Divinepower

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

DHARAM PRACHAR(KHOJI)LEKH NO.13

LEKH 13 Part 3 DHARAM PARCHAAR

It is stated in a radio that, to get a good harvest there is a need for

1. Healthy and hardy seeds (Intuitive knowledge or Naam)
2. A field that has been ploughed (mind)
3. Good supply of sufficient water (Satsang –holy congregation)
4. Protection from disease (bad company)
5. Sufficient fertilizer (faith- conviction)
6. Effort (cultivation of the practice of Naam)

This formula applies exactly to our religion too. Since the dawn of ages ‘intuitional’ knowledge in the form of the ‘seed’ has been revealed through gurus, demigods, prophets for the salvation of human beings. But because the sub-conscious and the mind are polluted and diseased, religion has not flourished within us. How can the plant of religion, nurtured with wrong fertilizers, grown from diseased seed on diseased ground, receiving polluted water in a diseased environment, ever flourish.

1 The religious rites, rituals and hypocrisies which are seen, are plundered by the Messenger of Death, the ultimate tax collector. 747
What hope is there of getting good fruits from that tree? The fruit that such a plant produces, that too is diseased and this in turn can cause the off-springs of these plants to be diseased. In the same way how can religious preachers who have been born and bread in a diseased environment of religion, give a lofty-pure mental, religious and spiritual guidance to life.

2 The self-willed manmukh may perform chants, meditations, austere self-discipline, fasts and devotional worship, but his sickness does not go away.
Deep within him is the sickness of excessive egotism; in the love of duality he is ruined. 732

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1 Outwardly, he wears religious robes and he is very clever, but his mind wanders in the ten directions.
Engrossed in ego, he does not remember the Word of the Shabad; over and over again, he is reincarnated. 732

All this is literally taking place right before our eyes but nobody seems to see the need or has the courage to sense the decline or raise a voice against it.
Our out going, ego ridden mind , out of its own doing, for no apparent reason, has increased its involvement in useless materialistic routines to such an extent and got itself so absorbed, that there is no time or the need is not felt to attend to the lofty spiritual aspect of religion. We are indeed satisfied catering to public opinion, making a public display or just carrying out routine external hollow rites and rituals and by giving our mind empty , false consolation (that we are religious) we are cheating ourselves.

On the other hand by using religion for our own personal ends, solving family problems, winning court cases, getting rid of diseases, passing examinations, maintaining jobs, seeking material gains and fulfilling numerous other life’s normal needs, we are degrading religion. In other words we have turned religion into some kind of business venture and in this so called religious transactions we have increased commercial competition to such an extent that religion has been made ‘very expensive’ and placed beyond the reach of the poor masses.

Religion was supposed to lift us out of materialism, but we have given it the hue of materialism and reduced it to the level of commercialism. The glaring proof of all this is that we are openly and boldly selling Gurbani in the form of ‘paath-pooja’, kirtan-katha, and discourses. And that too in competition – at high prices.

This lofty and pure religion which was supposed to save and free us from the ‘serpent’ of materialism, we have made it into an object of materialism and now this ‘serpent of materialism is consuming us all. Who is there to save?

Under the influence of Western society a large number of our people are apostates and do not feel the need for religion.

If a person by virtue of his past deeds, or under the influence of today’s environment, displays a tendency towards religion, that too is based on false

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and wrong beliefs which are entwined in the traditional ‘practices’ of rites and rituals. This cone of self – imagined hollow religious beliefs, is itself a ‘prison’ in which the (practitioner) experiences full satisfaction. For such a person there appears to be no need for some other ‘Divine Knowledge’ or lofty religion.

From within this (group) for the sake of material gains and selfish needs, some people armed with a bit of knowledge – some read some heard sakhian, proclaim themselves to be ‘religious preachers’ and trap the simple and innocent masses in hollow intellectual knowledge and life-less rites and rituals, in which, they themselves have no faith or are alien to them.

Those who have earned divine practice in their previous births, they are not convinced by this hollow knowledge and life-less methods. Within their innate being, hunger for lofty, divine experience keeps knawing them. To satisfy their divine thirst, they immerse themselves into ‘research’.

From among these, some seekers, through many types of yogic practices may begin to experience the miracle of occult and divine power. With these unusual, strange, novel experiences and miracles, their mind gets so attached to these things, that going beyond ‘their real self’ they proclaim themselves to be sadhus, sants, gurus, mahatamas, pirs, fakirs and absorbed in this display, they consume themselves and keep the masses entangled in their thread-amulets, charms, mantars, ash, paath, worship etc. In this way they too remain empty and divorced from the next lofty and pure plane.

In the first two lekhs on ‘religious preaching’ it has been explained that the foundation of our ‘religious preaching’ is based on haumai – egotism. This is the ‘play’ of the intellectual plane which operates according to the rules of the ‘Law of Karma’. All this is within the sphere of egotism of ‘trigun’ in which the world of duality is based on self-imagined knowledge. We do Gurbani paath, sing, follow the set traditions, do as the ‘Joneses do’, satisfy the public, compelled into doing something (not because you want to do it) for materialistic gains or personal self interest. Not satisfied with all this, we also put on a superior complex and look down upon others and keep imposing sanctions.


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We have no time to pay attention nor do we feel the need to, or knowingly we pretend to be unaware of, the lofty – pure ‘Intuitional Divine Play’ that is mentioned in Gurbani.

In the earlier lekhs it has been mentioned that rites and rituals of the external intellectual religions are essential for motivation and guidance towards lofty – pure ‘intuitional divine religion’. Just as it is not possible to reach the destination without travelling and it is not possible to climb to the flat roof top without a ladder, in the same way to reach the intuitional, divine, ‘illuminated realm’, it is mandatory to nurture the physical, mental and religious rites - rituals and controls. But this religious practice is :-

the effort not the ‘results’.
the method not the ‘fulfillment’ .
the journey not the ‘destination’.
the knowledge not the ‘illumination’.
the perseverance not the ‘grace of the Guru’.
the ladder not the ‘pinnacle’.

But we have taken the practice of external rites - rituals to be the ‘destination’, the ‘fulfillment’ and are ‘contented’ with these; but that which is lofty, pure, virtuous, beautiful, that love, affection, relish, Divine joy and bliss (which emanates) from ‘the spiritual realm’, the ‘divine realm’, (about all that) we are sitting-by, oblivious, unconcerned, careless or feigning ignorance .

In our ignorance with:-

lower tendencies,
base thoughts,
party politics,
jealousy-enmity,
hatred-enmity,
the desire for the ‘chair’,

we have reduced our ‘religious places’ into:-

‘centres’ of jealousy – enmity
‘spheres’ of egotism
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‘arenas’ for expressing anger
‘sources’ for (projecting) worldly self interest
‘commercial centres.

The painful thing is that in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, whom we accept as our ‘Spiritual Guide’ and ‘Guru’, in the name of religion and (acting) completely against the teachings of Gurbani, we make an open display of:-

jealousy-envy
enmity hostility
greed-self interest
anger
ego,

and by showing gross disrespect for Guru Maharaj, we ourselves are exposing (or exhibiting) the ‘decline’ of our own religion.

