harsharan000

Raag Bilaaval: Bani Dhan Guru Sree Ram Das Maharaj: ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਆਏ ਗੁਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਮਈਆ Poorab Janam Bhagath Kar Aaeae Gur Har Har Har Har Bhagath Jameeaa पूरब जनमि भगति करि आए गुरि हरि हरि हरि हरि भगति जमईआ Because of devotional worship in my past incarnations, I have been born into this life. The Guru has inspired me to worship the Lord, Har, Har, Har, Har. ਭਗਤਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਈਆ Bhagath Bhagath Karathae Har Paaeiaa Jaa Har Har Har Har Naam Sameeaa भगति भगति करते हरि पाइआ जा हरि हरि हरि हरि नामि समईआ Worshipping, worshipping Him with devotion, I found the Lord, and then I merged into the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har, Har. In this poem of Sachay Patshah Sree Guru Ram Das, He is telling us that, by devotional worship in many births, one thus gets this unvaluable human form, which is the gate for liberation from the endless cycle of births and deaths. Then, He tells us that if anything is pleasing to Wahiguru, it is only worshipping Him with love and devotion through the sanctified practice of Nam Simran, because it is only by this jugtee, that we can find Him, and merge in Him, that also within ourselves, without the need of any outer elements. Gurmukhs do not waste our time by putting us the bondages of rituals, pilgrimages, fastings, etc ......these activities are all related to the body and the world, it has nothing to do with ruhaniyat. The main concern of any Gurmukh of any time and place, is to first ignite in us the true love for Wahiguru, and then to reunite us forever with Akal Purukh. This is the real job of a true Gurmukh. They will never engage us in politics, comitees, land, dharam, mazab wars, which is a waste of time, and are heavy chains around our necks, which shall bring us back into creation, because it implies actions, karmas. While Gurmat makes us actionless, karmaless... as our dealings are not with the world neither its belongings of any type; but with the Creator Wahiguru Himself alone...this is the main difference between sadhs, gurmukhs, sant janas and the rest of worldly leaders. No gurmukh will ever ask us to do anything except Nam Simran, as means of love and devotion towards Wahiguru. As all other ways somehow involve our interaction with matter made out of of the 5 elements, means, tools or instruments made of water, earth, air... which are perishable, which are "kaacha", impure,so naturally the results are going to be imperfect, and thus the goal Wahiguru, is missed. On the other side, we only need a pure heart, and enormous love, to achieve our goal, Wahiguru, who is inside us, is available all the 24 hours freely to all, whether male, female, child, adult, handicapped, sick or healthy, rich or poor...He is available to all His souls in equal measure, at all places and times, through concentrated attention alone. This is the greatness, and superiority, of Gurmat, above all other paths, in terms of security, simplicity, relaibility, guarantee, and above all, it is no blind fath theories, because it is first hand experimented path, by our Guru Sahibans themselves. Awar kaaj, tere kitte na kam, mil Sadh Sangat, bhaj kewal Nam.

Heights of Love Love(bhakti) itself is the teacher, who shows that the more you sacrifice for the love(Wahiguru), the more you enjoy it, for the sake of love only, which then leads you, to merge in Him.

Some lines upon Divine Love Jyu man mera tujh so, yo je tera hoi. Tata loha yo mile, sandhi na lakhai koi. Kabit jako khojate, paayo soi thaur. Soi phiri ke tu bhaya jaako kahata aur. Maare bahut pukaariya, peer pukaare aur. Lagi choT maramm ki, rahyo Kabira thaur. Kabir as a Guru says – Like my mind is overflowing with love for you, only if your mind also could become like this. At that moment both would get sealed like two hot irons join together. Not even a join can be seen, both have become one. Kabir says what I was seeking for, I got that place. The thing you considered the other (the Lord, Ram, Guru) has become you. So many people cry out in pain and suffering, but a true PEER (Saint, Gurmukh) cries out in a different way. He cries out of his love and not of pain and suffering. The love has struck in his very core of the heart, and Kabir has found the real place. Sree Kabir Jeeo

Bani Sree Kabir Sahib. Following is a beautifull poem of Kabir , where He describes us, how to play the game of love, with beloved Satnam. Satguru ho mahaaraj, mope saai rang Daara. Shabad ki choT lagi mere man me, bedh gaya tan saara. Aushadh mool, kachhu nahi laage, kya kare baid bichaara. Sur nar munijan, peer auliyaa, koi na paawe paara. Sahib Kabir sarb rang rangiya, san rang se rang nyaara. Kabir found his Guru and followed his way of meditation upon Sound(Shabad). He heard that amazing sound and now is unable to focus on anything else. So sweet is the melody!! He says – O dear Satguru, HE is playing with me with the colors of Sound. He throws colors upon me, when he plays the music!! The wound of the Shabd hurts my mind, and it is slowly spreading all over my body. Now no medicine seems to cure me, no Doctor has the remedy of this wound. All holy people are trying to know the secret of it, but even they couldn’t get the resolution. Kabir says his Sahib is the greatest, he has colored me with all colors yet he is beyond of all colors. This way, Kabir got the wound of Love with the grace of the Guru, and kept searching for the medicine, which couldn’t be anything less than absolute Love of GOD !!

