Guru Nanak Dev Ji Being Asked: How The Moon Shines While Inside Dark, The Sun Keeps The Heat Inside,

[Ambarsaria]

In this series of questions we not only note the brilliance of answers but also equal brilliance of questions posed by the Sidhs. How does moon shine while dark inside, the sun keeps all this heat buried inside, in the same vein how can walk away from the cares of death and be in salvation and the wisdom that so enables.

Let us review the following,

Sidhas/Yogis ask:

ਕਵਨ ਮੁਖਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਹਿਵੈ ਘਰੁ ਛਾਇਆ ॥ ਕਵਨ ਮੁਖਿ ਸੂਰਜੁ ਤਪੈ ਤਪਾਇਆ ॥
Kavan mukẖ cẖanḏ hivai gẖar cẖẖā▫i▫ā. Kavan mukẖ sūraj ṯapai ṯapā▫i▫ā.
Which way the cool moon keep enlightenment in the darkness within self? Which way the hot sun keep the heat within?
ਕਵਨ ਮੁਖਿ ਕਾਲੁ ਜੋਹਤ ਨਿਤ ਰਹੈ ॥ ਕਵਨ ਬੁਧਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਤਿ ਰਹੈ ॥
Kavan mukẖ kāl johaṯ niṯ rahai. Kavan buḏẖ gurmukẖ paṯ rahai.
Which way the gaze of death everyday be gone? Which wisdom that one so in tune with creator’s being keeps honor?
ਕਵਨੁ ਜੋਧੁ ਜੋ ਕਾਲੁ ਸੰਘਾਰੈ ॥ ਬੋਲੈ ਬਾਣੀ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੈ ॥੪੮॥
Kavan joḏẖ jo kāl sangẖārai. Bolai baṇī Nānak bīcẖārai. ||48||
Who is the warrior that conquers death? Nanak, speak of your treatise on such understanding.

Guru Ji’s answers:

Note: Please note that I below have truncated the full listing of the Gurbani for presentation purposes and the full parts are available in the referenced threads at the end of this post.

ਸਬਦੁ ਭਾਖਤ ਸਸਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ….
Sabaḏ bẖākẖaṯ sas joṯ apārā. ….
Speaking of creator’s wisdom, mind like a moon shines extreme brilliance…..
ਸੁਖੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਸਮ ਕਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਧਾਰਾ ॥ ….
Sukẖ ḏukẖ sam kar nām aḏẖārā. …..
Pain and comfort become same when understanding is attained. ….
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਚੈ ਮਨੁ ਸਾਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ ….
Gur parcẖai man sācẖ samā▫e. …. ||49||
In deep reflection of the creator, mind submerges in the truth. ….
ਨਾਮ ਤਤੁ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਸਿਰਿ ਜਾਪੈ ॥ ….
Nām ṯaṯ sabẖ hī sir jāpai. ….
Essence of understanding is the highest of all contemplations. ….
ਤਤੋ ਤਤੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨੈ ॥ ….
Ŧaṯo ṯaṯ milai man mānai. ….
Essence meeting the understanding creates acceptance in the mind. Duality disappears and oneness becomes resident.
….
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਸੁੰਨੰ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਸੁੰਨੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਸੁੰਨ ਮਸੁੰਨੰ ॥ ਚਉਥੇ ਸੁੰਨੈ ਜੋ ਨਰੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਤਾ ਕਉ ਪਾਪੁ ਨ ਪੁੰਨੰ ॥
Anṯar sunaʼn bāhar sunaʼn ṯaribẖavaṇ sunn masuʼnnaʼn. Cẖa▫uthe sunnai jo nar jāṇai ṯā ka▫o pāp na puʼnnaʼn.
Inside emptiness, outside the emptiness, so filling the three realms the one emptiness. The malice and grace do not affect the person in the fourth realm.
…..॥ ਆਦਿ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦੇਉ ॥
…. Āḏ purakẖ niranjan ḏe▫o.
….. The primal person so reflecting the immaculate creator.
ਜੋ ਜਨੁ ਨਾਮ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਰਾਤਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੋਈ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਬਿਧਾਤਾ ॥੫੧॥
Jo jan nām niranjan rāṯā. Nānak so▫ī purakẖ biḏẖāṯā. ||51||
The humble person so imbued in understanding of the immaculate creator.
Nanak such is the being creator.
……
ਅਨਹਤ ਸੁੰਨਿ ਰਤੇ ਸੇ ਕੈਸੇ ॥ ਜਿਸ ਤੇ ਉਪਜੇ ਤਿਸ ਹੀ ਜੈਸੇ ॥
Anhaṯ sunn raṯe se kaise. Jis ṯe upje ṯis hī jaise.
What are they like so imbued with, in everlasting void? As to where come from, so they are like such.
…………..
….॥ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਨੀਦ ਨ ਸੋਵੈ ॥
…... Gurmukẖ jāgai nīḏ na sovai.
..… One so in tune with creator’s being stays awake and does not fall in sleep.
ਸੁੰਨ ਸਬਦੁ ਅਪਰੰਪਰਿ ਧਾਰੈ ॥ਕਹਤੇ ਮੁਕਤੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੈ ॥
Sunn sabaḏ aprampar ḏẖārai. Kahṯe mukaṯ sabaḏ nisṯārai.
Emptiness is filled with wisdom of infinite creator. So saying the salvation, in wisdom are salvaged
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਸੇ ਸਚਿ ਰਾਤੇ ॥ਨਾਨਕ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ਮਿਲਣ ਨਹੀ ਭ੍ਰਾਤੇ ॥੫੪॥
Gur kī ḏīkẖi▫ā se sacẖ rāṯe. Nānak āp gavā▫e milaṇ nahī bẖarāṯe. ||54||
So achieving understand of the creator, such imbued with the truth. Nanak by so losing of self the meeting, no wandering.

