Lock-and_key

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LOCK-AND-KEY

O Nanak, without the Guru (Self, Sat Guru, God, etc.), the door of the mind
cannot be opened. No one else holds the key in hand (sggs 1237). When the
key is inserted in the Tenth Gate, then the Blessed Vision of the Merciful God
is seen (sggs 341). And the one whose home it is, has locked it up, and given
the key to the Guru — Self, Sat Guru, God, etc. (sggs 205). In the Word
of the Gurbani is the wealth of the unstruck sound current. The godly
beings hold the key to it in their hands (sggs 893). Those whom God
blesses with His Praises, are the true keepers of the treasure. Those who
are blessed with the key — they alone receive the treasure (sggs 1239).
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We often hear or read in the Gurbani to the effect that there is a mysterious 'lock' which can only be opened by a mysterious 'key' held in the hands of the True Being. What is this 'key', and what's so special about it that only the state of Self-realization has the access to it? Also, what is this 'lock' which cannot be opened by any other ordinary beings?

Man keeps his material possessions under 'lock', because he does not want someone to take his possessions away from him. For that, he hides the 'key' and appoints himself as the watchman so that no one can steal or duplicate it. This is the gross aspect of 'lock-and-key' we all deal with at material plane everyday.

However, the 'lock' and 'key' mentioned in the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) is sublime, thus totally different. Unless we know the nature of this 'lock' mentioned in the Gurbani, we cannot find the right 'key' to open it. In ignorance of the Self, however, man looks for the 'key' without knowing the true nature of the very 'lock' he is trying to open! This results in his perpetual deathful living.

The Lord fashioned our body chamber and then infused in it His Own Image, the Soul or the Self. As part of His Leela (Cosmic Dance), He also created Maya (Cosmic Illusion or duality). The nature of this Maya is disequilibrium. Consequently, it makes us behave crooked (ignorant) like a dog's tail. Our mind is the hub around which this vicious wheel of Maya revolves with a tremendous force. As such, it creates great mental delusion which leads the unwary mind into endless sorrows. The man's emotional attachment to this Maya is the 'lock' scriptures talk about.

• Gur kunji paahuu nival man kothaa tan chhat. Nanak Gur bin man kaa taak na ughrai avar na kunjee hath: The key of the Guru opens the lock of attachment, in the house of the mind, under the roof of the body. O Nanak, without the Guru (Self, Sat Guru, God, etc.), the door of the mind cannot be opened. No one else holds the key in hand (sggs 1237).

It is the Maya (illusory energy of God) which makes a child forget that within the fire and darkness of the mother's womb, his life was sustained by his dwelling on God's Name. However, no sooner we step into this material world, we forget the Source, our True Nature. Thus, from the very childhood, Maya is always giving us trouble in the form of threefold miseries (TeeneTaap). It is constituted of three qualities — Taamas, Raajas, and Saatav. Before the path to understand Divinity and creation can be opened, one has to raise himself at least to the mode of Saatav (Goodness or Wisdom). Without raising oneself to that platform, one remains in Raajas (passion and greed), as well as Taamas (ignorance, stupor or obstinate error). These two is the cause of emotional attachment that leads to a demoniac status of life. When in bondage, we deride the wisdom of the scriptures; we deride the association of Sat (Truth); we deride the loving devotion of the Self; and we deride the proper understanding of the Reality. This is the 'lock'.

• Trai gun aap sirjian Maya moh vadhaayaa: God Himself created the three qualities and increased our love (emotional attachment) for worldly valuables (sggs 1237).

Our mind or heart is likened to a house; our body made of five elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth) is the roof on this house. Under the spell of ignorance and mental delusion (false ego and duality), we have allowed the poisonous snake called Maya to install the doors made of sense pleasures, cravings and pains of material slavery. In addition, we have appointed our corrupt and untrustworthy senses to guard this house. The True Being has placed 'His Image' (Joti Savroop) in unapproachable place Within this body house; veiled by the ego-sense (lock), beyond the reach of anybody's gross senses.

• Khat nem kar kothree bandhee bastu anoop beech paayee. Kunjee kulph praan kar rakhe karte baar na laayee: He fashioned the body chamber with six rings, and placed within it the incomparable thing. He made the breath of life the watchman, with lock and key to protect it; the Creator did this in no time at all (sggs339).

Maya gives rise to the dreadful ocean known as worldly attachment. Our body-house has nine openings or gates: two eyes, two years, two nostrils, one mouth, urinary aperture, and one {censored}. Due to lack of Shabad-Surti or God Awareness, this body-house guarded by corrupt senses is being plundered through these nine openings by thieves such as lust, anger, greed, emotional attachment, false pride, enviousness and stubborn mindedness. The mind free to escape through these defiled openings is led astray. Consequently, it is unable to realize its own True Nature. Beyond these Maya-stricken nine openings (or 'lock') is the mysterious Tenth Gate. The scriptures challenge us to rise up to this Gate. When the True Guru — the state of Self-realization — inserts the 'key' of knowledge in this secret gate, the 'lock' opens up and the Soul-bride becomes liberated.

• Dadda dekh ju binsanhaaraa. Jas dekh tas raakh bichaaraa. Dasvai duaar kunjee jab deejai. Tayu diyaal kayu darsan keejai: Whatever is seen will perish. Contemplate the One who is unseen. When the key is inserted in the Tenth Gate, then the Blessed Vision of the Merciful Lord is seen (sggs 341).