Have we stopped to think, what is sikhee or Gurmat? Sikhee is gurparasd, given to us by our Guru Sahibans, who are not philosophers, neither social reformists, neither politicians nor prophets.... Our Guru Sahibans, are the embodiment of Wahiguru Akal Purukh Himself, so naturally if ever they can give us anything, it is just Gurparsad, which is only for the purpose of merging our individual identities in Him, that also, to become Him. Sikhee is no rites nor rules,it is a path of love and devotion, at the lotus Feet of Wahiguru. And we as seekers of that primal truth, namely Akal Purukh, can not limit it between the parameteres of time and space... That is why Sree Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj, tells us in Raag Suhi that: ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਨਿ ਸੁਖ ਫਲ ਪਾਇਨਿ ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਆਰਾਧਹਿ Naam Dhhiaaein Sukh Fal Paaein Aath Pehar Aaraadhhehi नामु धिआइनि सुख फल पाइनि आठ पहर आराधहि Those who meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, obtain the fruits of peace. Twenty-four hours a day, they worship and adore You. Our relation with Him, can not be confined or limited by time...but rather can only be strenghtened, by dedicating lovingly ourselves twenty four hours to it. To the world, we sholud give only the minnimum ...... but the rest , the maximmum, should be offered in devotion to His charan kamal, which is Nam Simran. The Bani, at other place also tells us: Saas saas simroh Gobind.... devotion in this way, as per instructions of Gurmukhs, is a purifier, for all our impurities, and also is a way of expressing our love to Him. Wahiguru does not want our big big words, nor asks us anything, He wants us to give Him our shortcomings, our dirty and filthy mind, so that in return He blesses us with His unlimited Daya Meher, which in the end, is our only hope and anchor, in this world as well here after... And the way, to get all this His Daya Meher, is as simple by eating the Gurparasd, which is His Simran. This is true sikhee. Oouch Apaar Beant Soami, kaun jaane guna tere...

Nice words written on a balloon which was flying high up in the sky : It is Not What's Outside, This means, what you wear, or where you go, or the country or community you belong....that will not take you to His abode... because that has nothing to do with Him... But What's Inside,That takes U To The TOP...!!! But how much pure you are, with His divine attiributes....how much you are filled with His Nam....it is that, what is going to take you up up up....up to Him.

Some questions have been arised in this thread as well as on other, on meditation, on the Shabad Dhun, the Sounds one hears..if to listen those from the right, left or center...and so on..... In the above post Veer Sat Jee, has beautifully expressed in a simple manner, the result of catching hold of the right Sounds, which then take us back to our Nijh Ghar, Sach Khand. In the Granth Sahib, in Raag Ramkali, Bani of Sree Kabir Sahib Jee Maharaj, tells us in the following lines, how to listen that Sound, from where to listen to it..and what happens if you attach yourself to that Sound: ਸੁਖਮਨ ਨਾਰੀ ਸਹਜ ਸਮਾਨੀ ਪੀਵੈ ਪੀਵਨਹਾਰਾ Sukhaman Naaree Sehaj Samaanee Peevai Peevanehaaraa सुखमन नारी सहज समानी पीवै पीवनहारा The Shushmanaa, the central spinal channel, is intuitively balanced, and the drinker drinks in this wine. He says: the Sound which is to be heard, is the one which is heard from the center of your forehead, between the two eyes, because that one is the Amrit, which the sikh, the disciple, is eager to find and have it. Worldly wine makes one person loose all it balance, and makes him like a wild mad elephant ....that is worldy wine or liquor. But when one drinks this Wine or Amrit of Nam, of Shabad, the mind is vanquished, and the soul regains its freedom, to go back and merge in Him. Further on He says: ਉਨਮਦ ਚਢਾ ਮਦਨ ਰਸੁ ਚਾਖਿਆ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਨ ਭਇਆ ਉਜਿਆਰਾ Ounamadh Chadtaa Madhan Ras Chaakhiaa Thribhavan Bhaeiaa Oujiaaraa उनमद चढा मदन रसु चाखिआ त्रिभवन भइआ उजिआरा When that wine rises up, one tastes the sublime essence of this juice, and sees across the three worlds. He means that, when one drinks that Nectar of Nam, one tastes the essence of that Nam, and the effect of that drinking Amrit, in this case listening, to that melodious Shabad ringing within us, one´s consciousness is wiped away from all impurities, thus we get the power from that Nam, to cross all the three planes, namely the physical, the astral, and the causal....then only one crosses Brahm, and reaches Paarbraham. After that, though the path is a highway to Sach Khand, but still then, one has to remain seated in the Jahaaz of Nam, in order to reach our true Home, Sach Khand. So we can clearly see, that the way to reach Sach Khand, right from the begining, is holding on to the Shabad, the Nam, which is ringing within us all the times nonstop, and the method to catch that Shabad is through Nam Simran. That is why all our Guru Sahibans, Gurmukhs, stress so much on Nam Bhakti, because it is the only weapon to kill the mind and defeat Kal. One more thing we learn from Kabeer Sahib´s Bani today, is that, the sounds to be paid attention which pull us upwards, are the ones which start from the third eye level and above, but not like those by yogic practices which instead of taking us upwards, bring us downwards, towards throat center, heart center, navel center and the still belower, the ganesh center... our goal is upwards, towards the region of eternity(Sach Khand), not the lower stages or chakras ...which are very much in the realms of being part and parcel of transitory, and thus perishable creation. This is the difference between the yogas and Gurmat...while one releases the shakti within us and keep us bound in the creation by pulling our attention to the lower centers; Gurmat, opens the real power within us, the power of Nam, the Shabad, which gradually frees us from the creation, by cutting all our bondages, and thus making us worthy of merging and becoming one with Wahiguru. The path of Gurmat is unique and superior to all others from any angle, from any point of view. All other paths are, made by the negative power, to keep the soluls entangled in the creation, by creating the impressions, that those sounds and results, are similar to those who walk on Gurmat, he cheats the souls .... there are countless universes and creations within us, so if proper guidance is not there, we may just wander aimlessly and miss our goal But the purpose of Gurmukhs is always inwards and upwards... so it is always better and safer to take guidance with Gurmat. Bahut Janam vichurethe Madho, ehe janam tumare lekhey...

