Sikhism : An Offshoot Of Hinduism

[Archived_Member_19]

Sikh80 ji

nice thread
:yes:

 

[dalsingh]

Is Sikhism an offshoot of Hinduism?

Is Christianity an offshoot of Judaism?

Is Islam an offshoot of Judaism?



I would contend that Sikhism is not an offshoot of Hinduism. Firstly many Sikhs would find that offensive and people shouldn't ignore the fact that the Sikh Guru's did much to demarcate Sikhism from Hinduism. Because SOME common ground may exist between the two, it hardly constitutes being an offshoot now.

One could take such an argument and say Sikhism is an offshoot of Sufi believe, if we take this line.

The belief in ONE God, who is beyond all Hindu schemes of reincarnation, birth, death etc. should be enough to answer this.

Sikhism is an independent way of life in my eyes, as I imagine it is for the vast majority who call themselves Sikh.

I have nothing against Hinduism myself btw.

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

The belief in ONE God, who is beyond all Hindu schemes of reincarnation, birth, death etc. should be enough to answer this.

Sikhism doesn't believe in One God in any Abrahamic monotheistic sense. That is an interpretation which has been imposed on Sikhism. The definition of the One God is based on Upanishadic definitions of nirguna and sarguna and all-pervading Oneness which encompasses all creation in a pantheistic sense.

Sikhism, as do the Upanishads, believes that the ultimate reality is One, and hence the truest manifestation of God is nirguna, which is an all-pervading Oneness. The very structure of Ek Omkar doesn't imply One God. It states directly out of the Oneness, nirguna, has created "kar" the Trimurti, of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, and out of that all creation including three gunas and maya, and all this is subsumed by the Ek, the Oneness. That is the Gurbani concept of God. It has no relationship to a "One God" such as defined by Christiantiy, Judaism or Islam which would distinguish from Hindu definitions. In fact, it is taken directly from the Hindu definitions. The Upanishads do not say the demi-gods are the ultimate, all say the primal Oneness, nirguna is the ultimate and originator. There is no "Hindu scheme" of reincarnation which is taught or defined any differently than in Gurbani. In fact, it is evident that Gurbani concepts of reincarnation are originally found in Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas. So, if the teachings line up as identical... where is the presumed difference? You say Sufism could be a valid influence on Sikhism, Yet, taking away the Vaishnav bhakti and Shavite Nath influences on Sufism, we have Islam. And where in Gurbani do you find any parallel Islamic teachings? They are not there. Equally, if you replace the concepts of Vaishnava Bhakti, Naam jap, Shaivite Nath influences of chakras you have this same parallel between Gurbani and the originating Vedic, Upanishadic and Puranic sources. Moreover you can add Vaishnavist reform movements which introduced breakdown of caste distinctions to welcome low-caste saints as spiritual equals and even langar and military acharas who fought against Brahmin elitism, Moghul oppression and British colonialism, and really ask just how different Sikhism really is historically from these roots.

ਕਾਇਆ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹੇਸਾ ਸਭ ਓਪਤਿ ਜਿਤੁ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ ॥
kaaeiaa andhar brehamaa bisan mehaesaa sabh oupath jith sansaaraa ||
Within the body, are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, from whom the whole world emanated.

ਸਚੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਖੇਲੁ ਰਚਾਇਆ ਆਵਾ ਗਉਣੁ ਪਾਸਾਰਾ ॥
sachai aapanaa khael rachaaeiaa aavaa goun paasaaraa ||
The True Lord has staged and contrived His own play; the expanse of the Universe comes and goes.
~SGGS Ji p. 754​

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹੇਸ ਇਕ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਆਪੇ ਕਰਤਾ ਕਾਰੀ ॥੧੨॥
brehamaa bisan mehaes eik moorath aapae karathaa kaaree ||12||
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestations of the One God. He Himself is the Doer of deeds. ||12||

ਕਾਇਆ ਸੋਧਿ ਤਰੈ ਭਵ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਆਤਮ ਤਤੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥੧੩॥
kaaeiaa sodhh tharai bhav saagar aatham thath veechaaree ||13||
One who purifies his body, crosses over the terrifying world-ocean; he contemplates the essence of his own soul. ||13||
~SGGS Ji p. 908​

ਓਅੰਕਾਰਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਉਤਪਤਿ ॥
ouankaar brehamaa outhapath ||
From Ongkaar, the One Universal Creator God, Brahma was created.

ਓਅੰਕਾਰੁ ਕੀਆ ਜਿਨਿ ਚਿਤਿ ॥
ouankaar keeaa jin chith ||
He kept Ongkaar in his consciousness.

ਓਅੰਕਾਰਿ ਸੈਲ ਜੁਗ ਭਏ ॥
ouankaar sail jug bheae ||
From Ongkaar, the mountains and the ages were created.

ਓਅੰਕਾਰਿ ਬੇਦ ਨਿਰਮਏ ॥
ouankaar baedh nirameae ||
Ongkaar created the Vedas.
~SGGS Ji p. 929​

ਅਗਨਿ ਪਾਣੀ ਜੀਉ ਜੋਤਿ ਤੁਮਾਰੀ ਸੁੰਨੇ ਕਲਾ ਰਹਾਇਦਾ ॥੨॥
agan paanee jeeo joth thumaaree sunnae kalaa rehaaeidhaa ||2||
Your Light pervades fire, water and souls; Your Power rests in the Primal Void. ||2||

ਸੁੰਨਹੁ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹੇਸੁ ਉਪਾਏ ॥
sunnahu brehamaa bisan mehaes oupaaeae ||
From this Primal Void, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva issued forth.

ਸੁੰਨੇ ਵਰਤੇ ਜੁਗ ਸਬਾਏ ॥
sunnae varathae jug sabaaeae ||
This Primal Void is pervasive throughout all the ages.
~SGGS Ji p. 1037​

ਵਰਨ ਰੂਪ ਵਰਤਹਿ ਸਭ ਤੇਰੇ ॥
varan roop varathehi sabh thaerae ||
In all colors and forms, You are pervading.

ਮਰਿ ਮਰਿ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਫੇਰ ਪਵਹਿ ਘਣੇਰੇ ॥
mar mar janmehi faer pavehi ghanaerae ||
People die over and over again; they are re-born, and make their rounds on the wheel of reincarnation.
~SGGS Ji p. 120​

ਜੈਸਾ ਸਾ ਤੈਸਾ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਾਇਆ ॥
jaisaa saa thaisaa dhrisattaaeiaa ||
As God is, so does He appear;

ਅਪੁਨੇ ਕਾਰਜ ਮਹਿ ਆਪਿ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥
apunae kaaraj mehi aap samaaeiaa ||
in His Own creation, He Himself is pervading.

ਸੋਧਤ ਸੋਧਤ ਸੋਧਤ ਸੀਝਿਆ ॥
sodhhath sodhhath sodhhath seejhiaa ||
Searching, searching, searching, and finally, success!

ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਤਤੁ ਸਭੁ ਬੂਝਿਆ ॥
gur prasaadh thath sabh boojhiaa ||
By Guru's Grace, the essence of all reality is understood.

ਜਬ ਦੇਖਉ ਤਬ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਮੂਲੁ ॥
jab dhaekho thab sabh kishh mool ||
Wherever I look, there I see Him, at the root of all things.

ਨਾਨਕ ਸੋ ਸੂਖਮੁ ਸੋਈ ਅਸਥੂਲੁ ॥੫॥
naanak so sookham soee asathhool ||5||
O Nanak, He is the subtle, and He is also the manifest. ||5||

ਨਹ ਕਿਛੁ ਜਨਮੈ ਨਹ ਕਿਛੁ ਮਰੈ ॥
neh kishh janamai neh kishh marai ||
Nothing is born, and nothing dies.

ਆਪਨ ਚਲਿਤੁ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਕਰੈ ॥
aapan chalith aap hee karai ||
He Himself stages His own drama.
~SGGS Ji p. 281​

ਖਾਲਿਕੁ ਖਲਕ ਖਲਕ ਮਹਿ ਖਾਲਿਕੁ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਸ੍ਰਬ ਠਾਂਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
khaalik khalak khalak mehi khaalik poor rehiou srab thaanee ||1|| rehaao ||
The Creation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in the Creation, totally pervading and permeating all places. ||1||Pause||
~SGGS Ji p. 1350​

Now, analyze the previous tuuks of Gurbani in relation to this:

"The Brahman attained by those who go by the path of the gods (Devayana) cannot be the Supreme Brahman (Nirguna Brahman). They attain only the Saguna Brahman. Para Brahman is all-pervading. He is the Inner Self of all. He cannot be attained as He is the Innermost Self of everyone." ~Brahma Sutras 7-11

There is no contradiction whatsoever between Sikh teachings found in Gurbani, and Hindu definitions and concepts found in Vedic scriptures.

 

[Sikh80]

There is also the suggestion here that Hindus believe in many Gods.It is incorrect.The one who goes beyond the Ved, by knowing God, is a Brahmin.



Although the usefulness of the Ved does come' to an end for worshippers of the Brahmin class, there is no doubt about their utility for others. Krishn proclaims in the twenty eighth verse of Chapter 8 that after having secured knowledge of the essence of God, the yogi goes beyond the rewards of Vedic scriptural study.It is pointed out in Chapter 15, he who knows God, is a knower of the Ved.

According to the Geeta there is only ONE GOD.


You may go through the following that summarizes the position of Gods as per one commentator of Geeta.

Demi Gods and Godesses
[/FONT] The whole pantheon of lesser gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus is a stark reminder of how the spirit of dharm gets ignored and the letter predominates, giving rise to countless perversions. Since the ordained task is an internal process of the mind and senses, how fitting is it to build external places of worship such as temples and mosques, and to adore idols of symbolic representations of gods and goddesses? Ideally Hindus are followers of the eternal truths of Sanatan Dharm- values and virtues that awaken the immutable, eternal God within man's heart and thus enable him to realize his Self. Pursuing and delving deep into eternal truths, their forebears had disseminated their insights add revelations all over the world. Irrespective of the part of the earth he hails from, one who treads the path of reality is essentially a believer in the eternal truth, Sanatan Dharm. Overridden by desire, however, Hindus have gradually lost sight of reality and become victims of a host of misconceptions. Krishn emphatically warns Arjun that there are no entities like gods. Whatever be the power a man devotes himself to, it is God who stands behind the object of his adoration to reward him. It is God who sustains all worship, for he is all-pervading. Truly, therefore, the worship of other gods is unlawful and its fruits are perishable. Only those ignorant men whose minds have been held to ransom by desire worship other gods and their objects of worship vary according to their native inclinations. While gods are the object of adoration by good and virtuous men, demons and yaksh are worshipped by those who are given to passion and moral blindness, ghosts and spirits are venerated by men of ignorance. Many of these worshippers even subject themselves to severe and grievous austerities. But, as Krishn enlightens Arjun, all such worshippers of improper objects impair not only. their physical beings but also God who dwells within them. Such worshippers should, therefore, be deemed as surely possessed of an unrighteous, evil disposition. Since God abides in the hearts of all beings, it is binding on everyone that he takes refuge in him alone. The true place of worship is, therefore, not external but within the realm of heart. Yet people are drawn towards and worship even such unworthy objects as rock, water, mere structures of brick and mortar, and a host of inferior divinities.


Kindly do not be misled by the terms like 'sanatan' ,it means eternal-ever truth.
Like we say God is saibahung and self existent;the same type of concept is reflected here.

There is one God in mainstream Hinduism.
Demigod and Goddess in Bani

Incidently bani also refers to them as Guru....

guru eIsru guru gorKu brmw guru pwrbqI mweI ] (2-9, jpu, mÚ 1)
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi


If Dhur ki Bani admits the demi Gods as Gurus what would be the state of seekers and learners.One cannot discard that it is only a metaphorical use.

If that be so it is high time that SGPC should start issuing clarifications in this regard without disturbing the composition of Granth sahib and let that be maintained in the present form.

As per some post it is also not clear if the Granth that we consider as the Granth is the real Granth or is only a copy of the original.
[/FONT]
What is required
Unless what the Guru states is clear these kinds of things shall be asked by many.
I may be prone to accept the logic that it is metaphorical use. But I have tried to get an answer to this question at many sites but I have not been replied satisfactorily so far.

On one Hand we have Mool Mantra on second hand we have Guru stating that He is the creator HIMSELF. Add to this the confusion caused by the inclusion of Hindus God and Goddesses in Bani and that also in very specific and pointed terms.

Are Gurus Really Gods; if so we all shall have the concept of demi gods in sikhism and it shall fuel up to that sikhi is a faith not understood by many as it cannot be understood.

If after spending one complete year I do not understand sikhism/Bani, I feel that I am not worthy of it and shall have to learn from some one who runs school in Bani like it is done in US.


Bhul Chuk Mauf



Today's hukumnama

Meeting the Guru, I have found my Beloved Lord. I have made this body and mind a sacrifice, a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Dedicating my body and mind, I have crossed over the terrifying world-ocean, and shaken off the fear of death. Drinking in the Ambrosial Nectar, I have become immortal; my comings and goings have ceased. I have found that home of celestial Samaadhi; the Name of the Lord is my only Support. Says Nanak, I enjoy peace and pleasure; I bow in reverence to the Perfect Guru. || 1 || Listen, O my friend and companion the Guru has given the Mantra of the Shabad, the True Word of God. Meditating on this True Shabad, I sing the songs of joy, and my mind is rid of anxiety. I have found that God, who never leaves; forever and ever, He sits with me. One who is pleasing to God receives true honor. The Lord God automatically blesses him with wealth. Says Nanak, I am a sacrifice to such a humble being. O Lord, You bless all with Your bountiful blessings. || 2 || When it pleases You, then I am satisfied and satiated. My mind is soothed and calmed, and all my thirst is quenched. My mind is soothed and calmed, the burning has ceased, and I have found all sorts of treasures. All the Sikhs and servants partake of them; I am a sacrifice to the True Guru. I have become fearless, imbued with the Love of my Lord and Master; I have shaken off the fear of death. Slave Nanak, Your humble servant, lovingly embraces Your meditation; O Lord, please be with me always. || 3 || My hopes and desires have been fulfilled, O my Lord. I am worthless, without virtue; all virtues are Yours, O Lord. All virtues are Yours, O my Lord and Master; with what mouth should I praise You? You did not consider my merits and demerits; you forgave me in an instant. I have obtained the nine treasures, congratulations are pouring in, and the unstruck melody resounds. Says Nanak, I have found my Husband Lord within my own home, and all my anxiety is forgotten. || 4 || 1 ||

Sunday, 5th Saawan (Samvat 540 Nanakshahi)

Who is Guru here and who is Lord here.??????

 

[Astroboy]

Is Sikhism an offshoot of Hunduism ?
Sikhism is what was taught in original Hinduism. But present Hinduism is far off its original stand. Here is a story I want to share which clarifies that Sikhism is Original Hindusim (you may choose to read it with a pinch of salt):-

