Infinite the Reality:
Self - realization is conscious awareness of us as Spiritual beings, validated by our ability to demonstrate awakened consciousness and living healthy, creatively functional lives.
The restoration of conscience awareness to its original, fully conscious state should be foremost in the awareness of a dedicated student of truth (Sikh). The results of self - realization, are of secondary interest but do provide outer evidence of inner grace. More immediate indications of awakened spiritual consciousness are the spontaneous manifestations of radiant calmness, mental clarity, spontaneity, simplicity, and natural ease in relating to circumstances. A self - realized person is completely conscious and the effects of their personal presence upon others are morally and spiritually elevating. Even when we think of a Self - realized person, if our intention is somewhat awakened, our conscience forces are enlivened and transcendental perceptions may suddenly unfold. We benefit by acknowledging the expressed, divine qualities of enlightened individuals because such recognition reminds of us of, and more obviously awakens, our own.
The fundamental cause of clouded conscience awareness, which obscures true knowledge of Self and God, is unconscious identification with mental states, moods, sensory perceptions, and objective circumstances. Thus related to our outer conditions, we remain attached to them while being only dimly aware of our essential nature and of subjective realities.
Only momentary self - observation is sufficient to inform us that we are not conscience – centered. Our awareness is usually involved with random thoughts, shifting moods, sensory urges, and varied perceptions. Even when we want to withdraw attention from these circumstances we are not always able to easily do so. For the average person, clouded, conditioned awareness is considered as normal.
The mind has in it the source of material energy as well as spiritual awakening. In rarified conditions it assumes, the attributes of five elements of life. When thinking, a mind is lifted to a higher plane and attains the status of “Brahamgyani” who can anticipate happenings of the past, present, and future says Kabir in Raag Gauri Poorbi:
ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਸਕਤੀ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਸੀਉ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਚ ਤਤ ਕੋ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਲੇ ਜਉ ਉਨਮਨਿ ਰਹੈ ॥ ਤਉ ਤੀਨਿ ਲੋਕ ਕੀ ਬਾਤੈ ਕਹੈ ॥੩੩॥
Ih man sakṯī ih man sī▫o. Ih man pancẖ ṯaṯ ko jī▫o. Ih man le ja▫o unman rahai. Ŧa▫o ṯīn lok kī bāṯai kahai. ||33||
This mind is Shakti; this mind is Shiva. This mind is the life of the five elements. When this mind is channeled, and guided to enlightenment, it can describe the secrets of the three worlds. ||33||-----Kabir, Raag Gauri Poorbi, AHHS, Page, 342-5 & 6
The mind has to be controlled. The more mastery you have over yourself, over the vagaries of your mind, the better you are placed for even enjoying this normal world-even if you do not have spiritual hankering. If all the time you pursue your desires, to bring the mind to a quiet position is difficult. Many of our problems arise because of a sense of boredom, monotony, pressure, and unfulfilled desires. These are enough to throw the mind off balance, even if there is no major external situation. A change of attitude is necessary to grip over the mind and dealing with the situation with devotional love to God says Farid:
ਦਿਲਹੁ ਮੁਹਬਤਿ ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸੇਈ ਸਚਿਆ ॥ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਰੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਰੁ ਸਿ ਕਾਂਢੇ ਕਚਿਆ ॥ ਰਤੇ ਇਸਕ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਰੰਗਿ ਦੀਦਾਰ ਕੇ ॥ ਵਿਸਰਿਆ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਤੇ ਭੁਇ ਭਾਰੁ ਥੀਏ ॥ ਆਪਿ ਲੀਏ ਲੜਿ ਲਾਇ ਦਰਿ ਦਰਵੇਸ ਸੇ ॥ ਤਿਨ ਧੰਨੁ ਜਣੇਦੀ ਮਾਉ ਆਏ ਸਫਲੁ ਸੇ ॥ ਪਰਵਦਗਾਰ ਅਪਾਰ ਅਗਮ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਤੂ ॥ ਜਿਨਾ ਪਛਾਤਾ ਸਚੁ ਚੁੰਮਾ ਪੈਰ ਮੂੰ ॥ ਤੇਰੀ ਪਨਹ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਤੂ ਬਖਸੰਦਗੀ ॥ ਸੇਖ ਫਰੀਦੈ ਖੈਰੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਬੰਦਗੀ ॥
Ḏilahu muhabaṯ jinĥ sė*ī sacẖi*ā. Jinĥ man hor mukẖ hor se kāʼndẖė kacẖi*ā. Raṯė isak kẖuḏā*ė rang ḏīḏār kė. visri*ā jinĥ nām ṯė bẖu*ė bẖār thī*ė. Āp lī*ė laṛ lā*ė ḏar ḏarvės sė. Ŧin ḏẖan jaṇėḏī mā*o ā*ė safal sė. Parvarḏagār apār agam bė*anṯ ṯū. Jinā pacẖẖāṯā sacẖ cẖummā pair mūʼn. Ŧėrī panah kẖuḏā*ė ṯū bakẖsanḏgī. Sėkẖ Farīḏai kẖair ḏījai banḏagī.