This whole thing is currently happening in spite of massive religious preaching. Compared to previous times, nowadays:-

gurdwaras
libraries
study circles
missionary colleges
‘paath’ reading of scriptures
turning the ‘rosaries’
satsang programmes
rain sabaa-eeaan (whole night kirtan sessions)
kirtan arenas
talks and discourses
religious books
religious preaching
religious writings
kirtan tours
Sukhmani societies


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the ways and means of propagating preaching through:-

radio
video

cassette
loud speakers etc.

have increased tremendously, but our religious and divine level is continuously on the decline whereas ‘religious corruption’ is on the increase.

It is clear from this religious ‘decline’ that there is a serious defect in the channel of our religious preaching.

Through the gravity of lower tendencies ‘religion’ has unexpectedly contacted some ‘disease’. We have contaminated the religion and religious institutions with the infection of lower tendencies like greed, desire, jealousy-envy, enmity-hostility, fanaticism, hatred, debates-disputes, quarrels, fights etc. In such a base and corrupted environment our ‘sangat’ or congregation too has become that is:-

superficial
emotionless
dry
unexciting
faithless,
ceremonial
hollow
ego ridden
attached to materialism
loveless
jealousy –envy filled
enmity-hostility filled
(one that ) show off
lacking in spiritual ‘infection’.

The state of our religious decline and corruption has been depicted in Gurbani as follows:-
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1 They read scriptures, and contemplate the Vedas; they practice the inner cleansing techniques of Yoga, and control of the breath.
But they cannot escape from the company of the five passions; they are increasingly bound to egotism. 1
2 O Beloved, this is not the way to meet the Lord; I have performed these rituals so many times.
I have collapsed, exhausted, at the Door of my Lord Master; I pray that He may grant me a discerning intellect. Pause
3 One may remain silent and use his hands as begging bowls, and wander naked in the forest.
He may make pilgrimages to river banks and sacred shrines all over the world, but his sense of duality will not leave him. 2
4 His mind’s desires may lead him to go and dwell at sacred places of pilgrimage, and offer his head to be sawn off;
but this will not cause the filth of his mind to depart, even though he may make thousands of efforts. 3
5 He may give gifts of all sorts — gold, women, horses and elephants.
He may make offerings of corn, clothes and land in abundance, but this will not lead him to the Lord’s Door. 4
6 He may remain devoted to worship and adoration, bowing his forehead to the floor, practicing the six religious rituals.
He indulges in egotism and pride, and falls into entanglements, but he does not meet the Lord by these devices. 5
7 He practices the eighty-four postures of Yoga, and acquires the supernatural powers of the Siddhas, but he gets tired of practicing these.
He lives a long life, but is reincarnated again and again; he has not met with the Lord. 6 641
8 One who does not practice what he preaches to others, shall come and go in reincarnation, through birth and death. 269

9 Kabeer, those who only preach to others — sand falls into their mouths. They keep their eyes on the property of others, while their own farm is being eaten up.
10 Some worship the stone idol and others wear a lingam around their neck.
Some recogise God in the south and others bow their heads towards the west.
Some ignorant ones worship the images and others worship the dead.
The entire world is engrossed in false rituals and none knows the mystery. 30
Guru Gobind SinghAkal Ustat

Actually religions were created to eliminate our ignorance about materialism and give us the right and lofty direction towards God. But slowly under the influence of ego and duality, differences, jealousy-envy, enmity-hostility, fanaticism and the hue of hatred, these religions have themselves become the cause of (the practice of) lower tendencies. The painful result of all this is apparent before our very eyes. For this reason, these so called religions and their preaching in this ego ridden world of the realm of ‘trigun’ is dependent upon the different mind generated knowledge. All this is the play of ‘the materialistic realm of trigun’.

11 The Yogis, the celibates, the austere penitents, and all sorts of clever people have failed. 537
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1 Egotism is within all bodies; through egotism, we come to be born.
Egotism is utter darkness; in egotism, no one can understand anything. 2
In egotism, devotional worship cannot be performed, and the Hukam of the Lord’s Command cannot be understood.
In egotism, the soul is in bondage, and the Naam does not come to abide in the mind. 560

2 The world is polluted with the filth of egotism, suffering in pain.
This filth sticks to them because of their love of duality.
This filth of egotism cannot be washed away, even by taking cleansing baths at hundreds of sacred shrines.
Performing all sorts of rituals, people are smeared with twice as much filth.
This filth is not removed by studying. Go ahead, and ask the wise ones. 39

3 By Guru’s Grace, a few come to understand; they center their consciousness in the fourth state. 129

On seeing this corruption of external worldly rites and ritualistic ‘religions’, Guru Nanak Sahib took pity on man and set up a lofty-pure, stainless, extraordinary, different religion, (filled with) divine elements. The foundation of this religion was laid on ‘Divine Illumination’, ‘Naam’, a level higher than the ‘Trigun’ state, the fourth plane. He lifted us out of the ‘state of duality’, and showed us the ‘main highway’, the Word ‘Naam’, the lofty-pure Essence of Divine Knowledge of ‘Ek Oangkaar Satnaam’. This is the teaching – the teaching of the ‘Essence of Divine Knowledge’, the Word, the Naam that is expanded upon in Gurbani.

Gurbani is our faith, (our) Guru and the teachings incorporated in it give us physical, mental and spiritual ‘guidelines on life’. It lifts us out of the plane of egoistic trigun and encourages and motivates us towards the illumination of the ‘fourth level’s divine plane’.

In this way Gurbani is for us:-
‘the direction of life’
the foundation of religion
the ‘light of the universe’
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the magnetic ‘touch’
the divine ‘illumination’
the fountain of’ immortality’
the ‘current of life’
the ‘offering of life’
the ‘gift’ of spirituality
the ‘Word’
the gift of love
the ‘Naam’
the ‘faith’ (filled love)
the ‘Guru’

If we want to do Gurbani Paath and sing (as well) then we have to:-

1. learn Its literal meaning,
2. understand Its implied meaning,
3. contemplate upon Its intrinsic meaning,
4. (and then only) experience the ‘magnetic touch’ or the taste of the ‘Naam.

When we talk to someone, it is essential that the attention of both parties should be at the same level. Only then it is possible for their thoughts and emotions to make ‘contact’ and the right response, communicative interaction and association can take place.

In the same way when we read Gurbani we are (actually) talking or communicating with Guru Ji. It is only when our mind’s attention is at about the same level as the divine level at which the Bani is created, that we will be able to understand, decipher and imbibe the implied meaning of Gurbani and through the vibrations of the esteemed being of the Guru, (we will be able) to experience the innate ‘connection’ or the ‘awareness of the Being’ and the ‘illumination of Naam’ can take place.

A good analogy of the radio can be given here. If the wave length of our radio is not tuned to the wave length of Jallandar radio station, it is not possible for our radio to have communication with Jallander station and we will miss the programme from there.
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In the same way, because the attention of our mind is not in tune with the lofty-pure divine wavelength of Gurbani, we are unable to obtain the full intuitional benefit of Gurbani and the innate connection with the illustrious self of the Guru does not take place. For this reason the transaction or communication of the divine world’s ‘Treasure of Truth’- ‘Naam’ does not take place for us and our monotonous, insipid, ego-ridden materialistic life is suffering away, ensnared and entrapped in false deeds and materialistic attachments.

