harsharan000

Bhen jee, you are most welcome. there is nothing sweeter than to talk or listen about Him. It is my pleasure

Hi Alias, it is good what you are doing, means trying to satisfy your mind with the queries created by it. Satisfying one´s intelect is important, as it enables that being to move forward, in the best of cases; but it can also be an hindrance, if it gets stuck at some point. Wahiguru, is such and entity, which is beyond the reach of the mind. Mind can never comprendeth Him. Forget Him for a moment, we have all heard that we are "soul", but has anyone realized this by himself/herself. So if we fail to see and recognize our own reality, who is a mamulee drop compared to Him, and that too when our soul is under control of the mind. So how can anyone know something about Him, by himself? There are no such instruments, to realize Him with our senses, as the mind is dependant on the senses for its interaction and communication with its surroundings, with its envoirements... The Bani says: Sochay soch na hovaee, jeh sochay lakh vaar...means, think about Him, even hundreds of thousands of times, from different angles even, but then too, we shall never get even an idea about Him. Wahiguru´s realization, is not like those who take drugs for example. Because if you take 10 different people , and give them the same drug in same amount, all of them will have different hallucinations, experiences.... But on the other side, you take 10 people, and give them the jugtee of Nam, all of them will tell you about the same experiences they have. So you see, in the end it is your own experience(whether personal or collective) which will confirm your sharda. For example, not only our Guru Sahibans, but the different Gurmukhs, contained in the Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj, or even the other saints through out the world from different countries, or even the same country but different locations( south, east, west or north) all talk about the same reality. And all of these great souls, talk of the one same reality: Wahiguru, Nam, Shabad.... And in the end, I would just like to write what the Bani says:Only those wadbhagee jeevas come to know and realize Him, to those whom He wants so, the rest will remain in delusion. It is not even one´s hands to know Him, do whatever one may want: jap, taap, poojas, paaths, pilgrimages, yogas.. etc. Nothing happens without His "mauj". We are all blind, He is the one with eyes. The blind can only catch the one with eyes, if only the one with eyes allows him to catch Him, otherwise no way. Everything which revolves around Him is utterly beautiful, we could keep on talking about His mahima, about His wadeeayee, and then too, we shall never end...there is so much to explore, to taste, to realize.....He is just wonderful.

Dear bhenjee Baba Tera Gola, sorry, but from the user name the gender is not clear. Any how, we must bear in mind exactly what is Wahiguru? Does not the Bani say that: even if there were hundered of moons and thousands of suns together, even then there would be utter darkness ...without a Guru Now who or what is a Guru Sahiban? Is not He, the manifestation of Akal Purukh? And so if the refulgence of the light from Akal Purukh is more than countless billions of suns and moons together , does He need the light of our lamp? The example could be, like lighting a candle and showing it to the sun.....we may laugh at this situation, but that is how we people are. In the same way, just as the sun who is the fountain of light and life for this planet earth, what would it gain with the light of a simple candle offered by us? Or even with a 1000 watts bulb. You see, we humans do imbibe and copy unconscioussly what we see others doing. It is we, who are in the darkness, who need the light of His Light, not He, who is the Light of all the existence, whether material, astral, causal, or even pure spiritual. So please never ever think that , if we do not lit a lamp for Him, it is a disrespect to Him. We people are very narrow minded, we even judge Him with our limited perspective ..... We should take the support by walking in His Light, so that we may not suffer any loss. But then, He is not something physical, how could we get benefitted from His Light? The answer is, to walk with the guidance of His Bani, which works as Light at this our physical level for us. And once we enter the spiritual realms, we should take the support there with His other swaroop, which is His real swaroop, and that is His Nam, His Shabad. That is why the Bani says: Main andhuley kee tek, Tera Nam aadhaar. I am blind, your Nam is my support, your Nam is the stick with which I am able to walk. Our Guru Sahibans are the embodiment of Akal Purukh, of Wahiguru, on the earth. They are also the embodiment of His Bani, His chetanta, His consciousness, thus His Light. So at physicall level, we get their guidance through their physicall Light, and on the spiritual realms, we get the guidance of their spiritual Light, which is Nam or Shabad, which is the real form of Guru Sahibans as well as of Akal Purukh. You see, the physical body is not the Guru. It is the Shabad Power operative in them, which makes them so dear and lovely to us, otherwise their bodies are also made from the 5 tattwas, just as ours, which both of them will have to leave behind one day. The Bani clearly says: Shabad Guru, Surat Dhun chela. The Shabad is the true Guru, and thus, the chela, the sikh, the disciple is also not the body, but the soul, which is just a particle, a musical note of that Akhand Bani, or Akhand Shabad Dhun, which is Wahiguru Himself. Do lit the lamp, or not outside, but we must remember, that this our very body, is the temple where He is to be found. The Bani says: Har mandir eheu sareer hae, gyan ratan pargat hoe. Means, this body is the living temple of God, where if we search for Him, we shall find the true gems of His knowledge, His Light. So it is in the temple of this body where we should lit the lamp, with His Nam Simran. Then this lamp will give that much Light, that, it will guide us back till Sach Khand. May Wahiguru bless all.

On the beauty of Wahiguru Sree Guru Ram says: Jan Nanak ka Prabh sundar soami, mohe Tum sar awar na laage. The Lord of Nanak is so beautiful , that to me there in none another like Him. Oh my God, I have heard You are great and beautiful and sweet, but that much......beyond any imagination, any description...

Dear veerjee _Gupt_Singh, All relations are karmic relations. One has a relation with a mother, father, son, brother,wife, husband......there is nothing wrong in these relations, they have their own charm and beauty. Be positive. The thing is not to have "moh", in them. Take them as "amanat" from Wahiguru, not your property, then one will enjoy those relations. You see, the thing is to keep Wahiguru in mind at all times. This will help us to live among our relations and fulfill our duties towards them. As per your relation, in my personal opinion, go after her, do not ditch her like that for no reason. Did not our Guru Sahibans, got married? It is better to be married, because when the mind attacks with full force, with all the kaam vaasana, then one just falls down. One has not to suppress, one´s emotions and feelings, as long they are normal, not like the beasts. We have to live in this world as said before, without attachments, without "moh". Like a duck in a pond of water, when it wants to fly, it just flies away, because its wings do not get drenched with water while being in the water. That is how we should live in this world. When our time comes to leave from this world, you should go happily without any regrets. We should live in the world, but without being of the world, that means keeping Wahiguru as our goal. We are tourists in this alien land/world. We should not get involved in affairs of politics, land, caste, creed, mazab, which are all chains around our necks, which pull us down to the creation again and again. We do not belong here, our real Home is Sach Khand, our true Father is Satnam. That`s it.

