Fire is contained in all firewood, and butter is contained in all milk. God's Light is contained in the high and the low; the Lord is in the hearts of all beings likewise, He is pervading and permeating each and every heart.

Part II- liberation/ Mukti/ Salvation


Earlier reference :
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/17756-liberation-mukti-salvation.html
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/spiritual-articles/17707-can-we-know-him.html

Earlier Input required:

Status : All inputs received


Q1. Why was the creation put into motion by the Almighty.
Answer1: Only the creator knows His hukum.

Q2. Does God want us to get merged into HIM

Answer2.:Yes, Bani Tells us so. Bani is Nirankaar. Hence, Yes HE wants us to merge.


Acknowledgements/Indebtness
drkhalsa ji
Kelly_kaur
Begum ji
Soul_jyot ji.





<> siq nwmu krqw purKu inrBau inrvYru Akwl mUriq AjUnI sYBM gur pRswid

Karta Purukh
01
Karta translates literally as the Doer, the Creator. Purukh translates literally as man, husband, basically a male person. In the Sankhya system of Hindu philosophy, Purusha (the Universal Spirit), eternal, indestructible, all pervasive, is without activity or attribute, and if it is left to Prakriti (primal nature), itself an uncaused cause, and an ultimate principle, to bring the phenomenal world into being. The Sikh doctrine, however, while making use of the word, emphasizes Purusha being Himself and only Creator. As in Sufi and Vaishnavic lore, He is the only He, His creatures being females longing to go out and Unite with Him.


02
Some Attributes Of GOd

Dr.Santokh Singh says: God, the Supreme Being, Himself is the Creator (Kartaa), and being immanent in His Creation, is All Pervasive and fills all beings(Purakh). He is thus Omniscient, knowing each one's inner mind, and Omnipotent, doing everything everywhere - evoluting, sustaining, and involuting. As Fire is contained in all firewood, and butter is contained in all milk, God's Light is contained in the high and the low; the Lord is in the hearts of all beings likewise, He is pervading and permeating each and every heart. The Perfect Lord is completely permeating everyone, everywhere; He is diffused in the water and the land[1]. Following are some ‘tuks’ from Gurbani that are given below to express some of the attributes of the Lord.There may be more in the Gurbani.The following list is only illustrative and is not exhaustive.

Creator has no limts
1.AMqu n jwpY kIqw Awkwru ] (5-8, jpu, mÚ 1)
[The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived.]


2.AMqu n jwpY pwrwvwru ] (5-8, jpu, mÚ 1)
[Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. ]

3. nw iqsu mwq ipqw suq bMDp nw iqsu kwmu n nwrI ] (597-6, soriT, mÚ 1)
[He has no mother, father, sons or relatives; He is free of sexual desire; He has no wife.]


4.Awip AlyKu kudriq kir dyKY hukim clwey soeI jIau ]1] (598-18, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Only He Himself is beyond destiny; creating the creation by His creative power, He beholds it, and causes His Command to be followed.]



5. Awpy hI sBu Awip hY ipAwrw Awpy vyprvwhu ]2] (604-14, soriT, mÚ 4)
[The Beloved Himself is Himself all-in-all; He Himself is carefree]



6.Akul inrMjn Apr prMpru sglI joiq qumwrI ]2] (597-7, soriT, mÚ 1)
[He has no ancestry; He is immaculate. He is infinite and endless; O Lord, Your Light is pervading all.]

Beyond Description

7.jyvfu Awip jwxY Awip Awip ] (5-10, jpu, mÚ 1)
[Only He Himself is that Great. He Himself knows Himself.]

8.jy hau jwxw AwKw nwhI khxw kQnu n jweI ] (2-9, jpu, mÚ 1)
[Even knowing God, I cannot describe Him; He cannot be described in words.]

9.siB Gt BogvY Ailpqu rhY AlKu n lKxw jweI ] (592-1, vfhMsu, mÚ 3)
[He enjoys the hearts of all, and yet He remains detached; He is unseen; He cannot be described.]

10.ndir kry qw AKI vyKw khxw kQnu n jweI ] (596-10, soriT, mÚ 1)
[When the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, then I see Him with my own eyes; He is indescribable, and cannot be described.]

Creator and creativity

11. Awip krwey swKqI ipAwrw Awip mwry mir jwhu ] (604-15, soriT, mÚ 4)
[The Beloved Himself creates the Creation, and He Himself destroys it.]

12. Awpy Awip aupwiedw ipAwrw isir Awpy DMDVY lwhu ] (604-15, soriT, mÚ 4)
[The Beloved Himself, all by Himself, created everything; He Himself links all to their tasks.]



13.Awpy auJiV pwiedw ipAwrw Awip ivKwly rwhu ] (604-14, soriT, mÚ 4)
[The Beloved Himself leads us into the wilderness, and He Himself shows us the Way.]



14.jMq aupwie kwlu isir jMqw vsgiq jugiq sbweI ] (597-8, soriT, mÚ 1)
[The Lord created all beings, and placed death over the heads of all; all the world is under His Power]

15.eyku ipqw eyks ky hm bwirk qU myrw gur hweI ] (611-19, soriT, mÚ 5)
[The One God is our father; we are the children of the One God. You are our Guru.]



16.Bgq jnw kMau Awip quTw myrw ipAwrw Awpy lieAnu jn lwie ] (590-6, vfhMsu, mÚ 3)
[He Himself is pleased with His humble devotees; my Beloved Lord attaches them to Himself.]

He is uknowable

17.AlK Apwr AgMm Agocr nw iqsu kwlu n krmw ] (597-4, soriT, mÚ 1)
He is unknowable, infinite, unapproachable and imperceptible. He is not subject to death or karma.