It would be advisable, if due respect is given to each and every respectable member who participate and give their opinions through their posts in a civilized manner. We should never try to make mockery or laugh at someone, so that his/her feelings are not hurt. You see, each and everyone, has not got the same level of consciousness, outwardly, we may look same, with the same two eyes, hands, feet, nose, etc, but spiritually we are not same. What some see something clearly, others may need time to reach there and see it by themselves... so better not to laugh or provoke even unintentionally anybody. In the end, everybody is playing a role asigned to him by Nature according to complicated karmic interactions beyond our comprehension .... and if the creation has to go on, there are going to be people who will carry on with rituals, rites, rules, regulations, idol worship...and an endless list of outer activities... so let us respect each and everybody how he is, there is beauty in respect... Does not the Bani many a times mention the word "wadbhagee"? What does that mean? Only those few handful, understand and practice the Bani, on whom, He has glanced His dhrishtee, His Daya Meher has been showered... Bani is crystal clear cut, but many prefer to take care of the Jewel Box and remain paupper, than paying attention to the jewels contained in that jewel box, by making use of them, and becoming rich(spiritually). Why sholud someone get annoyed, or disheartened... we are all here, to walk shoulder with shoulder, nobody is perfect, neither superior... Christ said, I am giving you only two rules to follow: 1) Love the Lord above evrything and 2) Love thy neighbour as thyself. Though it is desirable, that all sholud know and work on the teachings gifted to us by our Guru Sahibans...that would be the ideal... But we should also keep in mind, that each and everyone has his destiny chalked for him... we can not, and should not, force anything on anybody, though the intentions maybe good, but the effects are then the contrary.... So, if we have anything to share, let us do it in a gentle manner, giving our best, and then leave it .... if anything has to come, it will come out naturally and the impressions will then be healthier... Please forgive me, if anybody in any way, has ever been hurt by my way of expressing and seeing things .... there is nothing personal, as for me, all of us are the children of the same Father, Wahiguru Akal Purukh.

An idol, is something made of one of the elements, of which the whole creation is made of. We all know they are: earth, air, water, fire, ether...and all are inert by themselves, are "jarr", and as such, do not carry or contain any consciousenss. On the other side, when, those elements, are made a temporary residence, by the divine Ray of Light(soul), that container becomes alive, we say it has life...may it be in any level of consciousness....such as plant kingdom, insects, birds, cuadruped mammals or even as human beings in this gross creation..... in the astral or causal planes, souls have different coverings from those, as in this our present condition and level in this world. Knowledge, wisdom, bliss, can be more or less in each being,depending on it´s conscious level, but never ever in lifeless things or objects. The Supreme being, is the highest level of consciuosness....that same One, when it manifests itself at our level, in the form of Sant Janas or Gurmukhs. That Aad Guru, Shabad or Nam, then makes itself known to us, in our own understable terms, because otherwise it is Nirankar, Alakh, Agam, Beant ....there is no way to see or realize it, unless He Himself, wants us to know Him, and utters the pure Bani, such as Gurmat, by our Guru Sahibans . But never ever that Supreme Being is going to stay for a temporal time or permanently in lifeless things, lifless objects....it is our moorakhta, our agyanta, if we search and look for Him, in these "jarr" things, it just shows that we have not understood Gurmat at all...the purpose of Gurmukhs is to take us out of all these useless outer activities, and attach it with the only truth, the only reality, which is Nam, which is Shabad, through the technique of Nam Simran. That is why the Bani says: Har Simran meh, Prabh aap Nirankara. The formless Lord, is to be found through His simran, in His simran. If ever any doubts, we should always refer to the Bani and see its applications, surley we will find answers. But , not that this or that person said so and so, so many years ago....bla bla bla ...... Bani is the highest truth, if at all anything is doubtful, it should be contrasted within the parameters of the Bani ... if it goes in accordance, very good carry on ; if not, it should be discarded totally ...otherwise we would be incurring in "maanmat". And individual or collective "maanmat" , leads nowhere, but to the dark pitch of the cycle of births and deaths ... It is only by following Gurmat, one gets salvation. Why? Because it is vey simply and clearly stated: Jin Har japiya, se Har hoeeya.

