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Guru Nanak Dev Ji Being Asked: What Changed Your Life And What Focus For Your Mind . 7

Ambarsaria

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Recognizing the perhaps enviable persona of Guru ji he is asked about what techniques he adopted and got the mind so directed.

Let us review the following,

Sidhas/Yogis ask:
ਕਿਤੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਪੁਰਖਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਵਟਾਇਆ ਕਾਹੇ ਕਉ ਤੁਝੁ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਲਾਇਆ
Kiṯ biḏẖ purkẖā janam vatā▫i▫ā. Kāhe ka▫o ṯujẖ ih man lā▫i▫ā.
What technique you used to turn your living? Who does your mind focus on?
Guru Ji’s answers:
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਜਨਮੇ ਗਵਨੁ ਮਿਟਾਇਆ ਅਨਹਤਿ ਰਾਤੇ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਲਾਇਆ
Saṯgur kai janme gavan mitā▫i▫ā. Anhaṯ rāṯe ih man lā▫i▫ā.
In so born to the true creator the wandering dissipated. In tune with one essence, the mind so gotten absorbed.
Guru ji state that realization of being born of the creator, the wandering subsided. The mind just followed in step.

What you think?

Sat Sri Akal.

PS: Please see the appropriate complete Shabad here,

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sidh-gosht/38761-si-gosht-sabad-17-32-73-a.html
 
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Luckysingh

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ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਜਨਮੇ ਗਵਨੁ ਮਿਟਾਇਆ ਅਨਹਤਿ ਰਾਤੇ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਲਾਇਆ
Saṯgur kai janme gavan mitā▫i▫ā. Anhaṯ rāṯe ih man lā▫i▫ā.
In so born to the true creator the wandering dissipated. In tune with one essence, the mind so gotten absorbed.

ਮਨਸਾ ਆਸਾ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਨਿਰੰਤਰਿ ਪਾਈ
Mansā āsā sabaḏ jalā▫ī. Gurmukẖ joṯ niranṯar pā▫ī.
Desires and wishes so burnt by the true words of understanding. In nearness to the creator, so found the light within.

In so born into the Lord's home, the coming and going ceased.
This being born into lord creation and what follows is a reference to ''living as per the Guru's words and way of life''
Thus the life can be changed if one gets absorbed in the true Guru.
Being totally absorbed in the love for the Guru or lord will also cause the mind to stop wandering and be attuned in to the lord.
Thus all desires of mind can be eradicated- this refers to ALL Maya desires.

What is important, as mentioned in the beginning with duck analogy, is the fact that Nanak makes it clear that we live in the world of maya (not detached away like the sadhus), but we rise ABOVE it and control the maya desires by absorbing the mind into the True Lord.

''Mansa as shabad jalai''- through the word of the shabad,desires of the mind are eradicated and then ''gurmukh can find the True light of the lord Within''
-(''Gurmukh, jyot nirantar pai'')

This light deep within the gurmukh will pervade forever once it is lit.
 

BhagatSingh

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not detached away like the sadhus
vs
we rise ABOVE it and control the maya desires by absorbing the mind into the True Lord
Lucky Singh ji, I am not sure there is a difference there. To detach oneself from Maya, one needs to rise above it.

Thus all desires of mind can be eradicated- this refers to ALL Maya desires.
What other desires are there?
 

Ambarsaria

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Bhagat Singh ji and Luckysingh ji if I were to take liberties here I think it as the following,

ਮਨਸਾ

  • [SIZE=-1]Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Gurmukhi-Gurmukhi Dictionary[/SIZE] [SIZE=+0] (1) ਇਛਾ, ਕਾਮਨਾ,ਇਰਾਦਾ। (2) ਭਾਵਨੀ, ਮਨ ਦਾ ਭਾਵ। (2) ਸਮਝ, ਬੁੱਧੀ। (4) ਮਨ ਦੀ ਚਾਹ। ਉਦਾਹਰਣ: ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਣੈ ਮਨਸਾ ਸਭ ਪੂਰੇਵ॥ {ਸਿਰੀ ੫, ੭੫, ੩:੪ (44)}। ਸਬਦੁ ਸੂਝੈ ਤਾ ਮਨ ਸਿਉ ਲੂਝੈ ਮਨਸਾ ਮਾਰਿ ਸਮਾਵਣਿਆ॥ {ਮਾਝ ੩, ਅਸ ੭, ੧*:੨ (113)}। ਸੁਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਮਨਸਾ ਗੁਰ ਉਪਦੇਸੀ ਜਾਗਤ ਹੀ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ॥ [/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=+0]Mind attachments and wanderings
    [/SIZE]
ਆਸਾ

So I do not believe it is appropriate to wrap all concepts into "Mega wrap"/"Maya Hot Dog" to be avoided and if so avoided the peace and salvation appear.

Guru ji talk of simple recognition that does not waver is alive and says, " .... me and all, of one creator". As it is ingrained in the mind and is genuinely practiced, much falls by the way side that was bothersome before.

Just some thoughts.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
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Luckysingh

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Good points indeed.

I mentioned ''detached away like the sadhus''- I should have said, hiding away from society thinking they are detached.

Lucky Singh ji, I am not sure there is a difference there. To detach oneself from Maya, one needs to rise above it.

To rise above, one doesn't need to detach as such. - I know exactly what you are saying and I agree.

However, I should have been a little more clear-Let me explain..