18.jwiq Ajwiq AjonI sMBau nw iqsu Bwau n Brmw ]1] (597-5, soriT, mÚ 1)
His caste is casteless; He is unborn, self-illumined, and free of doubt and desire

He reveals only If He desires

19.nw iqsu rUp vrnu nhI ryiKAw swcY sbid nIswxu ] rhwau ] (597-5, soriT, mÚ 1)
[He has no form, no color and no features; through the True Word of the Shabad, He reveals Himself.]


20. siqguru syiv pdwrQu pwvih CUtih sbdu kmweI ]4] (597-9, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Serving the True Guru, the treasure is obtained; living the Word of the Shabad, one is emancipated.]

He is within Us/is with Us

21. Gt Gt AMqir bRhmu lukwieAw Git Git joiq sbweI ] (597-7, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Deep within each and every heart, God is hidden; His Light is in each and every heart.]

22.mn kw jIau pvnpiq dyhI dyhI mih dyau smwgw ] (598-15, soriT, mÚ 1)
[The Lord is the life of the mind, the Master of the breath of life; the Divine Lord is contained in the body.]


God and His relation ship with Creation
03.


By stating God as the Creator, one may think that the Creator and His creation to be separate. When man sculpts an idol and the idol is completed, the sculptor and the sculpture are no longer one; they are separate. And the sculpture will remain long after the sculptor is dead. If the image fractures, the sculptor is not also broken, because the two are separate. There is no such distance between God and His creation.


23.jo AMqir so bwhir dyKhu Avru n dUjw koeI jIau ] (599-1, soriT, mÚ 1)
[He is within - see Him outside as well; there is no one, other than Him].


04.
What kind of relationship exists between God and His creation? It is like a dancer with his dance. When man dances can you separate him from his dance? Can he return home leaving the dance behind? If the dancer dies, so the dance dies with him. When the dance stops, he is no longer the dancer. They are united. This is why since ancient times, Hindus have looked upon God as the dancer, “Nataraj.” In this symbol the dancer and the dance are one.

24.jil Qil mhIAil Birpuir lIxw Awpy srb smwxw ] rhwau ] (596-13, soriT, mÚ 1)
[You are pervading and permeating the water, the land and the sky; You Yourself are contained in all. ]


25.gurmuiK eyk idRsit kir dyKhu Git Git joiq smoeI jIau ]2] (599-2, soriT, mÚ 1)
[As Gurmukh, look upon all with the single eye of equality; in each and every heart, the Divine Light is contained.]

05.

The poet is no longer related to his poem, once it is finished. The sculptor is separated from his sculpture as soon as it is completed. A mother gives birth to a child, and they are separate; the father is always distinct from the child. But God is not distinct from His creation; He is contained in it. It would be more accurate to say: the Creator is the creation, or the creator is nothing but creativity. The entire creation is nothing but the reflection of the creative potency of Almighty.Sikhs do believe that it is not with in the human mind to find HIS limits. It is HE Himself only who is capable of doing so.


26.jh jh dyKw qh joiq qumwrI qyrw rUpu iknyhw ] (596-14, soriT, mÚ 1)
Wherever I look, there I see Your Light, but what is Your form?


Should a Sikh seeker be a renounciate

06.
This is essentially the reason why Guru Nanak Dev ji says there is no need to renounce or run away from the world. Wherever you are, He is. Guru Nanak Dev ji gave birth to a unique religion in which the householder and sannyasin are one. He alone is entitled to call himself a Sikh who, being a householder is yet a sannyasin; who, being a sannyasin is still a householder. It is difficult to be a Sikh. It is easy to be a householder OR a sannyasin, but as a Sikh you are to be both. You have to remain in the house – but as if you’re not there, as if you are in the Himalayas. Keep running the shop, but maintain the remembrance of His name ever throbbing within; you can count your cash but take His name along with it.

07.

A further point to note here is that the householder-sannyasin as exampled by Guru Nanak, and further emphasised by Guru Gobind Singh in terms of the Sant-Sipahi (Saint-Soldier), resulting in the formation of the Khalsa, is a formidible being because he cannot be corrupted. He who sits right in your world and yet is not of it can in no way be tempted. The Khalsa is spiritually rich, which cannot be taken from him and also he earns a living and so is not enamoured by the trappings of wealth[2].

27.igrhI mih sdw hir jn audwsI igAwn qq bIcwrI ] (599-18, soriT, mÚ 3)
[Immersed in family life, the Lord's humble servant ever remains detached; he reflects upon the essence of spiritual wisdom.]

The words Uttered By Guru Nanak sahib ji


08.

The first words uttered by Nanak after samadhi were: "Ek Omkar Satnam." Now the fact is that the entire Sikh religion is contained in those three words. Everything else is merely an effort to teach you, to help you understand.



Nanak’s Message


09.

Nanak's message was complete in these three words. Because it was not possible for ordinary people to understand the message directly, an effort had to be made to expand on it. Explanations are given out of your inability to understand; otherwise Nanak had said all he wanted to convey: "Ek Omkar Satnam." The mantra was complete. But for you it has no meaning yet. These three words alone cannot solve the mystery for you; then language must be used[3].


28.swcw isrjxhwro AlK Apwro qw kw AMqu n pwieAw ] (579-7, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[The True Creator Lord is invisible and infinite; His limits cannot be found.]


29.Fwhy Fwih auswry Awpy hukim svwrxhwro ] (579-8, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[He destroys, and having destroyed, He creates; by His Order, He adorns us.]



30. jo iqsu BwvY sMmRQ so QIAY hIlVw eyhu sMswro ]3] (579-9, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[Whatever pleases the Almighty Lord, that alone comes to pass; this world is an opportunity to please Him. ]



31.ijs kw kIAw iqn hI lIAw hoAw iqsY kw Bwxw ] (579-14, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[He who has created, also destroys; whatever happens is by His Will.]



Why should we be afraid Of



10.



