LEKH NO:2(ROSSE-GILLE)

LEKH No 2 Part 1

ANGER – GRIEVANCE(ROSSE-GILLE)

The Infinite Lord is immaculate and pure.

Present within us is His light / soul. This too is pure.

Around our soul is the covering of ‘ego’.

This ‘ego’ emerged from the defiled and impure ‘maya’ (worldliness). So our ‘ego’ is impure as well.

To put it another way, the divine soul within us is pure but the covering of ‘ego’ that surrounds it is defiled (impure).

As our ego - ridden mind living in the midst of ‘maya’ (worldliness) gets more and more absorbed into it, it gets more and more defiled (polluted).

If there is a ‘mark’ of dirt on a clean piece of cloth, then this dirty mark ‘attracts’ dust and that mark becomes even more pronounced (obvious). Flies etc. too like to sit in polluted and dirty places.

That the vices of others have the power or ability to influence us is proof enough that our minds are polluted.

In the same way if the ‘pollution of worldliness’ is stuck to our mind, then it gets influenced and attracted by other things that are polluted. For this reason, living in the world under the influence of maya (worldliness) over many births, our mind has become ‘pitch black’ and slag like (refuse of smelted iron). Gurbani says:

1.1 Having been smeared with the filth of pride/ego the world suffers pain. This filth of pride attaches because of worldly love. 39

1.2 The pride of wealth is but filth and the soul is filled with the filth of the pride of wealth. 570

1.3 The scum of many births is attached to this soul and it has gone pitch black.
The oilman’s rag becomes not white by washing even though it be washed a hundred times. 651

1.4 Impure is the body which is soiled with the filth of ego.
Though washed a hundred times, even then the filth is not removed. 1045

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With a pair of dark spectacles, all things appear black even if they are of some other colour. In the same way, over our mind, we have donned (placed) a pair of dark spectacles, and this is the reason why everything that we see is black meaning ‘polluted’. That is why we are unable to see the good or the reality of anything.

This polluted condition of our mind is referred to as ‘bharam bhulawa’ (doubt ridden fallacy).

2.1 Without the Naam the entire world is dirty and wondering in duality it loses its honour. 1234

2.2 In the darkness of spiritual ignorance, the man sees nothing and again and again wonders in transmigration. 610

With such a doubt ridden view, we cannot possibly have an insight into the good, the lofty and divine things or virtues. On the other hand we even infect these virtues with the colour of our defiled views. This doubt ridden condition is referred to ignorance.

It is such a sad and ludicrous thing that even with the presence of the pure, divine ‘soul’ within us, that we being enmeshed (engrossed), have wasted our entire life in the darkness of the doubt ridden fallacy and ignorance.

2.3 This mistaken bride wonders in foreign lands and it is the mistaken one who forsaking her home moves out.
In suspicion her mind wavers and missing the path she ascends the table- land and mountains
How can she, who is separated from the Primal Being meet Him? Doped by egoism she bewails. 60

2.4 Being entangled and enmeshed in the love of false occupations the whole world has perished. 133

2.5 They worship not the all pervading soul. How can they obtain peace from another.
Within them is the filth of ego. They do not wash it away with the Lord’s Naam.
Nanak losing the invaluable human life without the Naam, they die in filth. 1414

In this state of ignorance and doubt, we are unable to have confidence or faith on the lofty, the good, the beautiful and with a superficial mind we ‘put on a show or front’ of being religious.


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3.1 Knowing not of filth attaching to his inner self, he rubs and cleanses externally. 139

3.2 The man performs four rituals and six religious rites. In these the worldly men are engrossed.
From within they are not cleansed of the filth of ego and without the guru they lose the game. 459

3.3 The men of miracles roam about misled by maya (worldliness) and the embrace not contemplation in sublime love.
Maya (worldliness) is pervading the three worlds and clinging fast to the mortals. 67

From such a polluted mind only base (lowly) and ‘defiled thoughts’ or tendencies can emerge - such as

suspicion

complaints
anger
grievance
jealousy
getting hot
ill mannered
hatred
enmity
rivalry
quarrels
revenge etc.


If someone in someway

takes advantage
does injustice
deceives
criticises
shows contempt
slanders
behaves immorally

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etc. thenthe pain inflicted on the mind causes anger to rise in that person.

In reality the main cause of all anger is man’s ‘ego’. The ego is the root of respect/honour, desires, intentions and imagination. When this (need) is not fulfilled, the mind puts the blame on to a ‘culprit’ and directs against the culprit its anger, complaint, hatred, enmity-rivalry, quarrel ,opposition etc.

It is natural to expect this ‘anger’ among worldly people, but sometimes we are not deterred from showing anger against gurmukh piares, spiritually evolved souls, saints prophets, gurus, avtars and even ‘God’ is not spared.

4.1 Without enmity is the Divine, True Guru who in his mind is ever tuned to the Lord..
Whosoever practices enmity with the one who is without enmity, he sets fire to his own house.
Within him is wrath and ego where with he burns day and ever suffers sorrow. 1415

When someone relates to us in a way that we do not like or approve of, in other words that which hurts our ego or ‘me-mine’, then complaints, displeasure, anger wells up (arises) within us.

In reality our ‘ego’ tainted mind is reacting to, the external effect of the good - bad environment and the fine wires of our ego begin to vibrate with the ‘waves’ of anger.

As we recapitulate (remember) these moments of anger and grievance or we continually keep thinking of the same thing (or keep grinding the same matter) then slowly our ‘anger’ turns into a habit or it becomes a part of our life and penetrates, percolates and seeps into our subconscious.