Good morning from Prof.Sivaramakrishnan. A Glossary of 34 Frequently Used Yoga Terms. Yoga in Plain English. In most yoga classes, the teacher throws out at least a few—if not a ton—of tongue-twisting Sanskrit syllables. Here are some basic translations of several of the common terms used in yoga classes and workshops. Names of specific asanas are not included here, because then, this list would be a mile long. (Feel free to add other terms in the comments section.) 1) Asana: seat; yoga posture 2) Ashtanga: eight-limbed yogic path; for Ashtanga/Power Yoga, et al, see the relephant Glossary of Popular Yoga Lineages and Styles 3) Ayurveda: the ancient Indian science of health 4) Bandha: internal lock; used for controlling the energy within the body during yoga practice; the three bandhas taught in some lineages of hatha yoga are root lock, abdominal lock and throat lock 5) Bhakti: devotion (as in Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion) 6) Buddha: a buddha is an enlightened one; “the Buddha” refers to Siddhartha Gautama, a spiritual teacher who lived, became enlightened and taught in India a long time ago 7) Chakra: energy center; the basic system has seven chakras (root, sacrum, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown), each of which is associated with a color, element, syllable, significance, etc. 8) Dharma: truth; the teachings of the Buddha; the path of truth 9) Dosha: physical body type; there are three doshas in Ayuveda—pitta (fire), vata (wind) and kapha (earth) 10) Drishti: gazing point used during asana practice 11) Ganesha: the Hindu elephant god often pops into yoga; also called “Ganesh” 12) Guru: one who brings us from darkness to light; a spiritual mentor 13) Karma: action; the law of karma is the law of cause and effect. Karma is based upon the complex, esoteric web of conditions, individuals and relationships in the universe. It is not just as simple as a notion like “steal from someone and you’ll be robbed.” 14) Karuna: compassion 15) Kirtan: a community gathering involving chanting, live music and meditation 16) Krishna: a Hindu deity; part of the Bhagavad Gita 17) Kula: community 18) Mantra: a repeated sound, syllable, word or phrase; often used in chanting and meditation. 19) Mudra: a hand gesture; the most common mudras are anjali mudra (pressing palms together at the heart) and gyana mudra (with the index finger and thumb touching) 20) Namaste: “I bow to you”; a word used at the beginning and/or end of class which is most commonly translated as “the light within me bows to the light within you”; a common greeting in India and neighboring cultures; a salutation said with the hands in anjali mudra. 21) Niyama: five living principles that (along with the yamas) make up the ethical and moral foundation of yoga; they include Sauca (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (burning enthusiasm), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Ishvarapranidhana (celebration of the spiritual) 22) Om: the original syllable; chanted “A-U-M” at the beginning and/or end of many yoga classes 23) Prana: life energy; chi; qi 24) Pranayama: breath control; breathing exercises 25) Samadhi: the state of complete Self-actualization; enlightenment 26) Savasana: corpse pose; final relaxation; typically performed at the end of every hatha yoga class, no matter what style 27) Shakti: female energy 28) Shanti: peace (often chanted three times in a row) 29) Shiva: male energy; a Hindu deity 30) Surya Namaskar: Sun Salutations; a system of yoga exercises performed in a flow or series 31) Sutras: classical texts; the most famous in yoga is, of course, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. 32) Tantra: the yoga of union (much more than just tantric sex that is popularized in the media) 33) Yama: five living principles that (along with the niyamas) make up the ethical and moral foundation of yoga; they include Satya (truth), Ahimsa (nonviolence), Asteya (not stealing), Bramacharya (self control and sexual responsibility) and Aparigraha (not grasping) 34) Yogi/Yogini: a male/female practitioner of yoga.

Every opinion is respected, having said that, doesn´t the Bani say: Vin boliyaan, sabh kich jaanda. So if He knows everything, where is the need to ask? And moreover, He, who has the power to give, has He not, the power to know also? We are still moorakhs, we treat Wahiguru with our limited, poor and dull vision. You see, whatever we have to receive or give is already written on our foreheads before we are born, whether we like it or not, that also per His laws, not becuase He interferes in His laws by manipulating them, as these are established by Him also, for the perfect functioning of the creation. Anyhow, if ever we have to ask Him anything, we must ask Him, to make us sit at the Lotus Feet of His Gurmukhs, in the Sadh kee sangat,where we may learn to love Him, as they are His embodiments. The Bani says: Prabh jee baseh, sadh ke hirdey. Prabh jee baseh sadh kee rasna. This is no man made statement, this is His Bani, which nobody can alterate it, whether one may like it or not, one may agree or not, but they are the words of Wahiguru, through our Guru Sahibans. The words uttered by our Guru Sahibans, can never be erased, they are eternal, as long as the creation is there. These words are full of His truth, which can be the cause for us, to obtain liberation and bliss, and not only that, but be worthy, to merge in Him. hum moorakh, Tum chatur siaaney...