This God Nanak refers to as the creator, the fearless, because fear is when the other is. An expression of Jean Paul Sartre has become famous: "The other is hell." It describes your experience. How often do you want to escape from the other, as if he is the source of all your trouble? When the other is closer to you, the turbulence is less than when the other is more remote, stranger. But the other is always troublesome. What is fear? Fear always involves the other: if someone can take something away from you it destroys your security. Then there is death and there is illness -- both are the other. Hell is being surrounded by the other; hell is the other.

11.



But how can you escape the other? Should you run away to the Himalayas you will still not be alone. Sit under a tree; a crow's dropping falls on your head, and you are filled with anger towards the crow. There are the rains and the sun -- irritations everywhere. How will you escape the other who is present everywhere?

12.



The only way to escape the other is to seek the one; then no other remains. Then all fear fades away. There is no death, no illness; there are no inconveniences, because there is no other. Finally you are alone. Fear persists as long as the other remains the other for you.

13.



Ek Omkar Satnam. Once this mantra has penetrated your being, where is fear? God has no fear. Whom should he fear? He is the only one, there is no one besides him[4].But then there is an edict for the sikhs that:



32.BY ivic inrBau pwieAw ] (599-11, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Through the Fear of God, one attains the Fearless Lord]



14.

Thus sikhs are to follow the teachigs of SGGS ji and also develop fear of lord.


15



Religion; Is it a Statute?


Something new that is to change the social structure and have deep affect over the society and the human beings, in general, is like an edict and a law. This something new comes into being on account of the removal of some mischief from the system that have crept in silently over a period of time. For overcoming this mischief the edict is passed or in a democracy a statute is enforced. There are many deliberations on the bills before it is passed as a law of the land. During those deliberations by the senators it is analysed as to what are various methods that are available for curbing the mischeif and those methods that are found most suitable are presentated to the House for passing a resolution by the senators so that the bill is passed and is enforced as a statute and is effective as per the law of the land. It may be from the date of signing the resolution by the senators or the Chief executive of the nation.

16.

The next begins and exercise of interpretation of the statute. The interpretation of statute is an important subject that is being taught to the students of law. This process is also carried out by the legal luminaries and the judges of the various benches of the courts. The practice of the interpretation is fairly similar in various countries.It is same in India and same in USA and for that matter in Nigeria. Over a period of time the statute is revised after analysing as to the level of rectification that has to be brought in the society after the original statute was enforced.

17.


Passing of an eternal law


A religious scripture is also an edict of the great saints who are philosphers and guides. The founders of religion are themseves the one who enact the guidelines after long deliberations. These delerations are spread over centuries. The prudence contained in them is of the prudence of great saints who have appeared over period spaning over long centuries. Their deliberations are not spread over few months. Lot of philosphy and philosphical thinking goes into them. The scriptures contain the wisdom of the great sages and saints. These may be in the form of revealatons gained by them. The religions that have religious scripture are considered to be reliable as these do not change as there are fixed guidelines as is contained in the statues. They are subjected to test as the various changes that occur in the society over a period of time. The religions are primarily one that teaches us divinity and alongwith spells out the methods of attaining a stage of communion with the God. The scriptures thus become a statute over a period of time as the various teachings get time tested.

18.

In the initial years of this kind of enactment there may be waiver of faith and interest. But if the statues provide guidelines that meet the requirements of the seekers and aspirants it gets established and thus get institutionalised.

19.


Interpretation Of Statute


The interpretation of statue is not a very scientific subject as there is an element of subjectivity inherently contained in it as it includes the legal luminaries and the judges who give their interpretations as per their understandings.This understanding may vary from individual to individual and accordingly judgements may be passed by the concerned parties.

20.

However, in religious scriptures there is no such risks as the possibility of the element of creeping in of subjectivity is minimal as the original text remains the same. There may be risks on account of translations in other languages. The translations can be rectified over a period of time. Secondly, in the case of religious scriptures the advantage lies with the one on whom the edict is to be enforced. The seeker can assign any meaning as per his understanding of the things. The only judge is the Creator and the seeker only in whose mind HE resides. It is the personal equation of the seeker with the lord. It is between HIM and the seeker to establish a communion by following the teachings as contained in the scriptures. No one can help the seeker/aspirants except the teachings that one has to learn and understand and finally practice.

21.

One can easily detect that the religion came into being and on account of the ‘Mischeif Rule’.It was to address the need of time and to remove the mischeif that existed in the form of the rituals of Hiunduism and some flaws in Muslim ways of practising the religion. The last positive point of the Sikh religion is that it is not subject to any amendment as is done in the case of statutes. There is no delegation of power to any living person as no living person can be the Guru of any Sikh.


No Living person is to be a Guru of sikhs


22.

Sikhs are ordianed to not to consider any living person as a guru.The tenth Guru ji had stopped the practice of the Guru and had ordained to the sikhs that henceforth the only Guru of the sikhs would be SGGS ji. Sikhs adhere to this practice and learn and do as per that is contianed in the SGGS ji.

23.

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (SGGS) is the only Holy Scripture which was written by the founders of the religion during their lifetime. SGGS is a voluminous anthology meticulously prepared by Guru Arjan Ji of all the sacred verses by the six of the Ten Gurus whose compositions it carries and of some of the contemporary saints/bhagats and men of great devotion. The Living Guru of the Sikhs is treated by the followers as Word Incarnate, the embodiment and the presence manifests the spirit of the Ten historical Gurus. The original copy of the scripture, called Adi Granth, compiled and authenticated by Guru Arjan Dev exists today and is kept at Kartarpur, 15 km. north west of the city of Jalandhar, Panjab, India.

24.


Its revelation began with Guru Nanak Dev Ji and lasted over a period of 239 years. When Guru Nanak Dev Ji sensed the imminence of an inspired utterance, he would ask Mardana, “Rabab waja, Bani aaei hai”, meaning “be ready to play the Rabab, the holy Word is descending”. In one of his hymns Guru Nanak Dev said that Bani had originated in the transcedant realm:

34.Dur kI bwxI AweI ] iqin sglI icMq imtweI ]
[“The Bani of His Word emanated from the Primal Lord. It eradicates all anxiety”. (SGGS, p628)]


25.