WHEN MASTERS COME to the World and see its condition, great pity swells in their hearts. They wonder, "What is the world doing?" for they can stand aside from the activities of worldliness, and they see that truth is being ignored and untrue things are accepted as the truth. When a lie is repeated ten times or more, people begin to accept it as being true: men drift away into iniquity just through witnessing the bad actions of others.
There is a certain story which is illustrative of how easily a man can be influenced and blindly follow the lead of others. A farmer was returning home from his fields with his head uncovered, perspiring, on account of the hot season. According to tradition in those days, going with one's head uncovered showed that something tragic had happened, like a death, etc. So when the farmer's family saw him approaching the house with a bare head, perspiring, and with disheveled hair, they jumped to the conclusion that someone had died, and immediately commenced lamenting and beating their breasts in the usual customary manner. The farmer saw his relatives mourning, and without hesitation joined in the demonstration of woe. But after a short time, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked someone, "Can you tell me who has died?" The person was astounded and explained that, seeing his bare head, they had thought the farmer had brought news of death.
This story is very descriptive of the world's condition. Man is easily influenced, and does not turn his head in the direction of the Truth. Farid Sahib says, "The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it." Without thinking for themselves, people agree or go along with anything. Do you know anyone who does not? "He does not become the echo, on whom the hand of Allah rests." These are God's children, who look to the Truth, and can see what is really happening. They do not drift, nor do they echo along with the worldly people, but they try to discover what the truth is behind everything. So who is wise in this world? He who searches for the why and the wherefore of things, thereby escaping the pitfalls. For those who play along with the world's tune and follow that tune, only unhappiness can result. The Masters have no selfish motives, so they speak the truth only - and that with love.
In India, Divali Day (the Indian festival of lights) is celebrated by lighting candles. The people usually gamble, and if you ask them why, they will tell you that by gambling on that day our births and deaths will cease. There is a kind of gambling that finishes up the incarnations, but what kind of gambling it is, very few really know. The true gambling lies in sacrificing all other things - body and its environments - for the purpose of enkindling the Light within. Being ignorant of the true gambling, they started outer gambling instead; and the people blindly follow them, without going into the truth of it. He who will see the Light within withdraws his attention from the outgoing faculties and outer objects. Even in the field of spiritual matters, everyone is singing the name of God on top notes - no one stops to think exactly what those names stand for. Every religion contains the same basic teachings in the various languages: that is, in Naam, Word, etc., lies salvation, and not in any other teaching. But unfortunately people follow the outer practice of repetition of names of God and lighting candles, considering it to be the beginning and the end.
All religions encourage the reading of holy scriptures - that is to understand the subject, the theory; it is not necessary to make a lot of noise by singing and playing tunes to the words. The words are there to give thought to the subject. Very few will think on the words of the hymn, or what they denote. People imagine that merely reading out the words, parrot-like, is enough. Sometimes they shout the words at the tops of their voices, and even clap the hands and read - the more noise, the happier they are. But if the words were read like this for one hundred years without a pause, it would be of little avail. In the Shrimad Bhagavat it says that God cannot be realized just by reading the Vedas. Guru Nanak has said, "To read year by year, month by month, with intense yearning while the breath lasts; O Nanak, this avails nothing unless the written word is lived." Reading alone is valueless; the teaching must be followed.
The greatest aspiration of human life is to realize God: the God which expressed Himself into Creation, the Maker of Khand and Brahmand (astral and causal planes), the Sustainer of all things. In the language of the Saints, that God expressed is called Naam, through which they say the soul can gain salvation, irrespective of religion. The Ultimate or Absolute Lord is Nameless, but that which came into expression is called Naam, or Shabd, or Word - the God-into-Expression Power, which is not separate from His creation. "World is the room of Truth, and Truth resides therein." If the scriptures are read for long enough, it may be possible to gain some power of concentration and thereby perform small "miracles"; but there is no true awareness in this.
Read one hymn only and try to understand it thoroughly. Get the full meaning of the words, for those words have been spoken by one who has realized the Truth. "Listen to the Master's true words; He speaks of what he sees." And to have the true import of what is written, one should get the interpretation from someone who has taken at least one step toward the Truth. Otherwise, the learned people will present the subject from an intellectual level, each with a different explanation. This is why so many different schools of thought have been established in the world. Reading the scriptures is like the mother's lap to a child; just the beginning of understanding that which they give out.
I was born in a Sikh family, and as a small boy I would read the holy Granth Sahib. I would read one hymn only, and write it down as a day's lesson. All day I would think on the words, and try to discover their meaning. No doubt the reservoir of the heart must be emptied, but reading only with the tongue, while the mind is still wrapped in the world, has no value. However, I would say that reading the holy words is good, though not doing anything; but to read, think, understand, and finally have contact with the God mentioned therein will bring salvation. Neither following customs nor the performance of rituals brings salvation - the Lord can only be realized by coming in contact with that for which these customs and rituals stand.
The Masters give accounts in the books of their experiences: the bliss they enjoyed when they came in contact with God, the things that helped them on the way, and what was detrimental. True understanding of the writings will naturally encourage one to discard those traits which are stopping progress, and to adopt those qualities which serve to increase it. Outer actions of devotion are not rewarding where the subject of Spirituality is concerned. There have always been Masters of Truth in the world, who give some experience, a contact with the Truth, by withdrawing the attention and raising it above senses and outgoing faculties. "While the senses are not controlled, the mind and intellect not stilled, the soul cannot open the inner eye to see the Manifestation of God."
Now, what about prayer and rites? The purpose behind them is to develop faith and devotion. The rite must be performed with all respect in the heart. If one goes to a temple or church to wait upon the Lord, one should go all alone, and not think of others around: you should be alone with Him. God is one, and alone, and He desires that we should go to Him all alone, with intellect stilled.
Unfortunately, these prayers and rites are usually performed with the mind on other things. Something that is done daily becomes a habit, and habit turns into nature. Surdas Ji, a great devotee of God, says, "The steps are going forward but the mind is dragging backward." It is our habit to follow the mind, and if the mind is not on devotion, there will be no benefit derived therefrom. Have you ever seen the white stork, standing motionless, concentrating for fish, just as if in deep meditation? What a wonderful single-pointed attention! But upon what? To swallow a fish! Outwardly he shows the world he is a great mahatma, but his mind is on food.
I have nothing against customs and rites, for they prepare the ground for something higher: they beget good karmas, will bear good fruit. But by what means is salvation attained? By that process which all holy books give out to the world. The means to salvation is the very Soul of one's soul; and it is called Naam. What indication is there that one has contacted Naam? "By repeating the Naam, the Light of millions of suns will manifest." In the Naam is the Light, and Light is the form of God, and in that Light there is Sound - Udgit, Nad, the Music of the Spheres, and so on. There is no benefit in nodding one's head in pretense of intoxication and saying emptily, "There is Light, there is Sound" if one has never seen or heard them. Some people light a lamp and wave it around their heads. This outer ritual holds the meaning that there is God's Light within, but they never see the Light. Do not lose sight of the true purpose for which they stand.
Divali day is celebrated in sweet remembrance of important past events: Mahavira Swami got Nirvana on this day, and Swami Dayanand got illumination on this day. Lord Rama returned to his kingdom after fourteen years of banishment, and his people lit millions of lamps in celebration. Divali was the day that Guru Har Gobind returned to Amritsar after fourteen years of imprisonment in Gwalior. Swami Ram Tirath was born on Divali day and renounced the world on Divali day. This is all very auspicious, so brother should meet brother, and all differences in the heart should be ironed out. The true meaning behind the Festival of Lights should be practiced, and that is to enkindle the light, the true Light of the Lord, within. On this day the people clean the house, throw out all the worn-out unwanted things, whitewash the walls, and light the lamps and candles; but this is outer Divali. Truly speaking, Divali will be fruitful if the inner Light is lighted. When the Light is lit inside, that is an indication of the manifestation of God. This is achieved only when all the dirt and filth in the heart is washed away.
The heart is soiled with the dirt of the ages, and to remove the dirt, one should first observe ahimsa (non-violence), so as not to add any more to it. Ahimsa is the greatest virtue. It is the highest virtue never to think ill of anyone, actually in thought, speech, and action. Secondly, one should avoid the company of those who have low traits. If a person has low traits, you will be influenced by them; keeping his company will prevent the Light from shining within you. So one should imbibe first the virtues of Truth. Lies, cheating, deceit, hypocrisy, showing something different on the face than whatever is in the heart - these things increase the corruption inside. Keep these facts in mind, for he who has no ill will against anyone will say what is true. His tongue will be sweet because he has no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, but rather speaks frankly for the sake of right understanding.
Who speaks the truth without fear? Either an established enemy or a true friend, although the enemy may make a mountain out of a molehill, because his intentions are dishonorable and he exaggerates. A true friend will never broadcast one's shortcomings, but with love will try to explain where you are going wrong, with your interests at heart. Imbibe the virtues of truth, and with love encourage better understanding in others. And what is more important, do not fail in your own good intentions and principles because of hearsay or rumors. Some tongues are led by selfish motives with little respect for truth. There is purpose behind everything, which may be obvious or hidden. Do not therefore be a puppet to the tunes played by others; you will do harm to yourself.
His heart becomes clean who does not indulge in vice, bad habits, deceit, hypocrisy, etc., and leads a chaste life in thought, speech and actions. We aim to realize God, that God which is in all beings, whom all worship as One, though He may be given many different names. He is the great Controlling Power which keeps all souls in the body; which, when He withdraws, we also must leave. When a person truly understands these facts, how can the question of hatred for others arise? Whom will one hate? Out of right understanding, true thoughts and actions develop and follow naturally. God is in everyone - if you know that someone is unhappy or in need, go and help them. If they are hungry or thirsty, share whatever you have. Because of God, do service to His children. This does not mean bondage, but rather it is a helping factor. Bondage lies in forgetting Him and tying oneself to the world and its environments. On the day of Divali you will find that the atmosphere in the home changes for the better, due to the increased devotion, the extra cleanliness, the added fragrance of incense and burning of lamps and candles - all done with devoted attitude of mind. There is some radiation in this, but the real remedy for cutting out all evil propensities from the mind is to enkindle the Light within you.
You should stay in your own social bodies and religions, speak your own languages, keep your own customs, apparel, emblems and identifying labels. All religions demand an ethical and righteous way of life. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." It is also said, "Clean the core of your heart for the Arrival; Sweep all impressions away so that He may sit there." That heart is truly clean in which no other thought remains save that of the Lord. You may ask, "How can we do this while we are in the world?" It is written in the Gita, "He who sees everyone in Me and Me in everyone, is My most loved one." If you have children, or father, mother, wife, husband, see the Light of God in them. He has united you in this relationship, not merely for an outer bond but to see and serve God in them. If you do so, there will be no bondage in your relationships. Bondage occurs only when the I-hood steps in and the Lord is forgotten. So you can do all the world's work, but live like a compass whose needle always points in one direction. Keep your attention on the Lord, for if the direction changes, then? "The Giver is forgotten, the gifts become loved, and miserable Man forgets the approaching death." Man is fully enwrapped in the world - he is all "me and mine," and wherever "me and mine" are, there rules Illusion. "Me and mine" have some bearing on one's life, but the Lord Himself has arranged it, and when everything is seen in the correct perspective there will be no binding effects. If the children make mistakes, appeal to their finer instincts, with love and careful understanding. Losing one's temper, shouting, and taking violent action will only confuse them; they will not know what they have done wrong. Take time to explain, even three or four times, and it will eventually have effect.
This necessity of cleaning the heart has been advised in all religions. You will find it in the Sermon on the Mount, in Buddha's Eight-fold Path, and in other teachings. But we deceive ourselves by sprinkling a little fragrance on our pile of dirt; how will the smell leave like this? We would like to dye our filthy clothes, but how will the color take? Even with a little color, a clean cloth will dye beautifully. If a room is perfectly clean, a single flower will fill its atmosphere with refreshing fragrance. Even if the disciple has been given the experience and continues the practice but does not make good progress, you will find that this very thing is at the root of the trouble.
Lighting the lamp and ringing the bell as an empty religious custom, though performed up to one million years, will remain an empty religious custom. All religious rites remain in this category, though good actions may be earned which will bear the fruit of reward, if they are performed with sincerity of thought. But there is no salvation in this. Kabir Sahib says, "In the palace of silence, light the lamp." The body itself is the true temple of the Lord, in which the Light of God is shimmering, and in that Light the Sound is vibrating. Masters speak of this in various terms: Intrinsic Hearing (Buddha), Truth clothed in Light(Pythagoras), the Unstruck Fire (Zoroaster), the Music of the Spheres, etc. So even if one could remember every known scripture by heart and could fill the memory with the words, but yet without lighting the Light inside and hearing the Sound, all this knowledge is bearing no real fruit.
Light and Sound are the direct way back to Absolute God. They are like two electric lifts which will take us to that place from whence they emanate. Learn the basic teaching of your own religion properly and you will find it all starts from here. It was due purely to climatic variations that different customs and rites were adopted, but basically it is all very simple and clear, so do not remain under any misapprehension. Blessed is each religion, and blessed is each emblem or symbol, so remain wherever God has placed you; He cannot be realized just by changing one's outer form of religion. "The garb was changed many times, resulting in misery to the body; You have to bear the brunt of all that!" It is man that must change, not the religion.
The Muslims do not commence their namaz (prayer) without doing vazu, which is washing the hands, feet and face with water or sand. There is a very definite meaning behind this, which is to wash oneself away from the world and its affairs; then one may stand in attendance at the court of the Lord. The Muslim prophets say that if you have not washed your hands of the world you have no right to sit in the remembrance of God. In such unwashed attitude there would be no true namaz. "Mind was given elsewhere, body was in the Sadhu's company; Kabir says, how can an unbleached cloth be dyed?" The thoughts may not necessarily be bad, but do not forget your aim, which is to realize God. Relationships and property, etc., were given to man to help him achieve this end. If the inner Light has not been lit and one has not seen that the Lord is the Doer and Operator of all this machinery of body and world, then one's main task has not been accomplished. "While he thinks he is the doer, he will continue in the womb-cycle." Lord Krishna has said, "Good and bad karmas both bind the soul, as chains of gold and iron." Salvation consists solely of the soul being rejoined to the Lord. To achieve this, the mind must be stilled. If the mind is not stilled, the attention constantly wanders outward and becomes the image of the body and the world; day and night this impregnation of sanskaras (impressions in the mind) continues. The heart's reservoir overflows with these impressions - even the nightly dreams are full of them. The meeting with the Lord is very far from those who stay in such a condition.
The same Light of God is in all creatures - animals, birds, fish, etc. so one should love God and love also all creation, for He is in all. This constitutes a true way of celebrating Divali. You may do it today, or tomorrow, or next year, in ten years' time, or later on in life, or you can take millions of births to do it, but this very work will have to be done sooner or later. The learned and illiterate alike must be able to control the attention - if the attention is not feeding the senses, the senses remain out of action. This has been proved in an ordinary way by a person keeping his attention fully concentrated upon a certain thing or task; he will not be aware of anyone speaking to him or calling him. In truth, everything is within you, and you are the Light. He is the Greater Light, and you the smaller. After you have been cleaned free from all dirt, you will see the Light, and ultimately be absorbed into the Greater Light, for this is the law of Nature: that everything is drawn to its own kind. In this way, you will become one - in Him. If on Divali day you enkindle the Light within you, then I congratulate you; otherwise your "house" is in darkness. As Kabir Sahib says, "In the silent palace of the void, light the lamp."
When you close your eyes there is darkness, but when the Light is seen, then the inner journey starts; first to rise above the physical into the astral plane where the Light will become stronger. In the causal plane it will be yet stronger, and from then onward the Light is so strong as to be incomparable with millions of suns and moons. A certain pandit (Vedic scholar) came here recently and read to me a section from the Yajur Veda which mentioned these very things I am now telling you about. Brothers, there is Light within you, and there is also Sound within. In the Gurbani, we have, "There is Light within, and the Everlasting Music reverberating therefrom." The Chandogya Upanishad gives the same information. It is a real thing, and if you have received this gift - in any religion - know that you have received the means to salvation.
The Muslim Fakirs also say that within man the Kalam-i-Kadim is vibrating, but we are imprisoned in the body and alas do not hear it. Shamas Tabrez Sahib says, "Every minute One Voice is coming to my soul from the Lord's direction." What kind of Voice is this? It is said to be like an ordinary voice, but alas we cannot hear it. There is an inner eye, which if open can see the Light of God. Lord Krishna has said, "You cannot see Me with these eyes of flesh and blood, but only through that Divine Eye with which I have blessed you." Guru Nanak Sahib similarly says, "O Nanak, that eye is different through which the Lord is seen." Everyone has got this eye - it is called the Third Eye, the Single Eye, the Shiv Netra. "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." And where is this eye? "Fix your attention above the outgoing faculties, where even Mahesh is meditating." Even Lord Shiva (Mahesh) is meditating upon that same invisible place, and that is why we sometimes call it the Shiv Netra - Shiva's Eye.
Excuse me, but performing customs and rites and distributing parshad is not a true way of celebrating a Divali festival. Our condition in this respect can be likened to the story of the camel which thrust its nose into its master's tent on a cold night. It gradually edged ****her until its head and neck were inside, and then ****her until half its body was in the tent. Finally through steadily inching its way, the camel took over the tent and its master had to go outside in the cold. Likewise, these customs and rituals of ours will throw out the Truth completely if we are not careful enough to find the right understanding. Right understanding is a noble factor - it prepares the ground for the Truth itself. Perform all rites, customs and prayers with right understanding and they will all be acceptable at the Lord's feet. Even if you do it as a gymnastic exercise, yet at least there is hope for you in the future.
We cry every day that communism is increasing (atheism), but what is the condition of our own homes? We rise in the morning, drink tea, do this and that, read the newspaper, and then we have to eat something. Someone goes to the office, someone else to the shop, etc. Is there a routine whereby all members of the family sit in the remembrance of the Lord every morning, for even one hour, or half an hour? There is nothing like this. In Punjabi there is a saying that if the child is spoiled while in his diapers he will never right himself. Well, people are crying about the communists outside, but communists are being created in our own homes. Our children have no knowledge of even the most basic teachings of spirituality - many of the parents do not know them. We worry about possessing things and being happy - we are concerned that our children should be educated - these things are all right, but we are ignoring the most useful part of their upbringing.
I told the people in the West also, that every home should have a church - a temple, a gurudwara, or mosque - call it what you will; then morning and evening the whole family, big and small, should sit down in remembrance of God. The children's lives will change, and yours also. Example is always better than precept, and seeing you doing what is right, the children will copy you. We are in fact responsible for the coming generation's character, and if we will not change, how can we expect that character to be decent and upright? Stop for a while wherever you are, and review your own situation. Search for the true meanings hidden behind all things, and make sure you have got the right understanding. Up to now, most of our life has been lived in a very artificial manner, and if we have gained nothing real thereby, then what is the use? Farid Sahib has warned us that "The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it." Do not go on blindly following what others do without knowing the reasons. What can be achieved from such actions? I am not trying to belittle anything, but rather am trying to help you understand from the right perspective.
"Seeing Him, all our durmath (misconception) is finished; He is our True Friend." This is the true way to banish all wrong thinking and establish right understanding. The company of such a true friend is called Satsang. By searching the whole world you will find these true friends, which are very rare. So be wise, take in the Truth and throw out untruth. It is written in the Upanishads, "Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light." It is no new teaching, and whatever company you keep, you will take on the same color. There are many formations in the world, but making formations is not the Masters' purpose or mission. They were made after the advent of each Master, without whom, as a matter of course, stagnation set in, from which bad smells arose. The result of all this was misery upon misery. There is no exaggeration in a Master's words -he will tell you exactly what is what.
From this lowly level, we cannot see the Absolute God, but that same God came into expression in creation and is permeating throughout, in the form of Light, in which the Akhand Kirtan (Perpetual Song), or Nad, or Udgit, is vibrating. All philosophy deals merely with theories, but mysticism deals with direct contact with Reality: the God-into-Expression Power. But that can only be contacted when one rises above the senses, which can be done only in the human form. Where does our attention finally reach? To that place from where the Sound is coming - the Ultimate Source. Some people practice the path of Light only, but on that path the soul finds itself surrounded and cannot discover the way out. Here, the path of the Sound is most necessary. The various holy scriptures have been explained in detail countless times, but no one can explain the Sound; it is beyond description or explanation. Anything which is above the intellect cannot be explained - it can be contacted only. Furthermore, it will be one thing; it has eternally been one, and cannot be made into two or more. That is why those realized souls who are in direct contact with the Sound all speak of it similarly.
So on this Divali Day I would like to impress upon you particularly to give up thinking ill of others. "While you do not make the enemy your friend, you will have no peace within." Your sleep state will be full of restless dreams. If anyone thinks or speaks of you in an aggressive way, do not follow his example, otherwise his very thoughts will react upon you. If a wave of water hits a hard surface, it will bounce back, but if it strikes something resilient, it will be absorbed, like the action of a sponge, and there will be no violent reaction. "One curse is given, but on its return becomes many." If it is not returned, then? It was one, and remained one. Again we remember Farid Sahib saying, "The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it." It is better, with a cool head, to try and read between the lines to discover why the person is acting so antagonistically, and then take action accordingly. You will save yourself from degradation this way. To think or speak of a person badly, to tell lies or cheat, to be hypocritical, indulging in backbiting and other ill-becoming traits - these are all degrading to the soul. Keep your hearts pure, and as God is in everyone, try to see only the best in all. Whatever duties have been given to you by God, perform them with love, and if others are shirking their duties, appeal to them with love, and pray for their better understanding. Then, leave them to the Lord. If we always remember that the God we worship is in all men, we would not even allow a single brother to go hungry.
There was once a devotee who worshiped the Lord very faithfully, and one day he prayed, "O God, please give me your darshan." God replied to him, "All right, I will come to you." The devotee started preparing for the Lord's arrival with great enthusiasm, cleaning his house spotlessly, making a specially comfortable seat decorated with flowers for Him to rest on, and preparing many different delicious delicacies for the Lord's refreshment. When all was ready, he sat at the door awaiting God's arrival. From morning until night he did not leave the door; but the Lord did not come. An old man in very ragged clothes passed by, and in passing, called out, "Brother, I am very hungry, could you give me just one piece of bread?" The devotee was so engrossed in expectantly awaiting the Lord's arrival that he totally ignored the old man, who went away hungry. In the depth of night, the devotee spoke to the Lord in meditation, asking Him why He had not come, as promised. God said, "Why, I came to you, and I asked you for food, but you gave me nothing."
So we never know in what form God will visit us. Whatever our attitude in approaching the Lord, so will be our reward. Whatever the desire, that will be fulfilled. If, for instance, you think of this as a place of Truth (Satsang) then leave all worldly thoughts when entering. This more elevated attitude of mind will enable you to absorb the radiation therein, from which you will be greatly uplifted. When you fully understand what it is you are receiving and also make it a part of your everyday life, most decidedly you will have salvation. However, "If you see the Satguru as the world sees him, there is no salvation in this / If you do not love the Satguru's Shabd." There are various attitudes of regard toward the Satguru, and accordingly does each man receive. If he is met with faith and respect in the heart, receptivity develops, and the radiation is absorbed.
I have led a householder's life. You also should live in the world, but there is no need to add to its degradation, and to your own. Women in the home should maintain it properly with cleanliness and tidy habits, look after the children with interest, and serve their husbands wholeheartedly. This is also a dharma (principle of righteous living). To him whose home is heaven, the whole world is heaven. How can anyone hope to realize the Lord if they declare they serve Him and ignore the needs of others? Does it mean that we dislike God in some forms?
Those personalities who are Truth personified never advise the seekers to leave their hearths and homes to take up vigil in the jungles and lonely places. This is not at all necessary. "When you meet a complete Satguru, competent is his method; Laughing, playing, eating, wearing, you will gain salvation by following him." It is not a matter of leaving the condition wherein God has placed you; there is no need to change your location, but simply change your angle of vision. Bow down to the Satguru's words, not his body only, or you will remain very far away - from him and from your aim.
There is a very explanatory example of obedience during the life of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. There was a Jat farmer by the name of Bela, who came to Guru Gobind Singh and said, "I wish to serve you." The Guru asked him what he could do, and Bela replied that he knew how to look after horses. The use of horses was extensive and common in those days, and so the Guru gave Bela the service. He worked diligently and with love, and even the Guru saw the difference in the horses' condition, and he asked, "Who is taking care of the horses these days?" He was told that Bela was the groom, and the Guru sent for him, congratulated him, and told him how pleased he was with his service. In further token of his pleasure, the Guru said, "Come to me daily, and I will give you one stanza from the Jap Ji Sahib, to learn and digest." So each morning, Bela would go to the Master and receive his lesson, and then spend the whole day repeating the words with full concentration on his Master, while doing his work in the stables. One day Guru Gobind Singh decided to leave early on some urgent work, and was about to gallop away when Bela ran up to the Guru and cried, "But what about my lesson?" The Guru replied, "O brother Bela, do you not see the time or opportunity?" and he galloped off. Brother Bela accepted what the Guru had said without question in his heart, and in all sincerity started learning the words with full attention - "O brother Bela, do you not see the time or opportunity?" Guru Gobind Singh's attention had been so fierce when uttering these words that the full force of it went deep into them. The result was that on repeating them, Bela began to go into samadhi (began to leave the body). One of the senior disciples, who had long been chief reader of the Guru Granth Sahib and was the Guru's constant companion, even in the fighting during the war, was a very learned man and would not only read but explain the words and their meaning. On hearing that Bela had gone into samadhi, he went to the Master and said, "Maharaj, there is injustice in your court, for this Jat Bela who arrived here only a few days ago and who is an illiterate and understands nothing, has gone into deep samadhi; whereas we who are with you constantly even in the wars, have sacrificed our lives and lived under terrible conditions, and have studied the books for countless hours, and yet we cannot meditate as successfully as this man."
Do you understand what this all means? It is a question of the person's attitude of mind. If you do not absorb the teachings practically into your very lives, you will gain nothing. It is not achieved by dancing and jumping around (professing devotion outwardly). Some people go as far as to say, "The Master came from Sat Lok and gave me fruit as a parshad." This type of people is only interested in impressing others - but this is how we can drift away from the Truth. See what is right with your own eyes, and do not be led astray by the prattlings of others. This is what Farid Sahib means when he talks of the world dancing to its own tune. He says further, "He does not dance who takes the Lord's protection." When you get something, be content with what you have received, and practice it properly so that it may increase. If you can find anything better than what you have been given, then I will also go with you.

