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Dare To Love The Lord

pk70

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Feb 25, 2008
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Dare To Love the Lord

I have got a request from our respected SPN member to elaborate on a Guru Shabad, so I shall do my best to do it keeping Guru Message intact. This is the Shabad that has changed my world, I have tried to quote it as often as possible just to make a case of Guru’s that message through which he guides us to be in love with Him and live in His love. There are some scholars who have tried to change the concept of God of Guru Nanak on the basis of Guru Vaak in “Sidh Goshat””

ਪਵਨ ਅਰੰਭੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਤਿ ਵੇਲਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਚੇਲਾ ਅਕਥ ਕਥਾ ਲੇ ਰਹਉ ਨਿਰਾਲਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਪਾਲਾ ਏਕੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਕਥਾ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਅਗਨਿ ਨਿਵਾਰੀ ੪੪
Pavan arambẖ saṯgur maṯ velā. Sabaḏ gurū suraṯ ḏẖun cẖelā. Akath kathā le raha▫o nirālā. Nānak jug jug gur gopālā. Ėk sabaḏ jiṯ kathā vīcẖārī. Gurmukẖ ha▫umai agan nivārī. ||44||
(Answers the Guru) A. 45: The breath is the origin of life. A. 46: It is the time of the sway of the faith of the True Guru. A. 47: The Lord is my Guru, whose meditation, I, His disciple, greatly love. A. 48: Uttering the discourse of the Ineffable Lord I remain detached. Nanak, all the ages through, God, the cherisher of the world, is my Guru. A. 49: Such is the unique Lord, by meditating on whose Divine discourse, the man crosses the terrible ocean. Thus does the Guru-ward quench his fire of self-conceit.

They are dead wrong, in this Guru Vaak, Guru ji is hinting at only inspiration he got from within but behind remains the Lord’s grace. The Lord as expressed in the above Guru Vakas, is the one with whom Guru Nanak remained in love. In Majh kee Vaar, Guru expresses his experience with the Lord in crystal clear words.
ਪਉੜੀ ਹਉ ਢਾਢੀ ਵੇਕਾਰੁ ਕਾਰੈ ਲਾਇਆ ਰਾਤਿ ਦਿਹੈ ਕੈ ਵਾਰ ਧੁਰਹੁ ਫੁਰਮਾਇਆ ਢਾਢੀ ਸਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਖਸਮਿ ਬੁਲਾਇਆ ਸਚੀ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਸਾਲਾਹ ਕਪੜਾ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਚਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਆਇਆ ਗੁਰਮਤੀ ਖਾਧਾ ਰਜਿ ਤਿਨਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਢਾਢੀ ਕਰੇ ਪਸਾਉ ਸਬਦੁ ਵਜਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚੁ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ਪੂਰਾ ਪਾਇਆ ੨੭ ਸੁਧੁ ( Maajh Ki Vaar, Mehla 1-SGGSJi 150)
Pa▫oṛī. Ha▫o dẖādẖī vekār kārai lā▫i▫ā. Rāṯ ḏihai kai vār ḏẖarahu furmā▫i▫ā. Dẖādẖī sacẖai mahal kẖasam bulā▫i▫ā. Sacẖī sifaṯ sālāh kapṛā pā▫i▫ā. Sacẖā amriṯ nām bẖojan ā▫i▫ā. Gurmaṯī kẖāḏẖā raj ṯin sukẖ pā▫i▫ā. Dẖādẖī kare pasā▫o sabaḏ vajā▫i▫ā. Nānak sacẖ sālāhi pūrā pā▫i▫ā. ||27|| suḏẖu
pauri. Me, the bard out of work, the Lord has applied to His service. In the very beginning He gave me the order to sing His praises night and day. The Master summoned the minstrel to His True Court. He clothed me with the robe of His true Honour and eulogy. Since then the True Name has become my ambrosial food. They, who under the Guru's instruction, eat this food to their satisfaction, obtain peace. By singing the Guru's hymns, I the minstrel spread the Lord's glory. Nanak, by praising the True Name I have obtained the perfect Lord. ( Tr by S Manmohan Singh ji)
As per Guru Nanak, the truth is revealed to him by the Lord Himself and He appoints Guru Nanak for a job of praising the Lord and inspiring others to do that, literally that is what Guru Nanak did. It will be a sheer ignorance if any one who ignores Guru’s own words and tries to force on him any kind of a sectarian ideology. Having crippled understanding of Guru Nanak, people displayed such ignorance quite often. Keeping this admission of Guru regarding his encounter with the Lord in mind, let’s look at the following Guru Shabad
ਮਾਰੂ ਮਹਲਾ ਕੋਈ ਆਖੈ ਭੂਤਨਾ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਬੇਤਾਲਾ ਕੋਈ ਆਖੈ ਆਦਮੀ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਵੇਚਾਰਾ Mārū mėhlā 1. Ko▫ī ākẖai bẖūṯnā ko kahai beṯālā. Ko▫ī ākẖai āḏmī Nānak vecẖārā. ||1||
ਭਇਆ ਦਿਵਾਨਾ ਸਾਹ ਕਾ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਬਉਰਾਨਾ ਹਉ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਜਾਨਾ ਰਹਾਉ
Bẖa▫i▫ā ḏivānā sāh kā Nānak ba▫urānā. Ha▫o har bin avar na jānā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
Ignorant Nanak has become mad after his Lord. Without God, I know not another. Pause.
ਤਉ ਦੇਵਾਨਾ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜਾ ਭੈ ਦੇਵਾਨਾ ਹੋਇ ਏਕੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਇ
Ŧa▫o ḏevānā jāṇī▫ai jā bẖai ḏevānā ho▫e. Ėkī sāhib bāhrā ḏūjā avar na jāṇai ko▫e. ||2||
Then should a man be called crazy, if he becomes crazy about the fear of God, and recognises none other than the One Lord.
ਤਉ ਦੇਵਾਨਾ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜਾ ਏਕਾ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਇ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਖਸਮ ਕਾ ਦੂਜੀ ਅਵਰ ਸਿਆਣਪ ਕਾਇ
Ŧa▫o ḏevānā jāṇī▫ai jā ekā kār kamā▫e. Hukam pacẖẖāṇai kẖasam kā ḏūjī avar si▫āṇap kā▫e. ||3||
Then alone he is known to be insane, if he performs the One Lord's service, and realises his Lord's command. In what else is there wisdom?
ਤਉ ਦੇਵਾਨਾ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਧਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੁ ਮੰਦਾ ਜਾਣੈ ਆਪ ਕਉ ਅਵਰੁ ਭਲਾ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ
Ŧa▫o ḏevānā jāṇī▫ai jā sāhib ḏẖare pi▫ār. Manḏā jāṇai āp ka▫o avar bẖalā sansār. ||4||7||
Then alone one is deemed insane, when he cherishes the love for One Lord, and knows himself bad and rest of the world as good.