The effect of the anger that we have ‘nurtured’ becomes our personality. This (moment of ) anger that has become permanent, settles into the subconscious mind and then our







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thoughts

recollections

thinking

judgment

business

deeds

religion

keeps surfacing in almost every part of our life. The result of all this is very damaging / harmful to man.

It is because of ‘anger and grievance’ that our mind and body becomes diseased. Connected with this is an advice filled example, printed in a magazine ‘Readers Digest’ that comes to my mind.

“Two lady friends in America enjoyed a very loving relationship. Separation from each other was unthinkable. After some time differences arose between the two, which continued to increase to a point where it changed into contemptuous enmity. The pain in the joints of one of them became so acute that to get up or sit, even moving around became a very painful affair. She looked for cures every but there was no relief.

Finally she went to a ‘psychiatrist’. After studying the case, he said, “There is no way you can be cured by taking medicines. For you there is only one cure which you yourself can carry out; and that is forget all your anger and grievances against your friend and start loving her.” At first she became very disturbed. This thing can never happen. But as the saying goes, ‘When faced with death what is it that one does not do’ when the pains caused intense suffering, she let go of the anger and hatred and made up with her friend. Subsequently they both began to live as lovingly as before. This resulted in the pain easing off little by little and over a few months the pain disappeared completely.
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Incidents such as these are a common occurrence.

Our ‘mental diseases’ too can become chronic or incurable like leprosy or TB But the important point to understand is that, while physical diseases end with the death of the physical, the foundation of the ‘mental diseases’ which have penetrated our subconscious mind, accompany us in our subsequent births. The next birth too becomes unbearably painful. In this way the ‘vicious cycle of the ‘mental diseases, keeps on repeating.

When our anger, complaints and contempt etc. result in such frightening consequences, then it is imperative for us to seriously ponder and take steps to protect ourselves.

For the spiritual travellers, it is extremely important that they first make an effort to completely eradicate from their mind all anger, grievance, complaints and unhappiness. As long as our mind and the sub conscious are not purified, until then the desire to worship will not germinate in our hearts. That is why it is stated in Gurbani:

6.1 O my mind, why are you angry?
In the dark age reap the profit of the Lord’s Name. Under Guru’s instructions night and day contemplate on it (the Name) in your mind. 1262

6.2 With dirty mind God’s meditation cannot be done nor is the Name obtained. 6.2

The ‘mind’ like water is restless and it continues to absorb all kinds of external and internal influences. Pondering over these influences, it (the mind) carefully stores them and in this way, under that influence it continues to become defiled or pure. The main point that emerges from this alternating (positive or negative) states is - the external influence on the mind. It is our ego that receives this external influence. This external influence is absorbed by our ego.
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As an illustration there is this story: Someone asked a sadhu (a holy man) ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘Seetal Das.’ After a while the same person asked the sadhu the same question and continued to ask that question many more times. Each time the sadhu answered, his irritation increased. Finally the sadhu ‘Seetal Das’ (seetal means cool) filled with rage, chased the person with a wooden staff and ended up becoming ‘Agan Das’ (agan means fire). It is clear from this story that the sadhu’s ego had not been killed. His ego was hurt and in a state of ‘anger’ he became a victim of bitterness.

Let’s ponder carefully over another example. Someone used many vulgar words and provocative words against Mahatma Buddha, but Mahatma Ji remained calm. When that person got tired of uttering abuse, Mahatma Ji offered him a piece of stone and said, “This is for you. Take it.” The man replied, “I don’t want it.” Mahatma Ji explained, “If something is given to some and that person refuses to accept it, them that thing remains in the hands (of the giver). So those vulgar words of yours that were meant for, I didn’t accept them. Hence they still remain with you.”

It is clear from this story that in the absence of ego, Mahatma Ji did not succumb to the effect of the vulgar words. Thus he felt no anger and remained calm.

Another example is given here about being affected or not affected by external influence.

When sparks from a huge fire fall in all directions and if one the sparks happens to fall on dried grass and leaves, that heap turns to ash immediately. If that spark of fire falls on small twigs, then the fire (that results) continues to burn for a long time. If it falls on kerosene oil, it bursts immediately into a big flame and things close-by also get burnt. But if spark falls on petrol or gas then it explodes like a bomb, causing destruction over a great distance.

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On the other hand if that spark lands on cement or on stone, the spark itself gets destroyed. It has no effect whatsoever on the stone. If that spark were to fall on water, it has no effect on the water on the contrary, water puts off the spark.

From all this it is clear that the extent to which we succumb to outside influences
depends on the state of our minds. What this means is that the tolerance power of our inflammable minds determine the degree to which we succumb to outside influences.

The second important point is, succumbing to some outside influence and then keep on thinking of it, meditating on it. For example if a mother in law passes a sarcastic remark at her daughter in law (implying that she is ) -

low caste
clumsy
daughter of a vagabond etc.

then in the mind of the ‘daughter in law’ the sarcastic, sharp words so pierce into her, that being obsessed with the same thought and irritation, she continues to meditate on these words thus causing her pain. With all this her mind gets consumed in anger, hatred and fury and slowly the soot of anger penetrates into her subconscious. The detrimental influence of this pollution affects her body, her behaviour and personality.

In this polluted state of the mind if someone treats us badly, we are never ready to forgive him - on the contrary we even try to blacken his good points and condemn him for good. (To top all this) we even register his name in our ‘black list’.