They alone are true, whose love for God is deep and heart-felt. Those who have one thing in their heart, and something else in their mouth, are judged to be false. Those who are imbued with love for the God are delighted by Its Vision. Those who forget the Naam, the Name of the God, are a burden on the earth. Those, whom the God attaches to the hem of Its robe, are the true beggars at Its Door. Blessed are the mothers who gave birth to them, and fruitful are their coming into the world. O, God, Sustainer and Cherisher, You are infinite, unfathomable and endless. Those who recognize the True God - I kiss their feet. I seek Your Protection - You are the Forgiving God. Please, bless Sheikh Farid with the bounty of Your meditative worship.-----Sheikh Farid, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 488
Most of us are spiritually bankrupt. We should try to find out what had blocked us from spiritual growth. All individuals are at different steps of growth, so we cannot compare with each other. We have to search our flaws in our make up which caused our failure. Self manifests it self in many ways. It is the Self Will (Manmukh), which is the root cause of our troubles, manifested by our resentments, our fears, our sex conduct, and harm towards others. Is it possible that lack of our Willingness to move forward has any thing to do with our spiritual growth?
We humans have 3 basic instincts comprising self, the social instinct, the security instinct and the sex instincts. These are needed for the human race to survive but when used selfishly or incorrectly it brings harm to others. In our selfish attempt to fulfill these desires, we are in constant conflict with others e.g. interfering when some one is speaking or passing remarks or antagonizing in the writings of others with out any solid evidence in black and white. No one has the right to judge any one.
ਨਾਨਕ ਪਰਖੇ ਆਪ ਕਉ ਤਾ ਪਾਰਖੁ ਜਾਣੁ ॥ ਰੋਗੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਦੋਵੈ ਬੁਝੈ ਤਾ ਵੈਦੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ ॥
Nānak parkẖė āp ka¬o ṯā pārakẖ jāṇ. Rog ḏārū ḏovai bujẖai ṯā vaiḏ sujāṇ.
O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge. If someone understands both the disease and the medicine, only then is he a wise physician.-----Guru Angad Dev, Raag Majh, AGGS, Page, 148-8
These people are self-centered what they resent in others are the things they struggle with themselves. The other person’s behavior is being a mirror for us so we can see our own defects and ask ourselves, where we have been selfish, self-seeking, frightened, dishonest or inconsiderate and whom did we hurt? Did I unjustifiably arouse bitterness? Was I at fault? What should I have done instead? Though a situation had not been entirely our own fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. We should admit our wrongs honestly and were willing to set the things straight. Here one cannot be helpful to all the people, but ask God at least to show, how to take kinder and tolerant view of each and every one.
Coming to the enlightened individual, he has learnt about humility, eradicating pride, nonviolence, tolerance, and simplicity by earnestly following the teachings contained in Sabd Guru. They have further developed cleanliness, steadiness, self-control, renunciation of the objects of gratification, absence of false ego, the fear of death, and freedom from bondage. Thus finding the philosophical absolute Truth is the spiritual knowledge and other is total ignorance. The absolute Truth is the super conscience, perceived by some with in them by meditation or by cultivation of the knowledge, and still others by renunciation the lower instincts.