The authenticity of the Holy Granth is proclaimed in the hymns of Guru Amardas:


35.siqgur kI bwxI siq siq kir jwxhu gurisKhu hir krqw Awip muhhu kFwey ]
[“O the disciple of the Guru, know that the Satguru’s hymns are perfectly true. The Creator God Himself causes the followers to chant it”. (SGGS, p308) ]


Guru Arjan Dev Ji uttered the divine Word as it was ordained to him by Waheguru.. He said:

36.hau Awphu boil n jwxdw mY kihAw sBu hukmwau jIau ]
[“By myself, I do not even know how to speak; I speak all that the Lord commands”.(SGGS, p763)]

26.


Guru Ramdas Ji preached what was ordained to him by God. He said:

37.jo inMdw kry siqgur pUry kI so swcY mwir pcwieAw ] eyhu AKru iqin AwiKAw ijin jgqu sBu aupwieAw ]1]

[“One who slanders the Perfect True Guru is punished and destroyed by the True Lord. This Word is spoken by the One who created the whole universe”. (SGGS, p306)]


27.


More evidence is drawn from Guru Granth Sahib to affirm the authenticity of the Holy Granth. Some of which are:



38.hmwrI ipAwrI AMimRq DwrI guir inmK n mn qy twrI ry ]1]
drsn prsn srsn hrsn rMig rMgI krqwrI ry ]1]

[“My Beloved has brought forth a river of nectar. The Guru has not held it back from my mind, even for an instant. Beholding it, and touching it, I am sweetened and delighted. It is imbued with the Creator's Love”. (SGGS, p404) ]



39.siqgur kI bwxI siq siq kir mwnhu ieau Awqm rwmY lInw hy ]
“Accept as True, Perfectly

[True, the Word of the True Guru's Bani. In this way, you shall merge in the Lord, the Supreme Soul”. (SGGS, p1028) ]


40.logu jwnY iehu gIqu hY iehu qau bRhm bIcwr ] ijau kwsI aupdysu hoie mwns mrqI bwr ]3]

[“People believe that this is just a song, but it is a meditation on God. It is like the instructions given to the dying man at Benares”. (SGGS, p335)]


28.


God speaks through the prophets and the Holy Saints. In Sikhism, there is no difference between Guru and Saint (Bhagat). God instils His Jot in the body of the Guru and the holy Saints, thus, the Guru and the Holy Saints are the forms of God. Gurbani affirms:

41.swD rUp Apnw qnu DwirAw ]

[“The Holy Saint is the very embodiment of the Lord's form”. (SGGS, p1005) ]


29.


This can be further explained by an analogy of a mother and a child. The Sikh Gurus were like a child who is born with divine qualities (Brahm Gian) whereas the Bhagats attain the Brahm-Gian during their lifetime through meditation. They attained the highest spiritual level where they became One with God. Once they reach the stage of unity, Waheguru reveals the divine truth to them. Thus, there is no difference between the hymns of the Gurus and the Saints, both are the revelation of God. Guru Arjan Dev Ji affirms:

41.AMimRq bcn swD kI bwxI ] jo jo jpY iqs kI giq hovY hir hir nwmu inq rsn bKwnI ] “The

Words, theTeachings of the Holy Saints, are Ambrosial Nectar. Whoever meditates on the Lord's Name is emancipated; he chants the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, with his tongue”. (SGGS, p744)]

30.

SGGS is a universal Granth because it contains the hymns of both Hindu and Muslim Saints, “low” and “high” castes. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, during his missionary tours, collected and preserved the writings of his contemporary Saints, such as Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Ravidas and Sheikh Farid, which were later incorporated in the Adi Granth by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Some sacred verses of the past Saints were inherited by Guru Arjan Dev Ji through their followers. It is said that four Saint-poets of Lahore named Kahna, Chhajju, Peelu and Shah Hussain came to Guru Arjan Dev Ji and requested that he include their verses in the Holy Granth. But the Guru rejected their compositions as he did not find them genuine. Even Bhai Gurdas Ji, the chief editor and the scribe of Guru Granth Sahib had a clear vision of Gurbani. It is said that once Guru Arjan Dev Ji asked him how he could differentiate between Kacchi Bani and Sacchi Bani. Bhai Gurdas replied:

“As a married woman can recognise her husband’s voice while her husband is sitting next door talking to other men, similarly, it is easy for a Gurmukh to distinguish the Word of God from worldly verses”.


31.


During the Mughal reign, the authenticity of the Holy Granth was challenged by Emperor Akbar who issued summons to view the Granth. Baba Buddha Ji, Bhai Gurdas Ji and Sahib Daya were sent by Guru Arjan Dev Ji where Bhai Gurdas Ji was asked to read a hymn:

42.Kwk nUr krdM Awlm dunIAwie ] Asmwn ijmI drKq Awb pYdwieis Kudwie ]1]

[“The Lord infused His Light into the dust, and created the world, the universe. The sky, the earth, the trees, and the water - all are the Creation of the Lord”. (SGGS, p723)]

32.


Emperor Akbar was very pleased and said, “Except love to God, I find neither praises nor blame for anyone in the Holy Granth. It is a volume worthy of great reverence”. He even tried to make an offering of 51 gold coins as token of respect.


33.


Each and every word contained in the Holy Granth is the utterance of God as revealed to the Sikh Gurus and the Holy Saints. The composers of SGGS are many but the author is God Himself. God Himself directly speaks to His messengers. Evidence for this can be found in the example below which appears to be the direct conversation between God and the Guru:

43.siB Gt myry hau sBnw AMdir ijsih KuAweI iqsu kauxu khY ] ijsih idKwlw vwtVI iqsih BulwvY kauxu ] ijsih BulweI pMD isir iqsih idKwvY kauxu ]1]

[“God says, all hearts are mine, and I am in all hearts. Who can explain this to the one who is confused? Who can confuse that being, unto whom I have shown the Way? And who can show the Path to that being whom I have confused since the beginning of time?” (SGGS, p952)]

34.