So truly celebrating Divali does not lie in getting parshad or any outer action, but rather in taking the Truth of Divali into yourself and practicing it. You will see that your life will change in a matter of months. If up to now you have not done this, and are not going to do it, you will remain in darkness. If you have done something and have received a little Light, but do not devote your full attention and do not practice it, daily in all expressions of life, you will not increase whatever you have. I will now take a short hymn of Guru Ram Das Ji, on the subject of Divali - how to light the lamps of Divali within you.
"To realize God, we have sold our body to a Complete Master." The words are very clear; but why a Complete Master? Because today the world is full of people who are not what they profess to be. Who in fact is the Guru? The God Himself is the Guru. When Guru Nanak Sahib was asked about this, he said, "Shabd is the Guru, and the surat (attention) is the disciple." In other words, that God Power which came into expression is my Guru. Kabir Sahib was asked where his Guru lived, and he replied, "My Guru resides in the gaggan (seat of the soul), and the disciple in this body; When the surat and Shabd meet, there will be no separation." To come into contact with that, our attention must rise above the senses. Guru Gobind Singh has said, "The Ultimate God is One, know Him to be our Guru." The Lord residing in each being is the Guru. "My Beloved is in each form, no place is without Him; I rejoice in that form where He is manifest." We should respect the form in which He has manifested - such a personality never declares himself to be the Guru, but always refers to the God in him. It is a very valuable criterion. Whoever says, "I am a Guru," know him to be yet short of that very status. "O Bheeka, the Incomprehensible (Agam) is beyond speaking of or hearing about; He who knows speaks not, he who speaks knows not." Kabir Sahib describes a Master in this way: "Kabir says we are the knowers of the true home of your Father, and have brought the Lord's orders." It is a beautiful description. He did not say, "I am the Guru."
Who is the Complete Guru? "Through the Complete Guru, Satsang occurs" (comes out). And what is the Complete Guru? He is one with the Shabd. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Also, "He manifests Himself in the Guru, and distributes the Shabd." It is that manifested God which joins us to Himself - that is the Guru. No son of man can do it. Christ said, "I am the light of the world, those that come to me shall never walk in darkness." It is another criterion: whoever has got the Light can give it to others. It cannot be given by teachers of the outer customs, or by intellectuals, or by any scripturist. But he who is one with the Light can give the Light. "He who takes the veil from my eye and gives the glimpse - O Sadhu, that Satguru is to my liking."
When it says we have sold the body, it means that he has given himself over completely and has no further claim on himself. And he did this just to realize God. "Someone should make me meet my Beloved Lord; To Him will I sell myself; I am in torment for darshan of my Lord." He does not make you a slave, but rejoins you to the Lord Himself. Another Master says the same thing: "Someone should come and join me back to God." And how is that done? "A strong Guru drags the attention (soul) out." He is full controller of his attention, and has become therefore the mouthpiece of God. By his single thought, ten, twenty, one hundred, one thousand, can be taken above the senses and shown the Light within.
There should be no misunderstanding of the term "selling the body." Through the prarabdh or destiny karmas, God has joined one to a wife, husband, children, friends; so this body belongs to them. But the Lord wishes us to make the best use of it, by being pure and chaste, doing meditation, living righteously, and keeping His commandments; this is the true meaning of giving the body. It does not mean leaving one's home, family, and so on. Why has the body been given to us? "The Feet of the Lord should reside in this body, and the tongue should repeat His Name; O Nanak, for this reason, take care of the body." Keep it clean and pure, for cleanliness is next to godliness, but there is no need to be constantly decorating it. Furthermore, cleaning outwardly and remaining dirty inside is useless, for no matter how much perfume is poured on a garbage heap, it will never impart a clean refreshing fragrance. To become clean inside, he tells you that no sins should be committed through this body, and no bad thoughts should enter it. This is what it means to sell one's body to Him.
Hazrat Ibrahim once bought a slave; it was the custom of those days. When he and the slave reached the house, Hazrat Ibrahim said, "What would you like to eat?" The slave replied, "Whatever food you give, for I have been sold to you." The next day, Ibrahim asked the slave what kind of clothes he wanted to wear, and the slave replied, "Whatever you give, for I have been sold." He asked for nothing and claimed no choice, for he knew his body had been sold and surrendered himself to the fact, fully resigned.
Complete obedience is the essence of selling the body to the Guru - it means nothing more nor less. Christ told his disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Those who do respect the Guru's words will most decidedly receive salvation. Christ also said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Whatever words enter your heart, that much have you understood fully. "The words the Guru uttered have I tied into my heart." But don't just keep them there - they are not meant for repeating to others as a demonstration of knowledge; they should be lived up to. And how can one reside in his heart? "Keep someone in your heart, and you will reside in his." If you think of a person, there is always a reaction. When the disciple remembers his Guru, then "Satguru gives protection with remembrance, through his very life." His attention is his very life's essence. Though he may be hundreds of miles away, yet he constantly cares for his children - through his attention. The more you remember him, the greater will be the reaction. As you think, so you become; and if he is truly a Guru, you will gain spiritual upliftment and salvation. When one can hear sound and voice through radio, across thousands of miles, and can see images through television, then surely the God Power which is all-omnipotent, that same Power which is the Guru, surely that can manifest, if one's needle is tuned in correctly. Just keep your thoughts toward him and you will benefit from the direct radiation.
"This body, this wealth, this mind, I have given to the Master." It does not mean to give the body literally - that belongs to those with whom you are connected, as a reaction of the past. The Master guides your soul, so your soul should be surrendered to him, not the body. By giving the mind, you should think as he wants you to think, and your wealth used for good cause - not for misuse, or to harm the lives of others. Share with others, and then eat. Think of everything as being the Guru's property given in your safe-keeping, and use it in a like manner. If you do all this, what happens? You receive Par Brahm (God beyond Brahmand). "O brothers, keep connection with the Satsang, and all your wrongs will be righted. Even your earthly life will be a success."
So Guru Ram Das Ji is giving out some of his own life's experience. You should know that he was a great devotee of his Guru. Devotion therefore is the keynote to success, for as you think, so you become. If you obey his every wish, your success will be beyond words. If he puts his hand on your head (gives you his protection), then you have got his attention, and what more is wanted?
To realize God, we have sold our body to a Complete Master; Satguru, the Giver, intuned us with the Naam, and our countenance radiated with this transformation of destiny. The True Form, the Master, gives the experience of God within us, through which our whole destiny is awakened. After more than seventy years of searching, Guru Amar Das Ji said, "I was very tired, performing all these karmas; Then, without effort, I met the Satguru." And what type of Guru is the Satguru? "When the Satguru is met, the eye can see and realize the Truth within." It clearly indicates what the Satguru should be. But we must take our attention from outer things - give him our body, our mind, and our wealth.
When King Janak was given an experience by Maharishi Ashtavakra, he was also required to first give his body, mind and wealth. The king had announced that he wanted the experience, and it should be given in as short a time as it takes to mount a horse. A huge gathering of sages and holy men had been called, and a large stage set for the purpose. When the announcement was made, none of the wise men present had the courage to mount the stage and declare himself capable of giving the experience. Many could give fine talks, but only one who is in oneness with the Light can give experience of it. These are not words of pride - it is his daily work, or you may call it his vocation, and he has been commanded by God to this purpose. The Lord Himself works through him. So from all the great sages present, only Ashtavakra stepped forward and mounted the stage. His body was crippled and deformed in eight places (the name Ashtavakra means "eight humps" or deformities). When the rest of the holy men saw him come forward, they laughed and thought he must be mad. They considered his strange figure ridiculous, and his claim of knowledge pretentious, and were not impressed but amused. It was a rare thing, even in those days. Where can you find such a person today? Go into the world and search for one. Many will give ethical teachings and repeat what is written in books, but those who actually give an experience of the Beyond are very rare; there have always been only a few, and even now they are rare, but the world is not without them.
But the amusement died into an embarrassed silence when in a calm clear voice, Ashtavakra turned to the king and said, "If you want the knowledge of the Beyond, then why are you sitting with a gathering of cobblers, whose eyes are only on my body?" All the audience was ashamed. Then he asked the king, "Do you really want this experience?" The king replied that he did. "Then, you will have to make an offering to me of your body, wealth, and mind." The king agreed. In those days, the custom of sealing agreements between men was to pour a little clear water in the person's hand, and the ceremony was finished. These days, special stamped paper is prepared and typed upon, and even then there remains some doubt as to whether the man is being cheated or not.
So the Rishi said, "You have given me your body - go and sit among the shoes at the entrance of this court." (By Indian custom, especially in those days, no one would dream of taking their shoes into a place of worship or respect.) One can imagine the depth of humiliation for the king to have to sit among the shoes, with his followers and subjects in full view, sitting on carpets. But the king told himself that his body now belonged to the Guru, and in meek obedience went and sat among the shoes at the entrance. The Rishi called to him, "O king, where are you sitting now?" The king replied, "In the lowest place of all, with the shoes." The Rishi's purpose was for the king to admit his place. He then said, "As you have given all your wealth and possessions, then do not even think of them - they do not belong to you." The king saw his court and palace before him, and his mind wandered from one thing to another, so he closed his eyes. Then he closed his ears so that he would hear no sound, but even then his mind wandered about the palace and his kingdom. He again and again reminded himself that he had given everything to the Rishi, but could not still his mind. The Rishi asked, "Where are you now?" The king said, "My condition is like that of a crow sitting on a ship's mast. He flies in all directions but can see no land to alight on, and so returns to his perch on the mast, again and again." The Maharishi told him, "You have given your mind to me, so do not flit around with my mind." Then for a while the king's mind was stilled. Ashtavakra then gave his attention, and the soul withdrew, rose above body-consciousness, and the Rishi connected it to the Light and Sound. The king was asked if he was satisfied, and he replied in the affirmative. Even now, when Naam is given, the instructions are the same: to withdraw one's attention from outer things and forget the body, etc., and then with a little attention the soul rises. The Maharishi then said, "All right, I am giving all these things back to you - body, wealth, and mind - as a parshad, so deal with them remembering that they are mine. Think of the body as mine; keep it clean and pure. Think of the wealth as mine; share with those in need, and use it only for good purpose. Do not entertain any bad thoughts; keep all thoughts pure."
Do you all see the significance of this story? The same teaching is given now; it has not changed at all with the passing of time. It is true that the extent of our success depends upon how obedient we are to his words. If we can concentrate our scattered attention, we will become the controller of that attention, and in due course, the mouthpiece of the Greater Attention. What then will we not be able to do?! Though God is in us, we must become man-in-God and God-in- man; this is our aim. Whoever becomes that can then help others, that is, to see the manifestation of the Light of God in him. "He who thinks of the Guru as a human being will come back, birth by birth." If the Guru seems to be a mere man to you, then what can you expect to receive from him? Each man sees through his own spectacles: whatever color the glass is, so will the vision be. In whatever manner you regard the Guru, your benefit will measure accordingly.
The Guru's knowledge attached us to the All-Pervading Lord.
A Guru's single thought can accomplish vast tasks. Masters are not made in a day; every Saint has his past, and every sinner a future. We can also become Masters - with proper help and guidance. When I was in England, two small boys came to me and I asked them, "What do you want, boys?" They both said, "We want to become Masters." You have all received the gift - increase it - then you may be selected as a Master, by God. This is not an election by votes; the Lord Himself gives the commission. Furthermore, "He manifests Himself in the Guru, and distributes the Shabd." It is not the kind of work that can be done through the puny power of man. Each man sees only at his own level; he makes mistakes, and then falls. Then he dances to the world's tune, and others follow his example. Who suffers? One's own self. What does the Master lose? Does a mirror care if anyone looks into it or not? "The Guru's knowledge attaches us" - so become one with God, this is the very essence of all this teaching. Light can only come from Light. Merely pressing or rubbing the eyes to bring sparks through friction within the physical vision, or trying to visualize Light, will not give anyone a connection with the Light. He who has that power in his attention can, in one sitting, reveal some Light in others - by withdrawing their attention from outside. This is the only method of connecting the soul with the Light, and that connection increases daily with practice. "In each living being the Lord is vibrating; Get connected to the Guru's Shabd."
I would cut my mind and body as an offering to the Guru; All my doubts are removed by His word. I have explained that giving one's body to the Guru does not mean that one loses it - and cutting the body and mind does not mean they are cut into pieces, but they should work only to obey the Guru's commands. Why and how are the doubts removed by the Guru's words? "The whole world is sleeping in attachment and illusion; When will the doubt be removed?" Maya - illusion or forgetfulness - starts when we become identified with the body, for then we begin to see everything from the body's level. The body is made of matter which is changing every moment. The world is also made of matter, changing at the same speed. When two things, namely body and the world, are made of matter, changing at the same speed, they both appear to be still. Those who are one with them are under a grand delusion. For a simple instance, the world appears to be still, but in actual fact it is moving. We have bound ourselves to this illusion and all it means, with all its effects. How can it be removed? Only by rising above body-consciousness. "O Lord, some Master -soul should show me the easy way." Only then can the doubts be removed so that the Truth can be seen. The Master-soul's vision is correct: he does not dance to anyone's tune. He can never see anything inaccurately, so naturally he will never do anything wrong, like the depraved man with his smoky spectacles. This is how a man's character changes from bad to good. But only through the Lord's blessing. How? By being attached in love to him in whom the Lord Himself has manifested.
"If you have good karmas from the Beyond, you get the connection to the Name of the Lord." The Guru never lives in an untrue way; he does not act and pose. When a person tells one lie, then one hundred more lies must be told subsequently, to cover up that one. This sort of thing results in party factions and other undesirable situations. It is not necessary for the Satguru to tell any lies; he will say what he has seen; and that is the Truth. Kabir Sahib says, "You cannot describe Him who is above all / But what the Guru gives becomes sweeter day by day. / Kabir says, My doubts have been removed by seeing the Everlasting Lord." It is a very clear statement which gives the situation exactly - if we are still in doubt as to what we should do, then what can be done? "Having a lamp in the hand, still we fall in the well."
In the darkness He lights the lamp When we love the Guru's knowledge. Through getting attached by love to the Guru, the darkness is dispelled; thousands of suns shine forth with the repetition of Naam. Due to the difficulties of Kal Yuga, this blessing is being given freely. In the past, many restrictions were imposed before connection to Naam was given. After many years of service, the Master would then give the first part of the theory, and so on. But the darker the age, the more mercy does the Master extend, and today everyone receives an experience from the very beginning. This special concession is due to the bad condition of the world, which is drifting speedily into negativity. A Master would use any means to save the souls from such a terrible fate, but if the soul receives the gift and then wastes it - well, that is a tragic misfortune.
What is the Guru's knowledge? "The Guru's knowledge reveals the True Light, and the darkness of ignorance is split asunder." Light appears in the darkness - the God manifests in the form of Light, and he in whom the Complete Light is burning, is the true Khalsa (a true and pure disciple). Guru Gobind Singh Ji says, "Know a Khalsa only when the full Light shines in his body." He also says, "Khalsa is my true form." Also, "In the Khalsa I reside," and also, "Khalsa is the Complete Satguru." Finally he declares, "These are not words of imaginative lies; I take the Par Brahm Guru Nanak as my witness." If you have done every other work but this, it will all be of little value; but if you do this work, all other efforts will be fruitful. When the Masters recommend the company of Saints who can give contact with the True Naam, they do so with infinite purpose. It is a gift which gives benefit both here and hereafter. "Tie with the Gift of Life, which is with you here and there." In the Hindu religion, when a man is approaching death, his people say, "Quickly light a lamp and place it before him, or he may die without first seeing the light." People do not realize that the Light should be lit while living - within one, not outside. What is the use at the time of death, when even every-day consciousness is withdrawing?
At Hardwar in northern India, the pilgrims light a small wick in a boat of leaves and flowers, and set this afloat on the sacred River Ganges. If it gets extinguished by the water or a breeze, they light another and float it. The meaning behind this outer ritual is to show that to cross this ocean of life, one needs the guidance of the Light. But that Light is different; it has no wick, no oil; it cannot be overturned or sunk, and remains burning forever. "If someone lights such a Light, O Nanak, he does not come round in transmigration." And ahead there is Sound in this Light; it is the basic teaching of all true Masters, irrespective of religions.
The darkness of ignorance is banished; Through that Treasure lying in the house, the mind is awakened. The mind is steeped in illusion - a kind of sleep state - and can only be awakened by the connection to Naam.
The Lord of Death will take reckoning of those imprisoning themselves in illusion.
Illusion is like a guard with a bow and arrow, keeping the prison closely guarded so that those who have forgotten their freedom in the enjoyments may not escape. The Lord of Death's toll for these prisoners is very heavy. When one enters a beautiful park, one is free to roam around, relax on the grass, enjoy the beauty of the flowers, plants and trees, but the gardener will deal very severely with anyone attempting to pluck the flowers or steal the plants. A true sadhu is he who lives in the garden of the world, but never thinks of claiming anything as his own. Those who live their lives according to their Guru's commands and remember the Lord continuously will not be under the world's influence with all its corruption. Those who have not the good fortune of knowing their Guru is with them, remain under the mind's influence, and they eat, drink, and live according to the dictates of their minds. Even after meeting the Guru, there are those who remain under the influence of the mind. "He is a manmukh (mouthpiece of the mind) who does not recognize the Shabd, and knows not the fear of the Guru." Such a man has no awe or respect in his heart, and often thinks of the Guru as being on his own level. At times he considers the Guru to be lower than himself; so what can this type of person receive? "The words of a depraved man are like a scorpion's sting," the pain of which is like the ***** of a driving thorn, but it increases to an unbearable extent. So do not believe such people, as it will give unbearable pain in the long run. The worldly things were given with useful purpose - not for enjoyment's sake. Those who go on enjoying will have to pay the price; he who plucks the flowers will get the fine.
The unfortunates who have not sold their heads to the Satguru, will come and go in the world.
One will go on coming and going until one surrenders one's whole being to the Guru; and this means living in accordance with his wishes, thinking as he advocates. The keeper of the intellect is the Guru. Maulana Rumi Sahib prays to God, saying, "This intellect will turn my face from You; Keep Your control on it, and I am saved - otherwise I am lost." It does not take much time to spoil the milk! The intellect is like that. If your mind obeys the Guru one hundred per cent, you will know then who the God is. Don't let your intellect interfere in the slightest fraction with what you know is right. He who is willing to obey him without a question will receive the treasure. "Naam's Perpetual Song, precious jewel of the Lord, is in the Sadhu's keeping." You can also say that God has handed over His treasure to the Master. Then? "The Guru places it before h:m who takes His words as Truth." To find a Guru who can do this is the height of good fortune. "Without good fortune, the Satguru is not met."
Please, my Lord, listen to my appeal: I wish only to be at Thy Feet. To be at His Feet means to obey him - to surrender unto him. He would like to dye you in the same color as his own soul. In deep humility he has said "I want to be at Your Feet." He is wearily acknowledging his defeat in the world; it is not a matter of force. It has also been said that by force you cannot get, and by force you cannot give. You can neither gain the inner knowledge by force, nor can you learn to leave the body at will by force. Whoever feels that he can achieve anything through force is welcome to try and see. All is in the Lord's hands; if He wants to give anything, then you will receive. He most definitely will give to one who will surrender to His Feet. Dwell only on the understanding that the Guru has given; imbibe the virtues therein, and as you think, so you will become. In this way you will absorb the radiation.
O Nanak, the Guru looks after my honor here and hereafter; So I have sold my head to the Satguru. Our protection and honor is all safe in the Master's hands - we have sold our heads and our attention to him. It reminds me of my own life, about 1917. There is potential for searching out the Truth within all men, some more, some less, according to the sanskaras (background). I used to enjoy an intoxication within, but after two to three months it would cease, for as long as a week sometimes. Naturally I would feel very unhappy during those periods. I went to many Mahatmas for help, so that the intoxication would continue and not break. When I asked for the cure from a certain holy sage, he said, "Yes, but you will have to give your head." In my heart I felt that the giving of one's head should happen with one's own free will, whenever one feels it right, and not by order. You can be sure that he who asks for it, is hungry for it - and if he is in such a hungry condition, what will he be able to give?