Even if he tries to apologise or make an effort to reform, we are not ready to remove him from our black list.
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In this way, instead of the ‘black list’ becoming smaller, it becomes even longer. In such a polluted state, the mind is incapable of seeing any virtue or good in anyone. On the contrary, ‘its polluted state’ even affects the good and the virtuous.

9.1 People accumulate demerits. No one deals in virtues. 1092

9.2 The evil person has forgotten the Naam. The drowned one, what remedy does he know.
Forsaking merit, he, the trader of sin, has loaded the poison of demerit 580

Even if someone from the ‘black list’ dies, we continue to hold enmity, hatred and anger-grievance against that person.

In our mind, heart, intellect and the subconscious, the ‘black list’ ones are in the majority. On the other hand, the ‘white list’ beings (who are) lofty and pure, the beloveds, guru-orientated and free from defilement (vice) are very much smaller in number. This is because in our polluted state of mind, we find it difficult to develop faith and desire for the good and evolved beings. That is why the ‘black list’ ones are in majority and little by little they achieve majority ‘status’.

In this way with the slightest of irritation or by remembering an opponent or a ‘black listed’ one, we open the ‘knots’ or ‘files’ of anger and complaints, resurrect the old story, refresh the memory with the forgotten incident and keep ‘simmering’ within the mind. More than this, with regularity, we open the knot or file, first of this person , then of another person from this ‘black list’ and in vain we keep burning, suffering and simmering. I have heard this being said, “Oh! why did you ever mention her name. The moment I hear the name of that ‘witch’ (my whole system) together with clothes catches fire.”

In this poisonous ‘fiery ocean of grief’ such unlucky people take birth, live and after death become victims of death’s couriers(Jum). Externally they may assume any religious order, but their internal ‘core religion’


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is, to burn, seethe and simmer in the poison of anger, grievance, hatred, discrimination, enmity-opposition and like an ‘itch’ (that begs scratching) they derive satisfaction from all this.

Apart from the self afflicted poisonous flames within themselves, they appear oblivious to the large amount of goodness, nobleness and beauty of divine virtues or, perhaps they are pretending to be oblivious.

Without the company of the evolved souls and the blessings of the True Guru, such unfortunate souls can never escape from the self ignited ‘poisonous furnace’.

10.1 By holding on to the saint’s skirt this world ocean is crossed. 218

10.2 Through the society of saints the terrible ocean of fire, one is ferried across. 615
10.3 Attach me to the skirt of the saint’s society that I may cross the formidable stream. 702

10.4 Abiding in the society of saints all the sins hasten away. 811

10.5 The dreadful formidable and unfathomable world ocean is crossed through the Guru’s Instructions. 962

In this way our whole life burns, seethes, is consumed and becomes hell - like in

suspicion
anger
grievance
complaints
anxiety
fear
jealousy
discrimination
envy
slander
back-biting
enmity
opposition
quarrels
fights
tyranny
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Our defiled and hate filled inclination, not only consumes our mind, heart, intellect and the subconscious but the other ‘being’ too is affected by the ‘waves’ of this defiled inclination and in his mind too arise baser tendencies and emotions of anger-grievance-disgust. Slowly we implant in his heart our kind of emotions that are intense with loathing, enmity and rivalry and make them all the more pointed and powerful.

This is the reason why with so many

paaths (prayer reading)
worship
deeds
religions
religious texts
places of worship
religious sermons
places of study
public societies
scientific advancement

and inspite of them -

in our heart

in homes

amongst neighbours

in residential places

in villages

in towns
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amongst communities

in countries

in the world

there is an increase in suspicion, doubt, anger, grievance, envy-rivalry etc. This is why, in the whole world, contempt, anxiety, rivalry, tension, fighting and cruelties predominate and prevail.

God , made man his ‘supreme heir’ and bestowed on him superior virtues and raised him to the level of ‘God’s own radiant creation’ and for his livelihood and comfort blessed him with unlimited nature’s resources (gifts).

But it is deeply regretful and disgraceful that this

beautiful creation

‘the cottage of the Lord of Truth’

‘Wondrous nature’

‘heaven like’

world protector

MAN, through his ego ridden mind’s

low thinking

polluted tendencies

base sensuality

selfishness

anger

grievance
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hatred
rivalry
slander
disgust
allergy
enmity
quarrels
fighting
cruelty

has affected creation and converted it into

‘the burning mankind’
‘scorching ocean of grief’
‘terrible ocean of grief’
pit of hell

pyre of anxiety
pain-anguish

In this way we are responsible for creating heinous sins.

Daily we make an effort to keep the inside, the outside and the area around the house clean, by sweeping and mopping, dusting tables and chairs and furniture, by wiping doors and windows.

In this way all of us together with the family members are continuously involved in keeping the inside and the outside clean.

If children carelessly throw peels or rubbish, we take them to task and immediately we through out the rubbish and clean up the place.

If a storm appears, at once we close all doors and windows so that rubbish and dust from the outside does not come in. After the storm the inside as well as the outside are cleaned up.

In spite of so much care and cautiousness, still there is a need to clean the inside and the outside daily.



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In the same way to keep the physical body clean, we bathe with soap and water daily. We wash our face several times - even then the physical body gets dirty and we have to keep bathing and washing ourselves.

Similarly, daily we take off our dirty clothes and put on clean ones. These become dirty by the evening and we are forced to wash them regularly.

It is clear from the above points about our daily life, that we are ‘aware’ of the need for cleanliness of our physical body and the environment. To fulfill this need we have to make numerous efforts, have discipline, determination and spend money (as well).