In the light of the above evidences, SGGS, is the direct revelation of God and its divinity is beyond challenge. The making of the SGGS by Guru Arjan Dev Ji involved sustained labour and vigorous intellectual discipline. The personal Guruship ended by the SGGS himself.Succesion passed to the SGGS in perpetuity; most significant development in the history of the Sikh Panth. It is the poetry of pure devotion, lyrical rather philosophical, moral rather than cerebral. It is the living source of authority, the ultimate guide to the spiritual and moral path pointed by the Gurus which keeps the followers of the faith focused with the naam shabad. As Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed that the shabad (divine word) was coined in the mint of the mind filled with the nectar of continence, realization, knowledge, fear and love of the Lord. In the 1430 pages, the authenticity of the SGGS is a sanctity and is the focal point of all Sikh devotion. It is the living source of authority, the ultimate guide to the spiritual and moral path as pointed by the Gurus, who came to dispel all darkness[5]!

35.

In case of some confusion the sikhs take the help of one another.In no case they are to approach any person as his ‘guru’. There is no such delegation of guruship.

44.hir ieko dwqw mMgIAY mn icMidAw pweIAY ] (590-4, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[Beg from the One Lord, the Great Giver, and you shall obtain your heart's desires.]


45. jy dUjy pwshu mMgIAY qw lwj mrweIAY ] (590-4, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[But if you beg from another, then you shall be shamed and destroyed.]


46.mn ry rwm nwm jsu lyie ] (597-12, soriT, mÚ 1)
[O mind, chant the Lord's Name, and praise Him.]

47. ibnu gur iehu rsu ikau lhau guru mylY hir dyie ] rhwau ] (597-12, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Without the Guru, how will you obtain this juice? The Guru shall unite you with the Lord.]

48.suK duK dwqw guru imlY khu nwnk isPiq smwie ]4]7] (597-15, soriT, mÚ 1)
[One who meets with the Guru, the Giver of pleasure and pain, says Nanak, is absorbed in the Lord's Praise. ]

49.ibnu gur pRIiq n aUpjY BweI mnmuiK dUjY Bwie ] (603-1, soriT, mÚ 3)
[Without the Guru, love for the Lord does not well up, O Siblings of Destiny; the self-willed manmukhs are engrossed in the love of duality.]

36.

One of the most important line that I have come across is as follows:

50.nwnk gupqu vrqdw ipAwrw gurmuiK prgtu hoie ]4]2] (605-7, soriT, mÚ 4)
[O Nanak, the Beloved is pervading everywhere, but He is hidden; through the Guru, He is revealed.]

And now to the moment when Guru Arjan Dev thought of undertaking this massive project, almost single-handedly. In this arduous and daunting enterprise, he had, however, the help of Bhai Gurdas, a Sikh savant well-versed in all the languages to be found in the scripture. The Guru Granth was composed in a highly "scientific manner" so that there was no room later for any distortions, deletions or interpolations. The Guru Granthhas 1,430 pages in all, and carries the gathered material in a well-pondered manner. Its hymns from different sources amount to 5,894. The bulk of hymns come from Guru Arjan’s own pen. The three Gurus — Hargobind, Har Rai and Harkrishan — for some reasons didn’t write hymns but the ninth Guru, Teg Bahadur, resumed the writing of hymns. It was the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who collected his father’s hymns known as Navan Mohalla— written in incarceration before his martyrdom on the orders of the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. The tenth Guru did not include his own massive work which appeared separately in Jap Sahiband other compositions. Thus, he gave Guru Granth the status of the Guru, and himself bowed before the volume to make it the last Guru of the Sikhs. Thus, living Gurudom was abolished for ever. All future generations were to pay respects to the sacred scripture, and treat it as the voice of their Gurus.
It’s again important to know how this huge material came into Guru Arjan Dev’s hands. The two pothiscarrying the compositions of the first four Gurus known as Goindwal pothis were, then, in the custody of Baba Mohan, maternal uncle of Guru Arjan Dev, a recluse and a mystic.

However, all efforts to secure the pothisfrom him proved futile till Guru Arjan Dev composed a couple of beautiful hymns addressed to Mohan (one of the several names of the beloved Lord), and himself recited those soulful hymns below the window of the room where Baba Mohan lived. This proved effective, for Baba Mohan was touched, and read the message contained obliquely in the hymns. These pothis, were then given shape and form by the fifth Guru. Again, the uniqueness of this scripture can be measured from the fact that it carried the work of not only the Sikh Gurus, but also of both Bhaktas and Sufi poets. Guru Arjan Dev saw that Sanskrit which was virtually a dead language would not serve his purpose. Instead, he made use of Hindi in the forms in which it was being used at that time. These forms included Avadi and other dialects used by the bards and Bhaktas of the period. Arabic and Persian had been used by several poets with the advent of Islam and its culture in India, but no compositions in these languages are to be found in the Guru Granth. The Guru Granth begins with Guru Nanak’s compositions. His most revered and recited bani, Jap Ji, now forms the staple of a Sikh’s morning prayers. The opening word "Ek-Onkar" — "The One All-Pervading Being" — precedes the word Jap and then the poem goes on to 38 pauris or stanzas in a splendid, epiphanic manner. A transcendant vision emerges when in the final pauris,Guru Nanak reaches the heights of his powers. The Janam Sakhis say that when Guru Nanak had just commenced his divine journey to discover the Lord, he once disappeared for three days in a stream called Bein, and when he emerged, he knew his journey had started. He had seen in that vision in the water the Lord Himself, and received the amrit of naam. The songs uttered after that experience ultimately took him to the heights of his poetic splendour in the Japjiwhich was written later, in his mature years. The hymns written or uttered by Guru Nanak and later Sikh Gurus described the wonders of the created world, bridging the gulf between this world and the next. The Guru Granth composed 400 years ago has now become a Sikh’s nourishment, for it has irradiated his soul, and saturated his sensibility.