Now, knowing the nature of the 'lock', we can define the 'key'. According to the Gurbani, the 'key' is none other than the Self-knowledge (Aatm-Gian). To put it otherwise, the 'key' is the Naam-consciousness, Shabad-Surti, Spiritual Perfection (Sahaj Avasthaa), God-consciousness or the state of Self-realization.

• Jis kaa grih tin deeyaa taalaa kunjee Gur sayupaayee. Anik upaav kare nahee paavai bin satgur sarnaayee: And the one whose home it is, has locked it up, and given the key to the Guru (Self, Sat Guru, God, etc.). You may make all sorts of efforts, but it cannot be obtained, without the Sanctuary of the True Guru (sggs 205).

Thus, opening of the mysterious 'lock' is the same as opening of the Tenth Gate, closing off the nine gates, absorption in the Shabad or Naam, freedom from Maya, liberation from bondage, the state of egolessness or desirelessness, attainment of Divine Knowledge, Vision of God, Enlightenment, annihilation of the mind, Sunn Samaadhi, and so on.
The Shabad ('key') is the killer of Maya ('lock'). The sincere practice of love and meditation (Japa or Naam-Simran), leads the senses and the mind to become established in Purity. Hence, those who close off the nine gates, and restrain the wandering mind, come to dwell in the Home of the Tenth Gate. There, the unstruck melody of the Shabad vibrates day and night. The way to realize this Shabad-Surti is through the intuitive understanding of the Gurbani.
Without the Spiritual Wisdom there is only darkness ('lock') Within. The Light of Knowledge (Shabad-Giyan) is the mysterious 'key' to reach the Truth (Sach Vastoo or the Real Article). Accordingly, the Gurbani reminds us to strike down the serpent of Maya with the rod of Wisdom, whether its poisonous hallucination has already arisen, or is about to rise in the mind.

• Anhad Bani puunjee. Santan hath raakhee koonjee: In the Word of the Gurbani is the wealth of the unstruck sound current. The Saints hold the key to it in their hands (sggs 893).
• Bin Shabde antar aaneraa. Na vastu lahe na chookai pheraa. Satgur hath kunjee horat dar khullai naahee Gur poorai bhaag milaavaniaa: Without the Shabad, there is only darkness within. The genuine article is not found, and the cycle of reincarnation does not end. The key is in the hands of the True Guru; no one else can open this door. By perfect destiny, He is met (sggs 124).

According to the scriptures, very rare are those Souls who succeed in getting their Tenth Door unlocked. "Why not all of us?", one may ask. If one is humble and sincere, he can suck the Self-knowledge from the Gurbani as the bumblebee sucks honey from the flower. If not, then the reading and listening of the scriptures will be like planting a seed in the salt; nothing will grow.
Accordingly, the 'key' is not meant for those who have silenced their Wisdom by a firm faith in this Mithiyaa Jagat (ephemeral world), and consequent striving for its sorrow bearing pleasures. Such individuals are described in the scriptures as blind, beast, drunkard, dead, and so on. Can one show a garden of beautiful flowers to a blind? Can a drunkard be instructed in the subtleties of Spirituality? Can a person behaving like a beast be instructed, for he is being led like an animal by the rope of his own deluded mind? Can hair grow on a tortoise's shell? Can a dead get up and engage himself in right self-exertion? Can a lotus grow on a rock? A deluded person thus immersed in the mire of craving for sense pleasures (i.e., the twin of desirables and undesirables) will never find the 'key'. By the quality of his chosen Karma, he is stuck in the repetitive existence — the wheel of birth and death.

• Trisnaa kade na bujhayee dubidhaa hoi khuaar: Their craving is never ceased, and they are ruined by duality (sggs 649).

Maya and bondage proceed hand in hand, which is none other than the craving for acquisition of desirables and rejection or anxiety to avoid what one may consider undesirables. Maya arises in the ignorance of the Self, and Self-knowledge leads to liberation from it. Once the 'lock' of bondage is opened by the 'key' of the Spiritual Freedom, the twin urges of acquisition and rejection come to an end. With the elimination of these two impulses, the mind becomes established in equanimity, and experiences the utter state of Peace and Equilibrium (Sahaj Avasthaa). At this point, the deluded mind (ego-sense) folds its tent and declares defeat, and the one self perceives itself Within itself as Infinite Consciousness (Waheguru), which alone exists.

• Chet suchet chit hoyi rahu tayu lai pargaas ujaaraa: When you are conscious in your consciousness, you will be enlightened and illuminated (sggs 339).

What are the Spiritual virtues of such a godly person? Goodness, fearlessness, sense of discrimination, mental steadfastness, tranquility, magnanimity, spiritual wisdom, detachment, Shabad Surti, selfless actions, true humility, contentment, love for all, compassion, sweet speech, one-pointed devotion, absence of craving (Vaasnaas or false ego) for sense gratification, and so on. These are the natural, non-intentional, and spontaneous Spiritual Qualities of a person who has his Inner House unlocked.

• Sifat jinaa kayu bakhseeyai seyee potedaar. Kunjee jin kayu diteeyaa tinaa mile bhandaar: Those whom the Lord blesses with His Praises, are the true keepers of the treasure. Those who are blessed with the key — they alone receive the treasure (sggs 1239).

—T. Singh
source: http://www.gurbani.org/webart52.htm