Each person’s infinite is personal and thus varies from other person’s comprehension. The True Guru makes the true seeker realize Him with in himself. This uniqueness of the Divine being, specially personalized in each and yet common to all is the knowledge of the Infinite. To love such a God is psychologically as impossible as it is to represent It in thought. The intellect isolates, the emotions unite this thought process. Men are separated by intellectual opinions, and convictions corresponding to the stages of evolutionary growths, but they are united in feeling and the love of ideal.
Conscience knows the God directly as a spirit person. Every faculty can think only of itself or what ever is harmony with it. The ear cannot recognize the color, which is the domain of the eye and taste of the tongue. Similarly spirit in man alone can know God, who is also a spirit, indivisible one with it. It is the theme, harmony and player all at once. It is the singer, the instrument and the song and the man with Him, the Eternal with Eternity.
Meditation as per dictionary is the continuation of the thought. Thought life should be ascended and transcended or man remains tangled up in the domain of duality. Thought is not enough to give the aching heart of man peace and tranquility (called stage of Sahaj by Guru Nanak). A calm, quiet man once he decides something can quietly do it with out loosing his mental poise and balance. The conscious moral struggle at every turn is the preliminary stage. Then a stage comes when he instinctively behaves in the right way. The instinctive goodness is there in people who live with nature or infinite. The all-pervading field of God is consciously, and simultaneously presents everywhere. All worlds, creatures, and beings exist in God. To say that God is present at some places but not others is to affirm an untruth.
The spiritual attitude is, to find meaning for every suffering. The moment you have found some explanation, that suffering becomes less. The main purpose of the whole training of the mind is to take the person, stage by stage, towards higher realization by meditation in action for a final metaphysical conviction.
A conviction about the real nature of man, the attempt to find meaning in all experience, the development of certain attitudes, control of moods, and giving direction to the moods are ways in which to face the problems of mind. This way, in the earlier stage, if the spiritual awareness of the Divine nature of man is there, he is a well rounded, practical, efficient, and spiritual man.
Virinder S.Grewal
Williamston, Mi
Self - realization is conscious awareness of us as Spiritual beings, validated by our ability to demonstrate awakened consciousness and living healthy, creatively functional lives.
The restoration of conscience awareness to its original, fully conscious state should be foremost in the awareness of a dedicated student of truth (Sikh). The results of self - realization, are of secondary interest but do provide outer evidence of inner grace. More immediate indications of awakened spiritual consciousness are the spontaneous manifestations of radiant calmness, mental clarity, spontaneity, simplicity, and natural ease in relating to circumstances. A self - realized person is completely conscious and the effects of their personal presence upon others are morally and spiritually elevating. Even when we think of a Self - realized person, if our intention is somewhat awakened, our conscience forces are enlivened and transcendental perceptions may suddenly unfold. We benefit by acknowledging the expressed, divine qualities of enlightened individuals because such recognition reminds of us of, and more obviously awakens, our own.
The fundamental cause of clouded conscience awareness, which obscures true knowledge of Self and God, is unconscious identification with mental states, moods, sensory perceptions, and objective circumstances. Thus related to our outer conditions, we remain attached to them while being only dimly aware of our essential nature and of subjective realities.
Only momentary self - observation is sufficient to inform us that we are not conscience – centered. Our awareness is usually involved with random thoughts, shifting moods, sensory urges, and varied perceptions. Even when we want to withdraw attention from these circumstances we are not always able to easily do so. For the average person, clouded, conditioned awareness is considered as normal.
