Ladder Of Religion (2)

[Sat1176]

Ladder of Religion (Part 2)

2. True Faith in the Guru

The position of the Guru is very exalted indeed. Only where there is total faith in the Guru in the heart of the seeker, then alone God’s Name would dwell in his heart. As Guru Maharaj has ordained –

Only the person who has full faith in the Guru can receive Hari Prabhu (God) in his heart. (SGGS P. 283)

Once upon a time, the congregation were sitting in the durbar of Guru Angad Dev Ji Maharaj, listening to his words. Suddenly the great Guru looked at Bhai Bala and remarked, ‘ you have kept company with Guru Nanak, emperor of the earth, at all places, where ever there is land and population. You have sent eh whole show enacted by Him. So tell us, what is your idea of Padshah Guru Nanak? With what faith did you keep company with the great Guru, in all his journeys. Bhai Bala replied thus; Sir Guru Nanak was a perfect saint. On hearing this, Guru Ji said, you are also a perfect saint. After that, he put the same question to Baba Buddha. He replied, Guru Nanak Padshah was a perfect God-realised saint. In the same way, he put the same question other Sikhs. All gave replied according to their belief. In the end, the entire congregation requested Guru Angad Padshah to enlighten all about what he thought about Guru Nanak Sahib. At this, Guru Angad assumed a great serious posture and said, dear members of this holy audience, hear me; Guru Nanak had incarnated in this world, bearing the brilliance of God Himself, Who is the Master of crores of such universes. In His Order, crores of Gods, and goddesses, deities and celestial beings keep on singing his (Guru Nanak’s) glories.

God-incarnate Guru Nanak has manifested himself to remove people’s ignorance. Hearing this the entire congregation bowed their heads and said, Padshah, you too are Lord God Himself. There is a wholly text in the divine writ, gurbani –

I have churned the body ocean and I have seen a unique object.

The Guru is God and God is Guru, O Nanak. There is no difference between the two, my brother (SGGS P.442)

So anyone believes that God and Guru are different can never attain that surpreme stage. Anyone who sees the Guru as mere human being is without faith and such a one can never attain any spiritual greatness. Hence the seeker always looks on Guru, as the image of God. There are different heights of one’s faith in the Guru; one, my Guru is a good saint. Two, he is the best of all saints; three, my Guru is like God; four, my Guru is God himself. So long as the seeker does not rise high to the level of above the fourth stage, so long the devotee can not have complete faith in the words of the Guru nor can one forsake the ideas of the mind.