Pertaining to the physical body and the environment the need,

to protect oneself from pollution and
maintain cleanliness

is naturally present within us, but the degree (of the need) depends on the individual’s power of realization.

This natural power of realisation to some extent is helpful and advantages in keeping us happy.

The strange thing is that, we take so much care and effort about external physical cleanliness, but as regards our

internal mental defilement (pollution)

we

never pay attention
never think about it
are ignorant
are unconcerned
are indifferent or
knowingly we pretend to be unaware.

In fact all religions and religious texts sternly warn us about this ‘internal mental defilement (pollution)’ and advice us on how to protect ourselves from it, but we, pay no heed to these warnings and sublime advice,

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never consider it, or at the most make a show (of being aware).

In Gurbani, warning about this mental defilement (pollution) is given as follows:

15.1 Man washes his clothes and washes his body and thinks that he is automatically rendered pure.
Knowing not of the filth attaching to his inner self he rubs and cleanses himself externally. 139

15.2 When the mind is filthy everything else is filthy.
By washing the body, the mind does not become pure. 558

15.3 Within you is the great filth of greed and falsehood. Why do you wash your outside? 598

15.4 Of what use is it to wash the body.
When there is filth in the mind.
The bitter gourd may bathe at the sixty eight shrines.
Even then its bitterness departs not. 656

The value of external cleanliness is limited only to the external life - but the consequence of internal mental ‘pollution’, besides this life, will have to be faced in the births hereafter too.

15.5 Polluted with pride, the man wanders about and dies and is born again and again.
He acts in accordance with his (past actions) which cannot be erased. 756

In spite of this we continue limit the whole of our attention, effort and measures on ‘external cleanliness’. We pay not the least attention to the ‘internal mental pollution’.

In spite of our

higher learning
higher living
modern science
novel society
religious preaching

we are unaware or have no knowledge of this serious decline and as such are unable to know, unravel or feel (the presence of) our ‘internal mental pollution’.

In this way, unknown to us, in the doubt ridden fallacy of our mental and spiritual ignorance,
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daily we are contributing to the growth of this ‘internal mental pollution’ and thus purposelessly wasting away our precious life.

This is the reason why our outward

‘paath’ and worship
rites and rituals
bathing at places of pilgrimage
virtuous actions and charity
yogic practices
have no effect on our lives

That is why in our daily life, anger-grievance, jealousy - duality are on the rise and our mental and spiritual level is on the decline.

16.1 Having been smeared with the filth of pride the world suffers pain. The filth of pride attaches because of profane (dirty) love.
By no means is this dirt of ego washed off even though one may have ablutions at hundreds of places of pilgrimage.
By performing rituals in various ways, rather two fold filth attaches to man.
The filth is not removed by acquiring knowledge. Go and consult the divines. 39

16.2 Though man may practice purification day and night.
But the filth of the mind departs not from his body.
Though man may subject his body to much mortification.
Yet evil passion never abandons his mind.
Even though man may wash his transitory body with much water.
How can the frail wall be washed? 265

16.3 The men perform 4 rituals and 6 religious rites. In these the worldly men are engrossed.
From within they are not cleanses of the filth of ego and without the Guru they lose the game(of life) 495

16.4 Even if one learns the postures of the adepts and practices the restraints of his senses,
The dirt of his mind is not removed nor goes the filth of his self conceit 558

16. 5 With his minds desire he may go and abide at a place of pilgrimage and apply his head to the saw.
But his mind’s impurities depart not thus, even though he may make lacs of efforts. 642

GURBANI ANUBHAV

The perception of Gurbani / Gurbani consciousness

It is an error to regard Gurbani as a mere topic of the intellectual circle and to limit its scope just up to its literary meaning. In reality gurbani is a substance of the Divine circle, Nanak circle, saints circle, spiritual circle and is in fact from the Primal Being. It is lofty pure , continuous, hidden, nectar, ecstatic, quite essential and has descended from its Divine sphere. To comprehend and understand it, it is necessary to rise from the intellectual circle to the spiritual intuition. This is illustrated by gurbani thus :

1.1 In all the ages, it is through the Divine word, that the Lord is recognized and the name becomes sweet and dear unto the mind (602)

1.2 By the Guru instruction, ambrosial Gurbani is realised and one’s sorrow is ended and ego eliminated.(1153)

1.3 By the Guru’s instruction they realise the Guru’s word and remain attuned to the true Lord. (1155)

1.4 He, who understands Gurbani, is absorbed in the true Lord. 412

1.5 O God’s saints! understand you the true Guru’s word.1025

The understanding and identification of bani is urged but this can only happen through the spiritual intuition and not through interpretation by the intellect. Intellectual knowledge is incomplete and limited. This is the reason that this Divine bani is known, recognized, understood and discussed through intuition by rare elevated souls (Gurmukhs) as in illustrated by bani :

1.5 Blest are the words wherewith the Name (of God) is uttered.
Rare is the person who knows such an utterance by the Guru’s grace. (103)

1.6 True is the Lord and true is His Gurbani.
Rare is the one, who by Guru’s grace understands this thing. (1044)
1.7 The Nectarean Gurbani is sweet .
Through the Guru, any one tastes and sees it. (113)








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To make the general sangat of intellectual circle, understand the abstract, invisible and intuitional subject of Gurbani, it is very necessary to give concrete examples. Even in Gurbani’s full and real knowledge can be obtained only through intuition, yet a humble effort is being made to understand it through visible examples. The sun-rays and sun-shine are brought into being by the sun-rise. The sun -rays have those virtues and essence which the sun has, such as heat, light, life-flows, energy and various others. In the same way when the immortal Lord’s “word” expressed itself in creation, all the Lord’s virtues and essence such as intuitional knowledge, melody, music, tune, power, life-flow, taste, sweetness, coldness, pity, tolerance etc come into existence in His creation. In fact the knowledge of this Divine manifestation is “intuitional” Knowledge.

