Can Faith In The Satguru Ever Be Blind?

[Tejwant Singh]

I am troubled by this question. Guruji so many times speaks to us, saying that our liberation mukhti comes when we "see" and when we are not blind. I have copied this shabad from sri Raag, as a beginning for my own contemplation of this question.

Is this blind faith: Without the Lord, my soul is scorched and burnt. I consulted my Guru, and now I see that there is no other place at all. ||1|

The shabad

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ik oankaar sathigur prasaadh ||
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:


ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ਪਹਿਲਾ ੧ ਘਰੁ ੧ ॥
raag sireeraag mehalaa pehilaa 1 ghar 1 ||
Raag Siree Raag, First Mehl, First House:


ਮੋਤੀ ਤ ਮੰਦਰ ਊਸਰਹਿ ਰਤਨੀ ਤ ਹੋਹਿ ਜੜਾਉ ॥
mothee th mandhar oosarehi rathanee th hohi jarraao ||
If I had a palace made of pearls, inlaid with jewels,

ਕਸਤੂਰਿ ਕੁੰਗੂ ਅਗਰਿ ਚੰਦਨਿ ਲੀਪਿ ਆਵੈ ਚਾਉ ॥
kasathoor kungoo agar chandhan leep aavai chaao ||
scented with musk, saffron and sandalwood, a sheer delight to behold

ਮਤੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੂਲਾ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਨਾਉ ॥੧॥
math dhaekh bhoolaa veesarai thaeraa chith n aavai naao ||1||
-seeing this, I might go astray and forget You, and Your Name would not enter into my mind. ||1||


ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਜੀਉ ਜਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਉ ॥
har bin jeeo jal bal jaao ||
Without the Lord, my soul is scorched and burnt.


ਮੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਛਿ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਅਵਰੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਥਾਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
mai aapanaa gur pooshh dhaekhiaa avar naahee thhaao ||1|| rehaao ||
I consulted my Guru, and now I see that there is no other place at all. ||1||Pause||


ਧਰਤੀ ਤ ਹੀਰੇ ਲਾਲ ਜੜਤੀ ਪਲਘਿ ਲਾਲ ਜੜਾਉ ॥
dhharathee th heerae laal jarrathee palagh laal jarraao ||
If the floor of this palace was a mosaic of diamonds and rubies, and if my bed was encased with rubies,

ਮੋਹਣੀ ਮੁਖਿ ਮਣੀ ਸੋਹੈ ਕਰੇ ਰੰਗਿ ਪਸਾਉ ॥
mohanee mukh manee sohai karae rang pasaao ||
and if heavenly beauties, their faces adorned with emeralds, tried to entice me with sensual gestures of love


ਮਤੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੂਲਾ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਨਾਉ ॥੨॥
math dhaekh bhoolaa veesarai thaeraa chith n aavai naao ||2||
-seeing these, I might go astray and forget You, and Your Name would not enter into my mind. ||2||

ਸਿਧੁ ਹੋਵਾ ਸਿਧਿ ਲਾਈ ਰਿਧਿ ਆਖਾ ਆਉ ॥
sidhh hovaa sidhh laaee ridhh aakhaa aao ||
If I were to become a Siddha, and work miracles, summon wealth


ਗੁਪਤੁ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ਬੈਸਾ ਲੋਕੁ ਰਾਖੈ ਭਾਉ ॥
gupath paragatt hoe baisaa lok raakhai bhaao ||
and become invisible and visible at will, so that people would hold me in awe

ਮਤੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੂਲਾ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਨਾਉ ॥੩॥
math dhaekh bhoolaa veesarai thaeraa chith n aavai naao ||3||
-seeing these, I might go astray and forget You, and Your Name would not enter into my mind. ||3||


ਸੁਲਤਾਨੁ ਹੋਵਾ ਮੇਲਿ ਲਸਕਰ ਤਖਤਿ ਰਾਖਾ ਪਾਉ ॥
sulathaan hovaa mael lasakar thakhath raakhaa paao ||
If I were to become an emperor and raise a huge army, and sit on a throne,


ਹੁਕਮੁ ਹਾਸਲੁ ਕਰੀ ਬੈਠਾ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਭ ਵਾਉ ॥
hukam haasal karee baithaa naanakaa sabh vaao ||
issuing commands and collecting taxes-O Nanak, all of this could pass away like a puff of wind.


ਮਤੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੂਲਾ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਨਾਉ ॥੪॥੧॥
math dhaekh bhoolaa veesarai thaeraa chith n aavai naao ||4||1||
Seeing these, I might go astray and forget You, and Your Name would not enter into my mind. ||4||1||

The shabad is from the house of Guru Nanak Dev on Ang 14 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj.