Let us see the importance of Nam and Shabad, from the pure paviter Bani. In Raag Sorath, Sree Guru Amar Das tells us: sabday man tan nirmal ho-aa har vasi-aa man aa-ee. Through the Shabad, my mind and body have been purified, and the Lord has come to dwell within my mind. That in order to get my mind and body purified, I need not eat, drink or wear anything special, nor need to go on teeraths ishnan : bathing at pilgrimages, nor any moortee poojas....nothing of that sort; no rites nor rituals, which are good only in the eyes of men, means society or community. He says that Shabad or its devotionas Nam Simran, is enough to purify my body and also my mind from all it´s evil tendencies like: kam, krodh, lobh, moh, ahankar, choree, chuglee .....etc In one word, Nam is the one remedy for all maladies, for any shortcomings. Why? Because it has the power of Wahiguru contained in it. Then He says: sabad na jaaneh say annay bolay say kit aa-ay sansaaraa. Those who do not know the Shabad are blind and deaf; why did they even bother to come into the world? Again we see, He does not say, you must perform so and so set of rituals or rites. He stresses only on Nam. He goes to the extent to say: if you are born as a human being and you do not come to know and practice Nam or Shabad, why were you born even? We must bear in mind that these Guru Sahibans, Gurmukhs, Sant Janas, come from that region, where only Nam pervades, and that is known as Sach Khand, and so, coming from there, naturally they can not bind us with anything else which is not Nam. Let us take the Bani, of any Gurmukh of the status of Guru Amar Das, we shall find similarities, they are the embodiment of Shabad, and thus tell us the same, that if you want to be only one with Wahiguru , then do Nam bhakti only, otherwise you are free to do anything else you may want, but that will not take you to His abode, but keep you prisoner in this mayavee, perishable creation. He goes to the extent, to call us blind. Why? Because we are blinded by agyanta, by manmukhta, by maya...we are very much engrossed in outer rituals, outer actions which are futile in spirituality, though we maybe very important in the eyes of our community. We have to please Wahiguru, not the wordly people who are blind just as we are. And pleasing Wahiguru, means to sing His glory, and be totally absorbed in His devotion, through His rememberance, His meditation, His "anter mukh dhyan..." We are no better than anybody, but if by His Grace we know something about Him, we should gently help and share it with our brothers, sisters, our fellowmen, which are His souls just as much as we are His. Though there is no guarantee that they will belive or trust you, they may even question you, and tell you that you are crazy, or even abuse you. But neverthless, we should speak the truth, and let His Truth expand in the universe. Anyhow, we stupid worldly people, do not even spare our beloved Guru Sahibans, we abuse them physically and verbally, just because, they speak the Truth, which our dirty and polluted minds fail to grasp it, and it does not telly with our erroneous preconcepts. Because we tend our search for that Truth outwards and in outer objects and things, while they always direct our attention inwards, where He has kept Himself for each and everyone of us in His Shabad swaroop, without any distinctions and limitations. We easily judge in haste, when we ourselves are just moorakhs. Waheguru Jee.

To do justice to the teachings of our Guru Sahibans, some gems in the lines below are been brought from the Bani at the seva of the Sangat. Justice in the sense, that it is only Gurmat, without the mixture of any "maanmat". And in these lines we can see, that to attain salvation, to get freed from the cycle of births and deaths, and not to have to face Dharam Rai, thus union with Akal Purukh, only one word is mentioned, only one practice is required, nothing else counts....no karmas, no rites, no rituals, no pilgrimages....nothing else is as important as Nam bhakti. Why? Because if our intention is to get connected with Him, and not to get entangled with worldly affairs, like politics, mazab, dharam, caste, creed, idol worship.....according to our Guru Sahibans, only Nam is the requirement, only Nam is essential.....if we do that, we have done everything, if not, then we have lost our soul in the Mahabhavsagar. And for that such a big loss, the fault is totally ours. We have the best school: Gurmat. The best teachers: Guru Sahibans. And then too if we fail to follow their teachings, not only that but adulterate it, manipulate it, with so many other things...then who is responsible? Is it Wahiguru? No never ever. Only we moorakhs. They tell us to do only one thing, but we prefer to do many many more, because that is how the picture has been shown to us, and it shall continue going, unless each one of us, takes each word from the Bani as Sat Bachan, and follow it literally. So let us pay attention with care and love to the words of our Guru Sahibans, in this case, below are the words of fourth Patshahee, Sree Guru Ram Das Maharaj, in Raag Maaroo. Jin har har naam na chayti-o say bhaagheen mar jaa-ay. Those who do not remember the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, are most unfortunate, and are slaughtered. o-ay fir fir jon bhavaa-ee-ah mar jameh aavai jaa-ay. They wander in reincarnation, again and again; they die, and are re-born, and continue coming and going. o-ay jam dar baDhay maaree-ah har dargeh milai sajaa-ay. Bound and gagged at Death's Door, they are cruelly beaten, and punished in the Court of the Lord. Waheguru Jee.

Dear _Confused_, just remember, you are not the body, your true essence is the soul. the washing practices you mention, I do not how or when, but these rituals have been introduced and mixed up with our Gurmat, by the weak manmukhs, whether consciously or unconsciously. Humans have the ability to imbibe or copy what they see or hear others do. And the washings you say, are a part and parcel of other religions, which I do not want to mention, so that nobody feels hurt, but we know which of them are.... So, do not get confused, and do your spiritual practices, with your mind, with your soul. Because it is the dirty mind which has to be purified, with the soap of Nam, and it is the soul which has to merge in Him. Wahiguru´s devotion is simple and easy for anybody. He does not ask us for anything, but to give Him our heart. And if we do so, He will fill it with His Daya Meher, with His mercy and love, not only that, but He himself will come and sit within our hearts. So simple, no?