Guru ji describe that brilliance comes from seeking and acquiring the wisdom of the creator. One immerses in this wisdom and reaches the highest of states. Guru ji emphasize that this state of wisdom and enlightenment is not a stop and go activity. Once one so acquires there is no mental sleep away from this enlightenment. The time becomes not of the essence whether worldly like in death or virtually as in sleep.

We so lose ourselves to wisdom that there lies salvation.

In summary, whereas the questions of Sidhs point to the physical phenomenon the Guru ji take hold of the deeper questions buried there in. The question is not about the science of moon or the sun. It is about the shining of the soul with wisdom. It is the intensity of energy within that comes from wisdom. Therein one does not feel separate from the creator and all creation as differences dissipate.

What you think?

Sat Sri Akal.

PS: Please see the appropriate complete Shabad here,

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sidh-gosht/38860-si-gosht-sabad-33-48-73-a.html
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sidh-gosht/38884-si-gosht-sabad-49-60-73-a.html

 

[Luckysingh]

Re: Guru Nanak Explains: Through Wisdom the Moon Enlightens the Dark, the Sun Warms Within, the Warrior Conquers Death.

Firstly, the mention and acknowledgment of the moon getting it's light from the sun as it has no light of it's own, is itself one good reaon that can tell us about how close sikhism has been to science.
As I believe that only in this century has it been confirmed that the moon does not emit light from itself and it is all from the sun.
However, I am aware that the koran also stated something very similar many many centuries before.
The bible on the other hand stated the opposite from what I gather.
The point is not about who came up with it first, may be the influence of the koran was much more than the bible and awareness for Guru Nanak Ji was from this source, ..Whatever.... But the point is that it was believed and was not some theory at the time.

Moving on, what does the moon represent and what does the sun represent ?
I usually ask myself these questions when faced with such metaphors.

In this case the moon is like the mind within us and the sun is the heat and light from the almighty Lord.
The question asked is simply-
- How can the mind(moon) be illuminated or lit up if it is in the 'ghar' of cold and darkness?
AND - In what manner or way does the sun's heat and light blaze ?

The reply by Guru ji to put it simply is-
- Speaking or uttering the shabad or God's name (shabd bhakat) the light of the mind (moon) is illuminated infinitely.
\
The reply to the 2nd part of how does this sun blaze in there is,-
- When the sun resides in this house of the moon (sas ghar sur vasai), then the darkness is eliminated and the light is lit.(mitthai andairha)