From this arises Divine - current and sound which is said to be Bani from the supreme source. When Guru Nanak experienced this divine flow, He would say, “Mardana, play the rebab, Bani is coming”. Just as the Divine light is indelible and eternal, so also is Gurbani. This divine light neither changes nor is destructible. Therefore bani is also truth.

It has come from divinity, therefore it is divine Bani.

It is without the dirt of materialism, is pure light, therefore this Bani is “pure Bani”.

This divine light has been there from time inmemorial, therefore the Bani is also eternal.

It is beyond the three qualities, is pure, invisible and the essence of the Divine circle. Therefore it is concealed Bani.

It is capable of destroying the darkness of the three qualities and doubt. Therefore this Bani is a Guru form. Just as heat, brightness, energy and life - current, cannot be separated from the sun-shine, so also bani, word, Naam, nectar, will, divine-taste, power, melody, music, tune, love etc cannot be separated from Divine light








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and are absorbed with one another like warp and woof. .
This whole Divine “love-play” is the gift of the grace of the immortal Lord. To make this clearer, it is necessary to get the support of Gurbani .


3.0 For Him, unbeaten strain of the Name re-sounds. (231)

3.1 Within Him resounds the tune of the celestial strain. (375)

3.2 By Guru’s instructions they hear the true Gurbani. (364)

3.3 For God emanates ambrosial Gurbani, which the Exalted Guru narrates and preaches to the world (125)

3.4 By the hymns of the Guru, Name resounds in the mind. (362)

3.5 The supreme Guru’s word is the Lord’s Name and this Name, I enshrine in my mind. (1239)

3.6 Ambrosia is your word O Master !
It has permeated thew mind of your slaves. (72)

3.7 He, who enshrines in His heart the immortalising Gurbani, begins to meditate on the Nectarean Name (118)

3.8 Ambrosia is the Lord and ambrosia is God’s Gurbani. By serving the true Guru, Gurbani get permeated in the mind. (1190

3.9 Necter-sweet is the Guru’s instruction and the Gurbani. Night and day, utter I the God’s Name. (1057)

3.10 By this sweet will the necterean Gurbani has become prevalent and by His will one quaffs the necterean Gurbani (118)

3.11 The hymn of God’s love, is the printed arrow, which has smitten my heart, O Lord. (449)

3.12 There, in the truth gate, resounds the celestial strainof the utterance of the Guru’s word and one easily merges in the Lord. (1069)

3.13 He who is blessed with praise and bliss and within whom unstuck melody resounds, come not to grief again. (1224)



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This Divine light-like circle where there is always satsang, singing of Lord’s praise and continuous kirtan is in Gurbani, said to be the realm of truth, assembly of saints, one’s home, a place free of all worries. Worldly and materialistic people cannot reach this place. Through the literary meaning of Bani and through the company of enlighted soul’s (Gurmukh’s) We hear of the play of the Divine circle and then we make assessment with our intellect which without doubt can be incomplete and wrong. Guru Nanak Sahib was God-like and word-like but pitying us the worldly creatures, He happily took on the physical form of a man. The result was that seeing him with our own eyes, hearing His word and Bani from His very mouth created interest and in the light of spiritual leadership, we could mould our lives making an effort to reach the divine circle by taking the protection of the sat sangat. Now Guruji is not with us physically but He has blessed us with His “light”, knowledge, initiation like Gurbani for our guidance. Without this we do not have any true-pure and proper leadership with us. Therefore we have to sit in the presence of the Bani-like Guru and guide our lives in the light of Gurbani’s leadership.

The mind is colored with the color of the Naam through reading Gurbani, doing kirtan or listening to it. The touch of Gurbani is obtained only when we pay attention to the meaning’s of Gurbani, otherwise we do not touch the spiritual supernatural power of Gurbani and its effects on our minds is very little or non at all. This is the reason that despite having innumerable Gurdwaras in this age, unlimited path or akhand path, kirtan, whole night kirtan, we are becoming inattentive and going futher from Gursikhi. The point is pure attention. Without attention, the reading of Gurbani is parrot like repitition. Therefore our mind does not touch Gurbani. This is the reason that inspite of doing numerous ‘paths’ and listening to them throughtout our lives, our mental and spiritual well-being does not change, does not rise higher and we remain deprived of spiritual life and Gursikhi.
The touch of the touchstone effect of “He who heartily realises this Gurbani, within His mind abides the Lord’s Name” 797 will begin to make our minds experience the










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spiritual and supernatural power ( of Gurbani). Our mental and spiritual life will change. At some auspicious time the light of Naam can occur in us. At first our attention will be on the word by word meaning of gurbani, then it will gradually turn towards idiomatic and intrinsic meanings and eventually get absourbed in Gurbani. This Bani from the very source has divine taste, Divine colour, Divine love, Divine joy and full ecstatic stage. Therefore, any gurmukh who has touched this divine bani and realised it, easily acquires all this divine virtues such as in his life - colour, taste, love, joy, enthusiasm, service etc.

Such people in whose mind abides the Lord’s Name, have their ego spilling over the Divine flavour, taste and love.