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

2 Those who forget the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and become attached to greed and fraud, are engrossed in the entanglements of Maya the enticer, with the fire of desire within them. 1413

3 Fareed, the faces of those who forget the Lord’s Name are dreadful. They suffer terrible pain here, and hereafter they find no place of rest or refuge. 1383

4 Those who have forgotten the Naam, the Name of the Lord, are deluded by doubt and duality. Those who abandon the roots and cling to the branches, shall obtain only ashes. 420

4 O Nanak, the blind, ignorant fools do not remember the Naam, the Name of the Lord; they involve themselves in other activities. They are bound and gagged at the door of the Messenger of Death; they are punished, and in the end, they rot away in manure. 648

Our religious preaching too is becoming insipid and superficial due to a similar situation of ‘lack of focus’ and fallacies of ignorance. It has no capacity to stimulate the tender borders of our heart or the soaring flights’ of divine emotions and we lose out on the ‘divine illumination’ or the ‘relish of love’.

6 He teaches, but does not practice what he preaches; he does not realize the essential reality of the Word of the Shabad. 380

7 Everyone speaks of wisdom and meditation; but bound in bondage, the whole world is wandering around in confusion. 728

8 The world is like a crow; with its beak, it croaks spiritual wisdom. But deep within there is greed, falsehood and pride. 832

9 Everyone talks about spiritual wisdom and spiritual knowledge. Talking, talking, they argue, and suffer. 831

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1 By preaching sermons, one’s doubt is not dispelled. Everyone is tired of preaching and teaching. 655

2 Without the Naam, what is the use of spiritual wisdom and meditation? 905

3 This is the essence of karma, righteous conduct and spiritual wisdom, to chant the Lord’s Name in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. 866

A simple example of our ‘inattentivness’during paath (or reading of scriptures) is being given:-

4 Other efforts are of no use to you. Joining the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, vibrate and meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. 378

First line: ‘Other efforts’
We have never ever pondered on what the ‘other efforts’ are that are going to be of no use to us. As a routine, ‘without thinking’, without understanding we keep on doing paath (or reading the scriptures). The ridiculous thing is that those ‘other efforts’ that are going to be of no use to us are the very ‘other efforts’ that we keep on doing day and night, efforts in which we are ‘intoxicated’ and ‘absorbed ‘. The surprising thing is that while we fully scrutinise. evaluate and analyse every other type of work in our materialistic life, we have found no need to analyse this line from Gurbani, and the question has never arisen in our mind that if our ‘other efforts’ are not going to be of any use then what are those efforts that will be of use.

Second line: ‘Joining the sadh sangat’
(In this line) there is explicit exhortation and firm command that while residing in the ‘company of holy souls’:-

The work you have to do is to ‘meditate on the Naam’ that will be of use to us, that will help us in this world as well as the next.

But to start with we do not even know what ‘sadh sangat’ is? And neither is there any need felt to do sadh sangat because we are so absorbed and intoxicated in our self created useless routines that we find it unnecessary to bring into our attention any other lofty-pure feature.
‘meditate upon only the Naam’.
We do not have knowledge of the ‘Naam’ nor do we know ‘meditation’ or
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simran. There doesn’t seem to be a need to pay attention to the mandatory ‘command’. Let alone making any effort.

The word ‘only’ needs careful attention:
This means that we are firmly commanded to meditate exclusively on the Naam - do simran. Apart from this, every other deed or routine activity will not be of any use.

From the above example it is clear that the bani we sing and the paath that we do, is done in a state of inattentiveness, non-understanding and parrot like. In our life we have no time to understand, discuss and cultivate Gurbani, nor do we feel the need, or knowingly we pretend to be indifferent and deliberately feign ignorance.

The painful thing is that the ‘rites and ritual’ from which the Gurus extricated us (got us out), we have once again got ourselves trapped into them and we are absorbed in them to such an extent that we have:-

no knowledge
no interest
no need
no effort
no inclination
no love
no desire
no time
no faith

in the innate divine ‘goal’ or essence mentioned in Gurbani. The result of all this is that we are:

indifferent
ignorant
unknowledgeable
unconcerned
feigning ignorance

about the ‘divine’ ‘essence of knowledge’ or Naam and we are unnecessarily wasting away our precious life in the external, empty, dead disciplines
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The main reason for this religious decline is our ‘ego’. In the ‘materialistic world’ of ‘trigun’, it is egotism that:-

reigns supreme
spreads
operates
rules
(brings about) darkness

(causes) doubt fallacy
is the force behind deeds
is the source of all thoughts
creates all desires
is (behind) evil and virtue

is (both) truth and falsehood
is pain and pleasure
is (behind) foe and friend
is me-mine ness
the play arena

is (behind) quarrels
is (behind) debates – controversies
is (behind)jealousy-duality
is (behind)hatred
is (behind) fights.

1 In ego they come, and in ego they go. In ego they are born, and in ego they die.
In ego they give, and in ego they take. In ego they earn, and in ego they lose.
2 In ego they become truthful or false.
In ego discussions are held on vice and virtue. In ego they go to heaven or hell.
In ego they laugh, and in ego they weep.
3 In ego they become dirty, and in ego they are washed clean. In ego they lose
social status and class.
In ego they are ignorant, and in ego they are wise. They do not know the value of
salvation and liberation.
4 In ego they love Maya, and in ego they are kept in darkness by it. Living in ego,
mortal beings are created.

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5 When one understands ego, then the Lord’s gate is known. Without spiritual
wisdom, they babble and argue.
O Nanak, by the Lord’s Command, destiny is recorded. As the Lord sees us, so
are we seen. 466

For instance the description of an elephant by the blind ones is ‘varied’, it is (therefore) wrong. In the same way in the ‘doubt ridden fallacy’ of ‘materialistic darkness’, the thoughts, contentions, religious rites-rituals of each and every person are bound to be different and their consequences too vary.

In the materialistic darkness of ‘trigun’, because of the consequences of deeds of past births and those resulting from the present interactions, the hue or colour of a person’s personality is bound to be diverse.

The differences that emerge from the materialistic ‘doubt ridden fallacy’ become the main cause of debates-arguments, jealousy, cruelty, hatred, confrontation and fights in the diversity of our thoughts, beliefs, religions, rites and rituals.

When the fire of ‘egotism’ and ‘desire’ comes into contact with these (differences), then the resulting situation is one of ‘ The whole world, entangled and enmeshed in false deeds, is unable to discover the secrets of Bhagawan – Waheguru’ and this become the main cause for the decline of our religions and we caught up and :-

1 ‘Entangled and enmeshed, the whole perishes in the attachment of false deeds.’ 133
simply waste away our precious life for nothing. And we

2 Without the Naam, everything is false and worthless. 761

are so absorbed and engrossed (in everything that is false and worthless).

Gurbani motivates our ‘diverse’, ‘ (our) love of worldliness’ infected tendency, towards ‘oneness’, ‘Ek Oangkaar Satnaam’, but with the ‘differences and intelligence’ of our tiny intellect, we temper the Bani with our own hue or colouring, and give interpretations through the ‘doubt fallacy ‘ of our ‘ego-ridden’ small intellect, and with our own hollow intellectual knowledge we give meanings to and explain Gurabani. Because we are far removed and ignorant about the deep and ‘innate intuitional knowledge’, we dilly-dally (drag our feet) when it comes to explaining the secret divine meanings of Gurabani and we keep the simple minded masses trapped with the doubt fallacies or uncertainties of our intellectual knowledge.