Keep the Guru's words always before you - they should become part and parcel of your life. The people are receiving the benefit, what better evidence is wanted? Property and other things can be given through official papers and man-made laws, but not Spirituality. Fire is lighted from fire, and Light comes from Light.

So let each of our days be a Divali day; light the inner lamp. If you have any bad thoughts for anyone, stop them, and if anyone has wittingly or unwittingly harmed you, forgive and forget. There is no other cure. If you cannot forgive the misdemeanors of others, your progress will stop, for forgiveness and justice are different. Forget justice, and develop the virtue of forgiveness. Keep your heart clear; do not think badly of anyone, even if they have deliberately harmed you. And do not dance to the world's tune. Protect yourself from lies and hypocrisy. Everyone has God within them, so have love for all men. Do selfless service, and regular meditation. As is also usual on Divali day, the houses and shops are cleaned and decorated. Man should also clean himself inside, decorate himself within with the inner Light, and sit in the Lord's sweet remembrance. Then only can Divali be truly beautiful.



NEVER DANCE TO THE WORLD'S TUNE

 

[Sikh80]

Dear namjap ji,
I started reading your post and continued and never knew when I had finished.There is a strong longing to read it again.I have book marked this.I shall take its print immediately and re-read it for many times and many days to come.It is a summary of all that we need.

Thanks for a beautiful and instructive post.
NEVER DANCE TO THE WORLD'S TUNE

 

[dalsingh]

I don't get it. If people feel this way, why not simply become Hindu?

It is the height of ignorance to ignore people's definition of themselves. The majority of Sikhs would be offended to be called Hindu (this is no slur on Hinduism itself).

Because SOME Gurbani may use references to Hindu cosmology it doesn't mean one should jump to the conclusion that Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism.

Sikhs refer to themselves as a quom i.e nation. Why is this being ignored?

Some other major differences include being a world based religion that generally eschews asceticism.

Notwithstanding the development and use of the word Hinduism itself, which is a "catch all" term to describe a multitude of differing and often unrelated beliefs. The very nature of the traditions of "Hinduism" differ greatly from Sikhism.

Tales of Krishna frolicking with gopis, would not be considered as acceptable behaviour to most Sikh people. Running away with someones bride (like Ravana did) are the actions of an average Moghul balatkar, not one of a god.

I find it remarkable, that given the effort and sacrifice made to demarcate a separate identity for ourselves, people who consider themselves Sikh, believe they are some sort of fringe movement of Hinduism.

Personally I think behind this are the concerted efforts by successive Indian governments to push this view and the acceptance of this propaganda by some.

 

[spnadmin]

Dalsingh ji

Your reaction mirrors my own for several weeks. You said: I find it remarkable, that given the effort and sacrifice made to demarcate a separate identity for ourselves, people who consider themselves Sikh, believe they are some sort of fringe movement of Hinduism.


But there is a subtle theme that sorts out whether Sikhism rises from "Hindusim" or from "sanatana dharma" which is centuries older than the the Law of Manu. The Law of Manu is what defined religious practice in India after the decline of Buddhism in India. The practices that followed from the Law of Manu are what Sikhism has historically denied.

You noted this above; Notwithstanding the development and use of the word Hinduism itself, which is a "catch all" term to describe a multitude of differing and often unrelated beliefs. The very nature of the traditions of "Hinduism" differ greatly from Sikhism.

NamJap's post is telling us in the form of a fable that it is the deeper meaning of the dharmic philosophy of the vedas, and not literal belief in the legends of gopis and etc etc etc, that is the root of Sikhism and other Dharmic paths. I hope I am not sounding overbearing. I do not mean to be so. Our Gurus were making a similar point -- "Hinduism" if it even is an appropriate label went astray; and Guru Nanak, in his shabads and in the janamsakhi, is heard trying to bring people back to essential elements of this core philosophy. If the thread title were Sikhism: An Offshoot of Dharmic Belief there would probably be no controversy.

One thing that I think is missing in the forum is a studious comparison of the various faiths that are all offshoots of this idea of dharma: There is an underlying order in all of creation and a virtuous life is a life is lived in harmony with that order. The dharma is what upholds or supports Creation and makes the natural world possible. Dharma implies a continuous cycle of creation destruction and transformation both in nature and in the soul. One's righteous duty is to live according to our given nature and discover our true self.

Sikhism, Buddhism, all of the Indian philosophies that we group together as "Hindu", Jainism and Zoroastrianism differ in terms of many of the specifics within the above description. These differences can be truly significant. But we share the idea that we can choose a higher truth.

What is that higher truth in Sikhi?

 

[dalsingh]

Aad Ji and everyone else

I am not keen on the reductionalist approach to studying religion. When we take this approach, which essentially drills down to find the bricks, mortar and plaster that make a religion, we often see references and remnants of previous systems. For example, if we do the same to Islam, we will clearly see much derived from Judaism (i.e. circumcism, attitude towards pork etc. as well as Arabic practices of the past.) BUT the big problem is that such an approach leads to an incorrect understanding of the system in a holistic way. Essentially we become so tied up in the bricks, mortar and plaster and forget to look at the completed house in its entirety. Which ultimately, is what we must do.

If people think that they can understand the Sikh movement, people and history through reference to pre-Mannu Indian belief, then I think they are wrong. You cannot take the very circumstances Sikhism developed within away from it. These historical and political factors had much more to do with Sikhis development than the recent concoction with is labeled "sanatan dharam." This to my mind is just a convenient and cleverly constructed term which in reality translates as "non questioning of ancient Indian folklore and superstition"

The question of whether Sikhism represents/equates to pre-Mannu practices and beliefs in India, is absurb to my mind because it totally ignores other background sociological, political and historical forces which may have impacted on Sikhs and instead aligns it with some ancient, unclear beliefs of a long forgotten and mythologised age.

Also, please factor in that many Panjabis will be extremely suspicious of sanatan beliefs because they represent a time of slavery, both in the shackles of caste and by constantly invading foes. Our allegiance is to the 10 Gurus and SGGSJ. They are the reasons we are here, not the Upanishads.

Harjas Ji: You talked about the roots of Sikhism, implying (unless I misunderstood) the upanishads. Are you suggesting that this source would influence Sikhi more than the milieu within which Sikhism grew in its early stages?

 

[spnadmin]

Dalsing ji,

This would be one place where I would disagree:

These historical and political factors had much more to do with Sikhis development than the recent concoction with is labeled "sanatan dharam." This to my mind is just a convenient and cleverly constructed term which in reality translates as "non questioning of ancient Indian folklore and superstition"

But your thesis that the political, sociological, cultural forces which brought Sikhism into being and made it what it is are well put. I agree with that.

 

[Sikh80]

I am posting part of post 44 above.
This may kindly be attended to as it was never the intention that rev'rnd members shall go into the origination of sikhism.
Yes, There were reasons but all that wealth that we have amassed in The Granth should be put use to for the benefit of all those interested. Kindly reply to the following.

[You may open another thread if you wish if you have doubts as to under what circumstances sikhism came into being.I am clear about it as the topic suggests. It might have been the outcome of Prudence of Guru sahib only but where is the conceptual difference in this and The 'ism' of Hindus.]


Kindly attend to the following:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There is one God in mainstream Hinduism.
Demigod and Goddess in Bani

Incidently bani also refers to them as Guru....

guru eIsru guru gorKu brmw guru pwrbqI mweI ] (2-9, jpu, mÚ 1)
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi


If Dhur ki Bani admits the demi Gods as Gurus what would be the state of seekers and learners.One cannot discard that it is only a metaphorical use.

If that be so it is high time that SGPC should start issuing clarifications in this regard without disturbing the composition of Granth sahib and let that be maintained in the present form.

As per some post it is also not clear if the Granth that we consider as the Granth is the real Granth or is only a copy of the original.
[/FONT]
What is required
Unless what the Guru states is clear these kinds of things shall be asked by many.
I may be prone to accept the logic that it is metaphorical use. But I have tried to get an answer to this question at many sites but I have not been replied satisfactorily so far.

On one Hand we have Mool Mantra on second hand we have Guru stating that He is the creator HIMSELF. Add to this the confusion caused by the inclusion of Hindus God and Goddesses in Bani and that also in very specific and pointed terms.

Are Gurus Really Gods; if so we all shall have the concept of demi gods in Sikhism and it shall fuel up to that sikhi is a faith not understood by many as it cannot be understood.

If after spending one complete year I do not understand Sikhism/Bani, I feel that I am not worthy of it and shall have to learn from some one who runs school in Bani like it is done in US.


Bhul Chuk Mauf



Today's hukumnama

Meeting the Guru, I have found my Beloved Lord. I have made this body and mind a sacrifice, a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Dedicating my body and mind, I have crossed over the terrifying world-ocean, and shaken off the fear of death. Drinking in the Ambrosial Nectar, I have become immortal; my comings and goings have ceased. I have found that home of celestial Samaadhi; the Name of the Lord is my only Support. Says Nanak, I enjoy peace and pleasure; I bow in reverence to the Perfect Guru. || 1 || Listen, O my friend and companion the Guru has given the Mantra of the Shabad, the True Word of God. Meditating on this True Shabad, I sing the songs of joy, and my mind is rid of anxiety. I have found that God, who never leaves; forever and ever, He sits with me. One who is pleasing to God receives true honor. The Lord God automatically blesses him with wealth. Says Nanak, I am a sacrifice to such a humble being. O Lord, You bless all with Your bountiful blessings. || 2 || When it pleases You, then I am satisfied and satiated. My mind is soothed and calmed, and all my thirst is quenched. My mind is soothed and calmed, the burning has ceased, and I have found all sorts of treasures. All the Sikhs and servants partake of them; I am a sacrifice to the True Guru. I have become fearless, imbued with the Love of my Lord and Master; I have shaken off the fear of death. Slave Nanak, Your humble servant, lovingly embraces Your meditation; O Lord, please be with me always. || 3 || My hopes and desires have been fulfilled, O my Lord. I am worthless, without virtue; all virtues are Yours, O Lord. All virtues are Yours, O my Lord and Master; with what mouth should I praise You? You did not consider my merits and demerits; you forgave me in an instant. I have obtained the nine treasures, congratulations are pouring in, and the unstruck melody resounds. Says Nanak, I have found my Husband Lord within my own home, and all my anxiety is forgotten. || 4 || 1 ||

Sunday, 5th Saawan (Samvat 540 Nanakshahi)

Who is Guru here and who is Lord here.??????
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reposted.

Regards to all.!!