Sant, purus ki aarasee, santon kee hee deh. Lakha jo chahe alakh ko, unhi me lakh je leh. Saints, Gurmukhs, are like mirrors, you can see the invisible(Nirankar) through their body. They are clean in mind, body and soul, and the invisible(Wahiguru Akal Purukh) reflects in them. Kabir Sahib

Hi Lucky, just found a quotation of Kabir Sahib, which relates to your present condition. Mind and people may try to confuse oneself, but only the gentle and inspiring words of Saints and Gurmukhs, can assure us about our progress, so here it goes: Kabir Guru ke bhaawate, doorahi se deesant. Tan chheenaa man anamanaa, jag se rooThi phirant. Kabir says who ever loves his Guru and is beloved of Guru is seemingly different from others. His body grows thinner, and he seems to be absent minded, he is indifferent from this world (is absorbed in his inner world!!). Good luck.

Dear brother, even if we find such blood relation, what will that profit us now? Prihi Chand, was son of Sree Guru Ram Das Maharaj, but then too, what happened inspite of having His darshan, and living under the same roof. He was wicked. Purity or blessings, do not come by looking or being in their physical company, but by putting into action their teachings, and by His Grace alone. To get full credit and benefit of their company, we have to be present in their spiritual presence, means merge ourselves in their Shabad form, then we are not mere descendants, but become Him. You see, Guru Sahibans are not the body, they are Shabad swaroop, that is their true nature and essence....if the body was the true guru, it had remained here surely... because the Truth in not perishable...so if their bodies passed away, what to say about their descendants... we have nothing to do with them, spiritually speaking. The thing is, we are so narrow minded, that we try to see even spiritual matters with our poor limited vision, so we fail to perceive the reality. It is suffice to say, that our Bani says, that body, that mind, that heart is the only high place, one where He resides through His rememberance, there where His devotion is firmly established. We are all His children, His descendants, as His divine Light permeates in us as sparks, as souls. And as souls, our objective should be to spiritually come nearer to Him, and merge in Him. Wahegru Jee.

The question about if too much sikhi is bad? Well, it can be seen from 2 angles. One is, if sikhi is taken superficially as a combination of rules and regulations, with a slight political touch, then the answer is yes, it is not beneficial spiritually, as one gets away from what was intended by our Guru Sahibans, because their intentions, were, to withdraw our attention from outward worldly affairs, to the one permanent Truth within ourselves. The second angle is,the spiritual teachings of our Guru Sahibans, which are called siksha or sikhiya. This is true sikhi, which we get as Gurparsad, as a particle of their infinite grace, or Daya Meher. That is why, Dhan Guru Sachay Badshah Nanak Dev Maharaj says: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ਨਾਨਕ ਪੀਵਤੰ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਤ੍ਰਿਪ੍ਯ੍ਯਤੇ Anmrith Naam Naaraaein Naanak Peevathan Santh N Thripyathae अम्रित नामु नाराइण नानक पीवतं संत न त्रिप्यते The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is Ambrosial Nectar, O Nanak. The Saints drink it in, and never have enough of it. Here He is saying, that those saints, those Gurmukhs, who are full up to the brim with the Nectar of Nam, they always drink it, but even then they are not satiated, they do not ever have it enough...such is the taste of Nam, or let us say, the sikhya, the sikhi, got as Gurparasd. The Name, the Nam is such a wonderful taste, that even 24 hours having it, is not enough. And once having tasted it, all other tastes(vikaars, kam, krodh, lobh, moh, ahankaar) are insipid, are tasteless, which, after that, never ever trouble again a gursikh. The sikhi, or gurmat, is solely for God realization, not to bind us in chains, such as land, politics, community, dharam, rituals, pilgrimages, etc, which are all transient, and perishable, except His Nam. Our Guru Sahibans, are the embodiment of this very Truth, their purpose for coming in this world, is to cut our bondages with worldly people, worldy things, worldly affairs(koor maya, koor sabh sansar...) and unite us with the only one reality, Wahiguru Akal Purukh, through love and devotion at His Lotus Feet.