This is the reason why we are going astray from the divine illumination, ‘goal of life’ and guidance of Gurbani and our precious life
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is kept trapped in the fallacies and superficial talks of materialistic doubts and misinformation. To understand this subject, further examples are given below:-

Teaching of Religion Our action

is salvation giving. leads to ‘degredation’.
frees one from materialism traps one in materialism.
motivates one to meditate on God. makes one to mediate on materialism.
carries the message of oneness. promotes ‘duality’.
works for the good of others. works for self interest.
promotes good relations towards all. unable to inter-relate with others.
there is no enmity promotes enmity.
none is a stranger. all are aliens.
slander is forbidden. slander is cherished.
do good towards the bad. do bad towards the good.
liberation from attachment. strengthens the ties of attachment.
facilitates the bonding. separation thorough party politics.
protects from the fire of the ‘five’. sets fire the religion itself.
patches the hearts. tears the hearts apart.
is love. is hatred.
is the ointment of affection. diffuses the poison of jealousy & duality.
gives rise to faith and conviction is the interaction that lacks faith & trust.
is humility. egotism rears its ugly head.
creates laughter in those weeping. makes those who are laughing cry.
rejuvenates those who have wilted. wilts those who have rejuvenated.
is divine illumination. is the darkness of ignorance.

For the above discussion it is clear that according to Gurbani there are two different realms:-

1. The materialistic realm of ‘trigun’ (three strands of rajgun satgun
and tamgun)

2. The invisible, subtle realm of Divine Illumination.

To give life the right and lofty divine direction it is essential that these two realms be discussed in greater detail in the light of Gurbani:-
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A comparative study of these can be done as follows:-

‘Trigun’ world of materialism Divine World

is gross. is subtle.
not permanent. is eternal.
is ever changing. is ever constant.
is one of many forms. has only one form.
is destructible. is everlasting.
is falsehood. is truth.
is an illusion. is reality.
is darkness. is light.
is born through the ‘Word”. is self created.
is the ‘play arena’ of egotism. is the ‘play’ of ‘hukam’ or Will.
is duality. is ‘one and only one’.
is evil cum virtue is only goodwill.
is the ‘terrible ocean of grief’. is one that ferries across.
is ‘bound in deeds’. is truly free.
is limited in intellect. is intuitional illumination.
is the ‘fiery ocean of grief’. is the coolness of God’s Naam.
is the fire desires. is free from desires.
is the ‘pyre of worry’. is free fro grief.
is ‘night’s inn’. is the palace of the true-home.
is diffused in attachment & materialism. is ‘blemish less illumination’.
is a ‘fleeting taste’. is the eternal supreme savor.
is the store-house of sorrow. is the exterminator of sorrow.
is absorbed in baser tendencies is wondrously imbued with divine hue.
has enmity, antagonism, jealousy. is at one with all.
houses only superficial peace. is the benefactor of peace.
is under the rule of ‘five’ (demons). is the reign of ‘love’.
is separation. is true communion.
is death. is ‘eternal life’.
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is the confusion of materialism is Divine silence.
is the odour of hatred. is the welling up of love.
is the play of ‘trigun’s’ materialism. is the game of love.
is time bound in past present and future. is only the present, the now ness.
are dealings taken on credit. are cash dealings.
is intellectual cleverness. is Divine Will.
is self-will. is the command of the Divine Will.
is fanatism. is equipoise.
is (the culture of) take-take-take. is give-give-give (all the time).
is fear. is fearlessness.
is the arduous ocean. is the ‘Realm of Truth’.
is anger-grievance. has no trace of anger-grievance.
numerous so called religions exist. only one Divine religion exists.
These religions are imposed from without. essence of region germinates from within.
the stink of materialism pervades. the fragrance of Naam permeates.

In this series on religious preaching, let us reflect upon the three lekhs and carry out a discerning scrutiny into our short comings, mistakes, faults, superstitions and habits. To reform our oncoming religious life and give it a true and lofty direction, these contrasting viewpoints, together with the comparisons made below will be very beneficial and helpful as we analyse ourselves.

Aim of Gurbani Our religious activity & its aim

1. The reference to the innate intuitional ‘realm’, its expression, its knowledge, the ‘word’, ‘naam’, ‘amrit’, ‘God’s elixir, the ‘goblet of love’, ‘divine illumination’, ‘supreme relish’, ‘jingling (sound current), ‘wondrousness, ‘awesomeness’, ‘intoxicated ness’ and more such words have been clearly given in Gurbani.
1. This intuitional, divine ‘realm’ is beyond the grasp of our thinking and intellect and because of this, we have no faith whatsoever or it is superficial and does not attract us. For this reason, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to make an effort.
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2 This divine knowledge manifests itself innately only ‘through intuition’. In this there is faith and longing in Ek Oangkaar-the One Eternal God. This faith and longing is nurtured in the love of the soul within the self.
The external intellectual knowledge of ‘trigun’ can be heard and relayed, learned and taught, understood and explained. All this can be acquired externally. This knowledge, because it emerged from various thoughts and beliefs, can become the cause of debates and objections, enmity and confrontation, tyranny, hatred, fights and quarrels.

3. This spiritual level can only be obtained according to the firm command ‘Seek the company of the evolved ones and contemplate only on the Naam’, by being in the company of the ‘sadh sangat’- the company of evolved beings’ through incessant cultivation and practice of the Naam.

But we have completely forgotten simran and the cultivation of the Naam appears needless and unnecessary.

4. Without the Naam, everything is false and worthless.761
O Nanak, only one thing is of any account: everything else is useless babbling and idle talk in ego.467

But we, forgetting the thing ‘Naam Simran’ that will be taken into account, are thoroughly absorbed in what is ‘false and worthless’, in ‘idle talk’

5. Without meditating in remembrance on the Lord, life is like a burning fire, even if one lives long, like a snake. 712

(We) are living a life that is ‘bereft of Naam’, ‘bereft of simran’, drenched in the poison of ‘another love’ (instead of God love) like the (life of a) snake.

6. The pearls are scattered on the road; the blind man comes along. Without the Light of the Lord of the Universe, the world just passes them by.1370

The ‘pearls and rubies’ that are mentioned in Gurbani, we have made them cheaper that even a worthless coin and in our ignorance
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we are officially walking over it (unable to see what is already there).
7. If His humble servant believes, and acts according to the Words of the Guru’s Bani, then the Guru, in person, emancipates him. 982/11
We do lot of sewa of Bani,, worship, exposition, kirtan, but we pay no heed to cultivating its teachings. For this reason we are devoid of ‘the emancipative (benefit) of the Guru in person’.


8. But if he eliminates his self-conceit and then performs service, he shall be honored. 474/10
I am Your slave — what clever tricks could I ever try? This soul and body are totally Yours 738/4

Behind our sewa there is some selfish need, some materialistic desire or it is ‘egotism’. We are indeed ‘slaves’ of materialism and with our cunning ness, we are absorbed in the service of ‘me-mine ness’.

It is only upon ‘effacing the self’ that one can become a ‘slave’.
We accept payment for our sewa or service. In religious institutions the people involved in sewa are all ‘salaried people’. And the ragis and lecturers sell bani at a very high price.

9. In the olden days the leaders of religious institutions used to be beloved gurmukhs with exemplary life style and blessed evolved souls.
Nowadays the leaders of religious institutions are elected through the process of popular vote. With this kind of selection process corruption, jealousy-duality, enmity-confrontation self-interest, quarrels fights keep increasing, egotism ‘reigns supreme’ and ‘noise’ is about the ‘chair’ ( seat of authority).

