WHAT IS WAHEGURU?
This profound question in the mind of man will ever remain unanswered because we can only realize Waheguru but we cannot tell what He is. In Gurbani,there is a simple example to explain why no one can answer this question. A mute person, after tasting sugar, knows the taste, enjoys it and expresses it through a smile. But being unable to speak, he cannot tell a word about what sugar is like. Waheguru is love,hence immensely sweet, many times more sweet than anything in this world. Holy persons love Waheguru,they enjoy the sweetness but cannot say anything by which we can know and understand Waheguru. There is no language and no thing available in this world which can be quoted to describe Waheguru. Therefore,only similes, however incomplete or unrepresentative they may be, have been offered by holy persons. That is the best they can do to explain their mystic experiences of the spiritual world (Waheguru) to those living in this mundane world.
Waheguru as Father - Mother:
(i) Waheguru is mentioned as Father, Mother,Protector, etc. These words are used to remind us about some of His virtues. Waheguru is the cause of our birth (creation). He nurses us, protects us, and does everything else to make our lives happy, the way parents do for their children.
Before creating humans and other living beings,Waheguru created the sun, moon, water, air, plants,etc. He also created whatever was required by the people to live comfortably. All things are a gift from Waheguru to us as children are given all things free with love by their parents. There are many other things that we have not yet discovered which have been created by Waheguru. The earth, sun, rain, air, darkness,etc. have been so adjusted that they produce innumerable kinds of foods for our consumption. No scientist with all the latest technology has ever been able to create a single grain or fruit in his laboratory. This is done by Waheguru alone under His own laws. These natural phenomena are so set that the earth produces different kinds of foods in different regions. Man is required only to put the Waheguru-given seeds in the soil and harvest the fruit.
Waheguru does many more things than those mentioned above to keep us comfortable and happy in the same way that parents do for their children. Hence the most popular character of Waheguru is revealed to our heart when with love we say, "You are my Father, my Mother, my Brother, and all my other kin.... You protect me from everything at all places."
(ii) The mother, having a physical existence, is visible to her children. Waheguru also has a physical form and is visible to us as "Mother Nature", which is mentioned in Gurbani . [Guru Granth Page 469 ]
(iii) When we see a mother with a baby in her lap, we know that the baby and the mother were once one, i.e., the baby was a part of the mother. The same thing can be said about us and Waheguru. We have been created by Waheguru, we were part of Him. We are His children. We can enjoy the love of Waheguru and feel the peace as well as comfort in our heart in the same way as a baby does in the lap of its mother. However, it is impossible for a baby to describe the mother, understand how and when she was born, from where she gets food and other necessities, how she built the house, etc. After becoming an adult, the baby knows all about the answers to these questions and understands her well. In the same way, when we 'children' grow spiritually to be 'adults' we can understand our Mother, Waheguru. That is the only way to know Waheguru. As long as we are 'babies' we will not be able to know our 'Mother'.
to be contd. in Parts
This profound question in the mind of man will ever remain unanswered because we can only realize Waheguru but we cannot tell what He is. In Gurbani,there is a simple example to explain why no one can answer this question. A mute person, after tasting sugar, knows the taste, enjoys it and expresses it through a smile. But being unable to speak, he cannot tell a word about what sugar is like. Waheguru is love,hence immensely sweet, many times more sweet than anything in this world. Holy persons love Waheguru,they enjoy the sweetness but cannot say anything by which we can know and understand Waheguru. There is no language and no thing available in this world which can be quoted to describe Waheguru. Therefore,only similes, however incomplete or unrepresentative they may be, have been offered by holy persons. That is the best they can do to explain their mystic experiences of the spiritual world (Waheguru) to those living in this mundane world.
Waheguru as Father - Mother:
(i) Waheguru is mentioned as Father, Mother,Protector, etc. These words are used to remind us about some of His virtues. Waheguru is the cause of our birth (creation). He nurses us, protects us, and does everything else to make our lives happy, the way parents do for their children.
Before creating humans and other living beings,Waheguru created the sun, moon, water, air, plants,etc. He also created whatever was required by the people to live comfortably. All things are a gift from Waheguru to us as children are given all things free with love by their parents. There are many other things that we have not yet discovered which have been created by Waheguru. The earth, sun, rain, air, darkness,etc. have been so adjusted that they produce innumerable kinds of foods for our consumption. No scientist with all the latest technology has ever been able to create a single grain or fruit in his laboratory. This is done by Waheguru alone under His own laws. These natural phenomena are so set that the earth produces different kinds of foods in different regions. Man is required only to put the Waheguru-given seeds in the soil and harvest the fruit.
Waheguru does many more things than those mentioned above to keep us comfortable and happy in the same way that parents do for their children. Hence the most popular character of Waheguru is revealed to our heart when with love we say, "You are my Father, my Mother, my Brother, and all my other kin.... You protect me from everything at all places."
(ii) The mother, having a physical existence, is visible to her children. Waheguru also has a physical form and is visible to us as "Mother Nature", which is mentioned in Gurbani . [Guru Granth Page 469 ]
(iii) When we see a mother with a baby in her lap, we know that the baby and the mother were once one, i.e., the baby was a part of the mother. The same thing can be said about us and Waheguru. We have been created by Waheguru, we were part of Him. We are His children. We can enjoy the love of Waheguru and feel the peace as well as comfort in our heart in the same way as a baby does in the lap of its mother. However, it is impossible for a baby to describe the mother, understand how and when she was born, from where she gets food and other necessities, how she built the house, etc. After becoming an adult, the baby knows all about the answers to these questions and understands her well. In the same way, when we 'children' grow spiritually to be 'adults' we can understand our Mother, Waheguru. That is the only way to know Waheguru. As long as we are 'babies' we will not be able to know our 'Mother'.
to be contd. in Parts