 

[pk70]

I am totally lost in Guru Nanak's love, his words are my boat, my lamp in the darkness; I hear beating of drums loudly by those who claim they had the same things Guru Nanak says, I smile at the exploitation of centuries and heed only to my adorable Guru's daring guidance in a country where followers of Budha were burnt alive to eliminate his ideology to keep shop of exploitation going on. Is there other successful ways to reach to HIM? could be but why should I care when I am under the Sun. As a Sikh, if we hear the following Hukamnama of our glorious Guru, why even we heed to desparate beatings of drums, here is Guru's Hukam in this regard
ਭੈਰਉ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ ਵਰਤ ਨ ਰਹਉ ਨ ਮਹ ਰਮਦਾਨਾ ॥ ਤਿਸੁ ਸੇਵੀ ਜੋ ਰਖੈ ਨਿਦਾਨਾ ॥੧॥
Bhairo 5th Guru. I practise not fasting, not observe I the month of Ramzan. I serve Him alone, who will save me in the end.

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਨਾਹ ਮੈਂ (ਹਿੰਦੂ ਦੇ) ਵਰਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਨਾਹ ਮੈਂ (ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਦੇ) ਰਮਜ਼ਾਨ ਦੇ ਮਹੀਨੇ (ਵਿਚ ਰੱਖੇ ਰੋਜ਼ਿਆਂ ਦਾ)। ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ (ਸਿਰਫ਼) ਉਸ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਮਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਜਿਹੜਾ ਆਖ਼ਿਰ (ਹਰੇਕ ਦੀ) ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।੧।
ਏਕੁ ਗੁਸਾਈ ਅਲਹੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਤੁਰਕ ਦੁਹਾਂ ਨੇਬੇਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The One Lord of the world is my God. I have detached from both Hindus and Muslims. Pause.
ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਦੇ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ) ਮੈਂ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਅਤੇ ਤੁਰਕ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਹੀ ਸਾਂਝ ਮੁਕਾ ਲਈ ਹੈ। ਮੇਰਾ ਤਾਂ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਉਹ ਹੈ (ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਹਿੰਦੂ) ਗੁਸਾਈਂ (ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ) ਅੱਲਾ (ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ)।੧।ਰਹਾਉ।
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥ ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
I go not on pilgrimage to Mecca, nor worship I at the holies. I serve only the one Lord and not any other.
ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਮੈਂ ਨਾਹ ਕਾਬੇ ਦਾ ਹੱਜ ਕਰਨ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ (ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ), ਨਾਹ ਮੈਂ (ਹਿੰਦੂਆਂ ਵਾਂਗ) ਤੀਰਥਾਂ ਤੇ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਨ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇੱਕ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਮਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਕਿਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਦੂਜੇ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ (ਸਿਮਰਦਾ)।੨।
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥ ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
I perform not Hindu worship, nor offer I Muslim prayer. Taking the One Formless Lord into my mind, I make obeisance unto Him there.
ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਮੈਂ ਨਾਹ (ਹਿੰਦੂਆਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਵੇਦ-) ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਨਾਹ (ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਵਾਂਗ) ਨਿਮਾਜ਼ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ ਵਸਾ ਕੇ (ਉਸ ਅੱਗੇ) ਸਿਰ ਨਿਵਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ।੩।
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥ ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
I am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim. My body and soul belong to Him, who is called God of Muslims and the Lord of Hindus.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Says Kabir, this wise utter I the truth, that meeting with the Guru the Prophet, I have realised my Lord.
ਹੇ ਕਬੀਰ! ਆਖ-(ਹੇ ਭਾਈ!) ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਇਹ ਗੱਲ ਖੋਲ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਦੱਸਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਮੈਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਗੁਰੂ-ਪੀਰ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਖਸਮ-ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨਾਲ ਡੂੰਘੀ ਸਾਂਝ ਪਾ ਰੱਖੀ ਹੈ।੫।੩। ❀ ਨੋਟ: ਇਸ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦਾ ਸਿਰਲੇਖ ਹੈ 'ਮਹਲਾ ੫'। ਪਰ ਅਖ਼ੀਰ ਤੇ ਲਫ਼ਜ਼ 'ਨਾਨਕ' ਦੇ ਥਾਂ 'ਕਬੀਰ' ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਦਾ ਭਾਵ ਇਹ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਆਪਣਾ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਹੈ ਇਹ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦੇ ਪਰਥਾਇ। ਹੁਣ ਵੇਖੋ ਇਸੇ ਰਾਗ ਵਿਚ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਨੰਬਰ ੭। ਉਸ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਹੇਠ-ਲਿਖੀਆਂ ਤੁਕਾਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਇਸ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਨਾਲ ਰਲਾਓ: ਹਮਰਾ ਝਗਰਾ ਰਹਾ ਨ ਕੋਊ ॥ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਛਾਡੇ ਦੋਊ ॥੧॥ਰਹਾਉ॥... ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਜੋ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਛਾਡਿ ਚਲੇ ਹਮ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਲੀਆ ॥੩॥ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਆਪਣੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਵਿਚ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਖ਼ਿਆਲ ਦੀ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।

 

[Sikh80]

You are very fortunate Sir. But let the others who are seeking blessings , be also be blessed.

Your answers are very nice and guru Vaaks have almost made me start weeping. I quit and leave the answers to be provided by the Providence as and when He considers fit.

Regards!

 

[dalsingh]

From the Dasam Granth:


ਦਾਸ ਜਾਨ ਕਰਿ ਦਾਸ ਪਰਿ ਕੀਜੈ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ ਹਾਥ ਦੈ ਰਾਖ ਦੈ ਰਾਖ ਮੁਹਿ ਮਨ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਬਚਨ ਬਿਚਾਰ ॥੪੩੩॥
Daas jaan kar(i) daas par(i) keejai kripaa apaar|| Haath dai raakh muh(i) man kram bachan bichaar||433||
Considering me as Thy slave, be Gracius towards me and keep Thy hand over my head and protect me with Thy mind, action, speech and thought.433.


ਮੈ ਨ ਗਨੇਸ਼ਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਮਨਾਊਂ ॥ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਕਬਹੂੰ ਨਹ ਧਿਆਊਂ ॥ਕਾਨ ਸੁਨੇ ਪਹਿਚਾਨ ਨ ਤਿਨ ਸੋਂ ॥ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੀ ਮੋਰੀ ਪਗ ਇਨ ਸੋਂ ॥੪੩੪॥
Mai na Ganeshah(i) pritham manaaoon|| Kishan Bishan kab-hoon nah dhiaaoon|| Kaan sune paihchaan na tin son|| Liv laagimoripag in son||434||
I do not adore Ganesha in the beginning and also do not mediatate on Krishna and Vishnu; I have only heard about them with my ears and I do not recognize them; my consciousness is absorbed at the feet of the Supreme Kal.434.


ਮਹਾਕਾਲ ਰਖਵਾਰ ਹਮਾਰੋ ॥ ਮਹਾ ਲੋਹ ਮੈਂ ਕਿੰਕਰ ਥਾਰੋ ॥ ਅਪਨਾ ਜਾਨ ਕਰੋ ਰਖਵਾਰ ॥ ਬਾਹਿ ਗਹੇ ਕੀ ਲਾਜ ਬਿਚਾਰ ॥੪੩੫॥
Mahaakaal rakhvaar hamaaro|| Mahaa loh main kinkar thaaro|| Apnaa jaan karo rakhvaarr|| Baah(i) gahe kilaaj bichaar||435||
The Supreme Kal (God) is my Protector and O Steel-Purusha Lort ! I am Thy slave;


ਅਪਨਾ ਜਾਨ ਮੁਝੇ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਰੀਐ ॥ ਚੁਨ ਚੁਨ ਸ਼ੱਤੁ ਹਮਾਰੇ ਮਰੀਐ ॥ ਦੇਗ ਤੇਗ ਜਗ ਮੈ ਦੋਊ ਚਲੈ ॥ ਰਾਖ ਆਪ ਮੁਹਿ ਅਉਰੁ ਨ ਦਲੈ ॥੪੩੬॥
Apnaa jaan muje pratipareeai|| Chun chun shattru hamaare mareeai|| Deg teg jag mai dooo chalai|| Raakh aap muh(i) aur(u) ma dalai|| 436||
Sustain me, considering me as Thy own and destroy my enemies, picking them up; O Lord with Thy Grace, let the free kitchen and Sword (for the protection of the lowly) ever flourish and none should be able to kill me except You.436.



Actually the translation doesn't seem too good. Can anyone do a better job?

 

[Canuck Singh]

Line 1: Oh immortal being! Let me be your slave and thus the benefactor of countless
blessings. Let your blessed hand guide me, and instill baani in my mind and body.

Line 2: I do not praise or hail Ganesh before I start any task. (In old times, often Ganesh
would be hailed before starting any task). Nor do I let the thought of Vishnu or any
incarnations of Vishnu (i.e. Krishna) enter my mind. (Meaning Guru Gobind Singh Ji
never regarded Vishnu or any avatars as the supreme Lord; Akaal purakh, as he
states next.)

I know of their existence, but I do not ever worship them. May my prayers and
thoughts always be in the immaculate, holy feet of the Lord (the one and only).

Line 3: I pray to my protector, the one that brings death to Death (the deity ‘Klal’; which
was worshipped in the past). Oh unbreakable one, I am your slave.

Make me your slave oh Lord and watch over me. (I have come to your sanctuary) So
preserve my honour.

Line 4: Make me your own, and take care of me (as a mother does to a child). Pick out my
enemies one by one and kill them. (Guru Sahib refers Lust, Anger, Attachment,
Greed, and Arrogance as our enemies. As a true Sikh should not have enmity toward
any living creatures).

Let there be both plentiful food (Degh) and Weapons (Tegh) in this world. (So that
the righteous may restore justice and rule the land). As long as you; Oh Lord are my
protector, no other power can do anything to me.

(Translations from Copy of Sampuran Paat)

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

ਰਾਮੁ ਝੁਰੈ ਦਲ ਮੇਲਵੈ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਲੁ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ॥
raam jhurai dhal maelavai anthar bal adhhikaar ||
Raam Chand, sad at heart, assembled his army and forces.

ਬੰਤਰ ਕੀ ਸੈਨਾ ਸੇਵੀਐ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਜੁਝੁ ਅਪਾਰੁ ॥
banthar kee sainaa saeveeai man than jujh apaar ||
The army of monkeys was at his service; his mind and body became eager for war.

ਸੀਤਾ ਲੈ ਗਇਆ ਦਹਸਿਰੋ ਲਛਮਣੁ ਮੂਓ ਸਰਾਪਿ ॥
seethaa lai gaeiaa dhehasiro lashhaman mooou saraap ||
Raawan captured his wife Sita, and Lachhman was cursed to die.

ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਤਾ ਕਰਣਹਾਰੁ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖੈ ਥਾਪਿ ਉਥਾਪਿ ॥੨੫॥
naanak karathaa karanehaar kar vaekhai thhaap outhhaap ||25||
O Nanak, the Creator Lord is the Doer of all; He watches over all, and destroys what He has created. ||25||

ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਝੂਰੈ ਰਾਮਚੰਦੁ ਸੀਤਾ ਲਛਮਣ ਜੋਗੁ ॥
man mehi jhoorai raamachandh seethaa lashhaman jog ||
In his mind, Raam Chand mourned for Sita and Lachhman.

ਹਣਵੰਤਰੁ ਆਰਾਧਿਆ ਆਇਆ ਕਰਿ ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ॥
hanavanthar aaraadhhiaa aaeiaa kar sanjog ||
Then, he remembered Hanuman the monkey-god, who came to him.

ਭੂਲਾ ਦੈਤੁ ਨ ਸਮਝਈ ਤਿਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੀਏ ਕਾਮ ॥
bhoolaa dhaith n samajhee thin prabh keeeae kaam ||
The misguided demon did not understand that God is the Doer of deeds.

ਨਾਨਕ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ਸੋ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮਿਟਈ ਰਾਮ ॥੨੬॥
naanak vaeparavaahu so kirath n mittee raam ||26||
O Nanak, the actions of the Self-existent Lord cannot be erased. ||26||
~SGGS Ji p. 1412​

A little note on posting of the Dasam Granth bani, you left out the preceding tuuk, here it is:

ਤੁਮੀ ਰਾਮ ਹ੍ਵੈਕੈ ਦਸਾਗ੍ਰੀਵ ਖੰਡਯੋ ॥ ਤੁਮੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਕੰਸ ਕੇਸੀ ਬਿਹੰਡਯੋ ॥ ਤੁਮੀ ਜਾਲਪਾ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਬਿੜਾਲਾਛ ਘਾਯੋ ॥ ਤੁਮੀ ਸੁੰਭ ਸੁੰਭ ਨੈਸੁੰਭ ਦਾਨੋ ਖਪਾਯੋ ॥੪੩੨॥
Tumiraam hvaikai dasaagriv khan?yo|| TumiKrishan hvai Kans Kesibihan?yo|| Tumijaalpaa hvai bi?aalaachh ghaayo|| TumiSunbh Naisunbh daano khapaayo||432||
Thou didst kill Ravana as Ram; Thou didst kill the demon Keshi as Krishna; Thou didst annihilate the demon Biraksha as Jalapa and Thou didst destroy the demons Sumbh and Nisumbh.432.

ਦੋਹਰਾ ॥
Dohraa||
DOHRA

ਦਾਸ ਜਾਨ ਕਰਿ ਦਾਸ ਪਰਿ ਕੀਜੈ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ ਹਾਥ ਦੈ ਰਾਖ ਦੈ ਰਾਖ ਮੁਹਿ ਮਨ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਬਚਨ ਬਿਚਾਰ ॥੪੩੩॥
Daas jaan kar(i) daas par(i) keejai kripaa apaar|| Haath dai raakh muh(i) man kram bachan bichaar||433||
Considering me as Thy slave, be Gracius towards me and keep Thy hand over my head and protect me with Thy mind, action, speech and thought.433.

ਚੌਪਈ ॥
Chaupaee
CHUPAI

ਮੈ ਨ ਗਨੇਸ਼ਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਮਨਾਊਂ ॥ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਕਬਹੂੰ ਨਹ ਧਿਆਊਂ ॥ਕਾਨ ਸੁਨੇ ਪਹਿਚਾਨ ਨ ਤਿਨ ਸੋਂ ॥ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੀ ਮੋਰੀ ਪਗ ਇਨ ਸੋਂ ॥੪੩੪॥
Mai na Ganeshah(i) pritham manaaoon|| Kishan Bishan kab-hoon nah dhiaaoon|| Kaan sune paihchaan na tin son|| Liv laagimoripag in son||434||
I do not adore Ganesha in the beginning and also do not mediatate on Krishna and Vishnu; I have only heard about them with my ears and I do not recognize them; my consciousness is absorbed at the feet of the Supreme Kal (the Immanent Brahman).434.
​

If you add in the first tuuk, it is claiming "Thou" did kill the demons as Ram and Krishna. Who is this "Thou?"

ਏਕ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨੰ ਸਰਬ ਦੇਵਾ ਦੇਵ ਦੇਵਾ ਤ ਆਤਮਾ ॥
eaek kirasanan sarab dhaevaa dhaev dhaevaa th aathamaa ||
The One Lord Krishna is the Divine Lord of all; He is the Divinity of the individual soul.

ਆਤਮਾ ਬਾਸੁਦੇਵਸ੍ਯ੍ਯਿ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ਭੇਉ ॥ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਦਾਸੁ ਹੈ ਸੋਈ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦੇਉ ॥੪॥
aathamaa baasudhaevasiy jae ko jaanai bhaeo || naanak thaa kaa dhaas hai soee niranjan dhaeo ||4||
Nanak is a slave to anyone who understands this mystery of the all-pervading Lord; he himself is the Immaculate Divine Lord. ||4||
~SGGS Ji p. 469​

ਲੋਚਨ ਹੈ ਜਿਨ ਕੇ ਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾ ਧਰ ਆਨਨ ਹੈ ਜਿਨ ਕੋ ਸਮ ਮੈਨਾ ॥ ਕੈਕੈ ਕਟਾਛ ਚੁਰਾਇ ਲਯੋ ਮਨ ਪੈ ਤਿਨ ਕੋ ਜੋਊ ਰੱਛਕ ਧੈਨਾ
Lochan hai jin ke su prabhaa dhar aanan hai jin ko sam mainaa|| Kai-kai kataachh churaae layo man pai tin ko jooo rachchhak dhaeenaa||
They, whose eyes are like lotus and the remaining body like the god of love, their mind has been stolen by Krishna the protector of cows, with signs;
~Shri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji p. 763​

ਆਪੇ ਗੋਪੀ ਕਾਨੁ ਹੈ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਬਨਿ ਆਪੇ ਗਊ ਚਰਾਹਾ ॥
aapae gopee kaan hai piaaraa ban aapae goo charaahaa ||
The Beloved Himself is the milk-maid and Krishna; He Himself herds the cows in the woods.

ਆਪੇ ਸਾਵਲ ਸੁੰਦਰਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਵੰਸੁ ਵਜਾਹਾ ॥
aapae saaval sundharaa piaaraa aapae vans vajaahaa ||
The Beloved Himself is the blue-skinned, handsome one; He Himself plays on His flute.

ਕੁਵਲੀਆ ਪੀੜੁ ਆਪਿ ਮਰਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਕਰਿ ਬਾਲਕ ਰੂਪਿ ਪਚਾਹਾ ॥੨॥
kuvaleeaa peerr aap maraaeidhaa piaaraa kar baalak roop pachaahaa ||2||
The Beloved Himself took the form of a child, and destroyed Kuwalia-peer, the mad elephant. ||2||

ਆਪਿ ਅਖਾੜਾ ਪਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖੈ ਆਪਿ ਚੋਜਾਹਾ ॥
aap akhaarraa paaeidhaa piaaraa kar vaekhai aap chojaahaa ||
The Beloved Himself sets the stage; He performs the plays, and He Himself watches them.