Veerjee, what are u saying? Just think, is Wahiguru deaf or partial? If He can listen somebody´s ardas/benti for you, why can not He listen to you directly? This is not like saying, I need bread, go and bring it for me, I shall pay you. There in the supermarket, nobody knows for whom is the bread being bought, and anybody may go and buy it for you if you are handcapped, or busy studying, or etc... Wahiguru, is ever present in each and every heart, whether saint, sinner, young, old, male , female.....so is it that Wahiguru is not present in you? Ninth Patshahee, says: Ghat Ghat Harju Baseh. So, He is as much within you as in others. If He has the power to give, surely He has the power to know also... Many a times I just get surprised, how humans, play with the name and essence of Wahiguru... they treat and talk about Him, like somone belonging to this world ... My Lord forgive them, and bless them with your understanding ... this is the only Benti I can do for you and all.

Brother Alias, thanks for your post. First of all, again I would like to emphasize, sikhee, is not for a particular community, it is for the whole of humanity. Different thing is that, if one accepts or believes it, but the fact is Gurmat is for any sikh, and sikh in reality means seeker. But seeker of what? Of Wahiguru. So, in that sense Gurmat is universal, there where we humans have put restrictions, rules and regulations, in the form of a fence around the teachings of our Guru Sahibans, and labeled it as religion as such, in reality, their teachings are for that soul who sincerely wants to meet and become one with Wahiguru. Second point to be noticed when you say, if it is not your delusion? You see, Gurmat is not created by me. It is, the teachings of those the most perfect beings on Earth, known as Guru Sahibans, Mahapurukhs, Gurmukhs. Their teachings are a perfect science, of revealing that Divinity called Wahiguru within ourselves, through a practical method of Nam Simran. Any wadbhagee jeeva, who dares to put that jugtee into action, will by himself realize and see that ultimate reality. It is just a question of one´s faith, whether we take them as sach bachans and practice it, or take it as an illusory theory. It is practice what counts in the end, not mere big words.

Dear _Guest_, ups and downs come in one´s life due to our very own karmas. Please accept my sincere sympathy, in this your stormed phase of life. Another thing, He is our very benefactor, we should turn towrds Him always, but also in momets of despair. Not that our life will change drastically, from black to white, no, not that, because we have to go through what is written for us, otherwise why would the Law of Karmas exist? But at the same time He is our only anchor, so if we turn towards Him, surely He will give us the strength from within to face cheerfully the effects of those karmas. And turning to Him, does not mean reciting scriptures, nor tailor cut prayers, or any other outer means... There where the matter of love and devotion comes, there is no calculating .... but uncondtional surrender to the Almighty. So,turning to Him, means to remember Him through His Simran, because in His Simran, only we and He exists...that is all, this is also establishing a relationship of love and trust with Him. In our relation wiyh Him, big words do not count, but our sincere efforts in trying to meditate on Him, though tiny and insignificant may they be, but that is what pleases Him the most. So, try to meditate on Him, with some of His Names, anyone which you like from the Bani: like Har, Ram, Satnam, Wahiguru, Gobindeh, etc... try and use this technique, you will see the effects by yourself. You may get good sleep, as the mind does not like to chant His Name, so it will prefer to sleep...you will se in a short time you feel sleepy. On the other side if your mind is purer and does not make you sleep, even then, you have nothing to loose, as you are gathering the True Dhan, which you will carry away with you, when your time comes to leave this world. May you be blessed. Wahiguru.

Yes it is true, one day sooner or later, as the soul is imperishable and same in nature as Akal Purukh, from which has sprouted, it is there where it shall return when parlay and mahaparlay ocurr. But if we realize, that this creation has been sinces aeons going on, and we have been wandering from one "joonee" to another in an endless cycle of births and deaths. Why do we then cling on to the matters and problems of this world? Why do we live as we shall never die? Why do we think that in the next world we shall live as we are living now? Does not the Bani say: ਅਖੀ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਵੇਖਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਕੰਨਾ ਸੁਨਣਾ Akhee Baajhahu Vaekhanaa Vin Kannaa Sunanaa अखी बाझहु वेखणा विणु कंना सुनणा To see without eyes; to hear without ears; ਪੈਰਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਚਲਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਹਥਾ ਕਰਣਾ Pairaa Baajhahu Chalanaa Vin Hathhaa Karanaa पैरा बाझहु चलणा विणु हथा करणा To walk without feet; to work without hands; ਜੀਭੈ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਇਉ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰਣਾ Jeebhai Baajhahu Bolanaa Eio Jeevath Maranaa जीभै बाझहु बोलणा इउ जीवत मरणा To speak without a tongue-like this, one remains dead while yet alive. ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਣਿ ਕੈ ਤਉ ਖਸਮੈ ਮਿਲਣਾ Naanak Hukam Pashhaan Kai Tho Khasamai Milanaa नानक हुकमु पछाणि कै तउ खसमै मिलणा O Nanak, recognize the Hukam of the Lord's Command, and merge with your Lord and Master Raag Maajh Guru Angad Dev Here Sree Guru Angad Dev Maharaj is telling us, recognize who you are. You are not the body, nor the mind through which you think, but you are the soul. You are now so much proud of your body, your relations, your land, your mazab, your creed....but listen and believe me, when you go there, you shall have no physicall eyes to see, nor physical ears to listen, nor hands to work, nor feet to walk, neither tongue to speak in a patricular language, then, think a little bit, why are so proud of all these things here? All of these things shall be left here. And for them, you sacrifice your valuable life? People may take you as a hero, but in the eyes of reality, you are zero, because you have wasted your life for nothing worthy at all. Life is the most valuable gift from Wahiguru to us, is this human frame of life. And the best way to express our gratitude is to know our true self first, and then try all our best to merge in Him, so to say to get out of this creation the sooner, and return back to our true Nijh Ghar Sach Khand, where He is waiting for us with His arms wide open to embrace us. Now it up to us, to delay our return back Home by getting entangled with the affairs of this world, or according to Gurmat, accelerate and return at the earliest, by doing His devotion, by doing His seva with our surtee, with love and faith at His Lotus feet. Wahiguru is the Highest of all, He should be the objective of our love, our relations, our affairs, sacrifice.... in one word totally dedicted to Him, totally absorbed in Him, and that is only possible by meditating on Him, through His Simran.

ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਨੀਸਾਣਿ ਠਾਕ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ Sachai Sabadh Neesaan Thaak N Paaeeai सचै सबदि नीसाणि ठाक न पाईऐ No one blocks the way, of those who are blessed with the Banner of the True Word of the Shabad. Raag Maajh Guru Angad Dev At another place Sree Guru Angad Dev tells us, that if you gather this wealth of Nam, as much as you can, Dharam Rai, can not tax you for it, as when he does so, when one performs good karmas. Neither does he block our way back to Sach Khand, because we are under the protection of His Nam, and in this case, this very Kal or Dharam Rai, bows down in respect and admiration, as that particlar wadbhagee soul, has been chosen by Wahiguru to go back home. The Hukum of Wahiguru, is followed literally throughout the whole of the creation, nobody can resist His power and Mauj.

Some words on devotion or bhakti ਭਗਤ ਕਰਨਿ ਹਰਿ ਚਾਕਰੀ ਜਿਨੀ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ Bhagath Karan Har Chaakaree Jinee Anadhin Naam Dhhiaaeiaa भगत करनि हरि चाकरी जिनी अनदिनु नामु धिआइआ The devotees serve the Lord night and day, they meditate on Naam Raag Maajh Guru Amar Das Here Sree Guru Amar Das is talking us about true devtion, true bhakti. He says, the true devotees serve the Lord, means do the seva of the Lord Wahiguru with their soul, by meditating on Nam. And to do this seva, there are no fixed times, be it day or night, all times are good times to gather the dhan of Nam, as it is the only true wealth we can carry with ourselves, everything else comes within the parametres of karmas, means the jurisdiction of Dharam Rai. There are 4 types of sevas: Tan-body Man-mind Dhan-wealth Surtee-soul. The purpse of seva is to serve selflessly, is to create humility in us, is to purify our minds to an extent. The seva is done to please others by being helpful, by sharing whatever Wahiguru has given us, this creates some type of detachment within us, from the worldly relations and objects. This also makes us more humanitarian and humble. But the highest seva among all, is to serve Wahiguru, is to please Him. And this seva is done by our soul, our surtee, with the jugtee of Nam Simran, by which, we forget our individual identity, "haume", to the extent, that we loose that individual limited identity, and merge in Him, and become Him. Seva is to forget what one is, and keep in mind the objective of seva only. And so which other seva is there where you loose yourself completely, as you are totally absorbed in Him? This is the real purpose of seva, to merge in Him, and this can only be achieved,with seva performed by our surtee. Our surtee, is our true self. Our mind, body and wealth are the consequences of our karmas, and that is not our true "we", and they keep changing, plus they are transient and perishable also. So let us ask ourselves, who are we? Are we the body or mind? It is not that we should not do seva with these attributes of mind and body. We should always do good, without any reservations, until our last breath, but we should not confuse ourselves that with it, we shall reach Him. Because it is not our mind or body which has to merge in Him, but our true essence which is our surtee, our soul, which has to merge in Him, and for that only Nam Simran, as means of His seva, will enable us to merge in Him, that is why at each step, our Guru Sahibans throught the Bani have stressed only on Nam Simram, as the only jugtee, from where gyan, dhyan, purity, happiness, bliss, contenement, detachment...and an endless list of virtues can be obtained, as He is the infinite fountain of all virtues. And not only this, but the very Owner of these virtues, will be withdrawn towards us, embracing us, such is the result of the seva done by our surtee, through the bhakti of Nam. What is Nam Simran? It is just surrendering our mind and body to Him. And this is what spirituality is about. Through it, we are telling Him that, I am not, but only You are. Such is His mahanta, such is the mahanta of His Nam. The ray(soul), merges in the Sun(Akal Purukh).

ਜਾ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਨਾਇ ਰਚਾਵਹਿ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਣੇ ਤੂੰ ਭਾਵਹਿ Jaa Thudhh Bhaavai Naae Rachaavehi Thudhh Bhaanae Thoon Bhaavehi जा तुधु भावै नाइ रचावहि तुधु भाणे तूं भावहि When it pleases You, we are attuned to the Name, and when it pleases You, we become pleasing to You Raag Maajh Guru Nanak Dev In this very line, Guru Sahiban is revealing us, that the sacred practice of Nam Simran, is a privlege. It is a blessing from the Almighty Wahiguru, not anybody can practice it. That is why He says: when it pleases You, means Him, not me, nor we, neither you or they, but only when He wishes so, means we will savour the Nam and merge in the Nam or get attuned into it. That is why when Nam Simran is mentioned, for many of us it is just a concept, so rather we prefer to do other sort of practices. But the fact behind this, is that, we are not to be blamed, because nobody can not go against His "Mauj". It is He who creates that desire in us, to chant His Name. To others He keeps them busy, with their usual traditional practices. To those whom He wants them to get out from this very creation, He blesses them with His Simran, because it is with His Simran alone, that we can merge in Him, that is the purpose of sikhee, that is the purpose of Gurmat.

Following are some beautiful words of Dhan Guru Baba Nanak Dev Maharaj, in Raag Maajh, conveying us the basic truths of Gurmat : ਗੁਰਮਤੀ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈਐ Guramathee Aap Gavaae Naam Dhhiaaeeai गुरमती आपु गवाइ नामु धिआईऐ Through the Guru's Teachings, eliminate ego, by meditating on Naam. ਦੂਜੀ ਕਾਰੈ ਲਗਿ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਈਐ Dhoojee Kaarai Lag Janam Gavaaeeai दूजी कारै लगि जनमु गवाईऐ Undertaking any other task, they waste their lives in vain. Raag Maajh, Guru Nanak Dev With the first line, Guru Sahiban is telling us that, through Gurmat, we can eliminate our ego, our haume, our bondages, our attachments with this mayavee and perishable creation, which so much we love; to the extent, that we sacrifice our lives, such as .... in the name of my land, my caste, my creed...and thus our lives are wasted away. We run constantly after shadows of this world, by turning away our faces away from where the Light cometh. We are like bats, in the darkness of this kali yug, such as rites, rituals, pilgrimages, fasting, rules and regulations, we open our eyes wide open. But when it comes to Nam Simran, we say, no no, that alone is not sufficient, we must do some more things, in order to be better followers of our path. But then in the next line, in order to remove all our fears, all our brahams, He clearly says: apart from Nam Bhakti, anything we may do, however good it may appear to be, is as good as to waste away one´s life....means it has no value, as per our goal in pursuing our union with the almighty Akal Purukh.