In the above Shabad, in the first two Vaakas, an observation of those people around Guru ji who were totally engrossed in Maya, is expressed. People most of the times believe only in crowd mentality, it works like an instinct just as all sheep follow just one sheep. Seeing Guru ji being in love and imbued with the Lord, people commented” oh Nanak appears like a ghost, a demon”. Such commentators thought that only they knew the world, they called Guru ji” bootna, betala, there were some who had some sympathy for him but they also fell for misunderstanding. Guru responds to both categories of the people” well I am crazy but for the Lord (unlike you who are crazy for the Maya), unlike you, I do not believe many but the Lord, I do not acknowledge any one but the Lord, such is the craze I have for my Lord.” Truly falling for the Lord triggers ignorant comments of Maya- enslaved people. After rahao(Pause), Guru ji starts defining how really one can be in love with the Lord.
Guru says” only then one is known to be crazy for the Lord if the fear of Lord is in the heart” Why Guru ji is saying this? Why fear of the Lord who we want to love? The fear is to have awareness of His ordinance and infinite power over world, submitting to it is to control the behavior that leads to self conceit. If that fear factor is present in heart, how any bad deed can be committed? It is love with respect; this fear doesn’t mean to live in fear but to live in his love with extreme respect for the Lord and His Ordinance. Right here, Guru ji adds another truth of this love, and this love with utmost respect should be for the one Lord only. Remember, it is falling in love, and falling in love occurs only for the one. Importance of Guru is great because Guru helps others to fall in love with the Lord. If one is in love with the Lord, others so called powerful entities become insignificant. Any one who hasn’t fallen in love ever, it is hard to explain that gravity of feelings.
( NOTE Dr Sahib Singh ji, here takes as “bhai(fear)” from the world instead from the Lord. As per his interpretation, one is known as crazy if one becomes fearless from worldly fear. People call such person crazy as he doesn’t think about consequences of being defiance to worldly powers Dr Sahib considers the next Guru Vaak expresses that the crazy for the Lord acknowledges only Him and shed the fear of the rest, both way, it is to have love and fear of the Lord in the heart and there is non other to be loved and feared)


TO BE CONTINUED
 

spnadmin

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Jun 17, 2004
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pk70 ji

I agree with you. But let me speak as an older person -- had a lot of time to fall in love, which gives me a certain amount of clout in this discussion :D

Don't worry if you are not wild with emotion. True love is always steady and calm. It gives one a certain inner confidence and a positive outlook on life even when things are going badly. You feel strength from the other/the Other. If you don't feel inwardly steady then it is not love but obsession. And that is the difference between devotion and fanaticism.

Another thought -- You cannot get the beloved/the Beloved out of your mind. Always there in the background even when you are busy at everyday responsibilities.



ਜਿਨ ਸਬਦਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਣਿ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਮਨਿ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਸੋਇ ॥
jin sabadh guroo sun manniaa thin man dhhiaaeiaa har soe ||
Those who hear and believe in the Word of the Guru's Shabad, meditate on the Lord in their minds.

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਭਗਤੀ ਰਤਿਆ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
anadhin bhagathee rathiaa man than niramal hoe ||
Night and day, they are steeped in
devotion; their minds and bodies become pure.

ਕੂੜਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਕਸੁੰਭ ਕਾ ਬਿਨਸਿ ਜਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਰੋਇ ॥
koorraa rang kasunbh kaa binas jaae dhukh roe ||
The color of the world is false and weak; when it washes away, people cry out in pain.

ਜਿਸੁ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸੁ ਹੈ ਓਹੁ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਥਿਰੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
jis andhar naam pragaas hai ouhu sadhaa sadhaa thhir hoe ||3||
Those who have the Radiant Light of the Naam within, become steady and stable, forever and ever. ||3||
 

pk70

Writer
SPNer
Feb 25, 2008
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pk70 ji

I agree with you. But let me speak as an older person -- had a lot of time to fall in love, which gives me a certain amount of clout in this discussion :D

Don't worry if you are not wild with emotion. True love is always steady and calm. It gives one a certain inner confidence and a positive outlook on life even when things are going badly. You feel strength from the other/the Other. If you don't feel inwardly steady then it is not love but obsession. And that is the difference between devotion and fanaticism.

Another thought -- You cannot get the beloved/the Beloved out of your mind. Always there in the background even when you are busy at everyday responsibilities.



ਜਿਨ ਸਬਦਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਣਿ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਮਨਿ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਸੋਇ ॥
jin sabadh guroo sun manniaa thin man dhhiaaeiaa har soe ||
Those who hear and believe in the Word of the Guru's Shabad, meditate on the Lord in their minds.

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਭਗਤੀ ਰਤਿਆ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
anadhin bhagathee rathiaa man than niramal hoe ||
Night and day, they are steeped in
devotion; their minds and bodies become pure.

ਕੂੜਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਕਸੁੰਭ ਕਾ ਬਿਨਸਿ ਜਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਰੋਇ ॥
koorraa rang kasunbh kaa binas jaae dhukh roe ||
The color of the world is false and weak; when it washes away, people cry out in pain.

ਜਿਸੁ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸੁ ਹੈ ਓਹੁ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਥਿਰੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
jis andhar naam pragaas hai ouhu sadhaa sadhaa thhir hoe ||3||
Those who have the Radiant Light of the Naam within, become steady and stable, forever and ever. ||3||

Aad Bhain Jio
You are sailing in the same boat, to understand Guru ji in this context, this is very important. Who has experience of it, this is the way he sees around((read below), and it is amazingly tempting the heart to be like this
ਪੰਨਾ 25, ਸਤਰ 6http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=25&punjabi=t&id=1045#l1045
ਜਹ ਜਹ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਤਹ ਤੂ ਹੈ ਤੁਝ ਤੇ ਨਿਕਸੀ ਫੂਟਿ ਮਰਾ
Jah jah ekā ah ah ū hai uj e niksī fūt marā. ||1||
wherever I look, You are there. Outside of You, I would burst and die. ||1||
ਮਃ 1
And the beautiful quotes you have given, are expressing the same truth, now it depends who dares to love Him the way it has been explained. It is about the love a way away from infatuation. It is this fact that detours the lovers of the Lord from fanatics.
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
pk70 ji

This is a very special verse. Thank you.


ਜਹਜਹ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਤਹ ਤੂ ਹੈ ਤੁਝ ਤੇ ਨਿਕਸੀ ਫੂਟਿ ਮਰਾ
Jah jah ekā ah ah ū hai uje niksī fūt marā. ||1||
wherever I look, You are there. Outside of You, I would burst and die. ||1||
 

pk70

Writer
SPNer
Feb 25, 2008
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USA
( The remaining part)

Now, this state of being crazy for the Lord is attained only if one lives in Lord’s service while being truly in love with Him; in this state of mind, one understands the totality of Lord’s control over all His creation. Remember Jap Ji Sahib( ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ
Nānak hukmai je bujai a ha▫umai kahai na ko▫e. ||2||
O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego. ||2|| .) this attitude scraps the ego away. Ego causes separation from the Lord, ego builds a wall between Him and us and it is a big hindrance in falling in love with the Lord. In this state, all other intellectual powers that distract this attention on the Lord lose all importance. Guru ji says that they are just of no use in this context It is an experience which comes through solid action. One can enjoy it by having it not by questioning or pouring hyper rationality in context of the world affairs.

To confirm it, in the next Guru Vaak, Guru ji repeats about having love of Lord in the heart always. Through this success of having Him in the heart, scope and approach towards outside world change. Contrary to other people who are not in love with the Lord, the one who is in love, considers others good and try to find fault within to improve to be worthy of the Lord. Ego has to go completely” I am better” should have no place in mind. It is being aware of succeeding in spiritual success.. Who boast about being better is ripped off virtues. The world will definitely look at the one in love with the Lord as a crazy one, So it be, Guru ji pursues the followers to care about the Lord and ignore what people say. Challenge is this, if we approach to that state of mind, people may start judging us as “crazy, bhootne etc”, remember that Guru ji says that in His love, that so called dishonor is sweet. The waves hit the rock and fall back with nothing, let their ignorant comments fall back likewise.

G Singh
 

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