In this way while reading the bani with attention, mingling with sadhsangat and repeating the Naam, the removal of our mind’s dirt will begin gradually. The clouds of dirt of the mindwill begin to break up with the practise of reading Bani and uttering the Word. At time in our souls will occur sparks of Divine electricityand the light of Nanak shines. Then gradually this Divine shines will occur at frequent intervals and when all the dirt (ie materialistic clouds) has disspeared, then through Guru’s grace on some auspicious day the soul light will be kindled. In Gurbani this is said to be intuitional light. In this condition we will experience the play of “He who heartily realises this Gurbani” and then according to “within his mind abides the Lord’s Name” will occur in us the light of Naam.
With the occurance of “
through Guru’s Shabads the Lord thundered” our life will be successful.















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Bondage - Escape /Freedom fom bondage

“God” being self-illuminated creator is not under any restrictions and is in fact independent in His delight. Being a part of such an independent God, it is the heriditary right of man to have independence. Unconciously man’s intrinsic desire is always yearing for this hereditary urge for freedom. But man indulges in action that keep’s him in bondage because of his ignorance, the influence of materialism and enslavement by the five thieves: love, anger, greed, passion, ego resulting in the loss of his spiritual freedom. In Gurbani there is a clear mention of such bondage of man :
6.1 In ego, the soul is imprison and the Name comes not to abide in his mind. (560)

6.2 The religious ceremonies are all entanglements and the bad and the good are bound up with them..
The toils for the sake of children and wife, done through egoism and worldly attachment, are but fetters. (551)

6.3 All this kingsmen are like bonds for the soul O brother
The world is gone astray in doubt (602)

6.4 Whatever deeds I do attached with avarice, with them all, I am binding my self down. (702)

6.5 The world run’s after worldly affairs and so is ensnared in the trap. The Lord’s meditation it realizes not. (1010)

6.6 One does various and good many deeds.
Whatever he does, that process fetters for his feet. (1075)

6.7 Good many waves of desire arise in the mind.
How can man he delivered in the Lord’s court. (1088)

6.8 Practicing egoism, the mortal is bound in bounds and involved in the affairs of mammon, he is born in hell and heaven. (761)

6.9 The mother, father, son and wives are but bonds.
The religious deeds, which man does in ego, are but fetters. (1147)

6.10 To his mind clings the filth of ego.
Myriods of rituals are the root of involvement. (1149)

6.11 Involved in worldly affairs, this mind does evil deeds.
Beguiled by mammon, it ever bewails. (1176)
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Although we think that we are independent and can do what we like, in actual fact we are bound by many types of restrictions. All the creatures and His creation are the work of the creator and are controlled by the Divine will “order” and discipline. Except for man, the whole universe is functioning intune according to Divine will. For this reason the evolution of these creatures is upwards. These lower grade creatures, having limited intellect, cannot use their brain or their cleverness. For this reason they are intuned with the infinite. But man is given a brain. According to the colouring (inclination) of his mind and through maxims and devices he makes wrong use of his brain and thus going out of tune with God- indulges in action which entangles him in restrictions of his self-made chain and make him suffer.

In Gurbani Guru Sahib Ji has warned us of such restrictions thus :

7.0 O my stranger soul, whydo you fall in entanglements (439)

7.1 With great relish you ever peck at the bait, and are ensnared.
O fool, by what virtues shall you escape. (990)

7.2 Everyone knows the way to be caught in impurity, but rarely anyone knows how to escape (331)

7.3 Hope and disire are entanglements, O brother, and rituals and religious ceremonnies are the entrappers. (635)


Dispite the advice of Gurbani and various other enlightened souls, man is entangled in many types of shackles. But due to ignorance and uninformed about these shackles, he thinks that he is free and he is not restricted in anyway. Therefore, he is not making any effort to free himself from these restrictions. Futhermore through ignorance he indulges in wrong actions and unconsciously moulds new chains daily and gets bound in more restrictions.

To make man concious, gurbani has clearly explained






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many aspects of these restricions and has told us the methods of avoiding and escaping from them.

Let us now discuss some aspects of these human restricions :

1. If we learn the method of following Divine discipline and will, then we can be safe from the restriction of egoistic actions. It is impossiable for us to follow the discipline of “will” as we are not even aware of theDivine will.

“Nanak, if the mortals were to realise the Lord’s command, they would never entertain egoism.” Our condition is, “ In ego, the soul is inprisoned and the Name comes not to abide in the mind”.(560)
Divine command for us is comfort-giving and is a form of salvation. Low grade creatures are unconsciously following this command. For this reason they are more happier and more free than humans and are not restricted by their actions. “Ego” is the root cause of all our actions and entanglements.

2. Physical restrictions.

Our bodies, health, disease, make-up, enjoyment, taste, flavour etc are all burdens. A lot of time and attention is spent on nurturing, removing scars, nursing and making-up the body. Our mind intelligence and attention are circling around with our body as its epi-center of existence and importance. For this reason our body is the one cause of our burdens.

3. The desire of me and mine also keep us absorbed day and night and even in dreams. Subordinate to the restrictions of this desire we are action-bound and suffer. “Being entangled and enmeshed in the love of false occupations, the whole world has perished” (133)

4. Burdens of rituals and superstitions
.
Despite the existence of high education and religious knowledge, we still believe in old superstitions and suffer as a result of getting entangled in various rites and rituals. The regretful thing is that even our scholars, philosophers and meditators have not been able to escape from these burdens of superstitions.





