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Hypothetical: Could Some/most Of Bulley Shah's Writings Say Something Similar To Sikhism

Ambarsaria

ੴ / Ik▫oaʼnkār
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Dec 21, 2010
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Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, in present day Pakistan.

Bulleh Shah's time was marked with communal strife between Muslims and Sikhs. But in that age Baba Bulleh Shah was a beacon of hope and peace for the citizens of Punjab. While Bulleh Shah was in Pandoke, Muslims killed a young Sikh man who was riding through their village in retaliation for murder of some Muslims by Sikhs. Baba Bulleh Shah denounced the murder of an innocent Sikh and was censured by the mullas and muftis of Pandoke. Bulleh Shah maintained that violence was not the answer to violence. Bulleh Shah also hailed the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur as a Ghazi, or "religious warrior", which caused controversy among Muslims of that time.
Bulleh! Ki Jaana Maen Kaun (with lyrics) ~ Rabbi Shergill
YouTube - Bulleh! Ki Jaana Maen Kaun (with lyrics) ~ Rabbi Shergill

GIST: Baba Bulley Shah gives a complementary view of who he is? He rules out this or that while humbly stating I don't know what I am made of or what and by Who?
Gurbani: Gives a positive view of "everyone is one of "Ek Noor"", one spirit and body embedded with God within each.


Baba Bulleh Shah - Sher Miandad Khan - Raaz Dhiya Gallan
YouTube - Baba Bulleh Shah - Sher Miandad Khan - Raaz Dhiya Gallan

GIST: A more detailed musical rendition of Baba Bulley Shah's kafian (poetry style centerd around a core message with musical nuances in style). The singers say through this rendition, to whom should I tell all these insights.

- One that does is within, you have not recognized which is talking to you. He is within you and you are looking outside. Just guess who is within, it is perhaps the one you are looking for outside. Bulley Shah says God is not separate from you, you call him but he answers from within you.

- The rendition continues by describing practices of Muslim mosques calling out from mosques minarets (Bulley Shah likenes it to Buffaloes bleating out to call their off-springs) or Hindus going to Ganga and praising murtis/statues and stones. Bulley Shah says who claims God cannot be found, it just is not found by the misguided.

- If you are going to feed your family and call it community service, or going to say muslim prayers without wholesome heart, there is no benefit of all this. You need to make up your mind and cannot live double faced as it is futile.

- In this stanza is Bulleh Shah is talking about praying with a wandering mind. Baba Bulley Shah says you are praying in the mosque while in your thoughts, you are playing with your kids at home. Similarly he cites that a pelican will stand in water on one leg in a pious posture (indirect reference to Yogic stances) while his heart is focused on a different deed (killing/catching a fish), Bulley Shah says all these are fake practices of the non-pious.

- Baba Bulleh Shah says you have become a great scholar through reading all the books, but you never read your real self (looking inside who you are), you go running to Mandirs and Mosques but you never entered your own psyche, every day you are fighting with the devil outside and not the one inside of you, Bulley Shah says you are making all these efforts to find all this bad evils flying outside but you have not caught one that is sitting right inside of the house (implying self). What is the point of all this, think.

- Baba Bulley Shah again comments on Muslim practices and Hindu practices of wearing topis (Hindu hats) and for Muslims the carrying and use of Muslim prayer paraphernalia (Tasbi, etc.),. He says unless you have germination of piousness inside this effort is futile as it is like keep boiling milk in an effort to make Yogurt which needs Yogurt culture and not just the boiling. The essence is that if you are doing this while expecting to achieve that, these may not be aligned and futile.

- Baba Bulley Shah gives an Islamic example. The person studies Koran and becomes a preacher/judge (Kaaji) and does multiple pilgrimages to Mecca (becoming Haaji), you picked up a sword became a pious muslim warrior (Ghazi). Baba Bulleh Shah says you have gained nothing, if you havn't made peace with God.

- Baba Bulleh Shah says all Brahmins and Muslim preachers have become old repeating "Rabb Rabb" (Waheguru Waheguru), never went to the root to find God, finding God without wisdom. Bulley Shah concludes, God is found by those who use full body and mind in God's search.

- Baba Bulleh Shah says I am surrounded by various varieties of Mosques, various faction of Islam (Sunni Shia), where should I pray as there appear to be eight mosques around. Baba Bulley Shah says it is my mis-fortune that my dwelling is situated in the middle of all this. Baba Bulley Shah belittles factions and varieties where each claims to be "The One" as an example from Islam and says it is a great shame in the name of God.

- Baba Bulley Shah now says that man/woman is related to God as raw cotton (cotton lumps) is related to cloth. Cotton is hidden in the cloth, similarly God is hidden within man/woman, he talks and he calls out, Bulley Shah says when you find God you won't see the difference between yourself and God within.

baba bulley shah from mazhar raja saib chak(ak)
YouTube - baba bulley shah from mazhar raja saib chak(ak)

GIST:
- Bulley Shah rendition from a folk singer says, let us go where everyone is blind in knowledge (cluster of ignorant people), no one will understand what I say nor would they believe in what I say. Bulley Shah says this life is short and be fair/pious in your dealings. Baba Bulley Shah says that pious people don't need to do fake practices like wakes for spirituality at night as only God is awake all time or professions or people like police, sick, thieves, etc. This life is limited and we going to die one day, all the pious and princes have died and no one stays for ever, this fake ego and all your worldly stuff is not going to be with you forever. Praise God and be fair/pious. Everyday you croak about "this is mine" (ego, moh/possessive/love), but one day you will have to become a pile of dirt, and be under there. Bulley Shah says be fair and pray for God as this life is limited.




Hope it provides some thoughts for philosophical dialog.

Sat Sri Akal.


PS: The following just some sweet music. I will transcribe if needed or requested later.

Bullhe Shah 1680-1758 Kullhi Raah Vich Paai - BiBi NooraN
YouTube - Bullhe Shah 1680-1758 Kullhi Raah Vich Paai - BiBi NooraN
 
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