-To ''rise above'' - I meant that one does NOT completely eradicate or remove themselves away from Maya desires.
-The goal is to have ''more control'' over these maya or worldly desires.

At the beginning of sidh gosht we had the duck ananolgy, whereby the duck floats on the world ocean of water but does not let it's wings get wet. Hereby, it is still flowing with the water currents, just as we should still be participant in the world ocean.

However, it keeps it's wings above and dry, I mean it could just avoid all contact with the water by flying away. But it doesn't, it still uses the flowing water to get to the other side.
In the same way we need to be within the world to get to our destination but not so detached, however, the real task is the ''rising above.''

Now, the ''rising above'' is something that is to be done only by ourselves.
Guru Nanak mentions this repeatedly in different ways, that we ''Look and search within.''

To actually understand the whole maya illusion, one has to be able to free themselves from it. This being free is similar to rising above it and it doesn't come from denying the reality or living in an apathetic manner. Nanak makes it clear that hiding from or denying society and the active world ocean is not the method to free yourself from it.

How is it done, everyone asks ?
This is where the ''search within'' comes in. It is the ability to 'switch off' the mind and look deep inside. You can call this meditation, soul searching, finding yourself or whatever you want.

Again, Harryji would be pleased to know that this is where meditation can help a loser like me and for what reason it may be useful.
I think you are aware that it takes a lot of practice and effort to look inside and inward. Having a helping tool like meditation is useful for most of us in this sense.

Remember, everything that exists consists of molecules and atoms. These same atoms have protons, neutrons and electrons which are all the same but vary in numbers. It is just the arrangements that make everything appear different to our senses.
Inside us,going down to molecular and cellular levels we consist of similar arrangements. Remember the mention of ''deep within in the nucleus, is where the true lord can be found ''- or something very similar.

Thus everything within and around us, be it macroscopic or microscopic, consists of the same things. So, the TRUTH that is out and all around the huge universe is the same as in our minute atoms in the body.

Going within yourself whilst living in the maya surroundings is what my interpretation of Nanak's message is. To me personally, I find the need to 'find myself' with the help of the meditation tool as I call it.
Others may be able to do it with other methods, it doesn't really matter.

An easier way of looking at it is the way we watch a movie at the theatre. The way that we project or thoughts and feelings to the maya world around us is the same as when we watch a movie. We sit there and watch pictures and lights being projected. We respond and react to the moving pictures, they generate feelings and thoughts as well. But only the actual screen is real, the pictures are not.
When the movie stops suddenly say by an error or there is a commercial, it feels like we come back into the real world. A little similar to being woken from a dream.

This should give you an easier idea of the maya illusion.
The other most common problem I find among most people is that they only seem to associate ''maya'' with belongings and monetary values and not the whole worldly perception. You often hear granthis and others talking about how we should detach from our belongings, values and posessions...etc.. They seem to limit what maya really stands for.

What other desires are there?
Well, here I was talking about all wordly desires of the mind like desires to fill ego, desires to posess values and things....etc....
 

BhagatSingh

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Wow that's long! (That's what she said :grinningsingh:)
Thanks Lucky ji for taking the time to write that.

However, it keeps it's wings above and dry, I mean it could just avoid all contact with the water by flying away.
The problem with this analogy is whereas the duck has a choice to fly away and leave Maya the water, we are more like Fish who are trapped in Maya. We have to find a way to deal with Maya whilst being in Maya. The same applies to a Sadhu, wherever they may go Maya is always there.

Now, the ''rising above'' is something that is to be done only by ourselves.
Guru Nanak mentions this repeatedly in different ways, that we ''Look and search within.''
While that is true he says that it is better to join Satsangs and Sadhsangats, like-minded people who are making the same endeavors as you. Namjivan ji is going to go on a meditation retreat, that sort of thing is Sadhsangat.

How is it done, everyone asks ?
This is where the ''search within'' comes in. It is the ability to 'switch off' the mind and look deep inside. You can call this meditation, soul searching, finding yourself or whatever you want.

Again, Harryji would be pleased to know that this is where meditation can help a loser like me and for what reason it may be useful.
I don't think he would. Only one who has done so appreciates it and values it.

This should give you an easier idea of the maya illusion.
The other most common problem I find among most people is that they only seem to associate ''maya'' with belongings and monetary values and not the whole worldly perception. You often hear granthis and others talking about how we should detach from our belongings, values and posessions...etc.. They seem to limit what maya really stands for.
I agree but I think many people are attached to their belongings, I think we are fortunate that we were born with less attachment or happened to develop detachment with them over time. Others are not so much. We should be grateful for our gift whilst helping others. Thought it appears the intention of helping someone, often interferes with the helping process. I have often noticed that if I help without trying to help, it usually gets better results.
Well, here I was talking about all wordly desires of the mind like desires to fill ego, desires to posess values and things....etc....
Well, you said "All Maya desires" I thought you meant there is a desire that exists outside of Maya. To me it seems all desires have an object, and all object are Maya. Some desires may lead one to God but the act to going closer to God is shedding away the desires one by one. Until there is no desire left, and the divine has taken over the human form completely.
 

Luckysingh

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That's a good sum up Bhagat ji.
The duck has a choice, we don't. The reality is that we have to learn to deal with the trappings.-Good points again.

I totally agree with all your statements and I think this understanding is just the initial and vital step in trying to deal with it.
The rest is with the Guru's grace.
 

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