There is no blindness spoken of in the shabad but rather the shabad talks about "seeing", awareness. Awareness is described as torn between seeing the Lord and seeing the delightful creatons of our senses and mind, believing and taking them for the truth. The richness of palaces, their mosaics of diamonds and rubies, the scent of musk, saffron and sandalwood, the apparent power of holy men who can become invisible, and then visible, and summon wealth, the power of leadership, huge armies, wealth-- seeing these our eyes lead us astray.

Could it be that blind faith in the truth of these illusions is the real blind faith?

Antonia ji,

Guru Fateh.

This Shabad shows us what happens when we live in the world of Miri without Piri- the real life of LIGHTS, CAMERA and ACTION. We know those lights can blind us. The Shabad also shows us how difficult it is to find the Gurmat fulcrum within.

Guru Amar Das says in Anand Sahib:- Kahenio tikhi, valon niki, etei marg janah.

In other words, Life of a Sikh is not just one high wire event but a way of life. And we can only live this high wire way of life when we learn through Gurbani that Ik Ong Kaar is our safty net in case we fall off which is not rare- Mera Satguu Rakhwala hoa-

For me Sikhi is neither blind nor a faith. If it were a blind faith then we would not be able to learn and hence practice the 3 basic tenets of Sikhi prescribed by Guru Nanak to us:

1. Naam Japnah- Finding and keeping the connection with Ik Ong Kaar, not just parroting.

2. Kirat karni- Doing our best in an honest way since we are kids( here our parents come into play) e.g. studying hard as students and working hard as adults.

3. Vand kei chaknah- And sharing with others because only Ik Ong Kaar gives and a Sikh only shares.

As you yourself put it beauitfully,"There is no blindness spoken of in the shabad but rather the shabad talks about "seeing", awareness."

Tejwant Singh

 

[Astroboy]

First of all, the word blind has been used in various ways. If we start 'seeing' from the Gurbani context, then we shall 'see' as follows:-

Page 15, Line 4
ਅੰਧੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਨਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਏਹ ਨ ਓਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
अंधै नामु विसारिआ ना तिसु एह न ओहु ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥
Anḏẖai nām visāri▫ā nā ṯis eh na oh. ||1|| rahā▫o.
The blind man has forgotten the Name; he is in limbo, neither here nor there. ||1||Pause||
Guru Nanak Dev - [SIZE=-1]view Shabad/Paurhi/Salok[/SIZE]


Page 31, Line 2
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਅੰਧ ਨ ਚੇਤਹੀ ਡੂਬਿ ਮੁਏ ਬਿਨੁ ਪਾਣੀ ॥੧॥
मनमुख अंध न चेतही डूबि मुए बिनु पाणी ॥१॥
Manmukẖ anḏẖ na cẖeṯhī dūb mu▫e bin pāṇī. ||1||
The blind, self-willed manmukhs do not even think of the Lord; they are drowned to death without water. ||1||
Guru Amar Das - [SIZE=-1]view Shabad/Paurhi/Salok[/SIZE]
http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=ਅੰਧੁਲੈhttp://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=15&english=t&id=626#l626http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=15&english=t&id=626#l626

Page 58, Line 3
ਗੁਰੂ ਜਿਨਾ ਕਾ ਅੰਧੁਲਾ ਚੇਲੇ ਨਾਹੀ ਠਾਉ ॥
गुरू जिना का अंधुला चेले नाही ठाउ ॥
Gurū jinā kā anḏẖulā cẖele nāhī ṯẖā▫o.
Those chaylaas, those devotees, whose spiritual teacher is blind, shall not find their place of rest.
Guru Nanak Dev - [SIZE=-1]view Shabad/Paurhi/Salok[/SIZE]

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Even if one is blind, one experience the jewels of the mind. when in tune with shabad.
'Gur ka sabd rattan'nn hai, Heerey hit jarhaao. Shabad ratan hit man'nn laaga, who hoa samaao.
Guru's Word is the jewel studded with diamonds. Whosoever applied the mind to Word-Jewel merges into it'

Being in a state of bliss may require us to close our eyes and be blind to the world for a while.

YES Gurmit Ji..
These worldly "Phsycal eyes see the world.the Maya....BUT they can also be used to "see" the GURBANI.
Its our solemn duty to use them to see GURBANI more than the other !! Same goes for the Ears..the Tongue..as Guru Amardass Ji so beautifully explains in Anand sahib...These Basic Animal instinct/physical entity fo the Body can be taught to attain HIGH spiritual Level..all through the SAME BASIC senses.
The Animal kingdom also has all these senses..eyes ears nose etc..BUT its the Privilege fo the HUMAN to use these to attain spiritual height..