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In Gurbani these superstitions have been describe thus :

9.1 The man reads holy texts and studies the Vedas. He practices inner washing and breath control.
But he escapes not from the company of the five evil passions and is all the more tied to haughty dispositions.

9.2 My dear by all these methods the Lord is not met. I have performed many such rituals.
I have dropped down weary at the Lord’s door and pray for the grant of discerning intellect.

9.3 Man may remain mum, make his hands the leaf-plate and wander naked in the forest.
He may visit river banks, shrines and the whole earth, but duality leaves him not

9.4 With his minds desire he may go and abide at a place of pilgrimage and place his head under the saw,
But his soul’s impurities departs not thus, even though he may make lacs of efforts.

9.5 He may be a man of bounty and give gifts of many sorts, like gold, women, horses and elephants.
He may offer corn clothes and land in abundance, but he arrives not at the Lord’s door.

9.6 He may remain attached to love, to worship, adoration, prostrate salutations and perform the six rites.
He takes pride, nay excessive pride and falls into entanglements. By these means he cannot meet God

9.7 The knowledge of Yogic modes of union with the Lord and of the 84 sitting postures of the men of miracles; he goes weary practising these as well.
He may attain long life, but without obtaining association with God, he is born again and again.

9.8 He may enjoy royal sport, indulge in kingly ostentaions and issue unchangeable orders.
He may have beautious couches perfumed with the sandle aloe-wood scent. Such things lead him to the door or terrible hell. 641 - 642


These superstitions and doubts have been discussed in one previous article under the heading “Bharam” in Gurbani Vichaar. Make an effort to read it again.

5. Political restrictions
Although we are politically independentof other countries, yet we are badly entrapped in the restrictions of red tape, corruption, illegal adultration, family worship, the forces of materialism and power, taunts and party rivaly . A lot of our time and energy are used up in these useless engagements. Where two or more persons get together they waste their time in these useless talks.


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6. Social Restrictions

We are all bound firmly by the restrictions of social rituals and despite suffering, we, instead of lessening or leaving them are increasing them. We have made our births, deaths, engagements, marriages and various other social festivals so complex, complicated, showy and expensive that apart from the physical effort, the burden of unnecessary expenditure has brought us suffering . Despite our education, new civilization and scienctific thinking we, instead of making an effort to break these unnecessary and troublesome traditions and rituals, we are competing in increasing, raising and making them empty shows.

An example is given of such unnecessary and troublesome traditions and rituals. In the earlier days, at a girl’s engagement one rupee was given to complete the ceremony. The custom of these engagement has been so complicated that people have “Roka”, then “Thoka” and finally the “Shagan”. It is surprising that many other customs are being added onto the engagement ceremony to make it showy causing unnecessary expenditure. In doing these rituals, each individual tries to out do the other thus bring out competition to make the display more showy. The greed of those on the boys side increases. In this way our society is suffering and becoming weak. The result is that it is becoming very difficult and expensive for a poor man to have his daughter married. If the motive for show and the hunger for dowry cotinues, to increase like this then that time will fast come when suffering people will kill their daughters at birth just as they did in older times to save them from the tyranny of the moughals. But the regretful thing is that our philosophers, meditators, scholars, religious leaders instead of obstructing or reducing these empty shows and troublesome restrictions are themselves rolling in this directions. How tragic it is that even in todays civilization many innocent girls inevitably commit suicide because of the unnecessary customs and restrictions. They are sacrificed at










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the pyre of dowry.

7. We are also badly entrapped in our own numerous self created habits. We have addicted ourselves to many physical and mental addictions from which, inspite of so much suffering, we are unable to free ourselves.We have become their permanent slaves.


8. Restrictions of philosophy

This is a very subtle chain, which the philosophers and scholars themselves, are not aware of. It is extremely difficult to be free from the chains of philosophy. They are galvanised (with philosophy). For this reason the philosophers and scholars are deprived of lofty spiritual flashes, gleams, taste-colour, and the excitements of of subtle love. People are easily convinced by the mental exhiliration they derive from sharp intelligencebut apart from pandering to their egoism, they remain totally deprived from subtle spiritual emotions, flashes and flights into the divine realm.
This is because these philosophers with their sharp intellect evaluate, weigh and form conclusions from everything with their sharp reasoning . We who belong to the intellectual circle waste our our time and energy in our research on what ,why and how. Divine ‘flashes’, gleams, taste-hue, self fulfilling love, stage of wonderment,being above three dimensions are topics of divine consciousness belonging to the fourth dimension. Our intellectual awareness can wonder only in this world; it cannot grasp the ‘wondrous play’ of the ‘forth dimension”. We try to understand , comprehend and discuss it by analysing with our small intellect. The subtle waves of music ragas can only be understood and enjoyed by a musician For the generally ignorant masses they are but ‘Tu(n)-Taa(n)’ noises.

11.1 Every one speaks of gnosis (intellect) and meditation.
But bound with the bonds, the whole world wonders about” (728)

Bhai sahib Dr Vir Singh has used sarcasm for these intellectual philosophers :
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‘O philosopher (while) you sit in the prison of intellectual sphere
We have made friends in the country of excitements’.

9. Bondages of sanskar

The strongest of bondages, are the effects/results of actions of our previous lives. Everyone is entrapped in these restrictions, because every living being brings along with it bondages from previous lives in which it is deeply ‘action - bound-(forced to face consequences). In the store of of our subconsciousness are found heaps of straw of enormous jealousy, duality, complaints,anger, greed and passion. From some of these heaps, foul odour and stench continue to seep out. Under their influence , knowingly or unknowingly being ‘action bound’ we commit actions which bind us in even more chains and bondages. In this way man is trapped in vicious cycle of his own actions. This pitiable condition of ‘Being entangled and enmeshed in the love lof false actions the whole world has perished’ is taking place. But the surprising thing is that we are not even aware of our decline; how then can we expect any action to be taken to come out of it.