10. In the olden days there were few religious institutions, but in the ‘innate feeling of love’, love of sewa

Nowadays places of religious worship and institutions, gurdwaras, dharamsalas, libraries, study circles
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sewa and the beautiful atmosphere of divine relish was present in them . One could go to there and experience peace, love, affection and the joy of sewa.
have increase, but the ‘divine atmosphere’, ‘peace’, ‘life current, affection and the yearning for sewa only sometimes does it makes a superficial appearance.

11. In the by gone days the religious centers used to be fragile (not made of baked bricks) and the Sikhs were ‘solid’
Nowadays the religious centers have become solid and the Sikhs fragile (weak in their commitment to Sikhi).


12. The quality was there although the quantity was less.

Nowadays the quantity has increased tremendously but quality has decreased.
13. ‘All your other efforts will be totally fruitless. (unless) you meditate only on the Naam in the company of holy sangat – congregation in which evolved souls are present.
By blindly imitating western civilization and increasing becoming fashion conscious we have increased our worthless daily routines to such an extent that there is no time or no need to pay attention to the ‘holy sangat’ and ‘Naam Simran’. We have become so absorbed in ‘all other deeds’ that we have become the embodiment of ‘maya’ or materialism.

14. All aspects of our lives should revolve around the central instruction of Gurbani on ‘love’, ‘affection’, ‘sewa’, ‘naam’, ‘hukam’
We make use of Gurabani for our personal needs or selfish interests. We tamper the Bani with the hue of our small intellect to make it follow our mind. In this way we are drifting further away from the innate aims of Gurbani.

15. ‘Love, affection, adoration’ indeed is the ‘life current’, is ‘Naam’, is ‘hukam’.
‘Listen yea all, (I) speak the truth. He who gives love, only he shall discover God
In today’s world there is a famine in divine ‘affectionate yearning’, or ‘love of the Self within.’ If a flash of affection does appear then behind it there is some self-interest or has its roots in some attachment.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

DHARAM PRACHAAR(KHOJI) LEKH NO:12

Lekh 12A

DHARAM PARCHAAR




The connection of friendship between two individuals is dependent upon trust with which their minds are in tune and there is internal ‘exchange’ between them. When the feeling of trust ‘loosens’ or disappears, then the outer connection becomes superficial and is without benefit. Outwardly they might be meeting and having dealings but internally they become out of tune and the inward-looking partnership or ‘exchange’ is impossible.

Similarly when in the doubt-fallacy state of egotism we forget the Immortal Lord and become out of tune from the Divine Will, then our feeling of fear and faith decreases and gradually becoming faithless we turn apostate thus depriving ourselves of Divine love, blessings, grace and many other spiritual gifts and gains.

To get various benefits from electricity the connection of wires is necessary. In the same way to become worthy of the Lord’s limitless comfort and salvation giving gifts such as affection, love, taste, enthusiasm and other spiritual blessings, the wire of attention of our minds should be joined with the innermost consciousness of the spiritual light. It is important to tune our desire according to the flow of Divine Comfort and salvation giving ‘command’ i.e. action according to ‘Divine command’ is compulsory.

1 One who moves in harmony with the Will (of God), He obtains the treasure (of enlightenment). 421
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To render music, musical instruments of various types and shapes are required. Different types of subtle, fine and coarse sounds emerge from these instruments. When these are used to sing certain raags (musical measures), then the sounds of those instruments get tuned with the rhythm and mnemonics of that particular raag and touching the subtle peaks of the vibrations of that raag, it can overwhelm our mind and give us a jolt of some blissful wonderment.

In rendering this music if the tune of any one particular instrument goes ‘out of tune’ then a hitch develops in the rendering of the whole music. This hitch becomes unbearable for any musician.

In the same way through the waves of the flow of Divine Will, the rendering of the Divine Music is continually going on in the this universe. Through this miraculous influence and stimulus the entire creation automatically:-

grows
increases
expands
flourishes
fruits
dies

and abiding by the ‘inlaid hukam or command’ each and every creature is making a success of its life.

But the human race is the only one, which in its doubt fallacy through egoistic cleverness, cunningness, crooked ways has become:-

unaware
careless
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indifferent
out of tune
turning away
pretending
stubborn

about the flow or will of the ‘Divine Command’ and is carrying on according to its own will and thus burning in the hidden fire of greed, worry, jealousy- duality.

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

2 The ignorant wretches know not Lord’s Will and go amiss in error. 66

In this way man is the only creature that is depriving himself of limitless Divine comforts and salvation giving gifts and gains.

Every
thought
cleverness
cunningness
scheme
plan
crookedness
action
religion
union
stubborness












































By discussing and practising Gurbani and by diving into it with our innermost consciousness, we are extracting diamonds, jewels, gems and rubies from its depths. In connection with ‘deliberating’ on Gurbani, we also have created some doubts. Gurbani is deliberated upon at many levels:-

1. Literal meaning 2. underlying meaning
3. Innate meaning 4. Intuitional illumination

The following lines from Gurbani are helpful in this discussion:-

1 How rare are those who contemplate the Word of the Guru’s Bani; they become Gurmukh. This is the Bani of the Supreme Being; through it, one dwells within the home of his inner being.
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2 The Word, the Bani is Guru, and Guru is the Bani. Within the Bani, the Ambrosial Nectar is contained. If His humble servant believes, and acts according to the Words of the Guru’s Bani, then the Guru, in person, emancipates him. 982

3 The Lord’s Name abides deep within the nucleus of one who realizes the Bani of the Guru’s Word within his soul. 797

The power of our intellect is limited to discussing the meaning of words or the underlying meaning. Intuitional meaning or intuitional illumination are beyond the understanding and grasp of our intellect.. For this reason we are not getting the full benefit from Gurbani. in other words we are just entangled in the ‘skin’ of the words. We are being deprived of the ‘nectar’ like substance and essence behind these words. This is the reason that in the intellectual sphere, drenched with the colour of materialism, we are completely unaffected by the ‘intuitional illumination’, Naam, ‘Shabad’ of Gurbani and becoming ignorant, indifferent and careless (towards Bani) we are simply wasting our lives.

Similarly our religious preaching is limited just up to the intellectual sphere. This too is incomplete, hollow, empty, dry and dull and is incapable of inspiring the spiritual aspirations of truth seekers.

It has been seen that in other countries, people of other faiths carry out the preaching of their religion on a large scale through good organisation, wisdom and effort.
Well organised and well disciplined propagation of their religion on a grand scale.
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They go to every house or to public places and distribute numerous, beautiful, handy pamphlets and booklets. Radio, T.V. and video are extensively used to get across the religious message to the people. The Christians have translated their Bible and other religious literature into more than forty-five languages for distribution to others. In comparison to them is like ‘salt in flour’, in fact even less than this. This preaching is taking place without any central well organised institution. Whatever is being done is carried out in unwillingness, indifference, without interest and devotion, just to show to people or entertain them.

We do not preach religion seriously because our mind, attention and interest are engrossed in other unnecessary botherations. We do not have in us the intense devotion with ambition, enthusiasm or fervency to benefit ourselves and to spread to others the ‘spiritual light’ of Gurbani. It is necessary for us to learn a lesson from the preachers of other religions.

Nowadays many religions and spiritual bodies books are being written, the reading of which shows that they are just imaginations of intellectual knowledge. In them no ‘flash’ of Divine ray that can stimulate the soul is felt. It is just intellectual recreation which is compiled after reading or hearing. Without ones original spiritual experience, these materials do not have the power or capability to ‘touch’ and stimulate other souls.