The mind has in it the source of material energy as well as spiritual awakening. In rarified conditions it assumes, the attributes of five elements of life. When thinking, a mind is lifted to a higher plane and attains the status of “Brahamgyani” who can anticipate happenings of the past, present, and future says Kabir in Raag Gauri Poorbi:
ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਸਕਤੀ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਸੀਉ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਚ ਤਤ ਕੋ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਲੇ ਜਉ ਉਨਮਨਿ ਰਹੈ ॥ ਤਉ ਤੀਨਿ ਲੋਕ ਕੀ ਬਾਤੈ ਕਹੈ ॥੩੩॥
Ih man sakṯī ih man sī▫o. Ih man pancẖ ṯaṯ ko jī▫o. Ih man le ja▫o unman rahai. Ŧa▫o ṯīn lok kī bāṯai kahai. ||33||
This mind is Shakti; this mind is Shiva. This mind is the life of the five elements. When this mind is channeled, and guided to enlightenment, it can describe the secrets of the three worlds. ||33||-----Kabir, Raag Gauri Poorbi, AHHS, Page, 342-5 & 6
The mind has to be controlled. The more mastery you have over yourself, over the vagaries of your mind, the better you are placed for even enjoying this normal world-even if you do not have spiritual hankering. If all the time you pursue your desires, to bring the mind to a quiet position is difficult. Many of our problems arise because of a sense of boredom, monotony, pressure, and unfulfilled desires. These are enough to throw the mind off balance, even if there is no major external situation. A change of attitude is necessary to grip over the mind and dealing with the situation with devotional love to God says Farid:
ਦਿਲਹੁ ਮੁਹਬਤਿ ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸੇਈ ਸਚਿਆ ॥ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਰੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਰੁ ਸਿ ਕਾਂਢੇ ਕਚਿਆ ॥ ਰਤੇ ਇਸਕ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਰੰਗਿ ਦੀਦਾਰ ਕੇ ॥ ਵਿਸਰਿਆ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਤੇ ਭੁਇ ਭਾਰੁ ਥੀਏ ॥ ਆਪਿ ਲੀਏ ਲੜਿ ਲਾਇ ਦਰਿ ਦਰਵੇਸ ਸੇ ॥ ਤਿਨ ਧੰਨੁ ਜਣੇਦੀ ਮਾਉ ਆਏ ਸਫਲੁ ਸੇ ॥ ਪਰਵਦਗਾਰ ਅਪਾਰ ਅਗਮ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਤੂ ॥ ਜਿਨਾ ਪਛਾਤਾ ਸਚੁ ਚੁੰਮਾ ਪੈਰ ਮੂੰ ॥ ਤੇਰੀ ਪਨਹ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਤੂ ਬਖਸੰਦਗੀ ॥ ਸੇਖ ਫਰੀਦੈ ਖੈਰੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਬੰਦਗੀ ॥
Ḏilahu muhabaṯ jinĥ sė*ī sacẖi*ā. Jinĥ man hor mukẖ hor se kāʼndẖė kacẖi*ā. Raṯė isak kẖuḏā*ė rang ḏīḏār kė. visri*ā jinĥ nām ṯė bẖu*ė bẖār thī*ė. Āp lī*ė laṛ lā*ė ḏar ḏarvės sė. Ŧin ḏẖan jaṇėḏī mā*o ā*ė safal sė. Parvarḏagār apār agam bė*anṯ ṯū. Jinā pacẖẖāṯā sacẖ cẖummā pair mūʼn. Ŧėrī panah kẖuḏā*ė ṯū bakẖsanḏgī. Sėkẖ Farīḏai kẖair ḏījai banḏagī.
They alone are true, whose love for God is deep and heart-felt. Those who have one thing in their heart, and something else in their mouth, are judged to be false. Those who are imbued with love for the God are delighted by Its Vision. Those who forget the Naam, the Name of the God, are a burden on the earth. Those, whom the God attaches to the hem of Its robe, are the true beggars at Its Door. Blessed are the mothers who gave birth to them, and fruitful are their coming into the world. O, God, Sustainer and Cherisher, You are infinite, unfathomable and endless. Those who recognize the True God - I kiss their feet. I seek Your Protection - You are the Forgiving God. Please, bless Sheikh Farid with the bounty of Your meditative worship.-----Sheikh Farid, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 488
Most of us are spiritually bankrupt. We should try to find out what had blocked us from spiritual growth. All individuals are at different steps of growth, so we cannot compare with each other. We have to search our flaws in our make up which caused our failure. Self manifests it self in many ways. It is the Self Will (Manmukh), which is the root cause of our troubles, manifested by our resentments, our fears, our sex conduct, and harm towards others. Is it possible that lack of our Willingness to move forward has any thing to do with our spiritual growth?