Dear brother, lighting lamps, is just a representation of wanting to change the darkness to light. Mahapurukhs tell us, that, Wahiguru Akal Purukh has the Light of countless suns and moons together, even then that light is no match to Wahiguru´s. That is the splendour and refulgence in Sach Khand. Wahiguru is Nam, is Shabad also, we can say it is a Superconscious energy,with all that implies. And as such, when His Darshan is had, we hear celestial blissful melodies, and have the chance to see His Akhand Jot. And all that is already inside each one of us, irrespective of caste, creed, class or mazab. The Bani in Anand Sahib says: Nam jin ke maan vaseeya, vajeh Shabad ganere. Means, when we concentrate our dhyan through Nam Simran, and have made that Nam "ajaapa" within us, we can hear that Shabad reverbating within us. Further on the bani says: Anter Jot, Niranter Bani, Sachay Sahib siu liv laee. This means, when the practice of Nam, has been firmly established in our minds, we then hear that Anhad Bani, and have the darshan of the Jot of Wahiguru, and this very practice, produces real love in our hearts, for the true Lord Wahiguru. Wahiguru has blessed us with this human form, so that we may light the Light of lights within us, and remove once and forever, the layers of agyanta and sins. It is by listening this Shabad, that our sins, our karmas are burnt. That is why, in Jap Ji Sahib, it is said: Suniyeh, dhook paap sabh naas. Listen to this Shabad, and all your sins, which are the cause of your sorrow and pain, shall be wiped away . So, the thing is we may light as many as lamps we want, even fill the whole universe with them if we want, and the sky becomes bright with that light. But if we do not light our interior with the Light of Nam, we shall continue wandering in the darkness. Our state now is, that if we close our eyes, we see darkness. And our aim should be, we should gather so much dhan of Nam within us, that if we close our eyes, we can see that Akhand Jot of Wahiguru Akal Purukh within us. It is our choice what we do, and how we use our lives. So let us be wise, and use our lives, to fill ourselves with His Light, to the extent, that we become a living Lamp, of His Light. And once this Light is lit within us, no wind can blow it, nor water extinguish it, neither here, nor in the next world, till the time comes, when our tiny little Lamp(soul), goes and merges in the huge Sun(Wahiguru), becoming one with it. P.S: dear son, you seem to be quite young, yet your thinking is pure and quite ahead of your age. Can we know how old are you?

Dear Barinder Singh jee Thanks for all your senseless and baseless abuses, (inspite of that, you are a real friend), by which you have made me lighter. :biggrin2:

Eveything is viewed according to one´s level of consciousness. Nobody can convince anyone, for that one has to reap or mature. Like a professor of university talks about chemistry and formulas, and a a first grade student listens to it by chance, he will say, what are you saying...I know 2 +2 is 4. It is only time that one needs to grow up. If one is not ready, even if Wahiguru comes and try to make one understand, one will simply not understand. The example is as, when all the mahapurukhs come, how many of the people believe their teachings, or others slander them...when they do give the same teachings to all, but then why do some accept and others see the totally opposite side, and abuse them physically, that also when they only speak the Truth, in simple words? Because they have a different levels of consciousness, conditioned by past sanskaras also. Nothing more to discuss, at least from my side. No need for it, before it goes out of sense. But anyhow I can only sincerely wish you the best of luck, may you succeed and achieve your goals according to your thinking.

Barinder said: Gurmukhs put a lost soul in the correct path, but never take the place of the Guru. The Guru is Vaheguru and Vaheguru is the Guru. However the same does not work for a Gurmukh as it does work between Vaheguru and Guru. The Guru is not the production of Vaheguru but himself. A Gurmukh is a production of Vaheguru after following the specific instructions given by Shabad Guru to where Gurparsad was received to become a Gurmukh. The Gurmukh once was caught in maya, but the Guru was and never will be caught in maya. I am sorry to dissapoint you, but when you argue above that Gurmukhs are not Gurus, or one with Wahiguru.... For that misconception to be cleared, the Bani has an answer also According to the following words of Sachay Patshah Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj in Raag Raamkali Dakhni: ਆਪੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਪੇ ਦੇਵੈ ਆਪੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਆਇਆ Aapae Guramukh, Aapae Dhaevai, Aapae Anmrith Peeaaeiaa आपे गुरमुखि आपे देवै आपे अम्रितु पीआइआ He Himself is the Gurmukh, and He Himself bestows the Ambrosial Nectar; He Himself leads us to drink it in. So what does the Bani refer that the Gurmukh or Sant Jan give as Amrit and lead us to drink it? Does it not sound more logical, that He besows us the method of Nam Simran as Gurparsad? And leads us to drink it, means with that Nam Simran, He takes us into the inner planes where that Amrit Nam is showered non stop, all the 24 hours, so that we may drink it to our brim. The Bani says: Amrit Nam, maha ras meetha, an din maan tan peeva. This means, the Amrit of Nam is utterly sweet, and we can drink it day and night, trespassing the barriers of mind and body, within ourselves We are all struggling souls on this plane, nobody is perfect, but surely if we can help each other by clearing any misconcepts, with humility and respect, then there should be no resentment, this is not a battle, to see who is stronger or right, that should not be the perspective, but as being brothers and children of one Wahiguru, to help each other with love.