Dear Singh Jee, as per your doubt if one will progress or not.... our whole Gurmat is based on Shabad.... And the Bani beautifully says: Anter Jot, Niranter Bani, Sachay Sahib siu liv lae. Means, within us is the divine Light, from it cometh the Sound, the Bani; which developes love in us for the True Lord. This Shabad, is the real creator, that is why Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj says: Shabde dhartee, Shabde Akash, Shabde Shabad hoa parkash. Saglee Shreeste Shabad ke paachey, Nanak Shabad ghate ghat aachhey. It is this very Shabad, which cuts our bondages of karmas(Nanak, Shabad karam kee lekh kataveh), mind(Prabh ka Simran, maan kee mael jae), maya. This very Shabad is also the guide for thr sikh disciple in the inner spiritual planes ( Shabad Guru(guide), Dhun(soul) chela(disciple)..... do not worry, one will not get distracted by these sounds, as they will pull one´s attention, will catch automaticaly one´s attention...and each sound is a milestone, means depending on what one hears, shows one´s level of consciousness reached... of course, these things are not to be talked of so lightly, or debated ... they to be experienced by each one of us. The full Granth Sahib is nothing but Glory of this Shabad; upto the extent, that it is said, in the beginning when Aad Guru had not manifested itself as Satnam, He was absorbed, in His Shabad swaroop....then He decided to manifest Himself, and everything took place later on, but that, even Wahiguru , Satnam or Satpurukh is a manifestation, or let us say projection, of Shabad... Shabad is wonderfull, is sweet nectar( Amrit Bani), is bliss.... is Anamee. (Words fail to describe its mahanta) Waheguru.

Truly it is a very high spirited post and a beautiful post, hats off to it. And ..... I was just thinking, so nice posts are being poured here, they are so inspiritional, so personal... Each and everyone trying his/her best, and for that, we feel very good and happy, when anyone gives that human touch to his/her posts... We feel happy for them for being so blessed, and we happy for ourselves, because we are getting proofs, facts, that spirituality is a very high, noble and a beautiful path, that by travelling and working hard on it, we can get unimaginable results. But inspite of all that, I think generally Wahiguru and all that revolves around it, is taken as a frivolity, as some type of amusement, entertainment, as a challenge, etc. Of course it is very good what Baba Nikha Singh Ji Nirmala (Thakuran Sampardaye), tells us in all his 72 points above, personally I agree with all that is stated...but I was thinking, how moorakhs and petty minded we are...we human beings... Whensoever, any blessed soul works hard doing abhyaas, and reaches the state, the avastha described also above....we humans, misunderstand them, because their state is different from ours, they see the divinity everywhere, they are one with that Divinity...so whatever they say or speak, the world treats them ususally as frauds, as pakhandees, as charlatans....because now their approach to that Primal Power, is not like ours based on rituals, peregrinations, dogmas, rules, regulations ...we go to the extent, we illtreat and abuse them, whether verbally or even physically, saying also he has become beadbee... We may laugh now or say...no no this is not my case.... We all know what we did to Christ... we tortured and crucified Him, just because He said, I and my Father are one.... and the thing is He really was. What we did to Guru Arjun Dev...what to Shamas Tabriz ... and the list is endless, even now, we are not much different from those narrow minded people. It is a pity, good godly people, have always to suffer. Those who become one with Him, do not display any powers, or similar...they are the most humble. Their main virtue is that, they are in tune with His mauj, so naturally thay do not interfere with the course of the nature, they do not come to make this planet earth a Paradise. They only come to give the message, that if we do abyaas also, by practicing it, not mere theory, we also can become one with that Aad Guru, or Shabad, or Wahiguru or Nam...give it any name, just words are different, but it is the same Power. So much hatred, so much krodh, so much violence...and that too in the name of religion ......that we take the justice by ourselves Does our Lord Wahiguru needs our protection? Has His power dimnished? Has He forgotten how to handle His creation, that we interfere violently? Is He not present, even in the thugs, thieves, criminals? Why should we torture anybody, and that also in His name? Has He told us to do so? If yes, then he is not a god worthy of our devotion. If not, then why do we do it? We see, there are many questions that we may not like to face, we have to ask from our very depth, where is my faith taking me? Am I becoming an aggressive fanatic, or am I filled with the divine virtues of : compassion,forgiveness, humility, forbearnce, santosh, sheel .... If we are bold enough to ask these questions to ourselves sincerely, we will get the answers. If we are intolerant, that cleary means, our faith is "kachaa" stil ... we are still in agyanta, running after empty shadows . There is only one ardaas at His Holy Feet, may He bless us with His love and knowledge, to know and realize the Truth within us, and stay calm in His bhaana.... Waheguru