ਕਰਿ ਬਾਲਕ ਰੂਪ ਉਪਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਚੰਡੂਰੁ ਕੰਸੁ ਕੇਸੁ ਮਾਰਾਹਾ ॥
kar baalak roop oupaaeidhaa piaaraa chanddoor kans kaes maaraahaa ||
The Beloved Himself assumed the form of the child, and killed the demons Chandoor, Kansa and Kaysee.

ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਬਲੁ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਬਲੁ ਭੰਨੈ ਮੂਰਖ ਮੁਗਧਾਹਾ ॥੩॥
aapae hee bal aap hai piaaraa bal bhannai moorakh mugadhhaahaa ||3||
The Beloved Himself, by Himself, is the embodiment of power; He shatters the power of the fools and idiots. ||3||

ਸਭੁ ਆਪੇ ਜਗਤੁ ਉਪਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਵਸਿ ਆਪੇ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਹਥਾਹਾ ॥
sabh aapae jagath oupaaeidhaa piaaraa vas aapae jugath hathhaahaa ||
The Beloved Himself created the whole world. In His hands He holds the power of the ages.
~SGGS Ji p. 606
​

ਹਰਿ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮ ਮੇਰੇ ਬਾਬੋਲਾ ਪਿਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਧਨ ਵੇਲ ਵਧੰਦੀ ॥
har raam raam maerae baabolaa pir mil dhhan vael vadhhandhee ||
The Lord, Raam, Raam, is All-pervading, O my father. Meeting her Husband Lord, the soul-bride blossoms forth like the flourishing vine.
~SGGS Ji p. 79​

ਕ੍ਰਿਸ੍ਨਾ ਤੇ ਜਾਨਊ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਚੰਤੀ ਨਾਚਨਾ ॥੧॥
kirasaa thae jaanoo har har naachanthee naachanaa ||1||
Know that, through Krishna, the Lord, Har, Har, the dance of creation dances. ||1||

ਪਹਿਲ ਪੁਰਸਾਬਿਰਾ ॥
pehil purasaabiraa ||
First of all, there was only the Primal Being.

ਅਥੋਨ ਪੁਰਸਾਦਮਰਾ ॥
athhon purasaadhamaraa ||
From that Primal Being, Maya was produced.

ਅਸਗਾ ਅਸ ਉਸਗਾ ॥
asagaa as ousagaa ||
All that is, is His.
~SGGS Ji p. 693​

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹੇਸੁ ਦੇਵ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥
brehamaa bisan mehaes dhaev oupaaeiaa ||
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the deities were created.

ਬ੍ਰਹਮੇ ਦਿਤੇ ਬੇਦ ਪੂਜਾ ਲਾਇਆ ॥
brehamae dhithae baedh poojaa laaeiaa ||
Brahma was given the Vedas, and enjoined to worship God.

ਦਸ ਅਵਤਾਰੀ ਰਾਮੁ ਰਾਜਾ ਆਇਆ ॥
dhas avathaaree raam raajaa aaeiaa ||
The ten incarnations, and Rama the king, came into being.

ਦੈਤਾ ਮਾਰੇ ਧਾਇ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਸਬਾਇਆ ॥
dhaithaa maarae dhhaae hukam sabaaeiaa ||
According to His Will, they quickly killed all the demons.

ਈਸ ਮਹੇਸੁਰੁ ਸੇਵ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
ees mehaesur saev thinhee anth n paaeiaa ||
Shiva serves Him, but cannot find His limits.
~SGGS Ji p. 1279​

And where it says "I do not adore Ganesha, I do not meditate on Krishna and Vishnu and I do not recognize them, my consciousness is absorped at the feet of Supreme Brahman." The tuuk is subordinating first the demons to the power and might of Ram and Krishna, and then subordinating Ram and Krishna to the Supreme Brahman which is nirguna pervading within all created forms and manifesting as powerful Jyot in sargun forms of das avtaaras. This is the teaching found in Vedas and Upanishads, that the nirguna is the Supreme unmanifested, formless God. And that this formlessness is incomprehensible to ordinary human consciousness, so sargun manifestation was needed for people to be able to perceive, chant a name, etc. So look at the names for God in Vaheguru Gurmantara.

"The ignorant believe that un-manifest Para Brahma (One God) incarnates or takes manifestations, because they do not completely understand My highest, immutable, incomparable, and transcendental existence." ~Bhagavat Gita 7-24​

ਈਸਰੁ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਸੇਵਦੇ ਅੰਤੁ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਨ ਲਹੀਆ ॥
eesar brehamaa saevadhae anth thinhee n leheeaa ||
Those who serve Shiva and Brahma do not find the limits of the Lord.
~SGGS Ji p. 516​

"All those who do idol worship, All those who worship demigods are materialistic people." ~Bhagavat Gita 7:19-21​

"The devotee interested in pure devotion to the Lord, and initiated with Vaisnava mantra should never worship Ganesa and other devatas." ~Padma Purana​

"Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the lokas of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme loka." ~Bhagavat Gita 7:23​

ekam sad viprā bahudhā vadantya
"Truth is One, but sages call it by many names."
~Veda,1:164:46​

ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਆਕਾਰ ਆਪਿ ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਸਰਗੁਨ ਏਕ ॥
nirankaar aakaar aap niragun saragun eaek ||
He Himself is formless, and also formed; the One Lord is without attributes, and also with attributes.

ਏਕਹਿ ਏਕ ਬਖਾਨਨੋ ਨਾਨਕ ਏਕ ਅਨੇਕ ॥੧॥
eaekehi eaek bakhaanano naanak eaek anaek ||1||
Describe the One Lord as One, and Only One; O Nanak, He is the One, and the many. ||1||
~SGGS Ji p. 250​

"The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second." ~Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 Verse 32​

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਏਕੋ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥
anthar baahar har prabh eaeko dhoojaa avar n koee ||
Inwardly and outwardly, they saw only the One Lord God; for them there was no other second. ~SGGS Ji p. 445​

brahma satyam jagan mithya
jivo brahmaiva napara

Brahman is the Reality, the universe is an illusion,
The living being is Brahman alone, none else.
~Shankara​

ਸਤਿਜੁਗਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਵਾਸਦੇਵ ਵਵਾ ਵਿਸਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
satijugi satigur vaasadayv vavaa visanaa naamu japaavai|
In Satyug, Visnu in the form of Vasudev is said to have incarnated and ‘V’ Of Vahiguru reminds of Visnu.

ਦੁਆਪਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਹਾਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
duaapari satigur haree krisan haahaa hari hari naamu japaavai|
The true Guru of dvapar is said to be Harikrsna and ‘H’ of Vahiguru reminds of Hari.

ਤੇਤੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਰਾਮ ਜੀ ਰਾਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਜਪੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ।
taytay satigur raam jee raaraa raam japay sukhu paavai|
In the the treta was Ram and ‘R’ of Vahiguru tells that rembering Ram will produce joy and happiness.

ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗਗਾ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਲਾਵੈ ।
kalijugi naanak gur gobind gagaa gobind naamu alaavai|
In kalijug, Gobind is in the form of Nanak and ‘G’ of Vahiguru gets Govind recited.

ਚਾਰੇ ਜਾਗੇ ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗੀ ਪੰਚਾਇਣ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਾਇ ਸਮਾਵੈ ।
chaaray jaagay chahu jugee panchaain vichi jaai samaavai|
The recitations o f all the four ages subsume in Panchayan i.e. in the soul of the common man.

ਚਾਰੋ ਅਛਰ ਇਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਵਾਹਗੁਰੂ ਜਪੁ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
chaaro achhar iku kari vaahaguroo japu mantr japaavai|
When joining four letters Vahiguru is remembered,

ਜਹਾ ਤੇ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਫਿਰਿ ਤਹਾ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥੪੯॥੧॥
jahaa tay upajiaa dhiri tahaa samaavai ॥49॥1॥
The jiv merges again in its origin.
~Vaar 1 Pauri 49 of Vaaran Bhai Gurdas Ji​

Consider the nirguna and sarguna when trying to reconcile the tuuks of Gurbani below.

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮਚੰਦ ਜਿਸੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਰੇਖਿਆ ॥
sree raamachandh jis roop n raekhiaa ||
You are the Great Raam Chand, who has no form or feature.

ਬਨਵਾਲੀ ਚਕ੍ਰਪਾਣਿ ਦਰਸਿ ਅਨੂਪਿਆ ॥
banavaalee chakrapaan dharas anoopiaa ||
Adorned with flowers, holding the chakra in Your hand, Your form is incomparably beautiful.

ਸਹਸ ਨੇਤ੍ਰ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਹੈ ਸਹਸਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸਭ ਹੈ ਮੰਗਾ ॥੪॥
sehas naethr moorath hai sehasaa eik dhaathaa sabh hai mangaa ||4||
You have thousands of eyes, and thousands of forms. You alone are the Giver, and all are beggars of You. ||4||

ਭਗਤਿ ਵਛਲੁ ਅਨਾਥਹ ਨਾਥੇ ॥
bhagath vashhal anaathheh naathhae ||
You are the Lover of Your devotees, the Master of the masterless.

ਗੋਪੀ ਨਾਥੁ ਸਗਲ ਹੈ ਸਾਥੇ ॥
gopee naathh sagal hai saathhae ||
The Lord and Master of the milk-maids, You are the companion of all.

ਬਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦਾਤੇ ਬਰਨਿ ਨ ਸਾਕਉ ਗੁਣ ਅੰਗਾ ॥੫॥
baasudhaev niranjan dhaathae baran n saako gun angaa ||5||
O Lord, Immacuate Great Giver, I cannot describe even an iota of Your Glorious Virtues.
~SGGS Ji p. 1082​

Vasudeva: (Sanskrit: वसुदेव) "the root 'vas' means to dwell or to shine." The indwelling Lord of all beings, Sri Krsna who resides everywhere and in all things. Lord Krishna, as the son of Vasudeva, the Lord whose manifestation all this world is.

ਨ ਸੰਖੰ ਨ ਚਕ੍ਰੰ ਨ ਗਦਾ ਨ ਸਿਆਮੰ ॥
n sankhan n chakran n gadhaa n siaaman ||
God has no conch-shell, no religious mark, no paraphernalia; he does not have blue skin.

ਅਸ੍ਚਰਜ ਰੂਪੰ ਰਹੰਤ ਜਨਮੰ ॥
ascharaj roopan rehanth janaman ||
His Form is Wondrous and Amazing. He is beyond incarnation.

ਨੇਤ ਨੇਤ ਕਥੰਤਿ ਬੇਦਾ ॥
naeth naeth kathhanth baedhaa ||
The Vedas say that He is not this, and not that.
~SGGS Ji p. 1359​

ਨਿਰਾਹਾਰੀ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥
niraahaaree niravair samaaeiaa ||
He is beyond need of any sustenance, free of hate and all-pervading.

ਧਾਰਿ ਖੇਲੁ ਚਤੁਰਭੁਜੁ ਕਹਾਇਆ ॥
dhhaar khael chathurabhuj kehaaeiaa ||
He has staged His play; He is called the four-armed Lord.

ਸਾਵਲ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਰੂਪ ਬਣਾਵਹਿ ਬੇਣੁ ਸੁਨਤ ਸਭ ਮੋਹੈਗਾ ॥੯॥
saaval sundhar roop banaavehi baen sunath sabh mohaigaa ||9||
He assumed the beautiful form of the blue-skinned Krishna; hearing His flute, all are fascinated and enticed. ||9||

ਬਨਮਾਲਾ ਬਿਭੂਖਨ ਕਮਲ ਨੈਨ ॥
banamaalaa bibhookhan kamal nain ||
He is adorned with garlands of flowers, with lotus eyes.

ਸੁੰਦਰ ਕੁੰਡਲ ਮੁਕਟ ਬੈਨ ॥
sundhar kunddal mukatt bain ||
His ear-rings, crown and flute are so beautiful.

ਸੰਖ ਚਕ੍ਰ ਗਦਾ ਹੈ ਧਾਰੀ ਮਹਾ ਸਾਰਥੀ ਸਤਸੰਗਾ ॥੧੦॥
sankh chakr gadhaa hai dhhaaree mehaa saarathhee sathasangaa ||10||
He carries the conch, the chakra and the war club; He is the Great Charioteer, who stays with His Saints. ||10||

ਪੀਤ ਪੀਤੰਬਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਧਣੀ ॥
peeth peethanbar thribhavan dhhanee ||
The Lord of yellow robes, the Master of the three worlds.

ਜਗੰਨਾਥੁ ਗੋਪਾਲੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਭਣੀ ॥
jagannaathh gopaal mukh bhanee ||
The Lord of the Universe, the Lord of the world; with my mouth, I chant His Name.
~SGGS Ji p. 1082​

In the years after the passing of Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikhs were engaged in battles and struggles, due to which they could not prepare the Dasam Granth in proper form. With the beginning of the Singh Sabha movement in the late nineteenth century, scholars directed their attention toward the religious scriptures and Sikh history. The Gurmat Granth Parcharak Sabha Amritsar collected 32 copies of the Dasam Granth. After five years of deliberations in the second floor of Sri Akal Takht, Amritsar, these eminent scholars clarified the differences in the birs and published their report in 1897 A.D. In accordance with that report, the present form of the Dasam Granth came into existence.
The Dasam Granth: Library: 1897 Report

Many Sikhs think the Shri Dasam Granth has been collectively put together by Hindus antagonistic to the Sikh Panth. The reality is the present compilation was put together by Singh Sabhia reformers. It's entirely possible for interpretive error or bias in translation to occur, but until some years or decades more pass and the dialect in which Dasam Granth bani is written in can be more commonly analyzed, we have to accept the version we have. I am no scholar of Braj so I can't refute anything. But I do know that from the original birs, there are 32 known copies with some variation and differences. I trust the scholars of Singh Sabhia were extremely qualified, but it does suggest possibility of some degree of inadvertent bias, as the primary motive of Singh Sabhia reform was to emphasize Sikh identity and independance from Hindu religion.

Sanatan Singh Sabha is the original Singh Sabha formed in 1873 by Sikhs in Amritsar [1] The Sanatan Sikhs regard Classical Sikhism as Sikhs to be a wider denomination of Sanatan Dharma by one who practices karma and bhakti [of God] in any way for the achievement of Moksha, or spiritual liberation.

As a purely political reaction to the formation of the Sanatan Singh Sabha, a second Singh Sabha was formed and named the Tat Khalsa ('True' Khalsa) by The Governing British Administration based at Lahore in 1879 [also called Lahore Singh Sabha]. The British Raj utilized the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabhia Sikhs to apply their ‘divide and rule’ policy which sought to negate Sanatan Sikhism in the name of ‘reform’ whereas Sanatan Sikhism is predominantly inclusive, the Tat Khalsa is not.

While Max Arthur McAuliffe achieved the position of Deputy Commissioner in Punjab in 1882, Macauliffe wrote the popular Tat Khalsa text. ‘It is admitted that a knowledge of the religions of the people of India is a desideratum for the British officials who administer its affairs and indirectly for the people who are governed by them so that mutual sympathy may be produced. It seems, at any rate politic to place before the Sikh soldiery their Guru’s prophecies in favor of the English and the texts of their sacred writings which foster their loyalty.’ ‘The Sikh Religion’,1909, M.A. Macauliffe, Preface xxii

From the above quote, it is clear that one of the main objectives for Macauliffe was to inculcate loyalty within Sikhs for the British Raj. At the time, the Sanatan Sikh Raj had been displaced by the British Raj, and as such, Sanatan Sikhs, especially the Akali Nihangs, were naturally very hostile towards the British.
Singh Sabh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ਧਰਣੀਧਰ ਈਸ ਨਰਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ॥
dhharaneedhhar ees narasingh naaraaein ||
The Support of the Earth, the man-lion, the Supreme Lord God.

ਦਾੜਾ ਅਗ੍ਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮਿ ਧਰਾਇਣ ॥
dhaarraa agrae prithham dhharaaein ||
The Protector who tears apart demons with His teeth, the Upholder of the earth.

ਬਾਵਨ ਰੂਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਤੁਧੁ ਕਰਤੇ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਸੇਤੀ ਹੈ ਚੰਗਾ ॥੩॥
baavan roop keeaa thudhh karathae sabh hee saethee hai changaa ||3||
O Creator, You assumed the form of the pygmy to humble the demons; You are the Lord God of all. ||3||

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮਚੰਦ ਜਿਸੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਰੇਖਿਆ ॥
sree raamachandh jis roop n raekhiaa ||
You are the Great Raam Chand, who has no form or feature.

ਬਨਵਾਲੀ ਚਕ੍ਰਪਾਣਿ ਦਰਸਿ ਅਨੂਪਿਆ ॥
banavaalee chakrapaan dharas anoopiaa ||
Adorned with flowers, holding the chakra in Your hand, Your form is incomparably beautiful.

ਸਹਸ ਨੇਤ੍ਰ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਹੈ ਸਹਸਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸਭ ਹੈ ਮੰਗਾ ॥੪॥
sehas naethr moorath hai sehasaa eik dhaathaa sabh hai mangaa ||4||
You have thousands of eyes, and thousands of forms. You alone are the Giver, and all are beggars of You. ||4||

ਭਗਤਿ ਵਛਲੁ ਅਨਾਥਹ ਨਾਥੇ ॥
bhagath vashhal anaathheh naathhae ||
You are the Lover of Your devotees, the Master of the masterless.

ਗੋਪੀ ਨਾਥੁ ਸਗਲ ਹੈ ਸਾਥੇ ॥
gopee naathh sagal hai saathhae ||
The Lord and Master of the milk-maids, You are the companion of all.

ਬਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦਾਤੇ ਬਰਨਿ ਨ ਸਾਕਉ ਗੁਣ ਅੰਗਾ ॥੫॥
baasudhaev niranjan dhaathae baran n saako gun angaa ||5||
O Lord, Immacuate Great Giver, I cannot describe even an iota of Your Glorious Virtues. ||5||

ਮੁਕੰਦ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਲਖਮੀ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ॥
mukandh manohar lakhamee naaraaein ||
Liberator, Enticing Lord, Lord of Lakshmi, Supreme Lord God.