This is also the situation with our religious monthly periodicals, newspapers and books, which just touch the low desires of our crude materialistic mind. The same is true of our libraries, educational institutions and study circles. The test of the character or religious level of a community is to know what kind of literature is patronised by it.

Before the coming of our Gurus, religions, rituals had become dry-dull and served certain self-interests. The ‘life-current’ of ‘Naam’ had disappeared completely from these rituals. They had become mere hypocrisy and ‘dead-methodology.



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Under the shelter of religion, religious leaders are exploiting and confusing people for their self interests. When decline of the ‘contractors of religion’ was such, the condition of the general public can be easily assessed. Seeing the pitiful state of the public and feeling sorry for them, Guru Nanak Dev Ji had to take birth in this world. The empty rites and rituals which were in vogue at that time are rebutted in Gurbani thus:-
1.1 They read scriptures, and contemplate the Vedas; they practice the inner cleansing techniques of Yoga, and control of the breath.
But they cannot escape from the company of the five passions; they are increasingly bound to egotism. 1
1.2 O Beloved, this is not the way to meet the Lord; I have performed these rituals so many times.
I have collapsed, exhausted, at the Door of my Lord Master; I pray that He may grant me a discerning intellect. Pause
1.3 One may remain silent and use his hands as begging bowls, and wander naked in the forest.
He may make pilgrimages to river banks and sacred shrines all over the world, but his sense of duality will not leave him. 2
1.4 His mind’s desires may lead him to go and dwell at sacred places of pilgrimage, and offer his head to be sawn off;
but this will not cause the filth of his mind to depart, even though he may make thousands of efforts. 3
1.5 He may give gifts of all sorts — gold, women, horses and elephants.
He may make offerings of corn, clothes and land in abundance, but this will not lead him to the Lord’s Door. 4
1.6 He may remain devoted to worship and adoration, bowing his forehead to the floor, practicing the six religious rituals.
He indulges in egotism and pride, and falls into entanglements, but he does not meet the Lord by these devices. 5
1.7 He practices the eighty-four postures of Yoga, and acquires the supernatural powers of the Siddhas, but he gets tired of practicing these.
He lives a long life, but is reincarnated again and again; he has not met with the Lord. 6 641

There are also many other shabads in Gurbani on this topic.

To correct such religious degradation of this world and to motivate the public towards God by giving spiritual guidance, the Gurus coming in ten bodies provided religious and spiritual leadership and blessed us with ‘Bani from the Original Source’. Through high, pure and divine teachings in this Bani, life is made successful and the method of living comfortably in this world and the next is taught.

Our self has three layers- body mind and the soul deep within. As long as our body and body wander about in the ego encircled self’ of ‘false materialism’ and the ‘three attributes’ of doubt fallacy – for that long this doubt ridden self,

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looking outward, will continue to absorb the many coloured influences of ‘false materialism’. Thinking and acting in this manner, man experiences pain and pleasure according to the principle, ‘I reap what I sow’. In other words our external ‘egoistic self’, becoming subordinate to the obstinate army of passion, anger, greed, attachment, ego and taking on their colouring gets in tune with them and lives his life ‘entangled and enmeshed, in the love of false occupations, the whole world is perishing’. In this way man, out of ignorance, breaks away, gets out of tune from his Nucleus (his center), his real ‘self’ and deprives himself of the Immortal Lord’s lofty and pure Divine ‘gifts’ like ‘love, affection, enjoyment, elation.

In this way the whole world is being carried away in ‘ego-bound’ doubt- fallacy. Becoming unaware of its nucleus, the soul, it (the world) is living in ‘tune’ with materialism and forgetting its real ‘Self’, it gets out of tune with the comfort giving ‘Hukam’ or command (of the real ‘Self’). But the distressing part is that the same is true of those who bow to Gurbani and those who do its kirtan and hold discourses. There is a great deal of difference in what they do and what they say. The whole of Gurbani is teaching us to free ourselves of the slavery of materialism thereby providing unrestricted freedom of the soul, by being in tune with the flow of Divine Will. There is a clear warning about this in Gurbani:-

1 One who does not practice what he preaches to others, shall come and go in reincarnation, through birth and death. 269

2 He teaches, but does not practice what he preaches; he does not realize the essential reality of the Word of the Shabad. 380

3 Kabeer, those who only preach to others — sand falls into their mouths. They keep their eyes on the property of others, while their own farm is being eaten up. 1369

At this moment the real reason for the religious fall or decline of ours is that there is a big gap between what we say and what we do. As a result of this, unknowingly, the preaching of indifference towards religion or atheism is being done among the people. The responsibility of such a state falls on us who are ‘believers-atheists’ (outwardly were are believers but inwardly we are atheists).
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Seeing such a situation the general public has begun to regard religion with contempt and some sincere believers too are gliding towards atheism.

This deep subject needs further in depth discussion.

We have made religion just into a pastime or hobby made up of physical rites-rituals and intellectual knowledge. We are becoming ignorant, uninformed and unaware of the nucleus of religion which is the soul. Althought the whole of Gurbani is motivating us towards the real God, yet the influence of our paath, kirtan, religious discourses or lectures does not go beyond our mind, intellect and emotions. To get the influence of Guru’s teachings to g down beyond our mind, body intellect up to the soul, Satguru has told us of a very easy and simple method. It is Simran (meditation).

Simran is the one and only strict command of Gurbani which the Sikh world has knowingly become indifferent to and feigning ignorance it is completely forgotten. When our preachers themselves are not practicing the strict command of the Satguru, how can the general public be faulted.

First of all we have to be steadfast about the under mentioned statements:-

1. We are not just body, mind and intellect.
2. Beyond these ( the body, mind and intellect) is our real ‘self’- the soul.
3. We have to take out our body, ego-bound mind and intellect from the slavery of materialism and make them subordinate to the soul thus keeping in tune with His Hukam or command.
4. This is a very difficult game but through the Guru’s grace, by ‘meeting spiritually elevated souls and meditating only on Naam’ it becomes easy.

The essence of the above discussion is that all our efforts and methods of outward rituals, recitations and worship (of Gurbani), and religious preaching are all limited up to the ‘world of egotism’ or the ‘tri-gun’(three worldly attributives) and we are satisfied with such superfluous and incomplete ritualistic actions. Not only are we satisfied but we are going about egoistically and regarding ourselves as good and noble, and we also look down upon others. In this way, we are inflating our ego all the more.
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1 In ego they become truthful or false.In ego he reflects on virtue or vice. 466

The important thing that we have to understand and be sure about is that our paath, worship and their methods of preaching and discovering, discerning and recognising the intuitional light of Gurbani are:-

efforts - not results
methods - not fulfillments
steps - not the ultimate height
journey - not destination
classes - not degree
knowledge - not light
deeds - not results
almonds - not the essence (of almonds)
fruits - not juice
flowers - not fragrance
bulbs - not light

Living in ‘trigun’ (tri-attributive world) we have to cultivate ‘religion’ and preach it too. But we must not remain contented and go about swelled in pride, regarding this as ‘fulfillment’, ‘destination’, ‘climax’.

2 If the Lord is benevolent, then an effort is made. 562

We are ‘commanded’ to make the effort but the result, fruit, fulfillment of this effort is gifted to us according to the Grace of the Satguru.