Naam Sunae, Naam Sangrehai, Naamae Liv Laavo I hear the Naam, and I gather in the Naam(Nam Simran); I am lovingly attuned to the Naam(merging in Nam) Raag Gauri Guru Arjan Dev In this upper line of Sree Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj, He is revealing us the secret for our salvation and our union with Wahiguru Akal Purukh We may wonder, why true Gurmukhs, Sants, lay so much importance on Nam Simran alone, as menas of realizing the divine within ourselves. They say, all our entanglements are due to our simran of the world and its relations. It has its logic, as you think, so you become. Think of the world, you will be born again here. We go, where our desires are. We love and yearn for our land, our mazab, our culture...naturally where will we go? Of course coming back in the wheel of births and deaths. On the other side, dwell upon the Lord, and you shall merge in Him. Simran, is also rememberance, is also deep thinking of something, and that simran, attaches ourselves, by creating a bond, with the objects of our thoughts. But for us, Wahiguru or God is just a concept, as we have no personal contact with Him, none of our senses can perceive Him, or grasp Him, neither our sharp mind. So, how to ever start a relation with Him? As He is Alakh(can not be seen with these eyes), He is Nirankar(formless), thus, He is Agam(unaccesible). Here is where our Guru Sahibans tell us: Har Simran meh Prabh Aap Nirankar, This means, the formless Lord, has kept Himself available for us in His Simran. Just see, how beautifully and in simple words, our Guru Sahibans have cleared away the road for us, so that, with faith we may walk on it, and reach our goal Wahiguru. Can anybody being a brahman, a pandit, a gyani, a priest, a yogi, a learned one, with degrees from university in religion, ever explain us this mystery so clearly ... Surely not. That is why, not only for this reason, but many many more, the Bani mentions again and again Sadh kee sangat, because it is there where we learn and understand real spirituality in the correct sense, as they are the emodiment of that eternal Truth. Guru Arjun Dev, confirms us this , in His ambrosial words below. Har Maarag Saadhhoo Dhasiaa, Japeeai Guramanth "The Saint, the Sadhoo, has shown me the way to the Lord, to meditate on the Gurmanter, the Parsad, given by Him" This is what, the begining of the Bani says, and then it is repeated almost on each ang of the Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj. Ik Onkar, Satgur Parsad. There is only one Lord, and He is realized by the parsad of that Guru. We can see, if there is any doubt ever in understanding the Bani, surely there are other instances and statements somewhere, where the doubtful points are cleared. These holy and enlightened people, do not calculate or guess on these matters, like the rest of the world. They themselves are the fountain of that True knowledge. Just for our assuarance, we can take the Bani of any of these mahapurukhs, bhagats, Guru Sahibans, and go through it, we shall see by ourselves, that all of them, stress only on one Wahiguru, and the bhakti in terms of Nam Simran, to return back Home, and merge in Him.That´s it. Nam Simran, is thus nothing but a technique, where we by practicing it, we dissociate first our mind from the body, and then the soul from the mind. With different vehicles, like bicycles, cars, vans, ships, aeroplanes, rockets, etc, we can get transported to different places...but to get transported to the different spiritual realms, where Nam is flowing as Amrit, we need to reach there, and brothers, that alone can be possible by its Simran. We have heard and read so many times, that he whosoever drinks that Amrit, is freed forever and attains salvation, by merging thus his /her soul in Wahiguru Akal Purukh. So in order to have that Nectar of Immortality, Amrit Nam, we have to go there where it is being distributed by Him, and that is only possible by going there and having it there. That Amrit of which our Guru Sahibans speak about, as seen, is within us, and it is the duty of each and every soul to go and have it. It can not be brought in cups or buckets, as it is not material like the ones in our world, which are made from one of the 5 perishable tattwas. If it was not so, long ago, our Guru Sahibans, and Bhagats, would have brought it for us and gave it to us. That is why also, so much stress is laid upon Nam Simran, not just to displease us or to discourage us, as we are so much engrossed in our own made rites, rituals, rules and regulations. But true Gurmukhs, will only talk about Wahiguru and His Nam, as apart from that, all is koor. Bahut Janam vichrey thhe Madhao, ehe janam Tumare lekhe.

In spite of all what you say, sikhee is something very different from what generally people think of it, or believe it to be. Sikhee´s main objective is to unite the soul with the Supreme father Wahiguru Akal Purukh, through bhakti, through the regular practice of love and devotion, at His Lotus feet. As simple as that. Apart from that, all is paraphernalia. You may change your outer apperance if you want, but never ever leave the door, the teachings of our Guru Sahibans, because then we may have entered the world, but at the cost of missing the chance of getting back to Him, some day. As said, do what you want, under the frame of morality, but do always cherish love at the holy feet of Wahiguru, that is my only humble advice to you May God bless you.