We have heard, seen quite a few Mahapurkhs live or even on the webs, on how to meditate, or on what to meditate... Let us also see what our beloved Sachay Patshah Sree Guru Ram Das, has to tell us on this matter. In the following line, He tells us, that the whole world meditates in one way or the other for different purposes, but he alone meditates on the Nam, if one is so graced by Him, because he alone crosses Bhavsagar, whom He wishes so... ਜੇ ਵਡ ਭਾਗ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਵਡਭਾਗੀ ਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ Jae Vadd Bhaag Hovehi, Vaddabhaagee Thaa Har Har Naam Dhhiaavai जे वड भाग होवहि वडभागी ता हरि हरि नामु धिआवै If someone is very fortunate, and is blessed with great high destiny, then he meditates on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. And in this following line, He is telling us, that if you meditate on the Nam, you shall find eternal peace, joy and bliss, because the result of meditating on Nam, is that you shall merge in it. ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਤ ਨਾਮੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੇ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਵੈ Naam Japath Naamae Sukh Paavai, Har Naamae Naam Samaavai नामु जपत नामे सुखु पावै हरि नामे नामि समावै Chanting the Naam, the Name of the Lord, he finds peace, and merges in the Naam. This is no fantasy, many may wonder why so much of Nam is mentioned at all times, why so much stress on it ? That is, because we are sikhs of true Gurmukhs, who come for the only purpose of our union, with our True Father Wahiguru Akal Purukh, and that per the Bani, is only possible by meditating on the Nam, which they declare as the only reality throughout all the yugas. As they have said: ਸਭ ਜੁਗ ਮਹਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਊਤਮੁ ਹੋਈ Sabh Jug Mehi Naam Ootham Hoee सभ जुग महि नामु ऊतमु होई Throughout all the ages, the Naam is the ultimate, the most sublime. Our destiny is somehow in our hands, it is up to us to follow Gurmat and get freed from this mayavee creation, or remain entangled with the affairs of this world like jaat, paat, dharam, mazab...etc. The path of Gurmat is of devotion, and to be a devtotee of Akal Purukh, also has to be learnt from our Guru Sahibans. They clearly tell us: ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਏ ਭਗਤੁ ਜਨੁ ਸੋਈ Har Naam Dhhiaaeae, Bhagath Jan Soee हरि नामु धिआए भगतु जनु सोई They who meditate on the Lord's Nam, they alone are His devotees. Waheguru, kaun jaane guna tere..... Ooch Apaar Beant Soami.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, a very high Bhagat´s Bani is included. If we pay attention to it carefully, it lays stress on Nam Bhakti, just as our Guru Sahibans, that is why Sree Guru Arjun Dev Patshah inclued it in the Granth Sahib. Following is just an example, of His such a pure paviter Bani: Mera tera manua, kaise ek hoi re. Main kahata hu aankhin dekhi, t ukahata kaagad ki lekhi, Mein kahata surajhavanhaari, tu rakhyo arujhaai re. Main kahata tu jaagat rahiyo, tu rahata hai soi re. Mein kahata nirmohi rahiyo, tu jata hai mohi re. Jugan – jugan samjhaavat haara, kaha na maane koi re. Tu to ranDi, phire bihanDi, sab dhan Daare khoi re. Satguru dhara niramal bahati, wame kaaya dhoi re. Kahe Kabir suno bhai sadho, tabhi waisa hoi re. How can my mind(understanding) and yours be alike? I speak out of my own experience, things I have seen with my own eyes and you speak from the written books ( you have not known them). I speak to make it simpler and you make it more complicated and confusing(because you yourself are not clear about it). I tell you to keep awake(aware in your consciousness) and you go on sleeping(again and again in your consciousness). I tell you to remain detached and you get more allured. I keep trying to explain it for eons but no one listens to me. You have become like a prostitute( who gets attached to anyone providing money) and wander like a loafer, you have lost your treasure(spiritual wealth) in behaving this way. Kabir says - listen to me, the pure current of Satguru's grace(Anhad Bani) flows all the time, wash your mind in it, and you will also become pure like him.