36a.

This divine verse gives him a feeling of Sada Vigasor "life of perennial hope and rising spirits". This, I trust, is the Guru Granth’s final message. It serves to keep the Sikh in an upbeat mood, both in times of sorrow and in those of joys[6].


Sikhism and Panthic approach.

37.

Likewise Sikhism is a religion which is time tested and has been very successfully been insttutionalised by way of ‘Panthic approach’. It has written code of ethics that contain the wisdom of great sages who were in direct communion with the creator. The SGGS ji contains the words that came from the mouth of the Creator and is God for them.[7]

38.

The sikhs are lucky that they have got most valuable scripture that is present on the earth that teches us that HE is one and the ultimate goal of the human being is to purify himself to the extent that he attains salavation. It is guru and God for the sikhs. The interpretation of the SGGS ji is as per the understanding of the seeker. One takes the help of translations to the extent that it helps us in appreciating that has been authored in a dialect that does not match the present day language. Nonethe less, major concepts do remain the same. At macro level the teachings are the same. The knitty gritty may vary as per the interpretation. There should be an agreement over the conceptual framework of the contained philosphy. The finer parts may be covered up by the individual concerned.


Sikhism: A Written format of religion


39.

Thus the written format of religion is likely to be present over a long period of time. Thus one may always take the help of translations. The translations have been of immense use as it has made the meaning understood to the persons who are not acquainted with the dialect employed in the SGGS ji. At finer level ,when one looks into lines and find that there is some difference of opinion , one can approach for help. However, given the choice one would prefer the roiginal text. Thus the interpretation of the statute is the prerogative of individual. It is for the one to find the ‘liberation’ as per the teachings of Guru Sahibaans as is contained in SGGS ji.

40.

Without dwelling further I shall take up the subject as per my understanding. It is believed that ‘salvation’ is possible if there is firm belive in the mind and one is able to spend time and energy for doing the things that are necessary. For some the journey may be smooth and for some it may not be so as is pre-ordained. In the case of sikhs the edict of Guru Sahibaans is an eternal unchangeable law. The law has to be interpreted by the seekers and the aspirants and every Sikh as per one’s intellect. We have the wisdom before us. It is for us to interpret it correctly and reach the abode whose address is Scakhand.We can help one another in helping out the process of interpretation. The practice of the same would be as per that is pre-destined that no one can change.


Sikhism as a Statute


41.

In this statute There is only a single judge. Our mind is the judge of the mind as He is within us as per the guidance provided by SGGS ji. We are the judge, we are the interpreters and we are the one who will be judged. The deliverance day would decide the fate and the nature of deeds that we have performed here in this life would be measured against the yardstick that has been contained in the form of teachings in SGGS ji. Let us do all that is required to be done by a Sikh and help one another to move to the lap of lord when our time comes for such an eventuality. Let all merge into HIM and meet HIM with Grace and with no feeling of guilt that we did not work as per that was ordained in the eternal law and that was as per that we call as ‘destiny’ and we can say ‘Oh Lord! Thy will prevailed and I acted as thou willed….’


Mischeif Rule and Sikhism


42.

The coming of Guru Nanak in 1469 came at a time of socio-political necessity. India had fallen on evil days. There was no security of life and property. Guru Nanak rang the alarm-bell and saved masses from fake religions. Religion then was either by form of ritual or hypocrisy. He released people from the rut of formalism and the parrot-like repetition of scriptures. Guru Nanak challenged the division of men into classes, castes and communities. For him, all men were equally worthy of respect.


43.

Guru Nanak stressed the uniqueness of each individual and wanted him to progress through a process of self-discipline. The discipline was three-fold: physical, moral and spiritual. The physical discipline included acts of service and charity, while leading a householder's life; the moral discipline included righteous living and rising above selfish desires; the spiritual discipline included the belief in only the One Supreme Being, (the Timeless Almighty) and the exclusion of the Pantheon of gods and goddesses, in whom they had formerly believed.

44.

The Gurus brought a course of discipline to their Sikhs that lasted for a period of nearly 230 years till the creation of the Khalsa Sikh, the ideal man' of the Tenth Guru (Guru Gobind Singh Ji). Guru Nanak opposed political tyranny and subjugation. He raised his voice against Babar's invasion and the tyrannical deeds perpetrated by his army in India. However, the imprisonment of Guru Nanak and the wonderful way in which he conducted himself and performed the tasks assigned to him in the camp awakened the soul of the Mughal invader. The Guru emphasized the dignity of the individual and his right to oppose injustice and oppression. His main task, however, was to turn men's minds to God. Guru Nanak opposed mere ceremony and ritualism as dead wood. True religion is purposeful and exalts conscientious living, and not the tread-mill of ritual[8].

45.

Sikhism is the youngest religion among the world religion, and at times book do not devote a chapter to it, and people are not aware the principles and practices of such faith. The religion was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1589) and his mission was to bring out the fundamental truth of all religions and put an end to religious conflict. He preached the Universal brotherhood of all human beings and Oneness of only One God. The deepest truth of purest Sufi traditions are expressed in Guru Nanak’s love of the Beloved, is already present in Shabad Guru and why look elsewhere? In Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s words: I wish you all embrace one creed and follow one path, rising above all differences of religion as now practiced…[9]

All the best

46.

Let us wish one another the best in this journey that we have to undertake. It is in this fashion that we can help one another in appreciating the teachings that contain age old wisdom.Whatever was appliacbe about five centuries ago is applicable right now. The Sikh scriptures are most respected and is oft quoted by Hindu saints while discussing God. Our understanding of some lines may vary but the basic meaning would remain the same.

May thee Get that thy crave for! Amen……………………….