Brother Barinder Jee, you have full right and choice to disagree. And I know for sure, it is not you alone, but many many more. I will try my best to answer your questions, in the following lines. It is not much your fault. The society, the samaaj in which we are brewed and brought up, plays an important role in moulding our character, our way of thinking. It is a pity, that while having such high teachings of Gurmat, we have been unconsciously misled and thus our horizon of vision has been narrowed. We are stuck in rules, regulations, do´s; dont´s... a very big list of these things, so if anything does not fit into the 4 walls of these preconcepts, it means, it is not valid, and it must be wrong. That is not Gurmat. Gurmat if understood in the correct sense and followed literally, it would widen our horizons and make us more mature. It is a great unjustice to our Guru Sahibans, that the highest teachings given by them to us, have been limited by our poor spiritual vision, and then if we get in the company of people like us, naturally we will think, wow, we must be on the right tracks, we are so many .... We are not here to do any promotion of anything nor anybody, except sifat salahee, except to sing the glory of Wahiguru Akal Purukh. That is all. Spirituality is no politics or business, so to say, we should promote it, to gain something out of it. Here, only Wahiguru is the real Shenshah. Nam is another name for that consciouss energy or power, known as Shabad, God or Paramatma. Nam has created everything that exists. It is beyond our mind´s perception, so for many of us it is just a concept. But the Saints tell us, it is the very Creator Power, full of countless virtues...like love, mercy, forgiveness, goodness, just to name a few of them... Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj says in Sukhmani Sahib: Nam ke dharay, khand brahmand Nam ke dharay, agas patal This means, Nam sustains all the worlds and universes. Nam sustains the upper (astral causal, spiritual)realms, and the neither world. At other place the Bani says: Jeta keeta, teta Nao,bin Navay nahee kou thau Everything that exists, has been made by Nam, and without this very Nam, there is no other shore to lean on, means, to get salvation. The moment Wahiguru withdraws back this Nam, we say he/she dies, or there is parlay(dissolution) and mahaparlay(grand dissolution) Now this Nam or Shabad, is inside each and everyone of us, irrespective of colour, caste, creed, or mazab. Our soul, in essence is a particle of it. And this Nam, is the fountain of everlasting bliss and happiness. It is called Amrit also in the Bani, which by tasting it, the soul gets eternal life(param gat), by getting freedom from mind, maya and kal, then it merges in that Nam or Shabad, and becomes one with it But the thing is, Nam, while being inside us, we are unaware of it, we do not know how to make it manifest. As stated above, Nam is already within everybody,whether we are consciouss about it or not, but it is there, and the proof is, that is why we are alive also. So now the question is, how to get in touch with it, or how or what to do, to manifest that very Nam, within ourselves. For that also, the Bani has ample answers for us. Let us see some quotations from the Bani. In Raag Maajh, Sree Guru Arjun Dev says: naam a-ukhaDh mo ka-o saaDhoo dee-aa. The Holy Saint, has given me the Medicine of the Naam. Raag Gwaarayaree, Guru Arjun Dev Sant parsaad, japai har naa-o. By the Parsad of Nam of the Saints, one chants the Lord's Name. So if Sant is also called Guru, His Parsad, in that way is also called Gurparsad. Then when one gets this bhed, this bakshish of Nam Simran, one should do khob kamaee of it. As much as one can. The Bani says: Saas Saas simroh Gobind. The more we do this simran, the more we attract upon us His Grace, His Daya Meher. Because ultimately, it is His garce which does the job of purifying us, and making us worthy in merging in Him. Or do we moorakhs think that, it is our feeble efforts which bring us closer to Him? Our sins are countless, so even if we did bhakti, non stop for countless yugas, even then it would not be enough, to get our sins wiped away. The thing is, mostly in all talks or writings, Gurparsad is misused as grace, which can be, but in this case, it is a bakshish, a parsad,a daan, from the Guru, the Sadh, the Sant, the Gurmukh, to the seeker, the chela, the sikh, the disciple. Here the enlihgtened one is the giver, and the seeker sikh, is the one who receives the "daat", the "daan". So you see, the Bani uses many terms for that enlightened being, such as : Guru, Gurmukh, Sant, Sant Jan, Sadh, Brahamgyani, Satguru...but all these terms refer to that same being, who has merged has His consciousness in Akal Purukh. And this daat, or Gurparsad, is given to those wadbhagee jeevas only, which are marked by the Lord, and it is for these jeevas, that Sant Jan come into this world. That is why at many places says:wadbhagee jeevas. They are wadbhagee, not because of any wealth or material possesions, but because, they are marked by Wahiguru to believe and practice Gurmat, in terms of devotion as Nam Simran, and reach back to Him. They are wadbhagee, because from all the countless souls, they are chosen by His grace, to be freed forever, from the cycle of biths and deaths. Some may say or think, what about the rest of us? Well, for that reason, the Bani stresses so much on Sadh kee sangat, on the raen, on the dhoor, of Sant Janas. This dhoor is not the material dust, but the glance of mercy, of daya meher, of the real knowledge of Wahiguru, the real meaning or understanding of the teachings of Gurmat . But, how can we go to a Sadh ever? He,if exists, is slandered by all, as being a fraud. Let us ask ourselves, fraud? When He is just trying to remove our agyanta, our brahams, and is telling us that, to merge in Wahiguru, only Nam bhakti is required, and that also as per the Bani. So simple, and we just abuse them creating a havoc, a scene... What to say then, about all those who have adulterated the Bani and created outer rites, outer rituals, mixed politics with Gurmat, and have thus driven away from the path to Wahiguru...those are the real culprits, the real frauds...nobody arises voice against them, as thay are also created and supported by us ... Guru is a highest state of consciousness, who has permeated each cell with Nam, the purest of all. Guru is not the body. Guru is immortal, and immortal is the soul, the consciousness, that spark of light, and it has to be so, that is why, soul or Guru can merge in the Fountain of Light (Satnam). Guru(Light, Shabad) is not made of any of the 5 tatwas, which are transient and perishable. Though they may need the vehicle(physicall body) and use it, for the benefit of the human kind, to make us available the spiritual gems of Gurmat, not because they are limited, but becasue, we are limited, our budh, our chit is limited and dirty. The body made of 5 tatwas, is not the Guru, but that Consciousness, which imparts us those truths, and make them known and understood. For example, we all know, Sree Guru Ram Das and Sree Guru Arjun Dev were the embodiments of Truth. Prithi Chand, while being the son of one Satguru and the brother of the other Satguru , he was characterless. And that also, while living with them under the same roof. This makes us think. If the physical bodies of Amar Das and Arjun Dev, were Guru, and Prithi Chand had their darshan mostly all times, why could he not shed his evil tendencies? This is suffice for us to understand, that Guru is not the body, but the power within that body, and that is the power of Nam manifested in them. Secondly, in spite of being physically so near that power, that Satguru, you do not get that profit of purification, because He has not chosen you for it. So it is His Mauj also, which plays a major role in our lives. The purification come by associating our minds and soul with Akahnd Jot, or Shabad or Nam within us. As long as we do not do this jugtee, we shall remain imperfect. Nothing can happen without His Hukum. That is why the Bani says: Aap japae, japeeyeh so Nao. The whole world does some type of Nam Simran, but the Simran, which will uplift one from this world to His abode, is the one which is done, on the one got as Parsad, as Daan, as Bakshish, from a Gurmukh, a Satguru. Brothers, Gurmat is very simple and clear, whether we like to hear or not some facts about it. Again, it is not our fault totally, it is because we have been brought up and been taught to think in that way, as that is, what we have being seeing done since our very births. The other question you ask, is why I say Guru Ravi Das. As you may have come to see by now, from what has been written above, Guru is state of the highest consciusness, so if a mamulee soul can merge and become one with Wahiguru, because it has now attained that state, why not a blessed soul, by doing Nam bhakti, can attain that state of grace, refulgence and gyan of a Guru? Who are we to question it? The Bani confirms us , that by doing the sadhna of Nam Simran, we can become Sadhs, and then Wahiguru comes and pervades in our tongues, or hearts...whatever we say and do , is per the will of Wahiguru, that is why the Bani says: Har jee baseh sadh kee rasna, sadh ke hirdey. And futher it says. Nanak, Sadh, Prabh bhed nah bhahee. O Nanak, there is no difference between a Sadhoo and Prabhu, Wahiguru....means, that particular Sadhoo, is the mirror, where Wahiguru can be looked at, as that Sadhoo, has imbued himself with Nam. We poor limited moorakhs... And moreover, Guru Ravi Das´Bani,like the others there, is added in the Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj, and has become a part and parcel of that Guru. it is very unfair from our side, just because He is not from our community as a sikh or khalsa, so we call Him a bhagat, but from Guru Nanak to Gobind singh we call them Gurus, because we associate them as related to our culture and community. That is why, I say , we poor moorakhs. When Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj, Himself did not make any differences, and added His Bani in the Granth Sahib, who are we to say the contrary. All those highly spirtual biengs, whose Bani has been added in the Granth Sahib, are entitled as Guru Sahibans with full authority. Guru is that "Jot" that "Gyan", that ªAnand", that consciouss power. So what difference does it make, if you bring that with you, or you come and get it, the thing is, only when you have all that, only then that being is a Guru. Sant satgurus never ever say I am God, or one with God, but they say I am even unfit to be called a Gurmukh, as per their view, Akal Purukh is the Primal Guru...so Gurmukh means , one whose face is oriented towards the Guru, in this case, Wahiguru. The adding of the banis of other Sants, Bhagats, in the Granth Sahib, is a sign of grace of Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj upon us and the future generations. The message He conveys us, is, that Gurmukhs, Sant Janas, are not confined to Punjab or Khalsa panth only. Wahiguru can choose to manifest Himself at any time and any place. It is only, that we that we have to open our ears and eyes widely, and pay attention to what they say. No Gurmukh will ever come to create any new religion, as it has been designed already by wahiguru Akal Purukh, that Nam is the panacea, the means for salvation for all mankind, not only in this Kal Yug era, but in all the 4 yugas. P.S: Once again, I ask with folded hands to forgive me, if I have hurt anybody´s feelings. My intention is only to serve and love Wahiguru, and that what I have learnt, share it with all my human brothers and sisters, as we are all His children. Here only Gurmat and Wahiguru counts, no personal interests.