Above any preferences, interpretations, likes or dislikes, what should prevail, is the truth of the Bani. Whether there is any outer guru or not at any times at all, our Guru Granth Sahib, gives us the right dirtections to clear our doubts, if any. It says : Shabad Guru. Means, that Aad Guru, Satguru, true Guru, which is Wahiguru Akal Purukh, is within each and everyone of us. The Bani says: Shabad Guru, Surat Dhun chela. What does our Guru Sahibans want to convey us? That any outer Guru, though all powerfull is limited; because that Guru is not the body, nor anything physical at all, neither the sikh, the disciple, the chela is the body... because both of them have to discard their physicall coverings one day, sooner or later...so then, where is that outer guru to guide that soul in the inner realms? Naturally if it is outside, it can not go with us after death. On the contrary, if according to Gurmat, we contact and get hold of that our inner Guru while living, surely He will guide us back home, by being with us at all times, until He, me/we..become one with Him without any distinction. This is the mahanta of our Sikhee, of our Guru Sahibans. They unite us, with that primal and eternal Truth. And this no theory, we have a few brothers members on Sikh Awreness, who are a living example of what is being stated( I do not want to mention their names, but we all know who are these wadbagee brothers). The idea is to be able to merge in the Guru, and Guru in Wahiguru. So let us think, if the Guru was anything physical at all, and if we die, is our soul going to merge in that body or anything physical for example? If not, how can we call it, the only Guru. Our Guru Sahibans, were the manifestations of Wahiguru, but inspite of that fact, they are limited to an extent. For example Prithi Chand, was living among 2 Satgurus, Sree Guru Ram Das and Sachay Patshah Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj, having their darshans daily...but inspite of that, he did not become pure, rather he was wicked, laalchee up to his end .... So the outer gurus are just to inspire us, to build that faith and strengthen our love for Wahiguru Akal Purukh, but the real removing of dirt of our filthy minds, or purification, will be done, if only, we attach ourselves to our inner Shabad Guru. That is why, in the whole of the Granth sahib, so much stress is laid on Nam or Shabad, because it is by a practical method of loving Wahiguru, through Nam Simran, that we can be able to merge in Him. That is why, in Asa di war, our Guru says: : KAHO NANAK, SACH DHIAEEAE, SUCH HOVAE, TA SACH PAEEYE. Means,meditate on that Truth, that you become the same, in order to merge in that Truth. We are limited by nature, so we try to judge and see things from our limited poor vision; but our Guru Sahibans, have chalked the way for us, through Gurmat, so that by following it implicitly, fulfill the purpose of our lives, by merging ourselves, our soul consciousness, in that Supreme Consciousness, namely Akal Purukh. Gurmat did not start with Guru nanak Dev Maharaj, neither did it end with Dasvee Patshahee. That is why the Bani says: Eh nidaan japai man koe, sabh jug mah taa kee gat ho'e Whoever meditates on this treasure(of Nam) within (one´s body or Harmandir), in any of the four yugas, is liberated. Our Guru Sahibans, have very clearly said, for all the 4 yugas. Guru Nanak came on earth about 700 years ago, so what about those before Him? Were all destined to go to hell, beacuse Guru Nanak was not there? Let us widen our horizons, outer gurus, mahapurkhs, gurmukhs are all most welcome with wide opened arms, but that Guru who will save us from lives and deaths, is the Shabad Guru within us, as stated in the Bani. But the thing is, as we can not see Him inside, we try to hold His outer physical temporary form. True Guru, as Consciousness, guides us with His phisicall form, by giving us the method, the jugtee, by singing His glory and awaken our love for Him, that is all, but to lift our souls in the inner planes, that job is done by His Shabad swaroop. Let us ponder a little bit, if all our Guru Sahibans who came, and had to leave one day, if they were not limited to an extent , had they got to leave us and go? The body, the phisicall, is just a covering on the bulb, the Light, the energy is inside...which merges in the Akhand Jot, when leaves this plane. It is from there, where they came, their true Home, and it is there where they go from here...and it is there also where they invite us to go with them. Who wants to stay in this land of tears, pains and misery...that is not their purpose. If the phisical guru was the the Guru here, why at all would they talk about Shabad, Nam or Sach Khand...and inspire us to go there, and merge in that Shabad? That Guru who was present , who is present, and who shall remain present forever. Aad Sach, Jugad sach, hae bhee Sach, Nanak hosee bhee Sach Because the true Guru does not want us to bow unto Him, because bowing to Him does not take us anywhere, rather He wants our hearts, our minds and souls to be absorbed in Nam alone, and He wants to awaken us from our ignorance, of going and running outside, but take our souls higher and higher, through boarding the jahaz of Nam, and reach Sach Khand, there where the Truth has its permanent abode. We are only gursikhs, if we follow implicitly Gurmat. Waheguru. *Please do not misunderstand me, I only want awareness of the truths in the Bani, and not our "maanmat". I feel so sorry, when I see, we have the best teachers, our Guru Sahibans, the best path,"Gurmat"·, and still then we are wandering, like those of other religions here and there outside, and then too we proudly say we are sikhs ....bhool chuk maaf

Dear Silence, people usually think in the same terms as you also. But thanks to the Bani, we do have logic and well based answers for this your particular question, which is quite beautifull by the way. Sants, Sadhs, Gurmukhs, Brahmgyanis are different words .... but refer to the highest level of consciousness, to an highest avastha, such as of Wahiguru, because He Himself has descended to our human level, to take those wadbhagge jeevas back with Him. The Bani says: Jin Har japiyaa, se Har hoeeyaa. You see, there in Sach Khand, only He exists...and whosoever reaches there by His grace, becomes Him, by merging in Him. For example, here in this world, someone X goes from Ludhiana to Jalandhar, that person remains the same, he remains with his individual identity, he is the same X person. Because of the layers of mind and different bodies upon the soul. But in the pure spiritual realms, it is not like that. In order to reach Sach Khand, all these layers are shed away, the soul drop becomes pure, in order to merge in Satnam samundra. Or do you think, all our Gurus, and other bhagats are sitting around Him in His court Sach Khand? That idea is wrong and baseless. Each and everyone wants to merge in Him...nobody wants to retain its fake identity, such as dharam, mazab, caste, class, community...etc In Sach Khand there are no multitudes, only He exists. So if we need to pray, let us pray to the only one eternal Wahiguru Akal Purukh. Sat Sree Akal.

Whether we are responsible or not for our first karma, it is quite difficult to know at our present level of consciousness .... But one thing is clear, we are trapped in the creation by our karmas. On the other side, the most graceful, the most bountiful Wahiguru, gives us the method in the Bani through His Gurmukhs, to cut that bondage from the roots, and make ourselves free once and forever. And that as per the Bani is: Shabad, karam kee lekh kataveh. Means, He is telling us: attach yourself to the Shabad, through its "kamaee", so that you can free yourself once and forever, by breaking the chains of karmas, which hold you prisoner in this creation. This is His wadeeayee, for what purpose we are here, we are not able to understand it now; but it is quite evident, that He is giving us the right directions through His beloved Gurmukhs, to get out of this "mayavee creation, and return back to our Nijh Ghar, Sach Khand. Waheguru!