51.ijin syivAw iqin Plu pwieAw iqsu jn kI sB BuK gvweIAY ] (590-4, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[One who serves the Lord obtains the fruits of his rewards; all of his hunger is satisfied.]

52. nwnku iqn ivthu vwirAw ijn Anidnu ihrdY hir nwmu iDAweIAY ]10] (590-5, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
[Nanak is a sacrifice to those, who night and day, meditate within their hearts on the Name of the Lord.]



Inputs Required


1.Kindly explain the meaning of Tuks no.19 and 20 under para. 2 esp. the term ‘word of Sabad’.


2.Is it the same term that is equivalent to the Holy word ‘ong’ that was uttered by the creator or;

Is the 'word of Guru Bani'.?

This is on account of the fact that english translations are not very clear and at various places the term 'word of the Shabad ' has been used.

3. Meraning Of Guru

47. ibnu gur iehu rsu ikau lhau guru mylY hir dyie ] rhwau ] (597-12, soriT, mÚ 1)
[Without the Guru, how will you obtain this juice? The Guru shall unite you with the Lord.]

48.suK duK dwqw guru imlY khu nwnk isPiq smwie ]4]7] (597-15, soriT, mÚ 1)
[One who meets with the Guru, the Giver of pleasure and pain, says Nanak, is absorbed in the Lord's Praise.]

49.ibnu gur pRIiq n aUpjY BweI mnmuiK dUjY Bwie ] (603-1, soriT, mÚ 3)
[Without the Guru, love for the Lord does not well up, O Siblings of Destiny; the self-willed manmukhs are engrossed in the love of duality.]

3a.In the above Tuks there is a reference of the term Guru. For the Sikhs the Guru is the SGGS ji.

3b.In the tuk 49 cited above why has it been stated that one who meets the guru or what is the meaning of this Tuk.

4. kindly refer to the Tuk no. 50 as reproduced below:

50.nwnk gupqu vrqdw ipAwrw gurmuiK prgtu hoie ]4]2] (605-7, soriT, mÚ 4)
[O Nanak, the Beloved is pervading everywhere, but He is hidden; through the Guru, He is revealed.]

It has been stated that He is all- pervasive but he is revealed through the Guru. What will be its meaning in the context of the fact that we have SGGS ji as Guru? As a simple answer to this that I can think of is that by following the teachings of the SGGS ji we can attain salvation.

5. At several places the in Gurbani the terms like aadguru, jugaad guru, satguru, perfect guru., tru Guru have appeared. All would mean GOD ,the creator or these have to be taken as Guru equivalent to GOD? Kindly clarify with a line or two from the SGGS ,preferably with Gurmukhi/devnagri translations ,if possible.

[1] Author has not made any long write ups. Almost all the material is extracted from the various papers of the learned people. It is compilation exercise only. If there are some errors it would be on account of my poor presentation. Kindly forgive.

[2] Extracted from:Karta Purakh - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.


[3]God is the creator. But realize that he does not stand apart from his creation. He is absorbed and one with all that he has created. This is why Nanak never separated the sannyasin from the householder. If the creator was separate from his creation, then you would drop all worldly activities in order to seek Him, abandoning the shop, the office, the marketplace. Nanak did not give up his worldly duties till the very end. As soon as he returned from his travels he would go to work in the fields. All his life he ploughed the fields. He named the village in which he settled, Kartarpur, which means the village of the creator.
God is the creator, but do not think he is separated form his creation. When man sculpts an idol and the idol is completed, the sculptor and the sculpture are no longer one; they are separate. And the sculpture will remain long after the sculptor is dead. If the image fractures, the sculptor is not also broken, because the two are separate. But there is no such distance between God and his creation.

What kind of relationship exists between God and his creation? It is like a dancer with his dance. When man dances can you separate him from his dance? Can he return home leaving the dance behind? If the dancer dies, the dance dies with him. When the dance stops, he is no longer the dancer. They are united. This is why since ancient times, Hindus have looked upon God as the dancer, "Nataraj." In this symbol the dancer and the dance are one.:
Extracted from:Ek Omkar Satnam - The Essence of Sikh Religion Spirituality - Indiatimes


[4]http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1294665,curpg-4.cms


[5]SikhNet News Archive - Authenticity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib - 08/29/2007

[6]http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/news.nsf/NewsArchive/EFA8BC4574C8F76587256E8400685F7E!OpenDocument


[7] Katha by Maskeen ji on etc Punjabi. I shall not be able to quote the date as I missed to make to notes.

[8] Extracts http://www.gurmat.info/sms/smspublications/introductiontosikhism2/chapter1.html#What%20is%20religion?


[9] Extracts of http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/news.nsf/NewsArchive/0C91548514826F6A87257292005F403E!OpenDocument


to be continued..............................

I shall be posting the materail in parts as and when it is ready.

Seeker07 Ji,

Your summary is wonderful. Projectnaad would love to broadcast it as a Presentation.

I'll give you their contact if you need it.

__________________

Respected Begum ji,

I am very grateful to you for your kind and very encouraging comments. All I am doing is to go through the electronic edition of the Bani's .I do make notes and do share with all. I keep on posting my doubts for clarifications.

My english is very simple and plain. I also see after posting that there are always some spelling errors in them.
Yes, I shall like to see if I can be of any assistance to anyone.


Regards




Regards

hukmI sgl kry Awkwr ] (150-15, mwJ, mÚ 1)
The Lord, by the Hukam of His Command, has created the entire creation.
========================
The above 'tuk' is reproduced here to show and conform that HE himself created the creation with the 'word'.
Hope it would be useful.
Regarding the time when it was done, I shall have to refer back the 'bani' and reply when I have found the answer. But does it really matter.

In any case I shall post it when I get it.
Thx

Re:

Word or sabad /sabad as appearing in English Translation.


I have, in this post, raised a small issue regarding the exact meaning of the term 'word of the shabad' as is used in the English translations. There is a thread which is discussing the same thing.