Dear ms514, By His grace, I am going to bring you forth the answer of your direct, valuable and a very nice question, through the Bani. Sree Guru Ram Das Maharaj, in His pure paviter Bani in Raag Maaroo, tells us: mai man tan khoj dhandholi-aa ki-o paa-ee-ai akath kahaanee. I have searched through and through, with my mind and body; but how can I attain, or find this (Nam)Unspoken Speech? Here, He is confirming us, that, He has heard a lot about the mahima of Nam, but alas, where to find it? Who knows about it? Who can show me the way to get and realize it? Some try to find it in books, others at temples or pilgrimages, others by "tap", by moortee pujas, others by fasting or torturing their bodies...etc...etc and etc Then in the next line, He Himself is giving us the answer, to this arised question. sant janaa mil paa-i-aa sun akath kathaa man bhaanee. Meeting with the humble Saints, I have found it; listening to the Unspoken Speech, my mind is pleased. With this line, that this Nam, is got as Gurparsad from the Saints, the Gurmukhs, as they come with the wealth of this very Nam, to distribute it freely, to those brave wadbhagees, who go to their shelter, without being bothered of their origin, or caste or creed, or the opinion of the world, as to what will the world say ...like he has become mad, has become a shame for our community, by going in the company of these "frauds" ......because that is how we people call those Gurmukhs.....not there are no frauds in the world, but just as we are narrow minded, and have limited the teachings of Gurmat within the 4 walls of our polluted minds, so we fail to recognize a Gurmukh, if any. But we can see, what Sree Guru Ram Das is telling us in the above 2 lines. Brothers, Gurmat is eternal. It is not meant for a particular period of time, or for a particular class, creed, caste or community ...it is a evergreen fountain for all the humanity. Whosoever drinks from it, shall have eternal life. And moreover, He says, by doing Nam Simran, the Anhad Bani is heard within ourselves, and the consequence of this is, that the mind is defeated. Hearing the Anhad Bani is equivalent to drinking the Amrit of Nam, the Nectar of Nam, within ourselves, made by Akal Purukh Himself. That Amrit, is the one our Guru Sahibans mention again and again in the Bani, the one which by having it, we become intoxicated with the true love for Wahiguru Akal Purukh. This Amrit the more we have it, the more we become pure and paviter. This Amrit, Wahiguru has kept in equal mesure within us, for each and everyone, without any discrimination of nationality or dharam, or limitations, all the 24 hours,unlike we humans do. The only requirement according to Guru Rm Das is to meet a Gurmukh, and get from Him, the Gurparsad, the bakshish, the bhed, the jugtee. All the Guru sahibans were Gurmukhs themselves. They came to be an example, for us humans, as per how to love Him and how to merge in Him So then what happens, once we listen to the Akath Katha, the Anhad Bani, the Shabad Dhun? As we become mature in the practice of Nam Simran, the mind is defeated. And once this is done, we shed all coverings and impurities from our souls, and then, we merge in Him, and become Him, such is the mahanta of His Nam. Attee Sundar Manmohan Pyaro.

Yes it is true, there is a fierce battle between us and our mind, whenever we try to meditate. Because, Kal Purukh does not want any soul to escape from his temporary creation, so he has created and placed mind within each and everyone under his limited creation, including gods, godesses, etc... That is why, Wahiguru gives us the weapon of Nam to use against them, as it is the only power to defeat these entities. In fact, when Wahiguru sees that His soul is trying to reach Him through His simran, He comes Himself, in the form of Shabad Dhun and takes us safely in His arms, just as a father or mother takes care of their child, then no one dares to come and harm the child. So our work is to do our duty of Nam Simran, then He will see and take care of the rest, because we by ourselves, are helpless.... it is His power, His love, which does everything. Our Simran is just an excuse, for Him to shower His bharpoor Daya Meher on us. Dear brother, my only advice to you, is to never stop your bhakti of Nam Simran under any circumstances. May God bless you.