsible for boosting our duality. It is very important to realize His infinity. None is equal to Him; none should be compared to Him. His ordinance should be accepted as it comes by. No one can express His Infinity and no word can express His ordinance either (ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਈ ॥ Hukam na kahiā jāī. : His ordinance cannot be expressed, Jap Ji) Some people are stuck with one name given to Him; as stated earlier, the Guru questions that too, because no name can express Him fully. No wonder in the Gurbani, Ekankar is addressed with so many names. Trying to limit His infinity with one name is sheer ignorance; He knows whatever comes to the minds of all the beings, because they are emanate from Him. In the next verses, the Guru also gives us a reason of our failure to realize Ekankar. Please read on:
ਜਬ ਆਸਾ ਅੰਦੇਸਾ ਤਬ ਹੀ ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਕਹੈ ॥
ਆਸਾ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਰਹੈ ਨਿਰਾਸਾ ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਏਕੁ ਮਿਲੈ ॥੪॥
Jab aasaa andaysaa tab hee ki-o kar ayk kahai.
Aasaa bheetar rahai niraasaa ta-o naanak ayk milai. ||4||
(877, SGGS)
As long as there are desires (hopes) and anxieties in the mortal, he/she cannot praise Akalpurakh. Oh Nanak! Akalpurakh is met if one remains indifferent to them (ending one’s duality) while living in this world of hopes.
In simple words, we need to remain detached and to trust His ordinance without measuring it on personal hopes and desires. Solve the problems as they come calmly.
ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰੀਐ ॥
ਜੀਵਤਿਆ ਇਉ ਮਰੀਐ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੩॥
In bidh saagar taree-ai.
Jeevti-aa i-o maree-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o doojaa. ||3||
This is the way, the worldly ocean is swum across and one can die/ become detached while alive (becomes free of the duality). (Second Pause.) .
The idea expressed above about “to die while alive” is taken often in wrong sense. The Guru is addressing the priority in context of meeting Har; the hopes trigger conceit and deep attachments; therefore, those must go. To put it in simple words, it is like working hard to pass the exam, but never ever to worry about any failure or success in the exam. It sounds strange to “Sansarrees/worldly involved” but for Har’s devotees, it is a big leap toward obeying Har’s ordinance by overcoming hopes and conceit. As our hopes take over us, anxiety and worry start storming in us; then, to concentrate on Har becomes impossible. To gain that concentration, we must stop hoping for this or that.
The key to destroy the door (as expressed in the above verses) along with its lock is given in a form of advice through which the moat, which deprives us of seeing Akalpurakh, is also well explained above. Let’s understand it in a different way. If someone praises us, make sure that the act that brought the praise is credited to Akalpurakh or the Guru instead of feeding our own conceit. If someone criticizes us, make sure that it is also taken as a part of Akalpurakh’s blessings instead of reacting against it. Bhagat Kabir loudly asks people to slander him, why? He knows that their slandering is meaningless. The pain that can come from slandering ceases to exist as self-conceit” goes away. To destroy that door and the moat, we must destroy our self-conceit and avoid indulging in this or that hope; otherwise, we will certainly die in the duality. By becoming indifferent to the influences of Maya, Akalpurakh’s vision becomes viable and inevitable, because then the main hindrances, which create the duality, are eliminated.
Like Sri Guru Nanak ji, I doubt, anyone in the History has ever expressed Har’s presence so clearly within us and laid out a step-by-step procedure to have Har’s vision as we see in the above Shabda. (877, SGGS).
On 595, SGGS, the Guru also counsels us not to get lost in the Maya pursuits, because at the last breath everything related with them becomes useless. Realizing about our last moment, shouldn’t we ponder over in whose love we should take our last breath? Unfortunately, a rare person truly realizes it:
ਬਾਬਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਇਨਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਜਗੁ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਬੂਝੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Baabaa maa-i-aa saath na ho-ay.
In maa-i-aa jag mohi-aa virlaa boojhai ko-ay. Rahaa-o.
In essence: Oh wise man! Maya doesn’t go with us. This Maya has bewitched the entire world, but a rare person understands that. Pause.
In a nutshell, the Guru asks us to simply fall in love with our Creator in a way that we only long for Him as His own part; deeming ourselves as His part, we should praise Him and feel His presence within. As He is felt within, we will realize that actually we are neither separated from Him, nor we have separate existences. The only difference we have been seeing in Him, others and us was because of our conceit. It was our conceit that triggered our anger toward others, but when we call a wicked person a bad person, it doesn’t let us dip in the duality, because we simply verify the truth without being influenced by our personal judgment; yes it is our conceit that triggers many waves of desires, hopes, greed, lust and possessiveness. Once it is gone, the towering wall of our duality flats down and we will say with the Guru indeed:
ਮਹਲ ਮਹਿ ਬੈਠੇ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ Mahal mėh baiṯẖe agam apār.: Within resides the Inaccessible and Infinite Creator.
Wishes
Gurdeep Singh