I am putting in this thread four sample of the lines where the same term has appeared in the SGGS ji.[Electronic format]. I am giving below that I have searced for .The conclusion is left to the audience and the sangat. I shall not try to speculate on this term and its meaning. For me it would be pre-mature to do the same, I shall also not be able to proceed further unless suitable clarification is contributed by friends and sangat.

May be someone out there should respond. I can make a request only. I am not inventing or discovering anything. I am only presenting that I am learning and where I think I am not clear.

Yes, only Gurmukhi knowning persons will be able to participate as the other translaton that I have referred to is from Dr. Sahib Singh ji who has authored exclusively in Gurmukhi. Kindly excuse me for this. Also excuse me for poor word formation in the text that i am unable to improve upon even after repeated attempts. May be it is on account of Gurmukhi and English texts spread all over the post.

Given below is the text of preceding/succeding line as well.[wherever possible]


1.
eyku sbdu bIcwrIAY jw qU qw ikAw hoir ]1] rhwau ] (17-18, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)



I dwell upon the One Word of the Shabad. You are mine-what else do I need? ||1||Pause||



1.As per Shaib Singh ji




[ eyku sbdu—pRBU dI is&iq-swlwh dI bwxI [

jdoN qyrI is&iq-swlwh dI bwxI nUµ ivcwrdw hY (qW ieh smJ pYNdI hY ik) jdoN qUM (swfy isr au~qy rwKw) hYN, qW hor koeI swfw kIh ivgwV skdy hn [1[rhwau


2.
mn ry scu imlY Bau jwie ] (18-5, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)

O mind, meeting with the True One, fear departs.




BY ibnu inrBau ikau QIAY gurmuiK sbid smwie ]1] rhwau ] (18-6, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)

[only Sabad-stand alone]

Without the Fear of God, how can anyone become fearless? Become Gurmukh, and immerse yourself in the Shabad. ||1||Pause||



2.As per Sahib Singh ji.



hy (myry) mn! jdoN sdw-iQr pRBU iml pey, qW dunIAw dw fr-shm dUr ho jWdw hY [ jd qk prmwqmw dw fr-Adb mn ivc nwh hovy, mnu`K dunIAw dy frW qoN bc hI nhIN skdw (qy prmwqmw dw fr-Adb qdoN hI pYdw huMdw hY jdoN jIv) gurU dI rwhIN Sbd ivc juVdw hY [1[rhwau[


scu—sdw-iQr rihx vwlw pRBU [ BY ibnu—(inrml) fr qoN ibnw



3.


ibnu gur mYlu n auqrY ibnu hir ikau Gr vwsu ] (18-16, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)



Without the Guru, this pollution is not removed. Without the Lord, how can there be any homecoming?





eos bdu vIcwrIAY Avr iqAwgY Aws ] (18-17, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)
Contemplate the One Word of the Shabad, and abandon other hopes.




nwnk dyiK idKweIAY hau sd bilhwrY jwsu ]4]12] (18-17, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)


O Nanak, I am forever a sacrifice to the one who beholds, and inspires others to behold Him. ||4||12||




3.As per Sahib Singh ji




gurU qoN ibnw mn dI mYl nhIN DupdI, prmwqmw ivc juVn qoN ibnw mwnsk Afolqw nhIN l`BdI [ (hy BweI!) iek (rwzk) pRBU dI hI is&iq-swlwh ivcwrnI cwhIdI hY (jo is&iq-swlwh krdw hY auh) hor hor AwsW C`f dyNdw hY[ hy nwnk! (AwK—) ijhVw gurU Awp pRBU dw drSn kr ky mYnUµ drSn krwauNdw hY, mYN aus qoN sdw sdky jWdw hW [4[12[

4.



iDRgu jIvxu dohwgxI muTI dUjY Bwie ] (18-18, isrIrwgu, mhl 1)


The life of the discarded bride is cursed. She is deceived by the love of duality.



klr kyrI kMD ijau Aihinis ikir Fih pwie ] (18-18, isrIrwgu, mhl 1)
Like a wall of sand, day and night, she crumbles, and eventually, she breaks down altogether.







Without the Word of the Shabad, peace does not come. Without her Husband Lord, her suffering does not end. ||1||



4.As per Sahib Singh ji

iDRgu—iPtkwr-jog [ dohwgxI—mMdy BwgW vwlI, pqI qoN iv`CuVI hoeI [ muTI—mu`TI, T`gI hoeI [ dUjY Bwie—(pRBU qoN ibnw) iksy hor pRym ivc [ kyrI—dI [ Aih—idn [ inis—rwq [ ikir-ikr ky [1[






ArQ:- jyhVI Bwg-hIx jIv-iesqRI (pRBU-pqI qoN ibnw mwieAw Awidk) hor dUjy ipAwr ivc hI T`gI rihMdI hY aus dw jIauxw iPtkwr-jog hI hY [ ijvyN k`lr dI kMD [1](shjy shjy) ikrdI rihMdI hY, iqvyN aus dw Awqmk jIvn BI idn rwq (mwieAw dy moh ivc) ikr ikr ky Fih-FyrI huMdw jWdw hY [ (suK dI ^wqr auh dOV-B`j krdI hY, pr) gurU dI srn qoN ibnw suK nhIN iml skdw (mwieAw dw moh qW sgoN du`K hI du`K pYdw krdw hY, qy) pqI-pRBU ƒ imlx qoN ibnw mwnsk du`K dUr nhIN huMdw [1[




Yes ,it is true that I am devoting time on this and hope you would also go through Sahib Singh ji's Teeka that is available on many sites. Kindly go through the next line in which 'sabad /'word of sabad' appears in SGGS ji else it is going to be a useless exercise. I would be there where I am and vice versa is likely to be true.

It would be a mutual help.









[1] I would infer that it refers to ‘wall of sand’

__________________

~~~**Jap mun Satnaam sda Satnaam...sda satnaam sda satnaam.....~~~