"Tanazzulat" - Nirguna / Saguna ~ According to Bul

[Freed]

"Tanazzulat" - Nirguna / Saguna ~ According to Bulhe Shah

* from 'Bulhe Shah' Surindar Singh Kohli. Sahit Akademi. New Delhi.1987

page35-7

Concept of God

The main theme of the works of Sufis has been the love of God.

Bulhe Shah believes in both aspects of God : His Transcendence and His Immanence. He says:

Ahd Ahmad vich farak na Bulhia,

ik ratta bhet marori da.

(There is no difference between Ahd and Ahmad, the only secret is that of the twist of "M".)

Ahd is the unmanifested Brahman (Nirguna) and Ahmad is the manifested Brahman (Saguna). The twist of "M" is the Maya. The Lord devoid of all attributes (ahd) appears as the world of Name and Form . This idea has also been expressed by Bulhe Shah in another way:

Ain Ghain di hikka surat,

Vich nukte shor machaya hai

(the letter of the persian alphabet 'Ain' and 'Ghain' have the same shape. Only a dot above the latter has created the tumult)

In this case Ain is the unmanifested Brahman and Ghain , the manifested Brahman. In Sufi teaching, this doctrine is known as Tanazzulat or the descent of the Absolute.

Bulhe Shah belongs to the monistic school of Muslim thought, which holds that there is only One Essence. Everything is God and of the essence of God. This school is known as Wujudiyya.

Bulha says:

1. Tusi sabhani bhekhi thhide ho

Har ja tusi diside ho

(You are there in all guises. You are seen at every place.)

2. Kahu bair para kahu beli hai

Kahu Majnu hai kahu leli hai

Kahu ap Guru Kahu cheli hai

(Somewhere He is an enemy, somewhere a friend; somewhere He is Majnu and somewhere Laila; somewhere He is the preceptor and somewhere a disciple.)

3.Kahu Turk musalma parhte ho

Kahu Bhagat Hindu jap karte ho

Kahu ghor ghungat main parte ho

Kahu ghar ghar ladladai hai

(Somewhere you are a Turk reciting Kalimah; somewhere you are a devoted Hindu absorbed in meditation; somewhere you hide yourselves in a thick veil and somewhere you indulge in love in every home.)

4. Kadi ho asmani behnde ho

Kadi is jag te dukh sehnde ho

(Sometimes you take a seat in the heavens and sometimes you bear the sufferings in this world.)

Such examples can be multiplied. Just as many kinds of ornaments are made of gold, as depicted in the Vedanta, Bulhe Shah gives the example of the earth from which numerous kinds of 'jivas' and other articles are produced. He says:

Vah Vah mati Gulzar

Mati ghora mati jara mati da asvar

Mati mati nu dorave mati da kharkar

(Wonderful is the garden of earth. The horse, the suit of clothes and the rider are all made of earth. The earth makes the earth run and the noise thus created is of earth.)

According to Bulhe Shah, whereas the Lord is Omnipresent and all pervading, He appears as Light (jot) and is Most Beautiful(jamal). He is both Az-Zahir (the evident) and is Al-Batin (the hidden). He is both Al-Awwal (the First) and al-Akhir (the Last). He is Al-Wahid (the one). He is al-Khaliq(the creator).He is Ar-Rahman (the Merciful), and ar-Rahim(the compassionate). But above all He is Al-Wadud (the Loving).

He is the Beloved, who responds our love. He is also Al-Gaffar (the Forgiver) and Al-Karim (the generous).

He, the Al-Haqq (the Truth) is Al-Basir (the seer) and the al-adl (the just).

Bulhe Shah had full faith in the Grace of God. Though God is Just , He is also Graceful. Bulha says:

Adl Kare ta jaa na kai

Fazlon bakhrapave

( O, God, if you do justice , I cannot stand anywhere, but you can give me some share because of your bounty).

About the Grace of the Lord, Bulha says:

Vah jis par karam aveha hai

Tehqiq uh bhi tai jeha hai

Sach sahi ravait eha hai

Teri nazar mehar tar jai da

(It is wonderful that whosoever comes under your Grace, he undoubtedly becomes one with you. Truly, this is the tradition that one ferries accross (the world ocean) with your Grace).

God plays hide and seek with the lovers, who want not only to have a sight of Him, but also to be with Him eternally. Bulha says:

Tusi chhipade si asi pakare ho

Asi vich jigar de jakare ho

Tusi aje chhipan nu takare ho

(you are hiding yourself , but I have caught you. I have imprisoned you in the heart, but still you are powerful to hide yourself.)