We humans have 3 basic instincts comprising self, the social instinct, the security instinct and the sex instincts. These are needed for the human race to survive but when used selfishly or incorrectly it brings harm to others. In our selfish attempt to fulfill these desires, we are in constant conflict with others e.g. interfering when some one is speaking or passing remarks or antagonizing in the writings of others with out any solid evidence in black and white. No one has the right to judge any one.
ਨਾਨਕ ਪਰਖੇ ਆਪ ਕਉ ਤਾ ਪਾਰਖੁ ਜਾਣੁ ॥ ਰੋਗੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਦੋਵੈ ਬੁਝੈ ਤਾ ਵੈਦੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ ॥
Nānak parkẖė āp ka¬o ṯā pārakẖ jāṇ. Rog ḏārū ḏovai bujẖai ṯā vaiḏ sujāṇ.
O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge. If someone understands both the disease and the medicine, only then is he a wise physician.-----Guru Angad Dev, Raag Majh, AGGS, Page, 148-8
These people are self-centered what they resent in others are the things they struggle with themselves. The other person’s behavior is being a mirror for us so we can see our own defects and ask ourselves, where we have been selfish, self-seeking, frightened, dishonest or inconsiderate and whom did we hurt? Did I unjustifiably arouse bitterness? Was I at fault? What should I have done instead? Though a situation had not been entirely our own fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. We should admit our wrongs honestly and were willing to set the things straight. Here one cannot be helpful to all the people, but ask God at least to show, how to take kinder and tolerant view of each and every one.
Coming to the enlightened individual, he has learnt about humility, eradicating pride, nonviolence, tolerance, and simplicity by earnestly following the teachings contained in Sabd Guru. They have further developed cleanliness, steadiness, self-control, renunciation of the objects of gratification, absence of false ego, the fear of death, and freedom from bondage. Thus finding the philosophical absolute Truth is the spiritual knowledge and other is total ignorance. The absolute Truth is the super conscience, perceived by some with in them by meditation or by cultivation of the knowledge, and still others by renunciation the lower instincts.
Each person’s infinite is personal and thus varies from other person’s comprehension. The True Guru makes the true seeker realize Him with in himself. This uniqueness of the Divine being, specially personalized in each and yet common to all is the knowledge of the Infinite. To love such a God is psychologically as impossible as it is to represent It in thought. The intellect isolates, the emotions unite this thought process. Men are separated by intellectual opinions, and convictions corresponding to the stages of evolutionary growths, but they are united in feeling and the love of ideal.
Conscience knows the God directly as a spirit person. Every faculty can think only of itself or what ever is harmony with it. The ear cannot recognize the color, which is the domain of the eye and taste of the tongue. Similarly spirit in man alone can know God, who is also a spirit, indivisible one with it. It is the theme, harmony and player all at once. It is the singer, the instrument and the song and the man with Him, the Eternal with Eternity.
Meditation as per dictionary is the continuation of the thought. Thought life should be ascended and transcended or man remains tangled up in the domain of duality. Thought is not enough to give the aching heart of man peace and tranquility (called stage of Sahaj by Guru Nanak). A calm, quiet man once he decides something can quietly do it with out loosing his mental poise and balance. The conscious moral struggle at every turn is the preliminary stage. Then a stage comes when he instinctively behaves in the right way. The instinctive goodness is there in people who live with nature or infinite. The all-pervading field of God is consciously, and simultaneously presents everywhere. All worlds, creatures, and beings exist in God. To say that God is present at some places but not others is to affirm an untruth.
The spiritual attitude is, to find meaning for every suffering. The moment you have found some explanation, that suffering becomes less. The main purpose of the whole training of the mind is to take the person, stage by stage, towards higher realization by meditation in action for a final metaphysical conviction.
A conviction about the real nature of man, the attempt to find meaning in all experience, the development of certain attitudes, control of moods, and giving direction to the moods are ways in which to face the problems of mind. This way, in the earlier stage, if the spiritual awareness of the Divine nature of man is there, he is a well rounded, practical, efficient, and spiritual man.
Virinder S.Grewal
Williamston, Mi