ਦ੍ਰੋਪਤੀ ਲਜਾ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ਉਧਾਰਣ ॥
dhropathee lajaa nivaar oudhhaaran ||
Savior of Dropadi's honor.

ਕਮਲਾਕੰਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਕੰਤੂਹਲ ਅਨਦ ਬਿਨੋਦੀ ਨਿਹਸੰਗਾ ॥੬॥
kamalaakanth karehi kanthoohal anadh binodhee nihasangaa ||6||
Lord of Maya, miracle-worker, absorbed in delightful play, unattached. ||6||

ਅਮੋਘ ਦਰਸਨ ਆਜੂਨੀ ਸੰਭਉ ॥
amogh dharasan aajoonee sanbho ||
The Blessed Vision of His Darshan is fruitful and rewarding; He is not born, He is self-existent.

ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਜਿਸੁ ਕਦੇ ਨਾਹੀ ਖਉ ॥
akaal moorath jis kadhae naahee kho ||
His form is undying; it is never destroyed.

ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਅਬਿਗਤ ਅਗੋਚਰ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਤੁਝ ਹੀ ਹੈ ਲਗਾ ॥੭॥
abinaasee abigath agochar sabh kishh thujh hee hai lagaa ||7||
O imperishable, eternal, unfathomable Lord, everything is attached to You. ||7||

ਸ੍ਰੀਰੰਗ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੇ ਵਾਸੀ ॥
sreerang baikunth kae vaasee ||
The Lover of greatness, who dwells in heaven.

ਮਛੁ ਕਛੁ ਕੂਰਮੁ ਆਗਿਆ ਅਉਤਰਾਸੀ ॥
mashh kashh kooram aagiaa aoutharaasee ||
By the Pleasure of His Will, He took incarnation as the great fish and the tortoise.

ਕੇਸਵ ਚਲਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਰਾਲੇ ਕੀਤਾ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਸੋ ਹੋਇਗਾ ॥੮॥
kaesav chalath karehi niraalae keethaa lorrehi so hoeigaa ||8||
The Lord of beauteous hair, the Worker of miraculous deeds, whatever He wishes, comes to pass. ||8||

ਨਿਰਾਹਾਰੀ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥
niraahaaree niravair samaaeiaa ||
He is beyond need of any sustenance, free of hate and all-pervading.

ਧਾਰਿ ਖੇਲੁ ਚਤੁਰਭੁਜੁ ਕਹਾਇਆ ॥
dhhaar khael chathurabhuj kehaaeiaa ||
He has staged His play; He is called the four-armed Lord.

ਸਾਵਲ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਰੂਪ ਬਣਾਵਹਿ ਬੇਣੁ ਸੁਨਤ ਸਭ ਮੋਹੈਗਾ ॥੯॥
saaval sundhar roop banaavehi baen sunath sabh mohaigaa ||9||
He assumed the beautiful form of the blue-skinned Krishna; hearing His flute, all are fascinated and enticed. ||9||

ਬਨਮਾਲਾ ਬਿਭੂਖਨ ਕਮਲ ਨੈਨ ॥
banamaalaa bibhookhan kamal nain ||
He is adorned with garlands of flowers, with lotus eyes.

ਸੁੰਦਰ ਕੁੰਡਲ ਮੁਕਟ ਬੈਨ ॥
sundhar kunddal mukatt bain ||
His ear-rings, crown and flute are so beautiful.

ਸੰਖ ਚਕ੍ਰ ਗਦਾ ਹੈ ਧਾਰੀ ਮਹਾ ਸਾਰਥੀ ਸਤਸੰਗਾ ॥੧੦॥
sankh chakr gadhaa hai dhhaaree mehaa saarathhee sathasangaa ||10||
He carries the conch, the chakra and the war club; He is the Great Charioteer, who stays with His Saints. ||10||

ਪੀਤ ਪੀਤੰਬਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਧਣੀ ॥
peeth peethanbar thribhavan dhhanee ||
The Lord of yellow robes, the Master of the three worlds.

ਜਗੰਨਾਥੁ ਗੋਪਾਲੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਭਣੀ ॥
jagannaathh gopaal mukh bhanee ||
The Lord of the Universe, the Lord of the world; with my mouth, I chant His Name.
~SGGS Ji p. 1082​

"Keshava is another name of Krishna, which means the One with beautiful hair."
More - Spiritual names meaning

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

ਮਨ ਪਿਆਰਿਆ ਜੀਉ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮਾਲੇ ॥
man piaariaa jeeo mithraa gobindh naam samaalae ||
O dear beloved mind, my friend, reflect upon the Name of the Lord of the Universe.
~SGGS Ji p. 79​

ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਹੁ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਗੋਪਾਲ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਮਾਧੋ ॥੧॥
binavanth naanak karahu kirapaa gopaal gobindh maadhho ||1||
Prays Nanak, please be Merciful to me, O Cherisher of the world, Lord of the Universe, Lord of wealth. ||1||
~SGGS Ji p. 248​

Govinda and Gopāla are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. Both names translate to "cowherd". Sanskrit go means "cow"; pāla and vinda form tatpurusha compounds, literally translating to "finder of cows" and "protector of cows", respectively. The story of how Krishna was given the name Govinda is described in detail in the Vishnu Purana. After lifting Govardhan hill to protect the villagers and cows of Vrindavan, the lord of devas Indra awarded him the title.
Govinda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ਤੂੰ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬੇਅੰਤੁ ਬੇਅੰਤੁ ਜੀ ਤੇਰੇ ਕਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਆਖਿ ਵਖਾਣਾ ॥
thoon paarabreham baeanth baeanth jee thaerae kiaa gun aakh vakhaanaa ||
You are the Supreme Lord God, Limitless and Infinite. What Virtues of Yours can I speak of and describe?
~SGGS Ji p. 11​

"Brahman is the Absolute Truth: it is pure existence, consciousness and knowledge. In this sense, the attributeless Brahman is called Parabrahman, where the Sanskrit prefix para- denotes "ultimate". It is the supreme bliss. Parabrahman does not exist (sic); it is existence itself. It is not all-knowing (sic); it is knowledge itself. It is the object of meditation, rather than the object of worship. According to the probably most influential Hindu philosophy: Advaita Vedanta, nothing in the universe truly exists except Parabrahman...

Thus, Brahman is conceived of as the very essence of existence and knowledge, Which pervades the entire universe, including every living being."
Shri Sanatan Mandir

ਜਿਸ ਤੇ ਉਪਜੈ ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਸਚੁ ਭਰਪੂਰਿ ॥
jis thae oupajai this thae binasai ghatt ghatt sach bharapoor ||
We shall merge into the One from whom we came. The True One is pervading each and every heart.
~SGGS Ji p. 20​

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵਰਤੈ ਸਭੁ ਆਪੇ ਸਚਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਉਪਾਇ ਸਮਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥
guramukh varathai sabh aapae sachaa guramukh oupaae samaavaniaa ||1||
The Gurmukh knows that the True Lord is all-pervading. The Gurmukh understands creation and merger. ||1||
~SGGS Ji p. 117​

ਰਜ ਗੁਣ ਤਮ ਗੁਣ ਸਤ ਗੁਣ ਕਹੀਐ ਇਹ ਤੇਰੀ ਸਭ ਮਾਇਆ ॥
raj gun tham gun sath gun keheeai eih thaeree sabh maaeiaa ||
Raajas, the quality of energy and activity; Taamas, the quality of darkness and inertia; and Satvas, the quality of purity and light, are all called the creations of Maya, Your illusion.

ਚਉਥੇ ਪਦ ਕਉ ਜੋ ਨਰੁ ਚੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਹੀ ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
chouthhae padh ko jo nar cheenhai thinh hee param padh paaeiaa ||2||
That man who realizes the fourth state - he alone obtains the supreme state. ||2||
~SGGS Ji p. 1123​

Chauthaa Pada or Turiya Avasthaa:
The Mandukya Upanishad defines turiya as: "The fourth state is not that which is conscious of the subjective, nor that which is conscious of the objective, nor that which is conscious of both, nor that which is simple consciousness, nor that which is all-sentient mass, nor that which is all darkness. It is unseen, transcendent, the sole essence of the consciousness of self, the completion of the world."

The Bhagavata Purana, verse 11.15.16[3] describes Bhagavan as turiyakhye (the fourth), defined in the Bhagavad Gita, verse 7.3 as: "Within the material world the Lord appears as the three Visnus (gunas). The original form of the Lord is another form still. He is beyond material nature and thus known as the fourth."
Turiya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From this comes Sâttva and then Râjas and Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’a are of the nature of the three gunas. Brahmâ has the Râjo guna in Him preponderating; in Visnu, the Sâttva guna preponderates and in Mahes’a, the Cause of all Causes, is said to reside the Tâmo guna. Brahmâ is known as of the Gross Body; Visnu is known as of the Subtle Body; and Rudra is known as of the Causal Body and I am known as Turîya, transcending the Gunas. This Turîya Form of Mine is called the state of equilibrium of the Gunas. It is the Inner Controller of all. Beyond this there is another state of Mine which is called the Formless Brahmâ (Brâhman having no Forms). Know, verily, that my Forms are two, as they are with or without attributes (Saguna or Nirguna). That which is beyond Mâyâ and the Mâyic qualities is called Nirguna (without Prâkritic attributes) and that which is within Mâyâ is called Saguna. O Indra! After creating this universe, I enter within that as the Inner Controller of all and it is I that impel all the Jîvas always to their due efforts and actions. Know, verily, that It is I that engage Brahmâ, Visnu and Rudra, the causes of the several works of creation, preservation and destruction of this universe (they are performing their functions by My Command). ~Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, bk 12, ch. 8
The Highest Shakti (Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam, Book Twelve, Chapter 8)

~Bhul chak maaf karni ji

 

[Sikh80]

Hinduism the mother of sikhism: Is it True
Dear Dalsingh/pk70 ji and all my welll wishers

I am grateful to dalsingh and Harjas ji for her valuable contribution and above all to aad ji for helping me in her own ways that even cannot be acknowledged.
I do acknowledge with with gratitude the contribution of namjap ji.
May he/she be Blessed.

We are all Sikhs or are becoming. If a member is slow and is requesting for information or have a query it is your duty as senior members to reply to that so that the doubts are removed and things are worked out in amicable manner.But then we have choices that are governed.It is your prerogative to answer the doubts or leave them aside simply because the word Hindu is not palatable to sikhs. There is a uniformity of opinion esp. of the sikhs living in UK.
I am quoting the following from:
Shri Sanatan Mandir

The variuos satar of Bani have been inserted to show the similarities to the extent of almost cent percent between the two.

Hinduism ( Hindu Dharma, also known as Sanatana Dharma) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism encompasses many religious beliefs, traditions, practices, and denominations. Most Hindus believe in a One Supreme Cosmic Spirit called Brahman that may be worshiped in many forms, represented by individual deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti.

This has been admitted so in the Bani as well.


guru eIsru guru gorKu brmw guru pwrbqI mweI ] (2-9, jpu, mÚ 1)
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.

gurmuiK nwdM gurmuiK vydM gurmuiK rihAw smweI ] (2-8, jpu, mÚ 1)
The Guru's Word is the Sound-current of the Naad; the Guru's Word is the Wisdom of the Vedas; the Guru's Word is all-pervading.

The Persian term Hindu is derived from Sindhu (Sanskrit: Sindhu, i.e. the Indus River in particular, or any river in general). In the Rig Veda�the foundation of Hinduism�the Indo-Aryans mention their land as Sapta Sindhu (the land of the seven rivers of the northwestern Indian subcontinent, one of them being the Indus). This corresponds to Hapta-Hendu in the Avesta (Vendidad: Fargard 1.18)-the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism of Iran. The term was used for people who lived in the Indian subcontinent around or beyond the Sindhu.


The Persian term was borrowed by the Ancient Greeks as Indos, Indikos "Indian", from which was derived the name India, Indianus in Latin. Hinduism centers around a variety of practices that are meant to help one experience the Divinity that is everywhere and realize the true nature of the Self and is beyond description.

Bani admits so in the following as well.There are many other tuks that state the same thing at various other places as well.

jy hau jwxw AwKw nwhI khxw kQnu n jweI ] (2-9, jpu, mÚ 1)
Even knowing God, I cannot describe Him; He cannot be described in words.

bolY eIsru siq srUpu ] (952-14, rwmklI, mÚ 1)
Says Eeshar, the Lord is the embodiment of Truth.

prm qMq mih ryK n rUpu ]2] (952-14, rwmklI, mÚ 1)
The supreme essence of reality has no shape or form. ||2||

It is the same recognition of the fact stated above. What is the true nature or the self has been answered by the bani in the following format.

bolY crptu siq srUpu ] (953-1, rwmklI, mÚ 1)
Says Charpat, God is the embodiment of Truth;

prm qMq mih ryK n rUpu ]5] (953-1, rwmklI, mÚ 1)
the supreme essence of reality has no shape or form. ||5


Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, with approximately 1 billion adherents (2005 figure), of whom about 890 million live in India. Other countries with large Hindu populations include Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Considered to be the oldest extant religion in the world, Hinduism has no single founder and is based on a number of religious texts developed over many centuries that contain spiritual insights and practical guidance for religious life. Among such texts, the Vedas are the most ancient, and theoretically the most sacred and supreme scriptural authority. Other important scriptures include Upanishads (which are part of the Vedas), the eighteen Puranas and the epics: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, which is contained within the Mahabharata, is a widely studied scripture that is seen as summarizing the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.
Core Concepts

Modern Hinduism evolved from the ancient Vedic tradition (Vaidika parampara). Prominent themes in Hinduism include Dharma (individual ethics, duties and obligations), Samsara (rebirth), Karma (right action), and Moksha (salvation). Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all share some traits in common with Hinduism (which is sometimes specifically called Orthodox Hinduism when contrasted with its associated, but non-Vedic faiths), as all these religions originated in India, and all focus on self-improvement with the ultimate aim of attaining personal spiritual experience (recognizing the "personal" as an integral element of the universal).
Brahman

According to the monotheistic and pantheistic theologies of Hinduism, God (the Supreme Being) is, in the highest sense, One: beyond form, infinite, and eternal. God is changeless and is the very source of consciousness. Swami Vivekananda

Bani admits the above as well:

srby smwxw Awip suAwmI gurmuiK prgtu hoieAw ] (542-12, ibhwgVw, mÚ 5)
The Lord and Master Himself is pervading everywhere; through the Guru, He is revealed.


jh dyKw qh riv rhy isv skqI kw mylu ] (21-4, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)
Wherever I look, I see the Lord pervading there, in the union of Shiva and Shakti, of consciousness and matter.

[Image not produced here]
Swami Vivekananda, shown here practicing meditation, was a Hindu sanyasin (monk) recognized for his inspiring lectures on spiritual topics such as bhakti yoga, karma yoga, raja yoga, and jnana yoga. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission, which today conducts religious teaching and philanthropic activities worldwide.

God is beyond time, space, and causation and yet permeates everything and every being.
God is beyond gender.

jil Qil mhIAil pUirAw rivAw ivic vxw ] (133-13, mwJ, mÚ 5)
The Lord is totally pervading the water, the land, and all space. He is contained in the forests as well.


nwnk iqsu bilhwrxY jil Qil mhIAil soie ]1] (276-18, gauVI suKmnI, mÚ 5)
O Nanak, I am a sacrifice to the One, who pervades the waters, the lands, the sky and all space. ||1||

When God is thought of as this infinite principle, God is called Brahman . Brahman is the indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient, omnipresent, original, first, eternal and absolute principle�the Supreme Cosmic Spirit�who is without a beginning, without an end , who is hidden in all and who is the cause, source, material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to happen in the entire universe. Brahman is the Absolute Truth: it is pure existence, consciousness and knowledge.

kQnu n jwie AkQu suAwmI sdkY jwie nwnku vwirAw ]5]1]3] (81-13, isrIrwgu, mÚ 5)
Our Indescribable Lord and Master cannot be described. Nanak is devoted, forever a sacrifice to Him. ||5||1||3||

jwnnhwr pRBU prbIn ] (269-8, gauVI suKmnI, mÚ 5)
The Omniscient Lord God is the Knower of all.

sB jg mih vrqY eyko soeI ] (1054-4, mwrU, mÚ 3)
The One Lord is pervasive throughout all the world.

qU sdw slwmiq inrMkwr ]16] (3-18, jpu, mÚ 1)
You, Eternal and Formless One! ||16||


inrguxu srguxu hir hir myrw koeI hY jIau Awix imlwvY jIau ]1] (98-2,)
My Lord, Har, Har, is both absolute and related, unmanifest and manifest; is there anyone who can come and unite me with Him? ||1||

sBnI GtI shu vsY sh ibnu Gtu n koie ] (1412-1, slok vwrW qy vDIk, mÚ 1)


God the Cosmic Husband dwells within all hearts; without Him, there is no heart at all.

In this sense, the attributeless Brahman is called Parabrahman, where the Sanskrit prefix para- denotes "ultimate". It is the supreme bliss. Parabrahman does not exist (sic); it is existence itself.

It is not all-knowing (sic); it is knowledge itself. It is the object of meditation, rather than the object of worship.

AgY swhu sujwxu hY lYsI vsqu smwil ]1] (22-19, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)
In the next world, the All-knowing Merchant will take this object and care for it. ||1||

BweI ry rwmu khhu icqu lwie ] (22-19, isrIrwgu, mÚ 1)
O Siblings of Destiny, chant the Lord's Name, and focus your consciousness on Him.

According to the probably most influential Hindu philosophy: Advaita Vedanta, nothing in the universe truly exists except Parabrahman. As the Supreme Spirit, it is also called Paramatman. The Hindu scriptures declare that Brahman (the impersonal God) is beyond description, and can be understood only through direct spiritual experience. Nevertheless, for the benefit of others, the ancient Hindu sages who experienced Brahman attempted to describe their experiences, as recorded in the ancient Vedic texts known as the Upanishads. Several maha-vakyas, or great sayings, indicate what the principle of Brahman is:

• Brahman is knowledge", (prajnanam brahma)
• The Self (or the Soul) is Brahman " (ayam atma brahma)
• I am Brahman" (aham brahmasmi)
• You are that" (tat tvam asi),
• All this that we see in the world is Brahman" (sarvam khalv idam brahma),
• Brahman is existence, consciousness, and bliss" (sachchidananda brahma).