Just as we are using double-minded, directionless, faithless, incomplete, hollow, tasteless, dry, dead means so we are also getting similar fruits - results and the ‘same’ is happening to our physical, mental and religious condition. The reflection or colouring of all this, emerging from every aspect our life, from the morality and religious level of our society, comes and stands before us.

From our past history we know that many centuries ago there
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religions and civilizations in different countries such as Egypt, Greece, Iran, China, Tibet and India. As long as there was the flow of the reflection of spiritual light of Divine life current in these countries, they had high morale and continued to develop. But with the passage of time the ‘Divine Light’ and the ‘Life-Current’ began to fade from them and their religions began to disappear in the darkness of ignorance.

Similarly the Sikh community, by being deprived, by being indifferent and inattentive to Gurbani and the ‘Light’ of Meditation and by gliding towards the fathomless, complex materialistic ocean of fear is in danger of undergoing the same fate.

To be safe from this danger we should make an effort to cultivate the following advice of Gurbani:-

1 One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord’s Name.

2 Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar.

3 Following the Instructions of the Guru, he is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased.

4 Then, at the rising of the sun, he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, he is to meditate on the Lord’s Name.

5 One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food — that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru’s Mind.

6 That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate — upon that GurSikh, the Guru’s Teachings are bestowed.

7 Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. 305

Cont...../Dharam Parchaar 2







































Religious Preaching Part 2




It has been explained in the first part of this Lekh that the meaning of ‘preaching’ is – to present a thought or belief to the listeners with the view of influencing and convincing them about our beliefs. There are many ways of doing parchaar or preaching, for example:-

1. Spoken or written propaganda
2. Personal example
3. Through intense thinking or mind power

In the first part of this lekh the discussion is centered on ways and means of doing ‘parchaar or preaching’, but these methods are limited to the physical, mental and intellect level of worldliness (‘trigun’). Beyond this, is the spiritual realm, in which the channel for preaching is different. This matter is now going to be discussed in part 2 of the lekh.

Scientists have proved that the visible world was created by the Divine ‘Command’ or Word and has since been operating. This means that ‘thought’ or ‘notion’ is the primal source or the ‘seed’. It is through the intense concentration of thoughts that such thought develop increasing power. This power is called ‘mind power. This intense ‘mind power’ is also called hypnotism or mesmerism.

It is common believed someone can be affected by an ‘evil look’. This is the manifestation of the power of intense jealousy.

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In this way as our attention continues to get one-pointed or focused on something, our mind power too gets more dynamic. Doing simran in this condition when the mind gets one-pointed, the power of the mind gets so dynamic or intense that one can witness astonishing happenings by way of ‘blessings’, ‘curses’ or ‘the spoken word manifesting itself -becoming true’.

If the phenomena of ‘evil look’ is commonly accepted, then the expression of the power of the mind through ‘blessing’, ‘curse’, ‘occult power’ too has a basis.

This dynamic power emerges from the concentration of the mind. If this mind power can overwhelm and change nature’s laws, then it is mandatory that weak minds too can be influenced by it.

This mind power can be increased to a great extent through meditation and concentration. This mind power is a very easy, simple and effective tool to convince or transform or preach other minds. In this way when we are in the company of somebody, it is inevitable that our minds will influence or be influenced by those around. The mind that is cultivated, by virtue of its greater power, will automatically and inevitably affect those minds that are weak.

The changing of thoughts or beliefs can be called conversion or transformation. This transformation depends on the laws mentioned below:-

1. The intensity of faith and conviction.

2. The preconceived ideas or conceptions.

3. The receptibility or conductivity of the seeker.



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4. The methodology of preaching and the wave-length of thoughts.

The influence of the preaching depends on the style and mode of the preachers’ living. If their body, mind, heart, intellect and soul are in tune with one another, then faith, desire and determination can enter their mind and heart and the influence of what they say and do will inevitably affect others.

But because our condition is one where ‘what the mind thinks does not match what the mouth says’, what we say or communicate goes awaste and is not effective. Even if there is some effect, it is temporary and superfluous. It cannot change our deep pre-conceived ideas. Since our parchaar or preaching has originated from the ‘intellectual realm’, its effect too is limited the to the ‘intellectual realm’. Its effect is momentary, superficial and does not touch or affect our deep seated mind, the sub-conscience or ‘life’.

Psychologists have come to the conclusion that 90% of the influences which our mind acquires from external sources are the result of ‘personality infection while only 10% of the influences could be the result of influence of the written word or oral preaching. This is clear proof that though we participate in reciting bani, worshiping, listen to or giving lectures and discourses and reading numerous religious books, there is very little effect on our minds or there is just temporary emotional effect. After reading and listening to so much, no noticeable transformation comes into our lives.

1 What use is reading and listening, if celestial peace is not attained? 655

2 Reading and studying are just worldly pursuits... 650

3 The filth is not washed off by reading, go and ask the divines 39

Radio statios broadcast from some definite wave length and cycles and we heaar the broadcast by tuning or radios to the same wave length and cycles. If our radio

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is spoilt or there is some fault in the connection, then despite being at the right wave length and cycles it will not speak or the wound will be mild or out of tune. If the power of the wave length of this sound is intense, then it cuts through the atmosphere and carries its effect very far. This scientific principle applies to our thoughts and minds. The wave length or cycles on which our thoughts work in us affects the mind of others on the same wavelength and cycles. Thoughts emerging from a cultivated powerful mind automatically exercise deep and permanent influence on weaker minds. At times due to atmospheric disturbance there is interference in the voice of the radio and it is not heard clearly. Similarly if there is a storm of thoughts in our minds, then the influence of the dynamic thoughts of others can be less or unclear.

If iron is rusty, the magnet has little or no influence on it and it does not get pulled. Similarly if iron is galvanised with something, then no other colour can be plated on it. This principle of solid things getting affected also applies even more deeply and subtly on thoughts.

1 The filth of countless incarnations sticks to this mind; it has become pitch black. The oily rag cannot be cleaned by merely washing it, even if it is washed a hundred times. 651

Our mind is covered with layers of dirt or rust gathered from previous births. Therefore, if it is not impossible, it is certainly difficult for the ‘delicate and divine colour’ to influence and affect such a mind.

Besides our minds having acquired thick layers of dirt through the effects of previous births, in this life too, through various types of company, such intense galvanisation of beliefs is acquired that we are incapable or not even ready to acquire the influence of some new thought.

Similarly many a time we are in the prison of old rigid beliefs and we become so satisfied and proud in this ‘mental cone’ that we are not ready to listen to any good or



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beneficial word of others. On the contrary we are ready to impose forcefully our half-baked vague beliefs on others. This is the reason that in the name of religion, there is jealousy, hatred, quarrels, fights and oppression in this world.

To come out of this dirt or galvanization of previous births or self- carved mental cone, it is necessary to make an effort for a long time. This can only happen if we have the realization of our weaknesses and the intention to forsake them. We are so powerfully bound in our beliefs that we do not feel the need to depart from them - let alone making an effort. This is the reason that despite numerous recitations of Gurbani, worship and carrying out rituals and digressing knowledge, there is only superfluous influence on our minds – which disappears fast anyway and no difference occurs in our lives.

There is natural gravity in the earth. For this reason everything is being pulled towards it. To send something upwards, force is necessary. This force neutralizes the force of gravity at first, and then, has the power of pushing upwards. Similarly the inclination of our mind is automatically being pulled down by the gravity of materialism. For this reason the mind according to its colouring, acquires low materialistic influences fast but to acquire lofty divine influences, intense desire, effort, determination and hard work are necessary – all of which cannot happen by one’s own self without the dynamic and lofty sadhsangat.

