Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Asa di waar  7

On page 467 of Guru Granth Sahib ji two aspects of God’s concept have been explained, namely; He is bountiful (Prasad) and He is the Truth (Satnaam). Guru Nanak says; men, trees (vegetation), holy places, banks of sacred rivers, clouds, fields, islands, spheres, universes, continents, and solar systems, the sources of creation like egg born, womb born, earth born, sweat born, oceans, mountains and all those have life are created by Him and He knows their condition and O Nanak having created them ‘He takes care of them’. The Creator who has created the world He takes care of it as well. He feels the anxiety for His Creation. To Him I pay my obeisance and my salution because His Court (Darbar) is imperishable. Without the True Name what avail is frontal mark (Tilak) and what avail is sacred thread (Janeyu).

Lakhs of virtues and good actions, lakhs of penances at holy places, lakhs of practices in the wilderness to attain the Lord, lakhs of valour in the battlefield and breathing your last fighting, lakhs of divine comprehensions and concentrations, lakhs of reading and learning, recitation of Puranas and Vedas are all false and truth is only that what God has written of coming and going in this world. This coming to world and departing from here is His bounty.

O Lord You are the Absolute Truth who has spread this Truth. Whoever receives this truth from you only he can practice it. You can be attained by meeting those in whom the truth abides. The fools cannot know the truth being self willed (manmukh) they lose the wisdom of knowing the Truth. Why such people come to the world?

Man may read the cartload of books, the entire multitude of the books, he may read and sail them in boat, he may read and fill pits with them, he may read years and months on, he may read all his life and till his last breath and all this is of no account unless he learns the only account that is the God’s Name. Guru Nanak gives an account of all those who believe in the religious symbolism and try to show that they have achieved Him. He says one who reads and writes, who wanders to the pilgrimages and talks more, who takes to religious garbs that may cause discomfort (like people sitting on their head or on bed of nails), falling prey to the so called godly people and suffering hardships, wearing no clothes ( nanga sadhus) even though there are calamities, keeping silence (Mauni babas) and ruining themselves. How can their dormant, sleeping souls be awakened? By pouring ashes on his body and hair he loses his honour, all those who live in the burial grounds, dwell in the wilderness knows not the Lord because they become blind with their own concepts of God.

He who meets the true Guru attains the peace. By implanting Lords Name within your mind you can attain His Grace. From hope and fear he becomes free and his ego is burned by meditating on His true Name.