12.1 With minds obstancy they go about their business and daily suffer the consequences. 66

12.2 To attend to worldly affairs without realing the reality (of God’s presence) is to lose the wealth of human life. 33

12.3 Abandoning Lord’s Name, if man engages in other occupations, the whole of his false guilding (front) will fall off.
The man who embraces not affection for the Naam, goes to hell even though he performs millions of ceremonial rites. 240

12.4 The religious ceremonies are all entanglements- the bad and the good are bound up in them. 551

12.5 One does various and good lmany deeds. Whatever he does, that acts like chains round his feet. 1075

12.6 Millions of rituals are the root of involvements.
Without the Lord’s meditation, one only gathers the worthlessness bundle of straw. 1149

12.7 Involved in worldly affairs, this mind does evil deeds.
Bewitched by worldliness (maya) it ever bewails. 1176

10. From the above discussion it is clear that we are unconsciously trapped in numerous types of bondages and are suffering. To be free from these bondages gurbani

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suggest the following means:-
13.1 By searching and scrutinising, I have realised, that without god’s meditaion, man obtains not emancipation. 260

13.2 My tongue ever utters the Lord’s Nectar Name.
My halters(rope used for hanging persons) of millions of births are cut. 893

13.3 Without the Naam how can he be saved? In sin he rots and putrefies. 935

13.4 The persons who contemplate on the Naam treasure, their shackles (iron chain ties to the legs) are shattered. 496

13.5 Without the Naam none is emancipated.
All are chained by deaths’s chouriers. 569

13.6 He who serves the True Guru receives the Naam wealth and is emancipated by living the Naam. 597

13.7 Attached to the Lord’s Naam , the man is delivered.
Go and consult the divines, O brother. 603

13.8 By saints, grace, I have obtained the supreme bliss
And all my bonds are broken. 673

13.9 In the society of saints, the bonds of ego are loosened and one sees only the One Lord. 1079

13.10Through the Guru’s word, one is delivered of coming, going, births and death. 1092

13.11O Nanak contemplate the Lord’s Naam whereeith you shall be released from your shackles (iron chains tied to legs) 729

13.12Remembering the Lord the bonds of worldliness (maya) are loosened. 497

13.13Says Ravidass, death has plundered the whole world, but I have escaped by uttering the Naam of One Lord. 794

13.14They who mediatate on God, obtain the fruit and all their bonds of
worldliness are broken. 800

13.15I seek the saints shelter and werve the saints.
I am now rid of all the affais bonds, entanglements and other occupations.822

13.16 O My soul, emancipation is attained by seeking the saints refuge. 611

13.17 O mortal, do the deeds which may emancipate you.
Utter the Lord’s Naam and the ambrosial words of the Guru. 741

13.18 Mediate on the Guru’s feet that your bonds of worldliness may be snapped. 1093
13.19 Guru Nanak says always repeat the Lord’s Naam, O Saints, for this is the only hope of escape.
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14.1 Is there anyone who may deliver me of my bonds,
Unite me with my Lord, read out to me the Lord’s Naam
And render this mind stable and stationary, so that it wanders not anywhere again? Is there any such friend of mine? 674

11. Spiritual Bondages

These bondages are so subtle and fine that the truth seekers are not aware that they themselves are bound to them. When the seeker having toiled in meditation, penance, worship and other spiritual labours, acquires spiritual power and a following, automatically and unconsciously the subtle ego, of which he is not aware, seeps into his mind. In this condition he is no more a ‘truth seeker’. With the increase of followers he becomes a ‘noble person’, ‘an ascetic saint’, ‘saint’, ‘abbot’, ‘a great personage’, ‘guru’, ‘satguru’, ‘great-king’, ‘Sri 108’, ‘world guru’ and sets up a camp or monastry, shrouded in luxury with which worship and respect continues to increase. Their Sikh followers nurture this subtle ego by heaping limitless praise. The result is that not only the spiritual progress of their soul stops but it gradually begins to move towards hell. Around them they create a religious territory, camp, group, tradition (schism), splendourness and in these they are absorbed and entrapped just like family people. Examples of such people in olden time were ‘Wali kandhari’, ‘Mian Mitha’, ‘Nur Shah’ etc. But today such people are seen in greater numbers. Bhai Gurdas Ji has warned such truth seekers:

‘Without attention in the Word through the sadhsangat, there will be no place for the nobler ones.’

14.2 The whole world being in the grip of false ceremonies has not known God’s secrets. sawiyeh 10the master

14.3 The wayward go about their business in pride and are awarded punishment . 162

14.4 The lovers of rituals, who practise pride, they bear an unendurable load.
When there is no love with God,s Name, then, these rituals are sinful. 257
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15.1 The man who embraces not affection for the Naam, goes to hell even though he performs millions of ceremonial rites. 240

15.2 Abandoning the Lord, to do something else, that is to fall into the well of vice. 1227

Imprisoned in such a fort of spiritual ego, the souls decline is indeed pitiable. Such subtle ‘ego - forts’ can only be destroyed by some highly enlightened soul or Satguru himself just as Guru Nanak broke up Nurshah’s fort and brought salvation to him.