Just as the pull of the magnet depends on the power of iron to acquire it – so also accepting the influences of sadhsangat or Gurbani depends on the power of acquisition of our minds.

As much as is the materialistic ‘dirt’, ‘rust’ or ‘coating’ covering our minds, by that much will it be difficult for us to acquire divine virtues and spiritual enjoyment and, as our mind and sub conscience continue to be purified, so also the power to acquire the influence of sadhsangat and Gurbani will increase.



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1 Through innocent love, the Lord is met. 324

That is why Gurbani warns against bad company and prohibits the use of reasoning-devices and cleverness of the mind.

2 Kabeer, do not associate with the faithless cynics; run far away from them. 1371
3 Abandon your cleverness o good men and remember Lord God the King. 281

4 Stop giving excuses you man and discover the shabadh of the Guru..646

The purpose of our religious preaching is that man be saved from the doubts and misconceptions of the serpent of materialism or Satan and through it acquire divine virtue so that he can achieve closeness to God. But when closely scrutinised it is clear that despite many different types of religious preaching, people are getting more deeply entangled in the misconceptions of materialism when compared to earlier periods. The world absorbed in and suffering from enmity-opposition, jealousy, duality, passion-anger, greed, attachment, arrogance, fighting, quarrels and flames ignited by tyranny- is crying in agony.

From this it is clear that we have either misconceived religion or the methods, ways, objectives of religious preaching are incomplete or wrong. This very serious and important problem needs serious consideration of the present knowledgeable people, religious leaders and preachers.

God has created this world through His ‘Divine Command’ or ‘Word” and giving His souls lto the creatures who are part of Him, He has created a vast play-arena of materialism for their entertainment and life support. To save them from being absorbed in the doubt-fallacy of materialism and to motivate them towards His beloved divine bosom, He has from time to time sent to this world gurus, spiritual guides, prophets, hermits, devotees, religious persons, saints, beloved ones, great dignities who started different religions and left behind them scriptures (banis) to preach Divine Virtues. But we subordinate their disciples to our egotism and with cleverness distorting their good spiritual teachings we give them the colouring of our mind thus misinterpreting them, resulting in one sided or incomplete preaching. The result of this has been that instead of reducing the doubts-fallacies-deceptions of the people about religion, these have been increasing

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instead of Divine Virtues entering us, jealousy, duality, malice, hatred, enmity, opposition and many other devilish vices are increasing.

The root causes of this downfall are:-

1. Carrying out wrong or incomplete preaching due to wrong interpretation and narrow misconception of religion.

2. Forgetting the original spiritual religion and limiting it to outward routine, rituals and rites.

3. Regarding religion just as a topic for preaching or hobby and not understanding the need to mould ones personal life according to it.

4. Being ignorant, indifferent and pretentious about the subtle aspect of the inner spiritual religion.

5. Being uninformed or faithless about the Grace of the Supreme Being who is the provider of spiritual fruit.

The whole of the above discussion is limited up to the mental and intellectual action which is n the circle of ‘trigun’ (attributes of rajo, sato, tamo). Materialism is the play of prosperity and actions or efforts are under the shadow of egotism. Beyond the ‘trigun’- the ‘spiritual play’ without egotism is something else.

The dynamic subtle vibrations of the minds which have done meditation (simran) influence one another without talking, unknowingly, automatically and spontaneously. Both sides do not know about the ‘infection’ and about the communion which is taking place in their ‘innermost consciousness’ and how and when the ‘business’ has taken place. They just feel that their former ‘ego-centric’ ‘materialistic mind’ has suddenly experienced some change and that in their life there is some:-

new glow or illumination,
new knowledge,
new hue or colour
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new taste,
new happiness,
new enthusiasm,
new elation,
new light,
new thoughts,
new faith,
new desire,
new love,
new ecstasy of love,
new intoxication,
new power,
new flavour,
new life current,
touch of Naam,
tingling sound of shabadh,

all of which have entered their minds and penetrated, settled, integrated, warf and weft, interwoven and intertwined, giving them their ‘new birth’ in the ‘spiritual sphere’. Decorated with divine colour they now become ‘Khalsa.

1 In the Company of the Holy, there is no suffering. The Blessed Vision of their Darshan brings a sublime, happy peace. 272

2 We cannot meet the Lord by our own efforts, nor can we meet Him through service; He comes and meets us spontaneously. 672
3 I see the Lord, the Source of Bliss, everywhere; through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, the Lord of the Universe is revealed. 1315

4 When the seed of the karma of past actions sprouted, I met the Lord; He is both the Enjoyer and the Renunciate.
My darkness was dispelled when I met the Lord. O Nanak, after being asleep for countless incarnations, I have awakened. 204

For this reason in Gurbani there is mandatory emphasis on sadh sangat or sat-sangat.

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1 Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; vibrate and meditate on the Jewel of the Naam. 12

2 In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, I am sure to be saved. 1071

3 Without the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, no one swims across. 373

4 The Supreme Lord showers His Mercy, and we find the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. The more time we spend there, the more we come to love the Lord. 71

From the very beginning this invisible ‘Divine Tradition’ has been prevalent-and even now this ‘Sacred Tradition’ is working mysteriously.

In fact this is rising above the ‘mental plane’ of ‘trai-gun’, inclining or (bringing about a) transformation towards the ‘sphere of spiritual illumination.

Because our ‘religious preaching’ has grown from the intellectual sphere – it can only be effective up to the intellectual plane of the listeners – and it cannot take one, above the level of intellectual sphere of ‘trai-gun’. Only the fourth ‘padh’ (state or level) can give hypthetic-guidance of the ‘spiritual sphere’.

Rising above the ‘trai-gun’ and entering the fourth stage (padh) or ‘spiritual illuminated sphere’, the external ritualistic religions can be of help and can give guidance. But this is just the journey, not the destination.

For entering the ‘spiritually illuminated sphere’ or ‘sphere of Naam’ intuitional illumination’ is compulsory.

‘Intuitional illumination’ is the gift’, ‘touch’, ‘blessings’ and ‘grace of Satguru Ji.

It is impossible to acquire this (state) with the help of our rites or rituals or with our own strength.

5 (we have) No power to beg, no power to give. 7

6 If people could gather it in by their own efforts, then everyone would be so lucky. 157

7 The religious rites, rituals and hypocrisies which are seen, are plundered by the Messenger of Death, the ultimate tax collector. 747




































This divine ‘gift’, ‘touch’ or fermentation – is the fruit of Guru’s grace after keeping continuous company of sadhsangat and doing ceaseless meditation (or simran).

The tradation of partaking of Amrit, is the indicator and symbol of this principle of ‘fermentation’.

This is the real, dynamic eternal Divine “Religious preaching’ for transforming life which is taking place from the very beginning, invisibly, quietly, mysteriously to Divine Command. When some Grace takes place on someone. the pinnacle of his subtle mind is touched, and in his innermost consciousness, the sound of Divine music starts spontaneously. Hearing this sound, his mind become ‘intoxicated’ and he says:-

1 Now I have attained the status of eternal life. 1000

2 My mind is enticed by the unstruck celestial melody; its flavor is amazing! 1226


















Cont: .....Part 3
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