Thus, Brahman is conceived of as the very essence of existence and knowledge, Which pervades the entire universe, including every living being. The goal of Hinduism is to somehow "wake up," and realize one's own connection to the divine reality that may be called Brahman or God. Because God is everywhere, God is also present within each living being.

kwieAw ngir bsq hir suAwmI hir inrBau inrvYru inrMkwrw ] (720-4, bYrwVI,)
In the body-village, the Lord Master abides; the Lord is without fear, without vengeance, and without form.


hir inkit bsq kCu ndir n AwvY hir lwDw gur vIcwrw ]1] (720-4, bYrwVI, 4)
The Lord is dwelling near at hand, but He cannot be seen. By the Guru's Teachings, the Lord is obtained. ||1||

And

kwieAw AMdir gVu kotu hY siB idsMqr dysw ] (955-1, rwmklI, mÚ 2)
Deep within the body is the fortress of the Lord, and all lands and countries.

And

sBu ikCu Gr hI mwih hY vfBwgI lIqw ] (955-16, rwmklI, mÚ 1)
Everything is in the home of the self within; only the very fortunate obtain it.

Nutshell
The essence in Sikhism is Guru’s teachings and the another concept of paramount importance is of Naam that is likely to be misunderstood in absence of any standardized definition attached to it.It is true it is a matter of realization .But at many places it appears that Naam is given by the Lord Himself. Even the ardas[prayer] contains the request to the Lord for ‘blessing Sikhs with naam.'

It would imply that Sikhs do not know the essence of the things on the basis of which it is alienated from Hinduism. I have already given the part of ardas in Gurmukhi. If Amrit Sanchar ceremony gives ‘wahegur’ as the naam then why should Ardas contain this. Naam should be known .It appears that Naam that is being talked about in The Granth sahib is something different , though it may not be so in reality. But the doubt persists. And who will remove the doubt as to what exactly is Naam. It is after making self-enquiry I am putting up this question. The Guru Mantra is given and explained by Gurdas ji and not by Gurus. It is of significance as the entire sikhi is based on Simran and nam jap.

Some guru-sikhs should throw some light on this. I shall be satisfied with an answer that my spiritual state is not high enough that I cannot make out the meaning. But I have been posting and re-posing the questions that are not attended to and that gives rise to the opinion that the posts are either not taken seriously or ,I have the presumption to make, that most are sailing in the same Boat and that should not be the case at all.


The material above is taken form the site:
Shri Sanatan Mandir

I have just tried to fit in the lines from Bani and nothing else. This is not to prove anything at all. All that is stated is to straighten out things as we all have the right to practice sikhi.

It is humbly stated that we also believe that all that matters to us is also Guru Sahibs. But it does not mean that we start hating the religion or the faith that has given or helped us to understand the things.

I am also a sikh like most of you are.

May be you are a better sikh and I may have to improve upon and we all learn with time and mistakes. I do reserve the right to put across the things that I do not understand and would welcome anything that is a help.

You are avoiding posts as if you will be discussing with someone who is an outcaste. Sikhi tells us that we are all part and parcel of the same. Hence why be prejudicial. I have doubts and hence the queries. Surely, you must have taken some help of some one during your learning period.

Yes, Dasam Granth may kindly not be referred to and we should focus on Guru Granth Sahib and that I believe should qualify for bani Nirankaar hey.You are free to correct me.

I also have the belief that these are the common doubts of many who study the things with eyes open and mind clear. Many may not speak,Those who speak meet my fate. But that is hardly a solution or a solution to some hard questions. Sikhism may be independent faith and I can take up the opposite seat but till the ground I hold is not firm how can I say that the other faith is baseless. We avoid these comments and in the matter of God each and every faith should have something clear and special.if it does not then it hardly qualifies for the same.

No wonder that sikhism is only an insider game and is not popular that it should have been. Where the petitioner begs for an answer and the sikhs do not bother , how can that faith be practised in peace. Is it such an individualistic faith. ? If we do not share right now and when prayed for we shall share when other will sit on us and tell us the meaning that we are seeking now.
One can for see the future of the faith where the genuine questions and doubts are bye passed for some better reasons.

I do not want to visit any Hindu for clarifications on Sikhism.

I am grateful to Harjas ji for bringing out clarifications in the most lucid manner and her eforts are very much appreciated.

 

[Astroboy]

It is pointed out in Chapter 15, he who knows God, is a knower of the Ved.

Tulsi Sahib has said in this context:

We may read the Vedas, the Puranas, and master the Viyakrans
and to what end?
Far from gaining anything, we get lost in the wilderness of the words,
losing our very soul;
A parrot-like repetition would never draw the spirit out of body consciousness
and contact it with the Word.​

The human mind works in diverse ways. It is an ever-active instrument. At times, it recalls the past, however distant, from the depth of the unconscious. This is the work of the mnemonic mind, technically called Chit. The unconscious is a great reservoir or storehouse of all the impressions that one gathers in one's lifetime and carries with him from life to life. Some of these impressions keep filtering through the subconscious and appear on the surface of the conscious, with or without any effort on the part of an individual. These are the recollections, whether recalled or automatic, as the case may be. As these pop up in one's head from the unknown to the known, one begins to dwell on them. This dwelling process or the association with the past events, incidents, and experiences is called Manan or the thinking faculty of the mind. As one takes into consideration the pros and cons of the matter, he begins to reason out and enters into what is called ratiocination (reasoning faculty of the mind), intellect, or Buddhi. The individual understanding of the wisdom involved gives one a sense of personality called ego or Ahankar.

Once I had an opportunity to attend a seminar on the Gita. This memorable sermon, like other scriptures, is full of esoteric teachings which a layman cannot understand so easily on the level of the intellect unless explained by an Awakened Soul well versed both with the theory and practice of Paravidya the knowledge of the Beyond. One Who has an actual experience of self-realization and God-realization can explain lucidly things which otherwise baffle human understanding. All the scriptures sing the glory of such an individual Master-soul or Guru Who can give an actual demonstration of what He says as evam brahma (here is Brahma). In the Gita itself (Ch. 4-6), an emphasis is laid on finding a man of realization before one can know of the God-path. It is He Who can explain what it is, Who actually puts one on the path, and can safely and successfully lead the aspirant to the goal. The Gita, for example, tells us that the God-way starts from a point between and behind the eyes. So far so good. Now, where exactly that point lies and how one can reach it and penetrate through it is something that cannot be explained and done away with. It is a subject of practical significance, for the spirit is to be led to it so as to have a peep inside. We cannot do this with all our learning and wisdom when, for ages upon ages, we have become accustomed to flow externally into the world of senses.

It is a subject that is abstract and abstruse and requires tapping within. The word images simply convey the sense but cannot actually give the actual experience. During the course of the discussion, a Pundit (learned in scriptural lore) came to the pulpit and asked the audience to get ready for the God-vision that he was going to present. By his sound logic and learning, he kept the audience spellbound; but beyond giving a word picture, however beautiful it might have sounded, he could not actually give a demonstration of Reality. Learning, as you know, is nothing but inferential knowledge. It appeals only to human feelings and emotions. All said and done, we end by saying: "Where there is nothing, there is God." As the great Irish dramatist, W. B. Yeats, puts it, or as we read in the scriptures, "God is wondrously wonderful." Both these statements are correct as far as they go, but neither gives us a firsthand experience of nor brings us any the nearer to God. Thus, we see that one cannot take us further than where he has himself reached. An intellectual giant is as much within the range of his senses and mind as any of us. One who has not crossed the mental zone cannot possibly take us out of that. We have, no doubt, to start with reading, writing, and thinking. This is just an elementary step. The sacred books are our greatest treasure. We need them. We can read them but may not understand them fully. They do contain gems of spiritual value, but we are not equipped to evaluate them properly and reach their true import. On the other hand, it is the Man of experience and realization Who is competent to explain what is contained therein, for He speaks from actual experience of His own, similar in broad lines to those ancient writers who traversed the path in days gone by.

It is perception alone that inspires a person. An inspired song is much more than mere poetry, for it has an essence of his very being in it. We do feel that God is All-Pervading. Yes, it is so. But a feelingful reference alone does not convey the real Truth: It is just a blind man's statement. We know the anecdote of four blind men who wanted to know what an elephant was.

As their statements were based on individual feelings, they failed to describe what the animal was actually like. This is how errors creep in when we hear the account of God from those who have not experienced the Spirit and Power of God. Each one talks from his limited knowledge, and thus we get conflicting views of God-knowledge. A man of realization, on the other hand, knows how to reconcile these apparent contradictions which are just on the surface because of each person's limited knowledge. The basic truth being the same, an Awakened Soul goes to the root of the matter, explaining the various inconsistencies arising out of individual limitations. Herein lies the great hiatus between the statements based on feelings and emotions and those arising from actual perception.

Let us consider the matter from another angle. God is One. He works differently on different levels. To some He appears as Brahman, the Creator. To others, as sustainer He assumes the form of Vishnu. And to those who look upon His destructive power, He is symbolized Shiva. Thus, we see the society split into different sects, each at war with the other. The position may be likened to a great powerhouse generating electricity. It is the same power which at one place works as a heating apparatus, and at another is used in the manufacture of huge blocks of ice. One who is not conversant with the alpha and omega of electricity cannot possibly understand the opposing functions that the same power performs. The real nature of a thing is hidden in the thing itself like fire in wood, butter in milk, or scent in a rose. We are dealing with the mystery of life. We want to know what life is and how it enlivens the material masks we have put on. What is the source from whence life springs and how it works on different levels of existence on the earth plane? We are all living on the plane of senses and are experiencing life with the help of sense-organs and mind. All these instruments are limited in their nature and do not give us a correct answer to our problems of life. True knowledge is an essence of the soul and is independent of the mind and senses. Unless we are able to get a mind-out-of-body experience, we cannot have a firsthand experience of the life-impulse working in and around us in its fullness.

This is why we find in the Vedas: "Truth is one but sages have described It variously." The moment we try to grasp Truth, It eludes and we are left with nothing but mere words to describe Reality. In Brihdernaik Upanishad, it is said that to bring God within the ambit of the intellect is as difficult as to quench thirst by liquor or to get fat or tallow out of sand. A Saint has put it beautifully: "One cannot comprehend Him through reason, even if one reasoned for ages." Spirituality is not a subject of thinking mind nor of reasoning intellect. Reasoning is both a help and bar. Reasoning, as said before, brings us to a negative plane when we begin to think of Reality as neti, neti. .... it is not this, not this. What then is it? For this we have no positive answer. And there cannot be any answer at all in any language whatsoever. It can be answered only by a tongueless tongue or a speechless speech. It is an unwritten law and an unspoken language to be known by the soul in a flight of the alone, to the alone. How to have this sublime vision of the Invisible? It is possible only when the senses are subdued, the mind is at rest, and the intellect, too, is stabilized. In other words, it is an out-of-body experience. This is something rare. A Perfect Being can give us a right understanding and a right insight. Without this basic righteousness, there is no way out. All surface differences vanish into airy nothings when we get inner perception.
We have before us the problem of Grihast/Tyag--life of a householder versus a renunciate. Some believe that God can be sought and practiced by a householder, while others maintain that a life in the wilderness is a sine qua non for God-realization. But the troth is that neither of these two states is of any avail without right understanding and insight. In this connection, the scriptures tell us: "One cannot come by happiness either in one's home or in quitting. the home." Real happiness is a state of the mind and does not depend upon one's environments. Where then is it to be found? We have to condition our mind into a state that leads to happiness.


The truth of the matter is that there is some Creator Who has created the universe. And we call Him and worship Him by so many words: Ram, Allah, God, and the like. These are mere names that we have given to that Power. That Power is One and only One, no matter what and how we may call It. To get out of this rigmarole of nomenclature, the ancients began to adore Him as "Adoration to Thee, O Thou the Nameless." This then is the correct attitude. It is the Nameless Who is to be worshipped and worshipped in spirit. The devotees of the Nameless and the impersonal began to personify the Spirit and Power of God by giving Him names based on the various attributes of that Power. This was quite an easy approach to God Power. The All-Pervading came to be known as "RAM." The Source of all creation was proclaimed as Vishva-Amber or Bishamber. As an All-Absorbing Power, He came to be known as Krishna. This is how the various cults came into being and social formations sprang up. There is nothing wrong in these social groupings the object of each being to take persons from the line of least resistance to the pinnacle of Godly glory of the Nameless. But unfortunately, we are caught in the social web and find ourselves as tightly bound to cults and creeds of our own making, forgetting the one Reality.

Thus, we see that the aim and object of all the cults and creeds are to lead man from the personal to the impersonal; but whether they succeed or not is a different thing. Spirituality, however, is not bound with religious groupings or occupational pursuits. Ravidas, a cobbler, had as much a right to Spirituality as Kabir, the weaver; Namdev, the calico printer; or Tulsi Sahib, a Brahmin. The social divisions are all man-made. So are our social religions. God made man after His own fashion. And man in his search for God tried to personify God and to monopolize Him. The Brahmins were the first to lay claim to Brahma-Vidya or the Divine Knowledge that would not be imparted to other classes. Thus came into existence different social orders on an artificial basis with formations degenerating into stagnation and stagnation, in turn, resulting in deterioration. Now, you can see for yourself what man has made of man. The embodied soul has come to identify itself with body alone. The human body made as the veritable temple of God is now a temple without God. Are not we all children of the same God? We are all fashioned in the same way both internally and externally. We have been provided with a wonderful house in which to live. And this house is subject to disease and decay as any other material thing. We are being driven outward through the senses into the fields of sense enjoyments. This is the greatest ailment and is common to all of us. Seeing we see but do not perceive. With all our learning and knowledge, we are ignorant of Reality. As we have not developed inner vision, we see things through colored glasses of the mind. This is the crux of the problem. With blinkers on either side, we do not see anything except what comes under our very nose. This is called individual thinking apart from cosmic thought that takes into account the Divine Plan governing the whole universe. We have, therefore, to pause and ponder as to where we are going. Are we on the right path? If not, how are we to turn aright? The social orders do not come in our way. They, too, have their own purpose. The society, too, is to be run on sound lines. This is the ethical side of the problem. But this is not all. Within us there is the inner man the soul or spirit. We have to attend to the needs of the spirit as well. Man does not live by bread alone. We look well after our physical and intellectual needs. But what of the spirit? We never had an occasion to look inward nor have time to do so. This is the most important part of our being and yet we ignore it the most. For this we will have to rise above body-consciousness so as to become self-conscious. Self-realization is the first thing and the last in our development.

Truth is not so difficult as some of us have made It, and most of us have come to believe it so. All this is because of the lack of practical experience on the part of our preachers. Preaching has unfortunately become a profession, a paid profession. We presume and assume many things of which we have no real knowledge. A blind man cannot lead the blind. All their fiery speeches have not a spark of real fire in them. They speak on the level of the mind and intellect without any real knowledge and firsthand experience of Truth, with the result that they start beating about the bush. Instead of making Reality easily intelligible, they make it more difficult to understand. In their enthusiasm, they begin to interpret the text in so many different ways. Bookish knowledge is all wilderness unless one has known and experienced the hidden Truth which the sacred books pronounce. The Divine wisdom as contained in the scriptures is called Guptbani, or the exposition of the hidden Truths, to which their writers had an inner access. About this unspoken language or Guptbani, it is said:This then is the grand Truth which we have to understand and practice in our daily life. Who can initiate us into the mysteries of the Holy Word? None but a Word-personified Saint. The Word is the only Truth (Sat), while all else in the world is a mere shadow of the Word. And shadow without the substance has no reality in it. We have, therefore, to contact Truth. This contact with Truth is called Satsang. Who is to give us this contact? As said above, it is possible to get to it through the instrumentality of One Who Himself is one with Truth (Sat Saroop Word-made-flesh). This is real Satsang. The wise and the learned may be conversant with sacred texts so far as language goes but cannot dip into the deepest depths lying much below the surface; and, therefore, our association with them does not and cannot give us right understanding nor any contact with the Truth of which they speak. It is nothing but a propaganda work undertaken as a means of livelihood. One may earn his living by plowing land and another may do so by plowing books. Light comes from light and life from life. One who himself is living in darkness of the dead material world cannot take us out into the light of God in us no matter whether we are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, or Christians. God's Light is the life of all and we live by It. We have to apprehend It at a level higher than that of our physical being.

A man may be a Brahmchari (a student of Brahm-Vidya) or a Jatadhari (one with unkempt long hair) or a recluse living in a forest cave; it makes no difference at all. Man is man, gifted with body, mind, and soul the all-pervading soul, refulgent in one and all alike. All of us are conscious entities depending upon the Spirit and Power of God within each and every being, human or otherwise. Just consider that we are dwellers in a prison-house with nine portals all flung open. Can we escape from this prison-house if we may choose to do so? No, we cannot however hard we may try. There is a Controlling Power in us which is keeping the body and soul together for an allotted span of time. We escape from it only when the Controlling Power withdraws from within us. This Power is our mainstay. It is only the knowledge of God Power that makes known to us everything, leaving nothing else to be known. To know the True One truly should be our only aim. This is called right understanding of the human. He who understands rightly would begin to think rightly, speak rightly, and act rightly. Righteousness in living prepares the ground for a higher life--life above the senses and mind. All this and much more can be achieved in the human life which is a rare blessing. We can solve the riddle of life right now and here. All promises in the future to come will not be of any avail. "Trust no future however pleasant" is what the sages tell us. We have a golden opportunity to come in actual contact with Truth.

Kirpal Singh

 

[dalsingh]

OK, respectfully.

People please try and condense your posts. Massive ones are hard to follow. Lets keep the discussion tight.

 

[spnadmin]

OK, respectfully.

People please try and condense your posts. Massive ones are hard to follow. Lets keep the discussion tight.

Good try!