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Electric:
The Way of The Sikh -
Letter & Spirit # 46

YUKTANAND SINGH

 

 

 

Translated from ‘Gurmukh Sikhia’ by Bhai Vir Singh

 

Part XXVII-C


Waheguru is always with us. He is in our body, our mind and in our intellect.

We must remember this when we do naam simran.

When Waheguru is with us then the past karams evaporate, because He is destroyer of sin. He is the origin of karam and He is also its demise.

In the beginning, when the first living being was born, what karam caused that birth? There was no karam then. The initial birth occurred under hukam. The karam came later. But just as one spark can burn tons of woods to ashes, similarly, Waheguru's presence, due to simran, destroys the karams by the millions.

Some Hindu scholars regarded karam as an endless cycle. This had rendered their faith a morbid, gloomy and pessimistic faith. They felt that since karam was indestructible, no effort could free us from it. For this reason, they saw their salvation in having the body cut into pieces, or in getting trampled to death under a chariot at the holy temple of Jagannath.

These scholars considered attachment to the body as the fourth source of pain [besides the three: ignorance, aversion and attachment]. Thus, they would go and waste away in a forest, or let the animals eat their body.

In contrast, our Guru Sahiban saw service of others as the way to be detached from the body.

The historian J.D. Cunningham has narrated about a Nihang Singh who was busy, singlehandedly making a road to the city of Anandpur Sahib. He would say,  "Waheguru is here with me. I have realized this through simran. Now I cannot be misled. When Waheguru is present here with me then I am free already. Now I do seva and this work, only to make this body worthwhile."

This teaching from our True Guru made us invincible, the same quality that the True Guru had infused in us at the battle of Chamkaur. In an erstwhile country where its people had lost their self esteem, Khalsa was born who possessed firm faith and self confidence.

During those times the Hindus had become helpless. They were unable to confront the Mughal oppressors who were invading us from foreign lands. Guru Sahib taught us to be unyielding and strong. This changed the entire subcontinent's history. This unyielding conduct is true renunciation.

In the city of Paonta Sahib a pastry vendor partook Amrit. He started to wear a kirpan. Next day, someone mocked him, "Just yesterday you were flipping pastries, now you are wearing a kirpan? Did you ever take Amrit?"

The pastry vendor retorted, "Can't you tell this, from my joy?"

We should be similarly proud of having joined the Khalsa Panth. This status resides with Kesh (unshorn hair) and we are rightful heirs to our Gurus’ magnificent legacy.

Lord Rama came and Lord Krishna came. They emancipated individuals who lived during their own lifetime. Guru Nanak’s own spirit came in a succession of ten Satgurus (True Gurus). By transforming their own self into the shabad, they took seat at Sri Darbar Sahib. For the sake of our salvation, they have stayed here and never left.

A former professor from Khalsa College (Amritsar) used to say that some kind of electricity pervades Sri Darbar Sahib. Simply stepping on the first steps at its entrance makes you feel as if an electric current has passed through you. The fire inside subsides, the heart is cooled and inner peace takes over.

Another, a French artist who used to practice meditation, shared a similar feeling of transformation. He used to say that some unique light appears to emanate from the marble of Harmandir Sahib and it appears to spread peace everywhere. Who knows how the Creator of this light has caused it to reside in this place.

Similarly, an American visitor expressed that visiting Darbar Sahib and listening to the kirtan brought joy to his heart while he felt gloominess at the temples and churches there.

We need to learn to practice naam simran. This way, we will get close to Waheguru. Our karams are burnt away. We are then automatically free from bondage. Then, to make this body worthwhile, we need to do seva.

Remember to do these three: Repeat naam at least for five minutes, preferably fifteen minutes in the morning, and then during the day whenever you get a chance. Second, keep your conduct pure. (Third) Read gurbani everyday, even if you read only one shabad daily, and contemplate on the lesson that Guru Sahib had given to us on that day.

"Everyone is always brooding on something. But peace lies on brooding on the One" [GGS:932.16].

Everyone likes to continually entertain one’s own thoughts. Thinking about household, work, or business is a different matter. But most of the time when our mind is free, we stay engaged in fruitless thoughts and we daydream. This results in pain.

Being a beast of habit, our mind keeps turning the millstone of thoughts. When we break our mind away from futile thoughts and attach it to Waheguru then we will find peace.

With Waheguru's naam simran we get close to Him. Just as when we are cold we can find warmth near fire. Similarly, staying in presence of Waheguru we get close to Him and then we find happiness.

This is how one finds liberation even while laughing, playing, enjoying various foods and clothes. I have examined all religions. Sikh religion is supreme in that it is the easiest to practice. I do not say this due to any bias but from personal experience.

Whatever I have said, all has been written in gurbani. I have only explained it, by translating it into vernacular in these talks, and I have jotted down everything that I experienced from this teaching.


October 28, 2014

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The Way of The Sikh -
Letter & Spirit # 46"









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